* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:04]
          AND GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. 
          UM, UM, CALL THE MEETING, UH, THIS MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TO ORDER IT IS 5:34 PM. 
          ON APRIL 21ST, 2021. 
          UH, FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS. 
          MONA, WOULD YOU BE KIND ENOUGH TO TAKE ROLL? YES. 
          CHAIR HARRIS, COMMISSIONER OF SHARE, UM, COMMISSIONER REIN AND PRESTON. 
          I'M SORRY IF I'M MISPRONOUNCING YOUR NAME. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER  COMMISSIONER GOMEZ. 
          COMMISSIONER VICE-CHAIR LEMAN COMMISSIONER TEMPLETON HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER LEVINE. 
          THANK YOU, MIKE COMMISSIONER. 
          FISCHLER COMMISSIONER MEISENBACH HERE. 
          CHAIR HARRISON HERE, HERE, UH, COMMISSIONER HAIM, SOUTH COMMISSIONER KEATON, COMMISSIONER LEVITAN. 
          HE DID LET ME KNOW THAT HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO ATTEND. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER  HERE. 
          THANKS MELISSA COMMISSIONER WEATHERBY AND COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ HERE. 
          THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. 
          AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER GOMEZ UH, WAS MUTED, BUT HE IS HERE. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          SAME HERE. 
          AND IT'S GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU. 
          UM, WE HAVE, UH, ONE NEW MEMBER THAT'S JOINED US COMMISSIONER LEVINE, UH, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER LEVINE. 
          IF YOU WANTED TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF, UH, TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AND LET US KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU. 
          SURE. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. 
          I, UH, I EVEN PUT ON A BUTTON DOWN SHIRT FOR THIS, SO IT'S WASTED. 
          UM, MY NAME IS MIKE LEVINE. 
          I WAS, UH, KINDLY APPOINTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POOL AND I DO GOVERNMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR LIVING, BUT I ALSO, UM, AM INVOLVED IN SOME BARS AND RESTAURANTS, SORTS OF THINGS. 
          UH, THE VIOLET CROWN CLUBHOUSE AND CRESTVIEW AND NEW BAR ON THE EAST SIDE. 
          AND I AM REALLY EXCITED TO TAKE PART IN THIS AND TRY TO BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER. 
          AND I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE. 
          IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ME OR YOU WANT TO TALK TO ME OFFLINE, UM, I'M PRETTY EASY TO FIND AND I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO BUY A CUP OF COPIES OR BEER. 
          I APPRECIATE Y'ALL AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL SERVICE. 
          WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING HELPFUL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS CITIZEN COMMUNICATION. 
          MONA, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO CHAIR. 
          THERE ARE NO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, 
          [1. Approval of Minutes of the March 17, 2021 Meeting Minutes]
NEXT ITEM, WE HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE MARCH 17TH, 2021 MEETING. 
          HOPE EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE MINUTES. 
          ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR ADDITIONS CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES I'M HEARING? NONE. 
          WIANNO W WAS I NOTICED IN THE MINUTES THAT, AND THIS IS MY, MY FEEBLE MEMORY, UM, THAT, UM, WE APPROVED AT THE LAST MEETING, THE DECEMBER 16TH, 20, 20 MINUTES. 
          YES, THAT'S CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, HEARING NO COMMENTS. 
          DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED? I APPROVED IT LOOPS IT, MR. MEISENBACH AND DO I HAVE A SECOND? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          BUT THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED. 
          UH, NOW, UH, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE ITEMS OUT OF ORDER IF THE COMMISSION WON'T MIND, UH, BECAUSE THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND HEARINGS ARE ONGOING, UH, WE'VE HAD A BIT OF A CHANGE IN PRESENTERS. 
          [2e. House Bill 3813: Regulating Amplified Sound: Discussion and possible action regarding HB 3813 (Brie Franco, COA Intergovernmental Relations Officer – 15 minutes)]
TAYLOR WOR WILL BE REPRESENTING, UH, THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS STAFF TODAY TO DISCUSS, UH, ITEM E HOUSE BILL 38 13, WHICH IS THE REGULATION OF AMPLIFIED SALE. 
          [00:05:03]
IS TAYLOR AVAILABLE? CAN YOU HEAR ME? IS THAT TAYLOR? THAT'S ME. 
          HI TAYLOR. 
          YES, WE CAN. 
          PERFECT. 
          SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          THAT'S MY FIRST TIME USING THIS PLATFORM. 
          SO YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BEAR WITH ME A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU GUYS TODAY AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME PRESENT TO YOU. 
          UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU ARE JUST LOOKING FOR AN UPDATE ON THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION. 
          UM, AND IF THAT'S THAT'S RIGHT THEN I WILL GET STARTED. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT IS CORRECT. 
          OBVIOUSLY WITH THIS, WITH SESSION GOING ON RIGHT NOW AND THIS BILL, UH, MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH IT'S THERE IS NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW TO, TO GET A BRIEFING ON IT. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          I, I, I SENT IN SOME SLIDES. 
          COULD IT PULL THOSE UP TURNING, PLEASE? I BELIEVE WE JUST PULLED THOSE UP FOR YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO, FIRST OFF I'LL GET STARTED AND KIND OF INTRODUCE MYSELF AND MY ROLE HERE. 
          UM, I'M A SENIOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COORDINATOR FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          UM, WE WORK ON ALL THINGS THAT DEAL WITH THE LEGISLATURE, UM, AT THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND BREE UNFORTUNATELY WAS PULLED AWAY. 
          AND I BELIEVE YOU, YOU'VE ALL HEARD FROM HER BEFORE, UM, ON, ON THE RESOLUTIONS THAT, THAT YOU ALL PASSED TO REGARDING COMMUNITY ADVOCACY AND THAT SORT OF THING. 
          UM, BUT THE ISSUE BEFORE US TODAY OF COURSE, IS HB THREE EIGHT ONE THREE. 
          UM, IF IT COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THERE'S A LITTLE DELAY ON MY SIDE. 
          SO I'LL JUST KIND OF JUMP IN HERE. 
          UM, FOR ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T KNOW, HB THREE EIGHT, ONE THREE IS THE BILL FILED BY REPRESENTATIVE CODY HARRIS, UM, THAT WILL PREEMPT THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S CURRENT AMPLIFIED SOUND ORDINANCE. 
          UM, THE BILL IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN IS GOING TO ALLOW AMPLIFIED SOUND THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY UP TO 85 DECIBELS. 
          UM, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT FOUND EXPERTS, JUST LIKE ME, THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF A LARGE MOTORCYCLE AT ALL TIMES. 
          SO, UM, THE BILL IS WRITTEN, WE'LL ALLOW IT UNTIL 2:00 AM CITYWIDE. 
          UM, THE BILL IS AUTHORED BY A LAWMAKER FROM PALESTINE, TEXAS. 
          AND IF YOU GUYS DON'T REMEMBER VOTING FOR HIM, UM, IN THE AUSTIN AREA, WE DO NOT CAESAR. 
          SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IT'S INTERESTING TO US. 
          UM, AND THE BILL IS ALSO BRACKETED ONLY TO AUSTIN. 
          UM, THERE'S NO OTHER CITY IN TEXAS THAT WOULD BE, UM, IMPACTED BY THIS LEGISLATION. 
          UM, AND IN, IN, IN EFFECT, IT WOULD REQUIRE THAT ALL AUSTIN RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO REDRESS GRIEVANCES RELATED TO THEIR LOCAL SOUNDBOARD AND IT WOULD HAVE TO LOBBY THE LEGISLATURE EVERY TWO YEARS. 
          UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO THE NEXT SLIDE HERE IS GOING TO GIVE YOU KIND OF A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT OUR CURRENT SOUND ORDINANCE IS. 
          AND I'LL RUN THROUGH THAT VERY BRIEFLY. 
          AND AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE MAP ON THE SIDE, UM, THERE ARE THREE CAVEATS TO, TO OUR SOUND ORDINANCE, AND I'M SURE A LOT OF THIS, UM, UM, OUR SOUND ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW GOES FROM SUNDAY TO WEDNESDAY UNTIL 10 30 AND THEN ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, AND CAN GO UP TO 12:00 AM. 
          UM, THERE ARE SOME SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS HERE, WHICH IS THE SIXTH AND WAREHOUSE DISTRICT WHERE AMPLIFIED NOISE IS ALLOWED UNTIL 2:00 AM EVERY DAY. 
          AND THEN THE RED RIVER DISTRICT, WHICH ALLOWS AMPLIFIED SOUND UNTIL 12:00 AM ON THURSDAY AND THEN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY UNTIL 1:00 AM. 
          UM, IN REGARDS TO THE CITYWIDE CITYWIDE ORDINANCE, THERE IS A SPECIAL PERMIT THAT CAN BE SOUGHT, UM, TO EXTEND THOSE HOURS. 
          UM, BUT THERE'S ALSO A SPECIAL PERMIT THAT HAS TO BE SOUGHT IF THAT BAR OR ESTABLISHMENT FALLS WITHIN 600 FEET OF A PROPERTIES OUT, UM, FOR RESIDENTIAL ABUSE. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU KIND OF A TIMELINE OF, OF HOW OUR SOUND ORDINANCE CAME TO BE, UM, REALLY WHAT THIS HAPPENED. 
          IT STARTED BACK IN 2003 WHERE THE CITY COUNCIL AMENDED OUR BASELINE ORDINANCE AND REVISED, UM, PROVIDE THE ORDINANCE THAT THEY HAD ON THE BOOKS AND THEN ADDED A PERMIT REQUIREMENT, WHICH WAS THE 600 FEET. 
          UM, RESIDENTIAL USE PERMIT THAT I WAS SPEAKING ABOUT BEFORE AT THAT SAME TIME, MAYBE A FEW MONTHS LATER AFTER THE ORIGINAL BASELINE ORDINANCE WAS CREATED, THEY ALSO CREATED THE SIX AND WAREHOUSE DISTRICT, UM, WHICH ALLOWED AMPLIFIED 
          [00:10:01]
NOISE UNTIL 2:00 AM. 
          AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THESE ALL HAPPENED IN 2003. 
          AND THEN IN 2011, WE ADDED IN 2012, ACTUALLY WE ADDED SOME, SOME LOOSENING TO WHERE THOSE, UM, SOUND PERMITS WITHIN 600 FEET OF THE PROPERTY IS OUT IN USE FOR RESIDENTIAL COULD BE ADDED UNTIL 12:00 AM. 
          UM, AND THEN IN 2018, THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT WAS CREATED, WHICH ALLOWED, WHICH WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT. 
          UM, AND THEN IN 2021 OF COURSE IS WHEN THIS BILL GOT FILED, UM, OF COURSE, TO DO AWAY WITH THOSE ESSENTIALLY TWO DECADES OF WORK THAT YOU SEE RIGHT THERE. 
          I CAN GET THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO IN THIS NEXT SLIDE, UM, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE KIND OF USEFUL TO GIVE YOU SOME EXPLANATIONS OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING AROUND THE CAPITOL AND WHY THIS BILL WAS, WAS PURSUED BY THE HANDFUL OF BAR OWNERS, UM, THAT, THAT ARE PURSUING IT. 
          UM, AND GIVE YOU KIND OF SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT, THAT THEY'VE BEEN SHARING WITH WITH LAWMAKERS THAT WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD TO, TO KIND OF COMBAT, UM, THE FIRST BEING THAT THE CITY IMPLEMENTED THE CURRENT ORDINANCE AFTER, UM, THE BAR OWNERS HAD ESTABLISHED A PRESENCE DOWNTOWN, UM, AS YOU SAW BY THE SLIDES BEFORE, THAT'S NOT EXACTLY TRUE BECAUSE OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 2003. 
          UM, THE NEXT ONE BEING THAT THE CITY'S CURRENT ORDINANCE IS COMPLETELY ANTIBUSINESS. 
          UM, THAT IS THAT'S A CLAIM THAT WE'VE HEARD MULTIPLE TIMES FROM SOME OF THE BAR OWNERS, UM, AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PUSHING THIS LEGISLATION, UM, WHICH, WHICH IS COMPLETELY FALSE AS WELL. 
          UM, THIS BILL IS ACTUALLY BEING PURSUED BY A VERY SMALL LIST OF BAR OWNERS AND THEY DON'T SPEAK FOR THE COLLECTIVE WHOLE AS BUSINESSES IN AUSTIN. 
          UM, BUT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HOTEL GROUPS, APARTMENT GROUPS, YOU NAME IT REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS WHO ALL HAVE EXPRESSED OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL. 
          SO WE'RE TRYING TO DISPEL THAT CLAIM THAT, UH, IT'S AN ANTI-BUSINESS MEASURE WHEN THERE ARE QUITE A FEW BUSINESSES ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. 
          THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THEN THE OTHER ONE, UM, THE OTHER, THE LAST THING THAT I'LL MENTION ON THIS IS THAT THEY ARE ALSO SAYING THAT NO OTHER CITY HAS A SOUND ORDINANCE IN TEXAS, WHICH IS COMPLETELY FALSE. 
          UM, THAT'S A NARRATIVE THAT'S BEING PUSHED AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM. 
          HOWEVER, WE HAVE ALL OF THE, UM, MAX SOUND LEVELS IN THE MAX ALLOWABLE HOURS LISTED OUT HERE. 
          AND YOU'LL SEE THAT OFTEN ACTUALLY THERE'S ONE OF EVERY SINGLE LARGE CITY IN TEXAS THAT DOES HAVE A SOUND ORDINANCE. 
          AND IN FACT, OURS IS THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE. 
          SO WE WERE CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY A LEGISLATION. 
          THAT'S GOING TO COMPLETELY PREEMPT OUR SOUND BOARD MINUTES. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO THE NEXT STEPS, UM, HERE, AND I KNOW I RAN THROUGH THIS VERY QUICKLY AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS. 
          UM, REALLY WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IS THE BILL IS PENDING RIGHT BEFORE THE HOUSE CALENDARS COMMITTEE, WHICH IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR, IS THE COMMITTEE THAT CHOOSES WHICH BILLS THAT ARE HEARD ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. 
          UM, WE SEE THIS AS A, AS A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE REPRESENTATIVE WHO AUTHORED THE BILL IS ACTUALLY A MEMBER OF THAT COMMITTEE. 
          SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CALENDARS COMMITTEE, UM, ARE AWARE OF OUR OPPOSITION AND HOW ENGAGED THAT THE COMMUNITY IS ON THIS. 
          UM, THE SECOND PART OF OUR STRATEGY HERE IS, IS WE'RE REALLY ENGAGING SOME RESIDENTS AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BUSINESSES, OTHER STATEWIDE ASSOCIATIONS, AND OUR ENTIRE AUSTIN DELEGATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A VERY NEGATIVE BILL FOR THIS CITY. 
          UM, RIGHT NOW YOU MAY ASK US, WHAT CAN YOU DO? UM, THERE, I, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION AFTER THIS CALL WITH YOU GUYS. 
          UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE, OUR FOCUS IS REALLY ON THAT HOUSE CALENDARS COMMITTEE. 
          SO ANY CALLS, ANY KIND OF EMAILS THAT YOU GUYS CAN PROVIDE TO THOSE MEMBERS WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. 
          UM, AND THEN OF COURSE JUST SPREADING THE WORD AND TELLING THEM HOW THIS IS NEGATIVE FOR AUSTIN AND THAT SORT OF THING. 
          SO, UM, I BELIEVE THAT WRAPS UP MY PRESENTATION, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER HER'S QUESTIONS. 
          I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          CAN WE BE SENT THE NAMES AND THE EMAILS AND THE PHONE NUMBERS OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE CALENDAR? ABSOLUTELY. 
          I CAN FOLLOW UP, UM, WITH, WITH AN EMAIL AFTER THIS, THAT WE HAVE A FIRE THAT WE'VE BEEN CIRCULATING IN IT, AND IT OUTLINED EXACTLY WHO TO CALL, UM, AND THEN SOME TALKING POINTS AS WELL. 
          SO I'M HAPPY TO 
          [00:15:01]
SHARE THAT WITH YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I HAVE A QUESTION, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          YES, PLEASE. 
          UM, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, TAYLOR. 
          UH, IS THERE A SENATE COMPANION TO THIS ONE? THERE IS NOT, THERE IS NOT JUST YET. 
          UM, WE ARE UNSURE OF, OF KIND OF WHERE IT WOULD HEAD IN THE SENATE. 
          SO THAT IS, THAT'S WHY ALL OF OUR EFFORTS HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON THE HOUSE AT THIS POINT. 
          BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION QUICKLY, THE ANSWER'S NO, WHICH HOUSE COMMITTEE DIDN'T COME THROUGH. 
          UH, I WASN'T REALLY WATCHING IT. 
          WAS IT URBAN AFFAIRS AND IT WAS THE HOUSE, IT'S THE HOUSE CULTURE RECREATION AND TOURISM COMMITTEE THAT VOTED IT OUT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I'M ALSO CURIOUS, AND IT'S NOT DIRECTLY TO THIS BILL, BUT IS, HAS OUR CITY COUNCIL TAKEN A POSITION ON THIS ONE OFFICIALLY OR, OR HOW DO Y'ALL GET YOUR GUIDANCE AS TO WHEN TO START FIRING AWAY ON BILLS LIKE THIS? SURE, SURE. 
          SO OUR, UM, OFFICIAL CAPACITY AND TO BE ABLE TO, TO WORK WITH THE LEGISLATURE COMES FROM OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT, UM, IS PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL. 
          AND I BELIEVE IT WAS PASSED LAST OCTOBER. 
          UM, IN THAT THERE IS A GENERAL STATEMENT OF ESSENTIALLY PREEMPTION THAT, THAT WE WOULD FIGHT ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE THE STATE WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY TAKING AWAY THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT THEIR RESIDENTS, PROTECT THEIR, THEIR BUSINESS OWNERS, THAT SORT OF THING. 
          SO OUR AUTHORIZATION COMES FROM THAT LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. 
          UM, COUNCIL IS AWARE. 
          I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD. 
          NO, THAT'S FANTASTIC. 
          I'M JUST WONDERING ALSO IF THAT WOULD APPLY TO LIKE HB 27 89, JUST DO YOU ALL HAVE THE SAME AUTHORITY FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? LIKE, CAUSE THAT WOULD BE A PREEMPTIVE BILL AS WELL. 
          I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT SURE. 
          I'M NOT EXACTLY FAMILIAR WITH, UM, THAT BILL. 
          HOWEVER, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND FOLLOW BACK UP WITH YOU. 
          I WOULD, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. 
          THANKS SO MUCH. 
          AND THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION. 
          YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          YES, PLEASE. 
          HI. 
          UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          UM, I'M WONDERING, UM, SO THE, THE, THE BUSINESS OWNERS, THE BAR OWNERS THAT ARE PUSHING FOR THIS, DO THEY HAPPEN TO BE FROM THE JURISDICTION OF THE PERSON THAT, THAT, UH, THAT AUTHORED THIS BILL MEAN? IT JUST SEEMS KIND OF STRANGE, RIGHT? IT IS VERY ODD. 
          UM, NO, AS A MATTER OF FACT, NO ONE IN AUSTIN COMES FROM THE JURISDICTION OF CODY HARRIS. 
          HE'S A MEMBER FROM PALESTINE, UM, WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF HILLSBORO IN BETWEEN THERE, IN COURSE OF CANA. 
          UM, IT, IT IS KIND OF AN INTERESTING PERSON TO CARRY THE BILL. 
          HOWEVER, HE LAID IT OUT AS, AS AN EXPLANATION THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN SOUND ORDINANCE WAS TOO RESTRICTIVE. 
          UM, AND HE FELT PERSONALLY AFFECTED BY THAT. 
          SO, UM, THAT WAS HIS EXPLANATION FOR CARRYING THE BILL. 
          UM, BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION NOW, HE IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN DELEGATION. 
          AND, BUT, BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION WAS THE, THE OWNERS, THE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE, THAT HAVE COME FORWARD AND ARE SUPPORTING THIS, UM, WHAT IS, DO THEY HAVE A CONNECTION TO THIS GUY? NO, THEY DO NOT. 
          THEY DO NOT. 
          UM, THEY ARE ACTUALLY ALL FROM, FROM AUSTIN. 
          UM, THEY, THE CONNECTION CAME FROM THEM BEING ABLE TO HIRE A LOBBYIST, UM, WHO FOUND A BILL AUTHOR WHO WAS WILLING TO CARRY IT. 
          UM, THEY, THEY HAVE LOBBIED THE LEGISLATURE AND CODY HARRIS WAS, WAS THE MEMBER WHO CHOSE TO CARRY IT, UM, BASED ON THAT LOBBYIST SUGGESTION, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, UH, TEXAS POLITICS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IT'S ALWAYS FUN. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER LAYMAN, IS THERE A WEBSITE FOR THIS GROUP OF LOCAL BAR OWNERS TO THINK WE SHOULD HAVE 85 DECIBELS CITYWIDE, 24 SEVEN? THERE IS NOT, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE, THERE IS ANY SORT OF FORMAL COALITION THAT THEY PUBLICIZED OR DONE ANY ADVERTISING AROUND. 
          UM, BUT DO YOU HAVE A, HAVE A VERY SHORT LIST OF THE ONES THAT I DO KNOW WHO ARE INVOLVED BECAUSE THEY WERE THE ONES WHO TESTIFIED AT THE HEARING. 
          UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE A VERY CLOSE-KNIT GROUP THAT, THAT I'M UNAWARE OF, OF WHO ALL IS INVOLVED. 
          CAN WE BE MADE AWARE OF THIS GROUP? UM, I CAN, I CAN POINT YOU TO, UM, THE TESTIMONY THAT WAS GIVEN ON THE BILL, AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT LINK WITH YOU. 
          UM, THERE WAS A FEW BAR OWNERS THAT TESTIFIED THAT DAY AND I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH, WITH THE LINK TO THAT TESTIMONY. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD PRESENTATION. 
          WOULD YOU BE KIND IF YOU HAVE THE LIST HANDY, AT LEAST, DID YOU POINT TO A NUMBER OF THE BAR OWNERS SINCE THEY'RE ALSO CONSTITUENTS? AT LEAST SOME OF THEM MAY BE OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION. 
          [00:20:03]
I'M SORRY, ERIC, WAS THERE A QUESTIONNAIRE? I THINK YOU CUT OUT. 
          YEAH. 
          YES, YES. 
          UH, I SAID, UM, WOULD YOU BE, UM, ABLE TONIGHT TO, UM, POINT TO GIVE US THE NAMES OF A NUMBER OF THEM JUST SINCE SOME OF THEM ARE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, UH, VENUES ARE SUSPECT AND THUS ARE PART OF OUR, UH, OUR COM DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY. 
          SURE, SURE. 
          LET ME, UH, YES. 
          SO, UM, MY BOSS BRIEF BRONCO WHO WAS, WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TONIGHT. 
          UNFORTUNATELY SHE COULDN'T LET ME, LET ME, UM, CHECK IN WITH HER ON THE, ON THE BEST WAY TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU GUYS. 
          IF YOU DON'T MIND, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. 
          IT'S IT'S THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD THIS COME TO US BEFORE, AND HAVEN'T HAD STAKEHOLDERS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE, UH, THE CONVERSATION, UH, COME TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TO USE IT AS A FORUM TO DISCUSS THESE ITEMS BEFORE WENT TO THE LEGISLATURE, BUT WE ARE WHERE WE ARE. 
          UM, BUT IF WE'RE NOT, UH, UH, AWARE OF WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT THIS WITHIN OUR DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          UH, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER LEVENTON IS NOT WITH US THIS EVENING. 
          HE IS OUR LIAISON FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION, AND I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE HEARD WHAT HE HAD TO SAY TO SEE EVENING CARE HARRIS YESTERDAY, COMMISSIONER AND BOB. 
          HI, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, MR. WARD, YOUR, YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY CLEAR. 
          UM, AND, UM, I'M SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT PROBABLY MOST OF THE COMMISSIONERS KNOW, BUT MAYBE ONE OR TWO DON'T THAT WHEN THE SOUND ORDINANCES WERE MADE AND STUDIED, THERE WERE BAR OWNERS AND HOTEL OWNERS, AND IT MANY TIMES THE HOTEL OWNERS WOULD HAVE LIKED IT TO BE QUIETER BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO REFUND HOTEL ROOM FEES WHERE THE BAR OWNERS WANTED IT LONGER AND LOUDER, BUT IT WASN'T JUST ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE. 
          IT WASN'T JUST CITIZENS. 
          IT WAS THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I SHOULD HAVE EXPANDED UPON THAT AS WELL. 
          UM, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. 
          IT W IT WAS THE PRODUCT OF COLLABORATION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S WHERE WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. 
          UM, SO THAT'S WHY IT'S A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING, BUT THAT WE HAVE TO GO TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO HAVE ANY CHANGES HERE WHEN WE COULD DO IT AS A COMMUNITY. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST HAD ONE QUICK QUESTION TO CLARIFY THAT IT WOULD BE FOR EVERY DAY, UNTIL 2:00 AM CITYWIDE. 
          IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT. 
          THAT IS RIGHT. 
          IT WOULD BE EVERYDAY CITYWIDE, UM, BETWEEN 10:00 AM AND 2:00 AM. 
          THERE COULD BE UP TO 85 DECIBELS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO I'M, I'M ASKING YOU TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THE PLACE WHERE IT WOULD END UP EXPANDING THE HOURS THE MOST WOULD BE ACTUALLY OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN. 
          UM, AND SO I WAS ACTUALLY WONDERING IF IT WAS THE SOUTH AUSTIN STRETCH OF BARS, IF IT WAS SOME OF THE MORE OUTLYING SORT OF, WHAT DO WE CALL, WE CALL THEM ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS, THE DRINKING DISTRICTS. 
          SO THAT WAS ACTUALLY MY QUESTION TO SEE IF WE COULD GET SOME CLARITY, IF IT WAS SOME OF THE NEW, THE SORT OF FORMING ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS THAT WERE COMING. 
          SURE, SURE. 
          AND YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT WE'VE UNDERSTOOD IS, IS MOST OF THE WEST STICKS AREA IS WHERE WE SEE THE CONCERN. 
          THANK YOU MUCH. 
          ANYBODY ELSE? THIS IS SCHEDULED FOR POSSIBLE ACTION TO SEE EVENING. 
          DOES ANYBODY REALIZING THAT IT'S AT THE LEGISLATURE AT THIS MOMENT? UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE A MOTION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO BRING, SEEING NONE HEARING NONE, UH, COMMISSIONER WISER, BOB? UH, I'M NOT SURE HOW TO FORM A MOTION AND WHAT IT WOULD BE. 
          UM, I THINK THIS WOULD BE HORRIBLE FOR ME. 
          UM, SO, AND MY NEIGHBORS. 
          SO CAN I MOVE TO SUPPORT THIS, THIS WORK OF THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL, UH, RELATIONS GROUP? NO. 
          OH, NO. 
          I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO. 
          UM, DOES ANYBODY WANT TO TRY TO WORDSMITH IT? UM, I THINK THE, WELL, ESSENTIALLY YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY IS THAT THE DOWN TOWN COMMISSION, 
          [00:25:01]
UH, IS IN OPPOSITION TO HOUSE BILL 38, 13, PERHAPS. 
          THAT'S NOT TRUE. 
          UM, I AM AGAINST IT, BUT IF YOU MAKE THAT AS A MOTION AND GET A VOTE OF THE COMMISSION, UM, I, I MOVE, AS YOU STATED, I HAVE A MOTION. 
          DO I HAVE A SECOND, A SECOND? I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I MEAN, MY ONLY QUESTION IS, ARE WE JUST SENDING OUR RECOMMENDATION TO CITY HALL? LIKE WE WOULD LIKE, IT'S A DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT ENTITY. 
          LIKE WHERE DOES THIS GO? ALL WE'RE DOING IS THIS WILL GO TO COUNCIL INDICATING THAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION UP OPPOSE HOUSE BILL 38, 13, WHICH WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INNER GOVERNABLE INNER GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS POLICY REGARDING THE BILL. 
          ANYWAY, IT'S A LITTLE AFTER THE FACT THAT MR. CAN I DO THAT? DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          UH, OH, IT'S LAURA TEMPLETON. 
          IF THERE WAS NO COMPANION SENATE, THEN ALL THIS ISN'T GOOD. 
