[00:00:05]
[CALL TO ORDER]
WELCOME TO THE ARTS COMMISSION.MONDAY, MAY 17TH AT SEVEN OR AT FIVE 33.
UH, WE'RE MEETING VIA VIDEO CONFERENCING.
I'M GONNA TAKE A QUICK ROLL JUST TO CONFIRM, UH, WHO'S HERE.
AND I SEE COMMISSIONER MOCK COMMISSIONER CISMEN COMMISSIONER, SMALL BACK COMMISSIONER FLORES, COMMISSIONER OR VICE-CHAIR PAUL GAR COMMISSIONER, VAN DYKE AND MYSELF.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
UM, SO FIRST UP ON THE AGENDA IS CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.AND IF I HAVE THE CORRECT ORDER, UH, OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS SYLVIA, ROSCOE.
ARE YOU THERE? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN HEAR YOU NOW.
I'M SYLVIA ROSCOE DIRECTOR OF MEXICO CITY MUSEUM.
I WANT TO THANK THE ARTS COMMISSION FOR THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL REQUESTING $10 MILLION PER YEAR FOR TWO YEARS, FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN GENERAL FUND OR OTHER FUNDS, THESE FUNDS ARE NEEDED FOR SURVIVAL JOB RETENTION, SUSTAINING OPERATION BY AUSTIN ARTS ORGANIZATION.
THIS ASSISTANCE RESPONDS TO THE TRANSFORM TRANSFORMATIONAL INVESTMENTS, SPECIFICALLY PRIORITY NUMBER THREE, JOBS FOR WORKING CLASS.
AUSTINITES THE NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE PART OF THE WORKERS OF THE CITY.
WE TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND WORK ON THIS RECOMMENDATION AND GETTING THE MESSAGE TO CITY COUNCIL.
THERE WAS A CURRENT RESOLUTION PROPOSED THAT IS BEING DISCUSSED AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING THIS THURSDAY.
IT CAN BE FOUND AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA WEBPAGE ITEM NUMBER 16, BY READING THE RESOLUTION.
YOU WILL NOTE THAT OUR WORK IS NOT FINISHED.
I WANT TO POINT OUT SEVERAL ISSUES.
OVER TWO YEARS UP TO 15 MILLION IS RECOMMENDED NOT 10 OR 20 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION REQUESTED OR THAT THE ARTS COMMUNITY ASKED IN HUNDREDS OF EMAILS.
WE MUST CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
THE ARTS COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY TO REQUEST 20 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS.
NUMBER TWO, THE REST RESOLUTION MAKES REFERENCE TO THE POSSIBLE USE OF FUNDS FOR OTHER PROGRAMS, THE LEGACY BUSINESS PROGRAM, THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, THE CREATIVE WORKER RELIEF FUND.
ALL THESE PROGRAMS ARE GOOD, BUT THE NEED IS JOB RETENTION AND KEEPING OUR STAFF EMPLOYED BESIDE SEVEN POINT MILLION IS NOT ENOUGH FOR ALL THESE PROGRAMS. FUNDING MUST BE SPECIFIC TO THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING FOR JOBS AND OPERATIONS.
FOR THE NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS FUNDING CAN BE FOUND FOR THESE OTHER PROGRAMS. NUMBER THREE, THE FUNDING SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR FISCAL YEAR 1920 HOT FUND DEFICIT.
EITHER THIS SHOULD COME FROM OTHER FUNDS.
ALSO, NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION ASKS FOR A PLAN.
IT DOES NOT ASK FOR AN ALLOCATION.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM ALL OF US.
I URGE THAT WE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, THE ARTS COMMISSION AND THE ARTS ORGANIZATION SPEAK IN ONE VOICE AND HAVE A UNITED MESSAGE THAT $10 MILLION OF THE CITY'S AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN BE DESIGNATED FOR THE ARTS NONPROFITS OVER TWO YEARS TO SAVE HUNDREDS OF JOBS FOR THE WORKING INDIVIDUALS AND THE NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.
I ASK EVERYONE LISTENING TONIGHT THAT WE CALL EMAIL AND SPEAK TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE INCLUDED AS A PRIORITY FOR THE CULTURE WORKERS OF AUSTIN.
AND I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM FOR EVERYONE THAT THAT WOULD BE FOR THURSDAY'S COUNCIL MEETING, IT'LL BE AGENDA ITEMS 66 ZERO.
IF ANYONE ONE WAS INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT IT.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH,
WELL, THANKS TO OUR COMMISSION.
YOU REALLY COME THROUGH, WE HAVE BEEN SO GRATEFUL, BUT YOU HAVE REALLY LED THE WAY TO ASK FOR MORE FUNDING.
SO SYLVIA HAS DONE A MARVELOUS JOB AS YOU'VE HEARD HER SPEAK, BUT REALLY WITHOUT THE PERMISSION, WE WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE ARE NOW.
AND I HOPE THAT WE WILL GET TO OUR GOALS.
SO WE NEED TO LET COUNCIL KNOW THAT 7.5 MILLION IS NOT SUFFICIENT AND THAT WE NEED 10 MILLION PER YEAR.
SO, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT.
AND I WANTED TO FILL YOU IN A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD.
SO AUSTIN SHAKESPEARE IS GOING TO HAVE SOME LIVE IN PERSON EVENTS.
UH, AUSTIN SHAKES THERE WE'LL HAVE OUR FIRST
[00:05:01]
ACTING CLASS, UH, THIS SATURDAY ALIVE, JUST A FEW STUDENTS AT A SOCIALLY DISTANCE GYM WITH MASKS AND ALL THOSE GOOD THINGS.ALSO WE'LL HAVE OUR YOUNG SHAKESPEARE TEEN COMPANY, HOPEFULLY PERFORMING OUTDOORS IN JULY, WHICH WILL BE GREAT.
AND, UH, WE ARE HOPING TO BE IN DELTA PARK AND THAT WILL BE IN SEPTEMBER FOR JUST A ONE WEEK.
SO, UH, WE'RE JUST DOING OUR VERY BEST TO KEEP FOLKS EMPLOYED, NOT JUST ACTORS, BUT DESIGNERS AND TECHNICIANS AND TEACHERS, FRANKLY.
SO, UH, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME, BUT I WANT TO SAY, THANKS.
IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU ALL ON.
AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU THE REST OF THE YEAR AND SEEING YOUR FACES FACES WIDE.
GREAT TO HEAR SOME, SOME, SOME ACTIONS HAPPENING, SO GOOD TO HEAR.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON IN OUR AGENDA
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
TO THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES, UH, BY SHAREHOLDER, SAW YOUR HAND GO UP FIRST MOTION TO APPROVE MISSION FOR APRIL 19TH.I'M GOING TO PUT THEM IN BULK THEM TOGETHER AND THE 27TH.
MOTION TO APPROVE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL MEETING AND MINUTES FROM THE JOINT MEETING WITH MUSIC, UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES.
I WOULD SECOND, BUT I, THE 19, I MEAN, THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE, ON THE 19TH THAT I THOUGHT NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED.
I THOUGHT WE NAMED VICE CHAIR.
PAUL GAR, THE CHAIR OF OUR LITTLE WORKING GROUP FOR, I THOUGHT WE HAD NO, WE DIDN'T NAME ONE.
OH, WELL WE MADE YOU THEN ON THE SECOND THEN PROPOSE.
SO MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, MINUTES FROM THE APRIL MEETING AND MINUTES FROM THE JOINT ARTS MUSIC MEETING, UH, BY VICE-CHAIR POLDER ARE SECONDED BY FLORES.
ANY AMENDMENTS, ADDITIONS QUESTIONS, UH, SEEING NONE, UH, I'M GOING TO APPROVE IT ON CONSENT.
[2.a. Acknowledge and Adapt]
UH, CHAIR'S REPORT.OH, I FORGOT TO STOP THE TIMER.
CHAIRS REPORT, QUOTE, DON'T GET SET INTO ONE FORM ADAPTED AND BUILD YOUR OWN AND LET IT GROW.
BE FORMLESS, SHAPELESS LIKE WATER.
NOW WATER CAN FLOW OR IT CAN CRASH.
MY FRIEND, BRUCE LEE QUOTE, YOU CAN PLEASE SOME OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME, YOU CAN PLEASE ALL OF THE PEOPLE SOME OF THE TIME, BUT YOU CAN'T PLEASE.
ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME, POET JOHN LYDGATE MADE FAMOUS BY PRESIDENT LINCOLN QUOTE, JUST BECAUSE YOU MAKE A GOOD PLAN, DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
TAYLOR SWIFT QUOTE, WE WILL NOT GO BACK TO NORMAL.
NORMAL, NEVER WAS OUR PRE CORONA EXISTENCE WAS NOT NORMAL.
OTHER THAN WE NORMALIZED GREED, INEQUITY, EXHAUSTION, DEPLETION, EXTRACTION, DISCONNECTION, CONFUSION, RAGE, HOARDING, HATE AND LACK.
WE SHOULD NOT LONG TO RETURN MY FRIENDS.
WE ARE BEING GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO STITCH A NEW GARMENT.
ONE THAT FITS ALL OF HUMANITY AND NATURE.
NOW YOU CAN BREAK THAT BIG PLAN INTO SMALL STEPS AND TAKE THE FIRST STEP RIGHT AWAY.
INDIRA GANDHI, STOP ASIAN HATE BLACK LIVES MATTER.
SAY HER NAME TRANS RIGHTS OR HUMAN RIGHTS.
[00:10:01]
SOME OF US GET OFFENDED WHEN THESE PHRASES ARE SPOKEN, BUT THESE ARE RALLYING CALLS THAT ARE BEING MISINTERPRETED AS BEING AGAINST WHITE PEOPLE, MAYBE AGAINST MEN, BUT NO, THEY'RE CALLING US TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY AGAINST WHITE SUPREMACY AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM AGAINST OPPRESSION.SO YES, WHEN WE SAY CALLING US, THAT INCLUDES WHITE MEN.
AS WE DISCUSS RECOVERY, HOTEL, OCCUPANCY TAX AND FUNDING, LET'S NOT MISINTERPRET.
WHAT IS BEING SAID HERE AT OUR MEETINGS, WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE ARTS COMMUNITY.
OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION ARE FOCUSED ON THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.
THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE ARE FOCUSED ON BUSINESSES.
WE'RE HAVING THESE SEPARATE CONVERSATIONS, BUT REALLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SAVING THE SAME THING.
THE CULTURAL AUSTIN CRIMINAL CRIMINALIZING, THE HOMELESS IS NOT A REASON.
WE MOVED TO AUSTIN ARTISTS, BEING ABLE TO MAKE A LIVING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE LOCAL ART AND MUSIC EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK.
THOSE ARE REASONS WE MOVED TO AUSTIN.
IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE LARGE SCALE COLLABORATION AND ADVOCACY FOR US TO REMIND EVERYONE WHY THEY WANT TO BE IN AUSTIN AND TO SHOW THEM THE REAL ACTIONS THAT THEY CAN TAKE AND HOW THEY CAN PERPETUATE AUSTIN'S CULTURE.
REGARDING OUR FOCUS HERE AT THE ARTS COMMISSION, THIS IS DIFFICULT, BUT LET US ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ISN'T ENOUGH MONEY FOR EVERYONE.
EVEN IF THE CITY ALLOCATED 25 MILLION, LIKE THEY DID IN NEW YORK OR 60 MILLION, LIKE IN CHICAGO, IT STILL WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH TO FUND ALL CREATIVES.
LET US ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOME OF US ARE HURTING MORE OR HAVE BEEN HURTING LONGER THAN OTHERS.
LET'S ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE IN A CRISIS.
LET'S ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS NO GOING BACK TO THE FUNDING SYSTEM OF 2019, BUT LET'S PLAN ON COLLABORATING AND COMMUNICATING LET'S PLAN ON A MORE EQUITABLE AND RESILIENT CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
THE FOUR PILLARS THAT HAVE GUIDED A LOT OF OUR CONVERSATIONS, CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP DEVELOP CURRENT AND EMERGING LEADERS AND SURE, AND ENCOURAGE EQUITY REFLECT THE GROWING DIVERSE POPULATION OF AUSTIN FOSTER COLLABORATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO AUSTIN'S ROBUST ARTS ECOSYSTEM AND INSPIRE EVOLUTION, ACHIEVE ADVANCEMENT THROUGH INNOVATION AND RESILIENCY.
[2.b. Art in Public Places liaison report]
UH, OUR AIPP LIAISON IS NOT HERE TODAY, BUT HE DID PASS ALONG A NOTE.UH, I THINK AFTER THIS MEETING, WE'LL CIRCULATE A SIGNUP SHEET, WANTED TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SIGN UP, TO SIT IN ON AN AIPP MEETING.
UH, IT IS A GOOD EXPERIENCE TO UNDERSTAND THE WORK THAT THE AIPP PANEL DOES.
UM, AND IT WOULD JUST HELP INFORM OUR CONVERSATION THAT, UH, THAT MUCH, THAT MUCH MORE.
UM, SO WE'LL CIRCULATE THAT LATER ON AND I THINK WE'LL DISCUSS THIS, UM, AT SOME POINT, BUT WE MIGHT BE DOING THAT WITH A BOARD IN THE COMMISSION LIAISONS AS WELL, JUST SO THAT WE CAN MAYBE SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF, OF, OF MEETING WITH DIFFERENT, UH, BOARDS OF COMMISSIONS.
[2.c. Boards & Commissions liaisons (including Austin Economic Development Corporation)]
WE'RE MOVING ON TO, TO SEE THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LIAISONS.UH, ACTUALLY I FORGOT TO CHECK IF CARL WAS ON THE LINE, IS THERE, I DON'T SEE THEM ON THE LIST.
CITY HALL STAFF TO CARL SETTLES.
COLIN, DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT THERE'S A SEVEN FIVE SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN EIGHT NUMBER? I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S CARL OR NOT.
[00:15:04]
THEY'RE UN-MUTED SO THEY COULD SPEAK ABOUT, I DON'T THINK IT'S CARL THAT'S NOT CARL.UM, SO WE'LL DO THE OTHER BOARD, THE COMMISSION LIAISON, UH, AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WELL, WE FORMED A WORKING GROUP.
I'LL PROVIDE, UH, A LARGER, A BETTER UPDATE AT THAT, THE WORKING GROUP UPDATES.
UM, BUT I HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, JUST FYI
[3.a. Downtown Austin Alliance’s Roadmap to Recovery & Resilience – Molly Alexander, Downtown Austin Alliance]
OPS, SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS.UH, WE HAVE THE ROADMAP TO RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE, UH, MO MOLLY ALEXANDER WITH DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT.
UM, I'M GOING TO BE PRESENTING FOR MY DECK CAUSE IT WAS, MY PRESENTATION WAS A LITTLE TOO LARGE FOR US TO SEND IN TRADITIONAL WAYS TO CITY HALL.
BUT BEFORE I GET STARTED, UM, I WANT TO JUST, I REALLY ENJOY WORKING WITH THE CITY TEAM AND I JUST WANTED TO CALL OUT SUSAN LAMB.
SUE HAS BEEN ALWAYS A GREAT COLLABORATOR WITH US AND WHENEVER I GET A CHANCE, I JUST ALWAYS WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AND HOW LUCKY WE ARE TO HAVE HER AT THE TEAM AT THE CITY.
SO JUST A SPECIAL CALL OUT TO SUSAN.
SO I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN AND GO THROUGH A PRESENTATION AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS OR INTERRUPT ME, OR WE CAN WAIT TILL THE END.
SO I'M ACTUALLY, I'M MOLLY ALEXANDER AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE FOUNDATION.
SO WE'RE THE FIVE OH ONE C3 ARM OF THE ALLIANCE.
UM, AND WE WERE FOUNDED ESSENTIALLY A YEAR AGO, RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
AND WHAT I'M GOING TO DO TONIGHT IS GO THROUGH THE WORK OF THE FOUNDATION AND THEN GO INTO THE ROADMAP TO RECOVERY BECAUSE THEY'RE BOTH ALIGNED.
SO THE MISSION OF THE FOUNDATION IS TO IGNITE THE POTENTIAL OF DOWNTOWN THROUGH ART AND CREATIVE SPACES THAT CAPTURE THE SPIRIT OF AUSTIN BY AND FOR EVERYONE.
MY LITTLE CURSOR AND I ARE HAVING PROBLEMS. THERE WE GO.
WE HAVE THREE PROJECT AREAS ARE FOLK EYE, AND ONE IS REPUBLIC SQUARE.
SO THE FOUNDATION OPERATES PROGRAMS MAINTAINS AND RAISES MONEY, UH, TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC AND AN IMPORTANT HISTORIC DOWNTOWN SQUARE AND PARK IN DOWNTOWN.
OVER THE PAST YEAR DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE'VE REMAINED, OPENED, OUR RESTROOMS HAVE REMAINED OPEN AND WE ACTUALLY HELPED OPEN A NEW CAFE.
WE PARTNERED WITH OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE SAFE, FREE PROGRAMMING, SUCH AS THIS AIA PARK SPACE, THE AUSTIN AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS, AUSTIN CHAPTER, THEIR INSTALLATION CALLED PARK SPACE THAT ALLOWED US TO DO FREE PROGRAMMING AND PROVIDE AN OPEN AREA FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL SAFE DURING COVID.
WE WORKED WITH LOCAL RESTAURANT TOUR ASSAULT AND TIME TO OPEN THE CAFE THIS AUGUST.
SO WE'RE FIRST FOR THE FIRST TIME, BRINGING A CAFE VENDOR INTO A PUBLIC SPACE, A LOCAL RESTAURANT WHO ARE, WHO ALSO SERVES BEER AND WINE.
UH, WE CREATED, UH, COMPLETED A PROJECT, UH, THROUGH A GRANT.
WE RECEIVED FROM THE PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES TO REVITALIZE THE 850 YEAR OLD AUCTION OAKS.
THIS IS WHERE THE FOUNDING OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS ESSENTIALLY TOOK PLACE IN AN ALSO AN IMPORTANT CULTURAL HUB AND PLACE FOR THE LATINO OR LATIN X COMMUNITY THROUGH THE HISTORY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THE OAKS REPRESENT A NUMBER OF THINGS.
BUT THIS IS THE BEFORE PICTURES WHERE DURING OUR RENOVATION, THE OAKS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THAT ORIGINAL RENOVATION OF THE PARK.
AND SO THIS GRANT ALLOWED US TO REALLY WORK ON AND CAPTURE THE BEAUTY OF THE AUCTION OAKS.
SO, AND WORKING WITH THE GRANTS, THE GRAND TOUR PROVIDED SOME DESIGN ASSISTANCE.
AND, UM, WE PARTNERED WITH THE WILDFLOWER CENTER, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, AND, UH, BARTLETT TREE EXPERTS TO DEADWOOD THE TREES AND REVITALIZE THE ROOT SYSTEM FOR REMOVED THESE CONCRETE.
I DON'T REALLY BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE IN PUBLIC PARKS BECAUSE PARKS ARE OPEN TO EVERYONE AND THEY SAT ON A CRITICAL ROOT ZONE UNDER THE TREES.
WE OPENED UP THE AREA COMPLETELY.
AND NOW YOU SEE THE MAJESTY OF THESE GORGEOUS OAKS THAT PROBABLY COULD TELL A LOT OF STORIES, UH, FOR ALL OF US IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE THEN WORKED TO PLANT NATIVE PLANTS.
AND THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE RESULT OF THE PROJECT.
SO KIND OF FROM THE EAST LOOKING WEST TO THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE, THIS IS NOW THE AREA UNDER THE OAKS.
THE PROJECT COSTS IS ABOUT 74,000.
UM, AND THEN WE HAD A PRIVATE GRANTOR FINISHED THE REST.
[00:20:01]
UM, DEPENDING ON, UM, REALLY, IF WE CAN RAISE THE FUNDING TO DO IT, THERE'S AN ENTIRE KIND OF BERM AREA THAT WE'D LIKE TO MAKE A WILDFLOWER AREA THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE THIS AND ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE COLOR INTO PHASE TWO TO COME.THE OTHER GRANT WE WORKED ON WAS REALLY TO REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN OUR PROGRAMMING IN THE PARK.
WE RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY INSTITUTE AND WORK TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW TO DEPLOY A NEW LEVEL OF FUNDING, UH, AND REALLY THINK ABOUT A MORE DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
SO WE WORKED ON THE GRANT DURING THE PANDEMIC AND WE'LL BEGIN TO, UH, UTILIZE THE FUNDS AND, UM, BRING MORE DIVERSE PROGRAMMING BACK TO THE PARK.
UM, IN THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, AS WE OPEN UP, AS I MENTIONED, THE SECOND AREA OF THE FOUNDATION IS A PRO UH, PROJECT THAT WE LAUNCHED LAST YEAR.
OH MY GOODNESS, CALLED WRITING ON THE WALLS.
