City Council Work Session Transcript – 10/8/2024 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 1 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 10/8/2024 9:00:00AM Original Air Date: 10/8/2024 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. [9:01:02 AM] >> Good morning everybody. I'll call to order the Austin city council for a work session. It is October 8th, 2024 at 9:01 A.M. And I'm calling us to order in the city council chambers, which are located at Austin city hall, 301 west second street in Austin, Texas. And we have a quorum of the Austin city council present. Today we are having a work session, and we will the work session will focus predominantly on item B one, which is a briefing related to a proposed five year meet and confer agreement with the Austin police association relating to wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment for police officers of the Austin police department. The format that we'll follow today is we will the council will first. The council and public obviously will first get a briefing with regard to this proposal that will allow the council to ask questions and get answers to various questions, and then we will allow for public comment. And I'll turn to the city clerk when we do that. There may be [9:02:03 AM] when we do that. There may be other items on the agenda that people also want to comment on, but we will take up the items related to the police matter. B1 the police contract matter item b1 first, before we go to those other items. So members without objection, that takes us to our briefing on b1 and I'll look to the city manager for comments. >> Thank you mayor and good morning mayor and council. Since joining the city, I have made it clear that one of my top priorities was to finalize a new contract between the city and the Austin police association. I am proud that we've been able to achieve such a significant accomplishment this five year tentative agreement that we are presenting to you today. This agreement, not only includes groundbreaking measures to enhance police oversight, but also provisions for improving the Austin police department's hiring and promotional process. Further, it recommends meaningful investments in [9:03:03 AM] meaningful investments in officer pay and benefits, helping to bring much needed stability to the department. I want to commend the city's and the Apa's negotiating teams for working towards a historic agreement that truly aligns with my philosophy of valuing and prioritizing public safety while being committed to transparency. I also want to thank you, mayor and council, for your leadership and support in getting us to this important milestone. With that, I will now turn it over to chief labor relations officer Sarah griffin and her team to begin the presentation. Sarah, good morning. >> How are we? >> And tell us that's what this briefing is about. >> Well, I certainly hope you're good because it's been a long time coming. We've all worked very hard on it from both sides of the table, from the community, from the council. And we appreciate it. Let me start with basically telling you an [9:04:04 AM] with basically telling you an overview. We are not quite sure how to. There we go. We have benefits of an agreement that ensures compliance with the Austin police oversight act. I'm going to I'm going to call this a couple of different things throughout this briefing, because some people call it prop a, some people call it chapter 215 of the Austin city code. Some people call it opoa. I'll probably call it opoa, but if I vary from that, you all probably all call it different things too. So we've ensured compliance with the Austin police oversight act. It enhances accountability and transparency by doing that, we've improved opportunities for recruitment and retention. We've enhanced the hiring and promotions procedures, both from our previous contracts and further on our promotions. Specifically, we've offered a competitive pay package and we have the long term stability for both management and the employees of a five year agreement under the Austin police oversight act. We dealt with specific issues and all we [9:05:07 AM] with specific issues and all we dealt with were the variances from chapter one 43in the local government code. We did not try to accomplish anything else in the opoa because it stands on its own or stands on our state statute. So what we had to do, we did in the contract, and that is complaints and investigations. The G file the 365 on the disciplinary actions and the grievances. So as we go through this on complaints and investigations, what we're particularly most concerned with was the anonymous complaints and the definition of those. And who could receive those, and the definition of complaints that varied from in opoa varied from the statute. So we now have an agreement where complaints may now be received from an Austin police department employee or a non-departmental non-departmental city employee. So that does include the office of police oversight. On the G file, all documentation related [9:06:11 AM] file, all documentation related to police officer misconduct, whether it occurred before or after the effective date of the agreement, is no longer confidential and subject to release. The agreement itself only deals with the contract time frame and the G files that fall outside of the contract are subject to state law, and any relevant court ruling. So currently the city does not maintain G files. For discipline, we've accomplished what was in the opoa. We have redefined it to actually mirror the definition we cut and pasted it literally and put it into the contract. So it's now a 365 days, and that's increased from the statutory 180 days, in which the chief can can discipline an officer on the grievances in the opoa. It says that anything in the scope of the opoa cannot be grieved under the contract terms. So we have language within the contract that complies with that and does not allow for a grievance with [9:07:11 AM] allow for a grievance with anything within the scope of 215 as it is in effect upon the execution of the agreement. We have a long history of increasing the statutory hiring and promotional sections of 143. The local government code hiring is particularly problematic. I think you all know that our last couple of hiring classes under the out of contract status have been pretty dismal as far as numbers go, and we have a vacancy crisis. I think I think we're aware of that. So we went back to a lot of the old language, which allows for hiring in more than one location. It allows for more than one test to be given. It really broadens the kind of draconian approach that the statute takes. In addition to that, we have gone back to our old hire promotional practices, but we've really enhanced those by including and incorporating portions of the Kroll report. And that's really important as [9:08:13 AM] And that's really important as as far as diversity goes, there's a couple of very specific things we did in promotions to comply with the Kroll report. And it wasn't just to comply. We think it's the right thing to do. But when you have the way it used to be is there was a written test and you could fail the written test if you got less than 70 and you would not move on to what we have as the assessment center, which we had in the last contract and for the last several contracts. But you wouldn't get there if you didn't pass the written test under the Kroll report. They recommend that you not do a pass fail until after you combine both of those. So you have now the ability to take the written test and the assessment test have a cumulative score, and only then can you fail the other portion of it that we have included from the Kroll report is when you weight the assessment center against the written test, that's now a 50 over 50. So it had been a 70 over 30, 60, over 40 in various times. So now it's a 50 over 50. And that's the Kroll report recommendation as well. [9:09:14 AM] report recommendation as well. And one additional thing we did also is the training for the assessors has been increased and upped so that they there's a better feel from the officers that the assessors know what they're testing for. And how they're grading. And the last thing we're doing is really kind of innovative, and we've not seen it anywhere else in the state of Texas and quite frankly, in the nation. And what that is, is a pilot program for probation for promoted officers. And that's generally just something that unions say no to. And in this particular situation, it actually was an idea of the union. So on this on this, we are all in agreement that this is going to assist. There is some things in the Kroll report such as mentorship, training, leadership training and mentorship programs that are designed to help officers who are promoting, who are of a diverse background to feel more comfortable, to not fail as frequently, to have more confidence if they go through a mentorship training program. And this is included in our in our pilot program, it's really a [9:10:16 AM] pilot program, it's really a kind of neat program. I would encourage you to read that section of the contract specifically. We've also offered a competitive pay package. We believe it's fiscally responsible and recognizes the value of our Austin police personnel and addresses the affordability of the city of Austin itself. It's a five year contract. It begins in the first year with 8%, which may sound like a high number to you, but I want to remind you that there was not a 4% increase built into the fy 24 base wages for police. They got some incentive pay out of contract, but they did not get anything built into their 20 2024 fiscal year. Base wages. The rest of the employees got a 4% increase. So it includes that along with the rest of the employees got a 4% increase starting October 1st of 2025. So it's kind of a combined basis there. Additionally, if you look at the fire department arbitration award, they were given 8.16% increase in their first year. And that too was a [9:11:17 AM] first year. And that too was a catch up program. So it's right in line with with what was done in the fire arbitration. Separately, we had a comparability study and we wanted to ensure that the beginning pay rate for officers was was keeping up with the other cities. We usually use comparables. The other largest eight cities within the state of Texas, this time in 2022, we were number two out of the eight when it came to the beginning, hiring the beginning officer pay. And we had dropped in that two year period of time while we were out of contract to number seven out of eight. So we wanted to you know, kick it back up. This will put us back at number two. It won't put us at number one. Austin often has the goal of being number one in the state of Texas, because we want to have the best officers and we do have the best officers. But competitive wise, we could only get up to 2%, even giving them an 8% in the first year. But to remain competitive, we've given them a 6%, 5%, 5%, 4%. Typically what happens is all of the other cities do the same thing we do. They look at the comparables and [9:12:18 AM] They look at the comparables and they leapfrog throughout the time frame. We don't want to be leapfrogged again. We want to stay where we are in the market so that we can continue to hire and fill our vacancies. In addition to that, we have attractive incentive pays. We've worked with the department to find out what the most necessary incentive pays, some of them new, and some of them increase from what we already had were in order to assist with retention and to have the particular officers that are most desired work a particular shift. So for the patrol shift, what we've done is tried to encourage more senior officers to be on the patrol shift. So we've given stipends. If you have a four year officer, they get a stipend. If you have an eight year officer and a 12 year officer, so that we have the more, the more experienced officers assisting on patrol. So it's not all of your new officers for fto's, the department has said that we have a lot of trouble getting some of the experienced officers to be fto officers to teach the younger officers. So we've increased the fto pay. The third [9:13:18 AM] increased the fto pay. The third thing we did that is very operationally important to the department is we've added a true night shift. What we had before is two shifts. We had a day shift and an evening shift, and there was a stipend for the evening shift at $300. But the true night shift that begins at 5:00 in the dead of night didn't get any extra pay for working. You know, the night shift was basically started at noon. So anybody who kind of went into the evening or all through the night had the same dollar amount. So now we have $50 more a month. It's not huge, but it's something to recognize that they're actually working the dead of night. And the last thing that of not of import the whole thing is of import, but the last attractive incentive pay that we're talking about is bilingual pay. What we have done is because the Spanish speaking officers are so much more highly utilized than the other bilingual officers, we have increased their pay, their stipend, so that they get a little bit higher than the other bilingual bilingual officers. I am not the best at working this, [9:14:22 AM] am not the best at working this, and I apologize and so the always important in a contract is to maintain management rights. That's kind of the key thing that we always do. And in this contract, we've worked very hard to retain all of the management rights, management rights that we had prior to this. It assists with creating a great relationship with city council management, the police chief and the community to ensure that the chief has the ability to make the operational decisions within the department and not leave it up to somebody else. She's the one in charge. It enhances the long term budgetary projections, projections and planning. And in this particular contract, we're very proud we have a new conservative funding obligation section. And so what it does is it clarifies that the intent to pay for this contract is out of the general fund. And specifically not the general fund reserves, and not the general fund balance. Separately, if this does come to a point where in one of these years, [9:15:23 AM] where in one of these years, what you commit to, what you hopefully commit to here is such that when the city council adopts their budget, it requires a voter approval tax rate election. If for some reason the voters were to vote, that down, then we have a procedure where your cfo comes in and he looks at a proportionate reduction, he comes up with that determination. We sit down with the association for a 30 day period of time. We meet and confer with them, and then it's up to city council to make a decision as to whether they make that proportionate reduction to incorporate in the budget that they have passed. So that's all kind of new language. I want to thank our deputy city manager on that one. That was kind of a Dallas based function that we really liked. So as of the approved budget, I'm going to let Carrie Lang talk about the budget impacts for this. I know that's a concern to all of you. And at this point, I will turn it over to her unless you want to talk questions on language. Now. Okay. We will we will go ahead and get the full briefing. >> Absolutely. Questions. Thank [9:16:24 AM] >> Absolutely. Questions. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good morning. Mayor and council Carrie Lang, budget officer and I'll just keep going as of their approved budget, we had planned for this contract. And so when you look at what you see before you, we planned for the contract in the fiscal year 25 budget. And for the rest of our forecast period for the five year forecast period as of the approved budget, with this contract, with the dollars amount, we were structurally balanced as of the approved budget, with the tentative agreement, the dollars that are in the agreement, there is a minimal impact with the additional dollars that are included in the contract, and I'll walk through that over the next couple of slides. This slide here really talks breaks down the cost of the contract. The contract is budgeted, assuming full strength of 1816 positions. The team went through [9:17:26 AM] positions. The team went through the details of the pay package and this slide shows the cost of the financial impact of the agreement. In fiscal year 25, the 8% base wage and stipends increase is a total of $16.6 million. The one time lump sum totals 3.5 million. In fiscal year 26, a 6% base wage increase and a new patrol stipend begins, as well as the Thanksgiving holiday, for a total of 15.1 million. This increases the cumulative cost to that you see on that far right corner column of 31.7 million. And then when you go down to years three and four, that's a 5% base wage increase for those two years. And then year five is a 4% base wage increase. That's 11.9 million, 12.4 million and 10.4 million annual impact, respectively. For those years, which brings the total five year [9:18:27 AM] which brings the total five year cumulative cost to $217.8 million for the total contract. With the approval of this agreement, although the general fund has a slight gap in the out years, the overall impact is minimal. For example, in fiscal year 26, the 2 million represents less than 2/10 of a percentage of the total $1.5 billion budget for the general fund in year five or fiscal year 29, the $6 million represents less than 4/10 of a percentage of the $1.7 billion general fund budget. The five year cumulative agreement, again, is $217.8 million. This slide also shows the percentage of the public safety of the public safety budget as a whole to the general fund over the past ten years, the council has made policy decisions to shift the general [9:19:28 AM] decisions to shift the general fund investment of public safety in 2015, public safety made up about 70% of the general fund that has been reduced to 64.5% in fiscal year 25. And although we see some marginal increase of the public safety investment in the out years, several of those investments can be attributed to things such as alternative public safety investments like the host program or the emsc four program. So there are other programs in public safety that show some of those increases. When we look at the police budget, in particular, in 2015, the police budget was 41.6% of the general fund. In 2015. However, in fiscal year 25 is 36% of the general fund budget. When we look at the out years, by fiscal year 2029, it will be 36.6%. So the increase of the general fund over this, over the life cycle of the forecast [9:20:28 AM] life cycle of the forecast period, is less than 0.5% of growth. When we look at the impact of this of this contract, I'm sorry, can you repeat those numbers? >> I was trying to write them as quickly as I'm talking really fast this morning. >> So when we look at fiscal year 2015, the police budget was 41.6% of the general fund for fiscal year, 25 is 36% of the general fund. When we look at the forecast period by fiscal year 29, it's projected to increase to 36.6% of the general fund. >> We took forensics out of the police department to do those numbers include the forensics department as part of the percentages in 2015, it did include the forensics department. >> And yes, we did take forensics out. I believe in 23. Yeah. And so that is part of the [9:21:29 AM] Yeah. And so that is part of the reduction. But it also still includes the 911 market studies that we're continuing to do. It includes the domestic violence. So it includes all the other portions of the police department budget that continue to be in there. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> Our five year forecast continues to have the assumptions that and the investments that represents the entire city. So when we look at investments in the forecast, it includes wage increases for civilians, including subsidies for the other sworn labor agreements. We have health insurance, pension contributions as part of our baseline cost drivers for our forecast period. We also include adjustments for our allocations, which includes our it fleet and support services allocations. But this forecast also maintains investments that this council has prioritized in recent budgets. And that includes [9:22:30 AM] budgets. And that includes investments in our rapid rehousing homeless contracts, permanent supportive housing, our parks departments continue to have our open and expanded facilities, as well as our increases in parks and ground maintenance. And in the forecast, I'll continue to say the forecast is a plan and we'll continue to come forward with with plan update each year. That's part of our forecasting and part of our budgeting. And there are very many variables that impact the budget year over year. And so as we continue this conversation, we'll continue to talk about those variables as they change and as we update them in the next budget cycle. In the months to come. >> Thank you. And go ahead and finish the briefing. Anything else that you want to add? >> No. That concludes our presentation. But we are absolutely happy to answer questions. And I know that there are representatives of arpa here [9:23:31 AM] are representatives of arpa here as well. >> Good deal. Well, let's let's go to the questions and council members, council member Fuentes and then followed by council member qadri. >> Thank you. Thank you for today's briefing. Thank you to our city staff. Thank you to our city administrators. Thank you, city manager Broadnax. It has been pretty incredible to have such a responsive city government working with our community, with the concerns that have been raised and to know that our city attorney and our labor negotiating team and our finance team and our management team has been responsive and available and quickly working to mobilize information and address concerns. It means a lot. So first and foremost, I just want to say thank you. This is I have really appreciated how how cooperative everyone has been. So I just for now for my questions to begin with, I want to stick on the financial impact. We've seen a lot of concerns from our community. Our city workers union has also expressed concerns about how this might impact how the police adopting this police contract [9:24:33 AM] adopting this police contract would impact our ability to invest in other public safety measures, as well as in our public safety personnel and civilian workforce. So miss Lang, if you could talk us through, how does this contract impact our ability to continue those investments? I know you have a slide here that said that this bakes in assumption that will that we will continue to raise base wage for civilian workers, but can you talk through a little bit more about what that looks like and any other insight you would like to share on that end? >> Sure. So as we planned for the forecast period, we did plan for this contract. And so the final tentative agreement is just slightly a bit higher than what we planned for. And as you saw on on slide, I think that slide 13, that $2 million in. So for this fiscal year I'll say we [9:25:34 AM] for this fiscal year I'll say we are balanced. So there is no impact for this fiscal year. When we look at the out years, that 1% or less than 1%, that $2 million is, is still considered a structurally balanced budget. It's something that we look at year over year, and we make adjustments for year over year in the budget. It's part of managing a budget each year, and we still have civilian wages included in our assumptions. We still have. We have not made any changes to any of the assumptions based on this tentative agreement, and we don't we don't anticipate making any changes to any of those assumptions going forward based on this agreement. >> You mentioned earlier that there would be other variables that council would have to consider in our budget adoption process. Moving forward, can you speak a little bit about what those other variables might be? >> Those are variables that we continue to make each year. We look at, you know, sales tax. [9:26:35 AM] look at, you know, sales tax. Every year we look at, you know, how how our revenues grow and contract. Those are conversations we have year over year. And those are conversations we'll continue to have whatever the new or ongoing concerns that come up in the community. Those are just ongoing conversations that we have to make adjustments and as as challenges grow in the community and new concerns grow, we have to make adjustments each year. And that's that's just the nature of doing business in government. And I think as staff and as this council brings up those concerns or adjust to those concerns, that's just something we do each year. And as as a team, we come together and we address adjust those concerns and we adjust how we how we evolve and how we come together with community to make sure that the services are provided as needed. >> So with the five year forecast, you have mentioned [9:27:37 AM] forecast, you have mentioned that there is a minimal impact to our budget should this contract get adopted. >> 2 million for next fiscal year and then of course up to 6 million in year four and five, you know how I guess first I want to confirm, knowing that there would be a small deficit, a $2 million deficit. How does this impact or what considerations will we have in considering a tax rate election does this with a $2 million projected deficit next year? Is that something that we need to be considering for next budget cycle? A tax rate election? >> I would say that would be at the will of the council, a $2 million deficit is something that we would look at within staff as something we could make adjustments on. I would not it would be at the will of a council if you all decided a tax rate election would be needed. [9:28:38 AM] rate election would be needed. But $2 million for staff is something that we could look at within different allocations to see what we could make adjustments on. >> So I guess, you know, based on your expertise, you know, looking at a $6 million deficit in year four and five, does that rise to the level where we would need to be considering a tax rate election, or is this minimal impact one that can be absorbed through our budgetary processes? >> I think there are Kerri. >> I'll take this. Let me thank you, councilwoman, for the question. And I know Carrie was going to answer the question probably better