[Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Public Hearing District 3]
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THIS IS FOR DISTRICT THREE, BUT OF COURSE ALL ARE WELCOME.
I'M THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMISSION, AND I'M GOING TO PASS THIS OFF TO OUR VICE CHAIR, LUIS GONZALEZ, WHO WILL SHARE TODAY'S AGENDA WITH YOU AS WELL AS A LITTLE INFORMATION, UM, BACKGROUND ON THE ICRC.
AGAIN, WELCOME TO THIS AFTERNOON'S FORUM.
WE'RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH, SHAREPOINT.
UM, AGAIN LIKE THE CHAIR SAID, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE FOR OFFERING UP ONE OF YOUR PRECIOUS SATURDAYS, UH, TO DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF REDISTRICTING AND ITS IMPACT ON THE CITY.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE PATIENTS AND THEIR UNDERSTANDING AS WE QUICKLY HAD TO SHIFT SOME OF OUR ICRC PLANS FOR THESE FORUMS, GIVEN THE SEVERITY OF THE ONGOING PANDEMIC.
UM, AS YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, I'D LIKE TO QUICKLY WALK US THROUGH THE AGENDA FOR THIS AFTERNOON, WITH THE GOAL FOR TODAY, UH, BEING TO WRAP UP BY 3:00 PM ON THIS SLIDE, UH, YOU WILL SEE SOME OF THE LINKS TO OUR WEB PRESENCE, TO OUR FACEBOOK, UM, OUR TWITTER ACCOUNTS, OUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR COMMUNICATIONS WORKING GROUP, UH, FOR KEEPING THE PUBLIC INFORMED THROUGH THESE CHANNELS.
YOU WILL ALSO SEE SOME LINKS TO OUR WEB PRESENCE WHERE YOU CAN FOLLOW AND STAY CONNECTED TO THE ICRC WORK, UH, LONG AFTER TODAY'S FORUM.
I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THE TIME AND THANK SOME OF OUR LOCAL MEDIA PARTNERS, SUCH AS THE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER, UH, AT THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN IN THE US AND MONITOR AT THE MOON DOLL, THE FOX SEVEN NEWS CHANNEL, UH, FOR THEIR RECENT COVERAGE OF THE ICRC AND OUR WORK AND FOR SUPPORTING AND PROMOTING THE FORUMS LIKE YOU ARE ATTENDING TODAY.
JUST WANT TO SOME, SOME HOUSEKEEPING FOR TODAY, UM, AS WE'VE SHIFTED INTO THE VIRTUAL SETTING, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE, UH, COMMISSION THIS AFTERNOON, I PLEASE ASK THAT YOU ENSURE YOUR NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, THE DISTRICT THAT YOU RESIDE IN AND YOUR USERNAME.
IF IT IS A DIFFERENT INTO THE CHAT FUNCTION OF THIS ZOOM MEETING TODAY, WE WILL BE UTILIZING THE CHAT FUNCTION SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF MONITORING AND CALLING ON THOSE WHO WISH TO GIVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY THIS AFTERNOON.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS WILL NOT BE CAPTURED FOR WRITTEN COMMENTS? WE ASK THAT YOU COMPLETE THE MAP ASSIGNMENT THAT WE'LL TOUCH ON A LITTLE LATER IN THIS PRESENTATION OR THAT YOU EMAILED THE FULL COMMISSION AT ICRC DOT COMMISSIONERS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
I JUST WANTED TO TAKE SOME TIME NOW TO INTRODUCE, UH, MYSELF AND THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, UH, FOR DISTRICT ONE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE BY COMMISSIONER, UH, FOR BY COMMISSIONER AERO, HARDIN AS WELL AS COMMISSIONER SELENA YI DISTRICT TWO REPRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER
CANNON DISTRICT SIX IS REPRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER EUGENE SNYDER.
DISTRICT SEVEN IS REPRESENTED BY CHAIR, CHRISTINA POINTLESS AND COMMISSIONER CAMELLIA.
FALCON DISTRICT EIGHT IS REPRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER JOSHUA BLANK, DISTRICT NINE, REPRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER SHANA KAMBO.
SHE'S ALSO OUR STUDENT COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 10 REPRESENTED BY MYSELF.
I'M VICE CHAIR, LOUIS GONZALEZ AND COMMISSIONER ERIN DEMPSEY LAST BUT NOT LEAST.
PUT THE SPOTLIGHT ON TWO COMMISSIONERS REPRESENTING DISTRICT THREE, UH, COMMISSIONER
I WOULD ASK THAT WE PUT THE SPOTLIGHT ON COMMISSIONER LEE FOR A SECOND, SO HE COULD GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION ABOUT HIMSELF.
WE CAN'T HEAR YOU AT THE MOMENT.
I THINK HE MIGHT'VE ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED OFF OR SOMETHING.
I THINK HE'S STILL HERE PERHAPS COMMISSIONER MORRIS, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK.
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DID YOU WANT ME TO GO? YES.UH, I'VE CALLED DISTRICT THREE, MY HOME SINCE 2007.
UH, ALMOST THE ENTIRE TIME WE'VE BEEN AUSTIN, UH, SEEN A LOT OF CHANGE IN THE AREA, UH, FOR BETTER OR WORSE.
UM, UH, I HOPE AS YOU'RE THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT THREE, UH, THAT I CAN HELP IN REDRAWING THE DISTRICTS, DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, EQUITABLY, AND, UH, MAINTAIN THE DISTRICT THREE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES THAT YOU FIND IMPORTANT BASED ON YOUR INPUT.
UH, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING AND TAKING YOUR TIME THIS SATURDAY TO 10.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER MORRIS.
UH, I'M JUST GOING TO CHECK ON REAL QUICKLY, COMMISSIONER LEE, IF YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HEAR US AND SPEAK.
I, I'M NOT CERTAIN, UH, COMMISSIONER LEE.
I APOLOGIZE TO YOU AS WELL, ESPECIALLY SINCE I SAW YOU WEARING AN AWESOME SHIRT TODAY, BUT I WANT IT TO BE SPOTLIGHTED TODAY.
