[Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Public Hearing District 6]
[00:00:06]
I'M THE CHAIR OF THE DEFENDANT CITIZENS REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
AND THANK YOU EVERYBODY WHO IS JOINING US TONIGHT FOR OUR VIRTUAL FORUM FOR DISTRICT SIX, TAKE IT AWAY.
I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING FOR OFFERING UP ONE OF YOUR PRECIOUS THAT YOU MEANS TO DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF REDISTRICTING AND ITS IMPACT ON OUR CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING AS THE ICRC HAS QUICKLY HAD TO SHIFT PLANS FOR SOME OF THESE FORUMS, GIVEN THE SEVERITY OF THE ONGOING PANDEMIC, UM, I'D LIKE TO WALK US THROUGH OUR AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING.
THE GOAL FOR TODAY WILL BE TO WRAP UP OUR VIRTUAL FORUM BY 8:00 PM ON THIS SLIDE.
UH, YOU WILL SEE SOME LINKS TO OUR WEB PRESENCE, UH, TO OUR FACEBOOK OR TWITTER AND OUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS.
A WAYS THAT YOU COULD STAY CONNECTED TO THE WORK OF THE ICRC WHEN YOU DEPART TODAY'S VIRTUAL FORUM.
I ALSO WANT TO TAKE SOME TIME TO THANK OUR LOCAL MEDIA PARTNERS, SUCH AS THE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER.
THE AUSTIN MONITOR TELEMUNDO, THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN AND THE FOX SEVEN NEWS CHANNEL FOR THEIR RECENT ICR COVERAGE AND SUPPORT AND PROMOTING OUR PUBLIC FORUMS. LIKE THE ONE YOU WERE ATTENDING THIS EVENING, SOME HOUSEKEEPING AS WE SHIFT INTO THIS VIRTUAL MEETING SETTING, FOR THOSE OF YOU JOINING US, UH, THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION THIS EVENING.
I PLEASE ASK THAT YOU ENTER YOUR NAME, UH, WHAT DISTRICT YOU RESIDE IN AND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS INTO THE CHAT FUNCTION OF THIS ZOOM CALL.
WE WILL BE USING THE CHAT FUNCTION SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF MONITORING AND CALLING ON THOSE WHO WISH TO GIVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY THIS EVENING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS WILL NOT BE CAPTURED FOR ANY WRITTEN COMMENTS.
WE PLEASE ASK THAT YOU COMPLETE THE MAP ASSIGNMENT THAT WILL BE TOUCH UP, THAT WE WILL TOUCH ON LATER IN THE PRESENTATION OR THAT YOU EMAIL THE FULL COMMISSION AT ICRC DOT COMMISSIONERS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
JUST WANT TO SPEND A QUICK MINUTE.
UM, INTRODUCING MYSELF AND THE REST OF THE COMMISSION FOR DISTRICT ONE.
YOU HAVE COMMISSIONER AERO HARDING FOR, WE ALSO HAVE COMMISSIONER STILL IN NEW YORK REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER SADA UMASS GOVERNOR ON FOR DISTRICT THREE.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER BRING A MORRIS AND COMMISSIONER LONG LEG FOR DISTRICT FOUR.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER STERN LANDS, DISTRICT FIVE, COMMISSIONER PRABHU KANAAN FOR DISTRICT SEVEN.
YOU HAVE THE CHAIR, CHRISTINE ATLANTIS AND COMMISSIONER CAMELLIA FARRAKHAN FOR DISTRICT EIGHT.
COMMISSIONER JOSHUA BLANK, COMMISSIONER NINE, DISTRICT NINE.
EXCUSE ME, UH, COMMISSIONER SHANA.
I'M THE VICE CHAIR, LUIS GONZALES ALSO COMMISSIONER ERIN DEMPSEY LAST BUT NOT LEAST.
I WANT TO TAKE, UH, INTRODUCE COMMISSIONER EUGENE SCHNEIDER.
HE DOES REPRESENT DISTRICT SIX ON THIS COMMISSION.
HE'S A RESIDENT OF A DISTRICT SIX.
SO I WANT TO PASS THE MIC OVER TO COMMISSIONER SCHNEIDER SO HE CAN GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION AND BACKGROUND ABOUT HIMSELF.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.
AND I WISH TO WELCOME ALL RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT SIX ON THE SCREEN, AT LEAST ON MY SCREEN.
