Item #63 for 11/4: Project Connect JPA

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Paige Ellis
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 4:37 pm

Item #63 for 11/4: Project Connect JPA

Post by Paige Ellis »

Dear Colleagues,

With Item #63 on Thursday's Council agenda, we have another opportunity to discuss, and potentially approve negotiation and execution of, a Joint Powers Agreement for Project Connect with Capital Metro and the Austin Transit Partnership. I am eager to get this done -- and to get it done in a way that will withstand the test of time -- as I know you are.

The Project Connect JPA, as currently drafted, provides us a solid plan for how we're going to build a high-capacity transit system of trains and buses for Austin. But unless we ALSO plan for how we're going to FILL those trains and buses -- how our city collaboration will support transit ridership -- then we risk investing all this time, energy, and voter support into a generational transit system that has a hard time competing for federal funding. People need safe sidewalks and bikeway connections to get to the transit lines, and people need to be able to live, work, and play along these transit lines themselves.

Therefore, colleagues, I seek your support in giving direction to our staff on Thursday to initiate the development of a "Supportive Planning" supplemental agreement that establishes how the City, CapMetro, and ATP will collaborate on both multimodal connectivity planning and land use/eTOD planning around the Project Connect transit lines. We know there are roles here for all three entities (e.g. ATP should be constructing the bike/ped infrastructure on the transit corridors themselves, CapMetro has federal grant funding to do eTOD station area planning, etc.), so we need to establish exactly how our entities will work together in these areas to allow as many people as possible to use the great transit lines we are building. Much like the anti-displacement work, I see this planning work as inseparable from Project Connect.

Furthermore, to make sure we have the door open for developing a Supportive Planning supplemental agreement, I would like to offer an amendment to add one word to Section 2.7 of the JPA (at the bottom of page 6 in v3), Supplemental Agreements. I would add the word "planning" into the list of possible topics of future Supplemental Agreements immediately after "policy." As amended, the sentence would read, "These supplemental agreements must be taken by the appropriate parties and may be bilateral, such as… to address specific project issues related to policy, *planning,* property acquisition, financing, design, construction, operations or maintenance of the Project Connect system.”

In summary, I would ask that, on Thursday or at any other subsequent meeting on the JPA, we (a) make this one-word amendment to the JPA text, and (b) direct staff to initiate development of a Supportive Planning supplemental agreement on the coordination of multimodal planning and eTOD/land use planning.

Thank you all for your consideration of this amendment and this direction. I look forward to our discussion on Thursday and to considering any other amendments to the JPA that are proposed.

Best,
Paige Ellis
Paige Ellis
City Council District 8
Steve Adler
Posts: 533
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:12 pm

Re: Item #63 for 11/4: Project Connect JPA

Post by Steve Adler »

Colleagues,

At our JPA action this week, I recommend we give the ATP the autonomy to choose its own CEO/Executive Director and answer the inherent questions associated with that decision.

I’ve gone thru as many different routes as I can think of for resolving the related issues and this seems to be the best way to deal with all the practical logistics and to deliver the best, informed, and community engaged decision, while keeping Project Connect on track.

Below is a proposed JPA amendment I’ll bring on Thursday. In drafting this language, community advocates helped with words to ensure a deliberative process around the appointment of the Executive Director, and one in which we can all be confident that all voices will be actively involved. It is important that there are multiple opportunities to provide input and have questions answered. Additionally, it is important that this process is taken up to finalize timely the Executive Director appointment.

I will propose the following amendment that will replace the paragraph captioned Executive Director in Section 4.2.2:

“In accordance with the Bylaws, the ATP Board shall appoint an Executive Director after utilizing a community engagement process that is consistent with section 3.2.1. Without limitation, the CAC shall provide input and recommendations to ATP Board on that community engagement process. Additionally, and again without limitation, the ATP board shall obtain the input and recommendation of the CAC prior to appointing the Executive Director.

The Executive Director of ATP shall be the chief executive officer of ATP and shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of ATP.

The ATP shall conclude its deliberations on the Executive Director by no later August 31, 2022"

- S
Mayor
Paige Ellis
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 4:37 pm

Re: Item #63 for 11/4: Project Connect JPA

Post by Paige Ellis »

Colleagues -

After I posted to the message board, staff reached out to discuss the supplemental agreement direction. We met with our staff from Housing and Planning, Transportation, and the Project Connect Office, and they agreed that interagency agreements on eTOD/land use planning and on multimodal infrastructure implementation around the Project Connect lines would be valuable. Given the technical nature of such agreements, staff suggested it would be appropriate for these to be staff-level agreements, and that makes sense to me, so that’s how we’ve crafted our direction language today.

This direction will ensure our City, CapMetro, and ATP staff have the conversations they need to have now to build a smooth runway for Project Connect’s success, figuring out now -- before an issue arises -- how our entities will collaborate on bike/pedestrian infrastructure and eTOD/land use planning. This direction will simply ensure that staff develop those agreements, document them, and make them public for full transparency.

I appreciate staff, including Law, working with us on this direction and am excited about the positive conversations that will come out of this. Most of all, I am glad that -- with your support, colleagues -- we will be paying attention not only to building Project Connect’s high-capacity transit lines, but also to helping as many people as possible ride those buses and trains.



