Closed Caption Log, Council Meeting, 2/14/08

Note: Since these log files are derived from the Closed Captions created during the Channel 6 live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. These Closed Caption logs are not official records of Council Meetings and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official minutes, please contact the City Clerk at 974-2210.

, REV. ROBERT CLEMONS, PASTORAL CARE MINISTRY, ST. JAMES MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH ,

IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS RUNNING A LITTLE BIT LATE. WE WILL GIVE THEM A FEW MORE MINUTES TO GET HERE. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE.

GOOD MORNING, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PATIENCE, IT TOOK US A WHILE TO GET EVERYBODY IN THE BUILDING. I'M AUSTIN MAYOR WILL WYNN, IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO WELCOME REV. ROBERT CLEMONS, PASTORAL CARE MINISTRY, ST. JAMES MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH , WHO WILL LEAD US IN OUR INVOCATION, PLEASE RISE. REVEREND?

SHALL WE PRAY? ALMIGHTY GOD, OUR GOD AND OUR FATHER, FATHER OF OUR LORD SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. WE BOW BEFORE YOU, THANKING YOU FATHER FOR YOUR GRACE AND YOUR MERCY, THANKING FOR OUR LAST NIGHT LYING DOWN, EARLY MORNING RISE, THANK FOR YOU THE HEALTH AND STRENGTH AND ACTIVENESS OF OUR LIMBS AND SOUND MIND. THANK YOU FOR GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ONE OF OUR BROTHERS WHO IS A PART OF THIS BODY, OUR BROTHER CHAPA, WE ARE STANDING ON YOUR WORD, YOU DELIVER THEM OUT OF HIM, ALSO, WE ASK THAT YOU BLESS HIM RIGHT NOW IN HIS TIME OF AFFLICTION. WE PRAY THAT YOU BLESS THE CITY COUNCIL ABOVE AND BEYOND THEIR COMP HELPINGS, LORD. COMPREHENSION, WITH YOUR SPIRIT OF WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, COUNCIL, SPIRIT OF MIND, SPIRIT OF UNDERSTANDING AND THE SPIRIT OF FEAR. WE ALSO ASK FOR YOUR BLESSING UPON ALL OF OUR PUBLIC LEADERS THAT YOU PLACE IN PUBLIC OFFICE OVER YOUR PEOPLE, THEIR FAMILY, AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. HOSTILE NATION LEADER, TALIBAN LEADERS, PARLIAMENT LEADERS, NATION OF ISRAEL LEADERS, PALESTINIAN LEADERS, IRAQ LEADERS, RUSSIAN LEADERS, THE CHINA LEADERS, SOUTH AND NORTH KOREARYIAN LEADERS, AUSTRALIAN, ALASKA, AFRICAN-AMERICAN, SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICAN LEADERS, CANADIAN LEADERS AND PRESIDENT BUSH'S LEADERSHIP, LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD BLESS OUR MAYOR OF THIS GREAT CITY, OUR GOVERNOR OF THIS GREAT STATE, LORD. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY, PRAY THAT YOU OPEN UP OUR HEARTS AND MIND SO THAT WE MAY BE RECEPTIVE TO OUR WORDS. FOR IT'S IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.

THANK YOU, REFUSE REMEMBERED. AT THIS TIME I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, FEBRUARY 14th, 2008, APPROXIMATELY 10:32 A.M. HERE IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF THE STALL HALL BUILDING 301 WEST SECOND, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO EVERYBODY. IF THE FIRE ALARM GOES OFF ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR BEFORE MY DINNER RESERVATIONS IT WILL BE A PURE COINCIDENCE. [LAUGHTER]

CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS TO THIS WEEK'S POSTED AGENDA, THEY ARE -- FOR ITEM NO. 2, WE NEED TO STRIKE THE PHRASE TO BE REVIEWED BY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THIS WAS PRESENTED TO THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION AND COMES RECOMMENDED TO US. THIS IS ITEM NO. 2 RELATED TO THE SOUTH TEXAS NUCLEAR PLANT THAT WILL BE PULLED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA BECAUSE WE'LL TAKE IT UP BRIEFLY IN CLOSED SESSION. WE SHOULD NOTE THAT ITEMS NUMBER 8 AND 9 COME RECOMMENDED BY THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT. A NUMBER OF POSTPONEMENTS. WE WILL BE POSTPONING THE FOLLOWING FIVE ITEMS TO OUR NEXT MEETING, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 28th, 2008, WE WILL BE POSTPONING ITEM 17, 18, 24, 27, AND 28. ITEM NO. 43 WE NEED TO CORRECT THE -- THE ADDRESS AND STRIKE THE -- STRIKE THE FIRST REFERENCE TO -- TO EAST -- INSERT WEST. THEN FINALLY, AFTER THE END OF THE POSTING, SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE TO THE EAST. NOT TO THE WEST. ON ITEM NO. 43, ALSO NOTE THIS COMES RECOMMENDED BY THE SOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION. ON ITEM NO. 79, WE SHOULD CORRECT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW THAT IT'S THE TAYLOR SLEW SOUTH WATERSHED. AND ON ITEM NO. 87, WE SHOULD NOTE THAT IT'S TO BE REVIEWED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 26th, 2008. SO I DOUBT WE'LL TAKE ACTION ON THAT TODAY. ITEM NO. 88, WE NEED TO INSERT THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION, WHICH IS TO GRANT COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL MIXED USE VERTICAL MIXED USE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY OR GR-MU-V-CO COMBINING DISTRICT ZONING FOR TRACT 1 AND COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL MIXED USE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY OR GR-MU-CO COMBINING DISTRICT ZONING FOR TRACT NUMBER 2. THAT'S ZONING CASE ITEM NO. 88. ON ITEM NO. 92 WE SHOULD CORRECT THE ORDINANCE NUMBER AND THAT WOULD BE 020523-30. THE CORRECTED ORDINANCE NUMBER FOR ITEM NO. 92. OUR SCHEDULE TODAY, WE ARE ALREADY A LITTLE BIT BEHIND, BUT AS SOON AS WE GET THROUGH OUR CONSENT AGENDA HERE IN A FEW MINUTES, WE WILL HAVE OUR MORNING BRIEFING. IT WILL BE AN UPDATE ON THE 51st STREET WATER TOWER THAT WE HAVE BEEN ANALYZING AND DEBATING FOR A WHILE. AND THEN ALSO A PRESENTATION ON THE PHASE 1 REPORT OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON POLICY DIRECTION FOR THE NEXT SERIES OF STEPS REGARDING THE PLANNING OF DOWNTOWN. AT NOON WE BREAK FOR OUR GENERAL CITIZENS COMMUNICATION. AT 2:00 WE HAVE -- SOMETIME AFTER 2:00 WE WILL HAVE OUR AFTERNOON BRIEFING, THIS WEEK'S BRIEFING IS A PRESENTATION AND UPDATE ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S WEBBERVILLE PROPERTY, THE 2700 ACRES OWNED BY AUSTIN ENERGY TO THE EAST OF AUSTIN. AND SOMETIME AFTER 3:00, WE WILL TAKE UP THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING FOR THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. AT 4:00 WE START OUR ZONING MATTERS, APPROVAL OF ORDINANCES AND ROCKS. ROCK -- AND RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS. AT 5:30 WE BREAK FOR LIVE MUSIC AND PROCLAMATIONS, DEE MADNESS IS OUR MUSICIAN TODAY. SO, COUNCIL, I'VE JUST BIN FORMED THAT TECHNICALLY THE SOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTED FOR ITEM NO. 49, NOT NUMBER 43. COUNCIL, A HANDFUL OF ITEMS HAVE BEEN TAKEN OFF THE -- PULLED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA. THEY ARE -- WE'VE PULLED ITEM NO. 2 REGARDING OUR NUCLEAR PLANT THAT RELATES TO A BRIEF EXECUTIVE SESSION DISCUSSION. ITEM NUMBER 19 IS PULLED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA BECAUSE WE HAVE AT LEAST FIVE CITIZENS SIGNED UP REGARDING THE ANTI-GANG ISSUE. ITEM NO. 33 PULLED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA, A POTENTIAL ACTION ITEM RELATED TO THE WATER TOWER ANALYSIS ON 51st STREET. ITEM NO. 34 PULLED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA REGARDING ENGINEERING SERVICES TO A WATER RECOMMENDATION PROJECT, ITEM NO. 54, THE GREEN WATER TREATMENT PLANT R.F.P., PULLED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA TO BE TAKEN UP LATER. SO, COUNCIL, ADDITIONAL ITEMS? TO BE PULLED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA PRIOR TO THE -- TO NUMERICALLY -- HEARING NONE, LET'S SEE OUR PROPOSED CONSENT AGENDA WILL BE TO APPROVE ITEM 1, 3, FROM OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ITEM 4, FROM OUR CONVENTION CENTER DEPARTMENT ITEMS 5, AND 6, FROM OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND REDEVELOPMENT SERVICES ITEM 7, FROM OUR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PER CHANGES AND CORRECTION WE'LL BE APPROVING ITEMS NUMBER 8 AND 9, FROM OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, ITEM 10; FROM OUR LAW DEPARTMENT, ITEM 11; FROM OUR MANAGEMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT ITEM 12; FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, ITEM 13; FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT, ITEMS 14, 15, AND 16 AND POSTPONING PER CHANGES AND CORRECTION ITEMS 17 AND 18, TO FEBRUARY 28th, 2008. FROM OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEMS 20 AND 21, FROM OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEMS 22, 23, 24 PER CHANGES -- I'M SORRY, WE WILL BE POSTPONING ITEM 24 TO FEBRUARY 28th, 2008 PER CHANGES AND CORRECTION, WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEMS 25, 26, WE WILL BE POSTPONING ITEMS 27 AND 28, TO OUR FEBRUARY 28th 2008 MEETING MEETING. WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEMS 29, 30, 31, AND 32. WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEM 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 PER CHANGES AND CORRECTION AND 44. FROM OUR PURCHASING OFFICE, WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEMS 45, 46, 47, AND 48. FROM OUR SOLID WASTE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, APPROVING ITEM 49. PER CHANGES AND CORRECTION. WE WILL BE APPROVING FROM OUR WATERSHED PROTECTION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW DEPARTMENT ITEMS 50, ITEM 51 ARE OUR APPOINTMENTS TO THE BOARD AND ECONOMICS THAT I WILL READ INTO -- BOARD AND COMMISSIONS THAT I WILL READ INTO THE RECORD NOW. THEY ARE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, HOWARD SEIGEL IS MY NOMINATION. TO THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION JAMES LOGAN IS COUNCILMEMBER COLE'S NOMINATION. THAT'S ITEM NO. 51 ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. WE WILL ALSO BE APPROVING ITEMS 52, 53, 55, 56, 57 AND 58. WE WILL BE SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARINGS BY APPROVING ITEMS 59, 60, 61, AND 62. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THAT PROPOSED CONSENT AGENDA. ACTUALLY, BEFORE THAT, MR. SMITH.

YEAH, MAYOR, I APOLOGIZE. JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION. ON ITEM 11, IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THAT ITEM TO BE ON CONSENT IF THAT'S COUNCIL'S DESIRE. IT'S AN AGREED FINAL JUDGMENT IN A LAWSUIT. COUNCIL WOULD PREFER THAT WE HAVE OUR OUTSIDE COUNCIL HERE WHO COULD MAKE A BRIEF PRESENTATION PRIOR TO THE CONSENT MOTION BEING APPROVED.

Mayor Wynn: I THINK WHAT WE WILL THEN -- WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL JUST GO AHEAD AND CONSIDER IT ON THIS CONSENT AGENDA IF WE GET A MOTION AND A SECOND. BUT THEN BEFORE WE TAKE ACTION ON THAT MOTION, WE WILL HEAR FROM OUTSIDE COUNSEL. MOTION MADE BY COUNCILMEMBER MARTINEZ. SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER COLE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COMMENTS, SOME FOLKS WANT TO GIVE US SOME TESTIMONY ON SOME OF THESE ITEMS. BUT WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND START WITH ITEM NO. 11, THE FINAL LEGAL AGREEMENT I GUESS WITH OUR LOST CREEK M.U.D. ISSUE. WELCOME, MR. RICHARDS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS. I'M DAN RICHARDS. I REPRESENT THE CITY IN THE LOST CREEK M.U.D. ANNEXATION AND AS YOU MAY RECALL, LAST YEAR WE WENT THROUGH ARBITRATION WITH LOST CREEK M.U.D. AND THE ASH ARBITRATOR RULED IN THE CITY'S FAVOR ON THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT THAT WE NEGOTIATED WITH LOST CREEK M.U.D. THE DISTRICT FELT IT NECESSARY TO SUE THE CITY AND APPEAL THAT ARBITRATION RULING. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH THOSE HEARINGS THIS YEAR AND THE COURT HAS RULED IN THE CITY'S FAVOR TO ADOPT THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT AS WAS NEGOTIATED BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE DISTRICT. BECAUSE OF THE PASSAGE OF TIME, AS THE COUNCIL IS AWARE, WE HAD TO MODIFY SOME OF THE DATES BECAUSE THE YEAR END HAD PASSED. SO UNDER THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE STRUCTURED NOW, BOTH SIDES HAVE AGREED NOT TO APPEAL THE COURT'S RULING THAT THIS WILL BE A FINAL JUDGMENT AND THIS WILL END ANY DISPUTES WITH LOST CREEK M.U.D. ON THIS MATTER. THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN THE DISTRICT WILL BECOME CITY OF AUSTIN AT THE END OF THIS YEAR 2008. WE WILL BEGIN TO RECEIVE COMMERCIAL WATER, WASTEWATER REVENUES AT THAT TIME AND THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY WILL BECOME CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENCE IN 2015. SO BY THE END OF 2015 THE ENTIRETY OF LOST CREEK M.U.D. WILL BE INSIDE THE CITY OF AUSTIN DURING THE INTERIM PERIOD THERE'S SOME PAYMENTS THAT LOST CREEK M.U.D. WILL MAKE TO THE CITY FOR THE PROVISION OF SERVICES. AS OF THE ADOPTION OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THEN THE SIGNATURE BY JUDGE COVINGTON AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, THE CITY WILL TAKE OVER OWNERSHIP OF ALL OF THE LOST CREEK FACILITIES FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER. AND SO MY REQUEST TO THE COUPLE IS THAT YOU APPROVE THIS -- TO THE COUNCIL IS THAT YOU APPROVE THIS AGREEMENT SO I CAN GO TO JUDGE COVINGTON AND GET HER TO SIGN IT.

QUESTIONS FOR MR. RICHARDS, COUNCIL?

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. LET'S SEE, COUNCIL, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS, BEFORE I ACTUALLY TAKE COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, I HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS WHO WANTED TO ADDRESS US ON A COUPLE OF THESE ITEMS IF I CAN GET THROUGH THIS REAL QUICKLY. JENNIFERJENNIFER GALE SIGNED UP WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM NO. 3.

GOOD MORNING, MAYOR WYNN. AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL, MARTINEZ, DUNKERLY, MCCRACKEN AND COLE. GOODBYE TO OUR CITY MANAGER TOBY FUTRELL. GOOD MORNING, MR. McDONALD. I'M JENNIFER GALE, VOTES NO ON ITEM TWO, I MEAN YES AGAINST THE TWO NEW REACTORS TO OUR SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT. ON NUMBER 3, WE DON'T HAVE A TANGIBLE WAY OF COUNTING OUR VOTES. THE COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT OUR COUNTY USES IS COMPUTER. SO WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT CAN -- THAT SAYS THAT JENNIFER GALE VOTED AT SUCH AND SUCH PRECINCT. IT'S SIMPLY NOT THERE. THESE THINGS ARE EASILY MANIPULATED. I HAVE NEVER MET A COMPUTER PROGRAMMER THAT WOULD AGREE TO THAT. WE ARE SPENDING 904,035 FOR SOMETHING THERE'S NO PROOF TO. I WANT TANGIBLE PROOF. ON NUMBER 10, WE ARE GIVING THE -- WE ARE RECEIVING $567,000 FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. FOR THE SAME ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM. WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP -- WHAT DO WE OWE THEM? ON NUMBER 12, YOU ARE ASKING FOR EMERGENCY PASSAGE ON CITY BOARDS AND -- AND COMMISSIONS TO CHANGE THE BYLAWS. WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR THE EMERGENCY PASSAGE ON THOSE BYLAWS. ON NUMBER 15, FOR THE CITY OF VOLENTE, I'M SORRY, THE VILLAGE OF VOLENTE, THEY ARE ASKING FOR E.T.J. WHY DON'T WE SIMPLY ANNEX VOLENTE INSTEAD OF SWAPPING OUT OUR E.T.J.? ON NUMBER 19, WHICH WAS PULLED, 19 WAS PULLED? MAYOR?

Mayor Wynn: 19 HAS BEEN PULLED, CORRECT, WE WILL TAKE THAT UP LATER TODAY.

CAN I MAKE A QUICK COMMENT ON 19, PLEASE?

Mayor Wynn: YOU MAY, PLEASE DO.

WHAT IMPOSITION ON OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES WILL BE TAKEN BY FUNDING $145,000 TO SUPPORT THE GAME PROJECT ON OUR PEOPLE. THE ONLY GAMES WE SHOULD BE HAVING ARE BOY SCOUTS, GIRL SCOUTS, CLUB OF AMERICA, I MEAN -- WE ARE -- WHERE OUR CHILDREN ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED. THAT'S THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL. I WOULD RATHER YOU DO THAT AND PUT OUR CHILDREN -- THAN PUT OUR CHILDREN AND OURSELVES IN JEOPARDY. ON NUMBER 52, ON THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS, THE SELECTION OF -- OF THE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS, AND THE TERM, THE LENGTH OF TERM, RATHER THE TERM OF OUR -- I WOULD RATHER THE TERM BE REDUCED SO THAT WE HAVE BETTER -- MORE CHANCES TO VOTE. AND THE NUMBER NEEDS TO BE GREATLY EXPANDED SO WE HAVE MORE VOICES ON THE CITY COUNCIL FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND -- AND IT'S GOT TO BE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS. NOBODY IS GOING TO VOTE FOR AN AT LARGE SYSTEM AND NEVER WILL. THANK YOU. [BEEPING]

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, JENNIFER. COUNCIL, ON THE COMBINED ITEMS 5 AND 6, MR. JEFF JACK WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS US. WELCOME, MR. JACK. AND WHILE WE GIVE YOU SIX MINUTES -- AS OUR -- OUR AGREEMENT, PARKING AGREEMENT, AMONG OTHER THINGS WITH THE LONG CENTER.

MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS, I'M JEFF JACK. THE LAST SEVEN AND A HALF, ALMOST EIGHT YEARS I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS FOR TOWN LAKE PARK. JUST BY CHANCE I WAS LOOKING AT THE AGENDA TODAY AND FOUND TWO ITEMS THAT DIRECTLY RELATE TO SOME OF THE UNDERSTANDINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD WITH REGARD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MASTER PLAN FOR TOWN LAKE PARK. I'M PASSING OUT TO YOU MY COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO MY REVIEW OF THE AGREEMENTS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU IN ITEMS NUMBER 5 AND RELATED TO ITEM NO. 6. THIS IS SORT OF A BULLET POINT SITUATION WHERE I'VE TRIED TO LAY OUT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT NEEDED TO BE VETTED WITH THE ENTIRE STAKEHOLDER GROUP BEFORE THIS AGREEMENT GETS VOTED ON. I'M ASKING YOU TODAY TO TO PULL THIS FROM THE AGENDA. GIVE THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER FOLKS AND THE LONG CENTER AND WORK THROUGH THESE ISSUES. THESE ARE NOT UNSUBSTANTIVE ISSUES. THERE'S A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH AT TOWN LAKE PARK AND THAT'S PARKING. WE ALL KNOW IT. WE'VE KNOWN IT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. BUT WE CAME TO AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO HANDLE THE PARKING EARLY ON AND IT AFFECTED THE MASTER PLAN. THE AGREEMENT SAYS, VERY CLEARLY, NON-EXCLUSIVE BASIS THAT THE PARKING WOULD BE AVAILABLE AND THE PARMER EVENTS CENTER, TOWN LAKE CENTER AND ONE TEXAS CENTER. BUT AS YOU GO THROUGH THE DOCUMENT, WHAT YOU FIND IS A PROGRESSIVE CHANGING OF THAT ATTITUDE TOWARD MORE AND MORE CONTROL AND LIMITATIONS ON THE PARKING. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF VERY BIG, IMPORTANT ISSUES HERE. NOWHERE IN THIS DOCUMENT DOES IT ADDRESS PARKING FOR PARK USERS OR EVENTS AT AUDITORIUM SHORES. THE WAY THIS DOCUMENT IS STRUCTURED, IT IS ENTIRELY FOR THE PALM HE EVENTS CENTER AND THE LONG CENTER. WE HAVE TALKED TO STUART STRONG ABOUT THIS. HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS UNTIL TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN WE MET WITH THE PARKS BOARD ABOUT ANOTHER ISSUE. AND HE HAS NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, I THINK, TO LOOK AT THIS IN TOTALITY, BUT BASICALLY THE IDEA THAT WE SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND WORK OUT THE DETAILS LATER IS NOT GOOD LAW. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORDS IN THE DOCUMENT ARE ACTUALLY CONSISTENT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THE PARKS USERS. THERE'S SOME THINGS IN HERE THAT ARE TROUBLING TO US. UNDER OFF-SITE PARKING RIGHTS, UNDER ADEQUATE ACCESS, THERE'S A REFERENCE TO SURFACE ROADS. AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE MASTER PLANNED THIS PARK EVENTUALLY TO CLOSE RIVERSIDE. WE'VE GOT AN INTERIM SOLUTION WITH DOWN TO TWO LANES, BUT WE DON'T WANT SOMETHING IN THIS DOCUMENT TO PRECLUDE WHAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND WOULD BE A FUTURE EVALUATION OF THAT OPTION WHEN WE HAVE ALL OF THE CORRECTIONS TO CESAR CHAVEZ IN PLACE. SO THAT IS A -- THAT IS A LAND MINE THAT WE PUT IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT MAY PRECLUDE US FROM MOVING FORWARD ON AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR THE PARK. AGAIN, IT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT PARK-RELATED PARKING AT ALL. ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS IN HERE IS THE -- THE PRECLUSION OF PARKING AT THE -- AT THE TOWN LAKE CENTER AFTER 2:30 IN THE AFTERNOON. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, A LOT OF THE CIVIC GROUPS THAT MEET AT THE AUSTIN ENERGY LARGE CONFERENCE ROOM WOULD NOW NOT HAVE ACCESS TO PARKING IN THAT BUILDING THE WAY THIS DOCUMENT IS STRUCTURED. THERE WAS SOMETHING -- YOU WERE GOING TO PUT UP ON THE SCREEN FOR ME. I HAVE A DIAGRAM, JUST A CASE IN POINT OF SOME OF THE ISSUES HERE. THE SERVICE YARD THAT IS DEFINED IN THE MASTER PLAN THAT -- THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SHARED USE AREA WAS A VERY, VERY LONG DISCUSSION IN THE MASTER PLANNING PROCESS. THE IDEA WAS THAT WE WERE LIMITED IN SPACE AND THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO SHARE THAT SERVICE YARD BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS. THE BOTTOM DIAGRAM IS THE -- THE CONCEPT MASTER PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED BY ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE UPPER DIAGRAM IS THE CURRENT SITE PLAN. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE THE COLORS, BUT WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS THE SITUATION IN THIS DOCUMENT WHERE THE SERVICE COURT COULD BE PARTITIONED OFF BY A MOVEABLE FENCE, ESSENTIALLY CUTTING THE SERVICE YARD IN HALF. SO WHAT HAPPENS WITH PEOPLE WHO GO TO THE CITY-WIDE GARAGE SALE WAS THEIR VENDOR TRAILERS AND WAGONS IF THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE SERVICE COURT, WHERE DO THEY GO. THEY HAVE TO GO PARK IN THE PARKING GARAGE, GUESS WHAT? THEY GET CHARGED FOR IT. SO THERE ARE LOTS OF LITTLE INTRICACIES IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW -- HOW THE MASTER PLAN WAS REALIZED IN OUR ACTUAL DESIGN. THAT ARE NOT RECOGNIZED IN THIS DOCUMENT. AND WHAT WE WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU IS THAT WE NEED TO STEP BACK FOR A SECOND, GO BACK AND LOOK AT ALL OF THE ISSUES AFFECTING THIS PARKING, SERVICE YARD USE, WORTH ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AND COME TO AN AGREEMENT ABOUT HOW IT'S GOING TO BE DONE INSTEAD OF STAKEHOLDERS FINDING OUT ABOUT THIS AT THE 11th HOUR, HAVING NO INPUT INTO IT AT ALL AND THEN FINDING OUT THERE'S ALL SORTS OF LAND MINES IN THIS ILLEGAL DOCUMENT. SO WE URGE YOU TO -- TO PULL THIS FROM THE AGENDA, GIVE US SOME TIME TO SIT DOWN WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER AND LONG CENTER AND WORK THROUGH THESE PROBLEMS. YOU HAVE GOTTEN A LETTER FROM LARRY ACHERS, FRIENDS OF THE PARK, THE PARK REPRESENTATIVES, STAKEHOLDER IN THIS PROCESS ASKING YOU TO DO THE SAME. WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION. YOU KNOW THIS IS -- THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT ENDEAVOR BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN. I DON'T THINK I'VE MET ANYBODY THAT HASN'T TALKED ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THIS PARK PLAN. LET'S NOT -- LET'S NOT GIVE UP SOME OF THAT SUCCESS. WITH THIS CONTRACT. LET'S STICK TO THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS, MAKE SURE THAT WE COME OUT OF THIS THING WITH AN AGREEMENT. ALL OF US ARE HAPPY WITH. AND WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONSIDER THAT AND DELAY ANY ACTION ON THIS ITEM. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MR. JACK. QUESTIONS OF MR. JACK? COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL?

Leffingwell: I HAVE A QUESTION OF STAFF, ACTUALLY.

Mayor Wynn: CITY MANAGER RUDY GARZA IS HERE. I THINK PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE. WELCOME, MR. GARZA.

I REALIZE IT'S SHORT NOTICE, BUT CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE -- IS THERE ANY CONFLICT WITH THIS PLAN AND THE TOWN LAKE MASTER PLAN.

COUNCILMEMBER, RUDY GARZA, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. I BELIEVE MR. JACK REFERENCED THAT IT IS A NON-EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT. THE PARKING GARAGE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PUBLIC PARKING GARAGE AND WILL HAVE ACCESS TO INDIVIDUAL THAT WANT TO ACCESS THE PARK. CERTAINLY WE ROYCE RECOGNIZE THERE IS A LIMITED NUMBER OF PARKING IN THAT AREA. BUT THERE'S NOTHING IN THE AGREEMENT THAT WOULD PRECLUDE ANYONE FROM VISITING THE PARK TO PARK IN THE PARKING GARAGE.

Leffingwell: IS THERE ANY TIME SENSITIVITY TO THIS ITEM PASSING TODAY? ANY REASON? BECAUSE FRANKLY I HAVEN'T HEARD THESE CONCERNS BEFORE AND I WONDER IF WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO DISCUSS THESE CONCERNS WITH THE TOWN LAKE PARK FOUNDATION PEOPLE?

WELL, I WILL LET SOME OF MY STAFF TALK ABOUT THE TIME SENSITIVITY. I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT EVENT, ESPECIALLY AT AUDITORIUM SHORES, MANY OF THOSE EVENTS ACTUALLY ARE SHUTTLED IN AND HAVE OFF-SITE PARKING, USUALLY PARKING IS HANDLED THAT BAY, EVENTHAT WAY, EVEN IF PARMER WERE TO BE OPENED IT'S INSUFFICIENT. THAT'S WHY THE PROMOTERS, INCLUDING THE PARKS DEPARTMENT PLAN FOR THE OFF-SITE PARKING AND SHUTTLE PEOPLE IN BACK AND FORTH TO THOSE EVENTS. BUT I WILL LET STAFF DISCUSS THE TIME SENSITIVITY.

WELCOME, [INDISCERNIBLE] MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. THE PARKING CHALLENGE IN THAT AREA IS A CURRENT ISSUE AND WE NEED TO GET GOING ON THAT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. WITH THE OPENING OF THE LONG CENTER. WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO -- TO SECURE OVERFLOW LOTS, JUST -- DATES ARE --

WE HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE LONG CENTER AND WITH ALL OF OUR CLIENTS. WE'VE COVERED A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION WITH THEM. I'M DARREN UPCHURCH, THE MANAGER OF PALM PARMER EVENTS CENTER. WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER A PLAN. THAT PLAN INCLUDES THE AUSTIN ENERGY GARAGE AND ONE TEXAS CENTER. THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL THOUSAND SPACES. WHAT WE ARE DOING, I DO WANT TO ANSWER ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WAS PRESENTED. OUR SERVICE YARD HAS NOT CHANGED IN SIZE. THE FENCE THAT WE ARE ORDERING IS GOING ALONG THE LEASE LINE. SO NOTHING IS CHANGING IN THE SERVICE YARD. IT'S NOT BEING DIVIDED IN HALF. WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO IS COME UP WITH POSSIBILITIES OF ADDING ADDITIONAL PARKING IN THE AREA. A THOUSAND ADDITIONAL SPACES ON THE WEEKEND. WE HAVE COMMUNICATED VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR CLIENTS. WE HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND THE LONG CENTER. I THINK THAT YOU WILL FIND THAT WE ALSO HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. WE DO TAKE THEM INTO ACCOUNT. WE HAVE THEIR CALENDAR, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM. AND I THINK THAT IT'S A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP.

COUNCILMEMBER, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ADD AS PART OF THE 2001 LEASE AGREEMENT THAT WAS SIGNED WITH THE LONG CENTER, THE PARKING WAS ALWAYS MENTIONED SO I GUESS UP TO SEVEN YEARS AGO THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS LEASE THE ISSUE OF PARKING HAS ALWAYS BEEN OBVIOUSLY VERY PUBLIC IN THOSE DOCUMENTS AND IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. IN FACT OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS WE WOULD HAVE FINALIZED IT AND JUST WORK OUT THE DETAILS OF WHAT WAS ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE 2001 LEASE.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DETAILS YET TO BE TALKED ABOUT.

WELL, IN FACT THERE -- THIS IS ITMENT THIS IS THE PLAN. UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF THE LIMITATIONS AT THE PALMER GARAGE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPLORE ADDITIONAL PARKING, I THINK THAT'S A BIGGER ISSUE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE ADDRESSED. BUT THE PARKING AGREEMENT WITH PALMER THIS ACTUALLY SETTLES ALL OF THOSE ISSUES. ITEM 6 IS THE ACCESS ISSUE FOR THEM. SO AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE'S NOT ANYTHING OUTSTANDING AFTER TODAY.

SO I GUESS THE QUESTION WOULD BE ASSUMING ITEMS 5 AND 6 PASS TODAY, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SIT DOWN AND TRY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS OF THE TOWN LAKE PARK STAKEHOLDERS AND SEE IF WE CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT TO ACCOMMODATE, JUST FIND OUT WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE, TRY TO WORK THEM OUT?

WE COULD CERTAINLY LISTEN TO ANY SPECIFIC ISSUES THEY HAVE. I WOULD JUST BE COMPLETELY HONEST, OTHER THAN -- OTHER THAN GIVING EXCLUSIVE PARKING TO CERTAIN GROUPS, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE COULD ACCOMMODATE ANYTHING. THOSE REQUESTS HAVE COME TO US IN THE PAST. SPECIFIC GROUPS WANTING EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE GARAGE. BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED NUMBER OF SPACES IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE AT THIS POINT. CERTAINLY WE WOULD BE GLAD TO --

OKAY, THANKS.

Mayor Wynn: FURTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS?

COUNCILMEMBER.

Mayor Wynn: MR. JACK, IF A COUNCILMEMBER WERE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION, YOU'RE WELCOME TO APPROACH THE PODIUM.

Leffingwell: WHAT'S YOUR COMMENTS?

THANK YOU. TWO THINGS. WE JUST HEARD THAT THE SERVICE YARD IS NOT BEING REDUCED IN SIZE BECAUSE THE FENCE IS GOING ALONG THE LEASE LINE. THAT'S CORRECT. BUT THE LEASE LINE RUNS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE SERVICE YARD. THE OTHER THING WE HEARD JUST A SECOND AGO IS THAT THE PARKING WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PARK PEOPLE. BUT THIS IS WHAT IT SAYS IN THE DOCUMENT, I'M GOING TO QUOTE, THE PALMER EVENTS CENTER PARKING GARAGE GATES WILL REMAIN CLOSED DURING NO EVENT HOURS -- NON-EVENT HOURS, GENERALLY WEEKDAYS, ACCESS WILL REQUIRE ACCESS CARDS ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT. SO SOMEBODY COMING TO OUR PARK OR AN EVENT ON AUDITORIUM SHORES ON THE WEEK DAY IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A PREAPPROVED ACCESS CARD IN ORDER TO GET INTO THE PARKING GARAGE. THAT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE ACT. IT'S RIGHT HERE IN THE DOCUMENT ACCESS. IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THE PUBLIC HAS ACCESS TO THE PARKINGPARKING GARAGE FOR NON-EVENT PURPOSES, USE OF THE PARK, AUDITORIUM SHORES, IT'S IN THE DOCUMENT. WRITTEN THAT WAY. WE CAN TALK ABOUT WELL THAT'S NOT WHAT IT MEANS OR WE'RE GOING TO FIX IT LATER. YOUR APPROVAL OF THIS DOCUMENT IS VERY CLEAR. THAT'S WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

Mayor Wynn: MR. GARZA?

JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, THAT SPECIFIC STATEMENT IS REGARDING THE FACT IS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ACCUSTOMED TO FREE PARKING AND WHAT WE ARE SAYING WITH THAT STATEMENT IS THAT THIS POINT THAT THE PARKING GATES TO ENTER THE GARAGE WILL BE DOWN, PEOPLE EITHER WITH AN ACCESS CARD OR WILL PAY THE FEE CAN ENTER THE GARAGE, IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PUBLIC PARKING GARAGE.

Mayor Wynn: SO THE GATE WILL BE MANNED.

THAT'S CORRECT.

Mayor Wynn: SOMEBODY -- THE PUBLIC HAS THE OPTION TO COME IN ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS AND PAY TO PARK IN THE GARAGE?

YES, SIR.

Mayor Wynn: FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ON THIS COMBINED ITEM 5 AND 6 FOR DISCUSSION? THANK YOU. COUNCIL, WE ALSO HAD -- LET'S SEE. DEBBIE RUSSELL HERE SIGNED UP WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM NO. 35. ITEM NO. 35 RELATES TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT. REGARDING OUR WEST BOULDIN CREEK PHASE B WASTEWATER INTERRELOCATION PHASE.

HI [INDISCERNIBLE] IS A SUBSIDIARY OF HALLIBURTON, HALLIBURTON IS A WAR PROFITEER, WE HAVE A RESOLUTION AGAINST THE WAR, WE SHOULD NOT BE REWARDING WAR PROFITEERS WHO HAVE MISUSED TAXPAYER DOLLARS SO FAR, SO THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MS. RUSSELL. THIS IS -- THESE ARE VERY TYPICAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT. I TRUST IT HAS COMPLIED WITH ALL OUR OF OUR PROCEDURES AS WELL AS STATE PROCUREMENT LAWS. THE FACT THAT IT'S ON THE AGENDA --

I SEE RUDY GARZA NODDING HIS HEAD IN THE BACK. I WILL DEFER TO HIM ON THIS ONE.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. COUNCIL, ALSO ITEMS 5 -- COMBINED ITEMS 52, 53, WE HEARD FROM JENNIFER GALE EARLIER, BUT ALSO DIANA CASTENADA WANTED TO SPEAK. WELCOME, DIANA. THIS IS BOTH SETTING A PUBLISH HEARING FOR TESTIMONY REGARDING SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS AND THE CITY MANAGER SETTING A BRIEFING PRIOR TO THAT.

THANK YOU, HAPPY NEW YEAR. I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU ALL FOR A FEW MONTHS. I ATTENDED A GOOD NUMBER OF THE CHARTER REVISION COMMITTEE COMMISSION MEETING REGARDING SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS, I JUST WANTED TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE AND PERHAPS AS YOU ORDER THE CITY MANAGER AND YOUR LEGAL STAFF TO -- TO CONTINUE TO DO A GOOD JOSH OF I OBJECT FORMING THE COMMUNITY. BUT INCREASE THAT -- GOOD JOB OF INFORMING THE COMMUNITY. BUT INCREASE THAT AVAILABILITY. I WAS AT ZARZAMORA PARK A FEW WEEKS AGO PLAYING BASKETBALL. PEOPLE AREN'T PICKING IT UP. I SUGGEST WE DO SOMETHING MORE VISIBLE AND SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WHEN THEY WALK IN A PUBLIC FACILITY WILL SEE THAT THERE IS DISCUSSION AND THAT THERE IS -- THIS ITEM IS UP FOR POSSIBLE VOTING IN MAY. THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE ALSO DON'T REQUIRE FOR THE PUBLICATIONS THAT COME OUT, WHETHER IT'S THE NEWSPAPER OR THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS, REQUIRE IT MAYBE NOT THE RIGHT WORD BUT TO ASK THEM TO PLEASE -- PLEASE HAVE SIGNIFICANT SPACE ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES. ALSO WHEN YOU PUT THE ADS IN THE NEWSPAPER OR WHATEVER, IT'S AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION, THAT YOU ALSO PUBLISH THE MAPS, THE POTENTIAL MAPS THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE AN IDEA OF WHERE THEY LIVE, WHERE THEY VOTE, WHERE THEY MAY CONCEIVABLY BE REPRESENTED BY SOME SPECIFIC CANDIDATES. I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGER ISSUES OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MAPS LOOK LIKE, PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO VOTE FOR SOMETHING THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT. I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE DO A MUCH BETTER JOB THAN OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS THAT I HAVE SEEN THIS COME UP OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND TO TAKE THE FEAR AWAY. PEOPLE ARE AFRAID THAT YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK TO ONE COUNCILMEMBER BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S ELECTED IN YOUR DISTRICT. HAVING BEEN ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, BEING THE FIRST PERSON ELECTED IN A MAJORITY MINORITY DISTRICT, PEOPLE COULD ALWAYS COME TALK TO ME IF THEY WERE IN MY DISTRICT. I HAD OTHER PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE DISTRICT, THE CITY, THE AUSTIN ISD TO COME TALK TO ME ALSO. THIS DOESN'T PRECLUDE YOU HAVING ONLY ONE REPRESENTATIVE BECAUSE IT TAKES A MAJORITY TO PASS ANYTHING. SO THIS NEEDS TO BE MADE KNOWN, TOO, SO PEOPLE 7 WON'T HAVE THE WRONG IMPRESSION THAT I CAN ONLY TALK TO ONE PERSON. BUT INDEED THEY STILL HAVE TO GET A MAJORITY APPROVAL FROM AN ENTIRE GOVERNMENTAL BODY, SPECIFICALLY THE CITY OF AUSTIN. I WANT TO -- TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS BACK TO US AS A COMMUNITY, THERE LEFFINGWELL, AND MR. MARTINEZ. JUST MAKE SURE THAT -- THAT THE PUBLIC IS COMPLETELY INFORMED AND HAS A BEARING ON WHERE THEY FIT IN IN THIS PROCESS. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MS. CASTENADA.

Mayor Wynn: COUNCIL, THAT'S ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT SIGNED UP WISHING TO ADDRESS TO GIVE US THEIR COMMENTS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. AS A REMINDER WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE TABLE FOR THE PROPOSED CONSENT AGENDA. FURTHER COUNCIL COMMENTS? HEARING NONE, IF YOU WILL INDULGE ME, ITEM 57 IS AN ITEM FROM COUNCIL WHEREBY WE WOULD BE NAMING ANTALIA, TURKEY, AS A SISTER CITY TO AUSTIN. FRANKLY I WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS DONE WHILE WE STILL HAVE THE CROWD HERE SO FOLKS CAN SEE A REMARKABLE CITY, A REMARKABLE COUNTRY. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF GUESTS HERE.

