Travis County Commissioners Court

March 27, 2012 (Agenda)
Item 33

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Thirty-three is to receive legal briefing and take appropriate action regarding draft letter to circuit of the americas and formula one covering outstanding issues related to county permit requirements.
including but not limited to the following, a, the hases gathering act, b, improvements to el row and mcmahon noise roads, and sellam roads, c, proposed public safety plan, d, proposed traffic management plan and e other related issues.
when we go into executive session it will be with the consultations with attorney exception.

>> and I just want to give a dismaker.
I have been working on a documentary on the formula one with project for the last two years.
I have been following it since its inception, so it is kind of my stake in the game, and, you know, some of the develops that have happened the past few years, I think I have picked the right subject for a movie.
I sent a letter to chiefs acevedo of the Austin police department and it's in regard to the transportation and public safety issues and I know that f1 organizers intend to have other events to kind of keep people on the site and prevent kind of a mass exodus from the site.
I applaud their efforts for that.
however, there is -- there has been a discussion by a south by southwest type event in the downtown area to coincide with that weekend and, in fact, an application has been filed to hold such an event with the city of Austin and this this -- this event is going to block off a giant area and they put on application they are expecting 20,000 people.
and so what I am suggesting is that now that that's there that some of the efforts to keep the people on site are going to be contradicted by this draw for a formula that is going to be in the city so I think that we are going to be faced with an unprecedented circumstance here, where 120,000 expected patrons will be actually traveling over a 20-mile distance between the downtown area and then back out to the county in the sticks.
my -- my issue with with that is that, in the economic impact study that was submitted by don hoyt, the estimated alcohol sales related to the formula one event are $34 million, okay.
so obviously we are looking at lots of drinking going on, combined with the issue of, you know, 20-mile difference between the event and the downtown area, really what I am -- what I am wanting to do is start the conversation about how we are going to manage, you know, an alcohol awareness situation, because apart from me doing a documentary and that stuff, I really do -- I love my city.
I have lived her all of my life and at this point I would like to see this go smoothly and so I would like there to start a conversation about alcohol awareness and possibly, you know, county /city getting together and deciding what they are going to do together about mandatory blood draw or dwi check points or something, because I don't think -- I honestly don't think we have ever seen anything like this.
I may be wrong but this is really setting a precedent.
and then the other thing that I wanted to comment -- and this is just speculation, but I want to go ahead and get it out there because I don't know if anybody else is looking at it, that the city is relying on all of the public safety -- all of the public safety, the city is relying on reimbursement through the major events trust fund, so currently the city is looking at paying it all or however it would go, and the then the local organizing committee would reimburse the city.
now, the major events trust fund may be in jeopardy for the formula one event.
there is the request for an attorney general's opinion on whether or not they went through the proper application process and if he rules -- if the attorney general rules in favor of the requester, then f1 will no longer be eligible for the major events trust fund in 2012, which would present kind of an awkward situation, where formula 1 would no longer be committed to reimburse the city for the public safety, and --

>> with regards to the sheriff's department, though, I don't believe the city --

>>

>> [indiscernible]

>> is it going to be the county?

>> ite's outside the city limits so my understanding and I appreciate having somebody understand this better, but my understanding is that the sheriff's department and emergency services division of the county in discussion with f1 is that f1 would pay for the overtime -- the off duty time of law enforcement to handle this event, whether it's from, you know, some sort of grant program from the state --

>> its not -- it's not reline on the major events trust fund.
you simply have an agreement they will reimburse you.

>> straight up contract purposes.

>> maybe this is an issue I need to bring to the city, then, but I wanted to bring up to you estimated alcohol sales versus the transportation.

>> something of serious concern.
but with regard to utilization of sheriff's deputy resources, that is a straight up contract for services.
am I correct about that?

>> that's my understanding.

>> great, great.
thank you.

>> we have not ironed out the specifics which is why this is on the agenda, so we want to get closure, plus we want a deadline by which we will have written agreements in place.

>> got you.

>> -- there have been conversations for several weeks between the sheriff's office and a formula 1 reps.

>> thanks.

>> we will take that into consultation with attorney with executive session, number 33

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