IT IS A MURAL PROGRAM, UM, WHERE WE, UH, PAINTED TWO-YEAR-OLDS ONE, AN INTERNATIONAL MURAL AND ONE, A LOCAL MURAL.
UM, AND WE PROVIDED SEVEN DAYS OF PROGRAMMING THAT INCLUDED 16 FREE EVENTS, WORKSHOPS, FILM, SCREENINGS, AND PARTIES.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, ONE OF THE MURALS WE PAINTED IS AT THE LINE HOTEL.
IT WAS A PROJECT WITH SENATOR SAVVIER AND SHEPARD FAIREY TO INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS WHO COLLABORATED TO REALLY COMMEMORATE THE 19TH AMENDMENT OF THE PASSAGE OF A WOMAN'S RIGHTS VOTE.
BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, IT DIDN'T PROVIDE EVERY WOMAN THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
AND SO OUR SERIES THAT WE KICKED OFF FOR THOSE SEVEN DAYS REALLY TRIED TO UNDERSTAND THE NUANCES WHERE WE ARE AND CREATE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW FAR WE ARE YET TO COME IN TERMS OF EQUALITY IN THE COMMUNITY AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE SECOND, UM, ARTWORK, AND, UH, SHOUT OUT TO SUSAN.
WHEN WE WORKED WITH SUSAN ON THIS, SHE'S LIKE, GET THAT WALL, GET THAT SOUTH FACING WALL AT LAMAR.
UM, WE CURATED THIS WITH LOCAL ARTISTS, SHOT A LAWSON, BUT ARE ON A BILLING WITH TWO INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS TO RAISE HER PROFILE.
AND SHE DID THIS EXCEPTIONAL MURAL, UM, REALLY AROUND, UM, THAT ANY FEELINGS WE HAVE, BUT AS A WOMAN, WE SHOULD EMBRACE IT, WHETHER WE'RE DEPRESSED OR ANGRY, OR WE ARE EXCITED, WE NEED TO REALLY EMBRACE IT.
ALL OF OUR EMOTIONS ARE WHO WE ARE AND HER, HER WORK REALLY IS, HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED.
IT'LL WARM UP TO US AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO MANAGE ALL OF THE, UM, ADDED ASPECTS THAT THIS WALL HAS BEEN.
UM, UH, WELL, THAT'S BEEN TAGGED FOR YEARS.
SO HOW DO WE REALLY THINK ABOUT PRESERVING IT, ENHANCING IT AND ALLOWING SOME AREAS AND THAT WE KNOW ARE GONNA BE TAGGED THIS FALL.
WE PARTNERED WITH A SHOE ARCHITECT AND, UM, MANIFEST REAL ESTATE TO CURATE FOR MURALS, UH, FOR LOCAL ARTISTS.
SO DURING THE PANDEMIC, UM, THERE WERE FOUR LOCATIONS WITHIN THIS NEW PROJECT AT BOLDEN IT'S CALLED BOLDEN CREEK AND IT SAID, UM, LAMAR AND OLTORF JUST SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN.
AND, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE MURALS WITH, UM, UH, FOUR AUSTIN ARTISTS, TYLER HOBBES, JANICE WHACK, SOPHIE ROACH AND SOLELY DAD FERNANDEZ WHITE CHURCH.
SO WE WERE, UH, THE CURATORIAL EXECUTER AND HELPED WITH THE CURATION AS WELL.
OUR CURRENT WRITING ON THE WALLS PROJECT IS, UM, A BANNER PROJECT WE DID ON CONGRESS AVENUE, COMMEMORATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF, UH, GOVERNOR ANN RICHARDS.
WE LAUNCHED THIS DURING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND IT'S A SERIES OF, UM, MURALS AND QUOTES.
I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, PHOTOGRAPHS AND QUOTES OF THE LATE GOVERNOR, UH, COMMEMORATING, OBVIOUSLY FROM THE ANN RICHARDS BRIDGE UP TO THE CAPITOL.
IN ADDITION TO THE MURALS, WE ALSO LAUNCHED A WEBSITE AND WE HIRED SOLELY DAD TO DO, UM, AN INSTALLATION AT SECOND AND CONGRESS SOMEWHAT OF AN INSTAGRAMMABLE MOMENT, BUT ALSO TO BE ABLE TO HIRE A LOCAL ARTIST, UM, AND PUT HER TO WORK.
UH, DURING MARCH WE HAVE A THIRD AREA AND THIS IS OUR PLACE STUDIO.
UM, AND LAST YEAR WE PARTNERED WITH A BLUE STARLITE DRIVE IN, UH, TO FIND A LOCAL ROOFTOP, UM, AND THE PARKING GARAGE TO FIND AN AREA WHERE HE COULD SET UP A DRIVE IN.
AND OF COURSE THE CITY COULDN'T PERMIT THIS, UH, BUT THE STATE DIDN'T REQUIRE A PERMIT.
SO WE PARTNERED WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS SET UP BLUE STARLIGHT, AND RECENTLY WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE A PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, AUSTIN POETRY SLAM, UH, BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE A THEATER FOR FREE, UH, FOR AUSTIN POETRY SLAM.
THEY PRODUCED POET, UH, SLAM NIGHT AND HOSTED THAT IN APRIL.
IN ADDITION, IN OUR PLACE AREA, WE WORKED WITH THE MERCHANTS OF THE 600 BLOCK OF CONGRESS TO RE-IMAGINE THAT BLOCK AND TO
[00:25:01]
BRING MORE PEOPLE.UM, WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE CITY'S NEW PROGRAM CALLED SHOP THE BLOCK.
UM, AND WE HAVE, UM, A MONTHLY MARKET THERE AS WELL AS WEEKLY MUSIC AND ALL OF THE MERCHANTS TOGETHER.
UM, ACTUALLY CURATE THIS, UH, EVERY DAY, PUTTING OUT TABLES AND CHAIRS.
I REALLY TRYING TO MAKE IT ACT UP PLEASANT AND INTERESTING FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE SUFFERED A GREAT DEAL, UH, IN DOWNTOWN.
SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INSTALLATION.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE.
THEY'VE ACTUALLY PLANTED AND BROUGHT IN MARKET VENDORS, UM, DONE A LOT OF ADVERTISING AND WE'VE SUPPORTED THEM THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOME FUNDING, UM, THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS, UH, PREVIOUS YEARS, UH, THE ALLIANCE, WE HAVE HAD A TWO HOUR LARGE-SCALE FESTIVAL ON CONGRESS AVENUE, UH, FOR LIGHTING A HOLIDAY TREE AND BRINGING HOLIDAY CHEER TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THIS YEAR, WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO DO THAT, WE CREATED A SERIES OF EVENTS AND ACTIVATIONS MONTH LONG.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO CANCEL CHRISTMAS.
UM, AND SO WE WORKED WITH, UH, ABOUT 35 BUSINESSES CREATING A PASSPORT SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD GO TO THOSE BUSINESSES, GET THEIR PATH PASSPORT STAMPS TO BE ENTERED INTO A DRAWING.
UM, WE HAD SANTA AND MRS. CLAUS.
WE HAD SANTA CLAUS OUT DOING PHOTOS WITH ANIMALS AND PEOPLE.
WE WORKED WITH THE TEXAS, UM, THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK.
AND WE STARTED OUR MUSIC BUSKING PROGRAM ON SECOND STREET, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HAM, UM, THAT INSULT THAT LED TO THE HOLIDAY SHOW LED TO US RAISING MONEY TO CONTINUE HIRING MUSICIANS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD BEEN WORKING A LOT WITH VISUAL ARTISTS AND WE NOW ALSO WANTED TO WORK WITH MUSIC ARTISTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN WE HIRED IN DECEMBER, MANY OF THEM TOLD US IT WAS THEIR FIRST PAYING GIG OF THE YEAR.
AND SO WE NOW HAVE LIVE MUSIC ON SECOND STREET EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
UM, WE'VE HAD TO POSTPONE IT RIGHT NOW JUST BECAUSE THERE IS, UM, UH, KIND OF A PROTEST, SOME TENTS OR A WAY TO STAGE IT.
SO WE POSTPONED IT FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, UH, TRYING TO FIND A NEW LOCATION FOR THIS PARTICULAR INSTALLATION.
THAT'S FUNDED BY SOME PRIVATE DONORS.
AND, UM, OUR OTHER PROJECT IS WE'RE WORKING WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS TO RE-IMAGINE PUBLIC SPACES AND ACTIVATE PLAZA.
SO THIS IS THREE OH ONE CONGRESS.
UM, THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT IS THE CURRENT, UM, THE WAY IT LOOKS, UM, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THEIR TENANTS AND THE COMMUNITY IN DOWNTOWN TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO ENLIVEN THIS FOR EVERYONE.
THIS WOULD BE A PUBLIC SPACE FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST FOR THE BUILDING TENANTS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ART AND ENGAGEMENT AND PROGRAMMATIC EXPERIENCES WORKING ON THIS THROUGH THE SUMMER.
WE EXPECT IN THE FALL, WE'LL HAVE SOME INSTALLATIONS HERE.
UH, WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON CREATING A MINI MURAL PROJECT IN DOWNTOWN THERE'S OVER 800 TRAFFIC SIGNAL BOXES.
AND WE KNOW THIS IS ONE QUICK WAY TO CONTINUE TO HAVE A LOCAL ARTISTS, UM, GET FUNDING, UM, FOR, AND TO BE CREATIVE AND TO CREATE THEIR OWN COMMUNITY.
UM, FINALLY, WE'RE REALLY WORKING NOW ON A NEW PROGRAM THAT'S RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT'S STILL AN ACTIVE STOREFRONT.
WE DON'T HAVE A REAL NAME FOR IT.
WE PARTNERED WITH RAISIN MACINTOSH WITH RAISIN AND THE SUN AND SOME THINGS COOL STUDIO ON THE EAST SIDE, UM, AND CREATED A POP-UP GALLERY EXPERIENCE AT NINE 14, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE STOREFRONT SPACE FOR FREE.
UH, THE ARTISTS SET UP AN EIGHT WEEK GALLERY OPENING NIGHT ON THE UPPER, RIGHT? IF YOU CAN SEE IT, THERE WAS A LINE AROUND THE DOOR.
THEY DID A COVID SAFE 20 PEOPLE FOR 12 MINUTES, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR HOURS.
UM, AND THEN OVER THE COURSE OF EIGHT WEEKS, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO PRESENT EIGHT DIFFERENT ARTISTS.
UM, THE ARTISTS REALLY WERE EXCITED ABOUT HAVING A VENUE IN DOWNTOWN AND ON CONGRESS AVENUE.
UH, SUBSEQUENTLY THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS LEASED THE SPACE.
UM, BUT THIS JUST KICKED OFF A PROGRAM FOR US, UM, THAT WE ARE NOW WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS TO CREATE, UM, MORE TEMPORARY, LOW COST OR FREE SPACE FOR ARTISTS AND ART ORGANIZATIONS.
SO ANYWHERE FROM THREE MONTHS TO SIX MONTHS TO 18 MONTHS.
UM, SO WE ARE RIGHT NOW PILOTING A PROJECT ON SECOND STREET.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY IF THAT WORKS, WE WILL A TEMPLATE, A PROGRAM WHERE WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE AT LOW COST, UM, SPACE TO DIFFERENT ARTISTS AND ART ORGANIZATIONS, UM, FILLING A GAP.
UH COMMUNITY-WIDE BUT WE COULD FILL A GAP IN A TEMPORARY WAY, EITHER THROUGH A THEATER PERFORMANCE OVER A WEEKEND OR A GALLERY OVER EIGHT WEEKS OR A LONGER, UH, STAGED, UM, POTENTIALLY, UM, ARTS, UM, ACTIVATION FOR SIX TO EIGHT TO 18 MONTHS.
SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE FOUNDATION IS DOING.
YOU WANT TO TAKE QUESTIONS CAUSE I HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED.
[00:30:01]
THEN MARK, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, OH MY GOD.UH, IT'S LIKE I'VE BEEN LOCKED UP FOR A YEAR AND I HAD NO IDEA ALL THIS WAS GOING ON DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
IT MAKES ME SORT OF ASHAMED AND EMBARRASSED THAT I LOCKED MYSELF UP FOR A WHOLE YEAR BECAUSE I WAS JUST DIDN'T WANT TO GO ANYWHERE.
I MEAN, THIS IS PROVIDING AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES AND ART EXPERIENCES AND REALLY FILLING A GAP.
I KNOW A LOT OF THE IDEAS ALSO COME FROM THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE IPP.
IT'S LIKE REALLY A CONTINUATION OF, OF WHAT THE CITY CAN AFFORD TO, UH, TO PUT ON, BUT YOU ALL ARE ACTUALLY TAKING IT OVER TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY WONDERFUL AND ENCOURAGING AND JUST, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS VERY SWEET.
SOMETIMES YOU'D NEED A CRISIS TO MOVE INTO EVEN FURTHER ACTION, UNFORTUNATELY.
AND, UM, I, I, I, MAYBE I, YOU HAVE SAID IT BEFORE, SO WHERE IS DOWNTOWN? CAN YOU GIVE ME, YOU KNOW, THE BORDER AS YOU DEFINE IT, NORTH, SOUTH EAST WEST, THAT IS A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.
SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU TWO ANSWERS.
SO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, THEIR FUNDING COMES FROM A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHY THAT FOUNDATION THAT I RUN HAS NO GEOGRAPHY.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A GEOGRAPHY OF BEING WELCOMED AND THERE ARE SOME LEVELS OF CONNECTIONS.
SO THE FA THE ALLIANCE GOES FROM SAN ANTONIO STREET ON THE WEST.
SO KIND OF BY THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN REPUBLIC SQUARE TWO 35, UM, RIGHT PRIOR TO THE FREEWAY, DOESN'T GO OVER TO THE EAST SIDE ON THE NORTH SIDE, IT GOES TO THE UNIVERSITY.
SO MLK, AND ON THE SOUTH SIDE, IT'S A LITTLE INTERESTING.
IT GOES SOUTH OF THE RIVER INCLUDES THE STATESMEN, THE HYATT, THE NEW STREAM BUILDING, WHICH WAS, UM, HOOTERS AND KIND OF HAS A JAGGED EDGE ON THE EAST AT THE MOMENT.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH.
YES, BUT, UM, I FEEL LIKE YOUR FOUNDATION COULD BE A TOOL, A HOPE TO CONNECT BEYOND, YOU KNOW, TO THE YES' BEYOND I X 35.
SO TO ME, UM, THE APARTMENTS AND THE CONDO THAT WAS BUILT ON THE EAST SIDE OF ICE, 35 HAVE ALMOST CATCH UP WITH THE PRICE, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSING PRICE, YOU KNOW, ON THE WEST SIDE.
UM, SO I LOVE YOUR PROJECT AND I WOULD LOVE TO, UH, ENCOURAGE YOU TO EXPAND IT TO THE EAST SIDE, BECAUSE YOU COULD BE OUR VERY HOPE, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY MAKE THAT CONNECTION.
ESPECIALLY I WATCH OUT FOR PROJECT, UH, CONNECT.
THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION.
AND I WOULD JUST LOVE TO DECOMPRESS THAT I EXTORTED BY SO THAT WE CAN WALK ACROSS, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BE MY DREAM.
UM, AND OTHER THINGS THAT I, I, I, WHEN I FIRST CAME DOWN HERE IN 83, THERE IS SOME DILLO AT BELOW THAT IS A FREE RIDE.
YOU KNOW, I RUN AROUND DOWNTOWN.
IT IS JUST SO WONDERFUL, ESPECIALLY ON A THREE-DIGIT HEAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS LIKE A BLESSING.
SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ENCOURAGE, TO BRING THIS BACK BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY AIPP PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, ON BOTH THE EAST SIDE AND THE WEST SIDE.
I MEAN, IT WILL BE JUST HAVE SOME KIND OF A DEALER WHORE, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL VISITORS, YOU KNOW, TO VISIT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR AIPP PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I WENT TO CHICAGO, THEY HAVE THIS WORLD TOUR, YOU KNOW, TELLING ME THE BEAUTY AND WHAT'S ON THE BEAUTY.
SO WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THOSE MURALS AND ALL OF THAT IS SUCH A JAM UNIFORM FOR, FOR AUSTIN.
AND IT WILL BE SUCH A DRAW, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR THE E UM, NOT JUST THE OUT-OF-STATE VISITOR, EVEN FOR A SMALL TOWN VISITOR LIVE IN VERY, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THEN JUST TO COME AND SPEND THE WEEKEND HERE, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO OFFER THAN
[00:35:01]
I WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, SMALL TOWN AROUND, AROUND CENTRAL TEXAS.SO, UM, I'M JUST SO EXCITED, YOU KNOW, ABOUT YOUR VISION.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO BE MINDFUL ABOUT CROSSING THAT, THAT I HAD STUDIED FIVE IS TALLER THAN THE BERLIN WALL, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
I APPRECIATE THAT COMMISSIONER MOCK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO BE INVITED IF IT'S OUTSIDE TRADITIONAL BOUNDARIES.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN PARTNERING, UM, WITH RAISIN AND THE SUN AND OTHERS.
SO, UM, DEFINITELY I APPRECIATE THAT AT ANY TIME YOU CAN CONNECT US TO OTHER POTENTIAL COLLABORATORS.
UM, SO, WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE A WORKING GROUP.
I LIKE TO SUGGEST TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP, YOU KNOW, UH, IT COULD BE A 10 YEARS PROJECT, BUT I THINK IT IS WORTHY OF OUR EFFORT.
I ALSO WANT TO ECHO THE THANKS FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, WHAT'S PARTICULARLY EXCITING TO ME IS THAT I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT ROOMS OVER THE LAST ONE, SIX YEARS, THAT I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION ABOUT WAYS TO ACTIVATE SPACES AND PARTNERSHIPS TO BUILD, AND ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS INCORPORATE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND THAT IS SUPER EXCITING, PARTICULARLY AT A TIME WHERE WE ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO COME OUT OF OUR CURRENT CRISIS AND WAYS TO ACTIVATE AND WAYS TO SURVIVE AS A COMMUNITY.
I SUSPECT THAT YOU'LL GET MORE CALLS THAN YOU KNOW, WHAT TO DO, BUT YEAH, WE'VE GOT TO GET THE PILOT LAUNCHED AND I'M STILL WORKING OUT THE LEASE DETAILS IS ALWAYS THE CRITICAL PIECE.
AND WE'VE LEARNED A LITTLE THING I'LL TELL YOU.
SO WE'VE LEARNED A LITTLE BIT FROM TALKING WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS AND HOW THIS MIGHT WORK OR MIGHT NOT WORK AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM.
AND, UM, WE THINK THAT IT'S BEYOND THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LEASE A SPACE, SOMETIMES IT'S EMPTY FOR 18 MONTHS.
THEY MAY HAVE A CONTRACT ON IT, BUT IT'S EMPTY.
SO EMPTINESS IS, I MEAN, I LOVED JAIME.
I LOVED THE WORDS YOU SPOKE EARLIER AND SPOKE OF OTHERS, BUT, YOU KNOW, EMPTINESS IS EMPTY.
I MEAN, IT'S VERY, IT DOESN'T FEEL GOOD, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THERE'S SOME, AND THE OPPORTUNITY DURING THE LIVE IN IT, OR TO BRING IT TO LIFE IS A REAL, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK IT'S A REAL HONOR TO BE ABLE TO HELP DO THAT.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, AND WE CAN GO, I'M KIND OF PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED.
UM, WE'LL DEFINITELY COME TO YOU GUYS FIRST AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO REALLY HOPEFULLY GROW THE PROGRAM AND THE INTEREST.
I HAVE A FEW MORE SLIDES, BUT I'M HAPPY TO TAKE MORE, UM, MORE QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER GARCIA.
ARE YOU STILL, YEAH, I'M STARTING TO TURN OFF MY VIDEO RIGHT, REAL QUICK, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE ONE OR THE OTHER WITH MY COMPUTER, UH, BUT LOYAL FOREVER AT MOSTON HIGH DOWNTOWN KIND OF GUY.
AND SO I'VE BEEN SEEING ALL THE BEAUTIFUL WORK YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING.
I WAS DOWN THERE BY THE COURTHOUSE JUST THE OTHER DAY, AND I SAW ALL THE PLANTS BEING PLACED OUT THERE AND ALL THE POTS.
AND PARDON ME SAY, OH MY GOD, I WANT TO SEE EVERY OF THOSE POTS, BECAUSE IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL TO SEE ALL THE TRANSFORMATION RIGHT THERE AT THAT PARK.
AND LIKE I SAID, I, I WORKED AT AUSTIN HIGH NOW FOR 19 YEARS, FOR FIRST, FOR 19 YEARS, I'VE BEEN GOING DOWNTOWN AND BY THAT PARK IN THAT WHOLE DOWNTOWN AREA.
