>>MAYOR WATSON:, I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL FOR A REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCILL. IT IS THURSDAY, AUGUST 5TH, 1999. WE ARE MEETING IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS LOCATED AT 307 WEST SECOND STREET. CHANGES AND CORRECTS TO THE AGENDA, ITEMS -- THE FIRST ONE ON GENERAL CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, WE NEED TO ADD UNDER WHAT WILL BE ITEM NO. 23, INSTEAD OF JOHN DOTY, IT WILL BE PAUL ROBINS, ITEMS SET FOR A TIME CERTAIN AT 6:00 P.M., ITEM NO. 31, REGARDING AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE FEE SCHEDULE FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER CAPITAL RECOVERY FEES, ITEM 39, A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO INCLUDE IN THE CITY FEE ORDINANCE FY 1999-2000 THE SMART GROWTH SPECIFIC INCENTIVES, ITEM 43 A PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE RELATING THE EXPIRATION OF PRELIMINARY SUBDIVISION PLANS. ITEM 45 RELATING THE CHANGING OF A STREET NAME FROM CALF ROPING LANE TO CALF ROPING TRAIL. ITEM NO. 45, WE ARE EXPECTING A BIG TURNOUT FOR THAT BY THE WAY. [LAUGHTER]. IT HASN'T GOTTEN AS MUCH MEDIA COVERAGE AS WE ANTICIPATED BUT I AM THINKING IT WILL HAVE HEADLINES TOMORROW. ITEM NO. 45 TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE SECTIONS 258424 AND 258454 RELATING TO IMPERVIOUS COVER, THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, ITEM NO. 1, A PUBLIC HEARING TO PRESENT AND RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT ON THE PROPOSED CITY OF AUSTIN LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY WATER SUPPLY PURCHASE AGREEMENT TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF AUGUST, 1999. THAT WILL TAKE US TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS TAKE UP THE CONSENT AGENDA FIRST BEFORE WE GET INTO BRIEFINGS. THE ITEMS THAT I HAVE LISTED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE 25, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 36, 38, 42 ON THIRD READING, OR ON ALL THREE READINGS, AND THAT WOULD BE IT.
>>GARZA: 42 WOULD BE PART OF A PUBLIC HEARING, WOULD IT NOT?
>>MAYOR WATSON: WHAT DID I SAY?
>>GARZA: IT'S PART OF THE ZONING HEARINGS. NATURE I'M SORRY, 42 WOULD NOT BE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. LET ME READ THAT AGAIN. 25, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 36, 38, WOULD BE THE CONSENT AGENDA. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE CONSENT AGENDA OR REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? YES, COUNCILMEMBER SPELMAN?
>>SPELMAN: I AM NOT SURE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HAVING REMOVED SOME OF THESE ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. COULD YOU --.
>>MAYOR WATSON: LET ME WALK THROUGH THAT. 24 REMOVED BY COUNCILMEMBER GARCIA, 26 COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, 27 COUNCILMEMBER SPELMAN, 31 SET FOR A TIME CERTAIN, 34 BY COUNCILMEMBER SLUSHER, 35 BY COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, 37 BY COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, 39 IS SET FOR A TIME CERTAIN. APPROXIMATE COUNCILMEMBER GRIFFITH?
>>GRIFFITH: CAN 45 [INAUDIBLE].
>>MAYOR WATSON: YES 45 IS AT 6:00. COUNCILMEMBER SLUSHER?
>>SLUSHER: THANK YOU,, MAYOR. THE TWO FEE ITEMS, I BELIEVE THOSE ARE 31 AND 39, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THOSE UP AT THE SAME TIME AS THE 6:00 PUBLIC HEARING.
>>MAYOR WATSON: YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ. MOTION MADE BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. OPPOSED SAY NO. MOTION CARRIES WITH COUNCILMEMBER GRIFFITH OFF THE DIAS. -- COUNCILMEMBER GARCIA OFF THE DIAS (CORRECTION). OKAY. THAT WILL TAKE US TO -- TO BRIEFINGS AND I WILL RECOGNIZE THE CITY MANAGER.
>>GARZA: MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS, IT'S OUR PLEASURE THIS MORNING TO PRESENT FISCAL YEAR 2000'S BUDGET TO YOU. I WILL DO A BRIEF OVERVIEW. AND THEN MR. CURRY WILL WALK US THROUGH A SCHEDULE. WE HAVE A DIFFERENT SCHEDULE THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED THIS MORNING, YOU HAVE THE OPTIONS A AND B, DECIDE WHICH ONE THAT YOU WOULD PREFER TO DO, THEN WE HAVE ADJUSTED OUR SCHEDULE ACCORDINGLY DEPENDING ON A DECISION MADE BY THE CITY COUNCIL. THE BUDGET DOCUMENT THAT IS DELIVERED TO YOU THIS MORNING SERVES AS A BLUEPRINT, IF YOU WILL, TO THE SERVICES THAT WE PROPOSE TO PROVIDE TO THE COMMUNITY. THIS YEAR, HOWEVER, WE PLAN TO GO BEYOND SIMPLY THAT BLUEPRINT. THE STAFF WORKED VERY, VERY HARD AT DEVELOPING BUSINESS PLANS, DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE MEASURES, BASED NOT JUST ON THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AS A CITY WE ARE PROPOSING TO EXPAND, BUT WHAT RESULTS WE EXPECT TO ACHIEVE. AND THIS NEW FOCUS WILL ENABLE OUR COMMUNITY TO SEE THE DOLLARS AT WORK AND MORE IMPORTANTLY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE INVESTMENTS PROVIDE OUR COMMUNITY. EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF DOLLARS AT WORK WILL BE PRESENTED IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, WHEN YOU HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS. IN THE MEANTIME, LET ME PROVIDE MY OVERRUE VIEW TO THE BUDGET, IT'S NOT CHANGED VERY MUCH FROM THE DRAFT POLICY BUDGET THAT WE DELIVERED TO THE CITY COUNCILL AT THE END OF JUNE. HOWEVER I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED AS PART OF FUNDING FOR THIS PROPOSED BUDGET. LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING WE ARE CALLING THESE INITIATIVES NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE INITIATIVES. THE COUNCIL HAS EXPRESSED SOME INTEREST IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL THE COUNCIL HAS IDENTIFIED AREAS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, INCLUDING THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, EARLY EDUCATION, AND CHILD CARE. THESE ARE NOT THE ONLY AREAS OF CONCERN, BUT THEY ARE KEY AREAS AND THE NEEDS -- THEY ARE KEY AREAS AND WHERE NEEDS ARE GREATER IN SOME AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAN IN OTHERS. FOR INSTANCE, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. IN JANUARY OF 1998, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN TRAVIS COUNTY WAS 2.8%. FOR THE NON-MINORITY POPULATION THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 2.4%. FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS, HOWEVER, THE NUMBER CLIMBED TO HIGH -- AS HIGH AS 6.4%, FOR HISPANICS IT WAS 3.6% ACCORDING TO THE WORKFORCE COMMISSION. WE ALSO REALIZE THAT MANY CONSIDER AUSTIN TO BE THE WORKING POOR, THESE ARE AREAS WE WANT TO IMPACT WITH SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE MEASURES TO TARGET THIS POPULATION. AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NO DIFFERENT. IF WE LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING BETWEEN 1990 AND 1997 THE AVERAGE RENTAL COSTS HAVE ESCALATED SOME 55% ... TO $820 A MONTH. MEDIAN HOUSING SALES HAVE -- HOUSING PRICES HAVE INCREASED BY 54%, WHILE THE INCOME FOR FAMILY OF FOUR HAS ONLY INCREASED BY 23%. OVERALL CONSTRUCTION OF NEW RENTAL HOUSING HAS DECLINED FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. FINALLY, THIS IS AN AREA THAT THE COUNCIL HAS EXPRESSED A KEEN INTEREST IN DEVELOPING REASONABLY PRICED HOUSING. IN THE AREA OF EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE, THERE WAS A REPORT PROVIDED BY CAN JUST RECENTLY THAT SHOWED THAT THE COST FOR CHILD CARE IN TRAVIS COUNTY HAD INCREASED SOME 50% OVER THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS. AND THAT IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT FOR A TODDLER IT WAS 506 A MONTH, FOR THE -- FOR PARENTS TO PROVIDE CHILD CARE FOR INFANTS AND $430 A MONTH FOR TODDLERS. AFFORDABLE CHILD CARE IS DEFINED AS COSTING MORE THAN 10% OF FAMILY INCOME. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THESE AREAS OF GREATEST NEED. THAT IS WHERE A FAMILY SPENDS MORE THAN 10% OF ITS INCOME ON CHILD CARE. THERE'S ONLY 35% OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION THAT IS GETTING SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE CURRENTLY. WE WANT TO FOCUS AS PART OF THIS BUDGET TO SEE HOW WE CAN IMPACT THAT SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION. WE ALSO WANT TO FOCUS ON SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS. IN ADDITION, THERE'S BEEN REPORTS OF THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN AT RISK IN OUR AREA, SOME 27,830 CHILDREN AT RISK FOR ABUSE AND NEGLECT. IN ZIP CODE 44, THE HIGHEST CHILD ABUSE REFLECTED CONFIRMED CASES OF 99, IN 02 THERE WERE 38 CASES, IN TRAVIS COUNTY THE RATIO IS 9.5 FOR THOUSAND POPULATION OF NEGLECT. WE ONLY MENTION THESE AREAS BECAUSE YOU HAVE SUPPRESSED ENGINE INTEREST IN THEM, ULTIMATELY THESE INITIATIVES WILL BE YOUR INITIATIVES, WHERE YOU WANT TO INVEST THESE DOLLARS WHERE YOU THINK WE CAN GET THE BEST BENEFIT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. BETWEEN NOW AND THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET IN MID SEPTEMBER, YOU WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE INITIATIVES IN MORE DETAIL AND CAN THEN ESTABLISH PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT MATCH THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU DECIDE UPON. AND I REALIZE THAT ANY INITIATIVES THAT WE EMBARK ON MUST BE A MULTI YEAR, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED FUNDING THAT CAN CONTINUE FROM THIS YEAR TO SUCCEEDING FISCAL YEARS. IN THE YEAR 2000 WE HAVE IDENTIFIED AND WE WILL GET INTO THAT LATER ON IN THIS BUDGET, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED $3 MILLION AS A STARTING POINT FOR YOU TO BEGIN YOUR DISCUSSIONS. THERE'S ONE OTHER INITIATIVES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS AT THIS TIME. IT'S THE ISSUE OF TRANSPORTATION. THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY HAVE PUT TRANSPORTATION AT THE TOP OF YOUR LIST OF PRIORITIES. IN 1998, THE VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER SURVEY IS CONDUCTED IN APRIL AND IN MAY OF 1998 GETTING INPUT FROM CITIZENS. THIS STUDY IS DONE SINCE 1990 AND SURVEYS 500 CITIZENS RANDOMLY FROM RANDOM SELECTED HOUSEHOLDS. THREE OF THE FOUR AREAS THAT THE CITIZENS ARE MOST DISSATISFIED WITH INVOLVE TRANSPORTATION. SIGNAL TIMING, 48% DISSATISFACTION, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR, 51% DISSATISFACTION, TRAFFIC FLOW AND -- OF MAJOR STREETS, 76% DISSATISFACTION. AND CITIZENS ARE MORE DISSATISFIED WITH ALL OF THESE THREE AREAS THIS YEAR THAN THEY WERE LAST YEAR. THE FACT THAT THE INTEREST OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS HAS GROWN WAS MADE VERY EVIDENT DURING THE NOVEMBER 1998 BOND ELECTION. PROPOSITION 1 ON THE BALLOT SOUGHT VOTER APPROVAL OF $152 MILLION FOR TRANSPORTATION RELATED PROJECTS. MORE VOTERS VOTED FOR PROPOSITION 1 AND FEWER VOTED AGAINST IT THAN ANY OF THE OTHER 12 PROPOSITIONS THAT WERE ON THE BALLOT. AND PROPOSITION 1 GARNERED 92,018 IN FAVOR AND AGAINST IT WAS 34,908 AND EVEN EXCEEDED PUBLIC SAFETY TO THE CHAGRIN OF THE CHIEF. AS A RESULT WE BEGAN TALKING ABOUT WAYS TO DEAL WITH THESE CONCERNS IN THIS BUDGET. ONE WAY WAS TO MOVE OUR VOTER AUTHORIZED DEBT FORWARD ON TRANSPORTATION-RELATED PROJECTS, FUNDING FIVE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD USING $7.2 MILLION OF 1984 MONEY. IN ADDITION MOVING FORWARD THE SIGNALS PROGRAM THAT WAS APPROVED IN THE '98 ELECTION, 19.8 MILLION TO THE CURRENT -- TO THE YEAR THAT WOULD BE FUNDED IN YEAR 2000. IN ADDITION, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT 4 MILLION BE TARGETED FOR AT LEAST THREE ADDITIONAL INTERSECTIONS AND AGGRESSIVE TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT. WE WILL PROVIDE MORE DETAIL ON THIS AS WE BEGIN THE BUDGET PROCESS BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO A SPECIFIC ISSUE PAPER ON TRANSPORTATION AND WHERE WE THINK ARE -- THE ISSUES ARE THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO TRANSPORTATION AND HOW WE WOULD INVEST THESE DOLLARS. BUT LET ME SAY THAT THE 4 MILLION THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING IS A ONE TIME FUNDING SOURCE AND WE WILL HAVE FOCUS ON PROJECT THAT'S DO NOT REQUIRE SUBSTANTIAL ONGOING EXPENSES. WE ARE RECOMMENDING USING THE STREET LIGHT FUNDING FROM THE GENERAL FUND THAT IS USUALLY TRANSFERRED TO AUSTIN ENERGY. BUT AGAIN FOR ONLY ONE YEAR AND FOLLOWING THE YEAR 2000 THAT MONEY WILL BE RETURNED TO AUSTIN ENERGY. GRANTED TRANSPORTATION RELATED PROJECTS REPRESENT AN ONGOING NEED AND WE HAVE TO GARNER ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR FUTURE YEARS. NOW WITH RESPECT TO THE OVERALL PROPOSED BUDGET. I AM PLEASED TO PENT THE BOND -- I MEAN THE PROPOSED BUDGET OF FISCAL YEAR 2000 WITH A TAX RATE OF 50.34 CENTS PER 100 ASSESSED VALUATION, IT REPRESENTS A ONE CENT INCREASE OVER THE ESTIMATED EFFECTIVE RATES AND THE PENNY INCREASE IS FOR BONDS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS AND WILL PAY THE DEBT SERVICE ON THE 59.3 MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE WILL RECOMMEND LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THIS REPRESENTS MORE -- A MORE THAN ONE CENT DECREASE FROM THE CURRENT RATE OF 51.42 CENTS AND A RATE THAT IS ONE OF THE LOWEST IN PROPERTY TAX RATES OF MAJOR TEXAS CITIES. THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 50.34 CENTS WILL COST AN AVERAGE HOME OWNER ABOUT $19 A YEAR. THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE YEAR 2000 TOTALS $1.6 BILLION. THE GENERAL FUND MAKES UP 24% OF THIS BUDGET OF $406 MILLION. THE GENERAL FUND IS FUNDED PRIMARILY THROUGH SALES TAX REVENUE, WE ARE ESTIMATED THAT AT A GROWTH OF 9.27%, ALSO TRANSFERS FROM THE UTILITIES, WE TRANSFER ABOUT 76 MILLION TOTAL FROM ALL OF THE UTILITIES THAT OPERATE WITHIN THE CITY AND ALSO PROPERTY TAX MAKE ANOTHER LARGE SECTION OF THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES. WE EXPECT A $3.8 MILLION INCREASE IN FRANCHISE FEES AS WELL. THE REMAINING 76% OF THE 1.6 BILLION IS MADE UP FROM ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND OTHER CUSTOMER FEES AND RELATED USES. SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR YEAR 2000 RECOMMENDS A PROPERTY RATE INCREASE OF ONE PENNY TO 50.34 CENTS, IT PROPOSES A BOND SALE OF 59.3 MILLION DOLLARS. IT ALLOWS FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING. INCREASED SUPPORT FOR NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AND OTHER CRITICAL NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN TRANSPORTATION RELATED PROJECT, FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE HOMELESS INITIATIVE, CONTINUED COMMITMENT FOR ANNEXED AREAS, MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND COMPETITIVE SALARIES FOR OUR WORKFORCE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND COMMUNITY ON THIS BUDGET AND WE CAN TAKE ALL A GREAT DEAL OF PRIDE IN THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE TO DATE AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. CURRY TO GO OVER THE SCHEDULE TO EXPLAIN THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR THE COUNCIL AND WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL VOTE ON A SCHEDULE TODAY SO THAT WE CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY FOR FUTURE PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS AND THE LIKE. SO, MR. CURRY.
>> WE HAD SUBMITTED TO COUNCIL EARLIER AS PART OF YOUR BACKUP THE BUDGET SCHEDULE THAT CALLED FOR SEVERAL WORK SESSIONS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THAT SCHEDULE IS WE HAD INCLUDED AN ALL DAY WORK SESSION ON THE 12TH. THAT WAS THE DAY THAT COUNCIL HAD SCHEDULED A LONG TIME AGO TO CANCEL THE COUNCIL MEETING. WE HAVE GIVEN YOU A READVISED SCHEDULE -- REVISED SCHEDULE. YOU WILL FIND A BLUE PIECE OF PAPER AT YOUR PLACE, WE WILL VOIDED THAT DATE OF THE 12TH THAT YOU PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED NOT TO MEET. THE WAY WE HAVE DONE THAT IS TO RESHUFFLE THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE WOULD MAKE TO YOU. ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT -- ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE HAVE DONE THAT IS TO SCHEDULE A COUPLE OF PRESENTATIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON COUNCIL SESSION OF THE 19TH. WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT WILL BE A FAIRLY LIGHT AGENDA AND THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO WORK IN A COUPLE OF THE DEPARTMENTAL PRESENTATIONS DURING YOUR REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. THIS SCHEDULE CALLS FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET ON AUGUST THE 19TH. IT ALSO SCHEDULES A SECOND HEARING ON RATES, TAX RATES AND UTILITY RATES ON SEPTEMBER THE 2ND.
>>MAYOR WATSON: DOES COUNCIL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT SCHEDULE? I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT SCHEDULE AS THE SCHEDULE FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERING THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR. MOTION MADE BY COUNCILMEMBER GRIFFITH, THERE IS A SECOND? SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. OPPOSED SAY NO. THE MOTION CARRIES AND THAT WILL BE THE ADOPTED BUDGET SCHEDULE.
>>GARZA: MAYOR, WE WILL THEN PROCEED RIGHT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY PRESENTATION.
>>MAYOR WATSON: AS THEY COME FORWARD, A COMMENT THAT WAS MADE AS PART OF YOUR INITIAL PRESENTATION, MR. CITY MANAGER, I WANT TO BE REAL CLEAR, WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE OVERALL BUDGET, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE BUDGET, YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS THE GENERAL FUND, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT IT WOULD HAVE ON THE AVERAGE HOME OWNER. THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US THAT'S BEING PROPOSED BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THAT PROPOSAL BRINGS ABOUT A REDUCTION IN THE -- IN THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RATE GARZA YES, SIR, A LITTLE OVER A PENNY.
>>MAYOR WATSON: AND ANY INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES THAT THE AVERAGE AUSTINITE WOULD FEEL, AS YOU JUST SAID, IS THAT ALL RELATED TO VOTER APPROVED -- SOMETHING THAT WE TOOK TO THE VOTERS IN THE PAST YEAR?
>>GARZA: THAT'S CORRECT. IN FACT THE ONLY -- THE INCREASE THAT WE HAVE IS THE PENNY TO COVER THE DEBT SERVICE ON THE $59.3 MILLION THAT WILL BE SOLD THIS YEAR TO FUND THE BOND PROGRAM. THOSE ARE DOLLARED THAT WERE APPROVED, THAT BOND PROGRAM WAS APPROVED IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR BY THE VOTERS, THAT IS THE ONLY INCREASE THAT YOU SEE IN THIS BUDGET.
>>MAYOR WATSON: SO, A, THERE'S -- IT WOULD BE THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW IF WE ADOPT A BUDGET SIMILAR TO THIS, ALONG THESE LINES, IT WOULD BE THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ACTUAL DECREASE IN THE TAX RATE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN GARZA YES, SIR.
>>MAYOR WATSON: AND ANY QUESTIONS OFF THE EFFECTIVE RATE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT BEFORE WE DID IT THE VOTERS HAD TOLD US THEY WANTED THAT TO OCCUR.
>>GARZA: THAT'S CORRECT.
>>GRIFFITH: MAYOR?
>>MAYOR WATSON: YES COUNCILMEMBER GRIFFITH.
>>GRIFFITH: DID I UNDERSTAND, MR. MANAGER, THAT THE IMPACT ON THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD FOR A YEAR WOULD BE $19 FOR ALL OF THESE INITIATIVES AND PROPOSALS THAT -- THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT?
>>GARZA: THE PENNY INCREASE IS AN INCREASE OF $19 A YEAR FOR THE AVERAGE HOME OWNER.
>>GARZA: THANK YOU.
>>GARZA: THAT IS CORRECT, COUNCILMEMBER.
>>MAYOR WATSON: CHIEF, SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR, GOOD MORNING. I AM GOING TO MOVE RATHER QUICKLY THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO ASK THEM. AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, IN 1998, WE COMMITTED OURSELVES TO A NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED POLICING SYSTEM OF SERVICE DELIVERY. THIS BUDGET IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THAT CONCEPT. RESULTING IN THE ACHIEVEMENT OF SOME OF OUR GOALS. THE PURPOSE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED POLICING IS TO INTEGRATE POLICE OFFICERS INTO THE COMMUNITY, BOTH IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICTS, WORKING AND COOPERATING WITH FOLK IN THE COMMUNITY IT'S OUR HOPE THAT WE CAN REDUCE CRIME, THE FEAR OF CRIME, AS WELL AS IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. TAKING A STEP BACKWARDS AND KIND OF REVIEWING WHERE WE ARE AT, WHAT WE DID IN 1998 WAS TO LOOK AT THOSE SERVICES THAT WE FELT NEEDED TO BE AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO OUR CUSTOMERS. THOSE SERVICES ARE REPRESENTED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING TEAM. BUT THAT IS NOT ALL THAT WE DO. AND THERE ARE SOME SERVICES, FOR INSTANCE, THAT WE AUTOMATICLIZE THE NON- -- UTILIZE THE NON-PROFIT'S CODE ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC WORKS TRAFFIC SAFETY PROGRAMS. THOSE PROGRAMS SUPPORT THE NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED TEAM AND THEY ARE CRITICAL, EQUALLY AS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF REDUCING CRIME, IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR CITY. OUR KEY RESULTS WHEN WE LOOK AT WHETHER WE ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING WITH NEIGHBORHOOD BASED POLICING, ONE OF THE FIRST ONES IS TO REDUCE REPORTED PART 1 CRIME RATE, VIOLENT CRIME BY 10%, PROPERTY CRIME BY 5%. WE ALSO SOUGHT TO REDUCE RESIDENTIAL FEAR OF CRIME AT NIGHT BY 10%. I MIGHT ADD THAT THE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF CRIMES, EVEN THOUGH OUR POPULATION GROWS, THE ACTUAL REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF CRIMES REPORTED PLACES AN INCREDIBLE BURDEN ON OUR POLICE SERVICES, BUT ONE THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE READILY ACCEPTED AS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. OUR COMMITMENT TO REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME BY 10%, PROPERTY CRIME BY 5% FOR THE THIRD YEAR IS AN AMBITIOUS GOAL; HOWEVER, I THINK THAT LITTLE ACHIEVABLE AND WILL MAKE AUSTIN ONE -- IT IS ACHIEVABLE AND WILL MAKE AUSTIN ONE OF THE SAFEST CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. WE ALSO WANT TO WORK ON COOPERATION AND TEAMWORK WITH NEIGHBORHOODS AND WE HAVE COMMITTED OURSELVES TO THOSE GOALS. IF YOU LOOK AT VIOLENT CRIME PER THOUSAND POPULATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, YOU CAN SEE THAT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE HAVE HAD INCREDIBLE SUCCESS. OUR GOAL IS THAT BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2000 WE WILL HAVE ONLY 4.0 VIOLENT CRIMES PER THOUSAND. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS DECREASE IS ACHIEVABLE AND -- ON PROPERTY CRIMES THOUSAND POPULATION, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE HAD A DECREASE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. WE ANTICIPATE A CONTINUING DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REPORTED PROPERTY CRIMES WITH OUR TARGET OF 57.7 PROPERTY CRIMES PER THOUSAND POPULATION AND OUR FOCUS IS REALLY ON AUTO THEFT AND BURGLARY IN THIS AREA. IT DOES NO GOOD IF WE HAVE A CRIME RATE THAT IS LOW IF THE CITIZENS ARE AFRAID. AND SO WE FOCUS A NUMBER OF OUR PROGRAMS ON REDUCING RESIDENTIAL FEAR OF CRIME. THIS STATISTIC IS IN SOME WAYS A POSITIVE STATISTIC, THIS CHART HERE, GRAPH. IT SHOWS THAT WE HAVE MADE IN-ROADS ON THE NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE RESIDENTS WHO DO NOT FEEL SAFE WALKING ALONE AT NIGHT IN THE DOWNTOWN, A DECREASE IN -- BY SEVERAL PERCENT IN 1999 OVER 1997. WE EXPECT THAT DECREASE TO CONTINUE. BUT WE ALSO FEEL THAT WHEN 50% OF OUR FOLKS IN THIS CITY FEEL AFRAID TO WALK ANYWHERE AT NIGHT, THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS OUR RESOURCES IN THAT AREA AND WE WILL DO THAT. RESIDENT SATISFACTION WITH POLICE COOPERATION IN ADDRESSING NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS, SOME ANALYSTS MIGHT SAY THAT WHEN YOU GET CLOSE TO 90%, IN THIS AREA, THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY AT PEAK PERFORMANCE. I DON'T BUY THAT CONCEPT. I THINK THAT THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM TO IMPROVE AND WE HAVE SET A GOAL OF 89% CITIZEN SATISFACTION WITH POLICE COOPERATION IN THIS BUDGET YEAR. WE HAVE SOME STRATEGIES IN NEIGHBORHOOD BASED POLICING. WHAT WE HAVE IS A DESIRE TO IMPLEMENT NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC STRATEGIES TO FIGHT CRIME AND REDUCE FEAR. WE RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT MIGHT BE NEEDED IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THE CITY MAY NOT BE WHAT IS NEEDED IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE CITY AS FAR AS REDUCING CRIME AND THE FEAR OF CRIME. IN ORDER TO HELP US ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, WE ARE LOOKING AT ADDING 12 NEIGHBORHOOD DETECTIVES TO THE SIX AREA COMMANDS. THIS IS DONE TO REDUCE THE AVERAGE CASE LOAD PER DETECTIVE AND REDUCE THE -- WHICH SHOULD LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN THE INCIDENT OF CRIME IN A HIGHER CLEARANCE RATE. WE ALSO SEEK TO ADD FOUR OFFICERS TO THE CENTRAL EAST AREA COMMAND AND SIX OFFICERS TO THE SOUTHEAST AREA COMMAND TO INCREASE NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY AND REDUCE CRIME. TO REDUCE VIOLENT CRIME, WE ANTICIPATE ADDING TWO DETECTIVES TO INVESTIGATE FAMILY VIOLENCE CASES AND ONE DETECTIVE TO INVESTIGATE FIRE ARMS VIOLATION. ONE OF THE REASONS OF OUR SUCCESS IS CLEARLY OUR ABILITY TO WORK CLOSELY WITH OTHER AGENCIES, TAKING, FOR EXAMPLE, THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WILL WORK WITH FIREARM VIOLATIONS. THE FEDERAL FIREARM VIOLATION STATUTES ARE VERY SEVERE FOR CAREER CRIMINALS. WE ANTICIPATE BEING VERY ACTIVE IN WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES IN PROSECUTING CAREER CRIMINALS WHO POSSESS FIREARMS. CONTINUING WITH THE STRATEGIES, WE ANTICIPATE REDEPLOYING FIVE OFFICERS, ONE WHICH WILL BE UPGRADED TO A SERGEANT'S POSITION FOR SUPERVISION TO THE "SAFE AT ANY TIME" DOWNTOWN INITIATIVE TO INCREASE ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES AND IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF RESIDENTS LIVING DOWNTOWN. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE WORK OF THE CENTRAL WEST COMMAND UNDER COMMANDER ROBERT GROSS. THEY RECENTLY COMPLETED A SWEEP THROUGH THE CREEK BEDS, RUNNING DOWNTOWN ALL THE WAY UP TO THE I-35 CORRIDOR. CLEANING THEM OUT, GETTING OTHER AGENCIES, VOLUNTEERS, OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO WORK WITH THEM, MOVING THE ENCAMPMENTS OUT, GETTING TRASHED PICKED UP. WE BELIEVE THAT WILL HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT DOWNTOWN AS WELL AS ARRESTING PEOPLE WHO ARE DRUNK AND DISORDERLY AND WHO BURGLARIZE CARS. THIS ALSO PROVIDES VEHICLE, EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED PROBLEM SOLVING. WE PLAN TO EVALUATE AND IMPROVE PROCESSES THAT PROVIDE GREATER PROBLEM SOLVING EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS. WE ENHANCE FOCUS ON CAREER CRIMINALS AND INCREASE ARRESTS RELATED TO PROBLEM SOLVING EFFORTS. I GUESS THAT'S THE PRELUDE TO GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET. THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S MISSION IS TO PROTECT AND SERVE AUSTIN'S DIVERSE COMMUNITY SO THAT RESIDENTS AND VISITORS FEEL SAFE AND ARE SAFE. OUR GOALS, TO BE RECOGNIZED AS THE MOST PROFESSIONAL POLICE ORGANIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES. IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, BECOME ONE OF THE 10 SAFEST MAJOR CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. IMPROVE THE TRUST AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY, RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND POLICE OFFICERS. REDUCE CRIME, THE FEAR OF CRIME AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR AUSTIN RESIDENTS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS COMPARED TO MAJOR CITIES, THOSE ARE CITIES OVER 250,000 IN THE UNITED STATES, I BELIEVE THERE ARE 64 OF THEM, WE ARE CURRENTLY AT 27. OUR TARGET IS TO REACH NO. 20 IN -- IN FAZCAL YEAR 2000. I CAN TELL YOU -- FISCAL YEAR 2000. I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS WITH REGARD TO VIOLENT CRIME. I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE NUMBER 5 AMONG MAJOR CITIES WITH REGARD TO THE NUMBER OF VIOLENT CRIMES PER THOUSAND POPULATION. BUT OVERALL OUR GOAL IS TO BE NO. 20. WHEN I WAS APPOINTED CHIEF IN OCTOBER OF '97, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS A KEY PROBLEM WITH REGARD TO COMMITTING THE RESOURCES OF THE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON CRIME AND QUALITY OF LIFE, WAS THE VACANCY FACTOR AND STAFF HAS WORKED DILIGENTLY, THAT SEEMS LIKE AN INCOMPLETE WORD, I DON'T KNOW REALLY HOW TO DESCRIBE IT -- TO BRING THIS DEPARTMENT UP TO FULL STAFFING BY THE GOALS THAT WE SET SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR. THIS CHART SHOWS THAT IN SEPTEMBER OF '97, WE WERE AT 90% STAFFING. AS WE WORK TOWARDS ACHIEVING 100% STAFFING, WE WILL ACHIEVE THAT GOAL IN SEPTEMBER OF 1999, AS YOU SEE IN APRIL, WE WILL DROP TO 98% STAFFING LEVEL, AS A RESULT OF RETIREMENTS AND THE FACT THAT IT TAKES 6 MONTHS TO TRAIN AN OFFICER IN THE ACADEMY, BUT BY SEPTEMBER OF THE YEAR 2000 WE WILL BE AT 100% STAFFING.
