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WE HAVE[Winter Storm Review Task Force ( Debriefing )]
FORUM.I'M THE CHAIR OF THE CITY OF BOSTON'S WINTER STORM REVIEW TASK FORCE.
I NOW CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, IN THIS TIME SLOT, AS WE'VE HAD OUR TIME, LET'S MOVE AROUND A BIT AND CITY STAFF, WOULD YOU PLEASE DISPLAY OUR AGENDA? THEY HAVE OUR AGENDA TO DISPLAY THE PATRICIA.
THEY'RE WORKING ON GETTING IT LOADED.
SO SINCE COMMUNICATION IS OUR FIRST ITEM, UH, WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER SIGNED UP, I BELIEVE PATRICIA WILL CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
SPEAKERS WHO REGISTERED TO SPEAK NO LATER THAN NOON.
THE DAY BEFORE THE MEETING WILL BE ALLOWED TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS REGARDING ITEMS NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA DURING THE PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
AND SO I MAY ALLOW SOME LATITUDE HERE IN TERMS OF THAT THREE MINUTES, EVERYONE, AS I BELIEVE OUR CALLER IS FROM AUSTIN MUTUAL AID.
PATRICIA, DO WE HAVE A CALLER ON THE LINE? YES, WE DO.
SASHA, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, I CAN.
YOU HAVE THE FLOOR SASHA, PLEASE BEGIN WHEN YOU'RE READY.
SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE WHAT OUR ROLE WAS DURING THE FREEZE.
WE, UM, W WE HAD HEARD FROM THE CITY THAT WE WOULD BE PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE CONTINUED TO WAIT AND WAIT FOR THOSE RESOURCES.
PEOPLE THAT WOULD HELP PAY THAT WE WERE, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE FUNDING TO HELP PAY FOR HOTEL ROOMS, AND THAT NEVER HAPPENED.
UM, AND WE WAITED UP UNTIL THAT NIGHT WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY SNOWING AND FREEZING, AND WE HAD VOLUNTEERS OUT, UM, PULLING PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR TESTS, PEOPLE WHO WERE ALREADY STARTING TO, UH, FEEL SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE FREEZE.
WE ENDED UP HAVING TO RAISE DONATIONS.
WE HAD OUR OWN VOLUNTEERS PUTTING THEIR CARD DOWN IN ORDER TO PAY FOR HOTEL FUNDING, OR, UH, WE, WE RAISED OVER, UM, WE, WE HAD TO HOUSE OVER 400 PEOPLE AND WE HAD TO PROVIDE THEM WITH FOOD, UM, SUPPLIES, ADVOCACY FOR OVER A WEEK, AS, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THE, AS LONG AS THE FREEZE WAS.
AND THEN WE COULDN'T JUST SEND THEM BACK OUT TO THE STREET BECAUSE THEIR CAMP HAD BEEN RUINED.
UM, EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAD HAD BASICALLY OUT ON THE STREETS WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE TO THEM.
SO MY, UM, MY GOAL IN SPEAKING WITH YOU TODAY IS ACTUALLY TO BE A PART OF HELPING PLAN FOR THE NEXT FREEZE AND ALSO TO DISCUSS, UH, HOW WE CAN BE A PART OF, PART OF THE DISCUSSION MOVING FORWARD.
OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, WE DON'T GO THROUGH THE HOOPS THAT OFTEN ARE NEEDED WITH WORKING WITH THE CITY.
I WAS IN ON SOME OF YOUR PLANNING MEETINGS DURING THE FREEZE, AND, UH, Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE WERE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING AND HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTING.
SO, UM, IN MY OPINION, WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT THERE'S A REALLY BIG NEED FOR A CRISIS TEAM TO HELP SUPPORT OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE FACING IS PEOPLE HAVING DIFFICULTIES WITH THE HEAT.
SO, UM, WE ENDED UP PUTTING, UH, WE ENDED UP BEING ABLE TO RAISE ABOUT $350,000 IS WHAT WE ENDED UP NEEDING TO PAY FOR THOSE HOTEL ROOMS. AND WE WERE NEVER OFFERED FUNDS.
UM, UH, BEYOND THAT WE WERE JUST NEVER OFFERED FUNDS.
IT WAS A LOT OF, UM, I, I, AND I STILL LIKE TO BE, UH, I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THAT.
I'D LIKE TO BE INVITED TO THAT CONVERSATION WHERE WE CAN DISCUSS HOW WE CAN BE A PART OF THAT BECAUSE WE WORK WITH A HUGE COLLECTIVE OF GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT STEPPED UP.
SO ESSENTIALLY VOLUNTEERED AT THE STEP UP WHEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS UNABLE AND WHAT'S UNPREPARED TO SUPPORT OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE ALSO, THROUGH OUR, UH, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM GROUPS TO SOCIAL MEDIA, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH WATER.
UM, WE, WE DEVELOPED, UH, UH, OUR OWN LITTLE LIKE, UH, BASICALLY GORILLA WATER TEAM WHERE WE WERE GOING TO THESE APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT THEIR WATER HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN.
THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, USING POOL WATER.
WE, UH, WE, WE, WE FIND IT OVER 12,000 PEOPLE WITH WATER.
WE SET UP A DISTRIBUTION CENTER WHERE WE WERE PROVIDING FOOD AND SUPPLIES.
UM, SO YEAH, WE, WE REALLY HAD TO ORGANIZE, WE ONLY HAD ABOUT A HUNDRED VOLUNTEERS, UH, PERSONALLY AND OUR GROUP, BUT WE HAD HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT STEPPED UP AS WELL.
UM, I HELPED GROW OUR COMMUNITY ONLINE, THE ALSO MUTUAL AID GROUP, WHICH IS STILL HELPING PROVIDE FOR PEOPLE
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RIGHT NOW.YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CRISIS WITH OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, I REALLY LIKE TO BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND REALLY LIKE TO HEAR WHAT IS PLANNED FOR OUR NEXT CRISIS.
AND THEN LIKE, HOW CAN YOU FUNDING? WHAT WAS THAT SASHA? HOW DO WE, WHAT WAS FUNDING, HOW WE CAN CONTINUE RECEIVING FUNDING AND GIVING FUNDING TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL, WITHOUT HAVING TO RAISE DONATIONS, WE DID, WE WERE REALLY SUCCESSFUL IN RAISING DONATIONS, UM, AND ARE STILL DISTRIBUTING, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE CONTINUAL, RIGHT.
AND IF I MAY ASK, I WAS WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UM, THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE TRUST, UM, WHERE AMA WAS INVOLVED IN INVOLVED.
AND LET ME SAY, UM, THAT YOUR WORK WAS INCREDIBLE.
AND, UH, I'M PERSONALLY HOPING THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN FURTHER IMPLEMENTS A PLAN TO HELP, UM, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE YOURS GROW AT A SUSTAINABLE, UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE CLEARLY FILLING A NEED THAT THE CURRENT CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE CAN NOT, UM, WITH THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, UM, DO YOU HAVE A WRITTEN PLAN ALREADY? YEAH, WE ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH, UM, WITH OUR ORGANIZATIONS, ESSENTIALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY THAT WE NEED.
UM, WE, WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION.
OUR SISTER ORGANIZATIONS, UH, SURVIVE TO THRIVE, WHICH IS, UH, AN ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES, UM, UM, SUPPORT FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS. AND, UH, ONE OF THE MAIN ISSUES THAT WE HAVE IN PUTTING, UH, UNHEALTH MEMBERS IN HOTELS, ESPECIALLY IN A CRISIS IS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ID.
AND THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE ID.
AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE WANTING TO DO IS WE DO WANT TO BUILD A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT ALLOWS, ALLOWS OUR, UH, ON HUB MEMBERS, A SPACE TO COME SO THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ADDRESS IN THIS, YOU KNOW, IN THIS STATE, IN THIS COUNTRY, YOU BASICALLY DON'T EXIST.
AND, YOU KNOW, VOTING ON PROPERTY WAS ESSENTIALLY VOTING AGAINST PEOPLE WHO CANNOT VOTE FOR THEMSELVES.
SO THAT IS ONE OF OUR PLANS IS TO PROVIDE A COMMUNITY CENTER AND ALSO TO HAVE CONTINUAL EMERGENCY FUNDS FOR WHEN WE DO NEED TO PUT PEOPLE IN HOTELS AGAIN, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN, THE GRID IS GOING TO GO DOWN.
UM, WE JUST, WE JUST ACCEPT EXPECTED TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
SO, UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS ONCE A MONTH, UM, TRYING TO DEVELOP HOW WE CAN DO THAT.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF FUNDS AND WE'RE KIND OF JUST LIKE, HOW CAN WE MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT WITH THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND SUPPORT ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 20, 30 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE, UH, THAT WE ARE OFFERING IS, UM, GRANTS, SMALL GRANTS FOR NEW ORGANIZATIONS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP, AND THAT WAS REALLY EVIDENT DURING THE FREEZE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP AND DON'T KNOW HOW SO BY PROVIDING THESE SMALL MICRO GRANTS OF UP TO $3,000, WE'VE SEEN NEW ORGANIZATIONS GROWING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSING, THE UNHOUSED PRACTICE IS NOT A NEW ONE.