THANK YOU FOR THE TRANSFORMATION YOU'VE DONE TO OUR PARK AND OUR DOWNTOWN AREA, BUT ALSO I WANT TO WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU TO TAKE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE AUSTIN'S HISTORY AND TO USE AUSTIN'S HISTORY AND YOUR PUBLIC ARTS.
I'M A MURALIST MYSELF, AND I LIKE TO INCLUDE THE HISTORY OF OUR STATE AND THE HISTORY OF OUR TOWN AND EVERY MURAL I DO.
AND SO, UH, LET'S NOT FORGET THAT DOWNTOWN HAS A LONG HISTORY OF, UH, LATINOS AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND IMMIGRANTS OF ALL OVER THE WORLD, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW, THAT'S WHAT TEXAS IS ALL ABOUT.
TEXAS IS A BEAUTIFUL STATE AND THIS GO AHEAD AND REMEMBER, AND DO THAT WHEN WE INCORPORATE OUR PUBLIC ARTS.
AND WHEN WE LOOK FOR A PUBLIC ARTS, LET'S TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN OLD STATE WITH HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF HISTORY.
UH, AND IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN TEXAS IT'S, IT'S BEEN INDIGENOUS BEFORE.
IT WAS NEW SPAIN BEFORE IT WAS MADE EQUAL BEFORE IT WAS BEFORE IT WAS TEXAS, AND THEN THE CONFEDERACY, AND THEN BACK TO WHERE WE ARE.
SO LET'S REMEMBER THAT WHOLE HISTORY THAT, WHO WE ARE AND EXPLORE THAT AND EXPRESS THAT IN A REPUBLIC ART, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO WE ARE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, THAT'S WHAT AUSTIN IS REALLY ALL ABOUT.
LIKE I GOT OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE SAYING AUSTIN
[00:40:01]
PEOPLE DON'T COME TO AUSTIN FOR OUR WALMARTS AND OUR MCDONALD'S AND STUFF LIKE THAT.THEY COME FOR WHAT IS UNIQUELY AUSTIN.
AND LET'S REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE, WHEN WE, UH, WHEN WE DO REPUBLIC ART, BECAUSE THAT'S, WE ERASE OUR HISTORY, YOU KNOW, THEN WE GET RID OF OUR LOCAL HISTORY.
YOU KNOW, I LOVE SETS OUT A CHAVEZ AND I LOVE MARTIN LUTHER KING, BUT LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JOHNNY TREVINO AND THE SNEEZE AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO WAS LOCAL TO AUSTIN AND WHO THE KITCHENS WERE AND WHO THE CLERKS WERE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BECAUSE THAT'S, WHAT'S MAKES AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL.
THAT'S MY, THAT'S JUST MY LITTLE TAPE RIGHT THERE.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S FABULOUS.
I JUST, UM, I'M A NEW BOARD MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER ASSOCIATION.
AND, UM, SO I JUST THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT I'M, UH, I THINK THAT'S THANK YOU VERY WELL RECEIVED ON THIS END.
I'LL JUST SAY THAT COMMISSIONER GODSON JUST REMINDED ME.
I MEANT TO SAY THAT I FORGOT WAS TO THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING, UH, REPUBLIC SQUARE AS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, MEANINGFUL TO THE LATINO COMMUNITY.
IT WAS TILLY PARK AT ONE TIME, AND ONE THING AND RIFFING OFF OF WHAT THE COMMISSIONER MOCKS AND IN TERMS OF EXPANDING OVER AND YOU KNOW, THAT FIFTH STREET CORRIDOR THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT, THAT LATINO COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, H HOW'S THAT AT ONE POINT IN OUR HISTORY IS AN IMPORTANT PROJECT THAT'S THERE AND SOMETHING THAT COULD BE UTILIZED AS WELL TO MAYBE BRIDGE THAT CONNECTION, UH, FROM THE WEST TO THE EAST SIDE.
SO, ANYWAY, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THEM.
I KINDA APPRECIATE YOUR RECOGNIZING IT.
AND I JUST HAVE TO SAY, UM, UH, SYLVIA, ROSCOE, MYSELF, AND RAISIN MACKINTOSH, WE WROTE A JOINT GRANT TOGETHER FOR THE BLOOMBERG ASPHALT GRANT.
WE WEREN'T CHOSEN CREATIVE ACTION WHO WE ADORE WAS, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT WAS HOW DO YOU TELL THE STORY? YOU KNOW, IT'S A DISTRICT, BUT WHO KNOWS IT? YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE STORIES, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE DO THAT? AND SO WE'RE THINKING OUR MINI MURAL PROGRAM MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP CHECK THAT OFF.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WHERE OUR WRITING ON THE WALL SERIES COULD DO THAT, CAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY GOT MEXICO, RJ THAT DOES BEAUTIFUL MURALS, THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 20 YEARS.
SO THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE TAKE THE ASSETS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE AND FOCUS ON THAT.
SO THAT'S A BIG PRIORITY FOR US TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO AS WELL.
AND UNFORTUNATELY IT NEEDS TO BE, UM, FRONT AND CENTER, UH, COMMISSIONER VANDYKE.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE STILL MUTED.
I WANTED TO JUST BRIEFLY, UH, SAY THANK YOU.
UM, THE TIME WE'VE BEEN IN WITH COVID AND EVEN LEADING UP TO IT, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE I'M JUST WATCHING ARTISTS LEAVE TOWN, UM, COVID JEWISH SHUT.
EVERY SEEMED LIKE IT SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN.
UH, BUT YOU DIDN'T WAIT TILL THIS WAS OVER AND THAT'S, THAT'S SO ENCOURAGING AND SO EXCITING FOR ME TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN DO THAT DURING THIS, THIS TIME, WHAT CAN WE DO, YOU KNOW, WITH THINGS HOPEFULLY GETTING BETTER? I HOPE SO.
THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
WE FELT LIKE WE DIDN'T DO ENOUGH.
YOU CUT YOUR PRESENTATION A LITTLE BIT SHORT, BUT WE ARE AT TIME.
WELL, THE, YOU HAD SAID THE ROADMAP TO RECOVERY AND WHAT I DIDN'T GET TO, AND MAYBE IT'S ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM AT SOME POINT.
SO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE DID PUT OUT A ROADMAP TO RECOVERY, AND THOSE ARE KIND OF MY LAST FOUR SLIDES, BUT IT MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, AS WE KICK OFF OTHER PROGRAMS, IF THINGS HAPPEN, WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, WE DEFINITELY WOULD LOVE TO COME BACK TO YOU AT SOME POINT.
SO IF THE INVITATION IS OPEN, I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AT SOME TIME.
I, IF YOU CAN GO THROUGH THOSE FOUR SLIDES RIGHT NOW, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
WE GOT YOU HERE, LIKE LIFTING THAT.
WELL, I CAN I'M LET ME JUST IT'S IT'S REALLY, I'M NOT GOING TO, I WON'T TAKE UP TOO MUCH MORE TIME HERE.
SO YOU ALL MENTIONED THIS, IT JUST JAIME, YOU MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, BUT THIS IS THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
WE SPENT THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS WORKING WITH STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, THE, TO TRY TO SAY WHAT, GETTING OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC, WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE? UM, PRIORITY HAS ALWAYS WORKED AROUND HOMELESSNESS.
WE'VE WORKED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE FUNDERS OF COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE.
WE'VE BEEN, WE, WE HELPED LAUNCH THE SUMMIT FOR HOMELESSNESS A FEW WEEKS AGO.
WE'VE BEEN IN THIS SPACE FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND WE JUST THINK WE'RE AT A CRISIS AND WE NEED TO SOLVE THE CRISIS, AND WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREET INTO A SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND THEN GET THEM HOUSED.
SO WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE 3000, UM,
[00:45:01]
THE GOAL OF 3000, UM, HOUSING, 3000 PEOPLE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.UH, AND OUR FIRST MARK IS A HUNDRED PEOPLE FOR THIS CITY, UH, IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.
SO WE WANT THE CITY TO STAY ON TOP OF THAT, AND WE DEFINITELY WANT TO BE PARTNERS WITH THEM AS WELL.
UM, LET'S SEE, SECONDARY IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I TALKED ABOUT FOR THE FOUNDATION, BUT REALLY TO ACTIVATE PARKS AND PUBLIC SPACES AND TALKING WITH SOME OF OUR THEATER COUNTERPARTS IN NEW YORK, BEING NONPROFITS, YOU WORK WITH THEATERS, THAT PUBLIC SPACE IS A GREAT PLACE.
ALMOST WHAT SHAKESPEARE THE WOMAN FROM THE SHAKESPEARE SAID TODAY IS THIS IS THE THEATER, THE PUBLIC REALM, AS SHAKESPEARE WOULD SAY, ALL THE WORLD IS A STAGE.
SO HOW DO WE BEGIN TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS AS PART OF OUR RECOVERY AND REALLY GETTING PEOPLE SAFELY OUT THERE, WE, WE OPERATE REPUBLIC SQUARE.
I'D LOVE TO ADD EVEN MORE TO IT.
AND THEN OF COURSE WHAT WE'RE DOING AROUND MUSIC AND BUSKING AND, AND REALLY I'D LOVE TO SEE ARTISTS OUT THERE THAT ARE OTHER FORMS THAN JUST MUSIC AS WELL.
UM, THE OTHER ONE REALLY IS OUR ROLE IN SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES IN LIVE MUSIC.
IT IS PART OF WHO WE ARE AS THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE ALLIANCE, UH, IN THIS SPACE? SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE WORKING ON, PARTICULARLY FOR ADVOCATING AND THEN SUPPORTING, UM, FOOT TRAFFIC AND GETTING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE TO MAKE CONSCIOUS CHOICES.
SO YOU AND I MAKE CONSCIOUS CHOICES EVERY DAY WE SHOP EVERY DAY, WE ENTERTAIN OURSELVES AND WE WANT TO HELP THE LOCAL COMMUNITY REALIZE IF YOU SPENT $10 A WEEK AT A LOCAL BUSINESS.
UM, IF WE ALL DID THAT, WE COULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
AND AS LIVE MUSIC VENUES RETURN, IF WE DON'T HAVE THOSE VENUES, MUSICIANS HAVE NO PLACE TO PLAY.
SO IT'S REALLY, UM, ALL OF OUR PART TO DO THAT.
AND THE ALLIANCE IS TAKING A LARGER ROLE.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, WE'VE NEVER REALLY, THE ORGANIZATION ITSELF HAS NEVER REALLY PROMOTED DOWNTOWN TAKING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN MARKETING IT.
AUSTIN HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THEM AND VISIT AUSTIN'S NEW PROGRAM IS GOING TO BE VISIT AUSTIN LIVE AND KIND OF FOMA, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE IDEA OF, IF YOU'RE NOT HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO MISS OUT.
AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING THAT TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, VISITING AUSTIN LIVE REALLY WHEN YOU FEEL SAFE, GET OUT, VISIT YOUR OWN TOWN AND COME TO DOWNTOWN, BUT REALLY TAKING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN SHAPING THAT CONVERSATION.
SO THAT IS IN A NUTSHELL, THE REST OF THE ROADMAP.
I'M GOING, I'M GLAD YOU FINISHED UP THE PRESENTATION BY SHAREHOLDER.
LITTLE TINY THING IS, UH, COMING TO YOU FROM A THEATER.
UM, I WOULD ADD IF YOU HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR, UM, PARKS AND ACTIVATION DANCE, RIGHT.
DANCE AND ALSO INSTALLATION WORK, BUT THINGS THAT HAVE MAYBE A LOWER FRONT END MIGHT BE GOOD.
SO IS IT WHAT THEATER PERFORMANCE MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE? ALL OF THAT IS FABULOUS, BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT DANCE, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING ME HAVE A LOVELY REST OF YOUR EVENING.
I'M GOING TO SIGN OFF AT THIS POINT.
SO COMING BACK TO THIS COMMISSION, TO THIS MOMENT, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP, I WOULD JUST LOVE TO HEAR FROM MOLLY, LIKE MAYBE ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
CAN WE INVITE HER BACK? CAUSE I THINK THE STUFF THAT THEY, THAT SHE HAS GOING ON IS INCREDIBLE AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE REGULAR PROGRESS REPORTS FOR OUR PURPOSES, BUT ALSO AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT'S FOLLOWING TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND I DO THINK THAT, UM, WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS INCREDIBLE AND I FEEL PLUGGED IN AND I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT HALF THE STUFF THAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
SO I JUST THINK THE MORE, UM, VOICES, UH, OR THE MORE EARS WE CAN GET WITH THAT MATERIAL.
UM, COMMISSIONER POLL, OUR VICE-CHAIR POLAR SMALL THING.
WE SHOULD BRING HER INTO OUR WORKING GROUP AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY WORKING GROUP.
SO GETTING BACK TO THE AGENDA, UM, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A SLIGHT HALF STEP BACK BECAUSE I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE OFFICIALLY OUR NEW COMMISSIONER, UM, COMMISSIONER, SMALL BACK.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO QUICK INTRODUCTION OF YOURSELF, SAY HELLO? SURE.
I AM REALLY HAPPY TO BE PART OF THIS GROUP.
I HAD, UM, A GREAT INTRODUCTION WITH THE CITY STAFF LAST WEEK AND WE'RE ACTUALLY MEETING AGAIN TOMORROW TO DO A LITTLE DEEPER DIVE INTO SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE DIDN'T GET TO.
I JUST MOVED BACK TO THE CITY IN AUGUST WITH MY FAMILY AFTER BEING IN NEW ORLEANS FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS.
AND I'VE WORKED IN THE ARTS, UM, AS AN ADMINISTRATOR AND AS A PROGRAMMING
[00:50:01]
DIRECTOR, UM, PARTICULARLY AROUND SOCIALLY AND CIVICALLY ENGAGED ARTS.UM, MOST RECENTLY RUNNING THE ARTS COUNCIL OF NEW ORLEANS, WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE A MIXTURE.
IT'S A NONPROFIT, BUT IT, WE SERVED, WE ASSOCIATE, WE BECAUSE I STILL WORK WITH MY TEAM THERE, UM, AND FEEL VERY CONNECTED, UM, STILL TO NEW ORLEANS.
SO I KIND OF FEEL LIKE I'M IN TWO PLACES AT ONCE.
UM, PUBLIC ART, UH, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, UH, MANAGEMENT OF GRANTS RUNNING THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM FOR THE CITY.
UM, JUST LOTS OF EXPERIENCE ACROSS MANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE DEAL WITH.
SO, SO I'M EXCITED TO, TO BRING THAT EXPERIENCE BACK TO AUSTIN AND TO SERVE ON THIS, ON THIS COMMISSION.
GLAD TO HAVE YOU ON THE COMMISSION.
SO GETTING BACK TO THE AGENDA, WE ARE AT STAFF BRIEFINGS,
[4.a. George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural & Genealogy Center Facility Expansion Plan Update - Gregory Montes, Program Manager, Parks and Recreation Department]
UH, FOR A GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER MUSEUM EXPANSION PLAN UPDATE WITH GREG MONTEZ.HOW ARE YOU DOING GREG? WELL, THIS WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, UH, PLANNING DIVISION.
AND, UH, I AM SERVING AS THE, EXCUSE ME, I'M SERVING AS THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE COVERED MUSEUM FACILITY EXPANSION PLAN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THE LIAISON IS GOING TO BRING UP THE PRESENTATION OR IF I NEED A DETROIT ISSUE SCREEN THREE HALL STAFF TO PULL UP THIS PRESENTATION.
NOT THAT I CAN TRY TO SHARE MY SCREEN AS WELL.
CAN WE HAVE CONFIRMATION THAT Y'ALL ARE PULLING UP THE PRESENTATION OR, YES, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
WE WERE VERIFYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IT.
UM, I SHOULD ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, JOINING ME THIS EVENING IS LARA'S LOT.
SO THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR OUR CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION WITHIN THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, HER AND HER STAFF, UH, KERRY ADAMS, UH, WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING, UH, WITH THIS, THIS PLANNING PROCESS AS WELL AS OTHERS.
LIKE MEGAN HAD PART HER PLANNER AND JUSTIN SCHNEIDER WHO WORKS IN OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNIT.
UH, ALL VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IN HELPING US GET TO THIS POINT.
UM, WE ALSO WORKED WITH A CONSULTANT, UM, AS PART OF THIS CONTRACT, WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE, UH, SMITH AND COMPANY ARCHITECTS OUT OF HOUSTON AS THE PRIME CONSULTANT.
UM, AND THEN WE, UH, HAD A SUB-CONSULTANT PERKINS AND WILL A LOCAL OFFICE HERE THAT, UM, WORKS ON PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN WORK.
AND THEY ALSO ATTRIBUTED TO THIS PROJECT.
SO OUR PLANNING PROCESS STARTED, UH, EARLY PART OF, OF UH, LAST YEAR.
UM, AND THE ENTIRE, UH, PROCESS HAS BEEN VIRTUAL BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
WE HAVE NEVER MET FACE TO FACE, UM, WITH THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVEN'T EVEN MET THE CONSULTANTS.
FACE-TO-FACE, IT'S JUST BEEN STRANGE BECAUSE OUR SCOPE OF WORK, UH, WAS ACTUALLY DRAFTED UP TO HAVE FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS.
UH, WHICHEVER HAPPENED OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE IT'S PANDEMIC, BUT, UM, WHEN WE INITIATED THIS PROJECT, UH, THE CONSULTANT, UH, COMPLETED A NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, THEN WE STARTED TO MEET WITH SMALL GROUPS, UH, THAT DO BUSINESS WITH THE CARVER AND OUR CARVER ADVOCATES.
UM, AND THEN WE MOVED INTO THE PLANNING PHASE WHERE WE ACTUALLY STARTED TO FOLD OUR LARGE VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT ONE WAS HELD IN OCTOBER AND THEN THE LAST COMMUNITY MEETING WAS HELD, UM, IN NOVEMBER.
UM, AND OUT OF THOSE MEETINGS, THE CONSULTANT TEAM AND THE PLANNING TEAM REALLY STARTED TO WORK ON SOME CONCEPTS BASED ON THE COMMUNITY INPUT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED.
ONCE SOME CONCEPTS WERE LAID OUT, UH, WE REFINED THOSE FURTHER, UM, IN THE CONCEPTUAL STAGE.
UM, AND WE ACTUALLY THEN STARTED TO FOCUS ON ONE, JUST ONE CONCEPT.
UM, AND THAT'S THE ONE THAT WE TOOK FORWARD TO, UH, THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION IN THE ADOPTION PHASE, WHICH IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UH, WE SPENT THE BETTER PART OF, I GUESS THE MONTH OF APRIL AND SOME OF MAY GOING THROUGH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
[00:55:01]
SLATED TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL ON JUNE 10TH FOR THEIR FINAL APPROVAL.ONCE THEY APPROVE THE PLAN, WE WILL THEN MOVE FORWARD, UM, AND HAND THIS OFF TO OUR DEVELOPMENT TEAM WITHIN THE APPROXIMATE REC DEPARTMENT TO THEN START IMPLEMENTING THE DIFFERENT PHASES THAT ARE GOING TO BE PART OF THIS PLANNING, UH, DOCUMENT.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO GO JUNE 10TH FOR FINAL APPROVALS, AND THEN WE CAN START MOVING FORWARD WITH THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION.
SO WE, LIKE I MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, WE HAD THREE LARGE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, UM, SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD WITH SPECIFIC, UM, UH, STAKEHOLDERS.
THIS IS ABOUT EIGHT GROUPS THAT WE MET WITH.
IF YOU CAN SEE THE GROUPS THAT WE MET WITH, UH, THOSE STAKEHOLDERS WERE IDENTIFIED BY OUR CARVER STAFF IS VERY IMPORTANT GROUPS TO MEET WITH AND TO COLLABORATE WITH DURING THIS PLANNING PROCESS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE ALSO MET WITH OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP THREE TIMES.
UM, AND THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP IS ESSENTIALLY A CITY STAFF FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT, UM, HAVE FACILITIES ON THE CARVER SITE.
UM, SO FOR INSTANCE, LIKE THE LIBRARY, UH, IS ADJACENT TO THE MUSEUMS, HARVARD LIBRARY STAFF, WE MET WITH SOME MET WITH AUSTIN WATER, UTILITY STAFF, WATERSHED PROTECTION STAFF.
UM, AND BECAUSE WE SHARE THE SITE WITH IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE EVEN HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM, UH, THE AISD, UH, AND THEY PARTICIPATED IN THE PROCESS AS WELL.
UM, SO THIS, THIS SLIDE ACTUALLY KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE THE CARVER IS KIND OF IN THE HARDEST CENTRAL EASTERN SYSTEM.
UM, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE OTHER NOTABLE, UM, SITES THAT ARE ADJACENT TO IT.
YOU SEE THE STATE CEMETERY, OAKWOOD, CEMETERY, ET CETERA.
