You're watching a meeting of the austin city Council with mayor kirk watson,
mayor pro tem chito vela, Council members natasha harper madison,
vanessa fuentes, jose velasquez, Ryan alter,
krista lane, mike siegel, Paige ellis, zoe
cowdrey, mark duchin, City attorney deborah thomas,
city clerk erica brady and city manager t.c.
broadnax. Good morning everybody.
I'll call to order the austin city council Meeting for july 23rd,
2026 at 10:00 in the morning. We are meeting in city council chambers, Which are located in city hall at 301 west
second street in austin, Texas. And we have a quorum of the austin city Council president,
as I call this meeting, To order. What I'll do, what we'll do first is we're Going to we've got a very short meeting
today. So let me get that out of the way. But what I want to do is I'm going to walk You through what the order of business is
going to be for the day. In a general sense. And then we will get Right down to it.
in just a moment, I'm going to read changes And corrections into the record so that we
have those. We will also then go to our Consent agenda.
members right now, the items that have been Pulled from the consent agenda are item 68.
items 15, 75, 76 and 142, I believe.
item 86 is being pulled, But I'll confirm that shortly.
we will if somebody else has something else They want to pull, please let me know. We will then have a vote On the consent agenda and brief comments from
council members with regard to the consent Agenda at some point after 1030 in the
morning. But as close as we can do it to 1030, we will have the austin housing finance Corporation board of directors meeting for
the public public's information. What will happen is we will recess the city Council meeting.
I'll call to order the board of directors Meeting of hfc will conduct that meeting.
then we'll adjourn it, And we'll come right back to the city council meeting. We have a number of non consent Items other than those that have now been
pulled. But we have items from council. That's item number 91.
we have three eminent domain matters items 92, 93 and 94. We have a number of public Hearings.
those are items 96 through 110 around noon.
we will have general public communication. What we will do is as close to noon as we can Make it,
wherever we are in the agenda. We will pause whatever we're doing, Take up the 12:00 time certain of public
communication. We also have set a time Certain at 230 for zoning matters.
we'll we'll figure out what we do when we get Around to that time.
we will not be having music this week. Council member so what will happen is we will Just go straight from the general public
communication into other items on the agenda. With that, unless there are any questions or Comments, let me read the changes and
corrections. Yes. Councilmember walter. I know we're not having music this week. Today is a very special day.
it is. And I was going to get to that. Oh, Okay. I didn't know that you were getting into business. Take it away. You're Recognized.
well, there's a birthday down the way over Here,
the jose velasquez. So just wanted to say Happy birthday.
I'm not gonna sing. I'm. I'm gonna keep it in no music day. There you go. Mayor. I was just I was just Excited that all these folks showed up on my
birthday to see me. That's why. Thank you all for being here. I appreciate Y'all for real. That I trust.
that's why they're here. And by the way, This suits older than jose. So alright with that we will I'll, I'll read the changes of corrections in the
record. The item number 58 at the very end, It should read access easement across 13017
bob johnson road, unit b, And the word from should be put in there from
little bear orchards llc. And then continuing forward items items.
42653 and 70 have been withdrawn.
items four, 26, 53 and 70 have been Withdrawn.
the reason I emphasize that is if you're here To speak on items four,
26, 53 or 70, they have been withdrawn from The agenda,
so they will not be called up for you to Speak on those items.
so please make note of that.
again, I'll, I'll read again the items that Have been pulled from the consent agenda.
14, 15, 7576 and 142. Item 68 and item
86. With that members, Unless there's any other items that somebody
wants to bring up right now, What we will do is we will rapidly go into
our consent agenda, and we will start calling The speakers for the consent agenda.
and I will turn to the city clerk to please Help us navigate that.
thank you mayor. Starting with item number Two. Bill bunch. On deck is item six, Paul robbins and craig nasr.
if your name has been called, Please come forward. We have a number of speakers today, And we want to be efficient with the
speaker's time. So when she calls your name, Don't wait in your seat.
please come forward and take a seat if one's Available so that we can be expeditious in
allowing you to testify. Mr. Bunch, You have the floor. Good morning,
mayor. Council members, Thank you for your service to our community. Bill bunch executive director, Save our springs alliance district five
resident for decades. This item is calling to Move oversight of events in our public
parks out of the parks board and the parks Department's hands and into the new culture,
music and entertainment world of the city's Government.
we we oppose that. This is, You know, speaking loud and clearly that now
we're going to manage our parks for Commercial profit making ventures.
whether and some of those that are under the Label of for profits, like the live nation ticketmaster monopoly That goes under the,
the, the local friendly rubric of austin city Limits and c three,
but it's really live nation ticketmaster. And then others that are view our parks as Just a for profit money making enterprise.
please keep this oversight in our parks so That we're managing our parks for as public
parks where we escape the city Commercialization and a world of profit
making. First and foremost, With occasional special events.
thank you for your consideration.
mr. Robinson, before you start, Is greg nasr here? Okay. Four minutes for mr.
robbins. And what items? This is on item six. Yes, Mayor, if you don't mind,
mr. Robinson, if you don't mind, I'm going to ask legal to come up on item number five. Go, go. Sure.
okay. Don't mean to upset you, Mr. Robbins. Not upset. Okay.
members. Item number five is a proposal for a Settlement of a lawsuit.
so I'm asking legal, and I want to take it in Order.
please. Good morning, Mayor. Mayor pro tem. I don't think your speakers On.
hello? There you are. Good morning. Mayor. Mayor pro tem council members.
I'm assistant city attorney jeremy thompson, And I'm here today to recommend that you
approve a settlement payment in a personal Injury lawsuit that appears as item number
five on your agenda today. Item number five is mitchell versus city of Austin.
we recommend that you approve a payment Totaling $175,000 to settle the gregory
mitchell versus city of austin lawsuit. This lawsuit relates to a december 2023 Accident involving an austin water manhole,
where the plaintiff seeks payment for Injuries allegedly sustained in the accident.
in exchange for the payment, The plaintiff will release any and all claims against the city from the accident and will Also dismiss his lawsuit filed in the
district court of travis county. The austin city attorney's office recommends That you approve payment based upon these
terms, and I'm available to answer any Questions you may have. Thank you sir. Members do you have any Questions at this time?
all right. Thank you, Mr. Robbins. You now have the floor. Thank you For your patience. Good morning.
council. I want to start by with sincere Thanks.
last winter, resource management commission Passed a resolution warning that residential
rate increases are. Austin energy recommended Were affecting some city council districts
more adversely than others. We recommended that if there were future rate Increases,
all rate components, including the base fee And four tiers be kept,
are raised at the same level to prevent Future discrimination in rate increases.
and this appears to have happened in the new City budget.
I do not know who in this room was Responsible for this,
but I am grateful for your action.
the item we're concerned with here is about Battery storage, and you may be wondering how these two Subjects of rates and battery storage combine
they relate because the commission I serve on Is willing to investigate matters that austin
energy does not normally tell the public. Austin energy will not discuss the economics Of battery proposals that it brings to
council. Given our reputation for asking hard Questions,
the utility is deliberately avoiding our Commission.
the contract before you is $320 million over A 20 year period.
this is $300 for every person currently Living in the service territory.
maybe the investment will pay for itself. Maybe not. But austin energy is intentionally Being nontransparent council.
no one could expect that upon your election You would become immediate energy experts.
but we did elect you to be street smart.
if an agency is hiding basic information, It should raise your suspicion.
if you study the history of austin utilities You know,
there have been some major failures. The austin dam cracked in 1900, Only five years after it was built.
because of poor engineering. The nuke was 460% over budget in eight years.
late in completion, a half billion dollar Water treatment plant was built a generation
before it might be needed, But all of these were endorsed by the city's
experts in an effort to unravel the Economics,
I personally asked to see past solicitations And bids.
that is after the bid was awarded for Batteries and austin energy refuses to
provide even these. It's an educated guess That there was no bid to determine if the
city's ownership or pre-owned units might Have been less expensive than this contract.
if this contract is such a great deal, Why not boast about it?
in closing, I really do not want to come back Here and say that I told you so.
but if you continue down the road of Non-transparency, the odds of a bat in outcome increase.
thank you. Thank you, Miss robinson.
for item ten, I have kaiba white, Then item 13,
stephanie hoffman and virginia palmer. Item 11. My apologies, Katherine o'connor.
ma'am. What's your name, Ma'am? What's your name? Rachel.
doctor. Rachel. Scott. And what what item are you wanting to testify On?
item 11 and several others. Okay. Well, you didn't sign up for item 11.
dogshit. I'm here for dogshit. Well, we're not dogshit. Item number 11 has been pulled.
and so we're just doing the the 1111111 item 111 has been pulled.
and so we're not calling those yet. The way We do this is we call people's names in the order of the items that we're taking up on The consent agenda right now. Yes,
sir. My my apologies. No problem at all. But would you like me to please.
that way the seats will be available for People who are on the island. I was misinformed, thank you.
that's all right. Thank you. Miss white, You'll have the floor whenever you're ready.
good morning. Mayor. Mayor pro tem council Members. My name is kelly white.
I'm speaking on behalf of public citizen's Texas office.
sorry to be out of breath. It was hard to get in here. I won't take a lot of your time, But.
and I, you know, I expect you're probably Going to pass this and approve the new
agreement, but just did want to remind you All that the resource management commission
did make a number of recommendations as it Pertains to the texas gas franchise.
and to my knowledge, I don't think really any Of them have been executed.
a couple that I'll highlight are on leak Detection and really ramping up the efforts
to do leak detection and repairs. I'm sure you all are aware that.
thankfully, I think it's mostly been in other Cities. There have been a number of natural gas you Know,
distribution level pipeline and other system Explosions and that have cost lives.
so this is not only an environmental issue, But also a safety issue.
the other one that I'll call attention to is The conservation,
so-called conservation programs that texas Gas runs.
unfortunately, most of their programs are Actually focused on increasing the use of
natural gas in homes. And they do that by Providing lavish incentives for new natural
gas equipment where none exists. That, you know, think about the incentive to Get a natural gas dryer.
I routinely see them layering a second large Incentive already on top of a pretty generous
incentive for the dryer itself. And then also paying to get the plumbing, The natural gas,
plumbing done to switch from electric to Natural gas for that appliance.
that's just one example, And it is contrary to city priorities.
so I would encourage you to take another Look. Thank you. Catherine o'connor for 11 or Stephanie hoffman and virginia palmer for
13. This is catherine o'connor. I made a mistake and signed up for 11.
I'm speaking on 14 now.
moving on to item 16, Jeff dickerson and then item 22,
jeff dickerson. Item 23,
sharon blythe. Good morning, Mayor.
council members jeff dickerson, District five. The council is approving authority.
before applying the financial terms for this Item, I asked the mayor and council to vote no on Item 16,
or at least postpone it until the city, As well as the taxpayers, receive a complete financial analysis.
this proposal asks the city to borrow $14 Million for solar panels based on projected
future savings. But looking at the backup Documents,
they do not provide any basic business case That every major investment should include.
where is the payback period? Where is the independent validation that These savings will actually cover a 15 year
loan? There is none. Austin taxpayers are Already facing budget pressures and
additional borrowing for other priorities. Borrowing capacity is limited.
every dollar committed here is $1 less for Other infrastructure needs.
water road and what have you not. Staff also states that they are rushing Because of federal tax deadlines.
deadlines should not replace sound financial Decision making.
if this project slips, We taxpayers will lose the benefits and will
still pay for the full cost of this loan Based on the prior projects.
I don't see success in this. Council has already approved a solar contract Worth $76 million.
why don't you prioritize this money before Taking on more debt?
good government means verifying the numbers Before borrowing more money.
to summarize, the concern is not about Borrowing $14 million for these solar panels.
it's just that councils being authorized to Authorize the application without any
business case showing any expected savings. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Miss blythe.
sharon. Sharon blythe in district six.
I was down here yesterday saying that your Agenda was not specific enough to even inform
the public what was going to happen. Happened yesterday. And the same happens Today.
that your agenda does not tell what the Public you're going to discuss. And you laid out yesterday a bunch of future Meetings to different different departments,
but I don't believe yesterday you even Mentioned the parks department in any of those meetings. So I'd like to know when You're going to discuss the budget for the
parks department. Well, We've posted all of that.
and yesterday we discussed some of those Aspects of it. But in every one of these meetings is an opportunity for you to ask Questions about the parks department or hear
specific. And you can talk. But when are you going to discuss the budget For the parks department? Part of it was
yesterday. Well, I think that the parks, If I understand the budget for the parks
department they are proposing to buy new park Land and funded that and put
in a budget and a budget for that, But not taking care of their current current
assets, such as the city of cemeteries.
so y'all need to think about that when you're Doing the budget, not being buying more park land, But actually taking care of the stuff that
you already have. That's all I want to say. Thank you. Thank you. I have one five Category and then item 33,
scott cobb.
hello, my name is scott cobb and I'm here to Speak today on the number 33.
has to do with a contract for dental benefits Provided to employees.
I want to make sure that this includes Temporary employees who work less than 30
hours per week. These benefits were taken Away last year by director hr susan sins,
and I do not know if they were returned. There was a vote. I'm not sure what the Result was,
but it was very important that if you get Health insurance and we used to be able to
get health insurance, If you had worked less than 30 hours a week.
she also took that away. But when you're a lifeguard, For instance, or a temporary employee and
you're sitting on the stand and you have Dental pain,
you cannot concentrate on your job. One time I was working at deep eddy and I was Cleaning.
I was scrubbing the pool until about midnight All day long.
my tooth had been hurting. I had, at that point, No dental insurance.
what I had to do was get up at 4 a.m. And go to stand in line at one of the free Clinics and get care.
I think if you take someone's labor, You benefit from that labor.
you need to provide them benefits, Particularly benefits that make them do their
job in a healthy manner without suffering Dental pain or health issues and
excluding them from benefits when it was Taken away last summer.
it was taken away by fiat, By the hr director,
even though city council had already voted For it and approved it several years before
when I advocated for it. So make sure it's back in this contract.
item 43 zenobia joseph and then item 44, Zenobia joseph on deck 47.
bill bunch. If your name has been called, Please come forward.
miss joseph, are you here, Miss joseph?
mr. Bunch, please come forward. All right. Thank you sir. You also signed up For item 58,
mr. Bunch. For that.
item 63 jeffrey bowen. Followed by item 64. Zenobia.
joseph.
mrs. Joseph. You come forward. You'll be called on after mr. Bowen.
me or her, sir. Okay. Morning, Ladies and gentlemen.
what a packed house. Nice to see that. Kind of hard to get down here.
mr. Mayor, council members. Jeffrey bowen, district eight.
I'm actually talking on this about. We can spend 20%, which is about roughly on This one was $5,000.
and this is on the this is on the operation Budget revenue that we're going to get from
txdot. Please, let's spend a little to get Some more money from them that we can use.
I appreciate it, and I'll cut it out there Since we have a bunch of people here.
thank you, mr. Bowen. Very thoughtful, Miss joseph.
thank you. Mayor. Council. I'm speaking on item 64 and 65.
is that what you call me for? We're calling on 64, and we'll call you for 65 when we get to 65.
did you do the 40s already? Yes. Okay. We'll call you out your name Several times,
mayor. They don't let us in because you're at Capacity. There's always a problem, Miss joseph. Okay.
mayor, yesterday, respectfully, I went to mail.
yeah. I just want you to understand your Time. No. That's fine. Use my time. I want you to understand that I asked the bar To disbar you,
so I'll give you a copy of the certified Receipt as it relates to item number 44,
which is what was on the screen. I'm going to ask the staff to put the slides Back.
thank you. Item number 43 and 44 are Specifically related to munitions contracts.
43 is specifically $45 million and specifies Ada americans with disabilities act.
I just want you to recognize that the work That's being done by this contractor is
substandard. If it's northeast of u.s. 183, if it's on the rail line, You can see the terracotta sidewalks below on
the left. You'll see it specifically from February 13th, 2026. I actually put in an open records Request and asked mr.
nunez to actually tell me who is designing The discrimination?
I think it's eric bailly, But it's really under the transportation and
public works. So the assistant city manager, Mike rogers, is equally complicit in the discrimination Occurring in the city of austin.
I certainly respect him, But this is the outcome. They have since repaired this area by harmony Public schools on rundberg,
near middle fiskville. And the next item is 43 on their contract as Well.
so I'll just speak to the rest of the slides Then.
item 65 bill bunch, jeffrey bowen. Zenobia. Joseph. Mr. Bunch, Are you speaking?
miss joseph, you have the floor. Okay. Mayor, if you would just put the slides back Up.
I'll just oppose your federal and state Legislative agenda.
64 is the federal specifically 44. And I did register in advance.
you shouldn't dock us for time when we're Standing outside and they won't let us in the chamber. Specifically the next slide.
your priorities talk about mobility. Next slide. But specifically, What I want you to recognize is that you
don't have the best interests of the low Income riders. This is rundberg station as is well aware.
but if you look to the right, This is downtown. I want you to remember that that climate Pollution reduction grant is specifically it
has language for capital metro to use that Money throughout the city,
but yet they use the 801 northeast, North, south.
excuse me to get the funding. Who lives northeast? Well, It's the immigrant gateway to the city.
mayor. You know the area well, Because it took approximately 30 years to get
a sidewalk from north lamar transit center to The affordable housing in your senate
district 14. And so I get it. A leopard doesn't change its spots.
the city was segregated when you were mayor In 1997, and it's segregated today.
so next slide. I want you to remember this is What the priority should be.
but if you go down north lamar today, Loop 275,
nunez is actually working on the area by the Muslim church. So, mike siegel, I respectfully appreciate That you're doing something for them.
but I want you to remember it was january 30th, 2016 when donald martin was killed in his Wheelchair and his service dog live.
so the priorities are not there. And specifically, I want to remind you that The $888,000 that you paid lobbyists is
against the federal law, The consolidated appropriations plan, and the $1 million that capital metro paid in 2021 is a violation as well.
if you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them at this time. Thank you, miss joseph. Mr. Bowen good morning, Ladies and gentlemen,
mr. Mayor, council members. I actually I'm on this item 65.
I really want to commend staff and the Council for actually providing us with an
actual list of what the items are for once. I really greatly appreciate this.
for too many years, I've always wondered, Okay, where can we find these ideas of what the City's state legislative program is?
but I want to call a note to the very first Line where it says responsible use of taxpayer dollars in efficiencies.
I would really hope that we're taking some of This serious at our level, not just at the state, But also looking at how we are dealing with
our own responsibility here within city hall And the city of austin for responsible use of
taxpayer dollars and efficiencies. We went through this just the other day at The audit and finance committee, which I
found that to be very interesting and Actually pointing out. So that was just one of the steps for towards Trying to deal with our really some of our
efficiencies that seem to not be relevantly Apparent.
so please just take to heart that first line In that where it says responsible use of
taxpayer dollars and efficiencies. We're in the middle of a budget season, And it would be greatly appreciated by the
taxpayers for you to take that into account. Thank you very much. Thank you.
item 67. Chase. Right. Chase. Are you here? He is time donated by Kermit.
kermit, are you here? Well, They can't donate time if he's not here.
good morning. I'm chase wright, The executive director for the hungry hill foundation. I basically just came to let you Guys know that we are in support of our
ecosystem. Like I said, We don't have that much time, so I guess I can paint the picture like this. In your childhoods,
we played a game called jenga or jenga, The jangling little tower, right where you pull a piece of the block Out.
and that's the objective, Right? To not make the tower fall. Right now, you guys are pulling some pretty Bad pieces out of this puzzle and our
ecosystem is falling. I want to say thank you To our watershed department.
george morales. It's the watershed Department. Why are we having to get unhoused individuals Out of our ecosystem and out of our water
supply? Possibly because some of the Decisions that we made with our homeless strategy office moving these individuals from Where they are back further into the woods,
back to these watersheds where we're having To continuously keep them clean, but also helping people navigate to find housing Within these places.
they are finding their safe zones in Watersheds. Last week we experienced well, Two weeks ago,
we experienced so much rain. How many individuals do you think we have to Go get out of those water creeks so that they
didn't drown themselves hiding from homeless Strategy, apd and the rest of these people.
I'll leave it right there. Please do not Continue to pull out of our infrastructure
the most important pieces of our social Services here. Thank you. Thank you. Item 69.
zenobia joseph and then 73 bill bunch.
miss joseph. Miss joseph.
all right, mr. Bunch, Do you wish to speak on 73? I'll pass on that. All right.
item 73. Zenobia joseph and 74. Zenobia. Joseph. Miss joseph.
thank you, mayor council, I appreciate your patience. Item 69 is under housing.
it's specifically the city's fiscal year 2026 2027 action plan,
which goes to the us department of housing And urban development. But I want you to understand is that when This plan went before the community
development commission, They didn't have anything in the backup. And so what I want you to recognize that You're just checking the box.
but more importantly, What I want you to understand is that this plan identifies veterans as a special Population.
but I want you to remember that your homeless Strategy office doesn't even include veterans
in their strategic plan. And so what I want you to understand is that You are deliberately leaving veterans on the
street. City manager it costs no money to get Reallocated.
veterans affairs, supportive housing vouchers From hud. And so you could do more with what you have.
and you are doing a disservice to the Military veterans who are sleeping on the
streets unnecessarily here in the city of Austin. And so I oppose this plan, And I would ask you to table this item and
find out if you can submit it to hud at a Later date, because you did not get the appropriate input From the citizens participation policy as it
specified online. Aside from that, I want you to recognize that there is a need
for you to look at how much funding is Actually being allocated to women and children, because the funding that is Actually allocated through this program goes
to the women and children, And you have a number of organizations like mama sana who target women as well.
but yet you have nothing dedicated or Allocated for veterans. I want you to understand that these deals, Through the housing authority of the city of
austin, could house veterans with vouchers, Too. And so I would ask you, Mayor, since you reappointed the chair there
to ensure that there is some transparency so People with vouchers know where they can go
and live. Thank you, mr. Joseph. You're welcome. She called me for another item. She called You for 73 and 74.
well.
I'm not sure why. 70. 73 and 74.
073 is project connect. Okay. So this on on the surface specifies the Ordinance number.
austin light rail. And it says that you are Correcting an austin water infrastructure and
non austin water infrastructure item. I just want to remind you, As I always testify in the context of title
six of the civil rights act of 1964, Which prohibits discrimination based on race,
color, national origin. You cannot cherry pick when to comply with The federal law.
and specifically, I want you to recognize That you conflated ridership and coverage
when it went before the voters. And so, mayor, you recognize that december 17th,
2018 is when the project connect long range Plan went before capital metro.
and you testified right along with sarah Eckhardt and other elected officials.
and so anything related to project connect And the wasted funding, the $194 million that they will get this Year,
I opposed. And every person who lives Northeast of us 183 and northwest as well,
samsung and apple. The billion dollar Corridor. And I want to thank krista lane for actually Laying out that you are not investing in far
northeast, not northwest as well. And so I want you to recognize that while You're certainly looking only at the water,
you cannot discriminate against the Minorities, but that's who you use in order to get the Federal funding.
and so anything that I say I understand will Jeopardize your $4 billion.
but I just want to remind you that it was California whose $4 billion got cut for their
rail boondoggle. And that is exactly what This is. And so I'm going to continue to fight you.
and I hope the citizens who oppose this will As well. If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them at this time.
but just want to remind you that it's hyde Park. That's where it will terminate. And that was developed in 1889 to 1924 Exclusively for white people.
and it's no different today. And I want you to remember that. Mayor, On march 12th,
2020, when you had an opportunity to put Affordable housing. Council put a one acre detention pond Instead.
thank you, miss joseph. I have a remote Speaker for item 78,
angela benavides garza.
miss garza, please unmute.
moving on to item 83, I have bill bunch, zenobia joseph,
and rita thompson. Mr.
bunch, miss joseph. Welcome miss thompson.
yes. Just state your name for the record, Please. This is item 83, rita thompson, District five.
I want to be clear that I asked to comment on This,
not because I have an issue with any Particular board or commissioner.
I'm sure they're all lovely. I've never met Them. It's more in the light of transparency and Representation.
it's been very disheartening for me. I've been coming down here since the early 80s and there seems to be a real lack of
trust right now in our boards and Commissions.
and I think one of the things that would help With that is when there's waivers requested
in the backup, there's an explanation of What's informing that.
I also think it's an opportunity to do an Ethics review and make sure that people are
not being blocked on commissions or boards For a political reason.
perhaps it might be that somebody can argue There's an overrepresentation of presentation
of a particular interest or area of Perspective.
I know that in my profession as a social Worker, I bring a particular perspective that maybe Somebody in the other health professions or a
real estate lawyer might have a different Point of view.
I don't think one's better than the other. I think they're just different, And I think they all need to be represented
on our boards and commissions. So I just ask that you all consider looking At how you're appointing,
making sure you're keeping good balance so That you can have perspective and
representation. And when you ask a waiver That you hold yourself accountable to explain
why you're requesting that and why you think That's in the best interest of the civicorp
boards and commissions. Thank you for your time. Thank you for being here. Miss joseph.
the staff has my slide.
yes. Did the clerk not send it to you?
I'll just pull it up. Excuse me. Mayor for another item.
do you wish to speak on 83? Yes. 83 is specifically related to your Boards and commissions,
intergovernmental relations and all. I just want to remind you, Mayor, that you have failed to comply with
your own publicly promulgated rules, Regulations, and procedures. And specifically, I just want to call to your attention the
need to be a little bit more transparent and Consistent as it relates to these exceptions
that you make. I want you to recognize that Miss maynard is actually posted in here for
the joint sustainability committee. She's a nice person. However, I want you to remember she is a person that
actually donated time to carmen yanez Improperly, and you made an exception as it relates to Miss maynard respectfully,
and the community development commission. As I try to expound on the need to focus on Northeast of us 183.
she actually wanted to broaden the scope to Other parts of the city,
but I would just remind you that the austin Strategic mobility plan walk bike roll on
page 37 specifically mentions acknowledgment Of austin's discriminatory practices.
and so if you cannot put people on these Boards that will actually look at the research and look at the data that you have Already stated is happening here in the city,
then they don't need to be on there. I will Remind you as well that it was march 4th,
2021, when you apologized to black people for Intentional discrimination.
and specifically as it relates to signing up For remote testimony, I would just remind you that on july 16th, I was here.
I signed up for remote testimony, Didn't say anything to the clerk, and actually was called yesterday.
I did what you said I didn't do. I actually told rachel in the lobby.
I asked her to tell the clerk instead of the Clerk going to verify the process.
you sat here and you berated me. So here is my certified receipt of me Actually writing yesterday specifically to
the state bar of texas chief disciplinary Council, austin, texas 78711 to request your Disbarment.
this viewpoint. Discrimination is uncalled For and I didn't appreciate you trying to
berate me. Item 87 I have a remote speaker, Camille cook.
can y'all hear me? Yes.
thank you. My name is camille cook. I'm Calling in in favor of vitamin 87,
and I appreciate the city council and austin Water taking steps to advance water conservation and non-potable water use by Large volume users,
with emphasis on commercial and industrial Users. The amount of water being used for advanced Manufacturing chip fabs,
and possibly data centers warrants specific And transparent management to protect our water supply and affordability for residents.
this item is a good phase one and I hope in The near future, we see the council adopt the recommendations From the water task force that are not
included today. Specifically, A mandate for closed loop cooling, non portable non-potable water only for Cooling and definitely transparent city
council review of service expansion requests For large volume water users.
as all of these data centers and advanced Manufacturing facilities come in it's going
to be more and more important that we have Proper oversight of water usage from these
facilities. So I'd really encourage that. But thank you. Thank you.
I also have some in-person speakers for id 87 Bill bunch,
craig nasr, elizabeth levins, Valerie. Valerie menard and cameron shaw.
welcome, mr. Naseer. Why don't you begin? Craig nasr,
sierra club, and austin environmental Democrats.
we have to put some rules around data Centers, particularly concerning their energy and Water use.
we support this item as a good start in that Direction.
moving forward, there are three basic forms Of data centers to be aware of.
there's internet data centers, Basically cloud storage, which are relatively small and have been Around in austin for years.
there is ai, which has also been around for Years and has both good and bad aspects.
it needs more rules and its massive use of Water and power needs limits.
but it has a place in modern america. We need to be very careful where we put it.
then there is crypto. Crypto is a ponzi Scheme and doesn't deserve the energy and
water it uses. Please keep crypto out of Austin.
thank you. Mr. Bunch. Good morning, Bill bunch,
executive director, save our springs Alliance, district five. Generally in support of the Fine work that your waterford task force
committee put forward. It's very unfortunate to see the resolution They recommended being substantially watered
down including. And I'm looking at your Version two red line that I assume that's the
working draft right now. The very first thing is you're striking out The reference to the extreme consumption of
water by data centers. Why would you do that?
going down to the to the meat of the Resolution, you're also striking out a very specific Recommendation to require closed loop cooling
systems for large volume water users, Data centers,
robot factories, perhaps, Etc..
why would you strike that out? We're not even we're doing nothing to protect Our ratepayers.
further going down. You also struck that out.
the resolution called very clearly to tell The city manager to come back and tell us
what these large volume use demands are doing To the ratepayers.
the other ratepayers. How much are we being Forced to pay for you all to give away our
water supplies and our sewer service?
you don't want to even know what the answer To that is.
this is very unfortunate. Please go back to what your committee Recommended to you.
thank you. I have one more remote speaker for 87,
sarah foust. Miss foust, Are you there?
okay, moving on to the next item, Which I believe is 144.
I have jeremy hendricks. Cameron dodd. Ajantha sivalingam.
mike weston and kiba white.
once you begin. Good morning, Mayor and council members. I'm jeremy hendricks, A district four resident,
a proud member of liuna and also president of The central texas building trades council.
and I'm here in support of item 144, Which is the geothermal resolution.
if we're serious about addressing climate Change, strengthening our energy system, Protecting austinites,
and growing our economy, We need every tool available. Geothermal can be another tool in our clean Energy toolbox.
geothermal has the potential to accomplish Several goals all at once improving our grid reliability, reducing carbon emissions, Creating good family sustaining jobs,
and for labor, one of the most exciting Aspects of geothermal is absolutely the workforce opportunity.
I think a lot of folks in this room wish we Would switch from a petroleum based economy, but we must recognize that many of the skills Used in geothermal are directly transferable
from the oil, gas and pipeline industries. So as our economy evolves, We should ensure experienced energy workers
have pathways into the next generation of Energy jobs. And that's just what a just transition looks Like.
labor also appreciates that this resolution Recognizes that success requires bringing
people together. It directs the city to bring Together labor, environmental activists, Industry experts, austin energy and other
stakeholders to identify opportunities and Challenges. It recognizes that workers must always be a Part of the conversation,
and that our community must come together to Support something this important. So on behalf of liuna and the central texas Building trades council,
we ask for your support of item 144 to help Build our clean energy future.
thank you and solidarity forever. Thank you, mr. Hendrix.
why don't we start with miss white? We'll move down this direction.
good morning. On behalf of public citizens Texas office,
we are in support of this item, As we do see it as a really good direction to
move in for energy efficiency. Geothermal heating and cooling is highly Efficient.
it does require more upfront infrastructure Investment.
so it is not, as you know, I think readily used as some other
technologies such as air source heat pumps. But it is highly effective over the long term In terms of cost reductions.
so I just wanted to suggest that, You know, this might be a good application to
kind of add on to for austin energy's District cooling kind of branch of their,
of the utility because it does require that Kind of upfront investment and also,
you know, potentially maintenance over time. And we have seen, you know, That these, these systems can be used for
individual homes and businesses, But they can also be very effective in an
aggregated kind of setting. I know whisper valley has used it.
I think they may have had some issues. So there is, I think, Still some potential kinks to work out,
which might be a good reason to have the Utility invested in some research in that
area. But would suggest that you ask austin Energy to engage in this as a potential added
business to the district cooling system. Thank you. Thank you. Please just state your Name for the record.
hi there. My name is mike weston. I'm an apprentice inside wireman with the International brotherhood of electrical
workers, local union, 520 here in austin. And I'd like to speak in favor of this Proposal as a construction worker.
union construction jobs are a path to Economic security for a lot of working
people. And this proposal would only lead to The creation of more of those jobs.
in addition, as a resident of austin, I want to live in a city that invests more
time and money into renewable energy sources And lessens our reliance on oil and gas.
thank you for your time. Thank you. Yes, sir. Good morning, Mayor and council.
my name is cameron dodd. I'm a district two resident, A journeyman inside wireman,
and I serve as the political director for Local 520 of the international brotherhood of electrical workers. We've got 2300 members Here in austin who are working hard,
building data centers and tesla and other Infrastructure for austin's 21st century
economy. But like many other texans, We share concerns about the effects these projects have on our water and air and the Rates homeowners are paying for electricity.
bringing bringing geothermal harvesting and Storage capacity to the austin energy service
area could help us address many of these Growing concerns, as well as create a lot of good union jobs.
geothermal energy is clean, Available 24 over seven, and of the renewable energy technologies, It's among the lowest in carbon emissions,
land footprint and environmental Contaminations. Harvesting and storing these energy.
this energy uses utilizes technology and Skills that could directly transfer from an industry that texans know very well, Which is drilling for oil.
but this is a much cleaner form of energy. According to the university of texas energy Institute,
with. With purposeful, Interdisciplinary collaboration and bold
leadership by the state of texas, Geothermal energy could be quickly scaled to the terawatts of output globally.
I hope you'll pass this resolution and put Austin at the forefront of that bold leadership. Thank you for your time. Thank You.
please. Good morning. I'm cynthia shivalingam And I'm the deputy director of policy and
research at the texas climate jobs project. I'm here today in support of this resolution And as a pro worker pro climate organization,
we see the value in cities taking steps to Expand clean energy infrastructure.
geothermal energy and heating and cooling are Emerging as an important part of our energy
mix and likes. Folks mentioned. These technologies are firm, Which means they're always on and they'll
follow demand. And they produce very little To no carbon emissions. And then also they have a very small surface Footprint,
which means they're underground and weather Resilient. And these technologies are especially Promising for texas. A cornell university
study found that texas has 384gw of potential Geothermal energy.
and installing just five of those gigawatts Could significantly reduce emissions and generate over 62,000 direct jobs over ten Years.
and not only does texas have the geology to Support this technology, it already has the drilling infrastructure And workforce needed to make the transition
more cost effective and efficient. Many of these technologies and practices Developed in the oil and gas sector can be
readily adapted for geothermal applications, And this presents a really great opportunity
to transition skilled oil and gas workers Into the clean energy industry. To this end, it's critical that labor leaders Have a seat at the table in conversations
about the energy transition. And when labor and climate advocates work Together, we can build a cleaner, Resilient, and more equitable future for
austin. This is why I'm urging council to Vote in support of this resolution,
which will bring stakeholders together to Understand the opportunities, challenges and feasibility of expanding Geothermal in austin.
thank you. Thank you. Thank you all. Mayor. All consent speakers have now been Called.
members. As you just heard, All of the speakers signed up on the consent agenda have been called. Let me ask counsel, Are there any other items that anyone wants
to pull from the consent agenda? All right. I'm going to take a motion here in Just a second,
but I want to be clear about the motion on Two items on item number two.
council member ellis has suggested some Additional language and I'm going to
recognize her. The language that she is going To read in the record will be part of the
motion on the consent agenda. Council member ellis, You're recognized. Thank you mayor. The
language reads, the city manager is directed To provide city council and the public with a
memo within 60 days that documents how Nonprofit park partners and their agreements
with the city will be recognized by acme Under the revised special events ordinance.
thank you. Anybody have any questions of Councilmember ellis on that? The motion that I'll ask for when we move to Adopt the consent agenda,
that will be part of item number two with Regard to item number 141.
this came to us very late. I I've posted on the message board how it how That process is supposed to work.
it came to us late and I've given information With regard to that, but I want to be clear that the red line Version that you have in your backup is the
one that will be on the consent agenda, And that is to deny the request.
and I'll add that staff has no objection to The denial of this request.
I just want to make sure that that's clear on The record on item 141. With those two things being pointed out, Is there a motion to approve the consent
agenda as read? It's made by council member Harper madison. Is there a second? Is there a second?
second by council member cowdry. I'll now recognize people that want to speak With,
regard or discuss the items on the consent Agenda. Please let me know if you wish to be Recognized.
council member segal. Oh, Even before I press the button.
thank you mayor. Well, Great to see everybody here today. Big exciting meeting. My office brought Forward two resolutions that are on the
consent agenda. The first one was discussed a Little bit earlier, item 87, which concerns what we call large Volume water users.
and we felt this was an important item to Bring forward today, because there's a lot of concern about the Water supply here in central texas,
and also how that has been impacted by the Spread of data centers and other big
industry. And we do have a small number of Austin water customers who use at least 85
million gallons of water per year. And we know that one of the concerns about Dogs head was that it might include a data
center, and that these so-called hyperscalers Can use 1 to 5 million gallons of water per
day. And so council does already have a plan To go deeper into data centers next month.
and multiple departments will be bringing Forward recommendations. And also there will be a committee Presentation on this policy in december.
but we wanted to bring attention to large Volume water users as a class today,
given the concerns about dogs head. And what this policy does is it creates new Requirements for large users.
before they can access water, They'll have to commit to a water conservation plan. There's also reclaimed Water requirements through our purple pipe
system, and it creates data reporting and Transparency rules as well.
the overall message is that austin is looking Very carefully at water usage, and if you want to use a lot of water, You'll not only have to pay your fair share
for water and infrastructure, But you also have to conserve as much as possible. So a big thanks to a lot of people Who helped on this austin water staff,
the water resource planning community task Force co-sponsors alter velasquez,
ellis and cowdrey and heidi sloan and the District seven office who brought it all together. The other item I've sponsored is on Geothermal.
we heard some nice testimony about that. This resolution item 144 seeks to promote and Expand the use of geothermal storage
technologies in the austin energy service Area. Geothermal energy has the potential to move Us closer to our goals of decarbonizing our
infrastructure and our economy, While creating jobs that can provide a just
transition. Just transition to texas workers Who have been previously employed in the oil
and gas industry. So this was brought forward Thanks to texas climate jobs project,
austin energy, austin climate action and Resilience, and co-sponsors mayor watson and council Members,
alter and velasquez. Thanks to everyone for Supporting this effort that will spur innovation and energy resilience through Geothermal energy.
and also a big thanks to district seven, Heidi sloan for pulling it together. Thank you mayor. Thank you. Council member Siegel. Council member ellis. Council member
velazquez. Council member alter. Thank you mayor. I wanted to start my remarks With an item that's very important to me.
item number 60 is authorizing the extension Of line of duty illness for one of our
firefighters. Lieutenant suzanne la follette Has been battling reproductive cancer.
and while the federal government has been Able to update their presumptive cancer list
for firefighters, we haven't been able to do That at the state and local level yet.
and so our firefighters do a lot for us every Single day. They encounter very dangerous conditions.
they inhale toxins and chemicals. And it's unfortunate that while the list of Presumptive reproductive cancers does include
cancers that males have, It is something that is not been listed for
women that are firefighters. So I know this is something that this council Supports. It's something that I care very
deeply about to make sure that our public Safety first responders are able to access
the benefits that they deserve after serving Our city so proudly.
I have another item. Two items are road Renamings. Item number nine is paisano.
in 2019, city council resolution called for Renaming city assets that honored the
confederacy and the institution of slavery. And so through that work, There's been another street in my district
which is item number 100. It is named plantation road. So many years ago. We got together and said, We don't want to have signs of the
confederacy on our street signs in austin, Texas. And so a number of them had been renamed Throughout the years.
so number 100 is plantation road. We are set to rename it to honor tommy lee Wyatt,
and he is an austin civil rights activist, Business leader and publisher.
plantation road is shared by districts five And eight, running through what was once the freedmen's Colony of kingville.
founded in 1865 by former enslaved person Thomas pynchon and his wife,
mary. Eventually, the kinchin family Transformed the 300 acre farming community
into a pioneering residential development, Becoming a center for south austin's black
community. So we're very excited to be moving Forward with this today.
a number of months ago, We were engaging with the zion rest missionary baptist church, And they came up with an idea that instead of
having that name on plantation road and Changing it, they wanted to change the name of the street That they resided on,
which is in the exact same neighborhood. And so we will be renaming that to zion rest Lane.
and I'm very excited to be honoring the black Community in south austin, southwest austin, south central.
these neighborhoods and these streets do Dissect districts five and eight. So I appreciate the collaboration with Council member ryan alter.
we were able to go into that community on Foot in the rain and go talk to neighbors
about making sure they were comfortable with Changing the name. And the response we got was an enthusiastic yes, That they wanted to see those streets
renamed. And so I'm glad to see this about a Year later, taking effect and helping us make our Community better and reflecting the good
parts of it and not the bad parts of it. And then I will close on item number 88 is a Fee waiver for the trail conservancy's
moonlight margarita run. They still have about $10,000 of public Safety costs that they are trying to offset
from the moonlight margarita run. So I know I put this on the message board Yesterday,
but if anyone has any extra fee waiver Dollars as we get closer to the end of the
year, I would appreciate consideration to Help support our nonprofits that help better
our park spaces and make sure that our trails And event spaces are well maintained so that
people can enjoy the lovely trail around Downtown austin. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember.
councilmember velazquez. Councilmember alter, councilmember lane. Thank you. Mayor. So there are a number of Things that I'm excited about that we just
we're passing on this consent agenda. And I think they all serve as a. Maybe they were all just birthday gifts to Me. So we're just, we're helping out with
that today. Take it in that sentiment. Yeah. No, no. And so fee waiver for low rider Show in in at the south austin recreation
center, a donation from our office to the Montopolis recreation center to help kiddos
with their backpacks at their, Their annual backpack drive at montopolis
rec. And the biggest one, And this is the one that I'm really, really excited about is today we are Conveying over six acres at 4800 balm road to
the aye h c for affordable housing. Now, I don't know if folks remember this, But that was one of the very first things
that I passed when I got to this dais, Because I grew up not too far from from where
this site was. And earmarking the city Property for affordable housing was, was one of the very first things that we Brought.
and seeing the meaningful repurposing of a Site that represents and represented
environmental injustice to many of my east Austin neighbors brings me a lot of joy
today. So thank you to director dean mandy Dimaio, michael gates, and our real estate office and All of the housing staff that work diligently
to make this a reality. It really, really means a lot that it's Landing today because it was a it's been a
long time coming. And, And just a reminder that the the mayor that condemned that property 20 some years ago was Mayor watson.
well, thanks for the reminder. Thank you. Thank you. Council member council member Alter.
council member lane. Council member duchin. Thank you very much. Not much left to be said about item 87 that Council member siegel talked about,
but I do want to take a moment, First to thank councilmember siegel and his
office for their very thorough work on this, And really also take a moment to thank the
water force task force member from district Five, sarah foust. I know she couldn't be.
oh, okay. Well, now the spotlight's on us.
that's right, that's right. The lights go Out. I know she couldn't be with us today, But appreciate her years of work on
protecting our water supply. And some of that work has found its way here.
and this is really just a phase one is Councilmember siegel mentioned there is going
to be more work done on this in the coming Months. And really at the end of the day, You know, we want to make sure that if you
are a large water user and you're coming to Austin,
that you recognize that you're going to have To use reclaimed water.
you're not going to be able to just suck this Most precious resource away from the rest of
us who need it. You know, The lakes may be full today, but anyone who's been here a minute knows They can dry up just as fast.
and so this is a critical, Critical resource for our region.
and we're going to do everything we can to Protect it. So I appreciate the work.
and I look forward to seeing phases two and Three as we move forward.
thank you. Council member council member Lane, councilmember duchin, thank you mayor.
building on that, I had the great pleasure to Attend a proclamation today for distinguished
service award and learn much about the History of the protection of this very precious natural resource.
I represent district six, Which would include the headwaters of bull
creek, except that's in the etj, I believe. But very close to my district in bull creek And its watershed runs through my district.
in all the beauty that, That it brings to our city. We have much of the balcones canyonlands Preserve and even so,
one of the reasons that doesn't come out of Hasn't come out of my mouth on the dais yet
for moving towards city council was being Able to actually see the deterioration of
water quality in the parts of bull creek that Are in my district. And, and knowing and believing in the Importance of sustaining this natural
resource. And so while those are issues of Water quality also water usage,
I would like to regarding item 87, I'd like to thank councilmember siegel for
bringing item the item forward. Responsible water usage becomes increasingly Critical as our city grows and the pressure
increases on our water infrastructure and Water usage capacity. Developing the right way with thoughtful Consideration of our community's values,
while ensuring that the message is clear that Austin is open for business, includes coming up with new and creative ways To conserve and protect our resources.
in collaboration with our business community. So thank you again for bringing this item Forward.
and I'd like to be added as a co-sponsor. Without objection, council member lane be Added as a co-sponsor.
thank you. With respect to item 100 I'd like To thank council member ellis for for her
important words on the importance of renaming What we need to,
in order to enable more of our community to Know that we all know this is your home and
we cherish your presence here. And so I would also like to be added as a Co-sponsor on that.
sorry I missed the rainy walk, But these are the kinds of things I do enjoy joining. And without objection, Council member lane be shown as a co-sponsor
of that item as well. Thank you. And as it relates to fee waivers, I would like to pitch in $500 for the trail
conservancy. And I would like to pitch in $500 for the low rider show.
I like an invite. Thank you. That's all I have today. Thank you. Councilmember councilmember duchin. Thank you
mayor. I'm going to keep my comments as brief As I can, because I know we've got a long day ahead of Us. I'm going to flag item 21,
which of course is the reason everybody is Here today. This is a credit card processing contract.
here's the issue. My understanding is that we Just awarded a new citywide contract to
provide these services. That included the requirement to process Things like authorized.net transactions.
and yet the contractor informed the city they Could not handle those kind of transactions.
these are the types of actions that concern Me regarding not holding our contractors and
contracts accountable as we should, Especially in this era or moment of financial
constraint. That's why I can't support this Item. Thank you. Any other discussion?
members. The motion has been made and Seconded with regard to the consent agenda. Is there anyone wishing to abstain from a Vote on any of the items on the consent
agenda? Anyone wishing to be shown recusing Themselves from a vote on any item on the
consent agenda. Anyone wishing to be shown Voting no. Will you state again? Council member duchin Will be voting no on item number 21.
is there anyone else wishing to be shown Voting no on any item on the consent agenda?
seeing none. Without objection, The consent agenda is adopted, with council member duchin being shown voting No on item number 21 and council member
fuentes absent. All right, That concludes the consent agenda.
members. Unless there's objection, What I'll do is recess the meeting of the
austin city council so we can take up hfc. But without objection, The austin city council is now in recess at
11:11 a.m., and I will call to order the Board of directors meeting of the austin housing finance corporation.
and it is it is 1111 when we call that Together,
that we have a quorum of the board of Directors present. We are meeting in the city council chambers, Which are located in austin city hall at 301
west second street in austin, Texas. It's july 23rd, 2026, And I'll recognize staff.
good morning, council and hfc board members. I am nicole joslin. I'm the housing and Community development officer for austin
housing. I'm one second, One second. Folks, I know you think you're talking Quietly,
but when everybody talks quietly, It sounds loud. So please take your conversations outside.
thank you. Sorry to interrupt you. Please go ahead. No worries. I'm here to present the agenda for today's Hfc board meeting.
we have two items offered on consent. The first item is to approve the minutes of The hfc board meeting for may 28th,
2026. And the second item is to authorize hfc Acquisition of the property located at 4800
bowman road. This will be an acquisition from The city of austin to hfc in an amount not to
exceed $3.95 million, Utilizing 2022 geo bonds.
and that is all we have today. Thank you. Members. Let me first ask if anybody has any questions Of staff.
right. In that case, I'll go to the city Clerk for speakers.
we have one. Speaker. Item two zenobia. Joseph.
thank you. Mayor. Council. I'm zenobia joseph. Speaking in opposition to Item two.
I want to remind you that 4800 balm road. You passed a resolution.
april 13th, 2023. May 13th, 1999.
the city council voted unanimously to Initiate condemnation proceedings.
this is a brownfield site and you are putting Exclusively individuals who earn 60% area
median income. And below here, I want you to understand the reason it was
condemned is because of environmental racism. Your own resolution specifies in 1928 plan.
I want you to remember specifically, The city manager says he reads the newspaper.
there was an article in the statesman back in May of 2023 that quoted velazquez.
but when this item came before council, He said nothing. So maybe as a birthday present to your Constituents,
you can persuade the rest of council not to Put black and brown people in this
environmental zone. I want you to recognize That you also go on to talk about the
disproportionately industrial zoning for People who are minorities in east austin,
but yet you believe that prioritizing this Site specifically for minorities is where
they should go. I want to remind you that in 2020, your minority chambers report specified that African americans earned about $42,000,
hispanics about $50,000. So you're excluding white people because they Generally earn 80% area median income and
above. So, mayor, if you want us to think Differently about the decisions that you
make, then please don't put hispanics and African americans in an industrial zone.
that's what you did at the marshaling yard. That's what you're doing here. The children will eat the dirt.
there's nothing in backup that tells you About the texas commission on environmental
quality and the work that they did to clear Or not clear this site.
so to council member velasquez, What is the update from teq?
surely you care enough about your people not To put the children in the dirt that's
contaminated. Not to put the people who look Like you in contamination is disingenuous.
find a place west of loop one to put some Black and brown people.
I want to remind you of the smart ordinance. Safe. Mixed income, accessible.
reasonably priced. Transit oriented. This is not it, mayor.
I'm incensed that you would still put black People in the industrial zone and think that
that's okay. That's all speakers mayor Members.
those are all the speakers that signed up to Speak on the consent agenda for the austin
housing finance corporation. With that, I'll entertain a motion to approve The consent agenda.
motion made by board member. Lane. Is there a second? Second by board member ellis.
is there anyone is there any discussion on The consent agenda?
anyone wishing to be shown abstaining from a Vote on either of the items on the consent
agenda. Anyone wishing to recuse themselves From a vote on either of the items on the
consent agenda. Anyone wishing to be shown Voting no on any either of the items on the
consent agenda. Without objection, The consent agenda. The austin housing finance corporation is Adopted,
with board member fuentes absent. Members there being no further business to Come before the board of directors of the
austin housing finance corporation at this Regular meeting on july 23rd.
without objection, we will adjourn the Meeting of the austin housing finance corporation board of directors at 11:17 a.m..
I will now call back to order the regular Meeting of the austin city council for july
23rd. It is 1117. Members. What I'm going to do is I'm going to try to Take up some of these items where I know we
just have 1 or 2 speakers and move those Forward. The first item will be item number 91.
item number 91 is an item that comes. It is a non consent item because it is an Item that comes from a council committee.
and it is to approve an ordinance amending City code section 21206 revising the council
committee that nominates an individual to the Joint sustainability committee. We have a speaker and I'll turn to the city Clerk for item 91,
bill bunch. Mr.. Bunch passes. Those are all the speakers on item number 91.
as the chair of the audit and finance Committee, I move approval of item number 91.
it is seconded by councilmember siegel. Is there any discussion with regard to item Number 91?
hearing none. Without objection, Item number 91 is adopted.
now can everybody see that fliers that just Me.
sorry. Good. Yeah. I'm not sure what I did to Deserve that,
but here we go. With council, Motion is approved, and item number 91 is adopted, With councilmember fuentes being absent for
the record. Councilmember fuentes will not be With us today. And by the way I'll just take a second to say It's been a year of great highs for her and a
year of significant lows. And I know everybody joins me in Congratulating her on the birth of a baby
girl and the pride and joy that comes with That. But also everybody joins me in wanting to Lift her up and embrace her as she goes
through the fight that she's going through Right now. So yeah.
she'll be she'll be back with us next week, As I understand it, but she's not here with us today. I'm not Going to call out on each vote the absence.
we'll just let the record reflect that she is Not going to be here today and she will be absent. With that being said, Item number 91 is adopted without objection
item number 92, 93, and 94 members.
those are eminent domain items. And what I'm going to do before I call for a Motion is ask the clerk to call the speakers
on items 92, 93, and 94.
I have a speaker for 93, Craig nazer and 94 zenobia joseph.
mr. Nasir, you're recognized. Miss joseph, if you're within the sound of my Voice, please make your way forward if you wish to Speak.
craig nazer and I live up close to this Property.
this item is in my neighborhood and I've Watched it for years. It is an example of what happens when Impervious cover limits are not taken into
account, and it can be devastating for Homeowners. Around 1990, braker lane was extended between North lamar and merrick boulevard through the
old gracie farms dairy. It is now a six lane divided highway.
they have built mcbee elementary school with An undersized rainwater detention pond.
the increased water runoff, Which sometimes floods braker lane to a depth of one foot, was forced down a formerly small Stream into a torrent,
undermining garages and houses on eubanks Drive. 20 years ago I walked the creek myself.
it was a horrible situation with trees down And massive erosion. The neighbors were told they all had to chip In $50,000 for a fix,
because the creek itself was their property Line, so there was no city property there.
some neighbors did not know what they were Going to do. I'm glad that something is finally being Done.
I'm assuming the city buying the property Will make a good fix easier,
but in this case, people lose their property And the taxpayer pays the bill.
if impervious cover issue had been figured Out ahead of time,
all this could have been avoided. Please don't let this lesson be lost on Future city development.
thank you, mr. Nazar. Mrs joseph on item Number 94.
thank you, mayor. Council. I'm zenobia joseph. Item number 94 is eminent Domain specifically in the rutland area chito
vela specifies a half a mile from the park Deficient area,
and while I certainly don't oppose having Access to park,
I want to remind you that it was you who Actually decommissioned the art over at the
ymca in the same vicinity. So if you care about the people in that area,
I would ask you to restore route 240 rutland, which served saint david's north.
I want to remind you that it was $945,000 for People to actually ride that bus,
23 riders an hour. Instead, Capital metro eliminated the route,
created the 318 and slaughter lane for twice The cost,
half the riders 10.3 riders an hour. So advocate for access to the park on the Bus.
I just will remind you specifically, As my title six testimony always is in the
context of title six of the civil rights act Of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, Color or national origin.
I'll just tell you specifically. Additionally, the civil rights restoration Act of 1987 defined the word program to make
clear that discrimination is prohibited Throughout an entire agency if any part of
the agency receives federal assistance. And so I would ask you to distribute the Resources equitably to include the rundberg
north lamar rutland area. You know, that's right on the side of the heb Rundberg there,
cheadle viola. And so what I want you to Recognize is today, yes, terracotta sidewalks and a little mixed Use path is being constructed.
but I want you to recognize that where people Are being killed on north lamar rundberg
north lamar yeager that is not the same. And so certainly I think people should have Access to the park.
but I also think you need to look at the System in its entirety and to recognize your
obligations under title vi and to recognize The fair housing act of in 1968 as well.
if you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them. Thank you, miss joseph. That's all for those items.
mayor members. Those are all the speakers on Items number 92, 93 and 94 with respect to items 92, 93, and 94.
those are nonconsent condemnation items. The motion that I would ask for is to the Effect that the city council of austin
authorizes the use of the power of eminent Domain to acquire the property set forth and
described in the agenda for the current Meeting for the public uses that are described therein. Is there such a motion?
motion made by council member ellis, Seconded by the mayor pro tem. Is there discussion? Without objection, Items 92,
93 and 94 are adopted, Subject to the motion that I. That I read into the record.
that'll take us to item number 96.
item number 96 is a public hearing because It's a public hearing.
without objection, we will open the public Hearing on item number 96. The public hearing is now open and I'll turn to the city clerk.