UM, I CAN NOT HEAR OR SEE YOU AT THE MOST.
HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YOU CAN HEAR YOU NOW COMMISSIONER.
I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO DIAL IN, UM, ANYWAYS, UH, HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON.
IT'S AN HONOR TO SERVE ON, UH, REPRESENTING THE 63.
I BELIEVE THAT THREE IS A VERY INTERESTING DISTRICT.
UH, WE'RE GROWING REALLY FAST.
UM, THE EAST SIDE HOME SEEING ALL THE GROWTH.
UM, IT IS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACCOMMODATE BEING GROWING SECTOR IN THE, IN THE EAST, UH, EAST CORNER, AS WELL AS THE SOUTH AUSTIN, UH, SOUTH OF CONGRESS, UH, AREA ON FARM AND STACKERY AREA, AS WELL AS, UH, THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA.
I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN DATA ANALYTICS AND THEN FINANCE AND, UH, VERY ACTIVE IN REAL ESTATE.
I'M HERE TO, UH, UNDERSTAND AND, UH, PRIVILEGE AND A LOT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER SHIRLEY.
UM, UH, AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MORRIS FOR SHARING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
I SPOKE ABOUT THE COMMISSIONERS.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE COMMISSION ITSELF IN 20 12, 60 1% OF AUSTIN VOTERS, UH, SET THE STANDARD FOR AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT MAPPING OF OUR DISTRICTS.
THE VOTE APPROVED, REPLACING THE CITIES AT LARGE CITY COUNCIL SYSTEM, ONE 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, UH, ELECTION SYSTEM AND PROVIDED A POTENTIAL MODEL FOR CITIES NATIONWIDE TO PREVENT GERRYMANDERING, UH, ON BEHALF OF ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL, THE DISTRICT, AS WE VIEWED 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 VOLUNTEERS, VOLUNTEERISM OF A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT GROUP OF REGULAR RESIDENTS.
UH, THIS COMMISSION IS NOT SELECTED BY ANY POLITICIAN.
THE WAY OTHER REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS MAY OPERATE.
WE VOLUNTEERS WHO ALL HAVE ALL APPLIED FOR OUR POSITIONS.
WE ARE AUSTIN RESIDENTS WHO CARE ABOUT THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND HOW IT IS MANAGED.
UH, SOME OF US HAVE FULL-TIME JOBS.
SOME OF US ARE STUDENTS, OTHERS HAVE FAMILIES TO CARE FOR.
WE HAVE A LAWYER AND A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER ON THIS BODY.
WE HAVE A PASTURE, WE HAVE AN ARMY OF VETERAN.
WE ARE ALSO NOT PAID 1 CENT FOR ANY OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING THIS BODY BEFORE YOU IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT MAP, NOT THE CITY COUNCIL, NOT THE MAYOR, NOT THE CITY MANAGER, NOR THE STATE.
WE'RE INDEPENDENT WITH THE CAPITAL.
I, WE ARE CONDUCTING OUR DIFFICULT, TOUGH YET VERY IMPORTANT WORK UP AGAINST A TIGHT DEADLINE SOLELY WITH THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ITS RESIDENTS.
I GAVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ON THE COMMISSION, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE TOP OF THIS SLIDE HERE.
NOW, I JUST WANT TO BRIEFLY TOUCH ON HOW WE WERE ALL SELECTED.
UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S AUDITOR'S OFFICE RECEIVED OVER 300 APPLICATIONS FOR PLACEMENT ON THE ICRC OF
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THOSE APPLICATIONS.OVER 89% MET MINIMUM MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS SUCH AS HAVING LIVED IN VOTED FOR, UH, IN AUSTIN FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND WERE IDENTIFIED AS NOT HAVING ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
AN APPLICANT REVIEW PANEL OF THREE CPAS THEN SELECTED THE 16 MOST QUALIFIED APPLICANTS, UM, THROUGH A RANDOM GIANT SYSTEM, A LOTTERY, IF YOU WILL, THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE, UH, THEN SELECTED EIGHT COMMISSIONERS FROM THAT QUALIFIED POOL.
THOSE RANDOMLY SELECTED EIGHT COMMISSIONERS THEN HAD THE TOUGH TASK OF CHOOSING SIX ADDITIONAL APPLICANTS FROM THE QUALIFIED POOL TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMISSION REFLECTED THE DIVERSITY OF AUSTIN.
WHILE WE PRIMARILY WANTED TO ENSURE THAT ALL DISTRICTS WERE REPRESENTED AND WE'RE SO HAPPY THAT THEY ARE, UM, HOWEVER RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND GENDER DIVERSITY ALSO PLAYED A ROLE IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS AND ALL THAT WORK LED US TO THE FINAL NUMBER OF 14, THE 14 COMMISSIONERS WHO WILL WORK TO REDRAW THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.
THE COMMISSION WILL DECIDE ON THOSE NEW BOUNDARIES THROUGH AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS WITH MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT, LIKE THE FORUM YOU'RE JOINING US, UH, JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON, UM, IN ORDER TO DRAW DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, COMMISSIONERS NEED INPUT FROM ITS RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, THAT PROCESS INVOLVES HOLDING PUBLIC MEETINGS IN EACH OF THE 10 CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
WE COME UP WITH AN INITIAL DRAFT OF OUR MAP BOUNDARIES.
THEN WE GO OUT FOR FOUR MORE PUBLIC MEETINGS, ONE IN EACH OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY PRECINCTS.
WE PROPOSE FINAL BOUNDARIES FOR MAPS AND THEN HAVE TO GO OUT TWO MORE TIMES FOR PUBLIC INPUT.
ONE NORTH OF LADY, BIRD LAKE, AND ONE SOUTH.
WE VOTE ON FINAL BOUNDARIES, ALL IN THE HOPES OF ADOPTING A FINAL PLAN BY NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021.
PLEASE KEEP THAT DATE IN MIND, NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021, THE HIGHLIGHTED BULLET POINT THAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE HERE.
