[00:00:05]
I DO HAVE, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN AARON BERGET SIGN IN YET.
WE COULD JUST MOVE ALONG IN THE AGENDA AND CIRCLE BACK IF WE NEED TO TRUE HIM WITH, UH, THE ROBUSTNESS OF OUR AGENDA.
WELL, AND FAIRNESS TO OUR SPEAKERS, LET'S, LET'S GIVE THEM AT LEAST UNTIL, UM, UH, SIX 40.
BUT LET ME CONFIRM THOUGH, WHAT EXPECTATION DID YOU SET BY THE WAY, JESSE? AND WHEN WE WOULD START, I GIVE THEM THE MEETING START TIME OF SIX 30.
SO WE'LL GIVE THEM, UH, WE'LL GIVE THEM UNTIL SIX 35 AND ONLY BECAUSE WE KNOW WE CAN DOUBLE BACK TO THEM AND THE AGENDA, UH, AND OUR TIME IS OBVIOUSLY VERY VALUABLE AND VOLUNTEERED.
OH, THE MINUTES FOR THE APRIL 2ND MEETING AVAILABLE FOR US TO REVIEW.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR CHUNG AND GLAD I CAN HEAR YOU.
UH, AND I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, THEY ARE IN FACT WHEN I START THE MEETING HERE SHORTLY, UM, JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW NOW, IN FACT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET GOING.
UH, WE AGREED TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE OUR SPEAKER UNTIL 35 AND SINCE WE'VE GOT THE FULL AGENDA, WHY DON'T WE GO AND GET STARTED? AND THEN I'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
ALL RIGHT, THEN WITH THAT, UH, CDAD READY TO GO? YES.
[CALL TO ORDER]
THIS IS NEHEMIAH FITZ, THE THIRD CALLING TO ORDER THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING FOR THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.MY NAME IS NEHEMIAH FITZ THIRD ON THE CHAIR, AND I'D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH A ROLL CALL.
AND WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS SIMPLY ASK EVERYONE TO ANNOUNCE THEMSELVES AND THE ORDER.
UH, MY NAME, OF COURSE, AS I MENTIONED ALREADY, I WAS APPOINTED BY MAYOR PRO TEM, NATASHA FOR MADISON AND I'M PRESENT.
SO DISTRICT TWO WOULD GO NEXT, UH, COMMISSIONER APADACA, UH, APPOINTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, VANESSA FUENTES PRESENT.
AND, UH, WHAT? SKIP TO DISTRICT NUMBER FIVE.
THIS IS A DAY FLOYD APPOINTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, A CONDITION OF DIVERSITY APPOINTED BY MACKENZIE KELLY DISTRICT SIX ISLAND APPOINTED BY COUNCILMAN COUNCILMAN AS THEY PULL DISTRICT SEVEN.
BEAVERS APPOINTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, KATHY TOVO DISTRICT DIRECTOR.
THAT'S COOPED UP AND I'M GOING TO DO A QUICK CHECK JUST TO MAKE SURE AT THIS TIME, UH, WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER GUIRO, UH, SOPHIE GUIRO APPOINTED BY THE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, UH, NOT PRESENT, UH, AND CON UH, VICE CHAIR, UH, ALEXANDER, UH, APPOINTED BY DISTRICT TWO, UH, RATHER, EXCUSE ME, UH, POINTED BY DISTRICT FOUR AND ALSO NOT PRESENT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FROM DISTRICT FOUR.
[00:05:01]
BUT WITH THAT, THEN WE WILL GET STARTED.AND OUR NEXT ITEM IN THE AGENDA IS A CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
UH, AT THIS TIME, NO CITIZENS HAVE SIGNED UP FOR A SYSTEM COMMUNICATION.
UH, SO, UH, THERE WILL NOT BE ANY SYSTEM COMMUNICATION AT THIS TIME.
AND FOR THE RECORD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, GREG CASAR, UH, APPOINTED VICE-CHAIR ALEXANDER WE'LL PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – April 2, 2021]
AND TO THAT POINT, I WANT EVERYONE TO REFER TO THEIR OUTLOOK INVITATION, WHICH CONTAINS SEVERAL ITEMS TOO, THAT NEED TO BE CONSIDERED NOW FOR THE PURPOSES ARE REALLY JUST ONE, UH, THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR APPROVAL.AND THEN WE'LL TRANSITION TO THE SECOND FOR REFERENCE.
UH, BUT THE FIRST ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 2ND MEETING.
UH, HOPEFULLY YOU ALL HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW THOSE HERE SINCE WE STARTED, UH, BUT FEEL FREE TO TAKE A LOOK AND THEN I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THEM AS PRESENTED.
NOW, ONE THING I FEEL OBLIGED TO CALL OUT AND THE MINUTES IS AN AMENDMENT.
SO THE SECOND DOCUMENT, WHICH IS ATTACHED IS THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WAS PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND THIS WAS FINALIZED AFTER A CONFIRMATION DIALOGUE BETWEEN, UH, THE STAFF LIAISON, JESSIE AND COMMISSIONER GUIRO WHO MADE THE INITIAL MOTION AND MYSELF AFTER I PERSONALLY REVIEWED THE VIDEO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MOTION REFLECTED OUR INTENT AS A BODY.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, UM, PART OF THE MINUTES HERE DOES NOT REFLECT THAT INTENT, ALTHOUGH THE RECOMMENDATION DOES BECAUSE AS EVERYONE REMEMBERS, HOPEFULLY WE AGREED TO ONLY PRESENT THE $10,000 FIGURE AS THE ONLY NUMERICAL FIGURE WE WERE GOING TO RECOMMEND.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE RECOMMENDATION REFLECTS THAT.
SO I'M MAKING A MOTION TO AMEND THESE MINUTES TO REFLECT THAT AS WELL.
SO THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THE LAST SENTENCE HERE UNDER NEW BUSINESS BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS A THE LAST PARAGRAPH, OKAY.
WOULD-WOULD REFLECT AS THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION DOES NOT HAVE A DOLLAR FIGURE, BUT RATHER SHOW PROPORTIONAL SUPPORT FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATION, WHICH INCLUDES OF COURSE, A DOLLAR FIGURE.
IT INCLUDES A GREAT FOR THE MEETING ROOMS. IT INCLUDES THE SOFTWARE UPGRADES, AND IT INCLUDES THE CONVERSION OF SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE UPGRADES, AND IT INCLUDES THE CONVERSION OF CONTRACT STAFF TO FTE.
SO UNLESS THERE ARE OTHER AMENDMENTS, UM, IF WE'RE IN AGREEMENT, I WOULD LOOK FOR SOMEONE TO SECOND THAT MOTION
[00:10:03]
TO APPROVE THESE MINUTES.UH, I MADE THE MOTION HAS BEEN SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER APODACA.
I'LL NOW LOOK FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.
IF EVERYONE COULD PLEASE, UH, SAY AYE AND RAISE THEIR HAND IF THEY APPROVED WASN'T, UH, THEY AGREE WITH PROVEN THESE MINUTES WITH THE, UH, AMENDMENT THAT I SUGGESTED, PLEASE SAY, AYE, AND SIR, YOUR HANDS.
IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? IS THERE ANYONE ABSTAINING UNDERSTANDING? OKAY.
SO THEN WITH THAT, WE HAVE TWO COMMISSIONERS NOT PRESENT WITH ONE ABSTENTION.
SO THAT'S A VOTE OF EIGHT ZERO AND ONE IN FAVOR TO APPROVE THESE MINUTES WITH THE AMENDMENT, UH, AGAIN, TO MATCH THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS SUBMITTED WITH THAT, WE'LL PROCEED IN OUR AGENDA, TWO STAFF
[2a. Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Briefing from Participating Austin Internet Service Providers. (Erin Burget, AT&T)]
AND COMMUNITY BRIEFINGS.SO, UH, I NOTICED THAT OUR CONTACT WITH AT AND T WAS ABLE TO JOIN US THERE AND GLAD THAT THE TIME WITH OUR AGENDA WORKED OUT, UH, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE THEM AND, UH, SET THE CONTEXT FOR THIS.
AS MOST OF THE BODY KNOWS WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE EQUITABLE BROADBAND INITIATIVE AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE AGREED TO REACH OUT TO EVERY LOCAL CARRIER AND THEN TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH THIS COMMISSION, WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO PROVIDE AND TO UTILIZE THIS INITIATIVE AT THE CITY.
AND I'LL LOOK FOR AN UPDATE AFTER THIS PRESENTATION, ONCE WE GET TO THAT SECTION OF THE AGENDA, BUT WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE AT AND T BE THE FIRST TO RESPOND AND BE WILLING TO PRESENT ON THIS TOPIC.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE AGENDA ITEM TWO EIGHT, THE EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT PROGRAM, WE THINK FROM OUR PARTICIPATING AUSTIN AND THE INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER, A T AND T.
I'M GOING TO TRY AND START MY VIDEO.
IT IS A LITTLE BIGGER THAN THAT, BUT FOR YOUR PERMISSION, I'LL SKIP THAT.
THANK YOU FOR APPRECIATE THAT.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
MY NAME IS ERIN BERGEN AND I MET DIRECTOR FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AT 18 T.
UM, SO I HANDLE COMMUNITY RELATIONS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND I WORKED FREQUENTLY WITH BRIAN DELLA.
UM, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THE EMERGENCY, UM, BROADBAND PROGRAM IN GENERAL.
SO I, I DID INCLUDE SOME BACKGROUND ON THE PROGRAM AND GENERAL BECAUSE IT IS ADMINISTERED BY THE SPC.
UM, BUT ON, ON MARCH 12TH OF THIS YEAR, AP AND T FILED ITS APPLICATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.
IT'S A $3.2 BILLION PROGRAM THAT CONGRESS ESTABLISHED, UM, AS A PART OF THE COVID-19 ECONOMIC RELIEF PACKAGE AND THE PROGRAM, AS YOU SAID, SHAREPOINT, UM, WAS SET UP TO HELP HOUSEHOLDS STRUGGLING TO PAY FOR INTERNET SERVICE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
UM, SO ONE THING I WANT TO KNOW THAT I'LL TOUCH ON MORE ON, MORE IN DEPTH LATER IS THAT THE FTC HAS NOT ESTABLISHED AN OFFICIAL START DATE YET.
SO WE'RE PROJECTING THE END OF APRIL, BUT A LOT OF WHAT I'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY IS INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN FIND ON THE FTC WEBSITE OR ON THE ONE PAGER THAT I THINK JESSE DISTRIBUTED TO YOU ALL.
UM, IN ADDITION AT, AND T WILL HAVE A WEBSITE LIVE ONCE THE PROGRAM HAS LAUNCHED.
SO YOU CAN ACCESS THAT FOR EVERYTHING I TALK ABOUT TODAY, AND MORE, THERE WILL BE MORE DETAILS AT THAT TIME.
UM, AND ALL OF THOSE URLS ARE NOTED ON THE ONE PAGER THAT JESSE SHARED WITH YOU ALL.
SO AT A HIGH LEVEL, THE PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE A DISCOUNT OF UP TO $50 A MONTH TOWARDS BROADBAND SERVICE AND SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH FOR TRIBAL LAND AND A ONE-TIME DISCOUNT ABOUT $200 FOR A LAPTOP, DESKTOP OR TABLET.
UM, IF THE CUSTOMER CONTRIBUTES
[00:15:01]
BETWEEN 10 AND $50 FOR THAT DEVICE.SO PER THE FCC RULES, THE BENEFIT IS LIMITED TO ONE MONTHLY SERVICE DISCOUNT PER HOUSEHOLD.
SO EACH HOUSEHOLD IS ELIGIBLE FOR EACH OF THOSE BENEFITS, MONTHLY SERVICES COUNT AND THE ONE-TIME DEVICE DISCOUNTS, BUT EACH HOUSEHOLD IS ONLY ELIGIBLE FOR ONE MONTHLY SERVICES COUNT.
UM, THE FTC IS USING THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE ADMINISTRATIVE COMPANY TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM AND PARTICIPATING PROVIDERS REIMBURSED FROM THE PROGRAM FOR DELIVERING DISCOUNTS.
SO THERE'S NO ONUS ON THE CONSUMER.
UM, ALL THE CONSUMER HAS TO DO IS ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM.
SO AT AND T SERVICES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE ARE 18 T BROADBAND AND 18 T BROADBAND WILL OFFER DISCOUNTS ON WIRELINE HOME INTERNET SERVICES, UM, 18 D ALSO CHOSE TO INCLUDE AT AND T MOBILITY AND CRICKETS.
AND, UM, THOSE TWO ENTITIES WILL OFFER DISCOUNTS ON MOBILE WIRELESS DATA SERVICES AND ON, UM, SELECT DATA, VOICE TECH BUNDLES.
SO THIS, BOTH OF THOSE, UM, ELIGIBLE SERVICES ALSO INCLUDE THE ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT LIKE MODEMS, HOTSPOTS, ANTENNAS, UM, ANYTHING THAT'S A PART OF THE ELIGIBLE AND INTERNET SERVICES THAT ARE BEING DISCOUNTED.
UM, ONE THING TO NOTE 18 T FIXED WIRELESS INTERNET AND DSL WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE, BUT FIXED WIRELESS INTERNET WILL STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR LIFELINE DISCOUNTS THROUGH THE FEDERAL LIFELINE PROGRAM.
UM, AND AGAIN, ALL OF THOSE DETAILS WILL BE ON THE 18 P WEBSITE ONCE IT'S LIVE AND ONCE THE PROGRAMS LAUNCHED.
UM, SO PER THE FCC RULES, A HOUSEHOLD IS ELIGIBLE.
UM, IF INCOME IS AT OR BELOW 135% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES, OR AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF THE HOUSEHOLD NEEDS, ONE OF THE CRITERIA THAT'S LISTED, UM, ON THE FTC WEBSITE, THAT CRITERIA A, UM, IF ONE HOUSEHOLD MEMBER QUALIFIES FOR THE LIFELINE PROGRAM, IF THEY RECEIVE BENEFITS UNDER THE FREE AND REDUCED PRICED SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM OR THE SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM, OR IF THEY DID SO, AND THE 2019 2020 SCHOOL YEAR, UM, IF THEY'VE RECEIVED A FEDERAL PELL GRANT DURING THE CURRENT AWARD YEAR, OR IF THEY'VE EXPERIENCED A SUBSTANTIAL LOSS OF INCOME SINCE FEBRUARY 29TH, 2020, UM, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, AMOUNTS AS FAR AS HOUSEHOLD INCOME ON THE FCC WEBSITE FOR, FOR THAT METRIC.
SO HOW DO PEOPLE SIGN UP? CONSUMERS WILL NEED TO FIRST GO TO A CONSUMER PORTAL, WHICH WILL BE SET UP BY USA, THE ENTITY THAT THE ACCC IS USING TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
UM, SO THERE, THEY WILL, UH, SUBMIT AN APPLICATION WHICH WILL DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT, THAT FOR AT AND T COMES IN ONCE THEIR ELIGIBILITY IS APPROVED, CONSUMERS CAN ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM AND IN ELIGIBLE SERVICES THAT AT AND T IS OFFERING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, THEY WILL HAVE THAT, UM, THE FCC ADOPTED RULES TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM ON FEBRUARY 25TH, AS I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW, AND THEY TARGETED 60 DAYS FOLLOWING THAT ORDER TO BEGIN ENROLLING CUSTOMERS, WHICH WOULD BE AROUND APRIL 26TH OF THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, THAT'S ALL THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE FTC THUS FAR.
UM, AND, UH, AT THAT TIME, WE'LL, LIKE I SAID, HAVE OUR WEBSITE LAUNCHED AS FAR AS AN END DATE, THE PROGRAM IS SCHEDULED TO END SIX MONTHS AFTER COVID-19 EMERGENCIES OFFICIALLY DECLARED OVER, OR WHEN THE PROGRAM FUNDING IS EXHAUSTED, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST, UM, AND AT, AND T HAS COMMITTED TO NOTIFYING CONSUMERS IN ADVANCE OF THAT END DATE ONCE THAT DATE IS ESTABLISHED.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M ABLE TO SHARE TODAY.
UM, AS I SAID, ALL OF THE DETAILS WILL BE, WILL BE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, AND THEY'RE ALSO ALL INCLUDED ON THE ONE PAGER THAT JESSE SENT YOU ALL.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO TRY AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE FOR ME.
UH, I'M SURE THERE'LL BE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT LIKE TO BEGIN BY JUST THANKING YOU AGAIN FOR BEING WILLING TO, TO COME AND PRESENT AHEAD OF OUR BODY, UH, ON THIS, I, I MISSPOKE EARLIER WHEN I SAID EQUITABLE, UH, IT'S EMERGENCY BROADBAND, OBVIOUSLY, AND I
[00:20:02]
REALLY CAN'T TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO OUR CITY AND OUR COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY IN SOME OF OUR OUTLYING AREAS.SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO OUR BODY FOR SOME QUESTIONS.
