[00:00:01]
ED, WE GOT THE GO AHEAD TO GO.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THIS REMOTE MEETING OF THE O TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
I'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20TH, AND THE TIME IS 2:18 PM.
WHILE THIS HAS BEEN AN HISTORIC DAY FOR OUR COUNTRY, IT IS ALSO A HISTORIC DAY FOR AUSTIN.
WE HAVE COME TO OUR FIRST MEETING OF THE A PP BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UH, THANKS TO YEARS OF HARD WORK BY STAFF POLICY MAKERS AND THOUSANDS OF MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH A TP.
I'M EXCITED TO BEGIN THIS JOURNEY WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM IS MOVING INTO IMPLEMENTATION AND THE A TP IS READY TO GROW AND GET TO WORK.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, A COUPLE OF LOGISTICAL ITEMS. I KNOW WE HAVE HAD PLENTY, UH, PRACTICE WITH ONLINE MEETINGS RECENTLY, BUT I'D LIKE TO JUST REMIND EVERYONE OF OUR MEETING, UH, ROOM TODAY BEST PRACTICES, WHICH ARE TO KEEP YOUR MICROPHONE ON MUTE UNLESS YOU'RE SPEAKING.
AND THEN PLEASE REMEMBER TO TURN YOUR, UH, MUTE OFF AGAIN WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED.
I'VE ALSO BEEN REMINDED BY OUR GENERAL COUNSEL WITH TEXAS LAW FOR REMOTE MEETINGS.
PLEASE STAY VISIBLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, UH, ON CAMERA AND IN PARTICULAR, WHEN WE GO TO DO CASTING OF VOTES, IT NEEDS TO BE VISUAL FOR RECORDING OF THE VOTE.
FINALLY, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE GINA FINA DACA.
SHE'S THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OF MOBILITY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SHE HAS BEEN AN INVALUABLE PART OF THE PROJECT CONNECT PROCESS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND SHE WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THESE MONTHLY MEETINGS AS THE EX-OFFICIO MEMBER OF THE A TP BOARD, DESIGNATED BY THE CITY MANAGER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE A TP ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION.
WITH THAT, LET'S MOVE TO OUR FIRST TWO ACTION
[I.1. Adoption of the Austin Transit Partnership bylaws.]
ITEMS BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO THE BOARD FOR INTRODUCTIONS.ACTION ITEMS ONE AND TWO WILL BE THE APPROVAL OF THE A TP BOARD BYLAWS AND ELECTION OF A TP BOARD OFFICERS FOR 2021 CASEY BURAK.
UH, THE A TP GENERAL COUNSEL AND CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER WILL PRESENT THESE TWO ITEMS. WITH THAT, CASEY, COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE IT FROM HERE? THANK YOU.
UM, ACTION ITEM NUMBER ONE IS APPROVAL OF THE A TP BOARD BYLAWS, WHICH WERE APPROVED AT THE JOINT AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL CAP METRO BOARD MEETING ON DECEMBER 18TH OF LAST YEAR.
ADOPTION OF BYLAWS IS REQUIRED BY STATUTE, AND THE FULL TEXT IS IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIALS.
SO, ACTION ITEM ONE IS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE BYLAWS OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AT P BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
ANDY, DO YOU WANNA REQUEST THE, SORRY, I, I PUT MYSELF ON MUTE.
I'M GONNA REPEAT WHAT WE ALL DID IN 2020, SO I APOLOGIZE.
UM, WITH THAT, I'LL REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ACTION ITEM NUMBER ONE, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE.
AND BECAUSE WE'RE ON VIDEO, IF YOU COULD PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SAY I OR NAY THE QUESTION.
SO I'LL START WITH, UH, MAYOR ATLAS.
SO YOU NEED THE MOTION TO BE ABLE TO APPROVE IT.
SO I MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE BYLAWS.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS THAT THESE HAVE BEEN SET KIND OF BY THE, UH, BY ALL THE DIFFERENT, THE CITY AND CAP METRO.
SO, UM, IF WE WANT TO AMEND BYLAWS IN THE FUTURE, WE CERTAINLY CAN BY FOLLOWING THE PROCESS.
BUT THESE ARE THE BYLAWS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY EVERYBODY.
SO I MOVE TO, TO DO IT, OR DO YOU WANT ME TO GIVE YOU MY, MY YES.
I JUST NEED A MOTION IF I CAN GET A SECOND.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU GET US BACK TO THE VISUAL? WE SEE THE WHOLE COUNCIL, UH, THE WHOLE BOARD AGAIN.
SO NOW I'LL JUST, UH, I'LL GO THROUGH THE ROLL CALL AND WE'LL START WITH, UH, MAYOR ALER.
I HEARD, I HEARD COLLETTE TRY TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO DISCUSS THIS BEFORE WE TAKE THE VOTE.
MAY I? I THINK TONY AND I WERE CHIMING IN AT THE SAME TIME, SO I'M SECOND IN OPTION.
UH, BOARD MEMBER, UH, DR. BURNETT? YES.
[1.2. Election of Austin Transit Partnership board officers.]
UH, CASEY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO.ITEM NUMBER TWO IS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION ELECTING OFFICERS OF THE A TP BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR 2021.
A MOTION AND SECOND WILL BE MADE TO NOMINATE AND ELECT A TP OFFICERS.
WE NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ELECT A CHAIR, VICE CHAIR,
[00:05:01]
SECRETARY, AND TREASURER.A REMINDER THAT THE RESOLUTION IN TODAY'S BACKUP LISTS, ACTUALLY, MYSELF AS THE SECRETARY AND GREG CANAL, THE INCOMING CFO OF A TP AS TREASURER.
THE ME THE MOTION MAY INCLUDE THE NAMES OF ALL FOUR OFFICERS.
SO WITH THAT, UH, OPEN UP TO THE FLOOR FOR, UM, FOR A MOTION.
RANDY, IF I COULD MAYBE INTRODUCE SOMETHING.
UM, WE HAVE, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SERVING WITH YOU GUYS ON THIS, AND IT'S A PRETTY INCREDIBLE COLLECTION OF PEOPLE.
UH, I'M ALSO ANXIOUS FOR US TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER ENOUGH SO THAT EVEN THE FORMALITY THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH SUCH FAR BECOMES LESS FORMAL AND, AND MORE OF THE SMALL GROUP KIND OF CONVERSATION THAT, THAT I THINK THAT WE CAN GET TO.
I THINK PICKING THE OFFICERS ARE GONNA BE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT ON THIS.
UH, EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE ANYBODY'S WORK ASSIGNMENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
'CAUSE WE'RE ALL GONNA BE WORKING.
WE EACH BRING DIFFERENT KINDS OF, UH, EXPERTISE TO, TO, TO, TO WHAT WE HAVE.
UM, UH, BUT MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT, UH, UH, ERIC AND I NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR IT.
THAT WE COME FROM POLITICAL GROUPS, UH, AND, AND JUST TO REALLY EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL THING AND IT'S NOT REALLY A POLICY THING.
AND, AND IT'S KIND OF THE, THE NUTS AND BOLTS THING.
UH, AND SO THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT, AND THAT LEAVES THREE, ALL OF WHICH WOULD MAKE GREAT CHAIRS AND GREAT VICE CHAIRS.
UM, I THINK GIVEN THE MOMENT THAT WE HAVE AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY THE, THE REAL KEEN INTERESTS THAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, UH, OVER THAT PART OF WHAT WE DO, THAT THAT REALLY DOES REPRESENT, UH, THE KIND OF THE, THE, THE, UH, CONCERN ABOUT, UH, UH, DISLOCATION AND, AND HOW THIS IS GONNA IMPACT THE COMMUNITY.
MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, UH, WITHOUT DESIGNATING A PERSON FOR ONE OR THE OTHER, UH, BE, UH, COLETTE AND, UH, AND VERONICA.
UH, AND, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, BE WILLING TO DEFER TO THE TWO OF THEM TO FIGURE OUT WHO IS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, UH, BETWEEN THAT.
UH, BUT MY RECOMMENDATION, 'CAUSE I THINK WE'RE ALL GONNA BE DOING THIS TOGETHER.
WE'RE ALL GONNA BE SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER.
THESE MEETINGS ARE GONNA BE REALLY INFORMAL.
IT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE THE WORKLOAD.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD JUST BE, UH, A REAL IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO KIND OF SEND TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S, THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON OFFICERS.
UM, SO WE COULD GO FULL FORMAL PROCESS, BUT I THINK AS YOU'RE SAYING, WE COULD MAYBE MAKE IT LESS FORMAL.
MAYBE I'LL JUST, UH, ASK OTHER BOARD MEMBERS TO COMMENT ON THAT.
RANDY, WE CAN HEAR YOUR BOARD MEMBER STRAT.
UM, I WILL ECHO WHAT, UH, MAYOR ADLER HAS SAID ABOUT THE ROLE OF BOTH MYSELF AND HIMSELF AS THE APPOINTEES AND DESIGNEES OF CAP METRO AND CITY COUNCIL.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE EACH HOLD THE RESPONSIBILITY HAVING BEEN ASSIGNED IN THE CREATION OF THIS, COMING FROM THE POLICY MAKING BODIES TO, WE HAVE THE, THE UNIQUE POSITION OF BEING, UH, OF BRINGING TO THE TABLE THE EXPERTISE AND THE, UH, THE VOICES OF THE POLICYMAKING BODY SIDE OF THINGS.
BUT, UM, WITH THAT SAID, THE CREATION OF THIS, OF THIS ENTITY THAT WAS IN, IN INHERENTLY ABOUT CREATING SOMETHING THAT WAS INDEPENDENT AND SEPARATE AND A BIT ACCOUNTABLE, UH, A LEVEL OF, A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND WITH THAT, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A MAJORITY OF INDEPENDENTLY APPOINTED MEMBERS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE, UH, VERONICA AND, AND COLETTE AND TONY HERE.
SO I WOULD JUST ECHO THE MAYOR'S, UH, POINT IN THAT, THAT, UM, JUST, I DON'T THINK THAT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
AND WOULD, YOU KNOW, RE WOULD, WOULD POLITELY DECLINE ANY, UH, REFERENCES IF SOMEBODY WERE GOING TO TRY TO NOMINATE APPROPRIATE OPPOSITE POSITION? I BELIEVE BEST CHAIR, VICE CHAIR BEST HELPED ME.
I'M LOSING HIS, UH, I CAN'T BOARD MEMBERS' HAVING A HARD TIME WITH YOUR AUDIO.
YOU KNOW WHAT I, I JUST REALIZED IS THIS WHOLE TIME I DIDN'T PUT ON MY EARS
UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME BETTER NOW? YEAH, I CAN.
UH, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER SERVED FOR, UM, FOR IT TO COME FROM A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY IN, IN BOTH CASES,
[00:10:01]
BOTH THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR.WE HAVE THREE VERY, UH, AMAZING INDIVIDUALS THAT SERVING HERE.
I THINK ULTIMATELY TO, TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE SERVING AND, AND VER AND, AND THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE, THE CAPACITY AS TO THE ACTUAL CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THIS ORGANIZATION, THIS, UH, THIS, UH, IMPLEMENTATION BODY, UH, THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING WHAT THE COMMUNITY, WHAT OUR CITY HAS ALREADY SAID THEY WANT DONE.
I, I THINK THAT THAT, THAT, THAT MAINTAINING THAT LEVEL OF EXTRA NEUTRALITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY WOULD BE BEST SAID COMING FROM ONE OF THE THREE OF Y'ALL.
SO I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU GUYS SAY, BUT I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR MYSELF EITHER AGREEING WITH THE MAYOR, UH, TO BE, UH, CONSIDERED FOR THE CHAIR OF VICE CHAIR.
UH, ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS COMMENT? AND I APOLOGIZE.
I CAN'T, I'M HAVING A SCREEN TROUBLE.
I CAN'T SEE EVERYONE, SO IF YOU COULD JUST LET ME KNOW AND WE'LL COGNIZE YOU.
YEAH, I THINK THOSE ARE GREAT CHOICES, UH, MAYOR ADLER.
AND, UM, I GUESS IT COMES DOWN TO DR. BURNETT AND VERONICA AND THEIR, UH, TIME AND AVAILABILITY, YOU KNOW, TO STEP UP FOR THAT POSITION, WHICH WILL REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
UM, SO I THINK, UM, UH, THAT, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING FOR THE TWO OF THEM TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME THEY WOULD HAVE TO COMMIT TO IT AND WHETHER ONE WOULD PREFER TO BE IN THE BOARD.
AND THE OTHER WOULD, UH, CHAIR AND THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE THE, UH, VICE.
UM, I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT THOUGHT AND THAT COMMENT.
AND I, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SERVE AS THE VICE CHAIR AND WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE VERONICA TO, TO, UM, CONSIDER THE CHAIR RECOGNIZING LIKE, UM, EVERYONE HAS SAID WE'RE A TEAM WORKING TOGETHER.
AND I CAN'T SEE VERONICA ON MY SCREEN FOR HER NONVERBALS.
OH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN SEE ME OR HEAR ME NOW, BUT, UM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN, I THINK I NEED TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH,
UM, AND I'M, I'M VERY EMOTIONAL BECAUSE I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A LONG JOURNEY TO MANY OF US.
I WOULD, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS SPEAKING YESTERDAY WITH MAYOR ADLER, UM, IT IS HUMBLING TO, TO BE THOUGHT OF IN THIS CAPACITY, NOT JUST TO JOIN YOU ALL AS A TEAM.
'CAUSE I THINK YOU ALL ARE AN AMAZING GROUP OF HUMANS AND LEADERS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT AS A LIFELONG LEARNER, I LOVE TO LEARN.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS GIVEN ME PAUSE OR REALLY TAKEN SERIOUSLY IS, UM, I'M GLAD I PUT UP CLINIC.
UM, JUST THE ABILITY TO BE AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME IS, UM, IS HUMBLING.
AND I THINK I TAKE THIS, UH, JUST THE NOMINATION VERY SERIOUSLY.
AND, AND WITH THE KINDNESS THAT I KNOW EVERYONE IS LOOKING FOR THE BEST FOR THE CITY, FOR THE, THE BEST, FOR THE PUBLIC.
UM, I JOKINGLY TOLD MAYOR ADLER YESTERDAY IF HE KNEW THAT ENGLISH WAS MY SECOND LANGUAGE
UM, AS I, YOU KNOW, CHAIRING, UH, A BOARD, I HAVE SERVED IN THE CAPACITY OF CHAIRING COMMITTEES ON DIFFERENT BOARDS, BUT NEVER HAVE CHAIRED A, A BOARD OF THIS CAPACITY, UM, AND EXPOSURE AND RESPONSIBILITY.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT IN A WAY, REALLY SCARES ME,
AND IN A WAY, IT'S JUST A, UM, SOMETHING THAT I'M REALLY GRATEFUL AND HONORED TO BE CONSIDERED.
UM, AND, UM, AND WITH THAT, I, I AM SURE SERVE SO
I'M, I'M HERE TO MAKE THIS PROJECT SUCCESSFUL.
SO, UM, I WOULD LOVE THE HANDHOLDING, UH, VICE CHAIR COLLETTE, IF YOU CAN HELP ME, GUIDE ME THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND, UM, AND, UH, I, I WOULD ACCEPT NOMINATION WITH, UH, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT I'M GONNA NEED SOME, A LOT OF HELP FROM EVERYONE.
AND YOUR PASSION, WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT, WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT YOU ALL THE WAY, AND YOUR
[00:15:01]
PASSION IS CONTAGIOUS.AND THAT SHOWS OUR COMMITMENT TO THE WORK EVEN, YOU KNOW, JUST A PREREQUISITE TO BE A PHENOMENAL CHAIR, HAVING THE PASSION FOR THE MISSION OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO IF THERE WAS ANY DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT CHOICE, YOU JUST RESOLVED THAT OVER THE LAST TWO MINUTES.
I MAKE THE MOTION THAT, UH, WE ELECT, UH, OR CHOOSE, UH, UH, VERONICA AS THE CHAIR, UH, DR.
BEEZ, VICE-CHAIR, UH, AND, UH, UM, UH, CASEY AS GENERAL COUNSEL, AND, UM, UH, GREG AS THE TREASURER CANAL.
YOU MEAN A SECOND SECRETARY? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
WHATEVER, WHATEVER WAS IN THE, IN THE BACKUP FOR THOSE TWO CASE
CASEY IS SECRETARY OF GREG CANAL AS, UH, TREASURER.
AND WITH THAT MOTION, CAN I GET A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT.
AND NOW I'M GONNA JUST, UH, REQUEST A ROLL CALL, VOTE AGAIN IF CAMERA, AND I THINK EVERYONE IS MAYOR ADLER.
BOARD MEMBER STRATTON HECK YES.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO, UH, FORGET YOUR PREFERENCE.
BOARD MEMBER BURNETT OR DOC BOARD MEMBER DR. BURNETT.
UH, YOU'LL HAVE TO TELL ME, BUT, UH, EITHER WAY, I'LL ASK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE.
UH, BOARD MEMBER CASTRO DEIRA.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO NOW TURN OUR INAUGURAL MEETING OVER TO OUR INAUGURAL CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT, UH, PARTNERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTOR, UH, DIRECTORS VERONICA DICK CASTRO.
AND, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU.
AND NOW, THE NEXT THING ON THE SCRIPT, AS WE HAND IT OVER TO YOU, I THINK, UH, WE WOULD GO, IS GIVE A CHANCE FOR EVERY BOARD MEMBER TO JUST DO A QUICK INTRODUCTION AND GINA, UH, PINA DACA AS WELL AS THE EX OFFICIO.
AND THEN WE WOULD TRANSITION QUICKLY TO, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, I THINK, UH, NOW WE GO OVER, I HAVE A SCRIPT HERE NEXT TO ME.
DO WE GO NOW TO PUBLIC COMMENTS? WE CAN DO THAT.
WE WERE, IF EVERY BOARD MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO, WE WERE GONNA GIVE EVERY BOARD MEMBER A CHANCE TO JUST MAKE A, AN OPENING COMMENT ABOUT THE, JUST THE ATV BOARD AND THEIR ROLE, UHHUH
I'D LIKE TO, UM, START BY SAYING, I MEAN, I THINK ALL OF US WOULD WANT TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES AFTER I LISTENED TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE MEETING ON THE 18TH.
I THINK THE, THE PUBLIC WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, EXPRESS OR CONCERN OF, OF WHO WE WERE, HOW QUICKLY THIS PROCESS MOVED.
AND I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EACH OF US TO TELL A BIT OF OUR STORY AND WHY WE'RE INVOLVED IN THIS PROGRAM.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO, UM, START WITH, UH, BOARD MEMBER ERIC STRATHAM, TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF AND TELL US A BIT MORE OF WHY YOU'RE HERE WITH A TP MUTED.
YOU THINK I GET THAT BY NOW? UM, THANK YOU.
UH, MADAM CHAIRMAN, I JUST WANTED, UH, TO THANK YOU.
I WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE CAP METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE CITY COUNCIL FOR PLACING THEIR FAITH IN ME TO SERVE ON THIS INAUGURAL, UH, A TP BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
AS SOMEBODY RECENTLY SAID, THIS IS, THIS IS AN AMAZING UNDERTAKING.
WE ARE BASICALLY CREATING A, UH, GOVERNMENTAL STARTUP.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COME TO ME AND SAID, NOW, WHY THE HECK WOULD YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS? AND TO ME, IT'S BECAUSE THIS IS, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
THIS IS, THIS IS GENERATIONAL CHANGE FOR THE GOOD.
AND AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.
AND FOR, AS I'VE SAID TO OTHER PEOPLE, EVEN THE FIRST TIME WHEN, WHEN FOLKS AND I, AND I, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ALSO, YOU KNOW, MENTION, UH, THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, THAT, THAT PLACE THEIR FAITH IN ME TO SERVE ON THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN THE FIRST PLACE, UM, AND, AND ALLOWED ME THEN TO, TO GET TO THIS POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'VE BEEN TIMES IN MY PAST AS, AS A LIFELONG, MOSTLY LIFELONG AUSTIN RESIDENT.
I GREW UP IN NORTHWEST HILLS, UH, THAT GOT ME TO THIS, UH, ULTIMATELY TO THIS POINT THAT, UH, I'VE, I'VE HAD SKEPTICISM ABOUT SOME OF THE TRANSIT PLANS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US.
BUT, UH, THERE, THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT, THAT THIS WAS RIGHT.
THIS WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I'VE BEEN A, A VERY STRONG SUPPORTER OF IT, EVEN THOUGH I'VE OPPOSED OTHERS IN THE PAST.