I have a remote speaker, Ron thrower.
mayor. Council members. Ron thrower. This item is up for Postponement. So we're going to defer discussion on this Until it comes up for discussion.
thank you. I have one in-person speaker, Victoria haas for item 96.
that's all speakers for 96. Mayor. Miss harden, could you come forward?
you seem to be as confused as I might be. This item is actually an item from the austin Development services department.
now austin planning. But I am aware that the Neighborhood requested a postponement to the
august 27th or september september.
sorry, this is not my item. To the september 9th council meeting.
so this item should be up for postponement to The your council meeting of september 9th.
is there anybody that. Has. Can somebody help me out here?
is that. Is that accurate? Yes. Okay. Yes. It's accurate.
this should have been on changes and Corrections to your september 9th. Council. All right. Very good. Members the Motion. I'll accept september 10th.
there's not a council meeting. So sorry. This is not my item. September 10th. Council meeting. Is this your item?
no. I want to make sure it would not be like This. The september 10th council meeting.
okay. Very good. Members. That should have been on items and Corrections. Mayor pro tem moves that item
number 96. Well, first of all, Let me without objection, we'll close the public hearing on item number 96. The public hearing is now closed. Mayor
pro tem moves and council member siegel Seconds that we postpone item number 96 until
september 10th, 2026. That will take us to Item number 97,
which is also a public hearing. Without Objection, we'll open the public hearing. The public hearing is now open on item number 97,
and I'll turn to the city clerk for 97. I have bill bunch, mr.
bunch. You wish to be heard in this public Hearing?
mayor. Council members. Bill bunch, Executive director, save our springs alliance.
this item and the next item is consistent With a few others you've approved in recent
months to review, remove and deregulate Property on east riverside.
most much of it either directly on lady bird Lake or very close to it.
so that the owners can basically build Whatever they want.
and this was after and removing it from a Plan that was developed by community
engagement to provide consistent standards And orderly development in the east riverside
corridor. Don't know why y'all think this is Like good for the community.
you can say the word affordability, You know, 6000 times. It doesn't make it.
so this is just gross developer deregulation.
you know, consistent with ronald reagan Policies that have been shown to fail for
decades. So we're against it.
thank you, mr. Blunt. That's all for 97.
that concludes all the speakers on item Number 97. So without objection, we'll close the public hearing on item number 97.
the public hearing is now closed.
I'll entertain a motion to approve item Number 97.
motion made by the mayor. Pro tem seconded by Council member duchin.
is there discussion? Hearing none. Without objection, item number 97 is adopted.
that'll take us to item number 98, Which is another public hearing.
without objection, we will open the public Hearing on item number 98. The public hearing is now open. I have two speakers for item 98,
bill budge and amanda swart.
I have to say, mr. Bunch is waiving his right To speak on item number 98.
is amanda swarr here? Amanda swarr.
all right. That concludes all the people that Signed up to speak on item number 98. So without objection, We'll close the public hearing on item number
98. The public hearing is now closed and I'll Entertain a motion with regard to item number
98. Is there a motion? Motion made by council member duchin.
it is seconded by council member harper Madison. Is there discussion? Without objection, Item number 98 is adopted.
item number 99 is a public hearing. Without objection, we will open the public Hearing on item number 99. The public hearing
is now open and I'll turn to the city clerk. There are no speakers for 99 members.
there are no speakers at the public hearing On item number 99. So without objection, we will close the public hearing. The public Hearing is now closed on item number 99. I'll
entertain a motion with regard to item number 99. Motion is made by council member ellis. It is Seconded by council member segal.
is there discussion on item number 99? Hearing none. Without objection, Item number 99 is adopted.
that will take us to item number 100, A public hearing. Without objection, we will open the public Hearing on item number 100.
the public hearing is now opened. And I will turn to the city clerk for 100.
I have zenobia, joseph. Miss joseph. Miss joseph, Miss joseph.
all right. Folks. One of the things while She's coming forward,
let me let me just say that the fire marshal Has indicated that it's better if you're.
we don't have as many people standing in the Back that way. So if there's a seat that you could take, I would really encourage you to do that.
thank you for doing that, Miss joseph. You'll have the floor on item 100.
thank you. Mayor. Council item 100 is a Renaming of plantation road to thomas lee
wyatt lane. Tommy lee wyatt lane. While I certainly do respect the work that Mr.
wyatt did, and his son continues that legacy, I just want you to recognize that my Opposition is not to the person himself.
I think that it asks the question about Thomas and mary kitchen road,
which would have been a little bit more Appropriate. Mr. Wyatt is deeply rooted in east austin, So why would the west austin members think
that it would be appropriate to name the road After him there? That's what white privilege looks like.
seven. Eight. Seven. Five. Three. They had one survey respondent.
and so I would ask you to table the item and To find an appropriate site in district one
to honor mr. Wyatt appropriately. I get it. It says in the back of wyatt.
yes. I'm assuming you asked his son and he Said okay, but he didn't live there.
he didn't advocate for there. And so it's deeply disturbing that you would Just put a name and think that because it's a
black person that you're renaming this road After, it's okay. It's not. Don't distort the History.
call it what it is. Go back and look at Kitchen ville or look at something that's
more related to that area. So I would ask ryan alter, Southwest page ellis,
since they're the sponsors of this item. How many black people did you talk to?
did you go into east austin? Because according to the survey data, It shows like seven eight,
7491 person and then it has 7874922.
so natasha madison, glad you're here today, But could you please remind them that the
austin villagers in east austin. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Miss joseph.
that's all for this item. Members. Those are the speakers that have Signed up to speak on item 100.
so without objection, We will close the public hearing on item 100. The public hearing is now closed and I'll Entertain a motion with regard to item 100
council member. Ellis moves approval of item 100. It is seconded by council member harper Madison.
is there discussion? Hearing none. Without objection, item number 100 is Approved and we will now go to item 101,
which is also a public hearing. Mayor, may I say something briefly about item 100?
if I missed my chance? No, please go ahead. Okay. Let me know when you want to speak on Something. Sorry. Yeah.
I just want to thank you for raising these Concerns in the public hearing and want you
to know that you're heard. And I know that I, speaking only for myself, Will take these considerations into account
in the future. So thank you for allowing me To learn from you.
thank you. Council member. Councilman. Item Number 101 is also a public hearing.
without objection, we'll open the public Hearing on item 101. The public hearing is now open.
and I will turn to the city clerk for 101. I have bill bunch and molly prim.
mr. Bunch, do you wish to be heard on at the Public hearing on item number 101?
mr. Bunch will be shown against it. Miss miss prim. Molly prim, She's passing.
that concludes all the speakers that have Signed up to speak at the public hearing on item number 101. So without objection we will Close the public hearing on item number 101.
the public hearing is now closed. I'll entertain a motion with regard to item 101.
is there a motion? Motion is made by council Member. Dudgeon is seconded by council member ellis To approve item 101.
is there any objection? Hearing none. Without objection, Item number 101 is adopted.
item 102 is a public hearing. Without objection, we will open the public Hearing on item number 102.
the public hearing is now opened and I'll Turn to the city clerk. There are no speakers.
members. There are no speakers at the public Hearing on item number 102. So without objection, We will close the public hearing on item
number 102. The public hearing is now closed, and I'll entertain a motion with regard to The ordinance in 102.
is there a motion? Motion is made by Councilmember lane, seconded by council member alter.
is there discussion? Without objection, Item number 102 is adopted.
item 103 is another public hearing. Without objection, we will open the public Hearing on item number 103.
the public hearing is now open and I'll turn To the city clerk. There are no speakers. There are no speakers For the public hearing on item number 103.
so without objection, We will close the public hearing on item 103. The public hearing is now closed and I'll Entertain a motion with regard to item 103.
council member madison moves approval of the Ordinance in item 103, a second by council member ellis.
is there discussion? Hearing none. Without objection, item number 103 is Adopted.
members. That will take us to item number 104. Item number 104 is also a public hearing.
without objection, we will open the public Hearing on item number 104. The public hearing is now open and I'll turn To the city clerk. There are no speakers
members there are no speakers on item number 104 for that public hearing. So without objection, We will close the public hearing, and the
public hearing is now closed. I'll entertain a motion to approve the Ordinance in item number 104.
councilmember ellis moves approval. It is second by councilmember harper madison. Is there discussion? Without objection, Item number 104 is adopted.
item number 105 is a public hearing. Without objection, we we will open the public Hearing on item number 105. The public
hearing is now open. And I'll turn to the City clerk. There are no speakers. Members there are no Speakers for the public hearing on item
number 105. So without objection, We will close the public hearing on 105. It is. The public hearing is now closed. Councilmember siegel moves approval of the
ordinance. It is seconded by councilmember Alter. Is there any discussion? Without objection, item number 105 is Adopted.
that will take us to item number. 107. Members. Hang on one second.
I want to double check something. Yes, That will take us to item number 107.
item 107 is a public hearing. Without objection, we will open the public Hearing on item number 107.
the public hearing is now open. I'll turn to The city clerk. There are no speakers. Members. There are no speakers for the public Hearing on item number 107. So without
objection, we will close the public hearing On item 107. The public hearing is now closed and I'll Entertain a motion with regard to the
ordinance. Councilmember duchin moves Approval of the ordinance. It is seconded by councilmember lane.
is there a discussion? Hearing none. Without objection, Item number 107 is adopted.
item number 108 is a public hearing. Without objection, we will open the public Hearing on item number 108. The public
hearing is now open an alternate to the city Clerk. I have a remote speaker for 108,
james smith. James smith, Attorney for the petitioners in item 108.
we support the item and I'm available to Answer any questions. Thank you. Thank you. And I also have bill Bunch.
mr. Bunch, do you wish to be heard on item 108? He's he's waving his right to speak on item 108.
that's all speakers, members. That concludes All the speakers on item number 108.
so without objection, We will close the public hearing on item number 108. The public hearing is now closed.
I'll entertain a motion with regard to the Ordinance. Council member moves approval of item number 108, a second by council member Cordrey.
is there discussion? Hearing none. Without objection, item number 108 is Adopted.
item number 109 is a public hearing. Without objection, we will open the public Hearing on item number 109.
the public hearing is now open and I will Turn to the city clerk. There are no speakers members there are no Speakers for the public hearing on item
number 109. So without objection, We will close the public hearing on item number 109. And the public hearing is now Closed,
and I'll entertain a motion with regard to The ordinance. It is a motion made by council member segal, seconded by council member Duchin,
for approval of the ordinance in item number 109. Is there discussion? Hearing none.
without objection, item number 109 is Adopted. Item number 110 is also a public hearing.
the public hearing with regard. Without objection, the public hearing on item Number 110 is now open.
and I'll turn to the city clerk. There are no speakers. Members. There are no speakers for the public hearing On item number 110.
so without objection, We will close the public hearing on item 110. The public hearing is now closed on item Number 110.
council member duca moves approval of the Ordinance. It is seconded by councilmember siegel. Is there a discussion?
hearing none. Without objection, Item number 110 is adopted.
members. That will take us to item number 68.
item number 68. Was pulled by council member Velasquez off the consent agenda.
and we have I'm going to recognize council Member velasquez and then we will have public
testimony with regard to item number 68. Let me just say before we begin that I Anticipate that that public testimony will
take us to our noon time certain at wherever We are in that public testimony on item
number 68. We will pause very close to noon To do our time,
certain public communication, And then we will come back to item number 68. Council member velazquez, You pulled item number 68,
so I'll recognize you. Yeah. Mayor, I pulled this item to to bring a Motion forward.
the, the I'm bringing the motion to 68 that Provides direction for the city manager to do
three things. It releases data collected by H. S o on services and housing outcomes Delivered by sunrise.
with this renewed contract in the I 35 oltorf Area quarterly.
it shares feedback mechanisms and past past Between the community, the city, a, p, d, a isd, And many other organizations with whom h o
coordinates and it directs the city manager To prepare a report detailing what eviction
prevention and diversion diversion services Are offered to our neighbors and families.
families experiencing homelessness. Thank you. Council member members. You have Been supplied.
it's in backup and you've been supplied the Yellow sheet, which is the more detailed version.
the more detailed version of what council Member velasquez just laid out. It is labeled
for clarity purposes. Item 68th july 23rd, 2026.
council member velasquez. Version two. Version two is the one that you Should be paying attention to.
with that, I will turn to the city clerk and Ask the clerk to call on the speakers that
have signed up on item number 68. Thank you mayor. I have a remote speaker, Erica shadburn.
hello, mayor. City council members erica Shadburn here. I'm an old tourist neighbor in district nine And also a member of the south austin
neighborhood safety alliance. And our group is in support of item number 68 With the motion as proposed by jose council
member jose velasquez. We feel that street outreach, Homeless services along the corridor are
essential. But before the funding is Approved, the contract is approved. We'd like to see Council member velasquez's motion added.
we feel that this kind of data collection and Transparency is really important to making
sure that the program is effective and also Building trust with the community.
as an educator, I want to encourage sunrise And any service provider to talk to the
families, students and educators in the area. And before anybody gets on the streets, They're along the corridor.
I highly encourage you to talk to the life, A new life,
a new trusted messengers. They are working closely with the community And with the students,
and they are boots on the ground every day. And they will be able to guide you as to the services that are needed in the area.
we are very pleased that this motion from Council member velazquez and support item
number 68. Thank you. Moving to end speakers For item 68.
I have malcolm yates, Shilpa.
andrea borgia and michael ibarra. Michael, are you here?
you have time. Donated by patricia henry. Patricia, are you here? Okay.
you will have four minutes.
the proposed extension of the outreach Contract for homeless services that sunrise
will provide to the east riverside area. The east riverside community welcomes any Program that could help to reduce or avoid
homelessness. This original sunrise contract,
however, really needed some work. We appreciate the work that the council District three office has done to add the
requirements that we requested. Now, however, this on the fly creation Process is no way to run a contract.
and sunrise should have reached out to the Community and isd before placing this
contract on the agenda. Explained the goals, methods and metrics of The program and then asked for support of the
community with feasible, Specific program goals and metrics.
the community support for this contract would Be overwhelming.
thank you for your support.
good morning. My name is shilpa and I manage The la quinta hotel at the corner of I-35 and
oltorf. I'm not here because I don't care About the people struggling with homelessness. I'm here because this location Does it wrong.
the apd's own october 2025 report says it all Within one mile of the site.
apd logged in 4835 calls for service already This year on pace to match or exceed last
year's 7200 number. Over 1700 offense Reports.
apd's own analysts called burton, Parker and oltorf,
a known open air drug market already fueling Meth use and sales at the hotels along I-35
and royal hill drive. Apd's own officers Flagged the risks.
pedestrian crashes on a high speed interstate Proximity to travis high school and heritage
oaks park, a quality of life crisis for Neighbors already fighting,
trespassing and camping, That will only get worse.
and just this week, community impact reported A city audit found nonprofits running austin
social services missed 44% of their Performance goals and got paid in full
anyway. No consequences, No corrective action. We're being asked to absorb all the risk for A program built on a contracting system.
the city's own audit says doesn't work. I'm not asking austin to abandon people who Need help.
I'm asking the council to delay the vote on This outreach contract until the location is
reconsidered and real accountability is built Into it. Don't vote yes on a site at its own data says Isn't ready,
and a system the city's own auditor said Isn't working. The data is from apd's site.
the audit is the city's. The choice is yours. Thank you.
I'm michael ibarra from district nine, And I'm also here on behalf of sansa,
the south austin neighborhood safety Alliance. We're here today to support items 66, 67 and 68.
the first two were easy foundation Communities and integral care will do
excellent work as they always do. And we also support sunrise and item 68.
council member velasquez's motion makes it Much easier to do that,
I think because there was a big gap between What zo said they would ask sunrise to do and
what will actually go in the contract. Zo says that item 68 is about outreach to two Distinct groups unsheltered individuals and
families with children. That sounds great until you read the fine Print.
zo says the family housing piece will happen Only when possible,
quote unquote. It's optional, Not mandatory.
and those of us who live in south austin have Learned the hard way that if it's not in the
contract, it doesn't happen. If the goal really is to have sunrise serve Families and children in our neighborhood,
please put it in the contract.
and frankly, this is part of a larger Pattern. The city's existing agreement with sunrise Doesn't restrict outdoor services,
doesn't define what services are and aren't Appropriate next to schools,
and doesn't require coordination with law Enforcement. It does not, for some reason, Include a good neighbor agreement,
and we can all see the results of this hands Off approach.
so when zo brings you a sunrise item and is Missing the exact same things,
the question isn't just about this contract. It's about whether or not anyone is ever Going to require those things from our
homeless service providers. So won't do it on its own and sunrise won't Volunteer it.
y'all are the only ones who can make sure This is done right.
and so today we're asking you to approve item 68, but with direction to staff on three things.
and I believe these are all covered in Council member velasquez's motion.
but we're looking for segregated data Collection. So you all can see that the family services Piece is real.
eviction prevention services specifically for Families in our community,
and formal coordination protocols with apd And isd,
plus a robust community feedback mechanism. That's it. It's three things.
it's still a yes vote. It just makes the product match the sales Pitch.
this is samhsa's bottom line on all of this. And if you hear nothing else from me today, Please hear me on this.
homeless service providers must help our Unhoused neighbors and strengthen the
neighborhoods where they work. With community support, They can do both and they must do both.
and today is your chance to start putting That principle in writing. Thank you. Thank you. Continuing with item 68.
rebecca mark, nia shaw, Tanya hughes, chase wright.
if your name is called, Please come forward.
at this time. Excuse me. Who is that? I don't have that recorded for This item.
67. 68. So I can't let these two go.
hang on. I don't have donation of time for This item. Well, we have a process that we follow.
will you go over? We'll go ahead and give you Your four minutes. But if you'll go ahead. And so we can have a record of this.
right. Executive director of the hungry hill Foundation. I'm also a valuable partner in our Organization,
has been a valuable partner for four years With multiple districts here.
I relinquish to say which districts because You know who you are, right? We are in
support of item 68. Why? Because it's a big part of our ecosystem when You talk about street outreach. When we look
at street outreach right now, Those are your front line individuals, right? The only thing that I would recommend Is that if you have the time in your day,
I ask that you go out and how about you take A tour? How about you go with these outreach workers And actually see what they're doing, see the
impact that they're making? Because no way someone can come in this room Here and paint a picture or paint a story of
the importance of this service. And this service has been been done before The city of austin.
I believe. Now, we still don't have an Outreach team for the city of austin. We depend on our nonprofit partners right to Deliver the metrics that are needed for us to
even continue these programs. It's all lost in transition, Right?
nobody wants to go to these homeless Encampments. Nobody wants to go out there and actually see what these individuals need, The services that they need.
they don't want to see the delays that they Experience. But your frontline nonprofits do.
hungry hill stands with sunrise. We stand with our other partners, Which is its multiple partners,
right? And we stand with as much as I want to Say, we stand with our homeless strategy office, Right?
we understand they're, They're, they're dealt a hard task to, to handle. Right. But it's left up to our Council members to,
to, to, to hold a fair ground, Right. To make sure that there's a level playing Field. No offense to district three,
right. But you're not the only district that Experienced homeless issues. Right. There's other districts out here.
northeast austin right now have individuals Sleeping on bus stops at the top of the of
the ceiling there in hammocks. Right. I have Individuals that are referring back to our local parks where we removed over 120 Individuals from 2021 all the way to 2023.
these people have come back. Why? Because they're stating that they don't Have the service help,
that that initially has been set down here. Right. The investments that we've already Made are not showing its fruits.
they're actually being routed every single Time we come here for a budget. It's deep rooted. Now that we have a new city Manager here,
once again, our process is being routed. What it's causing is our department heads to To to go for a scramble.
right now they want to only play safe bets. Safe bets have not always been what has Helped,
right? You have to go back to your grassroot Organizations, the individuals that will still continue to do the work because they're Driven by passion, not by money.
right. And this is also coming from a Nonprofit that doesn't receive, do not receive, not even 5% of our budget at Hungry hill from the city of austin.
the community helps us, Right? I know a lot of y'all looking like, How is he still standing? How is he still here? Right? It wasn't the city of austin.
unfortunately, as much as we've been in these Watersheds, as much as our unhoused individuals have took The time out their day to empower themselves
so that they're not considered homeless in Our house, but they started working in these same parks. We have forgotten what adding Community looks like,
y'all. And I don't want y'all to get wrapped Up in the data because if you go look at the data for yourself, it's not even measured.
it's not even measured because the amount of Money that's provided versus the services that are being put out, They're not equal.
we have to depend heavily on philanthropy to, to, to fill those gaps for us. And you know what's funny? All the meetings I've had with philanthropic members of our
community this year, I've seen somebody from Your office, they're asking our same community members to Help fill these gaps for us.
right. Let us start with the stuff that we Already have. Let us go back and clean up some of the Assets that we already have. Let's invest in
some of the stuff that we've already invested In so that we can see the fruits from our labor, y'all. We, we, We cannot continue to point blame.
I don't know where this audit came from, But I'm assuming it's only the audit for the individuals that the city fund, Right.
and they say that deliverables wasn't met. They say metrics wasn't met. I argue to say how about you come find out for yourself if They were met? We are working with watershed
right now, vigorously. Their executive Directors are walking in these watersheds right now with us to see the problem for Themselves.
so they know that they're making the correct Investments. 2,000 pounds of trash a week
removed from our watersheds in east austin, From giddens district to the oak springs corridor. And furthermore, I challenge you all to come out.
thank you. Please go ahead.
hi. Good morning mayor. Good morning, Council members. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.
my name is tanya hughes and I'm the community Engagement manager at echo or the ending
community homelessness coalition. I'm also a person with lived experience of Chronic homelessness,
substance use and mental health challenges. And I'm also a resident of south austin District five.
I'm here to express echo support for the new South austin navigation center and the
proposed operator, sunrise navigation center. We urge you to approve this contract so People can begin accessing the services as
soon as possible. Sunrise is a trusted Partner to providers and our unsheltered
neighbors alike. The trust has been built Over years of consistently showing up and
walking alongside people to provide them what They need. One of the most important things sunrise Provides is a place where people can simply
be. People experiencing homelessness are told Every day where they cannot be.
sunrise is a place where for just a few Hours, people can just exist.
they can shower. They can get food and water. They can store their medications and their Documents.
they can receive mail, Charge their phones and access medical care
housing assessments, and find respite from The heat. But but sunrise provides more than just Services.
they provide dignity. Sunrise hires people Who have experienced homelessness,
including people who once received services From them. That creates purpose, Hope and a pathway forward.
and because many staff understand Homelessness personally, people are met with respect and compassion.
when I walk into sunrise, I feel like I'm walking into a family. People are welcomed and treated with love, Dignity,
dignity and respect. We understand the Concerns raised by people living near the
center and the proposed new location, And those concerns should not be dismissed.
but true public safety also means people Having access to what they need to live
healthy, fulfilling and dignified lives. Thank you. Thank you. Continuing with 68.
zenobia joseph and christopher causby.
miss joseph christopher coursey.
I don't see anybody moving forward. All speakers for item 68 have been called Mayor.
thank you very much. So that concludes all The public testimony on item number 68.
councilmember velasquez, I'll recognize you for a motion. Yeah. So I'll make that motion. I want to thank Director david gray and michael ibarra and
samhsa for working closely with our office on This motion today.
director gray. And so always take the time to Work with our office and help ensure that
we're serving our neighbors, All of our neighbors with dignity, diligence, and care. So I just wanted to Extend a thank you to him. Thank you.
second by councilmember corddry. All right. Motion has been made by councilmember velasquez, seconded by councilmember corddry. I want to say that that I've been working my
office has been working closely with Councilmember velasquez's office with the
santa report and working with the manager's Office. And we're in the process of the phrase that Got used by somebody just a moment ago about
strengthening neighborhood needs to be part Of it was you, sir. It needs to be part of it.
there's a clear recognition that if we're Going to if we're going to ask for things to
be located in certain places, We ought to go in on the front end and do what we can to strengthen.
and so just be prepared that the manager's Office is going to be reaching out shortly.
we're organizing things so that we can reach Out again and make sure that we frankly,
I've been doing this long enough to recognize That that we have made what are clearly maybe
some mistakes in the past of not not paying Attention on the front end so that you don't
add to issues that already exist. And I feel pretty strongly about that.
so thank you for your time. Thank you for the report. Thank you to Council member velasquez and his office for
the work that they're doing on this. And like I say, the mayor's office and Councilmember velasquez's office are working
pretty closely on that. Councilmember lane, did you want to be Recognized? Council member lane, you're recognized. I want to thank councilmember Velasquez's office for this very thoughtful
guidance. As you all know the issue of youth And children and the skyrocketing,
skyrocketing rates of homelessness that they Are experiencing is important to me.
and I really appreciate the work that you and The mayor have done to provide a model for
how we can provide data to the public and to Our council on this issue.
and, and also drawing recognition to the fact That all of those who are homeless in our
city are not other. They are us.
when I did my first point in time count, I saw people that I'd seen on the,
on the streets of my neighborhood, Never guessing they were homeless for years.
that it turned out were. And so this is critically important. I really would doubt if there's a single School in our city that doesn't have children
who are homeless. I know that our schools, Our public schools have also had issues with
how to do things like repair and reopen after An emergency,
when there are members of the homeless Population living nearby. And so looking at these impacts on our Schools and how we coordinate with our
schools is also very important. So I'm really happy to have this model to Follow in other parts of the city.
and just wanted to raise my voice in support Of this effort. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember. Councilmember. Thank you
mayor. I just wanted to take time to thank Councilmember velasquez to thank your office on y'all's work on this. I had a chance to Meet with michael and erica around the samhsa
proposals. Really appreciate all the work That y'all have put forward for that. And I think ultimately, I think councilmember had a lot of points I
was going to hit. But you know, The work we do is for love of community, love of neighbor. And everyone has neighbors Are our neighbors.
so thank you all for everything that you all Do. And thanks for the folks on this dais.
and thanks to director gray and his team as Well. Thank you. Council member. Council member. Madison. Thank you, mr. Mayor. I'll be brief.
I'd just like to be added as a co-sponsor of The birthday boy will allow me. Without objection. Councilmember harper Madison will be shown as a co-sponsor of item
number 68. Thank you. Members, The motion has been made and seconded to
approve item number 68, And it includes the direction that council
member velazquez has laid out in what is Marked as council member velazquez version
two. Is there any further discussion? Hearing none. Without objection, Item number 68 is approved.
members, that will take us to our 12:00. Thank you all for being here in your work. Council members that will take us to our
12:00 time certain which is public Communications. And I will turn to the city clerk.
members, you signed up for public Communication. You kind of know where you are on that list. So if you can start making your way forward
and you'll be available and we can call on You, and you can start speaking just as soon as Your name is called.
we would appreciate that. So if you know, nobody's moving, First speaker is christian bowen,
followed by david weinberg. And marilla thorne thompson, Christian bowen,
david weinberg, and then marilla thorne Thompson.
mr. Weinberg, why don't you begin? Thank you. Thank you, mayor and council members, Before I say what I wanted to come here and
say today, I, I wanted to echo the some of The remarks the mayor made a little earlier.
I'm sure that many of you have known Councilwoman fuentes and her husband,
curtis mitchell smith, Much longer than I have, but I have found them both to be incredibly Friendly and generous and kind and helpful to
me in my time in austin, Texas. So I wanted to wish them the best for their Family and a speedy recovery.
I wanted to talk at a council meeting earlier This year when a rezoning project was up
dealing with the rosedale neighborhood. The Council meeting ran late and I wasn't able to
stick around for that. But here's, Here's the punchline.
the decisions this council makes policy wise On land use do not exist in a vacuum with
voters in the city of austin. I think what's happening in rosedale right Now,
or it's a continuing sort of process, But you have a neighborhood of people who are
feel like they've been left out of a Conversation about rezoning in their neighborhood. They are upset because they Thought they had an agreement with the
developer. Then things changed. And they are now in a position where earlier In the year,
they had to sweat out whether this council Was going to go ahead and push through that
rezoning before there was some sort of Consensus with the developer and with the
neighbors. And on top of that, They are also being sued by the school
district over a matter regarding deed Restrictions.
I cannot imagine how the people in the Neighborhood of rosedale,
when it comes time later, Maybe this year to vote on a bond election or
maybe in another year to vote on a tax rate Election are going to be feeling magnanimous
and are going to be feeling excited to be Giving more tax dollars to the city of
austin. So I think that's a really great case Study of,
of ways that things need to be done better in My final,
you know, half minute here, I'll say a good transition this particular
matter is in council member segal's district, but there are other big public policy Questions which are similar. In effect, all
of you later today we're going to be talking About dogs head.
and I suspect there are a lot of people in This room and elsewhere,
democrats, liberals, progressives, Democratic socialists who may be pretty upset
with how this council decides to vote on that Matter. So please keep that in mind.
thank you. Please just identify yourself for The record.
thank you. Good afternoon, Mayor and council. My name is marilyn thorne-thomsen.
austin has been my home since 2001. I'm. I reside in district eight.
I'm here to make sure you are aware of how Spectrum and their subcontractors.
lj engineering and quest utility construction Construction are treating residents of
austin. The threats they pose to residents Safety and the damage they cause to city
infrastructure, protected trees, Private property.
despite my myself and my husband's repeated Protest verbally and in writing over multiple
days prior to this meeting, I shared a detailed overview of my situation,
as well as multiple news articles and Investigative reports that I'll share that
share stories alarmingly similar to mine. Council member alter. I'll call to your Attention.
this also involves your district. In the email and attached documentation, I provide my reference numbers reference
numbers for the three city permits granted by The city of austin.
my 311 calls over many weeks and for service, request tickets to draw your attention to What's happening.
I ask that this incident be reviewed by the City attorney.
I'm happy to provide additional Documentation, including text messages to the crew foreman And supervisor on september 20th.
september 15th, 2025, Where we clearly inform them they are
operating outside of the easement, Which were acknowledged by the crew, and they continued operating outside of the Easement for roughly seven more hours that
day. I'm happy to share over 200 photos and Videos I have of the crew as they continue to
ignore our protests. On september 16th, 2025,
when the crews returned the next day, I was advised to call 911 by my apd district
representative. Responding officers issued a Criminal trespass notice to spectrum and
their contractors. Almost one year later, My backyard is still a crime scene with an
open trench, crew, debris, Etc. I have a deep appreciation for every city Employee I have spoken with on this matter,
but I've yet to speak to the person whose job It is to do something to hold them
accountable. Thank you for your time. I'm Ready and willing to support you however I can in the service of my fellow austinites.
thank you very much. Appreciate you being Here, mayor. Very quickly, I just wanted to ask the Speaker if you could stick around.
I want to make sure we can get your Information and help you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
ruben. Rivera. Clemente. Yanez. Nicola. Philip.
fitzgerald. Justin strader.
if your name has been called, Please come forward. Please just take a seat
and state your name for the record and begin Speaking.
yoni papanicolaou, district eight. I'm here to talk about transit.
I'm sorry. Say your name again, Please. Yoni papanicolaou. Okay. Thank you. Oh my god.
sorry. You're doing fine.
I'm.
this is just. Sorry. I'm. This is nervous. It's all right.
can you come back to me later? I sure will, sir. If you'd state your name For the record.
just one second. Is this on? Nope. Is this on now? Okay, Cool.
hey, my name is philip fitzgerald. I'm a resident of district one. It's my first time speaking ever.
if you guys want to give me a round of Applause. Thank you. Yeah.
so I was born and raised across the austin Metro. I've always lived here. I've known different parts of the austin Metro.
growing up in north austin. One of the things that I loved was the Diversity of my classmates,
which is not something that you'll find in a Lot of places in austin.
in high school, I spent time in round rock And obviously they're known for their great
schools. In college, I went to texas state Down in san marcos,
and it was my first time living in a walkable Area, which I thought was, was phenomenal.
and now living on the east side, What I found is a community that has a ton of
energy and excitement and pride something Across all these areas that,
that I've found love in is my ability to walk Around these,
these areas. Growing up, I would wait for my parents to get home from,
from work, you know, I'd be after school, We would eat dinner and then we'd put on our shoes and we'd go walk two, Three, four miles together.
and in high school, my friends and I would Would walk to school or walk to each other's
houses because we didn't have a car, Obviously. You know, in college, You could walk to the bars, you could walk to
the restaurants, you could walk to the Stores. It was great. And now in the east side, Every day I'm out there walking to the coffee
shops and to the, to the local businesses and To the gym and just really anywhere.
but the issue is since 2019, Since we introduced scooters our sidewalks
have just been swamped with them. And anytime you go outside, As you can see in some of these pictures
there, they're just everywhere. And it's made walking across our city more Difficult.
so I as, as an example, Whenever I'm out on on east,
I don't know if you guys ever go out. I'm Sure you do secretly. But you know, you're out with friends, You have a few drinks, you leave the bar and
then you, you step outside and you see a Scooter and you go to step over it and you bang your ankle and your first thought is, Who put that there?
right. Why is that there? And I use that as an example. But, but my, my point is that that scooter on The ground,
it screams to us that we need to do a better Job of making this city walkable. And that includes getting obstructions out of The way.
and we have examples of other cities like Seattle and los angeles, where they build these boxes, Where the scooters are required to be put
there. And they they the university of texas Has fines up to $150 for people that park
inappropriately. And I know a few years ago, We passed some regulations, but we don't enforce the fines and we don't Enforce,
you know, require these people to put them in The boxes. Hell, I walk around the city all the time, and I don't even see the boxes Anywhere. And in the early 2000 we had the
great streets program that still continues to This day. Thank you sir. Good first effort.
appreciate you. Please.
I'm feeling better now. What he said about the walkability thing Actually works really well with transit.
we need to we need to do better, A better job as a city and investing in both
walkability and transit because it's just so Much better for everyone.
and I, I would really appreciate of if I Didn't have to drive
everywhere. Like I live, I live in circle c and there is a bus that
goes downtown, but it only operates two times Every day and it's in the early morning,
so it's not useful at all. I wish there were more busses that could get To downtown and other places that go to my
neighborhood and every other neighborhood, So that we don't have to drive as much.
and also about the the light rail that y'all Are planning to build.
I hope, I hope it doesn't do the same damage That the interstate highway did 70 years ago,
because that is really devastating.
land is not meant to be stolen.
so we need to be very careful about it.
and also. I think the network needs to be Bigger.
one line is not enough and it never will be.
we need to start drawing more transit for the City.
thank you. Thank you. Good job.
paul carmona, reece armstrong and kiba white Signed up remotely but has not dialed in for
for scheduling purposes. Let me let council know and and others that What we'll do at the end of public
communications. We're going to take up pulled Item number 86.
whenever you're ready just state your name. Thank you, mister mayor and city council members. My name is paul carmona. I've never Addressed this city council, but I have sung
to this city council. Some years ago when the Mayor declared austin's that day bar and
grill singers day. I have been in austin Since 1985,
lived here and was born here in 64 and held Hostage in dallas till I could get back here.
I run a lot. I live in district eight. I run down to the trail. I submitted these Documents to the to the mayor and city
council. There's this ordinance, Eight, five, four, four, which prohibits jumping from Bridges into town lake or barton springs.
and I've run. I took these pictures on Saturday.
I ran there, sunday I ran there, Monday I ran there,
tuesday I'll run there this afternoon. I run down to the trail. I run across that Footbridge right over the barton creek inlet.
and during the summer months, It started about ten years ago.
there's these huge crowds. You can see the rest of the pictures that Gather on this bridge.
and the city ordinance says it is a violation Of city ordinance to jump from the bridge.
and so yeah, I understand. And having listened to a lot of these issues Today,
that there are much bigger fish to fry for This city. But I have seen, as you can see in some of These pictures,
I've actually had it happen to me where I'm Trying to get across this bridge. There's a large crowds of people, Someone who's very wet,
climbs onto that rail and slips back and Landed on me.
and then I've seen it. Someone trying to climb on that rail slip and Fall into a mother pushing a stroller.
I've seen the jumpers jump into the creek Below where there's kayakers and paddle
boarders and so on, and have some near Misses. I attached to my submission articles from 2018 and 2014 where the city has been made
aware of this and there's just no Enforcement. I've called 311 to say, Look, I hate to be the old guy shaking his
fist at the sky about an issue. But this is a hazard. It's dangerous, And I know the mayor,
from your days as a plaintiff's attorney Would not, would not with stand up for the idea that There is a risk and that it's going to take a
child in a kayak being paralyzed, Or worse, when a jumper lands on top of them.
and if you go out there on the weekends, There are hundreds of people gathering in the
middle of town lake on their paddle boards, On their kayaks and their canoes, and I applaud that. It's a great way to Celebrate our city, but to get there,
most of them have to go under this bridge and Seeing 20 or 30 or more people jumping off
this bridge. They attach rope swings and land Into the water below. I just think it's a hazard, And it would be a shame for the city to see
something happen to a resident who's injured By this. If you're not going to enforce the ordinance, Then repeal it and take the signs down.
or better yet, start charging tickets for the Jumpers. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Cromer.
good to see you. Does anybody.
miss white, can you go to the last slide Please.
good afternoon. My name is white and I work For public citizens texas office.
we remain very concerned about the lack of Transparency with how the city council is
making decisions about austin energy matters. Following the secret vote to approve the Purchase of gas peakers in may,
an austin energy spokesperson stated that Voting in secret and austin energy issues is
not infrequent, but that it's always posted In the minutes after cut,
reporters did extensive, Extensive research and found that not to be true. The spokesperson changed his story and Said that,
quote, the fact that minutes do not reflect That a vote was taken does not mean that a
vote was not taken. That means that austin Energy residents and austin energy and austin
austin residents and austin energy ratepayers Have no true transparency with what the
utility is spending money on. Back to slide two, please.
this lack of transparency by austin energy Was on display at the electric utility commission this week. A utility Representative made a presentation on austin
energy's proposed budget. I ask what projects. Not the details about Them,
just the list were included in the power Production capital budget circled in green
here, and I was told that it was a Competitive matter and wouldn't be shared.
how could a simple list of projects be a Competitive matter?
austin energy did confirm that the gas Peakers were in that line item.
back to slide one, please. I compared the values shared for fy 27 with Those shared last july for fy 2026 the
difference in the power production capital Budget from 2026 to 2030 is an eye popping
$1.3 billion. Slide three please.
given austin energy's refusal to confirm any Projects other than the 400mw of gas peakers,
I'm left to assume that is the projected cost Of purchasing and installing them $1.33
billion. Wow. So much for affordability.
it's spending like this that leads to 5% per Year rate increases.
spending $1.33 billion without any Transparency is unacceptable.
so is any other decision made in secret, Especially if it isn't posted on an agenda
austin energy customers might have their Power on, but we're still being kept in the dark.
and while we sit in the dark, Our austin energy rates are going up.
it's well past time for a full rate case with A consumer advocate and an independent
hearing examiner. As has been the past Tradition,
austin energy customers deserve better than Annual rate increases with no transparency.
please stop making decisions without posting Them on an agenda.
and please make all votes in public. And please reject austin energy's latest Request to increase rates by another 5% until
after a full rate case. Thank you. Thank you. Mayor.
all noon public communication has been Called. All right. Members, everyone that's been that Signed up to speak on this has been called
up. I said we're going to take up item number 86 but the person is not here.
so tell you what. Why don't we take a five Minute break?
because I want to take up about 86. And trying to do this in an organized way.
take up item 86 before we then go to the next Big item. That's going to take so much time. So why Don't we do this? It's 1224.
without objection, we are recessed until 1235.
without objection, we're recessed until 1235. It is 12:24 p.m.. Very good.
it's now 1235. And I will call the austin City council back to order after a brief
recess. We're going to take up item number 86.
item number 86 was is an item that was pulled By council member duchin.
I'm going to recognize council member duchin As the person that pulled the item. And then
we'll have whatever we need to have. We have Public comment on this as well. But I also want to recognize you for having pulled the Item,
why you pulled the item. And then we're going To go to speakers. Thank you mayor. I'll try and be as brief as possible.
we recognize that there were some concerns That we learned from from afd and other fire
and code experts about this item that I don't Think have been addressed yet in the current
version. And so my hope is that we can call On our chief building official,
mr. Cox wilcox, and and chief vogue from the From afd to help get clarity on some of those
concerns. All right. Thank you. What I'm going to do is first go to the Speakers and then we'll have discussion.
council member lane is the sponsor. Do you Want to say anything before we go to speakers? Yes. Thank you.
thank you, council member, For raising your concerns. I'm happy that we were able to handle some of Them through the message board that's
publicly available. I also would like to move Through this as quickly as possible.
but I do want to lay out a little bit of Information.
I'm proud to sponsor this item. I really want to thank staff for the work They've done to get us to this point. This
council has also, before I arrive, Done the hard work of legalizing,
taking legal steps to make the missing middle Housing legal in austin. But legalizing housing is only the first Step.
we must also remove the barriers that make it Difficult or uneconomical to build.
one of those barriers is our building code, And we have control over that today,
any building with three or more units is Treated as an apartment building. That means a triplex or a fourplex on a small Residential lot is typically reviewed under
the same code framework as a downtown high Rise, bringing with it significantly greater cost And complexity.
it also affects our construction workforce. We have a large number of builders and Tradespeople who are licensed and experienced
under the international residential code, But not under the international building code. As a result, they are effectively Discouraged or prohibited from building four
homes instead of two. With that work going to Large, statewide or national companies instead of Our homegrown businesses here in austin,
this topic hits particularly close to home For me. I think of the piece family housing project.
one of the first items that I spoke about From the dais after I took office a year and
a half ago. It's a four unit home for Families experiencing homelessness in the
district six etj. It is approximately the Same general scale and scope of a similar
single family erk house. Renovation costs to prepare this unused Church building for families to move into
were originally quoted at less than $1 Million by a residential builder, but the increased requirements of the ibc Code resulted in higher cost subcontractors,
additional engineering and design costs, A required city council vote, site work and price escalation during the Longer multi-year permitting and review
process that nearly doubled the cost. I was the third city council member who had Been in office since they started trying to
get that project done, Which ultimately improves the environmental
condition of the site. All of this could have been avoided and more Dollars made available to support the
families who are experiencing homelessness, Who so desperately need that help. I also want to be clear. I also want to be clear About what this resolution does not do.
it does not increase allowable density Anywhere in the city. Unit counts remain a zoning decision.
it also does not change the building code Today. It simply direct staff to evaluate whether There is a safe,
appropriate path to modernize our code while Maintaining strong life safety standards.
austin would not be the first city or state To take this approach. North carolina raised its threshold to four Units statewide in 2024.
memphis increased its threshold to six units In 2021.
dallas is at eight. A four unit threshold is A measured, conservative place for austin to begin Exploring this issue.
it is also the unit threshold that the real Estate sector uses as a dividing line between
residential and commercial. My staff has engaged with fire.
who approved it? You know what? I'm going to Stop right there.
yeah. Let me stop right there. Good deal. Very good. Thank you. Both council members. Now, What I'll do is turn to the city clerk.
please call the speakers, And then we'll take up the item at the
conclusion of that. For item 86.
jason hoskins, zachary faddis, Victoria kidder,
angela garza. If your name is on call, Please come forward.
howdy, mayor and council members. My name is zach faddis. I'm a resident of district nine and president Of aura,
a grassroots organization focused on housing And transportation advocacy in austin.
and we are strongly in favor of item 86. I want to focus on the feedback I've heard From council member duchin and the city
bureaucracy regarding safety. I can't dispute their claims, But I want to point out that their analysis
is incomplete without considering how these Building code changes will affect vehicular safety when we make it illegal and infeasible Through our building code and zoning laws to
build dense, walkable, Transit supportive and mixed use communities.
we are condemning our citizens to live in Sprawling suburbs where every trip outside their home will be mediated by a car.
this is not only expensive and harmful to our Climate, it is dangerous. In the last decade, Traffic have.
traffic has claimed more deaths than fires at A rate of about 25 to 1.
this does not mean that fire deaths should Not be taken seriously, but it must be put into the context of a world of trade offs.
I believe a world of drastically fewer Traffic deaths is possible. But to achieve this, we must build Communities that enable car trips to be
shortened or displaced, Making it cheaper to build multifamily housing, as this item would do, Is a necessary step in the fight to end
traffic deaths. The safest building is one That's never built and the safest car trip is
never taken. It is much easier and looking at The data, a much greater safety imperative that we Displace car trips instead of making
infeasible the building of multifamily Housing. Thank you. Thank you. Please just state your Name for the record.
good afternoon, mayor watson and esteemed Austin city council members. My name is victoria keter, And I serve as the government relations and
outreach manager for the home builders Association of greater austin.
I'm testifying today in favor of item 86, A resolution directing staff to expand the
scope of the international residential code, Or urc, to include small multi-unit residential Buildings known as house plexes of up to four
attached dwelling units. Currently, buildings of four units or more Must comply with the international building
code, which is designed primarily for Commercial occupancies and large multifamily
construction, this mismatch has contributed To the cost and difficulty of building
smaller scale missing middle housing types. That is why the hba strongly supports item 86,
which addresses this issue in the following Ways it right sizes,
engineering, permitting and subtracting costs Subcontracting costs for smaller scale
residential buildings. It aligns with existing city policies such as Site plan,
light utility provisions and driveway Standards, and it builds upon previous council Initiatives such as the missing middle and
mixed use zoning resolution home one and two And the etod overlay policy plans.
this resolution serves as a strong step Forward. However, the hba further encourages council To consider exploring the extension of erc
eligibility to buildings of up to six units To further expand access to missing middle
housing. As many of our peer jurisdictions Across the united states have done,
the hba stands ready to partner with the city As these efforts move forward.
thank you for your leadership. Thank you. Chris gannon, Josh goldenberg, and greg anderson.
if your name has been called, Please come forward.
we'll start here and go this direction. Thank You. All right. Thank you. Good afternoon council.
appreciate council member lane for bringing This item forward.
this is a meaningful amendment that will Lower the cost of housing for the smaller,
missing middle apartment buildings that we're Trying to get built here in austin.
everyone said pretty much everything I was Going to say, so I'm going to skip forward to some of the more juicy data bits.
is the erc safe? That's kind of what this Whole piece hinges on.
and the answer is yes. The erc contains provisions for both active And passive fire safety provisions and life
safety provisions. The active protections Include requirements for sprinklers and an
interconnected alarm system. The passive protections include fire rate, Fire rate,
dwelling unit separations, Fire separation distance, fire rated doors, floor assembly membrane Protections,
fire blocking and draft stopping, And emergency escape and rescue openings.
it's a safe code. And for units is a Conservative number six,
eight units would would be very well covered By this code for units.
make sense for austin because of all of the Site plan light driveway allowances,
trash allowances. There's a lot of things That align up for units.
the nfpa has published data on their Sprinkler systems. There's three types of sprinkler systems that Are available. The ones that we're proposing
are the nfpa 13 d. That's the domestic ones.
these do not have provisions for interior Shared common spaces.
so in response we're proposing that the house Plex not include those spaces.
let's conform the building to the sprinkler Code.
instead of trying to twist a building into Something that maybe is not properly covered.
and I have seven seconds left there's a Presentation that's in your email box.
there's a lot more juicy data. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
anderson. Why don't you go? Thank you. Good afternoon, mayor council, I'm greg anderson with austin habitat for
humanity, and we strongly support item 86. Cities like seattle, portland, Minneapolis, jurisdictions across california
and many other communities have modernized Their code to make it easier to build smaller
multifamily housing while maintaining strong Life safety standards. Austin should do the same.
condominiums and small multiplexes are Increasingly becoming the starter homes of the 21st century. Every unnecessary code Requirement ultimately shows up in the price
of a home. I'd argue also to encourage you to Consider expanding this from four attached
units to six. One point I'd ask you to keep In mind, austinites don't suddenly become safer Because we've made efficient,
more affordable housing harder to build. Too often those families are simply pushed Further away,
leading to longer commutes, More traffic, and less walkable communities.
austin fire department's job is to focus on Fire safety. That's exactly what we want them to do.
but your job is broader. We've seen afd push for wider streets to Accommodate apparatus,
while well-intentioned, Wider streets increase vehicle speeds. Impervious cover development costs make our Street conditions less safe for motorists,
walkers and cyclists. That's why we elect you All to balance these priorities.
item 86 does exactly this. It preserves life safety while reducing Unnecessary barriers to building the kinds of
homes austin desperately needs. We hope you'll support it and consider Expanding it up to six dwelling units.
thank you, thank you. Yes, Sir. State your name for the record. I'm josh Goldenberg,
and I am an elected member of the austin Youth council representing district ten.
and I am also a member of the austin working Group.
I'm here today speaking on behalf of myself And strongly in favor of item 86.
we've heard a lot of the more technical Arguments already, so I want to focus my testimony on the more Human effects of what this policy will bring.
so as a young person who was born and raised In austin, but also wants to build a future in austin.
we I believe that we need more affordable Housing within the city proper and we need to
build. And as part of that, We need more dense infill housing. And that includes missing middle housing. The Changes to the development code proposed in
this item would do that really well. And I really, and I highly encourage you to, To consider increasing the number,
increasing the maximum number of units on The, in the house plexes to six to allow for even Greater density within our existing
neighborhoods. I would also like to throw my Full support behind the provision in the
draft recommendation or the draft ordinance To direct the city manager to consider
figuring out how we can expand this, Expand this policy to affect units up to 15
units, and how we can simplify the ibc to Make it easier to build those sorts of units.
we can't let the population growth is going To come.
and if we want if we're serious about Reducing urban suburban sprawl,
then we have to invite more residents into The city. And missing middle is the way to do this. Please support. Thank you.
mayor. All speakers for item 86 have been Called. Thank you. Members. All the speakers have Been called on item number 86.
I want to say for the record there. This item has a version two.
I want to make sure everybody is aware of Version two and that that is when I call for
a motion momentarily. That is what the motion Will be based on. Version two. Council member lane.
I will recognize you for a motion. We'll get A motion out on the table and then we'll have discussion. So moved. Council member lane Moves approval of version two of item number
86. Is there a second to the motion seconded By the mayor pro tem.
if you want to talk about this I want to Recognize council member lane briefly,
and then we'll have further discussion, And then I'll ask you to close at the appropriate time. Thank you.
do you have the ability to ask a couple Questions? Sure. It adds director keith mars.
thank you. In my remarks that I've given so Far, I, and I wish that I had been saying this as You were walking down,
but I commented on the impact to Affordability just with the example of a
single construction contract to renovate a Property.
I myself spent a decade working in the field Of housing,
and I did a. I did as a real estate Appraiser.
I no longer wear that hat, But I can speak from my own experience about
just one fee that's related to a four unit Property.
if I were a residential appraiser today, I don't know what the fees are now,
but back in my day it would have cost $450 to Get an appraisal.
but from a residential appraiser for a Fourplex, once I put on my commercial real estate Appraiser hat,
it was $4,500. There are so many fees and Expenses that are associated with housing,
and just that one is a ten fold increase. And so with those two examples in mind, I also would like to ask director morris,
can you explain how the contemplated change Would impact housing affordability, in your view? Mayor council keith mars Director,
austin development services I'm not sure You're on. If you are, you need to speak up.
thank you mayor. That's better. Thank you sir. Afternoon council.
mayor keith mars, director. Austin. Development services department. So The the fee structure of the city is
residential permitting. Commercial Permitting. I can tell you that we understand council's Direction on this matter,
which is to make four units look more like a Residential product, both in the construction methods and in the Permitting approach that that we will take.
so yes, there is a distinction in the fees Between commercial and residential.
is there also. So there's a significant Difference in the fees and the process.
is there a difference in the amount of time It takes to go through the process? Ask our
chief building official to provide some Better input on that.
mayor and council todd wilcox, The city's building official, on a residential plan review, Usually seven business days on a commercial
plan review of something of this size. It Would also be seven business days. Okay, great. That's great news.
I like those those numbers. How does this approach fit in with our Missing middle goals if you have anything to
add? Sure. So currently single family, For example, single family sf three is is up to three Units.
and then we see zoning categories that then Are generally more units.
so we understand that this missing middle Housing type of 4 or 5,
six units, etc.. The intention from the Council is again to make it look more like a
residential product and less like a larger Multifamily construction,
primarily the stick, the, The, the wood construction is going to be similar of what you would see with a fourth Unit,
as you would expect, with 1 or 2 units. Thank you. If this ifc were to move forward, Can you lay out the process between here and
ordinance adoption? Which departments would Be involved, how it might come back to the public's view, That sort of thing.
I'm gonna ask the chief building official, Lay out the specifics of the process, but I do want to to state that we again, We understand the direction.
I think that we collectively and working with Stakeholders need to take the.
through the process, we may discover that There's a different pathways or better
pathways to achieve the outcome that the Council is looking for.
so we'll take that into consideration of, Again, understanding of trying to make this look More like single family construction,
residential construction from fees, Process and requirements. In terms of process, I'm going to ask the Chief building official something before we
move on, because I really liked that Response.
I as a sponsor, I'm not looking for a Preordained outcome. I'm looking for engagement by our Professional staff to come out with the most
effective recommendation possible. So I really appreciated that. Go ahead. Thank You.
as far as the overall process, It would be similar or exact same as all the
other technical code amendments we've done. I would establish a working group of city Staff,
come up with the appropriate language, Decide which direction we're going to go and what recommendations we'll make.
we'll engage outside stakeholders groups. We'll have, you know, Public and virtual stakeholders meetings.
do an affordability impact statement go to The appropriate board for recommendation to
come back to council and bring the Recommendation back to council after that recommendation. Okay. Thank you so much.
I, I want to I'm finished with my questions For the two of you.
I appreciate it. I want to make a couple of Additional additional comments as it relates
to fire safety. You know, So much information that I haven't shared.
and here it comes even on a busy council day. So, you know, as someone whose family home Burned down and was a total loss the original
home in the boston neighborhood that I Graduated from high school in no sprinklers.
and then I watched the entire process of Rebuilding. And even though a residential home doesn't Require sprinklers you can bet that my family
had sprinklers in it. And so I, I only mention that because fires touch us so
much in the city of austin wildfire concerns A variety of ways.
and, and I, I want to share that I do not Bring this forward because I am cavalier as
it relates to fire safety. It is important that we craft effective Policy that also maintains safety.
and so I'll also let you all know that in the Development of this ifc, my staff, my staff engaged with the fire Department who approved the language before
we brought the item. We thought we were Bringing an item on consent that would move
fairly quickly. We did come to learn that Fire department has their thoughts have
shifted, and we have a pulled item and more Discussion than any of us particularly wanted
on this extremely busy council meeting day. But I'm fine with that because what we need Is we need a robust,
this is not a sign of the process not Working. It is a sign of the process working.
we brought this forward where the public Could see where fire could see, where all of us could see. And what we are trying to do is Kick off a robust consideration among our
professional staff, not slowed down by the Political winds, where you can speak directly and bluntly with Each other and come back with a
recommendation. So this ifc does nothing but Initiate an exploration and a conversation
and direct the city manager to put together An inter-departmental task force in a city
that sometimes struggles to work effectively. Interdepartmentally. That is an important Step to give that direction.
so I will hold further questions until I see Where this discussion goes.
thank you very much. Thank you. All right. Council member ellis. Thank you.
mayor, I want to extend my appreciation to Council member lane for bringing this item
forward and for the other co-sponsors. I think that it builds really, Really well on some of the work that we've
done as a council over the years. I know in december of 2022, We authored site plan light,
which was right in line with this Conversation. It was looking at the single unit and duplex Units being treated one way.
and then once you hit the third unit, You were in a full site plan like big, large scale apartment complexes like the one That I live in.
so I think that this builds on that work. We've been routinely trying to chip away at what makes housing harder to build and how to Blend our communities back together.
and so I think that this is perfectly in line With those initiatives that previous councils
have adopted, as well as some of my other Policy areas. And on that note, I would like to be added as A co-sponsor.
without objection, councilmember ellis. Be Shown as co-sponsor of item number 86. Is there any further questions that any Members of the council have?
councilmember duchin. Thank you mayor. Keep keeping in mind everybody what's in Front of us.
so I've got a few questions for staff. I realize this is a very technical matter and I'm in your experience as the chief building
official, mr. Wilcox, Is it typical for code changes like this to
be initiated by the council versus Professional staff?
recently, there have been several code Amendments initiated by council that that is
your prerogative. Typically, The code cycle is generated through the icc.
the state and the cities adopt the model code With their local amendments. So I it's
normal, it's becoming normal, Or it is more normal than it used to be. So I don't know what typical would be, But that's it's it's normal.
okay. Well, broadly speaking, What's the difference between the ibc and erc
as far as sort of what sort of structures do Each apply to? So they're both books are structured Differently.
the erc encompasses mechanical, Electrical, and plumbing on top of all the
building regulations. It's intended for one And two family dwellings and townhouses up to
three storeys toward the ibc covers all Building types.
in the erc, there is no rie use Classifications.
in the ibc there is r one, Two, three and four and so residential would
be broken up between one of the r one, Two three or fours. And so which are which are stronger.
the the building code has language to build Any building.
so generally it's considered stronger the irc Or the ibc the ibc.
okay. Got it. So one of the very specific Instructions in this item is to recommend the
use of nfpa 13 d rather than 13 r. Can you help me understand what the Difference is between these two systems?
