[00:00:05]
[CALL TO ORDER]
LET'S GET THIS STARTED, UH, THAT SANOFI MOVED OVER.SO, UH, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER, UH, THE ARTS COMMISSION MEETING ON MONDAY, APRIL 19TH, FIVE 35, FIVE 36, UH, VIA VIDEO CONFERENCING.
UM, JUST DO A QUICK ROLL CALL, UH, IDENTIFYING COMMISSIONERS PRESENT.
VICE-CHAIR POLGAR I SEE COMMISSIONER MOCK COMMISSIONER XMEN COMMISSIONER VANDYKE, COMMISSIONER FLORES, AND MYSELF, AND WE WILL START WITH A CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
UH, SINCE I JUST DID MY REFER, MY COMMISSIONER REFRESHER TRAINING, UH, ALL STUDENTS COMMUNICATIONS TAKEN AT THE TOP DURING OUR VIDEO VIDEO CONFERENCING.UH, AND SO THE FIRST SPEAKER THAT I HAVE IS MIKE HENRY.
ARE YOU THERE? HEY, HELLO, LO COMMISSIONERS.
THIS IS MIKE HENRY FROM MOSAIC CON COLLECTIVE.
UM, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE ON THE OTHER END OF THE LINE, BOTH SORT OF PHYSICALLY AND BEFORE UGLY.
UM, I'M HERE TO INQUIRE AS TO THE STATUS OF THE CREATIVE SPACE RESPOND.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THE STORY BOND WAS PASSING 2018.
WE KNOW THE STATE HAD GOALS FOR THE BOND WHERE TO SUPPORT AND TO ACQUIRE A CREATIVE SPACES THAT WERE CREATED BY EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A BIG HUBBUB AND THERE WAS LOTS OF PROCESS AND COMMUNITY INPUT, LOTS OF MEETINGS AND SURVEYS AND WORKING GROUPS AND LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS.
AND WE FILLED OUT THE RFI AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WOULD BE AN RFP IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
AND THEN STILL TODAY HERE, HERE WE SIT AND THERE'S BEEN A LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG TIME.
UM, THE NEEDS FOR THIS BOND WAS REAL.
IT WAS THIS PAST BECAUSE THINGS WERE BAD AND CREATIVE SPACES THAT SERVE OUR COMMUNITY ARE DYING AND NOT SURPRISINGLY SPEAKING AS ONE OF THE, UH, PERSON FROM AN EXISTING ORGANIZATION, TRYING TO KEEP A CREATIVE SPACE ALIVE DURING THIS WAITING PERIOD.
THINGS ARE MUCH WORSE NOW, AND WE ARE HANGING ON BY A THREAD.
UM, WHAT IS MOST TROUBLING TO ME IS THE RADIO SILENCE.
WE'RE JUST NOT HEARING ANYTHING IT'S BOND WAS ONCE A GREAT KIND OF SHINING BEACON THAT INSPIRED HOPE AND HELP THE COMMUNITY PUSH FORWARD.
AND NOW IT'S COME A VOID, UM, PLUS STRESSED OUT AND LOSING THE HOPES THAT THEY HAD.
AND WE KNOW THAT YOU DON'T MAKE DECISIONS.
UM, BUT WE COUNT ON YOU TO SPEAK DIRECTLY ON OUR BEHALF TO THE PEOPLE THAT DO.
SO HERE'S JUST A REMINDER THAT I KNOW YOU DIDN'T NEED THIS WEIRD OUT HERE, UM, ANYTHING WHICH YOU CAN DO TO HELP US KNOW WHAT WE CAN REALISTICALLY.
AND WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE FROM STAFF AND COMMISSION.
WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS, UH, SO NEXT UP WE HAVE, UH, VERONICA CASTILLO PEREZ.
UM, I'M A THIRD GENERATION MEXICAN-AMERICAN UM, GIVEN THE RAPID DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES HERE IN AUSTIN, I'M VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT I'M A NATIVE BORN AND RAISED RESIDENT AND THE CENTRAL TEXAS AREA.
UM, I'VE BEEN WATCHING THE, UM, PARK COMMISSION MEETINGS FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS REGARDING THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX SHORTFALL DUE TO COVID.
AND IT REALLY CONCERNS ME, UH, AS A RESIDENT HERE IN BOSTON, I, I KNOW A LOT OF THE, UM, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND I KNOW THAT THEY ARE SUFFERING AND THAT THEY ARE IN DIRE NEED OF FUNDING.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, UH, COMMISSIONERS, OUR COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR RESOLUTION, ASKING THE MAYOR, THE COUNCIL FOR $10 MILLION FOR TWO YEARS, FOR CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
AND I URGE EVERYONE THAT IS LISTENING TO PLEASE CALL ALL THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR, AND CALL ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND URGE THEM TO PLEASE FIND THE MONEY TO FUND THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, COVID IS, HAS BEEN TOUGH ON EVERYBODY.
UM, BUT WITHOUT THIS FUNDING, THE LATINO ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY THE LATINO ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE GONNA REALLY BE HURTING.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS I JUST, UM, SINCE I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE LAST, UH, UH, ART COMMISSION MEETINGS, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE ANY FUNDING AT ALL FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AND THESE GROUPS DON'T GET ANY FUNDING YET.
[00:05:01]
BY STAFF IS TO HIRE KEY NEW POSITIONS.I'M JUST WONDERING HOW DOES THAT FIT IN IF YOU WON'T HAVE ANY CONSTITUENTS TO SERVE.
AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY TO, YES, RIGHT? THE MAYOR, RIGHT CITY COUNCIL, PLEASE LET THEM TO FUND OUR ARTS AND THEN TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT TODAY WITH EARLY VOTING OPENED UP TODAY AND GET OUT AND VOTE.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE REMINDERS.
AND YES, WE, WE WILL BE GETTING STAFF UPDATES ON THE HEART AND, AND FUNDING AND COMMISSION WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS, AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED AT THAT TIME.
UH, AND THEN, YEAH, AND THEN AS FAR AS MY LIST GOES, THE FINAL SPEAKERS, SYLVIA, ROSCOE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW.
SOPHIA, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
HI, I'M SYLVIA DIRECTOR OF MEXICO AS THE MUSEUM.
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK THE ARTS COMMISSION FOR THE RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL REQUESTING $10 MILLION PER YEAR FOR TWO YEARS, TO ELIMINATE THE DEFICITS, UH, FROM THE HOT FUND, EITHER FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, THE GENERAL FUND OR OTHER FUNDS, THESE FUNDS ARE NEEDED FOR SURVIVAL JOB RETENTION AND SUSTAINING OPERATIONS.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND WORK AND DRIVE TEAM AND SENDING THIS RECOMMENDATION.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL HEAR FROM YOU, THE ARTS COMMISSIONS, THERE ARE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND MUST ADVISE THE COUNCIL ON WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE, THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE ALSO SPEAKING TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO ASK FOR SUPPORT, KNOWING THAT THE MAIN SOURCE OF FUNDING, THE HOT FUND HAS BEEN DEVASTATED FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW.
MANY OF OUR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT MANY OF THE HOT FUND SUPPORTS JOBS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
THE LACK OF FUNDS WILL BE DEVASTATING, NOT ONLY FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER EVENTS AND PROGRAMMING PROGRAMMING WILL BE SERIOUSLY REDUCED.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT AT THIS TIME.
I ALSO WANT TO ADD INFORMATION EFFORT TOO, SO THAT WE CAN SPEAK INFORMED TO THE COUNCIL AND SPEAK IN A UNITED VOICE.
THE CITY STAFF MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL THROUGH THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK FOR THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN AND RECOMMENDED FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND 3.9 FOR FISCAL YEAR 21 AND 3.9 FOR FISCAL YEAR.
UH, UH, FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, A TOTAL OF 7.8, THERE IS STILL TIME FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO JOIN US IN ONE VOICE AS THE ARTS COMMISSION AND AN ARTS ORGANIZATION, $10 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS, $20 MILLION TOTAL, THERE IS ALSO REFERENCES FROM STAFF AND TO CITY COUNCIL THAT THE ART VENUES CAN RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE SHATTERED VENUE OPERATING GRANTS.
VERY FEW ORGANIZATIONS CAN APPLY FOR THIS.
FOR EXAMPLE, FOR MUSEUMS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE FIXED AUDIENCE SEATING, UH, IN AN AUDITORIUM TO QUALIFY.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE DO NOT QUALIFY ALSO MEXICO TO LIKE MANY ARTS, NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE AWESOME LEGACY BUILDING BUSINESS RELIEF GRANT.
EVEN THOUGH WE ARE A LEGACY HERE IN THE CITY, WE DO NOT QUALIFY.
WE ARE ALSO ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO ALLOW THE NON-PROFITS TO APPLY.
MOST RECENTLY, THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION SETTING UP THE FRAMEWORK WITH FOUR PRIORITIES.
WE, THE ARTS COMMUNITY MUST REALIZE THAT WE ARE NUMBER THREE ON THE PRIORITY LIST, WHICH INCLUDES JOBS FOR THE WORKING CLASS OF AUSTIN.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR WORKFORCE, OUR WORKING CLASS, THE MAJORITY OF OUR INCOMES ARE BELOW MANY MINIMUM, MEDIUM HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
WE ARE THE WORKERS OF THE CITY.
WE ARE THE WORKING CLASS OF AUSTIN.
I URGE THAT WE SPEAK IN ONE VOICE, HAVE ONE UNITED MESSAGE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, THE ARTS COMMISSION, THE ARTS ORGANIZATION, $10 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN DESIGNATED FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS TO SAVE JOBS FOR WORKING INDIVIDUALS AND THE NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS SECTOR.
I ASK EVERYONE LISTENING TONIGHT TO CALL EMAIL AND SPEAK TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE INCLUDED AS A PRIORITY FOR THE ARTS AND THE CULTURAL WORKERS OF AUSTIN.
I THINK HE SHOULD HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO SAY.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE.
WE'LL HAVE PRESENTATIONS FROM STAFF AND WE'LL HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS.
UM, SO THAT CONCLUDES, UH, STUDENTS COMMUNICATION.
I DID WANT TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT COMMISSIONER GARZA JOINED US DURING CITIZENS
[00:10:01]
COMMUNICATION.[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
BE MOVING ON TO THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES, UH, VICE CHAIR, BOULDER, UM, BEFORE I'VE GOT A MOTION FOR YOU TO, BUT BEFORE I DO, UM, A VIEW, UH, COMMISSIONER BARNES, BRETT BARNES IS IN THE ATTENDEES.CAN WE MOVE THEM UP? AND THEN I CAN TEACH FOR HIS MINUTES, A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES BY VICE-CHAIR POKER, SECONDED BY FLORES.
ANY, ANY EDITS COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.
WE'RE GONNA PASS THIS ON CONSENT.
UH, JUST MAKING SURE THERE'S NO, EVERYONE THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS TO CONSENT.
[2.a. “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” -Maya Angelou]
CHAIR'S REPORT.YOU HAVE A CAFE, THE ORIGINAL LYRICS BY
WELCOME TO AUSTIN CIRCA 1837, UNCLE BILLY BART AND SETTLES IN THE AREA.
NOW KNOWN AS BARTON SPRINGS POOL, 1888, THE TEXAS CAPITOL BUILDING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 1924.
THE TEXAS MEMORIAL STADIUM IS COMPLETED 1928.
AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ADOPTS THE MASTER PLAN.
AUSTIN IS ESTABLISHED 1962 INTERSTATE 35 FORMALLY OPENS IN AUSTIN, 1970.
LASER MEA OPENS ITS PARISIAN STYLE CAFE.
THE TOWN LAKE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE WAS FORMED 1973.
MARGARET MOSER MOVES TO AUSTIN OR COME TO AUSTIN 1974.
THE PILOT EPISODE OF AUSTIN CITY LIMITS EHRS 1977.
AUSTIN BOOKS AND COMICS OPENS 1981 WOMEN IN THEIR WORK RECEIVED THE FIRST NDA GRANT FROM VISUAL ARTS EVER AWARDED IN TEXAS 1984.
MICHAEL DELL CREATES DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION OUT OF HIS UT AUSTIN DORM ROOM CIRCA 1985.
ORIGIN SYSTEMS ESTABLISHES AN OFFICE IN AUSTIN, 1985.
AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY IS FOUNDED BY LINKLATER DANIEL, BLACK RAMIREZ, BERG AND NOVELS.
WELCOME TO AUSTIN, 1987 MC OVERLORD ATTENDS UT AUSTIN, 1988, MEXICO.
THE MUSEUM RELOCATES TO FIFTH AND CONGRESS CIRCA 1990.
ROBERT RODRIGUEZ ATTENDS UT 1992.
SELLERS BREWERIES STARTED 1993 MEMORIAL STATUE OF STEVIE RAY VAUGHN IS UNVEILED CIRCA 1996.
THE REAL DEAL IT CABLE ACCESS SHOW AIRS WITH COHOST COREY COLEMAN, MARTIN THOMAS AND TONY GHETTO, 1997.
MTV SPORTS AND MUSIC FESTIVAL WAS HELD AT ZILKER PARK.
2002, KENDRA SCOTT LLC HAS FOUNDED 2003 EAST AUSTIN STUDIO TOUR IS LAUNCHED 2004.
FUSEBOX FESTIVALS FOUNDED 2008.
THE LONG CENTER HAS ITS GRAND OPENING, 2010 AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL HONORARILY NAMES, WILLIE NELSON BOULEVARD.
WHEN HE 12 CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS OFFICIALLY OPENS 2014.
[00:15:02]
COVID SHUTS DOWN, TRAVEL AND TOURISM 2021 COVID VACCINATIONS BEGIN 2022.THE ECONOMY'S TRULY REOPENED 2025 AUSTIN'S CULTURAL COALITION BECOMES A LEADING EXAMPLE OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE 2030.
YOU MAY SAY I'M A DREAMER, BUT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE.
I HOPE SOMEDAY YOU'LL JOIN ME.
JOIN US, JOHN LENNON, NOTHING WILL WORK UNLESS YOU DO MAYA ANGELOU WAS THAT WE'LL MOVE ON TO
[2.b. Art in Public Places liaison report]
GOING TO BE THE AIPP LIAISON REPORT.UM, WELL A, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I WOULD EVER FOLLOW THAT.
UM, AND IPP JUST CONTINUES TO BE FURIOUSLY WORKING ON, UM, A VARIETY OF THINGS.
I WAS LATE TO THE MEETING AND, UM, WE'LL WANT TO, UM, I WAS TO CONSIDER MOVING ITEMS TO CONSENT IF THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN DONE, BUT I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION WHEN IT'S TIME.
I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, AGAIN, I ENCOURAGE EACH ONE OF MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO FIND A MONTH WHERE YOU CAN ATTEND AN AIPP MEETING IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS.
UM, JUST TO, TO SEE WHAT GOES ON AT AIPP.
UM, THERE ARE SO MANY PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING DOWN THE ROAD, AND MANY OF YOU ALL WILL BE ASKED TO SIT AS ADVISORS OR AS PANELISTS OR AS REPRESENTATIVES OF YOUR DISTRICT.
AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE SOME WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT THAT ORGANIZATION OR WHAT THAT ENTITY, THAT WE ARE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR, HOW THEY OPERATE.
SO, UM, NOTHING SPECIFIC, THEY ARE WAITING TO TAKE A LOT OF, OF, UM, I THINK CUES FROM US AS THE ARTS COMMISSION.
SO, UM, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'LL SAY.
UH, AND JUST TO REMIND FOR EVERYONE WITH, KEEP YOUR RECALL MUTED THAT WAY, IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M JUST A LITTLE BIT OF STATIC IN THE BACKGROUND, BUT I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY TO STAY MUTED UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO SPEAK.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO TWO C, WHICH
[2.c. Boards & Commissions liaisons]
IS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LIAISONS.UH, I DON'T SEE COMMISSIONER KEY N UM, WHEN I WANTED TO POINT OUT WE HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM REGARDING, UH, THE CONVERSATION THAT I MENTIONED LAST MONTH REGARDING THE JOINT, UH, CULTURAL COMMITTEE.
SO WE'LL JUST DISCUSS IT AT THAT POINT, UH, CITY HALL STAFF.
I WAS HOPING YOU CAN MOVE OVER CARL SETTLES JR.
I'D LIKE FOR HIM TO, TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH US.
[2.d. Austin Economic Development Corporation update]
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION UPDATE, I DID WANT TO, UH, INTRODUCE YOU ALL TO OUR NOMINEE, TO THE AEDC BOARD.UM, AND THERE HE GOES, OR IF YOU WANT TO JUST SAY A QUICK, HELLO, HELLO, I'M HONORED TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT YOUR INTEREST ON THE ABC.
UH, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO MY HOMEWORK, UH, REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MY ROLE IS.
AND, UM, I'VE BEEN IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH JAIME, AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UM, I'M HERE AND IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS AND I MAY BE REACHING OUT TO SOME OF YOU, UH, TO HELP ME HELP ME FILL IN THE BACKGROUND INFO.
CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY.
UM, IT WAS WAY, WAY OVERDUE, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, WITH THIS, WITH THIS FUNDING, UM, THAT WAS ALLOCATED APPROVED YEARS AGO.
UM, SO I KNOW THAT THAT'S A HUGE CONCERN, UM, BUT, BUT I I'M HERE.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'M AVAILABLE.
I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY, WE DO HAVE, UH, AN UPDATE OR ACTUALLY PRESENTATION FROM AA AEDC STAFF.
THAT'S WHY CARL'S JUST HERE INTRODUCING HIMSELF.
UM, IT'S POSSIBLE IN FUTURE MEETINGS.
CARR WILL PROVIDE UPDATES ON FOR TODAY.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT HAD A CHANCE TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF,
[00:20:01]
RIGHT? THANK YOU, CARL.UH, SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS A SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, UH AEDC WITH, UH, DAVID COLLAGEN OR MAYBE IT'S VERONICA.
UM, MAY I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT WE, UH, MOVE ON TO ANOTHER ITEM AND, UH, ALLOW TIME FOR OUR CONSULTANT TO JOIN US? I BELIEVE HE HAD A CLASS THAT HE WAS TEACHING AND HE SHOULD BE JOINING US WITHIN THE HOUR OF OUR, LIKE FOR HIM TO BE PRESENT FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IF I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, TO GO TO STAFF BRIEFINGS MOTION BY TO, UH, ATTEND US STAFF BRIEFINGS, SECONDED BY POLGAR.
UH, DO THE SON CONSENT? NO OBJECTIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ON STAFF BRIEFINGS.
UH, SO NOVIA, IF YOU WOULD PROVIDE THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX UPDATE, IF I MAY, I BELIEVE NAKED FOR THIS ONE.
THEN, UH, WHEN CITY HALL STAFF, UH, WHO WOULD REMOVE THIS PRESENTATION FROM THE SCREEN AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM THE COMMISSION SUMMIT, UH, CULTURAL FUNDING UPDATE AHEAD OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
MOTION BY POLGAR SECONDED BY MARK.
UH, TAKE THAT ON CONSENTS HEARING.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ON CULTURAL FUNDING UPDATE
[4.b. Cultural Funding Update]
BY MEGAN WELLS.ACTUALLY IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL HAVE TO MOVE MEGAN INTO THE PANELISTS, RIGHT? THANK YOU.
I WANTED TO, UM, JUST TAKE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME CONTEXT WITH YOU ABOUT THE CULTURAL FUNDING, UH, UPDATE THAT'S LISTED ON YOUR AGENDA.
THERE'S THREE ITEMS UNDERNEATH THAT.
UH, SO MY REPORT OUT WILL HAVE THREE COMPONENTS TALKING ABOUT THE CURRENT YEAR, WHICH IS FYI 21, RIGHT? THIS, THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, UM, THE COVID RELIEF AND RECOVERY, UH, THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU.
UH, AND THEN, UH, REVIEW PROCESS, UPDATE, STATUS UPDATE WITH YOU.
SO I'LL BE FOCUSING ON THOSE THREE TODAY.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, AS FAR AS OUR CURRENT GEAR CONTRACTS, AS WE SHARED AT LAST MONTH'S MEETING THE THREE DIVISIONS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, CULTURAL ARTS, MUSIC, AND ENTERTAINMENT AND HERITAGE TOURISM TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED OUR WORK ON THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS, AND ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PROPOSED FUNDING PROGRAMS WAS HALTED WHILE WE AWAITED MORE FINAL BUDGET ESTIMATES ON THE HOT FUND FOR NEXT YEAR, DURING THIS PAUSE IN OUR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS STAFF AND THE CULTURAL FUNDING AND HERITAGE TOURISM PROGRAMS FOCUSED FULLY ON CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION TO CLEAR THE BACKLOG OF CONTRACT ITEMS FROM OUR CONTRACTORS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD PAYMENT REQUESTS TO OUR FINANCE TEAM AND THE PURCHASING OFFICE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN AND CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY CORRECTIONS OR MISSING ITEMS ARE ADDRESSED BY OUR CONTRACTOR SO THAT WE CAN PROCEED WITH THOSE PAYMENTS.
AS SOON AS PENTEL CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR PROVIDED Y'ALL WITH AN UPDATE STATUS UPDATE LAST MONTH.
AND HE'S GOING TO UPDATE YOU AGAIN ON WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS NOW WITH PROCESSING OUR CULTURAL CONTRACTS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
IN ADDITION TO THE CONTRACT PROCESSING THAT THE CULTURAL FUNDING TEAM HAS BEEN DOING, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO CONFIRM THE AVAILABILITY OF SEVERAL CONTRACT AMENDMENT OPTIONS FOR CONTRACTORS, WISHING TO EXTEND THE USE OF THEIR AWARDS INTO PEERS, SHIFT THEIR ACTIVITIES OR EVENTS OR PIVOT TO VIRTUAL.
IF CONTRACTORS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE AMENDMENT OPTIONS, THE CULTURAL FUNDING STAFF IS AVAILABLE BY EMAIL PHONES, ZOOM, OR OUR VIRTUAL OPEN OFFICE HOURS, AND, UH, CAN CONTACT OUR CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR FOR MORE INFORMATION AS IT PERTAINS TO THERE.
NOW I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO
[00:25:01]
MEGAN MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN CONCENTRATING ON GETTING A FINAL REPORTS AND PRE-CONTRACT MATERIALS OUT FOR FISCAL YEAR 21.SO WE HAVE 14 CONTRACTS THAT HAVE BEEN, OR PRE-CONTRACT MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT INTO US.
THAT'S THE BOTTOM BULLET THERE, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN SENT INTO US THAT HAVE NOT BEEN REVIEWED YET.
SO ABOUT, UM, THAT SHOULD BE 3.5, 7%.
UM, SO UNDER 4% OF THE CONTRACTS ARE STILL LEFT TO BE REVIEWED.
SO THEY'VE TURNED IN INFORMATION.
THEY NEED TO, UM, GET INFORMATION.
UM, WE NEED TO REVIEW THAT TO GET THAT OUT TO THEM.
UM, 293 CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN ENTERED INTO, SO WE'D BE EITHER SENT THEM OFF TO THE CONTRACTORS TO GET SIGNATURE, UM, AND, OR THEY'VE, UH, SIGNED THOSE AND SENT THEM BACK TO US AND WE HAVE SENT THEM OFF TO, UM, TO BE PROCESSED.
SO THAT'S OVER 75% OF THE 392 CONTRACTS.
THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR CORE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FESTIVALS PROGRAM AWARDS.
UM, THERE ARE SOME THAT HAVE NOT SUBMITTED A MATERIALS YET 39 OF THE 392 CONTRACTORS.
SO JUST UNDER 10%, UM, 40 ADDITIONAL, UM, CONTRACTS.
UM, WE ARE, UM, UM, WELL I WAS DOING THIS VERY QUICKLY, SO ACTUALLY THE 293, THAT SHOULD ACTUALLY BE 333, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S 40 CONTRACTS THAT, UM, ARE WAITING ON, UH, CORRECTIONS OR SIGNATURE.
