[00:00:01]
WE'LL START BY CALLING RULE FRANCIS HERE, JEAN BROOKS.
WELL, UH, KATHERINE BROADWATER, EMILY SCHROCK PRESIDENT DEBORAH TREY HERE.
IF I MISSED SOMEONE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW ROBIN.
MY, UM, MY COMPUTER JUMPED AROUND A LITTLE BIT, SO I DO APOLOGIZE.
COMMISSIONER LAFAYETTE IS HERE PRESIDENT AS WELL.
SO THIS MEETING IS OFFICIALLY CALLED TO ORDER.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMING.
UH, THERE, JUST TO CLARIFY, THERE WAS NO CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Consider approval of the minutes from the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities November 13, 2020 Meeting.]
MOVING ON TO THE SECRETARY'S REPORT.IS THERE ANY CHANGES, EDITS, MODIFICATIONS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS.
I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS POSTED BY DAVID.
LOOKS MOTIONS ON ASCII SECONDS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
UH, NOW THERE HAS BEEN NO OPPOSITION, SO THE MINUTES ARE ADOPTED.
[2A. Presentation and Discussion regarding an update on the Hate Crime Taskforce by Renee Lafair, Regional Director, Anti-Defamation League.]
SO NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS AN UPDATE TO THE HATE CRIME TASK FORCE.IF I MISPRONOUNCE HER LAST NAME, I DO APOLOGIZE, BUT THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
YES, MY NAME IS RENEE L'AFFAIRE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS AND I, I AM, UM, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, I'M GOING TO SPEND, UH, JUST A VERY FEW MINUTES TALKING ABOUT THE HATE CRIMES TASK FORCE, AND THEN PLEASE FEEL FREE TO INTERRUPT OR ASK ME QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME OR WAIT UNTIL THE END.
UM, AND SO BASICALLY THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY HATE CRIMES TASK FORCE, IT WAS FOUNDED IN 2010 WITH THE VISION OF HAVING A RESPECTFUL COMMUNITY FREE OF HATE.
AND BASICALLY WHAT THE HATE CRIMES TASK FORCE IS, IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT COME TOGETHER FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT, FROM CIVIL AND COMMUNITY GROUPS AROUND THE ISSUES OF BIAS INCIDENTS AND HATE CRIMES.
SO, UM, SO THE CONVENERS ACTUALLY OF THIS ARE THE ADL, OUR ADL AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, AND THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY JUSTICE COUNCIL.
THE MEMBERS RANGE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THE FEDERAL STATE COUNTY AND LOCAL LEVELS AND OVER SEVENTIES, CIVIL RIGHTS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS.
AND WE MEET ONE TO THREE TIMES PER YEAR, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY.
UM, NOW THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A HATE OR BIAS MOTIVATED INCIDENT OCCURS, HOW DO WE IMMEDIATELY HANDLE IT AS, AS A COMMUNITY? AND THE REASON THAT THE TASK FORCE WAS FORMED WAS BECAUSE OF AN, OF A, OF A, UM, HATE CRIME THAT HAPPENED IN 2010.
AND NO ONE QUITE KNEW WHAT TO DO.
EVERYBODY WAS KIND OF LOOKING AT EACH OTHER, SAYING SOMEONE SHOULD BE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
UH, AND THAT'S WHAT LED TO THE FORMATION OF THE TASK FORCE.
SO FIRST OF ALL, HOW DO WE HANDLE IT WHEN AN IMMEDIATELY HAPPENED? HOW DO WE PREVENT HATE AND BIAS, MOTIVATED INCIDENTS FROM HAPPENING IN AUSTIN AND HOW DO WE RESTORE INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES TO THEIR FORMER PLACE OR THE NEXT PHASE WHEN A HATE OR BIAS MOTIVATED INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED.
AND WE DO THIS AND WE LOOK AT WE TRACK NUMBERS AND LOOK FOR TRENDS TO DO THIS NOW, IN TERMS OF HOW THE OPERATIONS WORK, WE HAVE A STEERING COMMITTEE, UH, THAT SETS THE AGENDA AND DATES FOR FUTURE MEETINGS AND THEREFORE FOR THE TASK FORCE AS A WHOLE, AND THE STEERING COMMITTEE ALSO DETERMINES WHATEVER THE NEXT WORK PROJECTS ARE.
THE SECOND GROUP THAT IS PART OF THAT TASK FORCE IS THE HATE CRIMES REVIEW TEAM, WHICH IS LAW ENFORCEMENT ONLY.
SO LIKE I'M NOT INVITED TO THAT, WHICH WE'LL REVIEW A HATE
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CRIME FROM THE MOMENT IT'S DISCOVERED IN THE POLICE FILES THROUGH THE TIME THAT IS PROSECUTED ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO LOOK FOR TRENDS, WHAT WE CAN LEARN, WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER NEXT TIME.AND THEN THE TASK FORCE ITSELF, WHICH OF COURSE INCLUDES CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, YOU KNOW, LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES.
AND THAT MADE JUST A FEW TIMES A YEAR.
AND PRETTY MUCH ALL OF OUR WORK IS DONE WITH THEM IN MIND AND, AND, AND HOW THEY WANT TO FRAME THE CITY IN TERMS OF THESE PARTICULAR ISSUES.
AND THEN THE OUTCOMES I WOULD SAY ARE, UM, OF THIS FOR ME, THE THING THAT I FIND REALLY INTERESTING IS THAT THIS IS ALLOWED THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE TO BUILD A NETWORK BEFORE IT'S NEEDED.
SO IF OUR OFFICE GETS A CALL ABOUT A HATE CRIME OR HATE INCIDENT, WE IMMEDIATELY KNOW WHO TO GO TO AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHETHER IT'S THE VICTIM SERVICES, UH, WHICH, WHICH PERSON CAN LEAD US TO THE DETECTIVE OR HELPING THE POTENTIAL VICTIM, UM, IT'S EDUCATIONAL IN NATURE.
SO WE LOOK AT BEST IN CLASS ORGANIZATIONS THAT COLLECT BIAS INCIDENTS AND HATE CRIME STATISTICS.
THOSE WE'VE HEARD FROM HATE CRIMES VICTIM, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE.
AND ANOTHER THING IS LIKE WE BRING IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED IN HATE CRIMES.
SO EARLY THIS YEAR, RIGHT AFTER COVID STARTED, WE HAD MAYOR SIGNA FROM CHARLOTTESVILLE.
HE WAS THE MAYOR DURING THE UNITE, THE RIGHT RALLY.
AND SINCE THEN HE'S BEEN WORKING WITH CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY ON HOW TO BE BETTER PREPARED IF THERE'S ANOTHER INCIDENT LIKE HE HAD IN CHARLOTTESVILLE.
AND THEN FINALLY WE FOCUS ON DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE, WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE A RESOURCE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THAT'S KIND OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM, BUT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE WORK OF IT.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE WORK OF THE TASKFORCE SUMMED UP.
SO I ACTUALLY HAD A TWO-PRONG QUESTION, UM, ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHAT TYPE OF OUTREACH EFFORTS HAVE YOU DONE? OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE COME TO OUR MEETING.
UM, SO WHAT OTHER KINDS OF OUTREACH HAVE YOU DONE AND WHAT AREAS HAVE YOU, UH, HAVE YOU SEEN WITH, UH, DISABILITY RELATED HIGH CRIMES? UM, SO WE HAVEN'T SEEN, OKAY, SO THE OUTREACH THAT WE'VE DONE.
SO WE PUT TOGETHER A RESOURCE THAT WE DISTRIBUTED RIGHT BEFORE THE ELECTION, FRANKLY, UM, BECAUSE WE WERE SCARED ABOUT NO MATTER WHO WON, IF THERE WERE GOING TO BE BIAS, MOTIVATED, YOU KNOW, INCIDENTS OR HATE CRIMES OF WHERE PEOPLE COULD TURN, IF THEY, IF THEY ENCOUNTERED SOMETHING OR IF SOMEONE IN THEIR COMMUNITY DID.
SO, THE WAY WE GOT THAT RESOURCE OUT WAS WE SENT IT TO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE LARGE CLERGY FOLLOWINGS AND WHAT WE TRY AND FIND THE LEADERS IN DIFFERENT GROUPS.
IT'S LIKE THE SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION.
YOU HAVE THE NODES OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THAT KIND OF KNOW EVERYONE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET THINGS OUT TO THOSE NODES.
THAT'S HOW WE DISTRIBUTE THE INFORMATION AND THAT PARTICULAR RESOURCE.
AND IN TERMS OF DISABILITY, WE DON'T HAVE PARTICULAR DATA ON THAT.
TH TH THE, THE, THE HATE CRIMES THAT I'VE BEEN SEEING THIS YEAR HAVE MOSTLY BEEN, UM, NOW THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CRIMES AND INCIDENTS.
SO CRIMES THAT ACTUALLY GET REPORTED TO THE POLICE, WE SEE KIND OF LIKE THEY DO AN INTERNAL REVIEW, AND WE SEE THAT ONCE A MONTH.
AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I'VE SEEN THAT HAS, HAS TAGGED FOR ME DISABILITY.
I DON'T HAVE ANY STATISTICS ON THAT.