I could explain it, but I think it would be Better for the fire chief. Please go ahead. Chief. Chief of staff.
austin. Fire. So typically, Can I interrupt? I apologize all three of you, For some reason,
feel the need to talk very quietly today. And I and I know all three of you.
and I don't know why that's the case. So speak directly into the microphone and Help us out a little bit.
absolutely. Sorry. Mayor. So 1313 is going to be a more robust system That we would see typically in a commercial
building. And a 13 d is designed mostly just For escape for individuals in a home.
and so it's not necessarily designed to Protect the structure. It's designed for folks to be able to get out Of the building safely in case of a fire.
okay. So what effect these different safety Systems have regarding fire spreading or the
speed and intensity of a fire? So with a 13 r, we would expect the fire to Potentially be put out by the sprinkler
systems. And with the 13 d, We would expect it more to be kept in check for the fire department to get there and Finish putting it out.
there's less guarantee of structural Protection in the 13 d okay.
and I guess 13 d are more likely to be taken Over by a fire compared to those of 13.
r is what I'm hearing you say. Theoretically, yes. So obviously there's a Lot of circumstances that that go into that.
what about when you've got a large building Like a fourplex? I'm assuming that burns up faster and hotter.
wouldn't that increase the risk of a fire Spreading in a denser area?
it depends on a lot of factors. How close are The buildings together and and what other
construction materials are used in the Building. What exterior materials are used in the Building?
are there windows facing each other on each Side of the building? So there's a lot of factors that go into That.
but theoretically, yes, You would expect better coverage from from a
13 r. Okay. Well let's focus on the sprinkler System since that's what a lot of this is
about. Would the code change require the use Of the sprinkler systems in all instances of
fourplex, or are there going to be Exemptions? How's that going to work? I would I would Love for us to be able to work through the
process with development services to figure That out, because I think that we can get to to a good Spot with it that we can all live with.
obviously we want them to be affordable, But we want them to be safe as well. Okay.
and fourplexes are currently permitted in City code, right? Correct. Well, Mr.
wilcox, as the as the chief building Official, what's your experience?
what in your experience is the primary Limiting regulation of fourplexes?
for instance, is it building code? Is it zoning? Is it some other is it Something else?
in my experience in recent history, It would be a zoning. Zoning is what restricts fourplexes at this Point.
and in your discussions with builders and Contractors on this issue, did did builders and construction workers Identify ibc as a cost driver?
it sounds like mr. Morris has already said So, but I want to make sure that that's you're in Agreement from the contractors I've spoken
to. The code that's used to build a building Doesn't isn't a cost driver for the product,
like insurance or something else. So it's not a cost driver.
well, there there would be more material in a Fourplex than there would a three plex. So that would drive the cost, But not necessarily the code that's used.
okay. I might have to come back to that Distinction in my understanding is this item
was supposed to be taken up yesterday by the Building and fire code board of appeals,
for which I think you serve as the secretary, but they didn't make a recommendation.
can you expand on what happened when the Board took up the item yesterday?
yes. Yesterday's item on the agenda was not For action. It was just for discussion.
when the when the item was brought up for Discussion, three of the board members left the room, Which which eliminated the quorum.
so the meeting had to stop. Okay. I want to just get in your own words, Chief.
what is your central concern around this item Right now. My central concern with just making sure that We would whatever we do,
we don't compromise the safety with it. And so I think that there's a path forward For us to be able to do that.
what do you think the best pathway is? I would I would need to look at everything.
and based on the design, Whether, you know, a 13 d may work based on
the design or a 13 r may be the best choice. So we would like to be able to look at every Piece of it and,
you know, make a, make an informed decision. Is there anything in this ifc that keeps you From doing that as it goes forward?
no. Okay. I'm going to
conclude and I appreciate your your answers There. I want to just read some comments of somebody That couldn't be here today to testify very
quickly. He's a district ten resident and Also a nationally recognized expert in code
and fire safety. And I believe was working With the sponsors to try and get some of
these issues resolved. But the language that's still not changed in The first section of this regarding house
plexes with 3 or 4 units, He refers to as the most alarming part of
this. He writes that directing that three and Four unit buildings be permitted with a two
hour separation versus sprinklers represents A dramatic reduction in safety to austin
residents who will occupy these buildings Versus what is required by model codes,
by the vast majority of jurisdictions Throughout the country. There's no allowance for stacking of units Beyond two without sprinklers,
period. The two hour townhouse separation That you are apparently modeling is for side
by side units, not stacked beyond two. We've already heard the narrative over and Over smoke kills much more often than fire.
two our fire assembly is not a smoke Separation. And in this type of construction, There is no realistic way to seal smoke from
vertical transit. The higher you are in the Building, the more at risk you are of not getting out From a fire below.
I have worked in fire fatality cases in two Storey single exterior exit apartments in
which the stairway was compromised by smoke And fire coming from a broken window or left
open door below. Children, Elderly and people with limited mobility
impairments will not be able to use an escape Window. Relying on the fire department to rescue them Is not a good plan.
I'm not a fan of pm 2024 002 in general, But I will point out that it is not
specifically allow three stack units, And nevertheless,
it always requires sprinklers. If you're going to reference that as a basis For this resolution.
how do you justify a policy requiring Sprinklers in three unit buildings,
then having a provision in the resolution for Fourplexes that don't always require sprinklers? Also, I find it highly misleading To reference sprinklers many times in the
preamble, but that insert a non sprinkler Option in the resolution.
bottom line nobody wants to occupy unsafe Affordable housing.
this resolution, as it reads, Reduces the level of safety to austin residents who will occupy these buildings Versus what is provided today.
and as compared to most jurisdictions around The country, not recognizing the increased hazard of Stacked units is grossly negligent when it is
common knowledge that smoke rises and smoke Kills. These are single exit buildings that could Have escaped windows as high as the fifth
story. I urge with the utmost concern, That suggested allowance to permit three plus
dwelling units in a building without fire Sprinklers be reconsidered. While other issues are not unimportant, The non sprinkler option in that first
section should be a nonstarter for anyone who Believes that affordable housing should also
be safe. I'm just going to ask chief or mr. Wilcox if they would generally agree with That concern.
so I would recognize the concern and welcome The ability to address it in the process
moving forward. Mr. Wilcox?
we would address that in our working groups As we move forward. Okay. All right. That's all I've got.
thank you. Mayor. Mayor pro tem. And then I'm going to call on the sponsor to Close so we can move on.
just I'm a co-sponsor and it's an excellent Item. I think that we get too strict on that small Scale building.
and it drives up costs and it hurts Affordability. Again, I just appreciate all the time and Effort that council member lane has put into
it that her staff has put into it. And again, this is one of those kind of small Changes with potentially big results in terms
of adding affordable kind of small scale Missing middle housing.
thank you mayor. Thank you. Mayor pro tem Council member lane, you can close. Thank you
so much. In my opening, When I, when I noted the importance of giving
our professional staff the space, The time to have a robust internal discussion
and to have that out of the way of the Political winds.
this is exactly what I was talking about. Coming from the wild west of austin, District six I've seen lots of attempts to
break quorum in order to stop discussion. That's a political maneuver.
it's a, it's an appropriate one in some Cases, but that's not what we want to get our Professional staff held up in.
we even lost quorum here and it delayed the Discussion here. I'm not here for that.
I'm here for more efficient government. I'm here to work to solve problems, To increase affordability without sacrificing
safety. The idea that I would bring forward At all and try to try to force something so
negligent as to endanger our families. When I have both professional background and Personal lived experience as it relates to
this, and my district is firmly between where The steiner ranch fires were and the more
recent grass fires in avery ranch. So I'm going to dial it back down, And I'm going to note just how large our
audience is here today. Now that I'm on the dais as an elected Official,
my role is to hear from the community. It is not to get into the technical weeds in A council meeting.
you all know me well enough to know that I Could ask a lot of technical questions.
I know. Yep. I know, right? A few of them drafted by my staff.
you don't even really give long closings. Well, this this is actually the job I'm in Now,
though, is the words. So, You know, some of those drafted by my staff and many of them coming directly from me, But I am going to skip all of that.
I'm not going to ask any more questions. I'm Going to ask my colleagues to consider moving straight to vote. Let's pass this so that we Can hand it off to our professional staff and
hear back their strongest recommendation for Us. Thank you so much. Thank you, Council member members.
the motion has been made and seconded to Adopt item number 86,
version two. Is there any further discussion?
there being no further discussion those in Favor signify by raising your hand up.
those opposed? All right. The the item is adopted with council member Duchin being shown voting no.
that concludes item number 86 members. We're now going to go to what is broadly Referred to as dogs head.
we have a number of items on dogs head, The order in which we're going to go.
and this has been worked out with legal staff Is we're going to go item number 142111,
15, 14, 75, 76 and 106.
the way we're going to do this is we're going To call up each item and we'll take it up
with, with comment and then and, And then action on the item individually as
we go along. So the first item is number item Number 142,
followed by number one, 11, 15, 1475, 76, and 106.
we have a very large number of speakers. And of course everybody's entitled to do that To speak.
and we're happy to have you here. What I Would ask, though, is if you're just generally in favor Or generally opposed,
and you signed up to speak on number 142, And you then don't need to speak on each of
the additional six items just let us know You're speaking once and doing it that way.
that out of respect for the people that are Coming behind you, that are also wanting to speak on those, On those items.
the way we'll do it is as we typically do, I will call on the city clerk's office.
they will call out your names again. If your name is called, Don't just stay in your seat.
if your name is called, Please make your way forward. Aye. That tells us that you're here and we'll Look for you.
but be it also, again, Out of respect for the people that may be
here a long time after you, Because of the number of people that have signed up to speak, it will help us be more Efficient in getting to the speakers.
so the first item we will take up is item Number 142,
and I'll turn to the city clerk to please Start us with our speakers.
we have two speakers. I have kalu james for Item 142.
mayor and on councilman. And everyone involved with this.
my name is kalu james and I live in district Nine.
I definitely call an urge to reject the Execution of the amendment to the development
agreement. The current agreement was Negotiated behind closed doors without a public access, and was approved before many Nearby residents even knew it existed.
the current agreement includes no cap on Impervious cover, no height limit, broad zoning permissions, Major floodplains and critical water
qualities and modifications and Administrative variances without meaningful
public oversight. And all those are Increasing risks from flooding,
erosion, polluted run off tree and habitat Loss,
and urban island effects. So I urge you to reject the exemption Execution of the amendments to the
development agreement. And do you believe that east austin residents Deserve more than one week's notice to review
the terms of the development agreement? And I know that we have a bunch of other Items coming up under this,
so I will eat a lot of time while I wait for The rest to come in. Thank you. Also also on item 142, Remote speaker francis acuna.
francis, this is francis acuna. And I want to speak in one time and all the Items as well,
my name is acuna and I am here to speak Against the dog head development items.
as you know, flooding and displacement has Been what we all have been fighting against.
I'm sorry. We've been fighting against Flooding and displacement forever.
and this project, you are looking to approve Over 2600 acres of development,
of which 1700 acres will be impervious cover.
the massive development will have a huge Impact on the development and the
environmental environment. Traffic, infrastructure, Wildfire, wildlife and quality of water along
the colorado river that will be impacting Bastrop's drinking water.
we are looking at 45 year development Agreement with tax giveaways that will that
will come from tax payers. We are already fighting against the 2600 Acres of data center.
plus we already have airport, The airport and tesla discharging
contaminated running runoff water from the.
to the colorado river, Affecting wildlife and human life.
you will need to look at what is going on Downstream to prevent adverse flooding impact
and displacement. Consider speaking to the Community experts downstream and don't
approve this development without considering The capital loss,
the wildlife loss, the environmental laws, And the human lives.
thank you. Continuing with in person speakers For item 142.
we have rita. Thompson. Josh. Goldenberg, susana almanza, Ben thompson,
if I've called your name, Please come forward. State your name for the record.
josh goldberg, district ten. On this specific item, I'm going to pass because I have a lot more
detailed comments about one, 11 and 15, but please note that I'm in favor
of 1475 and 76, and I don't have specific Comments.
thank you. Please. Hello. Rita thompson, district five.
please vote no on these amendments. I went ahead and attempted.
I am not a lawyer. I went ahead and tried to Look at the land development code.
I looked at the subsections and I looked at The changes that were proposed,
but I just stopped in my tracks when it Actually read that there would be no
compliance. It states, According to dog head developer developers,
that we will not be complying with Environmental criteria, but we'll get back with you at a later date.
I'm not a lawyer, but that was the gist of It. So we're talking about significant Environmental risk here.
it is not gone before any environmental Commission. This is unacceptable. This is some of the I'm So disappointed in the city of austin because
this is some of the worst public policy I Think I've seen in a long time.
I mean, there's been disappointments and There's been betrayals and there's been
differences of opinions. But this just this just floored me.
I used to come down here a lot in the 80s and Subsequently later years.
but this just feels like bad old days where We were like, what is happening and where are these deals Being made?
it hasn't felt this bad in a long time. There's a way to just stop.
when in doubt, stop and look to your Colleagues with travis county.
they looked at this. They would not feel good About these amendments at this juncture.
and they were open to say they would Reconsider. But they're just do not rush this.
and even if there were some agreements made Legally but ethically questionable,
let let them know that now that you've had More public input, you need to revisit it.
thank you. Please begin.
mayor. Council. Ben thompson, District two resident.
I'm generally here. I'm here generally Opposed to all of the dog's head items before
you today. I do a lot in the community, But today I'm here representing only myself,
my family, and my friends who are avid users Of the colorado river.
we've hunted and fished there and canoed, Swam for years and enjoyed the fact that we
have such a treasure in central texas. And first, I want to acknowledge my own Friends and mentors who primarily during the
1980s and the 1990s worked tirelessly to Protect the water quality and the river
downstream from austin protecting both the Wildlife,
the downstream users who rely on the water For, for drinking, etc., but without dwelling too Much on the past.
I want to point out something that we seem to Kind of lost. And that was an idea in the 1990s that seemed Pretty obvious to most correct thinking
people. Let's call them liberals or leftists Or progressives.
but I think it was all over the country that Truly understood that trickle down economics
is a scam. And I know a lot of you on the Dais say a lot of those kind of things.
yet nevertheless, here we are today by the Maybe hundreds,
begging you not to give another billion Dollars to a bunch of billionaires.
jeff bezos, jeff bezos doesn't need a handout From austin taxpayers.
and we should not be subsidizing entities, Companies,
people who seek to exploit our natural Resources in our community.
thank you. For. 142. Beatrice anderson, Please repeat the
names. Item 142 beatrice anderson.
please call more than one name. Richard suttle. Are you present?
oh. Is this beatrice? Beatrice has time Donation from kristen viotto and monica
guzman. Are kristen and monica present? I see, yes. They are. Okay.
so please set the timer for six minutes.
please begin. Good afternoon. Council. Beatrice anderson, Save our springs alliance.
for the first time since hearing about this Deal in may. I almost had a sliver of hope seeing that There was an amendment going to be
considered. Because lord knows, The development agreement as it stands is a
complete disaster. Both environmentally it is A disaster for transparency and public trust
in all of you. And for the community who it Will be displaced by this project will be at
higher risk of flooding and has had no say in What the future of their community is going
to look like. That hope faded when there is No amendment posted,
there's nothing for us to review and we still Don't know what that, what these changes that you were Contemplating are,
and there is still no public engagement. You have everyone here today telling you to And begging you to listen to them and design
the community that they live in and will Continue to live in around the need,
the needs of the community who lives there. They're telling you what they want and we are
asking you to listen. You have the Opportunity with this amendment to heed our
cries and do the right thing and change this Development agreement to better protect our
waters, to better protect the people, To better protect our air and better protect
the culture of austin. One thing I find well council member vila is Not with us,
but he did recently post on facebook. And it is clear that he is not even aware That this property is already annexed.
so it is confusing to me how votes are being Made by council members who have not read the
agreement. And don't even know what is going On.
it is incredibly frustrating. If I showed up to my job and I had not done My homework,
I showed up that level of unprepared that I Did not even know that this land was annexed.
I would not have a job. That's right. Another thing that council Member vella said in this illuminating
facebook post is that, You know, we did this in the miller development. We can do it here.
you cannot just copy and paste developments All over town.
the miller development is not on top of an Alluvial aquifer. The miller development is not on top of the Drinking water source.
for bastrop and maynor, The miller development is not almost entirely
in a floodplain. The miller development is Not surrounded on three sides by the colorado
river. The. The pristine, Free flowing section of the colorado river.
you cannot copy and paste. Thank you for joining us. The miller development on the dog's head.
you cannot copy and paste miller here because The land is not the same.
the people are not the same. The needs of the community. There are not the same. The needs of the River,
the needs of the environment. There are not The same. And we are here urging you again to do the Right thing.
go back to the drawing board. You have appointed commissioners for their Expertise.
lean on them. We can go to the final slide.
you have incredible city staff behind you. You have the community.
these are just the people who have the Privilege of being able to take off of work and show up here today. There are so many More of us.
you have the whole community of austin here To guide you. Listen to us. And you have billions of Dollars of investment.
endeavor is again, they are sophisticated Developers. I refuse to believe that this is the best That you can do,
the best that they can do, And the best that we as a city can do. We can come up with something more creative.
that's it. Please begin.
mayor before mr. Subtle begins. He has time donated from amanda morrow.
is she here? Yes. Okay, So mr. Subtle will have four minutes. Mayor members Of the council.
my name is richard subtle. I'm here on behalf Of endeavor. The owner of the dog's head.
you know, we're in a really unique position, And it's it's ironic because.
but for the annexation of this property, We wouldn't be here today.
our our whole our whole conversation with our Community is because endeavor voluntarily
came to you and said, Would you annex the property in a in a world
where most people on this agenda are dis Annexing and leaving our city.
and in a world where most people are getting Out of the etj where they can endeavor
voluntarily came in and reached an agreement With you on the annexation.
now what? Folks? Look, Our democracy allows a lot of comment,
but let's be. Whether you're for something or You're against something, let's act like we support our democracy and We allow for people to speak without
interrupting them. And you can kiss me all You want, but but. Well, this person is speaking and That's who you need to allow to
speak. Otherwise you're speaking might be Interrupted as well. So please, let's just act like austin ought To act and allow everybody to comment whether
you agree or not. So by voluntarily coming Into the city,
they voluntarily submit to austin's Jurisdiction, the city regulations, The environmental regulations,
the zoning, the transportation. They agree to pay taxes, Full taxes increase the tax base.
do floodplain improvements access to the River that doesn't exist today along this
tract. Six miles of trail that doesn't exist.
and many good things come out of this. But also with annexation comes for the city, The obligation by state law to provide
services to this property and to provide Services requires infrastructure.
there's virtually no city infrastructure in This area. So in the old days, when cities were allowed To just annex without the consent of the
landowner, cities would actually extend Infrastructure. And that's virtually all this agreement does,
is provide for a mechanism for our city to Extend infrastructure so that development can
occur, tax base can be created, More taxes can be collected,
and more things that we all know and love About austin can be accomplished, such as social service funding.
the way this process works is endeavor takes The risk,
pays for the infrastructure, Installs the infrastructure, and if and only if assessed valuation on Their property goes up,
and if and only if the tax value is Sufficient to to support a reimbursement,
then they get reimbursed. Not for all of it, but a portion of the Infrastructure that they've put in the
ground. And that's virtually what we're Talking about today. Now, I've been accused of saying that this is A bombed out mine pit.
well, I stand by that.
and, and we we had some bad information on When we could load a video for you.
we've got a 2.5 minute video for you that if You're interested in seeing it,
I'll need permission from you to ask the city Clerk to load it. If you if you didn't get it, It's a 2.5 minute video.
drone video that shows you the beautiful River frontage that we all agree on needs to
be protected. It also shows the areas that Have are in mining,
reclamation or have been reclaimed. And you'll see a stark difference between the Two.
and I think we can do a responsible job of The reclamation and redevelopment of the
reclaimed area, as well as the protection and Providing access to the people or the people
of austin to the river along this property. Mayor there's a lot, a lot of items today.
I'll be happy to answer any questions on the On. 142 there are amendments that we've all Agreed are a good idea.
and if you have any questions for me later On, please call me up. Thank you, Thank you.
next set of speakers are bill bunch, Jane doe,
craig nazer, stephen brown, Lee edwards, robin schneider.
any paul, please come forward.
folks, I apologize, but the fire marshal says That having that many people standing in this
area is a danger. And so if you can take a Seat, I know we're full up pretty much, But if you can take a seat,
I would encourage you to do that. Thank you.
bill blanche, executive director, Save our springs alliance, on this proposed measure to authorize the City manager to negotiate and execute
amendments to the agreement that this body Approved.
there's no resolution in front of you. There's no draft amendment.
you're not allowed to delegate your ordinance Making powers to the city manager in the back
room with richard. Subtle. You have to do that up here on the dais.
and clearly, since there's no draft Ordinance, you're not ready to do that.
going to some of the details. I mean, this is picking around the edges.
okay. We're going to go from 100% impervious Cover to 79% gross site.
that's almost all of it. And the, the remaining 21% is almost Certainly the most severe floodplain that you
can't build in anyway. So literally, we're getting nothing here.
this letter from richard subtle. They're going to give us $100,000 for Displacement and needs assessment.
100,000 bucks. We're giving them how many Billions?
1.2 billion. 3 billion.
5 billion. The agreement is a percentage.
there's not. It's not even capped. You don't even know how much money you're Giving away.
and it's over 40 years. 45 years. Excuse me. 35 years for the Development,
for the tires. 45 years for the development Agreement.
this is not a pig in a poke. This is a giant pig farm in a poke.
you are absolutely clueless and giving up Your powers that we gave you.
hello, craig nasr, sierra club and austin Environmental democrats and I have never been
so disappointed in austin in my life.
I it's it's it's it's painful. But on the other hand, This is a community.
these people are a community. I have met with them. I met new friends, Young people,
people who weren't even born in 1990 at Another meeting that was very similar to
this. Now, do you want to split austin in This way?
I know a lot of you. I know you're well Meaning?
I don't know why you've agreed on such a Terrible process.
we have no input. I mean, Richard, subtle. I'll get in trouble for saying this.
I like richard subtle. He's a nice guy. He really is.
and he believes what he's saying. I have no doubt about that. But for seven years they planned this.
did they ever come to this community saying, Hey,
we got some ideas for the spot? You want to talk about it?
no. And you know, why not? I'll tell you what I think it is.
I think it is how you value money or how you Value community.
and then how do you value the environment?
how many of you have been to the dog's head? Don't raise your hands.
how many of you have been to the dog's head? I've been down there. The first store I ever Went to in austin was callahan's in 1978.
don't do this. I'm asking you not to do this. I don't have enough time to go in to the Details.
maybe I'll have later. Thank you very much.
good evening. My name is steven brown and I'm A lifelong east austinite.
I've lived in d1 district one.
I'm here today to oppose the tories in the Dog's head development in this whole process.
I am tired of seeing public pain used for Public gain.
I say that again. I am tired of seeing public Pain being used for private gain.
I've watched lifelong friends and neighbors Get pushed out by gentrification.
I've talked to hard working families every Day that are struggling to make ends meet here in the city that they helped build.
they asked me a simple question is austin Still a place for me?
so I have this simple question for this Council. Where are the tax breaks for the working Families?
where are the incentives for the teachers and First responders and for the construction
workers, small business owners that make Austin what it is?
where are their tax breaks? Instead, we're preparing to give millions Billions in public tax dollars to a wealthy
developer. Last year, We were told that austin desperately needed
approximately $109 million through prop q, And the voters said no.
and guess what? Austin is still standing. And now we're being told that if we don't do This deal,
we're going to lose an opportunity. And I just don't believe that.
I believe that we can work and figure out Something a lot better that will put money
back in hard working families pockets and not Just developers.
I'm asking y'all to use your conscience.
trust the people. We don't need to pay so Much in construction, in consulting. If we just listen to the People.
rachel scott, robert. Hill, Harper higginbotham,
betsy greenberg. Erin andrews. Iris, are you here? Is carson gilchrist here?
okay, y'all have donated time. I am, I'm here.
my name is robert hale. I'm here to speak, But I have donated time on item 111.
and so I'm going to wait to speak on item 11. So I have more time because I need to speak Multiple times.
so since I've only got two minutes now and I'd have four minutes,
then I'm going to wait and speak on the next Item of the series that are related.
that's fine. So you're waiving your your Right to speak right now because I've got
more time on the next item. I didn't have time donated on each one and I Need to speak multiple times. Thank you very
much. Appreciate it. Please go ahead.
my name is betsy greenberg and I live in District nine. This item is to authorize the negotiation and Execution of amendments to the dog's head
agreement. I'm opposed and hope you will vote No on all the dog's head items.
I will have more to add on other items. If you pass this item, Please remove the words and execution as was
done with the circuit of americas agreement To kick back hotel occupancy taxes to the
owner, a revised agreement should without a Doubt be reconsidered by the council and
transparent to the public when the agreement Is amended.
I hope, among other things, You will add a prohibition of the data center
use and remove. And remove language, Including as determined by dog's head
and similar phrases that give the developer License to do whatever they want.
please vote no. Good
afternoon. My name is iris andrews. I currently work with save our springs, But for today I am just representing myself
and my personal capacity. I live in district Four. So, mr. Vela, you are my representative. You may have seen me when I Spoke at travis county where I said that
endeavor is treating all of us like dogs, But in fact we are not dogs. I stand by that statement.
today. It is clear that this agreement Unamended, is flawed. That's why these amendments are up For discussion in the first place.
you know it. Travis county commissioners Court knew it. Our brothers and sisters in the unions here today? No, It the developer knows it and we the people
know it. I'm ecstatic that you are Considering amendments. I really am, because it shows that at a Minimum you are hearing some of what we are
saying. I will say, though, I am saddened by the fact that the proposed amendments from endeavor haven't been Published and weren't published for the
public to review until moments before taking Up this item. I think that if this language had been Available to review sooner, we all could have
saved a bunch of time and we could have Tailored our concerns to these new amendments. Rather than coming up here and Talking to you about the original development
agreement and the tours, Which you're about to change. I want to be as explicitly clear as I can.
I'm so happy that our brothers and sisters in The unions were given the opportunity to come to the negotiating table, To spell out their concerns,
to be heard, and to get their interest Ultimately represented in endeavor's proposed amendments. I cannot express any more support For that,
but that is what the core of why many of us Are here to be treated the same, to be given the chance to not only say what We need to say,
but to actually be heard, To work with the council and the developer to
build a better future with a better future Together for austin.
but we weren't afforded the same Opportunities or given the same trust that our concerns are real and valid.
I really appreciated the commissioners court And travis county speaking about the letters and emails they've received, And taking a really critical approach to this
development agreement to try and find out Ways that everyone can get something out of it. I wish I could feel the same about this Council.
I feel quite upset to have been accused of Spreading misinformation about this whole development by my fellow citizens and some of My elected representatives.
that is unacceptable. I started working on This project less than ten days after the
agreement passed, and I haven't stopped. I've read the agreement forwards, Backwards, upside down at work and at home.
I know what the agreement says and more Importantly, I know what it does not say.
there is some truth in claims of Misinformation. There has been some going around about this Project.
I want to talk mostly about the amendments That endeavor has presented to you that you only posted again moments before discussing This item,
endeavor presents you with a strong arm Agreement. They have presented amendments to get in your Good graces and say that they want to do the
right thing. However, Endeavor doesn't want to do the right thing. They are making these amendments only if you Ignore our concerns and you accept the terms.
right now, here today, Endeavor only now has put in worker protections, a displacement needs assessment And barely lowering the impervious cover
limit to only 79%, which is still too much And barely dropping the tax increments from
85 or from 80% to around 70 to 66% over the Course of the years.
the true misinformation going around is that Endeavor wants to actually do the right thing out of the goodness of their heart. They have Presented you with paltry amendments so they
can give an inch to turn around and take 3000 Acres. The truth is that these amendments should Have been required in the first place.
commissioner shea said it best there was a Whole lot of, trust me, from the developer.
but the fact is, there are and still are no Agreements or guarantees in the agreement as
written. The fact is, Many people still don't understand what the development agreement is going to do, Especially our neighbors downstream in
bastrop who don't even know this development Is coming. I know you all are working on this amendment. I know you all want to get this Done. You want to build a better austin,
and so do we. I want to believe the mayor, When he said that the council should take responsibility to make sure that they do, They pay attention on the front end to make
responsible decisions first, So we don't have to come back and fix mistakes later. I hope each of you would Reject the amendments that endeavor has put
forward today, that you reject the terms and You reject dogshit until the people have an
actual meaningful say in crafting the Amendments with you and working together to build a better austin.
thank you. Thank you very much.
good afternoon. I'm susana almanza with Poder. First, I want to wish councilman jose Velazquez a happy birthday.
hoy estamos en la espera de la decision del Consejo municipal sobre nuestros ingresos
fiscales el proyecto llamado dogshit del lado De los barrios.
o del medio ambiente de la gente van a Continuar con su plan maestro de hecho de
desplaza a las personas de bajos ingresos y Las comunidades de mar del este y cuando
instalaciones toxicos en sus comunidades se Podran del lado de la gente o de los
multimillionaires. Este consejo sigue Voltando a favor de los bacilos de promotores
y mobiliarios y los propios en lugar de la Necesidad de necesidades de la gente del
pueblo no regala nuestros ingresos fiscales a Los multimillionaires no regala nuestros
impuestos vote no. Today, We're awaiting the city council's decision on
whether to approve using our tax dollars for Urban development project,
known as dogs head. Will they side with Billionaires or with environmental.
and the people? Will they continue the 1928 Master plan of displacing low income
individuals and communities of color further East and placing toxic facilities in their
neighborhoods? Will they stand with the People or with the billionaires?
the council keeps voting to line their Pockets of real estate developers and their
own, instead of addressing the people's Needs. Don't give away our tax dollars to Billionaires.
don't give away our tax money. Vote no. Thank you. Katie.
guay. Craig. Janowski. Alexis willis. Barbara mcarthur.
stephan faris. If your name is called, Please come on down.
I am craig jankowski, District ten. I'm going to defer to issue 111.
okay. Thank you sir. Thank you all for your Time today.
my name is katie gay, And I'm here on behalf of evergreen austin, a local women led nonprofit organization Working to expand and protect the green
spaces that make austin and travis county Distinctive, healthy, and livable. We urge you again to Vote no or postpone the dog's head items.
this false sense of urgency to develop has Been happening for years in austin with the
same cast of characters, And it needs to stop. The development agreement is not good for People or the natural resources in the area.
the city and county also need to stop making Plans that they have no will to prioritize
and finance, such as the 2012 colorado river Corridor plan that includes dogs,
head and states and I quote, To provide orderly growth to preserve and
enhance the area's many valuable Environmental, economic, recreational and cultural Resources.
what happened to this plan? Mayor watson, at the recent national greater And greener conference hosted here in town.
he said that austin's biggest challenge is Funding parks and green space, which is exactly why we proposed exploring a Parks district,
a tool designed to create dedicated funding For the parks our growing city needs.
yet this agreement, approved by you and Council, originally allowed for 100% impervious cover With no meaningful commitment to new public
green space now amended to 79%. How will you make sure this doesn't just Include medians?
I remind you that no parkland will be Dedicated for 15 years in this 45 year
buildout. I promise you, This vote will not be forgotten.
with half of city council up for election, Austinites will be paying attention to how
you represent them and their interests here Today.
people won't remember the item number, But they will remember you ushering in yet
another giant corporation into our land. Roberta crenshaw's legacy was protecting lady Bird lake.
is this going to be yours? Go ahead.
hi, my name is barbara macarthur and I live In district seven.
as far as I know, I think endeavor and amazon Are for profit companies that make very huge
profits. I think our elected officials job is To support the people who live here and not
rape the community. Thank you.
one thing I'd like to say, And I'm saying this for the people who apparently did not completely read the Agreement,
is that signing this agreement, You gave away a lot of the city's rights.
you've already given those away, For example, you've given away the right.
when they have a development application for You to ask for any requirements that aren't
in this existing agreement, You have no right to change things.
then here a provision for the city council's Adoption of a regulating plan for the dog's
head property has to be acceptable to dog's Head, as determined solely by dog's head.
you don't have input. They have to accept it.
a provision for the city council's adoption Of an ordinance opposing a project and
financing plan, in accordance with section 311 of the tax code on terms acceptable to
dog head as determined solely by dog's head.
so you have already ceded your right to have Anything that they don't agree to,
and I'm asking you not to approve these Amendments,
which just popped up a few minutes ago. You didn't give the public time to look at These amendments,
and yet perhaps you're going to vote on them Soon without us knowing.
this is kind of an abomination of what should Be a public process.
please don't vote. Good afternoon.
I am alexis willis and I am a resident in District eight. I'm going to reserve my right to speak now And on another number of the items,
and I'll come back at to speak just a 15 to Give everyone else back time this afternoon. I am here in favor of all of the amendments And in favor of the ters being voted yes,
so that we can keep austin open for business. Thank you. Mark orth, Jeff mccrory, cecilia smith.
two. Garrett tung. Elizabeth levins.
welcome, welcome. If you're ready, Sir. You want to go ahead? Yeah. I'm going to postpone until or pass until Item 111.
all right. Thank you very much, Sir. What's your name, sir? Jeff mccrory, district eight. Thank you. I'm sheila smith, And I'm going to wait until amendment 111
comes up. Thank you very much, Ma'am.
sir. Here to my left. To the far right. Do you want to start or whoever's ready.
I two will wait till item 111 shows up.
what's your name, sir? Luis pasetto. Thank you. Thank you sir.
hi, my name is garrett tongue. I live in district three.
we are here today to approve a tour that Would give endeavor and amazon $1.2 billion
of our taxpayer money, So they can build a 300 acre site to create,
conservatively, 300 jobs. That is a job per acre.
that is not great. That's not job growth. That is not economic development.
it's corporate welfare. That does not signal that austin is open for Business.
it shows that austin will bend over for Business.
good afternoon. My name is mark austin, Resident since 1989.
homeowner in district eight. I've owned and operated a software company Here in austin for 20 years,
and that employed about 30 software Engineers. Currently, I'm the chief technology officer At a marketing research firm.
outside of work, avid cyclist, Photographer and a frequent trail user.
I love all of austin's outdoor spaces, But especially our hike and bike trail.
I access that on my bike directly from my Home in the spyglass neighborhood.
I'm on it all the time. I'm here to voice Support for the dog said project because to
me, it represents an outstanding opportunity For austin to strengthen our economy while
expanding parks and trails and public access To the colorado river now and for future
generations, like my two daughters. I support this project because of what to me,
it says about austin's future. Austin has always been a leading city for Technology and innovation,
which is the field that I'm in, And it has driven the spectacular growth that
I have witnessed firsthand in my 37 years Here. It's what makes austin the best place to live Anywhere in america.
I support the hogshead project because it's Going to restore previously disturbed land.
it's going to enhance my public access to the Colorado river through new parks and trails.
and importantly, it's going to create Outstanding jobs, housing and infrastructure.
we have a great reputation for attracting the Best and most innovative companies, while still protecting the quality that makes People want to live here in the first place.
I believe this project represents an Outstanding opportunity to invest in both.
I respectfully encourage you to vote yes on This process.
thank you sir. Good afternoon, Mayor and council.
my name is lisa levins and I live in the Dog's head neighborhood. I'm speaking neutrally on item 42 because I Appreciate any effort to strengthen the
environmental protections and drainage Drainage standards. Those are important goals, And I hope this amendment genuinely approves
improves both. That said, I think today's item also illustrates why so
many residents have been asking council to Slow down and proceed carefully.
this project is incredibly complex. Environmental protections.
drainage, development standards, Transportation and the proposed tiers are all
intertwined. When pieces of the agreement Continue to change, it's difficult for the public to fully Understand the long term impacts or to
evaluate whether the protections being added Are sufficient.
as someone whose home and neighborhood are Directly affected,
I want to know that these standards are not Just well-intentioned but enforceable.
I want confidence that drainage requirements Will account for increasing severe storms,
that environmental commitments will be Monitored over time, and that these protections won't be weakened Through future amendments.
ultimately, good development is about more Than what gets built. It's about building public trust.
transparency, accountability and meaningful Public engagement are what give communities
confidence that decisions are being made in The public's best interest.
I encourage council to ensure that these Amendments truly strengthen the agreement and
provide lasting protections for both the Environment and the people who already call
this area home. Thank you. Thank you. Carlos. David.
sides. Shane. Johnson. Kaya denson. Patrick rose.
if your name has been called, Please come forward.
please go ahead and begin whenever you're Ready. Yes. Hello again. My name is kaya denson.
district two, born and raised austinite one Mile from the new amazon site.
I am technically here neutrally for 142 Because I would say something is better than
nothing. But I spoke to you tuesday about my Flooding and drainage concerns,
specifically how and if the plan would impact The floodplain in the carson creek watershed
and our 45 year old family business, Shady springs, which was significantly damaged in the 2015 Halloween floods.
that remains my biggest fear, But I'm not actually against all of this if
it's done right. I am, However, concerned about the residents and city's ability to protect ourselves once this Agreement is in place.
I've seen other large technology projects Make assurances that later changed through
the permitting process. I'm not saying amazon or endeavor have Nefarious intentions,
but the broader statewide pattern deeply Concerns me. If a turs is to happen, And if you want your constituents on board,
we need very specific guardrails that are Transparently documented first.
if the developers agree in writing to build Out their project according to our city's
development standards and environmental flood And drainage criteria, then they can have the tours.
I don't understand why this feels so Complicated and sticky. It doesn't make any sense to me as a taxpayer And business owner,
to do it the other way around. This whole thing is highly conceptual and Mutable,
which makes sense for something of this Scale. But that's precisely why we need all the Regulatory guardrails in place in advance.
and then from there, y'all can move things Around as needed and we can all sleep a little better. I understand the job in front Of you isn't easy.
I also understand that we are all here for a Reason. Practicing democracy together in a public Forum.
some compromise is required here, But it's not right to compromise our essential regulatory standards for anyone.
so I'm just asking for these commitments and Protections to be put in writing now. While the public can still shape the Agreement, not as an amendment afterwards for
negotiation behind closed doors. Thank you. Thank you.
mr. Schneider. My name is robin schneider. I was called before and I was reviewing the Colorado river corridor plan that the city
and travis county worked on with people, Businesses and residents in that area a few
years ago. And the number one goal was to Conserve and protect natural resources.
the natural areas, the water quality, Integrate floodplain management with natural
area preservation, enhance conservation of Limited ground and surface water supplies.
if we're going to spend a lot of time and Effort of not only staff here and at the
county, but also community people to come up With plans,
we should look at those plans before we do Anything in that area.
I want to take just a minute to read Something from someone I know,
linda scott solomon from district five. She couldn't be here today. She said, as an owner of a residence on the Colorado river in bastrop county and a 45
year resident of austin, I am enormously concerned about any proposed development that would endanger our precious Colorado river and the homes of residents who
live on the river. We've already experienced The tremendous devastation caused by river
flooding. Now is the time to turn towards Preserving our environment rather than toward
big business or land developers whose Business is about amassing money.
making a bad deal with developers is the Wrong choice. We can be better and more creative solving Our austin financial issues than this.
honestly, this feels more like making a deal With the devil. Have we lost our way? Thank you, Mr.
rose. Patrick rose, proud supporter of the Dog, said, I know how much you you are juggling by Way of speakers today,
so I'm going to reserve my comments for a Subsequent item. Thank you. Richard. Jarnigan, Gary.
merritt. Cameron. Shaw. Jeremy. Martin. Bobby levinsky.
why don't we begin here and we'll just work Our way down the row?
hello, my name is richard jernigan, District eight resident. I am asking that you reject the dogs head Development and protect the colorado river
corridor. I am not against responsible Development. I am not against jobs or economic growth.
I do understand that austin must plan for its Future, but planning for the future means looking Forward beyond the promises being made today.
it means asking who receives the benefits, Who carries the risk, and what choices we are taking away from the Future councils and future residents.
dogs. Head. Final scale environmental Effects, public costs and community benefits have not Been settled.
that is exactly why council should be more Cautious now.
as you know, amazon's robotics division has Chosen the site as a manufacturing facility.
amazon itself says. Austin is already a great Place to do business and points to the
enormous investments it has already made Here.
so council must answer a basic question would This development truly not happen but for
public subsidies? Everything we know suggests That private investment is coming.
this land is near one of the fastest growing Areas in central texas.
amazon and endeavor are not being asked to Rescue an unwanted property.
they do not need austin taxpayers to buy them A golden saddle so they can ride away with
the profits. That may be a colorful way to Say it, but the principle is simple.
private profit should not depend on the Public carrying private risk.
council member ellis. I am speaking directly To you as my district eight representative.
I am asking you to use your experience with Environmental compliance, development and transportation planning to Insist on a higher standard here.
please do not approve a decades long Commitment before austin is completely,
truly open. Thank you sir.
good afternoon, mayor and council. My name is Jeremy martin. I am speaking in favor of the proposed Hogshead development,
but I will reserve my comments for a later Item. Thank you. Thank you. Hello, Mayor and council.
my name is cameron shaw. You'll hear from me a couple times today. And This one is specifically about the agreement.
I've been a small business owner for about Ten years here in austin, and I love following land development.
there are so many people that are excited About this development, and they've been coming here to tell you that this this ain't The way.
about two months ago, I was just reading the council meeting agenda items and said an annexation of dog's head.
holy crap. That's incredible. And then I started reading the contract. And as a business owner that writes Contracts,
I said, this is insane. You know, this is, this is. And then I came down on the 21st.
that was my first time to ever set foot in City hall. And I said, y'all should be announcing this Decision with cutting ribbons and popping
champagne. Like, this is such an exciting Development for this city. And there's no one in here that's more Excited about it than I am. And this just
ain't the way. Two months now, People have been telling you saying, hey, there haven't been sufficient Environmental studies.
we need to take this a little bit slower and You guys and endeavor, y'all are all going to bat for jeff bezos.
richard suttle sat right here two months ago And said, hey, we need to go really fast.
and he said, the city has been unbelievable In working with us on that.
and this is for jeff bezos. This is the colorado river we're talking About.
and everyone's telling you your own Environmental commission is telling you you're moving too fast and you're just taking Too much risk.
and we just have to look at a few things. I'll come back later and tell you about some Of my specific concerns about the water.
there's an alluvial aquifer there that's very Poorly understood and it matters a lot.
and endeavor. Y'all are burning through all Your goodwill by trying to push this through
so quickly. People, people like you, You're a well known, you know, you're a well-known developer.
you're respected, you're and you're just You're trying to move so fast for this first
deal that you're burning through all your all The goodwill that you've built up over the years. And it's just not too late to take This whole thing from the top. We can restart
the development agreement, Get an operating plan in place, and then vote on a terrace.
mr. Levinsky, please begin. Thank you, mayor and council. My name is Bobby levinsky. I'm the senior staff attorney
for save our springs alliance. I'm really concerned about that.
you're not getting the message that this Needs to be a public process. Under the terms of the development agreement,
the trs and its financing plan does not need To be approved until march 31st,
2027. So the idea that you have to agree to These amendments today or they don't happen
is just completely ridiculous. There's time to have a public process, And the only public meeting that I'm aware of
that's been held, has been held by us, The community, out on the dog's head.
and none of you attended.
both the austin environmental commission and The joint sustainability committee have passed unanimous actions asking you to stop, To involve the community and work through the
boards and commissions process to actually Help you get this right.
when this property was annexed, The environmental regulations got made worse.
and we tried to warn you about that, But you continued to rush forward.
you reduced the setback from the colorado River that protects it from 400ft to 200ft.
and yes, you are proceeding with an amendment That partially restores that.
but again, it would have been better left in The county. The city made the environmental situation Worse by rushing with this development
agreement, and we need you to fix it by Saying no to the terms.
that's supposed to be a video. I'll have to try it with another of my time. But this area is rapidly developing and it
has been for decades. That was a time lapse From 1984 till 2022.
that shows how this area has been developing And what's driving it is the airport sh130
and tesla, which has already been approved And only cost the county $14 million,
not half a billion and not 1.2 billion.
gary farmer, briggs. Mitchell. Michelle. Teague, david.
george. Roy. Whaley.
mr.. Whaley, why don't we start with you and We'll work down the row that direction. Pardon me, sir. Why don't we start with you And we'll work down that direction? Okay.
my name is roy whaley. I'm a long time environmental activist here In central texas and austin,
and also a political activist. And I was glad to hear you mention democracy Earlier.
I'm a big believer in democracy. Part of the democratic process, Small d and often has been to go through the
boards and commissions, To go through the commissions, not to come here and say, Do this and ignore everyone else.
we haven't done that. People haven't had a Chance to have their say,
as they do at the commission meetings. They haven't had a chance to engage in this Because in part,
it came up so quickly, Even though they've been buying all this land
and say, well, we've been doing this for a While. We didn't know about that.
so it's not really democracy in action here. It is two washingtonian.
to me. It is too much like the federal Government saying this is the way it's going
to be. Now, I am a longtime political Activist in central texas.
I think I've worked on many of your campaigns And supported them anyway.
this is going to be a political issue. I remember back in the early 90s when it was A different political issue,
but I'm saying in 2027, We're going to have five new members on the
dais because. People are paying attention.
I get around town, I'm not riding my bicycle As much as I wish,
but I get in on different conversations or Just overhear different conversations,
and people are just finding out about this And the tours.
it's not understood. This is seen right or Wrong as a huge giveaway.
I have more to say later and thank you for Hearing me. I look forward to seeing you. Thank you. Good Afternoon mayor,
city council members. My name is briggs Mitchell. I'm a long time austin resident, And I ranch on around 250 acres within the
dogs head directly neighboring the 2600 acre Endeavor project.
as a neighboring property owner, Where some of my partners families have been since the early 1850s.
I care deeply about what happens on this Land. Development of this size will no doubt affect The surrounding areas,
so it's critical that it be planned carefully And supported with adequate roads,
drainage, water quality utilities, Parks, trails and other public infrastructure. I don't take it lightly, And I and I mean when I say this is truly my
life's work and I take it very seriously. That's why I'm here today to support the Creation of the dogs heads tours.
the question before you today should not be Whether this part of austin will grow. Growth is already happening all around us, As many have pointed out. The question before
you today should be will that growth be Coordinated and and and properly supported at
scale by the city, or will it continue to Happen piecemeal with individual landowners
and projects without the infrastructure that This area desperately needs?
I can testify firsthand that today, Those of us that work and live in the dog's head are left with inadequate and unsafe Mobility.
we literally go from stop signs onto the open Highway, as anybody that's been in the area would Know.
we have, you know, we've been living around Open pit strip mining,
rock crushing operations, All of which can be addressed and I believe are, but they can only be addressed with the Scale,
vision and the support of this private public Partnership.
the proposed tours provides a practical way To build the infrastructure we desperately need, using a portion of the new tax revenue Created only by the development itself,
with the cost fully fronted by the dog's head Developers. This gives the city a meaningful role in Shaping the area,
while helping ensure that the existing Residents and property owners are not left dealing with the consequences of unplanned Growth,
as we have for decades. Thank you sir. Thank you.
please. Gary farmer in support of the tours. I will defer comment to a subsequent item.
thank you. Thank you. David graeber in favor?
chair elect of the chamber of commerce. Austin chamber of commerce and will defer to A later item.
thank you. Ellie davis.
claire davis. Catherine. Brown. Zenobia. Joseph.
brad. Massingill. If your name has been Called, please come forward.
why don't we start here and we'll go this Direction. So whenever you're ready. Hi, I'm ellie davis. We actually donated our Time to other people who are speaking on this
matter, but I am in opposition to all of the Items on dogs head in opposition to the tours
and opposition to the development plan as it Stands. And the contract. Thank you.
okay. You're not. If you speak, You can't donate time. So take care if you want to donate time.
okay. Well, my name is claire davis and I am Donating time.
yeah. Please. Hi, my name is catherine brown.
I've spoken in front of you all many times Already. I think today although I'm signed up to speak Several times,
I think for particularly item 142, I take a neutral stance on this simply
because we need dialog. We need discussion. Although the amendments I Understand have been just recently published,
they this gives an opportunity to us to have Discussion and expand on them.
for example, I know that there's been some Discussion already about the the walk back on
the percentage of, of impervious cover and Also mr.
suttle describing it as a bombed out area. I think if it is, and I, I have no doubt there is issues about it
being a brownfield site. It is imperative that we take time and we Assess what's there.
we do the proper core analysis. As a scientist, we should be evidence driven On what we do with this property without
appropriate environmental assessments, Ecological assessments and everything else
that goes along. We don't know what we're Dealing with and we don't know what they're dealing with in particular.
I think indeed, if it is bombed out, Then we need to have the information in front
of us. As far as the 79% setback.
obviously, one of the things if people really Considered this holistically in terms of
flood management, you would have realized That the river itself and the land next to it
is part of the flood management. Those trees, the riparian environment helps Manage the flood.
so stepping back to include all of it Shouldn't have even been a question to begin
with in terms of the impervious cover of. It was mentioned the other day about large Cities like london,
paris, mexico city. I looked up the evidence There. At most it's 70% impervious cover, And I can talk about that a little bit later.
thank you, mr. Massingill.
I'm brad massingill, I'm on the board of the South austin creek alliance, and I represent south austin on the austin Neighborhoods council.
I'm here speaking for myself. I was talking to a friend the other day in Montana and he,
he told me about someone who bought up Several ranches and farms up there,
like 7000 acres and came to city council, Like with 2 or 3 days warning and proposed
something similar to this secret donor secret And the whole thing.
it's just like, this is a playbook. This is super important to us here, But this is all part of a bigger scheme
that's going on across the whole country. Y'all are being played.
they're, they've been, These billionaires have been pitting communities against each other to go for the Lowest,
lowest you can go to get in. They're competing for who knows what.
they did this in the in the teens in California. They drove communities into the ground, Made them totally unaffordable.
there's this whole scheme to build these Private corporate cities all over the country
that have their own sets of rules. You know, we can we can. The way this is set up right now, These people can eventually disagree with the
city enough to again, To disincorporate and get a divorce just like these other corporations have. There's no Guarantees here.
I want you all to really take a step back and Do a macro search of some of these other
cities that have been going through this and See what the results have been. It's not been satisfactory.
I don't think this is fair. And y'all need to chill.
thank you. Mayor council, I'm zenobia joseph. I just want to express my opposition at 142.
respectfully, mayor. We can't trust richard Suttle, nor can we. Nor can we listen to anything That endeavor does.
so I just want to say that history matters. And to mark duchin, here's your two cities, The tale of two cities that you mentioned.
it was march 2nd, 2017, When plaza saltillo was being deliberated
right here. I want to remind you specifically That it was richard suttle and endeavor who
stood here and couldn't make the deal work For six two bedroom units.
and I want you to remember that they wanted To put affordable housing someplace else,
not in that project. And so today, Next to the tyndall,
$20 million is a 27 units for our senior Citizens,
about $734,000 per unit for rental.
I want you to recognize I do believe, Mayor, that this is just a boondoggle.
I think it's really just for you to inflate Project connect.
yes, it's ten minutes from the airport, But respectfully,
you've done nothing for the people at the Marshaling yard, which are not that far away.
and while mr. Suttle put in back up a late Document that talks about the six miles of
trail, remember east village, The 425 acre development has five miles as
well, and you've provided no transportation. We just simply can't trust them.
look at plaza saltillo capital. Metro owns it. And you've done nothing for The people except a boondoggle.
so I would just ask you to vote against this Project. If you have any questions. I'll gladly answer them at this time.
but I want you to recognize the 27 units.
$20 million. And they couldn't make the deal Work to put affordable housing on site.
thank you, mr. Joseph. I have a remote Speaker,
claudia voyles. Hello, Mayor and council.
happy birthday, mr. Velasquez. My name is claudia voiles.
I was in my car, but it was 111 degrees. So now I'm under a tree.
I am a resident. I live on hergott lane, Hergott lane,
about a quarter mile away from the beginning Of the dog head development on what we often
call the dog scruff. I'm a member of the Neighborhood association and I am asking you
to delay or deny this agreement.
mayor watson, I recently got an email from You that ended by saying progressive
government should be accountable government. And I believe that that is true.
I don't think this deal is a good deal, And I don't think it's good in terms of
financial accountability. And I really think it's a bad deal in terms Of ethical,
moral and conservation accountability. So I'm asking you to slow down and make it Right.
the plans as they stand, Are talking about sacrificing not only nature
but also my neighborhood. My neighborhood has many families and Businesses that have been there for for
generations and for the convenience of big Business,
possibly a data center potentially not Committed to, but potentially residents downstream.
they're asking to plow montopolis through our Neighborhood, which is going to directly affect many of my Neighbors,
their quality of life, If not their direct displacement and their
health. So I'm asking you, Begging you, beseeching you to slow down and
do this right and get a better relationship With commitments and more protections and
more information and community buy in before Going forward.
thank you. Thank you. David ross, Andy pastor.
zach bialas, mariana kruger, Miss ramos, if your name has been called and
you wish to be heard, Please come forward.
also, jennifer barnes, Caleb white, and heather honecker.
thank you. I'll be waving my time on this Item speaking on 111. And then donating time on other items.
what's your name, ma'am? Oh. I'm sorry. Mariana kruger. Thank you. All right. Anybody that wishes to Be heard.
that's name has been called. Please come forward on item 142.
I've called all names for 142 mayor. Thank you very much. All right. Members. All the names have been called on item number 142.
that's why if your name has been called. That's why I asked you to come down. So we Know you're doing it. All my stuff together,
I apologize. That's all right. Please, Please, please go ahead. Ma'am. You indicated earlier you wanted to Speak on 111.
I signed up to speak on each of the dogs.
had name called on 142. I I'd like to speak. Yes, I would like to speak.
if your name was your name called on 142. It was not. I don't know why not.
I, I, I signed up in advance a couple of days Earlier to speak on each of these issues
regarding. What is your name? My name is doctor rachel scott. Would you check and see whether she's signed Up for that.
and and we'll go ahead and begin with you. Yes. Okay. Good. And here's what we'll do.
we'll start with you. And then we'll go to Miss white and then we'll come down the line.
okay. My name is heather baker. I'm responding to this agenda item, Which is to approve.
no, authorize negotiation and execution of an Amendment.
it's unclear what it's going to be except for Drainage and environmental protection, development, land standards and tax, And creating the tirz.
so I'm going to focus on the land development Standards.
coa city of austin has several different ways That they use developments in order to give
money, tax incentives, Refunds, bonuses. They have incentives and agreements.
so smart developments regulating plans, Density bonuses, affordability unlocked value.
vertical mixed use density bonus 90. Downtown density bonus.
university. Neighborhood. Overlay. Also like chapter 380.
all these different ways that you're allowed To give businesses money. And I think that that is a serious concern with people in this Development,
because those are being used and Misappropriated to a company that we now know
as google or amazon robotics that has money.
and yet there's all these deficits in the Budget where we can't give money to like social services and all these other things.
when there's these companies that want to Come here and do business, that have money and are going to be Continuing to make money in indemnity,
let's say, and there's no way for us to see How the,
you know, land development standards aren't Going to work against us and how they are not
going to give any money back to the Community. And not only that, but it's going to be, You know,
04,000,000ft² of industrial space. They say they're putting in single family Homes. Who wants to be next to 4,000,000ft²
of industrial space? Who wants to be next to 6200 multifamily units?
and all this for the people that actually Live there. Thank you, miss white. Good afternoon.
kiba white for public citizens texas office. I'll be brief here. I still feel that the Community input is is well,
I think there was some effort to hear some of The input, perhaps it is not truly being incorporated And is still being done in a very rushed way.
and you know, I was listening earlier you Know, to the description of the site and how you Know,
development could be done in these areas that Have been mined and, you know, preserve the other areas.
that sounds nice. And so I just wonder, You know, I think some speakers have talked about why Then if this has been under development,
you know, this this agreement for seven years Why then has the community not been truly
involved? And I was, you know, Trying to look and see, you know, just kind of what the changes are. And it,
it just still looks to me like in the areas That are going to be allowed to be developed,
that it's going to be impervious surface. And I am still not seeing that there's Actually a commitment to building an
affordable housing. So a percentage of zero Is still zero.
so I would just encourage that the brakes be Put on this and it be done in a way that
actually is a process that the community can Get behind because it's very possible that
some portion of this site could be developed With community support if it was done in a
more transparent and inclusive way. Thank you. Thank you. Please begin.
my name is jennifer barnes and I'm going to Hold my time for 111. Okay. Thank you. Please.
good evening. Good afternoon again. Mayor watson, members of city council, Miss thomas.
