* 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. NO [CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:09] YOU MEAN AWESOME MUSIC COMMISSION. TODAY'S APRIL 5TH AND WE ARE ONLINE VIA WEBEX. AND, UM, WE'RE GOING TO START THINGS, THINGS OFF WITH THE, UH, CITIZEN. OH, WAIT, MUSICAL PERFORMANCE. WAIT A MINUTE. HOLD UP OLDER. WE GOT [MUSICAL PERFORMANCE] A MUSICAL PERFORMANCES D MADNESS. I SEE THE LOGO THERE WE ARE. WE READY FOR THAT? IS THAT HAPPENING? OH, WAIT, INDEED. WELCOME TO THE FIRST INAUGURAL. I THINK, I THINK WE'RE MAKING HISTORY RIGHT HERE. YEAH. IS THAT RIGHT? OH MAN, WHAT'S UP D WHAT'S UP, MAN? YEAH, YOU LOOK A GOOD MAN. IT'S LOOKING REAL FLY OVER THERE. OKAY. I SEE THE PLANTS AND EVERYTHING. I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST INAUGURAL PERFORMANCE OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION. AND, UH, WELCOME YOU, UH, D UH, GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT AWAY, MAN. I AGREE. THAT'S PETE THAT'S THE ONLY ISSUE AT ONE POINT. GET TIRED. THAT'S ALL. WE'D NEED TO SEE BLACK, WHITE, RED, BROWN IN THE SCORE. [00:05:18] ALL RIGHT. GOOD. THANKS. THANKS. GOOD. THANKS. THE MAN IS MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST LEGEND AUSTIN. GREAT, MAN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, DEE. THANK YOU, BRIAN. MAKING HISTORY TODAY DEFINITELY OPENED UP THE HEART CHAKRA A LITTLE BIT, GOT THINGS OPEN. I'M REALLY, UH, REALLY, UH, EXCITED. IT MADE ME FEEL GOOD. THANK YOU. DI MADNESS. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE [CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL] GOING TO GO ON TO, UH, UH, CITIZENS COMMUNICATION. LET ME SEE, LET ME OUT MY LIST HERE. I GOT ALL THESE WINDOWS OPEN. UH, WHERE ARE YOU? OKAY. WE HAVE 10 PEOPLE, UH, SCHEDULED TO SPEAK TONIGHT. THE FIRST IS A SONYA, SONYA, SONYA, YVETTE. YEAH. TALK AT THIS AS CAM I THINK SONYA SONYA HAS DROPPED. UM, SO SHE MIGHT DIAL BACK IN AND SHE WAS GOING TO SPEAK ON ITEMS, UH, FOUR A AND THREE C. I BELIEVE THAT THERE, THERE ARE SEVERAL THAT ARE GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS, UH, DUSTY SAXTON DAVID GOODJOHN, UH, AGGIE SANCHEZ, JENNY RAMIREZ OR ISLE GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS. OKAY. GOT A DAVID GOUJON. OKAY. PRESENCE. CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME OKAY? YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT, WELL I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. UM, GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS DAVID GOUJON AND I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING AS YOUR CHAIR OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER ADVISORY BOARD. UM, I WANT TO FIRST THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU'VE ALL SHOWN TO OUR CITY IN THE PAST YEAR, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE STRUGGLES AND THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, WE'VE ALL GONE THROUGH TO BE ABLE TO HELP SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES. WHAT SHOULD THIS YEAR REALLY REVEALED TO THEM? WELL, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT, I THINK ABOUT, UM, WELL, SOME OF THE ISSUES AND ITEMS THAT WE'RE ALL HOPEFULLY BEGINNING TO THINK ABOUT AND PLAN FOR, WHICH IS HELPING TO GET AUGUST BACK TO WORK IN AN EQUITABLE WAY. UM, AT THE END, I'M GONNA ASK ABOUT THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER. WE LIKE THE MUSIC AND ARTS COMMISSION ARE BENEFACTORS OF THE 2018 BOND INITIATIVE, WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO FORESEE THE EXPANSION OF OUR CENTER INTO A NEW REALITY. THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE HAVE ACHIEVED, WE HAVE STRIVE TO LISTEN TO OUR COMMUNITY MORE TO WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR. AND THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED IS THE NEED TO CREATE A MUSIC HUB AT THE EMMA, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE MEXICAN-AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, AS PART OF OUR PHASE TWO EXPANSION, UH, THE MUSIC HUB IS SOMETHING THAT IN OUR OPINION HAS BEEN, UH, MUCH NEEDED IN THIS COMMUNITY FROM ITS HAY DAY. FROM THE TIME THAT WE CREATED THE, THE SELF-TITLED MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, WE ARE HOPING TO CREATE A CENTER THAT IS A PLACE WHERE MUSICIANS CAN COME, UH, SHARE THEIR TALENTS AND REALLY BROADCAST TO THE WORLD. SINCE THE CREATIVE SPACES BOND, WE HAVE REALLY BEEN EXCITED TO SEE THE T THAT THOSE FUNDS COULD BE UTILIZED FOR THE BEST GOOD. UH, WE WERE ALL MORE EXCITED TO HEAR A YEAR AGO WHEN THE RFI AND OUR FEUD ULTIMATELY CAME OUT FOR, UH, CONCEPTS AND IDEAS, AND TO LEARN THAT THE MUSIC WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BEGINNING TO REALLY KIND OF SHOW IT'S THE LIGHT OF DAY AT THE MS. BUDDY MPLUS MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER ADVISORY BOARD. WE HAVE PASSED VARIOUS MOTIONS, UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED IN SUPPORT OF THIS MUSIC HUB WITH A LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, COMING OUT VERY SOON IN SUPPORT OF THE MUSIC HUB THROUGH THE CREATIVE SPACES, BOND OR ALTERNATIVE MEANS. WE ALSO LIKE YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED IN VALUATING, THE CREATIVE SPACES, RECOVERY MONEY, AND LIVE MUSIC FUNDS FOR ITS MOST EQUITABLE AND TRANSPARENT USE TO HELP GET AUGUST BACK TO WORK. THE MAC CONTINUES TO BE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY, WITH AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR, COMMUNITY LEADERS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND THE LATINO ARTISTS COMMUNITY. AT LARGE, WE WANT TO CONTINUE [00:10:01] A VERY COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, NOT JUST WITH OUR OWN COMMUNITY, BUT WITH ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS THROUGH THE UPCOMING STRATEGIC, UH, JOINT COMMITTEE, UH, BEING CREATED, BUT THE ARTS QUALITY OF LIFE, COMMUNITY, THESE COMMISSIONS IN THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER ADVISORY BOARD, WE VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO THIS COHESIVE UNIT, WHETHER YOU'RE ABLE TO SHARE IDEAS, SUPPORT EACH OTHER MORE BROADLY, UM, AND, AND REALLY BE ABLE TO SEE THE NEEDS OF THE CAME IN AND SYRUP COMES TO THE FOREFRONT OF THESE CONVERSATIONS. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. UM, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AUGGIE SANCHEZ, AUSTIN TO HANO MUSIC COALITION. HELLO? HELLO. HELLO? DID I GET DISCONNECTED? I THINK YOU CONNECTED. THANK YOU. OH, OKAY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. HI, UH, COMMISSIONERS. NICE TO BE WITH YOU TODAY. UH, I'M MAGGIE SONIA SANCHEZ WITH THE AUTONOME MUSICAL ASSERTION. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE COALITION. THE COALITION HAS BEEN, UH, TOGETHER FOR ABOUT 17 YEARS. AND, UM, REGARDLESS OF THAT, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE HAVING, WE HAVE A HARD TIME. UM, I GUESS, UH, BEING INCLUDED IN DISCUSSIONS WHEN, UH, THE CITY'S TALKING ABOUT THE HUDDLE MUSIC, UH, OUR MUSIC PERIOD. OKAY. UH, WE, OUR BOWLS ARE TO PROMOTE AND EXPAND THE HUNTER MUSIC AND, UH, IN AUSTIN AND THROUGHOUT, UM, THE NATION. BUT, UM, I KINDA HAVE TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT WHAT, HOW MUSIC IS BECAUSE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT THE HUNTER MUSIC IS JUST SPANISH MUSIC AND THAT ARE LATINO MUSIC AND IT IS NOT IT, UH, HEY, IF YOU, IF YOU SING IN ENGLISH AND YOU SING GOSPEL COUNTRY BLUEGRASS OR WHATEVER ROCK, IT'S NOT THE SAME KIND OF MUSIC AND SAME APPLIES TO THE HANO MUSIC, IT'S TOTALLY TOTALLY DIFFERENT. SO, UM, OUR GOALS ARE TO EXPAND AND PROMOTE OUR MUSIC. UM, AND WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, HAVE THE COMMISSIONERS COMMIT TO TRYING TO, UM, CONTINUE TO, TO PROMOTE THE HUNTER MUSIC WITH US. UM, ALSO RECOMMEND THAT, UM, THE BUDGET THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN BUDGET MEETINGS, UH, FOR, UH, TO INCLUDE THE HUDDLE MUSIC, UH, AS A RESULT, WE HAVE NOT HAD A LOT OF, UH, MONEY OR FUNDS, UM, GIVEN TOWARD OUR MUSIC. UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FLAGSHIP, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE DO HERE IN, AT THE COALITION. UH, OF COURSE WE DO SINGLE THE MILES , UH, KIND OF EVENTS, BUT WE ALSO ARE INVOLVED WITH THE, UM, BROWN SANTA OR, UH, CHRISTMAS, UH, FOR THE TOY DRIVE AND OUR FLAGSHIP, UH, DONALD IDA, WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE AMERICAN IDOL. BUT WITH HANUKKAH MUSIC THIS YEAR WILL BE OUR 10TH YEAR. AND, UH, WE ARE WANTING TO REALLY, UH, PUT ON A SPECIAL, UH, EXTREMELY SPECIAL SHOW, UM, FOR OUR CONTESTANTS THIS YEAR. UM, WE HAVE CELEBRITY JUDGES THAT GET INVOLVED WITH US. UM, AND, UH, BASICALLY WHAT I WANT TO DO IS JUST ASK THE COMMISSION TO PLEASE REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, THE HUNTER MUSIC IS HERE IN AUSTIN, UM, TO INCLUDE US, UH, WHENEVER YOU GUYS HAVE DISCUSSIONS REGARDING BUDGETS. UM, AND, UM, AND, AND YEAH, TO INVOLVE US IN, IN ALL CITY, UM, MUSICAL EVENTS, UH, SUCH AS MUSIC IN THE PARK, YOU KNOW, UH, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST CITY CONCERTS THAT ARE GOING ON AROUND THE CITY AND STUFF LIKE THAT. UH, NONE OF THAT, UH, THOSE EVENTS HAVE EVER INCLUDED THE HUNTER MUSIC. AND I WANT US TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCLUDED IN THOSE EVENTS. UM, WHEN YOU GUYS COME UP WITH THOSE TYPES OF EVENTS OR WHATEVER, UM, WE'RE ALL OFTEN NOT INCLUDED. SO, UM, YEAH, AND IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT. IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR US BECAUSE IT TOOK ME ABOUT WHAT FOUR DAYS TO FIND ABOUT THIS MEETING TODAY. I DIDN'T KNOW THE TIME, THE PLACE, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS EMAILING PEOPLE BACK AND FORTH AND I HAD PROBLEMS, UM, WITH TRYING TO GET THAT INFORMATION. SO, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, BEING LEFT OUT. [00:15:01] UM, AND SO IF YOU COULD JUST INCLUDE US IN THESE TYPES OF THINGS, WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND THAT'S BASICALLY IT FOR ME. OKAY. THANKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. I DID, I DID ENJOY THE ENDING OF THIS, UM, OF THE MEETING, UH, INCLUDING, UM, UH, ENTERTAINER TO SING. UH, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA. YOU SHOULD INCLUDE THE HANDLE ME. YES, WE, UH, UNDOUBTEDLY WILL. UH, WE'RE UH, THIS IS OUR FIRST, UH, UH, FIRST TIME DOING IT AND WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY BE TALKING ABOUT THE PROCESS OF SELECTING PEOPLE TO PERFORM TODAY. SO PLEASE, UH, STAY TUNED IF YOU CAN, TO THE MEETING AS WE GO ON, UM, GENIE . HI EVERYBODY. UM, THANK YOU A LOT FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY. UM, I WANT TO, I KNOW THIS MIGHT SEEM OFF THE CHARTS, BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU KNOW ME, IT'S NOT OFF THE CHARTS, BUT, UH, I JUST WANT TO SAY PUBLICLY THAT I THINK WE HAVE ONE OF THE WORST GOVERNORS IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS. UM, AS AN ARTIST, I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS MYSELF POLITICALLY, UM, ABOUT THE LACK OF COMPASSION AND CARING OF THE PEOPLE HE HAS. HE'S BEEN SITTING ON A RAINY DAY FUND FOR GOD, KNOWS HOW MANY MONTHS NOW. UM, AND IT WAS AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY WHERE HE COULD HAVE DONE A TEXAS STIMULUS CHECKS FOR ARTISTS, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE UNEMPLOYED, YOU KNOW, THAT WERE NOT ARTISTS, UM, BACKLINE PEOPLE, YOU NAME IT, ANYBODY THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, RESTAURANT, UH, SERVICE PEOPLE, ALL OF THAT. AND, UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, FOR THE RECORD, ONE IS TO SAY THAT I THINK HE, YOU KNOW, HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE TEXAS MURDERS AND WE HAVE THIS PAST WINTER AND, UM, HE'S NOT SHOWED ANY REMORSE, NO RESPONSIBILITY. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT THIS TEXAS SENATE AND HOUSE THAT WE HAVE HERE HAVE BEEN GETTING AWAY WITH SO MUCH. AND I THINK THAT AS A MUSICIAN, I WANT TO BE RESPON. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CHIME IN ON HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT. YOU KNOW, HE'S, HE'S NOT, UM, ACCESSIBLE, SO, AND HE DOESN'T LISTEN TO ANYBODY. SO, UM, I JUST THINK AS AN ARTIST, HE COULD HAVE HELPED, I JUST WANNA SAY THIS, THAT HE COULD HAVE HELPED SO MANY PEOPLE, UM, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO BE SAID FOR THE RACISM, SYSTEMIC RACISM, WORKING GROUPS. SO I HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY THING I ALWAYS SAID WAS, UM, I JUST WANT EQUITY AND, UM, AND, AND HOW EVERYONE'S TREATED, YOU KNOW, UM, I, I'M NOT A FINANCIAL PERSON. THAT'S NOT WHAT I WENT TO SCHOOL FOR. SO I WOULD JUST HOPE THAT THIS IS IN YOUR HANDS, THAT EVERYBODY WOULD JUST BE, YOU KNOW, UH, INCLUDED. I THINK THAT'S THE MAIN THING. UM, AND AS A WOMAN ARTIST, I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE THE LATINO ARTISTS, UM, IF, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK YOU HAVE IT HARD AS A MALE ARTIST IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND YOU HAVE BROWN SKIN OR BLACK FRIEND, AND YOU'RE A WOMAN IT'S EVEN HARDER, YOU KNOW? SO, UM, IT, IT'S BEYOND, THERE'S JUST TOO MANY ADVERSITIES THAT YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME, BUT WE'RE ALL IN IT BECAUSE WE LOVE DOING THIS AND, YOU KNOW, I'M TENACIOUS JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE HERE, THAT'S LISTENING. UM, WE WOULDN'T BE DOING THAT. WE WEREN'T. UM, AND SO, UH, I KNOW I NOTICED THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A SECRET LATER ABOUT A WOMAN WORKING POTENTIAL GROUP. AND ALL I SAY TO THOSE WOMEN THAT ARE, I DON'T KNOW THEM, BUT I DID DO SOME RESEARCH AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE INCREDIBLE. UM, I WOULD JUST HOPE AGAIN, UH, TO BE INCLUDED, UM, AS A LATINO ARTISTS AND FOR THEM TO BE INCLUSIVE TO EVERYBODY, ALL THE WOMEN, UH, ESPECIALLY MINORITY WOMEN. AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. I MEAN, I JUST, RIGHT NOW JUST, I'M JUST STILL, YOU KNOW, I THINK GOVERNOR ABBOTT WANTS PEOPLE TO FORGET WHAT HAPPENED. YOU KNOW, WE SUFFERED IN MY HOME PERSONALLY, JUST LIKE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS TEXAS, UM, AND YOU KNOW, 55 HOURS PLUS THERE'S NO ELECTRICITY. AND, UH, AND THEN EVERYTHING WENT OFF. IT WAS TERRIBLE. AND I JUST DON'T, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT PUBLICLY FOR THE RECORD, HOW I FEEL ABOUT HIM. AND, UM, I JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, IN A NUTSHELL, I, I, OH, CODY COWEN, I KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW ME, BUT, UM, I I'M SINGING LADY BANANA BREAD OFF. RIGHT. I THINK I'VE WRITTEN YOU A LETTER, BUT, UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR MY HEB CARD THAT CAME IN, UH, AT THE RIGHT TIME AND NEEDED IT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, AND SO ANYWAY, THAT'S IT, THEY FILL OUT, YOU'LL HAVE A GREAT MEETING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, ALLAH MASIA I THINK A SPEAKING ON A SPECIFIC ITEM. CRAP. I DON'T HAVE THE ITEMS IN FRONT OF ME. I JUST HAVE THE NAMES. OKAY. I THINK WE'VE GOT THE NEXT PERSON FOR GENERAL COMMUNICATION. WE HAVE IS DUSTY SAXTON. OH, OKAY. I HAVE ON THE NEXT BIT DUSTY, DUSTY, SEXY. [00:20:01] YOU THERE? DUSTY. DUSTY HAS DROPPED OFF. OKAY. I GUESS WE MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT LISTS, BUT I GOT KEVIN RUSSELL. NEXT. IS THAT RIGHT? I THINK KEVIN, I THINK IS ALSO SPEAKING ON AN ITEM. I THINK THAT'S IT. I THINK THAT'S IT FOR A GENERAL COMMUNICATION AND THEN WE HAVE PEOPLE SPEAKING LATER ON SPECIFIC. I THINK WE HAVE THE WAIT UNTIL WE INTRODUCE THE ITEM. IS THAT RIGHT? CAM, WE USED TO DO THAT, BUT NOT IN THESE, UH, VIRTUAL MEETINGS. IS THAT RIGHT? SORRY. WHAT'S THE QUESTION. DOES EVERYONE SPEAK NOW WHO'S CALLING IN OR DO THEY WAIT FOR THEIR PARTICULAR ITEM? IT FELT WE HAD BEEN DOING ALL OF THESE UP TOP DURING THE VIRTUAL MEETINGS, BUT WE JUST NEED SOME CLARIFICATION. YEAH, WE HAD BEEN, BUT A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO OR SO THAT RULE CHANGED AND WE STARTED DOING GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS UPFRONT AND THEN SPEAKERS WERE ABLE TO SIGN UP FOR ITEMS AGAIN, LIKE BEFORE. SO THE NEXT, UM, THE NEXT ITEM WOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY ALL UNDER THREE A. UM, SO THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT, WHEN WE GET TO THAT ITEM. YES. YES. OKAY. MY APOLOGIES. WHAT? I'M SORRY. NO, THIS IS ANA. I MEAN, COMMISSIONER EARLIER, THIS IS SONIA THAT I'M STILL HERE. OH, OKAY. IS, UH, IS IT OKAY IF WE LET SONYA SPEAK, UH, KIM OR YES. AND IT WAS SIGNED UP FOR ITEM FOUR, A AND THREE C THAT'S THE CREATIVE BOND, UH, THE CREATIVE SPACE BOND AND THE LIVE MUSIC FUND ITEMS. OKAY. OKAY. SO LET'S JUST MAKE A DECISION AS A GROUP HERE. WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, UH, ON THE ITEMS OR ARE WE GOING TO DO THESE SPEAKERS AT, UH, AT, AT THE TIME SAY WE DO IT ON THE ITEMS SO THAT WAY WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS AND THEY AREN'T LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. WELL, UM, ANA THEN, AND SONIA, SINCE YOU'RE SPEAKING ON ITEMS, LET'S HAVE YOU JUST HOLD ON TIGHT. OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD. KEVIN AND KEVIN AND PATRICK AND EVERYBODY ELSE THE COMMISSION. I CAN SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING, SORRY, SOMEONE, SOMEONE SPEAKING THAT WAS FEEDBACK. SORRY ABOUT THAT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SORRY. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE UH, ONTO [1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES. UM, OKAY. OKAY. AND SHANNON SECONDS ALL IN FAVOR. AYE. OKAY. ANYONE OPPOSE? ALL OPPOSED. ALL RIGHT. LOOKS LIKE THAT. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY HERE. ALL RIGHT. [2. CHAIR’S REPORT] SO WE, UH, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT A WEEK AGO, UH, DOUG, UH, ASKED TO KIND OF BRING THIS PART OF THE AGENDA BACK, UH, THAT LEFT COMMISSIONER LEVITAN, UM, THE CHAIR'S REPORT. AND SO, UM, WE'RE ADDING THIS BACK INTO THE, WE HADN'T REALLY BEEN DOING IT, BUT, UM, ONE THING I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO JUST, UM, GET A COMMITMENT FROM YOU ALL AS COMMISSIONERS TO, UM, JOIN, UH, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE WORKING GROUPS, UM, THAT'S GOING TO BE FOREIGN. WE HAVE, I FEEL LIKE OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS THERE HAVE BEEN, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ENERGY IN THE MUSIC COMMISSION, UM, AMONGST A HANDFUL OF COMMISSIONERS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE, A LITTLE BIT MORE PARTICIPATION FROM ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS TO MAKE THIS AS MUCH OF A ROBUST ENTITY AND ENERGY AS WE CAN. SO, UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU ALL TO DO IS TO TRY AND FIND A COMMITTEE THAT WE'RE, UH, TALKING TO THIS AGENDA EQUITY COMMITTEE, THAT'S GOING TO BE FORMED. IT LOOKS LIKE TONIGHT WE HAVE SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP, UH, COMMITTEE. UM, AND, [00:25:02] UM, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ENCOURAGE, UM, ALL OUR COMMISSIONERS TO, UM, TO FIND, UH, A SOMETHING WITHIN THE MUSIC COMMISSION TO, TO, TO BE A PART OF, UM, IF NOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THESE TWO COMMITTEES, THESE MIGHT NOT BE, UM, LET'S, LET'S, UH, FIND SOMETHING. UM, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S COMMITMENT IS SOLID IN TERMS OF PARTICIPATION, BUT I FELT LIKE I'VE BEEN FEELING A LITTLE BIT LIKE, YOU KNOW, A HANDFUL THAT'S DOING A LOT OF THE LIFTING, THE HEAVY LIFTING, AND IT WOULD JUST BE GREAT TO SEE, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE PARTICIPATION FROM, UH, UH, FROM, FROM ALL OF US. UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO, TO BRING TO THE TABLE. UM, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS JUST GOING TO THROW IN THE WEIRD CHALK? AND I CAN'T REMEMBER ABOUT, UH, LAND USE, UH, UH, JOINT WORKING GROUP WITH THE ARTS THAT HAD BEEN EXISTING DURING THE CODE NEXT PROCESS AND POSSIBILITY OF RECONSTITUTING THAT, SO THAT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED AROUND THE TABLE. THAT IS CORRECT. THAT IS CORRECT. UM, AND THAT IS ONE THAT WE COULD, WE COULD, UH, POSSIBLY CREATE. I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT, UH, TOPIC, LAND USE, AND DEVELOPMENT. UM, WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM ABC, UM, SPEAKING TODAY. SO AGAIN, THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES, UH, AND YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE EACH ONE OF YOU. I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO TAKE THIS PERSONALLY OR WHATEVER, BUT, YOU KNOW, I SIGNED UP, SIGNED UP TO, TO, TO BE A LEADER AND TO BE A PART OF THIS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME NEW MEMBERS COMING IN AND BRING A NEW ENERGY, WHICH I'M EXCITED ABOUT. UM, BUT FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO, YOU KNOW, FIND, UH, A WAY TO PARTICIPATE A LITTLE BIT MORE BESIDE, LET ME JUST SAY, BESIDES JUST SHOWING UP TO THIS MEETING EVERY MONTH, UM, THAT'S NOT QUITE ENOUGH. UM, WE, WE NEED MORE OF YOUR VOICE. WE NEED MORE YOUR IDEAS, UM, AND, AND YOUR PARTICIPATION. UM, IT'S, THERE'S NOTHING I DON'T WANT TO DOWNPLAY THAT TYPE OF EFFORT OF COMING HERE EVERY MONTH AND, AND, AND, AND LENDING YOUR, YOUR INSIGHTS AND YOUR VOTES IN, IN, IN YOUR, IN YOUR THOUGHTS. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY IN A CRISIS IN A LOT OF, IN A LOT OF WAYS, IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, ZEKE WITHIN SO MANY AREAS OF JUST CIVIC LIFE IN GENERAL, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU SIGN UP TO BE A PART OF THE MUSIC AND TO HELP CREATE SOLUTIONS FOR OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY. AND WE NEED YOUR IDEAS. WE NEED YOUR THOUGHTS, WE NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION. AND AGAIN, UM, COMING TO THIS MEETING IS KIND OF THE BARE MINIMUM AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WAYS THAT WE CAN, WE CAN COME UP WITH TOGETHER FOR YOU TO, TO BE INVOLVED. I LIKE TO SEE A GREATER PARTICIPATION. UM, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST WHAT I WANTED TO ADDRESS THROUGH MY LITTLE REPORT HERE. AND, UM, I, AGAIN, I, AGAIN, I'M NOT, THIS IS NOT ANYTHING PERSONAL. I, I THINK EVERYONE IS, IS GREAT, BUT, UM, FIND A WAY, FIND A WAY IN, FIND A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, LEND SOME OF YOUR GREAT KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR GREAT EXPERTISE TO THIS GROUP SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, DO MORE FOR OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY. THAT'S OBVIOUSLY HURTING CONSIDERABLY RIGHT NOW AND GOING THROUGH A LOT. OKAY. IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT, UM, WE CAN, IF NOT, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE OTHER, THE TWO THINGS THAT SEEM IMMEDIATE, SORRY, ARE EVERY YEAR THERE IS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS AND FUNDING FOR MUSIC. AND THAT SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING QUESTION. AND THEN THERE'S MOST IMMEDIATELY A PANDEMIC RELIEF, UH, QUESTION ABOUT WHAT, LIKE, HOW IS MONEY THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS PUTTING OUT, HOW IS LOCAL MONEY GOING TO AFFECT MUSIC AND ARTISTS AND VENUES AND ALL THAT. AND HAVING A GROUP IN ADDITION TO THE LAND USE THING, A GROUP THAT UNDERSTANDS THE BASIC ECONOMIC PROCESSES, FUNDING PROCESSES, THE STATE OF WHICH THE VARIOUS, UH, MONIES THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TO MUSIC ARE IN, AND JUST BEING ENGAGED IN THAT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO REPORT ON THAT, I THINK WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. TWO GREAT SUGGESTIONS. I THINK WE CAN RAISE THOSE FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR DISCUSSION. UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO THE TABLE. I THINK, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE AND I KNOW ALL OF US ARE BUSY AND WE HAVE OUR OWN LIVES. TRUST ME, I UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER THAN A LOT IS A LOT GOING ON, BUT AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU MADE THE COMMITMENT, UH, TO BE OF SERVICE TO THE MUSIC COMMUNITY. AND, UM, [00:30:01] YOU KNOW, WE NEED, WE NEED YOUR THOUGHTS. WE NEED YOUR INSIGHT, WE NEED YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR ENERGY. UM, SO WE HAVE TO WORK IN GROUPS THAT ARE BEING FORMED. ONE IS SYSTEMIC RACISM, THE WORKING GROUP. WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT PROPOSING A GENDER EQUITY GROUP. WE HAVE SOME LAND DEVELOPMENTS, UM, OPPORTUNITIES, AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN CREATE. UM, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS. I KNOW FOR ME PERSONALLY, UM, EQUITY HAS BEEN MY FOCAL POINT. UM, BUT WHAT'S YOURS, YOU KNOW, BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE THAT WE CAN, UM, THAT WE CAN BRING, OR MAYBE THROUGH THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM FOLKS. WE CAN CREATE SOME WORK IN GROUPS, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST TO OFFER MORE SOLUTIONS AND MORE, MORE IDEAS FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UM, FOR OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY. UM, THAT'S, THAT'S IT FOR THE DAY WE GOT A LOT TO TALK ABOUT, SO I WANTED TO KEEP IT SHORT. OKAY. CHUCK, CHUCK, AND THIS, THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE'S AN, THERE WAS AN EMAIL THAT WENT OUT WITH DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE WORKED ON TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET, UH, THAT THAT WAS REQUESTED. AND WE HAD TO COME TOGETHER AND, AND PUT IT TOGETHER VERY QUICKLY. COULD WE PUT TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP SPECIFICALLY TO PUT MORE, UM, VERY LIMITED IN SCOPE, BUT TO PUT MORE DETAILS AROUND THAT BUDGET, RIGHT. WE'RE REQUESTING, UH, IT WAS AN EMAIL THAT'S GONE OUT TO ALL THE MUSIC COMMISSIONERS ABOUT THE MONEY THAT WE'LL BE REQUESTING. COULD THAT BE WORKING GROUP THAT WE COULD DECIDE ON TONIGHT? POSSIBLY. I THINK THEY CAN. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE TIME TO MAKE THAT A MOTION. I THINK DURING FOUR B IT WOULD BE A GREAT TIME BECAUSE IT'S SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, AND I THINK WE CAN BROADEN IT TO, UH, UNDERSTANDING OF THE ECONOMIC AND FUNDING PROCESS. SO IT CAN BE AN ONGOING GROUP WHO IS AN EXPERT IN THOSE AREAS WOULD BE MY THOUGHT ARE SUFFICIENT, BUT WE HAVE THAT AGENDA LIGHTING. YES. OKAY. JUST, JUST TELEGRAPHING. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I DEFINITELY, I DEFINITELY THINK WE HAVE, WE HAVE ROOM IN HERE TO MAKE THESE MOTIONS, TO CREATE OTHER GROUPS AND TO, TO FORM MORE OF A ROBUST AND A ROBUST GROUP. THAT'S MORE DYNAMIC. UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S MY CHAIR REPORT RIGHT NOW. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO BRING TO THE TABLE. SO I APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR LISTENING. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO, UM, OLD BUSINESS. WE HAVE, UH, THREE, A [3A. Discussion and Possible Action following presentation on Creative Space Bond by David Colligan, Acting Chief Operating Officer, Austin Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), and Matthew Kvatinetz, Managing Partner, Q Partners.] DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION. FOLLOWING PRESENTATION. I CREATE A SPACE BOMB BY DAVID COLLAGEN, ACTING CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AUSTIN, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, ADC AND MATTHEW, SORRY, CA QUENTIN NET. QUALITYNET SIAM BUSHER NET, I THINK MANAGING PARTNER Q PARTNERS. SO DAVID COLLAGEN AND YOU ALSO HAVE ONE SPEAKER SIGNED UP ON MSEL. OKAY. ANONYMIZE SEATTLE. OKAY. THANK YOU, KEN. OKAY. I THOUGHT YOU DID MY NAME PRETTY WELL THERE. SHOTGUN IT'S CLOCKED AND THAT'S MOST PEOPLE JUST CALL ME K OR SHABBAT. UH, DAVID IS OFF TODAY ON WELL-NEEDED VACATION. SO I ASKED VERONICA IF SHE'D BE WILLING TO COME HERE AS CEO OF AEDC GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. HAPPY TO BE WITH YOU HERE TONIGHT. I AM VERONICA . I'M THE CHIEF ECONOMIC RECOVERY OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN TONIGHT. I'M HERE BEFORE YOU AS THE INTERIM PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE AEDC, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE, UM, ON THE CULTURAL TRUST. UM, AS WELL AS INCLUDED IN THAT, UH, DISCUSSION ON THE CREATIVE SPACE BOND. SO GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MATTHEW, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU, VERONICA. AND THANKS EVERYONE FOR HAVING US. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. UM, WE, UH, WANTED TO UPDATE YOU ON WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH THE ADC. UM, THE ADC, UH, WAS ASKED BY THE COMMISSION AS ONE OF ITS MAIN GOALS TO CREATE A CULTURAL TRUST AND MY CULTURAL TRUST. IT'S REFERRING TO A LAND TRUST, SOMETHING TO CREATE LONG-TERM AFFORDABILITY IN PERPETUITY FOR CULTURAL MUSIC SPACES AND ICONIC VENUES. SO WE'RE QUOTING THE RESOLUTION HERE, UM, AND JUST TO BE REALLY CLEAR, THE ADC, UM, IS REALLY A PUBLIC REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER. SO YOU COULD THINK ABOUT IT AS A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER, WORKING FOR THE CITY THAT DOESN'T MAKE PROFIT INSTEAD. IT, IT MAKES PRICES LOWER, UM, AND IT WORKS FOR THE PUBLIC PURPOSE. SO, UH, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET INTO THE BUSINESS OF CULTURAL MUSIC SPACE OTHER THAN TO SUPPORT FROM A POSITIVE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER PERSPECTIVE. CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? UH, ONE MORE. THANK YOU. SO THE CULTURAL [00:35:01] TRUST IS GOING TO HAVE A FEW INITIATIVES. THIS FIRST INITIATIVE IS TO DO A FOLLOW ON TO THE RFI THAT WAS DONE ALREADY. WE LEARNED A LOT FROM THE RFI. WE GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION AND NOW WE'RE TARGETED TOWARD TURNING THAT INTO ACTUALLY ACQUISITION AND PRESERVATION. SO NEW SPACES AND HELPING EXISTING SPACES, AND ALSO WORKING ON PROGRAMS, UM, SUCH AS WAS DESCRIBED EARLIER, UM, WITH THINGS LIKE THE MUSIC HUB, UM, THIS WILL BE A COMPETITIVE RFP TO FUND AN INITIAL SET. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH, IT'LL BE A FIRST STEP. AND THE ADC CAN FUNCTION AS BOTH A BROKER AND A FACILITIES MANAGER. JUST WANT TO DISTINGUISH FACILITIES MANAGER FROM RUNNING A FACILITY. THE ADC WON'T BE RUNNING ANY FACILITIES, BUT IT'LL HELP MAKE SURE THAT MONEY'S PUT ASIDE FOR LIKE FIXING THE BOILER FOR DOING, UM, CAPITAL REPAIRS, UM, FOR DEALING WITH, UM, OPERATING RESERVES AND DEBT AND ALL THE REAL ESTATE SIDE OF THINGS. THE HOPE IS TO USE THE FUNDS THAT ALREADY HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED, UM, THROUGH THE CREATIVE FACILITIES MON AND ALSO THROUGH THE ICONIC VENUE FUND AND POTENTIALLY SOME OTHER SOURCES THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO IN PHILANTHROPY, AND THEN LEVERAGE SOME OF THOSE USING INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION DEBT, UM, AND OR PRIVATE DEBT. I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT MORE IN A SECOND, THE SPACES WOULD BE OWNED BY THE CITY AS PERMANENT CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THEY WON'T NECESSARILY BE MANAGED OR USED BY THE CITY. THEY WOULD ACTUALLY BE UNDER AGREEMENTS WITH ORGANIZATIONS TO USE THEM ALL THE TIME OR PART OF THE TIME OR SOME OF THE TIME, DEPENDING ON WHAT APPLICATIONS COME IN. SO THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR VERY LONG-TERM USE BY CURRENT VENUE OPERATORS, UM, THAT WANT TO PURCHASE THEIR SPACE. THEY ALSO WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR USE BY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WANT TO SHARE THE USE OF SPACE. THEY ALSO WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR USE BY PEOPLE THAT OCCASIONALLY HAVE A SPACE NEED. SO ALL OF THOSE WILL ATTEMPT TO BE ADDRESSED BY THIS. NONE OF THOSE THINGS ARE EXCLUDED. THE FACT OF CITY OWNERSHIP IS IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE USE OF CERTAIN KINDS OF MONIES, AND TO MAKE SURE IF AT SOME FUTURE DATE AND BY FUTURE DATE, WE'RE TALKING 30 YEARS, 50 YEARS, 70 YEARS, AN ORGANIZATION WANTS TO LEAVE, SAY IT WANTS TO TRADE UP OR SAY, IT GOES OUT OF BUSINESS. THESE SPACES DON'T THEN BECOME CONDOS. THEY ARE PERMANENTLY CULTURAL SPACES. THERE'LL BE A MECHANISM FOR GETTING, UM, ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS OUT OF THOSE SPACES WITH A RETURN OF SOME EQUITY, ET CETERA. SO IT'LL, IT'LL FEEL LIKE OWNERSHIP IN MOST OF THOSE CASES, BUT WE'LL JUST PROTECT AGAINST GENTRIFICATION AND LOSS OF SPACES. THERE'LL BE PRIORITY FOR SUPPORTIVE ORGANIZATIONS BASED ON D AND I, AND THE SPACES WILL BE CALCULATED TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AVAILABLE AT AFFORDABLE RATES. UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THERE'LL BE TWO SIDES OF FUNDING, UM, BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING SOURCES, THE WAY WE'RE THINKING ABOUT AS CURRENTLY THIS WAY, UM, WHICH IS BASED ON INFORMATION THAT WE GOT FROM THE RFI AND FROM, UM, THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE ALSO JOINTLY WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION, BUT THERE'LL BE ONE SIDE WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO ACQUIRE VENUES WITH OPERATORS THAT ARE ALREADY OPERATING THOSE VENUES, BASICALLY AS SOLE OPERATORS TODAY. AND WITH THOSE, WE THINK WITH THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE HAVE THROUGH THE ICONIC VENUE FUND, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET ONE TO TWO EXISTING VENUES WITH THIS SET OF MONEY. THEN THERE'LL BE POTENTIALLY AFFORDABLE MULTI-USE SPACE FOR ORGANIZATIONS. UM, THAT WILL BE SPACES THAT COULD BE USED, YOU KNOW, IN REPERTORY, IN DIFFERENT MONTHS IN ALTERNATING NIGHTS, BY THE SAME SET OF ORGANIZATIONS TO ORGANIZATION, SHARING OF SPACE, THREE ORGANIZATIONS, SHARING A SPACE. UM, BUT WE'LL BE ONE LARGER FACILITY THAT THEY SHARE TO HELP SHARE THE PHOS BURDEN. ULTIMATELY, WE'RE TRYING TO GO FOR HIGH UTILIZATION OF SPACES SO THAT WE DON'T FUND SPACES THAT ARE ONLY BEING USED 20 OR 30% OF THE TIME, BUT THAT THE MORE PEOPLE WHO USE IT, THE LOWER THE COST TO EACH ORGANIZATION GOES AND MAKES IT MORE AFFORDABLE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THE GENERAL TIMELINE, UM, IS THIS WE'RE WE'RE ACTUALLY, I APOLOGIZE. I HAVE AN ERROR ON HERE. WE'RE SCHEDULED TO GO ON APRIL 22ND, UM, TO THE CITY, UM, TO PROPOSE, UH, THESE USE, UM, AND OUR CONTRACT, OUR INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT. AND THEN WE HAVE A CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT IN A SECOND, AND WE'D LOVE TO GET MORE PEOPLE ON THAT. I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, WE HAVE SOME GOOD PEOPLE ON IT, ALREADY, NOTHING AGAINST THEM. WE WANT TO JUST ADD MORE PEOPLE AND MORE DIVERSITY OF REPRESENTATION, BUT WE'LL BE HOSTING PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSIONS. WE'RE GOING TO COME TO THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION, BUT WE WANT IT TO COME TO YOU AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. UM, AND WE THINK THAT THIS IS NOW LOOKING MORE LIKE MID, LATE MAY OR [00:40:01] EARLY JUNE RELEASE SO THAT WE HAVE TIME TO DO THE ROUNDS AND GET FEEDBACK, UM, PUBLISH A NOTICE OF THE RFP, AND THEN WE'RE ANTICIPATING DOING WORK SESSIONS, HELPING PEOPLE WITH SPREADSHEETS, UM, LOOKING AT AGREEMENTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE, UM, FOR LEASES OR FOR SALE, AND THEN BEING ABLE, ONCE PEOPLE, UH, RESPOND TO PROVIDE THEM WITH RESOURCES, TO SIT DOWN WITH LANDLORDS AND POTENTIAL ACQUISITIONS SPACES, IF DESIRED, AND PROVIDE SOME, UM, NEGOTIATION SUPPORT IN THAT NEXT SLIDE, IN ORDER TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE. UM, WE COULD TALK ABOUT THIS, HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH PEOPLE, BUT WE DID A PRETTY BROAD SET OF RESEARCH ON ACQUISITION PRICES IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF AUSTIN, AND THEN ALSO, UM, POTENTIAL SOURCES OF MONEY, UM, MORTGAGES, RENT PRICES, OPERATING COSTS. WE STILL HAVE, THERE'S A LOT TO LEARN. WE'RE STILL ALWAYS LEARNING AND ALWAYS TRYING TO GET MORE INFORMATION. BUT, UM, WE DESIGNED IT BASED ON THIS INFORMATION HERE, THE RFI, UM, THE CULTURAL ASSET MAPPING FROM YEARS AGO. UM, AND THEN ALSO ALL OF THE INTERIM DATA THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUR HANDS ON WITH THE RECENT FUNDINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. YEAH. GENERAL. WE THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE THREE PIECES. I SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT JUST TO BE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME PART THAT'S PUBLIC EQUITY THAT'S CAN BE ANYTHING, UM, LIKE THE FACILITIES BOND, THE, UM, ICONIC VENUE FUND. IT COULD BE OTHER FUNDS, UM, THAT WIND UP COMING IN. WE'D LIKE TO SEE SOME EQUITY MATCH FROM ORGANIZATIONS, UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE SOLE USERS OF A SPACE, THAT'LL BE A COMPETITIVE CRITERIA, MEANING THAT WE'LL FAVOR APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT FOR THE SHARED SPACES. THAT WON'T BE A COMPETITIVE CRITERIA. WE'D LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING, BUT WE UNDERSTAND SOME OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS CAN'T. SO THEY'LL STILL BE ABLE TO GET SPACE EVEN WITHOUT THAT. AND THEN WE'LL LOOK FOR A LOAN AMOUNT TO HELP MAKE THE MONEY GO FURTHER. THE LOAN WILL BE SIZED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PAYMENT IS STILL AFFORDABLE AND THAT IT STOPS THIS ESCALATION OF OPERATING COSTS AND TAXES, AND ALSO IS A REASONABLE AMOUNT TO PAY RELATIVE TO THE USE VERSUS WHATEVER THE MARKET IS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT SPACES ARE AVAILABLE FOR USE AND ENJOYMENT BY THE PUBLIC. UM, THAT COVERS A VERY BROAD CATEGORY. UM, BUT WE THINK THAT ALL TYPES OF OPERATORS, ALL TYPES OF VENUES FOR PROFIT NON-PROFIT, ALL OF THOSE ARE ELIGIBLE. IT COULD BE A PART OF A SPACE. IT COULD BE A WHOLE SPACE, IT COULD BE A NEW SPACE. IT COULD BE AN EXISTING SPACE. THOSE ARE ALL ELIGIBLE. EVERY DISCIPLINE, EVERY TAX STATUS, EVERYONE IS ELIGIBLE. SO WE HOPE TO SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE RESPOND. UH, IT DOES HAVE TO BE WITHIN THE CITY. UM, AND, UH, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EMPLOYEES ARE PAID A LIVING WAGE AS WELL. UM, SOLE OPERATORS CAN APPLY IF THEY APPLY. UM, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HIT CAPACITY CRITERIA, UM, MEANING THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY USE THE VENUE ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE IT AFFORDABLE AND THAT THEY HAVE SOME MATCH JOINT OPERATORS CAN ALSO APPLY CAPACITY, HAS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, BUT IT'S MUCH MORE ABOUT POLICY ALIGNMENT, MAKING SURE THERE'S, UM, DIVERSITY IN OPERATORS, DIVERSITY IN GEOGRAPHY, DIVERSITY IN DISCIPLINE, AND THAT WE'RE COVERING AS MUCH AREAS AS POSSIBLE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. YES, WE HAVE THIS CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE CALLED AT SEATAC. WE'VE MADE, UM, CALLS OUT TO PEOPLE. CALLS ARE STILL OPEN TO PEOPLE TO JOIN SEATAC. SEATAC IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT SITS AND TALKS WITH US ABOUT THESE THINGS IN OUR CRITERIA. UM, IT'S OPEN THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN'T JOIN SEA-TAC ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT CULTURAL TRUST MONEY. WE CAN'T HAVE PEOPLE ADVISING ON HOW, WHERE THE MONEY GOES AND THEN ALSO BE RECIPIENTS. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY CAVEAT. UM, AND IN GENERAL, UH, IT'LL GO, THE CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE WILL GO ON. AS LONG AS WE HAVE RFPS, PEOPLE CAN COME IN AND OUT. AND THEN WITHIN THAT, WE PULL EVALUATION COMMITTEES FOR EACH RFP. SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE AN APPLICATION PERIOD OPEN FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BE ON THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE FOR THIS RFP THAT I JUST DESCRIBED. THERE'S A LINK TO IT. YOU CAN CLICK RIGHT THROUGH, UM, YOU HAVE TO JOIN, UM, THE SEATAC TO DO THAT, BUT YOUR SEATAC, UM, UH, WORK IS THAT IF YOU DO JOIN THAT THERE ARE, UM, THAT THAT GROUP HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE ADC BOARD. AND THAT ADC BOARD IS JUST GONNA CHECK TO MAKE SURE THERE'S GOOD DIVERSITY AND REPRESENTATION ON THAT. UM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UH, AGAIN, IT'S OPEN AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT A RECIPIENT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO NEXT STEPS FOR [00:45:01] US ARE CONFIRMING THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE ABLE TO USE THOSE CAPITAL SOURCES THAT WE DESCRIBED. THAT'S PART OF OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING ON APRIL 22ND. WE ALSO WANT TO COORDINATE WITH ANY EXISTING EFFORT GOING ON. WE'RE TALKING WITH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, WE'RE TALKING WITH THE LONG CENTER ABOUT THEIR PROGRAMS. THEY'RE ROLLING OUT FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. WE'RE TALKING WITH INDIVIDUAL PHILANTHROPISTS AND WE THINK WE CAN HELP MAKE ALL THOSE PIECES GO FURTHER AND HAVE IT BE ALL COORDINATED. UM, WE'RE ALSO DOING REVIEW OF THE ACTUAL RFP BY THE CITY AND SEATAC AGAIN, THAT'S OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT I JUST MENTIONED THAT YOU WANT TO JOIN IT. YOU ARE WELCOME. UM, AND THEN WE'RE PLANNING A PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ACTUALLY KNOW THIS IS GOING ON. UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO BEFORE WE RELEASE AN RFP. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S AWARE OF IT. THEY GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO US, ASK QUESTIONS, UM, AND GET TACTICAL ASSISTANCE IF THEY NEED IT TO RESPOND. I BELIEVE THAT IS THE LAST SLIDE. SO IF THERE'S TIME, I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS. IF NOT, WE CAN, UM, SHARE EMAILS FOR YOU TO EMAIL. UM, IS THERE WAS SOMEBODY THAT WANTED TO SPEAK ON THIS, RIGHT? SHOULD WE LET ON AND SPEAK, OR DO WE WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS FIRST ANA, THAT YOU CAN GET ON A SPEED IS, IS ON, UH, ON, ARE YOU THERE? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. OKAY. WELL, UM, I HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS, UM, IN REFERENCE TO THE CREATIVE SPACE BOND. UM, THIS GENTLEMAN, I DON'T, I DON'T I'M SORRY. HELLO? YOU'RE GOOD. GO AHEAD. DID WE LOSE HER? YEAH, TAKE CARE. OKAY. SO, UM, MY NAME IS DONNA . I'M THE PRESIDENT OF, UH, AB CON TO PENN, UH, PENN AMERICAN RECREATION CENTER, UH, ADVISORY BOARD, AND THE PAST PRESIDENT FOR THEM, FOR THE MIS BUDDY. AND JUST MEANT TO MAKE SOME CULTURAL CENTER AND A BOARD MEMBER FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR WHAT LOOPY. UM, MY, MY QUESTION IS THAT WE'VE BEEN SITTING ON THIS 12 MILLION CREATIVE SPACE BONDS. UH, WE RECEIVED ALL THIS INFORMATION, SOME FEEDBACK. I KNOW THAT THE COMMISSION HAD COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND HAD JOINT COMMISSION MEETINGS AND MULTIPLE MOCK MOMMIES STAFF AND CONSULTANTS AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH THERE'S MOTOR POOL, 10 MILLION BOND MONEY HAS BEEN SITTING THERE FOR WHATEVER REASON, I DON'T KNOW, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. AND, UM, I, MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT THE BOND PROJECT HAS TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS A HISTORIC INEQUITY AND ELEVATE THE CRISIS LEVEL ISSUE, SPACING THAT THE CREATIVE SPACE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING AFFORDABILITY AND LOSS OF CREATIVE SPACES. AN EXAMPLE, AN EXAMPLE THAT I'M GOING TO USE IS, IS A CITY OWNED FACILITY, WHICH IS, UM, THE PARK, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD PARK. AND IT HAS A STAGE, BUT THERE IS NO CONNECTIONS, NO PLUGS, NOTHING TO SUPPORT OUR MUSICIANS TO GO OUT THERE AND PLAY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE INCLUSIVE THAT TH TH THAT ALL THIS WORK IS INCLUSIVE OF EVERYONE, NOT, NOT JUST THE PEOPLE THAT YOU USUALLY WORK WITH. AND, UM, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE PASSING EQUITIES TO THE UNDERSERVED AND MARGINALIZED, CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS GROUPS, AND INCORPORATE AN EQUITY DRIVEN PROCESS. BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR A LOT MORE PEOPLE SPEAKING OUT ON, ON, ON, UH, INCLUSIVE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PART OF WHATEVER YOU'RE THINKING OF DOING. UM, DAVID, I THINK DAVID WHO JUST SPOKE, UH, YOU SAID THAT YOU, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE, UM, YOU'VE DONE A WHOLE LOT OF WORK, BUT ARE YOU INCLUDING THE COMMUNITY? IS THERE ANY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INVOLVED? BECAUSE IF ANYBODY'S GOING TO TELL YOU HOW THESE CREATIVE SPACES ARE SUPPOSED TO FUNCTION, IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN IT THAT LIVE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT NEED TO HELP. [00:50:01] SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHY THE CITY OF WALLS IS HOLD ONTO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS VOTER APPROVED BY TAXPAYERS. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HOLD UP IS AND WHO, WHO IS MAKING ALL THE DECISIONS HERE TO THIS MONTH? UH, I, I, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. WE HAVE, WE HAVE A $2 MILLION ASK, UH, FOR THE MAC TO BUILD A MUSIC HUB. AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THIS IS GOING ON AND ON AND ON SINCE 2018, THAT AS FAR AS I CAN REMEMBER, WHEN WE WENT AFTER THAT BOND MONEY FOR THE MAC, FOR THE EXPANSION, AND, AND WE WERE HERE YET TALKING ABOUT THIS AND NOTHING IS EVER DONE. SO I WANT TO HELP YOU, BUT I NEED FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO MAKE SURE, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU INCLUDE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. WELL. SO, UM, YOU'VE MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SEATAC OR, UH, COMMITTEE. WHAT IS THEIR FUNCTION? WHAT IS THEIR FUNCTION GOING TO BE TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE COMMENTS? I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION AND I FEEL YOUR FRUSTRATION AND HOW LONG THIS HAS TAKEN. ALL I COULD TELL YOU IS THAT WE ARE NOW ABOUT TO RELEASE SOMETHING AND THE REASON WE'RE NOT RELEASING IT YET IS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. SO I THINK WE'RE, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT 2018 TO PRESENT. ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT THE ADC WAS FORMED IN OCTOBER, AND WE STILL DON'T EVEN HAVE APPROVAL NECESSARILY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT MONEY. BUT AS SOON AS WE GET IT WITHIN A MONTH AFTER THAT, WE'RE RELEASING RFP. SO, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE VERY FAST. WE FEEL THE FRUSTRATION CITY STAFF FEELS THE FRUSTRATION AND HAS TASKED US TO MOVE THIS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, BUT ALSO BE RESPECTFUL OF ALL THE WORK THAT HAS GONE ALREADY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENGAGING WITH EVERYONE. THAT'S PART OF WHAT THE SEA-TAC THE CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS. WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION. WE ARE TRYING TO GET MORE FOLKS TO PARTICIPATE, SPECIFICALLY, TO GET COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. THAT'S ALSO WHY WE'RE HERE AND WHY WE'LL BE AT THE ARTS COMMISSION. AND WE'LL BE AT THE NEXT JOINT SESSION OF THE ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION. WE'RE HAPPY TO COME SPEAK TO GROUPS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN SPOKEN TO BEFORE AT ANY TIME, IF SOMEONE COMES AND LETS US KNOW WHO THOSE ARE, WE'RE HAPPY TO SPEAK TO GATHERINGS OF ORGANIZATIONS. AND WE'RE TRYING TO ORGANIZE AN OUTREACH CAMPAIGN. NOW THAT INCLUDES AN INFO SESSION OF HOW PEOPLE CAN APPLY. I THINK THE MUSIC HUB THAT YOU MENTIONED IS CERTAINLY QUALIFIED TO APPLY. UM, THE IMPROVEMENT TO CITY OUTDOOR STAGES IS CERTAINLY QUALIFIED TO APPLY. AND WE HAVE A VERY STRICT, UM, D AND I POLICY TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THIS 12 MILLION EXTENDS TO FOLKS THAT HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN RECIPIENTS OF MONEY OR HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED IN THAT. AND FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ASKED FOR YOUR HELP IN TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT AND TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO JOIN US IN THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, IN TERMS OF THE DECISION MAKING BODY, IT'S THE COUNCIL TO ALLOCATE THE MONEY. AND THEN IT'S THE AEDC BOARD TO RATIFY ANYTHING RECOMMENDED BY THIS, UM, SELECTION COMMITTEE AND THE AEDC STAFF. SO WHY WOULD I HAVE TO APPLY? THESE ARE CITY OWNED FACILITIES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF IN THE FIRST PLACE, FIVE, THE CITY OF BOSTON. WHY SHOULD PEOPLE HAVE TO APPLY WHEN IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BY THE CITY? UH, I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DONE BY THE CITY, BUT I THINK IF THERE ARE LIMITED RESOURCES OF THE CITY WITH PUBLIC MONEY, THEY GENERALLY ASK FOR A CALL FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED TO GET FEEDBACK ON THAT. I DON'T KNOW VERONICA, IF YOU'D WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT, BUT THAT'S, I PRESUME WHY IT'S GOING IN THIS DIRECTION. I CAN'T SPEAK SO WELL. ARE YOU GOING TO HELP THESE PEOPLE APPLY PEOPLE THAT, THAT HAVE NEVER APPLIED BEFORE THAT WANT TO WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR COMMUNITY? IS THERE ANY ASSISTANCE FOR THEM SO THAT THEY CAN APPLY? YES, ABSOLUTELY. SO THE FIRST STEP IS US LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THERE ACTUALLY IS, UH, SOMETHING GOING ON THAT THEY GET APPLIED TO. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE HOLDING INFO SESSIONS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SESSIONS TO HELP THEM FILL OUT APPLICATIONS. OKAY. I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT THE PERSON THAT WAS GOING TO SPEAK. NO, I KNOW. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE, YOU KNOW, TAKE WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED, [00:55:01] YOU KNOW, IS HAPPENING AND SPREAD THE WORD IN YOUR COMMUNITY. UM, YOU KNOW, STAY INVOLVED. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, HAVEN'T INVITED YOU TO BE A PART OF THE SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP. WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO, UH, YOU KNOW, COME BACK AND JOIN US IN THAT CONVERSATION. YOU ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU'VE BEEN VERY VOCAL IN THE REGULAR MUSIC COMMISSION MEETINGS, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY LIKE YOUR VOICE, UM, IN THE SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP, UH, COMMITTEE AS WELL, BECAUSE THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, MONTHLY, UM, THESE ARE ISSUES. EQUITY IS ONE OF THE MAIN ISSUES THAT WE'VE TAKEN ON AS A MUSIC COMMISSION. AND, UH, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THAT WORK, BUT I WANNA, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, CALL YOU BACK TO THAT GROUP. AND, AND, AND WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU BACK IN HERE HEARING YOUR THOUGHTS AND THINGS OF WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE. UM, ANY OTHER, UM, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, UM, QUESTIONS, UH, YEAH. YES. UM, I'M INTERESTED IN THE LEVERAGE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO JUST, UH, FOR EVERYBODY, THE WAY LEVERAGE CAN WORK IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS. AND I THINK THIS MAY BE WHAT YOU HAVE IN MIND, GIVEN THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RENTS IS, UH, IF I WANT TO BUY A $300,000 HOME, I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE MONEY UPFRONT. I CAN PUT DOWN A DOWN PAYMENT OF 20% AND THEN MAKE EVERY MONTH ASSUMING THAT I'M GOING TO BE MAKING SOME MONEY ON SOME INCOME. UH, SO THEREFORE I CAN BUY A HOUSE THAT IS FIVE TIMES AS MUCH THAN THE MONEY THAT I HAVE IN MY POCKET. AND I HOPE THAT'S THE TYPE OF LEVERAGE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE. UH, I NOTICED THAT YOU WERE ASKING WHAT ONE OF THE CRITERIA WAS THAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR, UM, DEMONSTRATED CAPABILITY OF MAKING PAYMENTS. UM, SO, UH, HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE BY HOW MANY TIMES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WILL BE ENTRUSTED, UH, IN THIS ENTER THERE? UM, AND ARE THERE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS FOR WHAT THAT EXPECTED ABILITY TO MAKE PAYMENTS WOULD BE FOR SOMETHING LIKE A HISTORIC VENUE, WHICH OFFERS A KNOWN SERVICE WITH A KNOWN REVENUE STREAM OF LIVE MUSIC OR SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT TRADITIONALLY HAVE A REVENUE STREAM, GREAT QUESTIONS, OR IN, THANKS FOR ASKING THEM. IT'S HARD TO GO THROUGH EVERYTHING IN A SHORT TIMEFRAME, BUT WE JUST WANT IT TO HIT AS MUCH AS WE COULD. I THINK THE AMOUNT OF LEVERAGE THAT WILL EXIST, MEANING HOW MUCH OF THE 300,000 IN YOUR EXAMPLE IS ALONE, VERSUS HOW MUCH IS PAID DIRECTLY WILL BE FROM 0%, MEANING NO LEVERAGE TO MAYBE 15% AND THE WAY WE SIZE THAT IS BASED ON UNDERSTANDING HOW, WHAT DOES AFFORDABILITY MEAN TO THAT ORGANIZATION FOR A VENUE THAT HAS ONGOING PAYMENTS THAT THEY'RE MAKING TODAY SAY, AND LET'S SAY THEIR ANNUAL RENT AND EXPENSES AND TAXES TODAY IS $50,000 A YEAR, AND THEY CAN'T AFFORD THAT. UM, THEN WE'D HAVE TO DIAL THE AMOUNT OF LEVERAGE SO THAT THE RESULTS OF PAYMENT IS LESS THAN THE $50,000, OR WE'RE NOT REALLY CREATING AFFORDABLE SPACE, BUT FOR THE ORGANIZATION THAT TODAY IS PAYING $200,000 A YEAR. THEY CAN AFFORD TO PAY MORE THAN THAT 40,000, MAYBE THEY CAN'T AFFORD 200, BUT MAYBE THEY CAN AFFORD ONE 60. MAYBE THEY CAN AFFORD ONE 70. IN SOME CASES, WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE OPERATING COSTS IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT IS PAID, UM, FOR OPERATING COSTS THEMSELVES BY LEVERAGING THEM ACROSS VENUES AND DOING BULK BUY. AND IN SOME CASES THERE MIGHT BE SOME INSTANCES, NOT ALL WHERE THERE COULD BE RELIEF ON PROPERTY TAX ESCALATIONS BASED ON THE STRUCTURE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING. SO IT REALLY IS VERY ORGANIZATION BY ORGANIZATION. WE'RE NOT GOING TO COOKIE CUTTER IT, BUT I WOULD SAY BROADLY, WE THINK OF IT IN TWO CATEGORIES. ONE CATEGORY IS FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT CURRENTLY HAVE OPERATING PAYMENTS AND ARE MANAGING A VENUE BY THEMSELVES. SO THEY ARE CURRENTLY FLOATING SOME AMOUNT OF MONEY. NOW, WHETHER THAT'S THE RIGHT SIZE OR TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL FOR THEM IS SOMETHING TO BE DISCUSSED. BUT IN GENERAL, THEY'RE CAPABLE OF CARRYING A WHOLE VENUE VERSUS ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD BE BETTER OFF SHARING A VENUE, OR IT'S A PIECE OF AN EXISTING VENUE, WHICH IS JUST A DIFFERENT CATEGORY IN TERMS OF HOW WE THINK ABOUT, UM, LEVERAGE AND PAYMENTS AND ALL THAT STUFF. BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT GONNA OVERBURDEN ANYONE WITH LEVERAGE, BUT IN CASES WHERE IT'S POSSIBLE TO EXPAND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THEREFORE THE AMOUNT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT RECEIVE ASSISTANCE, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO THAT. AND OVER THE COURSE OF TIME, SIMILAR TO A LAND TRUST DEVELOPER AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER, WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A BIGGER AND BIGGER PORTFOLIO, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO GET CHEAPER AND CHEAPER LEVERAGE AND BE ABLE TO SAVE MORE AND MORE SPACES WITH THIS FIRST TIME. WE HAVE TO BE PRETTY CONSERVATIVE. AND THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE US SAYING WE'RE FUNDING, YOU KNOW, 20 [01:00:01] VENUES. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO TO FIVE. I HAVE A LEVERAGE QUESTION AS WELL. SO THIS ONE'S MORE ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE THUMB, WHICH WAS THE 12 MILLION WAS DEFINED AS PUBLIC SPACES OR PUBLIC USE, UH, PUBLIC LAND. UM, AND, BUT YOU'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT TURNING, LIKE FROM THE INITIAL TIME YOU SPOKE TO US DURING THE 12 MILLION TO A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, IT'S A, IT'S A WAY TO TURN THE SMALLER AMOUNT OF MONEY TO SERVE A GREATER NEED IS THAT'S JUST USING THOSE SIMPLE NUMBERS. DOES THAT MEAN THAT 12 MILLION, A LOW DOLLARS THAT'S THE INITIAL SPENDING IS RESTRICTED TO THE INITIAL DEFINITION AND THE SUBSEQUENT 88 MILLION. IT'S NOT RESTRICTED TO THAT RISK, TO THAT LIMITED DEFINITION OF THE WAY THAT FUNDS CAN BE SPENT. IN OTHER WORDS, AS IT GROWS TO THE LIMITS ON THE FUNDINGS, A CHANGE OR NOT REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS. UM, GRAHAM, I WOULD SAY A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, OUR FIRST IMAGINATION OF LEVERAGING IT TO A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, UM, DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT A LOT OF THE FACTORS, UM, THAT WE'VE SINCE TALKED WITH PEOPLE ABOUT, AND MOST NOTABLY NOT MAKING THE ABILITY TO PAY THE HIGHEST FACTOR IN, UM, GRANTING MONIES. SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO LEVERAGE TO A HUNDRED MILLION, THIS 12 MILLION THAT WOULD MEAN IT WAS 80% DEBT AND 20% EQUITY, AND WOULD REALLY DISPROPORTIONATELY HIT A LOT OF THE, UM, FOLKS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET SUPPORT BEFORE THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY, IN TERMS OF SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS. SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO LEVERAGE TO A HUNDRED MILLION, THIS, UH, AMOUNT IT'S GOING TO BE MUCH LESS. UM, SECONDLY, WE NOW ALSO HAVE THE ICONIC, UM, VENUE FUNDS, WHICH IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE SAME RESTRICTIONS AS THE, UM, FACILITIES BONDS. SO THERE'S TWO POCKETS AND WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A THIRD POCKET. THAT'S COMING FROM DONORS. THAT IS A, UM, UM, DIRECT GRANTS AND A FOURTH POCKET THAT MIGHT BE A CONCESSIONARY DEBT, REALLY, REALLY LOW INTEREST DEBT THAT DOESN'T HAVE COLLATERAL OR SINKING FUNDS OR ALL THAT. SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT POOLS, BUT ANY MONEY, ANY TIME THE BOND TOUCHES A PROJECT, IT HAS TO COMPLY WITH ALL THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE BOND. YOU CAN HAVE SOME PROJECTS THAT DON'T USE ANY OF THE BOND MONEY THAT USE THE DONOR MONEY AND ORGANIZATIONAL MONEY AND THE ICONIC VENUE FUND. BUT ONCE YOU HAVE ANY BOND MONEY IN THERE, IT HAS TO COMPLY WITH ALL THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE BOND. UM, SO THAT MEANS CERTAIN PUBLIC ACCESS REQUIREMENTS, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, THE PROPRIETARY REQUIREMENTS OF HOW IT IS LEASED ARE MUCH MORE RESTRICTIVE. IT NEEDS TO HAVE MORE AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC, UM, THAN LIKE THE ICONIC VENUE, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE KIND OF SEPARATED THEM INTO THOSE TWO POOLS. DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I HOPE I DIDN'T TALK AROUND IT. I WAS TRYING TO BE REALLY SPECIFIC. NO, I, I THINK I UNDERSTAND IT OREN'S GRASP OF ECONOMICS IS MORE CLEAR THAN MINE, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, LIKE ONCE S LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND THAT 12 MILLION IN THE INITIAL ROUND, IS THAT CORRECT? BUT THEN IT STILL GETS LEVERAGED AND INTO FUTURE FUNDS. IS THAT ALSO CORRECT? DEPENDS. UM, ON THIS ONE THING, LIKE ONCE YOU LEVERAGE IT AT ALL, THEN, UM, SOME OF THE ANNUAL MONIES THAT PEOPLE PAY FOR USE HAS TO GO TO PAY DOWN YOUR LEVERAGE. IF YOU JUST SPEND IT ALL, IT'S GONE. IF YOU LEVERAGE IT ALL, YOU'RE GETTING SOME BACK AND EVENTUALLY YOU HAVE IT, YOU HAVE SOME OF IT BACK. UM, BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF TRADE OFF IF YOU'RE DOING LIKE A REVOLVING LOAN FUND, OR IF YOU'RE JUST BUYING SOMETHING FREE AND CLEAR, AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANY PAYMENTS DUE EITHER WAY, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE IT SO THAT THIS IS GENERATIVE OVER TIME, IT'S GENERATING MORE MONEY, BUT WE'LL ALSO BE TRYING TO BRING IN MORE SOURCES OF MONEY. AND IN PLACES WHERE WE COULD BRING IN SPACES OWNED BY THE CITY WILL STILL POTENTIALLY HAVE SOME PAYMENT. AGAIN, WHAT PEOPLE CAN AFFORD. WE'RE NOT THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS IS AFFORDABILITY, SO WE'RE NOT GONNA CHARGE AMOUNTS THAT MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DO THINGS. AND SOME PEOPLE WON'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD MUCH IF AT ALL, BUT SOME CAN, AND IN THOSE CASES, WE'RE GOING TO POOL THOSE FUNDS INTO A GROWING FUND THAT CAN HELP, UM, MAKE MORE SPACES, BUT WE WON'T LEVERAGE IT INITIALLY TO THE LARGER AMOUNT AND THEN SAVE SOME OF THE MONEY TO PUT IT OUT, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE REALLY EXPENSIVE. IT WOULD MEAN WE WERE PAYING INTEREST COSTS ON THE MONEY THAT WE LEVERAGED WITHOUT HAVING APPLIED IT TO ANYTHING. SO IT WOULD BE WHAT WE CALL NEGATIVE, LEVERAGE. IT WE'D BE GETTING LESS AND LESS. IT'S LIKE WHEN A HOUSE IS UNDERWATER, YOU'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE IN THE HOLE EVERY MONTH OR EVERY YEAR. SO WE'LL DEFINITELY TRY TO AVOID THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. [01:05:02] HEY, UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WE HAVE SO MUCH ON THIS AGENDA TODAY, BUT I DON'T WANT TO ALSO MOVE PAST THIS. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO, UM, ONE, UM, LET'S GET THAT, UH, KIM, UM, OF STAFF. CAN YOU PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL FOR THE SEAT, UH, THE LINK FOR THE SEATAC, PLEASE REACH OUT TO YOUR COMMUNITY, UM, REGARDING THIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, A WAY TO HAVE THIS VOICE OF THOSE THAT ARE TYPICALLY NOT IN THE ROOM, UM, IN THE ROOM, UM, TO, TO, TO GIVE INSIGHTS, TO GIVE THOUGHTS CONCERNS. UM, SO THAT IS ONE WAY WE CAN'T, WE, WE CAN'T SAY WE'RE NOT WE'RE, WE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, THE OPPORTUNITIES THERE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE, WE NEED TO HOLD THESE FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE TO WHAT THEY SAY THEY'RE, THEY'RE HERE TO DO. AND THAT IS ONE WAY THAT WE CAN, SO PLEASE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, UH, TO, UM, SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO BECOME A PART OF THAT ADVISORY GROUP. UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE TO, HE SAID THAT, UM, YOU CAN'T APPLY FOR FUNDS AND BE A PART OF THE ADVISORY GROUP, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT AREN'T, YOU KNOW, IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, STILL UNDERSTAND OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS, UM, OR CREATIVE INDUSTRY. LET ME NOT SAY THAT BECAUSE NOT ALL THE APPLICANTS ARE GOING TO BE IN MUSIC. SO PLEASE TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY, PLEASE REACH OUT, UM, TO YOUR COMMUNITIES ONCE YOU GET THAT LINK, UM, SENDING OUT TO PEOPLE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE GOOD REPRESENTATION IN THAT GROUP. UM, IS THERE, UM, ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY. I'M GOING TO, UH, THANK YOU, UH, FOR SPEAKING, UM, MATTHEW, APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. I WANTED TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT I DIDN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, INTRODUCING OUR NEWEST MEMBER. I MENTIONED HER EARLIER, I'M A NEWEST MEMBER TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION. UM, NAGA VALLEY IS, IS HERE TONIGHT WITH THIS, UM, UM, UM, FORGIVE ME IF I MESS UP THE NAME, MINNIE CHARLA MET EACH OTHER, THEN I GET IT. OKAY. WELCOME. WELCOME. THANK YOU. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING REAL QUICK, BEFORE WE MOVE TO WOOD, IT'S HELPING THEM IN THE REST OF I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS AT THIS POINT, UH, ON THE I'M I'M JUST A PRO AND I'M A TECH PROFESSIONAL, UM, AND I'M JUST, UH, EXCITED TO BE ON THIS COMMISSION AND LOOKING FOR DOING SOME GOOD WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. MICHALA MANYCHAT. OKAY, SIR, SAY IT AGAIN. MAYBE CHARLIE, MAYBE CHARLIE CHARLA. MAYBE CHARLA. OKAY. THANK YOU. MAYBE CHARLA. YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT, SO WE GOT A THREE B [3B. Discussion and Possible Action on the future of live music in Downtown Austin, focusing on creative space/venues and potential partnerships and resource sharing between public, non-profit, and private entities. Presentation from Cody Cowan, Executive Director of the Red River Cultural District; and Rebecca Reynolds, President & Founder of the Music Venue Alliance - Austin.] DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE FUTURE OF LIVE MUSIC, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, FOCUSING ON CREATIVE SPACE VENUES, POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS, AND RESOURCE SHARING BETWEEN PUBLIC NON-PROFIT AND PRIVATE ENTITIES. WE HAVE CODY COWAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT, REBECCA REYNOLDS, PRESIDENT, AND FOUNDER OF THE MUSIC VENUE ALLIANCE, CODY. YET YOU ALSO HAVE AND ANNA MARSIELLE AS WELL. ALLERGIES. ANA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO FIRST? HE'S DID IT. I WOULDN'T LIKE TO HEAR THIS. OKAY. CODY, THANKS FOR INVITING ME HERE TODAY. SO IT WAS A PLEASURE TO SEE ALL Y'ALL. UH, I WAS JUST ASKED HERE KIND OF BROADLY TO COME. UH, I WAS HOPING TO ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS THAN, UH, SORT OF DICTATE WHAT MY PERSPECTIVE OF DOWNTOWN AND MUSIC. UM, WHAT ARE THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS OR IS THERE SOMETHING DOUG, I KNOW YOU, AND I'VE BEEN TALKING QUITE A BIT. DID YOU WANT TO SET ME UP ON WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR FROM ME? IF YOU COULD JUST TELL THE COMMISSION ABOUT, UM, KIND OF WHERE EVERYTHING'S AT CURRENTLY, AS FAR AS ITS RELIEF EFFORTS AND, UH, WHAT YOU KIND OF SEE HAPPENING IN THE NEXT, SAY, SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR. PERFECT. SO FORECASTING, SO A REAL QUICK, JUST UPDATES ON DISASTER [01:10:01] RELIEF AND, AND A LARGER ENVIRONMENT THAN YOU RELIEVE FOR STIMULUS. AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE SAVES MUSIC VENUE PRESERVATION FUND ROUND TWO HAS CONCLUDED AND, UH, RECOGNITION AS WELL AS, UH, DECLINES HAVE GONE OUT TO ALL OF THE APPLICANTS TO THAT PROCESS. IT'S, UH, REBECCA AND I'S UNDERSTANDING THAT APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THOSE APPLICANTS, UH, RECEIVED FUNDS AND 50% WERE DENIED. SO IF THAT TELLS YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CURRENT USE, UM, PEOPLE ARE STILL STRUGGLING AND YOU'LL SEE THAT REFLECTED IN SOME LATER POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'LL SEE FROM OUR GROUP DOWN THE LINE, IN TERMS OF REQUESTS FOR AMERICAN RECOVERY PLAN STIMULUS AND DISASTER RELIEF, UM, THE LARGER SHUTTERED VENUES OPERATOR GRANT THAT WE GOT FROM FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY, WORKING WITH THE NATIONAL INDEPENDENT VIDEO ASSOCIATION, UH, TO THE TUNE OF 16.5 BILLION, WE'LL BE OPENING THIS THURSDAY. SO THAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS ON THE HORIZON. IT'S A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BUCKET, WHICH WILL ALSO INCLUDE NOT JUST LIVE MUSIC VENUES, BUT PROMOTERS, UM, MUSEUMS, THEATERS, ZOOS, AND, AND, UH, EVENTS, SPACES, BOTH FOR-PROFIT AND NONPROFIT. SO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I MEAN, I THINK AS MANY OF YOU ALL HERE KNOW, AND MAYBE SOME OF THE NEW FOLKS HERE ARE LEARNING, UH, VENUES WERE THE FIRST TO CLOSE UNDER PANDEMIC AND ARE STILL AMONGST THE LAST BUSINESSES TO BE REOPENING. UM, 90% OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW ARE STILL UNEMPLOYED TODAY, A YEAR LATER, UH, BOTH MUSICIANS AND MUSIC SPACE WORKERS, AS WELL AS SERVICE INDUSTRY AND HOSPITALITY AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY WORKERS. SO THE NEED IS DEEP AND THESE FUNDS WILL BE LARGELY GOING TO COVER OUTSTANDING DEBT IN THE FORM OF RENT WITH LANDLORDS SINCE THE MAJORITY OF THE LIVE MUSIC VENUES IN AUSTIN, UH, AS IN MORE THAN 90% DO NOT OWN THE PROPERTY THAT THEY'RE OPERATING IN. SO REALLY, REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT MONEY GO OUT AND, AND THANKFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP AT THE LONG CENTER AND BUILDING THOSE GRANTS. UM, BUT WE'RE STILL IN A CRISIS AS I'LL PROBABLY, I'LL UNPACK A BIT AS WE LOOK OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR, BUT I WANTED TO TAKE A PAUSE HERE TO LET MY, MY PEER, UH, REBECCA REYNOLDS STEP IN AND FILL IN ANY GAPS THAT I MIGHT'VE MISSED A COMMISSION AND CODY, THANK YOU FOR HANDING THAT OFF. I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB. UM, IT'S A REALLY TENDER MOMENT FOR, FOR VENUES IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW. I THINK OBVIOUSLY WITH THE PROSPECT OF BEING ABLE TO REOPEN AND JUST NOW GETTING NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT, UH, GRANT WORDS AND HAVING THE APPLICATION OPEN FOR THE FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAM, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARE FEELING CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC, BUT ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO SEE EXACTLY HOW ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO FALL TOGETHER, UM, AND WHETHER OR NOT IT'S GOING TO ACTUALLY NEED RECOVERY. UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T ASSUME THAT BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO GET GRANTS PROGRAMS FROM THE CITY AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THAT VENUES ARE GOING TO BE FINE. UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT WE HAD TO DO, AND WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF DOING WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT. SO THINGS LIKE THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AND A NEW LAND USE AND SOUND COMPATIBILITY COMPATIBILITY ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE WEAK, UM, IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR THE VENUE COMMUNITY. UM, AND I DON'T WANT US TO TRADE SUCCESS FOR PANDEMIC RELIEF FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE HAD DONE TO SUSTAIN OUR VENUES, UH, PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. SO WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO CONTINUE ON BOTH FRONTS. UM, I AM HEARING FROM, FROM VENUES THAT, UH, THAT WERE ALLOWED TO, UM, PARTICIPATE IN ROUND TWO OR MADE IT THROUGH TO ROUND TWO ARE RECEIVING FUNDS. AND THEY'RE, UM, VERY, VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT. WE'RE ALSO HEARING THAT THEY ARE GETTING A LOT OUT OF THE EQUITY TRAINING AND THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. AND SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE VINEYARD COMMUNITIES IS GRATEFUL FOR. THEY, THEY PERCEIVE THOSE TO BE SERVICES THAT THE CITY'S PROVIDING THEM AND IT'S HELPFUL AND IT'S USEFUL. UM, SO THAT'S GOOD FEEDBACK. UM, AND THEN JUST TRYING TO GET FOLKS READY FOR THIS FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAM. THERE'S A LOT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR EACH AND EVERY VENUE TO GET THEM IN THE PIPELINE TO BE READY FOR THAT. AND I WILL BE DOING A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH SENATOR CORNYN AT ANTONE'S, UM, THE DAY BEFORE THE GRANT APPLICATION OPENS TO JUST KIND OF CELEBRATE AND, UH, LAUNCH THE PROGRAM, UM, AND JUST RAISE AWARENESS TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT IT'S TIME. IT'S TIME TO GO. YEAH. SO LITTLE, LITTLE GOOD NEWS, BUT IT'S STILL GOING TO BE A LONG ROAD AHEAD. UH, BEFORE WE GET TO THAT THOUGH, ANY QUESTIONS, UM, ABOUT THE DISASTER LEAVE CURRENT DISASTER RELIEF AS IT STANDS FROM COMMISSIONER, THAT GRANT WILL BE AVAILABLE ON NEVA SIDE OR WHERE WHEREVER THEY'RE THE SHUTTERED VENUE OPERATOR [01:15:01] GRANT IS BEING, UH, FUNDED THROUGH THE SBA, THE SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND THAT'LL BE OPENING ON THURSDAY. OKAY. AND IT'S NOT ALONE. IS IT, IS IT IN, OR IS IT ALONE? IT'S A GRANT. IT'S A GRANT. GOT IT. YEAH. SO IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED, IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S FIRST COME FIRST SERVE. SO, UH, THEY UNLIKE MAYBE THE GRANT SYSTEM THAT WE HAD HERE, WHERE YOU COLLECT ALL THE DATA AND YOU GRADE IT, AND SOME PEOPLE PASS AND SOME PEOPLE FAIL, THEY'RE GOING TO BE TURNING THEM OUT IN REAL TIME. SO, WHICH MEANS THE SOONER YOU FOLKS GET THEIR INFO IN, UM, THE BETTER, SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY APPLY BEFORE IT OPENS UP, IT'LL OPEN UP THURSDAY, BUT THEN THEY'LL START GRADING THEM AS SOON AS THEY COME IN A PASS OR FAIL, ET CETERA. SO THAT'S THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE, WE HAVE TODAY. SO DO WE HAVE LIKE A SPECIFIC, I GUESS THEY JUST SEARCH THE SBA SITE OR IS THERE LIKE A LINK THAT'S AVAILABLE? SURE. SO IF PEOPLE WANT TO GO TO THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, UM, THERE'S A PARTICULAR SECTION ON THEIR PAGE FOR THIS SHUTTERED VENUES OPERATOR GRANT PROGRAM. UM, AND THEY THEY'RE, THEY WILL HAVE ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR VENUES AND ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES AND PROMOTERS THAT QUALIFY IN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO GET, UM, PREPARED FOR THAT APPLICATION. JUST SO YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T, I HOPE THAT NONE OF THE VENUES IN AUSTIN ARE GOING TO BE FLAT FITTED ON THIS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TIMELINE IS AND WHAT THE PROCESSES ARE, AND TO, YOU KNOW, HANDHOLD AS MUCH AS NEEDED TO GET PEOPLE READY TO GO. GOT IT. WELL, APPRECIATE Y'ALL FOR DOING THAT. UM, YEAH, I, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HEARING ABOUT IT. THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING THE QUESTIONS. CAUSE I REALLY JUST DON'T KNOW. SO, OH YES. SO YOU MIGHT'VE HEARD IT SOS ACT. DO YOU REMEMBER SOS? I JUST DIDN'T KNOW THE PROCESS AND LIKE HOW, WHERE PEOPLE GO AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. UM, YEAH. IT'S KINDA LIKE EVERYBODY LISTENING AND, AND MYSELF WELL, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THE SOS ACT TURNED INTO. GOT IT. AND I, I KNOW STEVE, UH, WAS, WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT, UH, STEVE FROM HER, HER, HER PRESENTS AND, AND, UH, EMPIRE. SO YEAH. YEAH. I THINK IF YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME HOMETOWN PRIDE, THE WORK THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS DONE TO ORGANIZE HERE WENT INTO THE INITIAL GROUP THAT BECAME NEEVA. STEVE IS NOW A BOARD MEMBER THERE, AND I SERVE IN CHAIR SEVERAL COMMITTEES THAT NEED, UH, UH, REBECCA ALSO PARTICIPATES IN SEVERAL COMMITTEES THAT NEEVA. SO AUSTIN HELPED BUILD THE ORGANIZATION OF NEEVA USING OUR SAME SORT OF GRASSROOTS APPROACH TO ORGANIZING AND TO ADVOCACY AND COMBINED POWERS WITH A HANDFUL OF OTHER FOLKS IN THE COUNTRY WHO WERE DOING THAT. NOT MANY, NOT MANY PEOPLE KNEW EACH OTHER OR HAD HAD TO, HAD TO ENGAGE AT THIS LEVEL BEFORE. UM, IT WAS KIND OF A COOL ONCE IN A LIFETIME MOMENT FOR THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY, THE INDEPENDENT MUSIC INDUSTRY. GOT IT. WELL, THANKS. THANKS. Y'ALL FOR THE HARD WORK. UM, ANY QUESTIONS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, THE QUESTION, UM, THE, THE COSTS OF THE PANDEMIC TO DOWNTOWN MUSIC AND HOW, UM, WHAT GAP ARE YOU THINKING THOSE COSTS ARE GOING TO BE? UH, I KNOW, I KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOING TO BE AWARDED THE SOS MONEY OR WHATEVER THE NEW NAME FOR IT IS. UM, BUT, AND I KNOW AS YOU MENTIONED, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE NOT TO HAVE TO ADAPT, GO INTO THE FUNDS THAT WERE MEANT TO SUPPORT A SUSTAINABLE, UM, MUSIC COMMUNITY THAT WAS ALREADY IN CRISIS. SO, UH, IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT OTHER FUNDING FOR RECOVERY DOWNTOWN? AND, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHERE THAT RECOVERY MIGHT COME FROM OR WHO THOSE PARTNERS MIGHT BE? PART OF THE REASON WE ENDED UP INVITING YOU AND ASKING YOU TO COME THIS MONTH, AS WE TALKED TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMISSIONER AND SERVING ON LAST MONTH, UH, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE HAS COME UP AND JUST, UH, JUST GENERALLY HOW, HOW DOWNTOWN IS DOING. I KNOW YOU'RE ALREADY GOING TO DO YOUR SORT OF PROGNOSIS ABOUT THE NEXT SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR, BUT W WHERE WE'RE AT IN TERMS OF GAP FUNDING AND THE STATE OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN MUSIC. YEAH. THANK YOU, GRAHAM. THAT'S THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. IT'S THE QUESTION. RIGHT AT THE CITY. UH, IT, LOOK, IT APPEARS AND, AND FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME CITY STAFF, IF IT, CAUSE I'M TRYING TO UTILIZE Y'ALL'S DATA THAT THE CITY STANDS TO GET 187 MILLION THEREABOUTS AND AMERICAN RESCUE ACT FUNDING. [01:20:01] SO THAT'S NEXT, CARE'S NEXT STIMULUS MONEY THAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE. AND I, I THINK, UH, WE'VE HAD COMMISSIONED RESOLUTION AND OF COURSE, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS COMMISSION THAT DISCUSS THE ONGOING NEED FOR MUSIC. I MEAN, I THINK TALKING ABOUT SAVES MUSIC, VENUE, PRESERVATION FUND, YOU SEE THAT HALF OF RECIPIENTS FOR FEET RECEIVE FUNDS HALF DIDN'T. SO THAT MEANS THAT FIRST POINT, THAT FIRST BUCKET OF MONEY, WHICH WAS BIN IS GOING TO BE USUALLY BENEFICIAL AS IT REACHES PEOPLE'S HANDS AND GOES TO THEIR LANDLORDS STILL HAS ONLY ADDRESSED 50% OF NEED. SO, UH, ONLY HALF OF NEED HAS BEEN HIT SO FAR. SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF NEED FOR US TO GO BACK, LOOK AT HOW WE DIDN'T MEET, NEED WHAT THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE AND APPLY IT INTO THAT. UM, I THINK AS PART OF OUR POLICY RECOMMENDATION, JUST THAT AS A GLANCE, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING BACK AT ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT EDD AND COUNCIL FUNDED DURING CARES, UH, BOTH, UH, CREATIVE WORKERS FUNDS AS WELL AS THE MUSICIAN FUNDS AND BECAUSE THE NEED IS TRUE FOR WHAT'S TRUE FOR THE SPACES THAT PEOPLE WORK IN IS ALSO TRUE FOR THE WORKERS. SO I THINK THOSE WILL BE THE FIRST LOOK AND WE HAVE SOME OTHER MORE SPECIFIC INDUSTRY NEEDS THAT WE'LL, WE'LL GO INTO THAT INCLUDE A STRONG EMPHASIS ON EQUITY AND SAFETY, UH, NOT MY MEETING, BUT I SEE A HAND RAISED CHARITY MIND IF FINE. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I CAN'T. IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SEE EVERYBODY. I, LET ME CHANGE THE LAYOUT. SEE IF THAT'LL HELP. GO AHEAD. YEAH, NO WORRIES. I JUST WANTED TO, UM, ADD ONTO WHAT CODY SAID. UM, AGAIN. SO IN TERMS OF RECOVERY, WE, UH, CODY SPOKE TO THE CARES ACT FUNDING THAT WE ADMINISTERED IN MULTIPLE WAYS TO HELP OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY, WHICH AS YOU Y'ALL KNOW, OUR EDD STAFF CONSIDER OUR TOP PRIORITY FOR OUR, OUR CITY FOR OUR ECONOMIC VITALITY. AND WE KNOW THAT THE NEED IS GREAT IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE SENT A COMMUNICATION OUT LAST WEEK THAT STEPPED THROUGH SOME OF THE, WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN REGARDS TO THE AMERICAN, UH, THE AMERICAN RECOVERY FUNDS. AND WE'RE HAPPY TO RESEARCH INSULATE THAT IF THAT'S HELPFUL, UM, STAFF DID PRESENT A MEMO TO COUNCIL AND A SPENDING PLAN COUNCIL ADOPTED A RESOLUTION, UH, THE, THE, IT GIVES US DIRECTION AND THE ROUTE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO, I'D LIKE TO SEE US GO THIS RESOLUTION, PRIORITIZES FOUR AREAS TO FOCUS ON RECOVERY. UM, AND THOSE FOUR AREAS ARE ALMOST NEWNESS CHILDCARE, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND, UM, FOOD INSECURITY. UM, AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, AT THE, AS EDD STAFF, WE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT RECOVERY, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT RELIEF, WE'RE LOOKING AT CREATIVES AS ONE OF OUR MAIN, UH, COMMUNITIES. AND SO AS WE'RE LOOKING THROUGH THOSE FOUR PRIORITIES, WE CERTAINLY WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES, ASSIST OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY. UM, BUT I DID WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD CIRCULATED THAT INFORMATION. AND AS I SAID, WE'RE HAPPY TO SEND THAT OUT AGAIN, IF HELPFUL AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. SO THERE'LL BE A HOT ROD WAS ALSO ON THE LINE, AND I'M NOT SURE IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING, BUT WANT TO GIVE HER THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO TO, UH, THANK YOU, VERONICA. NO, YOU SUMMARIZE IT. AND WE WILL COME BACK WITH A FULL REPORT, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE CONTRACTED WITH THE LOAN CENTER TO DELIVER THESE ITEMS. SO WE WILL PROVIDE A FULL REPORT THAT AT YOUR NEXT MEETING. THANK YOU. SO NOVEA. THANK YOU, VERONICA COMMISSIONER. OKAY. UM, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS JUST FOR MY OWN UNDERSTANDING. I, YOU MENTIONED THESE BEING GRANTS AND I OBVIOUSLY DID NOT HAVE A VIEW INTO WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL AMOUNTS LOOK LIKE. IS THERE ANY, UM, IS THERE ANY, UM, COMMITMENTS BUILDING TO THE ARTIST HIMSELF OR HERSELF, OR, UM, FOR THESE WHEN YOU STARTED GETTING THE GRANTS? UH, AND THEN I HAVE A SECOND QUESTION IN TERMS OF, UH, THE DNI TRAINING THAT WAS MENTIONED, UM, UH, COULD YOU, COULD YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE SOME OF CONCRETE THINGS THAT ARE BEING DONE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE? WHEN IT COMES TO US? ONE THING IS, UH, YOU KNOW, ENGAGING ARTISTS OR, OR EMPLOYING ARTISTS FROM, UH, THE MINORITY COMMUNITIES, BUT BEYOND THAT, WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN DONE IS THERE, IS THERE EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE TEAMS THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS RIGHT NOW IN THE DNI SPACE, OR IS THERE COLLABORATION WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE SPACE IN TOWN? IS THERE DIRECT OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITIES? UH, SO IT WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT, UH, IF, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONCRETE THINGS THAT ARE BEING DONE IN THAT ASPECT? [01:25:01] SO ONE WAS A COMMITMENT TO THE ARTISTS FROM THE VENUES THEMSELVES THAT ARE GETTING THE GRANTS. AND THE SECOND ONE WAS AROUND DNI. MATTHEW YOU'RE DIRECTING IT TO A DIRECTING IT TO, TO US OR, OR CITY STAFF, UH, MS. REYNOLDS, WHO PRESENTED, UH, SORRY IF I'M SAYING THE NAME WRONG, AND THEN THANK YOU. THOSE ARE THOSE QUESTIONS WE SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR OVER $12 MILLION OF LOCAL FUNDING, UH, BY WAY OF DISASTER RELIEF THROUGH CARES AND THROUGH GENERAL FUND LAST YEAR, UH, 5 MILLION OF THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO MUSIC VENUES AND THE REMAINDER WAS ALLOCATED TO MUSIC WORKERS, INCLUDING MUSICIANS, SO THAT OVER HALF OF THAT, THOSE DOLLARS ALREADY WENT TO MUSICIANS. THEY WENT TO, UH, SOUND ENGINEERS, PRODUCTION WORKERS, BARTENDERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, AND OTHER, YOU KNOW, DESIGNERS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. PARALLEL TO THAT MODEL, TO THAT MY ORGANIZATION OR CULTURAL DISTRICT PUT TOGETHER A CHARITY FUND CALLED THEM OR THEIR ATX THAT AN EARLIER CALLER REFERENCED THAT HAS SOUGHT TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY FOR THE MUSIC SERVICE AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY. UH, WE'VE DELIVERED OVER $225,000 IN HEB GIFT CARDS TO OVER 3000 RECIPIENTS, UM, THROUGH A GRANTS PORTAL, INCLUDING A DEI LENS JUST REALLY QUICKLY. I WAS CURIOUS IF THE RENT ANY KIND OF A DIRECT COMMITMENT BUILT-IN YES, THIS IS STILL NOVIA HAUTE RAMP AS PART OF THE, UM, LIVE MUSIC VENUE FUND. EACH VENUE THAT IS PARTICIPATING HAS TO GO THROUGH AN EQUITY TRAINING AND SUBMIT A STRATEGIC EQUITY PLAN. AND THAT WAS PART OF RECEIVING THE FUNDS. SO EACH VENUE WILL DEVELOP A PLAN THAT'S ACTIONABLE, THAT FITS WITHIN THEIR PROCESS WITHIN THEIR BUSINESS. AND SO TO COMPLETE, ONCE YOU COMPLETE THE TRAINING THERE, MILESTONES AND PAYMENTS ARE DONE ACCORDINGLY. SO PLEASE KNOW THAT THAT WAS PART OF THE GUIDELINES. THANKS. YEAH. TO SUPPORT WHAT DIRECTOR. SO IS SAYING, THAT'S ALSO A RECOMMENDATION THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION WORKING GROUP BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION, UH, OF WHICH REBECCA AND I WERE BOTH PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP OF WHICH WAS THEN BROUGHT TO EDD AND COUNCIL BY RECOMMENDATION. I THINK IN TERMS OF THE LARGER CONSUMER, THE LARGER COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK BEING DONE IN THAT SERP CIRCLE. UM, I'VE FOUND THAT THERE'S BEEN SUCH GOOD FEEDBACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY THAT, UH, THAT BUSINESSES THAT AREN'T RECEIVING FUNDS ARE TRYING TO FIND PORTALS AND ARE REQUESTING ACCESS TO THAT PORTAL THAT YOU HAVE THROUGH THE NVP FUND AND ARE SIGNING UP FOR THE UNDOING RACISM TRAINING. I HAVE A, UH, UH, I HAVE MY BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS WELL AS STAFF ALL SIGNED UP FOR THE UNDOING RACISM, UNDOING RACISM TRAINING. WE'RE ALSO PURSUING ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UT AUSTIN AND, UM, ULI, WHICH HAS ALSO PARTNERED WITH ANOTHER EQUITY GROUP. WE ALSO ON THIS CALL HAVE AN EQUITY PARTNER FOR THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT IN EEQ AUSTIN, WHICH COMMISSIONER GAVIN GARCIA, UH, IT'S HIS ORGANIZATION. AND WE'VE APPLIED THAT IN TERMS OF OUR EVENTS AND PROGRAMS SINCE 2018, UM, BOTH AS A PROPORTIONAL, UH, EQUITY PERCENTAGE AND THE PROGRAMMING THAT WE CREATE. UM, AND IN TERMS OF OUR VISION AND STRATEGY FOR CREATING EQUITY WITH MUSICIANS AND SELECTION OF THAT AS A FIVE OH ONE C3 NONPROFIT THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, WHAT I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF. AND IF I COULD JUST ADD ONTO BOTH WORK, CODY ANN'S NERVOUS, I THINK BOTH, UM, TO CODA'S INITIAL POINT OF THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE ADMINISTERED DIRECTED TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE LIVE MUSIC VENUE THAT HAS BEEN THOUGHTFUL AND WANTING TO BE, UM, ROBUST AND OUR RESPONSE TO NOT ONLY HELP SUSTAIN OUR LIVE MUSIC VENUES, WHICH IN TURN HELPS OUR MUSICIANS AND OUR EMPLOYEES IN LIVE MUSIC VENUES, BUT ALSO HELPING THE INDIVIDUAL THROUGH THIS TOUGH TIME. SO WE HAVE TRIED TO BE ROBUST IN THAT, IN THAT SENSE, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE, UM, THE DEI TRAINING, UM, TO SORT OF USE POINT WE'VE HIRED, WE ALSO HIRED A CONSULTANT TO HELP WITH THAT. SO WE'RE TAKING THAT VERY SERIOUSLY AND REALLY APPRECIATE OUR LIVE MUSIC VENUE COMMUNITY, UM, FOR STEPPING UP AND, AND REALLY AS CODY HAS ELABORATED ON, UM, BEEN REALLY ENGAGED IN THE TRAINING AND IN DEVELOPING THIS PLAN. SO IT'S, IT'S AN EXCITING TIME IN THAT SENSE IN, UH, UH, SOMETHING POSITIVE THAT'S COMING OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC THAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO. YEAH, NEVER REBECCA AND STILL, NO, AGAIN, VERONICA AND I HAD ALL BEEN DISCUSSING THIS WELL BEFORE [01:30:01] COUNCIL APPROVED THESE PROGRAMS IN OCTOBER. UM, WE NOT ONLY HAVE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THINGS FOR THE BETTER IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, UH, IT'S REALLY A HISTORIC MOMENT. IT'S PROBABLY A ONCE IN A FOUR GENERATION OPPORTUNITY. THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN TAKEN OFFLINE AND CAN COME BACK ONLINE IN ANY WAY THAT WE CHOOSE FOR IT TO, RIGHT. SO WHAT WE DID IN 2019 IS NOT, WE'RE NOT DEPENDENT UPON THOSE THINGS ALSO SERVE ON THE DEI TASK FORCE AT NEEVA, UH, WHICH IS WE'RE DIRECTING THIS SORT OF PROGRAMMATICALLY FOR VENUES AND PROMOTERS NATIONWIDE. THE GOAL BEING, AND I'VE KIND OF HARPED ON THIS OFTEN THAT TIME IS OUR SHARED ENEMY. UM, HIRING IS ALREADY BEGUN, NOT JUST IN AUSTIN, BUT ALL OVER. WE HAVE PROBABLY A 45 DAY WINDOW HERE IN AUSTIN TO EDUCATE UP AND PROVIDE HR AND, AND, AND BETTER SORT OF SERVICE IN TERMS OF NEW HIRE ONBOARDING UNTIL PEOPLE START GOING BACK TO BUSINESS AS USUAL BUSINESS, AS USUAL AS SOMEONE WHO USED TO RUN A LIVE MUSIC VENUE IN AUSTIN IS WORKING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 24 SEVEN. AND NOT HAVING TIME TO SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY, NEVERMIND THINK ABOUT DEEPER SOCIETAL ISSUES OR ISSUES OF, OF WELLBEING OR, AND SUCH, RIGHT? SO WE'RE LIVING IN A HISTORIC MOMENT AND WE HAVE REALLY ONE CHANCE OF GETTING IT RIGHT. UM, SO I JOINED ALL OF Y'ALL TO KEEP, CONTINUE TO FOCUS. I KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER SHAKA HAS BEEN REALLY LASER FOCUSED ON THIS, AND I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR HIS WORK IN THIS ARENA. UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE CAN'T JUST CLOSE OUR EYES AND GO BACK TO SLEEP AFTER ALL THIS AND PRETEND LIKE EVERYTHING'S HUNKY DORY, IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE. AND IF MUSIC ISN'T DOING IT, THEN WHO THE HELL WILL. ALL RIGHT, THANKS, CODY. UH, I WANT TO TRY TO GET THIS BACK TO DOWNTOWN. WE, WE, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SLID OFF AND THE EQUITY AND STUFF. THAT'S GREAT. IT'S A GREAT CONVERSATION. YOU KNOW, I'LL TALK ABOUT THIS ALL DAY. WE CAN TALK ABOUT EQUITY UNTIL THAT'S ALL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY FOCUS, BUT, UM, THERE'S PLENTY OF OTHER STUFF ON THIS AGENDA. SO LET'S, IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY ABOUT DOWNTOWN SPECIFICALLY, UM, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THAT. OTHERWISE WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM. THERE WAS A SPEAKER SIGNED UP. OH, I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY ON, ARE YOU THERE? DON'T FORGET ME. YEAH. I'M SORRY. IT'S A LOT GOING ON. NOPE. THIS IS STRIKE TWO. OKAY. SO THE WHOLE MAN, MY NAME IS MS. E. UM, MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT WE'RE DOING DOLLAR DOING GOOD THINGS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT LETS ME KNOW, AND OTHER PEOPLE KNOW HOW MANY POSITIONS YOU'RE SERVING AND EACH ETHNIC GROUP THAT'S REAL. THOSE NUMBERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT TELLS ME THAT THAT EQUITY'S IN PLACE. SO THAT'S, THAT'S, I I'M SURPRISED THAT EACH DEPARTMENT HAS, DOESN'T HAVE A BREAKDOWN AS TO, AS TO HOW MANY, UM, DIFFERENT RACES ARE GETTING SO MUCH. IT JUST, IT JUST SAYS A LOT IT'S ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY. AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT, THAT I'M ASKING. YEAH, I THINK, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, THAT INFORMATION IS ACTUALLY AVAILABLE JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVEN'T SAID IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NOT AVAILABLE. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, AGAIN, I'M ON, I'M GONNA, YOU KNOW, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I'M ALSO GONNA ASK THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, GET INVOLVED IN THE SYSTEMIC RACISM AND EQUITY WORKING GROUP. THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU COULD DEFINITELY BE MORE INFORMED ON. UM, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ASKED YOU TO BE A PART OF THAT GROUP. AND SO WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME ON BACK TO US AND, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU CAN DEFINITELY BE INFORMED ON THESE THINGS. WE CAN'T INFORM EVERYBODY ON EVERYTHING AND EVERY TOPIC, BUT IF YOU GO TO THE DASHBOARD, I THINK ON THE ATX ETX RECOVERY, YOU CAN FIND THAT INFORMATION. UM, I'LL ENCOURAGE YOU TO JUST, IT'S NOT THAT I SAID THAT, BUT I, I APPRECIATE YOU RAISING THAT AND I'M SURE THAT THE CITY, YOU KNOW, UM, IS EAGER TO HAVE YOU FIND THAT INFORMATION AT ATX RECOVERY. UM, NO, NOT AT ACS RECOVERY. WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE WEBSITE. SORRY, WHAT IS IT? SORRY. ATX RECOVERS.COM AT T ACTUAL COVERS.COM. OKAY. UM, ALL RIGHT. IS THAT IT FOR ITEM? WHAT WAS THAT? THREE D OKAY. ITEM THREE C DOUG HAD A QUESTION. OH, [01:35:01] I'M SORRY. NO, GO AHEAD. YEAH, REAL QUICK. UM, LAST MONTH WE HAD, UH, THE DOWNTOWN CHAIR, UH, AUGUST HARRIS ON, AND HE SEEMED, UH, PRETTY, UM, UH, ENCOURAGED THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER DOWNTOWN GROUPS LIKE DAA THAT COULD HELP THE MUSIC INDUSTRY DOWNTOWN. UM, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY PARTNERSHIPS WITH DA OR OTHER GROUPS, UM, PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC OR, AND HAVE, UH, WHAT'S IN THE WORKS CURRENTLY, IF ANYTHING, I'LL JUST SAY THAT I'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH, UM, DA THE LAST WEEK OR SO. AND THEY DO APPEAR TO BE, UM, REALLY INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT VENUES DOWNTOWN SURVIVE THE, THE PANDEMIC. UM, I DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE A FORMAL PLAN OR A FORMAL RELATIONSHIP ON THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, HELPFUL AND MAKING SUGGESTIONS TO COUNCIL THROUGHOUT COVID THAT, THAT, UH, VINNY RELIEF IS PRIORITIZED. AND SO I FEEL HOPEFUL ABOUT A FUTURE RELATIONSHIP WITH DAA. I KNOW YOU AND I DISCUSSED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONER SPOKE ABOUT AND, YOU KNOW, PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UM, PARTNERSHIPS WITH DEVELOPERS TO PRESERVE MUSIC. VENUES IS ASPIRATIONAL. IF IT DOESN'T MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE FOR THE DEVELOPER. AND SO THAT IS WHY SOLUTIONS LIKE THE AEDC ARE AN ANSWER TO, TO THESE KINDS OF CONUNDRUMS. AND SO, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT, UH, GET LULLED INTO A FANTASY WHERE THERE'S GOING TO BE DEVELOPERS WHO DO US A SOLID BY GIVING FREE SPACE TO, TO, UM, VENUES. UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE WAYS TO MAKE CREATIVE SPACES AFFORDABLE, DOWNTOWN AND WAYS THAT WE CAN INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS TO INCLUDE AFFORDABLE CREATIVE SPACES. UM, AND IT STARTS WITH GOING BACK TO CREATING A LAND USE FOR MUSIC VENUES, UM, AT LEAST FOR, FROM THE MUSIC VENUE PERSPECTIVE. AND SO WE NEED TO GET THAT CONVERSATION BACK ON TRACK. WE'VE TRIED TWICE BEFORE, BUT BECAUSE WE WERE ATTEMPTING IT IN A DEVELOPMENT CODE CONVERSATION, IT ENDED UP NOT GETTING DONE. UM, BUT IT'S REALLY CRITICAL THAT WE GET THAT INITIAL STEP DONE. UM, IN ORDER FOR US TO START CREATING THESE INCENTIVES AND PARTNERSHIP CONVERSATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN, I THINK THIS MIGHT BE THE BEST TIME TO ACTUALLY RECONSTITUTE THAT SINCE WE'RE TYING DOWNTOWN AUSTIN. AND SO I'VE SPOKEN WITH THEM AND ACTUALLY THEY'RE GOING TO SPEAK IN MAY. THEY COULDN'T GET SOMEONE TO SPEAK TODAY. THEY WERE ACTUALLY, WE REACHED OUT TO THEM TO SPEAK TODAY AND THEY WEREN'T AVAILABLE. SO THEY WILL BE COMING IN MAY TO TALK AT THE LAND USE WORKING GROUP WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION AND THE JOINT GROUP WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION AND MUSIC CONVENTION AND, UM, TO, TO RESTART THAT CONVERSATION. SO, UH, IF WE CAN, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I WAS GOING TO A MOTION THAT WE RE-INSTITUTE THAT GROUP AND INVITE THE ARTS COMMISSION TO JOIN US IN A LAND USE WORKING GROUP. YEAH. I SECOND THAT, UM, THEN YOU CAN CALL IT VOTE TOO. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. CAN YOU REPEAT THE MOTION PLEASE? TO RECONSTITUTE THE LAND USE WORKING GROUP WITH THE, UH, AUSTIN ARTS COMMISSION AND MUSIC COMMISSIONS. AND I SECOND THAT, THAT, AND, UH, ALL IN FAVOR. OKAY. OPPOSED NICK. UH, I WAS ON THAT COMMISSION BEFORE, UH, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME, A LOT OF EFFORT AND THEN CODE NEXT FAILED, AND WE HAD SOME GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS OUT OF IT, BUT I, I THINK THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS UNTIL THE CITY KNOWS WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE DOING AND THERE'S SOME REAL, UM, AND THERE'S SOMETHING REALLY IS GOING TO HAPPEN. I, UM, YOU KNOW, I, THOSE WHO WANT TO JOIN THE GROUP CAN, BUT I VOTE THE DISCUSSION IN A WAY THAT ISN'T DEPENDENT ON CITY PASSING A LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE. I THINK THAT THAT WAS WHAT REBECCA WAS ALLUDING TO. YEAH, EXACTLY. WE DID ALL THAT HARD WORK AND BECAUSE WE WERE DEPENDING ON A LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, WE WORK NEVER GOT EXECUTED. OKAY. HOW ABOUT WE JUST DO A, LIKE US CREATE A VENUE [01:40:01] OR A SPACE CREATION WORKING GROUP. YEAH, WE, WE, I MEAN, WE ALREADY VOTED SEVEN ONE OR SOMETHING, SO I DON'T THINK WE, YEAH. OKAY. UH, ANYBODY IS STAYING IN THERE. OKAY. 71. WE'RE GOOD. OKAY. THANK YOU, GRAHAM. ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE ON, UH, ON THAT THREE B YEAH. DO WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION NOW ON WHICH COMMISSIONERS ARE PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN DO BY EMAIL? I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO VIA EMAIL, CORRECT. UM, UM, YEAH, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T HAVE TO VOTE ON THEM, BUT YOU CAN TAKE VOLUNTEERS IF YOU WANT TO NOW AND, UM, HAVE AN IDEA OF WHO'S GOING TO SERVE. I'LL DO IT WITH THE OKAY. GRAHAM, UM, AGAIN, ENCOURAGING FOLKS THAT ARE NOT INVOLVED IN, UM, ANY GROUPS TO, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY STEP INTO, TO THIS GROUP. UM, DOUG, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALSO BUSY AS A MEMBER OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, BUT I DO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BECAUSE YOU'RE A LIAISON WITH THAT GROUP, BUT YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THIS LAND USE GROUP WOULD BE VALUABLE. YOU CAN SAY NO, NO PRESSURE, BUT JUST MAYBE A LITTLE BIT. I WILL TAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION AND YEAH. AND I WILL VOLUNTEER MYSELF FOR THIS. ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY ELSE? WE, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE ANY COMMISSIONERS, I DON'T REMEMBER WHOSE DISTRICT IS WHAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEIR DISTRICT IS LOCATED NEAR DOWNTOWN OR EAST SIDE. THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD, LIKE A COMMISSION FOR OUR, A GOOD WORKING GROUP FOR YOU TO BE A PART OF. UM, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY, NOW WE CAN ALL JUST THINK ABOUT THAT. MAYBE, UH, LET'S JUST NIGHT GRAHAM AND DOUG, THE POINT PERSON ON THAT. SO EMAILED THEM. YEAH. I MEAN, THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE. IF PEOPLE THINK ABOUT IT AND WANT TO JOIN, IT IS HALF ARTS PEOPLE AND HALF MUSIC PEOPLE, AND THEN COMBINED WITH ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC. SO I THINK WE'RE ACTUALLY OFF TO A GOOD START AS FAR AS, I MEAN, A GOOD, HEALTHY SIZE. ALRIGHTY, IS THAT EVERYBODY, UH, HAVE A CHANCE WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY SEND AN EMAIL OUT ABOUT THAT. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE NOW, BUT I DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE THOSE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, MAY NOT BE IN A GROUP TO STEP INTO THAT ONE. AND LYNN'S YOUR VOICE. OKAY. THREE, [3C. Discussion and Possible Action on the Live Music Fund following update by Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, Acting Director, Economic Development Department.] UH, SI DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE LIVE MUSIC FUND UPDATE BY SYNOVIA HALL, RAB, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU CHAIR. IF THEY COULD BRING UP MY PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. UM, AS MENTIONED LAST MONTH, I COMMITTED TO COME BACK THIS MONTH AND BRING YOU AN UPDATE ON THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AS TO WHERE WE ARE. NEXT SLIDE, AS YOU RECALL, THE FIRST YEAR THAT THE LIVE MUSIC FUND WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL WAS, UM, FISCAL YEAR 20, WHICH STARTED OCTOBER ONE, 2019 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2020, JUST AS A REMINDER, WHEN COUNCIL APPROVES NOT ONLY THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, BUT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND, EVEN THE FUNDS FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, THEY ARE APPROVING THE REVENUE ON AN ESTIMATE BASED ON EVENTS THAT THEY THINK ARE HAPPENING. THOSE THAT ARE COMING INTO THE CITY AND A HISTORICAL TREND. WELL, AS YOU ARE AWARE, COVID CAME IN 2020. SO WHEN COUNCIL APPROVED THE BUDGET, THEY APPROVED 2.4 ABOUT $2.5 MILLION OF REVENUE. WELL, DUE TO COVID ACTUALS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, REALIZED IS APPROX IS 1.7, THIS IS AN AUDITED NUMBER. YOU CAN FIND IT AT THE LINK BELOW AND THE COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT THAT HAS TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CITY AND ACTUALLY FILED WITH THE STATE. SO THIS IS AN AUDITED NUMBER. THIS IS ACTUALLY, SO AGAIN, WHEN COUNCIL APPROVES A BUDGET ON THE REVENUE SIDE FOR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX IS BASED ON AN ESTIMATE WE HAVE NOW CON CLOSE OR THE BOOKS FOR THE CITY ABOUT OUR COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT. AND THE ACTUAL REALIZED FROM OCTOBER ONE 2019 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2020 IS $1.7 MILLION. NEXT SLIDE. [01:45:03] SO WE MOVE FORWARD TO F Y 21, AGAIN, THE SAME PREMISE COUNSEL BASED, UH, BUT ON AN ESTIMATE ON TRENDS, ON THINGS THEY, UH, UH, WE'RE SEEING BASED ON ADVICE FROM OUR ECONOMISTS AND EVERYTHING AT THIS TIME. UM, WELL, WHEN THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED FOR OCTOBER ONE, 2020 RULE SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT WE WOULD REALIZE 2.2 MILLION IN REVENUE, AS YOU ARE AWARE, COVID IS STILL GOING ON AND WE DON'T HAVE A FORMAL ESTIMATED REVENUE NUMBER AT THIS TIME. WE SHOULD HAVE THAT NUMBER WHEN THE FORECAST IS PRESENTED MID, UM, APRIL NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. SO WHAT I WANT YOU TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION IS THAT I HAVE DEVELOPED THIS SLIDE OF FYI APPROVED BUDGET TO THE F Y 21 ESTIMATE. SO AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, IF BASED ON THE ACTUAL SALES FROM FYI 20 DID NOT COME IN AS HIGH, YOUR BEGINNING BALANCE WILL BE LOW. AND SO WHAT WE'RE WAITING ON NOW IS THE NUMBER THAT IS IN RED. WE SHOULD GET AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE HOPE TO REALIZE. AGAIN, BASED ON WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE INDUSTRY. WE WILL HAVE THAT NUMBER BY MID APRIL, AND I CAN BRING YOU AN UPDATE NEXT MONTH, BUT I'VE BEEN ASKED WHY DIDN'T YOU APPROVE A PROGRAM AROUND $3 MILLION JUST BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE SEEN. WE KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN TRAVEL. I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT NUMBER COMING IN ANYWHERE CLOSE TO 2.2. AGAIN, I WILL HAVE ACTUAL NEXT WEEK, MID APRIL, BUT IF WE HAD SPENT OR ENTER INTO CONTRACT AROUND $3 MILLION, THERE IS A POTENTIAL THAT THIS FUND COULD HAVE GONE NEGATIVE, BUT AS YOU ARE AWARE, WE HAVE NOT LAUNCHED A PROGRAM. SO AT THIS TIME, WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WE HAVE REALIZED 1.7 FROM LAST YEAR. AND AGAIN, WHEN THE FORECAST COMES OUT, AS WE ARTICULATED IN OUR MEMO, WE WILL PROVIDE UPDATED DATA. NEXT SLIDE. ALSO IN DECEMBER OF 2020, WE PRESENTED OUR HIGH LEVEL CONCEPT AROUND A PROGRAM THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. WE'RE STILL TAKING FEEDBACK. WE TOOK YOUR FEEDBACK FROM THE WORKING GROUP AND FROM THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU HAVE, UH, PASSED ON HOW TO SPEND THOSE MONTHS. AND WE PLAN TO RELEASE POSTS, FORECAST NEXT STEPS ON, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE USE OF THIS BUTTON. NEXT SLIDE. AND AT THIS TIME I WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU WANT TO TAKE DOWN SO I CAN SEE EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, HEY SHAKA, WE DO HAVE A SPEAKER, UH, ON THIS, ON THESE ITEMS. I WOULD TAKE THE SPEAKERS OUT. YEAH. SO THAT'D BE HIS PRESENTATION AND THEN OPEN IT UP FOR Q AND A. OKAY. UM, OKAY. LET ME SAY, UH, IS IT ON AGAIN, MESSIER? YEAH, THE SPEAKERS ARE SIX OF THEM. THERE'S NOT A KEVIN RUSSELL, SCOTT STRICKLAND, PAT BOUQUET. THANK YOU. YES. OKAY. YA, I SEE IT. I WAS, UM, OKAY. SPEAK IN REFERENCE TO THIS, BUT AT THIS MOMENT, I'M, UH, VERY UPSET WITH, UM, WITH, WITH, WITH, UH, THE MANNER IN WHICH SPEAKERS, UM, ARE BEING TREATED. I WOULD LIKE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BE RESPECTFUL AND MINDFUL OF ALL ETHNIC CULTURAL GROUPS AND, AND ADDRESS IT, DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS TO BE EQUITABLE TO EVERYONE. AND I HAVE BEEN ENTERED, RUBBED IT TWICE DURING THIS MEETING. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST [01:50:01] TO THE CHAIR, TO LEAD THE COMMISSIONERS, TO BE INCLUSIVE OF ALL ETHNIC GROUPS AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEAK WHAT THEY WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, BUT I DESERVE AN APOLOGY FOR BEING INTERRUPTED AND FOR BEING TREATED THIS WAY. THAT'S IT. OKAY. WELL, UM, WE WOULD, UH, DEFINITELY THERE, THERE WAS NO INTENT ON, UH, DISRESPECTING YOU IN ANY WAY OR, UM, INTERRUPTING YOU. SO WE, UH, WE SEND, UH, APOLOGIES TO YOU AND, UM, WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENCE. I'M GOING TO GO TO SONYA SONYA EXHIBIT, GOOD EVENING MUSIC COMMISSIONER, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS SONIA DRAVET. I'M HERE TONIGHT AS A WORKING MUSICIAN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. I WAS EXCITED TO WITNESS THE CITY AND OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IN 2019. SEEING THE SUPPORT FOR THE FIRST EVER PUBLIC FUNDING FOR MUSIC IN AUSTIN MEANS THAT MUSICIANS LIKE ME HAVE A CHANCE TO CONTINUE WORKING IN THE CITY. AND NOW, WELL OVER A YEAR SINCE THE PANDEMIC, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND MAY BE THE ONLY WAY TO GET OUR MUSIC ECONOMY UP AND RUNNING. AGAIN. THIS IS OUR STIMULUS PACKAGE. AS VENUES OPENED BACK UP, UNEMPLOYMENT BEGINS TO RUN OUT AND MUSICIANS BEGAN ACCEPTING GIGS. ONCE AGAIN, WE NEED THOSE FUNDS TO HELP STABILIZE OUR INDUSTRY SO THAT WE GET THE LIVE MUSIC FUN. SO WE ASK THAT WE GET THE LIVE MUSIC FUND UP AND RUNNING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE LATER ON IN THE MEETING, THEY'RE GOING TO BE HEARING FROM MEMBERS OF THE APX SISTERHOOD AS THE LEADER OF THIS GROUP. I FULLY SUPPORT SETTING UP A GENDER EQUITY GROUP SO THAT THE ACXIOM SISTERHOOD AND THE MUSIC COMMISSION CAN BEGIN DEVELOPING A WORKING GROUP. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. THANK YOU, SONIA. UM, KEVIN RUSSELL. UM, YEAH. UM, I JUST WANT TO ADD MY VOICE TO THE GROUP HERE, UH, THAT THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, UM, SHOULD BE FOR LOCAL MUSICIANS, LOCAL VENUES ALL THE WAY. UH, THERE'S SOME TALK THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE CASE. I HOPE THAT'S NOT TRUE. THAT SEEMED TO BE THE INTENT AND THE SPIRIT ALL ALONG, BUT A LOT OF MUSIC FUN. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT REMAINS THE CASE. UH, I, AND WHEN THE MONEY SHOULD BE DISTRIBUTED, I, I FEEL LIKE THAT NEEDS TO BE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. UM, I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY TO RELEASE FUNDING FROM THE CITY. UH, IF SOMEBODY COULD START CUT SOME CHECKS, THAT'D BE HELPFUL TO A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE IN THE CITY. UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO DEMAND THAT CITY LEADERS ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THIS, THIS COMMISSION. UH, LET'S GET THE MONEY FLOWING AND GET IT OUT THERE AND AN EQUITABLE AND HONEST FASHION. THANKS FOR LETTING US SPEAK THOUGH. THANK YOU, KEVIN RUSSELL, SCOTT STRICKLAND. HEY THERE, I'M SCOTT STRICKLIN, UH, PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS. I'M ALSO A MUSICIAN MYSELF, AND I'M ALSO A PRECINCT CHAIR IN ONE 54 ON THE COMMENTS AND KIND OF ECHOING OFF OF WHAT SONYA AND KEVIN RUSSELL HAS SAID REGARDING THE LIVE MUSIC FUND. I WOULD HOPE THAT THERE IS TRANSPARENCY AND HOW THESE FUNDS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ADMINISTERED, UM, DISTRIBUTED INTO WHO THAT IS GOING TO BE. I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CITY COUNCIL THAT, UH, THAT MONEY IS TAXPAYER MONEY, WHICH MEANS THAT THAT MONEY IS OUR MONEY. IT'S NOT YOURS. AND WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU TO HELP UNDERSTAND AND DISTRIBUTE THESE FUNDS APPROPRIATELY. AND WE NEED THIS MONEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE WERE THE FIRST PEOPLE STAGE HANDS ARTISTS OF ALL KINDS VENUES. WE WERE THE FIRST PEOPLE TO SHUT OUR DOORS. WE WILL BE THE LAST PEOPLE TO GET BACK TO WORK. ONCE THIS ECONOMY GETS UP AND RUNNING AGAIN, AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND EVERYONE'S GETTING VACCINATED, UM, AND THINGS ARE SLOWLY STARTING TO OPEN UP. I WOULD ASK, I BESEECH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, CITY COUNCIL, CITY STAFF, [01:55:01] TO PLEASE KEEP THAT MONEY. LOCAL DO NOT BRING NICKI MINAJ TO AUSTIN, TEXAS, TO DO A SHOW HERE, PLEASE KEEP THAT MONEY LOCAL. IT IS OUR MONEY. WE ARE TAXPAYERS. WE PAY TAXES HERE. LET'S DO WHAT'S RIGHT BY THE AUSTIN, TEXAS COMMUNITY BY THE MUSIC COMMUNITY, BY THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS SHOWN THIS TOWNS SO MUCH AND HAS GIVEN THIS TOWN SO MUCH, LET'S KEEP IT LOCAL IF ALL WE'LL SAY. AND THANK YOU. SO I GUESS I PLANS FOR A NICKI MINAJ WORKING GROUP, UM, HAVE BEEN CANCELED. I HOPE SO. WASN'T SHE PERFORM AT OUR NEXT MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING? I AGAIN, STOPPED AGAIN. DAMN. WE WOULD HAVE DONE IT IF IT WEREN'T FOR THOSE DARN KIDS. I GO AHEAD. THANKS. THANKS, SCOTT. YEAH, THAT'S IT. YOU'RE WELCOME, SIR. UM, PATRICK, UH, VICTOR PLEASE. YEAH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. UM, ON BEHALF OF AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA WELCOME, UH, NAGA, VOLLEY, UH, TONIGHT AND LAUREN AND LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOUR WORK, UH, IN WHATEVER WAY WE CAN. I'LL BE BRIEF BECAUSE I KNOW, UM, I MEAN, YOU GUYS KNOW I'M WRITING THESE REPORTS AND THIS AGENDA IS PROBABLY THE MOST PACKED AGENDA I THINK I'VE EVER SEEN. SO, UH, I'LL KEEP IT QUICK. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST TO ECHO, SOME OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID TONIGHT, UH, WE'RE URGING CITY STAFF TO ADOPT, UH, THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS CREATED BY THE LIVE MUSIC PLAN, WORKING GROUP AND APPROVED BY THIS BODY. UH, THERE'S SOLID RECOMMENDATIONS ON DISBURSEMENT AND EQUITY. AND I DO BELIEVE THEY ENCAPSULATE, UH, WHAT OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY, UH, DOES WANT TO SEE HAPPEN. KNOW, WE DO WANT TO KEEP THAT MONEY LOCAL. THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THIS FUND WAS TO PAY LOCAL AUSTIN MUSICIANS AND VENUES. SO LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY. UH, BECAUSE AS SONIA SAID, THIS FUND IS TRULY THE ONLY REAL STIMULUS WE HAVE TO RESTART OUR MUSIC INDUSTRY. UM, AND FINALLY LET'S BE TRANSPARENT. YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF THAT MONEY IS ACTUALLY GONNA GO BACK INTO OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY. UH, AND WHEN, UH, TIME IS CERTAINLY OF THE ESSENCE, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO GET THIS RIGHT NOW, UH, AS THESE DECISIONS ARE GOING TO AFFECT, UH, GENERATIONS OF MUSICIANS, UH, TO COME. UH, BUT I DO WANT TO THANK SO NOVIA FOR THE UPDATE ON THE LMF TONIGHT. UH, AND WE DO HOPE THAT THE LMF SERVES AS THE LIFELINE, OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WILL MOST DEFINITELY NEED THIS YEAR. UH, ALSO I WANT TO THANK MATTHEW FOR THAT UPDATE ON THE PRIUS SPACES BOND AS OUR REACH COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING HARD, UH, WITH THE DORIS MILLER AUDITORIUM AND NOW THE MILLENNIUM, UH, TO BRING SOME IMPROVEMENTS, UH, TO CREATE A MUSIC HUB OVER ON THE EAST SIDE. UH, AND I'M SORRY THAT DUSTY SAXON COULDN'T SPEAK TONIGHT. I THINK HE GOT DISCONNECTED, BUT HE'S BEEN WORKING WITH US ON A, UH, PLAN TO CREATE LIFE INSURANCE AND RETIREMENT PLANS FOR MUSICIANS. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT NEXT MONTH, UH, BUT THANK YOU GUYS AND GOOD LUCK ON THE NEXT TWO TO THREE HOURS OF THE MEETING TONIGHT. THANKS. Y'ALL BYE. ALL RIGHT. UH, TOM, TOM, THEN SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE. YES. VINCE STEAK. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. UH, MY NAME'S TOMMY AND SKY COM THE, UH, DRUMMER AND MUSIC DIRECTOR FOR ROBERT EARL KANE. AND I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE CITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE FOR THE LOCAL FOUR 33 OF THE MUSICIANS UNION. UM, THIS COMMITTEE IS VERY DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR SOME OF THE PLANS THAT WERE FLOATING AROUND ON THE EDD DISTRIBUTION, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, UM, SEEMINGLY TO IGNORE THE WORKING GROUP'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY TO TAKE SOME OF THE MONEY OUT OF THE LOCAL SCENE AND PUT IT INTO, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY NICKI MINAJ, BUT YOU KNOW, OTHER PEOPLE, UM, THE UNION'S EXECUTIVE BOARD VOTED TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF THIS FUND IN 2019, BELIEVING IT WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS DIRECTLY FUNDED AND SUPPORTED THE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE AND LOCAL MUSICIANS. WE FOUGHT HARD TO GET A SEAT AT THE TABLE ONLY TO FIND OUT ONCE AGAIN, THAT WE'RE SITTING AT THE CHILDREN'S TABLE AND ANOTHER ROOM WHERE OUR VOICES AND OUR NEEDS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE IGNORED THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL UNANIMOUS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE FUND AND ITS SPECIFIC USE TO BE DIRECTED TO AN INVESTMENT INTO THE LOCAL SCENE. UM, JUST TO KEEP EVERYTHING BRIEF, CAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE BUSY AND YOU HAVE A FULL PLATE. THE CITY [02:00:01] AFFAIRS COMMITTEE OF LOCAL FOUR 33 IS CALLING FOR TOTAL TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT OF THE EDBS USE OF THE FUNDS FROM THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AND, AND IN SUPPORT OF THE LIVE MUSIC FUNDS WORKING GROUP'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND ASK THAT THE FUNDS BE DISTRIBUTED, EQUITABLY, EXPEDIENTLY, AND LOCALLY. AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALWAYS DO AND ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TONIGHT. HMM HUH. OKAY. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT STARTED, MAN, BUT YOU GOT TO WATCH OUT FOR TWITTER AND ALL THESE, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE THINGS, MAN. I DON'T KNOW, MAN. I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHO STARTED IT, BUT UH, WE, WE GOT A DEAD DEAD. YEAH. I'M PRETTY SURE IT NOT, UH, BEEN A PART OF ANY EDD DISCUSSIONS. ALTHOUGH I PERSONALLY AM A FAN. I DON'T WANT ANYBODY HATING ON ANY WOMEN IN HIP HOP. SO LET ME JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE, BUT I WOULD LOVE A, I WANT STILL, NEVER YET DEFINITELY TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE COMMENTS AND CONCERNS. AND, AND JUST BEFORE THAT, I DID WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS THAT WERE HERE TONIGHT. UM, PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME AND BEING ON THE PHONE FOR A LONG TIME WAITING TO SPEAK. AND UH, SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE DEDICATED A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY AND EFFICIENT TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN AUSTIN, INCLUDING AUTO MASIELLO. PATRICK BOOKTA DOES A TON. I'M NOT GOING TO LIST EVERYBODY'S NAME, BUT THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. UM, BUT YEAH, SO THERE'LL BE A PLEASE JUMP DOWN. YES. THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR. JUST TO BE CLEAR, NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE NONE, NO DECISION. WE HAVE TAKEN OUR WORK VERY SERIOUSLY FROM THE START OF THE FIRST MUSIC FUND THAT WE DID, UM, IN RESPONSE TO COVID ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CREATIVE WORKER RELIEF FUND. WE HAVE PRIORITIZED EQUITY AT THE CENTER OF ALL OF OUR RELIEF EFFORTS. WE WOULD NEVER LAUNCH A PROGRAM WITHOUT COMING BACK TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION. UM, THAT IS SOMETHING WE COMMITTED TO AND THAT'S SOMETHING I MEET REGULARLY WITH THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR TO KEEP THEM ABREAST. I WANT IT TO GET CERTIFIED NUMBERS BECAUSE I HEARD THIS NUMBER HAS BEEN FLOATING OUT THERE. SO I WAITED TO GET A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL REPORT FROM THE CITY. AND SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, B E D D ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING AND LEADING WITH EQUITY ACROSS ALL DIVISIONS, INCLUDING MUSIC, AND YOU HAVE THAT COMMITMENT FROM ME. AND SO BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY PROGRAM, WE'RE GOING TO BRING YOU BACK THE GUIDELINES WE'VE HEARD FROM YOU. WE KNOW THAT EQUITY IS IMPORTANT AND THAT'S WHAT WE WILL LEAD WITH. BUT AGAIN, TO DATE, NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE. THE POINT OF BRINGING THE NUMBERS TO THE COMMISSION WAS TO SHOW THEM VOLATILITY OF THE NUMBERS. SO I'VE BEEN WORKING IN THIS SPACE OR AT LEAST 11 YEARS, AND YOU NEED TO PROPERLY PLAN. AND SO I WOULD BE REMISSED ENTER INTO CONTRACT FOR MORE FUNDS THAN WE HAVE. SO TAKING YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, INTO CONSIDERATION, WE WILL BE COMING BACK AFTER FORECAST. ONCE WE KNOW WHAT THAT ESTIMATE WOULD BE. I CAN'T, I DON'T WOULDN'T WANT TO COMMIT TO A NUMBER, UM, WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE BUDGET OFFICE WILL SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE. NONE TOOK YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SYSTEM WORKING GROUP. WE TOOK THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION. AND SO WE FORMED A HIGH LEVEL CONCEPT, BUT IT IS NOT FINISHED. SO WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK WITH GUIDELINES THAT WILL LIST OUT EVERYTHING. AND JUST LIKE ALL OF OUR OTHER PROGRAMS, WE WILL HAVE DASHBOARDS GUIDELINES WILL BE PUBLIC, UM, UH, BASED ON AUSTIN APPLICANTS ONLY WE KNOW THAT THIS IS THE BREAD AND BUTTER. WE, WE RECOGNIZE THE CREATIVE ECONOMY HERE AND WHAT IT DOES FOR AUSTIN. SO THAT IS MY COMMITMENT. SEE, NOW I'D LIKE TO ASK A FOLLOWING QUESTION. UH, UH, SO YES, WE, WE CAME OUT WITH THE GUIDELINES THROUGH LEAST SUPPORTED BY ALL OF THE SPEAKERS, UH, AND YOU, AND YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THEM. I'M UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT HAS NOT BEEN BROUGHT TO COUNCIL, RIGHT? SO HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT THIS GOES TO COUNCIL? NOT THAT WE DON'T TRUST YOU, BUT YOU KNOW, LET'S HAVE EVERYTHING TRANSPARENT AND THIS TALK OF, YOU [02:05:01] KNOW, YOU, YOU GUYS, AREN'T BEING TRANSPARENT WHEN IN FACT YOU HAVEN'T MADE ANY DECISIONS IS, UH, CERTAINLY DRIVEN BY THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I'M, I'M CURIOUS HOW DO THESE THINGS NORMALLY GET BROUGHT TO COUNCIL OR DO THAT, BUT WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE PROCESS. SO YES, WE'RE GOING TO BRING THEM TO COUNCIL. WE WILL BRING NEXT STEPS. JUST LIKE WE SENT COUNCIL A MEMO SAYING, COUNCIL, WE TYPICALLY LAUNCH PROGRAMS IN MARCH AT THIS TIME. WE'RE NOT COMFORTABLE BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE NUMBERS. AND SO IN THAT MEMO, I COMMITTED TO COUNCIL THAT WHEN WE HAVE THE NUMBERS FROM THE FORECAST, WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU WITH NEXT STEPS. I ARTICULATED THAT IN A MEMO, I CAN RECIRCULATE THAT MEMO. AND IN THAT MEMO, I COMMITTED TO GO BACK TO COUNCIL SO I CAN RESEARCH RELATE THAT, OKAY, WELL, THE, YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT. WE HAD THE GUIDELINES, BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE NUMBERS. YOU FELT THEY COULD NOT COME WITH GUIDELINES AND SAY NUMBERS TBD, BUT THESE ARE GUIDELINES. COULD, WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO DO THAT? UH, EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS, PLEASE, UH, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S DONE. YES, I DO. THAT. I WILL TAKE THE GUIDELINES BACK TO COUNCIL ALONG WITH NUMBERS, BUT NOT BEFORE I COME BACK TO YOU, THEN TO COME BACK TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT I'M TAKING TO THE COUNCIL, THEN I'M GOING TO GO TO COUNCIL. OKAY, I'M NOT GOING TO SKIP IT. RIGHT. AND WE DID, UH, YOU KNOW, WE THANK YOU FOR YOU. GUYS' HARD WORK ON THIS. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN REALLY WORKING ON THE EQUITY SIDE OF THINGS AND, AND, AND FIGURING IT OUT BECAUSE THAT IS SO STRESSED THIS YEAR. AND, UH, UH, UM, UM, I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE DIRECTION IT'S HEADED IN. AND I JUST ASKED FOR PEOPLE'S PATIENTS. I KNOW EXPEDIENT HAS BEEN A WORD THAT'S USED A LOT, BUT YOU KNOW, ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT WE MADE A LOT OF MISTAKES IN THE PAST. SO WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS. SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE TWO THINGS, SOMETIMES DON'T DON'T MATCH, RIGHT? YOU WANT, YOU WANT THE MONEY, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU WANT ALL THESE RADICAL CHANGES TO HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE, THIS IS A PROCESS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST BEAR WITH US AND WE PROMISE THAT WE'RE NOT BRINGING NICKI MINAJ WITH THIS, UH, LOUD MUSIC. FUNMENT AUSTIN BASED APP. NO DISRESPECT IS IN CHARLOTTE SAID THAT NIKKI MINAJ AND ALL HER BRILLIANT ARTWORK. OKAY. UM, IS THAT, IS THAT ARE GOOD ON THAT? SO I THINK BOTH OF THOSE AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM ALSO, AND I DO AGAIN, JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE NUMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT, UH, BROUGHT THIS AGAIN TO THE COMMISSION AND ASKED US TO HAVE THIS AS AN ITEM AND REACHED OUT TO US AND GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESTART THE CONVERSATION ON THIS. IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG. SO, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH STAFF. WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS A LOT. OKAY. ANY MORE THOUGHTS ON THAT? OKAY. NOW WE'RE AT [3D. Discussion and Possible Action after update from Systemic Racism Working Group by Paul Pinon, former Music Commissioner.] THREE D DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION UPDATE FROM SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP, OR PAUL CAN YAWN. IS HE HERE? I DIDN'T NOTICE IT OR THERE HE IS BACK THEN. OKAY. AND ERIC, YOU ALL HEAR ME? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. COOL. HEY, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL. UH, MY NAME IS PAUL OPINION FOR THOSE OF YOU DON'T KNOW ME. UM, I'M PRESENTING ON BEHALF OF THE SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP OF WHICH COMMISSIONER MAHOEN AND COMMISSIONER PATTERSON AND ALSO MEMBERS. UH, FIRST, I JUST WANT TO WELCOME, UH, COMMISSIONER MEHDI, CHARLA TO THE NEW SEATS. UM, VERY, VERY MUCH EXCITED TO SEE WHAT YOU BRING FOR A DISTRICT SITS. THANK YOU. YEAH. UM, SO I'LL JUST TRY TO TAKE THIS REALLY QUICK. I WON'T PUSH FOR MY, UH, MY NICKI MINAJ, UH, RECOMMENDATION. OH MAN. UH, SO YEAH, I HAD A BIT PART FOR THAT. I'LL TRY AND REDUCE THIS. SO, UH, JUST AS A LITTLE BRIEF OVERVIEW, UM, FOR BOTH THE MUSIC COMMISSIONERS AND ALSO OUR SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP TO KIND OF BRING IT ALL, UM, KIND OF TO THIS POINT, SINCE THE LOCKDOWN BEGAN AND RACIAL TURMOIL TOOK OVER HEADLINES AND LAST SUMMER'S PROTESTS, THIS COMMISSION HAS BEGAN ADDRESSING AN ISSUE BOTH INCREDIBLY URGENT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY LONGSTANDING WITHIN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY, WHICH IS AUSTIN'S INEQUITABLE LACK OF INVESTMENT IN OUR BLACK AND BROWN ARTISTS, MUSICIANS AND PEOPLE. UM, AUSTIN'S ATTEMPTS TO DEMONSTRATE EQUALITY WILL AMOUNT TO A FACADE WITHOUT THE FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL INVESTMENT. IT TAKES TO BREAK THIS GENERATIONAL BARRIER. UH, LAST YEAR COMMISSIONER MAHOEN ADDRESSED THIS NEED WHEN HE PUSHED FOR THE CITY TO DEDICATE THAT FUNDING FROM THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED LIVE MUSIC FUND TO GO TOWARDS BLACK ARTISTS. THIS FUND DEDICATED TO THE SUPPORTIVE COMMERCIAL MUSIC AND INDUSTRY IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND AND HAS THAT SUBSTANTIAL POTENTIAL TO HELP MUSICIANS IN AUSTIN SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THERE'VE BEEN QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS AS TO HOW THIS FUND WILL OPERATE AND WHAT WE CAN DO WITHIN THE RESTRICTIONS OF HOTEL TAX ALLOCATION. THERE'S ALSO THAT QUESTION OF [02:10:01] HOW THE PANDEMIC'S EFFECT ON TOURISM HAS IMPACTED REVENUE INTO THAT. AND AFTER SYLVIA'S PRESENTATION, RIGHT NOW, IT'S CLEAR THAT THAT POCKET OF FUNDING IS VOLATILE AND IT NEEDS TO BE STRETCHED AS FAR AS IT CAN. HOWEVER, WE'D BE DOING THE AUSTIN MUSIC COMMUNITY, A DISSERVICE TO NOT SET PRECEDENT RIGHT NOW TO INVEST IN PRIORITIZE IN OUR ARTISTS OF COLOR FIRST, EITHER THROUGH NEW PROGRAMS, MOVING ON FORWARD OR TO REEVALUATE CURRENT PROGRAMS, RECEIVING MONEY THROUGH AN EQUITABLE LENS. UM, THIS GROUP OF MUSIC COMMISSIONERS IN THE WORKING GROUP, ALONG WITH COMMUNITY AND LEADERS AND EXPERTS WITH DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF OUR RACIAL HISTORY, AND AUSTIN HAVE MET OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS TO DISCUSS THE CITY'S ROLE IN MUSIC INDUSTRY AND CREATING EQUITY. SO I WANTED TO COME TODAY TO BRING SITS POINTS THAT WE'VE KIND OF FOLLOWED UP ON AS POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS OR POLICY TARGETS TO BEGIN DRAFTING TOWARDS A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION, UM, THE DETAILS OF THESE POINTS AND HOW TO ADDRESS THEM HAVE NOT BEEN FORMALIZED. UM, BECAUSE OF THAT, I MAY BE SPEAKING RIGHT NOW AS AN INDIVIDUAL WITHIN THIS GROUP AND NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENTING ALL THE VIEWS OF THIS, UH, ORGANIZATION. SO THE SIX POINTS WE'VE KIND OF DIALED IN ON AS BEING VERY, VERY MUCH, UH, SOMETHING THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION CAN INFLUENCE. AND THAT WOULD HELP WITH OUR EQUITY IN THE CITY ARE TO FORMALIZE LABOR PROTECTIONS, CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND CREATIVE SPACE INITIATIVES FOR MUSICIANS, UH, BUILDING ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. AND THEN WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, CREATING A POSITION AT THE COA RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING AND ENFORCING EQUITY INITIATIVES, USING HOT FUNDING TO DEVELOP A CITY FUNDED MARKETING CAMPAIGN AND IMPROVING AND ENFORCING EQUITABLE COA GRANT AWARDS AND PROGRAMMING, UH, BY FORMALIZING THOSE LABOR PROTECTIONS, CREATING THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND BUILDING ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT. WE CAN GIVE THAT THIS COMMUNITY, THE STABILITY IT NEEDS TO GROW AND INVEST. UM, THIS IS DEFINITELY PART OF OUR, OUR ABILITY TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE MUSIC COMMUNITY. I CHALLENGE US TO THINK NOT JUST FROM THE PANDEMIC LENS, LOOKING THROUGH THIS FRAME OF MIND, TO SEE HOW IT CAN GET BACK TO NORMAL, BUT HOW TO ACTUALLY REEVALUATE AND GET TO SOMETHING BETTER THAN NORMAL. UM, WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN BAY, CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING ENFORCING EQUITY INITIATIVES AND HAVING THAT CITY FUNDED MARKETING CAMPAIGN AND GRANTS, AWARDS, AND PROGRAMMING, THE CITY CAN REALLY SHOW THAT IT HAS AN ACTIVE INTEREST IN ELEVATING ARTISTS OF COLOR. UM, I, THERE ARE ALREADY POLICIES LIKE THIS IN OTHER CITIES, LIKE IN KING COUNTY WHERE THE CITIES HAVE GONE FURTHER AND SEEING THAT FUNDING WITHIN NOT JUST REACTING TO AN ISSUE AT HAND, BUT ACTUALLY ADDRESSING ROOT CAUSES OF INEQUITY HAVE CREATED RESULTS. AND I WOULD CHALLENGE US TO LOOK AT THESE POINTS THROUGH THAT IDEA, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE DIRECTLY AND HOW CAN WE DIRECTLY INFLUENCE THE INEQUITY IN AUSTIN, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN WELL-DOCUMENTED. SO I WON'T TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT THAT AND TAKE UP Y'ALL'S TIME, BUT I WANT TO OPEN UP A DISCUSSION WITH YOU ALL ON WHAT EACH OF THESE POINTS MIGHT MEAN FOR YOU. UM, SO JUST TO REITERATE FORMALIZING LABOR PROTECTIONS, CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, CREATIVE SPACE INITIATIVES, ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN FINDING A WAY WITHIN THE CITY TO CREATE AN EQUITABLE, UH, INITIATIVES, UM, BE ABLE TO CREATE MARKETING AND HOW TO REEVALUATE ANY CURRENT AWARDS TO NOW BE WITHIN AN EQUITABLE LENS. I GUESS I'LL OPEN IT UP TO YOU ALL. I CAN ELABORATE ON ALL THOSE POINTS, BUT I WANTED TO JUST OPEN THIS UP AS A CONVERSATION RATHER THAN A PRESENTATION BEFORE, UH, BEFORE ANYBODY JUMPS IN. AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, COMMISSIONER PENIAL FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION, UM, UH, REALLY APPRECIATED YOUR INVOLVEMENT, UM, TREMENDOUSLY, YOU KNOW, COMMITTED AND, UH, REALLY, UM, GREAT HEART AND GREAT, UH, GREAT IDEAS HAVE BEEN PUT FORTH BY YOU SINCE, SINCE YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED. SO I WANT TO JUST, THANK YOU. I KNOW WE HAVE SOME NEW FOLKS COMING IN. UH, WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU AS PART OF THE COMMISSION. UM, BUT I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE STAYING ON AS A SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP MEMBER AND CONTINUING TO WORK TOWARDS THOSE CHANGES. THANK YOU, CHAKRA. YEAH, JUST HAPPY TO BE IN A PLACE WHERE I CAN TRY TO BRING MY VOICE IN TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY ALWAYS THANKFUL FOR ANY OPPORTUNITY THERE. APPRECIATE YOU. I HOPE, UH, I HOPE WE HAVE SOME CONVERSATION ON THIS. I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE MONEY, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS THE BIG ISSUE I FEEL LIKE IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW. UH, I, I KIND OF BRING TO THIS IDEA THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT THE SYSTEMIC RACISM GROUP AS AN ENTITY THAT WAS FORMED TO USE THIS HOTEL FUNDING TO POSSIBLY CREATE A BLACK LIVE MUSIC FUND. BUT I THINK THE SCOPE OF THIS REALLY EXTENDS FAR BEYOND THAT THE HOTEL ATTACHED FUNDING IS JUST ONE POCKET [02:15:01] OF MONEY AND THE CITY HAS SHOWN THAT IT CAN PULL POCKETS OF MONEY FROM ANYWHERE ELSE TO BE ABLE TO BRING SUPPORT AND EMERGENCY AID. I WANT THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THE SAME KIND OF ENERGY AND MOBILITY IN GETTING FUNDING FOR ADDRESSING RACISM AND IN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY. AND ELSEWHERE HERE THAT WE'VE BROUGHT TO EMERGENCY AID. IF WE HAD THAT SAME KIND OF ATTENTION AND RESOURCES, UM, WE'D BE IN A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE RIGHT NOW. I AGREE. I THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT. AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT THIS WHOLE THING GOT UNDERWAY IS THAT'S HOW I FELT ABOUT THE BLACK EXPERIENCE IN AUSTIN. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S TIME TO SAY MUSIC EVERYBODY'S UP AND ON, BUT WHEN IT'S TIME TO SAVE A BLACK COMMUNITY OR BLACK, UM, OR ANGELA BROWN, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE ARE LESS, LESS MOTIVATED, LESS EXCITED. LET'S, LET'S READY TO TALK ABOUT IT. AND, AND IT SEEMS TO BE KIND OF ALSO REBUILDING, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT THE MONEY, WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING TO GO? WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING TO GO. BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES, PEOPLE SEND A BEAT MORE QUIET AND LESS, LESS, UH, HAVE LESS QUESTIONS OR LESS CONCERNS. SO NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED, BUT I SEE IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN THIS CITY. UM, WHEN THERE'S MONEY ON THE TABLE, EVERYBODY WANTS TO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY. UM, BUT, UM, SOME OF THESE OTHER ISSUES TEND TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE QUIET, BUT I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA KEEP THAT MINIMUM. MY THOUGHTS ON THAT. AND JUST WANT TO ASK IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT PAUL, UM, ADJUST WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT, UM, FOR KIND OF SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP. AND I ALSO WANT TO BRING UP THAT AS, BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT BEYOND THE SCOPE OF JUST HOTEL TAX FUNDING, AND ALSO WANTS TO LOOK BEYOND THE SCOPE OF JUST WHAT WE PRESENT AS A RESOLUTION TO CITY COUNCIL. THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER RESOURCES AND GROUPS THAT THIS MUSIC COMMISSION HAS TIES TO AND INVOLVED WITH THAT CAN BRING ABOUT CHANGE OUTSIDE OF JUST THE CITY LEVEL. UM, FOR EXAMPLE, AT FORMALIZING LABOR PROTECTIONS, THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSIONS ON MAYBE HAVING DISCUSSION WITH, UH, THE MUSIC VENUE ALLIANCE OR A DIFFERENT VENUE OWNERS AND CREATING SOMETHING LIKE A BETTER PRACTICES, UH, STANDARD FOR HIRING, MAKING SURE THAT MUSICIANS ARE PAID A STANDARD WAGE, OR AT LEAST A REASONABLE WAGE, UH, WHICH HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED QUITE A BIT. AGAIN, THESE THINGS HAVEN'T BEEN IRONED OUT, UM, FOR A PROPER RESOLUTION TO SEND TO YOU ALL, BUT THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE. I KNOW THAT, UH, JUST WITH THAT ONE FROM LICENSED LABOR PROTECTIONS, THAT'S GOING TO START UP, UH, PROBABLY A BIT CONVERSATION. I JUST WANT A QUICK AND A, THIS IS NACA VALLEY HERE, JUST, JUST FOR MY OWN UNDERSTANDING. SO I'LL HAVE A GOOD BASELINE UNDERSTANDING. UM, W WHAT WAS THE GENDER, THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS WORKING GROUP? UH, UH, I'M NOT ASKING FOR NAMES, BUT JUST, JUST, JUST THE GENERAL IDEA ON WHAT THE COMPOSITION OF THIS GROUP WAS. AND, UH, WAS THIS WORK DONE WITHIN, WITHIN THE GROUP? WHAT WAS THE WORK DONE WITH ANY OF THE, MAYBE EXISTING OTHER ORGANIZATIONS? I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THEM REALLY EXIST. I DON'T THINK THERE ARE MANY THAT ARE DOING SOME WORK IN THIS SPACE ALREADY. SO, UM, JUST A QUICK, QUICK HISTORY, LIKE, SO THERE'S A LOT OF MUSIC FUND. UM, THERE WAS A WORKING GROUP THAT WAS ESTABLISHED. UM, I WAS A PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP. AND IN JUNE, I, I, AS I SAID THAT, BASICALLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, A SITUATION WHERE ARTISTS ARE STRUGGLING, BUT NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT BLACKS HAVE STRUGGLED FOR GENERATIONS. AND I CALL FOR A BLACK LIVE MUSIC FUND IN AUSTIN. AND, UM, THAT PRETTY KIND OF PUT A LITTLE BIT OF A HALT TO THE GENERAL LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP MEETINGS. AND, UM, WE STARTED TO MEET AS A MUSIC COMMISSION TWICE A MONTH TO TALK ABOUT ISSUES OF EQUITY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND OUT OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, WE STARTED SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP, AND THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE FROM THE AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS. AGAIN, I'VE SAID ANA, MY CEO HAS BEEN INVITED. UM, WE JUST PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, PAM OWENS FROM SIX SQUARE, ALL THESE DIFFERENT FOLKS COME IN AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CHE, MOBLEY AND ARTISTS. I'M NOT GOING TO NAME EVERYBODY, BUT IT'S A MIXTURE, MAJORITY, MAJORITY PEOPLE OF COLOR. UM, AGAIN, AND IT IS SPRAYING OUT OF MY CALL FOR A BLACK LAB MUSIC FUND AT THE TIME. UM, AND NOT JUST SPECIFICALLY A LIVE MUSIC FUND, BUT A BLACK LAB MUSIC FUND TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF HISTORIC RACISM AND IN THIS CITY. UM, SO, UM, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR AND WHY SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP WAS CREATED. OKAY, THANK YOU. SORRY. I SKIPPED OVER SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE INTRODUCTION IN CASE, UH, CAUSE I, I KNOW THAT SOME, A FEW OTHERS HAVE, HAVE HEARD THIS. UM, BUT I, I APOLOGIZE TOO FOR SKIPPING OVER THAT. UM, YEAH, WE, WE STARTED MEETING SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE AND HAVE BEEN, TRYING TO FOCUS ON IF WE WANT TO ACTUALLY HAVE OUR, OUR MISSION STATEMENT RIGHT HERE, JUST TO KIND OF REITERATE FOR EVERYONE, THE SYSTEMIC RACISM, WORKING GROUP SEATS TO ADDRESS STRUCTURAL [02:20:01] INEQUITY AND RACIAL INEQUALITY IN AUSTIN, MUSIC COMMUNITY, THROUGH PUBLIC DISCOURSE, DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDING AND POLICY CHANGE BY EXAMINING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTIN'S MUSIC COMMUNITY, THROUGH THE LENS OF RACE AND THE HISTORIC LACK OF SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. WE INTEND TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROTECT REPAIR AND BUILD A MORE DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE MUSIC SCENE. THIS COMMITTEE IS RESOLVED TO DIVE DEEPLY INTO THE VARIOUS WAYS THAT RACE SHAPES POLICY AND OPPORTUNITY AT ALL LEVELS OF THE AUSTIN MUSIC INDUSTRY, INCLUDING VENUES, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND FESTIVALS. SO ALTHOUGH THIS GROUP WAS FUN FORMED, AS YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDING, IT'S KIND OF EXPANDED OUTWARDS TO SEE IT REALLY IN ALL LEVELS, HOW AUSTIN AS A CITY CAN BETTER SUPPORT ITS MUSICIANS OF COLOR. AND THERE'S A LOT OF AVENUES THAT WE CAN TAKE. UM, PART OF THIS, UH, THIS VERY LONG PROCESS OF MEETING HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET EVERYONE JUST ON THE SAME PAGE, AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, WHERE OUR UNDERSTANDING IS OF RACIAL EQUITY IN AUSTIN, THE ROLE THAT RACE PLAYS IN, YOU KNOW, HAVING A QUALITY OF LIFE HERE AND JUST THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ENACT THIS CHANGE. SO THAT WAS A VERY, VERY LONG PROCESS. AND WE'VE GOTTEN TO THAT POINT, WE'RE STARTING TO HAMMER OUT SOME POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS. SO WE'LL, WE'LL BE TRYING TO DRAFT THIS, THIS LANGUAGE INTO, YOU KNOW, A PROPER RESOLUTION LANGUAGE SOON. UM, OUR, OUR TIMELINE HAS SOMEWHAT CHANGED A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, EVERYTHING KIND OF SLOWS DOWN AND YOU'RE WORKING THROUGH ZOOM, BUT, UM, THAT SHOULD BE HOPEFULLY COMING WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MEETINGS. I THINK I CAN SPEAK IN SPEED BOLDLY. I KNOW, I KNOW PART OF THE, THE REAL CONCERN RIGHT NOW WITH ESPECIALLY THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IS THAT IT'S TAKING SO LONG TO ROLL OUT. UH, WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WITH THIS MUSIC FUND, WHICH YOU KNOW, WILL, EVEN THOUGH RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT A TON OF MONEY NECESSARILY, IT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT SETS PRECEDENT FOR LATER ON. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE RIGHT OUT THE GATE, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT MONEY GO TOWARDS CREATING EQUITY RATHER THAN TRYING TO REPAIR THAT AFTER THE FATS, LIKE WHAT WE, WHAT HAS HAPPENED HISTORICALLY IN AUSTIN. AND TO TURN ON TOP OF THAT, WE UNANIMOUSLY VOTED FOR, UH, A COMPLETE EQUITY LENS ON THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS ON TOP OF WHAT WAS ALREADY RECOMMENDED BY THE WORKING GROUP. UM, I CREATED A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT DEALT WITH EQUITY. UM, SO WE CAN, WE CAN CATCH YOU UP ON THAT, SEND YOU SOME DOCUMENTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPLY, BUT YEAH, THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAVE WE BEEN FOCUSED ON, UM, FOR A GOOD PART OF 2020, AND WE CONTINUE TO BE FOCUSED ON, AND HOPEFULLY THIS CONTINUES ON FOR AS LONG AS RACISM IS, IS A CONCERN IN THIS CITY. SO FOR A WHILE, UM, ANYBODY ELSE, I MAY HAVE GOOD QUESTIONS PROBABLY ON EVERY, EVERY POINT YOU BROUGHT UP THAT EACH ONE IS SO DEEP. UM, AND I, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A POLICY RECOMMENDATION. I IMAGINE THIS IS ULTIMATELY GOING TO BE MANY POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS OVER A COURSE OF YEARS, UH, STARTING WITH THIS INITIAL POLICY RECOMMENDATION. UM, SO, UH, ONE OF YOUR POINTS WAS MARKETING, AND I'M CURIOUS IF, UH, THE MAIN MARKETING ARM OF THE CITY, AS I UNDERSTAND IT IS VISIT AUSTIN, WHICH IS, UH, HAS MORE FUNDS THAN THE MUSIC DIVISION OR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, AS I UNDERSTAND IT. UM, AND SO DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE EQUITY POLICIES ARE OVER THERE? WHAT THEIR MARKETING NUMBERS FOR MUSIC LOOK LIKE IS THAT, UH, UM, TO DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, AS FAR AS EQUITABLE USIC, UM, MARKETING AND MARKETING FOCUSED ON MUSICIANS OF COLOR? SO, UM, WE, WE HAD NOT LOOKED SPECIFICALLY AT VISIT NOW AND DON'T HAVE NUMBERS JUST YET. UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT. UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL, UH, FUNDING SOURCES AND AVENUES THAT WE COULD USE TO BE ABLE TO USE MARKETING. AND, UH, REALLY FROM MY EYES, SOMETHING LIKE HOTEL TAX FUNDING IS, I MEAN, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON USES FOR THAT IS SOMETHING LIKE MARKETING, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE BILLBOARDS AND WAYS TO GO TO BRING IN BEDS. THAT'S ONE OF THE RULES OF HOTEL TAX FUNDING, WHICH MAKES ME FEEL THAT THAT WOULD BE, UH, AN AVENUE, WHICH WOULD VERY EASILY BE PASSED. YOU KNOW, THE FURTHER WE GET FROM PUTTING HEADS IN BEDS AND BENEFITING TOURISM, UM, THE HARDER IT'S GOING TO BE, I THINK, TO USE THIS HOTEL TAX FUNDING VERY QUICKLY. SO WE, WE HAD DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. WHAT DOES EQUITY MEAN? AND, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO MARKET [02:25:01] THESE EVENTS, UM, IS IT FINDING VENUES THAT ARE PUSHING, YOU KNOW, CULTURAL HERITAGE NIGHTS? IS IT BY HIRING PRACTICES AND ELEVATING THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH ARE HIRING PEOPLE OF COLOR? UM, AND SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT WE WERE, WE WERE PASSING AROUND WAS KIND OF DEFINING SOMETHING OF AN EQUITY CODE AS A WAY TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE, UM, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, AS, YOU KNOW, MEETING A SPECIFIC STANDARD OF EQUITY WITHIN MUSIC. NOW THAT DEFINITION IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO HAMMER OUT AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE DEFINED BECAUSE SOMETIMES, UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, IT FELT LIKE WE KNEW IT WHEN WE DID, WHEN WE SAW IT, THAT PLACE WAS INEQUITABLE OR UNFAIR IN HIRING PRACTICES, BUT ACTUALLY FURTHER DEFINING THAT WOULD MAYBE ALLOW FOR SOMETHING LIKE A MARKETING PROGRAM, WHERE IF YOU DO MEET THIS CERTAIN EQUITY CODE, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A PARTICULAR FUNDING OR MARKETING MECHANISM. UM, IT COULD BE TOWARDS OTHER GRANTS IN THE CITY. UM, THAT, THAT WAY IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN INCENTIVE TO BE ABLE TO REACH THIS CERTAIN EQUITABLE STANDARD, UM, RATHER THAN JUST PUNISHING BUSINESSES THAT DON'T MEET THAT, WHICH WILL BE PART OF, I THINK OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL, UM, HAVING ACCESS TO NEW FUNDING OR TO EXISTING FUNDING THAT IS PUT THROUGH THIS NEW EQUITY LENS WILL BE A WAY TO HELP PUSH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO MEET THIS STANDARD. GREAT. YEAH, I'M JUST, I'M THINKING IF WE ENGAGED, UH, VISIT AUSTIN, WE'LL BE TAPPING INTO AN ADDITIONAL POOL OF MONEY AND THEIR JOB IS MARKETING AUSTIN. UM, AND SO IT JUST EXPANDS THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND USES. UH, AND I'D BE VERY CURIOUS TO KNOW, UH, HOW THEY CHOOSE WHO THEY MARKET, HOW, WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT EFFORTS ARE BEING DONE AND WHETHER SOME OF THESE MARKETING POLICY PROPOSALS COULD BE APPLIED TO THE, UH, THE, UH, RECOMMENDED TO BE APPLIED TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING OVER THERE. UH, AS FAR AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEE, DID YOU, WERE YOU, IF I UNDERSTOOD, CAN YOU TELL ME AGAIN WHAT YOU WERE THINKING OF IN TERMS OF, UH, WOULD THAT BE A MUSIC DIVISION EMPLOYEE THAT YOU PICTURING OR ARE YOU PICTURING? CAUSE WE HAD THE EQUITY, UH, DIVISION OF THE CITY AS WELL. AND WHAT, UH, WHAT ROLE YOU IMAGINE THAT DIVISION PLAYING IN THIS, UH, COA, UH, EMPLOYEE THAT YOU'RE, IF I REMEMBER THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED THAT THAT'S THAT'S RIGHT. SO, UM, THIS IS KIND OF WHERE I'LL, I'LL SPEAK TO, YOU KNOW, AS AN INDIVIDUAL ON THE GROUP, RATHER THAN SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THIS GROUP. UM, I HAD AN IDEA THAT WE COULD BRING IN AN EQUITY CONSULTANTS THROUGH EITHER THE ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION THROUGH THE EQUITY DIVISION, EITHER JUST APPOINTING STAFF WITH WHICH HAS SPECIFIC EQUITY TRAINING OR HIRING AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT BUSINESSES RECEIVING FUNDING, VENUE SUPPORT, OR OTHER CITY TASKS, FUNDED GRANTS OR STIMULUS MEET THOSE SOME TYPE OF MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE HIRING PRACTICES THAT ARE SET FORTH BY THE CITY, UM, THAT WOULD MAYBE HAVE THE ABILITY TO WITHDRAW FUNDING FOR NONCOMPLIANCE THROUGH COMPLAINTS OR AN EVALUATION BY THAT AUTHORITY, 18 BUSINESSES WISHING TO COMPLY WITH TRAINING AND HIRING RESOURCES TO ASSIST IN RESTORING THAT ACCESS TO FUNDING AND TO THEN BE ABLE TO CREATE A METRIC WHICH BUSINESSES WOULD FOLLOW TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THAT FUNDING. UM, AND THOSE WOULD NEED THAT, UM, SOME FORMAL DEFINITIONS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THIS EQUITY CODE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MEASURE AND YOU KNOW, WHO IS THIS ENTITY? AND WHAT'S WHAT TYPE OF RESOURCES DO THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PULL OR ACCESS FUNDING, UM, FOR VENUES? UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S JUST BARELY BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT, BUT THERE ARE, I THINK CONSULTANTS LIKE THIS THAT ARE PRESENT IN OTHER CITIES. UM, I KNOW MARK FORT, ONE OF THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION, HE IS FAMILIAR WITH SEATTLE'S, UH, IS THERE, THEY HAVE AN EQUITY BOARD THAT OVERSEES TYPE THESE TYPES OF, UM, FUNDING, SORRY, I CAN'T THINK OF IT. THE FUNDING ALLOCATIONS AND HOW THEY LOOK AND THEN ENFORCE THE OVER. SORRY, I CAN'T TALK TODAY. HOW THEY ENFORCE PUSHING OUT THIS ONE? NO, THAT MAKES SENSE. I'D BE CURIOUS FOR US TO ENGAGE WITH, AGAIN, WITH THE EQUITY DIVISION TO SEE WHAT THEIR BANDWIDTH IS AND WHAT THE, THE BEST WEATHER LIKE I KNOW STILL NOVIA IS ALREADY VERY FOCUSED ON EQUITY AND SORT OF WHERE, WHERE THE GAPS ARE IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT AND POLICY, UH, OR WHERE THEY NEED TO BE MORE ROBUST OR WHERE THEY'RE WORKING REALLY WELL ALREADY. UH, I'M NOT, UH, OPPOSED NECESSARILY TO THE HIRING. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF FIGURING OUT WHERE TO ALLOCATE THE LIMITED RESOURCES. ONE, I WANT TO KIND OF COUNTER WITH THAT SAYING THAT I, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS SPECIFICALLY SAYING YET WE HIRE SOMEONE ENTIRELY NEW TO RUN THIS PARTICULAR [02:30:01] THING OR TO BE ABLE TO SPLIT THIS UP WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE DIVISION AND HOW THEY ALLOCATE. NO, I THINK IT'S GREAT TO, TO CLARIFY ACCOUNTABILITY, TO KNOW THAT WHO IS THE PERSON THAT SAYS YOU ARE NOT BEING EQUITABLE IN YOUR PRACTICES. THIS POLICY IS NOT EQUITABLE. THIS SPENDING IS NOT EQUITABLE, WHO, WHO ACTUALLY ANSWERS THAT. AND BECAUSE UNLESS, UNLESS WE KNOW, AND WE CAN JUST TALK AND TALK AND TALK ABOUT IT, EQUITY, AND EVERYONE CAN SAY THEY USED AN EQUITY LENS. AND I STILL KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING YOU, YOU ARE NOT. I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, UNLESS SOMEONE ACTUALLY HAS A PROCESS TO CONFIRM THAT THEY ARE, THEN PEOPLE CAN JUST SAY THEY ARE SO KNOW FIGURING OUT WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE. AND I THINK THE CITY HAS ALREADY BEEN PUTTING THOSE IN PLACE AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE AND THAT WE FEEL THAT THEY ARE ADEQUATE. SO IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A TRICKY THING TO SEE HOW THIS SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP IS OVERLAPPING WORK THAT'S SIMULTANEOUSLY, BUT BEING DONE BY THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION AND THE EQUITY OFFICE, I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF OVERLAP AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE'LL WANT TO START COMMUNICATING WITH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, CREATING REDUNDANT PROPOSALS AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING ABLE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS. AND I SEE SOME HEAD NODS IS YEAH, WE WOULD DEFINITELY, UM, WE MET AT A POINT WE WERE STILL, THESE ARE LIKE STILL JUST LARGE, LARGE BUCKETS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE FINE TUNING WHAT WE WANTED TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE MOVING ALONG. RIGHT. I THINK I LIKED THE IDEA OF JUST MAYBE CREATING AN ENTITY AT THE COA RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING AND ENFORCING EQUITY INITIATIVES WITHIN MUSIC FUNDING. UM, MAYBE ENTITY RATHER THAN LIKE A POSITION, WHICH FEELS LIKE WE'RE BRINGING IN AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT TO DO, YOU KNOW, EQUITY AUDITS, UH, WHICH MAYBE THAT IS A SOLUTION. MAYBE IT ISN'T. I, I THINK THAT THIS WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FEEL OUT WHAT, WHAT THIS POSITION OR WHAT I THINK THE END GOAL, WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO BUILD TO CREATE THIS END GOAL OF HAVING EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDING. HAVING SOME TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, A WAY TO BE ABLE TO KEEP EVERYONE SQUARE. BUT CHUCK, I THINK YOU'RE ON MUTE. ANY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS FINAL, FINAL QUESTIONS? I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION. I DON'T WANT TO DIGRESS. I DIGRESS TOO MUCH FROM THE TOPIC, BUT I JUST HEARD IT BEFORE. SO SORRY. IF OKAY. IF I CALL YOU BY YOUR FIRST NAME. UM, SO I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PARTICULAR GROUP IS, IS A WORKING GROUP IS FOCUSED ON, UH, PERHAPS EQUITY AND SYSTEMIC RACISM GROUP. UH, SO IT'S FOCUSED ON PEOPLE OF COLOR, UH, WHEN THE CITY TALKS ABOUT EQUITY, A DIVERSITY OF COURSE COMES IN IN VARIOUS FORMS. AND ONE ASPECT OF IT IS PEOPLE OF COLOR. UH, BUT YOU KNOW, DIVERSITY DOES COME IN DIFFERENT FORMS. IT COMES IN TERMS OF GENDER LGBTQ. THERE ARE A DIVERSITY IN TERMS OF THE, UH, THE, THE FOSTER JOHN DRESS OF MUSIC THAT PLAYED IN THIS TOWN. SO, SO WHAT, WHAT IS THE LENS THAT THE CITY APPLIES WHEN, WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT IT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE WHEN WE TALK WITH, RIGHT. SO WE FOLLOW THE EQUITY OFFICE, UH, DEFINITION AND WHERE RACE ISN'T THE DETERMINANT. AND SO THERE YOU ARE CORRECT. THERE'S INTERSECTIONALITY BETWEEN GENDER AND ALL OF THAT, BUT RACE IS THE BIGGEST PREDICTOR OF HEALTH OUTCOMES, ECONOMIC. EXACTLY. SO THAT'S WHY WE FOLLOW THE EQUITIES OFFICE AND LEADING RE RACE. WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S INTERSECTIONALITY, BUT WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE EQUITY OFFICE THAT LEADS WITH RACE. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT. I WOULD ALSO, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONERS. THIS IS STEPHANIE, JUST A HEADS UP. YOU HAVE ABOUT A 20 MINUTE WINDOW AFTER THE REST OF THIS MEETING. JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A REMINDER OF THAT. THANK YOU. OH, SORRY. SO I'LL, I WON'T TAKE UP MUCH OF YOUR TIME, UM, THAT THE IDEAS THAT WE'RE PRESENTING HERE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE OVERLAID ONTO OTHER ASPECTS OF INTERSECTIONAL, YOU KNOW, PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION AND WAYS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE. THIS IS JUST LOOKING THROUGH ONE LENS, BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHER OPTIONS. LIKE I KNOW, I THINK IT WAS SONYA ABOUT THAT CAME IN EARLIER PROPOSING THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A GENDER EQUITY, UH, WORKING GROUP, YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD BE THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE WOULD WANT TO, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO OVER, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE OVERLAP AND SEE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THOSE THINGS CAN BE SHARED AND WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT NEED TO BE FURTHER DEFINED, UM, AND YOU KNOW, TO GO TO MORE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC ISSUE AT HAND. OKAY. WELL, UM, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON, I KNOW THIS PROBABLY A FEW MORE COMMENTS, BUT IT, [02:35:01] UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING PRESSING AND WE'RE GONNA, OH, WAIT, I'M SORRY. WE ANA ANA MASIO UM, YOU WERE ALSO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. OKAY. I, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMISSION KNOW THAT THIS SYSTEMIC RACISM GROUP, I WAS, UH, ASKED TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS GROUP, BUT DUE TO HEALTH REASONS I COULD NOT PARTICIPATE, BUT NOW I AM BACK. UM, ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HOPE THAT THIS COMMISSION IS VERY CAREFUL IS TO NOT CONCENTRATE ON JUST ONE ETHNIC GROUP. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOT JUST THE BLACK COMMUNITY, BUT WE'RE INVOLVED IN DISHES AND PEOPLE OF COLOR COMMUNITIES, UH, AND, AND TO ADDRESS THE DEEP DISPARITIES COSTS BY SYSTEMIC RACISM. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TRUST OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE THAT COME UP, YOU SPEAK FOR WHAT THEY KNOW ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE AWESOME MUSIC COMING IN. THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A TRUST THERE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY, THEY JUST, THEY JUST, DON'T NOT GOING TO TRUST. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT RACISM? AND I, I JUST HOPE THAT YOU'RE VERY CAREFUL IN HOW YOU PRESENT THE COMMISSION PRESENTS ITSELF TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE EVERY ONE IN THIS COMMUNITY HAS THE RIGHT TO SAY WHAT THEY NEED TO SAY AND BE RESPECTED. AND WHETHER IT'S MEXICAN, AMERICAN, ASIAN, I DON'T CARE, BUT THERE HAS TO BE A LEVEL OF RESPECT IN ORDER TO GET IT BACK. SO THANK YOU. YES. THANK YOU, ANA AGAIN, WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL JOIN US WITH THE SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP. THERE'S NOT JUST BLACK PEOPLE OR ANY RACE IN THERE. IT'S ALL GROUPS. AND AS PAUL TALKED ABOUT, WE'RE NOT SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON ONE RACE IN, IN THAT GROUP WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RACISM. SO I DEFINITELY WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME BACK, LEND YOUR VOICE, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATE IN THAT GROUP, PLEASE. UM, UM, I, I'M PRETTY SURE YOU'RE GETTING THE EMAILS. AND SO PLEASE JOIN US AT OUR NEXT MEETING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, S YES, SO THREE E [3E. Discussion and Possible Action on a submission process for live performances at Music Commission meetings.] DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON A SUBMISSION PROCESS FOR LIVE MUSIC, LIVE PERFORMANCES AT MUSIC COMMISSION MEETINGS. UM, HOW ARE Y'ALL FEELING ABOUT THIS? YOU WANT TO MAYBE PUSH THIS TO, TO EMAIL, OR, UH, I'D LIKE TO SAY MAYBE A FEW WORDS, YOU KNOW, IN, UH, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE SEASONS OR THE TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, OF THE YEAR, YOU KNOW, UM, AND I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE, MAYBE CONTRIBUTING TO THE BAND FOR NEXT MONTH, YOU KNOW, TO MAYBE PAY A TRIBUTE TO THE HISPANIC HERITAGE OR THE HISTORY AND TRADITION OF CINCO DE MAYO, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY CONSIDER THAT. SO JUST A BRIEF NOTE, IF WE COULD KIND OF, YOU KNOW, KEEP IN MIND THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AND THE SEASON, AND TRY TO MATCH A COMMISSIONER TO MAYBE REPRESENT THAT JOHN DURA AND HOPES THAT WE MIRROR THE COMMUNITY. I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST MY LITTLE INPUT ON THAT. OKAY. I THINK THAT'S PERFECT. I'LL SO I THINK WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE YOU THE JOB OF, UM, PICKING THE NICEST BAND. AND THEN IN TERMS OF AN ACTUAL PROCESS FOR THIS, I WOULD MOTION THAT WE MOVE THAT TO THE NEXT AGENDA. CAUSE I THINK WE CAN SPLIT HAIRS ON THAT. UM, BUT YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT SUGGESTION, AL. I THINK THAT'S PERFECT. OKAY. THAT WORKS, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OR OPPOSE NICKI MINAJ. IT IS COORDINATION FOR THEM. UM, STEPHANIE, MAKE SURE YOU TALKED TO NICKI'S MANAGER, PLEASE. ALRIGHT. UM, NEW BUSINESS FOR [4A. Discussion and Possible Action after presentation by Jeska Forsyth and Lauryn Gould, of Austin Texas Musicians Sisterhood, on increasing equity for women and identifying contributors to Austin’s music industry and possible establishment of a gender working group.] A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, UH, AFTER PRESENTATION BY JESSICA FORESIGHT AND LAUREN GOLD OF AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS, SISTERHOOD ON INCREASING EQUITY FOR WOMEN AND IDENTIFY AND CONTRIBUTORS TO AUSTIN'S MUSIC INDUSTRY AND POSSIBLE ESTABLISHMENT OF AGENDA WORKING GROUP, JESSICA FORESIGHT, AND LAUREN, ARE YOU THERE OR ARE YOU ON SEPARATELY HERE? UH, WE ARE SEPARATE, BUT ALSO VERY UNITED, UM, GOOD EVENING. THIS HAS BEEN A FUN FIRST MEETING FOR ME. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE. I'M JESSICA FORESIGHT. I AM A MEMBER OF THAT GUY, FORESIGHT BAND, AS WELL AS MY OWN BAND, JESSICA AND THE VANITY FAIR. I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE SISTERHOOD DIVISION OF AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS, AS THE ADMINISTRATOR, ALONGSIDE MY COLLEAGUES AND FELLOW LEADERS, SONIA CHEVETTE AND LAUREN GOLD, UM, [02:40:01] TO REITERATE WHAT WAS REPORTED IN LAST MONTH'S MEETING 84% OF WOMEN IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY STATE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TREATED DIFFERENTLY IN THEIR CAREERS BECAUSE OF THEIR GENDER. AND 68% REPORTED AFFECTED THEIR EMPLOYMENT. UM, AUSTIN, TEXAS HAS LONG BEEN ONE OF THE LEADING MUSIC CITIES INTERNATIONALLY AND HOLDS THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD TITLE. UH, BUT IT TAKES HARD WORK TO LIVE UP TO THAT REPUTATION. WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED THAT ACHIEVING GENDER EQUITY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT WORK. THERE MUST BE AN EMPHASIS ON ADDRESSING THE REASONS THAT WOMEN DO NOT HAVE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY IN THIS INDUSTRY. LET'S USE THIS PLATFORM TO PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE TO THE ENTIRE WORLD THAT EVERYONE CAN FOLLOW. I'M ADDING MY VOICE REQUESTING THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION FORM A WORKING GROUP WITH SEVERAL CITIZEN MEMBERS THAT WILL INTERFACE AN OVERLAP WITH THE AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS GROUP. UH, LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE THE POSITIVE CHANGE THAT WE WANT AND, UH, TAGGING YOU OVER THERE, LAUREN. RIGHT ON. THANKS, JESSICA. UM, HELLO EVERYBODY. NICE TO SEE YOU. UM, AND YOUR FACES. UM, COOL. WELL, I'M LAUREN GOULD AND, UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR PUTTING THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY. UM, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG MEETING AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, YOUR, YOUR PATIENTS AND, UM, ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK ON ALL OF THESE VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES. UM, SO TODAY WE JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THE DISCUSSION FROM LAST MONTH AND SHARE THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE ON OUR END. SO THIS WILL BE BRIEF. UM, AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS HAS FORMED A SUBGROUP SPECIFICALLY FOR MUSICIANS CALLED SISTERHOOD, WHICH WILL BE CHAIRED BY SONIA DRAVET, UM, AND JESSICA FORESIGHTS. AND I ARE ALSO ON THE LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR THAT GROUP. ADDITIONALLY, WE FORMED A WOMEN IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY COMMITTEE TO INCLUDE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS WHO IDENTIFY AS FEMALE. SO THESE GROUPS WILL WORK TOGETHER TO FULFILL OUR GOALS AS A COMMUNITY AT LARGE. UM, THE ATEX SISTERHOOD HAS FURTHER ORGANIZED SOME LANGUAGE LANGUAGE AROUND THE AREAS OF FOCUS THAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU AT LAST MONTH'S MEETING. UH, SO I'D LIKE TO SHARE OUR WORK WORKING MISSION STATEMENT. UM, WE ARE FEMALE IDENTIFYING CONTRIBUTORS TO THE MUSIC COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS SEEKING AN INDUSTRY-WIDE COMMUNITY, COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, VISIBILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND SAFETY. AS IT RELATES TO GENDER, WE STRIVE TO EFFECT LASTING CHANGES IN OUR INDUSTRY AND SCENE SO THAT THE EXPERIENCES OF FUTURE PERFORMERS, WORKERS AND ATTENDEES HOLD MORE THAN JUST A SOLID SHOW, THEY HOLD INTEGRITY. SO THE ATX M SISTERHOOD WILL MEET AS A WHOLE TWICE A MONTH, UM, INVITING EVERYBODY, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO HOLD SPACE FOR ANY AND ALL FEMALE IDENTIFYING MUSICIANS AND MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES, RAISE ANY CONCERNS. THEY MIGHT HAVE BRAINSTORM SOLUTIONS TO THESE CONCERNS AND DISCUSS IDEAS TO BRING OUR COMMUNITY BACK TO LIFE, POST PANDEMIC IN A MORE EQUITABLE WAY. UH, THIS GROUP WILL STRIVE TO BE AS INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE, UM, MAKING AN EXTRA EFFORT TO REACH OUT TO WOMEN OF COLOR AND LGBTQ PLUS FOLKS SO THAT THE VOICE IS HEARD IN THE ATX IN A SISTERHOOD ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE DIVERSITY IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, SO AS WE STATED LAST MONTH, UH, WE'D LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH YOU, UH, THROUGH A WORKING GROUP TO CREATE A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE ISSUES RAISED IN IDEAS GENERATED BY THE SISTERHOOD AND A CONCRETE POLICIES THAT SUPPORT THESE GOALS AT THE CITY LEVEL. AND I WOULD ADD ALSO THAT, YOU KNOW, INTERSECTIONALITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US AS WELL. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE CAN ALSO COLLABORATE AND HELP WITH THE, THE SYSTEMIC RACISM GROUP, I'M SURE THAT THESE, THESE TWO GROUPS COULD, UM, WORK IN TANDEM WITH EACH OTHER. SO THAT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY. THANKS. Y'ALL THANK YOU SO MUCH, LAUREN AND JESSICA. UM, SO IN THE INTEREST OF MOVING THINGS ALONG, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE FORM A GENDER EQUITY WORKING GROUP THAT OVERLAPS WITH THE WORK OF THE ATX AND SISTERHOOD SECTION. OKAY. UM, SO ALL IN FAVOR, I JUST GOT A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, THE WORKING GROUP. UM, IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE OTHER WORDS IN GROUPS IT'S JUST GOING TO BE OPEN AND WE'RE GOING TO HELP FORMULATE WHO WAS A PART OF THAT, CORRECT? UH, I THINK IT, YEAH, I THINK THEY CAN SET IT UP TO BE SIMILAR TO THE SYSTEMIC WORKING GROUP, THE WAY THAT WE, UH, HANDLED COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THAT. I WOULD JUST, I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND THAT IT, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF THE ATX SISTERHOOD CAN BE A PART OF IT, BUT IT NOT BE LED BY THEM THAT IT'D BE, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE LED BY THE MUSIC COMMISSION, IF IT'S GOING TO BE A MUSIC COMMISSION THING THAT WE, THAT WE HELP WITH DIRECTION. YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR [02:45:01] WITH THAT. OKAY. YEAH. THANKS FOR THAT CLARITY. ALL RIGHT. DID THAT PASS AS A VOTE THOUGH? YEAH, I THINK SO. OKAY. AND SO THEN DO WE HAVE, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO BE PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WOULD BE LIKE TO BE PART OF THAT? WELL, I HAVEN'T BEEN, UM, SWORN IN YET, BUT, UM, AS A FUTURE COMMISSIONER, UH, STARTING NEXT MONTH, UM, I, I CAN ALSO VOLUNTEER TO BE A PART OF IT. AWESOME. AND I SAW PATRICE HAD HER HAND UP. UM, SO, AND CHARLIE, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, I'M A NAME THAT PEOPLE ALWAYS MESS UP TEARS. I'M SO SORRY. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. AWESOME. I THINK THAT, THAT GETS US OFF TO GET START. UM, WE'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH, UM, SIGNAGE TO THAT AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ITX AND THE SISTERHOOD. AND I'M SORRY TO GIVE THIS THE THUMBS RUSH. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO TEST THAT DISCUSSIONS OF EQUITY TONIGHT. I THINK THAT SHOWED UP. SO THANK YOU, JESSICA AND LAUREN FOR PRESENTING. THANKS FOR HAVING US AND WELCOME HOME. AND I GUESS NEXT NEXT TIME, YOU'LL BE WITH US. VERY EXCITING. OKAY. UM, ALL [4B. Discussion and Possible Action on Music Commission budget recommendation.] RIGHT. THIS IS IT. WE MADE IT DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON A MUSIC COMMISSION BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. DID Y'ALL HAVE A CHANCE TO CHECK OUT THE, UH, THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION AND IF SO, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? WE JUST APPROVING THE AMOUNT RIGHT NOW. OKAY. UM, WE'RE JUST OPENING IT UP FOR, FOR DISCUSSION THOUGHTS. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE FORM A WORKING GROUP THAT COULD GET MOVING ON THIS REALLY QUICK, THE PACE OF THE MONEY THAT IS GOING OUT AS, AS WE'RE DISCOVERING, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE, UH, SHUTTERED VENUES, THINGS IS REALLY FAST. SO IF WE JUST SAY, HEY, WE LIKE THE MONEY, THAT'S, THAT'S FINE. BUT WE WOULD, UM, I'D SUGGEST THAT WE FORM A WORKING GROUP TO REFINE, UH, UH, TO, TO REFINE THIS AND TO ALSO SEEK OUT WHAT OTHERS SUGGEST AS GOOD USES OF, UH, OF THIS BUDGET MONEY AND TO, UH, AND TO BE IN TOUCH WITH COUNCIL DIRECTLY TO FIND OUT WHAT PACE WE NEED TO DO THIS, TO SEE HOW THE TOP OF THIS SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION IS DUE ON THE EIGHTH. SO, UH, OF, OF APRIL. SO LET'S SAY THE FIFTH. SO YEAH. UM, THERE IT IS. BUT, UM, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT'S, ANYTHING'S GONNA BE WRITTEN IN STONE. THIS IS JUST THE TIME WHERE THEY'LL, THEY'RE GETTING RECOMMENDATIONS IN. SO WE HAVE TO KIND OF JUST PUT OUR RECOMMENDATION IN THE ARTS COMMISSION IS PUTTING THEIRS IN AND OTHER COMMISSIONS ARE PUTTING THEIRS. AND SO WE'RE, UH, WE'RE THROWING OUR US. SO BASED ON THAT TIMELINE, UM, WERE THERE ANY THINGS YOU GUYS FELT LIKE SHOULD BE ADDED TO MAKE IT MORE ROBUST OR THINGS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF? I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I THINK WE'RE BASED ON A TIMELINE. WE KINDA GOTTA, YOU KNOW, PUT SOMETHING FORTH FOR THE EIGHTH. ANY THOUGHTS? IT SEEMS NICE. IT'S NOT, IT'S SIMPLE. IT'S A NUMBER AND GETS IT'S IN THE DISCUSSION. I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS LATE TO THIS PARTY EVERY YEAR. IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN IT COMES AROUND TO THE BUDGET, I THINK THE PROVEN THIS JUST TO GET US INVOLVED IN DISCUSSION SINCE IT'S DUE SO QUICKLY AND THEN, BUT ALSO FORM AN ONGOING WORKING GROUP ON MUSIC FUNDING IN GENERAL, WITH A FOCUS ON THE BUDGET SO THAT, UH, WE'RE NOT HOW REMAINING THREE DAYS OR WHATEVER BEFORE THE DUE DATE, WHEN WE'RE FINALLY DISCUSSING. AND I KNOW THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, EVERYONE'S ALWAYS EXCITED AND HAS QUESTIONS ONE MORE TIME FUNDING, BUT IF WE WANT TO ADDRESS THE EQUITY ISSUES, FUNDING IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST TOOLS TO DO THAT. AND BEING INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS, UH, IN A SERIOUS WAY, I THINK WILL BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR EQUITY EFFORTS. ABSOLUTELY. UM, SO DOES ANYBODY, UM, THINK SOMETHING SHOULD BE TAKEN OUT OR YOU GUYS FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION AS IT IS SOMEBODY THAT HASN'T SAID ANYTHING? GAVIN, PATRICE, YES. I THINK IT'S, IT'S THOROUGH AND READY TO GO FORWARD AND I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO SUPPORT. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR. [02:50:03] OKAY. POST PASSES UNANIMOUSLY THERE. ALL RIGHT. UH, THANK, UH, AND CHARLOTTE AND OREN FOR HELPING US, UH, GET THAT TOGETHER. UM, WRITING UP THAT DOCUMENT AND PUTTING THAT TOGETHER FOR IT. YES. BUT NOW CAN WE TAKE UP SEPARATELY WHETHER WE WANT TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ARE MAKING NOW IS, UH, ED ADHERE TO AND COORDINATED WITH OTHERS AND YOU KNOW, ALL THE THINGS THAT EVERY EVERYBODY SAID, HEY, THIS HAS TO GO GO RIGHT AWAY. HOWEVER, UH, EVERYBODY ALSO SAYS, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. WE'RE LATE TO THE PARTY. CAN WE, CAN WE ESTABLISH THIS WORKING GROUP RIGHT NOW? SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT A MONTH TO DO ANYTHING? I THINK WE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD. UH, THERE IS AN I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COMMITTEE AND A WORKING GROUP. AND THERE, THERE, THERE ARE DETAILED, ONE IS ONGOING AND ONE IS SPECIFIC AND SHORT. LIKE ONCE THE ISSUE IS DONE, IT'S DONE. I DON'T THINK THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE WILL EVER GO AWAY. HEY, SO FOR A COMMITTEE THAT ACTUALLY IS A CHANGE TO YOUR BYLAWS TO ADD A COMMITTEE TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION. UM, SO I WOULD SUGGEST TO WORKING GROUP FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR AND FOR THE REST OF THIS FISCAL YEAR AND , AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME PERMANENT COMMITTEES ONGOING, THAT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK AT YOUR BYLAWS. RIGHT? MY, MY THOUGHT WOULD BE A FINANCE WORKING GROUP THAT TURNS INTO A FINANCE COMMITTEE AND GETS A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF REVENUE SOURCES FOR MUSIC, FUNDING, SOURCES, BUDGET, PROCESS, ALL THAT, AND THAT ORRIN LEADS IT. YEAH. OKAY. SOUND SOUNDS. UH, SOUNDS GOOD. ANY OTHER VOLUNTEERS WHILE, UH, LET'S WE'LL LET LET'S, UH, DO WE, DO WE TAKE VOLUNTEERS AND THEN VOTE OR DO WE VOTE AND THEN TAKE VOLUNTEERS MOTION FIRST? I THINK YOU WANT TO DO THE MOTION ON, I MOVE THAT WE CREATE A FINANCE WORKING GROUP TO LEARN ABOUT FINANCES OF THE, OF KEEP IT SIMPLE. I THINK YOU KEEP IT SIMPLE. THAT WAY YOU DON'T RESTRICT YOUR, YOUR MISSION, LIKE FINANCE WORKING GROUP, PERIOD. PEOPLE KNOW OUR MONEY IS OKAY. OKAY. I MOVE, WE CREATE A FINANCE WORKING GROUP OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR. OKAY. I'LL POSE THAT. RIGHT. OKAY. YEAH. SO WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A BUNCH OF WORKING GROUPS WE CREATED. SO AGAIN, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT A PART OF ONE LET'S, LET'S FIND, LET'S FIND ONE. WE GOT, WE GOT ENOUGH FOR EVERYBODY. EVERYBODY CAN, CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T GET INVOLVED IN ONE OF THESE, SO PLEASE FIND YOUR WAY INTO ONE AND, UH, LET'S CONTINUE THE HARD WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON. I APPRECIATE Y'ALL. UH, AND NOW [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS] WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE WE FEATURE AGENDA ITEMS, ANY, ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? WELL, WE, WE DID SAY WE WERE GOING TO BUMP, UM, THE, UH, MUSIC, MUSICIAN, GUESTS SELECTION PROCESS TO NEXT MONTH. SO I HAD NOTION TO PUT THAT ON. OKAY. AND WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT. RIGHT. YOU JUST NEED A SECOND. YEAH. AS LONG AS WE GET A SECOND, WE CAN, WE CAN KEEP GOING. OKAY. WE'VE GOT A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER. LEVITTON. AM I SAYING THAT RIGHT THERE? AND THEN I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER. SO NOW THEY, DID YOU SAY YOU'D BE READY NEXT MONTH WITH THAT PROPOSAL? IS THAT SOMETHING WE SHOULD PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR NINE AND THE LIVE MUSIC, UH, FUND, UM, MECHANISM PER POLICY? YES. PUT ME ON FOR NEXT MONTH AND I'LL HAVE FORECAST NUMBERS BY THEN. ALL RIGHT. SO, UM, I WOULD SAY MOTION POINT ON DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON LINE MUSIC FUND WITH PRESENTATION BY STILL NOBODY HELP ROB . THANK YOU. SORRY. SECOND. SOME ARE SECOND AND L SECOND. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER DO ONTARIO, RIGHT. UM, I'LL WANT TO ADD, UH, PRESENTATION FROM THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE. UM, DO I HAVE TO ADD ANY MORE TO THAT? I THINK, NOPE. WELL, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION SHOULD PROCEED EVERYTHING. NOW, THE WAY WE CAN, [02:55:01] LIKE WE BORN IN THESE WORKING GROUPS, IF WE DIDN'T POSSIBLE ACTION, WE COULDN'T DO THAT. SO IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO PUT THAT IN THERE, BUT I THINK WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR A PRESENTATION FROM THEM, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN SAY THAT THAT'S FINE. UM, SO DISCUSSING A POSSIBLE ACTION ON A PRESENTATION PRESENTATION ON DOWNTOWN, SOMETHING HAPPENED IN DOWNTOWN FROM THE DUST DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, THE LIES. SO THAT AGAIN, THANK YOU. OKAY. DID YOU WANT SYSTEMIC RACISM UPDATED AGAIN? ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THOSE UPDATES, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION FOLLOWING UPDATE BY SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP. ALL RIGHT. SECOND. I SAID, OKAY, NOW WE'VE GOT 20 MILLION WORKING GROUPS. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE TIME EVERY MONTH TO HAVE A FULL DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION FROM EACH ONE. DO WE WANT, LIKE, HOW DO WE WANT TO DISTRIBUTE THAT TIME? I MEAN, I THINK THE THINGS THAT ARE ON THE TABLE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN, WE ALWAYS CREATE THIS, UH, AGENDA, YOU KNOW, BEFORE AND PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO ADD THINGS. SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING PRESSING, I FEEL LIKE WE CAN ADD THOSE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO ADD GREAT. WE DON'T HAVE TO ASSUME THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO TALK ABOUT EVERYONE EVERY TIME. SOUNDS GOOD. YEAH. UH, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. UH, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR STAFF, I THINK. UM, SO HOW DO WE MAKE THOSE? I MEAN, DO WE NEED TO MAKE THOSE PUBLIC OR DO THEY JUST GET IN A FORMAL DOCUMENT AND GO TO COUNCIL OR WHAT'S JUST BECAUSE WE'RE ON A SHORT TIMELINE. I THINK THE COUNCIL MEETING THE ACTUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS ON THE 12TH, UM, WHAT'S WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO NEXT FOR THE PROPER PROCESS ON THAT? SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS WE WILL UPLOAD IN THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION, BUT IT ALSO GOES OUT TO COUNCIL AND WE'LL HAVE IT AS PART OF OUR, UH, DOCUMENTATION, UM, THAT WE PRESENT TO COUNCIL. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH, THERE WAS ALSO A FORM THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE BUDGET OFFICE THAT YOU CAN CUT AND PASTE THAT FORMAL RECOMMENDATION INTO THE FORM. AND I THINK THEY AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFER IT, BUT, UH, UH, FOLLOW UP WITH KIM JUST TO BE SURE IT GETS UPLOADED CORRECTLY. YES, YES. OKAY. UM, ANYONE WANT A MOTION? A MOTION TO ADJOURN. OKAY. GAVIN, SECOND IT COMMISSIONER GARCIA. SECOND SET. OKAY. YEAH. APPRECIATE IT. THANKS SO MUCH, EVERYBODY THAT TUNED IN AND GAVE THEIR THOUGHTS. THANKS TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS THEY SAW THE STAFF. WE'LL SEE. Y'ALL NEXT TIME. . * 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.