* 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. [00:00:03] IS MEANING IT IS THURSDAY, APRIL 1ST, 2021. IT'S A CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL CALLED MEETING. UH, IT IS, UH, 10 OH TWO. WE'RE GETTING THIS MEETING VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE. WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT COLLEAGUES. WE HAVE FIVE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FOR THE REGULAR AGENDA. ONE ON AN ADDENDUM. UH, THE FOUR ITEMS ARE, UM, THE, UH, PERSONNEL, UH, REVIEW RELATED ONES FOR OUR FOUR A POINT DS. THE ADDITIONAL ITEM ADDED WAS ITEM NUMBER FIVE, UM, IS MY ATTEMPT TO, UH, UH, CALL THE SPEAKERS. I THINK WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS THAT ARE SIGNED UP, UH, AND THEN TO, UH, HANDLE ITEM NUMBER FIVE. AND THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION BRIGHTENS ONE TO FOUR, ANTICIPATING A LUNCH BREAK FROM LIKE 12 TO ONE. UM, SO, UM, LET'S SEE HOW MUCH WE CAN GET DONE IS, UH, IS KATHY WITH US? YES, THERE I AM. AND I BELIEVE THAT, UH, AT LEAST ONE OR MORE OF MY COLLEAGUES MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE HERE FOR, FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE MEETING. AND SO I WOULD ASK THAT WE WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE A FULL DYESS BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE VOTE ON ITEM FIVE, WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT. THANKS. I AM CIRCULATING A DRAFT. WE'VE GOTTEN UP FLURRY OF EMAILS RELATED TO THIS AS SHIPMENT. SO I'M CIRCULATING A DRAFT RIGHT NOW THAT HAS A COUPLE OF QUICK EDITS TO IT. UM, IN FACT, KATIE POWERS JUST NOW CIRCULATED IT. AND SO THAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR BOX AT 10 OH FOUR. THANK YOU, KATIE. OKAY. SO WE'LL CALL THE SPEAKERS SO THAT WE GET THE SPEAKERS HANDLED. UH, DO YOU WANT US KATHY AT THAT POINT TO, UH, DISCUSS THE MATTER, OR DO YOU WANT US TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN COME OUT LATER WHERE WE HAVE A FULL DYESS TO DISCUSS THE ITEMS? UM, IF I COULD GIVE THAT SOME THOUGHT I, I, I, I'M GOING TO CHECK IN AND SEE WHEN, WHEN SOME OTHERS ARE PLANNING ON OR ARE ABLE TO GET HERE TO OUR MEETING TODAY, BUT THANKS FOR THE QUESTION. OKAY. WHY DON'T YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND I'LL ASK THAT QUESTION AGAIN. WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH THE SPEAKERS, WE DON'T HAVE VERY MANY, WE JUST HAVE TO, UH, SO IT WON'T BE A LONG TIME. UH, YES. UH, AND MORGAN, I WAS JUST GOING TO SUGGEST CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER WHERE I THOUGHT I HAD CALLING TODAY'S MEETING TO ORDER THURSDAY, APRIL 1ST, WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT. THE TIME, UH, WAS, UH, 10 OH TWO IT'S 10 OH FIVE. NOW IT'S A MEETING BE HELD VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE. UM, AND IT'S, UH, WE HAVE FIVE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. I DIDN'T DO THAT BEFORE. I'M DOING IT NOW. UH, CLARK, YOU WANT TO, UH, INVITE THE, UH, UH, COUPLE SPEAKERS. WE HAVE TO SPEAK TO US. THE FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE CAROL GUTHRIE. GOOD MORNING COUNSEL. NOW YOU'RE IN COUNCIL. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, I HOPE. OKAY, WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. UM, I AM ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON ITEMS FIVE. UM, WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS THE SAFETY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY IS DOING ITS DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE WE OPENED THE CITY TO THE PUBLIC. AND WE WANT TO GIVE ALL EMPLOYEES AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET VACCINATED BEFORE THEY START COMING THE PUBLIC. UM, I THINK IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT THE REINTEGRATION PLAN FROM DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UH, THEY HAVE AN OUTSTANDING PLAN. IT'S FABULOUS. IT ALLOWS THE EMPLOYEES AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAN ON HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THEIR CHILDREN. IT ALLOWS ALL OF THE WORKERS TO GET ACCLIMATED BACK INTO THEIR WORKPLACE. AND IT ALSO ALLOWS FOR A ONE TIME OPENING TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. OUR CONCERN OF OPENING TOO EARLY IS THAT PEOPLE COULD POTENTIALLY GET EXPOSED AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO CLOSE THE LIBRARY AGAIN. AND SO OUR HOPE IS THAT YOU WILL SUPPORT ITEM FIVE, PROTECT THE PUBLIC, PROTECT YOUR EMPLOYEES, UM, AND JUST DO THE RIGHT THING. AND WE THINK [00:05:01] BEING SAFE IS THE RIGHT THING. SO WE HOPE WE CAN COUNT ON YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS THE NOVIA. JOSEPH, THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UMS, ENOVIA, JOSEPH. I JUST HAD A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS. I WANTED TO COMMENT SPECIFICALLY AS A RELEASE, THEY EMPLOYEE REINTEGRATION PLAN MEMORANDUM. IF YOU COULD JUST PLEASE TELL THE PUBLIC WHAT THE DATE IS FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S MEMO AND WHERE THAT WOULD BE POSTED AS IT RELATES TO RETURNING TO THE WORKPLACE. I'M REFERRING TO THE SECOND, WHEREAS WHICH SPECIFIES LONG-TERM OPERATIONAL AND TELEWORK PLANS, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE VIRTUAL MEETINGS WITH THE PUBLIC, I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND THAT YOU UPDATE YOUR POLICY SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN REGISTER SAME DAY, JUST LIKE TEXAS LEGISLATURE IS DOING STATEWIDE. AS WE SPEAK THE TEXT GOES ON TO MENTION THAT SOME DEPARTMENTS HAVE OPTED TO FULLY REOPEN PUBLIC FACING FACILITIES IN JUNE OF 2021 AND OTHERS MAY OF 2021. I WOULD JUST ASK THAT YOU CREATE SOME TYPE OF SIMPLE CHART THAT HAS THE MAJOR OR CRITICAL CITY OPERATIONS AND POSTED ON ATX N ONE WHERE THAT STATIC SCREEN IS, AND THEN MAYBE HYPERLINK OR INSTRUCT PEOPLE TO GO TO THREE, ONE, ONE. I'LL JUST GIVE YOU MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. LAST THURSDAY, AS YOU'RE AWARE, I TESTIFIED FROM THE CITY HALL AND I HAD SOME DIFFICULTY CALLING THE, IT WAS A LAWYER THAT ANSWERED THE NUMBER THAT I WAS GIVEN, UM, FROM THE CLERKS. AND SO I WENT TO THE CLERK'S DOOR, BUT IT SAID APPOINTMENTS ONLY. SO MY ONLY RECOURSE WAS REALLY TO GO TO SECURITY AND ASK FOR HELP. BUT AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, OBVIOUSLY DON'T KNOW WHICH CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE OPEN, WHO IS ACTUALLY ANSWERING THE PHONE DURING THE DAY, WHO REQUIRES A PHONE, UH, OUR APPOINTMENTS IN ADVANCE. OR IF YOU COULD JUST CLARIFY THAT FOR THE PUBLIC, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CONTINUE THESE VIRTUAL MEETINGS, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME WAY FOR THREE, ONE, ONE TO CONTACT SOME STAFF MEMBER. I HAVE TRIED MANY A TIMES THROUGH THREE, ONE, ONE, AND THEY JUST GO THROUGH THE LIST, BUT THEY MAINLY SEE EMAIL ADDRESSES. THEY DON'T NECESSARILY SEE A PHONE NUMBER TO REACH ANYONE. AND LASTLY, I'LL JUST ASK YOU TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH THE VIRTUAL MEETINGS. I DID SEND YOU, UH, AN EMAIL THAT I RECEIVED FROM A COMMISSIONER, UH, MARCH 10TH, 2021, DATED. UM, AND IT BASICALLY JUST SAID, THERE'S THE NOVIA. WE GOT AN EMAIL SAYING NOT TO SHARE THE CODE. I THOUGHT OUR MEETING WAS ON LIVESTREAM, TEXT ME, UM, IF IT ISN'T. AND SO THAT IS THE INSTRUCTION THAT THE CITY CLERK HAS PROVIDED TO THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE STAFF. UM, AS IT RELATES TO TRANSPARENCY ON THE 16TH, THERE WAS A MEETING BETWEEN THE EQUITY OFFICER AND OUR EQUITY STAFF AND THE BICYCLE COMMITTEE. AND THAT INFORMATION WAS TRANSPARENTLY POSTED WITH A CODE ONLINE, NO ADVANCE SIGN UP OR ANYTHING. AND I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. WHEN YOU GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND DISCUSS THE CLERK PERFORMANCE ON ITEM TWO, PLEASE COMPLY WITH TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS, GOVERNMENT COACH AFTER FIVE, FIVE ONE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME. MAYOR, I HAD A QUICK QUESTION, MS. JOSEPH, I THINK YOU WERE ASKING, UH, FOR A CITY MANAGER MEMO. WAS THAT THE ONE ABOUT THE REINTEGRATION OF THE WORK WORKPLACE? UH, YES. COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, IN YOUR RESOLUTION, IT ACTUALLY SPECIFIES THE CITY MANAGER'S MEMO. UM, EMPLOYEE REINTEGRATION PLAN MEMORANDUM IS HOW IT'S REFERENCED, BUT THERE'S NO DATE FOR THE PUBLIC AND I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WAS AN MEMO OR IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS ONLINE. GOT IT. I WILL. I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN A FEW COMMUNICATIONS NOW, UM, FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND FROM HUMAN RESOURCES, BUT I WILL, UM, I'LL SEE IF I CAN GET THAT, UH, EMAILED TO YOU, BUT I, I TAKE YOUR POINT. NOT ALL OF THOSE MEMOS, UM, ARE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE, BUT IF, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SEEING IT, I'D BE GLAD TO, UM, TRY TO FIND IT IN MY OUT OF CONTROL INBOX AND FORWARD IT TO YOU. THANKS. THANKS FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. I APPRECIATE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER. I'LL JUST LASTLY, SAY ONE OF THE ISSUES WITH THE VIRTUAL MEETINGS IS I KNOW YOU POSTED THE DRAFTS. I SENT YOU THAT EMAIL YESTERDAY, AND THEN I KNOW THAT YOU SENT THE UPDATE, BUT BY THE TIME UPDATES AND LAID BACK UP ARE POSTED, THE PUBLIC CANNOT REGISTER. IT'S TOO LATE FOR US. SO IT'S A DOUBLE STANDARD. I JUST WOULD ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THAT AS WELL, BUT THEY, FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE PAST, AND THANK YOU TODAY. AND WITH THAT, I'LL JUST SIGN OFF UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE HAS A QUESTION FOR ME. OKAY. [00:10:01] MS. JOSEPH, THANK YOU. THAT'S WHAT OUR POOLED WELCOME. SO LIKE TO LET ME KNOW THAT WE GOT ANOTHER MEMO JUST THIS MORNING AROUND NINE O'CLOCK AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBA WAS REFERRING TO ABOUT THE LATEST NEW INFORMATION, BUT IN THERE IS SOME ADDITIONAL SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT MAY BE HELPFUL TO, TO YOU AND ACTUALLY TO EVERYBODY. THANKS GLADLY. YOU CAN SEND IT. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. UH, SO THANK YOU. THE QUESTION IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW IS, UH, UH, GADDY DEWEY, LET YOU LAY THIS OUT. DO WE HAVE THE MANAGER STAFF RESPOND TO IT OR DO WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION UNTIL WE HAVE A MORE COMPLETE, UH, DIOCESE? WE HAVE ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, 10. SO WE'RE MISSING, UH, UH, COUNSELOR ALTER, WHO I THINK WILL BE ARRIVING ABOUT 10 45. UM, MAYOR, I THINK I'D LIKE TO WAIT FOR COUNCIL MEMBER WALTER. OKAY. UH, THAT BEING THE CASE THEN SINCE IT'S JUST US AND WE HAVE CONTROL OVER [Executive Session (Part 1 of 2)] OUR TIME, UH, LET'S GO INTO A EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, AND WE'LL COME BACK OUT. UM, WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO BRING UP FOUR ITEMS PURSUANT TO FIVE, FIVE, ONE OH SEVEN FOR THE GOVERNMENT CODE, FORGOT TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO THE CITY MANAGER, CITY CLERK, CITY AUDITOR AND MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK. WAS THERE ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR, UH, HEADING 14, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION. UH, I'LL SEE YOU ALL IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. UH, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY AND EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND THEN WE'LL REPORT THAT BACK OUT TO THE CLERK FOR THAT ARE, ARE WATCHING OR TRYING TO JUDGE TIME. SO YOU ARE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION IS AT THREE 45. TODAY IS APRIL 1ST, 2021. UH, WHILE WE WERE IN A CLOSED SESSION, WE WERE DISCUSSING, UH, PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO ITEMS ONE, TWO, THREE, AND FOUR. UH, WE FINISHED THE CONVERSATION OF TWO, THREE AND FOUR. UH, WHEN WE'RE DONE THIS ITEM FIVE, WE'LL GO BACK INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, MANAGER, IF YOU COME BACK IN WITH US AND WE CAN ALL BE TOGETHER. UM, AT THIS POINT I AGREE WITH WHAT, UM, UM, DEBRA THOMAS IS GOING TO PAUSE THE TAPE FOR THAT TO COME BACK. [5. Approve a resolution related to City facility reopenings and employee reintegration plans.] SO WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER ITEM NUMBER FIVE. THIS IS, UH, EITHER FROM COUNCIL, FROM MY COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO AND AS PART OF TOVAR, YOU WANNA TO MAKE YOUR MOTION, WE'LL GET A SECOND MANAGER TO RESPOND. YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO MOVE APPROVAL OF THE VERSION. I, UH, THAT KATIE POWERS CIRCULATED THIS MORNING, WHICH INCLUDED A COUPLE EDITS TO REFLECT SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED THIS MORNING FROM THE CITY, FROM THE, UM, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. YES. REMEMBER TOPO HAS MOVED, UH, ITEM NUMBER FIVE, VERSION TWO. IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER, POOL SECONDS, THE MOTION, UH, COUNCIL, SOME MEMBER POLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, WE DID HEAR CONCERN. SO ONE, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS FOR PLANNING, FOR THE SAFE TRANSITION BACK, UM, OF THEIR STAFF. I THINK AS A CITY, WE HAVE REALLY BEEN A MODEL FOR THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW WE KEEP OUR CITY EMPLOYEES SAFE AND STILL CONTINUE THOSE CRITICAL SERVICES, UH, THAT THE, THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS DEPEND ON AND THAT OUR RESIDENTS DEPEND ON. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WITH, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE LIBRARY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WAY THAT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS MAINTAINED THAT BALANCE OF PROVIDING A LEVEL OF SERVICE WHILE ALSO PRIORITIZING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ITS EMPLOYEES. WE ARE NOW IN A SITUATION AS THE RESOLUTION STATES WHERE, UH, ALL INDIVIDUALS OVER 16 ARE NOW ABLE TO ACCESS THE VACCINE ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE. HOWEVER, UH, WE DON'T YET. WE'RE NOT YET IN A SITUATION WHERE ALL OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES HAVE HAD TIME TO GET THE VACCINE. AND SO I KNOW THE PLANS HAVE EVOLVED A BIT AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS SINCE THIS RESOLUTION WAS POSTED. BUT THE ABIDING CONCERN REMAINS, WHICH IS THAT PUBLIC LIBRARY STAFF WOULD BE ASKED TO REPORT BACK TO WORK ON MONDAY, UM, APRIL 5TH AT A TIME WHERE MANY OF THEM LIKELY HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE VACCINE, OR IF THEY'VE RECEIVED THE VACCINE, THEY'VE RECEIVED JUST ONE OF [00:15:01] TWO AND THEY ARE NOT PASSED, UH, THE IMMUNITY THAT WOULD, THAT TAKES EFFECT AFTER YOUR SECOND VACCINE. AND SO IN LIGHT OF THAT, UH, THIS WOULD PUSH BACK, UM, PUSH BACK THE PROPOSED EMPLOYEE REINTEGRATION PLAN JUST FOR THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. WE DID HEAR FROM SOME OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT, UM, THAT ARE IN SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. UM, BUT THIS WOULD STILL ALLOW, STILL ALLOW THEM TO, UM, AS I UNDERSTAND THEIR PLAN, AS IT'S NOW BEEN ARTICULATED, INVOLVES OPENING UP 11 BRANCH LIBRARIES ON THE 11TH OF MAY AND THEN, UH, OPENING UP BRANCHES BY JUNE 28TH. AND I STILL THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. I THINK IT'S STILL POSSIBLE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, BUT IN ANY CASE, THE EMPLOYEES THEMSELVES TO THEMSELVES COULD CONSTITUTE, UM, YOU KNOW, A LARGE, UH, A FAIRLY LARGE BODY WOULD NOT BE REPORTING BACK TO WORK, UM, ON MONDAY. OKAY, THANK YOU MANAGER. YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THIS? SURE. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL. AND AS YOU KNOW, THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES, THE COMMUNITY AND FAMILIES CONTINUE TO BE A TOP PRIORITY, AND THAT IS ARTICULATED IN EVERY COMMUNICATION THAT WE SEND TO OUR EMPLOYEES. UH, THIS HAS BEEN TRUE THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC AND WE TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY. AND AS YOUR MANAGER, UH, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS, THE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES, I TAKE THAT INCREDIBLY SERIOUSLY. AND THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN TOP OF MIND. UH, AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER MENTIONED, UH, EACH DEPARTMENT IS UNIQUE AND WILL HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS. SO WE HAVE HAD DEPARTMENTS AND, AND THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES, UH, WORKING THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC IN THE FIELD, UH, IN SAFE ENVIRONMENTS, UH, THROUGH THE PROTOCOLS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE. UH, WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE AS WE NEED TO BE NIMBLE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS, UH, THAT WE PUT IN PLACE, THOSE PROTOCOLS TO ENSURE KEEP THE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES. TOP OF MIND, AS WAS MENTIONED, THERE WAS A MEMO THAT WAS PUT OUT THIS MORNING BY OUR INTERIM ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, SHANNON JONES, AND OUR DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES, UH, TO DESCRIBE SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT GO INTO THIS DECISION, UH, INCLUDING THE NEED TO OPEN OUR LIBRARIES. SO THE PUBLIC CAN ACCESS SOME CRITICAL RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED, UH, TO ACCESS VACCINES AND OTHER, UH, FEDERAL DOLLARS AND, AND, AND GRANTS AND PROGRAMS. THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT DURING THIS VERY CRITICAL TIME. UH, THESE ARE PUBLIC, UH, SERVICES. UH, WE PROVIDE THOSE PUBLIC SERVICES FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS, UH, AND WE TAKE THAT INCREDIBLY SERIOUSLY AS WELL. SO WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND THAT BALANCE AND THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE PUT FORWARD, WE BELIEVE DOES PROVIDE THAT BALANCE, BUT I'LL FIRST TURN IT OVER TO OUR DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT. BUT WE ALSO HAVE OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FROM HUMAN, KAREN HAYWARD TO TALK ABOUT THE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC LIBRARY, UH, ROOSEVELT WEEKS TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR HIS STAFF, DR. HAYES, THANK YOU SO MUCH, SPENCER. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE COUNCIL, UM, AS COMMUNICATED IN THE, IN THE MEMORANDUM AND THE BEGINNING SECTIONS, THE HRD DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A TIMELY RESPONSE AND GETTING VACCINATIONS FOR EMPLOYEES. AS A REMINDER, WE STARTED IN DECEMBER ASKING THE DEPARTMENTS TO DETERMINE WHEN WOULD BE THE MOST APPROPRIATE TIME TO REINTEGRATE STAFF. MOST OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE REINTEGRATING IN STAGES, ONLY REQUIRING IN THEIR PHASE ONE, THOSE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES THAT ARE CRITICAL TO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AS WE BEGIN TO HAVE HIGHER EXPECTATIONS TO MEET COMMUNITY DEMANDS. AND SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT JUST EXCLUSIVE TO APL. ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS WE HAVE FRONT FACING EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING FOR A PHASE AND APPROACHES THAT BEGIN IN APRIL. UH, WE WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT AS A CITY, WE PURCHASED 6,000 VACCINATIONS LAST YEAR, HOPING TO STAY AHEAD. THOSE VACCINATIONS WE'VE ONLY RECEIVED ABOUT A 300 OF THEM. AND SO THE PLAN YOU SEE BEFORE YOU NOW IS OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, TO MAKE SURE UNTIL THE ONES WE RECEIVE, UH, COME IN THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF EMPLOYEES. ON LAST WEEK. UM, WE SENT OUT A MEMORANDUM TO OUR KEY DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE FRONT FACING EMPLOYEES TO PRIORITIZE THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND ENSURING THAT THE STAFF WHO HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE THOSE VACCINES HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO WITH THE OPENING OF THE ELIGIBILITY. UM, THAT BEGAN ON MONDAY ON FRIDAY OF LAST WEEK, WE SENT COMMUNICATION TO OUR DEPARTMENT SAYING BECAUSE OF THE NOW INCREASED ELIGIBILITY FOR THE VACCINES, WE ARE INCREASING OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE THEM AS WE WORK WITH PUBLIC HEALTH. WE'RE WORKING ON DAYS THAT THEY'RE NOT WORKING DIRECTLY IN SPACES WITH THE PUBLIC SO THAT WE CAN PRIORITIZE OUR EMPLOYEES. WE PLACED OUR FIRST CLINIC LAST WEEK AND THIS WEEK, UM, OUT IN THE SOUTH PART OF TOWN TO ADDRESS OUR OPERATIONAL TEAMS. AND SO WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO CONTINUE [00:20:01] TO COLLABORATE WITH PUBLIC HEALTH UNTIL THE CITY CONTINUES TO RECEIVE THE PURCHASE VACCINATIONS. WHEN WE RECEIVE THOSE, WE'LL BE DOING MORE WALK-INS WE DID 120 WALK-INS LAST WEEK WITH THE 300, UM, VACCINATIONS WE RECEIVED FROM RANDALLS. AND SO WE ARE WAITING FOR MORE OF THOSE. SO WE CAN CREATE MORE CONVENIENCE TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND RECEIVING THEM. WE'RE GOING TO DO THE SAME THING WE DO FOR FLU SHOTS AND CREATING THE CLINICS. AND SO, AS SOON AS WE RECEIVED THOSE PURCHASE SHOTS, YOU WILL SEE MORE OF A CONVENIENT WAY FOR EMPLOYEES TO RECEIVE THEM, BUT I'M SURE YOU CAN APPRECIATE IN LIGHT OF THE NEED TO GET EMPLOYEES BACK TO WORK. WE WORKED WITH APH TO TRY TO SOLIDIFY VACCINATIONS, TO ENSURE THAT HAPPENS. WE WANT TO JUST MAKE COUNCIL AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENS WITH FLU, WE DON'T KNOW IF EMPLOYEES WILL TAKE US UP ON THE OPPORTUNITY. THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO LET US KNOW ABOUT VACCINATIONS AT THIS STAGE. THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO TAKE IT. AND SO, YES, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO RECEIVE THE VACCINATION. BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WE WILL BE IN INTEGRATING INTO THE WORKFORCE WITHOUT EVERY EMPLOYEE BEING REQUIRED TO TAKE THAT VACCINATION. AND SO THAT IS A PORTION OF IT, WHICH IS WHY EVERY DEPARTMENT HAD TO CREATE A SAFETY PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT PRIOR TO OPENING UP. AND SO WE WORKED WITH APH TO ENSURE THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT SAFETY PLAN ALLOWS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SAFETY IN CASE THEIR EMPLOYEES WHO MAKE US PERSONAL SELECTION, NOT TO GET THE VACCINATIONS TO DATE BETWEEN OUR EMPLOYEES. AND NOW OPEN EMPLOYEES, WE VACCINATED OVER 3,400 EMPLOYEES. UM, AT THIS POINT, UM, THIS MORNING WHEN I SENT OUT THE MESSAGE, WE WERE ABOUT 400 BASED ON THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE PUT OUT. WE'RE ABOUT FIVE 76 IN THE LAST SIX HOURS. AND SO WE'RE OPTIMISTIC AS EVERYDAY COMBS. UM, WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT. I KNOW SOME COUNCIL OFFICERS HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE COMPLEXITY OF REGISTERING THROUGH THE CITY WITH THE NOTION THAT IT WILL BE JUST AS COMPLEX AS SOME OF THE PROCESSES THAT THE PUBLIC HAS HAD TO GO THROUGH. AND SO WHEN AN EMPLOYEE APPLIES, THEY SUBMIT THE PAPERWORK AND THEY SEND AN EMAIL TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS AND HRD HAS PROVIDED ONCE WE RECEIVE THAT, WE PUT THEM ON A LIST AND WE CALL THEM AS EMPLOYEES TO SCHEDULE. AND SO THE PROCESS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. UM, WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT EVERY EMPLOYEE THAT SUBMITS HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE THE VACCINATION. AND AGAIN, AS WE GET RANDALL, UH, VACCINATION SHOTS, WE WILL CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WALK-INS. AND WE SEND AN EMAIL OUT TO DEPARTMENTS LAST WEEK, ASKING TO FOCUS ON THOSE EMPLOYEES WITHOUT COMPUTER ACCESS, TO MAKE SURE WE PRIORITIZE THEM FIRST AND THE SCHEDULING OF THE VACCINATIONS. AND SO AT THIS TIME, JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THAT VACCINATION PROCESS LOOKS LIKE. I WOULD TURN IT OVER TO KAREN HERE, KAREN HAYWOOD, WHO WILL KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH HOW WE'VE PARTNERED WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND OUR SUCCESS RELATIVE TO VACCINATION MAYOR, MAYOR, MAYOR, I'M SORRY. KATHERINE, WERE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND? I WAS, I AM VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT OUR PROCESS IS GOING TO BE LIKE FOR VACCINATION FOR OUR CITY STAFF AND WHAT, AND MORE GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT LOOKS, BUT I'M, I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALSO VERY SHORT ON TIME TODAY AS WE STILL HAVE THE MANAGER'S EVALUATION BEFORE US. AND I'M JUST WONDERING, I THINK THE POINT OF THE RESOLUTION REALLY GETS TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVEN'T CITY DEPARTMENT THAT IS, IS, UM, ASKING HUNDREDS OF ITS EMPLOYEES TO REPORT BACK TO WORK MONDAY. AND MANY OF THOSE HUNDREDS, EVEN IF THEY NEVER RECEIVED ONE VACCINATION WILL NOT BE AT A POINT WHERE THEY ARE AT BEING YET. AND SO I WONDER IF WE COULD PERHAPS, UM, ASK THAT WE GET THIS PRESENTATION AS PART OF OUR COVID PRESENTATION ON TUESDAY. AND, UM, SO IT'S FOCUSED ON THE RESOLUTION AT THE MOMENT, IF I COULD, UM, W UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, I WOULD POINT OUT THAT THERE ARE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE PLANS THAT REQUIRE EMPLOYEES TO RETURN TO WORK, UM, IN APRIL FOR THEIR PHASE ONE APPROACH WITH SAFETY PLANS. SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE AWARE THAT APL IS NOT THE ONLY DEPARTMENT WHO HAS GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS, CREATED THOSE SAFETY AND ASKING EMPLOYEES TO COME BACK TO DO CRITICAL WORK PRIOR TO A GUARANTEE THAT THEY'VE ALL HAD THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYEE VACCINATIONS. I THINK THE POINT IS WELL, IS FOCUSED AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ON THE OPERATIVE ISSUES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RESOLUTION, BUT I DON'T WANT TO LIMIT YOU IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU THINK IS RELEVANT TO THAT QUESTION. I'D LIKE TO OFFER A DOCTOR OR A DIRECTOR OF WEEKS, JUST A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT THE OPERATIONAL PLANS [00:25:01] AND WHY, AND THE THOUGHTFULNESS THAT WENT INTO IT, AND THE REASONS WHY IT WAS LAID OUT THIS WAY, DR. WEEKS, YOU HAVE MUTED, SIR, INSTEAD OF MANAGER CRUNK MAYOR COUNCIL, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC OR PUTTING A PLAN IN PLACE WHEN WE WERE COMING BACK AND WE MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT PLAN. UM, WHENEVER WE GET A NOTICE FROM CITY MANAGERS, A STAY AT HOME ORDERS AND ADDRESSING THOSE. AND SO THIS IS, THIS HAS, HAS BEEN A LIVING DOCUMENT FOR US. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO KNOW IS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 225 OF OUR EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW THAT ARE WORKING IN OUR FACILITIES, PROVIDING SERVICES. UH, WE HAD A HUNDRED AND, UM, PROBABLY ABOUT 125 OF THOSE THAT HAVE NOT, UH, UH, STOPPED WORKING SINCE, SINCE THE PANDEMIC STARTED. AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT WE ASKING OUR STAFF TO DO IS TO START COMING BACK TO A PAIR, TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC. AND MANY OF YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE GOTTEN, UH, CORRESPONDENCE FROM HOT CITIZENS ABOUT THE NEED TO OPEN OUR LIBRARIES, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR COMPUTER ACCESS. AND I'M OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, QUITE FREQUENTLY. AND I HEAR IT ALL THE TIME. UH, AND, BUT I ALWAYS LOOK AT HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR STAFF IS SAFE, MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THEY CAN PROVIDE THE SERVICE THAT WE NEED FOR THEM TO PROVIDE ANY SAFE ENVIRONMENT, UH, AS BEST AS WE CAN. UH, WE PUT THOSE MEASURES IN PLACE SINCE THE SUMMER OF LAST YEAR, UH, WITH SOME ENHANCED, UH, THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, UH, THIS YEAR BY PROVIDING, UH, IONIZATION IN OUR HVAC SYSTEM AND ALL OF OUR FACILITIES. AND THESE ARE THE SAME SYSTEMS ARE IN HOSPITALS, UH, PRIVATE, UH, BUSINESSES. AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STAFF, UM, IS SAFE. UM, AND SO IN ONE OF THE TOUGH THINGS FOR US AS A LIBRARY IS THAT TO PROVIDE THOSE CRITICAL SERVICES IN EMERGENCIES, UH, THE PANDEMIC IS JUST ONE OF THOSE EMERGENCIES. WHEN WE HAVE FLOODING, WHENEVER WE HAVE HURRICANES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, PEOPLE COME TO THE LIBRARY FOR THOSE SUPPORT SERVICES. AND WITH THEM ASKING US FOR THAT, IT IS IT'S CRITICAL FOR US TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES. AND THE MAIN FOLKS THAT ARE IMPACTED ARE THE LOW INCOME BLACK AND BROWN FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE ELDERLY IN OUR COMMUNITY, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT'S IMPACTED THE MOST. AND SO AS A LIBRARY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES TO THEM BECAUSE THEY LOOK TO US TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES. AND MOST OF THE THINGS THAT WE ASK HIM, UH, OUR CITIZENS TO DO IS TO GO ONLINE, FILL OUT APPLICATION TO, YOU KNOW, TO SIGN UP FOR THE VACCINATION. UH, IF THEY WANTED TO UNEMPLOYMENT, YOU CAN'T GO INTO THE UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE. YOU, YOU GOTTA DO ALL THIS STUFF ONLINE. THOSE FOLKS RELY ON US TO DO THAT. AND, AND SO OUR PLAN IS, IS TO ASK OUR STAFF TO COME BACK, TO JOIN THE REST OF THE TEAM, UH, SO THAT WE CAN PREPARE TO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. WE STILL, WE STILL HAVE 11 LOCATIONS. WE HAVE 20 LOCATIONS THAT WE SHOULD BE OPENING, BUT WE KNOW THE STAFFING SITUATION OF SOME, UH, THAT'S DEALING WITH CHILDCARE, THAT'S DEALING WITH HEALTH ISSUES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND SO WE'VE, WE MINIMIZE BRINGING BACK, UM, THOSE FOLKS THAT WILL BE EXPOSED TO THE, UH, EXPOSED TO THE PUBLIC IN A, IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY. AND WHEN WE DO OPEN UP FACILITIES, PROVIDE BROWSING AND COMPUTER ACCESS, THERE WILL BE VERY LIMITED CONTACT WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS. AND RIGHT NOW IT'S THE SAME THING WHEN WE, UH, WHEN WE DOING OUR CURBSIDE SERVICES, UH, THERE'S LIMITED CONTACTS. WE HAVE THOSE MEASURES IN PLACE, SO THAT STAFF IS SAFE AS WELL AS OUR CUSTOMERS. AND SO I THINK THIS IS A, THIS IS A GOOD TIME IF ANY, UH, TO START BRINGING OUT STAFF BACK, UH, THREE WEEKS IN ADVANCE OF US OPENING TO THE PUBLIC SO THEY CAN GET, UM, RE UM, UH, RE-ENERGIZED WITH WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO, UM, TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING, HOW WE GOING TO INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC AND HOW TO ADDRESS SITUATIONS WHEN THEY COME UP. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS TO BRING THEM BACK, UH, THIS MONDAY, UH, START PROVIDING SERVICES ON THE 10TH OF MAY. AND SO I THINK, UM, WE'RE A GOOD POSITION TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE SAFE AND OUR CUSTOMERS WOULD SAY, THANK YOU, MANAGER. ANYTHING ELSE? HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, COLLEAGUES. YES. YES. THANK YOU. DIRECTOR WEEKS OF THE 11 LIBRARIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO REOPEN ON THE 10TH AND AS PART OF THE PLAN, WHERE ARE THOSE LOCATED GENERALLY? ARE THEY IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT? THEY ALL ACROSS OUR CITY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES ALL THROUGHOUT OUR CITY SO THAT FOLKS CAN GET TO THEM. SO THEY ARE SPREAD OUT [00:30:01] THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. AND THERE ARE, THERE ARE SEVERAL IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT THAT, UH, THAT'S THAT'S, THAT WILL BE OPEN MR. WEEKS. I HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLLOWUP QUESTIONS, AS I UNDERSTAND THE 11 LIBRARIES THAT WOULD BE OPENING FOUR ON THE 10TH ARE ALL, ARE ALL PROVIDING CURBSIDE, UM, BOOKS. CORRECT. RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, CORRECT. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO COMMEND THE CITY STAFF AS A VERY FREQUENT PUBLIC USER PUBLIC LIBRARY USER THROUGH THE YEARS. I REALLY APPRECIATE OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES. AND I APPRECIATE YOU MAKING THAT SERVICE, THAT CURBSIDE SERVICE AVAILABLE AND DOING SO I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR, AND POSSIBLY OTHERS. AND I WERE IN A CONVERSATION WITH YOU EARLY ON IN THE PANDEMIC. UM, ABOUT HOW ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU WERE DOING WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ENVIRONMENTS STAYED SAFE. BECAUSE AS I RECALL, THERE WERE SOME CASES OF TRANSMISSION IN MY LIBRARY, STAFF, UM, AND CONCERNS, SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS. AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT, UM, THAT YOU WORK WITH PUBLIC HEALTH TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ENVIRONMENTS STAYED, STAYED SAFE FROM THAT POINT ON AND THAT, UM, AND THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT CONTINUING SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC. SO HOW MANY EMPLOYEES ARE CURRENTLY, UM, WORKING AT THOSE 11 BRANCHES RIGHT NOW, INCLUDING OUT OCCLUDING I CENTRAL STAFF, WE HAVE ABOUT, WE HAVE ABOUT 200 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ONSITE. OKAY. THAT IS MORE THAN I REMEMBERED, BUT I GUESS THE, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, AS I LOOKED AT SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, REINTEGRATION PLANS, AND JUST AS A NOTE, UH, MY, MY RESOLUTION DOES ASK, UM, MANAGER FOR INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE, WHAT THE OTHER DEPARTMENT'S FINAL INTEGRATION PLANS ARE. UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET A SENSE OF THAT. BUT I DO KNOW MANY DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING IT IN PHASES OR BRINGING EMPLOYEES BACK IN PHASES. I THINK DSD IS ONE OF THEM THAT IS PHASING EMPLOYEES THROUGH THE SUMMER, I BELIEVE. UM, AND SO AGAIN, WITH CONSIDERATION FOR THE FACT THAT, THAT THE, THAT THE BRANCHES THEMSELVES WILL NOT THOSE 11 BRANCHES WILL NOT BE OPENING UNTIL MAY 10. UH, IN MY ESTIMATION, IT IS A SAFER COURSE OF ACTION TO ALLOW THOSE EMPLOYEES, UM, TO GO AHEAD AND GET, GET THEIR VACCINATIONS, BECOME IMMUNE AND NOT ASK EVERYONE TO COME BACK ON MONDAY. UM, I THINK JUNE 28TH, AS I RECALL, IS THE DATE THAT WAS SPECIFIED FOR THE OTHER BRANCHES OPEN. SO I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, UM, FOR YOU AT THIS POINT. UM, WE WERE BRINGING OUR STEP BACK AND PHASES AS WELL. 25% OF OUR STAFF WILL STILL BE WORKING FROM HOME. UH, THE CRITICAL NEED RIGHT NOW IS TO HAVE OUR PUBLIC FACING STAFF TO COME IN AND PROVIDE THOSE, UM, COMPUTER ACCESS AND, AND, AND IN-HOUSE BROWSING. UM, AND AS I STATED, UM, WE WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD ABOUT, UH, ABOUT 200 OF OUR EMPLOYEES THAT'S BEEN WORKING, UM, UH, THE WHOLE TIME, AT LEAST SINCE JUNE OF LAST YEAR. AND THEY, AND THEY HAVE BEEN PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES. YEAH. WELL, AGAIN, THE RESOLUTION IS NOT ASKING FOR A DELAY ON YOUR OPENING ON THE 10TH. IT'S ASKING THAT YOU NOT ASK YOUR STAFF TO REPORT BACK ON MONDAY. UM, AND I THINK IT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE ACCESSING THOSE 11 FACILITIES THAT AS MANY OF OUR EMPLOYEES BE VACCINATED AS POSSIBLE AND AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE. AND SO I THINK THAT'S, UM, THE INTENT HERE, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, UM, YOU KNOW, AS GRADUALLY EXPANDING ON THESE KINDS OF THINGS. I MEAN, MY HISTORY ON THIS COUNCIL IS ERR ON THE SIDE OF LETTING A MANAGER MANAGE, UH, AND, AND THAT TO, TO, TO REACH DOWN, UH, AT THAT LEVEL AND, AND, AND, AND INTERFERE, OR, OR IMPACT THAT. UH, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S THIS DEPARTMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE COURT WITH THE CIVIL COURT, UH, WHICH CONTINUES TO FUNCTION AT SOME LEVEL OF PHYSICAL PENDING NEXT WEEK. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE'RE OPENING UP THE DOOR FOR US TO, TO, TO BE MAKING KIND OF A MANAGEMENT OPENING DECISION FOR, FOR, FOR MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS. AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WAS TO THE ROLE OF THE, OF THE, OF THE COUNCIL. UM, AND I KNOW THAT EACH ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS ARE MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR PRACTICES AND WHAT THE INTERACTIONS ARE AND, AND, AND THE LIGHT. THIS IS ALSO KIND OF, I'M TRYING TO TERRITORY FOR US. AND MY QUESTION OF, OF EMPLOYEES WORKING, YOU KNOW, AS HAS BECOME A LARGER ISSUE IN LOTS OF OTHER CONTEXTS, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE LIBRARY IS OPEN, UH, BECAUSE THE ELABORATE IS PROVIDING IN-PERSON FUNCTION, THAT IN MANY INSTANCES IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE COURTS AND THE LIGHT FOR PEOPLE THAT, THAT NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THEM. [00:35:01] BUT THIS IS LIKE THE FIRST TIME OUT, AND WE WANT OUR EMPLOYEES TO GET VACCINATED, AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE TRADE-OFFS HERE, UH, EVEN GIVEN MY BED SO DIRECTLY. IF THE QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS IF THE GOAL IS TO GET OUTWARD FACING BY MID MAY, UH, UH, IS IT, DOES THIS INTERFERE WITH, CAN YOU STILL GET THE LIBRARIES OPEN BY MID MAY IF, IF EMPLOYEES DON'T SHOW UP, UH, UNTIL, UH, MAY, MAY 7TH, IS THERE A DAY LATER THAN, THAN THE APRIL 7TH THAT GIVES PEOPLE A, UH, A COUPLE OF WEEKS NOTICE TO, TO BE ABLE TO GET VACCINATED? I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH NOTICE THEY'VE ALREADY HAD WITH RESPECT TO THAT, BUT I KNOW THAT THE, UH, THE THRESHOLD JUST CHANGED IN TERMS OF GETTING VACCINATIONS. SO AGAIN, TO CONCLUDE IT, I'M, I'M, I'M LOW TO GO INTO AN AREA TO, TO STEP INTO MANAGE. I'M ASKING IF WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO IS SUFFICIENTLY RESTRICTED, UH, SUCH THAT, UH, YOU CAN STILL OPEN, UH, AT, OR NEAR THE TIME THAT YOU WANTED TO BE OPEN PUBLIC FACE OF, UH, LET ME, LET ME DIG IN THERE. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN VERY TOUGH, AND I THINK ALL OF YOU WHO ARE LEADERS UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS BEEN A TOUGH ENVIRONMENT TO MANAGE AND LEAD IN, UH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT EMPLOYEES IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS AND, AND, AND, AND CONDITIONS. AND, AND, AND WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IS TO MANAGE THOSE EXPECTATIONS. WE COMMUNICATED ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH OUR STAFF, UM, WHETHER IT'S, UH, DIRECTOR'S CHAD, WHETHER EMAIL OR WHAT IT'S COMING DOWN, JUST SITTING AROUND THE TABLE, TALKING TO THEM. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEP COMING UP FOR, FOR ME, IN DEALING WITH THOSE STAFF MEMBERS IS OUR ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES STARTED THEN STOPPED WORKING IN MARCH. AND ONE OF THEIR BIG CONCERN IS WHY MUST WE DO THIS? WHY MUST WE DO THIS? AND THEN WHEN IN JUNE, WE OPENED UP THE CURBSIDE SERVICES, THOSE WHO PROVIDE THE CURBSIDE SERVICES KEPT SAYING, WHY MUST WE DO THIS? WHY MUST WE BE OUT THERE DOING THIS? AND SO YOU HEARING THIS FROM YOUR STAFF, AND THEY SAY, WHY THE PEOPLE AT HOME CAN'T COME AND HELP US OUT, OR WHY THEY CAN'T DO THIS, WHY WE CAN'T DO THAT. AND SO IT'S A BIG MORALE ISSUE WHEN IT COME TO, UH, UH, LEADING THE STAFF TO PROVIDE GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE, UH, AND FEEL THAT THEY'RE BEING APPRECIATED AT THE SAME TIME. AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE. UM, THE REASON WE WE'VE GIVEN THEM THIS TIMELINE THREE WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME. AND SO THEY GET REACCLIMATED TO BEING IN THE BUILDING, GET REACCLIMATED TO KNOWING WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO, REACCLIMATE THEMSELVES TO THE SAFETY PROTOCOLS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE. AND SO THAT WAS A REASON WHY WE WANT TO START. NOW, IF WE SAY, COME BACK ON, LET'S SAY THE FIRST WEEK IN MAY, UH, I STILL WANT US TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE, UH, HAVE THEM TO PROVIDE SERVICES ON THE 10TH, BECAUSE THERE'S A DESPERATE NEED RIGHT NOW, UH, FOR FOLKS TO GET THESE VACCINATES TO FILL OUT THE, TO HAVE ACCESS TO TWO COMPUTERS. AND SO I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACCLIMATE THEMSELVES, UH, TO THE ENVIRONMENT, THEN TO GIVE THEM ONE WEEK, UH, TO REACCLIMATE THEMSELVES TO THE, TO THE ENVIRONMENT. CAUSE THERE WERE A KITCHEN. UM, YES, I, I FEAR WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, UH, MAYOR, UM, HEARING THE CONCERNS YOU'RE RAISING WITH REGARD TO MANAGING THE STAFF AS WEEKS. UH, BUT I WOULD SAY IN THIS, UH, IN THIS SCENARIO, UM, AND I, I WOULD AGREE THAT NORMALLY I WOULD NOT BE THINKING OF SUBSTITUTE IN OUR JUDGMENT FOR PER MANAGEMENT'S JUDGMENT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT OUR JOB, BUT I DON'T SEE THAT AS THE ISSUE IN FRONT OF US. I SEE THIS MORE AS A POLICY ISSUE BECAUSE IT RELATES TO COVID AND RELATES TO PUBLIC HEALTH, AND WE'VE HAD TO MAKE A WHOLE RANGE OF POLICY ISSUES RELATED TO, UM, PROTECTING THE PUBLIC. AND I THINK THIS, THIS ALSO RELATES TO THE STAFF. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT WE CAN STILL, WE CAN STILL, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, A DECISION BY THE COUNCIL, THAT'S A POLICY DECISION RELATED TO, UH, DELAYING THE TIME THAT EMPLOYEES HAVE TO COME BACK IN ORDER TO THEY'LL ALLOW THEM THAT TIME TO GET THEIR VACCINATIONS. I THINK THAT THAT STILL WORKS WITH THE OBJECTIVE TO OPEN, OPEN THOSE LIBRARIES. UM, AT THE TIME THAT, OOPS, WE LOST HIM, WE'LL COME BACK TO HER. UH, GREG, AND THEN LASTLY, DIRECTOR WEEKS, I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE MEMO FROM DIRECTOR HAYES, THE LIST OF THE 11 LIBRARIES OPENING. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED OR SHOULD LOOK FOR A MEMO FROM, [00:40:01] FROM YOU ON THAT. YES. WE LOST YOU THERE FOR A SECOND. YOU WANT TO HANG ON FOR A SECOND, GREG, CAUSE YOU HAD JUST STARTED TO, WELL, MY CONCLUSION IS THAT, UM, I DO THINK IT'S IMPROPRIATE IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE TO MAKE A POLICY DECISION. UH, AND SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING, UH, THE RESOLUTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO IS BRINGING. I SEE THAT AS A POLICY DECISION, THAT MEANS THAT THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO MAKE AROUND PROTECTING OUR, UM, OUR STAFF. I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THAT AS COUNTER TO WHAT MANAGEMENT IS TRYING TO DO. I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES FROM MANAGEMENT, UH, BUT I, BUT I DO SEE THE, UH, THE LIBRARY STILL BEING ABLE TO BE OPEN. UM, I'M A TARGET DATE. SO I THINK ALL NORMALLY I WOULD NOT, I DO NOT BELIEVE IT'S OUR ROLE TO HAVE, TO, TO MAKE MANAGERS MANAGEMENT DECISIONS. I SEE THIS AS A POLICY DECISION, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER POLICY DECISIONS WE'VE MADE AROUND PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH. THANK YOU, SIR. I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. THE FIRST ONE WAS JUST DIRECT WEEKS. DO YOU HAVE, AND THAT LIST OF 11, COULD YOU, WOULD YOU MIND READING THOSE OUT FOR US? JUST SO WE KNOW IT'S AGAINST, UM, THAT'S A MAN CHECK. OH, QUARRY UNIVERSITY HEALS OAK HILL. WILL IT MAKE KIRK NORTH VILLAGE, CARVER RUIZ, UH, SPICEWOOD SPRINGS, YARN, YARBOROUGH, AND CENTRAL. THANK YOU. THAT'S USEFUL. THAT'S USEFUL TO KNOW. UM, PROBABLY SEPARATE FROM THIS CONVERSATION MIGHT BE GOOD FOR US TO, UM, YOU KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD AND FOLKS CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. CAUSE THAT WAS A QUICK LIST. SOME OF THE, SORT OF MOST HARD HIT ZIP CODES THAT ARE STILL LOWEST ON VACCINATION RATES. UH, DON'T POP OUT AT ME FROM, FROM THAT LIST. UM, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, SOUTHEAST AND NORTHEAST. UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, UM, UNIVERSITY HILLS IS CLOSE TO SOME OF THAT, BUT NOT EXACTLY, OF COURSE, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN'T OPEN UNIVERSITY HILLS OR PRIORITIZE IT, BUT, UM, BUT LET'S JUST, LET'S CIRCLE BACK. THAT MIGHT BE A CONVERSATION TO BE HAD BECAUSE IF PART OF THE REASON FOR ACCELERATING SOME OF THIS INTO MID-MAY IS TO FIND PLACES WITH THE LEAST INTERNET ACCESS AND LOW VACCINATION RATES. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PLACES WITH THE LEAST INTERNET ACCESS, AND LEAST LOWEST VACCINATION RATES ARE OFTENTIMES NOT NEAR A MAJORITY OF THE LIBRARIES THAT YOU'VE LISTED. AGAIN, I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE INTERPRETED AS ME SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN'T OPEN LIBRARY, YOU KNOW, HAVE SUPPORT ACROSS THE CITY. I DON'T WANT TO BE MISUNDERSTOOD THAT WAY, BUT IF PART OF THE POINT IS TO GET TO SOME OF THE PLACES WITH THE LEAST INTERNET ACCESS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE, IF THAT LIST QUITE HITS THAT GOAL AS FAR AS I CAN DO. YEAH. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'VE DONE TO HELP OUT WITH THIS, THIS PANDEMIC IS WE OPEN OUR LIBRARIES TO BE USED BY PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, TO GIVE OUT, UM, UH, THE SHOTS, NOT, NOT THE SHOTS, BUT, BUT THE TESTING THAT'S THAT, UM, AT SOUTHEAST RIGHT NOW, THIS IS IN THE DOVE SPRINGS AREA AND ALSO A LITTLE WALNUT, UM, WHAT THEY SINCE DISBANDED, BUT WE'VE ALSO EXPANDED OUR, UM, UM, TESTING SITES TO OTHER LIBRARIES WITHIN, UH, OUR SYSTEM, UH, WHEN UT CONTINUE TO DO THAT, THAT WORKS. SO WE, WE WORK WITH, UH, DIFFERENT ENTITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FOLKS THAT NEED, UM, UH, SUPPORT FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH STANDPOINT, THEY HAVE IT THAT'S IN THE COMMUNITY. UNDERSTOOD. AND I WOULD UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULDN'T BE AT SOUTHEASTERN LITTLE WALNUT. FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE WERE STILL DOING TESTS, THERE WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU LET US KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO, IF WE'RE GOING TO PLANNING ON DOING TESTS OR VACCINATIONS OR SOMETHING THERE, AND THAT WOULD MAKE MORE DIRECT SENSE. BUT AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THE CONVERSATION HERE IS SPECIFICALLY WHICH LIBRARY IS TO OPEN, BUT I THINK THIS FLAGS FOR ME, UH, A QUESTION ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING FIRST, BECAUSE IF THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME EMPLOYEES THAT WE SAY, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE INTERNET AND DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE VACCINE. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO GO. I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TRULY BACK THAT UP AND SAY, WE ARE REALLY GOING OR REALLY GOING INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES, UH, AND PRIORITIZING THERE. UM, AND I THINK, AND I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE LIST, I THINK THAT DO HIT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE AS WELL. WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT AREA, UM, LOUISE, WHICH IS, UM, UM, UH, IN, UH, RIVERSIDE AREA. SO I THINK WE'VE HIT A LOT OF THOSE LOCATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HELP THOSE FOLKS THAT REALLY TRULY NEED ACCESS. UNDERSTOOD. RIGHT. YEAH. IF I MAY, IN ADDITION, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE, WE'VE LOANED OUT LAPTOPS, UH, HOTSPOTS IN, IN, IN, IN OUR HOUSING [00:45:01] COMMUNITIES, UH, THE SCHOOLS, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS AND WHAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED. AND MOST OF THE COUNCIL RECOGNIZED THAT THERE'S A DIGITAL DIVIDE AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE ACCESS, UH, TO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO AND DIRECTOR WEEKS, SORRY, SOMETIMES WITH INTERNET STUFF YOU HIGHLIGHT ON TOP OF EACH OTHER ON ACCIDENT, I WAS TRYING TO GIVE YOU SPACE. AND, UH, I THINK WE KEPT FILLING IN EACH OTHER'S GAPS. I DON'T, I REALLY APPRECIATE, AND WE'VE WORKED WITH YOUR STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY ON THE HOTSPOTS AND OUR LAPTOP DELIVERY AND ALL OF THAT, WHICH I REALLY DEEPLY APPRECIATE AND THERE'S NEED AROUND THE RUIZ AND AROUND UNIVERSITY HILLS. UH, SO I DON'T WANT TO DOWNPLAY THAT. UM, AGAIN, MY UNDERSTANDING THOUGH, OF SOME OF THE PLACES WITH THE HIGHEST COVID RATES, THE LOWEST VACCINATION RATES, UM, ARE, ARE FOUR, FOUR AND FIVE, THREE, UM, ARE JUST AT THE VERY TOP OF THAT LIST OF MEETING BOTH HIGHEST COVID AND LOWEST VACCINATION. UM, AND IT'S SUCH A SHAME THAT THOSE TWO COINCIDE, UH, IN OUR CITY. AND SO AGAIN, JUST, I'M NOT WANTING TO SAY THAT ANYTHING WE'VE DONE HASN'T BEEN GOOD. THE THING IS THE WORK THE LIBRARY STAFF HAS DONE HAS BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT. IT'S JUST ONE WEEK PRIOR WHEN WE HAVE STAFF COMING BACK AND WE'RE SAYING IT'S FOR CERTAIN REASONS AND PURPOSES, UM, I'VE GOTTEN QUESTIONS FROM, YOU KNOW, APL STAFF WHO'VE SAID, HEY, IF I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO TRY TO HELP PLACES WITH THE GREATEST DIGITAL DIVIDE AND THE GREATEST VACCINE ACCESS NEEDS THAN MY LIBRARY OR THESE AREAS I'VE WORKED IN MIGHT NEED HELP SOONER. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD, BUT EVEN IF THOUGH IT MAY NOT BE ENTIRELY WHAT IS BEING DICTATED BY THIS RESOLUTION. THE SECOND QUESTION GOES BACK TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER TO-DO'S POINT. SO IS THERE, THERE, THERE'S THE ACCLIMATION PROCESS, UM, OF, YOU KNOW, BEING IN PERSON FOR AWHILE BEFORE MAY, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE BOAT, BUT OTHERWISE, OTHER THAN THAT, IF WE PASS THIS RESOLUTION, AS IT'S WORDED WITH LIBRARY IS STILL OPEN AT THE SAME TIMELINE, UM, WHEN THEY STILL OPEN ON THE SAME TIMELINE, WOULD THEY STILL BE ABLE TO OPEN UP IT'S STILL IN MID-MAY, BUT IT WOULD JUST MEAN LESS ACCLIMATION TIME FOR THE STAFF. THAT'S MY THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I REALLY WANT US TO BE ABLE TO DO IS TO PROVIDE THAT, THAT, THAT ACCESS TO OUR CUSTOMERS ON MAY 10TH, THEY ALREADY LOSING A LOT OF TIME RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF VACCINATIONS AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY, UM, UH, ON LAST ON FRIDAY OF LAST WEEK. SO, UH, IT IS OUR HOPE THAT WE CAN GET THESE FOLKS IN HERE SO THEY CAN GET THEIR, UM, GET THEIR VACCINATION OR SIGN UP FOR THEM, AT LEAST THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. SO TO BE CLEAR, THE RESOLUTION AS WORDED, WE WOULD STILL GET LIBRARIES OPEN AT THE SAME TIMELINE, BUT WE WOULD LOSE SOME OF THE ACCLIMATION TIME. IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR WEEKS. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, WHEN YOU SAID, UM, THAT THE VACCINE WAS AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY AS OF LAST FRIDAY, YOU MEAN THAT PEOPLE, OR IS IT THAT EVERYBODY AT APL HAS BEEN OFFERED A SLOT FOR A VACCINE? UH, WE, THE, THE HR DEPARTMENT, I THINK, UH, JOY AND HER TEAM FOR MAKING SURE THAT OUR TEAM, THE LIBRARY WAS SLOTTED AS ONE OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS TO GET THOSE VACCINE FIRST. THAT'S CORRECT. UM, WE ARE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE ALL OF OUR FRONT FACING EMPLOYEES ON WITH THE SHOTS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE NOW. AND SO AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY IS ONE OF SEVERAL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO EARMARK THOSE EMPLOYEES AND GET THEM REGISTERED FOR VACCINATIONS. THANK YOU. SORRY, I'M TRYING TO GET SOMETHING CLEAR THOUGH. UM, WHEN WE SAID, WHEN WE SAY IT AS A FRIDAY, ALL OF THE FRONT FACING APL STAFF PUT AGAIN A VACCINE, DOES THAT MEAN THEY'RE ELIGIBLE AND WE'RE WORKING ON IT, OR IS IT THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE ENOUGH SLOTS FOR THEM? I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MIXTURE OF BOTH. UM, BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR OPENED UP THIS MONDAY, EVERYBODY THAT'S 18 AND OLDER, IT PROVIDED US A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO ALLOW PEOPLE WHO DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT. SO IF THERE IS A AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY, STAFF MEMBER, WHO'S 18 YEARS OR OLDER, THEY CAN REGISTER NOW. UM, AND WE ALLOTTED FAR MORE SHOTS THAN WE'VE CURRENTLY GOT PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR TO COVER THAT. SO OUR GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SHOTS AVAILABLE FOR CITY EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING APL WHO ARE 18 OR OLDER, WHO WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINATION. GOT IT. AND SO WE STILL HAVE SLOTS OPEN FOR APL EMPLOYEES IF THEY SIGN UP NOW THROUGH YOU. YES, WE DID. THAT'S GREAT. AND THE POINT IS, YOU'RE NOT SURE IF PEOPLE START TAKING UP ALL THOSE SLOTS, IF THERE WILL BE ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE, BUT RIGHT NOW THERE'S [00:50:01] STILL OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT IT. YES. THANK YOU. SO IT ISN'T NECESSARILY A GUARANTEE THAT EVERYBODY THAT WANTS ONE CAN HAVE ONE STARTING TODAY, BUT THERE'S STILL AVAILABILITY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DO, AND YOU'RE GOING TO DO YOUR BEST TO HELP EVERYBODY OUT. AND WE HAVE SHOTS COMING WEEKLY THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED. AND WE'RE NOT AT A POINT RIGHT NOW WHERE WE HAVE THE SHOTS THAT ARE SO FIELD THAT I CAN EVEN SAY, WE'RE GONNA RUN OUT. UM, AS I STATED, WE'VE GOT ABOUT 500 THAT HAVE SIGN UP FOR THIS. AND WE HAD WELL OVER A THOUSAND EARMARKED JUST FOR THESE EMPLOYEES. WE'VE NOW REACHED OUT TO ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES TO SAY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REGISTER YOU CAN. AND WHEN WE RECEIVED THOSE REGISTRATIONS, IF THEY WORK FOR APL OR ANY OF OUR FRONT-FACING DEPARTMENTS, WE WILL PUT THEM AT THE FIRST OF THE LINES OF THAT. WE CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE THOSE FRONT FACING EMPLOYEES ACROSS. THAT'S A GREAT PSA, TREACHER HAZE AND DIRECTOR WEEKS FOR ALL OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES WATCHING, PLEASE DO SIGN UP TO GET YOUR VACCINE TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY THEY'RE AVAILABLE. SO THANK YOU. I THINK I WAS NEXT. UM, I WANTED TO ASK AGAIN, UH, DR. WAKES, DID YOU SAY ABOUT 200, 220 EMPLOYEES IN THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, IN YOUR DEPARTMENT THAT ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW? WE HAVE A TOTAL ABOUT 450 STAFF MEMBERS. AND, UM, HOW MANY OF THEM HAVE ACHIEVED THE IMMUNITY FROM GETTING THE SECOND DOSE? DO YOU KNOW? WE DON'T KNOW. WE DON'T ASK OUR STAFF FOR THAT AND IT'S UP TO THEM WHETHER THEY PROVIDE IT OR NOT. OKAY. WELL, HERE'S THE THING IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE IN ORDER TO BE SAFE AND WHILE WE ARE WAITING FOR EVERYBODY. AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE SHOULD MAYBE TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN JUST ENCOURAGE OUR STAFF TO GET THE DESTINATION, BUT THOSE WHO ALREADY HAVE BEEN VACCINATED CAN REPRIORITIZE THOSE FOLKS TO BE IN THE PUBLIC FACING POSITIONS UNTIL THE REST OF THE CORE IS ALSO ALSO GETS THE VACCINATIONS AND GETS TO THE IMMUNITY. CAN WE USE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY READY TO GO? LIKE I'VE HAD BOTH OF MY SELECTIONS AND IT'S BEEN MORE THAN TWO, SO I COULD BE ANYBODY WHO'S MADE ME. CAN WE PRIORITIZE PUTTING THEM IN THE OTHER POSITIONS? LET ME SEE IF I COULD ANSWER THAT BECAUSE THE VACCINATIONS ARE VOLUNTARY AND WE TREAT THIS AS A MEDICAL SITUATION. WE CAN'T, WE DON'T ASK THEM. I UNDERSTAND THAT. I'M JUST ASKING. IF WE PUT OUT A CALL TO SAY, WE HAVE THIS COMPETING, WE HAVE COMPETING PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES. WE HAVE THE NEED TO GET THE LIBRARIES OPEN. WE HAVE THE NEED TO PROTECT OUR EMPLOYEES. THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE BARE LEVEL OF INOCULATION AND IMMUNITY, IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP US OUT IN THIS FIRST TWO WEEK PERIOD SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, LIFT THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT FORWARD TO PLUG THAT BACK IN AND TELL YOU GUYS HOW TO DO YOUR OPERATIONS. BUT IF I WAS HAVING TO SOLVE THIS PERSONNEL ISSUE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD CONSIDER. WE'VE GOT COMPETING PURPOSES HERE. I THINK THERE'S A WAY TO MEET BOTH OF THEM. IT'S A TIME AND ACCESS CONCERN, BUT I BET YOU YOU'VE GOT WHO WOULD VOLUNTARILY STEP UP AND, AND FILL THAT GAP UNTIL THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENT WAS READY TO GO MAPUTO. THAT IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE. UM, AND ASKING FOLKS TO VOLUNTEER TO DO THAT BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU NOW I KNOW MY STAFF AND I KNOW THEM WELL, THEY'RE THERE. THEIR THING IS WHAT IF I'VE TAKEN THE VACCINATION AND I CHOOSE NOT TO STEP UP OF I'M FULLY VACCINATED. AND I, AND I SAID, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA VOLUNTEER TO GO IN EARLY. IF I HAVE TO, IF I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAY AT HOME, THEN I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT OPTION. AND THEN I HAVE A STAFF MEMBER THAT, THAT HAVE HELPED, UH, THAT HAVE WORKED THIS THING SINCE MAY OF MAY MEAN MARCH OF LAST YEAR. WHY SHOULD THEY BE W THEY WASN'T GIVEN A CHOICE. THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT ARE IN OUR, IN OUR, UH, PROVIDING CURTIS OFFICERS RIGHT NOW, THEY WERE NOT GIVEN A CHOICE. AND THEN WERE THEY CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL? WHEN YOU SAY ACCENTURE, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WE HAD CREATIVE, ESSENTIAL THAT THE FIRST LEVEL THEY, THEY WERE THE FIRST ONES TO GET THE VACCINATION WERE THE ONES WHO WERE CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL. THE 75, THE 75 STAFF MEMBERS THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, THEY WERE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A VACCINATION. THE ONES THAT'S DOING CURBSIDE SERVICES WERE NOT BEING ESSENTIAL BASED ON, UH, THE PAST CRITERIA UNTIL THOSE FOLKS VOLUNTEERED TO COME. NO, THEY DIDN'T VOLUNTEER. WE ASKED THEM TO COME IN, UH, BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE WERE OFFERING A SERVICE THAT THEY NEED TO PROVIDE, [00:55:01] OKAY, I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT THERE. I THINK THAT THERE IS A SOLUTION HERE. I RECOGNIZE HIPAA. I RECOGNIZE PERSONNEL POLICIES. I RECOGNIZE OUR MISSION AND THE NEED TO BE OPEN. AND I THINK AT SOME POINT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO BE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS THEMSELVES. WHAT I WOULD SAY IS LET'S ENCOURAGE THEM, GIVE THEM THE CONTEXT THAT WE'VE GOT HERE. EVENTUALLY, WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE BACK TO WORK, HELP US THROUGH THIS INTERIM PIECE. I WAS MOSTLY CURIOUS ABOUT THE, JUST THE WORDING OF FINAL EMPLOYEE REINTEGRATION PLANS. I WASN'T SURE IF THERE WAS ANY FLEXIBILITY TO THEM OR WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT FROM THAT. SO I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK FOR ME TO CLARIFICATION FROM THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT, ARE THEY INDEED FINALIZED, OR IF THEY CHANGE, WOULD WE GET NOTIFIED THEY'VE BEEN UPDATED OR HOW WOULD THAT WORK? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS, UH, SOMEPLACE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS PANDEMIC ON WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE TO START TO REINTEGRATE THEN AS THE PANDEMIC HAS EVOLVED AND AS THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY HAVE EVOLVED, UH, THOSE PLANS ALSO EVOLVE. AND SO THE WORD FINAL IS SOMEWHAT ARBITRARY ABOUT WE, WE CONTINUE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND TWEAKS. UH, SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE WOULD GIVE TO COUNCIL OF SAYING, THIS IS THE CURRENT PLAN AS WE HAVE AT, AT, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, KNOWING THAT CIRCUMSTANCES MAY CHANGE AND WE'LL HAVE TO ALTER THOSE PLANS. I'M OKAY WITH THAT. SO ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THAT LANGUAGE FINAL, JUST KNOWING THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY AS TIME GOES ON, OR SHOULD IT SAY CURRENT PLANS OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE? I THINK CURRENT PLANS WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR WHAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THIS RESOLUTION. I MIGHT THEN SEE, I SEE THE, THE SPONSOR HAS HER HAND UP, BUT, UM, I'D BE COMFORTABLE WITH CURRENT, BUT IF I'M THE ONLY PERSON I PROBABLY DON'T NEED TO MAKE THAT MOTION, THEN I AM. THE REASON I SAID FINAL IS BECAUSE THE LIBRARY'S PLAN SHIFTED THIS WEEK. AND I WAS TRYING TO SAY LIKE, CURRENT IS REALLY MORE ACCURATE. UM, AND ACTUALLY ANOTHER I'M GLAD YOU RAISED THAT AND COUNCIL MEMBER LS. SO, SO I'M GOING TO CHANGE FINAL TO CURRENT. UM, THE OTHER CHANGE I NEGLECTED TO MAKE WHEN I MADE MY MOTION IS THAT IN LINE, I'D LIKE TO REMOVE THE WORD FULLY AGAIN FOR THE, TO BE ACCURATE BECAUSE IT WAS, UM, THE INTENT OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY THERE, THEIR INTEGRATION PLAN, AS IT WAS LAID OUT IN AN HRG MEMO. I CAN'T TELL IF THAT'S MINE OR EVERYBODY ELSE'S, THAT'S LIKE MAKING LOTS AND LOTS OF ECHOING. YEAH. IF YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING, PLEASE, I DIDN'T HEAR WHICH LINE YOU WERE REMOVING THE WORD FULLY BECAUSE, UM, AS I UNDERSTAND THE, THE REINTEGRATION PLAN FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, IT IS THAT THE CURB SIDE BRANCHES, THE BRANCH BRANCHES CURRENTLY PROVIDING CURBSIDE WOULD OPEN ON MAY 10TH FOR BROWSING AND INTERNET. AND THEN THE REST OF THEM WON'T OPEN UP UNTIL JUNE 28TH, WHICH WAS AGAIN, PART OF MY POINT ABOUT PUSHING BACK THE RETURN OF, OF THE EMPLOYEES. I DID HAVE A LAST QUESTION FROM YOUR DIRECTOR BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE MOVE ON. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO MAKING THE CHANGE TO A LINE 27 TO CURRENT AND LINE 15, TAKING OUT FULLY HEARING? NONE OF THOSE CHANGES ARE MADE TO THE MOTION IN FRONT OF US COUNCILOR TOVA. I HAVE A LAST QUESTION. UM, GIVEN THE CONVERSATION THAT WE JUST HAD WITH DIRECTOR HAYES ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU CAN INQUIRE US TO, UM, STAFFS VACCINATION STATUS AND THE MEPO, IT TALKS ABOUT, UM, THAT ON MAY 10TH WITH THE 11 LIBRARIES OPENING ONLY STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED WILL BE ENGAGED IN PUBLIC FACING INTERACTIONS. HOW DOES, HOW IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN IF YOU CAN'T DETERMINE INDIVIDUALS VACCINATION STATUS, OR YOU CAN ASK THEM TO VOLUNTEER FOR THAT WORK, OR WHAT'S THE, HOW DOES THAT, HOW'S THAT GOING TO BE RESOLVED? JORDAN? I MAY HAVE YOU TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION BECAUSE I'M NOT AWARE OF THEM REQUIRE THOSE AS FULLY IN, UM, UH, VACCINATED TO, TO, TO DO ANY, TO, TO COME BACK AND PUT THEM ON THE FRONT LINES, THE INFORMATION THAT WE PROVIDED, COUNSEL, UH, SHANNON AND I PUT THE, THE MEMORANDUM TOGETHER AND A PORTION OF THE MAPL INFORMATION INDICATED, UM, ON PAGE TWO, PARAGRAPH TWO, THAT, UM, YOU WOULD BE ASKING AND ENGAGING STAFF TO, UH, ONLY DO THAT IF THEY WERE, UM, IF THEY WERE VACCINATED, [01:00:01] I THINK WE DO NEED TO MAKE A CORRECTION THERE, I THINK IN NO SPACE IN THE CITY. AND I WANT TO REMIND YOU, THERE ARE FIVE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE SCHEDULED TO RETURN IT, AND NONE OF THOSE SPACES ARE WE ASKING FOR ANY EMPLOYEE TO VOLUNTARILY SHARE INFORMATION, RATHER THAN NOT AS TO WHETHER IT'S AT THE VACCINE VACCINATION, UM, COUPLE NUMBER TOBO. I WOULD ALSO NOTE THERE WITH THAT CORRECTION, THAT THERE ARE SOME EMPLOYEES WHO WERE FEELING A SENSE OF HARASSMENT AND A HOSTILE WORKING SPACE WHEN THEY DISCUSS THEIR PERSONAL FEELINGS RELATIVE TO WHETHER OR NOT THE VACCINE IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO DO. SO, ANOTHER REASON BEYOND JUST THE HIPHOP IS THAT WE'VE SEEN SOME CULTURAL INTERACTIONS IN THE WORKPLACE THAT HAVE CREATED SOME CONFLICT WITH THE MERE CONVERSATION OF IS COVID REAL, IS IT NOT? SHOULD WE RECEIVE A VACCINATION? SHOULD WE NOT? SO WHAT WE TRIED TO DO IS TO CREATE RULES AND POLICIES RELATIVE TO REALLY REINTEGRATION THAT SIMPLY JUST SAYS, BASED ON THE CRITICAL NEED OF THE WORK YOU MUST RETURN, AND EACH DEPARTMENT WHO DECIDES TO DO THE PHASE, THEN RETURN MUST HAVE A SAFETY PLAN. SO I WOULDN'T NOTE TO YOUR ANSWER COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, WE WOULD NOT REQUIRE ANYBODY UNDER ANY SPACE TO TELL US WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE A VACCINE IN ORDER TO BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE FUNCTIONS OF WORK THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLETE. SO IN OTHER WORDS, IN THE, IN THE EMAIL, SO THAT LINE SHOULD JUST BE STRUCK. ONLY STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED WILL BE ENGAGED IN PUBLIC FACING AND DIRECTIONS. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. HI LADIES, I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND VOTE FOR THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE THE DIRECTOR SAID THAT HE COULD GET THE STAFF OUT ON THE SAME MAY 10TH DEADLINE. I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MY VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S REACHING INTO THE MANAGEMENT EFFORT AND, AND, AND I WON'T VOTE FOR ANY OTHER KIND OF CHANGES LIKE THIS, OR URGE ALL OUR EMPLOYEES TO GO OUT AND GET VACCINATED. AND, AND, AND THIS IS THE FIRST ONE OF THESE THAT HAVE COME UP AND WON'T BE VOTING. YES. AND THIS, I THINK BECAUSE WE CAN STILL MEET THE, THE, THE, THE OBJECTIVE WITH, UH, UH, SOME LESS, UH, ACCLIMATION POINT, BUT I DO WANT OUR PUBLIC TO GET BACK, AND WE WANT EVERYONE IN TOWN TO GO AHEAD AND GET VACCINATED. AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT OPENING UP BUSINESS TO BUSINESSES AND CERTAINLY CRITICAL FUNCTIONS AND THE CITY HAS A LOT OF THEM ARE IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO, TO BE DOING. UH, AND I THINK OUR STAFF IS TRYING TO, TO, TO WEIGH IN THOSE, THOSE TRADE-OFFS THAT ARE, THAT ARE INVOLVED. UH, BUT GIVEN THE DIRECTORS, UM, I BELIEVE THAT HE CAN STILL MEET HIS DEADLINE, UH, WITH THIS RESOLUTION. I'M GOING TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF IT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN, THE COUNCIL MEMBER IN THREE. YEAH. YES. I JUST, I WANTED TO THANK YOU DIRECTOR WEEKS. UH, I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING VERY HARD TO, UM, TO SERVE THE PUBLIC AND OPEN UP THESE, UM, LIBRARIES. UH, I AM ALSO GOING TO, UM, TO VOTE FOR IT. I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE CAN STILL REACH THE, UM, THE GOAL OF OPENING UP THE, UH, LIBRARIES BY THE MIDDLE OF MAY, UH, WHILE STILL REACHING OUR, OUR, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH GOALS RELATED TO OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES. AND SO, UM, SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD COUNCIL MEMBER. TOBO, I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE RESOLUTION. UH, YES, KNOW, I AM ALSO GOING TO BE SUPPORTING THIS, UH, UH, I THINK IT'S A MESSAGE THAT WE'RE SENDING THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE, UH, YOU KNOW, BEING EXTRA CAREFUL, YOU KNOW, IT'S, TO ME, I, I I'M REALLY CONCERNED THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FORCING PEOPLE THAT THEY KNOW THEIR, THEIR HEALTHCARE NEEDS AND THAT MR. WAIT, WHAT HAPPENED TO A PERSON WHEN THEY GET CALLED IN, WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEIR HEALTH OR THEIR HELP, ISN'T, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE PEOPLE, IF YOU CALL THEM BACK IN AND THEY, THEY GIVE YOU, THEY COME OUT AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, I REALLY CAN'T COME BACK. I'M AFRAID THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A KID THAT HAS SPECIAL NEEDS MEDICAL NEEDS, AND, AND, AND I JUST DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT CHANCE. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THAT PERSON, MR. WEEKS? LET ME GO AHEAD AND ANSWER IT. COUNCIL MEMBER INTO REIA. THOSE ARE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT WE'LL HANDLE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. I MEAN, I THINK THIS CONVERSATION DEMONSTRATES THE COMPLEXITY INVOLVED WITH THESE ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS THAT EACH DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO MAKE. AND OUR HR DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH OUR LAWYERS WILL HELP EVERY DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR AS THEY FACE THOSE QUESTIONS. OKAY. FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM, WE VOTE COUNCIL MEMBER, TOVO JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK, LAST THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, I'M I REALLY AM. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. I HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT PRESENTATION ABOUT CITY VACCINATIONS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TODAY ON TUESDAY. UM, AND I THINK THAT IS USEFUL INFORMATION. [01:05:01] I HOPE WE CAN REVISIT THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER EMPLOYEES CAN BE ASKED. I THINK, I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN SOME SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK ABOUT WHETHER EMPLOYEES CAN BE ASKED IF THEY'RE, IF THEY ARE VACCINATED. AND I JUST SAW AN EMPLOYEE LAW ARTICLE THAT SUGGESTED AS WELL. SO IT WOULD JUST BE GOOD TO GET CLEAR ON THAT POINT. UM, BUT JUST LASTLY, I WANT TO, AGAIN, THANK, THANK THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES. UM, I HAVEN'T DONE CURBSIDE, BUT I'M GLAD IT EXISTS ON OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE, HAVE ACROSS THE CITY HAVE USED IT AND ARE APPRECIATIVE OF IT. AND I APPRECIATE THE STAFF AT THOSE 11 BRANCH LIBRARIES WHO HAVE PROVIDED THAT SERVICE THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC. AND, AND, UM, I'M VERY GLAD THAT 11 OF OUR LIBRARIES, I'M GOING TO REALLY CLEARLY STATE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC. NOT ALL OF OUR LIBRARIES ARE OPENING UP IN MAY, JUST THOSE 11 AT THIS POINT. UM, BUT I DO WANT TO JUST SAY, I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES AND SUPPORTING THIS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. I THINK BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE LISTEN TO OUR WORKFORCE AND TO THEIR CONCERNS AND WHEN POSSIBLE, REALLY ACCOMMODATE THOSE, UH, BROKER'S CONCERNS AND, AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR SORT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR STAFF AND OUR, OF OUR, UM, USERS OF THESE FACILITIES. AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT EVERYONE FROM OUR HRD AND ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND OUR MANAGER ARE KEEPING THAT AT THE FOREFRONT AS WELL, AND APPRECIATE THE BALANCE THAT HAS TO BE STRUCK AS WE MOVE FORWARD. YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE ABOUT, THERE WAS A FAIR BIT OF THE SIDE OF NUMBER FIVE AS IT WAS AMENDED. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND THOSE OPPOSED, UH, BEST AS I CAN TELL. THAT'S THE UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE COUNCIL. HOW'S THE WORD CONCERN I SEE YOU NOW CALL ME CHAMELEON. GOTCHA. GOTCHA. UM, SO THAT I DIDN'T PASS IT. UH, UM, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY IS OFF THE DICE. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY OFF THE DICE. YOU KNOW, THIS VOTING, AYE. IT PASSES [Executive Session (Part 2 of 2)] THAT SAID COLLEAGUES. WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION WHERE WE HAD A RECESS HERE AT 4:40 PM. ALSO THERE PURSUANT TO FIVE, FIVE, ONE OH SEVEN FOR THE GOVERNMENT CODE. WE CAN DISCUSS EITHER NUMBER ONE, UH, WHICH IS PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATING TO THE CITY MANAGER. UH, I THINK I'LL BE THE ONLY ONE THAT COMES BACK OUT TO CONCLUDE THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AT THE END OF THAT, UH, DISCUSSION. I'LL SEE YOU ALL IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. SPECIAL CALLED MEETING HERE AT FIVE 45 ON APRIL 1ST, 2021. THANK YOU. THANKS. . * 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.