Urban is Core - Austin Super Forum: Perla Cavazos

City Life

2. What is the city's role in creating jobs?

Especially given the economic downturn, the City needs to make sure we are acting in a strong and proactive manner to make sure Austinites can keep their jobs, create their own jobs and access opportunities for new jobs drawn to Austin by the City through new and existing industries. These jobs need to reflect the reality of need across a variety of skill, education and economic levels.

In addition, we need to be thinking regionally about how to create jobs and develop our workforce. We should partner to:

o bridge the gap between our current workforce skill-base and the needs of current and future employers,
o foster growth in the industry clusters we already have, like film and technology, as well as bringing new industries to diversify our economy,
o incubate small businesses and provide an atmosphere where they can thrive,
o create a state-of-the art medical school and research facility in Austin that will position Austin as an industry leader in bio-technology and medical research, create jobs, and spin-off health industries.

If elected, I feel strongly that my background on the state level working with elected officials and government departments at all levels of government would be of great benefit in areas like this to help forge productive regional partnerships between the County, the City of Austin, and the State of Texas.

3. What should the city do to address conflicts between music lovers and neighborhood residents? Should the city implement any recommendations of the Live Music Task Force that have not already been implemented?

I support continued public involvement to protect residential neighborhoods from noise pollution while fostering our vibrant music community which heavily contributes to our unique Austin culture and general revenue. And, I feel we can do more to follow through with recommendations in the Live Music Task Force report such as offering loans to retrofit venues, assist with training for sound engineers and working with new developments and clubs to double-pane windows. It is my view that in conjunction with strong public participation in a long-range, comprehensive planning process, we can appropriately address expanding existing entertainment districts without polluting established neighborhoods with noise. Furthermore, we need to do more to ensure new residential developments and the entertainment district they are emerging in create “good neighbor” policies to foster both our entertainment industry and need for density in downtown areas.

4. What role do you think public art plays in the creation of the built environment? Do you consider public art an important part of urban development? If so, what are some ways to include and finance art in development?

I think public art plays an important role in the creation of our built environment and should be considered as an important part of urban development.

There are several ways we can include and finance art in development including:

o City-led initiatives to require funds to be placed in an “Austin Art in Public Places” fund where local artists could apply for opportunities to participate. Or the City could require or offer incentives to developers to include a certain level of art per square foot of new developments. The City should also lead this effort by ensuring our infrastructure includes public art;
o Developer-led initiatives which add to the value or “selling points” of a property, like the sunflowers at Mueller;
o Citizen-led initiatives like the Crestview Mural where neighbors, tenants and other members of the community join together to create public art. I’m excited by programs like the neighborhood matching programs in Seattle which help fund projects like these.

As an active participant in Austin’s arts community, I know the arts community would be eager to apply for opportunities to contribute to Austin’s public arts projects.

5. Sixth Street is arguably Austin's best-known brand, a National Registered Historic District, and the gateway between the Waller Creek District and the heart of downtown. Sixth Street is also primarily a nightlife district - crowded most nights, but quiet during the day. Are those in conflict? How should Sixth Street change?

While these concepts have been in conflict at times, they do not have to be. I am excited by the opportunities to learn from other cities like New Orleans, with the French Quarter, and San Antonio, with the River Walk which have integrated mixed uses to their Historic Districts to create historic entertainment districts. I applaud the efforts of groups like the 6th Street Alliance which has been planning for the integration of a wider mix of businesses, like retail, downtown. Of course, the opportunity to grow the area’s daytime uses also requires the need for public transportation in the area to bring tourists and local families alike into downtown while mitigating the need for additional parking remedies.

Changes to Sixth Street have been under consideration by many of the groups producing this forum and the City needs to respect and partner with neighbors, businesses and stakeholders to fully realize a strong concept for Sixth Street development. I strongly believe the best way to address many of these issues is through the long-range, comprehensive planning process. Through this process, we can address how to make Sixth Street cleaner, safer and deal with how to best manage the development on Sixth Street. Also, this process will be a good opportunity to address how we maintain our music scene as rent and “shot bars” increase on Sixth Street.

6. The Waller Creek revitalization project could dramatically improve a sizable portion of downtown. As it stands today, which aspects of the plan are you for and which are you against?

