* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. THAT GROUND, [00:00:01] UH, SECONDS, [Music Special Meeting on August 20, 2021] UH, ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S GET INTO IT. THANK YOU. COMMISSION MUSIC COMMISSION WERE ALLOWING ME TO, UH, AVERSE. IF YOU GUYS GET, BRING UP MY PRESENTATION ITEM ONE, UM, IS THE DISCUSSION AND ACTION ON THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDING. WE WANT IT TO GET, UM, ARTS COMMISSIONS THOUGHTS ON THE SPENDING OF THE ARPA FUNDS. BUT PRIOR TO THAT, LET ME GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE LIVE MUSIC FUND. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. OKAY. SO WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS. THROUGH JULY OF THIS YEAR, WE HAVE COLLECTED IN THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, APPROXIMATELY $1.4 MILLION. SO THIS IS GOOD NEWS. IT'S ABOVE, UH, THE ESTIMATE THAT WE HAD PLANNED FOR THE YEAR. END OF 1.2. SO WE'RE IN GREAT POSITION. NEXT SLIDE. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, COUNCIL APPROVED THE BUDGET ON, UM, LAST WEEK, UH, WITH THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS OF $2.5 MILLION. AND SO THIS WILL BE DISPERSED, UH, VIA THE LIVE MUSIC FUN GUIDELINES THAT YOU'RE GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME. AND WE'LL TAKE A FINAL ACTION ON IN SEPTEMBER NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. SO ONE IS TO GET TO THE MEAT OF THE DISCUSSION FOR TODAY AS PART OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN SPENDING FRAMEWORK COUNCIL ALLOCATED $4 MILLION FOR MUSIC. AND TODAY WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION IN TERMS OF SPENDING OF THOSE FUNDS STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT WE SPEND $1.5 MILLION TO SHORE UP THE SAVES LIVE MUSIC VENUE, PRESERVATION FUND. AS YOU MAY RECALL, WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS TO FUND ALL VENUES THAT PARTICIPATED IN SUBMITTED A STRATEGIC EQUITY PLAN. SO WE WOULD LIKE, UH, APPROVAL TO FULLY FUND THAT FUND TO, UM, UH, PROVIDE ALL CLIENTS AND BEING USED THAT PARTICIPATIVE FUNDING AND THE BALANCE OF THE FUNDS. THE 2.3, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE DO, UM, UH, AUSTIN MUSIC DISASTER LEAF FUND 3.0 AND STAFF WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE GUIDE, ERICA, HELLO, COMMISSIONERS ERICA. SHAMLEY A DIVISION MANAGER FOR MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT. UH, SO WANTED TO WALK YOU OVER, WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT WE WERE THINKING FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS OF WHAT'S NEEDED RIGHT NOW, AS FAR AS RELIEF AND RECOVERY, AND KEEP IN MIND LIKE MUSIC FUND EVENT PROGRAM. AND IT ALSO WILL BE LAUNCHED SOON. SO THIS WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO THAT. SO THE $2.3 MILLION IS THAT AMOUNT BECAUSE WE ALREADY SUBTRACTED WHAT WE SUPPOSE WOULD BE A 5%, UH, THIRD PARTY FEE FOR ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM THAT LEFT US A BALANCE OF 2.3 MILLION. AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND THE, UM, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THIS PROGRAM BEYOND THE FIRST TWO ITERATIONS OF THE AUSTIN MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF FUND TO INCLUDE MUSIC INDUSTRY WORKERS IN ADDITION TO PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS. AND SO WE WOULD LIKE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT AS WELL AS ON THE OTHER, UH, BULLETS IN THIS LIST. UH, WE ALSO WANT FEEDBACK ON WHETHER THE GRANT SHOULD BE FOR A THOUSAND DOLLARS OR $2,000, AND YOU CAN SEE THERE HOW MANY, UH, PEOPLE WE CAN SERVE IF WE DO IT ONE OF TWO WAYS. UM, WE ALSO WANT TO JUST REITERATE THAT THE AWARDEES WILL STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND EVENT PROGRAM. SINCE THESE ARE SEPARATE FUNDS WITH SEPARATE PURPOSES, THIS FUND WOULD BE AN UNRESTRICTED GRANT THAT, UH, APPLICANTS AND AWARDEES THAT AWARDEES WOULD BE ABLE TO USE ON THEIR PERSONAL EXPENSES THAT ARE EMERGENCY BASED. IT JUST, WE WON'T BE CHECKING TO SEE WHAT THAT IS IT'S UNRESTRICTED, UM, WHILE THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IS CONTRACTED SERVICES FOR EVENTS, SO TOTALLY SEPARATE THINGS. UM, WE ALSO WANTED TO EXTEND THE ELIGIBILITY TO THOSE LIVING IN THE MSA AND ALSO THE ETJ BECAUSE A LOT OF, UH, MUSICIANS HAVE BEEN DISPLACED OUT OF A COUNCIL DISTRICT THROUGH AFFORDABILITY ISSUES IN THE PANDEMIC OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. AND SO, UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, WE ARE CONSIDERING NOW, UH, WHETHER WE SHOULD USE OUR PREVIOUS THIRD PARTY OF MUSIC HAIRS, OR IF WE SHOULD, IF [00:05:01] THEY'RE AVAILABLE, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, WE WANTED TO HEAR FROM YOU FIRST, UM, OR LOOK AT ANOTHER THIRD PARTY THAT WOULD USE THAT WOULD FACILITATE THE PROGRAM USING THE, UH, GRANT GUIDELINES AND SCORING CRITERIA THAT WE SUPPLY THEM AS WELL AS AN APPLICATION SYSTEM THAT WE WOULD SUPPLY THEM. SO IT WOULD BE PRETTY TURNKEY OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO. SO I'M JUST GOING TO OPEN IT UP HERE. A FINAL SLIDE, JUST LEAVE IT HERE. THE NEXT SLIDE JUST SAYS QUESTIONS, BUT LET ME LEAVE THAT HERE. SO YOU GUYS CAN RUMINATE ON IT AND JUST LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND IF THIS FITS KIND OF WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WOULD BE FOR SOME EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING FOR RIGHT, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE LIVE MUSIC FUND EVENT PROGRAM AND THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UH, WILL BE COMING ONLINE THIS FALL WELL, SO CHEER MERRILL, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY FORMER PRESENTATION. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT THIS AND THEN HEAR CITIZENS AND COME BACK, COME BACK STAFF HERE, HERE TO RECEIVE YOUR FEEDBACK AS WELL AS OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CARBOHYDRATE CARBO HALL, ERICA SHE'S UH, HEY ERICA, GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD CHRIS. OH, EXCUSE WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES I'M FAMILIAR WITH ETJ FROM HAVING FARM OUT OUTSIDE OF THE, OUTSIDE THE BOSTON? WHAT IS MSA? THAT'S A, SO THE MSA ARE THE FIVE COUNTIES, WHICH WOULD BE TRAVIS HAYES, BASTROP YOUR HELP ME OUT. SO NAVY I'M FORGETTING THE LAST TWO CALDWELL CALDWELL AND THERE WAS ONE MORE. SO IT'S OUR CENTRAL TEXAS REGION AND THERE IS A DEFINITION FOR IT. I'M SORRY, I'M JUST FORGETTING OFF THE QUESTION. UM, UH, IS THERE, IS THERE A PROVISION FOR ME TO SPEAK AND PARTICIPATE IN PARTICIPATE? UM, GIVEN THAT I, UM, I COMPLETED THE TRAINING, BUT I HAVE NOT YET SIGNED ON SOME PAPERWORK OR TAKING IT OVER. GOOD. CAN YOU MUTE PLEASE WHILE PEOPLE OTHER PEOPLE ARE TALKING? SORRY, CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN PLEASE? SO, UM, UH, MY APOLOGIES, I'M ASKING IF THERE'S A WAY THAT I CAN PARTICIPATE IN VOTE IF THERE IS, UM, UM, GIVEN THAT I'M TAKING TRAINING, BUT NOT COMPLETED MY OATH OF OFFICE OR MY, OR MY OFFICIAL PAPERWORK JUST YET. SO THE ANSWER IS THAT YOU CANNOT VOTE UNTIL YOU'VE TAKEN YOUR OATH OF OFFICE. IF YOU CAN PARTICIPATE, IF THE, IF THE COMMISSION ASKS YOU TO, YOU KNOW, ASK QUESTION OF YOU OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT, UM, AT THIS POINT YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT A VOTING MEMBER, SO YOU'RE KIND OF, YOU'RE A PARTICIPANT, BUT NOT A VOTING MEMBER. RIGHT. DOES THAT MEAN THAT I CAN SPEAK CHAKA? CAN YOU SPEAK, I WOULD, SCOTT, I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THESE ISSUES. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GRAHAM. UH, SO, UH, I THINK THE, THE FIRST PART OF THIS AND FORGIVE ME, I HAVEN'T DONE A LOT OF MY HOMEWORK. I WAS WAITING FOR THE NEXT MEETING. UM, BUT THIS WAS A SPECIAL MEETING THAT'S BEEN CALLED THE, UH, LIVE MUSIC FUND IS $10 MILLION. THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SPREAD OUT OVER THE COURSE OF TWO YEARS. UM, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, UH, $4 MILLION HERE OF APPROVED, UM, FUNDING. SO I'M, I'M, I, I MAY BE A LITTLE BIT IGNORANT HERE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE A MILLION DOLLARS SHORT AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT. SO IF I COULD STEP IN, SO NOVIA HAUTE RABBI, AGAIN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, LET'S SAY FUND WAS ORIGINALLY FUNDED WITH $5 MILLION. UH, THAT WAS FOR MUSIC VENUE PRESERVATION. THE MUSIC COMMISSION DID REQUEST A FUNDING OF $10 MILLION FROM COUNCIL, BUT COUNCIL ONLY APPROVE OUR SPENDING OF $4 MILLION. AND SO THE FOUR, WE ARE RECOMMENDING 1.5 TO GO TO THE LAB MUSIC. THEN YOU PRESERVATION FUND TO ALLOW THOSE BEING USED THAT HAVE A COMPLETED. UH, BUT WE RAN OUT OF FUNDS TO FULLY FUND THEM AS WELL AS FUND 2.3 FOR THE AUSTIN MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF FUND. BUT YOU ARE CORRECT MUSIC COMMISSIONER REQUESTED 10 MILLION, BUT COUNCIL ONLY APPROVED FOR. OKAY, THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. SO NOVIA IS, IS, IS THE, IS, IS THE TERM FOR MUSIC INDUSTRY, FOR THE MUSIC INDUSTRY APPLICANTS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, FOR THE DISASTER RELIEF, IS IT DEFINED WHAT MEAN, WHAT IS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, CAUSE WE'VE BEEN MAKING SURE DOING THE DEFINITION. I KNOW WE WORKED WITH SO GRAHAM AND OUR LAST THING, YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY DEFINING WHO CAN QUALIFY FOR THAT. IS THAT, IS THERE, IS THERE, IS THERE, IS THAT AVAILABLE? YES, I WILL DEFER TO ERICA. RIGHT. SO THANK YOU. THE ELIGIBILITY FOR PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS THAT WERE USED IN THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS OF AUSTIN MUSIC, DISASTER RELIEF. [00:10:01] AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER DEFINITION THAT WAS USED FOR THE CREATIVE WORKER GRANT THAT WAS, UM, THAT INCLUDED MUSIC, INDUSTRY WORKERS, LIKE EVENT WORKERS. UM, AND SO WE WILL COMBINE THOSE TWO KIND OF REQUIREMENTS FROM THOSE TWO SEPARATE PROGRAMS INTO THESE NEW GUIDELINES. AND SO, BUT FIRST WE WANTED TO HEAR FROM, UH, SHINERS AND COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT EXPANDING THE ELIGIBILITY AND, AND, AND JUST PURE QUICK CURIOSITY. SO WE CAN KEEP MOVING FORWARD. SINCE I KNOW EVERYBODY'S BUSY, IS, IS, IS THERE A TIERED TYPE OF SITUATION THAT, THAT GOES FOR THOSE WORKERS? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IF YOU, WHEN YOU'RE WORKING AT, YOU KNOW, DO IT WHEN YOU'RE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S TIERED, YOU KNOW, FROM SOMEBODY DOING A MORE ABOUT ABOVE THE LINE POSITION VERSUS A LOWER, UH, I, YOU KNOW, SO IS THAT DEFINED AT ALL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? YEAH. OKAY. ARE EITHER A THOUSAND DOLLARS OR $2,000 BASED ON WHAT COMMUNITY AND THE COMMISSION DECIDES IS THE BEST GRANT, UH, LEAP GRANT THAT, AM I JUST CURIOUS? THANK YOU SO MUCH, LADIES. APPRECIATE YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE EXTENSION TO THE MSA E T J BEYOND THE CITY OF AUSTIN. WHEN ARPA GIVES MONEY TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO SPEND, DO THEY GIVE MONEY TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO ADMINISTER FOR THE ENTIRE MSA? DID THEY ALSO GIVE SEPARATE MONEY TO WILLIAMSON COUNTY, UH, TO THESE OTHER OUTLYING COUNTIES? DO THEY GET THEIR OWN SEPARATE POT OR IS THAT, OR IS THAT COMING INTO US? BECAUSE OF, SO WE ARE SUBSIDIZING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I REALIZED THERE WAS SOME DISPLACEMENT, BUT WE ARE SUBSIDIZING PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN WITH AUSTIN DESIGNATED MONEY. CAN YOU CLARIFY PLEASE? UM, COMMISSIONED ROSENTHAL, YOU ARE CORRECT. TRAVIS COUNTY DID RECEIVE ARPA ALLOCATION. UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A RECOMMENDATION. IF THE COMMISSION DEEMS THAT THEY WANT A LIMITED, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM IF I CAN STEP IN THERE OR AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION. OH, SORRY, LAUREN. YOU FIRST. OKAY. BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY, KEEP IN MIND, WE DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER COUNTIES ARE DOING A PROGRAM LIKE THIS FOCUSED IN THE SAME WAY. SO YOU ALSO KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT MANY OF OUR ARTISTS ARE NOT LIVING INTO A COUNCIL DISTRICT RIGHT NOW. AND IF THEY ARE FORCED TO GO TO A DIFFERENT COUNTY, THERE MAY NOT BE A PROGRAM AVAILABLE. SORRY, CAN WE START THERE? THERE MAY NOT BE A PROGRAM, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY NOTHING THAT WOULD STOP THIS MUSIC COMMISSION FROM SAYING, HEY AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY IS GIVING THIS. WE EXPECTED A PROPORTIONATE AMOUNT TO BE COMING FROM WILCO HAYES, UH, ALL, ALL THESE OTHER ONES TO SUPPORT YOUR ARTISTS. WE COULD DO THAT, RIGHT? WE COULD. BUT ONE THING TO REMEMBER LAUREN IS THAT I THINK PART OF THE IDEA OF THIS IS THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY, UH, BIPAP MUSICIANS AND MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED. AS WE KNOW, THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS STRONG HERE. AND SO A LOT, A LOT OF THIS FOCUS IS A WAY TO ADDRESS EQUITY ISSUES. AND AUSTIN HAS RESOURCES BECAUSE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS HERE. AND BECAUSE THE FUNDING IS HERE TO HELP THESE FOLKS IN A WAY THAT THOSE