UM, SO, SO WE'VE REVIEWED THEM.
WE EITHER NEED A SIGNATURE BACK FROM THEM OR, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET DOESN'T BALANCE, THE, UM, UM, CONTRACT DATE CONTRACT DATES, OR, YOU KNOW, NOT WITHIN THE CITY'S FISCAL YEAR, SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
UH, SIX CONTRACTORS HAVE DECLINED, UM, AND AGAIN, 14 HAVE LEFT TO BE REVIEWED, UH, THE BAR CHART THERE.
UM, AGAIN, WE HAVE ABOUT, UM, UH, 30 OR SO MORE THAN, UH, WHEN THIS WAS SHOWN, THIS WAS AS OF MARCH 29TH.
UM, SO THE BLUE ARE THE ONES THAT WE HAVE SENT OFF, UM, TO THE CONTRACTOR TO GET THEIR SIGNATURE.
THE GRAYS ARE THE ONES THAT WE HAVE SIGNED CONTRACTS BACK AND HAVE SENT THEM, UM, TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO GO AHEAD AND GET PROCESSED.
I'LL TURN IT BACK TO MEGAN, UNLESS ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANYTHING FOR ME OR MEGAN WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND ON ANYTHING I'VE SAID.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT AMOUNT, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS AROUND $6 MILLION.
THAT IS WHAT WE, UH, APPROVED ONCE AND FORWARDED TO CITY COUNCIL.
IS THAT ONLY INCLUDE CORE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OR DOES THAT ALSO INCLUDE ALL THE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, FUNDING THAT'S CORE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FESTIVALS? THE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES IS PROBABLY AN ADDITIONAL, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY AROUND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ON TOP OF THAT.
SO IT'S STILL PUT THEM, YOU KNOW, GOING OFF OF, YOU KNOW, AROUND NUMBER OR, YOU KNOW, VAGUELY WHAT I REMEMBER IT WAS AROUND $6 MILLION.
UM, AND SO WE, AS YOU'LL RECALL, WE DID NOT GO INTO THE LAST QUARTER OF COMMUNITY INITIATIVES APPLICATIONS, BUT WE DID GO AHEAD AND PROCESS OF THE THIRD QUARTER, UM, APPLICATIONS AND ENTERTAINED TO CONTRACT WITH THOSE.
HEY, UH, I WANT TO MOVE INTO MY SECOND ITEM OF UPDATE, WHICH IS COVID RELIEF AND RECOVERY.
MEGAN, JUST BEFORE YOU STARTED, JUST WANT TO PLANT CITY HALL YOU'RE UN-MUTED AND I THINK YOU'RE CAUSING A LITTLE BIT OF NOISE.
SO JUST DOUBLE CHECK THAT, PLEASE MAKE HIM GO AHEAD.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM I'D LIKE TO UPDATE YOU ON, UM, IS RELATED TO COVID RELIEF AND RECOVERY.
AND I WANTED TO JUST REMIND EVERYONE ABOUT THE PROCESS WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, RELATED TO, UH, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND INPUT THAT HELPS INFORM OUR PATH FORWARD AS A COMMUNITY.
OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HELD MORE THAN 125 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENTS WITH VARIOUS GROUPS, INCLUDING AN ECONOMIC RECOVERY EXPERTS PANEL, SEVERAL COVID 19 INDUSTRY FOCUS GROUPS, INCLUDING THE CREATIVES, AUSTIN RESIDENTS, AND CITY EMPLOYEES.
[00:30:01]
INFORM THE PROPOSED ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE FRAME RESILIENCY FRAMEWORK PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY, WHICH INCLUDES 45 DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO FOSTER, A MORE EQUITABLE, COMPETITIVE AND RESILIENT POST PANDEMIC ECONOMY.AT THIS TIME, THE CITY IS SEEKING FEEDBACK ON THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT FEEDBACK IS THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 23RD AT 5:00 PM.
THE CULTURAL AND CREATIVE COMMUNITY IS A VALUABLE PART OF OUR ECONOMY.
AS WE KNOW, AS WE LIVE AND BREATHE.
AND IT'S ENCOURAGED FOR YOU ALL TO SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE FRAMEWORK IT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE@WWWDOTATXRECOVERS.COM, A PROPOSED SPENDING PLAN FOR RELIEF FUNDS, INCLUDING THOSE ANTICIPATED TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO AUSTIN THROUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN WAS ALSO PRESENTED TO COUNCIL AT THE SAME TIME AS A RESILIENCY FRAMEWORK, COUNCIL RESPONDED WITH A DIRECTIVE TO STAFF TO FOCUS ON FOUR KEY PRIORITY AREAS, HOMELESSNESS AND RELATED HOUSING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES, EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION THAT IS HIGH QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE JOBS FOR WORKING CLASS AUSTINITES AND INCLUDE GOOD WAGES, BENEFITS, AND WORKPLACE PROTECTIONS AND ASSOCIATED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND WORK PROGRAMS AND FOOD AND HOUSING INSECURITY STAFF THEN MET WITH CENTRAL TEXAS GOVERNMENT JURISDICTIONS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS INTERNAL SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO INVENTORY AND IDENTIFY TRANSFORMATIONAL AND GENERATIONAL INVESTMENT OPTIONS IN THESE FOUR PRIORITY AREAS.
IN ADDITION, STAFF IS ALSO REVIEWING FOR POSSIBLE INCLUSION IN THE INITIAL FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS.
THOSE CITY PROGRAMS PART IS HIT BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, NAMELY THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDED SERVICES, INCLUDING THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AND THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
OUR DEPARTMENT, ADDITIONAL STAFF WILL CONTINUE HOLDING REGULAR MEETINGS WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COUNTY AND NEIGHBORING GOVERNMENTAL JURISDICTIONS TO IDENTIFY JOINT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND ALSO CONTINUING TO MEET WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
STAFF IS ALSO WAITING FOR THE US DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY TO ISSUE FINAL DETERMINATIONS OF SPECIFIC AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ALLOCATIONS AMOUNTS TO CITIES TO CONFIRM HOW MUCH AUSTIN WILL RECEIVE AS WELL AS GUIDANCE ON ALLOWABLE USES OF THE PLAN FUNDS.
I WOULD URGE ANYONE INTERESTED IN TRACKING THIS DISCUSSION WITH, WITH CITY COUNCIL TO, UH, CONTINUE TO TUNE IN TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS WHERE IT'S ON THE AGENDA COUNCIL ALSO, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, RECEIVED FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SEVERAL COMMISSIONS, INCLUDING THE ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSIONS.
AND WE'LL BE CONSIDERING THOSE IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT FORECAST THAT JUST CAME OUT TODAY IN UPCOMING MEETINGS, DISCUSSING THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS AND IN PREPARATION FOR DISCUSSION OF NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND SO MAYBE A HOLD GRABS, OUR ACTING DIRECTOR WILL BE, UM, PROVIDING A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THESE, ON THE BUDGET FORECAST AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR HOT, UM, AFTER MY REPORT.
SO I'D LIKE TO FINISH UP BY, UH, TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CULTURAL SPENDING REVIEW, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION STAFF.
YOU, I THINK YOU'RE STILL UN-MUTED.
YEAH, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE WHETHER WE SHOULD ASK YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ACTUAL FRAMEWORK AND THE PROPOSED AMOUNTS, OR SHOULD WE WAIT FOR
UH, WE HAVE THE MEMO, UM, THE CEO OR THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, THAT HE SENT ME, HE'LL SAY HE'S THE CHIEF ECONOMIC RECOVERY OFFICER.
AND I'M ASSUMING THAT'S STILL A MEMO ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE MADE TO COUNCIL THAT WE'RE REFERRING TO, CORRECT.
IS THAT CORRECT? THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS MADE WAS YEAH, WAS SENT FORWARD BY VERONICA PRESENT, THEN COUNCIL RESPONDED, THERE WAS ALSO A FOLLOW-UP MEMO THAT I JUST RECAPPED, WE KEPT.
SO I'VE KIND OF JUST COMBINED WHAT HAS HAPPENED THROUGH A MEMO COUNCIL ACTION AND THEN A UP STAFF MEMO IN MY REPORT.
AND
UM, I MEAN, AFTER COUNCIL RESPONDED, WERE THERE CHANGES TO THE
[00:35:01]
TABLES THAT WERE, UH, THE COVID-19 SPENDING FRAMEWORK FOR TIME? NOT, NOT SPECIFICALLY JUST YET.I DIDN'T THINK I'D SEEN ANY, BUT THEY, THEY AND VERONICA KNOW.
AND SO MAYBE ARE ALSO ON THE LINE AND CAN SPEAK TO, I DON'T WANT TO MISS MISREPRESENT THE PROCESS, BUT, UH, THEY ARE WAITING ON FURTHER GUIDANCE FROM THE TREASURY OFFICE TO COME FORWARD, AS WELL AS FURTHER CONVERSATION TO HAPPEN BEFORE ANY FINAL DETERMINATIONS ARE MADE ON, UH, ANY CHANGES TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THE COUNCIL IS EXPECTED TO DECIDE THIS ONE.
DON'T THINK WE HAVE A DATE JUST YET.
SO I SHOULD WAIT TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AMOUNTS ON THAT TABLE.
UM, OR SHOULD I GO AHEAD AND ASK NOW YOU CAN, YOU CAN ASK, OH, SORRY.
SHE, YOU CAN WAIT UNTIL I PRESENT.
AND MAYBE AFTER THAT YOU GET THE HOT AND THE WHOLE BIG PICTURE.
I HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS AND I'M GOING TO HAVE BEG YOUR INDULGENCE AND YOUR PATIENCE WITH ME AS I GO THROUGH, UH, SEVERAL QUESTIONS THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR ON, UM, THESE REQUESTS AND HOW THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, AREN'T BEING MADE TO RECOMMEND FROM WHAT POTS TO WHAT, WHAT THEY CAN BE USED FOR.
AND SO I'LL JUST WARN YOU NOW THAT I'M GOING TO BE ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
UH, WE CAN, IF IT MAKES SENSE, WE CAN GO ON TO STILL NOVIAS RIGHT NOW, AND THEN COME BACK TO ME TO FOLLOW UP ON THE CULTURAL FUNDING, REVIEW DINNER BARNES, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TAGS.
UM, SO ONE OF THESE, OR MAYBE BOTH OF THESE PERTAIN, AND AGAIN, AS LULU SAID, UM, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH GOING ON.
SO, UM, WITH REGARDS TO AMOUNTS OR FUNDS AVAILABLE, I KNOW HISTORIC PRESERVATION HAD HAD ISSUES IN SPENDING DOWN THEIR HOT FUNDS.
LIKE THEY, THERE WAS LIKE, SO IS THAT STILL THE CASE? OR IS THERE LIKE, IS IT STILL THE ALLOCATIONS THE SAME IN EACH POT? LIKE 15% GOES TO THIS AND 10, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR STILL NAVY TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE HER A PRESENTATION BECAUSE SHE'S GOING TO COVER A LOT OF THESE QUESTIONS AND I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE IT BEFORE SHE HAS A CHANCE TO SHARE IT OUT.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAD GOTTEN AN EMAIL FROM ANNE MARIE EARLIER WITH A MEMO ATTACHED ON THE FORECAST.
AND IS THAT RELATED TO WHAT YES, THAT'S WILLING TO TOWARDS STILL, NOBODY'S GOING TO SHARE OUT.
I'LL NOTE TO GO AHEAD AND DO, IF WE NEED A MOTION TO MOVE.
MEGAN'S DONE WITH HER STAFF BRIEFINGS AND NOW WE'RE, OH, SHE'S GOT ONE MORE ITEM ON THE CULTURAL REVIEW PROCESS.
AND SHE SAID SHE WOULD WAIT ON THAT NOW, BUT SHE WANTS TO LOGAN TO GO AHEAD WITH HER REPORT.
SO I WAS ASKING IF I NEEDED A MOTION FOR US TO DO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
SO, YEAH, I DIDN'T, I, I THOUGHT SHE HAD COVERED THE THIRD ONE.
[4.a. Hotel Occupancy Tax update]
FLORES TO INTERJECT FOR A SECOND AND BY BARNES, UH, SEEING NO OBJECTIONS PASS ON CONSENT AND SYNOVIA, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.UM, SO THERE'LL BE A WHOLE REB ACTING DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX THAT IS USED FOR THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS. AND I'M GOING TO TRY AND GO SLOW BECAUSE I'M A NUMBERS BEAK, AND I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE NEXT TIME.
I WAS GOING TO ASK CAN, CAN YOU MUTE EVERYBODY EXCEPT FOR SO NOVIA? YES.
I WAS GOING TO ALSO SAY, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU ALEXANDER, BUT WE CAN BARELY HEAR HER ON THIS SENTENCE.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF MAYBE SHE COULD TURN UP HER INPUT.
HOW IS THAT BETTER ON THIS END? THANK YOU.
AND NOW YOU'RE MY EARS ON MY HOOD ON, UM, SORRY.
TO BRING THIS LIGHT BACK UP, PLEASE.
SO I FIRST WANTED TO START WITH THE F Y 21 APPROVED BUDGET.
THIS IS PRESENTED IN THE DOCUMENT PAGE FOUR 68 AND VOLUME ONE OF THE BUDGET DOCUMENT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR OR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING 2019
[00:40:01]
THROUGH 2020, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO END THE YEAR A NEGATIVE MILLION DOLLARS.AND THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN I MOVE FORWARD, I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY SHOW YOU ACTUAL SALES.
SO THAT IS CALLED AN ESTIMATED COLUMN.
AND THAT IS WHERE WE MID-YEAR DETERMINED IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE REVENUE THAT'S COLLECTED OR NOT.
THE COLUMN THAT IS CALLED AMENDED FOR FYI 20 NEVER CHANGES ONCE THE BUDGET IS APPROVED.
THAT AMENDED COLUMN IS WHAT COUNCIL APPROVES AT THE TIME OF BUDGET.
AND AGAIN, REMEMBER BUDGET IS APPROVED PRIOR TO THE END OF A FISCAL YEAR.
AND NOW THE LAST COLUMN SHOWS WHAT COUNCIL APPROVE THAT WILL BE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2021.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE REVENUES THAT COME IN AND THE REVENUES FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND ARE FUNDED AT THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH IS 15% SIMILARLY, THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION FUND ALSO RECEIVES THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ALLOWED BY STATE.
SO AGAIN, REVENUES ARE APPROVED BY COUNCIL ARE BASED ON AN ESTIMATE, NOT ACTUAL.
THIS ESTIMATE IS MADE UP BASED ON EVENTS THAT ARE COMING IN CONFERENCES, UH, SPORTING EVENTS, ET CETERA.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT AT THE TIME A BUDGET IS APPROVED FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND, IT IS BASED ON AN ESTIMATE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CRYSTAL CLEAR.
SORRY, BECAUSE ARE SLOW AND I APOLOGIZE, BUT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE LAST COLUMN FOR 20, 20, 21 THAT WAS APPROVED IN AUGUST.
BECAUSE THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINS OCTOBER ONE OF EACH YEAR.
AND SO THAT 7.7 MILLION WAS AN ESTIMATE.
HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY THOUGHT WERE GONNA STAY IN THE HOTEL.
SO THIS, THIS FINAL, THAT FINAL COST IS FOR IF Y 21, BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT LABELED AS SUCH.
AND SO THE PREVIOUS ONES YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT WERE FOR
AND IT'S GOING TO MAKE SENSE, HOPEFULLY IN A MINUTE, BUT AT THE TOP WHERE IT SAYS 20, 20 DASH 21 FISCAL YEAR
SO SYLVIA, IS THERE NOT AN ACTUAL 2019 DASH 20 THAT'S REPRESENTED HERE OR THAT'S COMING UP.
AND THE REASON WHY I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THIS IS BECAUSE REVENUES ARE PROVED ON AN ESTIMATE.
AND SO THE FINANCIALS FOR LAST YEAR THAT ENDED SEPTEMBER, 2020, THOSE HAVE BEEN CLOSED AND AUDITED.
SO I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU NOW AND THE NEXT SLIDE WHERE WE ENDED UP.
AND PLEASE, I KNOW I'M AN, I'M A NUMBERS GEEKY PERSON.
SO HERE WE ARE COMING TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THE ACTUALS THAT WERE COLLECTED, REMEMBER COVID OCCURRED, OR WE CAN GIMMICK.
WE SHUT DOWN SOUTH BY, IN MARCH OF 2020.
SO COUNCILOR HAD APPROVED THE BUDGET AND WE DID NOT BRING IN THE REVENUE.
WE THOUGHT WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT IN ONLY $9 MILLION.
YOU STILL KEPT PROGRAMS WHOLE.
AND INSTEAD OF ENDING THE YEAR AT A NEGATIVE MILLION, WE DID A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
AND SO WE ENDED IT LAST YEAR AT A NEGATIVES ABOUT 700,000.
SO LAST YEAR AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2020, THIS FUND
[00:45:01]
WAS NEGATIVE.COULD YOU TELL US WHICH COLUMN YOU'RE REFERRING TO? WHAT ROLE, BECAUSE I AM SO LOST BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, THE MORE CLEAR ON THAT POINT, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT PROBLEM.
SO THE SECOND COLUMN FROM THE LEFT AT THE TOP, IT SAYS 2019 DASH 2020.
IF YOU COME DOWN, YOU SEE INTERESTS OF THE REVENUES, 52,000, THE TRANSFER IN THAT'S FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDS THAT CAME IN AT 9 MILLION.
YOU MOVE DOWN TO THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
THIS IS, THESE ARE THE CONTRACTS THAT YOU APPROVE TEMPO.
UM, ALL THE CONTRACTS, COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, WE SPENT 12 MILLION, WHICH LEFT US WITH A NEGATIVE $700,000 IN THIS FUND.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY, SO AGAIN, WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BE IN THE HOLE, BUT WE ENDED UP A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
NOW LET'S MOVE TO COLUMN THE THIRD COLUMN.
AND AT THE TOP IT SAYS 2020 DASH, 2000 DASH 21.
WE'RE NOW GOING TO BRING FORWARD.
THIS IS WHAT I LOOK AT EVERY MONTH.
LIKE WHERE, WHERE DO WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO END UP? AND SO I'M BRINGING FOR THE NEGATIVE 700,000 BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S ACTUAL, IT'S BEEN AUDITED.
NOW WE HAVEN'T EARNED INTEREST, VERY LITTLE INTEREST.
WE ARE NOW ONLY ESTIMATING BRINGING IN $3.8 MILLION FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
NOW, WHAT I NEED YOU TO DO IS LOOK AT THE COLUMN THAT SAYS 20, 20 DASH, 2021 AMENDED, YOU SEE THAT 7.7 MILLION.
THAT IS WHAT COUNCIL APPROVED IN AUGUST, WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO EARN WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BRING.
SO WE ARE NOT BRINGING IN THAT 7.7.
IT'S NOW ONLY ESTIMATED THAT BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE WOULD HAVE BROUGHT IN JUST UNDER $4 MILLION.
AGAIN, I MIGHT REPEAT COUNCIL APPROVES THIS BUDGET, THE REVENUE BASED ON AN ESTIMATE, WE ARE STILL IN COVID VACCINES ARE NOW JUST STARTING TO ROLL UP.
PEOPLE ARE NOW TRAVELING, BUT WE WILL NOT MAKE THAT NUMBER OKAY WITH ME STILL THE LOOP.
SO NOW IF YOU COME DOWN TO PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS, COUNCIL APPROVED CONTRACTS, THE ONES THAT HASTIES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, SOME PEOPLE DECLINE, ET CETERA.
WE SENT OUT A MEMO EARLIER THAT SAYS, WE HAVE AN IDEA.
WE MAY NOT BRING IN THIS MONEY, BUT WHAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IS REDUCE CONTRACTS.
SO CON ALL CONTRACTS THAT HAVE BEEN EXECUTED OR IN THE PROCESS OF BEING EXECUTED WILL BE 100% FULL FIELD.
LET ME STATE THAT AGAIN FOR THE RECORD CONTRACTS APPROVED BY COUNCIL SIGN, WHETHER YOU'RE IN THE PROCESS WILL BE HONORED.
WE WILL FEEL THOSE 100%, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT WILL THEN LEAVE US.
I'M IN A NEGATIVE OF ABOUT $4 MILLION.
OKAY? SO WE STARTED THE YEAR AT A NEGATIVE.
WE'RE BRINGING IN NOT QUITE A LITTLE MORE THAN HALF OF WHAT REVENUE WE THOUGHT WE ARE GOING TO HONOR THE CONTRACTS, WHICH BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER, WE WILL BE $4 MILLION IN THE HOLE OR NEGATIVE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WE HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE SINCE, UH, OPEN HAPPENED.
UH, THEY ARE WELL AWARE THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND SO THEY'RE WORKING WITH US.
SO NOW, NOW THAT WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO END THE YEAR AND NEGATIVE, WE HAVE TO CARRY THAT FORWARD.
SOMEONE'S GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE.
WE ALSO HAVE WORKED WITH OUR SISTER DEPARTMENTS IN THE BUDGET OFFICE TO DETERMINE, WELL, WHAT WILL COUNCIL APPROVED AS AN
[00:50:01]
ESTIMATE OR NEXT YEAR? REMEMBER? CAUSE WE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE GOING TO END THIS YEAR A NEGATIVE 4 MILLION.SO WHEN WE CARRY THAT FORWARD, WE ARE NOW ONLY ESTIMATING REVENUES OF ABOUT 5.4 MILLION.
REMEMBER, WE'RE STARTING AT A NEGATIVE.
IF YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO BRING IN FOUR OR 5.4, YOU'RE NOW SAYING, HEY, BASED ON THAT, WE'RE ONLY PROJECTED TO BE ABLE TO SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS NEXT YEAR, TO LEAVE US WITH AN ENDING BALANCE OF 344,000.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT NEGATIVE HAS TO BE CLEAR.
I WANT TO PAUSE RIGHT HERE AND LET THIS SIT FOR A MINUTE LAST A YEAR.
UM, SO FOR FYI 22, WHICH IS THE 20 2122 PROPOSED COLUMN, YOU'RE SAYING THAT FOR THOSE, WHATEVER CULTURAL ARTS CONTRACTING, THERE WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY, IT'S ONLY YOUR IT'S BEING PROPOSED AT $1,000,001.08 MILLION, UH, AS OPPOSED TO THE SEVEN TWO, THREE, FOUR THAT WE DID LAST YEAR OR WHATEVER WITH THE AMENDED.
SO MY QUESTION IS, I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING WITH HIGHER UPS AND TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE DEFICIT OF 40 MILLION, UH, THAT DEFICIT OF 4 MILLION FOR THE F Y 21 CONTRACTS THAT WAS CREATED, UM, IS THAT, AND SINCE CONSOLE COMMITTED TO IT, ARE THEY GOING TO FIND THAT MONEY FROM SOMEWHERE, OR ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO BACKFILL THAT $4 MILLION DEFICIT WITH PROSPECTIVE FUNDS THAT ARE COMING IN, EITHER THROUGH THE RECOVERY ACT OR BACK FEELING HOT, ET CETERA, I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE IT.
I KNOW I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF, BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO RAISE THAT SLATE AND FIND THAT MONEY SOMEWHERE AND NOT PREJUDICE FUTURE MONEY'S COMING IN FOR CULTURAL CONTRACTORS.
LET ME GET TO THE NEXT SLIDE, BUT I WANT TO SIT, LET, LET THIS RESONATE WITH THE COMMISSION, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING THE MAN DID NOT EARN THE ESTIMATED REVENUE.
REMEMBER COUNCIL APPROVED AN ESTIMATE.
THEY THOUGHT WE WOULD GET 7.7 ONLY GOING TO GET 3.8 NOW, WHICH IS GOING TO LEAVE US IN A NEGATIVE POSITION OF $4 MILLION.