While I am excited by the potential of the Waller Creek Project to control flooding and bring the land into higher usage while increasing tourism to Austin, I am also mindful of issues of affordability as we re-develop the area. In particular, we need to include housing that is affordable in the redevelopment and the rents of the Red River businesses, which support our music scene, should be considered in the discussions of maintaining a standard of affordability in the Waller Creek Project.

Transportation

7. Access to downtown is difficult, and bound to become more difficult, due to congestion on our highways and arterial streets. What strategies would you support to make it easier for people to get downtown? How should those strategies be funded?

It is fundamentally important to provide easy access to public transportation throughout Austin, including the downtown area, as set forth in a comprehensive plan for the City. Extending rail lines, improving bus lines and bicycling infrastructure are a few ways to address our current transportation challenges. With a heavy emphasis on public participation, the comprehensive plan would address transportation issues in consideration with our goals of economic development downtown and in desired growth areas.

A few strategies about how this could be funded include a combination of tapping into the federal funding streams available through the stimulus package, partnerships with the State of Texas, bond initiatives and exploring permanent, dedicated funding streams.

8. Part of the Envision Central Texas "Vision"; is more transportation choices, including transit options such as commuter rail, light rail, and rapid bus. Will you support planning for and implementing transportation choices, both as connectors of towns and activity centers and as a tool to guide future land-use? Do you support the streetcar system proposed as part of the Downtown Plan?

Yes, I have been a strong supporter of using the comprehensive planning process to addresses our infrastructure needs. As part of a long range comprehensive plan that addresses Austin’s growth, it is essential that we use this opportunity to guide our transportation and land use plans and that we support planning for and implementing multi-modal transportation options as both connectors of towns and activity centers.

I also support the streetcar system proposed as part of the Downtown plan but think we could benefit from more discussion and public input regarding both the routes and financing for the plan.

9. Bicycles are a cheap, effective way to meet many of our transportation, environmental and fitness goals. What are three things the City should do to encourage biking? Are you a cyclist? If so, how do you use your bike?

Several things the City can do to encourage commuter biking in particular are improving end of trip facilities like showers, bike lockers, lighting, and racks. We also need to do a better job of incorporating bike lanes into new and established roads and finish key commuter infrastructure connectivity like the Lance Armstrong Bikeway and the Pfluger bridge.

In regard to whether I bike, about three years ago, I began training and competing for triathlons. I ride my bike frequently several times a week during the spring and summer months as part of my triathlon training. During this time, I often take advantage of the Veloway bike paths.

When I am not training for triathalons, I ride my bike for pleasure and exercise a few times a month.

10. Most Austin residents pay about $5 a month for a transportation user fee on their utility bill to support transportation projects, but automobile projects get far more funding than bicycle projects. Would you support allowing bicyclists to opt for their user fee to go toward bike projects?

Yes, however it would appear that we need much more funding for bike projects than a $5 opt-in would provide. I strongly believe the best way to secure funding for City projects is to identify priorities for Austinites through a comprehensive planning process. Through this process, we can best determine funding streams that would reflect bicycle usage as an appropriate part of the total transportation budget.

11. The Great Streets program has shown promise on many streets downtown, but other streets have not seen any improvements years after implementation of the program. How should we speed up progress improving the walkability of Austin's streets?

While there are many things we can do to improve the walkability of Austin’s streets (installing benches, awnings, sidewalks, trees, etc) this takes funds that all departments are lacking in the current economic downturn. This problem is not unique to the Great Streets program and we will continue to lack the appropriate implementation funds if we do not embark on a comprehensive planning process and address the revenue side of our budget.

Parks

12. What are the elements of great urban parks? How should the City, or the City and private-sector partners, create and maintain quality parks and open space downtown and around transit centers?

Yes. Increasing open space has been a central part of my campaign. I am especially committed to follow through on recommendations such as these that were set forth by the Children and Families Task force. Of course, we need to examine how we best fund initiatives like these. I am excited by the possibilities of Neighborhood matching partnerships, like those instituted in Seattle which could benefit us in Austin. I am also a strong supporter of a bond election which would fund many priorities for our City. I would like to see many community-supported issues up for bond elections which would presumably be identified by strong public participation in a comprehensive planning process.