UH, WE'VE GOT ABOUT FIVE, UH, 10 MINUTES HERE FOR QUESTIONS THAT ARE ONE.
SO BE MINDFUL OF THAT IN TERMS OF SCHEDULE I'LL GO AHEAD AND LOOK FOR SOMEONE WHO IS EAGER.
I'VE GOT TO SEE A COMMISSIONED DUSK SCOOPED UP.
ONE IS, UH, I THOUGHT I HEARD $50 A MONTH FOR ONE MONTH $50.
HOW MUCH IS TRICKY DOLLARS COMPARED TO THE TOTAL MONTHLY BILL IS GOING TO BE? AND WHAT IS THE CORRESPONDING SPEED? WHAT IS THE MINIMUM SPEED THAT YOU CAN EXPECT IN A BROADBAND SERVICE? UM, COULD YOU GET THAT QUESTION? UH, AARON, NOT HIS EARLIER.
I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYONE HEARD THE EARLY PART OF YOUR QUESTION.
COMMISSIONER, DO YOU WANT ME TO REPEAT IT? I MISSED THE EARLIER PART, PLEASE.
I MEAN, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM OF REPEAL IS $50 EQUAL TO ONE MONTH'S BILL OR IS IT LIKE HALF, A FOUR MONTH BILL? UH, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE RELATIVE IS THE METRIC OF THE $50 AND ALSO WHAT KIND OF SPEED SPEED.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
IT ALL VARIES ON WHAT TYPE OF SERVICES THE CONSUMER DECIDES TO APPLY THE DISCOUNTS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW OUR, OUR BILLS RANGE BASED ON IS DIFFERENT SERVICES, SO I CAN'T REALLY PROVIDE YOU AN EXACT AMOUNT OF WHAT AN AVERAGE BILL MIGHT BE.
UM, BUT, UH, AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION SPEEDS, UH, SAME ANSWER.
UM, THAT'LL, THAT'LL VARY ON WHAT SERVICES THAT PARTICULAR CONSUMER DECIDES TO, UM, ENROLL FOR THE DISCOUNT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THAT TO CLARIFY IF THE HOUSEHOLD IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE DISCOUNT AND SAY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING, UM, X INTERNET SERVICE TODAY, THEN I DON'T THINK ANYTHING CHANGED THEIR SERVICE DOESN'T CHANGE.
AS LONG AS THEY'RE STILL ELIGIBLE, THEY JUST GET $50 TO WHATEVER THEIR BILL IS.
SO IF THEY WENT, UM, DIFFERENT SPEED TIERS, I DON'T THINK ANY OF THAT IS IMPACTED BY THIS PROGRAM.
THE COMMISSIONS THAT'S SCOOPED, UH, UH, I HAVE ANOTHER PERSON IT'S NOT THE COMMISSIONER IT AGAIN.
THIS IS MALCOLM GATES HERE AND CONCERNS THE ENROLLMENT PROCEDURE.
UM, JUST IN GENERAL MALCOLM, WHAT'S THE ENROLLMENT PROCEDURE GOING TO BE? WELL HE'S BUFFERING.
CAN YOU UNDERSTAND ME HERE? WE'VE GOT YOU NOW, MALCOLM, WHERE YOU ASKING JUST IN GENERAL, WHAT, WHAT WILL BE IN ENROLLMENT PROXIMATE PROCESS LOOK LIKE? RIGHT.
I, IT MENTIONED A CONSUMER PORTAL, WHICH SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT YOU NEED INTERNET ACCESS TO BEGIN WITH IN ORDER TO ENROLL IN THIS PROGRAM.
SO I SEE A SLIGHT PROBLEM HERE FOR SOME PEOPLE.
IT, IT WOULD REQUIRE, UM, THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO ACCESS THE CONSUMER PORTAL.
SO YOU ARE, YOU'RE CORRECT ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S MORE ON THE FCC SIDE, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE GOT ANY, UH, PLANS IN PLACE TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS, UM, AND ANY OTHER WAY BESIDES THE CONSUMER PORTAL.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S, THAT'S MORE OF AN FCC QUESTION I CAN TELL YOU AS OF NOW, ONCE IT GETS PASSED OFF TO AT AND T TO ENROLL IN OUR PROGRAMS, UM, I BELIEVE IT WILL ONLY BE THROUGH, THROUGH OUR ONLINE PORTAL.
WELL THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT NEED A LITTLE POLISHING PROCEDURE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER
IS THERE ANY COST TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN OR IS THIS ALL FEDERAL MONEY WHAT'S GOING THROUGH THEM FREAKING FEET.
[00:25:03]
I HAVE A QUESTION.MY QUESTION IS REGARDING THE, UM, DISCOUNT FOR THE, UM, DEVICES.
HOW DOES THAT WORK? UM, AND, AND THERE'S THE CONSUMER HAVE A CERTAIN ASSORTMENT OF DEVICES THAT THEY CAN CHOOSE FROM.
UM, YOU KNOW, DO THEY HAVE TO GO TO A PARTICULAR VENDOR? UM, HOW, HOW IS THAT DECIDED? AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THEY GET RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WHAT TO PURCHASE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE THEY'RE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO PURCHASING IN THEIR HOME SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY SUITABLE FOR THEIR HOUSEHOLD? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT FOR 18 T I'D IMAGINE THAT WE ONLY HAVE CONTROL TO GET DISCOUNTS OVER THE DEVICES THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THE CONSUMER.
SO THEY WOULD BE LIMITED TO, UM, WHATEVER DEVICES THE VENDOR OFFERS.
ATP'S THE ONLY ONE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, SO THERE MIGHT BE FLEXIBILITY THERE FOR THE CONSUMER TO, TO DECIDE WHICH PROVIDER THEY WANT TO USE THAT DEVICE DISCOUNT WITH.
UM, BUT THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
AND I CAN TRY, AND I CAN TRY AND FIND OUT SOME MORE DETAILS FOR YOU ON, ON THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WERE A LOT OF, A LOT OF QUESTIONS IN THAT ONE QUESTION, SO, UM, I CAN TRY AND FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
UM, FROM THE STAFF HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AARON, AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
UM, RON DELLA HAWKINS, TELEKOM AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS OFFICE.
SO I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, UM, GOING BACK TO, UH, COMMISSIONER, JUST SKIP THIS QUESTION ABOUT THE, WHAT IS THE $50 A PORTION OF THE TOTAL MONTHLY BILL? IS IT GOING TO, FOR EXAMPLE, AT AND T OFFERS PROMOTIONAL, UM, DISCOUNTS CURRENTLY, UM, FOR INTERNET SERVICE AND, AND THIS IS STRICTLY FOR INTERNET SERVICES, IT'S NOT BUNDLED WITH YOUR VIDEO OR THE, OR DIGITAL TELEPHONE.
SO IT'S STRICTLY, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE JUST FOR INTERNET SERVICE.
AND I WAS WONDERING THE $50, UH, WOULD, IT'S GOING TO BE APPLIED AS A CREDIT.
I TAKE IT ONCE THE, ONCE THE PERSON IS THE CUSTOMER IS QUALIFIED OR ELIGIBLE.
IS IT LIKE A $50 CREDIT TOWARDS THE BILL BE ON A CUSTOMER'S BILL? AND, UM, COULD IT BE, COULD IT POSSIBLY APPLY TO YOUR PROMOTIONS? UM, CAUSE OFTENTIMES YOU CAN DO A ONE-YEAR INTERNET SERVICE FOR, YOU KNOW, PRETTY DISCOUNTED, UM, COST.
AND SO THAT'S JUST ONE QUESTION I MAY, YOU MAY NOT KNOW THE ANSWER.
THESE ARE JUST, UM, KIND OF DETAILS.
AND AS FAR AS THE ENROLLMENT PROCEDURE, WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FCC AND WE'RE HOPING THAT LOCALLY WE CAN PARTNER, UM, AND HELP, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMPUTER LABS AND WE HAVE, UM, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE DIGITAL ACCESS, UM, THAT I'M GOING TO TURN MY INTERNET IS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY A BUFFERING.
UH, WE DEFINITELY WANNA, YOU KNOW, OUTREACH AND PARTNER WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING FOLKS ENROLLED, WHICH IS THAT'S, THAT'S AN RN, BUT AS FAR AS AT AND T, UM, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO PARTNER AND, YOU KNOW, OUTREACH WITH THE PARENTS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT NONPROFITS THROUGH THE DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT COMMUNITY, BOSTON.
SO THEN WE CAN MAKE FOLKS AWARE.
UM, AND SO JUST, HOPEFULLY YOU ALL WILL BE OPEN TO WORKING WITH, WITH, UH, WITH US WHEN I SAY US IT'S A CITY, BUT I MEAN, MANY NONPROFITS JUST TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THIS BENEFIT PROGRAM.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL AND WE HAVE TO FACILITATE GETTING PEOPLE TO SIGN UP IF THEY DON'T HAVE INTERNET ACCESS.
UM, SO JUST A COUPLE OF, AND THEN THE DEVICES I REMEMBER BACK WHEN WE DID THE, THE BROADCAST CHANNELS CONVERTED TO DIGITAL DIGITAL SERVICE, THE DIGITAL BROADCAST CHANNELS.
AND, UM, AT THE TIME THERE WERE, UM, KINDA, YOU KNOW, WE PARTNERED, I MEAN, THE COMPANIES WE PARTNERED WITH, UH, WITH THE DIFFERENT ELECTRONIC STORES AND THINGS TO HELP, YOU KNOW, GET THE DIGITAL CONVERTER BOX
[00:30:01]
OR THE ANTENNA, UM, SO THAT PEOPLE COULD RECEIVE THOSE CHANNELS IN DIGITAL.AND IT IS, WILL THAT BE A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS, LIKE THE A HUNDRED DOLLARS, UH, FOR CUSTOMERS.
UM, AND WE ALL HAVE LIKE A, YOU KNOW, JUST THINKING ABOUT IF YOU'LL HAVE A LIST OF HOW WILL PEOPLE LIKE, WILL THERE BE A MENU OF, YOU KNOW, EQUIPMENT OPTIONS TO BUY AND HOW WILL, UH, THE COST, I GUESS, WILL BE REIMBURSED AGAIN? IS IT GOING TO BE A CREDIT ON A BILL? I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, WHAT IS THE UPFRONT, I GUESS, IF THERE'S ANY UPFRONT COSTS OR ANYTHING FOR, FOR THE CUSTOMERS.
UM, SO AS FAR AS THE BILLING GOES, UM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, BECAUSE I ASKED THE SAME QUESTION THAT YOU DID TO, TO OUR TEAM, UM, ALL OF THE UPFRONT COSTS ARE, UM, TAKEN ON BY THE PROVIDER.
SO BY, AT AND T, SO THE CUSTOMER DOESN'T HAVE TO, FOR EXAMPLE, PAY A BILL AND THEN THE NEXT MONTH TO GET A CREDIT ON THEIR BILL FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH, IT'LL BE REAL TIME.
AND IT MAY, I DON'T KNOW THE NUANCES OF WHETHER OR NOT IT'LL SHOW AS A CREDIT ON THEIR BILLS, BUT I DO KNOW THAT FROM MONTH TO MONTH, IT WILL BE DISCOUNTED.
UH, THERE WON'T BE ANY BURDEN ON THE CONSUMER TO CARRY A DEBT, I GUESS, IS, UH, IS ONE WAY TO PUT IT AND THEN BEING REIMBURSED.
SO 18 TEAS, UM, JUST COUNTING THE SERVICES AND THEN WERE REIMBURSED BY THE FTC THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
UM, AS FAR AS PROMOTION, UM, I'VE, I WROTE THAT ONE DOWN.
I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WILL WORK.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS, UM, YOU ALL MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH ACCESS FROM AT AND T, WHICH ARE, WHICH IS OUR CURRENT EXISTING LOW COST BROADBAND OFFER, UM, FOR $10 A MONTH.
AND THAT ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, WILL STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM.
SO IF A HOUSEHOLD IS, UM, IS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN ACCESS, THEN THEY BASICALLY WOULD HAVE A $0 BILL.
THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY THAT ACCESS FROM AP AND P LINE TO VISION TO THIS.
UM, BUT I'LL CHECK ON OTHER PROMOS FOR YOU.
AND THEN I THINK THERE WAS MAYBE ONE OR TWO MORE QUESTIONS, AS FAR AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN HELPING, UM, THE FCC HAS SET UP LIKE A WEB FORM FOR ORGANI ORGANIZATIONS THAT WANT TO BECOME OUTREACH PARTNERS.
AND SO YOU CAN GO ON THEIR WEBSITE AND YOU CAN BECOME MORE OF A FORMAL OUTREACH PARTNER SO THAT YOU CAN HELP PUSH OUT THE INFORMATION TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS OR, UM, WHOEVER YOU WANT, AS FAR AS, UH, PARTNERING ON AP AND T SPECIFIC PROMOTIONS.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY FORMAL CHANNELS FOR THAT, BUT I'M OF COURSE, HAPPY TO DO THAT WITH YOU AS WE KIND OF WORKED, WORKED TOGETHER IN THE PAST.
UM, AND THEN THE DEVICE REIMBURSEMENT, I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT SIMILAR TO THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I NEED TO CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU ALL ON.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THE MENU OF DEVICES WILL BE.
LIKE I SAID, I IMAGINE THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE AT AND T DEVICES.
WE CAN ONLY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, FOR OUR DEVICES, BUT I WILL I'LL CHECK ON IF WE KNOW WHAT WILL BE AVAILABLE AND HOW THAT MIGHT WORK.
I KNOW THAT THE COMMISSION OF A DACA HAD A QUESTION.
UH, AND FIRST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND TELLING US ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS, UH, THE FIRST, UH, ANY IDEA OF WHEN THE, THE FORM WILL GO LIVE ON THE FCC WEBSITE.
UM, AND THEN SECONDLY IS AT AND T DOING ANYTHING TO PROMOTE THE PROGRAM ON SOCIAL MEDIA, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, UH, OR OTHER MEANS.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHEN IT'LL GO LIVE.
UM, WE'VE BEEN TOLD APRIL 26 IS KIND OF A ROUGH DATE FOR WHEN THEY WENT TO LUNCH.
UM, SO I CAN'T IMAGINE IT WILL BE BEFORE THAT.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY DATE THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN FROM THE FCC.
SO, SO WE'RE KIND OF COUNTING ON THAT DATE AS FAR AS PLANNING GOES.
AND THEN AS FAR AS PROMOTION, UM,
[00:35:01]
WE WILL BE LIKELY PUSHING OUT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, UH, AT A MINIMUM.I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT, BUT I CAN CHECK.
LET'S DO A QUICK SCAN TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE, UM, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE QUALIFICATION PROCESS, UM, AND IT LOOKS PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD, BUT WHAT IS THE, UM, TIMELINE IT TAKES FOR SOMEBODY TO SUBMIT THE FORMS ACTUALLY BE NOTIFIED THAT THEY WERE ACCEPTED INTO THE PROGRAM.
AND WHEN DOES THE CREDIT GET APPLIED AND START BEING APPLIED? UM, AND MY SECOND QUESTION WAS, YOU MENTIONED OTHER, UM, CARRIERS MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROGRAM.
ARE THEY, DOES THE PERSON THAT, UM, SUBMITS THE FORM HAVE TO BE A CURRENT CUSTOMER OF SAY A T AND T TO QUALIFY FOR THAT DISCOUNT? UM, AND IF THEY'RE NOT, IS THERE A PROCESS TO KIND OF SWITCH OVER FOR THAT? UM, AND THEN MY LAST IS MORE KIND OF A THOUGHT, CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE ON HOW THE PROMOTION PROCESS IS GOING TO GO, BUT I THINK SHARING HOW THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, GO AND SUBMIT ONLINE AND THE FORM, IF THEY DON'T HAVE INTERNET WOULD BE, SHOULD BE PART OF THAT PROMOTION PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, RIGHT.
SO LET'S SEE, UM, AS FAR AS APPLICATIONS TIME, UM, THAT AGAIN IS AN FCC THING, BUT WE HAVE HEARD THAT, UH, IN SOME INSTANCES IT COULD TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND IF, IF FOR SOME REASON, UM, THEY NEED TO DO CHECKING.
THAT'S ALL WE'VE BEEN TOLD ON THAT.
UH, THEN THE ELIGIBILITY PIECES IS MORE OF THE FCC, UM, REIMBURSEMENT TIMING, UH, AS FAR AS I KNOW, OR AS I UNDERSTAND IT AND OUR TEAM, IT SHOULD BE IMMEDIATE.
UH, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S NO, UM, LIKE CREDIT IN FEBRUARY FOR SERVICES FROM JANUARY.
SO THE DISCOUNT SHOULD SHOW IMMEDIATELY TO OUR, TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
UM, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A CURRENT CUSTOMER TO ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM.
YOU ONLY HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO ENROLL IN THE SERVICES THAT 18 P ETC ELIGIBLE AND THE PROCESS TO KIND OF SWITCH OVER, LIKE YOU SAID, WILL BE INCLUDED IN THAT ENROLLMENT PROCESS.