PEOPLE ON THE STREETS, LIVING ON THE STREETS, IT'S NOT A NEW CRISIS.
IT'S REALLY BEEN ABOUT EVERY ONE OF THEM NEED AN ADVOCATE.
THEY NEED SOMEBODY WHO SAYS, HEY, I'M GOING TO HELP YOU GET YOUR BENEFITS.
CAUSE MOST OF THEM ARE ENTITLED TO BENEFITS.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
AND ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT I DO IS JUST HELP THEM USE MY ADDRESS.
LET ME COME OUT THERE WITH MY COMPUTER AND HELP YOU SIGN UP FOR YOUR BENEFITS.
SO THAT YOU'RE A PERSON USE MY ADDRESS.
YOU, YOU KNOW, IT LET'S, LET'S FIGURE OUT, WE HAVE TO GET YOU ID.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE SO MANY, SO MUCH OF THE BARRIERS WE REALLY NEED A COMMUNITY CENTER.
COMMUNITY FIRST HAS BEEN A GREAT, UM, EXAMPLE, BUT THERE ARE STILL MANY BARRIERS RIGHT NOW WE HAVE PEOPLE ON THEIR WAITING LIST AND THEY'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE SIX MONTHS OF INCOME IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO, INTO THIS CENTER.
SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A LONG-TERM A LONG-TERM PROGRAM, OR AT LEAST THE CITY HAS IT, AND NEITHER DOES THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT WE'D LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT SOLUTION.
WELL, WE DO, UM, IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH US, UM, THERE'S A COUPLE OF WAYS I'M THINKING, AND THEN I'LL ALLOW OTHER TASK FORCE MEMBERS TO, UM, TO WEIGH IN.
WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP WHERE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, BOILING DOWN THE INFORMATION THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE REPORT, UM, THAT I'M PREPARING.
SO, UM, YOU COULD CERTAINLY JOIN THAT WORKING GROUP AND OFFER UP WHATEVER AMA HAS.
UM, ALSO WE, ALL OF US, UM, YOU CAN EMAIL US OR CALL US AT ANY TIME AND WE CAN COORDINATE THAT WAY AS WELL.
WHAT WOULD WORK BEST FOR YOU? AND WOULD YOU BE THE CONTACT PERSON WITH AMA OR WOULD THERE BE OTHERS? BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP, WE CAN ONLY HAVE FIVE AND CURRENTLY OUR WORKING GROUP HAS THREE, SO WE COULD HAVE TWO MORE PEOPLE JOIN THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, I WOULD DEFINITELY BE ONE OF THEM AND I WOULD PROBABLY JUST INVITE SOMEONE FROM A SISTER ORGANIZATION, UM, TO,
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TO COME TO THE GROUP, MAYBE SURVIVE TO THRIVE, MIGHT BE A GOOD ONE OR, OR ONE OF THE MAIN GROUPS THAT PROVIDES CAMP SUPPORT.UM, THEY ARE REALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY HAVE AN INSIGHT INTO WHO AND WHAT IS NEEDED.
W OUR CURRENT BOARD IS MADE UP OF MEMBERS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY UNHOUSED, AND I HAVE FOUND THAT THE BEST ADVOCATES FOR UNHOUSED PEOPLE ARE UNHAPPY PREVIOUSLY ON HOW PEOPLE THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED.
AND, AND, UM, SASHA, I'M JUST, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OTHER TASK FORCE MEMBERS WEIGHING IN, SO I'M MAKING A RECOMMENDATION RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK IF YOU AND ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL FROM THE COMMUNITY WERE ABLE TO SIT IN ON THE WORKING GROUP, I MEAN, THEY COULD SHARE WITH YOU WHAT WE HAVE, AND THEN YOU COULD SEE WHERE THAT CROSSES OVER TO WHAT YOU WOULD RECOMMEND OR WHAT YOU'VE SEEN IN THE FIELD REAL TIME AND WHAT YOU COULD FURTHER OFFER, UM, TO THE REPORT.
SO LET ME AS I, MY TWO CO-CHAIRS OF THE WORKING GROUP, UM, CATHERINE AND JEFFREY, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND ALETHA AS WELL? THANK YOU.
AND PLEASE STAY ON SASHA, STAY ON.
THIS IS, UM, THIS IS TASK FORCE MEMBER CLEMENS.
UM, I DON'T OBVIOUSLY WANT TO SPEAK FOR THE OTHER CO-CHAIRS, BUT I THINK THEY WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE YOU IN THE WORKING GROUP, SASHA.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE, UH, THROUGH ALSO MUTUAL AID.
AND I THINK I AGREE THAT, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING FOR YOUR AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE BUILT INTO OUR PLAN, UM, AND INTO OUR REPORT.
SO I, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU AS PART OF THE WORKING GROUP AND JUSTICE TASK FORCE MEMBER CAN SOLACE.
I AM ALSO IN AGREEMENT THAT OKAY, UH, FUNDING FOR THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS, FUNDING, PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY KNOW HOW DO THE WORK HARD DOING THE WORK IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I WANT TO CALL OUR ATTENTION TO, AND TO ADVISE US AND MUTUAL AID, HAVING RECEIVED CITY FUNDING BEFORE THROUGH VARIOUS NONPROFITS, I'VE WORKED AT HOW CAN I SAY THIS IN A WAY THAT IS NOT GOING TO MAKE CHAIR DAVIS MAD AT ME? UM, AND I AGREE IT'S A GIANT PAIN.
SO AS WE LOOK AT WAYS TO ALLOCATE FUNDING, I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RED TAPE THAT IS INHERENT IN CITY FUNDING IS AS MINIMIZED AS POSSIBLE.
I WILL SAY IT HAS GOTTEN A LOT BETTER OVER THE LAST DECADE, BUT I, YOU ALL ARE DOING SUCH GREAT WORK, UH, UNENCUMBERED BY THE LEVEL OF REPORTING THAT THE CITY WOULD REQUIRE.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT TRAPPED IN AN ENDLESS CYCLE OF REPORTING AT THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT FUN.
AND I, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH TASKFORCE MEMBER GONZALEZ.
UM, THERE ARE CONSTRAINTS WITH RECEIVING GOVERNMENT FUNDS, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE AMAZING IF THE CITY FOUND A WAY TO HELP AMA AND OTHER SUCH ORGS, UM, GROW TO SCALE BECAUSE AUSTIN NEEDS THEM.
AND YOU'VE ALREADY SHOWN THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN YOUR SUCCESS.
THERE'S NO NEED TO RECREATE THE WHEEL.
YOU NEED TO BE SUPPORTED AND NOT ENCUMBERED.
AND I ACTUALLY THINK CATHERINE WAS, WAS MUCH MORE ELOQUENT ABOUT IT THAN I WOULD HAVE BEEN.
I'M A THIRD MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK YOU, UH, YOU MENTIONED, UM, OR ORGANIZATION, YOUR ORGANIZATION THAT DEALS WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD VERY MUCH FROM PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN IN THIS WHOLE THING, AND I WOULD, HOW MUCH YOU ENCOUNTERED FAMILIES AMONG LIAM UNHOUSED DURING THIS CRISIS OR IN ANY OTHER WAY, AND WHAT YOU THINK ARE, ARE THERE SOME SPECIFIC NEEDS THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD HAVE PERTAINED TO THEM TO PARTICULARLY WITH PEOPLE WITH YOUNG CHILDREN? YEAH.
I HAVE AN INBOX FULL OF, UM, I MEAN, JUST THIS MORNING, I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH, UM, WITH A WOMAN WITH, UH, THREE CHILDREN AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, SHE, SHE NEEDS DIRECT AID.
SHE'S LIKE, I NEED $600 TO MAKE RENT IN, IN WHATEVER.
I THINK IT'S IN SIX DAYS, RIGHT.
SHE WAS LIKE, I DON'T, I, I I'M WORKING AS MUCH AS I CAN, BUT I KNOW THAT I'M GOING TO BE SHORT $600.
UM, I HAVE ANOTHER FAMILY WHO IS AN UNDOCUMENTED FAMILY, UM, WHO, WHO IS LIVING IN A TENT WITH, WITH A SIX YEAR OLD CHILD.
NOW HER CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, IF SHE GOES AND, AND APPLY FOR BENEFITS, ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE THE ISSUE.
UM, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT CONSIDERED BASED LIVING SITUATION
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FOR A CHILD.SO, UM, I DO THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY CENTER WHERE WE PROVIDE ADDRESSES SO THAT THESE PEOPLE CAN BEGIN TO RECEIVE THE BENEFITS THAT THEY ALREADY ARE ENTITLED TO SO MANY OF OUR CLIENTS WHILE WELL, WE HAD THEM HOUSED IN THOSE HOTELS FOR ONE WEEK.