Several elements of great urban parks include:

1. Comfort: the space is clean, safe, and green;
2. Access: the public can get to the space easily through public transit or park their cars to use the space;
3. Sociable and diverse: the space has multiple uses (places for children, adults, sports, leisure, etc) and a diversity of people can use the space.

In regard to the second question(s), I am inspired by the work of groups like the Project for Public Spaces who have been widely recognized for their expertise in developing spaces around people, so that people use the spaces. My views regarding the questions asked depend greatly on the type of project, for instance:

o If a project is an open space downtown (square, plaza, etc) rather than a park then there are different considerations and it is more appropriate that it is funded and maintained by public-private partnerships;
o If a project is located around a transit center, then it become appropriate for CapMetro to partner in the development, funding and maintenance;
o If a project is a park in a neighborhood downtown, then it may make more sense to develop, fund and maintain the project through neighborhood matching programs, adoption programs like “It’s My Park Day”, the Trail Foundation, etc.

13. In light of tight budgets, how can the City conserve, restore, and improve our parks and fulfill long-standing objectives like the Boardwalk Trail at Lady Bird Lake?

Much like the Great Streets program and other City programs, this problem is not unique and we will continue to lack the appropriate implementation funds if we do not embark on a comprehensive planning process and address the revenue side of our budget. A few ways we can address funding for this particular project is through a combination of stimulus dollars, grants, federal funding opportunities, and Park usage fees.

Especially given the downturn, these programs are incredibly important to maintain because even more people will be utilizing our outdoor spaces because of adjustments they will make in their entertainment and leisure budgets.

Crime

14. Do you think Art Acevedo has done a good job so far as Police Chief? What changes do you think should be made to the ways Austin deals with crime?

There is no question that Art Acevedo has been an active Police Chief. While it appears he has been doing a good job, there is always room for improvement.

I am pleased with policies like cite and release which, I believe, more appropriately address the criminal act while saving resources. On the other hand, I am concerned about the controversy regarding the mandatory blood draws.

Also, especially in economic downturn, it will be even more important to involve our community in policing efforts so neighbors can effectively partner with APD to identify areas for improvement, increase cultural competency and prevent and report crime.

15. Many downtown businesses and visitors complain about panhandling. Should steps be taken to curb panhandling? Would you support adjusting current panhandling ordinances?

We need to properly enforce aggressive panhandling in a compassionate way.

Quality-of-life-laws have done little to address both the symptoms and the root-cause of panhandling and homelessness, and other direct and indirect issues affecting our city related to homelessness: issues of mental health, drug and alcohol addiction, the impact on tourism, and crime to our downtown and other areas. I am eager to work with many partners in the community, including many of our downtown businesses, the organizations producing the Urban Issues Forum, APD, the ARCH, Caritas and Front Steps to tackle the best ways to address the issues of homelessness in Austin. By addressing issues of enforcement of existing laws and root-causes of homelessness (economic opportunities, job training, mental health services and affordable housing stock) we can make significant improvements in this area.

As one part of the solution, I believe my background in economic development and affordable housing issues would be a benefit to this conversation.

Urban Development

16. Will Wynn estimated that 80% of the taxes generated by downtown are used to subsidize city services and maintenance in other parts of the city. Should more of the property taxes generated downtown be used to help downtown? How would you improve city services and maintenance services downtown?

Identifying priorities for improvement is best addressed in a comprehensive planning process. There are great examples of communities like Seattle which issued a bond election at the end of their process to appropriately fund priorities throughout the City. I would support a similar strategy to address the needs of downtown improvements, as well as improvements throughout the City.

17. If you agree that sprawl is not a desirable development pattern and that a strong core is necessary for a strong city, what are some ways you would discourage sprawl, but encourage urban density and good urban design?

I agree that sprawl is not desirable and that a strong city core is important. And this issue can best be addressed by embarking on a long-range comprehensive plan with strong public participation and education on the importance of this discussion. I believe one of the largest contributors of sprawl is lack of affordability within the Austin core. If we want to discourage sprawl it is essential to have affordable, mixed income and mixed housing types near jobs and commercial areas. An offering of multi-modal transit options will be key.