THERE'S A BRIEF BIO AND I THINK YOU CAN ALL READ IT AT YOUR LEISURE.
I HAVE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR GOING ON 14 YEARS.
MY WIFE AND I ARE, UM, RESIDENTS OF BALCONIES WOODS.
THAT PARTICULAR HOA, FOR REASONS THAT ARE NOT CLEAR TO ME IS IN PARK DISTRICT SIX AND IN PARK DISTRICT SEVEN, I LOOK FORWARD TO ANY RESPONSES AND ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY INQUIRIES OR ANY COMMENTS FROM ANYBODY FROM DISTRICT SIX WHO MAY BE IN ATTENDANCE THIS EVENING.
[00:05:01]
A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON OUR COMMISSION.FOR THOSE OF YOU JOINING IN 20 12, 60 1% OF AUSTIN VOTERS SET THE STANDARD FOR AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT MAPPING OF OUR DISTRICTS.
THE VOTE APPROVED IN THE CITIES AT LARGE CITY COUNCIL SYSTEM THAT LACKED GEOGRAPHICAL AND RACIAL REPRESENTATION WITH THE CURRENT TEN ONE COUNCIL STRUCTURE CONSISTING OF 10 SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS.
PLUS OUR MAYOR, THIS VOTE DRAMATICALLY CHANGED THE CITY'S ELECTION SYSTEM AND PROVIDED A POTENTIAL MODEL FOR CITIES NATIONWIDE TO PREVENT GERRYMANDERING ON BEHALF OF ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL.
THE DISTRICTS, AS WE VIEW THEM TODAY WERE DRAWN BY THE INDEPENDENT CITIZENS REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
THE ICRC HISTORY WAS MADE ON NOVEMBER 18TH, 2013.
WHEN AUSTIN BECAME THE FIRST CITY IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS DRAWN THROUGH THE VOLUNTEERISM OF A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT GROUP OF REGULAR RESIDENTS.
THIS COMMISSION IS NOT SELECTED BY ANY POLITICIAN.
THE WAY OTHER REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS MAY OPERATE.
WE ARE VOLUNTEERS WHO ALL APPLIED FOR OUR POSITIONS.
WE ARE AUSTIN RESIDENTS WHO CARE ABOUT THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND HOW IT IS MANAGED.
SOME OF US HAVE FULL-TIME JOBS.
OTHERS HAVE FAMILIES TO CARE FOR.
WE ARE NOT PAID 1 CENT FOR THE WORK WE ARE DOING THE BODY BEFORE YOU IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING THE NEW CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT MAP, NOT THE CITY COUNCIL, NOT THE MAYOR CITY MANAGER, NOR THE STATE WE'RE INDEPENDENT WITH THE CAPITOL.
I, WE ARE CONDUCTING OUR DIFFICULT, TOUGH, YET IMPORTANT WORK UP AGAINST A TIGHT DEADLINE SOLELY WITH THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS IN MIND.
JUST SOME BACKGROUND, UH, ABOUT OUR SELECTION PROCESS.
AND YOU'LL SEE AT THE TOP OF THE SLIDE, SOME OF THAT HISTORY THAT I JUST WENT THROUGH OVER 300 APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED BY THE CITY FOR PLACEMENT ON THIS COMMISSION.
AGAIN, WE ALL APPLIED FOR THIS POSITION ON, ON THE COMMISSION OVER 89% OF THOSE APPLICATIONS MET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND WERE IDENTIFIED AS NOT HAVING ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
AN APPLICANT REVIEW PANEL MADE UP OF THREE CPAS THEN SELECTED THE 60 MOST QUALIFIED COMMISSION APPLICANTS, THRILL RANDOM DRAWING SYSTEM, A LOTTERY.
IF YOU WILL, THE CITY AUDITOR OFFICE THEN SELECTED EIGHT COMMISSIONERS FROM THAT QUALIFIED POOL, THOSE RANDOMLY SELECTED EIGHT COMMISSIONERS THEN HAD THE TASK, A DIFFICULT TASK OF CHOOSING SIX ADDITIONAL APPLICANTS FROM THE QUALIFIED POOL TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMISSION REFLECTED THE DIVERSITY OF AUSTIN.
WE PRIMARILY WANTED TO ENSURE, UM, THAT ALL DISTRICTS WERE REPRESENTED ON THIS COMMISSION.