THIS IS WHY YOU ARE HERE TODAY.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
I'M GOING TO PASS THE MIC BACK TO SHAREPOINT IS TO SPEAK ON WHY THE ENTIRE REDISTRICTING PROCESS MATTERS TO THOSE OF YOU IN ATTENDANCE IS AS AFTERNOON CHAIR.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHY REDISTRICTING MATTERS AND I'LL KEEP THIS SIMPLE, OUR REDISTRICTING PROCESS MATTERS BECAUSE IT'S DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO YOUR FAIR REPRESENTATION.
AND YOU'RE ALSO ABLE TO SHARE A DISTRICT WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIMILAR CONCERNS AND HIS CAUSES.
YOU WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THIS SYSTEM OF AN INDEPENDENT COMMISSION IS THE ANTIDOTE TO GERRYMANDERING ACROSS PRACTICES THAT WE HAVE SEEN AT THE STATE LEVEL AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHERE POLITICAL DISTRICTS ARE DRAWN FOR THE PURPOSES OF POLITICIANS TO GET REELECTED RATHER THAN TO ENSURE FAIR REPRESENTATION AND INCREASE DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION.
OUR PROCESS MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR RESIDENTS TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE OF THEIR CHOICE.
THAT IS SOMEONE WHO THEY BELIEVE WILL FIGHT FOR THEM WHEN THEY GET INTO OFFICE.
A CHALLENGE FOR THIS COMMISSION IS MAKING SURE THAT THIS POOL OF APPLICANTS CAN ACCURATELY REFLECT THE DEMOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY'S ENTIRE POPULATION.
AS VICE-CHAIR GONZALEZ HAS MENTIONED WHILE ALSO HAVING NO TIES TO CITY OR STATE POLITICS OR POLITICAL PARTIES, AND ALSO HAVING LIVED AND VOTED IN AUSTIN FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS.
AGAIN, WE ARE INDEPENDENT WITH A CAPITAL I, UM, ON JUNE 29TH, 2015, THE SUPREME COURT HAD AFFIRMED THAT VOTERS IN FACT HAVE THE RIGHT TO ESTABLISH AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION, SUCH AS OURS.
AND AT A TIME WHEN POLITICIANS ELICIT DISTRUST CITIZEN REDISTRICTING CAN PROVIDE A TRANSPARENT AND TRANSFORMATIVE ALTERNATIVE TO POLITICS.
AS USUAL, THIS MOVEMENT INVITES THE INVOLVEMENT OF ANY AND ALL RESIDENTS AND OUR WORK CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT PUBLIC FORUMS LIKE THIS ONE.
AND WITHOUT YOU IN ATTENDANCE TODAY.
SO THE 2013 INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING OF ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES WAS A GRASSROOTS FROM THE GROUND UP INITIATIVE.
AND THIS YEAR, OUR 2021 COMMISSIONERS HOPE TO DO THE SAME BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT REPRESENTATION IS THE BACKBONE OF DEMOCRACY.
I'M GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THE ICRC DRAWS OUR MAPS.
SO THIS COMES OUT OF THE CITY CHARTER SECTION THREE E IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO LOOK THIS UP, UM, THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE TO DRAW EACH DISTRICTS BOUNDARIES USING THIS CRITERIA, AND THIS IS AN ORDER OF PRIORITY.
SO MOST OF OUR GUIDELINES ARE PRETTY CUT AND DRY.
WE HAVE TO CREATE REASONABLY EQUAL POPULATIONS IN EACH OF THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE, THE FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT DISTRICTS HAVE TO HAVE, UM, BE GEOGRAPHICALLY CONTIGUOUS.
AND THEN FINALLY, WHAT I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED IN, UH, NUMBER FOUR IS
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THE GEOGRAPHIC INTEGRITY OF LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS OR COMMUNITIES OF INTERESTS, UM, SHALL BE RESPECTED IN A MANNER THAT MINIMIZES THEIR DIVISION TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.AND, UM, AND AGAIN, THAT IS THE INPUT THAT WE GET FROM Y'ALL.
UM, SO WE KNOW HOW YOU DEFINE THE SHAPE OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WE CAN UPHOLD THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WHEN WE'RE DRAWING THESE DISTRICTS.
AND THIS IS WHY LATER THIS YEAR, THE CITIZENS ON THE COMMISSION WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE 2020 CENSUS DATA.
AND I SAY LATER THIS YEAR, IT'S ACTUALLY A MATTER OF, UM, JUST A FEW DAYS ABOUT A WEEK FROM NOW.
UM, THE COMMISSIONERS WILL USE THIS DATA AND PUBLIC INPUT TO DECIDE HOW TO DRAW THE NEW DISTRICT BOUNDARIES AND, UM, BEST REFLECT AUSTIN'S CHANGES.
SO AS YOU SAW EARLIER, EACH DISTRICT SHOULD HAVE A REASONABLY EQUAL POPULATION.
THAT'S OUR GUIDELINE FOR DRAWING OUR DISTRICT.
THE STANDARD IS AS CLOSE TO 0% DEVIATION FROM EQUAL SIZES AS POSSIBLE.
BACK IN 2010, THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN WAS 790,390.
SO THE IDEAL POPULATION PER CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT THEN WAS 79,000.
AND FOR DISTRICT THREE, THE POPULATION, UM, OR THE DISTRICT WAS DRAWN TO HAVE A POPULATION OF 79,536.
SO IT WAS PRETTY SPOT ON FOR, FOR THIS DISTRICT.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE HERE, UM, IT'S, IT MIGHT NOT BE LIKE TERRIBLY CLEAR, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE KIND OF DEVIATION HERE ACROSS THE TENDERS.
ALL RIGHT, THIS GRAPH, YOU SEE THE RAPID AND PRECIPITOUS GROWTH AND AUSTIN'S POPULATION THROUGH THE YEARS, THE ESTIMATE FOR AUSTIN'S POPULATION JUST LAST YEAR, UH, IT WAS 995,484 PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S ABOUT A 25% INCREASE SINCE 10 YEARS AGO.
THE IDEAL CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT TODAY WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 99,500 FOLKS.
WE WILL HAVE TO DRAW THE DISTRICTS AND A PORTION BASED ON THE DATA FROM THE 2020 CENSUS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S VERY POSSIBLE, AUSTIN'S POPULATION HAS SURPASSED A MILLION AND PEOPLE AS WE EARLIER, AUSTIN HAS GROWN BY OVER 200,000 PEOPLE SINCE 2010.