WE, UM, EXTENDED THAT STAY FOR AN ENTIRE NOTHER WEEK BECAUSE THE FREEZE WAS LONGER THAN A WEEK, SEND THE STATE TO TWO WEEKS SO THAT WE COULD CONTINUE THEM ADVOCACY.
UM, BECAUSE THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT REALLY NEED.
THEY NEED SOMEBODY TO GO, LET ME HELP YOU GET YOUR BENEFITS.
LET'S SEE WHAT YOU QUALIFY FOR FOOD STAMPS CARD SO THAT THEY CAN GO GET FOOD STAMPS.
UM, THAT IS THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ALSO.
THERE'S JUST LIKE WE DO HAVE, UM, WE DO HAVE A LIST OF, UH, HOUSING THAT DOES ACCEPT PEOPLE WITHOUT HEAVY BARRIERS.
RIGHT? LOOK, YOU HAVE TO PROVE SIX MONTHS OF INCOME.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE ALSO DOING IS WE ARE HIRING THESE UNHOUSED FOLKS TO WORK FOR US.
UM, WE ARE HIRING PEOPLE WHO THEY NEED MONEY, THEY NEED JOBS.
AND RATHER THAN HIRING, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WITH A DEGREE AND QUALIFICATIONS AND SOCIAL WORK, WE'RE HIRING PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS WHO ACTUALLY DO KNOW.
AND ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, JESSICA NARREN, UM, IT PROBABLY WHO I'LL INVITE TO THE, TO BE PART OF THIS GROUP.
SHE, SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED.
I WOULD ASK FOR EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED.
AND I WAS GIVEN STOCK AND, AND CANNED SOUP, YOU KNOW, AND, AND SHE WAS LIKE, I WAS GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT I DIDN'T NEED.
AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I FOUND YOUR GROUP, OUR FACEBOOK GROUP, WHEN I WAS ABLE TO ASK FOR EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED AND THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS STEPPED UP AND GAVE HER EXACTLY WHAT SHE NEEDED.
SO REALLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS REALLY BEEN HELPFUL IS LIKE FIRST AND LAST MONTH RENT, YOU KNOW, FIRST ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN OFFERING IS THE FIRST THREE MONTHS RENT PAID, YOU KNOW, GIVING THEM JUST THE STEP THAT THEY NEED TO GET STARTED.
ABLE-BODIED PEOPLE WANT TO WORK.
ABLE-BODIED PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN WANT TO WORK.
UM, BUT THEY NEED, THEY HAVE EVEN FURTHER MORE, UM, BARRIERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO FIND CHILDCARE.
UM, SO, SO YEAH, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS JUST KIND OF GIVING THEM THIS LIKE HADE INTO, AND IT'S NOT THAT MUCH, LIKE FOR ONE PERSON RECENTLY SHE NEEDED, SHE NEEDED TO GET OUT OF THE, SHE WAS A DOMESTIC, DOMESTIC ABUSE SURVIVOR.
SHE HAD A JOB AS SHE QUALIFIED FOR AN APARTMENT, BUT SHE, IN ORDER TO SELL APARTMENTS, SHE HAD TO GET OUT OF THE LEASE WITH HER ABUSER, 1500 BUCKS.
WE JUST GAVE HER THE 1500 BUCKS TO PAY THAT.
SO REALLY IT'S ABOUT REMOVING THE BARRIERS AND THE RED TAPE.
I HEAR YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, CALLING IT THAT, UM, IN ORDER TO HELP THESE PEOPLE, BECAUSE MOST OF THEM KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED.
I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU, SASHA.
AND I THINK STUDIES ARE STARTING TO PROVE THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN NEED KNOW, IF YOU JUST GIVE THEM THE MONEY, THEY IT'S SHOWING THAT, UM, THEY, THEY PROSPER DURING A BETTER POSITION, SIX MONTHS LATER THAN WHERE THEY WERE VERSUS YOU TRYING TO OVERLY REGULATE WHAT THEY DO WITH WHAT THEY'RE TELLING YOU, THEY NEED.
UM, SO I, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU, UM, TOTALLY RESONATING WITH ME, OUR, UM, WORKING GROUP, UM, JEFFREY OR KATHERINE OR LISA, WHEN IS OUR NEXT WORKING GROUP SESSIONS SCHEDULED.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ONE AT THIS POINT.
SO, UM, I THINK WE'RE SORT OF WAITING FOR INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT WHAT YOU'D LIKE BREASTS TO DO NEXT.
UM, SO I CAN SPEAK TO THE DOCUMENT YOU SENT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY DEEP QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, I THINK FOR THE NEXT MEETING, CONTINUE TO, I MEAN, WE NEED TO BOIL DOWN WHAT WE HEARD IN OUR MOST RECENT LISTENING SESSION.
AND THEN I THINK INCORPORATE WHAT AMA HAS AND THEN ANYTHING ELSE YOU ALL THINK IS NECESSARY OF COURSE.
BUT, UM, SASHA, PATRICIA, HAS YOUR CONTACT INFO, IS THAT CORRECT? IF PATRICIA AND JEFFREY BOTH HAVE.
I WAS JUST THANKING JEFFREY FOR REACHING OUT TO US.
I REALLY APPRECIATE BEING INCLUDED IN THE CONVERSATION.
SO OUR WORKING GROUP WILL, UM, REACH OUT TO YOU WITH THE NEXT MEETING AND DETAILS AND HOW YOU CAN JOIN THEM.
IS THAT, DOES THAT WORK FOR THE WORKING GROUPS? YEAH.
JEFFREY, DO YOU WANT TO, DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT OR TAKE POINT ON THAT JEFFERY? YEAH, I CAN GET IT ALL TOGETHER FOR US.
I'LL SEND OUT AN EMAIL AND I WILL, UM, I'VE BEEN FAST AND FURIOUS IN REVIEWING INFORMATION, BUT, UM, I WILL, I CAN BE VERY TECHNICAL AND I'M TRYING NOT TO BE OVERLY TECHNICAL,
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BUT I CAN EMAIL SOME QUESTIONS TO THE WORKING GROUP REGARDING THE DOCUMENT ALETHA SENT.I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO OVERBURDEN YOU.
SO IS, IS THAT SORT OF FORMAT HELPFUL TO YOU THOUGH? JUST TO KIND OF FORMAT? OKAY.
SO REALLY JUST EXPAND WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY BOILED DOWN THE INFO, I THINK WE ALL TOOK NOTES AT WEDNESDAY SESSION, BUT YOU WANT TO GET DOWN.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR US SASHA, BEFORE YOU WAIT FOR JEFFREY TO REACH OUT TO YOU? UM, THE ONLY THAT'S COMING UP FOR ME RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CRISIS AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HAVE FUNDING RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE LOOKING AT GOING THROUGH THAT PRETTY QUICKLY, UM, OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, AND I KNOW THAT THIS DOESN'T EXACTLY INVOLVE, I DON'T KNOW ACTUALLY THAT IT EXACTLY INVOLVES YOU, BUT, UM, HOW WE CAN, UH, AT LEAST FIND SAFE PLACES FOR FOLKS TO CAMP.
BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, RIGHT, WRITING CITATIONS DOESN'T WORK.
SO, UM, SOME SORT OF COLLECTIVE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHILE A WEBSITE F CAMPUS BRONZER IS AN ALTERNATIVE, THERE ARE PEOPLE, THERE ARE UNHEALTHY PEOPLE WHO DON'T FEEL SAFE THERE.
THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE THERE BECAUSE OF THE POLICE PRESENCE.
UM, THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE THERE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE BARRIERS.
SO JUST HAVING SOME TYPE OF, UM, SOME TYPE OF SAFE PLACES, SOME TYPE OF SANCTUARY FOR PEOPLE TO GO, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND, WE HAVE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND THAT ARE WILLING TO SUPPORT THEM.
THEY'RE WILLING TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM, BUT WE NEED SUPPORT FROM THE CITY TO PROVIDE US WITH LITERALLY SPACES LIKE CAMP CRAP.
CAMPGROUNDS ARE GREAT, YOU KNOW, UM, WE, WE, WE COULD USE CAMPGROUNDS AND PUBLIC LAND SOMEWHERE.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT, A COMMUNITY CENTER.
IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ADD TO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LIST OF, OF THINGS THAT WE, THAT WOULD REALLY SUPPORT US IN DOING THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S REALLY CLEAR.
LIKE WE, WE, WE ARE, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CRISIS.
LIKE I'M, AFTER I GET OFF THE PHONE, I'M GOING TO GO AND HELP, YOU KNOW, HELP PEOPLE MOVE THEIR TENTS.