HOWEVER, RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND GENDER DIVERSITY ALSO PLAYED A ROLE IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
ALL OF THAT WORK LED US TO THE FINAL NUMBER OF 14, THE 14 COMMISSIONERS WHO WILL WORK TO REDRAW THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.
JUST A LITTLE BIT OF THE ROLE OF THE ICRC.
THE COMMISSION WILL DECIDE ON THE NEW BOUNDARIES FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS THROUGH AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS WITH MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT, LIKE THE FORUM YOU ARE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY THIS EVENING IN ORDER TO DRAW THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, COMMISSIONERS NEED INPUT FROM RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS.
THE PROCESS INVOLVES HOLDING PUBLIC MEETINGS IN EACH OF THE 10 CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
AFTER THAT WE COME UP WITH OUR PRELIMINARY MAP, WE THEN GO OUT FOR FOUR MORE PUBLIC FORUMS, ONE IN EACH OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICTS PRECINCTS, EXCUSE ME, WE PROPOSE FINAL MAPS.
AND THEN WE HOPE TO MORE PUBLIC FORUMS, ONE NORTH AND ONE SOUTH OF LADYBIRD LAKE.
WE VOTE ON FINAL MAPS, ALL IN THE HOPES OF ADOPTING A FINAL PLAN NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021.
KEEP THAT DATE IN MIND, PLEASE, NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021, THE HIGHLIGHTED BULLET POINT THAT YOU SEE ON THIS SLIDE, THAT IS WHY YOU ARE JOINING US TODAY.
THIS IS WHY YOU ARE HERE TO PROVIDE OUR COMMISSION WITH PUBLIC INPUT.
AND NOW GOING TO PASS THE MIC BACK TO CHIP CUENTAS TO SPEAK ON WHY THIS ENTIRE REDISTRICTING PROCESS MATTERS TO THOSE OF YOU IN ATTENDANCE THIS EVENING.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, SHAREPOINT US.
I'M GOING TO TALK US THROUGH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE COMMISSION'S WORK BACKGROUND ON, UM, 2010 DATA AND, UM, WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.
SO WHY DOES REDISTRICTING MATTER? I'LL KEEP THAT SIMPLE FOR YOU OR REDISTRICTING PROCESS MATTERS BECAUSE IT'S DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO YOUR FAIR REPRESENTATION AT THE CITY LEVEL.
YOU CAN ALSO SHARE A DISTRICT WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIMILAR CONCERNS AND WHOSE CAUSES YOU WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR
[00:10:01]
MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE, UH, AS VICE CHAIR CONSOLE, AS REFERENCED EARLIER, THAT THIS IS THE ANTIDOTE TO GERRYMANDERING PRACTICES, UM, SUCH AS THE ONES THAT WE SEE AT THE STATE LEVEL AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHERE POLITICAL DISTRICTS ARE DRAWN FOR THE PURPOSE OF POLITICIANS, GETTING REELECTED, RATHER THAN ENSURING FAIR REPRESENTATION AND INCREASED DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, OUR PROCESS MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR RESIDENTS TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE OF THEIR CHOICE.SOMEONE WHO THEY BELIEVE WILL FIGHT FOR THEM.
THAT'S ONE CHALLENGE FOR THIS COMMISSION IS ENSURING THAT THIS POOL OF APPLICANTS, UM, TO THE COMMISSION WILL ACCURATELY REFLECT THE DEMOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY OF THE CITY'S ENTIRE POPULATION WHILE ALSO HAVING NO TIES TO CITY OR STATE POLITICS OR POLITICAL PARTIES.
AND ALSO HAVING LIVED IN AUSTIN AND VOTED HERE FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS.
SO WE'RE CA UM, I'M SORRY, WE'RE INDEPENDENT WITH A CAPITAL I, A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY FOR Y'ALL IN 2015 SUPREME COURT HAD AFFIRMED THAT VOTERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO ESTABLISH A COMMISSION SUCH AS THIS ONE AND INDEPENDENT CITIZENS, REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
UM, SO AT A TIME WHEN POLITICIANS OFTEN ELICIT DISTRUST CITIZEN, REDISTRICTING CAN PROVIDE A TRANSPARENT AND TRANSFORMATIVE ALTERNATIVE TO POLITICS.
