Closed Caption Log, Council Meeting, 4/10/08

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.

GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY, I APPRECIATE THE BIG TURNOUT TURNOUT. I'M AUSTIN MAYOR WILL WYNN, IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO WELCOME REV. FRANK GOLDSMITH, KOENIG LANE CHRISTIAN CHURCH WHO WILL LEAD US IN OUR INVOCATION, PLEASE RISE.

LET US PRAY. GRACIOUS AND LOVING FATHER, AS WE GATHER TODAY, MAY WE DO SO IN A SPIRIT OF UNITY, TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO BECAUSE OF THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES FIND THEMSELVES LAST IN THE LINE OF OPPORTUNITY. LOST IN A SEA OF POVERTY, LEAST IN POSSESSION OF DIGNITY AND LITTLE IN A LAND OF POLITICAL GIANTS. AS WE PRAY TODAY, LET US UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS NOT YOUR HEART AND BEHAVIOR THAT WE SEEK TO CHANGE, BUT RATHER THAT YOU WOULD SOFTEN OUR HEART AND CHANGE US. MAY ALL WHO COME TODAY, WHO SEEK AN AUDIENCE WITH THIS COUNCIL, EMPTY THEIR KNAPSACK OF SELF SERVICE AND REPLACE IT WITH AN AGENDA OF SHARED GOOD. MAY THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO ARE CHARGED WITH A DAUNTING TASK OF CREATING A JUST AND FAIR SOCIETY, RISE ABOVE THE DEBACLE THAT IS DIVISIVE POLITICS COME RAMPANT TODAY. SO RAMPANT TODAY. MAY THEY CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE OF TRUST AND HOPE WHERE WE CAN ALL TOIL TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD. MAY THE BANK ACCOUNT OF JUSTICE THAT THIS COUNCIL IS BUILDING NEVER BOUNCE A CHECK TO THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN. MAY THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN, THE ACCENT OF OUR VOICE, THE SEIZE OF OUR BANK ACCOUNT, OR THE ADDRESS OF OUR DOMICILE NEVER AFFECT HOW DECISIONS ABOUT OUR ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND HOW THEY'RE MADE. MAY OUR INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES OF FAITH, OUR SYNAGOGUES, OUR MOSQUES AND OUR CHURCHES, ALL RECOGNIZE THE SHARED BLESSINGS THAT WE HAVE AND THE SHARED ATTITUDE OF GENEROSITY WORK TOGETHER WITH THIS COUNCIL TO ESTABLISH THE DEMANDS OF THE DIVINE, WHO CREATED AND LOVES US ALL. AND MAY THE BEHAVIOR OF THE PEOPLE OF FAITH BE SO TRANSFORMED THAT WE TRULY BEGIN TO MODEL TO THOSE AROUND US. WHERE THE LIFE OF PEACE IS. BE WITH OUR CHILDREN TODAY AND EVERY DAY AS THEY FACE AN EVER-INCREASING WORLD OF VIOLENCE AND FEAR. HELP US TO NOT ONLY CREATE LAWS THAT ENFORCE PEACE, BUT HEARTS AND MINDS THAT EMBODY PEACE. GIVE US WORDS OF RECONCILIATION AND TOLERANCE IN PLACE OF OUR CURRENT LANGUAGE OF HATE AND JUDGMENT. FOR OUR CHILDREN TODAY WHO PROBABLY WEAR THE UNIFORM OF THIS COUNTRY ON FOREIGN SOIL, GIVE US THE WISDOM TO BRING THEM HOME. STIR IN US A LOVE FOR THE CHILDREN OF EVERY NATION THAT RIVALS YOURS AND LET US MAKE OUR ECONOMIC SELF-INTERESTS SUBSERVIENT TO THE COMMON INTERESTS FOR LIFE. AND FINALLY TODAY, WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD LEAD THIS COUNCIL TO BEGIN TO LIVE INTO THE MOTTO OF THIS FINE CITY. HELP THEM WITH ALL JUSTICE TO KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD. FROM THE BONGO PLAYERS AT EEORE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY TO THE GOLF PLAYERS AT THE COUNTRY CLUB, FROM THE BLUES AT ANTONE TO THE HALLELUJAHS AT THE CATHEDRAL. FROM THE DOWN TRODDEN SLEEPING UNDER THE BRIDGE TO THE OWNER OF THE TOLL ON TOP OF THE BRIDGE, MAY THEY LEARN TO GOVERN AND MAY WE LEARN TO EMBRACE THE INCREDIBLE DIVERSITY OF THE INHABITANTS OF THIS WONDERFUL CITY THAT YOU HAVE CREATED AND THAT YOU LOVE AND MAY WE SPEND OUR SIX DAY WORK WEEK IN CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU TO KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD. AMEN AND AMEN. [ APPLAUSE ] THANK YOU, REVEREND GOLDSMITH. WE WILL SEE YOU ON EARTH DAY. WITH THERE BEING A QUORUM PRESENT, AT THIS TIME I WILL CALL TO ORDER THIS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, IT IS THURSDAY, APRIL 10th 10th, 2008, APPROXIMATELY 10:20 A.M. WE'RE HERE IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS IN THE CITY HALL, 301 WEST SECOND STREET. COUNCIL, BEFORE I GO THROUGH OUR CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS TO THIS WEEK'S POSTED AGENDA, I WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK IF THERE ARE ANY UPCOMING ITEMS FROM COUNCIL OR ISSUES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ALERT OUR COLLEAGUES AND THE PUBLIC TO. COUNCILMEMBER KIM?

Kim: MAYOR, THIS PAST WEEKEND I TOOK A VISIT TO OUR DEEP EDDY ORGANIC GARDEN, ON THE NORTH SHORE OF LADYBIRD LAKE, I HEARD ABOUT IT SEEING THE ENTRANCE TO THIS GARDEN, I WANTED TO LEARN MORE. I WALKED IN THERE, IT WAS SUNDAY, IT'S AMAZING WHAT'S IN THAT LITTLE GARDEN. SOMEONE WAS WORKING ON IT, SHE SAID SHE LEASED IT FOR ONLY $17 A SEMESTER. I THINK THE POD DEL IS INCREDIBLE -- MODEL IS INCREDIBLE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY GARDENS ALL THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. I WILL BE WORKING ON THIS INVOLVING THE SCHOOLS AS WELL AND WOULD LIKE THE INPUT OF ALL OF COLLEAGUES, BECAUSE I THINK EVERYBODY PROBABLY HAS REALLY GOOD IDEAS AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHAT I'LL BE WORKING ON AND WOULD LIKE TO BRING FORWARD AT SOME TIME.

THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER. FURTHER ITEMS FROM COUNCIL? ANTICIPATED IN THE NEAR FUTURE? IF NOT THEN I WOULD LIKE TO READ INTO THE RECORD THE CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS TO THIS WEEK'S POSTED AGENDA. THEY ARE: TO NOTE THAT ITEM NO. 3 HAS BOENED BEEN POSTPONED TO MAY 15th, 2008. ITEMS NUMBERS 11 AND 12, BOTH POSTPONED TO APRIL 24th, 2008. ITEMS 14 AND 15 HAVE BEEN WITH DRAWN. WE WILL NOTE THAT ITEMS 22, 23, AND 24, WHICH WE HAVE PULLED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA, ARE RELATED TO ITEM NO. 63, A PUBLIC PRESENTATION REGARDING THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE SEAHOLM POWER PLANT AND ITS PROPERTY PROPERTY. WE WILL NOTE THAT ITEM NO. 35 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN AS HAS ITEM NO. 58, OUR MORNING BRIEFING. NOTE THAT ITEM NO. 51, AN ITEM FROM COUNCIL HAS BEEN POSTPONED INDEFINITELY AND THAT ON ITEM NO. 84, AS IT'S 6:00 P.M. TIME CERTAIN, STAFF IS REQUESTING A POSTPONEMENT OF THIS ITEM TO THE APRIL 24th, 2008 COUNCIL MEETING, BUT WE CAN'T TAKE ACTION EVEN POSTPONING IT UNTIL AFTER 6:00 P.M., BUT I ANTICIPATE THAT REQUEST BEING -- BEING GRANTED. ON ITEM NO. 24-RBGS I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO CONTACT THE STAFF THAT HAS -- THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP WORKING ON THIS ITEM. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS ANTICIPATING COMING DOWN TO SPEAK ON A PUBLIC HEARING. IF WE CAN GET AHEAD OF THAT, LET THEM KNOW THIS ITEM HAS BEEN POSTPONED, GOING TO BE POSTPONED THEY CAN PLAN THEIR DAY ACCORDINGLY AND NOT HAVE TO COME DOWN. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER. AGAIN THAT'S ITEM NO. -- NUMBER 84, RELATES BROADLY SPEAKING TO THE BILLBOARD ORDINANCE, A LOT OF ATTENTION GIVEN THAT ISSUE PUBLICLY THIS WEEK. BUT BECAUSE OUR PLANNING COMMISSION DID NOT TAKE ACTION AND PRESENT US WITH A RECOMMENDATION, WE WILL BE POSTPONING THAT ITEM THIS EVENING AFTER 6:00 P.M. SO IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON COMING DOWN TONIGHT TO I'VE US TESTIMONY REGARDING POTENTIALLY AMENDING OUR BILLBOARD ORDINANCE, KNOW THAT WE WON'T TAKE UP THAT ITEM UNTIL APRIL 24th. AND -- SO HOPEFULLY STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO PUT THAT NOTICE UP ON THE WEBSITE AND -- WEBSITE AND MAYBE EVEN NOTE ON CHANNEL 6 THAT POSTPONEMENT WILL BE OCCURRING. MAYOR PRO TEM?

Dunkerly: SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WE ASKED THE STAFF TO BRING FORWARD REGULATIONS THAT WOULD ALLOW SOME BUILDING AND DELIVERY IN THE -- IN THE -- AT 9:00 OR EARLY IN THE MORNING IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA TO PREVENT THE BLOCKAGE OF THE CITY STREETS BY THESE DELIVERY TRUCKS IN MIDDAY. CAN YOU CHECK TO SEE WHERE THAT IS? IT'S BEEN SEVERAL MONTHS. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IT IS, BUT WE'D LIKE TO GET THAT FORWARD BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ASKED THE STAFF. WE THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BRING IT BACK RELATIVELY QUICKLY. BUT IT -- I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION STAGE NOW OR NOT. BUT IF YOU CAN JUST FOLLOW-UP ON IT FOR US.

WE WILL GET YOU A STATUS UPDATE.

MAYOR PRO TEM THEN ALSO -- SO OUR SCHEDULE TODAY, AGAIN OUR MORNING BRIEFING, OUR 10:30 SCHEDULED BRIEFING HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN, I THINK WE WILL HAVE A COUPLE OF DISCUSSION ITEMS THAT WILL TAKE US WELL INTO THE LUNCH HOUR. AT NOON WE BREAK FOR OUR GENERAL CITIZENS COMMUNICATIONS WHERE WE ALLOW 10 FOLKS TO COME AND GIVE US 3 MINUTES OF TESTIMONY EACH ON THE TOPIC OF THEIR CHOOSING. AT 2:00 WE WILL HAVE OR SOON THEREAFTER WE WILL HAVE THE PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM FOR THE SEAHOLM POWER PLANT REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT. WE WILL MAKE THAT PRESENTATION AGAIN VERY PUBLIC AND THEN PERHAPS AFTER THAT TAKE ACTION ON THAT PROJECT. AT 3:00 OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WILL TECHNICALLY RECESS THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION WHERE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ITEMS ON THAT AGENDA. BY 4:00 WE SHOULD BE BACK IN OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND WE WILL TAKE UP OUR ZONING MATTERS. UNFORTUNATELY ON THE ORIGINAL POSTING FOR THIS WEEK'S AGENDA, THERE WAS A TYPO THAT SUGGESTED THAT ITEMS 67 THROUGH 82 WOULD BEGIN AFTER 5:30. WE ALWAYS OF COURSE START THOSE AFTER 4:00 P.M. SO STAFF WAS ABLE TO POST AN ADDENDUM WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE LATE NOTICE PROVISION SO JUST KNOW THAT ITEMS 67 THROUGH 82 WE WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE THOSE UP BEGINNING AT 4:00 P.M. TODAY, NOT WAIT UNTIL 530. BECAUSE AT 5:30 WE BREAK FOR LIVE MUSIC AND PROCLAMATIONS, THE MUSICIANS TODAY ARE THE TIP HATS, STAY TUNED FOR THEM. AND THEN BEGINNING SOMETIME AFTER 6:00 P.M. WE WILL CUTTING OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS. AGAIN NOTING THAT ITEM NO. 84 WILL BE POSTPONED. TO APRIL 24th, 2008. JUST A HANDFUL OF ITEMS PULLED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA. OF COURSE ITEMS 22, 23, 24 RELATED TO THE SEAHOLM POWER PLANT PROJECT REDEVELOPMENT ARE PULLED UNTIL AFTER THAT PUBLIC PRESENTATION AND PERHAPS A CLOSED SESSION ITEM. ITEM NO. 29 RELATED TO THE RENAMING OF -- OF THE PARK ACROSS THE LAKE HAS BEEN PULLED BY COUNCILMEMBER MARTINEZ. AND ITEM NO. 47 OUR POTENTIAL LEASE WITH MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES HAS ALSO BEEN PULLED, IN PART BECAUSE A NUMBER OF FOLKS WANTED TO GIVE US TESTIMONY. COUNCIL, ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO BE PULLED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA? HEARING NONE I WILL PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING CONSENT AGENDA NUMERICALLY. THAT IS TO APPROVE ITEM 1, OUR MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING, FROM AUSTIN ENERGY APPROVING ITEM NO. 2, AND POSTPONING ITEM NO. 3 TO MAY 15th, 2008. BUT APPROVING ITEMS 4, 5, 6, AND 7 FROM OUR AVIATION DEPARTMENT APPROVING ITEM NO. 8, PER CHANGES AND CORRECTION. FROM OUR CONTRACT LAND MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEMS 9 AND 10. WE WILL BE POSTPONING ITEMS 11 AND 12 FROM THE APRIL 24th, 2008 MEETING. PER CHANGES AND CORRECTION. WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEM 13 13. WE WILL BE NOTING THAT ITEM 14 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN, AS HAS ITEM 15. WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEM 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, AND 21. WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEM NO. 25. FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT WE WILL APPROVE ITEM 26. FROM OUR MANAGEMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WE WILL APPROVE ITEM 27. WHICH IS -- WHICH IS -- WHICH IS NOTICING AND SETTING ADDITIONAL COUNCIL WORK SESSION DATES IN ANTICIPATION OF A MORE DETAILED BUDGET PROCESS AND I BELIEVE THAT THE PROPOSED AS PART OF THE BACKUP COUNCIL IS THAT -- THAT THE -- FOR THE NEXT FOUR SCHEDULED THURSDAY CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, WE WILL CONDUCT A WORK SESSION THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE. SO THE DAY BEFORE THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL, FOUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, WE WILL HAVE A WORK SESSION WEDNESDAY MORNINGS. OF COURSE WE WILL POST THOSE WELL IN ADVANCE. MOST OF THAT WORK LIKELY BEING BUDGET WORK SESSIONS. FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENTS WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEM 28. FROM PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEM 30. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT APPROVING ITEM 31. FROM OUR PURCHASING OFFICE, WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEMS 32, 33, 34. WE WILL THOUGHT THAT ITEM 35 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN. WE WILL APPROVE ITEMS 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, AND 44. OUR WATERSHED PROTECTION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW DEPARTMENT, WE'LL BE APPROVING ITEM 45. ITEM 46 ARE OUR APPOINTMENTS TO OUR BOARD AND COMMISSIONS THAT I'LL READ INTO THE RECORD. THAT BEING TO OUR WATER FRONT OVERLAY TASK FORCE, JEFF FRANCEL IS MY NO, MA'AM NOMINEE, DALE GLOVER IS COUNCILMEMBER MCCRACKEN'S NOMINEE AND WENDY PRICE [INDISCERNIBLE] IS COUNCILMEMBER KIM'S NOMINATION TO OTHER WATERFRONT OVERLAY TASK FORCE, THAT BEING CONSENT ITEM NO. 46. ALSO BE APPROVING ITEM 48, 49, 50, WE WILL NOTE THAT ITEM 51 HAS BEEN POSTPONED INDEFINITELY. WE DO ANSWER PIT THAT ANTICIPATE THAT COMING BACK IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO. WE WILL BE APPROVING ITEM 52, 53, AND 54. AND WE'LL BE SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING BY APPROVING ITEMS 55, 56, AND 57. THEN WE WILL BE -- WE WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGING THE POSTING BEING ITEMS 67 THROUGH 82, EXCUSE ME, PUBLIC HEARINGS CAN BEGIN ANY TIME AFTER 4:00 P.M. AND NOT HAVING TO WAIT UNTIL -- UNTIL 5:30. SO, COUNCIL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THAT PROPOSED CONSENT AGENDA. MS. GENTRY, YES?

[INDISCERNIBLE] AGENDA AND NOT YOUR COUNCIL AGENDA, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. AGAIN JUST AS A NOTE, COUNCIL, ITEM NO. 8 ON THE CITY COUNCIL'S CONSENT AGENDA IS CORRECT AS POSTED WITH NO CHANGES OR CORRECTIONS. SO I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THE PROPOSED CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION MADE BY MAYOR PRO TEM, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER MCCRACKEN TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PROPOSED. COMMENTS? COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL?

Leffingwell: MAYOR, A YEAR AGO IN APRIL OF 2007 THE COUNCIL APPROVE ADD RESOLUTION UNANIMOUSLY TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO REDUCE PLASTIC BAGS GOING INTO OUR LANDFILLS. WE HAVE COMPLETED THAT PROCESS NOW AND I WOULD LIKE TO -- I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM SOLID WASTE AND KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL TO GIVE US A VERY BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE COME TO TO DO THAT.

FOLKS, TECHNICALLY WE ARE AT CAPACITY IN THIS ROOM, WITH THE HELP OF THE FIRE MARSHAL WE HAVE OPENED UP THE BOARD AND COMMISSION ROOM ACROSS THE FOYER. SO FOLKS -- SO THERE ARE FOLKS IN THAT ROOM WATCHING AND LISTENING TO THE MEETING IN REAL TIME, WELCOME, MR. RHOADES.

GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBER. YES, ABOUT A YEAR AGO WE STARTED AFTER THE RESOLUTION PASSED, WE PUT TOGETHER A TEAM OF STAKEHOLDERS TO DISCUSS THE PLASTIC BAGS IN AUSTIN AND WHAT WE COULD DO ABOUT IT. WE WORKED FOR OVER A YEAR TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO TRY TO REDUCE PLASTIC BAGS BY 50% IN AUSTIN, CURRENTLY BEING RECYCLED. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS MAKE -- DO AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FOR STORES THAT CAME IN AS STAKEHOLDERS TO ALERT THEIR CUSTOMERS TO WHAT THEY CAN DO, WHAT CAN BE RECYCLED IN THEIR STORES. AS PART OF THIS PROPOSAL, SOLID WASTE SERVICES IS LOOKING AT A PILOT PROJECT TO RECYCLE PLASTIC BAGS, IN ABOUT 5,000 HOMES ACROSS AUSTIN. WE WILL BE UTILIZING THE SAME 5,000 HOMES CURRENTLY IN A PILOT PROGRAM FOR SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING. TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN WE HAVE [INDISCERNIBLE] HERE FROM KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL.

WELCOME, BRYAN.

THANK YOU, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M [INDISCERNIBLE] FROM KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL. WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE SUPPORTING THIS COUNCIL INITIATIVE BY LEADING THE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN. I WANTED TO JUST GIVE A BRIEFING ON THE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN. IT'S CALLED AUSTIN'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG. THE CAMPAIGN PROMOTES THE USE OF REUSABLE BAGS AND DISPOSAL BAG RECYCLING. THAT INCLUDES PAPER AND PLASTIC. THERE'S A BIG FOCUS ON PLASTIC BAG RECYCLING SINCE THOSE CAN'T BE RECYCLED AT THE CURB CURRENTLY, SO WHAT WE'RE DOING -- WE CREATED A LOGO THAT I'M SHOWING UP HERE FOR THE CAMPAIGN. WE'VE ALSO HAD SEVERAL PROMOTIONS ALREADY. WE'VE LEVERAGED ADVERTISING BROUGHT ON MEDIA PARTNERS TO DO ADVERTISING TO GET THE WORD OUT. WE HAD A CAMPAIGN KICKOFF WHERE THE BAG YOU HAVE UP THERE, WHICH WAS PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED BY A LOCAL DESIGNER WAS GIVEN AWAY TO ABOUT 1500 PEOPLE. WE'VE ALSO RUN A -- AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IN THE SCHOOLS TO GET THE WORD OUT TO KIDS AROUND AND THEN BRING IT HOME TO THEIR PARENTS. WE HAD A CONTEST WHERE KIDS WERE GIVEN A BLANK CANVAS BAG AND DID ART WORK ON IT. WE HAD SOME WINNERS, THEY WERE PRESENTED THEIR AWARDS AT THE KICKOFF EVENT, WHICH TOOK PLACE LAST SATURDAY, APRIL 5th. SO WE HAVE GOTTEN THE WORD OUT QUITE A BIT ALREADY. AND WE WANT TO KEEP DOING THAT OVER THE YEAR TO SUPPORT THIS COUNCIL INITIATIVE.