THIS MAP SHOWS THAT THE GROWTH IS CONCENTRATED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY.
IN SOME CASES, AREAS OF AUSTIN LOST POPULATION, OR REMAINED THE SAME AS SEEN IN THE WHITE COLOR ON THIS MAP.
AND THEN WHILE OTHERS GREW BY MORE THAN 3000 RESIDENTS, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE DARKER BLUE COLORS.
AND SO THIS UNEQUAL GROWTH MEANS THAT THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES WILL CHANGE.
UM, I WANT TO JUST QUICKLY POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF INTEREST IN THIS MAP IN PARTICULAR, IF YOU WANT TO ACCESS IT LATER IN THIS SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE, UM, A WAY TO GET OUR SLIDE DECK AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION.
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THAT FOR YOUR OWN RECORDS, THE POPULATION THAT IDENTIFIES AS WHITE AND AUSTIN IS 49%, WHILE 32% IDENTIFY AS LATINO, 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%, UM, OF OUR POPULATION IDENTIFY AS BLACK, WHICH IS LOWER THAN THE SHARE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AS A WHOLE STATEWIDE.
THE BLACK POPULATION IS AT 11% AND THE ASIAN POPULATION IS JUST AT 5%.
SO WE HAVE, AND WE ALSO HAVE CLOSE TO 3% THAT IDENTIFY WITH TWO OR MORE RACES AND SMALLER SHARES IDENTIFYING AS AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE.
THE RACE ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF THE CITY IS DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF THE STATE.
SO LET ME EXPLAIN THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CONTRIBUTION OF EACH OF THESE RACE, RACIAL, ETHNIC GROUPS TO THE TOTAL CHANGE IN THE DECADE, WE SEE THAT THE BIGGEST DRIVER IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS BEEN THE NON-HISPANIC WHITE POPULATION.
AND IN AUSTIN, IT'S CLOSER TO 50% OF THE TOTAL CHANGE, WHICH SETS US APART FROM THE REST OF TEXAS, WHERE THE WHITE POPULATION IS CONTRIBUTING ONLY ABOUT 13% OF THE TOTAL CHANGE AND 53% OF THE CHANGES DRIVEN BY LATINOS ACROSS THE DECADE.
THE TEXAS LATINO POPULATION IS AT 40% WHILE THE NON-HISPANIC WHITE POPULATION IS 42.
AND I WANT TO ALSO POINT OUT THAT WE ARE AWARE OF THE WAY THAT BLACK AND LATINO COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN PUSHED TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE AUSTIN AREA FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, INCLUDING HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
UM, AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY A CONSIDERATION AGAIN, IN THE SHAPE OF THESE DISTRICTS.
SO WHY DON'T WE HAVE THE 2020 CENSUS DATA? WELL, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ARE ABOUT TO HAVE THE DATA, UM, BUT IT WAS A BIT DELAYED, UM, OPERATIONAL DELAYS FOR LOTS OF REASONS, AS WE ALL KNOW FROM COVID-19 TO POLITICS.
UM, BUT THE CITY CHARTER HAS SET THE DEADLINE OF NOVEMBER 1ST FOR THE FINAL REDISTRICTING PLAN TO BE ADOPTED.
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AND AS VICE CHAIR, GONZALEZ MENTIONED, THIS IS A TIGHT TURNAROUND CONSIDERING WE CANNOT FORMALLY START THE MAPPING PROCESS UNTIL WE RECEIVED THE DATA, BUT THAT IS COMING SOON.SO AS YOU SAW EARLIER, BETWEEN WHEN WE RECEIVED THE RAW DATA FROM THE CENSUS BUREAU, AND THAT HAS BUMPED UP TO AUGUST 12TH, IT WAS FORMERLY AUGUST 16TH.
UM, BUT BETWEEN THAT DATE AND THE NOVEMBER 1ST DEADLINE, WE WILL NEED TO DRAW PRELIMINARY MAPS AND THEN WE'LL PRESENT THOSE TO THE PUBLIC IN EACH TRAVIS COUNTY PRECINCT, TAKE PUBLIC INPUT, REVISE THE MAPS, AND THEN PRESENT THE FINAL MAPS TWO MORE TIMES, UM, AND THEN TAKE PUBLIC INPUT ON THE FINAL MAPS BEFORE ADOPTING THE FINAL PLAN.
AND THIS GIVES US A LITTLE OVER TWO MONTHS TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS, A SIMILAR TIMELINE TO THE PREVIOUS THAT THROUGH OUR CURRENT DISTRICTS.
AND AGAIN, WE INVITE PUBLIC INPUT AT EVERY POINT IN THE PROCESS, WHETHER THAT'S IN A PUBLIC FORUM OR EMAILS OR REACHING US ON OUR VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIAS OR WEBSITE.
SO GIVEN THAT, UM, THAT'S A NICE SEGUE INTO HEARING FROM EVERYBODY HERE TODAY.
UH, ONE LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR TESTIMONY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AND, UH, I'LL PASS THE MIC BACK TO VICE-CHAIR GONZALEZ.
I'D LIKE TO STAY ON THIS SLIDE A LITTLE BIT AGAIN, WELCOMING INDIVIDUALS FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO SUBMIT THEIR NAME, UM, EMAIL ADDRESS, THE DISTRICT THAT THEY RESIDE IN, AND MAYBE THE USERNAME OF YOUR ZOOM ACCOUNT, IF IT'S DIFFERENT THAN YOUR ACTUAL NAME, UH, TO PLEASE USE THE CHAT FUNCTION.