YOU NEED TO CARRY THAT FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY, UH, WE WILL MAKE 5.4 MILLION IN REVENUE.
AGAIN, WE ARE COLLECTING THE MAXIMUM ELECTED MAXIMUM, WHICH WILL LEAVE US WITH ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS TO FUND ULTRA PROGRAMS, PERIOD.
SO, UM, WANTED TO, I WANTED TO PUT THIS VISUAL.
THIS IS THE VISUAL OF THE LAST SINCE 20 2015 THROUGH THE PROJECTED 2026, AS YOU CAN SEE THE F Y 21 C Y E HAS DROPPED.
AND IF YOU SEE THE PROJECTIONS, EVEN WHEN WE GET OUT TO FYI 26, IT WILL NOT BE CLOSE TO THE FYI 2019, OR THE F Y 2018 OR THE FYI 2017.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, AS WE COME OUT OF COVID, IT'S GONNA TAKE US A WHILE TO GET TO BREATHE A LITTLE BIT LEVELS.
JUST WANT THAT TO KIND OF SIT WITH THE COMMISSION.
SO HYPOTHETICALLY YOU WE'VE ASKED FOR THE INFUSION OF 10 AND THAT, THAT WAS PART OF YOUR RECOMMENDATION, BUT THAT'S FOR TWO YEARS, THEN WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
SO YOU KIND OF HAVE TO BALANCE THAT OUT.
I'M JUST PUTTING THIS HERE AS A VISUAL LULU.
SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU JUST SUPPORTS FIRST? WHAT'S C Y E STAND FOR CURRENT YEAR ESTIMATE.
ASK ANY QUESTIONS, WHAT YOU JUST SAID A SECOND AGO.
CAUSE I WAS, I WAS OBSESSING WITH THAT AND I MISSED COMPLETELY WHAT YOU SAID A LITTLE, RIGHT? SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE PAST 10 YEARS,
[00:55:01]
ALL THE WAY OUT TO 2026, THE PROJECTION, THE GRANT, IT'S A VISUAL.SO YOU CAN EVEN SEE, BUT FYI 26, IS IT AT THE SAME LEVEL AS FYI, 2015 ALMOST.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST SHOWING THE INCREASE, GETTING BACK TO PRE COVID LEVELS.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE 10 MILLION FOR TWO YEARS, RIGHT? SO AS AN EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE DO ASKING FOR 10 MILLION EACH YEAR, KNOWING THAT YOUR PRETTY LEVELS WERE HIGHER THAN THAT.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION EVEN IN YEAR THREE.
IT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T ASK FOR THE CONTINUATION, IT'S GONNA STILL DROP THEM.
JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS VISUAL RIGHT HERE.
I THINK MICHELLE HAD HER HAND UP.
I CAN ONLY SEE MY PART AT THE TOP.
HOW, AND I, AND I, AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE AN ANSWER TO THIS, BUT HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU IN THE 5.4 MILLION ESTIMATE FOR
AND SO I AM HOPEFUL FOR THE 5.4.
SO IF YOU'RE CONFIDENT IN THE 5.4 IT'S OKAY.
I'M SORRY, MISQUOTED HOPEFUL, BUT THAT'S STILL, YOU STILL HAVE TO DEDUCT THE 4 MILLION.
SO YOU'RE SAYING AVAILABLE STILL FOR F1 AND 22 CONTACT AND CULTURAL FUNDING IS ONLY THE 1.08 MILLION.
SO, SO WE HOPE, I MEAN, THAT'S EVEN HELPING, BUT WHEN YOU SAY THE 10 MILLION THAT WE ARE REQUESTING, UH, FOR, WE THOUGHT FOR THE, AND IT WAS CONFUSING BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE FISCAL YEARS RUN AND THE WAY WE ASK FOR IT, UM, CURRENT YEAR, UH, CONTRACTS ARE, HAVE ALREADY BEEN, WELL, THE FUNDING HAS BEEN COMMITTED, BUT YET IT'S STILL SHORT 4 MILLION, RIGHT? YES.
BUT IF YOU LET ME GET TO THE NEXT, OKAY, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO AS PART OF THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK THAT WE PRESENTED ON MARCH 23RD, IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE INFUSED 3.9 INTO THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND TO CLOSE THAT $4 MILLION GAP.
WE ALSO RECOMMENDED 3.9 FOR FYI 22.
AND SO IF WE ARE ABLE TO CLOSE THE GAP WITH, UH, AMERICAN SKI PLAN FUNDING AND WE ARE COUNSEL IMPROVES, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE THE 0.4 PLUS THE 3.9.
AND SO THAT COULD GET YOU BACK TO THE 9 MILLION.
AND AGAIN, HOW DID WE COME UP? IS IT'S A PROPOSAL, UM, THAT WE PRESENTED CONSIDERING ALL THE OTHER NEEDS ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, IT WASN'T THE ONLY WE KNEW WE HAD OTHER RESOURCES THAT WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO PROVIDE TA AND AGAIN, IT'S A BALANCING ACT.
WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS WE DO, BUT AGAIN, IT WAS A BALANCING ACT.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, CITY COUNCIL, UH, WILL APPROVE A SPINNING FRAMEWORK AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO STRESS THAT.
SO I HAVE HEARD OBVIOUSLY THAT FROM SOURCES THAT THERE'S 3.9, THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING TO MAKE LIKE 20, 21 FISCAL YEAR 21, UM, ALMOST COMPLETE YOU'RE RACING THAT $4 MILLION DEFICIT, BUT SINCE COUNCIL COMMITTED TO THAT, SHOULDN'T THEY NOT FIND FUNDS OTHER THAN THE ARP TO HOLD TO THEIR COMMITMENTS AND SAY COMMITTED TO IT PRIOR TO THE ARP COMING FORWARD.
AND COULD THOSE ARP FUNDS THEN BE FIRST OF ALL, DO THEY HAVE TO BE SPENDING THAT FY 21 OR COULD THEY BE ROLLED FORWARD TO THAT POINT 22 FOR A TOTAL OF 7.8 MILLION FOR THAT FLIGHT 22 AND HAVE THE CITY OF AUSTIN FIND OTHER FUNDS TO
[01:00:01]
FARM THAT $4 MILLION DEFICIT I'VE JUST BEEN ASKED AND THAT'S LIKE POSSIBLY TO MAYBE IT'S NAIVE, BUT RATHER THAN USING THE RP TO BACKFILL THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, THAT IT NOT THAT MONEY BE FOUND ELSEWHERE.AND THE ARP 7.8 MILLION BE ALL USING
THERE ARE VARIOUS FUNDING OPTIONS THAT SCENARIOS WE COULD RUN.
UM, AND WE WOULD LEAN TO COUNCIL, UH, FOR GUIDANCE ON THAT, BUT THERE ARE VARIOUS SCENARIOS THAT WE COULD RUN.
SO IT'S NOT COMPLETELY OUT OF THE QUESTION.
THE COUNCIL COULDN'T FIND THAT 4 MILLION ELSEWHERE AND POSSIBLY USE 7.8.
UM, WHEREAS MY 22 OR MAY RP AGAIN, I WILL JUST SAY THAT THERE ARE VARIOUS SCENARIOS COUNCIL COULD RUN.
SO WE CAN STILL HOLD FIRM ON OUR REQUEST THERE, VARIOUS SCENARIOS.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
POLGAR DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I DID NOT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I DID A QUICK CALCULATION FROM YOUR DIRECTION FROM THE 22 TO 26, THAT'S A POSSIBILITY OF A DEFICIT OF ABOUT $18 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, NOT COUNTING THE 4 MILLION, WE CARRIED ORANGE FROM 21.
SO I THINK THEY'RE RIGHT ON THE NOSE.
IF THE COUNCIL, UM, TOOK A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ASKED FOR $10 MILLION EACH YEAR FOR TWO YEARS, THAT IS $20.
SO WITH MY QUICK CALCULATION, THAT FROM YOUR PROJECTION THAT, UH, WE WILL NOT HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF, UH, HEART FUND.
SO THAT WILL, WE WILL HAVE ABOUT 18 MILLION SHORTFALL FROM Y'ALL HOPE, UH, PROJECTION AND NOT COUNTING THE 4 MILLION.
I MEAN, ACCORDING TO YOUR PROJECTION, WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE A 22 MILLION SHORTFALL, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU IN RELATION TO BEFORE KOBE.
SO I THINK WE MAKE A VERY GOOD DECISION.
I JUST WANTED TO RING OUR, YOU KNOW, SO WE ARE PRETTY PROACTIVE.
WE ASK FOR $20 MILLION, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU, I THINK WE SHOULD PUSH FOR HAVING, UM, A, OUR LP, UH, OR OTHER FUNDING, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THAT 20 MILLION.
AND THEN WE HAD THIS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LOOKING AT ANOTHER 4 MILLION, IT WILL MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO, UM, FYI 26.
SO, WHICH IS NOT A BAD, UH, ASSUMPTION.
I APPRECIATE THAT COMMISSIONER.
UH, I'M I'M NOT QUITE FOLLOWING THE MATH, BUT PERHAPS IT'S BASED ON IF WE HAD CONTRACTS AT THE SAME LEVEL.
NO, YOU CAN GO BACK TO YOUR PROJECTION THAT THE POSSIBLE SHORTFALL ALL THE WAY TO YEAR 26, YOU KNOW, YOUR SLIDE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BLUE AND YOUR GRAY.
SO I, I, I AM JUST, YOU KNOW, I JUST DID A VERY QUICK CALCULATION, NOT THIS ONE, BUT THE, THE, THE HOT FUND INCOME GO BACK ONE.
SO I JUST DID A CALCULATION, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE FIVE YEARS, IT COULD POSSIBLY COME UP TO $18 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU MATCH IT WITH 12 MEETINGS.
I'M JUST MATCHING UP TO THE 12 MILLION RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
OH, YOU'RE COMPARING THAT TO THE PEN.
SO, SO IT IT'S ABOUT, IT'S ABOUT $18 MILLION, YOU KNOW, SO, AND THEN NOT COUNTING THE 4 MILLION THAT WE HAVE TO CARRY OVER AT THIS POINT.
SO IT COULD BE A TOTAL OF $22 MILLION.
SO, UM, SO HE COULD BE ASKING FOR 20 MILLION.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER 2 MILLION, YOU KNOW, THAT TO MAKE US WHOLE, I MEAN, BACK TO BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, SO WE SHOULD REALLY PUSH FOR
[01:05:01]
THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, OH, TELL ME THEN FOR TWO, TWO YEARS, 20 MILLION, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL HAVE A VERY GOOD CUSHION.SO WE ARE HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE AI, THE ALP, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET SOME MONEY FROM THERE, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
I'M GOING TO, I'M STILL WORKING ON THAT, BUT OKAY.
I'M USUALLY VERY GOOD AT VISUAL MOCK USE YOUR GABBY, MR. VANDYKE.
NO, NO, NOT LEAVING THAT SLIDE.
UM, SO IF I'M READING THIS RIGHT, LOOKING AT THE PROJECTIONS, UH, EVEN UP TO FISCAL YEAR 20, 26, IT'S STILL WAY BELOW FISCAL YEAR 19.
SO, AND THAT'S A WAYS THAT THAT'S SEVERAL YEARS FROM NOW.
WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT BASED ON, IS THAT BASED ON, UM, HOT TEXTS THAT WE THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE THAT LONG FOR THINGS TO CATCH BACK UP? OR IS IT BASED ON OTHER THINGS OR WHAT'S IT BASED ON IT'S BASED ON ESTIMATED HOTEL STAYS EVENTS, ET CETERA, BUT YES.
UH, IT'S ESTIMATED THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE US SEVERAL YEARS TO GET BACK TO PRE COVID LEVELS.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, I THINK I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, WHEN WE HAD THE DOWNTURN IN 2008, IT TOOK US THREE YEARS TO COME BACK.
AND IS IT, I'M SORRY, THE, UH, IS THAT, UM, ACROSS THE BOARD FOR THE CITY WITH, I MEAN, HOW DO WE COMPARE, HOW DOES, UH, CULTURAL ARTS COMPARE TO EVERYTHING ELSE? IS THAT KIND OF EVERYBODY GETTING CUT THE SAME AMOUNTS, JUST THE PROJECTION, THE SAME AMOUNT FOR EVERYBODY, OR IS IT DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE'RE BASED ON HOT.
ALL THE OTHER DIVISION IS HERITAGE CHURCH, HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND, AS WELL AS THE MUSIC IT'S BASED ON THE COLLECTIONS.
SO YOU CAN ONLY TRANSFER WHAT'S COLLECTED, AND IF PEOPLE AREN'T COMING AND STAYING IN HOTELS, AND IF YOUR AVERAGE ROOM NIGHT RATE IS NOT UP TO WHERE IT WAS, UH, THE FUNDS ARE JUST NOT COMING IN AGAIN, IT'S IT'S, THIS IS, I'M ONLY TALKING ABOUT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
SO IT AFFECTS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO I'M NOT FOCUSED ON GENERAL FUND.
I'M JUST STRICTLY SPEAKING OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
AND IF THAT CAME BACK A LOT QUICKER, PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, STARTED FLOODING INTO AUSTIN, STARTED STAYING IN THE HOTELS.
WOULD, WOULD WE ADJUST THAT THEN, UH, ADJUST TO THAT? OH YES.
SO EVERY YEAR WHAT WE DO IS WE DO, UH, UH, AN OUTLOOK, A FIVE-YEAR OUTLOOK.
SO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE GET THE VACCINE ON THE CONTROL AND PEOPLE ARE COMFORTABLE.
UM, CONVENTION STARTED HAPPENING.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEE WHO'S COMING WHAT'S HAPPENING, ET CETERA.
AND SO, YEAH, IT COULD CHANGE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT AGAIN, I, I WISH I HAD A CRYSTAL BALL, BUT JUST PULL HER TO HAVE A QUESTION I DID.
SO MAYBE, CAN YOU REMIND US THE, UM, SPENDING TIMEFRAME FOR THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS? CAUSE IT'S GOT A LIMITATION ON HOW LONG WE CAN USE IT.
AND WHEN IT HAS TO BE SPENT BY YES.
AND I'M HOPING SOMEONE WILL CORRECT ME IF I DON'T GET IT RIGHT.
I WANT TO SAY WE HAVE UNTIL 2024 TO SPEND THE AMERICAN WEST STUPID, UH, FORESTS.
THANKS MICHELLE, FOR THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE THAT'S A GOOD POINT BECAUSE IF WE ASKED FOR MONEY FOR, UH, TO MAKE A FLIGHT 22 AND FYI 23 AT 10 MILLION, UM, AND OF COURSE, ASSUMING WE COULD GET THE ADDITIONAL 10 MILLION IN THE FUTURE, OF COURSE, FOR F 22, UH, IF, IF WE COULD AT LEAST GET THAT 7.8, WE'D BE AT LEAST IN THE VICINITY OF THE, UH, THE 10 MILLION THAT WE'VE REQUESTED.
OF COURSE WE'VE REQUESTED IT FROM ANY OTHER FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO URGE THE CITY COUNCIL THAT THE ARTS ARE REALLY SUFFERING AND THAT THIS MONEY FROM FR, YOU KNOW, FROM THE RECOVERY ACT, IN ADDITION TO OTHER FUNDS, THAT THE CITY CAN FIND
[01:10:01]
THAT ARTS REALLY NEED TO BE MADE A PRIORITY JUST AS HOMELESSNESS AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND THE WORKERS, UH, THAT THEY PRIORITIZE IN THOSE FOUR PRIORITY AREAS.UM, SO IT'S UP TO US TO CONTINUE TO PUSH ON THE COUNCIL TO DO THAT, UNDERSTAND THAT I DID HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING MAYBE IT'S ANOTHER GRAPH, BUT I THINK YOU SAID YOU WERE GONE.
SO IN THE STAFF, UM, MEMO THAT I, THE MARCH 12TH MEMO WITH, UH, THE FRAMEWORK FOR SPENDING THERE WAS ANOTHER, UH, A COLUMN FOR COVID RECOVERY THAT IS CALLED THE CREATIVE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, THAT THERE WAS A 7.8 AND 2.3 OR A TOTAL OF 10.1 OVER THE TWO YEARS THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE.
AND I'LL JUST ADD A QUESTION TO WHO WOULD THAT CREATIVE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FUNDING BOOK TO THAT BE SOMETHING THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THE CREATIVE ARTS, UH, PROGRAMS, UH, MUSIC ARTS, I DON'T KNOW, WHOEVER YOU DEFINE BECAUSE THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL $10 MILLION IT'S BEEN RECOMMENDED AND THAT'S FOR STRICTLY, COVID NOT HOT BACKFILL.
SO I'M GONNA ALLOW, UM, OUR CHIEF ECONOMIC RECOVERY OFFICER VERONICA TO SPEAK TO THIS ITEM COMMISSIONER.
SO, UM, COMMISSIONER THAT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THAT INITIAL SPENDING PLAN THAT WE PUT FORWARD TO COUNCIL, THE IDEA WAS WE LOOKED AT WHAT WE HAD DONE IN THIS PAST YEAR.
A LOT OF THE RELIEF PROGRAMMING THAT WE HAD DONE AND, UH, WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T WORK, WHAT COULD WE, WHAT COULD WE REPLICATE? SO IN THAT PROPOSAL, IT WAS ENVISIONED TO BE SIMILAR TO HOW WE DID THE CREATIVE WORKER RELIEF BRANCH EARLIER, EARLIER THIS YEAR.
HOWEVER, THE COUNCIL DID PASS THE RESOLUTION THAT THURSDAY THE SAME WEEK, DIRECTING US TO FOCUS ON THOSE FOUR POLICY AREAS.
UM, SO WE'RE NOW FOCUSING ON THOSE FOUR POLICY AREAS.
I WILL ADD THAT WE AGREE AT THE IMPORTANCE OF, UM, OF HAVING FUNDING FOR THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY AND FOR OUR ARTS IN PARTICULAR.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE ARTISTS ARE THAT'S, THAT'S, I'M SORRY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AS WELL.
SO HOW ARE THOSE INTERSECTIONALITIES OF WHAT WE PRIORITIZE THE STUDY? LIKE THE ARTS, UM, AND THOSE FOUR POLICY AREAS.
I UNDERSTAND THE PRIORITY, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING THAT THESE OTHER AREAS, UM, YOU KNOW, WON'T GET SIMILAR FUNDING.
YOU'RE ONLY GONNA GET UP THE CREATIVE ARTS COMMUNITY FUNDING THROUGH THE FEDERAL RECOVERY PROGRAM FOR HOT BACKFILL.
AND PART OF THAT RECOMMENDATION IS TO, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT $4 MILLION DEFICIT.
SO THAT REALLY PUTS US BEHIND AS OPPOSED TO FINDING IT ELSEWHERE, WHICH I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUSH ON.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE RELIEF FUNDING FOR THE ARTS, IN ADDITION TO THIS HOT BACKFILL AND, AND TO THE TUNE THAT YOU ALL HAD RECOMMENDED BEFORE.
AND I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT COUNCIL HAS DECIDED THAT.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT 10 POINT LAW THAT 7.8 AND THAT 2.3 FOR F Y 21 AND 22, AREN'T JUST NOT EVEN IN THE MIX ANYMORE FOR THE CREATIVE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE GOING TO FUNNEL THEM TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER SORT OF RECOVERY.
AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BROADEN THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA SO THAT, YOU KNOW, NON-PROFITS AND OTHERS CAN ACCESS THESE RELIEF FUNDS FROM THESE OTHER PROGRAMS, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT'S VERY FAIR.
WE ARE, WE'RE DIRECTED BY COUNCIL TO FOCUS ON THOSE FOUR PRIORITY AREAS.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT THOSE FOUR PRIORITY AREAS.
THE RESOLUTION COUNCIL PASSED ALSO SPOKE TO LOOKING AT TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES WITHIN THOSE, THOSE POOR PRIORITY AREAS.
SO WE'VE GOT US, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE FOLLOWING THAT DIRECTION.
UH, WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN HELP WITH, UH, PROVIDING SOME TA ASSISTANCE TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY FIND RESOURCES THAT ARE GOING DIRECTLY TO FEDERAL THROUGH FEDERAL AGENCIES.
WE HAVE OUR DIRECTION FROM, FROM COUNCIL AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FOLLOWING UP ON THAT.
I JUST HAVE ONE FOLLOW UP TO HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON, VERONICA, WOULD YOU PLEASE REPEAT THOSE FOUR POLICY PRIORITIES FOR COUNCIL? ABSOLUTELY.
THOSE FOUR POLICY PRIORITIES THAT THEY LISTED WERE HOMELESSNESS, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, CHILDCARE, FOOD AND HOUSING INSECURITY.
[01:15:01]
FLORES.AND THEN MARK, I'M ASSUMING THAT ARTISTS ARE GOING TO BE HOMELESS AND NEED FOOD AND NEED WORK.
UM, THEY COULD CONCEIVABLY IF, IF, IF THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR RECEIVING THOSE FUNDS, THEY ARE AVAILABLE TO THESE, UH, FOLKS AS WELL.
BUT THE OTHER THING I WAS, I WAS GOING TO SAY IT, SORRY.
UM, WAS THAT, I'M SORRY, I LOST THE FIRST THING CAUSE I WAS OUT, WE WERE TALKING AND, UH, AND I WAS GOING TO ASK A FOLLOW-UP TO WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE FUNDING.
UM, OH, WELL MAYBE IT'LL COME BACK TO ME AFTER AMY SPEAKS, BUT SO I WORRY ABOUT THOSE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THOSE OTHER FOUR PRIORITY AREAS THAT YOU'RE PUTTING THE FUNDING WOULD BE, OH, AVAIL OPEN AND AVAILABLE TO CREATIVES AS WELL, OR WOULD THEY, SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING, BUILDING OUR RECOMMENDATION ON THAT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I WAS SPEAKING TO EARLIER.
WE'RE TRYING TO PUT THAT LENS TO IT, TO BE, UM, TO BE AS CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE IN THAT REGARD WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE RESOLUTION.
HELLO, EVERYBODY STAY MUTED ON US FOR SPEAKING COMMISSIONER MOCK.
I AM SURE YOU CAN BE VERY CREATIVE, AT LEAST IN THESE TWO AREAS.
NUMBER ONE IS THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
I MEAN, GRADING COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY FALLING INTO THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CATEGORY.
AND THE SECOND ONE IS THE FOOT HOUSING AND SECURITY, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK THOSE TWO AREAS, YOU KNOW, I, I, I AM REQUESTING YOU HAVE, WE ARE MORE CREATIVE AND MINDFUL, YOU KNOW, ABOUT CREATING COMMUNITY BECAUSE THAT IS REALLY, UM, THE CHARACTER OF AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, IT IS REALLY OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK DEFINITELY IN THOSE, YOU KNOW, TWO OF THOSE FALLS, UM, AREA, UM, THAT YOU CAN DO SOMETHING FOR OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
I KNOW IT'S, IT'S NOT EASY AND TO, TO SAY, TAKE MY BOY CHILD AND LEAVE ME, MY GIRL, CHILD.
SO I MEAN, I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT AND WE ARE HERE ADVOCATING FOR THE ARTS COMMUNITY.
AND I KNOW YOU ALL REALIZE THAT, UM, I GUESS TOO, I WANT TO REMIND OUR COMMISSIONERS AND REMIND THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHEN WE HAD THE, UM, ONE OF THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS AND WE HAD THE EXTRA MONEY TO FILL AND WE DID.
AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR WE DIDN'T HAVE THOSE FUNDS AND WE HAD TO GO BACK DOWN HOW SIGNIFICANT AND DRAMATIC THAT WAS.
