* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:03] HELLO EVERYONE. THIS IS NEHEMIAH FITZ. THE THIRD OF THE CHAIR OF THE ACUITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION TODAY, OF COURSE, IS MARCH THE 10TH. IT IS SIX 35 AND CALLING TO ORDER OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING HERE AND, UH, TO BEGIN, UH, OUR AGENDA AS WE ALWAYS DO. UH, WE BEGAN BY ACKNOWLEDGING WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S ANY CITIZEN COMMUNICATION. UH, ACTUALLY THAT'S INCORRECT. WE BEGIN WITH A, UH, A ROLL CALL AND PART CALLING THE ORDER, BUT WE WOULDN'T DO THAT, UH, HERE BRIEFLY. UM, I PERSONALLY CHECKED IN WITH EVERYONE TO MAKE SURE I HAVE AUDIO AND VIDEO. SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO AHEAD AND READ THIS FOR SPEEDING AND SEE, UH, IN THE ORDER HERE ON MY SCREEN, UH, COMMISSIONERS DAVID FLOYD, UH, A VICE CHAIR, DAVID ALEXANDER, UH, COMMISSIONER, MALCOLM GATES, UH, COMMISSIONER SOPHIE GUIRO AND COMMISSIONER SUMIT DASGUPTA ARE ALL PRESENT AND TO THEN PROCEED WITH THE AGENDA FOR AND COMMUNICATION. UH, WE HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. [1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – January 13, 2021 and February 10, 2021] SO THEN WE WILL PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM ONE, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. AND, UH, BECAUSE WE DID NOT COMPLETE A QUORUM IN OUR LAST MEETING ON FEBRUARY THE 10TH, WE HAVE TWO SETS OF MEETINGS, UH, MEETING MINUTES TO APPROVE, UH, BUT WE'VE HAD, UH, NOW AN EXTRA MONTH, UH, TO WORK THROUGH THOSE AND HOPEFULLY BE COMFORTABLE, UH, WITH AN APPROVAL. SO I'LL BE LOOKING QUICKLY FOR, UH, A REVIEW OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING AND THE PROCEEDING MEETING, AND THEN THEY EMOTIONS IT SHEPHERDS. WOULD YOU LIKE TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS OR A SINGLE MOTION TO APPROVE BOTH? I THINK FOR THE SAKE OF CLARITY, WE SHOULD PROBABLY VOTE THEM SEPARATELY. UH, THAT WAS NOT TIED TO EACH OTHER BECAUSE THEY EACH DID HAVE THEIR OWN BOAT, SO THEY DESERVED THEIR OWN BOAT THING AND, UH, WE'LL EITHER HAVE TO THEN AMEND THEM RIGHT. UH, AND, OR CONVENE AGAIN. SO EITHER WAY, IF WE CANNOT AGREE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, WE'LL HAVE TO KEEP PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA UNTIL WE AGREED TO. SO, UH, THAT OF MINE TAKE YOUR TIME HERE. WE'VE GOT A LITTLE TIME EVERYONE, THREE MINUTES AND YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, WHILE I'M DOING THAT, UH, I HOPE YOU'LL GIVE ME A MOMENT TO SAY THAT SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, WE'VE OBVIOUSLY DEALT WITH UNPARALLELED EVENTS IN OUR TOWN, UH, ONCE, UH, IT'S TOUGH TO IMAGINE, UH, IN ADDITION TO MANAGING THE PANDEMIC, UH, MANAGING CHALLENGES, UH, WITH VACCINE ROLLOUT, OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE MANAGED HERE OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST, YOU KNOW, YOU MUST HAVE A YEAR THAT WE HAD TO MANAGE ALSO A WINTER DISASTER, THE LEFT MANY IN THIS TOWN WITHOUT POWER AND WATER, SOME STILL WITHOUT PART POWER TO THIS DAY, UH, AND, UH, WITH REAL IMPACT ON LIVES, UH, BUSINESS. NOW, I KNOW I'VE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL ON THIS COMMISSION WHO WERE AFFECTED PERSONALLY. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND, UH, BEING DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CITY, UM, BEFORE WE CONTINUE WITH HER , BUT I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UH, WHENEVER ANYONE'S READY. I GUESS I DO SEE ONE THING THAT I MIGHT SUGGEST WE ADD, UM, UNDER, UH, NEW BUSINESS, UH, B F Y 22 BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. UH, IT DOES LIST THE COMMISSIONERS, DISCUSS THE PRIORITIES THE MONTH DISSIPATION COMMISSION MEETINGS, TABLATURE OF COUNCIL VOTE RECORDS FUNDING [00:05:01] FOR GRANT, FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES, PROGRAM AND ZOOM LICENSES FOR USE AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS ADDED, THAT I PERSONALLY ALSO REQUESTED, UH, ALL PUBLIC FACILITIES, UH, HAVE THAT CAPABILITY, OR WE CONSIDER THAT NOT JUST THE LIBRARIES, UM, BUT ANY, ANY PLACE WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE HOPE FACILITIES SHOULD BE NOT SAYING, UM, I'M PRETTY SURE I MADE THAT STATEMENT, UH, THAT WE SHOULD EXPAND BEYOND LIBRARIES. OH, I THINK IT'S, UH, IT ALSO BEARS NOTING UNDER THE WORKING GROUP FOR TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION, UH, THAT COMMISSIONED US GROUP WAS GOING TO SUBMIT FINDINGS, UH, BASED ON THIS COMMUNICATIONS WITH, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, AND INSIGHTS INTO THE CHALLENGES WE'VE HAD WITH THE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION. THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT, I WASN'T PRESENT AT OUR LAST MEETING, SO I CAN'T. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT, FOR THAT. SO THAT'S A LITTLE NUDGE. IT'S ALL THE REST OF US WHO WERE PREGNANT, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD. I THINK WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE OR AT LEAST A VOTE TO APPROVE. UM, ARE YOU BACK? THE QUESTION IS, IS GOING TO BE, I'M NOT VOTING FOR THESE TWO IN THAT CASE, WE DON'T HAVE COURT. WELL, I THINK, UH, I THINK COMMISSIONER WOULD BE WELL-SERVED TO A STAIN. UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO A MEETING, SHE DIDN'T PARTICIPATE IN, UH, RIGHT. ACTUALLY ASSESSING THOSE MINUTES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME SHE COULD HAVE WATCHED IT. RIGHT. I KNOW I WATCHED THE MEETINGS, BUT I DON'T DISPLAY THEM. SO, UH, THAT'S UP TO HER TO DECIDE IF SHE WANTS TO. YEAH, NO, MY QUESTION IS WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VOTES, BUT THAT'S UP TO HER TO DO BEFORE WE GET THERE AND SHE MAY HAVE WATCHED THE RECORDING, BUT LET'S ASSUME SHE HAS, BECAUSE I THINK ANY GOOD COMMISSIONER WARREN, UM, I HAVE A POINT OF ORDER HERE WHICH PATIENT WOULD HAVE, I THINK IT'S GOING TO DEPEND UPON, UH, ARE WHETHER OR NOT A QUORUM IS ESTABLISHED BASED ON OUR FUNCTIONING BODY, WHICH IS, UH, WHICH CONSISTS OF EIGHT MEMBERS RIGHT NOW. SO A QUORUM IS, IS FIVE. IS THAT RIGHT? WE HAVE EIGHT COMMISSIONERS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE ACTIVE. JESSIE FOR A RULING ON THIS. I WAS ABOUT TO ASK JESSE, ET CETERA. AND FROM WHAT I STATED, UH, BUT THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OF ROBERTS WAS ORDERED. PLEASE. CAN YOU CONFIRM HELLO COMMISSIONERS? UH, TO CLARIFY THE QUORUM FOR THE COMMISSION IS A SET NUMBER ESTABLISHED IN THE BYLAWS AT SIX IT'S. IT'S NOT EFFECTIVE, IT'S NOT VARIABLE, AND IT'S NOT AFFECTED BY, UH, SEATS THAT ARE FILLED VERSUS SEATS, SEATS THAT ARE VACANT. THAT'S IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION. THANK YOU, JESSE. SO NOW [00:10:01] WE KNOW WE HAVE TO HAVE ALL SIX PEOPLE VOTE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO APPROVE MINUTES. RIGHT? SO THE QUESTION, SO, SO THEN TO BE CLEAR, RIGHT, WHAT IT MEANS IS WE'LL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A VOTE FOR THESE MINUTES AS COMMISSIONERS, BEFORE THERE'LL BE REMOVED FROM THE MINUTES FROM THE AGENDA. RIGHT? SO, UH, IF COMMISSIONER DARWIN HAS WATCHED THE VIDEO AND PLUS A CUP OF BOATING AND SHE CAN, IF SHE HAS IT, THAT'S FINE. THEN HOPEFULLY EVERYONE WHO HASN'T, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT FOR THE NEXT TIME. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO THEN KICK THIS TO THE NEXT AGENDA. UH, BUT THE SAME OPPORTUNITY WOULD BE, WILL BE AFFORDED THEM. UH, SO JUST AS BEFORE, IF THEY WANT TO STAINS, WE'LL HAVE TO KICK IT. I MENTIONED TO APPROVE THE FIRST SET OF MINUTES. OKAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, THE FIRST AMENDED MINUTES FROM AGENDA FROM, UH, JANUARY 13TH, 2021. UH, IS THERE A SECOND HIM TO, OKAY. MOTION HAS BEEN APPROVED IN SECOND TO, UH, VOTE ON APPROVAL FOR THE JANUARY 14TH, 20, 21 MEETING MINUTES. ALL THOSE WOULD FAVOR APPROVING THOSE MINUTES, PLEASE SAY, AYE. AYE. SO SHOW OF HANDS THIS WAY. OKAY. ALL THE POSTS I SAY I TOO, BY THE WAY, UH, ANYONE IN THE NEGATIVE. OKAY. SO WE DO HAVE UNANIMOUS VOTE TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES FROM FIRST. NOW FOR THE MINUTES ON THE SECOND, WE MAY WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS HERE. UH, ALSO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE FEBRUARY MINUTES. OKAY. I'VE GOT A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FEBRUARY MINUTES. IS THERE A SECOND? I PERSONALLY SECOND THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE FEBRUARY MINUTES. SO NOW WE CAN HOLD A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE FEBRUARY MINUTES, PLEASE SAY AYE, AND A WAVE YOUR HAND. OKAY. I SEE THAT'S FIVE AND, UH, ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY. AND ANYONE ELSE STATING, OKAY. SO THEN WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, MR. GARBER ABSTAINING. SO WE'LL THEN, UH, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THESE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY MEETING AGAIN, AND TO VOTE ON THEIR APPROVAL AGAIN. UH, BUT I'D LIKE TO, FOR THE RECORD SINCE, UH, I MADE TWO SUGGESTIONS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THOSE ARE ENTERED INTO THE RECORD FOR THAT MEETING APPROVAL, JESSE. YES. SURE. UH, OR CHAIR, I WILL MAKE THOSE CHANGES AND, UH, BRING THOSE TO THE NEXT MEETING. AWESOME. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CLARIFYING, UH, THAT WE DON'T HAVE A VARIABLE QUORUM AMOUNT. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT MEANS THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE DO GET TO IN FACE IN A PORTION OF EVENTS, THE SAME TYPE OF CHALLENGES, WHAT WAS IT THEM? SO HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE A NICE CHALLENGE TO HAVE WHERE WE HAVE, UH, MORE THAN SIX COMMISSIONERS AT ONE OF THAT ONE TO DO SOMETHING ALTOGETHER, NOT FOR THE CITY. OKAY. SO WITH THAT, WE'LL PROCEED WITH OUR AGENDA TO STAFF AND COMMUNITY BRIEFINGS. A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC MAY NOT ADDRESS A BOARD NUMBER I'M BEING ON. I POSTED A BRIEF THIS TIME, [2.a. TARA Office Legislative Briefing (John Speirs, Program Manager – Telecom & Regulatory Affairs)] UH, BUT AGENDA ITEM A, UH, TARA OFFICE, LEGISLATIVE READING BRIEFING, UH, BY JOHN SPEARS, PROGRAM MANAGER, UH, THE TELECOM AND ROOF REPAIRS OFFICE. JOHN, PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY. THANK YOU. HELLO. HI JOHN. HELLO. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME IN THE ROOM. OH, YES. SORRY IF THERE'S BEEN A CHALLENGE. YEP. HUH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONERS. UM, SERVES TO PROVIDE A LEGISLATIVE UPDATES. THERE ARE 14 BILLS FILED, UH, AMENDED AND ONE HEARING SCHEDULED TO CONSIDER SB FIVE AND SB FIVE OH SEVEN, UM, IS, UM, SENATE HEARING NEXT WEEK. UM, THE TIME OF THE HEARING IS 8:00 AM WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17TH, 2021. THE FIRST BILL THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED AT THE HEARING AS SB FIVE. THIS IS RELATING TO THE EXPANSION OF PRODUCT AND SERVICES TO CERTAIN AREAS. THIS BILL, AS A COMPANION TO FIVE, THIS BILL OVERALL HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S DIGITAL INCLUSION, STRATEGIC PLAN. AND THE [00:15:01] LANGUAGE IN THE BILL, UM, IN SUMMARY IS TO ADD A NON-VOTING MEMBER TO THE GROUP GOVERNOR'S CURRENT BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, AND TO ADD LANGUAGE FOR RESEARCH, UH, OF PROGRESS FOR DEPLOYMENT OF BROADBAND SERVICES, STATEWIDE AND INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY TRENDS AND PROMPTING AND SERVICES. AND THIRDLY, THE BILL ADDS A STATE BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE ADMINISTRATIVELY ATTACHED TO THE TEXAS UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM. EXCUSE ME. UM, AND THE STATE'S BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE SHOULD BE, UH, SHALVEY AS, UH, DETAILED IN THE BILL UNDER THE DIRECTION AND CONTROL OF THE BOARD OF ADVISORS, UH, FURTHER DETAILED HERE IN THE BELLS. SO THESE BOARD OF ADVISORS WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE APPOINTED BY THE DIFFERENT UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS, THE GOVERNOR, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, BY BOTH LEADERS, THE BOAT CHAMBERS, UM, AND WOULD HAVE LIMITED REPRESENTATION BY LARGE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UM, AND THIS BILL AND FIND, UH, FINALLY THIS BILL ESTABLISHES A BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THROUGH WARD GRANTS AND LOW INTEREST LOANS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INCENTIVES THROUGH APPLICANTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXPANDING THIS TO ADOPTION OF BROADBAND SERVICE IN CENSUS BLOCKS, DETERMINED TO BE ELIGIBLE AREAS. SO THIS BILL ALSO SPEAKS TO DEVELOPMENT OF THE BROADBAND, UH, MAP THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER WHILE THIS MAP WOULD ACTUALLY BE EVALUATING AND THE DATA POINTS WOULD BE DESIGNATING. THOSE CENSUS BLOCKS THAT IF THERE IS LESS THAN 80% OF THE AREA THAT HAS BROADBAND SERVICE, UM, AND THOSE AREAS WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS, IF IT IS, UM, HAS 80% OR MORE BROADBAND SERVICE IN A CENSUS BLOCK, THEY WOULD BE INELIGIBLE FOR THE GRANT FROM THE STATE. ARE THE STATE, UM, AS WELL, DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE A BROADBAND OFFICE. SO THE STATE OF TEXAS IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A NUMBER OF THE FEDERAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, UM, FROM THE, UH, DIFFERENT STIMULUS PACKAGE, FEDERAL FUNDING PROGRAMS, ET CETERA. SO THIS WOULD OPEN UP OPPORTUNITY FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS TO FINALLY BE ELIGIBLE. SO WE'LL, WE'LL CHOP THAT UP AS A WIN. UM, HOWEVER, THE REAL CHALLENGE POINT HERE IS, UM, THE REPRESENTATION OR LACK THEREOF OF, UH, MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS, CITIES COMMENSURATE WITH THE SIZE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN. SO AUSTIN IS A LARGE CITY IN TEXAS, ONE OF A FEW, UM, AND THERE WILL NOT BE REALLY ANY SEATS AT THE TABLE FOR LARGE MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATIONS, UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE FUTURE, UH, COUNCIL AND THE, UH, ADVISORY BOARD THAT WOULD HELP TO SET THIS OFFICE. SO IN OUR LEGISLATIVE RESPONSE, WE HAVE INDICATED THAT THAT WOULD NEED TO BE A PRIORITY AS WELL AS, UM, THE CITY IN OUR LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS HAS REQUESTED MORE GRANULAR DETAIL WITH REGARDS TO THE MAPPING. UH, CENSUS BLOCK IS GOOD, BUT THE IDEAL, UH, MORE GRANULAR DATA WOULD ACTUALLY BE DOWN TO AN ADDRESS LEVEL. UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE CALLED OUT, UH, WITHIN OUR LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS. UM, AND THIS WOULD ALSO GO BEYOND WHAT THE, THE FCC CURRENTLY REQUIRES. SO, UH, WE HAVE ASKED FOR GREATER, UM, MORE DETAILED MAPPING AND MORE MUNICIPAL REPRESENTATION OVERALL, UH, HOWEVER, FROM AN OVERALL LENS AS WELL, THIS DOES ALIGN WITH THE CITY'S DIGITAL INCLUSION STRATEGIC PLAN, AND IT IS, UM, UH, SOMETHING THAT MOVES US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH REGARDS TO THE MOST PROACTIVE, UH, PIECE OF LEGISLATION WITH REGARDS TO BROADLY ON, UM, IN THE STATE. UM, AND THIS IS A GOOD STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO I'LL HOLD IT THERE BECAUSE THERE'S ONE OTHER BILL THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED AT THE HEARING. UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SB FIVE, WHICH ARE JUST SUMMARIZED THERE. YEAH. I THINK WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE READY. YOU'RE READY AHEAD. OKAY. SO FIRST, UM, WITH THIS SP FIVE B FOR BOTH URBAN AND RURAL COUNTY, YES. OKAY. AND WHEN YOU SAY LESS THAN 80% OF THE CENSUS BLOCK, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ACTUAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT EXECUTE [00:20:01] OR WAS THIS LIKE THE POTENTIAL FOR HAVING A CONNECTION? IN OTHER WORDS, IF THE CONNECTION THERE, BUT PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE 80% RULES, DID THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH, LET ME, LET ME ATTEMPT AN ANSWER THERE AND YOU CAN HELP ME UNDERSTAND IF I I'M ON TRACK THERE. UM, THE BILL CURRENTLY STATES THAT IT IS MEASURING THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE ACCESS TO BROADBAND SERVICE. UM, IT DOESN'T, UH, SPEAK IN GREATER DETAIL AS FAR AS THOSE AREAS THAT ARE A SERVICE PER SE, BY ANY NON BROADBAND INTERNET, UH, 25, THREE AS PER THE FCC GUIDELINES. SO THAT IS, UM, UH, THE CURRENT MEASURE IS THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE ACCESS TO BROADBAND SERVICE. RIGHT. BUT YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY COUNTING THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ACTUALLY CONNECTED SOME OTHER CRITERIA THAT YOU'RE USING TO GET IT TWO BROADBAND SERVICE. CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT MIGHT EXCLUDE A LOT OF LOW-INCOME AREAS AT ALL. THAT'S EATING CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH, ALEXA, TO CHIME IN ON THAT, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE WHAT I HEARD AND THE DESCRIPTION, UH, WAS THAT THERE ARE S THAT'S CITY SIZE POPULATE IN THE POPULATION OR, UH, OR GEOGRAPHY THAT THEY'RE USING AS A DETERMINING FACTOR FOR EXCLUSION. UM, SO THE BILL IS CURRENTLY FRAMED AROUND THE POPULATION OF THE AREAS THAT ARE DEFINED AS RURAL. UM, IT IS NOT NECESSARILY DEFINED AROUND GEOGRAPHY. I SEE. SO CITY POPULATION THOUGH, NOT AS OPPOSED TO COUNTY POPULATION. UM, SO THE BILL IS CURRENTLY QUALIFYING THE REPRESENTATION OF WHO HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE WITH REGARDS TO COUNTY POPULATION. IT DOESN'T EVEN, IT DOESN'T GO AS FAR AS CITIES. WOW. OKAY. SO THAT'S YEAH. SO, OH, WOW. OKAY. SO THEN LOOKING AT THE SAME KIND OF LANGUAGE THEN, UH, THAT I READ IN THE EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT PROGRAM, UH, IT'S A BUNCH OF REFERENCE TO, UH, THE PANDEMIC AND UNIQUE, UH, FRAMING AROUND THE PANDEMIC IN TERMS OF, OF THIS BILL OR, OR ARE THEY LIKE, SAY FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE CITY RESOLUTION, UH, THAT ACKNOWLEDGED, UH, THE IMPACTS OF, OF SEGREGATION AND THE 1928 STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, WHEREAS THAT HERE AT THE CITY LEVEL SPECIFICALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THIS, THE SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT CAUSE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, UH, THAT LED WITH A LEADING TO THE CRISIS FOR MANY WITHIN AND IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, DOES THIS BILL FRAME INFRASTRUCTURE AS THE CHALLENGE, OR DOES IT TRY TO FRAME IT AROUND AN EVENT, MUCH LIKE THE EMERGENCY BRONC, THAT BROADBAND BENEFIT PROGRAM, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO, BUT IT'S A POINT OF CONCERN BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S FRAMING IT AS THOUGH A PROBLEM IS THE PANDEMIC, AS OPPOSED TO THE PROBLEM BEING THE INFRASTRUCTURE WAS DEPENDENT EXPOSED. THIS IS, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE, JOHN? IT DOES. THEN LET ME TRY AND ANSWER IT AND YOU CAN HELP ME UNDERSTAND IF I'M ON TRACK THERE. UM, THE, THE BILL IS FRAMED AROUND THE AVAILABILITY OF BROADBAND SERVICES. SO IT DOESN'T MENTION THE, THE PANDEMIC AS A, AS A MEANS TO WHY THE BILL HAS BEEN PROPOSED. UM, AND THIS IS JUST READING THE TEXT. UM, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO INTERPRETATION HERE. IT'S JUST READING THE TAX. SO, UM, TRULY JUST ASSESSING THE LANGUAGE IN THE BILL. IT IS STRICTLY RELATED TO, UM, THE, THE TOP LINE ITEM THERE, THE EXPANSION OF BROADBAND SERVICES. THERE'S NO MENTION OF COVID OR ANYTHING ELSE. SO THAT DOES CREATE AN INTERESTING TENSION THEN BETWEEN WHAT I THINK IS SUPPOSED TO BE A FUNDING MECHANISM FOR THIS HOUSE BILL AND THE BILL ITSELF, RIGHT? IF THE EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT PROGRAM IS GOING TO BE TIED TO SB FIVE [00:25:02] OR HB FIVE, THEN THAT'S GOING TO CREATE A FRAMING, UH, AROUND THE PANDEMIC. UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, SO WE'LL GET INTO THAT MORE LATER, SHE WAS GET EVERYONE ELSE'S FEEDBACK, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A REAL POINT OF CONCERN BECAUSE IT'S, AGAIN, ADDRESS THE DRESSING, THE, UM, NOT THE CAUSE OF THE ROOT CAUSE, BUT RATHER JUST THE SYMPTOMS. UH, YOU KNOW, DID YOU WANT TO WEIGH ON THAT QUESTION? WELL, A BUNCH OF CREDIT COMMENTS IMPRESSIONS, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IT. UH, NUMBER ONE, YOU SAID ABOUT THE SEAT AT THE TABLE AND BECAUSE IT'S MORE DIRECTED TOWARDS RURAL BROADBAND, ETC. THAT CITIES AND COUNTIES, CITIES LIKE AUSTIN AND COUNTIES LIKE TRAVIS COUNTY WILL NOT HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, BUT WILLIAMSON COUNTY, WHICH IS AREA-WISE, THAT THING IS BIGGER THAN TRAVIS COUNTY BY POPULATION WISE IS LESS THAN HALF WOULD HAVE A HIGHER PROBABILITY OF HAVING A SEAT AT THE TABLE. I KNOW COUNTY, THEY'RE LARGE FARMS, SO YOU'RE GOING TO GET BROADBAND ONE FARM. WHEREAS IN RUNDBERG AND LAMAR, THERE MAY BE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO NEED IT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO DO THEIR JOBS. SO ISN'T THE ULTIMATE DIRECTION ABOUT JOB CREATION OF ENRICHMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT TEXAS IS WELL-SERVED RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, EMPOWERING ONE FARMER, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY MIND BLOWING. SO, BUT THAT'S, I'M STANDING ON THE SOAP BOX HERE, BUT, UH, SO I HAVE THAT CONCERN. AND SECONDLY, WHAT CONSTITUTES BROADBAND BROADBAND IN LAMAR ENRON, ROBERT AUSTIN AISD, IF YOU REMEMBER A PRESENTATION FROM THE, YOU KNOW, CIO OF THE ISD WHO CAME IN AND SAID, WE HAVE REALLY GONE TO A GUN TO WORK ON THIS AREA AND WE'VE EMPOWERED THE STUDENTS, WE'VE GIVEN THEM ALL THESE EQUIPMENT, ET CETERA. SO IF A STUDENT HAS ACCESS IN A HOUSE TO BROADBAND, DOES THAT COUNT? I ENDED UP BROADBAND COULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY AISD CAUSE THAT COUNT THAT THAT HOUSEHOLD IS ALREADY CONNECTED TO EVEN MAYBE JUST TWO STUDENTS INVOLVED. WHAT CONSTITUTES BROADBAND CONNECTION. WHAT IS METRIC? THANKS FOR THE COMMENT. UH, GREAT QUESTION. UH, DO YOU WANT TO TRY TO HANDLE THAT IN TERMS OF HB OR SB FIVE, JOHN? UM, YES. I'M SORRY. I, UM, SO PERMISSION OR TO SCOOP INTO THE, UM, TO RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTION THAT BILL DOES STATE THE DEFINITION OF BROAD SPAN, CONSISTENT WITH THE CDC DEFINITION, WHICH, UM, IS DOWNLOAD 25 MEGABYTES UPLOAD THREE MEGABYTES. SO IT IS, IT IS ALIGNED WITH THE FCC DEFINITION, UM, TO YOUR OTHER QUESTIONS THERE. YES. LIKELY IT WOULD BE, UH, THERE MAY BE MORE REPRESENTATION FROM NEIGHBORING COUNTIES LIKE YOU GAVE THE EXAMPLE OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY. UM, AND THAT HAS BEEN A POINT TO THAT BECAUSE SEE THAT THE CITY HAS INDICATED IN OUR LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS IS THAT, UM, MUNICIPALITIES, THE MENTOR WITH THE SIZE OF AUSTIN DO NEED REPRESENTATION THERE, I THINK FROM AN OVERALL LENS, UM, THIS BILL DOES REPRESENT A, A STARTING POINT, UM, OR A, A DIRECTION. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, WITH REGARDS TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE CREATE THAT THE STATE IS PROPOSING THE CREATION OF A BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE THAT CAN RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS AND CHAIR PITS. UM, WE'LL SPEAK TO THE EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT LATER, AND THE ABILITY TO AT LEAST START THE PROCESS TO EVALUATE MAPPING CAPABILITIES OF BROADBAND SERVICE AND THE ABILITY TO ADMINISTER THOSE GRANTS ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, UH, SUBSIDIES FOR SERVICE AND THE ABILITY TO INCREASE INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE. THOSE, THOSE ITEMS, UM, THAT ARE LISTED CURRENTLY IN THE BILL WOULD HAVE A TREMENDOUS POSITIVE IMPACT ON TEXAS AND HAVE BENEFITS TO AUSTIN. THE LENS THAT WE WILL START TO BE A PART OF THE MAPPING, WE WILL START TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE OUR ELIGIBILITY FOR THOSE GRANT FUNDS. WE WILL START TO BE ABLE TO, UM, WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS THAT ARE AT THE TABLE AND ADVANCING [00:30:01] FURTHER, UM, ADVOCACY EFFORTS TO TAKE FOR SCALE, THE IMPACT OF THAT OFTEN, AND THIS, UM, BILL DOES REPRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY. YES, IT HAS A LOT OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT AND I SHOULD JUST CHARACTERIZE THE LEGISLATIVE ACTION WORKING GROUP, WHICH REPRESENTS 13 PLUS PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAVE BEEN MEETING REGULARLY FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS RELATED TO THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN DOING SO WE SHARE. AND THE, UM, AND THE, THE SENTIMENT THAT YOU EXPRESSED THAT YES, THERE IS A LOT OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, BUT THIS BILL DOES NOT GET US EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED, UH, TO, UM, HOWEVER, IT IS A STARTING POINT, OUR GOAL TO ENSURE THAT THOSE EFFORTS TO FURTHER PUSH NOT ONLY OUR LEGISLATIVE, UM, PARTNERS, BUT OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS AND OUR ANCHOR INSTITUTION PARTNERS IN PURSUING AND ADVANCING THOSE ADVOCACY EFFORTS FURTHER AFTER THE BILL PASSES AS FAR AS A MIDTERM HORIZON. AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN SHARING THE UPDATE ON THE BILL, THAT THAT IS REFLECTED AS WELL, AND THAT THAT EFFORT HAS ALREADY BEEN DOCUMENTED BY THE CITY. AND IT IS A GOAL OF OURS THAT THERE WILL BE MIDTERM OBJECTIVES SET UP AS AN OUTCOME FROM THE BILL. AND HOPEFULLY THIS PASSES, THE HEARING WILL BE NEXT WEEK, WE WILL, UH, SEND SO THAT WE CAN ADVANCE US. BUT JUST AS FAR AS THE OVERALL LENS, IT IS A START. AND IT IS DEFINITELY AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, WORK FROM A STARTING POINT SO THAT WE CAN FURTHER ADVANCE THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO I HOPE THAT IT IS REALLY SHAPED FOR AROUND THAT THIS IS NOT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, A, AN, A BILL THAT WILL, WILL STUNT OR, UM, HOLD BACK ANY EFFORTS WITH REGARDS TO JUST THE OVERALL EFFORT THAT IT'S, IT'S A DIRECTION. AND IT'S ONE THAT WE, UM, CAN HELP ADVANCE EFFORTS THAT CONTINUE BEYOND IT. WELL, I HAVE A FOLLOW UP CALMING FOR A QUICK QUESTION. UH, YOU MENTIONED THAT, UH, UH, DEFINITION OF IS DEFINED BY THE FCC RULING OF 25 DOWN AND THREE UP, I THINK IT'S FREE UP. RIGHT. UM, SO I, I'M NOT CHALLENGING THAT DEFINITION. WHAT I AM CHALLENGING IS WHAT CONSTITUTES A HOUSEHOLD IS ALREADY CONNECTED TO THE BROADBAND. IF A STUDENT HAS ACCESS TO BROADBAND FOR SCHOOLWORK TO ISD, DOES THAT CONSTITUTE THAT, THAT HOUSEHOLD ALREADY BACK OR DOES THAT COUNT AS, NO, IT DOESN'T HAVE BROADBAND UNLESS EVERYBODY IN THE HOUSEHOLD IS EMPOWERED. WELL, JOHN, I MEAN, ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND. SURE. THANK YOU, JOHN. ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN WE SPOKE TO AISD, UH, THEY'RE A PARTNER, UH, RIGHT IN THAT EFFORT, UH, THEY WERE NEVER THE, THE ACTUAL BROADBAND PROVIDER, RIGHT? SO IN EVERY ONE OF THOSE SCENARIOS, THERE'S THE ACTUAL PROVIDER INVOLVED THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING. OKAY. I STAND CORRECTED IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN EVERYONE IN THE HOUSEHOLD WOULD HAVE ACCESS. WELL, I WANT TO THINK THAT, AND I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO, BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S A PROVIDER INVOLVED IN A, UH, FRANKLY CRISIS, UH, BASED SOLUTION THAT THE CITY AND PARTNERS, UH, NONPROFIT AND, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HELPS TO CREATE. IT DOESN'T MEAN, UH, THAT THERE'S, UH, EQUITABLE BROADBAND BY ANY MEANS. THIS DOESN'T MEAN IT'S ACTUALLY EVEN BROAD-BASED RIGHT. SO IF THE ASD PLUSES HOTSPOTS PROVIDED BY A PROVIDER AND A SOLUTION THAT WE HAVE TOGETHER THAT DOES NOT QUICK TO BROADBAND PER HOUSEHOLD, IF IT'S A SOLUTION THAT CREATED, I THINK, TO MAKE IT WORK. UM, BUT, UH, WHERE WE NEED TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ADDRESSED, RIGHT? THAT, THAT THOSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE EMERGENCY, YOU KNOW, SOLUTIONS WE CREATED ARE NOT CONSIDERED LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS. I'M GLAD. YEAH. I'M GLAD YOU, YOU SORT OF ELABORATED ON IT BECAUSE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND MY CONCERN BECAUSE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS SINCE 2004, 2019, I'VE BEEN LIVING WITH THE SAME AND IT IS, I GET VERY EMOTIONAL ABOUT THAT. THAT THERE'S A, SUCH A HUGE CAVITY THERE IN THE RICHEST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY. THEY SUCK A HUGE CAVITY OF I'M DELIGHTED THAT YOU'RE, YOU LET YOUR INVOLVE AS A GAUGE FAN. I KNOW THE SENTENCE WAS A BIG PART OF THAT AND OTHER THINGS YOU'VE DONE, [00:35:01] UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, UH, YOU KNOW, I STARTED WITH THE FOCUS ON VISUAL INCLUSION, UH, WHEN I JOINED THIS COMMISSION. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN OUR MAIN FOCUS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK AS A COMMISSION, IT'S BEEN A FOCUS CLEARLY WITH G TOPS AND THE DIGITAL INCLUSION PLAN. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS BODY HAS HAD AN ONGOING RECORD OF, UH, SUPPORTING THIS EFFORT IN THE COMMUNITY, WORKING WITH TARA AND THE CITY REALLY SUCH TO SOLVE THESE ISSUES. UM, DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WAIT, THIS HASN'T PASSED YET TODAY? YES. GO AHEAD PLEASE. ROOM TONE. HEY, GOOD, GOOD EVENING. COMMISSIONERS. UH, RON DELLA HAWKINS TELECOM AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS. YEAH. I JUST WANTED JUST TO, UM, ECHO, UH, JOHN, UH, DID A GREAT JOB EXPLAINING THE BILL AND LAY THE ADVOCACY EFFORTS OF THE LARGER CITIES. UM, WE'RE DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, OTHER CITIES LIKE SAN ANTONIO AND HOUSTON AND DALLAS AND, AND MANY OTHERS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RANGE, THE, THE PART OF THE POPULATION THAT THIS BILL IS REALLY TARGETING IS RURAL. UM, AND SO THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, I I'M SURE THAT THOSE OTHER CITIES AND THAT WANT TO BE INCLUDED THE URBAN, THE SUBURBAN, UM, ARE REACHING OUT TO THEIR, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTATIVES, UM, AT THE SENATE AND EXPRESSING THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE REFINED. THE LANGUAGE NEEDS TO BE REFINED TO BE NOT JUST A RURAL, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT JUST A RURAL ISSUE. I MEAN, RURAL ISSUE IS INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? I MEAN, A LOT OF RURAL COMMUNITIES, THAT'S THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S NOT BUILT OUT, UM, AND LIKE AN AUSTIN INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THEN THERE'S THE AVAILABILITY, ADOPTION AND AFFORDABILITY. UM, AND ALSO THE INFRASTRUCTURE MAY NOT BE BUILT OUT HEARING THERE, BUT SO, YEAH, I, IT, YEAH, THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT STOOD OUT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY TO THE LARGER, MID, MID SIZE AND LARGER CITIES THAT IT WAS FOCUSED ON RURAL. AND ONE WOULD HOPE THAT THERE'LL BE SOMETHING THAT MAYBE AN AMENDMENT WILL BE CARRIED FORWARD. UM, WE'LL SEE. BUT I'M HOPING IF IT DOES PASS AS FILED. I MEAN, I'M SURE THERE'LL BE AMENDMENTS. LIKE THERE ALWAYS ARE, BUT THE UT SYSTEMS AND THESE OTHER UNIVERSITIES THEY'RE SCATTERED AND THEY'RE ALL OVER URBAN AND RURAL. AND SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT THEY HAVE SOME AUTHORITY TO EXPAND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPAND BEYOND. SO YEAH, WE'RE VERY COGNIZANT AND VERY AWARE, UM, OF THE, OF THE ISSUES THAT RE THAT WE HAVE HERE IN OUR URBAN OR URBAN CITY. SO I JUST WANTED TO JUST SHARE THAT. THANK YOU FROM PILLAR. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE THING I WANTED TO ADD A LAST THING, I GUESS, MAYBE MORE OF A REQUEST FOR FOLLOW-UP, UM, UH, AS PART OF THE ONGOING EFFORT, IS THERE A WAY WE COULD CONFIRM, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE, THE EFFORT? UM, I GUESS THE, THE MAIN THING, UH, WHAT WAS IT THERE? I'M SORRY, THEY'LL COME BACK TO ME THOUGH. AND YOU KNOW, YOU BY THE JUMP, ONE MORE QUESTION, PLEASE GO RIGHT AHEAD. COMMISSIONER GATES, AND MAYBE WE'LL COME BACK AND FORTH. NO, YOU QUALIFY RURAL. UM, AND TO CREATE INFRASTRUCTURE GOVERNMENTS, GOVERNMENT COUNTIES FIGURING INVOLVED IN THE, MOVING OUT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS THIS ALL PRIVATE CARRIERS HAVE TO BE INVOLVED. YOU WERE A LITTLE CHOPPY THERE. COULD YOU HEAR HIM, JOHN? UM, YEAH, LET ME GIVE IT A SHOT. SO, UH, AGAIN, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS PROHIBITED FROM PROVIDING, UH, INTERNET SERVICE TO RESIDENTS, AND THAT INCLUDES THE PROVISION OF INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, WITH REGARDS TO DIRECT, UH, INTERNET INFRASTRUCTURE. AND THAT, THAT IS SEPARATE. THAT'S A SEPARATE ITEM. THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THE BILL. UM, SO THAT IS THE CURRENT STATE OF THE STATUTES THAT ARE GOING FORWARD, THAT THERE'S NO CHANGES THERE. UM, I DO WANT TO SPEAK TO ONE SECOND THERE. SO THERE'S TWO BILLS THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE HEARING NEXT WEEK AND NOT TO COMPLICATE THE EFFORT MERELY JUST TO GIVE YOU ALL THE BIG PICTURE OF HERE'S ALL THE DISCUSSION POINTS THAT WILL BE HEARD AT THE HEARING NEXT WEEK. SO AGAIN, [00:40:02] I'M SORRY. I HEARD BACKGROUND. UM, SO AGAIN, THE HEARING NEXT WEEK IS WEDNESDAY AT 8:00 AM. UM, AND YOU CAN GO ON THE STATE LEGISLATURE WEBSITE TO FIND OUT MORE, UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO SEND OUT A LINK AS WELL. UM, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE, THE HEARING WILL ALSO INCLUDE, UM, DEBATE AROUND THE ACCOMMODATION OF BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE ON STATE'S RIGHTS OF WAY. SO THIS IS A BILL THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE A PROCESS TO EXPEDITE THE AVAILABILITY OF BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE ON STATE PROPERTY, ESSENTIALLY A STATE RIGHT AWAY. SO STATE HIGHWAYS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE. UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN THOROUGHFARES IN AUSTIN THAT ARE STATE, UH, THOROUGHFARES Y'ALL MAY KNOW THAT SOUTH CONGRESS IS A STATE THOROUGHFARE OR SOUTH OMAR. SO THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF WHAT IS DEFINED IN THE BILL. UM, AND THE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN OUR LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS. AGAIN, WHAT I'M SHARING WITH YOU IS COMPLETELY PATCHED STOOL. UH, THIS IS WHAT THE TEXT SAYS, THIS IS WHAT WE RESPONDED WITHIN TEXT, BUT WE ALSO IN, UH, THEMED THIS BILL THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE HEARING NEXT WEEK AS HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT AND WHY I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT ONE IS BECAUSE IT ALSO BRINGS CONTEXT TO YOUR POINT, UH, COMMISSIONER YIELDS THAT EVEN WHILE THERE IS NO LEGISLATION THAT IS OPENING UP AVAILABILITY OF UMIT, MUNICIPALITIES PROVIDING ANY SORT OF INFRASTRUCTURE OR ANY SORT OF ACCOMMODATION PROCESS, ANY SORT OF ADDITIONAL ALLOWANCE THERE, WE ARE SEEING GREATER OPPORTUNITY WITH REGARDS TO STATE, RIGHT OF WAY OPENING UP AND THE AVAILABILITY AND ACCOMMODATION OF CONSIDERING BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE BEING INSTALLED IN STATE RUNAWAY. SO AGAIN, IT'S NOT FLIGHT LIFE WOULD BE THE DREAM. HOWEVER, IT DOES ADVANCE THE AVAILABILITY OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS. UM, SO THAT IS ALSO A BILL THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED IN THE SAME HEARING THAT'S WEDNESDAY MORNING. UM, AND SO THAT THEY'LL IS SENATE BILL FIVE OH SEVEN. THIS IS RELATING TO AN ACCOMMODATION PROCESS AUTHORIZING THE STATE HIGHWAY RIGHTS OF WAY BY BROADBAND ONLY PROVIDERS. THAT'S HUGE. THAT IS HUGE. UH, AND I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS GOING TO ASK AND IT'S RELATED TO THAT SOMEWHAT THAT, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S MORE COMMENTS THAN A QUESTION OF, IN TERMS OF WHY UT SYSTEM IS INVOLVED. UH, I THINK STATE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, UH, IN ADDITION TO STATE, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT QUALITY, IT'S PART OF THAT, UH, RIGHT. I MEAN, THE UT SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UH, CHECK PROVIDERS IN THE STATE. SO IT KIND OF MAKES SENSE THAT THAT UT SYSTEM WILL BE INVOLVED. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. OKAY, GREAT. THAT WAS A GREAT UPDATE. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT, JOHN. UH, APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. YOU'RE WELCOME. I'M PROCEEDING THEN WITH OUR AGENDA, UH, TO [2.b. Grant for Technology Opportunities Program – Brief update on applications submitted (Jesse Rodriguez, Business Process Specialist – Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs)] ITEM TWO B THE GRAPH TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR A BRIEF UPDATE ON APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY JESSE RODRIGUEZ, OUR PROCESS BUSINESS PROCESS SPECIALIST. HI JESSE. HELLO COMMISSIONERS, JESSE RODRIGUEZ WITH TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS. UM, WE ARE PULLING UP THE PRESENTATION. NOW I HAVE A VERY QUICK PRESENTATION FOR YOU ALL, JUST UPDATING YOU ON THE GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES, UH, PROCESS AND THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE HAVE PERCEIVED AT THIS STAGE, UM, IN, IN CONSISTENCY WITH OUR ONGOING UPDATES ON THE APPLICATION PROCESS. UH, SO OUR FIRST SLIDE HERE, UM, MOVING ALONG IS A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 28 WERE FILED. UH, IMPORTANTLY, 13 OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE NEVER RECEIVED FUNDING, UH, BEFORE. AND THAT'S DIVIDED BETWEEN EIGHT ORGANIZATIONS WHERE NEW TO G TOPS COMPLETELY AND FIVE ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE PREVIOUS APPLICANTS, BUT HAVE NEVER BEEN AWARDED FUNDING. UM, THE FINANCIALS [00:45:01] OF THE REQUESTS ARE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 869,500 IN REQUESTS FOR FUNDS TO SUPPORT A TOTAL PROGRAMMING PROPOSED PROGRAMMING OF 4,000,040 $3,000. UH, AN ADDITIONAL SEVEN ORGANIZATIONS HAD APPLIED FOR, UH, THAT OR SUBMITTED A LETTER OF INTEREST INDICATING INTEREST IN THE PROCESS, BUT EITHER WITHDREW OR DID NOT COMPLETE THEIR APPLICATIONS, UM, AND ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE 28 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED THOSE SEVEN ORGANIZATIONS WILL HOWEVER, BE REACHED OUT TO AS PART OF THE ANNUAL REVIEW PROCESS TO, UH, GET ANY FEEDBACK ON, UH, WHAT MIGHT'VE CAUSED THEM TO DROP OUT OF THE PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE, UH, THE PROCESS GOING FORWARD ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, HOW OUR APPLICATIONS ARE DIVIDED. UH, TH THIS IS JUST A QUICK BREAKOUT OF THE TYPES OF APPLICATIONS THAT WE RECEIVED. UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF TOPICAL FOCUS AREAS, AND WE HAD SIX ORGANIZATIONS APPLY FOR THE COLLABORATIVE FOCUS AREA, MEANING THAT THEY'RE ACTIVELY INSIGNIFICANTLY WORKING OR PARTNERING WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION TO PERFORM THEIR PROPOSED PROGRAMMING. WE HAVE THREE ORGANIZATIONS THAT, UH, ARE SUBMITTING UNDER THE CREATIVE MEDIA FOCUS AREA. SO THOSE ARE, UH, PROGRAMS THAT FOCUS ON THE INTERSECTION OF THE CREATIVE MEDIA SECTOR AND DIGITAL EQUITY. SO THINK ABOUT, UM, FILM, UH, OR PHOTOGRAPHY OR PODCASTING, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND WE HAD NINE ORGANIZATIONS APPLY FOR THE IT WORKFORCE, UH, SKILLS. SO THINK ABOUT CODING OR, UH, HARDWARE REFURBISHMENT OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU ALL A BROAD OVERVIEW OF HOW THE APPLICATIONS, UH, SEE THEIR OWN APPLICATION, THE ORGANIZATION, SEE THEIR OWN APPLICATIONS FITTING WITHIN THE G TOPS PRIORITY AREAS. THREE ONLY THREE OF THEM FOCUS ON ACCESS TO THE INTERNET AS THEIR PRIMARY, UH, G TOPS GOAL FOCUS, 14 INDICATE THAT KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IS THEIR PRIMARY FOCUS AREA AND 11 HAVE THEIR PRIMARY FOCUS AS ACCESS TO DEVICES. UH, SO THOSE ARE THE SUMMARY STATISTICS THAT WE HAVE, UH, COLLECTED TOGETHER ON THE APPLICATION PROCESS. UH, AS A CLOSING NOTE HERE, UH, THE FIRST ROUND SCORES ARE GOING TO BE DUE OR ARE DUE AT THE END OF THE DAY TODAY. AND, UH, THE NEXT STEP IS GOING TO BE A QUESTION AND ANSWER PROCESS, UH, THAT, UH, WILL ALLOW FOR MORE, UM, UH, A SLIGHT BIT OF BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE REVIEWERS AND THE, UH, THE APPLICANTS. AND THEN ROUND TWO SCORING IS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 6TH. SO WITH THAT TIMELINE IN MIND, UM, AROUND APRIL 6TH TO EIGHTH, IS WHEN WE'LL HAVE A FINAL SET OF PROPOSED AWARDEES. AND SO ASSUMING THAT WE CAN MEET THOSE DEADLINES, WE INTEND ON COMING TO THE COMMISSION AND DURING YOUR APRIL MEETING FOR A FINAL APPROVAL OF THE 20, 21 G TOPS AWARDEES. UM, SO THAT'S EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE FOR YOU ALL. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS PHASE OF THE PROCESS, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND JUST GIVE YOU ALL A QUICK UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JESSE. THAT WAS A GREAT UPDATE, LOVE VIA INFOGRAPHICS. APPRECIATE YOU, KEEPING IT FRESH AND, UH, AND IMPACTFUL, UH, WITH THAT. I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY, GREAT. VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD STUFF. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAM. GLAD TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS AND JESSE TO, SO, YOU KNOW HOW IT WILL BE A MEETING TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET THAT BINDER FROM YOU. UH, SOME POINT IN TIME THIS WEEK, I STILL PLAN ON DOING THAT. UH, THERE WAS A QUESTION, UH, YES. COMMISSIONER DASGUPTA WE CAN'T COMMISSIONER DESCRIPTOR YOU'RE STILL NEEDED. OH, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT. OKAY. SO COMPARED TO, LET'S SAY 2018, BECAUSE I MEAN, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY. 2019, BECAUSE 2020 WE HAD JUST ENTERED [00:50:01] THE COVID, ET CETERA. IF I COMPARE WITH 2019, IS IT A FAIR COMPARISON TO ASK THE QUESTION? HOW WELL ARE WE DOING IN THE VIS-A-VIS THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FROM GRADE 2019? YEAH, THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION FOR SURE. UM, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WE ARE ROUGHLY ON PAR WITH THE, UH, 2019 CYCLE. THE 2020 CYCLE SAW A BIT OF A DIP IN THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS WE HAD ROUGHLY, UH, 20 APPLICATIONS THAT WERE, UH, MOVING INTO FIRST ROUND SCORING. UM, BUT THE, THE YEAR PRIOR WERE ROUGHLY ON PAR, I BELIEVE WE DID HAVE 28 APPLICATIONS IN FIRST ROUND SCORING AS WELL. CORRECT. GOOD. THANK YOU. GOOD QUESTION. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. WELL, GREAT WITH THAT THEN I THINK WE'RE GOOD TO GO. THANK YOU AGAIN, JESSE. APPRECIATE THE GREAT WORK. ABSOLUTELY PROCEED WITH OUR AGENDA TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, NEW BUSINESS DISCUSSION [3.a. FY 22 Budget Recommendations (Commission Discussion and Possible Action)] AND POSSIBLE ACTION. WE FYI 22 BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. UH, NOW WE OF COURSE, WENT INTO DISCUSSING SEVERAL, UM, AND THIS WILL BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PERHAPS LET'S, UH, COMMISSIONER GUIRO ABSORB SOME OF THE DISCUSSION HERE AND PARTICIPATE BASED ON OF THE AGENDA, BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, WE DID DISCUSS RECOMMENDATIONS QUITE A BIT IN OUR LAST AGENDA, AND WE WILL BE CONTINUING ON SOME OF THESE SAME TOPICS. UH, ALTHOUGH WE DID NOT APPROVE THE AGENDA, WE DID MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE $1,500 FOR THE GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM, AND THAT WAS SUBMITTED. AND I KNOW REBEL CONFIRMED THAT YESTERDAY. UH, SO THANKS AGAIN FOR THAT, UH, INNOVATION AND, UH, SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAM WHEN IT COMES TO THE OTHER THINGS. UH, THE TWO MAJOR THINGS WE DISCUSSED IN OUR LAST MEETING WERE THE REMOTE PARTICIPATION WITH COMMISSION MEETINGS, RATHER REMOTE PARTICIPATION ACT COMMISSION MEETINGS, AND THE TABLATURE OF COUNCIL VOTE RECORDS, UH, TO BEGIN, UH, AND REFRESH. WE REACHED OUT TO CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO GET INSIGHTS, AND WE DID RECEIVE, UH, OFFICIAL RESPONSES THAT I WILL READ INTO THE RECORD, UH, FOR EVERYONE. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION AND, UH, SETTLEMENT STEPS REACTIONS IN THE MARKETPLACE WHEN IT COMES TO REMOTE PARTICIPATION. FIRST OFF, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT WE RECEIVED ANOTHER EXTENSION OF THE, OF THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, RIGHT? WE ALL KNOW WE GOT THAT IN OUR EMAILS. IF YOU DIDN'T PLEASE BE INFORMED THAT WE DID SEE THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE MATTER, UH, WE PLAINLY ASKED THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, WHAT ARE THE PLANS? THE COURT'S OFFICE HAS TO MAKE PERMANENT REMOTE AWFUL FOR COMMISSIONERS THEIR ANSWER AT THIS TIME, HAVE ANY PLANS REQUIRE FUNDING? WELL, WE HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO CTM AND ATX, AND TO KNOW WHAT THE FUNDING RESOURCES WOULD BE. NOW, WE DID ACTUALLY DISCUSS THIS AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, AND WE ARRIVED AT THE CONSENSUS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE THE ONUS OFF OF THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO REACH OUT TO CTM AND HEX EM, TO FIND OUT WHAT THE FUNDING AND RESOURCES WOULD BE. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE, WE RESOLVED AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AND TO SEE IF WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. UM, I'D ASK AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL TO HAVE THEM CREATE A RESOLUTION AND SEND THAT TO CONSOLE, TO SEE IF THAT WOULD CREATE A LITTLE BIT MORE INCENTIVE TO DO SOMETHING. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, UH, ONE OF THE OTHER POSSIBLE ACTIONS WE COULD TAKE LITERALLY IS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, START, UH, YOU KNOW, A RESOLUTION CAMPAIGN WHERE WE GO, WE APPROACH COMMISSIONS AND, AND GET IN, AND BASICALLY GARNER SUPPORT FOR THIS EFFORT. UM, AT THE SAME TIME, [00:55:01] FROM A LOGISTICAL STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, CUTTING TO THE CHASE OF GETTING IT DONE. UH, I THINK THE, THE POINT IS WELL TAKEN THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO TALK TO CTM AND ABOUT WHAT THEY NEED, RIGHT? IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE CLERK'S OFFICE. THEN IF WE REALLY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, LEAD THIS EFFORT, THEN WE NEED TO, THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE SHOULD BE SHOOTING FOR. IT WAS IF THEY WOULD HAVE THIS INFORMATION ALREADY, SINCE WE'RE ALREADY DOING THIS WELL, WELL, WELL NOW WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING IS A WEBEX. UM, AND WE'RE DOING IT, UM, AT TO SOME EXTENT, RIGHT? SO ONLY COMMISSIONS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE RECORDED MEETINGS, UM, BY HAVE TO USE WEBEX. THERE ARE, THERE ARE ACTUALLY COMMISSIONS USING ZOOM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE RECORDED. WE DO. AND SO ONLY CERTAIN NUMBERS OF COMMISSIONS ARE GOING TO BE USING THE SET UP WE'RE USING NOW. UM, RIGHT. SO X NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS WOULD HAVE TO BE SUPPORTED BY RESOURCES AND STAFF, UH, IN ADDITION, UH, BUT THEN AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME REQUIREMENTS, THEN MAYBE IT'S NOT SO DIFFICULT, RIGHT. MAYBE IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, UH, YOU KNOW, BRANDING CHOICES FOR PEOPLE WITH THEIR OWN, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S SOON THAT THEY WANT TO USE, UH, IF THEY HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY OR IF IT'S TEAMS AND THEY'VE GOT THE FLEXIBILITY. AND ALSO IT'S, WE'RE BOUND TO USE THIS BECAUSE WE'RE PART OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TIED TO TERROR AND WE HAVE TO BE RECORDED AND BROADCAST THEN, SO BE IT. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OTHER ENTITIES THAT HAVE THAT CHALLENGE TOO. WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE, UH, CHAMPIONS. I, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING BY TALKING TO CTO. SO WHAT IS THE TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGE TO MAKE THIS, THE PREVALENT MODE OF MEETING GOING FORWARD? BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF THE CITY CLERK IS PUSHING BACK ON US, I THINK THERE'S A DISTINCT MESSAGE WE'RE GETTING FROM THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE SAY WE ARE INTERESTED. SO WE NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND FROM THE CITY CLERK'S POINT OF VIEW, WHAT IS IT THAT THEY ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT? IS IT REALLY A CTM QUESTION OR IS IT A MORE RESOURCE QUESTION IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE? SO I THINK WE SHOULD INVITE NOT ONLY CTL, BUT INVITE THE CITY CLERK TO COME AND TELL US IN ONE OF THESE MEETINGS SO THAT IT CAN BE RECORDED, WHAT THE CIVIC CLERK'S POSITION IS. RIGHT, RIGHT. I UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTAND. I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE KIND OF SETTLED THIS THOUGH IN THE PAST ALREADY AS BODY THAT WANTS TO, WE CLEARLY DEPEND ON THE CITY CLERK, UH, FOR A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO. AND, UH, AT THE SAME TIME, UH, SURELY WE CAN EMPATHIZE, UH, WITH, UH, RESOURCE CRUNCH WITH A, YOU KNOW, MASSIVE BUDGET CUT. UM, WHEN YOU HAVE AN APARTMENT LITERALLY SAYING IT WOULD REQUIRE FUNDING, BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO CTM AND EXEC'S DONE TO KNOW WHAT THE FUNDING AND RESOURCES WOULD BE. WE ARE STILL, UH, AS A BODY, UH, DO A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE ON CERTAIN THINGS FROM CCM ANYWAY. UM, SO THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ENGAGE THEM IN OUR LANE. UM, I THINK THAT WE COULD HELP BY, UH, JESSE, UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN. UH, WE HAVE, WE SHOULD HAVE A FAIRLY EASY WAY TO CONFIRM WHICH COMMISSIONS ACTUALLY BROADCAST, RIGHT. WHICH COMMISSIONS, UH, REQUIRE ATX M RESOURCES BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S ONLY CERTAIN NUMBERS THAT RESERVE MEETINGS AND AT THE AUSTIN PUBLIC, OR, UM, AND THE, YOU KNOW, IN CITY COUNCIL ROOM, RIGHT. I MEAN CONSUMPTION, BUT I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN DO THAT. HE'S EASILY. AYE. YES. YOU'RE A PRINCE. I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME, SOME AVENUES THAT WE COULD PURSUE, I, I WOULD HAVE TO CHECK SOME ITEMS LIKE A SIMPLE WAY WOULD JUST BE TO LOOK AT CHANNEL SIX, AUSTIN'S A WEBSITE, THEIR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TAB AND SEE HOW MANY COMMISSIONS, UH, UH, UH, RECORDING OVER THE PAST MONTH OR TWO MONTHS TO GIVE, GIVE US A BALLPARK FIGURE. UM, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO ATX N DIRECTLY AND, AND SEE IF THEY HAVE A PRECISE NUMBER AS WELL. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'D BE HELPFUL AT LEAST, UH, TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH AND, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT IS A RESOURCE ISSUE. UH, AT LEAST FROM MY UNDERSTANDING PREVIOUS MESSAGES AND MEETINGS, UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A FEAR FACTOR, NOT KNOWING, UM, YOU KNOW, SO MY HOPE IS WE CAN GET SOME ANSWERS, UM, BY GOING TO [01:00:01] THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, THEY SEEM TO THINK HAVE ANSWERS. YES. AND, AND TIRPITZ JUST, IF I CAN ADD ONE OTHER PIECE OF CONTEXT, UH, PURSUANT TO THE LAST WORKING GROUP MEETING DISCUSSION, WE DID REACH OUT TO ATX N AND TO CTM, TO REQUEST, UH, ANY BUDGET ESTIMATE THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM FOR THIS EFFORT, THE ATX AND REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THAT HE DOESN'T THINK THAT IT WOULD IMPACT ATX N'S, UH, FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. UH, THE CTM CONTACT INDICATED THAT THERE WOULD BE A POTENTIAL LICENSE PER PURCHASES AND ADDITIONAL STAFFING REQUIREMENTS, UH, BUT THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE A, UH, COST US A PRECISE COST ESTIMATE AT THIS TIME EITHER. UM, WE DID INDICATE TO HIM THAT IF, IF IT COULD BE PULLED TOGETHER PRIOR TO THIS MEETING, THAT WOULD BE MOST BENEFICIAL. UM, BUT WE HAVEN'T HEARD BACK. UH, SO THAT IS AN ONGOING CONVERSATION, BUT JUST SO THAT Y'ALL ARE AWARE, UH, THAT NEXT STEP HAS BEEN TAKEN TO BRING IT TO CTM AND ATX AND DIRECTLY THAT'S GREAT NEWS. SO WE KNOW BIN ATX THEN FEELS LIKE THEY'RE FINE, THEN WE SHOULD HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT CTM SAYS. UH, AND THEN HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A SIMPLE PROPOSAL DISCUSSION WITH OTHER CARTS, OFFS, THAT POINT ABOUT LOGISTICS. UH, BUT THANK YOU AGAIN, FOR, FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS, ONE ABOUT THIS? I'VE GOT A QUESTION. SO AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE FIRST STEP, UH, LEGISLATOR, IN OTHER WORDS, WE'VE GOT TO GET COUNCIL TO PASS A RESOLUTION, STUDYING THAT BOARDS AND CONDITIONS CAN MEET, PROMOTE MEETS, AND THEN WE CAN SOLVE THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND THE FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS, THE FIRST STEP, WHICH IS NECESSARY, UM, SHOULD COST NO MONEY. AND THERE'S NO REASON WHY COUNCIL CAN'T DO THAT NOW. WELL, DIDN'T, WE ALREADY PUT IN A REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION. SO HAVE WE GOTTEN AN, A, ANY KIND OF RESPONSE FROM THAT COMMISSIONER YATES? YES, WE DID, UH, SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGENDA ITEM. WE HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THAT AS OF YET, AND, BUT WE HAVE SENT AN EMAIL ASKING FOR AN UPDATE TO SEE WHERE IT WAS. WE SENT THAT OUT, I BELIEVE, EARLY LAST WEEK. UM, AND, AND STILL HAVEN'T HEARD BACK ON, UH, UH, A DATE OR ANY OTHER INFORMATION ON THE NEXT STEPS FOR THAT, BUT YOUR BROADER TO YOUR BROADER POINT, UH, THAT IS CORRECT. W W THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE IS A POLICY QUESTION. SO ONCE THE STATE'S EMERGENCY ORDERS SUSPENDING CERTAIN TOMA REQUIREMENTS LIFTS, IT THEN BECOMES A, UH, A MATTER OF WHAT IS THE CITY'S RESTRICTIONS, WHICH HAVE NOT CHANGED. AND SO IT GOES BACK TO BACK TO THAT QUESTION. SO THE POLICY QUESTION IS CERTAINLY THE MORE PRESSING ONE, UH, GIVEN THAT THE EMERGENCY ORDER, WE DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL BE, UM, SUSPENDED AT THE STATE LEVEL. OKAY. SO THAT, UH, REQUEST FOR COUNSEL COMMITTEE AGENDA, UM, DOES THAT HAVE SOME CLAIM NUMBER OR SOME KIND OF IDENTIFY BARK THAT I COULD USE SO THAT I COULD SEND THAT OUT TO COUNCIL AND THEY CAN INUNDATE EVERYONE ON COUNCIL WITH THIS REQUEST? UM, IS THERE ANY IDENTIFYING FEATURE OF THIS REQUEST OR SOME NUMBER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR A DATE I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING, BECAUSE I'M NOT NECESSARILY AN ADVOCATE OF INUNDATING ANYONE WELL, THAT'S DEMOCRACY AS I SEE IT. UH, SO I WILL REPHRASE THAT. AND WHAT WE NEED IS, UM, SOMETHING THAT CAN IDENTIFY THE, UH, THE COST PER COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGENDA, UM, SO THAT WE CAN PETITION COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ACTUALLY GET IT ON TO A, UH, UM, A WORKING GROUP COMMITTEE. IS THERE A, SOME KIND OF [01:05:01] IDENTIFICATION? UH, YES. AS FAR? WELL, THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGENDA REQUEST DOES HAVE A NUMBER THAT WE FILED THE DUNDER I'M, I'M LESS CERTAIN ON IF THAT SAME NUMBER WILL CARRY OVER ONTO THE, UH, THE COMMITTEE'S AGENDA. BUT, UH, I THINK THAT IT DOES CARRY OVER AND THAT NUMBER IS, UH, IT'S POSTED, UH, FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO SEE ON THE DECEMBER 9TH, 2020, UH, MEETING FOR THIS COMMISSION, THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGENDA REQUEST POSTING. AND THE NUMBER IS 2021, TWO ZERO NINE DASH THREE B. AND SO, AS FAR AS I KNOW, THAT IS THE IDENTIFIER THAT IS GOING TO BE UTILIZED. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'LL LOOK THAT UP. THANK YOU, MR. GATES. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE? YEAH, I JUST WANT TO, I WANT TO ASK, WE WERE RECOMMENDING THAT IT'S WE LEAVE THE OPTION TO, UH, ATTEND REMOTELY FOR COMMISSIONERS OR FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS IN A MEETING, INCLUDING CITIZENS, VACATIONS AND DINNERS. UM, I BELIEVE, UH, UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN OR THIS HAS EVOLVED IN ANYONE ELSE'S THOUGHTS, UH, THAT WE'RE PURSUING IS A CONTINUATION OF WHAT WE STARTED TO WORK ON AND WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, BASICALLY. RIGHT. UM, AS COMMISSIONERS, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME OTHER SUBTLETIES, BUT YOU MAY HAVE A REASON FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION. I DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF YOU. DOES THAT HELP TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? OKAY. UH, BECAUSE W WHAT I THINK ABOUT WHEN I HEAR THE QUESTION IS, UM, THE FACT THAT SINCE THAT ENGAGEMENT, UH, WILL THEN COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, BUT ONE COULD INTIMATE AN IMPLIED RISK WITH CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT THAT SOMEHOW AS A BODY, UH, WE FEEL AS THOUGH WE SHOULDN'T CHAIR, AND I'M NOT NECESSARILY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. YEAH. I AGREE. I THINK THE, THE, UM, THE REASONING BEHIND MY QUESTION IS I THINK, UM, THAT WOULD INVOLVE A DIFFERENT SET OF REQUIREMENTS, UM, TO SUPPORT AND A DIFFERENT, UH, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO SUPPORT POTENTIALLY, UM, EVEN JUST ORGANIZING CITIZEN, UH, COMMUNICATIONS ONLINE VERSUS HOW IT'S DONE IN PERSON AND MANAGING THE TWO AND BOTH. RIGHT. UM, SO THAT, THAT, WHILE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT BUILDING REQUIREMENTS, I WANTED TO CLEAR THAT PART OUT NETWORK, UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT, UH, THESE REQUIREMENTS, UM, ARE THINGS WE SHOULD BE EVALUATING, RIGHT? BECAUSE TO ME A SOLUTION THAT MAKES IT, UH, SO THAT EVERY COMMISSIONER IN OFTEN CAN COMMUNICATE REMOTELY SO THAT THEY'RE SAFE, BUT THEN CITIZENS THAT THEY WANT TO ENGAGE, UH, HAVE TO GO TO CITY HALL, UM, AND EXPOSE THEMSELVES TO RISK THAT DYNAMIC IS NOT COOL WITH ME. UM, PERSONALLY. SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF THESE REQUIREMENTS, UM, AND BE HOLISTIC AS WE THINK ABOUT THIS AND THAT, NOT JUST THE ONES THAT IMPACT US, UH, BUT OBVIOUSLY OUR CONSTITUENTS, SINCE WE, WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO FOCUS ON CITIZENS, CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT, AS PART OF OUR MISSION. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO, RIGHT. SO RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THAT CITIZENS CAN COMMUNICATE, WAIT FOR LIKE THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR CITY COUNCIL DURING MEETINGS, UM, THEY PHONE IN. AND SO THIS, JUST HAVING A PHONE IS PRETTY MUCH UNIVERSAL ACCESS. AND SO THEY DON'T NEED TO HAVE A COMPUTER OR ANY KIND OF A ZOOM CALL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND SO THAT'S A FAIRLY LOW BAR IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY AND FINANCE. AND THAT SOUNDS LIKE A REQUIREMENT. THAT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE WE GOT A WORKING LIST. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION RIGHT NOW, LIKE TODAY, IF, IF THERE HAD BEEN SOMEONE WHO WANTED TO, UM, ENGAGE IN OUR MEETING, UM, WOULD THEY HAVE HAD, BECAUSE WE ARE REMOTE ENTIRELY REMOTE RIGHT NOW, WHAT THEY HAVE HAD TO COMMUNICATE THAT AHEAD OF TIME, UM, TO GET ON THE SCHEDULE AND GET THE LINK, OR, [01:10:02] UH, HELLO, COMMISSIONER GARA. YES. THAT IS CORRECT. THE WAY THAT CITIZEN COMMUNICATION IS CURRENTLY HANDLED IS THAT THEY WOULD REACH OUT TO ME AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE. SO THAT'S THE STANDARD THAT'S BEEN SET BY THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS THAT, UH, IF, IF WE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A CITIZEN COMMUNITY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO COMMUNICATE 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE, THEN WE WOULD, UH, COMMUNICATE THAT TO, UH, CHAIR PITS SO THAT HE'S AWARE, UH, THAT WE DO HAVE CITIZEN COMMUNICATORS. WE WOULD THEN PULL THEM INTO THE, UH, THE PRES, UH, UH, SO THERE'S, THERE'S TWO SIDES TO THE WEBEX PLATFORM THAT, THAT WE HAVE HERE. THERE'S, UH, A SIDE WHERE EVERYBODY HAS THEIR PANEL LISTED FOR THE PUBLIC, AND THEN THERE'S A BACKSIDE WHERE PEOPLE CAN WAIT AND, UH, DIGITAL LOBBY, UH, ESSENTIALLY, UH, CITIZEN COMMUNICATORS WOULD PRESENT, UH, THEIR, THEIR COMMUNICATIONS FROM THAT LOBBY. UM, AND THAT LOBBY CAN BE CALLED INTO VIA A PHONE NUMBER, OR IT CAN BE ACCESSED, UH, VIA A WEBEX LINK. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER, BECAUSE THEN IF WE HAVE AN EVOLUTION BACK TOWARDS, UH, THE LIFTING OF THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION IT'LL MEAN THEN, UH, THAT, UM, STATUS QUO WILL BE, OF COURSE, BACK AT CITY HALL, CITIZENS WILL THEN AT THAT POINT BE REQUIRED TO COME TO CITY HALL TO, TO SPEAK. UM, AND I GUESS THE, THEN ULTIMATELY, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S A QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S AN ACCOMMODATION FOR THOSE. IF WE FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE AN ACCOMMODATION OR REQUIREMENT THAT SOMEONE HAVE A PHONE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE, UM, WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE WAY THINGS WERE BEFORE, THEY JUST HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WALK THE SIGN UP AHEAD OF TIME, WHICH THEY COULD DO USING A KIOSK AT CITY HALL AND THEN WALK IN THE DOOR WHEN IT WAS THEIR TIME TO SPEAK, UNLESS UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN, THAT'S ALL THEY HAD TO DO BEFORE. THAT CAN CORRECT JESSE. YES, THAT IS CORRECT. AND, UH, JUST SO THAT, UH, Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF THAT, THE CURRENT SITUATION. UH, SO I AM AT CITY HALL, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, FACILITATE IF, IF WE MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF, UH, MULTIMODAL PARTICIPATION, LIKELY THE CITIZEN CITIZENS WOULD BE ABLE TO COME TO CITY HALL AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ACCESS ONE OF THE MIKES IN THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM TO PARTICIPATE. SO I DON'T SUSPECT THAT WOULD BE A CHALLENGE, UH, TO ALLOW IN-PERSON PARTICIPATION AS WELL AS A DIGITAL OPTION. THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S GOOD. I HAVE A PROPOSAL THEN TO ADVANCE THIS AND TO GET US ACTING. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT COMMISSIONER GUERRERO, UM, HELP THE STEER HEADING THE EFFORT OF REQUIREMENTS GATHERING, UM, AND THAT WE SUBMIT THOSE REQUIREMENTS, UH, ALONG WITH REQUESTS, FOR INFORMATION TO, UH, CTM AND HEX SEN, UM, AND GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD TO THEM AND, OR CHALLENGE THEM BASED UPON, YOU KNOW, LOGISTICS AND WHAT THEY KNOW THE RESOURCES ARE. UH, IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD, I'D LOVE THE, MY CAN MAKE THEM, THAT'S MY EMOTION. I GUESS, IF YOU WILL, FOR ACTIONS THAT AS PART OF OUR FOCUS HERE IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION. SO I WOULD CERTAINLY ENTERTAIN A SECOND FOR THAT MOTION, IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD. ALRIGHT, GREAT. I'VE MADE A MOTION, UH, FOR COMMISSIONER DIRE RO UH, UH, FIRST OFF I MADE A MOTION, BUT I HAVE ASKED FOR, UH, INTEREST COMMISSIONING. IS THIS SOUND INTERESTING TO YOU? YES. OKAY. SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT HE MIGHT, UH, BUT, UH, IMPAIR THIS, I'M NOT A BULLY, RIGHT. SO I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR. I'M NOT TRYING TO BULLY YOU INTO THIS, SO, BUT PLEASE, UH, UH, HOPE I DIDN'T GET AHEAD OF MYSELF BY JUST ASSIGNING THIS. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING OF I WAS VIBING, I THINK. OKAY. SO THEN WE HAVE MOTION FOR COMMISSIONER GUIRO TO LEAD A REQUIREMENTS, GATHERING EFFORT FOR THOSE REQUIREMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED TO CTM. IT TAKES THEM, I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION COMMISSIONED THAT, SCOOP THAT SECONDHAND. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION. PLEASE SAY, AYE, AND SHOW YOUR HANDS. HI. HI. HI. UH, ALL THOSE POSTS AND ANYONE ABSTAINING NOW, COMMISSIONER GUIRO. DID I HEAR YOU OR SEE YOUR HAND? I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE FUCKING STONESY. YES. OKAY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE WE NEED YOU TO VOTE. [01:15:03] THAT'S THE ONE. OKAY, COOL. ALL RIGHT. SO THEN IT'S OFFICIAL. UM, AND I THINK WE GOT A GOOD DIRECTION ON THAT. UM, SO HOPEFULLY, UH, YOU'VE GOT A GOOD, UH, PANEL ON SOME OF THE DIFFERENT THOUGHTS THAT OUR COMMISSIONS HAVE RAISED. UM, BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE TO DO IS JUST TO EMAIL, UH, COMMISSIONER GORROW, PLEASE DON'T INUNDATE HER USE THAT PHRASE, UH, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF BULLETS, MAYBE THOUGHTS ON REQUIREMENTS, UH, PARTICULARLY ONCE YOU'VE ALREADY MADE THAT SHE PROBABLY ALREADY WILL HAVE THOSE BULLETS, UM, AND THAT'LL BE QUICKER. AWESOME. WELL THEN MOVING ON, UH, THE NEXT THING, UM, IN TERMS OF THE CLERK'S OFFICE WAS VOTING TABLATURE. AND OUR QUESTION WAS THIS OVER A YEAR AGO, THE CLERK'S OFFICE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PLAYING AWAY TO POST COUNCIL BOATS IN A WAY THAT IS DATA ANALYZABLE. THE CTC WAS SUPPORTIVE OF THIS EFFORT. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AN UPDATE ON WHERE THIS PRODUCT IS, AND IF IT MIGHT BE ANY FUNNY FARM ASSOCIATES ACTIVITY, HERE'S THE ANSWER. IT IS STILL AN ART TO-DO LIST, BUT NO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WERE PROVIDED LAST FISCAL YEAR. AND I DO NOT EXPECT GIVEN THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE THAT ANY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WILL BE ALLOCATED TO THIS FISCAL YEAR. IT IS PART OF A BIGGER PROJECT RELATED TO COUNCIL MEETINGS, WHICH IS BEING FLUSHED OUT, BUT WITH LIMITED RESOURCES AND EVERYTHING ELSE GOING ON, JUST DOES IT RISE TO THE TOP OF OUR LIST AT THIS TIME? UM, I THINK WE CAN, AT LEAST I CAN PERSONALLY I'LL PERSON SAY, BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE CANBERRA, UH, SCANNED COMMUNICATION TO THE PARKS OFFICE AT THE SAME TIME. I DO ALSO APPRECIATE WHAT I'VE HEARD CANDIDLY FROM, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, FLOYD, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, DASGUPTA I BELIEVE KRISHA, GARA. I THINK I PICKED THEM SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE BASICALLY THOUGHT THAT THERE MIGHT BE A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO EVALUATE THAT REALLY WOULDN'T REQUIRE THAT MUCH. AND I THINK WHAT'S CLEAR IS THAT THEY NEED AN ENTITY LIKE CTM TO SAY THAT BEFORE THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING IN THAT DIRECTION. UM, RIGHT. I THINK BECAUSE IT'S SOFTWARE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE THE KIND OF THING THAT GIVES THEM THE WILLIES. UH, AND, UM, I CAN APPRECIATE THAT. SO UNLESS ANYONE DISAGREES, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT WE ADD THIS TO, UH, OUR DATA POINTS, UH, AND ASKS OF CTM, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF IT TAKES, UH, DROPPING SOCRATA SOPRANO OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT, UH, SOLUTION WITH TABLEAU, NOT TABLO OR WHATEVER THE SOLUTION THAT'S THE, UH, DALLAS, UH, CITY COUNCIL WITH USING THAT WAS CALLED OUT PRIOR, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, UH, TO MOVE THIS FORWARD. BUT WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN UP THE THOUGHTS AND, AND ANY FEEDBACK. SO A SIMPLE SPREADSHEET FOR THE TIME BEING WITH SUFFICE UNTIL SUCH TIME AS COUNCIL FOUND THE RESOURCES FOR SOMETHING MORE SOPHISTICATED AT THAT POINT, YOU ALREADY HAVE CAPTURED THE INFORMATION ELECTRONICALLY, AND IT WOULD BE EASY TO PORT INTO ANY OTHER PLATFORM. SO ALL YOU NEED TO BEGIN WITH IS A SPREADSHEET. I LEFT THEM A STRICKEN. I THINK WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT. UM, BUT I COULD BE WRONG. JESSE, DO YOU RECALL IF THERE WAS ANY, ANY KIND OF DATA COLLECTION EXERCISE ON VOTING ALREADY UP, UP WITH SOMETHING BASIC? I DO NOT HAVE RECOLLECTION OF, UM, ANY CURRENT DATA COLLECTION. LIKE I CAN, I CAN, UH, SEARCH, BUT I DON'T. YEAH, IT WAS VOTES. I REMEMBER THERE WAS, THERE WAS A BASIC DATA COLLECTION ON FOLKS, RIGHT. UM, OR, YOU KNOW WHAT, NO, THERE WASN'T, WE WERE JUST, WE WERE BASICALLY TRYING TO GET BACK LIKE IT'S WE WERE LOOKING TO TRY TO GET AT THE VERY LEAST A BASIC ASSESSMENT OF VOTES. UM, NOW IT COMES BACK TO ME. RIGHT. AND I THINK WE WERE TACKLING TWO PROBLEMS, ONE THE LARGER ISSUE OF CONTINUING COLLECTION, BUT THERE IS A LARGE HISTORICAL, UM, ISSUE OF HOW TO THEN, UM, GET HISTORICAL DATA, UM, RIGHT, RIGHT. AND KEEPS YOUR GATES. SO THAT, THAT, THAT BECOMES THE IMMEDIATE, YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATE, UH, CHOKE POINT, RIGHT. THE DATA, THE DATA COLLECTION EXERCISE, THIS INFORMATION SOUNDS LIKE IT'S DISPARATE AND, UH, NOT ALL OF THEM IN PLACE, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT EASILY ACCESSIBLE. RIGHT. SO IT MAY EVEN REQUIRE DATA MINING [01:20:01] WELL, OKAY. SO FIRST OF ALL, UM, THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT WILL BE THE CAPTURE, THE BOATS GOING FORWARD AND WORRY ABOUT THE HISTORICAL DATA. LATER ON. THERE WE GO. SECOND, ALL OF THE INFORMATION IS IN ONE PLACE IN THE MINUTES OF COUNCIL, IT'S JUST THAT THERE WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO BE SOME KIND OF A PARSING PROGRAM THAT WOULD GO THROUGH AND LOOK FOR PHRASES THAT WOULD, UH, INDICATE WHO VOTES, HOW AND WHAT YEAH. YEAH. YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN ABOUT THE BOATS GOING FORWARD. UH, BUT AGAIN, CTM WILL BE INVOLVED IN THAT DECISION. SO IT DOESN'T START WITH THE SPREADSHEETS STARTS WITH TALKING TO CTM, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, UH, UH, I I'M WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A QUESTION OF WHAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO WORK. UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHETHER WE CALL IT DATA MINING, WE CALL IT PARSING, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF TOOL TO EXTRACT THOSE DATA POINTS TO WHAT WE NEED. BUT AGAIN, LIKE THINGS LIKE CTM. AND IF I, UM, JUST A QUICK NOTE ABOUT THIS, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, I THINK, UM, MAYBE THIS HAS CHANGED, BUT I REMEMBER AT ONE POINT IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH CTM, I BELIEVE THEY WERE INTERESTED IN, UM, BUILDING, UM, I GUESS A SOFTWARE PIECE OF SOFTWARE IN THE HOUSE TO GET ALL THE HISTORICAL DATA, NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRING CTM. SO I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S CHANGED, BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO, I GUESS, BRING THAT UP TO SEE IF ANYONE KNEW ANY MORE DETAILS ABOUT THAT, OR IF THAT HAD CHANGED OVER WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, RICE CHAIR, ALEXANDER, ARE YOU BY CHANCE REFERRING TO, UM, UH, THE OPEN DATA RECORDS COLLECTION EFFORTS MAYBE, UH, OR, OR IT BE, UM, I, I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS TIED TO THE BOAT, UM, TABLATURE, UM, WELL, LET LET'S, LET'S GO AHEAD AND SAY PERHAPS IT IS, UH, BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, I THINK W WAS THAT A CTM, JUST TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT DEPARTMENT THOUGH? SO THIS WAS, UM, IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, THE PERKS OFFICE. UM, SO MAYBE, MAYBE WE COULD FOLLOW UP ON THAT TOO, JUST TO, UM, MAKE SURE, WELL, UH, YEAH, I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE WE ALREADY DID, BUT MORE SO ON THE CURRENT ABBIE MUCH ARE NOT SERVING THE HISTORICAL DATA. RIGHT, RIGHT. WELL, UM, I DON'T KNOW. I THINK THAT WE COULD DEFINITELY USE, UM, SUPPORT OBVIOUSLY FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE ON A SEPARATE, BUT WHAT'S CLEAR TO ME IS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE OVERWHELMED. UM, I SAY, RIGHT, RIGHT. THEY, THEY SEEM TO WANT SOMETHING TO BE BROUGHT TO THEM. UH, I, AND I SEE, AND I THINK, UH, IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT HAS MINIMAL RESOURCE TRAIN FOR THEM OR FOR THEM TO GET BEHIND. SO I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THAT APPROACH AND, AND MAYBE THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THE EASIEST WAY TO GO ABOUT IT, BUT IF CTM DEVELOPS SOMETHING, WE PRESENTED IT TO THEM. AND THEN, BUT YEAH, I WONDER THE SAME. YEAH. I'M JUST CURIOUS. I MEAN, MAYBE THIS IS MORE OF A WORKING GROUP CONVERSATION, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS TO SEE HOW RECEPTIVE THEY WOULD BE TOO, WITHOUT KIND OF KNOWING, I GUESS WHAT'S, WHAT'S BEHIND THIS PLAN, I GUESS, BUT MAYBE THEY, THEY, MAYBE THEY'RE ALREADY AWARE, SO, UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT, I'M JUST KIND OF THINKING OUT LOUD HERE. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I APPRECIATE THAT. ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR WANT TO, YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR JESSE, UM, UH, WORKING GROUP CAN ENGAGE, UM, THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR INITIATIVES, RIGHT? THAT'S AN OPTION, CERTAINLY. YEAH. THE, UH, WORKING GROUPS CAN, YOU KNOW, REQUEST PRESENTATIONS OR PARTICIPATION FROM ANYBODY THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO HAVE PARTICIPATE. UM, AND CERTAINLY INDIVIDUAL COMMISSION MEMBERS CAN, UH, FACILITATE CONVERSATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. UH, THANK YOU. UM, I'M WONDERING IF, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW ANYONE FEELS ABOUT LEVEL OF EFFORT ON OUR COMMISSIONS OR ON ANY PARTICULAR WORKING GROUPS PART, BUT CLEARLY IT'S BEEN COMMUNICATED THAT THIS ISSUE, YOU KNOW, INITIATIVE IS, IS JUST PUSHED OUT. UM, AND AS, AS A WHOLE, NOT AS OUR IMMEDIATE MEETING, THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS, BUT, UM, WHILE SOME GROUPING CONTINUE TO, UM, WORK ON RECOMMENDATIONS THERE, COULD WE ALSO, [01:25:01] UM, TAKE INITIATIVE IN ANOTHER DIRECTION AND POTENTIALLY CHAMPION SOMETHING AND OPEN AUSTIN, UM, OR LIKE GROUP THE GROUPS LIKE THAT, UM, AND INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY AND, YOU KNOW, DOING THE, LIKE WE'VE MENTIONED FROM, YOU KNOW, RECORDS, PARSING, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S, I MEAN, CITY OF AUSTIN POSTS, YOU KNOW, THE CHAMPIONS, UM, DATA PROBLEMS MUCH LARGER THAN THAT ALL THE TIME ON OPEN AUSTIN, THIS SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING WE COULD ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY ON SOLVING FOR US. THANK YOU FOR THAT STATEMENT. CAUSE YOU GOT REAL BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT I MIGHT'VE BEEN REFERRING TO, UH, WHAT YOUR RELATION TO THE, UH, OPEN DATA PORTAL. UM, THE, THE, THAT I WAS, YOU KNOW, OPEN AUSTIN IS THE GROUP WE NEED TO BE WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S TO, UH, YOU KNOW, FIND SOMEONE THAT'S EAGER TO HELP WITH THE MINING EFFORT, UH, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES OR, UH, YOU KNOW, OR STRATEGY, UH, UH, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA. IN FACT, THAT I WOULD MOVE THAT WE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, IN SUPPORT OF THAT IDEA, UH, THAT WE FORMERLY ENGAGE THEM. I KNOW THAT I COULD JUST SAY WE DO THAT. UH, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE GOT PRETTY QUICK AND SINCE THIS, AND I THINK, UH, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE A VOTE ON THIS MATTER, PARTICULARLY SINCE, UH, IT DOES INVOLVE SOME UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT YOU KNOW, SOME RETICENCE FROM ANOTHER DEPARTMENT. UH, SO WITH THAT, IS THERE A SECOND, UH, FOR US TO, TO ENGAGE OPEN AUSTIN AND THIS EFFORT TO SEE IF THEY CAN HELP WITH RESOURCES AND EXECUTION ON DATA COLLECTION? WONDERFUL. A MOTION HAS BEEN MADE TO ENGAGE OPEN AUSTIN. AND SECOND TO THAT RATHER TO THE SPECIFIC MR. IDEA, UH, WAS MADE TO THE MOTION. AND, UH, SECONDLY, MY COUNTRY, ALL IN FAVOR THAT MOTION, PLEASE SAY, AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. ALL RIGHT. AND SHOW YOUR HANDS. CAUSE SOME OF YOU WE'VE GOT A MUTED. OKAY. ANYONE OPPOSED? WELL, I'M NOT OPPOSED. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION WHO IS GOING TO BE THE ONE TO APPROACH THE, UH, OPEN AUSTIN. WELL, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT IT WOULD MAKE PROBABLY THE MOST SENSE FROM A MANAGEMENT STANDPOINT THAT JESSE I ENGAGED THEM INITIALLY. UM, AND, UH, AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK, UH, BASED ON OUR LEADERSHIP, UH, YOU KNOW, IF SHE'S COMFORTABLE WITH BEING COPIED ON THOSE COMMUNICATIONS AT MICHIGAN GARBO COULD HELP TO BRING, YOU KNOW, INSIGHTS AND INFORM US ABOUT THIS. CERTAINLY. DOES THAT SOUND FINE? COMMISSIONER GATES? YES. I KNOW. I'M CERTAINLY REALLY WITH THAT. SHE WANTS TO TAKE ON THE WORK. WONDERFUL. WONDERFUL. THEN WHAT DO WE HAVE YOUR VOTE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE? YES. OKAY, GREAT. AND THEN WITH THAT, UH, WE HAVE UNANIMOUS APPROVAL, UH, ON THIS ACTION, UH, TO HAVE COMMISSIONER GAR RATHER HAVE JESSE ENGAGE, UM, OPEN AUSTIN, UH, WITH SUPPORT COMMISSIONER GUY WROTE ABOUT THIS EFFORT FOR, UH, BOATING TABLATURE. AND WE ALSO, I THINK CLEARLY AGREED WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE TO VOTE ON THIS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE IT IS CLEAR CONSENSUS THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON FUTURE VOTES FIRST AND THEN HISTORICALS, BUT YOU KNOW, IN THAT ORDER OF PRIORITY. UM, AND SO THE NEXT EMOTION, I GUESS, IS THAT CTM BEING ENGAGED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A LICENSE OR SOME TYPE OF SOFTWARE TOOL TO USE FOR FUTURE VOTING RIGHT NOW, PERHAPS IT MAKES MORE SENSE. WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT. SHULA OPEN AUSTIN, DO THEIR THING FIRST TO BE PURSUE A DUAL TRACK. UM, IT'S A GOOD CHANCE, BEST CASE THAT CTM ENDS UP WORKING WITH OPEN AUSTIN ON THIS EFFORT. UM, BUT WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ADD, I GUESS, TO CTM AND WE'LL NECESSARILY HAVE TO LET THEM WITH THIS. UM, SO UNLESS ANYONE HAS CONCERNS ABOUT THAT, NOW WE COULD, WE COULD JUST LET THIS PROCEED WITH OUR, UH, OUR AGREED UPON ACTION AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S A LIST OF, YOU KNOW, STANDING LIST OF THINGS TO HAVE SEATS RESPONSES RESPONSIVE, FAIR. I HAVE A QUESTION HERE AND THAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR SUBMITTING BUDGET REQUESTS. DO WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING OR [01:30:01] DO WE NEED TO COME UP WITH SPECIFIC COST FIGURES AT THIS MEETING? CAN YOU SUBMIT TO THE BUDGET OFFICE? I WANT TO ASK TO BE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION COMMISSIONER GATES, BECAUSE SO FAR, UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE HAVE BUDGET. WELL, MAYBE YOU'RE REFERRING TO SOMETHING SPECIFIC, UH, CAUSE WE ALREADY DISCUSSED REMOTE DISSIPATION. WE NEED TO ENGAGE CTM. AND ACTUALLY IT'S A VOLUME TABLATURE, I THINK IS THE ONE THING, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY RESEARCH OF SOFTWARE LICENSES. UM, BUT IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? WELL, JUST FOR ALL OF OUR REQUESTS IN GENERAL, SO WE ALREADY HAVE THE SUBMITTED FOR DETOX AND I THINK THAT WE CAN SUBMIT SPECIFIC DOLLAR FIGURES FOR ZOOM LICENSES AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ANY FINANCIAL FIGURES, EITHER THEY REVOKED PARTICIPATION OR THE, THE BOATS COLLECTION. DO YOU WANT TO FIND OUT HOW LONG WE HAVE TO GET THE ADMISSION BACK FROM ATX SEN CTM AND UH, OPEN AUSTIN THEN TO, TO THEM SUBMIT A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION? YES. DO WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING OR TWO BEFORE WE HAVE TO SUBMIT? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION FOR JESSE AND OR JOHN TO HELP US OUT WITH HELLO, COMMISSIONERS, THE DEADLINE FOR US TO REMIT ANY BED BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE IS APRIL 9TH. THAT IS BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING. SO THE INTENT WOULD BE TO HAVE ANY, UH, YOU KNOW, MOTIONS THAT NEED TO BE PASSED OR THAT NEED TO BE SUBMITTED, HAVE TO BE VOTED ON TODAY. OTHERWISE WE HAVE TO CALL, WE HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED SESSION AND MEET QUORUM TO MAKE THAT SESSION HAPPEN. YEAH, I'M LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR NOW AND UH, YEAH, JUST BY ONE DAY. UM, YEAH, THE 30, THE 31 MONTH, THE 31 DAY MONTH OF MARCH BUMPED US, UH, PAST THAT DAY, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THAT THE NIGHT OF THAT MEETING, I RUBBED THE NIGHT OF THE DEADLINE. SO, UM, EITHER WAY WE'D NEED TO PROBABLY HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING. WELL, UH, WOULD THAT BEING SAID, UM, IS THERE A COMMITMENT FROM EVERYONE ON THIS CALL TO BE PART OF A SPECIAL CALL MEETING? UM, THAT FIRST WEEK OF EITHER THAT EITHER THAT SHORT WEEK OF, UH, FIRST SHORT WEEK OF APRIL, UH, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY FOR THE NEXT WEEK, BUT AGAIN, BEFORE THE NINTH, IF WE WEREN'T ON THE SEVEN QUESTIONS HERE. OKAY. SO FIRST OF ALL, UM, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH ANY SPECIFIC DOLLAR FIGURES. SO COULD WE JUST PUT IN A BUDGET REQUEST FOR ONE FTE OR MORE COMPUTER ADMINISTRATIVE, SOMETHING GENERAL LIKE THAT AND UM, SOMETHING, SOME PLACEHOLDER FIGURE THAT WE PULL OUT OF THE AIR FOR EITHER SOFTWARE OR HARDWARE FOR BOTH OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION AND I THINK I CAN ANSWER THAT. UM, BUT I DO WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU A LITTLE BIT, UH, MIGHT I ASK YOU BECAUSE YOU KNOW, TODAY BEING THE 10TH OF MARCH, UM, THAT GIVES US THREE WEEKS TO GET INFORMATION BACK FROM CTM AND ET CETERA. SO WHEN YOU SAY WE WON'T BE ABLE, UH, WHAT IS THAT BASED ON, UM, THE RELUCTANCE OF CTM AND THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT TO ACTUALLY GET THE ASPECTS ABOUT EITHER OF THESE PROPOSALS? OKAY. WELL, I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT. I'LL GO. I HAVEN'T SEEN, UH, ANY, UH, REFUSAL TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM CTM, UH, RELATED TO THIS OR, OR EIGHT TAKES IN IT'S ALREADY, I'VE BEEN FORTHCOMING. SO I, YOU KNOW, I, I SEE THEM BEING HELPFUL. UM, I PERSONALLY AGAIN INTERPRET THE [01:35:01] CLERK'S RESPONSE AS, UH, YOU KNOW, REFLECTIVE OF THEM BEING OVERWHELMED AND WANTING, UH, A TECHNICAL ADVISOR AND MANAGER OF RESOURCES THAT ARE TECHNICAL TO BE THE ONE TO DIVIDE THE BUDGET. UM, SO ALTHOUGH I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT, I DEFINITELY AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH, UM, ASSUMING WE WON'T GET THE ANSWERS FROM CTM UNTIL DRY CHECK. UH, YES, TURNING THAT AROUND, UH, IN SUPPORT FOR A QUESTIONNAIRE TO SAY, COULD WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE EMPOWER THE CITY CLERK TO HIRE ONE PERSON, WHETHER IT BE CONTRACT OR WHATEVER, UH, TO BE ASSIGNED TO WHICHEVER ORGANIZATION IS A CTM OR THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO CONDUCT A PILOT STUDY FOR A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. AND THEN ONE PERSON, ONE HEADCOUNT WILL BE WORKING WITH CTC DISCOLORATION SINCE WE ARE THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION AND WHICHEVER OTHER COMMISSION WOULD WORK WITH US IS CERTAINLY NUMBER TWO, DETERMINE THE LONG-TERM FEASIBILITY, NOT AN EMERGENCY THING, BUT THE LONG-TERM VISIBILITY OF, YOU KNOW, OF THIS APPROACH OF WORKING FROM HOME, ESSENTIALLY HAVING THESE MEETINGS FROM ALL ZOOM MEETINGS, VIDEO MEETINGS, AND THE TOTAL COST TO ENABLE ALL COMMISSIONS TO DO SO. AND DO YOU SPEND A YEAR TO DO THAT? WELL, I THINK I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT OF, OF, OF, UH, BOB, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S TRYING TO THINK TO ADDRESS, UH, A CLEAR PERCEPTION AT LEAST OF RESOURCE CHALLENGE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. UM, AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK IT'S MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERSTEP, UM, RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT SAYING THEY NEED RESOURCES, UH, TO HELP THEM, UH, MANAGE PROCESS. WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS THE WAY I INTERPRET IS THEY'RE, THEY'RE BASICALLY SAYING, UH, THEY HAVE, THEY, THEY, THEY NEED X, THEY NEED EXPERTISE, UH, TO MANAGE RESOURCES. AND THEY THINK THAT THAT EXPERTISE IS CTM AND ATX, AND THAT THAT'S, THAT'S MY INTERPRETATION. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST FEEL AS THOUGH WE NEED TO, UH, TRY TO GET SOME ANSWERS FROM CTM AND AA TAKES THEM BEFORE, UH, WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR, UH, STASH OR, OR HEAD COUNT. ALTHOUGH I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE HELP US, HELP YOU, HELP US, YOU KNOW, IS THE IDEA, UH, UH, AND I CAN APPRECIATE THAT. I DON'T KNOW. I JUST, I LIKE TO HAVE SOME OTHER PEOPLE WEIGH ON THIS, SO WE CAN HOPEFULLY ARRIVE AT CONSENSUS THOUGH, BECAUSE THIS IS EATING UP OUR SHOWER TIME AND AGENDA. UH, CAN I GET SOME THOUGHTS FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, ALEXANDER OR COMMISSIONER GUERRERO ON THIS? UH, I I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT, UM, WE, WE DO ATTEMPT TO COLLECT SOME INFORMATION AND PUT TOGETHER A REQUIREMENTS LIST THAT MIGHT HELP THE SITUATION WILL AT LEAST GIVE US, UM, A NUMBER THAT WE CAN RECOMMEND OR BALLPARK. UM, IT IS A SHORT TIMELINE, UM, BUT THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL DO A SYNC WITH EACH OTHER. UM, I BELIEVE RIGHT, JESSE. YEAH. OKAY. UM, AND I, I'D ALSO RECOMMEND ON TOP OF THAT, THAT OUR SPECIAL CALL MEETING. I THINK WE SHOULD FOCUS IN ON THE REMOTE MEETING OPTION AS, UH, FOR THE AGENDA, AS OPPOSED TO BOTH REMOTE MEETING AND, UM, CITY COUNCIL, UH, TAB TABULATING ABOUT TABULATING. UM, I THINK, UH, I, I, I'M LESS CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, ARRIVE AT ANY OO UH, RECOMMENDATION, UM, AS, AS FAR AS WHAT THAT WOULD COST IN THE SENSE THAT IT, IT, IT STEPS OUT OF THE BOUNDS OF, UM, OUR AVAILABLE, AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO US TO, TO ASK AND ENGAGE IT KIND OF STEPS INTO THIRD PARTY VENDOR, UM, BOUNDS, WHICH IS HARDER TO COLLECT AND EVALUATE. THANK YOU FOR THOSE THOUGHTS. UH, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU STATED, UH, COMMISSIONER ALEXANDER, ANY THOUGHTS? UH, YES, I, I ACTUALLY, UH, I [01:40:01] AGREE WITH THAT AND I THINK, UM, ANOTHER ADVANTAGE OF FOCUSING ON REMOTE PARTICIPATION IS THAT IT SEEMS, UM, MORE IMMEDIATELY TOPICAL AND THE FACT THAT OTHER, UM, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE REACHING OUT TO US TO TRY AND, UM, ASSESS WHAT DID YOU GOING FORWARD AND HOW THIS IS GOING TO, UM, TO PLAY OUT. I THINK, UM, THERE'S MORE, YEAH, MORE INTEREST, A LITTLE MORE URGENCY TO THAT. AND I THINK IF WE FOCUS OUR EFFORTS, WE CAN COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY, UH, A SOLID RECOMMENDATION. AND, UM, YEAH. AND THEN IF OFFLINE, PERHAPS IN THE WORKING GROUPS MAYBE, OR, UM, CHRISTIAN MCI ROSE UPWARDS, THAT WE COME UP WITH SOME NUMBERS, THEN WE COULD SUPPLEMENT THAT. SO THAT, THAT MIGHT BE, UM, IN APPROACH AS WELL. AND I WAS THINKING TOO, THAT, UM, PERHAPS THE, THE, THE KIDS WORKING GROUP MIGHT BE IN A GOOD POSITION TO, UM, TO ASSIST THOSE, THOSE EFFORTS. SO, UM, SO WE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE CONCEPT GETS THE COMMISSION UPDATES, BUT, UM, YEAH, JUST, JUST, UH, AN OBSERVATION THERE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. WELL, UH, WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO CIRCLE BACK WITH THE MICHIGAN EIGHTS, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT, UM, ABOUT US, UH, YOU KNOW, DOING SOME REQUIREMENTS GATHERING, UH, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST GIVING IT A SHOT WITH CTM? UH, I'M NOT TRYING TO SUGGEST THAT WE, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVE THEM LONGER THAN A COUPLE OF WEEKS SINCE WE ONLY HAVE THAT NEXT FOLLOWING WEEK THEN TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER FOR A RECOMMENDATION, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE VERY LEAST TO TRY TO ENGAGE IN THAT EFFORT AND THEN, UH, IN THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING TO, YOU KNOW, UM, FOCUS AROUND THE MAIN ISSUE OF, OF REMOTE PARTICIPATION BASED ON ITS URGENCY AND TIMING. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? MICHIGAN'S ALL RIGHT. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN TO ME, SO THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALL MEETING AND HOPEFULLY A CTM WILL COME BACK OR SOMETHING. ALTHOUGH I PROBABLY GOING TO SAY THIS, THE SCOPE OF THIS KIND OF A PROJECT MEANS THAT WE NEED TO STUDY IT MORE, IN WHICH CASE I BELIEVE IT BE THAT SAYS, WE JUST GO FORWARD WITH SOME KIND OF NUMBERS AND WE'RE PREPARED TO DO THAT. WHY IS THAT? OKAY, CAN WE DO THAT WHERE WE DON'T SAY THIS MANY DOLLARS, WE JUST SAY ONE FTE, ADMIN POSITIONS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WELL, I THINK TO YOUR POINT, UH, IF WE WEREN'T ALREADY TAKING THE JUMP ON REQUIREMENTS GATHERING, IT'D BE A WHOLE LOT EASIER TO CHARLOTTE PONT OR TO PUT US OFF, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE COMING TO THEM WITH REQUIREMENTS. UM, SO I THINK IT'S GONNA BE TOUGHER FOR THEM TO RUN ON THAT, BUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING SAID THAT, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK WE CAN USE THE TIMING, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, GENERIC OR GENERAL NUMBERS AS WELL. UH, I THINK I MIGHT ASK, UH, FOR YOU, UH, SINCE YOU FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT HAVING THOSE KIND OF NUMBERS, UH, TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND, AND, UH, PROVIDE THEM, HELLO. WELL, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT BURDEN ON ME. NO, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY. IT'S NOT A BURDEN, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT WAS A GREAT IDEA THAT YOU HAD, SO, UH, IT'S AN, I, I LOOK AT IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FULFILL YOUR IDEA. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY, UH, PUBLIC, WELL, THERE PROBABLY IS SOMEWHERE BURIED IN THE CTL BUDGET WOULD BE, UM, THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A CERTAIN CLASS OF, UH, COMPUTER ADMIN FTE. AND, UM, WELL, IF I COULD FIND THAT OUT, UM, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD KICK THAT RESPONSIBILITY BACK OVER ONTO A STAFF, SEE IF THEY CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING JUST, UH, A WELL, OKAY. SO I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT THERE, BUT I KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BASICALLY, UH, EITHER CONFIRMING WHAT'S IN THE EXISTING BUDGET FOR CERTAIN STAFFING, IS THAT PEOPLE AND TRYING TO LEVERAGE, UH, NO DATA POINTS FOR THE EXISTING BUDGET, WHICH WOULD BE AN OKAY USE OF STAFF RESOURCES, IN MY OPINION, UM, OR TESTING THE MARKET, UH, YOU KNOW, GLASS DOOR, OTHER BASICALLY USING THE INTERNET, [01:45:01] UH, AND OTHER RESOURCES OUT THERE, UH, ON FTE FOR THE ROLE, YOU KNOW, AS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY. WELL, WHAT I CAN DO IS LOOK ON THE INTERNET IN TERMS OF WHAT KIND OF COSTS WOULD BE FOR A LICENSE, LIKE WHAT, UH, THE PLATFORM WILL DALLAS USERS. AND WE CAN USE THAT AS A BASELINE FOR, UH, BOTH THE SOFTWARE AND THE HARDWARE. AND THEN, UM, IF WE COULD BOUNCE BACK TO CITY STAFF TO COME UP WITH A, UH, A COST FOR FTE, FOR CPM ADMIN, AND THERE WE'D HAVE A HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE AND, UH, STAFF REQUIREMENTS, SORRY, YOU'RE STILL, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SPEAKING OF THEIR REQUIREMENTS FOR REMOTE MEETINGS, RIGHT? NOT THE, UM, CITY COUNCIL, TABULATE BOAT TABULATING, UH, NO, THIS WELL SPECIFICALLY FOR THE VOTE TABULATION, THAT WOULD BE AN EASIER ONE, I THINK, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PLATFORMS OUT THERE IT'S OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS AND WE'RE ALREADY USING, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN COME UP WITH. AND NOW THE, UH, THE REMOTE PARTICIPATION, IT SEEMS THAT ALL READY INFORMATION OUT THERE IN CTL, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THIS RIGHT NOW. SO WHAT RESOURCES ARE, ARE BEING EXPENDED IN TERMS OF BOTH HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE AND PEOPLE, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT TTM SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH FAIRLY EASILY, I WOULD SAY. SO THERE ARE THE, UH, THE TWO, UH, REQUIREMENTS PROJECT. THAT'S GONNA JUMP IN REALLY QUICK. UH, YEAH. YEAH. ALTHOUGH I DID WANT TO CLARIFY A COUPLE OF THINGS THERE. UM, SO, UH, FEEL FREE. SURE. I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT THAT MIGHT HELP AS Y'ALL WORK THROUGH THIS. I'M LOOKING AT THE, UH, BUDGET, UH, GUIDANCE THAT WAS SENT OUT ON JANUARY 14TH ON THE PROCESS, UM, FOR COMMISSIONS TO SUBMIT BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT THE WAY THAT THEY, UH, SAY THAT THIS IS GOING, THAT THE RECOMMENDATION SYSTEM IS GOING TO WORK IS THAT THE COMMISSIONS GENERATE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SENT TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE. THE CLERK'S OFFICE SENDS THEM, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE DEPARTMENTS. THE DEPARTMENTS CAN THEN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO INCLUDE THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THEIR BUDGET THAT THEY NEED TO SUBMIT TO THE BUDGET OFFICE. SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE PASSED THAT ARE DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC ARE GOING TO GO TO THE DEPARTMENTS FOR FINAL VETTING, FINAL VETTING. UM, SO WE MAY NOT NEED TO HAVE FULL INFORMATION, UH, AS LONG AS WE KNOW A GENERAL DIRECTION, UM, AS, AS A THOUGHT, AND THIS IS JUST FOR THE, OH, NO, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE JANUARY 14TH BUDGET DOCUMENT AND THE WAY THAT THEY'RE FRAMING THE PROCESS. OKAY. WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE, UM, THAT COULD SAVE SOME TIME. I THINK, UH, WE STILL NEED TO BE ENGAGED IN THE REQUIREMENTS GATHERING EXERCISE. UM, AND, AND THAT'S THE PART WHERE, UH, I WANTED TO CHALLENGE YOU YOUR LAST STATEMENT ABOUT WHAT CTM OR ATX N WILL NECESSARILY KNOW THAT THEY'LL, THEY'LL NEED TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR IT. RIGHT. UH, AGAIN, AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, RIGHT NOW ONLY CERTAIN NUMBER OF COMMISSIONS ARE ACTUALLY USING A WEBEX, BUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO PROPOSE IS, UH, AN UPLIFT, UM, OR AT THE VERY LEAST, WE'RE TRYING TO PROPOSE, UH, ONLY X NUMBER OF ENTITIES CONTINUE COMMISSIONERS BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, COMMUNITY, USE WEBEX WHILE OTHERS ENTERTAIN OTHER PLATFORMS, RIGHT? UH, LIKE ZOOM OR TEAMS. UM, WE IN THE REQUIREMENTS GATHERING PHASE, WHICH WE THOUGHT AGREED TO WHAT WAS GOING TO TAKE PLACE HERE WITH ALL COMMISSIONERS SUBMITTING QUESTIONS TO COMMISSIONER CAIRO THAT WAS GOING TO THEN INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL INSIGHTS THAT MIGHT ALSO AFFECT A BUDGET. UM, RIGHT. SO WE, WE CERTAINLY NEED TO COMPLETE THAT PROCESS, UM, AND GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO ADD TO IT WITH THEIR INSIGHTS. BUT, UH, I'M PERSONALLY NOT COMFORTABLE WITH, UH, SUBMITTING A BUDGET WITHOUT SUBMITTING REQUIREMENTS THAT COULD IMPACT THAT BUDGET. AND AT LEAST SINCE WE'RE SENDING THEM TO THE DEPARTMENT, IT KIND OF MAKES SENSE TO THEN HAVE THE [01:50:01] DEPARTMENT INVOLVED IN THE REQUIREMENTS GATHERING PHASE, UH, RIGHT. I MEAN, OTHERWISE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO IMPLEMENT THE BUDGET, RIGHT. I MEAN, ULTIMATELY, UH, WHAT, WHAT THE PROCESS, THE JOB THE JESSE DESCRIBED IS ONE WHERE, AND THEY CAN TAKE OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU LOOK AT IT AND SAY, OKAY, THANKS. NO, WE'RE GOOD. UNLESS WE GET THEIR BUY-IN AND THEY'RE PART OF THE PROCESS. SO, UH, IF JESSE COULD PLEASE CLARIFY WHAT OUR COMMISSION WOULD DO THEN WOULD BE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AND CTM WOULD THEN FLESH THAT OUT WITH ACTUAL FINANCIAL TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS. AND IF THEY DECIDED TO PASS THAT ON, I IS IN FACT THE WAY THE PROCESS WORKS SO THAT WE DO NOT NEED TO COME UP WITH THE ACTUAL FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS, HELLO CHAIR, OR A COMMISSIONER YOUTH. I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF, I DON'T KNOW THAT MANY DETAILS. I CAN ONLY SEE WHAT IS LAID OUT IN THE MAR MEMORANDUM. UM, BUT MY INTERPRETATION OF, UH, WHAT IS LAID OUT IS THAT, UH, THE COMMISSION, UH, WOULD GENERATE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD GO THROUGH THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO THE DEPARTMENTS, AND THEN THE DEPARTMENTS COULD, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, I WOULD ASSUME THAT THEY COULD PUT MORE MEAT ON THE BONES, UH, ONCE IT GETS TO THEM, IF THEY AGREE WITH THE DIRECTION. UM, BUT THAT'S AN OPTION. THE COMMISSION COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT WORK ITSELF FOR, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS TO GET THE BUY BUY IN AHEAD OF TIME, AS WELL AS CHAIR PITS IS INDICATING. YEAH. UH, YES, PLEASE. WHEN YEAH. YEAH. UM, SO I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE COMMISSION LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE BUSINESS NEED? WHAT IS IT, YOUR GOAL? WHAT IS IT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE? AND LIKE, THEN THAT WOULD BE THEN FOR, YOU KNOW, CALCULATED THE REQUIREMENTS AND SUCH BE DONE BY, YOU KNOW, BY CITY STAFF, I'M TAKING IT KIND OF, UH, AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN THERE'S LIKE AN ITEM FROM A COUNCIL THAT, YOU KNOW, ASKING THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT OR TO CREATE OR DO THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, WE KNOW WHAT THE BIG THE GOAL IS. AND, UM, AND THEN THE DETAILS BE, UM, FLUSHED OUT THE COSTS, THE REQUIREMENTS, YOU KNOW, AND NOT PRESCRIBED LIKE A PARTICULAR APPLICATION OR PARTICULAR, UM, YOU KNOW, BE SO SPECIFIC. I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT. RHONDELLA BECAUSE, UH, I AGREE WITH YOU, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, INSTRUCTING A CTM COULD BE, UH, SOMETHING WE WANT TO TRY TO WORK AGAINST OR, OR TO NOT NECESSARILY DO, UH, MAYBE THAT'S THE WRONG WORD, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, BUT I GUESS THE THING THAT I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT IS IN WHAT I'M THINKING OF REQUIREMENTS, AT LEAST MIGHT BE A REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF EMOTIONS AS A PATIENT. I DON'T, I'M NOT THINKING OF, UH, PLATFORMS, I'M THINKING OF REQUIREMENTS THAT WHATEVER SOLUTION WE HAVE HAS TO CHECK THIS BOX, THIS BOX, THIS BOX, RIGHT. SO IT HAS TO, RIGHT. IT HAS TO ENABLE, UM, CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE SAFELY. UH, IT HAS TO ENABLE THE COMMISSIONERS TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE SAFELY, UH, YOU KNOW, TH YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT HAS TO ENABLE, UH, SIGN UP, UH, 24 HOURS AHEAD, SO WE CAN POST, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT I'M REFERRING TO AS THE TIME IT'S PERSONAL. YEAH. YEAH. SO IT'S REALLY LIKE THIS, THIS IS WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSION'S NEEDS OR THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE, AND YOU IDENTIFY THOSE. UM, AND JUST LIKE, THIS IS WHAT OUR BUSINESS, THE BUSINESS CAVE BUSINESS NEEDS, UM, FOR PARTICIPANT FOR THIS PARTICIPATION BY THE COMMUNITY AND BY THE COMMISSION. UM, I WAS JUST TRYING TO THINK, IF YOU WANT TO TRY TO GET THE BALL, GET, GET THE BALL ROLLING, AND AT LEAST GET THE BALL ROLLING, GET THE GIFT, GET AS MUCH TIME AHEAD TO, UM, TURNING IN YOUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATION MAYBE. UM, AND IF YOU CAN GET THE MORE DETAILED REQUIREMENTS AND HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, THAT'D BE, THAT'S GREAT. BUT AGAIN, MAYBE THREE WEEKS, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A GOOD, YOU KNOW, NOT A LONG TIME, BUT JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL, UM, I WANT TO TRYING TO LIKE, JUST PUT, PUT TOO MUCH, UM, DETAIL AS FAR AS PUT, TYING A NUMBER TO IT, TYING A COST TO IT. UM, SO, WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT. [01:55:01] THANK YOU, RANDELL. WE APPRECIATE THAT. I MEAN, I KNOW THAT, UH, AGAIN, UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN, UH, IT'S STILL ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY IS SUBJECT TO THAT DEPARTMENT'S APPROVAL. UM, AND ULTIMATELY THE MORE, UH, YOU KNOW, COMPREHENSIVE AND COLLABORATIVE OUR APPROACHES, THEN I THINK THE TOUGHER IT IS FOR THEM TO WALK AWAY FROM THE RECOMMENDATION. UH, ESPECIALLY IF, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE ALREADY VIBING WITH IT, IF THERE'S A PATCO, THEY'RE PART OF IT, TIME IS NOT NECESSARILY ON OUR SIDE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DUE FOR SOME COMMUNICATION FROM THEM. OKAY. HOPEFULLY THEY WILL APPRECIATE, UM, BUT EITHER WAY WE GOTTA MAKE A DECISION. UH, SO I THINK WE'RE ALREADY CLEAR IN TERMS OF REMOTE DISSIPATION MOVING DO, UM, WHAT'S UP IN THE AIR RIGHT NOW, I THINK IS WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO HOLD A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING ON ONE ISSUE OR MORE THAN ONE ISSUE. UM, AND THEN TRY TO ALSO INCLUDE, UH, VOTING TABLATURE IN, ON THAT ISSUE AND ON THAT SPECIAL CALLED MEETING AGENDA, UM, PRIOR. OKAY. UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE IS THAT WE STICK TO POLICY AND GOALS AND LET CITY STAFF TELL US REQUIREMENTS. SO WE SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE WANT VOTE PARTICIPATION, ALL THOSE CONDITIONS IN THE FORMAT REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY USED, AND THAT'S THE REQUIREMENT FOR LOW PARTICIPATION, AND THEN YOU FIGURE IT OUT. AND THAT TO BE EACH STEP, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS JUST GET SOMETHING IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T PASS. SO THAT NEXT YEAR IT'S ALREADY THERE. OKAY. UH, AM I CORRECT THOUGH, THAT, YOU KNOW, A BUDGET REQUEST THAT FAILS IS NOT PART OF A PRECEDING YEAR'S BUDGET, EXCUSE ME, A FOLLOWING YEAR'S BUDGET. RIGHT. BUT AT LEAST, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT IT SO THAT, LIKE, WE, WE REQUESTED THIS LAST YEAR AND HE SAID, NO, AND WE'RE COMING BACK AGAIN WITH HERE AND WE'RE GOING TO REQUEST IT AGAIN AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE REQUESTING IT. SO IT'S JUST GETTING IT OUT OF THE RECORD THAT OUR COMMISSION HAS REQUESTED TO US THAT IT WAS REFUSED BY CTM OR THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE OR WHOEVER. I UNDERSTAND THAT. I THINK THERE MAY BE A COMMISSIONER, A GUARD WOULD LIKE TO WAIT ON THAT. I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. YEAH. I THINK WE'RE ALL ALIGNED. I THINK WE ALL AGREE ON A GENERAL PLAN OF I'VE VOLUNTEERED TO DO THE BEST THAT I CAN AND THEN TIMEFRAME AND THE CONSTRAINTS, HOWEVER HARD THEY MAY BE TO GET DATA THAT WE CAN PRESENT AND MAKE EVERYBODY ELSE'S JOB EASIER TO SAY YES ON THE BUDGET. RIGHT? IF FOR SOME REASON, BY THE TIME WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE FEEDBACK AND RESPONSES. THEN WE WILL NOT HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR A SPECIFIC BUDGET NUMBER BECAUSE WE WILL NOT HAVE THAT DATA. I DON'T THINK. AND COMMISSIONER EATS, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING AROUND, UM, PUTTING AN ARBITRARY SUGGESTION IN THE BUDGET FOR A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE, UM, AND ARE GONNA PROVIDE OPTIONS FOR WHAT YOU THINK THE APPROPRIATE, UH, PAY SCALE THAT FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE SHOULD BE OR ROLE. UM, I THINK THOSE ARE THE TWO OPTIONS WE HAVE TWO OPTION IS TRY TO COLLECT THE DATA AND GIVE A PROPOSAL OR NOT, AND PROPOSE EITHER NOTHING OR THIS FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE SUGGESTION. UM, I THINK THAT'S THE WAY FORWARD. I THINK THAT'S, WHAT'S ON, ON THE DOCKET AND, UM, WE CAN COLLECT ALL OF THIS AND MEET, YOU KNOW, ON A SPECIAL MEETING. AND, UM, BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN ARBITRARILY PUT A NUMBER ON A BUDGET THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY DATA OR REQUIREMENTS BEHIND IT. AND AT THIS MOMENT IN THIS TIMELINE, WE'RE THE ONLY ONES WHO ARE GOING TO GO GET THAT DATA. YEAH. I WANT TO TRY AND PLEASE WANT TO TRY THAT. THAT WAS VERY WELL STATED. THANK YOU FOR THAT. UH, IT SAYS THAT WAS DIRECTED PRIMARILY AT MR. YATES, WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND? RIGHT. I AGREE WITH THAT IS THAT PUTTING IN ARBITRARY NUMBERS IS KIND OF A REALLY IFFY POSITION. AND SO THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT WE SHOULD SKIP TO POLICY GOALS AND