>>MAYOR WATSON: CHIEF, CAN YOU REMEMBER THE LAST TIME THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS AT 100% STAFFING? OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HERE, BUT I AM --
>> IT'S BEEN A MINIMUM OF 8 YEARS, THAT'S AS BEST WE CAN TELL.
>>MAYOR WATSON: ALL RIGHT.
>> YOU KNOW, THESE HAVE BEEN YEARS THERE'S BEEN INCREDIBLE GROWTH IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENTuADDITIONAL BURDEN PLACED ON THE RECRUITING STAFF.
>>MAYOR WATSON: AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROPOSALS AS I UNDERSTAND IT, NOT ONLY WOULD IT PUT US AT FULL STAFFING, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANT TO ASK ABOUT. ONE IS IT WOULD PUT US AT FULL STAFFING BY SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HASN'T HAPPENED FOR A MINIMUM OF 8 YEARS. IT ALSO WILL HAVE OCCURRED DURING AT LEAST DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS IN A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE WE SAW ANNEXATIONS OF, YOU KNOW, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, BUT AS PART OF THIS BUDGET PROCESS THE COWBOY MADE THE DECISION THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO -- THE COUNCIL MADE THE DECISION IT WASN'T GOING TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS PER THOUSAND, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ANNEXING CLOSE TO 30,000 PEOPLE; IS THAT CORRECT?
>> YES, SIR.
>>MAYOR WATSON: ANOTHER PART OF ALL OF THAT IS THAT AS PART OF THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, IN ORDER TO STAY AT FULL STRENGTH, THERE IS A -- THERE'S BUDGETED AN AMOUNT THAT WOULD -- THAT WOULD BRING ON ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS, EVEN ONCE WE HAD AUTHORIZED STRENGTH TO TRY TO KEEP UP WITH GROWTH SO WE CAN STAY AT JUST UNDER --
>> YES, MR. MAYOR. THE PROPOSAL IS -- IS TO ADD 25 OFFICER POSITIONS IN ANTICIPATION OF CONTINUED GROWTH IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
>>MAYOR WATSON: THANK YOU, SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU.
>> ONE OF THE AREAS OF CONCERN, ACTUALLY ONE OF THE -- YOU KNOW, WHEN I GO OUT AND MEET WITH FOLKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE WHEN I GOT HERE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT BURGLARIES AND ROBBERIES AND BOOM BOXES AND KIDS URINATING IN THEIR FRONT YARD. NOW MANY TIMES I AM ASKED QUESTIONS CONCERNING TRAFFIC WITH CONCERNS WITH SPEEDERS AND SO FORTH AND SO ON. I THINK PART OF THAT IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON SOME OF THEIR OTHER PROBLEMS, CERTAINLY TRAFFIC IS AN AREA THAT IS OF CONCERN TO US AS WELL AS I REALIZE TO THE CITY COUNCILL. TRAFFIC FATALITIES PER 100,000 POPULATION. THIS CHART SHOWS CURRENTLY IN 1999 WE ESTIMATE THAT IT WILL BE 10.8 PERSONS PER 100,000 POPULATIONS. OUR TARGET IS 10. I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO EXCEED THAT TARGET. WE WILL BE BELOW 10. WE WILL BE PUTTING A GREAT -- PUTTING FORTH A GREAT EFFORT TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE THINGS THAT CAUSE TRAFFIC COLLISIONS WHICH KILL PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. IF YOU LOOK AT THE FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE POLICE BUDGET, YOU WILL NOTE THAT THE POLICE BUDGET IS MADE UP PRIMARILY OF GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, 107.65 MILLION. WE HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL IN ACHIEVING A NUMBER OF GRANTS WHICH ALLOWS US TO SUPPLEMENT GENERAL FUND DOLLARS. WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE FLOW OF FUNDING FROM ASSET FORFEITURE IS ON THE DECLINE AND WILL CONTINUE ON THE DECLINE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WE ARE ONLY ANTICIPATING ONE-HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN THE AREA OF REVENUE AND ASSET FORFEITURE. WHILE REIMBURSEMENTS OR AT .8 MILLION, THOSE ARE MADE UP OF REIMBURSED OVERTIME AND COOPERATIVE EFFORTS WITH THE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES, FOR INSTANCE, AS WELL AS DOWNTOWN ACTIVITIES. RESTITUTION AND CLAIMS. WE ALSO HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING FOR POLICE LIAISON AND ALSO FROM TRAVIS COUNTY AND CAPCO FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE 911 SYSTEM. THE GENERAL FUND OPERATING BUDGET OF 107.65 MILLION, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, YOU WILL SEE THAT 50% OF THE FUNDING ACTUALLY GOES DIRECTLY INTO RESOURCES THAT WORK WITH NEIGHBORHOODS AND BUSINESSES ON A DAILY BASIS. THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS. AS YOU REMEMBER IN JANUARY WE INCREASED THE SIZE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND WE DID SO IN A RECENT REORGANIZATION. NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING SUPPORT, WHICH IS 32% OF THE BUDGET INCLUDED COMMUNICATIONS, VICTIMS SERVICES, OPERATION SUPPORT, CENTRALIZED INVESTIGATION, WHICH IS ROBBERY, HOMICIDE, ORGANIZED AUTO THEFT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILD ABUSE. OR FORENSIC SCIENCE SERVICES, THE ORGANIZED CRIME UNIT AND SPECIAL OPERATIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER A FEW OF THE BUDGET CHANGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2000. AGAIN, I WANT TO STRESS THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED POLICING CONCEPT IS IN A MATURING STATE. IT'S EVOLVING AS WE IDENTIFY NEW PROBLEMS AND MOVE ON RESOLVING THOSE PROBLEMS. WE JUST COMPLETED A SIGNIFICANT INTERNAL AFFAIRS REORGANIZATION, AS I STATED PREVIOUSLY. WE HAVE ASSIGNED INVESTIGATION OF ALL COMPLAINTS OF POLICE MISCONDUCT TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS. WE ADDED SIX FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND SET NEW PERFORMANCE TARGETS FOR SPEEDIER INVESTIGATIONS. WE HAVE INSTITUTED AN APPEALS PROCESS WHEREBY COMPLAINANTS MAY APPEAL DECISIONS THEY ARE NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH TO THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE ADDED MORE INTERVIEW COMPLAINT RESOLUTION ROOMS AND IMPROVED CONCLUDES FOR COMPLAINANTS AND WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A NEW COMPLAINT MEDIATION PROCESS THIS SUMMER. THIS BUDGET ALSO MAINTENANCE 100% STAFFING OF AUTHORIZED SWORN STRENGTH BY THE FISCAL YEAR END OF YEAR 2000. IT ADDS 25 FEDERAL GRANT FUNDED POLICE OFFICERS AND RELATED EQUIPMENT TO MAINTAIN 1.9 OFFICERS PER THOUSAND RESIDENTS. IT INCREASES CITY'S MATCH FOR 105 EXISTING GRANLT FUND OFFICERS AS THE GRANT FUNDS ON THOSE MULTI YEAR GRANT RUN OUT. IT INCLUDES FUNDING FOR THE THIRD YEAR ECONOMIC INCENTIVE PACKAGE CONTAINED IN THE POLICE MEET AND CONFER CONTRACT. AND IT CONTINUES THE COMMUNITY RECONCILIATION EFFORT. THIS BUDGET WILL ALLOW US TO PURCHASE 70 VIDEO CAMERAS FOR PATROL CARS WHICH WILL MEAN THAT 100 CAMERAS WILL BE INSTALLED, WHICH IS ALMOST 50% OF THE PATROL FLEET. IT IMPROVES BOTH CADET AND IN-SERVICE TRAINING TO EMPHASIZE PROBLEM SOLVING, DIVERSITY AWARENESS IN ADDITION TO LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT. IMPLEMENTS PROJECT HOPE BY ASSIGNING OFFICERS AND COUNSELORS TO AT RISK ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THAT IS ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I THINK WILL BE EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL. CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAMS, RECRUIT POLICE CANDIDATES TO MATCH COMMUNITY DIVERSITY. THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET CHANGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2000. IT ADDS -- SHOWS A NET TOTAL OF 28 CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING THE CONVERSION OF 10 GRANT FUNDED EMPLOYEES TO PERMANENT STATUS. ONE OF THE MORE SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS IN THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN THE COMMUNITY LIAISON OFFICE. WHICH HAS REALLY HELPED TO BUILD BRIDGES WITH ALL ASPECTS OF THE COMMUNITY, BOTH IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. ALSO, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE CAN OPERATE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY WITH 1.9 OFFICERS IS THE FACT THAT WE DIVERT A NUMBER OF OUR CALLS INTO TELESERVE, THOSE REPORTS ARE TAKEN OVER THE TELEPHONE WHICH FREES UP THE OFFICER TO DO MORE PROACTIVE PROBLEM SOLVING. OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE HAVE HE INCREASED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BY NEARLY 10%. WE HAVE NOT CORRESPONDINGLY INCREASED THE NUMBER OF CIVILIAN SUPPORT PERSONNEL. THOSE -- THE 10% INCREASE IN SWORN STAFF GENERATE ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD WHICH MUST BE PROCESSED, MONITORED, BY NON-SWORN PERSONNEL. THIS YEAR WE HAVE ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL CIVILIAN PERSONNEL TO MORE EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT PATROL OPERATIONS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE TRANSFERRED THREE POSITIONS, TWO COMPUTER PROGRAMMING SUPPORT PERSONNEL, ISO, AND WE HAVE ALSO TRANSFERRED A NEIGHBORHOOD LIAISON POSITION TO NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING TO ACT AS SUPPORT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PROGRAM. THERE WILL BE ONE REDUCTION, THAT IS CURRENTLY WE HAVE TWO CIVILIAN FIREARM INSTRUCTORS. THAT TASK WILL BE TAKEN OVER BY THE TRAINING, THE SWORN TRAINING STAFF AT THE ACADEMY. ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS WILL BE RECLASSIFIED TO AN ARMOR AND ONE POSITION WILL BE ELIMINATED. [ONE MOMENT PLEASE, CAPTIONERS CHANGE] FOR THE NON-PATROL PERSONNEL. THREE ADDITIONAL MOTORCYCLES. WE -- THREE OF THE INDIVIDUALS ASSIGNED TO SOUTHEAST WILL BE PATROL COMMAND, WILL BE MOT OFFICERS, AND THESE MOTORCYCLES WILL SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR ACTIVITIES. LAPTOP AND RADIOS. THE 70 PATROL VIDEO CAMERAS ARE APPROXIMATELY $373,000. THERE IS ALSO 1.1 MILLION IN EQUIPMENT FOR EXISTING POSITIONS. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE HAVING IS, QUITE HONESTLY, IS THAT OUR HAND-HELD RADIOS, MANY OF THEM ARE IN THE -- ACTUALLY SOME OF THEM ARE FROM THE LATE '70'S AND EARLY 780'S. THEY HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THAT'S $275,000. THAT IS AN OFFICER SAFETY ISSUE AND WE'RE PLEASED THAT THE MONEY IS IN THE BUDGET. WE ALSO IN EFFORT TO IMPROVE OUR ENFORCEMENT, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, NEED TO REPLACE OUTDATED RADAR GUNS. OF COURSE, SHOT DUNCE AND -- GUNS AND PATROL LIGHT BARS ARE NOT PART OF THAT PROGRAM. WE HAVE SOME SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT FOR SWAT, BOMB SQUAD AND MOUNTED PATROL AS WELL AS FOR NARCOTICS, THE CRIME LAP AND -- LAB AND SOME GRANT MATCHES FOR TECHNOLOGY PURCHASES FOR THE CRIME LAB. OUR CAPITAL BUDGET USES $4.2 MILLION OF PREVIOUS APPROPRIATION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE SOUTH SUBSTATION PROJECT. WITH THE HELP OF PUBLIC WORKS, THAT PROGRAM IS UP AND RUNNING. THE CONSTRUCTION AWARD IS EXPECTED IN NOVEMBER 1999. THE COMPLETION DATE IN NOVEMBER OF THE YEAR 2000. IT AUTHORIZES $1.94 MILLION IN NEW APPROPRIATIONS TO BEGIN DESIGN FOR THE NEW FORENSIC FACILITY. THE FORENSIC FACILITY IS A KEY TO OUR CONTINUED SUCCESS IN REDUCTION, I BELIEVE, IN VIOLENT CRIME. APPROPRIATIONS OF 200,000 IN CASH FUNDING TO RENOVATE THE ENTRANCE AND FIRST FLOOR OF THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SAFETY. IF YOU HAVE EVER WALKED INTO THE HEADQUARTERS, OF THE POLICE BUILDING IT IS NOT A COMMUNITY POLICING FACILITY AND IT IS NOT A SAFE FACILITY, AND THIS 200,000 WILL GO A LONG WAYS TOWARDS MEETING BOTH OF THOSE PROBLEMS. IT DRAUSZ 364,000 IN CIP INTEREST FOR BUILDING REPAIRS AND UPGRADES FOR TEMPORARY RELOCATION OF THE CENTRAL COMMAND FROM THEIR CURRENT SPRINGDALE LOCATION. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
>>MAYOR WATSON: COUNCIL, ANY QUESTIONS? YES, COUNCILMEMBER SLUSHER.
>>SLUSHER: YEAH, CHIEF, I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE CONTINUED PROGRESS OR ON THESE CHARTS REALLY LOOK GOOD AS FAR AS THE DIRECTION IN CRIME, THE ACCIDENTS. LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT ONE OF THEM ON PAGE 7 08, THE TRAFFIC FATALITIES PER 100,000. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN DO IT OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, BUT I WOULD LIKE THE ACTUAL NUMBERS ON THOSE RATHER THAN JUST THE PERCENTAGE --
>> AS OF 1996, WE HAD 63. '97, 56. '98, 69. IT'S ESTIMATED IN '99, 66. OUR TARGET FOR YEAR 2000 IS 62.
>>SLUSHER: OKAY.
>> ONE OF THE GOOD POINTS, COUNCILMEMBER SLUSHER IS THAT WE ESTIMATED THAT ALMOST 70% OF THE TRAFFIC FATALITIES IN '97 WERE AS A RESULT OF DWI'S. WE NOW SEE THAT ONLY ABOUT 30% OF THEM ARE DWI RELATED, ALCOHOL RELATED. SO WHILE WE'VE MADE SOME IMPROVEMENT IN THAT AREA, WE STILL HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF WORK TO DO.
>>SLUSHER: OKAY. ALSO ON PAGE 7 08 IN THE TEXT YOU TALK ABOUT THE FREEWAY, HIGHWAY ENFORCEMENT UNIT. COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THAT UNIT?
>> PREVIOUSLY, COUNCIL, IN -- PREVIOUSLY COUNCIL IN EARLIER YEARS HAD ESTABLISHED A LICENSE AND WEIGHT UNIT. WHAT WE HAD DONE IN THE REORGANIZATION IS EXPANDED THEIR DUTIES AND GAVE THEM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FREEWAYS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. THERE ARE 18 OFFICERS AND TWO SERGEANTS. THEY WORK VARYING SHIFTS AND THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEALING WITH THE HAZARDS, DEALING WITH THE PROBLEMS AND DEALING WITH THE ENFORCEMENT ON THE FREEWAYS.
>>SLUSHER: OKAY. I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT IT WAS. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING. THIS CAME TO MY ATTENTION ABOUT A PROGRAM IN WASHINGTON STATE AND IT'S A STATE POLICE PROGRAM WHERE THEY HAVE IT CALLED THE AGGRESSIVE DRIVER UNIT AND THEY HAVE UNMARKED CARS OUT AND -- IN THEIR TRAFFIC UNITS AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE DRIVING AGGRESSIVELY, TAILGATING, THIS STUFF. ANYBODY ON THE STREETS AROUND HERE DRIVES AROUND IN AUSTIN WOULD KNOW THE KIND OF THING I'M TALKING ABOUT. I WAS WONDERING IF WE HAVE ANYTHING THAT APPROXIMATES THTHTHTHAT AND IF NOT WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO LOOK AT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
>> LET ME LOOK AT THEIR PROGRAM. WE DO HAVE UNMARKED CARS IN THIS UNIT. IF SOME OF YOU DRIVE ON MOPAC NORTH OF FAR WEST, YOU OCCASIONALLY SEE HIM PARKED THERE IN THE DIVIDER. BUT LET ME LOOK AT THEIR PROGRAM AND I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
>>SLUSHER: OKAY. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. ARE WE -- AS FAR AS OUR ENFORCEMENT, ARE WE DOING THINGS, ARE WE GIVING MORE TICKETS, FOR EXAMPLE, TAILGATING, THEN IS THAT GOING UP? BECAUSE I KNOW CERTAINLY THE TAILGATING AMONG DRIVERS IN THE CITY IS -- HAS CERTAINLY INCREASED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
>> I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE GIVING MORE TICKETS FOR TAILGATING. WE GIVE OUT ABOUT A QUARTER MILLION TICKETS A YEAR. I'M NOT SURE, COUNCILMAN SLUSHER THAT PURE ENFORCEMENT IS THE ANSWER HERE AND I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BEING THE LEAD AGENCY, ON MAKING THIS A COMMUNITY CONCERN. I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS TO BE OUTRAGED AT THE FACT THEY ARE LOSING OVER 60 CITIZENS A YEAR ON THE ROADWAYS AND BEGIN TO SAY I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO DRIVE BETTER. AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOLS WITH YOUNG DRIVERS AS WELL AS SOME ENFORCEMENT TECHNIQUES. QUITE HONESTLY, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECEIVED TICKETS AND WHO FAILED TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB AT TRYING TO PICK THOSE FOLKS UP. WE HAVE A NEW PROGRAM NOW WHERE THOSE TICKETS GO TO THE STATE AND THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RENEW THEIR LICENSES. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HUNT DOWN THOSE PEOPLE WITH MORE THAN ONE TICKET, TWO OR THREE TICKETS, WHEREVER THEY ARE, AND BRING THEM TO JUSTICE HERE IN AUSTIN IF THEY ARE DRIVING THAT BADLY. SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT THIS YEAR WE'LL BE TAKING A VERY INTENSE LOOK AT. THINGS THAT WE THINK BESIDES JUST WRITING TICKETS THAT CAN BE EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO THE SAFETY OF OTHER DRIVERS.
>>SLUSHER: OKAY. AND I'M SURE YOU WILL LET THE COUNCIL KNOW IF WE CAN HELP IN ANY WAY WITH THAT. I AGREE WITH YOU THAT MORE EDUCATION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAMS, I THINK A LOT OF THE PUBLIC WOULD SUPPORT THAT SORT OF THING. LET ME SHIFT TO THE FACILITY AT TRAVIS COUNTY, THE BOOKING FACILITY. FRANKLY, I'M CONCERNED THAT SOME OF THE COST OVERRUNS AT THAT FACILITY MIGHT EVENTUALLY AND NOT EVEN THAT FAR, NOT THAT SLOWLY, WOULD BE PASSED ALONG TO THE CITY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE MIGHT LOOK AT. AND I THINK PROBABLY SOME OF THE OTHER COUNCILMEMBERS WOULD AGREE AND I WOULD ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO LOOK AT THIS. LET ME MAKE THAT MORE FORMAL RIGHT NOW.
>> WE CAN DO THAT.
>>SLUSHER: OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS, MAYOR.
>>MAYOR WATSON: ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE CHIEF? COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS?
>>GOODMAN: ME TOO, MAYOR.
>>LEWIS: YOU MENTION IN THE REPORT THAT THE CRIME RATE IS DOWN AND THE CRIME RATE HAS DECREASE TO DO SOME DEGREE IN THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS. WOULD YOU THINK OR WOULD YOU SAY THAT PART OF THAT IS DUE TO THE INCREASE IN THE ECONOMY? ESPECIALLY AS FAR AS PROPERTY CRIMES GO?
>> WELL, IF YOU ARE ASKING ME, I WOULD SAY IT'S LEADERSHIP. [LAUGHTER].
>>LEWIS: ALL RIGHT. WELL, I'M ASKING. [LAUGHTER].
>> LET ME -- I WAS ASKED THIS QUESTION -- I'M ATONEDDING A STATE MANDATED CLASS FOR CHIEFS OF POLICE IN HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS, AND I WAS ASKED THIS QUESTION, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN YOU PUT AWAY -- WHEN YOU SEND BACK TO PRISON OVER 200 CAREER CRIMINALS WHO COMMIT CRIMES VIRTUALLY EVERY DAY OF THE [INAUDIBLE] I THINK YOU HAVE AN IMPACT. WHEN YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS REALLY FOCUSED ON PUTTING THE RESOURCES IN THE AREAS WHERE THEY WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF CATCHING CRIMINALS AND FOLLOWING THAT UP BY IMPROVING OR RESOLVING THE ISSUES THAT ALLOW CRIMINALS TO MEET THERE AND TO PLAN AND TO EXECUTE THEIR CRIMES, I THINK YOU CAN REDUCE CRIME. CERTAINLY ECONOMICS HAS A FACTOR, BUT WE ACTUALLY IF YOU LOOK BACK IN THE PAST DURING TIMES OF ECONOMIC RECESSION, CRIME ACTUALLY DECREASED. AND SO -- BUT I THINK THAT DOES HAVE AN EFFECT. I THINK ALSO A SENSE OF COMMUNITY HAS AN EFFECT ON CRIME. SO I THINK IT'S A NUMBER OF THINGS.
>>LEWIS: ALL RIGHT. I HAVE JUST TWO OTHER QUESTIONS. ONE IS I NOTICE DURING THE ANNEXATION LAST YEAR WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WAS ANNEXED SPEAKING OF THE NUMBER OF PATROLS THAT THEY HAD AND THE FEAR OF LOSING THOSE -- THE PATROLS WHEN THEY BECOME PART OF THE CITY. AND DOING SOME CHECKING I FOUND OUT THAT MOST OF THOSE PATROLS WASN'T REALLY PATROLLING, BUT IT WAS PEOPLE THAT LIVED IN THE AREA GOING TO AND FROM WORK IN PATROL CARS. SO THEY SAW A LOT OF PATROLS AND IN FACT THEY MAY ONLY HAVE ONE PATROL A DAY, BUT IF ONE OF THEIR NEIGHBORS WAS A PATROLMAN WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND HE WENT TO WORK AND THEN WENT HOME FOR LUNCH AND BACK TO WORK AND BACK HOME IN THE AFTERNOON, THEY ACTUALLY SAW FIVE PATROL CARS, THERE WAS A CHANCE TO SEE FIVE PATROL CARS IN THE AREA DURING THE DAY WITH ONLY ONE PATROL. SO DO YOU THINK THAT JUST THE SHEER NUMBER OF CARS HAVE PEOPLE -- HAVE PEOPLE REDUCED THEIR FEAR OR INCREASED THEIR SATISFACTION OF -- WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE MORE CARS YOU HAVE OUT THERE -- AND WE WAS TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT'S CAUSING FATALITIES, JUST THE SHEER NUMBER OF CARS ON THE ROAD, DO YOU THINK THAT THAT WOULD HELP DO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT WHEN YOU SEE A POLICE CAR YOU FEEL A SENSE OF SECURITY. IN FACT, POLICE FOR DECADES AND AUSTIN MAY EVEN BE DOING IT, HAVE PARKED POLICE CARS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SPEEDING, JUST PARKED IN IT -- JUST PARKED AN EMPTY PATROL CAR AND PEOPLE HAVE SLOWED DOWN. I THINK THAT SEEING POLICE CARS ADDS TO THE SENSE OF FEELING OF SECURITY, YES, YOU ARE RIGHT.