UM, AGAIN, NO OTHER COMMENTS BESIDES US NOTING WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WILL BE CAPTURED OR SAVED.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE ANY WRITTEN COMMENTS AGAIN, I ASK THAT YOU EMAIL THE COMMISSION HERE AT THE EMAIL ADDRESS YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN THAT IS ICRC DOT COMMISSIONERS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
AGAIN, ALL THOSE EMAILS ARE CAPTURED, UM, AND THAT INPUT IS GATHERED IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
UM, SO I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE THIS ANOTHER MINUTE OR SO, AND THEN WE WILL GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I WOULD LOVE, UH, YOU KEPT, WE ALLUDED A COUPLE OF TIMES TO, UM, A MAP ASSIGNMENT, UM, AND WE'D LIKE TO MAKE IT EASY FOR FOLKS THAT ARE JOINING US AND POINT TO THAT, UH, DIRECTLY ON, ON, ON WHICH WEBSITE YOU SHOULD ACCESS.
I'VE SEEN IT SEEN ANOTHER NAME COME THROUGH.
YOU'RE GETTING STOPPED TIME TO, TO SUBMIT, UH, YOUR NAME AND THE CHAT.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS SLIDE IS THE KIND OF THE MAP HOMEWORK THAT WE'VE BEEN ALLUDING TO.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MY SCREEN, UH, JUST SO I CAN WALK YOU THROUGH IT SINCE WE'RE ALL HERE TOGETHER IN THE VIRTUAL SETTING, WALK US THROUGH ON HOW TO EASILY FIND, UH, THESE, THESE WORKSHEETS AND OTHER WAYS THAT YOU COULD SUBMIT COMMENTS TO US.
SO IF YOU WERE JU IF YOU WERE JUST USING, UM, EXCUSE ME, IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE USING ANY, UM, WEB BROWSER I USE GOOGLE, UH, OR YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO IS TYPE IN ICRC AUSTIN INTO THAT BAR, WHICH SHOULD BRING UP AS YOUR TOP RESULT, THE INDEPENDENT CITIZENS, REDISTRICTING COMMISSION, UH, THE, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CLICK THAT TOP RESULT.
IF YOU SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE, YOU SHOULD SEE A LINK THAT READS VIEW AGENDAS AND OTHER MEETING DOCUMENTS.
WE ARE GOING TO CLICK THAT LINK THERE, AND IT WILL TAKE US TO OUR PAGE THAT HAS EVERY DOCUMENT, EVERY AGENDA, EVERY SUPPORTING MATERIAL, NOT ONLY FOR OUR PUBLIC FORUMS THAT WE'VE ALREADY COMPLETED, BUT ALSO OUR GENERAL MEETINGS, WHICH HAPPEN ON EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 6:00 PM.
BUT THERE'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, TO PROVIDE PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
IF YOU SIGN UP IN ADVANCE, IF YOU SCROLL DOWN, YOU WILL FIND TODAY'S A PUBLIC FORUM AND YOU WOULD SEE A REVISED AGENDA.
AND, UH, OUR APOLOGIES, UH, THE, THE, THE WORD SHAPE FOR DISTRICT THREE WILL BE PUT UP MOMENTARILY, BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE BACKUP DOCUMENT, UNDER ICRC WORKSHEET, THAT WILL BE, UH, UH, A FORM THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE THIS, A MAP OF DISTRICT RIG.
AND THIS IS DISTRICT SIXES, BUT A MAP OF DISTRICT THREE, WHERE YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND INPUT.
WHAT PIECES OF YOUR COMMUNITY, UH, WHAT, UH, YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR FAVORITE GROCERY STORE, YOUR FAVORITE PARKS, UM, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO NOTE THAT ON THIS MAP, UM, MAYBE IN A STAR OR AN A.CIRCLE, THOSE PLACES OF INTEREST, AND THEN YOU CAN ACTUALLY SUBMIT THIS MAP WORKSHEET BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
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DOT COMMISSIONERS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV, UM, EMAIL, EMAIL ADDRESS.SO YOU'LL, THERE'LL BE ONE SHEET FOR DISTRICT THREE, AND THERE'LL BE PLENTY OF SPACE FOR COMMENTS.
UH, AGAIN, ANOTHER WAY THAT WE CAN RECEIVE WRITTEN COMMENTS HERE AT THE COMMISSION, THERE ALSO BE A SECOND PAGE WITH THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT MAP FEATURE IN ALL 10 DISTRICTS.
AND WE REALLY WANTED TO PROVIDE THIS MAP JUST IN CASE YOU MIGHT'VE JOINED US.
AND YOU WEREN'T A RESIDENT OF A PARTICULAR DISTRICT.
MAYBE YOU, YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, WHICH MIGHT BE IN A DIFFERENT DISTRICT THAN YOU CURRENTLY RESIDE IN.
UM, SO WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT BOTH, UH, A SPECIFIC DISTRICT AND THE ENTIRE MAP WAS PROVIDED, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE COMMENTS AND A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH, WE ADVISE THAT YOU PLEASE DO.
SO THAT IS TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE.
AND AGAIN, ANOTHER COMPLETE BLANK SHEET FOR YOU TO, TO WRITE SOME OF THOSE WRITTEN.
IN ADDITION TO EMAILING THIS DOCUMENT, I'M GOING TO STOP SHARING MY SCREEN.
I'M GOING TO ASK THAT THE CHAIR BRING BACK HUT UP HER PRESENTATION, BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO EMAIL, WE UNDERSTAND THAT SOME FOLKS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES A LETTER IS JUST THE WAY THAT THEY LIKE TO DO THINGS.
YOU CAN EMAIL THIS WORKSHEET OR EMAIL YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT TO ATTENTION ICRC PO BOX 1 0 8 8, AUSTIN, TEXAS 7 8 7 6 7.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT ADDRESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE HERE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIR FOR SHARING YOUR SCREEN AND YOUR PRESENTATION.
AGAIN, ALL OF THESE WRITTEN COMMENTS, ALL OF THESE WORKSHEETS THAT GET RECEIVED, THEY WILL BE SAVED.
THEY WILL BECOME PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD FOR THE PURPOSE OF REGION OF REDRAWING MAPS WANTS TO DELAYED 2020 CENSUS DATA ARRIVES.
ALSO, YOU'LL SEE IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER HERE, UH, THERE IS ANOTHER WAY THAT WE JUST, UH, WE JUST INPUTTED TO RECEIVE COMMENT, AND THAT IS VIA SPEAK UP AUSTIN.ORG.