UM, I'M WORKING WITH PEOPLE EVERY DAY.
I'M TRYING TO GET THEM INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.
SO YEAH, JUST, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING IS KIND OF SLOW ON, ON YOUR END, BUT, UM, THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS RIGHT NOW.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO ALSO BE ABLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE AND BEING LIKE, YEAH, LET'S SPEND OUR MONEY THAT WE HAVE, RIGHT.
WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, BUT ALSO KNOW THAT US, SOMETHING IS GOING TO COME TO, TO RE TO, TO AFTER THAT, SO THAT YOU KNOW, THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.
WE DON'T HAVE CONTINUING NO, THAT, THAT, THAT MAKES TOTAL SENSE.
SASHA, AND I DON'T WANT TO OVERBURDEN YOU, BUT IF I COULD MAKE TWO ASKS, IF AS POSSIBLE ONE, THE BILL YOU HAVE FOR, I KNOW YOU STATED A NUMBER FOR WHAT IT COSTS AMA, UM, WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM, UM, FUNDING RELEASED BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, IF YOU WOULD PROVIDE THAT DOCUMENTATION IN A FORMAT THAT AMA IS COMFORTABLE, I WOULD LOVE TO ATTACH THAT TO OUR REPORT BECAUSE I THINK, UM, THAT SURELY, AND I BELIEVE THE CITY EVEN HAS AN EMERGENCY STRIKE FUND.
UM, THAT WOULD BE A REASON TO BREAK INTO IT, TO COMPENSATE YOUR ORGANIZATION AND OTHERS.
UM, ESPECIALLY SINCE I KNOW AMA HAD VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE 20 YEARS OLD USING CREDIT CARDS OR CALLING FAMILY MEMBERS TO USE CREDIT CARDS TO TRY TO HOUSE INDIVIDUALS, SO THEY WOULDN'T FREEZE TO DEATH.
UM, SO THAT I THINK WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF AMA IS COMFORTABLE DOING THAT.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY SENT THAT TO, TO THE CITY MANAGER, UM, OR CITY COUNCIL.
AND THEN THE, UH, SECOND THING I WANTED TO SAY IS I'M THE CHAIR OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FOR THE CITY.
WE ARE MEETING FIVE 30, UM, ON MONDAY.
AND I'D LOVE YOU TO COME IN FOR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.
I, AGAIN, I CAN GIVE YOU A FEW MORE MINUTES, A LATITUDE TO SPEAK THERE, JUST TO, UH, TALK MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE INVOLVED WITH INDIVIDUALS HAVING ADEQUATE HOUSING IN THE EMERGENCY SITUATION WITH UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS.
SO YOU WERE REPRESENTATIVE COULD COME.
I CAN SEND YOU THE INFORMATION TO, UH, HOW TO GET SIGNED UP FOR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, UM, BEFORE THE DEADLINE FOR THAT MEETING ON MONDAY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND IF SASHA, IF YOU HAVE TIME, DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I HAVE FINE.
SO JEFFREY'S GOING TO REACH OUT TO YOU WITH THE NEXT WORKING GROUP MEETING, UM, DATES AND TIMES PROPOSED, UM, THE COORDINATES.
YOU CAN JOIN THE WORKING GROUP AND THEN ANY DOCUMENTATION YOU WANT TO SEND US OTHERWISE, UM, YOU CAN SEND IT TO PATRICIA AND SHE WILL, SHE WILL MAKE SURE WE RECEIVE IT.
I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THE CALCULATIONS IN THE BILL TO ATTACH TO OUR REPORT BECAUSE THE CITY SHOULD HELP YOU AND OTHER ORGS
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IN SOME WAY FINANCIALLY.THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AS A CORE TO IT.
UM, AND WHO WAS GOING TO BE REACHING OUT FOR ME ABOUT MONDAY? SHOULD I REACH OUT TO ANYBODY I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO, IT MAY COME FROM PATRICIA, BUT IT WILL BE THE DETAILS.
IT WOULD MAKE THEM FROM PATRICIA OR MY LIAISON FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
HIS NAME IS JONATHAN BABIAK AND IT WILL BE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO REACH OUT TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO SIGN UP FOR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEETING MONDAY AT 5:30 PM.
DID WE HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
SO, UM, ITEM ONE APPROVAL OF MINUTES, JUNE 4TH, JUNE 11TH AND JUNE 23RD, 2021.
HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THEM? OKAY.
I HAVE, I CAN SEE HEADS NODDING.
SO I MOTION THAT WE ADOPT OUR MEETING MINUTES FROM JUNE, 2021.
DO YOU KNOW, 11 20, 21 AND JUNE 23RD, 2021 FOR THE WINTER STORM REVIEW TASK FORCE.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? THANK YOU.
AND YOU WANT TO POSED ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
I BELIEVE THAT'S UNANIMOUS PATRICIA, ANYONE ABSTAINING? OKAY.
ITEM TWO OLD BUSINESS, DISCUSS LISTENING SESSION INPUT, SPONSORED BY, UH, ELISA HOUSTON AND JEFFREY CLEMENS.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING TO OFFER BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD WEDNESDAY NIGHT? I DO.
UM, DID EVERYBODY GET THAT, UH, THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE REPORT FROM PATRICIA YESTERDAY? UM, DON'T SHARE IT PLEASE.
UM, IT'S A DRAFT, DEFINITELY A DRAFT, BUT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THEIR REPORT.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, FOR THE WORKING GROUP, IT'D BE GREAT TO BOIL DOWN A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT IS IN THERE.
UM, AND WHENEVER Y'ALL MEET AGAIN, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A MORE SUSTAINABLE DRAFT THAT Y'ALL CAN LOOK AT, BUT, UM, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY'S RESPONSE TO DISASTER IS GUIDED BY THE COUNTY'S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BASIC PLAN, THE TRAVIS COUNTY HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN.
AND IN AUSTIN'S CASE, OUR STUDENTS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS, BASIC PLAN AND CITY OF AUSTIN'S HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, UM, FOR THEIR GUIDANCE IS GIVEN BY THE ANNEXES ANNEXES AND STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY, RESPONSIBLE, UM, TIP ONES FOR THESE ANNEXES CAN BE FOUND ON THE TRAVIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WEBSITE.
IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THAT, BUT, UH, REVIEWING THESE DOCUMENTS, UM, FROM AN EQUITY LENS, ELIMINATES A CLEAR LACK OF INCLUSION OF THE EASTERN CRESCENT AND EMERGENCY PLANS.
UM, IN CONTRAST TO THE GUIDANCE OFFERED BY FEMA AND CDC ON ADDRESSING VULNERABILITY, VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES DURING DISASTER RESPONSE, NEITHER THE TRAVIS COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN, NOR THE TRAVIS COUNTY 2017 HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, NOR THE AUSTIN BASIC PLAN MAKES SIGNIFICANT MENTION OF STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS AT-RISK POPULATIONS, NOR DO THEY INCLUDE ANY OF THE COMMUNITY LED ORGANIZATIONS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT, INCLUDING THOSE THAT PARTICIPATED WITH A CRT.
UM, AND I CAN NAME THOSE, BUT I CAN LOOK AT THEM WITHIN THE REPORT TO, UM, TO EVALUATE THIS.
WE CAN, UH, WE CAN HAVE A NUMBER OF MENTIONS OF EACH OF THE 12 PRIORITY POPULATIONS SUGGESTED BY FEMA AS WELL AS SEVERAL OF THE OTHER POPULATIONS AND KNOWN TO BE AT RISK IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
IT DETAILED CHART CAN BE FOUND IN ONE OF THE APPENDIXES IN THE BACK OF THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU RECEIVED.
SO, UM, NONE OF THE THREE DOCUMENTS MADE ANY MENTION OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, PEOPLE OF COLOR, LGBTQ SERVICE WORKERS, MIGRANT LABORERS, UNDOCUMENTED COMMUNITIES, RENTERS, UM, OR PEOPLE IDENTIFY AS BLACK OR HISPANIC SLASH LEFT BY THE NEXT, UM, PEOPLE WITH LIMITED COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL ABILITIES WERE REFERENCED THREE TIMES IN THE AUSTIN PLAN AND ONCE, AND THEN MITIGATED SOME MITIGATION PLAN.
THE AUSTIN BASIC PLAN DID MAKE ONE
[00:30:01]
MENTION OF TRIBAL AND FIRST NATION COMMUNITIES.AND ONE MENTION OF, UH, LIMITED ENGLISH SPEAKING COMMUNITIES.
UM, LET'S SEE, MENTION OF INSTITUTIONALIZED COMMUNITIES WAS LISTED TOO LIMITED TO THE SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES AND MILITARY INSTITUTIONS FELT LEFT OUT PRISONS.
PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WERE ONLY MENTIONED IN THE CONTEXT OF EXTREME HEAT.