I'M WITH THE AUSTIN ANTALYA CITY SISTER COMMITTEE. AS THE MAYOR SAID I HAVE A LITTLE PRESENTATION, I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH A MAP OF EUROPE, JUST TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHERE TURKEY IS IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW. IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE MAP, YOU SEE TURKEY THERE. IT'S A MEMBER TO THE EUROPEAN UNION. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IS A MAP OF TURKEY. TURKEY IS ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS TEXAS. SO IT'S A BIG COUNTRY, ABOUT 70 MILLION POPULATION. YOU WILL SEE -- YOU WILL SEE ANTALYA IS IN THE WEST PART OF TURKEY ON THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST. WE ARE PROPOSING IT AS A SISTER CITY TO AUSTIN. AND I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT SOME SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ANTALYA AND AUSTIN WHY THEY WOULD MAKE A GOOD CITY CENTER. THEY ARE BOTH GATEWAY CITIES CITIES IS A GATEWAY TO TURKEY LIKE AUSTIN. LARGE UNIVERSITY PRETTY MUCH LIKE AUSTIN. ANTALYA IS VOUNDZED BY MOUNTAINS, FORESTS, MEDITERRANEAN SEA AND ANCIENT RUINS. IT IS CALLED THE CAPITAL OF TURKISH TOURISM. HAS A NUMBER OF HOTELS IN AND AROUND THE CITY. ANOTHER REASON WHY ANTALYA AND AUSTIN WOULD MAKE GREAT CITY CENTERS IS BECAUSE AUSTINITES DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT ANTALYA MANY OF YOU PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF IT UNTIL TODAY. SAME THING GOES FOR TURKISH PEOPLE ABOUT AUSTIN. DESPITE THE FACT THAT ANTALYA IS A WELL KNOWN TOURISM CAPITOL, MORE BEDS ALONG THAN THE REST OF TURKEY, IT'S REALLY THE CAPITOL. IT HAS BLUE BEACHES, SUNSHINE, HISTORICAL SITES, HOSPITALITY AND VERY AFFORDABLE LOCATION, SO EUROPEANS, IN EUROPE IT'S WELL KNOWN. LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE MAYOR OF ANTALYA LESS THAN HALF OF THE A PERCENTAGE OF ALL OF THE TOURISTS THAT CAME TO ANTALYA WERE FROM AMERICA. NOT JUST FROM AUSTIN, BUT THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO IMPROVE THAT. THOUSANDS OF TURKS TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES FOR VARIOUS REASONS, STUDYING, TOURISM, VERY FEW OF THEM END UP COMING TO AUSTIN BECAUSE AGAIN IT'S NOT VERY WELL KNOWN. AS I MENTIONED ALREADY, AUSTIN AND ANTALYA ARE HOME TO UNIVERSITIES, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, IN AUSTIN, THE MEDITERRANEAN UNIVERSITY IS ONE OF THE LARGEST UNIVERSITIES IN TURKEY. IT HAS A NUMBER OF EXCHANGE PROGRAMS WITH MANY EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, BUT NOT WITH THE U.S. ANTALYA WOULD BE A GREAT NATION FOR PEOPLE TO GO FROM HERE TO STUDY BECAUSE IT'S VERY SIMILAR IN SIZE TO AUSTIN. AND THE -- THE STUDYING IN ANTHROPOLOGY, HISTORY, THEOLOGY WOULD BE REALLY FRUITFUL IN ANTALYA. SIMILARITIES, BOTH CITIES HAVE ABOUT THE SAME POPULATION, ABOUT ONE MILLION. THEY ARE LOCATED ABOUT THE SAME LATITUDE SO THE CLIMATES ARE SIMILAR, WITH HOT SUMMERS, WARM WINTERS, BOTH HAVE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC AND FILM FESTIVALS. ANTALYA HAS ONE AS WELL. THE TERRAIN IS VERY SIMILAR WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, BOTH CITIES HAVE A NUMBER OF NATURE PARKS IN THEIR VICINITY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY BOTH START WITH THE LETTER A. [LAUGHTER] WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?

THERE YOU HAVE IT.

OPPORTUNITY TO DIMINISH STEREOTYPES, THIS IS ONE THAT WE VALUE AS WELL. TURKS AND AMERICANS HAVE MANY STEREOTYPES OF ONE ANOTHER. CREATING A SISTER CITY AGREEMENT AND INCREASING THE TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE CITIES, ONE TO ONE RELATIONS SHOULD IMPROVE THAT TO REDUCE STEREOTYPES AND BUILD HEALTHY COOPERATION BETWEEN COMMUNITIES. IT TURNS OUT AUSTIN HAS I BELIEVE 10 SISTER CITIES THAT SHOULD BE ALREADY, NONE OF THEM ARE IN A MUSLIM COUNTRY. GIVING THE FACT THAT ALMOST A QUARTER OF THE POPULATION, IF NOT QUARTER ONE FIFTH OF THE WORLD POPULATION IS MUSLIM, IT'S TIME THAT WE HAVE A SISTER CITY IN A MUSLIM COUNTRY. IN AUGUST 2006, WE LED A DELEGATION TO VISIT THE CITY, THE MAYOR OF ANTALYA. THERE WERE 8 PEOPLE INCLUDING MYSELF AND THE DOCTOR ALSO WITH ME HERE. WE HAD A COUPLE OF PEOPLE FROM U.T., IN CHARGE OF INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS AND DEB DRAW WITH THE IC 2 INSTITUTE SETTING UP TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE PROGRAMS. WE HAD MYSELF AGAIN AND THE REST I GUESS ARE FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN SO YOU KNOW THEM. BARRAZA, [INDISCERNIBLE] AND THE MAYOR. [ONE MOMENT PLEASE FOR CHANGE IN CAPTIONERS] EASTERN STUDIES FROM U.T., THE STUDIES DIRECTOR AT ST. EDWARD'S DIRECT, THEY HAVE ALL BEEN TO ANTALYA. OUR DEVELOPMENT PLAN, WE ARE PROPOSING FOUR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. FIRST ORGANIZED ANNUAL EVENTS PROMOTING THE TURKISH CULTURES TO AUSTINITES. TWO, ESTABLISH EXCHANGE PROGRAMS ON HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY LEVELS. THREE, ORGANIZE (INDISCERNIBLE) WITH ACADEMIC CENTERS LIKE U.T. AND OTHER UNIVERSITIES. COORDINATE CULTURAL EVENTS WITH SCHOOLS, MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. I'LL JUST SAY ANTALYA REALLY IS A REMARKABLE CITY. THE SIMILARITIES TO AUSTIN ARE QUITE REMARKABLE. IT ESSENTIALLY IS A PROVENCIAL CAPITAL. THE CITY ITSELF HAS AN ALMOST IDENTICAL POPULATION AS AUSTIN. THEY'RE SMALLER THAN US AS A CITY, BUT LARGER THAN US AS A METROPOLITAN REGION AND ECONOMY. SPECTACULAR SETTING. GLORIOUSLY, BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED NATURAL AREAS IN AND AROUND THE CITY. RIVERS RUNNING THROUGH ITS DOWNTOWN. WATER FALLS CASCADING OFF THE CENTER CITY DOWN INTO THE MEDITERRANEAN. SPECTACULAR PLACE. AFTER SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2009, SEVERAL OF US WHO HAD BEEN ACTIVE WITH DIFFERENT CENTER CITIES, RECOGNIZED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A SISTER CITY IN A MUSLIM COUNTRY. ISTANBUL IS THE SISTER CITY FOR HOUSTON. AND I PERSONALLY BELIEVE IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE PERHAPS FIND AN APPROPRIATE CITY. TURKEY IS DISPROPORTIONALLY OFF THE CHARTS AS A MUSLIM COUNTRY, BUT QUITE SECULAR. ANTALYA, THE CITY OF ANTALYA HAS BOTHERED TO BUILD AT GREAT EXPENSE IN A CITY PARK, THEY CALL IT I THINK THE GARDEN OF TOLERANCE. TECHNICALLY SISTER CITIES, RELIGION IS SORT OF SET ASIDE STRUCTURALLY AND YOU FRANKLY TRY NOT TO HAVE RELIGIOUS EXCHANGE, BUT ONE CAN'T TALK ABOUT CHURL ACROSS THIS PLANET WITHOUT OFTEN TIMES TALKING ABOUT RELIGION. THE CITY OF ANTALYA IN ONE OF THEIR PARK HAS BUILT THIS GARDEN OF TOLERANCE AND A BRAND NEW, BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED AND BUILD SYNAGOGUE RIGHT NEXT TO A CHRISTIAN CHURCH, RIGHT NEXT TO A MUSLIM MOSQUE. ALL SHARING THE SAME COURTYARD. AND IN FACT, THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE. THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, THE BISHOP, THE IMAN AND THE RABBI SHARE OFFICE SPACE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. ESSENTIALLY IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE CHURCH OR TO THE MOSQUE OR TO THE SYNAGOGUE, YOU HAVE TO WALK PAST THE OTHER TWO IN ORDER TO GET THERE. PRETTY REMARKABLE STATEMENT ABOUT THIS CITY AND FUNDAMENTALLY ABOUT THE COUNTRY. GIGANTIC TOURISM SPOT. THE EUROPEANS AND RUSSIANS CERTAINLY HAVE DISCOVERED ANTALYA, BUT FOR DIFFERENT REASONS WE AS AMERICANS OBVIOUSLY APPARENTLY HAVEN'T. BUT I THINK WHEN WE TRAVELED THERE, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS WAS EXTREMELY EXCITED WITH THE EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES. WE ACTUALLY MET WITH TWO DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES THERE THAT DAY AND BOTH OF THOSE SCHOOLS ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT U.T. REPRESENTS FOR THEM AND WITH THEM. SO BETWEEN A CULTURE -- AND I REALIZE YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT CULTURE WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT RELIGION. THE CULTURAL EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES, THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY THAT'S HAPPENING IN ANTALYA, A VERY QUICKLY GROWING, REMARKABLELY PROFITABLE, HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY AND IN PART CLUSTERED AROUND THEIR UNIVERSITIES IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR TECH SECTOR HERE, THEN FROM AN ACADEMIC STANDPOINT, GREAT, GREAT OPPORTUNITIES. LASTLY, JUST THE FUNDAMENTAL NATURE OF THE NATURAL SETTING THEY HAVE IN AN TA I CAN'T I THINK WILL STRIKE AUSTINITES AS SPECTACULAR. THE CITY CENTER WAS BUILT 3,000 YEARS AGO. REMARKABLE FOR US AS AUSTINITES TO GET TO KNOW ANOTHER CITY, ANOTHER COUNTRY WITH A DIFFERENT CULTURE AND INVITE THEM TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING WE HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN. WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO HELP SPONSOR THIS ADDITIONAL SISTER CITY AND I ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO BECOME AWARE OF THE CITY AS IT FORMS AND CONTINUES TO DEVELOP THE FLOON HAVE MORE EXCHANGE BETWEEN OUR CITIZENS AND THE CITIZENS OF ANTALYA, TURKEY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL.

Leffingwell: I WAS A CO-SPONSOR ON THIS AND I'VE NEVER BEEN IN ANTALYA, BUT I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN ADONA, JUST EAST DOWN THE COAST. I HAVE A LOT OF GOOD MEMORIES. THAT WAS IN ANOTHER LIFETIME. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO VISITING YOUR CITY SOMETIME.

AGAIN, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE TABLE APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ. FURTHER COMMENTS? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES ON A VOTE OF SIX TO ZERO WITH COUNCILMEMBER KIM OFF THE DIE ADD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FOLKS, IF YOU COULD TAKE YOUR CONVERSATION OUT TO THE FOYER, WE HAVE MORE BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO. SO THE FIRST OF OUR TWO MORNING PRESENTATIONS WILL BE AN UPDATE ON THE 51st STREET WATER TOWER. IF YOU REMEMBER JUST THE LAST MEETING OR TWO, WE HAD A DETAILED PRESENTATION FROM OUR WATER UTILITY REGARDING IN A SENSE THE DESIGN OF THIS FIRST OF SEVERAL PROPOSED WATER TOWERS. AND WELCOME A BRIEF STAFF PRESENTATION.

GOOD MORNING. I'M THE AUSTIN WATER STILT DIRECTOR. IF WE COULD START MY PRESENTATION. AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE'RE HERE TO COME BACK ON THE 51st STREET TANK. I THOUGHT I'D START OFF REFRAMING THE ISSUE FOR EVERYONE. WAY BACK WHEN WE HAD PROPOSED AN ORIGINAL KIND OF STANDARD ELEVATED TANK FOR THIS PARTICULAR AREA. THAT'S THE TANK THAT'S ON THE LEFT OF THE SCREEN THERE. AFTER CONSIDERABLE NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS, WE WORKED WITH THE COUNCIL AND HIRED AN ARCHITECT AND CREATED A PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THEY CAME UP WITH TWO ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS TO IMPROVE THE TANK AESTHETICS. ONE WAS WHAT WE TERMED THE ENHANCED COMPOSITE TANK IN THE MIDDLE AND THEN THE SECOND IS WHAT WE CALL THE LATTICE STYLE TANK ON THE OPPOSITE END. WE TOOK THOSE ENHANCED DESIGNS THROUGH THE BID PROCESS AND THE RESULTS WERE HERE ON THE SCREEN. THE LATTICE STYLE TANK WE JUST RECEIVED ONE BID AN IT WAS SHY UNDER 16 MILLION, AND ALSO JUST A NOTE THAT OUR DSMBR GROUP INDICATE THAT HAD THAT BID WAS NOT COMPLIANT WITH THE GOALS. WE ALSO TOOK BIDS ON THE ENHANCED COMPOSITE TANK AND THE RESULTS ARE THERE AND THE LOW RESPONSIVE BIDDER IS LANDMARK AT ABOUT 7.9 MILLION. WE PRESENTED THAT IN LATE JANUARY TO COUNCIL, AND THE COUNCILMEMBERS HAD SEVERAL QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING UP WITH TODAY. ONE QUESTION FROM THE MAYOR WAS COUNCILMEMBER ALVAREZ OF SCALE, COULD WE REDUCE COSTS BY ADOPTING ONE OF THE STANDARDS? AND THAT WOULD LOWER COSTS OVER THE LONG RUN. WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LATTICE STYLE TANK AND HOW THAT MIGHT IMPACT RATES IN VARIOUS WAYS. AND THEN WE HAD A QUESTION ABOUT HOW CHANGES IN THE RATE STRUCTURE FOR RECLAIMED WATER MIGHT IMPACT OUR WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM. SO TO START OFF FIRST WITH THE ECONOMY OF SCALE QUESTION, REALLY TO PARAPHRASE, THE QUESTION WAS COULD FUTURE TANK COSTS BE REDUCED IF WE USED THEM AS A PATTERN FOR ALL OUR WATER TANKS. WE WENT BACK AND CONSULTED WITH SOME FOLKS, PARTICULARLY OUR OUTSIDE ENGINEERING FIRM, CDM, WHO BUILT THE TANKS ALL ACROSS THE NATION. AND THEY THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS SOME POTENTIAL FOR REDUCING COSTS IF WE BUILT ADDITIONAL FUTURE LATTICE STYLE TANKS. BUT THAT COST SAVINGS WAS LIKELY TO BE SMALL. THAT SEVERAL -- SEVERAL REASONS FOR THAT. ONE, OF ALL OUR SIX REMAINING TANKS, ONLY TWO WOULD BE ABLE TO QUICKLY ADAPT THAT TH LATTICE TYPE DESIGN. THE OTHER TWO ARE DIFFERENT IN STYLE AND TYPE THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY MODIFIED TO WORK THERE. THE OTHER IS A TIME ISSUE THAT WE SEE THESE TANKS BEING CONSTRUCTED OVER ALMOST A 30 YEAR PERIOD SO THAT WILL REDUCE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF THE ECONOMY OF SCALE. ON THE RATE IMPACT SIDE, I'LL GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON OUR ANALYSIS HERE. RECLAIMED WATER RATES RIGHT NOW ARE ACTUALLY SET BELOW COST TO ENCOURAGE GROWTH OF THE SYSTEM. SEVERAL OF OUR WATER CUSTOMERS HAVE CONTRACTUALLY SET RATES WHICH CAN'T BE MODIFIED BECAUSE THE RATE WAS NEGOTIATE UNDERSTAND LIEU OF CONTRIBUTIONS OF INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE RECLAIM SYSTEM. OF THE CUSTOMERS THAT WE HAVE THAT WE COULD MODIFY RECLAIM RATES, THEY GENERATE ABOUT $253,000 PER YEAR IN REVENUE. AND JUST TO KIND OF PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, WE DID THE ANALYSIS THAT THE DAIRLG DEBT SERVICE ON THE LATTICE STYLE TANK, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT EIGHT MILLION, FOR ASSUMING A 30-YEAR BOND AT FIVE PERCENT, THIS WOULD REQUIRE ABOUT 540,000 PER YEAR IN ADDITIONAL DEBT SERVICE TO FUND THAT EXTRA EIGHT MILLION. JUST SOME ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND, TOO, WE HAVE INVESTED ABOUT $28 MILLION TOTAL SO FAR IN OUR RECLAIM SYSTEM. AND OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS WE'RE PLANNING TO INVEST AN ADDITIONAL 174 MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF 202 MILLION AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE WHAT MIGHT BE THE EXTRA COST FOR EACH ONE OF THE TANKS IF WE ADOPT THE LATTICE STYLE TYPE DESIGN FOR THAT. AND I THINK IN GENERAL I'M TRYING TO CONVEY THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CAPITAL DEMANDS ON OUR SYSTEM. WE HAVE THE RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM PLANT FOR IN MANY OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. SO AS WE LOOK IT MAY THE FUTURE AT RATES WE'LL SEE INCREASED PRESSURE ON THE CAPITAL SIDE. OUR CURRENT RECLAIM WATER RATE IS ABOUT ANYWAY CENTS PER THOUSAND GALLONS. COMPARATIVELY AN AVERAGE COMMERCIAL POT ABLG RATE IS ABOUT 392. A COUPLE OF WAYS TO LOOK AT THE RATE IMPACT OF MOVING FORWARD WITH THE LATTICE STYLE TANK, ONE ANALYSIS WE DID IS IF WE WERE TO JUST PASS THAT COST ON TO THE NEWER AREA, WHICH I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE WERE ASK. IF WE WERE TO RAISE ONLY RECLAIMED WATER RATES IN MUELLER AREA CUSTOMERS TO FUN THE ADDITIONAL EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS, THE RATE WOULD NEED TO CHANGE BY 334%, WHICH WOULD BRING THE RECLAIM RATE FOR MUELLER TO $4.35 PER THOUSAND GALLONS. YOU COULD SEE THAT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY RISE IT SIGNIFICANTLY EVEN ABOVE OUR POTABLE RATE. THEN WE DID AN ANALYSIS THAT IF WE WERE TO PASS THE EIGHT-MILLION-DOLLAR RECLAIM COST ON TO ALL CONTRACT CUSTOMERS, ALL NON-CONTRACT RECLAIM CUSTOMERS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY THAT THAT WOULD RAISE THE RECLAIM RATE. THEN THE LAST ANALYSIS WE DID IS NOT REALLY LOOKING AT THE RATE IMPACT ON RECLAIMED WATER, BUT JUST LOOKING AT THE RATE IMPACT IF WE TOOK THE ADDITIONAL EIGHT-MILLION-DOLLAR DEBT SERVICE AND SPREAD THAT ACROSS ALL WATER UTILITY CUSTOMERS. WE HAVE ABOUT 200,000 WATER UTILITY CUSTOMERS. AND OBVIOUSLY WITH SUCH A LARGE BASE AND INCLUDING WATER AND WASTEWATER REVENUES, THE IMPACT FROM A RATE PERSPECTIVE IS SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER. IT WOULD RESULT IN A SMALL 12 CENTS PER MONTH OR TWO 10THS OF ONE PERCENT RATE IMPACT IF WE WERE TO TAKE THAT ROUTE TO SPREAD THAT COST OVER ALL CUSTOMERS. AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST FOR THE LATTICE STYLE, THE ADDITIONAL COST FOR THE LATTICE STYLE TANK. THE LAST QUESTION THAT WE'RE ASKED IS THE IMPACT ON CONSERVATION. AND AGAIN, THIS ASSUMES THAT WE RAISE THE RECLAIM RATES TO FUND THE ADDITIONAL COST '. I THINK INTUITIVELY ONE WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT HIGHER RECLAIM RATES WOULD LIKELY DETER POTENTIAL RECLAIM CUSTOMERS FROM CONNECTING. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE RATE UNDER COST TO TRY TO HAVE PEOPLE CONNECT. AND MAYBE A CASE IN POINT, A UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS EXAMPLE, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IS EXPECTED TO ULTIMATELY USE UP TO 600 MILLION GALLONS PER YEAR OF RECLAIMED WATER. THEY HAVE INVESTED SIGNIFICANTLY PRIVATELY TO CONSTRUCT WHAT WE CALL PURPLE PIPE OR RECLAIM PIPE THROUGHOUT THEIR CAMPUS AREA IN ANTICIPATION OF RECLAIMED WATER COMING. THE 51st STREET TANK IS A BIG PART OF US ULTIMATELY GETTING WATER TO U.T. AND I THINK IF THE COUNCIL WERE TO CHOOSE TO RAISE RECLAIM RATES TO FUND THE AT THAT LATTICE STYLE TANK THAT CERTAINLY U.T. WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN THAT DECISION AND U.T. WOULD BE A STAKEHOLDER GIVEN THEIR DECISIONS TO INVEST IN THE PURPLE PIPE NETWORK ON THEIR CAMPUS WAS BASED ON CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS OF RECLAIM RATES STAYING AT A LOWER LEVEL. SO IN CONCLUSION, TODAY I THINK THERE'S STILL A COUPLE OF OPTIONS FOR THE COUNCIL. ONE IS THAT YOU COULD DECIDE TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ENHANCED COMPOSITE TANK DESIGN THAT OUR ARCHITECTURAL TEAM CAME UP WITH. THAT'S ACTUALLY THE TWO TRANSACTIONS THAT ARE ON TODAY'S COUNCIL AGENDA, THAT THOSE BIDS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES ARE READY TO GO. ALTERNATIVELY IF THE COUNCIL DECIDES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LATTICE TANK, THAT BECAUSE OF THE COMPLIANCE ISSUE WITH OUR DSMBR GROUP THAT WE HAVE TO REBID THAT LATTICE TANK AND WE WOULD PROBABLY ALSO REBID THE COMPOSITE TANK. I'M NOTING THAT THE REBIDDING PROCESS MAY INTRODUCE ADDITIONAL CHANGES TO COST STRUCTURE. OBVIOUSLY YOU WILL GET NEW BIDS, YOU MIGHT HAVE MORBIDDERS. YOU MIGHT NOT GET ANY BIDS. THE COST MIGHT BE HIGHER OR LOWER. I THINK WE HAVE THAT $16 MILLION AS KIND OF A ONE BID THAT WE KNOW CAME IN, BUT IF WE REBID WE COULD SEE THAT SHIFT A LITTLE BIT. IT'S HARD TO PREDICT THE EXACT RESULTS. I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT. WITH THAT WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTION THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

Mayor Wynn: QUESTIONS OF STAFF? COMMENTS? COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL.

