City Council Budget Work Session Transcript – 8/7/2025 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 1 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 8/7/2025 6:00:00AM Original Air Date: 8/7/2025 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. [9:00:05 AM] >> Good morning, everybody. It's 9:00 on August 7th, 2025, and I will call to order the Austin city council budget work session [9:01:06 AM] city council budget work session for this date. We have a quorum of the city council present, and one council member is joining us virtually. We are meeting in the Austin city hall in the city council chambers, which is located at 301 west second street. So welcome everybody. What we're going to do today is the way we'll start. This is we will start with our speakers that have signed up to provide us with public comment. Following those speakers, the council will go into a closed executive session pursuant to the Texas government code. When we come back out from that executive session members, what I anticipate we will do is we will walk through proposed amendments. And I that's what this meeting has always been on the calendar for, is for us to have the opportunity for us to lay out for our colleagues what proposed amendments and what proposed ifcs we might have in the past. This has gone fairly routinely, but it's just an [9:02:07 AM] routinely, but it's just an opportunity to get it out and get it more transparent. The order that I would suggest we go in is that if there are any amendments to the base budget, we start with that. It is my understanding that there aren't any proposed amendments specifically to the base budget, that any of the proposed amendments are amendments that would go beyond the voter approval rate and therefore be part of a proposed tax rate election. But I want to say that out loud before we you have something you want to. >> I have some amendments that are revenue neutral. >> Then that's that's exactly where I was headed. Good. Not exactly where I was headed. But that's helpful because what we might do is take those up first. Just the stand alone amendments that are because that's that is functionally equivalent to the base budget, I think. So that that gets to my point. So thank you for that. Council member. So what we'll do is we'll do that first. Then we will go. And what [9:03:07 AM] first. Then we will go. And what I thought we would do is go lowest to highest, at least in terms of pennies for the for proposed amendments to the budget. Related. That would take us above the voter approval rate and therefore are related to potential for a tax rate election. And then finally, I would we'll take up what I will just refer to as other amendments. Those other amendments would be amendments that would not be that are not in part of any person or sub quorums. Proposed tax rate, election amendment. They're standalone, and we'll take those up at that point. We will also take up after that any proposed items from council. And again, the way we've done this in the past, it's worked out well, is you just lay out your amendment. If somebody's got questions about it, they can ask it. But it's we're not debating this today. We're just laying out the [9:04:08 AM] today. We're just laying out the amendments to get them out there before we go to our speakers. One other thing that I want to mention related to this, this budget work session is that last Thursday, I guess, well, no, I've lost track of my days. So I guess it was Tuesday wasn't all the way back last Thursday. It was last Tuesday. The audit and finance committee, pursuant to the policy that has been adopted by the Austin city council, the audit and finance committee met in a special called meeting of the audit and finance committee. And in that at that meeting, the audit and finance committee passed a resolution recommending making a recommendation to the council and so that we can get that on the record at a council meeting. I want to read the motion that was made, seconded and adopted by the audit and finance committee unanimously and sent to the city council. The motion was that the Austin city council audit and finance committee, having considered the policy of the city council and found that the items set forth in the council's decision TRE [9:05:09 AM] in the council's decision TRE have been met and certifies to the council that these items have been met. Recommends to the full Austin city council that a tax rate election be conducted, subject to the decision of the council regarding the actual conduct of the TRE and any amount. So I want to get that on the record as well. So with that, unless there's questions or objection members, we will go to our public comment and I'll look over at the city clerk's office and ask them to help us with that. Thanks, everybody. >> Thank you. Mayor. We'll start with remote speakers. First we have Denise Baldwin. >> Good morning, mayor and council members, can you hear me? >> Yes we can. >> Okay. Perfect. My name is Denise Baldwin, and I'm speaking on behalf of the success by six coalition. First, thank you for your continued commitment to Austin's children and families. Your investments in programs [9:06:09 AM] Your investments in programs like family connect, which provides home visits by skilled nurses for families with new babies. Homegrown, which is supporting a new family based child care network, and the social service contracts that support early childhood services, are making a huge difference in the lives of our youngest residents. Today, I'm asking you to support the amendment to include funding for pre-k start up costs for two additional classrooms. These funds are critical to help cover essential one time expenses. Early childhood classrooms are basically like a nice cte lab for Littles. Classroom furniture, materials, and curriculum all of that so that more three and four year Olds can access high quality, full day pre-k in their neighborhoods. We also ask that you prioritize the family stabilization grant and continue to fund family connects. This investment helps working families support school readiness and lays the foundation for long term academic and economic success. I myself have lived in Austin since I was five years old, and investments like this will continue to make Austin a great place to raise kids. Thank you for your time and for prioritizing the success of [9:07:09 AM] prioritizing the success of Austin's children and families. >> Next remote speaker is Ivana Neary. >> Hey, good morning council members. My name is Ivana. I am senior director of partnerships at up together and a resident of district four. I'm here to ask you to continue funding the family stabilization grant at $1.3 million, an initiative that you funded for two consecutive years, and that is working. Last week, you heard from more than 20 people who showed up to share their stories and the real impact that this initiative has had just in the last 12 months, from preventing families from falling into homelessness, to completing degrees to improving educational outcomes for their children, the family stabilization provides stability. It helps families stay housed, reduce debt, care for loved ones, and plan for the future. It keeps people out of crisis and gives them a chance to move forward. And let's be [9:08:11 AM] to move forward. And let's be clear the cost of inaction is way more expensive than the cost of prevention. When families fall into crisis, the city actually pays more in emergency housing, healthcare and public systems. Family stabilization grant helps prevent that. It's not charity. It's a small, smart, smart policy. We need your leadership today, especially from district six, seven, eight, nine and ten. Your support will make the difference. Early this year. We work to defeat at the at the capitol senate bill 2010 protecting your right to fund initiatives like this. The decision today is yours. If keeping 100 families stable doesn't qualify as a strategic investment, then I don't know what does. Thank you. >> Next speaker is Nancy Harris. >> Good morning, mayor and council members. My name is Nancy Harris and I'm here on behalf of keeping recycled reads in the budget. Library [9:09:12 AM] in the budget. Library management has said they are working to make sure that what is made recycled reads unique, is replicable throughout the system. They are missing the point of what makes it unique and valuable. Most of us have heard the expression the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is the idea that when individual elements are combined, the resulting whole process is quality, possesses qualities or capabilities that the individual elements do not have on their own. This is the concept of convergence, and recycled reads definitely is an example of this. Its current form, where patrons can find thousands of items in one location where they are categorized and alphabetized, is in no way, in no way compares to those same items spread out over 21 branch libraries, recycled reads is a destination for citizens who go there to buy books and other material. People go to libraries to check out books or use the computers in perusing the sale books is usually just a diversion. Library staff is justifying the [9:10:12 AM] Library staff is justifying the closure, saying the new recycled reads will be more efficient and economical. But what is efficient about asking people to go to 21 locations? Management says it would reduce some of the costs associated with storing and transporting material to this location. However, the library system already has a place to store materials and it's called recycled reads, and it already has an interlibrary transportation system in place to convey materials from one library location to another. We will be losing a well-used, well-loved service to the citizens of Austin, whose integrity will be destroyed by splitting it into fractional parts. Some of the types of material that recycled reads handled is not mainstream, yet patrons are recycled. Reads are thrilled to find out, to find the ordinary and the unexpected. The branches do not have the time or space to accommodate many of these materials. This is not an expansion at all, but a fragment. >> Thank you Nancy, your time has expired. Thank you Nancy. Our next speaker will be chip [9:11:17 AM] Our next speaker will be chip Harris. Chip Harris. Will try to get Mr. Harris back. Next speaker is Beverly Luna. >> Hi. My name is Beverly Luna. I'm with Austin. Lost and found pets. We're in 80 87,000 member group that tries to reunite lost and found pets in Austin and Travis county. We also try to do things that are actually the job of animal services in Austin, including finding temporary fosters to take in stray dogs until they can get into the Austin animal center, which is a wait generally until October. I'm extremely concerned about the proposed cut that animal services is proposing to cut [9:12:17 AM] services is proposing to cut over $400,000 from its budget for emergency vet services, paid to an emergency vet for sick and injured animals found outside of shelter hours. They are proposing to shift more of their job to the to the public, including this burden of taking care of the sick and injured animals. This is a core public service and also it's not really a budget cut. They're proposing to add two highly paid administrators and other positions that our group cannot bear this burden anymore. We do fundraisers at times to try to get help for sick and injured animals, but the cost of vet care has become so enormous. You're just going to have dogs and cats out there that are suffering and dying in the streets because they can't get that care, because the Austin animal center wants to cut it from the budget. But the reason those animals are out there is generally because the Austin animal center five years ago stopped following the law and stopped picking up stray and [9:13:19 AM] stopped picking up stray and injured animals. That's why they're out there. They're getting hit. They are starving to death. I was on the task force to come up with with a strategic plan for the Austin animal services, and nowhere did anyone mentioned that they needed more administrators. It was discussed that they needed more vet services to get us out of this nightmare problem. I strongly urge you to vote against this problem. I would be happy. >> To meet. >> With any of you. I have a lot more detail of. >> Next speaker is chip Harris. Mr. Harris. Next speaker is Julie Oliver. >> Good morning, city council mayor Watson, I'm here today to voice deep concern over the proposed budget cuts to the Austin animal center, cuts that will further erode our city's [9:14:19 AM] will further erode our city's commitment to being a no kill community. Since interim chief Rolando Fernandez's appointment in April, aac has consistently failed to meet the city of Austin's mandate of a 95% live outcome rate. We're now falling short of a standard that made Austin a national leader in humane sheltering. Now nearly $600,000 in emergent and specialty surgical care is on the chopping block. Services that directly determine whether animals live or die. Cutting fees will drive the live outcome rate even lower, putting our no kill status at serious risk. Meanwhile, next year's budget expands administrative positions, growing bureaucracy while putting and gutting lifesaving veterinary care. This is not just bad management, it's a moral failure. And there is no reason the interim chief and deputy chief cannot perform the functions of the new admin positions. We've already seen the cost of cutting specialty surgeries, which has already been implemented. By the way, one dog, dbs, received specialty surgery a couple months ago but recently denied basic care for another minor injury and he was nearly euthanized, only saved by a last minute poll of Apa [9:15:19 AM] a last minute poll of Apa licorice. Another dog who ingested a toy squeaker, vomited for eight days, got six pink slips, which are the health alerts to veterinary services. Nobody gave him care at aac. He too was only saved by emergency Apa intervention. So thank you, arpa. This is not what no-kill looks like. The shelter is routinely closed to public animal intake, leaving citizens with no safe place to bring down strays. It's dangerously overcapacity for large dogs, many of whom are now confined to crates, not kennels, 24 hours a day. A clear violation of humane standards. We're not just failing animals. We're failing our values, our citizens, and our promise as a no kill city. And I urge you to reject these cuts, fully fund surgical and veterinary services, and demand that leadership uphold Austin's commitment to animal welfare. Thank you. >> Next speaker is Doris Adams. >> Good morning, city council and mayor. My name is Doris Adams and I reside in district five. I speak first to support [9:16:21 AM] five. I speak first to support funding for the family stabilization program of the equity division. Last week, you heard the powerful experiences of several of the recipients of grants from this program, the research from this and many other similar programs has shown that significant positive outcomes occur from such flexible assistance. Austin's participants, who are mainly black, latinx, Asian and mixed race families, experience increased coping with housing and other insecurities that come with being low income residents in Austin. We need to keep funding this program, at least at the $1.3 million level that it was funded last year. This program is a prevention strategy. For example, if we invested in such a program to greater levels, it would seem likely that this would significantly impact the number of unhoused persons that occur due to housing instability and the negative health outcomes that occur with increased stress and food insecurity. Before I close, I also want to stress my concern about how this budget is being positioned. The TRE budget of 5.7 $0.05 seems to include [9:17:23 AM] of 5.7 $0.05 seems to include much of what is in the community investment budget, those things that would significantly impact our local services to our most vulnerable people. They would only be supported by an increase in taxes. The items should be a part of the proposed budget, not an afterthought or nice to have, as we approve of a tax increase in something that does not occur if we do not. I, as a taxpayer and voter in Austin, feel it's disingenuous to frame the budget in this way and lacks the integrity that the voters need from this body when making a decision to increase taxes. Thank you. >> Next speaker is Jennifer Robishaw. >> Good morning. This is Jen Robichaud from district two. I regret that my family obligations prevent me from attending today's meeting in person. I am speaking again to remind you of the multitudes of Austin taxpayers who are deeply disappointed in your poor leadership and negligent [9:18:24 AM] leadership and negligent stewardship of our city. In may, the city council passed a resolution that instructed the city manager to present a budget balanced at a property tax rate based on the projected voter approval rate. This resolution makes it clear that city council never intended to produce a budget that stayed under the 3.5% cap. This resolution conveniently leverages any reduction in federal or state funding to require city council to consider a TRE. Furthermore, the resolution compels city council to cut anything not included in the baseline budget if the TRE doesn't pass through your discussions with the budget office, the implied agreement was that the tax rate election would be recommended even before you saw the budget, and the taxpayers would go along with any proposed increases. Our resolution proposed this week doesn't deliver any better. Council members proposed that without a tax rate election, the city will make cuts to housing, health care, fire protection, youth programs, library services [9:19:26 AM] youth programs, library services and animal care in order to balance the budget. You tell us in the same resolution that we can only expect to receive these services if we agree to pay you more taxes. You coordinated this budget with the city manager and you are the only ones who can approve it. We are at the mercy of your decisions, and yet you hide behind these resolutions to force residents into unfair choices. Pay what you demand or go without essential services. This is manipulative and coercive, and it reflects utter contempt for Austin residents. Thank you for your time. >> Next speaker is chip Harris. >> Mayor and council members, thank you for your patience and the opportunity to speak. My name is chip Harris, and I'm speaking for the crestview neighborhood association executive council. As I read this resolution that they passed into the record, whereas the current city owned, award winning used bookstore, recycled [9:20:26 AM] winning used bookstore, recycled wreaths located at 5335 burnet road, fulfills the city of Austin's budget goals of affordability, equity and efficiency. Whereas recycled reads that was voted in in 2022 as the number one little bookstore in Texas by yelp users, is a one stop destination for citizens to buy affordable books, movies, music, games, puzzles, and other media. Whereas recycled reads keeps material from the landfill, thus avoiding waste by extending the usable life of material and other media. Whereas recycled reads serves to provide much needed public meeting space for the community, whereas the branch libraries do not have the personnel, the time or the space to replicate the recycled reads experience and relocating the inventory to 21 branches would significantly decrease the quality of the services. Whereas recycled reads current facility is located in a central location along a heavily used main bus route, and whereas giving more [9:21:27 AM] route, and whereas giving more of the library's retired books and private donations to a national bookselling chain as proposed limits, the benefit derived from this process for austinites now, therefore, be it resolved, that the executive council of the Christian neighborhood association requests that the city of Austin include funding in the 20 2526 budget to extend the current lease and fully fund recycled, reads the current location. Please don't close the book on recycled reads. Thank you. >> Next, we'll move to in person. We have a group of about 14 people who requested to go in a specific order, so we'll call their names right now. J.J. Ramirez, Barry Jones, Kirk Kane, Laura Martinez, Victoria cloud. If your name's been called, please make your way to the front. >> If we're going to in person [9:22:29 AM] >> If we're going to in person speakers when she calls your name, even in groups. If you're here, please come forward so we'll know you're here and we can move efficiently and allow you to speak to us. Why don't you please begin, I got you, let. >> Me go first. >> Hello. Good morning, city council. My name is J.J. Ramirez. I'm an organizer at vocal Texas. And I'm here again. We're here again to emphasize the prioritization of homelessness and implementation and the rest of the harm reduction services that our city greatly needs. And we ask that you take very seriously the 7% tax rate, election number in order to actually fund these things, because in the light of the president's recent executive order that has cast a very large and scary shadow, essentially claiming that housing and harm reduction should be cut and that criminalization and forced mental hospitalization be prioritized. We need these things now more than ever, and we need to prioritize these [9:23:29 AM] we need to prioritize these things. That means up front first, before everything else, we got to get ahead of this. I know that that that executive order isn't actually forcing these things, but is laying precedent. Precedent, our fancy word that everybody says nowadays on what can come. And we have to get ahead of these things like we like we know that housing actually that this city, like I said last week, excuse me, that we are drastically behind the 30% mfi that has been promised. We need to get these things actually funded. And I'll also add that we cannot just depend on the tax rate election to actually fund these things. If we're going to prioritize these things, they need to be in the current budget. That is that we know for sure we have. We appreciate the implementation of line item that's going to actually enforce these things. We appreciate the amendment that's going to actually fund harm reduction services and drop ins. Because this just remember, these things do work. We remember the wave of overdose that could have been drastically and horrendously harmful. That was massively mitigated by people like the Texas harm [9:24:29 AM] people like the Texas harm reduction, who alone have reversed 41 overdoses across the city just in the last two months. So these things are actually saving lives, prioritizing incarceration that you'll hear stories of is not what's going to help us. We need to like really, really, really right now in this in this time fund these things. >> Thank you, thank you. >> My name is Laura Ann Martinez and I'm a member of district six. District two. Sorry. And the leader of vocal Texas. I spoke last week about my rapid rehousing experience. I was it was an example of why the seven cent tax rate needs to increase, to cover the cost of backing more housing services and care reallocation of the $6 million for magistrates and council at first appearance from the APD budget to the magistrates court, there is no guarantee that the money will be used for magistrates and if it falls within the APD budget, there are also over 200 people losing [9:25:31 AM] also over 200 people losing their emergency housing vouchers, with no definite plan to rehouse them. This is unacceptable. Every year we see more money going to the APD. While thousands of people experience homelessness, are impacted by overdose and need to support, they are not getting more. Funding for APD will only lead to more sweeps and more harm due to unhoused austinites. Every year we see APD get the largest increases and the vital departments over vital departments like housing, parks, libraries and other departments that fight for services. We're proud to stand with the community investment budget coalition as we fight for a broad set of needs for our community. We are fighting for a set of priorities to address the health, housing and sustainability and safety. Our city is not broke. We have money, but that money needs to be prioritized and what people truly need and what our community and our is united in calling for. Today, we are [9:26:31 AM] calling for. Today, we are focusing on some of the city's needs around housing services and care. Thank you for listening and have a great day. >> Thank you. Please begin. >> I'll continue calling names. We've got Carrie Ann Smith, Anna Duncan, eight track, Victoria Barone and Joe Dubose. Her name has been called. Please make your way to open mic and begin. >> Please feel free to begin. >> Trejo. Okay. Hi guys. My name is Victoria Lowenstein Barone. I'm a person with lived experience. I work with vocal, Texas echo and the challenger. I'm 33 years old now. I ache with chronic pain from hiking miles per day while homeless in four cities. My ankles give away craniosacral diffusion. I'm toting my own weight all the time, and chronic somatic pain that doesn't rest, although I [9:27:32 AM] that doesn't rest, although I do. And to choose, I chose to get clean and stay sober. Since I fled domestic violence and came here. I've lived with chronic, a partner who was suffering from chronic depression and self-medicated with unregulated substances. I could not help him. He was not equipped with the life skills to face his battle with his mental health. I was blessed with eight years of cbt and dbt, finding opportunities with nonprofits and public places to speak, write, publish, engage with lifeworks catholic community services and other nonprofits. Participation in these programs gave me a sense that my childhood, raised by extended family gatherings and community love, was still a virtue to pursue. I did not change the housing instability that took me away from my family, dehumanized me and disfranchized me here. Arbor terrace neighbors have been able to give me a place to talk at any moment, participate in group activities, and change my life outlook. I have a family [9:28:33 AM] my life outlook. I have a family here with resident services I can talk to at any time. I highly suggest that you show up like you said you would to streamline. Incentivize the development of FX and have a residency residency advocacy board. Face the bottlenecks and allocations for fully operational use of these vouchers as you allocate them. Stop making excuses and putting aside. Yeah. That's it. >> Please begin. >> Hello again. >> My name is Victoria cloud. I'm a member leader at vocal Texas and I live in district two. Thank you for hearing from me today again, I came to city hall to discuss the desperate need for a $0.07, a seven cent tax rate increase to improve and protect housing and services for people experiencing homelessness. The consequence for not doing so is a fall backwards into reaganesque politics of punishment. Trump's [9:29:34 AM] politics of punishment. Trump's recent executive order sets out to criminalize harm reduction efforts and instruct cities to use jails and institutions to punish those experiencing homelessness. And in addition to the recent cuts to medicaid, snap and other life saving programs and services, this is a declaration of war against me personally by my government. And let's be clear it's fascist. Austin must step up its game to use whatever is at your disposal as city council members to fund humane, effective solutions. I am someone with a felony charge stemming from my difficulties with mental health and homelessness. I have dissociative identity disorder. I have benefited firsthand from the 988 hotline and from services at integral care. They provided me with peer support through someone who was also able to find me a spot in sober living. I don't like thinking about where I'd be without these vital services. It is a dangerous mental illness. In god's name, I implore you, and I [9:30:35 AM] god's name, I implore you, and I pray that you come down on the correct side of history, make the right decision and support a seven cent tax rate increase. God bless you and be with you. >> Thank you. Please sir. >> Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the council. Mr. Mayor, my name is Joe Dubose. I am a vocal Texas leader. Just last week I spoke before you about an injustice on how the memories of my wife were taken from me. That would have never happened if the city had more access to housing and better shelters. At the time, the va couldn't find me a bed because none of the shelters had room for a non service animal. If you knew my silky, which is all I have left of my wife, she would have been no problem anywhere. Now I was shown the marshaling yards. I've been to places like that. Not never again. My wife died in my arms. This has caused me severe mental anxiety. I have bipolar and all the other [9:31:35 AM] bipolar and all the other disorders that come along with that. Being around all those people without my wife would have caused me to be overwhelmed with grief. And I don't want people to see me like that. Which is why I was out in the woods when I got my camping ticket. I