THIS MOVEMENT INVITES THE INVOLVEMENT OF ANY AND ALL RESIDENTS AND OUR WORK CAN NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT PUBLIC FORUMS LIKE THIS ONE, ALL OF YOU HERE TONIGHT, THE 2013 INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING OF ELECTORAL BOUND BOUNDARIES WAS A GRASSROOTS FROM THE GROUND UP INITIATIVE AND THE 2021 COMMISSIONERS HOPE TO DO THE SAME THIS YEAR, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT REPRESENTATION IS THE BACKBONE OF OUR DEMOCRACY.
SO HOW DO WE DRAW THE MAPS ADHERENT TO SECTION THREE E OF THE CITY CHARTER, THE COMMISSIONERS MUST DRAW EACH DISTRICTS BOUNDARIES USING THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA.
SO THIS IS AN ORDER OF PRIORITY FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.
MOST OF OUR GUIDELINES ARE PRETTY CUT AND DRY.
WE HAVE TO CREATE REASONABLY EQUAL POPULATIONS IN EACH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
WE MUST COMPLY WITH THE FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
UH, DISTRICTS MUST BE GEOGRAPHICALLY CONTIGUOUS.
AND FINALLY, I WANT TO JUST POINT OUT, WHAT'S HIGHLIGHTED HERE.
UH, NUMBER FOUR, THE GEOGRAPHIC INTEGRITY OF LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS OR LOCAL COMMUNITIES OF INTERESTS SHOULD REALLY BE KEPT TOGETHER AS MUCH, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.
AND THAT AGAIN IS WHY YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT.
SO WE CAN HEAR FROM YOU, UH, WHAT THOSE COMMUNITIES SHAPES ARE WHEN WE'RE DRAWING THOSE MAPS.
SO AGAIN, THIS NUMBER FOUR IS WHY YOU ARE HERE TONIGHT.
LATER THIS YEAR, THE CITIZENS ON THE COMMISSION WILL HAVE ACCESS TO 2020 CENSUS DATA.
UM, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY COMING UP VERY SHORTLY THIS MONTH.
NOW THAT WE'RE IN AUGUST, THE COMMISSIONERS WILL USE THIS DATA AND PUBLIC INPUT TO DECIDE HOW TO DRAW THE NEW DISTRICT BOUNDARIES TO BEST REFLECT AUSTIN'S CHANGES.
SO LET'S LOOK AT THE NUMBERS FROM 2010.
THIS WAS THE TOTAL POPULATION BY DISTRICT, UM, AS THEY WERE DRAWN.
UH, THIS IS ACTUALLY, AGAIN, THE MAPS WERE DRAWN IN 2013, UH, USING THE 2010 CENSUS DATA.
SO AS YOU SAW ON THE LAST SLIDE, EACH DISTRICT SHOULD HAVE A REASONABLY EQUAL POPULATION WITH OTHER DISTRICTS.
THE STANDARD IS AS CLOSE TO 0% DEVIATION FROM EQUAL SIZES AS POSSIBLE.
BACK IN 2010, THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN WAS AT 790,390.
SO THE IDEAL POPULATION PER CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT WAS 79,000.
UM, AND FOR DISTRICT SIX, I KNOW IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE HARD TO SEE HERE, UH, THE PRECISE NUMBER.
SO I'LL TELL YOU, DISTRICT SIX WAS THAT 82,747.
AND THAT WAS, UM, SO THE, UH, THE DISTRICT WAS ACTUALLY DRAWN A LITTLE BIGGER THAN, UH, THE IDEAL POPULATION OF 79,000 FOR THIS DISTRICT IN THIS GRAPH, YOU SEE THE RAPID AND PRECIPITOUS GROWTH AND AUSTIN'S POPULATION THROUGH THE YEARS.
THE ESTIMATE FOR AUSTIN'S POPULATION LAST YEAR IS 995,484.
THAT'S ABOUT A 25% INCREASE SINCE 2010.
THE IDEAL CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT SIZE TODAY WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 99,500 PEOPLE.
WE WILL HAVE TO DRAW THE DISTRICTS.
AND OF COURSE, BASED ON THE DATA FROM THE 2020 CENSUS, EVEN THOUGH AUSTIN'S POPULATION CERTAINLY SURPASSED A MILLION PEOPLE BY NOW, WOW.
AS WE SAW EARLIER, AUSTIN HAS GROWN BY OVER 200,000 PEOPLE SINCE 2010.
AND I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT FOR US TO LOOK AT THIS MAP.