THIS IS IMPORTANT IN THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
[00:20:01]
REGISTERED NURSE BY TRADE.UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, LOOK AT NURSING AND THEY SAY, OH, WELL, IT'S, IT'S JUST ABOUT BEDSIDE NURSING.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS ON NURSING RIGHT NOW, AS A MATTER OF FACT, BECAUSE OF THE, THE COVID PANDEMIC.
BUT THERE'S MORE TO NURSING THAN, UM, YOU KNOW, THAN JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, BEDSIDE CARE.
BUT ALSO THERE'S PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, WHICH IS ALSO GET A LOT OF, OF FOCUS WITH THE PANDEMIC.
BUT PART OF THAT INCLUDES THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY AND LOOKS AT THE BIG PICTURE.
AND TO ME, THIS IS, THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO HELP IMPROVE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES.
UM, TO ME, THIS IS ABOUT OPPORTUNITY, AND THIS IS PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY TO OUR COMMUNITIES, TO OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS, TO OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS, TO PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
IT CONNECTS EAST, SOUTH, NORTH, EAST, WEST, NORTH, AND SOUTH IN WAYS WE'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO BEFORE.
BUT, UM, MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, THIS IS THIS, THIS, THIS IS GOING TO MAKE, UH, I THINK BRING AUSTIN CLOSER TOGETHER AND MAKE AUSTIN MORE, UH, HOPEFULLY HELP STAKE STEP, TAKE STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO MAKE AUSTIN MORE INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY.
AND I AM VERY HONORED TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THAT.
AND I AM HOPEFUL THAT THIS BODY WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE JOB DONE PROPERLY.
POLICY'S BEEN SET FOLKS BY, BY, UH, THE WORK OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE WORK OF THE CAP METRO BOARD, AND THEN THE FAITH THAT THE VOTERS PLACED IN US.
IT IS THE JOB, IN MY MIND OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP TO ENSURE THAT WE IMPLEMENT THIS, RIGHT.
IT IS OUR JOB TO ENSURE THAT WE BUILD THIS TRANSIT SYSTEM, THAT THIS $7.1 BILLION PLAN THAT WAS PUT IN OUR HANDS, THAT WE DO IT AND WE DO IT RIGHT.
SO BASICALLY, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET THE JOB DONE.
AND I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY ONCE AGAIN, TO BE PUT HERE AND, AND THE FAITH THAT PEOPLE HAVE PLACED IN ME AND, UH, TO MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING PART OF THIS TEAM.
I THINK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US BRING AMAZING TALENTS AND SKILLS AND BACKGROUND AND HISTORY TO THE TABLE.
AND I THINK ALL OF US ARE GREAT REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE ALL GOING TO GO FORWARD AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE HERE TO, TO GET THIS THING BUILT AND BUILT RIGHT.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING A PART OF THAT.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND TO BE A PART OF THIS WITH ALL OF YOU.
UM, MAYOR ADLER, PLEASE TELL US A FEW WORDS OF
STEVE ADLER, PROUD TO BE HERE.
UH, I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS ROLE AND THIS OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
UH, THERE'S NOTHING THAT OUR COMMUNITY COULD DO THAT IS GOING TO HAVE A GREATER IMPACT ON, ON, ON TRAFFIC, UH, AND HOW WE MOVE AROUND.
AND, UH, UP UNTIL WE HIT THE PANDEMIC YEAR IN, IN RECENT TIMES, THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE.
IF YOU WERE POLLING PEOPLE IN CENTRAL TEXAS AS TO WHAT THEY WERE, WHAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE COULD BE DOING TO, TO, TO BETTER MEET OUR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION THAN, THAN, THAN THIS PROJECT CONNECT.
AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO, UH, THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DO SUCH VALUE FOR, FOR EQUITY AND PRESERVING NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITY AND THE DIVERSITY AND THE CHARACTER OF OUR CITY, BUT ALSO THE POTENTIAL TO DO SUCH GRAVE HARM IF WE DON'T DO THAT PIECE WELL.
UH, NO WONDER THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROJECT THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS, HAS TALKED ABOUT AND, AND, AND, AND ENGAGED IN FOR DECADES NOW.
AND TO BE PART OF A MOMENT WHEN, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE RESIDENTS CAME FORWARD AND SAID, LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
IT IS JUST REAL EXCITING, AND IT'S REAL EXCITING TO BE PART OF, PART OF THAT.
I WANNA TO TO, TO ALSO REEMPHASIZE WHAT, UM, UM, MY COLLEAGUE, UM, UH, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DOING THE POLICY SIDE OF THIS, YOU KNOW, TO A LARGE DEGREE.
OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT HAPPENS ON TIME AND ON BUDGET.
UH, AND, AND A LOT OF THE POLICY STUFF, AS I READ THE DOCUMENTS, HAS BEEN KIND OF REFERRED OVER TO THE CITY TO, TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY ON THE ISSUES THAT REALLY DIRECT, UH, DISPLACEMENT AND THE STATION, UH, AREAS, PLANNING AND, AND THE LIKE.
UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO DO OUR, OUR PART OF THAT FUNCTION.
UH, UH, WELL, EXCITED TO SERVE WITH, UH, WITH, UH, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON.
I'VE WATCHED HIM NOW, UH, IN A YEAR, UH, IN OUR JOINT MEETINGS.
UH, HE WAS REAL IMPORTANT IN THE ELECTION TO, TO HELP ENSURE THAT IT WAS A
[00:25:01]
REALLY BIG TENT, UH, OF PEOPLE THAT JOINED IN THIS.THIS WAS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE.
THIS WAS AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY ISSUE.
AND IT, IT TAKES, UH, UH, UH, PEOPLE LIKE, UM, UH, MR. STRATTON TO, TO, TO HELP US NEGOTIATE THAT.
AND WE'RE GONNA NEED THAT AS WE GO FORWARD.
UM, UM, I'M EXCITED TO BE WORKING ON THIS WITH MR. ELKINS.
UH, IT'S REALLY NICE TO HAVE SOMEBODY ON THE BOARD THAT'S ACTUALLY BUILT A BIG PROJECT LIKE THIS BEFORE.
UH, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA WANT TO, TO TAP INTO AND, AND TIE INTO.
UH, AND I'M EXCITED THAT, THAT, THAT HE IS, IS WITH US.
UM, I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN A, A GROUPIE AND A FAN OF DR. BURNETT FOR, FOR DECADES, UH, ALTHOUGH IT'S JUST BEEN, UH, SINCE SHE ARRIVED, BUT, UM, HAS, HAS TAUGHT ME SO MUCH.
AND, UH, IS, IS SUCH AN ADVOCATE, UH, FOR, FOR HER COMMUNITY AND FOR HER SCHOOL, UH, BUT HAS STEPPED UP TO, TO REALLY PUT HOUSTON TILL IT'S IN, IN SERVICE OF THE ENTIRE CITY IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND, AND I KNOW THIS ONE CAN TAKES YOU A LITTLE BIT FARTHER AFIELD.
OBVIOUSLY TRANSIT'S KEY TO YOUR STUDENTS, BUT, BUT THE FACT THAT HOUSTON TILLSON IS, IS, IS STANDING UP AND, AND YET ANOTHER BIG WAY IN THIS COMMUNITY JUST MEANS SO MUCH.
AND, UH, MADAM CHAIR, UH, THIS IS IN YOUR WHEELHOUSE FOR THE FINANCING.
AND SO MUCH OF THIS IS GOING TO INVOLVE THOSE ISSUES IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, AS I WATCH THE INAUGURATION TODAY, THE, THE MESSAGE OF HAVING THE, THE LEADERSHIP THAT WE JUST ELECTED IS, IS IMPORTANT AND SENDS A MESSAGE NOT ONLY THAT, THE DECISIONS THAT WE MADE WILL BE MADE WITH THE, WITH THE LEARNED EXPERIENCE OF, OF OUR COMMUNITY GENERALLY.
UM, UM, BUT, BUT, BUT WE'RE MANIFESTING THAT IN, IN EVEN THE FIRST DECISION THAT WE MAKE AND, AND PROMISE TO, TO MAINTAIN THAT AS WE GO THROUGH.
UH, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH MY, MY COLLEAGUES, NOT TO MENTION RANDY AND GINA, THAT, THAT I HAVE SUCH FAITH IN THAT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS JOB INCREDIBLY EASY.
THANK YOU, MAYOR LER, UH, VICE CHAIR, DR. BURNETT.
UH, LIKE MAYOR ADLER SAID, UM, UM, THE POPULATION THAT I SERVE TO INCLUDE MYSELF, IT WAS ONCE VERY DEPENDENT ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
AND THE POPULATION THAT I SERVE ON A DAILY BASIS IS, AND THAT'S A PASSION OF MINE FOR THEM TO REMOVE, FOR ME TO REMOVE AS MANY BARRIERS TO THEM AND MY ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UM, POSSIBLE.
SO THE THREE THINGS ARE MY NORTH STAR.
I'M, I'M VERY FORTUNATE SERVING AS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HOUSTON TILLISON, THAT MY PERSONAL AND MY PROFESSIONAL PASSIONS HAVE INTERSECTED AND ARE ON THE SAME PATHWAY.
AND SO I CONSIDER THAT A GIFT.
AND THE THREE THINGS ARE THREE OF MY, MY ARE ARE MY NORTH STAR AND THE EQUITY, UM, SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN OUR PLANNING.
SO IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE FOR ME THAT AS WE BUILD THIS THING THAT, YOU KNOW, IS REALLY PHENOMENAL FOR THE ENTIRE AUSTIN COMMUNITY, THAT WE KEEP THOSE THINGS FRONT OF MIND, TOP OF MIND.
AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SERVING WITH EACH OF YOU.
AND, UM, WE DO THIS AS A TEAMWORK, AS AND AS, UM, AS WE'VE ALL SAID, THIS IS GONNA BE A JOURNEY.
AND IT'S A JOURNEY I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO.
UM, MR. ELKINS, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
I THINK IT'S ONLY APPROPRIATE, WE HAVE OUR FIRST MEETING TODAY ON THIS HISTORICAL DAY WHERE WE ELECT THE TRANSIT PRESIDENT.
AS WE ALL KNOW, UH, PRESIDENT BIDEN IS A BIG, UH, USER OF AMTRAK, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY HE'LL BE A FAN OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN BOSTON.
UH, I LIVED IN NEW YORK CITY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AND I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND WHAT A WONDERFUL, UH, COMPREHENSIVE TRANSIT NETWORK CAN DO FOR A CITY IN TERMS OF BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN EQUITY.
AND, UH, I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO WORK WITH, UH, ALL THESE, UH, TERRIFIC BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF TO MAKE THAT A REALITY HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, I'VE BEEN DEVELOPING TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS NOW.
AND, UM, I'M EXCITED TO TAKE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED, SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS AND SOME OF THE NOT SO GOOD THINGS.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY, UM, UH, SEE THAT, UH, THIS PROGRAM HERE IN AUSTIN BECOMES A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS.
AND, UM, THAT WE MAKE AUSTIN, UH, A MORE LIVABLE AND EQUITABLE CITY.
[00:30:01]
I WANNA END BY REALLY SAYING THAT I, I PLEDGE TO THE BOARD AND I PLEDGE TO, UM, THE CITIZENS OF, OF AUSTIN THAT I WILL KEEP THREE WORDS IN MY MIND AS WE GO THROUGHOUT OUR WORK ON THE BOARD, AND MAKE SURE THAT I EARN THE TRUST AND WE EARN THE TRUST OF THE CITIZENS THROUGH INDEPENDENCE, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.AND I THINK IF, IF WE AS A BOARD CAN KEEP THOSE WORDS IN MIND AND, AND ACT UPON THEM, THEN WE WILL EARN THE TRUST AND, AND WE WILL BE A SUCCESSFUL BOARD.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU, MR. ELKIN, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS.
UM, I KNOW, UM, MR. CLARK, RANDY CLARK
UM, I THINK IT'S, UM, I'D LIKE TO FOR YOU TO ADDRESS THIS NEW BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY.
THANK, THANK YOU, UH, CHAIR FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UH, I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT, BUT I, BUT I APPRECIATE IT AND OBVIOUSLY I, I, I, I, I WELCOME, UH, OBVIOUSLY, UH, MY PARTNER, UH, GINA AKA AS WELL FOR HER COMMENTS.
BUT I GUESS I'LL MAKE MINE VERY SHORT.
I, ON BEHALF OF ALL THE STAFF, BOTH CURRENTLY CAPTAIN METRO, AND NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY STARTING TO HIRE STAFF, UH, UH, AT TI WANNA THANK YOU ALL PERSONALLY FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AND ALL THOSE THAT PUT THEIR NAME FORWARD TO SERVE.
AND I THINK WHAT'S SO EXCITING IS HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WANT TO BE INVOLVED.
AND I KNOW JACKIE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT LATER.
WE WANNA OBVIOUSLY DEVELOP A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY COMMITTEES AND WORK GROUPS THAT ARE GONNA, YOU KNOW, BE PART OF THIS PROCESS.
UH, EVERYONE, UH, REALLY HAS TO REMEMBER THIS IS A LONG PROCESS.
SOME PROJECTS WILL GO QUICKER THAN OTHERS, BUT, UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS 'CAUSE THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT AND WE'RE GONNA ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.
UH, 'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS THE COMMUNITY PROGRAM.
WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE, AND YOU, YOU HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF OVERSEEING, AND WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF IMPLEMENTING A STAFF, UH, ON BEHALF OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I KIND OF LOOK AT THIS AS, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, BOARD MEMBER ELKIN MENTIONED.
AND, UH, I THINK MOST PEOPLE KNOW I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN BOSTON, ACTUALLY.
SO DID, SO, DID HEINA, UH, FOREVER ACTUALLY.
AND WHAT STRIKES ME IS THE BEST PARTS OF BOSTON FROM A TRANSIT URBAN ENVIRONMENT, WALKABILITY ACCESS, UH, CULTURAL IS THE STUFF LIKE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BUILD.
AND WHAT IT DOES IS YOU TAKE IT FOR GRANTED WHEN YOU WALK ACROSS A BRIDGE OR YOU GET OUT OF A SUBWAY STATION OR A GREAT BUS STOP, AND THERE'S GREAT SIDEWALKS AND THERE'S TREE COVER, AND YOU INTERACT WITH OTHER PEOPLE GETTING ON AND OFF TRANSIT, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER OR SPORTS YOU GET ON A TRAIN AND TO SEE DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, DIFFERENT RACES, DIFFERENT INCOME LEVELS, THAT CREATES A CITY.
'CAUSE MOST PEOPLE WANNA BE IN A CITY FOR, FOR INCLUSIVENESS, FOR IDEAS, FOR INTERACTING WITH, UH, UH, PEOPLE AND CREATIVITY.
AND I, AND I, THAT'S WHAT EXCITES ME.
TRANSIT IS THE BLOOD THAT KIND OF FLOWS THROUGH THE VEINS, BUT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY BUILD THE CITY OF THE FUTURE IN SO MANY WAYS HERE IN AUSTIN, AND AS MANY MEMBERS SAID, CREATE A MORE EQUITABLE, LIVABLE, UM, AND SUSTAINABLE CITY.
SO I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS AMAZING PROGRAM, AND I WANNA THANK THE VOTERS AGAIN FOR ALL OF THEIR, UH, SUPPORT AND THANK, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL AND CAP METRO FOR, UH, ALL THE WORK THEY'VE PUT INTO SORT OF THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND WE'RE READY TO, UH, GET GOING AND, AND GET IMPLEMENTED.
AND, UM, GINA FCA WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
THANK, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
UM, UH, AS RANDY SAID, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD FOR GETTING US TO THIS POINT.
UM, AS, UH, SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, UM, LIKE TONY ELKINS AND LIKE RANDY, UM, I WAS BROUGHT HERE FROM BOSTON AND, UH, SPENCER CRO CITY MANAGER RECRUITED ME, BROUGHT ME HERE, AND, UH, WHEN I ARRIVED, THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN HAD BEEN APPROVED.
STRATEGIC DIRECTION 23 WAS WELL UNDERWAY.
UM, BUT, BUT INHERENT IN THE STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN WAS REALLY A TRANSIT SYSTEM.
HOW DO WE GET TO THAT 50 50 MODE SPLIT? HOW DO WE ADDRESS OUR, OUR CLIMATE GOALS, AND HOW DO WE SUPPORT THE SORT OF, UH, UH, TRANSIT JUSTICE IN OUR COMMUNITY? I, UH, MET RANDY CLARK AND HE INTRODUCED ME TO PROJECT CONNECT, AND THAT WAS REALLY
[00:35:01]
ABOUT BUILDING CONNECTIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY IN BOSTON.WE HAD THE BENEFIT OF THE OLDEST TRANSIT SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY, AND WE'RE NO STRANGERS TO LARGE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
SO HOPEFULLY I CAN BRING SOME OF THAT EXPERIENCE HERE TO AUSTIN.
UH, BUT, UH, MY ROLE AS A EXOFFICIO MEMBER OF THIS BOARD, UM, AND AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR THE MOBILITY OUTCOME IS TO SUPPORT YOU.
WE HAVE ALREADY ESTABLISHED A PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM OFFICE WITHIN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY MET OUR PROGRAM OFFICER ANIQUE BODE.
SHE WILL BE, UM, YOUR PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT AS WELL AS WITH, UH, WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION OF A TP.
WE'RE SO PROUD TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT YOU IN THIS EFFORT.
UM, IT WILL BE A TRANSFORMATIVE, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT IN, IN OUR CITY.
AND, UH, WE ARE HONORED TO BE PART OF THIS EFFORT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT, UH, WHO I AM AND HOW I CAME TO BE IN THIS, UH, APPLIED FOR THIS POSITION FOR TO BE ON THIS BOARD.
UM, MY STORY BEGINS IN MEXICO.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MEXICO, AND IT'S A COUNTRY I LOVE DEARLY, AND WHO HAS TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT WALKABILITY AND ABOUT, UM, I OFTEN SAY THAT, UM, MY PARENTS TRUSTED THE CITY TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR YOUNG, BECAUSE I'M THE YOUNGEST OF FIVE SIBLINGS OF, OF FIVE CHILDREN.
AND WE, WE HAD, I, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING A FREE RANGE CHILDHOOD.
AND WHEN A PARENT CAN TRUST THE CITY TO LET THEIR CHILDREN EXPLORE AND BE AND THRIVE, IT TELLS ME A LOT THAT HOW A CITY CAN BE.
UM, LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT IN SAN ANTONIO WHEN I IMMIGRATED, I'M AN IMMIGRANT.
UM, UH, I IMMIGRATED TO SAN ANTONIO AT THE AGE OF 13, UM, THAT THE CITY WOULD OFFER ME A DIFFERENT VIEW OF, OF ISOLATION AND, AND DISCONNECTED, UH, NOT A VERY WALKABLE CITY THAT WAS VERY HARD TO GET TO TRANSIT.
AND I HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN OPPORTUNITY JOBS, HEALTH, THE CONNECTION TO, YOU KNOW, HOW IT IMPACTED MY OWN FAMILY REALLY TAUGHT ME A HUGE LESSON THAT I, I WANT TO SHARE THIS STORY WITH THE PUBLIC, THAT A LOT OF YOU MAY KNOW ME, A LOT OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW ME BECAUSE I FOCUS MY, MY CAREER IN ARCHITECTURE TOWARDS THE ARCHITECTURE OF MOBILITY.
AND I WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN ARCHITECTURE BECAUSE IT'S THAT PIECE OF, OF DESIGN THAT SHELTERS A HUMAN.
AND FOR ME, ANYTHING THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH MOBILITY AND TRANSIT IS TO SERVE THE PEOPLE AND THE HOW WE BEST PROTECT PEOPLE WITH OUR CITY, WITH THE, WITH OUR STREETS, WITH OUR TRANSIT.
AND TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER, WHEN WE THINK OF THE CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY, OR PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS, THAT WHEN WE TAKE GOOD CARE OF ANYBODY THAT'S VULNERABLE, WE TAKE CARE OF EVERY, EVERYONE IN BETWEEN.
SO, UM, MY JOURNEY IN TRANSIT HAS BEEN FROM THE BEAUTY OF A SINGLE BUS STOP, MARKET RIDES AND TRANSIT STATIONS TO TRAIN STATIONS.
AND I'M HERE REALLY AS A, YOU KNOW, GRATEFUL FOR MY MOTHER, MY AUNT WHO, YOU KNOW, TAUGHT ME THAT I, WE COULD GO AND RIDE ACROSS THE BRIDGE IN LAREDO FOR OUR SUMMERS TO GO GET BREAKFAST
YOU KNOW, THOSE MEMORIES ARE VERY WELL EMBEDDED IN MY HEART.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WANNA SHARE, UM, MY LIFE, MY, MY FAMILY.