was on the list for housing through hud-vash through the va. I told the officer that it didn't make no difference because he had no way of checking it, so he didn't believe I was on the list, so he gave me the ticket. Anyway, in order to fund places like this, we need to have that seven cent TRE. Just think, once people are off the street and in housing, they will and they can pay their part of the trv. That will then add to everything else. Thank you. >> Please proceed. >> Good morning council. My name is Walter Mcgrady. I'm a member [9:32:36 AM] is Walter Mcgrady. I'm a member of vocal Texas and I have been a resident of Austin, Texas for 51 years. I'm here on the behalf of safety concerns and the homeless crisis. I'm going to tell you just one story on what happened to me and all the reasons we need to fund housing. I was being stalked one night, so I found a place where I felt safe. I was at a bank under the light because I knew it was safe. Someone called the cops. An officer woke me up. They ran my name. I have no warrants. I told the officer while I was there because under the light I felt safe. The officer heard what I said and I could tell it touched his heart, but he told me I was trespassing and told me to leave. How is that safety? This is why y'all need to fund housing and resources to help people like me and others out here. Please find it in this. [9:33:38 AM] here. Please find it in this. Please in this budget. Find fund housing so people like me can finally feel safe again. Thank you. >> Good morning everyone. My name is Kerri Ann. I'm a leader at Texas vocal. I live in district nine. I'm here again with a heavy heart. Like last week, I shared a little bit about my story, how I ended up homeless and how I suffer from mental health and chronic illness. And I asked and asked today. Well, I asked for y'all to take funding seriously. And again, I make it here today. Scared with trump executive order I have I feel overwhelmed. I told y'all how APD wrongfully did a sweep, and I really want to touch on that a little bit because during the sweep I [9:34:39 AM] because during the sweep I called. This was a day after Thanksgiving. Well, day before Thanksgiving when the sweep happened, I called. So when it happened, I called and tried to get my stuff back. They did not try, and the chief and the rest of them say that they didn't know anything about it. I left numerous voicemails. I had other people emailed them on my behalf, and I also emailed them for them to say that they haven't heard anything about this. This is ridiculous. They just want to keep allowing people keep allowing APD to steal from people so they really don't need nothing. Not a dime. Every single time they going out stealing from people, tearing up people tents, having them sleeping on the ground, dying. If y'all want to kill people, just say that. Okay? Y'all just really need to do [9:35:41 AM] Y'all just really need to do better and give this funding to where it needs to be. Funding people out here, struggling, trying to survive, keep trying to work hard. People out here, everybody out here homeless. They do work. It's people out here that's homeless. They work and they do everything what they need to be doing. If it's not services available to them, that's not their fault. Please pass the seven cent bill. >> Thank you. >> Good morning everyone. My name is Anna Duncan and I am a leader of vocal Texas and I live in district two. I am urging you to fund harm reduction in this budget cycle and beyond. Last week I told you my story and how harm reduction saved my life. Today I want to talk about what harm reduction has done for me. Harm reduction has gave me a chance, had gave me a hope to live for my family. Harm reduction has given me a safe way to live, breathe and talk. Harm reduction is the reason why [9:36:42 AM] Harm reduction is the reason why I'm kicking my addiction to the curb. I know that harm reduction works and it changed my life for the trump administration to issue their recent executive order that taxed harm reduction and discouraged our country to invest in shame. However, it means that now more than ever, we need you as leaders to step forward in our community and protect it. If we if we give into the fear of the trump administration trying to generate and ban harm reduction, I would be more devastated. Which means more my neighbors and communities and friends could die of overdose. Just last year, I just lost my father from a fentanyl overdose. He didn't know what harm reduction was or is, or who. I truly do miss him. And that's the reason why I'm [9:37:45 AM] And that's the reason why I'm fighting for harm reduction. I am a living witness that that harm reduction does work, and it changed my life tremendously. And I do believe that it changed the life of others. We can't afford we can't afford to lose it. We're back down. We know that it works. We know that it's safe life and we know we got to protect it. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Continuing with the same group, we've got Amanda, martin. Gregory, Bordelon, Eli Cortez. If your name has been called, please make your way to an open mic. On deck. We'll have Scott Cobb and Matthew Malika. >> Go ahead. Did you already [9:38:46 AM] >> Go ahead. Did you already start? Okay. I'll start. Yeah. I. >> Good morning. My name is Gregory Bordelon. I'm a proud member of vocal Texas and the founder of epic fail profits. Org. But more than that, I'm a man who's lived through the failure of this system. I've fallen through the cracks right here in Austin. I've been unhoused. I've lost everything twice. I've slept with nothing but the sky above me and the clothes on my back. I've watched my belongings disappear while trying to hold on to my dignity. I've been misdiagnosed, mislabeled, misunderstood. Stood. A police officer told me I was too sad. As if grief from losing your home, your purpose, your people is a disease. I'm still here and I'm standing in front of you. Because I still believe there's hope. Because I've seen there are people doing the work in the city. Sunrise navigation center, the arch run [9:39:46 AM] navigation center, the arch run by urban alchemy, Charlie center, Travis outreach teams, and countless others that show up every damn day underfunded and overwhelmed. But let me be clear the problem isn't a lack of care. The problem is coordination. The navigation system for homeless homelessness in Austin is a puzzle with no map. Services exist, but they don't talk to each other and we, the people living through it. We fall between the cracks and we get shuffled, forgotten, discarded. Meanwhile, we pour money into parts of the system that only harm the police budget grows, housing programs scrape for change. You want to reduce crime, build homes. You want to restore dignity. Give people a bed, not a cell. Create funding by supporting seven cent tax. Give people something worth protecting. And yes, I said it. The drug war is a business. It's about profit, not healing for far too long. But once it ends and it will, we still have the core of the wound to face [9:40:46 AM] core of the wound to face poverty, unaddressed trauma, broken relationships with government and the community it was meant to serve. This is bigger than shelters. It's about soul. We've forgotten something ancient that we belong to each other, that we are not enemies. Freedom was an idea. Now it's a memory. And yet I still believe we can turn this around. Yeah. Thank you. >> Good morning. Council. My name is Eli Cortez. I'm an organizer of local Texas, and I'm a resident of district three. You've just heard from our leaders at local Texas, speaking about their urgency to stand up for the most vulnerable in our city as the trump administration encourages further criminalization and negates the efficacy of housing first and harm reduction models that this city and this diocese and our system has has embraced, supported and funded models that we have seen firsthand results from, and that our homelessness response system is united in supporting and seeking as vocal. We've been organizing to win access to affordable housing for people on the street and people [9:41:47 AM] people on the street and people with backgrounds in Austin. We're grateful and excited to see council member Siegel offer a budget amendment that allows us to take us to take one step closer to real accountability and enforcement from the housing department to ensure that tenant protections and applicant protections are enforced. So we'd really like to see your support there. We're also excited to see such alignment from service providers, system agents and the diocese to encourage a high tax rate election that prioritizes funding for homelessness response. Our folks need services and we need that response now. We can't afford to wait as thousands of people spend, spend, sleep outside every single night here in Austin. However, we do need guardrails on these proposals. We need affordability protections for low income families. It's encouraging to see homelessness response priorities and all the proposals set forth. But we have to reject the tax rate election as a means to inflate our ever ballooning police budget. We have to redefine our meaning of public safety. If we continue to invest in housing and shelter, I think that we're going to see those outcomes that you all are seeking by ever inflating that police budget. We're also [9:42:47 AM] police budget. We're also calling for support for council member Siegel's ifc budget proposal proposal. We need one singular budget that adequately, adequately meets the needs of our community, that plans for an austerity budget and allows us to move forward. These critically needed services should not be reliant on a TRE. It should be something that we commit to and move forward to. And lastly, I just want to say that we need to seek other means to bring accountability and responsibility to the private and business sector and not rely on on that as the only means for our services. >> All speakers from local Texas have been called will continue %-with in person Scott Cobb, Matthew Malika, Daniella silva, Savannah Lee. If your name has been called, please make your way to the open mic. >> Please go ahead. >> Good morning, mayor, mayor pro tem and council members. My [9:43:49 AM] pro tem and council members. My name is Matthew Malika. I'm the executive director of the ending community homelessness coalition. I'm providing comment today in support of director graves. Proposed budget of the homeless of the office of homeless strategies and operations, the proposed budget that director gray put forward is strategic, and it's actionable. It takes into consideration current investments that need to be preserved in focus areas like emergency shelter and supportive services for permanent housing. It also looks to future investments and interventions that are required to address homelessness across our homelessness response system. Director gray and his staff work closely with echo and our community of service providers to craft the proposed budget. It takes into consideration both the important perspective of people in our service programs and living on our streets, while also keeping an eye on the data and the trends in our homelessness response system. Echo urges council to adopt a budget that fully funds the requested amount of zo. We know the city can't do it alone, and we also appreciate you taking on the charge of inviting other funders to the table. Echo is also keenly aware that the city has many budget priorities, and that a tax rate election will be needed to ensure that Austin [9:44:50 AM] needed to ensure that Austin remains a fully functional city that can be enjoyed and celebrated by all who call it home. There have been many iterations and proposals to increase the tax rate by varying amounts, and they have all included a fully funded budget for the office of homeless strategies and operations. For that, we are grateful, and echo remains committed to helping to educate the community on how their tax dollars are being used and the effectiveness of the interventions being funded. Together, we can support an actionable framework the public health committee, endorsed last November under the mayor pro tem leadership. The framework this council guide our community's efforts to end homelessness. The proposed budget for zo calls on our community to invest in this plan to the tune of $32 million. Echo stands ready to work with funders from across the country and right here in Austin, Travis county partners who are eager to support the great work our providers are doing. Partners who share in the vision of a coordinated strategy for addressing homelessness. Partners who see our community as hungry for compassionate and lasting solutions to ending homelessness. Again. Thank you. >> Thank you. [9:45:50 AM] >> Thank you. >> Good morning, and thank you, mayor Watson and council members. My name is Savannah Lee. I'm a resident of district one and I'm here with equity action. I'm here today to support the community investment budget and speak about what it would take to fully fund it, including the possibility of a tax rate election. We're here that every need in the cib deserves to be met, and that every person in our community is worth investing in. Every single item in this budget is essential, and we're asking that all of it be fully funded. These aren't luxuries or wish list items. They are the baseline for a city that truly cares about its people. Anything less is a choice to let some of us fall through the cracks. We understand the pressure that council is under, but if fully funding these priorities would take a tax rate election, then that reflects choices that have already been made. Choices about resource where resources are concentrated, which departments are protected and whose needs are seen as optional. And let's be clear, funding for harm reduction, public health, climate resilience and real public safety should never be viewed as extra. They are the foundations of a strong and thriving community. If you decide to move forward with the [9:46:52 AM] decide to move forward with the TRE and we believe that you should, it must be treated as part of the budget itself, not as an afterthought or a separate conversation. The budget and any needed TRE should move forward together as one document to leave community priorities dangling off the side of a budget sends the wrong message that these needs are negotiable or secondary. And if I'm honest, that feels disappointing because for many of us, these aren't abstract policy debates. They're the first thing we think about when we wake up, how we're going to keep the lights on, whether our kids parks are clean and safe, and if we'll be able to get the mental health care we need if we're struggling. All that we're asking is that council treat these priorities with the same urgency and care that our communities do, and include them fully in the budget you pass. Thank you. >> Good morning mayor council. My name is Daniela silva. I'm the Austin policy coordinator at workers defense action fund and a resident of district three. I'm here to speak in support of everything that the community investment budget has proposed and are asking for things that we have asked for every year now [9:47:52 AM] we have asked for every year now for several years, which is truly, deeply affordable housing, which includes preserving existing naturally occurring affordable housing, mental health services and pch for our unhoused community, which they have done an excellent job advocating for improving transit infrastructure as much in our public transit as in our roads and sidewalks. But to be clear, not expanding highways, public health, especially in areas that are facing extreme gaps due to cuts in federal funding such as HIV AIDS support programs and legal support for immigrants, a need that is growing more and more each day. To be clear, what we do not want is more money in an already bloated department budget that locks up tax dollars and makes it to where future councils can never move that money around, depending on the other departmental needs at the time, which we're actually already seeing happen today. And regardless of what manipulated data billionaires are presenting to you, alpr is harm austinites. This technology is used to facilitate mass kidnapings the [9:48:53 AM] facilitate mass kidnapings the hunting of people seeking medical care can be used to retaliate against workers attempting to unionize or jail citizens simply for using their first amendment rights. This is mass surveillance. Surveillance without a warrant, no consent, no oversight, just private corporations and government agencies tracking where you go, who you visit and when you leave. We cannot trust this technology or the companies behind it, and you must not allow a single taxpayer dollar to fund their implementation in Austin. No money for apr. Not now, not ever. >> Next we'll move to a or a remote speaker. We've got Monica Guzman on the line. >> Hopefully you can hear me. >> Yes. >> We can hear me. This is Monica. Okay, good. This Monica Guzman, district four resident, [9:49:53 AM] Guzman, district four resident, speaking on the budget. Personally, I support gigaba's budget recommendations. I mean, I am part of that staff, but I'm speaking as a resident today. I support the community investment budget. What I do not support is putting critical needs and services that are listed on both the budget recommendations and the community investment budget, tying them to a tax rate election. Those should be covered by the budget. Deferred maintenance upgrades, the buildings cap and stitch up the convention center. Those should be in the voters hands, not immigrant services for legal support. Mental health, not a dedicated strike team. As an emergency response from arf, arf has suffered greatly. They're losing people. Public health is part of public safety. It's not just the people in uniform. We need you to fund public health, the services, the social [9:50:55 AM] the services, the social services. So we need you to remember you represent us. We're at the top of that org chart. You're accountable to us, fund the community. Thank you. >> Continuing in person, we've got Richard Bondi, Kate Moore, Taylor Smith Arbor Aaron Alarcon, your name has been called. Please make your way to an open mic. >> Okay. >> Good morning. My name is Richard Bondi. I am the director of community advocacy for meals on wheels, central Texas, a resident of district ten, I'm also the chair of the commission on aging and the vice chair of joint inclusion. So as the city of Austin faces increasingly difficult budget decisions, it is essential to prioritize services that deliver the greatest impact to our most vulnerable residents. Home delivered meals are a lifeline for older adults and individuals [9:51:56 AM] for older adults and individuals with disabilities, providing not only nutritious food but also daily wellness checks and human connection. These services help prevent costly hospitalizations, reduce reliance on emergency services, and allow individuals to age safely in place, ultimately saving taxpayer dollars for services that meals on wheels central Texas provides. Recipients of these meals are mostly older adults living in poverty, the majority of them residing in east Austin. Investing in home delivered meals is a fiscally responsible and morally sound decision. For a modest cost, the city can support the health, dignity and Independence of those who helped build our community. In times of financial constraint, it is more important than ever to protect the programs that offer both compassion and measurable return on investment. Additionally, access to reliable transportation is essential for older adults to remain active, engaged, and connected to their communities. The city of [9:52:56 AM] communities. The city of Austin's parks and recreation department, including its senior centers, offer vital programs that support healthy aging, such as wellness classes, social events, and educational workshops. However, many older adults face mobility challenges or live in areas without accessible public transit, making it difficult for them to travel to and from these centers. Providing dedicated transportation services from these community hubs would help reduce social isolation, promote physical and mental well-being, and thank you. >> Good morning. Good morning, mayor, mayor pro tem and council members. My name is Kate Moore and I am the vice president of strategy at the ending community homelessness coalition, or echo. As our executive director Matt mentioned, we're here to express our support for the zo plan. It is a bold but actionable plan that makes significant investments that will lead to meaningful improvements in our [9:53:57 AM] meaningful improvements in our homelessness response system. We want to thank the zo team for their partnership and all of you, for your commitment to finding lasting solutions for our unhoused neighbors. We are committed at echo to working with zo and our community to implement the solutions this budget supports. We are also committed to working with other funders to grow to meet the needs as well. Part of our unique role in the community is to use data to help policymakers and funders understand the needs of our system, how interventions and projects are working, and what changes are predicted to be needed to meet any changes in the landscape. We worked closely with the zo staff to develop a ten year modeling projection of the funding needed to build a homelessness response system that works for everyone. It's been nine months since we presented that model to the public health committee, where it received unanimous support as an investment blueprint. Homelessness has changed since we were here last talking about that model. That's why it's important. This will be a living model. We anticipate updating it regularly to be used as a tool [9:54:58 AM] regularly to be used as a tool for the city and other funders to understand the impacts of your investments. Please continue to invite us back for updates on how the investments you're making in this budget are making a difference for people working to end homelessness. We believe the zo plan delivers what our community needs to achieve the goals laid out in the model. It also works to preserve existing programs at agencies who are currently doing the hard work of supporting, sheltering and housing our unhoused neighbors. We know that shifts in current federal policies and funding could put more of our neighbors at risk of becoming homeless, and calls into question the long term commitment from our federal partners. That's why it's more important than ever. We act as one community to find solutions. Thank you. >> Good morning. >> Mayor and council. My name is Taylor Smith and I represent the Austin board of realtors and our more than 15,000 members. Thank you for your continued dedicated service to our city and everything you do for our community members. We recognize [9:55:59 AM] community members. We recognize the challenging decisions before you regarding the budget. The community needs and the possible tax rate. Election. Many Austin households, both homeowners and renters, face similar difficult decisions as they constantly work to adjust their household budgets to respond to the continued rising cost of living in Austin. Any significant increases to annual tax and utility bills will substantially impact their family budgets. Considering the current affordability issues in our community, we urge council to exercise fiscal restraint and pursue a budget and tax rate election that focuses on essential core city services. Honors the city's existing commitments, and that has the smallest financial impact on Austin households. As you consider the tax rate election level that you will approve, we ask you to think of the financial impact it will have on the young couple in district two who are expecting their first child, the couple in district nine who just bought their first home, the renter in district three who is hoping to purchase their first home in the coming year. The young professional, who lives in district six but [9:57:00 AM] who lives in district six but commutes to their job in district seven, and the retired teacher in district one who constantly worries about their monthly expenses on their fixed income. We implore you to consider the annual financial impact of the TRE level that you approve will have on every Austin family during this current economic climate. Climate. Thank you for carefully considering this request, and we appreciate your leadership and we are here to partner with you as you continue to work to address the affordability affordability issues facing our city. >> Thank you. >> Buenos dias. Good morning. My name is doctor Erin Alarcon, CEO of family elder care, a nonprofit organization that provides services that promote dignity and stability for older adults and adults with disabilities. It is my second time here this week, as I feel that it is my duty to address this council, especially during critical times like the ones we are living in. And because we are indeed going through a critical era that requires us to show empathy as others unfortunately show cruelty. I'm [9:58:01 AM] unfortunately show cruelty. I'm here to express my support to the plan that director gray and his team at the office of homeless strategy and operations are proposing, which guarantees the resources. So homelessness in Austin remains rare, brief and non-recurring, which unfortunately is not a reality for one to many in our community, particularly individuals over the age of 55. I know I'm going to sound like a broken record, but according to the data emerged from this year's pit count, homelessness among older adults increased by 70% in two years. Sadly, this phenomenon is not only happening here in central Texas, it's nationwide as older adults are indeed the fastest growing segment of the homeless population in the United States. Finally, I want to thank the members of the council spearheaded by mayor pro tem Fuentes, that have prioritized making our city a place that [9:59:04 AM] making our city a place that cares for the elderly. We cannot forget this population. We need to think of aging services as an investment in our future selves, because we will all get there if we are lucky. Thank you. >> Continuing with in person, we have bill bunch, Shelley Aubuchon, Jerry, Joe Benson, Rebecca lightly, Chris baker. If your name has been called, please make your way to an open mic and begin. >> Okay. Good morning. I'm Shelley Bob Kahn, the financial advocacy program manager at family elder care, where we've been providing services to combat homelessness and housing instability for elders since 1980s. >> I hate to interrupt you, but I would ask you to put that microphone a little closer to your mouth. [10:00:04 AM] your mouth. >> I'm a quiet talker. >> Yes. >> In our financial advocacy program, we receive social security and veterans benefits on behalf of individuals who are unable to manage their own. Our main role is to ensure that their basic needs, including housing, are met with those benefits. Most clients we serve were referred due to being at risk of eviction or currently experiencing homelessness, often due to mismanagement of funds, financial abuse or exploitation through management of benefits, housing advocacy and coordination coordination with other providers. We can assist clients in obtaining long term housing stability. These services can be provided indefinitely, meaning we are able to provide financial and housing stability to many clients for the rest of their lives. I want to share some brief client examples. One client was at risk of foreclosure when family elder care stepped in. The client, suffering from mental illness, was living on the streets because he feared bill collectors would take his house if they found him. His fiduciary was able to negotiate a hardship program for him, make payments on his behalf to get him up to date, and assist the client in completing paperwork to avoid the foreclosure. Another client came to us after her daughter resigned from po status, closed all her bank accounts, and handed over everything to the 82 [10:01:05 AM] handed over everything to the 82 year old medically fragile senior. She was unable to manage her own funds and at risk of losing her housing. After this, we were able to secure the benefits into a new bank account and stabilize the housing situation through financial management. I could give countless similar examples of others who were on the verge of homelessness, but with support, this can be avoided and stability can be achieved. To close, I'd like to offer support to the comprehensive plan that zo has put together to make our homelessness response system more sustainable, and I want to give a shout out to our elected officials that have prioritized services to older adults, especially mayor pro tem Fuentes. Thank you. >> Good morning. I'm Rebecca Lightsey. I'm co-executive director of American gateways. Our mission at American gateways is to serve the low income immigrant community in central Texas through legal immigration, education, and assistance. Last year, we served over 12,000 immigrants in central Texas. So on behalf of all of the clients that we serve, I first want to thank the city for being a [10:02:05 AM] thank the city for being a welcoming community for our our immigrant neighbors and to thank the city for our current partnership with the city. Let me give you just one tiny example of what that partnership has meant for our neighbors here. Just last Friday morning, we helped over 30 Austin residents prepare for upcoming court hearings. That that preparation very likely helped them avoid being detained and is keeping them with their families, not surprisingly, the need for our services is crushing at this moment in this very, very harsh environment that we are seeing. And not surprisingly, our organization, like many of our fellow organizations, have seen a huge budget cut because of the loss of federal funding. Every week we are seeing more than 100 people turn to us for legal services help. And we know that [10:03:07 AM] services help. And we know that if we are able to provide that help, they are very likely to protect and improve their legal status, keep their families together and preserve their right to work. So we very strongly support the budget item for immigration services. We know the council has a lot of hard decisions to make, and we appreciate that. The and ask the city council to continue to recognize the needs of our immigrant community. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, miss Lacey. >> Good morning, mayor and city council members. I'm Jared Robinson, and I serve on both the lgbtqia quality of life commission and the joint inclusion commission, and I'm from district five. I'm here today to speak in strong support of the two amendments being brought forth by mayor pro tem Fuentes, both of which I authored and helped pass through both commissions. First is the vaccination program. This $50,000 investment would expand mpox and other critical vaccinations for at risk communities. We developed this [10:04:08 AM] communities. We developed this in consultation with Austin public health based on a clear need. These are life saving, stigma reducing interventions that could prevent future outbreaks and reduce long term costs. Second, the homelessness prevention program. Transgender people are nearly four times as likely to experience homelessness. This initiative would be the first of its kind in Austin, and would directly support trusted community organizations like queer Topia. The proposal is grounded in what's working cities like Seattle and Chicago, and shaped by our local partners who serve these communities every day. I know the city is being cautious with its budget, and I believe these are smart preventative investments. An ounce of prevention now will save lives, reduce costs later, and help protect some of our most vulnerable neighbors at a time when they're under increasing attack at the state and federal level. I urge you to support these amendments and truly make this a place where we all belong. Thank you. >> Thank you. [10:05:08 AM] >> Thank you. >> Sir. >> Hello, mayor and council, Chris baker. I'm a resident of district five. And I just want to I want to say that I really deeply appreciate all of the work that everyone has done. These there's these various TRE scenarios that are that are coming out and you've heard you've all heard us, and it looks like everybody's working to incorporate the plan that zo presented to council back in April. And I'm I'm really I'm really happy to hear that. There's some federal money that's going away that I just want to lift up. Loss of federal dollars is going to lead to a 62% reduction in the bessy, plus rapid rehousing collaboratives capacity to serve people. Foundation communities is about to lose $3.6 million. The other ones foundation has lost $1.7 million in federal funding going [10:06:09 AM] million in federal funding going into 26, and the list goes on and on. Yesterday, I had the great joy of participating in a ceremony, a graduation ceremony for a bunch of folks that got certificates in hvac and automotive coming out of the Esperanza community, and it was a really beautiful thing. And. I don't know that these are all programs that will ever be able to support solely with philanthropy. Philanthropy is you. You know what philanthropy means with the Greek meaning where that word comes from. It means love of your fellow man and. I appreciate everybody putting forward the effort to show love to the people that need it most in our community. Thanks. >> Thank you sir. Continue being here. >> Continuing with in person, we [10:07:10 AM] >> Continuing with in person, we have Kayla Reese, Katrina Miller, Maria Segundo, Zenobia, Joseph, Lindsey, Harvey. If your name has been called, please make your way to the front. >> Good morning, mayor and council. My name is Kayla Reese, and I'm the advocacy manager with Austin parks foundation. And I'm here to speak for our parks. I want to thank the sub quorums that thoughtfully included the needs of the parks department. And I want to express our support for substantial funding for maintenance and for land management through any TRE that goes before the public. We know that there is a gap in what the parks department is currently able to provide and service and what people expect, let alone best practice. And the only way to fill that gap is with more funding than the department is budgeted for. Under the current restraints. This is the substantial support as outlined by both sub quorums, would allow the parks department to not only hire more ftes, but address the infrastructure limitations that [10:08:12 AM] infrastructure limitations that the department is facing. We know that there are deteriorating facilities for maintenance crews, and as much as we need more people, we also need more space and quality space for equipment and for people to be. So I just want to highlight also that as we heard from another speaker, public health being part of public safety, I would argue that parks are a part of public health as well. When we're looking at the city holistically. Thank you. >> Somebody start talking. Anyone of you just state your name, please. >> Hi, I'm doctor Maria del Carmen. I'm a resident of district five. I'm here today to respectfully request for your support for $106,000 allocation to the city's budget and funding for a full time program coordinator and supervisor for academia cuauhtli, which is under the miss Barrientos Mexican American cultural center. Academia cuauhtli, which means eagle academy. And Eckhardt, which is an indigenous language. As a nationally [10:09:13 AM] language. As a nationally recognized community rooted language and cultural revitalization program serving third to fifth grade students and the independent school district since 2014. We've offered free Saturday classes in Mexican, American and tejano studies taught in Spanish, English, and by master bilingual educators. I've had the honor of serving with academia cuauhtli since 2017, first as a volunteer, then as a program coordinator during my doctoral studies, and now as a volunteer researcher. During this time, I've helped our program grow from 35 to 500 students, and I've helped co-develop our summer indigenous stem program led outreach for 500 plus families annually, and coauthored five peer reviewed articles documenting our impact. The request for funding would allow us to sustain and expand our vital offerings, which include our Saturday escuelita school summer programing and indigenous math, science, art and dance. A mexico community based research team of 11 scholars, teacher professional development in particular. This [10:10:15 AM] development in particular. This summer we focus on on our aztec mathematics curriculum. We did both teacher professional development and taught a cohort of 20 students and parents. Students learned the historical and cultural context for understanding the title with an in-depth exploration of its physical structure, function, and mathematical principles. Academia cuauhtli is powered by a strong volunteer team of 20 highly skilled individuals who contribute over $400,000 in in-kind time and labor annually. This modest investment would ensure long term sustainability. >> Thank you. Thanks for what you do. >> Good morning, mayor and council members. My name is Katrina Miller. I'm here today to urge your support for key amendments that fund Austin's sidewalk infrastructure. Over the last two years working at farm and city, I got to contribute significantly to the work of vision zero Texas, the movement to end traffic deaths statewide. When we were talking [10:11:15 AM] statewide. When we were talking to city and county staff across the state on the basics of vision zero, we could point to Austin as the statewide leader in investing smartly and equitably in the most important transportation system. We have, the safe pedestrian network, which is the basic measure of human civilization safe, comfortable mode separation, like what's provided by well-maintained sidewalks without gaps in the network, is one of our most effective tools for reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries. I also serve on the 2026 bond election advisory task force, where a major concern has been how we can bridge the gap between now and when new bond funds may become available. The sidewalk funding we have today is expected to run out imminently, in which case construction and planning efforts will need to pause. According to the polling conducted before the 2020 safe multimodal bond, Austin voters very broadly support raising taxes specifically for safety and sidewalk investments. If you ask about spending on roads, transit or bike lanes, we're all just about as divided as we are on most issues. But 85% of [10:12:16 AM] on most issues. But 85% of polled Austin voters support raising taxes for sidewalks and transportation safety. That's why I strongly support council member Ellis's amendment to increase sidewalk maintenance funding by $7 million. We currently only fund about a quarter of what it takes to maintain our sidewalk network properly, and this amendment brings us up to about half of what we needed and is a critical step forward. I also urge you to support council member lane's amendment to provide $10 million in gap financing for new, new sidewalk construction. Sidewalks can be installed quickly and affordably compared to other capital projects. If we pause now and Luz the experienced contractors we have, ramping back up later will be more expensive and time consuming. Austin has thousands of miles of missing sidewalks due to generations of underinvestment. Sidewalks aren't just about safety. They're also essential for achieving our sustainability and climate goals and provide the best bang for our transportation bucks. Please fund what we know works. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Miss Joseph. You want to begin? >> After they pull up my [10:13:16 AM] >> After they pull up my presentation, mayor? >> All right, while we're waiting, why don't we hear from you? Well, there it is. >> Thank you. Mayor, council. I'm Zenobia Joseph. I just wanted to express my opposition to this tax rate election. You've not demonstrated an equitable distribution of the resources from the previous bonds. I certainly respect council member Mike Siegel, but there is no sense of urgency. You have invested $68.7 million in burnet road, essentially from allendale, HEB, Lamar middle school, all the way to loop one. There are three new pedestrian hybrid beacons on that corridor. It's at crossroads. It's just before Olin station, and there's one by the McDonald's before Anderson Laine. Yet in the press conference yesterday, you told the Muslim community and the people in north Austin, northeast, north Lamar to wait until the end of the year. Chito vela. I just want you to recognize the picture. I want to [10:14:17 AM] recognize the picture. I want to thank the assistant city manager for walking the route to riding the bus to see that there is no drainage issue in front of not your ordinary school where this accident occurred. I want you to recognize that 1233, three, which is where not your ordinary school occurred. Specifically, you can put sidewalks there on both sides of the road. 12300 is the same block where Donald Norton was killed in his wheelchair. Where is the sense of urgency you are prioritizing soccer over saving lives on north Lamar. I want you to recognize that there is only $13 million allocated to patch up the sidewalks on north Lamar from the $720 million bond. If you need a point of reference, it's November 20th, 2024. You can ask Eric Bailey. He actually told the corridor program about it. Next slide. I just want you to recognize again that David gray told you that rapid rehousing is not an effective strategy. Next slide. He told you in 2024 as well. And I would [10:15:18 AM] you in 2024 as well. And I would just ask you to recognize that you are asking voters to vote to actually fund a failed methodology. If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them at this time. >> Thank you for being here. Please. >> Hello? Hello. There you are. >> My name is Lindsey Harvey. I guess I've been a constituent of district five, mostly. I have just returned to Austin after being away for two years, and I am really disgusted. In disarray. This city is facing. When it comes down to it. You know, human rights. You know, it's like we all need food. We all need water, we all need shelter. And that there are too many people on the streets, that there are too many people who are valid, you know, human beings with skills that could be doing some jobs. And a lot of these companies are now using, [10:16:18 AM] these companies are now using, you know, ai technology to do everything, you know, streamlined through, you know, technology. And a lot of people are falling through the cracks in that way, too. I myself had an apartment on hold and a certain local organic grocery store is using ai to filter through their applications. And I lost out on an apartment, and now I'm struggling to keep myself sheltered through friends. I am a local musician. I'm seeing the music falling by the wayside. You know, you can't even busk anymore without some private security agency kicking you off the sidewalk or off the street corners. You know, this town was built on music and, you know, culture and, you know, it's like we're giving everything away to big business and really, really comes down to is, who are we giving our space to? Who are we? Who are we selling our space to? And like, [10:17:20 AM] selling our space to? And like, who are we allocating our water to? You know, it seems like Austin, you know, the city of Austin is to responsible for larger parcels of land. I don't know, and I haven't even been here that long. >> Thank you. >> Continuing with in person, we have Peter hunt, Kathy Mitchell, Michael Lofton, Tara tucker, Casey Coyne, your name has been called. Please make your way to the front. >> Please begin. >> Hello, council. My name is Peter hunt. I'm a volunteer with Austin justice coalition, born and raised in district ten. I want to speak at a fairly broad level today in support of the community investment budget and encourage council to fund it in its entirety, not just in parts. [10:18:20 AM] its entirety, not just in parts. We think that every item in there, from the housing trust fund to recovery support, to parks and libraries to immigrant legal services, should be fully funded without compromise. If council believes that there are community priorities that would require a substantial TRE, then it makes sense to propose one. But most important to me is that every item in there is supported in whatever budget council passes. Some of you have shared, and I think I also share concerns about raising taxes and city affordability. If these are concerns, I do not think that they should either override or undermine funding for important community priorities. If cuts need to be made, they should be made elsewhere outside of the community investment budget priority list. Our top issue really needs to be funding the important services in our city. What exact level would of a TRE would be required for? That will be up to council. If it could be done without a TRE entirely, that would be wonderful. But given the circumstances, that [10:19:20 AM] given the circumstances, that does seem quite challenging. If there is going to be a TRE, I would ask and hope that it is one that fully funds every issue in the community. Investment budget budgets are not just reflections of values, they are proofs of them. And in this particular moment, it is up to council and the community to demonstrate what really matters to them. And then, just with the time I have left on one specific issue, several speakers have already mentioned the $6 million for magistration and council at first appearance allocated to the police budget. And just as a technical matter of financial flexibility, it would make sense to move that out of the police budget to an administrative location where it would be better suited. Thank you very much. >> Anybody? >> Okay. Go ahead. >> Yeah. Good afternoon. Council members. Mayor Watson, mayor pro tem Fuentes Michael Lofton, the founder and executive director for the African-American youth harvest foundation and the [10:20:20 AM] harvest foundation and the trauma recovery center. I just want to say, first and foremost, I'm happy to be here, but I want each one of you to know that we are serving clients from each one of your districts pretty basically on a daily basis. So it doesn't matter where we're located at, because we are meeting the needs, critical needs from citizens from the city of Austin. Currently the trauma recovery center, we are part of the national trauma recovery center. We're not in the budget for the city of Austin. We are currently, you know, being suggested to be a line item. But as it stands right now, currently we are funded by Travis county. And so I do want to ask that you all consider, please support us and put us as a line item. We have to be a line item. No longer should we be considered as a grant. You know, we may get funded, we may not get funded. [10:21:22 AM] funded, we may not get funded. We are really here to ask for your support. You know, over the past year, we have been approached by a number of national organizations. Cities united, grow, community, alliance for safety and justice, and they're all there. We are bringing in individuals because they like what we're doing. We have a model the second to none. We have 30 plus nonprofits in our building. One unique thing about these 30 nonprofits in this in our building, we have tons of folks coming from each- one of those nonprofits on a daily basis to the harvest resource center to our office asking for additional help. And so we need your help. We need to be a line item in the budget. We are currently receiving referrals from a pd, a number of agencies. So thank you very. >> Much, speaker. >> Thank you. >> Hi. Tara tucker, Texas state director for alliance for safety and justice, representing also crime survivors for safety and [10:22:22 AM] crime survivors for safety and justice, which is made up of victims of violent crime from communities that are most impacted by crime and violence. And I want to thank you guys for all the hard work. That seems like a super complicated process, and I want to elevate that. In the last proposal that I saw, the 5.75, there was funding for violence intervention dollars, but there wasn't funding for the TRC, and I don't know if that's oversight or public health dollars being complicated, but I want to make sure that I am advocating and elevating that. That funding is crucial. The funding for the trauma recovery center is saving lives. As Michael said, across all of our districts, and it is a crucial part of the ecosystem for the violence intervention. A lot of those people are getting referred, the trauma recovery center, to get the mental health services they need, to get the case management they need so that they are not revictimized so that they're not retaliating like it's super important to make sure that these public health dollars are in the [10:23:23 AM] health dollars are in the budget, regardless of the TRE, because in comparison, the amounts of money that we're asking for are relatively small, but they have a huge impact, and they really go to the public safety of our communities. So with that, I think I'm done. >> Thank you very much. >> Hi. My name is Kathy Mitchell. I live in d1, I'm a homeowner and I am happy for my tax dollars to pay for services like the ones that you've just heard. Public safety is not a police matter, it's a community matter. And how we make our community safer is really highlighted by what you've just heard. Crime victims services for crime victims often get service providers deep into the network of people to provide all the services that they need to [10:24:24 AM] the services that they need to prevent crime, violent crime in the first place. So with that, I want to weigh in on a couple of points. There are two different sort of basic proposals of 5.75 and a seven, and somewhere in between. And you all are going to decide all of this. This has been a very fast moving process, and from the public side, it's been really hard to know what's in what buckets. And so to the point of the crime victim services, I'm certain there's no intentionality to not fund crime victim services, but is not clearly delineated anywhere. And so I think you all need a moment to step back and make sure that you know what's in what buckets. And some of this is complicated. I would highlight even the library bucket is more complicated than it looks. We have been very clear that we hope that you will fund library [10:25:25 AM] hope that you will fund library materials. We want to have reduced wait times, and banned books should be available for kids during the summer before the summer is over. But it's not clear like what money is in what bucket. And then finally, I want to weigh in in my last eight seconds in the Mike Siegel ifc. I think it may be the most important thing that we stop talking about two budgets and understand there is only one budget. >> Hello mayor and council. >> My name is Katie Coyne, or at least some of you all know that. But you heard it here. Maybe last I go by Casey. Now I use they them pronouns. I'm the chair of the lgbtq quality of life commission, appointed by mayor pro tem. I'm here to speak on three items, all of which were unanimously recommended by the lgbtq quality of life commission. And this is personal. Every lgbtq person I know well enough to know about their mental health is struggling right now. Under ongoing attacks and reduced services. We know this lgbtq plus austinites are overrepresented in the unhoused [10:26:26 AM] overrepresented in the unhoused population, especially youth and trans people, community groups, outside collaborators, collaborators are critical in filling those gaps. Please support $200,000 for a grant program for crisis care and temporary housing for the local lgbtq population. I'm also here to support $800,000 for HIV and sti prevention, and 50,000 for mpox vaccination funding. These are essential as lgbtq plus health programs are under direct attack, including the dissolution of the CDC's division of HIV. HIV prevention issued a survey of to four of our largest lgbtq direct service providers on federal and other impacts. Thank you mayor pro tem and other council members who also partnered with me on that survey. Community care lost already 550,000 this year alone from federal cuts, violent health reports, state stop orders on HIV, sti prevention due to delays in federal funds, kind clinic staff are using their savings to keep services going. Looking ahead, we're not [10:27:26 AM] going. Looking ahead, we're not even into the next fiscal year yet. Each of these organizations estimate about a 600 to $900,000 gap for the next fiscal year. City support isn't just helpful, it is essential. I go to Kahn clinic myself for routine testing. The care I receive isn't just testing. It's so affirming there. It's mental health support. Aph cannot provide that level of service like some of these providers can. Please support that HIV and sti testing item and the mpox vaccination item. It is urgently needed. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> All the names of all speakers have been called at this time. >> Thank you very much. Members. As you just heard, all the speakers have been called. We appreciate everybody being here and your input. It is, as has been suggested, complicated. But I will tell you, regardless of what ends up happening on the budget, what TRE is put forward, whether it is one subgroups or [10:28:27 AM] whether it is one subgroups or one person's TRE, this council and all of the members of this council have worked very, very hard to understand the details they have drilled down. There's been a lot of effort. I frankly think that's one of the reasons you see so many different alternatives. We'll have to get to something that gets voted on, and maybe not everybody votes for the budget, but the way it will play out will be after there's been a whole lot of work that's been put into it, and that includes the community coming out and giving input. That then gets incorporated into some of these recommendations. So I want to really emphasize that what we're going to do now, unless there's objection, is we're going to go into a closed session, an executive session pursuant to the Texas government code to discuss some legal issues. I'll call that in just a minute. But for those that are wanting to stay or watch, when [10:29:27 AM] wanting to stay or watch, when we come back out, the order that we will go in is we will take. And what this is meant to be is not a complete discussion that we'll do that at the time we we're talking about the budget, but it's to lay out our amendments, lay out. Ifc and get them out there into the public so that some folks that may have had questions about things will at least know what it is to look for in those things. There won't be. We've got a lot, so we'll try to cover those in an efficient manner. I a minute ago when I before we started the public comment, I mentioned that we would start with proposed amendments to the base budget, and I too narrowly limited that. It may be that they're revenue neutral amendments or that they aren't necessarily to the base budget, but they come. They have reference to the base budget. The ones we will take up first will be Ellis two, three, four [10:30:28 AM] will be Ellis two, three, four and five. For those that want to get your staff to pull those for you, the first ones we'll take up will be Ellis two, three, four and five. And then we will take up alter one, two, four and seven. Then we will go to what I'm going to call generally proposed TRE alt TRE alternatives. As I indicated, we would go from lowest proposal to highest. So the first one we will take up will be council member duchen, then mine, and then we'll go to I had a, I had the numbers of all the districts. But you guys know you all know what they are 5.7 and then 6.7. And then we will do it that way. And then we will go to any other amendments that would be to a TRE proposal, and then we'll go to ifc's. Everybody clear on that. With that members, the city council will [10:31:30 AM] members, the city council will go into a closed session to take up one item, and that is pursuant to section 551071 of the Texas government code. The city council will discuss legal issues related to item number one, presentation and discussion of the city manager's fiscal year 2025 2026, proposed budget and possible tax rate election. Is there any objection going into on going into an executive session on the item that's been announced? Without objection, I hear none. So the council will now go into an executive session. It is 1031. I will call the Austin city [11:44:18 AM] I will call the Austin city council back to order. Although we were we were in a an executive session and we are out of that closed session. And in closed session we discussed legal issues related to item number one on our agenda. It's 11:44 A.M. Members. What I indicated we would do when we came back is we would begin with council member Ellis. I proposed amendments two, three, four and five will follow that with council member alter's proposed amendments one, two, four and seven. And then we will go to council member duchen proposed amendment number one. Again, what we're doing here is getting just out into the public proposed amendments. I want to I want to say something for clarity purposes, because this has been a long process. And we're we're we're starting to we're on we're on that initial descension of the, of the flight [11:45:20 AM] descension of the, of the flight path where we're about to land the airplane, which will happen next week. The way we've talked about this is in terms of a base budget, because that was what was first laid out by the city manager that that had additional revenue by raising, going beyond going up to the voter approval rate, which was 3.5%. And then it had and it was a budget. During the course of this discussion, there's been additional discussion related to other things that we might want in our budget. And that leads to the idea that if you go above the voter approval rate and the idea, the concepts, the proposals would in many instances take us above the voter approval rate that would trigger a tax rate election under Texas statute. When it passes, however, it is a single [11:46:21 AM] passes, however, it is a single budget. It is one budget. In