[00:15:01]
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT, UM, AS WE MOVE INTO OUR WORK OF REDISTRICTING.SO THIS MAP SHOWS THAT THE GROWTH IS CONCENTRATED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY.
IN SOME CASES, AREAS OF AUSTIN HAVE LOST POPULATION, UM, OR REMAIN THE SAME AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE LIGHTER COLORS OF THE WHITE, UM, WHILE OTHER AREAS GREW BY MORE THAN 3000 RESIDENTS AS SEEN IN THE DARKER BLUE AND THIS UNEQUAL GROWTH MEANS THAT DISTRICT BOUNDARIES WILL CHANGE.
I WANT TO ALSO NOTE QUICKLY, WE'VE HAD A FEW, UM, AUSTINITES ASK US, HEY, CAN WE SEE THIS MAP JUST FOR OUR OWN RECORDS? UM, YES, YOU CAN.
THIS IS ACCESSIBLE AND PUBLIC INFORMATION THROUGH THE CITY, BUT IT'S ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS SLIDE, WHICH YOU CAN FIND, UM, ON THE SITE.
AND VICE-CHAIR GONZALEZ WILL SHOW US THAT IN A BIT.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT IN CASE YOU'RE INTERESTED IN COMING BACK TO THE SNAP ABOUT OUR RACE, ETHNICITY, COMPOSITION, THE POPULATION THAT IDENTIFIES AS WHITE AND AUSTIN IS 49%.
WE HAVE ABOUT 8% THAT IDENTIFY AS ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE SHARE OF THE STATE'S POPULATION.
A LITTLE MORE THAN 7% OF AUSTIN'S POPULATION IDENTIFY AS BLACK, WHICH IS LOWER THAN THE SHARE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AS A WHOLE STATEWIDE.
THE BLACK POPULATION IS 11% WHILE THE ASIAN POPULATION IS 5%.
AND WE HAVE CLOSE TO 3% THAT IDENTIFY WITH TWO OR MORE RACES AND SMALLER SHARES IDENTIFYING AS AMERICAN, INDIAN, AND ALASKA NATIVE.
THE RACE ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF THE STATE.
SO I'LL EXPLAIN THIS JUST A LITTLE FURTHER.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CONTRIBUTION OF EACH OF THESE RACIAL, ETHNIC GROUPS TO THE TOTAL CHANGE IN THE DECADE, WE SEE THAT THE BIGGEST DRIVER IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS ACTUALLY BEEN THE NON-HISPANIC WHITE POPULATION HERE IN AUSTIN.
IT'S CLOSE TO 50% OF THE TOTAL CHANGE.
THIS SETS US APART FROM THE REST OF TEXAS, WHERE THE WHITE POPULATION IS CONTRIBUTING ONLY ABOUT 13% OF THE TOTAL CHANGE WHILE 53% OF THE CHANGE IS DRIVEN BY LATINOS ACROSS THE DECADE.
THE TEXAS LATINO POPULATION IS AT 40% WHILE THE NON-HISPANIC WHITE POPULATION IS 42.
ALL RIGHT, WHY DON'T WE HAVE THIS 2020 CENSUS DATA YET? SO THE CITY CHARTER HAS SET THE DEADLINE OF NOVEMBER 1ST FOR THE FINAL REDISTRICTING PLAN TO BE ADOPTED.
AND, UM, AS VICE-CHAIR GAZELLES POINTED OUT EARLIER, THIS IS A TIGHT TURN AROUND, CONSIDERING THAT WE CANNOT FORMALLY START THE MAPPING PROCESS UNTIL WE HAVE RECEIVED THE CENSUS DATA.
SO, SO FAR, UM, THERE IS NO, UM, NAPPING THAT HAS HAPPENED ON OUR END.
UM, BUT IT WILL HAPPEN SOON, UM, BECAUSE WE WILL RECEIVE THE RAW DATA FROM THE CENSUS BUREAU ON AUGUST 16TH.
UM, SO BETWEEN, WHEN WE RECEIVE THAT DATA AND THE NOVEMBER 1ST DEADLINE, WE WILL NEED TO DRAW CULMINARY MAPS, PRESENT THEM TO THE PUBLIC IN EACH TRAVIS COUNTY PRECINCT AND TAKE PUBLIC INPUT.