I'm having a little trouble speaking because At this point, I'm just so angry. It's hard. It's hard to even get the words Out in a polite way.
I, I am just that angry dogs head is an Alluvial plain.
an alluvial flood plain. It's there because the colorado river is a Huge,
powerful river that floods.
when a powerful river floods, People die.
people lose their homes, People lose everything.
this is not a dog's head is not the Appropriate place to put any kind
of industrial development.
I don't know what you were thinking doing This behind closed doors without even
consulting the city of austin residents, People like myself,
who have lived here and own a home and have Been here for years.
we love this city. I know all of you love This city.
what were you thinking? What were you thinking? How could you swallow?
what in espanol is mierda?
this. This is not this is not a project that By any stretch of imagination makes any sense
what so ever. You cannot you cannot by any Stretch of the imagination,
say, this is a viable project that will work For anybody.
thank you. Mayor. All speakers for 142 have Been called.
thank you all. Thanks, Everybody. Members, that concludes all the people that Signed up to speak on item number 142.
so we will now take up item number 142. Item 142 is, as has been indicated, An authorization and negotiation for
negotiation and execution of an amendment to The development agreement to amend things so
that we will allow for better drainage and Environmental protections, land development standards, And a tax increment reinvestment zone.
I'll entertain what I'll suggest we do Because we have a couple of proposed amendments, is that I'll entertain a motion With regard to item 142.
and then we'll go to the amendments. Mayor Pro tem moves approval of item number 142.
it is seconded by councilmember harper Madison. Folks, folks, let us now deliberate.
we've had the opportunity for public comment. And let us now deliberate.
and that's the way this process is supposed To work.
all right. We have a motion and a second on Item number 142 members there are two
proposed amendments to item number 142. They're both amendments that come from me.
and I want to start with the first amendment.
it is labeled and you have the amendment. It's labeled item number 142.
mayor watson, july 23rd, 2026. The one that I'm going to show offer up as Watson.
amendment number one is the critical water Quality zone amendment.
just so that you'll know, Amendment number two is the one related to impervious cover. The critical water quality Zone amendment is the one that I talked about
the other day where what we will be, We will be amending the main motion so that
it it sets forth that there will be a total Acre amount of water of land set aside
from the colorado river of 236.78 acres, So that the average will be a 300 acre
buffer on the colorado river. There have been a couple of other amendments Added to that.
for example street and rail or rail Crossings. We added language about related appurtenances For that.
the same thing is on green water quality Facilities, the green stormwater quality facility and Related appurtenances can be constructed.
same thing with playgrounds, A playground and related appurtenances.
boats and marinas. Again related Appurtenances. And it speaks in terms of a bathroom.
but where those would would have to be Located away from the ordinary high water
mark of the colorado river for environmental Purposes. And it indicates that ongoing reclamation Activities that restore the land to a
pre-construction level or a natural state are Allowed.
with that, I move approval of watson Amendment number one related to the critical
water quality zone and a second by the mayor Pro tem. Is there discussion with regard to the motion To amend?
we will vote on the motion to amend first. Mayor pro tem mayor. I just wanted to Clarify.
there is a map attached to your amendment Amendment with kind of a shaded yellow zone
along the entire property. And I just want to clarify that what we're Doing here is taking.
I think what I've heard called the riparian Zone, which. This is a land that has not been Mined.
this is land that is largely in its natural State. And designating that as a critical water Quality zone.
yes. But let me make sure that legal answers Your question to make sure we get you the
specific answer to your question, Because that's what they were working on to make sure we did it. But I'll have them Respond to it.
and just to follow, because we had a fixed Number buffer and but that left out chunks of
green because obviously the green is not it's Not fixed. It kind of, you know, Weaves in and out.
so I just, I appreciate the approach. I think this kind of really captures the Sensitive environmental area that we want to
protect with the law department. That is correct. Council member. They will Have essentially 236 acres of critical water
quality zone on the site. And just to be clear, This is not this is separate apart from the
260 acres of parks. So there is open space of 266 acres.
the developer would have to explain how much Overlap there may or may not be.
okay. Well you do that.
can you restate the question? Yeah. This is and if I'm looking at it, It's about 236 acres,
mr.. Mr.. Right. At 237 acres, 236.7 acres.
this is is this in addition to the 260 acres Of parks? No. This includes the 260 acres of parks.
it's designated as open space. So under the concept that the middle of the Dog's head has already been mined.
and we're going to prepare the right. We're Going to preserve the riparian zone and
buffer zones around the floodplain that would Be included in the number.
and then we would have to add to it to get to The number that we committed to.
so do we know then outside of this area, How many acres of parks we have?
we do not because it has not been planned.
council member there will be a minimum of 29 Acres in addition to get to the 266.
but where they'll be located and if there Will be more, is, I think, what mr. Suttle is saying They're not sure of.
so under the state law, What is required to do is 10% of the of the
whole area, 260 acres. That's that's all that anybody can require of It.
we're going to be above that, But we're going to include that area along
the river and the trails that are going in. And the parks are going to be placed along The river.
if in the regulating plan, That would come before you, if you pass these, if in the regulating plan,
we want to put a fine point on that, We can discuss that in the regulating plan.
and the, the my thought is that again, A lot of this riverfront land is floodplain
land. That's not developable. Is that accurate? No, That's not accurate.
there's there's a there's, There's a significant portion of it, but there's a lot that's not.
the banks are high enough that it's out of The floodplain. Do we know how much of the 230 some odd acres Are developable or are in the floodplain,
and which ones are not? I could probably get that number to you. If I get ahold of my engineers.
I'm not sure of that right now. All right. Thank you. But tell me what what What?
help me with your objective so that we can Keep a list of what your objective would be.
well, my understanding, My objective would be to I thought that 260
acres were additive to the land that we were Preserving here,
especially when we were talking about the 200 Foot boundary,
I thought that the 200 foot boundary was that The parkland was outside of the 200 foot
boundary. And I understand that we're Expanding the amount of the critical water
quality zone substantially. But I so the trade off with the open space is Is a is a concern.
so first of all. It's important to note that The obligation to do open space
or parkland is triggered by a formula that is Based on the number of residential units you
have. We don't know what that number is going To be,
but the commitment was a minimum amount under The development agreement.
a minimum amount in any circumstance would be The acreage that you referenced,
and we included that in the parkland that we Anticipate being much like we have parkland
downtown here along the river. That would be part of it. Along the six acres there will be more.
but but it was a the obligation to do a Minimum is how we started the conversation.
and the minimum is more than what's required Today.
understood. It would be it would be good to Put a finer number on that.
again, I know we're talking about a 40 year.
time frame and there's a lot of unknowns out There. But but it would be good to to because I feel Like a one for one trade on the,
on the, the, especially the part that we know Is not developable within the,
the, the riverfront and the 260 acres. Again, I feel like that that kind of 260 Minus two,
36 is a concern. I'll just leave it there.
mayor. Thank you. Mayor pro tem further Comment or discussion on the watson amendment
number one, which is related to the critical Water quality zone.
all right. Hearing no further discussion on Watson.
motion to amend number one critical water Quality zone. Without objection the motion is a motion to Amend is adopted.
members that will take us to watson. Motion to amend number two.
this is for item 142. This is labeled item Number 142.
mayor watson july 23rd, 2026. And it is late. Related to impervious cover Setting the maximum amount of impervious
cover for the growth site area within the Dog's head property at 79%.
I'll move approval of watson. Motion to amend number two impervious cover.
is there a second? Seconded by mayor pro tem Discussion with regard to motion to amend
number two for item number 142.
hearing none. Without objection. Motion to watson. Motion to amend. Number two. Impervious cover for item number 142 is adopted.
members. That will take us back to the main Motion as amended.
the main motion is on item number 142, As amended by the two watson amendments.
mayor pro tem vella, did you wish to be Recognized?
that was okay. I'm sorry, Council member segal.
thank you. Mayor. I do think this deal is in Better shape than when it was first presented
to council. Because of the amendments. My colleagues have proposed, Including the one just adopted.
but I don't think this is the best deal the City can get.
and. I, I don't think it lives up to the Expectations of the people of austin.
I, I do want austin to be open for business. I agree, we can't send the message that Austin is unready for growth,
that we're unready for innovation or jobs or Investment. But what I think city management got wrong is How we responded to this opportunity.
if I had to sum up my belief, It's that the city negotiated from a place of
weakness. Austin is strong, Right? People want to be here. Businesses want to be Here.
this is a beautiful place. We have tremendous natural resources, Including our river and creeks.
we have great people. We have great Universities and educational institutions.
we've got many, many attractive assets, Whether it's our neighborhoods, our cultural institutions, Our skilled and educated workers,
our innovative and innovative and creative Businesses, our network of nonprofit and social service Providers,
our diverse cultures and communities. For many reasons, austin is great. We are a destination and we should not sell Ourselves short.
in this deal, the way it was negotiated, I don't see confidence. I see weakness. For one, The secrecy, the idea that we didn't disclose
amazon until two days ago, That's not the austin way.
if a big business wants to come here, Let's invite them in the front door,
not sneak them in the back. To the rush process. This was a deal that was Years,
if not decades, in the making. Why was council set up to work through so Much information in so little time?
why haven't we reassured the neighbors that We will protect them from gentrification and
displacement? This is a community that values Process and participation,
but the city did not honor that. Three. The environmental aspect. Why was there ever a document published that Said 100% impervious cover?
just from a factual perspective, That was never going to be true. But this signaled little awareness of our Proud tradition here in austin of fighting to
protect our land and water and demanding that Growth be consistent with our environmental
values. This deal has gotten better, And I do appreciate that. But the starting point was so far behind.
fourth, there's a labor piece. The deal council was presented with had no Regard for the workers who are going to be
asked to build over $5 billion in Infrastructure. There weren't wage guarantees or job safety Protections.
there was no guarantee that austinites will Get these jobs. And thanks to the labor unions, The building trades, the afl-cio,
the deal is going to be better. But I don't like that the focus was so much On economic development that workers were
forgotten. And finally, And you'll see this later on the on the
tourist item, the money though for the first Ten years, the city barely breaks even.
the second ten years, It's decent, but it doesn't change the economics of our development fund.
you have to get 25 or 35 years out before the Projections show the city really adding
revenue beyond the cost of servicing 2700 new Acres.
and why is the money so meager? Well, here's my take. It's because of the Secrecy.
it's because of the rush process. It's because of how this was negotiated Without prioritizing the environment.
it's because of how this was negotiated, Without prioritizing the workers who will build this new part of town.
we didn't involve the people of austin in the Negotiating process. We didn't involve our environmental Community. We didn't involve the labor
movement. We didn't involve transportation Advocates who know how to design accessible,
attractive neighborhoods. We didn't involve the people who make austin Strong.
and unfortunately, today, We're also being asked to vote without even knowing whether the county is involved, Without having our sister governmental agency
as a collaborative partner and a funding Partner. And that's why I won't be giving my vote to This deal.
thank you all. Not not because I'm certain The city will lose money because I'm not.
I do trust our financial staff when they say They negotiated the best deal they could,
because that's probably true. Our negotiating team was sent in with two Hands and one leg tied behind their back.
they were asked to get the best deal possible Without any of the power that is latent in our community, without our environmentalists,
without our union leaders, Without our transportation specialists, without our residents.
I can only imagine what we would have in Front of us if the people of austin had been
a part of this deal instead of an Afterthought.
so for myself, I want to move with the people Of austin. I want to be a representative.
but we didn't bring with the people with us In this deal. And that's why I have to vote no on dog's head today.
thank you. Council member members.
the vote will be. The vote will be on item 142, as amended. With that, I would ask those in favor of item number
142, as amended, to raise your hand.
well, I'll call him out. I'll call him out. You can yell at us later.
I'll call him out. Mayor. Tim, if I may I'd want some clarification on The parks question.
and is there any way that we could get Clarification on the parks question before a
vote now? I'm sorry to to jump in the middle Of the vote, but that that's an important question.
well, it is, but I'll ask, But I mean, we started a vote.
then I would ask if we could continue the Item, I know there's a motion on the table and it's Been seconded and whatnot, but well that,
that let me ask the question. How long will it take to get an answer?
or is it part of the planning process is what I.
council member is the question how much of The.
critical zone that's counted towards parkland Is floodplain. That would be the question.
in other words, a more solid idea of what the Park's number will be.
post dedication in terms of how many acres Would be remaining out of the out of the
floodplain, you mean? Yes. So we will try to get that number when with The open space.
remember we're are you wanting to do things In the open space because we're limited to
20% impervious cover in the open space, Whether it's floodplain or not.
I guess I'm trying to figure out. I want to Make sure I'm responsive to your question. I guess the question would be yes.
how many how much parks is left after the Deduction for the the,
the floodplain? Okay. Exactly that. That's really kind of the number that I would Like to get.
so we could have a better sense of what the Kind of the required parkland dedication
would be excluding the, The, the flood zone.
okay. Because oftentimes open space is Floodplain. And agreed. And we have many, Some of our parks are floodplain,
but just for the overall calculation. Okay. We can find that out probably.
I'm gonna see if I can get a head nod. Mayor. Mayor apologies.
I know we're in the middle of the motion, But is there any way we could table or pause
the item until we get a answer on that?
mayor. Mayor folks, let let us do our work, Please.
council member lane. And then I'll answer Your question. I'd be happy to give a few
remarks. I know that might give them a lot of Time.
why don't we pause for just a second? What I what I'm going to do is the the motion Is on the floor.
and we'd started a vote. And typically you don't interrupt a vote.
but this is important. And unless there's objection from the Council, I'm not going to do this.
this may be the only time I ever do this Because I. But but but unless there's objection from the Council,
what I would recommend we do is we pause and Pause the vote and we pause the vote and
don't try to restart the vote. Don't stop the vote. We just pause the vote.
and we take a 15 minute recess to see if we Can get an answer to the question.
and unless there's objection from the Council, we'll pause the vote at this point in time.
if that's the case, then the city council of Austin is in recess.
it is 2:54 p.m.. We will be in recess until One,
310. I'm going to call the austin city Council back to order after a short recess.
it's 3:11 p.m.. We we have followed a it Ain't robert's rules of order.
it's old robert's rules of order and robbie Robbie's rules of order.
and we have we have suspended the vote for a Moment.
mr. Suttle, I'm assuming that you three Wouldn't be sitting there if you didn't have an answer to the mayor pro tem question.
we do have an answer. Prefaced with we Thought this conversation on where the exact
open space and parks would be would be Handled in the regulating plan. So we were not prepared to have minute Numbers figured out what's floodplain,
what's not. But I think what and this is andy Pastor and josh lichty with endeavor,
in case you got questions you don't want to Hear from me.
of the 236 acres of critical. We were counting that towards the initial Open space requirement.
can you get closer to the microphone? People Are having difficulty hearing you, which is not usually a problem for me.
without doing all the calculations, What we've, what we think we're hearing is you want more Open space.
and so what our proposal is to only take Credit for half of the critical zone towards
our open space commitment, Which is 118 acres.
there will be 148 acres outside of the Critical zone.
so there's a net increase now of what is it, Josh?
about 120 acres more than what we talked About originally.
yeah, above the minimum. So I'm sorry, could you repeat that? So the Critical is 236 acres.
we have proposed what we were proposing for The regulating plan was 108.
taking credit for 118 of that for open space Potentially using 118 of that for open space.
so half in addition to that, Because of the minimum of 266 acres that
we've agreed to, 148 would be outside of the Floodplain and critical water quality zone.
if you add up all of the critical water Quality zone and the additional 148 acres,
which will be done outside of the critical, That's 384 acres of critical plus parkland.
okay. And that is because, Again, I know it's a little bit of a of a
dynamic, you know, consideration here because At first we were talking about a smaller
critical water quality zone. You know, I know the mayor's amendment added a lot of land. So that's exactly the calculation that I was looking for.
mayor, I'm comfortable moving forward. Again, I don't have language. I'm going to apologize. I know you'd like us To, but with that understanding that those
acreage that is within the critical, The floodplain, I guess the critical water quality zone would They get credit?
I'm sorry. That's outside of the credit, But the land that is outside of the critical
water quality zone that's, You know, buildable land,
essentially. And they should get credit for Dedicating that as a parks land.
so I'm comfortable with, With that calculation moving forward. Said another way, half of the critical zone Will be counted towards the commitment.
the other half will be not in the critical Zone. Yeah. And and just to clarify, I know this is not all the parts that are
going to be. And again, I well understand that again, y'all are trying to build a first class type Development in,
in those kinds of developments. People want open spaces, Public spaces.
so some of these may be kind of, You know, privately owned public spaces a la
the domain, you know, Where they have kind of parks built into the, into the middle of the property and different Things like that. So I just want to clarify
that, that I do understand that I just wanted To make sure that that,
that I had that misunderstanding about the Credit between the,
the water quality zone and the parks. But I think that clarification, I'm perfectly comfortable moving forward with
that. Also, for clarity, With this motion, you've increased the critical zone buffer zone, And you've increased the open space if this
passes a plus. So so I want to say something About that.
remember that what we're voting on is an Amendment that was to improve that the
development agreement. My two amendments then add what I consider to Be additional improvements to the
improvement. Council member lane thank you.
so I represent district six north, The far northern suburbs of austin and northwest austin with a very high Concentration of people who work in stem
related industries, electrical engineers, Computer programmers, as well as an increasing number of families Who've been displaced from central austin.
and because of the challenges of Transportation and the realities of our
district, find themselves in moving lower and Lower income as the years go by.
I know that this is a room that can Understand that. Absolutely. I myself moved here because I Really wanted a city that my elderly parents
could afford to live in that my children and Grandchildren would live in. And that's not the reality that we find ourselves in, In austin right now.
but finally, I'm on this dais to represent District six with the most authenticity that
I possibly can. And I have spent the last I Have two children in high school.
I have spent the last decade organizing youth Mentoring opportunities,
specifically as it relates to the robotics Community here in austin.
and I have seen firsthand the excitement of Children who have hands on learning
experiences and opportunities to learn about And work on and work with professionals as
mentors in some of these areas. And so I know that in my district, There would be strong support for a first
tenant like amazon robotics. In your district, ma'am, If you can't follow the rules of decorum,
then you can't stay. So I'm here to represent Both my district and the city.
and I also know how hard it can be without Transit.
and this type of first tenant would have kids From my district coming to this area for
opportunity. And I don't say that because I Want kids from all over the city to be coming
to any particular part of the city. I simply say that because from where I sit it Looks like this looks like opportunity.
this looks like jobs that can help people own Their homes and stay rooted in their
community. But I'm just one person and I only See it the way I see it. I understand there are different perspectives In the room, and I know that we're here to,
to, to vote today. So I will say that there Is one very significant consideration that I
have heard from my constituents, And it leads me to ask this question.
we are extremely concerned about data Centers. In my district 60% of my district is in Williamson county.
you all may have heard about some of the Organizing that's been going on in williamson county, including more rural and fast growing Cities in williamson county.
and I hear from my constituents about it Quite frequently. So I've also heard from the unions before we Got I'm sure council member siegel gave us
some rousing words and I'm sure that he Worked very hard to get the union concessions
that he got. And I have heard from some of The unions about the speed with which
endeavor provided responsive changes to what They were doing. Now, once something passes, There are no guarantees.
we all know that none of us are in our first Rodeo. I can only take the information that I've Heard as this has progressed.
so I have a question for you. As I said in district six, The most consistent issue concern that we've
heard about this potential development is the Concern about a data center going on the
site. I understand why it's such a Significant concern. I know everyone on this dais does, And everyone in this room does.
at least I hope they do. Given the potential environmental impacts and Effects on our neighborhoods,
on our river, on our aquifer. Having listened to today's discussion, It's clear that this issue is front and
center for our community. And we all know Why. Because we know what's going on around us.
for me to support this item, I have a question for you.
can you make a clear verbal commitment today That this property will not be developed as a
data center for at least the next decade?
I'm sorry. Some somebody was yelling about The time you got in the middle of it,
can you can you say it again? Yes, please. Absolutely.
just in case anyone's wondering, I'm not a lawyer. Okay. We've got enough of those on the dais.
okay. So. But I am familiar with repeating The question, so here we go. I would like to know if you're Willing to give a clear verbal commitment
that this property will not be developed as a Data center for at least the next decade. Or.
so. I have the floor, And it's the question I've asked,
and I would like the chance to hear an Answer. Thank you. So the the answer is going to be yes, But I need a qualifier.
we currently roy. I need to be able to hear It too.
I have the floor. Thank you. We have we have data centers all over the City currently.
some many of them already built, Some of them to be built.
the commitment that we know is we have no Intent on dog's head to go after a data
center as a primary use, Nor do we have any intent to go after a
hyperscaler. And if you. I think the council is in the process of Defining data centers.
we will comply with your code when you come Out with your data center uses.
I'm hoping that you differentiate between Data centers that are part of another
business and ones that are standalone, Because we have no desire to do a standalone
data center out there. There are some that are connected with other Businesses that we don't want to
inadvertently take a business off the table Just because they may have their own small
data center in it. So, So if I, if I might say we've already passed
a request to the city manager to bring back To us in august a policy related to data
centers. There was then an addition to that That council member siegel brought that was
here today, that deals with high end water Users.
by their being annexed into the city, They're going to have to follow our requirements. So we get to say what that is, Right.
I thank you. So council member siegel may I Imagine correctly that you're working on the
data center item? Is that an okay question? I'm not. Okay. That's fine.
mr. Suttle, since I'm the one who asked the Question and you gave me the answer.
I'd like to stay in touch on this. And I'm happy. I am happy with that answer Because this is in.
in the city, they'll have to comply with code By the time any user besides amazon can be in
that in place, the code will be in place. And therefore I am happy with this and I will Continue to work on it.
thank you for allowing me to ask the Questions that matter to my constituents.
I'll stop there. You'll be happy to hear, Although I thank you, councilmember. Okay. I'm going to recognize Councilmember alter,
but then we're we had suspended a vote and We're going to go to a vote.
I just there's there's so many things going On here today, so many different items.
and you touched on this, But I, I just want to add clarity that this
particular item is not the trs item. It's not how any of these dollars are going To flow.
the sole issue of this item is the Development agreement and an amendment
potentially to the development agreement to Add impervious cover protections and to
increase the water quality zone or the buffer Zone. Excuse me. And, you know, I have I have worked in government long
enough to see votes taken that you didn't get Right the first time,
that the language wasn't perfect. And you can do two things.
you can dig your heels in and say, Well, that was the vote we took.
or you can recognize that you didn't get it Completely right the first time,
and you can come back and you can try to fix It. And that's what we're doing here.
I will be the first to admit we should not Have put in 100% impervious cover in the
first deal. And today we're we're fixing that Potentially here in this vote.
there are going to be other votes today. And I know there are a lot of opinions on those other items, but just this discrete vote here Right now is just on whether or not we
improve the development agreement. Nothing else. So I just think it's important To clarify with that.
I'm going to complete the vote. I want to make sure I've got the vote right.
so those we're on item number 142, As amended.
those in favor of item number 142, Raise your hand.
those opposed, raise your hand.
they're being there being seven votes in Favor. Three votes? No. And one absence.
the motion on item number 142, As amended, carries.
members what I'm going to do, Unless there's objection, is so that we we can get some other business Out of the way,
is I'm going to pause for just a second and Go to what was our now our 326 and 57 second
time certain of zoning items and and I Believe this will go fairly quickly.
and then we will go back to item number one. 11 miss hardin, let's see how fast you can do this.
thank you, mayor and council. I'm joy hardin, acting assistant director with austin, Planning your zoning and neighborhood
planning. Folks, please keep your voices down So that we can do this work.
thank you. Your zoning and neighborhood plan Amendment agenda begins with item 112npa20
240005.01. This item is offered as an Indefinite postponement by the applicant.
the related rezoning is item 113 c one 420 240099 and this is this is offered as an
applicant. Indefinite postponement item 14 is C one 420 260006.
this item is offered for consent on all three Readings. Item 115 is in pa 2026 0021.02.
this item is offered for consent on all three Readings. The related rezoning is item 116, C 81420080087.02.
again, this item is offered for consent on All three readings, and I do have a motion that I'd like to read Into the record.
and it reads miss harden. Hang on one second. Everybody that's talking That isn't named joy harden.
please stop. Thank you. And I can't believe I'm saying this. But miss Harden you can talk now. So on 116.
let me read the motion to the record which Reads amend part seven section k of the draft
ordinance to add new subsection c and d as Follows. C the maximum building coverage is 90%.
d the minimum setbacks are one zero for front Yard,
two zero for street side yard three zero feet For interior side yard and four zero for
yard. And again with that item 116 is offered For consent on all three readings.
item 117 is c one 420 250121. This item is offered for consent on all three Readings.
item 118 is c14h20260013.
this item is offered as a neighborhood Postponement to your august 27th council meeting. Item 119 is npa20 260021.01.
this time is offered for consent on all three Readings. The related rezoning is item 120 c
814 2025 0111. Again, This item is offered for consent on all three
readings. Item 121 is c one 420 250089.
this item is offered as a staff postponement To august 27th. Council meeting item 122 is c one 420 250080.
this item is offered as an indefinite Postponement by the applicant. Item 123 is c 3814 2018 0122.03.
this item is offered for consent second and Third readings. Item 124 any 2024 0018.01.
this item is offered for consent first Reading only. The related rezoning is item 125 c one 420 240036.
again, this item is offered for consent first Reading only, and please know that we'll be bringing both These cases back.
meeting items 124 and this item 125 back at Your august 27th council meeting for second
and third reading consideration item 126 is Npa20 250016.02.
this item is offered for consent on all three Readings. The related rezoning is item 127 c one 420 250125.
again, this item is offered for consent on All three readings with the following motion
that I'd like to read into the record, And it reads in part two of the draft ordinance to add the following conditions and Reorder the remaining subsection accordingly.
a. A 50 foot building setback shall be Established and maintained along the property line adjacent to east fourth street and the Property line adjacent to linden avenue.
buildings or structures may be located within The 50 foot setback. If the total linear width of any portion of The proposed vertical buildings within the 50
foot setback, as measured parallel from Fourth street and linden avenue does not
exceed 30% of the combined linear length of The property lines adjacent to fourth street
and linden avenue. And with that, Again, the item 127 is offered for consent on
all three readings. Item 128 is c one 420 260021.
this item is offered for consent on all three Readings. Item 129 is c one 420 260023.
this item sulfur for consent on all three Readings. Item 130 is c one 420 260001.
this ms offer for consent on all three Readings. Item 131 is c one 420 260024.
this item is offered for consent on all three Readings. Item 132 is c one 420 260009.
this item is offered for consent on all three Readings. A related item to this is item 133
c one 420 260025. This item is also offered For consent on all three readings.
item 134 c one 420 260002.
this item is offered as a neighborhood Postponement to your august 27th council meeting. Item 135 is c one 420 260007.
this item is offered as a neighborhood Postponement to your august 27th council
meeting. Yes. Item 136 c one 420 260005.
this is offered as an applicant postponement To august 27th. Council meeting item 137 is c one 420 250003.
this item software for consent on all three Readings. Item 138 is c one 420 250123.
this item is offered for consent on all three Readings. Item 139 is a 2023 0014.0 for this
item is offered as a postponement to your August 27th council meeting. In the related rezoning is item 140 c one 420 250065.
again, this is offered as a postponement to August 27th. Council meeting. This concludes the reading Of your zoning and neighborhood plan
amendment agenda. And as always, This is at your discretion. Thanks. Anybody have questions, Miss harden at this time?
okay. With that being the case, Let me read the consent agenda and I'll
accept a motion with regard to the consent Agenda. And then we'll go to public comment. Items 112 and 113 indefinite postponements.
items one, 14, one, 15, 116 and 117 all on all three readings.
remember that item 116 has language read into The record by miss harden.
number 118 postponement to 827, 19, 119 and 120 on all three readings 121
postponement to august 27th. 122 indefinite postponement item 123 second And third readings 124 and 125.
first reading only 126 and 127.
126127, 128, one, 29, One, 31, 31, one, 32, and 133 are on all
three readings. 127 includes the motion that Was read into the record by miss harden.
134, 135 and 136 a postponement to august 27th.
137138 all three readings 139 and 140.
postponement to august 27th. Members. I'll entertain a motion to approve The consent agenda as read made by
councilmember ellis, second by councilmember Velasquez. Now I'll turn to the city clerk.
thank you, mayor, for item 114 I have evan Taniguchi,
lin chi wu, you, sheila lyon, Chinh nguyen, mike barnhart and donna
osborne. Your name has been called and you Wish to be heard. Please come forward. I see some of you in the Room,
but you're very good. Okay. Okay. Then for item 116, I have malcolm yates and gail joffe or gough.
my name is malcolm yates. I'm the chair of the east riverside oltorf Combined contact team.
the contact team voted to support this Proposal for item 116 for the amendment of
the south shore pud. Part of this proposal is For the developer to buy the abandoned strip
of land adjacent to the heritage oaks park And give it to the city as part of the
parkland dedication requirement. The iraq contact team has been asking the City to buy this property for many years.
this property came up for auction on may 5th Of this year, but the parks department was unable to Purchase it because of legal constraints.
the purpose of the purchase of this property Is important for more than just addition to
the park. This property has been the center For crime in this area for years.
the city cannot find an owner to sign a Trespass form, so the police cannot enforce trespass laws on This property.
this property continues to be a source of Criminal activity in the east riverside area.
this property is next to the new children's Play area in the heritage oaks park.
the residents do not use this area because of The criminal activity that is only a few feet
away. Please support this amendment to the Planned unit development approved by the
planning commission. Thank you for your Service. Thank you. Yes. Hello, Mayor and council.
my name is gail gough. I've been a member of the contact team since It began in 2003.
since we received an email from the parks Department in august 2024 that they were not
interested in acquiring this tract. And because iraq has watched for years the Parkland dedication fees generated by
projects in our area shift away from our Area.
we were interested in working with michael Whalen in the south shore pud to acquire this
property for the park. Whalen's team worked diligently to locate Ownership,
follow the case through to the county Attorney's office when it was cited for
default on taxes owed and showed up at the Auction to acquire the tract.
so we're hoping you'll support us in Approving the addition to heritage oaks park.
thank you. Thank you. Speaking to the merits Of the postponement for 118,
I have blair pena, gavin villarreal, Mary kell,
chris gannon and scott menzies.
if your name has been called and you wish to Be heard, please come forward. Hi,
I'm scott menzies, I'm the president of Robertson hill neighborhood association in
east austin. Good afternoon, Mayor and council members.
I'm here representing neighboring residents In east austin, including the robertson hill neighborhood Association. While I'm not speaking on behalf
of sweet hill neighborhood, I'm here to support the request for postponement. Many of the sweet hill Neighborhood members are currently out of
town on previously planned summer travel and Aren't able to be here today. The property has clear historic significance At 907 east 13th street and deserves the
opportunity to be present and make its case Before action is taken.
a short postponement will ensure that those Voices are heard, and that the council has the benefit of Hearing directly from the community, which,
with the deepest connection to this historic Resource, city council has a long standing practice of Granting reasonable postponement requests.
as a courtesy to neighborhoods. We respectfully ask that you do the same Today.
thank you for your time. Thank you.
for item 119. Amanda swarr pass.
thank you. Item 120. Amanda swore she's still Passing.
item 123 I have some remote speakers. Laura turner. Miss turner, Please unmute.
juan rodriguez. Mora. Hello?
I'm here. My name is juan rodriguez. Thank you so much. Mayor and council.
my name is juan rodriguez, And I serve as the project manager for the community coalition. I'm here today to Support item 123 and the proposed partnership
between the city, rita and circuit of the Americas at gvc.
we work with families throughout the valley And the surrounding communities. One thing we hear over and over is that our Community wants the same opportunities that
many other parts of austin already have. We want places where families can gather, Where young people can find jobs close to
home, and where residents don't have to drive Across the city just to enjoy basic amenities. Our support for this project isn't About financial gain.
it's about what this investment represents For our community. We see an opportunity to bring new jobs, new recreational spaces, New restaurants,
new event venues and increased visibility to An area that has historically been
overlooked. We're especially encouraged by The commitment to creating hundreds of new
jobs through the partnership with unite here, And by the inclusion of nearly 12 acres of
parkland and soccer fields. Those aren't just amenities. They're investments in our family, Our youth,
and our future. We also hope this project Serves as a catalyst.
for too long, the valley has lacked many of The services and investments that other communities take for granted. We hope Developments like this encourage additional
businesses, infrastructure and community Resources to follow, creating more opportunities for the residents Who already call valley home should benefit
the people who live here today, And we believe this project moves us in that direction. And we have our.
I respectfully ask for your support of item 123. Thank you for your time. Thank you.
sarah ledesma. Hi. Good afternoon, Mayor and council.
my name is sarah rodriguez or ledesma. And I serve as the director of development For community coalition or dpc.
every day, my job is to build partnerships That help bring programs, resources, and opportunities to families.
families throughout delvalle. Those partnerships allow us to provide Scholarships,
homeowner assistance, Security programs, financial education, and community events that would not be Possible without organizations choosing to
invest in our community. That's why I'm here today in support of item 123.
we've had the privilege of working alongside Cota or circuit of the americas for many
years, and we have seen firsthand what can Happen when a business chooses to become a
part of the community, Instead of simply operating within it. Through community events, Volunteerism, and local partnerships.
they have helped create opportunities for Families. We encourage we're encouraged that rita is Choosing to invest here as well.
this project represents more than a hotel. It represents jobs, new amenities, Public park space,
recreation for our youth, And the type of investment that tells residents that valley is worth investing in.
those investments create momentum not only For economic growth, but for stronger community partnerships and Greater access to resources for the people
who already live here. As someone, as someone whose responsibility Is to secure resources for our community,
I know that visibility matters. The responsible organizations choose Delvalle.
it opens the door to new conversations, New collaborations, and future investments that can strengthen Our neighborhoods.
we know there is still work to do, But we believe this project is a positive step in the right direction.
we appreciate the opportunity to partner with Organizations that recognize the potential of
the valley and are willing to invest in its Future. On behalf of tbc, I respectfully ask for your Support on item one.
thank you. Thank you. Laura turner.
good afternoon, mayor and council members. My name is laura turner and I am the vice President of the del valley community
coalition. I'm here today to express our Strong support for the proposed development
project at circuit of the americas, Or coda. We recognize that growth and development can Bring legitimate concerns,
especially in communities that have too often Been left behind for decades. The del valley area has experienced Significant underinvestment.
when the city annexed coda, The surrounding community did not receive the
same level of investment, Leaving residents with limited access to jobs, amenities, recreation and economic Opportunities.
we believe this project is an opportunity to Begin correcting that imbalance.
over the years, coda has been a collaborative Community partner and together with rita
development, this project has the potential To deliver meaningful long term benefit to
del valley. The nearly 12 acres of public Parkland, including two full size soccer fields, Will help address the long standing lack of
recreational space in southeast austin, While creating new opportunities for youth
sports and community programing. Just as important, the hotel will create year Round jobs,
career pathways and with a labor peace Agreement in place, access to quality employment with benefits And opportunities for advancement for our
young people. This project creates Opportunities that are often unavailable close to home, including internships, Hospitality and event management experience
and career exposure without having to travel Across the city. It also has the potential to become the Economic anchor our community has long
needed, attracting additional business Service, businesses, services and amenities that have Historically bypassed del valley.
this project is an opportunity to begin Making up for decades of underinvestment and to ensure that the community surrounding Coda.
finally, shares in the prosperity it has Helped create. I respectfully encourage the austin city Council to support this project in item 123.
thank you for your time and consideration. Let me go to in-person speakers for this
item. Susan spataro and is sharon blythe Here?
and jeffrey bowen. They're both here. Okay. Miss spataro will have six minutes.
susan spataro, I live in district eight, And I just wanted to come today. I mean, there's a lot of angriness in our Community today,
and I think this is just an incredibly good Plan. And we've talked a lot about investment in Industrial.
this is different. And you know, When you think coda, what you immediately think is f1.
and that's how it started out. And we were so lucky to get that.
there are countries around the world that Wish they had our track.
drivers feel it's the number one track in the World. We have people all over the world coming into Austin to come to that event and other
international events. This item right here is A change in zoning,
and the pod really allows just a Redistribution or a redesign.
and the reason for that is that cota, I think, has been very, very judicious in going from Kind of a racetrack to a family entertainment
center. And I think we need that. I think it's good for jobs.
I think it's good for people and it's good For our community. And that's what this does.
and for those of you who don't know, Because I think this is interesting and that
is that we started with f1. And then coda opened the germania Amphitheater with a 14,000 guest capacity.
they moved in for a karting track for those That like to drive themselves,
and then a kids carter track for the little Seed speed demons that like to drive a kart.
then they have a campground. Mini golf is out there.
there were initial code of land for kids Under the age of seven,
and now they're going to to put the new Amusement park out there with additional 30
rides. And there has been no incentives. That's totally been paid for by koda.
then we did have a soccer stadium out there, And I actually almost tears came to my eyes
when when the, you know, Msl team basically drove out the team at koda
because the people in southeast austin loved It and their children loved it.
but I am happy that with this agreement, You're going to have two, two soccer fields out there for kids to play In.
I think that's a good thing. Then they have car condos. So this really has become a family friendly Destination.
and coda has very carefully managed that. And so what they're looking at now is what Other things can we do.
and the hotel has come out. I think it's a great idea. But there are more things.
and what this does is just allow a framework For them to look and to plan what they're
going to do out there. One of the things, a couple of things I Wanted to talk about here is,
you know, we talk about community Contributions. And usually, you know, It's kind of a, you'll do this or we'll give
you this. But I want to I told you the last Time I was here,
some of the things that coda has done, This was just at the end of june. I think you're going to like this.
there was a letter from the head of the dps Motor training unit to coda and.
and this is what it said. I wish to thank you for allowing us to use Your facility again.
I wish I could convey how much our Partnership in the last two years has meant
to us, with last friday being the largest law Enforcement motorcycle training ever put on
in the nation and how fast it has spread over The weekend.
I'm funneling through emails and calls asking For the next curve class.
this is a good place for us to be regarding Training, and it couldn't have been possible without Your support.
I really can't thank you enough. I love that code is the kind of organization That helps governments and helps people,
and I think this is a really good thing. And it also, by the way, Makes state officials kind of like austin
more. So this is the kind of things that they Do. Right now, they are donating thousands of Backpacks and school supplies for kids,
and they allow their facility to be used for Distribution. So they they step up when the community needs Them.
why did they do that? Because that's who they Are. The investors live here.
this is their home. They like the community And they want it to succeed.
and I think they have done an incredibly good Job. One thing I would like to ask you as you are Supporting this,
and I hope you will, is that although they Are paying a very large.
there's a huge amount of sales taxes. And by the way, coda was financed privately And they pay property taxes,
unlike many of these groups. But but what has happened is even though, You know,
their business generates 1% sales tax to Capmetro, there is no cap metro service going out There,
although they pay 20% of their taxes for the City toward project connect.
that's not going out there. And if you could help us in any way get Public transportation out there,
because the kids that want internships, They need transportation.
the kids out there don't have cars of their Own. The workers and the people that are attending Events.
so it seems to me a bit unfair that we don't Have public transportation out there.
so anything that you all can do to help that. Thank you very much. Thank you for supporting This.
and it's the right thing to do. Coda brings joy to our community.
thank you. Thank you, Miss pitaro for item 126,
valerie minard.
good afternoon council. Today I'm here to speak to you representing The johnston terrace neighborhood plan
contact team. And we're going to talk about The planned proposal for brook elementary
and, and we are offering our support for this Plan if with two caveats and councilmember
velasquez just, just or maybe our planning Person can let me know. I heard that the 50 foot setback is, Is going to be included.
I did not hear if the arrangements for Traffic signal warrant analysis were
included. So I don't know if. If so, unless. So we. So our approval of this Project is based on including those two
components for this plan. And I also wanted to be here to to, To offer a warning to other neighborhoods
across town that have, Are home to schools that are slated for
closure, slated for closure. So be prepared, be organized because this is Going to happen in your neighborhood.
while we are giving approval and we Appreciated the setback and the traffic warrant analysis. The biggest issue for the Neighborhood was height and there was no
there was no change in height for that. This is going to be a five story Construction. So I want neighborhoods to imagine.
look at the school that in front of your home That's going to be redeveloped.
imagine five stories. So just be prepared. And if you, you know, Maybe you can get some more compromise for
whichever developer comes your way. But that Didn't happen here. Thank you. Thank you. Speaking on the merits Of the postponement for 134,
I have doctor deborah murphy, Chris gannon and alex alexandria anderson.
does anybody want to speak on the merits of The postponement? Okay.
for the merits of the postponement for item 135, I have alexandria anderson.
nadia barbeau. Merits of the postponement for 136.
harvey atkins, elisha baker, Nadia.
barbeau, zenobia. Joseph.
if your name has been called and you wish to Be heard, please let us know.
okay. Merits of the postponement for 139 brad Massengale.
I'm here speaking today on behalf of the South congress contact team.
we support the this postponement. We actually don't support the zoning change Here.
this this property is on the south congress Between aye and william canyon.
it used to be a 60 to 80 space mobile home Park.
it was basically a. They quit renewing People's leases there and shut it down.
and now they're wanting to turn it into a Vmu.
texas has a lot of people living in mobile Homes.
austin. We have a shrinking number of mobile Home parks. When we're talking about changing ordinances To make tiny homes and all these different
things, and we're getting rid of deeply Affordable houses like mobile home parks,
we can't be rewarding speculators.
this is wrong. We, we need to preserve all The mobile home space we have.
if, whether we have to turn it into a tiny Home parks or take advantage of the new
legislation passed federally that allows for Different types of mobile homes without metal
wheels. I mean, metal frames underneath them. This this, this is a vital place.
it's right near a school. It's on a transit Line. It doesn't need to be folded off into another Corporate boondoggle.
so thanks for postponing it. And please, whenever it comes up, Keep this stuff in mind and do some research
on it. Thank you. Mr.. Do you want to speak on the postponement for 140?
it's basically the same thing. Don't, don't don't let the zoning change Happen.
I mean, I'm I've been in front of this body Many times discussing the coupling of zoning
changes along with the planning, The change,
changing the future land use map. I don't think those two things should come up Here together,
because it's assuming that one's going to Happen when all the money has been spent by
the developer at that point. There's no wiggle room for the neighborhoods Because there's just so much on the line at
that point. We need to have it do the future Land use and neighborhood plan amendments
separately. You know, Do them two weeks apart, whatever. But, you know, It'd be better even farther apart.
but in personally, I think that's a that's, It's not the right way to logistically to
handle that. Thank you.
mayor, that concludes our speakers. Thank you. Members, we have a motion and a Second on the consent agenda.
let me ask for any discussion. Councilmember velasquez. Yeah.
thank you mayor. I wanted to to thank malcolm Eads, gail gough and the east riverside oltorf Contact team for their persistence and
advocacy in helping secure some much needed Parkland for the riverside area,
and to michael whalen for working with our Office in iraq to get that done.
it took a little time and some maneuvering, But greatly appreciated on all sides. Thank you all. Thank you.
council member. Council member. Mayor pro tem. Thank you. Mayor. I just wanted to take a moment to Highlight items 124 and 125.
these are three properties that are grouped Together very close to the corner of guadalupe and airport that are within the e Tod,
and that will soon be developed into the.
today we're only passing on first reading, Where we're working with the owner to the
properties back up to the highland Neighborhood park. We want to get an easement through that Property to the park.
so people west of of guadalupe can access the Park more easily.
we're just trying to kind of work through Those details with watershed and parks.
and so we're just passing it on first reading Today and look forward to, to taking it up again in the future.
but I just wanted to let the public know that We're working on that, that easement. Thank you. Thank you. Any further discussion?
is there anyone wishing to abstain from a Vote on the consent agenda as read?
anyone wishing to recuse themselves from a Vote on the agenda.
anyone wishing to be shown voting no. Council member duchin on 124125.
okay. Anyone else in that case? Without objection, the consent agenda is Passed,
with council member duchin being shown voting No on items 124 and 125.
thank you members members. That will. Now you want to be recognized only If we're moving on to pass zoning.
we're moving on to item 111. Can I ask for a five minute recess?
a true five minute recess.
to 405. Not a second later.
without objection, we're in recess until 405. Everybody be back at 405.
it's 4:00 pm. Okay. All right, I'll call back to order the austin city
council at 4:05 p.m.. After a brief recess, We are now going to go to item number 111.
item 111 is. Four. Five.
six. All right. The purpose of item number 111 is to conduct a public hearing and
consider an ordinance, Because it's the conduct of a public hearing.
without objection, we will open the public Hearing on item number 111. And the public hearing is now open.
and we will turn to our city clerk to begin The process of calling people that want to be
heard during that public hearing. Thanks, Mayor. I'll start with remote speakers.
truman matheny. My name is truman matheny,
district eight. And I am directly in Opposition to this.
I think specifically what most irritates me As much as I'm horrified by the economic
sorry, environmental implications, Is that we are offering such absurd
subsidies. I'm not in favor of subsidies for Corporations at all.
the fact that we are giving them $1 billion, Over $1 billion to do this to our natural
resources is absurd to me. If we are doing this as a way to get more Jobs.
we are doing this to the wrong company. This company has a history of underpaying its Workers and denying them restroom breaks.
this is a horrible company to be doing this With.
I just don't understand why one of the most Powerful companies in the entire world needs
our handouts. Our handouts should be going Towards people in need.
we should be helping the middle class and the Lower class.
we should not be giving handouts like this to Jeff bezos.
if he wants our land, He better pay top dollar for it. I think this is ridiculous.
and I think it's a terrible deal. And I definitely think the reservations for Data centers should be much higher.
I was not satisfied by that statement. And I think we need a full commitment of zero Data centers whatsoever.
that's all. Thank you very much for your Time.
grace. Tomek. Hi. Mayor and council members.
my name is rachel and I live in district Four. I signed up to speak on all items related to Dog's head,
but I was disconnected briefly during item 142. So apologies if I missed my time then, But I would like to speak one time to express
my opposition to all the items related to Dog's head. As a resident of austin and travis county, I urge you to reject the proposed development
of dog's head. I strongly oppose the use of City of austin and travis county tax dollars
to subsidize the development that disregards Public input, undermines environmental protections, And prioritizes development developers and
corporations profits over the public good. I urge you to, at minimum, Postpone the vote and otherwise reject it.
thank you. Sarah foust.
hello. My name is sarah baker foust. I'm a district five resident. This is my 50th year as a city of austin Taxpayer.
I am eager for the corporations building in The dog's head to have the same opportunity
I've had of contributing to the general fund Needs of our community.
as such, I urge you to reject the proposed Tax increment reinvestment zone.
nothing about the status of this land or the Claimed economic benefits qualify for our
public funding. If anything qualifies for a Trs here, it will be when we have to buy out and Redevelop flooded properties when the
developers are long gone. Mayor, earlier you asked the audience to act Like austin ought to act.
I asked the same of this council today. Councils and citizens, Before you fought for environmental
regulations and fiercely negotiated with Developers for the standards that characterize our city today.
this project fits a new low for environmental Standards, for transparency, for stakeholder input and Corporate tax giveaways and basic legal
compliance. The finding that this property Would not develop on its own is totally
unsupportable. Act like austin ought to act And reject this tours and start over with an
environmentally sound development that east Austin and our general fund deserve.
thank you. Rasika mathur.
good afternoon, mayor watson and council Members. My name is rasika masur, District eight.
I'm a proud graduate of ut austin, Class of 98. Hook em horns. I live and work here in Austin,
texas, and I urge you all to vote no on any Remaining dogs head items.
I appreciate councilman siegel and Councilwoman earlier comments regarding
responsible water usage from developers and Council.
listening to constituents to make any Amendments today, but tweaking deals aren't enough.
we need a full pause. If you look down the Corridor at cities like san marcos and san
antonio, they are stepping up and hitting the Brakes to steady water and land impacts.
that is conscious leadership. Austin is marketed as a tech hub, But more than that,
and before that, we've been known for green Spaces and ecological stewardship.
if we cannot balance tech explosion with Simultaneously protecting our resources,
that's not smart growth. That is cutting off our own legs to run Faster.
and they can't do that. I stand with our Environmental commission delay this tirz vote
until january 2027 for a full assessment. We cannot grant 100% impervious cover or Gamble with the colorado river for amazon or
anybody else. Let's adopt the commission's Recommendations and back this unfinished
science project until the right research is Done. And you heard them, they don't have the whole Plan nailed down yet.
okay. And honor the slogan, Don't mess with texas.
thank you. Rebecca. Eufrasio.
hello. Mayor. And I am here to express my Opposition.
I am a district three resident that just Moved here right out the gates of doghead.
and I really commend what councilman eagle Mentioned.
thank you for saying what a lot of us are Thinking.
and I just really hope that you guys vote Against this because we're clearly not
prepared to sign off into a 45 year Commitment.
and I please urge you to reconsider. We can still scale this back and do this the Right way.
thank you. I'm going to transition over to In-person speakers.
beatrice anderson, josh goldenberg, Holly reed,
susana almanza. Susana, Are you here? Is carlos here? And katherine panic?
yeah. Was that a yes on katherine? Okay. Six minutes for you.
good afternoon again. Council. Beatrice anderson, save our springs alliance.
first, I really want to urge you to look at The materials that were sent to you by bobby lavinsky. He can't be here right now, But please take a look at those for more
information. Okay. A torres is supposed to be A very narrow exception,
and it is subject to the very specific legal Test that. But for taxpayer dollars reimbursing this Developer,
private development would not otherwise Occur. That's that's it. That is the test for the Dog's head.
a mud was already established as a viable Alternative to bring development and
infrastructure to that area that is already In place. Development is happening there like this was Approved previously.
texas gas is already running gas lines out There. They started that two years ago.
development is already happening in this Area. Endeavor has been buying this land up for Seven years, planning for the expectation
that development is happening in this area.
and with this mud in place, Additional public funding is simply not
necessary. We already have these structures And the tax taxpayers do not have to
reimburse this developer for this. There are other ways. Suttle mentioned Earlier that they are the ones taking on the
risk here. But how is it their risk when it's Our money.
yeah. If this is going ahead, Let them use their own money.
let them use the existing structures that are In place to fund it.
a ters is simply not appropriate here. So I urge you to take that into account.
follow the law. It doesn't satisfy the but For test,
please vote no. Please go ahead.
hi, my name is josh goldenberg. I'm a member of the austin youth council, Elected member for district ten. But today
I'm here speaking on behalf of myself. Well, first of all, I want to say thank you For the previous speaker.
I think she changed slightly some of the Comments that I want to make,
but I want to start off by saying that if the Tours is not accepted under state law,
unfortunately, the developer could annex Itself from the city. And if we want any of the things that people Are asking for today,
if we want that community engagement, If we want the land to be protected,
that can't happen. If the developer de Annexes, and I'm scared that if if the tours is not Approved,
then the developer will annex and will, Will annex and will get a lot worse of a
development than we would have otherwise Without the community engagement that will
come with the regulating plan, Which will go through a full process and
which will decide how the project is Developed.
my views or my dreams for dogs, I think are pretty similar to a lot of people
here. But if we want to work towards that Goal of preserving the land that's still
natural and, and taking advantage of the Opportunities we have to provide affordable
housing and build a really good world class Neighborhood, then we can't let the, The developer annex.
and I think that's something that a lot of The people here should consider.
and also I want to also speak on some of the Funding that will be going to,
that will be used as a result of this tours.
there, if you read the project and financing Plan, the preliminary projects and financing plan, Hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars
are allocated to land management and to water Quality protection. And that is something we simply do not get With the tours. I would be in favor of
accepting or delaying. Thank you. Thank you, Miss almanza.
good afternoon. I'm susana almanza with poder Mayor and city council members,
and I want to just get a little bit of Background. In 1928, the city of austin adopted the Master plan,
and in that master plan, It decided that all the people of color and
even the poor whites would be relocated to East austin. But that wasn't the final thing.
it also said that all the unwanted Industries, those polluting industries, Would also follow us.
in east austin, we had the tank farm, The fuel storage facility that was
contaminating the land, The water and the community there. We had bfi browning-ferris industries Recyclables over 350 000 recyclables were
coming to our communities, And people didn't even know that we had the holly power plant, the largest stationary Source of nox emission electric magnetic
fields, sound noise that exceeded hud and epa Standards.
we had the people that were being impacted by This. Then we had pure casting with all its Chemicals next to zavala elementary and in a
residential area for that work together with Other groups. And we rezoned over 600 properties in the Gold valley johnston area that were not
compatible to residential standards. And after we did all of this cleanup, Guess what happened?
gentrification came upon us. The colonization moved like a wave that we'd Never seen before.
the first to go was the cesar chavez Neighborhood, then the holly neighborhood, The gold valley,
johnston, and of course, Now montopolis is the last ones to be
colonized. But now when we had I-35 was our Border wall when we relocated.
now we've toned that. We've been told that Highway 183 is our new border wall,
that the new east austin that we used to call East austin is now central austin.
east austin is highway 183 now going east.
what does that mean? That means that we have A billionaire like elon musk that has made
promises of an eco paradise, Of hiring people from the community,
of working with the community, But is discharging into our sacred colorado
river park for employees have died and so Forth,
where he tore down a lot of native plants, Herbal plants that could have been used and
put up all of the impervious cover. Now we have the next billion dollar jeff Bezos coming to east austin.
I mean, you're slaughtering east austin, You've got billionaires. You're talking about building a bridge so They can come from tesla over to amazon,
hooking them together. And then you're talking about housing. This is the continuation of the 1928 master Plan.
you need to see this because now you're Talking about putting housing next to all
these manufacturing and polluting facilities. That's a continuation of the master plan.
and then you talk about you act like amazon Is in cahoots with the department of defense
and ai. Let's be real about what's happening Here.
and and you can talk about robots. This is not little children robots.
this is not little robots that you do in Class or that you have little science fair.
you're talking about robots with ai. They're going to replace humanity.
the only job, the only jobs that are coming, Is to construct the building,
to construct the building. We have to be really careful when we talk. We know that ai is anti-union.
it's anti-union. And how are we saying union Workers are going to come and support this
because they're temporary jobs only they're Not permanent jobs at all.
and and it is linked to ai. What do you think is going to run the robots?
okay, wake up here. We're talking about Temporary jobs and very being replaced by
robots. We already saw the lift workers. The uber workers lose their jobs.
to what? Waymo. Nobody's driving in those Cars. Nobody's driving in those cars.
and we've already said fast food people, The lowest class workers losing their jobs
because ai is now taking orders. Okay, let's look at what really is happening In our communities,
in our society. And I don't think that we Want billionaires in east austin already
seeing their worker. We see what tesla has Done to boca chica. Just look at what they've done to Brownsville,
to that community. We don't want that in east Austin. We don't want it in east easter said.
I think we've had and been overburdened by More than anybody else in the whole city.
we are the fence line communities. And you know, and I know that this would Never happen in west austin.
never. You would not build over the edwards Aquifer.
why would you do it over the alluvial in Carrizo? It's what is. Water is sacred to us, No matter where it's at.
but you think it's not that you think that Pollution will not. Will stop at highway 183.
you're wrong. You're very wrong. And so I say you need to vote no.
you need to vote no on this. It's time that we look. We put people first, profits later, And especially millionaires and billionaires.
we do not need to be giving them our tax Monies, our revenues, when we're cutting social Service programs here in the city.
that is a disgrace. That is a disgrace. Thank you. Jonathan davidson.
ben thompson. Max portsman.
jonathan davidson, ben thompson, Max hausmann,
richard suttle, richard suttle and amanda Morrow. Here. Okay, there's time donated to mr.
suttle. My name is john davidson.
