Item 5: Draft Recommendation- FY 2026-2027 Budget & November 2026 Bond Recommendations for Pilot Knob Library & Austin Resilience Network Site — original pdf

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. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Joint Inclusion Committee Recommendation Number: [YYYYMMDD-XXX]: Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget & November 2026 Bond Recommendations for Pilot Knob Library & Austin Resilience Network Site WHEREAS, the Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC) serves to advise the Austin City Council on matters of equity, civil rights, quality of life, and full access to city services for all historically marginalized communities across Austin; and WHEREAS, the proposed Pilot Knob Library and Austin Resilience Network Site project in District 2 represents a critical civic anchor serving Southeast Austin—a region along the Eastern Crescent that has historically faced underinvestment in public infrastructure and extreme weather vulnerabilities; and WHEREAS, three advisory bodies represented on the Joint Inclusion Committee have evaluated this project and passed matching resolutions urging immediate city action, specifically: • The Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities (Recommendation No. 20260612-007); • The Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission (Recommendation No. 20260623-007); and • The African American Resource Advisory Commission (Recommendation No. 20260707- 008); and WHEREAS, residents who are medically vulnerable, elderly, living with disabilities, or reliant on power-dependent medical devices (such as oxygen concentrators, home dialysis, and ventilators) face life-threatening consequences during prolonged power outages and extreme thermal events; and WHEREAS, true resilience infrastructure must go beyond basic emergency sheltering by providing real-time medical triage capabilities and equal electrical reliability compared to adjacent new commercial developments; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Joint Inclusion Committee endorses and consolidates the recommendations of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities, the Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission, and the African American Resource Advisory Commission; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Joint Inclusion Committee recommends that the Austin City Council direct the City Manager to incorporate the following provisions into the FY 2026–2027 Operating Budget and/or the November 2026 Bond Package: . 1. Designation as a Medical Triage Anchor: Capital allocations for the Pilot Knob Library & Austin Resilience Network Site must include high-capacity, redundant power infrastructure, industrial backup generators, and heavy-duty electrical outlets capable of powering and recharging life-sustaining medical equipment during emergency activations. 2. Surrounding Grid Hardening: Direct Austin Energy to prioritize electrical grid hardening and circuit micro-grid development in surrounding legacy Southeast Austin neighborhoods (District 2) to ensure equitable power reliability during extreme weather events. 3. Accessibility & Language Equity: Allocate funding to ensure the Pilot Knob Resilience Network Site provides fully accessible physical space (meeting ADA and universal design standards), real-time multilingual communication capabilities, and dedicated staffing trained in disability-inclusive emergency response. 4. Capital Bond Earmark: Formally include explicit ballot and language provisions in the November 2026 Bond proposal guaranteeing that these medical resilience and infrastructure equity standards are fully funded and executed. Seconded By: Date of Approval: Motioned By: Vote: For: Against: Abstain: Off the dais: Absent: Attest: _____________________________________________