UM, THERE IS A SURVEY WITHIN THAT WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN SUBMIT COMMENTS AND APOLOGIES FOR GOING BACK AND FORTH, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SHOW YOU THAT SITE AS WELL,
IT WILL BRING YOU TO SPEAK OF AUSTIN, WHICH FEATURES A FEW PROJECTS THAT ARE ONGOING IN THE CITY, BUT WE ARE SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT THE INDEPENDENT CITIZENS, REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
YOU COULD CLICK ON VIEW PROJECT.
THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION AGAIN, NOT ONLY WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED, ABOUT WHAT EMAIL TO, UH, ADDRESS THIS, THAT, UH, SOME BACKGROUND ABOUT OUR PROCESS, SOME OF THE PREVIOUS FORUMS THAT WE'VE HAD, YOU'LL SEE DISTRICT THREE HERE.
AND THERE IS A TAB THAT READS EVENT FEEDBACK.
YOU CAN CLICK ON THAT LINK AND IT ASKS YOU TO COMPLETE A FORM.
THIS IS ANOTHER SURVEY THAT WE HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR DISTRICT.
YOU CAN CLICK ON COMPLETE FORM.
IT WILL ASK YOU TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT WITH AN EMAIL ADDRESS AFTER THAT YOU CAN ACCESS THIS FORM THAT SHOWS A MAP OF THE DISTRICTS AND A FEW QUESTIONS OF WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW HERE ON THE COMMISSION.
SO HOW DO YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE IN YOUR COMMUNITY? UH, WHAT ARE YOUR COMMUNITIES SHARED INTERESTS, UH, WHETHER THEY'RE HEALTH CONDITIONS OR LAND USE ISSUES, ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, UH, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SHARED COMMUNITY SPACES? UM, AGAIN, THAT SIMILAR MAP WORKSHEET THAT I SHOWED ON THE CITY WEBSITE, YOU CAN ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS AND JUST INPUT DIRECT WRITTEN COMMENTS TO US.
SO A LOT OF WAYS FOR PUBLIC INPUT, IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC FORUM THAT YOU'RE JOINING US TONIGHT, AND AS SHAREPOINT HAS SAID, UH, NOTES ON HOW TO ACCESS THESE BESIDES SHARE SCREENING WITH US TODAY ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR PRESENTATION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD AS WE, AS WE MENTIONED, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST THE SLIDE, UH, ALL THOSE MAP, THE SURVEY, THE WORKSHEET, ANY WRITTEN COMMENT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO HELP US WITH ANY COMMON AREAS OF INTEREST, UH, WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS SHOULD REMAIN INTACT.
UM, GIVING US A BETTER SNAPSHOT OF WHAT MATTERS TO VOTERS AND IN AUSTIN, UH, RESIDENTS AND, UM, AND THE COMMUNITIES OF DISTRICT THREE, THIS ACTIVITY WILL GIVE US THE UNDERLYING UNMEASURED VARIABLES THAT WILL HELP US KEEP THE GEOGRAPHIC INTEGRITY OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHILE REDISTRICTING, WE ALSO, THIS, THESE QUESTIONS ARE AVAILABLE
[00:30:01]
ON THE BACK OF ONE OF THOSE MAP WORKSHEETS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, UH, THAT I JUST SHOWED, BUT WE THOUGHT THESE WERE GREAT QUESTIONS, UH, TO THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE DOING ANY OF THOSE EXERCISES.UM, SO WHERE ARE YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR AGAIN? UM, WHAT ROUTES DO YOU TAKE WHEN YOU GO TO WORK? WHAT SCHOOLS DO YOUR CHILDREN ATTEND? SO AGAIN, AVAILABLE ON THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS AND DOWNLOAD.
WE'RE NOW GOING TO, UH, I UNDERSTAND I'VE SEEN A COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS, UH, SUBMIT THEIR NAMES FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TURN THE MIKE OVER THE VIRTUAL MIC, OVER TO OUR ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER, CHRISTINE GRANADOS.
SHE IS GOING TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, MODERATE THE PORTION OF THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, I WILL CALL ON YOU IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGNED IN TO THE CHAT AND EVERYONE WILL HAVE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
SO PLEASE MAKE THE COMMENTS AS THEY PERTAIN TO NEIGHBORHOOD MAPS AND REDISTRICTING, UM, AT THE TWO MINUTE 32ND, MARK, YOU WILL SEE A YELLOW FOLDER COME UP, SIGNALING THAT YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT TO SPEAK.
AND AT THE THREE MINUTE MARK, I WILL SAY YOUR TIME.
OKAY, WELL, I'D LIKE TO CALL UP THE FIRST SPEAKER TO REGISTER WHO WAS MALCOLM MEATS OR YATES.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSIONERS.
IT JUST TOOK ME A MINUTE TO UNMUTE MY SPEAKER HERE.
UM, SO I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT IS THE FUTURE CONCEPT FOR DISTRICT THREE? WILL IT STILL BE CONSIDERED A HISPANIC DISTRICT, UM, OR WITH ALL THE DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES? WILL THAT CHANGE ALSO? OKAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR.
UM, I WILL VERY QUICKLY ADDRESS THAT.
UM, I BASICALLY, THE ANSWER IS WE CAN'T SAY UNTIL WE'VE GOTTEN THE CENSUS DATA, SO STAY TUNED FOR OUR PRELIMINARY MAPS.
THAT'S JUST KIND OF A GENERAL MESSAGE TO EVERYONE.
UM, YOU WILL SEE THOSE SHORTLY.
YOU'LL SEE US UPDATE, UM, WHEN WE DO HAVE THEM READY AND THEN WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS, UM, THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, UH, DEFINITELY ADDRESS THAT QUESTION, SIR.
TO YOUR POINT IS THE NEXT PERSON TO SPEAK IS FRED MICKEY AND DISTRICT.
HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
UH, I WAS A MEMBER OF THE 2012 CHARTER REVISION COMMITTEE THAT GAVE US TEN ONE.
ALTHOUGH AT THE TIME I SUPPORTED EIGHT TO ONE, YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE THAT I SERVED ALONGSIDE SOME DISTINGUISHED.