I live in district three. Happy birthday. So far he's really enjoying It.
I am I'm hopeful and thankful that some of The members of the council have started
asking some questions. Finally there's some terms that are being Thrown around by,
by the, the developer in this project. And I think that some of the questions Haven't been asked about what these terms
mean, like open space does not mean park. That could be a divide divided highway.
that could be a grassy knoll. The parkland in this deal is all said to be Managed by the property owners association,
so we don't know who that is either. Like there is no parkland here really. It's private property that's being shared.
what are the terms of that. We have no terms of that. The other thing on this tours there's Currently a $9 billion military maritime
drone manufacturer that just opened its Headquarters in the dog's head.
they also own, own and run property further Into the dog's head neighboring on the very
property that is already under significant Stripped earth development by the developer.
so if there is no development that's ever Going to happen here without a tours then.
that's kind of a hard question to, To answer honestly, because all of the development that's Happening there now is so obvious to those of
us that live within the dust bomb that's Being created by this whole thing.
so I just, I'm probably more passionate than Many about it because I live within sight,
within the halo of light created by this, This facility that will likely use as much
power and water as 80,000 households per Year. I haven't heard anyone talk about that.
so, you know, slow this down, Get a good deal and do what you should.
thank you.
mayor, members of the council. My name is Richard suttle again. I'm here on behalf of endeavor. Just wanting to clear up each time There's something said that isn't altogether
true. I just want to clear it up. The gentleman just spoke before me.
talked about saranac. It's the company that Builds the autonomous boats.
it's not in the dog's head. It's at the Corner of 183 in dalton.
it's it's not in the dog's head. It's not in what you're considering today at All.
there's. Go ahead folks, It's really.
please, I ask you to show the decorum that's Worthy of having public discussions and
debate like this. And you're not doing that Right now. So please, you may disagree.
you may disagree very aggressively. But that's this is not the forum to do that.
the other thing that needs to be cleared up Is on the taxes.
several people have said we're giving away Our taxes.
endeavor voluntarily submitted themselves to Pay tax to pay full tax.
there's been some talk about tax breaks for Amazon. Amazon will pay their full tax bill.
there's no incentives. There's no tax being rebated.
the tours is simply a mechanism. Just like we use cip bond funds to extend Infrastructure to newly annexed areas,
to provide the services that are required by State law when a city annexes land.
and so all we're doing is taking a portion of The tax that that endeavor is volunteering to
pay. And if the the appraised value on the Land goes up,
and if the taxes go up, A portion of those taxes would then be used
to reimburse the money that was put. That was outlaid to build the infrastructure That normally the city would build.
so with that, I'll just close. That's the whole purpose of this tours is to Just extend the services that a city would
normally extend into a newly annexed area. We probably haven't had this conversation Much because the city has not annexed many
areas in recent in the recent history, And they sure haven't annexed a greenfield
site that has absolutely no infrastructure Now. With that, I'll close. Thank you. Thank you.
moving on. Angela van aken. Bill bunch. Mr. Bunch, Are you here?
he has time donated by rita thompson. Is rita here? Okay. And then joe jane doe and Stephanie hoffman.
jane doe's to keep showing up.
I want to call a few more names. Please call Some other names while we're waiting on him. Bill? Oliver. Bill, are you here?
he was earlier. Is virginia palmer here? Okay. Then you'll have four minutes.
and zachary faddis and betsy greenburg.
if your name has been called, Please come forward.
thank you. Mayor. Council members. Bill Bunch. Save our springs alliance. Although let me clarify that I want to speak As an individual taxpayer on this.
I also have a point of order. The state law calls for a public hearing That's separate and apart from your rules.
this is an incredibly complicated 45 year, 35 year deal.
so I'm asking for at least three minutes per Person.
and your rules say two minutes is supposed to Be a minimum.
you never, ever give anybody more than two Minutes.
so it's time for you to exercise your Discretion and comply with state law and give
people at least three minutes in this public Hearing. Could I could I get a ruling on that, Please?
and and not have it come out of my four Minutes that I the speaking time is two minutes, mr. Bunche. But you go ahead.
another point of order. I filed some written comments. You should have them. That needs to be in the Record of this public hearing.
I hope you all have them. I didn't ask for them to be displayed on the Board.
the state law is very clear. And it starts with the constitution, Which requires fair and uniform taxation.
this is nowhere close to being fair and Uniform taxation.
if you do this deal for them, You have to do it for every other developer.
your own economic development officer said, Hey, this is telling everybody else we're in Business.
so you do this deal, here they come. You got to be fair. Right.
it's not fair. If you're going to give tax Breaks, you need to give it to workers.
as the speaker said earlier today, The state constitution also prohibits gifts.
you're just giving away this money. The the agreement that y'all signed off on Has so much vagaries and so much leeway
combined with the statute. If you read the statute, They can do all kinds of.
spend this money 15 different ways, And it doesn't even have to be in the project
plan or the financing plan that's in the Statute. Chapter 311 of the tax code.
it also says you can override the charter on Dispensing and managing land.
so you're talking about getting rid of your Obligation to let us vote when you alienate
parkland. And this plan is calling for paving Parkland for at least one of the bridges and
probably more you have development exploding Out there.
and I want to also point into this record, Essentially every issue,
the austin business journal for the last Three years that talks about yet one opening
after the next after the next. Big projects, many of them without any public Subsidies,
including just last week's a bj6 hundred zero Zero zero square foot takedown of a
speculative industrial building by tesla, Two miles away from this site,
just a little bit up towards decker lake. Y'all know about that easton park exploding One tesla across the river.
and as susana said, this is destroying jobs.
this whole project for amazon. This is the fourth richest man on the planet Who is anti labor across the board.
and in fact today's washington post has a big Article that amazon employees are having to
take down federal welfare aid, Snap and medicare because they're not getting
paid. Thank you. Mr.. Is that what you want For this community? Howdy. Howdy. Council.
members and mayor. So my name is zach.
my my name is zach faddis. I'm a resident of district nine and president Of aura. I am actually neutral on this item
or does not have an official stance on Whether or not we should accept any agreement
or develop the dog's head, But we do have opinions on if we are going to things we would like to see to ensure the Best outcomes for the city and for the future
residents there. So and we send you a letter,
I'll be reading an abridged version of that Letter. I encourage you all to read the whole thing. So dog's head must be mixed use and High density conventional low density single
use pattern squanders the site and the public Funding behind it. Density is what makes the housing, The tax base and the transit all work.
it must be tax. It must be walkable and Transit oriented. That means a connected street grid with Sidewalks and protected bike lanes and right
of way that support high frequency transit, Not six lane arterials that carve apart the
neighborhood fabric. This should include Ideas such as the dogs,
the dog door busway, which you can read about On our blog, and it is a option for a low cost, Transit only connection.
letting busses bypass the us 183 exchange Linking the dots directly towards downtown
with high frequency transit and creating Opportunity for future transit access and
connectivity. It must be fiscally responsible For the city,
because the chargers will capture the Majority of the city's tax increment for 35 years. Under austin's return depends entirely On what gets built and what the increment
buys. Compact development requires less Infrastructure and enables more efficient delivery of services per resident than sprawl Development.
accordingly, we asked council to take three Actions today and in the future.
one commission a fiscal analysis at different Density levels.
two. Is to add explicit language to the ters And preliminary project and financing plan
requiring reimbursable transportation Infrastructure. Be walkable and transit supportive.
the third is to include a voting capmetro Representative on the board.
we look forward to working with you all in The future and ensuring the best outcome for
the city and future residents. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Patterson. Miss greenberg. My
name is betsy greenberg. I live in austin, district nine. I'm opposed to the tours for docs head for The same reasons you're hearing over and
over, including the reduction of land use Regulations and environmental protections in
a sensitive area. The austin city council Negotiated the annexation and development
agreement behind closed doors with very Limited public notice or process.
the development was acclaimed for the tax Revenue that the project would generate and
its ability to attract a fortune 100 advanced Manufacturing. Employer now a tours increment reinvestment Zone funding mechanism is being considered by
you now. So instead of generating tax revenue For the city's strained budgets,
the funds will be kicked back to the wealthy Developer. Endeavor would not have acquired this Property if it wasn't a good location.
the property will redevelop even without the Kickbacks. In fact, crews are already leveling and Preparing a 300 acre plot for an advanced
manufacturing site. This developer always Wants tax breaks,
whether it's for luxury shopping at the Domain prized waterfront property in central
austin, or in this location for a fortune 100 Tenant owned by the fourth most wealthy
person in the world. Please vote no to this Tax kickback.
thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Miss greenberg.
I know the mayor said that we weren't going To have music, but apparently we are going to have some music, so. Yeah.
mr. Oliver, the floor is yours. So decisive around here.
well, thank you very much, Folks. District three. Happy birthday.
oh, let's see here. Oh, What do I have here? The austin chronicle 2007 halloween cover Featuring our charming richard suttle.
for some of you newbies here, I've done this before, but it was almost 20 years ago.
and he's. This is, by the way, He was joined before this.
this honor was given to other charmers like Gary bradley and jim bob moffett.
my word. What's the connection here? What's the thread, I wonder?
it's not exactly a compliment. On his term the it was about content.
well, from the air it looks like a great Dog's head shaped by the colorado river bed,
a giant peninsula, a fertile land sold down The river.
secret plan, longhorn dam, The hornsby bend,
beaver and river otter swim where sand and Gravel meet blackland prairie and prairie,
where waterfowl land. When folks find out What you're giving away.
when folks find out, here's what they'll say. When folks find out. They'll let out a howl.
because you, my friends, Are in the doghouse now.
you're in the doghouse now. You're in the doghouse.
now, to be blunt, this dog don't hunt.
you move out. The locals, Those who care, bring in robots jobs.
beware. Slow on facts. Big on hayes data center and das give away The tax.
give away control to a mystery client. Non-disclosed a bridge size bribe to be Delivered to a fat muskrat right across the
river. When folks find out what you're giving Away.
when folks find out, here's what they'll say. When folks find out. They'll let out a howl.
because you, my friends, Are in the doghouse now. Or in the doghouse now you're in the Doghouse.
now, to be blunt, this dog don't hunt.
it's another east austin injury. Another back room conspiracy.
full speed ahead. What? We see more of the same old misery blow.
dog whistles make us bark, Sniff. But fours in the park.
you can polish your story, Polish the truth. You can polish the tires, But it's still poop.
you're in the doghouse now. You're in the doghouse.
now bow wow, wow wow. You're in the doghouse Now.
and to be blunt, this dog don't hunt.
it's quite a stunt. But this dog don't hunt.
thank you. Thank you again, Mr. Oliver. I hope that was clear enough.
craig and so if you guys don't vote the right Way,
we may just haunt you for 45 years of bad dog Songs right here.
45 years. Craig nasr, Kristin viado, garrett tung,
steven brown, elizabeth levins, Are you here?
is audrey stanton here? Okay. You all have four minutes. Craig nasr Austin,
sierra club and austin environmental Democrats. And one of the things that has disturbed me This afternoon.
I told you that I don't like the process, But listening to the questions.
and it doesn't seem like everyone understands The agreement that was written.
and we pointed out there really is no Parkland.
and one of the reasons that I don't think in A disagreement very well understand it is
because of the way this came about. Now, I have a lot of friends who work in the City.
we have some very great city departments, And we have some very intelligent people who
work for you, and they haven't been Consulted.
I mean, watershed, how many people do you Think in watershed were asked about people
who know about the floodplain and could Answer these questions?
very, very few. They were angry. A lot of them are angry.
and parkland was pade contacted? I know they weren't. They weren't contacted.
neither was transportation. And then I found this out just because I was On the zero waste advisory commission for a
while. They haven't been consulted. Resource recovery has been consulted.
they're concerned about how they're going to Pick up the trash on here, all the extra money it's going to get for Them to do this.
well, you don't know a whole lot of what's Going on, but you're rushing ahead to do it.
and we're asking questions and getting Answers from the developer.
I mean, I understand that. I'm not saying that they're lying to you, But they might color what they tell you,
you know, in one way or the other. And this just doesn't make any sense.
and then on the environmental aspect of it, Sometimes I wonder, well, I'll have to do that on another item.
thank you. Hello, council members and mayor.
my name is garrett tung. I live on hergatz lane in district three. Today I want to talk to you about Displacement.
exhibit d from the original dog's head. Development agreement showed her gasoline, My street being widened to 92ft.
her gasoline is currently 30 to 40ft wide. If you widen it to 92ft, You are taking everyone out.
everyone will lose their homes. The roads map on page 56 of the agenda backup We are discussing discussing today still
shows her goats being widened to 92ft. Endeavor has told us it's the city's map.
the city has told us its endeavors. Map. It's Been two months. No one has changed it. No one has updated the graphic.
but fortunately for us, We get an endeavor funded displacement assessment that will come after the deal has Been approved,
letting us know who and what will be Displaced after they've already begun displacing people. That is backwards.
the bottom line is, if you all wanted to go Fast, you needed to be ready to make things right Fast.
we have been seeking answers for two months. We have nothing in writing assuring us that We are going to keep our homes.
I ask that you reject or delay this tourist Until after displacement. Risks have been studied and the community has Been involved.
thank you. Thank you. Please begin.
and I believe I have four minutes. You do? Okay. Good evening.
good afternoon, mayor and council. My name is Lisa levins, and I'm asking you to postpone item 111.
this item would create a 2645 acre tax Increment reinvestment zone for dogs head,
establish boundaries, Set the city's participation rate, and appoint its board.
that's not a routine administrative action. It is a creation of a major public financing Structure that could shape this area for
decades. Yet the agenda states that this item Has no fiscal impact.
that doesn't make sense. Aye tears redirects future property tax Revenue into a designated area.
it influences which infrastructure projects Receive public funding, what revenue remains available for other city Priorities,
and how much financial risk tax taxpayers may Ultimately carry before council creates this
zone. The public deserves clear answers to Some very simple questions.
why is it necessary? What development would Not happen without this public financing?
which infrastructure costs belong to the Developers and which could eventually fall to
taxpayers? What is the city's total Anticipated commitment over the lifetime of
this zone? What protections exist if the Promised public benefit never materializes?
and most importantly, What exactly is this tears intended to support? During discussion earlier, Representative lane asked whether data
centers would be built in this area. The endeavor attorney. The endeavor attorneys response was that There would be no standalone data centers.
that doesn't mean no data centers. That answer raised more questions than it Resolved.
no, standalone data centers is not the same Thing as no data centers.
if amazon or another major technology company Is expected to establish a campus or facility
in this area, the public deserves to know Whether whether that development will include
a data center infrastructure and whether this Tears will help pay for roads,
utilities, drainage, power capacity or other Infrastructure that benefits it.
that language matters, Matters. A data center does not stop being a data Center simply because it is incorporated into
a larger campus. If this tears does not and Is not intended to support data center
development than the city, And the developers should be willing to put that commitment in writing if it is.
if it is intended to support infrastructure That will benefit amazon or another large
corporate user than the council, And the public and the public deserve to know that before this vote, Not after austin residents should not be
asked to approve a massive financing Mechanism based on the carefully narrowed
answers and undefined future uses. That's exactly why item 111 should be Postponed.
my neighbors and I understand that this area Will change. And we're not asking you all to stop development. We're asking you to create The financing structure where we are asking
you to not to create the financing structure Before the planning,
environmental review, Infrastructure analysis and meaningful community community engagement are complete.
the people who already live in dogs head are Being asked to absorb the consequences of of
decisions largely made around us. We are facing possible road widenings, Trail alignments,
increased traffic, flooding concerns, Environmental impacts and the potential loss
of yards, land and even homes. The black prairie and its wetlands in this Area are not empty space waiting to be
monetized. They are part of a living Landscape and they deserve to be studied
before financial commitments create pressure To push development forward.
once the tiers is established, The momentum to justify it and spend spend
through it will only increase. The city should not approve the financing Structure first and answer the difficult
questions later.
please state your name for the record and Begin. Hello council members.
my name is kristen vilardo. I am of district two. This is my very first Time coming to a council meeting.
thank you all. I'm representing a lot of my Neighbors and friends in several
neighborhoods down in south austin that Cannot be here because they have to work, and I was able to take a day off and to go away From my vacation later on in the year.
so with this potential terrible deal that We're having to,
to now all sit through this tax, This the dog's head one of the things that
we, we have been saying over and over again Is that it's a backhanded deal just amidst
the frenzy to capitalize on everything that's Industrial, that's in ai. We are going back towards what Austin.
I thought when I moved here was what austin Was all about. When I have traveled all over the world, I have.
and when I talk to people, Oh, there's three places in the world that I would live. It'd be london, Austin or singapore.
but because I thought that, I thought that austin incorporated values that were going to be weird and that were Going to be natural,
that we're going to be also for the right Kind of development for the people.
but I am finding myself so disappointed Today,
just absolutely devastated that we are not Getting any of the environmental impacts that
we are looking to pay out for times that Probably not,
maybe a few of us might actually live Through. Nobody on the dais, probably none of us here.
45 years, I'm not going to be here. So like, this is these actual events that Y'all are putting into place.
and the blackland prairie took over a million Years to create. Just wipe it out. Everything that this has Happened has seemed backwards and wrong and
unethical. And a pause just just to have a Look at it further.
that's that's what we're asking, Really. None of us are saying like, End it.
we're saying positive and please have a look At it. Thank you. Marian.
sanchez. Lee. Edwards. Lee, are you here? Is odd.
sorry. Is bronwyn reeve here? Bronwyn. Reeve. Okay. Four minutes for lee Valerie menard.
is pedro hernandez junior here? Okay, valerie, you also have four minutes. And jade fusco.
if your name has been called and you wish to Be heard, please come forward. Scared him
off, did I? No. I think they're following You. Okay. Please, just state your name for the Record and you'll have four minutes. Okay.
I'm lee edwards, I'm a resident of district Three. Jose, thank you for your advocacy.
we need your advocacy more than ever.
I'm president of the southeast colorado river Neighborhood association.
I live less than three football fields from The development area.
I will be impacted. My wife will be impacted. My neighbors will be impacted.
at least one of my neighbors, Maybe more, will have land taken away by the
plan as it is in the backup today. Also in the backup today, There are three contradictory maps of exactly
what it is you're voting on. Garrett tongue. My neighbor spoke to one of Them black electrical tape,
showing that my road is extended to such an Extent that all of our homes get bulldozed.
yet the tourist plan says no persons will be Displaced.
this is a sloppy agreement. It contradicts itself.
it's an unethical process and a bad plan. We can do better than this.
my essential question is, Can't we? Austin, texas do a lot better than this?
it's the best we can do. Limited community engagement and ndas for City staff.
is hamstringing the planning and the Environmental commission the best that we can do is skipping the environmental impact Survey and the traffic impact analysis.
the best that we can do is developing four Square miles without one square inch of
committed parkland. The best that we can do Is allowing a data center,
even if not invited, in an area that's Wrapped in three sides by the colorado river.
the best that we can do. Is touting the affordable housing benefits, When actually there is no commitment to
affordable housing because there's no Commitment to housing. The best that we can do is the billions for Billionaires program that's being proposed.
the best we can do. Is this the best we can Do?
is this the best we can do?
hell no. I am asking you to say hell no to This.
we can do better. We're. Austin, texas. We are amazing. We can do better.
oh, I hate having to follow that. That's not fair. Hello, Mayor.
council members. My name is valerie menard. I'm the project director for the colorado River conservancy.
I'm here to speak on several items, But I'd like to start by sharing a recent
experience that may offer some insight today. I was in san antonio this week for the one Water leadership institute,
an event established by the us water alliance That brings together stakeholders involved in
all aspects of water. The keynote speaker was Robert puente, president and ceo of san antonio water System.
he also served in the texas house and is Credited with writing landmark legislation
regarding water conservation. He shared that san antonio used to rely Completely on the edwards aquifer,
but in the 70s began to look at diversifying. The first plan was an above ground reservoir,
but san antonians objected to it and voted it Down, even though the city had begun construction.
next came a lawsuit from the sierra club, Because the city's overuse of the aquifer had
exposed habitat for the endangered texas Blind salamander and other species.
these two knows, said puente, Caused us to pivot and look at why we had
failed. Realizing that they needed community Buy in to succeed,
they initiated a community engagement Strategy that continues today.
they also learned that no wasn't necessarily A bad thing. In fact, it was the best thing that had Happened. The best thing that happened. It
forced them to look at other options. And Today, the city has diversified to seven sources of water, created the largest Recycled water program in the nation,
and designed an underground reservoir of Water stored in the carrizo aquifer that
we're about to develop on top of at the may 21st city council meeting this year,
folks, especially those living in the dog's Head, were shocked to learn that a 45 year contract Had been already negotiated behind closed
doors, with endeavor giving them carte Blanche to to develop the 2600 acres of the
dog's head. However, they chose to. Despite hours of testimony asking you to Postpone the vote to allow for more review as
is required on the west side of town and Community input, you ignored community and approved the Contract anyway.
adding insult to injury, You set out to create a tours to give endeavor billions of taxpayer dollars to Build their infrastructure in response to
community organized meeting in in homes Across town and and supported by by partners
who had heard similar arguments before, Like this development is too good to pass up.
and false narratives in this case that Developing the abandoned aggregate mines
would restore the environment. But having lived there for decades, Even generations,
residents knew that the riparian ecosystem Was flourishing and that 100% or 79% of
impervious cover would be much more damaging Than the mines. Next community spoke at the county Commissioners meeting against your request to
have the county give up half of its property Taxes for the tours. But this time commissioners listened to Community,
and they agreed that too many facts were Missing from the agreement for them to approve the tour, so they punted it back to You.
listening to community concerns for the Environment, the environmental commission, led by its chair, miss krueger, Created a working group to come up with
recommendations to forward to council today That reflected their concerns and unanswered questions regarding the tours.
while some discussions with city have come up With promises from endeavor to do this and that, the same threat still exists.
they have carte blanche for 45 years to do What they will, and there is no mechanism to enforce the Promises they may have made this week.
community has returned to ask you again to Reject the terms and address the concerns. So, council, what do you say?
are you listening? Seeing county council Member velazquez, you are the only council member with Constituents in the dog said thank you for
meeting with them and lobbying for more Affordable housing. Endeavor may have said
they will build some, But there's no mechanism mechanism to ensure they will. And I didn't hear any affordable Housing added to the amendments approved
today. Vote no today and save taxpayer Dollars to pay for something that we need,
like land to build more income. Single family housing like the project you Just announced today.
thank you and happy birthday. Thank you. Yes,
ma'am. Please begin. Hello.
it's the musical hour. My name is jade fusco. I live in district five and I am against This.
and I ask you to please vote no, Or at the very least, postpone until we can get a full Environmental assessment,
because there is just too much at stake. And I just hope that with our world leaders Actively destroying the our planet and our
wildlife and our natural spaces, I feel like we have the opportunity to be an
example of what it's like to take this land And actively not only restore it,
but also regenerate it.
you know, food forests and community gardens And educational parks and spaces,
like let's grow food on this land. Let's, we can go above and beyond. There are so many other more awesome options Than what is being proposed in this deal.
and without further ado, I'm going to sing this song. Oh,
I'm a little out of tune. Forgive me. They want 2.2 billion of our taxpaying Dollars.
to pay 2000 acres with cement.
it sucks. And industrial lies along seven Miles of the river.
with 45 years of no accountability and no Respect for the land.
we don't want this. We the people, Do not consent.
we don't need this. What we need is.
what we need is our water to flow free and Clean.
we need our winding rivers. We need our crystal stream.
thank you, ma'am. Thank you. Your time's up. Philip.
fitzgerald. Rachel. Scott.
robert hill. Please say the names again.
yes, ma'am. Philip. Fitzgerald. Rachel scott. Robert hill.
are you here? Yes. Is monica guzman here? Okay, mr. Hill. Four minutes.
once you begin, just state your name for the Record. Okay. Thank you. My name is robert hill, and I'm here to speak on this item, But more broadly on the dogshit development.
I'm a professional planner, Worked for the city of austin for 30 years and the planning watershed and housing Departments.
and I'm a happy district eight resident. So all seven items are related to the same Development deal.
you know, we're making a deal with endeavor And we've done that before. We made a lot of deals with the city with Endeavor,
the domain up in near council member lane. We've got robinson ranch underway and now We're looking at another one and but,
but the difference is the scope of the deal That was being proposed today is
unprecedented. It's unprecedented in the time Scope.
it's unprecedented in how it's being rushed Through. And it is unprecedented in what we're giving Up.
a lot of the objections that have been raised Today are being sort of waved away
displacement. Well, it's not that many People. And I think we've got a plan.
there's environmental impact. Well, You know, we're going to save the riparian corridor in the center is like chernobyl.
and the flooding. Well, You know, that's, that's just an engineering problem. You move enough dirt, You pour enough concrete,
the flooding won't be a problem. So why are we why are we doing it this way?
well, I mean, it's because it is growth and That's good for the city. It will eventually, if everything goes According to plan,
result in tax revenue for the city. A lot of it. And in the long term 2030 years,
maybe if everything goes according to plan, The city will get some revenue out of it. And that's a good thing, And that's why you're considering it. Cool.
but what about the rest of it? Like, is there going to be housing?
maybe, you know, is it going to be Environmental protection? The environmental commission was very clear.
no. The environmental protections that have Been proposed are not adequate.
and water supply. The council has done an Admirable job of of of securing long term
water rights for the city. But the other side of that is usage. And I really commend council member siegel to Looking at high water use users.
but the thing is, with the right of capture, They can go straight into the aquifer,
use groundwater completely unregulated as Much as they want.
so the fact that we might be restricting how Much city water they can use does not in any
way mitigate their impact on the aquifer They'd be sitting on.
my main, my main real objection is all of the Benefits to developer are clearly spelled out
in black and white. And all of the Developments, all the proposed benefits to the city are in The terms of projections and goals and good
intentions. And and why is that? You know, what is the rush?
we've had amendments that were posted just Today, and they're good amendments, But they were just posted today.
council itself was a little unclear on the Impact. The developer was like, Oh, I'm not really sure.
let me look at that. But the public is Supposed to understand these comprehensive
amendments were just posted today. What is the rush? Well, Okay, so the arguments are you know,
if we don't build it, If we don't take this agreement now, nothing's going to be built there. But Endeavor is run by a bunch of smart people.
they've been quietly investing in years. They see the potential if they lose this Amazon customer,
they'll get another one. If we don't build it Now, we're going to lose it to nashville. That's Negotiating from a position of weakness.
that's a race to the bottom. We are waving enormous amounts of regulatory Oversight and development standards in
exchange for a water hungry robot factory and A bucket of fuzzy promises.
we can do better. Just slow the process down,
do a full environmental impact statement, And allow more public input.
thank you, thank you. Please begin.
please begin. Hi there. My name is philip fitzgerald. Ooh, A little close to the mic there. So as
everyone has pointed out the speed that this Project has moved with,
I'm here to talk about the urgency that That's come with the urgency to annex this
land and add it to austin, The urgency to create this new tax zone.
it's incredible. I've never seen projects Move this quickly in austin before. You know, when we, when we see our homeless Neighbors on the streets asking for help,
when we have teachers that can't afford to Live in our city, we can't build affordable housing.
when we have businesses that have been open Here for 20, 30 and 40 years having to close because they Cannot meet their property tax bills,
there's no urgency to help those people. This this area in particular is a greenfield Site,
as some have pointed out, Including the endeavor guy, which means all of the roads, The water piping,
the electricity infrastructure will need to Be laid. And he's right, they will pay for that Upfront.
but the problem is all the maintenance in Perpetuity will be covered by us hiring fire,
police. Ems will be covered by us, And for the next 35 plus years,
most of that tax money created in that area Is not going to go to pay for those services,
which means everyone not living in dogs head Will have to subsidize that area.
another huge issue is there's no requirement For affordable housing.
they're promising about 20%. There's a lot of people that have worked in Austin and lived in austin for a long time
that can't afford to live here. I know $1,600 a month is not a lot for some Of you,
but it's a lot for a lot of people. We have to have requirements that they hire People from austin and miss lane explained
earlier she's doing it for her constituents. Her constituents will not work those jobs.
those are 300 jobs. They hire people from Seattle, from new york, from phoenix, From california to staff those jobs.
they will not hire austinites.
rich hayman. Rich, are you here? Is robin schneider here?
is here. Okay. Rich will have six minutes, Followed by harper higginbotham,
cat garcia, bianco guerrero and catherine O'connor.
and I have some slides. Yes. Hello. Good afternoon.
my name is rich hayman. I'm a resident in district nine. My comments are specifically about the terms Of the tos agreement.
this agreement is a bad deal for the people Of austin. As mr. Oliver said earlier, This dog don't hunt.
it will cost us more money than it will bring In straining the city budget for decades and
causing higher taxes for existing residents Or cuts to services.
next slide please. Are the slides up?
sorry.
it's paused. Everybody calm down. Okay, so we've been told this project will Bring in $1.7 billion over 35 years.
as this chart shows, this figure is Misleading as the vast majority of revenue
will not go to the general fund, But will go to the infrastructure cost for
dogs head the blue. These claims are also Misleading because new general fund costs
associated with the development have not been Accounted for. It was not until this past tuesday at the Council work session,
that we got the first staff projections of These costs, estimating that revenue to the general fund Would be only $133 million over 35 years,
or about $4 per person per year. That's the so-called benefit to the rest of Us in austin.
even these cost projections are Underestimates. The only. They only account for the use of Police,
fire and ems, which is only about 60% of what The city spends per person.
now, these figures average out to an Equivalent of spending about $835 per person
annually. Currently, in 2026, We spend approximately $1,455 per person.
if we use the actual spending figure of $1,455 per person,
and the figures in staff's preliminary Project financing plan,
which is the backup for today's item number 15, we see that the new projected residents of Dog's head will end up costing the city $237
million over 35 years, Or an annual deficit of $6.8 million.
excuse me. Using these same figures, We see that the development will not start
producing a positive revenue stream until 2056,
and it will not pay for itself until 2063, Two years after the tours agreement ends.
the terms of the tours means that the new Residents and businesses in dog's head will
not be paying their fair share of taxes. Current residents would pay to make up the Deficits created by new residents or suffer
reduced services. We have also been told that This development is a generational economic
opportunity because it will increase the City's tax base by some $26 billion,
and that this increased tax base will benefit The people of austin. This argument was repeated at tuesday's Council work session.
in this exchange between council member alter And director olivares.
council member alter said, My neighbor or whomever in the community, they want to know why is this benefiting me As an austinite?
we want economic development because it grows The tax base, because the broader the tax base, The less burden on one individual.
is that a correct statement? Director olivares yes. Cm alter so when someone says why does this Benefit me?
one answer is, well, you're going to be Shouldering less of the burden of paying city
services director olivares. Yes, yes. This is a failed economic Development model.
today, our general fund budget is Approximately $1.6 billion for a population
of 1.1 million, or about, As I said before, $1,455 per person annually.
in 2010, the general fund budget budget was Just $650 million for 970 000 people,
or about $825 per person annually, Or $1,262.
adjusted for inflation, It's gone up by 13% since 2010.
now, these numbers aren't on the slide, But the tax rate in 2010 was 43.2 cents per
$100 valuation. Today it is 57.4 cents.
that is 33% higher than it was 15 years ago.
we know that over the past 15 years, The city has grown enormously.
the tax base has more than doubled since 2010. Yet tax rates have gone up in the city, And we are spending more money per person now
than we were then. Growth costs. It has cost to the people who live in the City.
it is not automatically a benefit. This kind of economic development does not Benefit the working people of austin.
instead, it costs us money. Dog's head agreement will not benefit the People of austin.
and despite what staff says, This deal is a massive subsidy for bezos
endeavor and their lobbyists. Vote no on this boondoggle.
why don't you go next? Just state your name for the record, Please. My name is cascadia.
I live in district ten. Born and raised in austin, I probably am not the most informed person.
I leave the testimony to everyone else here Who has contributed all of the pieces that
we've put together about what this deal is And how egregiously bad it is for us as a
community. And I just want to point out a Couple of things.
first, you're being paid to be here today and Listen to us. And I do appreciate you all being here and Listening. Also,
endeavor is standing to profit from being Here today, but we, the community, Are not being paid to be here.
we are here because this impacts our lives. Okay. We are in a budget deficit as a city, And we are being told by y'all,
we don't have $5 million to fund services for Sexual assault survivors.
we don't have it. We simply don't. But we have $2 billion to give away.
how about you take 5 million back from that Offer and put it toward the services that we
need. You are in a position of power in this Agreement and you are not negotiating as
such. We are an impressive city and this is Impressive land that is extremely valuable.
it does not qualify for a tourist that is a Misuse of the property.
and another thing in our budget that is not Being met is that I know our first responders
are asking for help. We don't have the funds That we need for our ems and for our firefighters. And I'm sorry, But when someone calls for help and we don't
have the staff to show up and help them, They don't. That person is going to die.
they don't have time to wait 45 years for This project to benefit them.
something that will affect our city and our Populace for decades that probably most of
y'all will not outlive, The consequences or benefits of, is something that deserves more than two Months notice.
please postpone this. Please go ahead and Begin.
good afternoon, mayor and council members. My name is bianca guerrero. I am a staff member with beaudet and I'm here Representing district three.
I'm here in strong opposition of items one, 11, 14, and 15, authorizing a tax increment Reinvestment zone for over 2600 acres in the
dog's head. Bend. It's a reckless move.
when our eastern communities are already Facing an active public health and water
safety crisis this entire 2600 acre tract, It sits along the colorado river,
sitting directly above the alluvial aquifer. And this aquifer feeds the drinking water for Austin's colony,
maynor and bastrop. Austin's colony is Already dealing with substandard,
compromised water quality. Ut just published a peer reviewed academic Research that showed lead,
arsenic and other heavy metals above limits. This. The situation is so severe that this Very weekend the city of austin is having to
team up with local partners just to Distribute clean water, clean drinking water, And conduct emergency lead testing for
affected families. People in our community Turn on their tabs with zero confidence.
right now, paving over thousands of acres in The dogs head area will generate massive
amounts of urban runoff, Pushing heavy metals, fertilizers and pollutants straight into the Exact same alluvial aquifer and river
systems. How can we justify pouring millions In public tax initiatives into a massive new
development that will inevitably degrade the Water supply even further?
you cannot build a prosperous future for Austin on top of contaminated water for east
travis county before you subsidize 2600 acres Of new growth,
you must protect the public health and basic Water security of the people already living
here. Vote no on items one, 11, 14 and 15. Thank you. Thank you. I'm catherine o'connor.
I am speaking as a citizen, A native austinite and a landscape architect
who has practiced in our community on civic And institutional projects for over 30 years.
every project, every project that I have Worked on has adhered to to the environmental
criteria manual. But in this agreement with Endeavor,
there are concerning compromises that have Been made. The tree preservation portion of the manual Has always been a a cornerstone of best
practices for austin's environmental health. In fact, we have named our soccer team or Labeled our soccer team with a tree.
the current agreement states that the tree Survey is only applicable to the critical
critical water quality zone. Aerial imagery indicates that at least 92 Acres of tree.
that there are at least 92 acres of tree Communities. Why is this city abolishing these critical Standards for dogs head?
I'm waiting for people to listen. Why is the city not protecting or mitigating Existing site trees?
why is the city waiving its long standing Commitment to protect heritage trees?
it's an egregious mistake. It sets a terrible precedent for similar Waivers in the future.
even with today's amendments, This agreement still remains too much of a
compromise, and I am a very reasonable Person.
more work is to be done. You need to listen to the environmental Commission's recommendations.
400ft back from the high, Whatever you call it,
the. For the river, the turrets. The turrets is your leverage to do this for Us.
carson gilchrist. Are you here?
carson is chris. I mean chris andrews here.
okay. Four minutes con fraser, Kia denson, katie gay and craig
jankowski.
I'd like to begin by ensuring that we have a Quorum. You do? It's an important part of the city Council procedure.
okay. You have one. Good evening, Mayor watson and council members. My name is carson gilchrist, District nine.
I'm here speaking against item number 111. As a law student at texas law.
I know very well how complicated the law can Be, but it is not complicated here under chapter 311 of our texas tax code.
it's hers is an area where future increases In property tax revenue are captured and
redirected, redirected away from the general Fund. That's away from the county, Away from school districts,
and funneled instead into subsidizing a Private development project.
this is not sound community development. It is reaganomics. This increment does not go To the schools that austin's children attend.
it does not go to the fire station that Serves our neighborhoods. It goes to endeavor real estate group, One of the largest private developers in the
state. Put plainly, we have these zones for Areas that are truly desperate for growth.
when people are fleeing town and no developer Wants to be anywhere near the area,
their purpose is not to facilitate growth That would occur anyway.
now, section three, 11.003 of our tax code Sets out the legal standard a but for test.
it is the relevant legal standard that a Municipality must apply in establishing its
hers to grant a ters. It must be impossible For development to occur unless the ters is
granted. That is a threshold question.
when talking about a ters, We're talking about a shell game that is being played to launder taxpayer dollars to Companies like amazon through endeavor as an
intermediary. If the. But for test means Anything at all,
it must mean something here today. Texas has led every state in the country and Population growth.
it has nearly 400,000 new residents in a Single year this past year.
we're talking about 31 million people and Counting. All five of america's fastest growing cities Are here in texas,
businesses are falling over themselves to get Here. I will echo councilman siegel from earlier Today and saying that austin is strong.
we should not sell ourselves short. We just crossed 1 million residents for the First time in our history.
we're the 12th largest city in america, And the bureau of labor statistics says that
we're the number one large metro area in the Country for job growth.
we can zoom in and look directly at the area Around state highway 130 that we're talking
about here today. We have tesla, We have samsung, we have caterpillar, we have applied Materials. They're all already here. The
commercial real estate firm transwestern Reported a 445% increase in industrial space
under construction along this corridor Compared to pre-pandemic levels.
to act as if this but for test will be Failed,
and to say that we don't have sufficient Development right now unless we pay them is
absurd. We're talking about amazon here.
it's hers is like a life raft that is meant To save a drowning economy.
considering the immense growth in this area, We are deciding whether to throw a life raft
to michael phelps as he sets world records at The olympics.
approving this turd is not does not unlock Development. It shifts tax taxpayer dollars away from Local businesses,
away from residential neighborhoods, Away from schools and public safety. It hands them to endeavor and amazon they Would build here anyway.
endeavor has been buying up land in this area For seven years. This is not economic development, Its corporate welfare,
to a gigantic estate developer and one of the Wealthiest companies in human history.
I also want the council to note that bobby Lowinsky of save our springs has submitted a document showing the current site plan for The amazon site,
along with news articles showing that Endeavor has been purchasing properties for seven years. I urge you to vote no on item 111.
thank you. Why don't we go here?
please state your name. Thank you again. My name is katie gay here on behalf of Evergreen austin gathering place in tulsa,
oklahoma, downtown cary park in north Carolina, the riverfront in omaha, Nebraska.
these are three examples of projects that Other cities completed to revitalize an area
and stimulate economic opportunity amidst Green corridors in their cities.
I wanted to share these with you to paint a Picture of the missed opportunity here in dogs head. Each of these sites, Including dogs head,
follows the same cadence. An underutilized or damaged site gains Attention from local players has turned into
something with multiple uses to solve Multiple problems. We have one trillionaire
and at least 13 billionaires in austin. Keeps me up at night thinking how we still Can't seem to fund social services,
sustainable development and green space Properly in this city.
gathering place in tulsa was funded in part By the george kaiser foundation to invest in
their city's future by treating nature like It matters, no matter how urban an area is.
the riverfront in omaha attracts 2.5 million Visitors and $1 billion in economic impacts.
each of these places involves public private Partnerships and allows for businesses alongside green space to be assets for People.
I want that for dogs head, Which has been appraised 17 million. We should think carefully about what visitors Arriving from the austin-bergstrom airport
will see when they enter our city. City manager brodnax also commented at the National greater and greener conference
hosted in austin, saying cities cannot Continue to grow unless their park system
grows along with it. Let's make that happen.
we'll go here. And why don't you state your Name for the record, please? Hi. My name is kaya denson.
I live on carson creek in dogs head, District two.
if the tourist passes, Will there be more opportunities to add amendments? Dogs head currently is Essentially has like,
no impervious cover. As richard suttle has Explained to us previously,
dog's head is like a bowl and they want to Fill it. Well, what do bowls hold water?
and what happens if you fill the bowls with Dirt and cover them in concrete?
the general public doesn't really understand Which regulatory exemptions were given or
why. Myself included. So I want to know, Do you truly understand and feel confident
about the consequences of these exemptions?
money is replaceable, But we can't get back the land and the regulations that we relinquish.
the future regulating plan we supposedly get To be a part of is based on the original
development agreement, Which has all the exemptions. So why should that make us feel any better?
I feel like we're getting run around in Circles and it feels really unnecessary.
I personally would like to know what the Drainage situation is. Because on page two of the preliminary thing,
it shows like 150 wide line going all the way From the middle of the plan down to 183 in
patent lane, which is the carson creek Watershed and a critical floodplain.
what does it mean? How does it work? Because To me, it looks like dumping water right into that area. But I don't know.
all I know is endeavor is allowed to modify The floodplain, and they are exempt from some kind of Drainage criteria.
and neither of those things were included in The amendments you just drafted. So will we
get more if this passes? Are you protecting carson creek in my Property?
until I know more, I cannot say yes to items 11, one, 11, 14, or 15. And it's for these Reasons that you shouldn't either.
thank you. Good afternoon.
council and mayor. My name is craig Jankowski, and I respectfully ask you to support Approving the tears for dogs head.
I'm a 40 year austin resident currently Living in district ten.
worked and raised my family here. I run and hike on the trails and creeks and I Share with many in this room the things that
make austin special. The way we protect our Land and not just develop economic
opportunity. In my work experience in the Years living in austin,
I've seen how important it is to thoughtfully Plan ahead if we want to attract good
planning, good paying employment and retain Our quality of life. I think this dog said project provides a Practical framework to do that.
I trust the city, the city in their way, And I appreciate the fact that this brings
this tract of land out of the county and into The city governance, grow jobs, business and entertainment for Austin citizens while expanding access to
open spaces for our community. As a taxpayer, I love the fact that the tirz Provides a built in funding mechanism for the
infrastructure that the city would otherwise Pay, based on the value that this development Brings to our community.
and it doesn't ask austin taxpayers to pay For that up front. So I appreciate that. I appreciate the idea Of a growth that pays for itself and further
enables funding for critical city services, Which many have talked about today.
there are a couple things that jump out to Me. I appreciate the community calls wanting to Make this agreement better. I appreciate the
prioritization of colorado river trails and Access the preservation of the non-motorized
elements that I read in the agreement. Mitigation and restoration for the impact of Decades of mining.
there's a lot of vague language about working In partnership to deliver both the
affordable, affordable housing that's Committed, plus the additional pieces consistent with Our goals to make austin affordable place to
live, work and play. You have a Responsibility here today to make investments
that preserve and improve our city, To leave our city a little better.
thank you. Thank you. Alexis.
willis. Mariana krueger. Miss krueger, are you here? Okay.
is matthew kennedy here? Yes. And sarah williams.
okay. Miss krueger will have six minutes. Then barbara macarthur.
good afternoon. My name is mariana krueger, And I'm proud to consider you all my friends,
colleagues, and mentors. As a friend, I can see that you all are under An immense amount of pressure,
tasked on this issue with making decisions And forming opinions in a far too short
amount of time, with far too little Information, while facing public scrutiny and private Coercion.
I imagine if I were in your position that I Would be feeling overwhelmed,
anxious, and unsure of whom to trust.
when I'm up against that kind of pressure, I think about my greatest teacher and
inspiration, my father, Bob krueger.
as many of you know, he was the last Democratic congressman to represent the 21st
congressional district. In his first year, the new york times named Him the most influential member of congress,
calling him, quote, the startling new man From texas. He was making strides and earning accolades From his party leadership.
then, in 1975, the extension of the voting Rights act came before congress.
legislation that would expand critical voting Protections for language minorities.
his elders in the delegation said kruger. Don't stick your neck out of line.
you've got a bright future in this party. Just keep your head down on this one.
but above everything else, My father was principled. He broke rank and joined barbara jordan as The only two members of the texas delegation
who voted in favor of its passage.
not only was that the right moral decision, But despite his colleagues warnings,
it was the right political decision. He went on to serve as texas railroad Commissioner,
u.s. Senator and a three time u.s. Ambassador to mexico, Botswana and burundi.
it was during his time as u.s. Ambassador to burundi that he faced some of His toughest challenges.
tensions between hutus and tutsis escalated Into a genocide. And my father became the most outspoken, If not the only diplomatic leader,
calling attention to the atrocities and Demanding international intervention.
he called upon the u.s. State department, president clinton and Chronicled and documented death counts and
maimed bodies himself. He sent memos, made phone calls, Gave press interviews,
and was told, quote, kruger, Don't stick your neck out of line.
this is not how we do business here. It's not as bad as all that.
ultimately, the two leading newspapers in Burundi, led by the oppressive ethnic group, Called for my father's death.
his convoy was ambushed. There was an assassination attempt against Him.
two and his party were killed and several Were wounded. The u.s. State department wanted to evacuate Him from the country,
and he said no. That sends the wrong message.
it says that the united states of america can Be bullied. And if we don't help these people, Who will?
well, we may not be talking about the same Circumstances today. We are talking about power and the courage to Challenge it,
the courage to step out of line to help the People,
the land, the air, the water and the Wildlife.
because if you don't help us, Who will?
you have a choice today. And I do believe it is a career defining, Legacy defining choice at a time when vital
social services are being cut. Do we give taxpayer handouts to multi-million And billion dollar corporations?
do we sacrifice transparency, Public engagement, oversight, and critical labor and Environmental protections.
and if so, in exchange for what? Inevitable workplace violations, Increased flooding,
polluted air and water. Fewer trees and less green space.
more car centered development. No legal assurances of affordable housing.
the answer to me is clear. I hope you have the courage to vote no.
and when you do know that there are legions And legions of people,
myself included, ready to support you and Stand alongside you.
you are not alone, and it is not too late to Achieve a better outcome together.
I believe in you. Thank you.
please begin. Mayor. What's your name, Please.
mayor watson and council members. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. My Name is alexis willis and I am the director
of predevelopment at hunt real estate, Where I lead public private partnerships that turn underutilized land into community Assets.
I've spent my career working alongside cities And counties to build infrastructure, housing and public spaces that genuinely Strengthen communities.
but I'm not here today as a developer. I'm here as your neighbor. We've heard a lot Of concerns today,
and many of them are valid questions about Growth, and the environment and the future of our City deserve thoughtful decisions.
but when you look at the work that's gone Into this process, many of these concerns have actually been Addressed.
this is not a zoning case. This is a development agreement made possible Because the property owner voluntarily chose
to annex this private land into the city of Austin. And that's highly unusual.
and I believe this is an incredible Opportunity for the city. City member council council member siegel Suggested earlier that austin wasn't in a
strong negotiating position, And I respectfully disagree. I commend this council for recognizing the Opportunity to negotiate meaningful public
benefits that simply wouldn't exist if this Property remained outside the city's jurisdiction. We've talked about many of Those benefits today,
restoring land that's been disturbed for Decades, preserving and enhancing the colorado river Corridor,
expanding public spaces to the river, Creating parks and open space,
and the potential for more than six miles of Trails that can one day connect austin's
broader trail system. Those aren't. Those are not incidental benefits.
they are results of deliberate process. I also keep coming back to something that We've heard from speakers on both sides
today. Many people aren't opposed to Development. The real question is how will austin develop?
I know it seems like a lot of people are Against this because of who was able to be here today. But if you look at the total sign Ups in favor of this,
it's 181,386 people in favor and 585 against.
a lot of austinites want this because they See the opportunities and know what can be done responsibly. Thank you for having me and I hope you vote yes.
thank you, miss mcallister.
I'm barbara mcarthur and I'm in district Seven. I'm asking you to not approve the tours.
please be brave. We know how we value Property.
we value property by location. We value property by the entitlements we give That property.
this location is across from tesla. And the development agreement you signed has Given it unencumbered entitlements in many
ways, and also removed a lot of the Environmental protections even in the
beginning of this tour. It says the purpose is to enhance the value Of the real property,
enhance the value of the property for whom? Not for the citizens of austin, Where the majority of the or 75% of the tax
revenue is going to be put back in the Development for the developers.
let me tell you about the census tract where This is occurring. It's census tract 2310.
there are 3251 residents in that census.
even though you might have been told there's Only ten people living there.
I will say the agreement also says they can Extend it.
they can extend it wherever they want to. The average salary of those residents is $36,991,
and it's 89% hispanic.
how many benefits are they going to get from This are just a quick exit.
so my name for the council now, After the way this has proceeded so quickly,
is your logo should be move fast and break Things because what you're breaking is the
east austin community in the environment.
thank you. Thank you. Stefan.
ferris. Stefan. Okay. Is josh lickteig here?
and andy pasztor okay, Six minutes then mark fareth,
jeff mccrory and cilla smith.
please just state your name for the record And begin. Thank you. Mayor pro tem council
members. My name is stephan ferris and I'm a Registered landscape architect,
proud austin resident. And for the past 27 years, My professional life has been dedicated to
the planning, urban design, And stewardship of central texas landscapes.
throughout my career, I've operated at the intersection of conservation and development.
I've worked to protect hundreds of thousands Of acres of land through conservation,
while simultaneously designing thousands of Acres of land to build sustainable
communities. I take great pride in knowing That for every single acre of land I have
planned for development, I've helped put at least 2 to 3 acres into permanent conservation, Open space or public parkland.
one of my specific expertise lies in the Reclamation of quarries and sand and gravel
mines. Because of that experience and Knowledge,
travis county, with technical assistance from The city of austin and lcra and engaged my
team to spearhead a vision plan for the 30,000 acre colorado river corridor
stretching from us 183 to the travis county Line to the east.
I've had a lot of heard a lot of people today Talk about what that plan means,
and I'm here hopefully to shed a little light On that. The experience I had with it leading up to The corridor plan,
the communities in this area were grappling With heavy environmental costs of legacy mining, declining groundwater quality dry Wells,
severe erosion, wind blown debris and roads Degraded by relentless truck traffic.
many of those issues still exist today. The fascinating paradox of these concerns is That the mining companies hadn't encroached,
had not encroached on most of these Communities. These communities had encroached on the Mining.
our region's rapid expansion drove people to The doorstep of our industrial mineral basket
in search of affordable housing or rural Lifestyle, and, of course, the natural beauty of the Colorado river itself.
when we completed the colorado river corridor Plan in 2012,
a staggering 36% of that 3000 acre corridor, Or 11,000 acres,
was owned by mining interests. I'm not sure what the number is today. Historical mines in that austin area gave us
the great lawn at zilker park, The large lagoon at the end of lady bird lake, across from the oracle campus.
and that brings us to dogs head a four square Mile area that is served as a literal mineral
basket of our city. Since the 1930s, For nearly a century,
this land gave its weight so that austin Could grow. When this council unanimously approved the Corridor plan in june of 2012,
the executive summary explicitly anticipated The moment we're at today.
the plan states, and I quote, Once the mining operations are completed,
the land may be repurposed for new community Uses.
large areas of the corridor can thus Transition from mining uses to future
urbanized areas made of schools, Neighborhoods, businesses, and services, All integrated into a network of parks,
green belts and farmland.
I began studying the dog's head in 2017, And today I'm working to help create the
vision plan. If you walk that land right now, you will see the scars of the past are still Present.
we're looking at open quarry pits legacy Windrows from old dragline strip mining,
a severely fractured ecological system, Degraded roadways and an entirely absent
riparian drainage corridor within the Property itself. To name only a few of the issues that exist, This land is not pristine.
it is not a static moment in time to be Protected. It is a degraded industrial site that Desperately needs to be healed.
we have a rare opportunity now to fulfill the Promise of the corridor plan. We can turn these industrial scars into a Vibrant,
mixed use, mixed income community. We can create a new destination for austin, One that balances industry and walkable
neighborhoods connected by parks and trails, One that restores missing riparian corridors
for wildlife, solves regional mobility Issues, and brings grocery stores, Health care, and schools to community that
has long been left behind. But standard development tools cannot fix 90 Years of heavy industrial mining.
the sheer scale of the ecological Degradation, the infrastructure deficit and the erosion Control required on this site is immense.
we cannot expect typical private development To absorb the cost of reclaiming a century's
worth of mining impact. That is precisely why we need the terriers For the dog's head.
the terse is the exact mechanism designed for This challenge.
it allows the city to leverage the future Value by creating this project to fund the
massive foundational public infrastructure And environmental restoration required today,
without affecting the general fund by Approving this tours. You're not just approving a project, You're choosing to heal a degraded landscape
and turn austin's historical mineral basket Into a resilient public asset for the next
century. Thank you. Sir.
good afternoon, mayor watson and city council Members. My name is jeff mccreary, And I've proudly called austin home for about
40 years now. Currently in district eight, And I'm here to express my support of the dog
centers growing up here. It gives you a certain perspective, And I've watched austin grow from a much
smaller city into one of the most dynamic Communities in the country. Not every change has been easy, But I've also seen how thoughtful investment
has helped make austin the city so many of us Love today.
I've also watched some of the same groups Oppose project after project over the years,
often arguing that growth always comes at too Great a cost.
I respectfully disagree with them. I've learned that thoughtful growth and Environmental stewardship don't have to be at
odds with one another. When we carefully plan and hold projects to High standards,
we can create jobs and opportunities for Residents while enhancing the natural beauty
of our city in a way that benefits all of us. Austin isn't standing still.
our city continues to grow. The question isn't whether growth happens. The question is whether we shape that growth Responsibly.
that's why I support the dog's head tours. This project takes land that's been used for Industrial purposes for decades and creates
something better. This would also create a Much needed and new tax base to help support
public services. Our growing city depends on. To me, that's responsible growth and as a Father,
I want to. I want future generations to Inherit a city that continues to embrace common sense solutions and protects the Things that make austin special.
I believe this project reflects that balance, and I ask you for your support. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, Ma'am.
good evening, mayor and city council members. My name is sheila smith and I'm a eighth District district eight austin resident and a
proud grandmother. I don't usually come to City halls to speak,
but I felt this project was important enough That I wanted to share my thoughts.
as a grandmother, I spent a lot of time Thinking about the future.
I want my grandchildren to grow up in a city Where they can find good jobs,
afford a home, and enjoy the same quality of Life that has made austin such a special
place to live. When I look at this project, I see opportunities for families and for my
grandchildren. I see jobs for people who need Them.
I see much needed housing. I see parks, trails and open spaces where Families can spend time together.
I see new tax revenue that helps support the Public services our community depends on.
austin has changed over the years and I know It will continue to grow.
my hope is that we choose projects that help Our city grow responsibly while creating
opportunities for future generations.
I truly support the dog's head project Because I believe it benefits not just
today's residents, but tomorrow's as well.
thank you for your time and I respectfully Ask for your support.
thank you again. Thank you.
lou. Pescetto. David. Sides.
david, are you here? Yes. Is david ross here? Yes.
okay. David sachse gets four minutes. Chris gannon. Shane johnson and nia shaw.
sir, why don't you begin? Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
my name is lou pescetto. I am presently employed by one of the Airlines here in austin as a customer service
agent. So I am somewhat familiar with this Area as I commute back and forth to work.
I am also a resident of district number Eight.
and I thank you for the opportunity to voice My opinion regarding the future plans for
this dog's heads project. I look forward for the project being Approved.
we have at hand investors who, Hoo!
see? Tremendous potential not only for their Business, but also for the entire city and state.
after all, austin is the capital of texas. Let's be that this this project is the future Of austin.
we have at hand numerous career opportunities For many of our college students and grads in
the area, as well as those of a variety of Different construction and other trades.
the project also provides residential Communities as well as riverfront parks and
trails. This is something every family wants.
I respectfully ask for your support in the Dog's head project and let's continue to make
austin great. Thank you. Thank you sir. Yes, sir.