SO I THINK WE DO NEED TO KEEP INTO CONSIDERATION AND STILL NOVIA, I THINK WAS TRYING TO DO A VERY GOOD JOB AT SAYING, WE'LL FIND IF YOU GOT THE INFUSION OF MONEY FOR TWO YEARS, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN YEARS THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE, BECAUSE YOU WON'T HAVE THOSE INFUSIONS.
SO, AND, AND WE DON'T KNOW, AGAIN, ESTIMATES, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE CRYSTAL BALL HAS FOR US TO SAY, BUT I THINK THAT IS JUST GOOD.
ALSO INFORMATION FOR US TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING FOR FUNDS ALSO THAT WE CAN MAYBE STRETCH OUT OVER MULTIPLE YEARS OR HAVE THE MOST FLEXIBILITY WITH, UM, AND MAYBE THAT'S WHAT THE A E D C OR A C D OR YOU KNOW, IS GOING TO HELP WITH.
AND, AND IT BEHOOVES US ALL TO HELP WITH THAT AS WELL.
I GUESS, TOO, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO SAY WAS I'M STILL A LITTLE HUNG UP ON THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SET 3.9 FOR CULTURAL ARTS AND 1.1 FOR MUSIC AND 5 MILLION FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND THEN I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE CONVENTION OR VISITOR'S BUREAU WAS AT, BUT CAN, CAN SOMEBODY, AND IT'S PROBABLY MY IGNORANCE.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT IS WHAT IS HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND HOW WOULD, HOW WAS THAT PLAYING INTO THESE PILLARS? OR HOW IS THAT FUNDING SOME OF THESE IMMEDIATE INITIATIVES THAT MAYBE ARE SO DIRE? UM, THANK YOU.
JUST AS A REMINDER, WE CAN'T CROSS CROSS UP.
SO HISTORY PRESERVATION HAS TO MAINTAIN THEIR 15% ULTRA ARTS HAS TO MAINTAIN THEIR 50% AND YOU COULD,
[01:20:01]
UH, DO SOME, UH, JOINT PROGRAMMING, BUT YOU CAN'T, UH, PROMISE OR CO-MINGLE RIGHT.SO, UM, ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
RIGHT? AND SO JUST LIKE THE CULTURAL ARTS COUNCIL EACH YEAR, APPROVES THEIR CONTRACTS AND SIMILAR TO, UM, THE CULTURAL ARTS CONTRACTS, WE AGREED TO KEEP THOSE WHOLE, BUT AGAIN, THEIR REVENUE DROPS.
SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE NEGATIVE TOO.
AND I WILL ACTUALLY BE PRESENTING THAT INFORMATION AT THE JOINT MEETING.
SO IT IS PROJECTED THAT EVEN THAT BUN COULD POSSIBLY GO NEGATIVE, BUT WE HAVE CONTRACTS OUT THERE, UH, THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO.
SO I WON'T SHOW THAT INFORMATION ON THE 27TH, BUT THAT FUND ALSO IS IN JEOPARDY OF GOING NEGATIVE.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA REMIND COMMISSIONERS.
WE HAVE A DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM AT THE END OF THE AGENDA.
WE, I THINK WE'VE HAD A LOTS OF QUESTIONS DURING STAFF BRIEFINGS.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP MOVING BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE AGENDA ITEMS TO GET THROUGH.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE TIME AT THE END OF THE MEETING TO HAVE OUR DISCUSSION AND ACTION ON THESE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, SO IF THAT'S THE CONCLUSION OF SO NOVICE PRESENTATION, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, MEGAN REVIEW PROCESS UPDATE.
I'M HAPPY TO JUST, UM, MAKE MINE, UH, FAIRLY BRIEF.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION STAFF HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION FOR THE PAST FOUR TO SIX WEEKS.
THE CITY'S BUDGET OFFICE JUST ISSUED THE FINANCIAL FORECAST TO CITY COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON.
SO NOVIA COVERED MUCH OF HOW THIS AFFECTS THE HOT FUNDS IN HER PRESENTATION.
BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THE WHOLE FORECAST, IT CAN BE FOUND ONLINE UNDER CITY MEMOS.
AND IT WAS FORWARDED TO YOU AS COMMISSIONERS.
WE DO NOT YET HAVE A PROPOSED TIMELINE OR CONFIRM PROGRAM INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH YOU OR THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT OUR, UH, RESUMED, UH, CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS WILL BE.
BUT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH WHAT OUR BUDGET ESTIMATE MIGHT FEASIBLY ALLOW US TO SHARE BACK OUT FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY.
SOON WE'RE WORKING ON IT INTERNALLY.
WE WILL NOT BE OPENING UP APPLICATIONS UNTIL WE'RE READY TO PROCEED WITH PROGRAMS. AND THAT MEANS OUR TIMELINE WILL NOT LOOK LIKE IT HAS IN PAST YEARS.
AS YOU'VE HEARD ON OUR DISCUSSION TONIGHT THAT AFFECT OUR HOT PROGRAMMING.
WE DON'T WANT TO BE PREMATURE IN LAUNCHING SOMETHING WITHOUT THOSE VARIABLES BEING ADDRESSED.
AS PART OF OUR RE-IMAGINING OF THIS MORE EQUITABLE FUNDING SYSTEM, WE ARE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES THAT THIS PRESENTS TO US, NOT LIMITATIONS THAT SAID, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND EVERY AVAILABLE DOLLAR IN RESOURCE.
WE WILL BE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND FUNDING SOURCES FOR CAPACITY BUILDING TO KEEP ARTS AND CULTURE BUSINESSES VIABLE.
NOTHING HAS BEEN DECIDED AT THIS POINT.
AND WE VALUE THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING WITH YOU AS A COMMISSION AND WITH OUR CULTURAL COMMUNITY AS PARTNERS, THIS WORK, WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO OUR EQUITY LENS AND HOW WE MIGHT BUILD ON THE PROGRESS WE'VE ACHIEVED TOGETHER.
IN THE PAST TWO YEARS OF THIS PROCESS, WE KNOW THE WORLD HAS CHANGED AS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, MARGIE REESE ASKED US IN A PREVIOUS COMMUNITY MEETING TO GIVE VOICE TO WHAT A SUCCESSFUL CULTURAL SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE.
AS WE TRY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION IN THE MIDST OF AN UNPRECEDENTED GLOBAL PANDEMIC, WE WANT TO HEAR ALL VOICES.
THANK YOU FOR REMAINING INVESTED IN THIS SHARED WORK.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING MORE INFORMATION ON OUR PROCESS.
SOON, WE WILL HAVE AGAIN, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS AT OUR JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING THREE TO 5:00 PM ON APRIL 27TH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME, UH, BEFORE WE GET QUESTIONS, THREE HALL STAFF, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE CITY HALL, AAV NUMBER FOUR, THE HOST IS THE SOURCE OF THE BACKGROUND NOISE.
IF YOU CAN MUTE THAT ONE, THAT'D BE AWESOME.
GOOD AMIKA FOR YOUR, UH, ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS.
I, I, I KNOW I WAS JUST NEEDING A LOT OF CLARIFICATION AND I, AND I ALSO WILL ASK ANOTHER QUESTION LATER WHEN WE HAVE DISCUSSION, BECAUSE I DIDN'T GET TO ASK THE QUESTION AS TO WHAT THE DEFICIT WAS FOR CULTURAL LIVES FOLK.
I MEAN, CULTURAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION FUND WAS, AND WHY THE QUESTION THAT BRETT HAD ASKED ABOUT WHY 5 MILLION, AS OPPOSED TO 3.9 THAT'S RECOVERY MONEY.
SO THERE WAS A DECISION TO GIVE MORE TO THEIR BUCKET THAN OUR BUCKET.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE, BUT MEGAN, I WANTED TO THANK YOU.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATIONS AND I REMEMBERED WHAT I WAS GOING TO MENTION THAT NOT EVERY ARTIST OR ARTS ORGANIZATION OR OPT-IN NOW OUT THERE IS A CULTURAL, UH, FUND.
THEY GET CULTURAL FUNDING FROM OUR
[01:25:01]
PROGRAMS. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NEED OUT THERE FOR GROUPS THAT AREN'T EVEN PART OF THE DISCUSSION FOR, YOU KNOW, THE BACK FILLING OF THE HOT AND WHATEVER THE FUTURE FOR CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING LOOKS LIKE, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE THAT DO NEED RELIEF.AND THOSE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE STILL OUR CONSTITUENTS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT CULTURAL CONTRACTORS NECESSARILY.
SO THERE ARE, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF OTHER ARTISTS AND COMMUNITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT AREN'T EVEN CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN OUR CURRENT FUNDING SCHEME.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE NEED IS OUT THERE AND THAT IT'S BIGGER THAN EVEN WHAT WE'RE DOING OR TRYING TO DO BY BACKFILLING THE HOT.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND EVERYTHING.
I KNOW THIS ISN'T EASY, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST TRYING TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR OUR ARTS COMMUNITY AND REALLY TRY TO PUSH AS HARD AS THEY CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR FOLKS ARE, OUR FOLKS ARE REPRESENTED AND CONSIDERED, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR ASSISTANCE.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS FROM AEDC.
SO NOVI AND MEGAN FOR YOUR UPDATES, UH, CITY HALL STAFF, IF YOU WOULD PUT CALL SETTLES BACK IN THE PART, UH, ATTENDEES LIST AND MOVE OVER MATTHEW COORDINATES TO THE PANELISTS LIST.
AND, UH, DAVID OR VERONICA WHO WHO'S VERONICA IS PRESENTING.
DO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR? OH, WE'LL KICK IT OFF AND HAND IT OVER TO MATT FOR THE BULK OF THE PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT ADA BEING A COMMISSIONERS,
[3.a. Austin Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) Update]
I'M NOW HERE IN MY ROLE AS THE INTERIM PRESIDENT CEO OF THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, OR AEDC, UH, WE'RE HERE TONIGHT WITH, UH, DAVID COLLAGEN, WHO IS SERVING AS OUR INTERIM, UH, COO FOR THE, AEDC SORRY, IT'S A LOT OF ACRONYMS. UH, AND MATT CONTINENCE, WHO'S OUR, UH, CONSULTANT THAT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US NOW FOR MULTIPLE YEARS TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE, UH, LOOK AT THE CREATION OF AN EDC, HELP US STAND UP THE ORGANIZATION AND HAS REALLY BEEN, UH, INTEGRAL IN GETTING US TO THIS POINT WHERE WE HAVE, UH, AN EDC THAT IS FLEDGLING, BUT IT IS, IS MOVING FORWARD.AND WE'LL BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE SPACE OF, UH, MANY THINGS, BUT ARTS ARE DEFINITELY ONE OF THE PRIORITIES, BUT THAT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
MATT, YOU WANT TO TAKE OVER THE PRESENTATION.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSION FOR HEARING US, WE'RE EXCITED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SHARE MY SCREEN SO I CAN SHARE A PRESENTATION? YOU TAKE ALL THE, AND MAKE YOU PRESENTER.
WHAT'S THE TIME ESTIMATE ON THIS PRESENTATION? UM, I WAS GOING TO DO 15.
UH, SO, UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND JUST GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE CULTURAL TRUST.
UM, THE CULTURAL TRUST, UH, WAS ESTABLISHED BASED ON THE IDEA IN 2018, WHERE COUNCIL RESOLVED TO SUPPORT SOMETHING LIKE A COMMUNITY ARTS STABILIZATION TRUST THAT CREATES THEIR PURCHASE AND LONG-TERM LEASES AFFORDABLE SPACE.
UM, IN 2020, THE CITY IDENTIFIED SPECIFICALLY TO USE AEDC TO DO ACQUISITION PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL SPACES.
THE FIRST INITIATIVE INVOLVED IN THAT, UM, IS REALLY GUIDED STRONGLY BY THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION AND EACH OF THE ARTS COMMISSION TO MUSIC COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, WE HAD SOME INITIAL MEETINGS, UM, EARLY ON WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND ALSO REVIEWED ALL OF THE PRESENTATIONS AND PAST MEETINGS, UM, FROM SPEAK UP AUSTIN.
HE'S STILL ABLE TO, I THINK WE LOST MATTHEW.
AH, YOU'RE BACK THAT TO BE BACK.
UM, I MIGHT HIDE MY VIDEO TO TRY TO, UH, WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL TRY THIS.
UM, SO OUR FIRST INITIATIVE REALLY WAS FOR, UM, AN RFP THAT WAS REALLY GUIDED BY THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION.
UM, WE REVIEWED THE PAST MEETINGS AND ALSO THE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE GENERATED FOR THE SPEAK-UP AUSTIN SITE AROUND THE BOND FOR CREATIVE SPACE AND IN SPECIFIC HAVE BEEN WORKING BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THE RFI THAT WAS ISSUED LAST SUMMER, UM, TO CREATE A COMPETITIVE RFP.
[01:30:14]
DID YOU LOSE ME AGAIN, DAVID? DO YOU WANT TO TAKE OVER THE PRESENTATION SINCE I HAVE A BAD NETWORK? YOU'RE STILL THERE.MAYBE IF YOU DO TURN OFF YOUR VIDEO, BUT WE ARE STILL ON SLIDE THREE.
UM, SO, UH, JUST TRYING TO TURN OFF MY VIDEO, NONE, A WEBEX PERSON.
CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHERE THAT IS? UM, I'VE BEEN SCREWED OVER TO VIEW.
I CAN'T SEE WHEN YOU'RE HOVERING OVER BENTON AND HE DOESN'T COME OUT, UM, SLIDES, AND IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE, GO FOR IT.
SO WE, UM, ARE WORKING ON THIS COMPETITIVE RFP.
THAT'S REALLY FED, UM, BY THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE ALREADY AND WOULD USE AEDC AS A BROKER ASSET AND FACILITIES MANAGER, BUT I REDUCED RATES SO THAT IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE THAN IF YOU WENT OUT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
UM, WE'D ALSO LEVERAGE EXISTING FUNDS USING, UM, THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WHICH IS THE COUNCIL, UM, THAT CAN ISSUE DEBT.
NOW WE WOULDN'T GO VERY INTENSE WITH THAT DEBT BECAUSE OUR PURPOSE IS TO MAKE AFFORDABLE SPACES, BUT WE WOULD ISSUE SOME DEBT TO MAKE THE MONEY GO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
THE SPACES WOULD BE OWNED BY THE CITY, BUT THEY WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR USE LONG-TERM TO THE ORGANIZATIONS UNDER A LEASE A LICENSE AND OPERATING AGREEMENT OR OTHER APPROPRIATE USE AGREEMENT, DEPENDING ON ALL THE SOURCES OF FUNDS.
BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO THE BOND FOR CREATIVE SPACE, WE ALSO, UM, HAVE ALLOCATION OF THE ICONIC VENUE FUND, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER SOURCES OF PHILANTHROPY THAT MIGHT BE COMING IN, UM, THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
THERE MIGHT ALSO BE SPACES THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT ARE EITHER FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN OR FROM OTHER TAXING UNITS.
SO WE ARE REALLY HAVE A STRONG SUPPORT, UM, TO PRIORITIZE SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS BASED ON DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION PRINCIPLES.
AND THE SPACES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ORGANIZATIONS AT AFFORDABLE RATES.
THE BASIC TIMEFRAME THAT WE'VE BEEN UNDER WAS THE RFI WAS ISSUED LAST SUMMER.
AND WE RECEIVED THE RESPONSES IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH AN INTENSE MARKET RESEARCH, UM, PERIOD OF UNDERSTANDING THE REAL ESTATE MARKET, UM, BOTH THE RENTAL MARKET AND THE SALES MARKET ACROSS THE CITY.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO REVIEWED, UM, A LOT OF PREVIOUS CULTURAL WORK, UM, INCLUDING, UH, GOING BACK TO THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, CREATED WITH CULTURAL ASSET MAPPING PROJECT, UM, THROUGH SAP.
UM, AND A LOT OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AS A COMMISSION AND WHAT THE JOINT COMMISSION.
UM, WE THEN WENT THROUGH THE PAST RFI AND RFI RESPONSES, AND THEN WE'VE BEEN BRINGING TOGETHER, UM, DIFFERENT GROUPS, UM, AND POTENTIAL SUPPORTERS, UM, THAT COULD BE FUNDERS, UM, AND ARE CONDUCTING THE OUTREACH THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND THEN OUR PLAN IS TO ISSUE THIS RFP IN THE SPRING OF 2021.
SO FOLLOWING THAT FOLLOWING, GETTING EVERYONE UP TO DATE, WE'LL ISSUE IT IN THE SPRING.
ACTUAL RFP ITSELF IS GOING TO FUND TWO TYPES OF PROJECTS BASED ON, UM, WHERE THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM.
ONE OF THEM, UH, IS BASED ON FINANCIAL AND OPERATING CAPACITY AND IT'S ANTICIPATED TO FUND ONE TO TWO EXISTING VENUES AND THE SOURCE WOULD BE THE ICONIC VENUE FUND.
THE OTHER WOULD BE PROVIDING AFFORDABLE MULTI-USE SPACE FOR CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, UM, WITH A HEAVY FOCUS ON DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
THE SOURCE FOR THAT WOULD BE THE CREATIVE SPACE BOND.
AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING FUNDING FOUR TO SIX PROJECTS OR ORGANIZATIONS SHARING TO AEDC MANAGED SPACES.
[01:35:01]
NOW IT COULD BE THAT SPACES THAT ALREADY EXIST AND ARE OWNED BY THE CITY, COULD POTENTIALLY FUND SOMETHING INSIDE OF THEM THAT WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO OTHERS, BUT THERE HAS TO BE A MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS MADE AVAILABLE IN A CONFLICT FREE WAY, UM, TO OTHERS AS WELL.THE GENERAL RELEASE TIMELINE, UM, IS, UH, WE'RE GETTING OUR INTER LOCAL AUTHORIZED.
IT'S ACTUALLY S UH, CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR MAY.
UM, UH, WE'RE DOING REVIEW OF THE, UH, DIFFERENT PIECES WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS AND COMING TO THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION LATER.
UM, UH, EARLY, I BELIEVE IT'S ON THE 29TH OF APRIL THEN, UM, WE'LL BE PUBLISHING NOTICE OF THE RFP AND ISSUING THE RFP.
UM, HOPEFULLY IN MAY, WE NEED TO GO FIRST TO COUNCIL AND GET APPROVAL OF OUR INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT, BUT WE HOSTING A SERIES OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MEETINGS, UM, AS WELL AS INFO SESSIONS TO HELP ANYONE WHO WANTS TO RESPOND, THEY MIGHT NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH AN RFP.
THEY MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND ALL THE TERMS OF THE FINANCING THEY MIGHT WANT TO PARTNER WITH OTHER GROUPS.
WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING SOME PRETTY, UM, INTENSIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE QUALIFIED.
WE ALSO WILL INDIVIDUALLY REACH BACK OUT TO EVERYONE THAT RESPONDED TO THE RFI AND MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT, IF ANYTHING, THEY NEED TO IMPROVE ABOUT THEIR, UH, APPLICATION OR IF THEY NEED ASSISTANCE OR PARTNERING WITH OTHERS.
THE GENERAL IDEA OF THE FUNDING IS TO PARTNER THE PUBLIC FUNDS WITH SOME KIND OF ORGANIZATIONAL EQUITY OR DONATION.
IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, THERE WON'T BE, UM, NO ONE WILL BE ELIMINATED BASED ON NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT WHERE POSSIBLE, WHERE THERE'S OPERATING ABILITY, WE'LL LOOK TO ORGANIZATIONS TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'LL HAVE THAT OTHER DEBT, UM, THAT IS AVAILABLE.
SO IT'S A THREE STAFF, UM, PIECE OF FUNDING IN THE CAPITAL STACK.
WE HAVE HAD SOME INTEREST FROM, UM, PHILANTHROPY, AS I SAID BEFORE IN POTENTIALLY ASSISTING THE RFP EVALUATION CRITERIA, UM, HAVE A GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF EVALUATION THAT HAS A MINIMAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, WHICH ARE THAT RESPONDENTS, BUT THE OPERATORS CAN BE FOR-PROFIT OR NON-PROFIT ENTITIES.
UM, THEY MUST BE LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THEY MUST BE WILLING TO MEET MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.
UM, WE CAN ACCEPT THOSE SOLE OPERATORS, UM, AS WELL AS JOINT.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE A CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT IS AN OPEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF ADC.
WE HAVE A ROLLING MEMBERSHIP WINDOW.
WE'RE STILL ACCEPTING NEW MEMBERS IN GENERAL MEMBERS MUST AGREE TO ATTEND TO 15 HOURS OF WORK.
IT'S JUST A TOTAL AMOUNT OF WORK PLUS ATTENDING BY MONTHLY MEETINGS.
THEY CAN HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, SO YOU CAN'T BE ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND ALSO WANTS TO BE A RECIPIENT OF THE MONEY.
UM, THAT WOULD BE A CONFLICT, WE'LL HAVE INFO SESSIONS, SO ANYONE COULD STAY UP TO DATE.
UM, IT WON'T BE SECRET WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT IF YOU WANT TO ADVISE AND POTENTIALLY BE PART OF THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE AS WELL, THEN, UM, YOU CAN ALSO ASK FOR MONEY.
SO THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE, UM, WILL INCLUDE ADC STAFF AND ALSO SELECTED MEMBERS FROM THIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, SO IF YOU WANT TO BE ON THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE, PLEASE JOIN THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND THEN YOU CAN SUBMIT THIS APPLICATION.
AND YOUR 10 TO 15 HOURS OF WORK WOULD BE BEING ON THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE.
THE OTHER ONES HELP US GET THE WORD OUT, HELP US GET DATA.
UM, BUT WE'RE STILL ACTIVELY TRYING TO EXPAND THAT CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S FATIGUE IN TERMS OF LOTS OF THINGS, ALWAYS GOING TO BE HAPPENING.
W JUST SAY, THIS IS HAPPENING NOW.
WE REALLY WOULD LOVE MORE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN IT.
THIS RP IS LOOKING REALLY EXCITING.
THERE ARE GOOD SOURCES OF MONEY IT'S TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ALREADY, AND WE'D LOVE TO GET FURTHER GUIDANCE, UM, FROM FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.
I THINK I'M ALMOST ON THE LAST SLIDE OF MARIA, AND THEN I THINK WE'LL DO QUESTIONS.
UM, SO THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE, WHICH IS, UM, WE'RE JUST WAITING TO GET, UH, APPROVAL TO GO TO COUNCIL, UM, TO GO TO COUNCIL MEANS THEY'RE JUST GOING TO RATIFY OUR AGREEMENT, UM, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO THEN GO, GO OUT WITH THE RFP.
WE'RE TRYING TO COORDINATE WITH ALL THE EXISTING EFFORTS.
AND THOSE EFFORTS INCLUDE BOTH, UM,
[01:40:01]
PRIVATE DONORS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NONPROFITS.AND THEN, UM, WE'RE DOING REVIEW OF, UM, THE RFP BY THE CITY AND BY, UM, THE SEA-TAC.
AND FINALLY, WE'RE STARTING TO ENGAGE IN A PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, THIS MEETING AS WELL AS, UM, SEVERAL WE HAVE, UH, COMING UP.
SO I THINK WITH THAT, WE'RE UP TO QUESTIONS AND I'M REALLY WOULD LIKE TO LEAN ON, UM, DAVID AND VERONICA POTENTIALLY TO HELP WITH THAT AS WELL.
AGAIN, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, SO I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE, BUT, UM, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WHEN THE $12 MILLION AND POSING THE $12 MILLION, UH, UH, BOND, UH, TO CITY COUNCIL, IN ADDITION TO BEING ON THE WORKING GROUP THAT CAME UP WITH THE SORT OF THE CRITERIA AND THE, AND THE GROUNDWORK FOR, UM, THIS, UH, THE $12 MILLION CULTURAL, UH, CREATES A SPACE BOND PROGRAM.