SO IT'LL LOOK THE SAME FOR AN EXISTING CUSTOMER VERSUS A NEW CUSTOMER AS FAR AS ENROLLING ONCE DETERMINED THAT YOU'RE ELIGIBLE.
UM, AND, AND I, AND I MADE A NOTE ABOUT YOUR, YOUR PROMOTION SUGGESTION, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT COMMISSIONER ISLANDS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO CHIME IN ON THAT NOTE BECAUSE I DEFINITELY WANT TO REITERATE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS, UH, TO THIS BODY.
THAT THERE'D BE A WAY FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEN GET THIS AFFORDABLE EMERGENCY ACCESS, UH, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO THIS BODY.
UM, DEFINITELY ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO A FOLLOW-UP ON SPECIFIC WAYS THAT AT AND T WILL BE PROMOTING AND, AND HOW WE CAN CAN HELP.
I KNOW THAT WE DO APPRECIATE THE DIRECTIONS OF THE WEBSITE AND HOW THAT'S CDC IS MARSHALING ORGANIZATIONS THAT, THAT WANT TO HELP.
AND YET AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE ALL ABOUT HYPER-LOCAL HERE AND, AND, AND, UH, THE PARK ELABORATIONS ARE VERY SOUND SO WITH THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH AT AND T LOCALLY, WE'RE HOPING THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO DIRECTLY BE INVOLVED IN LOCAL PROMOTION AS A BODY.
ABSOLUTELY HAPPY TO WELL WITH THAT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON IN OUR AGENDA FOR ERIN? OKAY, WELL, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO DO IT.
THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH FOR BEING THE FIRST OF OUR LOCAL CARRIERS TO PROVIDE INPUT ON THIS EMERGENCY, UH, BENEFIT PROGRAM.
UH, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEPS AND, AND WHAT UNFOLDS.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND I'VE GOT MY ITEMS FOR UP.
AND SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL BE IN TOUCH SOON.
THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH, AARON.
ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM THREE NEW BUSINESS
[3a. Grant for Technology Opportunities Program – 2021 Award Recommendations and Vote for Approval (Discussion and Possible Action)]
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, UH, BEGINNING WITH A, UH, THE GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM THE 2021 AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS AND VOTE FOR APPROVAL.SO ONE OF THE ITEMS INCLUDED IN THAT OUTLOOK INVITATION WAS THE INITIAL, THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION.
[00:40:01]
JESSE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, SINCE YOU WERE KIND ENOUGH TO DRAFT UP THIS DOCUMENT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, MARSHALL THIS CONVERSATION AND JUMP IN WITH YOUR MEMO? SURE, SURE.I'M HAPPY TO JESSE RODRIGUEZ WITH TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN REGULATORY AFFAIRS, I'LL DO A QUICK RUN THROUGH OF THE MEMORANDUM, UM, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, A QUICK OVERVIEW OF G TOP SINCE WE HAVE A FEW NEW COMMISSIONERS.
UM, ALTHOUGH THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT IS, UH, FAMILIAR TO THE, UH, THE REST OF THE COMMISSION, I WANT TO MAKE SURE AND KIND OF GIVE THAT QUICK OVERVIEW FOR EVERYBODY.
SO THIS ITEM IS FOR THE 2021 GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM, THE APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS JUST CONCLUDED LAST WEEK.
AND WE'RE COMING TO THIS COMMISSION TODAY, UH, PROPOSING THE 11 AWARDEES OF THAT GRANT, UH, TO TAKE A STEP BACK.
THE PURPOSE OF G TOPS IS TO PROVIDE MATCHING FUNDS TO AUSTIN ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE RESIDENT ACCESS TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, OR THAT OFFER LITERACY PROGRAMS THAT CREATE DIGITAL OPPORTUNITIES AND FOSTER DIGITAL INCLUSION, PARTICULARLY IN UNDERSERVED SEGMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
DETOX HAS THREE DEFINED GOALS TO INCREASE THE USE OF DIGITAL AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY DEVICES TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF DIGITAL AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY AND TO INCREASE ACCESS TO AND USAGE OF THE INTERNET.
SO THAT'S A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.
UH, G TOPS IS AGAIN, A GRANT FOR NONPROFITS IN THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY DOING DIGITAL EQUITY WORK.
SO, UH, THERE THERE'S A TOTAL OF $400,000 IN GTS FUNDS AVAILABLE EVERY YEAR, SPLIT BETWEEN THREE PATHWAYS.
THE RECOMMENDATION IN FRONT OF US TODAY IS FOR THE G TOPS CORE PATHWAY, WHICH IS OUR LARGEST ONE AND REPRESENTS $300,000 OF THAT FUNDING.
THE LETTERS OF INTEREST FOR THIS PATHWAY G TUFTS CORE WERE ACCEPTED FROM NOVEMBER 1ST THROUGH JANUARY 8TH, AND THE GRANT APPLICATIONS WERE ACCEPTED FROM JANUARY 18TH THROUGH FEBRUARY 12TH, UH, THAT THIS COMMISSION APPOINTED THE VOLUNTEER GRANT REVIEW PANEL, WHICH WAS COMPRISED OF SEVEN QUALIFIED COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES AND CHAIR PITS ACTED AS THE EX-OFFICIO CHAIR OF THAT REVIEW PANEL.
IN TOTAL, WE RECEIVED 29 APPLICATIONS FOR G TUFTS, 2021, AND, UH, THROUGH TWO ROUNDS OF SCORING, UH, HAVE, UH, BROUGHT THAT DOWN TO A RECOMMENDATION OF THE, UH, OF 11 FUND FUND, THESE AWARDEES, UM, THE WAY THAT, UH, WE HAVE SOME FUNDING AND RANKING GUIDELINES.
AND SO I'LL LAY THOSE OUT REALLY QUICK.
UM, ON THE SECOND PAGE HERE, THE FULL AND PARTIAL AWARDS, UH, WE, WE EVALUATED FULL AND PARTIAL AWARDS FOR EACH G TOPS GOAL AREA.
UM, THERE AGAIN WAS $300,000 IN TOTAL FUNDS AVAILABLE.
THE MINIMUM THAT WE WOULD AWARD TO ANY ORGANIZATION IS 70% OF WHAT THEY REQUEST THAT IS BECAUSE ANYTHING BELOW 70%, WE HAVE HEARD FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO KIND OF RETOOL A PROGRAM, UH, TO, TO MEET THAT MUCH OF A SIGNIFICANT BUDGET, CUT THE HIGHEST SCORES, RECEIVED THE HIGHEST AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS AND LOWER SCORING, BUT STILL ABOVE AVERAGE APPLICATIONS RECEIVED PARTIAL AWARD RECOMMENDATION, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS AS APPROPRIATE.
WE DO TRY AND DRIVE CONSENSUS THROUGH THE FINAL DELIBERATION OF THE PANEL, WHICH OCCURRED LAST WEEK.
THE, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION BEFORE US TODAY REPRESENTS THE PRIMARY PREFERENCE OF FIVE OF THE SEVEN REVIEWERS, BUT ENDED UP RECEIVING FULL SUPPORT FROM ALL SEVEN REVIEWERS.
THE, UH, FUNDING METHODOLOGY THAT WE SETTLED ON FOR THE 11 AWARDEES, UH, IS AS FOLLOWS PRIORITY, WAS GIVEN TO FUNDING AS MANY ORGANIZATIONS AS POSSIBLE WITH 11 ORGANIZATIONS BEING THE UPPER LIMIT THAT WE COULD REACH ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE, UH, RECEIVE LESS FUNDING.
THE LOWER THEIR SCORE, UH, WAS AS FUNDING AND LIMITS ALLOW THE FIRST PLACE AWARD.
HE RECEIVED 100% OF THE REQUESTS REQUEST WITH EACH TEMPLATE, SUBSEQUENT AWARDEE RECEIVING 5% LESS THAN THE PREVIOUS AWARDEE.
AND THE AWARDS WERE THEN REDUCED FROM THE BOTTOM UP, UH, TO KIND OF TUNE TUNE IT TO OUR $300,000, $300,000 BUDGET THERE.
[00:45:01]
UH, IN, IN TUNING THESE THINGS, THERE'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT OF OVERHANG IN THIS CASE, IT WAS 2.1% OF, UH, ONE ORGANIZATIONS REQUESTS.SO ONE ORGANIZATION RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL 2.1, 4% OF THEIR REQUESTS TO KIND OF SPEND ALL OF THE FUNDS.
AND, UH, THE TABLE HERE REPRESENTS THE, UH, RECOMMENDED FUNDING, INCLUDING THE FILM SOCIETY OF AUSTIN
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANYTHING, ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE PA THE COMMISSION HAS.
LET'S LET'S GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP BRIEFLY FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
THAT'S A VERY GOOD SYNOPSIS OF EVERYTHING THAT TOOK PLACE.
CAN YOU SCOOP THEN? YEAH, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
I'LL DO 11 RECOMMENDED RECIPIENTS.
HOW MANY ARE REPEAT RECIPIENTS? YOU KNOW, HOW MANY OF YOU, YES.
THREE PROGRAMS HAVE NEVER RECEIVED G TUFTS CORE FUNDING BEFORE EIGHT OF THE PROGRAMS HAVE.
YEAH, WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO HAVE MORE FOLKS, JESSE, OF THOSE THREE THAT ARE RECEIVING FUNDING FOR THE FIRST TIME.
HAVE ANY OF THEM APPLIED IN THE PAST? DO YOU KNOW OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD? UH, HELLO, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.
UH, I DO HAVE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE.
IF YOU BEAR WITH ME FOR TWO MOMENTS, WE HAVE ONE, ONE OF THOSE THREE WAS A PREVIOUS APPLICANT.
UH, THE OTHER TWO WERE COMPLETELY NEW TO G TOPS.
DID YOU HEAR THAT COMMISSIONER? YES.
UH, WELL, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, PLEASE.
COMMISSIONER ISLAND, SINCE I'M NEEDED THIS, UM, HOW, WHAT GOES INTO THE SELECTION PROCESS AND OF THE, HOW MANY APPLICANTS WERE THERE? SURE.
SO THERE WERE A TOTAL OF, UH, WELL, I DON'T HAVE IT, UH, GIVE ME ONE MOMENT.
THERE'S THE FIRST STEP IN THE PROCESS IS THE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS SUBMIT LETTERS OF INTEREST.
WE RECEIVED 37 LETTERS OF INTEREST REPRESENTING 35 UNIQUE APPLICANTS, UM, IN, UH, THERE'S A, UH, THE LETTER OF INTEREST PROCESS.
WE JUST PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THE ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, AND SO WHEN IT CAME TO TIME TO SUBMIT FULL APPLICATIONS, WE RECEIVED 29 AND OF, UH, THE, THE SCORING PROCESS AT THAT POINT, AS WE GO THROUGH THROUGH, THROUGH, UH, TWO ROUNDS OF SCORING THE PANEL DOES IN ROUND ONE HALF OF THE PANELISTS, UH, REVIEW HALF OF THE APPLICATIONS.
SO WE HAVE ONE PANEL OF FOUR REVIEWERS, ONE PANEL OF THREE REVIEWERS, UM, AND EACH OF THOSE PANELS CONSIDERS HALF OF THE APPLICATIONS AND, AND OFFERS THEIR SCORES, THE TOP SCORING, UH, 20 ORGANIZATIONS MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ROUND, UM, IN BETWEEN OR AFTER ROUND ONE SCORING, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL REVIEWERS TO ASK QUESTIONS OF ANY OF THE, UH, APPLICANTS MOVING ON TO THE NEXT STAGE, THROUGH AN EMAIL BASED PROCESS.
UH, ALL QUESTIONS ARE SUBMITTED TO ME, AND THEN I SUBMIT THE QUESTIONS TO THE APPROPRIATE ORGANIZATIONS AND PROVIDE ALL OF THE RESPONSES BACK TO THE WHOLE PANEL.
UH, AND THOSE, UH, THOSE THAT ROUND OF Q AND A KIND OF INFORMS ROUND TWO SCORING, UH,
[00:50:01]
WHICH IS ALL PANELISTS REVIEWING ALL OF THE REMAINING ORGANIZATIONS IN, UH, WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR WAS THREE WEB CONFERENCE SESSIONS AT TWO HOURS A PIECE, UM, AND, UH, THAT RESULTED IN FINAL SCORES FROM EACH COMMISSION OR EACH REVIEW REVIEWER.AND THEN THE, UH, SCORES, THE FINAL SCORES ARE AVERAGED ACROSS ALL OF THE SCORES.
AND THAT PROVIDES US WITH THE FINAL SCORE.
UM, WHEN, WHEN ITEM TO NOTE IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE ADDED THIS YEAR IS A, UH, BONUS POINT SYSTEM.
UH, SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BONUS POINTS THAT ORGANIZATIONS CAN QUALIFY FOR JUST BASED ON, UH, THINGS LIKE THE CLIENTS THAT THEY SERVE.
IF THE CLIENT DEMOGRAPHIC IS A G TOPS PRIORITY DEMOGRAPHIC, UH, THE ORGANIZATION WILL QUALIFY FOR SOME BONUS POINTS, SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE, UH, ORGANIZATIONAL REVENUES BELOW A MILLION DOLLARS ALSO ARE QUALIFIED FOUR OR FIVE BONUS POINTS.
UM, AND, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S A COUPLE MORE THAT ESCAPED MY, MY IMMEDIATE, UH, MIND, BUT THOSE, THOSE BONUS POINTS ARE APPLIED AT, AT THE, UH, AT THE END AND INFORMED THE FINAL RANKING.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION FOCUS? IT WAS FOCUS AREA.
UM, IT FOCUSED HERE WITH ONE OF THE OTHER KEY AREAS AS WELL, JUST TO, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER ISLAND.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WALKING ME THROUGH THAT.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE SO APPRECIATIVE OF THE REVIEW PANEL, UM, AND WHY, AND ONE OF OUR SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS WE WERE LOOKING TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE ACKNOWLEDGED, RIGHT.
AND SO PART OF THAT FORMAL PROCESS IS MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE ALL GOING TO GET CERTIFICATES FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE THAT SHOW APPRECIATION FOR THEIR WORK FOR OUR CITY.
AND IN THIS REVIEW, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR JESSE OR, OR ABOUT THESE PRESENTED AWARDEES AND, AND SPLITS, IF NOT, UH, THEN I MOVE, IF NOT, THEN I MOVE TO APPROVE, UH, THIS LIST OF AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAVE.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER DASGUPTA WITH THAT, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING, UH, THESE G TOPS 2021 WE'RE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND PLEASE SAY, AYE, AND SHOW YOUR HAND.
IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? NOPE.
IS THERE ANYONE ABSTAINING? OKAY.
AND WE HAVE APPROVED THESE, UH, THIS, UH, ROUND, UH, ROUTED THIS FINAL, UH, G TUFTS 2021 AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS BY A VOTE OF 10.
THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED IN OUR AGENDA ON A NEW BUSINESS TO AGENDA ITEM THREE, B
[3b. Council Vote Tablature (Discussion and Possible Action)]
COUNCIL VOTE, TABLATURE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.UH, NOW WE DID HAVE, UH, A COMMISSIONER THAT WAS, UH, LEADING THE REQUIREMENTS, GATHERING EFFORT ON THIS, UH, FROM OUR LAST MEETING AND, UH, HAS SHOWN LEADERSHIP IN THIS AMONGST A VARIETY OF THINGS.
SO I'D LIKE TO HAND IT OVER IF I COULD, THE COMMISSIONER, UH, YATES, UH, SHE GOT ANY THOUGHTS OR FEEDBACK BASED ON, UH, YOUR, YOUR WORK ON THIS, RIGHT.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE HERE AND WE CAN GO AHEAD WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION THEN YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH SET ON THAT.
SO DID WE HAVE THE, UH, THE, THE LANGUAGE TO AGREE UPON, RIGHT.
[00:55:01]
STAFF? YES, I'M SORRY.UH, JESSE, UH, BECAUSE TO MY UNDERSTANDING THERE WAS, UH, STILL SOME OUTSTANDING UPDATES.
I FOUGHT FROM CTM THAT WERE GOING TO AFFECT THIS RECOMMENDATION TO SOME EXTENT, UH, THERE, THERE, THERE MAY BE.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T ACTUALLY SUSPECT THAT THERE ARE, THERE WILL BE.
UM, BUT I, I ALSO DON'T HAVE ANY DRAFT LANGUAGE, UH, FOR THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER IF THAT WAS AN EXPECTATION.
UM, WELL, I, I ADMIT, UH, I, I DIDN'T HAVE THAT EXPECTATION.
I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT, UM, BASED UPON, UH, THE FOLLOW-UP, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT WE LEFT IT AT A POINT WHERE WE NEEDED TO GET FEEDBACK FROM CTM SPECIFICALLY ON WHAT STAFF AND OR LICENSING REQUIREMENTS MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER EXPENSE THEY WOULD INCUR FROM A RESOURCE STANDPOINT, TO HELP US WITH THIS IN LIEU OF OPEN AUSTINS AND THEN US KIND OF WAITING TO SEE WHEN THEY WANT TO OPEN AUSTIN CAN DO IT.