MOBILE HOME COMMUNITIES WERE MENTIONED IN THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, BUT ONLY IN THE CONTEXT OF TORNADOES, UH, UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES WERE MENTIONED IN THE CONTEXT OF HIGH VULNERABLE, HIGH VULNERABILITY, FUEL REDUCTION AND FLOOD MITIGATION, BUT NOT IN THE CONTEXT OF BEING IN FOOD HEALTH AND TRANSPORTATION DESERTS, UM, OR HAVING NO INFRASTRUCTURE OR POOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, THE ELDERLY AND INFANTS WERE MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES IN REFERENCE TO VULNERABLE POPULATIONS MENTIONED A VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES WAS MADE 70 TIMES IN THE HAZARD MITIGATION DOCUMENT.
HOWEVER, THE MENTION REFERRED TO NUMBERS OF, UH, ELDERLY AND LOW INCOME AND BROAD AREAS.
AND IN GENERAL TERMS SUCH AS STRUCTURAL GEOGRAPHIC AND CLIMATE VULNERABILITY, RATHER THAN IN CONTEXT OF POPULATION AND PRE-EXISTING VULNERABILITIES WHEN POPULATIONS ARE MENTIONED, IT IS NO SPECIFIC, NO SPECIFIC CITY OF IMPACT.
VERY FEW ACTIONS WERE MENTIONED, UH, TO ADDRESS ANYTHING RELATED TO VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
UM, I CAN CONTINUE FOR A LONG TIME, UM, BUT PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT ALSO, UM, LIKE WHO WROTE THE TRAVIS COUNTY HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN AND THE AUSTIN HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN WAS WRITTEN BY H2O PARTNERS LOCATED AT THE BEET CAVES NEAR THE ONE WORLD THEATER, UM, WEST THAT'S A WEST AUSTIN BASED CONSULTING FIRM, UM, THAT THEY'VE LIKE ON THEIR WEBSITE.
IT SAYS WE HAVE CREATED MITIGATION PLANS FOR OVER 950 JURISDICTIONS.
AND WE ARE THE FIRST TO CREATE EIGHT MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL PLAN, UH, UPDATE APPROVED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND THEN AT FURTHER BOASTS 100% SUCCESS RATE FOR FUNERAL RE APPROVAL AT WHICH WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS PLAN, IT'S AT IT, THAT GOES BACK TO THE STATEMENT THAT I'VE MADE BEFORE.
IT'S NOT EQUITABLE AT ALL, AND THEY'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO ANY POPULATIONS THAT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY PAY ATTENTION TO.
ALSO I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, ADR N WHICH IS AWESOME DISASTER RELIEF NETWORK, UM, WHICH IS A NETWORK OF A HUNDRED LIKE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES.
UM, THEY FIELD CALLS FROM 2 1, 1 AND 3, 1, 1.
AND SO THAT'S PROBLEMATIC RIGHT THERE, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY TRAINED ALSO.
THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO SPEAK TO CERTAIN POPULATIONS AND ALL OF THAT AS WELL.
THEY'RE ALSO AN IC WITH RESPECT TO THE ORGANIZATION.
THEY'RE VERY CLOSED TO OTHERS AND IDEAS, AND, UM, IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO IMPROVE A SYSTEM THAT ISN'T THE BEST.
AND I SAY THIS COMING AWAY FROM TWO MEETINGS FROM THEM, WITH THEM WHERE I JOINED A FEW MONTHS AGO WHERE THEY THEY'RE, THEY'RE WONDERFUL, BUT, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S A PROBLEM THERE IN MY OPINION.
AND SO, UM, I KNOW PATRICIA IS TAKING NOTES AS WELL.
UM, IF, UH, THE CRT ROUGH DRAFT, WHICH NO ONE WAS RELEASING TOO TO ANYONE ELSE THAT WILL REMAIN AMONG US, UM, THE WORKING GROUP WILL GO THROUGH THE REPORTS AND PULL OUT WHAT COULD BE USEFUL TO US FOR OUR, UH, THE PURPOSES OF, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION WE'RE GOING TO BE PRESENTING TO CITY COUNCIL.
IS THAT OKAY WITH THE WORKING GROUP? AND THEN OUT THOUGH, WE, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FIVE MEMBERS OF OUR WORKING GROUP.
IT IS FINE TO REACH OUT TO MERRIAM AS A, AS A RESOURCE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING OR, OR YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION THAT WOULD NOT MAKE YOU A MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP, THEN WE PATIENTS, WE HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE BACK TOO.
UM, DID YOU SAY MIRIAM THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE REVISION OF THIS AND SHOULD WE LOOK FOR
[00:35:01]
SOMETHING MORE? SO WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT.UM, RIGHT NOW USE THIS, BUT AS SOON AS WE COULD OTHER DRAFTS DONE, BECAUSE WE'RE LIKE, WE'RE COLLECTING COMMUNITY STORIES, WE'RE GOING DEEP.
UM, AND SO THE FINAL WE HOPE TO HAVE DONE BEFORE Y'ALL MEET NEXT, WHICH LET ME KNOW WHEN THAT IS.
UM, BUT JUST IN CASE WE DON'T, WE'LL SEND YOU OFF TRACK AS SOON AS WE GO.
THE OTHER QUESTION, AND THIS IS A QUESTION FOR PATRICIA, UH, SARITA.
I UNDERSTOOD THAT WORKING GROUPS CAN HAVE NON-COMMISSIONED MEMBERS THAT DON'T COUNT AS PART OF, IS THAT CORRECT? UM, IN TERMS OF WHENEVER I'VE HAD WORK IN GROUPS WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, IT WAS, THE LIMIT WAS WHETHER THEY'RE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OR NOT NOW A COMMUNITY MEMBER GIVING YOU A PRESENTATION OR PROVIDING INFORMATION IS NOT TECHNICALLY A MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP.
THAT'S WHY I SAID, IF YOU'RE REACHING OUT TO SOMEONE FOR INFO, BUT THEM SITTING IN ON A WORKING GROUP SESSION, I BELIEVE WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC IN TERMS OF THE FIVE THAT CAN BE THERE.
BUT ONE OF YOU CONVERSING REGULARLY WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS INFORMATION THAT THE WORKING GROUP WANTS TO WHITTLE DOWN, OR THAT PERSON APPEARING TO PRESENT TO THE WORKING GROUP.
THAT'S NOT A MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP AND THAT'S FINE.
BECAUSE THE EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL HAS A LOT OF WORKING GROUPS THAT HAVE NON COMMISSION MEMBERS ON THEM AND DON'T COUNT AS PART OF FOUR OF VIOLATING THE FORUM.
SO, AND APPARENTLY THAT'S BEEN LEGAL.
YES, I EAT MY, WE HAD A SENIOR LIAISON, UM, THAT, UM, WAS SECOND IN COMMAND, I BELIEVE WITH THE CITY'S HR.
AND THAT'S NOT HOW THEY BOILED IT DOWN TO US, BUT I WOULD SAY TO THAT A LITTLE BIT, WHATEVER HAS BEEN WORKING AND NO ONE HAS BOTHERED YOU ABOUT DO THAT SOUNDED GOOD TO ME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MARIANNE FOR THAT.
SO, RITA, MAY I ASK MARY ON THE QUESTION PLEASE? OH, OF COURSE.
EVERYONE, PLEASE CONTINUE DISCUSSION.
SO THIS IS SALLY VANSICKLE COMMISSION ON SENIORS.
UM, WE ARE DRAFTED A RESOLUTION REGARDING EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, AND I READ A CHUNK OF THE REPORT AND THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION IN THERE AND I DON'T WANT TO SHARE IT, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE THAT I CAN USE IDEAS FROM THAT WITHIN OUR OWN RESOLUTION? DO YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THAT? YEAH, JUST SITE, I GUESS, JUST CITE THE REPORT SO THAT WAY, WELL, IT WILL PUT THE REPORT ONLINE SO THAT WAY PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT IT.
SO WHAT WE CAN LINK TO IT AND YEAH.
SO PEOPLE CAN GET THE FULL THING.
AND I'M JUST GOING TO SECOND, WHAT ALETHA SAID.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF WORKING GROUPS ON THE COMMISSION WITH A LOT OF EXTERNAL PARTNERS AND NO ONE HAS EVER GIVEN US A HARD TIME ABOUT HOW MANY, SO THAT'S INTERESTING, SALLY, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK I'M ONE OF, TWO OF ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE.
EVERYONE ELSE HAS BEEN TOLD NO FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
SO IT'S INTERESTING HOW THESE THINGS WORK OUT, BUT YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
THEN THE MORE, THE MERRIER ALETHA SOUNDS GREAT.
I'LL HAVE TO RELAY THAT TO SASHA, MIRIAM.