I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS BECAUSE I RE-READ THE, UH, MEMO FROM, FROM LEGAL, UH, REGARDING BOND MONEY AND THE CONCERN ABOUT USING THE $12 MILLION AND, AND, AND HAVING JUST THE ONE ARM IN MY UNDERSTANDING THERE'S ONE RFP FOR ALL OF THE SAME PROGRAMS, THE ICONIC VENUE, THE CREATIVE SPACE PROGRAMS AND THEIR DIFFERENT POTS OF MONEY.
SO I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THERE'S CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS WHEN YOU'RE USING BOND MONEY, UH, AND WHETHER OR NOT IT'S EVEN BEEN EMBEDDED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL YET AS TO THE TYPE OF PROGRAMS. BUT I REMEMBER THEM SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, THERE'S A CONTINUUM AS TO WHETHER OR NOT HE WILL GET APPROVED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO D TO DO THOSE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, THE BONDS.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ON THE END OF THE SPECTRUM WHERE OBVIOUSLY CITY OWNED, UH, PROBABLY IF IT WERE YOUTH MONEY USED BY NONPROFITS, UH, WAS A HIGHER PROBABILITY OF BEING APPROVED.
AND SO I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE MESHING AND THE CONFUSION AND THE ONE RFP FOR TWO VERY DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN PARALLEL EACH OTHER, BUT I'M JUST CONFUSED BY THAT.
SO WHAT, UH, FOR THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION, MY SECOND SECOND QUESTION WOULD BE THIS HOLDING UP THE USE OF THE $12 MILLION, UH, OUR BOND, UH, UH, BY, BY WAITING ON, I UNDERSTAND YOU ALL HAVE TO GET ORGANIZED AND CITY COUNCIL THAT SAID THAT ABC IS GOING TO DO THIS AND TAKE THAT MONEY.
BUT MY PERSON, WHEN TRY TO BE MORE SUCCINCT COMMISSIONER FLORES, QUESTION AND ANSWER MIGHT HAVE BEEN MY FIRST QUESTION ABOUT THE RFP AND THE RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF BOND MONEY AND HOW THAT'S BEING ADDRESSED.
SO WE'VE COMBINED IT INTO ONE RFP IN ORDER TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR RESPONDING ORGANIZATIONS AND TO LIMIT CONFUSION IN CASES WHERE THEY AREN'T ABLE TO USE BOND FUNDS, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THE ICONIC VENUE FUND OR PHILANTHROPY, WHERE WE WOULD GO OUT FOR MORE MONEY, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT SO HARD FOR EVERYONE THAT THEY HAVE TO RESPOND TO THREE, FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT RFPS.
WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF.
ON OUR SIDE, WE HAVE VETTED THAT SIGNIFICANTLY WITH LEGAL, WE FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE, UM, THAT THERE ARE A HOST OF PROJECTS THAT CAN BE THIS WAY IN TERMS OF DELAY.
WE'RE JUST WAITING TO GET ON A COUNCIL AGENDA IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, UM, LOCK IN EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE SAYING TO YOU.
AND I THINK AT THAT POINT, UM, WE'D MAYBE NEED ABOUT A MONTH JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS IT'S HAPPENING.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT GOES ON THE COUNCIL AND THEN IT'S ANNOUNCED, AND THEN IT CLOSES.
WE'RE REALLY ANXIOUS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MESSAGE IS SPREAD.
WHY PEOPLE HAVE WAITED A LONG TIME FOR THIS, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY MISSES IT WHEN IT HAPPENS.
JUST A QUICK FOLLOWUP ON THAT.
I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU COULD DO IT.
PEOPLE WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR EITHER THIS PROGRAM OR THAT PROGRAM.
AND SO ALL THE APPLICANTS WILL COME IN.
APPLICATIONS WOULD COME IN AT THE SAME TIME, BASIC CRITERIA, BUT THIS NONPROFIT FOR-PROFIT THING.
UM, MY QUESTION AGAIN TO THAT, UM, IF THEY'RE APPLYING FOR THE BOND MONEY, UH, WOULD THEY THEN HAVE TO BE NON-PROFITS UH, IF IN FACT, UH, THE LIKELIHOOD OF IT BEING APPROVED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WOULD BE, UH, IF IT WERE NON-PROFITS
[01:45:01]
VERSUS FOR-PROFITS THE CURRENT UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE FROM TALKING TO CITY LEGAL AND OUR LEGAL AND ATTORNEY GENERAL IS NOT, IT'S NOT AN ISSUE OF NONPROFIT FOR PROFIT.IT'S ACTUALLY AN ISSUE OF PRIVATE USE VERSUS PUBLIC USE.
AND WE THINK WE CAN S WE CAN GET OVER THAT ISSUE BY USING THE ADT SO THAT IT WON'T BE AN ISSUE.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, OH GOD, THERE I GO.
AGAIN, SPACING OUT, UM, JUST THE, UH, OH, HOW, AND I GUESS THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING WHEN YOU DO THE EVALUATION AND EVERYTHING, IS THERE GOING TO BE SOME SORT OF A, I KNOW THE ICONIC MUSIC FUND IS FOR ONLY ICONIC MUSIC VENUES, ET CETERA.
AND SO THE 12 MILLION IS FOR EITHER MUSIC AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.
IS THERE GOING TO BE ANY KIND OF A, HOW ARE YOU, I MEAN, WHAT'S THE, IS THERE ANY KIND OF A CRITERIA OR FORMULA OR ANYTHING AS TO HOW THAT MONEY IS GOING TO BE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM DIVVIED UP OR PROPORTIONAL TO ARTS VERSUS MUSIC FOR THAT $12 MILLION? I THINK CURRENTLY WE DON'T HAVE A, IT HAS TO BE ARTS OR HAS TO BE MUSIC.
THE ICONIC MENU FUND IS MOSTLY SEEMED SLANTED TOWARD MUSIC THAT WAS MENTIONED, BUT IN THE RESOLUTION, IT BROADENS THAT IT COULD ACTUALLY APPLY TO ARTS AS WELL, AS LONG AS THEY ARE DRIVING PEOPLE TO COME TO AUSTIN, THAT THERE THEY'RE IMPORTANT FOR AUSTIN.
SO THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT THEM IS REALLY ABOUT CAPACITY.
WHEREAS, UM, THE CREATIVE SPACE BOND IS REALLY FOCUSED ON A LOT OF THE DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION VALUES, AND THE OTHER VALUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP IN, UM, YOUR WORK AS A COMMISSION AND THE JOINT COMMISSION WORK, UM, AND THAT THE ICONIC MUSIC IS MORE NARROW IN TERMS OF, OR I SAID, ICONIC MUSIC.
I MEANT ICONIC VENUE IS MORE NARROW IN TERMS OF WHAT TYPES IT'S FOR, ALTHOUGH THAT NARROWNESS ISN'T ONLY MUSIC.
I DO THINK A LOT OF THEM WILL BE RELATED TO MUSIC, WHEREAS, UM, CREATIVE SPACE CAN BE BROADER THAN THAT, BUT WON'T NECESSARILY BE ONLY ABOUT EXISTING VENUES.
IT COULD BE MORE TARGETED TOWARD ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT NEED A PLACE AND DON'T NECESSARILY TOTALLY OPERATE A PLACE TODAY.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF THE TWO COLUMNS THAT WE WERE SHOWING.
WHEREAS CREATIVE SPACES REALLY FOCUSED ON LOCALLY FUNDING, FOUR TO SIX ORGANIZATIONS INTO SHARED VENUES.
WHEREAS ICONIC VENUE IS PROBABLY GOING TO FUND THE TWO EXISTING AND ALEX BENNY IS IN THE ICONIC HAVE BEEN FUN.
I JUST DIDN'T EVER CATCH THAT.
YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT HOW MUCH MONEY IS THE ICONIC VENUE FUND AT THIS 0.2 0.4 MILLION THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED, AND THEN THE PROMISE OF UP TO 15 MILLION IN TOTAL, BUT NO ACTUAL MONEY ALLOCATED ON NIGHT YET JUST THE SUGGESTION THAT THERE MIGHT BE UP TO THAT MUCH.
THANK YOU, MARK VAN DYKE, THEN BARNS, AND THEN PULL HER.
MA'AM I'M ON A PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, UM, PARTNERSHIP, BUT I'M WONDERING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, UH, CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, UM, EARLY ON, UM, THAT THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE IN THOSE $12 MILLION.
SO I, I, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS AT, UH, AT SIZE, THE ICONIC VENUE.
AND ALSO, IS THERE A MASTER PLAN, SOME KIND OF LIKE, BECAUSE I THINK YOU BUILD, GIVE PEOPLE SOME VISION, YOU KNOW, TO LOOK FORWARD TO LIKE, WHAT IS THIS WHOLE PROJECT LOOK LIKE? UM, YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE SOME VISION AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE STARTED EACH OFF, OFF OF A SPACE, YOU KNOW, PERFORMANCE SPACE.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR AT LEAST THE LAST 10 YEARS.
SO, UM, SO DO YOU HAVE SOME IDEA ABOUT WHAT THIS MONSTER LOOKS LIKE? YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SIX, UH, DIFFERENT THAN YOU, TWO OTHER PROJECTS AND FIRST ICONIC, UM, VENUE.
SO WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL, YOU KNOW, UH, GIVE IF MONEY IS NOT A PROBLEM, WE CAN PRINT IT.
AND SO WHAT WILL BE YOUR BUDGET? YOU KNOW, SO NOW WE HAVE THIS CHART, MEANING I'M SURE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO MEET ALL THE NEEDS AS IT EXISTS, YOU KNOW, AND B WE'RE HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL GROW IN THIS COMMUNITY AND WE'LL PROBABLY
[01:50:01]
HAVE MORE NEEDS.SO DO YOU, I MEAN, HAVE YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS NEW, NEW, UH, UM, CULTURAL TRUST ON PEOPLE, OUR MEMBERS TALK ABOUT AT THE END, HOW MUCH ARE YOU LOOKING AT FOR THE END PRODUCT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE CONSTRUCTION COST HAS BEEN GOING HIGH AND HIGHER AT LEAST 16%, OR BECAUSE OF ALL OF THAT.
SO, UM, LET'S GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO ANSWER.
I MEAN, IT WILL BE NICE TO KIND OF HA HAVING A FULL POT SO THAT EVERYBODY COULD GO, CAN GO BE PRIMED IS, AND CAN WORK ON THIS AND GETTING SOME PRIVATE PARTNERS TO COME IN, YOU KNOW, AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO IT BY MAYBE STAGES, YOU KNOW? UM, SO TO GET PEOPLE EXCITED.
AND BEFORE YOU ANSWER MATT, I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE TO STAY MUTED.
I'M HEARING SOME BACKGROUND NOISE, AND SO JUST CHECK, MAKE SURE YOU'RE MUTED.
UM, IF WE CAN PRINT MONEY, I WOULD LIKE $2 BILLION PLEASE.
UH, AND I'M ONLY PARTIALLY KIDDING.
I, THAT IS NOT A UNDERWRITTEN NUMBER, BUT I THINK THAT THE PLAN IS TO PUT IN PLACE A TRUST THAT IS LIKE A LAND TRUST THAT GROWS AND GROWS AND GROWS AND KEEPS PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE SPACES AS A CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AS IMPORTANT AS BRIDGES AND TRAINS, UM, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND SO WHAT WE'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE IS A NETWORK THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY THAT COVERS ALL DISCIPLINES AND ALL SIZES OF ORGANIZATIONS, AND THAT IT'S GUARANTEED, BUT AUSTIN FOREVER WILL PROTECT THOSE CULTURAL TREASURES IN THE SAME WAY AS IT PROTECTS OTHER THINGS, WHICH IT FEELS ARE ESSENTIAL TO ITS EXISTENCE.
SO I THINK OUR INTENT IS TO GET THIS FIRST ONE OUT AND SHOW THAT WE CAN DO IT IMMEDIATELY BEHIND IT.
WE'RE DOING A SURVEY OF PUBLICLY OWNED SITES, NOT ONLY CITY OWNED, BUT ALSO OWNED BY OTHER TAXING UNITS TO SEE WHAT, WHERE WE COULD BRING SPACE TO BEAR THERE.
WE'RE TALKING WITH OUR PARTNERS OVER AT CAP METRO, AND HOPING TO BE ABLE TO ELABORATE SOME THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THERE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PLAN AND HOPING TO BE LEVERAGING SOME NEW VENUES OUT OF THAT.
UM, WE'RE TALKING WITH AFFORDABLE CENTRAL TEXAS AND HOPING TO FIGURE OUT FINANCING MEANS OF, UM, IMPACT CAPITAL AROUND CULTURE.
SO I THINK THERE'S NO END TO IT.
I THINK IT'S AN ONGOING PROGRAM THAT CONTINUES TO TRY TO EXPAND.
I THINK IF WE WERE TRYING TO PUT A REAL NUMBER TO MAKE THE REAL DENT IN THINGS, I THINK IT BEGINS AT $500 MILLION.
I THINK THAT 12 MILLION IS GREAT AND THE 15 MILLION OF ELECTRONIC AND IT WAS GREAT.
I THINK THERE'S A LONG WAY AHEAD DO MORE.
AND A LOT OF THAT 500 MILLION CAN BE DONE.
PUBLIC PRIVATE CAN BE DONE THROUGH REAL ESTATE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AN ALLOCATION OF CASH, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO MEAN WE NEED TO, I KNOW YOU ALL ARE IMPATIENT, UM, WITH HOW LONG IT HAS TAKEN, BUT I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN OUR DUCKS IN A ROW ENOUGH THAT WE CAN START MOVING FORWARD WITH SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT PROGRAMS. AND WE WANT TO PUT THIS OUT AND GET MORE OF A SENSE THAN ANYONE HAS HAD OF WHO ACTUALLY IS OUT THERE AND YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD IN CAPACITY AND THEN WE CAN SIZE MORE.
BUT THE NEXT STEP LOOK LIKE, THANK YOU.
UH, VANDYKE, BARNES, AND HOLDER, AND, OH, I'M SO SORRY.
UM, THE PROGRAM SUMMARY, THE, UH, SLIDES THAT YOU SENT OUT OR DON'T WE LOOKED AT, DID YOU SEND THOSE AHEAD OF TIME AND I MISSED HIM OR, OR CAN WE GET THOSE? YOU CAN CERTAINLY GET THEM, WE'LL SEND THEM, UM, RIGHT AFTER THIS MEETING.
I'M NOT SURE IF WE SENT THEM AHEAD OF TIME OR NOT.
UM, THE SECOND ONE, I, I, THERE'S A QUESTION THAT I KEEP ASKING IT'S ABOUT THE RFI.
UM, I, TO ME, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE RFP AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT COMES AFTER THAT? UM, THE, UH, I MEAN, WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THE RFI? NO, IT WAS TOGETHER INFORMATION, BUT IF THE POINT WAS TO LEARN SOMETHING, WHAT DID, WHAT WAS LEARNED AND IF SOMETHING WAS LEARNED, WHAT WAS IT, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, DOES ANYBODY SHARING WHAT WAS LEARNED? I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET AN ANSWER.
UM, ANY KIND OF, UH, WHAT SUMMARY OR WHAT CAME OUT OF THE RFI, WAS THERE A LIST OF EVEN TO SEE A LIST OF PEOPLE THAT SUBMITTED RFIDS OR, I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF, IT SEEMS, IT FEELS LIKE A BLACK HOLE.
UH, IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.
UM, WE'VE DONE SOME PRETTY EXTENSIVE PROFILING OF THE RFI THAT LED TO HOW THE RFP IS CREATED.
[01:55:01]
NOT HONESTLY KNOW WHAT THE PROCUREMENT RULE IS ABOUT, RELEASING A LIST OR INFORMATION ABOUT THOSE WHO RESPONDED TO THE RFI, BUT WE ARE INDIVIDUALLY GOING TO BE CONTACTING EACH OF THEM.AND WE LEARNED ACTUALLY QUITE A LOT, UM, THAT STRUCTURED, WHY WE'RE DIVIDING THIS AS WE ARE.
AND, UM, WHAT KINDS OF SPACES WE ARE REQUESTING FROM THE CITY TO ALLOCATE, BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE ARE RESPONDENTS THAT WANT SPECIFIC KINDS OF SPACES.
WE ALSO LEARNED THAT IN THE RFI, THERE WAS MORE INFORMATION THAT WAS NEEDED IN ORDER TO EVALUATE, UM, RESPONSES AND IN PARTICULAR AROUND, UM, NUMBERS, REAL ESTATE NUMBERS, AND WHAT PEOPLE WERE PAYING CURRENTLY AND WHAT THEY COULD PAY.
THERE WERE SOME FOLKS THAT, UM, ONLY UTILIZE SPACE LESS THAN 10% OF THE TIME.
AND SO PUTTING PUBLIC MONEY INTO A SPACE THAT'S DARK 90% OF THE TIME.
UM, DOESN'T SEEM THAT WISE IN TERMS OF SPENDING MONEY THAT WAY EITHER.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE GENESIS ALSO PUTTING GROUPS TOGETHER INTO, UM, SHARED SPACES.
UM, I THINK WE ALSO LEARNED THAT WE NEED MORE INFORMATION ON, UM, D AND I, UM, IN ORDER TO PROPERLY, UH, HAVE A REFLECTION OF THAT IN, UM, WHO GETS FUNDED.
THERE ARE ALSO, UM, SOME PEOPLE WHO APPLIED THAT ARE SERVICE PROVIDERS OR HAVE LARGER GOALS, AND WE'RE GOING TO INTEGRATE THEM INTO THESE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANELS, UM, AND ALSO, UM, PARTNER WITH SOME OF THEM.
UM, WHERE POSSIBLE, IN TERMS OF GIVING YOU THE ACTUAL, LIKE DETAILS OF A PROCUREMENT RUN BY THE CITY, I DON'T THINK I CAN DO MORE THAN WHAT I JUST DID, AND HOPEFULLY I WON'T GET INTO HOT WATER FOR DOING WHAT I DID, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UM, VERY MANY HOURS HAS GONE INTO EVALUATING ALL OF THOSE RESPONSES AND ALSO UNDERSTANDING WHY SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T RESPOND.
THERE WAS A NOTABLE ABSENCE OF CERTAIN SECTORS AND CERTAIN TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE FOUND A BIT SURPRISING AND, UM, HAVE DONE SOME SPECIFIC OUTREACH TO THOSE AREAS AND GROUPS TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PREVENTED THEM FROM RESPONDING AND WHY I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS NOT FOR THEM.
AND SO I THINK ALL OF THAT IS GOING TO LEAD TO A SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER OUTCOME MOVING FORWARD.
UM, CERTAINLY NO ONE HAS BEEN DISQUALIFIED FROM ANYTHING.
UM, I THINK IT'S ALLOWED US TO TAILOR, UM, THE RESPONSES GOING FORWARD IN THE NEXT RFP.
IT FITS IF ONE OF US, IF I WANTED TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION, IS THAT POSSIBLE OR IS THAT A, UM, ARE YOU ABLE TO SHARE WHAT, UH, WHAT WAS LEARNED OUT OF THAT, OR IS THAT THE CONTACT PERSON OR MATT, THERE'S ALSO INFORMATION AVAILABLE AND SPEAK UP AUSTIN, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO DISTRIBUTE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE COMMISSIONERS.
IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A LITTLE DEEPER DIVE INTO THAT INFORMATION, HAPPY TO DO THAT.
WE ALSO WERE PRESENTING AT THE JOINT MUSIC AND ARTS COMMISSION MEETING, UM, NEXT WEEK OR THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND WHERE WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THIS THEN AS WELL.
SO, UM, I THINK MAYBE MATTHEW, I HEARD YOU REFERENCE IT ONCE, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, SO ONE OF MY TASKS CURRENTLY IS THAT I'M THE LIAISON TO THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM, WHICH IS OUR PUBLIC ART PROGRAM.
AND THEY'RE PROBABLY A FACTION OF THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE HEARD A LOT FROM, WOULD BE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS THAT ARE CREATING CERAMICS OR PAINTINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE REPRESENTED IN WHATEVER IS MOVING FORWARD.
IT'S EASY TO HEAR FROM BANDS AND THEATER COMPANIES AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE THOSE PEOPLE THAT MAY BE A LITTLE MORE EXTROVERT OR A LITTLE MORE PUBLIC IN THEIR, THEIR PRODUCTION OF THEIR CREATIVE PRODUCT.
BUT I THINK WHEN YOU'RE PRESENTING, YOU CANNOT BE VOID OF MENTIONING THE, UM, 2D AND THE VISUAL ARTS COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT IS A LARGE FACTION OF OUR CREATIVE INDUSTRY.
AND, UM, I JUST NEVER HEARD A SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, PART OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS GALLERY SPACE IN POSSIBLY ONE OF THESE VENUES.
AND, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE GOING TO BE WORKING STUDIOS THAT COULD BE RENTED OUT AND KILNS AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARTISTS, UM, OUR CREATIVES NEED IN THAT.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S BEING TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT IN THE RFI, WE DID HAVE SOME OPERATORS OF WORKSPACE, UM, RESPOND.
[02:00:01]
WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THIS PARTICULAR RFP IS FOR VENUES AND OPERATORS OF SPACE.IT'S NOT NECESSARILY FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, ALTHOUGH THOSE VENUES AND OPERATORS OF SPACE, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE SERVING THOSE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS THROUGH AFFORDABLE WORKSPACE.
IT CERTAINLY IS AN AREA NEAR AND DEAR MY PART, UM, I WAS PART OF A VERY LARGE AFFORDABLE WORKSPACE PROGRAM IN NEW YORK CITY.
UM, THAT WAS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM, UM, IN THE FIVE BOROUGHS, UM, AFFORDABLE SPACES AND DEVELOPING CRITERIA FOR OPERATORS AND AFFORDABLE RATES.
I THINK THAT IT IS NOT CURRENTLY PLANNED FOR THE AEDC TO ITSELF CREATE AND OPERATE A WORKSPACE PROGRAM, BUT RATHER TO FUND ORGANIZATIONS AND ACQUIRING REAL ESTATE.
BUT I THINK AS WE GO THROUGH THIS AND, UM, CONTINUE SURVEYING WHAT IS MISSING, IF WE DON'T GET THOSE RESPONSES, THAT COULD DEFINITELY BE A PROGRAM THAT WE PURSUED TO BE VERY CLEAR.
WE DID SEE IN THE RFI RESPONDENTS FOR AFFORDABLE WORKSPACE AND GALLERY SPACE, AND WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL RESPOND TO THE ACTUAL RFP AND WE WILL BE CONNECTING WITH THEM DIRECTLY TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO SO.
AND I GUESS I JUST WANT, UM, YEAH, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT THERE BE SOMETHING INDIVIDUALLY CREATED, BUT I THINK AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT, WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF WHOEVER'S GOING TO OPERATE SPACERS, YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHAT SPACE IS GOING TO BE CONSIDERED, THAT THAT BE A CRITERIA THAT IS IN INCLUSIVE.
AND MIGHT THIS BE PRESENTED OR SOMEHOW SHARED WITH AIPP? CAUSE I THINK THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PANEL WOULD BE A GREAT, UM, UM, OPPORTUNITY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY CONNECTED TO THE VISUAL ARTS COMMUNITY TO HELP YOU SPREAD THE WORD.
HI, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MATT, FOR YOUR TIME.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PUT FORWARD.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF SORT OF CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS JUST BECAUSE THE BOND HAS BEEN SORT OF IN THE NETHERWORLD FOR SO LONG.
AND THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE FIELDING ON A REGULAR BASIS FROM THE, THE COMMUNITY WRIT LARGE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO TOUCH BASE ON IS YOU TALK ABOUT AFFORDABLE RATES.
CAN YOU ADDRESS HOW THAT IS, HOW THAT IS DETERMINED, IS THERE, OR IS THAT INFORMATION GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC WITH RESPECT TO THE RFP, THAT INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE IN TERMS OF VENUES THAT ARE OPERATING TODAY.
