WE'LL TAKE UP ITEM NO. 62 NOW, WHICH IS AN ITEM FROM COUNCIL APPROVING RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE LOCATION FOR THE NEW ANIMAL CENTER, AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO PROCEED WITH PLANNING FOR THE FACILITY.
source: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/2007/council_10112007.htm
LEFFINGWELL: I WOULD JUST -- I THINK WE NEED TO ADD FORMALLY A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT SAYING THAT THE TOWN LAKE SITE WILL REMAIN OPEN AS AN ADOPTION CENTER, SO I'D LIKE TO OFFER,000 AS A FRIENDLY..................,000 --THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO MAYOR PRO TEM'S MOTION.
THAT'S FINE. IT MAY BE OUR FIRST SATELLITE CENTER IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THE FUNDS TO CONTINUE THE EXPANSION.
MAYOR WYNN: YOU MEAN THE ACTUAL DAVENPORT BUILDING, THAT IS THE NEWER BUILDING THAT -- SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE EXISTING FACILITY. SO WE HAVE AN AMENDED MOTION AND SECOND ON THE TABLE. THAT IS DESIGNATING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CAMPUS AS THE SITE -- DIRECTING CITY MANAGER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLANNING FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CAMPUS TO BE THE SITE FOR THE NEW SHELTER. ALSO INSTRUCTING HER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLANNING AND THE PROCESS WHEREBY THE -- WHAT WE CALL THE DAVENPORT BUILDING AT THE EXISTING FACILITY REMAIN OPEN AS -- AND LEASE AN -- AS AN ADDITIONAL ADOPTION FACILITY. I ALSO AS THE SECOND -- I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THIS OR NOT, MR. SMITH, BUT I'D LIKE FOR US ALSO, AS THE COUNCIL TAKES THIS ACTION, TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO THEN START PLANNING FOR -- AFTER THE DEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING 50 SOME ODD-YEAR-OLD SHELT FACILITY THERE ALONG LADY BIRD LAKE, THAT WE STATE OUR INTENT FOR THAT NOT ONLY TO REMAIN DEDICATED PARKLAND, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE CASE REGARDLESS, BUT THAT WE ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AT WEST AUSTIN YOUTH ASSOCIATION AND IDENTIFY EXPANDED UTAH EXPAND -- EXPANDED YOUTH FACILITIES FOR THAT LAND, EITHER ADDITIONAL YOUTH BALL FACILITIES OR WORST CASE IS SOME ADDITIONAL PARKING FOR THOSE FAMILIES WHO USE THOSE FACILITIES. MR. SMITH --
MARTINEZ: THANKS, MAYOR. I WANT TO PUBLICLY STATE THAT I'M NOT GOING TO BE VOTING FOR THE MOTION, BUT I THINK THAT SOME GREAT IDEAS WERE THROWN OUT, BUT WHAT I THINK WE SAW WAS WE DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS. WE HAD ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER COME UP AND SAY, YEAH, I THINK THAT COULD WORK. I THINK WE OWE IT TO OUR TAXPAYERS, WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES, WE OWE IT TO THE CITIZENS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE DEFINITIVE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS. I WAS GIVEN A PRETTY DEFINITIVE LIST TODAY, FINALLY, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. WE -- YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THIS FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OF CREATING AN ADOPTION SHELTER IS REALLY FEASIBLE. IS IT ACTUALLY DOABLE? ARE WE GOING TO BE BUSING ANIMALS BACK AND FORTH EVERY DAY TO ADOPT THEM OUT? I MEAN, THESE ARE BASIC QUESTIONS THAT I DON'T THINK ANY OF US HAVE REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT. WE'VE THROWN THIS AMENDMENT OUT. SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER TAKING THE NECESSARY TIME TO ANSWER ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS, ESPECIALLY TO THE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE JUST BEEN ADDED. IF YOU WANT TO VOTE UP OR DOWN OR MOVING THIS THING TO LEVANDER LOOP, THEN I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR, STAFF HAS GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THEY'VE DONE THEIR DUE DILIGENCE OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF PRESENTING THAT, BUT EVEN WITH THAT THIS IS NOT FROM ME -- FIRST OF ALL, IT'S NOT EMOTIONAL. IT'S NOT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED AN ANIMAL SHELTER. I THINK WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. BUT IT'S ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE PROCESS IS RIGHT THAT GOT US TO THIS POINT. AND WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE MAKING THE DECISION WITH ALL OF THE INFORMATION AT HAND. I DON'T THINK WE ARE. I THINK THAT -- [APPLAUSE] BUT THE OTHER -- THE OTHER POINT THAT I WANT TO MAKE REAL CLEAR IS WE'RE NOT DONE. THIS IS STILL GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND POTENTIALLY BACK HERE AGAIN FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, AND I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO KEEP RAISING THESE QUESTIONS UNTIL I GET SOME ANSWERS AS TO WHY EVERY SITE THAT WAS EVEN CONSIDERED WAS CONSIDERED IN EAST AUSTIN. I CAN POINT TO BUTLER PARK RIGHT ACROSS THE RIVER, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE PARK, BUT IT'S PLENTY BIG ENOUGH TO BUILD WHATEVER WE NEED. WE USE PARKLAND ON THIS SIDE OF THE LAKE. WHY CAN'T WE USE PARKLAND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE. WHY CAN'T WE AT LEAST CONSIDER IT AND TALK ABOUT IT. [CHEERING] [APPLAUSE] WE HAVE AN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION THAT'S GIVEN US A RECOMMENDATION TO NOT MOVE THIS SHELTER AT THIS CURRENT TIME. WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION, I BELIEVE, IN FRONT OF US TO CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS, AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING THIS COUNCIL TO DO, IS CONSIDER THOSE OPTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH PUTTING THIS ON LEVANDER LOOP IN EAST AUSTIN. [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
LEFFINGWELL: JUST IN ONE OF YOUR COMMENTS, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, ABOUT IT BEING FEASIBLE OR NOT ACCORDING TO STAFF'S STATEMENT TO KEEP THE ADOPTION CENTER OPEN AT TOWN LAKE. THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT I MADE AND THAT WAS ACCEPTED WAS THAT IS A CONDITION OF THE APPROVAL OF THE LEVANDER LOOP SITE. SO IF IT CAN'T BE DONE, THEN THE MOTION IS NOT VALID, IT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK HERE.... HERE.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
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