I HAVE TWO CHILDREN, ANDREA SEBASTIAN.
I'M MARRIED TO A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL HUSBAND, MARTIN.
AND, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER IT, I KNOW THAT WE'VE RAISED OUR CHILDREN IN COMMUNITY, AND TO ME, AUSTIN HAS BEEN A NURTURING COMMUNITY, AND I FEEL A GREAT SENSE OF BELONGING HERE AND WHERE I WANT TO CONTRIBUTE AND GIVE BACK TO THIS WONDERFUL COMMUNITY.
UM, THE, WHAT THEY, YOU KNOW, WE CALL EACH OTHER EXPERTS IN OUR FIELDS, WHETHER IT'S FINANCE AND COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINABILITY.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, BY MY EXPERTISE REALLY IS IN, IN THE, THE ARCHITECTURE, YOU KNOW, THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT OF, OF TRYING TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO THE BASICS OF LIFE, OF JOBS AND GOING TO, YOU KNOW, BE OUT IN NATURE AND JUST EARNING A LIVING.
AND I HAVE, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO BE HERE BECAUSE I'VE HAD GREAT EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE TAUGHT ME A LOT IN, IN THE CITY IN AUSTIN WITH MWM DESIGN GROUP, AND MY PREVIOUS EMPLOYER, KI, THEY, THEY WERE MENTORS.
[00:40:01]
THEY WERE WONDERFUL, UH, INDIVIDUALS WITHIN EACH OF THOSE FIRMS WHO HAVE GUIDED ME AND TAUGHT ME SO MUCH.AND LIKE, UH, DR. BURNETT HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION HAS OPENED SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES.
AND I REALLY HOPE THAT AS A BOARD, THAT WE CAN MAKE, UM, AN IMPACT FOR OUR CITY THAT IS LASTING, THAT WILL OUTLIVE ALL OF US.
THAT, UM, NOBODY WILL REMEMBER WHO WE ARE, BUT THAT THEY REMEMBER THAT THERE'S A GOOD SYSTEM IN PLACE TO HELP THEM THRIVE.
AND, UM, I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER WE ARE GONNA FACE SOME INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES.
I KNOW THAT NO TRANSIT PROJECT HAS EVER BEEN EASY OR SEAMLESS, AND I KNOW WE'RE GONNA ENCOUNTER SOME VERY, VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGES AHEAD THAT I HOPE IT TAKES EVERYONE AN ENORMOUS CREATIVITY AND ALL HANDS ON, ON DECK TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE IT CREATIVELY AND TOGETHER.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN IS THAT AS WE FACE THESE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE, WE DON'T, I THINK WE, AS WE FACE THE CHALLENGES, WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE THEM QUICKLY BECAUSE WE, WE ARE IN A VERY TIGHT DEADLINES.
AND MY MOST STRESSFUL DEADLINES HAVE BEEN WITH TRANSIT PROJECTS, AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE I KNOW OUR, OUR FAMILIES DEPEND ON THEM.
AND SO HERE, I I'M REALLY HONORED AND GRATEFUL TO BE HERE.
UM, AND, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, UM, JUST, UM, JUST GRATITUDE, REALLY GRATEFUL THAT, THAT THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN HAVE TRUSTED US WITH THIS ENORMOUS CHALLENGE.
AND FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NO LONGER IS WITH US, AND I KNOW CAPITAL METRO WHO SERVES THE COMMUNITY DIRECTLY, HAS LOST A LOT OF, UM, OF OUR BUS DRIVERS AND STAFF THAT WORK AT CAPITAL METROS WITH, WITH THIS PANDEMIC THAT I, I REALLY, YOU KNOW, MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEIR FAMILIES BECAUSE I KNOW EVERYONE IS, IS TRYING TO HELP IN THEIR BEST WAY POSSIBLE TO KEEP US GOING.
[Il. Public Comment]
I THINK NOW I'M GONNA INTRODUCE GINA PCCA AGAIN AS THE EX-OFFICIAL ROLE TO TRANSITION TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND CHAIR, UH, EDDIE EASTON, UH, HEALTH INTER, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOOD TO GO ON ED.HOW DO I SEE THEIR NAMES? MADAM VICE CHAIR, ED, ED, MAYBE YOU COULD JUST CALL THEM OUT IN THE ORDER, UH, TO BE HELPFUL FOR THE CHAIR.
UM, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD MEMBERS CHAIR.
UH, IN A MATTER OF YEARS, AUSTIN WILL HAVE A TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT RIVALS THAT OF ITS PEERS, AND I, FOR ONE, WISH FOR AN ON-TIME ON BUDGET, AND WELL-BUILT TRANSIT SYSTEM, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN GET THERE.
I'M WITH, UH, THE REDLINE PARKWAY INITIATIVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE 5 0 1 C NONPROFIT, SUPPORTING THE 32 MILE REDLINE TRAIL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAPITAL METRO AND OTHER LOCAL JURISDICTIONS.
OUR ORGANIZATION IS NAMED AFTER THE METRO RAIL REDLINE, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY CAPITAL METRO AREA VOTERS IN 2004, ALONG WITH VOTER APPROVAL OF THE USE OF THE REDLINE RIGHT OF WAY TO COMPLETE THE REDLINE TRAIL.
AND JUST AS BRIEF BACKGROUND, CAPITAL METRO HAD INTENDED TO COMPLETE THE TRAIL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER LOCAL AGENCIES BY 2019.
UH, THOUGH TO DATE, ONLY ABOUT 10 TO 15% OF THE TRAIL HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
AND SO FOR THIS REASON, IN 2019, THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD DIRECTED THEIR STAFF TO PARTNER WITH THE INITIATIVE TO ACCELERATE COMPLETION OF THE RED LINE TRAIL.
UH, WE ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH A TP TO COMPLETE THE TRAIL AND TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM FUNDAMENTALLY INCLUDES PROVIDING ACCESS AT THOSE STATIONS TO PASSENGERS ARRIVING ON FOOT, WHEELCHAIR, BIKE, AND SCOOTER FOR THE A TP IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM.
ALSO INCLUDES SUBSTANTIAL RECONSTRUCTION OF MANY OF OUR CITY STREETS, SUCH AS NORTH LAMAR RIVERSIDE, AND EXPANSION OF THE EXISTING METRO RAIL RED LINE, AND THE ACT OF TRANSPORTATION ACCOMMODATIONS ALONG THOSE ROUTES.
IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT A TP EVALUATE ITS OWN SUCCESS AND THE SUCCESS OF ITS CONTRACTORS, NOT JUST ON COMPLETION OF THE TRANSIT COMPONENTS THEMSELVES, BUT ALSO ON THOSE THREE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COMPONENTS THAT ARE INEXTRICABLY LINKED TO THE TRANSIT PROJECTS THAT
[00:45:01]
ARE, THAT IT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR.AND THOSE THREE, AGAIN, ARE STATIONS, THE STREETS AND RAILS WITH TRAILS.
THERE'S SIMPLY NO WAY THAT ATP'S AGENCY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS CAN BE FULLY SUCCESSFUL IN PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ACCOMMODATIONS AND SERVICES IF THE A TP IS NOT ALSO FULLY ON BOARD WITH THAT SAME MISSION.
I'VE APPRECIATED IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH A TP BOARD MEMBERS THAT USING TRANSIT IS A LIVED EXPERIENCE FOR THEM.
THEY KNOW THAT THE TRANSIT USER EXPERIENCE DOESN'T STOP WHEN THEY STEP OFF THE BUS.
I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO KEEP IN MIND THAT FULL TRANSIT USER EXPERIENCE, URBAN AND SUBURBAN AS YOU DO YOUR WORK ON THE A TB BOARD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I WEAR A COUPLE OF HATS AROUND TOWN, UH, CO-CHAIR OF PUMA PEOPLE, UNITED FOR MOBILITY ACTION, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT FOR THE A URBAN LEAGUE, UH, ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS FOR THE BLACK LEADERS COLLECTIVE, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY AS AN INDIVIDUAL, A BORN AND RAISED ALL TONIGHT.
AND AGAIN, MY NAME IS YASIN, BUT MOST PEOPLE KNOW ME AS YAZ.
I WAS REALLY, UM, INVOLVED IN THE, UM, EFFECTUATION OF THIS HALF, YOU KNOW, PROJECT CONNECT, UM, UM, IN THE EQUITY NUANCES WE SAW, UM, IN PROJECT CONNECT.
BUT I WANNA KIND OF GIVE YOU A VANTAGE POINT OF WHAT I'VE SEEN THUS FAR.
WHAT I'VE SEEN THUS FAR IS THIS MEETING HAPPENING, AND WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THIS MEETING HAPPENING, THERE WAS NO POSTED AGENDA PUBLICLY NOR THE TIME.
WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT YOU'VE TAKEN TWO ACTION ITEMS PRIOR TO ANY PUBLIC COMMENT.
WHAT I'VE SEEN IS A MEETING THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WHEN SOME VULNERABLE POPULATIONS CAN'T MAKE IT.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS THAT THIS PROCESS SO FAR DOESN'T GIVE MUCH ROOM FOR TRUE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, THE COMMUNICATION OF INFORMATION IS USUALLY CONFUSING, APPARENTLY CONFLICTING AND PROVIDED UNDER VERY SHORT NOTICE, WHICH LEAVES THE AVERAGE PERSON WEARY AT BEST.
THIS FEELING IS COMPOUNDED WHEN PARTNERED WITH THE FACT THAT THIS IS COMMUNICATED FROM A HISTORICALLY OPPRESSIVE SYSTEMS. SOME CONCRETE THINGS THAT I THINK WE SHOULD WORK ON IS ONE, CLEAR TIMELINES.
I WOULD LIKE CLEAR TIMELINES OF WHEN DECISIONS WILL BE MADE, WHO THEY WILL BE MADE BY, HOW TO ENGAGE IN THOSE IN A PLATFORM THAT IS UPDATED DAY BY DAY, SO THAT THE COMMUNITY AT ANY TIME, AT ANY MOMENT, NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE, CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING AND HOW I CAN ENGAGE.
SO, NUMBER ONE, CLEAR TIMELINES AND HOW THE COMMUNITY CAN INTERJECT.
GUYS, IT GOTTA BE POSTED MORE THAN 48 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING, OKAY,
UM, AND I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT ANY, UM, ANY MATERIAL THAT'S POSTED WITHIN 48 TO 72 HOURS THAT DIFFERS FROM THE ORIGINAL POSTING IS REDLINED, SO WE CAN SEE THE EXACT, UH, DIFFERENCE IN THE MATERIALS.
LASTLY, WITH YOUR ANTI DISPLACEMENT FUNDING STRATEGIES, I WOULD REALLY HYPERFOCUS ON SOMETHING, ESPECIALLY IN YEAR ONE, THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN FEEL SO PRESERVATION AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S COMMUNICATED.
I WANNA SAY, THIS IS NOT ME YELLING OR ME EVEN SAYING I'M DISAPPOINTED.
THIS IS ME SAYING, HEY GUYS, THIS IS BETTER ISH, BUT NOT THE BEST.
AND I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SOMETHING THAT THE NATION HASN'T SEEN BEFORE, A TEMPLATE BEING THE AUSTIN THAT AUSTIN DESERVES.
SO THAT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO MATH.
UM, I FOUND THAT YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAVE THE, IN THE SCRIPT, THE NEXT SPEAKER, SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR GUIDING ME THROUGH THAT.
UH, FIRST, UM, WE NOW HAVE MS. RACHEL STONE.
MS. STONE, ARE YOU ON THE LINE? OKAY, GREAT.
UM, SO I'LL JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO IT.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA CONGRATULATE, UH, VANESSA AND DR. BURNETT AS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THIS, UH, OF THIS NEW, OF THIS NEW BOARD.
I WANT TO COMMEND ALL OF YOU, UM, ON A TREMENDOUS TASK AT HAND.
THIS IS A VERY, UH, BIG AND IMPORTANT UNDERTAKING THAT IS BEGINNING.
I AM A MEMBER OF, UH, I, UM, THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
[00:50:01]
FOR THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION, AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE MOBILITY JUSTICE COALITION ALONG WITH YASMIN SMITH AND OTHERS WHO SPOKE TODAY ON THE CALL.AND I WOULD LIKE TO BASICALLY STRONGLY SECOND SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT YASMIN RAISED, UM, WHILE ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMENDING YOU ON, ON WHAT IS AHEAD.
I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE NEED TO HAVE VERY STRONG, UM, AND CLEAR, UH, ATTENTION PAID TO PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC TIMELINES BEFOREHAND FOR ALL OF OUR PROJECTS SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN BE INFORMED ABOUT DATES OF UPCOMING MEETINGS, PROJECT DEADLINES.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT OUR MEETING AGENDAS BE MADE PUBLIC WELL IN ADVANCE OF OUR MEETINGS.
UM, THESE SORT OF BASIC, UH, COMPONENTS TO CREATE COMMUNITY TRUST, WHICH, UM, SO FAR IN THE PROJECT HAVE BEEN, UH, LACKING.
AND WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME FORWARD TO US AND SAY THINGS OF THE SORT, LIKE, WHY DO WE VOTE FOR THIS? WHY DO WE SIGN THIS BLANK CHECK WHEN EVERYTHING IS SO MESSY? SO THERE'S THIS COMMUNITY PERCEPTION THAT THINGS ARE REALLY DISORDERLY RIGHT NOW, THAT NO ONE REALLY QUITE KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND SO IF WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, THEN I THINK WE NEED TO DO MUCH BETTER AT ADDRESSING THAT COMMUNITY PERCEPTION ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
AND THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS THAT WE WILL BE PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO ANTI DISPLACEMENT POLICY CONNECTED TO THIS PROJECT.
UM, WE HOPE TO SEE, UH, CAREFUL AND JUDICIOUS USE OF THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT FUNDS PROVIDED.
AND WE ALSO HOPE THAT, UH, THE DECISIONS MADE WHEN THE EQUITY TOOL, WHICH IS CURRENTLY STILL, UH, BEING DEVELOPED WHEN THE EQUITY TOOL IS READY.
WE HOPE THAT THE A TP BOARD WILL BE, UM, PARTICULARLY ATTENTIVE TO, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS BEING PROVIDED ABOUT THE EQUITY IMPACTS OF THE PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME AND I COMMEND YOU ALL ON THE WORK AHEAD.
UM, DO WE HAVE ON THE LINE, MR. MISSAEL RAMOS? THANK YOU.
[III.1. Approval of the FY2021 Austin Transit Partnership Budget.]
MOVING ON TO ITEM FOUR, THE ACTION ITEMS CONTINUATION.SO FOR ACTION ITEMS THREE AND FOUR, AS THEY RELATE TO THE A TP BUDGET FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2021, AND ONGOING ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES AND PROJECT CONNECT CAPITAL PROJECT SUPPORT FROM CAPITAL METRO, GREG CANI, INCOMING A-T-P-C-F-O, AND CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, AND RAYED MARNER CAPITAL METRO CFO WILL PRESENT THESE ITEMS. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR CASTRO DERA AND A TP BOARD MEMBERS AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CLARK.
I'M THE CFO OF CAPITAL METRO, AND I WILL START THIS INITIAL BUDGET DISCUSSION TODAY AND THEN HAND IT OVER TO GREG CANALI, WHO IS THE INCOMING CFO FOR A TP.
SO IT IS A TRULY MOMENTOUS THAT TODAY, TODAY I HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN INVOLVED IN THE FUNDING OF PROJECT CONNECT FOR MORE THAN FOUR YEARS.
SO IT'S WITH A GREAT PLEASURE TO NOT ONLY SEE A TP CREATED LAST MONTH, BUT TO ALSO WELCOME THE FIRST BOARD AND ALSO TO PRESENT TO YOU FOR YOUR APPROVAL, THE VERY FIRST BUDGET FOR A TP IF, UM, SAM, IF WE CAN HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO AS PART OF THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, I WILL BRIEFLY GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM, TALK ABOUT THE PHASING OF THE PROGRAM AND THE ROLES OF THE PARTNERS, AND THEN I WILL HAND IT OVER TO GREG THAT WILL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021.
SO THIS IS A VERY FAMILIAR PAGE FROM LAST YEAR'S MANY JOINT SESSION MEETINGS THAT OCCURRED BETWEEN THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE CITY'S, UM, CITY COUNCIL.
THIS PAGE IS VERY IMPORTANT THOUGH, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFER BACK TO IT AS IT SHOWS NOT ONLY THE SEQUENCE OF THE VARIOUS PROJECTS THAT'S IN THE PROGRAM, BUT IT ALSO SHOWS THE SCHEDULE OF THE PLAN.
THAT WAS THE BASIS FOR THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS.
[00:55:01]
CAN SEE FROM THE COLOR CODING THAT IN GRAY IS THE, UH, PHASE FOR THE NEPA OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS AND THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.THEN IN LIGHT BLUE IS THE FINAL DESIGN AND THE PROCUREMENT, AND IN DARK BLUE, THE CONSTRUCTION.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT ON THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ASPECT OF THE PROJECTS, WHICH IS THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECTS, THAT IT WILL BE A FEW YEARS BEFORE WE ARE IN THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE.
NEXT PAGE, THE FRAMEWORK OF THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY CAPITAL METRO AND A TP WILL WORK AS FOLLOWS.
THE FUNDING FROM PROP A WILL FLOW FROM THE CITY TO AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, AND THEN CAPITAL METRO HAS COMMITTED FUNDING TO, UM, PROJECT CONNECT AND WILL ALSO BE THE GRANTEE FOR THE FTA GRANTS AND WILL FLOW THROUGH THAT FUNDING TO A-T-P-A-T-P WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GOVERNANCE, THE FINANCING, AND THE PLANNING AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM.
ONCE THE PROJECTS ARE UP AND RUNNING, CAPITAL METRO WILL DO THE OPERATIONS OF THE LINES.
SO FOR THIS, UH, NEW BOARD, THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD IS TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL OWNERSHIP AND TRANSPARENCY TO APPROVE THE BUDGET.
YOU WILL ALSO BE APPROVING VARIOUS PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS FOR THE LINES, AND THEN ALSO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT OF THE EXTERNAL AND THE INTERNAL AUDIT FUNCTION.
AND THEN THE BOARD WILL ALSO SOON BE CONSIDERING AND APPROVING A RESERVE POLICY.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE PROGRAM FINANCING IS COMING FROM THE CITY CAPITAL METRO AND THE FT A AND THEN A TPP WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FINANCING THE PROGRAM THROUGH A COMBINATION OF AVENUES.
FIRST, IT CAN PARTIALLY FUND THE PROJECTS WITH THE INCOMING FUNDS ON A PAY AS YOU GO BASIS.
IT'LL ALSO SOON BE ISSUING ISSUING REVENUE BONDS AND THEN ALSO PURSUING VARIOUS FEDERAL LOAN PROGRAMS, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE TIA THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR TRANSIT PROJECTS AND OFFER VERY FAVORABLE TERMS AND INTEREST RATES FOR TRANSIT RELATED PROJECTS.
SO THE THREE PARTNERS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM.
A TP WILL BE FOCUSED ON THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AND THE BIGGEST PROJECTS.
THAT'S THE ORANGE LINE, THE BLUE LINE, THE TUNNEL, THE GREEN LINE PHASE ONE, AND THEN ALSO THE FACILITIES.
CAPITAL METRO HAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE EXPERIENCE WITH IMPLEMENTING BUS RELATED PROJECTS AND WILL IMPLEMENT THE METRO RAPID LINES, THE METRO EXPRESS LINES, THE NEIGHBORHOOD CIRCULATORS THAT ARE ALSO CALLED PICKUP, THE CUSTOMER TECHNOLOGY, AND THEN THE RED LINE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE COMMUTER LINE TO IMPROVE THE FREQUENCY.
MANY OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE ALREADY STARTED WITH THEIR PLANNING PHASE, AND THEN THE CITY HAS THE EXPERTISE TO IMPLEMENT THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT INVESTMENTS.
THERE IS A TEAM ASSEMBLED AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WORKING ON CREATING AN EQUITY ASSESSMENT TOOL, WHICH WILL BE DEVELOPED WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND ONCE THIS TOOL IS CREATED, THE CITY WILL WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE THE INITIATIVES, THE PROJECTS, AND THE ALLOCATION OF THE FUNDS IN THE BUDGET.
TODAY, WE ARE APPROVING THE FUNDING, BUT THE ALLOCATION OF THE FUNDING, I STILL NEED TO BE DETERMINED.