UM, AND IT JUST KIND OF REALLY JUST TO KIND OF HELP ORIENT, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE TO WHERE THE CARPET IS LOCATED AND HAD OF THE HISTORIC NATURE OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOW THE CARVER FITS INTO IT, EXCEPT PLEASE.
SO DURING THE PLANNING PHASE, WE DID START TO DEVELOP SOME GOALS AND PRINCIPLES WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE FIVE THAT WE CAME UP WITH ARE HERE, UM, THE FIRST WAS TO RESPECT AND RECOGNIZE THE COMMUNITY'S HISTORY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE.
UH, AND, AND THAT THIS PLAN SHOULD REFLECT THAT THE SECOND WAS THAT, UM, THE PLAN SHOULD ADVANCE THE MISSION AND VISION OF THE CLEVER MUSEUM.
THIRD WAS TO SET A STRONGER OUTDOOR AMENITIES THAT CONNECT WITH NATURE.
AND THE FOURTH WAS TO STRENGTHEN THE DIVERSE, UH, IN CHURCH OR GENERATIONAL EXPERIENCES, UM, IN AND AROUND THE FACILITY, UH, BOB, UH, MEETING TODAY'S NEEDS AS WELL AS THE FUTURE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE STAFF.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, FLEXIBLE SPACES SHOULD BE PART OF THE PLAN SO THAT THE COMMUNITY COULD USE THOSE SPACES.
SOME KEY PLANNING THEMES THAT, UH, YOU'D ALSO DEVELOP WITH THE COMMUNITY ARE LISTED HERE.
UM, THE FIRST WAS THE IDEA OF THE CARVER, UM, KIND OF EXPLORING, UM, THE RELATIONSHIP THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS WITH THE CARVER TODAY, BEING THAT IT'S LOCATED IN EAST AUSTIN.
THE SECOND WAS EXPERIENCE, WHICH LOOKS AT, EXCUSE ME, LOOKS AT THE EXPERIENCE OF ONE'S VISIT, UM, OR, UM, AND HOW THEY INTERACT WITH THE SPACE ITSELF.
THE BUILDING ITSELF, THE COMPLEX THAT IT SITS ON, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE A LIBRARY ADJACENT TO IT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE GENEALOGY CENTER ALONG THE ANGELINA STREET.
SO WE WANTED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW ONE EXPERIENCES THAT SPACE.
WE ALSO WANTED TO LOOK AT PROGRAMMING AND LOOK AT, UM, SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT ARE ORGANIZED THROUGH THE CARVER RIGHT NOW AND WHAT THOSE SPATIAL REQUIREMENTS LOOK LIKE.
AND THEN LOOKING AT INDOOR SPACES, UNDERSTANDING THE DESIGN AND UTILIZATION OF EXISTING INDOOR SPACES AND WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE, AND THEN LOOKING AT THE OUTDOOR SPACES, THE RELATIONSHIP TO HOW PEOPLE USE THOSE OUTDOOR SPACES, UM, AND THEN WITH THE BUILDING ITSELF WITH THE MUSEUM.
SO, UH, THE TABLE ON YOUR LEFT IS LOOKING AT THE BUILDING PROGRAM ITSELF.
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THE CURRENT MUSEUM IS LISTED AT JUST OVER 30,000 SQUARE FEET THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT WE HAD WITH STAKEHOLDERS.UM, THE PROPOSED SPACES, UH, COME UP TO JUST UNDER 60, UH, JUST UNDER 60,000 SQUARE FEET FOR A TOTAL OF 90,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO ESSENTIALLY THE EXPANSION WOULD BE TAKING, UH, THE BUILDING TO, UH, ABOUT TRIPLE THE SIZE THAT IT IS TODAY.
UM, AND THE TABLE ON THE RIGHT SHOWS, THE OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING SPACES THAT CURRENTLY IS PRETTY SMALL RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST UNDER 7,000 SQUARE FEET OR JUST OVER 7,000 SQUARE FEET.
BUT THE TOTAL HAD BEEN SWELLS UP TO OVER 70,000 SQUARE FEET, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UM, OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS, COMMUNITY GARDEN, AND EVENT LAWN, BUT THEY KNEW PAVILION AND, UM, ALSO ADDING RESTROOMS OR ENHANCED RESTROOMS AND AMENITIES TO THE EXISTING PREVENTING SHELTER THAT WE HAD THEIR OWN SITE, NEXT SITE PSYCHES.
SO THE IMAGE ON THE, ON THE LEFT IS THE, IS THE, UH, KIND OF EXISTING SITE AS IT IS TODAY.
THE CARVER MUSEUM IN THE ASSISTING THEATER AND LOADING SPACE ARE SHOWN KIND OF OUTLINED IN THE DARK BLACK LINE.
YOU WILL SEE THOUGH THAT THE LIBRARY IS ADJACENT TO IT, AS WELL AS THE GENEALOGY CENTER, BOTH OF THOSE FACILITIES, FRONT ANGELINA STREET, AND THE ACTUAL MAIN ENTRANCE TO A CARBON MUSEUM IS ALSO OFFERED EVENTUALLY IN THE STREET IMAGE ON THE RIGHT IS THE PROPOSED EXPANSION.
UM, AND I WILL GO INTO GREATER DETAIL, UM, IN THE NEXT SLIDES.
SO IF WE COULD CHANGE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO, UM, LOOKING AT KIND OF THE, UH, SPACES THAT, UM, WOULD BE EXPANDED FROM THE EXISTING BUILDING RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD BE THE EVENT AND BALLROOM SPACE, UM, THAT WOULD BE ADJACENT TO THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM, WHICH IS CURRENTLY THE, UH, I GUESS THE CARVER STAFF OFFICE SPACE.
THERE'S ALSO PROPOSED CLASSROOM AND STUDIO SPACE.
AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, UM, THE UPPER LEVELS THEN WOULD BE THE EXPANDED GALLERIES.
WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO HAVE MORE EXHIBITS WITHIN THE MUSEUM.
AND THEN WE WOULD BE, UH, PROPOSING A 500 SEAT THEATER, UM, AS PART OF THE, UH, OR GROUND-UP OF SPACE.
AND JUST ADJACENT TO THAT ALONG ROSEWOOD IS THE PARKING STRUCTURE.
SO WITH ALL OF THESE, UH, EXPANSIONS IN DIFFERENT WINGS THAT WE WOULD BE ADDING TO THE CARVER, WE DO HAVE TO MEET, UM, THE CITY'S, UH, PARKING REQUIREMENT, UH, BETTER LAID OUT IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
SO, UM, IN ORDER TO SAVE SPACE, WE ELECTED TO MOVE WITH A PARKING STRUCTURE AND TO GO VERTICAL RATHER THAN TO TAKE UP MORE SPACE WITH SURFACE LOTS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OUTDOOR SPACE, YOU WILL SEE AT THE CORNER OF ROSEWOOD AND ANGELINA STREET IN A POSITIVE OPEN SPACE.
UM, WE WERE THINKING THAT THAT COULD BE REALLY THE FRONT DOOR OF THIS CAMPUS.
WE WANTED IT TO BE A CAMPUS THAT IS WELCOMING TO THE COMMUNITY, AND WE FELT THAT THAT INTERSECTION WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO KIND OF DRAW PEOPLE IN.
UM, I SHOULD NOTE THAT THAT SPACE HAS NOT BEEN DESIGNED, UM, AND THAT SPACE NEEDS TO BE FURTHER DISCUSSED AND FLESHED OUT WITH THE COMMUNITY WITH FURTHER, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO DISCUSS WHAT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO GO THERE, BUT THAT HAS NOT BEEN DEFINED OTHER THAN THE PLAZA OPEN SPACE.
AT THIS POINT, WE'LL SEE UP AT THE NORTH END, UH, THE COMMUNITY GARDEN IN OCTA CLASSROOM SPACE.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE EVENT LAWN, UH, WHICH WOULD BE NEW AS WELL AS THE PAVILION AND THAT RESTROOM, UH, BUILDING THAT HAS SHOWN THERE IS THE CURRENT, UH, SHELTER HOUSE.
THERE ARE RESTROOMS THERE, BUT THEY DO NEED TO BE UPGRADED LIKE SECONDS.
NOT VERY MANY, NOT VERY MANY WE'RE AT TIMES.
SO THIS IS, UH, THE COST ESTIMATE, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, ALL OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, COST SOMETHING, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BUDGET FOR THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE OVER $57 MILLION, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, RENOVATIONS, OUTDOOR SPACES AND EVERYTHING UTILITY WORK WOULD ALL BE BROKEN OUT IN PHASES,
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AND THAT THE COST FOR THOSE PHASES ARE BROKEN THERE.AND THE FUNDING STRATEGIES, WE HAVE SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS ON CITY COUNCIL ALLOCATIONS, UH, PARTNERING WITH LIBRARIES FOR MAYBE CIP PROJECTS, PARTNERSHIPS, UH, LOOKING AT DONORS AND PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITIES FOR SOME MONEY, AND THEN ALSO, UH, GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND OUR PLD FUNDS EXCITE.
I THINK THAT WAS AN EXPLANATION.
THIS IS KIND OF WHAT THE SITE PLAN LOOKS LIKE.
UH, THE LIGHT PINK AREAS ARE THE NEW EXPANSIONS, THE AREAS SHOWN KIND OF IN THE BEACH OR THE EXISTING.
DO YOU SEE THE PARKING GARAGE THERE, ALONG WITH THE PLAZA ADJACENT TO IT AT THE CORNER OF ANGELINA ROSEWOOD AND YOU SEE, CAN THOSE SCHOOL ADJACENT TO THE SITE SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THE PRESENTATION.
AND I THINK THE NEXT SITE IT'S JUST QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER MUCK.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, WOULD YOU PLEASE REMIND ME, I THINK WE HAVE PASSED A BOND, UM, TO, FOR THE EXPANSION OF KAPA LIBRARY.
I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MUCH WAS IT? UM, WELL, I'M NOT POSITIVE THAT I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION ACCURATELY.
IF YOU HAD INFORMATION THAT REGARDS TO BOND FUNDING FOR THE LIBRARY, I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT BEING THAT THIS, THAT THIS PROJECT IS FOCUSING SOLELY ON THE MUSEUM ADJACENT TO THE LIBRARY.
SO IT'S TWO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, BUT IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT THEY ARE SOME FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR THE LIBRARY, BUT I'M NOT CERTAIN ON THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT AND NOT LIMITED TO THIS PROJECT.
SO, SO THE 50, UH, 57 OVER $57 MILLION IS IT'S BASICALLY MEAL MONEY.
WELL, THAT'S THE, YES, THAT'S THE ESTIMATE FOR THE, UH, EXPANSION? UH, THAT'S JUST AN ESTIMATE THOUGH.
SO, UH, YES, WE, WE WOULD NEED THAT MUCH OR MORE TO, TO IMPLEMENT THE EXPANSION OF THE COVER MUSIC.
IT'S A, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT AND I HOPE THAT, UH, IT WILL HELP BRING BACK SOME OF OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS BACK TO AUSTIN BECAUSE WE HAVE A DEPLETED NUMBER, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN OTHER THING IS, I THINK THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY IS SO WONDERFUL.
I ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE SOME JAZZ MUSIC FESTIVAL OUTSIDE OF THE LIVE IN, BECAUSE I THINK THAT FROM IS SO, I MEAN, JUST THERE, YOU KNOW, I JUST LOVED TO ENJOY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, COOL SUMMER NIGHT TO HAVE SOME JAZZ MUSIC THAT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE OF CAPA.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS COMMISSIONERS? NO.
UM, SO JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, UH, GREG, THE, THERE THAT BOND FOR, FOR THE CREATIVE, FOR THE CULTURAL SPACES AND IN THAT BOND ELECTION THAT INCLUDED, UM, BOND, BOND MONEY FOR THE DECK BOND MONEY FOR THE MAC, FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE CARVER, AND THEN FOR OUR PRE CREATIVE SPACE BOND.
UM, SO THOSE, THE MONEY FROM THAT BOND WAS USED FOR, UH, THE MASTER PLANNING OR WHAT IS IT? NO.
I'M GLAD THAT YOU BRING THAT UP.
UM, SO YES, WE DID RECEIVE IN THE 2018 BOND, ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, FOR OUR EXISTING CULTURAL CENTERS AND THE CARPET DID RECEIVE, UH, SOME OF THAT FUNDING FOR THE RENOVATIONS OF SOME OF THOSE EXISTING SPACES WITHIN THE CARVER.
UM, I THINK THAT WE HAD, AND I KNOW LAURA'S ON THIS CALL.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE HAS, UM, SPEAKING, SPEAKING PRIVILEGES AND SHE CAN UNMUTE, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE WAS, UM, SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS THAT WERE ALLOCATED FOR THE RENOVATION OF THE CARVER.
AND SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE ALSO GOING, UH, THEY'RE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW TODAY.
SO THE CARVER WAS, UH, FUNDED FOR 7.5 MILLION ORIGINALLY.
UH, THE FUNDING WAS REQUESTED FOR A NEEDED RENOVATIONS.
WE NEEDED A NEW ROOF, A NEW HVAC SYSTEM, A NEW, UH, UH, ALARM SYSTEM, SOME ELECTRICAL PAY REPAIRS, AS WELL AS REPAIRS IN THE THEATER.
THOSE REPAIRS ARE COMING TO ABOUT 2 MILLION.
SO WE WILL HAVE ABOUT 5.5 APPROXIMATELY, UH, LEFT
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AFTER.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? NO.
AND, UH, AS SOON AS WE GET UPDATES ON THE OTHER CULTURAL CENTERS, I'LL BE ASKING YOU ALL TO COME BACK.
[4.b. Economic Recovery and Resiliency Framework – Veronica Briseno, City of Austin Chief Economic Recovery Officer]
STAFF BRIEFINGS FOR B ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY FRAMEWORK.UH, VERONICA MACEO, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS VERONICA
UM, THIS IS A FRAMEWORK THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON OVER THE PAST YEAR WITH A SERIES OF, UH, EVENTS AND ENGAGEMENTS, UM, COMPILED INTO A SERIES OF, OF, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO JUST A LITTLE BACKDROP, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE ON MARCH 6TH AND 2020 THERE ADLER DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY DUE TO COVID ON MARCH 22, A CITY MANAGER, SPENCER CROCK ESTABLISHED THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY STRIKE TEAM.
SOME OF OUR ACTIVITIES SINCE THAT TIME.
SO WELL OVER A YEAR NOW, UH, INCLUDE LAUNCHING ECONOMIC RELIEF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS, CREATIVES, AND BUSINESSES COMPETING STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY IMMEDIATE NEEDS AND RECOVERY OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDE COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH REGULAR UPDATES, DISCUSS ECONOMIC RESPONSE AND RECOVERY EFFORTS WITH MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY INFORMED BY A VERY ROBUST QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA AND METRICS.
SOME OF THESE DELIVERABLES THAT HAVE RESULTED OF THIS WORK WAS LAUNCHING 12 FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS DISTRIBUTING MORE THAN $115 MILLION TO HELP SUPPORT US AND FAMILIES, NONPROFITS, AND BUSINESSES CREATING A ONE-STOP SHOP@WWWDOTATXRECOVERS.COM TO SERVE AS A HUB FOR THESE RESOURCES, DEVELOPING NEW SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH HOTLINES, BUSINESS COACHING, AND BUSINESS COACHING.
WE FACILITATED MORE THAN 125 UNIQUE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENTS AND ADMINISTERED THREE SURVEYS.
SO TAKING A DEEPER DIVE INTO WHAT SOME OF THAT ENGAGEMENT LOOKED LIKE.
UH, WE'D REALLY TRIED TO BE, UH, TRIED TO REACH OUT TO FOLKS AT ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS.
WE MET WITH, UM, CITY COUNCIL PANELS.
UH, WE MET WITH TEAMS OF DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, INCLUDING A CORE TEAM OF DIRECTORS THAT MET WEEKLY AS WELL AS AN ADVISORY TEAM.
THAT WAS A BROADER GROUP OF DIRECTORS.
WE SAW ECHO, WE SEE ECONOMIC RECOVERY AS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT JUST THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR CITY.
WE CREATED A BIG BILL TEAM, UH, A GROUP THAT, UH, DIRECTORS THAT WORK IN OUR, UM, DEVELOPMENT AREA AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING OUR EFFORT AS A CITY TO, TO DO, TO, TO, TO DO WORK IN THE ECONOMY AND KEEP US MOVING FORWARD.
WE PARTICIPATED IN A THRIVING CITIES INITIATIVE TO HELP, UH, HAVE MEDIATION AND LOOKING AT WHAT COULD LOOK LIKE WHAT RECOVERY COULD LOOK LIKE.
WE ENGAGED OUR LOCAL AUSTIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WE, UH, CONDUCTED SURVEYS THROUGH OUR, UH, THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOBBY SCHOOL AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AS WELL AS DIRECTLY TO ALL GRANT APPLICANTS.
AND THEN WE CREATED A SERIES OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY FOCUS GROUPS, AND YOU SEE THEM, UH, EACH ONE LISTED HERE, WE FOCUSED ON THE SECTORS THAT WERE HARDEST HIT BY.
COVID REALLY TRYING TO GET A CROSS SECTION OF WITHIN THOSE SECTORS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES.
AND NOT ONLY DID WE LOOK FOR, UH, RACIAL, UH, DIVERSITY, BUT AS WELL, UM, UH, SORRY, I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT, UM, LOCATION IN THE CITY.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD A, A DIVERSE GROUP FROM ACROSS OUR CITY AS WELL.
OUR OVERALL GOAL WAS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO PROMOTE A MORE EQUITABLE, COMPETITIVE AND RESILIENT AUSTIN ECONOMY.
WE LOOKED AT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE IDENTIFIED THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 45.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS IMPRESSIVE IN THIS WORK WAS WE SAW THAT AS WE WORKED WITH DIFFERENT INDUSTRY GROUPS, THERE WAS A LOT OF CORRELATION AMONGST THE DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES.
SO WE SAW SIMILAR THEMES COMING OUT OF THESE GROUPS.
WE LOOKED AT OUR, UH, STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 20, 25, AND IN THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE LISTED AS A CITY, AS OUR PRIORITIES AND GROUP THEM INTO THOSE AREAS.
SO WHAT WE DID THOUGH, IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE THESE, THE 45 AREAS, THE BULK OF THEM
[01:15:01]
ARE IN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND AFFORDABILITY, THEY REALLY GO ACROSS EVERYTHING WE DO AS A CITY.UH, SO MADE SURE THAT THESE OPPORTUNITIES WERE LOOKED AT THROUGH THE LENS OF SEVERAL THEMES, INCLUDING CIVIC, INNOVATION, COMMUNICATION, ENHANCEMENT, EMPLOYEE, AND BUSINESS ASSISTANCE, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, GOVERNMENT SERVICE, PROCUREMENT, AND HEALTH, AND MENTAL WELLNESS, AS WELL AS PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO AS I GO THROUGH THESE REAL QUICK AND I'LL TRY TO GO THERE VERY HIGH LEVEL, I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE A PACKED AGENDA TONIGHT.
UH, WE PUT A FEASIBILITY ICON BY EACH OF THESE.
WE REALLY WANTED WHEN WE, WHEN WE, WHEN WE FOCUSED OUR WORK ON IDENTIFYING THESE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WITH, WITH DIFFERENT FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE, UH, THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX THAT WE WERE BEING CREATIVE, THAT WE WERE CHALLENGING OURSELVES AS A CITY TO THINK OF HOW TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
SO YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, EACH ONE, EACH RECOMMENDATION HAS A FEASIBILITY ON AN ICON.
THE DOLLAR SEVEN MEETS THE NEEDS.
UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDS, THE, UH, YELLOW NOTE SIGN SAYS THAT IT NEEDS A CITY PROGRAM OR POLICY CHANGE.
AND THEN THE HANDSHAKE MEANS THAT IT NEEDS A THIRD PARTY PARTNERSHIP.
NEXT SLIDE, IN THE AREA OF CIVIC, UH, INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAME UP HERE WAS LOOKING AT SECURING ADDITIONAL COVID TESTING AND TO SUPPORT VACCINE DISTRIBUTION.
AND I SHOULD ADD, WE FIRST RELEASED THIS IN MARCH AND THIS WORK WAS DONE OVER THE PAST YEAR.
SO YOU'RE ALREADY SEEING SOME SHIFTING OF WHERE WE'RE AT AS A COMMUNITY, TO THE COVID RESPONSE, UH, ESTABLISHING FORMAL PATHWAYS BETWEEN STAFF, FOR STAFF TO RECEIVE AND REVIEW INNOVATIVE IDEAS, FACILITATE THE CREATION OF FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR UNBANKED INDIVIDUALS, CREATIVE OUT OF CREATIVES, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND ENTREPRENEURS.