fact, it's the passage of that budget where you have to raise revenue above the voter approval rate that would in fact trigger, under law a tax rate election. But it is one budget. So as we discuss this, I want I want to start getting that in the way that the public sees what we're talking about. While we have talked about what was the base proposal and what we're talking about is potential TRE items, once passed, it is all one budget. And we need to start thinking about it in that way. As we start the initial descent of this airplane into the passage of a budget. With that being said, we're going to start with proposed amendments that would not add to the revenue of the voter approval rate and therefore trigger any tax rate election. So, council member Ellis, you have the floor on [11:47:22 AM] Ellis, you have the floor on items Ellis two, three, four and five. >> Thank you, mayor. I'm glad to be presenting these amendments today, especially because as you said, they do not increase any revenue that would be needed by a TRE. These are all dollars that we were able to find in the existing proposed budget, as is Ellis. Oh two is for transportation and public works. It is 250,000 out of enterprise funds, and it is to enhance the living streets program. So it's been an enormously successful and popular program that the city has. And we are trying to transition from the Orange construction barriers which the city has been renting into more stable and not permanent, but but more permanent looking infrastructure to be able to help with the program. And this one time investment would kick start their transition into those barricades and planters. The proposed fy 26 budget would transfer approximately 1.9 [11:48:23 AM] transfer approximately 1.9 million from the parking management fund to the transportation fund for living streets program, and this amendment would increase that transfer one time by $250,000, for a total transfer of approximately $2.15 million, and with this amendment, the parking management fund would still have an ending balance that would allow it to continue other programing that is already in effect. Ellis item number three is street TRE replenishment. This is ongoing money of $50,000 that would be allocated by transportation and public works. And it is going to be for right of way enhancements. There's dollars in the urban forest replenishment fund currently in existed that management services is operating. So these would be internal dollars already allocated to helping replace street trees that are in need of replacement. Ellis, four, is for the parks and recreation department. It is $260,000 of general fund ongoing expenditures. These are dollars [11:49:24 AM] expenditures. These are dollars that we would like to reallocate within the parks and recreation department's budget, from a district eight allocation to a different district date allocation. So this is going to be to begin phase one of the full implementation for the circle C dog park, which we were very excited to see piloted over the last year. It's been hugely successful and has had a lot of community feedback for staff to be able to continue to enhance into a full dog park, so this would help with phase one of that and it takes service prioritization part oh two from the recommendations that were not included or have been included to transition the zilker botanical garden operations to the conservancy. So a number of years ago, we were able to create a partnership with the zilker botanical garden conservancy. And so it's a multi step process of helping to make sure that it is more self-sustaining. And that would free up dollars to be able to reallocate into the circle C metro park. And Ellis [11:50:25 AM] circle C metro park. And Ellis five is the gray rock and meridian connector trail. So this is for transportation and public works. $170,500 of enterprise fund. So gray rock is a an operating golf course within district eight, way down south of sh 45 southwest. And we have had neighbors come to us over the years in meridian and say they really want to make sure they have better shared use pathway connections. A lot of them are going to gray rock golf course. They are immediately adjacent. They just don't have a formalized connection path. So we're recommending to utilize $117,500 from the golf enterprise fund to be able to reallocate for connection directly into that golf course for its users. And those are my four amendments that are budget neutral. >> Thank you very much, members. Any questions? Council member alter. >> I just want to understand the on the Ellis the dog park. Sorry, I'm losing the number. [11:51:29 AM] Sorry, I'm losing the number. Dallas four four. In the current budget is the $260,000 savings for converting or for the transition to the botanical gardens already accounted for. So did we count on that 260,000 just going to park to be used for something else? I don't know if that's a budget staff question or for you, but I'm just trying to understand if that's if we're already counting on that happening. And so we're already counting on that savings for something else. >> The way that this is my clarification, maybe someone from parks is here to help make sure I'm answering this correctly, but it's my understanding that there are dollars that would be spent within the botanical garden from our general fund, and we're trying to help transition that. The conservancy can help pick up those dollars, and we can reallocate the general fund portion of those dollars into a different park. >> So but without this, will we be making that conversion anyway? Is that accounted for in [11:52:30 AM] anyway? Is that accounted for in the budget? And I can I carry are you able to see her. >> That sounds like more of a timing question. >> Well, I just want to understand if it's if this service prioritization was already in the budget, then that means the 260,000 savings is already in the budget. And so if we then do this while we had savings somewhere else, we are now not using those savings for something programed in the budget. And so it is actually a cost. And I just want to be doubly sure that that's. >> I don't believe it's a savings for this fiscal year. It's money that would still be spent by the city in the botanical garden as opposed to in circle C metro. >> Okay. >> And is that. Can I get confirmation on that? >> So I believe. >> And I'm double checking that now I think. >> That the that that savings that's indicated for the zilker botanical garden moving over that was a prioritization that was part of the discussion but is not planned for this fiscal year. >> And that was my that's that's the question. Thank you. Perfect. >> Thanks. [11:53:30 AM] >> Thanks. >> Any other questions, councilmember Ellis? All right. We'll go to council member alter on his proposed amendments one, two, four and seven, followed by councilmember duchen on his proposed amendment one. >> Thank you very much. Alter. Amendment number one is a increase to the spark parks special event fee. And what this is, is right now we have a fee structure that is tiered 0 to $50, $50 to $100 and over $100 are your three tiers. And we charge $1, $2 and $3, respectively. What this does is raises the tier two price from $2 to $3, and the tier three price from $3 to $4, plus $0.02 times the ticket fee. And the thinking there was just to try to make it evergreen so we don't have to come back year after year and adjust it. But as prices might grow over time, we would see an increase in the revenue and our initial projection is somewhere in the million, million and a half range that this would generate [11:54:30 AM] range that this would generate for parks. And the plan we'll talk about later with an ifc is to have this be used for parks maintenance. But a way to capture more revenue from these kind of higher priced ticket events in the city. And then alter two is a it was there was a study done in about how we might make our parks safer through discrete investments. And one of those recommendations was for some additional lighting. And so this is $90,000 and it would be funded out of debt to light the zilker metro play park playscape at $20,000, the Dittmer park at $30,000, and the Sanchez school park at $40,000. Still working with the budget staff on the debt piece of this, it has to be over $10,000. And so our understanding is each of these are meet that requirement. But [11:55:30 AM] are meet that requirement. But we'll we'll get it all clarified with budget staff. But this is to have that additional lighting in our parks as identified. Number four is an electric lawn care equipment pilot pilot for our parks. And this too would have no general fund impact. It would be funded through our enterprise departments as well as some debt to purchase not only equipment, but part of the reason why part can't do this right now is the infrastructure. They don't have the charging infrastructure to be able to charge, let's say a riding lawnmower or other electric equipment. And so this would allow for them. And zilker park is the envisioned location here to purchase 1 or 2 riding lawn mowers and have that charging infrastructure necessary and ultimately have some savings over time. They're not having to buy gas, they're not having to maintain it as much. And of [11:56:32 AM] maintain it as much. And of course, have that environmental impact to the air quality. And last but not least on these is alter seven. And this is a restoration of the neighborhood partnering program, which is an existing and very successful program that is used throughout the entire city for those kind of small scale projects. You know, we make a lot of investments in these big transformational projects. But also, I think it's important to remember some of these discrete projects that really do have an impact on individuals daily quality of quality of life. And this would be funded out of the transportation user fee. And I will note just as a an homage, this was initiated by councilmember Spellman back in 2010, something that he saw other cities doing so. >> Great climate resilience. >> This is the neighborhood partnering program number seven okay. >> Questions of councilmember [11:57:33 AM] >> Questions of councilmember alter on his four proposed amendments. >> I just. >> Yes, mayor pro tem. >> Thank you. Councilmember alter, especially on the restoration of the neighborhood partnering program colleagues. That was an item that was going to have its funding cut as a result of the structural deficit, and that the neighboring partnering program was an item that came up at my budget town hall, where we had a couple of constituents talk about pending projects, applications that have been submitted from community members that are at risk of not moving forward, should we not restore the funding. So I am supportive of this item. >> Thank you. Mayor pro tem councilmember duchen on duchen one, and he has just handed out something new on that. So I want to look at that. >> Thank you. Mayor, we got an update from our q&a process that increased the amount of this budget amendment. I've got a couple of slides I want to run through here really quickly. Like take a minute. It's just to lay out these are slides everybody's really seen before. And all we're going to look at [11:58:33 AM] And all we're going to look at is this is the 489 that is currently listed on the budget office. That is being the discount or the that bills will be falling this year on the average taxpayer. Next slide. This is just the bill. Most that's coming through the discount in the pass through rates. Next slide. And you can see the original forecast was to be short $131 million. Next slide. But after the rate proposal they were going to be shortfall $43 million. Next slide. And so to address that they were going to have rate increases of 5% going forward. Next slide. And then this is just a slide showing that other utilities across the country are dealing with in some cases double digit increases to address different kinds of pressures and needs that they're addressing. Next slide. And that we're already amongst the lowest in the state as far as our rates [11:59:35 AM] in the state as far as our rates I think that's it. Next slide. And we're done. That was quick. So all this is doing is zeroing out that rate increase of 49 to $0. The average taxpayer would pay $0 more this year, rather than getting a essentially $58 decrease in their overall bill for all of fiscal year 2026. And in exchange, we would be able to pay down the entire shortfall of $43 million and then use the additional $19.5 million for needed hardening, weatherization and infrastructure. I know my district in particular was hit hard by the microburst storm that there, that when we pulled them, as I'll hopefully show you in a little bit, that was the number two issue when we talked to about almost 250 people. Utilities came up as number two on the issue. So I sense that there's a real need to invest. I'll also just add that in the conversations that I've had, kind of across the board with different people, people that are skeptical about the transfers, people that are very [12:00:36 PM] transfers, people that are very fiscally conservative. There was all a sense that, hey, if you're going to potentially add more than the that the original tax increase or fee increase for Austin energy, that as long as it was going to infrastructure and paying down the shortfall that we would be supportive of it. So I've really heard no real opposition to this from the community so far. And that's really it. Thank you. >> I have some comments, but I'll wait till you offer the amendment when we do that next week. But does anybody have any questions or comments on it? Okay. Thank you. What we'll now do is we will now go to those proposals that are what I will I'll just call generally proposed. Additions to the current state of the budget that would then trigger a TRE. And we'll go from lowest to highest in that regard. Although I'm going to ask a question of the council and staff. We've got a [12:01:39 PM] council and staff. We've got a well, no, we'll just do this. So and councilmember duchen, we'll go to yours first, then we'll go to the one that I've laid out on the message board. Then we'll go to the one that is six, seven, eight districts six, seven, eight and nine, and then the one for two, three, four and five. And so, councilmember duchen, you have the floor. >> Thank you. Mayor, I'm just grabbing the document here. >> This one. Thank you. >> And I've also got a slide deck that we used last night, the town hall that I really just want to show like three slides from, if that's possible. >> Thank you. >> I'm still not getting this thing to work. Oh, there we go. Okay. I'm just going to talk about really three slides very quickly just to set the context [12:02:39 PM] quickly just to set the context for this proposal. One is to just talk briefly about the structural deficit. And that's just really to emphasize the importance of having, I think, a robust conversation about how we're going to approach this going forward. My concern is that we're going to be back in the same place that we are right now, and as little as two years, having this conversation about how we figure out how to manage future deficit, unless we're thoughtful about really trying to address how we're essentially spending more than we are taking in, in revenue, particularly in a time where we've got decreased sales tax projections. And I'm just going to flip to the end here. And just share with you. So we did a survey in our district. We had about 230 responses. And one of the things that we took away from that survey was just like the city survey that we saw, there was very little appetite to and very little indication that we were that people wanted us to spend [12:03:41 PM] that people wanted us to spend more money. And so this two cent proposal, from my perspective, represents really, I think, the maximum appetite I heard in the room last night. And then this is the responses of folks that we heard as far as their priorities. And you can pretty clearly see it's public safety followed by utilities, as I just mentioned, regarding the Austin energy amendment, followed by wildfire flood mitigation and parks. And that's the reason I'm getting to this, is because that's what's really the focus of this two cent proposal, which is making sure that we are restoring and over time, making sure that we've got appropriate Ariel staffing, given the changes that we've made in the code over the last six months, making sure that we appropriately prepare for wildfire mitigation, both in terms of AFD and parks budget, which we use for slightly different things, and then trying to do our best getting back to parkland maintenance, there's we're also restoring the cola for 2027 for city staff. [12:04:42 PM] cola for 2027 for city staff. And we're also trying to make sure that we're at 18% in our reserve ratio at the end of fiscal year 2027, which I think there's only one other proposal we're looking at that winds up in approximately the same place. So again, we're really trying to take the feedback that we heard that people wanted to see safety and parks and wildfire mitigation and reflecting them in a two penny proposal that squarely addresses those issues. Thank you. >> Members. Any questions of councilmember duchen? Okay. Thank you, councilmember. And we'll go to the proposal that I put up on the message board last Friday. So everybody's had that, and I'm not going to walk through it point by point. What I will point out, though, is that obviously a key emphasis of my proposal. First of all, it's a three and a half cent proposal, and a key emphasis of that proposal was fully funding the [12:05:43 PM] proposal was fully funding the homeless strategy office. That has been a key emphasis of mine from the beginning of any discussion about whether we would go above the voter approval rate. And so I've tried to focus on that thought. I had thought I when I had asked questions about the homeless strategy office and, and how it gets fully actualized. I thought I had done that in this. I after a question the mayor pro tem asked the other day of the homeless strategy officer, he indicated that it wasn't fully funded. So I'm I'm hoping today I can say how you fully fund it and it stays that way today. But here's here's what I think you would I would do in my proposal. What I would do is I would adjust that proposal. So you would add around 3.5 million in order to fully fund it. And the way I would do that, at least [12:06:47 PM] way I would do that, at least initially, the way I would suggest we do that is in the transfer to reserves that you see in my proposal, there's a $16.7 million transfer to reserves. I would at least initially suggest that if we were to do this, that's the way we would fund it, as opposed to increasing the tax rate. As part of that, I will say that in order to fully fund the homeless strategy office, if there were discussion that we didn't want to reduce that reserve, that is, you know, that that 3.5 million I would be willing to see funded as part of the TRE, even if it impacted the three and a half cent by increasing it. The second thing I'd mention is I'd also like to point out that there's a minor change on my proposal sheet under the public safety section that titles the line correctly. The way I had it [12:07:47 PM] line correctly. The way I had it was emergency mobile crisis outreach team and its expanded mobile crisis outreach team. And I think I think I had it screwed up. I think we all knew what I was trying to say, but I had that messed up and I would make that change as well. Anybody got any questions for me? Yeah. Mayor pro tem. >> Thank you. And thank you, mayor. I appreciate the commitment that you laid out in this updated TRE and having the homelessness strategy office fully funded with the plan that they presented. You mentioned the 3.5 million that would go towards prevention and diversion. >> That's right. The question you asked the other day of our homeless strategy officer, where he said, well, I've got I've got current funding, but I don't have it beyond apparently I misunderstood that previously or somehow had it wrong. So what I want to do is make sure it is as part of this to fully fund that plan. >> Very good. Thank you. And then also, mayor just also wanted to appreciate that in [12:08:47 PM] wanted to appreciate that in your proposal here you have trauma recovery center and the family stabilization grant also included. And we've heard several testimony throughout these work sessions that speak to both of these programs. So I deeply appreciate that you've included them in your proposal. >> Thank you. Mayor pro tem. Yes. Councilmember vela. >> Just wanted to and then a question on the additional 3.5 million that would be and I'm sorry, I'm just trying to catch up a little bit. >> Sure. >> No problem on that. On what categories on that. The homeless strategy strategy office plan that they laid out. >> Well, it would be the preventative. Mr. Mr. Gray, why don't you come down? Because I don't want to misspeak since I've already created confusion on this. >> And I appreciate that because I think we're all kind of talking about the same thing. But sometimes having. >> I think that's right. And so I want to make sure, like I said, since I apparently was confused, I want to make sure that we get it straight from the homeless strategy officer's mouth. [12:09:47 PM] mouth. >> Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. David gray, homeless strategy officer for the city of Austin. The $3.3 million would. Cover the. >> Prevention category. Diversion. >> And our landlord engagement. >> Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Gray. And just another quick comment, mayor. I see that you have the sobering center funds. Yes. In there. And I just wanted to give you a shout out for that. That's a critical part of our downtown safety puzzle. It's where APD and ems take, folks. It's a diversion program. And I appreciate you including that. I think that's a that's an important priority. >> I'm old enough to remember the state senator that passed the enabling legislation so that the city of Austin could have a sobering center. Yeah, yeah. >> Were the initials kw? >> Yeah, as a matter of fact. So I appreciate you bringing that up. Yes. Council member alter. >> I just want to second, you know, I think I'm pretty sure [12:10:48 PM] know, I think I'm pretty sure everything on this list was incorporated in our list as well. And so I think these are all very vital, important things. And so I appreciate your support and signal for all this. I was just curious, just because it's not on the bottom here, can you remind us what is the reserve percentage here. >> Oh I want to I'm going to get them to give me the exact number because that's bounced back around and I'm afraid I'll give you a wrong answer. Do you have that 16.768? >> Are you. >> Talking about in fy 29? >> Well let's start with that okay. >> So I can't be for. >> Sure that I'm. >> On the same page as your staff. >> Exactly. >> But great answer. >> But according to what I. >> Have programed into. >> Our model updated. >> For. >> Certification, this scenario would end fy 29 at 16.69% in. >> Reserves 29 or 26. >> 2926 it would get to 16.2%. [12:11:52 PM] >> 2926 it would get to 16.2%. >> Okay. >> And just so that you'll know, I'm not sure it's apropos of your question, but maybe it is. But part of the reason I feel so comfortable saying to you that if we were to go with this alternative, paying for the items that I would be adding so that we are confident we are fully funded homeless, I would feel comfortable taking it out of that. 6.7 is because while that would reduce, I think we would still be well above 15. And that's the way I'm playing with that. Okay, other questions or thoughts on that proposal? Okay. Thank you all very much. That will now take us. Hang on. To the proposal of districts of the quorum of district six, seven, eight and nine. And I'm [12:12:53 PM] seven, eight and nine. And I'm not sure who the spokesperson is for I will be looks like I'm looking at her. All right, council member Ellis, you have the floor. >> I think I drew the short straw. So I get to lay this this proposal out. Like you said, this is from council members Laine Selig, Ellis Siegel and qadri. We think that this proposal strikes a responsible balance between funding the community's needs and still making sure that we are being mindful of the impact on property tax bills for the average family. We think it does a great job of lifting up the most vulnerable in our community, while providing necessary city services that we know everybody wants to be able to deliver to our constituents. It's been thoroughly vetted by financial staff. We were able to balance the needs that we have currently with the long term, the long term health of the budget stabilization reserve. We want to make sure that those dollars are available in the event of whatever the next natural disaster is going to be, because this is what helps float our budget until we can get our [12:13:53 PM] our budget until we can get our FEMA reimbursements. At the end of doing these negotiations, I think financial staff looked at our fourth year projections and had found a typo. And so our proposal is actually getting us back to the 17% stabilization reserves and funding all of these programs over the four year outlook to be able to have the four green boxes at the end of the proposal. So I'm really proud that we were able to make that work. It does look at the entire four year horizon, which is what staff has suggested, to make sure that we don't do a TRE any more than every four years. It does not predetermine that there will be one every four years, but our proposal includes funding for the community needs, including sidewalk maintenance, elimination of most residential pool entrance fees, lifeguard recruitment and retention, library materials, materials, school based food pantries, domestic violence shelter support, reentry, workforce development, forensic science staff, rapid response, forensic evidence processing, restoring the police oversight budget, and [12:14:55 PM] the police oversight budget, and money for the homelessness strategy office to be able to work through their plans. It also includes greater funding for certain community needs, including core public health grants that are currently at risk, ems communications personnel, which are 911 call takers, mental health first responders and ems collaborative care. The c4 personnel and field commander. So this builds upon some of the other proposals that come in at lower tier dollars, but it does land at 5.7 $0.05, which we think provides the necessary enhancements and is still mindful of the budgetary needs of families in Austin. >> Thank you. Councilmember. Mayor pro tem. >> Thank you. And thank you to my colleagues for this proposal. The item that you have for the community violence intervention program funding. Can you all speak to that item? Does that include funding for the trauma recovery center and or the restorative justice center? >> This was not one that I added [12:15:55 PM] >> This was not one that I added in. So perhaps someone else in the sub quorum can speak more directly to it. >> Can somebody answer that question? And if not, put it on the if you could put it on the message board. >> We'll find out those details. I know we've all been on the phone a lot over the past week, so we'll figure out where that need came from. >> Okay. Very good. Thank you. And on the library materials, do you have more details on that one. >> Anybody answer that okay. Let's put that on the message board as well. >> Absolutely. >> And the lifeguard recruitment and retention. >> What's the question. >> More details for it's a half a million for lifeguard. >> Council member Siegel. Thank you mayor and mayor pro tem. >> This would. >> Allow the city to keep more pools open in the summer by reducing barriers to entry for lifeguarding. >> Jobs. >> Including a $400 training stipend, providing a uniform and covering certification fees for new and. >> Returning lifeguards. >> So it's a stipend and [12:16:57 PM] >> So it's a stipend and certification fee would add the number of lifeguards that we have on staff. >> Yes, make it easier to become a lifeguard, is the idea by by paying for training, providing for a uniform and covering the fees for certification? >> Okay. And I imagine it's because we have a we have a vacancy gap right now with lifeguards. >> Yes. And just in general that a lot of the closure of pools or the closure of parts of pools relates to inadequate staffing. >> Very good. Thank you. >> And I have an answer on the library materials. It's in the community investment budget okay. It's their recommendation. >> Thank you. >> Councilmember vela. >> Mayor, I have a question. I think this would be more for a staff with regard to the bonuses or the lifeguard retention and recruitment. A couple of questions. First of all, I know when I got on council, we had some serious problems with with [12:17:58 PM] some serious problems with with pools being open at the start of the season. I we raised those that one year that we raised the city's minimum wage up to $20 an hour. Now it's up to 22. It will be, I think, at 22, oh five. And have we had problems with pool closures over the last couple of Summers? >> Thank you. Council member Jesus. Parks and recreation I can't point specifically to the closures of the last couple Summers. I will say that that recruitment and retention of lifeguards is a perennial issue across the country, not just here. I think that part of the reason that we're staffed up this year is because we've been able to offer those bonuses, we've been able to pay folks for the training. And the way that it's set up is they get paid for the training once they once they commit to working with us. >> And again, my understanding, I don't know if this is correct, but was the Austin parks foundation helping us with where they are providing that that [12:18:58 PM] they are providing that that money? In the past. >> They were providing a portion. >> Of that money. >> Yeah, roughly $100,000 was coming from the parks foundation, and the rest we. >> Pulled out of various. >> Other sources in the department. >> And are they no longer providing that $100,000 for the lifeguard recruitment and retention? >> I don't believe we've had that gotten that commitment yet from them. >> All right. Thank you very much. >> Sorry. Council member duchen. >> Thank you. Mayor. Really quickly, you've got a one time placeholder for fire, which I'm assuming is to address the issues that we're working through. What would you expect to happen after that first year, since it's not funded through the other three years? >> Well, I think at that point we'll have to look at where the budgetary needs are. We also know that the fire department has been looking through their staffing plans and trying to make sure that they have, you know, a better balance of which shifts are being used and paid for with regular time versus overtime. So we know that this [12:19:58 PM] overtime. So we know that this is currently at the top of everyone who's working with fire department to make sure that we're closing the gap between the shifts that are allocated to be regular time dollars versus overtime dollars. So as we work through that conversation, I think hopefully those conversations will make some progress and see some change in the actual financial implications year over year. So we're trying to give some time to make it work for now. >> Got it. Thank you very much. >> I just had a closing. >> Okay. >> So I'll. >> Get to you, mayor pro tem then. Councilmember Velasquez. >> Thank you. I'm very interested to learn more about the reentry workforce development program. >> Somebody's got an answer for the mayor. >> This is also an item that's in the community investment budget. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions or comments before I have the. Oh, I'm sorry I did call on you, didn't I? Yeah. I quickly how quickly we. [12:20:59 PM] quickly we. >> Forget about. >> Well I think I'm. >> Going to. >> I think I'm going to. Save all of us some some money right now or at least the other two quorums. I had a question for staff on the something that is ridiculously. >> Important. >> To everybody up here, but the collective. >> Sex crimes. >> Response model. It's in the bbc as 135 I wanted to ask it is it is in every or it's in the in this budget for $150,000. But isn't that covered already in the base budget? And again, it's a bbc 135. And I just want to clarify that. >> Okay, let us keep checking on [12:22:13 PM] >> Okay, let us keep checking on that. If we can keep the conversation going, I need to do some more research. >> Thank you ma'am. >> Thank you. Council member. All right. Other before I ask council member Ellis to close council member Laine. >> My first. >> Thing is I'd like to just clarify a little bit. I've been trying to clarify order of operations here. I have the four budget amendments that are Laine one through four. I'm happy to name them if you want me to. I'm happy to answer questions, or if it is not the right time for me to lay those out. >> Yeah, what I'd indicated is we will go through the TRE items. Then we will go to other amendments that are not part of a TRE. And that's when I'll call on you for that. Okay. And members, just that is a good time for me to point out that what I'll do is I believe everybody has received a packet of council amendments. They're at the top of the page is labeled fy 26 council budget amendments. And then it's it goes by council district one [12:23:14 PM] goes by council district one through ten. And in then they're numbered within that. So for example D one harper-madison 1d2, Fuentes one through three. And what, what my intention was, was, is to just start at the top of that list and go through. Although we've obviously covered nine of those already because we covered those that don't make money changes. Is that okay, council member good deal. >> Mayor. If I could just I think in some ways help clarify councilmember lane's question. Some of us have budget amendments that are in our group's TRE proposal that, for example, council member Ellis didn't explain all the details. And are we just kind of skipping that, like. >> Well, we can do what you're what you're saying is that if the TRE. I don't want to put words in your mouth, if the TRE package weren't to be presented, you would want to present that [12:24:16 PM] you would want to present that as a separate item. Well, then we'll lay it out. That's the purpose of today. >> Is to inform the public. >> Sure, sure. Yeah. That's the purpose of doing this today. So that's what I'll do is in that if it's if it, if it's in the TRE proposal, what I would ask is you let everybody know it's in the TRE proposal. Is that what y'all are after? Okay. Council member qadri. >> Yeah. I just wanted. >> To give quick clarification. >> I forgot who it was, but someone asked who? The reentry. Yes, it was mayor pro tem. >> The partners. >> That that we have are jail to jobs, skill point alliance and the goodwill goodwill industries. Thank you. So this would be a new program. We would be funding. Correct. This is a new program. Okay. >> Great. >> Thank you. >> Council member alter. And then. >> I just want to voice some support on this. I was really pleased to see the zo programmatic and support staff. I think if we are going to be [12:25:16 PM] I think if we are going to be expanding our homelessness programs as we have all proposed, we do, that department needs to have the staff necessary to be successful and that requires administrative staff. It requires staff to be able to analyze the data, get those data for us to be able to see and make smart decisions going forward. So I just wanted to say I really appreciated seeing that. And I know a couple of us have some amendments that I think would fit naturally into that, because we had staff members within, so that I think this would cover. >> So thank you. Councilmember qadri. >> Sorry, I apologize. I just wanted to clarify. No, it's not a new program. We already partnered with those organizations. So and then I think what we're going to we're, we're going to do as a, as a subcommittee will probably provide a little bit more details on a lot of our stuff on the message board post after the after this work session. Yes. Thank you. And my team has flagged for me that it would be an additional one fte and economic development to help with this service. And I do think there, especially with our [12:26:16 PM] think there, especially with our focus around homelessness, what we have identified, and I am supportive of this amendment. I just wanted more information on it, is that there has to be coordination when people are leaving our jails, so they have the stability necessary. It's an important piece on our prevention side of things. And so certainly I welcome it sounds like we need additional support within Ed to help with this type of navigation and service. And so I would be supportive of it. And then we'll have more, more details on, like I said on the message board. Thank you. >> Councilmember. Else you want to close us out. >> I will thank you. And I was going to reiterate what council member qadri had said, which is that our our chiefs of staff and other staffers have been working hard on this, and they are going to be helping us put up on the message board, kind of the background of where all these numbers came from, just for clarity, because I know there's a lot of different sources that are making requests at this time. We also have a pie chart in our our planning strategy that shows, you know, 30% of this is housing, 19% quality of life, 16% is safety, 13% public [12:27:17 PM] life, 16% is safety, 13% public health, 12% directly into homelessness services, and 9% transferring into reserves. And so we wanted to make sure that our four year outlook was very well balanced. But it is also quite a lengthy list. So I didn't want to necessarily read every single thing that's on here, but it does spread out really necessary improvement and investments into public health. All three public safety departments forensic science, the community court, office of police oversight, homeless strategy, the housing department, civilian, you know, city employee wage increases, parks and recreation, economic development, climate and resilience, transportation and public works and libraries. So we worked very hard to hammer through this and try to get to a place where all four of us felt like it was something that we could present and appreciate the consideration. >> Great. Thanks. >> Mayor. >> Mayor. >> Yes. There you are. Sorry, [12:28:20 PM] >> Yes. There you are. Sorry, I'm. I just hear this voice of god. >> No, not at all. I want to give a response to council member Velasquez. Question about the funding. The position is fully funded in the in the budget for fiscal year 26 and 27. >> I just. >> Saved the other two quorums $150,000. >> So that's great. Yeah. That's right. Good. Good work and keep it up. We've got we've got a few more to go through. Yeah. Thank you. Council member. All right. That'll take us to the proposal of the subgroup districts two, three, four and five. And again, I don't know who the spokesperson is, but councilmember alter, you have the floor. >> Thank you very much and appreciate all the other proposals. I think there is a lot of overlap. And so I'm going to go less over anywhere where [12:29:20 PM] to go less over anywhere where there's overlap, because it seems that we all have a more detailed understanding of that and just focus on kind of where some of these differences are, you know, from a high level, we believe that it is critical to fully address the needs of our community. And those needs are multifaceted, as I think a common sentiment, the number one identified need is around homelessness. And so 30% of this proposal funds our homeless programs. And beginning with funding the plan put forward by homeless strategy office in its entirety, I really want to focus in on a couple of those, starting with prevention. Prevention is something that we know is incredibly successful, has a 97% success rate of keeping people housed, and it's very low cost. It's less than a 10th of the cost of putting someone in rapid rehousing or permanent supportive shelter. So the way I have been thinking about this is we are we are a [12:30:21 PM] about this is we are we are a boat that is taking on water. And this plan, the plan is allowing for us to get more water out of that boat. But if we do not plug the holes, it won't matter. We can scoop all day long. We're just we have to cut off that inflow. And so that's what the prevention and the diversion rapid exit programs help us to do is finally make some progress in not only relieving the numbers we have, but stopping that inflow, looking at diversion and rapid exit. And I want to mention within this there is $200,000 that under the mayor pro tem leadership, earmarked for the lgbtq community. That's a recommendation that we believe is very important to include in this proposal as it relates to diversion and rapid exit. This is funded at 3.5 million, and I will note that this is a 94% success rate program. So once again, these dollars at about $800 in intervention. Compare that to $34,000 for supportive housing allows for us to get [12:31:22 PM] housing allows for us to get people right back into housing and not become chronically homeless. And we have funded it at a level that right now there is a diversion program, rapid exit, that sunrise is operating. They've identified over $5 million worth of need. And so we believe once again, to plug those holes, it is critical to. To get to the level of need, not just at that $1.6 million combined total navigation is something that is also not in the other plans. And this is right now we have only a single place where individuals who are homeless can come and get a host of services, and this would allow for them to better receive services throughout the city. Housing, health care, you name it. Mail. Moving on the street, outreach, marshaling, yard, shelters, those are all overlapping. We have a separate initiative related to youth [12:32:25 PM] initiative related to youth homelessness. And this is to really address what we've heard at the public health committee that over the past five years, we have seen youth homelessness more than quadruple in our community. And I applaud the mayor's vision for Austin being the greatest city to be a kid. And I think the only way we can be the greatest city to be a kid is to not have kids living on the street. And so this would allow for us to make that targeted investment, and also unique to these other programs, can actually leverage state and federal funding that still exists, which is kind of shocking these days. But that would help there going on there. This council last fall passed a resolution to transfer delinquent interest or fees and interest on delinquent property taxes to a fund to be used for homelessness, the hope fund. This would just make that transfer so that those funds would be available, similar to the housing trust fund for that purpose. Moving on to housing, we are rapid rehousing something we all have the case managers. [12:33:27 PM] we all have the case managers. We all have the housing vouchers. This is the one enhancement asked for by the housing department. We have a growing need for local housing vouchers and so this allows for that to happen now and in the future especially we see hud is reducing their vouchers. We just lost over around 150 emergency housing vouchers. And this would help address that cut from hud. And last in that category, the housing trust fund restoration. This fully restores the housing trust fund. I really appreciate it. In the other the 5.75 proposal, there is some restoration, but this would be a complete restoration of the housing trust fund moving forward, which is critical to our affordable housing goals as a city. As it relates to employees. I would just note when we came here myself, council member Velasquez, the mayor, councilmember qadri, we were at a 17.8% vacancy rate as a city. And because of really good work by our management and investing in our employees who [12:34:28 PM] investing in our employees who are incredibly valuable, we're down to 10.2%. We have made huge strides, but the only way we continue to make those strides is to continue to invest in our employees. And so these these items here would allow for their future wage increases to recognize that when frontline employees still have to show up to work, there is pay associated with that. And to really lift the floor for the employees making the least by getting a flat pay increase. Next, looking at our our parks and environment, we have overlap on the land, natural land and restoration for wildfire prevention. This is just to fund the land management program. Parks maintenance is something I think we've seen a lot of overlap. This would get about 45 of the 60 ftes that we've identified are short. And on this Austin civilian conservation corps also some overlap there. And then one time costs associated with some of [12:35:29 PM] costs associated with some of those, we do have a slight difference in the climate revolving fund. We funded a slightly higher level, the climate implementation plan put forward by the Austin climate action resilience department, asked for $10 million within the staff proposals. That was set at 5 million. We have split that 5 million over two fiscal years. And what's really unique about this is that it's going to pay itself back over time. This we take money, we put it into an investment that saves money for the city, and then we recycle it. So it really allows for that ongoing evergreen. But it needs that seed funding. And then I will note the electric landscape. We talked about that. We thought there was going to be some general fund associated. There's not. So you can just ignore that for the moment. And the bond project planning, we had a resolution back in 2024 to plan for certain elements throughout the for the bond process and the bond committee to consider. One of those is [12:36:30 PM] to consider. One of those is around a splash park. And once again, I think that really plays into that greatest city to be a kid. And this is something that will allow park to actually do that planning and for us as a body to consider it. Without this money, we can't consider that for the bond. Looking at our public health and social services programs, you know, just recognizing the complete slashing of the social safety net that we have seen at the federal level, especially, and making targeted investments that are going to save us money in the long run. And so the first one, restoring our social service contracts, one thing I will note on this is that within those budget, they have identified that if we don't do this in the next fiscal year, they will have to cut $8 million. And most of those contracts are around permanent supportive housing. So we could fully fund the plan. And then next year still see an $8 million shortfall because we don't restore the social service [12:37:32 PM] don't restore the social service contracts called for in the budget or that are currently funded. Mayor pro tem spoke about the trauma recovery center. There is overlap on these, the core public health grants at risk, as well as the Williamson county child advocacy center that I. I know councilmember Laine is championing our family justice center, which is a new collaboration with the county where they are putting up over $3 million to help victims, survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, stalking and human trafficking. And this would be the city's participation in that program, the family stabilization grants. We've talked about sobering center and its original champion on the dais here, our parent support specialist, which are also seen in in the two higher proposals, harm reduction. Again, one of these areas where if we make investments, we can save ems response, police response, emergency health care, [12:38:33 PM] response, emergency health care, the things that allow for us to save money by making smart investments, immigration services, you know, at a time when we have relentless attacks, especially from the state and federal governments on our immigrant community, we think it's critical to really fund programs that help our immigrant community thrive. Here in Austin, Texas, we heard from a couple people today about the importance of the mpox and HIV vaccination and funding programs. These are recommendations from the lgbtq quality of life commission's incredibly impactful for our lgbtq community. Pre-k startup costs. This is a small but %-really impactful program that helps expand our pre-k programs throughout this the community. And this would be to fund the two that are not funded in the base budget. Family connects. Another one of these programs were a little a little investment pays huge dividends [12:39:35 PM] investment pays huge dividends for new moms who need that extra help and supporting them after a new having a newborn, it ensures that not only mom, but baby are healthy in the future, and that lowers cost to the system. Bilingual stem academy. We had a speaker from district five talk about this and the good work that's going on there with the Mac and right now, academic, academia, cuauhtli and really want to recognize the value of that to the community. And then the flood insurance program, I think we all recognize the importance of addressing the flooding that we are going to see as a community and helping ensure people are insured moving forward. That's the one time cost to start up some of those programs previously discussed moving to public safety. We a broad agreement around wildfire mitigation looking as well for Austin fire department around addressing both their overtime [12:40:37 PM] addressing both their overtime needs as well some of the enhancements that they have looked for aerials being one piece of that, you know, making sure that you don't have equipment with or clothing with pfas and other equipment, just things that we can do to help keep firefighters safe. So we put that placeholder there, overlap on the ems, bls units to add one basic life support unit per year over the next few years. That was ems enhancement number five. You have the collaborative care response unit, c4 as ems enhancement number eight. And this would be six specialists to do that in two vehicles, three additional call takers, which was also an ems enhanced enhancement request. Looking at community violence intervention. We've had some great testimony here about the importance of community violence, community violence intervention, and this would help maintain service levels in the Ramberg, Georgian acres and Riverside south pleasant valley areas, and really recognizing that public health is public safety and we are going to be safer as a community when we [12:41:38 PM] safer as a community when we prevent violence and invest in our communities. The mayor talked about earlier. I will just note, I we spoke to integral care, and I know some of us have this at 3,500,000. Integral care has indicated that the cost to continue this program would be 3,086,000. So slightly less, you know, save a couple 100,000. Like my colleague here to my right, some startup costs associated in the one time there and then to bring us home in the arts and animals category. Looking at the creative space assistance program to meet the demands there. The we know the national endowment of the arts grants have been once again slashed by the federal government, helping to some money here to help support our arts community. Regional animal adoption center to address the stresses we see at the Austin animal shelter, and then some funding for millennium upgrades and operations, as noted. So all that together brings us to 6.75 cent package. It puts us at a 17.74 reserve level in fiscal [12:42:41 PM] 17.74 reserve level in fiscal year 26. By fiscal year 29, that number is 17.88. And what I would just kind of close with is, you know, the reserves are something that I think we have to reckon there's a fine balance between it. We are under some real financial pressures today, and I do think utilizing reserves is a responsible thing because that's what they're there for. But also recognizing that, you know, the state is looking to lower the cap from 3.5% to 2.5%. And four years out. That means $40 million less in revenue, and that's almost 3% of reserves if that's where it came from. So if we did this and the state did their revenue cap, that would be just, you know, something we'd have to deal with from a reserve level. So I appreciate all the work of the sub quorum, and we are happy to answer any questions, but hopefully provided such clarity that there are none. And there's. [12:43:43 PM] there's. >> One council member. Qadri. >> No, I do want to give you your flowers. You did. You did provide a lot of clarity, but I did have a few questions on, I guess, page three of y'all's proposal under employees the frontline employee bad weather pay. How did you all get to I guess the numbers that you all got to we. >> We spoke to. >> Acm Carbajal around that. We spoke to staff on it. >> Okay, great. And then on page four I'm sorry you're done with that one. I'm done with that one. Perfect. Great. I appreciate the clarity on that. And then on page four under the core public health grants at risk for that funding if I don't know if you already have a list, but what programs are you guys wanting to prioritize? >> So we've got this number from the staff proposal. There were within the staff tier proposals at some of the lower levels. They identified kind of what we've colloquially said, the core of the core at 1.5 million, and then raise that number to 4 [12:44:45 PM] and then raise that number to 4 million. We can get the exact list of what the difference basically between ours and yours is, because I assume that's kind of the heart of your question. >> Sure. Well, and it's your sub quorum has it at 4 million. Ours is at 1.1 and a half. So I would if staff can. And truly, I really would love for staff to help guide us through how to unpack that, just mostly because there are many of us who are very interested in ensuring that this tier proposal has the restoration of the core public health contracts, and we're looking for staff to understand the difference between 4 million and 1.5 million, which contracts and services would fall under that? >> And they're not going to do that. Hang on, hang on. Are you finished? >> I had one more question. >> Yeah. Please go ahead. >> Am I waiting for staff to answer? If staff. >> Is, they'll need to get back on. Okay. Yeah. And by the way, just as an aside, I'll talk more about it once we finish all these proposals. But one of the things that I was going to ask that we do is, is have staff. And I've already talked to Carrie Lang about this, have [12:45:46 PM] Carrie Lang about this, have staff look at where there's consistency in the overall item between proposals, but inconsistency in the numbers so that if nothing else, just to call that to our attention, I think it's obvious that we know. But but call it to everybody's attention, call it to the public's attention, and then help figure out because that will make a difference, I think, on what the target is on any motion we make. Councilmember zo qadri. >> Yeah, and this might just be a question for staff just to get back. And maybe I'm just not my numbers are off somewhere. But, you know, our quorum had called for a full restoration of the housing trust fund. I believe y'all's core quorum has also called for that. But the numbers are are a bit different. So if we could just get clarity from from staff on where there might be a discrepancy and whose numbers are, I guess, closer to what the number is. >> Good. Yeah. Thank you. So do you want to can you answer. [12:46:48 PM] you want to can you answer. >> That for the core grants in particular? I think when we looked at the 1.5 million, which was in the first amount, it included the assumptions of immunizations, the STD grant, part of the disease surveillance grant, and then the $5 million amount included those plus the remaining HIV epidemic. And I believe it's HIV clinical tb and the biowatch and partial funding for the refugee grant. So that's how those dollars are split up between the 1.5 and the 4.5. >> And so but going up to the 5 million, those have already been cut or at risk. >> Those are at risk. They have not been cut to date. >> Okay. >> And except for the refugee, refugee has been cut. >> And how much is that one. >> 5 million. [12:47:49 PM] >> 5 million. >> Thank you. >> You finished? >> I'm done. Great. Councilmember vela. >> Yeah. And I would offer this again. We were looking at this. My understanding is the distinction is that we were targeting the programs that had been cut, not the at risk, because there's a there's a larger list that is was listed as at risk. And I think, again, looking at the discrepancy between the 1.5 and the $4 million, is that is that basically what you're seeing too? >> Yes. Well, we separated the amounts from the core aff grants, core services and community based services. And so as we were looking at the those options, the thought was to fund the core services for aff, knowing that those dollars could be at risk. And then looking at the community based grants separately. >> Great. Thank you. Councilmember Ellis. >> I had a clarification. Sorry if I'm asking for you to repeat [12:48:50 PM] if I'm asking for you to repeat because there's a lot moving on right now. So it sounds like with the discrepancy in the grants, did the sub quorum that Ryan's presenting right now, is it that some of that 1.5 is lower than our 4 million, because these other line items are broken out within your proposal? Or are these. >> Understandings that they were different, that there were there are grants that are at risk from separate funding streams? And then some of these programs are that are listed below, are taking one time funding and turning it into ongoing. So we have grants like clinic that would become an ongoing revenue stream. >> Okay. Thanks for the clarification on that. And then I just wanted to double check when we were talking about the housing trust fund. Our restoration of that fund ensures contracts and obligations we have for the displacement prevention program, as well as ongoing compliance and monitoring of our affordable housing investments in some, all existing uses of the housing trust fund are covered in the one that we have proposed. And [12:49:52 PM] one that we have proposed. And so the restoration that the sub quorum presenting right now has offered accounts for the other few million dollars that were taken out