than I would. Let me say this. So as we look forward next year and over the next five years, if we're talking about budgeting, one of the things that I think I've shared with the team, as well as this council, even in the adoption of this budget, is that our approach and how we develop the budget will probably be much different when it comes to the exercises that staff will go [9:29:39 AM] exercises that staff will go through in preparation of the budget. And as we recommend a budget, when you ask about a tax rate election, obviously that is the will of the council. However, the budget that will hopefully be recommending next year and in the future will lay out those options and considerations. If in fact there are things in need that we cannot do under our normal expenditures. But it is not and would not be my recommendation as it relates to the base budget in what we do on a normal basis, as well as trying to get after some of the unmet needs. I think that we have in the city that we would be calling for you to make a tax rate election. Now, if strategically, there are bigger issues that we would like to address as a city that go outside of, I think our core services, I would argue and work with this council to figure out whether or not that should be placed in a tax rate election, but the language in the contract speaks to, if that is even necessary. Not specifically [9:30:41 AM] necessary. Not specifically related to this contract, but in general for any unmet need that the city might have, that we could then come back and adjust and work and go through a process to evaluate any of the compensation related increases that are detailed in the contract. So the basic answer is the budget, as well as the gap that you may see going in the forecast. I do not believe a tax rate election would be necessary to accommodate those things. >> Thank you. Thank you manager I really appreciate that. And you know, and for the community who might be watching right now as policymakers knowing how we have been hamstrung by our state legislature and how we are able to do our budgetary processes, we now see more and more taxing jurisdictions having to consider tax rate elections. In fact, we have two jurisdictions in our own community, both Travis county and our school district. Aisd considering tax rate elections in just a few weeks. And so as policymakers who oversee a budget, that is a real impact that we have to consider. And so to me, it was important [9:31:43 AM] And so to me, it was important to daylight, the implications and what we might have to consider should we move forward with adopting this police contract. >> And I might just add to that, and you brought it up during the entire budget process? Several people did. But, councilmember Fuentes, you were one of the leaders on that as well. And that is that. And I think the manager is also suggesting that it's implicit in what he was just saying. And we've talked about this a couple of times, the cap when overlaid on arpa funding and coming out of the pandemic and all of that is going to require us, I think, as a policy making body, to consider on some sort of routine basis, how we look at tax rates and that kind of thing that will not be caused because of this contract based upon what the manager just said and what what has been laid out for us in terms of budget by itself, it will be considered as part of overall what we might have as other needs in the city, things of that nature. But this does not trigger something like that. [9:32:44 AM] not trigger something like that. And you've pointed that out in the past, not about this contract, but about how we might need to be looking forward in the future. So I appreciate those comments. Councilmember. Councilmember Fuentes, that you were finished, right? Good deal. Councilmember qadri will be next. And if you if you wish to ask questions, let me know. Okay. Thank you councilmember. >> Thank you mayor. And I want to thank you all for the presentation. And I know councilmember Fuentes thanked a lot of people might be forgetting someone, but I want to thank everyone who's been a part of this process. Just going back to the funding, you highlighted how the funding would kind of work out, and I understood what it would kind of be off limits, but would there be any potential cuts in any departments or would we expect any major cuts that are workers or city would face? No, no. And then when it comes to the contract, do we expect any cost of living adjustments to be adversely affected for either city workers and or contract workers that do business with [9:33:46 AM] workers that do business with the city? >> No. Okay. >> Those are easy answers. And then based on the benchmark analysis of the eight largest cities by population in Texas, including Austin, Austin ranks first at multiple career junctures for police officers, as well as the pay range maximum for lead and supervisory ranks, so increasing pay has not led to increased hiring within APD. Why do we think this will work? >> So I'm not quite sure your question if increasing pay has not worked in the past, are you saying. Yeah. Well because we actually at our entry level there's a couple of things going on. But at our entry level we dropped to number seven out of eight of the eight largest cities. So cost definitely is a factor as far as hiring goes. Absolutely. Additionally, we've been out of contract and had to go back to the 143 statutory [9:34:49 AM] go back to the 143 statutory testing, which literally means that all of the people who sign up for the test have to take the same test at the same location, as opposed to what our recruiting efforts allow us to do. And going out into the various locations and do testing in other locations. But the cost itself, we have dropped to number seven out of eight. >> Got it. I appreciate the clarification on that. And then this is just more out of curiosity. We had a document sent to us and it says Texas police wage trends, police officers. And when you look at the city of Dallas or the city of El Paso, it shows increases by by rank. So for example, for El Paso, it'll say police officer 13%, senior police officer 10.9 to 15.4, sergeant, lieutenant commander, so forth and so on. But for the city of Austin, it's not there's not a breakdown by rank. Is there a reason why we don't do that? >> We do have a breakdown of rank on the pay scales that are attached. Yeah. >> I mean, yeah, this is the [9:35:49 AM] >> I mean, yeah, this is the document that I have. It doesn't show a breakdown by rank. So that's just wanted clarification on that. >> Right. So I can look at that with you. I'm not quite sure what your question is, but in the comparable pay study it compares apples to apples. And not all of the departments have the same ranks. So some some don't have the rank of detective. For example. But we can go through that with you kind of line item by line item and show you how that breaks out. Okay. >> That would be helpful. And then I did have a question that was not funding related. Could I, could I ask that at this time? Sure. Yeah. >> This is whatever questions we have. This this is the time I just had. >> I just wanted clarity. And it's something that we've had folks reach out to us about as well. On the intent of article 16, section four B, could you go into that? >> Article 16, section four B, I believe is the notice provision in the G file. Is that what you're talking about? Correct. Yeah. Yeah. The intent there is [9:36:49 AM] Yeah. Yeah. The intent there is that because we're moving in accordance with the opoa, we are moving from the statutory 180 days to 365 days that the Apa has requested, merely that they are given notice when that happens, when we pass that 180 days that the Apa get notice of that. So it doesn't change any of the opoa provisions. It's still 365. And there's not a remedy to undo that if we don't give notice. We're very careful on that. So it's just a notice provision. >> So that's all it does. It just gives notice to the Apa. Right. Got it okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. Councilmember qadri councilmember Ryan alter thank you very much. >> Mayor. I'm I have some funding related questions. And then I think councilmember Bella might ask some legal questions. I'd like to come back after him, because I'm sure he's going to cover a lot of what I plan to ask. I'm curious Kerri looking at the five year forecast that you've provided in this presentation versus the five [9:37:50 AM] presentation versus the five year forecast we were given as part of the budget process or prior to the budget process in the oh, I'll say the old forecast, we were shown to be almost $60 million short by fiscal year 29. And now we're showing this $6 million deficit. And looking through it looks like we the base year, the fiscal year 25, which we are now in, we're just we're $20 million higher. So our our year one level started a little higher. And that seems to carry through comparing the two in year five. It was 1649 million. Now we're 1669. So we're $20 million more than we were before. And what I'm trying to reconcile, just as we look at that element of this analysis, is we have $20 million more than we thought in terms of [9:38:53 AM] more than we thought in terms of general fund. We were $60 million short. So it seems like we should still be $40 million short. But now we're only $6 million short. So what changed between the two? >> So as of approved, we had an increase in property tax revenue that we talked about. We had adjustments that carried through and those adjustments as they carry through, they increase our base. And then we carry through so that increases. And that's part of the increase that you see, we had some adjustments that then balanced us out in those out years. >> Is that sales tax related. Did we change any of the assumptions that we told you about the sales tax assumptions that we changed? >> We did make adjustments to the sales tax. We lowered the [9:39:54 AM] the sales tax. We lowered the sales tax assumptions, but then we flattened those out. Right. And so those those revenue assumptions did make some adjustments in the out years. And so that balances out. We were balanced out in the out years prior to and we had not published the approved budget document is coming out this week I think by Friday. So you all hadn't seen the approved projections yet to show us as balanced in the forecast with the approved document. And so that's the change that you didn't see. You saw the proposed where it was. You didn't see the approved adjustment where we were balanced out for the for the fiscal forecast. >> Okay. >> So just so I'm I'm understanding the was there any change in the sales tax assumption from the initial five year forecast to this forecast that you presented today from approved, from proposed to approve, there were changes which helped us balance out for [9:40:54 AM] which helped us balance out for the approved. >> Yes. >> Got it. That okay that makes a lot more sense on slide 16. There are a couple assumptions that you've said y'all include wages for civilian and labor agreements as it relates to the civilian population. What are we projecting over the next four years? We know we did 4% this year. What are we projecting for each of those out years? >> Let me look. I believe we did four and then four for this year. And then 3% for the out years. >> Okay. And you also mentioned that there are assumptions in terms of expanding homeless response efforts. You and your presentation mentioned rapid rehousing. Some of the other those are the things that you all approved during those are [9:41:54 AM] all approved during those are continued to be in the budget based on what was approved in the this year's budget. Got it. So is the amendments from this year are not dealing or addressing some of the cliffs. We're looking at related to arpa. You know, the 30 plus million dollars related to rapid rehousing or the other. >> No, it's the things that have been approved by council this year. >> Okay. And, you know, councilmember Fuentes talked about a tree. And I know there are a lot of issues that go into a tree. I think you know, $2 million short. Not certainly not enough to need to go to the voters to ask about when we do start talking about some of these other significant funding cliffs that we are facing. You know, I think that will potentially be a different type of conversation. But I'm curious, is there a budgetary benefit to doing a tree early rather than waiting years out? >> Well, any tree that we do, [9:43:00 AM] >> Well, any tree that we do, then it builds the base. And so if we do a tree, then that builds our base and we grow our base based on that and so that would be the benefit of doing a tree in the next year because of how it builds upon our base revenue. >> Okay. >> You I can't remember. No, I think it was miss griffin mentioned the provision that we put in the contract related to if there is a tree that fails, then we do a reallocation. Let's just say we adopted a budget that was flat. Aside from the increase in the police budget related to this contract. So let's just say for argument's sake, the department's basically remained flat. We know that this contract is going to add $15 million next year. And so we went to the voters and said this [9:44:00 AM] went to the voters and said this tree is to pay for that $15 million. If that tree failed, would the reduction in the budget be $15 million to the police department, or would it be $15 million spread proportionally across departments? >> So the way it's written, it leaves it to the cfo. Both parties agreed that we couldn't really contract that language, but that we trusted the cfo at a minimum, to come up with a plan of proportionate reduction across the budget and how the police budget would be affected by that. And this particular contract would be affected by that. Then we would sit down with the Apa for a period of 30 days, meet and confer over that rationale. Then we would come to city council and it would be the choice of the city council at that point. >> And how does that play into house bill 1900 with the prohibition on reducing police or public safety pay or budget amounts? If we were to, I think it's pretty clear how how that [9:45:03 AM] it's pretty clear how how that number relates to the prior year. Right. You can't budget less than you did for the prior year for your police department. But what if we adopt a budget in August, like we do? And let's just say it's $500 million for the police department. We need to do a tree. The tree fails. Can we throw a budget amendment drop the police department below 500 million? Or are we locked in from that moment that we approved the budget in August? >> Yes. So? So as I always tell you, I am an attorney, but I'm not your attorney. And I wouldn't get into answering that question. I think that would be part of the analysis that, you know, would would have to look at, along with the city attorney. And the contract language per se, doesn't address that. That's why we leave it to, you know, the cfo to come up with a recommendation. We then meet and confer and then city council would make the final decision. >> Okay. Miss Lang, do you have any analysis of how much of the police budget would be? And I'm going to just use the word frozen. But essentially, once [9:46:03 AM] frozen. But essentially, once once we approve the contract, there's going to be the that personnel amount that is basically what it is, right? We can't make adjustments really through the budget process that that will be kind of locked in by the contract. How much of the police budget will that be if we adopt this contract? Do you have any analysis of that? And if I'm not asking clearly, please, I don't understand your question. Okay. So once we enter this contract, that's we're saying that we're setting wages at a certain level for the police department. That that we, the council, cannot change. We couldn't come back in year two and say, oh, that 6% raise, we're actually going to make it 3% because we can't right that that's the point of the contract. And so there is a personnel cost now within the department that is set by the contract. And so I'm what I'm [9:47:06 AM] contract. And so I'm what I'm trying to understand is once again just make up numbers. Let's say it's a $500 million police budget of that is 400 million. Kind of the personnel contract can't be changed. And the other 100 million is civilian and other things. Or what's that? That balance within the department's budget. >> It's about 610 million by the by fiscal year 29 total police budget or just the contract that is their projected budget. So that's their total budget. So I'd have to go back and look at the portion of the contract that would be the personnel. But I don't have that analysis completed at this point. >> And I you know, we have a little bit of time I would love to just better understand kind of how much of our budget. And it's not just going to be police, it's hopefully we're going to have a contract with fire. And we'll have we have a [9:48:07 AM] fire. And we'll have we have a contract right now with ems. You know, how much of our general fund budget is going to be completely locked in. And so what we are able to adjust, you know, becomes a smaller portion of that total pie. Okay. The I think you mentioned this, the total number of sworn officers for the five year period is 1816. Yes. Okay. And particularly around the patrol stipend, how much is that stipend? >> I have it. >> The patrol. Oh, go ahead. >> So it it varies to in order to get the more experienced officers. So if you are a let me find it really quick. If you're a four year officer, it comes in at 175 per month. If you are an [9:49:08 AM] at 175 per month. If you are an eight year officer, it's $200 per month. And if you are a 12 year officer, it comes in at 250 a month. >> And I don't know if this is a question for you, or maybe even a question for the chief. I just want to understand kind of our patrol needs where where this fits in to addressing the needs we have as a department to have more patrol officers on the streets. >> And so I can tell you, when we specifically looked at all of the things that were on the table we sat down with at that time, at that point, interim chief Henderson, to find out priority wise, what was important and the importance on the patrol is that the experienced officers remain on patrol. And that's why we did kind of the triage amount there. But I'll absolutely defer to chief Lucas. >> All right. I see her standing now. I'm curious if she's chief Davis, would you mind if I ask you a couple questions? I know I [9:50:09 AM] you a couple questions? I know I was going to say that uniform looks good on you. >> Yeah. It's new, I like it. >> Congratulations. >> So I think when. Good morning everybody. Good morning. I think when you're looking at years in service on the street, it does make a huge difference because we need experienced officers to be field training officers. So you look at that whole fto arc and you look at those informal leaders on a relief, and it makes a huge difference when you're a two, three, four year officer and you've got someone with 12, 14 years that has that experience, that is an informal leader within that shift who can give advice. And that's, you know, when I think about priorities here, for me, moving forward, when I'm looking at recruiting and looking at patrol is a huge deal. Patrol, everything we do should support what patrol their function is and they need to feel that [9:51:09 AM] and they need to feel that importance and getting those more experienced officers on the shift, having them stay on those shifts will help bring that to the department and I feel very confident with that. 32 years in law enforcement has shown me that, that those informal leaders, when we empower them to again do that mentorship with those younger officers, we see a huge difference in drops in uses of force and everything across the board. >> And when we look at our staffing in totality, we all know what the authorized number is, what our current force level is. But what within that delta would you say is the patrol need? Do we have a an identified this is how many patrol officers you know we need and this is how many we have kind of sub. Yeah. >> I think that's something I certainly want to look at. You know, when you look at across the nation, they always talk about 70% of your personnel should be on patrol. And the other 30 should be in those support functions. So I have to [9:52:10 AM] support functions. So I have to look at how we're doing that. And I know Barry is at Barry Dunn is doing an assessment right now for the department. And I would really want to look at a workload analysis on where we have people, where we may move them. And I'm looking at maybe adding some some extra work to what was hired from them to do some workload analysis throughout the department. >> And is that analysis a staffing study or something slightly different? >> I think I don't know that there maybe someone else can. Jeff could probably talk to what Barry Dunn or dunbury is doing, but I know that that doing that workload analysis is part of what they can do. And that's what I want to add to their table, is kind of let's look at that workload analysis. And where do we have people and where can we move. For an example, if we have 16 officers that work in burglary and we know burglary unfortunately is one of those, you know, crimes that just does not have a very high solved rate. Can we take some of those officers and put them in patrol? And so that's the thinking we have to come to, is like looking at what we have and those resources and getting more officers in patrol. >> So one thing I'm trying to really understand as we look at this contract, you know, one of [9:53:11 AM] this contract, you know, one of the big elements of the benefits is to bring more officers, to keep more officers and ultimately build ourselves to that 1816 number. And I'm curious where we are in terms of an analysis of that number itself. Right. That is often looked at very as sacrosanct. But if we were tomorrow to have 18, 16 as our sworn personnel would, that mean that we think we're going to achieve a certain response time or we're going to achieve a certain crime rate, or what? What do we get or what does the community see in response to hitting? That's a good question. >> And I would certainly think that if we had 300 more officers, you would absolutely see the response times go down. Response times right now are high, and they need to come down. So how do we do that. And so that's again looking at the that the personnel that we have on these reliefs that are responding to call and looking [9:54:11 AM] responding to call and looking at other ways that we can respond to calls. So I don't know who set the number at 1860, but this is a city that has grown exponentially. I mean, you're we're we're a city of almost a million people. And so to me, the numbers of officers started coming down in 2016, in Austin to me, 1860 is a is a fair number. And it could even go higher. >> Okay. Well, and you just touched on on the types of response to calls as we ramp up to that number. You know, I looked back at and I don't know if we have any more recent analysis, but there was a 2020 analysis of calls for service within the city. And two of them stood out, particularly for the reason you just mentioned. One was burglar alarms. We 6% of calls of all our calls were just on burglar alarms. And of those, over 95% were false alarms. Right? Right. And so that ends up being over 57,000 calls, almost 15 minutes a call. That's [9:55:11 AM] almost 15 minutes a call. That's almost 14,000 hours of police time spent on this. And so I'm wondering, as you are looking at how we will build our number and look at our response model where alternatives. >> Yeah. So I've already been ahead of you on that. I was asking about that because, you know, alternative response to a burglar. I think that's a state law that we have to respond to those. Okay. So certainly that is something again, when we're looking at priorities and the way we respond to runs and getting those calls down, the calls to runs down, that that is absolutely a priority to me. >> Okay. And a similar you know, the traffic accidents and then the crash reports, right. Once again, another area where we're spending a lot of police time, in that case, upwards of almost 30,000 police hours writing reports instead of, to your point, being on patrol and being able to do the things we need to do. And so I wanted to ask first, our labor relations [9:56:12 AM] first, our labor relations officer, if there's anything in the contract that would prohibit the council or the department from utilizing alternative response models for some of these things, that state law would allow us to do. >> Yes. So there's nothing in the contract. We specifically discussed it at the table, and we do have a specific statement on the record and a whole conversation on the record that as long as we comply with the current state of the law, which is a case called Lee versus Houston as to what is considered a sworn duty versus a non sworn duty, which, for example, your vehicle crash report, your setting of barricades, the things that we've kind of discussed offline would comply with that. There's absolutely no problem with that. It does not need to be contained within the contract because we intend to comply with the law. We are already complying with the law. And everyone is clear on that. Both both Apa, the city, our legal office, the department. So [9:57:12 AM] legal office, the department. So we're we're all good with with the questions that you had specifically asked regarding the vehicle crash reports regarding the barricades. Et cetera. Other non-sworn duties were good. >> Very good. Well, I think, you know, colleagues, as we look at the budget element, the force element, you know, we are going to have a portion of this budget that is going to be locked in. And we need to look at ways to not only bend the cost curve and figure out how we provide that service from a cost effective manner. Also, for just our department to be spending their time doing the kinds of things we want them to be doing and not just, you know, filling out forms. And that's just to mention the crashes that are getting crash reports or, you know, we haven't even talked about Micah here and the great work that that has done as an alternative response model. So I think we have opportunities outside of this to look at the full suite of how we are [9:58:16 AM] full