Item 2a- DRAFT January 4, 2018 Meeting Minutes — original pdf

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Bond Election Advisory Task Force Regular Meeting January 4, 2018 1 BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES January 4, 2018 The Bond Election Advisory Task Force convened in a regular meeting on January 4, 2018 in Austin, Texas. Chair Nuckols called the meeting to order at 4:01 PM Board Members in Attendance: Tom Nuckols, Chair Bruce Evans, Vice Chair Estrella de Leon Herbert “Ken” Rigsbee Jeff Smith Dorsey Twidwell Robert Walker Yasmiyn Irizarry Sumit DasGupta John McNabb Santiago Rodriguez Rachel Stone Staff in Attendance: Katy Zamesnik, Financial Services Carla Steffen, ACCD CALL TO ORDER 1. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION Mary Arnold, citizen, served on a Bond Task Force back in 1996. Spoke on the reserve fund being proposed by the Open Space Working Group, specifically as it relates to the Lions Municipal Golf Course. In support of this. Katherine Fulmore donated her time to Mike Rodriguez. Mike Rodriguez, (donated time), current president of Onion Creek Homeowners Association. Presented PowerPoint on Bradshaw Road, including the development impact on the area. Bradshaw Rd is only 2 lanes with no shoulder. Concerns on the traffic impacts, especially around Wayside School. 2016 Mobility Bond has funding for preliminary engineering only. Mike Levy, public safety, spoke on the need for 5 more fire stations. He spoke on the need to keep response times low for fire response and life support. Provided a map handout to the Task Force. Austin/Travis County is #3 in terms of risk for fires. Bob Nicks, President of Austin Fire Fighters Association and former AFD battalion chief. COA has grown 33% over the past several years. Created a model on the need for more fire stations, and it shows we’re 5 short. Spoke on Travis Country and the lack of the fire station in the area. Stated need for 4 min response time for medical and fire calls. 2 years since resolution (passed out) was passed, and feels the conversation has stalled. Bond Election Advisory Task Force Regular Meeting January 4, 2018 2 Scotty Sayers, representing thousands and thousands of people who have utilized Lions Municipal Golf Course over the past 90 years. Noted the historical context of the golf course.Thanked TF for allowing them to participate in the process related to a strike fund to preserve Lions. Funding is critical to show that the City is committed to preserving Lions. Clark Hancock, President of Save Barton Spring Association. Stated the Task Force is the group that will provide direction on where we need to invest so that we can preserve the character of the City. Urged the TF to use their power to invest in open, green, undeveloped spaces now so that future generations can develop them. His Association wants to see open space funded at $150m. Trails were left unfunded by the working group, which his Association sees as shortsighted. Trails need funding desperately for maintenance. Richard Viktorin, here to engage in grassroots advocacy for trails in Austin. 25 years ago, voters approved funds for the Balcones Canyonland Preserve. Stated would also provide passive public use. No trails exist today. Greg Smith, thanked the Task Force for their work. Here to support the cultural arts facilities, and specifically the Carver Museum. Discussed the deferred maintenance needs in the bond and that it’s an embarrassment to the City that they have to go to a bond for deferred maintenance. The roof of the Carver needs to be replaced. Also an advocate of affordable housing; COA has done a great job supporting affordable housing through GO Bonds. Matt Abbott, donated time to Mike Rodriguez. Sharlene Leurig, chair of AW Integrated Resource management task force. Tasked to oversee the COA’s first long range water plan. Goal to provide water supplies for the next 100 years of Austin Water’s growth. Noted there will be 4 million regional residents by 2115 that will be served by Austin Water. Significant impacts to the flows to the Highland Lakes. Distributed information to the Task Force. Land protection has an important role to protect the watersheds. Staff have been focusing on the contributing and recharge zones of Barton Springs. Urged TF to fund $50m for open space, if not more. Available to speak to Open Space Working Group Carson Chavana, organizing director with Bike Austin, working to solidify funding and resources for COA trails. Bike Master Plan and Urban Trails Master Plan are the two main pools of information. Not on track to meet the needs of the urban trails connectivity. YBC, La Luma Trail, Bergstrom Spur, Eastlink, Austin to Manor, and Pleasant Valley Trail are their priorities. Encourage TF to keep in mind the “big loop” concept, connecting trails around Austin, a 30 mile loop. Blake Tillet, resident of Austin since 1973. City always talks about affordable housing, only way we’ll get it in the inner city