As the fundamental first step of the comprehensive planning process, existing City plans including neighborhood plans, design plans and transportation plans should establish the foundation of the comprehensive plan. However, I would like to initiate discussions with the public as to how best to move forward with integrating these plans - including having the public’s participation in determining what kind of consultant for the plan would best suit the needs of Austin. I am very excited to embark on this challenge with the public. I believe neighborhood plans and the comprehensive plan should establish the framework for our city-wide priorities and goals, and the budget should be aligned with these community goals. Since the comprehensive plan is a long range planning tool, our budget process should also be adjusted to reflect long range spending on community priorities with realistic 2 to 5 year benchmarks on implementation.

One of the assets I would bring to this discussion is my ability to bring competing interests to the table to forge solutions on complex issues. I am confident that this issue could be best addressed in a long-range, comprehensive planning process with a heavy emphasis on public participation. The solution should be one that is reflective of city-wide goals but respectful of preserving neighborhood character and interests.

18. There have been problems implementing some neighborhood plans. What will you do to ensure consistent and fair implementation of the comprehensive plan? How would you engage the public in the development of a comprehensive plan?

In addition to the views I have just previously shared, I would like to stress the need for community oversight in every step of the process. We also need to be actively pursuing regional conversations and partnerships in the discussion of how we grow as a City.

I believe it is because of my local experience on the Planning Commission, my regional and big picture experience at the State Legislature and my leadership style in general that I earned the trust and endorsement of the Austin Neighborhoods Council who is a major stakeholder in this process.

19. Most social services in Austin are concentrated downtown. How are the social service providers, their clients, downtown businesses, our community and visitors affected by the location of these services downtown? Would you change the existing conditions?

While many of the social services downtown are very high profile service providers (Salvation Army, ARCH, etc) the bulk of our social services are networked throughout the community to serve clients where they are located. Some examples of our social service network located outside downtown include our clinic system and affordable housing options.

While we absolutely need to increase safety downtown, it’s most appropriate to provide social services in a location that is accessible to clients: throughout the City.

In regard to what changes are needed to the address the existing conditions, I support enforcing current ordinances and laws in a compassionate way while addressing the root causes of the need for social services. I encourage a community-wide dialogue to better address this issue.

As one part of the solution, I believe my background in economic development and affordable housing issues would be a benefit to this conversation.

20. Are you committed to the concept of nodal (also referred to as activity centers) growth, as an alternative to sprawl development, as found in the Envision Central Texas "Vision"; and the CAMPO 2035 Draft Growth Concept?

Yes, with neighborhood involvement.

21. Do you think tearing down an existing 100-unit apartment complex and replacing it with a 200-unit complex increases or decreases overall housing costs? What other relevant effects does this type of redevelopment have?

In order to answer the first question, I would need more information. The outcome would depend on a number of factors including what rate of affordable housing was included in the new development, what area of the City the development is occurring, what amenities are provided to the community, the design of the housing, mobility options, etc.

22. Do you think Austin is better now than it was 10 years ago? Do you think it will be better in 10 years than it is now?

Some things in Austin are better than they were 10 years ago and others are not.

Many are right to point out our failures to protect Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer, address traffic and sprawl and issues of basic affordability in Austin.

Others are excited about the opportunities we now have as a bustling city - the 14th largest city in the nation - bringing economic and educational opportunities as well as diversity which has grown our vibrant arts and culture scene. Just think about the ACL fest or the excitement over the possibility of being an energy leader - there are many who think “we should have done this years ago”.

So, it’s a mixed bag of exciting opportunities in a city we all love and the nostalgia for the way things were when we all first moved to Austin or grew up here in Austin.

I hope you and I agree that Austin will be better in 10 years than it is now - after all, I assume we’re all involved to make Austin a better place! There will undoubtedly be changes in Austin 10 years from now. And, I am excited for the opportunity to be a part of how we engage Austinites about how we want to evolve over the next 10 years through our community participation in a long-range, comprehensive planning process.

As part of my campaign, I have been focusing on how we look to the future to plan for not just my vision, but the vision of our collective values.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my views.