[00:00:05]
[CALL TO ORDER]
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.UH, THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOARD TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SERVE FOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. UM, WITH THAT SAID, UH, BEFORE WE GO INTO CITIZENS, COMMUNICATION JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE A COUPLE OF UNFORTUNATE MILESTONES SINCE THE LAST TIME WE MET.
UM, ONE OF WHICH OF COURSE IS THE BRUTAL WINTER STORM AND THE ENSUING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS THAT AFFECTED MUNITY AND OUR STATE, UH, NOTABLY THE ONES THAT THIS COMMISSION FIRST AND THE SECOND WAS THE CROSSING OF THE MILESTONE OF HALF A MILLION DEATHS DUE TO COVID-19 IN OUR COUNTRY.
AND, UH, WITH GIVEN THAT I WOULD, UH, ASK YOU ALL TO JUST SHARE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, UH, WITH ME, FOR ALL WHO HAVE NEEDLESSLY SUFFERED OR LOST THEIR LIVES, ESPECIALLY DUE TO PREVENTABLE CIRCUMSTANCES.
WE CAN BE BETTER AND WE WILL THANK EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM.
AND SO MANY OUTSIDE OF IT FROM OUR NEIGHBORS TO ESSENTIAL WORKERS, TO VOLUNTEERS, TO CITY STAFF, POLICYMAKERS, FOR ALL OF YOUR ROOTS SUPPORT AND RESTORING A MODICUM OF NORMALCY, EVEN AS SO MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS STRUGGLED TO ATTAIN BASIC NEEDS LIKE RUNNING WATER.
UM, SO, UH, WITH THAT SAID, I'D LIKE TO, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR SHARING THE MOMENT OF REFLECTION AND MOVE INTO CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.
IF WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS SIGNED UP, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SPEAKER PHONES OUT FOR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION TONIGHT.
AND THEN, UH, WITH THAT SAID, IF WE COULD MOVE INTO DEN THE ITEM, UH,
[2. COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT (CSBG)]
NUMBER TWO WITHTHANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIRMAN WANI.
UM, THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING AND ADDRESSING THE WINTER STORM CRISIS AND THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND PLUS COVID DEATHS.
THAT'S GOING TO VARY DIFFICULT THINGS TO, TO ACCEPT.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT, WE'RE DOING SOME GOOD WORK, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
I ALWAYS START WITH A REMINDER THAT THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT FUNDS AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME TEXANS, UH, RESIDENTS IN ALL 254 COUNTIES, I, WE PROVIDE BASIC NEEDS SERVICES, PREVENTIVE HEALTH THROUGH A PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS FOR OUR CLIENTS.
DO YOU HAVE THE BACKUP MONTHLY REPORT THAT YOU CAN SEE OR, OR NOT? IT'S NOT ON THE CHAIR.
OR SOMEONE COULD BE IN CHARGE OF THAT.
I HAVE THE BACKUP ON MY SCREEN.
OKAY, PERSONALLY, UH, THERE WE GO.
SO PAGE ONE, AGAIN IS JUST THE BASIC KIND OF REMINDER OF WHAT WE DO AND WHAT THE CSBG FUNDS, UH, PROVIDE FUNDING FOR.
UM, AND THEN THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE, WE'LL BE CLOSING OUT THE 20, 20 BUDGET, UH, THIS NEXT MONTH.
WE HAVE SOME CARRY OVER FUNDS AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO BEGIN USING OUR 20, 21 FUNDING IN MARCH.
IF YOU GO TO PAGE TWO, UM, LIKE I'VE REMINDED YOU BEFORE A LOT OF THESE MEASURES SORT OF STOPPED BECAUSE OF COVID.
UM, BUT SO WE COULD PIVOT AND FOCUS ON HELPING HOUSEHOLDS AVOID EVICTION BY PROVIDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH OUR, UM, OWN FUNDING AND THEN TO THE CARE ACT FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVED LAST YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SPENT THE BULK OF OUR TIME DOING.
UM, OUR TARGETS FOR THIS YEAR IS 1200 HOUSEHOLDS WILL AVOID EVICTION, UH, DUE TO RECEIVING CARE SITE FUNDING.
UH, WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO MEETING THAT GOAL, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE.
UM, IF YOU SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE FURTHER, UM, WE MADE ABOUT 915 RENT PAYMENTS, UH, TO DECEMBER.
UH, WE DID DO SOME IMMUNIZATIONS AND OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS CONTINUED
[00:05:01]
TO BE A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO.UM, WELL, AT THE END OF PAGE TWO, YOU HAVE SOME PROGRAMMATIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES THAT I WILL GIVE.
NUMBER ONE, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING THE COMMUNITY WORK.
THAT'S NOT LOST TO ENABLE THE CENTER AND AT THE ST.
JOHN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER AS WELL, AND A SOCIAL WORKER FOR THE CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM.
UM, THE SOUTH AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER WAS OUR ONLY CENTER THAT RECEIVED SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE DUE TO THE STORM.
UH, THERE WAS SOME PIPE BURST, UM, THROUGH THE NURSE'S OFFICE.
SO WE ARE DEALING WITH THAT AS WE SPEAK TO GET THAT MITIGATED AND CLEANED UP.
SO JUST AN ASIDE ON THAT, UM, IN OUR CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM, AS WELL AS OTHER STAFF, I'VE BEEN WORKING NONSTOP FOR THE PAST ALMOST WEEK AND A HALF AT THE PALMER EVENTS CENTER.
SO AS CHAIRMAN, I STARTED, IT TAKES EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL WORKERS, TO POLICY FOLKS, TO, UM, PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELVES ADVOCATE FOR US, UH, TO GET US THROUGH THESE TIMES.
AND, UM, OUR UNIT DEFINITELY HAS BEEN AFFECTED.
WE HAD A LOT OF FAMILIES, A LOT OF OUR STAFF HAVE BEEN AFFECTED WITH, UH, BROKE PERSON PIPES, UH, NO WATER, NO HEAT, UM, AND THEY ARE COMING INTO WORK AND, UH, TAKING CALLS AND TRYING TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY AS A, AS THEY'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THEIR OWN NEEDS.
SO IT'S BEEN A TOUGH, TOUGH TWO WEEKS.
UM, NUMBER TWO, UH, PRETTY IMPORTANT ITEM.
JUST A REMINDER THAT, UH, THE CDC TERMS ARE ENDING ON FEBRUARY 28TH, UM, THAT WAS CLARIFIED BY THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
UM, SO ON TOP OF THIS COLONY PARK, ST.
JOHN DOES SPRING CEASED AUSTIN, SOUTH AUSTIN AND NORTH AUSTIN.
WE'LL SEE TROLLOPE UP FOR REELECTION.
UM, IF THE COMMISSIONERS ARE INTERESTED IN RUNNING AGAIN, UM, THEY WILL HAVE TO ATTEND THE, UH, RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATIONS MEETINGS, UH, IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO HOLD FOR ELECTIONS IN MARCH AND THE OTHER FOUR IN APRIL.
UH, TO BE HONEST, WE HAVE A THOUSAND THINGS ON OUR PLATE, UH, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE.
SO WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE GO SMOOTHLY AND THAT THERE WILL BE NO, UM, NO CARRY OVER VACANCIES, UH, PAST THE 60 DAY, HOLD OVER PERIOD.
SO STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION.
UH, I'M SURE YOU WILL GET SOME OF THAT FROM YOUR OWN, UH, PARTICIPATION IN THE RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATIONS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, LIKE THE COLONY PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, OUR COMMISSIONER TALER IS ACTIVE.
WE HAVE THE DOVE SPRINGS, WHEREVER YOU A YOUTH FOUNDATION FOR DOVE SPRINGS EAST AUSTIN IS THE CESAR CHAVEZ NEIGHBORHOOD CONTACT TEAM THAT WILL HELP US FACILITATE THIS, THIS ELECTION, UH, THE MONTOPOLIS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THAT'S THE NORTH AUSTIN AUSTIN VOICES WILL HELP WITH, WITH THE NORTH AUSTIN SEAT.
UH, ROSA GO SUPPLY PLAN ADVISORY BOARD WILL BE HELPING US WITH THAT SEAT.
AND THE DAWSON NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WILL HELP US WITH THE SOUTH AUSTIN ELECTION AND, UH, THE ST JOHN'S NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
SO, UM, I'M HOPING THAT A LOT OF YOU COME BACK, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THERE'S SOME NEW FOLKS THAT'D BE GREAT TOO.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING, IT WILL BE A FOUR YEAR TERM, UH, RIGHT BEFORE I CAME ON BOARD AND THE BYLAWS WERE CHANGED.
UM, SO EVERYBODY STARTED BACK FROM SCRATCH.
SO YOUR FIRST TERM WAS TWO YEARS, AND THEN YOU CAN, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE TO HAVE UP TO TWO MORE FOUR YEAR TERMS AFTER THAT.
SO PLEASE CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH NACD STAFF TO FACILITATE THE ELECTIONS.
THEY HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL, AND, UH, WE HOPE TO, UH, WE HOPE TO GET THESE DONE, UM, IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.
IF YOU COULD PAUSE IN THERE, JUST WANTED TO SEE IF ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY COMMENTS, UH, AT THIS POINT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE WHO ARE CALLING IN, IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS DOING RIGHT NOW FOR ALL OF US.
UM, I DID HEAR THAT, UH, THE STATE FOR EAST AUSTIN WILL BE UP.
UM, AND YOU STATED I AM DRIVING AND TALKING TO THE SAME TIME ON MY BLUETOOTH.
DID YOU SAY THAT THE CONTACT TEAM, BUT THE EAST CESAR CHAVEZ WOULD BE, UM, THE ONES THAT WOULD BE CONDUCTING THAT ELECTION? UH, YEAH, THEY WILL, THEY WILL BE FACILITATING THE ELECTION AND WE WOULD BE THERE, UH, BASICALLY WALKING THEM THROUGH WITH A SCRIPT, A SIGN AND SHEETS AND BUILDING AND TEST.
[00:10:01]
UM, YEAH, JUST LIKE IT HAS BEEN BEFORE.SO HOW LONG FROM THIS POINT WE ARE ALLOWED TO START, UM, UM, GETTING PREPARED FOR THAT, CAUSE YOU SAID IT'S GOING TO BE NEXT MONTH, CORRECT? YEAH.
YOU CAN START BY THE WAY, COMMISSIONER, UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT EAST AUSTIN ELECTION WILL BE IN APRIL, APRIL.
COMMISSIONER CHAIR, COMMISSIONER TOLERBER.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ANGELA A QUESTION HE'S GOING TO HAVE IS ANGIE LEFT OR IS HE STILL THERE? I'M HERE.
WITH THE, UH, OTHER, UH, RECREATION, UH, COMMUNITY CENTERS.
HAVE YOU, UH, WENT OUT TO CHECK ON TURNER ROBINSON RECREATION CENTER WHERE WE HAVE HAD TWO PIPES BUST AND ONE WAS IN THE LIBRARY.
THE OTHER ONE WAS IN THE, UH, EXERCISE ROOM.
NO, I HAD NOT HEARD, UH, THAT, THAT HAD HAPPENED.
UM, WILL YOU BE ABLE TO, UH, WORK, UH, FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER TOLERBER ON, ON THAT? YEAH.
FOLLOW UP WITH YOU COMMISSIONER ALL OVER FOR SURE.
I ALSO HAVE A BIG CONTRACT WITH BARBARA SCOTT AS WELL.
IF WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS, NOW IT'D BE THE TIME OTHERWISE, UH, ON IF YOU COULD CARRY ON, THAT'D BE GREAT.
AND WE CAN HOPEFULLY HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END.
UH, NUMBER FOUR, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
UH, THIS IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A SUB-RECIPIENTS PLANNING AND IT'S TO BE USED TO SET A DIRECTION FOR OUR WORK.
SO IT IS DUE THIS YEAR IN JUNE, WE'VE BEEN SCRAMBLING TO GET THIS CONTRACT, UH, SET UP, UH, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AN OUTSIDE ENTITY CAN CONDUCT THIS ASSESSMENT AND THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
AND, UH, WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT CONTRACT IN PLACE MARCH 1ST.
SO WE HAVE A REALLY TIGHT TIMELINE.
I WAS LOOKING BACK AT THE NOTES FROM MY PREDECESSOR, AND I THINK SHE WAS IN THE SAME BOAT THREE YEARS AGO.
UM, SO WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THEM COME TO OUR MARCH MEETING AND THEY WILL KIND OF SPEAK TO THE METHODOLOGY AND THEIR PROCESS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO USE TO, TO GET THE FEEDBACK FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS FROM YOU GUYS, UM, FROM OUR EMPLOYEES AND COME UP WITH, UM, WITH OUR REPORT THAT THEY WILL THEN REPORT OUT TO YOU IN MAY, UH, AND, UH, IT'LL BE UP FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
AND THEN WE WILL SUBMIT THAT TO TD HCA AS PART OF OUR REQUIREMENTS, OUR GRANT REQUIREMENTS.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THIS DONE WILL GIVE US A GOOD PICTURE OF, OF, UM, THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THEY RANKED THEM ONE THROUGH FIVE.
AND, UH, IF YOU LOOK BACK AT PAGE NUMBER TWO, UH, LAST TIME AROUND THE TOP FIVE NEEDS WERE HOUSING, HEALTH EMPLOYMENT, BASIC NEEDS AND EDUCATION IN THAT ORDER.
UH, WE'LL SEE HOW THAT COMES UP THIS TIME AROUND.
AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS WE, UH, AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM MEET AND TRY TO, UH, STRATEGICALLY PLAN HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE FIVE NEEDS, UH, WITH THE RESOURCES WE HAVE AND THE STAFFING WE HAVE AND THE FUNDING.
UM, SO WE'RE EXCITED AND I HOPE THAT THEY CAN BE THERE AT THE MEETING ON, UH, ON IN MARCH.
AND THEN YOU CAN HAVE SOME TIME TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS AND THEN JUST, UH, UH, JUST KIND OF HEAR ABOUT WHAT THEIR METHODOLOGY WILL BE IN DOING THIS ASSESSMENT FOR US.
SO WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THAT MONEY PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, AND WE'RE EXCITED BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP A LOT OF FAMILIES.
UM, THE PAST TWO, THREE WEEKS, WE HAD TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT SINCE OUR STAFF WAS, UH, SOME OF OUR STAFF WAS REASSIGNED.
LIKE I MENTIONED TO THE PALMER SHELTER.
UH, WE HAVE NURSES, UH, REASSIGNED TO THE, UM, CALL CENTER AND THE, UH, COVID PODS, UH, VACCINE, SORRY, COLBY VACCINATION, PODS, AND SOME SOCIAL WORKERS AND COMMUNITY WORKERS REASSIGNED TO THE, UM, UM, MEDICAL HOTLINE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE SCRAMBLING AND DOING THE BEST WE CAN AND, UH, STILL HELPING OUR COMMUNITY AS, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
[00:15:02]
UH, I'M HOPING TO HAVE SOME INITIAL DATA FOR YOU GUYS IN MARCH, UH, TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF WHAT THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE LOOKED LIKE IN TERMS OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND, UM, AND, UM, SOME DEMOGRAPHICS AS WELL.UH, NUMBER SIX, WE HAVE OUR AUSTIN ENERGY PLUS ONE PROGRAM.
UH, SO WE HAVE SOME FUNDING THERE AND SO WE CONTINUE TO, TO HELP PEOPLE WITH UTILITIES AND, UM, AND THAT IS GOING VERY WELL.
AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE FOR THE REPORT THIS MONTH.
IF, UH, WE CAN GO TO THE SHORT POWERPOINT.
I THINK SOME OF YOU ASKED IF WE COULD PROVIDE, UM, KIND OF A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE, UH, UH, FOOD ASSISTANCE.
WE, WE, UM, WE PROVIDED FOLKS IN 2020, SO THAT IS, I CAN SEE IT.
SO IF YOU GO TO SLIDE NUMBER TWO, SO A NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS ASSISTED WITH FOOD IN 2020 WAS ALMOST 3,500, UH, AVERAGE FAMILY, ABOUT THREE FOLKS, UM, PROVIDER ABOUT 5,334 FOOD ASSISTANCES, UM, AT, UM, INCLUDED DELIVERIES, UH, FOOD PANTRY SERVICES AND MASS DISTRIBUTIONS.
WHEN YOU DELIVERED FOOD MARCH THROUGH JULY OF LAST YEAR, WE WERE ASKED TO STAND UP THAT OPERATION WHEN THINGS WERE REALLY, REALLY, UH, IN DIRE STRAITS AND PEOPLE WERE REALLY IN NEED OF, UH, OF FOOD BEING DELIVERED TO THEM.
UM, SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT FOR FOUR MONTHS AND WE'RE ABLE TO GO ALL OVER AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
NEXT SLIDE, A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF RACE AND ETHNICITY FOR THOSE FOLKS, UH, ABOUT HALF OF THE, THE CLIENTS WE ASSISTED WERE HISPANIC, AND THEN YOU SEE THE REST, THEY KIND OF BROKEN DOWN BY A PERCENTAGE AND COLOR, AND THIS IS, THIS INCLUDES THE FOOD PANTRY AND HOPE CLIENTS.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MATH DISTRIBUTIONS.
WE DON'T ASK FOR THAT, UH, THAT INFORMATION.
YOU ASKED ME TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCES BY ZIP CODE.
SO THIS KIND OF GETS YOUR VIEW OF THAT REPRESENTS THE TOP SEVEN ZIP CODES BY NUMBER OF ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED, AND THIS INCLUDES FOOD PANTRY, HOPE TO DELIVERY AND MASS DISTRIBUTIONS.
A LOT OF OUR THOUGHTS IN THE FOUR, FOUR OH TWO AND FOUR ONE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, AND KIND OF BREAKS IT DOWN AND HOW THE ASSISTANCE IS WITH DISTRIBUTED DELIVERIES, PANTRY SERVICES, AND HOPE THE WHOLE PROGRAM IS FOR THE ELDERLY AND THERE ARE MASS DISTRIBUTIONS.
AGAIN, A LOT OF OUR SERVICES, WE'RE A CONCENTRATOR IN THE FOUR OH ONE OR TWO AND FOUR FOUR, AND THAT IS IT FOR THIS SHORT PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE MORE TIME.
UM, IT'S BEEN A CRAZY TWO WEEKS, UH, BUT WE WANT TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK AND CONTINUE TO SEE A LOT OF NEED FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, FLORIDA BILLS FOUR THOUSANDS, $6,008,000.
AND, UH, THANKFULLY WE'RE, WE'RE ABLE TO HELP, UH, UH, MOST OF THOSE FOLKS, THE ONES THAT WE CANNOT ASSIST, WE REFER TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
UH, THERE'S ALSO OTHER RENTAL PROGRAMS OUT THERE THAT WE, UH, THAT WE PARTNER WITH AS WELL, SO THAT EVERYONE, IF WE CAN'T HELP THEM, EVERYONE WILL AT LEAST GET A WARM HANDOFF.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
YOU DON'T JUST GIVE PEOPLE A NUMBER.
WE REALLY TRY TO CONNECT THEM PERSON TO PERSON SO THAT THEY DON'T GET LOST, UH, KEEP THEM HOPEFUL.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMEBODY OUT THERE CARES AND WANTS TO HELP.
AND WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE A THOUSAND THINGS ON YOUR PLATE AT APH, I KNOW THAT THAT'S A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE AND IT'S LIKELY FAR MORE THAN THAT.
UM, WE, WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU AND EVERYONE, UH, ON THE ENTIRE TEAM ARE DOING AS WELL AS SO MANY CITY STAFF WHO ARE HELPING TO SUPPORT EFFORTS AT EVERY, AT EVERY, UH, BASICALLY AT EVERY INTERSECTION IN THE PROCESS, NAMELY, UH, THE STAFF WHO'VE BEEN SUPPORTING OUR COMMISSION, OF COURSE, AS WE'VE HAD TO PIVOT, UH, A COUPLE OF TIMES TO BE ABLE TO SCHEDULE THIS MEETING TODAY, UH, WE'VE HAD TO PIVOT ON MANIFOLD LEVELS, FIRST OF ALL, JUST TO BE ABLE TO GET A NEW MEETING DATE AND TIME.
SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS IN
[00:20:01]
ATTENDANCE FOR ACCOMMODATING THIS TIME.I ASSURE YOU WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS AGENDA AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND KNOW THAT WE REALLY, REALLY DEEPLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL JOINING US ON A FRIDAY EVENING.
NOT TO MENTION, OF COURSE STAFF WERE JOINING US ON A FRIDAY EVENING AND, UH, LISA AND JESSE AND ANGELINE, ERIC, UH, ALL OF THEM, ALL OF WHO HAVE HELPED, UH, WITH THE AGENDA ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN SHUFFLING QUITE A BIT.
UH, THEY'VE BEEN THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR US, UM, WITH THAT SAID, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, UH, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR, ON-HAND SORRY.
UH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER SLOAN.
I HEARD YOU MENTIONED, UH, UM, AMOUNT OF SOME OF THE ASSISTANCE THAT YOU WERE SENDING FOR PEOPLE'S BILLS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF CONCERN RIGHT NOW AROUND UTILITY BILLS AND PRICE GOUGING, OR JUST EXORBITANT, UM, NEEDS FOR, TO SPEND, UH, TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES IN OUR HOUSEHOLD.
WOULD YOU CLARIFY IF THOSE AMOUNTS WERE FOR A SINGLE BILL ASSISTANCE, LIKE SINGLE CYCLE, MONTHLY CYCLE ASSISTANCE, OR IF THEY WERE LIKE, UM, HOUSEHOLD LIKE CUMULATION OVER SEVERAL MONTHS THAT THEY NEEDED ASSISTANCE WITH? I JUST WANTED TO SEE, SO IT'S LIKE A RESULT OF THE WINTER STORM OR MORE OF A RESULT OF LIKE AN ONGOING IN TERMS OF AN ONGOING NEED.
SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEHIND SIX MONTHS IN THEIR RENT BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND EMPLOYMENT OR THEY'RE UNDEREMPLOYED DUE TO COVID.
SO, YEAH, WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY BILLS THAT HIGH THAT HAVE TO DO WITH PRICE GOUGING OR FOLKS TAKING A MANAGER OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT RESPONSE.
AND WE DEFINITELY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE ONGOING NEED IS JUST AS CRITICAL.
WILL YOU PLEASE KEEP US APPRISED IF YOU DO HAPPEN TO ENCOUNTER AUSTINITES AND, UH, WITH, UM, THE VICTORIA EXORBITANT UTILITY BILLS THAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS OTHER AREAS IN TEXAS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER SLOAN.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ANYA? OKAY.
UH, THEN MOVING ON WITH THE AGENDA THAT SO MANY HAVE HELPED, UH, TO PIVOT, UH, AND, AND CREATE WITH US CO-CREATE WITH US.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS A NEW BUSINESS.
UM, WE WERE TO HAVE HAD A BRIEFING FROM DOW HEALS, AS WELL AS A FAMILY INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE.
UH, BOTH CHAKA AND IVANA WERE UNABLE TO MAKE OUR RESCHEDULED MEETING.
SO IT TAKES THREE C, WHICH IS A BRIEFING ON AUSTIN ENERGY
[3C. Briefing on Austin Energy Plus 1 Program (Drema Gross, Director, Customer Services Management, Austin Energy)]
PLUS ONE PROGRAM.UH, IS THAT RIGHT? UH, LISA, IS THAT STILL ON THE AGENDA? YES.
IS DREAMA OR GEMMA WITH US? YES, THIS IS TRINA.
HI, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF DID I OVERLOOK SOME BACKUP FROM YOU OR IS IT, AND IT MAY ALREADY BE IN THIS DOC.
IS THAT, IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? UH, YES.
I HAD TWO PAGES, UM, THE ORIGINAL FIVE THAT'S BLUE, UM, BLUE, AND THEN A MAP, RIGHT.
THEY JUST 15 AND 16 JUST AFTER UNCLE'S PRESENTATION RIGHT THERE.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET STARTED WHENEVER YOU LIKE.
YEAH, MY NAME IS DREAMA GROSS.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER SERVICES MANAGEMENT AT AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND ONE OF MY GROUP'S RESPONSIBILITIES IS ADMINISTRATION OF OUR PLUS ONE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND.
THIS FUND IS DEVELOPED TO HELP ANY OF OUR AUSTIN ENERGY AUSTIN WATER, OR IN FACT, COA UTILITIES, CUSTOMERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING TEMPORARY FINANCIAL NEED FOR ANY REASON, UM, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, AS YOU WERE RECEIVING REPORT OUT FROM OTHER RENTAL AND OTHER TYPES OF ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. UM, I THINK WE GOT THE MEMO A LITTLE BIT LATER AND HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DELIVER THIS PRESENTATION ON SEVERAL SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.
UM, BUT THIS MAY CALL BACK TO A NOVEMBER MEETING.
I THINK THAT YOU GUYS HAD HAD.
SO WE'RE FINALLY HERE TODAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PRESENTING YOU THE INFORMATION YOU REQUESTED.
[00:25:01]
WILL BE SOME WELCOME NEWS FOR YOU.OUR PLUS ONE PROGRAM, AS I SAID, HAS BEEN AROUND FOR SOME TIME.
IT HAS, UM, BEEN AROUND ACTUALLY SINCE 2006 ORIGINALLY, EXCUSE ME, ORIGINALLY STARTING AS A DONATION BASED PROGRAM FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO ADDED A DOLLAR OR TWO TO THEIR UTILITY BILLS IN ORDER TO HELP THOSE LESS FORTUNATE OVER TIME, AS WE ADDED SOME COMMUNITY D I'M SORRY, COMMUNITY BENEFIT CHARGES TO AUSTIN ENERGY BILLS, WE WERE ABLE TO GROW THAT FUND AND WE TYPICALLY SPEND ABOUT $2.3 MILLION EACH YEAR.
WE HAVE A CONTRIBUTION FROM AUSTIN WATERS FUNDING AS WELL.
AND APRIL OF 2020 COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT ALLOWED AN ADDITIONAL $10 MILLION TO GO INTO THAT FUND FOR COVID RELIEF.
WE EXPANDED THE DEFINITION OF WHAT WAS A QUALIFYING, UM, PROGRAM.
AND TYPICALLY WE ADMINISTERED THIS MONEY THROUGH OUR PARTNER NETWORK.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 59 PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE AUSTIN AREA, WHICH INCLUDE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE TRAVIS COUNTY AND OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS FAITH-BASED AND OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ST.
VINCENT DEPAUL SOCIETY, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, MEALS ON WHEELS OR ANY BABY CAN, AS THEY HAVE CLIENTELE WHO EXPRESS A NEED OR A DIFFICULTY PAYING UTILITY BILLS, THOSE PARTNERS ARE ABLE TO ASSESS THE NEED, WORK WITH US, TO FIND OUT INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMOUNT THAT THE CUSTOMER OWES AND THEN HELP THAT CUSTOMER GET FUNDS APPLIED TO THEIR ACCOUNT.
SO WE DISTRIBUTE OUR FUNDS TO OUR PARTNER NETWORK AND THE PARTNERS DECIDE WHAT CRITERIA THEY WILL USE TO HELP IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEN WE ADDED THESE FUNDS IN APRIL, WE KNEW THAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT WOULD OVERWHELM OUR PARTNER NETWORK.
SO WE ALSO SET UP AN ONLINE APPLICATION FOR ASSISTANCE.
IT ISN'T AUSTIN BILL HELP.COM WHERE CUSTOMERS CAN APPLY DIRECTLY.
UM, SO WE FUND ALL OF THIS THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY BENEFIT, CHARGE ON OUR BILLS, AS WELL AS OPERATIONAL RESERVE FUNDS AND DONATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND FISCAL YEAR OF 2020.
WE STARTED WITH OUR $2.3 MILLION THAT WE PUT IN EVERY YEAR.
AND WE ADDED IN THAT ADDITIONAL $10 MILLION IN APRIL 5 MILLION FROM AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND ASIDE FOR AUSTIN WATER, I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THIS MONEY CAN GO FOR ANY CHARGES ON A CUSTOMER'S COA UTILITIES, BILL, INCLUDING, UM, TRASH PICKUP SERVICES THROUGH ARR, OR IF A CUSTOMER IS ASSESSED DRAINAGE OR TRANSPORTATION FEES.
THIS IS FOR ANY CHARGE, UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MEAT OR TAMPERING.
UM, THAT'S THE ONLY THING ON A RESIDENTIAL BILL THAT WE CANNOT PAY BEFORE.
WE AGAIN STARTED WITH OUR 2.3 MILLION AND WE HAD ABOUT 4.6 LEFT OF THAT ADDITIONAL APRIL EDITION THAT WE COULD CARRY OVER TO DATE.
UM, WE HAVE SPENT 4.5 MILLION OF THAT THROUGH THE END OF JANUARY, AND WE'RE COMING UP ON ALMOST 5 MILLION EXPENDED THIS FISCAL YEAR, UM, TOWARD THE END OF FEBRUARY.
SO WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT THAT, THAT FUNDING GETS OUT TO OUR PARTNER NETWORKS AND OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE ALSO ANTICIPATING THAT, UM, AN ITEM WILL BE BEFORE COUNCIL NEXT WEEK.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR THE 18TH.
AND OF COURSE, THAT MEETING WAS CANCELED DUE TO THE WINTER STORM EVENTS TO ADD ANOTHER $10 MILLION INTO THAT FUND.
AGAIN, 5 MILLION FROM WATER, 5 MILLION FROM ENERGY, BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS NEED IS ONGOING.
YOU KNOW, THAT CUSTOMERS ARE CONTINUING TO EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY PAYING ELECTRIC WATER UTILITIES, AND WE DON'T WANT THAT TO BE A REASON THAT ANYONE IS STRUGGLING.
UM, AGAIN, WE SAY THAT THERE'S AN EXPIRATION ON FUNDING AS
AND WE DO EXPECT THAT FOUNDATIONAL 2.3 MILLION TO CONTINUE EVEN INTO FUTURE FISCAL YEARS, WE'VE DONE OUR BEST TO MAKE THIS AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR CUSTOMERS TO APPLY.
WE DO HAVE TO HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF A FINANCIAL NEED FOR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE COMING THROUGH THE AUSTIN BILL HELP WEBSITE, BUT WE'VE TRIED TO BE AS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE WITH OUR CUSTOMERS AND FOR CUSTOMERS WHO MAY HAVE NOT, MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT DOCUMENTATION.
FOR INSTANCE, THOSE CUSTOMERS WHO MAY HAVE HAD JOBS THAT PAID THEM IN CASH, THEY MAY BE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE PARTNERS IN OUR NETWORK THAT ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH THOSE CUSTOMERS AND VOUCH FOR THEM AND SUBMIT APPLICATIONS ON THEIR BEHALF.
EVEN IF THAT PARTNER HAS EXHAUSTED THEIR OWN APP ALLOCATION FOR THE YEAR, WE PROVIDE THOSE ALLOCATIONS TO OUR PARTNERS IN QUARTERLY INSTALLMENTS.
[00:30:01]
AND SO ONCE COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THIS YEAR, WE WILL BE PASSING THAT ALONG TO OUR NETWORK AND, UM, SORT OF A PRORATED MANNER, ACCORDING TO WHAT EACH PARTNER NETWORK FEELS THAT THEY CAN ACCOMMODATE AND WHAT THEY FEEL THE NEED IS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY IMMEDIATELY.UM, YOU HAD ALSO ASKED FOR INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THAT ASSISTANCE IS GOING, WHICH IS SHOWN ON THE GRAPH ON THE SECOND SLOT, AND REALLY ALL AREAS OF OUR CITY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED.
THIS SHOWS THE PLEDGE AMOUNT BY ZIP CODE WITH THOSE, UM, AREAS TENDING TOWARD BROWN AND ORANGE SHOWING THE HIGHEST NEED, OR AT LEAST THE HIGHEST DISTRIBUTION.
AND SO THIS IS A COMBINATION OF BOTH CUSTOMERS WHO MAY HAVE HIGHER BILLS MONTH TO MONTH, OR MAY BE APPLYING FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER GETTING IN A REARS, AS UNHEALED MENTIONED BEFORE, THEY MAY BE SEVERAL MONTHS BEHIND ON THEIR BILLS, BUT WE CAN SEE OUR HIGHEST TWO ZIP CODES ARE IN SEVEN EIGHT, SEVEN FIVE THREE, AND IN SEVEN EIGHT, SEVEN FOUR FOUR.
UM, AND THIS GRAPH GOES THROUGH OUR ORIGINAL PRESENTATION BACK IN THE END OF NOVEMBER.
UM, BUT WE HAVE SEEN THAT DISTRIBUTION STAY ROUGHLY THE SAME.
SO WE KNOW THE NEED FROM COVID IS AFFECTING A CITYWIDE, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME AREAS OF CONCENTRATION.
AND WE DO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNER NETWORKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS GRAPH MIRRORS VERY CLOSELY WHAT WE SEE IN OUR REAR MANAGEMENT GRAPHS, THOSE CUSTOMERS WHO ARE ACCUMULATING MORE DEBT, OR WHO MAY NOT HAVE MADE A PAYMENT FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMISSIONERS COMMISSIONER GIOVANNA CHAIR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'M ACTUALLY OUT IN THE FIELD CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW AS DISTRIBUTING WATER TO MY COMMUNITY.
SO I CAN'T SEE THE SLIDE, BUT I DO WANT TO DO SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, THE COMMISSIONER, AND PUT IT ON RECORD THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES.
UM, IT HAS REALLY TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
I CAN JUST SPEAK FOR MY DEMOGRAPHIC AREA, 77 OH TWO, UH, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE POND WHERE, UH, FOR, UM, BUILD DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT THIS PROGRAM AS WELL.
GOOD, WELL, UH, THE TEXAS COMMISSION, ALL OF THE AGENCIES THAT ARE MISSING THAT ARE APPLYING AGENCY TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THIS FUNDING RESOURCE HAS REALLY USED THIS FOR A LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH PAST OLD, OLD BILLS.
LIKE WE STATED AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING PUT IN A BIND FINANCIALLY AND FOR THE ELDERS AND YOUNG MOMS AND FAMILIES.
SO I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU ALL YOU'RE ARE DOING A GREAT JOB AND MAKING SURE THAT THIS PROGRAM GETS FUNDED AND THAT YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB WITH MAKING SURE THAT THAT FUNDING IS GETTING INTO THE HANDS OF THE COMMUNITY AT THE LOW INCOME AND WORKING CLASS FAMILIES.
AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE Y'ALL THAT GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION.
UM, BECAUSE OUR FAMILIES NEED THAT.
UM, AND EVERY AREA OF THE CITY THAT ARE FACING THESE TYPES OF PARTS AND CHALLENGES, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE, UM, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT CANNOT DO THE ONLINE APPLICATION, UM, THAT WE CONTINUE TO OUTREACH THAT TO OUR ELDERS AND OUR DISABLED FOR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE A DIGITAL DIVIDE.
THAT'S CERTAINLY AN ISSUE RIGHT NOW HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, SOME OF DON'T KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE, UM, THE APPLICATION.
I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR SEVERAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS.
IT'S NOT HARD, BUT IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO TIE IT, OR YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO, I JUST DO THE BASICS OF A COMPUTER, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO FILL OUT THAT APPLICATION.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO OUTREACH THE PAPER APPLICATION, UH, TO THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT INTO, UH, OUR CENTERS AND OUR FACILITIES GIVE DUE TO CORONA VIRUS RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE UNDER A PANDEMIC.
YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOUR KIND WORDS.
UM, AND I WILL PASS THEM ALONG TO THE STAFF WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY SUPPORT AND BELIEVE IN THIS PROGRAM WITH THEIR WHOLE HEART.
UM, IT'S WONDERFUL TO HEAR THAT YOU ALSO SEE THE GOOD THAT IS BEING DONE IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, AS TO THE PAPER APPLICATION AND WAYS TO CROSS THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE.
UM, WE THINK OUR PARTNER NETWORKS REALLY DO HELP US A GREAT DEAL IN THAT REGARD AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING
[00:35:01]
SURE THAT THEY CAN GET THE INFORMATION FROM THEIR CUSTOMERS, PARTICULARLY IN A TIME SINCE THE PANDEMIC, WE KNOW A LOT OF THEM HAVE SWITCHED TO A PHONE-BASED OUTREACH.IF THEY'RE NOT DOING FACE-TO-FACE VISITS, LIKE THEY MIGHT IN THE PAST, AND THAT'S REALLY HELPED THEM BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH SOME CUSTOMERS.
UM, AND, UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM AS MUCH AS WE CAN WHEN CUSTOMERS CAN NOT PROVIDE DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION.
AS I MENTIONED, WE DO ALLOW OUR PARTNER NETWORKS TO FILL OUT APPLICATIONS ON A CUSTOMER'S BEHALF.
AND AS LONG AS THAT PARTNER, UM, LETS US KNOW THAT THEY ARE DOING IT ON BEHALF OF THE CUSTOMER, THAT THEY HAVE CERTIFIED THAT THERE IS A NEED.
THAT IS THE ONLY DOCUMENTATION WE WILL REQUIRE.
WE ARE TRUSTING OUR PARTNERS TO KNOW WHAT THEIR OWN CRITERIA ARE.
OUR PROGRAM AT ITS HEART DOES NOT HAVE FOR THIS PLUS ONE PROGRAM.
WE DO NOT HAVE AN INCOME LIMIT.
WE DO NOT REQUIRE THAT ANYONE MEET A PARTICULAR INCOME THRESHOLD BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT FINANCIAL NEED MAY BE VARIABLE.
EACH OF OUR PARTNERS MAY HAVE THEIR OWN CRITERIA FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY SERVE AND THAT'S UP TO THEM TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY CAN EXPAND THOSE CRITERIA TO ACCOMMODATE OTHERS WITH NEEDS, UM, OR WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE.
SOME OF THEM MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL GRANTS THAT HAVE TO BE USED FOR A PARTICULAR POPULATION.
BUT, UM, ONE OF THE BEST WAYS THAT WE FOUND IS REALLY TO RELY HEAVILY ON OUR PARTNER NETWORK TO, UM, TO CROSS THAT BRIDGE, UM, WHEN A CUSTOMER IS HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THE FORMS ONLINE OR IS UNABLE TO ACCESS THE INTERNET.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, ONE THING I FAILED TO MENTION IS WE HAVE TWO MAIN POINTS OF CONTACT.
IF A CUSTOMER DOES COME THROUGH OUR AUSTIN BILL HELP.COM WEBSITE, IF AN APPLICATION IS ABANDONED, THE THIRD-PARTY VENDOR, WE USE TO MANAGE THIS APPLICATION PROCESS, WE'LL DO AN OUTBOUND CALL TO LET THE CUSTOMER KNOW THAT THAT APPLICATION DID NOT GO THROUGH AND MAKE SURE THAT ABANDONING WAS INTENTIONAL AND NOT AN ACCIDENT.
FINALLY, IF A CUSTOMER SUBMIT SOMETHING, BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE ADEQUATE DOCUMENTATION THAT WE NEED.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE'S SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD TO QUIT THEIR JOB IN ORDER TO SUPERVISE SCHOOL CHILDREN AT HOME, UM, WE'VE HAD A FEW CUSTOMERS WHO MAY HAVE JUST SUBMITTED A PHOTO OF A SCHOOL DOOR SAYING CLOSED EARLY ON IN THE PANDEMIC.
AND THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR US TO VERIFY THAT THEY DO HAVE A SMALL CHILD LIVING WITH THEM WHO WAS UNABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL.
SO WE MAKE AN OUTBOUND CALL TO ANYONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION THAT WE NEED.
WE MAKE AT LEAST TWO ATTEMPTS TO TRY AND GET THAT PERSON ON THE PHONE AND GIVE THEM SOME HANDHOLDING AND GUIDANCE AS TO WHAT CAN BE ACCEPTABLE.
AND THEY HAVE ANOTHER AVENUE TO EMAIL THAT INFORMATION INTO US.
SO WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE POTENTIAL HOLES, SOMEONE CAN FALL THROUGH ARE CLOSED AS TIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN DIRECT YOUR HELP TO THE RIGHT OR DIRECT THE HELP TO THOSE FAMILIES WHO ARE IN NEED.
UH, COMMISSIONER NOBEL FOR THAT QUESTION.
AND, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS I WANT TO ASK AND THEN I'LL RECOGNIZE THE VICE CHAIR AS WELL.
I KNOW SHE HAS SOME QUESTIONS, UH, UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION AS WELL AS OF COURSE FOR YOUR WORK AND SUPPORTING FOLKS AND MAKING SURE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE BASIC NEEDS, UH, AND RUNNING WATER, UH, BE ABLE TO LIVE THEIR LIVES.
UH, I AM CURIOUS ABOUT A FEW THINGS AND PLEASE, UH, JUST IN THE INTEREST OF TIME AGREEMENT THAT, UH, PLEASE DON'T FEEL THAT WE NEED TO NECESSARILY BELIEVE OUR RESPONSE.
IF WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, THAT'S FINE.
WE CAN JUST FOLLOW UP AND GET IT.
OR IF IT'S A YES OR A NO, THAT'S REALLY GOOD ENOUGH TO SUFFICE.
UM, UM, I'M WONDERING, UH, SO IT'S IT'S TEAMS, DO WE HAVE THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF TIME, I GUESS FROM START TO FINISH, IT TAKES SOMEBODY TO APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE TO GETTING SO AGAIN, FOR OUR PARTNER NETWORKS, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I CAN ANSWER BECAUSE THEY EACH WILL HAVE THEIR OWN INTAKE PROCESS, BUT IF SOMEONE APPLIES ON OFTEN BILL HELP AND HAS ADEQUATE DOCUMENTATION, UM, FOR INSTANCE, THEY SUBMIT THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIM OR, UM, A RECENT FILING, IT WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY 24 TO 48 BUSINESS HOURS.
IT'S USUALLY ON THE SHORT END OF THAT.
AND SO THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF TIME FOR AN APPLICATION, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, OH, I DON'T HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION.
I MEAN, JUST THE AVERAGE, DO YOU HAVE THE AVERAGE SORT OF BEGINS, YOU KNOW, BEGINNING TO END TIME, IT SEEMS LIKE WE DON'T, AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET AND WE'RE ABLE TO ASK OUR PARTNERS FOR, AND WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK BACK BECAUSE THAT'S A, THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, IN THE HUMAN SERVICES WORLD, IT'S A PRETTY STRONG KPI, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, THE EFFICACY OF RELIEF, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN FOLKS ARE IN CRISIS.
[00:40:01]
THAT WOULD BE A HELPFUL, HELPFUL NUMBER FOR US TO LOOK AT.AND PARTICULARLY THROUGH THE LENS OF DESIGN JUSTICE, I THINK WITH MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES OR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND THOSE THAT ARE SOCIOECONOMICALLY ECONOMICALLY STRESSED, UH IT'S, YOU KNOW, TIME SEEMS TO BE LESS VALUED, UH, OF, OF FOLKS WHO MAY NOT, UH, UH, UH, HAVE, YOU KNOW, OTHER ADVANTAGES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST A PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT METRIC FOR ME.
SO IF YOU ALL WOULD BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP IN ANY WAY FORM OR FASHION URGENT, OR MAYBE EVEN START TO LOOK AT THAT, I THINK, I THINK I WENT TO THE DESK.
I WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
THE REASON I ASKED IS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IN 2020, WE DIDN'T EXPAND ALL OF THE, UH, ADDITIONAL 10 MILLION.
UH, AND OF IS THAT, UH, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY OTHER PROGRAM THAT HAD DOLLARS FOR RELIEF DID ACTUALLY LIQUIDATE ALL OF THEIR FUNDING.
AND SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, I THINK THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS ON, AGAIN, THAT $10 MILLION WAS GRANTED TO US IN APRIL.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE TIME BETWEEN APRIL AND THE END OF SEPTEMBER, THAT IS ALREADY, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL TIMES MORE THAN OUR NETWORK PROCESSES IN A 12 MONTH PERIOD.
UM, SO PART OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK US A MONTH TO STAND UP THE WEBSITE AND GET THAT ROLLING.
WE HAD THAT GOING BY MAY, AND THEN ALSO SOME TIME TO LET CONSUMERS KNOW THAT THAT WAS AVAILABLE.
WE ALSO HAD SEVERAL THINGS WHERE WE REALIZED WE NEEDED BETTER COMMUNICATE WITH CUSTOMERS.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO WOULD APPLY BEFORE THEIR BILL WAS EVEN DUE.
AND ONE THING OUR PROGRAM CAN NOT DO IS CREATE A CREDIT ON THE ACCOUNT.
SO WE HAVE CUSTOMERS WHO APPLY.
THEY HAVE A ZERO BALANCE, AND WE HAVE TO TELL THEM, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL YOUR BILL GENERATES SO THAT WE CAN HELP YOU.
SO THAT IS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THAT API IS NOT SOMETHING WE LOOK AT BECAUSE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS WHO APPLY WHEN THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE, RIGHT, HAVE INSIGHTS.
AND SO WE DO AN ANNUAL AUDIT ON OUR PARTNER'S SIDE, BUT WE DON'T REQUIRE OR REQUESTS THAT TURNAROUND TIME FOR THEM.
THE FINAL THING, TRAVIS COUNTY IS ONE OF OUR LARGEST PARTNERS AND THEY DO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT TO HELP US SPREAD THESE FUNDS.
AND IT TOOK A FEW MONTHS FOR THEIR COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO ACCEPT THE ADDITIONAL AWARD THAT WE GAVE OUT TO THEM.
AND I KNOW THEY HAVE ALSO HAD GRANT FUNDS FOR OTHER, FROM OTHER SOURCES.
AND SO THEY WERE ABLE TO EXPAND THOSE BEFORE THEY EXTENDED THEIR PLUS ONE FUNDS, WHICH ALLOWED US TO CARRY OVER MORE OF THOSE FUNDS.
THE FINAL POINT I WOULD SAY IS THAT WE STILL HAVE SOME CUSTOMERS POSSIBLY BECAUSE AUSTIN ENERGY HAS NOT BEEN DOING DISCONNECTIONS DURING THIS PANDEMIC WHO SEEM TO HAVE A MINDSET OF, I WILL DEAL WITH IT LATER, AND THEY'RE NOT DEALING WITH UTILITY BILLS BECAUSE THAT DISCONNECTION IS NOT A THREAT.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT THAT'S THE CASE FOR EVERYONE, BUT IT MAY BE LESS OF AN URGENT NEED THAN RENTAL OR FOOD OR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.
AND SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT AS WE GET CLOSER TO A POTENTIAL DISCONNECTION TIMELINE, THAT WE WOULD SEE ADDITIONAL FUNDS COME IN, UM, FROM THOSE COSTS OR ADDITIONAL REQUESTS COME IN FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS.
THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, UH, AS IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SOME AREAS OF, OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, I GUESS MY, UH, AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR ABILITY TO SPEAK TO EACH OF THOSE ISSUES.
UH, FINALLY, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, SEEING THAT THESE NUMBERS GO THROUGH TO NOVEMBER, UH, IS, YOU KNOW, AT THIS 0.3 MONTHS BEHIND US, ARE WE, AND I, AND I DO KNOW THAT YOU WERE PREPARING FOR AN, A NUMBER OF PRESENTATION AT THAT TIME.
UH, THAT'S BEEN BUMPED AROUND, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST THAT SCHEDULING CALENDAR IS ALL GETTING US IN THE SAME ROOM.
DO YOU, ARE THESE NUMBERS NOT AVAILABLE IN REAL TIME OR IN, WITHIN, I MEAN, EARLY KIND OF WERE ABLE TO GET THEM AT A QUARTERLY BASIS OR SO THE MAPPING IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS THROUGH NOVEMBER AND THAT HAS NOT CHANGED SUBSTANTIALLY.
UM, THE ACTUAL NUMBERS THAT ARE IN THE FIRST SLIDE IN THE PRESENTATION IS THROUGH THE END OF JANUARY.
AND THIS WAS WHAT WAS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR COMMISSION MEETING EARLIER IN FEBRUARY.
UM, I DID JUST PULL THE NUMBERS.
WE TYPICALLY PULL THEM ON A WEEKLY BASIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THERE'S THINGS IN THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM WE WANT TO GIVE A A DAY OR TWO TO SHAKE OUT.
THAT TOTALLY ANSWERS MY QUESTION.
WE'RE AT 12.7 NOW, SINCE THE START OF FISCAL 20 THROUGH TO DATE.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
I THINK THE PLUS ONE PROGRAM IS A GREAT PROGRAM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, THE DESCRIPTION OF HOW IT'S ADMINISTERED
[00:45:01]
SOUNDS LIKE IT'S VERY EFFECTIVELY PLANNED OUT.UM, THERE IS A PROGRAM, I THINK IT'S ANOTHER PROGRAM IT'S INTENDED TO BENEFIT.
LOW-INCOME PEOPLE, THERE'S A CITIZEN ENERGY EXPERT HERE IN AUSTIN.
WHO'S PREPARED A COUPLE OF REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN COVERED IN THE STATESMAN ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, SHOWING WHAT HE SEEMS HE SEEMS TO BELIEVE IS, UM, THAT HIGHER INCOME PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE BENEFIT OF THE FUNDS.
OR ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRAM I'M TALKING ABOUT? YES, THAT IS ALSO UNDER MY PURVIEW.
UM, CAN YOU COMMENT ON IT OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEND AN EXPLANATION TO US? UM, WE CAN DISCUSS THAT.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT POSTED TO DISCUSS THE CAP PROGRAM AT THIS TIME.
I WOULD, I WOULD MAYBE ASK, UM, LISA OR MR. GUTIERREZ TO COMMENT ON YOUR PARTICULAR COMMISSION'S RULES OF PROCEDURE.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE SHOULD JUST BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP.
UH, UM, AND, AND, AND, UH, LISA AND HER BESSIE, UH, TO, YEAH, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXTEND THAT GAP.
I THINK THAT'S WISE, THIS IS LISA.
UM, OTHERWISE IT'S, ERIC IS ON THE CALL.
SHE COULD COMMENT TO IT, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S BEST TO SCHEDULE THAT FOR A FUTURE FUTURE AGENDA, UH, TO BE CLEAR.
I, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION, MR. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, TO JUST SECOND THAT ON, ON WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, ASKED FOR, UH, ON THAT REQUEST, UH, BECAUSE THAT PROGRAM IS, IS ALSO A HUGE PROGRAM IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MONITORING THAT, UM, IF WE CAN GET A REQUEST TO PUT THAT ON THE FUTURE AGENDA AND BRING THEM BACK.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND WE'LL MAKE SURE TO KEEP YOU APPRISED AS WELL.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR THANK YOU FOR JOINING US DREAMA, WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, YOU ALL OFFERING THIS PRESENTATION AS WELL AS THE SLIDES, UH, AND WE'LL BE BACK IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
AND WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE INTO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, UH, WHICH IS, UH, AND BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THE FOLLOWING TWO AGENDA ITEMS, I JUST WANT TO PREFACE, UH, AND, UH, LISA, JUST, IF YOU COULD KEEP ME HONEST HERE, I BELIEVE WE HAVE THREE TOTAL ITEMS UNDER NEW BUSINESS.
WHAT FIRST OF WHICH WAS THE BRIEFING WE JUST, UH, UH, ATTENDED.
UH, AND THEN THERE WERE FEW MORE WITH OUR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON, UM, POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
IS THAT RIGHT? I BELIEVE THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO BASIC NEEDS AND CRITICAL UTILITY AND OTHER SERVICES THAT'S D N E IS INTERNAL DISCUSSION ON A VACCINATION EFFORT.
AND SO, UH, I WANT TO PREFACE BOTH OF THESE, UH, UH, NEXT TWO ITEMS, UH, BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, AS A COMMISSION, UH, THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE REPRESENT, UH, AS WELL AS COMMUNITIES AT LARGE IN AUSTIN, BUT THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE UNIQUELY REPRESENT, UH, ARE EFFECTED BY THESE TWO MOST SALIENT SORT OF HISTORICAL CRISES THAT HAVE JUST OCCURRED.
AND THEY'RE REALLY EXAMPLES OF, OF SOME OF THE DISPARITIES THEY'RE JUST GLARING, MAGNIFIED AND AMPLIFIED EXAMPLES OF THE DISPARITIES THAT ALREADY EXIST.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, W WITH THAT SAID, I FEEL THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMISSION TO, UH, REALLY PUT, UH, NOT JUST A TOTAL STOP PHILOSOPHICAL STATEMENT ON THE RECORD, BUT ALSO RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND THE SAME THAT ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPORTANCE OF USING THE LENS OF CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND SENSITIVITY, THE LENS OF EQUITY, THE LENS OF DESIGN JUSTICE, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO PARTICULARLY THESE KINDS OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND WE'LL NOTICE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, ITEM C IS THE INTERNAL DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION UNDER THE VACCINATION EFFORT FOR COVID, UH,
[00:50:01]
ITEM B, UH, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT ITEM IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION AND RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO BASIC NEEDS AND CRITICAL UTILITIES AND OTHER SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS IN OUR DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.EACH OF THESE ITEMS HAS RESULTED FROM HISTORICAL CRISES THAT, UH, MEASURABLY DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT, UH, DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES THAT WE REPRESENT.
UH, AND SO MY HOPE IS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND YOU, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT ARE WE HEARING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THE, UH, THE CHALLENGES ARE WITH RELATION TO DISPARITIES AROUND, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, THIS IMMINENT OF RATHER THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM AROUND, UH, THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS THAT WE'RE FACING WITH UTILITIES AND BASIC NEEDS.
UH, AND, AND IN THE FOLLOWING AGENDA ITEM, WHEN WE GET TO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, AROUND VACCINATION, UM, YOU KNOW, THE VACCINATION EFFORT, WHAT ARE WE HEARING, UH, YOU KNOW, AROUND THAT AND HOW CAN WE IMPROVE? WE CAN DO BETTER.
AND WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, OF COURSE.
UH, AND, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME TODAY, MY HOPE IS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO JUST HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND WHAT WE'RE HEARING AND WHAT WE THINK WE, HOW WE THINK THOSE THINGS CAN IMPROVE GIVEN THE PARAMETERS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, IN THE TIME BETWEEN NOW AND OUR NEXT MEETING, UH, EMAIL AROUND SOME LANGUAGE AROUND POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND HOPEFULLY BE SET TO PASS, UM, UH, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, TO VOTE ON AND APPROVE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, SORT OF QUICKLY AND TURN KEY NEXT MEETING, UM, VICE CHAIR.
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS AROUND THAT? I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE ANY TEXTS BEFORE MOVING, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY PARTICULAR THOUGHTS.
UH, AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, FLIP THESE FOLLOWING TWO AGENDA ITEMS AROUND JUST SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THEM CHRONOLOGICALLY, UH, AND BEGIN WITH THE IN PARALLEL
[3E. Internal discussion and possible action on vaccination effort (CDC member discussion)]
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON VACCINATION.UH, YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN IT AND HEAR FROM THE COMMISSIONERS AROUND WHAT WE WERE HEARING AND WHAT WE ARE HEARING AND ARE CONTINUING TO HEAR DESPITE REALLY EXCELLENT EFFORTS ON THE PART OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE GETTING VACCINATED.
THERE ARE STILL NONETHELESS CHALLENGES, UM, UH, THAT WE'RE FACING.
AND SO, WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO SHARE WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR COMMUNITIES OR WHAT WE'RE SEEING, OR ARE WE JUST PRETTY MUCH SEEING THAT EVERYTHING'S GOING WELL, THIS COMMISSION
I WOULD LIKE, UH, IN MY AREA THAT I PARTICIPATE IN IS, UM, I'M OUT BY THE DELCOS CENTER AND THEY'RE, THEY HAVE HAD THE, UH, VACCINATION PROCESS IN THE LAST, UM, SIX WEEKS AT THE DLCO CENTER.
AND THEY ARE STILL DOING IT NOW WITH THE WINTER MONTHS THAT HAD THE WINTER WEEK OF SNOW.
THEY HAVE PUSHED UP THE TIME THAT THEY'RE GOING INTO NIGHTTIME, TRYING TO FASCINATE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
CAUSE I NOTICED NIGHT, THEY'RE SETTING UP BIG SPOTLIGHTS ON THE PROPERTY TO BE ABLE TO SEE NOW THEY ALSO HAVE INTENTS TO KEEP THE PEOPLE OUT OF THE WEATHER WHEN IT DRIZZLING, I COULD BE IN MONDAY AND TODAY THAT THEY PUT UP TENDS TO KEEP THE PEOPLE DRAG.
NOW, UM, I HAVE HAD MY FIRST SHOT AND TOMORROW I WILL BE GETTING MY SECOND SHOT, BUT THE MAIN THING THAT I CAN RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD MEMBER AND TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS THAT YOU NEED TO OPEN UP MORE VACCINATIONS CENTERS.
UH, AS I UNDERSTAND TOMORROW MORNING, TRAVIS COUNTY IS GOING TO HAVE COMMUNITY CARE AT FORMULA ONE WITH A MASSIVE VACCINATION GOING ON OUT THERE TOMORROW.
SO FAR THE ONES THAT I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, SENIORS REALLY WANTS IT.
AND THAT'S THE WAY I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO MOST OF THE SENIORS.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LESS RELUCTANT TO TAKE THE VACCINATION AND, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, NEGATIVE, UH, REPORTS THAT'S OUT THERE BY WORD OF MOUTH WALKING AND TALKING
[00:55:01]
AND GOING ON.UH, I DON'T THINK THAT'S RIGHT BECAUSE THAT'S DETERIORATING PEOPLE FROM TAKING IT BACK TO NATION.
NOW, IF IT COMES TO A VOTE THROUGH THE COMMISSION, I RECOMMEND THAT, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN START SMALL VACUUM, UH, VACCINATION CENTERS AND THAT, UH, WITH THE UTILITIES KEEP THEM INFORMED AND KEEP THE PEOPLE IN ELECTRICITY BECAUSE IT WASN'T THE CUSTOMER'S FAULT THAT THIS MESS WENT DOWN.
THAT'S MY TAKE ON WHAT I HAVE HEARD AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.
THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH COMMISSIONER OLIVER.
UH, SO WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU IS THAT YOU WOULD SUPPORT, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY RECOMMENDATION THAT, UH, SUGGEST THAT WE CONTINUE, UH, THE EXISTING EFFORTS TO OPEN UP MORE NEWER, LARGER, UH, UH, CENTERS FOR VACCINATION, UH, AS WELL AS SUPPORT, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, UH, UH, IN, UH, IN, IN A WAY THAT REACHES THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE RELUCTANT AROUND TAKING THE VACCINATION.
UH, AND THEN WHEN WE, WE, OKAY, GOOD.
AND WHEN WE GET TO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT UTILITIES, UH, I'LL MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR COMMENT THERE AROUND JUST PROTECTION AROUND COSTS UNIQUELY, BECAUSE OF COURSE THIS WAS NOBODY'S NO, NO INDIVIDUAL RESIDENT'S FAULT.
YOU KNOW, IN OTHER, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING I'VE BEEN HEARING, NOT JUST IN MY PROFESSIONAL WORK, UH, BUT ALSO, OR IT'S, UH, HAVING SUPPORTED FAMILY MEMBERS IN OBTAINING VACCINATIONS THEMSELVES.
AND FOR THAT, I, YOU KNOW, CAN'T, I, I MUST MANKE, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND APH FOR THEIR GREAT WORK IN WORKING WITH THIS LIMITED RESOURCES, UH, TO BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY BE THE NUMBER ONE CONDUIT FOR PRODUCTIZATION IN THE ENTIRE CITY.
UH, WHEN REALLY THE FOCUS WAS, UH, FOR APH WAS TO BE ON DISADVANTAGED POPULATIONS THAT SAID ONE OF THE LARGEST CHALLENGES THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE FIRSTHAND, AS WELL AS HUNDREDS OF TIMES, SECONDHAND, UH, WAS THE CHALLENGE OF NAVIGATING TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS AND GETTING REGISTERED.
UH, IT SEEMS THAT MANY, MANY, MANY FOLKS IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES HAVE CHALLENGES MANAGING, UH, UH, THE REGISTRATION SYSTEM, UH, AND THE IDIOSYNCRASIES ASSOCIATED WITH IT BEING FULL, UH, OR JUST GETTING MESSAGING, UH, AND REMINDERS THAT WEREN'T NECESSARILY VERY CLEAR.
UH, AND I'M WONDERING IF ANYBODY ELSE WAS HEARING OR SEEING THAT, UH, ACROSS THIS COMMISSION.
IT, UM, MO MOST DEFINITELY, UH, WE WERE NOT DIRECTLY IMPACTED AND THE LOW INCOME AND THE BROWN AND BLACK COMMUNITIES, UH, WHERE THE HIGHEST NUMBERS WERE THE HIGHEST NUMBERS OF DEATHS.
UM, SO IT'S NOT, THIS CONVERSATION IS VERY TRAUMATIZING FOR MANY.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR, UM, I D I DIDN'T TELL YOU CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR, UH, TAKING THAT MOMENT OF SILENCE.
UH, CAUSE MY, MY UNCLE DIED LAST YEAR OF CORONA VIRUS WHEN IT FIRST GOT RELEASED.
AND SO THIS, THIS VIRUS IS REAL AND IT, AND WE'RE STILL UNDER A PANDEMIC AND I DON'T THINK THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IF ANYTHING, I SHAMED THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE'RE NOT TAKING THIS VIRUS A LITTLE BIT MORE SERIOUS.
UM, THEN I SAW THAT THEY SHOULD CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE ARE UNDER A STAGE FOUR.
UM, AND WE'RE STILL UNDER PANDEMIC AND YOU'LL SEE THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE OUT HERE NOT FOLLOWING CDC GUIDELINES OR WEARING PPE.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY, VERY, UH, IMPORTANT, UH, TOPIC THAT WE NEED TO STAY AT CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT AND ENFORCE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
ANOTHER THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS, UH, THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, THE GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ONE IS FOR THAT DISHONEST MONZA FORMER COMMISSIONER HERE ON THIS, ON THE CDC BOARD, MYSELF, UH, A MEMBER OF HER ORGANIZATION WORKED REALLY HARD AND REGISTERING OVER A THOUSAND RECIPIENTS.
AND AT RESIDENTS HERE THAT FELL IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES OF CRITERIA 50, AND OVER WITH AN UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITION, WE WERE ABLE TO REGISTER, REGISTER THEM AND GET THEM THEIR FIRST AND THEIR SECOND DOSES AS THEY ALL BEEN GIVING, GETTING THEM SINCE THIS PAST WEEK.
SO WE HAVE, AND I THANK APH APH FOR ALL THE HARD WORK AS WE ARE BRIDGED TOGETHER.
AND WE WORK TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, BUT I STILL FEEL THAT THE NEED IS, IS IT'S NOT BEING PRIORITIZED THE WAY IT SHOULD BE HERE AND OUR COMMUNITIES AND, AND, AND SOME TYPE OF RECOMMENDATION, SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN WHERE MORE PEOPLE ARE BEING VACCINATED.
UM, AND I DO SEE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME OPERATIONS COMING.
UM, AND, AND I, AND I DO SEE THAT THAT'S FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE IN VEHICLES, BUT WE'RE HAVING A MOBILE ISSUE
[01:00:01]
HERE.WE'RE HAVING NO MOBILITY GOING OUT AND PICKING UP AT THESE RESIDENTS AND TAKING THEM TO THESE SITES.
WE'RE HAVING LONG LINES AT THE DEL CO, UH, AND AT THE DEL VALLEY, UH, UM, NOT DEL VALLEY SPRINGS CENTER, LONG LINES, AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN NOT BE STANDING IN THOSE LINES.
AND SO WE ALSO NEED TO WORK ON THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT CONNECTED WITH THE AGENCIES OR THE DOCTORS THAT ARE PROVIDING THE VACCINE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE PEOPLE THAT CANNOT REGISTER ONLINE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A COMPUTER.
THEY DON'T HAVE INTERNET SERVICE.
THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE A COMPUTER.
THEY NEED TO BE ATTENDED TO, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME TYPE OF OUTREACH TEAM OUT THERE THROUGH APA TO ACTUALLY TARGET THOSE RECIPIENTS AS WELL.
SO THAT'S MY TAKE ON THE CORONA VIRUS ISSUE.
WE'RE OUT HERE, LIKE I SAID, UM, I'D PUT IT ON MY FACEBOOK.
WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING NOW, WE'RE AT 3000 RECIPIENTS.
WE'VE BEEN STARTING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY, AND THAT IS THE LOCAL RESIDENTS HERE IN OUR DISTRICT AND OUR ZIP CODES.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MERCADO AND DOUBLE THANKS FOR YOUR WORK ALONG WITH OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND REGISTERING SO MANY FOLKS TO GET THAT VACCINE.
I KNOW THAT THAT IS VERY MEANINGFUL WORK AND VERY HELPFUL WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU.
UH, UH, IN ADDITION, OF COURSE, TO COMMISSIONER TOLERANCE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AROUND OF COURSE EXPAND, YOU KNOW, MORE SLOTS, MORE CENTERS, JUST EXPANDING CAPACITY, UH, EXPANDING OUTREACH EDUCATION.
BUT WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU IS LEVERAGING LESSONS LEARNED, UH, IN AS MUCH AS IMPROVING SYSTEM DESIGN, SO THAT REGISTRATION IS MAYBE EASIER.
AND IF THAT CAN'T HAPPEN NECESSARILY IMMEDIATELY LEVERAGING OFFICIALLY LEVERAGING THIRD-PARTY REGISTRARS OR COMMUNITY GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN SOME FORMAL WAY, UH, TO ASSIST, UH, WITH MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING REGISTERED, UH, UH, DEFINITELY ACCOMMODATING THOSE WHO ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION AND ENSURING THAT THERE ARE ACCESSIBLE AND AVENUES OF REGISTRATION OUTSIDE OF DIGITAL, MEANING OF PHONE LINE THAT PERHAPS WILL BE ANSWERED.
UM, AND I'M HEARING TRANSPORTATION IS A NEED, UH, THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, YOU KNOW, IMPROVED OR INCREASED HOURS, UH, THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE VARYING, UH, VARYING WORK SCHEDULES AND, UH, THE DEFINITE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND ADDRESSING OF LONG LINES AND, UH, AND, UH, ISSUES OF COMFORT, UH, THAT UNIQUELY CAN AFFECT, UM, FOLKS WHO ARE EITHER ELDER OR DIFFERENTLY ABLED, UH, IN THAT PROCESS.
DOES THAT, DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? YES.
UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE SOME, UM, SOME TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION OUT THERE FOR THEM AS THEY HAVE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, SIX FEET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER PRACTICE,
AND SO PROVIDING SOME CHAIRS ARE SOME TYPE OF, UH, DIFFERENT TYPE OF WAY TO ADMINISTER THESE SHOTS.
AND, UH, I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT THIS IS IN NO, AT LEAST IN AS MUCH AS I'M FRAMING IT, UH, UH, NOT A CRITICISM OF OUR EFFORTS, BUT RATHER A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS.
UH, AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF ANYTHING, WE'RE ABLE TO PACKAGE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IN A SOUP TO NUTS WAY, UH, THAT, THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
AND WE CAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY SAY THAT AS A COMMISSION, WE'VE DONE OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR EFFORTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
SO IT'S JUST RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONTINUALLY ENHANCE THE PROCESS, ESPECIALLY AS SORT OF THE INITIAL, IF YOU WILL.
UH, STAMPEDE RUSH HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT SUBSIDED AND FOLKS ARE GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTROL HANDLE ON THE SITUATION, UM, CAUSE ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY FEEDBACK? THIS IS COMMISSIONER SLOAN.
I HAVE SOME, UH, TARA, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THIS POINT OF DISCUSSION.
AND ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVE BEEN, UM, SORT OF, UH, SEEING THE AMPLIFICATION OF ONGOING INEQUALITY IN OUR COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT COVID HAS SPREAD AND HAS BEEN ADDRESSED MY OWN PERSONAL LENS, UM, USUALLY COMES BACK TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT BOTH WHAT COMMISSIONER
[01:05:01]
AND THEN AROUND TRANSPORTATION AS WELL.UM, IN MY WORK, UH, WATCHING FOLKS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WHO ARE ALSO OFTEN PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO COVID BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THEY ARE FORCED TO LIVE BECAUSE OF PREEXISTING AND CO-OCCURRING HEALTH CONDITIONS, BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND BECAUSE OTHER SERVICES HAVE BEEN, UM, SO IMPACTED BY COVID RESTRICTIONS, SUCH AS CASE MANAGERS NOT BEING ABLE TO, UM, MEET PEOPLE IN PERSON, BUT RELYING ON PHONE CALLS, WE'RE A DEMOGRAPHIC THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE PHONE ACCESSIBILITY.
UM, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN QUITE CHALLENGING TO BE, UH, THE WAY FORWARD TO ROLL OUT, UM, VACCINATION PROCESSES FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT BE CONNECTED WITH ANY OTHER SHELTERS, HOUSING OR SERVICES WHATSOEVER AT THIS TIME.
AND SO I WANTED TO BRING UP THAT AS A COMMISSION, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE ADVOCATE FOR, UM, THE POOR AND WORKING POOR OUR GRASS, OUR CITY, UH, THAT WE ALSO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE MOST, UH, MOST VULNERABLE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT I, UM, I'M FOLLOWING CLOSELY THAT CDC, THE OTHER CDC RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND BEST PRACTICES DURING COVID FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WHICH INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, UM, LEAVING ENCAMPMENTS IN PLACE.
UH, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW THAT ONCE SOMEONE IS LOCATED, THAT THEY CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO BE LOCATED.
AND SO FAR THE CITY HAS DONE A REASONABLE JOB OF THAT, BUT I WANT TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON IT IN UPCOMING MONTHS.
SECONDLY, UM, THE CDC RECOMMENDS, UH, ENSURING NEARBY RESTROOM FACILITIES HAVE FUNCTIONAL WATER, ARE STOCKPILED WITH HAND HYGIENE MATERIALS AND REMAIN OPEN TO EXPERIENCE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS 24 HOURS A DAY.
AND IF THOSE FACILITIES ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO PORTABLE THE TRAINS WITH HAND WASHING FACILITIES FOR ENCAMPMENTS OF MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE, THIS IS REALLY LACKING IN OUR CITY HAS BEEN LACKING FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND I THINK WE ARE IN A POSITION TO ADVOCATE TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, WE SEE THE CONNECTION OF OUR BROADER COMMUNITY WITH OUR NEIGHBORS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND THE VERY FACT THAT, UM, AT ALL TIMES THEIR HEALTH IMPACTS OUR HEALTH, BUT ESPECIALLY NOW IN THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC, WE CAN SEE THAT, UH, AMPLIFIED AND, AND JUST, UM, VERY LITERALLY AT OUR FINGERTIPS.
AND SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO RECOMMEND, UH, FOLLOWING THOSE GUIDELINES.
UM, I THINK THAT DOES US ALL A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF GOOD THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH COMMISSIONER SLOAN, UH, AND ALSO FOR BEING VERY SPECIFIC, UH, AROUND WHERE WE CAN FIND THAT GUIDANCE, UM, THE, UH, THAT OTHER
UM, I, UH, I DO APPRECIATE IT.
UH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER OLIVER.
UH
UM, THE NAME OF THE, UH, VOLUNTEERS THAT IS COMING TO TOWN TO HELP OUT IS CALLED SAMANTHA'S FIRST.
ANYONE HEARD OF THEM? I HAVE NOT COMMISSIONED.
WE GAVE YOU THE PHONE, WE'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE PHONE NUMBERS AND Y'ALL CAN CONTACT THEM AND TELL THEM WHO'S IN Y'ALL'S NEIGHBORHOOD THAT NEEDS HELP.
THE PHONE NUMBER IS (512) 220-9442.
THE NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION IS SEMESTERS FIRST COMMISSIONER TOLERBER.
UH, COULD YOU TELL ME THAT FIRST WORD, I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE TO GET SOME ANSWERS ANSWERS FIRST.
YES, IT FAILED S A M A R I T A N S.
AND, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER, UH, THOUGHTS, UH, AROUND PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO VACCINATION EFFORTS AROUND COVID OR REALLY HEALTH PRESERVATION EFFORTS AROUND COVID, BUT THE POST-IT ITEM IS VACCINATION.
WELL, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH, BUT THAT BEING SAID, AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S IN A SIMILAR VEIN, UH, WHICH IS LOOKING
[01:10:01]
AT, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST FIRST MAKE SURE TO READ THE EXACT[3D. Discussion and possible action on a recommendation related to basic needs and critical utility (and other) services for residents of Austin's disadvantaged communities in light of the crisis brought on by winter storm Uri (CDC member discussion) ]
TEXT OF THE ITEM DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO BASIC NEEDS AND CRITICAL UTILITY AND OTHER SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN'S DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES IN LIGHT OF THE CRISIS BROUGHT ON BY THE WINTER STORM.UM, AS WE KNOW, UH, AND MANY COMMISSIONERS HAD ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED, UH, HERE TODAY, UH, THAT CRISIS ISN'T OVER AND MANY FOLKS ARE STILL STILL LIVING, UH, WITH IT AND SUFFERING THROUGH IT.
UH, AND, UH, OF COURSE THE ABILITY TO MANAGE THESE CRISES, AS YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME OF OUR SENATORS HAVE DEMONSTRATED TO US IS CERTAINLY, UH, SOMETHING OF A FUNCTION, BUT IT WAS HUMBLING FOR ALL OF US AT SOME IT'S IT'S IT'S RELATED TO A FUNCTION, UH, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR ABILITY, UH, UH, TO INVOKE FINANCIAL PRIVILEGE, UH, UH, VERY OFTEN TO BE ABLE TO ESCAPE THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND, UH, I, AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE I THINK NONE OF US WOULD DISAGREE THAT DISPARITIES, UH, ARE AMPLIFIED.
UH, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY, IT'S, IT'S ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT TO BE DEMONSTRATED.
UH, AND SO THE HOPE HERE WAS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HAVE DISCUSSION AROUND WHERE WE COULD, COULD IMPROVE, UH, YOU KNOW, AROUND OUR RESPONSE WITH RESPECT TO CRISES LIKE THIS ONE.
NOW, GRANTED WE KNOW THAT THIS WINTER STORM, THE SO MUCH OF THE RESPONSIBILITY AROUND IT WAS NOT, UH, UH, CONCENTRATED, UH, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE LOCAL AUTHORITY HERE.
AND THAT BEING SAID, THERE ARE STILL A VERY MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, UH, FOR LEARNING, UH, AND IMPROVEMENT THAT WE MIGHT HAVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO PREPAREDNESS.
AND THERE WILL BE MANY APPLICATIONS OF THE SAME.
UH, I BET THERE IS NOT ANYBODY HERE INVOLVED AT A LOCAL UTILITY, UH, DOES NOT THINKING ABOUT HOW WE SOLVE FOR A PROBLEM TO HAPPEN THIS TIME AROUND.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, HAVING A DISTRIBUTED, UH, YOU KNOW, OR A WATER COLLECTION SITES, UH, IN, IN, IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WOULD BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE IN THIS KIND OF EMERGENCY, IF IT WERE, IF IT, UH, IF IT WERE CENTRALIZED, UH, OR WHAT HAVE YOU, UM, JUST ENSURING THAT DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES ARE EITHER THE FIRST ONES, UH, TO BE ABLE TO EITHER PILOT OR EXPERIENCE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT CERTAINLY NOT THE LAST ONES.
UH, AND I LOOK TO ALL OF YOU FOR MORE GUIDANCE AND MORE REFINEMENT AROUND THAT, YOU KNOW, AS IN AS MUCH AS WHAT YOU ALL ARE HEARING, UH, IN WHAT YOU ALL, UH, MIGHT RECOMMEND, UM, FOR THE SAME.
SO I'D LIKE TO BRIEFLY OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR JUST, YOU KNOW, FEEDBACK AND POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT, AND ALSO TOSS OUT THE NOTION OF POTENTIALLY PUTTING TOGETHER AN AD HOC WORK GROUP TO LOOK AT THIS AND MAYBE FORMULATE LANGUAGE FOR BOTH OF THESE FINAL TWO AGENDA ITEMS, UH, BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, SO IF WE COULD FIRST JUST OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR THE DISCUSSION, UH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS AROUND THIS TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING ANYWAY, IF WE COULD SHARE WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING? I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT OPENER.
I'M HAPPY TO START IF NO ONE ELSE IS READY.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS ON THIS.
ONE IS, UH, AROUND COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY.
THIS ISN'T, UM, PREVENTING ANY CRISIS, BUT I THINK THAT IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT THAT WE COULD DIRECTLY INFLUENCE.
UM, I'M GOING TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
UH, MY POWER WENT OUT ON MONDAY MORNING, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS AT AROUND 2:00 AM.
AND, UM, MY FIRST RESPONSE WAS TO CHECK OUT THE AUSTIN ENERGY WEBSITE, WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY WAS A RE RE AWARE OF THE OUTAGE TRACKING IT AND WOULD BE ADDRESSING IT.
AND, UM, AFTER CHECKING IN WITH MY NEIGHBORS, I CONTINUE TO VISIT THE SITE THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
THE IMPLICATION OF THE LANGUAGE ON THE SITE WAS THAT REPAIRS WOULD BE FORTHCOMING, THAT THE ISSUE WOULD BE RESOLVED.
IT WAS ONLY THAT EVENING AS DARKNESS BEGAN TO, UM, COME BACK THAT I WAS MADE AWARE THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS FROM A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER THAT OFTEN ENERGY WAS NOT INTENDING TO REPAIR.
THAT OUTAGE WAS ACTUALLY NOT CAPABLE OF REPAIRING THAT OUTAGE, THAT IT WAS A NECESSARY OUTAGE.
IT WASN'T A DOWN TRANSFORMER, UM, THAT THIS
[01:15:01]
WAS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING, UM, LACK OF LACK OF ELECTRICITY FOR US IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, LIKE SO MANY NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS AUSTIN.AND THE IMPACT OF THAT FOR ME, AND MY EXPERIENCE WAS THAT I IMMEDIATELY HAD TO GO BACK AND REVISIT MY NEIGHBORS, PARTICULARLY MY ELDERLY NEIGHBORS, AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO GET READY RIGHT NOW FOR THE NIGHT TO COME AND POTENTIALLY ANOTHER NIGHT AFTER THAT, THAT WE NEEDED TO DO MAKING THE LIFESAVING CHOICES FOR OURSELVES IN THAT MOMENT AND NOT EXPECTING AUSTIN ENERGY TO COME AND FIX THE PROBLEM THAT THEY WERE NOT IN FACT ON THE WAY OF THE WEBSITE CONTINUED TO IMPLY UNTIL DAYS LATER.
AND SO I THINK THAT AS, UM, AUSTIN WATER MADE A TREMENDOUS EFFORT TO DO, UM, HAVING REAL COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY IN THIS REGARD, GIVING US HONEST UPDATES OF WHAT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING, WHAT WAS BEING DEMANDED OF THEM BY THE, BY ERCOT AND THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION WOULD PUT US ALL IN A DIFFERENT SITUATION THAN HOW WE WOULD HAVE RESPONDED IN THAT MOMENT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT THAT OF THEM GOING FORWARD.
UH, I ALSO THINK THAT THOSE COMMUNICATIONS, AS WE SAW WITH AUSTIN WATER NEEDS TO BE RE-EVALUATED THAT MANY, MANY TENANTS ACROSS AUSTIN ARE NOT LISTED ON THEIR UTILITY BILL BECAUSE THEIR UTILITIES GO THROUGH THEIR LANDLORDS.
AND SO WE NEED ANOTHER METHOD OF COMMUNICATION IN THESE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS TO KEEP EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY UPDATED ON WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING, WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT, SO THEY CAN MAKE THE BEST CHOICES FOR THEM.
I HAVE ONE MORE NOTE, SORRY, I'M TAKING SO LONG HERE.
OBVIOUSLY BEEN ON MY MIND, PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME CHRISTMAS LONG, FORGIVE THE INTERRUPTION, BUT PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME.
UM, I WAS REALLY, UH, GLAD TO SEE THE, UH, ADDITIONAL ALLOCATION OF $1 MILLION TO THE GO, UH, HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH, THE WOMEN'S WITHIN THIS COMMISSION.
IN ADDITION TO OTHER HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS, I WOULD LIKE FOR US AS A COMMISSION TO REALLY KEEP AN EYE ON AND HOLD TO ACCOUNT THE SPENDING OF THOSE DOLLARS TO, UM, WATCH AS THEY GO OUT, UH, WITH THE SPEED AT WHICH THEY WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO.
AND I'M TRYING TO REMAIN HOPEFULLY LIKE OPTIMISTIC WITH, WITH MY HEAVY SKEPTICISM HERE.
BUT, UM, MY EXPECTATION IS THAT THOSE, THOSE MILLION DOLLARS WILL BE SPENT QUITE QUICKLY BECAUSE WE ARE IN AN EMERGENCY AND THEY SHOULD BE SPENT QUITE QUICKLY, BUT I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THOSE DOLLARS WILL BE SPENT IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC, UM, AND WHATEVER BEST PRACTICES FROM, FROM THAT SPENDING OF DOLLARS ON REPAIRING PEOPLE'S HOMES SHOULD BE, UM, CAPTAIN PLACE GOING FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO SPEND HOME REPAIR DOLLARS AT THE SAME RATE THAT THEY WILL BE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE FOLKS HAVE BEEN ON THAT LIST FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THEY'VE BEEN IN AN EMERGENCY FOR A LONG TIME.
AND I JUST HOPE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO RAMP UP THAT PROGRAM, GET THE REPAIRS MADE QUICKLY, AND THEN KEEP THAT STANDARD.
UM, FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC FOR THOSE FUNDS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO THEM MUCH, VERY, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
THANK YOU FOR A VERY ACTIONABLE AND CLEAR RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT ABOUT, OH, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, BEYOND THE TRAIN WITH YOU, UM, AS, UH, I'M ALREADY HOPPING ON, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING SURE THAT A WE'RE ABLE TO RAMP UP, UH, UH, IMPLEMENTATION OF BOTH PROGRAM REPAIRS WITH RESPECT TO THE NEW DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING IN AND BE MAINTAINED.
UH, I THINK THAT, THAT, UH, UM, FEED, UH, AND THE OTHER THINGS I WAS HEARING WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENT ON CLEAR COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY, UH, IMPROVEMENT OF THOSE PROTOCOLS, UH, PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, AROUND BEING TOLD ONE THING, UH, IN THE BEGINNING, UH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WASN'T TRUE, UH, AND BEING TOLD SOMETHING ELSE LATER, IT MEANT EXPECTATIONS EARLY WITH BAD NEWS CERTAINLY HELPS US PREPARE A BETTER, UH, AND THOSE OF US WHO ARE LESS EQUIPPED TO PREPARE REALLY NEED TO KNOW EARLIER, UH, AND ALSO, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO IMPROVING COMMUNICATION, NOT JUST AS PROTOCOL OR JUST ANOTHER SUBSET OF THOSE PROTOCOLS IS LOOKING AT HARD VOTING IN IF ANYTHING, UH, UH, PROTOCOLS TO REACH OUT TO OTHER NON-TRADITIONAL OR NON, UH, AT LEAST NON-TRADITIONAL WITH RESPECT TO CURRENT PROCESSES, COMMUNICATION CHANNELS, UH, THROUGH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, AS MANY TENANTS AREN'T NECESSARILY EXPLICITLY LISTED ON THEIR UTILITY BILLS.
SO I MIGHT SUGGEST THAT THAT MEANS WORKING THROUGH GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH, UH, PLACES OF WORSHIP, UH, AND THROUGH OTHER WELL-KNOWN,
[01:20:01]
UH, COMMUNITY CHANNELS, UH, UH, TO ENSURE, UH, THAT THE PROPER WORD IS GETTING OUT.IS THAT, DOES THAT TRACK WITH YOU COMMISSIONER SONG? THAT'S IT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, ANYBODY ELSE, UH, COMMISSIONER YOUNG HAD, UH, ONE QUESTION WHAT THE, UM, THE CLOSURE OF THE HARLOT HOLLY POWER PLANT HAD HELPED US OUT IF IT WAS UP AND FUNCTIONING, THAT IS CERTAINLY OUTSIDE OF MY PURVIEW COMMISSIONER YOUNG.
UH, I, I, NO, I THAT'S JUST WAY OUT OF MY LEAGUE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYBODY IN THE ROOM THAT COULD SPEAK TO THE, UH, BUT, UH, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE, UH, UH, THE, UH, THE, THE INTENT BEHIND THE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE IT LOOKS LIKE CAPACITY.
I MIGHT BE ABLE TO TRY TO RUMINATE ON IT, BUT I THINK HE WOULD JUST BE EQUATED TO MANSPLAINING IF I DID
COMMOTION OR YOUNG COMMISSIONER YOUNG, PLEASE, UH, COMMISSIONER YOUNG, UH, WHEN THEY SHUT DOWN THE HOLLY POWER PLANT, THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY WOULD BE ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE THINGS THAT THEY NEEDED THE MOST IS JUST LIKE OUT HERE IN SEVEN, EIGHT, SEVEN, TWO, FOUR ZIP CODES.
WE HAVE, UH, DECKER POWER PLANTS.
THEY WAS HOLLERING ABOUT SHUTTING NET DOWN.
BUT THEN AFTER THIS FEAR SITUATION THAT, UH, PUT US IN THE DARKNESS GUESS LAST WEEK, THEY SAID, THEY GOING TO GO AHEAD AND KEEP IT SUPPRESSED.
IT WAS GENERATING A WHOLE LOT OF POWERS.
IF ANYBODY HADN'T LOOKED INTO THE EAST, THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN THE SMOKE STACK WAS WORKING OVERTIME AND, UH, UH, OTHER, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
I FEEL THAT, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY WAS STUCK BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE WITH THE SITUATION THAT THEY WAS ORDERED TO GIVE OUT MORE POWER, THAT THEY COULDN'T EVEN REPAIR THE LINES OF THE TRANSFORMERS THAT WAS DOWN, BECAUSE IF THEY HAD A BROUGHT HIM UP, THEY WERE STILL GOING TO ADD MORE POWER TO THAT PLANT.
AND HOPEFULLY, UH, ALSO AN ENERGY DO NOT CUSTOMERS WITH ANYTHING THAT SEEMS TOY.
AND MY RECOMMENDATION IS AUSTIN ENERGY DID THE BEST THAT THEY COULD AND TRYING TO HOLD THEIR HEADS BECAUSE THEY NOTICED IN 2011, WHEN WE HAD THE BIGGEST POWER OUTAGE FROM THAT PLANT, THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD TO DO SOME WORK ON THAT PLANT, BUT THEY NEVER DID.
SO NOW HERE, IT IS ALMOST THINK OF HOW MANY YEARS, ALMOST 30 YEARS LATER.
AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T BROUGHT THAT PLAN UP TO WORKING CONDITIONS.
THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER TODDLER.
AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER YOUNG.
I'M NOT ABLE TO GIVE A MORE, UH, ABSOLUTE RESPONSE THERE.
UH, AND I WOULD LOOK TO THE VICE CHAIR.
UH, I HAVE SOME OTHER THINGS I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND, AND THEY ARE THE, WE SEEK FUNDS FROM FEMA FOR RE UH, FOR PAYING FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR HOUSES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE WATER.
SO THAT ANY THING THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED CAN BE REIMBURSED BY FEMA, THAT WE MAKE AN ASSESSMENT OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE LOW INCOME HAVE FIRST PIPES NEED HELP TO FIX THEM.
THAT WE WORK WITH FAITH BASED GROUPS AND THE NATIONAL GUARD, IF IT TAKES IT TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THOSE PEOPLE ARE AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE MET STILL, THAT WE SEEK MONEY FROM THE RAINY DAY FUND FROM THE STATE TO HELP US COVER THESE COSTS, TO THE EXTENT THAT FEMA DOESN'T THAT'S IT.
UH, AND I JUST WANT TO RUN THOSE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST OF WHICH WAS SEEKING FUNDS FROM FEMA.
[01:25:01]
UM, THE SECOND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS IMMUNO AND JUST ENSURING THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO HELP FOLKS GET, UH, ANYTHING REIMBURSED BY FEMA THAT, THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO NEXT IS ASSESSING HOW MANY LOW-INCOME FOLKS DO HAVE PIPE DAMAGE OR OTHER RELATED DAMAGE, UH, SYSTEM, REPLACING THEM WORKING WITH FAITH BASED GROUPS AND OTHER GROUPS, AS WELL AS THE NATIONAL GUARD IS NECESSARY TO DO SO AND PURSUING BOLLARDS FROM THE RAINY DAY, THE STATE'S RAINY DAY FUND, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT.UH, SO DOES THAT CATCH MOST OF WHAT YOU SAID, OR, AND IF I'M MISSING SOMETHING, PLEASE, UM, IS THE ASSESSMENT OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE LIST? YES, IT IS.
UH, AND, UH, LISA, WOULD YOU HAVE ANY GUIDANCE ON, UH, BEING ABLE ON HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET AN ANSWER TO COMMISSIONER YOUNG'S QUESTION OR HOW I MIGHT BE ABLE TO JUST, UH, HOW ANY OF US MIGHT BE ABLE TO SORT OF REACH OUT TO GET JUST A FOLLOW UP RESPONSE AROUND WHETHER THE HOLLY, UH, AROUND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE HOLLY POWER PLANT? THIS IS LISA.
UM, I WILL FORWARD THAT QUESTION TO SOMEONE WHO'S BETTER EQUIPPED TO ANSWER.
AND JESSE, DO YOU HAVE ANY THING THAT, ANY THOUGHTS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE ON THAT? I DON'T KNOW.
I HAVEN'T NOTED FOR SURE IN THE MINUTES.
UH, COMMISSIONER YOUNG W WE WILL FOLLOW UP AND WE WILL GET BACK TO YOU.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, FINALLY, UH, ARE THERE ANY MORE COMMENTS ON POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENT THERE BEFORE WE CLOSED THAT ITEM? OKAY.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S NOT THAT THE DISASTER WON'T HAS NOT THAT A DISASTER WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, AND WE'RE GOING TO PREVENT A DISASTER FROM HAPPENING AND THAT'S KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY IT, BUT RATHER THAT IF, AND WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BE BETTER.
UH, AND I THINK THAT EVERYBODY IS APPROACHING IT THAT WAY.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, IN THIS CASE, IT WAS JUST THAT THE CASCADE FAILURE WITH A DOMINO OF EVENTS FROM, YOU KNOW, WATER SERVICES, NOT EVEN BEING, GETTING THE POWER, THEY NEEDED TO DO WHAT THEY NEEDED COUPLED WITH, OF COURSE, OF ALL OF THE COMPLICATIONS THAT JUST CAME WITH THE COLD, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS BEING TRAPPED AND NOT BEING ABLE TO LEAVE, UH, THE IGLOOS THAT MANY OF US WERE STUCK IN, UH, TO BE ABLE TO OBTAIN SO MANY OF THE SALIENT BASIC NEEDS.
SO SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT I KNOW THAT THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS WERE ALREADY WORKING ON IT ARE GOING TO BE THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE DECENTRALIZE THESE THINGS SO THAT IF WE ARE CONCENTRATED IN AN AREA, UH, WITHOUT THEM, AND WE ARE FROZEN IN A WAY THAT WILL SLIDE DOWN HILLS, BECAUSE WE CAN'T GO ANYWHERE, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE CONCENTRATE, BACKUP WATER SUPPLIES, UH, IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY? HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE DECENTRALIZE THINGS? AND, AND OF COURSE I'M SPECULATING BECAUSE I'M NOT A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT IN THESE AREAS.
HOWEVER, I DO KNOW THAT THE EXPERTS WILL COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS, MY HOPE, AND I HOPE THAT THAT ALSO THE HOPES OF THE COMMISSION ARE THAT THESE SOLUTIONS ARE GOING TO BE EQUITABLY EMPLOYED ACROSS THE COMMUNITIES WHO NEED THEM, UH, ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE COMMUNITIES WHO ARE MOST DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED, UH, BY HISTORICALLY AND CURRENTLY BY THESE TYPES OF DISASTERS.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT SAID, IT'S GOING TO BE MY HOPE, UH, UH, TO WORK, UH, WITH THE VICE CHAIR.
AND OF COURSE, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL HOPE TO PASS THE DRAFTS, UH, TO EVERYBODY BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING, PUT SOME LANGUAGE TOGETHER, UH, AROUND, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, SORT OF A COMPREHENSIVE RECOMMENDATION FOR IMPROVEMENT WOULD BE THROUGH THE LENS AGAIN, OF EQUITY AS RELATED TO OUR DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AROUND THAT OR ANY CONCERNS ABOUT SORT OF THAT FRAME HANGING, UH, WE B UH, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING, UH, COMMISSIONARY CHAIR.
UH, CAN I READ THIS ABOUT THE HOLLY PLANS TO COMMISSIONER YOUNG? UH, SURE.
IS IT JUST A PARAGRAPH OR TWO? YEAH, THE, UH, THE, HOW HIGHLY PRIVATE PLAN WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1958 TO 1974, IT PRODUCED DECOMMISSION IN 2007 DUE TO CITIZENS' COMPLAINTS OVER THE CHEMICAL SPILLS THAT TOOK PLACE IN 1974, 1991 AND 1992, AND THE NOISE POLLUTION THE PLANT CREATED.
SO THAT'S WHY IT WAS THE COMMISSION.
MICHAEL PAUL COMMISSIONER COLLIVER.
[01:30:01]
UH, SUSPECTING DIDN'T NECESSARILY GO OUT ON A LIMB.UH, AND, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER YOUNG.
DID YOU, UH, HAVE ANY RESPONSE TO THAT IN A SENSE AS TIME GOES ON THERE'S UPGRADES, UH, FOR IMPROVEMENT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DIDN'T INVEST IN THAT UPGRADED, WHAT WAS GETTING THOSE, UH, COMPLAINTS.
WE SHOULDN'T BE UPGRADING THEN, UH, COMMISSIONER YOUNG, UH, WITH THE COMPLAINTS AND THIS COMMISSION, UH, THAT PLANT, UH, THERE'S NO LONGER, UH, ANY, UH, FACILITY THAT IT'S ALL BEEN TURNED INTO A APARTMENT COMPLEX, UH, AND A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER SITUATION THAT THE SITUATION GREW TOO BIG FOR THE CITY, AND THEY DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND DECOMMISSION IT AND, UH, GET RID OF IT AS JUST, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO THAT THEY, UH, SOLD THE PROPERTY TO A DEVELOPER.
SO I'M HOPING THAT THEY KEEP THE DECKER POWER PLANT.
THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR THE DISCUSSION AROUND THAT.
WE'LL FOLLOW UP LISA, AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP, UH, AND, UH, ALSO GET ANY ADDITIONAL CONTEXT IF APPLICABLE AGAIN, UH, MR. RODRIGUEZ, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, OR JUST TO REMINDER THAT ANY, UH, LANGUAGE THAT YOU WANT TO CIRCULATE SHOULD COME THROUGH JESSE GUTIERREZ SO THAT HE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD BE THE POINT PERSON.
AND SO NOT COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER DIRECTLY AND FORMING A WALKING QUORUM.
THAT'S ONE, NUMBER TWO IS IF YOU WANT TO FORM A WORKING GROUP, THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO DO IT SO THAT YOU GUYS, MAYBE TWO OR THREE OF YOU COULD HASH OUT THE LANGUAGE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, AND THEN FORWARD IT TO US FOR THE, FOR THE BACKUP, FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
THANK YOU, LISA, UH, ACKNOWLEDGED AND UNDERSTOOD.
I, UH, WILL, UH, CERTAINLY BE COMMUNICATING, UH, THROUGH DESSIE AND LOVE THE IDEA OF THE WORK GROUP, BUT GIVEN SORT OF TIME CONSTRAINTS.
AND MY HOPE THAT WE WRAP THIS UP, IT'S SEVEN 30 TODAY, NOT TO MENTION THAT OUR NEXT MEETING IS JUST A WEEK AND A HALF AWAY.
I THOUGHT IT BEST TO HAVE SORT OF MANLY IDENTIFIED FOLKS WHO MIGHT BE GOOD FOR AN ONGOING WORKING GROUP, UH, AFTER WE SORT OF GET THE RESULT OF THIS RECOMMENDATION, BECAUSE I, UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T THINK THESE DISPARITY ISSUES ARE GOING ANYWHERE.
UH, AND SO I THINK WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME OF THE KEY PLAYERS TODAY BASED ON FEEDBACK.
UH, AND AS WE GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHO'S GOING TO BE STAYING ON THE, ON THE BOARD, UH, OR ON THE COMMISSION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, I WOULD LOVE TO SOLIDIFY THAT WORKING GROUP TO BE ABLE TO GIVE US THE AVENUE TO DISCUSS THIS MORE OPENLY AND COMFORTABLY WITHOUT SORT OF BE THE TRADITIONAL COMMUNICATION, UH, UH, CONSTRAINTS.
DOES THAT SOUND OKAY? AND, AND SO IT, BASICALLY, THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT I WOULD, UH, DISTILL DOWN ALL THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE WE'VE DONE.
UH, WELL, I, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE, UH, IN, IN DESI, CERTAINLY, BUT I'VE ALSO TAKEN SOME PRETTY STRONG NOTES HERE.
BE ABLE TO HONOR THE COMMISSIONERS WHO'VE PARTICIPATED IN 10.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, LET'S MOVE TO, UH, NUMBER FOUR
[4. Election of a CDC member to the Austin Transit Partnership Community Advisory Committee ]
OLD BUSINESS, THE ELECTION OF A CDC MEMBER TO THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.WE WERE TO HAVE HAD A PRESENTATION ON THIS, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, DUE TO SCHEDULING ISSUES.
AND, UH, NONETHELESS IT'S A SALIENT MATTER AND MANY OF US HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS.
UH, I'D LIKE TO PASS IT TO THE VICE CHAIR FOR SOME OPENING COMMENT.
HIDDEN BENEATH ALL THE, THE, UM, DISCUSSION AROUND THIS ARE SOME THINGS THAT I THINK ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMISSION.
UM, THERE'S THE WHOLE EQUITY QUESTION.
IT CAME UP AND IT WAS SOMEWHAT OF AN ISSUE IN THE ELECTION FOR THESE BONDS, THE ISSUES OF THE PLACEMENT OF STATIONS, THE ISSUES OF THE AMOUNT OF SERVICE THAT COMES FROM WHAT'S PRODUCED WITH THE BONDS AND THE, THE WHOLE DISPLACEMENT FUND.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT FUND, WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO GET 55 MILLION, $65 MILLION WORTH OF BONDS, AND THEN $250 MILLION OF BONDS.
AND WE THOUGHT THAT WAS A BIG DEAL TO GET $250 MILLION WORTH OF BONDS FOR HOUSING HERE IN PROJECT CONNECT,
[01:35:01]
OR $300 MILLION FOR HOUSING RELATED ACTIVITIES.SO THEY CAN DO WITH THE BONDS CAN DO.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME THOUGHT THAT THEY'LL DO OTHER THINGS LIKE, UM, WELL VOUCHERS LIKE RENT VOUCHERS FOR PEOPLE AND CUSTOMARILY.
THE CITY DOES NOT SPEND BOND MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT CAN, THAT DOESN'T LAST THE LIFE OF THE BOND.
SO IF, UH, WE PAID SOMEBODY'S RENT FOR A YEAR OR ASSISTED WITH PAYING SOMEBODY RENT FOR A YEAR, WE'D STILL BE PAYING OFF THE BOND FOR 20 YEARS.
SO TYPICALLY THAT'S NOT PART OF WHAT THE CITY DOES WITH BOND MONEY.
SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE DECISIONS TO BE MADE ABOUT HOW WE, HOW WE MAKE GOOD ON WHAT WE TOLD THE VOTERS, BECAUSE WE TOLD THE VOTERS, WE WE'RE GOING TO DO THINGS THAT WE DON'T USUALLY DO WITH THE BONDS.
AND THEN THERE ARE THE ISSUES ABOUT THE STATIONS, THE SERVICE CAN WE BUILD APARTMENT COMPLEXES OR PRESERVE APARTMENT COMPLEX IS CLOSE TO WHERE THE NEW STATIONS ARE GOING.
SO THERE'S REALLY VERY LITTLE INPUT FROM THAT ANGLE STRUCTURED INTO PROJECT CONNECT.
AND THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF, I THINK THERE'S ONE OR TWO SLOTS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUNITY NEEDS, BUT THAT'S NOT THEIR PRINCIPLE FOCUS THAT THEY'RE BEING RECRUITED TO, TO, UM, ADDRESS ON THE BOARD.
THEN THERE'S AN ADVISORY BOARD AND IT'S INTENDED MORE TO GET AT THESE EQUITY QUESTIONS AND THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION GETS A SEAT ON THAT ADVISORY BOARD.
SO I'M HOPING THAT SOMEBODY, UM, AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO VOLUNTEERED TO HELP, UH, TO, TO BE OUR REPRESENTATIVE, WE'RE GONNA ACCEPT THEIR OFFERS.
UM, BUT IT, IT'S, IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT LOOKS ON THE SURFACE AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET INPUT.
THERE'S NO OTHER BORDER COMMISSION THAT HAS A CHARGE LIKE WE DO.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT OUR REPRESENTATIVES SERVE, UH, CARRY THE INTERESTS OF OUR COMMISSION INTO THE THINKING OF PROJECT CONNECT.
AND I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER SLOAN AND COMMISSIONER MAKIA HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER MAKIA HAS VOLUNTEERED TO SERVE.
AND THE COMMISSIONER SLOAN IS INTERESTED IN A KIND OF A BACKUP ROLE FOR THAT.
YES, MY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, UH, THAT WE, YOU KNOW, AS, AS A COMMISSION, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN IRON CLAD, UH, PRESENCE, UH, THERE ON THAT, UH, ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, AS A RESULT OF THE, THE ITEMS THAT, UH, VICE CHAIR POP, UH, OH, KINDLY MENTIONED.
AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, COMMISSIONERS AND WITH TARO GARRETT FOR HAVING TAKEN A VERY ACTIVE ROLE, UH, IN, UH, WORKING WITH BOTH MYSELF AND THE VICE CHAIR, UH, UH, JUNCTURE ENSURE THAT WE'RE, WELL-REPRESENTED, THAT WE'RE WELL-REPRESENTED HERE.
UH, AND, UH, AT THE, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UH, AS I'VE MOST RECENTLY HEARD FROM COMMISSIONER SLOAN IS THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER MAHEA AND COMMISSIONER SLOAN WOULD MAYBE SUPPORT EACH OTHER IN FILLING THAT ROLE IN ALTERNATE, IF THAT WERE TO BE A POSSIBILITY.
UM, AND IF NOT, UH, THEN, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER MAHEA, UH, UH, WOULD SERVE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD SORT OUT, UH, SOME SORT OF PROCESS WITH COMMISSIONER SLOAN ONGOING.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT SAID, UH, WHAT I MIGHT SUSPECT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, LISA WOULD BE TO, UH, NOMINATE COMMISSIONERS MCGEE AND SLOAN AS, UH, SORT OF BOTH, UH, BEING, UH, UH, ONE HALF OF OUR REPRESENTATION THERE, UM, ALTERNATING.
AND IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, THEN, UH, JUST NOMINATING COMMISSIONER MAHEA, UH, THAT'S YOUR OPTION? I DON'T THINK THERE'S A WAY TO ALTERNATE.
UM, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING ON ANY BOARD.
UM, I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S THE DEFINITIVE ANSWER THOUGH.
UM, AND IT'S WORTH POSING THE QUESTION TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
I THINK I WOULD, IF YOU'RE TOWARDS THE TRADITION OF HAVING ONE PERSON AND THEN ASKING THE QUESTION OF WHETHER COMMISSIONER SLOAN COULD SERVE AS BACKUP, IF COMMISSIONER MIKEY IS NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE OR BE THERE ONE WEEK OR ONE MONTH ACKNOWLEDGED A COMMISSIONER SLOAN, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT, GIVEN THAT YOU'RE HERE PRESENT TODAY, WOULD YOU,
[01:40:01]
UH, UH, I'M ALSO HAPPY AT THE NOMINATE YOU, UH, AS, UH, YOU KNOW, AS THE OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE AND THEN GO FROM THERE, UM, OR NOMINATE COMMISSIONER MAHIA, BUT WHILE YOU'RE HERE, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK.UM, YEAH, I APPRECIATE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND I THINK THAT THAT IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO GO COMMISSIONER MAKIAH AND I, OUR CONVERSATION WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, AROUND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHOEVER WAS SERVING WAS ABLE TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY COULD BE PREVALENT AND, UM, BOTH AT THAT MEETING AND THEN BRING THAT INFORMATION TO, AND FROM THIS MEETING MONTH TO MONTH.
UM, AND SO IF THERE'S A WAY TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER MAHEA AND, UM, IF WE CAN CHECK WITH THE CITY CLERK AND JUST SAY, IF COMMISSIONER MAHIA IS NOT AVAILABLE ONE MONTH, CAN I SERVE ON THE HALF, UH, AS A BACKUP PERSON SO THAT WE DON'T MISS, I HAVE A FEELING IT'S BURNING TO BE, UM, QUITE QUICK ORDERS OF BUSINESS.
AND ALSO OF COURSE, AS, AS COMMISSIONER ME HERE NEEDS TO CYCLE OFF MORE PERMANENTLY AT SOME POINT, AND WE NEED TO, RE-EXAMINE, I'D BE HAPPY TO STEP UP IF NO ONE ELSE IS WANTING TO AT THAT POINT.
UM, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH NOMINEE NOMINATING COMMISSIONER MAKIAH.
AND, UM, I'M GETTING THOSE DETAILS FROM THE CITY CLERK ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT, UM, JUST SUPPORT EACH OTHER WELL IN THAT.
UH, I'LL WANT TO SECOND MOTION.
YEAH, I WAS WHAT I WAS ASKING WAS I HEARING A NOMINATION FROM YOU? UH, UH, THEIR COMMISSIONER'S LOAN.
I'D BE HAPPY TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER MAYHEM.
AND DO I HEAR A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER YOUNG? YES.
UM, THEN, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF NOMINATING, UH, COMMISSIONER MAHIA TO THE, UH, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THEY SAY, AYE.
AND ANY ABSTENTIONS, WILL YOU PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF HEARD NOW? THANK YOU.
AND, UH, SO UNANIMOUSLY PASSES, UH, AND, UH, WE WILL BE APPOINTING A COMMISSIONER ON MAHEA I TO REPRESENT AND FOLLOWING UP WITH THE CLERK OFFICE ABOUT ENSURING THAT WE CAN HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT SLOAN, UH, UM, THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM OF THE WORKING
[5A. Monthly update, discussion and possible action on items brought forward by the Working Group on Economic Independence and Funding for Families in Need (Commissioners Delgado and Mejia)]
GROUP REPORTS.UH, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A MONTHLY UPDATES, UH, ON, UH, UH, THE ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE AND FUNDING FOR FAMILIES REPORT.
IS THAT CORRECT? COMMISSIONER
I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT AS THAT'S A CORRECT.
AND, UH, I'M ASSUMING ALSO COMMISSIONER, UH, DECIBEL THAT WE DON'T
[5B. Monthly update, discussion and possible action on a draft recommendation from the Working Goup on Reimagining Public Safety and Policing (Commissioner Deshotel)]
HAVE MONTHLY UPDATE ON, OR DO WE, DO WE HAVE ANY UPDATES ON REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY AND POLICING? FORGIVE ME FOR MAKING ASSUMPTION? UH, NO, NO, NO, IT'S OKAY.[6. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, AROUND ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, COMMISSIONER SLOAN, UH, HAS EXPRESSED THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE MORE ENGAGED WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, AND SO WE WILL BE MEETING AND DISCUSSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT SORT OF ENGAGEMENT AND MORE AND DEEPER UNDERSTANDING AROUND THE EQUITY OFFICE.IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYONE LIKE TO BRING TO THE TABLE NOW? UM, UH, FOR US TO BE THINKING ABOUT AS FAR AS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ARE CONCERNED, I CAN BE CLEAR THAT THE NEXT MONTH AGENDA IS ALREADY PRETTY PACKED BECAUSE IT'S SOME DISPLACEMENT FROM THIS ONE, BUT NONETHELESS, WE'RE ALWAYS DOING OUR BEST TO TRY TO GET EVERYTHING ON NOW WOULD BE THE TIME.
AND IF NOT, AND IF YOU WANT TO GET ON WITH YOUR WEEKEND, DO ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO EMAIL, UH, LISA AND JESSE, AND THEY'LL MAKE SURE THAT BOTH VICE-CHAIR POP AND I ARE COMPRISED OF YOUR AYE.
UM, JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT UPDATES TRACK WILL BE A STANDING ITEM FOR EVERY MONTH.
UM, THANK YOU, MR. GARRETT, DID YOU TAKE ON FADE FROM THE PACK FROM THE, UH, THE TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, UH, ADVISORY COMMITTEE? YES.
UH, AND YEAH, AND NOTED, UH, LISA, UH, HOW WOULD, HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT ENSURING THAT THAT IS THE CASE?
[01:45:01]
SO TYPICALLY WITH ANY ITEM, IT JUST TAKES TWO COMMISSIONERS TO SPONSOR IT.AND IF YOU WANT A MONTHLY UPDATE, UM, I THINK THAT'S YOUR RIGHT TO REQUEST IT AND HOPEFULLY THAT BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT AND, UH, THE PROCEDURE FOR THAT FOR ENSURING THAT WE HAVE A MONTHLY UPDATE FROM OUR, OUR CAC, UH, PERSON, UH, ON OUR IDENTITY.
HOW DOES THAT, HOW DO WE DO THAT? SO I'M SORRY.
I'M NOT THE DEFINITIVE PERSON.
I THINK WE'RE ASKING FOR A STANDING ITEM ON OUR AGENDA WHERE OUR CAC FOLKS REPORT BACK.
UM, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL PUT ON THERE AND, AND TRY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, UH, BEFORE WE, UH, TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN, I WOULD JUST ASK THAT EVERYBODY, UH, UH, PLEASE ALSO, UH, KEEP SOME OF THEIR THOUGHTS WITH COMMISSIONER MAHEA, UH, WHO WAS EXPERIENCING A FAMILY LOSS AND WAS NOT ABLE TO JOIN IT TODAY.
UH, AND, UM, OTHERWISE, UH, LOOK TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN IF WE EVEN NEED THAT.
THANKS CHAIRMAN JOE, WE DON'T NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
SO WITH THAT SAID, UH, UH, THIS MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS ADJOURNED AT 7:38 PM.
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US ON THIS FRIDAY.
I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
BYE-BYE