COUNTIES, UH, DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE RESOURCES OR, OR THE WILL TO DO. AND I ALSO, SORRY. YEAH, I THINK, SORRY, GO AHEAD, VOLLEY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. YEAH. IT JUST, JUST A QUICK LINE. UM, AFTER THAT POINT THAT I THINK IT'S ALSO MIGHT BE BECAUSE THESE ARTISTS ARE ACTUALLY COMING AND PARTICIPATING IN THE AUSTRIAN MUSIC ECONOMY AND NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THEIR SPECIFIC COMEDY. SO I THINK THAT JUSTIFIES TRUE AND I REALIZED WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY OVER THESE OTHER COUNTIES. HOWEVER, CALLING THEM OUT FOR, UH, NOT SUPPORTING THEIR ARTISTS AS AUSTIN IS DOING, COULD BE A GOOD, UH, POKE IN THE RIBS AND COULD GET THOSE MUSICIANS ORGANIZED IN THEIR LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO, UH, TO START GETTING SUPPORT FROM THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. WE SHOULD DEFINITELY SET UP SOME KIND OF LIAISON SYSTEM WITH PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW FROM THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES. CAUSE I KNOW PARTICULARLY I HAVE A FARM OUTSIDE IN CALDWELL AND I SPEND, YOU KNOW, TIME IN THE EVENINGS GO INTO LOCKHART. AND IT'S AMAZING TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF AUSTIN MUSICIANS WHO HAVE ALL GRAVITATED THERE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. AND ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS BECAUSE OF COVID AND THEN, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ELSE, THE RISE OF INFLATION, WE KNOW THAT THE COST OF LIVING IN AUSTIN, IT, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE I'M BACK IN THE OLD SCHOOL, AUSTIN, IT'S KIND OF WRITTEN IN A WAY IT'S KIND OF REALLY COOL. THEY'VE NEVER HAD SO MUCH GREAT MUSIC AT ANY GIVEN TIME. LITERALLY THE TOWN SQUARE AROUND THERE REMINDS YOU OF WALKING THROUGH SIXTH STREET IN THE OLD DAYS. YES. WELL THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS PART OF SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT IS IT'S IT'S HAPPENING REGARDLESS. UH, I MEAN YOU'VE GOT NEIGHBORHOODS EXPANDING. [00:15:01] YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, UM, I MEAN SAN MARCUS, I MEAN EVERYTHING FROM SAN MAR, FROM AUSTIN TO SAN ANTONIO IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, UH, IT, I MEAN, AUSTIN IS EXPANDING, IT'S BECOMING THIS HUGE METROPLEX, JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON OR DALLAS, IT'S JUST HAPPENING HERE. UM, NOW THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD, THAT I WOULD ASK IS, UM, AS FAR AS LIKE, IF, IF, YOU KNOW, BY BIPAP MUSICIANS LIVE AND, UM, AND OTHER COUNTIES OR WHATNOT, IS THERE, I MEAN, THERE COULD BE SOME SORT OF LIKE, SO FORMER RECIPROCITY, UM, VERY SIMILAR TO LIKE, IF YOU'RE LIKE, UH, IF YOU'RE REGISTERING PEOPLE TO VOTE, YOU CAN ONLY DO THAT COUNTY BY COUNTY. BUT IF YOU ARE A VOLUNTEER DEPUTY REGISTRAR AT ONE COUNTY, YOU CAN GO TO ANOTHER COUNTY AND GO TO THAT COURTHOUSE AND LIKE REGISTER PEOPLE TO VOTE THAT WAY. SO MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO QUITE POSSIBLY TO, UM, SAY, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE DOES LIKE A HAZE COUNTY OR IF SOMEONE, IT DOES LIVE IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT SHOULDN'T, THAT REALLY SHOULDN'T DETER US FROM, UM, ADMINISTERING THESE FUNDS TO THOSE MUSICIANS. I MEAN, WE HAVE MUSICIANS, I KNOW A LOT OF MUSICIANS IN FACT, THAT LIVING COLLEEN AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEY COME TO AUSTIN TO PLAY MUSIC. SO JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT THERE, I THINK, YES, IF I COULD ADD A COUPLE OF POINTS BEFORE I LEAVE AND MY APOLOGIES FOR BEING DOUBLED, BUT, BUT ARTISTS WHO LIVE OUTSIDE AS A COMMISSIONER, STRICT BALLOON WOODS MENTIONING THEY STILL DO CONTRIBUTE TO THE AUSTIN ECONOMY. AND, UM, THERE WAS A, UH, A WEBINAR THIS WEEK THAT STRESSED THAT ARPA FUNDS SHOULD LEAD WITH EQUITY. AND AUSTIN WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE CITIES ON THE PANEL BECAUSE OF OUR EQUITY FOCUS OF ALL OF OUR COVID PROGRAMS. SO JUST WANTED TO, UH, UNDERSCORE LEADING WITH EQUITY, UM, UNDERSCORE THAT ARTISTS STILL COME IN TO PLAY AND CONTRIBUTE TO OUR ECONOMY. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT WAS A WEBINAR PUT ON BY THE TREASURY. SO THIS IS DIRECTION COMING DIRECTLY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO FOCUS ON EQUITY. AND THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF US TRYING TO LEAD WITH THAT FINE, GETTING BACK TO CHRIS'S QUESTION ABOUT TEARS. IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY OF HALF, $2,000 GRANTS AND HALF $1,000 GRANTS OR TWO 30? IN OTHER WORDS, PEOPLE THAT SINCE WE'RE EXPANDING THE POOL, UH, IT, OR IF WE DECIDE TO EXPAND THE POOL, THE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE NOT INCLUDED THE PREVIOUS TIME HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY HELP FROM THE FIRST WAY, BUT THIS PROGRAM, AND THEN FOLKS FROM THE ETJ AND MSA HAVE ALSO SO ONE, I WOULD ASSUME THAT THERE'S A GREATER PROPORTION OF NEED. AND SO IT, FIRST TIME APPLICANTS, UH, COULD GET THE 2000 AND, AND SECOND TIME APPLICANTS COULD GET THE 1000. THAT WOULD BE A THOUGHT FROM TWO TO TWO, SEPARATE THE TWO, KEEP, STILL KEEP IT SIMPLE WHERE IT'S TWO LEVELS INSTEAD OF THREE. UH, ANYWAY, THAT'S I JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT ABUSED MUSIC INDUSTRY WORKERS WERE ELIGIBLE FOR THE CREATIVE WORKER GRANT, WHICH HAPPENED AFTER THE AUSTIN MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF GRANT. SO EVERYONE WAS ABLE TO GET UP TO $2,000 BETWEEN THE TWO PROGRAMS LAST YEAR, SO THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN. THIS WILL BE STILL JUST MUSIC FOR THIS FUND, IF THAT, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT, THAT IT MAY NOT BE AS CUT AND DRY AS, AS THAT, ALTHOUGH WE CAN PRIORITIZE, UH, APPLICANTS THAT HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY AT ALL OVER THE LAST YEAR. OH, HOW, UM, HOW IS THE, UM, IS IT JUST GOING TO BE FIRST COME FIRST SERVE, LIKE HOW, HOW YOU DETERMINE WHO GETS THE FUNDING? SEE, I'VE LEARNED A LOT OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF THAT WE CAN SCORE AND LEAD WITH EQUITY WITH OUR SCORING, SO THAT, UM, WE LEARNED A LOT FROM OUR FIRST THEN FIRST SERVE TO A LOTTERY SYSTEM TO A QUICK SCORING MECHANISM THAT LEADS WITH EQUITY THAT CAN QUICKLY, UH, GET THROUGH APPLICATIONS. AND SO WE WOULD LEAN TOWARDS A SIMPLE SCORING MATRIX THAT LED WITH EQUITY. THAT WOULD BE EASY TO FACILITATE WITH THE THIRD. OKAY. SO THERE IS A REASON YOU LEFT IT OFF OF THE BULLET POINTS OR JUST EAT IT. UH, YEAH, WE JUST THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US WELL, WE'LL PUT THOSE, THAT