THE BEST PLACE IN TOWN THAT HAS STATISTICS ON THAT KIND OF WORK IS BELIEVING THAT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, THEY HAVE A FABULOUS CAMPUS CLIMATE RESPONSE TEAM WHERE YOU CAN, UM, REPORT INCIDENTS AND CRIMES, AND THEY HAVE A GROUP THAT ACTUALLY REVIEWS IT.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
THE, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF, A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, CIVIL UNREST DURING THIS YEAR, A LOT OF IT IS RACIALLY FOCUSED, BUT THERE HAS BEEN AN OUTCRY THAT MANY OF THOSE WHO HAVE FACED CIVIL UNREST DUE TO RACE ARE ALSO OF THOSE OF A DISABILITY COMMUNITY STUFF WAS ONCE I WAS HOPING TO GET SOME INFORMATION, IF YOU HAD ANY, YOU KNOW, HOPING TO HEAR SOME, BUT IT'S GOOD THAT YOU'RE NOT HEARING ANYTHING I'M GOING TO GO IN AND RELOOK NEXT WEEK, I WILL GO AND REWORK.
AND IF I, AND IF I FIND SOMETHING, I WILL GET IT TO YOU.
THIS IS COMMISSIONER BOOKS, UM, TO, TO FOLLOW UP, UH, WITH YOUR LINE OF QUESTIONING, UH, CHAIRMAN FRANKS.
UM, I'M, I'M WONDERING, THIS IS MORE OF A STATEMENT THAN A QUESTION, BUT I'M WONDERING IF MANY OF THE CRIMES AND, UM, EVENTS THAT OCCUR TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES,
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WHETHER OR NOT THEY'D BE REPORTED THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF AGING AND DISABILITIES.THAT'S ACTUALLY REAL, THAT'S ACTUALLY NEWS FOR ME.
WELL, I'M JUST, I'M JUST TIM, LIKE, THAT'S WHERE IF YOU HAVE ELDER ABUSE, IF YOU HAVE ABUSE, UM, UM, TOWARDS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THEY TEND TO INVESTIGATE, UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S JUST A THOUGHT THAT'S ACTUALLY GOOD CONCEPTS THAT WE FOCUS ON ON HATE CRIMES AS DEFINED UNDER TEXAS STATUTE, WHICH BY THE WAY I LOOKED IN DISABILITIES ARE, IS A CLASS THAT IS DEFINED UNDER THE TEXAS STATUTE.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY THAT'S.
DO YOU GUYS DO, UH, DO YOU HAVE A CONTACT THERE OF SOMEONE THAT WE COULD REACH OUT TO? NO, I, I DO NOT HAVE, UM, HAVE A CONTACT I'VE UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T ANYBODY IN THE GROUP.
SO I'LL, I'LL CIRCLE AROUND ON THAT BECAUSE THAT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY INTERESTING LEAD.
WHOEVER'S SEEKING THE FLOOR, GO FOR IT.
THIS IS, UH, COMMISSIONER GETS IT.
AND, UH, I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I HAVE LOOKED AT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS SINCE I'VE, I'VE LOOKED AT THOSE, UH, INCIDENTS, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM.
SO I AM CURIOUS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE OUTCOMES ARE AND WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT DATA, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THEM ARE PURSUED AS, AS HATE CRIMES BECAUSE I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW MANY OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY PURSUED AND, YOU KNOW, PROSECUTED EVEN.
SO I WOULD BE REALLY CURIOUS TO FIND THAT OUT THOUGH, BUT THERE ARE A LOT.
SO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE FBI STATISTICS ON HATE CRIMES? WHERE ARE YOU GETTING YOUR NUMBERS FROM IT'S UH, WHAT COMMISSIONER BROOKS SUGGESTED IT'S, UH, THROUGH THE STATE, UM, ABILITIES? I BELIEVE SO.
I KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, I FOLLOWED LIKE A, DOWN A RABBIT HOLE AND I FOUND TONS AND TONS OF, OF INFORMATION AND A MAP, AND YOU CAN SEARCH IT AND IT'S REALLY VERY DETAILED.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS OUTCOMES GO, I REALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENS, IF ANYTHING.
NOW I WILL TELL YOU, SO THE CASES THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT LIKE, AS A, AS A HATE CRIME, NOT IN THIS, BUT AS A HATE CRIME WOULD SAY, THAT'S RACIALLY MOTIVATED OR AGAINST THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, THEY WILL START AND THEN THEY WILL BE PROSECUTED.
AND THEN THE PROSECUTOR HAS TO MAKE A DECISION, AT LEAST IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND THE DECISION IS CAN WE PROVE THAT THIS WAS A HATE CRIME? OKAY.
THAT MEANS THAT THERE HAS TO BE, CAN THEY PROVE THAT THIS PERSON INTENTIONALLY HURT SOMEONE BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE OR BECAUSE OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION? BECAUSE IF WE, IF WE CAN'T PROVE IT, WE COULD LOSE THE WHOLE CASE, RIGHT? SO THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO MAKE A CALL THAT MAKES THEIR JOB MORE DIFFICULT.
SO EVEN IN SOME HATE CRIME CASES, THEY DECIDED NOT TO ADD ON THE HATE CRIME ADDITION BECAUSE OF THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT EVERY HATE CRIME THAT COMES BEFORE PROSECUTORS IS CONSIDERED IS CAN I, I'VE BEEN SUPER IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK THAT THEY DO AND THE CONSIDERATION THAT THEY GIVE VICTIMS AND HOW THEY APPROACH THIS.
UM, NOW I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE, THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, HOW IT WORKS IN TERMS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGING AND DISABILITIES AND ELDER ABUSE.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I, THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT WELL, BUT I AM GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS NEXT WEEK BECAUSE I JUST THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
AND, UM, AND SEE WHAT CROSSOVER THERE IS.
THIS IS COMMISSIONER WILL ALLOW SKI.
I REALLY THINK THAT US, UM, ADDING IN DISABILITY AS A LOCAL HATE CRIMES CATEGORY WOULD HELP, UH, WOULD HELP ELEVATE OUR, OUR STATUS, UH, WITHIN THE, UH, COMMUNITY.
UH, IT IS, I WOULD, AS, AS HAS BEEN SAID, IT'S CURRENTLY A STATE CRIME.
THE STATE OF TEXAS ALREADY RECOGNIZES IT AS A CRIME.
UM, BUT PROBLEM IS LOCALLY, UH,
[00:15:01]
DISABILITY ISN'T REALLY RECOGNIZED AS A CIVIL, RIGHT.UH, IF PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, NO YOU CAN'T, UH, ATTACK SOMEBODY BECAUSE SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF THEIR DISABILITY, UH, THIS IS A COVERED CATEGORY.
TWO, UH, ERA WAS COVERED UNDER STATE LAW.
IT'S LOCALLY THAT RE CLARIFY, I GUESS THE WORD IS CLARIFIED THEN, UM, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, UH, LOCALLY PEOPLE WOULD PAY ATTENTION TO.
THEY PAY ATTENTION TO THE DISABILITY.
I THINK THAT IF WE CAN GET SOMEONE FROM WHOEVER YOU GUYS DESIGNATE TO COME ONTO THE HATE CRIMES TASK FORCE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE TREMENDOUS IF YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND I, AND I THINK AS A MATTER OF FACT, THAT THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE A MEETING IN THE NEXT MEETING OR TWO, WE WOULD PUT THAT AS AN AGENDA ITEM TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE, UM, ABOUT THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT, THAT, THAT INTERSECT WITH, WITH WHAT WE WITH HATE CRIMES AND BIAS INCIDENTS AND BIAS, MOTIVATED INCIDENTS, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, WE HAVE NOT PAID ENOUGH ATTENTION TO IT.
AND THIS IS LIKE, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO START.
AND I DEFINITELY THIS CHAIR, FRANK'S DEFINITELY WANT TO APPRECIATE YOUR OPEN-MINDEDNESS ON THIS.
UM, CAUSE AUSTIN, IT DOES HAVE A HIGH DISABILITY POPULATION CAUSE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, THERE'S THE CRYSTAL REHABILITATION CENTER, THERE'S TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED, JUST AS SOME EXAMPLES, THERE'S LARGE DISABILITY, UM, GROUP ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE IN AUSTIN.
SO THAT WOULD DEFINITELY, WE WOULD DEFINITELY APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR CONTINUED ENDEAVOR TO WELCOME THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY INTO THIS FOCUS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT KEPT UNDER THE RUG, BUT BASICALLY PUSHED UNDER THE RUG AS, AND HISTORICALLY WE HAVE BEEN THAT WE WANT TO PROGRESS TOWARDS AWARENESS.
SO I'M GOING TO DO IS, UM, NEXT WEEK I WILL RE REACH OUT TO DAVID.
DAVID, ARE YOU ON THIS CALL? I'M ASSUMING, YES.
I'LL REACH OUT TO DAVID AND HIM AND I, AND HIM AND I, YOU GUYS SPEAK TO HIM AND TELL ME WHO YOU WANT, AND WE WILL GET YOU ON THE, ON THE LIST AND, AND, AND GET STARTED NEXT YEAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING, THERE'S NOTHING, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE HAPPENING THIS YEAR.
SO WE WON'T, WE WON'T DO ANYTHING MORE WITH THAT.
THE FIRST THING I'M GONNA DO IS GET YOU GUYS AN INVITATION SO THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE WHO THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THAT'S IT? UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WE'RE STILL OPEN.
UH, THIS IS MENTIONED AGAIN SAYING, UM, I GUESS I'M CURIOUS, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU DO? LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU DISCUSS IT, YOUR PORT ON IT.
UM, DO YOU DO ANYTHING LEGISLATIVELY, LIKE ADVOCACY WISE OR LIKE WHAT, WHAT DO YOU, OKAY, SO THIS IS THE COMPLICATION.