SO IF WE LOOK AT THE NEXT PAGE, THIS IS A DEPICTION OF THE INTEGRATED FINANCIAL PLAN AND THE FUNDING MODEL THAT WAS DEVELOPED LAST YEAR WHEN WE EVALUATED THE VARIOUS LONG-TERM FINANCING ALTERNATIVES FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
THIS MODEL WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE CITY CAPITAL METRO, OUR SHARED MUNICIPAL ADVISORY FIRM, PFM, AND THEN ALSO THE LEAD ENGINEERING FIRM FOR PROJECT CONNECT, HDR.
THE FINANCIAL MOD MODEL EVALUATED THE CASHFLOW REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COST, THE FINANCING COST, AND ASSET REPLACEMENT CYCLES.
[01:00:02]
AND THE MODEL WAS RUN FOR MULTIPLE SCENARIOS IN ORDER TO OPTIMIZE THE PLAN TO BE ABLE TO DO THE MOST OF THE PLAN.THIS FIRST GRANT A LONGER TERM LOOK OF THE CAPITAL COST OF THE PROGRAM BY PROJECT OVER TIME, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW COSTS WILL RAMP UP IN 2024 THROUGH 2028 WHEN THE LIGHT RAIL LINES ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT PAGE, THIS IS DEPICTING THE EXPENDITURES FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE, AND IT'S DEPICTED AS A GREEN LINE AND ALSO INCLUDES OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COST.
THE REVENUE IS DEPICTED AS A BAR SHOWING THE FUNDING FROM PA PROP A CAPITAL METRO, AND ALSO FEDERAL GRANTS AND THE TIMING THEY'RE OFF.
SO YOU CAN SEE IN THE PERIOD 2022 THROUGH 2028, THE EXPENDITURES WILL EXCEED THE FUNDING AND DEBT WILL BE REQUIRED, WHICH ON THE NEXT PAGE, UM, THAT DELTA OR THAT GAP IS FILLED IN WITH GRAY FOR THE DEBT PROCEEDS.
SO THIS YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 2021 IS THE STARTUP YEAR FOR A TP AND IS A VERY SMALL FINANCIAL YEAR COMPARED TO WHAT IS COMING SOON.
THE FINANCIAL YEAR WILL END IN SEPTEMBER, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CITIES AND CAPITAL METRO'S FINANCIAL YEAR.
SO THIS BUDGET IS THEREFORE FOR THE NINE MONTHS FROM JANUARY THROUGH SEPTEMBER, 2021, THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, THE COST OF BEING ABSORBED BY CAPITAL METRO.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE IN THIS GRAPH THAT IN 2021, THE FUNDING WILL EXCEED THE EXPENDITURES AND SHOULD BE PLACED IN RESERVE FOR NEXT YEAR WHEN THE SITUATION IS REVERSED.
AND DEBT FUNDING WILL BE REQUIRED.
WITH THIS, I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO GREG CANAL AND, UM, WELCOME HIM AS THE FIRST CFO OF, UM, A TP THAT WILL GO INTO GREATER DETAIL OF THE BUDGET.
UM, I JUST WANT TO KIND OF ECHO WHAT NETTE SAID AND OTHERS HAVE SAID, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, IT'S OBVIOUSLY AN INCREDIBLY EXCITING TIME FOR US IN AUSTIN TO BE, UH, ENDEAVORING ON, ON THIS WORK.
NOW THAT WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED ON IT FOR A FEW YEARS AND LIKE NETTE, I'VE REALLY SPENT THE LAST 12 TO 14 MONTHS, UM, THINKING ABOUT THE FINANCING OF THIS, UM, OF THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM, UH, GOVERNANCE OF IT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET TO THIS POINT WHERE WE'RE TODAY.
SO IT'S REALLY EXCITED AND I, AND I JUST REALLY WANNA THANK EACH OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, MADAM CHAIR AND EACH OF YOU FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE THAT YOU'RE DOING, UM, FOR THIS EFFORT.
AND, UH, I'M, I'M PERSONALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WEEKS AND MONTHS AND REALLY YEARS AHEAD, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THOSE PREVIOUS SLIDES, WE HAVE YEARS AHEAD OF US, UM, TO WORKING WITH YOU, UH, HAND IN HAND ON THIS JOURNEY THAT WE HAVE AHEAD OF US.
UM, SO, UH, I, I'M EXCITED AND, AND, UH, AND AS RANETTE SAID, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING ALL THAT WORK THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, TAKING ALL THAT WORK THAT WE'VE HAD IN, IN PLACE AS THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CAPITOL METRO BOARD PUT THIS PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM IN FRONT OF THE VOTERS, AND NOW STARTING THIS FIRST YEAR, UM, SO IT'S CERTAINLY EXCITING.
UH, SHE SAID THAT MODEL REALLY BECOMES, FOR US, THE INTEGRATED MODEL, WHICH GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE, WITH THE SCHEDULE, WITH THE SEQUENCING SCHEDULE.
YOU'RE GONNA HEAR US TALK ABOUT THAT A LOT, HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER, UM, UM, AND SO THAT WE CAN DELIVER WHAT IS IN THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS TO DELIVER THE PROGRAM AND ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE PART OF THE PROGRAM.
SO WE WANNA FOCUS ON THIS YEAR, UM, AND, AND START WITH SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT.
UM, UH, AS, AS, AS NETTE SAID, THIS IS OUR, UH, THE FISCAL YEAR 21 BUDGET THAT IS THE ACTION ITEM IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, WE ARE THREE MONTHS INTO THAT.
UH, WE HAVE THE SAME FISCAL YEAR, OCTOBER 1ST THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, AS BOTH THE CITY AND CAPITAL METRO.
SO, LOOKING AT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, UM, AS SHE, I, I WILL, UH, KIND OF REITERATE, YOU SAID FROM THE SCALE OF IT, THE BUDGET IN FRONT OF YOU FOR APPROVAL REALLY REPRESENTS LESS THAN 1% OF REALLY LOOKING AT THAT 15 YEAR SPEND AS WE START RAMPING UP EXPENDITURES IN THE, UH, BOTH THE BUDGET AND EXPENDITURE AND REVENUE SIDE IN FUTURE YEARS.
JUST TO PUT SOME CONTEXT AROUND THAT.
SO, I THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
ONE OF THE KEY HIGHLIGHTS IS STARTING UP THIS GOVERNMENT STARTUP AS, AS BOARD MEMBER STRATTON SAID, THE A TP STARTUP ACTIVITIES, BUILDING A TEAM, UM, TAKING THE, SOME OF THE PRELIMINARY WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE BY
[01:05:01]
THE ENGINEERS AND, AND THE CAP METRO TEAM, AND LIFTING IT OFF THE MAP AND STARTING THE WORK OF IT, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT FOLKS AND TEAM IN PLACE TO BEGIN THE VERY DETAILED WORK THAT IS REQUIRED TO, TO, TO INVEST, TO MAKE ALL THESE INVESTMENTS, UM, COME TO FRUITION.UH, PART OF THAT IS, IS THAT WORK TO CONTINUE IS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND THE NEPA FOR BOTH THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINES, UH, THE BIG LIGHT, THE LIGHT RAIL LINES THAT ARE GOING IN.
UH, WE HAVE, AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS AS NETTE MENTIONED IT, WE DO HAVE, FROM THE MODEL, UM, WE DID INCLUDE THE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE ANTI DISPLACEMENT INVESTMENT, THE COMMITMENT THAT A TP HAS, UM, AGAIN, FROM THE MODEL, IT IS THE BUDGET SIDE OF IT.
IT IS NOT THE SPENDING OR INVESTMENT SIDE OF IT.
AS NETTE SAID, THERE IS WORK GOING ON AT THE CITY FROM THE EQUITY SCORECARD, UH, AND, AND, AND, UH, DETERMINING HOW THOSE INVESTMENTS, WHAT THEY WILL BE AND HOW THEY WILL BE SPENT.
THAT SIDE OF IT STILL NEEDS TO HAVE, BUT ATP'S ROLE ALWAYS TO MAKE THOSE FUNDS AVAILABLE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS BUDGET DOES.
UH, METRO RAPID PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, UH, ON SEVERAL OF THOSE LINES, EXPO, PLEASANT VALLEY SOUTH LAMAR, AND THEN RED LINE, THE EXISTING METRO RAIL LINE THAT CAPITAL METRO RUNS PROJECT CONNECT INCLUDES FUNDING, UH, TO ENHANCE AND IMPROVE THE RED LINE, INCLUDING THE BROADMORE STATION AND MACAL STATION, UH, UP NEAR, UH, THE CURRENT STATION, WHICH IS KRAMER, WHICH WILL BE, UH, UH, BECOME TWO.
AND THEN SOME SIDING ON LAKELINE AND LEANDER, UH, AND THEN THE CIRCULATOR PROGRAM, UH, CONTINUING TO, TO ROLL THAT OUT.
SO THAT'S THE HIGHLIGHTS OF, OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON.
AND SO, BUT LET US WALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE ME SOME OF THE BUDGET SIDE OF THAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA START ON THE NEXT SLIDE, SAM.
UH, ON THE, ON THE REVENUE SIDE OR THE FUNDING SOURCES, AS, AS GOING BACK TO THE CHART THAT WE'RE, ANNETTE LAID OUT, THE, THE, THE SCHEME OF HOW THE CITY AND CAPITAL METRO HAVE COME TOGETHER TO CREATE, UH, A TP IN HER INTO THAT WAS THE FUNDING COMMITMENTS AND HOW THE FUNDING WOULD WORK.
AND SO THE TWO PIECES OF THAT ARE THE REVENUE THAT COMES DIRECTLY FROM PROPOSITION A THAT WAS PASSED BY THE VOTERS ON NOVEMBER 3RD.
SO ALL OF THAT REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PROPERTY TAX, UM, IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSFER OVER TO A TP.
UM, AND THEN CAPITAL METRO'S CONTRIBUTION THAT THEY HAVE, UH, PUT IN PLACE THROUGH THEIR RESOLUTIONS AND COMMITMENT AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT IN CREATING AUSTIN TRANSIT.
SO ABOUT 145 MILLION FROM THE PROPERTY, A FROM PROJECT CONNECT PROP A AND 65 MILLION FROM CAPITAL METRO REVENUE FOR THE FY 21, UH, UH, FUNDING SOURCES.
SO GOING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, NOW WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE EXPENSE SIDE.
AND, AND THIS IS A FORM THAT WE WANNA, UH, FORM AND FASHION OF, OF SOME OF THE, THE, THE DIVING DOWN A LITTLE BIT ONTO THE NUMBERS.
OVERALL, WE'RE LOOKING AT AN EXPENSE BUDGET, UH, APPROPRIATION BUDGET OF $96.9 MILLION.
IN THAT IS, IS CHUNKED UP INTO BASICALLY THREE BIG BUCKETS.
THINK ABOUT THAT AS THE KIND OF THE CORPORATE OVERSIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING GOING, UH, BOTH LABOR COSTS, UM, SOME SERVICE CONTRACTS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE, UH, LEGAL CO LEGAL SERVICES, UH, REAL ESTATE SERVICES.
UM, AND THEN THAT'S ABOUT 9.7 MILLION.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, PROGRAM DELIVERY AND PROJECT PROJECT EXPENSES FOR THAT.
THE ORANGE LINE AND BLUE LINE, AS I MENTIONED IN MY NOTES SLIDE, UH, ABOUT THE CONTINUING ON THE NEPA AND THE 30% DESIGN, THAT'S, THAT IS NEARLY 40.
IT'S 40, OVER 40 MILLION IS FOR THAT ALONE.
AND THEN FOR DESIGN ON METRO RAPID RED LINE, WE DO HAVE A, A LINE IN FOR CONTINGENCY DURING THE STARTUP.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE STILL NEED TO WORK ON AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE AN ADEQUATE CONTINGENCY, UM, THE CIRCULATOR WORK AND TECHNOLOGY.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE TO HAVE, UH, A FINANCIAL SYSTEM TO TRACK ALL OF THESE FUNDS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT FINANCIAL, UH, SETUP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, UH, TRACK THE FUNDS AND ACCOUNT FOR THE FUNDS.
AND THEN THE OTHER, THE OTHER BIG PIECE IS THE, IS PER THE, PER THE INTEGRATED FINANCIAL MODEL, THE FIRST ALLOTMENT OF THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT INVESTMENTS AT 23 MILLION.
AND AGAIN, TO REITERATE, THIS IS THE BUDGET SIDE OF IT, NOT HOW IT'S GONNA BE SPENT.
THAT IS THE WORK THAT THE CITY IS GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND WE WILL, UH, AT, AT THE, WHEN THAT WORK IS COMPLETE, THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE, UH, TRANSFERRED OVER TO THE CITY FOR SPENDING, UH, VIA AN AGREEMENT THAT WE WOULD COME BACK TO THE BOARD ON.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS YOU, UH, REALLY GRAPHICAL AND A KIND OF A, A DONUT OF HOW THAT IS.
AND I THINK GRAPHICALLY YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE VOTE OCCURRED IN NOVEMBER, UM, BUT THE WORK IS STARTING.
UH, THE WORK IS, IS MOVING FORWARD ON PROGRAM WORK ON THE BLUE LINE R AND THE ORANGE LINE, THE BUDGET FOR THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT AND THE CIRCULATORS.
SO JUST TO GRAPHICALLY SHOW YOU THE, THE, UH, THE NUMBERS THAT WERE
[01:10:01]
ON THE PRIOR PAGE, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, WANTED TO JUST SHOW YOU SOME MORE DETAIL.WE THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I THINK AS, UH, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS SAID, THE TRANSPARENCY PART THAT IS REALLY CRITICAL FOR US AS WELL.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, SHOWING AND ACCOUNTING THE BUDGETS AND THE OVERALL PROGRAM COSTS.
AND FOR, FOR THAT CASE, WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE, THE, THE, THE, THE KEY PART OF THE STARTUP.
AS AGAIN, MENTIONING THE FIRST BULLET IS STARTING UP A TP, IT'S GONNA REQUIRE STAFF.
THERE IS CURRENTLY, UH, VERY FEW PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS ENDEAVOR.
UM, AND SO WE NEED TO GET IT GOING.
AND THAT IS BOTH IN THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE FRAMEWORK CALLS FOR CAP METRO TO PARTICIPATE IN, IN THAT AS WELL.
AND THEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, THE, THE, THE, AS AS, AS GINA MENTIONED, THERE WILL BE A COMMITTED STAFF WHO WILL BE SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROJECT CONNECT.
AND SO WE'VE ALLOWED AND ACCOUNTED FOR THAT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
WE WOULD EXPECT IN, IN FUTURE YEARS, THAT NUMBER WILL CHANGE ONCE WE GET TO A STEADY STATE.
SO AGAIN, I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THE COST OF THOSE, UM, THE, THE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS THAT WE EXPECT TO BRING ON AND THE BUDGET ASSOCIATED WITH THEM FOR THIS YEAR AT ABOUT $5.8 MILLION.
SO, BRINGING THAT ALL TOGETHER IN, IN WHAT IS THE, WE WILL CALL THE A-T-P-F-Y 21 FUND SUMMARY.
UM, THIS IS THE FUND SUMMARY THAT GETS ADOPTED AS PART OF THE, UH, THE BUDGET RESOLUTION SHOWING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OR THE REVENUE OF 209 MILLION, THE TOTAL EXPENDITURES OF 96.9, AND THEN THE RESERVE OF 112 MILLION SPLIT BETWEEN BOTH THE WORKING CAPITAL RESERVE, UM, THAT WE WOULD HAVE FOR, WHICH IS THE TYPICAL 60 MONTH RESERVE.
AND THEN THE RESTRICTED RESERVE, WHICH IS REALLY FOR FUTURE USAGE, UM, PER THE INTEGRATED MODEL THAT NETTE LAID OUT FOR YOU.
KNOWING THAT THE, THE MODEL IS WORKING OUT AS WE, UM, WORKED ON IT LAST SUMMER, THE, THE MON THE FUNDS ARE COMING IN AND THE EXPENDITURES ARE MATCHING THAT MODEL.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT WAS OPTIMIZED IN SIZE FOR NOT ONLY THE TAX RATE THAT WAS PUT IN FRONT OF THE VOTERS, BUT ALSO TO GET THE PROJECT AND THE SEQUENCING PLAN THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS.
SO THIS FUND SUMMARY REPRESENTS, UH, THE DETAIL OF THAT INTEGRATED MODEL.
UH, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE RESERVE, UM, PART OF IT, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT TO STRESS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LOT, UM, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
UM, IT IS A KEY COMPONENT WHEN YOU ARE IN A, IN A, IN A ENTERPRISE THAT WILL BE ISSUING, UM, A DEBT.
UM, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WE'LL BE DOING AND BRINGING FORWARD OUR, OUR, OUR PROCESSES TO, UH, ISSUE WHAT ARE CALLED CONTRACT REVENUE BONDS, A LOT OF WORK THAT WILL GO INTO THAT.
A LOT OF, UH, AS YOU DO THAT, RESERVES ARE REALLY A NECESSARY COMPONENT OF, OF ISSUING DEBT OF A SUBSTANTIAL NATURE.
SO FOR THIS YEAR, AGAIN, WE HAVE TAKEN THOSE BALANCES AND SPLIT 'EM INTO THE WORKING CAPITAL RESERVE AND THE RESTRICTED RESERVE.
UM, AND AS NETTE SAID, THE, THE CASH FLOW ALL WORKS TOGETHER.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE OPTIMIZING THE REVENUE AND AT THE SAME TIME WHERE WE, EVERY TIME WE DON'T HAVE TO ISSUE DEBT, THAT'S SAVINGS.
UM, AND WE WANT TO FIND, ALWAYS FIND THAT RIGHT BALANCE.
AND THIS FIRST YEAR WAS PLANNED AS YOU SEE IT.
UM, AS WE LOOK FORWARD AND AHEAD, THE THE UPCOMING BUDGET PROCESS, WHICH WILL BE, UM, WE'LL GET STARTED ON THAT ONE, UH, SOON.
AND I THINK IN THE SUMMER WE'LL BE TALKING MORE ABOUT THE UPCOMING FY 22 BUDGET.
PART OF THAT, IN ADDITION TO GOING OVER A SIMILAR SET OF, OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE AND HIGHLIGHTS ABOUT WHAT'S IN THAT BUDGET, IS BRINGING TO SOME MORE DETAIL AND ROUNDING OUT AND STARTING TO FORMULATE, UM, A KEY SET OF FINANCIAL POLICIES, UH, THAT WILL BE REQUIRED FOR, UH, FOR US.
AND THIS WOULD BE FOR THE BOARD TO ADOPT A SET OF FINANCIAL POLICIES.
AND AS PART OF THOSE FI FINANCIAL POLICIES, WE'LL HAVE RESERVE LEVELS.
SO WE NEED TO DO SOME, UM, SOME WORK ON THAT.
UH, DO SOME BEST PRACTICE RESEARCH AND WORK WITH OUR FINANCIAL, UH, ADVISOR FOLKS TO, TO GET THOSE IN PLACE.
BUT THAT WILL, UH, BE A KEY PART OF, UH, BOTH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND, BUT, BUT BOARD POLICY AS WELL.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK WE NOW GO BACK TO THE, UH, ACTION ITEM THREE, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION, ADOPTING THE BUDGET THAT WE JUST HIGHLIGHTED.
UM, MR. CANALI AND MS. MARWICK, UM, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE? MADAM CHAIR? YES.
UH, BOARD MEMBER? I BELIEVE I, UH, YES.
REAL QUICK, IT, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GO BACK TO SLIDE 14, GREG OR SAM? OKAY.
YEAH, I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A,
[01:15:01]
A QUICK MOMENT HERE TO, TO JUST MAKE SURE FOR THE PUBLIC, WE'RE, WE'RE, THAT WE'RE CLARIFYING SOMETHING HERE JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WHEN WE ARE BACK GOING THROUGH THE ELECTION WITH PROP A, THAT THERE WAS A LIT, THERE WAS AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER SOME, SOME, UH, MIS PERHAPS MISUNDERSTANDING AND MISINFORMATION ABOUT WHAT I WOULD CALL THAT, THAT BROWN SECTION, THAT DEBT PROCEEDS RIGHT IN THERE.AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THIS.
UM, THE, AND THIS TIES INTO WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT THAT RESTRICTED RESERVES.
UM, WE, WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO ISSUE DEBT AT SOME POINT TO FILL IN THE GAP TO GET UP TO WHERE THAT GREEN LINE IS.
AND THAT'S, AGAIN, PART OF THAT 20 BEGINNING NEXT YEAR.
BUT REALLY THAT SECTION, THE BIG SECTION THERE BETWEEN 24 AND 28, IS WE'RE BUILDING OUT THE SYSTEM THAT THAT REPRESENTS THE TUNNEL, THE ORANGE LINE, AND THE BLUE LINE.
THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT EXPENDITURES MATCHING THE, UH, SEQUENCING PLAN, UH, THAT WAS PRESENTED ON THE EARLIER SLIDES.
BUT TH THIS IS, IF YOU CAN JUST REAL QUICKLY EXPLAIN, 'CAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY GET JITTERY.
THEY'RE LIKE, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, TIME OUT.
WE APPROVED A TAX RATE ELECTION HERE.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BONDS? I I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA BE SPENDING MORE MONEY.
DOES THIS MEAN YOU'RE GONNA BE COMING BACK TO THE TAX PAYERS? GREG, COULD YOU JUST TAKE A QUICK MOMENT, PLEASE AND EXPLAIN, I GUESS FOR, FOR THE PUBLIC AT LARGE, WHAT WE MEAN AS THE, AS THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION, WHAT KIND OF DEBT ISSUANCE THIS IS, WHAT KIND OF REVENUE BOND THIS IS, HOW THIS JUST, YOU KNOW, HIGH LEVEL, HOW THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN, FOR EXAMPLE, PROP B THAT WAS ON THE BALLOT THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN APPROVED, THAT WAS A DIFFERENT KIND OF BOND, THAT THAT WAS A GOVERNMENT ISSUED BOND, THAT THAT DOES INVOLVE, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT KIND OF ISSUANCE AND A DIFFERENT KIND OF TAX RATE INCREASE LATER.
DOES THIS, DOES THIS MEAN THERE'S GONNA BE TAXES LATER? I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE IT GOES ON RECORD THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS IS, HOW THIS ALL GETS PACKED IN THERE WITH THE WAY THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, STRETCHING OUT THE FINANCING AND HOW THAT INTEGRATED FINANCIAL MODEL WORKED TO HELP APPLY THIS.
UH, WHAT I'LL FIRST SAY IS, IS THAT FOR, FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS, WE WILL, UM, LIKE MANY OF THE TOPICS THAT WE'VE TOUCHED ON TODAY, EVEN MORE ABOUT THE FEDERAL PROCESS, UH, HOW THAT WORKS, WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL BE SPENDING, AGAIN, LOTS OF TIME TOGETHER, LOTS OF HOURS, AND THE UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS DOING DEEPER DIVES ON ALL OF THESE TOPICS, INCLUDING BOARD MEMBER STRATTON, HOW CONTRACT REVENUE BONDS WORK, AND WHAT THEY ARE.
LET ME JUST ANSWER IT QUICKLY, RIGHT? THERE WILL BE NOT ANOTHER, THERE IS NO NEED FOR ANOTHER ELECTION VOTERS, UM, IN NOVEMBER VOTED A DEDICATED PIECE OF THE, OF THEIR PROPERTY TAX RATE TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF, OF THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM, AND ALL OF THE PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, WITH THAT REVENUE STREAM MONEY, MANY THINGS HAVE TO OCCUR WITH THAT.
WE HAVE TO FUND THE PROJECTS, THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND THAT WILL COME FROM A COMBINATION OF, OF CASH.
UH, THINK ABOUT, UH, IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAYBE BUY YOUR FIRST HOUSE AND YOU, AND YOU PUT SOME MONEY DOWN AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE OUT A LOAN OR A MORTGAGE FOR THE REST OF THAT, UM, SOMETIMES THERE'S CHOICES TO MAKE ABOUT HOW MUCH TO PUT DOWN VERSUS HOW MUCH OF A MORTGAGE THAT THEY'RE THE KIND OF DECISIONS THAT WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE.
BUT THAT TAX REVENUE, THE REVENUE, THE CASH REVENUE THAT'S COMING IN, WE'LL LOOK AT A WAY TO OPTIMIZE THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT.
THOSE BONDS WILL BE, UH, ISSUED BY AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
THEY WILL BE, UH, BONDS THAT YOU APPROVE.
UM, THE, UH, ASSETS WILL BE ASSETS OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
UH, THERE WILL NOT BE ANOTHER ELECTION, UH, SURROUNDING, UH, UH, UH, THERE WOULD NOT BE ANOTHER NEED FOR ELECTION SURROUNDING THAT.
AND THIS IS REALLY THE CRITICAL PIECE THAT I THINK AUSTIN HAS, UM, HAS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONVERSATION THAT'S BEEN ON FOR 20, 25 YEARS AROUND THIS IS FUNDING CAPITAL.
TYPICALLY, WE MIGHT HAVE A BOND ELECTION LIKE WE DID ON PROPOSITION B FOR SIDEWALKS AND BIKEWAYS, BUT PROJECT CONNECT IS, IS, IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST BUILDING.
UM, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S IN A STATE OF GOOD REPAIR.
AND SO THIS REVENUE SOURCE IN COMBINATION WITH CAPITAL, METRO'S REVENUE SOURCE, LET'S NOT FORGET, THE COMBINATION OF THOSE WILL NOT ONLY BUILD, BUT OPERATE AND MAINTAIN.
UH, WE BELIEVE THIS IS SETTING UP, UH, A REALLY A SYSTEM FOR THE LONG TERM AND NOT HAVING TO THINK ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE SEE OTHER COMMUNITIES GO THROUGH AROUND THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE TRYING TO KEEP UP, UH, KEEP THEIR IN INFRASTRUCTURE IN A GOOD STATE OF GOOD REPAIR.
SO THEY, THIS IS A DIFFERENT MODEL THAN WHAT YOU CLASSICALLY SEE IN A BOND ELECTION TO BUILD A, A FIRE STATION OR
[01:20:01]
BUILD ROADS.THIS IS A DEDICATED PIECE OF THE TAX RATE THAT THE VOTERS VOTED FOR.
IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATIONS OF PROJECT CONNECT.
SO, SO BASICALLY THE MONEY THAT WAS ALREADY APPROVED BY THE VOTERS IN THEIR TAX RATES, THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED TO US AS A TP ALONG WITH THE MONEY FROM CAP METRO.
IT REPRESENTS THE A TP REVENUE SOURCE AND REVENUE STREAM.
AND IT IS THAT MONEY THAT WE'RE GONNA GO OUT INTO THE OPEN MARKETS TO LEVERAGE TO GO OUT AND GET DEBT FOR, YOU KNOW, FINANCING AS NECESSARY.
THE, THE HELP TO FINANCE THE, THE CONSTRUCTION PART OF THE PROJECTS.
BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS SUSTAINED REVENUE STREAM, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE IT TO PAY THAT BACK.
AND THEN STILL WITH THIS REVENUE STREAM, CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THE, UH, THE, THE, UM, UH, PROJECT CONNECT OVER THE, THE, THE LIFE OF IT AS WELL.
WE DON'T HAVE TO, WE WE'RE NOT, THESE ARE NOT ACTUAL ADDITIONAL TAX RATES, ADDITIONAL ANYTHING.
THIS ENTIRE MODEL PROPOSITION, A LOCK, STOCK AND BARREL COVERED IT ALL, EVERYTHING RIGHT IN HERE.
THIS IS, THIS IS JUST WHEN YOU, WHEN WE'RE TALKING AND USE THE WORD BOND, THIS IS A, THIS IS A REVENUE SOURCE, OR REVENUE, OR EXCUSE ME, THIS IS A DEBT SOURCE WITHIN THE REVENUE STREAM OR WITHIN THIS MODEL THAT WAS ALREADY APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
SO IT, IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL LOCKED INTO THIS, THIS PIECE RIGHT HERE.
THE VOTERS ALREADY APPROVED IT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK AND ASK FOR MORE MONEY.
AND ALSO THAT, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, A PIECE THAT YOU, YOU MENTIONED AS WELL, IS THE OTHER FUNDING STREAM AND IMPORTANT THAT OUR, THAT THE LOCAL MATCH, BOTH THE CITY AND PRO, THE PRO PROPERTY TAX, UH, PROJECT PROPOSITION A FUNDS, UM, AND CAPITAL METRO, THEY'RE GONNA BE USED TO MATCH AND GET FEDERAL FUNDS.
FEDERAL FUNDS ARE A KEY COMPONENT OF BUILDING PROJECT CONNECT.
IMPLEMENTING IT, UH, WE ASSUME WE'LL GET 45%.
AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE A, HAVE A, UM, A MUCH FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS, BUT THAT MODEL AND ASSUMES THAT AS WELL.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAN OPTIMIZE THAT AND GET AS MUCH MATCH OUT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS WE CAN.
UM, AND OUR DEDICATED REVENUE STREAM, UH, WILL HELP IN THE EVALUATION OF THAT WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION.
THEY, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THESE THERE ARE FUNDS NOT ONLY TO BUILD, BUT THERE ARE FUNDS TO OPERATE.
THAT IS A KEY COMPONENT OF THEIR CRITERIA AND EVALUATION.
I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATIONS THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAS ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ITEM? MADAM CHAIR, THIS IS COLETTE.
IF WE COULD GO BACK TO SLIDE, UM, 17.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR ON SOMETHING.
UM, GREG, TODAY WE ARE APPROVING A NINE MONTH BUDGET AND WE'RE APPROVING FUNDS, NOT NECESSARILY ALLOCATION AND TIMING.
IS THAT, IS THAT ACCURATE? IS THAT AN ACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF WHAT THE, WHAT WE'RE ASKING TO BE DONE TODAY? YES.
YOU'RE APPROVING THE, THE, THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL 21 YEAR BUDGET, WHICH IS A TOTAL APPROPRIATION BUDGET ON EXPENSE SIDE OF 96.9 MILLION WITH THOSE BUCKETS, WITH THOSE THREE LARGE COMPONENTS SPELLED OUT ON THIS, ON THIS SLIDE.
AND NOT NECESSARILY SPECIFICALLY TO ALLOCATION OR TIMING, RIGHT? WELL, WELL, AGAIN, THESE, THE, WE BUILT THIS BUDGET BASED ON THE MODEL, BUT ALSO WORKING WITH, UH, ESPECIALLY ON THE PROGRAM SIDE THERE, THE, THE, THE BLUE LINE, THE ORANGE LINE, THE, THE TRANSIT PROJECTS ARE BUILT ON THE, THE TIMING, THE BUDGET OF THEM, THE TRANSIT, SUPPORTIVE ANTI INVESTMENT COME FROM THE MODEL.
THE FIRST YEAR ALLOCATION OF THAT, THAT IS THE PIECE THAT IS BUDGET, BUT NOT SPEND, THE SPEND STILL HAS TO BE DETERMINED AS THE CITY GOES THROUGH ITS PROCESS.
AND THEN, UM, FINALLY, THIS IS, MIGHT BE IN THE WEEDS, AND I APOLOGIZE AHEAD OF TIME FOR THIS, BUT I WANNA BE SURE THAT WE'VE ALLOCATED SOME FUNDING FOR TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD OUT A ROBUST PORTAL, HEARING LOUD AND CLEAR THE CONCERNS THAT WE HEARD FROM THE, UM, UH, COMMUNITY OF BEFORE A ROBUST PORTAL AND A DASHBOARD.
SO THAT'S TAKES AN TECHNO, AN INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT COMES HERE UNDER OTHER, OR IF THAT'S ON THE CAP METRO SIDE, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE THAT WE DO.
AND THAT'S NOT A, THAT'S NOT FREE.
UH, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT, DR. BURNETT.
UM, YEAH, WE PLAN ON HAVING, AND I, I ENCOURAGE, UH, ANYONE THAT HASN'T VISITED CAP METRO'S, UH, PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT DASHBOARDS, WE FEEL THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY THE MOST TREND, UH, TRANSPARENT, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY BASED DASHBOARDS IN THE ENTIRE TRANSIT INDUSTRY.
AND WE ARE GONNA REPLICATE THAT SAME TYPE OF FORMAT.
SO THAT WILL BE COVERED IN THE SHARED SERVICES PIECE BECAUSE WE HAVE
[01:25:01]
SOME OF THAT CORPORATE, IF YOU WILL, BACKEND, UH, AS PART OF THAT.AND, UH, AGAIN, AS WE STAND UP THE ORGANIZATION, OUR GOAL IS TO SHOW A VERY, EVERYTHING VERY TRANSPARENT TO COMMUNITY ABOUT WHETHER IT'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND METRICS RELATED TO THAT, TO PROJECTS AND TIMELINES AND SPEND AND CONTRACTS AND ALL THAT PIECE.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE JUST IN THE, OBVIOUSLY THE STARTUP, BUT, UH, YOU HAVE OUR A HUNDRED PERCENT COMMITMENT THAT IT, WE WILL REPLICATE EVERYTHING LIKE THE CAP METRO SIDE, A HUNDRED PERCENT TRANSPARENT, IT'S COMMUNITY'S MONEY, AND EVERYONE WILL SEE HOW IT'S SPENT.
AND I KNOW, UM, MAYOR LER, UH, DID THAT ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS, DR. BURNETT? YES.
I KNOW MAYOR LER, YOU HAVE RAISED YOUR HAND.
UH, I WANNA BE SUPPORTIVE OF APPROVING THE BUDGET TODAY, UH, AS IT IS, UH, SUBMITTED.
UM, BUT THERE'S AN, AN ISSUE ON THIS THAT I, I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL IF, IF STAFF COME BACK, SPEAK TO US ABOUT, IN MORE DETAIL, MAYBE AT THE NEXT MEETING WITH SOME NOTICE.
THE, THE ONLY QUESTIONS THAT I'VE GOTTEN, UH, ABOUT THIS BUDGET HAS TO DO WITH THE $23 MILLION NUMBER.
UH, AND IT'S THE NUMBER THAT COMES OUT OF THIS.
THAT IS THE FIRST PART OF, I GUESS THE, THE $300 MILLION THAT'S FOR DISPLACEMENT.
UH, WHEN WE WENT TO THE, TO THE, TO THE VOTERS, WE HAD KIND OF THE SEQUENCING PLAN THAT INDICATED WHERE THE DISPLACEMENT MONIES WOULD COME ABOUT.
OBVIOUSLY, WE WOULD'VE ALL LOVED ALL THE DISPLACEMENT MONIES TO COME OUT IN YEAR ONE.
UM, BUT, UH, THE MODELING THAT WE SAID AT THE TIME, AS I RECALL, UH, SAID THAT IF YOU DID THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE TAXES MORE.
'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GENERATE MORE CASH EARLIER IN THE PROCESS.
SO ULTIMATELY, THE DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE SEQUENCING OF THE MONEY AND HOW MUCH MONEY WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND ON DISPLACEMENT FOR THINGS THAT WERE, UH, DECIDED AND INCORPORATED INTO THE SEQUENCING PLAN AND BUDGET PLAN, I STILL GET QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, THE SEQUENCING OF THE $300 MILLION, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN, IN THE FIRST THREE YEARS, AND THEN THE NEXT BLOCK AND THE NEXT BLOCK.
UH, SO I WOULD REQUEST, UH, THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING, THERE'S AN EXPLANATION THAT YOU CAN GIVE TO US AS THE BOARD THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE, SO THEY CAN, UH, SEE WHERE THAT COMES FROM, UH, AND WHY IT WENT TO THE PUBLIC AS PART OF THE CONTRACT WITH VOTERS IN THOSE THREE BLOCKS.
ADDITIONALLY, THE, THE BLOCK HAS A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN THE FIRST THREE YEARS, BUT IT DOESN'T SAY HOW MUCH IS IN YEAR ONE, HOW MUCH IS IN YEAR TWO AND HOW MUCH IS IN YEAR THREE.
UH, AND I RECOGNIZE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT YEAR ONE, AND IT'S ONLY, UH, TWO THIRDS OF A YEAR.
UM, BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE HOW WE SET UP THE FISCAL, BUT IT'S NOT SET OUT.
SO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I'M HEARING ARE FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT SAY, WHY DON'T YOU, WHY DON'T YOU GET ALL A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS UP IN THE FIRST YEARS? UH, MY UNDERSTANDING AT A REALLY HIGH LEVEL IS THAT THAT WOULD IMPACT THE SEQUENCING, UH, AND THE REST OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE HAPPENING.
BUT I THINK IT'S REAL IMPORTANT, WHATEVER THE ANSWER IS, THAT WE GO THROUGH THAT.
SO I'M GONNA VOTE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET, BUT I WOULD REQUEST THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING, THERE'S A REPORT TO THE BOARD THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE THAT TALKS ABOUT WHY IT'S $23 MILLION, WHY IT'S NOT MORE, UH, OR LESS, I GUESS.
UH, AND IF IT WAS MORE, WHAT WOULD THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT BE? IF THERE WOULD BE AN IMPACT ON ANYTHING ELSE, ON SEQUENCING, ON, ON WHATEVER, I WOULD LIKE FOR THAT TO BE DISCUSSED SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN, CAN, CAN SEE THAT, AND IT CAN FILL IN THAT, IN THAT GAP.
UH, WE DON'T DECIDE HOW TO SPEND THAT $23 MILLION.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THAT'S KIND OF THE POLICY DECISION OF HAPPENING OVER ON THE CITY SIDE WITH RESPECT TO THE, HOW THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT FUNDS UNKNOWN PARTICIPANT IS NOW EXITING ON, ON HOW THAT MONEY'S SPENT.
UH, BUT IT CAN BE SAD THAT, THAT THE DECISION OF HOW MUCH MONEY IT IS IN YEAR ONE, UH, OBVIOUSLY PLAYS INTO WHAT CAN OR CANNOT BE, UH, BOUGHT OR PURCHASED OR INVESTED, OR WHATEVER IT IS THOSE USES ARE.
UM, SO WE HAVE THE 23 MILLION IN IT.
AND, AND I'M FINE WITH APPROVING THE BUDGET AND HAVING YOU DO IT AT THE NEXT MEETING IF YOU WANTED TO DO IT THIS MEETING AND YOU WERE READY TO DO IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, I THAT WOULD BE OKAY TOO.
UH, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU TIME TO BE ABLE TO, TO CONSIDER THAT AND, AND BE ABLE TO PRESENT SOMETHING THAT, THAT VISUALLY PEOPLE CAN, CAN
[01:30:01]
APPRECIATE IN CASE THERE'S A, A FURTHER DECISION TO BE MADE.BUT OTHERWISE, I'LL BE VOTING TO APPROVE THIS BUDGET, I GUESS SUBJECT TO MEAN I'LL APPROVE THIS BUDGET, BUT I WANT THAT NEXT CONVERSATION TO HAPPEN IN, YOU KNOW, IN CASE THERE'S A, AN ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION TO HAVE.
MAYOR, I, I COULD, I COULD COMMIT THE STAFF, UH, TO CERTAINLY BRINGING MORE INFORMATION BACK.
AND I GUESS I'D ASK, UH, GREG CANAL TO MAYBE GREG, YOU COULD GIVE JUST A, A LITTLE BIT HIGH LEVEL ABOUT THE MODEL.
BUT AGAIN, TO THE, TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, WE COULD COME BACK WITH SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY FLESHED OUT, BUT A LITTLE MORE SUBSTANTIVE.
SO IT COULD BE, UH, SEEN BY EVERYONE IN A, IN A LITTLE CLEARER WAY THAN WHAT'S JUST IN THE FINANCIAL WHITE PAPER.
YEAH, AGREE, RANDY, WITH THAT COMMITMENT, WE CAN BRING THAT BACK IN FEBRUARY FOR, FOR, FOR A KIND OF A DEEPER CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, CERTAINLY MAYOR.
I THINK IT'S VALUABLE TO DO THAT AS WELL.
UM, WE CERTAINLY, WHEN THOSE FUNDS WERE INCLUDED IN THE, DURING THE, THE DECISION TO PUT THIS IN FRONT OF THE VOTERS, CLEARLY THIS WAS, UH, REALLY AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO GET $300 MILLION, UM, FOR THIS EFFORT.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT, IT'S DONE WELL AND, AND, AND CAN ACCOMPLISH THE GOAL.
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS RIGHT, WE, MAYOR, YOU TOUCHED ON THIS, THE, THE, THE, THE, THAT FINE KIND OF WORK OF HAVING TO SET THE, SET THE TAX RATE, THE REQUEST THAT THE COUNCIL WAS PUTTING IN FRONT OF THE VOTERS AROUND TAX, TAX RATE, UM, AND ALL IMPLEMENTING ALL OF PROJECT CONNECT.
EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON THAT SEQUENCING SLIDE, THAT ALL COMES TOGETHER IN THE FINANCIAL MODEL, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS FIRST YEAR IS BUILT ON FOR THAT DISPLACEMENT.