WE HAVE TO REVISE THOSE MAPS AND THEN PRESENT THE FINAL MAPS TWO MORE TIMES AND TAKE PUBLIC INPUT BEFORE ADOPTING THE FINAL PLAN.
AND THIS GIVES US JUST OVER TWO MONTHS TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS, A VERY SIMILAR TIMELINE, ACTUALLY TO THE PREVIOUS COMMISSION THAT DREW THE CURRENT DISTRICTS WE HAVE.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE INVITE PUBLIC INPUT AT EVERY POINT IN THE PROCESS.
I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT ALSO TO REMIND EVERYONE IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SIGNED UP FOR TESTIMONY, AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO, I JUST REPEAT THIS SLIDE WHERE YOU CAN PUT YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME IN THE CHAT, ALONG WITH THE DISTRICT YOU RESIDE IN AND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
AND I'M HERE IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, YOU WILL BE CALLED ON BY OUR ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER, CHRISTINE GRANADOS.
AND YOU CAN ALSO SEND COMMENTS TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, OR YOU CAN SEND THEM TO PRISTINE GRANADA, WHICH WE WILL HAVE FOR YOU HERE IN A MINUTE, THAT EMAIL ADDRESS, ALL RIGHT, VICE CHAIR, GONZALEZ BACK TO YOU.
UM, WE WANT TO, UM, EXPLAIN AN ACTIVITY THAT IS AVAILABLE AND AFTER, UH, THE INFORMATION THAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE HERE, I WILL SHARE MY SCREEN AND ACTUALLY WALK YOU THROUGH WHERE YOU CAN FIND THIS MAP, ASSIGNMENT, THAT MAP HOMEWORK THAT I'VE BEEN ALLUDING TO, UM, DURING THIS PRESENTATION, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY THAT YOU MAY GIVE THIS EVENING AND THE WRITTEN COMMENTS THAT YOU MAY SEND US VIA EMAIL, UM, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UM, A MAP WORKSHEET ASSIGNMENT, UM, ON ONE, ON, ON ONE SIDE OF, UH, ON ONE PAGE OF THIS WORKSHEET, THERE WILL BE A MAP OF DISTRICT SIX.
AND ON ANOTHER PAGE OF THIS WORKSHEET, THERE WILL BE A COMPLETE MAP OF THE TENT CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
[00:20:01]
OF THEM, UH, WE JUST, WE WANT IT TO PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL CITY MAP JUST IN CASE YOU WERE JOINING THIS EVENING AND YOU WEREN'T A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX, OR IF YOU MIGHT WANT IT, IF YOU MIGHT HAVE WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT OR YOUR FAVORITE PARK, OR YOUR FAVORITE GROCERY SHORT STORE, SHOULD THEY BE OUTSIDE OF DISTRICT SIX? UM, WE'RE GOING TO ASK THAT YOU, UM, IDENTIFY COMMON PLACES.UM, MY GOODNESS, BECAUSE CHRISTINA, CAN YOU STOP SHARING YOUR SCREEN, UNFORTUNATELY, IN THE ERA OF ZOOM, W AS YOU JUST SAW, WE MAY HAVE TO TAKE OFF OUR SLIDES FOR A BIT, UM, BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT JUST HAPPENED AND WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, CHRISTINA.
UH, I THINK WHAT WE COULD DO NOW IS WE CAN GO THROUGH, UM, ACTUAL SHARING MY SCREEN SO WE CAN SHOW YOU THE WORD TO FIND THESE MAP, UH, ASSIGNMENTS, THESE MAP WORKSHEETS THAT WE MENTIONED THIS EVENING, I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY SHARE MY SCREEN AND YOU WILL SEE A GOOGLE SHEET IN A NORMAL GOOGLE DOC.
IF YOU COULD JUST SEARCH FOR ICRC AUSTIN, THE FIRST, UH, THE FIRST RESULT, THE TOP RESULT FOR ICR AUSTIN SHOULD BE THE ICRC PAGE ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
OH MY, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SHARE OUR SCREEN ANYMORE IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO KEEP ZOOM BOMBERS OUT.
UM, YEAH, WE APOLOGIZE ABOUT THAT.
UM, WHAT YOU SAW ON THE SCREEN WAS DISGRACEFUL AND DISGUSTING.
UH, AND I SEE SELENA YE HAS HER HAND UP CHAIR, SO APOLOGIZE FOR GOING OUT OF ORDER HERE.