of the hif this year for permanent supportive housing services and marshaling yard, which were likely downtown density bonus fee in lieu. So I just want to make sure we're kind of keeping keeping those straight as as we work through a lot of very complex topics. >> Good point. Thank you. Anything else with regard to this sub quorums proposal? Okay, great. What we'll do now is we will go to what I'll call the standalone potential amendments. Again, as has been pointed out, even if this amendment is included in a proposal, feel free to if it, feel free to call it out. If it is included in a proposal, it would be helpful, I think, and it would be helpful to me. I think it'd probably be [12:50:53 PM] to me. I think it'd probably be helpful to all of us to know whether it's included in a proposal or it's a standalone. And we'll the list I'm going to go through is I'm going to just start with D one and go through. It will end up being D seven because I think we've covered D eight and d10, which were the two that had additional proposed amendments. So council member harper-madison, you're recognized on harper-madison one proposed amendment one. >> Thank you. >> Mr. Mayor. >> And for. >> What it's worth, as of today, what was formerly. >> Council member harper-madison. >> One through three is now one with no impact. Departmentally essentially. >> As addressing. >> Need around. >> Housing that addresses supervised independent housing for. >> Young adults. >> Most especially considering folks that are aging out of foster care system. [12:51:53 PM] foster care system. >> So homelessness prevention obviously there and. >> Then some considerations around. One time funding for domestic violence shelters and operational services provided for the city of Austin. >> Great. Thank you. Any questions? Councilmember harper-madison? All right. That'll go to the mayor pro tem and mayor pro tem. I do have one. >> Quick question for councilor harper-madison and her staff on the domestic violence shelter support. I see it's also on the sub quorum. Trek has it as 250,000 harper-madison has it as 850,000. Is this also part of the sib recommendation? I'm just trying to see if there's commonality with this. With both of these amendments. >> I'd say what you just said is duplicative. So the 850 is taking into consideration what formerly was a singular amendment for 250 to address shelter operations, and in which [12:52:53 PM] shelter operations, and in which case it's combined now. So what would have otherwise been a three parter is a one parter. And so the 850 includes a 250. >> Very good. Okay. Just wanted to highlight that for staff because it seems like there's at least five council members. I myself also support six council members and support for funding to some extent of the domestic violence shelter support colleagues for the. I have three amendments. The first one is senior transportation programs. This amendment allocates funding to close a staffing gap in the varsity generation outreach program, which provides social engagement for older adults in underserved communities. It also funds an additional two part time senior programing positions to expand programing to centers that don't currently offer these programs. The recommendation for this came out of pafb and know that they recommended five and. But the amendment as being considered right now is just to get us started. So it's two. And then just know that this also aside from it being a small [12:53:56 PM] aside from it being a small fraction of the need, I believe that this builds on a previously adopted council resolution which affirmed our commitment to making Austin an age friendly city. >> Questions. Okay. >> My amendment number two is on historic preservation. This. In 2017, an audit found that historic preservation office has one of the lowest staffing levels compared to peer cities. Last year, council adopted the equity based preservation plan, which includes recommendations to increase historic preservation office staffing to engage the community, identify gaps and and to bring forward recommendations on how we can best address demolitions and construction activity. Other components of the historic preservation plan. >> Questions or comments. All right. >> Lastly, this amendment number three is around home delivered meals for older adults. This is for individuals who are not able to prepare their own meals or enduring economic hardship. We know that many organizations have faced federal funding cuts. [12:54:58 PM] have faced federal funding cuts. So part of this amendment will address some of the federal funding gaps that we're seeing in the community. There are a number of individuals, I believe my team pulled the numbers over 140 seniors in Austin that are on the wait list for meals. So this is gap funding to help increase capacity, but also gap funding because we anticipate that there will be even greater need given the congressional cuts to snap. >> Councilmember alter. >> I just want to voice my support for this. I think it's a great amendment and would like to add my name to it. >> Thank you. >> Other comments or thoughts? Thank you. Mayor pro tem councilmember Velasquez, you have two proposed amendments. >> Thank you mayor. >> The first one is it geospatial analyst budget? Our budget amendment. I'm happy to see that every one of our scenarios puts a premium on our homeless response system. There's definitely a need for robust outreach in district three. I know my constituents want a more rapid response, but [12:55:59 PM] want a more rapid response, but right now that is simply not possible. In the zo street outreach and encampment strategy presented to the public health committee in April, a new technology was proposed by director David gray. A dashboard with gis features to prioritize encampment management internally and externally to complement the street outreach and response. At zo, the department would need a geospatial analyst. This amendment provides that so that we are not overburdening our communications and technology management department, and that's Velasquez one, the second amendment we're no longer bringing okay. >> Members, any questions on Velasquez one? Okay. Then we'll go to district four. Councilmember vela, you have two proposals. >> Thank you. Mayor. The first amendment is for the international relations office. This was a request when the international relations office was formerly in the economic development department. It's been moved into the city manager's office. And I think we have a one employee handling all [12:57:00 PM] have a one employee handling all that. Just a note that Williamson county recently opened an office in South Korea with regard to Samsung moving over there so they can facilitate essentially investment in Williamson county from South Korea, Dallas. And I'll say my understanding from numerous conversations in this area is that Dallas, San Antonio and Houston also have much more developed programs. International relations office that foster economic, cultural and educational exchange. We get so many visitors from all around the world. I've hosted them many times. I know a lot of y'all have done the same. Delegations from Taiwan and Argentina and everywhere. And we have one gentleman that's doing a great job of it, but it's really too much for him alone. And we need a larger office that handles [12:58:04 PM] a larger office that handles this. That said, and I say this, I hesitate to say this, but this is probably a surplus year item and not necessarily a deficit year item. So I won't be offering it as a full on amendment just in consideration of the needs and the discussions around the TRE. But I did just want to take a moment to highlight the overall need for a larger and better international relations office. My second amendment goes to the employee pay raises that we have been discussing and that we will be debating. I've been very happy to support work from home for our employees. Previously, when I had my law firm, I mean, we after the pandemic, we kind of [12:59:07 PM] after the pandemic, we kind of stuck with a lot of the work from home. It's been very productive. I think there's a lot to be gained from employee retention and recruitment and happiness. And just in general, it's a it's a great it's a great development in the professional world. That said, I feel for all of the employees that are not eligible for work from home, and I'm thinking of our non-sworn employees here. I just want to clarify that we're talking about, you know, the airport and our water utility and our electric utility and our custodial staff and the many other folks that have to show up every day. I feel like they have not gotten the pay raises have been the same for both employees that have benefited from a work from home schedule, and employees that have not benefited from a work from home schedule. And I feel like there should be some adjustment whereby the employees that have not are not able, because of [1:00:07 PM] not are not able, because of their duties to work from home, should receive some kind of additional raise. There should be some distinction to kind of catch them up with the employees who have been able to work from home. I mean, I think about work from home. You probably saving at least a half hour a day, maybe an hour a day again, depending on where you live. It's just a huge enhancement to the quality of life. It really is a pay bump in, although not in your pay check, but just in your overall quality of life. And I really do believe that we owe it to the workers that come in every day again through traffic, no matter the situation, the five days a week, 40 hours a week, if not more, to acknowledge that other employees have gotten a benefit that they have not received. And to make up for that, in some ways, we have a question and what it would cost to add an additional, let's say, 1% cola for those employees that have not benefited from the work from [1:01:09 PM] benefited from the work from home that's pending. I just wanted to raise that as an issue. And it's something that I intend to keep pushing on. Let's see what we can do over this next week and see what those numbers look like. But it's an it's an issue. It's a matter of, I think, fairness and respect for those employees that have to come in regardless of the, the situation. And then lastly, I would just I'll comment briefly on the budget. Ifc's too. We have a dsd item that we're working with the department on trying to adjust some of the fees. This council has done a lot of work on affordability, on small development, affordability, in particular trying to push down the minimum lot size, trying to allow two three units per lot to make housing more affordable. And I want to make sure that we're not undoing any of the good work [1:02:11 PM] undoing any of the good work that we have done on the zoning and planning side by increasing fees to where those those homeowners are now, and they're so sensitive to those. That's the multifamily, the big projects, you know, 100 units, 300 units. I'm not as worried about it. The fees make up a very small proportion of the cost of those projects. But when you're talking about a two unit, a three unit project, the fees make up a much higher proportion of those projects, and that can really affect the viability of some of those projects. So this would be an adjustment to the fee schedule, not necessarily to the budget, you know, per se. But I just wanted to point out that we are going to be looking at that as part of our kind of budget work. >> Thank you. Councilmember. Councilmember alter, I'll recognize you on proposed alter three. And then you have a number of other ones, but you've covered some of them. But I'll go to alter three. >> Thank you very much. And I [1:03:11 PM] >> Thank you very much. And I just like to voice my support for the 1% wage increase for the non-sworn the vela two, if I may add myself on his list. All right. Alter three. Is for a position within the parks department for the stewardship and community in community initiated park projects program manager, essentially allowing for someone to help organize and administer people who want to do things for our parks. You know, right now, if you had an organization, let's say a neighborhood that wanted to go beautify its local park, they might be willing to make that investment themselves. But if they go to the parks department, there's not someone there who can help guide them in how to do that. And so this would help allow for us to leverage philanthropy and public dollars into our parks system. We are working on potentially seeing if this could be funded privately, but if not, it would be [1:04:13 PM] but if not, it would be $110,000. We talked about number four. Number five is climate and resilience staffing for a sustainable program manager and an energy manager. And these two ftes were part of an enhancement request from the Austin climate and resilience. Department. Still getting used to these new names. And the energy manager program is really important because if we fund the that revolving fund for our city facilities, you need someone who can manage what those energy savings are and what just how that program would, would be able to continue to make those new investments. And so this particular the energy manager position is essential for that program. And then separately, a sustainable program manager to help do what we have asked this department to do. And that is [1:05:16 PM] department to do. And that is really look at our purchasing as a, as a city and, and utilize our purchasing power to help steer the market in a more sustainable way and just make more sustainable investments when we're spending literally billions of dollars as a city. So this fte would do that. And the way this would be funded is a combination of some general fund as well as through the enterprise support services fund, which is how that office and there you go, same office again is partly funded. Next is alter six. And I believe this one would fit really nicely. As I mentioned earlier, into what the I'll just say the 5.75 sub quorum has put forward for two ftes within the homeless strategy office that would allow for us to both analyze the data of the investments we're making [1:06:18 PM] of the investments we're making so that we can see what's working, what might need adjusting, but really to be able to not just be blind in our investments, but make really data informed decisions moving forward for these large volumes of dollars, as well as a process improvements individual who can help create a public facing dashboard not only for our consumption, but if we're going to be going to the public and saying, we want you to invest millions of dollars into homelessness, they need to be able to see what the results of that were. And so I think this would allow for us to create that dashboard and maintain it. And when we went to Denver, that was one of the key things that they talked about was they said they were going to get 1000 people off the street, and they had a dashboard that said, today we're at 978. And so the public really bought into I see what I'm getting for my investment. And I think that's really critical, just from an accountability perspective, that we show the public that we are using these dollars to achieve real results. We talked about neighborhood partnering program. So last but not least is alter [1:07:19 PM] So last but not least is alter eight, which is a pilot for non-sworn public safety responders. And we have heard, you know, a number of times about concerns around the volume to which our budget is public safety. And one way to bend that cost curve is to recognize that we can use non-sworn staff for certain responses. The police department got a consultant to help identify ways to address staffing issues across the department, and one of the recommendations they made was to utilize non-sworn staff for various things like crash reports or parking violations and so on. And so this would be a pilot program to help initiate that. I've worked with my colleague here, the chair of the public safety committee, councilmember Velasquez, and think that this would be a meaningful way to enhance the public safety of our community and also address the long term cost concerns that public safety [1:08:19 PM] cost concerns that public safety is just driving in our budget, and that is it. >> Thank you. Anybody got any questions? Councilmember alter? Yes, councilmember Ellis. >> I have one brief one and it's on one that I'm a co-sponsor of. So I'm obviously supportive of the idea. But on the ticketing, the extra $0.02 per dollar. Let me get the language for tier three ticket price over $101 and above $4, and then plus a two cent for every dollar. It's my understanding that some of the ticketing systems may not be equipped to collect that, so I just didn't know if that was on your radar. >> Yeah, we're working with the entities that would be impacted or the events that would be impacted to see that they have those data or not. And as we work through that to next week, we'll figure out if this is doable. It's just like I said it was a way to evergreen it. If not, then we're just gonna have to continually update it in the out years. >> Perfect. And then my only other brief point is on altar eight, the non-sworn public safety response. I like the idea of looking into this and just [1:09:21 PM] of looking into this and just want to flag that we've increased through transportation, staffing, the mso, the Texas municipal service officer who can give the tickets even though they're not police officers. So if there's any way that we can leverage those capabilities, that just may be something. Another question you want to ask or know more details about. >> That sounds great. Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Mayor pro tem. >> Thank you. Yes. Along the lines from councilmember Ellis. I too am super interested in the non-sworn public safety response pilot. We know that oftentimes we hear from constituents who want a timely response. They want to hear from someone as quickly as possible. So I would like to be added as a co- sponsor for this amendment. My question I have is with the pilot program, you're mentioning using non- sworn personnel. So this would not add any additional ftes. You'd be using ftes civilians within APD or across various departments. >> So the Barry Dunn report envisions envisions two [1:10:21 PM] envisions envisions two potentials. One that you laid out where you could use existing staff to kind of backfill what a sworn officer is now no longer doing. You know, we've had this move to patrol. And so there are other areas, but also. Utilizing it could be a contracted service where you contract with somebody to go do those crash reports instead of an APD officer showing up. >> Okay. >> So and other cities have done that as well. >> Oh very good. >> Yeah. >> Very good. Thank you. >> Other questions for councilmember alter okay. Thank you councilmember will. No. Now go to council member Laine who has three proposed amendments. Councilmember Laine will recognize you on proposed item number one. >> Thank you. Before I jump into that, I'd like to be added as a co-sponsor to that pilot. Thank you very much for getting the ball rolling. I also want to thank all the colleagues that I've heard from the other sub quorum. So much common ground there. So love what I'm hearing [1:11:21 PM] there. So love what I'm hearing specifically. Also, councilmember vela, do you know how much it warms my heart that someone besides me mentioned that wilco has been in these types of conversations with Samsung? Thank you. Love it and also has been a pleasure to work on the development services and permitting fees issues. Appreciate that so much. Turning now to my proposed budget amendments. Laine one is one time gap funding for sidewalk construction. This amendment uses certificates of obligation to provide $10 million in one time gap financing, making sure that sidewalk construction doesn't stall before new bond funding is available. It helps us to avoid delays that would increase costs, disrupt work crews, and push back safety improvements that our communities have already needed for far too long and are still counting on coming. Sidewalks are one of the most efficient, cost effective infrastructure projects the city of Austin delivers. If we're serious about safety, equity and climate, and also making Austin the best city [1:12:22 PM] also making Austin the best city to be a kid. Thank you, council member alter, for that phrase. We must address their safety walking to and from school and to and from neighborhood based activities from their homes. We cannot afford to continue risking our residents, workers and children's lives, especially on primary thoroughfares, where prevailing vehicle speeds frequently exceed 40mph and there is currently only a shoulder to walk on. In an ideal world, I believe that sidewalks would be treated as more of a core part of our city's budget, not something that we rely on bonds many, many years out to fund the next construction of. But until we get there, there's gap. Funding keeps us moving in the direction that I think we should be. Should I pause for questions on that one? >> Yes, you should. Mayor pro tem and then councilmember alter. >> Thank you, councilmember Laine. I'm super interested in this one. I just want some clarity because your subcommittee also includes, as part of your tea TRE proposal, 5 [1:13:23 PM] part of your tea TRE proposal, 5 million for sidewalk maintenance. And so for this would be supplementary for construction of new sidewalk. >> Yes. And the I will respond and then if you want to add anything on council member. So there'll be this one comes from you. But it's an important distinction between the maintenance of sidewalks, which historically has been included and typically is included in annual budgeting, but specifically new construction of any sidewalk has not historically been included in the annual budget of the city of Austin. It's historically come from things like the mobility bond from 2016, and since we haven't even begun discussing bond and all prior bond funding of construction of new sidewalks is already fully encumbered, we would be looking at years before we had anything in our budget that would allow for construction of sidewalks. Does that make sense? Yes, and I think personally that it would be appropriate for our city to begin including some amount of [1:14:24 PM] begin including some amount of construction of sidewalk funding in each annual budget. But again, that will be a discussion that can take place over more time if we get this amendment in. Thank you. >> Councilmember alter. >> Piggybacking on that, I just want to and I very supportive of this notion. One of the top things I hear is I want to walk to wherever place, but my sidewalk goes to the end of my lot and then it stops. Or, you know, how am I going to get there? So I think there are critical gaps in our system, but I just want to make sure if we were to do this and or what is proposed in the other proposal as it relates to maintenance of our sidewalks, do we have the administrative staff within dpw to administer these extra dollars, or would we need additional efforts to get these dollars out the door? >> Thank you for. [1:15:27 PM] >> Thank you for. >> Your question. >> Council member Richard Mendoza. >> Director of transportation. >> Public works. >> For the 10 million gap capital. Spend funding. We do have the. Existing capacity, both in-house and with our contract forces. To execute on that for that. >> Period of. >> Time before we get more capital funding, the additional maintenance funding I did include in my proposed budget some additional sidewalk in-house forces. So I feel confident that we could deliver on that as well. >> And I don't know if this would be a question for director Mendoza or for miss Lang, but one of these is paid for with debt and one with general fund. Would the general fund item be debt eligible or. Not? >> Maintenance I'd have to check on. I don't know the answer to that. >> Well, because maintenance can be just like replacing a piece of sidewalk, right? So that is a capital investment. And so that's just want to get the [1:16:28 PM] that's just want to get the distinction of. >> I don't think it would be maintenance would be eligible. But let me let me verify that. >> Thank you. May I reply to that. >> Councilmember Laine. >> Sure. So the proposed increase in the maintenance is the kind of thing that typically would be in a maintenance and operations budget or annual budget. And the reason for the proposed increase is because the rate of progress we've been making on the long term goal of the city in terms of maintaining the existing sidewalk, is also vastly inadequately funded. Does that clarify? I hope so, if not, I then defer to staff for the rest. >> Great. Thank you. Why don't you go to Laine potential number two? >> Okay. Thank you so much. Laine number two is restoring emergency veterinary services. I think that one of the best things that we do for stray animals here in Austin is provide expert veterinary care in emergency situations. Without this type of support, it can be extremely costly for anyone who tries to address these concerns. [1:17:29 PM] tries to address these concerns. This budget amendment replaces some of the money moved out of the veterinary services budget, with money saved in other areas of animal services. It is cost neutral, but it does require our accompanying resolution to be passed during the same meeting. The accompanying resolution makes a small change to Austin's code to allow for spay and neuter of all animals owned by the city, as long as a veterinarian deems the procedure appropriate. I also believe, and I believe that most of our city agrees with me, that we should rely on our highly trained and qualified professional staff to make decisions for which expert analysis is appropriate. Sorry, I just lost my train of thought there. I'll just pick up with. We should be relying on our professional, highly trained, skilled veterinary staff that we pay salaries that are commensurate with the level of experience to make these sorts of medical judgment calls. That is why we have them on staff, and I am happy to bring [1:18:31 PM] and I am happy to bring something forward that both strives to return some funding to veterinary services and also return to those staff. The ability to make the judgment calls that are appropriate to their management position. Our city has proven over and over again that the health, safety and humane treatment of animals is core to our animal services mission, and this resolution resolution is no different. I'm very grateful to all of our staff, volunteers and community partners who keep Austin's animals safe and loved. I really would genuinely like to thank all the members of this community who have brought this issue into the public eye, as well as my colleagues who have already joined me in co-sponsoring this item to help the animals entrusted to Austin's care receive the best care that is possible. Thank you. I'm open for questions. >> Councilmember Ellis. >> I apologize if you said this and I just didn't catch it. This one is budget neutral. It's dollars already in existence within the proposal. >> Oh yes. I'm sorry I misspoke. Budget neutral, not adding any cost. Thank you. We actually [1:19:33 PM] cost. Thank you. We actually recovery depending. >> Yeah. Other questions. Comments. All right. Councilmember Laine, why don't you go to Laine potential number for. >> I think I have Laine three funding for children's advocacy services. >> I don't I don't have a Laine three. I assumed it was pulled out okay. >> It was in our sub quorum, but I'd be happy to describe it if that's possible. >> Is it a Laine? Is it? Do you have four? >> I do have four. >> Okay. Well then somehow we don't have Laine four three in here, so we need to make sure we get Laine three. Please go ahead. >> Okay. Thank you. Laine three is funding for the children's advocacy services in Williamson county. This amendment is a key investment for children in the portion of Austin that is located in Williamson county. Children's advocacy centers provide support for children who are victims of, or have witnessed violent crimes. This type of organization conducts forensic interviews, medical examinations, family advocacy and social services support, community education and lifetime therapy support for victims, all at no cost to the families [1:20:34 PM] at no cost to the families involved. Children who have suffered through physical and sexual abuse are more comfortable with physical examinations and forensic interviews in spaces designed for children, rather than in hospitals and police stations. It is important for these services to be most helpful to the people that are served, that they are also accessible to the community that needs them, hence the need to provide some support for our Williamson county Austin residents. Austin, I believe, should join every other major city in Williamson county and begin to contribute in support of the victims and the identification and prevention of future criminal acts for which this entity and others have long served Austin's residents. I'm open for questions on that one. >> Sure, because we don't have it on the list. What's the cost? >> Let me verify because I don't want to misspeak. >> Mayor, I just wanted to flag, I think that this item, the 300,000. >> It's in. [1:21:34 PM] >> It's in. >> It's in of the TRE. >> Right. It's in the it's. I just wanted to get it on the sheet of paper I had in front of me. But. >> And I will also confirm 300,000. >> Good deal. Very good. Thank you. Any other questions? Yeah. Mayor pro tem. >> Just a comment. Councilmember Laine, I really appreciate your steadfast advocacy and leadership for advocating for austinites to live within Williamson county. And as someone who is a strong supporter of our survivors and making sure they have services and resources available, you can count on my support for this item. Thank you, thank you. >> Any other questions on three? Number four. >> Okay. Number four, Charlie center showers. This amendment is straightforward and I will speak for a shorter amount of time on it. The Charlie center is one of the only homelessness service providers in north Austin right now. With their own current financial constraints, they are able to provide and operate mobile showers once a week at a location provided by another nonprofit that's active in the area. Annual funding of $27,000 will allow the center to operate showers three times a week, instead of just once. We have heard directly from the [1:22:35 PM] have heard directly from the community and our service providers that hygiene services are not only a crucial need and an absolute necessity, but it's also how we help our unsheltered neighbors put their best foot forward as they seek services, employment and most importantly, safe, secure housing. Thank you. >> Any questions? Yes. Councilmember alter. >> I just want to express my support for this item. >> Other other questions or comments? >> I'm sorry. >> He's with you. Don't don't stop. Stop while you're ahead. He's with you. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Any other questions or comments? Great. Thank you. Council member Laine. Council member Siegel. >> Thank you mayor. And I wanted to not just thank you, but also really thank a lot of people who are involved in this budget process. This is my first time, and I really want to thank the public for their engagement. I want to thank city staff. I've observed my staff talking to city staff at all hours of the day, the way people are on call to get this budget done is so much appreciated, and I also want to thank the folks that the public doesn't really see much, [1:23:35 PM] public doesn't really see much, but our council staff who are working tremendously hard, we're really blessed as a city. I recently went to a conference of municipal legislators. Most cities don't have even council members who are paid full time, much less staff who are paid full time. And I think that really represents what our community wants out of this process, that they want us to be as engaged as possible, as knowledgeable as possible. So anyway, I'm feeling very thankful right now. And maybe I'm a sicko, but I've been enjoying the process here. Anything to say there, mayor? >> No, I didn't say anything. I was just thinking maybe that's just being the first timer. >> Want to quickly add some color to some amendments I have that are in our proposal. And so these won't be on your list, mayor. But item number one was to add basic life support ambulances to ems, including staffing and equipment. And so this would add about 12 ftes. And so bls is basically cost effective clinically appropriate [1:24:35 PM] effective clinically appropriate alternative to als or advanced life support ambulances. It allows a kind of a right sized response to certain emergencies. And it would free up the advanced life support ambulances for higher acuity, time sensitive emergencies and would improve response time. And so this amendment adds one bls ambulance in 26 and 2 in 27 with appropriate staffing. My amendment number three is food pantries, which is an item that frankly follows up on the parent support specialist item that two sub quorums are supporting. And basically it builds on a pilot program that Austin ISD has with the central Texas food bank. It would provide up to $10,000 per school site for up to 30 schools, for a maximum of $300,000, and it would support food pantries at title one elementary schools for kids with Austin addresses. And I'll share more detail in related ifc. My fourth amendment is restore [1:25:35 PM] fourth amendment is restore funding to the office of police oversight. Basically, just to summarize, there are a couple of hundred thousand dollars in cuts in the in the base budget and the proposed budget by the manager. And so we would restore those to make sure there's enough staffing to comply with the goals of our police oversight ordinance. And then the climate revolving fund has already been addressed by councilman alter. That's also something that I support. And finally, there's a pools item that I briefly addressed. We're calling it pools for all. But the idea would be to waive fees at every pool except Barton springs and deep eddy, $250,000 impact there. It would also, as previously discussed, increase the number of lifeguards. Any questions about any of those? Before I move on to the more formal. >> Anybody got anything on those? >> Thank you. All right. Well, Siegel two is the rh Gaar grant compliance monitoring. This is the one budget amendment I have that's not in the sub quorum [1:26:35 PM] that's not in the sub quorum package. The amendment would utilize $100,000 to track property managers of rental housing development assistance supported properties. These are the so-called Rhoda properties and would monitor compliance with Rhoda guidelines and policies, in particular to ensure distribution of lease addendums. These lease addendums are how we ensure that our our subsidized housing units kind of live up to Austin's standards. You know, just cause eviction notice, different procedural protections. And so unfortunately, right now, even though we've got a lot of great Rhoda housing opportunities, we're not able to track whether property managers distribute these lease addendums or whether properties are in compliance with them. And so these dollars would be basically supportive of compliance monitoring, something like a secret shopper program data collection to make sure that these tenant protections are being enforced at Rhoda properties. And with that, I'll turn it over to questions. [1:27:37 PM] turn it over to questions. >> Anyone have any questions or comments about that? All right, members, at least on my sheet of paper that covers all of the proposals, whether they're incorporated in a TRE or a standalone amendment. So unless I'm missing something, mayor. Separately, he covered his at the very beginning. >> I have the same questions. >> We do the ifc's next. >> Yes, yes, that's that's what I want to suggest, though, is that we take a break. And because a lot of people have been sitting here for a long time, but before we do that, I want to lay out a potential proposal for how we move forward as we go now that now that we've done this with regard to proposals that that would trigger a TRE and the amendments and what I would suggest we do is follow a few steps and [1:28:39 PM] is follow a few steps and actually ask our professional staff to do this and what I'm what I'm attempting to do, members, is even if it doesn't end up being something that. Has everything in it or is ultimately supported by everybody, however that works out is get us to where we can have at least a base motion soon enough that people will be able to look at that base motion and know. And know what what we they might want to argue about, amend, change, that kind of thing. So my proposal would be that the professional staff begin with step one, which is to put together a listing of those things that are all in all, four of the proposed trees, so that we start with that. The second [1:29:41 PM] we start with that. The second would be then look at everything that's in. That's the same in three out of four and then two out of three. Now what that's going to do, and I'll just readily admit it, that is that's going to put some of these proposals out of the game pretty quickly, including one that I'm very fond of. And what will happen in that? I wasn't talking about yours, duchen. But but let's be honest about it. What it does is it creates a situation where some of us may not be able to support the budget, but it gets us to. But I still think it's the role to try to get us to a base motion that we can then have have some discussion about, as opposed to a free for all on all the motions. So what would and that will then put if we get the truth of the matter is it's [1:30:42 PM] truth of the matter is it's going to come down to probably two out of the four that you have the most in line with. And then, as I indicated, I think earlier to in response to a question, the mayor pro tem was asking about something that I now forget what it was, but it but it is as the professional staff once we get to that, go through there and find where there's differences in the price of that item. Right. So for example, we've narrowed it down now to, to some close to a base, but one price is 5,000,001 I think was 1.3 or 1.5. Right. Well have them look at why that is because that will help us all understand what where we think it really ought to be when we get to that, and then ask that the professional staff bring to us the cost of all the other amendments, because going [1:31:42 PM] amendments, because going through just the other amendments that aren't located in trees just added some money to that as well. So that ought to get us awfully close. And with your permission, I'll work with them to, to get us to, to something that is a singular kind of proposal, at least where there's a we know there's a lot of broad based agreement that we will then be able to ask questions about or make amendments. And I knew I'd recognize you first. Council member. >> I just I want to make sure I'm understanding what you're saying. So as the as this new list is being put together is a threshold requirement to be in that list that it's in at least two proposals. So if a proposal. >> I think it'd be nice for everybody to be able to see where there's even additional agreement. Right. So council member duchen had one, I had one then we've had two others. And what I'm I'm suggesting is a narrowing, but it would still be [1:32:44 PM] narrowing, but it would still be nice for the public to see and others to see and us to see where there is quite a bit agreement and then narrow that down to probably what we're going to end up with is where there's agreement in two out of the four, and then we'll have more of a base, I think. >> So will the staff be putting multiple then where there's all four agreement, all three agreement two. And then which one of those becomes the base? If we have multiple scenarios. >> I think the one where you have the two out of the four is where we're probably headed, because that's where you're going to have the greatest number of people in agreement. I'm trying to come up with some sort of consensus. >> No, I totally this is the first time we've done this, and I'm just trying to think through what the overlap. >> I'm open to ideas because I don't want to what I don't want to do, I don't think or I don't think any of us want to do is come out and say, okay. We're going to do duchen for duchen is [1:33:45 PM] going to do duchen for duchen is the base motion. Watson is the base motion, because we already know there are people that disagree with those. And so what we do is we start with the one where we know there's the greatest consensus. Now, I'll say, since I've given myself the floor here, I sure hope that you all that have, whether there seems to be more consensus on, will consider whether you want the votes of other people on those budgets, and you would consider making changes that might get votes to get to that. But that's where you have the greatest consensus. So why wouldn't we start there? >> And then in your mind, let's say we start there and then the day of the budget. Because I assume if we're looking at where there's overlap, that will take the number down, probably somewhere in the four cent ish range. >> No, I don't think so. >> Well. [1:34:46 PM] >> Well. >> You have you have more people above that. >> Well, if you look at like the 5.75 and the 6.75 where there's overlap, if you're just saying that there must be at least two proposals overlapping, then that actually knocks the 5.75 down, because not all of theirs is in ours, and so that will drop it. >> Then I would ask you for an alternative to tell me, because I'm looking for a way to get to consensus council member. >> Absolutely. >> And I'm actually giving up on my proposal now. I'm probably going to vote against the budget, but I'm giving up on my proposal to try to get to consensus. And I've not had a proposal from you. >> Sure. And that's why I think having this discussion now is important. I'm trying to think through what that option is. And so as as I have assumed and this is just me thinking about what has happened in the past is, you know, staff would take these four proposals and say, okay, I [1:35:49 PM] four proposals and say, okay, I know I've got two sent proposal, three and a half sent proposal a 5.75 with four council members, 6.75 with four council members. Whether you weigh in the fact that two of those four council members have publicly indicated even a higher number than our number, but start reconciling those together and building the chart, that has kind of always happened throughout this budget process with what's in, what's out. And they would kind of arrive at as we reconcile these things, you know, maybe that shakes out to 6.3, 6.2. Eventually a number has to be selected, but that it would be after that kind. And I think that's what you're doing. >> That's exactly what I'm saying. >> It's just a matter of if we said that it it can only be in that base motion if both if it's in both proposals, then we do that and we add a bunch of layers. >> I think we know that yet because we haven't done the work that I think there's a lot of [1:36:49 PM] that I think there's a lot of speculating going on, both by both of us, about where that ends up. I'm just trying to get us to something we can all look at, so that you can make motions to add. I might make motions to take away, but we have something to look at in the. My best thought was to at least get a feel for where there's agreement, where there's consensus, and then and build something from that. >> And I'm truly not trying to be difficult. I'm just trying to. This has been so difficult in the process of and you are doing a, you know, an admirable job trying to wrestle 11 different. Clearly different ideas. And so I just there is no right answer. I'm not trying to pretend that there is. I'm just want to kind of put out there how our group had been thinking about this process, and I don't know, you know, budget staff, how even they're thinking about it. >> It's well, I've had a conversation and I think because [1:37:51 PM] conversation and I think because I've been trying to navigate this to get us to where we can get to a good result. Why don't we take a break and without objection, let's recess until 2:00 and we'll reconvene at 2:00. At that point in time, we will take up the ifc's my. I don't know whether this packet of ifc's that I have was given to me by my staff or given to me by the, the financial staff. And I'm thinking it must have been given by my staff. So let me see if during that period of time, I can't get us an order that we can go in, we're in recess until 2:00. It's 1:38 P.M. I'll call the council back to [2:07:01 PM] I'll call the council back to order at 2:07 P.M. What we're going to do is we're going to take up the items from council. Although I worry we don't have all of the council. Here's what I'd like to do. I really do think that the proposal I laid out would get us to a consensus type document. But what I'm going to do, because there's obviously some doubt about that, is I'm going to ask the staff from your looking at it, is there a way that you think you can get us to a reasonable consensus document? We know we have a number. We have a majority of the council that is looking at a high end, higher end. I don't want to call it a high end, but higher than than what? The least two of the proposals were. And is there a way you think you can get us to kind of a consensus motion so that we have something that we [2:08:02 PM] that we have something that we can look at early enough next week that if people want to add to it or subtract from it, they'd be able to take shots at that target. >> Yes, I think we can do the exercise of pulling all of the items together in the scenarios and showing where there is consensus or support against those items. So allow us to do that exercise to run through all of the scenarios, and then we can see how close we get with that. >> Okay. And then just kind of you can report back to us. We can also use the message board council members, where if we want to add something, we can talk about what we can put on the message board. We can just put up on the message board and say, we think this item ought to be in there, or we'll offer it as an amendment. I just if in fact, it is the case that you can have have one group of four at 6.7 and one group at 5.7, and you look at where there's agreement and it drops down below four or drops down into the neighborhood of four. Well, [2:09:03 PM] the neighborhood of four. Well, that's not as much consensus as it sure felt like we had as we were walking through those, those items. So we'll ask them to try to put that together, report it back to us, and we'll then we'll figure out where we go from there. Yes, mayor pro tem. >> Thank you. I think that process makes sense. And do we think we could have this new amendment available to us by end of day tomorrow? Or I guess Monday would be probably a better time frame. And the reason why I ask is that that would give us enough time, because there's one particular item in our theory around immigration services that I know was just in our sub quorum, and I would want enough time to be able to draft. >> That as an amendment. Yeah, sure. >> Staff will work as quickly as possible to get it out. We'll try for tomorrow. It may be you may be getting a Saturday email, but we'll get it out as soon as possible. >> Thank you. Fair enough. Thank you. Thank you very much. Okay, members, we'll go to the ifcs. As I was indicating as we were [2:10:03 PM] As I was indicating as we were just taking the break. As I understand it, and I'll say it that way, staff sent to all of us. It may have been late yesterday. A packet in our backup of the way things will show up on the agenda. I'm told that the way we have to do these ifcs are as individual agenda items. So what the backup has is and I don't know what order they chose, but but there's agenda item number one is listed and it's the posting language is approve a resolution directing the city manager to provide a sworn monthly overtime management report. And then it has the primary sponsors, council member alter and co-sponsors that I guess are part of that sub quorum. So what I'm going to do in order to go through the ifcs in some form of [2:11:04 PM] through the ifcs in some form of order is that's that's the packet I'm going to follow. Unless there's somebody has a better idea. All right. So agenda item number one, where ifc number one is file number 20 51675. And I just read the posting language and I'll recognize council member alter. >> Thank you very much. As you mentioned, this is to have reporting for our sworn staff for their overtime. We've had lots of discussions around the overtime issues, and this would allow us to just really see what type of leave is happening. When is that leave happening? So we can have a better understanding as we make policy decisions on this issue moving forward. >> Anybody got questions or comments? Agenda item number two. File number 25 1676 a resolution directing the manager to develop a public dashboard to report on the performance of [2:12:05 PM] report on the performance of service providers contracted to achieve the homeless strategy officer's plan. Council member alter. >> Thank you. This talking about a dashboard earlier. This is an instruction to create that dashboard. That's why we need that staff member in the amendment. But here we will have basically the outcomes from the plan as we are implementing it available for ourselves and the public to be able to see. >> Questions, comments, members, let me point out as we go through these that on and for the public, these items each have a resolution attached to them. Those resolutions are still in draft form and they may be changed tomorrow when everything's posted. Item number three, file number 25 1677 approved. Resolution directing the manager to establish a parks maintenance fund and dedicating revenue from the parks special event fee. And I'll recognize [2:13:05 PM] event fee. And I'll recognize council member alter. >> As discussed earlier, that fee for those tickets, we would be taking those fees and putting them in this special revenue fund used for parks maintenance. >> Questions or comments? >> Mayor. >> Yes. Councilmember. Else, thank you. >> I just wanted to flag and I'm going to co-sponsor this item and have spoken to the sponsor about it. But since there's another item that also talks about parks maintenance, we're looking at what the exact name of the fund is. So you may see that change just so there's no confusion over parks maintenance fee and ticket fees. >> Great. Thank you. Item for excuse me, 25 1678 yes, councilmember harper-madison. >> Thank you, I. >> Appreciate it. I know it's difficult for you to see me, so I. Apologize. Personally. I had a quick question about the two park maintenance items. Thank you, councilmember Ellis, for pointing out that I've seen it in a couple different places. Just a real quick question about how flexible the authors are. In [2:14:06 PM] how flexible the authors are. In both of those instances around some considerations for continued maintenance for cemeteries. >> Councilmember. Alter. Councilmember Ellis. >> It's been a little bit of a tricky conversation to date. There are some different considerations than parks, traditional parks maintenance, but there is definitely we are finding that there's a gap and a need to figure out a mechanism. And I just wonder if within these extension of additional dollars for our maintenance obligations, if there's a way to work in cemetery considerations here. >> Yeah, I'll just say that I have never I have not thought about it. I'm glad you flagged it. Let me let us think about it and we'll have a better answer once I've actually had a chance to think about it. >> Sounds good to me. Thank you. Councilmember. And also, what I could do is have our team put together what we've been looking at over the, you know, the course of the last six years, the various challenges that [2:15:07 PM] the various challenges that we've experienced with cemeteries. And just to see where the commonality is with the challenges and how future considerations might be helpful with filling the gap. But thank you for being open to the flexibility and considering it. >> Thanks. Councilmember harper-madison. Item four is I'm going to quit saying the 25 part of this that that is a signal signifies the year. And I think we'll finish this meeting before the end of the year. So this is item 1678, a resolution directing the manager to explore ways to expand the child care fee waiver program, to include new child care facilities and organize the mayor pro tem. >> Thank you. Colleagues. I passed a resolution in January of 2023 which directed the creation of a grant program for child care centers to pay for city fees assessed when opening or expanding a child care center. The process to build a new child care center in Austin can be very costly, and associated fees have been identified as the biggest cost driver. From keeping people from opening or expanding these facilities. The grant program currently, as it stands, only waives fees for child care [2:16:08 PM] waives fees for child care centers that are expanding, so this resolution direct staff to ensure new child care centers are included in the grant program. >> Questions or comments? Item 1679 agenda. Item number five currently approved. Resolution directing the manager to work with the department of aviation to explore and evaluate the feasibility of fee adjustments and new revenue sources at abia. Mayor pro tem. >> Thank you. The Austin airport has grown as rapidly as our city has, and as highlighted by our airport expansion project in the past decade, our passenger traffic has more than doubled and the demand for more flights, better facilities and world class services has never been higher. Thing is, the private aircraft operations have significantly increased at our airport, especially during special events. And yet, our Austin airport is one of the few major Texas airport that currently does not levy general aviation landing fees for private aircraft operations, resulting in an unbalanced cost burden for commercial passengers and missed revenue opportunities. This ifc would [2:17:10 PM] opportunities. This ifc would align us with Dallas love field and San Antonio airports, which already have adopted comprehensive pricing strategy for private aviation. This ifc is done in conjunction with our aviation leaders, and they are in support. >> Item number. Any questions or comments? Item number six 1681. Resolution directing the city manager to include specific citywide parks and rec maintenance, restoration, and renovation projects, and explore funding for district specific projects beginning in the 26 budget. Council member Velazquez. >> Thank you. Mayor. We're actually. >> Postponing this item, and our office will be bringing. Forward another ifc. >> Soon to direct some spending. On parks. >> Maintenance funds. >> The item will ensure that. >> Youth sports. >> Renovation technologies. >> And. >> Things as simple as replacing a. >> Broken net are. Well and equitably funded. >> Some of those projects. >> Are in d3. >> At park Zaragoza. >> And montopolis. We just need a little. >> More. >> Time. A broken what? >> Net. [2:18:11 PM] >> Net. >> Net. >> Net. >> Net. >> Hopefully we're not breaking any. >> Well, that's what I thought. I thought, man, I don't know what the cost of this is. I don't know. >> I don't. >> Know what kind of hustle is over there to park. >> But I heard you, I heard you. Item number seven 1682 a resolution related to assessing the feasibility and implementation of a dedicated parks maintenance fee as a sustainable funding source. Councilmember Ellis. >> Thank you. Mayor. This is the continuation of the conversation around whether there will be a parks maintenance fee. A parks district created, or a local government corporation. So we're you're going to see some amended posting language. I passed out what is essentially a version two that may end up with a version three by the time it all gets posted. But it is continuing the conversation that we've had at the climate, environment, water and parks committee as well as the parks board about leveraging fees to be able to increase the maintenance dollars that the park system has available to it. >> Questions or comments? Thank you. Councilmember. Item number eight 1684 a resolution [2:19:11 PM] eight 1684 a resolution directing the manager to support additional shelter capacity for families experiencing homelessness. Council member Laine. >> Thank you. Actually hoping that joint emergency communications is going to come up a little late at some point, but I can. >> I'm just going in the order that I have them here. >> Okay, I have that one down in my notes as eight and then the family shelter beds, one that you just referenced as nine. I just as long as. >> The staff put together the agenda since the agenda to all of us yesterday. And that's what I'm reading from. Okay. Thank you. Can you can you address this one? >> I will, thank you. >> Okay. >> Okay. So this relates to family shelter beds. According to echo data, as of October 20th, 2024, approximately 1945 households with children were estimated to be experiencing homelessness in Austin. Many emergency shelters are at capacity in these families, and their children are experiencing long waitlists. It is also a challenge for stability in their education when there are limitations on geographical [2:20:12 PM] limitations on geographical proximity to schools at which families shelter beds are available. The homeless strategy office has done an excellent job at meeting community needs and supporting our shelter partners. With this ifc, I hope to bring focus to increasing capacity and support for families with children who are seeking shelter and support services to get back on their feet. I specifically would like to thank homeless advocacy project for elevating this unmet need within our office and also thank my co-sponsors, council members Ellis, qadri, and Siegel for supporting this initiative. I look forward to continuing the conversation around how we support families experiencing homelessness, and how we can keep their children safe and in school. Thank you. >> Questions or comments? Thank you. Council member Laine. Item number nine is yours. 