UH, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM CTM.
AND SO WE MIGHT STILL BASICALLY BE IN THE SAME HOLDING PATTERN, UH, THAT WE WERE IN, IN TERMS OF THIS RECOMMENDATION.
AND SO WE HAD ORIGINALLY REACHED OUT TO OPEN AUSTIN TO ASSIST WITH, UH, UH, HELPING US OUT WITH, OR SEEING IF THERE WAS A WAY TO JUST HAVE A DATA CRAWLER, UH, PULL THE DATA FROM WHEREVER THIS, THIS DATA CURRENTLY EXISTS.
UM, AND WE, UH, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE WINTER STORM IT'S BEEN, UH, DIFFICULT TO, UH, COMMUNICATE WITH OPEN AUSTIN.
SO WE HAD DISCUSSED TRYING TO WORK WITH CTM TO POTENTIALLY GO DOWN THAT ROAD.
UM, I, UH, SO THOSE, THOSE QUESTIONS HAVE NOT BEEN ANSWERED IN, UH, AS OF YET IN TERMS OF IF THERE WOULD BE ANY STAFF THAT COULD HELP US, UH, HELP US OUT WITH THAT.
UM, SO THAT THAT'S POTENTIALLY, UH, OUTSTANDING.
UM, IF, IF THE QUESTION RELATES TO SOCRATA, UH, I, I, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE ANY COST, UH, OR CONCERN RELATED TO OUR ABILITY TO, UH, GENERATE THAT DATA IN SPREADSHEET FORMAT AND POST IT TO THE OPEN DATA PORTAL, BECAUSE OUR, UH, RELATIONSHIP WITH SOCRATA IS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST SUBSCRIPTION, UH, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE ANY DATA LIMITS ON, UH, THE USAGE OF THE PORTAL.
UM, SO FROM THAT LENS, THERE, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL, UH, EXPENSE, BUT IF THERE'S ANY STAFFING REQUIRED FOR THAT EFFORT, THEN THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO.
SO HAVE WE GIVEN UP ON TRYING TO GET THE BOOKS OFFICE TO ACTUALLY TAKE CARE OF THIS AS THEY HAD ORIGINALLY PROMISED IN OUR LAST COMMUNICATION WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE, UH, IT WAS INDICATED THAT, UH, IT WAS THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF THE REQUEST, BUT THAT IT WAS NOT A PRIORITY, UH, BASED ON, YOU KNOW, JUST COMPETING PRIORITY AND LIMITATIONS OF STAFF TIME.
UM, SO WHAT I, UH, I DON'T EXPECT TO GET ANY MORE ATTRACTION WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE WITHOUT SOME TYPE OF ACTION BY, UH, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS CITY COUNCIL OR PLACING IT ON CITY COUNCILS, UH, AGENDA FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO, UH, TO THAT END, UH, COMMISSIONER GATES, UH, I THINK WE HAD DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, GOING TO THAT EXTENT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT INTERESTED YOU, UH, I KNOW THE TOPIC INTERESTS YOU, BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN PERSONALLY GOING AND BEING PART OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA TO SPEAK ON THIS, UH, AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, UM, I THINK THAT MAYBE ONE OF THE ANGLES, SO WE COULD APPROACH THIS TO GIVE IT THE LEVEL OF PRIORITY DESERVES WELL, UH, I CAN MAKE A SCHEDULED APPEARANCE OF CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
AND AT THIS POINT, WOULD I SAY THAT I AM REPRESENTING THE, UH, THE COMMISSION HERE IN REQUESTING THIS, UH, I THINK YOU HAVE THE, UH, AUTHORITY
[01:00:01]
YOU CERTAINLY HAVE, UH, MY KNOWLEDGE WAS CHAIR.I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S A FORMAL, UH, UH, PROHIBITION TO THAT AT ALL OR NOT.
JESSE, CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT? SO THAT THAT'S A COMPLETELY FINE, THAT'S ONE PATH THAT COULD BE TAKEN.
UH, YOU, YOU ALL COULD ALSO JUST VOTE ON A, UH, A COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGENDA REQUEST, UH, TO SEND IT THROUGH THAT PATHWAY AS WELL.
AND SHOULD YOU, SHOULD YOU ALL VOTE ON, ON THAT? UH, YOU KNOW, I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE DON'T HAVE FULL, FULL, UH, LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF US TO VOTE ON, BUT IF THE, UH, INTENT OF THE COMMISSION IS CLEAR, UM, I, I, I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE COULD JUST, YOU KNOW, DRAFT THE WHEREAS STATEMENTS, UH, IN COORDINATION WITH COMMISSIONER, UH, YATES AND ANYBODY ELSE THAT WANTED TO PARTICIPATE AND, AND HAVE THAT SUBMITTED AS LONG AS THE INTENT OF THE, UH, COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGENDA REQUEST IS CLEAR AND VOTED ON IN, IN A MEETING.
JESSE, COULD YOU REFRESH THE MEMORY OF THE PERMISSION HERE? WE HAD VOTED ON A RESOLUTION, BUT WE NEVER VOTED ON THE, UH, OUTSOLD AGENDA REQUEST, IS THAT CORRECT? SO I'D HAVE TO REACH BACK INTO MY MEMORY BANKS HERE.
UH, THIS, THIS WE HAVE, UH, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S ACCURATE.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND THAT IN MY, YEAH.
THIS HAS BEEN ON THE, UH, COMMISSION'S AGENDA FOR OVER A YEAR.
IT BEGAN BEFORE COVID, UH, HIT WITH A CITIZEN COMMUNICATOR COMMUNICATOR, UH, ASKING THE COMMISSION TO TACKLE THIS, UH, ITEM DOES THE 2019, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
UH, I THINK THAT WE'RE, WE'RE CERTAINLY, UH, WE'RE COMFORTABLE AS A BODY WITH PURSUING THAT, UH, THAT AGENDA ITEM REQUEST.
THAT'S PROBABLY A BETTER USE OF COMMISSIONER GATES THIS TIME AND WITH, WITH, UH, ACCOMPLISH THE OBJECTIVE, THE WHEREAS STATEMENTS, I THINK, UH, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE HAPPY TO HELP COMMISSIONER GATES WITH THAT AND WELCOME ANYONE ELSE, BUT IT'S VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD.
I MEAN, YOU PROBABLY HAVE THE LANGUAGE ALREADY EFFECTIVELY IN YOUR COMMUNICATION TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO DRAFT FOR THE WAREHOUSE STATEMENT.
UM, BECAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR OVER A YEAR, RIGHT? WHAT WE'VE GOT AT, WHO GOT THE, WHEREAS LANGUAGE FROM THE RESOLUTION, THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTION THAT WE CAN ESSENTIALLY JUST USE AGAIN, AND EXCEPT THIS TIME, IT WILL BE A COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL AGENDA REQUESTS, WHICH I BELIEVE HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE FORCE IN TERMS OF GETTING IT ON THE RADAR OF COUNCIL.
I THINK WHEN YOU GO TO THE COUNCIL, THIS IS ALL WE WANT SOMETHING VERY SIMPLE.
WELL, THAT IS, I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR SOMETHING SIMPLE AND EVERYONE IS COMING BACK AND SAYING, WE WANT SOMEONE WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING COMPLEX, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT NOW, WHICH IS THE CLASSIC APPROACH FOR A DELAYING PROJECTS.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY SAYING SO, OKAY.
THEN I WILL TAKE IT ON AS AN ACTION ITEM TO DRAFT SOME, UH, UH, LANGUAGE FOR THE, UH, THIS AGENDA REQUEST POSSIBLE AGENDA REQUEST.
AND I'LL BE PASSING THAT BY JESSE.
AND THEN BY NEXT TIME, UH, NEXT MEETING, WE CAN GO DOWN THAT I, YOU KNOW, I VOLUNTEERED TO BE YOUR REVIEW, IF YOU WANT, IF YOU WANT A SECOND SET OF EYES TO LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, I'M BEGINNING TO FEEL BRANDED IN THIS TOPIC, BUT I'M TRYING TO DO MY BEST.
I'LL TAKE YOU UP ON THAT OFFER.
WE'VE BEEN AT THIS A LONG TIME AND IT'S GOTTEN ANYWHERE, SO, UM, ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO THAT.
WE'LL SO, UH, I'LL START DRAFTING UP THE LANGUAGE AND PASS IT OFF TO, UH, UM, JESSE AND TO, UH, COMMISSIONER DESK.
UH, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GATES.
UH, AND JUST TO PUT SOME CONTEXT ON YOUR STATEMENT, UH, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REGRETTABLE THAT THE WINTER DISASTER TOOK THE
[01:05:01]
MOMENTUM THAT WE HAD, UM, AND THE, THE SPIRIT OF, UH, UH, OF, UH, CONTRIBUTION REALLY WELL, VOLUNTEERING, UH, ON THIS PROJECT FROM OPEN AUSTIN, HOPEFULLY WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO ENGAGE THEM BECAUSE I THINK WE, WE, WE ALL KNOW GOT A VERY ROBUST COMMUNITY HERE, UH, BUT MEANWHILE, UH, WE STILL HAVE TO ADVANCE OUR OWN BALL AND GET THINGS DONE.SO I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S UNDERSTANDING OF THAT, UH, AND LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO REALLY HELP THEM MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I, I THINK YOU HAVE A QUESTION, SO LET ME GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO ASK IT.
THE QUESTION IS TO YOU, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL NEW MEMBERS.
I'M NOT SURE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO WOULD IT BE WORTHWHILE SPENDING A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO BRING THEM UP TO SPEED ON WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE? YOU'RE REFERRING TO VOTING TABLATURE.
WE SPOKE TO THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING WITH ALL OF OUR NEW MEMBERS, BUT, UH, YEAH.
UH, SO I'M LESS ANY OF OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS.
UH, AGAIN, THE SPIRIT IS REALLY TO PROVIDE AN ACCOUNTING OF BOATS.
SO UNLESS ANY OF THE NEW COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS, WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED IN OUR AGENDA.
SO DO ANY OF THE NEW COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS? OKAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMISSION THAT'S KUTA.
AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT COMMISSIONERS.
UH, LET'S PROCEED IN OUR AGENDA NOW TO AGENDA ITEM THREE C
[3c. Election of Officers (Discussion and Possible Action)]
AND THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS, UH, TO BEGIN WITH.UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I WOULD WELCOME A NOMINATION FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS YOUR CHAIR.
AGAIN, HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'M A SHOE WIN OR THAT MY REELECTION IS BINDING MEANS GUARANTEED, UH, WITH THAT, JESSE, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE, UH, FROM A FORMAL PROCESS STANDPOINT FOR THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW, UH, AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER WITH THE WORK PLAN, NOT BEING THE CURRENT WORK PLAN, NOT BEING ON THE WEBSITE, I WONDER IF, IF ALL THE COMMISSIONERS EVEN HAVE VISIBILITY TO ALL OF THE WORKING GROUPS, ALL OF THE MEMBERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THEM, AND THEN THEREFORE AN UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE AND, OR PROVIDE LEADERSHIP, HELLO, CHAIR PITS.
UH, THE CONTEXT THAT I WOULD OFFER VERY BRIEFLY IS JUST THAT THE, THIS, UH, DISCUSSION IS REALLY FOR THE FORMAL OFFICER ELECTIONS, UH, OF, OF THE COMMISSION BEING THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, TO YOUR POINT CHAIR PITS, UH, WORKING GROUPS, WHICH HAVE CHAIRS OF THEIR OWN, BUT WE'RE NOT LIMITED TO, UH, WE CAN HAVE THOSE VOTES AT ANY TIME.
WE'RE NOT LIMITED TO HAVING THOSE TODAY IN OTHER WORDS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE COULD CHANGE THOSE OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR AS NEEDED.
UM, AND WE USUALLY SET THE CHAIRS AND THE WORKING GROUP TOPICS AT OUR ANNUAL RETREAT MEETING, WHICH I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME IS EITHER NEXT MEETING OR THE MEETING AFTER.
UM, SO I WOULD PROPOSE THAT WE FOCUS ON THE TWO FORMAL VOTES FOR, UH, THE COMMISSION OFFICERS OF CHAIR.
AND VICE-CHAIR, UM, YOU, I WOULD SUGGEST OPENING THE FLOOR FOR ANY, UH, WELL FIRST, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO STATE THEIR INTENTION, YOU KNOW, I, I, I'VE HEARD YOURS CHAIR PITS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO RUN ESSENTIALLY FOR ONE OF THE POSITIONS.
AND THEN SECOND STEP WOULD BE IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO, UH, NOMINATE ANYBODY ELSE OR, UH, YOU KNOW, NOMINATE ANYBODY ELSE, UM, FOR EITHER OF THOSE POSITIONS.
AND THEN WE CAN, UH, WITH THAT INFORMATION OF WHO'S INTERESTED AND WHO'S NOMINATED MOVE AHEAD WITH SOME VOTES.
UH, SO WITH THAT, THEN, UH, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION.
UH, FOR CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION NEARBY A PITCH FOR THE CHAIR OF HIS CONDITION.
THIS IS MALCOLM V8, AND I SECONDED WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT NOMINATION, UH, COMMISSIONER GATES.
AND FOR THAT SECOND, YOU MENTIONED DASGUPTA WITH THAT, THEN I'D LIKE TO BEFORE, OF COURSE WE HAVE A VOTE CONFIRM IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE THAT'S INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR THIS ROLE.
WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, THE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE, BUT WE'LL STILL GO AHEAD AND DO A FORMAL
[01:10:01]
VOTE, UH, WITH THAT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND HAVE A VOTE FOR, UM, AFTER WERE EVEN SAYING THIS, BUT I VOTE TO REELECT TO REELECT ME AS THE CHAIR, UH, NEHEMIAH PITS, A THIRD OF THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, AYE, AND SHOW YOUR HAND.UH, ANYONE OPPOSED? I DID SAY I, BUT I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN JUST BECAUSE I ALWAYS FEEL WEIRD ABOUT IT.
UH, SO WITH THAT THEN, UH, I'M SORRY.
ANYWAY, AND THERE'S NO ONE OPPOSED.
SO WITH THAT, THEN WE HAVE A BOAT, UH, WITH TWO ABSENCES OF, UH, NINE, EXCUSE ME, EIGHT IN FAVOR, ZERO OPPOSED, AND ONE ABSTENTION.
AND THEN I'LL ASK IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO'D LIKE TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION FOR VICE CHAIR.
I NOMINATED VICE-CHAIR ALEXANDER FOR ANOTHER YEAR AS VICE CHAIR.
THIS IS THE PRICEY RACE FOR NOT BEING HERE.
UH, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I WAS INTERESTED IN MAKING A NOMINATION AS WELL.
UM, BUT, UH, I WON'T, SINCE I DON'T HAVE TO, I WON'T TELL YOU, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT HERE.
SO YOU GET TO JUST IMAGINE WHO I MIGHT HAVE NOMINATED, BUT, UH, THEY'RE NOT HERE.
SO, UH, I DON'T FEEL CAPABLE OF MAKING A NOMINATION, BUT THERE IS A NOMINATION TO, UH, NOMINATE VICE-CHAIR ALEXANDER, UH, FOR REELECTION DO HAVE A SECOND.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE A NOMINATION BY COMMISSIONER DUSK SCOOP AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER YATES, UH, TO REELECT BY CHERYL ALEXANDER.
UH, SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF RE-ELECTING VICE-CHAIR ALEXANDER, PLEASE SAY, AYE, AND SHOW YOUR HAND.
IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? ANYONE ABSTAINING? OKAY.
SO WITH THAT, THEN WE HAVE REELECTED VICE-CHAIR ALEXANDER WITH A VOTE OF NINE TO ZERO, AND THAT CONCLUDES THIS PART OF OUR AGENDA.
SO WITH THAT, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED TO COMMISSION UPDATES FOR, AND, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, UH, FOR REELECT TO ME, UH, BUT, UH, BUT TONIGHT ITEM FOR
[4a. Digital Inclusion, Civic Engagement, and Strategic Technology and Telecom Policy Working Group]
A DIGITAL INCLUSION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOM POLICY WORKING GROUP.SO TO BEGIN WITH OBVIOUSLY, UH, THE MAJOR THING THAT WE'VE DONE, UH, AS A WORKING GROUP, UH, IS TO, UH, WITH YOUR HEALTH, UH, TO AWARD 11 ORGANIZATIONS SEE TUFTS FUNDING, UH, I THINK SHE'D ALL GIVE YOURSELVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THAT, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS A BIG DEAL THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS GRANT IS ONE OF THE MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF THIS COMMISSION.
AND WITH SEVERAL OF THE MEMBERS PRESENT, WE'VE OVERSEEN THIS GRANT BEING DOUBLED, WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE SCRAPPING DIVERSIFIED, UH, W WHAT WE'RE SEEING THIS GRANT, UH, BEING WIDENED AND TO HAVE DEEPER IMPACT.
AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT, UH, AS TIME CONTINUES.
I KNOW THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO MEET AS A WORKING GROUP, UM, PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF BEING POOLED, UH, TOWARDS THE REVIEW PANEL AND, AND THOSE DOCUMENTS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO, UH, AGREE UPON SCHEDULING, UM, THE MONDAY MORNING, EXCUSE ME, THE TUESDAY MORNING WEEK PRIOR TO OUR MEETING SCHEDULE, DIDN'T WORK FOR JOHN AND OUR LAST SETTING.
UH, JOHN, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON THIS IN CASE YOU'VE GOT THOUGHTS ON WHAT MIGHT BE THE NEXT BEST, UH, FORMAT FOR, UH, THIS WORKING GROUP.
I KNOW THAT, UH, I'M PLEASED TO SAY THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER APODACA HAS REACHED OUT AND VOLUNTEERED TO BE OF THIS WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND CERTAINLY WELCOME OTHERS TO, TO JOIN IT BECAUSE PAID, BUT I WON'T USE THIS AS A RECRUITMENT OPPORTUNITY, UH, BUT JUST TO PROVIDE UPDATES.
AND SO, UH, I'LL TURN TO JOHN, IF YOU'VE GOT ANY UPDATES RELATED TO, UH, THESE WILL INCLUSION BASED UPON, UH, THE DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS AND, UH, COLLABORATIONS WE HAVE GOING ON IN THE CITY ON THIS TOPIC.
ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR ME OKAY? I AM.
AND BY THE WAY, JOHN IS OUR PROGRAM MANAGER OF COURSE, WITH THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT.
SO YOU WOULD ALWAYS GO TO DOING MY CHECK.
UM, I WANT TO FIRST PROVIDE, UM, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE AWARDEES OF, UH, THE
[01:15:01]
GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM STAFF WILL SOON BEGIN THE PROCESS TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE THOSE CONTRACTS.UM, WITH THE, THE RESPECT OF 11 AWARDEES.
UH, IN ADDITION, THERE IS A GREAT NUMBER OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES THAT ARE IN, THAT ARE UNDERWAY BY THE COMMUNITY FOR ECOLOGY DIVISION.
UM, THE FIRST PROJECT THAT I WANT TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON IS THE RESIDENTIAL TECHNOLOGY STUDY, A PROJECT THAT YOU ALL RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR BUDGET AND A PROJECT IN WHICH WE HAVE, UM, ENGAGED VENDORS, UM, UH, PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS, UM, AND OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS CHOOSE TO VET PROPOSALS TO HELP WITH TWO COMPONENTS OF THE STUDY, BOTH A QUANTITATIVE FORMAL SURVEY OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS IN COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT ALSO A QUALITATIVE STUDY SO THAT WE CAN CONDUCT MORE FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS AND BETTER UNDERSTAND THE DIGITAL ASPIRATIONS FOR RESIDENTS, AND TO ESPECIALLY UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS FOR RESIDENTS THAT WE WOULD CLASSIFY AS DIGITALLY VULNERABLE, THOSE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN AREAS THAT ARE LACKING IN SUFFICIENT, UH, BROADBAND AVAILABILITY, THOSE RESIDENTS THAT CONTINUE TO FACE CHALLENGES DAY IN AND DAY OUT WITH CONSISTENT CONNECTIVITY FROM, UH, Y WIRELESS DEVICES AND FROM THOSE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE CHALLENGES WITH ACCESS TO DEVICES THAT CAN, CAN BENEFIT FROM BROADBAND CAPABILITIES IN SERVICE OF THIS RESIDENTIAL TECHNOLOGY STUDY, THIS WILL REALLY HELP, UH, THE CITY AND ITS PARTNERS, AND THOSE PARTNERS INCLUDE THE VISUAL IMPAIRMENT COMMUNITY OF ORIGIN IN WHICH WE CAN DEVELOP PRIORITIES TO ADDRESS TACTICAL AREAS, TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF PRESIDENTS AND BRING DOWN THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
UM, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY, WE LED OFF WITH A GREAT PRESENTATION FROM OUR PARTNER AT 18 T TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING A LEVEL OF SUPPORT, UH, AND THAT ALIGNS WITH THE EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT PROGRAM OFFERED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND SOMETHING THAT THIS WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, THIS RESIDENTIAL TECHNOLOGY STUDY WILL HELP US TO CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE SPECIFIC AREAS OF TOWN IN WHICH WE NEED TO DEDICATE THOSE SERVICES.
AND THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS LOST ON THE CITY, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE WE CAN PRIORITIZE THE GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM TO SERVE THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS OF TOWN, UH, TO SERVE THOSE SPECIFIC POPULATIONS, WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS, INCLUDING US FOR FREE NOW IN THE FILM SOCIETY, BOSTON, UH, TO DIRECT SERVICES TO THE SPECIFIC POPULATIONS AND BE ABLE TO ILLICIT THE PARTICIPATION AND LOVER CHOCOLATE COMMUNITY WITH OUR, UM, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT COMMUNITY OF BOSTON.
SO THE RESIDENTIAL TECHNOLOGY STUDY, UH, IS, UH, UH, SO WE HAVE RECEIVED PROPOSALS.
WE HAVE ABOUT SIX PER FLOOR, SIX PROPOSALS FROM OUR PROCUREMENT ROLES.
WE NEED ONE MORE PROPOSAL FOR A, UM, FOR THAT FORMAL SURVEY.
AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE NEED TO, UM, BE ABLE TO HAVE A, ANOTHER PROPOSAL IN PLACE TO, UH, SUBMIT A, UM, UH, KIND OF VERIFIED NUMBER OF PROPOSALS.
AND THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH AND GIVE EACH ONE OF THOSE ENTITIES THAT HAVE, UM, UH, SUBMITTED PROPOSALS SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND, ARE YOU ABLE TO SUBMIT, UH, ANOTHER ONE? SO WE'RE, WE'RE SHORT ONE, BUT WE WILL, UM, WORK WITH, UH, THE ENTITIES TO RECEIVE THAT IN ADDITION, UM, THROUGH OUR RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE BROADBAND PROJECTS, FOR ALL, WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON IS JUST SYNTHESIS, ENGAGING OUR PARTNERS.
OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS ARE OUR KEY, UM, UH, REPRESENTATIVES OF THOSE MOST, UM, IMPORTANT INKER INSTITUTIONS.
THOSE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, THOSE ENTITIES WITH LEVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES, SO THAT WE CAN DEVELOP AN APPROACH IN WHICH WE'RE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE CITY'S ABILITY TO BETTER SUPPORT INTERNET CONNECTIVITY FOR ALL RESIDENTS.
UM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL ADDRESS THE BANDAID OF SOME OF THESE LOANED WIFI HOTSPOTS THAT HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED AND WILL BE AT AN ALBEIT LAW.
THOSE ARE, UM, VERY, UM, UH, GOOD SOLUTIONS THAT HAVE PROVIDED INTERIM CONNECTIVITY.
THIS IS NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION DINING IN MEANS, AND THIS IS RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE BROADBAND
[01:20:01]
INTERNET FOR ALL PROJECTS WILL HELP US TO SHAPE A LONG-TERM APPROACH, BUT ALSO TO DEVELOP SOME IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS, UM, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LEVERAGE SOME OF THE RECENT FUNDING AVAILABILITY FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, OUR FUNDING AND THE AVAILABILITY OF THE MULTITUDE OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT WILL SOON BE COMING DOWN THE PIPE OR FEDERAL AVAILABILITY OF SUPPORT TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.AND THIS WILL ALSO HELP US TO UNDERSTAND THAT MIDTERM TRAJECTORY OF WHAT THAT IN-BETWEEN LOOKS LIKE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THE IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, SO THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION, BUT THAT, THAT MIDDLE TERM, UH, MIDDLE STAGE PROJECT LOOKS LIKE, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT FOR THAT OVERALL PROJECT, WE ARE IN THE INITIAL STAGES OF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, GATHERING, INPUT, UNDERSTANDING NEEDS, UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES FOR INTERNET CONNECTIVITY, FOR SPECIFIC POPULATIONS AND UNDERSTANDING THOSE PRIORITIES FOR THOSE POPULATIONS, WHAT IT IS THAT THEY NEED TO GAIN BENEFIT FROM WITH REGARDS TO REMOTE WORK CAPABILITIES FOR REMOTE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES GOING FORWARD, AND THE ABILITY TO ENSURE THAT THEIR, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE NEEDS ARE MET WITH REGARDS TO ACCESS TO HEALTH, INFORMATION, RESOURCES, TRANSPORTATION, RESOURCES, UM, AND THIS IS A PROCESS AND WE TRULY ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT INITIAL FACT FINDING STAGE.
SO I KNOW THAT SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE THUS FAR PRESENT, UH, UH, PARTICIPATED IN MEETINGS WITH, UH, OUR, UH, UM, IT'S OUR OFFICE.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, SCHEDULING ACTUALLY, UH, THROUGH THE CHAIR AND UPDATE BRIEFING AND THE MAIN TIMEFRAME.
SO AT THE MAY COMMISSION MEETING, WE WILL, WE'LL BE SCHEDULING A BRIEFING ON THE RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE BROADBAND INTERNET FOR ALL PROJECTS, BECAUSE BY THEN IT'S A FASCINATING PROJECT.
WE WILL HAVE SOME BETTER SYNTHESIS OF WHAT THIS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT HAS LED US TO UNDERSTAND AND THE WAY FOR THE COMMISSION TO PROVIDE INPUT AND FEEDBACK THUS FAR, AS FAR AS THIS PROJECT, UM, IS BEING BUILT OUT.
AND THAT BRIEFING WILL ALSO INCLUDE A UPDATE ON OUR RESIDENTIAL TECHNOLOGY STUDY.
SO EARLIER I MENTIONED THAT THE VENDORS AND THE SOLICITATION PROCESS THAT WE'RE UNDERWAY WITH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THOSE VENDORS IDENTIFIED AND THE PATHWAYS LOCKED IN, AND THAT'LL BE, UM, AN EXCELLENT BRIEFING FOR YOU ALL.
SO THIS IS MERELY JUST A TEASER FOR THAT BRIEF THING.
UM, BUT IN A SENSE FOR THE DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT COMMUNITY AS WELL, I DO WANT TO PUT OUT AN UPDATE THAT STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER, UH, CUNY GIRTH OF SCHOOLS, UH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY NETWORK, ALONG WITH STAFF FROM, UM, MICHIGAN CAPITAL, UH, WHO CAPACITY BUILDING ASSISTANCE TO AUSTIN NONPROFITS, MAX'S AGE TO SYNTHESIZE OPPORTUNITIES IN WHICH WE CAN BUILD THE CAPABILITIES OF THE DIGITAL AND PRIMARY COMMUNITY.
LOSTON ENSURE THAT THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ARE BEING MET, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT PROVIDE DIGITAL INCLUSION OPPORTUNITIES TO UNDERSERVE SECONDS TO THE COMMUNITY, AND TO EVALUATE THOSE AREAS IN WHICH WE CAN INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN THE ENGAGEMENT OF THOSE STAKEHOLDERS.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS COMMITTED STAFF TO SUPPORT THIS, UM, VERY IMPORTANT COMMUNITY.
UM, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY, UM, EVALUATING ROLES IN WHICH WE CAN INCREASE THE WAY IN WHICH WE HOLD THE CENTER, UH, AS IT'S DESCRIBING THE DESIGN TO HIM WORLD, UM, TO SUPPORT THAT, THAT COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF, UH, WHAT THE WORK OF OUR STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS, UH, REPRESENTS AND SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, UM, ENSURE THAT THEN IS IN THAT, THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, JUST TO, TO SUMMARIZE, WE HAVE OUR RESIDENTIAL TECHNOLOGY STUDY DURING COMPLETION OF OUR SOLICITATION PROCESS.
THERE, WE HAVE OUR BROAD, UH, RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE BROADBAND INTERNET FOR ALL PROJECT, VERY MUCH AT THE EARLY STAGE OF OUR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT FROM THE SYNTHESIZING ALL OF THE NEEDS AND WANTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, UM, FROM THE MOST, UH, CRITICAL STAKEHOLDERS.
AND, UH, ALSO OUR DIGITAL AND HARMONY CLEARLY LAWSON, UM, AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE ITEMS IS, UH, IN A PLACE WHERE IT'S EVOLVING AND GROWING, UM, AND TO MEET THE NEEDS OF, UH, OUR AUSTRIAN COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THAT, WE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE MORE TACTICAL UPDATES AT THE MAY BRIEFING, UH, FOR BOTH OF THOSE PRODUCTS AND POTENTIALLY, UH, TERTIARY UPDATES WITH REGARDS TO MORE CLARITY AROUND
[01:25:01]
THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS, IF, IF POSSIBLE, IF WE'RE ABLE TO, AND, UM, ANY UPDATES AS IT RELATES TO THE DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT COMMUNITY BOSTON.SO I HOPE THAT CAME ACROSS THERE, AND I AM VERY OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE WITH REGARDS TO, UH, DIGITAL INCLUSION IN AUSTIN.
I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT, UM, AS IT RELATES, UM, TO THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT ARE COLLABORATIVE AND YET STILL REALLY FOCUSING ON SYNTHESIS AND, UH, AND, AND EQUITABILITY, UH, UH, BROADBAND, UH, CERTAINLY.
AND, UH, AS IT RELATES TO INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, RATHER, EXCUSE ME, UH, OUR COLLABORATIONS HERE WITHIN THE CITY.
I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER WORKING GROUPS THAT WE'RE INVOLVED IN, IN THIS DISCUSSION AS WELL.
SO YOU CAN HEAR ABOUT THIS AGAIN.
UH, BUT I WAS VERY PLEASED TO BE PART OF, UH, A, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN AND UT JOINT PRESENTATION AND TEAMING WORKSHOP FOCUSED ON, UH, THE AUSTIN RESEARCH PANEL AND OUR INNER LOCAL AGREEMENTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS GREAT.
UM, IT INCLUDED A WELCOME FROM A COUNCIL MEMBER.
VANESSA ONE SAYS, UH, THE PROGRAMMING OVERVIEW BY JENNIFER, UH, LEON GARDNER, THE DEPUTY VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH AT UT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, CHARLES PERMA OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IT MANAGER FOR THE ORIENTATION OF THAT RELATIONSHIP.
AND WE HAD DIFFERENT BREAKOUTS.
I NOTICED THE COMMISSIONER EATS WAS THERE.
AND THEN HE'LL PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THAT IN HIS WORKING GROUP.
UM, BUT, UH, I WAS PLEASED, UH, TO, UH, MAKE A CONNECTION WITH ONE OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL, UH, UH, INVESTIGATORS AS THEY'RE CALLED, AM I SAYING THAT RIGHT? JOHN THEY'RE CALLED PROFESSIONAL INVESTIGATORS.
UM, THE, THE, THE KEY I'S OUR PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AND ON PRINCIPLE YES.
VERY STANDARD TERM IN ACADEMIC RESEARCH.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PASSIONS.
UH, BUT, UH, THE KEY IS THAT THEY HAVE SEVERAL, I THINK THAT ARE ALIGNED WITH OUR INTEREST OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, ONE THAT I INTERACTED WITH THAT'S FOCUSED ON DIFFERENT, UH, INCLUSION EFFORTS.
UH, WHO'S AGREED TO SPEAK TO US AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, UH, AND OR THE COMMISSION LEVEL, UH, AND I'VE REACHED OUT TO THEM FOR SCHEDULING, UH, UH, TO THAT REGARD.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, UH, SO JUST WANT TO ADD THAT PIECE TO IT.
AND, UH, ANOTHER COMPONENT AS WELL, UH, TODAY, UH, WAS PLEASED TO PARTICIPATE A TOUR OF SOME FACILITIES BASED UPON A COLLABORATION OF THE I S PROGRAM TEAM, UH, AND THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE ON THIS LATER, BUT THE KEY THING IS, UH, AS IT DOES RELATE TO INFRASTRUCTURE, I DON'T WANT TO STEAL THE THUNDER OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING GROUP.
UH, I'LL GO INTO THIS MORE LATER, BUT PURELY AS IT RELATES TO, UH, EQUITABLE BROADBAND, UH, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THESE EFFORTS AND THE TOUR THAT I HAD TODAY, UH, IT'S CLEAR THAT WE HAVE MASSIVE RESOURCES BEING DIRECTED AT DIGITAL INCLUSION, UH, BUT REALLY AT A TIPPING POINT.
UM, AND WHEN IT COMES TO LEVERAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE CITY LEVEL TO THEN IMPACT IS INCLUSION, WE'RE REALLY AT A NEXUS POINT.
UH, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO SHARE MORE, UH, LATER AS THOSE EFFORTS UNFOLD.
BUT WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IN THE MEANTIME, UH, IS PROVIDE A REPORT.