Leffingwell: SO IF THE COST OF THE LATTICE TOWER WERE PASS ODD ONLY TO THE MUELLER AREA CUSTOMERS, THE THE COST TO RECLAIM WATER WOULD BE $4.35 AS OPPOSED TO $3.92 FOR TREATED WATER?

CORRECT. FOR JUST THE MUELLER AREA.

Leffingwell: AND IT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 2.$47 IF IT WERE SPREAD OUT OVER THE ENTIRE RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM.

CORRECT.

Leffingwell: AND THAT WOULD NOT INCLUDE OTHER -- HALF A DOZEN OTHER WATER TOWERS. THAT WOULD BE ADDED TO THAT.

WE'RE ESTIMATING ABOUT 170 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT FOR THE RECLAIM SYSTEM OVER THE YEARS. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL MAY WANT TO ADJUST RECLAIM RATES IN THE FUTURE AS WE BUILD OUT THAT SYSTEM.

Leffingwell: AS I RECALL, THE ANTICIPATED BUILDOUT TIME FOR THIS ENTIRE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE NOW WITH FOUR MAJOR RECLAIM LINES IS FOUR YEARS APPROXIMATELY.

FOR -- I BELIEVE FOR THE MUELLER-U.T. AREA.

Leffingwell: I'M TALKING ABOUT THE RED RIVER LINE, THE ONE OUT BY THE AIRPORT, THERE'S FOUR ALTOGETHER, I BELIEVE. AND MY RECOLLECTION IS THE WATER CONSERVATION POLICY CALLED FOR COMPLETING ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS IN FOUR YEARS.

Mayor Wynn: MAYOR PRO TEM?

Dunkerley: DO YOU PREDICT YOU WILL BE BUILDING IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

IN TERM OF THE RECLAIM TOWERS, WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A TOTAL OF SEVEN RECLAIM TOWERS. DUNK DID YOU KNOW HOW MANY?

SEVEN.

SO THIS 51st STREET TANK WOULD BE ONE OF SEVEN TOWERS.

Dunkerley: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COST OF THE BIDS THAT YOU RECEIVED ON THIS WERE ABOUT, WHAT, SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS BETWEEN THE LATTICE STYLE AND THE OTHER STYLE?

IT WAS ACTUALLY RIGHT AROUND EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS, THE DIFFERENCE TWIEWBL THE ENHANCED COMPOSITE AND THE LATTICE STYLE TANK. SO OVER -- APPROXIMATELY OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS IF YOU ASSUME THAT THAT'S THE STANDARD DIFFERENCE, THAT WILL BE ABOUT 56 MILLION IN COST OVER THE 30-YEAR PERIOD FOR A LATTICE STYLE TYPE STANDARD FOR RECLAIMED TANKS.

Dunkerley: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: FURTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? AND REGARDING THE TIMING, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO GET MORE CUSTOMERS ON SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. WHAT IS SORT OF THE CRITICAL PATH ON DELIVERING A TOWER THERE? AND FOR INSTANCE, YOU BROUGHT UP UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS BEING THIS POTENTIALLY VERY LARGE CUSTOMER OF OURS, AND THAT IS DRAMATICALLY REDUCING OUR POTABLE WATER DELIVERY TO U.T. I MEAN, ARE THEY READY TO GO? IS THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE? WHERE'S OUR CRITICAL TIME?

THEY'RE READY TO GO. THEY'RE PATIENTLY WAITING FOR US TO BUILD THE TANK AND EXTEND THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO THEIR CAMPUS. I THINK THE TANK TIME LINE HAS STRETCHED OUT LONGER THAN MANY ANTICIPATED BECAUSE OF ALL THE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS. IT BEEN SEVERAL YEARS TO TRY TO PUT THIS TANK TOGETHER. MAYOR, THERE'S NOT AN ACTUAL DROP DATE FOR U.T., BUT I THINK EVERYONE'S ANXIOUS WITH THE WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM, THE GOALS. AS COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL INDICATED TO GET THE WATER RECLAIM PROGRAM GOING IN A,, WE HAVE THE $250,000 AND YOU CAN SEE THE AREA AROUND U.T. AND MANY MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSES, IT'S PRIME TO RAMP UP THE RECLAIMED WATER. I KNOW OUR STAFF IS ANXIOUS TO GET THAT SYSTEM DEPLOYED IN THIS AREA.

Mayor Wynn: THE MUELLER REDEVELOPMENT ITSELF, THROOD A HANDFUL -- THERE'S A HANDFUL -- THE FIRST IT PHASE OF THE HOMES ARE UP. THE CHILDREN'S CENTER IS UP AND THE RETAIL IS THERE. ARE ANY OF THOSE CUSTOMERS CURRENTLY ON OUR RECLAIM PROGRAM?

YES.

AT SOME POINT WITHOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THAT TOWER --

YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND IT INTO THE OTHER AREAS TO EXPAND IT.

Mayor Wynn: FURTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? SO THE ITEMS THAT STAFF HAS POSTED, THE COMBINED ITEM 33 AND 34 -- DELIVERING THE ENHANCED COMPOSITE, THE MIDDLE OF THE THREE TOWER PHOTOGRAPHS?

THAT'S RIGHT. THAT TANK HAS SOME OF THE AESTHETIC DESIGN QUALITIES THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIKED. AND VERSUS THE HIGHER LATTICE STYLE TANK.

Mayor Wynn: FURTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL.

Leffingwell: ARE THERE ANY SPEAKERS ON THIS SIGNED UP?

Mayor Wynn: MY MACHINE SHOWS NONE.

Leffingwell: OTHERWISE I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS NUMBER 33 AND 34.

Mayor Wynn: MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL, SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM TO APPROVE ITEMS 33 AND 34 AS POSTED AND PRESENTED BY STAFF. FURTHER COMMENTS? I'LL JUST SAY ALL OF US WANT TO HAVE AS GOOD A DESIGN AS POSSIBLE ON ALL OF THESE PIECES OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE BUILD, WHETHER IT'S CITY OFFICES OR WATER TOWERS. YOU KNOW, I COMMEND STAFF FOR TAKING AS LONG AND HARD A LOOK AS YOU ALL HAVE TO TRY TO HELP US AT LEAST COME UP WITH THIS ENHANCED DESIGN AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN TOIN PUSH THAT ENVELOPE AND CONTINUE TO TRY TO CHALLENGE OURSELVES INTERNALLY ON HOW WE CAN DELIVER THE BEST DESIGN POSSIBLE. AESTHETICS MATTER AND CIVIC PRIDE MATTERS, AND HOPEFULLY THIS CAN BE THE FIRST STEP IN EXPANDING THAT CONCEPT WITHIN OUR WATER UTILITY. AGAIN, MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE TABLE APPROVING ITEMS 33 AND 34. FURTHER COMMENTS? COUNCILMEMBER COLE.

Cole: I TOO RECOGNIZE THAT THE STF HAS TAKEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT AND WORKED WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS ON TRYING TO GET A WATER TOWER THAT THEY ARE PROUD OF AND AN URBAN DESIGN. AND THAT MUELLER IS ONE OF OUR STELLAR PROJECTS. BUT AS WE SEE A DECREASE IN THE GROWTH OF SALES TAX REVENUE AND THE NATIONAL TREND, I THINK WE NEED TO BE PRUDENT WITH OUR DOLLARS AND RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVE OTHER TOWERS TO BUILD THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THE MOTION.

Mayor Wynn: FURTHER COMMENTS? HEEG HEARING? OPPOSED? -- HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.? OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES WITH COUNCILMEMBER KIM OFF THE DIAS. THANK YOU ALL. COUNCIL, WITHOUT OBJECTION -- EARLIER, ITEM NUMBER 19 WE'VE PULLED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA BECAUSE WE HAD A HANDFUL OF FOLKS WHO WISHED TO GIVE US TESTIMONY. I APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING THAT UP EARLIER. I REALIZED MANY OF THEM ARE STILL HERE. ITEM NUMBER 19 IS TECHNICALLY A FUNDING AMENDMENT REGARDING GANG PREVENTION. AND I'M NOT SURE IF STAFF IS READY FOR A BRIEF PRESENTATION DESCRIBING THIS. IF NOT, WE CAN JUST TAKE -- CERTAINLY TAKE OUR CITIZEN TESTIMONY. CHIEF CARTER IS HERE. WE'LL WELCOME A BRIEF STAFF PRESENTATION FROM ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF CARTER AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TESTIMONY FROM INTERESTED CITIZENS. WELCOME, CHEAF.

GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS. CITY MANAGER. MR. SMITH. ACTUALLY, I WAS PREPARED TO RESPOND TO CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. I THINK WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TO DISPEL OR CLARIFY SOME MISUNDERSTANDING THAT I THINK MAY BE OUT THERE. THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM IS GRANT, THIS POSITION WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS REALLY TO HELP WITH AN INTERVENTION AND PRESENTATION PROGRAM. I ACTUALLY HAVE THESE GENTLEMEN THAT YOU SEE BACK HERE ARE PART OF A JOINT TEAM BETWEEN AISD POLICE AND A.P.D. THEIR PRIMARY MISSION IS TO GO OUT AND ADDRESS THE 800 DOCUMENTED GANG MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE IN SCHOOLS. ALSO, THE TWO TO THREE THOUSAND YOUTH THAT ARE AT RISK. WITH THE SIMPLE MESSAGE IS THAT WE WANT TO PREVENT YOU FROM JOINING A GANG OR BASICALLY INTERVENE IN FOLKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY THINKING ABOUT BECOMING A GANG MEMBER. IT IS AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM. ITS FOCUS IS ON PARTNERSHIPS WITH EDUCATORS. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK PEOPLE DON'T ALSO UNDERSTAND IS RECOGNIZING THAT WE RECOGNIZE YOUTH AS BEING THE FUTURE OF AUSTIN IN OUR REGION. THIS PARTICULAR UNIT ACTUALLY SERVES OUR ENTIRE REGION. IT'S NOT JUST TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN-TRAVIS COUNTY AND AISD. THESE GENTLEMEN WILL GO TO WILLIAMSON COUNTY, OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ASK FOR HELP BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT COOPERATION, THAT COLLABORATION AND GETTING YOUR KIDS ON THE RIGHT TRACK IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. WITH THAT I THINK THE COORDINATOR POSITION IS ALSO SOMEBODY THAT WILL HELP THESE GENTLEMEN BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT SO WE CAN ACTUALLY EXPAND OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS. AS YOU KNOW, CHIEF AS VAI DOUGH WANTS TO FOCUS ON YOUTH IN TERMS OF FUTURE PROGRAMS, WITH EXPLORER PROGRAMS, THINGS SUCH AS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE TYPE COUNCILMEMBER ALVAREZ FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL, THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. AND ALL THIS TIES TOGETHER. AND I'M NOT SURE, BUT WHATEVER THE CONCERNS MIGHT BE, I'LL CERTAINLY TRY TO ANSWER THEM, BUT THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, CHIEF. QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF CARTER? IF NOT, THEN WE WILL GO TO OUR CITIZEN TESTIMONY. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DEBBIE RUSSELL. WELCOME BACK. AND SOME FOLKS WANTED TO DONATE TIME TO YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HUNG AROUND OR NOT. IS SUE ANNE CAMPBELL HERE.

JUST JEFF JACK.

THEN YOU WILL HAVE SIX MINUTES AND BE FOLLOWED BY ANNE DELLAN OSK.

SHE'S NOT HERE EITHER. WHILE THIS IS TRUE THIS GRANT ONLY FUNDS THE PREVENTION SIDE OF THINGS, EDUCATION. THE UNIT AND THE COMBINED TASKFORCE IS PART OF A GREATER PACKAGE OF PROBLEMS THAT ACROSS THE COUNTRY WE'VE SEEN. AND I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE HISTORY OF GANG UNITS, THE HISTORY OF TARGETING GANGS IN AND OF ITSELF INSTEAD OF THE CRIME THAT IS COMMITTED, THAT THAT COMES FROM LA, AND THAT COMES FROM A POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT WAS KNOWN FOR ITS OVERT RACISM WHO DIDN'T EVEN ALLOW UNTIL 1960 AFRICAN-AMERICANS OR HISPANICS TO BE ON THE POLICE FORCE. SO JUST WITH THAT IN MIND, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE GANG UNITS ARE CREATED TO BE ISOLATIONIST FROM THE REST OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY ISOLATE THEMSELVES, THEY FORM THESE TIGHT KNIT SUBCULTURES, WHICH ACTUALLY HAS BEEN COMPARED TO GANGS IN AND OF THEMSELVES, THAT HAVE RESULT UNDERSTAND A HIGH INCIDENTS OF CORRUPTION AND POLICE MISCONDUCT, INCLUDING POLICE OFFICERS PARTICIPATING IN DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS OF ALLEGED GANG MEMBERS. CHICAGO LOCAL GANGS IMPORTING COCAINE FROM MIAMI. AND I'D LIKE TO ACTUALLY POINT CLOSER TO HOME IN HOUSTON, GANG TASKFORCE OFFICERS WERE FOUND TO ROUTINELY ENGAGE IN UNAUTHORIZED USE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANTS, WARRANTLESS SEARCHERS AND FIRING WEAPONS AT UNARMED CITIZENS. THIS WHOLE CULTURE PRODUCES WHAT IS PART OF THE LARGER PACKAGE OF INCREASED ENFORCEMENT AND LESS ATTENTION PAID TO ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION THAT FEEDS THE VIOLENCE. AND WHEN YOU PUT MORE SWAT TEAMS ON THE STREET TO TRY TO GET ONE UNARMED MAN OUT OF A HOUSE, WHEN YOU PUT CAMERAS UP, WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO GET MONEY TO BUY MORE HELICOPTERS, WE'RE GOING TO START LOOKING LIKE LA PRETTY SOON AND THAT'S WHAT I FEAR ABOUT BRINGING IN OUR CHIEF, WHO WHILE HE'S GREAT IN MANY WAYS, IS TAINTED BY HIS EXPERIENCE AND IS NOT UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AUSTIN AND LA. AND IN HIS EFFORT TO PREVENT GANGS FROM RISING UP AND FROM YOUTH BECOMING GANG MEMBERS, I THINK HE'S BEEN BEEN -- WE'RE SEEING SOME OVERKILL. WHEN YOU DO THESE PREVENTION PROGRAMS, THAT'S GREAT. AND WE SUPPORT ALL PREVENTION PROGRAMS. LIFE SKILL CLASSES, EARTH START, THERE'S MUCH BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS THAT ARE PROVEN TO WORK THAT I HOPE THE PUBLIC SAFETY TASKFORCE WILL TAKE ON IF OUR TASKFORCE LEADER SO CHOOSES TO BRING TO US. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF MYTHS OUT THERE ABOUT GANGS THAT'S BEING PERPETUATED AND THAT THESE GRANTS THAT WE'RE GOING AFTER ARE BEING JUSTIFIED WITH THESE SO-CALLED NUMBERS THAT REALLY THERE'S A LOT OF BASELESS NUMBERS. THERE'S FEWER GANGS NOW, GANG MEMBERS THAN THEY WERE A DECADE AGO OVERALL. THERE'S NO CONSISTENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GANG ACTIVITY AND CRIME TRENDS. THIS IS ALL COMING FROM A REPORT I SENT YOU TODAY. AND -- IT CAME OUT LAST SUMMER AND BEEN LOOKING AT DATA IN THE LAST 20 YEARS ON THIS.

THERE'S THE ASPECT THAT GANGS ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HISPANIC, WHEN IS NOT WHITE, AND WHEN IN FACT THE MAJORITY OF GANG MEMBERS ARE KNOWN TO BE WHITE. AND THAT MOST GANG MEMBERS ACTUALLY OUT GROW THEIR GANG AFFILIATIONS BEFORE ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERVENTION PROGRAMS COME THEIR WAY. SO THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY-LED PROGRAMS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT. SIGHFER IS ONE OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST KEY FACILITY. I FEEL JUST SEEING THIS IN ACTION, FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT MORE ON A VOLUNTEER LEVEL WITH VERY LITTLE MONEY THAN I THINK A LIFE SKILLS CLASS THAT IS COMING FROM FUNDS FROM HOMELAND SECURITY, WHICH HAS A LOT OF CAVEATS AND A LOT OF PROBLEMS INHERENT IN IT. THAT THAT COULD EVER PRODUCE. SO I'M REALLY CONCERN ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH OUR POLICE FORCE, IF WE'RE OVERDOING -- DOING SOME OVERKILL HERE. IF WE'RE OVERMILITARYIZING OUR A.P.D. BECAUSE OUR POLICE CHIEF HALES FROM THE MOST PROBLEMATIC PLACE IN THE NATION AS FAR AS GANG AND DRUG PROBLEMS ARE CONCERNED. I INVITE YOU TO READ CHAPTER 5 OF THIS REPORT. THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE CORRUPTION OF THE GANG UNITS AND ABOUT THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF THOSE UNITS AND THE DRUG WAR OVERALL. AND LIKE I SAID, UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS WHERE IT COMES FROM, THE HISTORIC -- THE HISTORICAL BASIS OF GANG SUPPRESSION UNITS COME FROM LA, AND IT CREATES THAT CULTURE THAT WE'RE PLACING THIS PREVENTION PART IN, AND YOU CANNOT SEPARATE THEM. IT BREEDS MORE AGGRESSION, IT BREEDS AMPED UP POLICE TACTICS. IT BREEDS VIOLATION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES. IT BREEDS PROFILING. AND I THINK WE NEED TO ALSO LOOK AT THE FACT THAT IT -- [ BUZZER SOUNDS ] -- LESSENS THE TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT OUR NEW CHIEF HAS DONE A LOT TO BUILD, AND WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT GO AWAY. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. AND ALSO WISH TO GO ADDRESS US ON THIS ITEM WERE ANNE DELLANO AN ALSO SIGNED UP IN OPPOSITION AS DID TREVOR GOODCHILD. WELCOME. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS US? WELCOME. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.

AS STATED MY NAME IS TREVOR GOODCHILD. I'M A NATIVE OF AUSTIN, TEXAS. I'M IN OPPOSITION OF THIS AND I WOULD LIKE TO DETAIL WHY. AS SUCCINCTLY AS POSSIBLE. DEBBIE HAS COVERED THE ISSUE WELL. FIRST I'LL START WITH MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. I GREW UP IN AUSTIN ON THE EAST SIDE AND AS AN CAUCASIAN WAS A MINORITY. I ALSO GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL ON THE EAST SIDE. THERE WAS A TIME ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO WHEN MANOR AND 51st STREET WAS NOT A SAFE PLACE TO WALK THROUGH, BUT I'VE SEEN IT GET SAFER AS IT WAS MORE GENERAL TRAFIDE. THIS IS THE WHOLE OF EAST AUSTIN THROUGH THAT PROCESS A LOT OF DANGEROUS AREAS HAVE BEEN MITIGATED. THERE'S NOT AN AREA OF TOWN TODAY THAT I FEEL UNSAFE WALKING THROUGH OR PRONE TO DRIVE-BYES. OR HAVE I HEARD OF ANY ACTIVITY TAKING PLACE. I WAS AT MY OLD HIGH SCHOOL NEIGHBORHOOD LAST YEAR AND THERE WASN'T ANY GANG ACTIVITY, ANY TAGGING AROUND MY HOUSE. JUST FAMILIES TRYING TO RAY CHILDREN. I AM ALSO AGAINST THE MILL TERRORIZIZATION OF OUR POLICE FORCE AND. IF INDEED THIS WERE TO BE USED, THE FUNDS BEING ALLOCATED OR ACTUALLY TRYING TO BE CHARTERED FOR THIS, USES A REAL FUND FOR PEOPLE, MY QUESTION IS HOW MUCH WOULD GO TOWARDS LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION OR JUST A VISIT FROM A STAFF MEMBER ONCE A MONTH. PERSONALLY I HAVE BEEN ON THE RECEIVING END OF PROFILING WITH EXCESSIVE MEASURES WHEN I WAS TASERED FOR PLAYING GUITAR ON SIXTH STREET IN 2005. THE CASE WAS DISMISSED, BUT IT PROVED TO ME THE RESULT OF OVERREACH THE POLICING. THREE YEARS LATER I WITH RESIDUAL BACK PAIN. PERSONALLY I DON'T OWN A CAR. I USE CAP CAP, CAPITAL METRO. THIS IS EYE LEVEL WITH WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE THE HEARTBEAT OF THE CITY'S UNDERPRIVILEGED AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS SUPPOSEDLY PRONE TO GANG ACTIVITY. I CAN TELL YOU AUSTIN THERE WAS MORE GANG ACTIVITY CREATED BY OVERPROFILING AND OVERPOLICING THAN UNDERPOLICING. IF ANYTHING, OVERPROFILING BY THE POLICE INEXPIRES ANIMOSITY TOWARDS A.P.D. AND LESS RESPECT FOR THE LAW WHEN THE LAW IS NOT EQUALLY ENFORCED OR IT'S OVERENFORCED. AS DOES THE IMPRISONMENT OF YOUTH FOR NON-VIOLENT CRIMES. AS A SURVIVAL MECHANISM THEY OFTEN JOIN GANGS TO GET BY IN JAIL AND CARRY ON THE HABIT ONCE WE LEASED. HERE WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF OVERPOLICING AND WHERE EXCESSIVE JAILING IS NOT NEEDED. IT IS MOST LIKELY THAT YOUNG PEOPLE IN AUSTIN TEXAS WOULD LEARN QUICKER THROUGH A POSITIVE EXAMPLE THAN A NEGATIVE ONE. AT WHICH POINT THE FUNDING FOR SO-CALLED GANG SUPPRESSION WOULDN'T BE NEEDED JUST AS IT ISN'T RELEVANT NOW. TRUST ME, GREW UP ON THESE STREETS. I CAME FROM THESE STREETS. YOU CAN'T FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE. THANK YOU. [ BUZZER SOUNDS ]

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. LET'S SEE, I BELIEVE THE OTHER FOLKS WHO HAD SIGNED UP -- ACTUALLY SIGNED UP NOT WISHING TO SPEAK ALSO IN OPPOSITION, THAT WOULD BE TRACY HAYS CIALTION IT HAYS AND SEVERAL OTHERS SIGNED UP NOT WISHING TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION. THEN COME FORWARD, MR. PENA.

THANK YOU, SIR.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

COUNCILMEMBERS, GUS PENA, SYMPTOM TOBY FUTRELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE HARD WORK AND THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU DID. I DON'T AGREE ON SOME THINGS, BUT I DO LOVE YOU AND I AGREE WITH A LOT THAT YOU DID. I GREW UP IN EAST AUSTIN. I'M A NATIVE AUSTINITE. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT GANGS. I SERVED ALONG WITH JOE CON TEAR RA AND OTHERS ON MAYOR LEE COOK'S COOK'S GANG TASKFORCE. IT BROUGHT BACK A LOT OF INFORMATION. A LOT OF IT WAS IMPLEMENTED BY A.P.D. AT THAT TIME. WE WORKED WITH A COUPLE OF CHIEFS ON A CHIEF EVERETT AND CHIEF DIE SON. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT GANGS. IN 1994 IT GOT SO BAD IN EAST AUSTIN. AND IN EAST AUSTIN, WE DON'T WANT TO STAY IN EAST AUSTIN. SOUTH AUSTIN, SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, GANGS WERE PREVALENT. I WENT TO VISIT SPECIAL AGENT JOHN MASPERO, A SPECIAL AGENT OF THE F.B.I. BACK IN 1994. I ALSO TOOK ONE OF OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS AT THAT TIME ON A LITTLE TRIP THROUGH EAST AUSTIN AND SOUTH AUSTIN TO SHOW HIM WHERE THE GANGS ARE AT. I WILL COMMEND MS. RUSSELL AND THE GENTLEMAN WHO WENT TO JOHNSTON HIGH SCHOOL AND GRADUATED FROM THERE. LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, THE GANGS ARE PICKING UP. WE NEED ANY KIND OF PROGRAM THAT WILL BE A PREVENTIVE EDUCATIONAL MEASURE TO KEEP THE KIDS OUT OF GANGS. THERE IS A BIG EFFORT OUT THERE BY SOME OF THESE HOOD LUMS IN AN ATTEMPT TO INCREASE THEIR GANG MEMBERSHIP AND THEY WILL TAKE VIOLENCE INTO EFFECT ALSO IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET IN GANGS THEY WILL BE VERY VIOLENT. I WILL TELL YOU THIS MUCH. WE HAVE SOME OF THE MEANEST, ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS GANGS FROM OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. I'M NOT GOING TO NAME THEM BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE THEM CREDIBILITY, BUT THEY'VE INFILTRATED OUR SCHOOLS ALREADY. FACT, NOT FICTION. I WILL TELL YOU THIS MUCH, ANYTHING THAT WILL HELP THE PUBLIC, THE KIDS STAY OUT OF GANGS, ITEM NUMBER 19, WE'RE ALL FOR IT. WE HAVE A BIG BUNCH OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE SAID LOOK, WE'RE TIRED OF THESE GANGS, PEOPLE BEING FOLLOWED AROUND. THE F.B.I. HAS THEIR LICENSE PLATE NUMBERS HAD ALREADY. THE ISSUE IS THIS, THERE'S AN INCREASE OF GANG VIOLENCE. THERE WAS A DRIVE-BY LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE, AND IT WAS WELL DOCUMENTED. SO THERE ARE PROBLEMS OUT THERE. AND LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, WE NEED TO CURB THIS RIGHT NOW. IT HAS BEEN SAID, NIP IT IN THE BUD OTHERWISE IT WILL GET WORSE. EDUCATION IS VERY IMPORTANT, PRESENTATION. ONCE THE KIDS GET IN THERE, WE HAVE HAVE -- AND I DON'T DIALOGUE WITH THE GANG LEADERS, BUT IN '94 WE GOT SOME GANG MEMBERS OUT OF GANGS WITHOUT ANY VIOLENCE, WITHOUT AN EXIT. YOU KNOW WHAT AN EXIT IS, IT'S A VERY VIOLENT, VERY VIOLENT EXIT ROUTE BY THE GANG LEADERS AND THE GANG MEMBERS. CURRENTLY NOW WE HAVE SOME OF THE FORMER GANG HAD LEADERS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE OVERSEEING WHAT IS TRANSPIRING OUT THERE. THEY HAVE TURNED THEIR LIVES ARN, THEY'RE RINES. A WORD TO THE WISE, GANG MEMBERS, WE'RE OUT THERE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO ALLOW YOU TO TAKE OVER THE KIDS. THEY NEED TO BECOME EDUCATED AND PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY. THIS IS MERELY AN EDUCATIONAL PORTION. I ALSO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AT -- THIS IS GOOD. WE SUPPORT IT. WE NEED MORE HELP OUT THERE TO KEEP OUR KIDS SAFE. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MR. PENA. SO COUNCIL, I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES OUR CITIZEN'S FESM ON THIS ITEM NUMBER -- TESTIMONY ON THIS ITEM NUMBER 19. COMMENTS? QUESTIONS OF STAFF? I'LL JUST SAY CHIEF CARTER DID A GOOD JOB OF BEGINNING TO ITEMIZE A VERY OBVIOUS SERIES OF PROGRAMS WITHIN A.P.D. TO DO JUST THIS. TO EDUCATE, TO TRY TO PREVENT. THE CHIEF'S EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER FUTRELL'S ROLE IN VK OUR CITY WORKFORCE MENTORING WITHIN IN THIS CASE AISD SCHOOLS I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE A.P.D. AND AT LEAST THE CADET CLASS AND PROBABLY IN A BROADER FORMAT PLAY THOSE ROLES AS WELL. SO I THINK THIS IS JUST ANOTHER STEP, AN IMPORTANT MARCH TOWARDS PREVENTION, EDUCATION, OUTREACH TO OUR YOUTH. AND I APPLAUD THIS. CHIEF?

MAYOR, JUST IN CLOSING AND RESPONDING TO MS. RUSSELL AND THE FOLKS ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. THE THING THAT WE ALSO WANT TO STRESS WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM, THE JUVENILE -- THE JOINT JUVENILE GANG INTERVENTION UNIT IS ACTUALLY FORMED AS A RESULT OF A BLUE RIBBON PANEL. I PREVIOUSLY TO ADDRESS ISSUES REGARDING GANGS AND ACTUALLY PREVENTING GANG DEVELOPMENT. THIS UNIT REALLY IS TO TRY TO FOSTER POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE YOUTH WHO MAY BE BROUGHT UP OR HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT A.P.D. OR POLICE IN GENERAL, WHETHER THE A.P.D. OR AISD OR THE SHERIFF. THAT'S WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS ABOUT. AND REALLY THIS PARTICULAR POSITION IS ABOUT MAKING THIS PROGRAM MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT SO WE CAN EXPAND OUR OUTREACH, WHICH IS OUR ULTIMATE GOAL. AND WE DO HEAR MS. RUSSELL'S CONCERNS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

THANKS, CHIEF. THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE POINT I WAS HOPING THAT YOU WOULD MAKE. I APPRECIATE THE CONCERNS THAT WERE EXPRESSED, BUT I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT SERVE IN THIS UNIT IN NO WAY REPRESENT A GANG. THEY ARE IN FACT REPRESENTING THE VERY BEST IN POLICING AN TRYING TO BUILD POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. AND IN EVERY INCIDENT WE HAVE DEALT WITH IN THIS COMMUNITY, THAT HAS BEEN A FOUNDATION ISSUE ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CONSTITUENT 17S ON THE OTHER -- AND CITIZENS ON THE OTHER SEND. TO ME THIS IS WHERE IT BEGINS. IT DPINS IN THE DISOOLZ AND IT BEGIN IN DEVELOPING A DIFFERENT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. I SEE THIS AS A VERY POSITIVE STEP, AND A COURAGEOUS AND INNOVATIVE WAY TO START MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT RELATIONSHIP. SO THANKS FOR THE CLARIFICATION, DAVID.

THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. THE CREDIT FOR THIS GOES TO THESE OFFICERS AND DETECTIVES YOU SEE BEHIND ME. THESE GUYS ARE OUT THERE DEALING WITH THESE KIDS ON A PERSONAL LEVEL WITHIN THESE SCHOOLS AND THEY'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THE TEACHERS AS WELL.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, CHIEF. FURTHER QUESTIONS OF CHIEF CARTER? COMMENTS, COUNCIL? MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER MCCRACKEN TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 19, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL TO APPROVE ITEM 19 AS POSTED. FURTHER COMMENTS? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE. OPPOSED? THE MOTION PASSES ON A VOTE OF SIX TO ZERO WITH COUNCILMEMBER KIM OFF THE DAIS. COUNCIL, THAT TAKES US RIGHT TO OUR NOON CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, JUST FOR THOSE WHO ARE PAYING ATTENTION. MY INSTINCT IS WE WILL TAKE THIS 30 MINUTES OR SO FOR GENERAL CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WHICH WE'LL DO THAT AS WE TAKE A QUICK LUNCH BREAK AND THEN COME BACK IN EARLY AFTERNOON WE WILL HAVE THE PRESENTATION FROM OUR -- ON OUR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN.

OUR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION TODAY BEGINS WITH MR. TED LINDER. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND BE FOLLOWED BY PAUL ROBBINS.

THANK YOU, SIR, COUNCILMEMBERS, MAYOR, STIRNL. I APPRECIATE THE TIME. I DON'T REALLY NEED IT. WE WORK IT OUT. THE SITUATION WE HAD ON COMAL WE DIDN'T QUITE KNOW HOW TO WORK THROUGH THE CITY, BUT WE STARTED USING YOUR SERVICES, GOT TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE, GOT OUR SITUATION SOLVED. I DIDN'T WANT TO JUST WASTE MY TIME AND NOT SHOW. I WANTED TO COME SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING A GREAT SYSTEM WITH 311. ANY CITIZEN THAT DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT IT, WE NEED TO ADVERTISE IT BETTER BECAUSE YOU CAN FIGURE OUT JUST ABOUT ANYTHING GOING HAYWIRE AND GET IT FIXED. GREAT JOB. YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: PAUL ROBINS, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND BE FOLLOWED BY CAROL ANNE ROSE KENNEDY.

COUNCIL, CITIZEN 'OF AUSTIN, I'M PAUL ROBBINS. I'M AN VIECIALT AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST AND CONSUMER ADVOCATE. I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO HOLD AN ELECTION ON WATER TROOMENT PLANT NUMBER 4 AS REQUIRED BY ARTICLE 7, SECTION 11 OF THE CITY CHARTER. THERE IS AN OBSCURE SECTION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN BUDGET, ONLY A FEW HUNDRED PEOPLE IN THE WHOLE WORLD KNOW ABOUT. IT'S NOT A FEW SECRET, BUT FEW PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT. IT'S SORT OF BURIED. IT'S CALLED FINANCIAL POLICIES. AND THESE REFER TO HOW THE CITY DEALS WITH FINANCING AND ITS INFRASTRUCTURE. GOING BACK INTO HISTORY OF HOW THE CITY TREATS REVENUE BONDS WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL IS VERY INTERESTING. COULD I HAVE THE FIRST SLIDE, PLEASE? THAT WAS OUR POLICY IN 1996. WE HAD NONE. PRIOR TO 1997 THERE WAS NO POLICY. WATER BONDS WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL WERE NOT CONDONED. IT WAS TOO CONTROVERSIAL. NEXT SLIDE? BUT IN 1997 THE COUNCIL RELAXED THIS SLIGHTLY TO FINANCE THINGS UNDER FIECH FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. THIRD SLIDE. AND THEN IN 1999 ALL PROJECTS IN THE PREFERRED GROWTH CORRIDOR WERE EXEMPTED AND THIS WOULD HAVE MEANT THAT THE OUT RAIN JUST PROPOSAL TO PUT A WATER TREATMENT PLANT IN AN EAST AUSTIN PARK WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT OF VOTERS HANDS. NOTE THE EYE TALL SIZED PART BELOW THOSE PROJECTS LOCATED IN PREFERRED GROWTH CORRIDOR AND RELATED PLANNED EXPANSIONS WILL NOT REQUIRE VOTER APPROVED REVENUE BONDS. THEN THE FORTH SLIDE GOT KIND OF WORDY. BUT THE GIST OF IT IS IN 2005 THE POLICY WAS CHANGED TO ALLOW PROJECT OVERRUNS WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL, EVEN IN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS AS LONG AS IT DID NOT EXCEED 50% OF INFLATION ADJUSTED COST. COULD I HAVE THE LAST SLIDE? THE EYE TALLIT APPROVES THE PROJECTS APPROVED BY VOTER, BUT WHICH REQUIRE ADDITIONAL FUND TO GO COMPLETE THE ORIGINAL SCOPE. IT WILL ALSO NOT REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL SUCH AS -- PROVIDED SUCH ADDITIONAL FUNDING AMOUNT DOES NOT EXCEED THE COST ADJUSTD FOR INFLATION. CONSIDER THIS. WATER TREATMENT PLANT HAS ADJUSTD FROM 143 MILLION TO $170 MILLION. IT WILL PROBABLY BE MORE BEFORE IT'S BUILT. BUT AUSTIN RESIDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE ON IT. IS THIS A CONSPIRACY. JACKIE GOODMAN, THE FORMER MAYOR PRO TEM -- [ BUZZER SOUNDS ] -- TELLS ME THAT THE 2005 FISCAL POLICY WAS CREATED WITHOUT WATER TREATMENT PLANT 4 BEING CONSIDERED. SO INGS IT I DON'T THINK IT WAS A CONSPIRACY, RATHER IT IS THE BOILING FROG FE NONNIE DOTSON OF CHIPPING AWAY AT RIGHTS UNTIL PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT THEM. I'M OUT OF TIME AND IN CONSIDERATION FOR YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE I'LL WRAP UP BY SAYING THAT $370 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY, THE VOTERS HAVE NEVER GIVEN THE COUNCIL PERMISSION TO REMOVE VOTER APPROVED DEBT, AND I'M ASKING FOR AN ELECTION. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MR. ROBBINS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CAROL ANNE ROSE KENNEDY. SHE SIGN UP WISH TO GO WISHING TO ADDRESS US. AS DID MR. GUS PENA. WELCOME BACK. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND BE FOLLOWED BY JENNIFER GALE.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, GUS PENA, AGAIN. I COULDN'T REMEMBER, I HAD A MENTAL BLOCK, BUT THE CITY CITY MANAGER WAS NAMED OSCAR RODRIGUEZ. A COUPLE OF ITEMS HERE. SUNNY MEADE APARTMENTS IS JUST EAST OF EAST OLTORF, SCHEDULED TO BE TORN DOWN. A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS WITH DISABILITIES LIVE IN THAT COMPLEX. FAMILIES AND OTHER POOR ACTUALLY. THEY'RE GOING TO TEAR DOWN AN AFFORDABLE UNIT AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD THERE, IF IT'S GOING TO BE AFFORDABLE. I DOUBT IT. BUT ANYWAY, IT'S GOING TO COME OVER HERE. YOU REMEMBER THE YOUNG FEMALE STUDENT WHO ACTUALLY SOME HOOD LUMS WERE NEEDING TO KIDNAP HER AN NOT HER BROTHER, BUT I WOULD REQUEST OF YOU, AND CITY MANAGER TO MAYBE HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION FOR HER BECAUSE RECOGNIZING HER EFFORTS, BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T FOR HER, LORD KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO HER BROTHER AND WHERE HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IF HE WAS KIDNAPPED. AND I ALSO HAVETATED BEFORE THERE ARE SOME 911 OPERATORS THAT ARE NOT VERY PROFESSIONAL, VERY PATIENT WITH US. I'VE CALLED VARIOUS TIMES LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR. I KNOW MAYOR BRUCE TODD AND THE COUNCILMEMBER AT THE TIME DID PASS A RESOLUTION STATING THAT VETERANS WOULD HAVE LITTLE PREFERENCE IN JOBS. ANYWAY, HISPANICS GET OUT THE VOTE. OUT AND SENIOR CITIZENS, YOU WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN MARCH AND WHO GETS TO BE THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. GET OUT THE VOTE AND THE VETERANS, WE HAVE A BIG BLOCK OF VETERANS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY AGAIN. I DO APPLAUD ITEM NUMBER 19. A.P.D., YOU NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF BUILDING THE COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITIZENS ALSO. AND NOT PUTTING PEOPLE IN TIME OUT BECAUSE AN OFFICER FEELS HE'S THREATENED. I APPLAUD OUR OFFICERS, ESPECIALLY IN HENRY SECTOR. DARN GOOD JOB. GET SOME MORE OVERTIME FUNDING FOR THEM. WE NEED MORE OVERTIME FUNDING FOR THEM ON THE STREETS. THANK YOU.

Leffingwell: I WANT TO KNOW WHAT OUR CURRENT POLICY IN REGARD TO GIVING VETERANS SOME KIND OF CREDIT FOR THEIR SERVICE AND ALSO WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE WITH REGARD TO THAT.

Mayor Wynn: WELCOME, JENNIFER.