1685 a resolution directing the city manager to report back on the possibility of creating a joint emergency communications department, centralizing 919 11 and emergency communications functions. >> Perfect. Thank you. As you all know, 911 response times [2:21:13 PM] all know, 911 response times have been something that I talk about frequently and in many settings because looking at citywide data and also the stories that I have heard directly from my constituents, this is a subject that continues to come up in various ways. I do want to be very clear, as I bring this forward, that I am both grateful to our first responders and 911 dispatchers, and very aware and thankful for the progress that has already been made in reducing 911 response times in the city. I do not bring this forward in any way, shape or form as a form of criticism. I very much value the hard work and the management efforts that have already gone into the progress we've made, as well as the sacrifices that our public safety responders and dispatchers make every single day. I am bringing this forward because I want to help make public safety jobs and roles both safer and more effective and efficient for the people who depend on them every day in our city. I do not want firefighters to arrive at fires well after exponential growth that has been [2:22:15 PM] exponential growth that has been going on for more than eight minutes. As I have frequently heard stories of in my district and have been working towards gaining data in relation to ever since I took office. So to that end, I have put forth this item to create a new department called the joint emergency communications department that will house and combine all the functions of 911 and emergency dispatch under one umbrella, rather than our current more siloed system. This effort will streamline response and reduce response times in more of our city. It will create a management pathway to set reasonable goals, oversee implementation, and bring accountability for achieving progress towards these goals. In terms of timeliness and effectiveness, Wright fitting of the response to the need. And finally, it will improve coordination between departments and also across different levels of local government around central Texas so that when needs arise that require things like targeted texting in response to a home explosion or a wildfire, [2:23:15 PM] a home explosion or a wildfire, we will have the structure and the collaboration to accomplish these goals more effectively. This is not a new idea that I am bringing forward. Other cities have benefited significantly from managing 911 as an independent safety function. So I'm hopeful that we are able to move this forward and move forward in reducing response times and bringing more effective 911 response, both in my district and across the city. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Any questions or comments? Yes, mayor pro tem. >> Thank you. Sorry, I'm reviewing the ifcs as you're laying them out and just councilmember Laine, I really like your family homelessness shelter ifc and if it's permissible to you and to the diocese, I'd like to be added as a co-sponsor. >> Welcome. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, councilmember Laine. The next one is yours. Agenda item ten 1686 approval resolution requesting a code amendment that would eliminate procedural impediments to veterinary decision making regarding spaying and neutering animals [2:24:16 PM] spaying and neutering animals owned by the city. >> Mr. Mayor, can we go back briefly, please? I actually had commentary. >> I'm sorry. Yes, of course, councilmember harper-madison. >> Thank you, I appreciate it. Much like mayor pro tem, I'd also like to be added as a co-sponsor for our considerations around family shelter. I think it's a critical importance, definitely now more than ever. But just as an anecdotal perspective, there's nothing more distracting than not knowing where where you're going when school lets out. And so I really appreciate that consideration. The other half of that, though, I'm intrigued by. So over the course of the years, including, you know, when I was really digging in on the public safety committee, one of the things that kept coming up and this was by providers, you know, our public safety professionals, frequently they were addressing the issue that is dispatch. But unlike what the item is that you're proposing in terms of response time, specifically, one of the things that I picked up on when they were bringing that [2:25:17 PM] on when they were bringing that up had to do with deploying the right tool. So deployment of the wrong tool at for the call had a lot to do with the commentary that I received. And so I just I look forward to the continuation of this discussion, because having so many people who work within the system say that they thought the primary challenge was dispatch systems, not the people who provide the service, but maybe the service in and of or the protocol around how we provide the service and how we deploy resources. More of that conversation is definitely of interest to me. >> Great. Thank you. Council member. Thank you. I'll go to number ten now. And that was and I just read it. So I'll turn it over to you. >> Councilmember Laine, this is the resolution that accompanies the budget amendment that I previously presented to restore funding for veterinary services. Therefore, I will not represent, but simply open for questions. >> Anybody have any questions? Thank you. Thanks. Councilmember Laine, that'll take us to agenda item number 11 1688. A resolution directing the manager [2:26:17 PM] resolution directing the manager to review development fees and processes and make recommendations concerning the impact of fees, considering project scale, economic conditions, efficiency and sustainability of department finances. Council member vela. >> Thank you mayor. This is an item that that we've been working on with with different stakeholders and with dsd. We were having some struggles with costs and revenues in dsd, and I want to explore potential solutions. And this would be essentially directing the city manager to start that process with the idea of bringing back some recommendations in this budget year to see where we go with the department, trying to kind of rightsize things, potentially moving to third party reviews. Again, I'm going to I would defer to the to the stakeholders, to the department for more kind of thoughts and advice on the process. But, you know, we probably pastime that we kick this off and have these [2:27:20 PM] we kick this off and have these discussions again, related to affordability to a large extent, and just making sure that our permitting process is facilitating the housing that Austin needs. >> Thank you. Councilmember. Questions or comments? Okay. Council member Siegel, item number 12, file number 1690. Resolution directing the manager to allocate additional funds from the urban forest replenishment fund to support Austin civilian conservation corps programs in the fiscal year 2026 2027. Budget council member Siegel. >> Thank you, mayor. After speaking with the Austin civilian civilian conservation corps reps. They feel like they've got a great plan to plant trees, and they don't need this policy to do it. So we are going to withdraw this item. >> Fair enough. Thank you. Council member. That will take us to item number 13, which is also your 1691. And that is a resolution directing the manager to establish a real estate development strategy and asset management system, to evaluate existing city owned land for purposes related to climate [2:28:22 PM] purposes related to climate project usage. >> That's a mouthful. Thank you. Mayor. Yeah, we're calling this one a survey for climate projects on city land. Thank you to cosponsors. Council member harper-madison. Council member Laine. Council member qadri. And actually, this item builds on a position that's already been created by financial services under deputy cfo Kim Alvares. And the goal is to develop a system for mapping and analyzing city land for potential multi-purpose. So, for example, a places where we could have a food farm or install solar panels. And this is kind of a cost effective approach to accomplishing our climate goals without expending new resources. And there is an example of this where urban roots recently opened its first farm on Austin city land. They had to kind of invent the process to do that. And this would create a more systemized approach to analyzing our land and figuring out where we can do good climate projects. >> Questions or comments? Thank you. Councilmember. Item number 14 is yours. 1692 approve a [2:29:23 PM] 14 is yours. 1692 approve a resolution directing the city manager to establish a climate revolving fund dedicated to receiving and expanding funds from investments in energy upgrades to city facilities, capture related savings, and reinvest funds for additional savings. >> Thank you mayor. This ifc relates to multiple budget amendments, including those described by council member alter. It was first proposed by the office of climate action and resilience, and is also supported by the joint sustainability committee. Thank you. Council members alter Laine and qadri for co-sponsoring builds on a model that's been successful in places like Harris county and San Antonio. It also requires a new fte and energy manager to guide energy efficiency investments. But for example, in San Antonio, they invested 4.6 million, and that has led to 36 million in capital investments over five years. And they've also reduced their carbon output by emissions of over 12 tons per year. >> Questions or comments? Thank you. Council member Siegel. Item [2:30:24 PM] you. Council member Siegel. Item 15, which is file number 1693, resolution related to the implementation of the fiscal year 20 2526 city budget council member Siegel. >> Thank you. Mayor. This is kind of a process resolution. And the goal here is to explain to the public that in the context of the budget adoption and the proposed election, that when council adopts the final budget, that we're going to stand behind the entire budget. This is cosponsored by Laine, Ellis and qadri. Thank you, fellow council members. I'm definitely open to feedback and discussion on this item. I think all of us are, but the idea here is not to single out when we adopt this budget. Oh, these are the base budget items and these are the items because we fear that would signal to the public that the so-called tier items are second tier lower priority, less valuable. And that's not at least I'll speak for myself, not [2:31:28 PM] least I'll speak for myself, not my intention as we go through this budget process. So there is a potential that there right at the ballot box. But we don't want to predetermine what would happen in that outcome. We don't want to say that all the so-called tier items would automatically be cut. And so that's where this is coming from to kind of state that when we adopt the budget, everything's on a level playing field. That said, some of the language about how to apportion cuts in the event of a failure. I've heard from the city manager that he would like to alter or at least mend some of those provisions. And so as a quorum, we remain open to that discussion. >> Thank you. Questions or comments? Yes. Council member duchen. Thank you. Mayor. Councilmember Siegel, can you help me understand when you say proportional spending in this, when we returning to what we're now referring, referring to the base budget, are we looking at cutting across the board? Existing services that are part of the original base budget, or [2:32:28 PM] of the original base budget, or even last year's budget by proportional amount of whatever percent they make of the budget? And when I met with the manager this morning, or he alerted me to this item, he made it sound like that might be something in the realm of like $24 million for police, 12 million for fire, etc. Is that part of the intent behind this? >> I think that word proportional, we're open to negotiation. Basically, we wanted to respond to what has been some of the public conversation that there's kind of like the balanced budget and the budget. We want to kind of clear up that perception that this is one entire adopted budget, and there should be a fair and reasoned and strategic process in the event that we have less revenue that we're counting on. And so if we need to take that word out, find some other way to explain it. We're very much open to that. >> Okay, I'm still struggling with a bit of logic here, which is this is sort of a contingency item that if the TRE fails, then we take additional steps [2:33:29 PM] we take additional steps required by this ifc. And yet it seems like you want to prioritize the items that the public has rejected at the same level as the ones that are in the base budget. Can you help me walk through that? >> Yeah, I think that gets at the kind of what I feel is a core misconception of this process, that if voters potentially vote down a TRE, that they're rejecting these items that we're talking about today on these colored charts, they would just be rejecting a tax increase, and it would be up to council to decide how to deal with less revenue than anticipated. >> Right. So either way, we'd be coming back and working together to try and come up with whatever the right makeup of that item is, or the base budget or the original budget of 3.5%, assuming if we were to pretend that the TRE would fail. Is that right? >> I believe that's right. I didn't actually catch every word you said, but yes, that the manager would bring back options and maybe he would show us what [2:34:32 PM] and maybe he would show us what proportional cuts across all departments would look like, and then maybe staff would show us something else that's a different permutation, but we're not going to predetermine that result now and that we're not going to say, oh, the TRE. So the so-called TRE items, I kind of disagree with that nomenclature, but the items that are based on additional revenue, that those would be the first on the chopping block. >> Okay. Thank you. Councilmember. Mayor, just because we've got them in the room, I'd like to at least ask fire or if police are here, what 24 or $12 million looks like from their perspective? >> Sure, we can do that. I mean, we don't need to start cutting the budget yet. We have a I'm just curious, since I. >> Learned about this like six hours ago. >> Yeah, but but for the record, let me see if I can highlight some of this. And I said it earlier when we came back out of the when we came back earlier today, ultimately we pass a single budget. Yes. The way this process works and this is the [2:35:32 PM] process works and this is the first time we've done it this way. So there may be some that that do ask questions about this. The way that councilmember Siegel has pointed it out, the way the process has worked is the manager offered a proposed budget that went up to what is known as the voter approval rate. The voter approval rate is the highest you can go in terms of raising revenue based upon last year, which is 3.5% set by the state legislature, the highest you can go in terms of raising that revenue without triggering what we used to call a rollback election. But now it's called a tax rate election. In the old days, just a few years ago, a city could go to raising 8% more revenue. And if the voters wanted to try to roll that back, they had to have they had to get a petition, they had to get enough signatures, and [2:36:33 PM] to get enough signatures, and then they could petition for a rollback election under sb 2 in 2019. What happened was that if you go above, if your budget and it's your budget, not multiple budgets, the budget you pass goes above that 3.5% voter approval rate. It automatically triggers a tax rate election. What has happened in this process? Appropriately so I might add, is the manager proposed a budget that went to the voter approval rate. The council has looked at that and said, we think there are needs beyond that proposal. We have in order to just make it where you understand what you're talking about. We've called that the base that he made, and then we asked for alternatives of $0.01, two cent, three cent, up to $0.08. That would that would trigger a tax rate election. [2:37:34 PM] trigger a tax rate election. What's happened since that was done is, as you heard today, the council has come up on its own with a number of other alternatives which would trigger tax rate elections. While council member Siegel is saying is that if that if we go to a TRE and that TRE were to fail, that when we deal with the fact that the voters in that circumstance, that the hypothetical circumstance said no tax, no increase in taxes beyond the 3.5% voter approval rate, then what he's saying is he wants that to be treated as a single budget. We would look at all of the items in the budget that gets passed, and all of them are open to being cut. One of the difficulties that I hear council member duchen talking about is the idea that this resolution seems to suggest that what the manager would bring [2:38:34 PM] what the manager would bring back is a proportional cut across the board. What I hear council member Siegel saying is, well, that might be one option we ought to look at, but that is not what you're going to want to direct the manager to do. And it's not a policy that we're going to adopt that if it if it happens, that's the only way we would cut the budget. That was a long way to get to a question Marc. >> That's a fair characterization. >> Fair enough. All right. You yes. Council member vela. And then I'll I'll call up staff. >> I appreciate what council member Siegel is trying to do. And I, in principle agree with him that again, I hate to even let the words escape from my mouth, but if the TRE were to fail, I agree with him that there are things that were TRE items that I would still like to fund, and there are base budget items that I may want to cut that you know, basically everything's on the table. I completely agree with him there. [2:39:36 PM] completely agree with him there. My concern with the item is that we're creating confusion. I just think that we should write one budget at a time. Let's pass one budget. Let's see what the voters have to say in November and then let's take it from there. I think any other approach we're kind of taking, well, contingency is going to create more confusion than than provide clarity. >> Thank you. Councilmember. Councilmember duchen, you had a question of the fire. >> Thank you. Yeah. My concern really is just understanding the further be it resolved proportional language and what that impact would be on fires if you guys could help me understand. For the number that was shared with me this morning from the city manager, about $12 million, what kind of impact beyond cuts you might have already made? What that what we feel on the fire department. >> Joel G. Baker, Austin fire department. >> Fire chief. >> If I understand your. >> Question correctly. >> Councilmember duchen, you're asking me what would the impact be for a $12 million budget cut? >> That's correct. [2:40:38 PM] >> That's correct. >> That's right. >> Okay, excellent. >> For the $12 million budget cut, it would be. >> Similar to the same. >> What I mentioned earlier for the. $8.3 million budget cut would be approximately a four and three staffing model if approved. If that's not appropriate, if not approved, then we look at possibility of 1 or 2 things. One would be browning out of units, for example a station, a fire station that have two fire apparatus in there. We would take one of those out of service and or temporary blackout of fire station, which means the temporary or permanent closing of fire station to the fund is returned. >> Okay. >> Thank you. Three options I gave you. >> Got it. Thank you, chief, and I'll follow up with APD independently. >> Great. Thank you. Councilmember. Any other questions with regard to resolution number 15 by bicycle? Yes. Councilmember. Laine. >> So these are comments. >> Sure. >> Okay. So I, I'm a co-sponsor of this, and I wanted to voice [2:41:41 PM] of this, and I wanted to voice my support for the process of affirming the Austin city council will vote on and ultimately pass by August 15th, not a base budget. And along with a multitude of different tranches and TRE options, any of which can be, you know, pulled out and we know what it means. I certainly appreciate the concerns around confusing the matter, but I also think that it's clear that different council members on this dais have different ideas of what would likely happen if a TRE fails and if we don't agree amongst ourselves, and even if we don't agree amongst ourselves, if we don't take a vote that provides clarity as to what city council expects from our staff, we are doing a disservice to our leadership, and we are also doing a disservice to our stakeholders who are left to guess which one of us is right. As we all work to navigate as effectively as possible, a process that none of us has ever been through before. So I personally think that this [2:42:41 PM] So I personally think that this discussion is worthy in order to allow all of us to express our thoughts about what's likely to happen, uncover points of confusion before they cause bigger problems. And ultimately, I support taking a vote on whatever potentially revised process we all settle on so that we can accomplish that clarity. >> Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember. Anything else on 15th may? >> I'll just conclude by saying we do have a message board post up about this item. We do intend to produce a version two, and we'd really welcome any edits or notes that folks want to drop there. >> Thank you. Council member item number 16 is also yours. It's item. It's file number 1694. Approve a resolution directing the city manager to partner with local school districts and the central Texas food bank to establish on site food pantries at title one elementary schools located within the city limits, with parent support specialists on campus. >> Thank you. Mayor. This is a little less complicated. It's about feeding kids. And really, it follows the city's investment [2:43:43 PM] it follows the city's investment in parent support specialist. The folks, like council member Velasquez, have really championed builds on a food bank program where basically they stock the pantry. If there's a space, if there's a fridge, a freezer and shelves. And so the dollars that's in a separate budget amendment would basically be given to aid and other local school districts that have Austin students to basically build the pantry. And then the food bank would provide the food. >> All right. Thank you. Comments. Yes. Councilmember Velasquez. >> Thank you. Councilmember Siegel, is this is this building off the existing program that they already have in the school district at aid? >> Yes, sir. And I did want to thank my co-sponsors, Laine Ellis, qadri and harper-madison. But yeah, apparently Glendale elementary is like a model. Yeah. And even to the extent that after having a food pantry there, they're statewide ratings went up from an F to a C. Not to say it was just about food, but I think, you know, food is a good. >> It has a lot to do with food. Yeah. And proudly in district three. [2:44:43 PM] three. >> Right on. >> Thank you. >> Mayor pro tem. >> Thank you, councilmember. I really appreciate you bringing forward this item. We know that our schools are kind of the nucleus of our community. So having them as an access point to address food access is a good thing. And if it's permissible to the dais, I'd like to be added as a co-sponsor. >> Yeah. And on the on the co-sponsorships, because this hasn't been posted yet. What I would suggest is, first of all, if you're sponsoring an ifc, make sure you have your four sponsors. That's first. Second is you be the ones responsible for somebody that's on the dais that they would like to be a co-sponsor. You be the ones making sure staff knows that you have those additional co-sponsors. And if you want to be a co-sponsor, make sure you remind folks so that we get this posted the right way. We're not taking votes on stuff today, so I'm not going to do my typical thing about, without objection, you're a co- sponsor, but we'll do that again. If somebody wants a co-sponsor when we're actually taking votes. But I just [2:45:44 PM] taking votes. But I just encourage everybody, get your get your team together and make sure it'd be nice to have it posted when it's all posted tomorrow. Council member Laine. >> I just wanted to really thank council member Siegel for bringing forward an ifc that, before I even read it, already was chose words such that every low income campus in an independent school district K through 12 with an Austin address will have access to the benefits of this. Across the northern suburbs, there are six title one campuses that would be excluded from a proposal that was limited to aid, so I am so grateful for that. Also, having it include del valle ISD and any ISD. And then I also 100% have not had the ability to discuss directly with council member Velasquez because of concerns. So I will say it in public. I value so much your leadership on meeting the needs of our students and helping them to [2:46:46 PM] students and helping them to have the food and resources and family support that will allow them to succeed and fulfill the promise that a public school education should offer to every single child growing up in this country. Thank you. I'm happy to stand on your shoulders in support of this by council member Siegel. Thanks. >> Thank you very much. Council member item 17, file number 1695. A resolution directing the manager to work with the relevant departments to explore and evaluate the feasibility of establishing a fee to fund a comprehensive solar panel recycling process. Councilmember Siegel, you have the floor. >> Thank you. Mayor and co-sponsors alter, vela and Velasquez. This is built on a recommendation from the joint sustainability committee and committee groups like public citizen that would set in motion a process to create a solar paneling solar panel recycling program. The goal here is that when someone takes out a permit to install solar panels, they would pay a small, small fee approximately 1% of the total [2:47:47 PM] approximately 1% of the total cost that would fund recycling of the panels when they reach their end of life. We've got big goals for renewable generation to basically build the solar power generation capacity. It's going to take thousands of acres of solar panels, so you can imagine how much waste that would be. And this would make sure that we're capturing and recycling valuable materials. >> Great questions or comments. Members. Those are all the proposed ifcs that will be posted tomorrow leading into our meeting next Wednesday the 13th. On Wednesday the 13th, we will have a public hearing at the beginning of the meeting, and the 13th will be when we actually take up the budget. We've also set aside the dates of the 14th and 15th, in case they are needed for us to pass the budget. So that's we're we're coming to the end of a [2:48:49 PM] we're coming to the end of a long process. It may feel fast to some, but I will tell you, it's been one with a lot of detailed work, and I hope that people that are watching today and see the level of knowledge about the budget and the level of detail that every council member has put in to trying to get us to the right place. You recognize that there's been a lot of work by the council. There's been extraordinary work by our city staff, our financial staff, and I guess I compliment their work, but I compliment their patience more. And that's a high compliment. They're very patient. They spend a lot of time, the professional staff that you can't see butts out there in the audience right now from the various departments that spend so much time answering questions so that we can even get to this point. It was suggested earlier by council [2:49:49 PM] was suggested earlier by council member Siegel, and I want to echo that on behalf of the entire council, we're deeply appreciative of your patience and your hard work. And then I think council member Siegel says the right thing. And I want to reiterate that our staff's sure spend a lot of time on this. And our staff in the mayor's office and the staff in each council office really spend a lot of time on this and are doing a great job. So with that, members, good work. Today we are. Coming toward the end of the process. Our financial staff will have us some sort of proposal, which we hope will be the basis for a base motion on on Wednesday, so that we will have something that we can use as a target for amendments and discussion and debate. We'll wait and see how that looks. I will the last thing I will say before we adjourn is that this process is somewhat new. This is [2:50:53 PM] process is somewhat new. This is the first time we will go for a TRE that is a result of going to the voter approval rate broadly on a budget, with not a specific item, as the proposed TRE. That's going to it's not easy to do that. And so I want to say thank you to the manager's office, and thank you to all of the council members for the willingness to put in the work on this, unless there's something else that I'm missing. I think that concludes what we said we were going to do today. So without objection, the Austin city council is adjourned from this work session on the budget and proposed tax rate, tax rate. Election at 2:51 P.M. We are adjourned.