          WE HAVE NO IDEA IF THERE IS A SENATOR WILLING TO SPONSOR THE BILL TAYLOR. 
          YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          SO I WOULD SAY THAT IF IT LEAVES THE HOUSE LEAVES THE HOUSE, IF IT GETS PASSED OUT OF THE HOUSE, I THINK THERE'S A LARGE POSSIBILITY THAT A SENATOR WOULD PICK IT UP. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S, AS FAR AS WE KNOW, WE DO NOT KNOW OF A SENATE COMPANION AT THIS POINT. 
          HOWEVER, IT COULD BE VERY EASY FOR A SENATOR TO PICK IT UP. 
          SO SHOULD I LIVE TO TAKE A VOTE ON SAYING THAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, AS OPPOSED, SAY BILL 38, 13, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR TO THAT APARTMENT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR JUST ONE, ONE COMMENT OR, OR, OR STATEMENT TO BE MADE IS I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UM, AS MANY VOICES ARE HEARD, UM, INCLUDING THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TOWARDS OUR, OUR GOVERNMENT AND OUR STATE GOVERNMENT, THAT, UM, WE PREFER TO LEGISLATE OURSELVES IN THE NOISE IN OUR, IN OUR AREA OURSELVES AS WE ALREADY HAVE. 
          AND I THINK THAT VOTING, HOWEVER, THIS BOAT GOES, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UH, OUR VOICES BE HEARD. 
          AND THIS IS JUST ONE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR A GROUP OF VOICES TO BE HEARD AND TO SAY, NO, THIS IS WE DON'T, WE DON'T SUPPORT THIS AT ALL THAT HOSPITAL. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ. 
          UM, DO YOU WANT TO MAKE ANY SORT OF AMENDMENT TO THE LANGUAGE OR JUST MOVE FORWARD AS IT IS? I THINK IT'S GOOD AS IS. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, DO I HAVE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION HEARING NONE? I'LL CALL THE QUESTION ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          BYE BYE. 
          ANY OPPOSED, PLEASE SAY NAY HEARING NONE. 
          THE MOTION CARRIES. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TAYLOR. 
          UM, UH, I THINK, UH, BETWEEN YOU AND MS. FRANCO, WE WOULD CERTAINLY LOVE TO HAVE YOU BACK, UH, VERY SHORTLY, UH, TO DISCUSS WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE LEGISLATURE. 
          UH, AS IT WINDS DOWN TO SUNNY DIE, THAT WOULD POSSIBLY AFFECT DOWNTOWN AUSTIN. 
          UH, SO IF, UH, W W MONA AND CHRISTINE, IF YOU ALL WOULD BE KIND TO WORK WITH THE GOOD FOLKS IN, IN INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THEM SCHEDULED TO DISCUSS ALL THE OTHER LEGISLATION THAT MIGHT HAVE AN EFFECT ON OUR DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT CHAIR. 
          AND DO YOU FEEL IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF, UM, IN ADVANCE OF THAT CONVERSATION AT AN ACTUAL COMMISSION MEETING, IF TAYLOR AND PRI COULD, UH, FORWARD A DOCUMENT THAT I COULD DISTRIBUTE FOR REVIEW PRIOR TO THE CONVERSATION? I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR EVERYBODY. 
          OKAY. 
          I'LL WORK WITH TAYLOR AND BRIA ON THAT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TAYLOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US AND, UH, CONTINUE TO YOUR HARD WORK AT THE CAPITOL ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. 
          [00:30:01]
OF COURSE. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME JOIN YOU GUYS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH AS, AS ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM, PLEASE NOTE THAT ITEM C UH, BECAUSE WE, UH, HAD TO MOVE, UM, THE INTER-GOVERNMENT RELAY RELAY, EXCUSE ME, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, UH, PRESENTATION OF THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION PRESENTATION WILL HAVE TO BE MOVED. 
          UH, AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT THAT ON OUR MAY AGENDA. 
          I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO MONA CHRISTINA. 
          I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO TAKE ANY ACTION ON THIS TO MOVE IT TO A NO CHAIR. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          UM, THAT TAKES US BACK TO 
          [2a. Election of Officers: Discussion and possible action.]
ITEM A UNDER NEW BUSINESS AND THAT'S THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 
          UM, MONA, CHRISTINE, DO YOU WANT TO HANDLE THIS PART OF IT? UH, YES. 
          TERRY HARRIS. 
          I CAN HANDLE THIS APPARENTLY. 
          AND, UM, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT KNOWING THIS AT THE, AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING AT THE LAST MONTH'S MEETING, BUT THE CHAIR POSITION AND THE VICE CHAIR POSITION OF CO OF CITY OF AUSTIN COMMISSIONS, BOARD AND COMMISSIONS, UH, ARE, UM, EXCUSE ME, SORRY. 
          I JUST LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT NEED TO BE APPROVED ANNUALLY. 
          SO THEREFORE WE, WE DID APPROVE, UM, COMMISSIONER LAYMAN AS VICE CHAIR, AND NOW WE JUST NEED TO BE PROACTIVE AND, OR YOU AS A COMMISSION NEED TO BE PROACTIVE AND, AND, UH, DISCUSS THE NOMINATION OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION CHAIR ONCE AGAIN, AND SINCE I'M CHAIR AT THE MOMENT, UH, I, THIS IS A LITTLE AWKWARD. 
          UM, IS THERE ANYBODY I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO SERVE FOR ANOTHER YEAR, UNLESS THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO, UH, HAS A, UH, WISHES TO, UH, TAKE, TAKE THE REINS. 
          I WISH TO NOW EIGHT CHAIR HARRIS TO BE CHAIRMAN AGAIN. 
          UM, I GUESS I CAN CALL THE VOTE. 
          IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SINCE I HAVE EMOTION AT A SECOND, NOBODY WANTS NOBODY TO TAKE ON THIS, THIS MIGHTY ROLE YOU'RE DOING ALL RIGHT. 
          I WANT SAY YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB AND WE'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME CONSISTENCY. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          I APPRECIATE THE, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY CHALLENGING YEAR TO BE A CHAIR AND CERTAINLY FOR EACH OF YOU TO BE COMMISSIONERS DURING THE PANDEMIC. 
          AND I REALLY HOPE THAT WE ALL GET TO MEET IN PERSON SOON. 
          SO, UH, AS MUCH AS I LIKE SEEING YOUR FACES ON THE SCREEN, I SURE WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU IN PERSON. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, AYE. 
          AYE. 
          OPPOSED, WAITING, WAITING, HEARING NONE. 
          THE MOTION CARRIES. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND, UH, I HOPE TO CONTINUE TO EARN YOUR, YOUR FAITH AS CHAIR OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION. 
          WE APPOINT A VICE CHAIR. 
          WE DID THAT AT THE LAST MEETING. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE'RE, WE'RE FINE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, THE NEXT 
          [2b. Joint Downtown Commission and Music Commission Meeting: Discussion and possible action.]
ITEM OF BUSINESS, EXCUSE ME, IS, UH, TO DISCUSS THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MUSIC COMMISSION JOINT MEETING. 
          WE DISCUSSED IT BRIEFLY AT OUR LAST MEETING. 
          AND AGAIN, UM, I HAD HOPED THAT COMMISSIONER LEVITTON WOULD BE HERE SINCE, UM, UH, HE AND I, AND THE MUSIC COMMISSION WERE INVOLVED IN THIS CONVERSATION, UM, WITH SO MANY THINGS HAPPENING. 
          THE SOUND BILL IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM, BUT WITH SO MANY THINGS HAPPENING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, AS IT AFFECTS DOWNTOWN AND WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF DOWNTOWN'S RESILIENCE, UM, COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, UM, WE FELT IT WOULD BE CONSTRUCTIVE TO HAVE A JOINT MEETING WITH THE MUSIC COMMISSION. 
          AND I MIGHT KNOW, AND, UH, CHRISTINA, RAMONA, UH, MAYBE YOU CAN FILL US IN, I BELIEVE THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND THE ARTS COMMISSION WERE HAVING A JOINT MEETING RECENTLY, OR WILL BE, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. 
          IN APRIL. 
          SO THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR A JOINT COMMISSION MEETING, BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE ONE PER QUARTER WOULD BE IN THIS UPCOMING QUARTER, WHICH IS WHAT JULY TO SEPTEMBER. 
          OKAY. 
          [00:35:02]
WELL THAT WILL BE RIGHT AS WE'RE, EVERYBODY'S A HUNDRED PERCENT VACCINATED. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND WE CAN ALL GO OUT AGAIN. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WELL, SINCE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO ONE UNTIL NEXT QUARTER ANYWAY, UM, WOULD THE COMMISSION MIND IF WE POSTPONED ANY ACTION SO WE COULD GET COMMISSIONER LEVITANS INPUT OR DO WE NEED TO, AND PERHAPS THIS IS FOR CHRISTINE, DO WE NEED A PLACEHOLDER TO TAKE ACTION? UM, WHAT WE CAN DO IS TAKE A PHOTO NOW TO AUTHORIZE STAFF TO WORK WITH THE OTHER COMMISSION, WE'LL DO A DOODLE POLL. 
          UM, AND, UM, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO, TO KNOW IF THE PREFERENCE OF THIS COMMISSION WOULD BE TO USE ONE OF OUR, UH, THIRD, WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH MEETING. 
          UH, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION'S PREFERENCE IS, I MEAN, SORRY, NOT DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, BUT THE MUSIC COMMISSION'S PREFERENCE BY THE COMMISSIONERS IS THAT THEY, THEY, A JOINT MEETING WOULD NOT OCCUR AT ONE OF THEIR NORMAL MEETINGS. 
          UM, SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THERE'S ANY DIRECTION FROM THE COMMISSION ABOUT, UH, WHEN OR WHAT DATES OR WHETHER WE CAN SUGGEST USING OUR COMMISSION. 
          ONE OF OUR COMMISSION TIMES, UM, WE CAN DO A DOODLE POLL. 
          IF, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE ACTION, EITHER WAY WE CAN WORK IT OUT. 
          IT PROBABLY IS MORE HELPFUL THOUGH, TO GET SOMETHING ON THE CALENDARS TO, TO CALL DIBS ON THE QUARTER BECAUSE THE MUSIC COMMISSION IS VERY ACTIVE IN JOINT MEETINGS, ESPECIALLY LIKE WHAT THE ARTS COMMISSION COMMISSIONER'S THOUGHTS. 
          PLEASE. 
          DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, ANY FEELINGS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ABOUT HAVING A JOINT MEETING WITH THE MUSIC COMMISSION? I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MEET AT JOINT MEETING. 
          I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU ALL. 
          UM, WELL, AND WE CAN WORK ON THE AGENDA TOGETHER. 
          UH, SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO FIRM UP NOW. 
          I CERTAINLY WOULD APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S INPUT. 
          UM, AS WE PUT THAT TOGETHER FOR A JOINT MEETING, UM, MY PREFERENCE AND I REALIZE WE'RE ALL MEETING TO DEATH. 
          UM, MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE IS THAT WE NOT DO IT DURING OUR REGULAR MEETING, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE IS ENOUGH BUSINESS OF THE COMMISSION, UM, ON A MONTHLY BASIS THAT TO HAVE AN ENTIRE MEETING DEVOTED TO, UM, W ONE OF OUR ENTIRE MEETINGS DEVOTED TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION MAY PREEMPT SOMETHING THAT IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION. 
          UM, AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT AS A SEPARATE DATE. 
          UM, BUT I, UH, I ENCOURAGE YOUR INPUT AND, YOU KNOW, IF Y'ALL HAVE, IF Y'ALL FEEL THAT IT SHOULD BE DURING ONE OF OUR REGULAR MEETINGS, WE'LL CERTAINLY MAKE THAT HAPPEN. 
          THOUGHTS. 
          IS THERE ANY WAY WE COULD EAT OUTDOORS WITH THE MUSIC COMMITTEE PERMISSION THAT A LOT OF MUSIC VENUE, PERHAPS? WOW. 
          I THINK THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA. 
          UM, SINCE, SINCE WE'LL BE IN THE, UH, WE'VE DISCUSSED, UM, I DISCUSSED WITH MONA TODAY WHEN, UM, AND WHEN THE THOUGHT WAS THAT WE MIGHT WIND UP MEETING IN PERSON AGAIN AND IT COULD BE FOR ALL WE KNOW IT COULD BE THE JULY MEETING. 
          SO HAVING, UM, HAVING AN OUTDOOR GATHERING TOGETHER, UH, WOULD CERTAINLY BE AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, SEPARATELY. 
          I'D BE HAPPY TO EXPLORE, EXPLORE THAT THOUGH. 
          I DO THINK WE'RE STILL IN THIS WEIRD HYBRID COVID SITUATION THAT THE LOGISTICS OF ALSO TAPING THE MEETING AND, UH, LOOK RECORDING THE MEETING WOULD JUST BE SOME LOGISTICS THAT WE WOULD WORK OUT FREE. 
          COVID WE, WE, THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES TO, I DON'T THINK OUT OUTDOORS, UM, BUT IN A BIGGER ROOM OR VENUE, SO WE'LL CHECK IT OUT, BUT THERE COULD BE SOME RULES THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT WE DO RECORD AND WE DO HAVE A B. 
          SO THE WOOD'S THE NEW, UH, THE NEW AMPHITHEATER W W WALLER CREEK. 
          THE, UH, SINCE IT'LL BE WIRED FOR SOUND, THAT MIGHT BE FUN. 
          [00:40:01]
I SAT ON THAT OUR, OUR WATERLOO GREENWAY FRIENDS, UH, MY, UH, MY VERY MUCH ENJOY HOSTING THERE FOR THAT. 
          SURE. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO THOUGH FOLLOW UP IN YOUR COMMENT ABOUT, I THINK THAT OUR COMMISSION'S GOING TO HAVE A LOT TO DO SO NOT HAVING TAKEN UP ONE OF OUR MEETINGS. 
          UM, SO HAVING IT HAPPEN OUTSIDE OF OUR REGULAR MEETING DATES SO THAT WE CAN NOT INTERRUPT THE BUSINESS THAT WE HAVE TO DO, UH, WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE, BUT, UH, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO A DOODLE POLL AND MAYBE THAT'LL ALL COME THAT WAY, BUT I WOULD PREFER THAT IT'D BE OUTSIDE OF OUR MEETING REGULAR MEETING TIME, BECAUSE, UH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT'S GOING TO BE COMING, UM, BEING PUT ON OUR PLATES. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, FOLKS. 
          ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, CHRISTINE? HAVE WE MADE YOUR LIFE THAT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT? IT'S FUN. 
          YOU MAKE IT FUN AND INTERESTING AND WONDERFUL. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALWAYS EXPLORE THIS AND WE WILL GET BACK WITH Y'ALL, BUT, BUT THE FORTUNATE THING IS NOT LIKE IN MAY, UM, WHERE YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE SCRAMBLING, SO IT IS TIME AND WE'LL GET THE DOODLE POLL OUT AND WE'LL, WE'LL DETERMINE THE LOGISTICS. 
          SO Y'ALL ARE WONDERFUL. 
          AND A, IT IS THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WITH THAT SAID, UM, I GUESS, UH, FROM DIRECTION OF STAFF, WE PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH PLANNING FOR A JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AND THE MUSIC COMMISSION. 
          DO I HAVE A MOTION? HELLO? I MOVE THAT. 
          WE, UM, HAVE A COMBINED, I'VE GOT A MOTION. 
          DO I HAVE A SECOND? MEGAN? I HAVE A MOTION AND I'VE GOT SEVERAL CHEERFUL SECONDS. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          OPPOSED HEARING NONE. 
          THE MOTION CARRIES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          NOW, UM, WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE, UH, MOLLY ALEXANDER WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE FOUNDATION HERE TO PRESENT ON VARIOUS STANTON ACTIVITIES, MOLLY. 
          WELCOME. 
          WOW. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HARRIS. 
          UM, I MAY HAVE SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. 
          I NEED TO SHARE MY SCREEN. 
          AND, UM, WITH THE AB AT CITY HALL, I CHANGED MY SYSTEM PREFERENCES TO ALLOW ME TO DO IT, BUT IT'S STILL NOT DOING IT. 
          SO MY QUESTION TO OUR TECH IS, DO I NEED TO LEAVE AND COME BACK IN? AND I APOLOGIZE, COMMISSIONERS, I'M SORRY. 
          WE'VE GONE AHEAD. 
          AND GIVEN YOU THE PERMISSIONS RIGHT NOW, SO YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH THE SHARE BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN. 
          IT'S NOT ALLOWING ME TO, EVEN THOUGH I'VE ADDED IT. 
          SO IT ESSENTIALLY IS GIVING ME A MESSAGE THAT I NEED TO QUIT AND COME BACK IN. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          WELL THEN THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE. 
          YEAH. 
          I'M VERY SORRY TO TAKE UP YOUR TIME. 
          YOU GUYS, I WILL BE RIGHT BACK. 
          WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WHILE WE HAVE A MOMENT, UH, BEFORE, UM, MOLLY REJOINS US, UH, DO WANT TO REMIND THOSE WHO ARE, HAVE BEEN REAPPOINTED, AND THIS IS NOT AN AGENDA ITEM. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THIS OR NOT. 
          UH, BUT IT'S A REMINDER TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN REAPPOINTED, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET YOUR OATH, UH, COMPLETED AND NOTARIZED AND RETURNED TO CITY STAFF. 
          UH, THE DEADLINE FOR THAT IS THE END OF THE MONTH, WHICH IS GETTING EVER CLOSER. 
          AND AGAIN, THAT IS JUST FOR THOSE WHO'VE BEEN REAPPOINTED. 
          AND SINCE WE HAVE A MOMENT, UM, AS LIAISON, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO, UM, TONIGHT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A PROBLEM, BUT IT IS REALLY HELPFUL. 
          I'M SUCH A VISUAL PERSON THAT IT'S REALLY HELPFUL. 
          IF YOU CAN KEEP RE YOUR, UM, VIDEO ON AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. 
          I UNDERSTAND IF YOU HAVE TO SHUT IT OFF AT TIMES, BUT IT REALLY HELPS ME KEEP, KEEP A STRONG EYE ON, YOU KNOW, IT DOES HELP ME KEEP COUNTING, ET CETERA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HM. 
          HAVING TO RELOAD. 
          UM, 
          [00:45:01]
SO I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN MAYBE PERHAPS DO OLD BUSINESS OR, OR, OR SOMETHING I'M HAPPY. 
          I'M HAPPY TO MOVE THINGS OUT OF BUDGET OUT OF THE ORDER, IF WE WANT TO TAKE UP OLD BUSINESS. 
          UM, 
          [3. Old Business – Items from representatives of collaborating commissions including nonvoting members (Part 1 of 2)]
THE FIRST ITEM OF OLD BUSINESS WOULD BE AN UPDATE FROM, FROM MILAN, UH, COMMISSIONER AN HOUR. 
          LEDO ON ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE DESIGN COMMISSION. 
          HELLO, EVERYBODY. 
          UM, WE'RE MEETING ON MONDAY. 
          UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT RIGHT NOW AND I DON'T HAVE MY NOTEBOOK FROM WHAT HAPPENED AT LAST SESSION. 
          SO I DON'T REMEMBER. 
          I'M SO SORRY. 
          THAT'S NOT VERY HELPFUL. 
          I HOPE EVERYONE IS WELL, IS THERE, IS THERE ANYTHING EXCITING GOING ON? I MEAN, THEY'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF, YOU KNOW, TAKING A LOOK AT, UM, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FEELING OUR WAY THROUGH THAT. 
          UM, AND BEYOND THAT, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING UP AND RUNNING TO REPORT. 
          ALRIGHTY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. 
          I'M SETH, CAN YOU UPDATE US ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION THESE DAYS? FOR SURE. 
          UH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE BEEN, UH, ABLE TO HAVE A LOCAL, UH, LET'S SEE, HOW DO THEY CALL THEM THE LOCAL CONSUMPTION? IT'S A DESIGNATED, UH, UH, PROGRAM WITH CERTIFIED CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT. 
          THERE YOU GO. 
          I, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT GRANT. 
          THAT'S ADMINISTERED THROUGH THE TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION AND THAT WAS, UH, APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL. 
          SO WE ARE, UH, IN THE EARLY STAGES OF REVAMPING OUR, UH, COMPREHENSIVE, UH, PRESERVATION PLAN FOR THE CITY. 
          AND ONE OF THE EXPRESS PURPOSES IS TO REALLY FOCUS ON AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, UNDERSERVED AND WITH COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AS ACTIVE IN THE PARTICIPATION OF PRESERVATION. 
          SO IT ALLOWS, UH, UH, A CHANCE FOR OUR WHOLE PROCESSES TO BE BROADENED. 
          SO IT'S A VERY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR US. 
          UH, IT DOES PARALLEL SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, ACTIVITIES WE'VE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT. 
          UH, WE HAVE HAD DEMOLITION CASES, UM, AND, UM, PROBABLY ANOTHER ITEM THAT THE COMMISSION WON'T BE FOLLOWING AS CLOSELY AS WE WILL, BUT THE LEGISLATURE ALSO HAS A, UM, BILL AND I, I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS, BUT, UH, WE WERE BRIEF, UH, JUST TO SIMILARLY, YOU KNOW, UH, GIVEN AN OVERVIEW OF A BILL THAT WOULD DO A WAY OR SEVERELY RESTRICT THE POWER TO HAVE, UM, UH, HISTORIC, UH, DISTRICTS. 
          AND AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS ALLOW NOT JUST A SPECIMEN PROPERTY, BUT ALL OF THE CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS AROUND TO NOT ONLY HAVE SOME LEVEL OF PROTECTION, BUT THERE ALSO ARE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS TO ALLOW OWNERS, UH, WHO MAY NOT HAVE THE PERFECT HISTORIC LANDMARK THAT MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA, BUT, UH, BUT ARE WILLING AND PART OF THE, UH, ACTIVITIES TO KEEP THOSE DISTRICTS INTACT. 
          UM, BUT, UH, UH, MOST OF THAT WOULD WIND UP BEING FROZEN, UH, WITH A, UH, ONCE AGAIN, A PUNITIVE BILL THAT'S BEING CONSIDERED RIGHT NOW. 
          SO, UM, IF I HAVE MORE INFORMATION, I'LL DEFINITELY SEND IT TO OUR STAFF AND MAYBE BE ABLE TO GET THAT OUT TO COMMISSION MEMBERS BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT, UM, ON THE DOWNTOWN AND SURROUNDING AREAS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER. 
          UH, I BELIEVE I SAW, UM, MOLLY THAT, YES, I'VE REAPPEARED. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          [2d. Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation (DAAF): Discussion and possible action regarding Downtown activities, funding and future plans (Molly Alexander, DAA – 15 minutes)]
WELL, LET US GO BACK TO THE AGENDA AND WELCOME AGAIN. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU ALL FOR INVITING ME TONIGHT. 
          UM, I WAS ASKED TO DISCUSS A COUPLE OF THINGS IN ONE, AS YOU MAY KNOW, THAT THERE WAS AN IFC IN ITEM FROM COUNCIL PASSED IN, UH, LATE JANUARY AROUND DOWNTOWN AND ACTIVATIONS AND AROUND, UH, ONE OF THE ART PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. 
          AND SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO TONIGHT IS, UM, I HAVE A PRETTY LARGE SLIDE DECK THAT I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH KIND OF QUICKLY IN TERMS OF WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING? WHAT ARE WE WORKING ON, UM, FROM THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE FOUNDATION SIDE? SO BEFORE I JUMP INTO THAT, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UM, I'VE BEEN WITH THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE FOR 18 YEARS, UM, WITH A NUMBER OF HATS AND A NUMBER OF ROLES. 
          AND OVER THE PAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, I HAVE WORKED TO CREATE, UM, A NEW FIVE OH ONE C3 WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION CALLED THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE FOUNDATION. 
          UM, AND I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT OUR WORK IS TONIGHT. 
          UM, WE WERE BIRTHED OUT OF THE DOWNTOWN VISION, UM, OUR VERY AMBITIOUS 
          [00:50:01]
VISION, UM, THAT WE SET THE COURSE FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS. 
          AND WE REALIZED THAT WE NEEDED MORE PEOPLE ENGAGED AND INVOLVED. 
          UM, WE ALSO NEED, NEED A NEW FUNDING STREAMS, UM, AND NEW KINDS OF PARTNERSHIPS THAT THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE ITSELF, THE WAY IT'S STRUCTURED, JUST COULDN'T ACCOMPLISH ON ITS OWN. 
          SO WE CREATED THE FOUNDATION, UM, FOR A NUMBER OF PURPOSES, UH, BUT DIRECTLY TO HELP ACHIEVE THE VISION. 
          SO I'M GONNA MY SCREEN. 
          SO PRIOR TO GOING, CAN YOU ALL SEE THIS? OH, TERRIFIC. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, UM, LET'S SEE IF I CAN MOVE IT. 
          THERE WE GO. 
          SO THE MISSION OF THE DOWNTOWN ARTS ALLIANCE FOUNDATION IS TO IGNITE THE POTENTIAL OF DOWNTOWN THROUGH ART AND CREATIVE SPACES THAT CAPTURE THE SPIRIT OF AUSTIN BY AND FOR EVERYONE. 
          WE HAVE A BOARD OF DIRECTORS. 
          CURRENTLY, THERE ARE FIVE MEMBERS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. 
          I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE ARE A STARTUP NONPROFIT. 
          UM, OUR MEMBERS SHIP COMES, TWO OF THEM COME FROM THE DA BOARD. 
          UM, THREE OF THEM CURRENTLY COME FROM THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW, HOBBY OR PENA. 
          WE ST. 
          DAVID'S FOUNDATION AND A DOWNTOWN RESIDENT SITS ON OUR BOARD RAISING MACINTOSH WITH, UH, PLACEMAKING UM, ON THE EAST SIDE RAISIN IN THE SUN, NONPROFIT, UM, AND THEN NICK MULLANEY WITH DPR CONSTRUCTION, WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEARCH FOR NEW LEADERS, UM, AS WE'VE JUST CREATED A STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, ALIGNED THE MISSION AND THE VISION, UM, TOGETHER WITH THE PARENT COMPANY OR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, UH, AND SET FORTH NEW STRATEGIC ALLIANCE AGREEMENTS, ALL THAT BEING SAID, WE'VE BEEN BUSY AND HARD AT WORK. 
          SO OUR FIRST PROJECT REALLY HAS BEEN REPUBLIC SQUARE OVER THE YEARS. 
          SO THE FOUNDATION OPERATES, MANAGES, AND PROGRAMS, REPUBLIC SQUARE. 
          WE ALSO RAISED $350,000 A YEAR, UM, TO FULLY PROGRAM AND OPERATE, MAINTAIN. 
          WE PARTNERED WITH AIA AUSTIN THIS YEAR WITH PARK SPACE, UH, TO BEGIN TO PROVIDE COVID FREE, UH, AND COVID FRIENDLY, UH, PROGRAMMING, UH, WHEN WE WERE AT THE DIFFERENT STAGES THAT WE WERE ALLOWED TO DO. 
          SO DURING THE ENTIRE PANDEMIC, WE'VE REMAINED, OPENED, OUR RESTROOMS HAVE REMAINED OPEN, AND, UM, WE OPENED SALT AND TIME CAFE IN AUGUST. 
          SO THE FIRST TIME THERE'S EVER BEEN A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, ALLOWING A RESTAURANT SERVING BEER AND WINE, UM, AND, UH, NEIL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, UH, IN THE PARK, WE'RE VERY EXCITED. 
          UH, BEN AND HIS WIFE ARE AN AMAZING, ARE AMAZING ENTREPRENEURS. 
          AND, UH, BUT FOR A PANDEMIC THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN OPEN A LITTLE EARLIER. 
          AND, BUT FOR THEIR TENACITY, WE WOULD HAVE NEVER HAD THEM OPEN. 
          THEY WERE AMAZING. 
          SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED AND HOPE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO GO HAVE A DRINK OR EAT THERE. 
          UM, WE ALSO RECEIVED A GRANT FROM, UH, THE CLARITY PROJECT WITH CLARITIN, UM, WHEN THE PARK WAS REDONE AND OPENED IN 2017, THE AUCTION OAKS REALLY HAD NOT BEEN TOUCHED. 
          AND IT'S BEEN A PRIORITY OF OURS TO MAKE SURE THESE 850 YEAR OLD AUCTION OAK TREES WHERE THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS WAS FOUNDED, UH, REMAIN HEALTHY AND TAKEN CARE OF. 