NEXT SLIDE WITH INNOVATION, LOOKING AT FORMALIZING RESILIENCY EFFORTS FOR FUTURE DISASTERS, UH, LAUNCHING AN AUSTIN COMMUNITY CHALLENGE THAT REALLY ENGAGES, ENGAGES OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR PROCESS TO CO-CREATE SOLUTIONS, SUPPORTING RESEARCH TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ADVENTURE EVER INFECTION AT LARGE EVENTS, NEXT SLIDE, BUT THEN COMMUNICATION ENHANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
AND I WILL SAY, I THINK WE ALL SAW THIS TRANSITION THROUGH THE PAST YEAR.
WE REALLY SAW THE NEED FOR OUR CITY TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND, UH, IN A WAY THAT'S EASY AND, AND, AND, AND MULTIPLE DIFFERENT WAYS AS WELL.
SO ANNOUNCING GRANTS FROM A CENTRALIZED CITY SOURCE, UH, CONTINUING TO CREATE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR REOPEN BUSINESSES AND CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS TREE FOR IMPORTANT COVID-19 UPDATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND THAT WOULD APPLY TO ANY POTENTIAL PANDEMIC OR DISASTER THAT WE COULD SEE AS A COMMUNITY.
NEXT SLIDE, ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS, INCLUDING, UM, A TREE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT PERMITTED FESTIVALS AND EVENTS, LAUNCHING CAMPAIGNS TO PROMOTE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND AVAILABLE JOBS.
AND THEN STANDARDIZING MESSAGES TO STAKEHOLDERS AND BUSINESS PATRONS.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION COMING OUT AND IS OFTEN CONFUSING TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CONSISTENT IN THAT COMMUNICATION NEXT SLIDE.
SO ANOTHER EMPLOYEE IN BUSINESSES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE IDENTIFIED INCLUDE ASSISTING LOCAL CREATIVES WITH STREAMING CONTENT FROM LOCAL ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, COLLABORATING WITH PARTNERS ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PREPARING AUSTINITES FOR JOBS AND CURRENT AND NEW INDUSTRIES AND CONTINUING TO PROVIDE WORKSHOPS.
SO ONE-ON-ONE COACHING TO HELP BUSINESS BUSINESSES, ENTREPRENEURS, CREATIVES, UM, ADAPT TO THEIR BUSINESS MODELS.
UH, WE ALSO IDENTIFIED AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE AN AUSTIN TOOL LENDING LIBRARY.
THIS WILL ALLOW OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ACCESS TUTORIALS AND BORROW EQUIPMENT LITTLE OR NO COST DEVELOP A LOCAL ARTIST REGISTRY TO FOSTER MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR CREATIVES AND ENHANCING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE QUALITY CHILDCARE.
EXCELLENT, BEEN ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, FACILITATING STRONG MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND THIS WAS ONE THAT WE SAW JUST NATURALLY DEVELOPED THROUGH THE, UM, THE CREATION OF THE FOCUS GROUPS.
SOME OF OUR BUSINESSES THAT WERE MORE ESTABLISHED AND HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS LONGER JUST NATURALLY STARTED TO MENTOR, SORRY, THERE'S SOMEBODY AT MY DOOR, UM, TO ESTABLISH MENTORSHIP RELATIONSHIPS AND HAVE A NATURAL OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, UH, FACILITATE THE CREATION OF BUSINESS COOPERATIVES AND SUPPORT EXISTING ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVE VOLITIONS, WHICH EMPOWER THE CREATIVE SECTOR TO CROSS PROMOTE THEIR WORK AND COLLABORATE ON COMMON ISSUES.
[01:20:01]
NEXT SLIDE CONTINUED OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS AREA INCLUDE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, SCHOLARSHIPS, UH, PROVIDING HOUSEHOLDS WITH TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO GROW THEIR OWN FOODS AND TO FOSTER COLLABORATION BETWEEN AUSTIN BASED BUSINESSES TO SHARE GOODS AND SERVICES.UH, IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION FOR YOU TO GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE I OF THE 45 RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO FEEL FREE TO SKIP ANY, UM, CAUSE I REALLY JUST WANTED THE COMMISSION TO HAVE AN OVERVIEW.
UM, THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD SO WE CAN READ IT AT OUR LEISURE, BUT YEAH, JUST IF YOU COULD JUST PROVIDE US AN OVERVIEW, HAPPY TO DO THAT.
AND I APOLOGIZE, EVERY TIME I DO THIS, THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND I HATE TO OVERLOOK ONE, BUT WHAT I WILL DO IS I WILL FOCUS ON THE ONES THAT ARE IMPACTING THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFYING OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, UH, CONTINUED DEDICATED RELIEF AND RECOVERY FUNDING FOR LIVE MUSIC VENUES THAT SLIDE AND GOVERNMENT SERVICE, UH, PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES, UM, LOOKING AT, UH, INCREASING OUR AMOUNT OF PROCUREMENT TO SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE PROCURING FOOD FROM OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, NEXT SLIDE, UH, HEALTH AND MENTAL WELLNESS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, UH, RESOURCES FOR MENTAL WELLNESS TO ALL OUR, OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO IN PARTICULAR, WE SAW THAT NEED IN OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
NEXT SLIDE, CONTINUING WITH HEALTH AND MENTAL WELLNESS, UM, JUST CONTINUING TO YOU SEE CONTACT TRACING IN THERE.
IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW WE'RE A LITTLE OUTDATED NOW.
UM, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ON TOP OF THAT, THAT TYPE OF, UH, RESEARCH NEXT SLIDE, INFRASTRUCTURE OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, SO CONTINUING TO EXPEDITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, ENSURING THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, UH, SIDEWALK AND BIKE ROUTES TO HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS, NEXT SLIDE, CONTINUING, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, MAKING SURE WE'RE TIMING, UH, WE'RE FLEXIBLE AND TIMING RESTRICTIONS FOR MARATHONS AND OTHER OUTDOOR EVENTS.
AND THE LAST BULLET ACTUALLY WAS ABOUT REPURPOSING CITY FACILITIES FOR ACCESS TO OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND CREATIVES.
SO THE, THIS WAS ALL DONE THROUGH ANCHORS.
THESE ARE THE W IS WITHIN SD TWENTY-THREE AND REALLY TALKS TO WHAT WE PRIORITIZE AS A CITY.
SO HERE'S THE LINK WITH THE INFORMATION AND WE'LL HAPPY TO EMAIL THE PRESENTATION AS WELL, BUT THE PLAN IN ITS ENTIRETY IS ON THIS LINK AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL UPDATES, THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THAT MIGHT BE THE LAST ONE BEEN ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS.
WELL, I I'M JUST SO GLAD TO SEE ALL OF THAT, BUT ONE THING THAT IT IS, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED SO MANY TIMES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, UH, WOMEN OF COLOR, THEY WERE NOW THE ONE THAT I'M MOST IMPACTED, YOU KNOW, UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE MINDFUL ABOUT DOING MORE OUTREACH, UM, TO, TO A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHO SERVE WOMEN OF COLOR, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, BECAUSE THEY ARE, MOST OF THEM ARE CARETAKERS OF, UH, BOTH THE OLD AND THE YOUNG, YOU KNOW, AND TO RETRAIN THEM.
SO THE NEXT TIME AROUND, THEY ARE MUCH BETTER FINANCIALLY, UH, BECAUSE THEY ARE UNDER A LOT OF STRESS, YOU KNOW, SO I WOULD SUGGEST AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE MORE MINDFUL ABOUT REACHING OUT TO THE WOMEN OF COLOR TO THEIR GROUP AND TO BUILD HELP, HELP THEM WITH THEIR EDUCATION WORKFORCE TRAINING AND BUILDING WEALTH SO THAT THEY ARE MUCH BETTER PREPARED.
UM, I MEAN, WE NEED TO NURTURE THEM BASICALLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN NURTURING THE OTHER OH.
AND THE YOUNG, SO, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION CITY HALL STAFF.
CAN WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA MOVED OVER FROM THE ATTENDEES LIST OF THE PARTICIPANTS JUST ARRIVED FROM TWO PANELISTS.
AND ACTUALLY, CAN WE GO AHEAD AND MOVE CARL SETTLES AS WELL OR ENGAGE WITH HIM IN, IN A LITTLE BIT, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR VERONICA? VICE-CHAIR, POLGAR NOT REALLY A QUESTION, BUT
[01:25:01]
JUST A DEEP, DEEP, THANKS FOR THIS WORK.UM, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB AND OUR WORKING GROUP IS LOOKING AT A LOT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU PUT FORWARD, BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT, THE FRAMEWORK THAT YOU PROPOSED AND THE LENSES THROUGH WHICH YOU'RE LOOKING AT, EVERYTHING ARE INCREDIBLY INSPIRING AS WE'RE TRYING TO PUT THE PIECES BACK TOGETHER.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
UM, THERE WAS ONE NOTE THAT I HAD, UM, IT CAME OUT IT ACTUALLY FROM MOLLY ALEXANDER'S PRESENTATION, WHERE SHE MENTIONED THAT THE CITY WAS NOT ALLOWING PERMITTING OF THAT, OF THAT THEATER POP-UP TO HAPPEN.
AND SO SHE, SHE PARTNERED WITH THE STATE.
IT JUST MADE ME THINK LIKE, THERE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS HERE THAT TALK ABOUT PERMITTING, BUT IS THERE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED NOW WHERE EVENTS ARE STARTING TO HAPPEN? AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF PEOPLE NEED PERMITS, THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING, UH, THAT THERE ARE NO OBSTACLES BEING PUT IN THEIR PLACE, LIKE LET'S COMMUNICATE TO THEM THAT YES, YOU CAN DO THAT OR NO, YOU CAN'T.
AND JUST, I THINK THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S NEEDED NOW.
AND I THINK IT WILL BE ONGOING, UM, WHEREBY DESIGNING THAT TEAM OF DIRECTORS.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ON THE CITY INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE A WAY TO QUICKLY ACCESS TO DIRECTOR IF THERE'S AN EASY FIX SO THAT IT'S NOT GETTING, UM, IT'S NOT JUST RESULTING IN BEING TOLD NO WITHOUT A, WELL, WHAT IF SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE AS THOSE THINGS POP UP AND I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH MOLLY ON THAT, BUT I THINK THAT SPECIFIC ISSUE, BUT AS WE IDENTIFY THOSE LITTLE HICCUPS AND THOSE GLITCHES, UM, ARE REALLY WORKING TO PULL PEOPLE TO THE TABLE TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN COME UP WITH ALTERNATIVES.
UH, WE DO HAVE THIS AS A DISCUSSION ITEM LATER ON, ON THE AGENDA AND THAT, SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION THEN.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR VERONICA AT THIS TIME SEEING NONE RONICA THANKS.
UH, COMMISSIONED, UH, WE DO HAVE CARL SETTLES HERE.
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF I GET THEM MOTIONS, WE CAN GO BACK IN THE AGENDA AND HAVE HIM DO HIS QUICK UPDATE.
LET'S DO A MOTION TO HAVE CARL COME BACK AND DO A QUICK UPDATE ON ALL RIGHT.
MOTION BIPOLE GUARD TO, UH, GO BACK TO, TO SEE AND DISCUSS THE AEDC UPDATE.
IS THERE A SECOND MOVED BY FLORES? UH, WE'LL TAKE THE SIGNED CONSENT ASSUMING THERE'S NO, NO COMMENTS, NO OBJECTIONS.
SO MR. SUTTLES WELCOME MY SINCERE APOLOGIES FOR BEING LATE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY.
UM, SO, UH, OF COURSE I ATTENDED TWO, UH, AEDC, UH, BOARD MEETINGS, AS WELL AS A MEETING ON THE DEEP DIVE ON THE CULTURAL TRUST.
UM, I'M GONNA GO INTO GREAT DETAIL, UM, ABOUT, BECAUSE YOU CAN ALL GO TO THOSE MEETINGS AND LOOK AT THE AGENDA AND THE NOTES THERE, BUT I DO HAVE SOME HIGHLIGHTS, UM, FROM THE LAST MEETING AND I'M GOING TO SWITCH OVER TO MY SCREEN.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO BE SEEING YOUNGRY READING MY NOTES, BUT FEEL FREE TO, UM, REACH OUT TO ME VERBALLY.
UM, SO THE GENERAL GIST OF WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THE AEDC IS REALLY PREPARING FOR THIS, UM, THIS RP THAT IS GOING TO BE ISSUED.
UM, HOPEFULLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, IT'S REALLY PENDING UPON, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF THE INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S GONE, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE APPROVED ON THE 22ND, AND I BELIEVE IT'S A CONSENT AGENDA ITEM.
SO IT SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE WITH THAT, WITH THAT, BUT BASICALLY WE HAVEN'T BEEN FULLY LEGALLY EMPOWERED TO DO OUR JOB UNTIL THAT INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT HAPPENS.
UM, IT HAS BEEN MADE VERY CLEAR TO US IS THAT, UM, THE, THE FOUNDATION WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BUILD ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DID, UH, THERE'S AN RFI PROCESS, BUT ALSO THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION WORK GROUP PROCESSES THAT YOU ALL HAD OVER THE LAST FEW YEAR, TWO YEARS, UM, ON IDENTIFYING AND DEVELOPING CREATIVE SPACE, UM, AND LEVERAGING THAT PUBLICLY LOANED LAND FOR, UH, THROUGH AN EQUITY LENS.
UM, AND SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING POST-HASTE WITH THAT.
UM, SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE, WE DID START TO TALK ABOUT THE CULTURAL, UH, TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
[01:30:01]
THINGS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IS THAT THEY REALLY WANT, UH, FOLKS TO JOIN, UH, THAT COMMITTEE.UM, I'M GOING TO BE, I GUESS I'M GOING TO PROBABLY BE ENDED UP CO-CHAIRING, UH, THAT COMMITTEE, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT THEY'RE ISSUING THIS RFP.
IF YOU WERE, IF YOU ARE TRYING TO RECEIVE MONEY, YOU CAN'T BE ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, BUT YOU CAN HAVE ALLIES, RIGHT.
THAT ARE NOT APPLYING FOR MONEY.
THAT CAN BE A PART OF THAT ADVISORY PROCESS AND REALLY ADVOCATE FOR THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT, UH, YOU, YOU ALL WANT TO SEE HAPPEN WITH THE, WITH THIS CULTURAL TRIALS.
UM, SOME OF THE PRIORITIES OF COURSE, IS THIS ICONIC VENUES, UH, FUND.
UM, I THINK THAT'S, I'M GOING TO SAY $2.9 MILLION OR THEREABOUTS, AND OF COURSE, UH, THE CREATIVE SPACE, UH, BOND MONEY.
SO, UH, THAT STUFF IS GOING TO REALLY START TO COME INTO PLAY, UM, THROUGH THIS RFP PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH, UM, THIS SUMMER AND IN TERM, I THINK I'LL STOP THERE AND I'LL LET YOU ALL ASK QUESTIONS.
AND IF THERE'S STUFF THAT YOU'D LIKE CLARIFICATION OR OTHER THINGS YOU WANT ME TO COVER SOUNDS GOOD.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS SEEING NONE.
CARL, THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR WORK AND THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE TODAY.
YOU COULD SEE COMMISSIONER VAN DYKE.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION JUST SAYING THANKS.
SO GETTING BACK ON TRACK ON THAT, THE AGENDA FOR
[4.c. Cultural Funding Update – Meghan Wells, Cultural Arts Division Manager]
C CULTURAL FUNDING UPDATE WITH MEGAN WELLS.I'M MEGAN WELLS, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.
MY STAFF UPDATE WILL BE FAIRLY BRIEF THIS MONTH.
UM, AS I MENTIONED LAST MONTH, UH, SINCE WE RECEIVED THE PROPOSED A BUDGET AMOUNT FOR THE FORECAST FOR FY 22 NEXT FISCAL YEAR, UH, WE HAVE BEEN TRANSITIONING FROM, UH, OUR, UH, PAUSE IN THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS TO CATCH UP WITH OUR CONTRACTS.
AND I'D LIKE, UH, HIS WHO'S PANTO, THE CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR TO JUST GIVE ANOTHER UPDATE THROUGH THE COMMISSION ABOUT WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT PROCESS.
SO I'LL HAND IT OVER TO HIM TO DO A VERY BRIEF UPDATE.
THIS IS A CSPAN TILL THE CULTURAL PLANNING SUPERVISOR, UM, OVER AT CITY HALL.
LOOKS LIKE THE PRESENTATION IS UP.
UM, SO YEAH, WE HAD COME, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE MARCH MEETING TO KIND OF, UH, UH, GIVE AN UPDATE.
WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING, UM, MAINLY ON, UH, CULTURAL CONTRACTS ENTERING INTO THE CONTRACTOR THIS YEAR AND CLOSING OUT THE FINAL REPORTS FROM LAST YEAR.
SO, UH, WE ARE FINALLY, UM, UH, DONE WITH ALL OF THAT.
THERE ARE, UM, STILL A FEW, UM, PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOT TURNED IN, UM, PRE-CONTRACT MATERIALS.
SO WE WILL BE REACHING OUT TO THEM, UH, TO MAKE SURE THEY DO WANT TO ENTER INTO THEIR F 21 CONTRACT.
BUT THIS, UH, BAR CHART HERE JUST KIND OF SHOWS, UM, UH, WHO, THE NUMBER OF CONTRACTS THAT HAVE GONE OUT, UH, BY WEEK EITHER TO THE CONTRACTOR OR GETTING THEM SIGNED AND SENT OFF TO OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AS OF MAY 12TH, SO A FEW DAYS AGO, UM, AGAIN, UM, OUT OF OUR CORE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FESTIVALS, PROGRAMS, CONTRACTS, UH, NONE ARE LEFT.
WE REVIEWED, UM, JUST OVER 80% HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, MEANING THEY'VE EITHER BEEN SENT TO THE CONTRACTOR FOR SIGNATURE, OR WE HAVE GOTTEN THOSE SIGNED CONTRACTS BACK AND SENT THEM OFF TO FINANCE.
UM, JUST UNDER 10%, UH, WE ARE WAITING ON CORRECTIONS, SO THEY'VE BEEN REVIEWED AND THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BUDGET OR THE DATES WEREN'T CORRECT.
SO WE'RE WAITING FOR CORRECTIONS ON THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, ABOUT 10% HAVE NOT SUBMITTED A PRE-CONTRACT MATERIALS AGAIN, WE'LL BE REACHING OUT TO THEM, MAKING SURE THEY WANT TO ENTER INTO THEIR FIVE 21 CONTRACT.
AND WE'VE HAD FIVE PEOPLE JUST OVER 1% HAVE DECLINED THEIR
SO, UM, ALTERNATE BACK TO MEGAN, UNLESS THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, QUESTIONS, WHICH IN US, SO DOES THIS MEAN THAT, UH, NOT AT THE MOST OF THE CONTRACTS THAT ARE COMPLETED, UH, THAT THE MONEY'S GOING TO GO OUT THE DOOR SO THAT THEY CAN, THESE FOLKS WHO ARE, I MEAN, THAT'S LIKE 21, HE HAS WHAT WE HAVE TILL OCTOBER, RIGHT.
UH, I KNOW THAT THERE'S AN EXTENSION, BUT, UH, UH, SO THAT THESE FOLKS CAN GET STARTED ON THEIR PROJECTS.
[01:35:01]
YES, WE WILL BE, UM, UH, GETTING THOSE PAYMENTS OUT THE, UH, CONTRACTORS DO HAVE TO INVOICE US AND IT DOES TAKE, UM, KIND OF INTERNALLY THERE IS SOME TIME FOR THE INVOICE TO GET READY KIND OF ON THE BACK END ON, UM, OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, UH, THAT IS TAKING ON AVERAGE ABOUT 38 CALENDAR DAYS.SO ONCE THEY GET THOSE CONTRACTS INTO US, UM, THEY CANNOT QUITE INVOICE US YET.
UM, BUT THEN WE WILL LET THEM KNOW WHEN THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THAT.
UM, UM, AND YES, THEY HAVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30TH, WHICH IS THE END OF THE CITY'S FISCAL YEAR, BUT WE HAVE OFFERED, UM, AN OPTION TO EXTEND THEIR CONTRACT FOR UP TO ONE FULL YEAR UP UNTIL SEPTEMBER 20, 22.
WHY SHOULD POLAR, UM, AND THIS MAY BE A MOOT QUESTION DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS MOVE FORWARD, BUT IF A CONTRACTOR WERE TO EXTEND THEIR CURRENT CONTRACT FOR SOME TERM, AND THERE'S A NEW FUNDING PROGRAM, UM, OUTSTANDING, WOULD THEY BE LIMITED OR WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR ANY NEW FUNDING PROGRAM? UH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
AND WE HAVE THOUGHT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
AND SO WE WOULD WORK WITH THAT CONTRACTOR, BASICALLY, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THE SAME ACTIVITY SO THEY COULD APPLY FOR A DIFFERENT ACTIVITY AND WE WOULD WORK FOR THEM TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THEIR EXTENSION, UM, GETS WRAPPED UP.