IT'S AN UPDATE ON MY TOUR AND I'LL PROVIDE THAT TO JESSE.
AND THEN HE'LL SEND THAT OUT TO THE REST OF, SEND IT OUT TO THE REST OF THE, OF THE COMMISSION THAT WE'VE GOT THAT, AND MY THOUGHTS AND MY VISIT TODAY BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT FACILITIES AND, UH, FRANKLY THE FOCUS ON LEVERAGING, UH, INNOVATION, UH, AND THE PUSH TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND AUTONOMOUS, UH, TECHNOLOGY USAGE REALLY, UH, TO, TO BOLSTER INFRASTRUCTURE.
AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO STEAL THE THUNDER OF THE WORKING GROUP.
THAT'S FOCUSED ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE'LL GET INTO THAT LATER.
BUT WITH THAT, ANY QUESTIONS FOR JOHN OR MYSELF RELATED TO DIGITAL INCLUSION OR ANYTHING RELATED TO THIS WORKING GROUP FOR PETS HEARING NO OTHER COMMISSIONERS, I JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION.
A LOT OF THIS WORK TO GET US TO THIS POINT WHERE DIGITAL INCLUSION IS THAT AN EXCESS IS BECAUSE OF THE SWEAT EQUITY
[01:30:01]
THAT YOU PUT INTO THIS.SO I JUST WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK YOU HERE ON THE RECORD, UH, FOR THAT WORK AND REALLY HAVE A BIG MISSION BEHIND YOU IN THAT.
BUT I, I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOUR EFFORTS THERE BECAUSE I AGREE FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE, UH, WE'RE A NEXUS WITH REGARDS TO THIS PROGRAM.
UM, AND IT IS TRULY A GREAT OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE CAN REALLY PURSUE, UH, AN ABUNDANCE OF SOLUTIONS AHEAD OF US, AND A LOT OF, UH, THE LEGISLATIVE, UH, ABILITIES THAT WILL BE ENABLED, UM, FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS, ESPECIALLY SHOULD SOME OF THIS LEGISLATION PAN OUT FAVORABLY, UM, HERE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS FOR, UH, FOR, UH, OUR PARTICIPATION IN THOSE SOLUTIONS.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK HERE AND REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO, UM, DEVELOP THESE SOLUTIONS GOING FORWARD.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR JOHN OR ALL RIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN, I, WITH THAT, WHEN WE GO AHEAD AND PROCEED AND IN OUR AGENDA, UH, WE'RE IN THE HOME STRETCH HERE.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL PROCEED TO THE AGENDA
[4b. Knowledge, Information, and Data Stewardship Working Group]
ITEM FOUR B UH, THE KNOWLEDGE INFORMATION AND DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP.UH, NOW, UH, VICE-CHAIR ALEXANDER IS THE CHAIR OF THIS WORKING GROUP AND HE IS NOT PRESENT.
HOWEVER I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE, UH, UNLESS HE JOINED.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE THOUGH, UM, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT AS THE EXISTING WORKING PLAN, THAT'S, I'M SORRY.
I HEARD SOMEONE SAY CHAIR, YOU CAN HEAR ME.
I KNOW SOMEONE TRYING TO CHIME IN.
UH, WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT, UH, IS HOW THAT WORKING GROUP, UH, AS, EVEN AS REFLECTED ON OUR OLDER WORK PLAN, THAT'S ON THE WEBSITE RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE NUMBER ONE FOCUS OF THE WORKING GROUP WAS THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE UPGRADE.
AND AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, AND SOME OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE HAS BEEN THE SOURCE OF A TOPIC OF CONTROVERSY, UM, AS IT RELATES TO, UM, REPORTING DONE BY KX AND, UH, AND OUTREACH TO CTM, UM, THAT INCLUDED THE FORMER ADMINISTRATION, UM, AND OUR BODY, UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY TRANSPARENT.
UM, AND I HAVE EITHER DIRECTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS OR DIRECTED KX A N TO THE PUBLIC RECORDS.
IN THE MEANTIME, I'M IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, THE DRAFTING, A LETTER TO CTM, UH, THAT I WANT TO SPEAK TO ON THE RECORD NOW ONLY BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHRONOLOGY, UH, BUT RATHER THAN ACTUALLY DIRECTLY ADDRESSED THE CHRONOLOGY, UH, SINCE I'VE SPOKEN TO IT IN THE PAST, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE PAST, UH, WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS TO SHARE THAT CHRONOLOGY OVER EMAIL, UH, WITH, WITH JESSE TO MAKE SURE IT'S DISTRIBUTED TO THE WHOLE BODY, UH, IT'S VERIFIABLE ON PUBLIC RECORD THROUGH ANY OF OUR MEETINGS AS WELL.
UM, AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT, IT SPEAKS TO WHEN WE BEGAN THE PROCESS OF BEING, UH, RECRUITED OR MORE OR LESS PRESENTED TO, UH, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, WEBSITE UPGRADES THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AND HOW, UH, FOCUS ON ACCESSIBILITY LED US DOWN A PATH OF SHOWING SUPPORT FOR THAT BECAUSE OF OUR FOCUS AS A BODY ON DIGITAL INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY BEING IMPORTANT TO THAT, UH, OVER TIME, UH, AS YOU'LL SEE, THERE'S AN INTERESTING EVOLUTION OF THAT HISTORY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY INCLUDES, UM, A POTENTIAL, UH, AT THE VERY LEAST, UH, JUST A LACK OF COMMUNICATION, UH, BETWEEN, UH, CTM AND THIS COMMISSION.
THERE'S BEEN SOME SERIOUS TURNOVER AND CTM, WHICH CERTAINLY SPEAKS TO SOME OF THAT.
UH, IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE HOPING TO FIND A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY ABOUT HOW THAT UNFOLDED AND HOW OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WERE IMPLEMENTED, UH, THAT WAY, UH, WE CAN CONTINUE IN GOOD FAITH, UH, TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS,
[01:35:01]
KNOWING THAT, UH, IF THERE IS ANY CONTROVERSY THAT OUR BODY WILL NOT BE IMPUGNED.SO WITH THAT, UH, I'LL MOVE ON AND THE AGENDA, UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR OTHER THOUGHTS, THIS WORKING GROUP ALSO FOCUSES ON THE VOTING TABLATURE.
WE KNOW WE'RE CLEARLY, WE'VE GOT A PLAN FOR THAT.
SO I THINK WE'RE GOOD TO GO IN TERMS OF THAT.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION POINTS FOR KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION, DAVID STEWARDSHIP, IF PEOPLE WANT TO SHARE, UM, I KNOW THAT THE, UH, THE THINGS WE'LL BE SHARING ABOUT THAT VISIT TODAY WILL CERTAINLY IMPACT, UH, WHAT WE CAN IMAGINE IN TERMS OF, UH, INFORMATION, UH, AND DATA STEWARDSHIP, BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE A MASSIVE EFFORT, OBVIOUSLY IN TRYING TO PURSUE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES TO LEVERAGE DATA THAT IT'S ALL ABOUT LEVERAGING DATA.
UM, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I'M STILL WORKING ON THAT REPORT FOR YOU ALL AFTER JUST PARTICIPATING IN THAT EVENT TODAY.
SO ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THIS WORKING GROUP? OKAY.
WOULD THAT BEEN OVERSEEING THEIR AGENDA TO, UH, FORESEE, UH, THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORK? UH, COMMISSIONER QUESTION.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? I HAVE TO MEET HIM MYSELF.
UM, UH, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, BIAS DIALOGUE THAT WE HAD HAD WITH CDM REGARDING THE UPGRADES TO THE WEBSITE AND THAT I, MY MEMORY IS THAT WE APPROVED A $1 MILLION OR SO TO USE THIS MONEY, TO UPGRADE THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WEBSITE AS A STARTING POINT.
AND THEN WE WILL CHECK BACK AGAIN AND LOOK AT THE RESULTS, ET CETERA.
UH, IF THERE IS ANY CONTROVERSY NOW, I THINK WE CAN GO BACK TO OUR PAST MINUTES, ET CETERA, RESURRECTED, AND THEN ALSO INCLUDE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
YOU REMEMBER, WE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAD IN GETTING LINED UP FOR THE COVID VACCINE, ET CETERA.
I THINK THAT'S A MEATY TOPIC THAT WE SHOULD SPEND SOME TIME DISCUSSING, AND THEN MAYBE INVITE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
I SENT YOU AN EMAIL SOME COUPLE OF WEEKS BACK COPIED, UH, COMMISSIONER EATS, BOTH, YOU KNOW, I PROMISED TO GIVE THEM MY PERSONAL FEEDBACK IN TRYING TO ENGAGE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M CONNECTED IN NETWORKS.
AND I FIGURED OUT PROBABLY HELPED ABOUT 150,000 PEOPLE AT LEAST GET GOING.
AND SO I HAVE A KIND OF EXPERIENCE THAT I SWIPED FED THEM MY PERSONAL INJECT FROM MY DAILY EXPERIENCES, BUT THEIR OVERARCHING QUESTIONS THAT ARE DOCUMENTED AND NOT CHEATING.
THE, MAYBE IT IS TIME THAT WE, UH, THE PD RESURRECTED THAT TO SHOW HOW DILIGENT WE HAVE BEEN IN SUPPORTING THIS EFFORT WITH THE UPGRADE TO THE WEBSITE.
I APPRECIATE YOU, YOU RAISED THEM THAT THE COMMISSION DOES SCOOPED.
UH, I THINK, UH, I CONCUR, I WAS WANTING TO PULL UP, UH, THE ACCOUNTING OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, IT'S BASICALLY A TIMELINE THAT STARTS FROM THAT VERY FIRST PRESENTATION AND GOES INTO THEM NOW.
AND, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY TELLING, UH, AND I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO BASICALLY, UH, IS ADD YOUR BRIEFING TO THAT TIMELINE, RIGHT? AND, AND THEN THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE COLLECTIVE, UH, COMMUNICATION THAT GOES TO CTM AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST CONCUR.
SO IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO EVERYONE, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OBJECTIONS, UH, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO OUR COURSE REACH OUT TO, UH, VICE CHAIR ALEXANDER, SINCE HE CHAIRS THIS WORKING GROUP, UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE HE'S ON BOARD WITH THAT STRATEGY AS WELL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK ON THIS ONE? OKAY.
SO THEN WITH THAT, UH, LET'S MOVE FORWARD.
UH, I'LL, I'LL BE HANDING IT BACK OFF AGAIN.
UM, BUT YOU CAN DETERMINE IF IT'S GOING TO BE TO COMMISSIONER NOW, SCOOP THERE, COMMISSIONER FLUID, UH, FOR AGENDA ITEM FOUR
[4c. Technology, Infrastructure, and Innovation Working Group]
C UH, THE TECHNOLOGY, UH,[01:40:01]
TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP.SO WE SUPPLIED, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT.
SO I'M GOING TO REPORT ON OUR LAST WORKING GROUP MEETING, WHICH HAPPENED ON THE FIFTH.
I APOLOGIZE THAT I HADN'T SENT MY NOTES OUT TO THE MEMBERS EARLIER.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A COUPLE OF OTHER PROJECTS IN THE COMMUNITY AND KIND OF FORGOT ABOUT IT.
BUT LAST MONDAY, EXCUSE ME, ONE WEEK AGO, THIS COMING THIS PAST MONDAY, WE HAD A MEETING OF THE WORKING GROUP AND THE FOCUS WAS BASICALLY ON SMART MOBILITY.
UH, SPECIFICALLY WE ASKED THE QUESTION, HOW WAS ATD AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, UH, WORKING WITH CAP METRO TO, UH, UH, TO, TO DRIVE PROJECT CONNECT, WHICH IS A BIG PROJECT, SEVERAL BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT TO IMPROVE OUR MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM.
UH, WHAT WE HEARD BY THE WAY, IT WAS MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING.
AND, UH, SO I JUST RUN DOWN A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT I THINK IS, IS VERY TELLING ABOUT WHAT PERIOD, UH, WHAT WE CAN EXPECT.
UH, SO ATD IS PILOTING IDEAS TO MODEL SMART MOBILITY.
AND WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT SMART MOBILITY, WE IMMEDIATELY THINK ABOUT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
ACTUALLY, THEY ARE LOOKING AT NOT JUST THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, BUT THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ELECTRIC VEHICLES, HOW THEY HAVE ALL OF THEM ARE, YOU KNOW, ELECTRIC VEHICLES, UH, UH, DUMB VEHICLES, AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, HUMAN BEINGS, CROSSING SIDEWALKS, ET CETERA.
THAT IS ALL PART OF THE EQUATION THAT THEY INCLUDE IN SMART MOBILITY.
AND THEY'RE CALLING IT CONNECTED MOBILITY BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED LIKE, LIKE A BIG GRAPH.
UM, AND IN PARALLEL, THEY'RE ALSO CREATING, UH, INTERESTING, UH, PROJECTS.
UH, UH, THEY'VE GOT A JOINT PROJECT WITH FORD.
UH, IT'S A TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS BROUGHT INSIDE THE BUILDING AND ALSO OUTSIDE ON THE SIDEWALK.
AND IT WAS ACTUALLY A COMPETITION WITH OTHER CITIES AND THEY WON THAT PROJECT AND THEY ARE NOW WORKING WITH FORD.
AND IT SEEMS VERY EXCITING THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE HAVING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED TO HELP BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE ON THE SIDEWALKS, BOTH INSIDE AND INSIDE THE BUILDING AND OUTSIDE ON SIDEWALKS, CROSSING THE STREET, ET CETERA.
UM, UM, THEN, UH, THERE'S ALSO ALSO THERE, UH, UH, CIVIC INNOVATION CHALLENGE.
THAT'S SUPPORTED BY NSF AND THAT'S IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UT AUSTIN.
AND IN THIS CONVERSATION WITH UT AUSTIN, I HOPE THIS TOPIC CAME UP, UH, THEN, UH, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER PROJECT THAT'S GOING ON CALLED TRANSIT ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS, WHICH IS VERY INTERESTING.
THEY HAVE SHADED PEDESTRIAN STOPS BUS STOPS, AND THEY CALL THEM SOLAR TREES.
AND SO THERE'LL BE SOLAR PANELS ON TOP OF THESE BUS DROPS, AND THEY COULD BE USED TO, TO PROVIDE A SHADE AS YOU EXPECT IN THE HOT SUMMERS OF AUSTIN, AS WELL AS BECAUSE OF THE SOLAR PANELS ON TOP, THEY WOULD, THIS WOULD BE A PLACE WHERE YOU COULD ACTUALLY GET A BOOST OF POWER TO CHARGE YOUR ELECTRIC CHAIRS OR ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL DEVICES.
IT WILL SERVE AS A WIFI HUB AND A KIOSK WITH FREE WIFI TO BREAK DOWN THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE THESE SOLAR TREES SERVE MULTIPLE ROLES TO SOLVE MANY OF THE PROBLEMS THAT PLAGUE OUR CITY.
THEN THEY'RE TALKING MORE SAFETY DEVICES TO DETECT PEDESTRIANS AT INTERSECTIONS.
AND THESE, BY THE WAY, HAVE FAR REACHING CONSEQUENCES.
UH, THESE COULD BE USED AT TRAFFIC INTERSECTIONS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, LIKE CITY INTERSECTIONS, AS WELL AS FOR RAILROAD RAIL CROSSINGS, AS YOU KNOW, PROJECT CONNECT.
AND THIS IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PROJECT CONNECT RELEVANT.
UH, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A MULTIPLE, YOU'VE GOT THE RED LINE.
NOW YOU LOVE THE GROUP BUENA BLUE LINE.
AND I THINK THERE'S ALSO A GREEN LINE COMING UP.
HOW DO YOU ENSURE THE INTERSECTIONS WILL BE SAFE? AND SO THEY ARE DEVELOPING SAFETY DEVICES THAT WILL DETECT PEDESTRIANS AT THESE INTERSECTIONS SO THAT THEY DON'T GET RUN OFF.
SO THIS IS TO SUPPORT PROJECT CONNECT.
AND THEN THERE W THE LAST THING THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT, UH, OUR PERSONAL SMART CARS, SINGLE DRIVER, SINGLE PASSENGER CARS, AS A SCOOTER ALTERNATIVE AS A, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ENSURE GREATER SAFETY, THAT WOULD BE A LOW PRICE ALTERNATIVE FOR CITY TRANSPORTATION.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE GAMUT
[01:45:01]
OF THINGS THAT ATD IS WORKING ON SOME IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PROJECT CONNECT AND SOME INDEPENDENTLY, BUT ALL DIRECTED TOWARDS SMART TRANSPORTATION THAT INCLUDES, UH, DUMB, DUMB AUTOMOBILES, SMARTER ROOM BILLS, ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILES, AND HUMAN BEINGS.AND ALL OF THESE ARE BASED ON TO BE QUIT AS 5G.