          SO, UM, THIS WAS THE AREA, UH, THIS SUMMER PRIOR TO OUR WORK, AS YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF OVERGROWN BRUSH AND PLANTS, UM, AND THE OAKS THEMSELVES ARE JUST MEG MAJESTIC, UM, AND JUST THE ARCHITECTURAL AND SCULPTURAL NATURE OF THEM. 
          WE REALLY WANTED TO REALLY RETHINK THE DESIGN. 
          SO WITH THE PROJECT FOR PUBLIC, WHO WAS OUR PARTNER ON THIS, UH, TBG LOCALLY VOLUNTEER WITH CHRIS JACKSON, UH, WE BEGAN TO SCHEMATICALLY THINK ABOUT HOW COULD WE OPEN UP THE TREES AND REALLY RETHINK, UM, THE BEDS. 
          AND WE ALSO PARTNER WITH THE LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER. 
          SO THIS IS THE WORK THAT WE DID. 
          WE REMOVED THESE LARGE BOLLARDS THAT WERE IN THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE THAT WERE DONE ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO. 
          UM, DONATED THEM TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, UM, AND THEN BEGAN TO DEADWOOD THE TREES AND THEN AIRFREIGHT THREES. 
          UM, WE WORKED WITH, UM, AS I SAID, THE WILDFLOWER CENTER AND PLANTED NATIVES, UH, THROUGHOUT AND UNDER THE AUCTION OF AREA. 
          UH, THE LEFT SIDE IS THE BEFORE, UH, THE RIGHT SIDE IS THE AFTER. 
          UM, SO REALLY OPENED UP THIS AREA AND, UM, REALLY PROVIDED AN ADDED ELEMENT TO THE PARK. 
          UM, AFTER IT WAS DONE NOW, SNOW VID, UH, KILLED A LOT OF THOSE PLANTS. 
          UM, SO WE REPLANTING ON MAY 15TH, UH, WITH SOME OF OUR PARTNERS IN THE PARK. 
          SO THE PROJECT ITSELF WAS ABOUT $75,000. 
          WE HAVE A PHASE TWO PROJECT, WHICH IS OPENING UP THIS AREA BETWEEN THE COURTHOUSE PLAZA, UM, AND, UH, THE AUCTION OAK AREAS ON THE LEFT, WHERE THE IS YOU CAN SEE THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE KIND OF HAS THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, CONCRETE BARRIERS. 
          UM, AND THE IDEA WOULD REALLY TO BE OPENING UP THAT AREA. 
          THAT'S KIND OF RIGHT NOW, UM, UH, UH, GRASS THAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY DOESN'T NEED TO BE THERE. 
          IT'S JUST, UM, IT'S AN INVASIVE PIECE, BUT TO REALLY OPEN IT UP AND ADD COLOR, UM, PARTICULARLY IN SPRING AND FALL. 
          SO THIS IS WHAT ONE DAY THE VISION WOULD LOOK LIKE WHEN WE GET TO PHASE 
          [00:55:01]
TWO, THE THIRD ASPECT AND REPUBLIC SQUARES. 
          WE RECEIVED ANOTHER GRANT FROM CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY INSTITUTE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND HOW TO REALLY RETHINK PROGRAMMING AND OUR PARTNERS IN THE PARK. 
          AND THIS YEAR, UM, OUR FISCAL YEAR STARTS IN MAY, WE'LL BE DEPLOYING THE $25,000 GRANT TO REALLY THINK ABOUT NEW WAYS TO ACTIVATE NEW AUDIENCES AND BRING MORE PEOPLE TO REPUBLIC SQUARE INTO DOWNTOWN. 
          UM, WE LAUNCHED THE FOUNDATION LAST YEAR, THIS TIME, LAST YEAR, RIGHT BEFORE COVID MARCH 4TH THROUGH THE 11TH WITH OUR NEW SIGNATURE EVENT CALLED WRITING ON THE WALLS. 
          AS YOU ALL MAY KNOW, UH, IT INCLUDED TWO LARGE-SCALE MURALS. 
          THIS IS THE LARGEST IN AUSTIN, UH, WHICH IS, UH, CALLED, UM, THE BEAUTY OF LIBERTY AND EQUALITY. 
          IT WAS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS CENTER, CHEVY EA AND SHEPARD FAIREY, UH, COMMEMORATING THE 19TH AMENDMENT OF THE PASSAGE OF A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO VOTE, BUT NOT ALL WOMEN. 
          SO WE HAD A SERIES OF, UM, SEVEN DAYS, 23 DIFFERENT FREE EVENTS THAT INCLUDED, UM, FILMS. WE HAD FOUR FILM SCREENINGS, UH, WORKSHOPS FOR ARTISTS, AS WELL AS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT WASN'T EQUAL. 
          AND WHAT DID THAT MEAN WHEN WE LOOK AT, UH, QUALITY AND WANTING EQUALITY FOR ALL THE OTHER MURAL? WE ALSO, UM, DID AT THE SAME TIME, UH, WE, UH, WORKED WITH LOCAL ARTISTS, UM, SHOT A LAWSON AND HAD HER ON THE SAME BILLING WITH TWO INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS, WHICH COMPLETELY CHANGED HER LIFE AND RAISED HER PROFILE AS AN ARTIST. 
          IT WAS ONE OF OUR GOALS, UM, AND, UH, THIS WALL HAD BEEN TARGETED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS BY AIPP, BUT NO ONE COULD QUITE GET IT. 
          SO WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE IT, HIRE THE ARTISTS. 
          AND THEN DURING COVID, WE'VE STRUGGLED WITH MAINTAINING, UH, THE AMOUNT OF GRAFFITI THAT'S HAPPENED ON THERE, UH, BUT CONTINUE TO BE COMMITTED TO KEEPING THAT IN THE BEST SHAPE AS WE CAN, AND POSSIBLY CAN. 
          WE'VE WORKED, UH, THIS FALL, UM, WITH PRIVATE REAL ESTATE COMMUNITY. 
          SO THIS IS MANIFOLD REAL REAL ESTATE. 
          UM, THE FOUNDATION DOESN'T HAVE ANY BOUNDARIES LIKE THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE DOES. 
          UH, HOWEVER, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR WORK IS EITHER IN AND AROUND THE CENTRAL CITY OR CONNECTED BY TRANSIT CORRIDOR. 
          SO THIS IS MANIFOLD REAL ESTATE PROJECT CALLED BOLDEN CREEK. 
          UH, WE WORKED, UH, WITH COMMISSIONING FOR LOCAL ARTISTS, UM, TO PAINT FOUR DIFFERENT MURALS. 
          SO TYLER HOBBES, JANICE WACK, SOPHIE ROACH, AND FULLY DAD FERNANDEZ WHITE CHURCH. 
          UM, THE PROJECT WAS AMAZING. 
          AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE SUPPLYING AND GETTING, HAVING LOCAL ARTISTS WORK DURING A PANDEMIC, IT'S BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          US, ALL OF US ARE LAUGHING. 
          OUR MOST RECENT INSTALLATION WITH WRITING ON THE WALLS HAS BEEN THE ANN RICHARDS, UM, BANNERS. 
          THIS WAS PART OF THE IFC WHERE WE ASKED THE CITY TO WAIVE THE $30,000 IN BANNER FEES FOR US TO BANNER FROM THE CONGRESS AVENUE OR ANN RICHARDS BRIDGE UP TO THE CAPITOL COMMEMORATING, UM, THE 45TH GOVERNOR OF TEXAS AND RICHARDS ON THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF HER INAUGURATION. 
          WE PARTNERED WITH THE ANN RICHARDS LEGACY PROJECT, UM, AND THE ANN RICHARDS SCHOOL FOR YOUNG WOMEN. 
          UM, AND WE ALSO HIRED SOLELY DODD FERNANDEZ TO DO AN, UH, A SELFIE KIND OF INSTALLATION, UM, AROUND, UM, THE FORMER GOVERNOR 60TH BIRTHDAY WHEN SHE WAS ON THE COVER OF TEXAS MONTHLY MAGAZINE, RIDING A HARLEY. 
          UM, SO WE REALLY WANTED TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC DURING THE PANDEMIC, UH, GETTING THEM OUT IN THE STREET. 
          UM, IT IS REALLY GREAT FUN TO WATCH PEOPLE INTERACT WITH THOSE BANNERS, EITHER LAUGHING OR WONDERING WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S BEEN A GREAT DEAL OF FUN IN A PLACEMAKING SENSE. 
          SO OUR THIRD AREA OF WORK IS AROUND PLACEMAKING AND WE CALL IT RIGHT NOW PLACE. 
          IT'S, IT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT I WOULD CALL KIND OF A PLACE STUDIO, WHERE WE LOOK AT IT, TACTICAL INTERVENTIONS, UH, TO IMMEDIATELY ADDRESS OR SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF DOWNTOWN. 
          THIS IS THE DOWNTOWN DRIVE IN, UM, WE WERE APPROACHED LAST SUMMER TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS IN WHICH PEOPLE COULD STILL COME DOWNTOWN, STILL ENTERTAIN THEMSELVES, UM, AND BE ABLE TO SEE A MOVIE OR A FILM. 
          SO WE PARTNERED WITH THE BLUE STARLIGHT. 
          UM, THE CITY COULDN'T GIVE US A PERMIT, UM, BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACTIVATION, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF ACE AND THE RULES AND COVID, BUT THE STATE OF TEXAS COULD. 
          SO WE PARTNERED WITH THE TEXAS FACILITIES COMMISSION. 
          THIS IS CONTINUING, IT'S BEEN QUITE SUCCESSFUL AND IT'S ON THE ROOFTOP OF THE HOBBY BUILDING PARKING GARAGE. 
          UM, WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE MERCHANTS IN THE 600 BLOCK OF CONGRESS, UH, TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST SHOP, THE BLOCK INSTALLATIONS, UH, LAST OCTOBER, UM, ROYAL BLUE WAS CLOSED AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO REOPEN ON CONGRESS. 
          AND WHEN WE ALL CAME TOGETHER TO ASK THE MERCHANTS, WHAT WE COULD DO TO HELP THEY ORGANIZED ROYAL BLUE SAID THEY WOULD REOPEN IF WE COULD EXECUTE ON CHOCKABLOCK. 
          SO OUR TEAM, UH, DID THE DESIGN. 
          UM, WE HELPED PAY FOR THE FURNITURE AND ACTIVATIONS AND THE MERCHANTS ACTUALLY EVERY DAY GO OUT AND SET IT UP THE INITIAL DAY, WE CAME IN AND HELPED SET IT UP. 
          UM, BUT AFTER THAT, THEY HAVE ACTUALLY, WE HAVE MUSIC EVERY SATURDAY. 
          THEY'VE ACTUALLY REPLANTED THE PLANTERS. 
          WE HAVE MERCHANTS, WE HAVE VENDORS, UM, IT'S JUST A REALLY BRING 
          [01:00:01]
SOMETHING ALIVE. 
          AND SO HERE IS ONE WHERE WE, WE REALLY SUPPORTED THE MERCHANTS DOING WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO AND PROVIDED THE SUPPORT NEEDED TO DO IT. 
          AND WE DO A REFRESH EVERY FEW MONTHS. 
          UM, THIS HAS BEEN A PROJECT THAT COSTS ABOUT $30,000 AND SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW OTHER DOWNTOWN BLOCKS WANT TO DO, UH, BUT WE WOULD NEED TO RAISE THE MONEY OR FIND THE MONEY TO HELP THEM DO THIS AS WELL. 
          BUT IT'S BEEN QUITE SUCCESSFUL. 
          ONE OF THE MERGED, JOE COHEN AND SON, UM, UH, BILL COHEN, THEY HAD CARDBOARD IT UP THEIR WINDOWS WITH DUCT TAPE AND THEY BROUGHT HIM DOWN, CLEANED IT UP. 
          I MEAN, EVERYBODY KIND OF SPRUCED UP THEIR, UM, STOREFRONTS, STILL WORKING TO GET CAB METRO TO DO THE SAME THING. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, AS THEY'VE KIND OF COME OUT OF PROJECT CONNECT ELECTION INTO IMPLEMENTATION, UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT THERE'LL BE OUR FINAL KIND OF ACTIVATION ON THAT BLOCK, BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY FUN TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE MERCHANTS HAVE SOME INSPIRATION AND WORK TOGETHER. 
          WE'VE NOT SEEN THIS KIND OF COLLABORATION AND EXECUTION, UM, IN THE PAST, EXCUSE ME. 
          UM, WE ALSO REVAMPED HOLIDAY STROLL. 
          SO ONE OF OUR SIGNATURE EVENTS IS THE HOLIDAY STROLL, WHICH IS TYPICALLY THE FIRST SATURDAY OF DECEMBER WHERE WE LIGHT A 40 FOOT TALL CHRISTMAS TREE AT 11TH AND CONGRESS. 
          AND IT'S A TWO HOUR EVENT OF ARTS AND EXPERIENCE. 
          UH, THIS YEAR WE CHANGED IT INTO A 30, 30 DAY OR AN ENTIRE MONTH LONG, UH, ASPECT OF ACTIVITIES WHERE WE HAD POP-UP INSTALLATIONS. 
          YOU COULD SEE MR AND MRS. CLAUS. 
          UM, WE HAD SELFIE SPOTS. 
          UM, WE CREATED A PASSPORT FOR MERCHANTS. 
          WE HAD OVER 34 BUSINESSES PARTICIPATE IN THE PASSPORT SO THAT YOU COULD DOWNLOAD THE PASSPORT. 
          IF YOU WERE GOING TO COME TO DOWNTOWN, GO TO THESE DIFFERENT MERCHANTS, GET IT STAMPED. 
          AND WHEN A NIGHT AT THE W HOTEL WITH SPA TREATMENT OR A WEEKEND AT THE HOTEL. 
          AND SO WE HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE DOWNLOADING IT SHOPPING, AND THE MERCHANTS HAD CONTINUED TO TELL US THAT THESE ARE THE KINDS OF WAYS THAT WE CAN DRIVE FOOT TRAFFIC AND HELP SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES. 
          UH, WE ALSO BEGAN PROGRAMMING LIVE MUSIC, UM, ON, UH, SECOND IN FRONT OF, UH, RIGHT IN FRONT OF CITY HALL, ESSENTIALLY, UM, AT THE CORNER OF, UM, GUADALUPE AND, UM, SECOND STREET. 