I believe you have four minutes. Good afternoon sir. You're not on?
it's not on. I think maybe you are now.
it is on. It is. Okay. Good afternoon, mayor and council members.
my name is david sides. My family has lived on our dog's head Property since 1979.
while many of today's speakers live around The edges of the dog head. My family lives in the heart of the proposed Development area.
for nearly 47 years, we've been one of the Very few families to call this place home.
living here has never been easy. We provide our own water, Our own sewer, our own trash service,
and our own internet because city utilities Have never reached us.
yet we stay because we love living in the Dogs head. The name dog's head was actually coined by my Father,
william sides, in 1979, After he looked at an aerial photograph and
noticed the shape of the river around the Property. Since then, I have believed that this land Was something special.
for almost five decades, I've hoped that if it were ever developed, it would be through a thoughtful master plan,
not through piecemeal, Unplanned growth, but instead through a
vision worthy of its unique location and Potential. Over those years, I've watched this property Be mined,
disturbed, and used for a variety of Industrial purposes.
I've lived through the dust, The heavy equipment, the trespassing, and the challenges that have come along with An area that has never had a comprehensive
vision. In my opinion, The only question isn't whether this land
will eventually change. The question is, does that change happen Through a carefully planned community or
through continued uncoordinated development? Like many of my neighbors living around the Periphery of this development,
I have questions and I believe those Questions deserve thoughtful answers.
supporting this project does not mean every Question has already been answered.
it means allowing the planning process to Continue so those answers can be developed in
a transparent and responsible way. Over the last several years, I've had the opportunity to get to know the
people at endeavor. I found them to be open, Responsive, and willing to listen.
more importantly, I have watched them spend Years studying and carefully reclaiming land
that, for the most part, Was mined out decades ago. Their actions, not simply their words, Have given me confidence that they genuinely
want to create something exceptional here. I also believe this project represents a Tremendous opportunity for the city of
austin. Endeavor did not have to partner with The city of austin,
but they chose to do so. As austin continues to grow and faces Increasing demands on its infrastructure and
public services funding. I believe, responsible development that Expands the tax base and creates long term
economic opportunity is important for Austin's future.
for nearly half a century, I've watched this land and wondered what it
could become. Today, for the first time, I believe that vision is within reach.
I respectfully ask you to approve the tax Increment reinvestment zone and allow this
project to continue moving forward. I truly believe that the dog's head has the Potential to become a crown jewel for the
city of austin, a place that future Generations will be proud to call part of
their community. Thank you for your time and Consideration.
thank you sir. Please just state your name For the record.
yes. Good afternoon. My name is nihar shah And I'm here as a concerned resident of
district three. Happy birthday, Council member velasquez. I'm one of the tech workers who moved to Austin ten years ago.
I work in tech. I don't own a car. I rely on transit. So I just want to say this Is not a yimby versus nimby conversation.
this is, quite frankly, A public interest versus corporation handout
conversation. I want you to reject this terms Because one,
it is not a good deal. And second, this is your last negotiating Chip to get better amendments passed in the
future. What we all witnessed here in the Last, I don't know, 4 or 5 hours, Especially with the amendments discussion,
was honestly a little terrifying. And clearly more work needs to be done on This deal.
and also, may I remind you that none of us Would have to be here this long if you all
hadn't rushed into the agreement on may 22nd. That caught everyone, Seemingly yourselves as well,
unaware. You know, there's a saying that my Dad likes to say called with friends like
these, you don't need enemies. I kind of feel like austin's in that kind of Relationship with the endeavor group.
I can't stop thinking about the comment mr. Richard made earlier about how this is a Bombed out mine pit,
and it almost reminds the same kind of Cartoon villain that we're seeing from a federal government when they earlier removed Protections on national parks in utah and
dismissed it as like, Well, no one lives there. No one could really walk there. Is this really happening in austin as well?
so I ask you to vote with your values. The values that represent austin represent All of us here in austin who love this city
and show some respect to public, Public people here who are taking time out
from their lives, from their jobs, From responsibilities to have you do the
right thing. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Patrick rose.
patrick, are you here? Is briggs mitchell Here?
okay. You all have four minutes, Then. Jerry. Wheat. Richard jarnigan.
stacy. Smith. And dan foster.
mr.. Rose. Take it away. Thank you. Good afternoon, Mayor and council. My name is patrick rose. I
office here in austin and my family and I Live south of here in san marcos.
I greatly respect your individual and Collective service, and it's my honor to be here in support of Dogshit.
while these comments are made in my personal Capacity, I bring several perspectives that inform my Wholehearted support of this generationally
significant project. First, I support dogshit as an active volunteer and
contributor to the region's economic Development efforts. The jobs and quality of place that will be Created are once in a lifetime in nature.
second, I support dogshit. As the former chair of the austin airport Advisory commission.
the proximity of this project to our world Class international airport is
extraordinarily impactful. Third, I support dogshit as a believer in Transit and founding board chair of transit
forward. This will provide such connectivity Across the east side of austin and travis
county. For our friends at capital metro and Perhaps atp.
and fourth, I support dogshit as an active Parks and trails infrastructure volunteer and
board member of the great springs project. This presents a tremendous opportunity from a Trail connectivity and colorado river access
standpoint. While these perspectives are Important to our community,
I want to focus the balance of my remarks on Something that might seem less outwardly
related to the project. The tremendous impact dogs head will have on The city of austin's ability to increase
services to those most in need over $570 Million in net new tax revenue to the city
over the next 35 years. That is a game changing number.
as some of you know, I used to serve as chair Of the human services committee in the texas
house. This service shaped my understanding Of the importance of early childhood
education, mental health services, The chip program, and so many other issues that because the State underinvested in these priorities,
cities and counties are left as the safety Net.
important to note the city clerk has Confirmed that those who registered in favor
of the dog's head package of items today Outnumber those who oppose them by 2.3 times.
city clerk confirmed 1386 comments in favor Registered in favor 585 against.
why a city sponsored tours? Because tours funded public infrastructure Equals greater density,
which equals greater. Which equals increased Tax revenue,
which equals better funding for the social Services that are so important to our
community. I appreciate your consideration And I very much appreciate your service.
thank you. There you go.
council mayor. My name is dan foster. I'm district nine. I want to thank you for Hearing me out on the dog's head.
I'm here to support it. I, you know, as I've said here today, I'm reminded of the diversity of opinions we
have in our community. And that's a strength Of boston. And I think for me, when you think about how Things go forward,
the one thing I've learned in my life is that All of our opinions are informed by our
experiences and I have experiences related Specifically to dogs head.
I early on, when I was a baby lawyer, I had a matter that allowed me to tour this
entire property, and I remember going out There and thinking at the time,
wow, what are these families ever going to do With this property?
it's as if all it did was hold the world Together with all the mining pits.
and then in subsequent years, I had the good fortune of representing two
wonderful ladies who had inherited some of The land out there.
and it was one thing after another that I had To take care of for them.
it was difficult. The land was filled pits And they didn't know what to do with it,
and it came with a whole bunch of issues. And so when I think about the opportunity That's sitting in front of you,
I think what a great, Amazing chance to do something wonderful for
this area. And when you look at it, If you think about the individual things that
we've been talking about today, They don't seem that controversial.
if you went out on the street and asked Someone, would they like to have hundreds of acres of New parks with trails along the river in
places that were previously inaccessible to The public? The answer would be, of course, If you said,
would you like to have new housing in our City that's so desperately needs new housing,
the answer would be yes. So I vote. I urge you to vote yes. Appreciate you. Thank you.
please. Yes. Hello, this is jerry wheat.
I just want to start off by saying if housing And parks were actually in the tours,
then that would be great, But it doesn't seem like they are.
all amazon. One of the largest corporate Empires in history,
1.6 million employees, Many hundreds of warehouses,
hundreds of millions of square feet of Industrial property, the largest cloud computing platform on Earth,
and nearing a million robots by no means a Struggling business endeavor.
one of the largest private real estate Developers in texas. The company behind some of austin's biggest Commercial developments.
a well-established business with billions of Dollars in projects and decades of experience. Between one of the world's most Powerful corporations and one of texas
largest developers, I simply cannot justify Asking taxpayers of austin to help carry the
cost of their private development.
I understand this agreement reimburses Infrastructure costs, not corporate operating expenses.
but we're still committing hundreds of Millions of dollars in future public tax revenue to lower the cost of a private Development in hopes of attracting one of the
wealthiest corporations in the world.
austin has set a dangerous precedent, Allowing some of the world's largest
corporations to dangle the promise of Development in exchange for valuable public
resources. We have done it before with tesla, and here we are doing it again.
I moved here because it is the live music Capital of the world,
and because of catering to the interests of Billionaires, it is becoming increasingly difficult to Support yourself as a musician in this city.
yet the title remains. What will you call it when no one can afford To play music here?
austin. Where live music died in the interest Of shareholders. Thank you. Gary merritt.
cameron. Shaw. Cameron, Are you here?
cameron. Oh, I think I see him coming in. Is miss ramos here? Okay, Then.
just the two minutes. Jeremy martin, Bobby levinski,
and gary farmer.
please, just state your state. Your name? Yes. Thank you.
mayor and council member. My name is gary Merritt. I live in d seven. I am the ceo of great Springs project,
and I'm here today to talk about the lower Colorado river trail. Great springs project is a nonprofit that Protects the natural resources and iconic
springs from austin to san antonio, And is delivering a 100 plus mile hike and
bike trail that connects barton springs was San marcos springs,
comal springs and san antonio springs, Anchored by the alamo and the texas capitol.
we work closely with staff and electeds from Five counties and 12 cities,
along with dozens of conservation, Trail and civic nonprofits.
the business community and literally hundreds Of private landowners.
at every step, our imperative is to deliver The transportation, recreation and conservation, Excuse me, conservation benefits that the
community is asking for. The lower colorado river trail is exactly That type of project.
this trail extension from longhorn dam Downstream to almost the bastrop county line,
will provide important connections for the Recreation and transportation infrastructure in east and southeast austin.
some pieces of that infrastructure exist now, and some are on the way, And the trail through the dog's head and
other developments will be a connector and a Catalyst for this extensive trail network.
great springs project is currently engaged in A big stakeholder initiative for the lower
colorado, called the rap water restoration And access plan,
that is exploring how trail connectivity Along the river can help protect the river.
this trail will also support the great work And investment by the city of austin and travis county on onion creek for both Recreation and flood mitigation,
and the work being done on gilleland creek as Development continues in that watershed.
to conclude, we are grateful for the Commitment for connected trail and protection for the colorado river that will be provided By this project.
thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you. Yes, sir. Why don't you go ahead?
hello, mayor and council. And I'd like to point out that everyone Speaking for this item,
most of us, we all want those same things. We all want trails. We all want parks.
we all want development of some sort. We want housing. We want schools. We want libraries. We want the city to make Money on taxes.
we want the developer to make money on their Investments. We're not here to fight that. We're here to fight the way that this is Happening and the timeline that this is
happening on. Growing up, I saw a river die.
my family is from out in west texas, And every year or two we'd go out back out there and and look at the pecos river.
a couple hundred years ago, It was 100ft wide and ten feet deep, and you had to go miles to find a place to Cross it.
and that land is still in my family today. That river is ten feet wide, Ten inches deep,
and is a salty, sludgy brine. That whole region has dried out and died.
okay, so listen, like if you come.
yeah. So there was a minute. What happened to it? Many, Many things. And it takes a lot to kill a
river. And living in texas, There's also comanche springs, five hours west of here.
had triple the flow rate of barton springs. And that was killed by a single rancher who Tapped it and sold the hold the water.
living in austin, we protected barton springs In the 90s.
we recognized that we needed to study the Hydrological system and protect it.
okay. And a long dog's head. The river is fed by an alluvial aquifer.
there are dozens of seeps and springs all Along that 6.5 mile length of the river.
we have not studied how much of the surface Flow comes from underneath dog's head.
we need to study the system before we build On it. The river is fed by it.
it is a shallow water bearing formation that Does not exist in austin or does not exist in
texas very often. The river is a gift, Not a promise. Please protect it. Thank you sir.
are you? Good afternoon, Mayor council.
my name is jeremy martin. I am president of the austin chamber of Commerce and a resident of district nine.
I am in favor of proceeding with the dog's Head, because adopting the tax increment Reinvestment zone,
along with the development agreement, Will allow the city of austin to partner with
other jurisdictions to shape austin's future And move forward with a generational
investment that will create new employment Centers, that will connect austinites to new jobs and Career paths,
and create opportunities for desperately Needed housing options, and expand services where they need, Where they're needed most.
through this hers, you can ensure a higher Standard of development and quality infrastructure that will serve austinites for Many years to come.
please vote yes. Thank you for your time. Thank you sir. Mr.. Mayor.
council, thank you very much for your Service. My name is gary farmer. I'm a 51 year resident of austin and I live In district eight.
I am here because in the 1990s, The environmental community and the
development community came together in a city Sponsored process to solve the riddle of
where development should be encouraged and Where it should be discouraged.
that process was arduous, Passionate, difficult, but ultimately, people of good faith on both Sides.
environmental side and development side came Up with a framework that the city adopted.
that framework yielded the drinking water Protection zone, where development should be discouraged, And the desired development zone where
development should be encouraged. Dog head sits in the desired development Zone.
that area was used, abused, And abandoned in an era long gone.
we would never allow to happen today. What happened then? But even though the.
the land set in the desired development zone. No one stepped forward.
to my knowledge, endeavor is the first group With the courage,
the vision, the experience and the expertise To put this together for the citizenry of
austin. This. They want to repair, Restore, and rejuvenate an area where our
families can live, work and play. This is not a developer giveaway.
this is a reimbursement. The tours will reimburse. Endeavor accepts all the risk and if the Development does not produce the tax base and
the tax receipts, then they'll never get Reimbursed. We need to grow our tax base, Not raise our tax rates.
we have an opportunity here to create jobs For families.
return for taxpayers will support the Citizens who need services in this growing
dynamic city. I urge your support of this Item and I thank you for your time.
thank you sir. Gina fuentes.
is david daniel low. Melissa hernandez and Roy whaley.
if your name has been called, Please come forward if you want to be heard.
hi, I'm daniel low. You should have received In your inbox some supporting graphics.
I live adjacent to the dog's head in the area Bound by hergatz and thompson streets.
historically, this was a freedmen's Neighborhood. Many of my neighbors are still descendants of The burdett and tannehill plantations,
and it remains one of the oldest, Most socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods
in the city. The dogs had. Roadway plan will cut this neighborhood in Two.
in the. And in the process, Displaced many of my neighbors.
the montopolis extension, Reminiscent of the I-35 corridor that
separated east austin will be six lanes wide And 154ft wide.
most frustrating for us is when we met with The developer. They claimed the proposed roadway map was What the city wanted.
we met when we then met with the city's Transportation department. They said no, this is what the developer Provided to them.
so now we're stuck in this endless roundabout That nobody's willing to stand up and accept
responsibility for this map. In light of this, we made our own roadway map And submitted it to the transportation
department, one that removes the montopolis Extension and proposes patent lane,
which is land owned by the developer as a Main arterial connector in and out of the
dog's head. Logistically, This also makes the most sense as it lies at
the 18371 intersection. So if the dogs had anti-displacement, Efforts espoused by this council are genuine,
then rerouting the montopolis extension Should be at the top of the to do list.
this is currently the biggest concern for our Neighborhood. We've been working with council member Velasquez,
but we'll need support from more of you to Ensure we aren't literally run over by this
development. Please pump the brakes on the Dog head tours.
we'll go to you. Please just state your name For the record.
buenas tardes. I'm like, I already forgot what time it is right now. I've been here forever, But my name is melissa hernandez.
I am a native austinite born and raised in Montopolis. 78741. Jose isn't here, But happy birthday jose.
I'm all about celebrating people in life. So it's been a long day.
this is my first time here talking to y'all And I'm probably going to cry.
it's okay. I this is, As susana almanza said earlier,
this is a continuation of the 1928 master Plan. You already put it on the bob bullock museum.
it's on the last floor. And I was like, oh, wow. Amazing. So this is I don't know why it's There because we continue to do y'all
continue to do things without the community's Consent without coming out and talking to the
residents. There is a four fourth generation Disabled veteran who lives on her god's lane.
that's that's my daughter's great Grandfather.
and he is not aware of, He was not aware of this as all the other
community on her guts was not he's currently Fighting cancer stage four.
my daughter grew up in his house, You know I want her to be able to spend her
time there later in her years. And I urge you to vote no if you can see the Difference between the people voting yes and
the people voting no. Y'all are not even in District three.
that's it. Thank you. Mr.
jabbour, good evening. Good evening. My name is david jabbour, And I'm the owner of a third generation
family business that's called austin home for Generations.
I'm also chair elect of the austin chamber of Commerce. I live in district ten and do business in Each council member district.
my family has watched all austin evolve over The decades.
we've seen tremendous change, But we've also seen something else.
when the community plans thoughtfully and Invests in the future,
austin becomes stronger. To me, that's what today's vote is about.
it's about making sure austin continues to Grow in a way that creates opportunity while
protecting the qualities that make this city Special.
what I appreciate is about the project is That it looks beyond the property itself.
it creates jobs and investment while Restoring land that has already been
disturbed. It expands public access to the Colorado river,
invests in infrastructure, And helps generate the tax base that supports
parks and other community priorities. As someone who helps lead a family business That's been here for three plus generations,
I think a lot about the future. I want austin to remain a city where Businesses choose to invest,
where people can build careers, And where the next generation has the same
opportunities my family has found here. I believe that projects like dogshit help us Move in that direction.
I respectfully ask your support.
mr. Whaley. Howdy, y'all. Roy whaley, still long time environmental Activist.
I have to question some of these numbers About the supporters.
how many of these supporters work for Endeavor? How many of them work for richard?
how many of them even live in austin? How many of them are children?
okay. They got all of their employees to sign Up. I don't know if they got a free turkey out of The deal or what,
but I think those numbers are bogus and the People that care are here speaking.
they didn't sign up and keep working. The people that care are here and they're Speaking.
so that's that's one of my first big beefs Right there.
I, I really want to push again on.
oh my gosh, this is overwhelming. Anyway. Council member lane, I appreciate you and respect you.
but again, this is this is not your district.
you know, I know you're here to serve all of Austin, but this is not your district.
I would wish everyone would listen to the People in the district.
council member velazquez. You know what I'm talking about. I've walked with you, Marched with you, planted with you.
I hope you're going to do the right thing and Say no. You know, in 1849 at sutter's mill in California,
they didn't have to offer money to get people To come. There was a gold rush.
everyone keeps talking about austin and the Gold rush. We don't have to offer welcome.
I don't have anything against this business. Welcome. Come on in. But pay your own bills.
don't ask me to pay for you to come here. And I. You know the tax increment thing.
most people don't understand that. I think there are people on the dais that Don't truly understand it.
thank you, mr. Whaley. People are going to be paying attention in November.
thank you. Mr.. Thank you. And for the record, jane doe still hadn't Shown up.
next set of speakers is catherine brown, Ali hoffman,
greg anderson, kim vasquez, And zenobia joseph,
please come forward. If your name has been Called and you want to be heard.
mr. Anderson, we'll start with you and we'll Work our way down. Yes, sir. Thank you. Mayor. Good evening, Mayor.
council. My name is greg anderson, And I live in a terrace. I got to say, this is great to see so many New faces in the audience.
I first snuck on to the dog's head as a Teenager, remembering just why such a massive mine.
a mine, could be located right on, Right in the middle of the city, right next to just the incredible colorado River and minutes from downtown.
the riverfront is beautiful here, And this is our chance to protect it and to make sure that it's accessible to more Austinites.
please don't lose sight of what's what. A no vote means here. It doesn't mean Preserving untouched nature.
this is a century old mine. It means austin could lose the chance to Shape thousands of homes.
parks, 6.5 miles of waterfront protections, Mobility improvements,
water quality investments and long term Affordability. A tours isn't a giveaway.
it reinvests future tax growth from this area Into public infrastructure that austin will
own. I know it isn't an easy vote, And some of you may hear criticism either
way, but that's why we elect you to balance Housing, the environment, transportation, Jobs, creation of tax base and austin's long
term future. Opportunities like this are Rare, and I hope you'll vote yes.
thank you all. Thank you. Please just state your name for the record. Yes.
hi. Good evening council. My name is ollie hoffman.
I am here in opposition to the dog's head Development.
my biggest concern really is transparency. I'm not anti-development, But endeavor really lost my trust with the
the bombed out mine pit comment they made Earlier.
because I played in the dog's head, Like you as a young person.
and I remember, you know, Swimming, fishing you know, getting mustang grapes and stuff like that.
and it definitely wasn't a bombed out mine Pit. So why would a deal that is good for austin Be shrouded in lies like this ndas last
minute hearings, secret votes. Why vote before people who've signed up for Items 14 and 15 have had a chance to make
their voice heard. That's low.
why give endeavor veto power to contradict The city council that we elected?
t.c. Gets paid literally like five, 25 times what I do.
and he has shown up to less meetings about Dog's head than I have.
at least the meetings were being told about Which we were giving, given a two day heads up for, By the way I also resent the false dichotomy,
being presented that is either more Infrastructure and we roll over for endeavor completely, or we delay the deal and get no Infrastructure for the area.
I find this false choice particularly Ridiculous, because if the turs is approved, The only infrastructure being funded will be
for amazon's benefit, Not ours. Delay this deal so that there can be proper Democratic oversight over whatever happens at
dogshit, please. This is supposed to be a Democracy. I don't expect everything to go my way every Time,
but I feel patronized by this council. And there needs to be a serious reevaluation Of the processes that led us to this point.
this experience has made me actually prefer The commissioners court, which is crazy. So please delay.
thanks. Please begin. Hi, Catherine brown.
I live in district nine. However, my father's house is on hergatz Lane.
I've had it in our family for over 30 years, And I've been in this city for almost 60
years now. I think over 60 years.
what I guess, you know, I've spoken to you numerous times about not
just the public health issue, But I think really about getting independent
evidence and opinions on the development Itself. We even heard today, for example, During the amendment process,
this complete confusion about how much of the Land was truly in the riparian zone.
and instead of thinking, Well, let's go to an independent person,
an expert who could tell us the ask was to The developer.
and this was very frustrating, You know because I feel like what we need
here to actually move forward on both sides Is,
is some objective evidence, Some independent an objective assessments of
what really is going on here. Both, I say from the environmental side, But also from the ecological,
from the human side. It's not clear to me, For example, as a resident there, that engagement spending Money on engagement fund is really going to
prevent displacement and gentrification. I've lived through that in east austin, And just an engagement group doesn't seem to
have that sort of agency when it comes to What really might happen in the future.
here we hear on one side about what sounds Like dogs had like almost a dream land for
some people and then for others, You know, they're concerned is, well, what about the impact on the local Environment,
on my home, on flooding? And yet all we hear is speculation or Description,
but no real numbers, no real models, No real data to back up either side.
I think what we need is an independent Assessment so we know where we're going.
thank you. Please just state your name for The record.
yes. Hi. Good. Good evening. My name is kim vasquez. I am in district three, And I do live adjacent to the dog's head
along hergatz lane neighborhood, And I am. I oppose the items on today's agenda.
that's all related to the dog's head and the Tears. Creation. So I request that the tears Creation be delayed until a full engagement.
community engagement has been has has gone Through the process. That includes the planning commission, Urban transportation commission and the
environmental commission. To understand more like how does the city Determine that the development or
redevelopment will likely not occur through Private investment alone in a reasonably
foreseeable future time frame for this Creation or this reinvestment zone to be
created? The developer has repeatedly told Our neighborhood that there are no plans that
they have right now that are not in the near Future, that it may take many years before this Happens,
before development happens. The development agreement allows for up to 45 Years to complete open space commitment.
mind you, open space, Not parkland. Also 15 years to complete trail easements Commitment.
is this within reasonably foreseeable future? It requires timeline for.
it does not require timeline for housing if That's for development.
if housing is not guaranteed, Then how would affordable development
affordable housing development be met? Is this within the reasonably foreseeable Future that that we are trying to create this
reinvestment zone? So neither the neither the Development agreement nor trs plans addresses
the impacts of the environment and the Communities, including the adjacent communities that I Live on.
despite the developer calling this blighted Or bombed out mining pits. This is a river corridor with pristine water Quality that we live there.
we see it. We are in the waters and abundant Wildlife species.
there's protection needed for. Thank you, thank you, Thank you, thank you.
brad. Massingill. Ben. Livingston. Robin. Robin.
rather. Aaron. Gonzalez. Jennifer. Barnes.
mr.. Massingill, we'll start with you. Please.
when I was here before at the work session, I, I, I mentioned to you all about robstown, Texas,
in nueces county where the tesla plant there Within a month of being open,
got busted by some county employees for Leaking some unknown substance out into the
environment. The whole problems compounded by The fact that drainage permits,
at least in this case, Are a state issue. And the county was not advised.
what kind of things could be dumped or not Dumped? So there was no the two things didn't Connect.
a loophole that left a dump dumping Situation.
that's really critical. And when we're talking about a robot factory Out here,
we're talking about some ground penetrating Chemicals that are out there that are known
to create toxic plumes. These things like tce, You know, they get in the ground and they
penetrate and they bubble back up and forth Before they're there in such locked down
fashion that they can't be removed easily. These are the types of chemicals that are Involved in this when we're talking about an
alluvial floodplain. That doesn't mean that Water just comes over it.
it means that water is coming up from Underneath it, rising in and falling with the water table.
it's it's kind of breathing. So when we're talking about drawing these Things down into the,
well, water of bastrop down all everything Downtown,
I mean, downstream, this is something that Y'all wouldn't be able to do 2 or 3 years ago
when the epa was in, in effect, Y'all are taking advantage of of the current
federal administration to bend rules that you Couldn't have meant before.
and I think y'all need to do a little soul Searching. And, and I really want to thank jose for Standing up.
thank you, miss brethren. First of all, I want to say to council member Fuentes if she's watching,
and I hope she's not, That we're thinking of you and we miss you and our heart is with your family.
I also want to say happy birthday to jose and Mike siegel. That is the single best speech I've ever seen In this house,
and I've been coming here for 30 years. Thank you for saying everything that the Community is thinking,
and thank you for standing up for us. You all are in a tough spot because austin is A world class city,
and we need a world class economic Development strategy and implementation.
but this is not a world class deal. You guys deserve a world class deal.
you can't have a world class deal with zero Environmental analysis,
zero flood mitigation analysis, Zero climate mitigation analysis,
zero environmental racism analysis. If you can't understand the depth of why People are so frustrated about this.
it's because we could have had we should have A world class deal.
you can't sit on sit in this room yesterday And talk about cutting social services,
and today talk about giving a huge corporate Advantage to the world's biggest company,
the world's biggest billionaire and the top Developer who who's so much more capable than
this. You guys cannot do this. You please don't do it.
I really am asking you. Austin needs you to hold a much higher Standard.
get us a world class deal, And we'll come down here and cheer for you.
don't do it like this. Please don't do it like this.
I mayor council. I'm asking you to vote no. Or at least postpone this item until well Into 2027.
we've been told that this project gives no Tax breaks, no tax incentives. But when the land value is Frozen at $17 million for 45 years,
I'm having a hard time understanding how both The developer and the proposed tenants of
this property don't benefit from that. I'm concerned that rushed, Opaque process may become the norm for
companies like this. I'm deeply concerned at The impact that we're actively entering into
an agreement, knowing that tenants like Amazon robotics and their strategic partners,
tesla, that they're having already on our Water supply at the time when data center
companies are seeing texas's open season, If we're willing to scrap environmental protections now that endanger people's Drinking water,
flood safety. What does this say to other Billionaires that say austin is open to
exploitation? What will be on the chopping Block next?
we're told how many jobs this will create What we're actively thinking about.
you know, while we're actively thinking about Making social service cuts, school closures are ongoing. The public has received Inadequate proof that this will bring in new
money when the tax is frozen. What to me, this is saying is that residents In the surrounding areas across the city are
going to be picking up the tab. This is going To be raising displacement, concerns of areas, proximity and proximity to The tours,
people that would be contributing taxes to This city if they were not included in this
zone is how I'm seeing it. Ultimately, this benefit comes at a time when I have to ask you this,
you know, where's the tax relief for small And medium sized business owners? That's right. This year alone, Across the united states,
small businesses have comprised 96% of the Net jobs created in this country.
I think ultimately, when we invest in those That's going to make our in our city a lot
more resistant to. Council.
mayor. Ben livingston, Longtime taxpayer and voter from district
five. I agree with every word that robin Said. And mr. Siegel, that was a terrific speech.
I like you better. I wouldn't vote for you Still, but I do like you better.
I'm speaking against item 1415 and 111 Because this ordinance creates the tax
increment reinvestment zone that makes the Dog's head project possible.
the agenda says this item has no fiscal Impact. That may be true today, But that's not the whole story.
aye ters is the financing mechanism that Redirects future tax revenue away from
general city services and towards a single Development. Once this framework is in place, The public has already lost much of its
leverage. This project covers more than 2600 Acres and over six miles of the colorado
river frontage. We now know that amazon is at The center of this development before
creating a special tax district. The public deserves complete transparency About why one of the wealthiest corporations
in the whole wide world needs this kind of a Public assistance.
assistance. History should make you very Cautious.
when amazon searched for hq, Two cities entered a bidding war offering
billions in public incentives. The result was a race to the bottom, With taxpayers asked to shoulder the risk
while amazon raped. Whoops. Reaped the benefits. Austin shouldn't repeat That mistake unless you can clearly show us.
taxpayers will receive. We will receive more value than if those Future tax dollars were invested in parks,
flood protection, public safety, Libraries and transportation that benefit
everyone. I also want to address the claim That the city was outbid when it had the
opportunity to acquire the important Riverfront property.
yes. What part of this do you not understand?
my name is jennifer barnes and I am a Resident of the austin etj,
just north of district seven. I'm here today to state that as an austin, Etj resident,
when I learned about the process through Which the annexation of the dogs had
happened, I was horrified.
until this went ahead. The people, The dogs and I had more in common politically in travis county than we do with the city.
the utter lack of transparency, The how poorly informed the residents were,
if at all, before the annexation happened. These people's rights were violated.
and in some ways, the people, The etj rights are being violated anytime
that the city goes ahead with this, Especially when it is.
in the name of a corporate development that Is not going to help or improve the lives of
the people who live there already.
if you if you didn't get a. Get it already. I am against approving of the Terms.
there's no good reason to move forward with Approving it and creating this tax district.
it's not needed for development to element to Happen. It's a misuse of an economic tool to
wave a coupon at amazon.
you know, and I've heard that amazon claims They're looking at another city.
if they want to go somewhere else, Let them be someone else's problem. Because anywhere that amazon's facilities go,
whether it's a warehouse or a robotics Facility, they are a problem. Yes, I live up near pflugerville,
and we know. We know that personally in Pflugerville, where they they built before we got we got Their tax incentives.
they didn't need them. They didn't really Care about them. There were no there were no
requirements for what people were going to be Paid. People who work there do not live in pflugerville because they can't afford it off Of what amazon pays them.
thank you very much. I'm going to call the Last three speakers.
we have julia sakura, Kiba white and heather bunker.
are any of you all here?
why don't we start with you, And we'll go this way. So please begin. My name is julia sikora, And I'm a resident of district two.
I'm asking the council to vote no on item 111. Austin has become a hub for development.
we've all seen the city change, And change is inevitable. But the development of dog's head is a change For the worse.
thank you. By choice, Texas operates on an isolated power grid,
which has caused devastating losses for its Residents. How much energy will be needed for the Development of this land and when the
development is completed, How much of our resources will be drained by
the corporations there. We learned this week that amazon will be one Of the clients in this development deal.
when we look at the dog's head tirz, It is clear that a $2 billion tax incentive
is not needed because in 2025, Amazon's gross profit was $360 billion after
paying all of their employees and expenses. So amazon and the other billion dollar Companies in this deal do not need a tax
incentive or reimbursement, As mr. Suttle put it. If if you were getting paid by The parties that benefit,
maybe you could afford to prioritize the Needs of corporations over the people that
live here. But austinites cannot afford to Pay an extra $2 billion in taxes.
the the city represented by this council is Made up of people,
not corporations. And it is your Responsibility to serve our needs.
what we need are social services, Public transportation, low cost housing, and environmental Regulations that keep us safe.
your community does not need land development Along the colorado river that has been
approved with reduced water quality Protections. This is a shady deal that you know is not Ethical because you chose to conduct it
behind closed doors. Please vote no on this Item. Thank you for your time.
as I stated, when you guys, As I stated, when you all first presented this, the plan that the city manager gave to You guys to accept it's against the strategic
management system. Austin strategic plan, The water forward plan 2018.
there's a disregard and lack of short range And five year forecast budgets when it's
against the open meetings act, And the development plan needs full review by all applicable city departments federal, State and local regulation.
I do not think that every one of these people And all of the people that participate in
applicable city departments, Boards, commissions, advisors and consultants can say that they are representing any of the Interests of austin in this project.
its constituents or resources are much less Than the best,
which it should be. I'm requesting that the Item 111 we do not accept the tirz.
this is because all of these people in the City should be following the same applicable
standards of every other project, And I don't think that they have it goes
against the city and our values and it needs Proper revision.
I think that everyone should get together and Document how this is good for the city via
those established parameters, Receive public feedback and give transparent information. Then make an informed vote in Accordance with our charter and not before.
mayor. All speakers have been called for. 111 Thank you very much.
members, you just heard all the speakers have Been called for the public hearing on item 111. So without objection, We will close the public hearing on item
number 111. And the public hearing is now Closed. What I'll do is I would like to entertain a Motion and get a second if there's a motion.
and second, with regard to item number 111. And then we'll go to discussion. And there's One proposed amendment council member harper
madison moves approval of item number 111 and Seconded by council member ellis.
with that being said if you want to be heard, let me know. And councilman and I got you.
I'm going to quickly just say a couple of Things before on the discussion,
because I want to clarify some things that I Worry there's some confusion about.
first of all, there is no public assistance For amazon. Amazon is receiving no incentives and amazon Is receiving no reimbursement under under the
tours. So, so so I'm telling you that's the Case.
there may be some misunderstanding, But amazon receives no public assistance
assistance instead or not. Maybe instead. But it is in it is an entity That is indicated.
it wishes to come if and be located in this Space.
if this space can be developed in a way that Would allow it to come.
importantly. And that is important because it Is an entity that what it's going to develop
will create a tax base, That tax base.
because I think there's been some Misunderstanding to at least based on some of what I've heard here today.
some people have been concerned about school Districts. Well, in fact, the school district will Receive 100% of the taxes it's entitled to
receive. It is not impacted by this tours. So the del valle independent school district Will receive property taxes from this
development. Whatever the ultimate value of Let's just use amazon as an example.
amazon builds its facility with no incentives From the city and no reimbursement.
amazon builds that whatever the taxable value Of that is now,
it will pay 100% of its property taxes to the Del valle independent school district.
it will also pay 100% of the property taxes To the.
to central health, which is the travis county Health care district and austin community
college. In addition to that endeavor. Endeavor will pay 100% of the property taxes That it is required to pay and to the.
to those entities as well. So the school district, The health care district, all of those will
not be losing any tax dollars. In addition, there's been some discussion About how that some one person indicated
there will be no new taxes out of this. So we're not going to get any new taxes.
the fact is that if there aren't new taxes That come out of it,
there's a misunderstanding because there will Be taxes raised as a result of this.
but those if they're not, Then, then there won't be sufficient to
reimburse, and we're only required. The city will only be required to reimburse If the growth covers the requirement.
so it recovers. Covers the amount needed to Reimburse.
if what happens is we pass a tours here Tonight and in and let's say amazon decides
it doesn't want to be here, Or an endeavor falls flat on its face and
trying to develop something. If it doesn't generate the revenue necessary To be reimbursed,
there will not be a reimbursement. So the bottom line is the, The hope is that by creating,
utilizing one of the few tools that city Governments have in order to build
infrastructure, it builds the infrastructure. It is then we're then in a position to allow For that tax base to grow.
and it will benefit the citizens of the city Of austin. The del valle independent school district. The central health and.
and austin community college as well. So I just want to make sure there's clarity On some of those points,
because I think there's there's some either Misinformation or disinformation in that
regard. Council member duchin, You're recognized. No no no no no. We've had our public comment.
it's now time for us to deliberate, Provide some clarity, if that's what we think we need to do.
and that's what we're going to do without People crying out from the audience. Council member duchin, You're recognized. Followed by councilor
cowdrey and then council member harper Madison. Thank you mayor. I've got some questions for Staff,
and I've got some questions for endeavor. If they can come up here, Please.
and while they're doing that, I'm just going to go ahead and make a few comments. I have been more conflicted about This decision than any other I can think of
for the last year and a half, And I fully came here today with every expectation to not support this agreement.
and despite believing, As I do, that this has the potential to be a
transformational deal for austin. And despite believing, As I do, that we need to support economic
development if we want to pay for the many Things that residents want.
and we've heard that today, From parks to transit to social services,
we'll need to have a real economic Development strategy, something that we have not had for ages.
and now we have back to back significant Budget shortfalls,
tens of millions of dollars of systemic Budget deficits.
and I can't help but think that there is a Relationship there. This agreement could serve as an important Step in changing that trajectory.
and without it, we're arguably pulling the Rug out of our economic development plan
before it's even started. And that's going to have real consequences For our budget and for the services people
expect and rely on from the city. We've heard criticism that we're cutting Social services while this is happening.
but from my vantage point, The stark reality is it's going to be really
hard to have it all or otherwise. We're making painful choices to live within Our means.
my core feeling is that of deep frustration, If not outright anger,
because I've watched the stakeholders Consistently struggle,
even outright fail, to explain the Fundamental parts of this agreement.
and in the absence of that, For two months, people have filled in the
gaps with fears and worst case scenarios.
yesterday, I heard from constituents worried About humanoid robots that are going to take our jobs. I don't think that's true.
that doesn't square with any information We've been told by staff, the developers, the tenant, Or any experience that I have.
and even if it somehow turns out to be true, We doesn't change the fact that we've done an
abysmal job transparently clarifying the Details of what this agreement means for
people. This is, by the way, Not entirely on the developers or
amazon. Some of this is on our staff. A month ago, I requested more public facing Information and details to be shared.
frequently asked questions or a landing page. What I believe to be a fairly modest request.
and despite my team working or being aware of This project updates almost every day,
we were told this information was completed And available a few days ago was news to us.
it was buried in a hard to find city website And also buried in attachment on a memo.
and you had to know where to look. It's not the engagement and communication we Need for a pothole.
never mind a 2600 acre transformational Project.
I want to read a text or share a text from a Constituent that I think represents a reasonable, balanced interpretation of what's Transpired up until now,
as well as what needs to get fixed. I'm sending a request to slow down the dog's Head process to allow for community
engagement. The 45 year agreement is very Concerning, with no guardrails for community spaces, Parks,
green spaces and infrastructure. We were told by the city that there would be Community engagement on this during the
process, and now we are here. No community meetings, No details on what flood,
fire and environmental or green space Protection.
I'm all for developing dogshit and Incorporating the city of austin, but we have to balance to ensure safety flood Protections.
there are none now and community buy in and I Wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment.
we haven't adequately explained environmental Green space flood,
fire and community spaces. We haven't explained why tours may be Different from a tax subsidy.
we haven't explained how the city's Conservative numbers don't even include amazon in its calculations.
instead, we've allowed a vacuum to be filled, which has turned into widespread fear and the Largest game of telephone I think I've ever
seen. What also isn't understood is that if We pass in this deal,
this will develop in a very different way. It's likely going to become mud and in all Likelihood,
luxury single family neighborhoods. The city is going to have no control of key Environmental features and get no taxable
revenue. And make no mistake, The area will be still developed in time,
but probably isn't going to be the success Story that some people imagine it will be.
and this is maybe the most crucial part of my Comment in several months.
the next piece of the agreement comes before Council. There's another critical choke point for the Council to consider that could just like
today, mean the end of this deal where it Reverts to a mud.
and I'm again going to reinforce there are Two critical pieces coming to. Council have to be approved for the deal to move forward.
one in a few months, the regulating plan and One in march, which is the final financial plan.
and with this in mind, I've got some questions and I think I gave them plenty of time to get down here.
so for staff, I'm going to ask what we had Some discussion on tuesday,
but I'm curious what safeguards and Monitoring are currently planned out to
ensure that the infrastructure built is going To be reasonably priced, properly constructed. How do we know that we Aren't going to be reimbursing golden pagodas
or shoddily built wastewater pipes?
kim lavar is director of financial services. So in our negotiations with endeavor, We specifically discussed the,
the types of public infrastructure that would Be constructed and how that might impact the
city long term. So we essentially we said and I apologize,
I'm trying to find the language very quickly Here.
here's the city and dogs had agreed that Design of all public improvements will
account for efficient long term operating and Maintenance costs to the extent that it does not otherwise significantly increase initial Design and construction costs.
so we specifically had a conversation about Not creating infrastructure that becomes far
too expensive to maintain over the long term Since we will have ownership of that
infrastructure. We also have discussed as Part of the financing agreements,
that there. And as they're going through this Construction of this,
there's there's design reviews and permitting And things like that, all the things that you would expect. So There is,
there's significant oversight in the design And construction.
and as we moved through the financing and Years from now,
reimbursement capability, We will continue to have reviews and
assurances to to, when it comes to the, All the dollars that they're asking for
reimbursement for, we will have review Procedures, we will have mechanisms in place to ensure That everything,
every t is crossed, every I is dotted, Everything is handled properly.
thank you for clarifying that. That would be Great to get more visible information about
those kind of answers and questions for Endeavor,
for mr. Suttle and pastor. I'm not sure who wants to field these, But I'm going to ask him,
do you feel like you've done an excellent, Fair,
poor or worse than poor job communicating With the public about this potential
development? We could have done a lot better.
we've done poorly. We've.
has anybody from the city discussed with you The fact that you need to provide information
to the public, and if so, When did that happen?
I don't know when, but we've we've all talked As this project has evolved and it went
faster than a lot of things we're used to in Austin. There were multiple reasons for that.
one is one of which is we don't have an Annexation process in the books and a meeting
process, but we've all now that we've had a Chance to review it.
I wish we'd had more time, And I wish we would have had more interaction. And I hope to have more Interaction as we go the next step.
if this were to happen to pass. Well, let me ask with time the problem or the Strategy?
the problem was not strategy. It was it was time and effort and was not Strategy.
so if this moves forward, We're going to see you again in the fall for
another approval for the next phase of the Plan. I want you to know that if we're back here And we're still seeing the same amount of
confusion and concern and distrust in this Process, I'm assuredly voting no on this.
here are some of the things that I'm hearing Right now, including the last 24 hours.
I'm hearing this as a $2.2 billion tax Giveaway. We're giving away residencies, Hard earned tax dollars to millionaires and
billionaires at amazon and endeavor. We're hearing that city is going to lose Money hand over fist in this deal.
we're hearing humanoid robots are going to Take people's jobs. We're hearing that mueller and other deals Have had more park and green space.
and this is a raw deal from a parks and green Space perspective.
we're hearing all the usual committees and Processes got bypassed. We're hearing people got displaced.
trails are being planned through people's Homes. We've heard that they're getting.
you guys are getting the full sales tax as Part of this deal for 35 to 45 years.
we've heard about data centers and military Contractors. We've heard about rampant water and energy Use and industrial chemicals and on and on.
and even if some of these criticisms aren't Entirely rooted in some of the same facts that I'm familiar with, They do underscore deep,
underlying and real concerns about this Project.
and if I had to put things into the buckets, I'd say it would be guardrails,
flooding, environment, Green space protections, and economics that make sense.
and so I came in here ready to vote no. But I can't do that without considering that.
this could also be a transformational moment For the city, that a no vote also is tantamount to what Will likely be luxury single family
neighborhoods, since unlike mueller, City doesn't own the land to negotiate with.
so I want your committee commitment that After today,
your principal work is going to be Communicating with the community,
communication with my constituents. I want people from across town riding in my Office saying,
gosh, I wish richard sutil and andy pasztor And endeavor would just go away because their
team were always meeting with my neighbor Now. Yeah. They're always meeting with my Neighbors.
they're holding listening sessions. They're Trying to show me a great website with robust
information, information that's been Validated by third parties and reports.
can I have that? We will not disappoint you.
for the rest of the council members or the Mayor, we will make certain that that happens
and try to fix what has not happened. Leading up to this, because what I just heard Is we've done a poor job.
and so the next question is going to be, Are you an endeavor equipped and capable of
delivering that? Yes. We've also heard from Even a speaker a little while ago.
if you're needing to move fast, Which sounds like you are, you need to fix things fast.
can you do that? Yes. We will.
you're asking to be our neighbor. And we're making we're here to make sure that You're a great one if this moves forward,
if I don't see better accurate information And robust engagement the next time you're
here, I'm voting no on your next request. And if we don't fix the process the next Three months,
I'm voting no on the next request. This cannot continue. This is also can't be How we,
as a city, approach economic development. And the notion that we're in the process of Building out an economic development strategy
is terrifying to me right now. So last thing I'll say, Consider this a stay of execution.
otherwise, I am back in several months to Vote against this and likely kill this deal.
thank you. Thank you. Councilmember duchin Council member kadri council member, harvard. Madison. The mayor pro tem thank You.
mayor. I just have one question of clarity, Which might lead to more questions.
but for for director mars, What happens in a world that endeavor decides
to annex? Keith mars, Director of development services department
should they annex and release from the city's Extraterritorial jurisdiction,
then we have no land use controls. We would still be obligated to provide water And electric to the property.
directors can speak to that matter as well, But we would lose essentially everything that
development services does in terms of the Permitting and all of the, the building standards that the city has Would no longer apply.
so, so just to confirm, If I'm understanding correctly, we would still be on the hook for paying for water, Electricity,
other, other infrastructure. What would that cost look like on a, On a yearly basis?
I don't know if you all would have that, But if you if you all did. Council member I
think the answer to the question is more About. We would be required to provide services.
sure. So it will always be water. It will always be electricity. They are part of our service area.
they've been part of our service area since Apparently the mid 70s. And so regardless if this land is annexed, If they release from our etj,
they will still receive city services because We have an electric, an electric utility and a water utility.
additionally, they will be subject to county Regulations and county regulations do will
allow for 100% impervious cover. Counties don't regulate land use the way that We do.
they don't have zoning powers. So the data center can can go in.
so this is and those are things that will tax Can tax our water and our electric
infrastructure. So those that is kind of the How it flows down.
if this does not move forward. So just to confirm, if in a hypothetical World this doesn't go forward,
you're saying it would be, I guess, easier, or there would be no guardrails for a data center to pop up.
and a lot of the things that a few months Ago, when the original item came forward, Military.
and so like anything could go there. Correct. There are no the counties cannot Regulate land use the way that we do.
got it. Thank you. I might add that one of The things that council's aware,
one of the things that the city is looking at Is how we're going to deal with data centers
inside the city. And one of the key aspects Of that is how we utilize,
in fact, the the resolution that was Unanimously passed by the council directs the
city manager to look at means for regulating Data centers that include land use.
and one of the things that staff, Professional staff is currently looking at is
how we might create a separate zoning. It's not decided yet. It will come to the Council,
but we might even create a separate zoning Category that deals with certain data
centers. And, and that is different because There is no zoning requirements,
no zoning regulations for counties. Council member harper madison, Followed by mayor pro tem vela.
thank you, mayor. I appreciate it. I've Modified my talking points specifically to
just address some things that happened during The course of the discussion.
first of all, I want to thank everybody for Coming out and participating. It's critical. I mean, This is what democracy looks like.
and everybody doesn't do democracy the same. Some people hiss and boo.
some people don't. You know what I'm saying? And it is what it is. That's what democracy Looks like.
and democracy doesn't look like consensus all The time either, by the way. So in that to testify on matters With dogs,
head or otherwise. Some of y'all is not your First time here.
you've often lynched your voices, Which are very valuable. I think sometimes you don't think we're Listening, but I promise you, we are. And
some of you, it's your first time. And I'd like to thank you for having the Courage to do that and participating.
for those present. One reminder, Because democracy means that every voice in
the room gets the right to be heard. I watched people's testimony get compromised By the way that clapping and screaming and
like, well into their time. And that's not fair. And so I just want us to Be cognizant of the fact that this is a
relatively sacred space and we can't be in an Echo chamber,
and we have to give everybody their time. That's just fair. I feel like a lot of the Folks in the room,
y'all are people who fight for justice and Fairness and are thoughtful and believe in
humanity. So give everybody that opportunity, whether they agree with you or not.
moving forward, I, I firmly believe that we Are all obliged to participate,
to participate in civic discourse. This is how the world goes around.
with that said, I want to speak further to Clear community benefits that I think this
project will bring. I think it's important to Say that this is not to the mayor's point,
not a tax giveaway. I think it's also Important to say that this is not
environmental racism. And I'll tell you why In a moment. It's a term that gets thrown around real Loosey goosey.
and when you look like me, It feels away.
what this development is, However, it's a once in a lifetime,
a generational opportunity. I think austin has long been committed to job Creation,
housing affordability, Green space. The austin public has made it very, Very clear that they support dog's head as a
vehicle for delivering even more of these Services, I believe. So today at city hall, We may have heard an overwhelming majority
speak against dogs head, But if I could please have the clerk's office. Can you pull up the image that we Pulled out?
she just made a request that you pull up an Image.
I want to point out which has been pointed Out already, and this is I know mr..
mr. Whaley thinks it's fake news, But I want to point out that I literally
talked to constituents all the time who don't Testify because they're terrified of getting his stead. They're terrified.
they have social anxiety. They don't want to speak. But this hostility in the room, They don't want to be a part of that,
and they don't want to be a target. I don't want you guys to discourage people's Participation.
that's all I'm asking. So those numbers there, As you'll see, those who took a stance on dog
heads. Dog's head items, Not just those who vocalized.
this is this is a perfect example of like the Vocal minority according to these numbers.
and and I'm. Disregard because some people Are just committed to thinking what
they think. I'll move on to my talking points About environmental racism. I'll tell you what it means. Environmental Racism is a term coined by doctor benjamin
chavis jr, the current president and ceo of The national newspaper publishers association
and association of african american newspaper Publishers from across the country.
doctor chavez has been a lifelong advocate For the black community and other marginalized groups. He has been called the Grandfather of environmental justice movement
to honor the work that doctor chavez has done Throughout his life. I want to educate everybody about what Environmental racism is and what it is not.
environmental racism is the disproportionate Exposure of marginalized communities to
environmental hazards like toxic toxic waste Sites, landfills, industrial pollution.
it is discriminatory policies, Unequal enforcement of regulations, and the intentional placement of hazardous Facilities in marginalized neighborhoods.
environmental racism is not nimbyism dressed Up as social justice.
using the term for this project is a dog Whistle, and it cheapens the experience of true Systemic environmental injustice.
I'm going to assume that the community Members misusing this term are so fortunate
as to not have experienced systemic racism And are unable to recognize it when it
happens and understand what it is and what it Is not. I support the dog's head development and the Opportunities it will bring to our community.
not only will this development bring new Places to live, work and play, it will also bring Opportunities for small businesses and
entrepreneurship. Two things that are very Near and dear to my heart. Austin is growing and evolving and I look Forward to seeing what comes.
furthermore, I want to use this conversation About dogs head to highlight not just the
benefits to austin as a whole, But specifically those with living within the
bounds of the northeast planning district. Somebody made reference to one of my Colleagues earlier, this not being her
district. Well, it is mine. For those who are not familiar, The northeast planning district is a joint
effort between the city of austin and travis County addressing infrastructure,
mobility and housing needs in historically Underserved area of austin.
the northeast planning district covers nearly 30mi² of northeast austin and eastern travis
county, roughly bounded by the colorado River. Us 183, us 290 and sh 130.
for years now, this effort has been aimed at Meeting this effort that my team and I have
worked on for over six years. This effort has been aimed at meeting the Needs in a rapidly growing area to ensure.
and this is what we're talking about. You can Get out. You can't stop gentrification.
it's formulaic, but you can get out in front Of it and put protections in place.
and that's why we came up with the northeast Planning district in the beginning, ideally so aimed at meeting the needs in a Rapidly growing area to ensure that growth
benefits existing residents rather than Driving them out very intentionally by
bringing major development to four square Miles directly adjacent to the northeast
planning district area. We can continue to reconnect east austin to The rest of the city in a meaningful,
tangible way. The new street network trails Utility corridors that will be included in
dogs. Head will not stop at that property Line, but will create and improve new means of Accessibility into and out of an area of
district one that has been historically Disconnected,
neglected, disinvested. More broadly, having a mixed use district of This scale so close to the northeast planning
district area will increase housing Opportunities at a variety of income levels,
because that's what neighborhoods look like. Diverse like us. This room.
jobs public infrastructure, Which will give district one residents more
opportunities to live, To work and to access services without
traveling across the city. The dogs head development will also provide Opportunities for east austin residents who
have long lived near and around areas zoned For industrial uses to enjoy more natural
amenities along the colorado river. In these ways, dogs head helps to ensure that East austin residents are included in the
city's infrastructure growth. Not boxed out of it, though they may be more May be separate efforts.
there will be no doubt. There is no doubt they will in no doubt Reinforce one another and help shape a more
connected east austin. I'd like to add a few other things. I'm freestyling here. I'm an austinite and I'm a black american,
so whoever booed at me. I want you to recognize what it looks like to Publicly serve in central texas and look like
me. You sit in this room and you're talking About injustice,
racism, and then come for me.
make it make sense. I didn't. I'm not friends with richard.
I cuss him out all the time. Well, I do. But that said, I saw this as an opportunity.
I saw this as an opportunity to connect the Area of town that I committed to serve.
I'm not a politician. I fell into policy Making because I wanted to make my city,
my hometown, a better place for my children.
I'm not here because I want to go to the State or wherever.
I don't have political ambition. Not everybody does. Some people just choose To serve.
and it's not fair for you to abuse public Servants. And that's what it is. It's absolute abuse.
and so I'll close by saying this. I never thought I'd say this. I agreed with everything, Council member duchin said.
in the sense that the process was flawed, Critically and along this path,
some of the things that said to richard Included that more consideration, more transparency. What are y'all doing?
who did you call? Who did you talk to? And those are things that needed to be Considered,
that were neglected. And they've readily Admitted that. But I also want to say something I heard During the course of the commentary.
there was a gentleman, I can't recall his last name, but he sat right there and he said, Dog's head was named by his father,
that his family's been there since 1979. That means they were there when operations Were happening.
he approves of and looks forward to this Project,
a comprehensive opportunity. And y'all still came up and said what you Said.
even though 1979 dogs had named by his Father.
he's in support. I recognize that not Everybody's going to be in support of the
item, but I want us to at least be operating With factual information to start.
thank you, mister mayor, For laying out the facts. I also want us to be open to open to the fact that what you Thought it was.
maybe it's not what you thought it was. You Don't always have to be, right. Do you understand?
I I'll close now. I really will. I just, I there was so much intention and so Much thought behind my support for this item.
I knew y'all were going to drag me and it was Worth it. I've served this city for seven years.
I'm done in january. You think I want to get Dragged when I only got five months left?
but it was worth it because it means long Term opportunity for my city.
I believe in the opportunity. And are there some complications?
certainly. But how many people knew what a Turd was before you heard about this?
honestly, it's no, you don't have to raise Your hands. I'm saying that some of this is like Relatively obscure subject matter.
some of it is really. And I know that the Inclination to want to protect our water,
to want to protect nature, To want to protect our environment. That's listen, we don't we aren't in Disagreement there.
so why are we fighting? I think generally speaking, We probably agree on most of the things that
you all are in opposition of to this project. But you didn't take the opportunity to even Recognize that because you don't want to have
a conversation, you want to have a fight. We Don't have to fight all the time,
y'all. Sometimes we can have real discourse, Real dialog.
and I hope moving forward that we have the Opportunity to have these discussions and we
don't have to agree. I don't mind if you Don't agree with me. In fact, I, I fully support you and you Should support me as well.
I have my opinion on the matter. There are things that I've taken into Consideration. Somebody said earlier. More
often than not, how we decide things is based On our lived experiences.
I don't know yours, but guess what? You don't know mine either.
so don't make assumptions. What I'm saying is moving forward with a Project that offers an opportunity,
an opportunity of this scale and size. With that level of impact.