MR. RHODES? COUNCIL?

I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE AT THIS POINT THIS IS A TOTALLY VOLUNTARY PROGRAM ON THE PART OF ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE AGREED TO PARTICIPATE. I WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK THEM, THE RETAILERS IN OUR AREA WHO HAVE AGREED TO MAKE THIS COMMITMENT. AT THE END OF A YEAR, IN JULY 2009 WE WILL EVALUATE OUR PROGRESS AND SEE IF ADDITIONAL STEPS ARE NEEDED AT THAT TIME AND DETERMINE WHAT THOSE STEPS WOULD BE. THANKS. MAYOR PRO TEM?

Dunkerly: I WOULD LIKE TO CALL ATTENTION TO ITEM NO. 49, THIS IS THE CO-SPONSORSHIP OF THE FIRST NIGHT AUSTIN AND THE CITY. SEVERAL YEARS AGO FIRST NIGHT STARTED HERE IN AUSTIN AND IT'S A WONDERFUL FAMILY EVENT ON NEW YEAR'S EVE, STARTING IN MID AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING AND IT'S A NON-ALCOHOLIC EVENT, IT'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS. THE CITY HAS HELPED TO -- TO -- WORKED WITH THIS NON-PROFIT TO ASSIST IN THIS CELEBRATION AND THIS ITEM TODAY WILL FORMALIZE A -- A RELATIONSHIP, A CO-SPONSORSHIP RELATIONSHIP AND CLEARLY DEFINE THE ROLES OF BOTH THE CITY AND THE FIRST NIGHT BOARD WILL PLAY. AND I THINK THIS IS A MOVE TO HELP MAKE THIS EVENT MORE SUSTAINABLE. AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE I WILL BE BRINGING AN ITEM BACK TO HONOR ANNE ELIZABETH WINN WHOWYNN WHO ACTUALLY STARTED FIRST NIGHT HERE IN AUSTIN. AS IT HAS GROWN AND MATURED THIS IS SORT OF THE SECOND PHASE OF FIRST NIGHT SO I WANTED TO CALL THAT TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION. THIS IS A REALLY GOOD THING.

Mayor Wynn: AGREED, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM?

COUNCILMEMBER COLE?

Cole: YES, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING ATTENTION TO ITEM NO. 47, THAT COUNCILMEMBER MARTINEZ AND MAYOR PRO TEM BETTY DUNKERLY AND I ARE SPONSORING. IT IS AN ITEM THAT GIVES MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES A LOCATION FOR HOMELESS AND I REALLY THINK THAT -- THAT THIS COUNCIL SHOULD BE COMMENDED ON STEPPING FORTH AND HELPING THE LEAST AMONG US AND RECOGNIZING THAT THAT HELPS OUR ENTIRE CITY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER. AGAIN, JUST FOR FOLKS WHO ARE FOLLOWING, ITEM 47, WE WILL HAVE THE DISCUSSION HERE IN A FEW MINUTES AS THAT WAS TAKEN OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

I'M SORRY. FURTHER COMMENTS ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

Wynn: OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES ON A VOTE OF 7-0, ALTHOUGH I APOLOGIZE FOLKS, LET'S SEE I JUST REALIZED THAT WE HAD ONE CITIZEN SIGNED UP WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM NO. 25. WHICH WAS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, COUNCIL, I WOULD LIKE TO GET -- QUICK CITIZEN TESTIMONY ON ITEM NO. 25, DEBBIE RUSSELL HAS BEEN HERE WAITING TO GIVE US THAT TESTIMONY. AS HAS I BELIEVE GREG GIBSON. SO IF MS. RUSSELL IS WITH US. SHE IS WELCOME TO -- TO -- TO COME GIVE US TESTIMONY ON ITEM NO. 25. I DON'T SEE DEBBIE IN THE ROOM, HOW ABOUT GREG GIBSON. IS HE HERE? WELCOME, GREG.

YOU HAVE TRY THREE MINUTES, WELCOME.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO ADD THE COUNCIL THIS MORNING. YOU WILL NOTE THAT I HAVE SIGNED UP AS NEUTRAL ON THIS ITEM. I'M WITH THE TEXAS HOMELESS NETWORK, WE'RE A STATE-WIDE COLLABORATIVE ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO COMMUNITIES THAT WISH TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF HOMELESSNESS. I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE PROPOSED CONTRACT AND THE MINUTES FROM THE -- FROM I BELIEVE IT'S PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE AND I'VE -- I BELIEVE THAT THE COUNCIL IS -- IS APPROPRIATELY PROCEEDING ON THIS ITEM. OF COURSE THERE ARE ALWAYS THINGS TO CONSIDER WHENEVER IT'S SUCH A COMPLICATED ISSUE THAT COMES BEFORE THE COUNCIL. ONE IS COST, OF COURSE. UPON REVIEWING THE SCOPE OF WORK AND THE DELIVERABLES AND COST OF THE STUDY, I DON'T REALLY SEE A BASIS OF COST. I WAS NOT -- I'M NOT AWARE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS BY WHICH THOSE COSTS WOULD DERIVED. I WOULD ASK COUNCIL TO CAREFULLY REVIEW THE CONTRACT. FOR ISSUES RELATED TO COST. SECONDLY, IN TERMS OF POLICY, I WOULD URGE THE COUNCIL TO PLACE THIS SURVEY AS THE OTHER NUMEROUS SURVEYS WHICH OCCURRED IN THIS COMMUNITY OVER TIME AND RECENTLY THERE'S BEEN SURVEYS OF PERSONS WHO -- WHO ARE LIVING OUTDOORS, TOO NOT LET THIS SURVEY, THIS ONE POINT IN TIME DEMOGRAPHIC DRIVE THE CITY COUNCIL. I WOULD URGE YOU TO PUT THAT IN A POLICY CONTEXT. THIS IS PART OF THE ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM. THIRDLY WITH REGARD TO THE PROPOSED SCIENCE, THERE ARE NUMEROUS THREATS TO [INDISCERNIBLE] AND RELIABILITY, THE SAME IS TRUE WITH THIS STUDY. I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH DR. WONG AND DOCTOR LANG ABOUT THE RESEARCH DESIGN AND THE PROPOSAL AS IT MOVES THROUGH. I BELIEVE THE COUNCIL HAS CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THE MECHANISM BY WHICH YOU CAN CONTROL OR EXAMINE THIS PROCESS AS IT MOVES FORWARD. I BELIEVE THE COMMITTEE HAS ASKED FOR A CONDITIONAL APPROVAL FROM THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE CONDITION THAT IT COMES BACK TO THAT COMMITTEE FOR -- FOR CONTINUED CONSIDERATION AND OVERSIGHT. I WOULD STRONGLY, IN SUMMARY, URGE YOU TO CONSIDER THE COST TO THE PROPOSED SCOPE OF WORK AND THE DELIVERABLE, THE BASIS OF THAT COST. SECONDLY, TO REMIND YOURSELF THAT THIS IS PART OF AN ANSWER TO A BROADER POLICY QUESTION AND SOLUTION. THEN THIRDLY I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSISTENTLY BE VIGILANT ABOUT THE SCIENCE AND ALSO TO BE -- TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT WHAT THIS ONE POINT IN TIME STUDY MIGHT IMPLY. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR LETTING ME STAY HERE FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT IT.

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

Leffingwell: I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION. BUT WITH REGARD TO THE COST, THE COST NAMED IN THIS -- IN THE RESOLUTION ARE WITHIN THE CITY MANAGER'S DISCRETION. IF THEY EXCEED THAT OF COURSE THAT -- I BELIEVE THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL. I WOULD LIKE TO -- ADD A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM THAT -- THAT TO GIVE DIRECTION TO -- TO PRESENT PROGRESS REPORTS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE.

Mayor Wynn: TECHNICALLY, THE ITEM WAS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT WAS JUST PASSED, SO WE WILL JUST NOTE THAT THERE'S ADDITIONAL DIRECTION GIVEN TO THE CITY MANAGER.

Leffingwell: ALL RIGHT.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MR. GIBSON.

THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: WAS DEBBIE RUSSELL ABLE TO JOIN US AFTER ALL? SHE SIGNED UP WISHING TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION. WE WILL NOTE THAT OPPOSITION FOR THE RECORD. SO AGAIN I APOLOGIZE FOR THE MISSTEP THERE. BUT OUR CONSENT AGENDA IS NOW APPROVED ON A VOTE OF 7-0. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. COUNCIL WE WILL LET A FEW FOLKS LEAVE THE CHAMBERS SEEING HOW THEIR ITEMS WERE APPROVED. WE WILL TAKE UP A COUPLE OF DISCUSSION ITEMS THIS MORNING BEFORE OUR NOON CITIZENS COMMUNICATION. LET'S SEE. BOTH ITEMS 29 AND 47 WERE PULLED. A NUMBER OF FOLKS WANTED TO GIVE US TESTIMONY. LOOKS LIKE WE COULD PROBABLY GET THROUGH ITEM 25 -- SORRY 29 A LITTLE QUICKER AS THERE ARE FEWER FOLKS WANTING TO GIVE US TESTIMONY. WE WILL CALL UP ITEM NO. 29, TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE RENAMING VARIOUS PORTIONS OF PROPERTY ACROSS THE LAKE AND COUNCILMEMBER MARTINEZ TECHNICALLY HAS PULLED IT OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA. BUT A NUMBER OF FOLKS SIGNED UP WISHING TO GIVE US TESTIMONY. DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION IN ADVANCE OF THE TESTIMONY. BUT -- BUT WITHOUT OBJECTION, THEN COUNCIL WHY DON'T WE JUST GO STRAIGHT TO OUR CITIZEN TESTIMONY. LET'S SEE, WE'LL TAKE THESE IN THE ORDER THAT THEY HAVE SIGNED UP. FOLKS ESSENTIALLY LOOKS LIKE HAVE SIGNED UP EITHER IN OPPOSITION OR IN FAVOR. PROBABLY IN OPPOSITION TO THE -- TO THE WAY THAT THE BACKUP WAS TECHNICALLY POSTED. SO WITH THAT WE WILL START WITH FOLKS WHO ARE HERE IN OPPOSITION OF THE ITEM AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MITA BUTLER CARSON. WELCOME, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, YOU WILL BE FOLLOWED BY STEVEN BUTLER. YOU ALL CAN USE EITHER PODIUM.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO COME AND SPEAK HERE TODAY. WE ARE IN OPPOSITION OF THE WAY THE ORDINANCE IS PRESENTED. IT IS PRESENTED IN WORDING THAT SAYS WE ARE GOING TO RENAME THE PARK FROM BUTLER CIVIC CENTER TO TOWN LAKE PARK, WE ARE IN OPPOSITION OF THAT POSITION. WE WOULD LIKE TO RETAIN THE BUTLER NAME ON THIS PARK. OUR FAMILY IS IN FAVOR OF NAMING ITEMS WITHIN THE PARK FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. SO I JUST WANTED TO PREFACE MY WORDS WITH THAT. MY NAME IS MITA MARGARET CARSON, THE GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER OF BUTLER WHO FOUNDED THE BUTLER BRICK COMPANY ON THE SHORES OF LADYBIRD LAKE. A SIXTH GENERATION AUSTINITE, I'M ASKING YOU TO RETAIN THE NAME FOR THE PARK FOR THE BUTLER FAMILY. IN 1941 THE BUTLER FAMILY HAD AN IMPORTANT DECISION TO MAKE. THE BUTLER BRICK COMPANY THAT OPERATED SINCE THE LATE 1800S COMPLETED ITS MOVE TO ELGIN, TEXAS. WITH THE BUILDING OF THE DAM UPRIVER, THE CONSTANT FLOODING WOULD BE CONTROLLED AND THE LAND WOULD SOON INCREASE IN VALUE. THE FAMILY COULD PROFIT HANDSOMELY OR DONATE IT TO THE CITY FOR CIVIC AND RECREATIONAL USE. THANKFULLY FOR AUSTIN THEY CHOSE TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND NOT THE PROFITABLE THING. MANY PEOPLE'S HARD WORK CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PARKS AND PARKLAND WHO UNDOUBTEDLY DESERVE RECOGNITION. HOWEVER THERE ARE FEW POINTS THAT SEPARATE THE BUTTERS FROM OTHER GROUPS. FIRST WITHOUT THE DONATION OF THE LAND BY THE BUTLER FAMILY TO THE CITY IN 1941 THERE WOULD BE NO PARK. THERE'S HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE TIED TO THIS LAND IN DANGER OF BEING LOST. THE AREA IN QUESTION WAS PREVIOUSLY NAMED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN 1964 FOR THE BUTLER FAMILY. TODAY WE WEREN'T TALKING ABOUT THE NAMING OF A PARK. WE ARE SETTING PRECEDENT. DO -- DON'T WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HONOR THE ORIGINAL HISTORY OF THE LAND INSTEAD OF RECENT HISTORY OF THE LAND? WOULD THE CITY COUNCIL REALLY CONSIDER RENAMING PARTS OF PEASE PARK OR ZILKER PARK TO AWARD A FUTURE LARGE DONOR OR RENAME BARTON SPRINGS FOR THE MOST VOCAL GROUP THAT IS BATTLING TO PRESERVE IT. I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO URGE YOU TO CELEBRATE THE HARD WORKING FAMILY THAT HELPED CREATE A GREEN SPACE THAT SETS DOWNTOWN AUSTIN APART FROM OTHER CITIES. IN 1964 THE CITY COUNCIL RECOGNIZED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GIFT BY THE BUTLER FAMILY BYPASSING A RESOLUTION THAT NAMED THE 50 ACRES OF LAND WHERE THE PARK EXISTS TODAY BUTLER CIVIC CENTER. THE RECEIPTS SOLUTION WAS SIGNED BY THE CITY COUNCIL BUT AT THE TIME INCLUDED SUCH RENOWNED AUSTINITES AS MAYOR LESTER PAMMER, BEN WHITE, EMMA LONG. CLEARLY IT WAS THEIR INTENTION FOR THE NAMING OF THIS AREA FOR THE BUTLER FAMILY TO ENDURE OVER TIME. TODAY I ASK THAT YOU UPHOLD THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION OF 1964, PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF THE PARK AND RECOGNITION THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION OF THE BUTLER FAMILY BY RETAINING THE BUTLER NAME ON THE PARK IN QUESTION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR SERVICE.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS STEVEN BUTLER. WELCOME, STEVEN. STEVEN APPROACHES, LET'S SEE A COUPLE OF FOLKS WANTED TO DONATE TIME TO YOU. OUR RULES ARE THEY NEED TO BE PRESENT IN THE CHAMBERS OR I GUESS OUT IN THE BOARD AND COMMISSION ROOM TO DO SO. ALLAN GREEN HERE? ALLAN GREEN? HOW ABOUT CONNIE GREEN? WELL, PERHAPS WE SEE -- I SEE A NUMBER OF FRIEND AND FAMILY MEMBERS SIGNED UP NOT WISHING TO SPEAK IF WITHOUT OBJECTION COUNCIL, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE KELLY BUTLER AND MARY BUTLER'S PRESENCE HERE AS THE DONATED TIME TO STEVEN SO YOU WILL HAVE UP TO 90s, BUT BEFORE YOU -- NINE MINUTES, BEFORE YOU BEGIN, FOR THE RECORD OTHER FOLKS SIGNING UP NOT WISHING TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION WOULD BE DIANE GRIBBEL, MAY BELL FAZEN, TRENT MILLER, MITA HUNT, LIBBY SANTOS, MICHAEL BUTLER, SAME [INDISCERNIBLE], GRACE AND CECIL, ROBERT BUTLER, HELEN YOUNG, DICK BUTLER. NOT WISHING TO SPEAK ALSO IN OPPOSITION. WELCOME, STEVEN, NINE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, I WILL TRY TO BE BRIEF. I'M REALLY HERE TO TALK ABOUT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO WHAT THE PARKS BOARD HAS RECOMMENDED. I BELIEVE EVERYTHING THAT MY COUSIN MITA MARGARET HAD SAID. WE ARE HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF MY GREAT, GREAT GRANDFATHER'S PHILANTHROPIC DREAM OF GIVING 91 ACRES TO THE CITY WITHOUT STRINGS, WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS, IN 1964 IT WAS NAMED BUTLER CIVIC CENTER BY THE CITY COUNCIL WITH THE INTENT THAT IT ENDURE. WE THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE BUTLER FAMILY NAME TO CONTINUE AT THIS PROPERTY TO ENCOURAGE FUTURE PHILANTHROPY, TO FULFILL PROMISES OF PRIOR COUNCILS, TO REMEMBER OUR PIONEER HISTORY HERE IN AUSTIN AND TO PREVENT A BAD PRECEDENT OF RENAMING PARKS. WE ARE COMING WITH AN INCLUSIVE SUGGESTION AND PROPOSAL. WE ARE OFFERING A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO MAME THE PARK BUTLER PARK OVERALL, LIZ CARPENTER FAMILY, ALLIANCE CHILDREN'S GARDEN IN FAVOR OF THE NUMEROUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TOGETHER TO MAKE IT A REALITY, TOWN LAKE ALLIANCE, DOUG [INDISCERNIBLE] HILL AND WILLIE WELLS FIELD. WE BELIEVE THIS SUGGESTION WOULD HONOR TO MANY APPROPRIATE PEOPLE. SET A GOOD PRECEDENT AND KEEP THE BUTLER FAMILY NAME THE DONATE FORS WITH THIS LAND. DONORS WITH THIS LAND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, STEVEN. SO I THINK COUNCIL THAT'S ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO SIGNED UP TECHNICALLY IN OPPOSITION TO THE ORIGINAL POSTING OF THIS ITEM. WE DO HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP WISHING TO SPEAK IN FAVOR THAT BEING JOE BAILEY. WELCOME, MR. BAILEY, YOU, TOO, WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, NOTE THAT MARK BAINS SIGNED UP NOT WISHING TO SPEAK ALSO IN FAVOR.

I'M JOE BAILEY, I WANTED TO REITERATE OR AMEND MY STATEMENT. I AM NEUTRAL ON THE ISSUE OF THE NAME OF THE PARK. I WOULD BE HAPPY WITH BUTLER PARK AS WELL AS TOWN LAKE PARK. BUT I CAME HERE TO SPEAK UP FOR DOUG SOM HILL FEATURE OF THE PARK. THE NAME DOG SOM HILL RINGS TRUE FOR ME BECAUSE I'VE LONG FOUND MUSIC TO BE THE MEANS BY WHICH I CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY PERCEIVE AND SAVOR THE COMPLETE DIVERSE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF TEXAS. AND ONE MAN FULLY EMBODIED THAT VERY LANDSCAPE AND THAT'S IN THE CHARACTER OF OUR CAPITAL CITY, THAT MAN WAS DOUGLAS WAYNE SOM. THAT LAND IS ECHOED, STANDS IN THE CIVIC CENTER OF OUR TOWN LOOKING OVER THE CAPITOL OF TEXAS. HE DEFINED HIS LIFE AS AN ARTIST, BEAUTIFUL AUSTIN THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, NEXT TO AUDITORIUM SHORES, NOT FAR FROM WHERE THE AMARILLO WORLD HEADQUARTERS ONCE STOOD. IT WILL REMIND ANY LUCKY CITIZENS OF AUSTIN, THE NEXT TIME THEY HEAR BLUES, WESTERN SWITZERLAND, COUNTRY, JAZZ, TEJANO, FOLK, R AND B, FUNK, ROCK AND ROLL ALL IN THE SAME TOWN ON THE SAME NIGHT THAT THERE WAS ONCE AN AUSTINITE WHOSE EVER PERFORMANCE RIVETED AUDIENCES AND CAUSED US TO CONSIDER THAT ALL OF THESE VARIED STYLES CAME FROM TEXAS AND THE GROUND BENEATH US AND FROM OUR NEIGHBORS AROUND US. HE ALONG WITH CONTEMPORARIES LIKE WILLIE NELSON TOOK THE LONG STANDING EAST SIDE RHYTHM AND BLUES SCENE, THE NATION'S DOWNTOWN ROCK SCENE AND ESTABLISHED COUNTRY INFLUENCE IN THE UNIVERSITY'S LIBERAL SPIRIT AND FUSED THEM INTO A PROGRESSIVE VISION OF AUSTIN AS AN ALTERNATIVE HUB FOR MUSICAL CREATIVITY ROUTED IN THE RICH, DIVERSE HERITAGE OF OUR STATE. IT IS THIS VISION OF AUSTIN THAT IS STILL BROADCAST NATIONWIDE THROUGH THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS PROGRAM SOME 30 YEARS LATER. THAT SUSTAINS EVENTS LIKE WEST SOUTHWEST, THAT'S LED TO OUR DESERVED REPUTATION FOR HAVING A SINGULARLY VIBRANT AND DIVERSE MUSIC COMMUNITY. DOUG EMBODIED THE WHOLE OF TEXANS, BY EXTENSION AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC BETTER THAN ANYONE I HAVE DISCOVERED. OLDER, WISER MEN HAVE BETTER SUMMARIZED DOUG'S CAREER. JERRY WEXLER, RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RECORDING CATALOG OF MANY GIANTS INCLUDING RAY CHARLES, FRANKLIN, WILLS LEE NELSON, JOHN COLETRAIN, JUST TO NAME A FEW, HAS SAID IN MY OPINION DOUG IS THE GREATEST MUSICIAN THAT I HAVE EVER WORKED FOR BECAUSE OF HIS INCREDIBLE RANGE. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE THE CITY HONOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF OUR STATE AND OUR CITY BY RECOGNIZING SOMEBODY WHO EMBODIED THAT IN MUSIC. I WANTED TO ADD A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN GIVING TO THIS MEMORIAL TO DOUG AND ALREADY HAVE PLEDGED FROM DAR JAMAIL FROM WILLIE NELSON AND FREDDIE FLETCHER, BOBBY NELSON AND MEMBERS OF TITTY BINGO FOR $5,000. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MR. BAILEY. DO BE AWARE OF THAT -- THAT SUNDAY BEFORE LAST WE KICKED OFF THE INAUGURAL YEAR OF THE AUSTIN MUSIC MEMORIAL, WHEREBY 10 AUSTIN MUSICIANS WHO SADLY HAVE LEFT US WERE MEMORIALIZED IN THE CITY TERRACE, THE PLAZA STRUCTURE OF THE LONG CENTER, DOUG WAS OWN OF THE ORIGINAL 10 INDUCTEES LAST SUNDAY AND THE PLAN IS I THINK OVER EACH YEAR TO INDUCT AS MANY AS 10 ADDITIONAL AUSTIN MUSICIAN WHO'S HAVE BROUGHT THIS GREAT PRESENCE TO US. COUPLE, I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO SIGNED UP TO GIVE US TESTIMONY ON THIS ITEM NO. 29. THAT BEING A POTENTIAL NAMING -- RENAMING ORDINANCE ORDINANCE.

COUNCILMEMBER MARTINEZ?

I ALSO HEARD THERE WAS A MERRIL HAGGARD RENDITION SUNG BY SOME MAYOR IN THE LOCAL AREA. [LAUGHTER] SORRY I MISSED THAT. MARES SORT OF LOSING THE REPUTATION THAT IS SO WELL DESERVED. ON THE SPECIFIC ITEM, FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE EXHAUSTIVE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH, JUST IN THE NAMING PORTION OF IT, MUCH LESS ACTUALLY GETTING THE PARK BUILT. HAVING HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. THE ONE TIME THAT WAS WHERE OUR CONVENTION CENTER WAS GOING TO BE. IF YOU LOOK AT IT NOW, IN MY ESTIMATION, THANK GOD WE DIDN'T PUT OUR CONVENTION CENTER OVER THERE. IT'S A WONDERFUL LOCATION NOW IN DOWNTOWN, BUT I THINK THE CULMINATION OF ALL OF THE WORK, DEDICATION, TO CREATE THIS PARK, BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT OPEN SPACE, GREEN SPACE SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN IS AN INCREDIBLE FUTURE IN ADDITION TO THE ALREADY AMAZING PARKS SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE. FOR ME IT WAS REALLY SIGNIFICANT TO LEARN ABOUT THE BUTLER FAMILY AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT MR. BUTLER MADE TO THE CITY. I PLAYED AT BUTLER PITCH AND PUTT MANY TIMES AND NEVER GAVE A THOUGHT TO WHY IT WAS NAMED THAT. WHO ACTUALLY GIVE US THAT LAND, THE STORY OF HIM BEING AN IRISH IMMIGRANT COMING INTO AMERICA AND REALLY BECOMING SUCCESSFUL THROUGH HARD WORK, THEN TO TURN AROUND AND DONATE ALL OF THAT LAND ON THE SOUTH SHORES IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT IN MY MIND. SO BECAUSE OF THAT SIGNIFICANCE, I THINK IT WOULD BE BE A BAD DECISION FOR US TO NOT MAINTAIN THE NAME BUTLER ON THE LAND THAT WAS GIVEN TO US BY THE BUTLER FAMILY. I KNOW THAT TOWN LAKE PARK IS ALSO IMPORTANT AND VERY SIGNIFICANT IN THE WORK THEY PUT IN IN CREATING THIS PARK. BUT QUITE FRANKLY WE WOULDN'T EVEN BE TALKING ABOUT THIS PARK HAD NOT -- HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE BUTLER FAMILY DONATING THE LAND TO US. WITH THAT I'M GOING TO MAKE -- FIRST OF ALL, I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE ITEM 29, BUT WITH SOME AMENDMENTS. AND I HAVE PASSED OUT THOSE AMENDMENTS TO EVERYONE ON THE DAIS. DAVID, I DON'T KNOW IF I NEED TO READ THEM ALL SPECIFICALLY SINCE I'M MAKING AMENDMENTS OR SPEAK GENERALLY TO THEM?

Mayor Wynn: I THINK WE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND READ IT AS A CHANGE AND CORRECTION FOR THE RECORD FOR THE FOLKS TO HEAR. IN PART TWO OF THE ORDINANCE I WOULD STRIKE THE WORD TOWN LAKE PARK AND ADD BUTLER PARK IN HONOR OF THE BUTLER FAMILY FOR THEIR DONATION OF THE PROPERTY TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR CIVIC USE. IN PART 3, WE WOULD STRIKE THE WORDS POND JUST SOUTH OF RIVERSIDE DRIVE AND ADD THE WORD FOUNTAIN AND THEN AFTER THE WORD RENAMED AT THE LIZ CARPENTER FOUNTAIN IN HONOR OF LIZ CARPENTER. THEN PART 4, WE WOULD ADD THE LANGUAGE THAT THE -- THAT THE FUTURE CHILDREN'S GARDEN IS TO BE RENAMED ALLIANCE CHILDREN'S GARDEN IN HONOR OF THE NUMEROUS CITIZENS THE AL LIENS OF ALL OF THE FOLKS -- ALLIANCE OF ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT CAME TOGETHER TO ESTABLISH THE PARK. AND THEN LET'S SEE, I BELIEVE THERE'S -- THERE'S JUST REDACTIONS THAT CLEAN UP THE REST OF THE ORDINANCE. BUT THOSE ARE THE CHANGES THAT I WOULD BE PROPOSING.

Mayor Wnn: MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER MARTINEZ. SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL THIS AMENDED ORDINANCE ITEM NO. 29 CONFIRMING RENAMING -- NAMING, RENAMING BUTLER PARK IN HONOR OF THE BUTLER FAMILY ALONG WITH THE LIZ CARPENTER FOUNTAIN, THE FUTURE CHILDREN'S GARDEN TO BE NAMED THE ALLIANCE CHILDREN'S AGAIN AND ALSO NOTING THE WILLIE WELLS FIELD AND THE DOUG SAHM HILL HILL. FURTHER COMMENTS? COUNCILMEMBER MCCRACKEN?

YEAH, I'M GOING TO THANK THE BUTLER FAMILY, BOTH FOR THEIR ADVOCACY NOW BUT ALSO FOR THE GIFT OF THE BUTLER FAMILY FOR THE PARK. I THINK THERE'S A LONG STANDING PRINCIPLE IF SOMEONE MAKES A GIFT TO THE CITY THAT -- THAT THAT NAME SHOULD TRAVEL WITH THAT GIFT IN PERPETUITY. I'M GLAD THAT THE PRINCIPLES AND VALUES THAT WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE FOLLOWING ARE BEING RESPECTED HERE AS WELL. THANK THE BUTLER FAMILY.

Mayor Wynn: MOTION AND SECOND ON THE TABLE. FURTHER COMMENTS? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

Wynn: OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES ON A VOTE OF 7-0, AMENDED MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. [ APPLAUSE ]

Martinez: MAYOR, COULD WE HAVE THE BUTLER FAMILY THAT'S HERE, THE MEMBERS OF THE BUTLER FAMILY PLEASE STAND UP.

THE DESCENDANTS OF MICHAEL BUTLER PLEASE STAND. [ APPLAUSE ] ANOTHER GREAT HISTORY LESSON. SO, COUNCIL, I BELIEVE THAT TAKES US TO OUR LAST POTENTIAL DISCUSSION ITEM PRIOR TO OUR NOON CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, THAT BEING ITEM NO. 47. THIS BEING A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF A LEASE OF CITY PROPERTY TO THE MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES ORGANIZATION FOR ITS HABITAT ON WHEELS PROGRAM. AND -- SINCE THIS IS BEING AN ITEM FROM COUNCIL IT'S PROBABLY NOT NECESSARILY TO HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION. SO -- WITHOUT OBJECTION WE WILL GO STRAIGHT TO THE CITIZEN TESTIMONY UNLESS ONE OF THE SPONSORS WANTS TO MAKE A BRIEF INTRODUCTORY COMMENT. COUNCILMEMBER COLE DID BRING UP THE ITEM ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA EARLIER.

[INDISCERNIBLE] MISCOMMUNICATION.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. WITH THAT WE WILL TAKE THESE IN THE -- IN THE ORDER THAT THEY SIGNED UP. AGAIN A NUMBER OF FOLKS SIGNED UP NOT WISHING TO GIVE US TESTIMONY. EITHER IN FAVOR OR IN OPPOSITION. I WILL READ THOSE INTO THE RECORD, WE HAVE A BUNCH OF THOSE FOLKS, BUT OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MR. RICHARD TROXELL. WELCOME, RICHARD. MR. TROXELL FOLLOWED BY GREG BLACKMAN.

I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY WHO SUPPORTS PARK PLACE TO COME AND STAND WITH US. MY NAME IS RICHARD TROXELL, MR. MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS, CITIZENS OF AUSTIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I AM PRESIDENT OF HOUSE THE HOMELESS. HOUSE THE HOMELESS IS THE OLDEST HOMELESS GRASSROOTS ACTION ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. FOUNDED IN 1989, THE MISSION OF THIS 501 C 3 ORGANIZATION IS TO END HOMELESSNESS AS IT EXISTS TODAY. USING EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY, HOUSE THE HOMELESS IS COMPRISED OF HOMELESS AND FORMERLY HOMELESS PERSONS. WE HAVE CREATED A COUNTLESS NUMBER OF IMPACT PROGRAMS. WE CONTINUE TO SUCCESSFULLY ATTACK THE CONDITION OF HOMELESSNESS AT THE MUNICIPAL, STATES AND FEDERAL LEVELS. RECOGNIZING A KIN DRID SPIRIT IN MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES, HOUSE THE HOMELESS HAS REPEATEDLY COLLABORATED IN INITIATIVE AFTER INITIATIVE, TO EMPOWER PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. TODAY, WE ARE HERE AND I AM HERE WITH A FEW OF MY GOOD FRIENDS TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS INITIATIVE. AT PRESENT WE ARE FULLY ENGAGED AND 100% COMMITTED TO THE SUCCESSFUL CREATION OF PARK PLACE A 100 UNIT, FULLY GATED COMMUNITIES CREATING A NURTURING SELF EMPOWERMENT ENVIRONMENT BY AND FOR THE MOST DISABLED AND NEEDY AMONG THE HOMELESS HOMELESS. HOUSE THE HOMELESS IN CONJUNCTION WITH LEGAL AID, BY SECURING DISABILITY BENEFITS THAT AMOUNT TO AS LITTLE AS ONLY $637 A MONTH, WE WILL PROVIDE THE FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS TO LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY OF SPIRITUAL NURTURING AND WITH BOTH DIGNITY AND FAIRNESS MUCH ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE PROUD TO COLLABORATE WITH MR. ALLAN GRAMM AND MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES. THANK YOU. GRAMMTHANK YOU.[ APPLAUSE ]

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MR. TROXELL.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

Mayor Wynn: OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GREG BLACKMAN. GREG BLACKMAN. AND LET'S SEE, LOOKS LIKE I THINK DR. MARGARITA DESERTO. SORRY IF I'M MISPRONOUNCING THAT, OFFERED TO DONATES TIME TO GREG. IS MARGARITA IN THE -- OKAY GOOD. SO GREG, WELCOME YOU WILL HAVE SIX MINUTES.

[INDISCERNIBLE]

THANK YOU, OKAY. YES, MA'AM? GREG, YOU WILL HAVE SIX MINUTES, FOLLOWED BY ALLAN GRAHAM. WELCOME.

THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING TO THE COUNCIL. I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS COMING UP HERE, MY FIRST TIME DOING ANYTHING LIKE THIS. HOWEVER, AS I WATCHED ON THE NEWS ON MONDAY AFTERNOON, I SAW ON LOT OF SHOTS OF [INDISCERNIBLE] COURT, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. I'M WATCHING. THEY GO ON ABOUT THIS LOAVES, RESIDENTS, AREA FOR THE HOMELESS AND HOW THERE'S A FOUR ACRE BUFFER ZONE, EVERYTHING WILL BE SAFE. I WAS THINKING I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS. SO I WENT BACK TO WORK THE NEXT DAY, GOT THE NEWSPAPER, READ THE ARTICLE ABOUT HOW CHILDREN WERE NOT BEING ALLOWED TO LIVE HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN. AND HOW THOSE WITH [INDISCERNIBLE] BACKGROUND, DRUG BACKGROUND, SEXUAL PREDATOR BACKGROUND WILL BE ALLOWED TO LIVE AT THIS RESIDENCE. AS FAR AS THE FOUR ACRE BUFFER, I LIVE THERE, HOW IS THERE A FOUR ACRE BUFFER. I LIVE THERE. ME, I HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS. THREE, 10, NINE. I LIVE ON HAROLD COURT. THERE'S NO FOUR ACRE BUFFER. THAT'S WHERE I LIVE. ALSO GOT TO WONDERING IF THIS PLANNING HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THREE YEARS, HOW COME NO ONE AROUND THROUGH KNEW ABOUT IT. THE TREE TRIMMERS COME BY, THEY SEEN YOUR POSTCARD IN THE MAIL. THE TREE TRIMMERS PUT A PLACARD ON THE DOOR. THEY ARE HERE, GOING TO CUT DOWN YOUR TREES, CUT BACK OFF THE CABLE LINES. BUT I WATCH THIS ON THE NEWS. NOT SO MUCH AS A POSTCARD. JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL LESS THAN TWO MILES TO THE SOUTH, NORMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TWO MILES TO THE NORTH. NO BUS ROUTE ANYWHERE AROUND THERE. I HAVE CONCERNS. SURE THERE'S SUCCESS STORIES IN THE HOMELESS, I PUT OUT $2 EVERY TIME I SEE SOMEONE I THINK NEEDS THE HELP. WE ALSO KNOW THAT MANY HOMELESS ARE DRUG ADDICTS, MANY HOMELESS ARE ALCOHOLICS AND SOME OF THEM ARE SEXUAL PREDATORS. WOULD ANYONE HERE LIKE TO MOVE 175 DRUG ADDICT, ALCOHOLICS AND SEXUAL PREDATORS INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS? I DON'T THINK THAT YOU WOULD. THERE'S ONLY FOUR HOUSES YOU ON YOU ON FOUR OR FIVE HOUSES ON THE BLOCK. TWO OF THE HOUSES HAVE SMALL CHILDREN, MY FAMILY AND ANOTHER FAMILY HAVE SMALL CHILDREN ON THIS BLOCK. I KNOW SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE CHILDREN. WOULD YOU REALLY THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT IDEA THAT YOU WOULD WANT 175 PEOPLE WITH -- WITH SOME WITH CRIMINAL BACKGROUND, WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUG PROBLEMS MOVING THROUGH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? I DON'T THINK THAT YOU WOULD. IF ANYBODY -- IF I'M WRONG, LET ME KNOW. OKAY. I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS. MAYBE IF WE WERE BROUGHT INTO THIS PROCESS IN THE BEGINNING, SOMEHOW, COMMUNITY WAS TOLD WHAT'S GOING ON. WE WEREN'T. I HAVE TO LEARN ABOUT IT ON THE LIVE NEWS. I DIDN'T HAVE A PREPARED SPEECH, I JUST WANT TO VOICE MY CONCERNS ABOUT THIS. NORMALLY I SAW THAT THERE'S A FOUR ACRE BUFFER, WHICH I HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, [BEEPING] BUT NORMAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL JUST TO THE NORTH. ALSO ON THE NEWS THERE'S ONE THIRD MILE TO THE NEAREST BUS STOP. THERE ARE NO BUS STOPS ANYWHERE AROUND THERE. I'M SEEING A LOT OF VARIANCES IN THE STORIES THAT DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME. SO THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE TO SAY. I WISH THAT YOU WOULD RECONSIDER THIS. THINK DEEPLY ABOUT IT. IT'S A GREAT IDEA. IT IS. BUT WHILE ALL OF THE GREAT IDEAS HAVE TO BE IN EAST AUSTIN? THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MR. BACKMAN. MARGARITA I THINK YOU DID WANT TO SPEAK AFTER ALL INSTEAD OF DONATING YOUR TIME, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORWARD AND GIVE TESTIMONY. RICHARD, I'M SORRY, YOU DON'T MIND, WOULD YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES TAKE YOUR SEATS AGAIN TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM NOT HAVING ACCESS TO THE PODIUM. LET'S SEE. MR. WRITTEN, YOU WILL HAVE UP -- MR. WREN UP TO SIX MINUTES IF YOU NEED IT, WELCOME TO USE EITHER PODIUM. WE MAY HAVE AN EASEL SOMEWHERE FOR YOU TO USE. AND/OR, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, YOU CAN GIVE STAFF YOUR VISUALS, THEY WILL ACTUALLY USE THE -- WHAT I CALL THE SKY CAM UP ABOVE AND GET IT ON -- GET IT ON TV FOR US. FOR THE AUDIENCE TO SEE AS WELL. MR. WREN, YOU WILL HAVE UP TO SIX MINUTES, WELCOME.

MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, I'M -- I'M NOT IN OPPOSITION TO THE IDEA OF THE CITY TAKING LAND AND GIVING IT FOR THE HOMELESS. THAT'S NOT MY OPPOSITION. THE CITY OWNS A LOT OF LAND, INCLUDING LAND ON THE LAKE. IF THEY HAVE NOT DISPOSED OF IT. THEY HIDE IT, THE LAND AND CONSIDER IT PARKLAND AND YOU WERE GIVEN A -- DONATED WITHIN THE LAST 10 OR 11 YEARS, LANDS THAT WAS RIGHT ON THE LAKE. YOU NEED TO LOOK AT OTHER ALTERNATIVES FOR THE LAND. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION IS, NUMBER ONE, THE -- YOU ARE SHOWING THE ORIGINAL URBAN RENEWAL DISTRICTS, THOSE WERE THE DISTRICTS IN EAST AUSTIN. BUT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS TO LOOK AT ITSELF AND YOU REPRESENT ITS HISTORY, JUST LIKE THE BUTLER FAMILY AND ITS HISTORY. WHEN YOU GO BACK TO 1928, WHAT YOU FOUND IN THE 1928 PLANNING DOCUMENT, WHICH IS THE FOOTPRINT FOR ALL SUBSEQUENT PLANNING DOCUMENTS, COMING FORWARD. SO THAT MEANT FROM 1928 DEALT WITH TRANSPORTATION, DEALT WITH HOUSING, DEALT WITH EDUCATION, ALL OF THE ISSUES. THAT IS THE FOOTPRINT OF WHAT AUSTIN USES TODAY EVEN FOR ITS PLANNING. TRANSPORTATION WAS CONSIDERED. THE THING THAT YOU HAD IN THE 1928 DOCUMENT ON PAGE 71 IS, IN OUR STUDIES IN AUSTIN, WE HAVE FOUND THAT THE NEGROES ARE PRESENT IN SMALL NUMBERS IN PRACTICALLY ALL SECTIONS OF THE CITY, EXCEPT IN THE AREA JUST EAST OF EAST AVENUE AND SOUTH OF THE CITY CEMETERY. THIS AREA SEEMS TO BE ALL NEGRO POPULATION. IT IS OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT THE NEAREST APPROACH TO THE SOLUTION OF RACE SEGREGATION PROBLEM WILL BE THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DISTRICT AS A NEGRO DISTRICT AND THAT ALL FACILITIES AND CONVENIENCES BE PROVIDED TO THE NOTICING NEGROES IN THIS DISTRICT AS AN INCENTIVE TO DRAW THE NEGRO POPULATION TO THIS AREA. THUS WAS CREATED FROM THE 1928 PLANNING DOCUMENT, WHICH ALL SUBSEQUENT PLANNING DOCUMENTS HAVE COME FORTH EVEN TODAY, IS WHERE WE ARE. AND THE CITY NOW IN ITS WISDOM IS LOOKING AT MAKING THIS PROPERTY, WHICH IS EAST OF EAST AVENUE, WHICH IS I-35, ANOTHER DESIGNATION OF SOMETHING THAT IT WOULD NOT ACCEPT AS A PROPERTY IN OTHER AREAS AND IN ALL PROPERTY IN OTHER AREAS, ALL ACROSS THE CITY, YOU HAVE PROPERTIES, YOU HAVE PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS, ALL ACROSS THE CITY. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FEEL YOU SHOULD GO BACK AND DO AT THIS PRESENT TIME IS, NUMBER ONE, RESCEND THE MARKET STUDY THAT YOU HAVE PUT OUT THIS WEEK. RESCIND THAT. FROM A BLONDE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT I SIT ON BECAUSE OF BREWSTER MCCRACKEN. 300,000 SHOULD COME FROM REPROGRAM FUND. YOU ARE REQUIRED BY H.U.D. TO PRESENT A MARKET STUDY. YOU ARE WASTING TAXPAYER MONEY IF YOU DEVOTE 300,000 FOR A MARKET STUDY. YOU NEED TO LOOK AT HOW DO YOU HOUSE THE HOMELESS AND WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO HOUSE THEM? HOW DO YOU USE YOUR PUBLIC HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS WHICH HAVE BOND AUTHORITY? HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH PROJECTS IN AREAS THAT ARE CONSIDERED NIMBY, NO, MA'AM IN MY BACK YARD? YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF LOOKING FORWARD. YOU ALSO HAVE MANY PARTNERS, CAPCO HAS REMMY, YOUR MOST ADVANCED ECONOMIC FORECASTING TOOL IN THE COUNTRY. USED BY THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD, IT'S USED BY THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, AND THEY CAN BUY THEIR COMPONENTS TO LOOK AT FORECASTING ISSUES AS TO HOW IT RELATES TO AUSTIN. IMPLANT USED BY TEXAS A&M, OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN PULL INTO THAT MARKING STUDY. YOU HAVE ACURA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RESEARCH, PEOPLE IN THAT AREA. SO THERE'S WAYS OF LOOKING AT IT. NUMBER ONE YOU NEED TO RESCIND THAT -- THAT WHICH IS OUT ON THE STREET. THAT IS A TOTAL WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY. YOU NEED TO ADD TO IT 300,000 COMING FROM REPROGRAM FUNDS TO LOOK AT THE SENSITIVE AND DELICATE ISSUES AS IT RELATES TO AUSTIN. II SUPPORT SHERYL COLE, I SUPPORT MARTINEZ, THIS IS NOT AN INDICATION OF MY ANGER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT DIRECTED TOWARDS THEM. I'M SAYING ALL COUNCIL PEOPLE NEED TO NUMBER ONE HAVE THAT 1928 DOCUMENT AND UNDERSTAND ITS IMPACT TODAY. YOU NEED TO LOOK AT IT IN THAT STUDY, WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE 1928 DOCUMENT AS IT RELATES TO THESE ISSUES? SO THAT WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD WE CAN UNDO THE HISTORICAL RACISM, THE HISTORICAL DISCRIMINATION THAT HAS OCCURRED GOING BACK REALLY IN THE 20S AND SOLIDIFY THE 1928 DOCUMENT AND PRESS INTO THE FUTURE AS A RESULT OF ITS USAGE IN EVERY CATEGORY THAT YOU CAN THINK OF IN TERMS OF PLANNING. IT WAS UPDATED IN 1957, AND IT'S BEEN UPDATED EACH SUBSEQUENT YEAR WHEN WE DO PLANNING AS IT RELATES TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. SO WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU IS THIS PROPOSAL, THE PROPOSALS THAT YOU HAVE ON THE TABLE DEALING WITH THE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON AT 3:00, THIS PROPOSAL AND SUBSEQUENT PROPOSALS LIKE THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, HAVE CONCENTRATED HOUSING SEGREGATION IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST AUSTIN AS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OTHER MAP, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE HOUSING OF AUSTIN, IT FOLLOWS THAT SAME HISTORICAL PATTERN AS RECOMMENDED IN THE 1928 DOCTRINE. EAST OF EAST AVENUE, INTO THE POCKETS OF POVERTY DOWN IN OLTORF WHERE YOU HAD HISTORICAL LATINO AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES AND PUSHED THE BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE EAST OF EAST AVENUE. IT IS THE SAME THEN AS IT IS NOW [BUZZER SOUNDING] THE ONLY THING THAT I'M SAYING TO COUNCIL YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THIS AS YOU MOVE FORWARD, CHANGE WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND IN ORDER THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE FUTURE WITHOUT VESTIGES OF THE PAST. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE HISTORY IN RELATION TO AUSTIN AND RELATIONSHIP TO THE FREED MAN COMMUNITIES IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, I WOULD BE GLAD TO SUPPLY THAT AS WELL AS OUR DOCUMENTS THAT I HAVE WORKED ON. [ONE MOMENT PLEASE FOR CHANGE IN CAPTIONERS]

YOU WILL HAVE TO UP NINE MINUTES FOR YOU NEED IT.

I THINK WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO, MAYOR, IS HAVE THREE PEOPLE SPEAK ON OUR BEHALF. MYSELF, THE CARMONA FAMILY AND BILL McCLEL NAN FNTION I THINK THE OTHER PEOPLE, MR. HINKEY ARE HERE FOR SUPPORT. THEY DON'T NEED TO GIVE UP THEIR TIME, BUT SUPPORT.

MAYOR AND COUNCIL, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR WHAT I HOPE IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. I'VE BEEN WORKING DEEPLY WITH THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY FOR 10 YEARS NOW, AND HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR FOUR YEARS. THIS IS NOT AN ILL CONCEIVED PROJECT. IT'S A PROJECT THAT HAS FOUR YEARS OF HISTORY VETTING OUT THE ISSUES. WE NOW OWN 27 RECREATIONAL VEHICLES THAT HOUSE ABOUT 32 OR 34 PEOPLE. 90 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE INTO OUR RV'S CONTINUE TO STAY IN THOSE RV'S SUCCESSFULLY HOUSED. IT'S BEEN A REMARKABLE PROGRAM WITH REMARKABLE RESULTS. YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE CARMONAS WHO USED TO LIVE IN A CARDBOARD BOX, HUSBAND AND WIFE AND A 20 SOMETHING-YEAR-OLD MENTALLY CHALLENGED SON. ANGD NOW ALMOST THREE YEARS IN AN RV AND THEIR LIFE HAS BEEN CHANGED AND A PURPOSE IN THEIR LIFE HAS BEEN INSTILLED. IN THIS ROOM ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE -- NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE CURRENTLY IN OUR COMMUNITIES. A NUMBER OF OUR BOARD BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS AND A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE ON THE STREETS AND WANT AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME OFF OF THE STREETS TO BE HEALED AND TO REDISCOVER A PURPOSE IN THEIR LIFE, TO HAVE THAT ADDRESS THAT WILL ALLOW THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY. ALSO IN THIS ROOM AND VERY IMPORTANTLY ARE A NUMBER OF AGENCY DIRECTORS FROM AGENCIES THAT PRIMARILY SERVE THE HOMELESS AND WORKING POOR. AND VIRTUALLY WITHOUT QUESTION THEY ARE ALL IN UNANIMOUS SUPPORT OF WHAT WE ARE HOPEFULLY ABOUT TO ACCOMPLISH. THEY'RE HERE IN SOLIDARITY WITH MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES AND THEY'RE HERE IN SOLIDARITY WITH THEIR AGENCIES SAYING TO THE CITY THAT WE ARE HERE TO BRING SUPPORT AND SERVICES TO TH PARTICULAR POPULATION. WHEN I CAME BEFORE YOU A YEAR AGO THIS LAST JANUARY, I MADE A COUPLE OF PLEDGES AND I WANT TO REITERATE THOSE PLEDGES. THE MOBILITY OF THIS PROJECT IS SUCH THAT WE ARE WILLING TO GO IN THERE AND GIVE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE AND PUT OUR ENTIRE REPUTATION ON THE LINE AND THE REPUTATION OF THE MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES ON THE LINE, AND RAISE THE BAR THAT THIS WILL BECOME AN ABSOLUTE ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY. IF AT ANY TIME THIS IS A LIABILITY TO THE COMMUNITY FOR ANY REASON, WE'RE GOING TO BE THE FIRST IN LINE TO DISMANTLE THIS CONCEPT. WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE THE CASE. [ BUZZER SOUNDS ] SECONDLY, YOU HAVE OUR EXTRAORDINARY COMMITMENT. AND JUST THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE ACROSS THE AGENCIES, THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL, MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES AND THE VOLUNTEER ARMY OF ABOUT 7,000 PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, IT'S GOING TO BE EXTRAORDINARY AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE YOU PROUD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ].

Mayor Wynn: OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TONY CARMONA. AND YOU WILL BE FOLLOWED BY LINDA, WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED BY BILL MCCLELLAN.

GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ANTONIO CARMONA. WE CAME TO MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES OUT OF A CARDBOARD BOX. WE LIVED IN IT FOR THREE YEARS. I HAD A DRUG PROBLEM. HE TOOK ME OUT OF -- MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES IS SENDING ME TO LEARN HOW TO READ. SHOWED ME LOVE, SHOWED ME THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER WORLD OUT HERE, THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT LOVE YOU, YOU KNOW? WE LIVE IN A MOBILE HOME. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL MOBILE HOME. IT'S OUR HOME. WE HAVE A WASHER AND DRYER. WE NEVER HAD ONE OF THEM. AND THIS IS MY WIFE. MY SON COULDN'T MAKE IT TODAY. BUT I JUST WANT -- YOU OUGHT TO GIVE US A CHANCE. THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR IS ONE CHANCE. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR A MILLION DOLLARS. WE WANT THAT CHANCE TO FROORVE THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY -- TO FROORVE TO THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN BE SOMEBODY TOO. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

Mayor Wynn: WELCOME, LINDA.

GOOD MORNING. I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT FROM EVERYBODY BECAUSE IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT STEP FOR THE HOMELESS. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS DONE FOR CHILDREN AND EVERYTHING, BUT THE HOMELESS NEED TO TAKE A STAND AND THEY NEED TO GET THE HELP TO GET THAT PARK, THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE DIGNITY AND WE CAN LIVE AND SHOW PEOPLE THAT HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE HUMAN BEINGS TOO. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

Mayor Wynn: THE NEXT SPEAKER IS BILL MCCLELLAN. WELCOME. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, TO BE FOLLOWED BY CAITLYN NOWLIN.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO FOR AUSTIN. THIS IS -- I NEED TO TELL YOU THE FIRST TIME I METAL LESS THAN GREEN WAS -- I WAS THE CHAIR OF THE CHAMBER IN 1994 AND HE WAS THE HEAD OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THAT TIME. AND WE ARE PART OF THE TEAM THAT BROUGHT SAMSUNG TO TOWN. THAT WAS A GOOD DEAL. I THINK THIS ONE IS A GOOD DEAL TOO. I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER WITH MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS. I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD. AND I'VE WATCHED THIS PROGRAM GROW AND PROSPER IN A WHOLE VARIETY OF WAYS. ALLEN AND HIS GROUP STARTED OUT FIRST TO FEED THE HOMELESS, AND NOW WE'RE HOUSING THE HOMELESS AND DOING SOMETHING REALLY SIGNIFICANT ABOUT SOLVING A PROBLEM IN THIS CITY AND EVERY OTHER CITY IN THE COUNTRY. I DRIVE AROUND IN MY TRUCK ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND FEED PEOPLE AND IT'S A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. FRANKLY, I'M ONE OF 10,000 VOLUNTEERS NOW IN SEVERAL CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THERE'S NO BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY OF OUR CITIZENS TO FIND OUT HOW TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE THAN TO GO OUT AND FEED THEM AND TALK TO THEM AND SHAKE THEIR HANDS AND GIVE THEM A HUG. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. THE ORGANIZATION IS EXTREMELY WELL MANAGED. I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR FOUR YEARS. IT'S FINANCIALLY SOUND. IT'S GOT GOOD FUND-RAISING CAPABILITY. AND IT'S A REAL ANSWER TO SOLVING A PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS THE WHOLE COUNTRY. THANK YOU. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

Mayor Wynn: CAITLYN, WELCOME. TIEW WILL HAVE THREE MINUTE.

HI. ANY NAME IS CAITLYN NOWLIN. I'M A SENIOR AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND A VOLUNTEER AT MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES. I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY FRIEND LARRY. HE IS HOMELESS AND WE WERE ABLE TO PUT HIM INTO A TRAILER. HE WAS ABANDONED WHEN HE WAS EIGHT, AND HE HAS MANY DISEASES, AND LIVING ON THE STREETS WAS SIMPLY NOT AN OPTION FOR HIM. THESE 30 ACRES THAT WILL BE LEASED IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE HOMELESS REALLY NEED TO BE SHELTERED SO THAT THEY CAN COME OUT AND REALLY PROVIDE FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY CAPABLE OF DOING SO. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE TOO. THEY STAND ON THE CORNER EVERYDAY IN PAIN AND THEY'RE VERY HUNGRY. AND AS WE WOULD HELP OUR FRIEND OR PEOPLE IN OUR FAMILY, WE NEED TO HELP THEM TOO. WE ALSO NEED TO SET AN EXAMPLE FOR OUR YOUTH. WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE THEM THERE AND NOT -- AND LET YOUR KIDS SEE THAT YOU AREN'T HELPING OTHERS BECAUSE THEN THEY WILL GROW UP AND LEARN TO NOT HELP OTHERS EITHER. [ CHEERING ] [ APPLAUSE ]

Mayor Wynn: OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CARMEN YANEZ. WELCOME. TIEW WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, TO BE FOLLOWED BY ERIKA GONZALEZ.

HELLO, COUNCILMEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF PEOPLE ORGANIZED IN DEFENSE OF EARTH AND HER RESOURCES, ALSO REPRESENTING MEMBERS OF THE GOVALLE, JOHNSTON TERRACE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN TEAM AND ALSO ANC EAST. AND FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THAT THERE WERE 10 DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT MADE REQUESTS TO ALL OF YOU TO PULL THIS ITEM FROM THE AGENDA SO THAT WE COULD HAVE MORE TIME TO PREPARE AND FOR COMMUNICATE WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS BECAUSE WE GOT A CALL ON MONDAY LETTING US KNOW THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN FROM REPORTERS. WE'VE BEEN EXTREMELY OUT OF THE LOOP IN THIS ENTIRE PLANNING PROCESS, AND AS A RESULT IT'S CAUSING A LOT OF CONTROVERSY. SO NONE OF US EXPECTED THIS TO BE PULLED RIGHT NOW IN THE MORNING IN THE MIDDLE OF A WORKDAY. A LOT OF MEMBERS ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK BECAUSE OF THIS. THEY WERE PLANNING ON COMING IN THE EVENING. SO THAT'S MY FIRST CONCERN. I NEXT WANT TO SAY THAT I AM COMPLETELY IN FAVOR OF HOUSING THE HOMELESS AND I THINK THAT HOMELESSNESS IS A HUGE CRISIS ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY. SO I APPLAUD THE EFFORTS AND THE SENTIMENT OF ALLEN GRAHAM AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HE WORKS WITH, HOWEVER I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THERE ARE 4,000 CHILDREN IN AISD WHO ARE HOMELESS IN THIS CITY. THERE ARE 8,000 PEOPLE ON THE WAITING LIST FOR SECTION 8 HOUSING AND WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN EAST AUSTIN LOSING THEIR HOMES RIGHT NOW. IT TURTS TO SEE 10 AND A HALF ACRES OF EAST AUSTIN LAND GIVEN TO A PROJECT LIKE THIS WHEN THERE ARE PEOPLE ALREADY IN THE CITY WHO DESPERATELY NEED SERVICES AND NEED AFFORDABLE HOMES BUILT. I DON'T AGREE WITH THE IDEA OF CONCENTRATING 200 PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY SINGLE PEOPLE, IN ONE AREA. I THINK THAT IF YOU REALLY WANT TO DO SOMETHING FOR THESE PEOPLE, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE A PROJECT WHERE YOU HAVE -- IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT IN RV PARKS, SPREAD THEM OUT. PUT ONE IN WESTLAKE IF YOU'RE SO CONCERNED ABOUT SHOWING PEOPLE IN WESTLAKE THAT THEY NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR HOMELESS PEOPLE. PUT ONE IN PEMBERTON HEIGHTS, PUT ONE IN SOUTHEAST, NORTHWEST, SPREAD IT OUT. BECAUSE YOU'RE CONCENTRATING ALL THESE PEOPLE, AND MELVIN SAID, THE SAME THING IN EAST AUSTIN, AND IT'S CONTINUING A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE SEEN FOR THE LAST 80 YEARS AND IT NEEDS TO STOP. SO I AM VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF HOUSING THE HOMELESS. I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF CONCENTRATING THEM ALTOGETHER. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE HOUSING FOR FAMILY. I KNOW THAT ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE ASKED YOU TO PULL THIS AGENDA FROM TODAY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE HOUSING FOR FAMILY AND FOR CHILDREN AS WELL. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ] ERIKA GONZALEZ, WELCOME. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND BE FOLLOWED BY SUSANA ALMANZA.

GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCILMEMBERS. MY NAME IS ERIKA GONZALEZ. I'M HERE REPRESENTING PODER. PODER YOUNG SCHOLARS FOR JUSTICE AND ALSO ANC EAST. I ALSO WANT TO REITERATE WHAT CARMEN WAS TALKING ABOUT. I THINK FAST TRACKING THIS IS A REAL DISGRACE. IT'S NOT FAIR FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT JUST BARELY HEARD ABOUT THIS. IT'S HAPPENING ON A DAY WHEN WORKING PEOPLE CANNOT ATTEND, CANNOT REALLY GET OUT OF WORK. WE'RE NOT EVEN NOTIFIED THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE PULLED. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THIS EVENING. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS NOT FAIR FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE WANTING TO COME UP HERE AND SPEAK. ALSO I WANTED TO SAY THAT US NOT BEING CONSULTED, RESIDENTS IN EAST AUSTIN NOT BEING CONSULTED IS ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE THING THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE WE ALREADY SAW THIS HAPPENING WITH THE ANIMAL SHELTER. ALL OF A SUDDEN THINGS ARE POPPING UP IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WE ARE TOLD AFTER THE FACT. AND THAT NEEDS TO STOP. WE NEED TO HAVE A MEETING WITH EAST AUSTIN RESIDENTS TO TALK ABOUT THIS. THIS ITEM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PULLED FROM THE AGENDA. WE HAD E-MAILED YOU, WE MADE CALLS TO YOU. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GOT THEM OR MAYBE YOU DID AND YOU DID NOT RESPOND, BUT WE REALLY WANTED THIS ITEM TO BE PULLED FROM THE AGENDA SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WANT OUT OF THIS. AND OUT OF ALL THE LAND THE CITY OWN, WE ALREADY MET WITH MR.GRAHAM AND MR.GRAHAM TOLD US THAT THE ONLY OPTION HE WAS GIVEN BY MIKE MARTINEZ WAS THE LAND IN EAST AUSTIN. AND THAT WAS THE ONLY LAND OUT OF ALL THE LAND THAT THE CITY OWNS, WHY EAST AUSTIN? WE HAVE MANY HOMELESS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN EAST AUSTIN THAT ARE IN NEED OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WHY ARE WE CONCENTRATING THEM IN A PIECE OF LAND IN TRAILER PARK HOMES THAT ARE NOT EVEN BUILT TO LAST. THEY'RE NOT BUILT TO LAST, AND WHO KNOWS, THEY MIGHT NOT STAY THERE FOREVER. THEY'RE COMING FROM OTHER PLACES. THEY MIGHT NOT EVEN BE AUSTIN RESIDENTS. WE'RE USING MONEY TO HOUSE THE HOMELESS. I'M NOT AGAINST HOUSING THE HOMELESS AT ALL. I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS OF FAMILIES AS WELL. AND ANOTHER ISSUE IS THAT YOU'RE USING HOUSING BOND MONEY THAT WAS PASSED FOR THIS PROJECT. WE HAVE YET TO SEE THAT MONEY USED TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN EAST AUSTIN. SO PLEASE, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT WE NEED TO STOP THIS TYPE OF DECISION MAKING WITHOUT CONSULTING RESIDENTS IN EAST AUSTIN. I REALLY HOPE YOU MAKE A DECISION IN FAVOR FOR THE HOMELESS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN EAST AUSTIN. TO BUILD REAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. SUSANA ALMANZA. WELCOME. LET'S SEE, IS (INDISCERNIBLE) -- SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCED THAT. IS SHE HERE?

SHE'S NOT HERE.

Mayor Wynn: I JUST SAW DANIEL YANEZ WANTED TO DONATE TIME. YOU WILL HAVE UP TO SIX MINUTES IF YOU NEED IT. YOU WOULD PREFER TO GIVE TESTIMONY YOURSELF? OKAY. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND BE FOLLOWED BY DANIEL.

GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M SUSANA ALMANZA WITH PODER. FIRST I WANT TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT I COME FROM A HISTORY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE KNOWN WHAT IT IS TO BE HOMELESS, WHO HAS HAD THEIR LAND STOLEN, WHO HAVE BEEN PUT ON RESERVATIONS, WHO TO THIS DAY IN 2000 ARE BEING DISPLACED BY GENTRIFICATION. I MYSELF HAVE BEEN HOMELESS SEVERAL TIMES. I KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE AND I AM A MOTHER WITH CHILDREN. AND I THINK THAT IT'S VERY DISRESPECTFUL OF THIS COUNCIL WHEN OVER 10 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ASKED FOR YOU TO POSTPONE THIS ITEM TO GIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO IT, YOU HAVE IT AT 10:00 IN THE MORNING. YOU'RE FAST TRACKING AN ITEM. WE JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT IT. THIS IS WHY IT TELL ME WE NEED SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS BECAUSE WE NEED SOMEONE IN EAST AUSTIN THAT WILL BRING TO US THE TABLE AND SAY THERE'S A BIG PROJECT COMING DOWN AND YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT, YOU NEED TO BE DISCUSSING. MAYBE WE CAN DO SUBDIVISIONS WHERE WE CAN HAVE HOUSING FOR FAMILIES. WHEN WE HAVE ALL THESE CHILDREN THAT ARE HOMELESS AND FAMILIES, WHEN WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST THAT HAS BEEN ASKING FOR LAND TO BE DONATED, WHEN WE HAVE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY THAT HAS A POSSIBILITY OF BUILDING HOUSES, WHEN WE WORKED TO PASS A 55-MILLION-DOLLAR AFFORDABLE BOND AND YET WE ARE NOT GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY AT 10 IN THE MORNING, YES, THE HOMELESS CAN BE HERE, BUT THE COMMUNITY CANNOT BE HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE WORKING PEOPLE. THEY ARE THE WORKING POOR. AND EAST AUSTIN HAS A RIGHT TO HEAR THIS. AND I REQUEST THAT YOU NOT PASS THE RESOLUTION UNTIL WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU AFFORD TO PEOPLE IN WEST AUSTIN. WHEN THERE'S A PRO MAJOR PROJECT, YOU CAN KILL ANYTHING AND POSTPONE IT SO THERE IS A SERIES OF HEARINGS AND FORUMS THAT ARE HELD BEFORE YOU COME AND MAKE A CONCLUSION. AND I REQUEST THE SAME OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU GIVE THE PEOPLE IN WEST AUSTIN. THIS IS DISCRIMINATION. WHEN YOU PUT ALL THE AFFORDABLE -- THE LEAST PUBLIC HOUSING AND EVERYTHING IN EAST AUSTIN AND NOW YOU WANT TO BRING A HOMELESS CAMP -- IT'S NOT A NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S A CARCH BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE CABINS WITH NO TOILETS, YOU WILL HAVE RV'S, WHEN YOU HAVEN'T EVEN ASKED THE QUESTION, WHAT ARE THE LIFE EXPECTANCIES OF THESE RV'S? AND THEN TO THINK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE A 99 YEAR LEASE WITHOUT EVEN DISCUSSION OF THE COMMUNITY TO SEE HOW THIS PROJECT WOULD EVER WORK IS JUST REALLY UPSETS ME BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ONES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THINKING ABOUT ALL THESE AND YET YOU DON'T COME AND GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THESE PARTICULAR ISSUES. AGAIN I ASK THAT NO DECISION BE MADE TODAY. THAT YOU BRING THIS BACK SO THAT THE COMMUNITY, WHO LIVES IN EAST AUSTIN, WHOSE BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME, WHO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR HOUSING, THE FAMILIES WHO ARE ALSO HOMELESS CAN ALSO COME AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THESE ISSUES, TO ASK THESE VITAL QUESTIONS. HOW WILL YOU MONITOR THESE PARTICULAR CAMPS? HOW LONG WILL IT BE THERE? WILL THEY BE BUILDING REAL HOUSES IN THE MEANTIME? IS THIS A FOREVER OR IS THIS A TRANSITIONAL POINT? HOW IS IT GOING TO WORK? THERE ARE SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. AND EAST AUSTIN DESERVES THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]

Mayor Wynn: DANIEL, WELCOME. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, TO BE FOLLOWED BY IT LOOKS LIKE STEVE BELLCAMP.

GOOD MORNING COUNCILMEMBERS. I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT THE LAST TWO SPEAKERS HAVE SAID AND I WANT TO ADD THAT WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IS THE GOOD OLD BOY SYSTEM, JENNIFER, AND COUNCILMEMBER LEFFINGWELL, AND THOSE OF YOU OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE GOING TO BE COUNCILMEMBERS. IT'S THE SAME OLD THING. GOOD OLD BOY. VERY FEW PEOPLE DECIDING ON AN ISSUE THAT IS GOING TO AFFECT HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE LEFT OUT OF THE PROCESS. AUSTIN HAS A HISTORY OF INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM. NOW IT IS TRANSITIONING INTO A TRADITION OF ECONOMIC AND CLASSIST RACISM. BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO WAREHOUSE A CERTAIN ECONOMIC CLASS OF PEOPLE IN ONE AREA. WHY ISN'T IT SPREAD OUT? WHY DON'T WE SPREAD IT ALL OUT? PUT IT IN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY SO THAT THERE'S NOT SOME STIGMA. AND BEYOND THAT, THIS IS A GOOD IDEA, SAME THING, WE ALL WANT HOMELESS PEOPLE OUT, BUT THIS IS MORE MUCH A SETUP FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE TRAN IS ATORY, COMING IN AND OUT OF AUSTIN IN THE SEASON. WE HAVE HOMELESS PEOPLE WHO ARE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN, FROM AUSTIN, AND THOSE AREN'T BEING DEALT WITH. AND THIS IS A GOOD IDEA THAT IS NOT WELL THOUGHT OUT. AND IT'S NOT WELL THOUGHT OUT BECAUSE ONLY A VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE PART OF THAT DECISION MAKING. AND WE ARE LEAVING OUT THE WISDOM OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THAT'S THE REAL DEMOCRACY. SO JUST LIKE THE GREEN WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND JUST LIKE ALL THESE OTHER THINGS THAT COME DOWN THE LINE, MAYOR, WE WANT DEMOCRACY. WE WANT THE PEOPLE, THE GOVERNMENT. THAT'S THE PEOPLE. YOU ALL ARE THE STEWARDS OF THAT, BUT WE NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE POLICY MAKING OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE ALL NEED TO BE PART OF THE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT US. SO PLEASE, Y'ALL, LET'S GO FOR DEMOCRACY AND LET'S GET AWAY FROM THE GOOD OLD BOY SYSTEM. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, MR. YANEZ. STEVE BELLCAMP. WELCOME. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO BE FOLLOWED BY CURT BECKER.

GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS. MY NAME IS STEVE BELLNAP. I'M A 25 YEAR RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE LOCAL SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT FIRM. IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE SPOKE BEFORE YOU, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY. I WAS DRAWN INTO SERVICE IN OUR CITY TO THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. AND AS I SERVED, I MET OTHERS. GRAHAM AND I I CROSSED PATHS AT MANY DIFFERENT TIMES, AND HE'S AT GROUND ZERO, AND I WAS HELPING A MAN THAT I MET TO FIND RESIDENCE, BE AND THE ONLY SOURCE FOR THAT WAS MOBILE LEAVES AND FISHES. I'M NOT ON THEIR BOARD. I'M JUST HERE AS A CITIZEN SAYING THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN THIS PROCESS WORK. I'VE SEEN RESTORATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS. I'VE SEEN PEOPLE COME OFF THE STREET INTO TRAILERS AND THEIR LIVES BEING RESTORED WITH ADDRESSES AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND THIS IS A A LONG-TERM SOLUTION. IT'S NOT A DESTINATION, IT'S A TRANSITION FOR SOMEBODY THAT COMES OFF THE STREET WITH A PLACE TO LIVE, A RESTORATION OF THEIR DIGNITY AND A RES RESTORATION OF THEIR OPPORTUNITIES BACK INTO OUR CITIZENRY. THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, AND I APPLAUD YOUR COURAGE AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TODAY THAT SUPPORT YOU. EVERY LIFE IS IMPORTANT. HOW DO WE VALUE A HUMAN LIFE? AND I ASSURE YOU THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT SURROUNDS THIS AREA WILL ALSO BE VALUED AND THAT WE WILL STEP UP TO ADDRESS CONCERNS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND BE INVOLVED THERE AS WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN PLACING INDIVIDUALS. I THANK YOU AND I ENCOURAGE YOUR SUPPORT AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY. [ APPLAUSE ] AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS CURT BECKER. WELCOME BACK. AND WHILE MR. BECKER MAKES HIS WAY TO THE PODIUM, JUST NOTE I WON'T READ THEM ALL INTO THE RECORD, THERE'S SO MANY. THERE ARE 12 ADDITIONAL FOLKS WHO SIGNED UP NOT WISH TO GO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION AND 68 FOLKS NOT WISHING TO SPEAK IN FAVOR. WE WILL NOTE ALL THOSE FOR THE RECORD. WELCOME, MR. BECKER.

GOOD MORNING. THERE WAS AN EARLIER ITEM ON THE AGENDA WHERE THEY'RE DOING A SURVEY OF PANHANDLERS AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY NEED SERVICES, WHAT SERVICES THEY NEED. THE STUDY STOPPED SHORT OF FINDING OUT WHETHER SUCH SERVICES ARE ACTUALLY AVAILABLE. AND HERE'S ONE THING WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR THE HOMELESS, THE VERY LOWEST. AND WE'RE GETTING CALLS TO POSTPONE IT, WAIT SO THAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE JOBS CAN COME DOWN HERE AND CLAIM A SHARE OF THE MONEY. AND THE PROBLEM THE HOMELESS HAVE IS THE SAME, WHEN THEY APPLY FOR THE JOB THE OTHER PEOPLE GET THE JOBS, NOT THE HOMELESS. HERE WE'RE ASKING FOR A LITTLE BIT OF HOUSING FOR A FEW HOMELESS, AND WE THEY WANT ALL OF THAT TOO. AND NO, THIS IS NOT THAT MUCH. IT'S NOT ALL WE'RE GOING TO ASK FOR. WE'RE GOING TO ASK FOR OTHER THINGS. YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE YOU GAVE MORE MONEY TO MAKE UP FOR UNITED WAY FUNDING CUTS, BUT THIS ISN'T ASKING TOO MUCH. IT'S IN A FAIRLY ISOLATED AREA. IT'S A CHANCE FOR A BUNCH OF PEOPLE TO GET STARTED. I'VE BEEN AT GARDEN TERRACE FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IT'S HELPED ME A LOT. GARDEN TERRACE YOU HAVE A FLEXIBLE PAYMENT BASED ON YOUR INCOME. YOUR INCOME GOES UP AND DOWN AND THEY ADJUST YOUR RENT. THIS IS LOW ENOUGH THEY WON'T HAVE TO ADJUST IT. AND AS FAR AS DISTRIBUTING TRAILERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, I MEAN, I THINK THEY CALL THAT SPOT ZONING. THERE'S NO NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WON'T OBJECT TO A LOT BEING ZONED TO ALLOW A TRAILER PARK. I MEAN, IT'S -- WE HEAR A LOT OF COMPLAINTS OVER McMANSIONS. I'D LIKE TO SEE A LOT OF THE McMANSIONS TURNED INTO RENTAL CO-OPS. THE NEIGHBORHOODS DON'T WANT THAT EITHER. AND I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS TOO MUCH TO ASK. THERE'S LOTS OF HOUSING MONEY. A LOT OF IT WILL GO TO EAST AUSTIN. AND THEY DON'T NEED TO TAKE ALL OF IT SO MUCH THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN AFFORD TO PUT THIS IN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [ APPLAUSE ]

[INAUDIBLE - NO MIC].

Mayor Wynn: MR. PENA, WELCOME.

THANK YOU, SIR. MR. MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS, GUS PENA. MR. CITY MANAGER. ONE THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS STOP SAYING THESE PEOPLE. THE HOMELESS PEOPLE DESERVE RESPECT AND COURTESY JUST AS MUCH AS Y'ALL DO. AND I'M HOPING THAT I HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE AROUND SO I CAN AFFORD Y'ALL THE COURTESY AND RESPECT THAT YOU DESERVE. HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE NOT TO BE DISRESPECTED. I'M GLAD FINALLY THAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS SPEAKING ABOUT HOMELESS FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN OR HOMELESS MEN AND WOMEN WITH CHILDREN BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN THE FIRST ONE AND I'M ON HISTORY BOTH AT THE LCRA BUILDING AND BACK IN THE OLD CITY COUNCIL BUILDING TO SPEAK ABOUT THE NEED FOR HOUSING HOMELESS FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN. AND I'M GLAD SOMEBODY BE ELSE IS SPEAKING TO THAT, ALBEIT AFTER THE FACT. BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HOMELESS IS UNTIL YOU EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS. WE HAVE GOOD PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE HOMELESS, VETERANS. WHEN I WAS AN OFFICER IN THE CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURTS AND I WENT THROUGH THIS ACADEMY WHEN DEION BAILEY WAS THE SHERIFF. YOU NAME IT. HAVE RESPECT FOR THE PEOPLE. AND IS THIS THE RIGHT PLACE? I DON'T KNOW. BUT I RESPECT MR. ALLEN GRAHAM. I KNOW WHAT HE'S DONE. I'VE KNOWN WHAT THE VOLUNTEERS DO. GIVE THEM A CHANCE. INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY IN THE DIALOGUE PROCESS. THAT'S ALL. [ APPLAUSE ]

Mayor Wynn: COUNCIL, THAT CONCLUDES THE CITIZEN TESTIMONY ON THIS ITEM NUMBER 47. COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? COUNCILMEMBER MARTINEZ.

Martinez: MAYOR, I WANT TO ADDRESS A COUPLE OF COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE. I JUST -- YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO START OUT BY SAYING TO THE GENTLEMAN THAT SPOKE EARLIER. I DON'T RECALL YOUR NAME. BUT YOU ASKED US IF THIS WERE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD WE APPROVE? AND MY ANSWER TO YOU IS YES. I DON'T LIVE ON HAROLD COURT, BUT I LIVE LESS THAN A MILE AWAY FROM HAROLD COURT. AND I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT THIS CAN AND WILL BE A BENEFIT TO OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY. SO YES, I DO SUPPORT IT. THIS IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD. [ APPLAUSE ] A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMENTS THAT ARE JUST FACTUALLY NOT CORRECT. THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN WORKED ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS. BUT NOT AT THIS SITE. IT'S THE CONCEPT. THE BUILDING OF RELATIONSHIPS, COALITION. AND FOR THE LAST YEAR WE'VE BEEN GOING AROUND ALL OVER THE CITY LOOKING AT POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PIECES OF LAND THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH ON THIS PROJECT. THIS PARTICULAR SITE ENDED UP BEING THE ONLY SITE THAT MET SO MUCH OF THE CRITERIA -- AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FOUR-ACRE BUFFER ZONE, WHAT'S BEING SAID AND WHAT'S TRUE IS THAT THE NEXT CLOSEST NEIGHBORHOOD BEHIND IT HAS A FOUR-ACRE BUFFER ZONE. I'VE NEVER SAID AND I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYONE SAY THAT THE NEXT CLOSEST FAMILY HAS A FOUR-ACRE BUFFER ZONE. AGAIN, THAT WAS ONE OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. AS FAR AS MASS TRANSIT, I SIT ON THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT AND CAPITAL HAS ALREADY DISCUSSED WITH MR.GRAHAM AND MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES THE ABILITY TO EXTEND THE BUS LINE FOR FUTURE SERVICE SO THAT THESE FOLKS CAN BE CONNECTED SO THAT THE CITIZENS CAN BE CONNECTED TO MASS TRANSIT. SO THE WHOLE STATEMENT ABOUT THIS BEING THE ONLY OPTION IS SIMPLY JUST NOT TRUE. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR YEARS. AND FORTUNATELY I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW THIS PROGRAM AND WORK ON IT FOR THE LAST YEAR. THE LEASE AGREEMENT IS NOT SIGNED. SO IF WE WANT TO SPEAK TO THE ISSUE OF ALLOWING COUPLES WITH CHILDREN TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, THAT'S STILL TO BE DETERMINED. AND I CERTAINLY WOULD ASK OUR CITY MANAGER IN THE DIRECTIVE TO ENTER INTO THOSE NEGOTIATIONS AND TRY TO COME UP WITH THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM THAT SPEAKS TO ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY FACES. THE OTHER COMMENTS ABOUT THIS JUST BEING SOME MY MYOPIC VIEWPOINT ON THIS IS JUST NOT TRUE. WE HAVE SRO'S IN SOUTH AUSTIN. WE HAVE BEING BUILT ON THE RAMADA INN ON BANSTER LANE AND BEN WHITE. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITY AT NORTH CROSS MALL. WE HAVE AN SRO AT ST. JOHN'S AND 35. AND WE HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE'VE WORKED ON FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS ALL OVER THE CITY. TO THE TUNE OF $7.2 MILLION AND OVER 529 UNITS. THIS IS AN ADDED COMPONENT. JUST TODAY, JUST TODAY LATER ON, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS AND 102 UNITS. STIEF OF THESE HOMES ARE GOING TO BE -- 65 OF THESE HOMES WILL BE SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES WHERE FAMILY AND CHILDREN CAN LIVE. SO WE AREN'T -- I'M NOT JUST LOOKING AT THIS FROM A ONE-SIDED PERSPECTIVE. THERE ARE MANY ASPECTS TO IT. I KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE OPPOSITION. WE KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE FOLKS WHO WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IT. AND I SHARE YOUR CONCERNS. NOBODY WANTS THIS TO BE A BAD THING. AND OUR INTENTION HERE TODAY AND OUR COMIKS TODAY IS THAT -- AND OUR COMMITMENT TODAY IS THAT IT WILL AN GOOD THING, THAT IT WILL PROVIDE SHELTER, DIGNITY, PRIDE AND COMMUNITY TO FOLKS WHO HISTORICALLY DON'T HAVE IT. THE OTHER COMMENT THAT WAS MADE WAS THAT WE'RE USING AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND MONEY. AGAIN, THAT DECISION HAS NOT BEEN MADE. AND IT'S NOT A PART OF THIS DECISION TODAY. IN FACT, THIS DECISION TODAY DOESN'T COST THE CITY OF AUSTIN A SINGLE PENNY. WE'LL MAKE MONEY FROM IT BECAUSE WE'LL SELL WATER AND ELECTRICITY TO THE SITE. AGAIN, IT'S JUST -- THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE. AND I REALIZE THAT THE TIMELINESS OF SOME OF THE FOLKS BEING CONTACTED COULD HAVE BEEN EXPANDED AND MAYBE SHOULD HAVE, BUT QUITE FRANKLY WE DIDN'T IDENTIFY THIS SITE UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, AND WE HAD TO HAVE FOLKS GO OUT AND LOOK AT THE SITE TO DETERMINE IF WE COULD MAKE IT WORK. IT DOESN'T PRECLUDE US FROM HAVING CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS AND MOVING FORWARD TO MAKE THIS THE BEST POSSIBLE FACILITY THAT WE CAN. AND I CERTAINLY AM SUPPORTIVE OF THAT AND WILL BE MORE THAN WILLING TO BE INVOLVED WITH IT. AGAIN, THIS IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND YOU ALL ARE PART OF THIS CITY JUST AS MUCH AS ANYONE ELSE. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS TAKING THE TIME TO COME DOWN HERE AND SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY WITH US. I HOPE THAT THIS HELPS IN SOME SMALL WAY. IT'S NOT THE ANSWER TO ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS. THIS PROJECT PROJECT IS NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE HOMELESS ISSUE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, BUT AT LEAST FOR 200 PEOPLE THEY'RE GOING TO GET OFF THE STREETS AND HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME AND FIND WORK. [ APPLAUSE ] SO WE'LL CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD AND WE'LL BUILD ON THIS PROJECT, AND THIS WON'T BE THE LAST ONE. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THIS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY, THE ISSUE OF HOMELESS, THE ISSUE OF PROVIDING FOR FOLKS THAT SORELY NEED IT. SO WITH THAT, MAYOR, I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT WE APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 47. [ APPLAUSE ]

Mayor Wynn: MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER MARTINEZ TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 47 AS POSTED.

SECOND.

Mayor Wynn: SECOND BED BY COUNCILMEMBER COLE. SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER COLE. FURTHER COMMENTS? COUNCILMEMBER COLE?

Cole: MAYOR, BE I WOULD LIKE TO JUST ADDRESS THE ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN RAISED ABOUT EAST VERSUS WEST AUSTIN. MR.GRAHAM CAME INTO MY OFFICE OVER A YEAR AGO WITH THIS PROJECT, AND HAD SEVERAL POTENTIAL LOCATIONS IN MIND, AND HE WAS WORKING WITH MR. PAUL HILGERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WE PLAY THOSE TYPES OF CARDS BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD UNITY IN OUR CITY. AND MORE THAN ANYTHING, NOTHING IS PROMISED TO ANY OF US. INCLUDING A HOME, INCLUDING A CAR. AND ALL OF US, INCLUDING THE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, HAVE HAD CHALLENGES. AND IT'S OUR ROLE IN GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICES TO RECOGNIZE THAT PEOPLE FALL DOWN, BUT PEOPLE GET UP. AND WE MUST HELP THEM TO GET UP. AND I SEE THIS PROJECT IS DOING THAT. [ APPLAUSE ]

Mayor Wynn: MOTION AND A SOAKED THE TABLE APPROVING ITEM 47. FURTHER COMMENTS? COUNCILMEMBER MARTINEZ.

Martinez: ONE LAST COMMENT, CITY MANAGER, THAT WE KEEP IN MIND THAT AS WE SIGN THIS LEASE AGREEMENT THAT THERE ARE OPTIONS FOR THE CITY TO EXERCISE WITH THE COMMITMENT FROM MR.GRAHAM THAT IF WE NEED TO CHANGE OPERATIONS OR NO LONGER USE THIS BECAUSE THE PROGRAM ISN'T WORKING, THAT WE HAVE THOSE OPTIONS IN THAT LEASE AND THAT WE ALSO DISCUSS WITH THEM THE ABILITY TO CREATE A SITE THAT MAYBE IS OPEN TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AS WELL. I KNOW THAT THERE IS DIRECT EVIDENCE AND EXPERIENCE OUT THERE THAT SPEAKS TO THAT ISSUE IN REGARDS TO HOUSING THE HOMELESS. THERE ARE SOME THAT BELIEVE IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. THERE ARE SOME THAT BELIEVE IT CAN BE ADDRESSED. BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE FULL CONVERSATIONS TO GIVE US THOSE OPTIONS IF POSSIBLE.

WE'LL BE MINDFUL OF ALL OF THOSE OPTIONS.

Martinez: THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Mayor Wynn: MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE TABLE. FURTHER COMMENTS? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

Mayor Wynn: OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES ON A VOTE OF SEVEN TO ZERO. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] CLEAR SO COUNCIL, THERE NOT BEING ANY MORE DISCUSSION ITEMS PRIOR TO OUR NOON GENERAL CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, AT THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO RECESS THIS MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FIVE MINUTES. WE WILL RECONVENE IN FIVE MINUTES AT NOON. WE ARE NOW IN RECESS. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THERE BEING A QUORUM PRESENT, AT THIS TIME I'LL CALL BACK TO ORDER THIS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. WE'VE BEEN IN RECESS FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES OR SO. WE NOW GO TO OUR NOON CITIZEN COMMUNICATION. AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER SIGNED UP IS CAROL ANNE ROSE KENNEDY. WELCOME. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, TO BE FOLLOWED BY PAUL ROBBINS.

WELCOME BACK, COUNCIL. (music) I USED TO WORK AT I.R.S. AMONG THE BEST WHO -- SORRY. (music) I USED TO WORK AT I.R.S. AMONG THE BEST WHO SERVED. (music) AND THEN MY BOSS SAID KENNEDY, YOU'RE GETTING ON MY NERVES. IN 1991 I LOOKED THROUGH TRUCKS OF MAIL THAT CAME INTO THE TEXAS SHOP THROUGH WIND AND FIRE AND HAIL. (music) BY BIRD, BY PLANE, BY SUPER MAN OR ON FOOT SO JOYFULLY. BY GOAT, BY ROTE OR BY BICYCLE AND ACROSS THE SHINING SEA. (music) I EARMARKED, RED MARKED TAX RETURNS WITH DOG BITES PEA AND WINE, BUT THE ONE FROM THE POPES AND THE PRESIDENTS SMELLED VERY BAD OF SWINE. (music) BUT I WORE MY SUIT WITH HOSE AND HEELS, MY HAIR THE LATEST STYLE, AND I WALKED REAL FINE AND I TALKED REAL STRAIGHT, BUT I PLASTERED ON MY SNAIL. (music) AND SOON I GOT TO MOVE DOWNTOWN ON THE HILL NEAR THE CAPITOL. (music) HOW PROUD I WAS, BUT HUMBLED WHEN I FACED T ALBINO BOWL. (music) THROUGH THE OK BOMB AND 911, I LIVED WITHOUT A SCRATCH, BUT SOON I FEARED THE ONE TO FEAR WAS RIGHT BEHIND MY BRASS. (music) SHE CRITICIZED MY MESSY DESK, THE FILE PILES ON MY FLOOR, MY OVERLOADED VOICE MAIL BOX, MY UNREAD E-MAIL CHORE. (music) AND THEN IT WAS MY TONE OF VOICE, THE COLOR OF MY EYES. AND THEN MY RESPIRATION RATE COULD BE I'M TWICE HER SIZE. (music) THE MORAL TO HER STORY IS DON'T GIVE YOUR TIME AND LIFE TO FEDERAL SHENANIGANS UNLESS YOU HAVE A WIFE. (music) I GAVE MY TIME AND LIFE TO Y'ALL, MY MONEY AND MY FUN, AND NOW I HAVE GREAT NEWS FOR Y'ALL FROM YOUR UNCLE SAM I'VE RUN. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: NEXT SPEAKER IS PAUL ROB BE BINS. HOW ABOUT PAT JOHNSON? PAT JOHNSON ALSO SIGNED UP TO GIVE HIS TESTIMONY, AS DID GUS PENA. WELCOME BACK, GUS. TO BE FOLLOWED BY NAILAH SANKOFA. SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCED THAT.

DID AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR, CITY MANAGER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND COUNCILMEMBERS. GUS PENA. FIRST OF ALL, I ALWAYS LIKE TO COMMEND PEOPLE WHO THEY DO GOOD TO TRY TO REACH A LEVEL WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE. LAST NIGHT AN INCIDENT OCCURRED INVOLVING TWO YOUTH IN HENRY SECTOR AND I WAS CALLED OUT THERE. AND ONE I KNOW VERY WELL, BUT HE WAS NOT IN TROUBLE. BUT ANYWAY, I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND OFFICER CORNISH NUMBER 5620 AND THE CORPORAL. THEY WERE CALLED OVER TO HANDLE THE SITUATION, WHICH IS NOT ANYTHING WRONG. IT WAS JUST A GRANDPA FILED A MISSING PERSON, WHICH IS VERY, VERY SERIOUS, BUT FORTUNATELY IT TURNED OUT TO BE POSITIVE. ANYWAY, THESE OFFICERS, GREAT INTERPERSONAL SKILLS DEALING WITH THE YOUTH AND THE GRANDPA AND GRANDMA. AND IT JUST LEFT A PLEASANT SITUATION AND EXPERIENCE ON THE KIDS AND MYSELF REALLY BECAUSE I GREW UP HERE IN AUSTIN AND I REMEMBER THE CHIEF AT THE TIME IN THE 50'S AND 60'S, THE CHIEF THAT REALLY WOULDN'T WORK IN THIS DAY AND AGE. I SHOUTOUT TO HIM AND I'M GOING TO WRITE UP A LETTER TO THE CHIEF, A LETTER OF APPRECIATION. I WANT TO THANK THE YOUTH HERE FROM AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS. AND I KNOW MR. HALL PIN IS WORKING VERY WELL DONE, APPRECIATE IT VERY PROFESSIONAL. ANYWAY, I HAVE BEEN TO WASHINGTON, EVEN IN MY CONDITION AND MY SITUATION, REGARDING HOUSING FOR HOMELESS VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES, HOMELESS VETERANS PERIOD. EDUCATION BENEFITS. AND I SPOKE TO THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES. IT IS STYLED HOUSE RESOLUTION 3329, SENATE BILL 1084 IS EIGHT COMPANYING BILL. AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT IS STYLED THE HUD PROGRAM. VETERANS ASSISTED SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. AND THIS IS A GOOD INITIATIVE. UNFORTUNATELY OUR LOG CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION FAILED TO SEE THIS ON THE RADAR SCREEN AND WE IN AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY DID NOT GET ANY VOUCHERS FOR HOUSING HGD VETERANS, BUT CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN OF HOUSTON DID A GREAT JOB OF INCLUDING CONGRESSMAN LLOYD DOGGETT AND OUR SENATORS. AND WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL VOUCHERS HERE FOR TRAVIS COUNTY TO HOUSE THE HOMELESS VETERANS. IT'S UNDER THE HUD PROGRAM, BUT ALSO UNDER THE VETERANS AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATION. THE HUD SECRETARY RESIGNED LAST WEEK, SO I MET WITH THE THE DEPUTY SECRETARY. GOOD THINGS ARE GOING TO COME ABOUT FOR THE VETERANS. AGAIN, I HOPE THAT WE TREAT PEOPLE WITH MORE RESPECT THAT ARE LESS FORTUNATE BECAUSE HAVING BEEN IN THAT SITUATION, I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE AND IT FEELS NOT GOOD WHEN PEOPLE DISRESPECT YOU AND THEY REALLY DON'T TRUST YOU. THEY TREAT YOU DIFFERENTLY LIKE AN ANIMAL. THAT'S NOT GOOD. LET'S TRY TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE. LAST NIGHT $329 BILLION WILL BE LOST NATIONWIDE THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE DROPOUT SITUATION. WE NEED TO HELP OUR KIDS MASTER ALGEBRA AND WRITING SKILLS. THANK GOD WE WERE INVOLVED IN HELPING ABOLISH THE TAKS TEST. WE WANT END OF COURSE EXAMS WHICH THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, MANY REPS AND STATE SENATORS AGREED UPON. WE NEED TO BRING THE DROPOUT RATE DOWN, GET THESE KIDS EDUCATED. IT THEY'RE OUR FUTURE. THESE ARE OUR FUTURE RIGHT HERE, THESE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN HERE. I TOLD LUCIO, I WILL DO ANYTHING TO GET YOU IN AL ALGEBRA. WE NEED TO HELP OUT ON OUR KIDS GETTING EDUCATED. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. GOD BLESS Y'ALL. HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. LET'S SEE. MS. SANKOFA HAD SIGNED UP WISHING TO GIVE US TESTIMONY. TO BE FOLLOWED BY WALLER BURNS. WALLER BURNS ALSO SIGNED UP TO GIVE HIS TESTIMONY. TO BE FOLLOWED BY GENERAL FATHER GALE. WELCOME, JENNIFER.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WYNN, COUNCILMEMBERS MARTINEZ, DUNKERLEY, MCCRACKEN AND COAL. HI, AUSTIN. ARNOLD GARCIA, "AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN" EDITOR FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD WRITERS REFUSED TO ALLOW CANDIDATE JENNIFER GALE TO PARTICIPATE IN LAST NIGHT'S EDITORIAL BOARD MEETINGS. WHEN THEY SAY THEY'VE INTERVIEWED THE CANDIDATES, THEY'RE LYING TO YOU. DO NOT TRUST WHAT AL GARCIA AND THEIR EDITORIAL BOARD WRITERS ARE SAYING. THE HOMELESS OPPORTUNITY IS UNDER ATTACK BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT THROUGH OPERATIONS PAST AND OTHER -- THE CAMPING ORDINANCE ALLOWS PEOPLE TO SLEEP ONLY IF THEY'RE NOT STORING PERSONAL BELONGINGS, MAKING A FIRE, USING A TENT OR SHELTER, CARRYING ON COOKING OR DIGGING ON EARTH. OFFICER CORPORAL THOMAS O'CONNOR WITH MY HEAD UPON MY BAG, THREATENED TO ISSUE AND WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO WRITE A TICKET TO ME FOR THE ENCAMP. MENT ORDINANCE. I'M ASKING THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CEASE AND DESIST THEIR ATTACK ON THE HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. TRAILERS ARE DANGEROUS PLACES WITH TORNADOS. THEY'RE NO PLACE TO HOUSE THE HOMELESS. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER FOR THE MAY 10th ELECTIONS. IF PEOPLE DON'T SPEAK UP, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE. FROM NOVEMBER TO APRIL 10th, NO "AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN" WRITER OR AUSTIN CHRONICLE WRITER HAS ASKED ME FOR ANY VIEWS ON IBZ. ISSUES. SO THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T HEAR ABOUT JENNIFER GALE IN YOUR NEWSPAPERS. ON THE SECOND PIECE OF PAPER, WE NEED TO GIVE OUR BUS OPERATORS A RESOLUTION. ON NUMBER 19 HERE IN A RESOLUTION, THIS CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A RESOLUTION ASKING STAR TRAN TO WORK WITH LOCAL UNION 1091, AND THAT'S WHEN IT WAS OVER, WHEN WE TOOK THAT -- WHEN THE MAYOR TOOK THAT CONTRACT TO THE HILTON OVER NEAR THE AIRPORT, IT WAS OVER. AND THEN THE CONTRACT STARTED IN JULY. I'M ASKING FOR THAT RESOLUTION ONCE AGAIN THIS COMING TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE WANT THIS FINISHED AND DONE WITH. THAT WE WANT A FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT. THAT THEY HAVE MEDICAL BENEFITS AND THE END OF THE TWO TIER SYSTEM WHICH REDUCED THEIR PAY, BEGINNER PAY BY ONE QUARTER FOR BUS OPERATORS AND ONE-THIRD FOR ISLAND WORKERS. WE SIMPLY STOLE FROM THEM. I'M ALSO ASKING THAT WE GET OUR JOBS BACK BY SENDING THE PEOPLE FROM CANADA THAT ARE TAKING OUR JOBS HERE IN AMERICA AND THE PEOPLE FROM MEXICO AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD THAT ARE TAKING AMERICAN JOBS, WE NEED TO HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK AFTER THAT. IT'S GOOD TO SEE SHERIFF GREG HAMILTON IS DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. [ BUZZER SOUNDS ] THERE'S A BUN RUN ON THE 13STH, DAY AFTER TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY. I HOPE YOU HAVE A LOT OF FUN THIS WEEKEND. THANK YOU, AUSTIN.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RICHARD HALPIN. WELCOME BACK. TO BE FOLLOWED BY TED ROAN. GLAD TO SEE YOU GOT A CHANCE TO VISIT WITH VAN JONES RECENTLY.

YES, MAYOR, WE DID IN MEMPHIS. IT WAS A WONDERFUL VISIT. VAN THINKS AUSTIN IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. WE HOPE TO GET HIM TO COME DOWN HERE AND WORK WITH US. GOOD DAY, MAYOR, CITY COUNCILMEMBERS, COUNCILMEMBER MARTINEZ AND EVERYONE, COUNCILMEMBER DUNKERLEY, HOPE YOUR COLD GETS BETTER QUICK. COUNCILMEMBER MCCRACKEN, COUNCILMEMBER COLE, IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU ALL. YOU KNOW THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN BEHIND ME HERE AND I HAVE A LITTLE PRESENTATION HERE ABOUT THE WORK WE'RE DOING THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU. LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET -- WHICH OF THESE BUTTONS DO I PRESS TO MAKE IT GO FORWARD. IN ONE? NOT GOING FORWARD, BUT SO AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE HAVE THIS GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND WHAT WE'VE DEVELOPED TOGETHER IS A ONE STOP CIVIC -- WE WENT BACK. THERE WE GO. A ONE STOP CIVIC INVESTMENT MODEL. IT'S NOT A HUMAN SERVICE MODEL OR OLD WAYS OF DOING THIS. THIS IS A ONE STOP CIVIC INVESTMENT MODEL. WE GET TO CHOOSE THIS PICTURE ON THE LEFT OR THIS PICTURE ON THE RIGHT. THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN ARE TOO OFTEN ENDANGERED SPECIES. YOU KNOW THAT COUNCILMEMBER MARTINEZ. THESE ARE AT PROMISE YOUNG ADULTS. TOGETHER WE CAN CREATE THE GREEN ECONOMY THAT AUSTIN IS SO WELL-KNOWN FOR. I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE FACT NOT ONLY THAT YOU KNOW WELL THAT WE TRANSFORM LIVES, BUT THE FACT WE'VE BUILT OVER 100 NOW FOUR AND FIVE STAR ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES. THIS CREATES NEW TAX REVENUES TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. THIS IS A VERY EXCITING NEW MODEL OF YOUTH INVESTMENT THAT I THINK THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE THIS BUSINESS MIND WILL APPRECIATE. SO WE'RE BRINGING IN OVER ONE MILLION TWO IN ANNUAL TAX BENEFITS FROM THE NEW HOMES THAT WE'VE BUILT IN ONCE UNUSED LAND. AND THAT CREATES REVENUE THAT ALLOWS US TO REINVESTMENT IN TRANSFORMING MORE LIVES. SIMPLE IDEA HERE. SO WHAT WE DID IS WE TOOK THE PICTURE OF WHAT THE CITY CURRENT INVESTMENT IN AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS IS. YOU WILL SEE FROM THIS SLIDE, COUNCILMEMBER MCCRACKEN, AND WE'VE PUT NEXT TO IT, THIS IS JUST THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE RANKING FOR THE CITY IN PROPERTY TAXES ALONE. CHECK THIS OUT. IN ADDITION TO THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, WE'VE MADE $6.2 MILLION IN ENERGY EFFICIENT AWARD WINNING HOMES. CREATED THE NEW PROPERTY TAX OF 1 POINT TWO. THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN BEHIND ME HAVE USED SCHOLARSHIPS IN EXCESS OF 3-POINT WILL MILLION DOLLARS, AND YOU KNOW THAT BETTY. YOU KNOW THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS. ISN'T THAT REMARKABLE. AND THEY'VE EARNED STIPENDS OF OVER SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS THAT THEY SPEND HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THE HOME ENERGY SAVINGS OF $105,000 ANNUALLY. THESE ARE CONSERVATIVE FIGURES. SO THE ECONOMICS THAT YOU ARE PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH SHOWED UP ONE DAY AND SAID WHY DON'T WE DO AN ASSESSMENT, COUNCILMEMBER COLE, OF WHAT YOU GUYS DO. I SAID BRING IT ON. THEY JUST FINISHED THIS AND THEY ESTIMATE THAT WE SAVED THE CITY $42 MILLION ANNUALLY IN SAVINGS. NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE THINGS I JUST SHOWED YOU, BUT MANY MEMBERS OF OUR GROUP HAVE BEEN IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW AND IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THEY'RE NOT GOING THERE ANYMORE. THEY'RE NOT SPENDING THOSE DOLLARS IN THE TAX DOLLARS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THEY'RE SPEND ING IT BY COMING ABLE CITIZENS AND ABLE WORKERS AND TAXPAYERS. [ BUZZER SOUNDS ] SO WE FIGURE THE INVESTMENT IS $638 ROI. WE FIGURE THAT'S PRETTY GOOD, DON'T YOU? SO WE'VE JUST BEGUN. TOGETHER WE CAN PUT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE TO WORK. WE CAN RETROFIT MORE HOMES, BUILD MORE GREEN HOME AND TOGETHER WE CAN PROVIDE MORE LIFE SAVING ECONOMIC SOLUTIONS FOR OUR ENDANGERED SPECIES. THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL AND ARE DROMMING OUT IN HUGE NUMBERS IN OUR EXPHUNT. THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM AUSTIN FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES TO COPY THESE HOMES THAT WE'RE BUILDING TOGETHER AND TO SPEND THEIR MONEY HERE AND TO TAKE THAT KNOWLEDGE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY. I THINK YOU'VE GOT MR. ROAN COMING UP NEXT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. TED, BECOME WELCOME. WELCOME.

THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU JUST FOR A MINUTE ABOUT A TRIP THAT I WAS ABLE TO TAKE TO MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. WE WERE THERE FOR A CONFERENCE SPECIFICALLY FOR GREEN COLOR JOBS FOR AT RISKOUT. NOT ONLY WERE WE THERE FOR THAT CONFERENCE, WE WERE THERE LAST WEEKEND, WHICH WAS THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING BEING ASSASSINATED IN MEMPHIS. SO WE WERE PART OF THE GREEN JOBS FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE, FINDING NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR FUTURE. AND WE WERE THERE TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MARCH, THE RECOMMITMENT MARCH WITH MARTIN LUTHER KING, II, WITH AL SHARP TON, WITH JESSE JACKSON, WITH LORETTA SCOTT KING, WITH SPEAKERS LIKE THAT. IT WAS A POWERFUL DAY. MY TIME HERE I THINK IS BETTER SPENT, IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR, SO TURN THE REST OF MY TIME OVER TO A YOUNG MAN TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT HIS TIME WITH AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS.

Mayor Wynn: YOU BET YOU, WITHOUT OBJECTION, COUNCIL.

MY NAME IS BERNARD ROBERTS, COUNCILMEMBERS. I'M A YOUNG MEMBER OF AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS. I'M WITH THE CASA VERDE PROGRAM. JUST RECENTLY ME AND ANTOINE REYES, A CO-WORKER OF MINE WHO CAME FROM WRND, WE SEEN THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, TALKED TO CONGRESSMEN WHO SUPPORT OUROUT BILLS AND OUROUT WORKS PROGRAM. IT MEANS A LOT TO ME FOR THE COUNCILMEMBERS AND YOU TO SUPPORT US AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. I MEAN, EVERY KID HERE HAD A SECOND CHANCE AND HAS BEEN GIVEN THAT SECOND CHANCE AND THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO BE A SUCCESSFUL CITIZEN IN LIFE. I'M PRETTY SURE EVERYBODY MAKES MISTAKES, BUT IT'S WHAT YOU DO WITH THE MISTAKES TO CARRY ON IN LIFE AND YOUR FUTURE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME AND A GOOD LIFE AND BE A SUCCESSFUL CITIZEN IN THIS WORLD. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING US AND EVERYTHING WITH YOU DO FOR US. WE REALLY DO CARE. IF Y'ALL DON'T CARE ABOUT US, THEN WHO WILL. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. VERY IMPRESSIVE. THANK YOU AND THE WHOLE CASA VERDE BUILDERS. THANK YOU ALL. SO COUNCIL, THAT CONCLUDES OUR GENERAL -- [INAUDIBLE - NO MIC].

OKAY. WE CALLED YOUR NAME EARLIER. WELCOME. WELCOME. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GOING TO GET THIS OPPORTUNITY SO I WAS JUST LISTENING. SORRY I'M LATE. I ACTUALLY WAS WORKING AND COULDN'T GET HERE SOONER. GREETINGS, COUNCILMEMBERS. I ACTUALLY KIND OF ALMOST STARTED NOT TO COME BECAUSE I FELT LIKE THIS SHOULD BE -- I SHOULDN'T STILL BE COMING TO YOU ALL WITH A HEAVY HEART, AND JUST THE WEIGHT OF THE BURDEN THAT I SEEM TO BE CARRYING AND CONSTANTLY BRINGING BACK TO YOU ABOUT THE LACK OF SUPPORT THAT ARTISTS, CULTURAL ARTISTS AND, YOU KNOW, BLACK PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE STILL FACING. I GOT A CHANCE TO GO TO A FORUM TO HEAR COUNCILMEMBER -- SHE'S NOT HERE, COUNCILMEMBER KIM SPEAK ABOUT HER ELECTION OR REAPPOINTMENT AS A COUNCILMEMBER. AND THERE'S STILL THE ISSUE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT IS GOING ON IN AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY IN RARS TO OUR ARTISTS. AND SPECIFICALLY ARTISTS OF AFRICAN DESCENT. SO WE LIKE MYSELF CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE. AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL KNOW THIS. I KNOW THAT YOU ALL THIS ABOUT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH OF A SIGNIFICANCE THE IMPACT THAT IT'S HAVING ON OUR LIVES. THERE WAS A GROUP OF MEN OUTSIDE THAT I PASSED THAT HAD BUTTONS ON THAT SAID HOMELESS AND HOUSE THE HOMELESS. WELL, I'M HOMELESS. AGAIN. IT'S INCREDIBLE THAT THIS KEEPS HAPPENING TO ME AND OTHER PEOPLE, CREATIVE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I REALLY WANT TO LEAVE AUSTIN. I REALLY DO. I NEED TO BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME I'M STUCK HERE LIKE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE. IT TAKES MONEY TO MOVE, IT TAKES MONEY TO STAY. SO WHAT I'VE HAD TO DO IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS IS FOREGO ALL OF MY PLANS FOR CREATING AFRICAN CENTERED ART AND CULTURAL EVENTS AS I'VE ALWAYS DONE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE TIME, THE ENERGY OR THE STRENGTH OR EVEN THE HOPE OR EVEN -- TO SOME DEGREE THE CARE TO CONTINUE ANYMORE. BECAUSE IF I'M NOT DOING IT, THEN WHO ELSE IS GOING TO DO IT? YES, THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO BRING BLACK ART TO THIS COMMUNITY, BUT NOT WITH A SPECIFIC, CONTINUOUS AFRICAN CENTER TO IT. THAT'S ME. I'M GOING TO RAISE MY HAND AND TOOT MY OWN HORN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO SAY. [ BUZZER SOUNDS ] SO WITHOUT ME DOING THAT, WHO IS GOING TO DO IT? AND WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT, HOW AM I AND OTHER PROJECT DIRECTORS AND ARTISTS GOING TO DO WHAT WE CAME HERE TO DO, WHAT WE WANT TO DO? THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU. SO COUNCIL, THAT CONCLUDES OUR GENERAL CITIZEN COMMUNICATION SEGMENT FOR TODAY'S COUNCIL MEETING. THERE BEING NO MORE DISCUSSION ITEMS PRIOR TO OUR 2:00 O'CLOCK POSTING OF POTENTIAL ACTION ITEM REGARDING THE SEAHOLM POWER PLANT REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, WE NOW WITHOUT OBJECTION WILL GO INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION 551.071 TO TAKE UP POTENTIAL ITEMS RELATED TO THE SEAHOLM POWER PLANT PROPERTY. AND/OR ITEM 61, LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO A REQUEST FOR LIMITED ADJUSTMENT FROM THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS INITIATIVES, THAT'S PROPERTY LOCATED AT 8901 STATE HIGHWAY 71 WEST. THIS RELATES TO POTENTIAL ACTION ITEM NUMBER 62. WE MAY ALSO IN CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION 551.072 OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT TAKE UP REAL ESTATE MATTERS RELATED TO THE SEAHOLM POWER PLANT PROPERTY. WE ARE NOW IN CLOSED SESSION. I ANTICIPATE US COMING OUT OF CLOSED SESSION APPROXIMATELY AT 2:00 P.M. THANK YOU.

THERE BEING A QUORUM PRESENT, AT THIS TIME I'LL CALL BACK TO ORDER THIS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. IT'S AROUND 2:04 P.M. WE HAVE BEEN IN RECESS NOW FOR 45 MINUTES OR SO. COUNCIL, IF YOU REMEMBER EARLIER IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE TOOK UP ITEM NO. 61. LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO -- TO THE REQUEST FOR A LIMITED ADJUSTMENT FROM THE CITY'S SAVE OUR SPRINGS INITIATIVE AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE A -- SO WE HAVE A -- WE HAVE A -- A POSTED ACTION ITEM, THAT BEING 62, CONSIDERING THAT APPLICATION OF THAT REQUEST. AND WHETHER OR NOT IN OUR -- IN OUR OPINION IT -- IT MEETS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS. SO I APPRECIATE A BRIEF STAFF PRESENTATION. WELCOME, MS. COTTON.

MITZY COTTON, ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY. THIS IS A PROPERTY LOCATED AT 8901 STATE HIGHWAY 71 WEST. THEY PROPOSED DEVELOPING THE PROMISE LAND CHURCH WEST, CHURCH FACILITIES, GIVEN ITS LOCATION WITH STATE HIGHWAY 71 WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU FIND THAT IT DOES MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR LIMITED ADJUSTMENT TO ALLOW THEM TO ACT THEIR PROPERTY FROM STATE HIGHWAY 71. AND WE FURTHER RECOMMEND THAT YOU SET A PUBLIC HEARING FOR PHASE 2 OF THIS LIMITED ADJUSTMENT PROCESS FOR APRIL 24th.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MS. COTTON, QUESTIONS OF STAFF, COUNCIL? GENETICALLY WE HAVE TWO RESOLUTIONS HERE IN FRONT OF US. BUT THE ONE SLIGHTLY LENGTHIER ONE IS THAT RECOMMENDED BY STAFF. IT DOES IN FACT MEET CERTAIN STANDARDS AND THEREFORE CALLING A PUBLIC HEARING. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON ITEM 62. MOTION MADE BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER COLE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF. THAT BEING THAT -- THE DETERMINATION MEETS REQUIREMENTS FOR A LIMITED ADJUSTMENT AND THEREFORE SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR 6:00 P.M. THURSDAY APRIL 24th, 2008. FURTHER COMMENTS? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE. MOTION PASSES ON A VOTE OF 7-0. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, THAT TAKES US TO OUR AFTERNOON BRIEFING. ITEM NO. 63 POSTED AS THE BRIEFING ON THE SEAHOLM POWER PLANT, EARLIER IN CLOSED SESSION WE DID TAKE CARE OF A FEW LEGAL ISSUES REGARDING THIS PROJECT. THIS TIME I'LL CALL UP NOT ONLY THE PRESENTATION, BEING ITEM 63. WE WILL ALSO TAKE UP -- WHEN COUNCIL DEEMS READY, COMBINED ITEMS 22, 23, AND 24, THAT IS THE ACTION ITEMS RELATED TO -- TO THIS PROJECT. WELCOME BOTH STAFF AND THEN A DEVELOPMENT TEAM PRESENTATION. WELCOME, MS. HUFFMAN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR, MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO TO YOU THIS AFTERNOON IS PRESENTS TO YOU IN SEVERAL PIECES THE SEAHOLM REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT. THIS IS OF THE ORIGINAL UTILITY PLANT IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN THAT FACES CESAR CHAVEZ AND REPRESENTS A VERY IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND THIS COMMUNITY TO REDEVELOP PUBLICLY OWNED LAND. THIS IS PART OF A COUNCIL VISION ESTABLISHED FOR MANY YEARS TO REDEVELOP PUBLICLY OWNED LAND IN THE DOWNTOWN INTO USES THAT ARE VERY RICH IN THEIR MIX, THAT ENCOURAGE BOTH LIVING AND SHOPPING AND WORKING IN OUR DOWNTOWN AND CREATE ONE OF THE PREMIER DOWNTOWNS IN THE COUNTRY AND IN FACT THE RECENTLY THE CONGRESS OF NEW URBANISM MET IN AUSTIN AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING TO YOU ALL, I KNOW, AS COUNCILMEMBERS AN ALSO TO STAFF ON HOW WE APPROACH THESE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS BECAUSE THEY ARE EMERGING AS A NATIONAL BEST PRACTICE. THERE'S A LOT TO BE PROUD OF HERE. I WILL QUICKLY LAUNCH THIS PRESENTATION. FIRST AND FOREMOST I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE CITY STAFF THAT HAVE WORKED LITERALLY FOR YEARS ON THIS DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. SUE EDWARDS, AS YOU KNOW, THE DIRECTOR OF THE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND REDEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT. WITH HER IS RODNEY GONZALEZ AND GREG KYLO, JIM ROBERTSON WHO YOU ALL KNOW AS OUR URBAN DESIGN LEAD HAS HELPED NEWS THE DESIGN OF THE PUBLIC SPACES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SEAHOLM SOMETHING OF KEEN INTEREST TO YOU, GEORGE ADAMS ALSO IN THE URBAN DESIGN GROUP. SUSAN ROSE WHO IS AN ATTORNEY THAT WORKS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS BEEN VERY CRITICAL IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE TRANSACTION, OF COURSE OUR CITY ATTORNEY DAVID SMITH. VICKI SCHUBERT AND LESLIE BROADER ON THE FINANCIAL END AND IN MY OFFICE MARIE SANDOVAL. THIS TEAM OF PEOPLE AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS ON THE CITY STAFF WHO HAVE CONSULTED ALONG THE WAY HAVE HELPED TO BRING THIS TO YOU TODAY. AS I MENTIONED, THESE TAKE YEARS TO NEGOTIATE, PARTLY BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY PUBLIC POLICY GOALS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE ON REDEVELOPMENTS AND PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT PUBLIC INVESTMENT OF DOLLARS ARE SECURE. SO IN 2004 THE CITY COUNCIL ISSUED AN R.F.Q., WHICH IS A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS TO FIND THE KIND OF DEVELOPER THAT WE COULD PARTNER WITH ON THIS REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT. IN 2005 YOU SELECTED SEAHOLM POWER COMPANY WHO IS LED BY JOHN RISOTTO, THAT TEAM IS HERE TODAY. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM ON BOTH THE DESIGN OF THIS REDEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO THE BUSINESS STRUCTURE FOR THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP SINCE THAT TIME. WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO TODAY IS TO TALK TO BUT THE PROJECT GOALS, THE PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE ASKED THE DEVELOPER TO WALK YOU AND THE COMMUNITY THROUGH JUST EXACTLY HOW THIS DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO LOOK, THE USES THAT ARE PROPOSED, SO THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE WHAT THIS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE ONCE IT'S BUILT. THEN WE ARE GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. BOTH DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE STRUCTURE BUT ALSO TIE THIS ALL BACK TO COMMUNITY BENEFITS. I'LL START BY TALKING ABOUT THE PROJECT GOALS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IS THEY WORK BEST WHEN THEY ARE ANCHORED IN PUBLIC POLICY. YOU DID JUST THAT IN THE SEAHOLM POWER PLANT REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT. THIS IS A LIST OF GOALS YOU ESTABLISHED SEVERAL YEARS AGO. WE OF COURSE ARE TRYING TO ENHANCE AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE DOWNTOWN AND SEAHOLM DISTRICT. IN ESSENCE THIS REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT REANCHORS THE WEST END OF DOWNTOWN FACING LADYBIRD LAKE AND CESAR CHAVEZ, IT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT FACES OUR MAJOR ROADWAY AND OUR MAJOR NATURAL ASSET IN DOWNTOWN. BY THAT WE -- WE ALSO WANTED TO INCORPORATE AUSTIN GOALS OF SUSTAINABILITY, GREEN BUILDING, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, ALL OF WHICH ARE IMPORTANT PUBLIC POLICY GOALS. WE WANTED TO PROVIDE A POSITIVE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL IMPACT. WE WANT TO ENHANCE TOURISM. AND PROVIDE A CENTRAL RAIL TRANSIT HUB IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE DO GET CROSS TOWN CONNECTIONS TO THE CENTRAL RAIL, THAT THEY ARE WELL PLANNED FOR. SO THIS IS NOT ONLY PLANNING FOR THE PHYSICAL LOCATION, BUT THIS IS ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THE MIX OF USES THAT ARE PLANNED IS CONSISTENT WITH RAIL RIDERSHIP. SO THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU ASKED US TO THINK ABOUT, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU CHALLENGED THE DEVELOPER TO LOOK AT AS THEY PUT THE DEVELOPMENT TOGETHER.

I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, EMBEDDED IN THAT, OF COURSE, IS THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OR SAVING THE ACTUAL STRUCTURE ITSELF. THE CAT CATHEDRALLESQUE STRUCTURE, SERIES OF GOALS THAT UTILIZE THAT GREAT STRUCTURE WHILE TREEG TRYING TO MEET AN ECONOMICALLY VIABLE PROJECT WITH ALL OF OUR OTHER GOALS.

THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT. THE SPEAKER PIECE OF THIS REDEVELOPMENT -- THE CENTER PIECE IS THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF THIS BUILDING. WE WANTED TO TALK AT THE FRONT END ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS IN TERMS OF STRUCTURING A PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE SEEN THIS BUILDING YOU WILL RECOGNIZE IT ACE AN ICONIC STRUCTURE. YOU WILL SEE THE SMOKE STACKS IN THE BACK. WE HAVE REQUIRED THE DEVELOPER TO REHABILITATE AND PRESERVE IT AND ALSO TO PRESERVE ITS MAGAZINE ANY OF SENSE ON THE INTERIOR AND NOT TO WALL IT OFF. THE NET EFFECT OF THAT, BUT ALSO IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE SETBACKS THAT ARE SORORITIED WITH THE TOWN LAKE OVERLAY AND ALSO THE CAPITOL VIEW CORRIDORS, FROM A DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT WERE THIS A PIECE OF DIRT THAT COULD BE PURELY REDEVELOPED, YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN ABOUT 1.7 MILLION SQUARE FEET ON THIS AMOUNT OF LAND, IT WAS CONSTRAINED BY THE OVERLAYS THE VIEW CORRIDORS AND OWN GOAL OF HISTORICALLY PRESERVING BUILDING TO ABOUT 370,000 SQUARE FEET OF DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS NOT IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHER DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENTS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT RECENTLY GREEN, BLOCK 21. THIS IS NOT AS LARGE OF A DEVELOPMENT AS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE. THAT CLEARLY AFFECTS THE SIZE OF THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE THESE ARE ALL OF THE FACTORS THAT WE STARTED OUT WITH AS WE ENTERED INTO THE DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR PARTNERS. SO THOSE WERE THE GOALS. THOSE WERE THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE LAND AND WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO NOW IS TURN IT OVER TO THE DEVELOPER, JOHN RISOTTO WHO LEADS THAT TEAM AND HAVE HIM SHOW YOU THE PLANNED PROJECT AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND WALK YOU THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MS. HUFFMAN. WELCOME, MR. ROSOTTO. MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS, CITY MANAGER, MY NAME IS JOHN ROSOTTO, VERY, VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE. THREE YEARS AGO, MY PARTNER DANNY ROTH, ALLEN COWDEN, KENT COLINS AND JEFF TRIGGER AS SEAHOLM POWER REDEVELOPMENT WERE AWARDED THE HONOR OF BECOMING THE DEVELOPER OF THE POWER PLANT. WE ARE JOINED BY SEAHOLM POWER GROUP LLC. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE AN INCREDIBLE TEAM THAT HAS HUNG IN FOR THE LONG HAUL BECAUSE ALL OF OUR CONSULTANTS ARE AS PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS PROJECT AS I AM. OUR ATTORNEYS RICK REED AND TERRY KENYON CRAFTED LANGUAGE ANCIENT SCRIBES WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF. ON THE CITY SIDE, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER LAURA HUFFMAN, SUSAN GROSS, SUE EDWARDS AND THEIR TEAMS WORKED DILIGENTLY IN PROTECTING THE CITY WHILE UNDERSTANDING THE LEVEL OF CREATIVITY THIS PROJECT WOULD REQUIRE. EXCUSE ME. SOUTHWEST DOWNTOWN IS THE CENTER OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND SEE HOME WILL BE THE FRONT YARD, A PLACE TO MEET FRIENDS, SHOP, EAT, LISTEN TO MUSIC AND CONNECT WITH LADYBIRD LAKE. WITHIN THREE YEARS, 3200 RESIDENTIAL UNITS WILL BE WITHIN A FIVE MINUTE WALK OF SEAHOLM. SEAHOLM WILL FORM THE WEST BOOK END OF SECOND STREET WITH THE.