UM, IN GENERAL, IT WILL BE CALCULATED AS A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR INCOME, SIMILAR TO HOW YOU DO IT ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL REALLY LOOK TO OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND EVALUATION COMMITTEE TO ESTABLISH.
I DON'T HAVE A MENU OF AFFORDABLE RATES THAT I CAN SHARE.
AND I THINK THE DIVERSITY OF THE TYPES OF RESPONDENTS THAT WE GET ALSO WILL DICTATE DIFFERENT SCHEDULES.
AND SO IN SOME CASES WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RELY ON THIS EVALUATION COMMITTEE TO DO THOSE NEGOTIATIONS IN THE RFP IN TERMS OF THE SHARED USE.
UM, I THINK AFFORDABLE RATES HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH WHAT AN ANNUAL BUDGET ACTUALLY IS.
IF IT'S NOT INCOME THEN IN TERMS OF CONTRIBUTED INCOME AND HOW MUCH IS REALLY SO MUCH THAT IT WINDS UP DRIVING UP THE COST, EITHER OF TICKETS OR OF WORKSPACE USE.
I THINK FOR WORKSPACE USE, WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE SEVERAL PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND WITH FOUNDATIONS THAT HAVE ESTABLISHED AFFORDABLE RATES AND THEY TEND NOT TO DIFFER BY GEOGRAPHY AS MUCH BECAUSE IN GENERAL, THEY'RE WAY BELOW THE MARKET RATE OF ANY GEOGRAPHY.
UM, AND SO, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE APPLIED, BUT AS YOU START GOING TO THE ORGANIZATIONS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY IS HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON WHAT THEIR, THEIR OPERATION IS AND WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED.
AND ONE LITTLE FOLLOW UP QUESTION, WHICH IS I'M ARE, WHERE ARE YOU IN TERMS OF THE LIVING WAGE REQUIREMENT IS, AND IS THAT A PIECE OF THE, UM, REVIEW PROCESS THAT WAS, I I'M SORRY THAT THERE WAS SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH MY CONNECTION.
THAT IS, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REQUIRE TO ADHERE TO IN ORDER TO RESPOND TO THE RFP.
YEAH, JUST IN FOLLOWING UP WITH BRETT'S, UH, UM, POINT, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY WELL TAKEN AT PRINCETON WAS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE MADE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE JOINT, UH, OUT THE MUSIC AND THE ARTS COMMISSION, THEY BOTH DOCTORED THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND PART OF THAT HAD THE AMENITIES PORTION IN THERE THAT SAID THE SELECTED FACILITATOR FACILITIES, UH, SHOULD BE FULLY BUILT OUT AND READY
[02:05:01]
FOR USE FROM COMPLETION AND SHOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING NOT LIMITED TO, BUT INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING.AND ONE OF THOSE INCLUDED ASIDE FROM REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE PHASE AND PERFORMANCE THEATERS IT'S SPACE, PERFORMANCE SPACE, BUT THEN ALSO HAVE VISUAL ARTS STUDIO AND GALLERY SPACES AS WELL AS EDUCATION SPACE.
AND WE WANTED TO SEE AS MUCH OF A MIX OF THESE THINGS IN EITHER ONE OR MORE OF THE FACILITIES, OUR FACILITY, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE EITHER BUILT OUT WITH THE USE OF THIS BOND MONEY.
SO I THINK THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER COMMITTEES WORKED REALLY HARD ON THAT.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT BY ITSELF, THE BROTHERS THAT DON'T FIT IT IS INCLUDED AS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES THAT THE SPACES ARE GOING TO INCLUDE THIS TYPE OF SPACE AVAILABILITY FOR THE DIFFERENT OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT KINDS OF ARTISTS WE HAVE.
THAT WAS A QUESTION OR A COMMENT I'LL RESPOND TO IT AS IF IT IS, IF IT WERE A QUESTION COMMISSIONER, WE DID REVIEW THAT AND WE DID INTEGRATE IT INTO THE CRITERIA.
OF COURSE, PEOPLE HAVE TO APPLY WITH THOSE THINGS IN ORDER FOR IT TO HAPPEN, BUT WE DEFINITELY RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK THAT WENT INTO ALL THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND TRY TO INTEGRATE EVERY SINGLE ONE.
AND I THINK I'LL, UH, THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT, THAT RESPONSE, BUT I WILL, UH, REITERATE WHAT I SAID AT MY LAST AEDC BOARD MEETING AS THE INTERIM ARTS COMMISSION SEAT THERE IS THAT THE, THE RECOMMENDATION OR THE, THE PRIORITIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE ART AND MUSIC JOINT WORKING GROUP WAS FEEDBACK WAS INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY ITSELF.
SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT AGAIN, LIKE THE COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED THAT THEY WANTED TO PRIORITIZE EAST AUSTIN EAST OF 35 TO, I THINK IT WAS ONE 30 AND, YOU KNOW, FROM THE RIVER UP TO ONE 83.
SO AGAIN LIKE THOSE WERE PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO NOTE FROM YOUR PRESENTATION THAT I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS SOONER, BUT IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD WITH, UH, BEFORE Y'ALL TOOK THE, THE ADC TOOK THIS ON OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH CHRISTINE MAGUIRE WAS THAT IT WAS KIND OF LOOKING LIKE THE CREATIVE SPACE BOND WAS GOING TO NEED, UM, TO IDENTIFY A, UH, WHAT'S IT CALLED AN OPERATOR, A CONTRACTOR TO ACTUALLY DO THE CONSTRUCTION WORK AND THE FACILITIES MANAGER.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT FOR THOSE OF US THAT MAY HAVE MISSED IT, LIKE ME, UM, THE AEDC IS ANSWERING THAT FACILITIES MANAGER QUESTION.
UM, AND SO NOW THAT NOW THAT YOU'VE TAKEN OVER THE RFI AND RFP PROCESS, LIKE, SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT, AT, UH, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATORS TO FILL, FILL THAT, THAT PART OF THE PUZZLE THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED.
UM, AND I SAY THAT AS PART OF LIKE, TO ECHO BACK TO OUR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, WHERE IT FEELS LIKE IT HASN'T BEEN AS TRANSPARENT AS IT COULD BE.
I FEEL LIKE THE CONVERSATION NOW IS, IS ABOUT THE CULTURAL TRUST AND EMBEDDED IN THE CULTURAL TRUST IS THE CREATIVE SPACE BOND.
AND THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S WHY SOME OF THE INFORMATION IS GETTING LOST BECAUSE A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING IS CREATIVE SPACE BOND INFORMATION THAT WAS, THAT WAS WORK THAT WAS DONE.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S KIND OF GETTING LOST.
AND I, I JUST WANTED TO PULL THAT OUT AND SAY SPECIFICALLY THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT.
LIKE, I, I, I JUST NOTICED THAT TONIGHT.
I WAS LIKE, OH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAD POINTED OUT.
IT'S BEING ANSWERED BY ADC NOW.
UM, SO YEAH, JUST POINTING THOSE THINGS OUT, ENCOURAGING AEDC TO BE PUBLIC A LITTLE MORE TRANSPARENT, UH, PHARRELL IS STILL ON THE LINE.
THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF YOUR JOB CARL'S TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, BY SHAREHOLDER ONE.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU POINTING THAT OUT AND WE WOULD LOVE ANY GUIDANCE ON HOW TO MAKE THAT MORE CLEAR.
I WILL SAY THAT LINE THAT YOU SAW HAS BEEN IN EVERY SINGLE CULTURAL TRANSPORTATION WE'VE EVER MADE SINCE WE FIRST PROPOSED THE ADC, BECAUSE ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE THINK HELPS WITH THIS IS RATHER THAN PAYING MARKET RATES FOR BROKERAGE AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT, WHICH WOULD LOWER THAT 12 MILLION.
YOU'RE ACTUALLY NOW SHIFTING THAT BURDEN ONTO THE ADC AND IT DOESN'T COME OUT OF THE 12 MILLION.
SO IT'S, IT, IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE CASE OF BROKERAGE, IT'S PROBABLY ON THE ORDER OF A MILLION DOLLARS, UM, IF YOU LEVERAGE AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE AND, UM, HOPEFULLY THAT'LL HELP US FUND MORE, UM, ACTUAL ARTS AND MUSIC ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, A QUESTION JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, MORE FOR THE FOLKS WATCHING
[02:10:01]
AT HOME WHO HAVE NOT BEEN PART OF THESE CONVERSATIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS, CAN YOU EXPLAIN SORT OF THE, IN THE ELEVATOR VERSION OF WHAT KIND OF ENTITY AEDC IS AND WHAT ITS RELATIONSHIP IS TO THE CITY AND HOW THE CULTURAL TRUST FITS INTO THAT? I CAN, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE VERY INTERESTED TO LOOK AT OUR INAUGURAL BOARD MEETING FROM LAST MONDAY.THERE'S A FIRST 45 MINUTES, GOES THROUGH EVERY RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED AND THE LONG ROAD THAT LED US HERE.
I WON'T TIRE YOU ALL WITH THAT.
AND I KNOW YOU HAVE OTHER THINGS ON YOUR AGENDA.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT, UM, AT LEAST, UH, I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON AND OFF WITH THE CITY FOR ABOUT 11 YEARS.
AND, UM, SOMETHING LIKE AN ADC HAS BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT SINCE THEN AND, UH, CULTURAL TRUST IS A PART OF IT.
THE CONCEPT IS TO HAVE A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER THAT ACTUALLY WORKS PURELY FOR THE GOOD AND NOT FOR PROFIT.
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH PROFIT, BUT THAT LEADS TO A MARKET OUTCOME.
UM, IF YOU WANT TO PRESERVE SOMETHING BY A POLICY OR SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR HERITAGE, CREATING AN ENTITY THAT HAS THE SAME SKILLS AS REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, BUT NOT THE SAME GOALS AS A PRIVATE ACTOR CAN GIVE YOU A LOT OF TOOLS THAT THE CITY ITSELF DOESN'T HAVE.
A LOT OF CITIES HAVE SUCH THINGS, AND WE PROFILED, UM, CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, THREE IN PARTICULAR STAND OUT AS, UM, REALLY FOCUSED ON ANTI GENTRIFICATION, INCLUSIVE GROWTH AND PRESERVING, UM, CULTURE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE BUSINESS.
UM, THOSE THREE ARE IN NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA AND IN ATLANTA AND ALL THREE HAVE THE STRUCTURE OF A SERIES OF DIFFERENT ENTITIES PUT TOGETHER UNDER ONE NAME THAT HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT TOOLS THAT MAKE IT MORE LIKE A DEVELOPER.
A PIECE OF THAT IS FINANCING, UM, BOND FINANCING, WHICH ALWAYS IT'S SUBJECT TO A COUNCIL AND GOVERNMENT APPROVAL.
THERE'S NEVER ONE OF THESE ENTITIES RUNNING AROUND DOING MOMS ON ITS OWN.
AND THAT FOR US IS THE AUSTIN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WHICH COUNCIL IS THE CHAIR OF.
THEN IT ALSO NORMALLY HAS, UM, A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION IS WHAT IT'S CALLED HERE IN TEXAS.
THERE ARE OTHER FORMS OF THAT ELSEWHERE, AND IT ALSO NORMALLY HAS A FIVE OH ONE C3, A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION ALL BUNDLED TOGETHER.
SO THAT INDEED IS WHAT WE CREATED HERE IN AUSTIN.
IT'S GOING GENERALLY UNDER THE NAME, AUSTIN, EDC, UM, BUT DOES INVOLVE THOSE OTHER PIECES.
AND THE CONCEPT IS THAT EVERY YEAR IT GOES TO THE CITY AND, UM, SIGNS A CONTRACT UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE CITY FOR WHAT ACTIVITIES IT WILL, UM, PURSUE WHAT, UM, REAL ESTATE IT MAY MANAGE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
AND AGAIN, IT DOESN'T MANAGE IT TO PROFIT.
IT'S MANAGING IT FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES THAT THE CITY OUTLINES.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THERE CAN BE PASSED THROUGH MONEYS EITHER FOR CAPITAL PROGRAMS OR FOR SPECIFIC FUNDING PROGRAMS LIKE THIS ONE THAT THE CITY SAYS, TAKE THIS MONEY AND THIS MONEY AND THIS MONEY AND THESE BUILDINGS AND GO DO THIS THING.
AND THAT INDEED IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE WITH THE CULTURAL TRUST.
THE CULTURAL TRUST IS PROBABLY THE HEADLINE ITEM THAT HAS REMAINED A STRONG, UM, FOCUS FOR COUNCIL.
UM, BACK AT LEAST SINCE, UM, NEW BEST RESOLUTION AS IS WHEN IT WAS REALLY STARTING TO COALESCE.
AND, UM, THERE'VE BEEN A SERIES OF RESOLUTIONS THAT EXTOLLED US TO HURRY UP AND GET THIS ENTITY OUT.
SO IT CAN START, UM, DOING THAT WORK.
AND THAT INDEED IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
THAT ANNUAL CONTRACT THAT COUNCIL HAS TO APPROVE WITH THE REAL ESTATE AND THE FUNDING AND ALL THAT STUFF.
THAT'S WAITING TO GO TO COUNCIL.
NOW, WE'RE JUST DOING SOME FINAL I DOTTING AND T CROSSING, AND WE'RE HOPING TO SEE THAT GO TO COUNCIL SOON.
UM, ONCE THAT'S THERE, WE'LL PROCEED WITH RFP.
DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? THAT'S GREAT.
UM, BUT, AND LIKE THEM FLORES, BUT I REALLY WANT TO WRAP THIS UP SO WE CAN GET THROUGH OUR AGENDA.
I JUST HAVE A QUICK COMMENT, UM, ON, UH, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO'S HERE, COMMENT ABOUT, UH, REINFORCING THAT EAST AUSTIN WAS A PRIORITY WHEN THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED.
I, UH, I'M NOT SURE THAT THE, WHERE WE HAVE THE SAME AUSTIN AS IT WAS, WHAT THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN THAT WAS PROPOSED.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PUSH BACK THAT MAYBE NOT THE EAST AUSTIN IS NOT NECESSARILY, SHOULD BE A PRIORITY ANYMORE.
I, I FEEL LIKE OTHER PARTS OF TOWN LIKE SOUTH AUSTIN, WHICH HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY THE ART PART OF THE TOWN.
MAYBE IT'S GOTTEN NEGLECTED SINCE.
AND, UH, JUST, I WOULD LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH THAT, THAT PART.
WHICH PLAYS INTO WHAT I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT THE TIMELINE.
I KNOW PEOPLE ARE VERY IMPATIENT AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.
IT WASN'T THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, COMMISSIONER VAN DYKE.
UH, WE, THE BOND WAS IN NOVEMBER, 2018, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO WE STARTED IN 2019 AND WE HAVE TO DO A LOT OF WORK TO GET THE WORKING GROUP AND THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, AND
[02:15:01]
WORKING WITH THE LAWYERS AND THE ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN UTILIZE THE MONEY.AND THE WORKING GROUP SPENT, I DON'T KNOW, SIX, SEVEN MONTHS.
AND REALLY, AND THAT INCLUDED A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST EAST AUSTIN.
IT INCLUDES SOUTH AND HAVE PARAMETERS AROUND THE CITY.
SO THERE WERE FOUR DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED THAT WERE PRIORITIZED.
AND THEN FINALLY, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S TAKEN A LONG TIME, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WERE ADOPTED BY IN JANUARY, BASICALLY JANUARY, 2020, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE EFFECT ON THE KID.
AND SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF STUFF IN THE INTERIM IN THIS YEAR.
UM, AND OF COURSE A EDC, I CAN'T SAY IT RIGHT.
UH, THE, YOU KNOW, CREATED AND ALL OF THAT AND FIGURING OUT THE TIE IN, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE RFI, THE ALOUD AND ALL THAT INFORMATION WAS GATHERED.
SO THERE, IT HAS BEEN CONTINUOUS WORK AND WE'RE FINALLY THERE AND THAT'S GREAT.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT THE BALL IS ROLLING AND THINGS, THE CITY, AND IT TAKES TIME BECAUSE IT'S GOVERNMENT MONEY AND THEN BONDS.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL ALSO SAY THIS IS A CAPITAL PROJECT, CORRECT.
THAT THE BOND MONEY GOES TOWARDS CAPITAL PROJECT, WHICH IS EITHER BUILDING OR BUILD OUT OR RENOVATION.
IS THAT THAT'S CORRECT, BECAUSE IF NOT, THEN I STOPPED THERE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER VAN DYKE TO RESPOND DIRECTLY TO YOUR COMMENT.
I'LL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, AS COMMISSIONER FLORES POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS GEOGRAPHIES LOCATED LIKE THREE OR FOUR AND EAST AUSTIN WAS THE PRIORITY OUT OF THOSE LOCATIONS IDENTIFIED.
UM, BUT I GUESS THE REASON THAT I BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE WAS THAT THERE IS DOCUMENTATION OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED.
UM, SO TO GO, I WAS JUST WARNING, YOU KNOW, TO GO AGAINST THAT IS, IS, CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS ON THE ROAD.
I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED PRIORITY LOCATIONS.
UM, AND IT'S OKAY TO DISAGREE WITH THAT.
IF, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A DESIRE FROM THE COMMUNITY TO CHANGE THOSE PRIORITIES, THEN WE CAN GO THROUGH A PROCESS OF DOING THAT.
BUT I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT LOOK, GEOGRAPHY WAS WASN'T IDENTIFIED.
IT WAS DOCUMENTED THAT WAS PUT FORWARD IN THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO, YEAH, JUST CONTINUOUS WORK.
UH, MATT AND VERONICA AND RIGHT.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION WE CAN CATCH UP.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT PRESENTATION OR WE'RE GOING TO KEEP GOING.
[5.a. AIPP Discussion and Action Items]
AT NEW BUSINESS.UH, FIRST UP IS AIPP, UH, COMMISSION FOREST.
I MOVE THAT, WE APPROVE THESE I'M CONCERNED MOTION TO APPROVE A FIVE
UH, IF I, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, WE'LL PASS THAT ON CONSENT.
SO IT'S GOING ON CONSENT AND IT'S BEEN APPROVED.
[5.b. Misc. Discussion and Possible Action Items]
B MISCELLANEOUS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS.FIVE B ONE IS ELECTION OF COMMISSIONED CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
UH, I AM GOING TO ASK THAT WE, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO POSTPONE UNTIL NEXT MONTH.
UH, WE'VE LEARNED A LOT OF INFORMATION TONIGHT AND, UH, I WANTED Y'ALL TO, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT THESE PAST THREE YEARS HAVE BEEN TAXING FROM, FOR ME PERSONALLY ITS CHAIR.
AND, UH, YEAH, I THINK OUR DISCUSSION LATER WE'LL TOUCH ON IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THOSE INTERESTED IN, IN, IN EITHER CHAIR, VICE CHAIR TO, TO REALLY THINK ABOUT, UM, HOW YOU CAN, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN DOING THAT.
UH, AND I SAW KATRINA COMMISSIONER FLORES AS THOSE POSTING A MOTION TO POSTPONE AND SECONDARY BY BARNES.
UH, IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS SEEING NO OBJECTIONS, WE'RE GOING TO POSTPONE THAT ITEM FOR NEXT MONTH.
UH, FIVE B TWO IS, UH, AEDC UPDATE.
UH, AGAIN, WE HAD A PRESENTATION, WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS WE'RE GOING TO GET ANOTHER RECAP PRESENTATION AT OUR JOINT MEETING.
WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS, UM, I'M OPEN TO DISCUSSING NOW, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE CAN, WE CAN DO SO AT THE JOINT MEETING.
ALL RIGHT, WE ARE GOING TO POSTPONE THAT CONVERSATION, THAT JOINT MEETING BY POLK, OR BY FLORES, SORRY, A SECONDARY BY MARK SEEING NO OBJECTIONS PASSES ON CONSENT.
UH, FIVE B3 REFORMING THE JOINT ART
[02:20:01]
AND MUSIC LAND DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP.UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE THIS FISHER POLAR? HI.
UM, SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND AS THINGS ARE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP, THERE'S SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR LAND USE.
UM, NOT, NOT AT NEW CODE NEXT, BUT JUST IN CONVERSATIONS AROUND LAND USE AND THE MUSIC AND ARTS HAD A JOINT WORKING GROUP ON THE TOPIC.
IT WAS DOING SOME REALLY GOOD WORK UNTIL THINGS WENT SIDEWAYS AND WE'D LIKE TO REFORM THAT.
UM, AND SO THAT IS WHY IT IS ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
AND I WOULD EVEN OFFER SO MUCH AS I'M WILLING TO GO BACK AND SERVE ON THAT ORGANIZATION.
AND MUSIC HAS ALREADY FORMED THERE.
THEY'RE HALF OF THE JOINT WORKING GROUP AT THEIR LAST MEETING.
ANY QUESTIONS? MARTIN BARNES? NO, I'M JUST GOING TO MOVE UP.
I'M JUST GOING TO MOVE THAT WAY.
RECONSTITUTE THAT WORKING GROUP MOTION TO RECONFIRM RECONSTITUTE THE WORKING GROUP BY BARNS, SECONDED BY FLORES, UH, WE'VE IDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER OR VICE CHAIR POLGAR AS A MEMBER OF THAT GROUP.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED, UH, IN JOINING THIS WORKING GROUP, AS, AS VICE-CHAIR POLAR SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT WORK THAT WAS ALREADY DONE.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PICKING UP THE BALL AGAIN AND AWFULLY GETTING ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
SOMEBODY COME PLAY WITH ME, UH, W WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH JUST, UH, WITH VICE-CHAIR POLGAR AND MAYBE MYSELF, UH, COMMISSIONER VAN DYKE.
I, I THINK IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IF YOU WOULD JOIN AS IT, AS IT MIGHT RELATE TO, UH, THE OTHER WORKING GROUP THAT YOU ARE ALREADY A PART OF.
UM, BUT FOR NOW, WE'LL GO WITH POLGAR AND GUSTO ALL IN FAVOR.
RECONSTITUTED IS WORKING GROUP ANY OPPOSED ABSTENTIONS, UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA.
UH, THE JOINT WORKING GROUP FOR MOVING ON TO FIVE B FOR THE JOINT WORKING GROUP FOR JOINT CULTURAL COMMITTEE, AS I MENTIONED LAST MONTH, I HAVE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHAIR OR REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS.
THAT'S THE ASIAN-AMERICAN AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND THE HISPANIC LATINO, AS WELL AS THE MAC ADVISORY BOARD, AS WELL AS MEAT AND MUSIC AND, AND, UH, ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, UH, THERE'S CONVERSATIONS THAT, THAT THE GROUP WANTED TO HAVE REGARDING THE CULTURAL CENTERS AUDIT.
UH, I ADVOCATED THAT WE FORMED AN OFFICIAL GROUP AND IN DOING SO IN DOING SO, I FOUND SOME RESEARCH THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY A JOINT CULTURAL COMMITTEE ALREADY LISTED IN THE MUNI MUNI CODE FOR, OR THE CITY'S CODE.
UM, SO IN ORDER TO GET THAT JOINT CULTURAL COMMITTEE ACTIVATED, WE FIGURED WE SHOULD FORM THE JOINT WORKING GROUP.
SO THAT JOINT WORKING GROUP CAN DRAFT RECOMMENDATION FOR COUNCIL TO ACTIVATE THAT COMMITTEE.
UM, SO YEAH, SO TONIGHT IT'S, IT'S, I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO JOIN TO CREATE THAT JOINT WORKING GROUP.
UH, THE MAC ADVISORY BOARD HAS ALREADY DONE.
SO AS IDENTIFIED THEIR MEMBERS OF MR. PULLER NOTION TO CREATE THAT WORKING GROUP MOTION TO CREATE THE WORKING GROUP BY POLGAR SECONDARY BY MARK.