suite of how we are responding as a police department, as a public safety provider, to make sure that we are doing it both effectively and efficiently. And now, hopefully with this contract, we'll be doing in a very robust manner. So I really appreciate that. I'm going to pause for a little bit, and I really appreciate your your answers. >> Thank you. Councilmember Fuentes. >> And then councilmember vela, thank you. I just had two more questions on the financial costs of the contract. One component that I wanted to drill down just a little bit more is the patrol stipend. We know that is the second biggest expense of the police contract. You mentioned a little bit of what the patrol stipend looks like, and I just want to make sure I heard this correct from the chief that the recommended staffing model is about 70% of our police force being on patrol. Is that right? Chief. And as she makes her way down, the question I had [9:59:16 AM] down, the question I had regarding what she said on a national basis and she was looking at it in the relatively brief time she's been here, she's looking at it for this police department. >> But on a national basis, the goal was 70% be on patrol. >> I'm sorry. Can you repeat the question was yes. >> What was the national model staffing. >> Yep. So and that's just when you look at major city chiefs and you're looking at the best practices across the country. And Austin is structured differently. We're very centralized. So we have a lot of units that are centralized, which I do like. I mean, looking at the way this is, it does appear that it's working. So what does 70% look like and 30%? Is that what we're doing? Or again, how can we do this workload analysis that makes the most sense to have officers on the street that are answering these calls to get the calls for service down? >> That's that's my priority very good. Thank you. You're welcome. And I appreciate that because I think that really layers in why the patrol stipend might be the second biggest expense of this contract. It's at a 7.5 million, you know, part and I appreciate that. The [10:00:19 AM] and I appreciate that. The intent is to get more senior officers into patrol by offering this stipend. With this allocation. How does this impact overtime? You know, we know last budget, we paid nearly over $40 million in staff overtime with this patrol stipend. What kind of impact should we expect on our overtime pay. >> So originally the Apa had requested that the this be built into the base wages for patrol. >> The reason we did not do that is because that would then be when those officers worked overtime, they would get that pay. So instead, this is a monthly stipend that is not built into the overtime numbers. So their overtime, it doesn't change the hours of overtime. But when it comes to the overtime pay that will be based on their base wage structure, not including the stipend. >> Okay. And so what is the assumption for overtime pay for the next for the duration of this contract. >> So we are funding the [10:01:20 AM] >> So we are funding the department assuming full strength of the full strength of the of the staffing. So they get full funding for the contract and they are managing their overtime and their budget based on that full strength accounting for the vacancies they have. That's how we funded them over the last several years with with their contracted with, with their funding. And they've managed that in their budget over the last several years. We work very closely with the department, and they've done very well over the last several years to manage their budget. And so when you see the vacancy savings that they that they've had, even though they've spent their overtime and they've had a high overtime spend, they've managed that within their budget based on the vacancy savings. >> So we manage that within the vacancy savings. But yet I guess, how will we track overtime costs throughout the next year? Because I just remember at the end of this last budget year, I was a little [10:02:21 AM] budget year, I was a little surprised at the large amount that went into overtime pay. The over 40 million. And so how are we going to kind of track this along the way so their team looks at their payroll after their pay after each payroll and they manage it. >> They they do a report after each payroll to look at how much of their overtime is being spent. And they give us they work very closely with budget to give us an update based on their spend and what they project out each year, each after each payroll, to see what they're going to project out for their current year estimate. And so they give they give us a monthly update based on what they're seeing. So we are we work very closely with the police department, with their team, with Michelle Schmidt, and work with them to understand how they're projecting out. So their overtime spend may seem high or is usually higher than what they have budgeted, but they are managing that based on their vacancies, based on what they're [10:03:22 AM] vacancies, based on what they're seeing. Your pay period after pay period, we can that's that's the way that we've worked with them over the last several years. >> Okay. >> And last question here, when you mentioned that thiscontract does assume or the financial forecast does assume a base wage increase to civilian workers, can you share the amount that it assumes? I don't know, 3%, 3% okay. >> Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember. Councilmember vela, thank you very much. >> And a couple of quick questions about the overtime. And that's a really important question and an interesting area. And I'm a little bit my understanding from a kind of a big picture personnel point of view is that there's a place where we can lower overall costs by, you know, staffing up, you [10:04:24 AM] by, you know, staffing up, you know, again, we have 1400 or so right now, let's say at 1700, our total personnel costs could. And again, I'm not trying to make a statement, but asking a question could potentially go down if we reduce overtime usage. And that overtime usage is replaced by base wage personnel. I don't know if that's accurate or not that that like I said, that's a question. Is there a place where we could get to that point, or is it just kind of the additional officers plus their their gear, their, you know, vehicle miles or all%-pthat kind of other stuff? In other words, is it kind of six of one, half dozen of the other or is there kind of a point that we could get where we could actually reduce overall costs if we were properly staffed? >> So I'll say that the department has managed well [10:05:25 AM] department has managed well within their appropriation. I think that there is probably a little bit of additional cost with the for overtime, but they've seen such a large number of savings and vacancies that they've been able to offset that there will be a point where there's somewhat of a right sizing, and then there will be a point where there is some savings that we'll see. But because of the large number of vacancies that they've seen, it's been kind of an offset for the last several years. >> Okay. So I guess regardless, again, assuming that we could get to that perfect kind of staffed up number where we have very little overtime, still, we're not talking about a substantial difference. I guess my sense would be that, okay, that's that's what I just wanted to clarify on the, on the leveraging other departments resources. Again, the m-cat [10:06:27 AM] resources. Again, the m-cat potentially contracting out our crash investigations, which I know we're, we're we're looking into as a way to again, we want our officers doing police officer things, not, you know, other things that other departments, civilian departments could be doing. I just did also want to note that the department did recently change the way that we're dealing with abandoned vehicles, whereby the police are still overseeing the overall approach as state law requires. But we don't actually need to have a police officer go down and tag the individual vehicles. Houston had has had that approach, and over the last I think the last 30 days or so, we've switched over to a different approach where I believe transportation public works is now kind of leading again, all the tagged vehicles they have to go through a, a stolen vehicle check. You know, the pd has to be involved [10:07:30 AM] know, the pd has to be involved in it, but they don't have to be the lead agency. And I just wanted to mention that we have seen excellent results. Again, I'm focused on district four. But you know, in a handful of streets where, you know, vehicles have been sitting there for months and we only had two vehicle abatement officers, we've been able to leverage transportation, public works resources to get out there and tag a bunch of vehicles with flat tires and broken windows and, you know, and get them off the street. So I just wanted to put that out there as another way that that APD is, is trying to, you know, focus on, on the most vital services and could we get I did want to ask miss griffin a couple of questions about the contract, especially the opoa provisions. I don't know if we get the contract up on the screen if possible. I've got a couple of pages I would like to start actually with the anonymous complaints on page 50, and just looking at the individual language of the [10:08:31 AM] individual language of the contract. And in while hopefully we can get the contract up. But I also just wanted to make a couple of other comments. We've been digging in in the in the D four office, looking at just some other broader police statistics. Again, the goal here would be to hold those APD expenses and public safety expenses as a percentage of the budget to, you know, a as low as we can so we can spend on parks and homelessness and, you know, sidewalks, bike lanes. Et cetera. And I just wanted to note that, you know, between 2015 and 2024, most recent numbers, you know, we're down APD's total arrests have fallen from about 34,000 in 2015 to about 20,000 this year. So that's a drop of about 14,000 arrests. And the vast majority of the reduction in those [10:09:34 AM] of the reduction in those arrests has been for possession of a controlled substance, including, you know, simple possession of marijuana arrests. And that's just another example, a very successful push. Both, you know, from the community. And I got to give credit to all the criminal justice reform advocates who pushed on on essentially kind of decriminalizing marijuana possession here. We're we're our we're working smarter on the APD side of things. I mean, that's 14,000 arrests. And that's a lot of personnel hours that are not being taken up today that were a major part of what APD was doing in the past. So again, I just want to give credit where credit is due. And that's a very important change in the way that we have been policing, hopefully for we can get some graphs to look at that in the future. But I do appreciate the, the information that, that APD [10:10:35 AM] information that, that APD provided my office in response to my request for the analysis. And if we could, let's start on page 59. Section eight, the disciplinary statute of limitations. And again, I wanted to just focus on the opoa requirements, of which my understanding is that there are three requirements that have to be in the contract. And one would be the statute of limitations for officer discipline. And that is covered by that section eight a, which again, I'll just read it right quick, effective upon execution of this agreement. And for alleged misconduct which occurred after the date, the police chief retains the authority to discipline officers for misconduct for 365 calendar days, starting from the date that a complaint is submitted to [10:11:36 AM] that a complaint is submitted to the city of Austin, or the conduct in question becomes known to the police chief or any assistant police chief, so long as such discipline occurs within three years of the date of the incident. In question. And again, miss griffin, just so I'm clear and the public is clear. So our overall statute of limitations and for officer misconduct would be three years. >> Yes. That's directly out of opoa. >> Got it. And then the 365 calendar days again runs from when a complaint is filed or when a the chief and assistant chief, the APD becomes aware of the misconduct in question. >> Well, not quite either okay. It's actually the date the complaint is submitted to the city of Austin, or the conduct in question becomes known to the police chief or the assistant police chief, whichever is earlier. >> Okay. Got it. And that preempts state law. And what does state law provide in terms of the statute of limitations for police misconduct? >> It's 180 days. And it's not [10:12:36 AM] >> It's 180 days. And it's not it doesn't include the discovery portion for the chief or the assistant chief. It's actually 180 days from the conduct. >> So it's a hard 180 days, hard 180 days. >> Now, let me let me add to that none of this either opoa or the contract covers criminal. That's completely separate. Those dates are different. This is for administrative complaints. >> This would not, for example, you know, again thinking about the beanbags and the protests, those were, you know, charges that the statute of limitations are going to be either misdemeanor or felony, whatever the Texas state law provides a separate section of the of the state statute. Okay. Got it. And again, this is not available to us unless it's agreed to in the contract by the police. >> That is correct. It goes back to the 180 days. If it's not in the contract, it would fall back to chapter 143 of the local government code, which is the 180. >> Got it. And if we could flip over to page 5050 actually on [10:13:36 AM] over to page 5050 actually on the anonymous complaints. Trying to keep my documents together here. And it's in the definition section of the protected rights of officers at to-a. And again, I'll just read it for the benefit of the public. Anonymous complaint shall mean a complaint in which the identity of the complainant is not recorded by the city. Such a complaint may be investigated if the departmental employee or non-departmental city employee receiving the anonymous complaint certifies in writing under oath that the complaint was anonymous. Could you explain a little bit what that section does? >> You bet. In the opoa they changed the statute. They okay. In the statute there is not a definition per se of anonymous complaint, but it's very clear in 143 that the only persons who can take anonymous complaints are departmental employees only police department employees. So in the opoa there were a couple [10:14:37 AM] in the opoa there were a couple of things that were done. They they changed the definition of anonymous complaint, which is that first sentence. There. And the second thing that they had is that in our contract, we did not include the office of police oversight because the statute. 143 312 defines an investigator to be any municipal employee, basically who is assigned to investigate the statute itself would allow for oppo to investigate. So we didn't change those definitions. But here was the catch. This was the one place in the statute that limited anonymous complaints to a departmental employee, not to an investigator. So we clarified in that second sentence what it means to us is that oppo can take these anonymous complaints. >> Got it. And again, this would be a situation where, again, someone wants to file a complaint against a police officer, but outside of a contract they would have to go [10:15:39 AM] contract they would have to go to a police officer to file a complaint against the police officer, which can be intimidating and a disincentive. Basically to file the complaint. Is that the thinking? >> Yes, the original conversations that we had had prior to even prop eight being filed, but with the justice coalition and equity action, were the concept of retaliation, the possibilities that that it wouldn't be taken seriously if it was anonymous or that if an officer found out who it was, who had made the complaint that there could be retaliatory conduct. So this is the preventative concept behind that. >> Got it. And now the idea would be that someone could go to the office of police oversight, and that is that. Who we're thinking about when we say non-departmental employee. >> Yes. But it doesn't necessarily have to be that it's whoever the city manager would assign to do the duty of investigation. But but that's the envision that we have here. >> Yes. But it does have to be in writing and under oath. And [10:16:41 AM] in writing and under oath. And do we know, like what that process would look like? I mean, you know, in on the ground once that that we again assuming that the contract is voted in and approved, what will that look like? >> Yeah. So it's going to be similar. So currently they have this procedure in ia. If someone comes in for an anonymous complaint they can take the anonymous complaint and then that officer swears I took an anonymous complaint and they have to swear that under oath. So we haven't changed the statute as to how it comes in. Just who can do that? Swearing. I and Pio officer or investigator may now do that, and I believe Gail is here. If you need further edification on that. But she has a plan in order to put that into effect. Yes. Okay, great. >> And would that is there any because I know under the prior contract we were taking online unsworn online complaints against police officers. If am I remembering that correctly? [10:17:41 AM] remembering that correctly? >> I believe that was in the last contract. Yes. Okay. In the 2018. >> And but here you the person. Well I guess the person doesn't have to swear the person taking receiving the complaint has to correct. Okay, I guess I would just have a question about that kind of, you know, just what that would look like under the contract. You know what it means when an anonymous complaint is, is received and taken and just kind of the avenues and pathways for that. Yeah. >> And so to be clear, Gail Mcintyre, our office of police oversight director is here, but it's not under the contract. It's out of the contract specifically. We don't have apo in here. The only thing we have in here is the anonymous complaint. Got it, got it. It falls back on the statute. >> Thank you. Thank you, miss Mccann. Any sense of what? The new process outlined in the contract is going to look like as far as apo is concerned. >> Thank you for that question. Gail Mckenna director of the [10:18:42 AM] Gail Mckenna director of the office of police oversight. Complainants still have the ability to file a complaint. Anonymous online. However, if an officer is going to be interviewed, they would have to come to the office and have that document certified that it is anonymous. What is different now about the process is previously, if a complainant came to the office that a officer from the internal affairs department would come down to the office and certify that the complaint was anonymous, that is no longer the case. We now have investigators in the office. If a complainant were to come to the office to file an anonymous complaint, the investigator in the office, in the office of police oversight would certify that the complaint is anonymous. Under the contract, they will no longer have an ia investigator to come to our office to certify that the complaint is anonymous. >> Okay, so the complaint process would be completely outside of the of the police department. >> That is correct, sir. >> It could also be within the [10:19:42 AM] >> It could also be within the police department. That's not precluded. It doesn't switch it. It's just if someone is uncomfortable going to the police officer or prefers to go there. >> Got it. And again, out of curiosity on that, like again, let's say I know that the messages right now, the people can still file or can submit, I should say anonymous complaints online saying that you know, this officer did this and, and, you know, I think it was wrong or whatever the case may be. That is correct, sir. Okay. And but again, under the contract, if someone does submit an anonymous complaint, you know, how are we going to. Because again, I don't know how anonymous. You know, I mean is their, their their contact information. I guess you don't have to submit your name, but I'm just kind of curious as to how that that is going to work in terms of kind of getting that person, you know, to. Because I guess in order for, let's say an apo investigator to swear they would have to again, I guess I would kind of throw that out to you. What what would that look like? Yeah. >> The complainant still has to [10:20:43 AM] >> The complainant still has to come to the office. I think the benefit we have now is that the concern about retaliation is no longer there. Being that the ia investigator is not coming to the office of the officer is not coming to our office to certify that the complaint is anonymous. The apo staff is making that certification that the complaint is anonymous. Also, as the complainant comes into our office, we are not asking them to provide any no name is you know, normally you would have to sign in any complaint planning coming to the office that is asking to sign a to file a anonymous complaint. We are not asking them to sign in as they come to the to the office, and we have given those instructions to security at the office that if they are noting that they're here to sign a to file a anonymous complaint, we are not documenting their their information anywhere. Okay. >> Thank you very much, miss Mckenna. And then the last portion that I would like to turn over to is page 52 on the G file. And it looks like we've broken up the G file into kind [10:21:50 AM] broken up the G file into kind of two categories, or what I should call former G file records into two categories, kind of before the date of the contract and after the date of the contract. And again, I'm just going to the for complaints of alleged misconduct in this section for a the first sentence for complaints of alleged misconduct, which occurred prior to the effective date of this agreement, the department shall follow Texas local government code 143 .089. And the way I read it in, miss griffin, please correct me if I'm wrong, is that essentially says the department shall follow existing state law. >> Yes, sir. That's exactly what that means. >> Okay. Now, existing state law, chapter 143 .089 says that the city may create a G file. Is that correct? >> Well, that is what it says. And there's been a court that's interpreted that and the city is [10:22:50 AM] interpreted that and the city is going with that court ruling. Yeah. >> And so the opoa again, the voters chose to not, you know, when opoa passed, that was essentially the city making the discretionary decision to not maintain a G file. And as you mentioned, we do have a court ruling now from a Travis county district court saying that the city shall not maintain a G file and that applies past, present and future. >> So what I would tell you is this section in the contract and quite frankly, all of the contract deals with the term of the contract. >> So passed, we don't deal with moving forward present. We deal with the next five years and future we don't deal with. So those and that's what that sentence means. Those outside of the effective date of the contract, those are dealt with under the state statute. And however a court interprets that state statute, the contract doesn't address it except for to [10:23:51 AM] doesn't address it except for to just recognize that that's over here. >> But again, under current state law, those records, former G file records are open and the contract then reflects that in the sense that it refers to, to, you know, that is that is the opinion given of the city attorney. >> Absolutely. Got it. >> Got it. And I do appreciate, miss Thomas, your memo on that in response to my question, I do agree with that legal analysis. And again, I appreciate the work and the and the turnaround on that. And then the, the next few sentences, they're, they're they're a little wordy, but essentially they're saying that for complaints and alleged misconduct, which occurred after that date, the city shall not maintain a confidential police department file under 143 .09 G, nor shall the department, the city and department shall [10:24:53 AM] city and department shall maintain police personnel files in accordance with 143 .09 a now 140 3.0 89a that is the section that says what will be made public or is that correct? >> Yes. The trick here is there's also a section B that says you may not have the G file within section a, so that's the file you can't have within it. So in order to vary from chapter 143 089b, we had to include this in the contract. It's also in opoa they recognize that as well. So you have to have somewhere to keep that G file material. And you can only do so by having it in the contract and changing the state statute that way. >> Got it. And then again then then there's a kind of a clarifying provision of this provision. Shall specifically preempt and override any inconsistent provisions and shall be considered prospective. That's just kind of a little catchall, just in case. Okay. Got it. So and I do appreciate the structure of the contract [10:25:53 AM] the structure of the contract because you know again we've had one Travis county district court ruling on the G file. We may have more litigation on that. Again that's outside of our control. We you know, when an officer's personnel file is requested that, you know, I know there's standing issues right now with arpa and all that. But I mean, when an individual officer's personnel file is requested from, you know, again, 2020 or whatever the case may be, that person and again, I know I'm making a statement, but please, this is really more of a question. An individual officer who's G file is requested would they have standing to potentially challenge. >> I, I am not your city attorney. I would defer to her on that particular question. >> I'll leave that as an open. I mean, my sense would be that that yes, individual officers can absolutely challenge. And again, I'm just trying to, you know, go into this with eyes [10:26:56 AM] know, go into this with eyes wide open and understand exactly what's going on. So again, I would anticipate further litigation. I'm not I don't think we're we're we're completely done with that. But my point would be that regardless of what happens in any kind of