AUSTINITES SUCH AS CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBER AND KITCHEN, UH, SENATOR GONZALO, BARRIENTOS DAVID BUTTS, RICHARD, JOHN, AND, UH, MANY OTHERS, UH, WHOSE NAME I COULD RELATE.
SO I'M NOT SPEAKING HERE AS AN UNINFORMED PERSON REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
I WANTED TO, UH, QUICKLY IN MY THREE MINUTES, BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT I HOPE YOU'LL CONSIDER.
I BROUGHT THEM TO THE ATTENTION, UM, OF, UH, THE 2013 INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION, NAMELY THE LOCATION OF THE MONTOPOLIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND ITS INCLUSION TO DISTRICT THREE.
THE COMMISSION AT THAT TIME MADE A DECISION BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO CREATE AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT FOR DISTRICT ONE, TO VIOLATE THE GEOGRAPHIC MANDATES THAT ARE IN OUR CITY CHARTER AND TO INCLUDE MY TOP LIST, WHICH IS A NEIGHBORHOOD OF INTEREST WITH,
[00:35:01]
WITH DEL VALLEY, DOVE SPRINGS, CREEDMORE, AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, AND INCLUDED INSTEAD WITH COMMUNITIES NORTH OF THE RIVER IN EAST AUSTIN, THAT WAS A MISTAKE.UH, HISTORICALLY BY READING MY BOOK, AUSTIN'S MONTOPOLIS NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH I'LL, UH, WHICH I'LL MENTION HERE, IT'S A 2014, UH, BOOK, UH, THAT I PUBLISHED IN CONJUNCTION WITH MY OWN RUN FOR THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL THAT YEAR.
SO I URGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND TO PLACE MY TOP LIST IN ITS PROPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND ITS PROPER DISTRICT, WHICH IS DISTRICT KEY TO THIS QUESTION.
THIS TIME AROUND IS GOING TO BE THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN PRECINCTS 4 23 AND 4 0 7.
SOMETHING, WHICH I SEE YOU'VE LOOKED AT ALREADY.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHO IS SAYING WHAT THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THOSE TWO PRECINCTS IS.
I AM THE FORMER PRECINCT 4 0 7 DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRECINCT CHAIR, BUT APPARENTLY NOW MY AREA OF MY TOP LIST, WHICH IS A MISS SOUTHERN PORTION OF A NEIGHBORHOOD SOUTH OF RIVERSIDE IS NOW IN PRECINCT 4 31.
SO THE MAPS THAT YOU, UH, YOU WERE LOOKING AT THE, THE ESRI MAPS, WHICH SHOW THAT, UH, UH, THE PORTION THAT THE PORTION IN GREEN HERE, THAT YOU NEED TO CHECK THAT OUT BECAUSE IF YOU GO TO THE TRAVIS COUNTY AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE BOUNDARY OF PRECINCT 4 0 7, IT ACTUALLY GOES OUT FURTHER AND DOES NOT, IT'S NOT AT PRECINCT 4 31.
I MIGHT BE WRONG ABOUT THAT, BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING HAVING CHANGED.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU IS IT'S COMPLICATED MY OVERALL ARCHING MESSAGES AS PLEASE PUT MY TOPLESS, UH, OUT OF DISTRICT THREE AND INTO DISTRICT TWO, WHICH IS ACTUALLY YOUR TIME.
SO BASICALLY THE FIRST TWO VERSIONS OF THE MAP IN 2013 HAD MONTOPOLIS IN DISTRICT TWO.
IT GOT SWITCHED AT THE LAST MINUTE TO DISTRICT THREE.
AND THAT'S MR. RICKY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
I'D LIKE TO ASK JASON CALLAHAN TO ADDRESS COMMISSIONERS FROM DISTRICT TO BREE.
SO I, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT, UM, DISTRICT THREE HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON THE NEEDS OF THE EAST SIDE.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT THE EAST SIDE SHOULD HAVE A DISTRICT FOCUSED ON ITS NEEDS.
AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, THE, THE FOCUS THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER PO RENTERIA HAS HAD HIS ENTIRE TIME IN OFFICE.
HOWEVER, THE DISTRICT ALSO INCLUDES A PORTION SOUTH OF THE RIVER THAT I THINK HAS BEEN, UH, NEGLECTED, UH, BOTH BY A COUNCIL MEMBER, PO RENTERIA AND THE WAY THE DISTRICTS BEEN DRAWN.
UM, AND SO I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE RECTIFIED, UM, MUCH LIKE THE LAST SPEAKER'S COMMENTS, UH, OUR PORTION OF DISTRICT THREE, MIGHT'VE BEEN, UM, MORE APPROPRIATE TO PUT INTO A DISTRICT FIVE.
UM, THE, THE NEEDS AND FOCUS ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT'S ON THE EAST SIDE.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, THE, THE NEW REDISTRICTING, UM, RECTIFYING THAT ISSUE.
I WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY MUTE BUTTON.
THE FINAL PERSON TO SPEAK IS ANNA MASIA.
SHE'S THE PRESIDENT FROM THE OSWALDO CANTU RECREATION CENTER ADVISORY BOARD.
[00:40:02]
IT LOOKS LIKE SHE'S MUTED.HAVE WE UN-MUTED HER? YES, SHE IS CURRENTLY ABLE TO UNMUTE HERSELF, UM, AND A REQUEST HAS BEEN PUT INTO FOR HER TO UNMUTE HERSELF.
MY NAME IS, UM,
UH, I THINK I THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR TIME, BUT I HAVE MANY, MANY CONCERNS, AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I WAS THE COMMITTEE CLERK FOR CONGRESSIONAL AND SENATE REDISTRICTING, UM, AND TRAVELED, UH, TO ALL THE DISTRICTS IN THIS, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS CONVERSATION SURPRISES ME BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT HAS NOT BEEN DONE.