THEN HAVE CPM SAY, THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD TAKE. SO, [02:00:01] UM, I'M ALL FOR THAT. OKAY. UM, I WANT TO CIRCLE BACK ON THAT, CAUSE I'M NOT SURE HOW TO INTERPRET THAT, BUT THE COMMISSIONER BASKETS, CAN YOU PLEASE ADD TO THIS TAIWAN? YEAH. UM, I AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER GARNER SAID, UH, THAT WE NEED TO COLLECT THE DATA, BUT I DO WANT TO ADD THE FACT THAT ADDING ONE FTE TO SAY, DO A PILOT STUDY FOR COMMON SOLUTION. WE'VE BEEN SORT OF GOING MONTH BY MONTH, DEPENDING ON THE GOVERNORS WHO WISHES RIGHT. UH, ORDERS. BUT IF HE ASSIGNED, YOU KNOW, ONE FTE IS ABOUT THE SMALLEST ELEMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A MOLECULAR LEVEL, RIGHT? WE DON'T WANT TO GET DOWN TO THE ATOMIC LEVEL, SHOULD JUST SAY ONE FTE, ANY THAT FT WORKS WITH THE CTC AND HOWEVER MANY COMMISSIONS THAT HE OR SHE CAN ACCOMMODATE TO DO A PILOT STUDY. SO FROM THERE WE CAN PROJECT SAME FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONS. WE NEED X NUMBER OF FTES TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. AND THAT COULD BECOME THE FULL BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. BUT THIS YEAR JUST PUT ONE FTE TO KNOW WHICH WILL ESSENTIALLY PICK UP FROM WHERE COMMISSIONER GUIRO LEAVES OFF AND THEN WORKS WITH OUR CT, OUR COMMISSION, AND MAYBE ONE OR TWO OTHERS. HOWEVER MANY CAN BE ACCOMMODATED TO DO A STUDY THAT WILL GIVE A FULL-TIME, UH, A PERMANENT SOLUTION. WHAT IS THE COST OF A PERMANENT SOLUTION? OKAY. SO I'D LIKE TO, TO RESPOND, UH, AND, AND I HOPE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON THIS ONE. SO WHAT I THINK I'M HEARING BASICALLY IS, UH, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A, A, A SOPHISTICATED, A HAVE CASE MANAGEMENT. IT'S A DIFFERENT WAY OF PHRASING, UH, COMMISSIONER GATES, A STATEMENT, BECAUSE BASICALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, UH, WE NEED TO TELL YOU THAT YOU NEED TO HIRE SOMEBODY, RIGHT? SO, UH, WHAT I WANT TO DO IS REFER TO STAY IN OUR LANE, UH, WITH THE OUTCOMES AS, AS BEING REQUIREMENTS BASED OUTCOMES, TO GO TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT THEN CONTROLS THE BUDGET AND RESOURCES THAT INCLUDES FTE TO THEN BE PART OF A DISCUSSION THAT MIGHT INCLUDE SAYING, WE HIRE SOMEBODY, RIGHT? I WANT THEM TO SAY, HEY, IN ORDER TO, TO DO, TO SATISFY YOUR LIST OF OUTCOMES, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HIRE SOMEBODY. I WOULD WANT US TO SAY, YOU NEED TO HIRE SOMEBODY. UM, RIGHT. UH, I THINK IF THEY'RE GOING APPROVE A BUDGET, THEN THEY NEED TO BE THE ONES THAT TO AGREE. YES. WE HAVE TO HIRE SOMEBODY. OKAY. SO LET ME TURN THAT AROUND. OKAY. LET'S LET'S STEP ONE. COMMISSIONER GUERRERO ENGAGES WITH SEVERE STEP THROUGH, AT THE SPECIAL CALL MEETING, WE INVITE THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF CTM TO COME AND HAVE A DIALOGUE WITH US. SO THAT AT THE END, BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT COMMISSIONER GORROW COMES BACK WITH, AND THEN WE HAVE A DISCUSSION WHEREBY WE SORT OF CREATE A SITUATION WHEREBY THE ACTING DIRECTOR COMES BACK AND SAYS, YOU KNOW WHAT? I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO PROPOSE ONE FTE, LET HER SAY TO US, WHY DIDN'T YOU MAKE THIS RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL SO THAT WE CAN PICK IT UP FROM THERE. AND WE WILL THEN USE THE FT OR HOWEVER MANY FTS SHE WANTS TO DO THIS PILOT STUDY, LET THEM WORK ON FROM HER, BUT LET'S SET IT UP IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT BECOMES OBVIOUS THAT SHE SHOULD BE ASKING FOR THEM AND WE WILL BE GLAD TO COMPLY. WELL, MY INITIAL REACTION IS, UH, I WOULD DEFINITELY BE MORE GUARDED WITH A SPECIAL CALL MEETING TIME, UH, THEN TO HAVE THAT KIND OF DISCUSSION BECAUSE I COULD SEE THAT GOING, UH, IN ALL KINDS OF DIRECTIONS AND BEING, UH, VERY LONG, UM, AT THE SAME TIME, I DO THINK WE NEED TO ALLOW, UH, RIGHT, THAT I'M NOT ASSUMING THAT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THE ANSWERS WE NEED BACK. AND THEN THERE'S THE WAR TO BE, TO GO FROM A WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION, PERHAPS ABOUT THE ANSWERS TO THEN A OUTRIGHT VOTE DISCUSSION, UH, AND, UH, THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING ABOUT A FIGURE THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM CTM. I MEAN, UH, I, I JUST DON'T FEEL, I AM MORE OPTIMISTIC, I GUESS, THAT [02:05:01] WE'LL, WE'RE GOING TO GET SOMETHING BACK. UM, AND I MEAN, I DO ALSO FEEL AS THOUGH I'M A DUE DILIGENCE STANDPOINT. WE NEED TO LET THAT HAPPEN BEFORE WE, UH, HAVE, YOU KNOW, BRING SOMEONE ON THE CARPET AND START MAYBE MAKING IT ABOUT THE POLITICS AND THE MOVIE. OKAY. SO YOU SAID THE MAGIC WORD, THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL WOULD A SPECIAL CALL MEETING OF THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING GROUP, BE A BETTER PLACE TO INVITED COMMISSIONER GUIRO WITH HER INFORMATION THAT SHE COLLECTS AS WELL AS THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF CTM TO COME AND HAVE A DISCUSSION AND DIALOGUE WITH US. WELL, IT DEPENDS, IT DEPENDS ON THE INFORMATION, BUT YEAH, I THINK WHAT WE WOULD WANT TO BE DOING, AS I SAID, RIGHT, A COUPLE MINUTES AGO IS, UH, THIS IS THE NATURAL CADENCE, RIGHT? SO JESSE REACHES OUT TO CTM COPIES OF THE COPIES OF COMMISSIONER GUIRO CIGARRO, UH, REENGAGES, UH, CGM WITH HER INITIAL REQUIREMENTS. UH, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY FOLLOWS UP THEN BEST CASE, WE GET A RESPONSE BACK THAT SPEAKS TO THE REQUIREMENTS AND WHAT IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL BUDGET, YOU KNOW, WHAT RAFTER, BUT, BUT WE'RE OFTEN REQUIREMENTS TO GET THAT BUDGET RECOMMENDATION. SO THE OUTCOME BEING A BUDGET, IT'S CLEAR RICH REPORT HERE. SO THEN, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S SIMPLE YES. AFTER EVEN OPEN, WE GET THAT THUMBS UP AND THEN WE VOTE ON IT. WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE, UH, A CTM ROUND TABLE. UH, WE, WE JUST VOTE ON IT. NOW, IF THERE'S SOME LAGS IN THE PROCESS, UM, THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING A FOLLOW UP ANYWAY, TWO OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR CTM, AND THIS WILL BE ONE OF THEM. UM, I THINK THAT WE'RE DUE FOR, UH, A UPDATE ON MANY THINGS. WELL, POINT OF ORDER HERE, UH, THE GOAL HERE IS TO COME UP WITH A BOAT FROM THE ENTIRE CONDITION, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. SO WE CANNOT HAVE JUST A WORKING GROUP WE'RE GOING TO NEED THE ENTIRE COMMISSION. OKAY. WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU RAISED A GOOD POINT. UH, I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO THE REQUIREMENTS, UH, YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT. UH, THAT, THAT IS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IN ORDER FOR US TO WORK AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL. UH, WE HAVE TO HAVE, UH, I GUESS, FIVE OR LESS PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THAT EFFORT. UM, BUT HAVING SAID THAT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THOUGH, UH, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, UM, WE HAVE TO BE INVOLVED IN EVERY SECOND OF THE REQUIREMENTS GATHERING PROCESS. LIKE, I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE AS COMMISSIONERS, WE'RE AUTHORIZING MR. TO LEAD THE REQUIREMENTS GATHERING EFFORT. AND THEN, UM, I GUESS WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IS WE MAY HAVE TO, UH, VOTE UP OR DOWN CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS, UH, POTENTIALLY, UM, MAYBE WE COULD USE, AND THIS IS WHAT MAYBE COMMISSIONER GARA WAS REFERRING TO EARLIER AS SOME KIND OF ASYNCHRONOUS WAY. UM, THE MOVE WOULD NORMALLY AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, UH, BE ABLE TO HAVE A LIVE DOCUMENT THAT WE ENGAGE, BUT AGAIN, AT THE DOCUMENT THAT'S ONLY REACHING FIVE OR LESS PEOPLE. UH, SO JESSE, IS THERE A SOLUTION? ARE WE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO BE FORCED TO, UH, TO, TO ONLY ACT ON THIS END, THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING FORMAT. UH, TIRPITZ THE, UH, RESEARCH GATHERING PROCESS CAN OCCUR INDEPENDENT OF, UH, THE PRESENCE OF A QUORUM. UH, SO, UH, I DON'T FORESEE ANY CHALLENGES WITH, UH, ME AND COMMISSIONER. GUIRO GOING TO CTM TO, UH, WORK WITH THEM, TO GENERATE THE REQUIREMENTS, UH, AND THEN BRING BACK THAT SET OF REQUIREMENTS TO THE COMMISSION, UH, FOR THE WHOLE COMMISSION TO THEN VOTE ON A, ON THE OUTCOME OF THAT RESEARCH. SO THAT, THAT, UH, SCENARIO DOESN'T POSE ANY PROBLEMS THERE. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, THAT'S JUST PART OF IT. BUT I THINK THAT THE OTHER, THE OTHER CHALLENGE WAS THEN, UM, WHAT DID THE MOUSE DO IS AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, IF THERE'S ANY SUPPORT FOR THAT RESEARCH, IT HAS TO ONLY BE FIVE COMMISSIONERS OR LESS BASICALLY IS WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO. UH, RIGHT. SO, UM, COMMISSIONER GATES, UH, TO ADDRESS YOUR POINT OF ORDER, AS LONG AS WE ONLY HAVE FIVE COMMISSIONERS, OR LESS THAN THAT, WORKING WITH DISCUSSION, WE WILL NOT BE VIOLATING QUORUM. [02:10:01] RIGHT. BUT SOONER OR LATER, WE ARE GOING TO BE TO VOTE ON A BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH REQUIRE THE ENTIRE CONDITION. AND THAT HAS GOT TO OCCUR BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING WE'LL HAVE A SPECIAL CAR MEETING. RIGHT, RIGHT. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. RIGHT. SO COMMISSIONER GATES THAT WOULD BE ADDRESSED THAT THE SPECIAL CALLED NEEDED JOB. OKAY. SO I UNDERSTAND. AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP MEETING FIRST, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLS MEETING BEFORE THE REGULAR PROVISION LEADER. I DON'T SEE PERSONALLY THE NEED FOR A WORKING GROUP MEETING UNLESS IT'S WANTED. AND I THINK THERE ARE TWO AVENUES GOING ON. ONE IS REQUIREMENTS GATHERING AND MATCHING THAT TO A BUDGET, TO FORM A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION. AND ONE IS THIS OTHER POTENTIAL OF WHAT WOULD A PI A YEAR LONG PILOT STUDY LOOK LIKE AND WHAT BUDGET WE WOULD WANT TO ATTACH TO THAT IF WE CAN'T GATHER THE REQUIREMENTS AND BUDGET FOR THAT. RIGHT. UM, I THINK FOR REQUIREMENTS GATHERING FOR THE STUFF I VOLUNTEERED TO DO, I DON'T THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A WORKING GROUP. JESSE CAN'T I JUST SEND OUT, OR CAN YOU SEND OUT THE FINDINGS IN AN EMAIL? YES. AS LONG AS THE COMMUNICATION DOESN'T REACH MORE THAN A QUORUM OF COMMISSIONERS. THAT'S FINE. OKAY. SO, YEAH. AND THE GUY WROTE THE REQUIREMENTS TO JESSE SIMPLY ABOUT JESSE STUFF ABOUT THE ENTIRE RETIRED. WOULD THAT STILL BE WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE RULES? YES. I, I CAN SEND, UH, INFORMATION TO THE ENTIRE COMMISSION IN A ONE DIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION. IT'S JUST THAT IT CAN'T BE A BACK AND FORTH PROCESS, SO I CAN SHARE INFORMATION WITH THE WHOLE COMMISSION WITHOUT THAT BEING A VIOLATION. OKAY. OKAY. SO THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN THEN, UM, VISION PROBATION YOU SET OUT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT IT BEFORE THE SPECIAL CALL COMMISSION MEETING WHEN WE NEED TO GO DOWN. RIGHT. SO JUST LIKE ANY, ANYTHING ELSE THERE'LL BE A VOTE ON, OR RATHER, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS IN DEPTH, UH, YOU KNOW, JESSE SHARES THOSE DOCUMENTS AHEAD OF TIME. UH, YOU'LL BE DOING THE SAME. OKAY. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN. ALL RIGHT. WELL, ANY OTHER, UH, DISCUSSION POINTS HERE? I THINK WE'RE GOOD ON THIS. OKAY. SO WITH THAT THEN, UH, LATCH, PROCEEDING THE AGENDA HERE TO COMMISSION UPDATES, UH, BEGINNING WITH VISUAL INCLUSIONS, THAT OF ENGAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC. EXCUSE ME, IF THERE'S ONE MORE ITEM HERE THAT WAS VIA ZOOM LICENSES AND, OH, UH, EXCUSE ME. PARDON ME? UH, SO YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND BACKTRACK A LITTLE BIT. WE HAD DISCUSSED THAT PREVIOUS MEETING AND OUR PREVIOUS MEETING AS REFLECTED IN THE AGENDA, UH, ZOOM LICENSES. AND AS I'VE MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, ONE TO MAKE SURE IT GETS INTO WITH AUGMENTED, UH, BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO PURSUING ZOOM LICENSES FOR USE I PUBLIC LIBRARIES, UH, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A VIDEO CONFERENCING, UH, MECHANISM AT ALL, UH, PUBLIC COMPUTER LABS, WHETHER THEY'RE LIBRARIES OR ACC OR, OR, OR WITTY OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THAT, I THINK WE EITHER NEED TO ENGAGE IN A RESEARCH EFFORT FOR PLATFORMS, UH, AND, OR, UH, RATHER THAN THERE'S NO WAR AND, UH, A RESEARCH EFFORT OF THE VOLUME OF PROPERTIES THAT WILL BE IMPACTED. SO, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY, AT THE VERY LEAST SITE LICENSES WE MIGHT NEED TO PURSUE, IF NOT INDIVIDUAL LICENSES, UM, HOPEFULLY THAT'S SOMETHING WHICH WE CAN START TO GATHER FOR STAFF LEVEL, AT LEAST, UH, IN TERMS OF CITY PROPERTIES, UH, WHERE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, CURRENT LABS WHERE WE HAVE FACILITATE PUBLIC ACCESS. UM, BUT IT DOES SEEM CLEAR THAT WE'VE GOT A REQUIREMENTS GATHERING EXERCISE TO MAKE HERE AGAIN IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A SOUND RECOMMENDATION. OKAY. SO, UM, I'VE COME UP WITH SOME BASIC [02:15:01] REQUIREMENTS. AND SO A, A BASIC ZOOM LICENSE THAT ALLOWS 100 SIMULTANEOUS PARTICIPANTS COSTS $150 A YEAR. AND SO WE CAN JUST MULTIPLY THAT BY HOWEVER, NUMBER OF CITY FACILITIES WE WANT NOW, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF ADMINISTRATION, THE CITY LIBRARIES ALREADY HAVE A SOFTWARE PLATFORM THAT THEY USE FOR BEATING ROOM RESERVATIONS AND ADDING A NOTHER ROOM TO EACH ONE OF THE LIBRARIES, A VIRTUAL ROOM WOULD BE A REAL MINOR ADMINISTRATIVE TASK. AND THEN YOU'VE ALREADY GOT THE SOFTWARE AND THE PLATFORM FOR ADMINISTRATION OF RESERVATIONS. SO IT BECOMES A LITTLE BIT SIMPLER IN THIS CASE. AND I CAN PUT THAT INTO A, UH, AN EMAIL MEMO, SEND IT TO JESSE AND SEND THAT OUT TO EVERYONE. SO, UH, WE JUST HAVE SOMETHING, UH, THAT WE CAN USE AS A BUDGET, UH, GOAL. OKAY, WELL, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT INPUT. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED A MEMO. I THINK YOU JUST TOLD US THE DATA. UH, SO I THINK ALL WE NEED FOR JESSE TO DO IS TO PROVIDE US WITH A CALCULATION BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTIES THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME. UH, AND THEN WE COULD THEN HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO VOTE ON BY, UH, BASED ON THAT, IF WE'RE IN AGREEMENT, WE CAN HELP HOLD A VOTE NOW, UH, FOR THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON OUR SPECIAL CALLED LEADING, UH, TO BE BASED UPON JESSE'S RESEARCH INTO HOW MANY PUBLIC PROPERTIES WE HAVE, AND THEN A SIMPLE CALCULATION OF THE MATH THAT COMMISSIONER GATES JUST PROPOSED OF $150 PER YEAR PER A HUNDRED LICENSES. AND THEN THAT WOULD BE THE RECOMMENDATION WE BUILD ON HOW DOES THAT SOUND EVERYBODY, AND ALSO USING THE CURRENT CITY OF AUSTIN LIBRARY FOR, UH, RESERVATIONS. OKAY. SO LET ME, LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE I'VE USED THAT SOFTWARE. I APPRECIATE THE, THE CREATIVE THOUGHT PROCESS INTO LEVERAGING THAT PLATFORM. BUT WHAT I HAVEN'T DONE OF COURSE IS AS YOU KNOW, EVALUATED THE CAPABILITIES OF THE PLATFORM, UH, HAVE YOU, UH, NO, I'VE D I'VE USED THAT, UH, SOFTWARE BEFORE TO RESERVE ROOMS, AND IT WOULD SEEM THAT ADDING A ROOM WOULD BE A FAIRLY SIMPLE PROCESS. DO WE KNOW WHAT THE SOFTWARE TIME WAS CALLED? IS IT ONE THAT WAS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, IT WAS CUSTOM, IS IT OFF THE SHELF, YOU KNOW, SUDDENLY, DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE PLATFORM? NO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT IS BEHIND IT? ALL I KNOW IS THE, LIKE ON THE, UH, ON THE WEBSITE, ON THE LIBRARY WEBSITE FOR RESERVING MEETING ROOMS AND LIBRARIES, THERE'S SOME SOFTWARE REVIEWS, IT'S PROBABLY COMMERCIAL STUFF. YEAH. I DON'T DOUBT THAT IN WHICH CASE WE MIGHT ACTUALLY EVEN BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT IT IS FROM LOOKING AT THE WEBSITE, UM, AND DOING SOME RESEARCH THERE, UM, ON HIS CAPABILITIES. UH, BUT WHAT WAS KIND OF SPEAKS TO ME THOUGH, IS A NEED FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, RESEARCH, UH, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SOME ANSWER QUESTIONS I WAS HOPING TO DO IS TO, IS TO PROPOSE A SIMPLE WHOLE EXERCISE OF CONFIRMING THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTIES AND THEN THEREFORE THE CIVIL CALCULATION, BUT THERE'S REAL, THERE'S A REAL EXTRACTOR. IT SOUNDS TO ME RELATED TO THIS PLATFORM AND WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN LEVERAGE IT SEAMLESSLY FOR ADMINISTRATION OR NOT. I MEAN, I LOVE THE IDEA, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED TO REALLY VET THAT. OKAY, LET'S DUMP THIS ON CITY STAFF TO HAVE THEM ASK THE LIBRARY. I KNOW THE LIBRARY HAS THEIR OWN IT STAFF. SO THEY'D BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT CLOSE TO THIS IS TRUE. UH, THIS IS TRUE. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT, JESSE? I, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK, QUICK THOUGHTS. UM, I I'M AWARE OF A COUPLE OF, UH, LIBRARY LOCATIONS THAT HAVE CHANGED THE FORMATTING OR DISTRIBUTION OF THEIR, UH, MEETING ROOMS. I DON'T SUSPECT THAT'S A CHALLENGE FOR THE SYSTEM IN TERMS OF IF THE INTENT WAS TO HAVE A, UH, RESERVABLE, UH, UH, ZOOM ROOM, UH, ADDED TO THE LIST OF AVAILABLE RESERVABLE SLOTS. I DON'T SUSPECT THAT THAT WOULD BE A CHALLENGE, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY REACH OUT. UH, THE [02:20:01] SECOND NOTE IS THAT, UH, ONLY LIBRARIES HAVE ACCESS TO THAT PLATFORM. AND SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCLUDING OTHER CITY FACILITIES, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A KIND OF A FORK IN THE PROCESS BECAUSE OTHER ENTITIES DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT. WELL, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO TALK ABOUT, UH, BECAUSE, UH, IT DOES AFFECT THE CAPABILITIES OF WHAT WE CAN DO. AND IF IT SEEMINGLY AFFECTS THEN THE EQUITABILITY OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING. WELL, NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE, UH, AS LONG AS THE SOFTWARE IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE CITIZENS, THAT THEY ARE RESERVING A ZOOM IN ANOTHER FACILITY, OTHER THAN LIBRARY SHOULD BE IRRELEVANT. AND SO I, I SEE THAT THE LIBRARY IS MERELY PERFORMING A SERVICE FOR THE, UH, SOMEONE ELSE. SO LIKE THE PARKS AND REC REC CENTERS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR STATE WAS. JESSE, ARE YOU SAYING THAT, UH, ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE COULDN'T, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO EXPAND ZOOM LICENSING TO NON-LIBRARY FACILITIES BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO INCREASE LICENSING? UH, NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT BY THAT. IT JUST, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ATTACHING THE ROOM RESERVATION SYSTEM TO PUBLIC LIBRARY, UH, LOCATIONS, THERE COULD BE SOME COMPLEXITY THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF IN, IN HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. UH, BUT YOU KNOW, AT THIS MOMENT, I, NOBODY IN TARA WOULD HAVE VISIBILITY INTO IF A RESERVATION WAS MADE IN THAT SYSTEM. EVEN IF WE DID SET UP A PROFILE FOR DUTY CENTER FOR AN EXAMPLE. SO THERE'S JUST SOME, SOME BACKEND COMPLEXITY TO BE AWARE OF THERE. YEAH, NO, THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT SEEMS LIKE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM WE HAVE FOR, UH, FOR FACILITIES IS WHAT, UH, OUTLOOK, UH, AND BOOKING MEETING ROOMS, OR IS THERE SOME OTHER PLATFORMS USED, OKAY, AUSTIN FREENET, UH, DOES HAVE A, A SYSTEM FOR TRACKING APPOINTMENTS THAT, UH, THE WITTY I'M, I'M NOT SURE IF THEIR SPECIFIC PLATFORM, BUT IT IS AN INDEPENDENT PATHWAY FROM WHAT THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IS DOING. RIGHT. I WAS THINKING OF THE PLATFORM THAT YOU USE TO CONFIRM, UH, WHO'S GOING TO BE BOOKING, WHICH CITY, UH, MEETING ROOMS AROUND TOWN, THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY, THEY HAVE, UH, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT COMMISSIONER UTES IS REFERRING TO. THEY HAVE A SPECIAL WEBSITE WHERE YOU, UH, I KNOW THEY DO, BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO ASK YOU ABOUT IS WHAT PLATFORM YOU USE TO BOOK OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS AND OTHER MEETINGS AROUND TOWN. WHAT PLATFORM IS THAT? AH, UM, W WE GO THROUGH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO, UH, TO MAKE THOSE RESERVATIONS. UH, SO IT'S NOT EVEN A PUBLIC. OKAY. OKAY. IT WILL BE WELL, YEAH, I'M CLEARLY NOT GOING TO PROPOSE, UH, UH, PUTTING ADDITIONAL RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS ON THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, UH, AFTER OUR EARLIER CONVERSATION. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. IT WASN'T LIKE YOU WERE GOING INTO A PLATFORM AND DOING THOSE RESERVATIONS IN THE, IN THOSE TIMES YOU WERE CALLING ME TO MAKE CHANGES BECAUSE THERE WAS A CHANGE REQUEST YOU WERE HAVING TO INTERACT WITH THE CITY COURT'S OFFICE. YOU WERE NEVER LEVERAGING THE PLATFORM FOR THAT. CORRECT. AND, AND EACH FACILITY HAS TO BE CONTACTED INDEPENDENTLY TO MAKE THOSE RESERVATIONS. SO IT'S NOT ACTUALLY A, YOU KNOW, IT'S MORE COMPLEX ON THE BACKSIDE THAN U S IS SUSPECT. WELL, THIS IS INTERESTING THOUGH. THIS IS GETTING INTERESTING, IS THAT BY, BY, BY, UH, BY MANDATE, IS THAT BY LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS, BUT IS THAT BY POLICY OR IS THAT JUST HOW WE'RE OPERATING? AS FAR AS I KNOW, THAT'S JUST HOW WE'RE OPERATING IN TERMS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, PURVIEW OVER DIFFERENT MEETING SPACES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TOMA, UH, GOVERNED MEETINGS. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE, THERE'S ONLY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THOSE LOCATIONS THAT WE COULD TAP INTO AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OWN THOSE SPACES. RIGHT. RIGHT. BUT, BUT I, I GUESS IF, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT THERE COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, FOR COMPREHENSIVE COLLABORATIVE, UH, MEANING LOCATION MANAGEMENT SIDE, IT SOUNDS A LITTLE DISPARATE AND DISJOINTED RIGHT NOW, IF YOU'RE HAVING TO PHYSICALLY CALL LOCATIONS IN ORDER TO BOOK, MEETING PLACES. NO, AND [02:25:01] THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY, THAT'S A STATEMENT. UH, BUT, UM, I'M NOT NECESSARILY TRYING TO GET ME WEIGH IN ON THAT, BUT I'M SEEING AN OPPORTUNITY HERE POTENTIALLY, UH, FOR US TO HELP SOLVE A BIGGER PROBLEM THAT'S RELATED TO OTHER PROBLEMS. UH, BUT ONE THAT IS CREATING A SOURCE OF THE CHALLENGE, UH, TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE OF GETTING CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT, CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT AT SITES, RIGHT? IF, IF JUST IN ASSESSING, UH, OUR ABILITY TO LEVERAGE RESERVATIONS, SOFTWARE LIBRARY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE EXPOSING, UH, I SEE YOUR HAND UP, YOU SHOULD ASK HIM TO WE'RE CLOSING, UH, YOU KNOW, A CHALLENGE WITH WHERE WE CAN POTENTIALLY ADD VALUE IN OUR STRATEGIC ANALYSIS FOR THE COURT'S OFFICE. AND I, I CAN IMAGINE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT RUN THROUGH THIS CONVERSATION INITIALLY, BUT I'M JUST IMAGINING ALL THE TIME IT TAKES TO ANSWER THOSE CALLS TO THEN HELP PEOPLE PLACE MEETINGS, UH, IN THE TIME THAT THAT'S TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM TO HELP US WITH OTHER THINGS. UH, BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S THAT, THOSE ARE MY INITIAL THOUGHTS. LET ME ASK YOU THE, DO YOU WANT TO WEIGH ON THIS? YEAH, I, I'M ABSOLUTELY FLOORED BY IT. YOU KNOW, I'VE SPENT ENOUGH YEARS IN THE CORPORATE WORLD WHERE YOU COULD LOOK AT ANY LIBRARY, NO MATTER WHERE THE CONTROL IN THE WORLD IS THIS A LEGACY OF THE SILO SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN THIS CITY AND ALL OTHER CITIES WHERE EACH ORGANIZATION CONTROLS, UH, THEIR CONFERENCE ROOMS, LIKE A PRIZE ASSET WALK. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THE LYRICS OF TRAUMA. THOMAS SAYS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BE IN APART FROM SCHOOL THAT HAS THESE FACILITIES, BUT NOT ALL THE MEETINGS IN THE STORM OR CONTROL ROOMS ARE FOR OPTIMAL PURPOSES. YOU KNOW, WHEN THE BUDGET MEETINGS HAPPEN OR THIS MEETING HAPPENS, OR THAT MEETING HAPPENS, IT IS NOT WITHIN THE LIMITS OF TRAUMA, BUT AT A CERTAIN POINT IN TIME, A CONFERENCE ROOM IS GIVEN THE SPECIAL BLESSING THAT THIS WAS A TOTAL MEETING. SO WHY SHOULDN'T ALL CONFERENCE TO BE AVAILABLE FOR RESERVATIONS ANYWHERE BY ANYBODY WITH, WITH THE PROVISO THAT WHEN THE CITY CLERK GOES IN THERE AND SAY, I NEED THIS CONFERENCE ROOM AT THIS TIME FOR A TUMOR RELATED MEETING, THEN WHOEVER HAS IT LOSES IT. OKAY. BUT UNLESS IT'S ABOUT A HIGHER LEVEL, HE OR SHE MAY OVERRULE THAT, BUT IT CAN BE MANAGED AS A SINGLE FACILITY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT I CANNOT GO IN AND RESERVE THE CONFERENCE ROOM. AND I'M IN A LIBRARY SYSTEM. THIS IS UNHEARD OF. THIS IS, I CANNOT IMAGINE I'VE WORKED AT VERY LARGE CORPORATION, MARQUIS MAN NATIONALS, WHERE WE COULD LOOK AT ANY CONFERENCE FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I APPRECIATE THAT THEN THE, AND THAT YOU'RE NOT CAN RELATE ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS? AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE LATE HERE IN THE EVENING, AND WE DO HAVE A MORE AGENDA TO GO THROUGH. AND, UH, OUR LAST MEETING, UH, OR THE MEETING BEFORE WAS CUT BECAUSE WE LOST QUORUM. SO I DON'T WANT TO LET ANYONE TO DROP OFF BEFORE WE AT LEAST AGREE TO ONE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR NEXT SPECIAL CALL MEETING. THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING TO WORK OUT. UM, BUT ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO WEIGH ON THIS? BECAUSE, UH, TO ME, THIS IS AN UNSETTLED ISSUE NOW RELATED TO THE, UM, UH, THE RESERVATION SOFTWARE. IN FACT, THE ISSUE OF THE RESERVATION SOFTWARE JUST, THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER SEVERAL ISSUES. I THINK THAT LEAD TO BE ADDRESSED NOW. UH, BUT I WANT TO DO SOME METHODICALLY. I DON'T WANT TO TRY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, DELAY A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, BUT I DO WANT US TO THINK LOGICALLY ABOUT HOW WE NEED TO EVALUATE THIS AND STRATEGIC. I AGREE. OKAY. SO COULD WE AGAIN, UM, ASK, UM, THE LIBRARY OR CTM, HE WOULD GIVE US A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS. IN OTHER WORDS, WE KNOW HOW MUCH THE SOFTWARE WOULD COST, AND THEN BASICALLY IT'S JUST A LICENSE THAT EXISTS IN THE CLOUD SO THAT THERE IS HARDWARE REQUIREMENT. THE HARDWARE REQUIREMENT IS FOR EACH PARTICIPANT. SO WHAT YOU'VE GOT LESS LEFT AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, WHICH IS THE READING RESERVATIONS AND THE TEAMS THAT THE LIBRARY COULD HANDLE THIS. AND THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR THE LIBRARY, IT STAFF THAT WE COULD HAVE THEM COME BACK AND GIVE US A RESPONSE AT THIS WORKING GROUP SESSION. [02:30:02] THAT'S INTERESTING. SO WHICH WORD DO YOU THINK THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED UNDER? THE, LET ME ASK THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE THIS IS CLEARLY ABOUT CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT. THAT'S WHAT I'D SAY, THE CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT. OKAY. SO THEN WITH THAT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT WE SEE NOW AS PART OF OUR, OUR, UH, ASKS OF CTM, UH, THAT WE PRESENT THIS RESEARCH INITIAL REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE AND, AND MAKE IT CLEAR. WE'RE LOOKING FOR A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION TO ROUND OUT A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT INCLUDES, UM, CTM SPOTS ON ADMINISTRATION. ARE YOU OKAY WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER GATES? ARE YOU OKAY WITH, UH, LIKE COMMISSIONER GUIRO IS DOING RELATED TO THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS, GATHERING EFFORT, BEING COPIED ON THAT? ALL RIGHT. SO, UM, THE, UH, UH, THE IP STAMP OF THE LIBRARY WOULD GET BACK TO US ON FEASIBILITY WHILE USING THEIR SOFTWARE PROPOSAL. RIGHT, RIGHT. THE FEASIBILITY OF USING THEIR SOFTWARE. AND THEN AT THAT POINT, WELL, WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN IS, UH, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WE INVITE CTM INTO THE WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION, THE CIVIC, UH, WORKING GROUP, AND, AND PERHAPS EVEN, UH, AS IT MAY BE NECESSARY, UH, SOMEONE FROM THE LIBRARY, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, AS THEIR SOFTWARE WILL BE LEVERAGED. UM, BUT YEAH, THAT WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION WILL TAKE PLACE ON TUESDAY MORNING. UH, AND THAT'S NOTHING WE CAN DO, ESPECIALLY IF THE STATE FIND OUT AND YOU'RE AGREE TO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE MEETING ITSELF. ALTHOUGH WE, WE TYPICALLY DO IT ON WEDNESDAY. UM, OH, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A TIME WHEN WE CAN HAVE THE SPECIALTY CARD MEETINGS. WELL, I, I WAS, UH, ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF A WORKING GROUP MEETING, UH, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THIS, UH, AGENDA, UH, WITH A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION AND FIRST, AND THAT WOULD BE, WELL, YOU HAVE TO DECIDE IF WE'RE GOING TO, WE SHOULD PROBABLY DECIDE ON WHEN THE SPECIAL CALL MEETING WILL BE, AND THEN MAYBE THEN WORK BACK TO THE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS. UH, IS THAT CUT OFF CUT OFF TONIGHT? YES. YES. THE 9TH OF APRIL WAS THE CUTOFF FOR THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION. SO I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE US A COUPLE OF DAYS OR AT LEAST A DAY OR SO FOR THAT. SO HOW ABOUT THE FIFTH IS OUR INSTINCTS. IF THE SEVENTH IS WEDNESDAY OF APRIL. OH, I'M SORRY. I'M LOOKING, I'VE GOT REALLY, I HIT HER, BUT THAT'LL BE GOOD THOUGH. THIS IS THE 7TH OF APRIL. GOOD FOR EVERYBODY. YES. YUP. TO BE THE BABY WAS GOOD. WHAT TIME? UH, WELL, WE CAN START EARLIER OR, UH, W WE'LL, WE'LL START TOO EARLY, BUT, UH, WE CAN START A LITTLE EARLIER IF YOU'LL WANT IT AND START LATER, UH, NOT TOO LATER, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS? I THINK IT WILL BE SHORTER. I THINK WE ONLY NEED MAYBE AN HOUR AND A HALF, TWO TOPS. ALL RIGHT. IN COURT GOING TO INVOLVE CITY STAFF. UM, ALWAYS. OKAY. BUT THIS IS, SO THIS IS FOR SPECIAL CALLS COMMISSION MEETINGS, RIGHT? WHEREIN WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE DISCUSSING, DISCUSSING BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. SO FOR REAL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ONE BASED ON REQUIREMENTS BROUGHT IN FROM UP TO STATION WHERE ONE, UH, BASED ON REQUIREMENTS REGARDING TABLATURE AND THEN, UH, POTENTIAL INCOME THREE WITH, UH, ZOOM. HOW ABOUT THREE 30 TO FIVE ON THE SEVENTH? I CAN DO THAT ONE. YEAH. IT'LL NEED TO BE LATER THAN FOUR 30 FOR ME. OKAY. SO HOW ABOUT SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, CITY STAFF, DID I HEAR HER A COMMISSIONER? [02:35:01] YOU SAY THAT IT HAS TO FINISH BY FIVE? IS THAT THE MISSION? OH, I WAS THINKING, UM, IN A QUARTER OF THE WORKING GROUP WE'RE GOING TO INVOLVE CTL OR LIBRARY STAFF OR SOMEONE LIKE THAT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE WITHIN BUSINESS HOURS THAT COULD TO A SPECIAL CALL MEETING. IT DOESN'T MATTER. IT COULD BE MADE UP. YUP. SO THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. OKAY. PUT FOUR O'CLOCK WORK OR LET'S HEAR TUESDAY SAY SIX ON THE SIXTH OR THE EIGHT. I'M GOOD WITH, UH, WITH, UH, AFTER I CAN DO THE SIX, I CAN DO THE SEVENTH OR THE EIGHTH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED SOME OTHER PEOPLE TO WIN. UM, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY CONFLICTS OR PREFERENCE, UM, IN ORDER TO GET THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS? I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THIS IN THE EVENING BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORK CONSTRAINTS, BUT WOULD YOU SHARE THAT? UH, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE A SMALLER BODY. EVERYONE WOULD JUST SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. UM, WE'LL BE OKAY. SO WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. SO I'M GOOD WITH AFTER FOUR, UM, COMMISSIONER GATES, IS, IT SOUNDS LIKE HE PREFERS TO THE EVENING. UH, WELL, UM, I'M FREE, YOU KNOW, JUST ABOUT ANY TIME, SO YEAH, SO I'M GOOD AT FOUR O'CLOCK SIX, 708. OKAY. UH, COMMISSIONER FLOYD. I'M PRETTY FLEXIBLE. OKAY. SO COMMISSIONER ALEXANDER, I'M PRETTY FLEXIBLE AS WELL. I THINK AFTER FOUR IS OKAY FOR ME. OKAY. UH, WELL WE NEED US, EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE THERE, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, GO DOWN THE LINE HERE. COMMISSIONER BARROW. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? BOTH THE SIXTH, SEVENTH AND EIGHTH. I CAN AFTER FOUR, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT AFTER FOUR. OKAY. SO THEN, UH, HOW ABOUT WE GO AHEAD AND DO FOUR 30 AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY CALLED A MEETING, RIGHT? CORRECT. SO YOU WANT TO DO IT ON THE SEVENTH, SO THIS WAY IT LEADS US TWO DAYS. YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME. UH, SO HOW ABOUT FOUR 30 ON THE SEVENTH FOR START TIME? SO, UH, JESSE, IS THIS GOING TO GIVE US ENOUGH TIME FOR YOU TO SUBMIT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS? YES. AS LONG AS I GET IT THE DAY BEFORE, THE DAY BEFORE IT'S DUE, THAT SHOULD GIVE ME ENOUGH TIME, UH, FOR ANY ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, COMPILING THAT NEEDS TO OCCUR. I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMISSION IS AWARE THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A, UH, PUBLIC MEETING, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO, AGAIN, WORK WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO, UH, TRY AND LOCK IN OUR PREFERRED TIME. BUT I CAN'T ACTUALLY GUARANTEE ANY TIME THAT THAT'S SET FORTH HERE. SO, SO, SO RECENT TENTATIVELY SEVEN. SO WHY NOT TRY EITHER SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHT, DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU GET FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE. THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. UH, YES. I CAN CERTAINLY SEND THAT, UH, ARRAY OF OPTIONS AND SEE WHAT COMES UP, BEN, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL GOOD WITH THAT. UH, YEAH. CAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S THE, THAT IS THE CONSENSUS THAT EVERYONE IS AVAILABLE OR FLEXIBLE ON THE SIXTH, SEVENTH AND EIGHTH AFTER FOUR. SO THAT GIVES YOU SOME, SOME RANGE TO WORK WITH THERE. JESSE. NOW LET'S BE CLEAR TOO. WHAT'S WHAT'S THE TIME WHAT'S THE LATEST PEOPLE CAN GO GENERALLY. 10 O'CLOCK IS THE NO, NO. I'M ASKING YOU FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO TELL ME THEY'RE AVAILABLE. I THOUGHT YOU SAID PEOPLE ARE NO SORT OF HUNDRED TO MAYBE RX. I DID SAY THAT, BUT W JESSE NEEDS TO TELL THE CLERK'S OFFICE HOW LONG WE NEED. SO THAT'S BASED ON OUR AVAILABILITY, RIGHT? SO WHAT'S THE LATEST WE CAN GO. CAN EVERYONE PLEASE TELL ME THE LATEST YOU CAN GO. I CAN GO THROUGH TO THEM. YEAH. I HAVE NEVER, I HAVE NO TIME CAP AS WELL. OKAY. I BECOME UNINTELLIGIBLE AFTER ABOUT 11:00 PM. OKAY. DEPLOYED. I'M PRETTY OPEN THAT NIGHT, BUT COMMISSIONER ALEXANDER, UH, SAME HERE. I'M, I'M PRETTY OPEN. OKAY. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT 10 O'CLOCK THEN, WHICH IS OUR STANDARD CUTOFF TIME. SO YEAH, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GOING PAST 10 FOR SURE. AND LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER, I AM SHOOTING TO MAKE THAT AN HOUR AND A HALF, TWO HOURS, YOU KNOW, MOST. [02:40:01] OKAY. I HOPE WE HAVE THAT SETTLED THEN AND WE CAN PROCEED IN OUR AGENDA. UH, WE STILL HAVE TO COME UP WITH, UH, THE WORKING ON, EXCUSE ME, WE DON'T HAVE IT SETTLED. WE HAVE TO COME WITH THE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS. UH, SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS ACTUALLY SETTLE PROBABLY FOR, UH, THAT MONDAY OR THE PREVIOUS, UH, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY FOR THE WORKING GROUP THEN. YEAH, I REMEMBER WE'VE GOT A MEETING TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE MEETING AT THAT PREVIOUS, MONDAY THE FIFTH. SO YOU WANT TO USE THAT IT'S ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR THE FIRE. DO WE, DO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A STANDING MEETING? YUP. REMEMBER TH THAT'S UH, YEAH. YOU KNOW, THE, THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING GROUP MEETING EVERY MONTH. WELL, I'VE GOT WHAT HAPPENED. UH, WELL, IT'S BEEN EVERY MONTH ABOUT THE SAME TIME. I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WITH ME IS A STANDING CONFLICT. UH, AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY I HAD TO DROP OFF THE PAST TWO MEETINGS AT FOUR 30, BECAUSE I HAVE A FOUR 30 MEETING EVERY MONDAY. SO THAT'S NOT VERY CONDUCIVE. UM, BUT WE'RE DUTY TO USE THAT MONDAY. UM, BY THE WAY, I AM FLEXIBLE WITH THIS, SO I CAN MOVE INTO THREE 30 TO FOUR 30. IF YOU'VE GOT A FOUR 30 MEETING, WE CAN, I AM OKAY TO MOVE INTO THE THREE 30. OKAY. W WORKING GROUP ARE WE USING OR THE BUDGET PROPOSALS? WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER THAT SCOOP, UH, OFFERED IS WE IT'S WORKING WITH TIME SLOT, BUT IT'S NOT THE APPROPRIATE WORK, UH, FOR, UH, FOR THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT DISCUSSION. SO, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M AMENABLE TO SWITCHING, UH, MY WORKING GROUP TIME OR RATHER THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT WORK AT THE TIME, UH, THAT I CHAIR, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR THE PURPOSES OF OUR BUSINESS. AND WHEN IS THAT MEETING? THAT'S NORMALLY ON TUESDAY AT 10:00 AM, UH, PRIOR, PRIOR TO, AND THIS IS THE THING TO, TO BE CLEAR. UM, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK I'M LOOKING FUSED BY WHAT YOU SAID AS WELL. UH, COMMISSIONER DUSKY THAT, BECAUSE I WAS THINKING ABOUT, UH, THERE BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE LEAD TIME, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY JUST, WE GOT THE SHORT WEEK BEFORE. YEAH. SO NORMALLY IT'S, UH, W WE WOULD HAVE A WORKING GROUP MEETING WITH INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING GROUP ON MONDAY, AND THEN THE DIGITAL INCLUSION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, OR CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP ON TUESDAY MORNING. UM, STILL WAITING FOR THE SPECIFIC TIME FOR THE HEATED STANDING KIDS, WORKING WITH MEETING OR KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION, AND DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP MEETING. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, I'M OKAY WITH THE THREE 30, WHAT'S THE AVAILABILITY LIKE, UH, UH, I, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOOD AT. UM, WHAT IS THE AVAILABILITY OF EFFICIENT AND CAIRO? WHO'S GOING TO BE DONE? SOME DEPARTMENTS GATHERING ON THAT MONDAY, THE FIFTH, UM, MONDAY, UM, GENERAL, UH, AFTER THREE 30, I SHOULD BE CLEAR. UM, UH, THOUGH I THOUGHT, HEY, MAYBE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, BUT I THOUGHT, UM, I WAS JUST GONNA SEND THAT OUT IN TO JESSE TO SEND OUT A ONE WAY COMMUNICATION. YOU SURE ARE. YOU SURE ARE. UM, AND SO, UH, IT WAS THE COMBINATION OF THIS TIME OFF THAT CONFUSED ME A LITTLE BIT THERE. SO YOU'RE RIGHT. UH, THAT WILL BE PROVIDED THE EMAIL, THIS MEETING, UH, TIME, UH, WILL BE USED TO DISCUSS, UH, ZOOM POTENTIALLY, UH, AND TO INVITE THEN, UH, SOMEONE FROM CTM TO COME IN TO OFFER THEIR THOUGHTS ON, ON THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION WE'RE WANTING TO PURSUED FOR. SO THAT WILL BE A REAL CONSTRAINT THERE IS THAT WE NEED TO GET SOMEONE FROM EITHER THE LIBRARY OR THE CTL. AND SO MAYBE WE'VE GOT TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE NEEDING. YEAH, YEAH, DEFINITELY. DEFINITELY. I'M JUST THINKING THAT THROUGH TOO. UM, RIGHT. OR, YEAH, AND MAYBE WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO MEET, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER CAROL SAID, UM, I'M OKAY WITH MEETING BECAUSE I DEFINITELY WANT TO INVOLVE THEM IN THE PROCESS, BUT MAYBE WE DON'T NEED TO MEET, RIGHT. MAYBE JUST LIKE, SHE'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO EMAIL OUT, UH, REQUIREMENTS, BEST CASE THAT INCLUDE A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT CTM HAS ALREADY, YOU KNOW, SO TO SPEAK. MAYBE YOU'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO RESPOND [02:45:01] WITH A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, UH, THAT THE LIBRARY HAS ALREADY GIVEN THEIR SIGN OFF ON AND WE'LL BE FINE, RIGHT. MAYBE WE WON'T EVEN NEED TO HAVE THAT MEETING, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, WE NEED TO ENGAGE THEM TO FIND OUT WHAT THEIR AVAILABILITY IS IN ORDER TO DO THAT IF WE NEED IT. SO MAYBE THAT'S THE THING THAT WE DO IS WE HAVE JESSIE REACH OUT POPPY, YOU, UH, WE START, UH, THAT, THAT EFFORT OF LETTING THEM KNOW WE'RE DOING. AND WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT LEVERAGING THEIR PLATFORM, THE REQUIREMENTS OF BEING PRESENTED, YOU THEN ASKED, UH, FOR INSIGHT ABOUT THE RESERVATION SOFTWARE OUT AND LEVERAGED, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SAY WE'D LIKE TO GET YOU SECURE FOR MEETINGS TO DISCUSS THESE REQUIREMENTS WITH OUR WORKING GROUP, UH, IF NECESSARY, UH, HOW DOES THAT SOUND OKAY? OH, YES. EITHER COMMISSIONER GLOBAL COMES BACK WITH CTM OR CDN. DOESN'T PROVIDE HER WITH ANY FEEDBACK SAYING WE'RE NOT READY TO TALK TO YOU IF THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO TALK TO YOU, TALK TO US THEN HAVING A WORKING GROUP MEETING DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. I'M REFERRING TO, JUST TO BE CLEAR, I'M REFERRING TO, UH, THE INSIGHT, THE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS ABOUT ZOOM LICENSES IN RELATION TO THE LIBRARY. OH, OKAY. THEN, UH, THE COMMUNICATION THAT COMMISSIONER YATES IS GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN RELATED TO THE LIBRARY, UH, AND, UH, RIGHT. AND ZOOM LICENSES THERE. SO YEAH. SEPARATE ISSUE TILL COMMISSIONER GATES. DOES THAT, DOES THAT SOUND GOOD? OKAY. SO, UM, I BELIEVE THE WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS THEN IS THAT JESSE IS GOING TO SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO CPM ENGLAND, UH, IT STAFF LIBRARY SAYING THIS IS OUR PROPOSAL. AND WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT? AND WE'D LIKE TO MEET WITH YOU AT SOME POINT. UM, AND HOW, HOW DOES THAT SOUND WELL, YEAH, RIGHT. HE WAS GOING TO, RIGHT. SO YOU GAVE HIM SOME INFORMATION ABOUT, UH, LICENSING, UM, FOR ZOOM AND YOUR THOUGHTS ON LEVERAGING VIRTUAL ROOM AND THE RESERVATION SOFTWARE. NOW, WHAT I WAS PROPOSING IS THAT YOU BE COPIED ON THAT COMMUNICATION AND THAT WAY YOU CAN BE INVOLVED IN THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE DISCUSSION RELATED TO THE RESERVATION SOFTWARE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO GO TO CTM BASED ON WHAT THEY SAY, RIGHT. BECAUSE EITHER IT'LL WORK EASILY AND, AND THEY KNOW THAT, OR THEY WON'T KNOW, AND THEN IT'S GONNA GET TECHNICAL AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HELP THEM AND, OR SOMEONE ELSE WHO WOULD HAVE TO HELP THEM. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THEN DIVE DEEPER INTO THE REQUIREMENTS BEFORE WE CAN MAKE A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION. RIGHT. SO, OKAY. UM, SO I'M FINE WITH THAT IS THAT, UH, JESSIE'S GOING TO REACH OUT TO THEM WITH OUR PROPOSAL TO GET A RESPONSE. AND POSSIBLY, I JUST, UM, TALK TO SOMEONE AT CPL THROUGH EMAIL OR TELEPHONE OR SOMETHING TO, UH, TO SEE IF OUR PROPOSALS FEASIBLE AND THEN PRESENT THAT INFORMATION BACK TO JESSE TO SEND OUT TO THE GROUP. THAT SOUNDS CORRECT. BECAUSE THEN WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, BASED UPON THE OUTCOME OF THAT RESEARCH, WE WOULD THEN EITHER BE VOTING UP OR DOWN, UH, OR TO POSTPONE, UH, AT THE SPECIAL COURT MEETING. RIGHT. OKAY. SO IN WITH THAT SCENARIO, THEN WE DON'T NEED NECESSARILY A, UH, A WORKING GROUP MEETING FOR THE ZOOM PROPOSALS. WE DON'T, WE DON'T. AND SO, AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I, YOU KNOW, I'VE MENTIONED EARLIER, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE COMMUNICATION WITH THE LIBRARY AND, OR, OR A CTM, DEPENDING UPON WHICH IT ENDS UP BEING THAT RESOLVES, UM, WE GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO LET US KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION BASED ON WHERE WE W MENTIONED WE HAVE, OR IF WE NEED TO RESPOND TO, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION. UH, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO HAVE WORK WITH, TO GET TO THAT ONE. OKAY. I'M FINE. WITH THAT SCENARIO. YOU ACTUALLY, UH, AGREED. SO THAT, DOES THAT SOUND GOOD TO YOU, JESSE? YES, THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME. OKAY, GREAT. BECAUSE THEN THAT LEAVES US WITH THIS ONLY NEEDING TO CONFIRM AVAILABILITY WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR, WELL, YEAH, IT LEAVES US, WE'LL BE IN THE CONFIRM TO THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, UH, AS A BODY AND WHEN THAT'S GOING TO BE RIGHT. IT TAKES AWAY THE NEED FOR, UM, FOR THE WORK THAT WE'RE MEETING ALTOGETHER TO BE SCHEDULED. [02:50:03] SO WITH THAT, THEN SHOULD WE GO AHEAD AND CHOOSE A DAY? OH, THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. WE'VE ALREADY DECIDED YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ENGAGE THE CLERK'S OFFICE. YEAH. MY BRAIN IS STARTING TO, TO BE A LITTLE NUMB NOW, TOO. UM, I THINK WE'RE GOOD WITH THIS. UH, UH, I AM A HOPE, UH, THIS IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE CUTTING INTO THE TIME FOR OTHER AGENDA ITEMS, BUT SO BE IT, WE'RE NOT PROCEED TO COMMISSION UPDATES BEGINNING WITH THE [4.a. Digital Inclusion, Civic Engagement, and Strategic Technology and Telecom Policy Working Group] DIGITAL INCLUSION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY UNTIL COMMON POLICY WORK, BIGGEST FOCUS OF THE WORKING GROUP UPDATE TODAY. PART OF THE DISCUSSION WE'VE ALREADY SENT, IT HAS ALREADY CENTERED AROUND HOUSE BILL FIVE AND SENATE STATE HOUSE BILL FIVE AND STATE SENATE BILL, UH, FIVE AND FIVE OH SEVEN. I WANTED TO PARLAY THE DISCUSSION BRIEFLY AND TO A DISCUSSION OF THE EMERGENCY BROADBAND, UH, BENEFIT PROGRAM. UM, AND I WANT TO BE VERY SUCCINCT BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION TO CONSUME. UH, YOU ALL JUST WERE SENT THAT, THAT INFORMATION YESTERDAY, IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE IT ALREADY, THEN YOU HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO DIVE INTO IT. UH, THIS REPORT IS, UH, 95 DENSE PDF PAGES. UM, AND YET IT'S EXCITING BECAUSE IT'S GREAT TO SEE, UH, FRANKLY, THE SEC FOCUSED ON THESE EFFORTS AND ADDRESSING BROADBAND, EVEN IF IT IS ONLY IN, NOT ONLY, BUT IN, UH, IN AN EMERGENCY SETTING OF A PANDEMIC RELIEF MANAGEMENT OR A PANDEMIC OF THAT SCENE, VACCINE DISTRIBUTION, OR A PANDEMIC SCHOOL OPERATIONS OR PANDEMIC TELE-HEALTH OR A PANDEMIC, UH, GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, UH, OR LIFE AND ON AND ON. AND THE THING THAT BECAME CLEAR TO ME AFTER READING A LARGE DEGREE OF IT, PARTICULARLY, UH, THE INTRODUCTIONS, UH, WHICH MAKES IT CLEAR, AND THEY, THEY REALLY DOUBLED DOWN AS YOU CONTINUE ON, UH, WHICH I DO WANT TO READ TO YOU AND REAMS OF THE RECORD, UH, BECAUSE OF THE FRAMING IN THIS ORDER, WE ESTABLISHED THE MERCY BROADBAND PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT BROADBAND SERVICES AND DEVICES TO HELP WOMEN FROM HOUSEHOLDS STAY CONNECTED DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC EFFORTS TO SLOW. THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 HAS RESULTED IN THE DRAMATIC DISRUPTION. I MEAN, ASPECTS OF LIVES, AMERICAN LIVES, INCLUDING SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES TO PREVENT PERSON TO PERSON TRANSMISSION THAT REQUIRED THE CLOSURE OF BUSINESSES IN SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR INDEFINITE PERIODS OF TIMES, WHICH IN TURN HAS CAUSED MILLIONS OF AMERICANS TO BECOME NEWLY UNEMPLOYED OR UNABLE TO FIND WORK. THESE CLOSURES HAVE ALSO LED PEOPLE TO TURN TO VIRTUAL LEARNING, TELEMEDICINE, TELEWORK, AND TELEWORK, SO ENABLE SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES, WHICH HAS ONLY INCREASE EVERY HOUSEHOLDS NEED FOR ACCESS TO BROADBAND SERVICES, THE COST OF BROADBAND SERVICES, HOWEVER, CAN BE DIFFICULT TO OVERCOME FOR LOW LOW-INCOME FAMILIES. AND FOR FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING DURING THE PANDEMIC, THEY'VE BEEN GOING TO THE CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT DESCRIPTION AND, AND WHAT WAS MADE, UH, THE EFFORT THAT WAS MADE THERE, UH, RESULTING IN THIS PROGRAM. THE THING THAT, UH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO RAISE, UH, WHILE I DO APPRECIATE THIS EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE EMERGENCY, UH, THAT WE FACE AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC. THE THING THAT I WANTED TO RAISE THAT I SINCERELY HOPE, UM, IS ADDRESSED IS THE FACT THAT THE PANDEMIC EXPOSED OTHER ISSUES, UM, THAT ADDRESSING THE ACCESS TO BROADBAND, UH, AND THE CHALLENGES THAT THE, THAT GETS GIVEN AS ADDED, UH, FOR FAMILIES THAT, UH, LONG-TERM FAMILIES AND FOR FAMILIES STRUGGLING DURING THE PANDEMIC ACCESS BROADBAND, THE THINGS, THE WAYS THAT THOSE THAT HAVE MOUNTED THE STRUGGLES ARE ONE THING, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT DON'T WANT TO DEPEND. DEMIC IS IN A MORE CONTROLLED STATE THAT THERE'S WIDE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION THAT WANTS THE SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES THAT CURRENTLY PREVENT PERSONAL PERSON HELP PREVENT KRISTOFFERSON TRANSMISSION, BUT YET REQUIRE CLOSURE BUSINESSES. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THOSE MEASURES THAT, THAT DISRUPTION IS ALL THAT MATTERS, RIGHT? IT'S IMPORTANT [02:55:01] THAT AS WE'RE DOING AT THE STATE LEVEL, THAT WE ADDRESS THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES THAT WE ADDRESS, THE, THE ONGOING CHALLENGES THAT ARE NOT PART OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT MERELY BEING ILLUMINATED BY PANDEMIC. AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, MY HOPE IS, AS WE DIVE MORE INTO THIS, AND WE WORK ON AN EDUCATION EFFORT, UH, THAT WE WILL BE CHAMPIONS FOR THAT, THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, TO RAISE AWARENESS THAT ANY SO-CALLED EMERGENCY BENEFIT PROGRAM DOES NOT ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE TO AVOID FUTURE EMERGENCIES. RIGHT? SO, UH, THAT'S THE MAIN THING, UH, THAT I WANT YOU TO ADDRESS IT, AND REALLY, UM, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I THINK FOR NOW, BUT IN TERMS OF THE FACT SHEET, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT AS WELL. AND I APOLOGIZE THAT I DIDN'T ACTUALLY GET ON WITH SOME OF THIS STUFF EARLIER, BECAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT STUFF TO GET EXCITED ABOUT WITH THE PROGRAM, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS EXCITING. SO ON THE EXCITEMENT SIDE OF THIS $3.2 BILLION, UH, YOU KNOW, TO HELP LOWER THE COST OF ICE CREAM IN THAT PROGRAM. SO I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH HAS BEEN FOCUSED FOR TEXAS FOR THIS PROGRAM. I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A DUTY TO ANSWER THAT TODAY, UH, BY A CHANCE JOHN OR JESSE, UH, IF YOU DID, THAT'D BE WONDERFUL, BUT THERE'LL BE A GREAT FOLLOWUP POINT, UH, TO PROVIDE FOR FUTURE FACT-FINDING. THE BENEFIT UP TO $50 PER MONTH IS JESSE MENTIONED UP TO ST. $5 PER MONTH AND ON A HUNDRED DOLLARS PER DEVICE, IT'S REALLY A GREAT PROGRAM. YOU KNOW, JESSE DID, JOHN DID A GREAT JOB OF DESCRIBING THE PROGRAM. UM, AND THE SPEC SHEET IS VERY HELPFUL ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, AS I'M DISCUSSING THE SPEC SHEET, UH, AT A MINIMUM, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE SPEC SHEET SUBMITTED ON THE RECORD, UH, THIS SCC EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT PROGRAM FACT SHEET, THIS PDF OF COURSE, DETOX IS ANOTHER MAJOR FOCUS FOR OUR WORKING GROUP. AND JESSE PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON THAT THAT'S UNDERWAY. UH, WE MET WE'VE MET ACTUALLY TWICE. UH, ADMITTEDLY, I WAS SO, UH, IMMERSED IN WINTER DISASTER RELIEF THAT I MISSED THE FIRST MEETING. UH, BUT IT WAS NOT MAINLY FOR ME, ALTHOUGH IT WAS MAINLY FOR THE REVIEWERS AND THE SECOND MEETING, I WAS ABLE TO, UH, ADDRESS A SMALLER BODY OF PEOPLE THAT HAD QUESTIONS. UM, AND WE WERE OPEN THE LINE FOR ANYONE TO HAVE QUESTIONS ON REVIEW PANEL SIDE, UH, ABOUT G TOPS. SO WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN UP ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT I HAD TO SAY IN TERMS OF THE EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT PROGRAM, WHAT YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY READ, UH, OR THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS YOU HAVE ABOUT THAT PROGRAM AND, OR, UH, THE UPDATE ON G TOPS. AND IF THERE ARE NO COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, THAT'S FINE TOO. I APPRECIATE THAT ONCE MORE. I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO REALLY DIVE IN, UH, TO THE FCC, UH, BROADBAND BENEFIT PROGRAM UPDATE. UH, WHAT I PLAN TO DO IS TO DIVE IN MORE DEEPLY AND TO LOOK STRATEGICALLY ON HOW WE CAN HELP TO PROMOTE THE PROGRAM HERE IN TEXAS AND HOW WE CAN HELP, UH, AT, AT THE VERY LEAST TO SEE TO IT, THAT IT BENEFITS, UH, PEOPLE IN THE SURROUNDING IN THE OUTLINE AREAS OF, UH, OF AUSTIN AND OUR MORE RURAL, UH, AREAS, UH, EXCUSE ME. I WAS CONFUSING THAT WITH THE OTHER, OTHER PROGRAMS, UH, THAT IT SPECIFICALLY, UH, BENEFITS, UH, THOSE WHO ARE REALLY AFFECTED BY, UH, INEQUITABLE BROADBAND AND, AND WHAT IT MEANS THEN TO BE A HOUSEHOLD, UH, AND HOW MUCH DEFINED AND SO ON, BASICALLY LOOKING TO HELP YOU WITH, OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED [4.b. Knowledge, Information, and Data Stewardship Working Group] TO A COMMISSION UPDATES FOR THE KNOWLEDGE INFORMATION, THE DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP, UH, I'LL PASS IT OFF TO, UH, VICE CHAIR ALEXANDER FOR THAT UPDATE. OKAY. YEAH. SO, UM, UH, SO ONE THING THAT, UM, I THINK HAS KIND OF COME TO LIGHT, I THINK IS, UM, I GUESS I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF AREAS WHERE, [03:00:02] UM, KIDS WORKING GROUP COULD BE HELPFUL IN, IN PURSUING SOME OF THESE GOALS. AND I THINK ONE AREA OF MY GOOD IS, UM, UH, IS STILL OF INTEREST. AND, UH, OF COURSE THE COMMISSION CAN CHIME IN HERE, UM, REACHING OUT TO GROUPS LIKE OPEN AUSTIN REGARDING TABLATURE, JUST AS A SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION. UM, SO THAT'S ONE AREA THAT I THINK WE CAN PURSUE. AND I GUESS REGARDING THE WEEKLY MEETINGS, I HAD AN IDEA. UM, SO I SENT, UM, ANY JESSIE ABOUT THIS TODAY. IT WAS ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT AFTER THE MEETING HAD STARTED, UM, SUGGESTING THAT MAYBE THE WORD THE KIDS WORKING GROUP COULD START, IT COULD MEET THE WEEK AFTER OUR SCHEDULED MEETING. SO THINGS WERE STILL PRETTY FRESH AND WE CAN, UM, UH, DISCUSS, UM, ANY, ANY OTHER, UH, THINGS THAT THE GROUP NEEDS TO WORK ON SOMETHING. YEAH. SO I THINK THAT'S THE THAT'S I GUESS THE MAIN UPDATE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE TO SHARE RIGHT NOW. YEAH, NO, THANK YOU. I THINK IT'S, I THINK I'M OPEN TO IT. UM, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, MARKED IMPROVEMENT, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR US TO BE ENGAGING AT THE WORKER LEVEL, UM, ON AN ONGOING BASIS, WHETHER IT'S BEFORE OR AFTER OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS. SO THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME. UM, OPEN AUSTIN, I THINK DOES HAVE A LOT POTENTIAL TO HELP US. I'M REALLY CURIOUS TO SEE, UH, HOW THAT PANS OUT THEN IN TERMS OF, UH, THE VOTING TABLATURE DISCUSSION. OKAY. YEAH. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, FOR THAT UPDATE. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK? OKAY. WITH THAT, DON'T SAY [4.c. Technology, Infrastructure, and Innovation Working Group] TO, UH, THE LAST COMMISSION UPDATE HERE FOR WORKING GROUPS, THAT TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP, UH, I'LL PASS IT OFF TO EITHER COMMISSIONER DUSKY OR COMMISSIONER, UH, FOR WHAT KLINE WAS LATE TO THE MEETING. SO I'M GOING TO SORT OF LEAN ON COMMISSIONER FREUD FOR, OR I DIDN'T TAKE NOTES NOTES. WELL, I WILL SAY THAT TOWARDS THE END OF THE MEETING, WHEN YOU WERE THERE, WE TALKED ABOUT REMOTE VOTING TABLATURE, WHICH I THINK WE HIT PRETTY HARD TONIGHT AND MOSTLY, UM, PURSUED THE, THE ACTION POINTS THAT WE DISCUSSED THERE ABOUT TALKING TO THE CITY AND TALKING TO COMMISSIONER GUY WROTE ABOUT GETTING US MORE INFORMATION. UM, LET'S SEE, WE HAD A LONG DISCUSSION. IT'S THE BEGINNING PART OF THE MEETING ABOUT, UH, ENERGY AND WATERY ISSUES. UM, AND I THINK WANTING TO KNOW WHAT WE COULD FIND OUT FROM, UM, CITY ABOUT HOW AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATERS ACTIVITIES, BIKE INTERSECTS SOMETHING, WHAT THEY DO THAT INTERSECTS WITH WHAT WE COULD, UM, OUR, OUR OVERSIGHT AND, AND WHERE WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE THEM COME IN AND TALK TO US ABOUT TECHNICAL ISSUES THAT, UM, THEY COULD THINK THEY COULD IMPROVE UPON SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE PROBLEMS LIKE WE HAD IN FEBRUARY. UM, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME STUFF WITH THE POWER GROUP, BUT REALLY THAT MOST OF THAT WAS STUFF WITH ARCOT AND, AND TEXAS. THAT'S NOT REALLY STUFF WE CAN HANDLE NECESSARILY, BUT WE DID GO OVER THE POINT THAT THERE WERE PROBABLY MORE EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS IN THE FUTURE. SO THAT LOOPS BACK TO AAN AUSTIN WATER, THAT CITY NEEDS TO, UM, WE NEED TO KNOW MORE FROM THE CITY ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE, THEY'VE GOT IN MIND PREPARE FOR THAT IN THE, UH, WE DID ALSO TALK ABOUT SOLAR POWER AND, UM, I GUESS HOW IT WORKS NOW UNDER AUSTIN ENERGY AND MAYBE FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES LIKE BATTERIES OR OTHER THINGS ON THE TABLE THAT WOULD HELP HIM OWNERS HAVE A LITTLE MORE AUTONOMY OVER THEIR ENERGY, PRODUCTIVE, HOME ENERGY PRODUCTION. UH, AND THE OTHER THING WE DISCUSSED, WE DID TALK ABOUT SHARED CONDUIT, BUT I THINK WHAT WE, THAT THE COMMENT THERE WAS THAT, UH, UH, JOHN COTTON FROM THE CITY THOUGHT THAT LAYING CONDUIT OR RENTING OUT CONDUIT TO PRODUCT COMPANIES WAS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO WORK THAT'S. UM, IT WAS SOMETHING WE DISCUSSED FOR A LONG TIME. ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE IN MY NOTES, BUT I'D SAY THE BIG TICKET ITEMS ON A REMOTE PARTICIPATION IN VOTING TABLATURE FIT TONIGHT, OBVIOUSLY. AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS FOR FUTURE CONVERSATIONS OR FUTURE GUESTS THAT WE COULD HAVE, UM, BOSTON ENERGY OR AUSTIN WATER TO TALK ABOUT TECH ISSUES THERE. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMISSIONER, [03:05:02] FOLLOWING THAT, THAT WAS A PRETTY THOROUGH UPDATE, BUT THAT DOES ALL SEEM ACCURATE TO ME IN TERMS OF OUR DISCUSSION. UM, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT IT WAS A HELPFUL MEETING. YEAH. WELL, AND, AND, AND ALSO TO YOUR EARLIER POINT, UH, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB, UH, BECAUSE OF THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF THE DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS WITHIN THAT DISCUSSION OF ACTUALLY ADDRESSING MOST OF THE THINGS THAT WERE COVERED IN MEETING EARLIER, WE'RE JUST CONDUCIVE TO OUR AGENDA. SO, UH, WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UH, FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING GROUP? ALL RIGHT. WELL, IT'S MY PLEASURE, UM, TO SAY THAT GETS US THROUGH THAT PART OF THE AGENDA, AND NOW WE'LL [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS] HAVE A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. NOW, OUR NEXT MEETING CLEARLY WILL BE FOCUSED AROUND BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, RIGHT? SO OUR NEXT MEETING, SPECIAL CALL MEETING, TAKING PLACE ON HOPEFULLY, UH, WITH THE BLESSING OF THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, THE SIXTH, SEVENTH OF EIGHT, UH, AT FOUR 30 AFTER FOUR 30, THE EVENING OF FOUR 30 AS HE MAY AT FOUR 30 OR THEREAFTER, UH, SOLELY FOCUSED ON F Y 22 BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. RIGHT. SO NICE AND SIMPLE, UH, HOPE THAT DOESN'T YIELD ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. AND THEN WITH THAT, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR A GERMAN, WELL, CHURCHILL CHILDREN'S BEFORE, UH, UH, TALKING ABOUT, UH, AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MEETING. SHOULD WE SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, OFFICIAL MEETING, WHICH IS THE SECOND WEDNESDAY, DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT NOW, OR IS I'VE GOT A VERY STRONG OPINION ABOUT THAT? AND MY OPINION IS THAT, UH, AS EVERY AGENDA MUST HAVE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, WE SHOULD DISCUSS THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FOR OUR NEXT MEETING AND OUR NEXT MEETING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. BUT HAVING SAID THAT, PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH ANY THOUGHTS, UH, FOR AGENDA ITEMS. UH, AND IF, IF IT'S RELATED TO ANYTHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, THEN, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, THEN I WILL AUTHORIZE PUTTING IT ON THE NEXT AGENDA FOR THE MEETING AFTER. UH, BUT YOU KNOW, EITHER WAY, UH, ALL WE NEED TO HAVE IS EITHER MY, UH, SIGN OFF ON AGENDA ITEM OR, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S TWO OR MORE COMMISSIONERS OTHERWISE. RIGHT? SO, UH, WHETHER YOU WANT TO WORK ON GETTING A CONSENSUS FOR AGENDA ITEM, OR JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU HAVE IN MIND, EITHER ONE IS FINE. JUST FEEL FREE TO EMAIL AWAY. I HOPE THAT AT LEAST GIVES YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL COMFORTABLE ABOUT HUNTING ON FUTURE TONIGHT ITEMS. OKAY. SO WITH THAT THEN, UH, UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE I'VE DONE, I THINK I CAN ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN. I MOVED THROUGH JUNE. YEAH. OKAY. GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN BY COMMISSIONER DASGUPTA. IS THERE A SECOND? MOTION TO ADJOURN IS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER FLOYD, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE GERMAN. PLEASE SAY AYE. AND SHOW YOUR HAND. HEY, RIGHT. I'M SORRY. DID SOMEONE CALL ME? OKAY. AYE. ANYBODY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. OKAY. I'M SORRY. WAS THERE SOMEONE OPPOSED TO A GERMAN? NO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY? ALL RIGHT. WE ARE UNANIMOUS. WE VOTE TO ADJOURN AND WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND WE'LL HAVE A GOOD EVENING. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING. . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.