COMMENT IN OUR NOTES. UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO SAY WAS JUST GIVE YOU Y'ALL SOME PROPS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UM, THIS WAS AN ISSUE, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A CLEAR ISSUE IN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY, UM, EXPRESS THROUGH THE FIRST ROUND WHERE PEOPLE WERE SAYING, HEY, I DON'T LIVE IN AUSTIN. I WAS INELIGIBLE. SO, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT WITH DISCUSSING IT, BUT I JUST WANT TO GIVE Y'ALL, UM, PROMPTS FOR RESPONDING TO THAT BECAUSE I WAS A BIG CONCERN. SO THANK YOU. CAN I JUST, [00:20:01] UH, JUMP IN, UM, AND SAY THAT, UH, I AGREE WITH, UH, WITH, UH, EXTENDING, UH, ELIGIBILITY, BECAUSE THAT ALSO KIND OF ADDRESSES SOME OF OUR AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, IN AUSTIN, UM, MUSICIANS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE, BUT STILL WORK HERE, UM, FOR MOST OF THEIR, UH, CAREERS. UH, SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND ALSO, UH, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ABOUT A PERCENTAGE OF INCOME THROUGH MUSIC, IF, UH, YOU KNOW, FULL TIME MUSICIANS CAN BE PRIORITIZED OVER PEOPLE WHO MAYBE OTHER HAVE OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME. UH, I WAS CURIOUS IF THAT WAS PART OF THE, AND ONE MORE THING I WANTED TO SAY IS, I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WANTED TO GET THE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION BACK AND BEFORE WE JUST CONTINUE, LIKE, UH, HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, I THINK WE JUST WANTED TO, UM, SO NAVITAS TIME, AND THEN I THINK WE CAN GO BACK JUST CAUSE SHE HAS TO JUMP OFF. SO WHENEVER SHE JUMPS OFF, I THINK WE CAN GO BACK TO THE CITIZENS SHE'S OUT. OH, SHE JUMPED OFF. YEAH. DO YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR LAUREN? LIKE, AND THEN WE JUMPED IN PAT. YES. OKAY. SO THE SCORING CRITERIA, UH, DID OUTLINE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN AND THAT, UH, ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT REQUIRED THERE. I DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS. STEPHANIE, COULD YOU GO INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT? SURE. THE CRITERIA IS, UH, BASED ON THE, I THINK IT'S MORE BASED ON THE, THE AMOUNT OF WORK YOU PUT INTO, I MEAN LIKE LOTS OF MUSICIANS ARE FULL-TIME MUSICIANS WHO HAVE FULL-TIME JOBS WHO SAW A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF INCOME LOSS. SO THE CRITERIA WILL BE MORE REFLECTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW FREQUENTLY YOU'RE WORKING IN AND IT'S GOING TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION FOR SURE. I HAVE A QUESTION AS WELL. YES. TH I THOUGHT SOMEONE ELSE HAD ASKED FIRST. YEAH. I WAS JUST GOING TO RESPOND TO THAT. SO I PATRICE, I JUST, UH, UH, I THINK IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO CONSIDER PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME AVAILABLE TO THEM. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO PRIORITIZE THAT AT ALL, BUT NARCOTICS, UNEMPLOYMENT, UH, ASSISTANCE, UM, REALLY, YOU KNOW, ADDS A LAYER OF DIFFICULTY TO THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE, UH, OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME. YEAH. AND THAT'S CERTAINLY WHY WE'RE HERE IS TO TAKE THAT TIME. STARTING AUGUST DID COME UP THE FIRST TIME AROUND AND IT'S WILL BECOME A VERY BURDENSOME PROCESS TO LIKE ASK FOR PERSONAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION. LIKE, AND WE WENT THERE AT FIRST AND IT WAS ENDED UP BEING VERY UNPOPULAR AT MUSICIANS DIDN'T WANT TO PROVIDE THEIR TAX RETURNS AND THE VERY SPECIFICS OF WHAT THEIR SITUATION WAS. AND AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS THROUGH THE FIRST PROCESS WITH ALSO MUSIC, DISASTER RELIEF, BUT ALL OF THE PROGRAMS IS THAT THERE IS NO DENYING THAT, UM, PEOPLE LOST MONEY. AND, UM, REGARDLESS OF YOUR SITUATION AT HOME, OR IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER JOB WHEN IT CAME TO THE MUSIC COMPONENT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT EARNING THAT EARNING WENT AWAY. AND SO WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE EARNINGS GOING AWAY AND AS A MUSICIAN, BECAUSE WE IT'S JUST A LOT TO DO, HAVE TO GO AND VERIFY THE INDIVIDUAL SITUATION OF EACH APPLICANT WHEN THEY CAN VERY WELL PROVE THAT THEY LOST ALL OF THEIR MUSIC. RIGHT. SO THAT'S HOW WE FOCUSED THE GUIDELINES. RIGHT. AND IF YOU THINK, I MEAN, IF I THINK OF THIS, THINK OF THE CIRCUMSTANCE WE SAW IT, WE SPOKE TO EVERY MUSICIAN WITH SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES. SO, I MEAN, IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. WE DID SEE QUITE A FEW MUSICIANS IN VERSION 1.0, WHO WERE APPREHENSIVE ABOUT PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, TONS AND TONS OF INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR INCOME AND, YOU KNOW, NO TWO APPLICANTS LOOK THE SAME, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY, I THINK THAT THERE'S STUFF, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE IS TO TAKE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM YOU ALL AND TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN SERVE THE COMMUNITY BETTER. I MEAN, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S A WAY TO EVEN JUST ASK THE QUESTION, LIKE, DO YOU GET 100% OF YOUR INCOME FROM MUSIC? DO YOU HA I MEAN, IT WOULD BE AN HONOR SYSTEM THING. YOU, MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET TAX RETURNS THAT IN THE FIRST ROUND, AND THEN WE ASK FOR DOCUMENTATION TO BACK IT UP, WHICH WAS THE, I THINK THAT WAS TOO FAR. SO AT THE SECOND ROUND, WE DID ASK THOSE TYPES OF SELF ATTESTATION QUESTIONS AND WERE WELL, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO PUT THE LINK TO THE AUSTIN MUSIC, DISASTER RELIEF FUND, A WEBPAGE THAT STILL HAS ALL THAT INFORMATION INCLUDED. AND WE'LL PROVIDE THAT TO YOU GUYS THROUGH EMAIL AND [00:25:01] CHAT THROUGH WEBEX, BUT WE CAN SEND YOU THE REMINDER TODAY OF WHAT THOSE GUIDELINES WERE FOR THE TWO VERSIONS. THANK YOU. SORRY, PATRICE, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. NO PROBLEM. UM, I AM CURIOUS. I WENT, I WAS INVITED TO A, UH, A GATHERING EARLIER IN THE SUMMER. UH, IT WAS ALL PEOPLE I HAD NOT MET BEFORE, AND I'VE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT OUR WORK BECAUSE AROUND THE TABLE WHERE EVERYONE WAS EATING, UH, THERE WERE A LOT OF WORKING CLASS MUSICIANS THERE. I WOULD CALL THEM. UM, BUT OF COURSE THAT'S HARD TO SAY, UH, HOW TO CLASSIFY THEM. BUT THE THING THAT STRUCK ME AND I MAY HAVE MENTIONED THIS IN A PAST COMMISSION MEETING IS THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM ARE RECENTLY, UM, MOVED