YOU WANT THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.
THE COMPLICATION IS GETTING A STATEMENT OUT FROM THIS GROUP IS REALLY HARD BECAUSE WE HAVE THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND WE HAVE THE CITY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO WRITING THINGS THAT CAN GO OUT TO THE PUBLIC ARE VERY HARD.
I WILL TELL YOU, I THINK THE HIGHEST AND BEST VALUE OF THIS ORGANIZATION IS THE RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE YOU WERE IN A ROOM.
AND, UM, SO WE TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO BRING IN A BETTER BIAS, MOTIVATED REPORTING SYSTEM INTO AUSTIN.
AND IN THE ROOM YOU HAD VICTIM SERVICES PEOPLE, AND YOU HAD THE POLICE AND YOU HAD CIVIL RIGHTS PEOPLE.
SO ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT COULD BRING INFORMATION, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A VERY GOOD GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT, THAT YOU HAVE AT YOUR, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU HAVE RELATIONSHIPS TOO.
SO THAT ONE THINGS COME IN THROUGH YOUR NODE, YOU KNOW WHERE TO GO.
IT'S I WOULD SAY EDUCATIONAL IN NATURE.
AND WE DO, WE TRY NOT TO RECREATE WHAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT LIKE DOING SIT DOWNS WITH PEOPLE TO HAVE BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
WE TRY AND WORK THROUGH, I ACT, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I ACT IS INTERFAITH ACTION OF CENTRAL TEXAS.
SO WE TRY NOT RECREATE THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY DONE.
FIRST OF ALL, BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS, HAS JOBS AND, AND, AND PEOPLE HAVE A HARD TIME TAKING ON BIG PROJECTS.
AND THAT'S KIND OF LIKE WHY WE ADMINISTER IT AT AGL.
AND, UM, BUT WE DO, WE PROVIDE RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN THE FUTURE IS, IS BUILD BETTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE NODES THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT SO THAT WE GET BETTER INFORMATION COMING IN, IF NOT FROM A PARTICULAR VICTIM, BUT THEY'RE THERE
[00:20:01]
THEIR PRIESTS THAT THEY SPOKE TO ABOUT IT, OR A COMMUNITY LEADER WHO KNOWS SOMETHING CALLS US ABOUT IT.SO WE CAN KEEP BETTER TRACK OF THESE THINGS AND PROVIDE THEM RESOURCES AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THEM.
WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE QUESTION, IF ANYTHING, ALL RIGHT.
HEARING NINE, THANK YOU, RENEE SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
IT'S REALLY, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT, SO, OKAY.
WELL, I WILL BE TALKING TO FROM YOU, FROM YOUR GROUP AT SOME IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, I'LL SHOOT YOU OVER AN EMAIL AND WE'LL SET UP A TIME TO CHAT.
[2B. Update from Disability Employment Awards working group regarding the receipt of nominations for the 2020 Disability Employment Awards – Commissioners Shryock and Trejo]
MOVING ONTO THE NEXT AGENDA.ITEM IS AN UPDATE FROM THE DISABILITY PLUMBING AWARD.
SO WORKING GROUP, UH, COMMISSIONER SHARIAH CAN TURN OUT THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
THIS IS COMMISSIONER TRIAC AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NOMINATIONS.
UM, WE WERE HOPING, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WOULD'VE HAD SOMEONE COULD START THE REVIEW PROCESS.
UM, SO PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR NETWORKS, UM, YOU KNOW, SUBMIT NOMINATIONS YOURSELF.
UM, THE HOPE WAS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE, UM, FOLKS AT OUR JANUARY MEETING.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NO ONE TO, TO RECOGNIZE COVID OKAY.
I'M WONDERING WHAT, WHAT'S THE DATE ON OUR JANUARY MEETING? BECAUSE THE IDEA, SO LET'S SAY, I KNOW SOME OF US POSTED TODAY ABOUT IT.
YOU ALL WANT TO DELEGATE TO THE WORKING GROUP, UH, RECOMMENDATION AND NOMINATIONS, AND WE'LL DO THE AWARDS IN JANUARY BECAUSE THAT WAS THE IDEA THAT IF WE GET SOME OR DO WE WANT TO PUNCH IT AND DO IT, UH, YOU KNOW, SEE WHERE WE ARE IN JANUARY AND THEN DO IT IN FEBRUARY OR WHATEVER, JUST WANTED TO KIND OF TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE TIMELINE, BECAUSE INITIALLY WE WERE HOPING TO ACCEPT NOMINATIONS THROUGH NOVEMBER AND IT'S DECEMBER 11TH AND WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE JUST WANTED TO GET SOME BETTER.
THE, UH, JANUARY MEETING IS JANUARY 8TH AND I WILL, UH, SAY THAT, UH, THIS CAN BE AN ONGOING, UH, SITUATION.
THERE IS NO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, WHATEVER WORKS BEST, THE IDEA IS TO IDENTIFY, UH, PEOPLE, THE WORKING GROUP COULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COMMITTEE THAT THIS BE, I YEAR ROUND ONGOING, UM, TYPE SITUATION WHEREBY UH, IF, IF, UH, SOMETHING COMES UP AND IF IT'S VETTED AND IF IT'S LEGITIMATE THAT THE, UM, THAT THE COMMITTEE RECOGNIZE EMPLOYERS AT ANY TIME.
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE NEXT MEETING IS JANUARY EIGHT.
I JUST HAVE A QUESTION AND MAYBE I OVERLOOKED THE EMAIL.
DID YOU ACTUALLY SEND OUT AN EMAIL WITH THE LIST ASKING FOR US TO ACTUALLY SUBMIT MORE NOMINATIONS? YES.
THAT WENT OUT TO THE BC, UH, EMAIL GROUP, UH, TORIAN, IF, UH, IF, IF I DID NOT GET THAT TO YOU, I WILL GET IT TO YOU, UH, AT YOUR, UM, I WOULD LOVE A LIST AND I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE SOME NOMINATIONS.
I'LL DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO MY COMMUNITY AS WELL.
I SENT, UM, INFORMATION OUT TO THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE AND TO THE EQUITY OFFICE.
UH, THEY SHOULD, THEY PROBABLY KNOW SOME LOCAL BUSINESSES, UH, AND THOSE PEOPLE PROBABLY KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO MAY SEND SOME STUFF IN.
I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO YOUR NETWORKS, UNDERSTANDABLE DURING COVID AND MAY BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT THAN IN YEARS PAST, BUT DEFINITELY WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK.
WE CAN JUST PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR JANUARY.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'LL WORK.
[2C. Discussion and action to select a vice-chair to fill the position vacated by Jose Levy – Chair Franks and Full Committee]
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT PART OF THE AGENDA, ELECTING A NEW VICE CHAIR ONCE GARREN, ONE OF THE VICE CHAIR LEVY FOR[00:25:01]
HIS SERVICE TO THIS COMMISSION AND THE FLOOR IS NOW YOURS.DAVID, I BELIEVE, UH, VICE-CHAIR LEVY HAD TO, UH, UH, RESIGN FROM THE COMMITTEE DUE TO HEALTH ISSUES AND HE WAS THE VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.
SO THAT LEAVES EYE OPENING FOR A VICE CHAIR FOR THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND SO AT THIS TIME I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION OR A, A NOMINATION FOR THE VICE CHAIR OF THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
I LIKE TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER TRIAC AS VICE CHAIR, COMMISSIONER STRI, AKI BEEN NOMINATED AS THE VICE CHAIR, UH, BEFORE THERE'S A SECOND.
WOULD YOU ACCEPT THAT NOMINATION? ALL RIGHT.
DO I HEAR A SECOND FOR COMMISSIONER SCHREYER? HAWK.
COMMISSIONER OR LAO? SKEE, UH, NOMINATED COMMISSIONER.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FROM THE FLOOR? ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FROM THE FLOOR I HAVE TO DO THIS THREE TIMES.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FROM THE FLOOR HEARING? NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER
ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED SITE NIGHT HEARING? NO.
YEAH, WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE I WAS, UH, AT UT.
SO DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOU BEING ON THIS COMMITTEE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU CLOSELY AS WE STEER THE NEXT YEAR FOR THIS COMMISSION AND DO GREAT WORK TOGETHER, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED WORK AND I WOULD, YOU KNOW, NAMELY THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING, I APPRECIATE YOUR CONFIDENCE IN ME AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU MOVING FORWARD.
[2D. Discussion and possible action to approve Chair Franks to speak on behalf of the MCPD during the 2021 Office of Police Oversight Disability Town Hall – Commissioners Orlowski and Chair Franks]
SO NEXT MAYBE AGENDA IS TO APPROVE ME TO SPEAK ON THE 2021, UM, OPPOSITE PLEASE.IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? LET ME INTERJECT THAT THE POLICE OVERSIGHT, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER GROUPS, UH, WANTS TO, UH, HAS A TOWN HALL PLAY ON TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF, UH, INTERACTIONS BETWEEN, UH, THE POLICE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN AUSTIN.
THEY REACHED OUT AND REQUESTED THAT, UH, THE CHAIR OF THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE BE A PARTICIPANT IN THAT MEETING AND REPRESENT THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE PER THE BYLAW LAWS THAT HAS GOT TO BE APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE OR IS OPEN.
SO WE, DO WE NEED A MOTION OR WHAT, WHAT ARE WE? YES, SIR.
UM, I MOVED THAT, UH, I'M SORRY.