          UM, WE DID INSTALLATIONS AT, UM, REPUBLIC SQUARE. 
          WE WORKED ON, UM, WORKING ON WINDOWS AND DECORATING, UH, VACANT WINDOWS. 
          AND OF COURSE, AS YOU SEE, SANTA WAS EVERYWHERE. 
          HE LOVES DOGS. 
          I DID DIDN'T HOW MUCH HE LOVED THEM, BUT HE LOVES THEM SO GOOD TO KNOW. 
          UM, THE MUSIC PROGRAM WAS SO SUCCESSFUL IN THE MERCHANTS. 
          I MEAN, THE MUSICIANS TOLD US THAT IN DECEMBER, UM, THAT THE GIGS THAT WE HIRED THEM FOR, UM, WERE SOME OF THE ONLY PAYING GIGS THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED. 
          SO WE'VE RAISED AN ADDITIONAL $10,000 PRIVATELY, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH HAM HAM AS OUR PARTNER. 
          THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE ACTUALLY, UM, BOOKING THE MUSICIANS FOR US AND A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE PROCEEDS GO TO THE MUSICIANS. 
          SO IN THE COURSE OF ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MONTHS, WE HAVE PAID MUSICIANS WELL OVER $25,000, UH, HELPING THEM BE ABLE TO PAY THEIR RENT OR THEIR BILLS. 
          AND, UM, IN THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE PROGRAMMED ALL FEMALE MUSICIANS, UH, IN COMMEMORATION WITH WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. 
          THIS WILL CONTINUE WITH FUNDING THROUGH MAY. 
          UM, AND WE'RE ALSO, WE'RE DOING CONGRESS MUSICIANS, SOME MUSICIANS ON CONGRESS EVERY SATURDAY, AND THEN MUSICIANS ARE ON SECOND STREET EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. 
          UM, THEY ARE AMPLIFIED, UM, BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMPLAINTS. 
          SO, UM, ANOTHER, ANOTHER REASON TO KIND OF PUSH FORWARD, UH, BUSKING AND THE ABILITY TO BUS, UM, WITHOUT ANY REPERCUSSIONS FOR MUSICIANS, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING, UM, UH, WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO WANT TO RE-IMAGINE PUBLIC SPACES. 
          SO THIS IS THREE OH ONE CONGRESS. 
          UM, THEY ARE AT THE CORNER OF THIRD AND CONGRESS, BUT THEY HAVE A PLAZA AREA ON THE FOURTH STREET OR THE NORTH SIDE, WHICH IS A SERVICE ENTRANCE AS WELL. 
          SO THEY HAVE COME TO US TO SAY, IS THERE A WAY WE CAN BRING THE ARTS IN THE COMMUNITY IN THE SPACE AND REALLY RE-IMAGINE THIS AS A PUBLIC SPACE, BOTH FOR THEIR TENANTS AND FOR THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO WE ARE WORKING OUT WITH THEIR TENANTS, UM, TO DO SOME CHARRETTES AROUND KIND OF WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE, AND THEN WE'LL DO SOME CONCEPTS WITH THEM, UM, AND THEN CONNECT THEM WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN THE DESIGN COMMUNITY. 
          BUT THEY REALLY SEE THIS AS AN EXPRESSION OF, UM, THE BUILDING OF THE ARTS AND THE COMMUNITY, AND REALLY ENGAGING THEIR YOUNGER TENANTS. 
          WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO LAUNCH A MINI MURAL PROJECT. 
          THERE ARE 800 TRAFFIC SIGNAL BOXES IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE. 
          UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO RAISE, YOU KNOW, UPWARDS OF 50 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO GET IT STARTED. 
          UM, AND WE HAVE ALL THE PARTNERSHIPS IN PLACE. 
          UH, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION HAS HELPED US IDENTIFY WHICH PROJECTS CAN MOVE FORWARD. 
          UM, AND WE HAVE ABOUT EIGHT, UH, ARTISTS, PARTICULARLY ARTISTS OF COLOR, UH, THAT WE WANT TO ENGAGE IN THIS PROJECT TO JUST KICK IT OFF. 
          SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR SPONSORS AND UNDERWRITERS, UH, TO GET THIS KICKED OFF BECAUSE WE REALLY BELIEVE AS PART OF OUR PLACE IN OUR ACTIVATION HIRING ARTISTS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          LOCAL, UH, LOCAL BASED PLACEMAKING IS REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          SO REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW 
          [01:05:01]
TO ENGAGE THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY IN THE PROJECT. 
          UM, WE RECENTLY PARTNERED WITH RAISIN IN THE SUN AND SOME THINGS COOL TO OPEN UP, UM, WHAT WAS CALLED THE OUTSIDE IN GALLERY IN THE 900 BLOCK OF CONGRESS, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE UPPER, RIGHT. 
          THIS WAS OPENING NIGHT WHERE WE HAD WELL OVER. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A THOUSAND PEOPLE. 
          IT WAS INSANE HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME, COVID FRIENDLY. 
          THEY ALLOWED 20 GUESTS AT A TIME. 
          IT WAS AN EIGHT WEEK GALLERY FOR EIGHT ARTISTS. 
          UM, AND THEY DID THE MURAL OUTSIDE THAT STILL IS STILL UP. 
          UM, AND THE LANDLORD WAS ABLE TO ACTUALLY RENT THE SPACE IMMEDIATELY, UM, WHICH PROVED TO US AND PROVE TO THE LANDLORD THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT CREATING, UM, SOME LEVEL OF VACANT STOREFRONT, UM, OCCUPANCY AND ACTIVATION THROUGH ARTS. 
          SO WE ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW ON OUR FIRST PILOT PROJECT WITH EMILY ON SECOND STREET, UM, TO CREATE, UM, VACANT STOREFRONT AVAILABILITY TO ARTISTS ARC, UM, NONPROFIT ARTS GROUPS, UM, AND MUSICIANS TO BE ABLE TO ACTIVATE THE STOREFRONT. 
          SO AFTER WORKING WITH A NUMBER OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS LIABILITY, WHO HOLDS THE LEASE, WHO'S GET A CURATED, HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR IT? UM, THE FOUNDATION HAS BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE THOSE ISSUES FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER. 
          AND WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN TO LAY OUT A SERIES OF VACANT SPACES THAT WE CAN IMMEDIATELY ASK FOR PROPOSALS FROM ARTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, AND HOPEFULLY MATCH THEM WITH A HANDFUL TO START A VACANT SPACES AND CURATE THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S A PANDEMIC OR JUST A TYPICAL LEASE, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A PROPERTY OWNER UP TO 18 MONTHS TO GO FROM LOI TO, UM, YOU KNOW, A LEASE AND THEN TO TURN THE SPACE. 
          SO WE THINK THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO TRULY CURATE THE VACANT SPACES, UTILIZING THE PANDEMIC AS THE OPPORTUNITY. 
          UM, BUT REALLY WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE AT LOI, BUT THEY'RE STILL GONNA HAVE 18 TO 24 MONTHS BEFORE IT'S FILLED. 
          UM, AND THEY JUST, THEY, THEY NEEDED US TO SOLVE SOME ISSUES. 
          SO I THINK WE'VE SOLVED THEM. 
          UM, WE HAVE OUR FIRST ARTISTS ORGANIZATION AND I HOPE WE CAN ANNOUNCE THAT IN JUNE. 
          UM, AND THEN REALLY KICK OFF THE PROGRAM OVER THE SUMMER. 
          THE ARTIST ORGANIZATION, ARTISTS STILL HAS TO PAY FOR SOME ASPECTS OF THE SPACE. 
          SO ON SECOND STREET YOU HAVE A $400 MONTHLY CHILLED WATER BILL. 
          IN ADDITION TO RENT, IN ADDITION TO UTILITIES, THAT STILL HAS TO BE PAID AS TO UTILITIES. 
          SO WE'D LIKE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CREATE SOME GRANT FUNDING, TO BE ABLE TO GRANT FUND SOME OF THIS BECAUSE THE ARTISTS MAY NEED TO CHANGE SOME OF THE SPACE AND MAY NEED TO ADD LIGHTING OR SOME FIXTURES. 
          UM, SO WE WERE STILL TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THAT, BUT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE OUR FIRST PILOT PROJECT, I'M HOPING WE CAN UTILIZE THAT AS PROOF OF CONCEPT. 
          UM, AND THEN FUNDING. 
          WHEN THE IFC WENT THROUGH COUNCIL, WE HAD INITIALLY ASKED FOR $30,000 TO HELP KIND OF SPUR THESE KINDS OF PROJECTS. 
          UM, WE RECOGNIZE THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF NEED IN THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. 
          UH, BUT WE STILL FEEL THAT WE CAN PROVIDE PART OF THE SOLUTIONS WE'RE LOOKING FOR COLLECTIVELY AND HAVE THEM BE DOWNTOWN. 
          UH, TODAY THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, UM, RELEASED ITS ROADMAP TO RECOVERY. 
          SO STAFF WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND DOWNTOWN, AND THIS MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT PRESENTATION TO YOU, BUT I WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS. 
          SO THE FOUNDATION AND THE ALLIANCE TOGETHER, THE STAFF AND THE BOARDS, UM, AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS REALLY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS AND SAID, OKAY, WHAT DOES RECOVERY LOOK LIKE? UM, WHAT DOES RESILIENCY LOOK LIKE? AND WHAT'S THE ROADMAP GOING FORWARD. 
          SO, UH, REALLY FOCUSING ON, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING THE UNSHELTERED HOMELESS, THERE WAS A SUMMIT LAST WEEK. 
          WE, WE'VE A REALLY OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'RE FINALLY GOING TO GET THE BUSINESS PLAN AND THE ROADMAP TO GETTING PEOPLE SHELTERED. 
          UH, WE'VE BEEN A DIRECT PART OF THAT AT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE FOR MANY YEARS. 
          UM, AND I THINK THAT WE ALL SEE A BIT OF OPTIMISM THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN THE PAST. 
          SO GOOD NEWS ON THAT, UM, ACTIVATING PARKS AND PUBLIC SPACES. 
          SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT I'VE TOLD YOU, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, BUT REALLY AMPING THAT UP, UM, AND WORKING MORE COLLABORATIVELY, UM, THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS. 
          SO WATERLOO GREENWAY OPENS THIS YEAR. 
          WE'VE BEEN WORKING A LOT WITH THE TRAIL FOUNDATION, SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY, UM, PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE COORDINATE IF WE'RE GOING TO DO YOGA ON TUESDAY, AND YOU'RE GOING TO DO YOGA ON TO, YOU KNOW, IF EVERYBODY'S GOING TO DO YOGA IN THE SAME WAY, JUST AS SOME MAKE SENSE. 
          SO HOW DO WE REALLY THINK ABOUT, UM, WHAT IS WHAT'S NEEDED? WHAT ARE THE AUDIENCES WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT? WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS WE CAN DO IN PUBLIC SPACES SO THAT, YOU KNOW, FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENTS INCLUDES EVERY KIND OF EVENT CAN HAPPEN. 
          AND HOW CAN WE ELEVATE THAT? SO REALLY THINKING ABOUT THIS MORE STRATEGICALLY, UM, WE SEE REPUBLIC SQUARE HAS A BIT OF THE BEACON, UH, IN OUR WORK AND CONNECTING THAT TO OTHER PUBLIC SPACES. 
          UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT PLACEMAKING, UM, WHETHER IT'S, UH, MUSIC, PERFORMERS, UM, MAKERS, AND THINKING ABOUT PUBLIC MARKETS, ENTREPRENEURS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK OF, UM, HAVING A PLACE FOR 
          [01:10:01]
ENTREPRENEURS TO START, YOU ALWAYS THINK OF A FARMER'S MARKET OR A PUBLIC MARKET, BUT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, HALF OF DOWNTOWN IS PARKS AND OPEN SPACE. 
          HOW CAN WE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT UTILIZING THAT TO NURTURE THE NEXT ENTREPRENEUR NEURODEGENERATION OF AUSTIN, UM, AND THEN REALLY SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES AND LIVE MUSIC. 
          YOU MADE IT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, GOSH, DARN IT. 
          YOU NEED TO SUCCEED BECAUSE IT'S BEEN HARD. 
          IT HAS BEEN SO FRICKING HARD FOR ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES AND HAVING TO PIVOT AND EVERY TWO WEEKS OR EVERY OTHER DAY. 
          AND SO REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS, WHETHER IT'S ADVOCACY, UM, WHETHER IT'S ACTUALLY GOING IN AND LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER KIND OF PLACE ACTIVATIONS CAN WE DO TO DRIVE FOOT TRAFFIC, UH, AND REALLY THINKING THAT THOSE VACANCIES ARE OPPORTUNITIES, NOT ONLY FOR THE ARTS COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO FOR THE FACT THAT IT WOULD DRAW MORE PEOPLE AND POTENTIALLY MORE CUSTOMERS TO THE BUSINESSES WHO ARE DOWNTOWN. 
          AND FINALLY, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON THE ADVOCACY SIDE, REALLY WORKING TO SHAPE DOWNTOWN FROM THE PLANNING SIDE AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT. 
          AND WE'RE GOING TO RATCHET UP REALLY THE MARKETING OF DOWNTOWN AND PROMOTING IT TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. 
          I MEAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING, THAT'S A BIT ORIGINAL IN AUSTIN, EITHER STARTED DOWNTOWN OR NEAR DOWNTOWN, AND WE'VE GOT SO MUCH TO, AND SOMETIMES WE FORGET THAT AS RESIDENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THAT IF WE WANT THINGS TO SURVIVE, IF WE WANT LIVE MUSIC TO STICK AROUND, IF WE WANT THE PARAMOUNT AND STATE TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WE TOO HAVE TO BUY A TICKET. 
          AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE REMINDING OUR COMMUNITY AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE SPENDING THEIR DOLLARS, UM, BECAUSE THOSE DOLLARS ARE SO LIKE A VOTE. 
          YOU KNOW, IF I WANT YOU TO STAY HERE, I WILL VOTE WITH MY MONEY. 
          AND WITH THAT, I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          AND I'VE JUST GOT TO STOP SHARING. 
          WE KNOW YOU HAVE A CALL IN 15 MINUTES. 