HI, AUSTIN. MAYOR WYNN, COUNCILMEMBERS LEFFINGWELL, MARTINEZ, DUNKERLEY, MCCRACKEN AND COLE. CITY ATTORNEY DAVID SMITH AND OUTGOING CITY MANAGER TOBY FUTRELL. CITY MANAGER TOBY FUTRELL, I HOPE ALL THE WORK, YOU SPENT MANY HOURS AND IT HAS PAID OFF FOR YOU AND WAS REWARDING FOR YOU. I HOPE YOU'VE MADE AUSTIN A MORE ENVIRONMENTAL, MORE FRIENDLY, THOUGHTFUL CITY, ONE WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO RAISE THEIR FAMILY AND LIVE THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE. HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW FLIRTATIOUS SOME PEOPLE CAN BE DURING THIS BLACK HISTO MONTH? JEFF WARD HAS SUGGESTED THAT WE HOLD A PARADE FOR OUR -- FOR THE UNITED STATES TOP DOG FOR WESTMINSTER. THE UNO WON AND IT WOULD BE NICE TO SHOW OUR TOP DOG SOME APPRECIATION RIGHT HERE IN AUSTIN. CONGRATULATIONS. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT DRIVING IN AUSTIN. SINCE I MOVED BACK FROM DALLAS AFTER RUNNING FOR MAYOR, I FOUND THAT THE STREETS ARE FAR MORE TREACHEROUS AND FAR MORE DANGEROUS AS WE KNOW FROM THE INCIDENT WITH OUR FORMER MAYOR. WE NEED MORE SPEED LIMIT SIGNS. WE NEED BETTER LIGHTING. WE NEED BIKE AVENUES LIKE THE LANCE ARMSTRONG BIKEWAY SO WE CAN KEEP OUR BIKES OFF THE SIDEWALKS AND OFF THE ROADS. I WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO BECOME HEALTHY AND TO BE ABLE TO GET OFF THE STREETS. AND WE CAN BUILD THOSE. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR CAP METRO BUS OPERATORS. I'M ASKING FOR A RESOLUTION JUST LIKE THE LAST ONE YOU DREW THAWP ENDED THE STRIKE. ANY POTENTIAL FOR A STRIKE, YOU'VE GOT THAT ABILITY. THEY'RE NOW DRIVING OUR -- OUR CAP METRO DRIVERS ARE DRIVING AROUND AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY WITHOUT A CONTRACT. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE GOING TO AFFORD THEIR MEDICAL BENEFITS. THEY LOST A QUARTER OF THEIR PAY THIS LAST TIME, ONLY FOR A YEAR CONTRACT. SO I'M ASKING FOR A FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT. COST OF LIVING RAISES JUST LIKE WE GIVE THE POLICE, FIRE AND E.M.S. NOT JUST LIKE THAT, JUST COST OF LIVING RAISES. AND MAKE SURE THAT THEIR MEDICAL IS PAID FOR AS WELL. THAT KEEPS UP FINANCIALLY. NOW, WE MIGHT NEED TO ASK AN INVESTIGATION ON WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING. I KNOW I DIDN'T GET A SCHEDULE. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE BUS COMES. THERE WERE NO SCHEDULES SENT OUT. SO LET'S GET THAT RESOLUTION SO WE CAN GET OUR BUS OPERATORS A GOOD CONTRACT. AND THIS IS AUSTIN'S MARATHON WEAN. I EXPECT TO SEE EVERYONE OUT THERE. WILL THE MAYOR BE RUNNING THIS YEAR?

Mayor Wynn: HE WON'T BE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

Mayor Wynn: I'LL BE CHEERING THEM ALONG. NEXT SPEAKER IS JIMMY CASTRO. WELCOME. TO BE FOLLOWED BY CYNTHIA VALDEZ.

THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WYNN, COUNCILMEMBERS, MS. FUTRELL. I DO HAVE SOME SLIDES TO SHOW YOU THIS AFTERNOON. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON MY OWN BEHALF. BEFORE I START I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE CITY MANAGER ON RETIREMENT FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN. MS. FUTRELL, YOU EARNED THIS RECOGNITION THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY. YOU WORKED FOR IT. AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON A JOB WELL DONE. THIS FIRST SLIDE SHOWS -- I'M HERE TO INVITE EVERYONE TO THE STAR OF TEXAS FAIR AND RODEO AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY EXPO CENTER FEBRUARY 29TH THROUGH MARCH 15TH. THE STAR OF TEXAS FAIR AND RODEO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IS OPEN TO STUDENTS FROM 254 COUNTIES WITHIN TEXAS. THIS IS THE LARGEST YOUTH EDUCATION FUND-RAISER IN CENTRAL TEXAS. EVERYONE IS INVITED TO THE COWBOY BREAKFAST AT AUDITORIUM SHORES FROM 6:00 A.M. TO 9:00 A.M. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29TH. CAPITAL METRO WILL BE PROVIDING RIDES FROM THE TRAVIS COUNTY EXPOSITION AREA. THE KIDS RODEO WILL BE HELD ON MARCH FIRST AT EIGHT A.M. SOME OF THE FEATURE RODEO EVENTS WILL INCLUDE BARREL RACING, CALF SCRAMBLE, BULL RIDING AND MUTTON BUSTING. THE CROWNING OF THIS ROADIO AUSTIN WILL ALSO TAKE PLACE. THE 2008 RODEO AUSTIN GALA WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE BEST TEXAS BARBECUE, THE BARBECUE COOKOFF IS SET FOR MARCH 7TH THROUGH THE NINTH. LAST YEAR'S PROCEEDS GENERATED OVER $200,000. KIDS WILL ENJOY KIDS TOWN AND THE PETTING ZOO. NEARLY 10,000 TEXAS YOUTH WILL BE LIVESTOCK PROJECTS THAT THEY HAVE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS WORKING WITH. OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, THE STAR OF TEXAS FAIR AND RODEO AWARDED $18 MILLION TO 13,500 KIDS. IN 2007 AT THE STAR OF TEXAS FAIR AND RODEO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, AWARDED $312,000. THE PREPARATION FOR THE SHOW IS A YEAR-ROUND ENDEAVOR. THIS IS A CLIMAX OF A YEAR'S WORK BY THE 4-H CLUB MEMBERS. THESE SCHOLARSHIPS WILL HELP THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE HAD THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY. THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OF THE FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA WHO AIR THE BLUE AND GOLD JACKETS WEAR THEM WITH PRIDE BECAUSE AGRICULTURE GRA BUSINESS IN TEXAS IS GOOD BUSINESS. TODAY THE STAR OF TEXAS FAIR AND RODEO HAS MORE THAN 2,000 VOLUNTEERS WHO CONTRIBUTE THEIR TIME AND TALENTS. FINALLY THANKS TO THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF ESTABLISHED BUYERS GROUPS, AREA BUSINESSES AND THOUSANDS OF VISITER ', THIS HAS MADE THE TEXAS STAR AND RODEO THE SUCCESS IT IS TODAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR WYNN.

Mayor Wynn: CYNTHIA SIGNED UP WISHING TO SPEAK.

[INAUDIBLE - NO MIC].

Mayor Wynn: ALL RIGHT. WITHOUT OBJECTION, YES, SIR. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. WELCOME.

HONORABLE MAYOR, CITY COUNCILMEMBERS, I'M KENNETH COWEN, PSYCHO THERAPIST AND I'M HERE IN LIEU OF CYNTHIA VALDEZ. CYNTHIA WANTED TO SPEAK TO THE COUNCIL WITH REGARD TO THE SOUTHWEST KEY ADD ON OF ABOVE $225,000, THE CAP FOR FUNDING WITH THE CDBG GRANT. IT WOULD TAKE THAT AND APPROVAL OF THIS COUNCIL TO DO THAT. CITIZENS HAVE BEEN BEFORE YOU WITH REGARD TO SOUTHWEST KEY, A PROGRAM THAT WAS BANISHED BY GOVERNOR RICHARDSON AND GOVERNOR GOLDMAN OF NEW MEXICO. THAT PROGRAM WAS A 24/7, 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK PROGRAM FROM WHICH THEY WERE BANISHED BECAUSE OF A SIMILAR SEX SCANDAL, SEX MOLESTATION OF AOUT KEPT IN A 24-HOUR FACILITY. THAT HAS BEEN A GHOST IN THE CLOSET FARCE TEXAS GOES, AS FAR AS THE STATION GOES. I'VE INQUIRED WHETHER OR NOT THAT THING COULD BE REGISTERED AS A SEXUAL OFFENDER UNDER THE TEXAS SEXUAL OFFENDER ACT. I'VE BEEN TOLD NOT IN TEXAS BECAUSE -- NOT UNDER THE LAW BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN TEXAS. BUT I THINK THAT CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW THIS. AND IT IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE DECISION-MAKING WITH REGARD TO SOUTHWEST KEY. IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET WITH REGARD TO THAT KIND OF THING. IN REACTION TO VISITS WITH ALL COUNCILMEMBERS IN A PREVIOUS ROUND ON THIS KIND OF QUESTION, MIGHT BE MARTINEZ WAS ONE THAT ASKED, AND OTHER CONCURRED, THAT SOME KIND OF CONTRACT OVERSIGHT FOR NONPROFITS IS -- SO THAT THE CITY DOES HAVE A MONITORING FEATURE, A WAY TO QUESTION ILLEGAL OR UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICES, SOMETHING THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT. AND I URGE THAT THIS PROPOSAL THAT I'VE PUT FORTH ON NOVEMBER THE 16TH DIRECTLY TO STEVEN MORGAN BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED AS A PART OF THE QUESTION THAT YOU HAVE SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THESE RECURRING KINDS OF GHOST IN THE CLOSET THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT. YOU PASS ON THE NONPROFIT. THEY DO SOMETHING AN DO NOT -- [ BUZZER SOUNDS ] THEY DO NOT PERFORM AND YOU DON'T HAVE A WAY THE CITIZENS BLEW THEIR MONEY. THANKS.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MR. COWEN. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DIANA CASS TA ANYWAYCASS TACASTANEDA. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.

I HOPE YOU WILL BE PATIENT WITH ME BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO READ AND REALLY TELL YOU WHAT'S ON MY MIND AND WHAT'S ON MY HEART. COUNCILMEMBERS, SOUTHWEST KEY HAS JUST RECENTLY SPENT 60 MILLION OR SO DOLLARS TO OPERATE YOUTH DETENTIONS SISTERS IN THE SOUTHWEST. THEY STILL WANT $600,000 IN CDBG FUN FROM US TO COMPLETE THEIR CHARTER SCHOOL NEAR THE AILING JOHNSTON HIGH SCHOOL. T.E.A. DID NOT APPROVE THE SOUTHWEST KEY'S APPLICATION FOR A CHARTER SCHOOL LAST TERM. AND THEY'RE APPLYING AGAIN. NOW THE MONEY THEY'RE REQUESTING IS TO FINISH A COMMUNITY CENTER ATTACHED TO THE SCHOOL FACILITY RATHER THAN THE SCHOOL. RECENTLY THEY RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM THIS COUNCIL FOR A CONTRACT TO MAINTAIN WATER TREATMENT PLANTS UNDER THE GUISE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS DOUBLE DIPPING. NOW CAN YOU SEE HOW THIS GROUP CONTINUES TO COME TO THE PUBLIC TROUGH TO BLEED TAXPAYERS DOLLARS THROUGH ALMOST ANY GOVERNMENTAL BODY THEY CAN? AGAIN, THIS IS DOUBLE DIPPING BY A FOR PROFIT. AS YOU RECALL, IN LATE SUMMER YOU ALL RECEIVED CALLS FROM DR. JONES AND HIS ATTORNEY AND (INDISCERNIBLE) THAT A PURPORTED MEETING FROM (INDISCERNIBLE), WHO WAS THEN THE LEADER OF SOUTHWEST KEY, BUILDING THE SCHOOL, HAD WITH THEM, THAT DID NOT OCCUR AS SAL HAD TOLD US AT OUR MEETING IN WHICH THERE WERE 10 PEOPLE PRESENT. CURRENTLY SOUTHWEST KEY IS USING LULAC TO CEASE AND DECYST OR THEY WILL SUE THEM IF THEY DON'T MUZZLE RITA. DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH BULLIES AND NON-TRUETT TELLERS? AND AND OTHERS WISH TO MEET WITH YOU TO DISCUSS THE DOCUMENTS HE HAS POOED OUT TO YOU. ONE LAST THING, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU, COUNCILMEMBERS, MAYOR, TO ASK CHIEF ACEVEDO TO SUPPORT THE ANTI-PROFILING RESOLUTION AND TO THAT END I'M READING SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT WRITTEN BY ME, BUT WRITTEN BY REVEREND PAT MATTER CONTINUE. FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE COMMUNISTS AND I DID NOT SPEAK OUT BECAUSE I WAS NOT A COMMUNIST. THEN THEY CAME FOR THE SOCIALISTS AND I DID NOT SPEAK OUT BECAUSE I WAS NOT A SOCIALIST. AND THEY CAME FOR THE TRADE UNIONISTS AND I DID NOT SPEAK OUT. THEN THEY CAME FOR THE JEWS AND I DID NOT SPEAK OUT BECAUSE I WAS NOT A JEW. THEN THEY CAME FOR ME, AND THERE WAS NO ONE LEFT TO SPEAK OUT FOR ME. AND THIS IS IN REGARDS TO THE SHERIFF AND THE ALLOWING ICE AND POSSIBLE PROFILING BY THEIR DEPUTIES TO HELP ICE RECOVER ILLEGAL ALIENS, WHICH IS NOT THEIR JOB, NOR IS THAT THE JOB OF PROVIDE FILING OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WISH YOU A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. AND TOBY, AGAIN, IN PUBLIC, THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS, YOUR WORK. I KNOW WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS AGREED. AND ALSO WITH THE COUNCIL, BUT GOSH DARN IT, YOU'VE DONE SOME PRETTY REMARKABLE THINGS AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING AN OPEN DOOR WITH A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THANK YOU, TOBY, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: PAT JOHNSON SIGNED UP WISHING TO SPEAK?

PLEASE READ THE FIRST PACKET, THOUGH.

Mayor Wynn: WILL DO. PAT JOHNSON. AS DID DICK KELLERMAN. THERE YOU ARE. WELCOME, DICK. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I WASN'T LISTENING TO THE RADIO THIS MORNING, AND IT MAY BE THAT QUUF ALREADY PASSED ON THE NUCLEAR POWER ISSUE AND TURNED DOWN THAT OPPORTUNITY.

Mayor Wynn: TECHNICALLY NOT. WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS IT BRIEFLY IN CLOSED SESSION AND WE'LL COME BACK AT SOME POINT AND TAKE ACTION TODAY.

THANK YOU. I HOPE YOU DO TURN IT DOWN, BUT IT'S NOT THE LAST TIME YOU WILL SEE NUCLEAR POWER. I'M SURE THE LONGER WE DID HE LIE LOOKING AT THAT, THE LESS ATTRACTIVE IT WILL BE. I'M SURE WITH DELAY COMES THE DAWN WITH AN AFFAIR LIKE THIS. THERE'S GOOD REASONS WHY WE HAVEN'T BUILT A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN 30 YEARS IN THIS COUNTRY. IT'S MESSY ON BOTH ENDS AND MESSY IN THE MIDDLE AND NOTHING WILL CHANGE THAT. AND THE MINING OF URANIUM, IT'S DANGEROUS, IT LEAVES MATERIAL THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP AND IT POLLUTES GROUNDWATER AS GOLIAD WILL ATTEST IN TEXAS. HIGH LEVEL RADIATION RESIDUE IS -- NOBODY HAS A SOLUTION YET THAT I KNOW OF OF HOW TO GET RID OF THAT. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME. I'VE TRIED TO THINK AFTER METAPHOR FOR THE PRODUCTION OF POWER BY URANIUM RADIATION, AND I THINK PLAYING WITH FIRE DISINLT DOESN'T REALLY TOUCH THE ISSUE. IT'S CERTAINLY MUCH MORE SERIOUS THAN THAT. HUMANS ARE FALLIBLE, MACHINES ARE FALLIBLE AND NUCLEAR POWER DOESN'T CUT ANY SLACK AT ALL. SO THAT'S THE CORE OF WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES.

> IN THE OLD DAYS WHEN WE NEEDED MORE ENERGY, WE JUST PRODUCED MORE ENERGY, BUT THAT WAS THEN AND THIS IS NOW. TODAY WE'VE GOT TO BE SMARTER. IF OUR POPULATION DOUBLES AND IN FACT WE HALF THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY PER CAPITA THAT WE USE, WE SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THAT MAY SOUND RADICAL, BUT THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED. PRAND BY THE WAY, IF WE CUT OUR ENERGY CONSUMPTION LIFE WILL GO ON. I'LL THANK YOU. HOPEFULLY YOU WILL TAKE THAT OFF THE TABLE TODAY AND PLEASE WE THANK YOU FOR THAT AND PLEASE KEEP IT THERE. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. SO COUNCIL, THAT CONCLUDES OUR SIGN GROWP THIS AFTERNOON'S CITIZEN COMMUNICATION. AGAIN, WITHOUT OBJECTION, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF ITEMS WE NEED TO TAKE UP IN CLOSED SESSION WHILE WE GRAB A QUICK BITE OF LUNCH. THEN WE'LL COME BACK EARLY AFTERNOON. MY INCONTINUING IS WE COULD BE BACK -- MY INSTINCT IS WE COULD BE BACK AS EARLY AS 130 FOR THE PRESENTATION OF OUR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN. WITHOUT OBJECTION WE WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION A 51.071 OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT TO TAKE UP POTENTIALLY LEGAL ISSUES, ITEM 65 RELATED TO TRANSITION WITH OUR TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH CARE DISTRICT, ITEM 66, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY MANAGER'S COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS RESOLUTION. ITEM 67, MANAGING GROWTH IN THE STATE HIGHWAY 130 CORRIDOR. ITEM 68, LIMITED ADJUSTMENT FROM OUR SAVE OUR SPRINGS INITIATIVE. ITEM 69, LEGAL ISSUES REGARDING CITY PROPERTY NEAR WEBBERVILLE. ITEM 70, POTENTIAL LEGAL ITEMS REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GREEN WATER TREATMENT PLANT. IN CLOSED SESSION WE MAY ALSO TAKE UP PURSUANT TO SECTION 551.072, REAL ESTATE MATTERS, ITEM 71 RELATED TO THE GREEN WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND/OR ITEM 72 RELATED TO A PURCHASE OF LAND FOR POTENTIAL SITE FOR WATER TREATMENT PLANT NUMBER 4. AND WE MAY TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 73 PURSUANT TO SECTION 551.086 OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT REGARDING PUBLIC POWER COMPETITIVE MATTERS REGARDING OUR ELECTRIC UTILITY. WE ARE NOW IN CLOSED SESSION. AGAIN, I ANTICIPATE US COMING BACK PERHAPS IN ABOUT ONE HOUR TIME, 1 H 30 1:30 FOR OUR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN. WE'RE NOW IN CLOSED SESSION. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: WE ARE OUT OF CLOSED SESSION. IN EXECUTIVE SESSION WE TOOK UP SEVERAL LEGAL MATTERS, ITEM NUMBER 66 REGARDING THE CITYCITY MANAGER'S COMPENSATION, ITEM 68 REGARDING A LIMITED ADJUSTMENT TO THE SAVE SAVE INITIATIVE. AND ITEM 69 REGARDING CITY OF AUSTIN LAND NEAR WEBBERVILLE. WE ALSO TOOK UP A COMPETITIVE MATTER REGARDING OUR PUBLIC UTILITY, ITEM NUMBER 73. I THINK WE CAN KNOCK OUT TWO QUICK PIECES OF BUSINESS BEFORE WE GO TO OUR DOWNTOWN PLAN. THE FIRST OF WHICH CAN BE, AGAIN, WE TOOK UP LEGAL ISSUES REGARDING A REQUEST FOR LIMITED ADJUSTMENT TO THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS INITIATIVE AND PERHAPS A BRIEF STAFF PRESENTATION. WLT MR. PATWELCOME MR. PAT MURPHY. MITZI COTTON AS WELL.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MITZI COTTON, ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY. THIS IS THE APPLICATION FOR A LIMITED ADJUSTMENT FROM THE APPLICATION OF S.O.S. REGULATIONS TO THE ENSEENO TRACT DEVELOPMENT ON SOUTHWEST PARKWAY. THEY'RE ASKING FOR A LIMITED ADJUSTMENT TO ALLOW THEIR DRIVE AND UTILITY LINE TO CROSS THE CRITICAL AND TRANSITION ZONES.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. QUESTIONS OF STAFF, COUNCIL. WE HAD THE LEGAL BRIEFING IN CLOSED SESSION AS APPROPRIATE, AND THEREFORE WOULD WELCOME A MOTION FOR THE ITEMS HERE IN FRONT OF US, ITEM NUMBER 74. ONE DID HE A CLAIREING OUR INTERPRETATION AND THEN ONE THAT DOES THAT AS WELL AS SETS THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCILMEMBER MCCRACKEN.