UH, I GUESS I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE ON THAT AS THE NETWORKING GROUP, UH, BE GREAT IF SOMEONE JOINED ME SO WE CAN HAVE AN ALTERNATE, UM, WE'VE BEEN HAVING MONTHLY CALLS.
YOU WANT SOME HELP, NOBODY ELSE'S STEP UP.
I WILL HELP YOU VOLUNTEER MOCK.
SO SORRY, I AM JUST SO OVERWHELMED WITH SO MANY THINGS GOING ON WITH AAPI COMMUNITY.
SO I, I JUST CANNOT TAKE ON, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY, THIS OVERWHELMED UNDERSTOOD THAT'S OKAY.
WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH MYSELF AND, AND PULLED ARE IDENTIFIED.
UM, AND SO, UH, YEAH, SO MOTION TO, TO FORM THE JOINT WORKING GROUP FOR THE JOINT CULTURAL COMMITTEE WITH MYSELF AND PAUL GAR, AS MEMBERS ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED, OUTSTANDING GARZA, YOU'RE FOUR, A LITTLE BLURB ABOUT IT, CAUSE I KIND OF SPACED
[02:25:01]
OUT AND DIDN'T HEAR WHAT IT WAS ABOUT.SO, UH, MOVING ON TO OLD BUSINESS, SIX, EIGHT, THE WORKING GROUP UPDATES,
[6.a. Working Group updates]
UH, SIX 81 IS THE EQUITY RESOURCE WORKING GROUP.UH, COMMISSIONER KEY IN IS NOT ON THERE IS NOT ON THE CALL.
UH, YEAH, SHE'S NOT, I'LL TAKE THAT.
I'LL JUST SAY THAT, THAT WE, WE MET, UH, LAST MONTH AND WE'RE WORKING ON A DOCUMENT, UH, WE'RE COLLABORATING ON A DOCUMENT.
SO, UH, WE'RE HOPING TO SHARE THAT DOCUMENT.
UH, I BELIEVE WE SAID NEXT, NO, NOT NEXT MONTH.
I THINK AT A JUNE MEETING AS WELL, WE SAID TO HAVE IT FINALIZED AND READY TO PRESENT TO THE FULL BODY.
UH, SO WE'RE MOVING ON TO SIX 82, THE ART NEIGHBORHOODS WORKING GROUP, UH, COMMISSIONER VANDYKE.
DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE? UH, NOT MUCH.
UM, I TRIED TO SET THIS UP VIA EMAIL JUST IN THINKING ABOUT IT EVERYBODY'S OVERWHELMED AND THEIR TIME, BUT IT'S NOT EASY TO MOVE FORWARD IN THAT.
SO YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE THAN I DO.
IS THAT A BAD IDEA? SHOULD WE BE MEETING ON ZOOM OR SHOULD WE JUST KEEP AT IT? WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT CONCRETE AND IT'S, UM, UH, JUST TRYING TO SORT THROUGH ALL, ALL THE THINGS THAT THAT MEANS.
UM, SO WE'VE NOT GOTTEN VERY FAR.
I THINK WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESSING STAGE.
DON'T YOU THING, RICK? WELL, I THINK WE HAVE SOME IDEAS, BUT WE ARE STILL PROCESSING WE IN THE PROCESSING STATE YOU'RE MUTED.
UM, SO WHAT DID YOU SAY RICK? I DO.
I DO RECOMMEND JUST SCHEDULING A ZOOM, CALL THAT WAY, TALK IT OUT, YOU KNOW, SCHEDULE AN HOUR OR TWO AND JUST HASH IT OUT.
AND THEN THAT PROBABLY MAKE THINGS MOVE A LITTLE BIT SMOOTHER, SO I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT OR I, I DON'T, I, HOW DO I DO THAT? BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE, UH, I CAN GET ON ZOOM, BUT I CAN'T ORGANIZE TONIGHT THE EMAIL, THE EMAIL, THE WORKING GROUP, AND HOPEFULLY SOMEONE HAS A ZOOM ACCOUNT, IF NOT, UH, I'M HAPPY TO SET UP A GOOGLE MEET, UH, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT.
UH, SO MOVING ON TO SIX 83, THE QUARTERLY ARTS COMMUNITY COMMISSION MEETUP WORKING GROUP, UH I'LL I'LL SAY I'LL TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT.
UH, WE HAVEN'T MET, UH, GIVING, UH, COMMISSIONER BARNES, THE SPACE TO, TO DEAL WITH THE, UH, THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY WAS WORKING ON LAST MONTH.
UM, NOW THAT THAT'S PASSED, UH, WE'LL PROBABLY, WE'LL PROBABLY BE IN COMMUNICATION.
SO NOW, IF, IF THIS, IF, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT, THE MAIN EVENT, SIX B
[6.b. Discussion and Action]
DISCUSSION AND ACTION ON THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS AND COVERT RELIEF, UM, WELL COMMISSIONER POLGAR OR VICEROY POLAR, WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO INTRODUCE THIS? OR WAS IT, UM, YOU WERE GOING TO INTRODUCE IT, BUT I WANT TO, I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY, IF I MAY, UM, AND THE CONVERSATIONS TODAY, HI, MAY AND I STARTED TALKING ABOUT LIKE HOW WE ARE AND HAVE BEEN FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR AND MAYBE SOME TIME BEFOREHAND, VERY REACTIVE AND HOW WE'RE DEALING WITH STUFF, BECAUSE THINGS ARE GETTING THROWN AT US AND THROWN AT US AND THROWN OF JUST LIKE WITH THE INFORMATION THAT, UM, SWILL NOVIA PROVIDED THIS EVENING ABOUT WHAT OUR PROJECTIONS LOOK LIKE AND HOW MUCH MONEY WE'LL HAVE FOR CULTURAL FUNDING RIGHT NOW, AS OF RIGHT NOW, FOR NEXT YEAR, BARRING AND FLUX OF, UM, OF MONEY FROM THE RELIEF, THE FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDS.UM, AND SO WE WANTED TO SAY, OKAY, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS HAPPENING.
LET'S LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AND WHAT WE WANT THINGS TO LOOK LIKE AND HOW WE GET FROM HERE TO THERE.
AND SO THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT I WANTED TO THROW INTO THE MIX.
ONE WAS SOMETHING THAT MATT SAID EARLIER, WHICH IS THE FOUNDATIONS FOR A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING NOW WERE LAID A WHILE AGO.
UM, AND I KNOW SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE NOT MOVING THINGS FORWARD, BUT WE ARE, AND WE HAVE, AND IT MAY NOT BE THE PACE THAT WE WANT, BUT THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
AND WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE TEAM OF PEOPLE WORKING THEIR TAILS OFF TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, AND SO, UH, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO HAD ASKED ME TO GO BACK ON, ON OMNIBUS, WHICH WAS IN 2016.
[02:30:01]
WANNA JUST TO POINT OUT A HANDFUL OF PRIORITIES THAT WE SET UP WITH OMNIBUS.AND REMEMBER, THIS IS WELL BEFORE COVID, BUT THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT YOU'LL FIND THAT SOUND FAMILIAR TO.
ONE WAS EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION.
THAT WAS THE TOP PIECE THAT KEPT COMING UP AND KEPT COMING UP AND KEPT COMING UP AND DISCUSSIONS.
AND WHEN I SAY KEPT COMING UP, STAFF PUT FORWARD RECOMMENDATIONS AND COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THIS DOCUMENT HAS MORE THAN 72 SPECIFIC THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY AND STAFF SAID THEY WANTED TO DO FOR ARTS AND MUSIC, UM, AND CONSISTENTLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT DOCUMENT OR EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, AFFORDABLE LIVE AND WORKSPACE SOUND FAMILIAR, UM, A SAFETY NET TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD SURVIVE AS ARTISTS AND CREATIVES AND MUSICIANS IN THIS COMMUNITY, UM, REVENUE DEVELOPMENT WAYS TO HAVE A FULL ECOSYSTEM FOR HOW WE GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B AND CONTINUE TO BE SUSTAINABLE AND INCENTIVES, TOOLS, AND LOANS, WAYS THAT THE CITY AND GOVERNMENT CAN HELP US MAKE THAT EASIER.
SO THOSE WERE THE PRIORITIES THAT WE SET UP DURING OMNIBUS THAT ARE STILL RESONANT.
HOW'S THAT JAIME BY THEN? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD, THAT WAS A GOOD REMINDER.
UM, AND SO I GUESS WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH THIS, THIS TIME THAT WE HAVE IS, IS OMNIBUS OMNIBUS GAVE US THOSE PRIORITIES.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, TO REMIND Y'ALL OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD AT OUR RETREAT IN FEBRUARY, THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID, UM, THE REASONS THAT Y Y YOU'RE, UH, PARTICIPATING ON THE COMMISSION, UH, THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN IN DOING, UH, AND ALSO TALKING ABOUT LIKE OMNIBUS GAVE US SOME PRIORITIES.
WE, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE HAD PRIORITIES THAT WE WERE, UM, GATHERING AROUND AND MOVING FORWARD WITH.
UM, BUT HERE WE ARE AT THIS TIME.
AND, AND COUNCIL HAS, THERE HAS A DIFFERENT, IS WORKING AT A DIFFERENT PACE FROM US.
THEY'RE HAVING MULTIPLE MEETINGS WITHIN A MONTH WHERE WE'RE ONLY HAVING ONE.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PRIORITIES IN MIND, OR MAYBE EVEN DOCUMENTED IT ACTUALLY IT'D BE BETTER IF THEY WERE DOCUMENTED.
UM, BUT NOT WAITING FOR COUNCIL TO GIVE US THAT DIRECTION.
LIKE WE KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES ARE AS, AS MICHELLE POINTED OUT, LIKE IN OMNIBUS, WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME PRIORITIES, THERE'S STILL THE SAME CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE RECOMMIT TO THOSE, MAYBE WE ADD NEW ONES, UM, BUT LET'S IDENTIFY WHAT, WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES ARE.
AND LET'S START THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE GET, HOW DO WE GET TO THAT OTHER SIDE OF, OF, OF RECOVERY.
SO, YEAH, I WANTED THIS TIME TO EVERYBODY JUST TO SHARE KIND OF WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE THINKING IN TERMS OF ALL THE INFORMATION WE'VE LEARNED AND, UM, YEAH, SO FLORES AND THEN MOCK.
WELL, I AGREE, YOU KNOW, THAT IT SET OUT A LOT OF PRIORITIES AND WE WORKED ON SOME OVER THE YEARS, BUT CURRENTLY BECAUSE OF COVID AND THE FUNDING CRISIS, I THINK THE WHOLE, OUR TOP PRIORITY NEEDS TO BE REALLY MOVING, PUSHING FORWARD TO REQUEST MORE FUNDING, WHICH WE DID, BUT NOW WE NEED TO PUT THAT INTO ACTION.
I THINK WE ALL NEED TO REALLY VISIT WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND TALK ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SCENARIO SUPPORT THE ARTS COMMUNITY OUT THERE THAT ARE DESPERATE FOR FUNDING.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING SLOWLY ON TRYING TO CREATE SOME SPACE, BUT UP, UP, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S ABOUT SURVIVAL AND IT'S ABOUT GETTING RELIEF PHONES, AND IT'S ABOUT GETTING MONEY.
THAT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST GIVE THEM THOSE THAT DO HAVE CULTURAL CONTRACTS, GIVE THEM MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS SO THAT THEY CAN MAINTAIN THEIR STAFF AND, AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY AND, AND, AND IMPRESS UPON THE COUNCIL.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT THEY KNOW THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP ON POUNDING BECAUSE THE SQUEAKY WHEEL, AS THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE THE CASE FOR THE FACT THAT THE ARTS NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY.
UH, AND, UH, BUT THE, THE FUN BEING, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IT REALLY NEEDS TO, THEY NEED TO REALLY COME THROUGH.
AND I, THAT FOR ME RIGHT NOW, GIVEN THE STATE OF THINGS, I THINK THAT HAS TO BE OUR NORMAL THING TO TRY TO GET US OVER THIS HOME.
UH, YEAH, WE, I AGREE, YOU KNOW, WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER FOREST THAT WE ARE IN THE SURVIVAL MODE, BUT, YOU KNOW, DURING THIS, THIS, THIS TIME, THIS PAST YEAR IS, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, SHELTER IN PLACE.
SO MANY BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, SHUT DOWN.
I THINK IT IS MORE DIRE THAN EVER THAT, UH, THE MINORITY GROUPS, THE WOMEN, ESPECIALLY THE WOMEN
[02:35:01]
OF COLOR ARE SUFFERING THE MOST, YOU KNOW, UM, DURING THIS TIME.SO, UM, AS WE ARE PREPARING, BECAUSE, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, THE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION, YOU KNOW, THAT IS GOING TO IMPACT, UH, HOW WE ARE GOING TO REOPEN, YOU KNOW, YUKON DUMMY, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, OUR AAPI COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW IS FACING SUCH FEAR, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE ATTACKS.
SO I'M JUST WORRY AS WE SLOWLY WE OPEN.
UM, WE'LL WORRY ABOUT ALL THOSE, UM, OPEN SPACE, ALL THOSE FESTIVALS WITH, YOU KNOW, AAPI FESTIVAL.
UH, WE, UH, I MEAN, WE HAVE ANOTHER LAYER LAYER OFF OF, UH, OF WORRY, YOU KNOW, UM, NOT JUST HOW, BUT, BUT THE, HEY, YOU KNOW, BUT THE ATTACKS, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, IT'S SO MUCH IN OUR MIND RIGHT NOW.
UH, I'M GLAD THE CITY HAS A NEW, UH, CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICER.
I'VE BEEN TALKING TO HER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SET UP SOME KIND OF COMMUNITY IT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT IS NOT A CASUAL, HATEFUL, RACIST STATEMENT JUST CAUGHT OR KNIVES BECAUSE IT'S, IT, IT GOES, IT GOES TO THE CORE OF OUR SECURITY, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE CELEBRATE OUR CULTURAL PERFORMANCE AND ALL OF THAT, WE ALSO WORRY ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING ATTACKED, YOU KNOW? UM, SO, SO JUST THAT JUST ADDS ANOTHER LAYER, TEXTURE OF ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE TO FACE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND THE DRAINING AND DRAINING OF THE ENERGY, YOU KNOW, I HAVE HEARD FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PASS ON OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE TO THE CHILDREN RIGHT NOW, IT JUST SO MUCH GOING ON, THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON TO TRAIN OUR ENERGY.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, SHARE THAT THERE'S SO MANY MORE DIFFERENT LAYERS OF CHALLENGES, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK BACK TO, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THE TIME WHEN THE PERSON ENTERED THE PERFORMANCE HALL AND STARTED, UM, SHOOTING PEOPLE.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN PART OF JUST SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE ALL, YOU KNOW, PARADE.
SO I REMEMBER THE LAST PRIDE PARADE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO WALK BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID THEY MIGHT GET GUNNED DOWN ON CONGRESS AVENUE BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE TARGETING GAY, LESBIAN, TRANSSEXUAL, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK, I THINK THAT'S A REALITY AND WE ALL HAVE TO BE AWARE.
I WORK FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS CONSTANTLY UNDER ATTACK THAT HAS BEEN ATTACKED, THAT HAS HAD CENTERS BOMB THAT HAS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO I, I, I SYMPATHIZE AND I, I HEARD, AND I WANT TO FIGURE ALL OF THAT OUT.
I ALSO THINK THAT WE HAVE TO COME FROM A PLACE OF, OF, I WORKED FOR A NONPROFIT.
WE COULD ALWAYS LIVE IN SCARCITY.
WE COULD ALWAYS COME FROM A PLACE WHERE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY WHERE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH STAFF WHERE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, AND THAT WILL ALWAYS BE THE CASE, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO WITH WHAT WE HAVE TO BE CREATIVE AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF ABUNDANCE AND FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WELL, WHAT DO WE HAVE? OKAY, WELL, WE HAVE $1 MILLION.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO USE THAT $1 MILLION AND MAXIMIZE IT TO THE BEST, HIGHEST POSSIBLE USE THAT WE MIGHT HAVE? UM, AND THAT MIGHT SOUND LIKE PLATITUDES, AND THAT MIGHT SOUND LIKE ROSIE EYEGLASSES.
AND, UM, I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER BEEN ACCUSED OF THAT, BUT I THINK WE'VE JUST, WE HAVE TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE AS HIGH SAID IN HIS BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME MAY THINK I'M A DREAMER, BUT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE I THINK WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY MORE.
[02:40:01]
OUR WORKING GROUPS, PULLING PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WANT TO HELP THAT HAVE A VOICE THAT MIGHT PRESENTED A DIFFERENT OPINION, BUT IT'S ONE THAT WE'VE GOT TO HEAR.UM, YOU KNOW, BRIAN STEVENSON IN HIS BOOK JUST MERCY SAYS THE BEST WAY YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE IS TO GET CLOSE TO THEM AND LISTEN, NOT TALK, BUT LISTEN, WHAT ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING? AND I THINK WE'VE GOT TO DO MORE OF THAT, UM, IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE.
SO, UM, UH, I, I, AS HIGH SAID, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE HERE? THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.
I, I, WE ALL KNOW THAT IN 2008 AND NINE, IT WAS THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY THAT HELPS BUOY THE AUSTIN ECONOMY BETTER THAN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW? AND, AND I THINK WE HAVE THAT ABILITY NOW, IT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE IT.
UM, BUT HOW DO WE LEVERAGE OUR GROUPS AND HOW DO WE BAND TOGETHER TO COME AND CREATE FROM A PLACE OF ABUNDANCE AND NOT A PLACE OF SCARCITY.
SO THAT'S JUST COMMENTS THAT I HAVE, AND I'M HAPPY TO HELP IN ANY WAY THAT I CAN.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER VAN DYKE, UM, AS THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK, UH, I APPRECIATE, I MEAN, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE BEFORE.
I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU BROUGHT UP, UH, OMNIBUS AGAIN.
I REMEMBER READING ABOUT IT IN THE HEADLINES FOR WHILE BACK, AND THEN WHEN HE BROUGHT IT UP, I THOUGHT, OR DID IT GO THERE? AND SO I WENT AND RE-READ IT.
AND, UM, IT WAS AN AMAZING PIECE OF WORK.
THERE WAS SO MUCH THOUGHT THAT WE'LL PUT INTO IT.
UM, REALLY WORKED OUT LOTS OF DIFFERENT VIEWS.
I MEAN, IT WAS, IT'S INCREDIBLY RICH.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF THE DREAM.
I, MY, I WILL WORK REALLY, REALLY HARD IF, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
UM, I HATE SPENDING MY TIME IN MY BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS, IF IT DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE.
SO TO SEE YOU BRING THAT FORWARD, TO GET ABOUT OMNIBUS AND TO BRING IT UP AGAIN, THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME.
CAUSE IT'S, IT PROVIDES A FOUNDATION, A SOLID FOUNDATION TO PUT MY FEET ON BECAUSE, WELL, THIS IS OVERWHELMING A WHOLE ALL THE TIME, SO THANK YOU.
OH, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SIGN LANGUAGE.
OH, UM, CHRISTINA GARCIA, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS? UH, WELL, ALL I CAN REALLY SAY IS PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO BE A LOT DIFFERENT THAN THERE WERE BEFORE.
WE CAN'T REALLY USE THEM THE WAY WE WANT IT TO AND THE WAY WE ALWAYS HOPE TO IN A WAY, OUR COMMUNITY ALWAYS EXPECTED US TO, UH, GIVEN THE LIMIT OF THOSE FUNDS.
WE GOT TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE THE WAY WE'RE ALLOCATING THOSE FUNDS IN THE PURPOSE WHERE WE'RE ALLOCATING THOSE FUNDS.
THERE'S AN OLD SAYING THAT SAYS, YOU GIVE A MAN A FISH AND WE EAT FOR THE DAY, BUT YOU TEACH THAT MAN OFFICIAL FEET EAT FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.
WE'VE BEEN GIVEN OUR ARTISTS A LOT OF FISH AND, UH, WE HAVE DONE A LITTLE BIT OF A POOR JOB OF TEACHING THEM HOW TO FISH AND HOW TO LOOK FOR RESOURCES AND LOOK FOR FUNDING AND WHATNOT.
I KNOW, I HOPE THAT WE CAN USE SOME OF THESE FUNDS IN THE FUTURE TO INCLUDE IN OUR CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAM, UM, TO GET MORE MONEY, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, WE LOST YOU THERE.
I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY THAT WE WE'VE, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT A METHOD OR A WAY TO, TO, TO ALLOCATE PART OF OUR FUNDS TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, GETS ON BOARD AND EVERYBODY GETS SOME HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, SIT DOWN TOGETHER, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING COLLABORATE TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER AS, AS A COMMUNITY TO, TO HELP REINFORCE EACH OTHER.
CAUSE WE WERE GONNA, THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO STICK TO A PEER, TO A PILLAR, STO YOU KNOW, COLLABORATION TO, UH, FOSTER NEW LEADERSHIP AND THAT'S GOT TO COME FROM WITH US AND, AND WE'VE GOT TO USE OUR LIMITED FUNDS WHERE YOU'VE GOT TO DIRECT IT AT THAT AND TO, YOU KNOW, HELP THEM GET MORE MONEY, YOU KNOW, UH, WE CAN HOPE FOR MORE MONEY WE CAN
[02:45:01]
HOPE IS TILL WE'RE BLUE IN THE FACE, BUT, UH, THAT DOESN'T REALLY PUT MONEY IN PEOPLE'S POCKETS, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S REALLY ABOUT IT RIGHT THERE.I THINK COMMISSIONER FLORES HAD HER HAND UP BEFORE I DID.
I WAS TRYING TO GET EVERYBODY FIRST, BUT OH, I THOUGHT SHE STARTED IT.
I JUST HAD A FOLLOW UP TO WHAT PHILLIPE IS AT IN TERMS OF SORRY TO BE THE LEGAL GEEK.
HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN CONSTRAINED THAT THEY USE A POP FENCE OR CAPACITY BUILDING.
AND SO THAT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMATIC IN THE SENSE THAT ABOUT 1 MILLION TALKING ABOUT THAT IS IT'S HOT FUNDS, UH, THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US.
AND SO, UH, CAPACITY BUILDING HAS ALWAYS, WE'VE HAD TO, WE'VE BEEN TOLD BY THE LEGAL AND MEMORANDUM THAT SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T REALLY USE THE HOT FOR THAT.
SO WE HAD TO GO TO COUNCIL AND GET ADDITIONAL FUNDS OR CAPACITY BUILDING, WHICH I THINK WE'RE GREAT FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO TEACH THEM HOW TO FISH.
UH, SO WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET SOME FUNDINGS FOR THAT.
AND PERHAPS WE RELIED ON OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, MORE HEAVILY AND, YOU KNOW, TREAT US, YOU KNOW, OUR, AS WE HAVE AS BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS AND GET THEM RESOURCES FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, LEARN THE FISHING AND, AND BECOME A MORE EFFICIENT AT FUNDRAISING OR WHATEVER IT IS AND, AND CREATING THEIR, THEIR BUSINESS.
AND IT IS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
SO, UM, UM, I GUESS THAT'S, I'M GETTING RANDOM A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF CERTAIN FUNDS AND THE LACK OF AVAILABLE FUNDS, YOU KNOW, FROM OTHER SOURCES.
AND MAYBE WE HAVE TO DO MORE ROOTING AROUND AND SNIFFING AROUND TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THAT, FOR THOSE PURPOSES.
OVER TODAY AT THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY FRAMEWORK, AND SOMETHING'S STUCK, STUCK WITH ME, WHICH I WANTED TO SHARE AND REMIND YOU GUYS, UNLESS YOU, IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK, BUT THE STRATEGIC ANCHORS FOR THAT PROGRAM, THE VALUES THAT SUPPORT QUALITY OF LIFE IN AUSTIN THAT ARE ARTICULATED THERE IN, UM, INCLUDE, AND THIS IS IN REVERSE ORDER, BUT I THINK I'M GONNA ORDER IT THE WAY I, I THINK IT SHOULD BE ORDERED COMMUNITY TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS, RIGHT.