is if the City owns the land. Discussed the strike fund and the state assisted living center. Noted the Grove was a debacle, and a missed opportunity. Encouraged TF to put at least $15 million aside for this, if not more. Mike Duffy, no show. Fernando Velasco, executive director for the Capital Area Tennis Association. Supporting Parks $700 million bond. Spoke on the tennis program in the City, and the need for more tennis courts in the City. Bill Bunch (donated time), executive director of SOS, working for 25+ years to protect Barton springs and watersheds all over Austin. Support of finding for watershed protection. Stated we are incredibly short on parkland in the city. If we’d done more, would have connected the open space and allowed for trail connectivity. Stated it was cheaper to save the springs than to pave it. Bond Election Advisory Task Force Regular Meeting January 4, 2018 3 Charles Peveto, involved in different parks group in Austin. Spoke on Woolridge Square, including the existence of a group known as the Friends of Wooldridge Square. A lot of effort and money has been invested in saving this Square. New 100 year lease just signed. Parks Department is lacking major funding; they need more than they have asked for. $400k since 2012, need to go into yet another level of funding. Interpretive plan being developed for the all the squares in downtown. Need to recognize the rich and diverse history of these squares. Ted Siff, executive director of the Shoal Creek Conservancy, thanked the Task Force for their work, and for their commitment to more work. Thanked them for more community engagement. Urged them to get updated capital balances for the various areas of investment. Can’t responsibly recommend more capital balance investment without knowing the current balances. Laura Sanders, not affiliated with any of the parks and places in the Open Space working group but is pleased by the recommendation. Would like to see more but understands the checks and balances. Cities that “own their outcome” are the successful ones. Can’t expect the state or corporations to fix things. Thanked the Task Force for their work John Rooney, Austin Parks Foundation, recommended that the Task Force fully fund the parks funding request. 2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES The minutes were approved on Task Force Member Rigsbee’s motion, seconded by Task Force Member Irizarry, on an 11-0-1 vote, with Member Bentley off the dais. 3. STAFF BRIEFINGS a. Briefing on public engagement results to date Carla Steffen and Katy Zamesnik, Bond Development Team, presented on the public engagement results to date. They walked the Task Force through a short history of the Task Force efforts prior to the initiation of the formal engagement process. They then walked the Task Force through the major findings of the formal community engagement, including the following:  Over 900 survey results online and on paper  58% of those respondents supported a tax rate increase  Average bond package from town halls and online bond simulator was $691 million  Transportation was the only category to receive support for decreased funding from the staff recommended starting point. 4. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION a. Discussion and possible action on the Task Force community engagement plan Staff discussed the next round of engagement- four town halls (listening sessions) to be located around the City. The schedule was published online. b. Discussion and possible action on alternative funding for Watershed Protection Department bond projects Staff introduced the written response from WPD regarding funding questions from the Task Force, and stated that staff was available for questions. There were no questions from the Task Force. Bond Election Advisory Task Force Regular Meeting January 4, 2018 4 c. Reports and possible action on bond package recommendations from working groups (standing item)  Open Space and Parkland: presented on their recommendations to the Task Force. No change on their recommendation of $85 million.  Transportation Infrastructure: provided further detail on their recommendation of $142.5 million.  Stormwater: Environmental Commission supported $100 million for Stormwater.  Reinvestment in Facilities & Assets: No change from the last round. Need to meet again.  Affordable Housing: Polling coming out and information from the public on what the need/desire is. Suggested they keep an open mind going forward- strategy may change based on the feedback. d. Discussion and possible action on a bond package recommendation e. Discussion and possible action on future meeting dates of the Task Force and Working Groups The Task Force elected to cancel their January 19th meeting, and to schedule meetings for Feb 8th and Feb 23rd. Times were set for 10am-1pm and 1pm-4pm, respectively. Working Groups committed to continue to meet. 5. FUTURE AGENDAS 6. ADJOURN Chair Nuckols adjourned the meeting at 6:48 PM without objection