TO AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY. AND AS THEY WERE EATING, THEY WERE STARTING TO DISCUSS HOW ENCOURAGING IT WAS THAT AUSTIN IS WORKING ON GRANTS FOR MUSICIANS. AND IT SEEMED THAT THAT WAS A PART OF THE MOTIVATION FOR THEM TO COME HERE, ALONG WITH WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPARED TO OTHER LARGE CITIES THAT ARE ALSO MUSIC ORIENTED ENTERTAINMENT, ORIENTED CITIES. AND I DON'T WANT TO SUGGEST THAT WE DISCRIMINATE OR DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM MOVING TO AUSTIN, BUT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE FIELDING HOW LONG MUSICIANS HAVE LIVED HERE, BECAUSE I'LL SHARE THE CONCERN ABOUT MUSICIANS WHO HAVE LIVED HERE FOR MORE EXTENDED TIME THAN JUST THIS YEAR, FOR INSTANCE, OR RECENTLY. AND THOSE THAT HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO COME HERE AND SELL THEIR HOMES AND OTHER PLACES AND BUY HOMES HERE AND THEN LEVERAGE THESE GRANTS WITHOUT US HAVING ENOUGH. SO THAT'S THAT QUESTIONS THAT WE ASK, WHETHER THEY'RE ON OUR SYSTEM OR NOT. I THINK WE SHOULD BE ASKING THEM. SO WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM IS THAT THERE WOULD BE A SCORING MECHANISM. AND SO THAT'S A QUESTION WE COULD SCORE. HAVE YOU LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR TWO YEARS, FIVE YEARS, 10 YEARS, AND SCORE FOR THAT. THAT WAS SOMETHING WE WERE NOT ABLE TO DO BEFORE, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T DO A SCORE. AND SO THAT COULD BE ONE OF OUR, UH, A SCORING MECHANISM WITH THOSE TYPES OF CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS. THAT'S EXACTLY HOW WE PRIORITIZE WHO WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE. SO, LIKE WE SAID, WE'RE TAKING NOTES, THAT'S A VERY GOOD SUGGESTION AND WE CAN DO THE SAME THING WITH LOSS OF INCOME OR ACCESS TO OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME YOU CAN SCORE FOR THAT SELF ATTEST. HOPEFULLY EVERYONE'S HONEST. UM, BUT WE CAN BE SURE THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING WITH EQUITY, BUT ALSO WITH THE HARDEST HIT AND EQUITY. IT'S AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION. YEAH. GREAT SUGGESTION. GREAT DISCUSSION EVERYONE. UM, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO MOVE BACK TO CITIZEN COMMUNICATION AND INCOME BACK TO THIS DISCUSSION, BUT THESE ARE GREAT. UM, GREAT IDEAS. SO THANKS EVERYONE. UM, PATRICK, ARE YOU YEAH. CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YOU GOT, YOU GUYS GOT ME. YES. YEP. ALL RIGHT. UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, I HAD A WHOLE SPEECH PREPARED, BUT I JUST CRUMPLED IT UP AND THREW IT OUT THE WINDOW. CAUSE I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID HERE TODAY, UH, TO THOSE THEY'LL KNOW V AND ERICA, THESE PROGRAMS YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT IS EXACTLY. I THINK WHAT WE WANT TO SEE HAPPEN. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO SEE IF WE CAN WORK WITH COUNCIL TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE, UH, DIRECTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO FIND THAT 10 MILLION. NO, BUT FOR NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE IN AGREEMENT ON THE FRAMEWORK. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IN MY IDEAL SCENARIO, THIS WOULD INCLUDE A REPLENISHMENT OF THE AUSTIN MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF FUND, UH, TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS FOR MUSICIANS WHO HAVE ONLY RECEIVED THAT THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC. UM, AND THEN WE WORKED PRETTY CLOSELY WITH Y'ALL ON THIS LAST YEAR AND THE PROGRAM WORKS. UH, SO LET'S DOUBLE DOWN ON THAT. UM, OR REPLENISHMENT OF THE CREATIVE WORK RELIEF GRANT, UH, TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON MUSIC INDUSTRY WORKERS AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO MASSAGE THE LANGUAGE AND CALL IT LIKE, UH, THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WORKED FOR RELIEF GRANT, UM, AND FINALLY, UH, CONTINUED RELIEF FOR VENUES WITH A FOCUS ON THE EQUITABLE BOOKING PRACTICES THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS WORKED SO HARD UPON. UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD, UH, IT'S RELEVANT, I THINK TO THE CONVERSATION HERE THAT MMA, UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN IN DISCUSSION FOR SEVERAL MONTHS WITH TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND JUDGE AND ANDY BROWN, UH, TO UNDERLINE THE FACT THAT MUSICIANS LIVING OUTSIDE OF COUNCIL DISTRICTS WERE INELIGIBLE FOR THOSE CITY PROGRAMS. UM, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM FOCUS, UH, ON PROGRAMS THAT DIRECTLY AID MUSICIANS, [00:30:01] UH, INDUSTRY WORKERS AND VENUES, UM, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TRAVIS COUNTY GOT SO NOVIA CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT IT'S SOMETHING LIKE 287 MILLION. AND SO THEY HAVE A LOT OF MONEY THAT THEY NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE JURISDICTION OF CITY STAFF, UH, WE'RE HERE TO HELP WITH THAT PROCESS. AND I WANT TO GO FORWARD, UH, IN A SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION BECAUSE WE ALL DO HAVE THE SAME GOALS AND WE'RE ALL STRONGER TOGETHER. UM, SO JUST TO REITERATE REAL QUICK, LET'S FOCUS ON MUSICIANS, INDUSTRY WORKERS, AND VENUES, WHILE ALSO APPLYING SHOCK AS PI TEMPLATE TO EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS. UM, AS ALWAYS, I'M HERE TO HELP. AND I WANT US ALL TO SUCCEED TOGETHER IN THIS GOAL OF KUDOS ON THE GREAT WORK, UH, SYLVIA AND ERICA, AND LET'S, LET'S MAKE THIS THING HAPPEN. THANKS. Y'ALL NICE, PATRICK. UM, OKAY. WE CAN GO BACK. ANYBODY HAVE ANY MORE COMMENTS? QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, THOUGHTS? YEAH, I GUESS I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION, UM, JUST ABOUT, UH, MAYBE SCORING OR THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND THAT, UH, MANY MUSICIANS ARE NOT ONLY SUPPORTING THEMSELVES OR ATTEMPTING TO, BUT I WANT TO REPORT THAT AFTER DOING A LITTLE BIT OF TOURING THIS SUMMER IN A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION, I CAME HOME TO THEN USE OPENING UP VERY BUSY CLUBS. UM, AND IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THE ATTENDANCE HAS DROPPED TO ABOUT ONE QUARTER AT MY SHOWS. UM, IT'S CREATED A SITUATION WHERE I MAY HAVE TO DROP THE GUARANTEES, PAY A LIVING WAGE TO THE MUSICIANS I WORK WITH, AND THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY LEFT FOR ME TO PAY MYSELF. UM, ON TOP OF THAT CONSIDERATION TO POSSIBLY, UH, ADD QUESTIONS ABOUT MUSICIANS, NOT ONLY, UH, SUPPORTING THEMSELVES, BUT IF, IF THERE'S ANY WAY OR ANY DESIRE FOR APPLICANTS TO DISCLOSE, UH, FAMILY MEMBERS THAT THEY'RE