CAN I ASK YOU GUYS, LIKE, DO WE STICK IN THE FLOOR TO MAKE A MOTION OR A DISCUSSION? LET'S GIVE IT TO COMMISSIONER BREATHS.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU WEREN'T TRYING TO SAY ANY MAKING ANY COMMENTARY.
UM, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE OR ELECT CHAIR FRANCS TO REPRESENT A MAYOR'S COMMITTEE, UM, AT THIS FARM.
AND THIS IS COMMISSIONER GETS SICK.
IT HASN'T BEEN MOVED LIKE IT DID PUT INTO OUR BYLAWS.
DAVID, CAN I MAKE, THIS IS REGARDING ME.
CAN I STILL MAKE THE VOTE FOR APPROVAL? YES.
[00:30:01]
OKAY.SO IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
WELL TAR FOR A GREAT, WELL, I DEFINITELY, ALTHOUGH THE POSE.
WELL, I DEFINITELY LOOKED FORWARD TO SPEAKING AT THIS TOWN HALL.
THERE'S ANYTHING, ANY CERTAIN AREAS YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO HIGHLIGHT? YOU MAY EMAIL ME INDIVIDUALLY AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO REPRESENT THIS COMMISSION AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WE'RE MOVING ON PRETTY QUICKLY.
CAN I GET THAT SECOND TO FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE? THE SECOND WAS FROM COMMISSIONER GETS LIKE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[2E. Discussion and possible action to form a 2021 Quality of Life Budget working group – Chair Franks and Full Committee.]
THE NEXT IS TO DISCUSSIONS, DISCUSSION A POSSIBLE ACTOR ACTION ITEM OF FORMING A WORKING GROUP OR THE DISABILITY STUDY QUALITY OF LIFE STUDY.UH, ANYONE IN THE ONE TO OPEN THE DISCUSSION.
UH, IF I COULD MAKE A POINT OF ORDER, UH, RATHER THAN THE QUALITY OF LIFE STUDY, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE QUALITY OF LIFE WORKING GROUP FOR THE 2021 BUDGET.
SO THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THIS LOOKING GROUP.
THIS IS COMMISSIONER SHREK, UM, W THIS WOULD BE SEPARATE FROM THE WORKING GROUP THAT WE HAD TO, UM, KIND OF PUT, PUT TOGETHER THE PROPOSAL FOR THIS.
THERE WERE SEVERAL OF US WHO, WHO WORKED.
UM, I THINK WITH CANDICE ON, UM, THE PROPOSAL, THE, UM, RE REQUEST FOR, UM, FUNDING EARLIER, EARLIER IN THE YEAR, YES, THIS WOULD BE A DIFFERENT GROUP.
THAT WAS THE QUALITY OF LIFE STUDY THAT IS BEEN APPROVED.
UH, THIS IS BASICALLY MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN REGARDING HOW THE 2021 BUDGET SHOULD BE, UM, UH, UH, ITEMS IN THE BUDGET THAT WOULD IMPACT, UH, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH QUALITY OF LIFE.
IT'S JUST OUR ANNUAL BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE ALWAYS DO.
ALTHOUGH IT DOES CERTAINLY HAVE TO DO WITH QUALITY OF LIFE.
I JUST, SINCE WE'RE, WE HAVE A QUALITY OF LIFE STUDY AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE BUDGET.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT IT'S, THEY'RE COMPLETELY SEPARATE.
AND THE BUDGET DISCUSSION IS OUR ANNUAL DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE EVERY YEAR.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, UH, QUESTION.
THIS IS COMMISSIONER GETS A, UM, IS THIS THE POINT, I MEAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO COMMISSIONER LASKY? I CAN SPEAK AFTER YOU, IF YOU'D LIKE I WAS AS COMMISSIONER LASKY, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THIS STUDY, I MEAN, ON THIS WORKING GROUP.
MY, THE POWER OF MY APARTMENT JUST BRIEFLY WENT OUT FOR A MOMENT IT'S ON NOW.
I WANTED TO CLARIFY, IS THIS THE, UH, IS THIS WHERE WE DRAFT ITEMS THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD OR THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE, OR IS THIS WHERE WE WOULD LOOK AT MONEY THAT HAS BEEN, UH, SET ASIDE FOR CERTAIN THINGS THAT ADDED SORT OF RECOMMEND IMPLEMENTATION IDEAS FOR THAT? THIS IS THE 20, 21 BUDGET.
WE'LL DO BOTH WITH THE, WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, UM, IN THIS PAST YEAR, UM, WHAT WE GOT FUNDED, UH, WAS, UH, AUDIBLE CROSSWALK, BEACONS AT HIGH, UH, PEDESTRIAN INTERSECTIONS, UM, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SLOTS AVAILABLE FOR CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES IN SEVERAL, UH, CITY, UH, PARKS AND REC SITES, UM, HOLDING,
[00:35:01]
HIRING, AND EMPLOYMENT LIAISON, UM, FOR THE CITY.UH, BUT LIKE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE, WE DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING WE ASKED FOR.
WE DIDN'T GET, UH, STEPH RELATED TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE DIDN'T GET WELL ASSISTANCE.
WE DIDN'T GET ADDING AUTOMATIC DOOR, UH, BUTTONS.
AND THAT'S ALSO RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC.
I WAS CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT JEFF THINKS ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
AND I THINK, UM, TO HIGHLIGHT AND COMMISSIONER ALASKA'S POINT, ANYTHING THAT WASN'T APPROVED IN THIS PREVIOUS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE CAN, IF WE FEEL AS IF WE CONTINUE WANTING TO PUSH THESE EFFORTS FORWARD, TO PUT IT INTO THE NEXT BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS OR THE WORKING GROUP CAN BRING THAT TO THE COMMISSION.
TO ANYBODY ELSE, QUESTION TO COMMISSIONER BROOKS, UM, WILL THIS WORKING GROUP BE REQUIRED TO COME UP WITH NUMBERS DOLLARS? NO, NO, NO.
I'M I'M NOT WRAPPING MY, MY HEAD AROUND THE PROCESS.
SO, UM, THIS IS THE BUDGET FOR 20, 20, 21, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UH, ARE, UH, REPRESENTED AND THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE REPRESENTED IN THIS BUDGET.
IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT SO FAR.
SO WHAT BASICALLY WHAT WE DO IS WE DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE BRING FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN BUDGET PLAN.
AND THEN IF THEY FEEL AS IF THEY CAN FIT INTO OUR BUDGET, THEY APPROVE IT OR THEY DON'T APPROVE IT.
UM, WHEN I HAD MET, UM, I THINK IT WAS, YEAH, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST SATURDAY WITH, UH, SEVERAL CITY DEPARTMENTS ABOUT WHAT WERE THE APPROVED, UH, THERE A MUSCADET FROM THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
I WAS VERY PROACTIVELY CONCERNED THAT WE DIDN'T GET, UH, FOR INSTANCE, WE HAD ASKED FOR BRAILLE EMBOSSED CARDS FOR POLICE WHO WERE AT THE SCENE TO HAND OUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND.
UM, SHE ASKED TO MEET WITH ME, UM, I DO NEED TO GET PERMISSION FROM THIS COMMISSION TO DO THAT BECAUSE SHE'S GOING TO TRY AND, UH, TALK WITH, UH, THE CITY TO GET THAT, GET THAT FUNDED.
DOES SHE HAVE A PLAN DATE OF WHEN SHE WAS LOOKING TO DO THAT? SINCE WE CAN'T, WE COULDN'T APPROVE IT TODAY, SINCE IT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA, BUT IT WAS, COULD SHE DO IT IN WHAT SHOULD BE DOING ANY MAYBE JANUARY OR FEBRUARY? IS THERE A TIMETABLE I BELIEVE, UH, NEXT, NEXT FISCAL YEAR, THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR.
UH, THAT WAS, THAT WAS HER PLAN.
UH, THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING FOR THE NEXT CYCLE.
UH, LIKE I SAID, I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE SERVING ON THE WORK GROUP.
UH, BUT SHE WAS GENUINELY CONCERNED.
SHE DIDN'T LIKE THAT, UH, THAT IT WAS NOT FUNDED.
CAUSE SHE SAID IT WAS, UM, IT WASN'T A VIOLENT ITEM.
UM, AND IT SHOULDN'T HAVE NOT BEEN DEFUNDED.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THIS WORKING GROUP? OKAY.
JUST TO CLARIFY, IT WAS COMMISSIONER GETS SICK AND COMMISSIONER ALASKA, CORRECT.
UM, I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER BROOKS ALSO WANTED TO
[00:40:01]
COMMISSIONER BROOKS.DID YOU WANT TO SERVE ON THE WORKING GROUP? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR THAT.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE, COMMISSIONER, THIS IS COMMISSIONER SHRUG.
I JUST HAVE A, UH, ANOTHER POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
SO IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY IN THE PAST, WE HAVE GENERATED THE KIND OF IDEAS DURING A, A MEETING AND THEN THE WORKING GROUP DRAFTED THE WORDING FOR THEM.
IS THAT STILL HOW IT'S GOING TO FUNCTION OR IS THE WORKING GROUP THIS TIME GOING TO KIND OF DO SOME RESEARCH AND MAKE PROPOSALS TO THE WHOLE GROUP THAT WE WOULD THEN VOTE ON THE LADDER.
AND DAVID, THERE'S ANOTHER COMMISSIONER SEEKING THE FLOOR AND IT'S A COMMISSIONER FRIENDS ALL STILL, WHILE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP.
WE ADD, UM, SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR FOR THE 2021 PLAN THAT DID NOT GET FUNDED.