I HAD A QUESTION, UM, IT'S NOT RELATED TO OUR TASK FORCE MEETING, BUT AS IS THE, UH, COMMUNITY RESILIENCE TRUST, STILL GOING TO CALL ON ME TO REVIEW BEFORE THE FINAL REPORT IS RELEASED, JUST SO I KNOW.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TO PUT, WE WERE ALSO STARTING TO THINK ABOUT THE HEAT AND THE HEAT WAVE AND CREATING A PLAN FOR THAT TOO.
UM, CAUSE WE HAVE TO, AND THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, LIKE I JUST TALKED TO GOLFER, GOLFERS ORGANIZING.
SO I THINK THAT IN THE REPORT WE SHOULD, SOMEHOW IF WE HAVE TIME PLANNED SOMETHING, UM, THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE HEAT WAVE AND PUT SOMETHING IN THERE THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE HEAT WAVE AND THE PREPARATION, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
I MEAN, I JUST FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THINGS WE'RE GOING TO, A LOT OF SOLUTIONS WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH ARE GOING TO APPLY IT TO MULTIPLE DISASTERS.
AND SO I THINK THAT THERE'S DEFINITELY A WAY TO INCORPORATE THAT AND MAKE THAT PRESENT IN THE REPORT.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IN THE WORKING GROUP AS WELL.
ANYONE ELSE, WHILE WE'RE IN DISCUSSION, FLORA'S OPEN TO EVERYONE.
I'M FEELING THAT WE ARE ALMOST TOO EFFICIENT.
SO YOU STAFF, WOULD YOU JUST PLAY OUR AGENDA AGAIN PLEASE? AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE EVERYONE AWARE.
UM, MY, UH, CITY EMAIL ACCESS WAS REVOKED.
[00:40:01]
THAT'S LITERALLY WHAT THE EMAIL SAYS.SO, UM, SOMEONE, UH, WITH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND, AND PATRICIA, UM, ARE HELPING ME RESOLVE THAT SITUATION.
SO IF YOU NEED TO REACH ME PLEASE, UM, UH, REACH OUT TO, UH, TO ME VIA TEXT VIA CELL OR, UM, MY EMAIL ADDRESS, UM, THREE TODAVIS@GMAIL.COM.
AND, UM, SO, UH, PERHAPS I SAID SOMETHING TO A CERVIC AND, AND I'VE BEEN, UH, DENIED ACCESS FOR A MOMENT.
SO WE HAD DISCUSSED OUR LISTENING.
DO WE HAVE ANY THINGS SPECIFIC TO OUR MOST RECENT LIZ LISTENING SESSION THAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT? WE, WE SEE THAT OUR WORKING GROUP IS GOING TO, UH, CONVENE TO GO OVER THEIR NOTES AND PLEASE SEND YOUR NOTES TO PATRICIA TO SEND TO THEM FROM THAT MEETING.
UH, THE WORKING GROUP WILL BE GOING THROUGH THE CRT ROUGH DRAFT THAT WE RECEIVED, UM, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN INCORPORATE INTO OUR REPORT.
AND JEFFREY WILL BE REACHING OUT TO SASHA WITH AMA TO SEE WHAT OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS WANT TO JOIN OUR WORKING GROUP, UM, AT THEIR NEXT SESSION TO PROVIDE INPUT.
THAT WOULD BE USEFUL TO US DEPENDING ON KEN.
OOPS, WELL, UH, DEPENDING ON, UH, WHEN, UH, I MIGHT WANT TO JOIN DEPENDING ON HOW MANY OTHER MEETINGS THE WORKING GROUP HAS, I MIGHT WANT TO JOIN IT.
I MEAN, JUST WITH THE CRT, UM, UH, ROUGH DRAFT ALONE, THE WORKING GROUP MAY NEED A COUPLE OF, I WOULD IMAGINE SESSIONS UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO DO AN ALL DAY RETREAT.
UM, BUT IT'LL, IT'S DEFINITELY TO BE A TASK TOO, DIG THROUGH EVERYTHING.
UM, NOT THAT IT'S ALL APPRECIATED.
UM, THIS WAS SOMETHING I KIND OF WANTED TO ASK, UH, CECIL YESTERDAY FROM THE BELCO DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN AN APARTMENT MOVING APARTMENTS AND, UM, AS MANY OF US ARE, I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW MANY OF THESE REPAIRS AND THINGS LIKE THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED ON TO RENTERS, UM, AND WHAT IMPACT THAT'S GOING TO HAVE.
UM, AS WE GET CLOSER TO, YOU KNOW, UM, EVICTION MORATORIUMS ENDING, UM, AND PEOPLE HAVING TO PAY INCREASED FINES AND FEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, OR APARTMENT COMPLEX IS STILL NOT TAKING CARE OF THOSE THINGS TODAY.
UM, I'VE HEARD SO MANY HORROR STORIES FROM PEOPLE ABOUT, AND WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ENDURING MOLD, UM, OR COMPLEXES THAT JUST HAVEN'T BEEN RESPONSIVE.
UM, I HAVE A FRIEND WHO HAD TO GO THROUGH SOME EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THEIR APARTMENT COMPLEX.
THEY EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM IN THEIR APARTMENT.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW, UM, WHAT THE ENDURING FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THIS STORM IS JUST FOR THOSE RENTERS AND PEOPLE WHO, UM, ARE NOT HOMEOWNERS.
UM, BUT WE'LL STILL HAVE TO BEAR THE BRUNT OF, UM, THESE COSTS.
UM, SO, BUT THAT, THAT MAY BE JUST SOMETHING TO REACH OUT FOR DIESEL FOR.
AND, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE HAS PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.
I THINK CECIL, AND, AND TO THAT NOTE, JEFFREY, DO WE ALL WANT TO TALK ABOUT, WHO'S GOING TO REACH OUT TO, UM, THE VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS, UM, WHO CALLED IN, WHO DEFINITELY HAD SOME EXPERTISE, SOME EXPERT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO SHARE IN PARTICULAR WITH REGARD TO, UM, THE LOW HANGING FRUIT TECHNOLOGY.
THE GENTLEMAN THAT TALKED ABOUT THAT, THAT, THAT INDICATED, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING REGARDLESS OF WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE GRID TO, TO AVOID THE CATASTROPHE THAT WE ALL WITNESSED.
SO, UM, WHO WOULD LIKE TO DO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO REACH OUT TO CECIL JEFFREY? DO YOU HAVE THE BANDWIDTH YOU'RE ALREADY DOING A LOT? OH YEAH.
I DON'T MIND, UM, BEING KIND OF THE OUTREACH PERSON FOR THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, IF YOU ALL WANT TO SUBMIT LIKE YOUR QUESTIONS TO ME THAT YOU HAVE FOR THEM, I CAN COMMUNICATE THOSE TO THOSE FOLKS.
I'LL JUST NEED THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO I THINK PATRICIA SENT US THE CONTACT INFO FOR A COUPLE OF PEOPLE RIGHT AFTER THE LAST MEETING, BUT WOULD YOU SEND US THE CONSENT, UH, US AND JEFFREY, PATRICIA, THE CONTACT INFO FOR ALL THE SPEAKERS, UM, ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, I THINK THAT'S EASIEST FOR YOU RATHER THAN PULLING OUT TWO OR THREE, THAT WAY HE HAS THAT.
UM, AND WE KNOW WHO WE WANT TO REACH OUT TO FOR WHAT, AND WE CAN SEND JEFFREY OUR QUESTIONS.
AND THAT, UM, BROUGHT ME TO THE NEXT THING ORGANICALLY.
UM, AND THINGS ARE RUNNING VERY SMOOTHLY.
UH, I, THE INDIVIDUALS, SOME OF THEM WHO SPOKE, UM, ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR DIRECTION TO THE WORKING GROUP, I WOULD LIKE, UM, I'M SORRY, I'M FORGETTING THE GENTLEMAN'S NAME.
THAT WAS, UH, AND HE WORKS IN THE ENERGY FIELD AND SECTOR.
UM, I DEFINITELY WANT TO GET ANYTHING, ANY WRITTEN INPUT HE WANTED TO GIVE US.
AND I THINK ELISA ASKED HIM SPECIFICALLY IF HE COULD PROVIDE IT.
AND HE SAID THAT HE COULD, SO I DEFINITELY WANT THAT REVIEWED AND BOILED DOWN TO WHATEVER IT COULD BE.
UM, AND NOW IN THE WORKING GROUP, UH, SO THEY AREN'T OVERLY OVERWHELMED.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP FOR ALL OF US TO RECEIVE SOMETHING IN WRITING.
WE CAN ALL TAKE A LOOK AND PROVIDE NOTES AND INFORMATION.
SO TO GET BACK TO ME, BUT IF THE WORKING GROUP HAS CAPACITY, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, TWO QUICK THINGS TO RITA, UM, THE GUY'S
[00:45:01]
NAME, MIKE BATES, WHO TALKED ABOUT THAT.UM, ALSO I THINK IT HELPS WITH THE GROUP, IF MAYBE WE DIVIDE UP THE TASK OR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT INDIVIDUALLY CAN DO SOME SUMMARIZING BECAUSE SITTING IN A LARGE COMMITTEE TRYING TO DO THAT, ISN'T VERY EFFICIENT AND THEN BRING SOMETHING TO THE GROUP TO TALK ABOUT.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE WAY WE WILL WORK.