SUPPORTING, I CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF AS, ALTHOUGH I'M, UH, A WHITE WOMAN WITH A LOT OF PRIVILEGE AND I'VE HAD SUCCESS IN THIS TOWN. UM, I'M ALSO IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, AM A WOMAN AND SUPPORTING CURRENTLY EITHER SUPPLEMENTING OR SUPPORTING FIVE GENERATIONS OF MY FAMILY IN THIS TOWN RIGHT NOW. AND SEVERAL OF MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS ARE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS. MANY OF THE MUSICIANS ARE NOT ONLY TRYING TO WORK AND GET GIGS AND JUST SUPPORT THEMSELVES, BUT WE HAVE FAMILIES WHO ARE UNDER A LOT OF DURESS RIGHT NOW. SO I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO FIND OUT WHO'S AT MOST RISK THAT WE'RE DOING THAT WORK TO DO THAT FOR THESE GRANTS, I'LL PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT, OFF OF WHAT PATRICE IS SAYING HERE. UM, AND PATRICE, THANK YOU FOR, FOR MAKING YOURSELF VULNERABLE, UM, LIKE THAT, UM, THIS, THIS, THIS, UM, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, AS FAR AS THESE FUNDS GO, THEY, THIS ALSO APPLIES TO VENUES AS WELL. LIKE VENUES CAN APPLY FOR SOME OF THESE FUNDS AS WELL. IS THAT CORRECT? OR IS IT JUST ARTISTS WE'LL DO APPLY FOR THE MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF FUND? THE ONE THAT WE LAID THE FRAMEWORK OUT FOR THIS WOULD NOT BE VENUES THAT WOULD BE THE ONE OR $2,000 GRANTS WOULD BE FOR ARTISTS IN POTENTIALLY INDUSTRY PROFESSIONS. OKAY. BUT THIS IS ALL PART OF, UM, THIS IS ONE BUCKET. THIS IS ONE SMALL BUCKET OF A BIGGER BUCKET AS TO WHICH THEN USERS COULD THEN APPLY FOR THOSE FUNDS. IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY. SO THEN WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THAT IS, UM, W WHY I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN OPEN CONVERSATION, MAYBE NOT NOW, MAYBE LATER, BUT, UM, IF VENUES HAVE RECEIVED A PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM, MONEY OR SVO GRANTS, OR, UM, ANY IDLE ECONOMIC INJURY, DISASTER LOANS, ANY OF THOSE THINGS, UM, I THINK THAT SHOULD PROBABLY AFFECT THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR RECEIVING MORE MONEY BY THE CITY. UM, I ALSO DO THINK THAT IF, UM, THEY HAVE CONVERTED THEMSELVES TO RESTAURANTS IN ORDER TO STAY OPEN AND THEN APPLIED FOR LOANS AND GRANTS THROUGH THE RESTAURANT, UM, UM, FEDERAL FUNDING, WHATEVER THAT STUFF WAS, UM, THEN THAT SHOULD ALSO, WE SHOULD ALSO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT IN TERMS OF THEM, UM, THAT AFFECTING THEIR ELIGIBILITY TO REQUIRE MORE FUNDS AS WELL. UM, THAT'S WHAT I WILL, UH, SAY TO THAT FOR RIGHT NOW. [00:35:06] THANKS, SCOTT. I APPRECIATE YOU WELCOME VALLEY. YOU'VE BEEN RAISING YOUR HAND FOR A WHILE. YEP. UH, SO WHEN WE SAY WE, UM, WE'RE GOING TO REACH, UM, THOUSAND 2,300 MUSICIANS, UM, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE JUST BASED ON THE SURVEYS OR THE LAST EXPERIENCE, WATCH THE POLL. WE ARE LOOKING AT THE TOTAL NUMBERS, USUALLY OUT OF FITCH, ABOUT A THOUSAND OR 2000. HOW MANY APPLICANTS DO YOU ANTICIPATE GETTING, OR DID THEY GET JUST BASED ON THE LAST DRIVE? CAN I SPEAK, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT IF YOU WANT ME TO. YEAH. SO FOR AROUND ONE OF THE, UH, VERSION 1.0, UM, MUSIC, DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS, WE SAW ABOUT HALF OF THE APPLICANTS, HALF OF THE NEED MET, AND THAT WAS BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT LIVING IN THE ETJ, ET CETERA. SO WE, UM, BASED ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, MADE SOME CHANGES TO THE VERSION, THE SECOND ROUND OF THAT, BUT WE HAD JUST, UH, I THINK RIGHT AT 1500 APPLICANTS FOR THE FIRST ROUND, AT $1.5 MILLION, WE EXPENDED THE ENTIRE FUND, BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 10 AND 15 APPLICANTS AND THAT I THINK WE ARRIVED 1,515, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. OR YOU UNDERSTOOD THE MORE APPLICATIONS THIS TIME ROUND. I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY POSSIBILITY IF WE, ESPECIALLY, IF WE OPEN UP THE CRITERIA TO INCLUDE MUSIC, INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE TJ, I CERTAINLY THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE AN UPTICK. OKAY. SO I WONDER IF WE VOTE ONYX EXPANDING. I THINK WE SEEM TO BE MAYBE NOT A CONSENSUS, BUT A COST OF AGREEMENT ON THAT. AND SOME SORT OF JUST A RELATIVELY SIMPLE TIERED SYSTEM, FIRST TIME, APPLICANTS AND DEMONSTRATION ON THE EXTREME NEED OR, UH, OUR 2000 AND EVERYONE ELSE'S A THOUSAND, UM, UH, W W MY THOUGHT KNOW, THE WHOLE THING HAS A FOCUS ON EQUITY, AND I KNOW AS WELL, THAT'S PART OF THE SCORING SYSTEM. YEAH. SO REAL QUICK, AND THEN, SORRY, THE LAWN PEOPLE ARE HERE, THE DOG IS NOT HAPPY, BUT JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WHAT WE COULD DO IS BUILD IN THOSE QUESTIONS TOO AND SCORE THEM. AND THEN WE SCORE HIGHER FOR THE ONES THAT MEET ALL THOSE QUALIFICATIONS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND THEN WE CAN RESERVE THE 2000 FOR THE TOP SCORES TO A CERTAIN NUMBER AND, YOU KNOW, BY PERCENTAGE, AND THEN THE SECOND TIER, A THOUSAND BASED ON THE LOWER SCORES. SO I LIKE TO MOTION THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH THOSE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS SECOND. OKAY. AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT FOR EVERY RECIPIENT WHO LIVES OUTSIDE THE AUSTIN, UH, OUTSIDE OF TRAVIS COUNTY, WE MAKE A NOTE OF THAT AND SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE COUNTIES, FOR WHOM WE ARE HELPING OUT WITH THE STRONG SUGGESTION THAT THEY HELP. UM, THEY, THEY HELP OUT HELP OUT MUSICIANS IN ANY WAY THEY CAN. UM, THAT'S CERTAINLY DATA THAT COULD BE INCLUDED IN OUR, IN OUR FRAMEWORK AND WHAT WE'RE REPORTING, UM, ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL APPLICANTS THAT THEY'RE REALLY PROGRAMS. SO IT'S A, CERTAINLY THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK AND KEEP, KEEP TRACK OF FOR SURE. GRANT, CAN YOU MAKE THAT MOTION AGAIN, PLEASE? UH, RE WE RECOMMEND A TWO TIERED SYSTEM BASED ON FIRST TIME APPLICANTS AND, UH, DEMONSTRATION OF EXTREME NEED FOR 2000 ALL, OR 1000 WITH THE, UH, ELIGIBILITY EXPANDED TO MSA ETJ AND INDUSTRY. WE GOT A SECOND COMMISSIONER. LUMON ALL IN FAVOR, OPPOSED. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. UM, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, IDEAS, QUESTIONS. I WOULDN'T TO JUST ASK YOUR QUESTIONS ON THE THIRD PARTY, AND YOU WANT US TO PERCEIVE OUR PREVIOUS THIRD PARTY, OR, YOU KNOW, PUT THE CALL OUT OR, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVE TO CALL, BUT TRY TO FIND THE RIGHT ORGANIZATION TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS QUICKLY. JUST LET US KNOW WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ON ARE ON THE PREVIOUS THIRD PARTY. CAN I SPEAK ON THAT REAL QUICK? OH, SOMEONE ELSE WANTS [00:40:01] TO TALK. I WAS, I WAS ALSO ON IT. UM, BUT I LIKED THE IDEA OF, OF USING MUSICARES OR ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT REALLY UNDERSTANDS THE MUSIC COMMUNITY. UM, I AGREE. YEAH, ALSO IT'S GOOD TO MIX IT UP. NEW GLOVES. ALWAYS. GOOD. GO AHEAD, SCOTT. THERE'S ALSO THANK YOU, SHOTGUN. UH, THERE WAS ALSO A, UM, UM, A PROVISION IN THE WAY THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOES THINGS, OTHERS, A PROVISION WHERE WE CAN EMERGE. WE CAN, UM, THROUGH AN EMERGENCY ACT, UH, JUST APPROVE A, UM, A VENDOR, UH, TO BE AN ADMINISTER OF THESE FUNDS, UH, THAT KIND OF THING. AND I FORGET IT'S LIKE SECTION 2 33 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, FROM WHAT I WAS READING, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT NEEDS TO GO AWAY, BUT I THINK THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON HOW THAT SELECTION PROCESS IS MADE AND WHAT WE CAN DO, YOU KNOW, UM, LIKE, UH, I MEAN, WE NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT AT EVERY SINGLE STEP OF THE WAY SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THESE FUNDS THAT NEED TO GO OUT TO PEOPLE BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS GOING TO GET BAD. COVID IS GONNA, YOU KNOW, GO SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN AGAIN. UM, SO, UM, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE FUNDS ARE GETTING EXPEDITED QUICKLY, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT'S ALSO BEING DONE IN A VERY RESPONSIBLE FASHION. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT ONCE THESE PEOPLE HAVE THE MONEY, THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, DO DUMB STUFF JUST TO PUT IT LIGHTLY. UM, SO I, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, I'M VERY, VERY MUCH IN FAVOR AND, AND I KNOW I CAN'T VOTE, BUT, UM, I WOULD EVEN LIKE TO DO A WORKING GROUP, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT PERSON, THOSE CONTRACTS THAT WE SELECT TO DO THAT WOULD BE, UM, UM, UM, THAT THEY'RE FULLY VETTED AND ALL THAT, ALL THAT STUFF. SO I'M JUST GOING TO LEAVE THAT THERE FOR NOW. WELL, I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ON THE PROCESS REAL QUICK OF HOW WE ARE ABLE TO DO THIS AND HOW WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT THIRD PARTIES THAT HAVE BEEN USED FOR THE RELIEF RECOVERY. THERE ARE VERY SPECIFIC PROCESSES THROUGH PURCHASING TO DO A, UM, A CERTIFICATE OF, UH, I'LL BE OUT STEPHANIE, WHERE THE COE COI, SEALING CERTIFICATE EXEMPTION. THANK YOU. AND SO THOSE ARE VERY SPECIFIC PARAMETERS THAT WHERE WE CAN GET PERMISSION TO GO WITH SOMEONE THAT CAN QUICKLY DELIVER EXACTLY AS THE CITY HAS PROPOSED IN ITS GUIDELINES AT SCORING AND IN ITS CONTRACT AND THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF. UM, WE HAVE USED SEVERAL THIRD PARTIES THAT HAVE EXHIBITED, UM, YOU KNOW, GREAT CARE AND SKILL, ESPECIALLY AS THEY'VE, WE'VE GONE ON IN THIS PANDEMIC. WE'VE ALL GOTTEN A LOT BETTER AT WHAT WE DO AND DELIVERING THESE, UH, PROGRAMS AS QUICKLY, EFFICIENTLY EQUITABLY AS POSSIBLE, AND ACCORDING TO CITY GUIDELINES. SO ANY THIRD-PARTY HAS TO FOLLOW OUR GUIDELINES, OUR SCORING OUR APPLICATION, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO EVEN PROVIDE THE APPLICATION PORTAL THIS TIME. SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE CITY IS HANDING OVER A TURNKEY PROCESS AND SYSTEM TO A THIRD PARTY THAT HAS A CAPACITY TO DO IT SO THAT IT CAN BE DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THIRD PARTIES WILL NOT BE INVOLVED IN THE HOW, OR I, OR LET'S DO IT THIS WAY. THEY ONLY DELIVER EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE TOLD. SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO, YEAH, THAT OVERSIGHT WILL COME FROM US AND WE HAVE NOT HAD, HAVE NOT HAD ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT A THIRD PARTY FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. I WONDER, UH, SINCE WE HAVE QUITE A FEW WORKING GROUPS ALREADY, UM, MY, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S AN OFFICIAL THING LIKE THIS, BUT IF SCOTT, IF YOU WERE THE LIAISON FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION TO STAFF ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, AND IT MAKES IT VERY NIMBLE, YOU CAN HOP ON THE PHONE AT ANY TIME WITH ERICA AND TALK OR ANYONE ON THE STAFF AND TALK ABOUT WHERE THE PROCESS IS, REPORT BACK, UH, THROUGH EMAIL AND KEEP US INFORMED. UM, AND THEN IF YOU SAID, OH, I'M STARTING TO WORRY ABOUT THIS PROCESS. OR IF THERE'S SOME REASON WHY, UH, MORE NUMBERS IN A WORKING GROUP, THEN WE, WE COULD, UM, FORM A WORKING GROUP, UH, BASED ON NEED THAT YOU'VE DISCOVERED THAT JUST A THOUGHT SINCE YOU EXPRESSED SPECIFIC INTEREST IN, I LIKE WHAT YOU DID THERE, GRAHAM. YES, I WILL DO THAT. SOUNDS GOOD. OKAY. WE NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN. [00:45:02] UM, WAS THERE HOW I WAS CURIOUS, UM, IF ANYBODY CAN SHARE, WELL, FIRST IS IT, IS IT ANYBODY WHO HASN'T SPOKEN THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING THAT HASN'T SAID ANYTHING YET? JUST TAKE THEM OFF FOR THAT? UM, IF NOT THEN, UM, I WAS CURIOUS IF PEOPLE HAVE FEEDBACK ABOUT MUSIC CARES, LIKE, UH, BECAUSE I DIDN'T APPLY FOR THESE FUNDS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL KNOW, UH, WHAT TYPE OF FEEDBACK PEOPLE GOT OR WHAT COULD TELL THE FEEDBACK PEOPLE HAD ABOUT MUSIC, HIS HANDLING OF, OF THE GRANT. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN A RECIPIENT OF SEVERAL GRANTS THROUGH MUSIC CARES AS WELL AS, AS, UH, COLLEAGUES OF MINE AND MY HUSBAND. AND, UH, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD GOOD EXPERIENCES BEING ON THE RECEIVING END OF, UH, EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE DONE. I MEAN, EVEN FROM LIKE GETTING A SENSE SENSE WITH, YOU KNOW, DENTAL, DENTAL WORK THAT WENT BEYOND THE SCOPE OF HAM AND THAT SORT OF THING. SO I I'VE ALWAYS REALLY APPRECIATED WHAT, UM, MY EXPERIENCE WITH THEM. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A GOOD EXPERIENCE, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, FROM THAT SIDE OF THINGS, I KNOW THAT THE, SORRY, I'M JUST GOING TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND SHUT UP WITH LAUREN. I RECEIVED THE MUSIC CARES GRANT. IT WAS SOLID, SOLID ROCK SOLID BECAUSE I RECEIVED THE FUNDS. BUT BECAUSE YEAH, YOU CAN DO IS ADD YOU. THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR MUSICIANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT IN AUSTIN. AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS A GREAT WAY TO CONNECT MUSICIANS TO THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE, COULD BE OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THAT MUSICIAN, UH, BECAUSE THEY FIND OUT BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE APPLICATION THAT A NEED MAY FIT INTO THEIR SCOPE AS A FOUNDATION. AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. IT'S A GREAT WAY TO TRY TO FIND AS MUCH SUPPORT FOR OUR AUSTIN BASED MUSICIANS AS WE POSSIBLY, NO, WE HAVE NOT HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MUSICARES ABOUT AROUND TWO OR THREE AROUND ROUND THREE. WE HAVE NOT TALKED TO THEM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT'S ANOTHER POINT ABOUT THE APPLICANTS WHO DID NOT RECEIVE THOSE 15 APPLICANTS. YOU MISSED IT, MISSED THE CRITERIA WHO MISSED THE WINDOW. MUSIC CARES, DID DO SOME OFFICIAL OUTREACH TO THEM AND SEE IF THEY COULD HELP YOU PAY A BILL OR TWO OUTSIDE OF THE MONIES WITH WHAT THE CITY OF BOSTON HAD ALLOCATED TO THEM. SO EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T RECEIVE THE THOUSAND DOLLARS, IT WAS SECURE, CURIOUS, STILL WASN'T. I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF HOW THAT SHOOK OUT. MUSICARES DID TRY THEIR BEST TO MAKE SOMETHING WHOLE FOR THEM, EVEN THOUGH THEY MISSED OUR DEADLINE FOR DEADLINE. YEAH, I COULD ADD THAT. UM, UM, I THINK THAT, ESPECIALLY WITH WHAT WAS SHARED BY STAFF ABOUT HOW, UH, THERE WILL BE SPECIFIC DIRECTION AND THEN IT CAN'T NOT, CAN NOT GO OUTSIDE OF THAT DIRECTION. THAT, THAT GIVES ME A LOT OF ENCOURAGEMENT, JUST AS FAR AS A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS NOT POSITIVE OR THAT WE'RE CONCERNED OR AFRAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE SERVED BECAUSE THEY HADN'T BEEN INVOLVED WITH MUSIC CARES BEFORE. AND THERE WAS JUST A FEAR AND ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST A LACK OF, OF, UH, OF EXPERIENCE WITH WORKING WITH THEM. AND I REALLY LIKED THE IDEA THAT, UH, WHAT YOU JUST SHARED ABOUT, UM, THAT THEY CAN REFER OR ADD SUPPORT. UH, I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR US TO GROW OUR RELATIONSHIP AND ALL OF OUR MUSICIANS RELATIONSHIP WITH MUSIC CARES. BUT BOTTOM LINE IS WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK, THAT WAS REALLY MORE JUST ABOUT CONCERNS AND NOT NECESSARILY ACTUAL EXPERIENCES, THAT THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE ENDING UP RIVER FOR THEM TO FOLLOW AS GUIDELINES AND RULES SEEMS TO BE, UH, THE ANSWER TO ANY OF THOSE CONCERNS IN MY VIEW. AND, UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IF THEY AREN'T AVAILABLE TO ACTUALLY DO THE APPLICATION PORTAL AS, AS OUTLINED BY THE CITY, WE WILL CERTAINLY TALK TO THEM ABOUT BEING A COMMUNITY CHAMPION AND A SUPPORTER AND A PARTNER IF WE CAN, AT THE VERY LEAST, UH, ON THIS PROGRAM SO THAT THERE IS SOME KIND OF PATHWAY THROUGH OUR APPLICATION TO, UH, REFERRALS TO MUSIC CARES FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, IF, IF THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE TO DO THIS AS WELL. WHEN, UH, WE LOOKING AT, IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE FOR DISBURSEMENT OF THESE FUNDS, WE WANTED TO GET FEEDBACK FROM YOU GUYS. UM, AND SO BASED ON THIS FEEDBACK, WE CAN GO AND PROBABLY PRETTY QUICKLY GET SOME DRAFT GUIDELINES AND SCORING CRITERIA IN PLACE. WE CAN SHOW THAT, UH, SHARE THAT WITH SCOTT, UH, TO SEE IF WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. UM, AND WE CAN POST THAT EVEN FOR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, A SURVEY, IF THERE'S TIME. SO IT'S JUST AS LONG AS IT TAKES FOR US TO FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, THAT COMMUNITY'S [00:50:01] IN SUPPORT OF THIS. UM, THERE WILL BE SOME TIME, YOU KNOW, TO GET THE THIRD PARTY IN PLACE, BUT LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE SAID EARLIER, WE HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE NOW TO HOW TO TURN AROUND THESE THIRD PARTIES IN SUCH A WAY THAT'S, UM, MEETS THE GUIDELINES AND MEETS THE NEED. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS FALL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE HITTING UP IS THIS BALL WITH MUSIC, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS BRAND LIVE FUND. AND THEN C-SAT SO HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, ALL THREE COULD BE IN PROCESS IN SOME WAY. UM, IF NOT BY THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, CERTAINLY BY JANUARY, BUT OH, IT WOULD BE TO AT LEAST GET EVERYTHING LAUNCHED OR AT LEAST, UM, ALMOST LAUNCHED ALL, YOU KNOW, BY THE END OF THE YEAR. AND I THINK I ASKED THIS IN THE PAST, BUT LIKE, WHAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS DO YOUR, OR ALL Y'ALL CONSIDER FOR THIRD PARTY? CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S IS A LIST OF WHATEVER THE, YOU CAN, UH, REFER TO PREVIOUS. THIRD-PARTIES, THAT'S WHAT I CAN SHARE WITH YOU OF WHAT THIRD PARTIES HAVE BEEN USED FOR PREVIOUS RELIEF AND RECOVERY PROGRAMS. SO IF YOU GO TO THE ATTACHMENT OF THE DOCUMENT I SENT YESTERDAY IN YOUR EMAIL, IT HAS A LIST OF ALL RELIEF AND RECOVERY DASHBOARDS AND PROGRAMS THAT YOU CAN GO AND REFER TO. UH, HE DID WHAT THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO, UH, SUGGEST THAT IF, IF MUSIC CARES ISN'T AVAILABLE FOR THIS, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WOULD BE UNDER CONSIDERATION, BUT, UM, TALA, I THINK A GOOD SOURCE, UM, UH, TO CONSIDER THEY, UH, ALWAYS DO SO MUCH FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THEY'RE SUPER KNOWLEDGEABLE. UM, AND I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF NEGATIVE, NEGATIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT BBB AND THE WAY THAT THEY ADMINISTERED THINGS WAS IN THE PAST. AND SO I WOULD, I WOULD PUT IN A VOTE AGAINST USING BBB AGAIN, UH, THAT'S EVEN PART OF THE CONSIDERATION AND, UH, JUST THROW TALA OUT THERE AS ANOTHER OPTION. THANKS FOR BRINGING UP THAT, THAT UP. LAUREN, NO COMPLAINTS FROM CONSTITUENTS OF MINE ABOUT BBD, DEFINITELY ME AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. Y'ALL ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER, UM, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? UM, OTHERWISE I I'D LIKE TO MOTION TO ADJOURN IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER FEEDBACK OR INPUT ARE, I GUESS THE GRAMS ON A, HE'S NOT SAYING PDC SAYING YOU'RE GOING TO SECOND THAT EMOTION. UM, SO I GUESS WE'RE OUT OF HERE Y'ALL MOST INTO A JAR. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH, UH, FOR ALL YOU DO. THANK EDD. THANK YOU, CITY AUSTIN. UM, AND, UH, WE'LL SEE YOU ALL IN SEPTEMBER, IF NOT BEFORE. YEAH. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THIS. REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL STAY BLESSED, STAY HEALTHY, EVERYONE. EXCELLENT. THANKS. SO THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.