SO WE CAN EDUCATE SOME MORE ON THAT AND, AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT CONVERSATION AND WE WE'RE HAPPY TO BRING THAT BACK IN FEBRUARY.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? NO, THEN, UM, I'M GONNA MOVE FORWARD TO, UM, REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ACTION ITEM THREE, THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? YEAH, UH, I MOVE THAT WE, UH, PASS THE RESOLUTION, MADAM CHAIR, TO ADOPT THE FISCAL YEAR 21 BUDGET.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UM, WE'LL HAVE A ROLL CALL FOR VOTE.
UM, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON AYE.
AND, UH, MY VOTE IS ALSO, YES, THE ITEM NUMBER THREE HAS, UH, BEEN APPROVED.
[III.2. Approval of an Interlocal Agreement with the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority for support services and project implementation.]
ON TO GREG CANELLI FOR ACTION.ITEM NUMBER FOUR, THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR HIS DESIGNEE TO FINALIZE AND EXECUTE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CAPITAL METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES AND PROGRAM SUPPORT SERVICES.
UH, WE HAVE GREG CAN THANK COMING, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF A TP.
UM, IF WE GO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, SAM, THIS IS A, AGAIN, ANOTHER WAY TO ILLUSTRATE THE PARTNERSHIP AND THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT EXIST, UH, BETWEEN AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, CITY OF AUSTIN CAPITAL METRO, UH, AS, AS NETTE WENT THROUGH.
THESE ARE, UM, IN TERMS OF FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT, INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND CAP METRO FOR THE AREAS THAT WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED BEFORE, INCLUDING THE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, THE CORPORATE SERVICES, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE PROJECT DELIVERY FOR SOME OF THE SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT ARE PART OF THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM.
SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, TURN ON LIGHT REAL QUICK, GET SOME BETTER LIGHTING IN HERE.
UM, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT THIS PARTNERSHIP IN OUR LOCAL AGREEMENT LOOKS LIKE, UM, AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT LAYING OUT PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN THE TWO, UM, ENTITIES.
WE ARE LOOKING AT AN INITIAL THREE YEAR TERM, AND I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT.
WE, WE CERTAINLY EXPECT AND ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE MORE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS THAT WILL BE NECESSARY, ESPECIALLY AS PROJECTS MOVE THROUGH THAT PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION THAT YOU SAW THAT NETTE WALKED THROUGH ON THE SEQUENCING CHART.
[01:35:01]
UM, WE WOULD HAVE ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS THAT WE WILL ADD ON, UM, TO SHOW HOW THIS WORKS SPECIFICALLY IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE GET TO OPERATING AGREEMENTS.AS WE'VE MENTIONED, A TP WILL BE THE BUILDER, AN IMPLEMENTER OF THE, OF THE, OF THE ASSETS.
BUT CAPITAL METRO WILL BE OPERATING, UH, ONCE THEY BUILD.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS AROUND HOW THAT WORKS AS WELL IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE REALLY WANNA SET THE EXPECTATION THAT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DO THAT ALL AT ONCE AND PUT THAT ALL IN FRONT OF THE BOARD AT ONCE.
SO THERE IS A, THERE IS A, THERE IS A KIND OF A, A WALK THAT WE NEED TO DO, AND WE WANNA DO THAT WITH THE BOARD OVER THESE YEARS.
THIS INITIAL THREE-YEAR TERM, THOUGH, DOES ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO ADHERE TO THE SEQUENCING AND PROJECT SCHEDULE AND THE IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE, ESPECIALLY AROUND, UM, UH, THE BIG PROJECTS THAT ARE STILL IN DESIGN THAT CONTINUE TO BE IN DESIGN.
AND THAT'S WHY THE THREE-YEAR TERM IS IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, AS A BIG PICTURE.
UH, THIS PARTNERSHIP IN OUR LOCAL AGREEMENT REQUIRES APPROVAL FROM YOU AS THE A TP BOARD.
AND THEN THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD WILL ALSO HAVE AN ITEM ON THEIR UPCOMING AGENDA FOR THE SAME APPROVAL OF THE SAME, UH, PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT.
AND THAT WILL BE THE CASE FOR ALL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS.
AND EVEN WHEN THERE ARE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS BETWEEN A TP AND THE CITY, THERE'LL BE THE SAME, UM, THE SAME CONTEXT FOR THAT.
UM, WHILE, WHILE IT'S A THREE YEAR TERM, THE ANNUAL FUNDING FOR THAT, UM, YOU'RE NOT APPROVING THE THREE YEAR FUNDING, YOU'RE PUTTING THE AGREEMENT TO MOVE TOWARDS THAT, BUT THE FUNDING WILL BE PART OF EACH YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO OVERALL, IN THE THREE YEAR FOR THE REVENUE SIDE, AS WE SAID, A KEY COMPONENT OF THE INTEGRATED MODEL AND THE COMMITMENT THAT CAPITAL METRO MADE, UH, IN, IN, IN, IN CREATING AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, AND FOR COUNCIL TO GO TO THE VOTE ON THE, ON THE TAX RATE PIECE, WAS CAPITAL METRO'S REVENUE CONTRIBUTION THAT ISN'T ESTIMATED TO BE 110 MILLION.
AND AGAIN, IT'S VERY KEY PART OF THE INTEGRATED MODEL.
UH, CAPITAL METRO WILL ALSO DO THESE ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT FUNCTIONS.
WE THINK IT'S REALLY, UM, AS WE CREATE THIS NEW STARTUP, UM, TO NOT REPLICATE FUNCTIONS THAT ARE BEING DONE, UH, REALLY WELL ELSEWHERE, CAPITAL METRO.
THERE'S NO NEED FOR THE, FOR THE PUBLIC FUNDS TO REPLICATE, UH, A, UH, A FUNCTION THAT, UH, CAPITAL METRO CAN PROVIDE FOR US.
AND THIS IS AROUND HR AND ACCOUNTING AND PAYROLL AND, AND VERY CLEARLY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
LONG TERM THIS, IT'S GONNA BE NEW EMPLOYEES NEEDED TO OPERATE ALL OF THESE ASSETS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ALL BEING THOUGHT OUT NOW, UM, AGAIN, SO WE THINK THIS IS A, A NEW WAY TO THINK ABOUT HOW GOVERNMENT CAN DO JUST LET'S NOT REPLIC, LET'S NOT START SOMETHING NEW, AND WE CAN, WE CAN PIGGYBACK AND LEVERAGE THE, THE, THE, THE GREAT STAFF THAT CAP METRO HAS IN THESE AREAS.
UM, THAT'S ABOUT $20 MILLION OVER TH THREE YEARS AROUND THE PR, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROGRAM SUPPORT.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE LOOK AT THAT, UM, THE, AGAIN, THESE ARE KIND OF THE CORE, THESE BIG CORE PROJECTS THAT ARE LISTED ON THE SEQUENCING PLAN.
THIS, THIS IS FOR PROJECT FOR CAPITAL, METRO'S DELIVERY OF SOME OF THOSE PROJECT, OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS ON THAT LIST THAT WERE ON THAT FIRST CHART.
AGAIN, CAPITAL METRO ALREADY IS IMPLEMENTING AND DOING METRO RAPID, UH, THE CIRCULATOR PROGRAM AND THE RED LINE PROGRAM.
THEY'VE BEEN, THEY'VE BEEN MANAGING AND RUNNING, UM, METRO RAIL RED LINE FOR, UH, FOR MANY YEARS.
AND THE TECHNOLOGY PIECE FOR THE CUSTOMERS ALSO KEY, AND THIS IS PART OF THE SCHEDULING TO KEEP US ON TRACK FOR THE SCHEDULE.
AGAIN, YOU'LL HEAR THAT EVERY TIME US TRYING TO STAY ON TRACK FOR THE SCHEDULE IS THE CONTRACTS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE TO CONTINUE THE DESIGN AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT, UH, PART OF THE NEPA RECORD OF DECISION FOR THE ORANGE LINE AND BLUE LINE.
THAT'S A 260 MILLION OVER THREE YEARS, AGAIN, TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THAT PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION CAN OCCUR.
AND THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THAT SEQUENCING SCHEDULE WHEN SOME OF THOSE EARLY DELIVERY PROJECTS ARE THOSE MUCH MORE RAPID CIRCULATORS AND RED LINE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THE, THE FUTURE MID-YEAR ONES ARE THE RED LINE, UH, THE, UH, ORANGE LINE AND BLUE LINE AND TUNNEL AND SOME OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS, UH, GREEN LINE AS WELL.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE F 21 BUDGET THAT YOU NOW HAVE JUST APPROVED? WHAT THAT MEANS ON THE, ON THE CONTRIBUTION SIDE, CAPITAL METRO PER THEIR COMMITMENT, WE'LL BE SENDING $65 MILLION IN CONTRIBUTIONS, UH, TO A TP.
AND THEN A TP WILL BE FUNDING $64 MILLION FOR BOTH THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROGRAM SUPPORT SERVICES AS WELL AS THE PROJECTS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS WHY, YOU KNOW, 65 AND 64 BACK.
UM, I THINK, I THINK I'VE HEARD THIS.
I, AGAIN, THIS VERY IMPORTANT CONCEPT OF TRANSPARENCY AND, AND THE COMMITMENT THAT WE SET ALL OF THE FUNDS FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, RANDY TALKED ABOUT THAT TOO.
WE WANNA HAVE ONE PLACE, ONE SET OF BOOKS, ONE SET OF, UH, UH, A DASHBOARD WHERE EVERYONE CAN SEE EVERYTHING THAT'S
[01:40:01]
HAPPENING FOR PROJECT CONNECT, AS OPPOSED TO SAY, OH, I DON'T KNOW, THAT PIECE IS OVER HERE, OR THAT PIECE IS OVER HERE.SO THIS IS PART OF THAT EFFORT FROM A TRANSPARENCY PERSPECTIVE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ENTIRE PROGRAM IN ONE PLACE.
UM, AND THIS MECHANISM ALLOWS US TO DO THAT SO THAT WE CAN REPORT OUT TO, NOT ONLY TO THE BOARD, BUT TO PUBLICLY ABOUT WHERE THESE FUNDS ARE BEING SPENT.
SO JUST TO SHOW YOU AGAIN, HOW THIS THREE YEAR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE, UH, THIS, THE, THE NOW THE EXISTING BUDGET FOR, UM, A TP IN 21.
SO WITH THAT, UH, MADAM CHAIR, I'LL TAKE IT BACK TO YOU FOR THE ACTION ITEM NOW FOR THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
UM, SO NOW WE HAVE, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ANY REMAINING QUESTIONS FOR MR. CANAL REGARDING THIS ITEM NUMBER FOUR? THERE'S NO QUESTIONS.
UM, I WILL REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ACTION ITEM FOUR, THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED.
BOARD MEMBER STRATTON A AYE, VICE CHAIR.
AND, UH, MYSELF IS ALSO A YES.
THIS CONCLUDES TODAY'S ACTION ITEMS. UH, NOW WE MOVE ON
[IV. Community Engagement Update]
TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE ON THE AGENDA.UH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UPDATE AND, UH, MS. BERG WILL PROVIDE US AN UPDATE ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
CONGRATULATIONS, MADAM CHAIR AND MADAM VICE CHAIR ON YOUR APPOINTMENTS.
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY ON THIS VERY HISTORIC DAY, UH, TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR APPROACH TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SO, WE DEFINITELY HAVE AN APPROACH TO HOW WE ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY, AND THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED OVER TIME THAT WE MUST DO.
UM, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IT RELATES TO THE, THE, UH, COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM OUR PUBLIC COMMENTERS TODAY.
HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE THE ACCESS TO OUR COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN AS MANY WAYS AS WE CAN.
SO WE TRY TO OFFER A DIVERSITY OF ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, WHEN WE ARE DOING ENGAGEMENT IN PERSON, WE DO IT GEOGRAPHICALLY DISTRIBUTED SO THAT PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER, UM, THE SERVICE AREA CAN PARTICIPATE.
WE ALSO PROVIDE A, A VARIETY OF TIMES THAT PEOPLE CAN PARTICIPATE, RECOGNIZING THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT WORK SCHEDULES AND, UM, SMALL BANDWIDTH TO PARTICIPATE IN, IN PUBLIC MEETINGS.
AND WE SUPPLEMENT OUR VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT WITH NON-DIGITAL ACCESS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UH, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TENETS OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT APPROACH IS TO ENGAGE WHERE PEOPLE ARE, GO TO THEM HAS BEEN OUR APPROACH FOR YEARS NOW.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE NOW BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, OBVIOUSLY HAVING TO ENGAGE VIRTUALLY.
UM, AND LUCKILY WE ARE FINDING THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO ENGAGE VIRTUALLY, AND THAT THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE IS, IS STARTING TO NARROW, ALTHOUGH WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO.
UM, WE COLLABORATE ALSO WITH OUR TRUSTED ORGANIZATIONS.
WE HAVE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS WHO, UM, HELP US TO COMMUNICATE AND REACH OUT TO COMMUNITIES THAT MAY NOT BE AS EASY FOR US TO ENGAGE WITH.
UM, AND SO ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ONE VOICE OF CENTRAL TEXAS, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN PROVIDE US THAT TRUSTED INTRODUCTION INTO THE HARDER TO REACH COMMUNITIES, UM, WHO, WHO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE, UH, A LOT OF TRUST FOR GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS.
WE ALSO LIKE TO HUMANIZE THE TECHNICAL JARGON.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, WE DEAL WITH IN THE TRANSIT INDUSTRY IS A LOT OF ACRONYMS AND A LOT OF VERY WONKY
[01:45:01]
TERMINOLOGY.UM, AND SO AS MUCH AS WE CAN DEMYSTIFY THAT FOR PEOPLE, PUT IT IN LANGUAGE THAT PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO AND UNDERSTAND, WE DO.
SO, UM, WE ALSO PROVIDE LIGHT LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATE MATERIALS.
UH, ALL OF OUR MATERIALS ARE TRANSLATED INTO SPANISH, BUT IF PEOPLE NEED OTHER LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION OR TRANSLATION, WE, UM, WE OFFER THAT OPPORTUNITY TO THEM.
VERY IMPORTANTLY, WE OPERATE WITH TRANSPARENCY.
AND DURING OUR ENGAGEMENT FOR PROJECT CONNECT, AS WE WORKED OUR WAY TOWARD THE, THE HISTORIC ELECTION, UM, WE, UH, WE LAUNCHED A DASHBOARD SO THAT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COMMUNITY COULD SEE WHERE WE HAD BEEN, WHO WE HAD TALKED TO, HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HAD TALKED TO, AND WHAT KINDS OF FEEDBACK WE WERE GETTING FROM PEOPLE.
AND WE CONT WE WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITH THAT KIND OF TRANSPARENCY MOVING FORWARD.
UM, TO DATE, WE HAVE ENGAGED OVER 77,000 PEOPLE ON PROJECT CONNECT, BUT TODAY IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW CHAPTER, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO ENGAGE WITH MORE PEOPLE AND HOPEFULLY CONNECT WITH THOSE WHO HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH US YET.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE'VE GOTTEN TO THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION.
SO OUR WORK ON PROJECT CONNECT BEGAN WAY BACK IN THE, IN THE SUMMER OF 2016.
IT WAS, UH, A FORTUITOUS TIME BECAUSE THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS LAUNCHING ITS AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN PROCESS AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH OUR FRIENDS AT THE CITY TO, UH, DEVELOP A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WE SHARED CALLED THE MULTIMODAL COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND WE PARTNERED WITH THE A SMP TEAM THAT WAS LED BY ANIQUE BODE, WHO IS NOW WORKING WITH US ON THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP TO DO THE CORRIDOR OUTREACH FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
THE VERY FIRST STEP WAS IDENTIFY IDENTIFYING WHERE, UM, THESE PROJECTS WERE GOING TO GO AND WHAT MADE SENSE TO PEOPLE.
IN THE SPRING OF 2017, WE LAUNCHED OUR FIRST PROJECT CONNECT WEBSITE, AND THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY A SERIES OF FUN EVENTS THAT WE SET UP CALLED TRAFFIC JAMS. UM, AND THE IDEA BEHIND THOSE EVENTS WAS TO, TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHAT THE PROCESS WAS GOING TO BE LIKE, HOW, WHAT, HOW THEY COULD WEIGH IN, UH, BUT DO IT IN A FUN WAY WITH A LOT OF INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES.
WE ALSO DID A, A NUMBER OF POP-UP OUTREACH, UH, ENGAGEMENTS USING THE PROJECT CONNECT ENGAGEMENT BUS.
UM, WE PARKED THAT BUS EVERYWHERE FROM FIESTA MARKET TO FOOD PANTRIES, TO PARKS TO LIBRARIES, AND, UM, THAT WAS A BIG PART OF OUR GO TO THEM, UM, APPROACH.
IN THE SPRING OF 2018, THE PROJECT CONNECT AMBASSADOR NETWORK WAS ESTABLISHED AFTER THE UNANIMOUS PASSAGE OF THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
UM, WE THEN TOOK THAT ADVISORY GROUP AND MADE IT A PROJECT CONNECT AMBASSADOR NETWORK GROUP.
UM, IN 2019, WE ALSO BEGAN THE ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PROCESS, WHICH WAS BASICALLY ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO HELP US, UM, DETERMINE THE BEST OPTIONS FOR THE PROJECTS WE WOULD RECOMMEND IN THE SYSTEM PLAN.
THAT TOOK US TO THE SPRING OF 2020, WHEN ON MARCH 9TH, THE STAFF DID PRESENT THE, UH, PROJECT CONNECT RECOMMENDED SYSTEM PLAN.
AND THAT POSITIONED US FOR, FOR OUR VERY LAST ROUND OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAD, UH, 11 PUBLIC MEETINGS PLANNED AND EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT AND ONE AT LARGE, UM, IN APRIL.
AND OF COURSE, THOSE PLANS WERE DASHED.
SO WE, UH, WE PIVOTED QUICKLY LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE TO VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT AND DID A SERIES OF VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS, UH, LAST SPRING IN MAY, UM, WHICH ALLOWED US TO GET THE INPUT WE NEEDED TO REFINE THE RECOMMENDED SYSTEM PLAN.
UM, AND THEN A FINAL VIRTUAL COMMUNITY COMMUNITY MEETING TO, UM, TO COMMUNICATE THE INITIAL INVESTMENT THAT THE COUNCIL AND BOARD WERE RECOMMENDING.
UM, AND THEN BEGAN THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION PHASE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN PEOPLE DID GO TO THE VOTING BOOTH, THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT WAS THEY WERE VOTING FOR.
THIS IS A PRETTY, UM, LARGE AND COMPLICATED PLAN, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT WAS THEY WERE GONNA BE GETTING OUT OF IT.
AND THEN FINALLY, AS WE, UM, CAME OUT OF THE SUCCESSFUL ELECTION, WE BEGAN OUR PLANNING THE VERY NEXT DAY FOR NEPA ENGAGEMENT.
THAT IS THE NATIONAL, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT ENGAGEMENT THAT WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN THIS MONTH.
SO IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED.
SO THIS PART OF THE ENGAGEMENT IS GOING TO BE EXAMINING THE POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF OUR PROGRAM ON OUR COMMUNITY WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, UM, AND OTHER HARD TO REACH COMMUNITIES,
[01:50:01]
UM, INCLUDING PHYSICAL, UH, IMPACTS, CULTURAL IMPACTS AND SOCIAL IMPACTS.UH, I MENTIONED THIS IS CALLED, THIS IS PART OF WHAT'S CALLED THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT, ALSO KNOWN AS NEPA, WHICH IS ONE OF THOSE ACRONYMS PEOPLE WILL BE HEARING, BUT WE'LL MAKE SURE AND DEFINE WHAT THAT IS EVERY TIME WE GO OUT.
UM, THIS WILL BEGIN WITH A SERIES OF WHAT'S CALLED SCOPING MEETINGS FOR THE ORANGE AND BLUE RAIL LINES.
UM, A SCOPING, THE SCOPING, UH, PHASE OF THE PROJECT IS REALLY SORT OF A, A BEGINNING AND A RESET FOR PROJECT CONNECT, WHERE WE WILL REVIEW WHERE WE'VE BEEN, WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM WE WERE TRYING TO SOLVE, WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT.
AND THEN WE'LL TALK TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT'S CALLED ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES OR TOPICS, ENVIRONMENTAL TOPICS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPLORING, UM, WITH THIS ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY.
THESE, UH, MEETINGS WILL BE NEXT WEEK, FEBRUARY, UH, EXCUSE ME, JANUARY 29TH THROUGH THE 25TH THROUGH THE 29TH.
WE WILL HAVE ONE OF THESE MEETINGS IN SPANISH.