SO THAT WAY THEY'RE NOT INADVERTENTLY HURT BY, UM, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE EXTENSION.
NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, IS THAT THE END OF YOUR PRESENTATION? NO, I JUST, I DIDN'T, WASN'T SURE IF YOU HAD ANY MORE FOR HIS USE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, UH, TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE ENTIRE CULTURAL FUNDING TEAM, UH, LED BY HIS SUES.
THAT INCLUDES, UH, PEGGY AND MARIE SARAH CAMICO.
UH, DID I FORGET ANYTHING AND THE REST, I THINK THAT'S IT RIGHT NOW FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK.
UM, IT'S BEEN, UM, IT'S BEEN A LOT.
WE ALL, WE ALL KNOW THAT WORK IN A PANDEMIC HAS, HAS BEEN, UH, A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT BEAST.
UM, BUT PROCESSING PAYMENTS IN A, IN A LAND WHERE OUR PURCHASING OFFICES ALSO, UM, REALLY RESTRICTED IN TERMS OF BANDWIDTH HAS BEEN BEEN CHALLENGING.
AND I, I APPLAUD THEIR, THEIR PATIENTS AND THEIR DEDICATION TO THEIR WORK, BUT THANK YOU.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ALSO KIND OF SIGNAL THAT WE ARE TURNING OUR ATTENTION BACK TO THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS. UH, WE ARE DIGGING BACK INTO WHERE WE KIND OF LEFT OFF IN DECEMBER, WHICH WAS OUR PROPOSAL OF PROGRAMS. UH, AT THAT POINT WE HADN'T RECEIVED A BUDGET NUMBER.
SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY PROGRAM DESIGN AROUND, UH, OUR 1 MILLION PROPOSED FUNDING LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT THAN EVEN A 7 MILLION OR 12 MILLION AS WE, AS WE'VE SEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH OUR ESTIMATES.
UH, AND SO WE ARE STILL, UH, PROCEEDING IN TERMS OF THE PILLARS AND, UH, THE INSIGHTS AND THE ANALYSIS THAT HAVE FORMED THE BASIS OF WHERE WE LEFT OFF IN DECEMBER.
UH, HOWEVER WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT, UM, THINGS LIKE, UM, SCALING BACK WHAT WE PROPOSE TO ROLL OUT.
UM, BUT WE ARE STILL COMMITTED TO AN EQUITY LENS IN THOSE PROGRAMS. UH, SO WE W WE'VE BEEN TAKING A DEEPER DIVE INTO THOSE.
UH, WE WILL START BY JUST RECAPPING WHERE WE'VE BEEN WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, IN TERMS OF RELEASING AND JUST THE INTERIM REPORT, JUST RECAPPING OUR PROGRESS FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, THE KEY KIND OF TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR, OUR JOINT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHERE THOSE HAVE EVIDENCED THEMSELVES WITHIN THE PILLARS OF THE ARTS COMMISSION AND OTHER KIND OF KEY GUIDING ELEMENTS FOR OUR PROCESS, UH, AND THEN KIND OF SIGNALING WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UM, WE KNOW IT WILL NOT LOOK LIKE PAST YEARS, BUT WE, UH, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD IN OUR PROCESS.
THERE WILL BE FURTHER COMMUNITY CONVERSATION AROUND, UH, WHAT WE INTEND TO ROLL OUT.
I HOPE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO YOU ALL IN THE NEXT, UM, SEVERAL WEEKS, IF NOT BEFORE YOUR NEXT MEETING, UM, IN JULY OR IN JUNE.
UM, AND THEN I JUST, I WANTED TO VERY BRIEFLY REMIND EVERYONE ABOUT THE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
I KNOW EVERYONE IS, IS LOOKING INTO EVERY POSSIBLE NOOK AND CRANNY FOR FUNDING, BUT THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL HAS LAUNCHED, UM, LOTS OF PROGRAMS. I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO BE AWARE OF WHAT THEY'VE PUT OUT IN THE WORLD FOR THE CREATIVES.
UH, I, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN OVERSUBSCRIBED AT THIS POINT, UM, INCLUDING THE PPP PROGRAM, UH, WHICH IS NOW, UH, UH, BASICALLY BEING RUN THROUGH COMMUNITY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS BECAUSE THEY'VE, UH, THEY'VE REALLY RUN OUT OF AVAILABLE FUNDING, BUT THEY ARE STILL, UH, UH, LENDING TO
[01:40:01]
GROUPS, UH, INCLUDING THOSE RUN BY WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR AND OTHER UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, THE POLICE COMMUNITY LENDERS WHO ARE WORKING WITH THOSE POPULATIONS.UM, THE SBA WE HEARD AT LAST COUNT RECEIVED 12,000 APPLICATIONS FOR THE SHUTTERED VENUE OPERATORS GRANT, UM, SO THAT THEIR MONEY WILL BE, IF IT HAS NOT RUN OUT, WE'LL BE RUNNING OUT SOON.
BUT, UH, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND PUT YOUR APPLICATION.
AND IF YOU THINK YOU WERE ELIGIBLE, UH, AND THEY, AND THE SBA IS STILL ACCEPTING ECONOMIC INJURY, DISASTER LOAN APPLICATION.
SO ALL OF THIS, UH, CAN BE FOUND ON THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION WEBSITE, WHICH IS SBA.GOV OR SBA.GOV FORWARD SLASH RELIEF.
SO, UM, PLEASE DON'T, UM, DON'T PUT YOUR HAT IN FOR THOSE THAT, AND THAT'S IT.
UH, AND I GUESS JUST A REMINDER FOR EVERYBODY LIKE THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU JUST PROVIDED ABOUT THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS, THOSE WERE INCLUDED IN THE LAST NEWSLETTER THAT WENT OUT FROM CAD AND FROM SMALL BUSINESS AND FROM AIPP.
SO MAKE SURE YOU'RE SUBSCRIBED TO THOSE NEWSLETTERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR MEGAN SEEING NONE WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP MOVING.
WE'RE MOVING ON TO NEW BUSINESS, UH, FIVE
[5.a. AIPP Discussion and Action Items]
A ONCE AIPP DISCUSSION AND ACTION, UH, COMMISSIONER FOREST, GIVEN THAT, UM, WE'RE TIME IS REALLY SHORT AND WE HAVE STILL A LOT TO DO IF IT'S NOT, UM, ROUTE I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE, UH, THAT THE AIPP, UH, ITEMS ONE THROUGH FIVE, UM, BE APPROVED MOTION BY FLORES TO APPROVE AIPP ITEMS FIVE, A ONE THROUGH FIVE, A FIVE ON CONSENT SECONDED BY MULTIPLE COMMISSIONERS.I, UH, THIS MAN, I THINK LET'S, LET'S GIVE YOU ONE AT THIS TIME.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SO HEARING NO OBJECTIONS, THAT'LL PASS ON CONSENT AND THOSE FIVE ITEMS HAVE PASSED ON CONSENT.
UH, IF, IF IT'S POSSIBLE, COULD WE WORK, MOVE? I KNOW WE HAVE TO DO THE ELECTION, SO, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO DO THE WORKING GROUP UPDATES.
NUMBER ONE, THE EMERGENCY FUNDING, BECAUSE WE KNOW COUNCIL IS LOOKING AT THURSDAY AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE, UH, SOME TALKING POINTS FOR COMMISSIONERS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THAT FIRST, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, OR DO WE NEED TO ELECT FIRST MOTION BY FLORIST TO MOVE, UH, SIX B ONE TO NOW SECONDED BY POLGAR THAT'S WHEN AT THIS TIME I DID SEE YOU FIRST.
UM, SO SEE, NO OBJECTIONS, NO OBJECTIONS PASSED ON CONSENT.
[6.b. Working Group updates]
UP SIX B ONE, THE EMERGENCY FUNDING, PROACTIVE STRATEGIES, WORKING GROUP UPDATE.THE COMMITTEE MET AND I THOUGHT WE WERE CHAIRED BY COMMISSIONER PAUL GUARD, BUT SHE DID, UH, CORRAL US AND WE ALL DID GET TO ME IN A FEW TIMES AND WORKED OVER THE WEEKEND AND TODAY TO, UH, SUMMARIZE AND MEMORIALIZE THE DISCUSSIONS AND THE, UH, ITEMS THAT WE FELT WOULD BE GOOD, UH, OR, UM, TALKING POINTS, UH, UH, FOR THE COMMISSION VAPE TO FURTHER CLARIFY OUR MARCH 20, 20 A RESOLUTION AND THE ACTION THAT WE TOOK THERE.
UH, SO TO HAVE SOME COMMUNICATIONS WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO, UM, I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SHARE THE SCREEN.
I KNOW WE FORWARDED IT TO EVERYBODY AND I HOPE EVERYBODY WAS ABLE TO OPEN THEIR EMAIL THIS AFTERNOON, A SECOND ITERATION.
UH, I'M GONNA RUN REAL QUICKLY THROUGH THE TALKING POINTS VERY QUICKLY.
I MAY NOT GET INTO THE RATIONALE FOR EACH OF THEM, BUT COMMISSIONER, LET ME JUST CHECK.
MAYBE CITY HALL HAS STAFF HAS IT? YEAH.
SO YOUR WHOLE STAFF, DO YOU HAVE THIS DOCUMENT? WE'RE CHECKING RIGHT NOW.
WELL, I'LL JUST SAY WHILE THEY'RE LOOKING BACK, YOU KNOW, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, AS A COMMISSIONER, VANDYKE REMINDED US ALL, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT ARTISTS AND THE ARTS COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN SUFFERING PRE COVID, JUST BECAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT AND EVERYTHING.
AND WE'VE ALL BEEN TRYING TO DO ALL WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, RUN TO THEIR AID OR BE OF ASSISTANCE.
AND SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THE MANY EFFORTS THAT
[01:45:01]
WE ARE MAKING TO TRY TO ADDRESS, UH, THE BEARING DESPERATE NEEDS OF THE ARTS, UH, COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN.SO, UM, SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER VANDYKE FOR REMINDING US ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK WE DID STATE THAT IN OUR RESOLUTION, THAT IT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT ARTS HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING AND WE'RE AT A DESPERATION POINT AT THIS POINT NOW.
SO IS THERE, UH, SOMETHING WE CAN SHARE OR SHOULD I START? I'M SORRY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE DOCUMENTS WERE NOT DELIVERED IN TIME.
UH, EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE A COPY AND I APOLOGIZE.
COMMISSIONER FLORES LOOKS LIKE YOU GOT MUTED.
UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES.
WE, UH, BROKEN DOWN INTO, AS
AND FOR 21 WE ASKED FOR 20 MILLION AND THAT'S, UH, CONTINUES TO BE OUR ASK.
WE'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR THAT I KNOW THERE'S 7.5 ON THE TABLE.
UH, BUT WE REALLY FEEL THAT WE WANT TO GO WITH OUR ORIGINAL ASK CAUSE EVEN THAT, UH, IS, UH, IS NOT ENOUGH.
SO WE ARE CONTINUING WITH THAT ASK.
AND THE SEC, UH, SECOND POINT IS THAT WE WANT THE 20 MILLION, THE 10 MILLION TO BE USED FOR IMMEDIATE RECOVERY AND RELIEF AND NOT FOR HOT BACKFILL OUT SPECIFICALLY, WE DON'T WANT TO USE ANY OF THE 10 MILLION RECOVERY FUNDS TO PAY OFF THE $4 MILLION DEFICIT IN THE FULL, UH, FYI 21 HOT, UH, BALANCE.
RATHER WE WANT TO PAY THE DEFICIT.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THAT DEFICIT BE PAID OFF UTILIZING RESERVES OR GENERAL REVENUE FUNDS, UH, BY THE COUNCIL.
AND THE RATIONALE IS THAT THOSE CON FYI 21 CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND COUNSEL AGREED THAT THEY SHOULD BE FUNDED AT THE, AT THE LEVEL THAT THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED TO THEM.
AND, UH, AND THIS WAS PRIOR TO THE PASSAGE OF THIS ACT AND WE FEEL THAT THESE FUNDS SHOULD BE USED FOR RELIEF AND RECOVERY, UH, FOR FY 21.
AND I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT OUR INTENT IS TO TRY TO GET THIS FUNDING OUT ASAP.
SO TO SYLVIA'S COMMENT, THIS IS FOR ALLOCATION, NOT FOR A PLAN FOR IMMEDIATE AND DIRECT ALLOCATION AND THAT WE, UM, BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET THE FUNDING OUT AT ASAP.
SO IF THIS CAN'T HAPPEN IN 21, THEN WE'RE GOING TO ASK THAT WHAT WE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE MAKE FOR FYI 21 BE ROLLED OVER TO 22 AND RE UM, A RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE FOR 20 TO BE ROLLED OVER TO 23.
AND SO I HOPE THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.
I'M TRYING TO BE REALLY QUICK, BUT, UH, OTHERWISE WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR THIS 10 MILLION FOR FYI 21.
AND, UM, IF YOU CAN SCROLL IT DOWN FOR ME, CAUSE I DON'T THINK I CAN SCROLL.
UH, AND ALSO THAT THE FUNDS IN ORDER TO GET THEM OUT THE DOOR, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, THAT FOR THE RELIEF AND RECOVERY THAT WE USE, THE EXISTING, UH, BUCKETS OR PROGRAMS THAT ARE CREATED, OF COURSE WE WOULD ASK THAT SOME OF THOSE BETWEEN OR EXPANDED OR IMPROVED, ESPECIALLY WITH AN EQUITY LENS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THE MONEY'S GETS, UH, ALLOCATED QUICKLY.
AND SO, UM, WE WOULD SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE EXISTING BUCKET HAD TO BE UTILIZED THAT WERE UTILIZED FOR, UH, RELIEF AND RECOVERY UNDER THE CARES ACT, UH, THOSE, UH, PRIOR BUCKETS.
AND THE RATIONALE OF COURSE, IS THAT WE DON'T NEED TO WASTE TIME OR RECREATE THE WHEEL.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET THE MONEY OUT THE DOOR FASTER.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THE 10 MILLION, UH, DEDICATED TO CREATIVE ARTS ASSISTANCE, UH, PROGRAMS OR BUCKETS, WE WOULD ALSO SAY THAT, UH, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT, UH, CREATIVES BE ALLOWED TO, UH, TO, UM, APPLY IN ANY AND ALL OF THE OTHER CATEGORIES OF, UH, OF, OF RELIEF PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY 10 MILLION, UH, IS NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO SATISFY ALL THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AS WE SAW IN CARES, THERE WAS THAT THE DEMAND WAS A WAY GREATER THAN WHAT WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO BE GRANTED.
AND SO, UH, WE FEEL THAT IF, IF CREATIVES ARE ELIGIBLE, UH, FOR OTHER PROGRAMS SUCH AS SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE OR, YOU KNOW, HOUSING OR JOB CREATION OR RE YOU KNOW, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, THAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THOSE PROGRAMS AS WELL.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE EQUITY IN ALL EMERGENCY FUNDING DISTRIBUTION,
[01:50:01]
PROVIDE A STREAMLINED POINT OF INFORMATION FOR ALL CITY EMERGENCY FUNDING AND MAKE THEM THAT IT MAKES IT EASILY ACCESSIBLE.AND THEN ALSO SIMPLIFY THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND I WAS HAPPY TO HEAR, UM, MS. VIRGINIA MENTIONED THAT ABOUT, UH, THAT UNDER THE RECOVERY, UH, PROGRAMS. SO THEN IN FYI 22, AGAIN, UH, 10 MILLION IS REQUESTED.
UH, AND AGAIN, WE WOULD ASK THAT, UM, IT'D BE USED, UH, BOTH FOR, UM, RECOVERY AND RELIEF AS WELL AS HOT THAT BACKFILL, SINCE THAT WILL BE A NEW PROGRAMS AS WE JUST HEARD FROM MEGAN, BUT THEY MAY BE STREAMLINED, BUT WE'RE HOPING THAT NOW WITHOUT IF COUNSEL FOLLOWS OUR, OUR RECOMMENDATION OF, UM, OF GETTING RID OF THE DEFICIT THROUGH OTHER MEANS OTHER THAN THIS MONEY, THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, AT LEAST A LITTLE MORE MONEY IN THE HOT BASED ON WHAT'S BEING PUT IN NOW, AS WELL AS THERE WILL STILL BE THE NEED FOR RECOVERY AND RELIEF.
AND WE DON'T HAVE AMOUNTS OR PERCENTAGES FOR WHICH ONE SHOULD BE FUNDED, BUT WE THINK THAT THE NEED SHOULD, UH, DICTATE HOW THOSE ARE, ARE ALLOCATED, UH, BUT FOR BOTH OF THEM TO BE AVAILABLE, UH, AND ALSO AGAIN, TO UTILIZE ANY RELIEF AND RECOVERY FROM, UH, FUNDS TO THOSE CREATIVE BUCKETS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MONITORING THOSE TO SEE IF THEY ARE EFFECTIVE AT BEING EFFECTIVELY, YOU KNOW, TARGETED TO FOLKS THAT NEED THEM AND THEY'RE BEING SUCCESSFUL.
AND SO THAT WE WOULD, AGAIN, UTILIZE THOSE SAME CATEGORIES AND BUCKETS TO, TO HELP, UH, GET, UH, REALLY FOR RECOVERY PROGRAMS TO IN THE HANDS OF ARTISTS AND ORGANS, AN ARTS ORGANIZATION.
AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL SECTORS OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY ARE EQUITABLY ADDRESSED, INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, UH, NONPROFITS, UH, YOU KNOW, SMALL GROUPS, ET CETERA.
UH, MICHELLE, AM I FORGETTING ANYTHING? I AM KIND OF RUSHING? NO, I THOUGHT I THOUGHT YOU GOT MOST OF IT.
THE ONE THING I WILL ADD IS WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE C-SAT CREATIVE SPACE, DISASTER RELIEF PROGRAM AS IT WAS REDESIGNED UNDER COVID, AND AS IT'S BEEN TWEAKED SINCE THEN IS ALSO A HIGH PRIORITY, UM, AND SHOULD BE EXECUTED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT'S BEEN USED WE'RE IN SERIOUS, SERIOUS TROUBLE, BUT VERY IMPORTANTLY, NOT OUT OF THESE FUNDS THAT SOMEBODY SAID, AND I THINK IT WAS A SYLVIA.
ROSCOE SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TRYING TO FUND ALL THESE OTHER PROGRAMS OUT OF THE SAME, UH, ARP BUCKET.
WE'RE SAYING NO, CONTINUE TO FUND C-SAT, UH, THROUGH THE FUNDING, THROUGH THE, THE MECHANISMS THAT WAS FUNDED BEFORE.
AND I KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO JEALOUSLY GUARD THESE 10 MILLION PER YEAR TO BE UTILIZED, UH, FOR THESE OTHER, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR EITHER RECOVERY AND RELIEF AND FYI 21 AND, UH, FOR RECOVERY AND RELIEF AND HOT BACKFILL IN FY 22.
UH, AND IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE TALKING POINTS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO WALK ANYBODY THROUGH IT.
YOU CAN CALL ME AND MICHELLE AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO TALK TO THEM, BUT THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT WE FELT WOULD BE THE MOST, UH, EFFECTIVE, UM, UH, WAY TO COMMUNICATE TO OUR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.
AND I WANT, YOU KNOW, NOW OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT TO DISCUSS AND SEE IF WE'RE IN AGREEMENT, BUT THIS IS WHAT THE COMMITTEE IS RECOMMENDING AND HOW WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UH, DOING IT.
AND JUST TO, TO REITERATE ABOUT IF WE CAN'T GET THE MONEY OUT THE DOOR AND GET SPENT SINCE FYI 21 ENDS IN OCTOBER, UH, IF WE CAN'T GET THE MONEY SPENT BETWEEN NOW AND OCTOBER, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING IS THAT WE THEN SHIFT THE, THE, UH, THE COLUMNS TO FYI 22 AND 23 FOR 10 MILLION PER YEAR FOR THOSE CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE, I THINK THERE'S FOUR YEARS TO SPEND THE ARP MONIES.
SO I THINK THAT'S IT IN A THUMBNAIL NUTSHELL CITY HALL STAFF, CAN WE STOP SHARING THE SCREEN THAT WAY I CAN SEE IF ANYBODY'S HANDS ARE UP QUESTIONS, UH, COMMISSIONER MOCK, AND THEN VICE-CHAIR FOLDER.
I ACTUALLY HAVE TALKED TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT THIS.
AND I THINK RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON IS THE AGENDA ITEM ON THURSDAY THAT THEY ONLY PROPOSE 7.5 MILLION FOR EACH YEAR, YOU KNOW, IS THAT ON 10 MEETING? SO I THINK WE NEED TO, UM, I GUESS CONTACT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR 10 BILLION.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY THEY CAN UP THAT NUMBER.
YOU KNOW, PART OF WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS GET THIS IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS AND SEE IF YOU AGREED WITH IT.
AND IT SEEMS TO ALIGN TOO WITH WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS ENCOURAGING,
[01:55:01]
UM, AND THEN SET UP TALKING POINTS FOR EVERYBODY.SO YOU CAN GO AND HAVE THAT IN YOUR HANDS AS YOU GO AND TALK TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS THIS WEEK, BEFORE THURSDAY'S VOTE.
UM, ONE OTHER THING IN TERMS OF THE RATIONALE, JUST TO HAVE IN YOUR POCKET, WHICH IS ALLUDED IT'S IN HERE, BUT LIKE IT'S SORT OF A BACKGROUND PIECE, WHICH IS, UM, INITIALLY THERE WAS TALK ABOUT USING THE 10 MILLION JUST TO, JUST FOR BACKFILL, FOR CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING.
THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT IS THAT WE BASICALLY JUST KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD, LIKE WE GET THROUGH THE TWO YEARS AND WE'RE RIGHT BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED.
WE'RE THINKING THE TOP PRIORITY IS TO GET FOOD ON THE TABLE.
PEOPLE PAYING RENT, START TO GET WORKING, AGAIN, FIGURE OUT A FRAMEWORK FOR COMING BACK SO THAT BY THE TIME HOT FUNDS START TO REGENERATE, HAVE A PRACTICAL AND REASONABLE WAY TO GROW AND SUSTAIN THE COMMUNITY, SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND.
AND ALSO SO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YES, THE FIRST YEAR RELIEF AND RECOVERY AND THE MICHELLE, THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT.
AND SO IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, PAYING WORKERS, UM, GETTING, YOU KNOW, RENTABLE SYSTEMS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT THAT'LL HELP IMMEDIATELY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE SECOND YEAR, UH, WHENEVER WHATEVER YEAR FISCAL YEAR, IT ENDS UP BEING THAT, THEN YOU CAN UTILIZE MONEY FOR BOTH BACK HOT BACKFILL, AS WELL AS RELIEF AND RECOVERY, AND, YOU KNOW, DIVVY UP AT 10 MILLION AND THEN WHATEVER MAKES THE MOST SENSE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IT MAKES SENSE TO EVERYBODY.
UM, I GUESS THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS DOES THIS, DOES IT, UM, GIVE IT MORE WEIGHT IF WE, IF WE DO ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION, UM, DO WE JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE WHAT WE HAVE AND END FOR THAT ONTO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND SAY, HEY, INSTEAD OF A PLAN, HERE'S THE ALLOCATION, UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES.
UH, I, UM, WOULD RECOMMEND THAT SINCE WE ALREADY PASS A RECOMMENDATION WITH THE 10 MILLION AND THAT'S THE CORE THING, THIS IS A REFINEMENT AND A COMMUNICATION OF, AND A REFINEMENT OF SOME OF THE POINTS, UH, AND A LITTLE BIT OF TWEAKING.
BUT I WOULD SAY IF WE ARE, UH, IN AGREEMENT WITH WHAT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT WE, UH, JUST SAY THAT, UH, WE, UM, THAT THIS IS WHAT WE THINK IS THE WAY TO GO, AND THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD COMMUNICATE BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS AS A, AS A COMMUNICATION PIECE.
AND THEREFORE, JUST ADDING TO COUNCIL THAT THIS IS FURTHER AMPLIFYING REFINING.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE HAVEN'T GIVEN QUITE SPECIFIC, WE CAN, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THOSE SPECIFICS AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO US, ESPECIALLY FOR FYI TWENTY-TWO AND PERHAPS IN SOME WAYS TO FIX, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, NOT FIX, BUT IMPROVE ON SOME OF THE CATEGORIES OF FUNDING THAT WERE UTILIZED, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE CARES ACT AND CONTINUE THOSE PROGRAMMING.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER CISM HAVE HAD A LOT OF INPUT ON HOW THOSE COULD BE, UH, IMPROVED AND REFINED, SO THAT THEY'RE MORE, THAT MORE, UM, ARTISTS AND MORE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE, OR THEY'RE ACCESSIBLE TO THEM.
SO YES, WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE INPUT, BUT I WOULD THINK WE SHOULD JUST MAYBE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THESE AS OUR, YOU KNOW, UM, AS THE, THE FRAMEWORK FOR WHAT, HOW WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AND, YOU KNOW, AND MAKE SURE THAT FIRST, LIKE AMY SAID THAT WE ENSURE THAT WE WANT REINFORCED THAT WE WANT 10 MILLION A YEAR.
WE DON'T WANT THE 4 MILLION TO BE USED.
I MEAN, 4 MILLION OF IT TO THESE FOR, YOU KNOW, GETTING RID OF THE DEFICIT AND THAT WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH 10 MILLION PER YEAR, PER YEAR FOR TWO YEARS, REGARDLESS OF IF THAT STARTS IN FYI 21 OR 22 AND, YOU KNOW, MOVE IT FORWARD THAT WAY.
SO IF FOLKS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO PROCEED, THEN I WOULD SAY THAT WE, YOU KNOW, APPROVE THIS DOCUMENT AND USE THAT AS OUR COMMUNICATION TOOL, UH, FOR OUR TO SPEAK TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I SHOULD REMARK ADULT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE WORKING GROUP THAT WE HAD USING THESE AS OUR TALKING POINT.
AND I ASKING FOR 10 MILLION A YEAR, FOR TWO YEARS, MOTION BY MARK TO, UH, ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE WORKING GROUP SECONDED BY FLORES.
UH, ANY, ANY COMMENTS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, SO LET'S SAY WE ADOPT THIS AND WE HAVE THIS DOCUMENT, UH, WHERE YOU MENTIONED TALKING
[02:00:01]
POINTS.I FEEL LIKE THIS IS NOT IN TALKING POINT FORMAT.
SO LIKE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE GET THOSE TALKING POINTS DRAFTED AND SHARED IMMEDIATELY.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT PLAN.
UH, I HAVE IT IN A WORD DOC, ALSO NOT A CHART.
THIS WAS JUST FOR VISUALIZATION, THAT IT WOULD, MIGHT BE EASIER FOR, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY CREATED IT IN BOTH WORD AND THAT, SO WE DO HAVE TO TWEAK THEM.
SO I WILL WORK ON IT TOMORROW TOO.
CAUSE WE EDIT IT TODAY, SOME OF THE STUFF ON THE CHART.
SO I'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IT'S REFLECTED IN THE TALKING POINTS AWAY.
WE EDITED TODAY, BUT I CAN GET THOSE OUT TOMORROW AND GET THEM TO ANN MARIE.
SO SHE CAN FORWARD THAT TO EVERYBODY.
AND THE RATIONALE THERE IS FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE ASKING THE ASK IS THE FIRST LINE OR THE FIRST PARAGRAPHS.
AND THEN THE RATIONALE IS THE FLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT HELPS, I WOULD HOPE THE COMMISSIONERS UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS, YOU KNOW, THE WE'RE ASKING FOR WHAT IT IS WE'RE ASKING FOR IN EACH OF THE COLUMNS AND EACH OF THE ROWS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU CAN CERTAINLY CALL US.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE, WE HAVE THE DOCUMENTS AND NECESSARY, SO WE CAN HAVE GO SPEAK TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT SINCE THIS IS A PUBLIC DOCUMENT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO UPLOAD THE DOCUMENT TO THE BACKUP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT GREAT AD ADVOCACY EFFORT THAT'S BEING DONE, RIGHT.
THAT'D BEEN COORDINATED RIGHT NOW THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THIS AS WELL.
I WILL WORK ON IT, UH, IN THE MORNING AND MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S IN THE OTHER FORMAT WELL, AND THAT IT'S ACCESSIBLE AND AVAILABLE THROUGH EMORY.
AND THEN HOWEVER MEANS YOU CAN MAKE IT AVAILABLE ACCESSIBLE.
THANK YOU, LOU THOUGH, I CAN HELP YOU TOMORROW MORNING, TOO.
MY ONLY THING WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ONE PIECE THAT I WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT, UM, AND THIS GOES BACK TO EARLIER CONVERSATIONS, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE CREATIVE WORKER RELIEF GRANT, THE INDIVIDUAL GRANT THAT WAS 50% EQUITY LENS AND 50% LOTTERY THAT THAT EQUITY LENS WAS INSUFFICIENT THAT WE HAVE TO RAISE THAT NUMBER.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, THAT COMES THROUGH.
I FEEL LIKE THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE REGARDING THE CREATIVE WORKER, UH, UH, W WE RECOMMEND THAT WE OPEN THAT UP AND MAKE, MAKE PEOPLE ELIGIBLE FOR A SECOND ROUND.
AGAIN, THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT SORT OF WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT YEAH, I WOULD THINK SO.
UM, SO MOTION ON THE TABLES TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE WORKING GROUP, UH, BY MOCKS, I CAN ADD BY FLORES IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I'LL CALL THE VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF FLORES POLL, GAR MOCK CISMEN, SMALL BACK BEND DIKE.
UH, MR. GARZA, CAN I GET A VERBAL
DO YOU, HOW DO YOU VOTE? YOU SAY IT ONE MORE TIME, PLEASE? UH, YEAH.
VOTING TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION BY THE WORKING GROUP TO ADOPT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH WORKING GROUP.
I KNOW IT WAS, IT WAS A TIGHT TIMELINE AND THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE, BUT REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME ON THIS.
SO WE, WE ARE A LITTLE BIT OVER TIME, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
CAUSE WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER COUPLE OF HOURS LEFT BEFORE THEY KICK US OFF.
UM, I WAS HOPING WE WOULD GET DONE BY SEVEN 30, BUT WE LET'S COMMISSIONERS THIS MAN.
[5.b. Misc. Discussion and Possible Action Items]
B ONE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER MUSEUM UPDATE.DID WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION ON THAT? NO.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON FIVE B TO, UH, ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY.
UH, WHAT'S YOUR POLAR, IF YOU, YEAH, GO AHEAD.
SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY THE WORK OF OUR WORKING GROUP IS, IS NOT DONE WITH THE ARP SUGGESTIONS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WERE LIKE THAT I PUT FORWARD, AT LEAST WITHIN THIS OREGON, THIS GROUP IS LOOKING AT SOME OF THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY, UM, FRAMEWORK AS POSSIBLE
[02:05:01]
JUMPING OFF POINTS.UM, AND I WAS SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE DAA PRESENTATION, THE FOUNDATION PRESENTATION TONIGHT, BECAUSE THAT ALIGNS VERY NICELY WITH A COUPLE OF THOSE PIECES THAT HAVE EXCITED US FOR AWHILE, LIKE THE ACTIVATION OF CITY SPACES.
UM, BOY, WOULD, I LOVE TO SEE ARTISTS GET PAID FOR CREATING WORK ALL OVER TOWN, ALL THROUGH EVERY DISTRICT.
UM, AND IF THERE'S A PARTNER OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP US DO THAT, I THINK THAT'S THE NEXT THING ON THE LIST FOR ME, THE OTHER PIECE, UM, WAS THE ARTIST REGISTRY.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF ORGANIZATIONS IN TOWN THAT HAVE STARTED BUILDING SOME OF THOSE, SOME ARE MORE ROBUST THAN OTHERS.
AND I'M WONDERING HOW WE MIGHT FACILITATE GETTING SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE TOGETHER TO COMPARE NOTES AND COMPILE ABSOLUTELY A CONDITIONAL FOREST.
UH, ALSO, UH, AND PIGGYBACKING ON WHAT MICHELLE JUST SAID IS, AND, UH, AND WHAT VERONICA, I MEAN,
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR HOW MANY YEARS NOW.
SO YES, ESPECIALLY AS IT, AS IT CONCERNS ARTS, UH, ARTISTS AND, UH, PENNIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO RELIEVE, UH, PERMITTING.
AND I'LL ALSO JUST GOING BACK TO JUST EVEN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IN THERE, BUT AS FAR AS OUR ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE CONCERNED, SOME OF THE ACTUAL BUILDING PERMITTING STUFF IS A, IS A HUGE ISSUE THAT SOMEHOW WE'VE GOT TO, YOU KNOW, LITTLE DOWN AND MAKE IT MORE ARTISTS AND ARTS GROUPS FRIENDLY.
WELL, WE DO HAVE OUR JOINT WORKING GROUP BETWEEN MUSIC AND ARTS ON LAND USE.
I THINK THE PERMANENT CONVERSATION NEEDS TO GO IN THERE, BUT AREN'T, WE SHY.
I WOULD THINK WE'RE SHY IN ARTS COMMISSIONER ON THAT GROUP.
OR ARE YOU THE, ARE YOU MY SECOND AND MY SECOND AREN'T YOU JAIME? I AM THE SECOND.
UM, SO I REALLY WANTED THIS TO BE A DISCUSSION ITEM FOR TONIGHT.
UM, TO POINT OUT LIKE, YES, THEY'RE LIKE COMMISSIONED A PULL GARDEN, COMMERCIAL FOREST FED, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES HERE FOR, FOR CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING FOR YEARS, BUT SPECIFICALLY HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS TO REACH OUT TO POTENTIAL PARTNERS.
UM, THE ARTIST REGISTRY, I KNOW THAT BIG MEDIUM STARTED ONE LAST YEAR.
I BELIEVE THAT, AND SHE MAY CORRECT ME, BUT I BELIEVE THAT LAURA SPARS HAS STARTED ONE AS PART OF HER WORK AS THE, THE CO THE CULTURAL COMMITTEE LEAD FOR IMAGINE AUSTIN.
SO I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US AT, YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO OF US TO REACH OUT TO THOSE PEOPLE AND START THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE, HEY, CAN WE COMPILE THIS ARTIST REGISTRIES? AND, AND, OR CAN WE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF WE CAME TOGETHER AND SHARED THESE, THESE DATABASES, BECAUSE THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT THEY ARE DATABASES.
UM, ANOTHER ITEM THAT I, THAT I FLAGGED WAS THE CREATION OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, UM, YOU KNOW, SIX SQUARE AND ACA BOTH HAD EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDS THIS PAST YEAR.
DAWA, UM, YOU KNOW, RENT RUN BY, BY, UH, MUSIC CHAIR, SHAKA, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY GAVE OUT LIKE, WHAT WAS IT OVER $30,000 JUST IN FEBRUARY DURING THE STORM LIKE THAT, TH THE THINGS ARE, ARE, ARE IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE JUST NEED TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, MAKE THE CONNECTIONS, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT WHAT THE CITY REALLY NEEDS WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND JUST BE THOSE FACILITATORS, BE THOSE CONNECTORS.
UM, I HAVE A VERSION OF THE REPORT WHERE I ADDED COMMENTS, WHERE I THINK WE CAN DO SOMETHING.
SO I'M GOING TO SHARE THAT OUT TO COMMISSIONERS.
AND THEN WE CAN JUST, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER WANTS TO, YOU'RE LIKE, OH, I'LL TAKE THIS ONE ON AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THESE GROUPS.
UM, JUST SO THAT WE'RE NOT OVERLAPPING.
UM, OF COURSE YOU CAN COLLABORATE AND WORK TOGETHER, BUT JUST, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHO'S WORKING ON WHAT, AND LET'S, LET'S HELP GET THIS GOING.
CAUSE, CAUSE WE CAN, WE CAN DO SOME OF THAT WORK.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT THE REGIONAL FOREST.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT COMMISSIONER, A SMALL BAG JOINING THE GROUP BECAUSE SHE SEEMS TO BRING A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE FROM ONE OF MY FAVORITE CITIES, NO LUCK.
THEY'VE GOT A GREAT ARTS DISTRICT AND GREAT PROGRAMMING.
AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HER CONTRIBUTIONS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HER KNOWLEDGE, UH, ASSISTING US IN, MAYBE CRACKING SOME OF THESE NUTS.
[02:10:01]
FOR AWHILE.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, DISCUSSION ON THIS? NO.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I'LL SHARE MY DOCUMENT THAT WAY YOU CAN SEE WHAT I FLAGGED AND THEN WE CAN START, START A LIST.
UH, MOVING ON TO OLD BUSINESS, SIX 81
[6.a. Discussion and Action]
ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR BEFORE FOUR, WE HAVE, UH, GO KAY.I LOVE IT TO TALK ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN, UH, FOUNDATION WORKING GROUP.
DID I MISS, BECAUSE I REALLY THINK THAT THAT IS REALLY MY, ONE OF MY PASSION THAT I THINK WE NEED TO WORK WITH THE FOUNDATION AND SEE IF WE CAN BRING THE DEAL BACK SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A TOUR OF FIELD, ALL THOSE AIPP PROJECTS.
SO IS THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO SET UP THAT WORKING GROUP.
I WILL BE HAPPY TO JOIN GREAT IDEA, BUT IT'S NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO SET UP THAT WORKING GROUP BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A DISCUSSION FOR THAT.
SO, BUT DEFINITELY NOT AGENDA ITEM.
CAUSE I, I, I AGREE WITH YOU WITH YOUR OBSERVATION THERE.
I, I THINK BRINGING BACK THE, IT WOULD BE AWESOME.
UM, SO ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
UM, SO, SO FAR I'M ON THE, UM, ON THE FLOOR.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, MOVE AND, UH, UM, UM, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT FOR THE ELECTION OF THE CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO WEEDY ONE, FIRST OF ALL THING, JAIME FOR BEING SO WONDERFUL, DOING SO MUCH.
WELL, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXPLORE HIM.
I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE, UH, VICE CHAIR, MICHELLE TO, TO BE THE, TO BE THE CHAIR.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HAVE A NEW LEADERSHIP OF ASSESSMENT TO BE THE VICE CHAIR, BECAUSE I THINK SHE HAS SHOWN REAL GREAT LEADERSHIP.
SO, UM, I JUST LOVE TO HAVE WOMEN, SORRY, JAIME.
SO, SO I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE TO, TO HAVE, UH, MICHELLE CHAIR AND HAS THIS BEEN, UH, BEING THE WISE CHAIR, UM, SO THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE TO HAVE WOMEN CHAIR FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
MOTION BY MARK TO NOMINATE A POLL GAR AS CHAIR AND ZISMAN AS VICE CHAIR, SECONDED BY FLORES.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS OR IS EVERYONE READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, WITH THIS NOMINATION THAT THE COMMISSIONER MOCK PUT FORWARD VICE-CHAIR POLGAR YOU HAVE A PUZZLING LOOK ON YOUR FACE.
I THINK THE NOTION WAS EXPLOITED VICE CHAIR.
SO POINT OF CLARIFICATION, COMMISSIONER, I GUESS I'M JUST BEING SILLY BECAUSE I KNOW BEING A CHAIR YOU NEED TO WORK.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY MATCH TO JAIME'S HARD WORK, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I DID NOT, I DID NOT, UH, I CANNOT EXPECT THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT I WOULD REALLY, UM, BECAUSE I REALLY THINK I WOULD SAY I CAN, YOU KNOW, HE HAS SO MUCH PASSION AND HE CAN CONTINUE.
I MEAN, WITH, WITHOUT BLESSING TO CONTINUE WHAT HE HAS NOT FINISHED, YOU KNOW, BUT JUST NOT IN THE CHAIR'S CAPACITY SO THAT HE'LL HAVE MORE TIME TO YOUR WORD WOULD BE IMPOSED, NOT EXPLOITED.
AND WE WILL ALSO GIVE HIGH MAN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A MENTAL HEALTH BREAK AND NOT BE SO IMPOSED UPON.
I WILL WITHDRAW MY WORD EXPLOIT.
I SAW YOUR HAND UP, SO I MAY HAVE MISSED SOMETHING HERE.
SO JAIME IS, THIS IS, SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS WITH YOUR BLESSING OR I DON'T KNOW THE RIGHT WORDS, BUT YOU'RE READY FOR A BREAK.
I FOLLOW THE WILL OF THE BODY.
UM, I, YEAH, IF, IF, IF, IF, IF THE COMMISSION CHOOSES A NEW CHAIR, I'M I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT IT.
LIKE, LIKE, LIKE WHAT'S THAT I'M NOT GOING TO DISAPPEAR.
[02:15:01]
I'M GOING TO KEEP WORKING ON THE THINGS THAT I'M WORKING ON.JUST THE SAME AS Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE THINGS THAT INTEREST YOU ON THE COMMISSION.
YEAH, LIKE, UM, THESE THREE PAST THREE YEARS HAVE BEEN PRETTY ROUGH.
UM, AND, UH, YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT, BUT YEAH, I WOULDN'T MIND A BREAK AT ALL.
YOU'VE DONE REALLY A LOT AND ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, COME IN NEW, THANK YOU FOR IT'S OBVIOUS THAT YOU PUT, I MEAN, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT WE'VE ALL PUT A LOT OF WORK IN, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME, YOU PUT ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT, OR AT LEAST MORE HOURS THAN I PUT IN.