MS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE, UM, YOUR SPEAKERS COVERED.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU HEARD FROM WHAT I SAID, BUT I WAS ALSO THE COMMITTEE CLERK FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL AND SENATE REDISTRICTING AND TRAVELED, UH, THROUGHOUT TEXAS WITH SENATORS AND HELD, UH, HEARINGS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND I AM, I AM, OF COURSE I UNDERSTAND, UH, BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, WE YOU'RE HOLDING DIFFERENT, UM, CONVERSATIONS THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
I BELONG TO DISTRICT THREE AND, UM, I'M SURPRISED THAT DISTRICT THREE HAS NOT CALLED PAN-AM RECREATION CENTER TO INCLUDE ITS COMMUNITY FOR INPUT.
UH, YOUR DECISIONS ARE, ARE GOING TO IMPACT OUR, OUR, UH, GENTRIFIED COMMUNITY.
BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT LIVE THERE ARE MEXICAN AMERICAN.
AND, UM, IT'S SURPRISING TO ME YOUR LACK OF COMMUNICATION, UH, WITH OUR DISTRICT.
UM, AND I'M A PRETTY FURIOUS, AND I, I UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW LINES ARE DRAWN, BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHO OVERSEES YOU, UH, AS YOU, AS YOU GET ALL THIS INFORMATION AND DRAW THE LINES.
I BELIEVE THAT THAT THERE'S TWO CONGRESSIONAL SEATS THAT MAY BE UP FOR, FOR, UH, FOR TEXAS.
AND, UM, I'M JUST VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ALL THIS PROCESS AND HOPE THAT YOU WILL INCLUDE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK BECAUSE HE, WE DON'T, IF YOU, IF YOU, AS A COMMISSION DO NOT GET COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, THEN YOU'RE NOT DOING YOUR JOB.
AND I HOPE, I HOPE YOU FIND BETTER WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
I DID HEAR THAT YOU HAD A, UH, A MEETING IN, IN DOVE SPRINGS, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY ONE HAS NOT BEEN DONE AT PAN-AM, WHICH IS A VERY IT'S IT'S DIVERSE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU HAVE NOT COME TO PAN-AM AND THIS IS BEFORE GETTING TO STAGE FIVE.
I HOPE THAT YOU, YOU CONSIDER THE, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS.
UM, AND, BUT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHO SELECTED ALL OF YOU AND WHAT WAS THE PROCESS.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU'RE AT TIME.
BUT IF HE CAN ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. SENSIA.
I HAVE ALICIA
[00:45:01]
OKAY.THIS IS ALYSSA WHEN DAWN MONTOYA, I'M THE VICE CHAIR OF EACH DUSTIN, UH, EAST TOWN LAKE CITIZEN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS.
I'M A, I'M A CURRENT RESIDENT AND LANDOWNER.
UH, I 2008, HASKELL STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS 77 0 2 ALSO I'M I'VE BEEN REAL INVOLVED IN MY COMMUNITY, BUT MY CONCERNS, WHY THIS WAS REALLY, I I'M GOING TO ECHO WHAT MS.
BUT ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, W WE ALSO HAD, UH, WE HEARD THAT THERE WAS OTHER MEETINGS GOING ON, OR THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE PERSON TO PERSON MEETING INSTEAD OF A VISUAL, UM, COMPUTER.
AND WE'RE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
UH, AS AN ELDER, I HAVE DIFFICULTIES AND, AND THAT'S WHY I'M COMING IN RELATE.
I WAS TRYING TO SET UP MY COMPUTER FOR THE LAST HOUR.
AND, UM, BUT I AM VERY CONCERNED.
I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROCESS AND, UM, HOW THERE'S THIS MAPPING WAS DESIGNATED AND HOW, WHO HAD WHAT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN FROM HERE ON.
SO I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOW IT'S BEEN.
UH, I WAS REALLY INVOLVED BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN THE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT.
SO NOW IT'S REAL HARD TO EVEN FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON WHEN WE DON'T GET NOTIFIED.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT.
AND, AND, AND, UH, ALL THE STUFF IS GOING ON AT THIS POINT OF DISCRIMINATION AND, AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THANK YOU, MS. MONTOYA, I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THE PUBLIC FORUM.
UH, SO I WILL WRAP US UP HERE.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE AGAIN, COMING THIS AFTERNOON, SPENDING YOUR SATURDAY WITH US.
UM, THESE ARE OUR UPCOMING PUBLIC FORUMS, AND IT IS A HYBRID OF IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL.
AND SO, UM, ALL OF THE IN-PERSON ONES THAT YOU SEE, OR RATHER THE TWO LISTED HERE THAT ARE OCCURRING IN DISTRICT TWO AND DISTRICT ONE, UM, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE OCCURRING WITHIN THOSE DISTRICTS, THEY WILL BE OPEN TO ANYONE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, WHO LIVES IN ANY DISTRICT.
AND THOSE, UM, WORKSHEETS THAT WE HAD SHOWN YOU EARLIER IN THIS PRESENTATION WILL BE AVAILABLE IN, UM, PHYSICAL COPIES, UM, FOR ALL 10 DISTRICTS AT EACH OF THOSE IN-PERSON FORUM.
SO, UM, ANYONE HERE TODAY, EVEN IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOUR NEIGHBORS OUT, UM, PLEASE DO ENCOURAGE THEM TO ATTEND ONE OF THESE.
IF THAT IS YOUR PREFERENCE FOR AN IN-PERSON.
WE ALSO HAVE THREE MORE VIRTUAL FORUMS BEFORE WE DRAW OUR PRELIMINARY MAPS, AND THOSE ARE LISTED HERE AS WELL.
ONE THAT WILL BE DISTRICT FIVE FOCUSED, AND THEN TWO CITY-WIDE FORUMS, UM, SATURDAY, AUGUST 21ST, FROM 10 TO 12, AND THEN A SECOND ONE ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 27TH FROM 11 TO ONE.
AS YOU SEE HERE THIS AFTERNOON, THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING OUR FORUM.
I FINALLY, IF YOU WANT TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMISSIONERS, I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN THIS EMAIL A FEW TIMES IN THIS PRESENTATION.
THIS GOES TO ALL 14 OF US, ICRC DOT COMMISSIONERS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT ANY TIME WITH YOUR COMMENTS AND CONCERNS, AND I HOPE YOU'LL HAVE A WONDERFUL AFTERNOON TAKE CARE.