UM, THEY WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A MONTH LONG SELF-GUIDED VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE THAT WILL GO LIVE ON JANUARY 25TH AND BE LIVE THROUGH THE END OF FEBRUARY.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINE SCOPING MEETINGS, WE WILL ALSO BE LAUNCHING ENGAGEMENT FOR, UM, THE NEW METRO RAPID LINES, IN PARTICULAR, THE EXPO LINE AND THE PLEASANT VALLEY LINE.
UH, WE'LL BE DOING SOUTH LAMAR, UH, METRO RAPID LINE LATER THIS SPRING.
SO FOR THESE FIRST TWO METRO RAPID ROUTES, WE WILL BE DOING VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS FEBRUARY 2ND THROUGH THE FOURTH.
AGAIN, WE WILL HAVE ONE IN SPANISH, AND THERE WILL BE A MONTH LONG SELF-GUIDED VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE ACCOMPANYING THOSE MEETINGS.
UM, THAT WILL LAUNCH ON FEBRUARY 2ND AND BE LIVE THROUGHOUT THE MONTH.
IN ADDITION, WE ARE ALWAYS DOING ONGOING OUTREACH TO NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, AND WE ENCOURAGE OUR COMMUNITY TO REACH OUT, OUR, OUR ORGANIZATIONS TO REACH OUT AND LET US KNOW IF THEY WOULD LIKE A PRESENTATION ON THE MATERIALS THAT WE ARE PRESENTING, UM, AT THESE VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
AND THEN, WE'LL, AS I MENTIONED, DO LATE SPRING ENGAGEMENT FOR THAT SOUTH LAMAR AT A RAPID CORRIDOR.
WE'RE ALSO DOING ENGAGEMENT ON NEW PICKUP ZONES.
THESE ARE THE CIRCULATOR SERVICES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LAUNCHING.
UM, THESE WILL BE EARLY PROJECTS FOR PROJECT CONNECT, UM, AND THEY WILL BEGIN LAUNCHING LATER THIS SPRING.
SO WE'LL BE DOING SOME VIRTUAL OUTREACH TO TARGET OR TARGETED ORGANIZATIONS AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS WHO LIVE ALONG THESE CORRIDORS.
UM, AND THAT WILL BEGIN IN MID-FEBRUARY.
UM, AND THEN THERE WILL BE A FUTURE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, COMMITTEE FRAMEWORK THAT WILL BE PRESENTED AT OUR NEXT A TP BOARD MEETING.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS A COMMUNITY PLAN, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE INTENDED FROM THE START, THAT WE REALLY NEED TO GET INVOLVEMENT FROM OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND AS SUCH, THERE WILL BE A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN WORKING GROUPS AND ADVISORY GROUPS.
UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO TELLING YOU MORE ABOUT THAT FRAMEWORK AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
AND NOW I'LL PASS IT ON TO, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CLARK, UNLESS THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME ON ENGAGEMENT.
UH, THIS IS BOARD MEMBER STRATTON.
UH, JUST WANTED TO, TO, UH, CLARIFY THAT LAST POINT OF YOURS.
UM, DO YOU FORESEE, AS YOU MENTIONED, THAT YOU WERE GONNA BE TAKEN BACK AND YOU AND THE STAFF WERE GONNA BE LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK IS GONNA LOOK LIKE? IS THAT GONNA INCLUDE THE, UH, ALSO, UH, IT, I KNOW WE, WE HAD A, A, A RESOLUTION THAT CAME FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND CAP METRO THAT WAS BROUGHT FORTH TO THE A TP ABOUT, UH, SOME TECHNICAL ADVISORS.
DO YOU FORESEE THAT YOUR, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, FRAMEWORK OR PLAN WILL ALSO INCLUDE WAYS TO INCLUDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS TO US AS TO HOW WE COULD GO ABOUT MORE FORMALLY, INCLUDING THOSE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE BROUGHT FORTH BY NAME, BY OUR, UH, RESPECTIVE POLICY BOARDS? YES.
UH, THAT WILL INCLUDE, UH, THAT INFORMATION AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UH, IN THE POLICY, EXCUSE ME, THE POLICY IN THE FRAMEWORK DISCUSSION NEXT MEETING.
SO I WILL HAVE INFORMATION FOR YOU ON THAT AS WELL.
YES, JACKIE, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR, UM, YOUR WORK.
UM, CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON MAYBE A TIMELINE OR PROGRESS TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EQUITY TOOL? CAN YOU GIVE US SOME SPEC MORE SPECIFICS OF THAT? YES, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE MAY HAVE ANIQUE BODE ON THE LINE.
I AM NOT SURE IF WE CAN HEAR HER AT THIS MOMENT.
[01:55:01]
LET ME CHECK WITH HER REAL QUICK BECAUSE SHE HAS THE DETAILS FROM THE CITY ON THAT.UM, JACKIE, I DON'T BELIEVE SHE IS.
JACKIE, THIS IS GINA, AKA UM, ANIQUE IS NOT ON THE LINE FOR THIS REASON.
UH, WE CAN, WE CAN TRY TO BRING HER IN, BUT I CAN QUICKLY LET YOU KNOW THAT THE EQUITY OFFICE IS ENGAGING A, UH, CONSULTANT TO HELP CRAFT THAT EQUITY TOOL.
AND THEY HOPE TO HAVE, UM, MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, AND WE CAN UPDATE YOU CERTAINLY AT THE NEXT MEETING ON THAT.
BUT THE, UM, OBJECTIVE WOULD REALLY BE TO HAVE THAT EQUITY TOOL, I BELIEVE FINALIZED SOMETIME AT THE END OF MARCH.
BUT, UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION AT THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, AND JACKIE HELPFUL IF IN OUR BOARD PACKET, WE COULD GET SPECIFIC DATES AND TIMES THAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING? SURE.
SO WE WOULD HAVE, SO IF OUR SCHEDULES PERMIT, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BE ENGAGED TO SEE SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.
JACKIE, IF, IF I COULD JUST DOVETAIL ON THAT, UM, IF, IF MAYBE, AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WOULD, WOULD FIND THIS, UH, TOO MUCH ON THEIR CALENDARS OR NOT, BUT, UM, I, I PERSONALLY WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM ON OUR, ON OUR AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERS, UM, PARTNERSHIP WEB, UM, EMAIL ACCOUNTS, IF, IF YOU ALL WANT TO GO ON AS STAFF AND JUST INVITE ME AND MAYBE ALL OF US TO THOSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, ACTIVITIES.
THAT WAY IT'S AT LEAST ON OUR CALENDARS.
AND IF ANY OF US, OR ALL OF, I MEAN, I GUESS ALL OF US COULDN'T PARTICIPATE OR IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN IMPROMPTU MEETING, BUT I MEAN MM-HMM,
BUT AT LEAST THAT WAY WE CAN BE MADE AWARE OF IT AND WE CAN, I, I DON'T KNOW.
WE'LL, I GUESS COORDINATE WITH RANDY, WITH CASEY, WHATEVER, SO THAT WE DON'T END UP MAKING IT A, UH, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT, THAT THE LEGAL PART OF THAT WOULD WORK BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT I MEAN, THAT WAY IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I, IT WOULD BE ON OUR CALENDAR OR WHATEVER.
I, I AM TOTALLY FINE WITH, WITH Y'ALL PUTTING THAT UP THERE ON MY A TP, YOU KNOW, EMAIL OR CALENDAR OUTLOOK, OUTLOOK MEETING REQUEST OR WHATEVER IT IS.
IF, IF THAT WOULD JUST MAKE IT SIMPLER FOR THE PROCESS FOR SURE.
YEAH, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO THAT.
I'D LOVE TO SEE TOO, AND I'M SORRY, VERONICA.
GO AHEAD MAYOR LER, BECAUSE I THINK IT'D BE, IT'D BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO SEE, YOU DID SUCH A PHENOMENAL JOB OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN SETTING UP PROJECT CONNECT.
UH, AND, AND I, I, I THINK GENERALLY SPEAKING IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, I THINK PEOPLE THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE MORE SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES WE'VE BEEN THROUGH.
AND, AND, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT DONE AGAIN OR EVEN BETTER.
UH, AND I'M ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE EQUITY TOOL, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE POLICY DRIVEN AND INTER LADEN.
UH, SO I THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF THING, GINA, THAT'S, THAT'S BEING HANDLED KIND OF ON THE CITY SIDE OF THIS.
UH, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO MONITOR AND, AND, AND, AND, AND WATCH.
I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION HERE.
UM, AS WE GET ALL THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE, UH, MEETINGS, THE NEPA MEETINGS AND ALL OF THAT, WHAT IS, HOW ARE ALL THOSE COMMENTS GONNA BE INCORPORATED TO THE EXTENT WE CAN SHAPE, UM, SOME OF THE, THE, THE, THE STATIONS AND, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN'T CHANGE? OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T CHANGE THE ORANGE LINE FROM, YOU KNOW, EAST TO WEST OR WHATEVER, OR NORTH TO SOUTH, BUT THE THINGS THAT WE CAN CHANGE AS A RESULT OF THE EPA PROCESS, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE MECHANISM FOR GETTING ALL OF THOSE COMMENTS SO THAT, THAT WE CAN SEE IF THERE'S A TREND THAT IF A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING, YOU KNOW, ONE THING VERSUS ANOTHER, SO THAT WE MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS? YEAH.
AFTER EACH MILESTONE OF ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OF THE PROJECTS, THEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THE FEEDBACK THAT CAME IN AND PRODUCE A REPORT.
UM, I CAN PRESENT THOSE FINDINGS TO YOU ALL AT A BOARD MEETING IF THAT'S THE PREFERRED METHOD.
UM, AND THEN WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON, OR THE TECHNICAL TEAM RATHER, WE'LL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS DOABLE.
AND ONE OF THE THING THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INCUMBENT UPON US IS TO EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC EVERY TIME WE GO OUT FOR FEEDBACK, WHAT IT IS THAT THEY CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON AND WHAT IS JUST TECHNICALLY WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO BECAUSE OF A NUMBER OF ISSUES REGARD, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS.
SO, UM, BUT WE DO, WE DO, UH, PUT TOGETHER REPORTS ON ALL OF THESE AND WE POST 'EM ON OUR ENGAGEMENT SITE, ON THE PROJECT CONNECT WEBSITE, UM, WHICH WE'LL ALSO LINK TO A TP AND CAP METRO.
[02:00:01]
THANK YOU.AND JUST TO REITERATE WITH THE, WITH A NEPA PROCESS, EVERY COMMENT THAT'S RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY, THERE HAS TO BE A FORMAL ANSWER.
AND SOME OF THESE ARE, ARE GROUPED INTO A BUCKET, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THEY'RE REALLY SIMILAR IN, IN THE, IN THEIR MAKEUP.
BUT, UM, AS WE ADDRESS EACH OF THOSE COMMENTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH NEPA, THEN ALL OF THIS INFORMATION, OF COURSE, WILL BE MADE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, MY, MY QUESTION IS WITH THE SELF-GUIDED VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSES, SINCE IT'S SELF-GUIDED, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY AT THAT POINT TO ALSO OFFER COMMENT? YES, WE ALWAYS OFFER OPEN-ENDED COMMENT OPPORTUNITY.
AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE IN GENERAL IS, UM, AND THIS IS, I KNOW FOR FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS, BUT THE, BUT THE DESIGN CRITERIA MANUAL, AND I THINK AS TO YOUR POINT BOARD MEMBER ELKINS, THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW MUCH OF THE COMMENTS CAN IMPACT DESIGN IN HOW ARE WE PRESENTING, UM, THE CONSULTANTS WITH THIS DESIGN CRITERIA MANUAL? UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT IF WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW, MAYBE YOU KNOW, MR. CLARK CAN OFFER SOME INSIGHT INTO THIS.
HAPPY TO GIVE A COMMENT ON THAT.
DAVE COUCH IS THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM OFFICER LEADING THE ENTIRE TECHNICAL TEAM.
AND DAVE IS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING ALL THOSE DESIGN CRITERIA STANDARDS, WORKING CLOSELY, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE CITY AS WELL.
UH, THOSE THINGS COULD BE ABOUT RIGHT OF WAY.
THEY COULD, ABOUT RIGHT OF WAY.
THEY COULD BE ABOUT UTILITY, UTILITY RELOCATION.
I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH THINGS LIKE TRACK, UH, POWER VEHICLES, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE KIND OF COMPONENTS.
UH, SOME OF THOSE ARE, AGAIN, VERY RIGHT OF WAY SPECIFIC.
SOME OF THEM WILL GIVE FURTHER DEVELOP BETWEEN 3800% DESIGN, ESPECIALLY MORE ON THE, PROBABLY THE VEHICLE AND, AND SOME OF THOSE KIND OF COMPONENTS.
BUT THE IDEA IS TO GET TO A BASELINE OF DESIGN CRITERIA THAT WE'LL DO IN THIS JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT.
SO THEREFORE, THE A TP CAP METRO AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN ALL AGREE ON THOSE.
AND EVERYONE KIND OF SIGNS OFF ON THE DESIGN CRITERIA.
SO DAVE CAN THEN WORK REALLY PROACTIVELY AND INTEGRATED AND INTEGRATIVELY THE MOST IMPORTANT WITH THE DESIGNATED CITY STAFF INSIDE THE PROGRAM OFFICE TO EFFECTIVELY DO DESIGN, REVIEW AND PERMITTING, ALL BASED ON THE STANDARDS THAT HAVE BEEN AGREED UPON.
SO, UM, SOME OF IT, AGAIN, TO JACKIE'S POINT, SOME OF THIS IS JUST STRAIGHT ENGINEERING, AND THE ENGINEERING MAKES SOME OF THE DECISIONS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT ANY OF US, WHETHER OR DON'T WANT BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, MATH AND GRADES AND SLOPE.
OTHER THINGS ARE HEAVILY INFLUENCED, OBVIOUSLY, BY THE COMMUNITY PROCESS.
UM, AND THE, AND THE KEY REALLY IS HOW THEY, ALL OF THAT KIND OF COMES TOGETHER TO CREATE THE, ALL THE, THE BEST PARTS, UH, OF THE PROGRAM FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO AS WE WORK THROUGH THE DESIGN CRITERIA, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT DAVE WILL BE BRINGING TO THE BOARD.
SO A GOOD EXAMPLE IS NEXT WEEK OR NEXT WEEK, SORRY, EXCUSE ME, NEXT MONTH.
ONE OF THE TOPICS WE WANNA BRING IS, UH, A NEPA, NOT, NOT REALLY ONE-ON-ONE, BUT AN UPDATE ON THE NEPA PROCESS AND KIND OF DIVE DEEPER AF MEETING AFTER THAT.
ONE OF THE CONCEPTS IS TO COME IN AND TALK ABOUT THE FT A CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE TO GET AND GET INTO SOME OF MORE OF THE DESIGN CONCEPTS AND DESIGN STANDARDS.
SO WE HAVE A, A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF WORK TO DIGEST INTO THE BOARD AND ULTIMATELY THE COMMUNITY, UH, ON SPECIFICALLY PROGRAMS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN BUILT HERE BEFORE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO REALLY, 2021 IS ABOUT DOING DUE DILIGENCE AND GETTING ALL OF THESE COMPONENTS BUILT AS BUILDING BLOCKS.
SO THEN AT THE RIGHT TIME, TOWARDS LATE 22, THE BOARD IS WELL POSITIONED TO MAKE, UH, VERY SIGNIFICANT DECISIONS REGARDING, UH, PROCUREMENT METHODOLOGY, POST 30% DESIGN ON THINGS LIKE THE TUNNEL AND BLUE LINE AND ORANGE LINE AND MAJOR FACILITIES.
AND NEXT, NEXT MONTH'S MEETING, WE'LL HAVE, UH, BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP BE, UH, HERE TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THAT ROADMAP IN A LITTLE BIT, IN A LITTLE BIT BETTER WAY, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
UM, SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO, IS THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR JACKIE? AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE TIRELESS WORK.
I THINK WE'RE HERE BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A REALLY, A, A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL EFFORT FROM EVERYONE.
I HAVE A, A FUNNY STORY TO SHARE, BUT JUST IN THE TR YOU KNOW, THE TRAFFIC JAM A FEW YEARS AGO.
I, I LOOK FORWARD TO ONE DAY WE HAVE A, A TRANSIT JAM
BUT YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH THE COMMUNITY INPUT WAS THE HANDS-ON, YOU KNOW, LET'S DESIGN OUR DREAM STREET SECTIONS WITH ALL THOSE LITTLE STRIPS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PLUG THEM IN
[02:05:01]
OF THE CITY.AND I REALLY LOVE, YOU KNOW, HELPING.
ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS ACTUALLY, WHO WAS AT THAT MEETING WHERE WE, UM, SHE WANTED TO DESIGN, SHE DESIGNED HER DREAM STREET.
AND THEN I SAID, OKAY, HOW ARE YOU GONNA NAME IT? IS IT GONNA BE GUADALUPE OR MANCHACA? LIKE, WHICH SECTION OF THE STREET IT IS? AND SHE SAYS, I THINK I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA NAME THE STREET, STREET IN HEAVEN,
THIS IS MY STREET IN HEAVEN,
UM, BUT THANK YOU, THANK YOU JACKIE, FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND, UM, PLEASURE.
UM, SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO, IF THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS, WE'RE
[V. Executive Director Report]
GONNA GO ON TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT ITEM NUMBER SIX ON THE AGENDA, MR. CLARK.AND YES, UH, I, I SECOND YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT JACKIE AND ALL OF HER TEAM.
THEY'VE BEEN JUST ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
UH, THE WORK, THE ENGAGEMENT INVOLVEMENT THEY'VE DONE FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
AND BEN, GREG AND NETTE HAVE SPENT, UH, COUNTLESS HOURS FOR THE LAST, UH, YEAR AND A HALF BUILDING THE INTEGRATED FINANCIAL MODEL, WORKING SO CLOSELY WITH EVERYONE.
SO, UH, I APPRECIATE ALWAYS THAT PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THE, UH, THE INCREDIBLE EFFORTS AND, AND QUALITY WORK THAT THE STAFF IS DOING ON BEHALF OF THEIR COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE WE ALL LIVE HERE TOO, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I WANT TO, UH, E EACH MONTH I'LL GO THROUGH AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT, AND IT'S THE CHANCE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON SOME THINGS THAT MAYBE, UM, ARE GOING ON AT EITHER CAP METRO THAT TOUCH INTO THIS PROGRAM OR THINGS IN THE INDUSTRY OR EVENTS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND, AND THEN WHEN THIS IS OVER, UH, SAM SERGEANT WILL BE POSTING THIS MATERIAL AGAIN TO THE WEBSITE.
SO IT'S, IT'S ALL TRANSPARENTLY THERE AND PUT TOGETHER AS A PACKAGE.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE A COUPLE SLIDES CAN GET IT IN THE ORIGINAL, UH, POSTING.
UM, SO I WANT TO START OFF WITH TALKING ABOUT, UH, TWO, TWO ITEMS TO COVER.
ONE IS, UH, EQUITABLE TRENDS ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY THAT CAP METRO IS, IS WORKING THROUGH WITH THE CITY, JUST AS, JUST AS AN UPDATE.
UM, AND, AND, AND THE OTHER IS THE CALENDAR OF, OF, OF UPCOMING MEETINGS FOR, FOR THIS BOARD.
SO SAM, IF YOU CAN JUST GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO, UH, SHAMILA, UH, MCCARTY IS OUR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, AND SHE IS THE LEAD, UH, ON THE CAP METRO SIDE FOR THIS PROGRAM.
AND SHE'LL BE GIVING AN UPDATE THIS TO THE CAP METRO BOARD ON MONDAY.
AND I THOUGHT IT'D BE REALLY APPROPRIATE, UH, 'CAUSE OF THE, THE TIMING OF THE A TP BOARD TO JUST MENTION THIS ITEM.
SO, CAB METRO SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED FOR AN FTA FEDERAL TRANS ADMINISTRATION AWARD FOR AN EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, UH, STRATEGY PLAN, AND VERY MUCH SUPPORTED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO WIN THAT GRANT FOR $900,000, WHICH IS A VERY LARGE AWARD IN THIS PROGRAM AREA.
SO CABINET METRO HAS A LOCAL MATCH OF 350,000 FOR A TOTAL PROJECT COST OF 1.25 MILLION.
AND AS I MENTIONED, CAP METRO HAS BEEN THE KINDA LEAD WITH FTA, BUT IT IS 100% A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WITH CITY, CITY OF AUSTIN, SPECIFICALLY HOUSING AND PLANNING, THE EQUITY OFFICE, TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, ANY INPUT HERE FROM THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP TO DEVELOP THESE EOT STRATEGIES.
UH, AND WE'RE, AND THE WHOLE PURPOSE IS HOW TO DEVELOP THOSE THROUGH REALLY AN EQUITY LENS.