AND I WILL REACH OUT TO MIKE DIRECTLY.
I ACTUALLY KNOW THE PERSON WHO LED THAT CON STREET PROJECT THAT HE REFERENCED IN 2007.
SO I'M ALSO ATTEMPTING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM, UM, TO SEE WHAT THE OUTCOMES OF THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT WERE.
AND ONE, IF IT'S STILL ACTIVE, I MEAN, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE REMOVED ALL OF THAT TECHNOLOGY FROM DOWNTOWN.
UM, MAYBE THAT'S WHY ALL THE POWER STAYED ON DOWNTOWN, WHO KNOWS.
UM, BUT I'LL REACH OUT TO HIM AND SEE WHAT HIS INPUT IS AS WELL.
AND THEN I, DID WE EVER HEAR FROM AUSTIN TENANT'S COUNCIL? OKAY.
UM, I DON'T RECALL THEM SIGNING UP OR A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THEM SIGNING UP.
I WILL TAKE ON REACHING OUT TO THEM AS WELL.
THANK YOU, JEFFREY, FOR BRINGING UP THE ISSUES THAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING, EVEN HAVING APARTMENT COMPLEXES, ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE'S BEEN DAMAGE DONE.
SO, UM, WHAT AUSTIN TENDONS, CONSTABLE SAY, CATHERINE, IF YOU'LL JUST INCLUDE ME ON THE COMMUNICATION, I'D BE REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT DISCUSSION AS WELL.
AND SO, UH, FOR THE PURPOSES OF JUST RECORD KEEPING WHAT EVERYONE WHO'S GOING TO PERFORM PARTICULAR OUTREACH, LIKE TO JUST EMAIL THAT TO PATRICIA.
SO SHE SENDS IT TO EVERYONE ELSE, OR PATRICIA, WOULD YOU PREFER WITH YOUR NOTES TO JUST SEND US A SUMMATION EMAIL INDICATING WHAT PAST SPECIFIC TASKS INDIVIDUALS HAVE SAID THEY WILL PERFORM? SO THERE'S NO, NO CROSSING OVER, ACROSS WORK.
PATRICIA, CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? I'M SORRY.
WILL YOU BE SENDING AN EMAIL SUMMARIZING? WHAT, WHAT TASKS EACH INDIVIDUAL IN THE MEETING HAS SPECIFICALLY SAID THEY WILL TAKE ON SO THAT WE CAN AVOID DUPLICATES IF IT'S IN THE MEETING MINUTES AND I'LL SHARE THAT WITH THE TASK FORCE.
ITEM THREE, A NEW BUSINESS PLANNING AND PREPARATION FOR TASKFORCE, FINAL REPORT AND COUNCIL WORK SESSION PRESENTATION.
I, UH, SPONSORED BY, UH, VICE-CHAIR REBECCA AUSTIN AND JEFFERY CLEMENS.
UH, I BELIEVE WE'VE COVERED THAT.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO OFFER THAT WILL HELP US MORE HOME OR SITUATION? AND THEN I'LL BRING UP OUR, UH, NEXT MEETINGS I BELIEVE ARE THE NINTH AND THE 23RD 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM.
AND WE VOTED ON THOSE ON WEDNESDAY.
I JUST WANTED TO CHECK IN AND SEE WHAT HELP YOU NEED, BECAUSE YOU'VE SAID A COUPLE OF TIMES THAT YOU'RE DRAFTING THE REPORT, WHICH IS A BIG LIFT.
AND, AND I THINK WE'RE ALL GRATEFUL FOR YOU TO DO THAT.
WHAT, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM THE REST OF THE GROUP, ASIDE FROM THE SYNTHESIS OF THE WORKING GROUP IS DOING AND IN WHAT TIMEFRAME AND NOW THAT EVERYONE, WELL, I MEAN, TIMEFRAME WISE, UM, DO THE BEST THAT YOU CAN AND WORK AS EFFICIENTLY AS YOU CAN.
I MEAN, WE'RE ALL, MOST OF US ARE CHAIRS.
AND SO I KNOW I HAVE MY, UH, REPORT THAT'S DUE TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE OR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UM, I BELIEVE IT'S JULY 31ST FOR MY OWN COMMISSION, BUT YOU KNOW, I'VE DONE THAT FOR SO LONG THAT I CAN SPEED THAT UP.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL DO THE WORK THAT'S, THAT'S NECESSARY, BECKY, IN TERMS OF HEAVY LIFTING.
IF I GET HALFWAY AND FEEL, I NEED TO PASS IT ON TO YOU TO DRAFT THE OTHER HALF AS MORE INFORMATION IS COMING IN AND THEN WE'LL DO IT THAT WAY.
WHAT I'M SEEING RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, IS YOU DOING A MAJOR OVERHAUL AND FIRST EDIT BEFORE IT GOES TO ALL TASK FORCE MEMBERS TO THEN ADD THEIR RED LINES? THAT THAT SOUNDS GOOD.
SO, UM, WOULD THAT BE BEFORE THE JULY 9TH MEETING OR YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'LL BRING YOUR GRAPH TO THAT MEETING, WE'LL GET FEEDBACK AND THEN WE'LL DO A DEEP EDIT FOLLOWING THAT MEETING JUST SO I CAN, AND IT MAY NOT BE COMPLETE BY THE NINTH, BUT YES, MY PLAN IS TO BRING THAT TO THE MEETING ON THE NINTH.
SO THE EDITS WILL COME AFTER THAT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO PLAN AROUND OUR COMMISSION STUFF TOO, FOR THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN.
AND NOW IF, UH, FOR SOME REASON I CAN NOT, UH, ATTEND THE MEETING ON THE NINTH, I WILL PASS ON WHAT I'VE COMPLETED TO, UH, BECKY.
[00:50:06]
ANYONE ELSE, UH, IF WE COULD JUST PURSUE TIMING A LITTLE BIT HERE THAT SUGGEST THAT YOU REALLY MIGHT NEED THE INFORMATION FROM US BY SOMEWHERE.WELL, I MEAN, GIVE ME WHAT YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I CAN STILL, I'LL STILL BE WORKING ON IT AFTER THAT.
SO, UH, WE WANT IT DONE THE BEST WE CAN DO IT AND I AGREED TO BE CHAIR.
AND SO IF I'M WORKING INTO THE, UH, 25TH HOUR TO HAVE EVERYTHING READY, THAT'S FINE.
UM, BUT I, I WANTED TO BE, I WANT YOU TO USE THE TIME THAT YOU THINK YOU NEED IS WHAT I'M SAYING, AND YOU GET THINGS TO ME WHEN YOU THINK IT'S SUFFICIENT, DON'T RUSH.
ANYTHING IS THE WORKING GROUP.
LIKE MEETING IN PERSON CAUSE IT'D BE EASIER TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, SO I THINK THAT IN FACT, OUR NEXT WORKING GROUP MEETING, WE WERE PLANNING ON, UH, FINDING THE TIME TO MEET IN PERSON.
AND SO WE'LL PROBABLY JUST NEED TO COORDINATE THAT WITH LIKE
AND I JUST ASKED THAT, UM, FOR ANYONE WHO MAY CHANGE THEIR MIND ABOUT BEING IN PERSON, JUST PLEASE HAVE A VIRTUAL OPTION WHERE THEY CAN JOIN YOU SO THAT EVERYONE'S COMFORTABLE.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, TWO ROAD STRAINS OF, OF COVID, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE TAKING HOLD AND IN EVERY NATION AND WHO KNOWS HOW THEY'RE GOING TO AFFECT THOSE EVEN WHO ARE VACCINATED.
SO JUST PLEASE UTILIZE THAT MOST CARE, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, PRIMARILY FOR THE COMFORT OF, OF EVERYONE.
UM, I HAD ONE MORE THING, BUT I'VE FORGOTTEN.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? OH, YES.
SO TO THE EMAIL, I KNOW WE ALL RECEIVED FROM PATRICIA, UM, REGARDING POSSIBLY MEETING IN PERSON.
UM, I HAVE, UM, IMPARTED TO HER THAT I BELIEVE WHAT'S MOST EFFICIENT FOR ALL OF US IS TO REMAIN VIRTUAL VERSUS TRYING TO GET TO A LOCATION, TO BE THERE IN PERSON, AS WE'RE ALL MEETING DURING OUR, OUR BUSINESS DAYS, WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING, UM, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
UM, AND I BELIEVE SHE'S IN PART OF THAT, BUT FEEL FREE TO GIVE HER YOUR OWN FEEDBACK OR INPUT, UM, ON THAT MATTER.
BUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AND IN TERMS OF THE WAY IT'S BEEN DONE OUTSIDE OF THIS TASK FORCE WITH OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, IF THEY WANT SOMEONE IT'S COME UP ONCE AND TWICE IN EMAILS I'VE RECEIVED, IF THEY WANT ANY ONE PARTICULAR PERSON TO BE THERE IN PERSON AND EVERYONE ELSE WAS VIRTUAL, IT WOULD BE EITHER MYSELF OR THE VICE CHAIR AND SHARON DAVIS.
I HAVE, UH, REACHED OUT TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO LET THEM KNOW, CAUSE I'VE HEARD FROM OTHER TASKFORCE MEMBERS THAT, UM, THE PREFERENCE IS FOR IT TO BE VIRTUAL.
THEN YOU NEED TO DO THE, MEET THE FUTURE MEETINGS TO BE VIRTUAL.
SO IT WILL DETERMINE ON, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS AND, UM, WHERE THE CITY IS MOVING FORWARD.
I WILL UPDATE YOU GUYS AS SOON AS I HAVE MORE INFORMATION.
ANYONE ELSE? I WAS CURIOUS IF, UM, I KNOW THAT AT THE END OF THE LIST, UM, UH, OF THE REPORT OUTLINE THAT WE HAD ALSO PUT DOWN SOME SUGGESTIONS ABOUT OTHER FORMATS FOR THE REPORT.
AND I WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY, UM, NOTE OR UPDATE ON THOSE IDEAS.
SO, UM, JUST TO GIVE, JUST TO PROVIDE SOME MORE CONTEXT, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED IN THE WORKING GROUP WAS FOR INSTANCE, INCLUDING, UM, AN INTERACTIVE DIGITAL VERSION OF THE REPORT, UM, THAT HAD THINGS LIKE AUDIO AND VIDEO AND, UH, PICTURES AND GRAPHICS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND I GUESS I WANTED TO KNOW, I GUESS IF THAT'S POSSIBLE FROM THE CITY, UM, OR IF IT WILL BE POSSIBLE OR FROM THE REPORT AT THIS POINT.
SO FROM MY END JEFFREY AND JUST DRAFTING, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, A REPORT WITH PURE DICTA, UM, I WOULDN'T NEED TO ENLIST YOUR HELP TO DO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IF MORE NEEDED TO BE DONE ON OUR END TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, AND THEN PATRICIA, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS TO ME? THAT SOUNDS DOABLE IF THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO DO.
WELL, THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT ANYONE ELSE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE I NEED TO, UM, AND LET'S KEEP IN MIND WITH WHATEVER ANYONE'S SUBMITTING AND WRITING AND REPRESENTING.
THESE ARE ROUGH DRAFTS, ROUGH.
[00:55:01]
THE WORD ROUGH I'M WITH A VERY, UH, UM, I WORK WITH COMMISSIONERS REGULARLY WHO ARE, THEY'RE JUST ABSOLUTELY VERY TECHNICALLY CORRECT.AND IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, ROUGH DRAFT MEANS ROUGH.
IT, IT MEANS BRINGING IT TOGETHER.
IT DOESN'T MEAN NITPICK SOMEONE TO, TO PERFECTION.
IT'S ABOUT WHAT, HOW WE WANT TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS AND THEN WE WILL POLISH IT, YOU KNOW? SO YEAH.
ANYONE ELSE? AM I FORGETTING ANYTHING? BECKY CATHERINE ALETHA, MARIANNE, ANYTHING ELSE NOT PROJECTING ANYTHING? I WILL BE SENDING A FOLLOW-UP EMAIL.
I'VE BEEN, UM, COLLECTING ALL OF THE MUCH LIKE JEFFREY, UH, COLLECTING ALL OF THE INFORMATION WE'VE RECEIVED AND HAVE BEEN PUTTING IT INTO, UH, A RELATIONAL DATABASE JUST FOR MY OWN WORK ON THIS.
BUT I WILL BE SHARING THAT LINK WITH YOU CHAIR DAVIS AND THE REST OF THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, JUST SO WHAT IT'S DOING AS WE ADD DATA INTO IT, IT'S USING SOME ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO DRAW THE CONNECTIONS FOR US BETWEEN EVERYTHING.
I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO WORK THIS WELL.
UH, SO I DIDN'T WANT TO BRING IT UP UNTIL I WAS SURE IT WAS WORKING AND IT, IT IS.
SO I'LL SHARE THAT LINK WITH ALL OF YOU AS AN EXAMPLE.
ACTUALLY, UH, TASKFORCE MEMBER CONNOR.
WHEN I SEE YOUR NAME HERE ON A LIST OF MEMBERS, WHEN I CLICK ON YOUR NAME, IT SHOWS ME ALL THE LISTENING SESSIONS AND DEBRIEFS THAT YOU'VE ATTENDED ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU'VE MADE, UM, THAT AT LEAST THAT I RECORDED DURING MEETINGS, IT'S NOW I, THE MOST RECENT LIST HERE IS THAT YOU BROUGHT THE CRT DRAFT REPORT TO US ALONG WITH VERY CLEAR HIGHLIGHTED NOTE, DO NOT SHARE, UM, BECAUSE IT'S IN DRAFT.
UM, BUT THEN PROBABLY MORE PRACTICALLY LIKE FINDING KEY THEMES AROUND POWER GRID, LIKE IT STARTING TO REFERENCE, LIKE NOT ONLY CAN I SEE THAT THE POWER GRID IS A PROBLEM.
I CAN SEE EVERY PERSON THAT WE'VE RECEIVED TESTIMONY FROM.
WHO'S MENTIONED THE POWER GRID IN ANY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY HAVE MADE.
SO I'M HOPING, BUT IN ADDITION, THE OUTLINE THAT WE'VE ALREADY CREATED IS AMAZING.
I'M HOPING THAT IN ADDITION TO THE OUTLINE THAT IT WILL BE OF ASSISTANCE IF WE NEED TO GET ANY MORE GRANULAR.
I WILL ACTUALLY SEND IT TO, IT'S AMAZING.
PATRICIA, PATRICIA, YOU CAN SEND IT OUT TO EVERYONE ON THE TASK FORCE.
IT'S IT'S A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE GRAPH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT, CATHERINE.
UM, JEFFREY, WHEN YOU WERE LAST SPEAKING, PATRICIA'S HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE HEARING.
UM, I BELIEVE SHE CAN JUST GO BACK AND LISTEN TO THE RECORDING.
I THINK CITY STAFF HAS TURNED THINGS UP SO THAT SHE CAN HEAR.
UM, BUT PATRICIA, WOULD YOU LIKE JEFFREY TO RESTATE ANYTHING OR YOU'RE COMFORTABLE GOING BACK AND LISTENING TO THEM, RECORDING I'M COMFORTABLE WITH GOING BACK AND RELISTENING, THAT'S FINE.
UM, I THINK WE ALL HAVE OUR TASKS.
UM, PATRICIA WILL BE SENDING THE MINUTES, WHICH SHOULD, UM, DELINEATE THOSE TASKS.
IF YOU COULD PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE MINUTES, JUST TIME, JUST TO MAKE SURE IN TERMS OF A WORKFLOW AND WHAT WE'VE ALL AGREED TO TAKE ON THAT THAT IS ACCURATE, UM, AND UPDATE HER RIGHT AWAY IF IT IS NOT OKAY, ANYONE WHO'S AGREED TO, TO REACH OUT TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS, IF YOU END UP NEEDING HELP, YOU DON'T GET A FIRST, UM, PLEASE LET PATRICIA KNOW.
SO SHE CAN SEND AN EMAIL OUT TO THE REST OF THE GROUP, SEEING WHO CAN, WHO CAN PICK UP OR TAKE UP THE SLACK TO HELP YOU TO CONNECT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE WHEN CITY STAFF LEAD, DISPLAYING OUR AGENDA AGAIN? OKAY.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, I THINK IT'S WORKING WELL TO KEEP IT OPEN
[01:00:01]
AND SAY OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS WILL BE, UH, CALLED TO ORDER CITIZENS.COMMUNICATION WE'LL HAVE APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES.
UM, OLD BUSINESS IS OUR PREPARATION OF OUR REPORT, UM, AND ANY DISCUSSION THEREIN AND, UH, NEW BUSINESS WILL BE AGAIN, UH, PREPARATION FOR, UH, COMPLETING OUR FINAL REPORT AND PRESENTING TO CITY COUNCIL.
I THINK WE COULD UPDATE IT TO SAY THAT.
I AM GOING TO MOTION TO ADJOURN IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? THANK YOU.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
BECKY, IS THAT I, ARE YOU STILL OKAY? OKAY.
SO THIS MEETING OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS WINTER STORM REVIEW.
TASK FORCE IS ADJOURNED AT 12:02 PM ON JUNE 25TH, 2021.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT WE HAVE IN WRITING AND WORKING WITH YOU.