AND I THINK THAT'S A BIG CHALLENGE FOR US AND WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, BUT I ALSO THINK, UM, OUR COMMUNITY IS LOOKING TO US TO BE SUPPORT AND ADVOCATES.
AND, AND I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK TO THEM TO BE PARTNERS IN THIS WORK.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO BACK TO THE WAY WE WERE, UM, PROACTIVE PROTECTION, WHICH I ALSO LIKE A LOT.
THIS IS NOT GOING TO GET EASIER.
THERE'S A LOT THERE, THE ANALOGY OF FISHING, FISHING SPINE.
BUT IF WE'RE, IF OUR FISH STOCK IS LOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO PLANT SOMETHING.
MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT A DIFFERENT WAY OF GOING ABOUT IT.
UM, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY, THE OSCAR, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN IS MONEY FOR RE LIKE FOR RECOVERY AS WELL AS EMERGENCY FUNDING.
AND SO WE NEED TO BE THINKING NOT JUST ABOUT HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE ALIVE RIGHT NOW, BUT HOW WE SUSTAIN OVER TIME, HOW WE COME BACK AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, INNOVATION, AGAIN, CREATIVE WAYS TO DO IT.
AFFORDABILITY THINGS ARE ONLY GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE IN TERMS OF REAL ESTATE.
UM, THE CULTURAL TRUST IS A PIECE OF THAT, BUT WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? HOW ELSE CAN WE SHARE RESOURCES? HOW ELSE CAN WE LOOK AT HOW WE CREATE WORK? AND THEN OF COURSE, EQUITY, WHICH ISN'T THE CENTER OF EVERY CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE.
UM, ONE OTHER THING ON THAT, UH, IN THAT DOCUMENT, WHICH I THOUGHT IS INTERESTING AND, AND, AND CIRCLES BACK TO THIS WHOLE SORT OF HOLISTIC, HOW WE ALL DO THIS TOGETHER IS AMONG THE IDEAS TO LAUNCH AND AUSTIN COMMUNITY CHALLENGE, RIGHT? THAT ENGAGES RESIDENTS, CREATIVES, EMPLOYEES, AND EMPLOYERS IN A PROCESS OF CO-CREATING SOLUTIONS FOR LOCAL PROBLEMS. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO START HERE.
I WAS HOPING COMMISSIONER'S HAS BEEN, GOT THE NUMBER TO CALL IN, BUT OH, LET'S, LET'S TRY IT.
YOU THE 10 D AND NEEDS TO BE MOVED OVER CITY HALL STAFF.
CAN YOU CITY HALL STAFF, ARE YOU THERE? SO WE HAVE SUSANNA KORBEL HALL AND, UH, CORAL SETTLES WHO WERE LOOKING FOR A PHONE NUMBER.
IS IT TWO, FIVE, SIX ZERO? OR IS IT SIX FIVE EIGHT NINE SIX TWO SIX NUMBER.
SO THE NUMBER OF ARE MUTED RIGHT NOW.
UH, SO LINDA, DO YOU WANT TO CALL ME AND I'LL PUT IT ON.
I'LL PUT YOU ON SPEAKER IS THE SIX, TWO SIX NUMBER NOT ABLE TO BE ON UNITS.
[02:50:02]
BOTH NUMBERS ARE AUTOMATED RIGHT NOW.THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UH, DIDN'T REALIZE MY MICROPHONE WASN'T WORKING UNTIL I WENT TO USE IT.
SO IT MAKES IT A LITTLE DIFFICULT.
UM, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD HERE AND IN TERMS OF HOW TO MOVE FORWARD IN A WAY THAT'S GOING TO STRENGTHEN THE ALLYSHIP BETWEEN OUR WORKING BODY AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, ONE AREA OF CONFUSION THAT I SEEM TO BE HEARING OVER AND OVER AGAIN FROM THE COMMUNITY IS IN THE REALM OF MEMBERS AND OLIVIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION EARLIER.
AND FOR TAKING IT SLOW WITH US, WE ARE VISUAL ARTS PEOPLE, NUMBERS ARE NOT OUR STRONG SUIT.
AND SO I, FOR ONE NEED LOW CASE TALKING AND PICTURES AND SHAPES AND COLORS SO THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING.
AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, AND I'M PUTTING THIS OUT THERE AS A HYPOTHETICAL.
I'M NOT TRYING TO ROCK THE BOAT, BUT IT SEEMS AS IF THIS IDEA OF WORKING WITH PROJECTIONS IS WHAT'S GETTING US IN THE HOT WATER TO BEGIN WITH PEOPLE HEAR A NUMBER LIKE $7 MILLION FOR NEXT YEAR, $10 MILLION FOR NEXT YEAR, AND NEXT YEAR COMES AND WE'VE GOT CAPUT.
SO HOW, HOW ARE OTHER AREAS, UM, THAT ARE RECEIVING AN ALLOCATING FUNDING OPERATING EVERYBODY ON A PROJECTION? I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
SO I'M, I'M PUTTING THIS OUT THERE.
UM, IT'S EVERYBODY WORKING IN THIS WAY THAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH PROJECTIONS FOR THE COMING YEAR, AND THEY'RE BASICALLY SIGNING CHECKS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY DIFFICULT TO CASH.
UM, OR, AND THEN IF NOT, HOW DO WE MIGRATE OR CREATE SOMETHING THAT WILL SAY WE HAVE THIS MONTH? THIS IS THE MONEY THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DOLE OUT.
I, I'M NOT NEEDING A RESPONSE FROM STAFF.
I'M NOT MEETING, UM, EVEN NODDING.
I, THIS IS JUST AN IDEA THAT I'M, THAT I'M BECAUSE THIS IS THE, FOR WHAT I'M EXPERIENCING THE SOURCE OF CONFUSION IS THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING PROMISED DOLLAR AMOUNTS, BUT IT'S ALL A GAMBLE.
WE WERE WE'RE GAMBLING WITH THE STABILITY OF OUR ARTS COMMUNITY.
AND PEOPLE ARE COUNTING ON MONEY THAT EITHER IT'S JUST GOING TO BE THERE OR THAT THEY DON'T THEN GET A PIECE OF, BECAUSE NOW THE DEMAND FOR OUR ARTS ORG AND OUR INDIVIDUALS AND OUR CONTRACTOR IS INCREASINGLY HIGH.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE SEEN THE TRAJECTORY OF GO UP YEAR AFTER YEAR IN THREE YEARS, IF THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE COMING IN AND ASKING FOR A SLICE OF THIS TIME, WHICH IS GREAT.
I THINK WE ALL AGREE IN TERMS OF THE EQUITY FRAMEWORK THAT WE WANT THE PIE TO GO AS FAR AND WIDE AS IT CAN INSTEAD OF AS HIGH WITH INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATION.
SO AGAIN, I THINK COMMUNICATING THAT ALONG WITH ACTUAL TWO ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BECOME CONDITIONED OR GROOMED TO EXPECT CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNTS, IT'S GOING TO ONLY HELP US BE ABLE TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE THOUGHT THESE ARE OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
THIS IS THE GROUP OF THE GROUPS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO SERVE IN THE, IN THE LARGEST WAY POSSIBLE.
AND SO WHAT PHILLIP IS SAYING, UH, COMMISSIONER GARTH WAS SAYING IS IT'S REALLY TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO FISH IS LIKE, WE, WE ARE TRYING TO, UM, HELP PEOPLE OFF OF THEIR FEET AT EVERY LEVEL AT ENTRY-LEVEL EMERGING ARTISTS.
AND THEN ALSO WE'RE STILL ASSISTING THESE VERY LARGE AND WELL ESTABLISHED LEGACY, ICONIC ORGANIZATIONS.
HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'VE GROOMED THEM AND CONDITIONED THEM TO EXPECT THAT FUNDING, HOW DO WE THEN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM WITHOUT IT FEELING LIKE THE PULLING THE RUG OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THEM? SO I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A, THERE'S A HARD REALITY THAT WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE WAY THAT WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT MONEY, BECAUSE I THINK WE HEAR BIG DOLLAR AMOUNTS AND WE GET REALLY EXCITED AND WE START DOLING OUT OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEN WE HAVE TO SAY, OOH, THAT MONEY'S NOT ACTUALLY THERE.
OR, HEY, WE NEED TO RESHAPE THIS.
OR REMEMBER WHAT WE SAID, THAT'S ACTUALLY.
SO IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THAT'S SOMEWHERE WHERE WE CAN AT LEAST THINK ABOUT HOW TO MODIFY.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE WAY THAT WE TALK ABOUT, I MEAN, OLIVIA, YOU'RE GREAT.
LIKE I SAID, IT GOING SO THINGS, THESE ARE PROJECTIONS, THESE ARE ESTIMATES.
BUT I UNDERSTAND ALSO THAT IF A MIX, THE WHIRLWIND OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A DOLLAR SIGN AND THEN WE'RE NOT, IT SEEMS TO THEM THAT WE'RE NOT COMING THROUGH ON OUR PROMISES.
AND IN REALITY, IF IT PUTS US AS THE COMMISSION IN A REALLY HARD PLACE, RIGHT,
WE HAVE HAD INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW COULD WE CHANGE THE MODEL TO COLLECT AND THEN SPIN IT.
BUT THAT WOULD MEAN YOUR TRANSITION, BUT YOU ARE CORRECT.
[02:55:01]
AND THE OTHER BIG CITIES IN THE STATE DON'T USE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A HYBRID OF FUNDING MODELS FROM DEPENDING ON THE CITY, BUT AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SO THAT WE'RE NOT OPERATING UNIT ON WHAT WE THINK WE CAN, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO COLLECT AND THEN EXPAND AGAIN, THAT WOULD TAKE A HEAVY LIFT UP IN A YEAR TRANSITION.SO COMMISSIONER'S, ISN'T INSTEAD, SHE DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO ROCK THE BOAT.
I'M MAYBE I'M GOING TO ROCK THE BOAT.
UM, SO NOVI, THAT WAS A GREAT EXPLANATION.
LIKE WE WILL NEED THAT YEAR OF TRANSITION.
UM, WE, WE SH IT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS, AS COMMISSIONERS, ISN'T IT DESCRIBED THAT IF WE'RE WORKING FROM ACTUAL NUMBERS RATHER THAN ESTIMATES, UM, SO I WANT TO CHALLENGE EVERYONE.
UM, BUT SPECIFICALLY STAFF IS THAT WE'VE SEEN DRAFTS OF POTENTIAL OF PROPOSED PROGRAMS. AND I FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T WORK IN THIS ENVIRONMENT THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT, THAT WE NEED TO MAYBE SET IT ASIDE.
UM, IT WAS DEVELOPED BEFORE COVID RIGHT.
THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET AT EARLIER IS LIKE THE, THE OMNIBUS WAS DEVELOPED BEFORE COVID AND NOW WE'RE DEALING WITH COVID.
AND SO IT DOESN'T QUITE LINE UP.
AND I THINK THESE PROGRAMS WERE ALSO THOUGHT OF PRE COVID.
UM, AND MAYBE WE, MAYBE WE DO NEED TO JUST BE MORE NIMBLE AND JUST TALK ABOUT A YEAR OF TRANSITION TO GET US TO THE POINT OF LET'S DEAL WITH ACTUAL NUMBERS.
AND MAYBE WHEN WE, WE CAN DEAL WITH ACTUAL NUMBERS, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE INTRODUCING THESE NEW PROPOSED PROGRAMS. UM, AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN LET'S TALK ABOUT THE EMERGENCY SITUATION, THE TRANSITION YEAR, LIKE LET'S, LET'S SINK OUR TEETH INTO THAT AND TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT THAT MIGHT BE.
UM, CAUSE YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, THE HOT FUNDS IS JUST ONE PART OF THIS GREATER SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE KEEP MOVING TO AUSTIN, REAL ESTATE KEEPS GOING UP.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TESLA GIGAFACTORY, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR 10,000 EMPLOYEES.
OTHER MANUFACTURERS IN THE AREA ARE, ARE CONCERNED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PULL AWAY THEIR EMPLOYEES.
AND SO THEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN A HIRING SPREE AS WELL.
THERE'S ALWAYS A RIPPLE EFFECT OF ALL THESE BIG THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN AUSTIN.
I WANT US TO GET TO A BIGGER PLACE AGAIN, WHERE WE'RE NOT REACTING, BUT WE'RE BEING PROACTIVE.
AND WE'RE CONSIDERING ALL THESE OTHER FACTORS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY NOT ACTUALLY AFFECT US NOW, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO COME DOWN THE LINE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, DURING COVID LIKE LUMBER PRICES SHOT UP RIDICULOUSLY, UM, AND THAT JUST WASN'T A CONVERSATION WE WERE HAVING.
CAUSE WE WERE WE'RE IN EMERGENCY MODE, BUT YEAH, I JUST WANT US ALL TO THINK BIGGER.
AND I WANT TO CHALLENGE STAFF TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE TALENT YOU WITH, WITH WHERE YOU'RE AT.
LIKE, ARE THOSE PROGRAMS, ARE YOU MAKING THE NUMBERS WORK FOR THOSE PROGRAMS? ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK OR ARE YOU TRYING TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY FLORES? AND THEN POLGAR UM, I'LL JUST THROW SOMETHING OUT BASED ON WHAT YOU SAID AND WHAT I SAID AT THE RETREAT WHEN I JUST BLURTED IT OUT ABOUT TAKING A YEAR HIATUS.
AND THAT'S A TOUGH THING BECAUSE WHEN YOU TALK TO FOLKS WHO ARE OUT THERE, WHO RELY ON THIS MONEY THAT WE'RE GIVEN THROUGH CULTURAL FUNDING, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A SCARY THOUGHT TO LIKE GO A YEAR WITH NOTHING, RIGHT.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF IN FACT WE DO NEED TO TRANSITION SOME LOGO, I'LL USE YOUR TERM.
UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT COULD BE DONE THIS QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, TO SAY, TAKE THIS YEAR, INSTEAD OF HAVING A MILLION NEXT YEAR, YOU JUST WAVE THAT AT ON TO WHAT'S COLLECTED OR YOU WAIT.
SO, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE THEN DEVELOP YOUR PROGRAMS FOR GETTING IT OUT OR HOW, WHATEVER CONFIGURATION THOUGH, THOSE DATES.
SO THIS MAY BE THE TIME TO TAKE THAT TRENT YEAR TRANSITION AS SCARY AS THAT IS.
AND THEN I WOULD ADD THAT IF THAT 3.9 RECOVERY MONEY IS AVAILABLE, RATHER THAN PUT IT INTO BACKFILL, THEN YOU JUST USE IT AS A FUND TO GIVE RECOVERY.
I MEAN, RELIEVE PROGRAMMING FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND JUST COME UP WITH THE CRITERIA FOR WHO AND HOW THEY CAN APPLY FOR THAT.
UH, AND I'M STILL HOPING ON THAT OTHER 3.9 AND I HOPING THAT'S A CITY COULD FIND OTHER MONEY TO PAY THAT
[03:00:01]
THE BACK WAS COMMITTED TO AND USE INSTEAD 7.8 AND THEN YOU COULD REALLY BE ABLE TO, AND THIS HARD, HARD, YOU HERE, YOU KNOW, HAVE A RELIEF PROGRAM WITH MONEY THAT COMES FROM THE RECOVERY ACT AND NOT USE IT TO BACKFILL AND THEN JUST WAIT AND PRETTY SOON CULTURAL FUNDING AND, UH, 2023, YOU KNOW, FISCAL YEAR 20, 23 AND USE THIS TIME TO THEN USE ACTUAL VERSUS PROJECTED.MAYBE THAT'S, THAT'S JUST AN IDEA THAT CAME TO ME.
AND MAYBE IT MAKES SENSE, MAYBE IT DOESN'T, BUT, UH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THOUGHT.
AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FLORES.
I WAS GOING TO SAY THE SAME THING AS LIKE IN OUR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT BACKFILL.
IT WAS THE PRESUMPTION IN THE COMMUNITY IS WE BACKFILL INTO HOT FOR CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS AND WHAT I'M HEARING FROM ALL OF YOU AND WHERE I CERTAINLY AM LIVING IS IT'S EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE.
NOW IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT KIND OF PROGRAMS YOU'RE CREATING.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE CREATIVE ARTISTS AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO DO WORK AND THAT'S WHY WE EXIST IN THE WORLD.
LIKE I GET THAT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO HAVE TO EAT AND LIVE.
UM, AND SO TYING FUNDS TO WHAT I PRODUCE AS I'M STILL TRYING TO COME OUT FROM UNDER COVID SEEMS LESS ALIGNED WITH WHAT WE SAY OUR VALUES ARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND EVEN THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS THAT STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING ON.
SO DILIGENTLY ARE, ARE BASED ON AN UNDERSTANDING OF NURTURING THE COMMUNITY, MAINTAINING AND BUILDING THE COMMUNITY.
IF THAT'S WHAT WE SAY WE VALUE, THEN HOW DO WE DO THAT WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE? IT SEEMS LIKE WE USE WHATEVER EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE WE CAN PUT OUR HANDS ON TO KEEP PEOPLE GOING AND ALIVE, NOT AN EASY CONVERSATION.
OH, COMMISSIONER VANDYKE, THIS ONE SUGGESTION ON KIND OF PUTTING TOGETHER WHAT I'VE BEEN HERE TONIGHT IS, AND YOU BROUGHT IT UP, UH, JAIME THAT, UM, WHAT IF WE HAD A SEPARATE MEETING TO WORK ON INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING STUCK TO THE AGENDA, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WEREN'T, IT WAS PROACTIVE.
YOU KNOW, WE START THE DREAMING, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE OMNIBUS TO, AND, AND JUST WORK ON THOSE THINGS.
I'LL BE, THERE WAS THAT, UH, THAT A MOTION TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP OR THAT EMOTION TO A SCHEDULE.
I MEAN, CAUSE, CAUSE WE ARE IN DISCUSSION IN ACTION.
SO WE COULD CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO, TO HAVE A QUICK, UH, CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THIS, WHAT THIS EMERGENCY RELIEF LOOKS LIKE.
LIKE KIT LET'S SHIFT, SHIFT OUR THINKING JUST A LITTLE BIT, UM, IF THAT'S WHAT THE COMMISSIONER WANTS TO DO RIGHT NOW, WELL I WOULD HOLD OUR RAISE AND THEN FLORES.
I WAS GOING TO MAKE THAT MOTION, BUT COMMISSIONER FLORES, I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.
WELL, I MEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE CREATED THAT RESOLUTION AND ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT HAVING A WORKING GROUP AROUND THE WHOLE ISSUE OF FUNDING.
AND SO I'LL SECOND MICHELLE'S MOTION AND DO THAT BECAUSE I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE A REAL STRATEGY.
AND I THINK SHE DID MICHELLE, UH, I MEAN, UH, MICHELLE AND SELENA BEGAN A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT OUR COMMUNICATIONS NEEDED TO BE TOWARDS.
HOW DO WE USE THIS MONEY? AND I THINK, UM, REALLY THINKING ABOUT THESE THINGS AND THESE HARD ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP AND THE HARD IDEA OF MAYBE TAKING THE HEIGHT AS FROM FUNDING IS, IS REALLY GONNA MEET WITH PITCHFORKS, BUT YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT NEED TO HAPPEN.
AND SO I, I WOULD AGREE THAT THEY DO THAT.
SO I'LL SET CONDITIONALS MOTION.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY WHAT YOU D W SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST SAID, RIGHT? TAKING THE HIATUS FROM FUNDING, BUT IN YOUR PREVIOUS COMMENT YOU WERE SAYING, LET'S USE THAT 1 MILLION THIS YEAR AS THE, AS THE TRANSITIONAL.
I SAID, SINCE WE ONLY HAVE 1 MILLION FOR 22 THUS FAR, I'M SAYING MAYBE YOU DON'T DO FUNDING FOR 2020 TO HOLD ONTO THAT MONEY AND ACTUALLY WORK WITH WHATEVER IS COLLECTED FOR ALL FIVE 23 AND THEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO PLAY WITH.
SO ACTUALLY FYI 22 WOULD BE THE PHI HATE IS EUROPE, NO ACTUAL CULTURAL BUMPING CONTRACTS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I MEANT BY NOT USING THAT 1 MILLION, BUT HOLDING ONTO IT AND LETTING IT BUILD TO SEE WHAT IT ACTUALLY COMES TO MORE FYI 23 AND USING, USING THE 3.9 OR THE 7.8, IF WE
[03:05:01]
COULD HAVE FEDERAL RELIEF MONEY AS JUST REALLY FOR PROGRAMMING, I'M UNDERSTOOD.I WAS THINKING SOMETHING SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
SO, UH, THE MOTION ON THE TABLE, ART, DO YOU NOT WANT TO MOVE FORWARD BY SHAREHOLDER? OH NO.
I WAS, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER WE COULD, THERE WAS ONE OF THE PIECES I WANTED TO CONSIDER AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN FOLD IT INTO THE WORKING GROUP OR IF IT'S A SEPARATE CONVERSATION.
SO I JUST HAD A QUESTION FOR THE GROUP, WHICH IS IF WE DECIDE THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA USE THE GO FORWARD WITH THE CULTURAL FUNDING FUNDS FOR ONE YEAR, WHILE WE CATCH UP WITH OURSELVES, WHILE WE PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, CAN WE STILL BE HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT OTHER RESOURCES WE HAVE AS A CITY THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO USE TO SUPPORT CREATIVE ARTISTS, SEPARATE DEPARTMENTS FROM THE EMERGENCY FUNDING? LIKE, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE TAKING THE ACTION RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE HIGH EIGHT A YEAR.
WE'VE GOT TO PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA TO TALK ABOUT IT, RIGHT.
WE'RE CREATING A WORKING GROUP TO TALK ABOUT THESE IDEAS AND COME UP WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS WAS MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
YEAH, NO I'M JUST ASKING, IS IT STRICTLY ABOUT EMERGENCY FUNDS OR IS IT ABOUT THE WHOLE THING? NO.
IT'S ABOUT, ABOUT HAVING THIS HARD CONVERSATION ABOUT STRATEGIES FOR MOVING FORWARD WITH FUNDING AND RATHER IT INCLUDED IT, IT WOULD INCLUDE UTILIZING, UM, I'LL MOVE FOR THAT.
MOTION BY VICE CHAIR, GAR TO, UH, FORM A JOINT OR NOT JOINT.
SORRY, THE FORMAT WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS EMERGENCY FUNDING AND, UH, PROACTIVE STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE FUNDING.
I'LL, I'LL BE, I BELIEVE FLORES.
YOU SECONDED IT EARLIER THAT YOU SECONDED THE MOTION.
AND THEN YOU'RE NOW SAYING THAT YOU WILL ALSO BE ON THAT WORKING GROUP.
ZISMAN WILL BE ON THE WORKING GROUP.
POLGAR WILL BE ON THE WORKING GROUP.
UH, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION
ARE YOU WANTING TO JOIN AS WELL? UM, I CAN SERVE AS A BACKUP.
SO ONLY INVITE BREAD IF THERE'S COOKIES AND MILK.
OR I BRING REALLY GOOD SNACKS FOR BREAD.
I'M JUST EXCITED THAT I CAN PAINT NEXT TO YOU.
SO WE HAVE THE MOTION AND THE SECOND WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE FOUR COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE GOING TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP, UH, ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED ABSTENTIONS THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION.
UH, THIS WAS, THIS WAS A HEAVY, UH, A LONG NIGHT.
I WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR PATIENTS.
UM, AND WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP THESE CONVERSATIONS GOING.
UM, TALK TO TALK TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TALK TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND UH, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.