I think it's important to our city and I Believe in the project and I fully intend to
support it. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Council member. Mayor pro Tem vella and then council member alter.
thank you very much, council member harper Madison. I really appreciate your thoughts and words. And I agree with basically Everything you said.
I did want to dovetail right off of that Because I know that you the county via
commissioner jeff travillion as the mayor, The county judge,
have been heavily involved in the northeast Planning district, which is just on the other side of the river From dogshit.
and just north of there is walter e long Lake,
which is a phenomenal city asset that is Extremely underused.
I mean, everybody I've heard people talk About it that that should be zilker park east. It's not right now, But it needs to be.
and these types of regional plans. Dogs head the northeast planning district are What will get us to where eastern travis
county has the same opportunities and Amenities and quality that western travis
county does. So I just I really appreciate The tying the dogs head and the northeast
planning district together because they Really ultimately, over the long term, will work hand in hand.
obviously dogs heads moving quick but Northeast planning district still working on it. But but I think we will get there.
next mayor, I appreciate you laying out all The other entities the government entities
that will benefit from the tax value.
and there was one that you didn't mention, And I got to throw them in because I'm on the board. And it's a mission that's very close To my heart.
and that's capital metro. If we do not annex this area, Then none of that sales tax money in the
dog's head goes to capital metro. And just as you mentioned with a, C, c, and with del valle and the others that
are going to be getting this full on, There's no ters, there's no redirection of anything.
capital metro's in that same position where Every single penny from every dollar spent in
the dog's head is going to go to capital Metro to provide transit service,
not just in the dogs head, But, you know, throughout its entire service area, which goes all the way up to leander And out east to maynor.
the capital metro needs the revenue. We need them to service the dogs head.
that doesn't happen unless we annex a Property.
capital metro does not serve unincorporated Areas of the county.
it serves cities within its jurisdiction. So again, that's just something that's kind Of foundational to me.
I don't think that we can build the kind of Project, the kind of housing, the kind of Neighborhoods that we want to build without
transit. And that's really the choice that we Have before us.
the development is going to move forward one Way or the other. This kind of, you know, And again, we, this is not a visioning
exercise in the sense of like, Let's kind of like the way that mueller was where, you know, we got that land and we Could do anything we wanted on that land.
this is a completely different situation. The laws are different. Everything about it is different.
it's going to move forward. I think the only Question here is, is this going to move forward as suburban Sprawl that is very,
very car dependent relatively low property Value per acre.
and that's only going to house, Let's say, I don't know, you know, 5000, 6000 people or something like that.
or is this going to be a dense urban Development within the city of austin that
really ultimately generates a lot of property Taxes and just a lot of good for the the
public at large? God, I'm going to quote this and I'm,
I'm 90% sure it's right. But, you know, downtown folks, And this is a conversation that that we've
had a lot on the dyess about how downtown, I believe it's 1% of the of the geography of
the city of austin. And if I'm correct, I believe it generates about 10% of the
property taxes that kind of fund the city of Austin. We need more downtown's, We need more downtown so we can service all
the other neighborhoods, Because I know folks pay a lot of property taxes, but that's a lot of times we have Large neighborhoods where we really don't
collect enough property taxes to provide the Level of service that we do.
we've got to have other parts of town that do Generate a lot of property taxes to fund
those parts of town that don't generate a lot Of property taxes. And again, we're not going to have a lot of These opportunities.
the domain which endeavor was was responsible For is one of them.
I think that's been a real big success. This is another one. And again, This is a tremendous opportunity.
I think to pass it up would be would would Not be in the interest of the city of austin.
and finally, I'll finish with with two things We have in my time on the council.
we have entered into economic development Agreements where we are giving money directly
back to the company, strictly for their Profits. That was the southwest deal where southwest Agreed to,
to do a lot of things and bring their Employees and base them here and create a lot
of good jobs, and we gave them a portion of Their tax revenues back to them that I think
there might be one more that that we've done, but we rarely the city of austin rarely, Rarely does that.
that one, you can call it whatever you want a Giveaway or this or that.
it is what it is. A tourist is not that.
a tourist pays for public infrastructure that Benefits the public.
that that will be owned by the city. Again, I don't know if we don't do a tours, How do we develop the infrastructure that's
going to make the dog's head a nice place to Live and to work and to enjoy.
you know, there's no, There's no magic pot of money out there. We have to build the road.
you know, we have to make it happen. And that's what we're doing.
and again, I fully support the tourists. I also want to say, I mean, The initial terms of the tours I was
concerned with through the negotiation. And again, I appreciate our partners in the Negotiations and our staff very much.
so we've gotten it to a place where I think We are in the black. The city is in the black throughout the Entire period,
and then when the tourist goes away, That's a lot of money going into our general fund for our children, For our grandchildren to pay for the critical
city services that they need. Finally, when we annex that land, We also extend all of the austin protections
that so many of us have fought for on this Dais. The rent protections, The freedom city policies,
no marijuana arrests, No these kinds of arrests, those kinds of all of that kind of good stuff That are are extremely energy efficient
building standards, making sure that Everything that's built there is to the very
strict austin code standards. There are huge benefits that are not obvious,
that are kind of built into the just the way That the city does business that are going
out there. And I don't want to discount Those. You know, we we fight hard to protect our People here.
our immigration policies our, Our apd does not ask anything about
immigration status when we annex land. The people in that area are also protected by All those policies that we fought for so hard
to get. So I'll leave it there, Mayor. Thank you very much. Thank you.
mayor pro tem members, I want to recognize councilmember alter for comments, but on item 111, He also has a proposed amendment to item 111.
you have that and it's marked item one. 11th july 23rd, 2026 councilmember alter one.
and so I'll ask him to comment, Make comments, and then offer that amendment. Thank you very much. I'm going to echo one or Multiple comments,
but that councilmember madison was saying, You know,
we don't always agree on the the dais. And I think it's mark often finds himself on The lonely end over there.
but as he was speaking, I, I was in not only full support,
but, you know, you go, Mark, go get them. That's what needs to be said.
but it was, I think, focused rightfully on One party to this agreement,
but we're the other party. And this process was broken from our side as Well.
we is not endeavor's job to educate the Public.
they're not the public's representatives. We Are. It is not their job to hold a commission
meeting. That's why we have our boards and Commissions we are trusted with ensuring that
this city is the best place it can be for its Residents. That's not the job that they have.
and so I think this process has not lived up To what it needs to.
from our side, we we should have required More required more public engagement,
required more information, And we didn't.
and normally I would say.
that is grounds to hit the brakes.
and let the process play out how it should Have.
but there's a big but and we've talked about It here today.
there is an opportunity on the doorstep that If we delay,
will not come to fruition. And we might disagree on whether or not it's A good thing to have this advanced robotics
facility come. I it's fully reasonable to Have differing opinions,
but what we know is that this facility wants To come online very soon.
that if it does, they're talking about Multibillion dollar investment,
and that is money that we can have available In our budget in two years time.
and we had a speaker come here and talk about How can you do this while you're cutting
social services? Well, That's exactly what I'm thinking about.
if we had this money this year, We would be able to avoid any cuts to
behavioral health services, Any cuts to homeless services,
any cuts to violence prevention and basic Needs.
things that keep people fed, Keep people sheltered, keep people alive, and usually do it in a way That makes your quality of life and
your cost of living a little bit lower. Because we're not responding to people with Police,
we're putting them in housing, We're getting them fed. And so that's the
urgency. And we are going to have more Process here between now and march,
and we better do a better job. But in the meantime, we are setting the stage To be able to have the resources a growing
city like ours needs in order to meet the Needs of the community,
because the state certainly isn't going to do It.
and that is why I am planning to vote yes.
why we need to move forward on this. With that, I do have an amendment.
and this amendment. Is to take a portion of The revenue that the
city is going to be receiving from this, And dedicating that revenue to affordable
housing and to our parks. These are two things that enrich our Community that build austin.
and I want the public to be absolutely clear Why this is a benefit for our community.
with these dollars, we will be making austin More affordable and more livable by using
this money for that purpose. So with that, I would move to amend item 111 With council member alter one motion sheet.
council member council member alter moves Approval of alter one amendment to item
number 111. Seconded by council member Cowdrey.
discussion on the motion to amend. We're going to vote on the motion to amend.
yes. Mayor pro tem. Thank you mayor. Questions for staff. In terms of again, We want to make sure that we are keeping
the city in the black in the sense that we Want to make sure that the property and sales
taxes that are flowing out of dog's head are Enough to pay for any services that we will
have to provide to dog's head. And let me just say, I agree conceptually, I really like the idea and I like the,
the amendment. My, my gut sense would be the 5% of property tax in years one through 20
that that doesn't really give me a lot of Heartburn. The 14% in years,
20 to 35. Again, I know y'all are working on The fly here,
but any thoughts on on, On how that affects the,
the kind of the revenues and our ability to Maintain services.
so when I did the, the quick math on this Years fi 49 through 2052,
there's, it creates some negative balances at That point.
that being said well, That's 20 plus years from now.
we also, so I think as we continue to work Towards the final project and financing plan
we can continue to collaborate and make sure That we're keeping that whole, but in the.
it's. It's not for 20 years or. No. Yeah. And obviously we can amend this at Any time.
the council can amend it at any time. And depending upon what you're doing in Housing anyway,
you might reduce reduce one pot for this pot To fill that in.
yeah. And I thought about that. Money's fungible, you know, And so money that's going into the housing
trust fund might be kept in the general fund From another kind of it all kind of, you know, goes into ultimately the same pot.
all right. I'll leave it at that. I appreciate the, the, The, the analysis.
thank y'all. Thank you. Further discussion on Alter amendment number one to item 111.
hearing none. Without objection. You can't use a no alter amendment.
number one is adopted, With council member duchin being shown voting no. Members. That will take us back to the Main motion,
which is to approve item 111, As amended.
the main motion is to approve item 111, As amended.
and I'll ask that you for a show of hands, Those in favor of item 111,
as amended. Please show your hands.
all those opposed, please raise your hands.
members there being seven votes in favor and Three in opposition and one absence,
item number 111, as amended, Passes on all three readings. That will now take us to item number 15.
two down, five to go. We'll go to item number 15.
and I will turn to the clerk's office to Begin speakers on item number 15.
thank you, mayor rita thompson. Josh goldenberg. Susana almanza.
susana, are you here? When she calls your Names, if you want to be heard, Please come forward.
okay. I'm not seeing jonathan davidson. Ben thompson. I'm not seeing anyone come Forward.
I'll keep going. Max. Richard sutil.
mr. Sutil, are you here? You have time. Donated by amanda moro.
is amanda still here? Okay. Four minutes. Adam. James.
angela van etkin. Mayor.
members of the council. Richard. Settle. Just Briefly, I want to touch on again.
it's. It's a reimbursement. It's not a tax Subsidy. In following up with council member duchin's Request,
we will start that community engagement Tomorrow. But the one thing I want to get on the table Right away is the folks on ergots were taking
that road out of there, And we're not going to take out that business coming through. Montopolis.
thank you. Thank you. Continuing on, Bill bunch.
bill. Oliver. Zachary. Faddis. Stacey. Schmidt.
betsy. Greenberg. Bill.
bunch. Silver springs district five. This is for the project plan and project Financing plan.
preliminarily. Nothing in there is set in Stone.
it can be changed at any time. So you're given a false sense of being told What the hell you're doing.
you're really talking about committing five Over $5 billion of money.
setting up a board structure where endeavor Has a veto.
three and three members. It's unconstitutional delegation of your Governmental powers to a private entity to do
that. In my legal opinion the money in here Is just ridiculous.
I mean, there's over $600 million of Contingency.
there's no, you have no independent analysis Of whether the numbers that were fed to you,
of what it cost to build the sewer lines, The parking lots,
the parking garages, the driveways the water Lines,
the roads every little driveway, All they're defining all public
infrastructure as almost everything except The buildings and the robot machines inside
the buildings. We saw this with endeavor at The statesman put these giant parking garages
that have a few places for the public, But are mostly for their for profit use,
were defined as public facilities. Sidewalks. Behind locked gates were public Facilities.
that's what you're doing here. So you really should vote no on this.
voting yes though, doesn't mean what you Think it does.
it can be changed at any time.
good evening. Now, mayor, Mayor pro tem council members, I'm stacy schmidt with opportunity austin, And I'm here to encourage you to approve not
only this item, but all the dogs had items. I'm trying to be cognizant of your time and I Appreciate all of your attentiveness all day
long. It's clear that this is an important Moment for the city.
austin has long succeeded by making Thoughtful, forward looking investments that strengthen Our economy while enhancing the quality of
life. The proposed dogs head tours follows That same approach and aligns with the vision
in the city economic development framework That you all adopted in may.
this tours is more than a single project. It's an opportunity to transform the Underutilized land in this mixed use
district. With housing, Employment opportunities restored,
open space, expanded public access, And more than six miles of hike and bike
trails, as mentioned earlier, And time and fiscal constraints. Approving the tours and this financing plan Will help expand our tax base,
generate new revenue for the infrastructure And city services, and create lasting value for our community.
as mentioned, by expanding the tax base, The city will be in a better position to
provide many of the services that have been Mentioned several times today.
companies across the country and around the World seek austin for our talented workforce
and our innovative ecosystem to remain Competitive with cities for significant
private investment, we must demonstrate our Commitment to projects that enable growth.
the company considering initial investment, Will strengthen our position as a global leader in advanced manufacturing and create Hundreds of high quality,
good paying jobs for austinites and. And note the financials that are in this Packet don't even include this project or any
of the future projects that may come here. This company's commitments to higher Education partnerships.
thank you. Appreciate you being here. Thank you. Craig nazer is here.
okay, just two minutes then. Mr.. Nazar. Garrett. Tongue, stephen.
brown, mark. Duvall.
craig. Esser. Austin. Sierra club and austin Environmental democrats.
this comment is for the cameras. There has been no serious discussion about Flooding at any dogs head meeting.
I am not a hydrologist. You have some very good hydrologists in Austin.
watershed protection. Unfortunately, You have cut most of them from this discussion. This major flaw could lose the Taxpayer millions of dollars or even lose
their life. Virtually all the dogs head is Either either in the 100 year floodplain or
the 500 year floodplain. A 100 year flood is not a flood that happens Once every hundred years.
what it means is that based on rainfall Amount averages that were obtained over a fixed 30 years, in any given year, There is a 1% chance of having a 100 year
flood and a 0.2% chance of having a 500 year Flood.
this does not take into account the Nonlinearly rising rainfall rates of climate
change, as it assumes the chances are fixed For the years 1989 to 2019,
which is already seven years in the past. There have already been three 100 year floods In the dog's head over the past 15 years.
when? When do you want to bet the next 500 Year flood will come?
flood risk for downtown austin was mitigated By the construction of the hyland dams.
longhorn dam is a flow through dam and is in Need of repair. It exerts very little control on flood water Conditions below it.
without the hyland dams, We could not be meeting here right where we're sitting. The longhorn dam cannot Provide the same control for the dog's head.
both the city and the county will pay the High costs of more major flooding,
which makes a 45 year horizon. Tours for this development by either the city Or travis county.
a very bad financial risk for the people of Austin.
please. Good evening, Mayor and council. My name is mark duvall. I'm the president of The greater austin asian chamber of commerce.
I live in district six, And I'm here to urge you to vote yes on all
the dog's head items. We recognize the Anxiety around the development. We recognize many of the concerns around Environmental protection,
information availability, Community engagement, affordability. All of these things are important. But we Have confidence in you,
mr. Mayor. This council, City manager and staff, we've also got confidence, Tremendous confidence in this city and all
the institutions and organizations to come Together to work together with the county to make this incredible opportunity work.
so we believe in the potential of this Project and our ability to deliver.
bottom line is that bringing the city, This land into the city gives us a clear framework to ensure the adoption of stricter Environmental standards,
as well as developmental developmental Standards.
the project transforms disturbed land, Encourages responsible, long term strategic economic development, Replaces inefficient,
fragmented growth with intentional planned Growth, actually creates an unmatched opportunity to Engage local,
environmental, community and business groups. It also facilitates the deployment of Coordinated,
modern, efficient, world class infrastructure And world class environmental solutions
across this area well into the future. Approval today sends a very strong message, Of course,
but ensures that we move forward with real Economic development momentum,
and that's important. Austin is open for Business and we welcome premier quality
global investment. Tirz is a common tool, And this one seems to be doing exactly what
it should do. Create a transparent mechanism To help the development pay for some of the
infrastructure without touching the general Fund. This is not unusual. It's important.
if austin wants to remain competitive and Sustainable, we must unlock this project.
please vote yes and ideally do so with travis County. Thank you. Thank you. Lisa levins, Is audrey stanton here?
no she's not. Okay, just two minutes, Then mary ann sanchez and valerie menard.
valerie, are you here? Doesn't appear to be.
okay. Robin schneider.
ready? Okay. Good afternoon. My name is lisa levins, And I live in. I live near the dog's head.
I'm asking you to vote no on item 15. Even if someone believes that aye tears could Be appropriate under the right circumstances,
today's financing plan still raises an Important question. Where are the safeguards for taxpayers?
this plan commits the city to a financial Structure that could shape public investment for years to come. Before taking that step, I believe council should demand answers to
several basic questions. What specific public benefits are guaranteed Rather than simply anticipated?
that trail is private, By the way. What protection exists if project timelines Change?
what measurable benchmarks must be met Before.
for additional public investment occurs? And most perhaps most importantly, How will the public know whether this tier is
actually succeeded? Every investment should Have measurable outcomes.
if we're redirecting public revenue, Then we should know exactly what taxpayers are buying. The public deserves more than Promises.
we deserve accountability. I've heard this project described as a Partnership.
partnerships require shared risk. Right now, it appears that much of the Certainty flows to the developer while the
uncertainty remains with the public. That imbalance should concern every single Member of this council.
this is not. This isn't simply about one Development. It's about. It's about precedent.
if austin approves financing plans without Demanding rigorous financial accountability,
future developer developers will reasonably Expect the same treatment.
you have an opportunity today to set a higher Standard, require independent verification.
require measurable performance. Require enforceable accountability.
public incentives should be earned through Demonstrated public benefit not assumed
because a project is large. As someone who lives in the area most Affected,
I also want to emphasize that trust has been One of the biggest casualties in this project. Process. Please.
my name is robin schneider, But what I want to start with is a statement
by a dog's head resident, Frederick williams, and this is his spouse, Lee williams.
she's too nervous to testify and didn't sign Up. So I'm reading a statement that her spouse Wrote.
I'm an african american, Vietnam. I'm sorry. African american marine veteran Who served my country faithfully and
honorably for 20 years. Upon retirement and returning to the state And city of my birth,
I acquired the american dream that I finally. That I faithfully defended.
now, the very council that I expect to work For the people is looking to strip me of my
fulfilled american dream. Most of my neighbors are spanish speaking People who are live below the poverty line.
they are trying to take advantage of this. Please oppose the dog's head development and The metropolis extension,
which will require the demolition of my home, my american dream. Most of the people council Member harbor madison that spoke who live in
the area are opposed to this. One person, at least one person, Was on the other side,
but most were opposed to this. Speaking for myself, I would hope council Member harbor,
madison and and council member alter who you Said support what council member duchin
outlined that you also will be executioners Of this project.
if the demands for community input and Transparency are not met when this comes
back. If you truly supported what Councilmember duchin said.
I hope you will fulfill that promise that he Made.
also, there's no guarantee of housing in This. There's no guarantee we're going to have a Downtown in the dog's head.
let's be clear about what our fantasies and Reality. Thank you. Lynn. Wong yuen.
rachel scott, robert. Hale.
pedro. Hernandez. Junior. Harper. Higginbotham. Kat.
garcia. Matt. Patton.
welcome. Thank you. Hello. My name is cat Gorilla. So what I've heard today is that pretty much Everyone in this room is in agreement with
what we want. We want to see environmental Protections and affordable housing and
parkland and all of these good things. I want those things. Absolutely.
I think what we are in disagreement about is What is written in paper in front of y'all
today to sign off on whether that upholds and Represents accurately what we all want or
not. That's what we're in disagreement about, from what I see. And the thing that I really Don't understand from this council in
particular, is what the urgency is. So we've heard that the urgency is that a Client might leave the client that is not
your client. We are your client.
okay. So that's that's why it's very Difficult to accept words and promises and
assurances and questions when they are not Written down in paper.
the county commissioners asked really, Really good questions. And they did the honorable thing, Which was to say, we need to review these
answers and we need to get better answers Before we sign off on this. And that's all we're asking you to do today. That's all I'm asking you to do today is get
some solid answers on paper, Come back to us, and then make these decisions, Because this is a lot of money and this is 45
years, and it's a really big decision no Matter how you split it.
it seems like what endeavor has achieved Today is two dogs heads.
they have obtained this property and they Will develop it no matter what. Although I appreciate that we want to have Some say in how they say it and how they
develop that. But unfortunately, They're throwing you scraps and we can do
better. And that's that's what we're all here To say is give it some time and make it better. Good evening. My name
is pedro hernandez junior, And I'm a resident of the montopolis neighborhood and the transportation Coordinator with poder.
and I'm here to urge you to vote no on the Dog's head items. My colleague adrian macias and I regularly Test water quality in the colorado river
under the montopolis bridge. Through that work, we have seen firsthand how Important it is to protect this river.
the stretch we monitor is considered one of The cleaner and more pristine sections of the
colorado river, and that is something we Should be fighting to preserve.
the development of this size will have Lasting impacts on the watershed.
increased runoff in. And environmental Stressors do not stop at the property line.
they move downstream, Affecting communities that depend on this river for their quality of life and their Drinking water.
for me, this is personal. My daughter and my my daughters and my Grandchildren live in bastrop.
they, along with thousands of other texans, Depend on the colorado river. They deserve clean, safe and usable water, Just as we do today.
we have a responsibility to think beyond Immediate development and consider the long
term, the long term consequences of our Decisions. Once the river is degraded, Restoring it is difficult,
expensive, and sometimes impossible. I refuse to stand by while decisions are made That can threaten,
that could threaten the health of the Colorado river for future generations. Please protect the colorado river, Protect downstream communities,
and vote no on the dog's head items. Thank you. Thank you. Good day.
good day. I'm sorry. That one. David weinberg. David, Are you here?
is holly reed here? Okay, Then. You all have four minutes. Bianca guerrero.
andre patterson. Izan eta.
please begin. Good evening. I'm david weinberg. I'm a resident of austin City council,
district five. Two things can be true.
economic development is important. Part of your job is economic development.
also, what has happened today at city council Is bad government.
I didn't think austin was a place that, You know, back in may. We've got jeff bezos on the Phone.
so we got to ram through this annexation Before we go on our summer recess.
but I guess I guess it is the city that I Live in I think there's been,
there's been a lot of hand wringing. There's been a lot of beating about the bush. Well, how how did this car crash happen?
I want to suggest to you that one of the Reasons why we are where we are and council
member duchin expressed his frustrations is Because I think the developer and the
developers applicant maybe exercise a little Too much power with the city council.
maybe they did a rotten job at public Outreach because they didn't think they had to. I know that I'm not I'm not talking about Real estate and development writ large.
I'm just talking those two companies have Donated tens of thousands of dollars to many
members of the city council. I know that I know that my city council Member has taken about $30,000 in his
campaign from those two companies alone. And it sort of begs the question if, If, if these rezoning cases and development
cases come before this council, And they're never voted down. What's the incentive for companies, For companies like this,
to think that they have to go through a good Faith public process and engage the public
and be transparent? I don't think there is. And that is very problematic.
so what I would ask all of us to do tonight, Those on the dais,
those from industry, those other citizens who Have come here to talk is we need to do
better. This is a city that we need to hold Ourselves to a higher standard.
I've done a lot of work at the capital up the Street. I've seen, oh, we have big donor on the line.
we got to get something done for him or her Asap.
that should not be how we do business in Austin. So I appreciate your time.
and I would hope that in the future, The sort of mechanisms of local government
here work and look a little different. Thank you. Angelos angelou, Peter dutton, derek
white, erin andrews. You see mccoy, You see?
are you here? Is rich hammond still here?
okay, you'll have four minutes.
I guess I'll begin. I am not. Is this on? Okay. Perfect.
yeah. There you go. I am not entirely Surprised at what just happened. I have to say that we heard through the Grapevine exactly what was going to happen.
some votes shifted around. What's your name? Oh, I'm erin andrews. Thank you. Some votes shifted around, Which we didn't anticipate.
we got spoke to about issues like respect and Respecting each other as people.
constantly. I have seen most of the chairs Above be empty when most people are out here
speaking for what they believe in. I don't think that's very respectful.
I understand we all need a potty break. We all need a little snack sometimes, But I think that is where,
you know, you're supposed to come together And say, let's take a break. Let's all reset and come Back.
there was a time in which more than the Majority of those seats up there were empty,
and watching that was quite disturbing. I didn't enjoy it. I don't think anybody Enjoyed it.
on the actual preliminary project, Council member duchin and many of you agreed
with him that there were huge mistakes made Without thinking about them in the first
place. And now you all believe, And we all believe that going forward,
you need to do better. That doesn't look like storming through and Approving each of these things immediately.
you want endeavor and all of you to do Better. That starts by taking the time now to pause And think about it.
make actual things, go into writing, And make sure that you take the time now to
not waste our time again. You want to do better going forward. That starts right now with this vote to vote No.
pause and just get clear plans now so that You don't have people spreading
misinformation about what it is, Or you don't sit there and not know if parkland is open space or this, That and the third.
we're all confused. Thank you. Start now. Thank you. Thank you.
whoever wants to go next. I think I had time donated.
me too. Okay. From rich heyman. I had two minutes. Okay.
thank you. Is he still here? Yes. Hi. Good evening, Mayor and council.
my name is uzi mccoy. I'm an organizer. Hashtag thought leader and d5 resident.
I study economics and government. Austin is a growing city, And I love that growth doesn't scare me at
all. I'm not a nimby. Don't listen to the Rumors. I want us to keep welcoming new neighbors and Building more businesses and housing.
but growth has to reflect the values that we Claim to stand for. Development paired with real environmental Risk is just not it.
this isn't just a subsidy for one project. It's a commitment that will shape austin's Finances for a generation.
we shouldn't lock ourselves into decades of Corporate welfare for amazon, a corporation that's faced repeated criticism Over labor practices and workplace safety,
and whose ceo maintains a strong relationship With our white supremacist and war mongering president. Whether or not you agree with that Criticism,
taxpayers shouldn't underwrite billions in Infrastructure for one of the wealthiest corporations on earth.
and as a student of economics, I'll add this the economic benefit these deals get sold on is almost always the gross Number jobs promised and spending projected,
not the net. It rarely subtracts what the Subsidy itself costs us in foregone revenue,
the public services and the new. The. The new development will demand, Or the displacement costs that are borne by
existing residents netted out. And it's rarely the. When it's marketed as.
look at a map of austin's parks and protected Land. West austin has about 12 to 15 dedicated Spaces.
you can think of the wildlife basin preserve. You can say balconies. You can think along east.
austin doesn't really have that much. Why do we keep treating the east side as Nothing?
why do we keep telling black people, Brown people and poor people, that they deserve dirty water and dirty air, And to be and to be victims of negligence,
negligent businesses, And bad jobs. And why are we considering this in the middle Of another budget deficit, when most of that
revenue would go to a private development Instead of our financial challenges?
and I know this vote isn't easy. I know many of you want our city to grow, So do I.
but this project has no guarantee, Legal or otherwise. As confirmed by commissioner shea.
to build housing, affordable or otherwise. And there's also still no understanding of Whether or not a data center is underway.
I'm pro housing and I'm pro growth. And I'm also anti displacement and anti Environmental harm.
and I refuse to accept that those can't Coexist. I also recognize the position this council is In.
every member on this dais except councilman Lane. They ain't paying her that much. Has taken Thousands and contribute in contributions
from endeavor or the law firm armbrust and Brown that represents them. Whether or not that influences your vote Today,
the public deserves confidence that this is Being made solely in austin's best interest.
I urge you to follow our environmental Commission and our communities of color and delay or vote no. And instead, Let's build a greater,
greener and growing austin. Thank you. Please. Okay.
so I. Thanks to your re organizing of the Agenda.
mayor had a wonderful narrative. I was going to start with item 14.
go to 15, then go to 111. But you kind of messed it around. So I had to cut and paste and come up with Something that would.
I didn't mess it around. Whatever. So I had to reorganize my thoughts Based upon needing to pass something before
we pass something else. So. Okay. So yeah, she'll get her time.
anyway so calling me out, I'd like to still talk about what I had
intended to. And also since I believe miss Monica gave me some extra time.
I think I have four minutes, So. Monica. Yes. Four minutes. So I wanted to talk start talking about san Antonio and this experience that I had in san
antonio. It is my hometown. And I was just so impressed with their water Utility ceo because of his admission that
they didn't take the nose that they got from Community as a challenge.
they, they, they took time to think about it And figure out what did we do wrong.
and they did not go to community. You didn't do that again today.
I mean, so that's why we're here. You don't listen and you continue to make the Same mistakes.
and another example I was going to give was Code next. You didn't include community and in fact, You ignored community.
and so we forced a vote on it. And we, we, we, we ended code next or, Or rejected code next.
but what did you do? You went ahead and Enforced your will,
passing zoning changes under the table Quietly so no one knew until it was too late.
and then you passed home, Got folks thinking that this unregulated development was going to answer the question Of affordability.
but it isn't. And it won't, Because all these new units are at market rate. Most of them very few at affordable Rate.
and even the affordable definition is Questionable. So we still don't have we still have a big Issue with affordability.
but guess what? That's something san antonio Does not have. They do not have an issue with affordability. Yes, they have folks working for lower wages,
but the cost of living is so much better There. And guess what else they have in san antonio That we don't have? Their traffic flows,
but we have toll roads. And I think you are part of that, Mayor, when you are a state senator,
insisting on those toll roads that have not Done anything to alleviate traffic. But san antonio, one and a half times larger Than austin,
has flowing traffic. So because they're Listening to their community,
their their, their livability is better. I would say they have a, A world class utility.
so do we. And I also wanted to talk about I Was going to speak on the water issue and
talk about how we I the our water. Our water has done a good job and they are Working with community and the watershed
department has done a wonderful job and they Are engaged in community. But you didn't include the watershed Department.
you have your experts and I'm sure their hair Is on fire about this, this plan. I'm sure the lcra hair is on fire About this plan,
but where is their input? It's the whole lack of getting of that Process.
and because you're rushed and I guess mr. Suttle had to get amazon do what amazon said. But so much of this process was different From what it would have been in the west
side. So I take issue with with the council Member, harper madison saying this is an Environmental justice. Excuse me.
yes, it is, because the process that are Required in west austin would have said,
you have to have a review by the Environmental commission. You have to have a review by the planning Commission. I sit on the community
development commission, And we were about to to endorse what the environmental commission had passed the Recommendations.
so there's a much more of a process that Could have been done so that folks could have
been much happier with the result today. So yeah, there's more process to come.
but I guess what I'm saying is that you keep Making these decisions that down the road
don't help us. And now we're giving it 45 Years. I'm not going to be here. Most of you won't Be here.
we're not going to know. And that's such a Terrible release of our power.
so anyway, thank you. Hi.
kai jensen. Katie. Guay. Craig. Jankowski. Alexis.
willis. Barbara. Mcarthur.
stephan. Faris. Mark. Fareth.
jeff mccrory. Cilla. Smith.
lou. Pasetto. Hi again.
kaya denson. I don't really have anything Planned for this.
I have just been listening to what has been Said.
I think something that's really frustrating Is these like false dichotomies that have
been, have been set up. And just to echo what people have already Said,
like so much of the yeses and the nos have Been kind of like saying the same thing.
like we want this like beautiful, Amazing, like money making awesome,
like urban area. And I, I live right, like a mile away from it.
like I want it to be successful. I have a family business. Like it's an event facility.
like we have company picnics out there. Like I want, like, I want this to work, You know, but I also don't want to get
flooded. And according to like these plans That I don't know how to read.
like I don't know. I don't know if water is Going to get dumped into carson creek and I feel like a broken record player.
but like, can someone like, Why is there nobody here that knows this
stuff that can like assure me that like this Part of the code is not going to screw you
over? Like the exemptions that are happening? That's not it. You don't have to worry about That.
like, and, you know, people are saying things Like, oh, we want the yeses or like, You know, we're looking forward to this high
standard, world class environmental Solutions. And I'm like, what are you talking about?
like, there are no world class environmental Solutions.
you took them all away. And it's just so frustrating because like, We're just not listening to each other.
like we want something really great. Like, why is it so hard to just like say, Okay,
you guys just just go by our code and then You can do whatever you want. Just make sure it's within the rules that we Set up for everybody else in the city.
like, I just don't get it. Please make it make sense. Thank you. Thank you. Carlos.
pinon. David. Seeds. Chris gannon, Shane.
johnson, neha. Shah. Carol.
philipson. Alexandria. Anderson, richard. Jarnigan, Daniel.
lowe, ryan. Austin. Stacy.
smith, gary. Merritt. Cameron.
shaw. Cameron, are you here?
okay. It is beatrice anderson here. And mariana kruger. Mariana kruger.
I'm good. Thank you. Okay. Was that cameron waving away?
okay. Okay, so those two people donated time To cameron.
cameron speaking. Okay. Did you want to. Did you want to speak the Ones that donated time?
no, she already spoke. Okay. Jeremy. Martin. Bobby levinsky.
is bobby here? Okay. Gary.
farmer. Stacy. Ron. Stacy, Are you here?
okay. There is time donated by cameron. Morgan. Cameron, are you here?
what about darius ross?
okay. Did they get both? Okay. Six minutes. You'll have six minutes.
I have been here since 930 and wow, It's a lot to unpack.
so thank you council for being here. I know how hard it is to sit here for this Long and,
and listen to the comments that everybody has To say on both sides.
I always have to qualify what I say. First and foremost, I am an austinite.
I have been in this community all my life. I'm a fourth generation austinite, An lbj jaguar,
like our council member from district one. And I have listened today.
and I want to say the first you took most of My thunder councilman councilwoman because I
have been insulted as I've watched the Conversation today as we talk about
environmental racism in this city. As I've said here, I come from a generation Of that 1928 plan.
both my grandparents on each side were part Of wheatville clarksville.
man's mason town, those freeman communities That were pushed into east austin.
and while you might not think that's valid, As we talk about the dog heads project,
it's really valid because my family and many Who were here today,
we had over 50 people in a contingency here From district one who wanted to talk about
these issues and who were afraid, And who were signing their time over to me to talk because they didn't want to sit here and Be hissed at or yelled at or booed at.
but at the end of the day, They have experienced racism from every aspect of life. And it's very difficult to Watch a community of people who don't live
the experience of racism every day and Haven't been through the generational racism
that has taken place for this project to be Called that, because it's not. It's an economic Opportunity.
but what opportunity does my community get Out of this?
and so let me just speak to the 1928 plan That everybody's been so excited to talk
about and say that this falls into place of 1928 plan. In 1890, 40% of austin was african american 40%.
by 1928, we were 19% pushed out of this Community.
today we are 7.5%. Those are drastic numbers,
very drastic numbers. And so when we look at Economic opportunity that comes to areas near
district one and east of 35, Because that's what pushed us here in the
first place. And we've been blocked in by 130, which that is something I participated in Fighting against putting sch 130 through
colony park. And I'm sure many of you have Heard of colony park and worked to fight
landfills in our community and worked to help Develop brownfield so that they would not be
in our community. These are the things that We don't want to see,
but the things that we do want to see is Economic development opportunities. And so the large contingency that we had here Today was to speak,
yes, to support doghead. But why do we support doghead?
because just as my council member said, We want to see affordable housing.
we want to see workforce opportunities. We want to see small business opportunities Located in this development.
the development of the domain. You don't see businesses owned by people who Look like me or small businesses.
you don't see that. And we also want other Opportunities for contracting.
and that's very important because when you Look at construction, the large contingency of minorities that work In construction,
not just black but brown, We want to see those opportunities. And so I support this measure.
and the people who were here asking me to Speak in their stead because they were afraid
to speak, because this is the first time they Ever had come here to even hear a city
council meeting we supported, Because we want to see those opportunities.
so when I speak of endeavor, I would like to see endeavor.
yes. Look at the environmental concerns that Might take place that could impact the
community, but that are not necessarily Environmental racism. But I also want them to focus on the economic Opportunity.
and so if we have time to do that, I think this is something that we would love
to see come into this community, And I would really appreciate your support,
but also putting in those things that would Make a difference for all communities and
also give us a chance, As this council did a few months ago. I believe you adopted an economic development Plan.
you adopted an economic development strategy. And without these measures, That strategy will not work.
I believe that was a council member, Alter who indicated that these measures will
not change this community unless things like Tours,
which are used in other communities are used For a project like this.
but I do believe that endeavor needs to be Held accountable as well as city staff,
which I know city staff. I've seen you year after year after year on a Number of projects,
make projects happen like the community Wants. And so with that, I want to say that I will Yield my time,
but I appreciate the opportunity to speak. Thank you, miss rowan. Hello again.
beatrice anderson. Save our springs alliance. This is going to end up being off the cuff.
I really appreciate a lot of what Councilwoman harper madison had to say.
we. I think we are all arguing at cross Purposes here.
we. Everything that the last speaker said. We want that the community.
and in terms of who is here to speak. The majority of the people I have spent.
so much time over the last two months Speaking to the people who are impacted by
this, who also do not feel comfortable coming Up. I had I have someone who is going to be Displaced.
the developers are trying to buy their home. They found out she was coming to speak at Council today and started blowing up her
phone. Hey, can you call me? Can you call me? I saw that your name was on The list. Can you call me?
that's intimidation. She's not here.
most of the other people we spoke to have Jobs that do not allow them to come here.
I've been here for almost 13 hours because I Have.
I recognize that is a privilege. Everyone here. These are just the members of The neighborhood who have the privilege of
being here to speak. But we have organized For weeks talking to everyone.
we had members canvasing every single house On the dog's head, where these roads are going to be widened and People's homes are going to go away. We just
are asking to be included in the conversation We want. We don't want to fight. We want this to be a Conversation. But we have been excluded from
the conversation from day one, And we're still excluded for the next 45
years. Any variance to the land development Code has become an administrative process.
your own city staff are excluded. It doesn't have to go through a public Process for boards and commissions. It's
administrative. Thank you. That's not a Conversation. Thank you. Eric. Rone.
andrew trevillion, hassan, Lewis, briggs, mitchell,
david jabbour, baz luhrmann, Jeffrey.
bowen, melissa. Hernandez, Catherine a.
brown, ollie. Hoffman, Kim.
vasquez. Well, good
evening, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Mayor, council members.
so yeah, it's been a long day for a lot of Us, but on this item, it talks about the Preliminary project and the plan.
and I had many thoughts throughout this Entire process based upon my many years of
working in the business, Developing, looking at long term plans for
construction stuff and items. And one of the things that that jumped out With me was.
your economic development plan, Mr. Mayor, and hopefully this is meeting some of Those goals,
even though that has not put into process Yet. But I'm hoping that that is part of it.
but I've noticed that through this entire Process that both sides have taken some
responsibility for the communications Process.
many of us have said the system in the Communications process has been broken for
quite some time, and I would love to see that Be corrected, because the misinformation that you've had to Clear up would not have to be there if there
was open, honest communications that can't be Done in a two minute time setting here.
so there's a lot of unintended consequences That I see in the long term for this.
mr. Naylor talked about it in the fact that It's not part of this process,
but what happens when the longhorn dam, Which has already got issues coming up
because of of some of the flood gates on it. How is this going to impact this project here Going to impact that?
is that going to have to speed up the process Of trying to get something done on it before
we have an issue with that that can affect This entire thing?
also, the existing laws when it comes to Annexation and annexation,
which is affecting us and also with the Tourists, I just would like to make sure that Everything is being taken care of. Thank you,
thank you. Please. Catherine brown.
resident of district nine. My father's home is on hergatz lane in District three.
I am still here, I feel, Because I'm partly a lifelong girl scout.
you know, you've got to just stick with it And hang in there even when things are tough.
and today has been a very tough day, And I have been very grateful for the respect
that people have shown when I've spoken and Tried to do the same for others here today
too. So I was very grateful for your comments From the member on district one.
very appreciative of that. I would like to say that, Okay, on item 15, like all the other items,
my plea has been for objectivity and Accountability in this process.
and although we are now sitting at a point Where it's very unlikely,
I feel that this would be a no vote. I do want to understand, For example, when district ten mark said,
well, when you come for the next ask in maybe Three months, let's see what that is.
I would like to understand what these Statements mean in terms of communication
from your side. What are your expectations Now? I think we felt that both sides have not met The expectations in communication and
engagement. And as someone who is liked to See also,
my father's home is very near this Development. I am not against a very thoughtful Development that could be of great economic
benefit, particularly as an east austin or Myself who grew up on the edge of poverty.
I would really like to see a difference here, but I would like to also understand Expectations from both sides.
so moving forward, maybe we could have some Additional communication on those along those
lines. Thank you very much. Thank you. Zenobia. Joseph.
brad massingill. Ben livingston. David. Ross. Andy. Pasztor.
kathy. Panic. Panic. Aaron. Gonzalez. Mikhail. Ramos.
if your name has been called, Please come forward if you wish to be heard. If you don't come forward, We're going to assume that you don't want to
be heard. Mr. Massingill, You have the floor.
heck of a way to spend your birthday. Council member velasquez I do want to Personally express.
appreciation for how engaged you've been Today. You've been here the whole time listening.
that's that's important. You know, this is in your district. 110 is supposed to work.
it should be balanced in your favor for for Ruling on this stuff, but apparently that's not how it works.
I'd also like to, to commend you on, On taking time to start learning more about
the watershed. I mean, We live in a dynamic river valley,
you know, and taking the time to, To understand how things work.
you know, when I hear council member vella.
just now, learning about what riparian means,
this is a riparian city. We need to learn a lot of terms. Y'all don't know, you know, Are apparently aren't familiar with how the
water shed works here. We need to I'd like to challenge y'all to Actually go out in the watershed with with me
and some other people and take some field Trips to go to some of these places that are,
are pertinent and you can understand how the Watershed actually works.
it's not just a backdrop to the city, It's the primary function of the city.
we're here because of that. You know, we can be. A parasite or we can Live with the city,
and the city can benefit us. You know, we can't just keep extracting and Not understand where we live.
it has everything to do with everything from Up oak hill and the recharge zone,
all the way down to where it comes out at the The what we can consider the headwaters of
the free flowing colorado. We're responsible for that. We need to be on top of it.
thank you, mr. Massengill.
jennifer barnes, bronwen reeve.
sarah williams, is lee edwards here?
what about roy whaley? I don't see mr. Whaley. Okay, miss williams, you have four minutes.
thank you. And then heather bonker bonker.
right now. If you go over there and register, we'll let you do that. There's a process for This,
but. Well, I understand, But.
you'll have six minutes. Thank you. Hi, my name is sarah williams.
I'm a nurse here in austin, Texas. I've lived here for about 15 years.
I've lived in district one. I've lived in district four. I've lived in district seven and I believe District nine.
because I'm a renter. And for the first time, I was able to buy a home, Not in austin because it's not affordable
here. I now live in pflugerville, But I came to talk to y'all because I was really concerned about the human health Impacts as a public health advocate of a
development that has basically no Restrictions. And I'm really sad to have to pivot because Mayor kirk watson,
who's no longer with us, As many of these seats have been empty, wanted to call out the democratic process.
does this feel democratic to y'all? We're upset about boos and hisses and claps.
that's all we have. That is all we have Because you're going to vote however you
vote. And I'd like to highlight why people Have called attention to the fact that endeavors has donated to every one of your Reelection campaigns.
interestingly, between february 2022 and October 2024,
mr. Watson took $561,000 from real estate. Generally, 70,845 of those dollars were from Endeavor and 49,000 from their lawyers,
natasha harper. Madison took 58,000 in that Same time frame from real estate,
22 550 were from endeavors, And 15,495 were from their lawyers.
every other yes vote also took this money. I think it's really important that we talk About what the democratic process looks like,
because we don't have a voice, Y'all. You get to sit up there and take a couple, Tens of thousands of dollars for reelection
and sell out our habitable future. So now I'm going to move on to what I Intended to talk about,
which is the health and habitability of our Planet. Dog's head is on an aquifer which gives Drinking water to many,
many people in this region. Aquifers are vital to be open, Not covered, and any amount of impervious
cover is a risk to our drinking water. Without water, humans die.
in this waterway. We have muscles. Muscles are super important for cleaning Water.
in fact, muscles are able individually to Clean about 8 to 15 gallons a day as we
damage this with industrial runoff, Because we have no guarantees that there's going to be housing, as everyone has this Pretty vision of the parks that they aren't
actually obligated to build. And the housing that they're going to provide For us.
we are going to see industrial runoff from Something like a robotics facility and to the point that it's amazon.
I'm sure there will be no accountability and The highest intentions to skirt paying taxes
on any damages that they do to our region. Those muscles are going to die and our Drinking water is going to get worse.
presently, they did us blood test data from About 1999 to 2020 on human beings,
and our bicarbonate levels rose about 7% in Close parallel with rising atmospheric co2.
at the current rates, The upper limit for the healthy range for human beings is going to be hit in 2076.
I could still be alive, But if I am so lucky as to have children, they might not have a habitable atmosphere.
this is not even including the fact that data Centers alone are going to produce 32.6 to
79.7 million tons of co2 emissions annually.
what are we doing? Like, Do you want to be good ancestors? Because I do. I want to leave a habitable Planet for our children.
and what are we voting for? For the people who said yes, The what is it?
silent majority of yeses here. We're seeing lawyers. We're seeing folks in Really fancy clothes from real estate
developers. And I'm sorry, Every single person that lives in that neighborhood, barring one person whose father Had the namesake.
let's think about who named this land right Now. The names we use because it's not the people That were here whenever it was colonized.
it's not the names that we use. I live in pflugerville now. I live off Settlers boulevard.
it has an intersection of I think it's called Champions way with indian run.
the people who named that stuff are gross, And they're not the people that we should be looking to for policy decisions.
I'm so tired of old white dudes making an Uninhabitable planet for the rest of us and
for our children, because what's going to Happen is we can't use money to replace the
ecosystems. And this is on a native blackland Prairie, which has less than 0.1% of its existing Land.
it's one of the most critically endangered Ecosystems in north america. And I'm trying to do a pocket prairie in my Tiny backyard in pflugerville that I can
barely afford so that I can work on restoring It. You know what endeavors is going to do? They're going to pave some stuff. They're
going to promise housing right now. They're going to have one trail in the area That they weren't able to develop anyway.
and y'all are up here not understanding What's going on. I heard mr. Vila talk about the annexation That already happened. Babe,
where are we? Are we here right now? Are we worried about the future for our Children because it does not seem like it.
and it hurts me so deeply because we are Stewards of the land,
and we are ruining our chances at preserving A habitable future for human beings.
the manager's office already did annex the Land that happened well before this was brought to public comment. And when we talk About the breakdown of who truly is for and
against, people don't know this is happening. I had to call out of work today. I'm on a sick day and everyone I talked to Was like,
wait, what? And they're horrified, Y'all. But they don't have the privilege to be here And sit for 14 hours today to wait to speak
because I'm super lucky and I can. But I promise you, we will remember as the Residents of the austin area and none of
y'all who are voting yes to stuff like this Are ever going to see a term here again. Thank you. Mayor. All speakers for item 15 Have been called.
I'm sorry I wasn't able to hear you. All speakers for item 15 have been called.
thank you members. As you've heard, All the speakers on item number 15 have been called. So what we'll do is I'll remind Everybody that the terms are in your backup
on staff number 15, version two, I will seek a motion to approve item number
15. We have a motion and a second. Then we have a number of proposed amendments.
I think there are six. I may be wrong about that, But I think there are six proposed amendments
to item number 15. Is there a motion? Mayor pro tem moves approval of item number 15.
is there a second? Second by councilmember Harper madison?
what we'll do now is we'll go to the proposed Amendments.
the first two will be proposed by me.
you have them. Item number.
this is a motion sheet. Number one amendment to to add a needs Assessment.
it's labeled mayor kirk watson july 23rd, 2026. Motion sheet number one, My proposed motion to amend item number 15
would amend the preliminary project and Financing plan to incorporate a requirement
for a recognition of austin's experience with Regard to gentrification and displacement,
and require that the dog's head, The developer of this opportunity,
will provide the city of austin with funding To conduct a comprehensive needs assessment
of the area immediately adjacent to the dog's Head boundaries. Within 30 days of the city council approval Of the final project and financing plan.
with that, I move to amend item number 15 With watson. Motion to amend. Number one, Is there a second?
second by council member cawdry. Let me ask if there's any discussion.
hearing none. Without objection. Motion. Watson. Motion to amend number one to Item number 15 is approved.
my second proposal is labeled motion sheet Number two.
it is to make an amendment regarding Affordable housing reporting. And what this would indicate is that on or Before december 1st and june 1st of each
calendar year, the developer will prepare and Submit to the city an affordable housing
report covering the prior six month period. Motion. I make the motion seconded by council Member ellis.
is there discussion with regard to the Proposed amendment? Hearing none. Without objection.
watson. Amendment number two to item number 15 is adopted. That will take us to council member cordray's Proposed motion to amend item number 15.
councilmember. You're recognized. Thank you. Mayor. And before I lay out the Motion,
I just want to give all the love to Councilmember harper madison.
I know it's not easy. I remember when I first Got elected I think I don't know if you
remember this. I think we met in person in Your district and I was, I was recounting a story of, Of how how, how an opponent had talked to me
and you stopped me and you said, Don't let them treat you like you're a white man. And that stuck with me.
and even now being in the in office and going About this city the good,
the bad, the ugly. And I think unfortunately Ugly comes and hits folks in the faces.
but I just, I just wanted to, I just wanted to say that because I you're human. We're all human.
everyone in this chamber is human, Regardless of what side of the issue you were on. So I just wanted to acknowledge that I Have a motion sheet right here.
everyone should have it in front of them. It's labeled item 15 motion for further direction on term project and financing plan.
we worked with land use and transportation Advocates on this motion.
and I appreciate staff and the developer Support on this. The item ensures that transit supportive Infrastructure is included as part of the
project plan. And since the term is now Moving forward, I want to ensure the taxpayer dollar is Credited by new development in dogs head and
reinvest it in this area, Aligned with our shared goals and have more people walking, biking, And taking transit.
my motion also request an update on this Matter in the fall when the regulating plan returns. And my hope is we can consider this Item at a future mobility committee meeting,
as well as council members. It's our civic responsibility to remain Engaged, and I know, I know we will be.
and on top of this, to ensure we get what we Can out of the site. Thank you. Councilmember carter moves Approval of motion to amend item number 15,
number one. It is second by council member Ellis. Is there discussion on council member?
yes, mayor pro tem. I just want to thank Council member cassidy for his amendment.
it's a really good amendment. And again, I know I don't want to get ahead Of ourselves and kind of planning all the
details out, but we've tried to roll in Through project connect where we can transit,
kind of connect transit and development. In other words, if there's a building going Up,
maybe that's where the bus can pull in and, You know, actually physically into the property, Or we can host kind of transit supportive
infrastructure, shared space with the private Sector to just kind of help us more
effectively and efficiently manage our Infrastructure. So I think this is the kind of planning we'd Like to see. And I appreciate his amendment.
thank you. Thank you. Mayor pro tem hearing No further discussion.
motion to amend number one for item 15. Without objection is adopted.
that'll take us to three proposals by council Member alter and council member alter.
I'm going to go in this order, If that's okay. The first one will be alter motion to amend Number one for item number 15 is direction.
it's labeled direction, Patent and drainage. And you're recognized on your motion to amend Item number 15 number one.
thank you very much. What this motion does is Ensures that the earliest dollars into the
tours that are used are used for Environmental improvements.
it's going to help the stormwater management At carson creek and the montopolis tributary.
not flood homes in this area and in in so Doing improve the environmental quality of
this area. So I think it's really important That our first priority be on the
environment. And that's what this motion Cheat is doing council member alter moves to
amend item number 15 with alter number one. It is seconded by council member harper Madison.
is there discussion? Hearing. Mayor pro tem just. Again, I just want to reiterate another good
amendment. The. Especially the emphasis on The 50% housing.
sorry. My bad. You didn't want to get ahead Of yourself on the other one, but you did on this one. All right.
any, any discussion on this amendment? Hearing none. Without objection.
alter amendment number one to item number 15 Related to patent and drainage is adopted.
that will take us to alter proposed amendment Number two to item number 15 labeled
direction affordable housing percentages. Hang on, mayor pro tem, I was gonna say he might be able to lay this
out for me. So what this is doing is when we Finalize the project financing plan,
I think it's really important for us to focus On 50% and below units instead of those 60%
units. The market is just not building enough Of this deeply affordable housing.
and so what we're going to do is focus on That level of affordability instead of that
higher 60% level. And I move adoption council Member alternatives.
adoption of alter number two, Motion to amend number two to item number 15.
and second by council member velazquez. Is there discussion? Mayor pro tem, I'll recognize you.
thank you. Sorry to get ahead of the Amendments there.
just really agree right now I believe the 10%, 60%, 60% is a good number.
but honestly, we're producing a decent amount Of housing at 60% mfi right now.
it's that 50% and under number that is the Tricky and especially if we're building
transit supportive housing that really helps The economics where someone can live there
without a vehicle. Get downtown, Get to jobs, get to school, that kind of stuff like that. So again, I really appreciate the the effort
by council member. Thank you, Mayor pro tem any further discussion?
hearing none. Without objection. Alter amendment number two to item number 15 Labeled direction affordable housing
percentages is adopted. That will take us to council member alters Proposed amendment number three to item
number 15. It is labeled amend check in Amount if only city participates.
thank you very much. What this does is takes The reimbursement amount,
which is the total 1.5 billion, And just bifurcates it for the city's
responsibility and the county's Responsibility. We don't know if the county is going to Participate in this or not.
and so what we want to do is make sure that We're not having to wait as if they were
participating. We want to just focus on how Much we're bringing to the table.
and once we've done that, Then that triggers the check in of whether or not we should change the tour's contribution Percentage.
council member council member alter removes Approval of alter amendment number three to
item number 15. A second by councilmember Cordrey. Is there any discussion with regard to alter Proposed amendment number three to item
number 15? Hearing none. Without objection, alter amendment number Three to item 15 labeled amend check in
amount. If only city participates is adopted.
I'm going to ask legal to come up because I Was reading from something that said and I
said as we were calling this, That it was labeled version two, but I'm told that it's not labeled version Two.
mayor trish link with the law department, The, the preliminary plan is in the backup and There is a document marked as the preliminary
plan version two. It is actually a Supplement. It is just mistitled. All right.
so members the for purposes of our record, The motion to approve item number 15 that was
made and seconded and that we've now amended Its labeled version two in the backup.
but as you just heard, It is not a version two. It is a supplement to the original version.
so just for clarity purposes and for the Record, I want to make sure that that's clear. Is That clear with everyone? All right.
members. We will now go back to the main Motion on item number 15,
and we will be voting on item number 15 as Amended,
item number 15 as amended. And that would include the original version And the supplement that is mislabeled version
two in the backup. Is there any discussion With regard to item number 15 as amended.
without objection, item number 15, As amended is adopted.
let me know if there are people that council Member siegel wishes to be shown voting no.
anyone else? Council member velazquez wishes To be shown voting no.
members on a vote of eight in favor, Two opposed and one absent item 15 passes.
we will now go to item number 14.
which is related to the participation Agreement, and I will turn to the city clerk to call on Speakers for item number 14.
adrian macias, josh goldenberg, Susana almanza,
jonathan. Davidson, ben. Thompson, max. Hausmann.
richard. Suttle. Adam. James. Angela van aken.
bill. Bunch. Stephanie.
hoffman. Bill. Oliver.
betsy. Greenberg. If your name has been Called, please come forward. Otherwise, We'll assume that you don't wish to be heard.
mr. Mayor, members of the council. Okay, richard, settle on this item.
we've got some work to do with the county Along the lines of the communication,
and would welcome any help that you all can Provide to to help us out.
thank you. Thank you, Mr. Bunch. Is rita thompson here?
okay, then. Just two minutes. You'll have Four minutes if you want,
mr. Bunch. I don't need that.
so as you all are aware, The travis county commissioners court didn't
didn't buy it on this ridiculous, Shameful deal.
and I can't imagine that they're going to all Of your discussion tonight is completely
avoided. The actual question of whether this Is legal or moral
to give away all this money to one of the Wealthiest developers in the country and some
of the richest corporations in the country. You know, mayor watson, You're saying that none of this money is
going to amazon is ridiculous. You know, it's a false it's prevarication.
it's building all the stuff they need for Them on our dime that normally they would
have to pay for themselves. You know that. Why are you misleading the Whole city?
you're misleading on something this basic.
every other developer, Big or small, builds their own roads,
their own streets, their own driveways, Their own parking garages, their own parks. Their own landscaping.
all of that themselves.
and then when once it's completed to our Standards, they give it over to us and we take care of It.
and we only pay for what is actually public.
instead of calling private facilities, Public facilities,
public infrastructure, Those parking garages that the statesman put.
endeavor statesman pod. That's public infrastructure, Private parking garages costing tens of
millions of dollars. This is the exact same Thing.
read the development agreement. Read the statute. They can even take the tax Kickbacks and turn around and use it to pay
their monthly bills to austin energy or Austin water.
paying for city services. No. No other businesses get to do that.
we don't get to do that at our houses.
this is this is straight up gifts to giant Mega corporations who don't need our money.
except they're greedy and they don't want any Regulation,
and they don't want to pay any taxes. And you guys need to say no, Or you're going to get out of here.
the people aren't going to put up with it and They're catching on.
if you haven't figured that out, They're catching on. You can pretend like you're progressive Democrats.
you can pretend like you care about fair and Equal taxation. You care about workers who are going to be Losing jobs from these projects because of
robotization. Ai all of this is aimed at Getting rid of jobs.