SO THAT SAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION WILL PRIMARILY BE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA INITIALLY, BUT THEN FROM THERE YOU COULD TRAVEL LIKE A TRAVELING WAVE ACROSS TO THE REST OF THE CITY.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO REPORT ON THE WORKING GROUP MEETING THAT WE HAD ONE WEEK AGO.
I KNOW THERE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH UGA.
I MISSED IT BECAUSE I HAD A CONFLICT.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR OTHERS FROM THE WORKING GROUP REPORT ON IT.
I, UH, ATTENDED THAT MEETING WITH THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF TRYING TO GET SOME HELP FOR US TO DO THE SPEED UP AMERICA MAPPING FOR BANDWIDTH AVAILABILITY IN AUSTIN.
SO, UM, WHAT WE'VE GOT IS AN INVITATION FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN CTL, UM, FOR SOMETIME IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS TO GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT OUR REQUIREMENTS.
SO, UH, I SENT, UH, I'D SENT JESSE THE, UH, UM, THE SYNOPSIS, THE SUMMARY OF, UH, ONE OF THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS FROM THIS MEETING WHERE I, I TRIED TO GET PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THIS PROJECT.
I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT IS SIMPLY TOO MUNDANE FOR, UM, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS RESEARCHERS TO REALLY GET INVOLVED WITH, UH, THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A, UM, JUST DATA ANALYSIS RATHER THAN ANYTHING NEW.
SO, UH, ANYWAY, UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING A MEETING WITH, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN STAFFERS.
UM, AND I'M NOT SURE IF WE COULD GET SOMEONE FROM UT INVOLVED, BUT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD TRY AND GET SOMEONE FROM SPEED, LIKE AMERICA INVOLVED TO GIVE US AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE TECHNICAL YOU BREAKING UP NOW, COMMISSIONER GATES, UH, ARE YOU DONE? BUT BLESS, HE SAID, I HEARD WAS, UH, GETTING SOMEONE FROM UT AND I WANTED TO CHIME IN ON THAT, UH, WHEN HE WOULD BE AVAILABLE AND THEN GET BACK WITH EVERYONE TO SEE WHEN THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE.
SO HOW DOES THIS SOUND, WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS MEETING? OKAY.
UH, LET ME JUMP IN QUICKLY, UH, AND SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BECAME CLEAR FROM THE MEETING WAS THAT, UH, DEPENDING ON WHAT BREAKOUT GROUP YOU ENDED UP IN, YOU ENDED UP IN OR CHOSE, RIGHT.
AND IN OUR CASE, WE GOT TO CHOOSE THE GROUP.
SO IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO MAKE A CHOICE, BUT I MADE A CHOICE.
AND THE CHOICE THAT I ENDED UP IN ALIGNED ME WITH THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, CRAIG WATKINS.
UM, AND I THINK CRAIG WALK-INS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, IN THIS, UH, BECAUSE WE SPOKE ABOUT DIGITAL INCLUSION AND EQUITABLE BROADBAND AND THE FOCUS, BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT, I DID NOT BRING UP SPEED UP AMERICA AT THAT TIME.
UH, IN FACT, I WAS PRESSED TO HAVE TO LEAVE EARLY, TO GO TO A DETOX MEETING.
UM, SO I HAVE ALREADY REACHED OUT TO, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, TO, UH, THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR CRAIG WATKINS, UM, MAYBE HE'D BE THE PERFECT ONE TO JOIN THIS CONVERSATION.
AND CERTAINLY THAT I WOULD LIKE HIM TO PART OF IT, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD WELCOME.
I MEAN, THIS IS, UH, ANOTHER, ANOTHER HYBRID TYPE OF ISSUE BETWEEN I THINK, UM, REALLY ALL THREE.
SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S INTERSECTIONAL, UH, FOR THE WHOLE COMMISSION, BUT I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO, TO BE, TO PARTICIPATE.
I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK IT, IF YOU RECALLED, UM, WHICH PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR WAS RUNNING, HE WAS FACILITATING YOUR MEETING.
UM, YOUR BREAKOUT, HANG ON, LET ME LOOK HERE.
IT WAS ANDREA STELI GOOD SYSTEMS THAT UT
[01:50:02]
OKAY, WELL, UH, WE WOULD CERTAINLY INVITE ANDREA TO PARTICIPATE AS WELL IF SHE'D LIKE OR WHOEVER.UH, BUT I KNOW THAT BASED UPON WHAT CRAIG WAS SAYING AND THE INTEREST THAT THE CRAIG WAS EXPRESSING, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, HE, AND ONE OF HIS OTHER RESEARCHERS HAD ALREADY, UH, DELVED INTO, UH, FACIAL RECOGNITION.
AND THE, THE, THE CHALLENGES FROM AN INCLUSION STANDPOINT THAT FACIAL RECOGNITION HAS PRESENTED, UH, PRIMARILY BECAUSE, UH, THERE WERE ISSUES WITH, UH, PEOPLE OF COLOR, UH, BEING MISTAKEN FOR THE PEOPLE THAT THEY WEREN'T MAINLY JUST BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WORKING ON THE RECOGNITION WEREN'T PEOPLE OF COLOR.
SO THEREFORE THEY HAD SOME BLIND SPOTS THERE.
UM, AND, UH, THIS SEEMS IN LINE WITH SOME OF HIS INTERESTS.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER GATES, IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO YOU, THEN I WOULD SUGGEST WE REACH OUT THAT, THAT, UH, WE ENGAGE, UH, CRAIG WATSON, UH WALK-INS AND ANY OTHERS THERE AT UT, UH, THAT WANT TO HELP, BUT I THINK WE WILL BE ABLE TO FIND AT LEAST ONE OR TWO, UH, YEAH, HERE'S THE AREA OF INTEREST IS CROSS CUTTING ACROSS ALL THREE WORKING GROUPS.
HOW DO WE ENGAGE WITH HIM WITHOUT HITTING FOR TWO MINUTES? WELL, IN FAIRNESS, UH, I WAS REFERRING TO SPEED UP AMERICA.
DID YOU, COULD YOU CHIME BACK IN THERE? ALL RIGHT.
SO WE CAN JUST HAVE, UH, ONE OR TWO, UM, COMMISSION MEMBERS ON THIS CALL.
UM, AND SO WE CAN HAVE AS MANY AS, BUT FOUR OR FIVE, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, I BELIEVE, UH, FIVE, RIGHT.
BECAUSE SIX PUTS US INTO A WALKING QUORUM.
SO IT HAS TO BE LESS THAN HALF OF OUR BODY TO BE, UH, TO NOT BE A WALKING QUORUM.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ARRANGE THIS MEETING AT THE CONVENIENCE OF SOME OTHER PEOPLE, UM, PEOPLE FROM UT AND PEOPLE FROM THE CITY OF BOSTON AND POSSIBLY, UH, SOMEONE FROM SPEEDUP AMERICA.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT, UH, WE'LL PROBABLY DUE TO THE, UH, SCHEDULES OF, OF COMMISSION MEMBERS NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, UH, REACHING QUORUM.
SO, UM, WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN ACTUALLY ATTENDING THIS MEETING? SO AS I'VE ALREADY STATED, I WOULD BE, I KNOW COMMISSIONER LOOKS LIKE I SEE COMMISSIONER FLOYD'S HAND.
UM, I WOULD BE TOO WELL, BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO INCLUDE OTHERS FROM THE OTHER TWO WORKING GROUPS, THEN YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE THREE FOR ONE, IN WHICH CASE YOU'RE LIMITED TO ONE EACH.
AND IN FAIRNESS, UH, IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO PARTICIPATE, I'LL GLADLY BOW OUT AS WELL.
UH, SO, UH, ANY OF OUR, UH, COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE NOT, UH, CURRENTLY IN WORKING GROUPS, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, PLEASE, UH, JUST LET US KNOW, UH, THIS IS A WAY TO MAYBE TIP YOUR TOE IN AND SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO INTERACT IN THESE SESSIONS.
THIS IS GOING TO BE DURING THE DAY BUSINESS HOURS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT RESTRICTS PEOPLE, RIGHT.
UH, BUT, AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO GET AN ANSWER NOW, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE, UH, JESSE REENGAGE, UM, JUST TO GET A SENSE FOR WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE ANY CORE ISSUES, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, I, I DOUBT WE WILL.
SO, UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE POSSIBLY FOR THE GROUP HERE IS, UH, FOOD FROM, UH, SPEED OF AMERICA.
SHOULD WE TRY AND CONTACT? WELL, WE HAD OUR CONTACT THAT PRESENTED FROM SPEED UP AMERICA.
UM, BUT JOHN, I KNOW ATX CONNECT, UH, IS REALLY MEANT TO BE THE, THE LOCAL, UH, WELL, IT'S MEANT TO BE A SUPPORTIVE, UH, ITERATION, UM, OF THIS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS JOB?
[01:55:05]
UM, STAFF CAN WORK WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER YEASTS AS AN OUTCOME FROM THIS FEEDING AND, UM, COORDINATE THE AVAILABILITY OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM SPEED OF AMERICA.BECAUSE AS YOU ALL MAY REMEMBER, THEY THEMSELVES ARE A NONPROFIT COALITION THAT IS SUPPORTING THIS, OR THEY'VE GOT AMERICORPS, VISTAS AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS.
SO IT WOULD BE A SIMILAR ASK OF THE TIME FROM COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, FROM OUR FRIENDS UP IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THAT HAVE DEVELOPED THIS TOOL, BUT, UM, COMMISSIONER YOUTH, UM, IF YOU WOULD, UM, STAFF, WE CAN DEFINITELY COORDINATE THIS FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
UM, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WAS THE DIRECTION FROM THIS ITEM.
SO I HAD SENT THE ORIGINAL REQUEST FROM TED LEAR TO JESSE AND I BELIEVE EVERYONE ELSE GOT THAT.
THAT'LL BE A GOOD STARTING POINT FOR STAFF TO PICK, UH, PICK THIS UP.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, UH, MY AVAILABILITY IS PROBABLY A LOT MORE FLEXIBLE THAN MOST PEOPLE.
SO I GUESS THE, UH, THE IDEA IS FIND OUT FROM OTHERS LIKE TED LAYER AND SOMEONE FROM SPEED UP AMERICA, UM, WHEN THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE, I HAD THEN START POLLING, THE COMMISSIONERS HERE TO SEE WAS AVAILABLE THEN.
SO WE CAN LEAVE THAT AS AN ACTION ITEM FOR, UH, UH, CITY STAFF TO ARRANGE THIS.
WELL, UM, THE ONLY THING I GUESS I MIGHT ADD, UH, TO, TO THIS, UH, WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION, THE CIRCLING BACK, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I ALREADY ALLUDED TO IT.
UH, SO I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO FINISHING MY REPORT FROM THE VISIT TODAY, AS I KNOW, THE FOCUS REALLY IS INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UH, AS, UH, I WOULD EXPECT YOU TO, UH, AS A, UH, INQUISITIVE TECHNOLOGISTS, UH, THAT YOU ARE.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT, BUT THE KEY THING TO REMEMBER IS IT'S ALL ABOUT ENABLING, UH, CHANGE AS, AS IS, WAS PRESENTED.
UM, AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT LANES AS THEY WERE DESCRIBED AND CLEARLY DIFFERENT PEOPLE BRING THEIR INTERESTS TO THIS CONVERSATION.
THAT INCLUDES, OF COURSE, THIS COMMISSION AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, EMS. IT INCLUDES, UH, THE DOD, UH, IT INCLUDES, UH, CANT MAYBREY.
UH, AND SO THE KEY THING THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE TO IMPART, UH, REPRESENTING THIS BODY AT THE EVENT, UH, IS THAT I I'M, I'M SQUARELY FOCUSED ON THE CITY AND, UH, THIS BODY, THE CITIZENS, AND THEREFORE MY ROLE AS I SEE IT AS BEING PART OF THIS DISCUSSION IS TO POINT OUT BLIND SPOTS IS TO HELP, UH, TO AVOID UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, TO, TO MAKE SURE, UH, AS BEST AS I CAN, UH, THAT THIS TRULY DOES RESULT IN EQUITABLE OUTCOMES AND HELP TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, NOT TO FURTHER EXPAND, BUT SO JUST UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, WHEN, WHEN YOU READ MY REPORT, BECAUSE THAT I SEE IS THAT A MAIN TASK AND UNDERTAKING, I HAVE, UH, HERE AS, AS CHAIR.
WELL WITH THAT, THEN WE'LL PROCEED TO FEATURED INTO ITEMS.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
UH, I KNOW THAT, UM, WE HAVE AS WAS REFERENCED EARLIER, UH, UH, WE HAVE EXTENDED THE INVITATION TO ALL CARRIERS, SO HOPEFULLY NOT TO PRESENT ON THE EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT.SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE OTHER CARRIERS BE ABLE TO PRESENT IN OUR NEXT MEETING.
UH, IN THE MEANTIME, UH, WE HAVE RECEIVED SOME RESPONSES, UH, VIA EMAIL, UH, BUT RATHER THAN TO, UH, WORRY ABOUT LEAVING SOMEONE OUT, WE'LL JUST FOCUS ON THOSE WHO PRESENTED.
SO WE WANT TO THANK AT AND T UH, FOR DOING SO.
[02:00:01]
SINCERELY HOPE TO HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM CTM, UH, AND OUR NEXT MEETING.UM, AND THAT MAY ALSO INCLUDE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, I'M ASKING FOR, UH, CITY STAFF TO FOLLOW UP AND ENGAGE.
UM, ALTHOUGH WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE TIMING OF THAT INVITATION, UH, WITH THE FORTHCOMING EMAIL THAT I'M ABOUT TO SEND I'M OPEN, OF COURSE, UH, TO THE COMMISSIONERS TO SUGGESTIONS, UH, UH, ALL WE NEED TO DO IS FORM A CONSENSUS ABOUT WHAT WE WANT ON OUR AGENDA AND, AND IT'LL BE OUR FOCUS.
UM, AND OF COURSE I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UH, CITY STAFF TO REMIND, OF COURSE, JOHN IS GOING TO HAVE HIS BRIEFING, AS HE MENTIONED ON DIGITAL INCLUSION EARLIER.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE THAT I'M MISSING OR ANY BLIND SPOTS, UH, THAT ANYONE IS AWARE OF NOW? TIRPITZ I JUST WANTED TO NOTE E THE COMMISSION'S WORK PLAN RETREAT IS SCHEDULED FOR OUR NEXT MEETING, THE MAY 12TH MEETING.
SO IMPORTANT IN, IN THE PAST PRE COVID TIMES, THAT WAS IN IN-PERSON LONG SESSION, WHERE WE SET THE YEARS AGENDA FOR THE COMMISSION, ESSENTIALLY.
UH, AND THAT FEEDS INTO THE ANNUAL WORK PLAN.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT IN, YOU KNOW, WEB CONFERENCE SETTING, BUT WE, I WOULD SUGGEST SETTING ASIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, A GOOD PORTION OF THE, TO FACILITATE, UH, THE, WHAT WOULD BE OUR WORK PLAN RETREAT AND OUR PLANNING FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, I'LL HAVE TO, UH, COORDINATE WITH JOHN SPEARS ON OUR END TO KIND OF GET A PLAN FOR WHAT'S THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
MY INITIAL THOUGHT IS, UH, ENCOURAGING ALL COMMISSIONERS TO THINK ABOUT THE PRIORITIES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SET FOR THE YEAR OUTSIDE OF THE WEB CONFERENCE MEETING ITSELF.
AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, I CAN COLLECT THOSE TOGETHER AND THAT COULD FORM THE BASIS OF A CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION.
UH, I THINK IT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION, SO, AND ACTUALLY YOU CUT OUT THERE FOR A, FOR A SECOND THERE JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
UM, BUT WOULD YOU REPEAT THE LAST PART? I APOLOGIZE.
UM, THE LAST PART WAS THAT I WOULD COLLECT THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UH, ITEMS TO FOCUS ON FROM ALL OF THE INDIVIDUAL COMMISSION MEMBERS.
AND THEN, UH, THAT WOULD FORM A, YOU KNOW, I COLLECT THOSE ALTOGETHER AND THAT WOULD BE THE BASELINE DOCUMENT FOR THE COMMISSION TO WORK FROM AT THE MEETING.
I DO WANT EVERYONE TO BE ABLE, OF COURSE, TO EVALUATE THE MOST CURRENT WORK PLANS AND RIGHT NOW, UM, AT LEAST THREE OF OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THAT YET.
UH, SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY'VE GOT THAT.
UM, AND IT'S, I MEAN, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING INTO PLANNING MODE, UM, AND OUR NEXT SESSION WITH, WITH A FULL BODY OR RELATIVELY YEAH.
WITH A FULL BODY AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S IRKSOME THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, NECESSARILY GOING TO HAVE TO MEET REMOTELY.
UM, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATING IN SOME FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS TODAY, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE SOCIALLY DISTANCED AND OUTSIDE WAS, WAS VALUABLE.
UM, SO, BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO IMAGINE THINGS CHANGING DRAMATICALLY.
UM, ALTHOUGH IT'S, IT SHOULD BE A SOURCE OF DISCUSSION.