          I'M GOOD RIGHT NOW. 
          NO, IT'S SIX 40. 
          OH, I DO HAVE A CALL. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          SO THIS CALL IS, UM, I HAVE A FRIEND WHO JUST TURNED 86 AND SHE'S BEEN DEALING WITH SOME HEALTH ISSUES. 
          AND SO IT IS A PERSONAL CALL AND I CAN TELL HER I'LL BE A FEW MINUTES LATE. 
          AND SO, AND I APPRECIATE, WELL, WE DON'T WANT, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO BE LATE. 
          THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CALL. 
          UM, WILL THAT SLIDE DECK BE AVAILABLE TO US? YEAH, SO IT, IT WAS A REALLY BIG DECK BECAUSE IT'S FULL OF PHOTOS. 
          UM, BUT MONA AND CHRISTINE, I BELIEVE HAVE THE, HAVE THE PDF TO THAT. 
          IF NOT, I CAN FIGURE OUT A BETTER WAY TO SEND IT TO YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          OH, I'M SORRY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER TEMPLETON. 
          YES, MOLLY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THAT WAS A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION. 
          IT'S EVERYTHING LOOKS SO EXCITING. 
          IT'S OUR LIBRARY, BUT THE WHITE ELEPHANT FOR ME IN THE ROOM IS THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE DOWNTOWN. 
          AND I'M SO EXCITED THAT YOU WERE IN FOOD AND OPTIMISTIC AFTER THE SUMMIT THAT WAS HELD OUT. 
          CAN YOU TELL ME WHICH CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE REALLY WORKING WITH THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE TO HELP RESOLVE THIS CRISES? REALLY? THAT WE HAVE TO LET'S SEE. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH, NO. 
          I MEAN, KATHY TOVO OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN A HUGE CHAMPION AND TRYING TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE BY THE MAYOR HAS BEEN INVOLVED, UM, NATASHA HARPER, MADISON. 
          SO THOSE HAVE BEEN KEY LEADERS IN THE MOVEMENT. 
          I'M, I'M SURE THAT ALL OF THEM HAVE HAD SOME LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT ENGAGEMENT. 
          NOW I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT I AM NOT THE EXPERT ON THE TEAM ON THIS ISSUE. 
          THAT IS BILL BRYCE, AND I CAN SPEAK TO IT. 
          I'M INVOLVED IN IT, BUT I'M NOT THE EXPERT ON IT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU. 
          YOU GUYS ARE DOING GREAT WORK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WHO ELSE HAS A QUESTION? WELL, SINCE THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS AT THE MOMENT, I WANT TO JUST SAY WHAT AN INSPIRING PRESENTATION THAT WAS. 
          WE'VE TALKED, UH, FOR THE LAST YEAR, GETTING CLOSE TO THAT ON DOWNTOWN'S RESILIENCY AND COMING BACK FROM THE PANDEMIC AND, UH, THAT SHINES A VERY BRIGHT LIGHT ON THE POTENTIAL FOR DOWNTOWN. 
          AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR WORKING TO CREATE THE FOUNDATION, UH, AND, UH, ALL OF THE INSPIRING PROGRAMS THAT GO ALONG WITH IT THAT ARE GOING TO BRING LIFE BACK TO OUR, OUR DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU. 
          IT'S ONLY, YOU KNOW, IT ONLY WORKS WHEN EVERYBODY DOES IT TOGETHER. 
          SO I JUST ENCOURAGE, IF YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED OR ENGAGED, BE HAPPY TO HAPPY TO OPEN THE DOORS AND, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT MAGIC WE CAN DO TOGETHER. 
          MOLLY, DO YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM US? UM, YOU KNOW, CHRISTINE, WHEN I WAS INVITED, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CITY STAFF, I MEAN, CLEARLY I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOME MONEY, UH, TO GOING THESE PROGRAMS. CLEARLY. 
          I KNOW IT'S VERY COMPETITIVE IF YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY 
          [01:15:01]
THAT WANTS TO SPONSOR OR BE A PARTNER WITH US, UM, THAT'S CLEARLY, UM, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC OR A DOOR I COULD KNOCK ON AN ASK OR AN ARTIST THAT YOU THINK WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO YOU. 
          I MEAN, I'M JUST OPEN TO ANY KIND OF PARTICIPATION AND COLLABORATION RIGHT NOW. 
          I THINK THE QUESTION WOULD BE TO GET THE ARTISTS, THE VACANT, THE VACANT SPACE PIECE OPEN. 
          I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY PEOPLE WHO REALLY WANT TO FUND THAT. 
          AND I JUST NEED TO FIND SOME OF THOSE FOLKS. 
          IS THERE ANY APPROPRIATION THAT WILL APPEAR IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET? I DON'T THINK SO. 
          I MEAN, THE IFC CALLED FOR, YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER TO FIND 30,000. 
          AND LIKE I SAID, I KNOW, AND CHRISTINE AND HER STAFF, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THE, THE NEED IS REALLY, REALLY BIG. 
          AND SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ALIGN THE PROGRAMS WITH THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CITY. 
          AND SO MAYBE ONCE WE DO THAT, IT'LL BE EASIER TO UNLOCK SOME THINGS. 
          UM, IT'S JUST COMPETITIVE OBVIOUSLY OUT THERE AND THE NEEDS ARE JUST SO GREAT. 
          SO I THINK I WOULD JUST ASK FOR SUGGESTIONS OR IDEAS, UM, FROM YOU ALL OR FROM CITY STAFF. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELL, IF THERE'S ANYTHING GOING FORWARD WITH ALL OF THESE VERY AMBITIOUS PROJECTS WHERE THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION CAN, UH, CAN USE OUR VOICE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH CITY COUNCIL, PLEASE COME BACK TO US AND LET US KNOW. 
          I WILL. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT IMITATION AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT YOU BEING AND BEING PART OF IT TONIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, WE'LL LET YOU GET TO YOUR VERY IMPORTANT CALL AND WE 
          [3. Old Business – Items from representatives of collaborating commissions including nonvoting members (Part 2 of 2)]
WILL PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF ON OLD BUSINESS. 
          I DO NOT BELIEVE COMMISSIONER, WHETHER IT BE IS ON TODAY, ACTUALLY CHEER. 
          I THINK SHE WAS ABLE TO JOIN US. 
          OH, WONDERFUL. 
          I AM. 
          I'M ABLE TO JOIN YOU, UH, ORALLY AND LISTEN. 
           WELL WELCOME. 
          THANKS. 
          WOULD YOU MIND GIVING US, GIVING US AN UPDATE ON THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION? YOU KNOW, UH, THEY HAVEN'T DONE AN AWFUL LOT LATELY, UH, AS YOU CAN BE NOT SURPRISED. 
          UM, I BELIEVE THE MEETING LAST WEEK, WHICH I MISSED BECAUSE I WAS STUCK IN THE CAPITOL DOING THREE TESTIMONIES RELATED TO ELECTIONS. 
          UH, THEY GOT, UH, UH, UPDATE ON THE CORRIDOR PROJECTS AND THAT'S ABOUT ALL THAT I CAN SAY. 
          UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INTEREST IN GETTING STARTED ON THE, UH, PUBLIC TRANSIT, UM, ACTIVITIES AND GETTING THOSE UNDERWAY. 
          AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN ANY BIG ACTIONS OTHER THAN CONTINUAL COMMENTS ON THE, UM,  EXPANSION. 
          AND THOSE ARE THE LAST, UH, ACTIONS TAKEN THAT I GUESS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO YOU, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO SUPPORT, UH, MORE TRANSIT ON THE  CORRIDOR AND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND EAST AUSTIN AND THAT SORT OF THING. 
          SO REALLY SHORT REPORT THERE, COMMISSIONER BROTHER B, THIS IS MONA. 
          I HAD A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU. 
          I SAW TODAY SOMETHING COME THROUGH FROM RIGHT OF WAY MANAGEMENT THAT, UH, MODIFIED THE REOPENED, THEIR REGULATIONS ON REOPENING THE RIGHT-OF-WAY TO 4:00 PM. 
          HAS THE COMMISSION HEARD ABOUT ANYTHING ABOUT THAT YET? I'M NOT SURE WHAT, RIGHT OF WAY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST DOWNTOWN RIGHT AWAY. 
          I'VE SAID PERTAINS TO CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND THAT SORT OF, YEAH, THAT HASN'T BEEN A TOPIC THAT WE'VE HAD HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT, BUT, UM, I CAN LOOK INTO THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANKS VERY MUCH. 
          I KNOW THAT, UH, THAT WAS AN ISSUE BEFORE WITH THE COMMISSION ABOUT, UM, RIGHT AWAY NOTICE AND THE PROVISION OF ADEQUATE SPACE FOR BYPASS, AND THAT IS, DOES IT PERTAIN TO THAT MONA I'LL HAVE TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER, BUT, UM, I THINK THE, THEIR MAIN FOCUS WAS PRIMARILY REOPENING THE DOWNTOWN RIGHT OF WAYS AT THAT DIFFERENT HOUR OF 4:00 PM VERSUS THE 5:00 PM. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER KEEGAN, I'M NOT SEEING ON THE LIST OF ATTENDANCE, COMMISSIONER KEATON WAS UNABLE TO JOIN US TO SEE IF ANY, SO WE WON'T THAT'S RIGHT. 
          WE WON'T HAVE A REPORT FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION AND WE WON'T HAVE A REPORT FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION. 
          UM, 
          [01:20:01]
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR, UM, IS COMMISSIONER TAYLOR AVAILABLE FOR PARKS RECREATION CHAIR. 
          I'M NOT SHOWING THAT SHE'S, UM, ONLINE RIGHT NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          AND THEN LASTLY, BUT VASTLY, UH, COMER COMMISSIONER AND ELLIE PAUL BELLINA RAMIREZ ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION. 
          UM, SO WE HAD OUR MEETING AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL. 
          WE'VE BEEN PRETTY BUSY, UM, IT'S BUDGET TIME. 
          SO, UM, WE GOT PRESENTATIONS FROM FIRE POLICE AND EMS. UM, I CAN FORWARD, IT'S POSTED UP ON OUR AGENDA, THE BACKUP INFORMATION, UM, THEIR PRESENTATIONS, THERE ARE VERY HIGH LEVEL, UM, PRESENTATIONS, AND WE'LL BE VOTING ON OUR RECOMMENDATIONS NEXT MEETING AT THE BEGINNING OF MAY. 
          UM, BUT I CAN MAKE SURE TO FORWARD OVER THE BACKUP MATERIALS ON THE BUDGETS THAT THEY PRESENTED TO US. 
          LIKE I SAID, THEY WERE VERY HIGH LEVEL. 
          THEY WERE NOT GRANULAR AT ALL. 
          THEY WERE JUST KIND OF GIVING US A BIG PICTURE. 
          UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE GOT A QUARTERLY REPORT FROM, UM, APD, CHIEF GAY, JUST KIND OF GIVING US NORMAL STATS. 
          UM, EVERYTHING SEEMED, SEEMS PRETTY SIMILAR. 
          UM, JUST THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY UNUSUAL, EXCUSE ME, THERE WEREN'T ANY UNUSUAL REPORTINGS OR FINDINGS, UM, THAT HE BROUGHT FORTH, UM, UM, IN HIS REPORT. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO, UM, VOTED ON A RECOMMENDATION IN SUPPORT OF ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONDERS. 
          UM, AND THAT WENT TO CITY COUNCIL. 
          UM, BUT THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT, I THINK NOT SURE WHAT'S UPCOMING ON OUR NEXT AGENDA. 
          I CANNOT REMEMBER AT THE MOMENT. 
          UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, I CAN GO AHEAD AND FORWARD OVER THE BACKUP MATERIALS ON PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGETS, UM, THAT WE'LL BE VOTING ON IN MAY. 
          UM, AND THAT'S IT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE SO GLAD THAT WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET YOUR REPRESENTATION ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          [4. Potential Future Agenda Items]
UH, THAT TAKES US TO, UH, ITEM FOUR POTENTIAL FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDED TO FUTURE AGENDAS? AND I MIGHT NOTE THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING FOR, I THINK, SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS TO GET THE CITY'S HOMELESS OFFICER TO ATTEND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING, TO UPDATE US ON, UM, THE HOMELESS STRATEGIES, ET CETERA. 
          AND OF COURSE WE HAVE, UM, A, UH, A VOTE COMING UP HERE ACTUALLY, UH, EARLY VOTING HAS STARTED, UM, THAT WILL ADDRESS THE HOMELESS ISSUE AS WELL, BUT WE'VE BEEN UNABLE TO GET THAT SCHEDULED. 
          AND I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN TRYING AND STAFF HAS BEEN TRYING EVERY MONTH TO GET, UM, OR HOMELESS OFFICER TO ATTEND THE MEETING. 
          WE HAVE BEEN, I HOPEFULLY ASSURED THAT THEY WILL BE HERE IN MAY. 
          THAT MAY BE DEPENDING ON WHICH WAY THE VOTE GOES. 
          UM, THEY MAY HAVE TO, UM, WELL, IT'D BE AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION. 
          UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I HAD ASKED AT THE LAST MEETING WAS THE, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS WHAT THE PLAN WAS IN THE EVENT THAT PROP B PASSES. 
          UM, AND BY THAT POINT IN TIME, THE ELECTION WOULD HAVE BEEN HELD, I BELIEVE. 
          SO THAT MAY BE A CONVERSATION THAT HAS TO BE HAD IF IT DOES NOT PASS. 
          THEN I HOPE THAT, UH, UM, THE OFFICER WILL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, UM, SOME OF THE, THE INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED AT THE SUMMIT AND HOW THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT OUR HOMELESS SITUATION DOWNTOWN. 
          UM, ANY OTHER, UH, ITEMS THAT COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BROUGHT TO THE AGENDA. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN, I'VE GOT A POTENTIAL ONE. 
          UM, WHAT ABOUT, CAN WE GET SOMEBODY FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER OR MAYBE IT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? I DON'T KNOW. 
          I KNOW THAT THERE'S, THEY'VE, THEY'VE, UH, STOPPED NEGOTIATING FOR WESTWARD EXPANSION AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT OTHER POTENTIAL EXPANSIONS. 
          AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE CAN GET AN UPDATE OR SOMETHING WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS TO OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. 