YEAH, WE COULD DO DAVID, MAYBE YOU COULD CIRCULATE THAT AMONGST THE COMMISSION.
I THINK HE, THERE WAS AT ROBYN.
SOMEBODY SENDS SOMETHING AND I WAS LOOKING THROUGH IT.
UM, WHAT COMMISSIONER BROADWATER LIKE TO BE ON THIS, UM, WORKING GROUP? UM, UH, I'M NOT SURE I'LL BRING MUCH TO THE GROUP, CAUSE I DON'T KNOW MUCH OR I'LL UM, WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE.
UH, I MEAN, I'M NEW WITH THIS, SO I WOULD NOT HOLD THAT BEYOND SPECIFIC, UH, YOU KNOW, GROUP, BUT, UM, I AGREE WHENEVER YOU GUYS COME UP WITH, UM, I DEFINITELY LOVE TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS.
UM, AND UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, ACTUALLY SINCE I HAVE THE FLOOR, UM, I THINK WE'VE DONE ALL THE VOTING, UM, CAUSE I NEED TO LEAVE EARLY TODAY.
SO, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE WE NEED TO VOTE ON.
UM, I MIGHT HAVE TO CUT OUT EARLY TODAY.
UH, NO, THERE'S NO MORE VOTING ITEMS AND IF YOU DO HAVE TO LEAVE US UNDERSTAND WHAT WE STILL WILL HAVE QUORUM, SO SHE NEEDED TO GO.
AND WHAT WE CAN DO ALSO IS JUST SO THAT YOU'RE CAUGHT UP SINCE YOU'RE A NEWER COMMISSIONER, UH, WE CAN SEND YOU LAST YEAR'S, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, JUST SO YOU HAVE A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH US.
YEAH, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT MEAN I WANT TO BECOME AS MUCH INFORMED AS POSSIBLE.
IT'S JUST, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE ON MORE THAN WHAT I CURRENTLY KNOW ABOUT BECAUSE THEN I FIGURE I WOULDN'T BE MUCH OF A, A HELP IF I HAVEN'T STUDIED AND CAUGHT UP TO WHAT'S ALREADY GOING ON, BUT THEN LATER ON I WOULD DEFINITELY BE MORE LIKELY TO BE ON A SEPARATE GROUP OR SOMETHING LATER ON.
SO, UM, AND THINKING ABOUT THE, THE PROCESS FOR, UM, FOR THIS, UM, THIS WORKING GROUP, UM, HOW DO WE, WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR REACHING OUT TO STAKEHOLDERS AND THE COMMUNITY TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY PERCEIVE TO BE THE NEEDS OF THEIR SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP OR GROUPS? DO WE, WE
[00:45:01]
HAVE CONTACTS OR WILL THAT BE LEFT UP TO THE WORKING GROUP TO REACH OUT AND FRIDAY ASCERTAIN THAT, THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION? OH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER ORLOVSKY, UH, THE, UM, EQUITY OFFICE, UH, WHICH, UH, HELPS US PUT ON, UM, HELP HELP US WITH THIS.UH, THEY PUT, THEY HELP US PUT TOGETHER BUDGET FORUM.
UH, WE, UM, WHEN WE DID HAVE THE PANDEMIC, THEY PAID FOR FOOD AT, UH, MEETINGS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY SINCE THE PANDEMIC IT'S GONNA ALL MEANS ARE GOING TO BE VIRTUAL, BUT, UM, LIKE WHAT PEOPLE MAKE ON A SPECIFIC DATE AND TIME AND, UM, THE CITY POSTS THE STATE AND TIME ON IT, UH, FACEBOOK PAGE ON ITS TWITTER ACCOUNT AND SAYS, THIS COMMISSION IS GOING TO HAVE ITS BUDGET MEETING SPECIFIC DATE IN TIME.
AND IT'S GOING TO GET FEEDBACK ABOUT, UH, WHAT YOU WANT DONE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN GO TO ANY BUDGET MEETING FOR ANY COMMISSION YOU WANT, AND IT'S GOOD IDEA BECAUSE YOU'VE MIX AND MINGLE AND YOU MEET OTHER QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONERS, UH, WHO ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE JOINT INCLUDE WHO WILL HELP ADVISE THE EQUITY OFFICE FOR THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE AND YOU, UH, NETWORK.
UH, SO YEAH, YOU CAN GO TO OTHER COMMISSION'S BUDGET MEETINGS AND UH, HANG OUT, UH, YOU JUST DON'T, YOU, YOU CAN YOU GO TO OURS, BUT YOU CAN ALSO GO TO THEIRS.
UH, CAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE COMING TO OURS ALSO.
UM, AND THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO SHARE, UH, WHAT YOU WANT FUNDED, UH, AND, UM, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT.
SO, UM, UM, BACK TO MY ORIGINAL QUESTION, HOW DO, HOW DO WE GET INPUT FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS? LET'S SAY, ADAPT, FOR EXAMPLE, ADAPT, UH, OR SOME OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT HAVE THAT HAVE AN INTEREST OR MAY HAVE AN INTEREST.
HOW DO WE, AND WHAT'S THE PROCESS BEEN TO GET INPUT FROM THOSE GROUPS? COMMISSIONER BROOKS, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
AND I WILL SAY THAT BY VIRTUE OF BEING PART OF THIS WORKING GROUP, UH, TWO THINGS HAPPEN.
ONE IS THAT YOU ARE ALLOWED TO MEET, UH, AT, AT YOUR, UH, AT WELL, UH, YOU ARE NOT BOUND BY THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO POST AGENDAS OR ANY, UH, TYPE OF, OF, UH, MEETING, UM, UH, DETAILS.
HOWEVER, UH, SO THAT'S, SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE FREE TO, UH, REPRESENT THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE, UH, AS PART OF THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEES DISABILITIES, UH, BUDGET, UH, WORKING GROUP.
SECONDLY, YOU'RE ALSO FREE TO REACH OUT TO, UH, POTENTIAL STAKEHOLDERS AND REPRESENT THIS COMMITTEE.
YOU HAVE BEEN NOW AUTHORIZED TO BE A, UH, AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE AND COMMUNICATE TO STAKEHOLDERS ON BEHALF OF THIS COMMITTEE AND SEEK THEIR INPUT, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT IF YOU HAD A WORKING GROUP MEETING, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE PUBLIC INPUT AT THAT, UH, AT THAT MEETING.
AND SO, UH, REALLY, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, THERE IS A LOT OF LATITUDE REGARDING REACHING OUT TO ADAPT AND ADAPT HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE, UH, THE DISCUSSION IN THE PAST, UH, THROUGH THE FORUM THAT, THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER ORLOVSKY, UM, REFERENCED WITH THE COMMITTEE
[00:50:01]
WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO, UH, CONDUCT A MEETING OR TO DEDICATE ONE OF THEIR MEETINGS AS A QUOTE UNQUOTE BUDGET FORUM, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO COME IN AND SPEAK ABOUT SIDEWALKS ORHOWEVER, IN THE MEANTIME, IN TO SPARK, UH, INTEREST OR TO SOLICIT, UH, CONCERNS OR, OR, UH, INFORMATION REGARDING THE BUDGET YOU ARE AS A MEMBER OF THIS WORK AUTHORIZED TO REACH OUT TO THOSE, UH, TO THOSE, UH, INTEREST GROUPS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH ON ANY BASE ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UH, BUT, UM, THE CITY DOES HAVE THIS THEORY OF BUDGET MEETINGS, UM, WHERE PEOPLE CAN, UH, INTERACT AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY MAYOR'S COMMITTEES A BUDGET WORKING GROUP IS AWARE OF ALL OF THOSE MEETINGS.
WHAT IS OUR, WHAT IS OUR TIMELINE? UM, APRIL, DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER BOOKS? NO, I'M GOOD.
WELL, WHEN I HEAR A LOT OF EQUITY, I GUESS IT'S PRETTY JUST, OH, UPLAND SOUNDS SO MUCH BETTER NOW.
SO THE, BASICALLY WHEN I WAS GOING TO S SORRY, I'M LIKE FORGETTING BECAUSE I WAS SO DISTRACTED.
UM, SO APRIL, UH, APRIL, WHAT IS DUE BY APRIL ARE DRAFTS DUE, SORRY, DOG ARE DRAFTS DUE BY APRIL OF ITEMS, OR ARE WE GOING TO HAVE HAD OUR MEETING AS A COMMISSION LIKE WE'VE HAD BEFORE WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS INVITED? UM, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE HAD OUR OWN FACEBOOK GROUP PUSH.
I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FOR YEARS, UM, AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, WHAT EXACTLY IS DUE IN APRIL? DO WE NEED TO TURN IN EVERYTHING? AND OUR WRITE-UPS BY APRIL ARE THINGS BEING VOTED ON IN APRIL WHAT'S DUE IN APRIL COMMISSIONER GETS LIKE I'LL GET, UH, ALL THAT.
I'LL PUSH ALL THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THE, UM, UH, UH, TO THE WORKING GROUP, UH, SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT THERE WILL BE, UH, LIKELY TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC, UH, TO SPEAK AT A MAYOR'S COMMITTEE MEETING BETWEEN NOW AND APRIL.
UH, BUT I'LL GET YOU A LOT MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION REGARDING WHAT IS, UH, WHAT'S EXPECTED OF THE COMMITTEE.
UH, AND AS A, UH, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, INTERN FROM THE WORKING GROUP, UH, IN TERMS OF DRAFTING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
CAUSE I KNOW LAST TIME IT WAS, IT WAS RUSHED AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CHAOS AND PRESSURE.