IF ANYONE HAS ANOTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS.
I THINK THEY WERE KIND OF BOUND, UH, TO DOING A REMOTE RETREAT IN OUR NEXT SESSION.
AND THEN I GUESS HOPEFULLY, MAYBE SOMETIME THIS SUMMER, WE CAN ALL GET TOGETHER IN PERSON AND GET ACQUAINTED AND, UH, AND HOPEFULLY HAVE FACE TO FACE INTERACTION.
BUT I THINK JESSE'S A SUGGESTION.
UM, SO UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OBJECTIONS OR STRONG THINGS, OTHERWISE, I THINK THAT'S HOW WE SHOULD PROCEED.
UM, SINCE WE HAVE SOME NEW MEMBERS, UH, I'M
[02:05:01]
BEST IN JESSIE TO FORWARD THE CURRENT WORK PLAN TO ALL OF US SO THAT WE CAN READ IT AND START THINKING ABOUT WHAT ADDITIONS CHANGES DELETIONS WE MAY WANT TO MAKE GOING FORWARD NEXT YEAR.UH, YEAH, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I SAID EARLIER.
I THINK TO START WITH, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS A COPY OF THE CURRENT WORK PLAN.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALSO WORKING.
WE HAVE TO WORK, AS I MENTIONED YOU WEREN'T ON THE LINE EARLIER, BUT I MENTIONED TO, UH, COMMISSIONER
UH, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, UH, WE COULD ALL USE THAT AS WELL.
SO THAT'S A THANK YOU FOR, FOR SENDING THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK HERE? UM, JUST A QUICK QUESTION, I GUESS, IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO DO A HYBRID VERSION WHERE THERE, IF PEOPLE ARE COMFORTABLE BEING IN PERSON SOMEWHERE OR ALSO DO A VIRTUAL, LIKE HAVE A SETUP OR SOMETHING FOR VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON, I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO IT.
UM, I THINK, UM, THE FACILITIES WOULD BE OUR INITIAL CHALLENGE.
UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO PIVOT TO, TO STAFF FOR THEIR FEEDBACK BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO CERTAINLY BE ENTIRELY COMFORTABLE, UH, WITH ANY HYBRID MODEL, UH, FOR US TO BE THAT I THINK IN GOOD FAITH BASED ON WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH REMOTE DISSIPATION AND EVERYTHING ELSE, JEOPARDY'S HAVE A OUTLANDISH IDEA FOR A MEDIUM FACE-TO-FACE THE ATRIUM OF CITY HALL.
COULD WE SIT SAFE DISTANCE, THEN ALL THE OTHER PRECAUTIONS THAT NEED TO MAKE, UH, THEIR PRESS CONFERENCES AND OTHER THINGS.
SO THEY WANT US TO HAVE VIDEO CAMERAS, ET CETERA, SO WE CAN BE RECORDED.
COULD WE DO THAT QUESTION FOR JASON? WELL, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S AGAIN, RESONANT WITH THEM WITH THE QUESTION I JUST ASKED.
UH, YES, I WAS TRYING TO PIVOT TO JESSE TO GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO LET US KNOW, UH, WHAT'S FEASIBLE FOR THE HYBRID MODEL OR HYBRID POSSIBILITIES AS COMMISSIONER ISLAND SUGGESTED.
UH, SO JESSE, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO WHAT IS POSSIBLE, UH, IN TERMS OF HYBRID MEETING MODELS.
UH, AT THIS TIMES THERE WOULD BE, UH, IN, IN THE PAST AND WE, WE RECORDED THE WORKING GROUP SESSIONS VIA AUDIO.
UH, IF WE WERE ALL SOCIALLY DISTANCED, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE, UH, ANY EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO PICK UP EVERYBODY'S AUDIO.
UH, SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE A TECHNICAL CONCERN, UM, AS FAR AS POTENTIALLY HAVING IT BE BROADCAST, UH, AND, AND HAVING AUDIO CAPTURED IN AND VIDEO CAPTURED IN THE TRADITIONAL WAY, I'D HAVE TO TOUCH BASE WITH, UH, UH, THE CLERK'S OFFICE ON, UH, IF WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN, BUT I'M HAPPY TO EXPLORE IF THAT'S A DIRECTION THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO GO WELL.
SO JESSE'S ILLUMINATING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'D HAVE, AND IT'S, IT'S VERY, UH, REMINISCENT OF THE RECOMMENDATION FOR REMOTE PARTICIPATION, UH, RIGHT.
WE JUST RECOMMENDED $10,000, UH, TO ENABLE, UH, FOR DIFFERENT MEETING ROOMS TO, UH, GET AN UPLIFT WITH THIS CAPABILITY.
SO, UH, WE, WE, WE ALREADY KIND OF KNOW THAT THE CAPABILITY IS LACKING IN, IN OUR MEETING ROOM SPACES.
SO I KNOW FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, IT WOULD REQUIRE QUITE A BIT FOR US TO DO THIS OUTSIDE.
UH, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY.
YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, MIKE'S ON EVERY INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS LAPEL, UH, AND IT'S, IT'S LENDING ME TO A SPACE OF THINKING IT'S NOT REALLY FEASIBLE.
UM, ALTHOUGH IT PAINS ME TO SAY THAT, UM, BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO ENTERTAIN SOME TYPE OF HYBRID MODEL.
I JUST DON'T FEEL WE COULD DO IT.
[02:10:01]
ABLE TO CONFIRM HOW WE COULD DO IT BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING.SO, UH, I REALLY DO FEEL THAT THAT'S THE CASE, BUT, BUT I DO, I DO.
UM, I DO WANT TO, UM, SUGGEST MAYBE THERE'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.
UM, SINCE WE DO KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY FOR THE OBVIOUSLY CITY STAFF, JESSE, ARE YOU AT CITY HALL NOW? YES, I MISS THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I COULD IMAGINE THERE BEING SOME VALUE THOUGH, STILL, PERHAPS IN, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING, UH, YOU KNOW, MYSELF PERHAPS, UH, HAVING PERHAPS, UH, THE WORKING GROUP CHAIRS, UH, IF THEY WERE INTERESTED IN BEING AT CITY HALL AND BEING ABLE TO MORE QUICKLY SYNTHESIZE NOTES, YOU KNOW, WITH THE WHITEBOARD AND OTHER THINGS, LIKE I COULD IMAGINE THERE BEING SOME VALUE THERE THAT WOULD NOT NECESSARILY AFFECT THE EXPENSES AND YET, UH, STILL BE DOABLE.
SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE OTHERS TO WEIGH ON THIS, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, JESSE IN PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, W W WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? WHAT IF WE WERE TO, TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A SKELETON, UH, GROUP AT CITY HALL, UH, WHILE OTHERS WERE OUT, UH, IN THE REMOTE LOCATIONS, WOULD, WOULD THERE BE A WAY FOR US TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY MORE SO IN THAT ENVIRONMENT? I MEAN, I KNOW THAT WE COULD LEVERAGE A PLATFORM FOR WHITE BOARDING AS WELL.
I MEAN, UH, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ONE, UH, I HOPE WE DO.
UM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING OF OLD PLATFORMS LIKE BLACKBOARD AND WHATNOT.
UM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT CAPABILITIES WE HAVE FOR THIS KIND OF, SORT OF THE GOOGLE SUITE AND TEAMS. RIGHT.
I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FINAL ANSWER IS.
THE, I KNOW YOU'LL NOTICE THAT I'M NOT ON CAMERA.
SO ONE OF THE, THE ISSUES WITH THE CITY HALL SIDE OF THINGS, WHEN WE HAVE, WHEN WE HAVE ANY WEB CONFERENCE, UH, ATX N FOCUSES ON THE FACES OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE IN THE WEB VIEW, UM, THE, THE CAMERAS IN THE ROOM THAT I'M IN WHILE THERE ARE CAMERAS.
I DON'T THINK THAT THEY KIND OF INTERSECT WITH THE, THE SYSTEMS. LIKE I DON'T HAVE A WEB CAMERA THAT WOULD DISPLAY ME TO Y'ALL, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THE ROOM CAMERAS CAN FEED VIDEO INTO A MEETING LIKE THIS.
AND I THINK I, I JUST SAW A CONFIRMATION FROM OUR AB GUY, UM, THAT THAT'S THE CASE.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE MAIN CHALLENGE IS THAT IF WE HAVE, AT THIS MOMENT, REMOTE PARTICIPANTS, THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WOULDN'T BE DISPLAYED.
WELL, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE COME FULL CIRCLE THEN, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, COMMISSIONER ISLAND, UM, ALTHOUGH IT'S A WONDERFUL SUGGESTION, I THINK WE'VE REALLY EXPLORED ALL THE POSSIBILITIES, UH, YOU KNOW, UNTIL, UH, THEY, UH, FUND OUR BAR RECOMMENDATION AND THEN START IMPLEMENTING OUR PILOT.
IT'S GONNA BE TOUGH FOR THESE KINDS OF HYBRID MEETINGS TO TAKE PLACE.
UH, THIS IS, THIS IS MALCOLM YATES HERE.
I THINK THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF IT, UH, EFFECTIVE MEETING WOULD BE THAT EVERYONE SENDS IN THEIR IDEAS FOR GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR, SO THAT EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO REVIEW THEM BEFOREHAND.
AND THEN IF A CITY STAFF COULD JUST FIGURE OUT SOME WAY TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A SCREEN THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE SHOWING THE, UH, THE BREAKOUT OF THE DIFFERENT GOALS, UM, THAT COULD GIVE US OUR WHITEBOARD THAT WE NORMALLY HAVE WHEN WE ALL MEET TOGETHER.
AND THAT WAY WE COULD, UH, WE COULD HAVE A FAIRLY EFFECTIVE MEETING.
AND THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED THE GOOGLE SUITE AND TEAMS. UM, ALTHOUGH THAT MEETING WILL HAVE TO BE WEBEX NECESSARILY, BUT BETWEEN WEBEX AND GOOGLE SUITE, I THINK YOU, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE IT WORK.
[02:15:01]
EVERYONE IS ABLE TO BOTH SUBMIT AND EVALUATE, UM, YOU KNOW, EACH OTHER'S, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS BEFOREHAND, THEN WE'LL HAVE A VERY EFFECTIVE MEETING MAKE US, HELLO, COMMISSIONER APODACA.I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN SET SOME ARTIFICIAL DATES TO HAVE THOSE IN, UM, AS CONSOLIDATED BY OUR JESSE AND HIS TEAM DISTRIBUTED OUT TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, I, I CONCUR, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UM, I MEAN, REALLY AN IDEAL SCENARIO WOULD BE ONE WHERE IN, UH, SUBMISSIONS TAKE PLACE AHEAD OF THE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS THAT ARE RELATED TO THOSE SPECIFIC SUBMISSIONS.
AND THEN THE WORKING GROUPS HAVE DIALOGUE.
AND THEN, UH, WHATEVER IS RESOLVED AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, THEN GET SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL AHEAD OF THE MEETING.
SO THAT WOULD BE EVEN EVEN BETTER.
UH, AND THAT MADE, IT GIVES US SOMETHING TO WORK WITH, RIGHT.
BECAUSE WE KNOW WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP MEETING COMING UP ON THE MONDAY WEEK PRIOR.
SO THAT GIVES US, YOU KNOW, A TIMEFRAME TO WORK WITH.
WE'VE GOT A MOVING TARGET WHEN IT COMES TO THE DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP, BUT A GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT THE WEEK PRIOR.
SO APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TIMEFRAME.
I KNOW THAT THE KNOWLEDGE INFORMATION, THE DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP, UH, VICE VICE-CHAIR ALEXANDER WAS WORKING TOWARDS HAVING HIS MEETING THE WEEK AFTER.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY MEETING, WORKING GROUP TIMEFRAME THAT'S BEING SLATED.
SO I THINK TO THAT POINT, JESSE, CAN WE JUST GO AHEAD AND, AND AS AN ACTION ITEM, UH, ENGAGE THE COMMISSION FOR, UH, THE WORK AND THE WORK PLAN RETREAT, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, OBVIOUSLY, UH, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, INCLUDE THE WORK PLAN, MOST RECENT ONES.
SO THEY'VE GOT THE BREAKDOWN OF STRATEGIC INTENT, AS WELL AS THE BODIES AND, AND WHAT THEIR FOCUSES HAVE BEEN.
AND THEN THEY'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY BY LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY BY THAT, UH, THAT TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY, THE WEEK PRIOR, UH, TO THEN HAVE SUBMITTED THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND TO HAVE VISITED WITH THEIR WORKING GROUPS.
AND THAT'LL GIVE A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY ON THE TIMING OF THAT, BUT THEN IT'LL BE INCUMBENT UPON, UH, THE WORKING GROUPS OF COURSE, TO MAKE SURE THOSE MEETINGS TAKE PLACE.
UH, ALSO INCUMBENT UPON THE COMMISSIONERS TO SETTLE INTO SOME WORKING GROUP THAT YOU'D LIKE TO CONSIDER, UM, KNOWING THAT, UH, YOU'LL ONLY BE ABLE TO JOIN ONE OR TWO OF THOSE, THOSE MEETINGS AT THE MOST.
UM, BUT GENERALLY THE WAY WE'LL BE ABLE TO SUBMIT YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS, UH, YES.
W WHY NOT SEND A NOTE OUT MAYBE TODAY OR TOMORROW TO ALL THE CHANGES THE WORKING GROUPS TO SAY, WE HAVE A MONTH TO PREPARE YOUR PLAN, THAT WE WILL FINALIZE THE NEXT YEAR.
WE HAVE A MONTH STARTING TODAY, APPROXIMATELY A MONTH GIVE OR TAKE A FEW DAYS.
SO WE CAN START THINKING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW.
AND SINCE MY WORKING GROUP DO WHAT WE HAVE, THE THREE OR FIVE, YOU KNOW, THE FOUR OF US BOTTLE GWG, UH, WE MEET ONCE, BUT BY THAT TIME, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PUT OUR TOUCH TOGETHER SO THAT WHEN WE GATHERED AT THE NEXT MEETING, WE CAN THEN, YOU KNOW, TRUST THOSE THINGS AROUND AND PUT THINGS TOGETHER THAT WE CAN THEN FORWARD TO THE FULL COMMISSION.
UH, I THINK I UNDERSTAND, I THINK I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
UM, THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS NO REASON WHY NOT.
IN FACT, THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION.
UH, THE ONLY THING I'M DOING IS JUST TRYING TO ADVISE JESSIE ON THE TIMING.
UH, SO I THINK WHAT I'M PROPOSING, UH, JESSE DO OR ASKING JESSE TO DO IS TO DIRECTLY ENGAGE THE COMMISSIONERS THOUGH, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S A CHANCE THAT THOSE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN.
SO, ALTHOUGH I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AND, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP WILL HAPPEN, UM, RECOGNIZING THAT ALL WORK GROUP MEETINGS DON'T HAPPEN.
[02:20:03]
TO DIRECTLY ENGAGE THE COMMISSIONERS FAIR.AND SO, YEAH, MY ASK IS, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S BASICALLY, UH, TO, UH, HAVE THAT GO OUT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THIS WEEK, THEN JESSE, AND THEN WITH THE GOAL OF, OF GETTING RESPONSES BY THAT A WEEK PRIOR TO THE COMMISSION MEETING, SO THAT WAY THEY CAN BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE APPROPRIATE WORKING GROUPS.
DOES IT, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES, THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND, UH, I PLAN ON SETTING SOME TIME ASIDE TOMORROW MORNING TO SEND OUT THE WORK PLANS, THE CURRENT WORK PLANS TO ALL COMMISSIONERS, AND I CAN INCLUDE, UH, THIS TIMELINE AND THESE, UH, REQUESTS, UH, OR HOMEWORK ITEMS IN THAT COMMUNICATION.
WELL, IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD FOR EVERYONE THAT I THINK WE'VE GOT A FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS NAILED DOWN.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? OKAY, WELL, LOOK, GET THAT IT'S BEFORE NINE O'CLOCK, UH, IT IS EIGHT 53.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN BY COMMISSIONER DASGUPTA.
IS THERE A SECOND AND SECOND BY, SORRY, COMMISSIONER ALSO BEAVERS, UH, COMMISSIONER APODACA.
GOT THAT ONE IN JUST, I HAD TO BE THERE, BUT WITH THAT, THEN A ROLL CALL VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF GERMANY, PLEASE SAY AYE, AND SHOW YOUR HAND.
IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY.
NO, THERE WAS A LITTLE BUFFERING THERE.
UH, SO, UH, WITH THAT STANDING, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
IT'S A VOTE NINE OH, IN FEBRUARY GERMAN.
IF I START TO GET TENSE, JUST CALL DOC.
CAN'T SEE, TEXAS WHO HERE BAQUET SEE TAGS IS FROM HERE.
NO MATTER HOW I TRIED IT MAKES ME WANT TO DIE TO SEE ME LOOKING DOWN.
TRY NOT TO SHOW THIS BROWN CALLS.