state ruling, regardless of what the third court of appeals says, regardless of what the Texas supreme court says files for current police officers in these five years under the contract will remain open regardless of anything that happens, regardless of anything that the legislature does, regardless of any kind of court rulings. >> Yes, sir. That is not a subject of the current lawsuit. We do not anticipate that that will be a subject of a future lawsuit. Of course, anybody can sue for anything, but yes, sir, that that's the protective mechanism here is for that five year period of time. >> Okay. Now there and then again that that next section there. And that section B that is as I read it again, a notification provision whereby if someone does request [10:27:59 AM] if someone does request documents again relating to an officer that are maintaining the a file pursuant to the, you know, kind of G file. In other words, for formerly G file records that they shall be notified and provided a written copy of the open records request with redactions that would otherwise. And so that basically when a police when someone is requesting a an officer's personnel file records, they are notified under the contract is that am I reading that correctly? >> The association is notified. >> The association. And then presumably they would then notify the individual officer presumably. And then that see and is would be a notification when the documents because. So they get kind of a dual notification once when they're requested and once when they're released is that how the structure of that. >> Yes. If there are materials that are releasable they would be the association. Again would be notified. They're not given a [10:29:00 AM] be notified. They're not given a copy of the release. They're not. But they're just given a heads up that this is happening so that they can notify the officer if necessary. >> Got it? >> Got it. So I and I know this has been out in the, in the, in the media. I'm not seeing any grandfathering clause or you know, anything like that. In other words, in the this section as I read it, I do not see any kind of grandfathering clause or any kind of like prior to this date. These records shall not be released. And I just wanted to again, I appreciate the memo, but I just want it to be crystal clear about that because this is such a critical and important issue. Is that how you are reading it? Is that how you are seeing it? >> That's exactly how I'm seeing it. There's never been a grandfathering clause or conversation of a grandfathering clause in relation to how this reads. >> Got it. >> Yeah. So. >> All right. Well, I think that's all I have. [10:30:01 AM] that's all I have. >> Mayor, thank you very much. Thank you, councilmember vela. Council member Alison alter, followed by council member Kelly, then council member qadri mayor. >> I don't need to ask questions. Mine were all asked already. Thank you. >> Very good. All right. Council member Alison alter, followed by councilmember qadri and council member Ryan alter. >> Thank you. I'm going to go back to the financial implications. And first, I just want to say that I'm very excited to see the promotions article. This was one of the things that I thought was really good back in 23 that we missed out on by not having a contract that I think I've heard is very important to the officers and is also, I think, very important for the city and you, you explained a lot of it, but it is a pilot program. Is there a budget for the pilot leadership academy? >> I don't know if that was separately budgeted or not. I believe that they have educational funding and the department is well aware that [10:31:01 AM] department is well aware that this is coming and has been coming for some time. I think it is not a separately budgeted line item or an additional, but the department may be able to answer that better. Or possibly miss Lang. >> You can get back to me later. >> I'll look at it and get back to you. >> That's fine then. You know, when we get five year forecasts over time, we've shifted a lot of numbers in terms of staffing increases and, you know, at at one point we were trying to have, you know, more officers than the authorized strength and then now we have sort of a set number that is in there according over the five year term. But what increases in public safety staffing does the five year forecast assume? It's pretty clear that for police there is no increase. There's just the steady level, which we're still, you know, several hundred officers short. But for fire and ems, what kind of increases in staffing does this [10:32:02 AM] increases in staffing does this budget assume. >> So we have the increase for the fire ems station for this year, and I'll have to look back and see. I'll have to get back with you on the any additional increases for fire and ems for the out years? I'll have to look at that and let you know. >> So there's several reasons why I'm asking. And let me start with fire. So for fire in our contract with fire, we have made a promise to reduce the workweek. In order to reduce the workweek, you need to have more officers. And that is very costly. Even just to get the one hour workweek that's promised by the end of this fiscal year costs a fair amount of money. And then there's several more hours of reduction that is promised in that contract. We are busting our overtime in fire and we've provided direction to the city manager, asking the city manager's office to come up with a plan to see whether we need to be adding more staff for fire. We have requests out for aerial staffing so that we can [10:33:03 AM] aerial staffing so that we can properly provide public safety for fire, particularly with wildfire, but also to reach buildings that are of a higher height, which we are encouraging more and more with our land use policies. In my experience in the past, unless we've already put it in the budget at this point, it's not in that forecast. And so and those numbers of firefighters are quite large. So I'd like to ask you to give us, you know, a clear sense of what is in this forecast for the fire department in terms of increased staffing over the time we're about to finish our fifth of the fire stations that we set out to achieve in 2018, we probably need to have a conversation over whether we need to have additional fire stations, which I'm assuming will be part of the conversation for the bond. All of those require staffing and they can get up within, can get set up within this five year forecast. So I would really like [10:34:03 AM] forecast. So I would really like to know what we are already assuming there. And we did make promises in this particular budget to begin the process of training firefighters to take on those roles. But we didn't. We didn't actually budget for hiring those firefighters. And so I think we need to understand the implications of that and how we've accounted for that. >> So in our current in this forecast that we showed you today, we do not have additional staffing for fire ems. In the current forecast that we showed you today. >> Okay, we showed and demonstrated a commitment by council. I think multiple times during the budget that we wanted to increase staffing for ems. We have several things that are in there as pilot programs that are currently in there as overtime projects, whether it's the downtown project or the domain. And we, you know, so I think there are there are additional [10:35:04 AM] there are there are additional public safety needs not to mention other departments, but let's just focus on public safety. These are not in this forecast. So this forecast says, you know, a 2 million deficit or 6 million deficit. But it does not add anything else to it. Even things that we've talked about. And we have to understand that. And the council moving forward is going to need to understand that they're going to be really hard decisions to make, and we need to have that information. And even if it doesn't impact our vote on the contract, we need to understand, you know what what this what this looks like. Does this include any increase in grounds maintenance for parks? The wording on the chart was very particular that it says maintain. What does it say exactly? It it says that it maintains significant investment, which I [10:36:05 AM] significant investment, which I take it to mean that there's just what we put in the budget this year with the possible exception of a few items that are coming online from bond investments, is there any additional grounds maintenance assumed in this budget for parks? >> Correct. So we just finished the we have not done the forecast beyond the approved budget from fiscal year 25. So we haven't completed the new forecast period beyond our approved budget from August. And so this was based on the approved budget forecast that we just completed. And as of that approved forecast, we had not added any additional resources beyond what we discussed in August. And so those those items that we discussed as of August were included, which includes maintaining the grounds maintenance that were approved in the in the budget for fiscal year 25. It includes the downtown area command that was [10:37:05 AM] downtown area command that was included in fiscal year 25. Any additional items that we come back with in the next forecast period and the next conversation will be included in the next cycle. >> Okay. >> Thank you. And I just want to clarify that the downtown area command is being done off of overtime, not by staff, not by additional staff at this point in the pilot, which is probably not a sustainable way to do it. You know, indefinitely. Okay. Can you provide us you know, one of the questions that I've been hearing is, you know, how how do we understand how this contract is going to help with recruitment? And obviously having a contract and knowing what your wages is, does help. But there doesn't seem to be any specific incentives in here. For helping us to increase recruitment. So can we. And, you know, to try to understand that, [10:38:06 AM] know, to try to understand that, though, I think we need to know where the attrition is happening. I've heard statements that the attrition is happening during the academy. We have a very high attrition rate still within the academy, and it's happening in that probation year. And that's really where we're losing the officers. And I understand there's a slight increase in the amount there, but can we have those numbers shared with us. So we can see where that attrition is happening. So that's the first part of what I would like to request. And I want to, you know, just underscore for my colleagues and for the city manager that if we want this contract to succeed and we want to actually be able to hire officers, we need to continue to actually improve the academy. If our cadets will not stay in the academy, they're not making their way through the academy and they're dropping out in that first year after we will never make a dent in the number of [10:39:07 AM] make a dent in the number of officers that we have on our force. And that's not dealt with in this. You know, approach at this point. And it may not be part of the contract, but if we're looking at this as solving that particular problem, it is not going to do it unless we take additional action. I understand my understanding is that this budget does take into account the colors and the April's pension reforms that we undertook. Does it include the proposed fire pension reforms? That we've been talking about? Not in finance? >> Yes it does, it does. >> Okay, good. And then what? You mentioned that there were changes in the sales tax assumptions. Can you clarify that? You mentioned that earlier in response to councilmember. [10:40:07 AM] in response to councilmember. >> So we made some adjustments in the sales tax assumptions during the while. We came back for we adjusted the sales tax assumptions down for fiscal year 24. We adjusted down a percentage a half a percentage. Then we started adjusting back up in fiscal year 25 for, I believe, a percentage. And then we flatten it out in the out years. And so I'll have to go back and look at those exact numbers and get back to you for those for the out years, for the forecast period. But we did look at those adjustments in the out years because we estimated those leveling out beginning in fiscal year 26, based on us looking at a rebound beginning on fiscal year 26, I believe. And I'll get those that information back to you. I can I can respond and get that information back to you. >> Thank you. And if you could also give us the receipts that we've seen relative to the [10:41:08 AM] we've seen relative to the forecast for the last few periods. And then the last thing that I wanted to just sort of raise is that I think we all want to reduce the response times, and certainly having more officers on the job is one way to reduce response times. And it is important, and we do need to fill those spots. But we also have created an office of violence prevention. We have we know nationally, from what we've seen that there are ways to reduce the incidence of the crime in the first place, where we can make those investments. And so when we're having this conversation about how we reduce response times, I think we need to make sure that just adding more bodies is not the only lever that we have as a city to achieve that. We've done a lot of that work with respect to ems, trying to address low acuity calls outside of having to send folks in an ambulance to an emergency room. We're seeing [10:42:10 AM] an emergency room. We're seeing really good results. We're seeing results from from our community violence interrupters. And those investments need to continue, and they probably need to step up if we want to really reduce the response times and address the public safety needs in our community. That is not to say that we don't need the additional officers to be hired, but it is not the only way that we get to our goal. And so I think it's important that we keep that in mind. So thank you. >> Thank you. Council member, council member qadri followed by council member Ryan alter. >> Great. >> I have one question related to the budget and then just one general question, and I'll start off with that one specific to article 19, section two B nature of grievances, which sections from city code chapter 215 will not be in effect upon execution of the tentative agreement or consistent with this agreement, that a grievance could be filed? >> None. [10:43:11 AM] >> None. >> Okay, got all my questions are easy. >> And then I wanted to go back to a budget question. If you look at slide 28 from the compensation analysis presentation, it does show that I guess the entry level for police officers. We were one out of 8 in 2022, but we fell to three out of 8 in 2024. I thought you had said it was seven out of eight. So I just wanted to get clarification on where that might have been. >> So for entry level officers in 2022, we had been, I think, second out of eight. >> Well, it says in 2022 it says one one out of eight. Okay. >> So there are several sections there. And we may we may have been one out of eight. Yeah. >> We were one out of eight. Yeah. Should I, should I do you mind if I go break it down and then. >> Yeah. Like from left to right. Kind of cadet and then over. >> So it says it says police officer post probation regional adjusted one out of eight. [10:44:11 AM] adjusted one out of eight. Police officer max base plus plus longevity regional just one out of eight. Corporal one out of eight. Sergeant one out of eight. Sorry one out of seven. Lieutenant one out of eight. Commander one out of seven. And then in 20. That was in 2022 and 2024. From top to bottom or I guess bottom to top, entry level. It starts. We go. We went from one out of 8 to 3 out of eight, one out of 8 to 2 out of eight, one out of eight. And we say that one out of eight, one out of seven still stayed at one out of seven, one out of eight still stayed at one out of eight, one out of seven. Still stayed at one out of seven. And that's the slide 28 from the compensation analysis presentation. >> Okay. And so what I'm looking at is. Make sure I'm looking at the same thing. Yeah. So I actually was looking at page [10:45:17 AM] actually was looking at page nine which is the cadet entry level. Just pre-contract. So coming in they were at $50,000. They're still at $50,000. We have separately approached the management about taking some of that and increasing that and then making the differential different between them. But but here it's pardon me it's six out of 8 in 2024 okay. And that's what that's the one page I was looking at. >> And I'm sure what page is that. >> Page nine. >> Page nine okay. Got it. And then and then going off of another question of mine when we're looking at some of them being the three out of eight, two out of eight, why not. And I'm going to loop back to the el Paso where you see in El Paso they increased the police officer by 13%, senior police officer between 10.9 and 15.4. And then where they I guess there wasn't as much of a drop off in pay. The increase was smaller. So I guess my question is why not increase salary for the positions that are lacking at a higher rate than ones that [10:46:20 AM] at a higher rate than ones that aren't? So I mean, yeah, for example, for commander, lieutenant, sergeant, we're we're number one according to this, this graph. Yes. But for the I guess the entry level, we're not number one. So why not increase that higher than where we're already number one? >> So why not only increase the bottom. >> Just why not increase it more versus the ones that were already number one. >> That that's always an option. And different times you do different things. What we have specifically is a long term differential between the ranks, so that when you do increase that, then your next higher up doesn't have the same differential between it. So we look carefully at whether or not to do that. Some cities do that, some don't. In our ems contract you'll notice that we had very, you know, kind of variations throughout. And some years we do that. This year we didn't we wanted to focus on giving an overall recruitment and retention. And we're having so much trouble right now with the morale of the officers that to give some people who don't even [10:47:21 AM] give some people who don't even work here yet a higher increase than people who do work here, it didn't it really just wasn't in the cards. In this particular negotiation session, we do consider that though. >> Got it. >> Thank you. Thank you, councilmember councilmember Ryan alter, just one quick follow up on the grievance question. >> That councilmember qadri asked. Particularly so this is on page 72, article 19, section two, subsection B. And particularly it talks about grievances. Under this agreement may be asserted only as to specific provisions in the agreement. Agreements may not be filed if, based on the actions of the city that are within the scope of city code. Chapter 215 opoa as in effect upon execution of this agreement and consistent with this agreement, I think there's been some outside question as to what does that modifier as in effect upon execution of this agreement, is that modifying the actions of [10:48:22 AM] that modifying the actions of the city that are in effect, or is that modifying the city code in effect at the time of the agreement? >> It's talking about the city code in effect at the time of the agreement. It quite frankly, is a protection that city council can't come in. This is a five year contract. Two years after that charter amendment, city council can come in and change. Two dash 15. If you were to come in and say, for example, we're going to change that 365 days to 500 days, you can do that, but you can't do it under the contract. So it's a protection mechanism to keep 215 as it currently is today. >> Okay. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Council member. >> Council member I do have a clarification to council member Ryan alter's question you asked about the personnel cost, and we actually have the answer. I didn't understand your question when you asked it on slide 14. When you asked about the personnel cost. We cost, we did [10:49:23 AM] personnel cost. We cost, we did cost it out. The 66.4 shows the cumulative cost of the base wages. The 66.4 shows the base wage cost, and that's the contracted cost of those personnel. >> But that's the cost associated with the contract itself, not the total personnel kind of lock in of the if we just took all the new pay scales, multiplied it by the 1816 differential. Right. I think that's going to come out to, I imagine, somewhere in the 300 plus. >> That's what we're assuming that it's full. That's assuming full strength. >> You're saying $66.4 million is the cost to employ 1816 police officers under this contract? >> That's assuming full strength for the contract. Yes, we look at so each year when you look at the costs for 16.6, for year one is for 1816 full strength ftes. [10:50:26 AM] is for 1816 full strength ftes. >> But that's the cost marginal. Add it, add the 8%. That's not the full. >> So you want the full cost for everyone right. >> What's the personnel cost okay. >> For every okay. Thank you. Now I understand. >> Thank you. >> Great. Thank you members good discussion I want to before we go to public comment, we're going to try to get to public comment by 11:00. I'd like to ask if the president of the Apa, senior officer bullock, if you'd come down, I want to ask a clarifying question, if you don't mind, or maybe 2 or 3. Thank you. I thought I was going to get off easy. Yeah, yeah. Thank you for being here. And thank you for your work on this. I want to take us to the G file and just make sure there's some clarity, because there's been a, there's been some, some discussion, some writing out in the public. And I want to make sure as we go forward with this, [10:51:27 AM] sure as we go forward with this, that there's at least a meeting of the minds between the Apa and the city on what the contract means. And I want to look at the G file and specific article 16, section four, subpart a, and you're familiar with that. Do you agree that this contract, this tentative contract that we're looking at says that there is no G file? There will be no G file, shall be no G file during the term or the timeframe of this contract. >> Yes. Yeah. That's what the language says. >> And do you agree that the, the very first sentence of the section I was citing their article 16, section four a do you agree that that first sentence of the section means that state law as interpreted by the courts, controls outside the time frame of the contract correct. And do you agree that a court has said that there shall be as interpreted that state law to mean that there shall be no G file? >> Yes. The court ruling said that the city has to end the use [10:52:30 AM] that the city has to end the use of the G file. >> So I want to be clear. >> So while you may disagree and think that the court got it wrong, you interpret what the court has said as saying that there shall be no G file outside the time frame of this contract. >> As you mentioned, we've not been shy about saying we disagree with the court, but that's a court interpretation and a court has said that the city shall end the use of G file, and the contract can't affect the court ruling. >> So state as you see it, state law is interpreted by that court case says there would be no G file outside the time frame of the contract. Correct. Another question I have is miss griffin stated in response, I think to a question by councilmember Ryan alter that nothing in the contract would prevent the city from utilizing non-sworn staff to do jobs like crash reports, or even respond to burglar alarms, things of that nature. Assuming that's allowed by state law, would you agree that there's nothing in this contract [10:53:32 AM] there's nothing in this contract that prohibits the city from utilizing those alternative response models to get officers back on patrol? >> The contract doesn't have anything related to, you know, alternative call responses, so long as the city follows state law and case law, then the city can do what it thinks. You know, the state law allows and nothing in the contract impacts that. Right. >> Thank you. All right. Thank you very much. And again, thank you for the work you've been putting into this. Thank you. Thank you members. Without objection, we will go to public comment on item b1. Now. And what I'll do is I will turn to our city clerk and ask her to help us with that process. >> Okay. >> First speaker is Liz Collins. >> Get three minutes. >> Okay. >> Hello. My name is Liz Collins. I live in district three and I'm commenting on b1. I also work with Escott and c3 [10:54:33 AM] I also work with Escott and c3 which is alternative. First response here in Travis county. I've been on these scenes for the last two and a half years. I'm here to express that I think more money should be going to alternative first response, and that, you know, any funds that APD for social services and Escott actually compel and obligate APD to use these funds in a certain way, rather than it being kind of like an entirely elective process for them. I want to see APD Shaw rather than APD, may, in every opportunity available to the council. Right now, it's up to APD if a call is considered or coded as mental health, if they choose to send the call to c3, if they choose to dispatch Escott, and if they choose to include the address in those dispatches so that we can respond in a timely manner. In my two and a half years of service, I can tell you that APD as a whole often is not electing to use mental health and social service resources, including a hose, when needed, and most appropriate. So I want to see [10:55:34 AM] appropriate. So I want to see where possible, where Texas law will allow you specific requirements for how this money will be spent on social services. And on the whole, if the thinking is that increasing the police budget and patrol is going to reduce homelessness, I think we would have expected to see that the reinstatement of the camping ban reduce homelessness in our city. And I think we can all see that it has not. Homelessness, mental illness, addiction, desperation these are all issues that cannot be strong armed and neither are. Neither are these people, honestly. I mean, if you're like 62 years old, you've been homeless for 12 years. You got something keeping you alive. And criminal trespass isn't going to make you go away, right? Maybe it's god, I don't know. So, you know. Yeah, I guess overall, I would say I want to see more funding for alternative first responders. And I want to know exactly how the police intend to use these social services funds. And I don't think we should defer to, you know, history of having management kind of executive authority on how to how to use these funds. I want to see them compelled to use them in certain ways. Thank you. >> Next speaker is Cleo [10:56:36 AM] >> Next speaker is Cleo petracek. You get three minutes. >> My name is Cleo petricek. I am someone who witnessed my best friend get shot and killed in front of me when I was a teenager in south Dallas, I became a probation officer because of the crime and neglect I saw in our community here in Austin. We are facing a severe staffing crisis and I urge you to not make the same mistake you all made in 2020 and listen to 50 loud, paid anti-police activists, pro crime, pro chaos, anarchists, anarchists, as we see evidence nationwide, including vp Harris, flat out rejection of the defund police, demoralization of police movement. You answer to the people raising families in this city, working class folks from all parts of Austin and high crime areas, people running businesses with rampant crime. We are just trying to survive. For over a year, our officers have been waiting for a new [10:57:36 AM] have been waiting for a new contract. The council's failure to approve a contract has not only suppressed applicants from wanting to work here, but has also increased resignations, with 100% certainty. More resignations to come if this contract does not pass, these actions have created a significant gap in our staffing levels and we are now experiencing the consequences of that neglect. I don't want to hear that Austin is safe when police respond, response times are at unacceptable and unsafe levels, meaning officers are not responding quickly to priority one calls. There was a double homicide two weeks ago in south Austin, and it took over an hour for an officer to respond. Despite multiple 911 calls from different people, it took an hour to get police on that scene. Our city's safety infrastructure has crumbled. We lack visible police presence around our lake and in our neighborhoods, which contributes to an environment where crime can flourish. Critical units [10:58:37 AM] can flourish. Critical units like violent crime, homicide, violent crime, homicides and even traffic units are understaffed or disbanded. Detectives are overwhelmed juggling double caseloads while also being pulled to cover patrol shifts. This compromises their ability to provide the focused attention our community deserves in serious investigations. We must understand that the this demoralization is not just numbers on a page. It affects the lives of those who serve us. Officers are leaving and fewer individuals are willing to join the force. The current environment sends a message that being a police officer is undesirable. Instead of virtue signaling about community policing, we need real commitment and support for those who protect us so that we can offer community policing. The time has come for action. We need a stable, four year contract that provides our officers with the assurance they need to serve effectively. This will not only bolster our police force, but also restore [10:59:38 AM] force, but also restore community trust. We can rebuild a proactive police presence, ensure critical units are fully staffed and thank you. >> Make Austin thank you. Speaker. Your time has expired. >> Thank you. >> Next speaker is Cole weaver. You get three minutes. >> Hi. Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Hi. My name is Cole. I am a peer support specialist with integral care. I'm also a member of the union united workers of critical care. I wanted to I originally had a speech. I kind of wanted to. You know, I was actually thinking. I wasn't sure, like the details of the contract itself. I mean, it sounds like there is, you know, I want what I want to make sure is that as far as the funding for the alternative responses, [11:00:43 AM] for the alternative responses, such as social workers at integral care Escott ems, etc, that those programs are still protected and they are still, you know, given opportunities to grow because, you know, as you know, speaking as a black autistic individual, having police respond, you know, either mostly or exclusively to mental health is, you know, threatening to me. You know, I say that because there have been countless stories. And I said this at one of the previous city hall, there's been countless stories where a black autistic person has a meltdown. They don't respond to commands. When a police shows up and they get shot and killed, there's also the infamous incident with community first village and, you know, I understand the public's concern about public safety. [11:01:45 AM] concern about public safety. And, you know, the fact that there is a lot of violent crime right now is not safe. I agree with that. But I still think that addressing these issues from the root and not exclusively having, you know, strong arming these issues, especially when we, you know, bully homeless people or people with mental health issues, even though they're not homeless and they're just neurodivergent in general. I just want to make sure that mental health response is still a priority, regardless of what happens with this contract or what other contract is proposed. Thank you. >> Next speaker is Margie Burciaga. >> Thank you. This is Margie Burciaga and I'm in district ten. And first of all, kudos to getting a contract. Since there [11:02:47 AM] getting a contract. Since there are finding I know that there are findings back to even 2014 stating the lack of full funding, full occupancy of atp positions, and our city has grown exponentially since then and is projected to continue to do so. There are many parts of Austin that are significantly lacking in presence of officers. I, for one, had to call and wait on the phone for about 12 to 15 minutes in the middle of the night. Our city continues to have an increase of an aging population, human trafficking, and a severe lack of presence where officers are needed most. It is imperative to approve the contract, since your job as city council is to protect our [11:03:47 AM] council is to protect our community. Just think how much time is being spent on this working committee today to make a significant decision that impacts all of our lives. However, our police officers are required to make life and death decisions within seconds. It would be humorous if this situation, this matter was not so serious, not binding and not binding is not an option. If the need to train, train, retrain, train, some more, like many other professions, are required to do that, please pass this contract and stop putting our community at such great risk by not having enough officers on the job. Thank you. >> Next speaker is Reece Armstrong. [11:04:49 AM] Armstrong. >> Hello. City council members. I'm Armstrong, a member of district seven, and I'm speaking on behalf of the young democratic socialists of America. I just want to make a quick statement to say that I strongly oppose the police contract, echoing the concerns of the city union in stating that this will eat up way too much of our budget and besides, we don't need to hire new officers. We have plenty going through the academy that just don't make it, and so we should focus on that if we're going to try and get more officers before trying to hire outside officers with higher benefits and pay, we already are the we already have the highest paid police force in the state, and we don't need to increase that, and we shouldn't improve the contract that does that. And undermines the jcpoa. Thank you. >> Donna Garza. >> Hi. Good afternoon, mayor and [11:05:49 AM] >> Hi. Good afternoon, mayor and esteemed council members. Before I begin, I want to extend my heartfelt thank you to mayor Kirk Watson, the Austin police association, and everyone who has worked tirelessly on this long term police contract with the city of Austin. My name is Donna Garza, and I'm here today representing the Austin apartment association. But to be frank, I'm also here as a mother to nearly 800 city of Austin residents that live in the building that I manage in district nine, most recently, I had to call 911 because a homeless man attacked one of my residents with a stick outside of our property while she was walking her dog, she ran into the building, shaking and crying. This resident is a brand new mom who chose to start her family here in Austin, someone who would help her density in Austin. I immediately called 911 to get this man taken in so that he wouldn't attack anyone else. It took several calls and several minutes and we finally got an apb on site to get an arrest and file a report after the trauma. I highly doubt she's going to want to raise her baby boy in Austin. Going back to the [11:06:49 AM] boy in Austin. Going back to the officer that finally showed up on site to follow her, her report. He's a detective. He had to be removed off his case to come and help. I have a feeling that this isn't the first time that APD has had to remove a detective over to patrol a job. Previously, I've had break in after breaking into my residence vehicles in our garage. APD never showed up. In most cases, I've added a flock camera that reports stolen vehicles straight to Travis county and APD have a camera at every entrance of our building. I have added two cameras on every floor of my garage. I have a company monitoring every camera live every day who calls APD with suspicious behavior. But what's the point of all of that if we can't get APD on site within a reasonable time? Not everyone can afford all these fancy monitoring systems, but it's worth it to keep my mama bear mind at ease for my residents. I've done my part to keep our residents as taken care of as possible, but now I ask that the city does their part to keep Austin safe. Thank you for your time, and I urge you to take the facts into account. Pass this contract and put Austin's [11:07:50 AM] contract and put Austin's residents first. >> Nicole Marburger. >> Good afternoon everybody. My name is Nicole Marburger and I live in district eight. I am a proud mom of three children that I'm raising in the city of Austin and a residential real estate broker as well. I want to start by thanking the city manager, the city staff and everybody who has put efforts into the past few months of reaching a tentative agreement for the police contract. I know that this contract presents an important opportunity for Austin to address the challenges that we face with policing. For too long, the relationship between city hall and the police has been strained and this contract helps to turn the page. Approving the contract is a crucial next step for improving public safety and allows the council to send a clear message of support to both the community and the police department. The severe understaffing of our police department has led to longer response times for [11:08:50 AM] longer response times for serious incidents throughout the city, and as a mother, it's my worst nightmare that my children, the family member or a community member waits too long in a life threatening incident. The contract also ensures that our officers are compensated fairly, and the real estate industry. I can assure you that proper compensation to keep these members in our community is imperative. With Austin's affordability challenges, it is important that we remain competitive with the other cities in recruiting, recruiting and retaining officers. I want our police to live, work and engage in the community that they're serving. Supporting the contract will allow our new police chief and the Austin police department to enhance their recruitment efforts, build a fully staffed and well-trained force, all while maintaining high standards for accountability and oversight. I thank you all for the opportunity to speak today, and I urge your support for this contract. Thank you. >> We're going to move to in-person speakers. Pamela Madeira Emily Blair is on deck. Following is Robert Clark. If [11:09:52 AM] Following is Robert Clark. If your name has been called, please make your way to the podium when she calls your name, please come forward and take a seat up here, up front and if there's an empty podium, please feel free to go to the podium and take control of it. >> It's your time to speak. >> Good morning. >> I'm glad I don't have to use the afternoon version of my testimony. So good morning, mayor and council members. My name is Emily Blair. I'm here today on behalf of the Austin apartment association and our thousands of rental housing provider members whose job it is to provide safe and secure housing for hundreds of thousands of Austin residents, we urge your support of this long term police contract between the city and the Austin police association. I just want to thank also the mayor, the city manager and the police association, all the staff who has really worked diligently on this. Your efforts do not go unnoticed. Public safety, as we all know, is a fundamental function of the government. Yet for several years in our industry in particular, has felt [11:10:53 AM] industry in particular, has felt it has been a priority that has been neglected here in Austin, the city continues to face hundreds of vacancies in the Austin police department, and every day that we have 300 plus vacancies, we are putting austinites in harm's way. The consequences of APD vacancies are felt regularly in apartment communities across the city. I speak with property managers on a daily basis and hear their stories and they are numerous. Communities are suffering public safety. Stability is not something we can afford to delay any longer. It is time to move forward and act the cost of inaction is just too great. Every unanswered call, every theft, every robbery, every leasing manager or property manager put at harm. These instances hurt someone in Austin. These aren't just statistics on our dashboard. These are our neighbors, our families, our friends, colleagues and maybe your property manager who are bearing the cost of this. Approving this contract is one of the most effective ways to fill these vacancies. And so I urge you to support this contract and then take this opportunity to ensure [11:11:53 AM] take this opportunity to ensure a safer Austin for all. Thank you. >> Pam, my dear mayor and council, thank you. My family is one of over three dozen families that was recently the victim of substantial crime here in Austin, in what was purportedly an organized crime ring that hit over three dozen families between Travis country, all in southwest Austin, all the way over to the 360 bridge as a result of that, my children are currently sleeping with locks on their doors in their rooms, and it has created substantial disruption. I think that the hard work that this council has been doing on in this and the city as a whole on this police contract is a necessary and first step in trying to bring our city back to a place where it used to be. And we really appreciate your support of the contract. Thank you. >> Good morning, mayor and [11:12:58 AM] >> Good morning, mayor and council. It's my honor to be here before you again. My name is Robert Clark, and I'm the executive director of the central Texas public safety commission. You will hear a lot today about the support of the police contract and how it will increase public safety, but allow me for a moment to just narrow the focus a bit, because this means so much more than just support for our public safety personnel. First and foremost, our women and men go to work every single day and deserve your support, and I thank you for your courage to support them with this contract. But it means so much more. It means safer businesses. It means safer schools. It means safer places of worship. It means safer places to shop. It means safer places to enjoy the city of Austin. As someone who is new here to Austin in the last 90 days, I look forward to continuing to enjoy the great city of Austin and I know that that begins with support of our public safety personnel, who will not only allow our citizens to see them patrolling, walking, talking, and engaging with their [11:14:00 AM] talking, and engaging with their community, but giving them the opportunity to feel safer as they engage in all of the wonderful things that Austin has to offer with the music festival that's been this last couple of weekends and will be this weekend, I believe it is important that everyone who comes to the city of Austin feels safer and can leave with the experience of knowing that they were able to enjoy all that the city of Austin has to offer, and that they felt safe because they saw our police officers. This contract will say to the women and men who do the job every single day that we support you. We stand beside you and we encourage you to recruit others to come to this great city, to be a part of public safety here in the great city of Austin. So again, I applaud you for your support and I certainly applaud you for your courage in moving this contract forward. Thank you very much. >> Ashley Copeland, Jennifer Stephens, Devin huesmann, rob bridges. Trey Salinas, please [11:15:04 AM] bridges. Trey Salinas, please read your name into the record. Thank you. >> Good morning, mayor and council members. I'm a little short. I hope you can see me over the swarm of high heels today. My name is Ashley Copeland, and I'm the chief strategy officer at the central Texas public safety commission. But today, I'm also here as a mom of four. I have a beautifully blended family. Our city safety depends on the men and women who dedicate their lives to keeping our families and our neighborhoods secure. A strong, fair, competitive police contract will ensure that we attract and retain officers that are committed to protecting us. While holding themselves to the highest standards, approving this contract isn't just about supporting law enforcement, but yet it's about creating a foundation of trust. One of accountability and collaboration between community and the officers who serve it. So as a mom, I want to know that when my [11:16:05 AM] mom, I want to know that when my kids step out the door every morning, they're stepping into a safer city that prioritizes their safety. And as someone who is deeply involved in the public safety realm here in Austin, I know that approving this contract is a critical step in that direction. So today, I want to thank you for your time, and I want to ask for your support in passing this contract. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Hello, I'm Devin Houston. First off, I want to thank you all for the time and the effort and the questions. This is really getting to the details on this contract shows that you all care and I appreciate that myself. I have been living in district three in the community for three years now, and previously I was raised in new Orleans and I lived in south Atlanta. I've been in culturally of very, very culturally diverse and important rich areas, but also have had disinvestment due [11:17:06 AM] also have had disinvestment due to crime my whole life. And now I see the time point with Austin right here to really put money behind making sure that this is a safe community going forward. My profession is in real estate and unfortunately I'm a poor guide for the city. While people come to town to look to invest. And in that moment, crime comes up. It's my job to quantify or qualify and quantify on the concerns of people that are looking at investments and quantifying the impact that investment has on what we're looking at to do in the city and from the private community or private investment community. It's very important that I can have a positive sign of investment from the city. There's a circular causation of investment into prevention or into life safety. And by providing I know the amounts are very high of what the contract looks like, but the reinvestment into the city from the private [11:18:07 AM] into the city from the private investment, because of their confirmation that the city council is doing things to keep their investments safe, is very important. And I appreciate your time and effort in getting to this point. And look forward to seeing this go over the finish line. Thank you all. >> Thank you. >> Good morning. I'm Jennifer Stevens. I want to thank all of you for your time and your service to our community. I've lived in Austin for just over 30 years. I've raised my three children here, and I own a small business based in downtown Austin, where I employ 14 women all age 35 and below. My employees are scared to come downtown to go to work, and my youngest daughter, when she was accepted to the university of Texas, told me for the first time in her life, she was scared to live in Austin and wasn't sure she was going to accept her admission. I equipped her with a taser and sent her on her way to the university of Texas. I'm asking you to please support the long term police contract here [11:19:08 AM] long term police contract here today, and I appreciate your consideration of such. I also do appreciate the time you took for the questioning this morning, because it does show your sincere interest in making sure that you're doing what's right for the city, and you're balancing the many priorities. I would encourage you to think that there is absolutely nothing more important in our community than for people to feel safe. Police, fire and ems and I realize that you allocate budget to a lot of different priorities, with a lot of different advocates. However, none of those things matter. If we can't live in a safe city. I also just want to ask that you consider the important step forward that you're making today, and really moving Austin in the right direction to heal the wounds that were so deep for so long. So I appreciate your leadership, and I appreciate your time. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good morning. My name is rob bridges. My family has lived here in Austin, going back to my great grandparents. Appreciate [11:20:10 AM] great grandparents. Appreciate all the hard work you all are putting in on this contract. I'm here in favor of it. I'm fortunate to have a company here in Austin. We have about 120 colleagues and I know safety is something that they talk about often and I think it's important we get this contract in place not only for the team that I'm fortunate to work with, but for everybody living in this great city. So thank you. >> Thank you. >> After trey Salinas, we have Susan Spataro, Rudy Garza, Alan Vaughn and Tasha mora. >> If your name's been called, please come forward. >> Good morning, mayor and council. My name is trey Salinas and I'm here as my role as the vice chair of the Austin chamber of commerce. I want to thank you for the important discussion this morning. You had really good questions. We are here today to ask the city council to support this proposed police contract. Last year, this council told the city manager to bring back a contract that [11:21:11 AM] bring back a contract that honored the will of the voters. This contract does exactly that. And as the city manager stated, this agreement is groundbreaking for changes to police oversight and it values and prioritizes public safety with regards to staffing shortages. This contract will help with that. Not only will it help with the recruiting of new officers, just as importantly, it will help retain existing experienced officers. With regards to the budget. As you just heard from the city budget office, the cost of this contract is less than 1% growth to the percentage of the police portion of the general fund over the next five years. In short, you can afford this contract. The city can afford this contract. We believe it's time to pass this agreement. It will help Austin remain. And I want to emphasize that remain one of the safest cities in our country. Thank you for your time [11:22:11 AM] country. Thank you for your time and all your hard work. >> Good morning, council, Susan Spataro. A lot of my questions were answered by your staff, and I want to commend them on the excellent job that they did on a really complex project. So this is kind of disjointed. It's the things that I still kind of have questions on. One of the things I think we have to get in our head is we are in a, in a safety crisis in Austin, Texas. You're hearing that today. I talked to a lady the other day that has a business downtown. Her her business has been broken into nine times. She's worried that she's no longer going to be able to get insurance. You yourself now have contracted with people with the sheriff's department to protect the library and have a cruiser outside. We've not seen that kind of thing. And probably the most dramatic in my mind. And this isn't your call, but the district attorney has been negotiating with the [11:23:14 AM] negotiating with the commissioners court to have a security system. The details have not been released, but and the county commissioners have passed a budget of $1.8 million to secure the safety of Travis county officials. I find that utterly amazing. But for people who are saying it is safe, it is not murders in the in the ten years before we went to defund the police, the average number of murders was 32 a year in the five years since that, the average is 67 murders a year in one year. It went up to 88. It's 60 already today, so no crime is not down. Murder is not down. It is twice what it was before we decided to defund the police and take these kind of things. The other thing is, what you're talking about today is not expanding the police department. It's trying to build up and repair what's been destroyed. In [11:24:15 AM] repair what's been destroyed. In other words, what can we do about the 350 vacancies? So this contract and I think it's a good one for five years, we're really not looking at expanding. We're just trying to fix the broken things in our police department. Now the other thing is in terms of turnover, I'm disappointed that groups like afscme are saying things like, we want that money. It has nothing to do with safety or anything. But, you know, we want that for our employees. And I guess if you're the union, that's how you operate. But I find that I find that kind of discouraging in the general fund. If you look at turnover in the general fund from last year to this year, it's 11.9% and the police department is 19%. We got a problem there, a serious problem. I went and looked at some of the literature on the other cities that kind of did what we did, and we're, you know, the defund. And they're now knowing that's a mistake. [11:25:17 AM] now knowing that's a mistake. But you can't just turn a faucet. We're finding that out now. And that is we just have got to work on the contract. >> And thank you. Thank you. >> Good morning, mayor and council. I'm Rudy Garza, the chair for the greater Austin chamber. I'm here on behalf of our board of directors and our members to ask you to please approve this contract. Unfortunately for the chamber, this has become a priority issue for our members. And we're regularly hearing from from members of the downtown and throughout the city of the lack of police response because of the shortage. We do believe that this contract goes a long ways to help us get on the right path. So we please urge you to please move forward with approving the contract. Thank you. >> Good morning, mayor Watson, city manager and esteemed council members. Thank you. And thank you to the Austin police association and everyone who's worked on this important issue. >> And I raise this because I'm [11:26:18 AM] >> And I raise this because I'm a little tall. My name is Tasha mora and I'm here to support the arpa contract. I am a native austinite of more than 48 years. My family has more than six generations of austinites in the Austin area, with over 2000 family members here. I grew up in d4, currently live in d9, and I'm a business owner that's located in d1 for the last 22 years, all districts that have historically needed the support of our city's officers. I am also a member of the Austin apartment association. I am deeply concerned about the impact of police shortages on our community's well-being. As the owner of a and a wrecker and recovery, my company provides various types of towing for Austin emergency towing services for the city's incident management program, clearing collisions from our city's highways, and we provide towing services to multifamily housing communities. The rental housing industry and local businesses. We're seeing firsthand the rise in unauthorized activity and crime out in the field. I [11:27:20 AM] crime out in the field. I support what chief Davis has shared today, a priority for us is also patrol. 