AND IF WE CAN AVOID THAT THIS TIME, THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT.
IT IS STILL RUSHED AND IT IS STILL RACKS AND THERE'S STILL A LOT OF TIME, RIGHT? DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY HALL GAVE US AN EXTENSION LAST YEAR OR SO THAT MAY BE THE CASE THIS YEAR, THE CONTINUED PANDEMIC, BUT WE SHALL SEE, I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR ONE LAST TIME FOR ANY ASKING IF ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER WANTS TO BE PART OF THIS WORKING GROUP IT'S COMMISSIONER KARNES ALSO.
WELL, I DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING, DID WE GET FEEDBACK FOR ON WHY SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE SUBMITTED FOR THE 2021 BUDGET WERE REJECTED? DID WE GET ANY FEEDBACK OR I GUESS WHAT I'M WONDERING IS THE ITEMS THAT WE WANT TO RESUBMIT FOR THE 2022 BUDGET, IF, UM, WE NEED TO REVISE THE LANGUAGE.
SO THEY, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING ACCEPTED COMMISSIONER KURDS OSTERWEIL THIS IS DAVID ON-DECK, AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM, BUT I WILL ABSOLUTELY PUSH THAT INFORMATION OUT, UH, AS BEST I CAN TO THE, UH, TO THE COMMITTEE AS, UH, AS THE DAYS, UH, UH, AS, UH, YOU KNOW, IN FUTURE IN THE FUTURE DAYS.
[00:55:01]
UH, IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND JUST TO CLARIFY, IT'S COMMISSIONED GETS SICK COMMISSIONERWELL THEN THANK YOU FOR THE THREE COMMISSIONERS WHO VOLUNTEERED.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONTINUED WORK AND SEE HOW, WHAT WE CAN DO IN A MODIFICATION THAT WE NEED TO PUSH FORWARD TO TRY TO GET THESE THINGS PASSED.
[3A. Announcement regarding a change in date for the Office of Police Oversight Town Hall – Commissioner Orlowski.]
MOVING DOWN THE AGENDA.THE NEXT IS GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT A CHANGE OF DAY TWO.
THE AUSTIN POLICE HAVE OVERSIGHT TOWN HALL MEETING COMMISSIONER LOUSY.
UM, WELL WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR THIS TOWN HALL TO PARTICIPATE, BUT VERY FEW PEOPLE, UH, WANTED TO BE ROOM MONITORS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THE EVENT, UM, HAS TO BE CHANGED.
UM, IT'S STILL GOING TO HAPPEN.
IT'S JUST GOING TO HAPPEN IN FEBRUARY.
HAS THERE BEEN A SOLIDIFIED DATE OR IS IT JUST PROPOSED TO BE IN FEBRUARY? IT'S JUST SUPPOSED TO BE IN FEBRUARY, BUT YES, IT'S STILL ON.
UM, UH, SO IT'S STILL ON AS PLANNED.
UM, THE, THEY HAD LOTS OF PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR IT.
UH, LIKE I SAID, ACTUALLY THEY HAD WAY MORE THAN, UH, EACH ROOM MONITOR COULD MANAGE, UH, THEY ONLY TWO VU MONITORS.
UH, SO THEY DO NEED MORE ROOM MONITORS.
CAN YOU PLEASE CLARIFY WHAT YOU MEAN BY A ROOM MONITOR? OH, CAUSE IT'S ONLINE AND, UM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UH, PEOPLE, UH, HELPING, HELPING OUT, UM, IN ON WHEN YOU HAVE AN ONLINE ROOM, UM, YOU HAVE TO ADD SOMEBODY, UH, MANAGE THE EVENT IF YOU'RE TALKING IN A ROOM AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
JUST LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO LIKE HOST, HOST THE EVENT.
DO THEY NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR THAT? RIGHT? UM, WELL, SINCE, SINCE WE'RE, UM, YEAH, THEY NEED, THEY NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEY, THEY ARE, A LOT OF PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO ATTEND.
UH, THEY NEED PEOPLE TO, UH, BE IN THE ROOM WHO KNOW THE, HOW TO, HOW TO DO ROOM MONITOR STUFF.
I'LL JUST SAY THAT I BELIEVE THERE'S A CITY STAFF.
I THINK THIS IS, UM, CTM CITY STAFF.
UH, BUT I W I'LL GET CLARIFICATION, BUT I THINK THAT IT WAS A TECHNOLOGICAL, UH, JUST THAT I DON'T THINK THAT THEY ANTICIPATED THE LEVEL OF INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION THAT THEY RECEIVED.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE CITY STAFF WAS PREPARED TO HOST THAT THE SIZE OF A MEETING.
I THINK THEY ARE NOW GOING TO BE PREPARED IN FEBRUARY, BUT NO, I BELIEVE ACTUALLY GENERALLY THIS IS A, A CITY STAFF TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES, THE AGENDA TOPIC.
UM, OH, AGENDA TOPICS FOR FUTURE.
THE THREE ARE REGARDING THE TOWN HALL MEETING.
LET'S SEE, UH, COMMISSIONER BURTON.
I, UM, HAD AN IDEA ABOUT REPLACING, UM, YEAH.
I WAS JUST ASKING FOR ANY FINAL COMMENTS OR INQUIRIES REGARDING THE OPPOSITE POLICE OVERSIGHT, A TOWN HALL MEETING TO DATE CHANGE? NO, NO.
[01:00:01]
EVERYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN THE DATE CHANGES? UH, GOOD TO GO.THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER LASKEY FOR THAT NEXT
[3B. Update on Accessible Parking Enforcement Volunteer list – Chair Franks]
WE'LL MOVE ON DOWN THE AGENDA TO AN UPDATE ON THE VEHICLE OR PARKING ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM.I HAVE SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE BIT WITH THE CLASSES, BUT I AM STILL RECEIVING LISTS OF CLASS.
THOSE WHO HAVE COMPLETED THE CLASS AND ARE NOW, UH, NOW OFFICIAL VOLUNTEERS FOR THE VEHICLE PARKING ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM.
THANKFULLY, ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS HEARING? NONE.
[3C. Update on 2021 Quality of Life Budget workshop held on December 5, 2020 – Chair Franks]
NEXT AGENDA ITEM.SO THIS IS GOING TO BE REGARDING THE 20, 21 CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE, BUDGET WORKSHOP, UH, COMMISSIONER LASKEY.
I BELIEVE YOU ATTENDED THAT IF YOU CAN GIVE AN UPDATE.
UM, I, AS I HAD SAID EARLIER, I ATTENDED THE QUALITY OF LIFE BUDGET WORKSHOP, UH, KEVIN PANDEMIC.
UH, WE, UM, HAD, UH, NOBODY, WE DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING WE WANTED.
UH, WE DID GET FUNDED AUDIBLE CROSSWALK, BEACONS HIGH PEDESTA AT HIGH PEDESTRIAN INTERSECTIONS.
WE DID GET INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SLOTS AVAILABLE FOR CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IN SEVERAL, UH, PARKS, SEVERAL CITY PARKS, UH, 2.4 MILLION IS INCLUSION, AUSTIN PARKS AND REC, UH, HIRING AND EMPLOYMENT LAYS IN, UM, $1,105.
UH, COMBINED CONTINUED FUNDING IS IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.
UM, LET'S SEE, IT'S GOING TO SPECIALIZE IN EXPANDING INCLUSIVE, THE JOB PROGRAMS. UM, UNFORTUNATELY NOT AS WHAT DIDN'T GET FUNDED IS RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, WHICH IS FORTUNATE BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAVE HOUSING PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY NOW, UM, ADDING AN AUTOMATIC DOOR BUTTONS TO INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR BOARD AND COMMISSION ROOM AND OTHER WORK ROOMS ENSURE EVERYONE HAS ACCESS AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE HAD SOME ITEMS INSURING A COMMUNITY LIAISON TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY RELATIONS BETWEEN, UM, DISABILITY COMMUNITY AND THE POLICE, UH, FUNDING, UM, BRAILLE AND BOSS CARDS, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND, THOSE WERE THE ITEMS THAT DIDN'T GET FUNDED.
UM, AND, UH, AT THAT MEETING, UH, THE REPRESENT FOR THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT WAS THERE, UH, SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT, UH, ITEMS DID NOT GET FUNDED, UH, BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T PART OF POLICE VIOLENCE.
UH, SHE IS MAKING AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND ABLEISM AND HOW IT AFFECTS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UH, SO, UM, I, THAT DID STICK OUT.
UM, SHE IS GOING TO HELP US ADVOCATE FOR THESE ITEMS IN THE NEXT CITY BUDGET.
SHE PROACTIVELY SAID THAT THAT BOTHERED HER TOO, THAT THESE ITEMS WERE FUNDED.
AND I JUST WANTED TO INTERJECT THAT ONE THING THAT, UH, I WOULD, UH, ENCOURAGE, UM, THE, UH, COMMITTEE TO PUT ON THE JANUARY AGENDA IS SCHEDULING A, UH, OPEN FORUM AT ONE OF THE MEETINGS, UH, EITHER FEBRUARY OR MARCH TO ALLOW PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO COME IN AND VOICE THEIR ISSUES REGARDING BUDGET.
BROOKS, UM, SO THE EMBOSS BRAILLE CARDS AND WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS GOING TO BE ON THOSE CARDS? A LOT OF INFORMATION, RIGHT? LIKE THE NAME OF THE OFFICER, UH, THEIR TELEPHONE NUMBER.
[01:05:01]
LET ME, UH, IF I MAY INTERJECT COMMISSIONER LASKEY, I WAS ACTUALLY THE ONE WHO WROTE THIS RECOMMENDATION LAST YEAR.UM, BAG'S BEST BACK IN THE, MAYBE A FEW DECADES AGO, POLICE OFFICERS IN AUSTIN FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT USED TO HAVE BRAILLE ON IDENTIFICATION CARD SO THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND CAN IDENTIFY IF THEY ARE IN FACT POLICE OFFICERS AND NOT THOSE WHO POTENTIALLY MAY BE IMPOSTERS THAT HAS HAPPENED.
I'VE SEEN IT, I'VE READ STORIES ABOUT IT HAPPENING WITHIN AUSTIN.
UM, BUT THIS WOULD BE A BETTER WAY FOR THE BLIND COMMUNITY TO FEEL SAFER BUYING, BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE POLICE OFFICERS BY THEIR, UM, THE, THE VAST NUMBER OF THEIR NAME, PROBABLY TELEPHONE NUMBER.
WELL, WELL, I GUESS WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT, UH, AS A WORKING GROUP, UH, MOVES FORWARD.
UM, BUT BECAUSE YOU ONLY, WHEN IT COMES TO MY MIND, THERE'S JUST A MINUSCULE NUMBER OF BLIND FOLKS THAT READ BRAILLE.
UM, IT'S NOT, UNFORTUNATELY YOU'VE FOLKS WITH DIABETIC RETINOPATHY HAVE, UM, PROBLEMS, UH, FEELING, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, THIS IS A CONVERSATION FOR A DIFFERENT DAY.
OR OFFERING THAT AS A SERVICE BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, SIMILAR TO ASL FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF, UM, HAVING THAT AS AN OPTION WAS WHAT SEEMED TO BE, UH, THAT THE PRIMARY ISSUE.
YEAH, WELL, UM, WHAT I'M THINKING HERE IS WOULD THERE BE A MORE UNIVERSAL, UM, TYPE OF WHATEVER TO GET THAT INFORMATION ACROSS TO FOLKS THAT DIDN'T, AND COULDN'T READ BRAILLE, AND IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A THOUGHT, I MEAN, IT JUST POPPED IN MY MIND THAT THERE HAS TO BE AN ALTERNATIVE WAY FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN'T READ THE BRAILLE OR WON'T EVEN RECOGNIZE IT.
AND, UM, ANOTHER CONCERN THAT WAS BROUGHT UP FROM THE BLIND COMMUNITY IS THAT BY THE TIME YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, READ THE CARD AS SOMETHING, UH, INITIALLY BAD COULD HAPPEN, SO SOMETHING, MAYBE WE CAN WORK IN GROUPS COME TOGETHER, UM, SINCE YOU ARE BLIND YOURSELF, UM, MR. BOOKS, THAT SOMETHING, WE COULD COME UP WITH SOMETHING UNIVERSAL, SO THAT MAYBE LIKE A BADGE NUMBER OR SOMETHING THAT WHERE WE CAN QUICKLY IDENTIFY THE POLICE OFFICER, UM, CAN WE GET A RADIO CHECK OR SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN QUICKLY IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS POLICE OFFICERS? SO ELIMINATE THAT POTENTIAL ANXIETY AND FEAR OF SOMEONE WHO'S POTENTIALLY IMPERSONATE AS A POLICE OFFICER.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD DEFINITELY MODIFY, UM, AND THIS NEXT, NEXT RECOMMENDATION FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET PLAN.
SO CARS WOULD HAVE THE BADGE NUMBER ON THEM FROM WHAT I CAN RECOLLECT FOR THAT.
LIKE, I IMAGINE THIS WAS QUITE A LONG TIME AGO.
WE'VE SINCE THEY'VE HAD, UH, EVEN THE, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HASN'T MADE THAT IT'S BEEN SEVERAL DECADES SINCE THEY EVEN HAD BRAILLE ON THEIR IDENTIFICATION CARDS, IS THIS COMMISSIONER GETS SAVED.
UM, I MEAN, FROM WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE, UH, THIS MIGHT, I MEAN, DO YOU STILL FEEL LIKE THIS IS, IS A PRIORITY THAT WOULD BE ABUSE TO MOST, UH, BLIND AUSTINITES AND WHAT ASPECT AND THE USABILITY LIKE USEFULNESS, WOULD THEY FIND IT USEFUL? CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT HAS CHANGED.
I'D LIKE TO INTERJECT THAT THIS IS REALLY MORE A DISCUSSION FOR THE WORKING GROUP, UH, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, UH, THIS DISCUSSION, THIS LEVEL OF THIS DISCUSSION WAS NOT IN THE, UH, BUDGET WORKSHOP AND THE AGENDA ITEM AS A REPORT ON THE ITEMS IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOP.
BUT, UH, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I WOULD REQUEST THAT THIS BE A DISCUSSION FOR THE WORKING GROUP AND, UH, AGAIN, SIMILAR TO, UH, AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE OR, UM, WHATEVER, UH, IF ONLY 85% OF IT, 85% OF, UH,
[01:10:01]
DEAF PEOPLE DON'T USE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE, WOULD YOU STILL NOT OFFER AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE? SO, UH, BUT, UH, JUST AS MY POINT OF ORDER, UH, THIS DISCUSSION IS BETTER FOR THAT WORKING GROUP, CORRECT.UH, JUST, JUST, JUST, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, UM, WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, THERE'S A LOW LITERACY RATE FOR THOSE WHO READ BRAILLE, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING WHEN THE WORKING GROUP BRINGS THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, TO THE COMMISSION FOR VOTE, THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN FURTHER DISCUSS AND APPROVE OR DENY RECOMMENDATION IF THE WORKING GROUP CHOOSES TO HAVE THAT BUDGET RECOMMENDATION.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS SUBJECT, MANY COMMISSIONER HEARING, NONE WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA
[3D. Announcement regarding approval of the revisions to the MCPD Bylaws by the Audit and Finance Committee – Chair Franks]
ITEM, WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE CHANGE OF THE BYLAWS, UM, WITH THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, I BELIEVE EVERYTHING'S AGO, DAVID, BUT IF YOU COULD CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.THEY, UH, UH, PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS, WENT BEFORE THE, UH, UH, THE COMMITTEE AND THEY WERE APPROVED.
THE, THERE ARE NO MORE STANDING COMMITTEES INSTEAD.
THE, UH, MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WILL WORK UNDER THE MODEL OF ESTABLISHING WORKING GROUPS.
THAT'S JUST TO CONFIRM THAT WHAT YOU VOTED ON DID PASS THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
UH, THIS IS CONDITIONAL OR LASKY, UM, COMMISSIONER BURT, AND I, UH, WANTED TO, UH, HA PASSIVE WHEN TO, TO, UH, WRITE A RESOLUTION, UH, ASKING THE CITY TO A PLACE IT'S T T Y WITH VIDEO RELAY SERVICES IN CITY FACILITIES.
UH, WE, UH, WANT TO POINT OUT THAT TTY IS NO LONGER IN NO LONGER THE PREFERRED MODE OF COMMUNICATION FOR THE DEAF COMMUNITY AND THAT, UM, VIDEO RELAY SERVICES IS USE INSTEAD AND, UM, DO REPLACING THIS WILL HELP KEEP AUSTIN, UM, TECHNOLOGICALLY CURRENT, WHICH IT LIKES TO DO.
AND SO THIS WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO PASS, CONSIDER A PASS.
UM, DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTARY ON THAT? ANY COMMENTS? NO.
I WOULD LIKE A POINT OF CLARIFICATION FOR, UH, COMMISSIONER BERT, UH, IS THE RECOMMENDATION TO REPLACE OR AUGMENT, UM, AGAIN, UH, UH, BASED ON THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATION WHILE TTY IS NOT THE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UNIVERSAL STANDARD, ARE THERE STILL, SOME PEOPLE USE IT AND WOULD IT BE BETTER TO HAVE BOTH, OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT REPLACING REPLACE OR AUGMENT? UM, OKAY.
SO TODAY IN OUR SOCIETY, NO DEAF PEOPLE USE TTYS ANYMORE.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO USES A TTY.
EVERYBODY USES VIDEO PHONES, SO WE NEED TO REPLACE TTYS TTYS DON'T EVEN WORK ANYMORE.
THERE ARE NOBODY THAT USES THEM.
THERE'S NO POINT IN HAVING A TTY IN A CITY OFFICE.
ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND PUT ALL OF OUR TTYS ON LOL, I GUESS.
SO DAVID ARE, YOU COULD ACTUALLY DONATE THEM TO A MUSEUM FOR HISTORY PURPOSES AND HAVE ARCHIVES AND MISSION AT BIRTH.
[4. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS:]
OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, CHAIR, FRANKS.[01:15:01]
SOMETHING.THIS IS LEE WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN ADA PROGRAM OFFICE, UH, JUST AS A REFERENCE FOR REALTIME PRACTICES, CITY OF AUSTIN DOES UNDERSTAND ABOUT RELAY SERVICES AND DOES USES IT AND ENCOURAGES IT.
MOST DEPARTMENTS HAVE PHASED OUT T T Y A.
THAT'S JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION ON THAT PARTICULAR DISCUSSION ITEM.
MA'AM THIS IS COMMISSIONER ORLOVSKY.
UH, TTY IS STILL PRINTED ON CITI CARDS AND PUBLICATIONS.
UM, RELAY IS NOT PRINTED UP ON CITY CARDS AND PUBLICATIONS.
UM, THE, THE, UM, CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES SHOULD BE PRINTED UP ON CITI CARDS AND PUBLICATIONS.
AND THIS IS COMING FROM THE ADA PROGRAM OFFICE, UH, COMMISSIONER ORLOWSKI ON OUR STATEMENT OF ADA COMPLIANCE.
IF YOU WALK INTO MOST CITY OFFICES AND BUILDINGS, IT DOES TALK ABOUT RELAY TEXAS.
IF YOU, UH, EVER SEE THOSE STATEMENTS, IF THERE'S ANY OTHER PUBLICATIONS THAT ARE NOT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK WITH.
AND KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO DISCUSS.
WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING IT, CORRECT.
ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UM, COMMISSIONER OR ALASKA YET? UH, COMMISSIONER AND I, UM, WE, WELL, WE HAD THOUGHT THAT, UH, A NEW EQUITY OFFICE LOGO MIGHT BE, MIGHT HELP, UH, PROMOTE INTERSECTIONALITY RIGHT NOW.
IT'S A GREEN DOT, UH, I WILL STAY IN THE POTENTIAL LINK.
I MEAN, I WILL SEND THE, UH, THE INFORMATION, UM, TO DAVID, UH, WITH THE CURRENT LOGO, UH, THAT IS A GREEN DOT, UH, I THINK IT SHOULD, I THINK IT SHOULD SAY EQUITY AND SHOW WHO IT REPRESENTS, UH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, BLACK PEOPLE, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE GAY LESBIAN.
UM, I THINK THAT PART OF OUR COMMISSION'S RELUCTANCE WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE IS THAT, UH, WOULD BE RELIEVED IF THE EQUITY ARE STALLED OUT AND EQUITY SHOWS, UM, IT SHOWS WHO IT WAS REPRESENTING.
OKAY, THIS IS COMMISSION, I GOT SICK.
SO I CAN'T LIKE SAY LIKE PUT MYSELF ON STOCK OR ANYTHING, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, REGARDING FEELING REPRESENTED, I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO INVOLVE MORE THAN A LOGO, YOU KNOW? SO LIKE IF I SAW A LOGO, BUT I KNOW THAT LIKE, WHAT THEY OFFER THERE IS LIKE, DOES IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH DISABILITY? I MEAN, IT DOES, BUT NOT SPECIFICALLY REGARDING THE DISABILITY ASPECT.
UH, THEN I, I MEAN, I WOULD FEEL ALMOST LIKE THAT WAS THAT THAT WAS DISINGENUOUS AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S ASPIRATIONAL FOR THE FUTURE MAYBE.
CAUSE WE DID HAVE A GREAT MEETING WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE BEFORE WHERE I KNOW THAT, UM, THE REPRESENTATIVE, YOU KNOW, OUR IDEAS AND CONCERNS AND EVERYTHING, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID WITH THEM.
UM, BUT IF THEY DID DO SOMETHING AND THERE IS SOMETHING MORE THAN SURE, BUT ONLY IF IT MATCHES WHAT'S RIGHT.
UH, JERRY DAVE DID MENTION THAT THIS IS JUST FOR FEATURED, CAN I WAS, IF THIS IS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, WE CAN CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THIS, BUT THE TIME IS ALLOCATED FOR THAT BEFORE WE HAVE TO CLOSE AND RIGHT.
THE STAFF LIAISON FOR THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE, JESSICA
[01:20:01]
CORNADO SAID, BECAUSE WE'RE A VOTING MEMBER OF THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE.WE CAN PROPOSE IT, BUT IT HAS TO COME FROM US.
IT CAN'T COME FROM THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE.
UH, AGAIN, I'LL SEND, UH, THE IMAGES, UH, CAUSE THE CURRENT IMAGE, WELL, IT'S JUST THE GREEN DOT.
AND I THOUGHT THAT IF WE HAD AN IMAGE THAT LOOKS LIKE EVERYTHING, IT REPRESENTS EVERYTHING.
THAT'S A VOTING MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE.
UM, AND IT'S IT SPELLS OUT EQUITY.
IT MIGHT MAKE EVERYBODY FEEL BETTER ABOUT SURE.
I'M SORRY TO SAY, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE DISCUSSION FOR THE FUTURE AGENDA SO THAT THE WHITE GROUP, I WOULD INTERJECT THAT.
I WANT TO REMIND THE WORKING GROUPS TO REQUEST A SPOT ON THE AGENDA TO UPDATE THEIR PROGRESS, THE BUDGET WORKING GROUP AND THE EMPLOYMENT AWARD WORKING GROUP, UH, SHOULD LIKELY, UH, REQUEST THAT THEIR WORKING GROUP, UH, BE AN AGENDA ITEM EACH, UH, EACH MONTH.
BUT YOU'VE GOT TO DO IT EACH MONTH.
NOW I'M WRITING THAT DOWN RIGHT NOW.
I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THE UPDATE FROM THE EMPLOYMENT AWARDS WORKING GROUP AT THE SOUNDS GOOD.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS BEFORE WE ADJOURN? UH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER CHROMES OFF WHILE I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM, I KNOW DAVID'S SENDING ME EMAIL, BUT UM, IS, UH, THE WATER, WHAT ARE WE GREEN LINE? I'M STILL PLANNING ON PRESENTING THE JANUARY.
WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF, DID YOU HEAR THAT, DAVID? NO, I'M SORRY.
WHAT WAS THAT AGAIN? SORRY, DAVID.
I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM, I KNOW YOU SEND AN EMAIL, BUT ARE THEY STILL PLANNING ON PRESENTING IN JANUARY? OKAY.
THE WATER, THE GREENWAY, THE WATER, THE PARK FOLKS.
HEY, I WANT TO ASK THIS, THIS COMMISSIONER WHO I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THAT ONE.
UM, I'M GENERAL COUNSEL TO THE LOCAL WALLER CREEK LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.
UM, IS IT A PRESENTATION FROM PARKS DEPARTMENT, UH, OR WATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY OR BOTH BECAUSE IT'S A JOINT PROJECT LARGELY FUNDED BY THE CITY'S PARKS DEPARTMENT AND, UH, WASTEWATER.
UM, UM, YEAH, WHAT'S THAT? WHAT'S THAT THE DEPARTMENT CALLED THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO IS IT A JOINT PRESENTATION WE'RE GETTING OR IS IT JUST WATERLOO, GREENWAY, UH, IT'S YOUR, UM, UH, YOUR CALL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO REQUEST A JOINT PRESENTATION? JUST MOST OF THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE GET AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION ARE JOINT PRESENTATIONS FROM THE WATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY, ALONG WITH THE CITY, EITHER WATERSHED PROTECTION OR PARKS DEPARTMENT.
SO I GUESS THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS ASKING, BUT I THINK DAVID, IF YOU'LL WORK WITH, UM, LIKE KRISTIN PIPKIN AT WATERSHED PROTECTION, UM, SHE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP ORGANIZE THAT PRESENTATION, WHATEVER IT IS.
COMMISSIONER TRAY, I'LL I'LL UH, GET WITH YOU OFFLINE AND WE'LL COMMUNICATE.
I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION, UM, I THOUGHT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE INCREASED IN, UH, INCREASED NUMBER OF, UH, ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPACES AT THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION.
BUT IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL, UH, ADDITIONAL ISSUES, WE'LL, WE'LL TALK OFFLINE, BUT YEAH, STAFF PRESENTATIONS ARE MY CALL AND SO I WILL PULL TOGETHER WHOEVER NEEDS TO BE THERE.
UH, DAVID IT'S COMMISSIONER TURNS OFF THE WHILE.
UM, THE PERSON, THE NAME THAT I HAVE PASSED ON WAS, UH, SOMEONE FROM THE WATERVIEW CONVERT, UH, CONSERVANCY.
AND IT WAS, I MAY NOT HAVE COMMUNICATED THIS.
I HAD TO ASKED THEM IN ONE OF THEIR PUBLIC FORUMS OF PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS ABOUT, UM, THE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE RESTROOMS, MAKING SURE THAT THERE WERE, UM, A SINGLE STALL, GENDER NEUTRAL WHEELCHAIR, ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS WITH ADULT SIZE CHANGING TABLES.
AND IT WAS KIND OF A NEW CONCEPT
[01:25:01]
FOR THEM.SO, UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE, SHE HAD MADE THE OFFER TO PRESENT TO OUR COMMITTEE.
SO THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'D BUMPED INTO TEST AS WELL.
AND I WILL, UH, I'LL ARRANGE THAT AND UH, WE'LL MAKE SURE WE GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE PRESENTING, UH, THE INFORMATION THAT THAT'S MOST USEFUL TO THE, TO THE COMMITTEE IN TERMS OF WHO TO, WHO TO YELL AT, WHO TO TALK TO DAVID, THIS IS COMMISSIONER OR LASKEY.
WE NEED TO APPOINT SOMEBODY TO THE JOINT HATE CRIMES, TASK FORCE.
AND WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE AGENDA ITEM.
IF NOT, THEN WE MOVE TO A GERMAN.
THEN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
WELL Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD HOLIDAY.
IF YOU CELEBRATE IT AND HAVE A GOOD NEW YEARS, PLEASE STAY SAFE AND I'M LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU ALL NEXT YEAR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE HAVE DONE THIS YEAR.
YOU DON'T CALL THEM IN MY HEAD.
NOTICE MY NEW DROUGHT COMES A LOT OF ME.
IT AIN'T THE THINGS YOU DON'T USE.
THE THINGS YOU JUST DO, YOU DRIVE IT CRAZY.