SO THE CITY HAS DONE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT IS RESPONSIBLE ULTIMATELY FOR PLANNING INTO THE CITY.
WE HAVE SOME PLANNING DOCUMENTS AT CAP METRO RELATED TO TOD POLICIES THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE, AND ESPECIALLY ON PROPERTY THAT WE MAY HAVE.
UH, BUT REALLY THIS HAS HELPED, HELPED FURTHER THAT PARTNERSHIP INTO THE CITY TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO GET TO THESE STATION AREA PLANS.
AND REALLY HOW DO WE, UH, HOW DO WE HELP MOVE THAT, THAT PROGRAM FORWARD? IT'S KIND OF FOCUSED ON THE NORTH LAMAR, GUADALUPE RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR.
AND YOU'LL SEE ON THE MAP, ON THE, ON THE RIGHT, IT'S GONNA REALLY HELP WITH THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT STRATEGIES TO KINDA LEVERAGE THESE TRANSIT INVESTMENTS.
SO THEY CAN BE REALLY FOCUSED ON EQUITABLE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH AGAIN, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, IS REALLY THE CITY'S FOCUS IS THE $300 MILLION ANTI DISPLACEMENT STRATEGIES.
SO HOW CAN THIS WORK HELP INFLUENCE THAT, UH, AND PROVIDE RESEARCH AND VALUE TO THAT PROCESS? SO THE WHOLE OUTCOMES ARE REALLY, HOW DO WE BECOME MORE ON NOT TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS WHETHER IT'S A DEVELOPMENT OR MULTIPLE DEVELOPMENT, HOW DO WE BECOME MORE TRANSIT ORIENTED COMMUNITY? AND THAT'S ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY AND FREQUENT TRANSIT CHOICES FOR MOBILITY AND SPECIFICALLY SAFE MOBILITY.
AND THOSE ARE THINGS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE HAVE BETTER SIDEWALKS AND, AND BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOW DOES IT ALL WORK TOGETHER? OPTIONS FOR MORE, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND, AND THAT TYPE OF, UH, THING, ESPECIALLY AROUND STATION AREAS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO EMPLOYMENT AND HEALTHCARE EDUCATION AND ACTIVITY CENTERS.
REALLY THE PURPOSE OF A WELL-FUNCTIONING, UH, UH, URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
SAM, IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT ONE, PLEASE.
[02:10:01]
HASN'T MOVED ON MY SCREEN YET, SO I MIGHT HAVE SOME LATENCY.IT SHOULD BE SHOWING UP IN JUST A MOMENT.
SO WHAT, YOU KNOW, HERE'S, HERE'S JUST A QUICK REVIEW OF THE PROCESS AND THE, UH, THE PROCESS AND THE PLANNING POLICY OUTCOME.
SO THE, UH, THE PROCESS IS REALLY, AGAIN, CAP METRO CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND IN SOME WAYS, CAP METRO WILL LEAVE FROM A FINANCIAL SIDE.
OTHER WAYS CITY OF AUSTIN WILL LEAVE FROM A TECHNICAL SIDE TO REALLY ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY.
AND THIS IS A GREAT CHANCE FOR THE NEW, THE IN PROCESS OF FORMING A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE CAC, TO HELP REALLY DEFINE FUTURE GROWTH AROUND THOSE TRANSIT STATIONS AND ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
AND, AND THE IDEA HERE IS TO REALLY ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY A DEEPER LEVEL THAN JUST WHAT JACKIE'S DOING WITH NEPA.
SO THEY'RE GONNA OBVIOUSLY RUN CONCURRENTLY AND THEY'RE COMPLIMENTARY, BUT THESE COULD BE UNIQUE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT MAYBE ARE MORE FOCUSED AROUND THESE STATION AREAS.
IT IS TO ALSO REVIEW THE CURRENT CONDITIONS ABOUT THOSE STATION AREAS AND WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE EQUITY IM IMPACTS CURRENTLY THERE? EXISTING CONDITIONS, MULTIMODAL SAFETY, WHAT'S THE SIDEWALK INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE, LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, STREET LIGHTING, MAYBE IT'S TREE CANOPY FOR, UH, FOR, UH, SUN COVERAGE.
WHAT IS THE ACCESS TO TRANSIT? AND ALSO WHAT IS THE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL IN THAT AREA? AND WHETHER THAT IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT OR JOINT DEVELOPMENT OR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
NEXT PIECE IS THEN ALSO ASSESS THE DISPLACEMENT RISK.
AND I THINK THE MAYOR HAS, HAS TALKED PRETTY HEAVILY ABOUT THAT.
SO I WON'T BE REPETITIVE OF THAT WITH THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DID THE CITY UTILIZE THE MONEY THAT A TP WILL SEND TO THEM TO WORK ON THOSE ANTI DISPLACEMENT, UH, UH, PROGRAMS? SO THOSE THINGS THEN HELP LEAD TO THE PLANNING AND POLICY OUTCOMES, WHICH WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, DATA DEVELOPMENT AND COORDINATION.
SO ON THE CAP METRO SIDE, HOW DO WE UPDATE OUR, UH, EQUITABLE TOD TOOLS AND STRATEGIES AND POLICIES, AND THEN HOW THAT COULD HELP INFLUENCE THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S RELEVANT CITY, UH, TOD POLICIES AS WELL.
HOW IT REALLY HELPS IDENTIFY A POLICY TOOLKIT TO INCREASE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND REALLY HELP THE CITY OF AUSTIN WITH ANTI DISPLACEMENT STRATEGIES.
THAT'S REALLY DRIVEN THROUGH THAT EQUITY SCORECARD AND THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE SMALL AREA OF STATION PLANS, UH, DEVELOP POTENTIAL LAND USE AND ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, TO REALLY ENHANCE THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY TRANSIT AND FOR US TO MAKE, UH, PROJECT CONNECT PROJECTS AS COMPETITIVE AS POSSIBLE FOR MAXIMIZING FEDERAL GRANTS.
SO THIS WOULD BE, AGAIN, TO HELP, HELP PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE CITY.
'CAUSE ULTIMATELY THE CITY IS IN CHARGE OF LAND USE AND, AND ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND IT'S JUST HOW DO WE BUILD ON TOP OF, UH, PROJECT CONNECT BEING PASSED BY THE, BY THE VOTERS.
AND THEN AGAIN, THESE STATION KIND OF STATION PLANS AND GUIDELINES.
UH, AND THEY MIGHT BE DIFFERENT BASED ON THE 13 THROUGHOUT THE ALIGNMENT, BASED ON, AGAIN, EXISTING CONDITIONS, RISK OF DISPLACEMENT, ET CETERA.
THE NEXT SLIDE, SAM, AND THE NEXT SLIDE REALLY IS JUST MORE OF A LINEAR WAY TO SEE, UH, THIS, THIS PROCESS FROM A TIMELINE AND NEXT STEPS POINT OF VIEW.
I GUESS THE REALLY HIGHLIGHTED HERE IS WE WANT TO OBVIOUSLY GET THIS, UH, UP AND MOVING AS, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY.
DO THOSE CURRENT CONDITION REVIEWS WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS THAT GETS STOOD UP.
AND AGAIN, OUR PLANNING TEAM IS REALLY HELPING IN PARTNERSHIP HAND IN GLOVE WITH THE CITY HOUSING AND PLANNING TEAM.
UH, I THINK ONE OF THE IDEAS ON OUR PLANNING TEAM WOULD BE TO TRY TO GET A MEETING, UH, RELATIVELY IN THE, IN THE NEAR TERM WITH MAYBE IT'S THE HOUSING COMMITTEE AT THE, AT THE, AT CITY COUNCIL OR, OR, OR ANOTHER PUBLIC FORM.
SO THAT'LL HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE, WITH THE STAFFS.
UH, BUT, BUT THE IDEA IS HOW TO FACILITATE THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE THROUGH THE CITY PROCESS.
AND WE'RE HELPING PROVIDE TECHNICAL RESOURCES TO THAT.
I'VE SOMEHOW LOST MY, OH, THERE WE GO FOR A SECOND.
THAT WILL GO SPRING AND THEN AGAIN SUMMER, WHICH THEN LEADS TO THE TOOLKIT AND THE POLICY AND KIND OF THE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT PIECES FROM A TIMELINE.
THE IDEA IS HOW LATER THIS FALL INTO NEXT SPRING, HOW DO THESE PIECES COME TOGETHER? SO THIS IS THE KIND OF A ROUGH ORDER OF MAGNITUDE OR, OR MEASURE WHERE WE THINK THESE ELEMENTS WOULD COME TOGETHER.
THEY MAY MOVE AND TWEAK A LITTLE BIT AS THE PROCESS GETS UP AND RUNNING.
OBVIOUSLY THE WHOLE PROCESS HERE IS HOW TO MAKE THE MOST USE OF THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT DOLLARS ON THE CITY SIDE.
HOW DO WE USE THE LAND THE BEST TO MAKE IT AS MOST ACCESSIBLE FOR TRANSIT? AND HOW DO WE, UH, GO FOR THE BEST FEDERAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW DOES THE CITY MAYBE USE THESE TECHNICAL RESOURCES ON THEIR OVERALL CONCEPT FOR LAND USE IN ZONING? SO WITH THAT, UH, AGAIN, WE'LL BE PRESENTING JUST THE SAME SIMPLE FRAMEWORK ON CAP METRO BOARD ON MONDAY.
AND, UH, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS VERY APPROPRIATE TO, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP
[02:15:01]
BOARD, UH, WAS AWARE OF THAT, UH, DURING THIS MEETING.UH, AND THEN, UH, THE OTHER PART I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY MENTION HERE IS, UH, THE IDEA HERE WAS TO HAVE EVERY ONE OF OUR MEETINGS WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH, THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH AT TWO O'CLOCK.
THIS WOULD BE THE CALENDAR DATES.
AND WE'RE OBVIOUSLY GONNA PUT THAT ALL ON THE WEBSITE AND IT'D BE CONVEYED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL, SOMETIME TOWARDS THE SPRING.
UH, AND WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO WORK ON THIS, WE'RE LOOKING TOWARDS WHAT'S FORMING A JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT.
NOW, THAT WOULD BE A BEST WAY, I WOULD DESCRIBE THAT AS THE, THE HOLISTIC AGREEMENT BETWEEN, UH, O PARTNERSHIP CAP METRO AND THE CITY COUNCIL NOW.
AND SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, NOW, THERE ARE AGREEMENTS THAT ARE ALREADY BEING FRAMED UP.
BACK IN AUGUST, THERE WAS AGREEMENTS TO CREATE, CREATE THE ORGANIZATION OF A TP AND THE FINANCING MECHANISM.
IN DECEMBER, IT WAS TO NAME THE, IT WAS THE BYLAWS AND ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION.
TODAY, YOU ALL PASSED YOUR SIDE OF THE FIRST AGREEMENT WITH CAP METRO TO DO CERTAIN WORK.
THE CITY, UH, CAP METRO WILL HAVE TO DO THAT SECONDARY PIECE ON MONDAY.
WE KNOW THERE'LL BE OTHER AGREEMENTS WITH CAP METRO, THERE'LL BE AGREEMENTS WITH THE CITY RELATED TO THE DISPLACEMENT FUNDING AND THE SUPPORT SERVICES ON THAT SIDE.
SO WE WANNA GET TOWARDS, JUST KEEP KNOCKING EACH ONE OF THESE ILAS OFF ON THESE SUB COMPONENTS.
AND A LOT OF THOSE WILL BE FED INTO A JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT.
AND THEN ALWAYS ALSO WRAPPING IN ALL THESE KIND OF DESIGN STANDARDS AND PROCESS PIECES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, JUST A FEW MOMENTS AGO.
AND THEN WHAT WE COMMITTED TO VERY TRANSPARENTLY FROM THE START OF THIS WHOLE PROGRAM WOULD BE AN ANNUAL TRI-PARTY MEETING IN DECEMBER.
AND THAT WOULD BE FOR ALL THREE PARTIES.
AND THEN, UH, I WOULD PRESENT ON BEHALF OF THE STAFF AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANNUAL REPORT.
AND AT SOME POINT YOU ALL WILL HAVE TO HIRE AN AUDITOR.
AND THAT AUDITOR REPORTING TO YOU WOULD THEN PROVIDE AN AUDIT REPORT AS WELL, UH, TO BOTH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CAP METRO BOARD AS A FEEDBACK MECHANISM, UH, TO THE PROCESS.
THROUGHOUT THIS, WE ALSO ENVISION THERE'LL BE MULTIPLE JOINT MEETINGS, UH, AS THE, UH, THE TOPICS, UH, REQUIRE THAT TYPE OF ACTIVITY.
SO WITH THERE, I'LL STOP AND I CERTAINLY WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS, INPUTS, OR, UH, IDEAS RELATED TO THOSE TOPICS OR ANYTHING ELSE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? MAD CHAIR? UM, I WOULD LIKE, AS WE MOVE, AS WE TRANSITION TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS, I WOULD REALLY LIKE US TO CONSIDER TO HAVE EVENING MEETINGS AS OPPOSED TO IN THE DAY.
UH, SO WHAT WE COULD DO ON THAT IS WE COULD, UH, WE COULD DO A SURVEY FOR EVERYONE ON THE BOARD AND SEE WHAT EVERYONE'S, UH, BEST AVAILABILITY IS AND, UH, AND THEN PRESENT OPTIONS, UH, AT THE FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE GO IN PERSON.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE EVERYONE IN PERSON.
I THINK THE OTHER ISSUE THAT THE SPEAKER SPOKE TO THAT I THINK IS, IS, IS VALID, IS GETTING THE, UM, UM, AGENDA ITEMS OUT, UH, EARLIER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SEE THEM AND DISCUSS THEM AMONG THEMSELVES AND BRING BACK SUGGESTIONS OR WHATEVER TO THE, TO THE BOARD MEMBERS.
I, I KNOW THIS GOT POSTED, I THINK FRIDAY AT NOON, I WAS TOLD.
AND WE WILL WORK TO GET THAT POSTED EARLIER, UH, ESPECIALLY AS WE GET RESOURCES ON BOARD HERE.
AND WE, I WILL SAY WE'RE POTENTIALLY A LITTLE MORE ORGANIZED, UH, AND THAT, I DON'T MEAN THAT AS AN EXCUSE, JUST AS WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE RAMPED UP ON RESOURCES, WE, UH, WILL ENDEAVOR TO DO THAT.
WELL, EVERY ORGANIZATION GOES THROUGH FORMING, STORMING, NORMING, AND PERFORMING.
SO, UM, EXTEND GRACE IN OUR VERY FIRST MEETING.
UM, RANDY, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE, UH, UH, AND, AND I DO REMEMBER THIS FROM THE, UM, THE INITIAL FORMATION, THE, UH, INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY, THE A TP BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY, UH, TO INDEPENDENTLY HIRE AN AUDITOR.
UM, JUST WANTED TO KIND OF, I GUESS, MAYBE GET STAFF'S INITIAL THOUGHTS, MAYBE, UH, BOARD'S INITIAL THOUGHTS ON, UM, WHAT THAT TIMELINE MIGHT LOOK LIKE OR HOW WE MIGHT GO ABOUT DOING THIS.
I, I HAVE NOT BEEN A PART OF SUCH A PROCESS.
I, I DO SERVE, OR I HAVE SERVED ON THE FINANCIAL AUDIT AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE WITH CAP METRO THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, FOR THAT PROCESS FOR THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR FOR, UH, FOR CAP METRO.
BUT, BUT I, WHEN I CAME ONTO CAP METRO, MY JOB WAS MORE TO DO THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF, OF, UH, MR. FULMER NOT ACTUALLY, UH, TO GO OUT AND HIRE HIM.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WITH US AS THIS NEW BODY
[02:20:01]
AND WITH US STILL BARELY GETTING STAFF RAMPED UP, AND I KNOW THAT THERE IS A CONSULTANT THAT HAS BEEN ENGAGED TO HELP YOU, RANDY, HIRE SENIOR STAFF FOR THE ORGANIZATION.JUST KIND OF, ARE THERE ANY THOUGHTS AS TO HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THIS FOR US AS THE BOARD TRYING TO HIRE AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR AND WHAT THE TIMELINE MIGHT BE FOR ENSURING THAT PROCESS TAKES PLACE? YEAH, GREAT.
SO I, I WOULD START WITH TIMELINE.
UH, AGAIN, IT'S ULTIMATELY THE BOARD'S DECISION.
UM, BUT SINCE YOU, I GUESS YOU ASKED FOR, FOR INPUT FROM OUR END, I WOULD SAY THE, THE GOOD THING IS YOU HAVE SOME TIME BECAUSE AS TODAY'S ACTION INDICATED, CAP METRO'S ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF MOST OF THE TECHNICAL WORK AND, AND HAS CONTRACTS IN PLACE FOR A LOT OF THE EARLY ACTION WORK.
UM, SO THERE WILL BE SOME CONTRACTS COMING TO THE BOARD HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS AS, UH, GREG CANAL MENTIONED LEGAL SERVICES, SOME FINANCIAL SERVICES, REAL ESTATE.
UH, BUT THAT'S BEFORE WE EVEN GET TO, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE ARE PROBABLY SEVERAL MONTHS AWAY, LET ALONE BEFORE WE GET TO EXPENDING ANY FUNDS RELATED TO THAT.
SO YOU PROBABLY DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A SEVERAL MONTH CHUNK OF TIME HERE BEFORE EXPENDITURES REALLY HAPPEN IN A WAY THAT YOU WOULD EVEN WANT TO GET INTO AN AUDIT PLAN.
WITH THAT SAID, WE'LL CERTAINLY STAFF IS GOING TO BE HERE TO ASSIST THE BOARD THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS, JUST LIKE CAB METRO DID FOR THE BOARD BEFORE I GOT HERE.
'CAUSE, UH, MR. FULLER WAS HIRED BEFORE I GOT HERE, AND I'M SURE IT'S THE EXACT SAME ON THE CITY SIDE.
AND WE HAVE RECRUITMENT SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR THE BOARD WHEN THAT IS READY.
SO I THINK THE KEY HERE IS GETTING A COUPLE PEOPLE UP AND RUNNING, UH, GET THE ORGANIZATION GOING, AND THEN WE'LL LOOK FOR DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD, UM, WHEN YOU MAY WANT TO, UH, MOVE THAT PROCESS FORWARD.
BUT I, I WOULD SAY, IN MY OPINION, YOU HAVE A, A FEW MONTHS BEFORE YOU HAVE TO REALLY GET GOING AT THAT.
AND, UH, BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY, WE ALREADY HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE CURRENT AUDITORS AS EXAMPLE, UH, JOB DESCRIPTION.
WE CAN GET A FEW OTHERS AND WE CAN START FORMULATING THAT BACK KIND OF PACKAGE FOR YOU ALL TO LOOK AT AND, AND DECIDE HOW YOU WANNA MOVE FORWARD OVER THE NEXT COMING, YOU KNOW, WEEKS AND MONTHS.
UM, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON FOR YOUR QUESTION.
UM, AND I THINK SO IF, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT, SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE NOW, UM, WE'RE MOVING ON TO ADJOURNING THE MEETING.
SO I THINK YOU'RE TAKING CARE JUST BEFORE, JUST BEFORE YOU ADJOURN, I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT YOU RAN AN EXCELLENT MEETING, MADAM
THANK YOU FOR, AND WE, WE COMPLETED THE FIRST A TP BOARD MEETING EVER, WHICH IS, UH, WHICH IS KUDOS TO ALL OF YOU AGAIN.
SO THANK YOU AND FOR ALL THE BE KIND THE SCENES, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A WHOLE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE THE UNSUNG HEROES OF THE STORY ALWAYS, BECAUSE THANK YOU.
UM, AND UH, THIS CONCLUDES OUR FIRST A TP BOARD MEETING AGENDA.
AND I DEFINITELY WANNA THANK ALL THE BOARD AND STAFF AND ALL THE HARD WORK THAT HAS GONE ON FOR SO MANY YEARS AS WE LAUNCH THIS PROGRAM FORWARD.
AND I WANT TO REITERATE THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE THE ENTIRE CITY IS GOING TO TAKE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, THE REGION FOR ALL OF US TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM SUCCESSFUL.
AND ANYONE THAT WE CAN INVITE TO PARTICIPATE, UM, PLEASE, LET'S DO SO.
UM, SO, AND I KNOW WE HAVE IMPORTANT WORK AHEAD AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES AND PUTTING ON UNCOMFY SHOES TO GET ON THIS, ON THIS JOURNEY,
UM, THE TIME IS 4:42 PM AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THIS ENORMOUS HONOR.