BETWEEN GREAT STREETS DESIGNS WILL INVITE PEOPLE TO STROLL DOWN THE SIDEWALKS EXPLORING STORES AND RESTAURANTS. WITH THE CONNECTION OF WEST FROM THIRD TO CESAR CHAVEZ AND SECOND FROM SAN ANTONIO TO WEST, THE COMPLETION OF THE DOWNTOWN GRID, THE GOAL OF THE SEAHOLM MASTER PLAN WILL TAKE A LEAP FORWARD. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEAHOLM WILL ALSO ENHANCE THE VALUE OF GREEN AND THE AUSTIN ENERGY SITES. SEAHOLM IS AN INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION HUB. THE LOCATION PROVIDES A STRONG LINK TO THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL ACROSS A DEDICATED PEDESTRIAN CROSSING. THE LANCE ARMSTRONG BIKEWAY RUNS THROUGH THE FRONT YARD AND CONNECTS SOUTH AND NORTH AUSTIN. THE NEW SEAHOLM DRIVE ON THE WEST AND WEST AVENUE ON THE EAST PROVIDE FOR A CONNECTION OF SECOND STREET AND IN FRONT OF THE NEW LIBRARY SITE. ON THE NORTH, THE CROSS TOWN CONNECTOR STOP WILL STOP ON THIRD STREET AND THE FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO GEORGETOWN COMMUTER RAIL IS PLANNED WITH THE AUSTIN PLATFORM DIRECTLY WEST OF SEAHOLM ALONG THIRD STREET. THE POWER PLANT IS A MAJESTIC '50S INDUSTRIAL BUILDING. IT IS AN ASSET TO THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF AUSTIN. IT ALSO IS AN ECONOMIC AND AHARCHITECTURAL CHALLENGE TO REPOSITION AS A VIABLE MIXED USE BUILDING. IT WILL HOUSE 90,000 SQUARE FEET OF AN EVENT CENTER. OFFICE, RETAIL, RESTAURANT USES. THE GRAND TURBINE HALL SOARS 65 FEET WITH BEAUTIFUL WINDOWS IT IS A PERFECT LOCATION FOR RETAIL AND RESTAURANT USES. THE MORE CHALLENGING LOWER LEVELS OF THE BUILDING WILL BE PROGRAMED WITH EVENTS CENTER, RETAIL AND OFFICE USES. THIS CROSS-SECTION GRAPHICALLY SHOWS THAT TWO-THIRDS OF THE BUILDING IS BELOW GRADE AND A GOOD INDICATION WHY CONVERSION FOR REUSE CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. OUR DESIGNERS HAVE CREATIVELY ACTIVATED THE MIDDLE LEVEL BY CREATING A GRAND ENTRY FROM THE WEST AS DEPICTED IN THIS RENDERING. THE WEST SIDE IS ACTIVATE -- ACTIVATES THE MID LEVEL OF THE BUILDING CREATING A DYNAMIC ENTRY INTO THE EVENTS CENTER. IN THIS VIEW, WHERE SEAHOLM IS HIGHLIGHTED, ON THE WEST IS THE ENTRY OFF OF SEAHOLM DRIVE, WHICH WILL ENTER INTO THE TURBINE I MEAN INTO THE EVENTS CENTER LEVEL. ON THE NORTH AND SOUTHSIDE FROM THE PLAZAS, DIRECTLY INTO TURBINE HALL, THIS ALLOWS FOR CAFES TO HAVE OUTDOOR SEATING IN THE PLAZAS. ONE OF THE NEW STRUCTURES ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE PROPERTY WILL BE AN -- A 07,000 SQUARE FOOT -- 70,000 SQUARE FOOT MIXED USE BUILDING. THE MAJORITY OF THE STRUCTURE IS LIMITED TO TWO STORIES, HONORING THE CAPITOL VIEW CORRIDOR. RETAIL IS PLANNED FOR THE GROUND FLOOR WITH OFFICE OR RESIDENTIAL POSSIBLE ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THIS BUILDING. THE NEW STRUCTURE ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE PROPERTY WILL RISE APPROXIMATELY 20 FLOOR, CONTAIN 160 ROOM BOUTIQUE HOTEL THAT WILL PROVIDE LOCAL FLAVOR WITH WORLD CLASS SERVICES. THE BUILDING WILL ALSO HOUSE CONDOMINIUMS WITH ACCESS TO HOTEL SERVICES AND 125,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL AND OFFICE USE. THIS VIEW, AERIAL VIEW FROM THE WEST ALLOWS YOU TO SEE THE OVERALL PROJECT WITH THE PLAZA IN THE FRONT AND ON THE NORTH SIDE OF SEAHOLM. IT ALSO ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE A VIEW OF SEAHOLM DRIVE THAT WILL COME UP FROM CESAR CHAVEZ AND DROP OFF INTO THE ENTRY AT THE MID LEVEL OF SEAHOLM OR THE EVENTS CENTER. YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE LOCATION OF THE PLANNED CITY GARAGE FOR SEAHOLM WEST OF THE UP RAIL CONNECTION. THERE'S ALSO A CONNECTION OFF OF SEAHOLM DRIVE TO A BLOW GRADE GARAGE THAT WILL SERVE THE PROJECT FROM BELOW THE PLAZAS. THE TEENAGER BUILDING WILL HAVE ABOUT -- THE TOWER BUILDING WILL HAVE ABOUT FIVE OR SIX LEVELS OF ABOVE GRADE PARKING. ALL OF THE BUILDINGS WILL BE DESIGN TO MINIMUM AUSTIN ENERGY 3 STAR RATING. WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN DESIGNING A VERY UNIQUE RAINWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR ALL OF THE LANDSCAPING NEEDS, USING ALL OF THE OLD PIPES AND STORAGE CAPACITY OF THE POWER PLANT IN ORDER TO RETAIN RAINWATER AND THEN USE IT ON THE LANDSCAPING. THIS VIEW REPRESENTS WHAT WE CALL OUR OUTER PARK. ACTIVATED ON THE WEST BY THE ENTRY TO SEAHOLM, ON THE NORTH ALONG THIRD STREET WITH RETAIL, ON THE EAST THE HOTEL AND CONDO ENTRY AND THE FRONT YARD ALONG CESAR CHAVEZ WILL HOLD -- WILL HOST MUSIC AND OTHER PUBLIC EVENTS. THE INNER PARK WILL BE DESIGNED TO HOST EVENTS AND RETAIL AND RESTAURANT ACTIVITY. IT WILL PROVIDE A VIEW OF THE NORTH SIDE OF SEAHOLM, A PERSPECTIVE MOST PEOPLE HAVE NOT SEEP. THE INNER PLAZA IS THE CENTER PIECE OF THE PROJECT AND WILL LINK THE OLD AND NEW IN A BEAUTIFUL, VIBRANT PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY SAFE PARK SETTING. LIGHTING WILL BE DRAMATIC ON BOTH THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF SEAHOLM, FURTHER ACCESSING THE ICONIC STRUCTURE AND ATTRACTING DOWNTOWN STROLLERS TO COME VISIT, SIT AND ENJOY. IN CLOSING, SEAHOLM IS IN THE CENTER OF OVER A BILLION DOLLARS OF DEVELOPMENT WITH GAIN GELS, SPRING, MONARCH, 360, GREEN AND THE NEW LINE BROTHER AS OUR NEIGHBORS. THE TRANSFORMATION OF THIS AREA OF DOWNTOWN WILL PRODUCE JOBS, HOUSING AND TAX BASE IN AN AREA THAT WAS UNDERUTILIZED AS THE INDUSTRIAL AND UTILITY AREA OF DOWNTOWN. SEAHOLM WILL ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THE STATED GOALS OF THE RFQ, COMPLETE THE DOWNTOWN GRID, PROVIDE FOR MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING PEDESTRIAN, BICYCLE AND RAIL CONNECTIONS, STIMULATE THE VALUE OF SURROUNDING CITY OWNED PROPERTY, CREATES A RETURN ON PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN THE FORM OF NEW TAX BASE FROM THE PROJECT AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT PRESERVES AN ICONIC STRUCTURE THAT HISTORICALLY PROVIDED ALL OF THE ENERGY FOR AUSTIN. IN CLOSING, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL, FOR ALL OF YOUR LEADERSHIP AND VISION IN SAVING AN IMPORTANT PART OF AUSTIN HISTORY. WE ALSO HAVE PROVIDED YOU WITH -- WITH ABOUT 60 LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM VARIOUS COMMUNITY LEADERS AND I APPRECIATE THE VOTE TODAY AND I'M PREPARED TO ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MR. ROSOTA, QUESTIONS FOR JOHN, COUNCIL? COUNCILMEMBER KIM?

Kim: I DON'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING ON THIS PROJECT. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING AND I HOPE THAT WE GET TO SEE A LOT MORE CREATIVE WAYS THAT IT CAN BE USED IN OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING WITH THE ARTS COMMUNITY. I KNOW BLUE LAPIS LIGHT WAS ABLE TO DO A PRODUCTION THERE, THINGS LIKE THAT I THINK WOULD BE WONDERFUL IN THAT INCREDIBLE SPACE IN THE BUILDING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE PUBLIC HAVING MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENJOY IT. SO GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR -- FOR DOING THIS FOR US AND THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM? SO I THINK MS. EDWARDS IS GOING TO WALK US THROUGH THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS. THANK YOU, JOHN. WELCOME, SUE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAYOR, MR. MAYOR PRO TEM, COUNCILMEMBERS, CITY MANAGER, I'M SUE EDWARDS WITH THE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND REDEVELOPMENT SERVICES WAS OFFICE. LAURA PRESENTED TO YOU THE SEAHOLM AND PROJECT GOALS ESTABLISHED THROUGH COMMUNITY INPUT AND YOUR POLICY GUIDE DNS AND JOHN DESCRIBED A VISION FOR SEAHOLM DERIVED FROM THOSE GOALS. IN THIS PART OF THE PRESENTATION I WILL LAY OUT THE FINANCIAL ASSUMPTIONS, THE PROJECT COSTS AND THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT THE CITY GAINS FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT OF SEAHOLM. THE FINANCIAL ASSUMPTIONS ARE BASED ON A NUMBER OF VARIABLES AND AT THIS EARLY STAGE ARE PRELIMINARY AT BEST. THE COST OF THE REDEVELOPMENT OF SEAHOLM IS ESTIMATED TO BE $117.2 MILLION. THE CITY'S SHARE OF THE COST IS $18.6 MILLION, APPROXIMATELY 16%. THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION WAS DETERMINED BASED ON A NON-GUARANTEED 11% INTERNAL RATE OF RETURN FOR THE DEVELOPER, RECOGNIZING THAT 11% IS ON THE LOW END OF A DESIRED RETURN, THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT ALLOW THE DEVELOPER TO ASSUME 100% OF THE RETURN UNTIL THE RETURN REACHES 13%. PROFIT YIELD BEYOND 13% TRIGGER A PROFIT SHARING PROVISION WHERE THE CITY AND THE DEVELOPERS SHARE IN THE EXCESS YIELD. PROFIT SHARING ENDS WHEN THE -- WHEN THE CITY RECEIVES 100% OF ITS INVESTMENT OR THE PROPERTY IS SOLD. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE ALLOCATION OF COSTS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE DEVELOPER. UNDER THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT, THE OFFICE BUILDING AND THE HOTEL CONDO TOWER WILL BE SOLD TO THE DEVELOPER AFTER MEETING CERTAIN PERFORMANCE CRITERIA. AND AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE SLIDE, THE CITY WILL NOT COST PARTICIPATE IN THIS PORTION OF THE PROJECT. THE POWER PLANT WILL CONTINUE TO BE OWNED BY THE CITY UNDER A LONG-TERM LEASE TO THE DEVELOPER. THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IN THE PROJECT INCLUDES FUNDING A PORTION OF THE RESTORATION OF THE POWER PLANT, A CONTRIBUTION TO THE PUBLIC PLAZA, THE PUBLIC PARKING GARAGE AND STREET AND UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE. THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE SOURCES OF FUNDS THE CITY WILL USE TO REPAY ITS INVESTMENT. REVENUE FROM THE FWOM PAYS FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE CITY'S SHARE BY USING 100% OF THE PROPERTY AND SALES TAX INCREMENT GENERATED BY THE DEVELOPER OVER A 30 YEAR PERIOD. I WILL NOTE THAT THIS ACTION WAIVES THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING RESOLUTION THAT DEDICATES 40% OF THE PROPERTY TAX INCREMENT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNTIL THE CITY'S INVESTMENT OBLIGATION IS PAID BACK IN FULL. OTHER REVENUE SOURCES INCLUDE PARKING GARAGE REVENUE, QUARTER CENT MONEY FROM THE CAPITAL METRO ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS FUND, HALF MILLION FROM THE WATER UTILITY C.I.P. AND $400,000 FROM THE AUSTIN ENERGY C.I.P. THE TOTAL ESTIMATED REVENUE AND OTHER FUNDING SOURCES ARE $19.2 MILLION AND EXPENSES ARE $18.6 MILLION. WHETHER WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND VALUES, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE SEAHOLM PROJECT WILL BE AN EXAM PLAYER EXAMPLE OF URBAN REDEVELOPMENT WITH THOSE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPACES. AS ON JOHN MENTIONED SEAHOLM WILL INCLUDE A ONE ACRE PUBLIC PLAZA SET IN THE CENTER OF THE PROJECT AND IN ADDITION A 1.5-ACRE SOUTH TERRACE WHICH TRANSLATES INTO 45% OPEN SPACE FOR PUBLIC ACTIVITIES. SOME OF THE GOALS FOR THE PROJECT ARE TO PRESERVE THE POWER PLANT AS AN HISTORIC BUILDING THAT ACHIEVES A TWO STAR GREEN BUILDING RATING, AN OFFICE BUILDING AND HOTEL CONDO TOWER THAT WILL EACH ACHIEVE A THREE STAR RATING. COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS AND INCORPORATION OF THE M.B.E./W.B.E. STANDARDS AND PRINCIPLES. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS FROM AN OVERALL PERSPECTIVE, SEAHOLM DOES MUCH MORE THAN PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY AN INTERACTIVE AND INTERESTING DESTINATION. THE PROJECT REINSTATES THE DOWNTOWN STREET GRID AND COMPLETES A NINE YEAR VISION FOR SECOND STREET, PROVIDING A WEST ANCHOR FOR AN ACTIVE, PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER TO SEAHOLM. IT INCLUDES THE FIRST AUSTIN PARKING ENTERPRISE GARAGE AND IT RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF ART AND CULTURE IN THE COMMUNITY. EVIDENCED BY THE DEVELOPER'S CONTRIBUTION OF $100,000 TOWARD AN ART PROJECT FOR THE PROPERTY. COUNCIL, THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE BOTH FROM JOHN'S TEAM AND FROM CITY STAFF AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT WHO ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU.

Mayor Wynn: THANK YOU, MS. EDWARDS. QUESTIONS OF STAFF, COUNCIL? WE DO HAVE A HANDFUL OF CITIZENS WHO WOULD LIKE TO GIVE US SOME FEEDBACK.

WE WILL TAKE UP ACTION ITEMS 22 THROUGH 24. OUR FIRST SPEAKER TO GIVE US TESTIMONY IS ANDREW CLEMENTS, WELCOME, THREE MINUTES TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOHN DENESE.

MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY. I UNDERSTAND AS AN ARCHITECT AND PLANNER THAT -- THAT -- THE DIFFICULTY WAS TRYING TO PULL OFF A GRADE URBAN REUSE PROJECT LIKE THIS. I THINK THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN HAVE THINGS TO BE DISAPPOINTED IN, THE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT AND MEMORIALIZED AND AGREED TO WITH THE MASTER DEVELOPMENT IF IT'S EXECUTED. FOUR POINT THE REDEVELOPMENT DOES NOT MEET A 2004 CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION THAT STATED THAT THE SEAHOLM POWER PLANT PROPERTY WOULD HAVE MASS TRANSIT OPTIONS. A PASSENGER RAIL OPERATION AND A POSSIBLE PASSENGER RAIL TO CENTRAL DOWNTOWN AND OTHER POINTS, THAT'S YOUR APRIL 1st, 2004 RESOLUTION RELEASED WITH THE RFQ. THE SALE AND/OR LEASE OF THE SEAHOLM COULD ARGUABLY VIOLATE THE AUSTIN CITY CHARTER. ART 2, SECTION 5, STATES COUNCIL SHALL HAVE NO POWER TO, SHALL NOT SELL, CONVEY OR LEASE ALL OR ANY SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THE FACILITIES OF ANY MUNICIPALLY OWNED PUBLIC FACILITY -- YOU'LL, I'M SORRY. I -- UTILITY, I'M SORRY. I KNOW CITY LEGAL SAYS IT'S A DECOMMISSIONED PLANTED. I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED AS A CITIZEN THAT WE HAVE TO PARSE WORDS, I THINK THE PUBLIC WOULD LOOK AT THIS AS A UTILITY PLANT BECAUSE THAT WAS ITS LAST MAJOR FUNCTION. THIRD, THE R.F.Q. THAT WAS RELEASED TO FIND POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT TEAMS FOR THE SEAHOLM POWER PLANTSITE MENTIONED IN MULTIPLE PLACES THAT IT WILL HAVE A CENTRAL TRANSIT H.U.B. FOR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, YOU SAW THAT IN YOUR TRANSPORTATION JUST TODAY, THE MAIN INTERMODAL STATION SERVING DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, GREAT POTENTIAL FOR JOINT DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH TRANSIT AUTHORITIES, AND THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT WILL SUPPORT TRANSIT. FOURTH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S OWN SEAHOLM STATION STUDY, THE FINAL REPORT RELEASED IN DECEMBER OF 2006, STATES THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE SEAHOLM POWER PLANTSITE IS A COMPROMISE IN TERMS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO REESTABLISH THAT EASTERN CURVE. THAT WOULD ALLOW A GREAT REGIONAL RAIL SYSTEM TO DIRECTLY PROCEED SOUTH INTO SOUTH AUSTIN. IT STATES IT'S A COMPROMISE AND NOT OPTIMAL. AND I THINK THE CITY -- THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK WHY IT COMPROMISE IS NECESSARY FROM THIS GREAT PUBLIC SITE. I THINK WE SHOULD ASK FOR THE VISION THAT WAS ESTABLISHED EARLY ON, BE MET, AND THE ONLY VALID REASON GIVEN IN THE SEAHOLM STATION STUDY IS THAT FOR -- FOR SAYING THE COMPROMISE IS NECESSARY IS THE REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. I WOULD ASK SERIOUSLY IF THE PUBLIC GOOD SHOULD BE COM PROPER MIZEED FOR A -- COMPROMISEED FOR A PRIVATE DEVELOPERS RETURN ON INVESTMENT. JOHN, WELCOME, FOLLOWED BY BRENDA SEAHOLM.

MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I'M JOHN DENESE, PRESIDENTS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE HERITAGE SOCIETY OF AUSTIN. HERE BRIEFLY TO FOLLOW UP ON YOUR COMMENTS, MAYOR, PRAISE BOTH THE CITY AND THE DEVELOPER FOR TAKING HISTORIC PRESERVATION MAKING THAT A PRIORITY HERE WITH THE SEAHOLM REDEVELOPMENT. WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH MR. RISOTO AND HIS TEAM, HE'S BEEN OPEN TO HAVING US AND FRANKLY VERY SOLICITOUS. I KNOW HE HAD TO DEAL WITH MA