>>LEWIS: YEAH, WE GET THAT IN TUCSON, ARIZONA IN THE '70'S. WE HAD A HIGH NUMBER OF ROBBERIES AT CIRCLE K'S AND 7-11'S AND JUST TO SHOW MORE POLICE CARS, PATROL MEN WOULD TAKE THE POLICE CARS OUT AND PARK THEM AT NIGHT AND OUR ROBBERY RATE WENT DOWN 50% AT THESE PLACES. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE -- SINCE THE ANNEXATION, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PATROLS IN THE AREA. SO THAT'S THE REASON I WAS ASKING THAT. TWO OTHER QUESTIONS. ONE IS THE ABANDONED VEHICLE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OR I THINK THAT'S HIS TITLE. ARE WE GOING TO DIVERSIFY THAT AND PUT IT MORE INTO THE HANDS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD POLICE, THE OFFICERS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING, OR IS IT GOING TO BE REMAIN CENTRALIZED.
>> ACTUALLY THE ABANDONED VEHICLE -- THE ABANDONED VEHICLE PROBLEM IS IN FACT A PROBLEM FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. IN SOME INSTANCES IT CAN TAKE UP TO 60 DAYS TO GET AN ABANDONED VEHICLE OFF THE STREET. WE THINK THAT THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. WE ARE LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, ONE OF WHICH WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD HAVE VOLUNTEERS, UP TO 100, SPREAD OUT AMONG THE SIX AREA COMMANDS WHO WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MARKING THE VEHICLES, DRIVING BY TO SEE IF THEY ARE STILL THERE AFTER SEVERAL DAYS AND DOING ALL THE PAPERWORK AND THE REPORTING PROCESS, AND THEN HAVING A CITY EMPLOYEE COME DOWN AND HAVE THE CAR TOWED AWAY. SO WE -- WE ANTICIPATE WITH THE NEW TOW COMPANY CONTRACT THAT THAT -- OUR GOAL IS THAT EVERY CAR THAT IS IN FACT ABANDONED WILL BE TOWED WITHIN 14 DAYS. MY PERSONAL GOAL IS SEVEN DAYS. AND WE'LL BE -- WE'LL BE REORGANIZING THAT TASK TO MEET THOSE GOALS.
>>LEWIS: THE -- I THINK THE -- HE-NOW THAT I REMEMBER, THE TITLE IS NUISANCE ABANDON VEHICLES AND I WAS TALKING TO THE OFFICER AND HE SAID PART OF HIS TIME WAS SPENT INPUTTING DATA INTO THE COMPUTER, SO I SUGGESTED THAT HE EITHER GET A SECRETARY OR A LAPTOP. SO IS PART OF -- AND I WAS LOOKING IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU HAVE MONEY SET ASIDE FOR COMPUTERS. SO THAT WAS MY SUGGESTION TO HIM THAT HE EITHER GET A SECRETARY OR ASK FOR VOLUNTEERS BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE COMPUTERS THAT WOULDN'T MIND COMING DOWN VOLUNTEERING A FEW HOURS A WEEK TO HELP THEM INPUT THE INFORMATION. THE OTHER -- MY OTHER QUESTION IS CONCERNING GRAFFITI. I NOTICE THAT IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO THE AMOUNT OF GRAFFITI HAS DECREASED, BUT IT'S STILL QUITE A BIT OUT THERE. ARE WE PUTTING -- DO WE HAVE ANY PROGRAMS IN EFFECT TO FURTHER DECREASE GRAFFITI IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS?
>> WELL, THE REMOVAL OF GRAFFITI IS THERE ARE TWO PROGRAMS, ONE RUN BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND I THINK ONE RUN BY PARKS AND RECREATION THAT ACTUALLY GET OUT THERE AND REMOVE THE GRAFFITI. AS FAR AS TAKING GRAFFITI AS A CRIME, EACH OF THE AREA COMMAND HAS PEOPLE THAT ARE ASSIGNED THOSE CASES AND FOLLOW UP ON THOSE CASES.
>>LEWIS: ALL RIGHT. WELL, THE -- THE ONE ITEM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ESPECIALLY IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST AUSTIN IS THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE SOME ACTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FUNDING IS IN PLACE FOR THESE TWO PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY ABANDONED VEHICLES AND GRAFFITI REMOVAL. SO THAT'S ALL OF MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, CHIEF. AND LET ME SAY THAT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, OF COURSE I HADN'T RECEIVED A TICKET, BUT THANK GOODNESS, NOW, I'VE BEEN STOPPED ONCE BY A MOTORCYCLE PATROL, BUT I DIDN'T GET A TICKET, BUT I THINK THAT THE POLICE IS DOING A JOB THAT -- WITH A DIFFERENT ATTITUDE, I WOULD SAY THAT, AND I THINK FROM TALKING TO PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN AND IN CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN, THEY HAVE A LITTLE DIFFERENT ATTITUDE TOWARD POLICE THAN THEY HAD A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF AGO. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT TO THE OFFICERS AND SAY THANK YOU.
>>GOODMAN: COUNCILMEMBER SPELMAN.
>>SPELMAN: MAYOR PRO TEM, WE ALL HAVE OUR KEY INDICATORS. COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, I'M UNCERTAIN AS TO WHETHER IT'S A CHANGE IN ATTITUDE ON POLICE OFFICERS' PART OR MAYBE IT'S WHEN YOU FLASH THAT BADGE AT THEM THAT HAD AN EFFECT. MY OWN KEY INDICATOR IS THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE CHIEFS MENTIONED THE WORDS PROBLEM SOLVING AND I'M PLEASED TO FIND ON THAT INDICATOR YOU WERE OFF THE CHARTS. I'M HAPPY ABOUT THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER KEY INDICATORS YOU MENTIONED IN THE POLICY BUDGET AND AGAIN WE JUST GOT THE BUDGET A FEW MINUTES AGO. LET ME PAIL OFF OF COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS'S QUESTION JUST FOR A MINUTE. I REALIZE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DRAW A CORRELATION BETWEEN PROPERTY CRIME RATES, VIOLENT CRIME RATES AND POLICE DIFTSZ AND I REALIZES THERE IS AN IMPORTANT ROLE OF POLICE LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS ROLE OF THE ECONOMY, COMMUNITY FEELINGS AND SO ON. IS THERE ANYTHING -- HAS ANYTHING BEEN DONE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO DRAW A CORRELATION OR TO MAKE SOME SORT OF A SPECIFIC RELATIONSHIP, DRAW SOME SORT OF SPECIFIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPECIFIC POLICE PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES ON THE ONE HAND, AND NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME RATES ON THE OTHER? IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN BE FAIRLY SURE IS TRUE?
>> WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. I CAN TELL YOU THAT -- I THINK WE CAN PRODUCE SOME MATERIAL FOR YOU. I THINK CLEARLY, FOR INSTANCE, OUR NARCOTICS UNIT HAS MADE THE NEIGHBORHOOD DRUG DEALER THE PRIMARY TARGET AND NOT THE 16 WHEELER THAT IS DRIVING UP FROM HOUSTON TO KANSAS CITY, EVEN THOUGH WE DO FOCUS ON THOSE ON OCCASION. IT IS THE NICKEL AND DIME DEALER THAT CAUSES THE MOST PROBLEMS, DETERIORATES THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HAVE WORKED FAR MORE DILIGENTLY WITH GETTING BUSINESSES, MOTELS, BARS, RESTAURANTS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OR THE IMPACT THEIR BUSINESSES HAVE ON THE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND --. [LOUD NOISE]. I AM TELLING THE TRUTH. SO I THINK THAT WE -- THERE ARE SOME THINGS, FOR INSTANCE, WITH THE DECENTRAL DAYS, IF YOU NOTICED -- DECENTRALIZATION, IF YOU NOTICED IN THE TARA LIPINSKI THERE WAS A SMALL WARNING ON BURGLARIES, RUDY HAS BEEN WORKING THIS DAYTIME GANG OF BURGLARS AND HAS MANAGED TO ARREST A NUMBER OF THEM, BUT THEIR ASSOCIATES CONTINUED TO OPERATE SO HE IS DILIGENTLY PUTTING OUT THE WORD IF YOU SEE SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE, YOU NEED TO CALL US AND HE'S GOT HIS STREET RESPONSE UNIT WORKING ON THAT. SO I THINK WE CAN PULL TOGETHER SOME ACTIONS AND RESULTS SPORE FOR YOU.
>>SPELMAN: IN THE -- AT LEAST -- AT LEAST AS FAR AS THE POLICY BUDGET, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT IS BY NO MEANS CONFINED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SEEMS TO BE WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AS WE'RE WORKING ON BUSINESS PLANS AND TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF HOW TO USE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS IS THE TIE BETWEEN THE INPUTS ON THE ONE HAND AND CHANGES IN THE BUDGET AND THE CHANGES IN THE KEY INDICATORS ON THE OTHER. AND I KNOW NOT AS WELL AS YOU DO, BUT I DO KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE IN POLICING IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE A STRONG TIE BETWEEN INFLUENCE AND OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES. ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE THAT TIE A LITTLE STRONGER IS GOING TO MAKE IT EASIER TO IMPROVE INPUTS AND MAKE THE INTELLIGENT DECISIONS SO WE CAN PROVE THOSE -- IMPROVE OUTCOMES. JUST A COUPLE OF OTHERS. YOU HAVE A KEY INDICATOR HERE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE DIVERSITY OF CADET TRAINING CLASSES. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THAT?
>> WELL, WE HAVE SET GOALS THAT THE DIVERSITY CLASS, EACH BUDGET YEAR, WILL REFLECT THE MAKEUP OF THE COMMUNITY. SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE HAVE SAID THAT, FOR INSTANCE, WE GET ENOUGH MALE WHITES WALKING THROUGH OUR DOORS FILLING OUT APPLICATIONS. SO THE FOCUS OF THE RECRUITMENT EFFORT IS ON WOMEN AND MINORITIES. WE'VE DONE VERY, VERY WELL WITH AFRICAN-AMERICANS. WE'VE ALMOST DOUBLED, IF YOU LOOK AT THE -- OUR RESULTS WILL SHOW THAT I THINK WE'VE RECRUITED ABOUT 17% OF OUR CLASSES HAVE BEEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN. WE HAVE NOT DONE SO WELL WITH HISPANICS. WE'VE RECRUITED I THINK IT'S ONLY 17%, AND MANY OF THOSE ARE NOT BILINGUAL, SPANISH SPEAKING. WE'VE RECRUITED 4% ASIAN AND WE HAVE NOT MET OUR GOAL WITH REGARD TO FEMALES, ONLY 9% LAST YEAR. SO AFRICAN-AMERICAN WAS 19, WOMEN 9%. SO THE FOCUS OF THE RECRUITING EFFORT IS TO FOCUS ON THOSE THREE GROUPS AND YOU RECRUIT INDIVIDUALS AND THAT'S -- WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE THE MILITARY APPROACH WHERE WHEN MY SON MADE THE MISTAKE OF GOING INTO THE ARMY RECRUITER AS A SOPHOMORE FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS THAT INDIVIDUAL VISITED HIM EVERY SIX MONTHS AT HIGH SCHOOL AND SO WE WANT TO BE IN THAT SAME MODE.
>>SPELMAN: TOO BAD HE DIDN'T GO TALK TO THE BASKETBALL COACH.
>> YEAH.
>>SPELMAN: WITH RESPECT TO PRIORITY ONE CALLS AND AVERAGE RESPONSE TIMES, I NOTICE YOU HAVE A TARGET HERE OF REDUCING RESPONSE TIME FOR PRIORITY 1 CALLS BY ALMOST 30 SECONDS. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THAT? IF WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT FLAT LINING THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS PER THOUSAND, HOW IS THAT ACTUALLY GOING TO GO DOWN?
>> WELL, MECHANICALLY IN THE FIELD WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IS WE HAVE A CIVILIAN PROPERTY CRIMES REPORT UNIT THAT NOW TAKES ABOUT 7% OF ALL OF OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE. SO THAT RELIEVES A GREAT -- THAT FREES UP A GREAT DEAL OF TIME FOR PATROL OFFICERS TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PRIORITY 1. BUT CLEARLY ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IN THIS CITY IS NEARLY 50% OF ALL OF OUR CALLS THAT COME IN WE CLASSIFY AS PRIORITY 1. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S A HANG-UP AT A -- SOMEBODY WALKING BY A PAY PHONE AND PUNCHING IN 911 AT A BIGS I INTERSECTION. WE RESPOND TO THAT AS A PRIORITY 1. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS TO IDENTIFY, CLEARLY IDENTIFY THOSE CALLS THAT ARE TRULY ONES THAT WE HAVE TO GET THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AND THAT MAY MEAN CALLING OFFICERS OFF OTHER CALLS AND SENDING THEM, IT MAY MEAN SENDING MOTORS, IT MAY BE SAYING TO A DETECTIVE ENROUTE TO INTERVIEW A WNTION TO ANOTHER CRIME, YOU NEED TO GO OVER TO THAT AND STAND BYE UNTIL WE CAN GET AN OFFICER THERE. SO I THINK A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE IS IT WILL BE UP TO STRENGTH, AND WE REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW GOOD WE'LL BE, BUT I THINK WE WILL BE VERY, VERY GOOD WHEN WE'RE UP TO STRENGTH BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN THERE. WE'LL BE UP TO STRENGTH. WE ARE USING OUR CIVILIANS MORE EFFECTIVELY. AND I THINK THAT WE'LL BE CHANGING THE PHILOSOPHY ABOUT HOW WE PROCESS AND HOW WE RESPOND TO PRIORITY 1'S AND THE LAST THING WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT WHAT IS A PRIORITY 1 CALL.
>>SPELMAN: OKAY. CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE FOR HOW MANY -- OR HOW MANY CALLS FOR SERVICE WE CAN EXPECT WOULD BE PRIORITY 1'S OR IS IT TUCSON.
>> THE AVERAGE IS ABOUT 10%.
>>SPELMAN: AND YOU ARE SAYING RIGHT NOW ALMOST 50% ARE CLAD -- CLASSIFIED AS PRIORITY 1?
>> 30.
>>SPELMAN: TWO-THIRDS OF THE ONES WE'RE CURRENTLY CLASSIFYING AS PRIORITY 1 PROBABLY DON'T REQUIRE THAT IMMEDIATE KIND OF FIVE MINUTE, SIX MINUTE RESPONSE.
>> CORRECT.
>>SPELMAN: SO WE CAN GET THERE IN 15 MINUTES, WON'T HURT THINGS TOO MUCH. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS YOU ARE GOING TO LOOK AT.
>> YES. THAT'S ACTUALLY IN PROGRESS.
>>SPELMAN: LAST QUESTION. YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF CIVILIAN RESPONSE TO CALLS AS BEING A KEY INDICATOR. CURRENTLY TELESERVE IS HANDLING ABOUT 7%. CAN WE EXPECT AS THIS PRIORITIZATION CHANGE HAPPENS THAT PERCENTAGE IS GOING UP FROM 7% TO A HIGHER NUMBER?
>> WE'RE TAKING A CLOSE LOOK AT THAT. I THINK THAT IN THE '80'S WHEN TELESERVE UNITS WERE ORIGINATED, WE WERE GRAPPLING WITH A NUMBER OF ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY, RECESSION, LACK OF FUNDING, LACK OF EQUIPMENT. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY IMPERSONAL ABOUT HANDLING A BURGLARY CALL, FOR INSTANCE, OVER THE TELEPHONE. SO -- BUT WE NOW HAVE WHAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED TO BE A DOUBLE BARRELED SHOTGUN APPROACH. WE NOW HAVE CIVILIANS WHO CAN TAKE THE LESS SERIOUS REPORTS OVER THE TELEPHONE IN THE TELESERVE UNIT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE -- I BELIEVE THERE'S 21 CIVILIAN REPORT TAKERS IN THE FIELD THAT CAN ACTUALLY GO TO THE SCENE AND ARE TRAINED TO COLLECT EVIDENCE, IDENTIFY EVIDENCE, COLLECT EVIDENCE AND WRITE REPORTS. AND THOSE PROPERTY CRIME EVIDENCE TECHS CAN TAKE THOSE REPORTS. THE BOTTOM LINE IS OUR GOAL IS 50% OF A POLICE OFFICER'S TIME WILL NOT BE SPENT ANSWERING CALLS FOR SERVICE. IT WILL BE UNOBLIGATED TO DO OTHER THINGS.
>>SPELMAN: WHICH MEANS THE OFFICERS WILL BE WORKING WITH THEIR SERGEANT TO OBLIGATE THEIR OWN TIME ON PROJECTS THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS THEM TO BE DOING?
>> WE HOPE SO.
>>SPELMAN: OKAY. AND IF I CALL -- GOD FORBID I OR ANY OF MY NEIGHBORS CALL IN A BURGLARY OVER THE NEXT YEAR, IF IT'S NOT A SWORN POLICE OFFICER IN A UNIFORM BUT IS A CIVILIAN EVIDENCE TECHNICIAN, WE SHOULDN'T BE CONCERNED ABOUT LOSS IN SERVICE BECAUSE THE TECHNICIAN KNOWS JUST AS MUCH HOW TO TAKE THAT REPORT AS A SPORN OFFICER DOES?
>> ACTUALLY I THINK THE LEVEL OF SERVICE WILL ACTUALLY INCREASE. I CAN RECALL AS A PATROLMAN GETTING A CALL OF A BURGLARY AND NOT KNOWING HOW TO LIFT A PRINT, BUT GIVEN THIS PRINT BOX TO TRY AND DO IT. I NEVER FOUND A PRINT AT A BURGLARY SCENE. OUR EVIDENCE TECHS ARE HIGHLY TRAINED, THEY ARE VERY FOCUSED. THEY GET -- THEY ARE RECOGNIZE WHD THEY FIND A PRINT AT A SCENE AND IT GOES INTO THE COMPUTER AND COMES UP WITH A HIT. THAT IS THEIR WHOLE FOCUS. THAT IS THEIR REASON FOR BEING. SO I THINK THAT IT WILL ACTUALLY BE AN IMPROVED LEVEL OF SERVICE.
>>SPELMAN: OKAY. AT LEAST FOR SOME CALLS SUCH AS BURGLARY CALLS WHERE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IS IMPORTANT, MOVING TO EVIDENCE TECHNICIANS IS GOING TO IMPROVE SERVICE.
>> IT WOULD IMPROVE SERVICE, YES.
>>SPELMAN: THANK YOU, CHIEF.
>>GOODMAN: COUNCILMEMBER GARCIA.
>>GARCIA: THIS HAS TO DO, CHIEF, WITH THE DIVERSITY OF THE POLICE FORCE, AND I GOT THE PIE CHART ON THE POLICE CADETS WHICH LOOKS VERY ENCOURAGING. PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO AFRICAN-AMERICANS. THAT IS VERY, VERY ENCOURAGING. IT'S A LITTLE LOW ON THE HISPANIC SIDE AND WITH REGARD TO SPANS IX, THERE IS ONE OTHER CHARACTER SICK THAT I WANTED TO BRING OUT AND THAT IS THAT A LOT OF THE HISPANICS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE FORCE, THEY ARE COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE, THE VALLEY, SOUTH TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY IT IS THAT AUSTIN HISPANICS ARE NOT RECRUITED INTO THE POLICE FORCE. IS THERE SOME -- SOME OBSTACLE THAT IS STANDING IN THE WAY OF THEM COMING INTO THE POLICE FORCE?
>> I DON'T KNOW. I WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND BACK -- GIVE ME A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THAT, COUNCILMAN GARCIA, AND RESPOND BACK.
>>GARCIA: OKAY. THAT'S FINE. I DON'T -- I DON'T HAVE A DIVERSITY PIE CHART ON THE WHOLE POLICE FORCE, THIS IS JUST ON POLICE CADETS AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE STATISTICS ARE. DO YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION?
>> I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE -- DO WE HAVE?
>> NO TODAY. I CAN GET THAT TO YOU THIS AFTERNOON.
>>GARCIA: OKAY. YOU COULD SEND THAT. LET ME SEE. I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION. AS FAR AS THE RESIDENTS' FEAR OF CRIME AND THE CRIME STATISTICS, ARE THOSE AVAILABLE BY SECTORS?
>> THEY ARE AVAILABLE BY AREA COMMANDS, YES, SIR.
>>GARCIA: BY AREA. AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO GIVE US A LITTLE BRIEF EXPLANATION IS WHAT KIND OF STRATEGIES YOU USE IN THE SECTORS THAT HAVE HIGH INCIDENTS OF CRIME AS OPPOSED TO THE OTHERS. DO YOU -- DO YOU JUST USE THE SAME STRATEGIES ACROSS THE BOARD?
>> NO. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE SECRETS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED DECENTRALIZATION IS THAT EACH PROBLEM IS UNIQUE, EACH AREA IS UNIQUE. FOR INSTANCE, AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, THE PROBLEMS ON 11TH STREET THAT HAS CALLED FOR POLICE ENFORCEMENT FOR DECADES. AS A RESULT OF OUR EFFORTS BY THE AREA COMMAND AND BY STAFF AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SEVERAL OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WERE THE FOCUS POINT FOR PEOPLE GATHERING LATE AT NIGHT HAVE BEEN CLOSED AND REPURCHASED BY SOMEBODY WHO IS GOING TO TURN THEM INTO I BELIEVE BUSINESSES THAT WILL BE LESS THREATENING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO WE FORESEE A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THE 11TH STREET WILL BE A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD AS IT ONCE WAS. EACH AREA HAS ITS OWN -- I'VE GOT A SCUM -- CENTRAL WEST OFFICERS UTILIZED -- I'VE GOT A LIST. STING OPERATIONS TO TARGET UNDER AGE DRINKERS IN THE DOWNTOWN BECAUSE OF THE INCIDENCES OF TRAFFIC COLLISIONS INVOLVING UNDER AGE DRUNK DRIVERS. THE NORTHEAST OFFICERS CONDUCTED AN AREA SWEEP TO TAG 300 ABANDONED VEHICLES. AND ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE ANALYSTS FOUND IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN WAS THAT ROBBERIES WERE ON THE INCREASE AND THE VICTIMS WERE IN MANY INSTANCES UNDOCUMENTED HISPANIC MALES WHO CARRY THEIR MONEY USUALLY IN THEIR POCKETS. AND SO THE NORTHEAST COMMANDER FORMED, OUT OF HIS OWN RESOURCES, FORMED A MINI-TASK FORCE, WORKED WITH SOME OF THE NONPROFITS IN THE AREA TO GET THE WORD OUT TO REPORT THESE INDENSE TO POLICE AND ACTUALLY WOUND UP APPREHENDING THE SPEBTSZ. UNFORTUNATELY ONE OF THEM WAS A HOMICIDE, BUT WE DID CATCH THE SUSPECT AFTER THAT HOMICIDE. AND THAT -- THAT SIMPLE ACT REDUCED ROBBERIES IN THAT AREA OF COMMAND BY 66%. ONE OF THE DISTRICT AREA COMMANDS NOTICED THAT THEIR VIOLENT RATE WAS BEING DRIVEN BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SO THAT AREA COMMANDER GOT HIS FOLKS TOGETHER AND THEY SERVED 55 WARRANTS ON INDIVIDUALS WHO ENGAGED IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WHETHER IT BE ASSAULTS OR JUST VERBAL VIOLENCE, AND THE WARRANTS MAY HAVE BEEN FOR DISTURBING THE PEACE OR TRAFFIC VIOLATION, BUT TO SHOW THESE PEOPLE THAT WE MEANT BUSINESS WITH REGARD TO HOW THEY CONDUCTED THEMSELVES. I KNOW THAT IN SOUTHEAST, FOR INSTANCE, THE COMMANDER DOWN THERE HAS FOCUSED A GREAT DEAL OF RESOURCES ON THE RIVERSIDE DRIVE AREA WHICH HAS BECOME THE ALTERNATIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO ENGAGE IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY LATE AT NIGHT, AS WE BEEF 'OUR PATROLS IN 6TH STREET AND DOWNTOWN, MANY OF THEM HAVE GONE TO RIVERSIDE, AND HE HAS ACCORDINGLY DEVOTED RESOURCES TO THAT PROBLEM. SO EACH AREA PROBABLY HAS A LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS THAT THEY HAVE BEGAN TO ADDRESS AS WE MATURE INTO THIS NEW REORGANIZATION, DECENTRALIZATION.
>>GARCIA: I HAD CALLED YOU ABOUT AN INCIDENT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD HAPPENED DURING THE TIME THAT I WAS ON VACATION, BUT WE HAD A LOT OF POLICE CARS COME INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS NEVER TOLD. YOU KNOW, I CALLED YOU AND I GUESS YOU ARE STILL CHECK TO GO SEE WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE I HAVEN'T GOTTEN A CALL BACK FROM YOU. WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT SITUATION, THE BEST ANALYSIS THAT WAS DONE BY THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BECAUSE THEY HAD AS MANY AS -- I DON'T KNOW, SIX OR EIGHT POLICE UNITS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WAS THAT THERE WAS A SHOOTING IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN AND THE HE-AND IT WAS THE ONE WHERE THE YOUNG MAN SHOT HIS PARENTS AND THEN SHOT HIMSELF. THE GRANDFATHER OF THAT YOUNG BOY LIVES IN MY AREA AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT THEY COULD -- THAT THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, DEDUCT FROM LOOKING AT THE SITUATION AS TO WHY THAT MANY POLICE OFFICERS WERE THERE. NOBODY EXPLAINED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THEY HAD -- WHY THEY HAD THAT MANY POLICE CARS AND OF COURSE IF YOU HAVE SIX OR EIGHT POLICE CARS IN A SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE OURS, IT ALARMS PEOPLE. AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY STOPPED TO EXPLAIN TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I CALLED ONE OF THE FORMER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS AND SHE DID NOT KNOW. SO -- AND THAT'S IN THE NORTHEAST AREA. THE OTHER POINT THAT YOU MADE WITH REGARD TO UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS HAS COME UP AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND IT'S HAPPENING AT THE -- AT THE CLUBS PARTICULARLY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT WHERE THEY CONGREGATE AND THE COMPLAINTS ARE THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE CLUBS TAKE IN TOO MANY PEOPLE AND THEN SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, DRINK A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH, A BOUNCER KICKS THEM OUT, CALLS THE POLICE AND THEY TAKE THE GUY, AND BY THE TIME THE POLICE GETS THEM, THEY ALREADY ROLLED HIM AND STOLE HIS MONEY. I THINK THOSE HOT SPOTS ARE WELL KNOWN TO YOUR DEPARTMENT AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, I TOLD THE GUY TO TALK TO YOU CHIEF WARREN ABOUT FIRE MARSHALS AT SOME OF THOSE CLUBS THIS. GUY INDICATED THAT SOME OF THOSE CLUBS HAVE A MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF 800 PEOPLE AND THEY TAKE IN, YOU KNOW, 1100, 1200 PEOPLE AND THEN WHEN PEOPLE START GETTING DRUNK KICK THEM OUT AND IN THE PROCESS THEY GET ROLLED AND THEIR MONEY IS STOLEN AND WHEN ---WHAT I TOLD THIS FELLOW WAS THE COMMUNITY, THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY NEEDS TO GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT HOW TO INSTRUCT THEIR PEOPLE AS TO HOW TO HANDLE THIS KIND OF SITUATION. BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD KEEP A WATCH, CHIEF, IN THOSE CLUBS, SENDING MEYER MARSHALS ON PARTICULARLY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS WHEN THEY HAVE POPULAR BANDS, BECAUSE THEY ARE TAKING IN TOO MANY PEOPLE. ONE QUESTION, CHIEF, WHO REGULATES HOW MUCH IS CHARGED AT THOSE CLUBS? IS THAT TABC? OR IS IT REGULATED AT ALL?