22 years in towing has shown me that patrol patrol is imperative. We need more officers. We need more patrol. And we need experienced officers on patrol. With 300 vacancies in the Austin police department, the safety of Austin's residents and workforce is jeopardized. The responsibility for safety has fallen onto private property owners and local business owners and service providers like myself, we strive to create secure environments for our clients and our employees, but the slower police response times have endangered myself, my employees and the residents of Austin. When businesses can't protect their employees and residents feel unsafe, the consequences ripple through us all. It's crucial that we prioritize the well-being of all constituents. I care deeply about this city and the safety of everyone in Austin, and I urge you to approve the Apa contract, provide our police department with the resources they need to protect those who [11:28:20 AM] they need to protect those who live, work, and invest in Austin. Thank you kindly for listening. >> Thank you. >> Alan Vaughn. On deck are Jennifer Earnshaw Taylor nolo, Lori seldes, Kimberly Faulkner, and Ben suddaby. >> Good morning, Mr. Mayor. >> City manager and esteemed council members. My name is Alan Vaughn and I am here today as a multifamily property owner, a member of the Austin apartment association and vice president of the north Austin civic association, responsible for the health and welfare of 120 families and representing thousands of residents of our community in district four. I strongly urge all of you to support the long term contract between the city and the Austin police association. I fully understand and respect the concerns about police conduct. It is imperative that we ensure our law enforcement officers uphold the highest standards of integrity and accountability. However, when we expect perfection from imperfect [11:29:24 AM] perfection from imperfect beings, we are truly setting them up for failure. The reality is that the facts do not support the idea that there are widespread instances of officers harming civilians. On the other hand, let me tell you about the facts and reality experienced by our residents every single day because of the lack of police officers. According to the APD community connect website. Thank you very much for supporting that. The reported crime rate in our community is on a path to double that last year on colony creek drive alone, we have experienced a murder across the street. In early may, and daily we see an open air drug market, assaults and prostitution. Our residents, of which 99% speak only Spanish, are afraid as they should be because of the threat that awaits them outside our property. This should not does not have to be this way. Mr. Vela chito, we have discussed these challenges in your office and you have witnessed this [11:30:25 AM] and you have witnessed this firsthand as you drive to our neighborhood to attend our narcan meetings. What we need now is leadership, compromise, and community engagement. That works. Approve this contract now. Give our police department the resources they need, and take responsibility for protecting the people who live, work, and invest in Austin. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> Good morning, mayor Watson and esteemed council members. Thank you, mayor and city manager for working on this important issue. My name is Jennifer Earnshaw and I'm a proud member of the Austin apartment association and dedicated citizen of Austin who cares deeply about our community's well-being. Today, I'm here to voice a concern that keeps me awake at night. The safety of our residents and my employees. We are not just discussing contracts or budgets, but we are talking about the lives about families who deserve to feel secure in their homes. Let me share a personal [11:31:26 AM] Let me share a personal experience that highlights the gravity of the situation. I oversee a property in district three, and since February we have experienced an alarming surge in violent crime. Our residents and staff are being directly impacted by threats, break ins and physical altercations. Transients have broken into vacant units taking control of these spaces and retaliated with aggression. When we tried to address the issue, my staff and residents have received threats on several occasions, and individuals have flooded units by deliberately sabotaging plumbing, which caused extensive damage and created unsafe living conditions for other residents. The situation has escalated to physical violence. There have been multiple altercations in the hallways and common areas, creating an atmosphere of fear. In one incident, a transient stormed into our leasing office and aggressively destroyed property, forcing my team and a few residents to lock themselves into the office. While chaos just unfolded, they were left helpless, watching through the glass as the destruction [11:32:27 AM] glass as the destruction occurred. Our residents and staff are genuinely afraid for their safety. Safety and it's just simply it's just unacceptable. We've called 911 numerous times over 15 times to be exact, but the response has been slow or nonexistent. The Austin police department wants to help. They are just stretched too thin due to staffing shortages. The reality is that we do not have enough officers to respond to the growing threats in our community. We have met with council member Velasquez staff regarding this ongoing issue, and hope that the council member will take the time to meet with us in person to collaborate on finding viable interim solutions. Addressing this serious and ongoing issue is critical to ensuring the safety and well-being of our more than 500 residents. While the vacancies are being filled, our residents deserve better. They deserve to know that when they call for help, someone will come. They deserve to live in a city where their safety is prioritized. Public safety is not something that can be [11:33:27 AM] not something that can be compromised or delayed. In our daily operations, we make safety a top priority and we expect the same from our city leaders. This contract is a commitment to ensuring that every Austin resident can live without fear, knowing that help is there when they need it. I urge you to pass this contract and make public safety a priority, as it should be. Our residents deserve nothing less. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Good morning. My name is Lori. Cells. Mayor Watson esteemed council members. Thank you for working so hard on this issue. I am testifying in support of the arpa contract as written, I'm a regional property manager and a proud member of the apartment. Austin apartment association who cares about our community's well-being? I am here to voice some concerns that keep me awake every night and trouble me every single day. And it's the safety of our residents and my employees. I've noticed a significant increase in resident complaints and safety concerns at the properties that I [11:34:27 AM] at the properties that I oversee, specifically in district three. Many residents have expressed a desire to terminate their lease agreements due to feeling unsafe within the city limits. They've reported calling APD about transient individuals, only to be told that no personnel are available to respond or on the rare occasion that there is an officer that responds, it's usually more than four hours later after the original call. This delayed or absent response is causing frustrations among residents, who then share their experiences with their neighbors, and this just amplifies the fear and frustration amongst all. There have been multiple incidences of indecent exposure, indecent exposure reported to 911. One specific event was a male that had knocked on a resident's door, exposed himself. Pardon my language. At the resident's front door. The police were Neer able to respond to this call, and the resident no longer felt safe living at the community. I have also received numerous complaints from residents about transients in property stairwells. The lack of response from APD is [11:35:27 AM] response from APD is particularly concerning, as residents are finding themselves in confined spaces with individuals who should not be on the property. This has led to residents feeling unsafe when walking from a parking lot to their apartment, or even when simply checking their mail. Both residents and team members have previously tried to assist or ask transients to leave the property, but over the past year, these individuals have have become more increasingly aggressive and hostile. I face daily challenges when speaking with my employees, who no longer feel safe coming to work. They are afraid to approach the office due to homeless individuals sleeping near the front door. Despite reaching out for APD for assistance, they often wait hours for an officer to arrive. There have been multiple instances where homeless individuals have become aggressive, sometimes carrying pepper spray or knives. It is unacceptable that it takes hours for APD to respond when someone's safety is at risk. But unfortunately, this is the current situation that we're facing. I do urge you to pass the long term contract with the Austin police association. Let's [11:36:28 AM] Austin police association. Let's send a clear message to our residents that their safety is non-negotiable and that we're united in our commitment to protect them. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> Good morning. My name is Taylor Nicolo, and I'm here with the Austin chamber of commerce. >> And I'm speaking in support of the proposed five year police contract. I'd like to thank our city manager, mayor Watson, and city staff for your hard work in reaching this tentative agreement and this contract represents a pivotal moment for Austin and our ability to improve public safety in our community. Under this council's leadership, we've made significant strides in public safety, including improved 911 response times and initiatives to protect officer salaries. However, our police force remains understaffed, impacting response times to serious crimes. This contract ensures fair compensation for our officers, which is crucial in attracting and retaining our police workforce. As a young woman, I want to feel safe in [11:37:29 AM] woman, I want to feel safe in the city that I newly call my home. By accepting this contract, we empower our new leadership to build a well staffed, accountable police department. It is time to move forward with enhancing public safety in our city to ensure that Austin remains a great place to live, work and raise a family. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Kymberley Faulkner, Ben suddaby, bill Wallace price and Jason Becker. >> Good morning, mayor Watson city manager and esteemed council members, thank you for working on this important issue. >> My name is kymberley Faulkner and I am testifying in support of the arpa contract as written, I am a senior regional property manager and proud member of the Austin apartment association. I am frustrated and concerned about the safety of our residents and my team members. We are not just discussing contracts or budgets, we are talking about our residents lives, about Austin citizens who [11:38:29 AM] lives, about Austin citizens who deserve to feel secure in their homes, at a brand new, affordable housing property in district three that serves almost 500 residents and has 29,000 apartment homes in the submarket, we have had a man walk with a rifle through our parking garage in the middle of the afternoon, and on a different afternoon, a woman walked with a blowtorch in the garage and in front of the office in both instances, it took over two hours for the police to get to our property. This same property has also had two cases of indecent exposure in front of our leasing office. When team members are arriving to work and residents are trying to leave for work at another affordable housing property in district three, with over 400 residents and in a submarket of over 20,000 apartment homes, we had a hostile man barricaded himself in the clubroom back room who then got high and defecated all over the bathroom. It took three hours for the police to respond so that we could file criminal trespass charges against this person who has had multiple interactions with neighborhood citizens and police at the same property. We [11:39:30 AM] police at the same property. We had a resident, a single female, who called the police because a man crawled onto her patio and took her belongings. It took the police several hours to respond to her call. She requested to terminate her lease contract in that apartment home because she was concerned with her safety due to the police response time. I urge you to pass the long term contract with the Austin police association, just as you expect us to allocate sufficient funds for the safety measures that ensure our residents live in secure environments, we expect you to do the same for our citizens. Safety is non- negotiable. Together, we must commit to prioritizing prioritizing safety for the well-being of our community. Thank you. Thank you. >> Hello, council, my name is Ben sutterby. I'm here speaking in my personal capacity, not on behalf of the office I work for. I'm on vacation and not on behalf of my union. That I'm a proud member of or not on behalf of any nonprofit board that I [11:40:30 AM] of any nonprofit board that I sit on. But I am very active in my community and I do talk to many, many city workers. And I have heard concerns in all these different spaces, even including last night at the barbershop, concerns about the fiscal impact of this decision. So I'm speaking in opposition because I don't think we've been given the full picture. I don't think we've been given enough time to examine this. I know that just when the details of this contract or tentative agreement were released, there were many questions, both in the press coming from yourselves on the dais in the community about what the impact was and a vote was scheduled for this Thursday. That has seemed very rushed. I'm very glad that this has been postponed. I would like to see more time, given we have to admit that this is existing outside of our normal budgetary process. We know how long that budgetary process is, and we have community meetings and we get together and we talk about [11:41:31 AM] get together and we talk about the trade offs that we're talking about, because that's really what's happening when you are committing this large amount of money. We're talking about trade offs. We're talking about the implications of what other council priorities are not going to be served because this money is being allocated elsewhere. What are they going to be? The impacts for years down the road? I appreciate the staff that the presentation given by budget staff, this morning, that was a good overview or summary, but we have not seen the full nitty gritty details of the implications, the assumptions that were baked into this. There was some mention of no assumptions, of no further staff or fire or ems. We're in a growing city that doesn't seem reasonable. There is an assumption of only a 3% for all the other service. You know, the city, the people who work at the city, the civilian side, all although that staff is who who implements all these great programs that our city does. Things like rapid rehousing. We live in a community with deep, [11:42:33 AM] live in a community with deep, deep needs and varied needs, and I want to talk about how the city addresses our safety in other ways, such as providing helping get vaccines, helping meet the well-being of people through through their health care. We're in a city where sometimes there are more people in line for the vaccine than there are supply, and people have to get turned away because there isn't enough. We're in a place where there are people who need housing, who would like housing, and we don't have enough funds allocated to provide them that rapid rehousing. And I would like to see more details from budget with a deep, full analysis and comparing what the projections were and what the actuals were. Thank you. Council member alter. Thank you all of you for your questions. Have a good. >> Good day. My name is Annette price and I live in district one [11:43:33 AM] price and I live in district one and the executive director of grassroots leadership. I am here to speak against the police contract. >> I ask first that you take a step back and listen to what the community is saying. You must do better for us all, not just some of us back during the community with this police contract. After years of asking you all to do the right thing was a slap in the face. How has the problems within the department been solved, such as the racial discrimination and the police academy training? Have those things been resolved? Has there been any indication in the public that they are being addressed? Please don't be willing to band-aid those problems and give 217 million over the next five years to APD, who claims they need this higher pay to draw more attention to applicants. It won't stop them from killing innocent black and brown folks in the streets, nor our friends in the midst of a [11:44:34 AM] our friends in the midst of a mental health crisis or the conduct within the police department. When the internal problems are still there. This funding should be better put to use by helping our struggling unhoused community and by funding the marshaling yard and ensure that they are equipped with the needed resources to stabilize our unhoused population. Fundamental fund the mental health first responders who are trained in crisis and should be the first on your list to fund, given the history of untrained APD staff killing community members while they were in a mental health crisis. We would rather see mental health responders respond to those calls instead of APD, so that those persons in crisis will still be with us here today. We are in need of strengthening our community, and we should put them first. APD does not keep my community safe, so please go back to the table and put out because our lives depend on it. Thank you. [11:45:35 AM] depend on it. Thank you. >> Bill Wallace, Jason Becker, Joseph yamas, Michelle manning, Scott corby, jastro. Archbishop sterling lands pastor. Maribel Reyes, pastor Alan Ramirez. Pastor Alan Ramirez, junior. Mark Grenier. Angel Figueroa. Pete Inman, if your name has been called, please make your way to the podium and state your name. Feel free to come forward. >> Archbishop. If your name has been called and feel come, [11:46:36 AM] been called and feel come, please come down front and if the podium is free, come forward and state your name for us. >> Thank you very much. Good day to you, mayor Watson, and our esteemed council. And city manager, Broadnax. This is a very trying time for us. I have been, and I know I'm on record already for the number of times I've spoken about police issues here, but I think it has been and is still ridiculous to consider defunding police. All the police period. I believe that when we when we look at family as a as a kingdom priority, we need to ensure that the peacemakers, the peace keepers are in place. That means you got to pay them. Now, if I worked in the corporate world for years, and since I've been in this place, I found out that [11:47:36 AM] in this place, I found out that no matter how many times I get up in the morning, go to work and come home, I don't worry about whether or not I'm going to be alive when I get back, but every police officer has to be concerned about returning home to see his wife or her husband and their kids. I don't believe we should take that lightly. And so this contract is a step in the right direction. Not only should we do it, but we should look at looking at ways of amending it in the future to ensure that we never again fall into this hole. My brothers and sisters, let me just close by making this statement. We are blessed because of what this city has been. But over the 40 years that I've been here that long, I've noticed that there's been a decline because we were not prepared to become a large city. Well, we are a large city now. I moved here from a city that was the murder capital of the nation. I moved here because [11:48:36 AM] the nation. I moved here because one of the reasons is because this was a peaceful place, and I wanted my two sons to grow up in a place like this. Since that time. And then we went through this whole thing about reducing the resources, defunding, etc, I didn't get into that debacle, but I was concerned that my grandchildren and there was two sons to come. But now we have ten grandkids. I was concerned about whether or not we were going to have to move to another place where at least the police officers are treasured. We must treasure police officers, period. It's not a it's not a question. It's not politics. And it is not about whether or not we're going to do something in order to please the loudest noise. That is not what this is about. This is about life. And these individuals should be paid and they should be paid as professionals. I don't think I would be willing to get up every morning and go and put my life on the line, but I'm so thankful that they do. Thank you. [11:49:37 AM] that they do. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> If your name's been called, please approach the podium and state your name. >> Good afternoon. I'm angel Figueroa and my pastor at Austin Christian fellowship. Asked that I would come and he would be here. If not, you know, so I want to say thank you for having me here. Mayor and the city council, and especially the new city manager. Mr. Broadnax, welcome to the city. Following the pastor that just spoke. I just want to say first things, what do we need to happen before the worst thing can happen? Okay, what do we need to happen here in Austin? Okay. We've seen what happened in Portland. Other cities like Portland also in Seattle, we saw what can happen when you defunded the police. Well, that has increased the need for officer safety, because doing so, so many officers are [11:50:39 AM] doing so, so many officers are still willing to show up for work. There are officers retiring early and resigning in large numbers for the past few years. That's a fact. But let's talk about the ones that are willing to come back and willing to stay here. They're staying here. I think we should support them. I know that there's a lot of decisions, especially the city council, that will be making these decisions. But while all of that is going on, the dollar amounts are not changing. The inflation alters purchasing powers. I know that one thing that is clear is that crime will continue, and our safety is always a concern for everybody, city council, people that represent from the housing association, the churches, everyone has a need for safety and I want to feel safe. I want to mention I'm also want to mention about the recruiting. And it was council member alder who mentioned about it's [11:51:39 AM] who mentioned about it's imperative. And it's also important that we have academy reform. I agree, I think that's important because those are the new ones coming in. But on top of that, we have to stick it out for all of the experienced officers. That again has has stayed, has decided to stick around in the city. The homicides that have been reported to increase, almost doubling what is over the same time over the same period in 2019. Auto thefts remain high in Austin. Travis county medical examiner's office report in 2019 that 22 accidental deaths were detected to have fentanyl that continues to grow. In 2023, it went up to 279 deaths. That had to do with fentanyl. Those are experienced officers that will be working those cases, not the rookies. The rookies will take a field training officer with them out to the street, but it's the officers that has experience that will be working those cases. And we are right now still having detectives come from their jobs, from their assignments, from their cases [11:52:40 AM] assignments, from their cases that they are currently investigating to now fill all the backfill. Well, don't we want to have all those cases that are already in the books closed? We need to keep them there and hire some more officers. Thank you. Thank you. I want to ask you again. What will it take? >> Thank you very much. >> Good morning. My name is mark Greiner, and I'm here just as a concerned citizen. And a supporter of the Austin police department. And I'm just concerned now. I watch the nightly news now. It seems like it's just multiple murders, you know, every day. And I just this is one of those kind of events and kind of crisis that I think can bring down a great city like Austin. And so, you know, I just I don't see how we can have a great city if we don't have a safe city. And we can't have a safe city unless we have a strong, healthy, functioning [11:53:41 AM] strong, healthy, functioning police department. So I appreciate y'all's work on this contract, and I really just feel like if we can you've heard it here this morning. It's just incredibly hard job to do where you're right there on the front line, but that they're compensated appropriately and that there yes, there's oversights and ways to make sure that the bad apples are figured out, but it can't be at the expense of you know, I'm in the real estate business. People love moving to Austin. This is an Achilles heel kind of thing that can can bring us down, in my opinion, if we don't get the public safety issue under control. So again, I just if we can get the contract and I urge you to approve it just as a new foundation in order for us to build up our force again and to keep the officers we have as well as creating the environment where officers just like all the rest of the people, want to move, to move to Austin, want to [11:54:41 AM] move, to move to Austin, want to join our force. And so I just again, thank you and hope we can get this pushed through. >> Thank you sir. If your name has been called, please feel free to come to the microphone. >> Good afternoon council and my fellow neighbors and community members here in Austin. We have to foremost and first and foremost center our humanity in this world, I believe. >> Can you state your name for the record? >> Yes, my name is Michelle manning Scott, and I'm a resident of the district seven here in Austin. Leslie pool is my district representative at the moment. Thank you for being here this morning. I'm also a member of undoing white supremacy Austin, which works within multi-racial communities to end personal, structural and cultural racism and build a racially just Austin. I'm also a member of co-op community radio, Austin's community radio station. Co-op's mission is to engage, connect and enrich the whole [11:55:41 AM] connect and enrich the whole community, including the underserved, through the programing we provide our listeners and the volunteer and learning opportunities we provide the community. In my capacity as a member of both usa and co-op, I've been in conversations with many members of the community organizations who are represented here today and who are in opposition to the APD contract and who supported the Austin police oversight act. These relationships have strengthened both my and usa's understanding of how important police accountability and transparency is. Usa adamantly opposes the APD contract because the contract does not comply with the Austin police oversight act. Police accountability and transparency measures. The city council claims that it does not have funding to address priority needs that community, environmental and social justice organizations advocated for in the 20 2425 city budget. Yet they are considering this huge additional 218 million [11:56:43 AM] additional 218 million expenditure. The 218 million expenditure will require tax increases, cuts to core services and possibly staff pay cuts in other departments based on the city's own financial forecasts. This inequitable pay raise for Austin police far exceeds the pay increases for other city employees, such as the ems and the fire department, according to the city's own wage study. Austin police are already at the top of the pay scale among comparable cities. Austin can still give police officers a raise this year, in line with other city employees, and they deserve it, as anyone else does. They do do a tremendous job for the city, as many people have already stated that wouldn't create room to send everyone back to the table with the goal of a contract that complies with the opoa and does not significantly reduce all other priorities the city has in the coming years. I urge you, please, to not overspend on a wasteful contract that contravenes the will of Austin residents for greater transparency, accountability and oversight of our police. After decades of impunity and secrecy. [11:57:45 AM] decades of impunity and secrecy. Instead support the needs of needs outlined in the community investment budget and other efforts to make the city more racially just and equitable. So all citizens, all residents can thrive. And I will add that I have three daughters that have gone to the university of Texas, and none of them has ever stated concerns over their safety. Neither have I, as a resident, thank you so much. >> Good morning. Mayor, thank you so much for your hard work. Members of the city council, my name is Alan Ramirez. I'm a pastor of a church in marble falls, but I'm also a member of the in the Travis county of the pastoral alliance Latin pastoral alliance of Alma for the past four years. I'm the former president, and also I've been living in Austin for the past 34 years. I moved to Austin in 1990 and I have been since many changes during the past 30 [11:58:47 AM] changes during the past 30 years. And I really have been praying that you approve this contract and one thing that I can tell you is that a that this city and this country has been founded by god and just I've been praying that that you ask for wisdom to make the right decisions to protect the city. Because this city, I mean, it's like right now it's about 16 people murdered. And I know if the police officers there around the city, I mean, that will be decreasing. And as a leaders, we're responsible to make the right changes at the right time. And I mean, I'm telling you in the name of Jesus that pray to the lord that founded this nation, that helped you to make the right decisions to approve this contract. Thank you. So much and god bless you all. >> Thank you. [11:59:48 AM] >> Thank you. >> Mr. Mayor, council members, city manager Broadnax, thank you so much for the thoughtful way that you've approached this. I don't know that there's a whole lot to add to what's been stated today. I am so proud to be in Austin today and just listening to the testimony, and people are coming at it from different places, but they're doing it with a lot of heart and a lot of mind. It does seem clear that if this agreement is adopted, that it will improve response times. That's cool obviously, but it also, I think, will decrease the stress that our officers are experiencing right now and maybe even increase the safety as we drive around in the traffic. The one thing that I think is worth highlighting is that we make an effort in Austin, and I grew up here, raised my family here, work here, we honor our city [12:00:50 PM] work here, we honor our city workers, and we show them respect. And it seems somewhere along the line that that's been lost sometimes with regard to our APD, public safety professionals. And I hope today is a turning point, a new chapter, and it sure seems like it. It seems like y'all are on the cusp of really taking us into a new season. So we thank you and we encourage adoption. God bless you. >> Thank you. >> Can you please state your name? And for the record, yes, Pete Inman, thank you. >> The record knows who Pete Inman is. >> Good morning dear mayor and city council. My name is arlo Sanchez. I'm pastor of Iglesia de dios séptimo Dia agape, and I'm also a member of the executive board of the Austin Latino ministerial alliance, known as Alma. And first of all, I want to appreciate your service and the and your effort and APD service. Last pastor fellow pastor Allen, we're [12:01:53 PM] fellow pastor Allen, we're praying for guidance. We appreciate your effort in allowing our city or supporting our city to live in a peaceful, godly, and dignified in every manner as stated in the bible as a counterpart, in an effort of a healthy city and a safe city in the faith realm. I want to say that we understand your challenges. We understand the situation of our cities and we're praying for that, this, that this proposed contract is approved. We understand the challenges of staffing shortages. We understand the challenges of the public safety, the public safety situations, accountability measures. So we'd like to support stand here and support the approval of the proposed contract. And once again, we encourage you to approve for an approval. Thank [12:02:53 PM] approve for an approval. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. >> Kirby jastro. >> I don't see Mr. Jastro, Chris fisher, Tony Castillo, Alan Ramirez Jr, Chaz Moore, Rick Randall. >> Thomas Downey if your name has been called, feel free to come forward podium and read your name into the record. >> Just state your name for the record. >> Please. My name is Marco Castillo. I'm a local pastor here in the beautiful city of Austin, Texas. Thank you mayor and council members for the opportunity to speak today on the topic of public safety. I appreciate your continued dedication to ensuring Austin remains a safe place for our residents. I have the privilege of living here over the last 2428 years in the most beautiful city of usa. Of course, which is Austin, Texas, and I think we're [12:03:54 PM] Austin, Texas, and I think we're in a great need of more officers to protect and care for our city. I stand, I stand with all those who support this effort and believe it is important for our community's safety. Thank you again for your time and consideration. This agreement is a major step toward improving the safety, transparency and trust that our community values. I appreciate your support of this contract. Now, also, I want you to know that I'm keeping you in my prayers for god to give you wisdom, knowledge and understanding for you always to take the right decisions for the city of Austin. May god bless you. Thank you. >> Chaz Moore, district three I'm just here to speak neutrally on this matter. Yeah, because, you know, if I didn't believe Jesus actually got up and rose from his grave, he would indeed [12:04:56 PM] from his grave, he would indeed be rolling in it today. Indeed, to see how people kind of kind of I it's just very interesting to me when we talk about keeping people safe, but we don't talk about the people that are not safe because of people like Christopher Taylor, who was the first APD officer indicted and found guilty because of his his his actions of killing Maurice da silva. We don't talk about, you know, the Mike Ramos. We don't talk about the David Joseph like and I think that's very interesting when we talk about safety. But we only seem to talk about one side of that coin. And unlike many of these people, I'm assuming, and I could be wrong, I've been a part of this police contract for a very long time, and I will say this is a big step in the right direction. But my biggest concern is the money. So I just have some questions that hopefully you or your staff or whoever is listening can ask. And I think councilwoman also asked some of these questions, but I just want to have them on the record whether what you do with them is your volition or not. But I think it's just good [12:05:58 PM] not. But I think it's just good that if you are prepared to pass this contract, which it seems that way, that transparency and honesty is going to be something that can at least be presented on the 24th. So I would like to know where is our actual pay now at each experience level in the police department, compared to competitive markets? And where will it be with this proposed contract? If approved, if we are paying officers at the top competitive pay and still have vacancies, I could probably argue, and I'm not the smartest guy in the bunch, that we have issues other than pay. How would this contract impact future budgets? What would what would percent of general fund be for police public safety for each of the next five years? What if next ems and fire contracts end up matching the police pay increase as we expect them to the mayor and the Apa are advocating for more police officers. The Apa says that we are short 400 officers at least if we approve the proposed contract, can the city also afford to increase the number of police officers? What is the budget impact of adding 100 new [12:06:59 PM] budget impact of adding 100 new net officers? Each of the next five years? For example, 100 year one 200 year, two for the budget questions asked in two a and two B, the two asked above. In other cities, if other city services and personnel continue to grow no faster than they have been recently, what kind of tax increase will be necessary to support the proposed contract? If ems and fire got similar increases in the next contract, and on top of that, if increases if we increase the number of sworn officers by 100 a year for the next five years, if we try to pay for the increased cost as set forth in the in the in the answer to question three, whatever that may be, without a tax increase, what kind and percent of reduction would be necessary to nonpublic public safety? General fund personnel and programs? I hope you can answer those questions before you vote for this contract. Thank you, Mr. Moore. >> Good afternoon. You give a pastor and tell him take control of the podium. That's a very [12:07:59 PM] of the podium. That's a very dangerous thing, Mr. Mayor. >> Yeah, well, you got three minutes to do it. Thank you. >> My name is Rick Randall. >> I'm the executive director of Christ together greater Austin, which is a coalition of 150 churches in the greater Austin area represented in every council district. >> More than 12,000 members of every demographic and walk of life. And I'd just like to begin by expressing our deep appreciation for all the work that has gone into developing this contract between the city and the Austin police department. I know the negotiations were arduous, and the commitments from both the city and the Apa are to be applauded. Simply stated, our concern is for the maintenance of public safety in this city. Our city government has this as one of its most important functions. Regardless of where anyone may stand on this contract, there should be no dispute that this beautiful city must have a commitment to preserve safety and security for all of her citizens. It's in [12:09:00 PM] all of her citizens. It's in this spirit that I urge the council to approve the contract without delay for the following reasons one. It provides for the stability necessary to make the recruitment of our officers officers for our city a more accomplishable task. The lack of a contract is assuredly caused well-qualified prospective applicants to look to other cities for opportunity. Two it provides a backstop to the flood of officers leaving the Austin police department due to a sense of insecurity and uncertainty about the future of policing. In this city. These two issues combined are why we face a devastating shortage of officers at APD. Three it gives the citizens of our city a greater sense of confidence in the police oversight process, addressing concerns that all of us have for the quality of law enforcement in Austin. No contract ever gives both parties everything they want, and this one is no exception to that statement. But the citizens of [12:10:01 PM] statement. But the citizens of Austin and the people our organization represents will be better protected by the council's approval of this measure. They deserve nothing less. Finally, I wish to express our appreciation for mayor Watson and the interim agreement that you negotiated along with this council. Without that courageous leadership, the city would have certainly lost many more officers and been much less safe in the end. May god bless this council. The people of this city, and the men and women of the Austin police department. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon. I'm Tom downing from district five, co-chair of the racial justice ministry of university united methodist church and member of advocates for social justice reform. First, I would like to thank the council for inviting us to comment at this work session on the pros proposed [12:11:02 PM] session on the pros proposed police contract. I've attended several rounds of police contract negotiations. Most were relatively transparent. Both the city and the police union proposed changes on slides. Anyone could see. Draft versions were posted on the city website. Observers were able to raise concerns with negotiators. Little of this happened in the last round. This draft contract has only been available to the public for two weeks, so it comes in no surprise that we have questions whether this contract totally implements the police oversight act. As council members questions have shown, the language in several important sections seems vague or contradicted by other paragraphs. Thus, we have three concerns. First, it is not clear whether oppo investigators will have any access to statements made by police officers accused of misconduct. Second, it is not clear whether ji files [12:12:02 PM] clear whether ji files complaints about officers that occurred in the past will ever be available. And finally, it is still not clear whether grievance procedures in this contract allow portions required by the police oversight act to be set aside, and the vagueness of the other portions of this contract make such grievances more likely. Citizens remember how a grievance decision under the previous contract stripped the lpo of most of its power. That is why we drafted and created and approved the police oversight act. Please don't let history repeat itself. I ask the council to make sure these concerns are dealt with in clear non grievable language. Thank you and god bless you. >> Stacy Schmidt, bill Bryce, Yvonne Weldon, Tim Caperton, Amanda baez, Jacqueline Dudley, if your name has been called, [12:13:04 PM] if your name has been called, please approach the podium and state your name for the record. >> Good morning. >> Mayor. Council. First of all, I want to say thank you, city manager Broadnax, for leading the staff, the council and this community through this process, we have made great progress together. I think we can see this morning that there's all walks of life in this community represented, and we all want to move. Austin forward. We believe that this contract allows our city, our great city. As someone mentioned, we've always been a great city, but our city to remain that way as we move really through the next chapter, we're turning the page to move forward. Is that my work with opportunity Austin? I work with businesses small and large throughout this community, and we continue to hear how important it is for their employees and their customers, for their business to be success, but more importantly, [12:14:05 PM] success, but more importantly, about the people that work and live here in this community. As a as a mom, as many other moms have been up here today, I have daughters, I have daughters in high school. I have daughters at the university campus. I want them to feel safe, just like I want to feel safe when I leave work at night. Getting this contract is another step in that process. We've made progress. We've got a new police chief, and I know she's I'm confident she's going to do great things. This police contract is the next step in that. I feel like this is going to help us fill those vacancies. We're going to improve those response times so that we all feel confident and we feel safe in our community. Time is of the essence. Time is right now. Thank you for taking this time today to give us the opportunity to speak and to take the time to ask the important questions. Getting this contract approved and moving forward. Thank you so much for all that you've done as we move this city forward. Thanks. [12:15:05 PM] forward. Thanks. >> I'm sorry. Can you please state your name for the record? >> Stacy Schmidt? >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon. Mayor, city council, city manager. I'm bill Bryce with downtown Austin alliance, speaking in support of the tentative police agreement. We thank the Apa and the city for coming together, coming to the table to reach this agreement. In your due diligence to ensure its terms are clear, Amy Donovan, Amy patron, clay Crabb, amir Abdul khaliq, Andy Traylor, Anthony martin, George Pastore these are just a few of the Austin police officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect the citizens of Austin over the past ten years. I don't put on a kevlar vest and a badge to go to work every day, but those who do and those whose families hope they will return safely at the end of the day, deserve an employment contract. As you've heard today, time and again since 2020, we've seen [12:16:08 PM] again since 2020, we've seen record numbers of officers leave APD and without the stability of a contract, the number of cadets entering the academy has slowed to a trickle. As a result, we have about 300 sworn vacancies across APD. Police response times have increased and in many cases, police are not responding to or investigating crimes and specialized units have been drained to backfill patrols. That in many cases and in many sectors, still hover. Only around 50% of full staffing levels. Officers are working so much overtime there is increased risk of making split second decisions that could have life threatening consequences to themselves and to others. For more than two decades, I've worked to make downtown Austin a place that is safe and welcoming for everyone. Sadly, conditions downtown have deteriorated to levels we have never seen before unchecked drug dealing and drug use, assaults and violent [12:17:09 PM] use, assaults and violent attacks, slashing and stabbings, crimes unheard of in Austin ever before, and the appearance of complete disorder have victimized our residents. Our employees and our visitors who wonder what happened to the Austin they know and love. Police alone don't make a community safe, but having a fully staffed, well managed and motivated police department is essential. Give our city leadership the contract they need to hold our police accountable, but most importantly, give the men and women of the Austin police department those who put their lives on the line every day to serve and protect the citizens of Austin. The assurance and the stability of an employment contract. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Hello, my name is Tim Caperton. I'm a resident of district five. I came to you today to speak in favor of the police contract, but more importantly, I came to talk to you about the police themselves. As someone who is the son of a [12:18:09 PM] As someone who is the son of a policeman who held every rank from patrolman to captain in my hometown and chief in a neighboring town, I can tell you, we've talked a lot today about the price of this contract, but we haven't talked a lot about the cost. >> As many people have said, these officers risked their lives every day to protect us. They they leave their families at home. As a child, I was acutely aware of the fact that my dad might not come home from work every day. But the flip side of that was I was filled with immense pride. The way I saw him being treated in the community. I recently learned that APD officers change out of their uniforms before they leave because of the way they're treated in the community. Now, we as a community have a lot of work to do on that front, and there's only so much that you can do from this council chamber. But what you can do is send a very clear message to them that you value them in the work that they do. Thank you. Thank you. >> Layla. Maxine. Joel Mcneil. >> Afternoon. [12:19:13 PM] >> Afternoon. >> Now, I guess I want to echo all the thank yous that we've already heard for the work that's been done to date to reach an agreement on this contract. >> My name is Jacqueline Dudley. I'm an architect working in district three. I'm a member of the real estate council of Austin. I'm also a resident of district ten. Like we've heard a lot today. I have a story to tell. Unfortunately, that seems to similar to all those we've already heard about a year ago when I was pregnant with my now four month old daughter, we had an incident in which a man tried to seek entry into my home while my four year old son was sleeping at the front of my home. We immediately called the police. The response time was absolutely unacceptable and my husband and I waited in fear, hoping that they would come soon to keep our son safe. All we could think about was his own fear of his own home, and as a mother, as we've heard from many mothers earlier today, I speak for all parents. I'm sure the safety of our children is of [12:20:14 PM] safety of our children is of paramount importance, especially in their safe spaces like their homes and their schools. With this in mind, I urge you to support the adoption of this contract and ensure the safety of our children, our businesses, and all those in our community. Thanks. >> Good afternoon. My name is Leola Maxie and I was an ambassador as well as a manager with the downtown Austin alliance for five years. I'll now serve as a block as a project manager with block by block, where I continue to work toward keeping downtown spaces safe and welcoming for everyone. Our downtown ambassadors play a key role in keeping Austin safe, clean, and welcoming a team of approximately 85 public servants currently work daily from 6 A.M. To 11 P.M, removing trash, [12:21:14 PM] To 11 P.M, removing trash, cleaning streets and assisting locals and visitors. However, without proper safety safety measures, providing these services become increasingly difficult. During my time as an Austin alliance ambassador, I saw our team regularly face verbal and physical assaults from individuals experiencing homelessness and severe mental illness, making their roles extremely difficult just in the three and a half months that I have been back in Austin, I myself have been a victim of those assaults. I've been spat on. I've been kicked. One of my team leads as well has been pushed off of a bike, and this is a safety team lead, pushed off of a bike as well as stood over and spat on. And this is due to the result of not having the support or having the officers to respond in a timely fashion. Personally, as I stated, I've experienced these [12:22:15 PM] stated, I've experienced these situations where I felt unsafe while performing my duties. This lack of safety has limited our ability to effectively serve the community. When people call for help, a timely police response is crucial. However, due to APD vacancies, delayed response times have escalated situations, putting both ambassadors and the public at greater risk. Currently, there is a lack of proactive enforcement and visible police presence downtown, leaving our ambassadors, visitors and residents vulnerable to preventable crimes that could be addressed with more officers on patrol. In my position as project manager with block by block, I have a broad perspective as we operate in over 170 cities across the country. And in saying that downtown Austin has one of the highest rates of assaults and verbal abuse against ambassadors, this highlights the urgent need for an increased [12:23:17 PM] urgent need for an increased police presence to protect not only ambassadors, but also everyone living, working or visiting downtown. Ensuring safety is the first step in making downtown a space where people feel comfortable shopping, dining and doing business. Increasing police presence downtown is not just about responding to crime, it's about preventing it. After all, this is my downtown. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon. >> I'm Amanda baez, and I'm the activations coordinator for the downtown Austin alliance. And on the team that manages and operates the public square. My duties include coordinating the large scale events that come and also the free programing that we provide for the community. Also, I am a capmetro bus rider. I ride the bus every single day from republic square during its peak hours, and over the two and a half years that I've been doing this, there's been times [12:24:19 PM] doing this, there's been times where I have opted out to take the bus at certain times because of solicitation that was happening, harassment, indecent exposure and public intoxication during peak hours from my job specifically, I do a lot of community programing and there have been instances where our community partners have pulled out of doing activities at the park because of the safety. Now, however, in the summer of the downtown Austin alliance safety team started to have their presence at republic square and on the metro bus stop. And that has had positive results. I do feel safe enough to take the bus at in the afternoon, and our community partners have responded really well to them. But as much as the safety ambassadors have caused a great increase in the safety of republic square, this is a temporary solution. As we look forward toward the completion of initiatives like project connect, it will make it easier for people to get downtown. And when we have people downtown, our first priority should be the safety. People downtown need to [12:25:19 PM] safety. People downtown need to feel as safe as possible, so it remains a gathering place for everyone, both residents and visitors. Republic square is not only just a neighborhood park, but it is also a. It has economic growth. The events and programing that comes to republic square bring visitors from outside of downtown and generate revenue that goes directly back into the programing and operations of the park. Downtown Austin is unique compared to other parts of the city, with constant activity and a diverse range of uses. We need officers that understand these unique challenges and conflicts and can focus on community based policing to build trust and foster transparency to ensure downtown is a safe, vibrant area where people feel connected and secure, we must prioritize comprehensive safety measures, including a stronger police presence. With these efforts, we can continue expanding places like republic square's programing, therefore bringing more people to Austin to visit and to stay as we grow our residential area in downtown and make it a welcoming place for [12:26:20 PM] make it a welcoming place for all. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Yvonne Weldon, Joel Mcnew, Paulette Soltani, Martha Yvonne, vikas Sharma, Jonathan crangon, crangon. Please state your name at the podium. >> Hi, my name is Martha Govan. I'm here with the real real estate council of Austin, and I'm also a citizen of district one. So as I mentioned, I moved to district 1 in 2022. In east Austin. And while I've always felt very safe in my neighborhood, and I love my neighborhood over the years I've heard many horror stories of from the new social media. Whatever the most notable being from one of my very close friends who also lived alone. She one night was in her house [12:27:23 PM] She one night was in her house and she saw someone spying through her through her window. And after calling 911 multiple times, she finally got them on the phone. And unfortunately, adp never showed up. She realized the day after that this man had been spying on her for days, seeing where he was set up and everything, and instead of being able to trust adp, she ended up canceling her lease and moving out of her home. Like I mentioned, I do feel very safe in my neighborhood, but it's after hearing these stories I've realized that if I do need help and I'm in my house alone, then it most likely is not coming from adp or it's not coming in a timely manner. I do want to express my gratitude to the current adp police officers and all the work that they currently do, and I believe that this contract can only help not only the citizens of Austin, but also the officers and keep them safe. So thank you for your time today. >> Good afternoon council mayor [12:28:36 PM] >> Good afternoon council mayor and our new city manager. I am very excited that acm Garcia will be joining you. >> Love that. >> I am Joel Mcnew and I'm the president of safe Hawkins we are a nonprofit that advocates for safety on and around the university of Texas at Austin and district nine, and I am here today to discuss the importance of supporting the Austin police department contract to improve police call times, prioritize public safety, enhance crime prevention, and address staffing vacancies within our force. >> Our community continues to be negatively impacted by continuous crime. The safety and well-being of UT Austin students and all Austin residents and visitors must remain our utmost priority. By supporting this contract, we are making a commitment to improve response times and ensure that our officers are equipped and prepared to keep our community safe. Please consider the implications of prolonged police [12:29:37 PM] implications of prolonged police call times each minute that citizens wait for assistance can equate to a heightened sense of danger and vulnerability. It can mean the difference between a crime being successfully prevented or a tragic situation escalating. Imagine living in a neighborhood where walking your dog leads to you having your hair pulled out as you are taken to the ground to be assaulted, further being spit on, chased and having a knife pulled on you with the threat of being killed. >> That is our reality in the campus community. >> We have seen the ebb and flow of crime when police are present. Present, we have repeat habitual offenders committing crimes in the UT campus community and residents do not feel safe due to insufficient law enforcement presence. This contract is designed to address the critical issue of staffing shortages and the Austin police department has faced significant [12:30:38 PM] department has faced significant vacancy rates that hinder its effectiveness. By filling these vacancies, we will not only have a more substantial police presence, but also foster relationships built on trust and community engagement. A fully staffed department can better focus on crime prevention, which in turn will lead to safer neighborhoods for all of us, investing in our police department is about more than just enforcing the law. It's about creating an environment where residents can thrive without fear. It's about fostering a sense of community where collaboration, communication with law enforcement are paramount. This contract represents a step toward a more responsive and accountable police force that genuinely serves and protects the needs of our citizens. I urge you to support the Austin police department contract. By doing so, you are advocating for public safety, ensuring timely responses, prioritizing crime prevention through adequate [12:31:38 PM] prevention through adequate staffing, and letting us work together to build a safer Austin for everyone. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon my name is vikas Sharma. >> I'm a 7-eleven store small business owner here in Austin, Texas. I want to start today by thanking our mayor, Watson, city manager and city staff for all their hard work over the last two months on the police contract. This is a golden opportunity for our city to show strong support to our police department and boost the much needed morale of our officers, allowing them to perform their duties efficiently. As a small business owner, I have personally experienced the impact of understaffed and overwhelmed police department. My business was repeatedly targeted by criminals and due to slow response times, I lost thousands of dollars worth of investment. The individuals responsible for this would walk out of my store with whatever [12:32:41 PM] out of my store with whatever they wanted, compromising the safety of my customers and my employees. As a result, I struggled to retain quality employees, audit shortages, huge financial loss, and ultimately I was forced to close that business, leaving a dead spot in the community. No small business should have to go through this. I do not see this as a failure of police department, but as a failure of past city council policies that left our police force unable to properly serve community. Community. Today, I want to applaud and acknowledge the current city council for their efforts to adhere this long standing issue and support our police officers. I can provide countless recorded incidents to prove how understaffed and overwhelmed police department impact the livelihood of small business owners like myself. The employees we hire, and the investments we make in Austin. On behalf of small businesses [12:33:42 PM] On behalf of small businesses and my fellow 7-eleven franchisees, I strongly support this contract and request city council to approve this. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> Hi, I'm Jonathan cringan, doctor Jonathan cringan. I'm a resident of d10 and I'm formerly a chief data officer, and I want to start by saying I absolutely believe in the need for a contract. Right. I believe we need to support the officers who work diligently to try to achieve public safety in Austin and many of the arguments that are made here today about the impact of staffing originated with work that I did within the department years ago. But I'm here today to address one specific issue in the contract that I believe is really remarkably important. And I'd like to start by thanking mayor Watson and council member Vella for their specific attention to that area. Many of y'all are aware that I was arrested last year and subsequently terminated. [12:34:43 PM] year and subsequently terminated. Fewer are aware that I had reported that an APD commander had sexually assaulted a female employee within the department. It was investigated in a disciplinary meeting was scheduled for the commander, indicating culpability of wrongdoing, but the commander resigned the day before resignation in lieu of discipline. Absent discipline, everything was secreted away into the G file. The idea that the G file protects innocent officers is a straw man argument. It hides wrongdoing. Protecting the department itself from external scrutiny. The department justified my termination based on my arrest, so I subpoenaed the ia file and my appeal hearing. The department responded that it was G file material and could not be produced more disturbingly, they misled the commission, stating that it was unrelated. Unrelated is definedas not connected in any way. The sexual assault victims sworn statement to the commission explains the deceit. She says APD maintains that the information is irrelevant. I disagree. Jonathan had been [12:35:44 PM] disagree. Jonathan had been aware for almost a year prior. Jonathan understood the behaviors were heinous in nature and ongoing, but feared reporting due to concerns about retaliation against me and himself. I was concerned that a complaint against a sworn member would end Jonathan's career. I believe that if a complaint were made, I wouldn't be believed and would be professionally shamed, both of which came to fruition. The commander's behaviors were part of the exchange that night, and Jonathan disclosed to officers on scene that the commander had sexually assaulted me. Jonathan asserted that his discharge was retaliation for reporting, and any claims that the investigation are unrelated are necessarily absurd. Back to my words. After misleading the commission and denying access, APD openly asserted information from the G file in the hearing, negatively portraying the victim and misrepresenting the investigation's likely findings. Given the commander's resignation, they engaged in the age old tactic of shaming a sexual assault victim, demonstrating a willingness to manipulate anyone's understanding of something this [12:36:46 PM] understanding of something this serious by simply asserting they have evidence. Of course, it's in the G file, and no one else can see it. This unethical behavior demonstrates the true nature of the G file and its actual purpose. I encourage everyone to see the G file for exactly what it is. Recognize that any contract where there's any ambiguity is a step away from transparency and accountability. >> Thank you. Cathy Mitchell. Jaideep Sandhu, Travis Rocha, Nubia Regalado, and Jan Mayes. >> I'm Cathy Mitchell, thank you for the time today, and I wasn't really planning on speaking to this, but I think I will. >> The G file there has been a lot of discussion about how it's all okay, and our position on the G file is that it is deeply [12:37:48 PM] the G file is that it is deeply unclear and that in combination with the grievance procedure language, we also find deeply unclear that this is likely to end up in arbitration. And the question on the table to the last speaker's point is whether every record in the, you know, at a future time when an arbitrator reads for be for themselves, whether every record that is current, that currently exists of police officer conduct will later be determined to be Roig filed by arbitration and of course, this is because the contract supersedes state and local law. And once it goes to an arbitrator, the decision is final. Or at least it was the last time we went around this track. If we had not shaken in good faith on a contract that we all believed to be intended to do the right thing in 2018, and then had it taken down by an [12:38:48 PM] then had it taken down by an arbitration decision based solely on the four corners of the contract, we would not be as skeptical. But we are skeptical and the G file is too important and we have come too far to have language that isn't clear to me. I'm fine with a notice requirement. I am not fine with a notice requirement that expresses itself as a notice in the exception to the G file, we're giving officers a notice because this contract is creating an exception to the rule. The rule could only be the G file. It is what is referenced in four B. So I'm not saying that I'm right. As you all know, I'm not a lawyer. What I am saying is that it is. It is ambiguous and this is too important for ambiguity to rule. And the outcome is we've we've done it before. Fool me once. Shame on me, fool me twice. [12:39:49 PM] Shame on me, fool me twice. Shame on all the people who set up something that is intentionally going to go that direction. Maybe not your intention, but someone else's. On that note, I would also simply add that you have many, many questions to ask and I hope that you get to all of the assumptions that underlie the financial forecast that you received today. That is so remarkably different from the financial forecast that you received four months ago. The economy hasn't changed. Taxpayers haven't changed. Property values haven't changed. What has changed is the amount of revenue the city suddenly believes it's going to be able to raise without a tax rate election. >> Thank you, miss Mitchell. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon, mayor Watson and city council. Thank you for your time and hard work. My name is jagdeep Sandhu. I'm the [12:40:51 PM] is jagdeep Sandhu. I'm the president of Samuel lemon, franchisee owner association in Austin. So I'm representing almost 100 stores in Austin area. Everybody, whatever their experience, we are also experience the same. We call APD. Nobody shows up the incidents which I'm having at my store like last week, homeless guy came. My employee only said, give me the like, you have to pay for the coffee and homeless guy. He just throw coffee on his face. He's a loyal employee, loving father. I mean, we call APD, nobody shows up and those that guy is still sitting in my parking lot right now. They come this they know that nobody is going to show up and it's not that APD is not responding. They have they don't have resources. And I believe they are stretched too thin that you need to add more resources. Austin, you guys are city council of a prominent city, which is one of the fastest growing in the united [12:41:52 PM] fastest growing in the united States. And it will be the strongest economy in coming years in the United States. We have to build a city where we can provide safety, and it will be a proud to build a strong city, to provide safety to their citizens. There will be no proud if we don't provide safety to the citizens and build a strong city. Thank you for your time and consideration. >> Thank you for being here. If your name has been called, please move to the podium. >> Good morning mayor and respected city councilors. >> My name is Travis roca and I'm here today on behalf of the Austin apartment association and constituents that rely on public safety. Today, I plead with you all to support the contract between the city of Austin and local police association. >> I would like to take a moment to thank the leadership from mayor Kirk Watson, the Austin police association, and all respected individuals who have taken the time to compose the [12:42:53 PM] taken the time to compose the long term police agreement. Unfortunately, as a property manager, I've had to deal with a litany of crimes that make it difficult to support my residents and community, even with contracting out patrol and security services. These additional burdens directly impact my community and linked to affordability. As costs are driven towards crime deterrence and building maintenance due to crime related damages, homicide, rape, assault, car thefts are among the many crimes I'm now personally familiarized with and left to manage. To be candid, public safety is an essential right that we pay for with our property taxes. And considering that my property alone attributes to over $2.3 million towards this, I hope to see favorable changes. Like any other stakeholder today, there are about 300 vacancies with APD, which greatly impacts the bandwidth and operations for officers to perform their job effectively. So let me ask you, have you personally taken the [12:43:56 PM] have you personally taken the time to speak to our police officers on how they can be supported when speaking to APD officers? Myself, I'm told that with the existing staff is incredibly difficult to respond to. All requests, even based on priority. As of July 3rd this year, the city of Austin reported over 30 homicides and has trended above both state and national averages, according to the national institute of criminal justice reform. My hope today is that those opposed to the police contract are to reconsider. I urge you to examine all the facts and statements that are being shared with you today, and be a champion for the Austin police department. Thank you all for your time and I highly encourage you all to pass this contract. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon, mayor Watson. Council members and everyone still connected here today. I appreciate the time to speak to all of you. I am a long time [12:44:57 PM] all of you. I am a long time residents of Austin first moved here in 1968 through education and occupation. >> I've lived in several major cities across the U.S. Yet I always come back to this wonderful city that I call home. I have seen Austin go through changes most most of them for the better, and a couple of road bumps along the way. Safety is one that I actually feel very strongly about in my business. I am an area leader and business consultant for 7-eleven brands. I represent and support several of the franchisees that are here today. I am a corporate employee, but my humble opinions here today are my own. I strongly, strongly support the need for this contract with our Austin police department. I have [12:45:58 PM] Austin police department. I have in my time, both in the city and as an employee, been assaulted by gun, knife, wine bottle and a few other things I have been seen numerous indecent exposures and of course the drug, the sex and everything else that is associated. Unfortunately sometimes with our business. But what's not always first and most important associated with our business is that most of the people in this room have been customers. At some point in our establishments, we try to provide a very necessary service to the company and the city, and through covid, we kept our doors open. But during that time we saw police presence dwindle and dwindle greatly. The response times went up and it's been most [12:46:59 PM] times went up and it's been most unfortunate. There are stores in the city that we have had. People say they are are truly afraid to visit. Now. I have had the opportunity to use the services of the APD and I strongly support them. They have always been compassionate, professional and done everything with the resources they have to do the best for all of our locations. I strongly recommend that each of you review and consider and approve this new contract with the Austin police department. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon. My name is Nubia Regalado, and first of all, I just wanted to say thank you for allowing us to speak [12:48:00 PM] you for allowing us to speak today. I'm here to speak from a professional point of view who works out of Austin and all surrounding areas, as well as a single mother who lives and resides in district two. >> Let's start with my home. A quiet neighborhood during the day, but unfortunately at night we've had to resort to playing white noise. So loud in order to avoid year round fireworks. >> And unfortunately, gunshots in between. My son is not allowed to play in his backyard because there's a homeless encampment about 20 yards from my fence. There's domestic violence and drug abuse that takes place daily along the fence line. And who else knows what's going on back there? March of last year, there was a car that exploded and debris and embers actually ended up coming up onto my roof and my neighbors were gracious enough to put out the fire for me, but not once did a police officer come after we called. It was all of our neighbors. Not one came to take a report. Not one firefighter came on the residential area to check to see if we were okay, if we needed any support. And unfortunately, none of my calls [12:49:01 PM] unfortunately, none of my calls have been answered. I'm usually on hold with 911 for about four minutes. Is usually the normal hold time. Sometimes I hang up and it used to be that you couldn't hang up. They would call you right back and that's not happening. I even wrote a letter to my district representative as well that never got answered. And when that incident happened, I actually wrote to three major news stations and none of them gave me a call back either. From my day to day, I actually work as a vendor for multifamily, and my day to day regards is has me in units, walking units and actually yesterday I was walking units right off of Riverside and I was greeted by a female squatter. Now, fortunately there was no altercation. She was able to leave without any confrontation whatsoever, but that's not normally the case. It used to be that when we felt like we were in immediate danger, we would be able to expect police officers to show up within minutes and unfortunately, that's just not [12:50:02 PM] unfortunately, that's just not the case. You know, my only outcome today is that we just bring us back a sense of peace to the Austin city. It's such a beautiful city, and I just feel that it's not the place that I comfortably call home anymore. And that's only changed within the past few years. So I'm definitely in support of this new contract, and I hope that you guys are taking all of our testimonies into account today. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Excuse me. >> Hi. Hi. I'm for my team to come down to the chamber. And if we can connect with you to learn more sounds great. Specific situation. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Council member, mayor, all speakers for item b1 have been called. Thank you. Let's go to the next items. >> Item number 34, we've got Marcia hope Loomis. >> Item number 34, Marcia hope Lucas. Marcia hope Lucas. Marcia hope. Luna's. >> Let's go to the next item [12:51:05 PM] >> Let's go to the next item that concludes all the speakers that are registered. >> Thank you very much, madam clerk. Members, that concludes all of the speakers. That would I'll just make sure if anybody's got anything else otherwise we'll we'll adjourn the work session in that case. Without objection. First of all, thanks to everybody that came and spoke. And I'll say that publicly. We appreciate everybody that even if you're not in the chambers anymore, we appreciate you being here and being a part of this. Good, good discussion. Good briefing. Thank you. Mr. Manager. You want to say anything before we end? In that case? Without objection, the Austin city council work session is adjourned. It's October 8th, 2024 at 12:51 P.M. Thanks, everybody. Have a good afternoon.