McCracken: MAYOR, I'LL MOVE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HERE BY DETERMINES PURSUANT TO SECTION 25-8-555, THE APPLICATION OF CITY CODE CHAPTER 25-8 SUBCHAPTER 8 TO THE PROJECT KNOWN AS ENCINO TRACT ON SOUTHWEST PARKWAY, SITE PLAN NUMBER SP 2007-0438 CS MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECTION FOR A LIMITED ADJUSTMENT. AND FURTHER THAT THE PUBLIC HEARING TO HELP DETERMINE THE MINIMUM ADJUSTMENT TO COMPLY WITH THE FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS AND CONSTITUTIONS AND PROVIDE MAXIMUM PROTECTION OF WATER QUALITY SET FOR FEBRUARY 28TH, 2008 IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

MOTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL, SECONDED BY MAYOR PRO TEM ON THIS ITEM AS WELL AS FOR SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING. HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.? ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES ON A VOTE OF SIX TO ZERO WITH COUNCILMEMBER KIM OFF THE DAIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALSO, COUNCIL, IN CLOSED SESSION WE DID TAKE UP COMPETITIVE MATTERS RELATED TO OUR ELECTRIC UTILITY, GENERATION RESOURCE PLANNING ISSUES. WE HAD POSTED IT AS ITEM NUMBER 73 FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION. IT VERY MUCH RELATES TO ITEM NUMBER 2, AND WE'D WELCOME A BRIEF STAFF PRESENTATION FROM OUR INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER OF AUSTIN ENERGY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THE EXISTING PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT FOR THE SOUTH TEXAS NUCLEAR PROJECTS ONE AND TWO STATES THAT ANY OF THE PROJECT PARTNERS, AND WE ARE PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT WITH NRG AND SAN ANTONIO, CPS ENERGY, ANY PARTNER CAN PROPOSE TO BUILD NEW UNITS AT THAT PROJECT. AND THE OTHER PARTNERS HAVE THE FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL TO JOIN INTO THAT PROJECT. THE PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT PROVIDES THAT THE PARTNER NEEDS TO PROVIDE THE OTHER PARTNERS WITH A FORMAL NOTICE AND REASONABLE DETAIL WITH AN ACCOUNTING OF COMMON FACILITIES FOR THE PROJECT, AND THAT THE PARTNERS RECEIVING THE NOTICE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION WITHIN THREE MONTHS OF RECEIVING THAT NOTICE. THE PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT ALSO PROVIDES FOR A METHOD FOR DIVIDING THE COST SHARE FOR THE COMMON FACILITIES ADDITIONS, REGARDLESS OF THE ROLL IN THE NEW UNITS AND FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THE EXISTING COMMON FACILITIES RELATIVE TO THE REVISED PRO RATA SHARE OF THE COMMON FACILITIES. THERE'S COMMON FACILITIES LIKE ROADS AND PART OF THE OPERATIONS ROOM, THE MAIN COOLING RESERVOIR AND OTHER COOLING FACILITIES. WHAT I WAS SAYING IS EVEN IF WE DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN UNITS 3 AND 4 THAT'S PROPOSED, THERE WILL BE COMMON FACILITIES THAT WE WILL NEED TO NEGOTIATE REAM FOX NEWSREIMBURSEMENT FOR AND PARTICIPATION IN THE COST. TO REFRESH THE HISTORY OF THIS PROPOSAL, IN SEPTEMBER THE 20TH OF 2007, NRG SUBMITTED A COMBINED OPERATING LICENSE APPLICATION TO THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION. ON OCTOBER THE 29TH, THE CITY OF SAWBLES COMMITTED $200 MILLION TO FUND THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, ALTHOUGH THEY DID NOT COMMIT TO PARTICIPATING IN THE PROJECT, BUT RATHER JUST TO START TO FUND THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY STUDIES. ON THAT SAME DATE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN RETAINED WORLEY PARSONS CONSULTING TO ASSIST IN THE EVALUATION OF THAT PROJECT PROPOSAL. WE DID INDEED RECEIVE A FORMAL NOTICE FROM NRG ON DECEMBER THE THIRD, AND THE 90 DAYS TO RESPOND EXPIRES ON MARCH FOURTH OF THIS YEAR. THE PROPOSAL FROM NRG IS TO BUILD TWO ADVANCED BOILING WATER REACTORS WITH AN ESTIMATED NET CAPACITY OF UP TO 1350 MEGAWATTS EACH. THEIR ESTIMATED OPERATION DATES ARE 2015 AND 2016 FOR THE TWO UNITS WITH AN ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COST OF SIX BILLION DOLLARS. AUSTIN CAN TAKE ANYTHING UP TO 16 PERCENT SHARE OF THAT PROJECT. IF WE WERE TO TAKE THE FULL 16 PERCENT, WE WOULD BE RECEIVING 432 MEGAWATTS OF CAPACITY FROM THE UNITS AT A CONSTRUCTION COST OF $962 MILLION AND THEN OTHER COST ITEMS RELATED TO THE FACILITIES AND THE DEVELOPMENT. THE CONSULTANT THAT WE HIRED, WORLEY PARSONS, IS VERY EXPERIENCE UNDERSTAND NUCLEAR POWER PLANT CONSTRUCTION, PERSONALITYING, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION. THEY INDEED ARE INVOLVED IN MOST OF THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AROUND THE WORLD IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER, EXTREMELY EXPERIENCED IN THIS FIELD. WE ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT THIS PROPOSAL TO US FROM NRG IN TERMS OF THE LICENSING AND ENGINEERING RISK, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION AND THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE SCHEDULED RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPOSAL. WE'S ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT THE ERCOT MARKET ASSESSMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSAL AND THE PROJECT'S FINANCIAL ANALYSIS. THE CONCLUSIONED RECEIVED BY WORLEY PARSONS WERE THAT THE BUDGET AND THE SCHEDULE PROPOSED BY NRG WERE OVERLY OPTIMISTIC. THAT INDEED THEY THOUGHT THE PROJECT WOULD COST MORE THAN THE SIX BILLION DOLLARS PROPOSED AND IT COULD TAKE UP TO ONE TO TWO YEARS LONGER THAN THE SCHEDULE THAT WAS PROPOSED. THEY ALSO FELT THAT THE NOTICE SENT TO US DID NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PARTICIPATION AGREEMENTS BECAUSE THE COST AND SCHEDULE AND OTHER ASPECT WERE NOT IN THE REASONABLE DETAIL THAT WERE NECESSARY UNDER THE PEANGS AGREEMENT. THEREFORE, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF IS THAT WE NOTIFY NRG THAT THE FORMAL NOTICE IS INADEQUATE AND NOT IN DETAIL AND THAT WE DECLINE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROJECT UNDER THE TERMS PROPOSED. AND THAT IS CONTAINED IN THE RESOLUTION THAT IS IN THE STAFF BACKUP.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. QUESTIONS OF STAFF, COUNCIL? COMMENTS? I'M TRYING TO SEE IF WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS SIGNED UP. WE DID HAVE A SPEAKER SIGNED UP EARLIER. WELL, MY COMPUTER'S NOT WORKING. COMMENTS? , COUNCIL? QUESTION? COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL.

Leffingwell: I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION AS WRITTEN IN THE BACKUP.

McCracken: SECOND.

Mayor Wynn: MOTION AND A SECOND -- MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER MARTINEZ TO APPROVE THIS ITEM, THIS RESOLUTION AS POSTED, THAT BEING FOR THE CITY NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN OWNERSHIP. I'M SORRY, MS. SPENCE, I CAN'T GET MY SPEAKERS SIGN-UP TO OPEN. IT SHOWS ONE PERSON? JENNIFER GALE SIGNED UP WISH TO GO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 2. I DON'T BELIEVE JENNIFER IS HERE. AGAIN, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE TABLE, APPROVING THE RESOLUTION AS POSTED. FURTHER COMMENTS? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

Mayor Wynn: OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES ON A VOTE OF SIX TO ZERO WITH COUNCILMEMBER KIM OFF THE DAIS. AND THEN LASTLY, COUNCIL, JUST AS A CONFIRMATION, IN CLOSED SESSION WE TOOK UP ITEM NUMBER 66, LEGAL ISSUES REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CURRENT CITY MANAGER'S COMPENSATION. THERE WAS A POSTED POTENTIAL ACTION ITEM THAT ACCOMPANIED THAT, BEING ITEM NUMBER 75 WAS THE POSTED ACTION ITEM. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION IF THERE'S IS WILL TO TAKE UP ITEM UNTIL SURVIVE. 75. HEARING NONE, THE ITEM IS WITHDRAWN. THANK YOU, MS. SPENCE. SO THAT -- COUNCIL, THAT NOW TAKES US TO WHAT GOING THE SEC OF OUR MORNING BRIEFINGS AND HOPEFULLY WE GAVE FOLKS ENOUGH NOTICE THAT WE WOULDN'T GET TO IT PRIOR TO OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION BREAK AND THAT IS THE PRESENTATION OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN. WELCOME ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER LAURA HUFF MAN.

THANK YOU. MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS, WE ARE BEFORE YOU TODAY TO PRESENT PHASE 1 OF THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN. WE'RE PLEASED TO BE HERE. YOU ALL ESTABLISHED A VERY AGGRESSIVE SCOPE FOR THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN AND ASKED US TO MAWLT THIS AS INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE A MASTER PLAN, PARTLY BECAUSE DOWNTOWN REPRESENTS AUSTIN'S AND THE REGION'S ECONOMIC ENGINE, BUT IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE HEART AND SOUL OF AUSTIN. AND FOR THAT REASON THIS PHASE 1 REPORT COVERS EVERYTHING FROM INFRASTRUCTURE TO HOW TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT LIVE MUSIC IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN. I'D LIKE TO THANK THREE PEOPLE ON OUR STAFF THAT HAVE PLAYED AN EXTRAORDINARY ROLE IN SUPPORTING ROMA, WHO IS OUR SCOWNT THIS DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN, AND THEY ARE JORNG ADAMS, JIM ROBERTSON AND MICHAEL KNOX. YOU RECOGNIZE ALL OF THE NAME. THESE ARE THE GUYS THAT HELP US WITH EVERYTHING FROM DOWNTOWN MASTER PLANS TO TRANSIT ORIENTED DISTRICTS TO HOW TO DO MORE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN AUSTIN. THEY HAVE REALLY PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN BRINGING THIS PHASE 1 PRODUCT TO YOU. THE OTHER THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS JUST THE PUBLIC OUTREACH. IT WAS ONE OF YOUR POLICY GOALS THAT THIS BE AS INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE. EARLY IN THE PROJECT THIS GROUP MET WITH THREE DOZEN STAKEHOLDER GROUPS TO UNDERSTAND THE PRIORITIES AND CONCERNS FOR DOWNTOWN. WE CONDUCTED AN ONLINE SURVEY THAT ATTRACTED OVER 3,000 RESPONSES FROM PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. ONCE THE PHASE 1 DRAFT WAS AVAILABLE, WE WENT BACK THROUGH AND HELD ANOTHER DOZEN STAKE HOLIER MEETINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY THAT WAS INTERESTED AND ENGAINING UNDERSTAND THIS PROCESS WAS AWARE OF THE FINDINGS. WE HELD A TOWN HALL MEETING WHERE OVER 300 PEOPLE TURNED OUT TO HEAR ABOUT THE PHASE 1 REPORT. AND PRESENTED IT JOINTLY TO THE PLANNING, DESIGN AND DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONS IN EARLY JANUARY. SO PHASE 1 HAS HAD A LOT OF PUBLIC VIEWING. TODAY OUR GOAL IS TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE PHASE 1 FINDINGS. WHAT YOU WILL NOTICE AT THE END OF EACH SECTION, JIM ADAMS WILL TEE UP FOR YOU SOME POTENTIAL SCOPE ITEMS FOR PHASE 2, AND OUR GOAL IS ONCE WE COMPLETE PHASE 1, AND TODAY IS THAT FINAL DAY OF PHASE 1, WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU ALL TO CRAFT A PHASE 2 SO THAT WE CAN DIG DEEPER INTO SOME OF THE REPRESENTATIONS THAT YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT TODAY. SO YOU WERE POSTED TODAY TO RECEIVE THE PHASE 1 REPORT. YOU ARE ALSO POSTED IF IT IS YOUR CHOICE TO GIVE US SOME GENERAL POLICY DIRECTION ON HOW TO APPROACH PHASE 2, BUT WE WILL INTEND TO COME BACK TO YOU WITH AN ACTION ITEM THAT THOROUGHLY SCOPES OUT PHASE 2 AND ALSO PROVIDES FUNDING FOR SCOPE OF PHASE 2. SO WITH THAT EYE LIKE TO ASK JIM ADAMS TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE OVER AND WALK US ALL THROUGH THE PHASE 1 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. WELCOME, JIM.

MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, WE HAVE A VERY LARGE TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE ASSISTING US IN THIS ENDEAVOR. OUR PARTNERS, HRNA AND JOHN ALESHIRE ARE HERE TODAY TO HELP US MAKE THE PRESENTATION. THE GOAL OF THE PHASE 1 EFFORT HAS BEEN TO REALLY IDENTIFY WHAT THE ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE IN THE DOWNTOWN, TO LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE STAKE HOLERS AND TO THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY DO A DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT OF WHERE DOWNTOWN IS TODAY. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS, AND LAURA SAID IT VERY WELL, IS THAT DOWNTOWN IS THE HEART AN SOUL OF THIS REGION. DOWNTOWN REPRESENTS REALLY -- IT CREATES THE IDENTITY FOR THE REGION. THE VALUES OF THIS COMMUNITY ARE REALLY EMULATED IN THE DOWNTOWN AND SO ITS HELP IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE OVERALL HEALTH OF THE REGION. JUST LOOKING AT THE DOWNTOWN ITSELF REPRESENT A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THE LAND AREA, JUST OVER HALF A PERCENT OF THE LAND AREA, YET IT GENERATES MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT OF THE PROPERTY TAX. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. AND IN TERMS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, DOWNTOWN IS THE AREA WHERE WE CAN ACHIEVE THE ECT VISION OF A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY. AND THIS IS A MATRIX THAT SHOWS A COMPARE -- A DENSE COMPACT NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE AVERAGE -- WITH AN AVERAGE SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD, SOME OF THE THING TO LOOK AT HERE ARE THE AMOUNT OF LAND THAT IS CONSUMED BY SUBURBAN SPRAWL VERSUS COMPACT URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS. THE AMOUNT OF VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED. AND THE COST OF OWNING AN AUTOMOBILE IN A DOWNTOWN AREA. CREATING THE DOWNTOWN PLAN REALLY OFFERS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT IN A WAY THAT CAN ACHIEVE IS COMMUNITY'S CORE VALUES. AND WHEN WE SPOKE WITH THE COMMUNITY, THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERNS THAT SOME OF THESE CORE VALUES ARE STARTING TO BECOME THREATENED AS DEVELOPMENT -- WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A VIABLE ECONOMIC SITUATION IN THE DOWNTOWN WITH DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE ALSO SEEING CERTAIN THINGS AT RISK. AND THESE ARE THE CORE VALUES THAT THE COMMUNITY TALKED ABOUT WITH US, AND THE DOWNTOWN PLAN REALLY OFFERS US AGAIN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROTECT THOSE AND TO REALLY PROMOTE LIVEABILITY, SUSTAIN ABLGHT, DIVERSITY, AUTHENTICITY, CREATING AN ENGAGING DOWNTOWN AND ONE THAT'S RESPECTFUL OF ITS HISTORY AND CULTURE. WE'VE DIVIDED THIS PRESENTATION -- THIS IS AN ABBREVIATED VERSION OF WHAT IS ON THE WEB. WE'VE TRIED TO CONCENTRATE THIS DOWN TO THE MAJOR POINTS. WE'VE DIVIDE IT HAD INTO FOUR PARNTS, WHICH WE THINK ARE THE FOUR FOUNDATIONS OF WHAT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN NEEDS TO DO. PHYSICAL FORM IN PLACE, I WILL TALK ABOUT THIS. JANA MCCANN FROM ROMA WILL TALK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND MOBILITY. JOHN FROM HRNA WILL TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC VIABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY AND DIVERSITY AND WE WILL CONCLUDE THE PRESENTATION WITH WHAT WE THINK THE FIVE PRIORITIES ARE FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE PLAN. THESE, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS RELATIVE TO PHYSICAL FORM AND PLACE. CREATING A STRONGER PLACE IN THE DOWNTOWN WE BELIEVE CAN BE ACHIEVED BY DEFINING FORM DISTRICTS THAT PRESERVE THE UNIQUE QUALITIES OF THE DOWNTOWN. DOWNTOWN IS A VERY LARGE AREA, 900 ACRES. THERE ARE UNIQUE PARTS OF IT THAT HAVE THEIR OWN QUALITIES AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT. THERE ARE PRIORITY USES. LIVE MUSIC WAS MENTIONED THAT SHOULD BE CONCENTRATED IN PARTICULAR AREAS OF THE DOWNTOWN. WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT. THERE NEEDS TO BE SPECIFIC DESIGN REGULATIONS THAT ARE DEVELOPED BY DISTRICT TO PRESERVE THE QUALITIES AND CRACK TICKS OF THOSE AREAS AND ALSO TO ALLOW INTENSIFICATION TO OCCUR BECAUSE FOR DOWNTOWN TO SURVIVE, WE DO NEED TO ALLOW DEVELOPMENT TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO HAPPEN IN THE DOWNTOWN. AND THE FOURTH RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSTRUCT AN INCENTIVES PROGRAM, DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM THAT WILL BE UNDERSTANDABLE, PREDICTABLE AND ADMINISTRATIVELY OPERATED IN THE DOWNTOWN. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID VERY EARLY ON IS WE MAPPED THE ENTIRE DOWNTOWN PARCEL BY PARCEL TO DETERMINE WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY IS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE CONCLUDED IS THAT DOWNTOWN, THE TRADITIONAL DOWNTOWN OF THE CDBG IS REACHING ITS CAPACITY. ALL OF THE RED SITES ON THIS MAP ARE SITES THAT WE DO NOT BELIEVE WILL BE DEVELOPED -- DEVELOPABLE IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. SOME OF THEM ARE PARKS AND THE CAPITOL OF COURSE WHICH WILL NEVER BE DWOND. BUT WE ESTIMATE THAT THERE IS PROBABLY OVERALL 24 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE EXISTING DENSITIES THAT ARE ALLOWED, THE CAPITOL VIEWS. BUT ONE THING THAT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT 10 PERCENT -- LESS THAN 10 PERCENT OF THAT LAND IS IN SITES THAT ARE GREATER THAN ONE QUARTER BLOCK IN AREA SO TO ACHIEVE THAT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT'S DIFFICULT TO BUILD ON SMALL LOTS AND TO ACHIEVE PARKING, ON SITE PARKING REQUIREMENTS, WHICH MEANS RELIEVING THE BURDEN OF ON-SITE PARKING IS GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF WHAT WE WILL RECOMMEND AS PART OF THE DOWNTOWN PLAN. THE OTHER THING THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT CAREFULLY IS THE CAPITOL VIEW CORRIDORS. WE BELIEVE THE CAPITOL VIEW CORRIDORS HAVE BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE IN PRESERVING VIEWS TO THE CAPITOL. WE DO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE -- THERE IS ONE VIEW THAT NEED TO BE EVALUATING CAREFULLY BECAUSE IT IS CREATING A DISINCENTIVE FOR THE AREA, THE AREA AROUND WOOLDRIDGE SQUARE WHERE THE AREA IS A NEGATIVE HEIGHT LIMIT. THE FACT THAT THERE ARE DRIVE-THROUGH BANK ALL THE WAY AROUND OR ON TWO SIDES OF IT IS REALLY A TESTIMONY TO THE CONSTRAINT THAT THIS PARTICULAR VIEW OFFERS. THANK THAT IS GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO EVALUATE, PARTICULARLY ON ONE OF YOUR FOUR SQUARES, WHICH REALLY REQUIRES DEVELOPMENT TO BE ENGAGED WITH IT, TO FIND THE OPEN SPACE AN ALSO TO HELP ACTIVATE IT. SO THAT OFFERS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE THOSE CAPITOL VIEWS. ONE OF THE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THAT THE CAPITOL VIEWS ALSO AS WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SECTION, CREATES OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE IT CREATES AREAS OF THE DOWNTOWN IN THE AREA OF WALLER CREEK WHERE HEIGHT LIMITS WILL BE AROUND 50 TO 75 FEET PROMOTING MORE AFFORDABLE, MID RIE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH MAY BE VERY APPROPRIATE TO THE SCALE OF WALLER CREEK AND TO THE IDEA OF CREATING A DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT INCLUDES AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE BELIEVE THAT THE CURRENT ZONING DOES NOT PROVIDE A PURPOSEFUL FORM RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS THAT YOU HAVE IN THE DOWNTOWN, LADY BIRD LAKE, THE SQUARES, THE FOUR SQUARES, THREE OF WHICH ACTUALLY EXIST AS SQUARES. THE HIGHER HIERARCHY OF DOWNTOWN STREETS AND SO ON. IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAY DEVELOPMENT IS NOW OCCURRING IN THE DOWNTOWN, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE CBD, THE AREA IN PINK, IS REALLY EXPANDING ALONG THE WATERFRONT AND IN AREAS THAT HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN CONCEIVED AS BEING AREAS FOR THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. WE THINK THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY WITH THE DOWNTOWN PLAN TO DEFINE SPECIFIC DISTRICTS. AGAIN, THE AREA IS VERY LARGE. IT HAS SOME DIVERSE CHARACTERISTICS. THIS IS A MAP THAT SHOWS OUR PRELIMINARY TAKE ON WHAT THESE DISTRICTS MIGHT LOOK LIKE. AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM TODAY. WE HAVE DISCUSSED THEM IN THE FULL REPORT, BUT WHAT THE DISTRICTS DO IS IT OFFERS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH OF THESE AREAS, WHRITS THE WATERFRONT, THE LOWER SHOAL CREEK AREA AROUND SEAHOLM, THE FOUR SQUARES WHICH WE BELIEVE ARE AN IMPORTANT FORM, GIVING PLACE MAKING ELEMENTS WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN, TO REALLY STUDY THEIR DESCRAIKS AND TO ESTABLISH PRIORITIES AND VERY SPECIFIC DESIGN RESPONSES TO THOSE. JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, THE NORTHWEST NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS ONE OF YOUR -- THE HISTORIC RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, WHICH IN THE '70'S -- SINCE THE '70'S HAS EVOLVED MORE AS AN OFFICE DISTRICT, COMMERCIAL AREA. A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES NOW. THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY WE BELIEVE TO PROMOTE INTENSE IS AFICATION WITHIN THIS AREA, TO PROMOTE INFILL DEVELOPMENT, BUT TO DO SO IN A WAY THAT PRESERVES SOME OF THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD, THE LANDSCAPE CHARACTERISTIC, THE BRAIN AND SCALE OF DEVELOPMENT AND TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT WILL PROMOTE INTENSITY AND VIEGHTSTY. SIMILARLY THE CAPITOL DISTRICT, THE AREA TO THE NORTH AND THE EAST OF THE CAPITOL, THERE ARE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO REDEVELOP SOME OF THE STAND ALONE PARKING GARAGES, THE VACANT LOTS. THIS OF COURSE WOULD REQUIRE A COOPERATIVE EFFORT WITH THE STATE, BUT WE LOOK AT SAN JACINTO STREET WITH ITS LINE OF SINGLE PURPOSE PARKING STRUCTURES AND BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY THERE IN THE LONG-TERM TO CREATE A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WOULD FACE ON TO WATERLOO PARK. AND THERE'S SIMILAR OPPORTUNITIES IN EACH OF THESE DISTRICTS OF THE PLAN. AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO PROMOTE MIXED USE IN THE DOWNTOWN, THERE'S ALSO A NEED TO LOOK AT PARTICULAR USES. AND IN PARTICULAR AREAS TO PRIORITIZE USES. WE HAVE WORKED INTENSIVELY WITH THE MUSIC INDUSTRY TO EXPLORE STRATEGIES FOR LIVE MUSIC AND HOW LIVE MUSIC CAN BE RETAINED IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN AS A VIABLE INDUSTRY, AND TO EXPLORE AREAS OF THE DOWNTOWN THAT WOULD -- WHERE THAT USE COULD BE INCENTIVIZED OR GIVEN PRIORITY. AND THAT IS A KEY ASPECT OF THE PHASE 2 EFFORT THAT WE WILL BE DOING. SIMILARLY, RETAIL. ITS DAA HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK IN DOWNTOWN RETAIL RECRUITMENT. THE PHASE 2 EFFORT WILL LOOK AT SUPPORTING THAT AND EXPANDING ON IT. THERE MAY ALSO BE A NEED TO PRIORITIZE OFFICE USE IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE DOWNTOWN AS RESIDENTIAL, FOR INSTANCE, BECOMES -- WE WANT TO PROMOTE RESIDENTIAL. WE ALSO DON'T WANT TO PRECLUDE FUTURE OFFICE DEVELOPMENT. SO THERE MAY BE STRATEGIES FOR DOING THAT AND CERTAINLY RESIDENTIAL AS WELL PROMOTING IT IN PARTICULAR AREAS OF THE DOWNTOWN. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT DENSITY BONUSES AND THE IDEA OF LEVERAGING ADDITIONAL DENSITY BEYOND WHAT IS ALLOWED TO ACCOMPLISH OTHER GOALS LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, OPEN SPACE, AND OTHER COMMUNITY BENEFITS. WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE THAT, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE IN A WAY THAT LOOKS VERY CAREFULLY AT THE EQUATION, THE ECONOMIC VALUE AND THE FORM RESULT AND WE WILL BE WORKING IN PHASE 2 VERY CLOSELY WITH HRNA ON THE WHOLE IDEA OF DENSITY BONUSES. WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE TO BE CALIBRATED SO THAT WE ENSURE THAT VALUE IS ACTUALLY BEING OFFERED AND THAT WE ARE NOT PENALIZING DENSITY. AND THIS IS A VERY COMPLICATED ECONOMIC MODEL TO CONSTRUCT AND ONE THAT WE THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT AT THIS STAYING OF THE GAME. SO JUST TO SUMMARIZE, DEFINE THE FORM DISTRICTS THAT PRESERVE THE UNIQUE QUALITIES OF THE DOWNTOWN, DEFINE THE PRIORITY USES, WHETHER ITS LIVE MUSIC OR OFFICE, DEVELOP SPECIFIC DESIGN REGULATIONS FOR THOSE DISTRICT AN EVALUATE AND CONSTRUCT A DENSITY BONUS OR INCENTIVE PROGRAM WHERE WE CAN ACHIEVE COMMUNITY BENEFITS. JOHN IS NOW -- JANA IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE RED LINES ARE THE SEVERELY CONGESTED ROADWAYS, PURPLE LINES ARE JUST CONGESTED AND THE MAP GOES PRETTY MUCH RED WITH NONE OF THE INVESTMENT THAT IS PLANNED WITHIN THE CAMPO PLAN. SO IF WE DON'T MAKE THIS KIND OF INVESTMENT, AND PARTICULARLY WITH THE TRANSIT, WE ARE GOING TO EVEN FURTHER ISOLATE DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS ALREADY SUFFERING FROM DISCONNECTION FROM THE REGION. NS A BLOWUP. THIS MAP ON THE RIGHT IS SHOWING THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND AGAIN THE SEVERE CONGESTION THAT WILL BE OCCURRING WITHOUT THAT INVESTMENT. HOV LANES FROM I-35 AN LOOP 1 COULD ASSIST WITH INCREASING ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN AS WELL AS MANAGED LANES WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN COULD INCREASE THE CAPACITY. BUT THE POINT IS IN DOWNTOWN WE HAVE A SPECIFIC GRID THAT WE CAN'T REALLY EXPAND ON WITHOUT WIDENING ROADS AND WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT IN THE DOWNTOWN. WE'RE PRETTY HAPPY WITH OUR WALLER GRID THAT WE HAVE OF WALKABLE BLOCKS. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE REALLY LOOKING AT INCREASING TRANSIT AS A KEY COMPONENT OF MAKING THE REGION AND DOWNTOWN WORK. AND WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE THESE THREE RAIL CORRIDORS THAT ACTUALLY QUERNG INTO THE DOWNTOWN, OUR HISTORIC RAIL CORRIDORS, THE FIRST OF WHICH, THE GIDDINGS TO LLANO RAILROAD LINE, WHICH WILL BE THE CAPITAL METRO COMMUTER LINE COMING INTO DOWNTOWN FROM LEANDER NEAR THE EBB OF END OF THIS YEAR, THE SAME LINE HEADING TOWARD THE EAST TO ELGIN AND MANOR IS SOMETHING THAT WE ANTICIPATE KIND OF A NEAR TERM FUTURE COMMUTER RAIL THAT COULD LINK ALSO THOSE TOWNS WITH THE DOWNTOWN. THE UNION PACIFIC LINE, HOWEVER, IS STILL OFF IN THE FUTURE. IT WOULD CONNECT SAN ANTONIO TO GEORGETOWN. STILL NOT FUNDED AND EVEN MORE SPECULATIVE IS THE TXDOT-MOKAN CORRIDOR PROAND FOR FUTURE COMMUTER RAIL SERVICE TO GEORGETOWN. SO WHILE THESE EXIST, WE NEED TO REALLY PUSH ON GETTING 2 AND 3 MOVED FORWARD.

I THINK THE BIG POINT ABOUT OUR REPORT IS THAT WE FEEL LIKE TRANSIT IN THE DOWNTOWN REALLY NEEDS TO BE IS MODE OF DHOIS AND NOT ONE OF LAST RESORT. PEOPLE DO PERCEIVE TRANSIT AS A NEGATIVE UNFORTUNATELY AND WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO COUNTER THAT AND CREATE A TRANSIT STBL SYSTEM THAT'S SUFFICIENT AND ACTUALLY AN ELEGANT WAY OF GETTING TO AND FROM YOUR DESTINATION, THAT'S USING HIGH QUALITY VEHICLES, THAT'S VERY UNDERSTANDABLE, SIMPLE, LEGIBLE ROUTES AND VERY MUCH SO PART AFTER GREAT PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THAT TRANSIT LINKS TO GREAT SIDEWALKS, GREAT STREETS, AND GREAT PLACES. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO BE DOING IS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY IS LOOKING AT THE STREET CAR, THE CIRCULATOR SYSTEM IN DOWNTOWN AND REALLY LOCATING IT. WE NEED TO CONFIRM EXACTLY WHAT IS THE ALIGNMENT. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND CAREFULLY DESIGN HOW IT'S TRANSFERRING TO COMMUTER RAIL AS WELL AS HOW IT'S INTERFACING WITH THE BUS AND ALL OTHER MODES. IN TERMS OF THE GREAT STREETS PLAN, WE NEED TO KNOW HOW THE PLAN WILL INTERACT WITH THE VEHICLE SYSTEM. WE NEED TO INTERACT THE ONE WAY VERSUS TWO WAY SYSTEM ONCE AND FOR ALL AND RESOLVE IT. TRANSIT IS LOOKING AT THE TRANSIT FOR MASTER PLANNING IS A VERY IMPORTANT FIRST STEP IN REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT WOULD BE MORE OPTIMUM IN ONE WAY OR TWO WAY. AND ALSO LOOKING AT PRIORITY YIEWS FOR CERTAIN STREETS, WHERE IS RETAIL GOING TO BE HAPPENING AND HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE ONE WAY OR TWO WAY SYSTEM SYSTEM. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY ARE PROMOTING IS THAT THE GREAT STREETS REALLY BE IMPLEMENTED ON A MUCH BROADER BASIS BY A CIP TYPE OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT. THAT'S WHERE THE CITY HAS HAD THE MOST IMPACT ON THE SEC STREET DISTRICT IS WHERE THAT INVESTMENT HAS BEEN OVER SEVERAL BLOCKS AND WE START TO SEE WHAT A GREAT STREETS ENVIRONMENT REALLY DOES FOR THE CITY. WE'RE MAKING A BIG SUGGESTION THAT BICYCLING NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED AS REALLY A MODE THAT'S VIABLE IN THE DOWNTOWN. VERY FEW PEOPLE USE COMMUTE TO BIKE TO WORK. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. THERE ARE VERY FEW FACILITIES ALSO TO CONNECT WITH BIKING SUCH AS SHOWERS AND LOCKERS. SO IT'S NOT REALLY VIABLE TO BE USING IT AS A COMMUTER -- COMMUTING KIND OF MODE. WE NEED TO LOOK AT HIGHER CLASS FACILITIES SUCH AS THE ONE ON THE RIGHT IN MONTREAL WHERE YOU HAVE TWO-WAY PROTECTED BIKEWAYS. AND JUST REALLY INCREASE THE FACILITIES AT EVERY LEVEL. DOWNTOWN PARKING NEEDS TO BE A LOT BETTER MANAGED AND THERE HAS BEEN RECENT COUNCIL ACTION ON PUTTING FORWARD THE IDEA OF THE CENTRAL PARKING AUTHORITY, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO INTEGRATE WITHIN THIS WHOLE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN, TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN. SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT IN PHASE 2. AND THEN THE UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURES VERY AGE UNDERSTAND THE DOWNTOWN, ESPECIALLY WITH WATER LINES, FIRE LINE TYPE SERVICE. WE NEED TO TAKE AN APPROACH THAT THE CITY IS NOW TAKING IN THE UNO DISTRICT WHERE IT IS THE CIP APPROACH. IT IS MASTER PLANNED AND WE NEED TO INTEGRATE THEE IMPROVEMENTS WITH OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S IMPORTANT, WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES, WHAT STREETS REALLY NEED TO BE EQUIPPED FIRST WITH INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND THAT WOULD BE DONE IN PRIORITY USE AND DISTRICTS DEVELOPING DISTRICTS. DOWNTOWN OPEN SPACES ALSO NEED MUCH ATTENTION. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 90 ACRES OF PARKLAND IN THE DOWNTOWN. WE QUESTION WHETHER THAT'S ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE DENSE POPULATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DOWNTOWN. ALSO THE PARK ARE LOCATED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY'RE REALLY NOT SERVING THE AREAS THAT ARE BEING DENSIFIED AND COULD BE DENSIFIED, SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHERE ARE PARKS GOING TO BE LOCATED. ARE WE ACHIEVING ENOUGH OPEN SPACE IN THE DOWNTOWNS TO BE SUSTAINABLE. AND AGAIN WE NEED TO REALLY INTEGRATE THIS FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY AT WALLER CREEK TO EXTEND THE PUBLIC OPEN SPACE SYSTEM AND PARKS THAT CONNECT NOT ONLY U.T. AND THE CAPITOL AREA, BUT ALSO EAST AUSTIN WHERE WALLER CREEK IS RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF. SO JUST AGAIN IN PHASE 2, THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN, UTILITY MASTER PLAN, PARKS MASTER PLAN AND PULLING TOGETHER THE WALLER CREEK EFFORT. SO I'LL INTRODUCE JOHN ALESHIRE FROM HNRA ADVISORS WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH THE NEXT TWO SECTIONS.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THE FIRST IS TO TRY AND PRODUCE AN ACTION PLAN THAT PUTS THE CITY IN A PROACTIVE STANCE IN RESPONSE TO DEVELOPMENT IN DOWNTOWN. A LOT OF TERRIFIC PROGRESS AND CREATIVITY OF THE LAST GENERATION HAS COME IN REACTION TO A SERIES OF PRIVATE PROJECTS AND THAT'S BEEN HEALTHY, BUT I THINK WE BELIEVE THE NEXT PHASE NEEDS A MORE PROACTIVE STRATEGY THAT TIES TOGETHER ZONING, FINANCING AND A VARIETY OF MUNICIPAL ACTIONS INTO AN ORGANIZE THE STRATEGY. I THINK THE SECOND FOUNDATION HERE IS THIS BE DONE ON A SERIES OF DISTRICTS. THAT DOWNTOWN IS A VERY LARGE SPACE AND THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A FOCUS AROUND A SERIES OF THIS AGGREGATED DISTRICTS. INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT EITHER THE WHOLE DOWNTOWN OR A PARTICULAR PROJECT AT A GIVEN ADDRESS, THERE'S A STRATEGY THAT BUILDS ON A SERIES OF DISTRICT PLANS. AND FINALLY THAT THERE BE AN ONGOING PATTERN OF STRATEGY INVESTMENT. INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE, INVESTMENT IN THE KIND OF REGULATORY REGIME, INVESTMENT IN THE KIND OF ORGANIZATIONAL RESOURS BOTH STAFF AN MONEY THAT IT TAKE TO IMPLEMENT A DOWNTOWN PLAN OVER A GENERATION. AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW THOSE FUNCTION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE ECONOMY. AND WE LOOKED AT REALLY EACH SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY. THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER. THE KIND OF CULTURE AND LIVE MUSIC YOU HAVE SUPPORTS YOUR OFFICE. NOW THAT YOU'RE GETTING A STRONG RESIDENTIAL PRESENCE, THAT WILL REINFORCE THE OFFICE, THE OFFICE PRESENCE THEN CREATES MORE DEMAND FOR RESIDENTIAL. YOU'VE GOT NOW A VIRTUAL SYSTEM THAT TIES THESE TOGETHER, DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT IS NOW, THOUGH, AS I THINK IT ALWAYS WILL BE, FRAGILE. COSTS ARE ALWAYS HIGHER. THE COST OF GOING VERTICAL IS JUST MORE CHALLENGING THAN THE COST OF HORIZONTAL DEVELOPMENT. AS JANET MENTIONED, INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS ARE OLDER, AND THERE'S A LONG LEGACY OF POLICY THAT JUST MAKES IT FINANCIALLY EASIER TO DEVELOP IN GREEN FIELDS AND TO DEVELOP IN A MORE HORIZONTAL FASHION. SO THE KEY THINGS THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT IN PHASE 2 IS HOW DO WE LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD, HOW DO WE DEVELOP ZONING INCENTIVES, HOW DO WE CREATE CONCENTRATIONS OF RETAIL, HOW DO WE COORDINATE REDEVELOPMENT WITH STATE GOVERNMENT AND WITH THE UNIVERSITY. AND LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EACH. FIRST IS CLEARLY A LOT OF THE GROWTH YOU SEE HERE IS COMING FROM THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR. THIS IS AFTER SEVERAL GENERATIONS OF IT BYPASSING YOUR DOWNTOWN. YOUR DISADVANTAGED IN THE SENSE OF MANY DOWNTOWNS IN OUR COUNTRY SEE THE FIRST WAVE OF RESIDENTIAL COMING BACK INTO THE ADAPTIVE REUSE OF OLDER STRUCTURES. YOU'VE SEEN THAT HERE. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF VERY LARGE SCALE OLD CLASS OFFICE SPACE THAT ALLOWS FOR THE CONVERSION OR THE LARGE MULTI-FAMILY AND MULTI-STORY LOST PRODUCT THAT HAS LED TO RESIDENTIAL IN MANY COMMUNITIES. MUCH OF YOUR RESIDENTIAL IS THEREFORE NEW AND HI-RISE. SO THERE NEEDS TO BE I THINK ATTENTION TO THE OFFICE SECTOR TO REDUCE ITS COST. THE COST OF PARKING IS AN ENORMOUS BURDEN THAT GETS ADDED ON TO THE COST OF GOING VERTICAL IN DOWNTOWN AN LOOKING AT WAYS IN WHICH YOUR NEW PARKING AUTHORITY OR FRANKLY SOME OF THE SURPLUS PARKING THAT'S BEING BUILT BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS YOU HAVE WITH RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT END UP WITH THEM BEING OVERPARKED, SO YOU HAVE A MISALLOCATION OF THE LOCATION OF PARKING BETWEEN THE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES IN SOME OF YOUR COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES. SO THERE NEEDS TO BE A WAY TO ORGANIZE AND REDUCE THE COST OF PARKING AND PROVIDE STRATEGIC INCENTIVES FOR OFFICE. AND ALSO SINCE RIGHT NOW, I THINK IT'S LIKELY TO BE THE CASE FOR SOME TAKE, LAND VALUE FOR RESIDENTIAL WILL EXCEED LAND VALUE FOR OFFICE, SO A MORE CAREFULLY STRUCTURED ZONING CODE OVER TIME WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO CREATE AREAS IN WHICH OFFICE IS A PRIMARY USE AND WHICH THE VALUE OF THE LAND IS NOT SET JUST ON A GROSS DIRT FOOT OR FRANKLY IS NOT SET BY THE USE AS A RESIDENTIAL PRODUCT, BUT LAND VALUE IS SET BY A RESTRICTED COMMERCIAL USE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE VALUES OF A CLEAR, CONSISTENT, ONGOING FORM BASED ZONING CODE. YOUR ARTS AND CULTURE ARE BOTH A CORE VALUE OF YOUR COMMUNITY. IT'S A CORE VALUE OF YOUR DOWNTOWN. THE VALUE OF