AND I FEEL LIKE I'M STRAINING AT THE SCENES A LOT.
AND I WILL SECOND THAT I WOULD, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE, BUT IT'S, UH, IT'S A LOT.
AND HAVING BEEN IN YOUR POSITION, I KNOW, AND PROBABLY DIDN'T DO HALF OF WHAT YOU DID.
IT IS STRESSFUL AND YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A LOT, SO, AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T COME BACK AGAIN.
WE CAN RECYCLE RECYCLING COMMUNITY.
UH, SO, SO TERMS FOR CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR ARE OUR FOUR YEARS, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO TAKE A, I THINK, A YEAR BREAK.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO A REMINDER THAT THERE'S LIKE HALF OF US WHO ARE COMING UP ON THE END OF OUR SECOND TERM, SO WE CAN ONLY SERVE AS COMMISSIONERS EIGHT YEARS.
SO THESE ARE OUR LAST TWO YEARS.
I WANT TO JUST REMIND EVERYONE LIKE, THIS IS PART OF WHY I'M OKAY.
NOT BEING CHAIR, IS THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM THAT WE'VE GAINED AND MAKE SURE WE PASS THAT ONTO TO NEWER COMMISSIONERS AND JUST KEEP, KEEP THAT KNOWLEDGE GOING.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IF, IF THIS IS THE WAY THAT I DO IT BY MODELING AND JUST, JUST MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE NEW CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR HABIT, THE INFORMATION THAT I HAD, LIKE LET'S, LET'S DO THAT.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
UM, AND, AND I WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT TO BE TERMED OUT AS VICE CHAIR.
SO ALMOST MADE IT, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
UM, BUT I, I JUST AM INSPIRED BY ALL OF YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, AND WHEN HIGHWAY OPENED WITH A SERIES OF QUOTES TODAY, AND IT WAS THE COMBINATION OF FACTORS AND LAND, AND THEN TAYLOR SWIFT, I WAS JUST LIKE, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
AND I'M SO, SO GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD ONLY DO THIS IF YOU COMMIT TO CONTINUING TO FOLLOW YOUR HEART, CONTINUING TO HOLD US ALL ACCOUNTABLE, UM, AND TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF BREAK AND AIR FOR YOURSELF.
CAN I JUST THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE? UH, CHAIRMAN CASTILLO AND, UH, I APPLAUD THE NOMINATIONS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, AS OUR COMMISSION ALSO BE TRUE TO OUR, OUR PILLARS AND WE TRY TO, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP NEW TALENT AND NEW LEADERSHIP.
AND THIS IS WHAT THIS SHOWS THAT WE CONTINUE TO ALLOW NEW FOLKS IN.
AND, UH, SPEAKING TO COMMISSIONER MACH ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE, UH, I THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD ALSO FILL IN THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION POSITION, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY CAN WORK WITH THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE.
AND THAT'S ALSO PART OF DEVELOPING, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT THEIR COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, NEW LEADERSHIP AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THE SAME THING WITH THE, UH, PUBLIC PLACES PANEL, WHICH ARE JUST SAYING RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN HERE JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT AMOUNT OF TIME, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SPLIT THAT PANEL UP SO THAT ALL OF US SHARE, YOU KNOW, THAT POSITION FOR ONE YEAR, WE CAN ALL DEVELOP THAT LEADERSHIP AS WELL.
AND WE CAN SHARE THAT KNOWLEDGE.
LET'S REMEMBER THAT, THAT THAT'S OUR, AS OUR JOB IS TO, TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP WITHIN OUR OWN COMMISSION AND LET'S TAKE ON MORE RESPONSIBILITIES.
SO IT DOESN'T BECOME, YOU KNOW, JUST ONE PERSON'S RESPONSIBILITY THE WHOLE TIME.
YOU KNOW, I, I LOVED, UH, BEING ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AND I'M JUST LIKE, YOU YOU'RE A GOOD CHAIRMAN, BUT YOU KNOW, IT DOES BECOME TEXTING AFTER AWHILE AND LET'S SHARE THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT'S, LET'S BUILD OUR, OUR LEADERSHIP FROM WITHIN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS READY TO CALL THE VOTE? READY TO CALL THE VOTE? AWESOME.
SO, UH, AGAIN, OCEAN BY MOCK TO NOMINATE, UH, MY SHARE POLL GAR AS THE NEW CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS DIZMAN AS THE NEW VICE CHAIR, SECONDED BY FLORES, UH, ALL IN FAVOR, SAY FLORES, SMALL BACK VAN DYCK, MOCK POLGAR XMEN GARZA, UH, COMMISSIONER KEATON.
CAN WE GET A VERBAL, I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE UNANIMOUS,
[02:20:01]
BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE COMMISSIONER KEATON.UNLESS I HEAR SOMETHING I'M GOING TO ASSUME SHE'S OFF THE DIOCESE, BUT, UM, SO IT UNANIMOUS, IT PASSED, UH, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO HAND OVER THE, THE REINS, IF YOU WANT THEM NOW, OR WE CAN WAIT UNTIL AFTER NEXT MEETING.
UM, AT THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, UH, REALLY SHOW APPRECIATION, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, I HAVE NEVER HAD A CHAIR THAT WORKED SO HARD, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS APPROPRIATE AT THIS TIME, UH, AS A COMMISSION TO REALLY, UH, SHOW APPRECIATION AND CRAFT GRATITUDE, YOU KNOW, TO THE HARD WORK OF OUR, OUR CHAIR.
AND, UM, WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE, UM, LITTLE, MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME? SO WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING, YOU KNOW, CAN WE, CAN WE PASS A MOTION AT THIS TIME TO MAKE SOME KIND OF RECOGNITION, UH, BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER HAD A CHAIR THAT WORKS SO HOT, YOU KNOW, YOUR KIND WORDS ARE ENOUGH.
I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE THE, THE INS THE, I APPRECIATE IT, BUT KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT NECESSARY.
UH, YOUR KIND OF WORDS ARE ENOUGH, RIGHT? OH, YOU ARE HERE IN MY HEART.
MAYBE YOU CAN SEND THEM SOME POT STICKERS.
I DO LIKE DESSERT OR NEWT, UH, CHAIR, ELECTRICAL DOOR.
HI, MAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND I MEAN, LIKE YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOING TO GET ASSIGNMENTS AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP PURSUING YOUR VISION AND PURSUING ALL THIS CONNECTION POINTS THAT YOU SEE, UM, AND HELPING US BY BEING IN EVERY SINGLE MEETING THAT YOU CAN POSSIBLY BE IN.
I JUST, I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AND EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE FOR THIS COMMISSION AND FOR THE COMMUNITY SINCE YOU STEPPED INTO THIS SPACE DEEPLY.
THIS HAS BEEN MY TURN TO GOSH IN THIS Y'ALL ARE NOT GONNA MAKE ME CRY.
IF I FEEL ANY TEARS, I'M GONNA JUST SHUT OFF THE VIDEO.
YOU SAID WE HAD A COUPLE OF HOURS, RIGHT? SO I, I HAVE FAITH IN US.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT HAS BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE AND YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GO ANYWHERE, BUT IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE TO BE A NEW PERSON IN THIS POSITION AND HAVE YOU IN THIS LEADERSHIP ROLE AND HAVE YOU AS SOMEBODY TO LOOK TO, AND TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS TO, AND, UM, JUST TO HAVE YOUR CONSTANT ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT FOR US AS INDIVIDUALS.
AND WHEN TIMES HAVE BEEN TOUGH, YOU'VE BEEN OUR ROCK.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
AND YOU WERE MY CALL WHEN I WAS TAPPED BY COUNCILWOMAN ELLIS TO SAID, WELL, WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT WHAT IS M IS MY PERSPECTIVE VALUABLE HERE? CAN I REALLY CONTRIBUTE? IS THIS SOMETHING I SHOULD PURSUE? AND YOUR WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND REALLY, UM, ALMOST A NEUTRAL LAYOUT OF WHAT THIS WORK COULD BE AND WHAT THIS COULD GROW INTO REALLY PLANTED THE SEED FOR ME TO, TO BECOME INVESTED AT THIS LEVEL.
AND I'M FOREVER GRATEFUL AND I HUMBLY ACCEPT THE NOMINATION AND THE POSITION AND LET'S DO THIS.
MOVING ON SIX, B TWO, UH, EQUITY RESOURCE GROUP, UH, I BELIEVE LAST MONTH I SAID WE WERE GOING TO HAVE AN UPDATE IN JUNE, SO, UM, YEAH, I HAD AN UPDATE.
OH, YOU HAVE AN UPDATE COMMISSIONER KEY AND GO FOR IT.
SO I NEED TO SHARE IT SOMEHOW.
I GUESS I'LL SHARE IT BY EMAIL TO SAY, I WAS ASKED TO, UM, PUT TOGETHER A DOCUMENT USING MY LIBRARY AND SKILLS, UM, TO FIND EVENTS, UM, OR EQUITY.
AND I WANT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER AND PUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THAT.
UM, AND WHAT I WOULD SAY WHEN YOU DO RECEIVE THIS DOCUMENT, IT'S A WORKING DOCUMENT.
[02:25:01]
SO, UM, AS OF TODAY, THERE ARE PROBABLY ONLY FOUR EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN AUSTIN IN MAY THE MONTH OF MAY.SO WHAT I DID WAS I JUST READ IT MAY JUNE, JULY, AND THE EVENTS THAT YOU'LL SEE ONCE YOU GET THIS LINK TONIGHT, UM, FOR MAY, THERE ARE ONLY FOUR EVENTS FOR AUSTIN, AND THEN I JUST WENT AHEAD AND ONLINE EVENTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD, PLEASE DO, I WILL DO MY BEST TO HAVE ALL OF JUNE AND JULY TAKEN CARE OF BY FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND START SHARING IT WITH THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S FINE.
IT'S WELL-ORGANIZED UM, AND IT'S IN GOOGLE DRIVE, SO ANYBODY WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS IT.
YOU ALSO, I JUST RETURNED BACK TO WORK, SO THAT'S WHY I'M IN A BLIND SPOT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I GET OFF AT SIX O'CLOCK.
SO I'M USING THE CITY'S, UM, UTILITIES AND EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO THEY'RE JUST BEING KIND, LIVING THE SPACE IN THE BUILDING TO BE IN THIS MEETING TONIGHT, SO, OKAY.
THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW, UH, GOOD INFO FOR THE KNEE, FOR THE CHAIR ELECT, CONSIDER MAKING OUR MEETINGS JUST A LITTLE BIT LATER.
IT GIVES SOME FOLKS TIME TO GET HOME.
SO SIX B3 IS THE JOINT ART AND MUSIC LAND DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP.
UM, WE SPENT OUR ENERGY RIGHT NOW ON OBVIOUSLY THE, THE IMPENDING COUNCIL CONVERSATION AROUND THE RESCUE MONEY.
SO WE HAVE NOT YET MET THAT JOINT, UH, LAND DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP, BUT BOY, I HEARD A LOT OF THINGS TONIGHT THAT SUGGEST TO ME THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE, THAT IT WE'LL GET THAT, UM, MOVING FORWARD THIS MONTH, REPORT BACK NEXT TIME.
UH, NEXT UP IS SIX B FOR THE QUARTERLY ARTS COMMUNITY COMMISSION MEETUPS WORKING GROUP.
UH, WE HAVE NOT MET, UH, CAUSE I FELT LIKE COMMISSIONER'S BARNS PARTICIPATION IN THE EMERGENCY FUNDING WORKING GROUP WAS, WAS PRIORITY.
UM, SO YEAH, WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T, WE WERE DO, WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO MEET, SO I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
UH POLGAR UM, SO I, I KNOW THE WORKING GROUP HADN'T MET YET, BUT AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ARTIST REGISTRY AND THE POTENTIAL FOR CONVERSATION, IF WE REALLY WANT TO ACTIVATE SOONER, RATHER THAN LATER, IS THERE THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING SOMETHING GOING BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING SOME KIND OF COMMUNITY SOMETHING? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT THE ONLY REASON I WANTED TO MEET WITH, WITH COMMISSIONERS BARNES AND GARZA WAS TO DRAFT SOME GUIDELINES SO THAT OTHER COMMISSIONERS, AS THEY'RE DOING THEIR HAPPY HOUR OR NOT HAPPY HOURS, BUT MEETUPS, UM, THAT THEY HAVE SOME STRUCTURE TO THAT, THAT THEY CAN JUST RUN WITH.
BUT IF, IF WE WANT SOMETHING HAPPENING, I CAN, I CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING.
OR IS THERE A VALUE TO HAVE HAVING PEOPLE LIKE IN THE SAME SPACE AS, ESPECIALLY AS THINGS HEAT UP, THINGS HEAT UP BECAUSE THIS CONVERSATION'S GOING TO BE LOTS OF THINGS HAPPENING ALL AT THE SAME TIME AND HAVING PEOPLE IN THE SAME SPACE TO BE COMPARING THAT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER MIGHT BE USEFUL.
I JUST THOUGHT I'D ASK THE QUESTION.
UM, YEAH, I GUESS IT WOULD JUST BE, FOR ME, IT WOULD BE A QUESTION OF, OF WHEN IT HAPPENS, RIGHT.
BECAUSE THINGS ARE REALLY HOT RIGHT NOW AND I'M REALLY, I'M, I'M, LIKE I SAID, I'M WILLING TO, TO SET SOMETHING UP FOR THIS WEEK AND WE CAN HAVE THAT PUBLIC CONGRESS OR THAT MORE OPEN CONVERSATION.
OR IF I WAIT A WEEK OR TWO, UM, IT'LL BE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION, BUT I'M WILLING TO DO THAT AS WELL.
UH, AND I GUESS I'M ASKING THE COMMISSION, LIKE, DOES ANYONE HAVE OPINIONS ABOUT, ABOUT WHEN THAT HAPPENS? YEAH, THAT WAS MY QUESTION TO ANYBODY.
I THINK WE WOULD HAVE LIKE A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS, MAYBE TRY TO LIKE PACK THEM INTO A REAL TIGHT, LIKE EVERY TWO WEEKS, LIKE PICK A DATE TO START.
AND THEN EVERY TWO WEEKS WE HAVE LIKE, UH, MAYBE TWO DISTRICTS AND THEN TWO DISTRICTS AND THEN TWO DISTRICTS TOLD FOR FIVE WEEKS OR 10 WEEKS, WHATEVER, TILL WE GET ALL 10 DISTRICTS, THEN SOME LIKE THAT.
UH, CAUSE WE GOTTA BE, BE AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, QUORUMS AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF AS WELL.
SO, YOU KNOW, BUT SORT OF SOME KIND OF SCHEDULE AND JUST STARTING TO KNOW WHETHER THAT'S WHAT HE CAN DO BASICALLY.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE WORKING GROUP WAS SUPPOSED TO DISCUSS.
TO TALK ABOUT THE SCHEDULE FOR THE QUARTERLY ON A CALENDAR BASIS.
UM, BUT THE QUESTION RIGHT NOW IS
[02:30:01]
SHOULD I SET UP A MEETING AND INVITE THE COMMUNITY? DOES IT HAPPEN THIS WEEK OR DOES IT HAPPEN NEXT WEEK OR THE WEEK AFTER? OR DO WE JUST WAIT UNTIL THE WORKING GROUP MEETS AND FIGURES OUT SOME GUIDELINES? IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S IDEAS THAT THAT'S THE ONLY TO BE KIND OF FLUSHED OUT.UM, AND THEN I GUESS MY QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE FORUM OF THESE DISCUSSIONS? ARE WE FACEBOOK LIVE-ING, ARE WE DOING A ZOOM MEETING OR, YOU KNOW, CIRCULATING THE INFORMATION AND MAKING SURE IT'S ACCESSIBLE? BECAUSE AGAIN, WE TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT PEOPLE HAVE COMPUTERS AND HAVE ACCESS TO WIFI.
SO HOW DO WE BE INCLUSIVE? YEAH.
THAT, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT THE WORKING GROUP WOULD BE WORKING OR DRAFT, BUT YES.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE JUST GONNA WAIT UNTIL THE WORKING GROUP OFFICIALLY MEETS AND THEN WE'LL ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, AND THAT WAY WE WON'T, WE WON'T PRESSURE EVERYBODY TO DO SOMETHING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
NEXT UP IS SIX B FIVE OR YEAH, FIVE ARTS NEIGHBORHOODS WORKING GROUP KEPT THINKING NOW JAIME, THAT YOU'VE SO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS.
UM, SO FOR THE ARTS NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WORK GROUP WHERE WE'RE TAKING THE ROUTE OF EMERGENCY FUNDING IS PRIORITY IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, WHICH IS DEFINITELY OCCUPIED MOST OF OUR TIME AND ENERGY, BUT WE ARE MEETING THIS THURSDAY.
AND THEN SIX B SIX, THE JOINT WORKING GROUP FOR THE JOINT CULTURAL COMMITTEE.
UM, LIKE I SAID, WE, WE HAD A MEETING THIS PAST SATURDAY, MET WITH THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS.
THE, THAT WOULD BE AFRICAN-AMERICAN ASIAN AMERICAN, UH, LATINO, HISPANIC DID NOT MAKE THAT MEETING, BUT THEY EMAILED ME, UH, WE HAD MUSIC AND THE MAC ADVISORY BOARD PRESENT.
AND AGAIN, JUST, WE, UH, JUST TO CHECK IN, SEE WHO, WHO HAD IDENTIFIED REPRESENTATIVES FROM THEIR COMMISSIONS TO BE ON THIS JOINT WORKING GROUP.
AND JUST A REMINDER THAT THE JOINT WORKING GROUP IS THE FIRST STEP TO GETTING THE JOINT CULTURAL COMMITTEE.
AND THEN ONCE THE JOINT CULTURAL COMMITTEE IS SET UP, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DISCUSS, UH, THE CULTURAL CENTERS AUDIT THAT CAME OUT OR THE AUDIT REPORT THAT CAME OUT IN PAST SUMMER.
UM, THERE ARE JUST SOME ITEMS THAT, THAT PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING, UM, WHO AND EXTENDING THE INVITATION OUT TO THE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE JOINT CULTURAL COMMITTEE.
SO LOOKING TO SEE IF HISTORIC LANDMARK LIBRARIES, COMMISSION, AND PARKS AND REC HAVE, SEE IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN JOINING THE CONVERSATION, UH, AND THAT'S THE UPDATE.
[7. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ARE AGENDA ITEMS. WE, WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION BY WATERLOO THIS MONTH GOT POSTPONED TO NEXT MONTH.UH, WE ALSO HAVE A COMMISSIONER MOCKS, UH, GR A WORKING GROUP FOR DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE.
UH, WE'LL DISCUSS, WE'LL TAKE THAT UP FOR NEXT MONTH.
UH, AND OF COURSE, ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? WELL, I'M NOT THE CHAIR ANYMORE, BUT WHEN I WAS CHAIR, I JUST INVITED ANYBODY TO SEND AN EMAIL WITH, TO ADD AN AGENDA ITEM.
UM, I'LL RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO THE SAME SEND, SEND, HOLD ONTO YOUR PAST CHAIR.
SO AS LONG AS YOU SEND IT TO THE CHAIR, I'M SURE THE CHAIR WILL ALSO SECOND IT AND ADD IT TO THE AGENDA.
UH, WE, WE WENT OVER SLIGHTLY IN OUR TIME, BUT, UH, THAT'S THE END OF OUR MEETING.
IT'S BEEN AN HONOR SERVING AS CHAIR.
UM, YEAH, WORK'S NOT GOING TO STOP, SO YOU'LL STILL SEE ME.
I'LL STILL BE GOING TO MEETINGS AND UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE KIND, UM, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
I, I CAN'T REALLY, OH, I DID WANT TO TELL EVERYBODY BEFORE YOU GO, OH, I'M STILL HERE.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR, UM, BEING VERY, VERY, UH, WELL, GIVING ME GRACE DURING THIS.
UH, I WOULD SAY MY FIRST YEAR, I'M ALSO WORKING A 40 HOUR A WEEK JOB AND BEING A PHD STUDENT.
AND I WANTED TO SHARE THAT NEWS WITH YOU.
AND MY FIRST YEAR AS A PHD STUDENT, I CAME OUT WITH A 3.7, SO VERY PROUD OF MYSELF.
[02:35:01]
THAT A LITTLE BIT WITH YOU JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I DID DO WORK EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY NOT SEE ME ALL THE TIME.I WAS DOING THE WORK NEVER DOWN.
THANK YOU ON GETTING THROUGH THE FIRST YEAR.
BOTH FIRST YEARS, RIGHT? OR FINISHING YOUR PHD AND HEIDI.
THANKS FOR SHARING THE NIGHT WITH US.