          OH, I APOLOGIZE. 
          YES. 
          COMMISSIONER, WE CAN CERTAINLY 
          [01:25:01]
WORK ON GETTING THEM TO, UH, POTENTIALLY THE NEXT MAY 19TH MEETING OR, UM, THE JUNE MEETING AS WELL, BUT WE WILL UPDATE YOU ON THAT SHORTLY FOR THOSE THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE NOTICED THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE AUSTIN MONITOR TODAY THAT ADDRESSED THAT VERY SUBJECT. 
          UH, SO AGAIN, TIMELY, UM, ANY OTHER ITEMS, JERRY? I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, I KNOW THAT WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION GOT STARTED, THERE WAS SOMETHING CONNECTED TO THAT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE A, UH, A LINE ITEM FOR FUNDING FOR ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS DOWNTOWN. 
          SO IT ALL FITS TOGETHER. 
          UH, TH THAT WAS PART OF THE MAYOR'S PUZZLE. 
          AS I REMEMBER IF THAT'S CORRECT, UH, THAT PROBABLY WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS AS WELL. 
          COMMISSIONER MEISENBACH. 
          I NOTICED THAT ALAN GRAHAM IS EXPANDING COMMUNITY FIRST HOUSING, AND I WOULD ENJOY HEARING AN UPDATE FROM HIM. 
          THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA. 
          I WOULD LOVE THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          ANYBODY ELSE? UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE NEXT MEETING IT'S MID-MAY IT WAS GENERAL. 
          SO IF WE COULD HAVE THEM HERE, CAUSE THAT'LL BE CLOSING NEAR THE END OF SESSION, WE'LL HAVE A PRETTY GOOD SENSE OF WHAT'S, UH, REALISTICALLY AS A CHANCE OF PASSING AT THAT POINT. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL VERY, VERY TIMELY ITEMS. CHAIR, TH TH THE, UM, THE OTHER DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL IMPACT HOMELESSNESS DOWNTOWN AS, UM, ELON'S, UH, COMMUNITY FIRST, UH, EXPANSION WILL ALSO IMPACT HOMELESSNESS. 
          DOWNTOWN IS A ESPERANZA COMMUNITY OR THE, THE, THE GOVERNOR'S CAMPSITE AND HOW THAT'S DEVELOPING AND THE PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE BEGINNING TO HAPPEN OUT THERE, UM, MIGHT NOT BE A BAD THING FOR US TO, TO FIND OUT ABOUT, OKAY. 
          MISSIONARY GOMEZ. 
          DO YOU KNOW WHO PERHAPS I MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONTACT ABOUT THAT OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD? YEAH, THE, THE, THE, UH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, I GUESS, OF THE, THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION. 
          HIS NAME IS CHRIS BAKER. 
          I CAN GET YOU HIS INFORMATION. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'D BE GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND I JUST HAD A QUICK COMMENT ABOUT A SLIGHTLY MORE SPECIFIC ASK WITH REGARDS TO THE HOMELESS STRATEGY, OFFICER DIANA GRAY, WHEN SHE COMES BY, THEN THEY SHOULD BE, UM, PRETTY CLOSE TO HAVING, UM, UH, SIGNED SERVICE CONTRACTS ON THE HEAL INITIATIVE DOWNTOWN, UM, WHICH IS GOING TO ALSO ADDRESS THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. 
          THAT'S GOING TO HIT A FEW DIFFERENT ENCAMPMENTS AND POCKETS, UM, BUT AN UPDATE ON THE HEAL INITIATIVE, UM, MORE SPECIFICALLY, UM, AND THEIR PROGRESS WOULD BE GREAT. 
          I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD, BECAUSE THERE ARE, UH, SEVERAL ITEMS SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED AROUND THE HOMELESS ISSUE. 
          IF WE COULD HAVE PUT TOGETHER A PANEL OF THESE FOLKS TO EACH DISCUSS THEIR ITEMS AND HOW THEY INTERRELATE, WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK ON THAT. 
          YES. 
          CHAIR, DO YOU THINK, YEAH, IT WOULD BE DOABLE TO GET LED MEREDITH TO GIVE US AN UPDATE AS WELL. 
          I THINK SHE'S WOULD ECHO WELL IN MEREDITH. 
          OH YEAH. 
          WE CAN REACH OUT TO ECHO. 
          I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM HER. 
          OKAY. 
          THANKS, COMMISSIONER TEMPLETON. 
          THAT'S GOOD IDEA. 
          I BELIEVE SHE WAS VERY, UM, INSTRUMENTAL IN THE SUMMIT. 
          YES. 
          WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE WE CAN PUT A GOOD PANEL TOGETHER TO COVER A RANGE OF, OF BOTH ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS. 
          OH, SORRY. 
          I INTERRUPTED YOU. 
          BUT I THINK IF YOU, A GOOD IDEA TO HE'LL HEAR FROM BILL AND BRYCE AS WELL WITH THE HOSPITAL DOWNTOWN A LOT. 
          CAUSE I THINK HE'S BEEN WORKING FAIRLY CLOSELY WITH MEREDITH ON THIS, ON THE STOMACH CHAIR, HARRIS. 
          I WILL, UM, START COORDINATING THE COORDINATION ON THAT PARTICULAR PANEL AND, AND CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU SOON. 
          OKAY. 
          AND CERTAINLY IF, IF YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A LIMITED TIME AND W WE, WE AREN'T GOING TO RECREATE THE SUMMIT ITSELF. 
          SO, UH, I THINK GETTING A BRIEFING FROM EACH OF THESE 
          [01:30:01]
FOLKS FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE WILL WELL, UH, HELP US, UM, AS WE GO FORWARD, ANY OTHER NON-HOMELESS RELATED, UH, ISSUES THAT FOLKS WANT ON FUTURE ATTENDANCE, COMMISSIONER HONSA, WELL IN BAY, SLIGHTLY UNRELATED, BUT I THINK IT IS ACTUALLY DIFFERENT. 
          I DID READ, UH, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHERE TODAY OR YESTERDAY ABOUT THE RECALIBRATION OF SOME OF THE, UH, DENSITY BONUSES FOR AFFORDABILITY. 
          UM, I THINK THAT REALLY IS SOMETHING SEPARATE BECAUSE THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE FORM OF, UH, DEVELOPMENTS IN VARIOUS AREAS. 
          UM, THE WHOLE AFFORDABILITY ON LOCKED AND HOW THAT PROGRAM IS, IS BEING FINE TUNED. 
          UM, I CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT BOTH IN TERMS OF WHAT'S BEING PRODUCED, UH, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF UNITS, BUT FRANKLY ALSO THE CHARACTER IN THE, THE, THE SHAPE OF THOSE TYPES OF FACILITIES WITHIN THEIR SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DEVOTE, UH, A BROADER DISCUSSION ABOUT. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND THEN AGAIN, THAT WAS, UH, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE ABOUT THAT IN THE AUSTIN MONITOR, I BELIEVE TODAY AS WELL. 
          SO AGAIN, VERY TIMELY, UH, ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT, WELL, THE CHAIR CHAIR THIS, YES, NO MEDICINE. 
          UH, SO I WAS WONDERING, UM, BUT SO WE HAVE THIS, THE CITY BUDGET THAT'S PRESENTLY BEING WORKED ON, AND THEN THERE'S THIS SEVERAL ARTICLES TALKING ABOUT THAT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY COMBINED ARE GOING TO HAVE ABOUT $500 MILLION THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING. 
          UH, HOW IS THAT BEING, UH, DIVVIED UP AND WHERE ARE THOSE DECISIONS BEING MADE? BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S PART OF THE, THE CITY BUDGETING PROCESS UH, IT'S ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT, BUT I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT. 
          I'M JUST WONDERING, HOW DOES THAT, HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK? WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE MECHANISMS FOR DECIDING HOW THOSE MONIES ARE GOING TO GET SPENT? BECAUSE AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE HOMELESS ISSUES AND THEN, AND THEN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOUSING, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ANSWER. 
          I MEAN, WE NEED TO, IF WE WANT AUSTIN TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND BE WHAT IT IS, WE NEED TO ADDRESS HOUSING AND, UM, THE NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS AND AFFORDABILITY. 
          UM, SO ALL THAT TIES TOGETHER. 
          AND I, AND I WAS JUST WONDERING, THOSE FUNDS WERE KIND OF TARGETED FOR ADDRESSING THAT, BUT I'M NOT SURE AT WHAT POINT WE KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH WE'RE GETTING AND WHETHER OR NOT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY ARE GOING TO BE WORKING TOGETHER. 
          UH, SO I'M NOT SURE, UH, AND THAT'S MY OWN IGNORANCE ABOUT THESE DOLLARS, BUT I THINK IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE REGULAR CITY BUDGET. 
          IS THIS THE FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY? I BELIEVE STRUCTURE RESCUE, RIGHT? YES. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S ONE TIME IT'S, I THINK IT'S ONE TIME, UH, FUNDS. 
          AND SO WE REALLY NEED TO, TO SPEND IT IN A WAY THAT WILL IMPACT US FOR YEARS TO COME. 
          AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO, TO MATCH, UM, DOVETAIL WITH THE SUMMIT AND THE STRATEGY FOR BUILDING HOUSING AND ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS AND A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF. 
          I THINK, UH, CHAIR HARRIS, IF, IF I CAN, UH, JUST GIVE A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE ON THAT, UM, A MONTH AGO, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY OFFICER, VERONICA , UM, MY BOSS'S BOSS'S BOSS, UM, WE PUT OUT A FRAMEWORK, UM, COUNSEL PROVIDED US INPUT, UM, ON THAT FRAMEWORK AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE SEEKING TO, UH, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, UH, AT LEAST VERBALIZE A REAL STRONG INTEREST IN, UH, FOCUSING, UM, THE ALLOCATION ON HOMELESS, UM, THAT IS THE COUNCIL'S PREROGATIVE TO MAKE DELIBERATIONS ON THE EXPENDITURE OF THAT. 
          AND SO, UM, AS WELL AS THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, MAKING THEIR PREROGATIVE AND MAKING DECISIONS ON THE EXPENDITURE OF THEIR FUNDS AND IT'S, UM, I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER, BUT IT'S AROUND 196 MILLION, SORRY. 
          YEAH. 
          SO 196 MILLION, IT SOUNDED LIKE A BIG NUMBER. 
          IT ACTUALLY IS. 
          UM, FOR, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ALLOCATION, WE COULD GET YOU SOME MORE DETAILS. 
          WE CAN ALSO MONA PERHAPS, UM, OR A LINK TO THE MEMO THAT OUR DEPARTMENT SET OUT. 
          UM, AND WE COULD SEE WHAT OTHER INFORMATION THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, BUT I DO BELIEVE COUNSEL 
          [01:35:01]
IS DELIBERATING ON THE ALLOCATION OF THOSE FUNDS AND THEY HAVE NOT, UH, MADE A VOTE ON THAT YET. 
          CHRISTINE, DID THEY PLAN TO CIRCULATE IT TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 
          AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP, UM, WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND OTHERS ON POINT WHO ARE MORE CONNECTED WITH THIS THAN I AM AND DETERMINED ABOUT WHETHER THE COUNCIL WILL, UM, PRIOR TO, UH, POSTING ON AN UPCOMING COUNCIL AGENDA ABOUT WHAT IS BEING PROPERLY BY THE COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION. 
          IT'S AWFULLY HARD FOR US AS A COMMISSION TO PROVIDE ADVICE TO COUNSEL. 
          IF THE SORTS OF THINGS ARE NOT CIRCULATE TO US, UNDERSTOOD, UNDERSTOOD. 
          WE WILL. 
          UH, WE WILL, UH, SCROUNGE AROUND MONA, UM, MIKE, UNLESS YOUR ASSISTANCE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND AN IDENTIFY SINCE, UH, SINCE, UH, WEEKEND OF WHAT STAFF PRESENTED, BUT WE COULD SEE IF WE CAN IDENTIFY WHAT, UM, WHAT INFORMATION MIGHT BE COMING OUT BEFORE COUNCIL, UH, POSTS, UM, FOR THEIR DELIBERATION. 
          IN OTHER WORDS, SARAH, WE WILL, WE WILL GO SPELUNKER RING. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO. 
          AND IF, IF COUNCIL DOESN'T, BUT IT CIRCULATE THROUGH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, THERE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR VOICE IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED AND, AND BEING ABLE TO IMPACT THESE SORTS OF DECISIONS. 
          YEAH. 
          I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD THAT MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THERE WAS A HOPE THAT THE DOLLARS THAT THE COUNTY WAS GETTING, WHICH IS LIKE CLOSE TO 300 MILLION, UH, THEMSELVES, UM, THE HOPE WAS THAT THEY COULD JOIN, JOIN THOSE MONIES TOGETHER TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO, TO IMPACT HOUSING ISSUES IN OUR CITY AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, PROBLEMS THAT IMPACT NOT JUST THE CITY, BUT THE COUNTY. 
          CAUSE IT IT'LL, IT'LL BE A POSITIVE FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE IN THE DOWNTOWN, UH, CONTINUED THE VIBRANCY OF DOWNTOWN IF WE CAN MAKE, UM, KEEP AUSTIN, UH, A CITY THAT PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE IN AND, AND, UH, AND VISIT. 
          SO, SO FINDING OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW THE, THE TWO GOVERNMENTS ARE WORKING TOGETHER, UH, THE COUNTY AND THE CITY AROUND THAT WOULD BE GOOD ALSO TO, TO HEAR ABOUT WE'LL DO COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO SEE ADDED TO A FUTURE AGENDA, SEEING NOTHING, UH, I'M GOING TO, UH, SEE IF ANYBODY WOULD TO MOVE FOR ADJOURNMENT. 
          I HAVE A MOTION AND I HAVE A SECOND. 
          UH, I WILL CALL THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AT 7:12 PM. 
          THANKS TO EACH OF YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR PARTICIPATING, UH, REMOTELY AND LET US CONTINUE TO HOPE THAT, UH, WE BE, WE, UH, JOINED TOGETHER IN PERSON SANE AND HAVE A WONDERFUL REST OF YOUR WEEKEND. 
          OKAY. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLY RECOGNIZE THE AAV TECHNICIAN SUPPORT BECAUSE I CERTAINLY COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT, SO THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, AVI TECHNICIAN. 
          .
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.