I mean, look at amazon. Give me a break. You think you can sell this To the voters?
I don't think you can. But we're going to find out here pretty Quick, aren't we? Thank you,
mr. Bunch. Craig nazer is is right here.
voila. Okay, just two minutes, Mr. Naser. Kristen. Garrett.
tongue. Steven brown. Mark duvall.
my name is craig. Nacer sierra club and Austin environmental democrats.
and what I find really amazing is there's Really two different conversations going on
here. The conversation, Not entirely, but there's a conversation
going on there that's very concerned about The finances.
and there's a conversation going on here Where people have different concerns.
and one of the major concerns, Of course, why I'm here is the environment,
because I think the the environment, Our resources,
when we treat it poorly. And I think we're doing that.
and I think from the federal to the state to The local level,
we're not doing enough. And it's continuing to drain our resources.
you were in here in this nice air Conditioning day. Do you know how hot it was outside today? So when I come to these Places,
I come for some information and for some Discussion.
and usually there's some discussion. But once again, I had to call.
I know a lot of people work in the city. Call them up. Get them to talk. For austin, environmental democrats, Everything, they don't want to talk about
some of this stuff because it's so Controversial.
so where do we get our information? I mean, we pay for their salary, Don't we?
don't some of us. So here's a point. Environmental point in the state.
there are water, groundwater, Conservation districts. And what they do is set up, You know, the state out in the middle of
nowhere, a rancher wants to pull down and Pull much water as he wants out of the ground, and nobody hassle him.
but you can't do that when a lot of people Are going in one, you know, aquifer. And so you set up these Groundwater conservation districts where it
matters. There is no groundwater conservation District out at the dog's head.
there are two aquifers out there. There's a the carissa wilcox, Which is very deep,
which san antonio is now tapping. There's also the colorado river aquifer.
people have mentioned it. It's like the base Flow. What watershed we'll call base flow under a River.
and that's where where bastrop gets its water From. Well, if there's no groundwater conservation District out there.
what's to prevent some company from coming in There and pumping as much water as they want,
essentially out of the colorado river? Is this possible? I don't know.
I've been making call after call after call, Trying to find someone who could tell me
this. This is something you should want to Know.
right. Don't you think? I know there are water rights out there.
I've talked to some people who know there are Water rights out there. What are those? Water rights?
we haven't even gotten to talk about that. Don't know when you're dividing up the money And everything and someone moves in and I
don't know. So I mean, That's my frustration.
I'm sitting here. And the other thing I want To say is the young people.
I am not going to see the worst of climate Change. And that may be a very good thing.
they will got sons, daughters, Grandchildren.
this dog's head, riverine ecosystems, Healthy ones with trees and soil and
everything. They're finding they suck more And more carbon out of the air.
our tree canopy. We've talked very little About trees, our our tree canopy. We need more.
we need to talk about.
lisa levin's. Marion. Sanchez.
virginia. Palmer. Lee. Edwards. Lee, are you here?
I passed thanks. Thank you. Valerie. Menard. Lin. Yuan.
rachel scott, mark wheeler or wailer robert Hale.
pedro hernandez jr. Rich. Hayman. Cameron. Morgan.
harper. Higginbotham. Matt. Patton. Heretic. Bianca.
guerrero. Carl. Spencer.
dwight. Lawson. Angelou. Angelou. Doctor. Terry.
flood. Ron. Fort. Harris.
andrew. Carson. Gilchrist.
u z. Mccoy. Kia. Denson.
katy. Gay. Please begin.
thank you. Iris andrews once again. 14 is about the tourism of travis county.
you guys don't know if they're going to Approve it. We don't know if they're going to prove it. It's all sort of up in the air.
what I really respected about what travis County did and what other people have said today is that they recognize that they had to Pause,
think about it, and they wanted to wait for You guys to pause also and make some amendments, which I know that you guys have Passed many amendments today.
and I think pretty much all of them have been Beneficial towards what this is.
I think they recognized over there, Travis county that there are important things
that need to be in writing that we Unfortunately didn't see get set in stone
today. Particular concerns that I would like To read from the record of the commissioners
court judge brown wanted in writing Guarantees for affordable housing. We see affordable housing check ins with mr.
alters. Amendment, but we don't see the Guarantee to actually build it.
guarantees for community input, Environmental protections, robust economic growth, and great transportation access. That's what judge brown wants to see.
commissioner morales warned against Gentrification, which I understand what we're trying to do With this displacement.
and needs assessment. I understand that we Are trying to address those things. Commissioner shea has been this environmental Supporter so far,
requesting guarantees for strong flood Control, flood protections and strong worker Protections.
I'm hopeful that since the terms passed Today, that endeavor sticks to their word in their Letter that they emailed you of saying their
union, osha, osha, and labor protections that They said that they would give you if you
passed the tours today, That I hope that they stick to that. And we get that in writing sooner rather than later.
all in all, I really respected what travis County did. I'm confused as to why we didn't pause.
take time for these amendments to be put out Into the public before you guys voted on
them. I think that's really important, Important part of this process.
I hope that they don't bite into this, But they probably will because you guys have
made some changes that they wanted to see. I Hope you make more. Thank you. Craig jankowski.
alexis willis. Barbara. Mcarthur. Stephan. Faris.
mark fareth, jeff. Mccrory.
cilla. Smith, lou. Pasetto, Carlos.
pinon, david. Sides, chris.
gannon. Shane. Johnson.
nyasha. Alexandria. Anderson.
richard. Jarnigan. Daniel.
lowe. Low. Stacy. Smith.
dan. Foster. Gary. Merritt.
cameron. Shaw. Jeremy. Martin. Bobby. Levinsky.
alvin. Dedieu. Gary. Farmer.
stacy. Roane. Carrick. Roane. Andrew. Trevillian.
houston. Lewis. Briggs. Mitchell. David. Jabbour.
scott. Nye. Jeffrey. Bowen.
melissa. Hernandez. Roy. Whaley. Katherine. Brown.
monica. Guzman. Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen, Jeffrey bowen, district eight.
good evening, mr. Mayor. Council members on This item. I actually had a conversation with one of the County commissioners, and there was a lot of
concern over the that they were looking for Decisions and with some of the things that
were being made tonight. I hope this can get worked out, But I'm still concerned over the amount of
transparency that may be available through This. We already know, as I've already noted about The as council member alter said,
there was lack of information on both sides. It was brought out, so to speak.
so hopefully we will also know what's going To be done with travis county because that
affects us as city members also, Since we also live in the county and take
care of pay those taxes. Again mr. Bunch was very right.
when it comes down to what typically Developers do, we go in and build infrastructure, We do the whole thing,
and then we turn it over unless it's on Private property and go from there,
or the property gets turned over to some Entity and we we fork out that money.
I've built many, a, many a piece of Infrastructure that, that was, that was serving those type of Things and then it gets turned over.
so I still have my concerns and there's not I Understand these people's questions or the
reason for their questions, But please make sure that we are all aware of
what deals you're making or what type of Agreements you're making with the county,
because that's a double hit for, For some of us. Thank you, miss brown.
so actually, my comments were going to be Very similar to the one that the previous
speaker. I think it's been very clear that we Have needed improved communication
transparency. My feeling on this is that if We don't know whether or not you will have
the county on board or not on board, But whatever comes out of it,
it would be extraordinarily useful to Understand what that means in terms of the
timeline of events. What this means and how It's going to be impacting the community.
and this builds a much better bridge of Communication between everyone.
when we do know what's going on at the Moment, we don't. And I think the opportunity there's A word negotiation here.
this gives an opportunity to think about how We come to potentially other address other
issues that the county brought up in terms of Areas of their concern. You've tried to do what you can today, Tonight,
this evening, on including amendments to try And mitigate against some of the concerns of
the community. You get to the point of Negotiation with the with the county.
this is yet another opportunity to consider How you might want to further mitigate their
concerns, and then communicate it back to Everybody in a way that maybe will allow at
least, if not some community engagement, Some more discussion about the process as it
progresses. Thank you. Thank you, miss guzman.
good evening. I'm monica guzman, A policy director, speaking in opposition to item 14 on tuesday,
july 14th, travis county judge brown, An esteemed commissioners,
heard many urging they delay their vote on The tours. In the end, they decided not to vote because They questioned what they heard during the
city tours briefing. They had questions and Wanted more information.
they decided to watch the city of austin to Watch you.
mayor watson, mayor pro tem vela and council,
instead of a blanket approval move to Postpone the tours until at least 2027,
allowing time for the environmental Commission's recommendations. Language accessible community engagement, Especially those who will be negatively,
negatively impacted. Prioritize deeply Affordable housing.
the strategic housing blueprint ten year goal Is to produce 25,000 units for people earning
31 to 60% median family income mfi and 20,000 For those earning 30% below,
according to the scorecard. From 2018 to 2023, only 9668 units have been Produced for the 30 to 30 1 to 60% mfi
and 426 units for 30% below. That's only 2.13% of its goal for residents At this level.
god is in solidarity with the southeast Colorado river neighborhood association.
save our springs for their community powered Atx lone star sierra club environmentalist,
labor activists and organizers, Subject matter experts, and other community organizations and Individuals in our collective opposition to
the proposed tours do what's right for austin Residents, environment and neighboring municipalities Impacted by your votes.
postpone the tours vote. Thank you. Thank you. I have a remote speaker On the line,
richard bremer. Yes, my name is rick bremer.
I'm with district six, And I believe that despite the assurances of
the director of finance a couple of days ago, the tours is currently proposed is seriously Flawed.
as I've pointed out in discussions with Several members of the council, it does not represent the best deal the city Could have negotiated with endeavor,
nor does it is it in the best financial Interests of the citizens of austin.
the definition of critical terms is poorly Organized,
lacks backup support for numeric data. Allows for increase in funding without public Input.
does not take into account state plans for Property tax restrictions,
and does not provide for financial cap for Funding,
and allows the city to increase the amount of Bonds issued without a specified limit.
also, the environmental and affordable Housing concerns raised by council and its
message board and the environmental Commission are not adequately or specifically
addressed. One final point. I would like to thank the members of the 1990 Council mayor hook,
mayor pro tem shipman, Council members, barnstone nafziger,
carl mitchell and humphrey and ernie for Their courage to stand up against jim bob
moffett on the evening of june 7th, 1990 and listen to the voices over a thousand
citizens and vote unanimously against the Construction of the barking creek pub over
the edwards aquifer. The pub was positioned To save the austin's finances from collapse.
at that time, the council was told by Developers that if the pub was turned down,
the city's growth would stop. I think austin has done pretty well with the Barton without the barton creek,
but thanks and have a great evening.
beatrice anderson. I didn't hear my name Called.
correct. You had donated some to someone else And they declined.
what's your name? Okay.
is that okay? Mayor. Sure. Okay. Four minutes. Beatrice.
ollie. Hoffman. Greg. Anderson. Kim. Vasquez. Zenobia.
joseph. Brad. Massengill.
hello again. Council. Beatrice. Anderson. Save our springs alliance. I want to continue my last comment about Having this be a conversation.
and it being a privilege for me to be here And speak on behalf of the community members
who I've spent the last six weeks getting to Know, and I'm doing my best to represent the things That they have told me they want here.
everyone is excited for an opportunity to Uplift this area.
no one. I'm not sure where we are getting Lost in this. No one is saying leave it as is.
you know what? Let's not invest in this area At all. No one is saying that we want to be a part of This conversation.
we want a say in what this development is Going to look like.
this is going to be double the size of Downtown. Is is it radical? Are we being unreasonable To say we want to participate in the design
of that? We want to make sure it's serving The people who live there.
I'm you know, I'm I'm here at work, But I also live in district three.
I'm five minutes away from this. I'm on the River five times a week at least.
is that radical to say? I want to make sure it's protected. I want where I spend the most time in my Personal time to look a certain way.
and then talking about privilege. There's also a major power gap here in terms Of information.
you know, how is this a public hearing when These amendments weren't posted until moments
before the first item I spoke on, I, I had I had reloaded the page. I hadn't seen them yet. How how is that a Fair public hearing to me?
how is that a conversation? And then when they are posted, I've had time to go through them.
I don't know if you can tell from the bags Under my eyes. I've been reading and I really
appreciate that you guys are asking questions Now, and you're proposing these amendments, but some of them don't even make sense.
and how is that when when you are the ones Negotiating this and you have had access to
this information council member alter you Were talking about,
you want to, you know, Change the financing plan to ensure that the
tours was going to, you know, Set aside a portion to reimburse parks and
things like that under the financing plan. That's something that they currently have to Pay for. That was one of the few costs that's
excluded from the tax payer reimbursement. Why do I know that? The.
parks and affordable housing outside the Zone, not inside the zone. So that's the Difference.
okay. But then that is but then this is still An unfair conversation because when we talk
about the people who are impacted, We're told, well, they're outside the zone. So so which Is it?
what are we talking about? Are we talking About only within the bounds of the turs or are we not? I'm sorry, But that's an incredibly unfair response.
again, how and when there is this level of of Confusion between y'all and the public and
between endeavor, how is this a public Hearing?
can we not take a pause and get on the same Page.
this is double the size of downtown. This is ten times the size of the domain, Guys.
this is going to be huge. We want it to be great.
can can we together? It's not just we the People versus you.
you're also the people. Can we together make this something great?
are you willing by taking a no vote on this? By taking a pause, you're showing that Starting the conversation that that is
meeting us to have a conversation so we don't Have to come here and fight.
I'm tired. Vote no. Have a civil conversation With us.
meet us at the table. Allow us into the room Where the tables, even at that is not a radical ask.
thank you. David ross.
andy. Pastor. Miss ada. Ramos. Jennifer barnes.
mayor. That's all speakers for item 14. Thank you. Members. As you heard, That's all the speakers on item number 14.
so let's go to item number 14 for discussion.
first I'll entertain a motion with regard to Item number 14. Motion is made by councilmember laine to Adopt.
item number 14 is seconded by councilmember Harper madison.
members, I don't have any or don't believe I Have any proposed amendments to item number
14. So with that being the case, I'll call for discussion on item number 14.
is there any discussion with regard to item Number 14? In that case, item number 14 is adopted Without objection,
with councilmember segal and councilmember Velasquez being shown voting no.
is there anyone else wishing to be shown Voting no on item number 14 right on a vote
of 8 to 2. Item number 14 is adopted.
that will take us to item number 75. And I'll turn to the city clerk for item 75.
rita thompson. Stacy schmidt. Beatrice. Anderson. Beatrice, Are you still here?
is carson gilchrist here? Monica guzman. Okay. Four minutes.
and josh goldenberg. I think it's I think It's okay.
and I just want to point out for the record That this this is not the way the rules operate. I'm allowing this to happen.
but it's not the way the rules operate. And what will happen is there will come a Time when you're not going to want me to do
it this way, and you're going to point out That I shouldn't do it this way, but I'm going to go ahead and do it even Though.
but this is not we're not following the Rules, but I'm doing it as a courtesy because I want To make sure everybody has the opportunity to
say their piece. But that is very much Appreciated. Thank you. She'll have six minutes.
okay. And I've never done the powerpoints Here. The clicker. I just clicked the green thing. Okay. You will have to give me a minute to
get myself together. Mr.
mayor, if I may, while beatrice is getting it Together. A member of my staff just said something that I wanted to point out because I feel the same
way. He said, I really want to say that I Admire these young folks showing up and
fighting their asses off, Because when I was their age, I didn't care. I feel exactly like he does.
and so I just wanted to make sure to point That out. Thank you. All right, Let's give this a
go. So item 75 and 76.
I'll speak on both but kind of talk to them All at once. 75. They're wanting to vacate.
they're asking the city to vacate the right Of way on a portion of hergatz lane.
and then 76, they want all of edwin lane.
this is in an area where they are also Claiming that no infrastructure exists. That's part of their justification for the Turs,
but they're also asking you for a right of Way vacation so they can remove the existing
infrastructure. It's not just a road we're Talking about. There are also utilities that have to be Moved around there. There's like pipes going
to a man's house on the corner of the hergatz Lane one, but it's again, we're talking about there is A real confusion with the information going
around. There's no infrastructure, But they're removing roads. There are no utilities. But the backup for 75,
it talks about working with that neighbor to Move his his pipes around.
so is are there utilities there? Is there infrastructure or is there not?
and there have been no traffic studies done For either of these right of way vacations
that was admitted. That was something the Planning commission really grilled them on and they had no answers for whatsoever.
and yet the planning commission moved forward Because they said it was going to get kicked to council. And so they were looking to you To to kind of look into this more,
whether you were going to require something Like a traffic study.
and let's, you know, this is what is being Considered. There's the whole dog's head and like that Area in red.
that's the portion of her god's lane, Which is wants to be vacated. And this is for the amazon site.
they need these roads to be gone so they can Put the amazon track right on top of it.
this creates a dead end condition and a Turnaround for the dalton neighborhoods and
the neighborhoods. It doubles the distance to Move from one neighborhood to the other
instead of being able to cross hergatz lane All the way over there. If, say, for example, you wanted to go to the Hope outdoor gallery there you now have to
turn around, go all the way down to the Highway and around on 183,
turn around on 71 and come back up to dalton. There is no time requirement for for the Developer to put in an alternate access
route. That's also something that we asked About at the planning commission and nope.
the, the only, the only thing they said is That, well, eventually other roads will be put in, But there's no traffic study.
and so how are neighbors going to be impacted In the meantime?
is, is this is this fair?
is this fair to do without any study Justifying it? I'm not saying this is the wrong thing to do,
but why? Why do we not have more Justification? Why can we not have more evidence that this Is the best possible?
or it's so necessary that we have to go Forward with it?
the right of the right of way vacation. Yeah. Is going to be both for the amazon Site.
how it usually works is the developer will Pay for that right of way vacation, how the development agreement structures it Is that instead they're going to give the
city back a right of way of equivalent value At some point when other roads are built.
what happens if the development agreement Falls apart? What happens if they leave before?
that right of way of equivalent value is Given back to the city.
and also if they leave and if this doesn't go Forward, like who restores public access.
they have said that the minute this is Approved, they will close the road.
where does that leave the public? Who lives there? And the residents?
she drives this road every single day.
there are so many. There are so many Questions that we want answered here.
and I really hope, again, We brought these up at the planning commission and the reason given by so many of The commissioners for why they voted yes,
despite all of their doubts and all their Questions, was because it was coming to you, Because they they were pushing it on to you
to ask these questions and to put this in the Development agreement account for these
contingencies. Ask, well, What happens if x and plan for that?
as a lawyer, it's my job to think of the Worst case scenario and plan for that.
make sure we have the right indemnifications And things like that. That's what we're asking for. You make sure This is a really tight agreement.
if if there is no way to stop this and this Is where we're going forward, then can we at least strengthen it and like, Answer these questions?
I think that's all for me. Thank you. Josh goldenberg.
susana almanza. Jonathan davidson.
ben thompson. Richard. Suttle. Bill bunch. Betsy.
greenberg. Craig. Nazer.
kristin. Viotto. Garrett. Tung and stephen brown.
craig. Naser, austin. Sierra. Club. Lone. Star. Austin.
environmental. Democrats. Okay, So another environmental question about the
roads. Okay. No land is absolutely flat, But a lot of times developers like to make it
that way. Let's just make it flat, You know, and they go out there, Particularly when they're filling in big
holes and everything and make it flat, But it's not flat where places really are
flat. You go out there, Look there, it's not really flat. So, you know, in the middle of nebraska and Flat field,
you find a little area that's muddy and Mucky, and there's marsilea fern, Clover leaf fern,
really interesting species growing up there Where the bison's wallowed. And in my neighborhood.
and when in my house, They made it flat. And with increased rains of climate change, There was water running down the side of my
house more and more across the street, Down the neighbor's house, I said, here, put some big boulders, Make a little things so it can flow in it so
it doesn't wash your yard away. Well, She did that. Then I got the 1950 aerial
photograph of the gracie farms before there Were any houses and there was a creek there.
they just filled it in and made it flat. These road maps, you can see when they do Them like this,
you know, like that. What is what is the Water runoff really going to be up there?
we don't know. And you could put all these Flat roads and the pervious cover calls, the road, the water to even run off more.
we don't know. I mean, This is just this road map. Will this work in the long run? Will this create flooding down the.
we don't know because nothing has been Nothing's been done there or looked out after
that. This is an environmental issue and it Matters where you put your roads.
thank you very much. Thank you.
mr.. Mayor richard sutil here on behalf of Endeavor,
these roads. I'm going to speak to both road Vacations in this one matter. So you only have to listen to me once.
both these road vacations have had public Hearings at the urban transportation commission, which passed it.
then we went on to the planning commission, Had a hearing and passed it. Basically what
we're doing one one road is, Is, is a segment of road that connects to and
we're vacating it completely. And then the section of hergatz that we're Talking about, we're actually relocating
it'll improve connectivity. It'll improve the grid pattern out there. It's the beginning of adding public Infrastructure.
these are small county roads that we are Actually redoing. And to assuage some of the concerns of the Previous speaker.
these will go through the full city of austin Permitting process. Full environmental process for the review and Approval of the plans.
and with that, I'll be happy to answer any Questions you might have. Thank you very much, mr. Suttle. Do we have any questions From the dais?
council member duchin. Thank you, Mayor pro tem.
I'm my understanding is this is going to Limit the options for certain residents to
certain residents to a rather than having two Options, which they currently have now to a single Option for ingress and egress.
is that incorrect? Is my. Do I misunderstand what the plan is?
there will be a period of time on hergatz When. While we're building the new hergatz, There will be a period of time where they'll
have to use the primary way they get out and Not come across hergatz until we get the
reroute of ergots done and then their access Will be.
back. So is that a during that window? Is that a safety issue?
no. How how is that possible?
because you have two ways out instead of Three. Okay. So the second way that I'm not aware Of.
yes. Versus the two ways I thought there were Reduced down to one.
yes. Well, there's, there's three now.
it could go down to two for a while until we Get it rerouted.
okay. Thank you.
thank you. Council member duchin. Any other comments? Then on item 75, I would entertain.
we. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Mayor pro tem. We do have more speakers. Okay. Lisa levins,
are you here? Lisa? Yes.
okay. Audrey stanton donated time, So I just want to make sure. Does audrey. Is audrey here? Does she want to Speak? No.
okay. Lee. Edwards. Robin. Schneider. Rachel. Scott.
robert. Heal. Harper. Higginbotham.
erin. Andrews. Kaya. Denson.
craig. Jankowski. Alexis. Willis. Robin. Schneider.
district three. It seems to me, Council member duchin, that you didn't ask a critical follow up Question,
which is how long is it going to take to get That road back in shape,
because the resident who I've been sitting With says it's impossible to get out of her
street already. So I was wondering if someone Can please ask the endeavor people when that
is anticipated and if you can get it in Writing. Thank you. Thank you very much, Madam harris andrews once again.
there was a maybe many of you did not see This, but there was a meme in 2020 of bernie Sanders sitting in the cold with his mittens
on. And then he posted that he was running Again for congress and he said,
or for the president again, He said, I'm once again asking for your support. And that's how I feel sitting here.
I am once again asking for a pause to just Think and get the critical answers answered
in front of the public. Not at a time when people have to be home or They're asleep,
or they're doing all these other things after A 14 hour day. I'm once again asking just for a pause on This,
so that we can get the residents to actually Be here for this,
to see when their access may be impeded, To see when or if it really is two lanes or
three lanes or four lanes or 12. There are critical questions here that need To be answered that I,
I would really prefer that we get answered in Another time when more people are actually
able to be here again after, You know, maybe not hopefully a 15 hour day.
I'm really worried about these residents, This amount of trust that we are putting in
to the things that are said right here as Opposed to the things that are actually in
writing, the things that are not in writing. Most importantly, I really wish once again That we would just take a second vote no on
this, get it before the public one more time And make sure that you're vacating the right
thing. You're doing the right amount of Roads. You're getting a clear publishing notice for When people are going to have access impacted
by this. I really think that once again, We should just pause for one second before
steamrolling through another vote to just say Yes and just keep saying yes.
I'm, I'm really shocked that there isn't more Vocal questions from the council and I wish
you would ask more questions before voting. Thank you. I believe I have four minutes.
I donated time.
I don't see that. Tell me your name again.
sandra. We did it at the desk.
for you. It might be on 75 or 76.
you don't see it? I don't see it on 75. 76. Your two minutes. And if it's on 76, You'll have four minutes.
okay. Hi. It's kaya denson again.
nobody notified us of the right of way Vacancy requests for edwin and hergatz.
I know legally, they only had to inform Properties within 30ft. But it's a rural area, So, you know, these kind of roads affect more
than just the properties within 300ft. Other businesses and residents on dalton lane Use her goats to enter and exit dogs.
head via thompson. And we should have been Notified if they absorb hergatz and edwin,
we will be cut off from our one and only Cross peninsula road and dalton, a narrow two lane shoulderless road will be a Dead end street.
this would have serious limitations and Consequences for local business emergency
services. Access, safety and daily life, Especially with the addition of construction
traffic for the manufacturing site. It would be a mess for many years. I don't understand how they can take our one And only thoroughfare,
especially before they give us an alternate One. Everyone's been talking about the limited Infrastructure out there, but did anybody
think about this? What is your plan? Our business was incredibly inconvenienced, Almost to the point of closing for a season
during the construction of and around the Saranac warehouses and before that, when a culvert was being installed on dalton. But we had our back roads.
I cannot even imagine years and years of an Even worse situation.
I realized one day, this is going to have to Happen if this amazon thing gets built like
they're going to, you know, Whatever. But like, this is not an urgency. Like you don't have to do this right now.
like I get that the tourist has, But like, there's still moving dirt. I've been watching them move dirt for months. Like they don't need to do this right now.
they can have little people with the stop Signs and we can keep going until there's a solution. But we will seriously be affected When carson creek ranch has events,
we have been blocked in for like hours and That was with two entrances.
so like, what are we going to do, You know, and and oh, the third way that he was talking about is a Little cut through the richland estates
neighborhood that no trucks are allowed on. I talked to jimmy evans and marcello's.
they are both pissed about this and didn't Know. So thank you. Barbara macarthur, Stephan farris,
mark fareth, jeff mccrary, Cilla.
smith, lou. Pescetto, Carlos.
pinon, david. Sides, shane.
johnson, gary. Merritt, Cameron.
shaw, jeremy. Martin. Gary.
farmer. Briggs. Mitchell.
david. Jabbour. Melissa. Hernandez. Roy. Whaley.
katherine. Brown. Zenobia. Joseph. Brad. Massengill.
david. Ross. Andy. Pastor.
mr. L. Ramos and jennifer barnes.
please. All right. So in this case, I'm going to speak as my experience of a
local resident whose family has been on her Guts for 30 years.
we live in a different part of her guts. Yet we also use these roads sometimes because Where we are located by thompson or the exit
to hergatz thompson during certain parts of The day, because of the traffic will be built up for You could you could spend easily half an hour
waiting to get out of thompson, And you can't actually get in the direction
you need to unless you use these backroads as Well. I also have concerns because the lack of a Study or any sort of assessment there in
terms of emergency services, Emergency services, this area relative to a lot of parts of Austin,
is somewhat remote and somewhat difficult to Access, especially given the state of the roads as Well as the way the communities are built.
I just think it would be prudent, If nothing else,
to to pause on this one, Just so you understand what the real issues
are, instead of letting the property Developer just simply say it's fine.
there are two routes. These routes are not Equivalent at all. It's not like you have three equal roads Here.
and I really feel, especially in terms of Both commuting for the people who live there
and access to emergency services. And that could be anything from the police to The fire trucks to an ambulance.
you really need to think about this Carefully. And also, it would be great again to have an Understanding of what the plan is for the
alternative route before you close one road. We see the road closing.
I didn't see the alternative route and again, a time scale. Inform the local community.
again, this could be another example of Serious breakdown in communication and
actually would have an immediate impact on The local community if we don't think about
this carefully. Thank you.
mayor. All speakers for item 75 have been Called. All speakers have been called on item number 75.
I'm going to entertain a motion on item Number 75 and we'll go to a discussion.
is there a motion on motion is made by mayor Pro tem to approve item number 75,
seconded by council member harper madison. I don't have any proposed amendments on item Number 75.
I want to say I'll recognize council member. Just a second. Thank you. I've got some questions.
before you do that, I want one. One second. I just want to say this does seem Like something that more ought to be worked
out. I mean, you know.
this isn't a question of misinformation. This isn't a question of disinformation. This is a question of not understanding.
this is day to day life. And if that level of non-communication has Occurred with these folks,
that's just kind of humanity. I'm josh lickteig, endeavor real estate Group.
mayor, mayor pro tem council. I wanted to give a little more context here.
if it's an excuse, I don't want to hear it. There's no excuse. We we have worked with dpw We have gone to urban transportation
committee and planning commission to work Through all of these roads.
we're not only replacing the hergatz and We're in for permits. So as soon as the city will issue us permit, We will start construction.
blame us? Yeah, exactly. We will be building the hergatz connection And the new patent lane,
which will increase connectivity, Which is not currently on the site.
and all of that stuff will happen immediately As soon as the permits are issued. So there may be, as mr.
suttle said, some downtime where some roads Are missing. But that's pretty typical for there to be a Couple of months of interim time.
but my expectation is that all these roads Are built within the next 6 to 9 months.
it's the downtime that people are upset About. It's not when you when you're done, It's going to be the downtime.
so if you can't, you ought to be trying to Figure out how you're going to work things out so that their day to day life, Which you're getting a lot of votes here,
understood already that it's going to be Disruptive.
at a minimum, you should be looking at ways To minimize that disruption.
I totally agree with you. We have been in contact with the neighbors Most disrupted like mr.
sides and some of the neighbors further out, But we will gladly be in touch with the
neighborhood and make sure that they are Aware of the timelines.
it's not the timelines. It's fixing ways to make it easier.
sure. And we will minimize the amount of Downtime for those roads as much as humanly
possible. Councilmember duchin, Thank you.
I had some questions for staff or if Anybody's here. Members. As we proceed, We have this item and two others.
so what I would request is, And we're going to come up on a violation of
our rules here in just a second. So what I'm going to suggest, As you know, my position has been and I think
the council has agreed with me each time that We don't vote on major items in the middle of
the night. We're just not going to do that. I Don't think that's where we're headed. But our rules do require that the meeting be Ended by 10:00.
we need to suspend that rule so that we can Take up the other two items.
I don't anticipate we'll be here past 11, But and if we don't suspend the rules,
then we'll have to conclude the meeting at 10:00 and come back tomorrow morning.
so my recommendation would be that we vote to Suspend the rules and and complete the
agenda. Motion's made by council member, Seconded by mayor pro tem that we suspend our
rule that the meeting be adjourned at 10:00 So that we can complete the meeting.
is there any discussion? Hearing none. Without objection, The motion to suspend the rule that we end at
10:00 is approved. And now, Councilmember duchin, you have the floor. Thank you.
staff, I want to follow up on a couple of Items that we've heard about. One is I want to make sure I understand from y'all's Perspective and your communication with
either residents or endeavor.
how long can residents expect to be in a Place where they have fewer access points,
fewer roads? Thank you. Councilmember richard mendoza, Director for transportation and public works.
yes, we have been in pretty intense Conversations with the developer to examine
and review the overall network for this Potential development.
and in terms of the timing, I'm going to ask assistant director barbara
to go into more specifics on those Conversations.
thank you richard. Good evening, Mayor and council. With respect to the roadway network adjacent To the right of ways that are being vacated,
there are alternate ways to get into those Residents. And in addition to that, There are two site plans currently with the
city to permit additional improvements and Additional connections to that area.
one is the patent avenue that is currently Under review, and the other one is dalton lane.
that is also under review. So those are going to be two additional Connections that are going to be provided in
that area during the window in which they've Got limited egress or they're working on the
main road. Council member there is going to Be some inconveniences during construction,
but based on our discussion with the Developer, they are trying to expedite the construction As much as possible.
and our belief is that the wind is going to Be short.
I think they are trying as much as they can, And they're working very closely with us to
get the approval on the site plan and get the Construction going.
and so I'm just, again, Trying to understand what is the timeline look like when you say words like short?
what does that mean? I would rather have the Applicant respond to that question because as
soon as we issue the permit, I think they have a better idea about the timeline. Okay. While they're coming up, I've got one other question for you,
which is we heard a concern around emergency Service access.
what steps are being taken to ensure that There is the emergency service access that we
need during this time of construction or any Other time. Based on our assessment, There is going to be a continuous emergency
access even during construction. And that's even even that we've heard some of Those other roads are smaller than the,
the the main roads that they'll be using Right now. Is that correct? Yes. There is going to be alternate access point To provide the emergency services even during
construction. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Suttle. It's unfortunate we didn't have the Chance to go out there and take a look at
these roads. These are small roads. There will be there's no question there will Be some inconvenience.
but these roads sit in the middle of the of The proposed amazon facility.
amazon came to us saying that they weren't Going to ask for any incentives,
but they asked for speed in the permitting Process. So we have already put in all the permits to Get this grid pattern or this road pattern
back into place as soon as we get the Permits. The construction starts. But if the roads Aren't vacated tonight,
then construction is impeded on the amazon Site because these roads go right through the
middle of the facility. So if I understand you, It's not possible to do a change of order of
operation where you first build out the Solution before tearing up the road.
well, that'll be going on simultaneously with Amazon's work on their on their facility.
and it's not like we're, We're taking complete access away from these
folks. It's just like when you and I drive Downtown and the lane gets closed off or road
gets closed off, or sixth street gets closed Off or city infrastructure,
there will be a time where there will, They'll have to go a different route, but it's not they're not getting the route Cut off.
they're getting they're having to go an Alternate route, and it'll be for a short a period of time as we can manage.
do you have again, any, Window. Any specific window or just vague window.
from the day we get the permit to the day Cars are back on the road.
I would estimate 3 to 6 months. 3 to 4 months to get the road rerouted and Back in place.
okay. All right. Thank you.
members. There being no further discussion on Item number 75?
without objection, item number 75 is approved With council member siegel and council member
velazquez being shown voting no.
on a vote of 8 to 2. Item number 75 passes on All three readings.
I hope you all hear how fast you need to Work.
item number 76. I'll call up item number 76 And turn to the city clerk,
rita thompson. Beatrice anderson, Is carson gilchrist here?
no. Monica guzman. Okay. Four minutes. Josh goldenberg.
jonathan davidson. Ben thompson.
go ahead and begin. Hello. Beatrice anderson. Save our springs alliance.
still me. Guys, what the heck?
we were. We were clapping for you. Like, that was such an amazing response to Ask those questions.
and then you still vote it through. Their poor planning on this should not like The burden of their poor planning.
the fact that if they don't get this today, Amazon has to stop construction.
that is not our problem. Why is that now? The burden of the residents When we could take a week.
you could, you could you could say, Hey, come back to us in one week.
like with an alternate access route here. And then and then we could approve it. Amazon Can afford to pause for one week.
and again, there's some of the things I, My jaw was dropping with some of these
answers. They didn't have time to go out There and look at the roads. No, he was making reference to some council Members not having time to go out there.
it was not. He's been out there. Okay. Thank you for clarifying. And deborah's been out there. So I go back to My initial point of the last one.
how are any of these questions even being Answered?
what are they pulling from? To where are the where are they pulling these Time frames out of.
where are they pulling that people aren't Going to be impacted. There have been no studies.
and then they're talking about talking to Residents. Endeavor bought up all the property here. So yeah, Who do they have to notify when they own the
property? They're the only people who need to Be notified in that 300 foot buffer.
and no, mr. Tuttle, this is not like sixth Street because you don't own sixth street.
if this were happening downtown. How many property owners would have had to Have been notified? What would the process
have looked like? But because it's it's, You know, it's a relatively small neighborhood.
they're not being given the same process. Like this is this is wild to me.
and for, for the alternative to be, Oh, well, don't worry. We're going to have major Construction happening on all the surrounding
roads to improve connectivity. How when you take away that access route, You you make that turnaround condition.
and then have ongoing major construction on The two through roads that they are saying
are the alternate access points here that Makes. That makes no sense. I just really I really Wish there were more pushback here for just a
ask them to provide one alternative to you.
up front, amazon can wait. Like who, who should be, Who should be bearing the burden of this.
we're not willing to make amazon, But you're willing to make your constituents
bear the burden like I was. I was so shocked that that just passed.
I had I had so much hope there on the front. Gosh. Okay. And then edwin this is again, With the lack of infrastructure or
infrastructure not existing out there, But then now they're removing that. Edwin is,
is I've driven every single street of the dog Said, by the way, edwin is such an important one Because that's where you can really see the
construction that they are doing. That takes You to almost the farthest part into the dog's head that you can go and you can look At their construction site.
the other side of edwin, Which we're all going to lose access to. So you will not have the option to go out There and see this for yourself. But I have
when you turn to the other side of edwin, It is like not rolling fields,
but it is like wildflower meadow over there With a beautiful view of downtown.
which again, just really, You could have had the opportunity to see that it's not a bombed out mine pit entirely.
there are like reclamation needs to happen, But it's a portion of the site.
thank you ma'am. This removes that Opportunity. Richard.
subtle. And is amanda still here? Okay. Four minutes, if you'd like. Bill Bunch.
betsy. Greenberg. Craig. Nazer there? Is ishrat here?
okay. Just two minutes. And. Kristen. Craig.
nasir, it's interesting to get to talk to you Guys so much.
so I'm just trying to get my head around This.
the fourth richest guy in the world, One of the richest companies in the world.
they say we need this.
what do you do now? Why federal government Cut millions of dollars.
okay, we have a crazy president, A perfectly acceptable. The state I argued against the park set aside From commercial development for sierra club a
couple years ago. I argued forcefully against That. And. And all these people are conspiring Against you,
and they put you in this place where you're Having a problem with money and I get it,
I get it, but I don't know. Where's your line? Mike siegel.
thank you. Where's your line? Where's your line? Jose velasquez.
thank you zo. Thank you. Okay. Now as a music history professor, There was a woman named katharine lee bates
who who? She was one of the first women College professors in literature.
and she took a trip to pike's peak in 1893. And she went up to the top of pike's peak, And she wrote a beautiful poem.
but then a bunch of. I think some guys got Together and wanted to make money off that
poem. They had to rewrite it three times, And finally they made it into america the beautiful, the original version.
here's a verse. Oh, beautiful for glory.
tale of liberating strife where once and Twice for man's avail,
men lavished human life. America, america. God shed his grace on thee So selfish gain no longer stain
the banner of the free.
garrett tung, steven brown. Liz levins. Is audrey stanton here?
no. Okay. Just two minutes. Lee. Edward. Robin. Schneider.
rachel. Scott. Robert. Hale. Please begin. Good evening.
council. I've been here since 930 this Morning. I'm a physical therapist. I'm a pelvic floor Physical therapist.
this is not in my wheelhouse. And now I'm speaking off the cuff. It's really not in my wheelhouse.
I've prepared everything that I've said to You all.
I'm just so flabbergasted. I can't I can't just sit by and watch you all Do this a second time.
you have a chance to help us out. You haven't helped us all night. Not once.
but you can now. Please, Please don't cut off our third access point. You see where our the way our neighborhood is Laid out,
those two exits that we have, They basically exit and like they dump onto
183. This is our only way of crossing the Peninsula.
that is the dog's head. Please don't don't give it to them.
please let us keep that way until they can Provide us with some other way of,
of getting across this place that we live Like.
it's just kind of crazy to, To have been here for hours and just watch
the same crap happen over and over. Please stand up for us. Please stand up for us, Mayor.
thank you. Robin
schneider. I was told by by the neighbor that I've been staying,
you know, hanging out with today. Lee that there's what they haven't told you Yet is that they're patent lane that they
keep talking about. There's a person that Owns property on that lane that doesn't want
to sell. So they sound like, Oh, we'll be done 3 or 4 months.
there could be complicating factors that They're not telling you,
and you're not asking, And you're not giving people the time to get
this sorted out appropriately. Thank you. Harper. Higginbotham.
harris. Andrews. Kiah. Denson, craig. Jankowski, Barbara.
macarthur, stephan ferris, Mark.
firth. Eric andrews. Once again, I hope y'all don't bet.
but if you do, you can bet on what I'm gonna Say right about now and make a lot of money.
okay. I agree with mayor watson. Earlier you said, I mean, This affects real people's lives.
it's not about speculation of a tours or This, that and the third that's gone now.
we've already steamrolled past that. This is real people. Again, What I really am struggling to see here is
there has been a constant theme all day of Good questions coming from most of you to the
developer. And then the developer says one Thing assuage your fears and all of a sudden
you don't need evidence, You don't need backup, you don't need data, you don't need to see that stuff before you Vote.
and that's how this entire tours has operated On the trust of they're going to do it
correctly. When? All day today. You all have said from the moment this Development agreement has come before you,
before you all even agreed to it, The moment that started until literally
today, they have not been doing the correct Things the whole time.
and now it's the same thing over and over and Over and over again all day.
oh, we have big major concerns that really Affect people. Don't worry about it. Okay?
vote yes. We have major concerns that are Cutting people off from access.
don't worry about it. Pinky swear. Oh yes. It's it's been all day today.
many of you have had very valid questions That need answers. And you sit here and you say, And you say out loud and tell us that you
care and you really want to get this right, And you want to get started on moving forward on a better foot. And you want to, You know,
move past all the the issues that have Plagued this whole thing from the beginning.
and you sit here and you do the same thing. You all said you wanted to do better. It doesn't start by trusting everything that They say with no data to back it up in front
of you. That's all we're asking for you to Get, and you're just going to vote it through Again.
please don't. Thank you.
this is my first time doing any of this, And I am just like,
I can't I feel like I'm in a movie. Like, this is totally insane.
I born and raised austinite my whole life and I had,
like, I can't believe this is how it works. Like, I'm, I don't want to make enemies with These guys.
like I'm going to have to be living next to All of this for a long time. Like, I don't, I don't want to not like them.
I don't want them to not like me. Like, I just want our business to like, Be able to function,
you know, like, I don't want to feel stuck in My road because carson creek is having a
party like a big event and like, I can't get out. And you know what? If there's flooding, What if there's severe weather? What if a
tree falls down somewhere and like, We can't get out? This is what I mean by emergency services.
like you can't predict like the road. There is no shoulder on that road.
like respectfully, these guys who are talking About it do not know what they're talking
about. They don't know what it's like to live Out there. They don't know what the roads and the experience and the daily life is like.
and they say, oh, there's an alternate route. It is one way in and one way out, And it hits out on the old bastrop highway.
or if you get to go around to thompson, Then you get like dumped out over by montopolis. Like that's it.
and it's just like, I'm insulted. I'm so insulted by you guys.
like this was the easiest thing to say no to. It would not have hurt you at all.
amazon can wait. They can build a little side Road. That's not going to scare them away.
you know, like I just like oh, And the public hearings.
who was there? Them sides. Whittlesey maybe that's it. Carson creek guys Like nobody told us.
so they're saying they did a lot of things And they're telling you a lot of stuff, but it doesn't make sense.
and it's not real. It's a 3 to 4 months. Is it nine months? What's the alternate Route?
there is no alternate route. Like where are they going to put it? And when They're constructing on dalton lane at the
same time. Jeff mccrory,
cilla smith, lou pasetto, Carlos pinon, david sides,
shane. Johnson, gary. Merritt, Cameron.
shaw, jeremy. Martin, Bobby levinsky, gary farmer,
briggs mitchell, david jabour, Melissa hernandez,
roy whaley, katherine. Brown, zenobia joseph, Brad massingill, david ross,
andy pasztor, mariana kruger, Mr ramos, and jennifer barnes.
miss brown, doctor brown.
I know I've said that several times. Again, I'm going to speak as someone who has Lived out in that area and I have to echo
everything that she just said. This is a it feels like you're talking about Austin,
but not realizing how rural this area is, How difficult it can be to travel around
there during the day. During the night. The other day I was stuck.
I had to go actually around this other route Because of an accident on thompson.
yeah. It doesn't take much to actually cause Those roads to get shut down for however,
amount of time that is unpredictable without Having many alternative routes.
in terms of the emergency services, They say, okay, there is a route. I would like to just Simply see the map.
I would like to be informed about what our Choices are because,
you know, if it's your friend, Your grandmother, your child who needs help, You want to know what the system is in place,
what it's going to take. Don't let something like a tragedy be the Reason that you come back and you say,
oh, you know, we could have waited. We could Have just figured this out. Again, you've already talked about the Importance of communicating with the
residents. This is something which will have Immediate impact on the residents,
and we should communicate. It just feels like for something like this, Common sense could just prevail.
thank you, thank you. Mayor.
all speakers for item 76 have been called. Thank you. All speakers have been called on Item number 76.
I'll entertain a motion with regard to item Number 76. Is there a motion? Mayor pro tem moves Approval of item number 76.
is there a second? Second by council member Lane. I don't have any proposed amendments that I'm Aware of on item number 76.
so with that discussion on item number 76, Without objection,
item number 76 is adopted with council member Segal and council member velazquez being
shown voting no and council member harper Madison temporarily off the dais.
that being a vote of seven to 2 to 1 with one Absence.
if that's natasha harper madison, She moves a little slower after her knee surgery. I thought I thought council member Alter maybe was just was pulling a trick on
me. All right. How would you like to be shown Voting on item number 76?
she is voting yes. There being eight votes in Favor,
two in opposition and one absence. Item number 76 passes on three readings.
members. That will take us to item number 106.
and I'll call on the clerk to call speakers. Rita thompson, beatrice anderson, Josh goldenberg,
jonathan. Davidson, bill bunch, Betsy.
greenberg. Craig. Nasr. Kristen. Viotto. Garrett.
tung. Stephen. Brown. Before you start Speaking,
one of the things I forgot to do, And I apologize for this is item number 106
is a public hearing. And so without Objection, we will open the public hearing on item Number 106.
and the public hearing is now open. She's already called the first number of Speakers that wish to be heard during the
public hearing, and they'll be heard as part Of the public hearing. So, miss anderson, if you'd like to begin. Sure.
hello, beatrice anderson, Save our springs alliance. I don't have a ton to say on this one. You know, I might.
you know, we're we're willing to we're Willing to meet you. So you know, I, I, I don't hate this.
this is better than the original annexation. I will give, I will give you that.
this isn't immediately attached to the Development agreement. And, you know, I, I hope that we're going to See a service plan agreement.
I don't know what to say. I literally don't know what to say this.
would it matter if I really I am leaving Today feeling like.
it wouldn't matter if we showed up to that Conversation because this is us trying.
and yeah, I have not seen a aside from some Really great questions and like,
thank you to those having, You know, the spine to vote no.
but otherwise I'm really leaving this feeling Like not heard at all.
like our voices do not matter. And that's why we keep coming back and Fighting and it makes us seem confrontational
and anti-development. We're not Anti-development.
we are pro inclusion. We're pro conversation.
like this. This is just wild. But anyway, yeah, I, I hope, I hope to see a service plan agreement.
I hope to see some transparency with, With this additional annexation.
I don't think this is really unlike the other Things that we, that you voted on today that had real impact.
you know, whatever this is 37 additional Acres to 26,
45. This isn't really moving the needle. That ship has already sailed. So.
craig nasr sierra club, Us environmental democrats.
now, I think at the end of the night, I, I see the two separate spheres almost
going on. And, you know, I taught university for years,
had young people who would come in love. Loved it. And they'll have a future and They're looking forward.
and what's life going to be like? And I was that age once too.
and I've been an environmentalist from the Start, realizing how that affects my life.
not so much the money thing. I came from a wealthy family until I told Them I wanted to be a musician.
then I got thrown out. But you know, I, I made it, But it's the environmental thing has been
with me from the start and through it. And I just keep thinking about the dog's head And what's going to happen and the,
I mean, and, and all I can think of is I Music again is a song by the doors that came
out in 1967 when the mayor was nine years Old.
it's called when the music's over. And this little section of it are what have You done to the earth?
what have you done to our fair sister?
ravaged and plundered and ripped her and bit Her. Stuck her with knives in the side of the Dawn.
and tied her with fences and dragged her Down.
since that time we have lost 73% of Biodiversity on the planet earth.
I mean, well, actually mass of trees and Flowers in that time.
I'm a bird watcher. You know how many bird Species I don't see anymore?
thank you, madam. This matters. Thank you. Lisa levin's.
li edwards, robert schneider, Rachel.
scott, robert hale, harper.
higginbotham, iris. Andrews, Kiah.
denson, craig. Jankowski, Alexis.
willis. Barbara. Macarthur.
erin. Andrews. Once again. Hey, guys. Brand new day.
this is the opportunity to start over and get It right the first time.
you initially annexed almost 3000 acres under A shady development deal with no oversight,
and all of these issues that have plagued you For 16 hours today.
let's just avoid that part this time. Luckily, there's no shady development Agreement yet.
and if anybody wants to put this land into The development agreement,
just say no before we have to drag out Another hearing all day long.
guys, this could be the chance. Annex land. Do it right.
develop on it without strings attached or Amazon up your behind telling you when you
have to do stuff and when you can't do stuff. This is how it's supposed to be.
land gets annexed. You're going to develop on It no matter what. You get city services out there.
this tax or this new land is fully taxable at 100% and not,
what, 35% for the next 35 years. That's again, not a good deal.
but again, that ship has sailed with bright Colors today.
this is the way we do it out of every single Vote today.
like this is the only one that you should Feel no regrets about voting unanimously.
yes. For this land is is just. It can be brought into the city.
it can be taxed fully. It's not attached with all the problems that Are bringing,
you know, the environmentalists that hate Development, that it's first off, those don't exist.
but that is the reason everybody was here for 16 hours.
just bring the land and vote yes unanimously. You're going to do it anyways. I mean, does it matter if we say don't do it?
no. You annex 3000 acres. We didn't get to say yes or no to that.
what's 36 more? You can tax it 100%. Don't put it in this development agreement And don't put it in the tours.
that's it. Thank you. Stefan ferris, Mark fareth,
jeff mccrory, cilla smith, Lou pasetto, carlos pinion,
david. Sides, shane. Johnson, Gary.
merritt. Cameron. Shaw. Jeremy martin, bobby levinsky, Gary farmer, briggs mitchell,
david jabbour, melissa. Hernandez, roy whaley, Kathryn brown, monica.
guzman, zenobia joseph, Brad massingill, andy pasztor,
mariana kruger, mr ramos, And jennifer barnes.
miss brown, it's all yours. Thank you. It's odd to be thinking that maybe I'm the last person who has the last word on
all of this. Sounds like you might be. I think so, too. I have to say this has been Hard.
it's been hard. And I know what hard is Because I too,
like the women on district two. I'm currently fighting breast cancer.
that is hard. This is hard too, Because I've been trying to fight for my city, the city I grew up in, And trying to do absolutely the right thing.
I feel like at the end of the day, I did mention about common sense prevailing
here. There's been a lot of promises made Today,
especially in terms of trying to have Communication,
trying to be admitting that both the city as Well as the developer have made a lot of
mistakes, and that's fine. I feel we can move on from them in a very Productive way,
in a way that could be helpful, Proactive community.
but I really have to say, I have to leave it up to you all to get
everyone to hold to the things they said They're going to do today, that the developer is going to communicate More effectively,
that in three months time, District ten duchenne is going to come back
and say, have you met the requirements that I Can say continue to say yes to or no?
you know, we need to see more evidence. We need to see more information and more Transparency on this.
as someone said, you know, If the information had been there, maybe we could have come to a more equitable Agreement and understanding between all these
groups a lot sooner with a lot less pain.
I can only hope that, You know, the future will be better than what I've seen today. I have to hope so.
thank you all again. It's the last word for Tonight, I guess. Thank you mayor.
all speakers for item 106 have been called Members. As you've heard, all the speakers on item 106 Have been have been called.
so without objection, We will close the public hearing on item 106. Now the public hearing is closed.
I'll entertain a motion with regard to item 106. Is there a motion? Councilmember alter moves Approval of item 106.
seconded by the mayor. Pro tem. Is there discussion on item 106?
hearing none. Without objection, Item 106 is adopted, with councilmembers siegel and velazquez Being shown voting no.
that being a vote of 8 to 2 with one absence. Item 106 passes on three readings.
members. That completes all of the items that Are on the agenda for this regular meeting of
the austin city council on july. Oh, yes. Hang on before I adjourn as the Manager would like to say something.
thank you, mayor, and thank you, Council. And I want to thank all of the residents that And some non residents who came out and spent
the day with us. I I know 12 hours is pretty Grueling,
I think. Not simply for the council and our Team, but I know the public who doesn't get paid to Come out and share their thoughts and or
their concerns. I would say one, It was a long agenda,
but I think the last seven items demonstrated Quite a bit to me.
and I heard a lot coming across the dais. I think that was negatively in some cases Aimed at this council who had to take some
tough votes, I think probably many votes that They wish they didn't have to take.
I, as the city manager feel some Responsibility to when you do have to take
difficult votes to ensure that you've got the Information that the processes and or the
engagement that I think you expect from us Throughout what I often see our staff doing
that you commend us for and our Professionalism and how we approach it that
make those decisions and opportunities to Talk with the public a lot easier.
I would admit, and have to take Responsibility as the city manager to say
that we did not do what we typically do when It comes to how we engage with residents.
while the process of annexation is very Different than the typical planned unit
development and other rezonings, And we did not have to follow those same
processes, doesn't mean we could not have Done something different that allowed for the
input that I believe this community believes That they're accustomed to.
and I think that has caused some feelings as If we have been doing things,
whether behind closed doors or that are not As transparent as historically they've been
done. And so I will own that. As the city manager, I will continue to work With my team with some of the comments and
many of them by this council of expecting More from us going forward.
I will be working with my team as well as the Developer to figure out how we can be more
informative provide the types of insights and Information that the community is asking for.
doesn't mean we're always going to agree or It's going to be possible. But I think what I've heard loud and clear Today,
obviously, is they just want to make sure That they understand what we're doing and
have a voice in the process. And so I will take that responsibility going Forward.
but I didn't want today to end with the Council, not at least hearing from me that I will say We will do better going forward.
we must. And I hate to have put y'all in a Situation where you had to make excuses for
us. And that is never something that I am Excited about,
but just know that I appreciate the long day, appreciate your consideration and all the Confidence that you have in our team,
but we've got to do better and we will do Better going forward. So thank you, mayor, for giving me the chance To share that. Sure. Thank you. Manager. All
right. With that being said, There's no further business to come before the austin city council at this regular Meeting of the austin city council on july
23rd, 2026. So without objection, The austin city council is adjourned at 10:24
p.m.. Thanks, everybody. Thank you. Mayor.