My Direction to the City Manager pertaining to adding the word "Planning" into Section 2.7 is:

“The City Manager shall initiate development of a staff-level supplemental agreement, such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with Capital Metro and the Austin Transit Partnership that documents how the City of Austin and its partner entities will collaborate on multimodal infrastructure implementation along and around the Project Connect transit lines. This agreement should document each entity’s proposed responsibilities for planning, design, and construction, including but not limited to mutual expectations regarding funding sources and interagency communications. The Manager shall finalize, publicly publish, and provide to Council the staff-level agreement by March 1, 2022.

Further, the City Manager shall initiate development of a staff-level supplemental agreement, such as an MOU, with Capital Metro that documents how the City of Austin and Capital Metro will collaborate on Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (eTOD) and any related land use planning along and around the Project Connect transit lines. This agreement should document each entity’s proposed responsibilities for a successful land use planning process and, as appropriate, should complement the eTOD Policy Plan currently under development. Barring unforeseen obstacles, the Manager shall finalize, publicly publish, and provide to Council the staff-level agreement by March 1, 2022.”

Thanks,
Paige Ellis
Paige Ellis
City Council District 8
Ann Kitchen
Posts: 294
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2015 4:04 pm

Re: Item #63 for 11/4: Project Connect JPA

Post by Ann Kitchen »

CM Ellis

Thank you for bringing forward your proposed amendment and direction. To be successful, we must align our goals for affordable housing and access for all people in Austin to Project Connect transit improvements.

There are two changes that I think are necessary: (1) alignment with the eTOD resolution that Council adopted on June 10th; and (2) adoption by City Council of this important step to align with the Council affordable housing policies.

FIRST PARAGRAPH – THE SAME

SECOND PARAGRAPH – THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT:

Further, the City Manager shall initiate development of a supplemental agreement with Capital Metro and ATP that documents how the City of Austin, Capital Metro, and ATP will collaborate on Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (eTOD) and any related land use planning in the eTOD study area, areas designated as TODs, and along the MetroRapid, Metrorail, and light rail lines included in the Project Connect initial investment. This agreement should document each entity’s proposed responsibilities for a successful land use planning process and, be consistent with the eTOD Policy Plan currently under development under the Council adopted resolution on June 10, 2021. Barring unforeseen obstacles, the Manager shall finalize, publicly publish, and bring to Council for approval the agreement by March 1, 2022.”

Best
Ann Kitchen
City Council D5
Ann Kitchen
Council Member District 5
Steve Adler
Posts: 533
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:12 pm

Re: Item #63 for 11/4: Project Connect JPA

Post by Steve Adler »

Colleagues,

After receiving feedback from stakeholders, staff, and community advocates, I am posting an updated amendment to Item #63. The updated language addresses ambiguities and clarifies the intent to involve the entire community, to explicitly answer the questions that lay before us and ensure expediency in the proceedings. I still believe this is the best way forward to deliver a robust community process and carefully consider the appointment of the ATP Executive Director.

I will propose the following amendment that will replace the paragraph captioned Executive Director in Section 4.2.2:

“In accordance with the Bylaws, the ATP Board shall appoint an Executive Director. The ATP Board shall conclude an independent analysis to determine the appropriate leadership model for ATP no later than March 31, 2022. The independent analysis shall include a community engagement process with input from the CAC, technical advisory committees, and others. After careful consideration of such analysis, the ATP board shall determine its leadership model in its sole discretion. Further, the ATP Board shall make any Executive Director appointments in its sole discretion. The ATP Board shall establish a community engagement process for such appointments which is appropriate for the appointment of senior leadership and similar to the process described above.

The Executive Director of ATP shall be the chief executive officer of ATP and shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of ATP.”

-S
Mayor
Paige Ellis
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 4:37 pm

Re: Item #63 for 11/4: Project Connect JPA

Post by Paige Ellis »

Colleagues -

This Direction V2 incorporates additional feedback from Law regarding when agreements need approval by Council, reflects the time-sensitive needs of our Housing and Planning staff working on the eTOD Policy Plan, and incorporates several of CM Kitchen’s edits. I look forward to the discussion later today.

http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 160929.pdf

Thanks,
Paige Ellis
Paige Ellis
City Council District 8
Ashley Richardson (D9)
Posts: 64
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:34 pm

Re: Item #63 for 11/4: Project Connect JPA

Post by Ashley Richardson (D9) »

On behalf of Council Member Tovo -

Colleagues,

This is the language I read verbally into the record and then distributed to the Clerk's Office:

To Section 3.1 under Joint Commitments add the following bullets:

“The Parties commit to developing an agreement outlining a process to discuss and mitigate the use and impact on parkland and historic squares, which shall be approved by the ATP Board, City Council, and the Capital Metro Board.”

“The Parties commit to working together in collaborative fashion to discuss any potential or proposed legislation related to Project Connect as early in the process as practicable.”

Best,

Kathie
Senior Policy Advisor
Office of Kathie Tovo, Council Member District 9
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