I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT THE MOST TECHNOL TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED, BUT I, YOU KNOW, AS IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS THE NATURE OF HAVING A PUBLIC FORUM AND HAVING THIS OPEN TO ANYONE THAT CAN JOIN, IS THAT WHAT'S GOING ON? IS SOMEONE, IS WRITING THESE THINGS ON TOP OF OUR PRESENTATION OR, YEAH.
UH, APOLOGIES FOR BEING A LITTLE STRUCK BY WHAT JUST HAPPENED.
UM, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TOLERATE RACIST COMMENTS ON OUR FORUM.
UM, SO AGAIN, VERY SORRY FOR THAT ZOOM BOMB.
UM, I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IS JUST REFERRAL, UM, YOU KNOW, VICE CHAIR GONZALEZ WAS SHOWING YOU HOW TO LOOK UP OUR INFORMATION ONLINE.
AND IF YOU GO TO, UM, THAT CITY SITE THAT HE WAS JUST ABOUT TO SHOW YOU, UM, YOU CAN CLICK ON THAT AND UNDER, UM, AGENDAS, UM, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF OUR DATES FOR, IS THERE A WAY TO STOP SHARING THE SCREEN? OKAY.
IF YOU WANT TO GIVE ME ADMIN RIGHTS, I CAN HELP YOU, UM, PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.
UM, IF IT'S TOO MUCH TO ASK, I APPRECIATE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A DISAPPOINTING, UH, SITUATION, AND IF THAT'S TOO MUCH TO ASK IN THIS MOMENT, UM, NOT AT ALL, BUT, UM, JUST WANTED TO OFFER THAT IF IT'S OF HELP TO YOU RIGHT NOW, IT IS DEFINITELY A HELP.
UH, BUT IF YOU COULD MAYBE WALK ME ALSO THROUGH HOW TO SHARE AN ADMIN PERMISSION WITH YOU, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.
I THINK IF YOU GO TO MY, UM, BOX AND RIGHT CLICK OR THE DOUBLE DOT, I THINK IT MIGHT SAY SOMETHING LIKE MAKE ADMIN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I HAVE MADE YOU THE HOST OF THE MEETING COMMISSIONER I'VE GONE.
LET ME KNOW IF THAT KIND OF HELPS ON YOUR END.
AND AGAIN, APOLOGIES A BROKEN RECORD HERE, FOLKS, BUT APOLOGIES FOR A ZOOM BOMB IN A PUBLIC FORUM.
UM, SO ON THE SITE, AS I WAS SAYING, YOU CAN FIND, UM, OUR POWERPOINT SLIDE THAT WE WERE SHARING WITH
[00:25:01]
YOU TODAY.UH, YOU CAN ALSO FIND THE WORKSHEET THAT VICE CHAIR GONZALEZ WAS REFERRING TO.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THE REST OF OUR SLIDE DECK THAT WE HAD READY FOR.
Y'ALL INCLUDING QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN PROVIDING FEEDBACK ON THE MAPS, WHETHER THAT IS FOR DISTRICT SIX OR FOR THE ENTIRE STATE.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT WAS THE MAIN, LAST THING TO EXPLAIN OTHER THAN GOING INTO PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
IS THAT ALL RIGHT WITH YOU? IF I WAS SHERIFF AND SOLIDS, THAT'S FINE WITH ME.
UM, SO OUR ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER, CHRISTINE GRANADA WILL TAKE ON THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY PORTION AND SHE WILL EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW TO CONDUCT OURSELVES THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND, UH, AND THIS WILL BE THE LAST PORTION OF OUR FORUM.
THIS EVENING COMMISSIONER IS GONE, SO EVERYONE WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND PLEASE MAKE COMMENTS AS THEY PERTAIN TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD MAPS AND REDISTRICTING PLAN AT THE TWO MINUTE AND 32ND, MARK, YOU WILL SEE THE RAISED HAND ICON SIGNALING.
FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE SHARON WHITE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HEAR ME? HEY, UH, GOOD EVENING.
I'M IN SHARON BLIGHT ON OF A DISTRICT SIX.
UH, I LIVE ABOUT 700 FEET INSIDE THE DISTRICT SIX FROM DISTRICT 10.
THE LAST TIME THEY REDISTRICTED, WE, I WASN'T, I WAS ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL, I GUESS.