>> I DON'T THINK IT'S REGULATED AT ALL. I CAN FIND THAT OUT FOR SURE.
>>GARCIA: OKAY. AND THE OTHER QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED OF ME WAS THEY WILL GO AHEAD AND LET UNDERAGE YOUNGSTERS COME INTO THE CLUB AND THEY CHARGE THEM DOUBLE. I THINK THOSE CLUBS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO ALLOW ANYBODY UNDER A CERTAIN AGE, BUT THEY ARE STILL ALLOWING THEM AND CHARGING THEM TWICE AS MUCH. SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO PASS THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
>> AND WE CAN -- WE CAN RESPOND TO YOU IN WRITING, COUNCILMAN, GARCIA, WITH A PLAN OF ACTION WITH REGARD TO THOSE. I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS GOING ON. WE HAVE A VERY, VERY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH TABC. HOWEVER, TO GET A PERMIT, AN ALCOHOL PERMIT REVOKED BY THE STATE CAN TAKE UP TO TWO YEARS. EVEN IF YOU HAVE GOOD, SOLID CASES OF UNDERAGE DRINKING AND THE KIND OF ACTIVITY, INAPPROPRIATE, IMMORAL ACTIVITY THAT YOU POINTED OUT. BUT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO PARTICIPATE IN A PROCESS BECAUSE THOSE LICENSES ARE RENEWED EVERY YEAR, AND IF WE CAN GET FOLKS TO COME FORWARD AND ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS AND VOICE A CONCERN, TABC MOVES VERY, VERY MUCH QUICKER. SO WE CAN WORK WITH YOU ON THAT. WITH REGARD TO THE OTHER INCIDENT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, I THINK THAT WE TRIED TO GET BACK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. IT WAS IN FACT A RELATIVE OF THAT YOUNG MAN HA HAD KILLED HIS PARENTS AND LATER COMMITTED SUICIDE. SO I APOLOGIZE WE DIDN'T MAKE PERSONAL CONTACT WITH YOU.
>>GARCIA: ON THE ISSUE OF THE UNDOCUMENTED -- ON THE ISSUE OF THE UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS, I ASKED THIS LEADER OF THE COMMUNITY TO CONTACT Z CHIEF MALDANADO AND BEGIN THE PROCESS AND SEE HOW FIRE MARSHALS CAN BE USED. BUT I HAVE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS. NO. 1 IS THAT YOU DESIGNATE SOMEBODY THAT CAN WORK WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THOSE COMMUNITIES FIRST, AND SECONDLY, IS THAT YOU TRY TO DEVELOP SOME LIAISON OR DEVELOP SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CONSULATE GENERAL'S OFFICE BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY INTERESTED IN SAFEGUARDING THE LIVES AND THE SAFETY OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.
>>MAYOR WATSON: MAYOR PRO TEM?
>>GOODMAN: THANKS, MAYOR. I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS THAT ARE JUST CLARIFICATIONS. IN THE HANDOUTS ON PAGE 22, AND THEN I HAVE ANOTHER ON PAGE 23. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE EXTRA THREE PEOPLE IN VICTIM SERVICES, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT FREEING UP COUNSELORS' TIME? WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT MORE COUNSELORS HERE, RIGHT? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CLERICAL OR OTHER SUPPORT?
>> THERE IS ONE CLERICAL SUPPORT AND THE CRISIS TEAMS ARE TWO VICTIM COUNSELORS SO THAT WILL ALLOW ALL SIX OF THE AREA COMMANDS WILL EACH HAVE A CRISIS TEAM WORBLGING WITHIN THOSE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS.
>>GOODMAN: GREAT. ON THE VEHICLES, I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ROUGHLY HOW MUCH A VEHICLE WOULD COST ACCORDING TO THE TOTAL NUMBER UP HERE, SO I AM ASSUMING THAT I DID MY MATH RIGHT IF I SAY THAT ON THE FOUR FULLY EQUIPPED PATROL CARS, THAT MEANS EACH ONE OF THEM IS ROUGHLY 38,000? AND MID-SIZED ARE ROUGHLY 15,000 AND MOTORCYCLES ON 18 AND A HALF. SO WHEN WE COME DOWN TO THE EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES FOR STREET RESPONSE, WHICH VEHICLES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT FIVE OF THE FULLY EQUIPPED OR --
>> IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE A THIRD KIND OF VEHICLE. IT'S AN UNMARKED PATROL IS HE DAN SO IT IS A HIGHER COST THAN THE MID SIZE. BUT NOT AS HIGH A COST AS A FULLY MARKED VEHICLE.
>>GOODMAN: SO HOW MANY VEHICLES DOES 191,000 STAND FOR RIGHT THERE?
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>>GOODMAN: OKAY. GREAT. DOES ANYBODY HAPPEN TO KNOW HOW MANY VEHICLES WE HAVE AND WHAT THIS WILL BRING US UP TO FOR -- FOR ACTUAL RESPONDING OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER, NOT ADMINISTRATIVE AT ALL, BUT OUT ON THE STREET IN ONE CAPACITY OR ANOTHER?
>> I DON'T HAVE THAT HANDY, BUT I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM, BECAUSE IT CHANGES BETWEEN PATROL AND INVESTIGATIVE UNITS, AND THEN EVEN WITHIN THOSE UNITS IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.
>>GOODMAN: GREAT. LET ME SEE. OH, AND JUST AS A CURIOSITY ITEM, SOMETIME BETWEEN NOW AND WHENEVER WE GET THROUGH WITH THIS BUDGET I'VE BEEN ASKED HOW MANY CARS WE HAVE AND PLAN TO HAVE OUT ON THE STREET IN PATROL CAPACITY AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THERE IS ONE THING THAT I'M SURE IS IN HERE IN THE BUDGET, AND AS SOON AS I READ IT I'LL APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING ASKED YOU BEFORE I READ IT, BUT THERE WAS A REQUEST, AND I THOUGHT THERE WAS AN APPROVED BEAT ON GUADALUPE AROUND 23RD, THE MARKET AND AROUND U.T., ON WALKING BEAT. AND THOSE FOLKS HAVE REQUESTED THAT I LOOK BACK INTO THAT BECAUSE -- BECAUSE ESPECIALLY THE EARLY MORNING BEHAVIORS. SO ARE THE WALKING BEETSZ IN THIS BUDGET AND -- BEATS IN THIS BUDGET AND IS GUADALUPE AROUND 23RD AND THE REN SHAUNS MARKET ONE OF THOSE?
>> THAT'S CORRECT. IF YOU REMEMBER IN JANUARY WE REDEPLOYED THE POLICE OFFICERS THAT WERE ASSIGNED TO SOME TECHNICAL FIELDS. WE REASSIGNED THREE POSITIONS TO CENTRAL WEST. IN THIS BUDGET THERE ARE FOUR ADDITIONAL POSITIONS, ONE OF THEM IS SERGEANT. IF YOU COMBINE THOSE TWO GROUPS YOU'VE GOT A SQUAD, AND THAT SQUAD IS GOING TO WORK THE AREA WEST OF -- ACTUALLY THE GUADALUPE AREA WEST AND THE AREA WEST OF CONGRESS. SO IT WILL BE ANOTHER SQUAD FOR THE DOWNTOWN.
>>GOODMAN: BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I'LL HAND YOU A QUICK RENDITION OF THE RESOLUTION THAT THE VENDORS AROUND 23RD CAME UP WITH REAL QUICK BECAUSE THEY KNEW YOU WOULD BE HERE AND I WOULD SEE YOU, SO I'LL HAND YOU THAT. ARE WE -- I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS A BUDGET QUESTION OR NOT. WE WERE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO GET AN EASY TO REMEMBER NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER, IF NOT A THREE OR FOUR AND CHIEF MCDONALD WAS WORKING ON THAT, IF NOT A THREE OR FOUR NUMBER, AN EASY TO REMEMBER CATCHY NUMBER, AND OF COURSE THAT WOULDN'T BE IN THE BUDGET, BUT AS LONG AS I HAVE YOU, ARE WE ANY CLOSER TO THAT?
>> I THINK WE'RE GETTING VERY, VERY CLOSE. OUR FINGERS ARE CROSSED. OUR ANKLES ARE CROSSED. CAPCO HAS BEEN VERY RECEPTIVE. HAS A VERY GOOD ATTITUDE AND HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US AND I BELIEVE THAT WITHIN THE NEXT SIX -- WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS WE'LL BE BRINGING A PROPOSAL BACK TO COUNCIL FOR NEXT BUDGET YEAR, IF NOT SOONER.
>>GOODMAN: THAT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE I THINK IF PEOPLE DID KNOW THAT NUMBER, IT ACTUALLY MIGHT IMPACT THE BUDGET IN SOME WAYS THAT ARE INDIRECT. AND THE LAST THING I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT WAS THE PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN THAT A.P.D. CAN BE PART OF. DOES THAT INCLUDE PSA'S AT ALL? IS THERE A THOUGHT ABOUT JUST DOING PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR OUR NETWORK TV FROM A.P.D. WITH SOME REAL BASIC REMINDERS ABOUT DRIVING SAFELY AND, YOU KNOW, JUST THINGS LIKE REMINDING PEOPLE THAT THEY DO HAVE TURN SIGNALS AND WHAT THOSE ARE FOR AND WHAT RED LIGHTS AND YELLOW LIGHTS ARE FOR.
>> I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT. COMMANDER CHAPMAN IS WORKING ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM WITH REGARD TO PUBLIC EDUCATION, WITH REGARD TO JUVENILE DRIVING EDUCATION, AS WELL AS SOME THINGS TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS ON THE FREEWAYS. SO THAT -- I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF A PLAN THAT'S GOING TO BE PRESENTED NEXT WEEK OR SOMETIME SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.
>>GOODMAN: THAT WOULD BE GREAT. IF YOU NEED TO AMEND THE BUDGET TO ADD MONEY IN FOR THAT, I WOULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT IT.
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>>GOODMAN: THANKS, MAYOR.
>>MAYOR WATSON: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CHIEF, THANKS.
>> THANK YOU, SIR.
>>MAYOR WATSON: TURN TO YOU, CHIEF.
>> YES, SIR.
>> YES, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THE FIVE DEPARTMENT'S'S PORTION OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 1999-2000. I HAVE UP AT THE TABLE MY FRIEND JUSTIN MEYER WHO IS OUR FINANCIAL MANAGER, BECAUSE JUSTIN KNOWS JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. THE ITEMS THAT I WANT TO PRESENT TO YOU OUT OF THE BUDGET ON THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR BUDGETED AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE I PROCH OF LOOKING AT THE RESULTS THAT WE EXPECT TO GET FROM THOSE ITEMS. THE DETAILS OF THE BUDGET, THOUGH, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION ARE LISTED IN THE POLICY DUJ ET -- BUDGET DOCUMENTS AND ALSO IN VOLUME ONE ON PAGES 585 THROUGH 641. OVERALL, OUR OPERATING BUDGET ASKS FOR $67.3 MILLION, OF WHICH WE EXPECT TO GAIN 557 -- 357,800 IN REVENUE. WHAT THAT BUYS IN PART IS 937 SWORN POSITIONS, 66 NON-SWORN POSITIONS, AND THEN 60 CADET POSITION WHICH WE USE TO FIELD OUR CADET CLASSES. FOUR OF THOSE NON-UNIFORM POSITIONS ARE GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS. AS FAR AS THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN OUR BUDGET, IN THE AREA OF FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE, WE HAVE THREE STATIONS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR FUNDING FOR FOR STAFFING. TWO OF THOSE STATIONS ONLY REPRESENT FULL-YEAR FUNDING BECAUSE THEY ARE EITHER ABOUT TO OPEN RIGHT NOW OR THEY'VE BEEN OPEN ALREADY FOR A PARTIAL FUNDING IN THE LAST YEAR. PARTIAL YEAR'S FUNDING. HARRIS BRANCH IS ALREADY OPEN AND OAK HILL IS DUE TO BE OPEN SOON. SO THOSE ARE THE TWO WE'RE ASKING FOR FULL-YEAR FUNDING. THEN THE SPICEWOOD SPRINGS STATION WON'T BE OPEN UNTIL VERY LATE IN THE NEXT YEAR, BUT WE WILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR CADETS TO STAFF THAT STATION. AND THAT WOULD BE A TOTAL OF 17 NEW FTE'S THAT ARE SWORN, AND THEY WILL BE THE ONES THAT ARE DEDICATED TO THE SPICEWOOD SPRINGS STATION. THE OTHER AREA THAT -- WELL, THE RESULTS THAT WE WOULD GET FROM THAT. WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT SLIDES WE WANT TO SHOW YOU THAT WOULD BE RESULTS FROM THAT PARTICULAR BUDGET ITEM. ONE OF THEM HAS TO DO WITH A MEASURE THAT IS NEW FOR US THAT WE'VE ADOPTED BECAUSE OF OUR BUSINESS PLAN, AND IT IS A DIRECT RESULT OF OUR ACTIONS IN THE FIELD. IT HAS TO DO WITH THE PERCENTAGE OF FIRES THAT EXTEND BEYOND THE ROOM OF ORIGIN. THAT IS A MORE OF A RESULT THAN, SAY, RESPONSE TIME IS. THIS IS AN ACTUAL RESULT THAT SHOWS EFFECTIVENESS AT FIRES. AND WHAT WE EXPECT TO SEE IS AN INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF FIRES THAT WE CONTAIN TO ONE ROOM AND WE'RE PROJECTING A 60% FOR THE NEXT YEAR. WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THESE LAST FEW YEARS. THE OTHER RESULT THAT WE EXPECT TO SEE HAS TO BE WITH A MEASURE WE'VE USED IN THE PAST AND THAT IS HOLDING THE RESPONSE TIME LEVEL, CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT NUMBER OF CALLS ARE INCREASING EVERY YEAR, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT A PROJECTED AMOUNT OF 50,000 CALLS NEXT YEAR, BUT WE EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO HOLD THAT RESPONSE TIME EVEN REGARDLESS. ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT CHANGE HAS TO DO WITH THE PROGRAM AREA OF OPERATION SUPPORT. AND ONE OF THE AREAS IN OPERATION SUPPORT IS OUR TRAINING DIVISION, AND WE ARE ASKING FOR $35,000 FOR LIVE FIRE TRAINING IN OUR FLASHOVER UNIT WHICH IS A LOORJ METAL CONTAINER THAT WE STICK FIREFIGHTERS IN AND MAKE THEM SIT THERE AND WATCH THE FIRE DEVELOP TO THE POINT THAT IT FLASHING OVER INSIDE THE CONTAINER. TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, OUR PRESENT FLASHOVER UNIT HAS BEEN JUST ABOUT FLASHED OVER OUT AND IT CAN'T TAKE MANY MORE OF THOSE FLASHOVERS SO WE'RE EXAMINING FOR REPLACEMENT. WE DO EXPECT TO SEE A RESULT FROM THAT AND THAT RESULT IS THAT THE SCORES THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS TURN IN FOR STATE CERTIFICATION WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE STATE AVERAGE. BUT THAT'S NOT ANYTHING NEW BECAUSE WE'VE DONE THAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS. IN THE PROGRAM AREA OF SUPPORT SERVICES, WE WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE OUR ABILITY OF OUR MIS STAFF TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS WITH OUR COMPUTERS AT THE TIME OF THE CALL INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME OUT AND FIX THINGS PERSONALLY. AND WE THINK WE CAN DO THAT WITH THE REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE FOR A NETWORK STRAIGHTER TO BECOME FULL TIME WITH OUR -- ADMINISTRATOR TO BECOME FULL TIME. WE'RE ALSO ASKING FOR AN ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST TO HELP US WITH TRAINING FOR INSERVICE AND THEN ALSO TRAINING FOR HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT. AND THAT WOULD THEN AFFECT OUR TRAINING RESULTS MEASURES AS WELL. DEPARTMENT-WIDE WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE FACT THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR $97,632 TO FINANCE THE PAY FOR PERFORMANCE FOR OUR NON-SWORN PERSONNEL, AND WE'RE ASKING FOR $2.2 MILLION TO PAY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE PERSONNEL INCREASES. AND BASICALLY THAT'S MY PRESENTATION. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
>>MAYOR WATSON: ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS?
>>SPELMAN: MAYOR?
>>MAYOR WATSON: COUNCILMEMBER SPELMAN.
>>SPELMAN: I'M GOING GOING TO ASK YOU THE SAME SORT OF QUESTIONS I WAS TALKING WITH CHIEF KNEE ABOUT AND I THINK IT HAS TO BE WITH THE SAME SOURCES. THE FIRST YEAR WE'VE ASKED YOU TO TAKE SERIOUSLY PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND TIE THEM TO THE BUDGET. I WOULD LIKE TO CLEAN UP A FEW THINGS I'M UNCLEAR ABOUT. IN YOUR MISSION STATEMENT, THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT YOU TALK ABOUT PRESERVATION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY, DELIVERING COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY SERVICES OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY AND I'M ESPECIALLY WANT TO LAUD YOU FOR THE LAST ONE WHICH IS DEPARTMENT WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR DEMONSTRABLE RESULTS. TERRIFIC. SEEMS TO BE A MISMATCH BETWEEN THE GOALS, SUBSTANTIVE GOALS IN THE CENTER OF THAT STATEMENT AND THE KEY INDICATORS. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT MORE A -- FOR A MOMENT. THE FIRST GOAL IS SUPPORT AND MAINTAIN SAFE, HEALTHY, WELL TRAINED AND HIGH PERFORMING WORKFORCE, ARGUABLY YOU A YOUR KEY INDICATORS TALK ABOUT HIGH PERFORMANCE, BUT I DON'T SEE AN INDICATOR ON SAFETY OR HEALTH OR TRAINING. I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> WELL, WE DO HAVE INDICATORS FOR THOSE AND THEY ARE ON OUR ACTIVITY PAGES OF OUR BUSINESS PLAN.
>>SPELMAN: OKAY.
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY ARE NECESSARILY REPRESENTED IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENT ITSELF. BUT I CAN GET YOU COPIES OF THOSE ACTIVITY PAGES IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM.
>>SPELMAN: OKAY.
>> BECAUSE WE WILL BE TRACKING THEM.
>>SPELMAN: ARE THE BUSINESS PLANS INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET?
>> I BELIEVE THEY ARE.
>>SPELMAN: THE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS IF THEY ARE INCLUDED IN THE BUSINESS PLAN, BUT IF PLANS THEMSELVES WILL NOT BE. I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE BUDGET. WE JUST GOT IT TWO HOURS AGO. BUT YOU DO HAVE INDICATORS ON THAT, THEY ARE NOT MENTIONED --
>> EACH OF THOSE ACTIVITY AREAS WE DO HAVE A KEY RESULTS TYPE PERFORMANCE MEASURE THAT IS KNEW YOU -- THAT IS NEW THAT WE'RE TRACKING NOW. WE ALSO HAVE A WEB PAGE THAT IS STILL BEING DEVELOPED, GETTING THE BUGS WORKED OUT OF IT THAT IS GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THESE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT ARE THE RESULTS MEASURES POSTED ON OUR INTERNET, AND THEN EVENTUALLY BECAUSE OF THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE OUTLINED THERE, WE EXPECT TO HAVE THAT AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AS WELL FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO VIEW.
>>SPELMAN: THAT'S TERRIFIC. IT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
>> YES, SIR E8 H..
>>SPELMAN: LET ME FOLLOW UP. I THINK I KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS, BUT IF I COULD JUST COMPLETE THIS. YOU HAVE A GOAL HERE FOR PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY FIRST RESPONDER SERVICES AS PART OF AN INTEGRATED EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE SYSTEM. HAVE YOU GOT INDICATORS ON THAT TOO?
>> THAT IS OUR FIRST RESPONDER PROGRAM WHERE WE SUPPORT AUSTIN EMS WITH FIRST RESPONDER RESPONSE.
>>SPELMAN: RIGHT.
>> WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT WE TRACK, BUT -- THERE'S A WIDE VARIETY, BUT THEY HAVE TO DO MORE WITH THE ACTIVITY AREAS THAT WE'RE WORKING IN. FOR EXAMPLE, SCORES FOR TRAINING. WE COMPARE OUR SCORES WITH THE STATE AVERAGE. WE ALSO TRACK THE COST OF CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION FOR OUR EMT'S. AND THE EFFICIENCY THAT THAT INDICATES. WE ALSO TRACK THE SCORES THAT THE EMT'S MAKE. WE TRACK THE MEDICAL EDUCATION HOURS DELIVERED FOR IN-SERVICE AND THEN ALSO FOR CERTIFICATION. AND THEN WE TRY TO ALSO TRACK THE NUMBER OF EMT CERTIFICATIONS AND ANTICIPATED FOR THE YEAR.
>>SPELMAN: OKAY. SOMETHING I'VE SEEN ON THE EMS BUDGET IS SOME SPECIFIC INDICATORS WITH RESPECT TO THE QUALITY OF THE MEDICAL SERVICE DELIVERED. OBVIOUSLY THE QUALITY OF THE FIRST RESPONDER SERVICE IS GOING TO BE HARD TO MEASURE BECAUSE AT LEAST WE HOPE THE EMS'S -- EMT'S ARE GOING TO BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU. IS THERE A WAY OF MEASURING THE QUALITY OF THE RESPONSE?
>> WE HAVE SEVERAL WAYS, ONE OF THEM IS THE TRADITIONAL WAY WHICH HAS TO DO WITH RESPONSE TIMES FOR MEDICAL CALLS. WE DO TRACK THOSE. BUT WE ALSO HAVE A CUSTOMER SERVICE CARD THAT WE MAIL OUT TO RANDOM SAMPLINGS OF OUR CUSTOMERS, EVEN ON MEDICAL CALLS TO WHERE WE ASK THEM ABOUT THE QUALITY OF SERVICE THEY RECEIVE AND WHETHER THEY HAD ALL THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND SEVERAL OTHER QUESTIONS. IT'S A VERY SMALL CARD. IT ONLY HAS ABOUT SIX QUESTIONS ON IT BECAUSE WE WANT VERY MUCH FOR THEM TO RETURN THIS CARD TO US SO WE CAN GET SOME KIND OF DATA ON THE QUALITY OF OUR SERVICE.
>>SPELMAN: ABOUT SIX QUESTIONS, YOU CAN PROBABLY GET A GOOD RESPONSE RATE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE RESPONSE RATE IS BY ANY CHANCE?
>> NO. WE HAVE ONLY BEEN DOING IT FOR A FEW MONTHS. IT WAS PART OF OUR BUSINESS PLAN. [ONE MOMENT, PLEASE, WHILE CAPTIONERS CHANGE].
>> WE HAVE KIND OF A CONTROL GROUP TO LOOK AT. AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE START THIS HAD LAST YEAR ALSO.
>>SPELMAN: WHAT ARE YOU FINDING WHEN YOU DO THAT?
>> WE'RE FINDING THAT THERE IS A 50% DECREASE IN FIRES IN OCCUPANCIES THAT HAVE BEEN INSPECTED IN THE PAST YEAR.
>>SPELMAN: WHAT PERCENTAGE OF ALL OCCUPANCIES ARE YOU ABLE TO INSPECT IN A YEAR?
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT PERCENTAGE. I WOULD HAVE TO FIND OUT AND GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
>>SPELMAN: ARE THE INSPECTIONS BASED ON A CALL BASIS? I NEED TO CALL TO HAVE AN INSPECTION DONE OR THERE'S A COMPLAINT MADE OR DO YOU DO RANDOM INSPECTIONS TOO?
>> WE WILL INSPECT FOR ALL CALLS FOR SERVICE AND THEN ALL COMPLAINTS. BUT FOR OUR REGULAR MAINTENANCE INSPECTIONS WE USE A TOOL THAT WE DEVISED THAT MEASURES PROPERTY LOSS, INJURIES AND FATALITIES AND FIRE RECORD FOR THE PAST YEAR AND ALL THE DIFFERENT OCCUPY SEES AND THEN CLASSIFIED IT BY PRIORITY ON WHICH ONE HAD THE GREATEST PROBLEM IN THE PAST YEAR. AND THEN FOR THE LIMITED RESOURCES WE HAVE FOR MAINTENANCE INSPECTIONS, WE ASSIGN THEM TO THOSE OCCUPANCIES THAT NEED THE MOST HELP.
>>SPELMAN: SO THE ONES YOU'RE INSPECTING ARE GOING TO BE THE HIGHEST PROBLEM, HIGHEST PRIORITY PLACES. AND AFTER YOU INSPECT THEM, THOSE HIGHEST PRIORITY, HIGHEST PROBLEM PLACES ARE 50% LESS LIKELY HAVE A FIRE IN THEM THAN THE PLACES YOU'RE NOT INSPECTING?
>> YES. THE PLACES THAT WE'RE NOT INSPECTING HAVE A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF FIRE.
>>SPELMAN: IT SOUNDS LIKE THE EFFECT THEN OF YOUR INSPECTION MAY BE EVEN HIGHER THAN 50% BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE WORST OF THE WORST. THOSE ARE THE ONES YOU'RE LOOKING AT. AND IF YOU HADN'T DONE THOSE INSPECTIONS, YOU WOULD EXPECT THAT THOSE HIGH PRIORITY PLACES WOULD HAVE FIRES AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE THAN THE OTHERS.
>> THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD PROJECT ON THE DATA THAT WE'RE GATHERING.
>>SPELMAN: OKAY. ARE YOU PROJECTING ANY NEED FOR ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS STAFF IN THIS BUDGET?
>> WE'RE NOT IN THIS BUDGET, NO, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO CONTINUE OUR PROGRAM OF GETTING OUR FIREFIGHTERS AT THE FIRE STATIONS INVOLVED IN THE INSPECTIONS PART AND NOT LEAVING IT SOLELY UP TO THE FIRE PREVENTION DIVISION.
>>SPELMAN: IS THERE A WAY THEN OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS THAT CAN BE DONE BY THE FIRE FIGHTING STAFF IN THE STATIONS?
>> WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PROGRAMS WE'RE WORKING ON, ONE OF THEM BEING THAT WE THINK WE CAN MAKE SOME PROGRESS IN THE RESIDENTIAL PORTION OF THE CITY, WHICH IS THE PORTION THAT IS PROBABLY THE LEAST INSPECTED, BY TRYING TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED IN DOING HOME SELF INSPECTIONS. AND WE HAVE DIFFERENT FORMS THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING NOW THAT WOULD HELP THEM DO A HOME INSPECTION AND WHEN WE DO OUR SMOKE DETECTOR DRIVES WE ASK PEOPLE IF THEY NEED A HOME INSPECTION FOR SAFETY?
>>SPELMAN: WHAT KIND OF -- ARE YOU GETTING A LOT OF TAKERS ON THAT?
>> WE GET A FEW, ESPECIALLY ON THE SMOKE DETECTOR DRIVES BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY THERE. PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE SMOKE DETECTORS THAT ASK FOR ONE, WE GO THROUGH AND INSTALL IT FOR THEM. AND SINCE OUR PEOPLE ARE THRRD THERE, THEY WILL USUALLY ASK US TO CHECK AROUND AND SEE IF THINGS ARE SAFE AROUND THE HOME. AS FAR AS THE SELF INSPECTION THAT WE DO THROUGH THE MAILOUTS, WE HAVEN'T HAD A REAL GOOD RESPONSE ON THAT AND WE'RE WORKING ON WAYS TO MAKE IT OR ATTRACTIVE AND MORE EYE CATCHING TO MAYBE PEOPLE WILL TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO RUN THROUGH THEIR HOME AND CHECK OUT THE FEATURES.
>>SPELMAN: I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR THE POINT RIGHT NOW, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE DOING A LOT OF INTERESTING WORK THAT SUBJECT. I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING WITH YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE ABOUT THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE BUDGET CYCLE. LAST QUESTION, YOU'VE GOT A GOAL HERE ON THE AFD WILL ATTRACT AND MAINTAIN A QUALIFIED AND DIVERSE WORKFORCE. YOU WANT I WANT YOU TO TALK ABOUT WHAT INDICATORS YOU HAVE ON THAT AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO ATTRACT A MORE DIVERSE WORKFORCE.
>> WELL, WE HAVE PERMISSION TO USE A DIFFERENT WAY OF HIRING THAN WHAT THE CIVIL SERVICE -- STATE CIVIL SERVICE LAW DICTATES AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THAT THE LAST FEW CADET CLASSES. THE FIRST ONE THAT WE DID UNDER THE CONTRACT WE GOT A REAL HIGH PERCENTAGE OF MINORITIES AND WOMEN IN THAT CLASS. HOWEVER, THE NEXT TWO CLASSES AFTER THAT IT HAS DROPPED SOME EACH TIME AND I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT'S HAPPENING. WE'RE TRYING SOME NEW TECHNIQUES. WE'VE HAD SOME SUGGESTION OZ HOW TO IMPROVE AND WE'VE MADE A FEW ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR HIRING PROCESS AACCORDING TO THOSE SUGGESTIONS. BUT BECAUSE IT'S IN THE CONTRACT, WE HAVE -- WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF LATITUDE TO CHANGE UP THE HIRING PROCESS. SO BASICALLY WE'RE JUST BOOSTING OUR RECRUITING, TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE GET SOME MORE DIFFERENT RECRUITING TAR FWETS AND SEE IF WE CAN'T GET MORE MINORITIES AND WOMEN INTERESTED IN WORKING THERE AS FIREFIGHTERS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
>>SPELMAN: YOU HAVE A HARDER JOB IN RECRUITING WOMEN FIREFIGHTERS THAN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES. EVEN IS FAMILIAR WITH FEMALE POLICE OFFICERS, BUT A LOT OF US HAVE NEVER MET A FEMALE FIREFIGHTER BEFORE.
>> AND I DON'T THINK VERY MANY THINK ABOUT DOING THAT.
>>SPELMAN: I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU FURTH ABOUT THAT TOO. THANKS.
>>MAYOR WATSON: COUNCILMEMBER GARCIA?
>>GARCIA: THANK YOU. ONE OF THE ISSUES WITH REGARD TO RECRUITMENT MAY BE -- AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU HAVE ANYTHING IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, AND THAT IS PAY FOR BILINGUAL SKILLS. YOU DON'T HAVE THAT IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, TO YOU?
>> YES, SIR, WE DO.
>>GARCIA: DO YOU?
>> YES, SIR.
>>GARCIA: IS IT IN PARITY WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT?
>> IT'S NOT THE SAME AMOUNT OF THE MONEY, NO. WHAT ARE WE? WE'RE 75 DOLLARS A MONTH FOR ANYONE THAT IS CERTIFIED TO BE BILINGUAL.
>>GARCIA: AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE POLICE IS?
>> I THINK IT'S PROBABLY DO YOU BELIEVE THAT.
>>GARCIA: DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? DO YOU THINK THAT MAY BE AFFECTING THE RECRUITMENT ON THE HISPANIC SIDE?
>> I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE.
>>GARCIA: OKAY. WHY DID YOU SAY THAT IT'S HALF WHAT THE POLICE HAS?
>> ORIGINALLY IT WASN'T HALF. THE POLICE JUST RAISED THEIR AMOUNT.
>>GARCIA: DO YOU THINK YOUR DEPARTMENT OUGHT TO RAISE THAT TOO?
>> WE'RE CONSIDERING THAT AND WE'RE WORKOGTHAT. IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE MAY BE BRINGING UP AS PART OF OUR NEGOTIATING.
>>GARCIA: ONE OTHER ISSUE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP BY SOMEBODY WHO CALLED OUR OFFICE IS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY HISPANICS IN THE RECRUITING SIDE. AND THE DEPARTMENT THAT DOES THE RECRUITING. IS THAT TRUE?
>> NO, SIR. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF HISPANICS THAT WORK IN THE RECRUITING SECTION. BUT AS FAR AS UNIFORMED FIREFIGHTERS WORKING THERE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY UNIFORMED HISPANIC FIREFIGHTERS WORKING THERE RIGHT NOW.
>>GARCIA: HOW DOES YOUR RECRUITING OFFICE SET UP? MOSTLY NON-SWORN, NON-UNIFORMED?
>> WELL, I WOULD SAY THAT THERE'S MORE SWORN THAN THERE IS NON-SWORN. WE HAVE ABOUT ONE, TWO, THREE -- WE HAVE I THINK THREE NON-SWORN. AND THEN WE HAVE FOUR SWORN WITH SEVERAL INTERNS. WE CALL THEM INTERNS, BUT WHAT THEY ARE IS PEOPLE OUT AT THE FIRE STATION THAT HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO SPEND A SIX-MONTH PERIOD WITH OUR RECRUITING SECTION TO GO OUT AND DO RECRUITING. AND WE OFTEN DO THAT DURING THE TIMES OF HEAVY RECRUITMENT. WE'LL BRING IN PEOPLE FROM THE FIELD TO MEP OUT.
>>GARCIA: AND THE MINORITY FIREFIGHTER ASSOCIATION, I THINK YOU HAVE PROBABLY TWO, DON'T YOU, HISPANIC AND I SUSPECT AFRICAN-AMERICAN?
>> YES, WE HAVE BOTH OF THOSE ASSOCIATIONS.
>>GARCIA: HOW DO YOU USE THE ASSOCIATIONS IN THE RECRUITING FUNCTION?
>> WE USE THEM AS A RESOURCE FOR TARGETING AREAS TO FIND MINORITIES TO RECRUIT AND WE ALSO USE FOAM THEM FOR VOLUNTEER RECRUITERS FROM TIME TO TIME. I JUST REMEMBERED, WE DO HAVE A HISPANIC INTERN RECRUITEDDER THAT IS THERE ON A TEMPERATURE BASIS.
>>MAYOR WATSON: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>>GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>>MAYOR WATSON: COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, THEN MAYOR PRO TEM.
>>LEWIS: CHIEF, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SHORT -- SIMILAR TO THE DIVERSITY THAT THE POLICE HAVE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT -- SOME INFORMATION THAT I RECEIVED IS THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT -- THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE ASSIGNED TO RECRUITING AND SO THEY ARE THERE LONG ENOUGH TO GET -- RECEIVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT RECRUITING, WHERE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE IN AND OUT TEMPERATURELY AND -- TEMPORARILY AND THEY'RE NOT THERE. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG THEY'RE GOING TO BE THERE. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SAID IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF RECRUITING OF MINORITIES WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT VERSUS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT'S MORE SKILLED IN DOING RECRUITING. AND -- IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO I -- DO WE HAVE ANY PROJECTION OR OR PERCENTAGE FOR ASIAN FIREFIGHTERS? I KNOW IN THE LAST COUPLE OF CLASSES WE'VE HAD ONE OR TWO, BUT DO WE HAVE ANY GOAL FOR MEETING THE COMMUNITY PERCENTAGE?
>> WE HAVE ESTIMATES. WE'RE ESTIMATING THREE PERCENT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR GOAL IS. WE DO HAVE SOME CONNECTIONS WITH THE ASIAN COMMUNITY NETWORK THAT WE'RE USING TO TRY TO COME UP WITH RECRUITS AND THAT LOOKS LIKE A REAL PROMISING AVENUE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING RIGHT NOW.
>>LEWIS: BECAUSE I -- FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS I'VE BEEN TRACKING TO SOME DEGREE THE RECRUITING AND HAVE ATTENDED ALL THE CLASSES, GRADUATING CLASSES OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND THE -- SINCE '85 OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT NUMBERS HAVE DOUBLED APPROXIMATELY AND -- BUT THE PERCENTAGE OF MINORITIES HAS BEEN DECREASED BY ABOUT 50% IN MOST INSTANCES. AND I FIND THAT ESPECIALLY IN THE FEMALE AND -- FEMALE AREA, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE. AND NO ONE CAN ACTUALLY GIVE ME A REASON WHY AND PUT A FINGER ON WHAT THE CAUSE OF IT IS BECAUSE IT'S LIKE WITH THE BLACK FEMALES, I THINK YOU HAVE ONE AND SHE HAS ABOUT 19 YEARS ON -- IN THE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, SO PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WELL, AS SOON AS SHE GETS 25, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL GET ANOTHER ONE. AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST THE GOAL IS ONE OR WHAT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE TO ME THAT AFTER 19 YEARS, DURING 19 YEARS SURELY WE CAN GET SOME MORE WOMEN BECAUSE SOMEBODY -- OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAVE THEM IN OTHER CITIES, SO MAYBE WE NEED TO SEND SOME RECRUITERS TO SOME OF THOSE CITIES TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING THAT WE'RE NOT DOING BECAUSE WE HAVE A MORE EDUCATED POPULATION THAN MOST CITIES, SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF THEY CAN CONVINCE PEOPLE TO JOIN THEIR FIRE DEPARTMENT AS A CAREER, WHY WE CAN'T CONVINCE THEM. I'D LIKE TO SEE ONE OF THESE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE DURING THE NEXT BRIEFING. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU.
>>MAYOR WATSON: MAYOR PRO TEM?
>>GOODMAN: THANKS, MAYOR. I WANTED TO ASK IF WITHIN THE BUDGET YOU HAVE MONEY FOR DEPARTMENTMENT OF THE NEW TRAINING FACILITY LIKE AT DEL VALLE OR WHATEVER IF WE'RE ABLE TO USE THAT OR SOME OTHER -- IS THAT PART OF WHAT YOU BUDGETED FOR THIS YEAR?
>> WE DON'T HAVE BUDGETED FOR A NEW TRAINING FACILITY.
>>GOODMAN: NOT NEW OR IMPROVEMENT?
>> THE ONE OFF BURLESON ROAD IS FAIRLY NEW NOW AND WE ARE DOING SOME CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THIS YEAR TO IMPROVE THAT TRAINING FACILITY. IT'S CLOSE TO DEL VALLE.
>>GOODMAN: DO YOU THINK IT'S ADEQUATE?
>> THERE ARE ALWAYS MORE REQUESTS COMING FROM OUR TRAINING DIVISION ON THINGS THAT THEY COULD USE, LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, ONE THING THAT THEY'VE ASKED FOR REPEAT LID IS A BURN HOUSE, AND THAT'S FAIRLY EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION, BUT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT MAYBE TRYING TO FIND A BURN HOUSE SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE, BUT NOT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
>>GOODMAN: OKAY. LET ME ASK YOU THEN ABOUT VEHICLES ALSO. ARE YOU REPLACING ANY VEHICLES THIS YEAR?
>> AS FAR AS REPLACEMENTS GO, I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY ABOUT SEVEN OF THEM OR ELIGIBLE THAT WE PROBABLY WILL TRY TO REPLACE. I THINK THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO REPLACE ONE OF OUR PLATFORMS, WHICH IS A VERY EXPENSIVE VEHICLE. IT'S THE KIND THAT HAS THE BOX ON THE END OF THE LARD THAT PEOPLE CAN STAND IN TO BE CARRIED UPWARD. AND THOSE ARE A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN MOST TRUCK COMPANIES, BUT I THINK THIS IS THE YEAR THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO REPLACE ONE OF THOSE AS PART OF THE VEHICLES THAT WE'RE PURCHASING. THE PLATFORM IS ONE OF THEM AND THE OTHER FOUR ARE PUMPERS ON THE REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE.
>>GOODMAN: OKAY. AND RELATIVE TO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOODS KIND OF THING AND NARROWER ROADS, YOU KNOW, THE EMERGENCY VEHICLES HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF TRAFFIC CALMING OR WHATEVER, ARE WE LOOKING AT PURCHASING THOSE AVAILABLE VEHICLES WHICH ARE SMALLER THAN THE GIGANTIC TRUCKS, WHICH ARE ALSO ADEQUATE FIREFIGHTERING VEHICLES, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE WIDTH, THEY HAVE A FAULTER CHASSIS AND EVERYTHING?
>> WE'VE LOOKED AT IT, BUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO INVOLVE IS US WRITING UP SPECIFICATIONS THAT FORCES THE MANUFACTURES TO CHANGE THEY'RE STANDARD DESIGN. AND NORMALLY THAT USUALLY COSTS A LITTLE MORE AND SO WE'RE HESITANT AT TRYING TO MAKE THEM REDESIGN THOSE VEHICLES BECAUSE IT'S STILL PRETTY STANDARD ACROSS THE NATION TO BUY THESE FIRE TRUCKS THE SIZE THAT WE BUY THEM. SO WE WOULD BE FORCING THE MANUFACTURERS TO CHANGE IN WAY THAT THEY'RE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO BUILDING TRUCKS. BUT WE HAVE LOOKED AT IT TO SEE WHAT WAS AVAILABLE AND BASICALLY THERE'S NOT ANYTHING THAT MATCHES THAT DESCRIPTION AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW THAT CAN SUPPLY THE SAFETY FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS THAT THE TRUCKS SUPPLY THAT WE'RE BUYING NOW.
>>GOODMAN: OKAY. WELL, I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE FORCE INTOOD A REDESIGN BECAUSE WE'RE NOT THE ONLY CITY DOING THIS ACROSS THE NATION. SO MAYBE LATER ON IN THE YEAR WE ARE LOOK AT WHAT EXACTLY IT TAKES TO START HAVING BE AVAILABLE VEHICLES FOR -- OR GET THEM INTO THE DESIGN MODE OR WHATEVER. SO IF THAT'S AN ACTUAL BUDGET CONSIDERATION, THEN WE CAN LOOK AT AMENDING LATER. THERE ARE ONLY 17 NEW CADETS THAT YOU'RE ADDING THIS YEAR?
>> TO THE TOTAL FORCE, YES. THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES FOR US TO OPEN A STAYS THAT ONLY HAS ONE COMPANY ASSIGNED TO IT.
>>GOODMAN: AND SO 16 CADETS FOR THOSE THREE STATIONS WOULD ACCOUNTED FOR A FOUR-MEMBER STAFF ON DUTY AT ONE TIME.
>> FOR ONE STATION WITH ONE COMPANY ON IT, YES, MA'AM. AND WE WILL BE HIRING MORE PEOPLE BECAUSE OF ATTRITION, SO THE AD CADET CLASS WILL BE LARGER THAN 17, BUT THERE'S ONLY 17 POSITIONS BEING ADDED.
>>GOODMAN: SO IF WE'RE GOING TO START TO GO BACK TO TRYING TOW PHASE IN FOUR-MEMBER CREWS AT ALL TIMES AND ALL LOCATIONS, WHAT KIND OF IMPLEMENTATION SHOULD WE BE THINKING OF AND WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE HAD TO REASONABLY INTRODUCE THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF EXTRA CADETS? DO YOU KNOW?
>> WELL, I HAVE STUDIED THAT SUBJECT BEFORE AND I HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT I CAN PRESENT.
>>GOODMAN: WELL, IF WE WERE TO BE ABLE TO GET A COUNCIL RESOLUTION OR A CONSENSUS PRIOR TO GETTING READY TO TALK ABOUT ACTUAL BUDGET AMENDMENTS PRIOR TO APPROVING IT, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD NEED TO ADD IN TO YOUR PRESENT BUDGET TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THAT DIRECTION? OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD COULD YOU FIGURE HOW MANY EXTRA POSITIONS YOU THINK YOU WOULD NEED?
>> OKAY. IT'S BEEN AWHILE SINCE I DID THAT LITTLE STUDY, BUT LET ME CHECK HERE. WE HAD SEVERAL OPTIONS. WE HAD A COUPLE OF OPTIONS THAT WERE VERY EXPENSIVE AND THEN WE HAD SOME OPTIONS THAT ARE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE. AND THE ONES THAT WERE IN THE MIDDLE WERE IN THE RANGE OF A LITTLE MORE THAN OR A LITTLE LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS EXTRA IN THE BUDGET FOR PERSONNEL.
>>GOODMAN: THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S ABOUT WHAT I HAD REMEMBERED. OKAY. THAT WAS ALL MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
>>MAYOR WATSON: THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS? CHIEF, THANKS A BUNCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>>MAYOR WATSON: THAT OUGHT TO TAKE US TO E.M.S.. COUNCIL, WE HAVE TWO MORE REPORTS, E.M.S. AND MUNICIPAL COURT, SO WE'RE REALLY RIGHT ON SCHEDULE TO TRY TO HAVE THIS COMPLETED BY THE NOON HOUR.
>> MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM, COUNCILMEMBERS, I HAVE WITH ME TODAY RICHARD HARRINGTON, MR. BUSKAY AND MR. VAUGHN TO HELP PREPARE THE BUDGET. THE E.M.S. BUDGET IS LOCATED ON PAGE 79 IN THE POLICY BUDGET MANUAL AND PAGE 573 ON VOLUME I. THEY OPERATE THREE EMERGENCY RESCUE UNITS, THE STAR FLIGHT HELP AND THE BIKE MEDIC PROGRAM. IN ADDITION, THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS MEDICS HAVE EXPANDED THEIR SKILLS TO INCLUDE ROUGH TERRAIN AND CONFINED SPACE RESCUE. WE PROVIDE HAS SAR DUS MATERIAL RESPONSE WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT. HELP ON MAJOR FIRE SCENES. WE ACT AS A MEDICAL SUPPORT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, SPECIAL WEAPONS AND TACTICAL TEAMS AND PROVIDE STAND BY SERVICES FOR SPECIAL EVENTS. E.M.S., AS YOU'RE AWARE, THE GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENT WITH 296 FUNDED FTE'S. THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR YEAR 2001 IS 20.3 MILLION DOLLARS, A 25.5% INCREASE OVER EXISTING BUDGET. THE MAJORITY OF THIS INCREASE AND THE 30 ADDITIONAL FDE'S THAT APPEAR IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET ARE TO ACCOMMODATE THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT REQUEST FOR EXPANDED SERVICES IN TRAVIS COUNTY. 90% OF EMTION CALLS ARE FIXED COSTS AND PERSONNEL. THE MAJORITY OF THE BUDGET IS ALLOCATED TO AMBULANCE OPERATION, TRAINING TO MAINTAIN STATE AND SYSTEM CERTIFICATION AND SALARIES AND BENEFITS. THE BALANCE OF THE BUDGET SUPPORTS CPR, FINANCIAL SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATION. THE DEPARTMENT ESTIMATES AN APPROXIMATE NET INCREASE OF THREE MILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE FOR NEXT YEAR. MOST OF THIS IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE INCREASED SERVICES PROVIDED TO TRAVIS COUNTY. THIS ADDITIONAL REVENUE WILL BE TRACKED IN A NEW FUND WHICH IS IDENTIFIED AS THE TRAVIS COUNTY REIMBURSEMENT FUND. THE DEPARTMENT HAS CREATED MORE THAN 155 INDICATORS THIS YEAR THAT WILL BE USED TO MEASURE OUR PERFORMANCE. FIVE OF THESE ARE DESIGNATED AS OUR KEY MEASURES. THE NUMBER OF RESPONSES THAT E.M.S. MAKES, THE ABILITY TO RESPOND TO PRIORITY ONE OR ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT CALLS WITHIN 10 MINUTES, THE SYSTEM PATIENT SURVIVAL RIGHT AND CARDIAC ARREST. COMMUNICATIONS CALL PROCESSING TIME AND THE TIME E.M.S. SPENDS ON THE SCENE OF A CALL. THE FOLLOWING TWO GRAPHS ARE PICK TORE YAL EVENTS OF THREE OF OUR INDICATORS. THE FIRST GRAPH INCORPORATES TWO SEPARATE INDICATORS, THE NUMBER OF CALLS TO WHICH WE RESPOND AND OUR RESPONSE TIME COMPLIANCE. WE WILL RESPOND TO APPROXIMATELY 66,000 CALLS NEXT YEAR OR ABOUT 5500 CALLS PER MONTH. THE DISTRIBUTION OF CALLS REMAINS CONSISTENT WITH ABOUT 14% OF THE CALLS OCCURRING IN THE COUNTY AND THE REMAINDER WITHIN THE CITY. OUR RESPONSE TIME COMPLIANCE GOAL IS TO RESPOND TO 90% OF ALL PRIORITY ONE CALLS WITHIN NINE MINUTES, 59 SECONDS. AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE GRAPH, WE ARE AT 80% COMPLIANCE THIS YEAR AND WE ARE ESTIMATING THIS WILL INCREASE BY FIVE% IN FY 2000. THIS WILL INCREASE AS ADDITIONAL UNITS ARE PLACED IN THE COUNTY. HOWEVER, AND THIS IS A BIG HOWEVER, WITH THE INCREASE IN CALL VOLUME AND INCREASE IN CALLS FOR WHICH WE ACTUALLY TRANSPORT TO THE HOSPITAL AND THE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC AND RELATED TRAFFIC CONGESTION, WE WILL NOT SEE A SIGNIFICANT I AM WARD CHANGE IN COMPLIANCE AT THIS TIME. ONE OF THE FEW DEFINITIVE MEASURES OF A SUCCESSFUL E.M.S. SYSTEM IS CARDIAC SURVIVAL RIGHT RATE. AT PRESENT THERE IS NO UNIVERSALLY APPLIED STANDARD. SURVIVAL RATES FOR OUT OF HOSPITAL CARDIAC ARRESTS VARY WIDELY AMONG LOCATIONS. STUDY INDICATE RATES RANGING FROM TWO PERCENT TO 44%. MANY WITH DIFFERENT CASE DEFINITIONS AND DIFFERENT IT DEFINITIONS OF SURVIVORS. THE MOST SATISFACTORY NUMB RATER FOR A SURVIVAL RATE APPEARS TO BE SURVIVAL TO HOSPITAL DISCHARNG. THE MOST APPROPRIATE DENOMINATOR APPEARS TO BE WITNESSED ADULT CARDIAC ARREST OR PRESUMED HEART DISEASE CAUSE WITH VFIB AND V TACK AS THE CARDIAC RHYTHM. IT IS CONSIDERED WELL ABOVE THE NORMAL NORM. THE DEPARTMENT'S BUSINESS PLAN INCLUDES A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES, SEVERAL OF WHICH I THINK ARE OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE. IN ITS UPCOMING KEL YEAR WE WILL COMPLETE THE CONVERSION FROM A TIERED SYSTEM TO AN ALL ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM. BY JANUARY 2000, ALL AMBULANCES WILL BE STAFFED WITH TWO STATE AND SYSTEM CERTIFIED PARAMEDICS, INSTEAD OF THE COMBINATION. THE COST FOR COMPLETING THIS CONVERSION IS $130,000. AS CALL ALL OF YOU AWARE AWARE, IN THE FALL OF THIS YEAR THE COMMISSIONERS KOURTED MADE A DECISION TO INCREASE THE SUPPORT IN THE COUNTY. DEPENDING ON THE 99-2000 FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY, WE WILL ADD FROM THREE FOR FIVE AMBULANCES AND UP TO 33 PARAMEDICS WHICH WILL BE LOCATED IN VARIOUS AREAS OF THE REQUESTED COUNTY. THE CURRENT STMENT IS 3.7 MILLION DOLLARS, BUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT WILL NOT BE FINALIZED UNTIL THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT IS COMPLETE. THIS PROPOSED BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES THIRD YEAR OF A THREE YEAR MARKET ADJUSTMENT FOR ALL UNIFORMED PERSONNEL. THIS INCREASE IN THE BASE SALARY OF THE PARAMEDIC WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THE DEPARTMENT'S RECUTING EFFORTS, WHICH HAS BEEN MUCH APPRECIATED SINCE WE HAVE HAD TO HIRE 44 NEW PARAMEDICS AND WILL CONTINUE HIRING IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. THE E.M.S. BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES MONEY AND FOR REPLACEMENT OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND PORTABLE RADIOS AND PIN BASE DATA COLLECTIONS UNITS. THIS CAN CONCLUDES THE E.M.S. BUDGET PRESENTATION.
>>GARCIA:, ON PAGE 37 CAN YOU EXPLAIN -- I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SCHEDULE TELLS US. IT SAYS PERCENTAGE OF CARDIAC ARREST PATIENTS DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL.
>> YES. THAT IS MISLABELED AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO IN A SYSTEM MEASURE IS THE PERCENTAGE OF PATIENTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL. IT IS MUCH EASIER AND THE NUMEROUS -- MANY MORE PATIENTS HAVE -- AT THE SCENE. BUT WHAT IS REALLY EFFECTIVE ARE MEASURES -- MEASURES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN E.M.S. SYSTEM IS WHEN A PERSON WALKS OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, IS ABLE TO WALK OUT OF A HOSPITAL AFTER CARDIAC ARREST. AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS TO MEASURE THAT AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CAUSES TO MEASURE THAT FROM.
>>GARCIA: WITHIN WHAT PERIOD OF TIME?
>> IT COULD BE ANY PERIOD OF TIME.
>>GARCIA: SO IN THIS PARTICULAR CHART WHERE YOU SAY 20% WOULD BE DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL, WHAT IS THE -- WHAT HAPPENS TO THE 80%?
>>MAYOR WATSON: THAT'S THE QUESTION. [LAUGHTER].
>> THE 80% DIE.
>>MAYOR WATSON: HMM.
>>GARCIA: IS THAT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM TIED TO THE RESPONSE TIME.
>> IT COULD BE. AND WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IS THERE IS THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE THAT THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION HAS REALLY PUSHED, AND THAT IS THE NEW AUTOMATIC AED, THE DEFIBRILLATOR THAT CAN BE USED BY LAYPERSONS. AND THERE IS A LOT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS OUR CPR PROGRAM HAS REALLY WORKED WITH CORPORATIONS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN AND OTHER FIRST RESPONDER GROUPS, AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS TO HAVE AED'S AVAILABLE BECAUSE ALL OF THE DATA INDICATES THAT THE QUICKER THAT YOU CAN GET TO AN INDIVIDUAL AND YOU CAN SHOCK THEM, THE HIGHER THE SUCCESS RATE IS FOR THEIR SURVIVAL.
>>GARCIA: HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO THE NATIONAL STATISTICS?
>> THERE ARE NO NATIONAL STATISTICS BECAUSE, AS I INDICATED IN THE PRESENTATION, DIFFERENT SYSTEMS MEASURE THIS IN DIFFERENT WAYS. NEW YORK HAS TWO PERCENT. SEATTLE, WASHINGTON SAYS THAT THEIR SUCCESS RATE IS 44%, HOWEVER, THEY USE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT INDICATORS THAT WE DON'T THINK ARE ALWAYS THE MOST APPROPRIATE INDICATORS. 20% BASED ON ALL OF THE OTHER SYSTEMS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT, IS EXTREMELY GOOD, WELL ABOVE THE NORM.
>>GARCIA: SO WHAT OTHER CRITERIA WOULD SEATTLE USE IF THE ISSUE IS 20% WALK OUT AND THE OTHERS DON'T MAKE IT, WHAT WOULD SEATTLE DO THAT WOULD -- WHAT MAKES TA NUMBER?
>> I'LL LET RICHARD ANSWER PAT OF THAT SINCE HE'S THE MEDIC ON THIS SIDE. BUT PART OF A MEASUREMENT COULD BE INSTEAD OF VTAC, VEE FIB, IT COULD BE A CUES FOR THAT PARTICULAR ARREST. SO AS YOU LOOK AT DIFFERENT CAUSES FOR ARREST, YOU LOOK AT DIFFERENT SUCCESS RATES FOR WALKING OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.
>> PRIMARILY WHAT SEATTLE DID AND FOR YEARS IT WASN'T PUBLICIZED IS THEY LOOKED AT A SMUL SECTION OF CARDIAC PRAIRBT PATIENTS. THEY DON'T LOOK AT ANY TRAUMA TRAUMA, THEY ONLY LOOKED AT CARDIAC RHYTHMS THAT CAN BE REVERSED. THEY LOOKED AT A VERY SMALL SUBSET, WHICH HAS A HIGH PROBABILITY OF REVERSAL. SUCCESS IN SOMEONE USING A FLAT LINE IS VERY DISMAL. IT'S LIKE ONE TO TWO PERCENT NATIONWIDE, BUT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO GET TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA AND VEN TRICK COLLAR FIB, BECAUSE A FIRST RESPONSE E.M.S. SYSTEM EDUCATED COMMUNITY, EVERYTHING COMBINED, THAT'S WHERE WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE NATIONWIDE. WE'RE DOING IT HERE AND IT'S NATIONWIDE. THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY IS TRYING TO DO. IF IT'S JUST E.M.S. AND YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE FIRST RESPONDER, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE SOMEONE DOING CPR, A GOOD 911 SYSTEM. IT HELPS TO HAVE THE AED'S OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO YOU CAN GET THEM ON WITHIN FOUR TO SIX MINUTES. SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU ARE. WE HAD AN EMPLOYEE OF OURS THAT ARRESTED IN OUR OFFICE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AGO AND HE HAD CPR AND EVERYTHING ELSE DONE. WE BROUGHT PULSES BACK, BUT HE WON'T BE A PART OF THE STATISTICS BECAUSE HE LIVED FOR A WEEK AND DIED. SO EVEN IF EVERYTHING IS THE BEST CASE, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT'S RE -- SURVIVAL IS GUARANTEED.
>>GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>>MAYOR WATSON: QUESTIONS?
>>LEWIS: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. HOW MANY OF THE MAJOR CITIES? TEXAS HAVE E.M.S. AND FIRE DEPARTMENT SEPARATE? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA?
>> I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY.
>>LEWIS: SO WE'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT IS NOT COMBINED WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT?
>> NO. ONLY ABOUT 40% OF THE E.M.S. SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY ARE --.
>>LEWIS: I MEAN HERE IN TEXAS.
>> IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIRD SERVICE, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT PRIVATE ENTERPRISE?
>> I'M TALKING ABOUT THE MUNICIPALITIS.
>> AS FAR AS I KNOW, EL PASO IS THE ONLY OTHER ONE. THAT'S THE ONLY MAJOR SYSTEM.
>>LEWIS: AND YOU MENTIONED PAID FOR PERFORMANCE WITH THE UNIFORM PERSONNEL. DO WE HAVE A BILINGUAL PAY SCALE? THE E.M.S.?
>> E.M.S. DOES NOT.
>>LEWIS: WHY NOT?
>> AT THIS POINT IN TIME IT'S ONLY THE CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES THAT GET BILINGUAL PAY. WE HAVE WORKED WITH HRD IN THIS LAST YEAR. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE SOME INTERESTS IN BILINGUAL PAY, AND WE ARE WORKING TOWARD THAT.
>>LEWIS: DO WE HAVE BILINGUAL PAY SCALES FOR 911 OPERATORS?
>> NO.
>>LEWIS: WELL, IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT THE DIVERSITY THAT WE HAVE IN THIS COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, AND WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVING PAY FOR BILINGUALS, IS JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT -- HOW CAN AN E.M.S. PERSON OR AN E.M.S. PERSON THAT CAN'T UNDERSTAND SPANISH DO ANYTHING FOR A PERSON THAT CAN'T SPEAK ENGLISH? AND I MEAN, IT'S -- WE ARE GETTING SO DIVERSE NOW UNTIL IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IT'S AN INSENSITIVITY ON THE PART OF THE DEPARTMENT IF THEY DON'T INSTITUTE THESE THINGS.
>> WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A NEED AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THAT WITH HRD. I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WHO WOULD LIKE TO IMPLEMENT THAT. MARCIA, YOU MAY WANT TO ADDRESS THAT.
>> COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN TERMS OF HOW IN FACT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF BILINGUAL PAY. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A DIFFERENT SYSTEM TO DO IS. RIGHT NOW IT'S PART OF WHETHER IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE SKILLED BASE PAY. SOME OF THE OPTIONS ARE THE OPTIONS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO WHAT THE POLICE AND FIRE HAVE, AND THAT'S A LUMP SUM PAYMENT. SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT OPTIONS. IN TERMS OF COMING BACK WITH A BILINGUAL PAY PROGRAM. AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THE MODEL THAT THE POLICE AND FIRE IN TERMS OF A LUMP SUM PAY MONTHLY IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE AT. WHAT WE'RE TRYING IS SOMETHING THAT'S SKILLED BASE IN TERMS OF HIGHER LEVEL PAY FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN FACT BILINGUAL VERSUS A LUMP SUM TYPE OF PAYMENT THAT'S PAID IN POLICE AND FIRE.
>>LEWIS: WELL, I WOULD THINK THAT THE ONES THAT ARE BILINGUAL WOULD BE THE ONES THAT GET THE PAY. I WOULD HATE TO SEE A LUMP SUM TO BE SPREAD OVER THE DEPARTMENT FOR PEOPLE THAT CAN'T -- THAT'S NOT BILINGUAL.
>> I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF IRNS. THE ISSUES IN TERMS OF TESTING AND HOW IN FACT WHEN WOULD THE BILINGUAL PAY KICK IN, HOW YOU QUALIFY FOR BILINGUAL PAY. I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT HRD HAS BEEN WORKING ON. SO WE WILL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
>>LEWIS: YEAH, WE HAVE -- OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM PAYS FOR BILINGUAL TEACHING. I MEAN, IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE TO DETERMINE WHO CAN -- WHO'S BILINGUAL BY DIFFERENT MEANS OR NEW MEANS. THERE'S ALREADY A MEANS SET OUT TO DETERMINE PEOPLE'S PROFICIENCY AS FAR AS SPEAKING OUR LANGUAGES GO. I WOULDN'T THINK THAT WOULD BE SUCH A HARD DEAL TO DETERMINE WHO IS BY LINK AND WHO IS NOT. IT'S LIKE ANYTHING ELSE. IF THEY COULD SPEAK THE LANGUAGE AND UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S A BENEFIT WHEN THEY'RE SERVING PEOPLE THAT THAT'S THE ONLY LANGUAGE THAT THEY COMMUNICATE IN. ANOTHER THING, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A CHART OF THIS TYPE. THIS IS FOR THE CADETS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ONE FOR THE DEPARTMENT, A DIVERSITY CHART FOR THE E.M.S.. MY LAST QUESTION IS, E.M.S. IS PARTICIPATING IN THE EMERGENCY RADIO SYSTEMS CHANGE OUT, ISN'T IT?
>> YES, WE ARE.
>>LEWIS: AND SO YOU DID MENTION THAT YOU'RE DOING AN INCREASE IN PAY. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA WHEN WE'RE GOING TO -- THE PAY WILL BE PARITY TO OTHER E.M.S. PEOPLE AROUND THE STATE?
>> I THINK IN FACT WE ARE THERE WITH THIS -- WITH THIS PARTICULAR YEAR AND IN SOME CASES WE ARE ABOVE.
>>LEWIS: ALL RIGHT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
>>MAYOR WATSON: MAYOR PRO TEM?
>>GOODMAN: LET ME FOLLOW-UP ON COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS'S QUESTION. HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN WORKING ON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BILINGUAL PAY? I REMEMBER DISCUSSIONS A LONG TIME AGO. I'M NOT SURE WHEN THE FORMAL ATTEMPT TO CREATE A PROGRAM FOR IT STARTED.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM, I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT, BUT I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
>>GOODMAN: OKAY. BUT IT'S NOT WITHIN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. IT WOULD BE SOMETHING WORKED OUT FOR NEXT YEAR'S?
>> YES.
>>GOODMAN: OKAY. AND THAT SEEMS TO ME TOO LONG BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT A LONG TIME. SO IF IT'S MAYBE SOMETHING WE CAN START PHASING IN, MAYBE WE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT BEFORE THE 15TH OF SEPTEMBER.
>> WHAT WE'LL DO IS TRY TO BRING A PLAN BACK BEFORE YOU.
>>GOODMAN: THE OTHER THING WAS I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF KNOW IN GENERAL, SPEAKING OF PARITY AND WORK ENVIRONMENT AND ALL OF THAT, HOW ARE WE ON STATE-OF-THE-ART HAND HELD OR MOBILE, PORTABLE EQUIPMENT THAT HAS HELPED OTHERS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE NATION HAVE BETTER RESPONSE RATES AND BETTER -- JUST BETTER TREATMENT THERE ON THE SCENE?
>> I'M NOT SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
>>GOODMAN: JUST VIRTUALLY INC., TECHNOLOGY.
>> IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY, THE -- THERE ARE SOME AREAS IN WHICH WE ARE AHEAD AND THERE ARE SOME AREAS IN WHICH WE ARE BEHIND. AS YOU ARE AWARE, THE 911 RMT PROJECT IS A PROJECT THAT WILL HELP US GET EQUIPMENT THAT WILL BE STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT FOR M.D. T'S AND THAT SORT OF THING. IN TERMS OF OUR HAND HELD RADIOS, OUR MICS THAT WE USE. WE ARE BASICALLY UP TO DATE. THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE, THE TELL LEM TRY AND THE OTHER KINDS OF EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE, LIKE PULSE OBJECTION SIMILARTERS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE -- OBJECTION SIMILAR METERS ARE VERY MUCH UP TO DATE. SO THERE ARE SOME SHINGS THAT WE DO SUCCEED AND OTHERS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT EVERY AREA WE DO HAVE WE ARE WORKING ON.
>>GOODMAN: IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE REALLY CRITICAL TO IMPROVING EFFICIENCY OR EFFECTIVENESS THAT YOU DID NOT HAVE IN YOUR BUDGET THIS YEAR? EVEN IF IT'S A PILOT OR TRIAL PERIOD.
>> OFF OF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, IT'S UNUSUAL FOR ME TO SAY NO AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT SAYING NO WE CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE IN EVERY AREA. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID NOT MENTION IS THAT WE DID ELIMINATE A PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAM WHICH TOUCHES 100 SOME-ODD THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR, AND THE DWI PROGRAM, WHICH IS ABOUT 45,000 TO 65,000 PEOPLE EACH YEAR. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD TRYING TO PUT BACK INTO THE BUDGET. GA.
>>GOODMAN: DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW MUCH THAT COST WAS.
>> A LITTLE OVER 71 THOUSAND DOLLARS.
>>GOODMAN: THANK YOU.
>>MAYOR WATSON: NO MORE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>LEWIS: ONE MORE. ABOUT THE 71 THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THOSE 170 THOUSAND PEOPLE OR SO THAT YOU TOUCHED, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THE REDUCTION IN NUMBER OF CALLS THAT WOULD BE MADE IF THAT WAS INSTITUTED?
>> I'M NOT SURE I COULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR YOU RIGHT NOW, BUT I COULD LOOK AT THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU.
>>LEWIS: THAT MAY BE A FACTOR TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOU GET PAID BACK ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S SPENT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.
>>MAYOR WATSON: THANK Y'ALL. THE NEXT REPORT WILL COME FROM THE MUNICIPAL COURT.
>> THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MY NAME IS PAUL MARTIN. I'M THE CLERK FOR THE MUNICIPAL COURT OF RECORDS. ON MY RIGHT IS THE HONORABLE PENNY WILCOX, PRESIDING JUDGE AND TO MY RIGHT IS STACY SHORDER, THE AINISTRATOR FOR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT WHICH COMES INTO EXISTENCE SEPTEMBER 1ST. BEFORE I START, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PRESIDING JUDGE AND THE OTHER NINE, THE OTHER EIGHT FULL TIME JUDGES OF THE COURT. MARCIA CONNOR, OUR LIAISON, LINDA FREEDOM, THE CITY MANAGER THAT WE WORK WITH AND CHIEF KNEE, WE WORK WITH VERY CLOSELY. AND LAST MY MY TALENTED AND HARD WORKING STAFF. BU LOOKING AT THE MUNICIPAL COURT BUDGET, WE FIRST TAKING A LOOK AT THE REVENUE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A 27% INCREASE IN REVENUES OVER THIS YEAR. THAT'S ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS WE EXPECT TO BRING IN. AND THAT'S PRIMARILY FROM TWO FACTORS. ONE IS THE INCREASED FILINGS, SLIGHT INCREASE IN PARKING CITATIONS, SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN TRAFFIC CITATIONS FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND FINALLY, THE INCREASED EFFICIENCIES THAT HAVE COME FROM THE MUNICIPAL COURT THANKS TO THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLACE BY THE JUDGES AND THE CLERK'S OFFICE STAFF. AS WE TALK THROUGH EACH ONE THESE, I'M GOING TO START OFF BY ASKING STACY TO TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY COURT BUDGET AND THEN JUDGE WILCOX TO TALK ABOUT THE JUDICIARY BUDGET AND THEN I WILL COME BACK AND SPEAK TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE BUDGET. BUT THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FROM THIS YEAR TO NEXT YEAR, EXCEPT FOR THE COMMUNITY COURT, OF COURSE. SO LET ME PASS IT ON TO STACY SHORTER.
>> THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. AS MR. MARTIN INDICATED, THE COMMUNITY COURT FIRST YEAR OPERATING BUDGET IS APPROXIMATELY 7 $11,000, WHICH INCLUDES COMMUNITY SERVICE RESTITUTION, THE READINESS AND COURT ADMINISTRATION. THE COMMUNITY CORD ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS VERY PLEASED TO BE PART OF THE CITY'S PROPOSED BUDGET. THE COMMUNITY COURT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY COMPONENT OF MAYOR WATSON'S INITIAL TIFER AND WILL SEND A TWO PART MESSAGE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR HAS CONSEQUENCES THAT ALL OFFENDERS WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO AND TREATMENT AND SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO MAKE A CHANGE IN THEIR LIFE. HAVING STATED THAT, THE KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE BASED UPON THE FOUNDATIONAL OF A COMMUNITY COURT, TREATMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICE RESTITUTION. COMMUNITY COURTS IN OTHER CITIES HAVE SEEN A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN OFFENDERS WHO COMPLETE TREATMENT AND RESTITUTION WITH THE SUCCESS OF THE COURT. WE THEREFORE ARE BASING OUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND KEY INDICATORS ON THE BENCHMARKS OF OTHER SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY COURTS. I WASN'T SURE IF YOU WERE GOING TO TAKE QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT. I'M JUDGE PENNY WILCOX.
>>MAYOR WATSON: LET EVERYONE GO THROUGH AND THEN WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS.
>> I'M JUDGE PENNY WILCOX AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AS PRESIDING SUBJECT FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS AND IT'S MY PLEASURE ONCE AGAIN TO PRESENT THE BUDGET FOR THE JUDICIARY FOR THE AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURT. DURING THE SIX YEARS THAT I HAVE SERVED AS THE PRESIDING JUDGE, THE CITY HAS EXPERIENCED TREMENDOUS GROWTH AND WE HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE GROWTH. BEFORE I BEGIN THE PRESENTATION, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO BRIEFLY TOUCH ON SOME OF THE OBJECTIVES THAT THE JUDGES ENVISION FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR. WE ARE STRIVING TO MAKE THE COURT MORE USER FRIENDLY AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. WE ARE LOOKING FOR A BETTER INFORMED PUBLIC WHICH INCREASES CONFIDENCE IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY SERVICE RESTITUTION PROGRAM FOR THE MUNICIPAL COURT ITSELF OUTSIDE OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT TO DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDERS TO BUILD ON THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY INSTITUTE TO INCREASE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TO INCREASE RELIANCE ON THE DEFENDANTS TO BRING IN THEIR INFORMATION. AND FURTHERMORE, WE'RE ANTICIPATING A REORGANIZATION OF THE MAGISTRATE FUNCTIONS WITH A CHANGEOVER TO THE THURMAN, BLACKWELL CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER, WHICH IS THE NEW COUNTY FACILITY. NOT ONLY WILL WE LOSE THE PRESENCE A JUDGE TO THIS FACILITY, BUT WE WILL ALSO GAIN SOME MUCH NEEDED SPACE TO OUR BUILDING. AS YOU ARE AWARE, THE BUDGET FOR THE JUDICIARY INCLUDES FUNDING FOR THE JUDGE'S 9.25 FTE, WHICH STAFFED SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, NIGHTS AND HOLIDAYSSS, IMAGE ADMINISTRATION AND COURT DUTIES, WLS THE -- MAGISTRATE ADMINISTRATION AND COURT DUTIES, WHICH PROVIDES STAFFING FOR THE JUDGE'S OFFICE FROM THE HOURS OF SEVEN A.M. TO 10 P.M. EVERYDAY. OTHER JUDICIAL EXPENSES INCLUDE TRANSLATION COSTS, JURY EXPENSES AND COURT REPORTERS. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S BEEN A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE FUND FOR THE JUDICIARY TO SUPPORT THE INCREAS AND IN PARTICULAR WITH THE CASELOAD THAT WE ANTICIPATE WITH THE THURMAN BLACKWELL CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER AND THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT. FUTURE ITEMS THAT IMPACT THE JUDICIARY INCLUDE LEGISLATION CHANGES. I HAVE PREPARED A MEMORANDUM THAT BRIEFLY, ONE PAGE OUTLINED LINES THE SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATION CHANGES THAT IMPACT THE COURT AND YOU HAVE THAT IN YOUR POSSESSION. YOU MIGHT JUST LOOK THAT OVER JUST TO SEE WHAT KIND OF ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO BE UPCOMING FOR THE COURT -- FOR THE JUDGES. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT SESSION ARE INCLUDED IN THAT. NOW, THE THURMAN BLACKWELL CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER WAS SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN NOVEMBER, BUT IT HAS BEEN DELAYED. THE MEETINGS THAT HAVE ENSUED OVER THE LAST YEAR HAVE ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN THE DECISION THAT THE MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MAGISTRATE SERVICES AT THE NEW FACILITY. WE'RE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE SAME LEVEL OF STAFFING THAT WE'VE PROVIDED IN THE PAST. WE ALSO ARE VERY PROUD OF THE JUVENILE DIVERSION CENTER. AND THIS IS A JOINT PROJECT WITH THE COURT, THE POLICE AND THE URBAN LEAGUE, WHICH HAS BEEN PUT INTO OPERATION THIS PAST YEAR. THE CENTER PROVIDES A WIDE ARRANGE OF COUNS8ELING AND CSR OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS JOB TRAINING, PARENTING CLASSES AND OTHER VALUABLE SERVICES FOR THE JUVENILE. AND THIS IS A GRANT FUNDED PROGRAM THAT WE'RE PRESENTLY WORKING ON INSTITUTING AT THE COURT. AND LASTLY, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT, WHICH STACY SHORTER HAS BRIEFED YOU ON, WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT OUR COURT IN THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A JUDGE THAT IS DEVOTED TO STAFFING THIS COURT AS WELL AS BAILIFF TIME AND CLERK TIME. SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. AT THIS POINT I'LL TURN THE PRESENTATION OVER TO PAUL MARTIN, WHO WL DISCUSS THE COURT ADMINISTRATION.
>> THERE IS BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE MISSION OR GOALS OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATION FOR THE NEXT YEAR. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SUPPORT TO THE COMMUNITY COURT, WHICH WE'VE DESIGNATED AS OUR TOP PRIORITY FOR NEXT YEAR. THE SUPPORT INCLUDES COURTROOM SUPPORT, BAILIFFS, DOCKETING, CITY MARSHALS AND THAT SORT OF STUFF. OUR NEXT PRIORITY IS THE TECHNOLOGY, IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE INTO OUR COURT TO BECOME THE HIGH-TECH COURT OF THE FUTURE THAT IS USER FRIENDLY AND CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. THIS PROJECT BASICALLY HAS THREE CORNER STONS, THE ELECTRONIC TICKET WRITER PROJECT, WHICH WE ARE GOING DOING WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE BOOT ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT SYSTEM WHICH WE ARE TRYING TO STILL GET THE FUNDING FOR AND INTERNET ACCESS TO THE COURT RECORDS. THE THIRD ONE AND THE ONE, OF COURSE, THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF OUR RESOURCES AS A PRACTICAL MATTER GET SPENT ON IS SIMPLY PROCESSING THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK LOAD. WITH THE TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF CITATIONS THAT ARE PROCESSED EACH YEAR, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT NEXT YEAR WILL GO ABOUT 4 80,000 SIGHSATIONS OF ALL STIEPS WITH A SLIGHTLY REDUCED STAFF, ONLY -- TYPES WITH A SLIGHTLY REDUCED STAFF ONLY BECAUSE WE CAN'T FILL SOME OF THE POSITIONS WE HAVE LEFT VACANT FOR THE PAST YEAR. AND FINALLY WE ARE WORKING I'M PROVING OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE SURVEYS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE OVER THE PAST YEAR CONTINUE TO SHOW SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS ON A CONTINUING BASIS ON MOST OF THESE AREAS AND I EXPECT THAT TO CONTINUE FOR THE COMING YEAR AS WELL. AND LASTLY I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE REVENUE COLLECTION PROGRAM. JUST BRIEFLY, IT HAS BEEN A MAJOR SUCCESS TO THE COURT. AS I SAID EARLIER, THE INCREASED NUMBER OF CITATIONS THAT ARE FILED ALSO HAVE AN EFFECT, BUT THERE IS A CLEAR EFFECT UPON HOW WELL THE COURT CAN DO ITS WORK AND THE REVENUES THAT COME INTO THE COURT IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF COURT ORDERS. AND WE HAVE THE -- THE JUDGES, THE PRESIDING JUDGE AND THE CLERK'S OFFICE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN MAKING A DRAMATIC REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO BRING A CASE FOR TRIAL. WE'RE NOW AVERAGING ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF MONTHS TO GET A CASE TO TRIAL. IN OTHER WORDS, A CITATION THAT'S ISSUED IN, SAY, LATE MAY OF THIS YEAR IN WHICH THE PERSON WANTS TO CONTEST IT WILL COME TO TRIAL IN EARLY NOVEMBER. SO THAT'S THE BEST IT'S BEEN IN A LONG TIME. AND IN FACT, IT MAY BE ABOUT AS WELL AS WE WOULD LIKE TO GET WITH THE AMOUNT OF REVENUES THAT WE ARE -- THE EXPENSES AND THE REVENUES THAT WE'VE PUT IN TAN DOM WITH EACH OTHER. SO WE DO HAVE AN AMBITIOUS BUDGET WITH NEXT YEAR, REVENUE BUDGET, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN MAKE IT. IT WILL REQUIRE SOME HARD WORK, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY DOABLE. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION AND:jj I'M OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. WE'RE OPEN FOR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME. MAYOR PRO TEM MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCILMEMBER GARCIA?
>> PAUL, ON PAGE 40 OF THE OPERATING BUDGET AND OVERVIEW, LOOKING AT THE 98, 99 AND THE 99-2000, THE REVENUE FIGURES FOR 98-99 ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE ONES THAT YOU HAVE ON PAGE 44. ON PAGE 44 IS SAYS THAT YOU COLLECT THE REVENUE OF 15 MILLION FOUR AND IT PAGE 40 IS SAYS YOU COLLECTED 12 MILLION EIGHT.
>> THE 15-4 IS THE CURRENT ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY COLLECT, WHILE THE 12.8 IS WHAT WE WERE ACTUALLY BUDGETED FOR FOR THE CURRENT YEAR.
>>GARCIA: IS IT BASED ON HOW MUCH WE'VE COLLECTED?
>> YES.
>>GARCIA: DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE GOING TO COLLECT MAYBE TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS MORE THIS YEAR.
>> WE ARE PROJECTING NOW 2.75 MILLION DOLLARS OVER BUDGET FOR THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
>>GARCIA: OKAY. THANK YOU.
>>LEWIS: MAYOR PRO TEM?
>>GOODMAN: COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS?
>>LEWIS: THANK YOU. LET ME START WITH YOU, JUDGE. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THERE WAS A CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF JUDGES -- OUT OF A CONCERN FOR SAFETY IN THE COURTROOMS. HAVE YOU SEEN ANY CHANGES IN THAT AREA OR IS IT ABOUT THE SAME OR WHAT IS THE STATUS ON THE SAFETY IN THE COURTROOMS NOW?
>> WELL, WE DO HAVE A METAL DETECTOR AT THE FRONT DOOR THAT EVERYBODY IN THE PUBLIC WHO ENTERS THE BUILDING HAS -- COMES THROUGH WHEN THEY COME IN. AND THERE WAS A CONCERN IT WAS GOING TO CAUSE A BIG LINE TO COME IN AND THAT PEOPLE WHO WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO PAY THEIR TICKETS WERE GOING TO GET SCARED BY THIS LINE AND GO HOME, DECIDE THEY WEREN'T GOING TO PAY THEIR TICKETS. BUT THAT HASN'T BEEN THE CASE. THE SLOW IN HAS BEEN GREAT. PEOPLE ARE NOT DETERRED LOOKING AT THE -- AT ANY LINE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO THAT'S BEEN VERY POSITIVE. THE ONLY PROBLEM THAT I SEE IN THIS REGARD IS THAT IN THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BOTH ORDER A DOG IMPOUNDED AND DESTROYED, WHICH WE'VE NEVER HAD BEFORE. PEOPLE GET VERY EMOTIONAL WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR DOGS ORDERED DESTROYED -- FOR THE DOG BY A JUDGE. SO SO WE MAY HAVE TO INCREASE SECURITY IN SOME OF OUR COURTROOMS IN THAT REGARD. AND THAT'S REALLY OUR ONLY SIGNIFICANT WORRY THAT'S MADE BY CURRENT LEGISLATION.
>>LEWIS: THE OTHER QUESTION IS HOW LATE AT NIGHT DO WE HOLD COURT?
>> OUR LAST DOCKET IS AT 9:00 O'CLOCK AND WE SET THE CASES THAT -- WHERE PEOPLE HAVE FAILED TO COMPLETE THEIR DEFENSIVE DRIVING AT 9:00 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. AND WE HAVE -- OWE THERE WAS QUITE A NUMBER OF CASES THAT WERE IN THE BASEMENT THAT WERE ACCUMULATING THROUGH THE PAST YEARS AND THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF OUR NEW CLERK, HE'S MADE SURE THAT ALL THOSE CASES ARE NOW ON THE DOCKET. SO WE'RE HAVE PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL DOCKETS AT 9:00 O'CLOCK. WE'RE HAVING ABOUT FOUR PAGE DOCKETS AT 9:00 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE JUDGE IS ON CALL FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING FOR ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT NEED A WARRANT, AN ARREST WARRANT OR QUESTIONS. TO CALL US.
>>LEWIS: THAT WAS MY OTHER QUESTION. I WAS OVER THERE AT THE -- IN THE BASEMENT AND THE NUMBER OF BACKLOG -- THE NUMBER OF TICKETS OR CASES THAT WAS ON FILE, IS THERE ANYTHING BEING DONE TO REDUCE THAT NUMBER? SOME OF THEM I UNDERSTAND IS OLD, A NUMBER OF YEARS OLD. IS THERE ANY POINT THAT WE JUST DECIDE TO NO LONGER HOLD THEM ON FILE OR IS IT -- AND JUST DISCONTINUE THEM AFTER A NUMBER OF YEARS OR DO WE HOLD THEM FOREVER OR WHAT IS THE PRESENT SITUATION?
>> WELL, ONCE WE -- ONCE THE CASE IS DISPOSED OF, ONCE THEY'VE PAID IT OR DONE DEFENSIVE DRIVING OR THE CASE IS MOVED TO A DIFFERENT FACILITY, IT'S MOVED OVER TO THE WAREHOUSE. SO ALL THE CASES YOU SAW IN THE BASEMENT ARE ACTIVE CASES. WHAT HAPPENED WAS A FEW YEARS AGO WE SWITCHED -- I THINK IT WAS IN '94, '95, WE SWITCHED OVER TO A NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM. AND THE CASES THAT EXISTED BEFORE THAT YEAR ARE BASICALLY NOT EXISTENT ANY MORE BECAUSE I'VE DONE A QUASH MOTION ON THOSE. WHAT WE HAVE ARE THE -- THE ACTIVE CASES ARE FROM '94-'95 PRESENT. EVERY TIME WE THINK ABOUT CLEARING OUT THOSE CASES, OUR BUDGET PERSON STARTS SCREAMING THAT'S REVENUE THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOSE. AND IT'S ALSO A QUESTION BECAUSE WE'RE BRINGING THOSE PEOPLE TO JUSTICE THAT HAVE NOT PAID FOR THEIR TICKETS VERSUS PEOPLE WHOA HAVE PAID.
>>LEWIS: WOULD WE BE ABLE TO TRANSFER THIS TO THE D.P.S. SO THAT PEOPLE THAT GOES IN TO RENEW THEIR DRIVERS LICENSE WILL HAVE TO CLEAR UP THE TICKET? IS THAT ONE OF THE METHODS THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE?
>> WE'VE BEEN USING THAT. WE USE THAT FOR FIRST APPEARANCE WARRANTS, ONLY FOR TRAFFIC OFFENSES. THE NEW LEGISLATION HAS INCREASED THAT TO ALL OFFENSES THAT MUNICIPAL COURT HAS JURISDICTION OVER. SO WE CAN NOW REPORT D.P.S. LICENSE DENIALS TO -- IN ALL CASES.
>>LEWIS: WHAT ABOUT AUTO REGISTRATION WHERE PEOPLE HAVE A NUMBER OF PARKING TICKETS?
>> YEAH. THAT LEGISLATION WAS DEFEATED IN THE SENATE AND SO THERE ARE NO PLANS AT THE MOMENT TO USE VEHICLE REGISTRATION DENIALS AS A MEANS OF ENSURING THE COLLECTION OF PARKING CITATIONS. WE DO COLLECT ON 75% OF THE PARKING TICKETS, WHICH IS FOR SOME REASON -- WHICH WE'RE STILL ARGUING ABOUT, FAR AND AWAY THE HIGHEST OF THOSE 15 LARGEST CITIES? TEXAS.
>>LEWIS: IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN WORK WITH THE COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR IN REGISTRATION BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO TO RENEW YOUR LICENSE PLATES, EVERYONE HAS TO HAVE AN ID SO THAT IF THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER IS IN THE COMPUTER AS OWING TICKETS, IT COULD BE IDENTIFIED AT THAT POINT.
>> THE LAST TIME THAT WE ASKED THE TAX ASSESSOR, WE GOT A QUIET, BUT FIRM NO. HOWEVER, WE DID FIND A LITTLE KNOWN PROVISION IN THE LAW WHICH ALLOWS US TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH TXDOT ON VEHICLE REGISTRATION DENIALS, AND WE ARE TRYING TO WORK UP LIKE A PILOT PROJECT WITH THEM. SO WE CAN GO DIRECTLY TO THEM AND BYPASS THE COUNTY.
>>LEWIS: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. MAYOR PRO TEM.
>>MAYOR WATSON: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>>MAYOR WATSON: COUNCIL, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO RECESS TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE PURPOSES OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL BE TO DISCUSS
>>> DISCUSS JESSE WICKENHEISER VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN, ET AL, CAUSE NUMBER 97-06837 IN THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT AND JOHN HARRIS VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN, ET AL, CAUSE NUMBER 95-11360 IN THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT.
>> DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES CONCERNING CHAPTER 245 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. AND LEGAL ISSUES CONCERNING THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY LINE OF THE SAND BEACH RESERVE TRACT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN LAKE AT LAMAR BOULEVARD. EACH OF THESE DISCUSSIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 441.071 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE WHICH INCLUDES ALLOWS FOR A PRIVATE CONSULTATION TO OUR ATTORNEY. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION WELCOME BACK IN AND -- TO -- WELCOME BACK OUT AND HAVE PROCLAMATIONS, LIVE MUSIC AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS AND SUBSEQUENTLY WE WILL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCILL. I'LL ENTERTAIN TO A MOTION TO RECESS. MOES IS MADE BY COUNCILMEMBER GRIFFITH, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER GARCIA. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. OPPOSED SAY NO. MOTION CARRIES WITH COUNCILMEMBER SPELMAN AND COUNCILMEMBER SLUSHER OFF THE DIAS. WE WILL RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE WILL RETURN AT 1:30. p T TEST TEST THIS IS A TEST, TEST TEST TEST THIS IS A TEST TEST TEST THIS IS A TEST, ABCDEFG,
>>MAYOR WATSON: WELCOME, EVERYBODY, WE ARE GOING TO START OFF OUR PROCLAMATIONS, AS I HAVE BEEN DOING ON THURSDAYS, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING OUR MAYOR FOR A DAY. THE WAY -- WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING IS TRYING TO RECOGNIZE YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO OUR COMMUNITY, ARE GOOD ROLE MODELS FOR OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE. SADLY, WE ARE COMING TO THE END OF THE SUMMER. SO I HAVE RUN OUT OF THURSDAYS DURING THIS SUMMER TO BE DOING MAYOR FOR A DAY. SO AS WE GET INTO -- SCHOOL WILL HAVE STARTED BY THE TIME WE HAVE OUR NEXT CITY COUNCILL MEETING, SO TODAY WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TWO MAYORS FOR A DAY BECAUSE WE HAD TWO GREAT YOUNG PEOPLE I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM. I AM PLEASED THEY ARE BOTH HERE WITH US. LET ME PROCLAIM, READ BOTH OF THESE PROCLAMATIONS. FIRST, BE IT KNOWN BY THESE PRESENTS, THAT I, KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THAT TODAY AUGUST 5, 1999 AS BRIT TEE FAITH CHAN MAYOR FOR A DAY IN AUSTIN. [APPLAUSE]
>> THIS IS BRITTANY. I CALL ON OUR CITIZENS TO JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING BRITTANY FAITH CHAN AS A STUDENT AT FOREST TRAIL WHO ENJOYS MATH, SCIENCE AND ART, WHO ENJOYS PLAYING BOTH THE PIANO AND VIOLIN AS WELL AS READING AND PLAYING ANYONE CONTINUE COME AND HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED -- NINTENDO AND HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR SEVERAL OF HER WORKS OF ART. HONORARY MAYOR OF AUSTIN, SIGNED BY ME, KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, CONGRATULATIONS, MAYOR CHAN.
>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] NOW OUR SECOND MAYOR FOR A DAY, LET ME READ THIS BE IT KNOWN BY THESE PRESENTS, THAT I, KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THAT TODAY AUGUST 5, 1999 AS MADELYN ROSE PORTER MAYOR FOR A DAY IN AUSTIN. [APPLAUSE] THIS IS MAYOR PORTER. NOW, I CALL ON OUR CITIZENS TO JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING MADELYN ROSE PORTER AS AN OUTSTANDING THIRD GRADER AT BRYKERWOODS ELEMENTARY WHO ENJOYS MATH AND IS AN EXCELLENT STUDENT IN RECOGNIZING HER FOR HER LOVE OF ANY AND ALL SPORTS, ESPECIALLY SOCCER AND BASKETBALL. AND RECOGNIZING MADELYN AS BEING NAMED THE BEST BALL HANDLER AND BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER AT THE LADY LONGHORN BASKETBALL CAMP IN JULY AND RECOGNIZING HER AS A MEMBER OF FIRST ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH AND HERE BY APPOINTING MADELYN ROSE PORTER AS HONORARY MAYOR OF AUSTIN WITH ALL, RIGHTS, THERE TO, SIGNED BY ME, MAYOR KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, CENTRAL TEXAS, CONGRATULATIONS MAYOR PORTER. WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO IS HELP ME HAND OUT THE REST OF THE PROCLAMATIONS AND THEN THEY WILL HELP ME CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AS WE GET STARTED TODAY. LET'S START WITH THE FIRST PROCLAMATION. IS SCOTT WHITE HERE? HOW ARE YOU? SCOTT, COME ON UP HERE. BE IT KNOWN BY THESE PRESENTS, THAT I, KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THAT TODAY TOGETHER WITH MAYOR PORTER AND MAYOR CHAN DO HER BUY PROCLAIM AUGUST 7TH, 1999 AS SAFE WALK TO SCHOOL DAY IN AUSTIN, I CALL ON ALL CITIZENS TO JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING THAT THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS TRAVELING TO AND FROM SCHOOL IS A PRIMARY COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL CONCERN, IN RECOGNIZING THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S CHILD SAFETY PROGRAM, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, CAPITAL METRO TRANSIT AUTHORITY, SAFE KID COALITION, AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION, AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY SUPER CYCLISTS ARE SPONSORING A PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE SAFETY AWARENESS PROGRAM ENTITLED SAFE WALK TO SCHOOL. WHICH IS DESIGNED TO ASSIST STUDENTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SAFE WALKING AND BIKING HABITS AND TO ALERT THEM TO POTENTIAL HAZARDS AND EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROPER USE OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS, CROSS-WALKS, ADULT CROSSING GUARD AND SCHOOL BUS SAFETY, IN COM MAENDING THE -- COMMENDING THE SPONSORS OF THIS WORTHWHILE PROGRAM TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS AND OTHER PEDESTRIANS AND IN URGING EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN SAFE WALK TO SCHOOL DAY IN AUSTIN. IT'S SIGNED BY ME, KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS. MAYOR PORTER WOULD YOU DELIVER THIS TO MR. WHITE. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. THIS WILL BE OUR 14TH YEAR FOR SAFE WALK TO SCHOOL. THIS YEAR IT WILL BE OUT AT MILLS ELEMENTARY. IT'S ON DAVIS LANE, WE INVITE ALL OF THE CITY COUNCILL AND ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT WILL BE WILLING TO COME OUT AND OBSERVE CHILD SAFETY AS WE DO THIS. WE WILL HAVE A SHORT WALK WITH THE CITY SPONSORING THAT AND ALSO HAVE A BUS RIDE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THIS SATURDAY, 10:00, IF YOU CAN COME OUT TO MILLS ELEMENTARY, THANKS FOR HAVING US. [APPLAUSE]
>>MAYOR WATSON: FOR THE FOLKS -- WILL THE FOLKS FROM THE SUPER CITIES PROGRAM COME UP? COME ON UP, FOLKS. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW WE HAVE AN ACTIVE SISTER CITY PROGRAM IN AUSTIN. IN FACT IN OCTOBER -- IS THAT OKAY? IN OCTOBER WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A DELEGATION THAT WILL BE GOING TO OUR NEWEST SISTER CITY, WHICH IS IN CHINA, BUT WE HAVE RECENTLY HAD A GROUP THAT HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN GOING TO OUR SISTER CITY IN PERU, WHICH IS LIMA. AND THEY WENT AS PART OF AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY AND MEDICAL SERVICE TO OUR SISTER CITY. IF I COULD GET YOU ALL, DR. DOHERTY IF YOU COULD COME UP, EVERYBODY ELSE COME UP. I AM GOING TO NEED SOME HELP. I AM GOING TO READ THE CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATIATION, I HAVE MY TWO CO-MAYORS HERE TODAY TO HELP US HAND OUT, WE HAVE 8 OF THE PEOPLE THAT WENT. MY UNDERSTANDING 14 PEOPLE WENT; IS THAT RIGHT? 14 FOLKS WENT TO BE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND MEDICAL SERVICE PROGRAM. WE HAVE 8 OF THEM HERE WITH US TODAY. I'M NOT SURE, I HAVE ALL 14 CERTIFICATES, I BELIEVE, I WILL CALL OUT THE NAMES OF EACH PERSON, THEN I WILL HAVE, IF YOU ARE HERE, RAISE YOUR HAND AND I WILL HAVE ONE OF OUR MAYORS FOR A DAY -- OH, GOOD DEAL, THAT WORKS OUT REAL WELL. LET ME READ THE CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION. IT READS: THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THROUGH HIS OR HER MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY AND MEDICAL SERVICE IN THE SISTER CENTER PROGRAM FOR LIMA, PERU, THEN THE NAME OF THE PERSON, HAS RENDERED VALUABLE AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN, TEXAS. AND THIS CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED IN RECOGNITION THEREOF, DATED THIS THE FIFTH DAY OF AUGUST, 1999, AND IT'S SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, BY ME AS MAYOR. SO LET ME GO THROUGH THESE. I WILL TELL YOU WHAT, I AM GOING TO CALL OUT EVERYBODY'S NAME, YOU RAISE YOUR HAND, WE WILL DO IT THAT WAY. KATHERINE AMY WOOTEN. THERE YOU GO. [APPLAUSE] LARS ANDREW PETERSON. [APPLAUSE] JOSEPH DANIEL STOKES, IV. [APPLAUSE] SAMUEL L. FLETCHER. [APPLAUSE] MARIE IN A PHELPS PETERSON. [APPLAUSE] KATHERINE ELIZABETH BALLPHASER. IS THAT CLOSE? LORI ANN OFLAMORTE. [PHONE RINGING] [APPLAUSE] NATALIE JANINE BATHE. JESSICA CODY OAKS. [APPLAUSE] GAY ROCHELLE WATCHER. [APPLAUSE] RICHARD ALAN KITCHLO. [APPLAUSE] DR. DAVID WALTER DODY.
>>MAYOR WATSON: DOES IT SAY DOCTOR?
>>MAYOR WATSON: I PUT THAT IN HERE. THAT'S YOUR SON? I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. IT DOESN'T SAY DOCTOR, NOT YET, HUH?
>> GREGGER LARS PETERSON. AND HERE'S ONE FOR JOHN DONALD DODY, MD. COME UP AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT WHAT WENT ON DOWN THERE.
>> THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY. ESPECIALLY I WANT TO THANK AUSTIN, THE MAYOR, AND THE CITY COUNCILL. THE -- THE SISTER CITIES PROJECT, OUR PROGRAMS ARE VERY STRONG PROGRAMS TO STRENGTHEN OUR TIES THROUGH THE WORLD. I FIRST WENT TO LIMA ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO AND ONLY AFTERWARDS FOUND OUT THAT AUSTIN AND LIMA WERE SISTER CITIES AND IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL CONNECTION IN WORKING WITH THE SISTER CITIES PROJECT, IT HAS ENABLED US TO DO MUCH MORE IN A -- IN PERU. THROUGH THE HELP OF CECILA BUSTAMANTE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE -- THIS LAST TIME WE TOOK ABOUT ONE TON OF SHOES AND SUPPLIES FOR FAMILIES, MEDICINES, WE WERE ABLE TO REACH OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY IN LIMA. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DEAF SCHOOL IN A VERY POOR AREA IN LIMA, SUPPLYING HEARING AIDS AND GAY IS AN AUDIOLOGIST WHO WAS ABLE TO CHECK ON THE HEARING AIDS THAT WE HAVE THERE AND THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE GOING THROUGH WEST LAKE HILLS CHURCH. THE TRIP WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND A LOT OF THAT SUCCESS CAME THROUGH OUR CONTACTS WITH THE SISTER CITIES PROJECT IN LIMA. EDWARD VILLEGAS IS THE COORDINATOR, A VERY WILLING WORKER, A VERY HARD WORKER WHO CAME AND HELPED US OUT MANY OF THE DAYS THAT WE WERE THERE IN LIMA. AGAIN, WE JUST WANTED TO THANK THE CITY COUNCILL AND THE MAYOR FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE SISTER CITIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU.
>> OUR NEXT PROCLAMATION, FOR THOSE OF YOU ALL ARE JUST WAKING UP FROM WHATEVER COMA AND JUST GOTTEN BACK FROM WEEKS OUT OF THE COUNTRY, LET ME LET YOU IN ON A LITTLE SECRET. LANCE ARMSTRONG, AN AUSTINITE WON THE TOUR DE FRANCE! [APPLAUSE] [CHEERING]. AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, THAT THERE'S A LOT TO BE PROUD OF IN BEING A WORLD CLASS ATHLETE. BUT LANCE ARMSTRONG IS SOMEONE THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN BE PROUD OF AS A WORLD CLASS PERSON. HE IS SOMEONE THAT IS -- HAS TAKEN HIS SURVIVING AND HIS CELEBRITY AND IS USING IT IN A WAY THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF HIM AND FOR HIM BECAUSE HE IS MAKING SURE THAT OTHER PEOPLE WILL ALSO SURVIVE. AND OTHER PEOPLE WILL SEE THAT THEIR DREAMS CAN ALSO COME TRUE. AND I HAVE SAID IT AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN: FOR ANYONE WHO HAS EVER LOST A LOVED ONE TO CANCER, OR HAS NURSED SOMEONE THROUGH THE DEPTHS OF THAT BEAST, OR HAS SURVIVED OR IS FIGHTING IT NOW, WHAT LANCE ARMSTRONG DID IN THE TOUR DE FRANCE WAS TRUELY HEROIC. SO THIS NEXT MONDAY AS A CITY WE ARE GOING TO CELEBRATE WITH HIM. HE WILL BE COMING BACK INTO TOWN AND ON MONDAY WE WILL HAVE A PARADE, IT WILL START AT 11TH STREET AROUND 6:00, THE PEOPLE -- WE ARE INVITING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO BE PART OF THIS PARADE, BRING YOUR BIKE, BRING YOUR KIDS AND THEIR BIKES, WEAR YELLOW SHIRTS, COME OUT THERE AND BE PART OF THIS OVERALL PARADE. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE MARRING BANDS, FLOATS, OTHER KINDS OF THINGS THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT IN A PARADE, BUT THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY ELSE TO PARTICIPATE. WE WILL GO DOWN CONGRESS AVENUE TO RIVERSIDE, HANG A RIGHT, END UP AT AUDITORIUM SHORES WHERE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A RALLY AND FESTIVAL THAT WILL ALSO HAVE QUITE A BIT OF MUSIC. BUT WE WILL MAKE SOME PRESENTATIONS TO LANCE AT THAT TIME. BUT IN ADDITION, MONDAY, LET'S CELEBRATE ALL DAY LONG AND SO BE IT KNOWN BY THESE PRESENTS, THAT I, KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 9TH, 1999 AS YELLOW SHIRT DAY IN AUSTIN. AND I CALL ON ALL CITIZENS TO JOIN ME IN HONORING LANCE ARMSTRONG AS A GIFTED ATHLETE, A GENEROUS PERSON, WILLING TO SHARE THOSE GIFTS WITH OTHERS WHO WON THE 1999 TOUR DE FRANCE, FOCUSING ATTENTION NOT ONLY ON THE SORT OF CYCLING, BUT ALSO ON THE STRENGTH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT AND IN WISHING THIS EXCEPTIONAL AUSTINITE CONTINUED SUCCESS IN ALL OF HIS FEATURE ENDEAVORS, SIGNED BY ME, KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS ON MONDAY TO WEAR A YELLOW SHIRT IN HONOR OF THIS AND THEN COME OUT TO THE PARADE AND THE FESTIVAL AND LET'S -- LET'S HAVE A PARTY TO CELEBRATE THIS OUTSTANDING AUSTINITE, OUTSTANDING TEXAN AND OUTSTANDING AMERICAN AND DO IT IN A LANCE ARMSTRONG COOL WAY, SO LET'S COME OUT ON MONDAY NIGHT. [APPLAUSE]
>> AS LONG AS WE ARE CELEBRATING GOOD, YOUNG WOMEN IN POLITICS, LIKE THE TWO MAYORS BEHIND ME, AND EMILY RENDONATE WHO IS ANY INTERN AND WASN'T ABLE TO BE WITH US LAST WEEK WHEN WE GAVE MATTHEW AND NIKITA OUR PROCS. I AND THE TO SAY HOW MUCH WE LOVE HAVING YOUNG FOLKS IN CITY HALL, SEEING WHAT IT'S LIKE UNDERSTANDING THAT POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT ARE NOT BAD WORDS, THEY ARE ABOUT THE THINGS WE MUST DO TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE, AND THE THINGS THAT WE ALL TRY TO DO TO MAKE OUR PRESENCE PART OF WHY THAT WORLD WAS A BETTER PLACE. SO FOR EMILY I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THIS CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION TO CERTIFY THAT HER PARTICIPATION IN THE 1999 CITY OF AUSTIN SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAM ANDER DEDICATED EFFORTS TO BECOME PERSONALLY ACTIVE AND CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY AS A MEMBER OF MY STAFF, EMILY HAS RENDERED VALUABLE AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN, TEXAS. THIS CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED IN RECOGNITION THEREOF DATED THIS 29TH DAY OF JULY, AD, 1999, FROM THE CITY COUNCILL OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, OF COURSE SIGNED BY OUR MAYOR, KIRK WATSON. SO LET ME THANK YOU, EMILY, AND FOR A WHOLE LOT OF THE FOLKS IN AUSTIN WHO YOU HELPED THIS SUMMER AND WHY DON'T YOU COME SAY A FEW WORDS BEFORE -- BEFORE YOU GO BACK TO CITY HALL. [APPLAUSE]
>> I JUST WANT TO THANK MAYOR PRO TEM GOODMAN FOR ALLOWING ME TO WORK IN HER OFFICE, ALTA FOR LETTING ME INVADE HER PERSONAL SPACE, AND ANDREW ANSWERING HER PHONE CALLS AND YOUR HUSBAND JACK WHO I COULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT. I AM TOO OLD TO WORK IN IT NEXT YEAR, BUT I WILL COME BACK AND VISIT I WOULD LOVE TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN WHENEVER YOU NEED HELP. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE]
>>MAYOR WATSON: WELL, NOW FOR A LITTLE MUSIC. DO WE HAVE OUR FOLKS HERE? GOOD DEAL, TODAY WE HAVE WITH US MAMBO RED. IT'S A COMBO DESIGNED TO PUMP OUT LATIN RHYTHMS THAT INSPIRE THE IRRESISTABLE URGE TO DANCE. SO FEEL FREE! [LAUGHTER]. WITH A RICH PASSIONATE VOCALS AND BRILLIANT TONE OF THE CLASSIC LATIN TRUMPET, THIS BAND IS IN SYNCH. THEY JUST ARRIVED ON THE LATIN SCENE IN AUSTIN. HOWEVER THE NAME MAY BE SOMEWHAT DECEIVING. THOUGH THE BAND DOES PLAY CUBAN MUSIC, IT IS NOT ACTUALLY MAMBO, BUT MORE RUSTIC STYLE FROM THE EASTERN REGION OF CUBA. (LISTING NAMES OF MUSICIANS) MAMBO RED IS WORKING HARD, HONNING THEIR GROOVE AND GETTING READY TO MAKE THEIR MARK. PLEASE WELCOME MAMBO RED, I AM PROUD TO PROCLAIM AUGUST 5, 1999 AS MAMBO RED DAY IN AUSTIN. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAMBO RED! [AUDIO PROBLEMS, PLEASE STAND BY].
>>MAYOR WATSON: WHILE WE ARE WAITING, THE MAYOR PRO TEM HAS A PRESENTATION SHE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE TO OUR MAYORS, SO WHY DON'T YOU STEP UP HERE AND DO THAT?
>>GOODMAN: TWO OF THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE AUSTIN SO SPECIAL ARE TOM APPEARED JANICE SHEFFLEMAN. THEY WRITE AND ILLUSTRATE BOOKS ABOUT OUR TEXAS HISTORY. AND OUR HERITAGE. THEY ARE BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND, OF COURSE, SINCE JANICE AND TOM WERE SIGNING BOOKS DOWN ON CONGRESS THE OTHER DAY, I DECIDED THAT SINCE YOU GIRLS WERE GOING TO BE HERE TODAY THIS WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD TIME TO PUT IN A PLUG FOR SOME EXCELLENT BOOKS FOR TOM AND JANICE AND TO GIVE EACH OF YOU SIGNED BY BOTH THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR A COPY OF THESE. [APPLAUSE]
>>MAYOR WATSON: HERE WE GO, ALL RIGHT, MAMBO RED DAY IN AUSTIN, HERE'S MAMBO RED.
>> WAIT, WE HAVE MORE BAND MEMBERS COMING IN. WE WILL DO THIS ONE SONG, OLD CUBAN STYLE. [INAUDIBLE] THIS SATURDAY, 7:30 TO 9:30. WE WILL BE AT THE RITZ FROM 10:30 TO 2:00. AND I THINK WE WILL BE AT MIGUEL'S NEXT WEDNESDAY AND THE WEDNESDAY AFTER THAT. HERE WE GO. (MUSIC PLAYING).
>>MAYOR WATSON: MAMBO RED. REPEAT FOR US AGAIN WHERE WE ARE GOING TO BE PLAYING SO PEOPLE CAN COME SEE YOU.
>> THIS SATURDAY ON SOUTH CONGRESS AT SODELA LUNA. AFTERWARDS AT THE RITZ ON SIXTH STREET FROM 10:30 UNTIL 2:00. THEN WE WILL BE AT MIGUEL'S, I BELIEVE NEXT WED AND THE WEDNESDAY AFTER THAT. COME AND CHECK US OUT.
>>MAYOR WATSON: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. MAMBO RED. [APPLAUSE] NOW I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MAYOR CHAN.
>> WILL EVERYONE PLEASE STAND AS PASTOR JUDY HALD FROM SAINT MARTIN'S METHODIST CHURCH GIVES THE INVOCATION, WILL EVERYONE PLEASE STAND.
>> LET US PRAY. LET US TAKE TIME BEFORE THE MEMBERS AND OFFICIALS OF THIS BODY BEFORE INVOLVED IN THE ROUTINE OF THE DAY -- BECOME INVOLVED IN THE ROUTINE OF THE DAY, LET US PAUSE TO SEEK OUR HELP TO TURN OUR THOUGHTS TO YOU, OPEN OUR HEARTS TO YOUR SPIRIT THAT WE MAY HAVE WISDOM IN THE DECISIONS OF THE DAY, UNDERSTANDING IN OUR THINKING, LOVE IN OUR ATTITUDES AND MERCY AND JUSTICE IN OUR JUDGMENTS. LET US NOT THINK WHEN THIS PRAYER IS SAID THAT OUR DEPENDENCE UPON YOU, OH, GOD IS, IS OVER, FORGET YOUR COUNCIL FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. SAFE THIS -- SAVE THIS MOMENT, OH, LORD FROM BEING A MATTER OF CONVENIENCE OR A GESTURE OF CUSTOM AND MAKE IT A REAL EXPERIENCE FOR EACH OF US IN THIS PLACE AS WE CALL UPON YOU FOR GUIDANCE AND HELP IN THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNING AND LEADING THIS CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, TO DO YOUR WILL IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY THAT WE LOVE SO MUCH. GIVE US THE GRACE TODAY TO THINK NOT OF WHAT WE CAN GET, BUT WHAT WE CAN GIVE. THAT A GOOD AND RIGHT SPIRIT BECOME A PART OF OUR WORK HERE AND THAT WITH NEW VISION AND PURPOSE THAT YOU WILL DELIGHT AND BLESS, SO HELP US THIS DAY IN YOUR NAME AND FOR YOUR SAKE. AMEN. PASTOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. I AM NOW TURNING IT OVER TO MAYOR PORTER.
>> I NOW CALL THE AUGUST 5TH, AUSTIN CITY COUNCILL MEETING TO ORDER.
>>MAYOR WATSON: THANK YOU, MAYOR, THANK YOU, MAYOR [APPLAUSE] I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICKLY. THIS WILL BE THE LAST WEEK THAT WE HAVE OUR KIDS UP HERE AS MAYOR FOR A DAY AND I'VE ENJOYED THE CHANCE TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE FINE YOUNG PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. TODAY WE HAVE TWO GREAT YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE GREAT ROLE MODELS FOR OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE AND I THINK IT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THEIR PARENTS WHO ARE SO INTERESTED IN THE LIVES OF THEIR KIDS AND IN DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB IN RAISING THESE TWO FINE YOUNG GIRLS. BRITTANY'S PARENTS ARE RAYMOND AND GRACE CHAN, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THEM. [APPLAUSE]
>> HE HAD TO GO.
>> HE HAD TO GO, OKAY. MADELYN'S PARENTS ARE TERRY AND MARILEE PORTER. BOTH FAMILIES HAVE BROUGHT OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. THESE ARE GOOD STRONG FAMILIES OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. MAYOR CHAN, MAYOR PORTER, THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME OUT. I APPRECIATE IT. [APPLAUSE]
>>MAYOR WATSON: I RATIFY MAYOR PORTER'S CALLING THE CITY COUNCIL BACK TO ORDER FOR ITS PUBLIC SESSION AFTER HAVING GONE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND RECESSED THE COUNCIL MEETING. THE FIRST ITEMS ON THE AGENDA WILL BE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MEETINGS OF JULY 22ND AND JULY 29TH, 1999. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
>>GARCIA: SO MOVE, MR. MAYOR.
>>MAYOR WATSON: MOTION MADE BY COUNCILMEMBER GARCIA TO APPROVE, SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. OPPOSED SAY NO. MOTION CARRIES WITH COUNCILMEMBER SLUSHER, COUNCILMEMBER SPELMAN AND COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS OFF THE DIAS. NEXT WILL BE GENERAL CITIZENS COMMUNICATIONS. COUNCIL, ITEM -- ON NO. 19, THAT HAS BEEN PULLED, SO THE -- IT WILL BE GUS PENA, JIMMY CASTRO AND THEN JOHNETTE LANGFORD. MR. PENA, IF YOU WILL COME FORWARD. WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILMEMBERS, GUS PENA PRESIDENT OF EAST AUSTIN CONCERNED HISPANICSS. IN ONE I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TAKE NOTICE OF PAGE 138 ON THE BUDGET, PROPOSED BUDGET, ON NOVEMBER THE 6TH, 1996 COUNCIL REAFFIRMED THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA FOR THE UTILIZATION OF DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE FUNDING ... ONE TIME EXPENDITURES RELATED TO DISPRO FUNDING. TAKE NOTE OF THAT PLEASE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. MR. GARZA, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING US TIME TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY ISSUES. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE AGREED ON THE MEETING AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN THE BUDGETARY PROCESS, YOU ARE VERY BUSY, FOR THAT WE ARE MOST APPRECIATIVE, IT HELPS US EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY. OUR POSITION IS AN AMENDMENT OR EXTENSION OF DR. STUART VEXLER'S FUNDED POSITION RECOMMENDED BY THE GOGGIO CONSULTANTS NOT BE APPROVED. MR. CITY MANAGER WE ARE SUPPORTING YOUR STATEMENT LAST WEEK OF NOT EXTENDING THE FUNDING FOR DR. VEHICLESLER'S POSITION. THAT FUNDING CAN BE BETTER UTILIZED ELSEWHERE. VEXLER. PROBABLY JUST AS WELL AS THE DOCTOR COULD. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR HAVING BICYCLE PATROLS IN CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN. I THINK COMMANDER RUDE LANDEROS, HE'S COMMANDER OF CENTRAL EAST AND CHARLIE, IT GIVES THE COMMUNITY A SENSE OF WELL-BEING AS FAR AS SAFETY IS CONCERNED AND I KNOW THAT I HAVE SEEN THE BICYCLE PATROL OFFICERS OUT THERE LAST YEAR, BUT THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH REGULAR PATROL OFFICERS DO HELP OUT THE COMMUNITY, ALLAYS FEARS SOMEWHAT OF THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OUT THERE IN EAST AUSTIN. AGAIN, MR. CITY MANAGER, WE WILL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU ALL. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK COUNCILMEMBER GUS GARCIA, MAYOR PRO TEM JACKIE DO MAN AND THE MEETINGS, AND EDUCATING US, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC. YOU WILL SEE, MR. CITY MANAGER, THERE WILL BE SOME ISSUES THAT WE ARE ON LINE AND ON TARGET WITH. BUT I THANK YOU FOR THAT TIME, SIR, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
>>MAYOR WATSON: WELCOME, MR. CASTRO.
>> GOOD OF A NOON, MAYOR WATSON, COUNCILMEMBERS, AND MR. GARZA. I AM HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THIS COMING WEDNESDAY, AUGUST THE 11TH, MARKS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR THE 78,000 STUDENTS OF THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. ALL OF THE PREPARATIONS HAVE BEEN UNDERWAY FOR THE ANTICIPATION OF THE AISD FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST THE 11TH. THE [INAUDIBLE] EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN HELPED WITH PREREGISTRATION, ALLIED WORKERS ARE MAKING SURE ALL OF THE FACILITIES AND BUSES ARE READY TO ROLL AND THERE'S BEEN IN-SERVICE TRAINING FOR THE 4,500 TEACHERS OF AISD. AND THE TEACHERS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON ALL OF THE DECORATIONS IN THE CLASSROOMS IN WHICH THE TEACHERS ARE PAID FOR -- HAVE PAID FOR WITH THEIR OWN MONEY. ALL DRIVERS NEED TO REMEMBER THE SPEED IN THE SCHOOL ZONES IS 20 MILES PER HOUR! AND FAILURE TO OBSERVE THE SCHOOL ZONE SPEED MAY RESULT IN A $200 FINE. ALL DRIVERS NEED TO REMEMBER THE SCHOOL BUS LAW WHICH STATES: TO STOP WHILE SCHOOL BUSES ARE LOADING AND UNLOADING STUDENTS. AND FAILURE TO OBSERVE THE SCHOOL BUS LAW MAY RESULT IN A $$520 FINE. AMONG THE MOST OBVIOUS BUT FORGOTTEN ITEMS ARE TO MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD'S IMMUNIZATIONS ARE UP TO DATE. THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES WILL ADMINISTER THE TOTS FOR SHOTS PROGRAM WHICH INCLUDES FREE IMMUNIZATIONS FOR ALL AREA CHILDREN. ANOTHER ANNUAL EVENTS IS THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT MARCHING BAND JAMBOREE SET FOR AUGUST 24TH AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE BURGER CENTER. FAMILIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN ALL OF THE BAND PARENTS IN ATTENDING THIS EVENT WHICH WILL INCLUDE SOME OF THE TOP RATED BANDS STATE-WIDE. FINALLY, AS DICK CLARK FROM AMERICAN BAND STAND WOULD SAY: IT'S TIME TO ROCK AND ROLL BACK TO SCHOOL! THANK YOU.
>>MAYOR WATSON: THANK YOU, MR. ASTRO, ALTHOUGH I MIGHT HAVE RULED THAT LAST PUN OUT OF ORDER. THAT'S GOOD, THANK YOU FOR BEING DOWN HERE. [LAUGHTER] JOHNETTE LANGFORD, FOLLOWED BY STEVEN MEEKS AND THEN VANESSA MARTIN. JOHNETTE LANGFORD? JOHNETTE LANGFORD? STEPHEN MEEKS, VANESSA MARTIN AND THEN MIKE ALEXANDER. WELCOME, MR. MEEKS.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILMEMBERS, MAYOR WATSON, I WOULD BRIEFLY LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE HOMELESS SELF INITIATIVE PLAN. TEXAS SENATE BILL 430 WAS PASSED AND SIGNED INTO LAW THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION. THIS PROVIDES A BASE FOR ENHANCEMENT OF JAIL TIME FROM TWO DAYS TO SIX MONTHS FOR REPLEAT CLASS C MISDEMEANORS OF PUBLIC INTOXICATION DISORDERLY CONDUCT. THIS BILL GOES INTO EFFECT IN OCTOBER OF 1999. ANOTHER BILL THAT WAS INTRODUCED TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE WAS HOUSE BILL 3611, WHICH WOULD PROVIDE THE NECESSARY FUNDING OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAMS. THE OR COMPONENT FOR AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY COURT SYSTEM. THIS BILL WAS NOT PASSED THIS SESSION. THE PASSAGE OF THESE BILLS WOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR AN EFFICIENT COMMUNITY COURT TO GIVE VIOLATORS AN OPTION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT OR JAIL. THE HOMELESS POPULATION IN AUSTIN IS ESTIMATED TO BE 6,000 INDIVIDUALS. AN ESTIMATED 49% OF THIS POPULATION SUFFERS FROM ALCOHOL OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE. OUT OF THIS POPULATION MAYBE TWO PERCENT ARE REPEAT OFFENDERS ON THESE VIOLATIONS. FOR THE TREATMENT COMPONENT ALONE YOU WILL NEED TO PROVIDE A MINIMUM OF 58 BEDS MUCH YOU CAN'TLY THERE ARE ONLY SEVEN BEDS AVAILABLE FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT FOR THE ENTIRE HOMELESS POPULATION. THERE IS ONLY $368,000 ALLOTTED FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS FOR ALL HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. THE MINIMAL COST OF PUTTING JUST ONE HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL THROUGH BASIC SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM IS ESTIMATED TO BE 3,381. THIS GIVES AN ESTIMATED $9.9 MILLION TO BE ABLE TO GIVE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS BASIC SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT. SECONDLY UNDER THE CURRENT POLICY FOR ENFORCING PUBLIC INTOXICATION STATUTE BY THE A.P.D. IT IS UP TO THE DISCRETION OF THE OFFICER TO DETERMINE IF THERE'S A VIOLATION. THE OFFICER UNDER CURRENT POLICY IS NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE A BREATHALYZER OR BLOOD URINALYSIS DONE EVEN IF THE PERSON ACCUSED REQUESTS THESE TESTS. THIS DISCRETIONARY ENFORCEMENT POLICY LEAVES ALLEGED VIOLATIONS WIDE OPEN FOR SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT BY THE A.P.D. IN VIOLATION OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL'S CIVIL RIGHTS. FINALLY I HAVE CONCERN WITH A NUMBER OF BEDS IN THE NEW SHELTER AND THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE UNABLE TO ACCESS -- UNABLE TO ACCESS SHELTER DUE TO LACK OF SPACE. ONE COUNCILMEMBER STATED THAT THE CAMPING ORDINANCE, THE WAY IT'S BEING ENFORCED IS QUESTIONABLE AT BEST, THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF IT. I WOULD SUGGEST A NEW POLICY A HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL SLEEPING OR PREPARING TO SLEEP IN PUBLIC IS APPROACHED BY A.P.D., HE OR SHE IS GIVEN THE OPTION TO BE TAKEN TO A SHELTER INSTEAD OF BEING TICKETED. WHAT WILL THE POLICY BE IF THERE'S NO AVAILABLE SPACE FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL IN THE SHELTER? REMEMBER THAT THE SHELTER WILL ONLY HOUSE 100 ADULT MALES. WILL THEY THEN BE TICKETED FOR SLEEPING IN PUBLIC OR HOUSE UNDERSTAND JAIL? UNDER EITHER POLICY I FEEL THAT THE CAMPING ORDINANCE IS STILL UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. AND HELP US HOUSE THE HOMELESS. [APPLAUSE]
>>MAYOR WATSON: THANK YOU MR. MEEKS, VANESSA MARTIN, MIKE ALEXANDER.
>> I AM HERE IN MS. MARTIN'S PLACE. I AM CYNTHIA NUN. I AM THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR THE YOUTH PREVENTION COMMUNITY COALITION. THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE CAN, WHICH IS THE COMMUNE TEE ACTION NETWORK, THE SAP, SUBSTANCE ABUSE PLANNING PARTNERSHIP AND AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY MHMR. IT IS OUR MISSION TO REDUCE THE USE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN TRAVIS COUNTY FOR YOUTH FROM THE AGES OF 0 TO 18. THEREFORE, WE HAVE SCHEDULED A COMMUNITY ACTIVE EVENT THAT IS LABELED "MISSION POSSIBLE." THIS MISSION POSSIBLE'S GOAL IS TO PROMOTE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION. THEREFORE IT IS OUR FIRST GOAL TO CREATE COMMUNITY AWARENESS ABOUT THE POWER OF PREVENTION. SO WE ARE HOSTING A COMMUNITY EVENT THAT WILL BE HELD SATURDAY, AUGUST THE 28TH, FROM 9:00 A.M. TO 11:00 P.M. AND IT WILL BE HELD AT THE NEW MILLENNIUM YOUTH ENTERTAINMENT CENTER LOCATED ON 1411 HARGROVE. THERE WE WILL HAVE SPORTS VIDEOS, CELEBRITIES, FAMILY GAMES, YOUTH ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES, DANCING, MUSIC, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE. AND INFORMATION THAT WE WILL GIVE YOU ON HOW TO TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT PREVENTION. LET'S STOP BEING ACTIVE, BEING REACTIVE AND BE PROACTIVE. AND WHAT PART DO YOU PLAY? YOU ARE OUR CITY REPRESENTATIVES. AND WE NEED YOU TO SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT YOU CARE ABOUT OUR YOUTH. SO WE ASK YOU TO REMEMBER THAT UNITED WE STAND AND TOGETHER WE CAN. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THIS EVENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. [APPLAUSE]
>>MAYOR WATSON: THANK YOU, MIKE ALEXANDER. THEN PAUL ROBINS.
>> HELLO, CITY COUNCILL. AS SOME OF YOU MAY BE AWARE WE ARE HAVING A CHRONIC NOISE PROBLEM WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS NEXT TO MY HOUSE, IT'S ACTUALLY COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS THAT I AM GETTING RESULTS WITH. BUT IN THE PROCESS OF CONSIDERING JUST THE NOISE, I CAME ACROSS THE PROBLEM WITH THE WAY I FEEL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MEASURES NOISE, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK SOME CONSIDERATION ON. THE COMPATIBILITY CODE SPECIFIES 70 DECIBELS FOR MACHINERY. THIS PARTICULAR MACHINE MAKES A VERY LOUD NOISE EMISSION EVERY FIVE SECONDS, FOUR OR FIVE SECOND, EVERY 20 MINUTES, IT CAN BE HEARD ALL AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD. POLICE CAME OUT MEASURED ABOUT 99 DECIBELS FOR THE NOISE SPIKE, BUT THEN THEY ENDED UP REPORTING NO NOISE VIOLATION. THE PROBLEM IS TWOFOLD. FIRST, MOST PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE OF THE 70 DECIBEL REQUIREMENT IN THE COMPATIBILITY CODE. THEY ARE ONLY AWARE OF THE REQUIREMENT WITH THE GENERAL NOISE ORDINANCE, THE POLICE AS WELL. THIS IS EASY ENOUGH TO CORRECT. SECONDLY I FOUND THAT THEY TAKE THEIR MEASUREMENT BY TAKING A ONE MINUTE AVERAGE OF SOUND INSTEAD OF INSTANTANEOUS READING. I WOULD SAY THIS IS OKAY FOR RANDOM MUSIC OR RANDOM NOISE FROM A CLUB, BUT WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MEASURE NOISE FROM A MACHINE THAT'S RUNNING ALL OF THE TIME, ONE MINUTE AVERAGE DOESN'T REALLY REFLECT THE KIND OF NUISANCE THIS PARTICULAR MACHINE MAKES. ALSO SINCE THE COMPATIBILITY CODE DOES NOT SPECIFY HOW THE SOUND MEASUREMENT IS TO BE TAKEN, I FIGURE MEASURING 70 DECIBELS AND DRYING THE -- DRAWING THE LINE IS THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE CODE. I WOULD ASK YOU TO CONSIDER MAYBE THIS: HAVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SET UP TWO CLASSES OF NOISE COMPLAINTS, ONE FOR GENERAL NOISE, ONE FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE. FOR THE FIRST COMPLAINT YOU CAN STILL DO THE ONE MINUTE AVERAGING OF 80 AND 85 DECIBELS, FOR THE SECOND COMPLAINT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, OF COURSE, THAT YOU MEASURE AGAIN 70 DECIBELS, BUT ALSO THAT YOU CONSIDER ANY NOISE EMISSION OVER 70 TO BE A VIOLATION. ALSO IN ALL FAIRNESS, SOUND METERS HAVE FREQUENCY RATINGS AND SLOW, FAST RESPONSES. I HAVE SURVEYED NOISE ORDINANCES FROM SEVERAL CITIES AND FOUND THAT MOST SPECIFY TO USE AN A RATING AND SLOW RESPONSE SETTING. THIS BETTER ESTIMATES HOW THE EAR RESPONDS TO SOUND. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT THE SECOND CLASS OF NOISE COMPLAINT ALSO SPECIFY USING THE A WAITING AND LOW RESPONSE SETTING JUST FOR GIVE IT MORE FAIR READING. I BELIEVE DOING THIS WILL MORE DIRECTLY MATCH THE INTENTION OF THE COMPATIBILITY CODE. A VARIATION ON ALL OF THIS IS THAT THE -- THIS DEVICE AND SOUND METERS FOR THE INSPECTION DEPARTMENT SFRIKTLY SPEAKING THE POLICE AREN'T THE ONES THAT ENFORCE THE CODE BUT THEY HAVE THE METERS, THE METERS HAVE COME DOWN IN PRICE BY QUITE A BIT. BUT EVEN IF YOU DO TAKE THAT OPTION, I WOULD STILL LIKE TO ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER ANY SOUND READING OVER 70 TO BE A VIOLATION AND IN ALL FAIRNESS USE THE A WAITING AND SLOW SPEED SCALE, THAT ACTUALLY GIVES A LOWER RESPONSE SETTING BELIEVE IT OR NOT. THANK YOU.
>>GOODMAN: THANK YOU.
>>GOODMAN: PAUL ROBINS. WHILE MR. ROBBINS IS COMING FORWARD, CAN WE FIND OUT A REPORT MAYBE FROM A.P.D. WHAT WE DO HAVE OR WHAT WE COULD HAVE FOR REPEAT OBNOXIOUS SOUND LEVEL VIOLATIONS?
>> YES. WE COULD.
>>GOODMAN: SO THAT IN SOME CASES WE COULD ACTUALLY COME TO CLOSURE.
>>GARZA: YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES?
>>GOODMAN: SOME DIFFERENT APPROACH ALTOGETHER.
>>GARZA: OKAY.
>> READY? COUNCIL, I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT -- MY NAME IS PAUL ROBINS, I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSUMER ADVOCATE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TWO ISSUES TODAY. THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE I SPOKE ABOUT THE CITY'S GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM, I HAVE A LETTER THAT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU ALL. THERE'S ONE FOR THE MANAGER, TOO. THIS LETTER IS FROM FOUR ADVOCATES OF THE GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM. WE HAVE SENT IT TO THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTIN ENERGY, ROGER DUNCAN. AND WE BASICALLY SAID THAT AT THIS TIME, WE CANNOT SUPPORT HIS REQUEST FOR A NATIONAL PROGRAM. IN -- SINCE 1985, 32% OF ALL THE SQUARE FOOTAGE IN AUSTIN IN TRAVIS COUNTY HAS BEEN BUILT. I MEAN, THAT'S A LOT IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. OUR NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM IS A VERY SMALL MARKET SHARE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS ONLY 11% OF SINGLE FAMILY, 3% OF MULTI FAMILY AND SMALL COMMERCIAL -- COMMERCIAL IS VERY SMALL. IT IS SMALL BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IS VOLUNTARY AND DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF STAFF PEOPLE. THE CITY HAS HAD TROUBLE RETAINING QUALIFIED STAFF. THE GROUP THAT I WORK WITH DOES NOT KNOW HOW YOU CAN HAVE A NATIONAL PROGRAM WHEN THE LOCAL PROGRAM HAS STAFFING PROBLEMS. WE DO HAVE A MEETING WITH ROGER TO DISCUSS THIS, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE UNCONVINCED THAT THIS NATIONAL PROGRAM CAN WORK. THE OTHER THING THAT I NEED TO ASK YOU OR TELL YOU ABOUT IS THE STRATEGIC PLANNING TEAM CHRISTENED BY THE AUSTIN ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT BACK IN EARLY JUNE. AS I SAID AT THAT TIME, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THIS STRATEGIC TEAM WAS CHARTERED WITH NO COUNCIL AUTHORIZATION AND I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I ASKED YOU AT THAT TIME TO HAVE COUNCIL INTERJECT THEMSELVES INTO THIS TO REVIEW IT, TO SOME EXTENT YOU HAVE. I THINK THAT YOU ARE REQUIRING EXECUTIVE MONTHLY BRIEFINGS ON THIS. I AM ASKING YOU TO GO FURTHER. I THINK A PUBLIC PRESENTATION SHOULD BE MADE. SO THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS STRATEGIC TEAM. I THINK THE CONSUMER ADVOCATES ADVOCATES -- ADVOCATE SCOTT MCCULLOUGH SHOULD BE ON THIS STRATEGIC TEAM, AT LEAST REVIEWING IT ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND I THINK THAT COUNCIL SHOULD APPROVE ANY BUSINESS PLAN PRIOR TO ITS BEING PUBLISHED BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THE BUSINESS PLAN IS A POLICY LEVEL DECISION. I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE MADE PUBLIC AND THEN REVIEWED. I THINK IT SHOULD BE REVIEWED [BUZZER SOUNDING] AND THEN MADE PUBLIC.
>>MAYOR WATSON: THANK YOU, MR. ROBBINS.
>>SLUSHER: MAYOR?
>>MAYOR WATSON: YES COUNCILMEMBER?
>>SLUSHER: MR. ROBBINS I AGREE WITH SOME OF YOUR POINTS. I CALLED ABOUT GETTING TOGETHER A GROUP, INCLUDING YOURSELF, THAT WITH SOME EXPERTISE IN THE UTILITY AREA AND TO REALLY JUST SORT OF HARSH THESE ISSUES OUT. HOPEFULLY PEOPLE THAT DISAGREE AND HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS ON IT, I ALSO AGREE WE NEED TO HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC MEETINGS ON THE OTHER HAND THERE'S A NEED FOR -- THERE IS SOME CONFIDENTIALITY THAT'S NECESSARY PLANNING WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET. LET ME MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND YOUR RECOMMENDATION. THAT THE BUSINESS PLAN YOU THINK THAT SHOULD BE DEVELOPED IN PRIVATE BEFORE IT'S RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC?
>> I THINK THAT THE COUNCIL SHOULD REVIEW ANY BUSINESS PLAN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION BEFORE IT IS RELEASED TO PUBLIC BECAUSE A BUSINESS PLAN IS A POLICY LEVEL DECISION THAT YOU ALL NEED TO MAKE. I MEAN CERTAINLY STAFF CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT BUT YOU ALL REALLY NEED TO SET THE DIRECTION.
>>SLUSHER: SO YOU WOULD WANT TO DO THAT EVEN BEFORE YOU SEE IT?
>> YES, I WOULD.
>>SLUSHER: OKAY. THAT'S FINE I WANTED TO TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU SAID.
>> AS I SAID LAST TIME, I ASKED COUNCIL TO TAKE A LEADERSHIP STANCE ON THIS ISSUE. AND THAT WOULD BASICALLY BE ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO DO IT. I WAS GIVEN A COPY OF A MEMO THAT WENT TO COUNCIL AND IT HAS A FLOW CHART AND RIGHT HERE UNDER THE FOURTH BOX ON THE CHART AND A FIVE PROCESS -- AND A FIVE STEP PROCESS, IT SAYS DEVELOP BUSINESS PLANS. AND THIS IT SEEMS IS THE BEST PLACE OR COUNCIL TO HAVE A MAXIMUM IMPACT. I COULD GET A COPY OF THIS --.
>>SLUSHER: WELL, ALSO, YOU WOULD AGREE THAT OUR STAFF, IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEM TO HAVE SOME MEETINGS IN PRIVATE TO DEVELOP WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE TO US, IT'S JUST BEFORE WE SETTLE ON WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO THERE NEEDS TO BE EXTENSIVE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT, WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT?
>> MOST OF IT. GIVEN TIME LIMITATIONS, I'M NOT SURE THE COUNCIL HAS 30 MINUTES TO HEAR EVERYTHING I HAVE -- ALL MY OPINIONS ON DEREGULATION.
>>SLUSHER: YOU WILL GET A CHANCE TO EXPRESS THEM, THOUGH, IN THIS FORUM I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER. MAYBE NOT 30 MINUTES THERE, EITHER.
>> IF I COULD SUCCINCTLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I THINK THAT THERE ARE -- STAFF AND I MIGHT DIFFER ON SOME OF THE THINGS THEY FEEL ARE PROPRIETARY.
>> THANKS.
>> THANK YOU.
>>GOODMAN: MAY I FOLLOW UP?
>>MAYOR WATSON: YES.
>>GOODMAN: EARLIER IN THE YEAR WE DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF THE CONSUMER ADVOCATE AS CURRENTLY CONTRACTED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM. NOTING THAT THERE WERE CONFIDENTIALITY ISSUES AND THAT THE CONSUMER ADEQUATE SCOTT MCCULLOUGH HAD NO PROBLEM SIGNING ON TO THAT CONFIDENTIALITY NEED AS HE HAD DONE BEFORE IN ANOTHER SITUATION. I THINK THAT I RECALL MR. MANNING NOT HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
>>GARZA: MR. MCCULLOUGH IS A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM. THEY HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH HIM PERIODICALLY. THE TEAM THAT CHUCK CHARGED WITH LOOKING AT THE LEGISLATION AND DOING AN ASSESSMENT INCLUDES ROGER DUNCAN, INCLUDES THE FINANCE PERSON, JOHN STEVENS, BETTIE DUNKERLEY. THEY HAVE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK AT THAT LEGISLATION, BEGIN TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT OF WHAT IT IS WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE DOING. THE INFORMATION THAT IS BEING GENERATED BY THAT TEAM IS BEING SHARED WITH MR. MCCULLOUGH, BUT THESE PEOPLE HAVE ESSENTIALLY BEEN PULLED OFF THEIR REGULAR JOBS TO TOTAL DEVELOP -- DEVOTE TIME TO THIS WHENEVER IT IS PERIODICALLY THEY ARE MEETING. MR. ROBBINS IS EXACTLY RIGHT. AS WE FORMULATE IN