UM, WELL THEY ASKED ME, I THINK THEY REDREW THE, THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN SIX AND 10 AND MADE US INTO SIX RATHER THAN 10, WHICH REALLY TURNED OUT IN MY OPINION TO BE TO OUR ADVANTAGE.
BUT I HAVE NOTICED THAT EVERY, ALMOST EVERY DISTRICT, OTHER THAN JUST STRICT SIX HAS A FINGER, THIS OCCURRENT MAP HAS A FINGER TOUCHING DOWNTOWN, AND THAT SHOULD NOT BE TRUE WITH THE NEW MAPS, BECAUSE THAT IS NOT THE WAY IT WAS INTENDED TO STILL HAVE DOWNTOWN AS ON THE STRANGLE HOLD OF THE DISTRICTS AND BEING INFLUENCED BY THE WAY THEY WERE DRAWN.
SO I HOPE YOU ALL WILL KEEP THAT IN MIND, DAD, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ALL THESE DISTRICTS WITH A FINGER TOUCHING DOWNTOWN SO THAT THEY HAVE THE, REALLY THE SAME, THE SAME PROCESS, THE SAME PEOPLE INFLUENCING THE CITY AS THEY HAVE BEFORE 10 1:00 AM I PAYING TEN ONE WAS TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE CITY, BECAUSE BASICALLY IF YOU HAVE A BAD COMMISSIONER THAT DOESN'T REPRESENT THE VALUES OF YOUR DISTRICT, THEN YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK DOWNTOWN BECAUSE THE OTHER COUNCIL PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE NOT IN THEIR DISTRICT, YOU CAN'T VOTE FOR THEM.
THEY DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR OPINIONS OR YOUR COMMENTS.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU OVERCOME THAT.
IT SEEMED LIKE IT BECAME A WARD POLITICS IN AUSTIN WHEN TEN ONE CAME IN.
BUT, UH, I JUST LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO KEEP ALL THOSE COMMENTS IN, IN MIND WHEN YOU WERE DRAW THE DISTRICT MAPS, BECAUSE THEY THREW US INTO WHAT THEY CALLED ANDREW PERSON MILL, WHICH WE ARE NOT REALLY EVEN ASSOCIATED WITH ANDERSON MILL, BUT THEY KEPT THE CITY KEPT CALLING US ANDERSON MILL, WHICH WE REALLY WERE NOT OR SOUTH OF THAT, THAT ALONG SPICEWOOD SPRINGS ROAD.
SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND, QUIT, QUIT TRYING TO CONJOIN NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER WITH OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, UM, ANYTHING IN COMMON WITH.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT WAS HELPFUL OR NOT, BUT AT LEAST I, I THOUGHT I'D JUST SAY SOMETHING ABOUT ALL THAT.
YOU'RE AT TIME AGAIN, JUST TO CLARIFY WHEN MS. GRANADA'S IS USING HER HAND, THAT'S JUST TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT FOR THE SPEAKER.
THERE ARE NO MORE PUBLIC SPEAKERS CHAIR.
WELL, I WOULD HAVE SHOWN YOU A SCREEN, UM, WITH OUR UPCOMING PUBLIC FORUMS. UH, I WILL READ THEM TO YOU BRIEFLY.
WE DO HAVE A FEW DISTRICT SPECIFIC FORUMS
[00:30:01]
LEFT IN DISTRICT THREE ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 7TH.THAT'LL BE A VIRTUAL ONE FROM ONE TO THREE DISTRICT TWO.
WE'LL HAVE A FORUM ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 10TH, FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM AT MENDEZ MIDDLE SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE WILL HAVE ITS FORUM SATURDAY, AUGUST 14TH, ONE TO 3:00 PM AT THE GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER MUSEUM.
AND DISTRICT FIVE WILL HAVE ITS FORUM TUESDAY, AUGUST 17TH, FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM.
VIRTUALLY WE WILL ALSO HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL CITY-WIDE FORUMS, BOTH VIRTUAL SATURDAY TO 12TH.
AND THEN, UM, THE SECOND ONE IS FRIDAY, AUGUST 27TH, 11:00 AM TO 1:00 PM, UM, ALL ON ZOOM AND HOPEFULLY WITH, UM, ANY ZOOM BOMBING HAVING BEEN RESOLVED BY THEN.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR ATTENDING OUR FORUM THIS EVENING.
IF YOU AGAIN, HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH ALL OF US, YOU CAN EMAIL US AT ICRC DOT COMMISSIONERS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING.