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MEETING TODAY IS THE 20TH OF SEPTEMBER.
[CALL TO ORDER]
WE CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER.WE'RE GOING TO START WITH CITIZENS
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
COMMUNICATION.UM, IN ORDER SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY OF YOU ARE, WE WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF YOUR TIME AND HONOR THAT.
SO WE'D LIKE TO TAKE ALL THE CITIZENS COMMUNICATION AT ONCE.
UM, THAT'S NOT ALL OF YOU TALKING AT ONCE.
THAT'S AN ORDER, BUT THAT'S AT THE TOP OF THE MEETING FOR CLARITY.
AND, UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
UM, IN THE INTEREST OF, SINCE WE HAVE MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE SIGNED UP AND WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WHO'S HERE, WHO'S ASKED TO SPEAK, GETS A CHANCE TO HAVE THEIR VOICE HEARD.
WE'RE GOING TO ASK THAT YOU KEEP YOUR TIME TO TWO AND A HALF MINUTES.
AB TECH, CAN YOU DO THAT FOR US? YOU GOT IT.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE CITIZENS COMMUNICATION AND I'D LIKE TO CALL DEWEY BROOKS FROM AUSTIN CREATIVE LANDS CHAIR.
CAN I ASK MAYBE THAT WE QUEUE UP THE NEXT PERSON SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SPEAK NEXT, JUST SO THAT WE CAN KEEP THIS MOVING? ABSOLUTELY.
AND I, MR. ROLL CALL, CAUSE YOU GUYS RUN LIKE SEVEN DIFFERENT PLACES.
I'M GOING TO APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE.
THIS IS OUR FIRST HYBRID MEETING.
I'VE GOT PEOPLE ON THE SCREEN AND PEOPLE IN THE ROOM AND JUST GIVE ME A HOT SECOND.
CAN YOU GIVE ME ONE SECOND WHILE I DO ROLL CALL RICK VANDYKE.
HELLO, PRESENT FLORES, KIMBERLY KEATON, COMMISSIONER, SMALL BANG.
AND THEN IN THE ROOM, COMMISSIONER BARNS, COMMISSIONER GRAY COMMISSIONER MOP BY SHOWS
AND IF I CAN HAVE, UM, IVORY NEWSOME ON, ON DECK FOR THE NEXT SPEAKER, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
THE, UH, PODIUM AUDIO IS NOT REACTING.
LET ME SEE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
NOW CHECK ONE, TWO, GOOD EVENING.
OUR COMMISSION, MADAM CHAIR AND THE ART COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS DEWEY BROOKS AND I HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN, UH, I HAVE VOLUNTEER, PERFORM STAGE MANAGED, DIRECTED, AND PRODUCED ON VARIOUS STAGES IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
AND IT WAS A CO-FOUNDER WITH THE LAKE BOY ADVANCE OF THE PRO ARTS COLLECTIVE, A THEATER COMPANY.
AND I'M THE IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR OF THE SPECTRUM THEATER COMPANY HERE IN AUSTIN.
I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN CIRCLE OF THEATERS, A COT, AND IT'S IN ITS CURRENT FORM, THE AUSTIN CREATIVE ALLIANCE OR ACA FOR THE PAST 18 YEARS.
I AM THE CURRENT BOARD CHAIR OF AUSTIN CREATIVE LINES.
ACA I'M HERE TO ASK THE COMMISSIONS, UH, THAT THE COMMISSION RECOMMEND AN IMMEDIATE PAUSE OF AT LEAST 90 DAYS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS. THEN CENTER THOSE IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY HISTORICAL FUNDING INEQUITIES WITH THE CREATION OF A CULTURAL FUNDING EQUITY COMMITTEE COMPOSED PRIMARILY OF EXPERIENCED BIPAP ART LEADERS.
THIS COMMITTEE WOULD BE TASKED WITH LEADING AN OPEN COMMUNITY CENTERED CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS AND THE PATH FORWARD TOWARDS CULTURAL FUNDING EQUITY.
THESE DEEP ENGAGEMENT, DEEP ENGAGEMENT WERE BETTER INFORMED THE ART COMMISSION AND THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERNS AND NEEDS.
THE COMMITTEE WOULD THEN WORK WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION AND THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION STAFF TO INTEGRATE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK INTO PROGRAM GUIDELINES THAT PRIORITIZE CULTURAL SPECIFICITY AND DIVERSITY WHILE BUILDING, BUILDING ON EXISTING EQUITY EQUITY EFFORTS IN THE ARTS ECOSYSTEM.
BY FIRST CENTERING THE VOICES OF THOSE WHO HAVE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED THE HISTORICAL FUNDING AND EQUITIES NEEDING CORRECTION, WE CAN ALL BEGIN TO WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD TRUST FOSTER, OPEN COMMUNICATION, AND CREATE A UNIFYING APPROACH TO ACHIEVING EQUITY IN THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING.
I OFFER MY ASSISTANCE THAT I MAY PROVIDE THAT I MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THE CREATION
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OF THIS COMMITTEE.I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND COMMITMENT, AND THIS CONCLUDES MY STATEMENT.
MY NAME IS IVORY NEWSOME AND I'M HERE TODAY TO VOICE MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSED FUNDING MODEL CHANGES AND CRITERIA.
VERY SIMPLY PUT IF THE CHANGES ARE ADOPTED, THOSE CHANGES AFFECT ME IN A VERY DIRECT AND ADVERSE WAY.
I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO START WORKING IN PR PERFORMING DEBT PROFESSIONALLY HERE IN AUSTIN, WHILE RECEIVING MY DEGREE FROM UT BEING A TRIPLE THREAT, I WAS OFTEN ASKED WHY DIDN'T I GO TO NEW YORK OR LA TO ADVANCE MY CAREER? AND MY ANSWER WAS AND CONTINUES TO BE THAT I WAS WORKING HERE IN AUSTIN IN A LESS TOXIC AND CUTTHROAT ENVIRONMENT THAN THOSE MAJOR COASTAL ART HUBS.
HERE I CAN WORK WITH ARTISTS AND DIRECTORS WHO HAVE A SIMILAR PHILOSOPHICAL DRIVE, AND DON'T JUST VIEW ME AS ANOTHER BODY OR SOMEONE THAT CAN EXPLORE.
MANY OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS FORMED IN THOSE EARLY CAREER DAYS, PERFORMING ENSURING ART WITH NEW AUDIENCES AND REACHING SOME SEGMENTS OF OUR LOCAL POPULATION THAT ARE CONSISTENTLY UNDERSERVED.
UM, THE PROPOSED CHANGES WILL IN IT LAMINATE FUNDING FROM MOST OF THOSE LONG-LASTING COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS I ENJOY AS THE COST OF LIVING IN AUSTIN HAS RISEN THE INCOME FROM THE THREE OR FOUR YEARLY PERFORMING CONTRACTS I GET HAVE OFTEN MEANT THAT I DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN RENT AND FOOD.
IF, IF I CAN BE VERY CLEAR ADOPTING THE PROPOSED CHANGES WILL FORCE ME INTO MORE ECONOMIC INSTABILITY WITH LOSS OF INCOME, AS WELL AS DEPRIVED AUSTIN OF ARTISTS SEEKING TO BRING ART TO EVERYONE AND NOT JUST A SOCIETAL ELITES.
THERE ARE WAYS THE ARTS CAN BE PROPERLY FUNDED WITHOUT DESTROYING THE RICH AND INCLUSIVE HISTORY OF AUSTIN AND ITS VITAL ART SCENE.
MY MAIN SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO REMOVE ARTS FUNDING FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AND FORM A LOCAL ARTS TASK FORCE THAT RELIES ON PEOPLE LIVING AND WORKING IN THE ARTS HERE IN AUSTIN AND NOT OUTSIDE EVALUATORS, PLEASE.
UM, HOLD OFF ON THOSE CHANGES AS THOUGH THEY WILL CAUSE ECONOMIC HARM TO MYSELF AND BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SALLY SHOCK.
AND NEXT UP WE'LL BE SENDING MCDONALD'S UH, GOOD EVENING.
I'M SALLY SHARP FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF BLUE LAPIS LIGHT AERIAL DANCE COMPANY.
I HAVE BEEN CREATING SITE-SPECIFIC WORKS FOR OVER 30 YEARS, INCLUDING POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES THAT WERE ADDRESSED THROUGH THESE SITE-SPECIFIC WORKS.
I AM REQUESTING A 90 DAY PAUSE ON THE CAD FUNDING PROPOSAL IN ORDER FOR A WORKING GROUP OF ARTISTS, PRIMARILY ARTISTS OF COLOR THAT CAN TAKE ON THE TASK OF CREATING EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS THAT BENEFITS THE ARTS COMMUNITY AND DOES NOT EARLY INNATE ORGANIZATIONS.
I AM ASKING THE ARTS COMMISSION TO VOTE TO PUT THIS RECOMMENDED FUNDING PROPOSAL ON HOLD AND TALK TO YOUR RESPECTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SUPPORT THE 90 DAY PAUSE AS WELL AS THE FORMING OF A WORKING GROUP OF ARTISTS PRIORITY AREAS THAT NEED TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE NEXT FUNDING, MATRIX EQUITY, DIVERSITY, LEGACY, ARTISTIC MERIT AND WOMEN LEG ORGANIZATIONS.
WOMEN WERE LEFT OUT OF THE LAST PROPOSAL.
THE CURRENT PROPOSED MODEL BY CUFFS, CAD STAFF ONLY INCLUDES EQUITY CRITERIA BASED ON STAFF AND BOARD MAKEUP AND DOES NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT MOST ORGANIZATIONS HAVE OUTREACH PROGRAMS THAT WORK IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
THE CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT SHOULD NOT BE UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
THE TWO ARE NOT CORRELATED AND MOST CONTRADICTORY.
WE DO NOT WANT AN OUTSIDE AGENCY WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH OUR ARTS COMMUNITY, MANAGING OUR PROGRAMS AND IN TURN RECEIVING A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE HOT FUNDS, THE ARTS COMMISSION NEEDS TO TAKE THE ACTIVE ROLE OF ADVOCACY FOR THE ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE REACHING OUT TO THEM.
AND SO I'M REALLY URGING YOU TO CONSIDER TAKING A VOTE ON THIS.
I MEAN THE LOSS OF OVER 450 ARTS ORGANIZATION IN THE CURRENT MATRIX IS PRETTY UNFORGIVABLE IN THIS ARTS COMMUNITY.
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A COMMUNITY BASED ARTISTS.I HAVE A PASSION FOR THE ARTIST.
I GREW UP WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY AND FOR THE EMERGING ARTISTS, LET US COME TOGETHER, LET US WORK TOGETHER AND LET US REALLY ADVOCATE AND CREATE A MODEL THAT REALLY DOES ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT EVERYBODY IS CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND I THINK BOTH THE CAD STAFF AS WELL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CINDY MCDONALD AND THE NEXT UP WILL BE SYLVIA ALSO.
I AM AN ARTIST WHO, UH, WAS BORN AND RAISED IN AUSTIN FROM EAST AUSTIN AND HAVE BEEN A WORKING ARTIST HERE SINCE FOR OVER A DECADE NOW.
AND AS SUCH AS A BLACK QUEER WOMAN ARTISTS, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT I WANT THE CULTURAL REVIEW, THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS TO NOT BE PAUSED, UM, BUT TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROPOSED LENS OF RACIAL EQUITY.
UM, IT'S VITAL THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN BEGINS TO PRIORITIZE RACIAL EQUITY AND ITS ARTS FUNDING AND BEGAN TO INVEST IN BLACK AND LATINEX LED AND OPERATED ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE THERE ARE, THESE ARE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDERFUNDED HISTORICALLY, UM, LEFT OFF THE TABLE HISTORICALLY PUSHED THEIR SIDE FOR THE INTERESTS OF THESE LARGER WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE THE TIME WHO HAVE THE RESOURCES WHO HAVE THE CONNECTIONS TO CONTINUE TO GROW WHILE OUR ORGANIZATIONS THAT DIRECTLY, UM, SUPPORT AND DIRECTLY, UM, DO THE WORK OF UPLIFTING COMMUNITIES OF COLORS AND ARTISTS OF COLORS WHILE THESE, THESE ORGANIZATIONS CONTINUE TO SUFFER.
UM, AND SO I DO FEEL THAT IT'S VITAL THAT WE DO PRIORITIZE THIS, UM, RACIAL EQUITY LANDS AND THAT WE DO MOVE FORWARD.
THE TIME IS NOW, THE TIME IS NOW, THE TIME HAS BEEN BEFORE NOW, UM, BLACK AND LATINEX LED ORGANIZATIONS DO THE WORK BY SPECIFICALLY PARTNERING WITH THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR THAT THEY'RE PART OF.
UM, THEIR LEADERSHIP ARE FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, THOSE ARTISTIC COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, EXCUSE ME, UM, AND HAVE THE PRESENCE AND HAVE THE ACTUAL HISTORY, UM, OF, OF, OF, EXCUSE ME, I'M NERVOUS.
HAVE THE ACTUAL HISTORY, UM, PRESENT IN, IN THE WORK AT ALL TIMES.
UM, WHILE WHITE LED ORGANIZE MY TIME.
GO AHEAD AND FINISH YOUR THOUGHT.
WELL, WELL, WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS HAVE A HISTORY OF COMING IN AND OUT OF THESE COMMUNITIES, NOT BUILD BUILDING THE CONNECTIONS, NOT MAINTAINING THE CONNECTIONS AND THEY PROVIDE NO ACTUAL SUSTAINABLE CHANGE, RESOURCES, GROWTH, OR ANYTHING POSITIVE FOR THE COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND I AM SPEAKING AS SOMEONE WHO HAS GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS, TIME AND TIME AGAIN AS AN ARTIST OF COLOR.
SOLIAH AND NEXT ON DECK IS HECTOR OR DOES THANK YOU.
MY NAME IS SYLVIA ROSKAM, DIRECTOR OF MEXICO AT THE MUSEUM FOR OVER 37 YEARS.
MEXICO HAS SERVED THE COMMUNITY WITH EXHIBITIONS AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS. I THANK THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
OVER THE YEARS, MANY OF US HAVE PARTICIPATED IN CULTURAL ARTS PLANS, TASKFORCE, COMMITTEES TO IMPROVE EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ARTS COMMUNITY.
ON DECEMBER THE 12TH, THE ECONOMIC OF LAST YEAR, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED A NEW FUNDING GUIDELINES FOR NOW ALMOST 10 MONTHS.
MANY LEADERS OF THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN POINTING OUT ONE BY ONE, ALL THE ISSUES AND PROBLEMS OF THE PROPOSED GUIDELINES, MANY HOURS AND LOTS OF ENERGY HAS BEEN INVESTED.
THERE ARE REASONS WE ARE SPEAKING OUT.
WE ARE SPEAKING OUT BECAUSE SOMETHING IS NOT CORRECT.
WE WORK AND LIVE FOR EQUITY, BUT SOMETIMES THE DESIRE AND THE CONCEPT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IDEA
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MUST ALSO BE IN THE DESIGN.THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM IS WHAT WE IS A DESIGN.
IT IS IN THE DESIGN, NOT THE CONCEPT.
THE PEOPLE IN THE ARTS ARE GOOD PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE COMMUNITY.
THE THRIVE NEXUS AND ELEVATE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNS.
THEY ARE NOT THE BEST PLANNED OR THOUGHT OUT DESIGNS THIS SUMMER.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE THRIVE PROGRAM FOR THE BIPAP ORGANIZATIONS WAS UP $275,000 EACH.
THEN THE NEXT MONTH, IT WAS FROM 30 TO 80,000.
THE PROGRAM WAS CUT IN HALF THE GUIDELINES HAVE NOT BEEN DESIGNED FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
FOR THE LEGACY BIPAP ORGANIZATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND THERE IS NOT A CATEGORY FOR HUNDREDS OF NON BIPAP ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.
WE ARE AN IN DIFFICULT TIMES AND THE LIVELIHOODS OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.
WE CANNOT IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM WHERE THE IMPLEMENT IMPLICATIONS ARE NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO MAKE MISTAKES LIKE THE LEGACY BUSINESS RELIEF PROGRAM THAT LEFT OUT NONPROFIT LEGACY ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.
THE PROPOSED GUIDELINE DESIGNS HAS MANY ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED BEFORE IMPLEMENTATIONS.
WE MUST CREATE A CATEGORY FOR BIPAP LEGACY ORGANIZATIONS, AND WE HAVE TO CREATE FUNDING FOR OTHER NON BIPAP ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOT MAJOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE SERVED AUSTIN FOR OVER 25 TO 30 YEARS, WHICH WILL BE DEVASTATED TONIGHT.
WE ASKED THE ARTS COMMISSION TO PAUSE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE NEW FUNDING PROGRAMS. THE PROGRAMS MUST PRESERVE OUR ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHERS TO GROW AND FLOURISH.
LET US TAKE THE TIME TO DO THIS RIGHT WITH COMMUNITY INPUT.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD AN EQUITABLE ARTS ECOSYSTEM FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND AFTER HECTOR IS CASE STELLA DUTCHER.
I AM A DIRECTOR WITH
I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN SINCE 92, ORIGINALLY FROM MEXICO CITY.
I'VE BEEN DOING ART SINCE 20 YEARS NOW.
UM, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK PRECISELY ABOUT, UM, THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAM.
UM, AND ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO TAKE SIDES AND, AND, OR I GUESS PICK A SIDE, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE'RE IN A TIME RIGHT NOW AS AN ORGANIZATION, UH, OTHER MEMBERS OF MARK MY COMMUNITY AS WELL, WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TIMES THEY'RE THERE UNCERTAIN TIMES, YOU KNOW, UM, AND AS MUCH AS WE'D LIKE RELIEF NOW ASAP, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T TAKE AN IRRESPONSIBLE ACTION AND SUPPORTING SOMETHING THAT IT'S ONLY GOING TO PUT A BANDAID ON THINGS, UM, BEING IN AN AUSTIN FOR QUITE SOME TIME, I FEEL THAT AUSTIN HAS A TRACK RECORD OF ROLLING OUT PROGRAMS, UM, THAT ONLY PUT A BANDAID ON THINGS AND THEN HAVE A GREATER IMPACT ON UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AS IT'S SO BEEN IDENTIFIED.
UM, ALTHOUGH I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW IT NEEDED A PROGRAM NOW LET'S MOVE FORWARD AND WE CAN HAVE, UH, WE CAN MAKE AMENDMENTS.
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TIMES OVER MY TIME HERE THAT WE'VE BEEN PROMISED THAT AND THOSE AMENDMENTS, WE NEVER GET BACK TO THE TABLE.
THE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE ARE NO LONGER THERE, OR THE TABLE JUST GETS PUSHED TO THE BACK OR THE END, OR IT'S NO LONGER THERE.
UM, SO ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN UNSTABLE TIMES, LET'S NOT CREATE MORE INSTABILITY BY HAVING A FRACTURE PROCESS, UH, PROGRAM, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, AS I SECOND, SOME OF, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, I WOULD LIKE FOR THERE TO BE MORE OUTREACH TO OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, IF THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN PROVED TO BE INCORRECT OR, UH, UNABLE TO ACCOMMODATE SOME THINGS IN THE PAST, I'M NOT SURE, SURE WHY WE'RE STILL USING OR WHY THEY'RE STILL THERE'S THIS PUSH TO USE THE SAME METHODOLOGY THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN, YOU KNOW, INACCURATE, UM, AT THE VERY BEST.
THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US LONG-TERM STABILITY, IMMEDIATE STABILITY, BUT ALSO A RESPONSIBLE ACTION, A RESPONSIBLE PROGRAM FOR THE ARTISTS HERE IN AUSTIN, JUST AS A QUICK, UM, STATEMENT, UM, BEING THAT I'M FROM MEXICO CITY OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, I'VE ACTUALLY HAD MANY INTERNAL CONFLICTS ARTISTICALLY PROFESSIONALLY, AND WHAT NOT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE ARE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, BUT IT BECOMES CHALLENGING ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS TO DO WORK
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WHEN YOUR COMMUNITY, YOU CAN NO LONGER THERE AND YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO REACH COMMUNITY AND DO COMMUNITY.K STILLER DUTCHER AND PRISCILLA HILL IS AFTER THAT, I APOLOGIZE IF I'VE MESSED UP ANYBODY'S NAME, SOME HANDWRITING IS NOT, NOT AS CLEAR TO ME.
MY NAME IS STELLAR AND I'M AN ARTIST AND A MUSICIAN HERE IN AUSTIN, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO ENCOURAGE THE ARTS COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT IT SUPPORT THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION AND STAY THE COURSE WITH THE PROPOSED PROGRAM OUTLINE AND REDEVELOPED CRITERIA AND NOT TO PAUSE OR HALT THE PROCESS IN ANY WAY.
WHEN I WAS ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION HAD TO COME UP WITH, I WAS PERSONALLY THRILLED TO SEE TANGIBLE, ACTIONABLE PROGRESS ON A CITY PROGRAM LEVEL TOWARDS REDIRECTING FUNDS THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY DISPROPORTIONATELY GONE TO MAJORITY WHITE OR WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS AND WHITE ARTISTS LIKE MYSELF AND REDIRECTING THEM TOWARDS POPULATIONS THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY NOT RECEIVED THEM SUCH AS MANY WORKING CLASS ARTISTS OF COLOR, AND MANY POC LED ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS.
MANY OF WHOM FROM WHOM THE DIVISION HAS BEEN TAKING ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF FEEDBACK FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN VERY FEEDBACK DRIVEN.
UM, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THE PANDEMIC HAS DECIMATED ARTISTS AS A WHOLE.
EVERYONE IS HURTING IN VARIOUS WAYS, MYSELF INCLUDED, BUT AS ANYONE TRULY IN GOOD FAITH OF BEING COMMITTED TO EQUITY AND THE WORK OF UNDOING INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM CAN TELL YOU LIKE WHEN WHITE ARTISTS LIKE MYSELF ARE HURTING, MANY BIPAP ARTISTS HAVE BEEN AND ARE HURTING MORE.
AND AS SOMEONE WITH MANY BIPAP ARTISTS, FRIENDS WHO HAVEN'T TRADITIONALLY HAD ACCESS TO FUNDS, I'VE OFTEN WISHED NOTHING MORE FOR THEM THAN TO RECEIVE FUNDING LIKE THIS FROM THE CITY OR TO BECOME A HIGH EARNING ARTISTS MYSELF, JUST SO I CAN REDIRECT SOME OF THAT INCOME TOWARDS THEM BECAUSE THE ART THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE IN THE WORLD MATTERS AND ONLY THEY CAN MAKE IT AND NO ONE ELSE CAN MAKE IT.
AND THEY FACE OBSTACLES THAT I DON'T AT EVERY LEVEL IN TRYING TO CREATE IT.
AND SO I'VE BEEN DISMAYED AS WE'VE WRESTLED OVER THE LAST YEAR AS A CITY WITH THE REAL IMPACTS OF WHITE SUPREMACY IN A WAY THAT WE HAVEN'T IN A GENERATION OR SO TO BE HEARING AND SEEING FROM SOME CORNERS OF THE AUSTIN ARTISTIC COMMUNITY THAT AS THE POT HAS SHRUNK DUE TO, COVID LIKE, WE'RE ALL HURTING, BUT THERE'S BEEN THIS RESISTANCE TO THIS ONGOING PROCESS OF, OF EXAMINING HOW WE AS A CITY CAN MORE EFFECTIVELY SERVE OUR ENTIRE ARTISTIC COMMUNITY AND NOT JUST THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN BEING SERVED BY IT.
UM, SO YEAH, AS A WHITE ARTIST, THE EXCITING WORK OF THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION HAS MY FULL AND COMPLETE BACKING.
I SINCERELY HOPE BOTH THIS COMMISSION AND THE CITY COUNCIL CONTINUE TO STAND BY THEIR PROCESS AND TO LET THESE NEW PROGRAMS COME TO PASS SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE RESULTS AND NOT PREEMPTIVELY SHUT THEM DOWN AND NOT ALSO SHUT DOWN THE THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF LABOR THAT HAS BEEN PUT INTO THIS BEFORE ANYTHING CAN COME TO PASS FROM IT.
SO THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO ARE STANDING BEHIND THIS PROCESS.
AND I ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO MIGHT BE WAVERING TO REMEMBER THAT THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION STAFF MEMBERS ARE DOING THE JOB THEY WERE HIRED FOR.
AND I PERSONALLY THINK THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
UH, PRISCILLA HILL AND THEN TOMAS PHOTO, GOOD EVENING.
I'M PRISCILLA HALE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ALL GO, WHICH IS A QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN DOING WORK FOR OVER 35 YEARS HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, WE'VE BEEN PRODUCING AND PRESENTING ARTISTIC CULTURAL WORK, UM, THROUGHOUT THAT TIME.
AND ALTHOUGH I'LL GO IS, IS, IS BLACK LED.
WE ARE NOT A BLACK ORGANIZATION.
AND THEREFORE WE HAD A REDUCTION IN OUR FUNDING BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND DESPITE THAT I, WE SUPPORT THE CITY UTILIZING A RACIAL EQUITY PROCESS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT CURRENT CURRENTLY AND HISTORICALLY THAT BLACK AND OTHER PLC ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN UNDERFUNDED.
I UNDERSTAND THAT FOR EQUITY TO TRULY EXIST, THAT SHIFTS IN FUNDING WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN.
AND OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY SUPERSEDES OUR FOCUS TO BE ONLY ABOUT OUR OWN FUNDING AT ALL, GO AS A SMALL GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE OFTEN BEEN DIRECTED TO PARTNER WITH LARGER NON LGBTQ ORG.
SO I GET THAT WHOLE THING AROUND SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION.
UM, AND, AND, AND THAT'S BEEN DONE TO SAY THAT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE FUNDS, THAT THEY WOULD FUND US IF WE DID THAT, THAT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM.
WE HAVE OPTED OUT OF THOSE FUNDS BECAUSE WE WILL NOT COMPROMISE OUR AUTONOMY, WHICH ALLOWS US TO DO OUR WORK AND THE WAYS IN WHICH WE KNOW REPRESENTS AND WORKS BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
THE FACT THAT BLACK ORGS AND BLACK PEOPLE AND OTHER POC FOLKS HAVE HAD TO RELY ON THE SUPPORT OF LARGER, MORE ENDOWED,
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WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS IS NOT ABOUT THEIR INABILITY TO BE AUTONOMOUS, BUT ABOUT THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITY TO ACCESS FUNDING AND OTHER RESOURCES.UM, FOR THE END YEARS OF STATUS QUO, LIKE KEEPING IT AS IT HAS BEEN FOR YEARS TO QUESTION OR TO TAKE A POSITION THAT BLACK ORGS OR BLACK FOLKS ARE INEPT, UM, AT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE HIGH CALIBER WORK THAT ATTRACTS FOLKS TO THE CITY IS ROOTED IN BIAS, DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM.
WE HAVE BEEN A FISCAL SPONSOR TO A NUMBER OF LGBTQ PEOPLE OF COLOR ARTISTS WHO HAVE SINCE OBTAINED THEIR 5 0 1 C3 AND BEEN ABLE TO SECURE FUNDING FROM THE CITY, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL FUNDING WIDELY BECAUSE WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO NOT ONLY FISCALLY SPONSOR FOLKS, BUT TO GIVE THEM THE TOOLS AND THE INFORMATION NECESSARY TO BECOME AUTONOMOUS AND SUSTAINABLE.
THE PUSHBACK THAT ART, THAT THE ARTS FUNDING IS NOT THE PLACE TO ADDRESS RACIAL INEQUITIES, THAT THE CITY HAS ENGAGED IN LACKS A CRITICAL ANALYSIS.
AS WE KNOW THAT BUDGETS AND FUNDING GIVE A FULL VIEW OF PRIORITIES AND ALL.
AND I BELIEVE THAT ALL FUNDING THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROVIDES SHOULD GO THROUGH A RACIAL EQUITY LENS.
AND I FEEL IT FULLY SUPPORT THAT AND ASK THAT YOU DO AS WELL.
SO I ASKED THAT THE PROCESS MOVE ON AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT UP, TOMAS FEDORA, AND THEN TANYA PENNY.
SO I COULDN'T SEE THE, I, MY APOLOGIES.
I, UH, DIDN'T COME HERE PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
I JUST SAW THE AGENDA EARLIER, BUT I DID APPLY ONLINE TO BE PART OF THE COMMISSION.
SO I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AND I'LL HOPE THAT YOU GUYS LOOK AT MY APPLICATION.
I, UM, RUN AUSTIN ARTS COLLECTIVE.
I ACCEPT ALL ARTISTS, UH, CURATED, A COUPLE OF SHOWS.
I, UH, HAVE PLANS FOR OTHER SHOWS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO EAST OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED NOW.
UH, SO KEEP ME IN MIND FOR YOUR VACANCY AND, UH, HOPE TO TALK TO YOU AGAIN SOON.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TANYA PENNY, AND THEN CLIPPARD GUILLEN.
MY NAME IS TANYA PENNY AND I AM THE FOUNDER DIRECTOR AND CURATOR FOR DANCE, AFRICA FEST AND THE MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR LANAYA DRUM AND DANCE.
UH, THESE ARE TWO, BOTH, UH, BLACK LED ORGANIZATIONS, UH, DANCE AFRICA FEST IS PRIMARILY JUST A, UH, PLATFORM FOR DANCE WHEREVER THERE ARE BLACK PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT NOT PAUSING THESE PROGRAMS. UM, I WANT TO, I WANT YOU TO CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE RACIAL EQUITY AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE NEW GRAD PROGRAMS. I'VE HAD, UH, A MOMENT TO PERUSE THEM AND I CAN SEE CHANGES.
I CAN SEE THE INPUT THAT WE GAVE THE CONSULTANTS.
I CAN SEE THE LABOR THAT WENT INTO THOSE.
AND SO I'M, I DIDN'T COME PREPARED TO SPEAK, BUT YOU ALWAYS COME PREPARED.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS BEING, UH, AS A PRACTICING ARTISTS BEING, UH, THE STEWARD FOR, FOR OTHER ARTISTS, UM, WE, WE HAVE, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN ON THE RECEIVING END OF DISPROPORTIONATE FUNDS OR NO FUNDS.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CULTURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM, UH, WAS STARTED TO RECOGNIZE SPECIFIC CULTURAL, UH, HERITAGE AND THAT PROGRAM LOST ITS FOCUS.
AND NOW I SEE THESE NEW PROGRAMS, THE NEW PROGRAM THRIVE IS READDRESSING IS ADDRESSING THAT.
I'M ASKING YOU TO NOT PAUSE THIS WORD.
IT APPEARS A LOT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO THIS, AND IT'S GOING TO ADDRESS THE LONGSTANDING HISTORICAL LACK OF FUNDING, DISPROPORTIONATE FUNDING.
UM, AND IT'S GOING TO, TO FOCUS RACIAL EQUITY IN A WAY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE, AND IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE COME TO SAY.
[00:30:01]
THANK YOU, CLIPPER.I ALSO, UM, IT'S KIND OF STUCK RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVE HEARD SO FAR, THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT GROUP OF PEOPLE IN HERE RIGHT NOW.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS SAYING, HEY, GIVE US A BREAK.
WELL, UM, I'M OF THE MINDSET THAT WE DO NOT PAUSE.
AND IF YOUR FLOORS, BECAUSE IDENTIFY, WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT THEM.
UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR ME RIGHT NOW, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LARGE GROUP OF WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ORGANIZING AGAINST THIS PROGRAM.
THEY HAVE REACHED OUT TO SELECTIVE BLACK FOLKS TO GET SUPPORT.
AND SOME OF THOSE BLACK FOLKS HAS PUSHED BACK AND SAID, GO TO THE PEOPLE THAT IS IN IT.
THEY HAVE NOT SEEK TO GET US ENGAGED IN THE CONVERSATION.
AND I THINK IT'S YOUR JOB TO CAN ENSURE THAT WE STOP THAT.
SO YOU HIT THE BLACK ORGANIZATIONS PARTICULARLY TALK ABOUT ON THE FUNDING, NOT BEING AT THE TABLE AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT IS OPPOSING THIS RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE AT THE TABLE.
THEY WILL ACT, INVITE THOSE PEOPLE IN SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A BETTER CROSS SECTION OF CONVERSATION GOING AND THEY HAVE REFUSED.
SO IN ORDER TO DELIBERATION, I WANT FOR YOU ALL TO THINK ABOUT THAT YOUR INTEREST IS SELF-SERVING AND IT'S ONLY ABOUT PROTECTING THE DOLLAR THAT DAY HAVE BEEN USED TO I THINK THAT YOU HEAR THE ORGANIZATIONS OF COLOR SAYING, LOOK, WE WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE WE SEEN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GET, TO BE LEGACY ORGANIZATIONS.
WE'VE SEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A SIGNIFICANT PLAYER IN ALL OF THIS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND, UM, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE, UM, HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PAUSING, WE'RE STILL CLEARLY IN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FEEDBACK PROCESS AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL HAVE SAID TO US FROM AUGUST TO NOW.
UM, WE'RE LISTENING TO ALL OF THAT, EVERYTHING YOU'VE SAID TO US FROM 2019 TO NOW, WE'RE LISTENING TO ALL OF THAT, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING MORE FROM STAFF ABOUT SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE BASED ON CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE LAST FOUR AND A HALF WEEKS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, WE GET THROUGH THIS AND WE DO THIS TOGETHER AND MAKE IT BETTER TOGETHER.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ITEM ONE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.DO I HAVE A SECOND? I HAVE A SECOND FOR, I HAVE A MOTION FROM MR. CASTILLO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS COMMISSIONER KEATON? DID YOU HAVE A VOTE ON THAT? OKAY.
WELL, IT IS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY FROM THE DYES NEXT UP CHAIRS
[2.a. Updates, Agreements and Special Announcements]
REPORT.HI, WELCOME TO OUR FIRST TIME IN THE ROOM TOGETHER SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2020.
UM, YEAH, VERY EXCITING TO SEE ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL FACES.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME DOWN HERE.
I REMEMBER THE TRAFFIC THAT WAS FUN, UM, BUT REALLY, REALLY GLAD TO BE HERE AND LOOKING FORWARD TO A TIME WHEN WE CAN ALL BE HERE AND WE'RE NOT SPLIT HYBRID AND IT'S SAFE TO ALL BE IN THE ROOM TOGETHER.
UM, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT, JUST A COUPLE OF THANK YOU SOME THINGS TO SOME GOOD THINGS IN THE WORLD THAT TO SHARE.
UM, FIRST I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TWO COMMISSIONERS KEATON, AND VICE-CHAIR ZISMAN FOR THEIR WORK IN PUTTING TOGETHER
[00:35:01]
OUR FIRST EVER NEWSLETTER FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION.WE DISCOVERED WHEN WE SORT OF DOVE INTO THIS ROUND OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS, THAT COMMUNICATION WAS A REAL THING.
UM, AND THAT YOU GUYS WERE NOT GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION AS CLEARLY AS WE WANTED YOU TO.
AND, UM, WE KNOW THAT WATCHING A THREE OR FOUR HOUR MEETING IS SOMETIMES A LITTLE DAUNTING.
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR PUTTING THAT OUT.
UM, THANK YOU TO BIG, MEDIUM FOR SHARING THAT OUT INTO THE WORLD AND FOR EVERYBODY ELSE WHO SAW IT AND SHARED IT FURTHER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT WORK.
SO I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME COOL GRAPHICS.
UM, THAT WILL CONTINUE ALSO, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ZISMAN FOR, UM, AND BIG, MEDIUM, AND MR. CASTILLO FOR HELPING TO GET STARTED OUR COMMUNITY CHATS, WHICH WE INSTIGATED IN AUGUST.
AND, UM, WE'LL BE CONTINUING AS A REGULAR ONGOING OPPORTUNITY TO SORT OF JUST SIT AND HANG OUT WITH US AND TALK ABOUT ALL THINGS, ART THAT ARE EXCITING YOU AND MAKING YOU ANXIOUS AND THAT YOU HAVE OPINIONS ABOUT, AND YOU WANT TO MAKE BETTER.
AND WE WANT TO KEEP THOSE CONVERSATIONS GOING, AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE, A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT, UM, SOME MORE DETAILED ACTIVITY HAPPENING QUARTERLY INVOLVING THE WHOLE COMMISSION.
SO WE'LL KEEP THAT WORK GOING THEN.
I WANT TO SAY A BIG, BIG THANK YOU TO THE DEVELOPER SLASH REALTOR SLASH LANDLORDS WHO HAVE THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE ACTUALLY HELPED KEEP ARTS IN PLACE DURING THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME.
UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE STILL HERE AND STILL HAVE A VENUE BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND THAT IS SIGNIFICANT AND WE NEED MORE SUPPORT, NOT REGARD IN THE CITY.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY OUT LOUD, EVERYBODY, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT WORK AND BEING PARTNERS TO THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
FINALLY, THERE'S THIS GENTLEMAN NAMED ROBERT FERRIS, WHO HAS BEEN PART OF THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE STAFF FOR 35 YEARS, WHO HAS RECENTLY RETIRED AND WHOSE PRESENCE IN THE COMMUNITY HAS MADE US BETTER, STRONGER, MORE CONNECTED, MORE EXCITED.
UM, HE'S BEEN ON STAGE, HE'S BEEN WRITING FOR THE CHRONICLE FOR 35 YEARS.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ROBERT, CELEBRATE HIS RETIREMENT, CELEBRATE HIS WORK FOR THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
AND I WAS NOT GOING TO LET THE STATE GO BY WITHOUT SAYING THAT PUBLICLY.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS TO SAY, BUT I DON'T NEED TO BE THE PERSON TO SAY THEM.
[2.b. Art in Public Places liaison report]
TO THE NEXT PIECE OF THE CHAIR'S REPORT, WHICH IS THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, LIAISON REPORT, COMMISSIONER BARNES.YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH US.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYBODY WHO CAME OUT AND SPOKE.
UM, THIS EVENING, UM, ART IN PUBLIC PLACES IS CONTINUING TO BE EXTREMELY BUSY.
I WANT TO THANK MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE MADE THE TIME TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS.
I KNOW IN A TIME WHERE WE HAVE ALL BEEN ON MULTIPLE WORKING GROUPS TO PRIORITIZE ANOTHER MONDAY NIGHT, TWO PLUS HOUR MEETING, UM, IS, IS A LOT TO ASK, BUT YOU ALL HAVE DONE AMAZING, HEAVY LIFTING.
AND I THINK, AGAIN, IT'S JUST GOING TO BENEFIT ALL OF US BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO UNDERSTAND THE WORKINGS OF AIPP, UM, MUCH BETTER.
AND, UM, THE DAY THAT I EITHER DIE IN A MEETING OR STEP OFF THIS COMMISSION, THERE'LL BE BEVY OF PEOPLE READY TO JOIN THAT GROUP.
SO, UM, I JUST QUICKLY, I THINK THERE, THE, AIPP ASKED A QUESTION OF THOSE OF US THAT WERE ON THE LAST, UM, CALLED COMMISSIONERS AND VICE-CHAIR ZISMAN AND JUST EXPRESS THE CONCERN THAT THEY HOPE THAT THE EQUITY PIECE MOVES FORWARD, THAT IN THEIR INDUSTRY AND IN THE VISUAL ARTS AND GALLERIES, THAT IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE MAINTAINING THAT DIRECTION OF FOCUSING FUNDING THROUGH AN EQUITY LENS.
SO THEY JUST WANTED SOME REASSURANCE FROM THOSE OF US THAT SAT HERE THAT THAT WAS GOING TO HOPEFULLY CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
OF COURSE WE COULDN'T SAY ANYTHING FOR CERTAIN, BUT, UM, I THINK WE ALL, UM, WERE OF A LIKE-MIND WHEN WE, UM, LISTENED AND TOOK THEIR FEEDBACK.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, JUST SOME, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
ONE OF THE BIG THINGS COMING DOWN THE ROAD ARE THESE P THREE, UM, UH, PROJECTS THAT ARE, UM, INDEPENDENT AND THAT THE CITY THEN ENGAGES.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT SEEING HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S EQUITABLE TO THE PROJECTS AIPP IS FUNDED THROUGH 2% OF PUBLIC WORKS.
AND, UM, OFTENTIMES THAT THE WAY THE L THE, UM, ORDINANCE WAS WRITTEN, UM, IT IS A LITTLE, WELL, IT'S NOT, IT'S VERY FUZZY ON MAYBE WHAT, HOW TO GET AROUND THAT.
SO WE'RE WORKING AT LOOKING AT THAT, UM, AND WE'LL PROBABLY PUT TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP TO HELP US ADDRESS THAT AS WELL, BUT, UM, PUBLIC WORK IS MOVING FORWARD, AND I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT
[00:40:01]
THAT BECAUSE THAT GETS MONEY DIRECTLY INTO THE HANDS OF ARTISTS.UM, HAVE YOU, DO WE HAVE CARL SETTLES NEXT, NEXT STEP
[2.c. AEDC/Cultural Trust Advisory Committee Report – Carl Settles]
IS THE AEDC CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT.WE THINK HE'S ON THE SCREEN NOW.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME JOIN YOU ALL TODAY.
UM, I THINK, UH, CERVIX FEW OF YOU ATTENDED OUR LAST, UH, AEDC MEETING, UH, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU, UH, A GENERAL UPDATE.
UM, WE COURSE NOW HAVE A CHIEF TRANSACTION OFFICER, UM, WHO, AND WE ALSO KICKED OFF OUR FIRST MEETING, OR, UH, WE RESTARTED MEETING WITH THE CENTRAL TECH, THE CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, THERE ARE STILL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO JOIN THAT, UH, IF THEY SO CHOOSE TO.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A CONVOLUTED, UH, EMAIL STREAM OUT THERE WITH A LINK WHERE PEOPLE CAN, UM, ACTUALLY, UH, APPLY, UH, TO JOIN THAT COMMITTEE AS LONG AS THERE'S NO, UH, UH, POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST, UH, IN TERMS OF APPLYING FOR, UH, THE RFPS THAT ARE ABOUT TO COME OUT, UH, RELATED TO, UM, THE ADC.
UM, WE'LL BE, WE'RE STILL IN THAT WE'RE STILL IN THAT PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR A CEO.
UH, WE GOT AN UPDATE, UH, ABOUT THAT.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO START TO GET A SLATE OF CANDIDATES THAT WE CAN START TO LOOK AT AND REVIEW, UH, LATER THIS FALL.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC TIMELINE FOR THAT IN FRONT OF ME.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S ONE OTHER THING, UH, THAT CAME UP AGAIN IN OUR PAST MEETING.
AND WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THIS BRIEFLY, UM, IN THE PREVIOUS ARTS COMMISSION MEETING, UH, GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE HOT TAX.
UM, AND ALSO BECAUSE THE AEDC IS REALLY FOCUSED, UM, AT LEAST IN THE NEAR TERM ON, UM, OTHER THINGS, UM, ASIDE FROM EMERGENCY, UH, RELIEF, BUT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT IF WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, ATTRACT, UH, DONORS, UH, THAT THEY COULD GIVE THAT MONEY DIRECTLY TO THE CITY OR THROUGH THE AEDC AND THAT MONEY COULD BE USED, UH, REALLY, UH, HOWEVER, UM, I GUESS YOU ALL, OR HAVE WE AGREED TO GREE TO, UH, TO USE IT? SO I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS I THINK THAT THERE'S A CASE STATEMENT TO BE MADE.
UM, IRRESPECTIVE I KNOW THAT THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HEARD A LOT OF TESTIMONY ABOUT, UH, VIEWING OUR FUNDING FROM AN EQUITY LENS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A SMALLER PIE, NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT.
UM, AND SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO START TO BRING IN MORE FUNDING.
I THINK THE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY IF WE CAN BUILD A CASE STATEMENT TO THESE, PARTICULARLY A LOT OF THESE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES THAT HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE NOT FROM AUSTIN, THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE CITY.
THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE CULTURAL ARTS SCENE.
THEY DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE HISTORY.
AND I FEEL LIKE IF WE WERE TO, UH, COUCH THAT IN THE RIGHT WAY, UH, TO SOME OF THESE FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE THESE NEW COMPANIES THAT ARE COMING TO DOWN, AND THOSE COMPANIES THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR AWHILE, UM, IT'D BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO LEARN ABOUT OUR ARTS COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE US WITH THIS MUCH NEEDED, UH, SUPPORT.
CARL, DO YOU WANNA TALK FOR A HOT SECOND ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR THE RFP THROUGH THE CULTURAL TRUST? SURE.
UM, SO THERE IS, THERE IS AN RFP THAT'S, UH, COMING THROUGH, UH, THE CULTURAL TRUST.
UM, THERE, WE'RE PLANNING TO HAVE ROBUST SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY WANT TO APPLY FOR THAT, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU ALL, UH, THAT THEY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AND THE TOOLS THAT THEY'LL NEED, UH, TO, TO BE READY FOR THAT, UM, THAT RFP IS PROBABLY IS GONNA ROLL OUT.
I WOULD SAY OCTOBER, NOVEMBER TIMEFRAME.
SO NOVIA PLEASE, CORRECT ME IF I'M, I'M SPEAKING OFF BASE, UH, IN THAT REGARD, UM,
[00:45:02]
THAT'S ABOUT AS MUCH, UH, SPECED SPECIFIC SPECIFICITY AS I HAVE ABOUT THE, UH, THE RFP AT THIS POINT.DO I HAVE QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION COMMISSIONER FLORES? UM, I'M SORRY, WHICH RFP OR WHAT PURPOSE? THERE ARE A COUPLE OF RFPS.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER IS, UH, AND CITY STAFF CAN, UH, HELP ME ON THIS, UH, IS FOR, UH, THE STABLISH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CREATIVE SPACE AT 12 MILLION.
SAME MONEY WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CHECK CAUSE IT WASN'T, UH, UH, I, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE ANOTHER RFP FOR I GET IT.
AND, UM, CARL, CAN YOU JUST SAY ONE MORE TIME? UM, AND IF, IF, UM, HOW WOULD SOMEBODY GO ABOUT BECOMING MORE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS FOR THE CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE? YES.
UM, I CAN, UH, I CAN MAKE SURE THAT I GET THE, THE LINK.
IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO JOIN THAT COMMITTEE, THERE IS A LINK THAT, THAT EXISTS OUT THERE THAT THEY CAN GO TO, TO APPLY SPECIFICALLY.
UM, AND ALSO LOOK, IF YOU'RE, IF FOLKS ARE INTERESTED IN ACTUALLY UPON APPLYING FOR THESE RFPS THAT ARE COMING OUT, UM, THEN LOOK FOR THAT INFORMATION TO COME OUT, UH, RELATIVELY SOON.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ABOUT AS MUCH INFORMATION AS I HAVE.
AND MAYBE INCLUDE THAT LINK ON OUR NEWSLETTER.
I WAS GOING TO SAY IF WE COULD MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S INCLUDED.
UM, REAL QUICK TO ALSO, UM, THERE, ARE WE STILL LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE? THAT'S REVIEWING THOSE RFPS? YES.
AND THAT'S WHAT THAT LINK WOULD BE FOR, FOR FOLKS THAT MAY WANT TO JOIN THAT, UM, ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I'M GOING TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, UM, KOSHER, SMALL BUCK THAT YOU, YOU GUYS ON THE JOINT WORKING GROUP, THAT WITH MUSIC, THAT'S LOOKING FOR A DIVERSIFYING FUNDING SOURCES THAT MAYBE YOU GUYS GET TOGETHER AND BRING CARL INTO THAT ROOM AND COMPARE NOTES.
BECAUSE CLEARLY AS WE'RE HEARING, WE NEED ALL SOURCES OF FUNDING THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY GET OUR HANDS ON TO MAKE THIS BETTER FOR EVERYBODY.
AND THE OTHER COMMISSION QUESTIONS.
UH, MR. CASTILLO, IT'S MORE OF A COMMENT TO COMMISSIONER BARNES WITH QUESTION, IF SOMEONE'S INTERESTED IN SERVING ON A CTECH, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO ANY ARTS COMMISSIONER WHO SHOULD HAVE THAT LINK HANDY.
SO IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK, MAN.
SO I WILL JUST SAY THAT PUBLICLY, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING IT AND MAKE SURE IT'S ON HAND COLLINS OR SEND A REPORT, A VERY DETAILED REPORT, UH, IT TO OUR HOUSING.
AND IT HAS, IT HAS ALL THAT INFORMATION.
IT CAME, I THINK LAST WEEK OR SO.
THERE'S, THERE ARE A LOT OF EMAILS COMING GUYS, BUT TRY TO KEEP ON TOP OF STUFF AND WE'LL TRY TO HIGHLIGHT THINGS AS THEY COME THROUGH.
THANKS EVERYBODY FOR YOUR WORK AND FOR STAYING ON TOP.
AND CARL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REPRESENTATION ON BOTH OF THOSE BODIES.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE.
[2.d. Downtown Commission Report – Commissioner Keeton]
COMMISSIONER KEATON.WE'RE AT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION REPORT.
YOU HAVE A HAVE AN UPDATE FOR US.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY MY DOG IS IN MY LAP.
AND THEN I WANT TO SAY, UH, HAD ANOTHER BIRTHDAY THIS YEAR, SEPTEMBER 7TH.
SO IT'S GLAD TO BE WITH EVERYONE.
GLAD TO BE WITH EVERYONE TONIGHT.
SO I THINK WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TONIGHT IS THAT, UM, I GOT TO HEAR ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM PRESENTED BY SOME TEDFORD OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE MAIN GIST OF WHAT SHE TALKED ABOUT ARE THE NEW INTERIM FEES AND RECALIBRATION OF THOSE FEES.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UM, A FEE CALIBRATION MEANS A FEE VOLUNTARY PROGRAM THAT RELIES ON AN INCENTIVE-BASED APPROACH, UM, FOR PRIVATE, FOR OUR PRIVATE MARKET TO DELIVER COMMUNITY BENEFITS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
[00:50:01]
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, PASSING OUT VOUCHERS PRETTY MUCH, UM, FOR INDIVIDUALS TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD PURCHASING A HOME IN AUSTIN, UM, MOVING FORTH.UH, THE SECOND PRESENTATION THAT WAS GIVEN ON THE 15TH OF THIS MONTH WAS ABOUT THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER AND THEY SHOWED UP, WE'VE BEEN WAITING ON THEM.
UH, SO THEY DISCUSSED THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, UH, THE HISTORY OF THE CONVENTION CENTERS, REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PLAN, UM, AS WELL AS THE EXPANSION, UM, I CAN SAY IT WAS VERY DETAILED.
IT WAS PROBABLY LIKE ABOUT 20 SIDES, VERY SMALL PRINT.
UM, I WOULD SUGGEST, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT WHAT'S TAKING PLACE WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER, THAT YOU CHECK OUT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONERS PAGE FOR THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
UM, THEY WANTED TO DETAIL ABOUT THE HOT TECHS.
SO IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT, IT'S A GREAT PRESENTATION ON WHAT THE TECH IS, WHY IT'S USED, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, AND THEY ALSO GAVE A TIMELINE OF THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS.
UM, AND LASTLY, I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, THERE'S A COMMUNITY SURVEY GOING OUT RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE HEAT, THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN, UM, ANYONE THAT IS IN DISTRICT ONE THAT NEEDS THAT, UM, INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT ME BY EMAIL AND I WILL MAKE SURE TO FORWARD THAT INFORMATION TO ALL COMMISSIONERS SO THAT I CAN SHARE IT WITH OUR DISTRICT.
AND I THINK YOU, ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER KEATON, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER KEATON FOR YOUR REPRESENTATION ON THAT BODY.
WE LOVE HAVING YOU IN THAT ROOM AND THANKS FOR THE REPORT AND SPEAKING OF GREAT PRESENTATIONS, IT'S LIKE THE SEGUE.
[3.a. Hotel Occupancy Tax Update – Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, Economic Development Department]
THREE, STAFF BRIEFINGS.WE HAVE, UH, SYLVIA HOLT RABBI AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX UPDATE.
THANK YOU TIER IF YOU COULD BRING UP THE PRESENTATION AND I'M DOUBLE MESS, I'LL TAKE ONE ON AND OFF SHORT AND SWEET STILL KNOW VIA HAUTE, RAB, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS JUST A REMINDER OF WHAT COUNCIL APPROVED.
UM, FOR
UM, BECAUSE WE KEPT THE CONTRACTS WHOLE NEXT SLIDE, A LITTLE BIT OF GOOD NEWS IN AUGUST.
UM, WE ONLY COLLECTED $996,000, BUT AS YOU RECALL, IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH, WE HAD COLLECTIONS OF ALMOST 2 MILLION.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT OUR ESTIMATE IS NOW A LITTLE HIGHER, SO WE WON'T BE AS NEGATIVE AS WE AT FIRST ANTICIPATED NEXT SLIDE.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE ARE PREPARING TO TAKE A BUDGET AMENDMENT, UH, AND CAUSE NOVEMBER 2ND OF AROUND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
SO THAT WILL OCCUR AFTER CLOSE TO, UM, AND THE EARLY PART OF NOVEMBER.
ANY QUESTIONS I'M GOING TO DO A LITTLE HAPPY DANCE, HANG ON.
YEAH, WE'RE STILL NEGATIVE, BUT JUST NOT AS NEGATIVE.
HEY, IT'S NOT AS BAD AS IT AS BAD.
UM, I CANNOT SEE MY PEOPLE ONLINE.
SO I'M GOING TO JUST HAZARD A GUESS HERE AND ASK COMMISSIONER FLORES IF SHE HAS A QUESTION.
UM, SO THAT BUDGET AMENDMENT IS IN RESPONSE TO, UM, THE FUNDS GOING UP AND WE WILL, UM, BE LOOKING AT, AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE YOU'RE GUESSTIMATING.
IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT 500,000.
THAT WILL BE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT.
AGAIN, WE WILL STILL BE PIVOTING TOWARDS SPENDING ACTUALS VERSUS ESTIMATE BECAUSE OF THE CONCERN OF THE GENERAL FUND IN THE OUT YEARS WITH THE PROPERTY CAP, ET CETERA, THAT'S A POTENTIAL, UH, RAISING, RAISING THE AMOUNT AVAILABLE FOR FY 22 BY 500 K.
SO THE AMOUNT THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED TO COMMUNITY, IT WILL NOW BE 3.5 MILLION ONCE
[00:55:01]
THE BUDGET AMENDMENT IS APPROVED.CAN YOU REPEAT THAT ONE MORE TIME FOR THOSE IN THE ROOM IN THE ROOM, WE WILL TAKE FORTH TO COUNCIL OUR REQUEST FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN NOVEMBER THAT WILL NOW ALLOW 3.5 MILLION TO BE DEPLOYED TO COMMUNITY VERSUS THE 3 MILLION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR SYNOVIAL REP? OKAY, GREAT.
[3.b. Cultural Funding Update – Meghan Wells, Cultural Arts Division Manager]
CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER ON A CULTURAL FUNDING UPDATE.IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU IN THE FLESH AND VIRTUALLY, UH, I HAVE, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION AND UPDATES I'D LIKE TO DELIVER TO YOU IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, I JUST WANT TO LEAVE THIS ON THE SCREEN FOR ONE SECOND.
UM, BUT MAKE, UH, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO MAKE REALLY CLEAR THAT WHEN WE, WHEN WE, AS STAFF ROLLED OUT PROGRAMS, OUR PROPOSED PROGRAMS IN EARLY AUGUST, WE ANTICIPATED FEEDBACK TO BE, UH, COLLECTED THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST, BUT IN LIGHT OF THE IMMENSE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED AND THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION ON AUGUST 24TH, WE, WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO CONTINUE THIS DIALOGUE.
I DO WANT TO CLARIFY AND, AND PROVIDE THESE UPDATES ON SEVERAL ELEMENTS OF THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS, WHERE WE ARE IN THE CONVERSATIONS, FEEDBACK AND PROPOSED PROGRAMS. AND TO BE CLEAR, WE WERE ASKED FOR, TO INCLUDE SOME TENTATIVE LAUNCH DATES AND TIMELINES WHEN WE LAUNCHED OUR PROGRAMS. SO WE PROVIDED THOSE WITH OUR PROPOSED PROGRAM ROLLOUT IN EARLY AUGUST, BUT WE ARE STILL HEARING SIGNIFICANT FEEDBACK AND STAFF ARE INCORPORATING WHAT WE'RE HEARING INTO THESE PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND FRAMEWORK.
ALL OF THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BECAUSE WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS.
NO PROGRAMS WILL BE LAUNCHED UNTIL WE HAVE MADE MORE PROGRESS WITH THESE CONCERNS AND MAKE, UH, MAKE VERY CLEAR, UH, A JOINT UNDERSTANDING WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND COMMUNITY.
AT THIS POINT, WE'RE NOT PROJECTING A LAUNCH DATE.
LET ME COVER MORE SPECIFICALLY THESE QUESTIONS.
WE'VE HEARD THROUGH THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN SINCE OUR PROGRAMS LAUNCHED THESE FOLLOWING CONCERNS THAT I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS.
WE ASKED FOR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON THE USE OF A THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR.
THIS WAS NOT A PROPOSAL FROM CAD.
THIS WAS SIMPLY A QUESTION TO GAUGE WHETHER THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER THAT WE HEARD A RESOUNDING NO, AND THE IMPETUS TO KEEP EVERY POSSIBLE DOLLAR IN ARTIST'S POCKETS.
SO WE HAVE, UH, ASKED FOR THAT FEEDBACK, RECEIVED IT LOUD AND CLEAR, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR, UM, YOUR CLEAR MESSAGE ON THAT WE WERE ASKED ABOUT WHAT ABOUT TOURISM WITH THESE NEW PROGRAMS? AND I, AGAIN, I WANT TO JUST REITERATE THAT NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN TERMS OF THE STATE LAW.
THIS IS STILL AN ELEMENT OF USING THE HOT FUNDS.
HOWEVER, WE DO NEED TO CONTINUE EXAMINING WITH OUR PARTNERS WHOSE ART IS ACQUAINTED WITH AUSTIN'S IDENTITY.
AND CAN WE BE MORE INCLUSIVE? IS RACIAL REPRESENTATION, THE ONLY FACTOR FOR POINTS IN THESE PROGRAMS? NO, IT IS NOT.
I WILL BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT, BUT IT'S NOT EXCLUSIONARY REPRESENTATION MATTERS.
AND IT IS KEY TO LOOKING AT, AT RE REDISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS, BUT EQUITY INVOLVES A HOST OF OTHER FACTORS.
AND WE'RE LOOKING ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER WHO DEFINES EQUITY AND HOW IS IT OPERATIONALIZED? WE HAVE GENERATED A STARTER LIST TO GET MORE INTO THIS DIALOGUE, AND WE WANT TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE ALL NEED TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH WHAT THIS MEANS, HOW, HOW EQUITY MANIFESTS AND HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AS A COMMUNITY.
WHY ARE WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS BEING LEFT OUT? LET ME BE CLEAR.
WE HAVE HEARD THAT THERE IS CONFUSION.
THERE IS CONCERN ABOUT THIS, AND WE HAVE DECIDED TO LAUNCH ELEVATE TO CONCERNS.
WHEREAS BEFORE THIS WAS A POTENTIAL PROGRAM TO LAUNCH NEXT YEAR, WE'RE CONSIDERING MOVING IT UP IN THE LAUNCH SCHEDULE SO THAT IT CAN BE MORE OF A PRIORITY WITH THE ORGANIZATIONAL FEEDBACK.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE'RE ACTIVELY INCORPORATING FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HEARD INTO THIS ITERATIVE PROCESS.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THRIVE VERSUS ELEVATE.
THE BOTH OF THESE PROGRAM GUIDELINES ARE STILL IN PROGRESS, AND WE NEED MORE CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNITY TO FLESH THEM OUT.
WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THE WAYS THAT THESE PROGRAMS COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER OR PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRATEGIC SUPPORT.
[01:00:02]
WHERE'S THE DATA THAT YOU'RE USING WHEN YOU'RE ADDING HISTORICAL FUNDING INTO THE CITY'S OPEN DATA PORTAL THIS WEEK, IT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE BY THE PUBLIC DOWNLOADABLE INTO A SPREADSHEET THAT YOU CAN MANIPULATE AND SLICE AND DICE ANY WAY YOU WANT.WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'RE, WE'RE UPLOADING OUR HISTORICAL FUNDING AND WE HOPE IT WILL BE HELPFUL.
ALSO IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAVE CREATED A MORE ROBUST WEBPAGE AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV FORWARD SLASH DEPARTMENT FORWARD SLASH CULTURAL DASH FUNDING.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LOOK AT THAT WEBSITE, NEXT SLIDE.
SO WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS AND THINGS TO REMEMBER IN THIS PROCESS, WE ARE CONTINUING TO SOLICIT ASSESS AND INCORPORATE FEEDBACK.
AGAIN, THIS PROCESS IS STILL ONGOING WITH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS LIKELY BEING DISTRIBUTED BEFORE THE END OF 2021.
WE ARE LOOKING POTENTIALLY AT A SPRING 2022 TO LAUNCH HOT FUNDED PROGRAMS. BUT AGAIN, NO DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WATCHING THIS COUNCIL WATCHING DISCUSSIONS AT COUNCIL, WE PROVIDED A BRIEFING TO THEM AT A WORK SESSION ON AUGUST 24TH.
WE WILL NEXT PRESENT A BRIEFING TO THE CITY COUNCILS AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE THIS WEEK ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND, AND LIKELY WE WILL AGAIN VISIT THE FULL COUNCIL IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT HOT FUNDS ARE NOT THE ONLY FUNDS AVAILABLE TO THE, TO THE COMMUNITY.
THE CITY HAS MADE AVAILABLE APPROXIMATELY $25 MILLION IN RELIEF FUNDS, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CREATIVE AND CULTURAL COMMUNITY.
UP TO THIS POINT, THE LIST IS ON THE PREVIOUS WEBSITE THAT I JUST MENTIONED, OUR NEW CULTURAL FUNDING WEBSITE.
YOU CAN SEE THE WHOLE LIST OF PANDEMIC RELATED, RELATED RELIEF THAT WE'VE LAUNCHED.
THE ARTS COMMISSIONS WORKING GROUP CONTINUES TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WORK WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE DONE, BUT WE HAVE NEVER PURSUED IT LIKE THIS IN THE PAST.
AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THOSE EFFORTS.
THIS CONTINUES TO PLACE CONSTRAINTS ON EVENTS AND TRAVEL THAT WERE FACTORED INTO THE PROJECTED HOT FUNDS.
FOR 22, WE REMAIN OPTIMISTIC BUT CAUTIOUS ABOUT FUTURE FUNDING.
WE ARE STILL OPERATING WITH AN ESTIMATE.
WE INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO COME TO THE TABLE WITH US AT ANY POINT WITH SOLUTIONS FOCUSED FEEDBACK THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF EQUITY.
PLEASE CHECK OUT THE OPERATIONALIZED EQUITY DOCUMENT THAT WE'VE HOSTED ON OUR NEW WEBSITE AS A RESOURCE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR DEFINITION OF WHAT OPERATIONALIZE EQUITY IS AND WHERE IT ALIGNS WITH YOUR UNDERSTANDING, BECAUSE THAT'S TRULY WHERE WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY.
WE ARE OPEN TO FEEDBACK ON THAT DOCUMENT AND WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.
FINALLY, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE REASONS THAT PREVENT SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM TAKING A PUBLIC STAND OR SPEAKING OUT PUBLICLY FEEDBACK HAS BEEN CONTRIBUTED TO US ANONYMOUSLY AND CONFIDENTIALLY DURING THIS WHOLE ENTIRE PROCESS TO ALLOW FOR FULL DISCLOSURE, WITHOUT FEAR OR RE OF REPERCUSSION OR JUDGMENT.
AND THAT CONTINUES TO BE AN OPTION.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS SPOKEN UP, WHO COMES TO US WITH FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS.
AND I WANT TO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION.
ANY QUESTIONS? EXCELLENT COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS.
UH, AB CAN WE PULL UP THE THIRD SLIDE? UM, CAUSE I FEEL LIKE I WANT TO CHALLENGE BOTH THE COMMUNITY AND STAFF RIGHT THERE.
UH, THIS QUESTION RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, WHY ARE WHITE LED ORGS BEING LEFT OUT? THAT'S A TROUBLESOME QUESTION.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE LEADING WITH RACIAL EQUITY, SO THAT DOESN'T EXCLUDE ANYONE, BUT TO START ASKING WHY WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS ARE BEING LEFT OUT WHEN THEY'RE NOT BEING LEFT OUT, THE CONVERSATION IS JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY.
I WANT TO CHALLENGE THE COMMUNITY TO, TO REALLY LOOK IN THE MIRROR
[01:05:01]
AND DIG DEEP.WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS.
UM, THERE ARE RESOURCES OUT THERE.
UM, JUST, JUST START THAT EDUCATION AND FOR STAFF, I WANT TO CHALLENGE Y'ALL WAS LIKE, YOUR RESPONSE IS A LITTLE WISHY.
WASY LIKE WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK TOGETHER AND, AND IT IS ABOUT EVERYBODY AND WE'RE NOT LEAVING WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS OUT.
AND I JUST THINK THAT YOU COULD HAVE STATED THAT A LITTLE BIT STRONGER.
AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHY, UM, THAT THERE IS CONFUSION, RIGHT? THAT THAT'S WHY WE'RE ON ACTP WE'RE LIKE, HEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TELLING US LIKE, HEY, MAKE SURE THAT THAT EQUITY PIECE IS NOT FORGOTTEN.
UM, SO YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO CHALLENGE US.
I KNOW IT'S THE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS, BUT I THINK ON THIS, I REALLY NEEDED TO POINT THAT OUT.
IT'S LIKE, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WE'RE TALKING THE SAME THINGS SAYING THE SAME TIME, THE SAME LANGUAGE HERE.
I WANTED TO ECHO WHAT COMMISSIONER CAN STILL SING.
WE ACTUALLY WELCOME THE WHITE LED ORGANIZATION TO HELP US FIND A SOLUTION TO GET THE, WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN ADDRESSING EQUITY? I THINK THAT IS THE ONLY ROLE YOU CAN PLAY BECAUSE YOU HAVE BENEFIT FROM THIS INEQUITABLE SYSTEM FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? HOW DO YOU WANT TO RESOLVE IT TO GET THE, BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY ROLE YOU CAN PLAY BECAUSE THE PEOPLE OF COLOR COMMUNITY WE'RE NOT AT THE TABLE FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS AND YOU WERE THERE.
SO WE, WE WANT YOU TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
YOUR ROLE IS SO IMPORTANT TO BE PART OF THIS BIG CONVERSATION.
SO I WANTED TO ECHO AND SUPPORT, UM, COMMISSIONER CUSTOMERS' OBSERVATION.
AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FLORES.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, TO STAFF.
UM, UH, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY QUESTION HAS BEEN ANSWERED IN A LOT OF DETAIL, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THIS IS A REALLY A BIG STEP IN ANSWERING A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS, VERY POINTEDLY.
AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, CLARITY IS VERY IMPORTANT, UH, TO EVERYBODY, THE COMMUNITY, US, UH, YOU KNOW, THINGS GET HEARD, EVERYTHING GETS, YOU KNOW, UM, MESSAGES GET MIXED.
SO THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING QUESTIONS AND PUTTING THEM OUT THERE AND, AND, AND GIVING DIRECT RESPONSES BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL, YOU KNOW, ARE ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING THERE.
THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN RUMOR MILLS AND JUST THINGS GETTING OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING MIXED MESSAGES OUT THERE.
SO, UH, WE ARE, AS, UH, THE CHAIR HAS SAID REPEATEDLY AND ALL, OR THE COMMISSIONERS AND SAID, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
WE ALL NEED TO, UH, UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT IS ACTUALLY, WHAT IS ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE, WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING, WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS.
UH, AND SO I THINK, UH, THIS EVENING HAS PROVIDED A LOT MORE CLARITY AND I, I APPRECIATE, UH, MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION.
AND I WANT TO JUST SAY, THANK YOU OTHER QUESTIONS.
I'M GOING TO SAY THAT I UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT QUESTION COMES FROM, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD THAT EXACT QUESTION PHRASED IN THAT EXACT WAY FROM MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
SO WHILE I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, I THINK THE POINT OF STAFF IN THAT MOMENT IS TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE HEARING.
WHAT WE'RE HEARING, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.
AND WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO, AND WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS TO CONTINUE.
IT DID NOT HAVE, WE DID NOT GET TO THIS PLACE OVERNIGHT.
SYSTEMIC RACISM DID NOT JUST HAPPEN.
UM, WE'VE GOT, IT'S GOING TO TAKE US A WHILE TO UNDO IT, BUT WE CAN UNDO IT TOGETHER.
AND I KNOW THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN'S CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM IS POISED TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT NO ONE HAS MANAGED TO DO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE LOOKED AT OTHER CITIES AND WHAT THEIR, THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING, AUSTIN'S HISTORY IS CLEAR.
UM, BUT I THINK WE CAN PULL IT OFF.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WE'RE DOING THIS WORK TOGETHER AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THIS WORK TOGETHER.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE COME TO US TONIGHT AND SAID, PAUSE THE PROCESS, THERE'S NOT ANYTHING TO PAUSE WE'RE IN THE PROCESS.
[01:10:01]
AND IT WILL TAKE THE TIME THAT IT TAKES TO GET IT RIGHT AND DO IT COLLABORATIVELY.THERE ARE LOTS OF VOICES THAT ARE HEARD AND WE'VE HEARD A LOT FROM, AND TO CLIFFORD'S POINT, THERE ARE ALSO PEOPLE WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THAT WE ARE REACHING OUT TO THIS IS GOING TO GO ON FOR AWHILE.
SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BARNS.
UM, IT, IT WAS INTERESTING AS I LISTENED TO, I THINK IT WAS MS. MCDONALD SPEAK, WHO SAID, YOU KNOW, UM, I JUST LIKENED IT TO THE QUOTE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BEST TIME TO HAVE PLANTED A TREE WAS 20 YEARS AGO.
THE SECOND BEST TIME IS TO DO IT NOW.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, WE ARE DEALING, I MEAN, IF WE HAD 12 MILLION TO GIVE OUT, IT WOULD BE MUCH EASIER OF A PROCESS.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT WE HAVE WHAT A THIRD OR NOT EVEN A THIRD, A FOURTH OF THAT.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S JUST, IT'S GONNA HURT.
AND IT'S, WE'RE TRYING TO, TO MINIMIZE WHATEVER IMPACT THAT'S GOING TO BE, AND WE'RE LISTENING TO ALL OF THAT FEEDBACK, UM, TO, TO DO IT WELL, BUT THERE IS GOING TO BE IMPACT.
THERE IS NO WAY AROUND THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE IMPACT.
STILL LOOKING FOR MORE COMMENTS.
UM, I HAVE, UH, JUST AN ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION FOR STAFF, WHICH IS, UM, IN TERMS OF FEEDBACK AND TIMEFRAME, IS THERE ANY, UM, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY ONLINE TO STILL PROVIDE IMPACT? CAUSE I KNOW THAT OFFICIALLY CLOSED ON THE 31ST, WHAT'S OUR STATUS ON THAT METHOD FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? YES, WE ARE CONTINUING TO COLLECT FEEDBACK.
WE, WITH THE LAUNCH OF THIS NEW WEBSITE, IT HASN'T CHANGED OUR AVAILABILITY TO BE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, COLLECTING ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, MEETING REQUESTS, EMAILS TO US, PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO DO IT RIGHT NOW IS TO EMAIL STAFF DIRECTLY AND HIS SEUSS DOT PENTEL AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
THAT'S J E S U S DOT P A N T E L AT AUSTIN, TEXAS, ALL SPELLED OUT.GOV.
GOV IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO GET US FEED THAT UNTIL WE GET A NEW, UM, COMMENT FORM ONLINE FOR ELEVATE, WHICH WE ARE WORKING ON.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU FOR THE HEAVY LIFT COMMISSIONER SMELLED UP.
UM, JUST OVER THIS PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I'VE GOTTEN SO MUCH MORE INSIGHT INTO THE AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT YOU ALL PUT INTO THIS WORK, NOT JUST IN THIS MOMENT, BUT ALL THE TIME.
AND IT IS OVERWHELMING HOW MUCH, HOW MANY HOURS IN A WEEK THAT YOU ALL SPEND DOING YOUR JOBS AND YOU'RE DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB.
ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN STATED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER PAUL GAR AND, AND, UH, OTHERS THAT WITH RESPECT TO THE IDEA OF A PAUSE AND WHAT WE HEARD THIS AFTERNOON, OR THIS EVENING HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON TO PAUSE OR NOT TO PAUSE IN FAVOR OR AGAINST PAUSING.
UM, AND THEN MEGAN JUST SHARED THAT THEY'RE EXPECTING THAT NO PROGRAMS WILL BE ABLE TO LAUNCH UNTIL SPRING OF NEXT YEAR.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE REALLY CLEAR, AND THIS IS INCLUSIVE OF, YOU KNOW, AC AND I, UM, COMMISSIONER GRAY.
AND I ASKED TO PUT A CONVERSATION ABOUT ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO US AROUND A WORKING GROUP, UM, THAT IS FOCUSED OF, OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ARTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BLACK AND OTHER LEADERS OF COLOR ARTS LEADERS OF COLOR, WHO PICK THIS UP WHERE WE'VE, WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CONSULTANT AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE PRESENTED BEEN PRESENTED TO DATE AND THE FEEDBACK THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO DATE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS EVENING, BUT I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR ABOUT IS WHAT COMES OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE'S A PAUSE OR NO PAUSE IS GOING TO MEAN REDISTRIBUTION THAT PRIORITIZES RACIAL EQUITY IN THE ARTS.
I DON'T THINK I WAS HEARING DIFFERENT, UM, PERSPECTIVES ON THAT IN THE COMMENTS AND THE COMMENTS THIS EVENING HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE.
AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD KEEP THINKING ABOUT HOW WE GET THIS LEVEL OF CONVERSATION AND ENGAGEMENT ON A, ON A REGULAR BASIS AND HOW WE AS COMMISSIONERS CREATE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
BECAUSE I THINK WE HEARD SO MUCH TONIGHT, BUT I, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO BE CLEAR.
I HOPE THAT WE CAN BE CLEAR AT THE END OF THE MEETING TONIGHT, THAT REGARDLESS OF THE TIMELINE BETWEEN NEXT MONTH AND, AND SPRING OF 2022, IS THAT WHAT WILL COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS WILL MEAN REDISTRIBUTION OF LIMITED DOLLARS
[01:15:01]
AND THE PRIORITIZATION IS RACIAL EQUITY.AND SO I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN BE CLEAR AS A, AS A BODY THAT, THAT, THAT IS NOT CHANGING.
UM, I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT, UM, UH, ALSO WITH, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER, SMALL BUCK AND MYSELF THAT WE TALKED ABOUT NOT ONLY THIS CULTURAL, THIS EQUITY TASKFORCE, BUT THE FACT THAT JUST EQUITY IS ACROSS THE BOARD.
I MEAN, IT JUST NEEDS TO BE DONE PERIOD IN THIS COUNTRY, IN THE CITY, UM, ON, IN ALL STAGES.
BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, OPERATIONALLY AND SINCE THAT WORD OR OPERATIONALIZED, UM, HAS COME UP SO TRUE, THOSE THINGS WE SHARE SO MUCH IN COMMON, BUT THERE'S A, THERE'S A COMMUNITY OF, OF ARTS OPERATE DIFFERENTLY IN SOME RESPECTS THAN THE NORMAL COMPANIES.
AND ALL I SAY THAT IS THAT THE, UM, THE NEED FOR A COMMUNITY ARTS LED EQUITY TASK FORCE CAN SHARE MORE INFORMATION IN POLICY, NOT WELL, NOT NECESSARILY POLICY, BUT JUST IN THE WAY ARTISTS DO SOME DO WANT TO BE IN CERTAIN PLACES AND SOME DON'T.
AND JUST BEING SURE BACK TO EVERYBODY'S POINT THAT IT'S EQUITY ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT OUR ECOSYSTEM IS AND UNDERSTANDING AS WELL IN THE PROCESS, HOW TO TAKE ALL OF THIS FORWARD FOR SUSTAINABILITY.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT PROGRAMS THAT ARE LOOKED AT NOW, BECAUSE THE EQUITY, THE EQUITY LENS IS THERE AND IT NEEDS TO BE THERE.
IT HAS TO BE THERE AS VITAL, BUT IT'S, IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND I THINK THE FEAR OF LOSS OR I'M TO BE CUT OUT AND I'M NOT GOING TO SURVIVE REALLY CAN MAKE YOU LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS SO DIFFERENTLY, THEN THAT SAME EQUITY MODEL AND PLAN AND HOPEFUL, VERY CLEAR SUSTAINABILITY, HOW DO WE DO THIS LONGTERM WHILE WE CONTINUE TO ADD AND SUBTRACT IN THE BETTERMENT OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY WILL NOT FEEL SO.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THAT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT SEGUE TO OUR NEXT CONVERSATION.
[4.a. Discussion and Possible Action on Working Group Updates]
FOR OLD BUSINESS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE WORKING GROUP UPDATES.AND WE ARE STARTING WITH THE EMERGENCY FUNDING AND PROACTIVE STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE FUNDING WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS BARNES FLORES, SMALL DOG VANDYKE, AND ZISMAN THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HEAVY LIFT FOR THOSE WATCHING AT HOME AND THOSE IN THE ROOM.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT ARPA-E EMERGENCY MONEY.
UM, I THINK WE COULD FIT A COUPLE OF EXTRA WORDS IN THE TITLE OF THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT, UM, UPDATE.
AND SO I'VE TAKEN THE TIME TO, UH, DRAFT OUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY.
SO FORGIVE ME, BUT I WILL BE READING.
UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COVERING ALL THE DETAILS AND THAT ALL POTENTIAL QUESTIONS ARE BEING ADDRESSED IN ADVANCE OVER THE COURSE OF THREE MEETINGS HELD ON 9 10, 9, 13, AND NINE 15 OF 21 INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM STAFF AND DEEP CONSIDERATION OF THE FEEDBACK WE'VE RECEIVED.
THE WORKING GROUP IS PREPARED TO PRESENT OUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE GUARD'S COMMISSIONING COUNCIL.
THE WORKING GROUP OPERATED WITH THE CONSENSUS OF THE FOLLOWING PRIORITIES URGENCY FUNDS TO BE DISTRIBUTED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE FUNDING SHOULD STAY WITHIN THE
UH, I HAVE A TITLE HERE IT'S ABOUT 500, $5.5 MILLION.
UM, AS POSSIBLE, A SET ADMINISTRATIVE THIRD-PARTY FEES CAN BE AS HIGH AS 15%.
THE SECOND PRIORITY IS NEED A DATA DRIVEN PROCESS THAT CONSIDERS RECEIPT OF OTHER RELIEF FUNDS UP TO THIS POINT WOULD INFORM THE FUNDING RECOMMENDATION TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCY AND FAIRNESS IN THE DISTRIBUTION MODEL IN WORKING WITHIN THE EXISTING CULTURAL CONTRACTOR POOL THAT WAS FUNDED THROUGH THE EQUITABLE, EQUITABLE ECONOMIC RESILIENCY FRAMEWORK THAT PRIORITIZES BIPAP AND OTHER HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED GROUPS WE CAN ENSURE THAT FUNDS ARE DISTRIBUTED WITH THE CITY'S EQUITY DIRECTIVE AT THE FOREFRONT.
GIVEN THESE PRIORITIES, WE ARE PROPOSING THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATION, CURRENT CULTURAL CONTRACTS AND CORE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FESTIVALS.
WHO'VE RECEIVED LESS THAN $10,000 IN RELIEF FUNDING THROUGH AT LEAST FOUR SOURCES, SHUTTERED VENUE
[01:20:01]
OPERATORS, GRANT ARPA, FUNDED ARTS AND CULTURE NON-PROFIT RELIEF, CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND CARES ACT FUNDED.NON-PROFIT RELIEF FOR ARTS ORGS WILL RECEIVE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR
THIS LEAVES A REMAINDER OF JUST UNDER $200,000 TO BE USED AS NEEDED FOR ADJUSTMENTS OR OTHER EMERGENCY FUNDING PROGRAMS THAT CAN SERVE SMALL ORGANIZATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS NOT COVERED IN THIS FUNDING PROPOSAL.
THESE AND OTHER POSSIBLE USES OF THESE FUNDS ARE UP FOR DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK, EVERYBODY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER MADRE, NO QUESTION.
JUST A BIG THANK YOU TO THE WORKING GROUP.
THANK YOU TO MY FELLOW WORKING GROUP MEMBERS AND TO STAFF.
UM, WE WAS WENT THROUGH MANY DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF HOW THIS COULD LOOK AND WE FELT THAT THIS WAS A FAIR AND EQUITABLE WAY TO MOVE FORWARD, TO PRESERVE OUR EXISTING ARTS ECOSYSTEM.
AND TO GET US THROUGH THIS PROCESS AS WE WADE THROUGH THE WATERS OF WHAT WILL COME FOR SPRING 2022 COMMISSIONER FLORENCE.
UM, WELL, IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, UH, AND I KNOW THIS IS A WORKSHEET, WE'RE NOT A COMMITTEE, SO IT'S A WORKING GROUP.
SO I WOULD PUT, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE WORKING GROUP.
I HAVE MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER FLORES.
I HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER GRAY, ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? KIMBERLY W WHERE ARE YOU IN FAVOR? OKAY.
WE HAVE IT UNANIMOUS ON THE DIOCESE AND IN THE BOX.
SO THAT SOLVES ONE PIECE AND HELPS KEEP PEOPLE STAY ALIVE FOR A LITTLE BIT LONGER, AND NOW WE CAN DO SOME OTHER WORK.
I DID JUST WANT TO MENTION IN REGARD TO TIMELINE FOR THAT, THE GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT ROLLING UP BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO JUST TO GIVE PEOPLE, UM, WATCHING AT HOME, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD THAT, UH, TO THEIR CALENDARS COMMISSIONER, SMALL BUCK, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD? YOU HAVE LOOKED LIKE YOU MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
OKAY, GOOD COMMISSIONER FLORES.
UH, YEAH, I ASSUME WE, UH, WE'LL NEED TO PREPARE A RESOLUTION TO, UH, THE COUNCIL TO GET TO THAT TO THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO SEND YOU AN EMAIL AND WAS WONDERING IF YOU WOULD HELP ME.
I HAVE SOMETHING IN PROGRESS, BUT I WOULD LOVE YOUR LEGAL BRAIN.
WELL, YOU RIGHT ONTO THE EQUITY RESOURCE WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS POLGAR CASTILLO AND COMMISSIONER KEATON, WHO WAS THE CHAIR? OH, AGAIN, EVERYONE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO JUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT AND THANKS TO COMMISSIONER POLGAR, CASTILLIA MYSELF ANGRY FOR MEETING.
UH, WHILE I'VE BEEN IN SCHOOL, I'VE BEEN DOING THINGS JUST LIFE, BUT THINKING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES AT THE SAME TIME, IN REGARDS TO THE ARTS, UH, HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS PLATFORM FOR YOU MORE EQUITABLE? SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS CREATED A DOCUMENT WHICH WILL BE GIVEN TO, UM, EVERY RESIDENT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN WHO IS INTERESTED, UM, IN CONTRIBUTING IN THIS DOCUMENT WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD VARIOUS ARTICLES ABOUT EQUITY, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, AS IT PERTAINS TO EQUITY AND AUSTIN THAT YOU THINK WE MIGHT NEED TO, TO, UM, BE A PART OF, AS FAR AS ATTENDING MEETINGS, ET CETERA, UM, OR YOUR COLLEAGUES, OR JUST ARTISTS IN GENERAL.
THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER SECTION WHERE WE'RE DISCUSSING, UM, I WOULD SAY ACTIVITIES.
UM, WHAT COULD THOSE ACTIVITIES LOOK LIKE? THIS IS AN ACTIVITY.
SO ARE THERE MORE ACTIVITIES THAT I COULD PERSONALLY ATTEND AS A COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICT ONE OR THERE, UM, ACTIVITIES THAT, UM, YOU JUST FEEL AS THOUGH THAT ANYONE SHOULD BE A PART OF IN REGARDS TO EQUITY? SO THE WORD EQUITY, EQUITY, EQUITY, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THAT'S WHAT THIS DOCUMENT IS ABOUT.
UM, IT'S FIXED THE 80 AND GOOGLE DRIVE.
[01:25:01]
UM, I HAVE SENT THIS TO OUR CHAIR AS WELL AS TO THE STAFF AND YOU SHOULD HAVE IT SOONER THAN SEVEN.AND AGAIN, I LIKE TO THANK, UM, ESPECIALLY COMMISSIONER GREY FOR COMING IN AND, UH, JUST BRINGING YOUR EXPERTISE TO OUR, OUR SMALL GROUP.
AND, UM, WE JUST LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO DO WORK, TO DO MORE WORK AS IT PERTAINS TO, UM, READING OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FREE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO DISCUSS WHAT EQUITY MEANS, UM, ON A PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL STANCE.
QUESTION, UM, COMMISSIONERS, THIS, THIS MAN, AND THEN COMMISSIONER CHRYSTIA.
THIS IS A, ON A GOOGLE DOCUMENT.
SO IT WILL, I'M JUST, I'M JUST KIND OF RESTATING, SO THIS IS A LIVE DOCUMENT I'M ASSUMING IT WILL BE CONSTANTLY ADDED TO, RIGHT.
I JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT WE STARTED THIS WORKING GROUP AND WE CREATED THE DOCUMENT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE, UH, BECAUSE EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN LAST YEAR, BUT WE STILL NEEDED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AROUND RACIAL EQUITY AND TRY TO GET US ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING THE SAME WORDS IN THE SAME WAY.
UH, AND SO WHAT WE WERE DOING IS TRYING TO FIND RESOURCES, WHETHER THEY WERE ARTICLES OR BOOKS, OR, UM, AND, AND ONCE YOU SEE THE DOCUMENT, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE, UM, JUST START, START BUILDING THAT VOCABULARY FOR EVERYONE IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AND, AND NOT, NOT ASK WHO DEFINES EQUITY, RIGHT.
BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THAT CONVERSATION AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
SO WE JUST NEED TO BE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE USING THE SAME LANGUAGE, UM, AND FREE IS THE KEY WORD.
CAUSE, CAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS, IT WAS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYBODY.
UM, AND SO THEN I'M ACTUALLY GONNA HAVE A SLIGHT DEVIATION IN THE RECOMMENDATION.
I'M ASKING THAT, UM, I THINK IT DID HAVE THIS CONVERSATION LAST TIME OR MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, BUT HAVING THAT INITIAL LIST AVAILABLE IN THE NEWSLETTER JUST TO GET PEOPLE GOING AND THEN ASKING FOLKS, THEY'D LIKE, HEY, IF YOU HAVE OTHER RESOURCES, LET US KNOW.
AND THEN WE CAN USE THAT, THAT LINK TO THE GOOGLE DOC AND THEY CAN, THEY CAN SEND US OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT GETTING THAT, THAT, THAT BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH RACIAL EQUITY.
AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER KEY, AND FOR PUTTING THIS DOCUMENT TOGETHER, AND I WILL SAY AS A LIBRARIAN, I WANTED TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU.
I WAS GOING TO PUT AS MANY RESOURCES AS I CAN THINK OF, BUT I WAS ASKED TO ALLOW YOU TO BRING YOUR EXPERTISE TO THE DOCUMENT.
SO I ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS THAT COULD BE A PART OF THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FLORES.
IT'S, IT'S A GREAT, UH, IT'S A GREAT LIST OF THINGS TO BE LOOKING AT.
AND SO THAT FOLKS CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, READ UP AND HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING.
UH, AND SO, BUT, UH, I'M SORRY IF I MISSED THIS, WHERE IS THIS LINK AND THE LINK FOR THE GOOGLE DOC, IS IT GOING TO BE ON THE WEBSITE THAT CAB FED IS GOING TO BE ON THE COMMISSION? I MEAN, HOW, JUST BECAUSE I'M KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I'M PROBABLY THE OLDEST ONE HERE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY CHALLENGED, SO, AND I'M HAVING ANOTHER BIRTHDAY AT THE END OF THIS MONTH CAN RELEASE THERE.
UH, SO, UM, WHERE WILL IT LIVE? AND SO I'M ASSUMING FOLKS CAN JUST BE, I KNOW IT'S A GOOGLE DOC.
YOU CAN ADD YOUR OWN, UH, DOCS AND, AND, AND LINKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO CAN SOMEBODY ANSWER THAT FOR ME? SO, UH, IN OUR DISCUSSION AS A GROUP, WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD WORK WITH THE NEWSPAPER TEAM AS IT PERTAINS TO THE COMMISSION TO PUT THIS TOGETHER IN OUR NEXT NEWSLETTER, WHERE IT WILL LIVE ONCE YOU RECEIVED THAT LINK IT'S LIVE AND IT LIVES, UH, I WOULD ASSUME AND HOPE THAT, UM, ANNE MARIE WOULD BE OKAY WITH US PUTTING IT UP ON A WEBSITE.
I WILL MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS EITHER WAY IT GOES.
AND IF WE DO NOT FIND A PLACE, WE WILL FIND A PLACE THERE'S A LIBRARIAN.
THAT'S WHAT I DO FIND THINGS FOR YOU.
SO AGAIN, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE PUBLIC, IF YOU'RE WATCHING AND YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, JUST PROVIDING RESOURCES AS A PERTAINS TO EQUITY AND RACIAL EQUITY, BECAUSE OVER TWO DIFFERENT IDEAS RIGHT THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, PLEASE SHARE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS YOU CAN SHARE
[01:30:01]
IT WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES OR ARTS PROFESSIONALS, PRACTITIONERS.UM, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION WEBSITE SPECIFICALLY, I CAN POST A PDF DOCUMENT TO THE LINK, BUT IT WON'T.
UM, AND I CAN MAKE THE LINK LIVE AS A BACKUP DOCUMENT AND IT'LL LIVE THERE, UM, AS PART OF TODAY'S BACKUP MATERIALS.
UM, SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I CAN DO.
SO THANK YOU ALL ON THAT WORKING GROUP FOR, FOR ALL OF THAT WORK.
SO IS THERE A WAY TO DO LIKE MAYBE A TOOLS AND RESOURCES TAB ON OUR WEBSITE? BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS TOO THAT I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT IS AS WE HAVE STRESSED, MAYBE LEADERSHIP AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO GET, YOU KNOW, UM, ROLES.
SO NOVIA BROUGHT UP A GROUP THAT I HAD NOT EVEN HEARD OF.
AND I JUST THINK IF THERE WERE MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THESE RESOURCES AT A CLICK, OR AT LEAST HERE'S A NAME OR HERE'S THE CONTACT.
AND THEN ALSO I THINK, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE KNOW WHO ALL OF THE CHAMBERS ARE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT AS WE'RE TRYING TO HELP ORGANIZATIONS BE MORE DIVERSE AND TO, TO GROOM SUBSEQUENT LEADERS, UM, THAT THIS MIGHT BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
I'M GOING TO ANSWER THAT ONLY.
OH, YOU WANT TO GO WITH ANYTHING? I WAS JUST ASKING HER IF SHE HAD A QUESTION AT ALL.
WELL, UM, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT.
I TOOK A LOOK A QUICK LOOK, UH, THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, AND TO GO TO GOOGLE DOC AND LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT ARTICLES THAT WAS POSTED THERE AND DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION.
AND I CAN TELL THAT THIS IS A WORK OF A LIBERIAN COMMISSIONER KEATON.
SO JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
I THINK I CAN GET A PHD AFTER I FINISHED ALL YOUR ARTICLES.
UM, MEGAN WELLS AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UH, THAT WORKING GROUP FOR TAKING THE INITIATIVE FOR THIS WORK.
AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO CHECK IN TO HOW THE CITY MIGHT PARTNER WITH YOU OR PROVIDE A PLACE IF POSSIBLE ON THE WEBSITE.
THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS TO WHAT WE CAN LINK TO ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH OUR INTERNAL, UM, PUBLIC INFORMATION COMMS TEAM MARKETING TEAM TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME OPTIONS TO BRING BACK TO THE WORKING GROUP SO THAT WE CAN FACILITATE THE NEXT STEPS.
NEXT UP OUR QUARTERLY ARTS COMMISSION MEETUPS WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS BARN, CASIO AND KARSA.
UH, I, SO WE MET THREE, TWO TIMES, UH, HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE REGARDING WHAT THIS MEETUP WOULD, WOULD BE ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD DO.
UH, AND I, WE DRAFTED UP A PROGRAM SUMMARY SHARED THAT OUT TO THE COMMISSION.
UH, I, THAT WAS THE, LIKE THE ONE THING I FORGOT TO BRING WITH ME, SO I CAN'T READ IT TO Y'ALL RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY IT JUST LAYS OUT.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE REGULAR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ARTS COMMUNITY IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SEEING AS WE'RE IN STAGE, WE'RE STILL IN THE STAGE FIVE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT, THAT WE HOST THESE VIRTUALLY, UH, RECOMMEND THAT WE START LOOKING AT HYBRID.
ONCE WE GET BACK DOWN TO STAGE THREE, UM, AND WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, AN INITIAL PARTNER FOR, FOR HOSTING THESE, UH, VIRTUAL MEETINGS.
UM, AND THERE'S MORE DETAILS IN, IN THAT SUMMARY THAT WE SHARED OUT, BUT, UM, YEAH, OPEN, OPEN UP TO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WHEN THE WORK, IT WAS COMMISSIONED GRAY.
AND, UH, BUT BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING, I NEED TO POINT OUT FOR THOSE WATCHING AT HOME AND LOOKING AT THE AGENDA THAT COMMISSIONER GRAY IS ALSO ON THIS CON D.
SO MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT CATCHING THAT, I THINK THIS WAS A, YOU WERE LATE ADDITION AND DIDN'T MAKE THE PRESS TIME AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THEM.
GO AHEAD, ACM TO THE NEXT ONE, AS WELL AS A VOLUNTEER POSITION.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT BOY, HOWDY TIMES, TOO.
I'M GOING TO DOUBLE YOUR SALARY RIGHT HERE, RIGHT OF YOUR WELCOME COLIN'S AC DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT TO, OR JUST, OKAY.
UH, I DID WANT TO POINT OUT THAT,
[01:35:01]
UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA DID REMIND US IN TERMS OF ACCESSIBILITY, LIKE VIRTUAL MEETINGS ARE, ARE GOOD FOR THOSE OF US WITH, WITH GOOD INTERNET SIGNAL, BUT FOR THOSE OF US WITHOUT IT'S A CHALLENGE.UM, SO WE DID HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
UM, JUST BECAUSE OUR RESOURCES ARE LIMITED, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH THE VIRTUAL MEETING ON A ZOOM, BUT, BUT WE'RE TOTALLY COGNIZANT OF THAT.
AND WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT OTHER SOLUTIONS TO THAT.
THAT'S A GREAT NOW COMMISSIONER FLORES.
UH, TO THE COMMITTEE, UH, TO THE WORKING GROUP FOR THAT.
UM, I DID READ IT, BUT MY MEMORY FAILS ME.
UH, I THINK IT'S THE, THAT STARTS LIKE ANY SAP ON THESE ARE FOR QUARTERLY MEETUPS.
AND HOW, HOW HAS THE BALL GOING TO GET ROLLING? LIKE, HOW IS THE DECISION GONNA BE MADE AS TO WHICH COMMISSIONERS MEET AT WHICH QUARTER, ET CETERA.
AND YOU JUST LIKE, EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WE WERE ACTUALLY THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE DISCUSSION ON TONIGHT IS TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
IF ANYONE HAD STRONG OPINIONS, UH, THOSE OF US ON THE WORKING GROUP, UH, BARNES, GRAY AND MYSELF, WE WERE LIKE, WELL, WE'RE READY TO GO.
WE CAN DO THE FIRST ONE, IF THAT MAKES IT EASIER FOR THE REST OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, BUT THEN WE ALSO DISCUSSED, LIKE, IT WOULD BE, IT MAKES LOGICAL SENSE THAT WE WOULD GROUP THEM ACCORDING TO ADJACENT DISTRICTS THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME OUT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE SIMILAR, UH, INTEREST IN, IN THE CONVERSATIONS IN THAT MEET PARTICULAR MEETUP.
SO IT'S REALLY UP TO US HOW WE WANT TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT IT DOES WHATEVER THE FIRST ONE IS.
IT'S KIND OF GOING TO SET THE TONE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
SO, WELL, GOOD LUCK WITH FIGURING OUT WHERE I GO BECAUSE MY, MY, MY, UH, DISTRICT IS, UH, IS AN OCTOPUS.
AND SO I THINK I'M CONTIGUOUS TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF Y'ALL ARE SO ALMOST ANYWAY, BUT, UH, YEAH, I WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW BECAUSE I LIVE BY MY CALENDAR AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THE ADVANCED FUNNY HAVE ADVANCE NOTICE AS TO WHEN THE EXPECTATION FOR ME TO BE SOMEWHERE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S GOING TO BE ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON, UH, ET CETERA, WHAT IT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL TO SORT OF COME UP WITH A SCHEDULE OR FOR, I THINK IT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY THE NEXT STEP.
YEAH, I GUESS I WAS GOING TO RECOMMEND, LIKE, LET'S JUST HOLD OFF ON OFFICIALLY LAUNCHING IT.
MAYBE JUST HAVE ONE MORE MEETING TO FOLLOW UP, BUT COMMISSIONER'S THIS MONTH ON THE SUBJECT OF ACCESSIBILITY FOR THOSE THAT CAN'T ATTEND IN REAL TIME, CONSIDERING IN YOUR CONVERSATIONS IN THE NEXT MEETING, ARE THESE RECORDED? CAN WE HOST THEM SOMEWHERE? UM, YOUTUBE IS A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE, YOU KNOW, VERY EASILY UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE PLATFORM.
JUST THINK, KEEPING THAT IN MIND, UM, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN REVIEW WHAT'S BEEN COVERED AND WHAT GROUND, UM, YOU GUYS ARE, ARE MOVING THROUGH IN THOSE MEETINGS.
COMMISSIONER, GREG, I THINK WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY RELATIVE TO A HYBRID MODEL, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS PRETTY IMPORTANT MOVING FORWARD AND INDEFINITELY.
ANYBODY ELSE? MR. VANDYKE? ANY QUESTIONS YOU GOOD? OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK GUYS.
I'M EXCITED TO HAVE ANOTHER OPEN COMMISSIONER SMELL BOT.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THIS IS SUPER EXCITING THAT WE'RE FIGURING OUT A WAY TO DO THIS BECAUSE I THINK FOR MANY OF US, THIS IS WHY WE WANTED TO VOLUNTEER TO SPEND THIS MUCH TIME PARTICIPATING IN A COMMISSION AND ARTS COMMISSION IS TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF OUR ARTS COMMUNITY AND OUR COMMUNITY IN GENERAL.
AND SO HAVING WAYS TO DO THAT, THAT WANT TO KEEP HAVING PEOPLE SHOW UP AT THE PODIUM, BUT THAT'S A REALLY HIGH PRESSURE NERVE WRACKING POSITION TO BE IN.
AND SO WHEN, WHEN WE CAN CREATE SPACES WHERE WE CAN HAVE THESE MORE CASUAL, BUT STILL VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, UM, CONVERSATIONS, I, I JUST THINK THAT'S EXCITING.
SO THANK YOU WORKING GROUP FOR FIGURING OUT THAT PROCESS.
AND I'M GOING TO PAUSE ON OUR LIST FOR A HOT SECOND, JUST TO SAY, I'M PARTICULARLY EXCITED THAT THE FIRST THREE REPORTS COMING OUT OF WORKING GROUPS ARE DIRECTLY TIED TO THINGS THAT WE HEARD ACTUALLY IN THE ROOM ALREADY THIS TODAY FROM THE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION PORTION.
SO KNOW THAT WE HEAR YOU AND WE'RE WORKING ON THIS STUFF, AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU GUYS SEE THE FORWARD MOVEMENT AND ACTION HAPPENING AT COUNCIL.
I MEAN, SORRY AT THE COMMISSION.
IT'S CAUSE I'M SITTING RIGHT HERE AT THIS DESK.
I LIKE SMALL ROOMS WITH LIKE PEOPLE CLOSE BY.
ARTS NEIGHBORHOODS WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS MOCK ZISMAN GRAY AND VAN DYKE CHAIR.
UM, WE'RE UH, TRYING TO DESCRIBE
[01:40:01]
WHAT AN ART NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULDN'T BE AND WHAT IT COULD BE LIKE TRYING TO FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN GIVING ENOUGH STRUCTURE BUT LEAVING ROOM.SO EACH ART NEIGHBORHOOD COULD BECOME WHAT THEY COULD GROW INTO, UH, EVEN FURTHER THAN WHAT WE COULD IMAGINE.
UM, THE IDEA FOR AN ART NEIGHBORHOOD IS TO SET UP A COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ARTISTS AND IN THEIR STUDIOS WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY'RE IN, UM, OR THE NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCATES FOR THEIR ARTISTS, THE ARTISTS ADVOCATE FOR THE NEIGHBORS, BUT IT'S IN RETURN RATHER THAN CREATING NEW ENTITIES AND MORE WORK FOR EVERYBODY.
THE IDEA IS TO USE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS AND FORM A RELATIONSHIP OF ALLIES.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WHAT THESE NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS MIGHT BE STARTING WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, BUT ALSO EXPANDING OUT TO OTHER GROUPS LIKE AUSTIN'S I BIZ BUSINESS DISTRICTS, UM, AUSTIN'S COMMUNITY REGISTRY SAYS THERE ARE 80 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND 500 NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF POTENTIAL THERE.
UM, WE ALSO KIND OF A TWO-PART WERE I THINK, KIND OF WORKING AT THE BEGINNING AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE WORKING AT THE END, BUT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO NOT REINVENT THE WHEEL, UM, TO SEE WHAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE THAT WE COULD HOOK UP WITH.
AND, UH, WE MET WITH, UH, UH, SOLELY, UH, GROUP, UM, AND THAT WAS INTERESTED IN CONTACT.
THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A RELATIONSHIP THERE.
I HAD, UH, I TH I THOUGHT I HAD SOME MORE NOTES ON SOUL OR MEANINGLESS SOLELY, BUT THEY HAVE EVAPORATED QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION.
I MAY I JUST ADD SOMETHING CHAIR? UM, WHEN DI UH, I THINK OUR MEETING WITH, WITH, WITH THE, UH, SODI PROGRAM, I THINK WE, UM, DISTINGUISH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DISTRICT AND A NEIGHBORHOOD.
A DISTRICT IS A THEATERS DISTRICT, A RESTAURANT DISTRICT, PEOPLE GO THERE TO ENJOY THE MOVIE.
I'LL GO THERE TO ENJOY THE FOOD, BUT THEN THEY WILL GO HOME BACK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, TO WHERE THEY LIVE.
BUT AS WE DEFINED IT AS A NEIGHBORHOOD IS IT'S WHERE PEOPLE WHO LIVED THERE, WHO PLAYED THERE, WHO UNDER LIVING THERE LOOK MAKING CONNECTION WITH THE NEIGHBORS.
SO I THINK THAT'S IT, THIS THING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DISTRICT AND A NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I THINK, I THINK AS THE ONLY PROGRAM, THE FOLKS THERE WERE IMPRESSED BY OUR DEFINITION.
AND, UM, AND I THINK WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT CONCEPT OF NEIGHBORHOOD, BECAUSE I THINK WE DO NEED TO DO MORE WORK IN MAKING CONNECTION, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK COMMISSIONER GRAY.
UM, MAY I ASK CHAIRS AS MEN TO JUST LET THE PUBLIC AND LET OUR, UM, OUR COMMUNITY KNOW WHAT SOLELY IS? JUST IN A FEW SENTENCES, BECAUSE INFORMATION THAT IS POSTED IS VERY INFORMATIVE OF THE THOUGHTS BEHIND IT.
IF YOU JUST PUT ART AND ARTS CLASSES.
SO SOLELY HIS PROGRAM IS A DISTRICTING PROGRAM THAT CONNECTS SPECIFICALLY THE MERCHANTS OF THESE PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
UM, THERE IS A BURNETT, UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER THEIR SNAZZY NAME.
UM, BUT THESE, UH, WELL KNOWN AND RECOGNIZED POCKETS OR AROUND TOWN THAT HAVE BEEN CONVENED, I BELIEVE, UH, THE, THERE ARE A FEW IN THE HOPPER AND UNFORTUNATELY COVID HAS SLOWED IT DOWN, BUT IT IS FOCUSED ON MERCHANTS AND THE MERCHANTS ASSOCIATIONS.
AND SO IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD, SORRY, THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY SUCCINCT.
UM, WE INEVITABLY TALKED ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN, UH, BUSINESSES, RESTAURANTS, AND ARTISTS, AND HOW WITHIN THIS ECOSYSTEM, UM, THERE CAN BE INTERCONNECTED DISTANCE SUPPORT AND PATRONAGE, UM, AND THAT IT REALLY SERVES ON A MULTI-GENERATIONAL LEVEL.
IF WE ARE INSTILLING THE IMPORTANCE AND THE VALUE OF ARTS WITHIN OUR BUSINESSES, THAT WE WILL BE FOSTERING THAT, UH, FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND SOLELY THE ORGANIZERS BEHIND TELLY WERE AMAZING.
THEY ANSWERED ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS.
WE ASKED IF WE COULD BE, IF THE ARTS PRIORITIES THAT WE HAD SET FORTH HAD, COULD BE ROLLED IN.
UM, AND WE GOT A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK, BUT I THINK OUR NEXT STEP IS TO APPROACH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO SEE WHERE WE CAN CREATE THIS CROSS POLLINATION BETWEEN THE MERCHANTS AND THE RESIDENTIAL.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S THE AREA THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET
[01:45:01]
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, WHICH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT FORTH BY COMMISSIONER VAN DYKE AND HIS EXPERIENCE, UH, WITH, UH, POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND THE POTENTIAL COLLABORATION THERE.AND THEN MOVING FORWARD WITH PARTNERING MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION.
SO REALLY, REALLY INNOVATIVE PROGRAM, UM, WITH SOME REALLY AMAZING THINGS HAPPENING WITHIN IT.
SO FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T AWARE OF THE SOLELY PROGRAM, I TO AC, UM, COMMISSIONER GRACE POINT DEFINITELY TAKES SOME TIME TO CHECK OUT, UH, WHAT THEY'VE DONE SO FAR IN AUSTIN.
I LOVE IT A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT.
NEXT UP YOU HAVE A JOINT WORKING GROUP, THE JOINT CULTURAL COMMITTEE SHOW CASTILLO, AND ONE WE MET.
WE, UH, WE DID A LOT OF WORK ON THE DRAFT LETTER, THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATION.
UH, I'M PRETTY SURE WE ALL, ALL THE INVOLVED COMMISSIONS MORE THAN COMMISSIONS, UH, GAVE IT A THUMBS UP.
UM, MAYBE MUSIC GOT IT, GOT TO GET THROUGH OFFICIAL THUMBS UP.
THERE WAS A LOT THAT WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION ON THAT DAY.
SO WE DIDN'T TAKE AN OFFICIAL VOTE WITH NOT QUITE READY TO SHARE WITH THE WHOLE COMMISSION.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO MEET AGAIN, HOPEFULLY GET THAT FINAL VOTE ON, ON THAT LETTER AND LEAD RECOMMENDATION AND, AND BRING IT BACK TO YOU ALL NEXT MONTH.
SO WE CAN GET THIS, UH, DRUNK CULTURAL COMMITTEE ACTIVATED.
I'M GOING TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC LAND DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP WITH ME ON COMMISSIONER CASTILLO, WORKING WITH NUMBERS FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION AT OUR LAST MEETING IN LIKE THE 1257TH HOUR OR GIVE OR TAKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S 1,253.
WE PUT FORWARD OUR RECOMMENDATION TO INCLUDE SOME DEFINITIONS AND PRIORITIZATION AND ANY FUTURE LAND USE CODE, UM, UH, STAFF EMORY.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT MADE THAT LETTER MADE IT FORWARD OUT TO COUNCIL.
SO WE NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT THAT DID, BUT OTHERWISE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE HOLDING AT THE MOMENT TO JUST SORT OF WATCH AND WAIT AND SEE HOW THINGS PROGRESS.
UM, I ALSO REALIZED THAT THAT NOT ON THIS, UH, AGENDA IS THE JOINT MUSIC AND ARTS WORKING GROUP TO, UM, PURSUE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES.
SO WE CAN'T TAKE ACTION, BUT COMMISSIONER SMALL-BATCH, CAN YOU TALK REALLY QUICKLY ABOUT WHERE YOU GUYS ARE ON THAT ROSTER? YES, OUR GROUP HAS MET AND WE ARE, UM, ARE, ARE SOME OF OUR MEETINGS HAVE BEEN, UM, PUSHED BACK, UM, BECAUSE OF THE, THE URGENCY OF, OF THE ART BOOK CONVERSATIONS AND WHAT TO DO WITH THAT.
AND, AND MANY OF THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP ON THE TWO WORKING GROUPS.
UM, BUT WE STARTED WITH A REALLY PRODUCTIVE AND, UM, CREATIVE MEETING OF BRAINSTORMING A REALLY LONG DOCUMENT, A MULTI-PAGE DOCUMENT OF, OF PRIORITIES OR POSSIBLE PRIORITIES AND DIFFERENT ANGLES, UM, TO PURSUE GROWING THE POT, UM, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING WE'RE HURTING TERRIBLY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT EVEN IN NORMAL TIMES, HOT FUNDING, WHAT WE GET FROM OUR FUNDING IS NOT ENOUGH TO PROVIDE THE SUPPORT THAT IS DESERVED AND HAS BEEN OUR OPINION EARNED BY THE CULTURAL PRODUCERS AND THE CITY.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF, UM, LOOKING TO, UH, MR. SUTTLES COMMENTED ON SOME, UH, SOME REALLY GOOD POSSIBILITIES.
WE HAVE PRIVATE, WE HAVE OTHER PHILANTHROPIC, WE HAVE, UM, CIT CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT AT A BROADER LEVEL THAN IT, THAN IT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
AND IT'S, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO, TO MOVE ON JUST YET.
UM, BUT IT'S A REALLY DEDICATED GROUP OF COMMISSIONERS, BOTH FROM ARTS AND FOR MUSIC.
AND I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME, SOME GOOD WORK DONE.
UM, AND WE ARE DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN INCLUDING ADDITIONAL VOICES FROM OUTSIDE OF THOSE COMMISSIONS.
UM, WE ARE THINKING ABOUT FOLKS THAT WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED TO INVITE TO JOIN.
UM, SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS, IT'S A BIG TIME COMMITMENT, SO NOT ASKING PEOPLE TO JOIN ALL OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE WOULD ALSO LOVE TO HEAR FROM ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO IS INTERESTED IN HELPING THINK ABOUT THIS.
THE, THE, THE OBJECTIVE IS TO, TO FIND MORE RESOURCES FOR, UM, ARTS AND MUSIC IN THE CITY.
SO ANYBODY WHO HAS THOUGHTS ON THAT OR WANTS TO JOIN THIS, THIS, UM, CONVERSATION WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM THEM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN POSSIBLY DO, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, WE NEED EVERY RESOURCE WE CAN POSSIBLY GET OUR HANDS ON.
UM, AT THIS POINT WE'RE MOVING TO ITEM
[4.b. Discussion and possible action on Arts Commission Goals, Section 1: Equity]
FOUR B[01:50:01]
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE ARTS COMMISSION GOALS WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS THAT EMPHASIS ON SECTION ONE EQUITY BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING.I, I, YES, I GUESS, UH, I WAS THE CHAIR OF THAT WORKING GROUP WAS NIGHT.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING IT BACK ON THE AGENDA.
I REALLY, UM, I RUN A BANK, THE WORKING GROUP, CAUSE WE DID A LOT OF GOOD WORK AND REALLY SCRUB THE, UH, THE GOALS AND REALLY CAME UP WITH, UH, I THINK SOME REALLY STRONG, UH, THINGS TO WORK ON, UH, THIS YEAR AND WITH, UH, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON GOAL, ONE BEING, UH, EQUITY AND HAVING A LOT OF DIFFERENT IDEAS FOR FUNDING AND PROGRAMMING, COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT, COUNCIL RELATIONS AND COMMISSION SELF-EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT.
UM, SO UNLESS, UM, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THESE GOALS ADOPTED.
UM, AND SO UNLESS THERE ARE ANY, UM, I HOPE THE COMMISSION HAS HAD A COUPLE OF MONTHS NOW.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL REMEMBER TO REVISIT THEM.
I DIDN'T, I DON'T RECALL GETTING ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
UH, SO IF, UH, I THINK WE REALLY KIND OF NEED TO GET THESE TO, AND TO WHEREVER THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET TO COUNCIL OR, UH, WHEREVER WE'RE SUPPOSED TO, UM, DEPOSIT THESE.
UM, SO IF THERE AREN'T ANY QUESTIONS OR RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE GOALS THEMSELVES, I KNOW WE WANTED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT ONE OF THE PARTICULAR GOALS UNDER GOAL ONE, UH, B FOUR, WHICH WAS ABOUT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, AS WELL AS COMMISSIONERS TO, UM, FROM THE BIPAP LGBTQ DISABILITIES, UH, AND, UH, WOMEN COMMUNITY TO EMBRACE THEIR IDEAS AND, UH, AND CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN WORK ON OUR EQUITY GOALS.
SO, UM, BUT THAT'S A LITTLE SEPARATE ART, UH, AFTER WE ADOPT THE GOALS THAT WE SHOULD EVENT.
UM, THEN TALK ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR, UH, ONE, IF THERE IS A WILL TO ESTABLISH A WORKING THERE, UH, TO, TO MEET THAT PARTICULAR SUB GOAL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
SO I JUST WANTED TO, UM, TO REVISIT HERE AT THE TOP WHERE IT SAYS, UH, WITH THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 20, 23 IN MIND, THE ARTS COMMISSION ESTABLISHED AND REVISE THE FOUR PILLARS AND FOUR GOALS TO SUPPORT OUR COMMITMENT, TO LEAD WITH THE LENS OF EQUITY.
UH, I STILL BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE WITH THE LENS OF RACIAL EQUITY.
THESE ARE OUR GOALS FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
THE CITY HAS ALREADY IDENTIFIED RACIAL EQUITY AS BEING OR RACE BEING THE KEY DETERMINANTS.
SO THAT SHOULD BE WHAT I FEEL THAT WE SH THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON, UM, EQUITY IN THE LONG-TERM OF COURSE, BUT FOR THIS NEXT YEAR, I THINK RACIAL EQUITY IS, IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I, I, I'M A LITTLE, NOT DISAPPOINTED, BUT LIKE I WANT TO BRING IT BACK UP CAUSE I DON'T SEE IT.
AND I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT IT GO BACK AND MAKE ANY CHANGES.
CAUSE WE FORGOT WE HAVEN'T PASSED IT.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT WAS THE ONLY COMMENT.
UH, AND I, I THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT FIRST SENTENCE.
UM, AND WHERE ELSE? UH, GOAL ONE NOW ALL THE WAY AT THE TOP.
THAT'S WHAT I ASKED THE FIRST, VERY FIRST SENTENCE UNDER THE INTRODUCTION, RIGHT.
THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE ASKING TO PUT IT THE WORD RACIAL BEFORE EQUITY.
SO IS THAT A MOTION TO PASS IT WITH THAT EDIT QUESTION? THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE HYMAN IS BECAUSE, I MEAN OUR FOUR PILLARS DO SAY WE, WE USE THE TERM EQUITY IN THE FOUR PILLARS AND I AGREE THAT WE ARE, UH, MAYBE UNDER GOAL ONE WHERE IT IS FOR THIS PARTICULAR YEAR THAT WE DO OUR WORK THROUGH A RACIAL EQUITY LENS.
MAYBE THAT WOULD BE THE PLACE TO PUT IT BECAUSE THAT IS SPECIFICALLY WHERE WE ARE DOING THE WORK FOR THIS YEAR.
AND I THINK, I THINK AS THE, AS A GROUP, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT JUST EQUITY OVERALL, YOUR GENERAL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR OVERALL COMMITMENTS ARE TO, TO LEAD WITH EQUITY
[01:55:02]
IN GENERAL.SO I I'M JUST THINKING OF PLACEMENT THAT UNDER GOAL ONE AND, UH, OR MAYBE IT GOES IN BOTH PLACES.
THIS ONE CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I HAD FORGOTTEN, WE, I THOUGHT I THOUGHT WE HAD WORKED ON IT AND WE DIDN'T GET THE WORKING GROUP DID NOT RECYCLED BACK TO WORK ON YOU'RE ONLY ON 10 OTHER WORKING GROUPS.
SO, YOU KNOW, SOCCER, IT'S NOT LIKE I'M NOT WORKING ON A BUNCH OF OTHER YEAH, I'M RECOMMENDING ONLY ON THAT FIRST ONE AT THE TOP, BUT I'M, I'VE TOTALLY GO FOR AT THE TOP AND IN GOAL ONE.
OKAY, WELL WE CAN PUT IT AT THE TOP AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN GET A CHANGE, CHAD MARIE, UH, QUICKLY TOMORROW.
AND SHE CAN FILE IT WHEREVER IT NEEDS TO BE FILED.
UH, IF WE'LL JUST FIX IT, THAT WORD AT THE TOP.
AND IF WE NEED A MOTION, I'LL MAKE IT LIKE LET'S, LET'S DO IT OFFICIALLY GUYS.
LET, LET'S GET THE MOTION THE SECOND THEN WE'LL HAVE DISCUSSION.
SO A MOTION AND A SECOND AS A MOTION FROM CASTILLO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER ZISMAN AND ANOTHER SECOND FROM KOSHER, A SMALL BAG AND COMMISSIONER GRAY.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION I'M GETTING USED TO IT.
UM, THE WORD INTERIM CAME INTO PLAY AND I KNOW THAT'S WHERE WE ARE THE INTERIM IN, IN THE PROCESS OF THIS, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THE RACIAL ELEMENT, UH, UH, REVISIT IT AND YOU CONTINUE ON UNTIL THERE'S IS SUCCESS AND SUSTAINABILITY AND LONG-TERM SUCCESSFUL RESULTS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BARNS, JUST, UM, I THINK THEN DO WE NEED TO DETERMINE WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE? SO IF YOU WERE TO SAY LIKE, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT UNTIL IT'S SUCCESSFUL, WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN? I THINK THAT I WOULD JUST OFFER AND THAT THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS TO PASS THE GOALS AND THAT THERE IS A, PROBABLY A SECOND CONVERSATION LONG-TERM ABOUT SUCCESS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
THAT'S AN ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH ALL OF US AND I WOULD ARGUE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
SO LET'S, LET'S HOLD ONTO THAT.
AND ONE OF THE GOALS IS TO HAVE A D A GOAL, ONE D IS TO, UH, SOME EVALUATION THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND MAKE SURE, AND AS YOU KNOW, WE, WE ADOPT MOLDS EVERY YEAR.
UH, IF IT'S NOT COMPLETE THIS YEAR, WE CONTINUE NEXT YEAR.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND WE JUST DO IT.
THIS IS, THIS IS A FINITE, A SNAPSHOT FOR THIS PARTICULAR YEAR.
AND SO WE CAN EVALUATE AT THE END AND SELF EXAMINE AND SEE WHERE, WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN.
AND IF WE NEED TO CONTINUE IT AS ONE OF OUR PRIORITY GOALS NEXT YEAR, WE WILL.
SO THE MOTION IN THE SECOND, CAN I JUST ANOTHER QUESTION, UM, TO THAT, I, I THINK AGAIN, YOU, UM, TO CREATE SOMETHING, YOU DO NEED TO BE MONITORING IT AND EVALUATING IT.
SO IS THERE AGAIN, UNLESS SOME IT IS SOMEBODY'S DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY, OFTENTIMES THAT JUST GETS PUT OFF UNTIL THE END AND THEN IT'S TIME FOR US TO SUBMIT A REPORT AND IT'S LIKE, OOH, DID WE DO THIS OR NOT? SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE EVALUATING QUARTERLY, MONTHLY, LIKE, AND WHO WOULD DO THAT EVALUATION? LIKE, HEY GUYS, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PROGRESSING ON.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE MOVED ON THIS ONE VERY WELL.
UH, I'LL LET COMMISSIONER CASTILLO HIT THAT.
YOU RAISED THE QUESTION, YOU DO THE WORK.
I'M HAPPY TO DO WE HAVE THE BODY ARE SUPPOSED TO REVIEW THESE QUARTERLY ANYWAYS.
SO YEAH, SO IT GETS, IT GETS PUT INTO THE CALENDAR AND THIS IS WHAT WE DO.
THE FIRST GOAL SAYS CONTINUE TO REVISE AND RECALIBRATE ALL AREAS AND ASPECTS OF OUR WORK THROUGH AN EQUITY LENS AND MAKE IT A PRIORITY.
WE HAVE, I MEAN, THAT'S OUR CALL, THAT'S OUR CHARGE.
AND THAT'S THE WALK THAT WE WANT TO WALK.
SO I THINK, I THINK WE'RE ABOUT WE'RE DOING THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO IT OFFICIALLY ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER VANDYKE.
SORRY, CAN WE POST THIS UP? WHERE EVERYBODY, CAN YOU POP THIS UP ON THE SCREEN FOR US? THIS IS OUR COMMISSION GOALS FOR 2021.
I THINK YOU HAVE A, AND THIS WAS IN THE BACKUP FOR THE PREVIOUS MEETING.
[02:00:01]
WE JUST DIDN'T GET THERE.SO YOU GUYS HAVE HAD THIS FOR AWHILE.
GIVE YOU A MINUTE TO TAKE A LOOK, BUT WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR.
'CAUSE IT'S BEEN THREE MINUTES.
WHAT WE DECIDED ABOUT IS THE MOTION TO INCLUDE ADDING RACIAL EQUITY TO THAT FIRST TO THE FIRST SENTENCE.
THANK YOU, MR. BRONZE, DO WE NEED OUR NUMBER FOUR TO CULTIVATE DIVERSE LEADERSHIP, AGAIN, BEING MORE, MORE FOCUSED ON EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO ACHIEVE ON NUMBER FOUR, UNDER B CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP, THE FOUR PILLARS, FOUR PILLARS, CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP DEVELOP CURRENT AND EMERGING LEADERS.
DOES IT NEED TO SAY CULTIVATE DIVERSE LEADERSHIP? IT COULD.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT BECAUSE THE FOUR PILLARS ARE NOT IN ORDER AND THEY'RE ALL EQUAL THAT THE ENCOURAGE, UH, INSURANCE COURAGE, EQUITY, AND INSPIRE A SOLUTION LIKE THAT, THAT IT'S UNDERSTOOD.
AND THAT BECAUSE GOAL ONE IS EQUITY, BASICALLY ACROSS ALL POLICIES AND ALL ACTIVITIES THAT'S INCORPORATED THERE, BUT I'M HAPPY TO MAKE WHATEVER ADJUSTMENTS YOU WANT OR JUST, OKAY.
SO IS THAT A, IS THAT AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION? I MEAN, NOT IF, IF EVERYBODY FEELS IT'S COVERED ENOUGH, I JUST WANTED TO BE, I THINK AGAIN, THE MORE SPECIFIC SPECIFICITY YOU CAN ADD TO SOMETHING, THE MORE THAT IT WILL DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO, BUT THAT'S JUST MY, I JUST REMEMBER US IN THE WORKING GROUP HAVING THIS SAME CONVERSATION FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES.
AND, UH, IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE VERY FIRST STATEMENT IS ALL LED WITH THE LENS OF EQUITY AND IT COVERS THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT.
SO I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT.
I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT I WAS LIKE, WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
BUT WHEN WAS AUGUST, IS IT STILL MARCH, 2020? WHAT'S HAPPENING? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY FOUR PILLARS.
WE INCORPORATED WHAT WE HAD THAT HAD, WE HAD DEVELOPED AS A COMMISSION.
SO I THINK, I THINK, BUT I THINK ASIA'S RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
UH, WELL, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK WE DID, WE DID SIGN OFF ON THE FOUR PILLARS AS A COMMISSION AT THAT MEETING.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE HIT TIME AND WE HAD TO STOP.
UH, THE FOUR PILLARS, WASN'T THE 45 MINUTE CONVERSATION.
IT WAS WHETHER THAT LENS OF EQUITY AND EQUITY WAS NEEDING TO HAVING TO BE REPEATED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT.
AND WE DECIDED IT WASN'T BECAUSE IT WAS THE CAUSE THAT'S THE UMBRELLA.
ARE WE READY? FOLKS? MOVE THE QUESTION.
THANK YOU ALL IN FAVOR, MR. KEATON, COMMISSIONER KADEN, ARE YOU ON THE DICE? OKAY.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
WE NOW HAVE A SET OF GOALS FOR 2021.
IT ONLY TOOK US TWO AND A HALF MEETINGS.
HEY, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? UM, DID YOU WANT TO DISCUSS THAT OR DOES THAT HAVE TO BE POSTED LATER? CAUSE IT'S NOT PART OF ADOPTING? WELL, WE NOW HAVE THESE GOALS.
SO I THINK THAT, I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY WORTH THE CONVERSATION AT THIS JUNCTURE BECAUSE WE HAVE IN THIS DOCUMENT, IN THIS GOALS THAT WE JUST PASSED, ITEM GOAL ONE, B COMMUNITY OF RELATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT ITEM FOUR, ESTABLISH AN EQUITY WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS OF THE BIPAP, LGBTQ DISABILITY, COMMUNITY WOMEN, TO EMBRACE THEIR COLLECTIVE WISDOM, TO INFORM OUR WORK.
AND I'M WONDERING IF WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT COMMISSIONER CASTEEL, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ESTABLISH THE EQUITY WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY ART LEADERS.
SO IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A SUBGROUP THAT REPORTS SPECIFICALLY TO THE ARTS COMMISSION QUESTION MARK, THE ARTS COMMISSION, COMMUNITY LEADERS.
I MAY HAVE SAID THE MOTION FROM CASTILLO AND A SECOND FROM ZISMAN DISCUSSION, JUST LOOKING FOR CLARITY.
I WONDERED IF WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE,
[02:05:01]
THE NEXT POINT, BECAUSE PART OF THE, PART OF THE REQUEST THAT AC AND I ARE PUTTING THAT ON THE DOCKET FOR TONIGHT WAS THE DISCUSSION OF A TASK FORCE, UM, TO DO THE SAME THING, BUT WITH THE, THE GENERALLY THE SAME THING, BUT WITH THIS SPECIFIC, UM, FOCUS ON BIPAP ARTS LEADERS, WHICH IS SOMEWHAT THE SAME THING.BUT I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS ABROAD.
I DON'T, I ALSO DON'T KNOW COMMITTEE VERSUS TASK FORCE AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN, UM, HOW THEY ARE EMPOWERED, BUT I JUST WONDER THAT THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE NEXT THING THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT.
I MEAN, MY, THE WAY THAT I READ IT AND YOU GUYS CAN COME IN AND TELL ME IF YOU THINK I'M OUT OF MY MIND, BUT, UM, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS SAYING IT'S A PRIORITY FOR US TO HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THESE COMMUNITIES WHO ARE THERE FOR CONVERSATION AND COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION ON ISSUES THAT AFFECT THEM.
AND THAT WITHIN THAT WE CAN, WE CAN CREATE A SUBGROUP.
WE CAN DO WHAT WE NEED TO, BUT WE WANT TO ESTABLISH THIS AS A STANDING GROUP THAT WE CAN CALL ON FOR ANYTHING THAT'S COMING UP NOW.
THAT'S THE QUESTION, MR. FLORES.
WELL, THE QUESTION IS, AND I, AND THIS IS TO, TO COMMISSIONER CASTEEL THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, I THINK, UH, I THINK WE AM, I HOPE THE WORKING GROUP WILL REMIND ME WHAT THE EQUITY, THE WORKING EQUITY WORKING GROUP WOULD BE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMISSION WITH LEADERS, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, THAT'D BE BASICALLY A, A LARGER WORKING GROUP WITH THE INTENTIONAL ADDITION OF, UH, BIPAP COMMUNITY LEADERS TO INFORM US AND OUR WORK.
AND SO I GUESS MY QUESTION NOW, THEN IF THAT'S CORRECT, THEN MY QUESTION TO, TO HEIDI AND AISHA ARE, UH, ON YOUR TASK FORCE.
WERE YOU, WHAT WERE YOU ALL ENVISIONING? IS THAT, IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM THIS? CAUSE MAYBE WE SHOULD MOVE THIS ITEM, UH, TO THAT AGENDA ITEM AND TALK ABOUT IT THEN SO THAT WE CAN HAVE CLARITY AS TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO WE'RE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, CREATING GROUPS OR WHATEVER, IF THIS IS SUFFICIENT, THEN MAYBE YOU DON'T NEED A TASK FORCE.
IF IT'S DIFFERENT THAN MAYBE WE DO NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
I'M JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE.
SHOULD WE DISCUSS THEM TOGETHER? CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A QUESTION ASKED THAT TOO, YOU KNOW, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAYBE ASK FOR CLARIFICATION FROM STAFF.
I THINK WE'RE USING TERMS ALL OVER THE PLACE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO ESTABLISH TASKS FORESTS OR CAN DO WE ESTABLISH WORKING GROUPS? I THOUGHT WORKING GROUPS HAD A DEFINED, SPECIFIC ROLE, AND ONCE THAT'S COMPLETED, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DISBAND.
IT'S NOT AN ONGOING, UM, ROLE LIKE AIPP IS.
SO I JUST DON'T KNOW, LIKE WHAT DO WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CREATE THAT WOULD BE AN ONGOING MAYBE OPPORTUNITY OR DO WE WOULD HAVE TO CALL IT UP EVERY TIME AND CREATE SOMETHING NEW EVERY TIME WE WANTED TO CONVENE THEM.
AND I CAN TAG TEAM WITH ANN MARIE, BUT, UH, YES, WORKING GROUPS TYPICALLY ARE ASSIGNED TO WORK ON A KIND OF ONE ISSUE.
IT CAN BE A BIG ISSUE, BUT IT SORT OF IS INTENDED TO HAVE AN END, BUT NOT JUST BE A STANDING COMMITTEE THAT IS IN PERPETUITY.
YOU KNOW, DOING THINGS ALL THE TIME, BUT IT HAS A SPECIFIC CHARGE AND IT HAS, UH, A SPECIFIC GOAL THAT IT ACHIEVES.
AND MARIE, DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? I DON'T THINK YOU, I DON'T THINK YOU WERE REALLY SUPPOSED TO SET UP STANDING COMMITTEES, RIGHT? YEAH.
MEGAN, THAT, UM, THE ARTS COMMISSION DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH A TASK FORCE.
THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT CITY COUNCIL WOULD BE REQUIRED TO STAFF LUNCH.
UM, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF TERMINOLOGY, THE ARTS COMMISSION COULD ESTABLISH A WORKING GROUP, BUT IT HAS TO HAVE A SPECIFIC GOAL SO THAT IT COMES TO IT.
AND IT CAN'T BE, UH, SOMETHING THAT GOES ON FOREVER AND EVER, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIFIC TANGIBLE GOAL.
AND OF COURSE, ONCE THAT GOAL IS REACHED, IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO DO, IN ADDITION TO THAT GOAL, YOU COULD CREATE A NEW WORKING GROUP THAT WOULD START ON THAT SECOND TANGIBLE THING THAT YOU'RE TYING TO GET TO COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.
[02:10:01]
THE ISSUE THAT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS WITH THIS IS COMMUNICATION REALLY, AS WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THAT WE ARE ACCESSIBLE, THAT OUR EMAILS ARE PUBLIC AND THEY CAN REACH OUT TO US AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH US.UM, THAT, THAT WAS PART OF WHY WE DID THE QUARTERLY MEETUPS ON IT'S PART OF WHY WE DID THE NEWSLETTER.
BUT THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY, I THINK, IS A WORKING GROUP TO GET THESE COMMUNITY LEADERS IN THE ROOM AND, AND LAY IT OUT FOR THEM.
UM, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU ALL ORGANIZE AND JUST MAKE, YOU KNOW, CREATED A PIPELINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH US.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE WORK OF THE WORKING GROUP IS TO SET THAT UP, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS WHAT THEY NEED AND THEN LET THE COMMUNITY TAKE, TAKE THAT BALL AND TAKE IT ON THE FIELD.
UM, BUT THAT, I MEAN THAT FOR ME, THAT, THAT SOLVES THE, LIKE WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO, TO FORM A WORKING GROUP AND WE ARE CREATING THAT COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMUNITY AND EXCUSE THIS MAN.
AND I WOULD SAY, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT IN THE GOALS, AGAIN, TRACY'S POINT EQUITY, BUT IT'S UNDER THIS LENS OF EQUITY.
SO EVERYTHING IN HERE IS BUILT INTO THAT GOAL OF RACIAL EQUITY.
SO ANY GROUP THAT WE, SORRY, I'M LOSING MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT JUST A BIT, BUT THIS, THIS GROUP THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN OUR GOALS DOCUMENT TO ME IS A DIRECT OVERLAP WITH WHAT YOU GUYS ARE BRINGING, BRINGING FORWARD.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
AND I THINK THAT WITHIN THE GOALS DOCUMENT WHERE WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT NEED AND PRIORITIZING THOSE VOICES, COMMISSURE, SMALL BETH AND THE COMMISSIONER FLORES, I AGREE THAT WE, THAT WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
I DO THINK THAT JUST TO THE STRUCTURAL QUESTION OF IS THIS DIFFERENT THAN, THAN WHAT WE WANTED TO BRING UP FOR DISCUSSION IS JUST MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL FOR A CULTURAL EQUITY TASK FORCE AT ADVISES ON MULTIPLE ISSUES.
THE, FOR LIKE THE THING THAT'S ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW, OBVIOUSLY, UM, IS CHANGES TO CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING THAT PRIORITIZE EQUITY, BUT WE'VE HEARD.
AND I, AND FROM MULTIPLE FOLKS THAT THE IDEA FOR A TASKFORCE LEVEL, UH, UH, COUNCIL EMPOWERED, THAT'S SPECIFIC TO CULTURAL ARTS BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE.
AND WE'RE JUST THINKING THAT PERHAPS THIS IS THE TIME TO MAKE THAT.
SO I DO THINK IT'S A, THAT THEY'RE RELAPSING AND SEEKING THE SAME ENDS, BUT THAT THE STRUCTURE IS DIFFERENT.
I THINK THAT MEANS THAT YOUR QUESTION, HEIDI AND ACL WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THE OTHER ITEM.
SO WE'LL GET THERE COMMISSIONER FLORES AND THEN, YEAH, I GUESS, UH, I AGREE WITH JAIME, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW, I THINK WHAT BASICALLY WE, AS A WORKING GROUP, WANT TO COLLECT INFORMATION FROM THE COMMUNITY, BASICALLY TO TALK ABOUT ISSUES TO GRADE OUR GRADE, OUR PAPERS, TO LET US KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT OR WRONG ON THE EQUITY FRONT.
ARE WE DOING, YOU KNOW, AND, AND BASICALLY I THINK IT WAS IN RESPONSE IF I'M THINKING BACK LIKE THREE, TWO MONTHS AGO, THREE MONTHS AGO WHEN WE DID THIS, UH, IT WAS ABOUT, UH, SOMETHING THAT I HAD HEARD.
AND I THINK I HEARD CLIFFORD'S MENTIONED IT AGAIN TONIGHT IS ABOUT, I'M ASKING THEM.
AND I THINK DEWEY HAD SAID IT AS WELL EARLIER IN A, IN A PHONE CALL THAT I WAS PRIVY TO WITH, WITH THEM A FEW OF THE ARTS FOLKS.
AND IT WAS ABOUT WHY DON'T YOU ASK OUR OPINION.
WE ARE THE ARTISTS THAT ARE IN DOC.
SO IT'S, IT'S A WAY OF, OF, OF HAVING CONVERSATIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UH, AND IT CAN BE FOR, YOU KNOW, A FINITE TERM OF A YEAR JUST TO INFORM US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LISTENING AND HEARING FROM THEM AS OPPOSED TO TELLING THEM, UH, WHAT WE THINK WE'RE HEARING.
YOU KNOW, SO I THINK IT IS ALL ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION, BUT IMPORTANTLY, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LEARN FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AFFECTED BY WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND, AND HAVE THEM GIVE US INPUT ON THAT ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS.
I GUESS THAT WOULD BE THE WAY I WOULD TALK TO SAY THAT WAS MY THINKING AS A WORKING GROUP WHEN WE WROTE THAT GOAL.
AND, AND, AND COMMISSIONER BARNES, TO YOUR POINT, I LOOK AT IT AS A LIMITED TERM BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR GOALS FOR THE CURRENT YEAR.
BUT WE WERE NOT, UH, COMMISSIONER SMALL BACK ABOUT THE TASKFORCE AND THE ASKING FOR A RECOMMENDATION ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE IS A SEPARATE AGENDA ITEM AND IT SHOULD STAND ALONE
[02:15:01]
COMMISSIONER.I JUST WANT TO MAKE THE STATEMENT AGAIN, THAT THE COMMISSION IS HERE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO THE MORE WE KNOW THE MORE WE CAN DO.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT HAVING, JUST TAKING THE WORD TASK OUT AND THAT WORKING GROUP AND BEING IN HERE TOGETHER, THAT THINGS CAN BE RE-EVALUATED YES, EVERY FISCAL YEAR.
BUT IF THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON, SOMETHING CAN HAPPEN PERHAPS IN, UH, IN DIFFERENT INCREMENTS.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, THAT WE, WE FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE GOAL SET IN PLACE AND IT MOVES FORWARD, BUT STARTING WITH A WORKING GROUP WITH THE SITUATION THAT'S RIGHT AT HAND IN FRONT OF US NOW.
SO WHERE ARE WE NOW HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, I'M CALLING THE QUESTION ALL IN FAVOR.
WAIT, DO YOU WANT TO RESTATE IT, LOU? OH, IT WAS, IT WAS HI, MS. MOTION MOTION TO ESTABLISH AN EQUITY WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS TO ESTABLISH AN EQUITY WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS.
THAT IS THE MOTION ON THE TABLE THAT HAS A SECOND.
WE ARE CALLING THE QUESTION I'LL LOOP WITH THE BIPAP COMMITTEE, THOSE GROUPS.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? ARE ALL OUR CONDITION? I MEAN, WE HAD REPEAT YOUR QUESTION.
SHE SHE'S ASKING, IS IT, IS IT EXACTLY LIKE IN OUR GOALS THAT I'M GOING TO SAY, YES, IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE OUR ESTABLISHED AN EQUITY WORKING GROUP OF COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS OF THE BIPAP LGBTQ DISABILITIES COMMUNITY WOMEN TO EMBRACE.
WELL, WE DON'T NEED THAT PART, UM, AS, AS DEFINED IN OUR 2021 GOALS.
YOU KNOW, THE INPUT FOR THE PURPOSE OF WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORKING GROUP, UH, TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONS WITH, WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND, AND TO INFORM OUR WORK ON EQUITY MATTERS.
AND, AND, AND I'M, I'M ALL FOR THIS.
I, I'M SORRY THAT I'M SOUNDING LIKE A STICK IN THE MUD, BUT AGAIN, IF THE GOAL IS A WORKING GROUP IS SOLVING AN ISSUE AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN A, IN A TIME DEFINED THING, IS IT TO MEET FOUR TIMES? IS IT TO, TO BE IN LIKE, AGAIN, LIKE ESTABLISHED COMMUNICATION IS VERY EASY.
WE CAN ALL ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONS THAT WORK FOR THEM.
SO IT'S RESPONSIVE TO, WE ARE RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S THE CONDUIT, OR THAT'S A CONDUIT, I SHOULD SAY, TO INFORM US ON OUR WORK AS WE ARE DOING IT ON EQUITY BANNERS BEFORE THE COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, AND WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HEAR FROM THOSE COMMUNITY LEADERS, IF WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AS THOSE ISSUES COME UP, MICHELLE GRAY, I DO SEE YOUR POINT ABOUT THE WORKING GROUP HAS, UH, A GOAL.
AND I'M GOING BACK TO, TO CHEER POLE GAR, RELATIVE TO FISCAL YEAR.
SO PERHAPS THERE'S A TIME OF THE YEAR PRE-FUNDING POST-FUNDING EVALUATION PERIOD.
THAT'S WHERE WE ALL GATHERED TOGETHER.
WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T, WHAT'S THE NEXT GOAL AS A COMMUNITY AND AS COMMISSION AND HOW DO WE GET THERE? WHAT DO WE KNOW THAT YOU DON'T KNOW? AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW? WELL, NOTHING REALLY, BUT WHAT A, YOU KNOW, THAT WE DON'T KNOW, I THINK AS WE'RE WORKING ON ISSUES BEFORE THE COMMISSION, AS THEY'RE COMING UP AND THEY DEAL WITH EQUITY MATTERS, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH LEADERS FROM THE BIPAP COMMUNITY THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THESE ISSUES TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THEM SO THAT WE ARE INFORMED WHEN WE MAKE RECOMMENDATION, TAKE ACTION ON THE COMMISSION ON, ON VARIOUS MATTERS.
THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION ON WHY YOUR SMELL BAD.
AS WE WORK THROUGH ISSUES, MY COMPUTER FROZE PERMITS AS YOU HAD A QUESTION HIDING.
YEAH, I, THIS MIGHT'VE BEEN ANSWERED WHEN MY, WHEN MY SCREEN WAS ALL SWIRLY, BUT, UM, WHAT, WHAT COMMISSIONER FLORES STARTED OUT SAYING SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING THAT IS MORE THAN AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, WHICH I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S THINGS THAT ARISE REGULARLY, WHICH THEY DO IS THAT SOMETHING CAN BE TACKLED BY A WORKING GROUP.
[02:20:01]
I THAT'S WHAT I HEARD BEFORE EVERYTHING GOT BLURRY.I THINK IT CAN, ALTHOUGH I'LL GO BACK TO, WE HAVE THE ISSUE, THE WORKING GROUP CLOSES WITH THAT ISSUE.
SO IF WORKING GROUPS CONTINUE TO BE AROUND THAT SAME IDEA WITH THOSE PROBLEMS OR THINGS THAT ARE ARISE, PERHAPS.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO REALIZE THAT WE'RE OPENING UP THE FACT THAT THE COMMISSION IS HERE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE MAKING THE COMMISSION MORE ACCESSIBLE, MORE WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH US, CALL THE COMMISSIONER THAT IS IN YOUR DISTRICT, CALL THE COMMISSIONER.
YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER WILL LET THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE LOG-ON GOES ON.
AND THEN PERHAPS THERE'S AN EMERGENCY WORKING GROUP AT THAT TIME.
AND WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A POOL TO TAP IN THAT MOMENT.
BUT I DO WANT TO REINFORCE THAT.
I THINK WE NEED ONE EVERY FISCAL YEAR TO EVALUATE AND POST AND PRE UH, YES, I THINK, UM, CONSISTENT AND ONGOING ARE TWO WORDS THAT WE COULD INCLUDE IN THE WORKING GROUP TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENT AND ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND TO ACS POINT, YOU KNOW, THE WORKING GROUP NEEDING TO BE TERM-BASED.
WE HAVE THIS GOALS DOCUMENT, THIS IS A GOALS DOCUMENT WE DO EVERY YEAR.
SO IS THIS A WORKING GROUP THAT IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING AS OUR GOALS ARE EVOLVING.
SO ONE DOES CLOSE AND THEN ONE IS REOPENED OR ANOTHER IS OPENED.
MR. CASTILLO, ARE YOU THINKING YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OKAY.
SO WE DO, DO WE HAVE ANN MARIE, DO YOU HAVE A DEFINITION OF JUST, OKAY, LET ME SEE IF I'VE GOTTEN THIS CORRECTLY.
I HAVE A MOTION TO ESTABLISH AN EQUITY WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY ARTS GROUPS INPUT, UH, TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION AND INFORM OUR WORK WITH EQUITY ISSUES TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION.
I THINK I KIND OF COMBINED A COUPLE OF THINGS THERE.
MICHELLE FLORES, YOU WANNA CLARIFY? AND THEN ALSO I DON'T HAVE ANY ONE SERVING ON THIS WORKING CAUSE WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET.
PEOPLE AREN'T IN EMORY THAT ESTABLISH AN EQUITY WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS OF THE BIPAP, LGBTQ I DISABILITY COMMUNITIES AND WOMEN, AND TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ABOUT, UH, ON EQUITY, UH, ON ISSUES THAT INFORM OUR WORK ON F EQUITY OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
I DON'T KNOW WHATEVER ELSE HE SAID, BUT YOU MISSED THE DEFINITION OF THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT WITH, WITH, WITH ARTS GROUPS, IT'S WITH COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS OF THE BIPAP, LGBTQ, UH, DISABILITY AND WOMEN, UH, COMMUNITIES.
SO THAT'S IMPORTANT, COMMISSIONER GRAY, AND THEN I'VE GOT SOMETHING.
DID WE TALK ABOUT, OR AM I IMAGINING THIS, THAT THE EQUITY WORKING GROUP CAN ADJUST TO THIS AS FAR AS THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION THAT SERVE, CLARIFY? I DON'T.
DID YOU JUST ASK ME SAY THAT AGAIN? OH YEAH.
WELL, YEAH, BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING LIKE 700 MEETINGS WITH THE SAME PEOPLE, THE SAME THINGS AND THEY WERE DEPARTMENTS WERE ON TOO MANY WORK.
THE CURRENT MEMBERS OR THE MEMBERS OF THE EQUITY RESOURCE WORKING GROUP TO VOLUNTEER FOR THIS WORKING GROUP.
THAT IS THE SOLUTION OF IDENTIFYING RESOURCE.
BUT THE MOTION IS TO ESTABLISH AN EQUITY WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS OF BIPAP, LGBTQ DISABILITIES, COMMUNITY AND WOMEN, UH, TO CREATE A COMMUNICATIONS PIPELINE AND DISCUSS PRE DURING AND POST, UH, CULTURAL ARTS REVIEW FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR OR FOR THIS GOALS A YEAR.
BUT SHE GOT LIVING WELL, JUST ITS OWN OTHER WRINKLE.
OH, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, IF YOU'RE SAYING THOSE ARE THE MEMBERS, WHY DON'T WE JUST, INSTEAD OF ESTABLISH A WORK EQUITY WORKING GROUP WITH LEADERS SAY X AND THE EXISTING, UH, EQUITY RESOURCE WORKING GROUP TO INCLUDE ET CETERA, UH, COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS OF THE BIPAP, LGBTQ DISABILITY AND WOMEN COMMUNITIES IN ORDER TO DEVELOP, UH, COMMUNICATION ABOUT ISSUES RELATED TO EQUITY AND FOR THEM TO FORM OUR WORK, SOMETHING LIKE THAT COMMISSIONER, I LIKE THAT IDEA, BUT I WOULD RATHER CLOSE OUT THE EQUITY RESOURCE WORKING GROUP AND JUST
[02:25:01]
REFOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON THIS ONE, ROLL IT OVER AND NEVERMIND.UM, WELL I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE AND THINKING THAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THE ACCURATE RESOURCE WORKING GROUP WORK IS DONE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IN ORDER TO WORK TO, AS A COME AND GO, WE NEED TO HAVE THE DEFINITION OF THE GOAL ON THE SAME PAGE BECAUSE PEOPLE LOOK AT EQUITY DIFFERENTLY.
SO SHOULD WE, I MEAN THE LIBRARIAN HERE, COMMISSIONER KEATON.
AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A DEFINITION THAT PUT EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE.
SO DO WE NEED TO DO SOME EDUCATION OF OURSELF FIRST GOING TO THIS GOOGLE DOC WITH READING ALL THOSE DOCUMENTS AND THEN REALLY COME UP WITH A DEFINITION THAT WE CAN ALL LIVE WITH.
THEN WE CAN, I THINK WHAT OUR COMMISSIONER CAN STILL IS TRYING TO DO IS TO, UM, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TO ITSELF.
IT, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE BECAUSE LIKE JUDGING FROM, UH, THESE EVENINGS AS CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, WE WERE ACCUSED OF NOT LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, AT LEAST THAT'S HOW I FELT.
SO I THINK THE GROUP THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO, OR THIS COMMUNITY THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ESTABLISH IS TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT IT, TO HAVE A CONTINUOUS CONVERSATION ON EQUITY ISSUE, BUT THEN WE NEED TO KNOW, ARE WE ON THE SAME PAGE? SO WE NEED TO HAVE A DEFINITION OF THAT FIRST BEFORE.
I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE PUTTING THE COPY FOR THE HOUSE.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST SITTING HERE GETTING CONFUSED.
NOT QUITE, NOT QUITE, UH, COMMISSIONER MACH, YOU'RE NOT CONFUSED.
UH, THE, THE DEFINITION OF, OF RACIAL EQUITY DEFINED BY THE CITY.
SO WE HAVE THAT DEFINITION, UH, THE EQUITY RESOURCES WORKING GROUP THAT PRESENTED TONIGHT, THEY HAVE STARTED THAT, THAT BASE EDUCATION THAT WE CAN SHARE, THAT'S ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE, UM, SO THAT EVERYONE CAN START GETTING ON THE SAME PAGE.
AND THEN THIS, THIS WORKING GROUP THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ESTABLISH TONIGHT, WE'LL CONTINUE THAT WORK AND MAKE SURE THAT FROM BIPAP LEADERS THEMSELVES LIKE, HEY, THIS IS THE DEFINITION WE'RE WORKING WITH.
IS THIS THE DEFINITION YOU'RE WORKING WITH? LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND, AND MOVING FORWARD.
SO THEY'RE ALL BUILDING ON, ON, ON EACH OTHER.
THAT'S HOW I SEE IT AS IT'S JUST THE NEXT STEP.
UH, SO, UH, THIS WORKING GROUP YOU'RE TRYING TO ESTABLISH IS GOING BEYOND THE RACIAL EQUITY BECAUSE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE CITY.
SO THEN, THEN, THEN THIS W THIS EQUITY WORKING GROUP YOU'RE WORKING IS, IS A LOT MORE INCLUSIVE AND IT'S GOING BEYOND THE RACIAL EQUITY, RIGHT.
BUT I THINK IT'S ABOUT BRINGING IT BACK.
IT'S LIKE, WE'RE, WE'RE LEADING WITH RACIAL EQUITY WE'RE, BUT WE'RE NOT BEING EXCLUSIVE.
SO WE CAN HAVE A LARGER, A LARGER GROUP THAN JUST, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE HAVING A LARGER CONVERSATION BECAUSE PART, PART OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING IN THE COMMUNITY IS, IS FOLKS FEELING LEFT OUT AND FEELING LIKE, WELL, IF YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY, WHAT ABOUT MULTICULTURALISM? WHAT ABOUT ALL OF THESE OTHER INTERSECTIONALITIES? AND I THINK WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A FULL, ROBUST DISCUSSION WITH THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY ON ALL OF THOSE ISSUES, COMMISSIONER GRAY.
AND THEN DID I HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE ON COMMISSIONER KAYTON WHERE YOU NEXT? OKAY.
COMMISSIONER GRAY AND THEN COMMISSIONER CADEN.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO PUT SOMETHING HERE.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT AND COME UP.
BUT, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE OF WHAT WE DO, WE DO WHAT THE CITY IS, THIS WHOLE REASON WE'RE HERE, THE FOUNDATION OF WHY WE'RE HERE, THE MISSION AND GOALS IS CULTURE AND CREATIVITY AND IT'S HEALTH.
THAT'S THE WHY AND THE WHO OBVIOUSLY, BUT THE WHY.
AND THEN THE NEXT THING THAT I WROTE IS HOW, HOW DO YOU HAVE CULTURE AND AN ACTIVITY? HOW DO YOU GOING TO DO THAT? FIRST THING, WRITTEN EQUITY, ACCESS, STABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, MEASURABLE.
MEASURABILITY IS NOT A WORD ISN'T
[02:30:01]
I WAS TYPING RIGHT NOW.AND OF COURSE FUNDING IS PART OF THAT AS WELL.
IT'S A HOW, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT.
IT'S LIKE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT RACISM AND EQUITY AND ALL THAT STUFF, AND YOU CAN READ THROUGH ALL THE RESOURCES AND WATCH ALL THE MOVIES.
BUT UNTIL YOU, ESPECIALLY, IF YOU'RE A WHITE PERSON GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT CALLING IT OUT AND DO SOMETHING, WHICH IS THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE BEEN IN, THEN YOU'RE NOT DOING THE, HOW SO IT'S HAVING INFORMATIVE.
JUST LIKE YOU SAID, MULTIPLE MULTI CULTURALISM.
IT'S LIKE, THERE'S THINGS THAT PERHAPS WE CAN'T DEFINE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF A CERTAIN AREA OF ARTISTS IN THE CITY.
EVERY CULTURE IS DIFFERENT, EVERY CREATOR'S DIFFERENT.
I'M LOOKING AT THE CLOCK GUYS.
IT'S 8 37, UH, COMMISSIONER KEATON.
YOU'VE GOT A STATEMENT, BUT I THINK THEN WE NEED TO CALL IT THE CLARIFY, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE MOVING AND CALL THAT QUESTION.
SO MR. KEATON, I'M JUST IN REGARDS TO THIS GROUP, UM, BEING THAT I BELIEVE IT IS GOING TO BE CREATED THAT, UM, PARTICIPANTS AS WELL AS COMMISSIONERS, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO DEFINE BOTH OF THOSE WORDS FOR OURSELVES, AS WELL AS THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PART OF THAT GROUP AND START FROM THERE, BECAUSE THEN YOU GET A PREMISE BEHIND HOW EVERYONE IS ENVISIONING WHAT EQUITY IS, AS WELL AS RACIAL EQUITY, BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND WE KEEP SAYING, WE'RE IN IT.
THESE WORDS HAVE BEEN FLIP-FLOPPING EVERYWHERE ALL NIGHT, RACIAL EQUITY, EQUITY, RACIAL EQUITY EQUITY.
SO WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? RACIAL EQUITY? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY? SO I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND THEN ANOTHER THING IS THE WORD BIPAP.
THAT'S A VERY, LIKE THOSE ACRONYMS DO NOT DEFINE ME.
I'M FROM THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
I WOULD NEVER GO TO AN ASIAN COMMUNITY AND SAY THE WORD BIPAP, NOR DO I USE THAT TERMINOLOGY IN WRITING.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT GOING FORWARD.
WE DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THAT TONIGHT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON YOUR MIND BECAUSE I DON'T CALL WHITE PEOPLE.
THANK YOU ON ALL THAT I THINK HERE.
WE HAVE EMOTIONAL ON THE TABLE TO CREATE THIS.
WE, UM, COMMISSIONER CHRISTIE HAS ALREADY SUGGESTED THAT THE W AND THE WORKING GROUP, THE RACE EQUITY RESOURCES, WORKING GROUPS, SORRY, WORDS ARE HARD RIGHT NOW, UM, IS THE COMMISSION GROUP THAT CONNECTS WITH THEM.
I'M GOING TO SUGGEST THAT WE CREATE THIS AND THEN KICK IT TO THE EQUITY RESOURCES WORKING GROUP, TO COME UP WITH SOME MORE DETAILS ABOUT HOW IT FUNCTIONS WHO'S ON IT AND BRING BACK A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COMMISSION.
BUT I HAVE TO HAVE THE WORKING GROUP CREATED BEFORE WE CAN DO THAT.
SO COMMISSIONER GARCIA, CAN YOU READ ME ONE MORE TIME, YOUR MOTION THAT YOU HAVE? CAUSE IT'S BEEN A WEEK AND A HALF SINCE WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION MOTION TO ESTABLISH AN EQUITY WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS OF BIPAP, LGBTQ, UH, DISABILITIES WOMEN, UM, TO CREATE A COMMUNICATIONS PIPELINE, UH, AND MEET.
AND THE NEXT, THE LIKE IS 20, 21, 20 21 GOALS A YEAR, UM, PRE DURING AND POST THE CULTURAL ARTS REVIEW OR CULTURAL FUNDING.
AND CALLING THE QUESTION ALL IN FAVOR OF CREATING THIS BODY AS JUSTIFYING BY COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.
SO AGAIN, SO LET ME, LET ME CALL THAT AGAIN.
ALL IN FAVOR OF CREATING A COMMISSIONER FLORES.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I THINK I WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS SECOND ADVICE ISN'T ON, IS THAT RIGHT? NO.
SO SECONDARY COMMISSIONER ASSISTANCE.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST CREATING THE POSSIBILITY OF THE ENTITY, WHICH IS A CONDUIT FROM THE COMMUNITY TO THE ARTS COMMISSION, RIGHT.
AND THEN FROM THERE, WE'LL TALK ABOUT DETAILS AND WE CAN BRING THAT BACK AND WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WE LIKE AND WHAT WE DON'T LIKE AND CLARIFY ALL OF THAT.
UM, INCLUDING THE LANGUAGE, UH, COMMISSIONER KEATON TO YOUR POINT.
CAUSE I THINK THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE IT BEFORE WE CAN DO IT.
AND ALSO COMMISSIONER MONT TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE CONVERSATION ABOUT EQUITY VERSUS EQUALITY AND DEFINITIONS THAT IS ALSO ONGOING WORK.
[02:35:01]
HAS TO HAPPEN TOGETHER BECAUSE I THINK IF WE WAIT AND DO ONE AND NOT THE OTHER, WE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ANYTHING.I THINK THAT THAT WORK HAS TO HAPPEN COLLABORATIVELY.
SO THAT IS WHY I WOULD SAY I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS ALL IN FAVOR, HAVE COMMISSIONERS BARNES GRAY PULLED OURS THIS MONTH, CASTILLO FLORA, SMALL BUCK, KEATON, AND VANDYKE.
AND ONE ABSTENTION WITH COMMISSIONER MOP.
COMMISSIONER FLORES, ONE QUICK COMMENT.
AND WE CAN ALWAYS REFINE THE MISSION OF THIS WORKING GROUP AT OUR SUBSEQUENT MEETING.
ONCE WE'VE HAD TIME TO LET OUR BRAINS GEL AND, AND, AND THINK ABOUT, AND HAVE INPUT FROM THE OTHER WORKING GROUP AS WELL.
DO WE NEED A MOTION TO KICK IT TO THE EQUITY RESOURCES WORKING GROUP? OR CAN WE JUST PUT IT IN THERE JUST IN THERE? I THINK WE CAN ALL JUST THINK ABOUT AND BRING IT UP AT OUR NEXT MEETING TO IF WE NEED TO REFINE THE MISSION OF THIS WORKING, GET IT PAST.
WHAT? OKAY, SO WE ARE AT 8 43.
[5.a. AIPP Discussion and Action Items]
A NEW BUSINESS, A I P P DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM REFORM, THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, P THREE WORKING GROUP, COMMISSIONER MOB.I DO KNOW IF, UM, SUSAN IS AVAILABLE.
UM, I ATTENDED THE A I P P UM, GROUP MEETING, UM, BY THE INVITATION OF COMMISSIONER.
AND I JUST LEARNED ABOUT THIS P THREE, UM, PROGRAM OF THE CITY AND WHAT IT REALLY, REALLY UPSET ME IS THAT, UM, I FEEL LIKE, UH, ARTISTS, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THIS PROGRAM HAVE ALREADY, UM, GOING ON THAT, UM, ACCORDING TO THE ORDINANCE OF AIPP THE, THE, THE CITY PROPERTY SHOULD ALLOW 2% FOR AIPP BUDGET, BUT THE CITY HAS THIS, UH, PIECE THREE THING THAT BASICALLY, UH, IS IT'S DIFFERENT BETWEEN CONSTRUCTING THE PUBLIC BUILDING OR PURCHASING A PUBLIC BUILDING.
I MEAN, THIS IS REALLY THE FIRST TIME I HEARD ABOUT IT.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT ARE THE ARTISTS, UM, THAT WHO, UH, ENTER INTO THIS P THREE PROGRAM ARE NOT PROTECTED BY THIS ORDINANCE.
SO I, I HEARD ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
UM, I, I THINK IT'S AN OFFICE BUILDING, UH, AT HIGHLAND.
AND INSTEAD OF GETTING OVER $800,000 FOR THE AIPP PRO UH, PROJECT, THEY ONLY GET A LITTLE BIT OVER 200,000, 250,000 THAT WENT RIGHT TO THE ARTISTS THAT WERE SELECTED.
BUT, BUT MY, MY POINT IS THAT PROJECT IS NOT BEING SUPERVISED BY THE CITY AND IT IS THE NEGOTIATION OR THIS, THE GUNSHOT WAS SIGNED, UM, PITCHING THE, THE BUDA, I THINK, AND ARTISTS AND THE ARTISTS ARE NOT GETTING THE, THE, THE 2%.
SO I FEEL LIKE AT THIS TIME, ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME, OKAY.
ESPECIALLY OUR CITY DO NOT HAVE A LINE ITEM FOR ALL CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
AND I FEEL LIKE THE ARTISTS ARE NOT, I'M SURE IT'S AN OVERSIGHT THAT, THAT THEY ARE NOT PROTECTED.
THEY ARE NOT GETTING THE 2% THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET, BECAUSE OFF THE DEFINITION BETWEEN CONSTRUCTING A PUBLIC BUILDING, LIKE THE AIRPORT, LIKE A FIRE STATION, THEN THEY'LL GET 2%.
BUT SINCE THE CITY, JUST BY THE LAN AND THE BUDERIM FIELD, THE BUILDING, AND THEN THE CITY PURCHASED THE BUILDING FROM THE BUILDER.
SO THEN THEY ARE NOT PROTECTED BY THESE 2%.
SO I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT AND I, I GUESS I ASKED SOME QUESTION AND GET SOME CLARIFICATION.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS IS THE CORRECT INTERPRETATION IN ANY
[02:40:01]
CASE.UM, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT ANY PUBLIC BUILDING SHOULD BE UNDER THE ORDINANCE OF THE AIPP AND THEY SHOULD GET THE 2%, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO GO ABOUT DOING IT? UH, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING SURE THE ARTISTS I GETTING THE 2%.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE COMMISSIONER MACH HAS JUST VOLUNTEERED FOR ANY WORKING GROUP THAT IS FORMED UNDER THIS ACTION ITEM.
UM, COMMISSIONER FLORES, LET, I'LL LET YOU TALK REAL QUICK.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO STAFF.
WE ACTUALLY HEARD ABOUT THIS ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AMY, AT ONE OF OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS, UH, WHERE IT FIRST CAME UP UP THIS, THIS NEW WAY OF, OF THE CITY PURCHASING BUILDINGS.
AND SO AT THAT POINT, WE THOUGHT ABOUT CREATING A WORKING GROUP TO COME UP WITH A DEFINITION ABOUT HOW WE COULD INCLUDE THESE, THIS HYBRID AND HOW, YOU KNOW, THE, HOW THE DETAILS.
AND I GET WE'D GET, NO, WE NEVER GOT IT OFF THE GROUND.
BUT, UM, IN FACT, I THINK BRETT AND I HAD VOLUNTEERED, BUT THEN WE HADN'T, WE HADN'T REALLY DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAS TRANSPIRED.
BUT I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE CITY IS RELYING ON THESE, THIS NEW WAY OF PURCHASING BUILDINGS OR, AND IT IS, IT IS, AS YOU SAID, IT'S LEAVING OUT, THE ARTISTS ARE LEAVING THEM UNPROTECTED.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO COME UP WITH LANGUAGE.
AND I THINK AIPP WANTS TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO AMEND THE IPP GUIDELINES OR THE ORDINANCE OR WHATEVER IT'S TO INCLUDE A WAY A MECHANISM TO CAPTURE OR TO PROTECT THE ARTIST, UH, UNDER THE 2%.
AND THIS HYBRID WAVE TO ME NOW.
WELL, BUT, BUT, BUT I'M NOT JUST UPSETTING THAT THE ARTISTS ARE NOT GETTING THE 2%.
I'M ALSO UPSETTING BECAUSE THIS PROJECT WILL NOT BE UNDER THE CITY SUPERVISION.
SO, WHICH MEANS WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY, THAT WE ARE NOT BEING PROTECTED, YOU KNOW, CAN WE LET STAFF BRIEF US SO THAT WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION.
AND THEN I THINK THE CALL HERE IS TO CREATE A JOINT WORKING GROUP WITH NPP AND THE ARTS COMMISSION TO HAVE EXACTLY THIS CONVERSATION.
SO LET'S SEE WHAT YOU GOT GUYS.
I DON'T KNOW IF SUE WANTED TO ADD ANYTHING.
I THINK SHE IS LOGGED ON TO THE, TO THE MEETING NOW, BUT I KNOW THAT THIS HAS COME UP IN LIGHT OF RECENT PROJECTS AND THE REASON WE BROUGHT IT TO Y'ALL FIRST WAS THAT THERE'S NOT REALLY A PRECEDENT FOR HANDLING THIS WITHIN THE, THE ORDINANCE AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S PROVIDING A NEW OPPORTUNITY FROM THE CITY THAT WAS NOT CONTEMPLATED BACK WHEN THE ORDINANCE WAS CREATED.
AND WE NEED TO SORT OF EVOLVE THAT WITH, WITH THE NEW PROCUREMENT PROCESS THE CITY IS DOING, UH, WE'VE BEEN HANDLING THESE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS SO FAR, WE KNOW THAT'S NOT THE BEST WAY TO MAKE POLICY.
SO PART OF WHAT THIS WORKING GROUP WILL DO IS TO HELP US, YOU KNOW, GAIN CLARITY ON HOW THE APP, HOW THE AAPD ORDINANCE IS APPLIED TO THIS NEW PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND PROBABLY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEW LANGUAGE FOR THE ORDINANCE, WHICH THEN WOULD HAVE TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
SUE, DID I CAPTURE THAT? HOPEFULLY YOU GET, IT DOES A GREAT JOB.
I DIDN'T NEED TO REALLY ADD ANYTHING.
COMMISSIONER, SMALL BUG, ALL VOLUNTEER TO BE ON THAT.
SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO CREATE, OH, IF WE'RE ALL SECONDED, IF IT WASN'T.
I THINK HE JUST, I THINK HE MADE THE MOTION.
I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION TO CREATE A JOINT WORKING GROUP BETWEEN THE ARTS COMMISSION AND AIPP AND ANY OTHER COMMUNITY PERSON AS APPROPRIATE TO DISCUSS THESE, UM, PIECE THREE, UM, PROJECTS THAT ARE BECOMING MORE PREVALENT IN OUR CITY.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER BARNES AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CASTILLO TO CREATE A JOINT WORKING GROUP BETWEEN AIPP AND THE ARTS COMMISSION TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS P THREE SITUATION.
AND AS THE LIAISON, I'M HAPPY TO CHAIR THAT WORKING GROUP WITH THE ABILITY TO ADD COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS NECESSARY TO PUT THAT TOGETHER AND COMMISSIONER BRONZEVILLE CHAIR, ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED, ANY ABSTENTIONS IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND THEN CAN I JUST, I THINK WHAT WE HEARD WAS THAT COMMISSIONER SMALL BOK FLORES AND MARK ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SERVE ON THAT WORKING GROUP, HEARD THAT INDEED.
AND THEN, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE AIPP MEMBERS THAT, UM, WANT TO SERVE ON THAT AS WELL.
AND SUE AND I WILL GET THAT AS MUCH AS I ENJOY THAT THERE'S FOUR COMMISSIONERS INTERESTED IN THIS.
I WOULD RECOMMEND MAYBE SOMEBODY STEPPED BACK JUST SO THAT THE
[02:45:01]
WORKING GROUP COULD BE A LITTLE MORE NIMBLE IN THEIR SCHEDULING AND MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL GET THE WORK DONE.UM, I WILL BE HAPPY TO RECRUIT MYSELF.
SO AMY WILL SERVE AS A BACKUP.
[5.b. Misc. Discussion and Possible Action Items]
THE ITEM OF THE DAY ITEM FIVE, THE MISCELLANEOUS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS, CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.UM, WE'RE IN A NUMBER, A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM, REVISION PLANS AND TIMEFRAME.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN TO STAFF FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT AND FOR THE CLEAR AND THOUGHTFUL REVISION WORK THAT YOU'VE ALREADY UNDERTAKEN.
UM, I, I CAN TALK AT LENGTH ABOUT THIS, BUT I DON'T BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THIS CONVERSATION, I DO NOT WANT YOU TO CENTRAL MYSELF IN THIS WORK.
SO I'M GOING TO PITCH THIS AT THE MOMENT TO, UM, IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR CASTILLO, WHO HAS LED IN A LONG TIME AND THE CONVERSATION ABOUT COMFORTABLE FUNDING REVIEW.
AND I WILL TALK BACK IN THE COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.
CAN I, CAN I CALL ON YOU? SURE.
UM, I GUESS I'M GOING TO START AT THE BEGINNING.
I AM A CIS-GENDERED FIRST-GENERATION LATINO FROM THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO.
I'VE BEEN HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS FOR CRAFT OVER 25 YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I MEAN, I THINK WHAT, WE'RE WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE'RE AT, WHEN WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION, WE, WE KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE TROUBLE BECAUSE STAFF HAD BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB OF, OF OUTREACH AND GETTING NEW APPLICANTS INTO THE SYSTEM.
BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE HOT FUNDS COULD ONLY GROW SO MUCH.
AND WE KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE A STORM COMING IF WE DIDN'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
BUT THEN WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION OF, WE KNOW, WE NEED TO SHIFT FROM THIS PHILOSOPHY OF HAVING OR WANTING TO SUPPORT EVERYONE, TO HAVING TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS AND, AND PUTTING IN, UH, PARAMETERS THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE SUPPORTING LESS APPLICANTS WITH MORE MONEY.
BUT THE CULTURAL FUNDING WORKING GROUP DID NOT FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD BE THE ONES TO DECIDE THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD BE THE ONES TO DECIDE THAT, THAT IT REALLY WAS A CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE CONSULTANT WAS BROUGHT IN, UH, ON A TIGHT BUDGET TO DO A LOT OF WORK, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY VOICES WERE HEARD.
UM, I WAS THERE AT THE TOWN HALL WHEN PEOPLE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WERE THERE TO TALK ABOUT.
I WAS THERE AT THE WORKSHOPS IN JANUARY OF 2020 AND THE FEBRUARY, 2020.
UH, AND I SAW A DIVERSE POOL OF ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
AND WHEN I'M WHAT I SAW IN DECEMBER OF 2020 IN THE DRAFT PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS OR THE WORK THAT CAME OUT OF THOSE WORKSHOPS, UM, I DID, I WAS NOT PRIVY TO THE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE CONSULTANT AND, AND THEIR ONE-ON-ONES OR THEIR, AND THEIR FOCUS GROUPS.
BUT I KNOW THAT THEY HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND I KNOW THAT THEY HEARD, UH, PEOPLE'S TRUTHS, RIGHT? CAUSE THEY WERE, THEY WERE PROMISED ANONYMITY.
AND SO THE SUMMARY IS CAPTURED IN THE INTERIM REPORT.
SO CENTERING ARTISTS OF COLOR THAT WORK HAS BEEN DONE, ARTISTS OF COLOR HAVE PROVIDED THE FEEDBACK TO STAFF AND THAT'S, WHAT'S BEEN DRIVING, UH, THE PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND THE INITIAL GUIDELINES STAFF LAID OUT A, A PROCESS FOR THEM TO HEAR ANY ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK, TO HEAR THE QUESTIONS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, AS PEOPLE ARE ASKING QUESTIONS, THAT'S STAFF IS, IS CONSIDERING THAT, UM, I, AS I SAID, I SAW ARTISTS OF COLOR APPLE'S WORKSHOPS FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO COME UP AND SAY THAT THEY, THAT WE NEED TO PAUSE THIS, UH, IS QUITE FRANKLY OFFENSIVE TO ME BECAUSE THE ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS THAT ARE BEING HELPED BY THESE CHANGES ARE THE ONES THAT HAD ASKED FOR IT.
[02:50:01]
THE ONES THAT ARE BEING REFLECTED IN THE WORK THAT'S BEING PRESENTED TO US, FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO COME IN AND SAY THAT THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED, UH, THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING IS, IS NOT TRUE BECAUSE I SAW A STEEP DROP OFF IN WHO ATTENDED THE TOWN HALL AND WHO WAS IN THOSE WORKSHOPS.IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT, THAT WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS ASKING FOR A PAUSE SO THAT THEY CAN GET CAUGHT UP ON THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
AND I BRING IT BACK TO THE RACIAL EQUITY WE'RE HEARING FROM, FROM ORGANIZATIONS OF COLOR THAT THESE CHANGES ARE, ARE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THERE ARE OF COURSE, THINGS THAT STILL CAN BE CRITICIZED THAT STAFF STILL NEEDS TO TWEAK, BUT IT'S THE REFLECTION OF THESE VOICES OF ARTISTS, OF COLOR AND ORGANIZATIONS OF COLOR.
AND TO HAVE A GROUP LED BY WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS TO SAY, STOP, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
IT GOES BACK TO THAT QUESTION THAT I SAW ON THAT SLIDE, THE WORK HAS BEEN HAPPENING BECAUSE YOU CHOSE NOT TO PARTICIPATE.
DID IT MAKE IT EASIER? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY AS I WAS CHAIR, I SAID, IT ALL ALONG, THIS IS DIFFICULT WORK.
THERE'S A LOT OF SELF-REFLECTION, THERE'S A LOT OF, OF JUST HARD WORK.
THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN A LOT OF TRUTH THAT NEEDS TO BE FACED BY AVOIDING THE PROGRESS OR THE PROCESS THAT WAS DONE WITH THE CONSULTANT.
ALL YOU DID WAS POSTPONE IT, AND NOW YOUR FEET YOU'RE FACING IT NOW.
AND YOU'RE ACTING IT OUT NOW BY SAYING THIS GROUP OF MOSTLY WHITE LED R UH, ART ORGANIZATIONS WANT TO STOP THE PROCESS BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS IN TERMS OF SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES IS THAT THESE GROUPS HAVE AN OVERSIZED VOICE.
THEY HAVE ACCESS TO CITY COUNCIL.
THEY HAVE SOMEONE ON THEIR PAYROLL THAT CAN GO EVERY DAY TO CITY COUNCIL AND TELL THEM TO, HEY, THIS IS NOT WORKING FOR US.
YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE, MAKE SURE YOU PUT A KIBOSH ON THIS ARTISTS OF COLOR.
DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THAT LUXURY.
UH, WE HAVEN'T BEEN HEARING FROM THEM THIS WHOLE SUMMER.
WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM A SELECT FEW THIS WHOLE SUMMER.
UM, SO I'M SAYING NO TO A PAUSE.
I THINK WHAT STAFF DOES DO, WE WERE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
THERE WAS A PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN LAID OUT.
THE ROADMAP WAS LAID OUT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THAT ROADMAP AND STAFF HAS LAID OUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN FEEDBACK.
FEEDBACK HAS NOT STOPPED, EVEN THOUGH THEY SAID THEY CLOSED ON ALL OF THE, THE 30TH, 31ST STAFF SAID TONIGHT, WE STILL ACCEPT YOUR QUESTIONS.
SO THEY'RE BEING VERY GENEROUS WITH THEIR TIME AND WE NEED TO KEEP GOING.
THERE'S, THERE'S MAYBE THERE'S CONFUSION BEING CAUSED BY MISINFORMATION IN TERMS OF WHAT THIS, UH, THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS ARE DOING VERSUS WHAT THE EMERGENCY ARPA FUNDS CAN DO AT BEING LESS RESTRICTIVE THAN HAT FUNDS.
AND THIS CONVERSATION OF EQUITY, WHICH IS INTERTWINED, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE.
LIKE IT'S, THERE'S A PURPOSE, PURPOSE CON PURPOSEFUL CONFUSION ABOUT ALL THESE THREE ELEMENTS.
AND IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT ON THE ARTS COMMISSION THESE PAST SIX MONTHS BECAUSE OF THAT PURPOSEFUL CONFUSION CREATIVE ALLIANCE, DO WE BROOKS AND JOHN REEDY Y'ALL HAVE NOT MADE THIS EASY.
SO, AS I SAID, CONTINUE, WE'RE ON THE WE'RE ON THE PATH.
I LEFT KEEP GOING AND WHERE COMMISSIONER CASTILLO STEPS OUT OF THIS PROCESS, I STEPPED INTO THIS PROCESS.
AND SO, AND AUGUST WHEN STAFF RELEASED THEIR DRAFT DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND REVIEW VERY QUICKLY, LOTS OF PEOPLE WERE FRIGHTENED BY WHAT WASN'T THERE.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT ALL RESPONSES, INCLUDING FEAR-BASED RESPONSES ARE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN THEN INCORPORATE INTO THE NEW GUIDELINES, BUT WHAT STAFF AND THE COMMISSION HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SINCE THAT AUGUST DRAFT PRESENTATION IS LISTENING TO YOU AS THE COMMUNITY AND HEARING VERY CLEARLY WHAT YOUR FEARS ARE, WHAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE, WHAT YOUR IDEAS ARE, AND INCORPORATING THAT INTO WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO AT THIS JUNCTURE, WE'RE OPENING BACK UP THE ONLINE PORTAL.
AS SOON AS THAT IS AVAILABLE TO ACCESS ONLINE, THE COMMISSION
[02:55:01]
HAS CONTINUED TO BE PRESENT.YOU HEARD US JUST CREATE OR WORKING GROUP THAT WE'LL PUT TOGETHER FOR THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, FOR COMMUNITIES WHO ARE UNDERREPRESENTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENGAGING DIRECTLY WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU ARE PART OF THE CONNECTION POINT TO THE ARTS COMMISSION.
WE ARE THE ENGAGING MIDDLEMAN IN ALL OF THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, AND, AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING ON THIS TOGETHER.
I HOPE THAT'S THE GOAL AND THE GOAL IS NOT TO ELIMINATE OR KEEP ANYBODY OUT OF THE PROCESS.
WE HAVE ARPA MONEY COMING DOWN THE PIKE TO HELP KEEP BRIDGE.
AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE YEAR THREE, BY THE WAY OF THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO KEEP PEOPLE WHOLE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO THE ARTS ECOSYSTEM.
$25 MILLION STAFF SAID $10 MILLION JUST IN THIS LAST ROUND TOTAL, WE ARE HERE AND LISTENING.
AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING THAT AS WE COME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, BECAUSE EVENTUALLY WE WILL, THAT WE HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE STILL HERE STILL MAKING WORK, STILL REPRESENTING THE ENTIRE FABRIC OF THE CITY'S ECOSYSTEM, REPRESENTING THE ENTIRE CULTURE OF AUSTIN'S ECOSYSTEM.
AND I WANT TO BE MINDFUL ABOUT NOT GETTING, I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET SO STUCK IN TALKING ABOUT RACE THAT WE MISS THE POINT, WHICH IS WE'RE TRYING TO REBALANCE, NOT ELIMINATE.
WE'RE TRYING TO RAISE UP, NOT HURT, THAT'S THE GOAL.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR EVERY RESOURCE WE CAN GET OUR HANDS ON, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO BUILD SOMETHING MOVING FORWARD.
THAT INCLUDES EVERYONE'S VOICES, COMMISSIONER GRAY.
UM, UM, I, SO I, YOU KNOW, I SO AGREE WITH YOU, UH, CHEER, POLAR, AND, UH, AND I, I HEAR THE FRUSTRATION.
UH, IT'S YOUR, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO IT'S UM, I THINK A LOT, I'M JUST GOING TO BE HONEST, IF I CAN BE HONEST, BECAUSE I AM A WORKING ARTS PROFESSIONAL IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I HAPPEN TO BE WHITE, BUT THAT'S NOT END, BUT I BELIEVE IN THIS, I BELIEVE THAT RACIAL EQUITY NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH EQUITY IN GENERAL NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH WHAT I THINK WHAT I THINK IN COMING FROM AN ARTIST PERSPECTIVE AND ARTS ORGANIZATION'S PERSPECTIVE IS A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU DON'T SEE WHERE THE ROAD IS GOING, IT SCARES YOU.
SO I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE WE ARE IN SURVIVAL MODE, WE'RE IN THAT INTERIM MODE AND WE'RE TRYING TO SURVIVE JUST LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT.
IT'S LIKE WHEN THIS, WHEN WE GET HERE AND WE START THIS AND WE TRY TO EQUALIZE THE PICTURE, THEN WE CAN GO, OKAY, WHO, LIKE YOU SAID, WHO'S WHO MADE IT THROUGH THIS.
WE ONLY HAD THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY NOW, WHERE WE GOING TO GO? WHAT W WHERE DO WE ALL WANT TO GO NOW? AND I THINK THAT THAT'S JUST A REALITY.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S, UM, NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
IT'S, UM, BUT IT'S A BIG, IT'S A BIG FEAR.
IT'S BIG FEAR FOR, UH, FOR MID-SIZE ORGANIZATIONS.
I THINK THAT ARE WHITE LED AND THAT HAVE COLLABORATED WITH BLACK ARTISTS, BEAUTIFUL BLACK ARTISTS STILL COLLABORATE.
AND ALSO ON BEHALF OF THE BLACK ARTISTS THAT HAS COLLABORATED WITH THE WHITE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ORGANIZATION THAT GIVES RESOURCES.
IF THEY LOSE THE RESOURCE, THE BLACK ARTIST LOSES WORK.
AND IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A REALLY CRAPPY TIME.
AND, UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I JUST HOPE WE ALL BREATHE, DO THE WORK, THE GOOD WORK, UH, AND KEEP COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER AND REALLY THINK ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THE AUSTIN ARTS COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER? HOW CAN WE COLLABORATE? WHAT DO I HAVE THAT YOU DON'T CALL ME? WHAT INFORMATION DO WE ALL HAVE THAT YOU NEED CALL CONNECT? LET'S REALLY COME TOGETHER ON THIS BECAUSE I THINK, I THINK THAT'S, I JUST THINK, I MEAN, THE NAME OF MY COMPANY IS TAPESTRY, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THAT.
AND, UM, ANYWAY, AND IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY.
AND I, I WANT TO ACTUALLY SAY TO YOU, AND I WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION THAT VERY FIRST MEETING, WHEN YOU STOOD UP IN THE ROOM AND SAID, THERE ARE THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MORE YEARS.
WELL, IN ARTS FUNDING, MORE THAN 35, BUT, BUT, AND TALKED ABOUT, EVEN AT THAT POINT, PRE PANDEMIC PRE PANDEMIC PRE PANDEMIC,
[03:00:01]
BECAUSE WE KNEW AS A COMMUNITY THAT THE ONLY WAY FORWARD WAS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY WORKING TOGETHER TO SOLVE HAPPENS.AND SO, AND I, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER CASIO TO, TO YOUR POINT, THE FRUSTRATION HAS BEEN IN THE LAST, CERTAINLY IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO, THERE HAS BEEN A CONCERTED EFFORT TO DIVIDE THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THAT IS VERY FRUSTRATING AND VERY DAMAGING AT A TIME WHEN WE NEED TO BE WORKING TOGETHER, I WORKED AT EACH OTHER, SUPPORTING EACH OTHER, AND I WILL PROMISE YOU THAT THERE IS NO ONE SITTING IN THIS SPACE AND SITTING ON THIS ZOOM CALL THAT HAS ANY INTEREST IN HURTING AN ORGANIZATION OR ELIMINATING ANYBODY.
AND THAT HAS NEVER BEEN THE CASE.
AND THAT WILL NOT BE THE CASE.
OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE AS MUCH SUPPORT AS WE POSSIBLY CAN AND HELP CREATE THE MOST SUSTAINABLE LONG-TERM HEALTHY COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN.
AND SO I, ON EVERYONE LISTENING TO THIS CONVERSATION, THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T LIKE IN THE PROPOSED GUIDELINES, WHICH ARE PROPOSED, LET ME BE CLEAR PROPOSED PILOT PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE NOW, YOU SAID, WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS.
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WE ARE HEARING, LISTENING TO CONVERSATIONS TONIGHT IN THE CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.
UM, I HEARD, WHERE IS IT? OH, CAN I FIND IT, UM, UM, CONCERNS ABOUT DESIGN, RIGHT? AND, AND, AND SYLVIA'S COMMENTS ABOUT EQUITY.
BUT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DESIGN NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON THE DESIGN CONVERSATION, RIGHT? IF YOU ARE THINKING THAT LEADING WITH RACIAL EQUITY MEANS THE PROGRAMMING THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING, THE, THE COMMUNITIES THAT YOU'RE SERVING, THE ACCESS, YOUR PROVIDING TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED.
WE HEAR THAT NOTE, AND THAT IS BEING FOLDED INTO CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE SHIFT THE GUIDELINES AND THE RUBRICS.
NOTHING IS SET IN STONE, EVERYTHING IS WORKING FORWARD AND WE NEED TO BE DOING IT TOGETHER.
THAT'S MY CALL, COMMISSIONER BARNES AND COMMISSIONER LOT, I THINK, TO DO ONE OF THE THINGS.
AND I THINK, UM, I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT STILL NOVI OR MEGAN OR SOMEBODY WHO SAID IT EARLIER, BUT I THINK, AGAIN, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT PERFECT AND IT CAN'T BE PERFECT BECAUSE AGAIN, I WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT YOU DON'T MESS WITH PEOPLE'S MONEY, CHILDREN OR FOOD.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THIS IS ALL OF THOSE IMPLICATIONS.
AND I THINK JUST BEING UPSET, DOESN'T DO US ANY GOOD HELP US COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS, BRING YOUR GREAT IDEAS, BRING YOUR, WE WANT TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE UPSET.
YES, BUT WE CAN'T DWELL IN BEING UPSET.
WE WANT TO WORK WITH ANYBODY WHO HAS LIKE, JUST THROW IT OUT THERE.
LET'S SEE WHAT SPAGHETTI STICKS, BUT HELP US COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS AND NOT JUST CONTINUE THE RHETORIC OF THIS.
THIS ISN'T BECAUSE THAT DOES NO GOOD.
WE, WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
WE NEED YOUR HELP IN FINDING THE SOLUTIONS.
I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THE NATIONAL NEW MANATEE ACT WAS SIGNED IN 19 74, 75.
THE INTENT OF THE ACT BY OUR PRESIDENT LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON WAS, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER WITH THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT IS ABOUT EQUITY IS ABOUT INCLUSION.
IT'S ABOUT DIVERSITY, BUT THE SYSTEM HAVE NOT SET UP IN SUCH A WAY AS A MATTER OF THAT, IT WAS SET UP IN SUCH A, UH, INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM WAY THAT OUR HUMANITY IS NOT WHOLE.
IT IS ALREADY, YOU KNOW, WAY PAST YOU THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO RIGHT THE WRONG.
I REALLY, UM, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BENEFITED, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM THIS INJUSTICE SYSTEM TO COME
[03:05:01]
FORWARD AND SAY, I HAVE BENEFITED FROM THAT.I HAVE ALL THIS EXPERIENCE THAT, THAT IS ALL OF THESE IN AN EQUITABLE SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE BUILT ALL THIS WORLD, ALL OF THE EXPLOITATION OF OTHERS, AND I NO LONGER WANT TO BE PART OF THAT.
I DO NOT WANT MY CHILDREN TO CONTINUE TO BE IN THIS SYSTEM.
SO I AM GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AND THIS ROLE, YOU KNOW, IS REALLY RESERVED FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM THIS INEQUITABLE SYSTEM.
AND I'M ASKING YOU TO STEP INTO YOUR ROLE AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT WAS ALL THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAVE ACCUMULATED, YOU KNOW, TO HELP US ON FUTURE GENERATIONS, TO BUILD A BETTER COUNTRY.
SO YOUR ROLE AS THE BENEFICIARY FOR ALL THESE YEARS OF UNJUST SYSTEM IS SO IMPORTANT.
SO I DON'T SEE WHY PEOPLE DO NOT ATTEND ALL THIS WORKSHOP THAT, UH, ALL THESE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY CONVERSATION WITH OUR, UH, CON CONSULTANTS, THEY DID NOT SHOW UP AS IF IT DIDN'T CONCERN THEM.
AND NOW THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CONTINUE TO BURN IT FROM THIS UNJUST SYSTEM.
NOW THEY SAID THAT, OH, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
SO I'M ASKING YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, AS A COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO BE HONEST AND WE NEED TO BE BOLD AND WE NEED TO HAVE THE COURAGE, YOU KNOW, TO WORK TOGETHER AND, AND, AND FOR A MORE EQUITABLE SYSTEM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, HE'S ALREADY 50 YEARS.
SO HOW, HOW LONG SHOULD WE WAIT? HOW MANY GENERATIONS SHOULD WE CONTINUE? SO I THINK, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, UH, TO COME TOGETHER AND CREATE A BETTER SYSTEM FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS.
I'M GOING, I'M GOING TO SAY, LIKE, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS WHERE WE ARE NOW.
WE ARE HERE AT THIS POINT IN TIME, AND HERE'S WHERE WE START, RIGHT? SO WHEN, WHEN I PUT ON THE AGENDA COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, I MEAN, LET'S CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE.
UM, WE HAVE HEARD FROM A LOT, FROM A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE, WE HAVE HEARD SOME FROM SOME FOLKS.
I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY IS OUT HAVING THIS CONVERSATIONS.
AND I APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT.
ALL OF THAT NEEDS TO KEEP COMING.
THINGS WILL BE SHIFTING AND CHANGING.
YOUR INPUT MATTERS, JOHN, THE WORK YOU'RE DOING MATTERS.
WE WANT TO WORK WITH AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS CLIFFORD, TO YOUR POINT, IF THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NOT AT THE TABLE, THEY NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS NEED TO HAPPEN.
A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE GONE AT WITH DEEP, CLEAR, THOUGHTFUL TIME INTO SPECIFICS OF GUIDELINES.
LET'S HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
WHAT ARE WE MISSING? WHAT ARE WE NOT THINKING ABOUT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE A SMALL POT OF HOT RIGHT NOW? AND WE'RE WORKING LIKE MAD, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SMALL BACK FOR HEADING THAT WORKING GROUP, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OTHER FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOREVER DOING REALLY IMPORTANT WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE NOT TIED TO HOT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE PIECES.
BOY, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE EVERYBODY AT THE TABLE.
WE JUST FORMED A WORKING GROUP.
WE'RE, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU IN THE ROOM.
AND SO THE QUARTERLY MEETUPS ARE GOING TO START COMMISSIONER ZISMAN AND I ARE RETOOLING OUR COMMUNITY CHATS, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE OUT THERE.
WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW FROM YOU RIGHT NOW IS WHAT YOU NEED.
WE'VE DEALT WITH THAT WITH ARPA.
WE'LL PUT THAT FORWARD TO COUNCIL.
SO RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR US? AND HOW DO WE GET TO THAT NEXT PLACE? YEAH.
I'D LIKE, JUST TO POSE A QUESTION, UH, TO THOSE THAT WE'VE HEARD.
UM, SO OUTWARDLY FROM, AND TO GIVE YOU GUYS THE OPPORTUNITY TO UPGRADE THE LANGUAGE THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING.
[03:10:01]
I WANT TO ASK YOU, HOW DOES YOUR PRIVILEGE SERVE YOU IN THIS WORK AND HOW ARE YOU USING IT TO CREATE MORE EQUITY? I THINK THAT BUILDS UPON THE POINTS OF COMMISSIONER GRAY AND THE POINTS OF COMMISSIONER MOCK.AND I JUST WOULD LOVE TO SEE IN THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION, PEOPLE REALLY TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE.
I, I DON'T THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY IS FEELING LIKE THEY DON'T VALUE EQUITY.
LIKE, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S THE CASE.
I DON'T DOUBT ANYBODY'S COMMITMENT TO BETTERING EQUITY IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO LET ME BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
NOBODY'S SAYING THAT'S THE CASE.
THE CHALLENGE IS HOW DO WE REBALANCE THE SYSTEM WITHOUT TIPPING IT TO THE POINT THAT OTHER PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY MAY NOT SURVIVE? AND I UNDERSTAND TO YOUR POINT, LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE UP TO HELP MAKE THAT REBALANCE HAPPEN? AND I KNOW THE TIMING IS TERRIBLE.
THE TIMING IS NEVER GOING TO BE GOOD.
IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE HAD $12 MILLION, IT'D BE BETTER.
IF WE HAD A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, ALL OF THIS THINGS THAT ARE TRUE, BUT TO, TO COMMISSIONER BARNES'S EARLIER STATEMENT THE BETTER TIME 20 YEARS AGO, OR RIGHT NOW, WHEN DO WE DO IT? AND IF WE, IF WE DON'T DO IT NOW, WHERE ARE WE IN A YEAR? WHERE ARE WE INTO? WE'RE EARLY IN THREE AND WHO'S STILL IN AUSTIN.
AND WHAT DOES THAT COMMUNITY LOOK LIKE? AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE VALUE? AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT AND I'M TALKING WAY TOO MUCH, GUYS, WHERE ARE YOU? NOPE.
I GUESS MY QUESTION TO THE COMMISSION AT THIS POINT IS HERE'S WHERE WE ARE LISTENING TO WHERE STAFF IS AND THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE.
IS THIS A PATH WE WANT TO CONTINUE ON? AND WHAT I'M HEARING IS YES, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, TO SEE IF THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT CALL WE CAN MAKE TO THE COMMUNITY TO HELP US IN THIS BATTLE.
BECAUSE I'LL SAY IT'S A BATTLE.
IT'S A STRUGGLE RIGHT NOW FOR EVERYBODY COMMISSIONER SMALL BOT.
I DON'T KNOW I'M THROWN OFF CAUSE I'M NOT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION EXACTLY DIRECTLY MICHELLE, BUT, UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD AND COMMISSIONER SEE YOU, I HEAR, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ALSO.
AND I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AC AND I AT LEAST HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS QUITE A BIT.
I'M PROBABLY THE NEWEST TO, OR BACK TO AUSTIN AND WE'RE BOTH NEW ON THE COMMISSION.
SO WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE BACKGROUND OF THE DIFFERENT DYNAMICS THAT HAVE BEEN PLAY AND THE DIFFERENT, UM, JUST THAT, JUST THAT.
BUT I THINK THE THING THAT WAS MOST, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS BROUGHT TO US BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WAS MOST CONCERNING WAS THE CONCERN FROM LONG TIME, SPECIFICALLY BLACK AND LATIN X ARTS LEADERS SAYING WE HAVE SHOULDERED THE BURDEN OF INEQUITY FOR A LONG, LONG TIME AND WHILE SUPPORTING THE DIRECTION AND THE INTENTION OF THE CHANGES TO THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING, AGREEING THAT CULTURAL EQUITY, RACIAL EQUITY NEEDS TO BE THE PRIORITY IN THESE CHANGES.
HAVING DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THE DETAILS OF HOW THAT WAS LAID OUT IN THE DRAFT GUIDELINES.
TO ME, THAT WAS THE MOST CONCERNING PART OF THAT, UM, PUSHBACK.
AND, AND OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT MIGHT COME TO, WE HEARD THE INTENTION TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL AND ASK FOR THE IMPANELING OF A TASK FORCE, SPECIFICALLY AROUND RACIAL EQUITY IN CULTURAL ARTS.
AND I THINK WE FELT, AND I STILL FEEL THAT IF, IF THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, THAT SHOULD HAPPEN WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMISSION SO THAT WE ARE NOT WORKING AGAINST EACH OTHER, BECAUSE WHAT I'M HEARING OUR COMMISSION AT LEAST IS EVERYBODY IS ON THE SAME PAGE.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE CHANGES TO THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING, BUT THE FACT THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD, I SAID EARLIER, THE FACT THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD ON CHANGES THAT WILL REQUIRE REDISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES TO PRIORITIZE RACIAL EQUITY IS NOT, I DON'T THINK IN QUESTION.
[03:15:01]
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT FITS INTO THIS CONVERSATION ANYMORE.I DON'T THINK A PAUSE IS NECESSARY BECAUSE EVERYTHING WE'VE HEARD TONIGHT IS THAT THIS WAS THE QUESTION FOR A PAUSE WAS COMING.
WHEN IT LOOKED LIKE NEW GUIDELINES WERE GOING LAUNCHED AS EARLY AS OCTOBER.
AND THE FEELING THAT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH TIME FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE DETAILS OF THOSE PLANS.
AND I DON'T, THAT IS NOT THE CASE ANYMORE.
UM, BUT I DO, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO, UH, WHAT THE, WHAT THE ANSWER IS TO THE, TO THE QUESTION OF, AND WE HEARD FROM SOME OF THEM THIS EVENING WHEN PEOPLE WHO, THE CHANGES TO THE GUIDELINES ARE INTENDED TO BENEFIT BECAUSE THEY HAVE SHOULDER, THE INEQUITY AND THE INJUSTICE FOR SO LONG ARE SAYING DISMISSES THE MARK, WHAT IS OUR ANSWER TO THEM? AND THAT, THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT'S STILL FOR ME IS STILL REMAINING ON MY BRAIN AND HEART.
THE COMMISSIONER IS THIS MAN, THANK YOU, HEIDI.
I'M JUST CURIOUS THE TASK FORCE THAT'S BEING PROPOSED AND THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, THIS IDEA, HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT? IS IT WORKING IN TERMS OF THE WORKING GROUP THAT WE'RE FORMING AND HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM THIS BODY? WE ARE A COUNCIL APPOINTED GROUP OF LEADERS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THOSE THAT ARE WILLING TO COME FORWARD AND COMMUNICATE WITH US.
AND WHAT DOES IT COMMUNICATE TO COUNCIL? IF WE HAVE VOICES CIRCUMVENTING THE ARTS COMMISSION, WHICH IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE AS AN ARTS COMMISSIONER TO SAY, HEY, WE ARE WE, THE ARTS COMMISSION CAN'T DO THIS.
I W I APPRECIATE YOU ELABORATING, I GUESS, ON WHY IT BEING CALLED A TASK FORCE AND IT BEING A LAW, YOU KNOW, ASSIGNED BY COUNCIL, WHAT IS IT THAT THEY CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT WE CANNOT IN WITH THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE, AND WITH THE WORKING GROUPS THAT WE'RE ESTABLISHING AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH HAVING WITH THE COMMUNITY DIRECTLY TAKING IT UPON OURSELVES TO, TO HAVE THESE ENGAGEMENTS INTO FACILITATE THIS COMMUNICATION.
SO I JUST, I'M, I'M CURIOUS, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE GOAL THERE? IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE MOVING TO FIVE.
B, ARE WE DONE WITH FIVE? A APOLOGIES IF I JUMPED THE GUN THAT'S OKAY.
I MEAN, THAT'S A, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
IT'S A GOOD QUESTION, BUT I THINK ARE WE DONE WITH FIVE, A COMMISSIONER GRAY, BUT YEAH, HOLD, HOLD, HOLD YOUR ANSWERS TO THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION FOR A HOT SECOND AND MICHIGAN GRAY ONLY BECAUSE I JUST WANTED TO ADD THOUGHT TO CHOSE THIS WOMAN'S POINT.
AND IT ALSO HAS TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW, ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM, REVISION PLANS AND TIMEFRAME.
UM, I HAVE SEEN THIS PROCESS FOR OVER 35 YEARS, NOT IN THESE CHAMBERS FOR THAT AMOUNT.
I REMEMBER THE TABLES, ALL BEING SAT AROUND I'M MEMBERS, BEING IN THE ROOM AND WHAT I DID NOTICE, AND I'M GOING TO BE VERY UPFRONT, VERY FEW ARTISTS OF COLOR BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SO CONCERNED OR THOUGHT CHANGE OR THOUGHT THEY COULD GET MONEY FROM WHERE THE WHITE ARTISTS.
NOW, I'M NOT SAYING EVERYBODY BECAUSE THERE'S GREAT LATINO ARTISTS THAT WERE IN THAT ROOM THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOREVER.
AND I SAW, WE SAW THE SAME PEOPLE.
THEY WERE THERE, THE SAME PEOPLE WERE THERE.
AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE TREE OR THE HOUSE OR THE SWIMMING POOL THING, METAPHOR THINGS ABOUT FUNDING FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
BUT I DO REMEMBER WHEN IT DID FEEL LIKE IF I DON'T GET MY MONEY, I CAN'T DO WHAT I'M DOING, BUT MY POINT IS TO YOUR POINT COMMUNICATION, THIS IS THE ROOM TO COMMUNICATE.
HOWEVER, I THINK WE DO HAVE A BARRIER AND TONIGHT IS NOT THE NIGHT TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT AGENDAS NEED TO BE SPECIFIC AND REALLY OPEN TO WHAT THAT IS BECAUSE WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO KNOW THERE NEEDS TO BE CITIZENS, COMMUNICATE INPUT, INPUT, AND YES, OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKING GROUP OR CORE, WHATEVER THEY ARE.
THEY FLIP-FLOP, WHATEVER IT IS.
IF THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T START TALKING TO THE COMMISSION, THE COMMISSION CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND WE ARE APPOINTED BY CITY COUNCIL.
SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.
AND THEN I GOT SOME, TWO THINGS.
UH, ONE I WANTED TO BUILD ON WHAT COMMISSIONER GRAY JUST SAID IS THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION IS REALLY A COMMUNICATIONS HUB BECAUSE WE ARE ADVISORS TO COUNCIL.
WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADVICE STAFF, AND WE CAN, UH, HELP THE COMMUNITY STAY INFORMED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT COUNCIL AND WITH STAFF.
[03:20:03]
I DON'T LIKE THAT WERE DESCRIBED AS INEFFECTIVE BECAUSE WHAT WE DO IS COMMUNICATE AND WE ARE EFFECTIVE AT THAT.WE JUST NEED TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT.
UM, SO YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN MAKE, BUT WE'RE REALLY ABOUT COMMUNICATING.
WE NEED TO KEEP THE LINES OPEN BETWEEN EVERYBODY.
UM, AND I MEAN THAT EVERYBODY NOT JUST THE LOUDEST VOICES.
UM, THE SECOND THING I WANTED TO ASK WAS, SO WE CAN CLOSE OUT FIVE B OR FIVE B ONE, B A FIVE B IS, CAN WE JUST GET A REITERATION OF WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY IS SEPTEMBER 20TH.
WE HEARD AN UPDATE REGARDING ARCA FUNDS.
WE HEARD AN UPDATE REGARDING, UH, THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.
I JUST WANT TO REITERATE WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.
AND THEN I DUNNO IF THAT'S FROM STAFF OR FROM, FROM THE CHAIR, BUT COULD WE JUST REITERATE WHERE WE ALL ON THOSE POINTS? YEAH.
STEPH, DO YOU WANT TO PICK WHERE YOU ARE AND THEN I'LL SEE WHAT WE'RE MISSING FROM OUR END.
SO BASED ON YOUR RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT THAT YOU PUT FORWARD IN UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED FOR THE ARPA FUNDS, THAT WILL BE THE PRIORITY TO GET THOSE FUNDS OUT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY IS TWICE WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR HOT COFFERS.
AND IT'S IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYABLE, NOT ENOUGH.
I WILL SAY IMMEDIATELY WITH STILL NOVI GIVING ME THE SIDE-EYE BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE, WE HAVE ONE CONTRACT PERSON IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO WHEN I SAY IMMEDIATE, AS QUICKLY AS FEASIBLY POSSIBLE WITHIN THE RESOURCES WE HAVE, WE WILL SHOOT FOR THE END OF THE YEAR.
THAT WILL AGAIN BE SUBJECT TO US, TRYING TO GET THROUGH OUR PROCESSES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
I WILL ALSO SAY THAT JUST TO ADD A WRINKLE, THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE BAKED INTO THE ARPA FUNDS THAT REQUIRE US TO INVESTIGATE HOW WE MUST REPORT ON THOSE.
AND THEY ARE NOT AS SIMPLE AS THE CARES ACT.
SO WE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN GET THEM OUT THE DOOR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WHILE STILL ADHERING WITH THE COMPLIANCE THAT WE AS A CITY HAVE TO DO TO ACTUALLY USE THOSE FUNDS IN THE WAY THAT THEY WERE ALLOWED FOR US TO BE USED.
THAT IS OUR, THAT IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS THE RELIEF THAT WILL BE MOST MEANINGFULLY DEPLOYED RIGHT NOW, WHILE THAT IS HAPPENING.
WE, AS STAFF WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE HEARING FEEDBACK, ESPECIALLY ON THRIVE, ELEVATE AND NEXUS, THOSE THREE PROGRAMS THAT ARE INTENDED TO WORK AS A SUITE TOGETHER.
NOW, LIKE I SAID, TONIGHT, WE CAN'T PROBABLY LAUNCH ALL THREE TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME, BUT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT HOW THEY DRAFT UPON EACH OTHER, HOW THEY COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER, UM, WHAT THOSE GUIDELINES LOOK LIKE, HOW THEY SERVE PEOPLE, HAVE THEIR, HOW THEY MAYBE COULD BE IMPROVED.
WE'VE ALREADY HEARD REALLY GREAT FEEDBACK FROM, UH, GROUPS.
WHO'VE COME TO US TO SPECIFICALLY SAY, LET'S DIG INTO THESE GUIDELINES AND TELL YOU HOW WE'RE CONFUSED, HOW, UH, THE LANGUAGE WE'RE USING.
ISN'T CLEAR, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MEASURE IT? THIS IS ACTUALLY UNINTENTIONALLY HURTING US.
THAT IS ALL VERY PRODUCTIVE AND VALUABLE INPUT FOR US, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT THAT KIND OF SPECIFICITY FOR THE GUIDELINES WE PUT OUT, NOT SAYING THEY CANNOT CHANGE, BUT, BUT WE CAN ONLY DO THAT IN AS FAR AS WE WERE GIVEN THINGS TO WORK OFF OF.
WHAT YOU HEARD TONIGHT WAS THAT PROBABLY ARE, WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO LAUNCH ANYTHING, GIVEN OUR TRAJECTORY NOW GETTING CLOSE TO WHAT WILL PROBABLY GET US UP TO TWO, CLOSE TO THE HOLIDAYS TO LAUNCH THIS YEAR.
WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE ALWAYS PLEDGED THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME BEFORE YOUR APPLICATION IS DUE.
SO WE LIKE TO HONOR THAT FOUR TO SIX TO EIGHT WEEK LEAD TIME, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
THAT'S PROBABLY PUSHING US INTO THE JANUARY AT VERY EARLIEST, BUT AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO RUSH IT AND PREEMPT ANY OF THE VALUABLE FEEDBACK THAT WE HOPE TO STILL GET FROM PEOPLE, THE CONVERSATION WE HAD TONIGHT, GETTING PEOPLE TO COME TO US WITH SPECIFIC QUESTIONS WITH, WITH THE DIFFERENCES IN WHERE THEY ARE IN UNDERSTANDING EQUITY IS ALL REALLY CONTRIBUTING TO A BETTER SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT MEANS TO NORMALIZE, ORGANIZE, AND OPERATIONALIZE AROUND EQUITY.
THOSE ARE THE THREE STAGES THAT OUR EQUITY DEPARTMENT OR EQUITY OFFICE HAS GIVEN US TO SAY, THIS IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH ALL OF THE WORK IN THE CITY IS GUIDED NORMALIZED CONVERSATIONS, ORGANIZE AROUND THE WORK, OPERATIONALIZE WHAT IT MEANS TO CARRY OUT EQUITABLE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO, BUT WE NEED SPECIFICS FROM THE COMMUNITY TO GET THERE.
SO I'M HOPING THAT WHILE WE GET THE ARPA FUNDS OUT, WE WILL HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS TO BRING US TO A PLACE WHERE WE BETTER UNDERSTAND FROM A SHARED, YOU KNOW, SHARED COMMON AGREEMENT, WHAT EQUITY LOOKS LIKE AND HOW OUR PROGRAMS CAN SUPPORT THAT.
[03:25:01]
AND YOU CAN, CAN YOU, BECAUSE I'M, IF I'M LISTENING IN THE COMMUNITY AS A MEMBER OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY, I'M THINKING WHERE'S THE MONEY AND HOW CAN I GET IT? AND WHEN WILL I KNOW, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE IN YOUR HEAD RIGHT NOW OF THRIVE, ELEVATE NEXUS, SORT OF WHERE THEY ARE FALLING IN YOUR BRAIN? AND CAN YOU SHARE THAT INFORMATION? YEAH, WE ARE.AS YOU HEARD TONIGHT, WE ARE LOOKING AT AN OVERALL POT OF $3.5 MILLION BASED ON THE ADDITION OF A $500,000 BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT WILL GO FORWARD SOON, THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY WILL HAVE TO COVER WHATEVER WE LAUNCH.
WISH IT WERE MORE, WE'VE ALWAYS OPERATED FROM THE POINT AT WHICH WE THINK PROBABLY WE CAN LAUNCH TWO OF OUR THREE MEANINGFULLY WITH THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN LAUNCH THREE, BUT I THINK OUR PRIMARY HAS ALWAYS BEEN THRIVE.
THAT IS THE, THAT IS THE FIRST ONE OUT THE DOOR WE'VE DONE THE MOST WORK ON IT SO FAR.
THE NEXT ONE, POSSIBLY BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD SO MUCH FEEDBACK ABOUT HOW IT COULD SERVE THE VARIOUS NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT DO SUPPORT SOME OF THESE WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INVESTED IN THE WORK HAVE BEEN DOING THE WORK, WANT TO CONTINUE DOING THE WORK THAT'S ELEVATE PROBABLY NEXT.
AND AT THIS POINT, PROBABLY NEXUS IS THIRD.
IF WE, IF WE CAN LAUNCH IT THIS NEXT YEAR, NOW ALL OF THAT SUBJECT TO CHANGE, WANT TO HEAR FEEDBACK.
WE ALSO HAVE A $1 MILLION OF ARPA FUNDS THAT'S SET ASIDE FOR THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS THAT WE HAVE NOT YET DIPPED INTO THAT IS REALLY INTENDED TO BE A JOB TRAINING WORKFORCE TYPE SUPPORT PROGRAM THAT FITS REALLY WELL WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS REALM.
SO IF NEXUS DOES NOT END UP BEING SOMETHING WE CAN SUPPORT WITH HAT, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN SERVE THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS THROUGH THAT PARTICULAR ARPA FUNDING.
ALL OF THIS IS WE'RE TRYING TO SHAKE IT ALL OUT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN GET IT OUT QUICKLY, EFFECTIVELY EQUITABLY INCLUSIVELY.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT HELPS, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE THINKING RIGHT NOW.
THEN THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS PROGRAM, WHICH IS DESIGNED BASICALLY TO SUPPORT FISCAL SPONSORSHIP, CAUSE I KNOW A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS TOOK A BIG HIT WHEN WITH ALL OF THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING AND FISCAL SPONSORSHIP WAS A GENEROUS PART OF THEIR REGULAR, UM, FINANCIAL SUPPORT THAT 10% MATTERS TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS THE ARTISTS WHO WERE GETTING THAT HELP.
SO THAT THAT'S PROGRAMS OUT THERE AS WELL.
NAVIGATORS, UM, RIGHT NOW IS OPEN THE COMMUNITY.
NAVIGATORS ARE A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS PROPOSALS.
I FORGET WHICH ONE IT IS, BUT IT'S THE APPLICATION I THINK APPLICATION IS OUTRIGHT NOW.
AND IT'S FOR ORGANIZATIONS WHO CAN ASSIST WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR FINDING RESOURCES TO REALLY BASICALLY NAVIGATE SYSTEMS, WHETHER IT BE RELIEF, CITY FUNDING, OTHER, YOU KNOW, THIRD PARTY RESOURCES.
SO YEAH, I'D LOVE TO SEE PEOPLE APPLY FOR THAT.
COMMISSIONER FLORES AND YES, THE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR GRANT IS ALSO ABOUT TO HIT THE STREETS AND THE SPRING.
I'M NOT INVOLVED IN THAT ONE AS MUCH AS I
SO THAT WILL ALSO BE A POTENTIAL PATHWAY FORWARD FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS AND MICRO SOLOPRENEURS.
UM, I GUESS IN, IN REFERENCE TO A TIMETABLE AND I'M HEARING THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY POSSIBLY JANUARY, POSSIBLY THE SPRING OF 2022 FOR THE LAUNCHING OF WHATEVER THE PROGRAMS AND THE LOOKING AT HOW I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UH, AS YOU'RE GETTING FEEDBACK, WHAT THE REDRAFTING OF THESE, UH, GUIDELINES OR PROGRAMS, ADJUSTMENTS, WHATEVER.
UM, WHAT DID THAT WOULD THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO LOOK AT AGAIN, BECAUSE I HAVE TO SAY WHEN I READ THEM BACK, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOW CHANGING AND IT, IT'S CONFUSING TO KEEP UP WITH THE DETAILS AS AN ADD, AS A PROGRESS.
ARE WE GOING TO BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A NEW DRAFT OF WHATEVER IT IS AT SOME POINT WITH ENOUGH TIME PRIOR TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY ARE AND DO WE GET TO WEIGH IN ON THAT PUBLICLY, PRIOR TO THE LAUNCHING OF THESE PROGRAMS? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN WE COULD EXPECT, AND I KNOW THIS IS HARD BECAUSE IT'S LIKE THE FOOTBALL KEEPS GETTING CONNECT DRIED AND IT'S MOVING DOWN THE PATH.
BUT AT SOME POINT THERE'S GOT TO BE A RE POLISHING OF THESE GUIDELINES.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE NEW ITERATION THAT I, BECAUSE I'M A VISUAL PERSON, I GOT TO READ WHAT IT IS.
AND I GOT TO SEE WHAT IT SAYS.
AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE TIME TO BE ABLE TO ABSORB THAT AND ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON THAT IF
[03:30:01]
WE'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.SO WHAT KIND OF A TIMETABLE COULD YOU GIVE US AS TO WHEN WE COULD EXPECT SOMETHING LIKE THAT? UH, WELL, I CAN'T GIVE YOU A TIMETABLE JUST YET.
UM, I'D, IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET INFORMATION OUT TO THE COMMISSION AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE GET IT OUT TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, BUT IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR A, A PHASED APPROACH TO FEEDBACK, YOU'LL, I NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK THE COMMISSION'S ROLE IS VERSUS MAYBE YOUR WORKING GROUP OR THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'M HAPPY TO TALK THROUGH WHAT THAT IS, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE GUIDELINES AT, OR VOTE UNQUOTE AS CLOSE TO FINAL AND THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET THEM, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, AND TIME TO REVIEW THOSE AND WEIGH IN ON, ON THAT? I MEAN, I, I, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WEIGHING IN AT THE SAME TIME AS THE COMMUNITY IN REAL TIME, OR ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, THIS IS IT, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND WILL WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON IT AS IN THE PAST, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ACTUALLY WORK ON GUIDELINES OR TO BLOAT ON GUIDELINES.
AND SO I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE NEW NEW PROCESS IS BECAUSE, UH, IT'S CHANGED.
IN THE CLASS YOU HAVE HAD A WORKING GROUP WHERE WE ARE, YOU'VE BEEN VERY, HANDS-ON THE GUIDELINES.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT, UH, STAFF IS DOING TO BASICALLY REPLICATE THAT WORK, BUT I'M HAPPY TO BRING THEM TO YOU IN WHATEVER FASHION YOU ALL PREFER, COMMISSIONER GRAY AND ANYBODY ELSE.
I WOULD, I LOVE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT BEFORE, JUST FOR IF WE'RE WHAT, WELL, I GUESS THAT'S THE QUESTION IS LIKE A WHEAT IS THE COMMISSION IN PUBLIC GOING TO SEE THE GUIDELINES AT THE SAME TIME THAT HOW WE'VE BEEN DOING AND THEN THIS PROCESS.
BUT IF YOU WANT ME TO TRY TO BUILD IN, UH, A PREVIEW FOR Y'ALL I PERSONALLY WOULD, BECAUSE I THINK IT MAY CAUSE WHAT HAS HAPPENED FOR THE LAST TWO TIMES, PLUS THE LAST TWO NEWSLETTERS, IT CAUSES CONFUSION AND THEN THE QUESTIONS COME IN AND WHAT, WHY DID THAT CHANGE OR WHATEVER, ALTHOUGH I THINK IT'S COMING TO A, YOU KNOW, TO A MORE REFINED PLACE, BUT, UH, AND I DON'T THINK IT HAS TO BE A LONG PROCESS.
I EVEN THINK 48 HOURS OF COMMISSIONERS BEING ABLE TO SEE IT AND EVEN COLLEGE, WHATEVER IT HAPPENS BECAUSE WE GET CALLS, PEOPLE, EMAIL US.
UM, THEY THINK WE DO KNOW WHAT'S COMING UP.
IT WAS A SURPRISE TO MUCH OF THE COMMUNITY FIND OUT THAT WE FIND OUT THE SAME TIME.
AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN THERE, I'VE BEEN THERE, BUT I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE THAT OPPORTUNITY A LITTLE BIT OF WINDOW, UM, TO BE PREPARED IF WE ARE, AND I MAY BE WAY OFF BASE THE HOURS.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TIME.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW FAR I COULD STRETCH THAT WINDOW.
I MEAN, AT A CERTAIN POINT, I WILL SAY THE CHALLENGES THAT WE GET INPUT FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT BODIES, WHETHER IT BE A COMMISSION OR A WORKING GROUP OR THE COMMUNITY OR DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS, OR THE MANY DIFFERENT OTHER COMMISSION, THE JOINT COMMISSIONS, AND AT A CERTAIN POINT, ALL WE DO IS JUST CHURN.
TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PLEASE AND ADDRESS ALL THE, ALL THE DIFFERENT FEEDBACK WE'RE GETTING.
SO THAT'S WHY WE WENT TO JUST ONE RELEASE AND THEN KIND OF INVITED EVERYONE TO GIVE US THAT WAY.
IT'S KIND OF, NO ONE IS PRIORITIZED OR NO ONE IS GIVEN LIKE YOUR SPECIAL, YOUR, YOU KNOW, AND NOT TO SAY THAT Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, NO, NO, NO, NO, I'M FILLING AN IMPORTANT ROLE, BUT I AM.
IT'S THE NEW, IT'S THE NEW FUNNEL.
IT IS HARD BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S LAYERED AND, AND WE'RE ALSO IN A PANDEMIC AND IT'S HARD TO COMMUNICATE.
AND SO I, I ADMIT I'M OPEN TO DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE CAN BE BETTER TO LOOP Y'ALL IN OR GET FEEDBACK THAT'S CONSTRUCTIVE TO US.
SO, BUT, BUT SO AGAIN, FOR THE AUDIENCE, WHO'S LISTENING AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE WHAT THE TIMEFRAME IS AND WHERE THEY PLUG INTO THIS CONVERSATION.
CAN WE SAY, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO ANOTHER MONTH OF HEAVY ENGAGEMENT AND OPEN CONVERSATIONS, AND MAYBE WE CAN GET A QUARTERLY MEETUP, BUT CERTAINLY SELENA AND I CAN GET GOING AND WE CAN PULL IN OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND YOU GUYS HAVE THINGS HAPPENING.
LIKE, WHAT IS IT THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BRING BACK IN OCTOBER? WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE? DO WE, AND YOU GUYS MAY NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
AND I REALIZE THAT, BUT LIKE BROADLY SPEAKING, WHAT IS, WHAT IS OUR GOAL FOR OCTOBER 18TH, WHICH IS THE NEXT TIME WE WERE IN A ROOM TOGETHER.
[03:35:01]
OKAY.ALSO EVERYBODY HAS TO BRING CHAMPAGNE FOR ACL ON THE 15TH PARTY HATS.
I HAVE NOVEMBER, BUT THE QUESTION FOR THIS ITEM, BECAUSE I'M COMPLETELY IN THAT TIMEFRAME WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE STILL ON FIVE AND STAFF.
ARE WE GOING TO GET KICKED OUT OF HERE AT 10 O'CLOCK I KNOW WE HAVE TO VOTE TO STAY, BUT ARE WE GOING TO GET KICKED OUT? YEAH, WE GOT 20 MINUTES.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS FROM A TIMEFRAME.
WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP COMMISSIONER CHRYSTIA.
I WAS JUST GOING TO RECOMMEND THAT WE KICK THIS TO THE EMERGENCY FUNDING AND PROACTIVE STRATEGIES, FUNDING WORKING GROUP TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
CAN I TAKE IT BACK TO THE TEAM AND GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT? YES.
CAN WE KICK IT TO THE, TO THE WORKING GROUP? YOU GUYS MEET FOR STAFF AND WE'LL LET THE WORKING GROUP TICKET ON WHY IS THIS EMERGENCY FUNDING? THIS ISN'T SELENA, GO AHEAD.
IN GETTING, I THINK THAT THE BENEFIT OF IT ALL BENEFIT OF HAVING OUR EYES ON IT FIRST AND ALLOWING, GIVING US TIME TO INGEST AND PROCESS IS THAT MEANS YOU'VE GOT THIS WHOLE PANEL OF PEOPLE THAT CAN HELP COMMUNICATE WHAT'S HAPPENING ALONGSIDE YOU WHILE THE ONSLOW POTENTIAL ONSLAUGHT OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK COMES IN, YOU'VE GOT A WHOLE EXTRA BODY OF PEOPLE TO HELP CLARIFY AND QUELL FEARS AND ANSWER QUESTIONS AND HELP COMMUNICATE.
SO I DO SEE THE BENEFIT OF US NOT GETTING SPECIAL PRIVILEGE, BUT TO, TO ALLOW US TO CATCH UP WITH YOU AND THEN HELP SUPPORT YOU IN COMMUNICATING, COMING DOWN AND COMMISSIONER FLORES TO YOUR QUESTION, YOU GUYS HAVE THE BEST KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE IS, YOU KNOW, BETTER THAN ANYBODY, BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK.
ARE YOU ACTIVE STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE FUNDING? PART OF THE WORK, RIGHT? WELL, THIS IS TECHNICALLY FUTURE FUNDING, RIGHT? CULTURAL FUNDING IS 'CAUSE.
I, I DON'T MIND HAVING THAT AND LOOKING AT IT IN THAT GROUP, BUT I AS ASKED ONE OF THE FULL COMMISSION, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A FINAL DRAFT OF THE GUIDELINES BROUGHT BEFORE US.
SO WE CAN LOOK AT THEM AND WE CAN HAVE INPUT IN THOSE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT APPLE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE UP BY THE OCTOBER MEETING BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FEEDBACK, BUT AT LEAST BY THE NOVEMBER MEETING SO THAT WE CAN SEE SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW IS MORE JELLED AND IS, IS CLOSER TO BEING FINALIZED SO THAT WE CAN ALSO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY FORMAL FEEDBACK AT THAT TIME, THAT'S IT, THAT'S A PROJECTED OR A, UH, I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S HARD AND FAST.
THAT'S A SUGGESTED, I UNDERSTAND.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHERE WE LAND.
AND I, BUT I WOULD ALSO ARGUE THAT IF WE'RE ALL PUTTING THIS TOGETHER IN CONCERT, SO IF IT'S ARTS COMMISSION AND COMMUNITY AND STAFF, AND WE'RE HAVING THESE REGULAR CONVERSATIONS, THERE WILL BE NO SURPRISES BECAUSE WE'RE BUILDING THAT BOAT TOGETHER.
SO YEAH, I THINK WE WANT TO BRING IT HERE AND SAY, LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL BOAT WE BUILT OFF.
IT GOES, I DON'T WANT TO GET MIRED IN.
WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THIS WORD TO THIS.
AND LIKE, I, I, I, I HESITATE THERE BECAUSE I KNOW HOW MUCH TIME AND ENERGY STAFF IS DOING ON THAT AT THAT LEVEL.
BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SAY, LOOK AT WHAT WE PUT TOGETHER WITH THE BIG OLD ASTERISKS OF SOME OF THIS STUFF, NO MATTER HOW MUCH TIME AND ENERGY WE SPEND, WE'RE GOING TO GET ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
AND WE'RE GOING TO MESS SOMETHING UP AND FIGURE IT OUT AND SHIFT IT.
IT'S ALL GOING TO BE ITERATIVE.
WHATEVER WE PUT FORWARD IS GOING TO BE A PILOT.
BUT IF WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER FROM NOW, TILL THIS POINT IN TIME THAT WE DETERMINE, THEN WE CAN BUILD SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE WORTHWHILE AND USEFUL AND ACTUALLY SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY THE WAY WE WANT IT.
SO WE'RE PUTTING THIS TO THE WORKING GROUP.
WE'RE PLANTING THIS OVER HERE.
OH, BUT WE, I, OKAY, WELL, NOT GOT SCOTT THERE.
I'LL I I'LL RESERVE MY COMMENTS, BUT I REALLY DO FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE FINAL GUIDELINES TO THE I LINE APPROVAL.
LET'S BRING THAT THE LAUNCH, IN CASE WE WANT TO SAY WAY IN SYDNEY, SOMETHING, AND IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE STILL VERY MUCH NOT IN FAVOR OF, THEN WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, TO WRITE THE BOAT.
AND I, AND I, MY ANSWER TO THAT IS YES, BUT LET'S DO IT THIS WAY.
IF WE ARE DOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WE ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE GET TO HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY THAT THE COMMUNITY IS HAVING WITH STAFF AND US.
LIKE, IF WE HAVE SPECIFICS, WE NEED TO BE SENDING THAT WE NEED TO BE A REVEAL VIEWING STAFF.
THE QUESTION FOR STAFF IS WHAT ITERATIONS ARE COMING OUT, HOW, AND THEN AT WHAT POINT YOU WANT US TO LOOK
[03:40:01]
AT IT AND MAKE IT MAKE A DETERMINATION AND JUDGMENT AND COMMENT, AND THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO FIGURE OUT ON YOUR TERMS. CAUSE I KNOW THAT YOUR PLATES ARE RIDICULOUS.UM, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT Y'ALL ARE PART OF, PART OF OUR STAKEHOLDER GROUP PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I, I WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THIS BACK, I'LL GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT AND THEN I'LL SHARE KIND OF WHAT I THINK MIGHT BE A DOABLE TIMELINE, GIVEN THAT NOW WE'VE COMMITTED TO GETTING $5.5 MILLION OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AT THE SAME TIME.
HEAR YOU AND ACKNOWLEDGE AND, AND I'LL GET BACK TO YOU WITH MORE CONCRETE THOUGHTS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MARK REAL QUICK.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT ONE MORE THING AND WE'RE GOING TO BE KICKED OUT IN 12 MINUTES.
I JUST WANT TO, UM, CLARIFY THAT I, WE STILL ON FIVE.
SO ONE THING THAT, THAT I WANTED TO, IT'S JUST MY OBSERVATION.
IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 11 PEOPLE CAME TO TALK TO US AND I FEEL LIKE WE ARE PUTTING MORE WEIGHT ON THE OPPOSITION.
THEN ON THOSE WHO SAY, GO AHEAD, YOU NEED TO GO AHEAD.
YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO SAID THAT DO NOT PASS.
BUT INSTEAD WE ARE JUST PICKING ON THOSE SQUEAKY WHEELS.
I THINK AS A COMMISSIONER, WE HAVE SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLE.
WE HAVE OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT I ALREADY SET UP.
SO I UNDERSTAND, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, TO RE MINE OURSELVES THAT WE ARE IN THE LEADERSHIP ROLE, WE HAVE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, YOU KNOW, AND WE SHOULD NOT PICK AND CHOOSE ABOUT WHO HAS THE LOUDEST VOICE AND FOLLOW THAT.
AND I WILL THROW OUT WHAT, WHAT COMMISSIONER SMALL DUCK SAID EARLIER.
AND, AND NOTING THAT WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ORGANIZATIONS OF COLOR WHO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DESIGN OF SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS. AND WE WANT TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO HAPPEN AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE ROOM TO BE IN THE ROOM.
SO I HEAR YOU, BUT I THINK THAT THE MOTIVATION IS ACTUALLY ABOUT MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO HAVE THE FULL CONVERSATION.
YET WE ARE ON FIVE ONE B I E I O LET'S GO.
WE HAVE A CONSIDERATION FOR PAUSING AND FORMATION OF A COMMUNITY TASK FORCE.
AND I THINK WE'VE TAKEN THE PAUSING PORTION.
HAVE WE TAKEN THAT? WE'VE TAKEN THE PAWS OFF THE TABLE.
HAVE WE TAKEN THE OTHER PIECE OFF THE TABLE? WE HAVE A COMMUNITY TASK FORCE.
IS THIS SUFFICIENT FOR WHAT YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING FOR? MR. CASTILLO? CAN WE HAVE A VICE CHAIR? THERE'S BEEN REPEAT HER QUESTION.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.
MY QUESTION REMAINS OR IT'S REPEATING, REPEATED.
WHAT DOES THIS TASK FORCE SEEK TO ACCOMPLISH THAT WE AS A BODY THAT THE WORKING GROUP THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED WILL NOT DO, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE QUESTION.
AND I SEE THIS AS A, AS A MESSAGE TO COUNCIL.
WHO'S ALREADY ENDURED A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH.
WE'LL SAY THAT THIS IS ANOTHER REASON OR ANOTHER BACKING IN THIS OTHER CAMP THAT WE ARE INCAPABLE.
AND I BELIEVE WE ARE VERY, VERY CAPABLE AND THAT OUR ACTIONS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT CAPABILITY.
SO I'D LIKE FURTHER CLARIFICATION AFTER WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, RIGHT.
THAT THIS WAS PUT ON THE AGENDA BEFORE WE ENTERED THIS ROOM.
NOW THAT WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS, DO YOU STILL FEEL STRONGLY THAT A TASK FORCE IS NECESSARY? NO COMMISSIONER.
I DO NOT FEEL, I THINK IT'S AN INSULT, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK WE HAVE DONE A LOT TO ACCOMMODATE THE COMMUNITY FOR THE PAST TWO, TWO YEARS.
IF, UM, A TASK FORCE IS SET UP TO ADDRESS THIS COMMISSIONER GRAY IN DEFINITION OF TASK, I DON'T THINK, UH, IT'S APPROPRIATE AS WELL.
I THINK THAT COMMISSION IS THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE VOICE TO COMMISSION.
A SMALL BALCONY, WE'RE ALSO SPONSORED ON THIS ITEM.
AND SELENA HEARING YOUR QUESTIONS.
I THINK THE FIRST WE HADN'T HAD THIS CONVERSATION
[03:45:01]
WHEN WE PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA AND IT WAS ONE OF THE, WE HEARD, HEARD WAS A TASK FORCE.I THINK ONE THING THAT POTENTIALLY COULD BE DIFFERENT, BUT WE'VE, WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT BY BRINGING IN COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE PROFESSIONAL WORKING ARTISTS.
I THINK THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE.
IS THAT NOT EVERYONE WHO'S SITTING ON THE ARTS COMMISSION IS A PROFESSIONAL WORKING ARTISTS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS RIGHT NOW, SOME OF US ARE, BUT NOT ALL OF US.
AND THAT'S A SPECIFIC PERSPECTIVE ON CHANGES TO THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING.
SPECIFICALLY, AS I MENTIONED, THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM LONG TIME, BLACK AND LATIN X AND OTHER LEADERS OF COLOR WHO ARE, WHO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THIS, THE OTHER POSSIBLE DIFFERENCE.
AND I DON'T, I DO NOT FEEL STRONGLY ENOUGH ABOUT THIS TO, TO SAY WE CHARGE FOR IT.
DO YOU HAVE A TASK FORCE? IS WE KNOW HOW MUCH TIME WE HAVE TO COMMIT TO SERVE AS COMMISSIONERS.
AND I AGREE THAT IT'S FRUSTRATING.
AND, AND, AND I HEAR COMMISSIONER MOP TOO INSULTING TO GO AROUND THE COMMISSION AS IF WE ARE INEFFECTIVE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TASK FORCE AND A WORKING GROUP IN THE SENSE THAT IF WE'RE ASKING PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS, UM, FOR THEIR TIME ON THIS ISSUE, THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY COMPENSATE THEM FOR THAT TIME.
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WORKING ARTISTS IN THIS COMMUNITY, ALL OF THE, LIKE A BROAD SWATH OF THEM CAN COMMIT THE TIME THAT WE'RE COMMITTING TO BEING ARTS COMMISSIONERS.
SO I ALSO THINK THAT THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE DIFFERENT.
MAIN THING IS WE HADN'T HAD THIS CONVERSATION WHEN WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
AND I THINK THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHAT THE INTENTION WAS BEHIND PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD ALL NIGHT LONG.
SO WE'RE GOING TO LET THAT GO WITHOUT AN ACTION.
UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE AS WE'RE WALKING OUT OF THIS MEETING, THAT WE KNOW WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE.
MR. CASTILLO, MR. AQUINO, SORRY.
WELL, THERE IS A DIFFERENT, UH, TASK IS, UH, MORE ORIENTED WITH REGARDS TO JUST A BODY OF PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER, DOING SOMETHING, A WORKING GROUP THAT'S EXPERTISE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
THAT'S WHAT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
RIGHT? WE WANT THE EXPERTISE AND AGAIN, WE DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SET UP A TASK FORCE THAT IS NOT WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.
UM, SELENA SELENA HAS GOT A BIG OLD NEWS BEAST TO GET OUT, BUT WE WILL SET UP AND PUT ON THE CALENDAR.
SOME COMMUNITY CHATS, WE'LL TALK TO STAFF AND TRY TO GET SOME THINGS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHEN WE CAN TALK, ANYONE LISTENING TO THE SOUND OF MY VOICE RIGHT NOW CAN CONTACT ANY ONE OF US AT ANY TIME.
WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS.
SOMETIMES WE EVEN BUY THE COFFEE.
SO YEAH, GIVE US A CALL, SEND THE CARRIER PIGEON, SEND AN EMAIL, TEXT ME WHATEVER YOU NEED.
AND, UM, AND, AND I WILL REACH OUT TO A NUMBER OF YOU BASED ON YOUR CONVERSATION AND YOUR, UM, STATEMENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING TODAY.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M TALKING TO ANYBODY WHO WAS HERE AND I WILL BE DOING THAT.
SO, YEAH, SELENA AND THEN STAFF, I WOULD SAY, UH, TO THAT EFFECT, IF YOU ARE A COMMUNITY LEADER AND YOU HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD LIKE TO GET US IN THE ROOM, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ORGANIZE, LET US KNOW WE ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
SO THE MORE VOICES, THE BETTER, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS INUNDATING WE'RE ALREADY THERE.
I KNOW A TON OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD LOVE TO GET US IN A ROOM AND TELL US WHAT'S UP.
AS LONG AS IT'S LESS THAN SIX OF US, RIGHT.
IT CAN'T BE ONE OF THE PARTY POOPER.
UM, MEGAN, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE ONE MORE REMINDER ABOUT HOW TO CONNECT WITH STAFF.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE UP.
WE DON'T HAVE A, WE DON'T HAVE THE ANONYMOUS COMMENT BOX UP YET, BUT, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT FORM THAT WILL TAKE.
IT'S HARD TO FUNNEL THROUGH THAT IN ANY WAY I DIGRESS.
UM, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT WE DO HOST VIRTUAL OPEN OFFICE HOURS EVERY SECOND AND FOURTH, TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, UM, SUSAN AND HIS TEAM MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE WISHING TO CONNECT WITH US VIRTUALLY YOU CAN, UM, JOIN US ON ZOOM HAS SEUSS DOT PENTEL AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M ALSO GOING TO GIVE HIS PHONE NUMBER, OFFICE PHONE NUMBER, THEY'LL CONNECT WITH HIM 5 1 2 9 7 4 9 3 1 5.
[03:50:01]
ARE HAPPY TO TAKE A CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK ON THE PROGRAMS. UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT, HOW, HOW THOSE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED, WHAT THEY ACHIEVE AND YOUR IDEAS ABOUT WHAT THOSE PROGRAMS COULD BE, SHOULD BE, COULD BE CANNED AND WHAT THEY COULD BE NAMED TOO.RIGHT? IF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE NAME, GIVE US DIFFERENT NAMES.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING FOR US TO REFLECT ON, INSTEAD OF JUST, WE DON'T LIKE THEM, THAT'S, THAT'S HARD, PRETTY PLEASED TO DO SOMETHING WITH COMMISSIONER FLORES AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO TO A FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. OKAY.
HI, AND MEGAN, ONE QUESTION, I, MAYBE THIS IS STUPID JUST BECAUSE I'M SO TIRED, BUT, UM, IT'S ON THE, ON THE WEBSITE AND THE LATEST ITERATION OF THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO COMMENT ON.
SO THAT IS THAT THE MO THE, THE NEWEST AND GREATEST VERSION SO THAT WE CAN SEE IT.
IS IT THERE AVAILABLE TO LIKE, LOOK AT IT AT LEAST TO TRY TO UNDER, YOU KNOW, ABSORB? YEAH.
WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLEARLY LISTED ABOUT HOW TO SEE THE GUIDELINE DRAFTS.
UM, RIGHT NOW I BELIEVE THEY'RE IN A GOOGLE DRIVE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS LINKED ON THE CULTURAL FUNDING WEBPAGE, BUT I'LL MAKE SURE THAT IF THAT'S TOO FAR DOWN IN ANY LIST, IT'S, IF IT'S TOO BURIED, WE'LL GET IT FRONT AND CENTER SO THAT PEOPLE CAN FIND IT REALLY EASILY.
UM, BUT THOSE, YEAH, THOSE ARE AVAILABLE, BUT IF LIKE ME, YEAH, I'LL MAKE SURE THEY'RE ON THERE.
AND IF THEY AREN'T, UM, THAT GIVES US MORE WORK TO DO, WHICH IS FINE.
TELL US IF, IF YOU CAN'T FIND SOMETHING AND THEN DOES THAT MEAN THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT AS YOU'RE WORKING ON IT AND MAKING ADJUSTMENTS THAT IT'S NOT IMMEDIATE IN REAL TIME, BUT LIKE CLOSE TO, I THINK IT'S A PDF IN THE GOOGLE DOC.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A, YEAH, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A LIKE, SHARED DOCUMENT.
THAT WOULD BE REALLY HARD TO TELL.
I KNOW, I KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I'M JUST LIKE WONDERING, LIKE WHEN MIGHT BE WHEN A REGULAR UPDATE MIGHT BE USEFUL, JUST SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT FOR YOU GUYS ON THE STAFF LEVEL.
DO WE HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS?
[6. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
YEAH.UH, TO MAURO IS THE HARVEST MOON FESTIVAL.
THAT IS WHEN THE MOON IS THE FULLEST AND THE BRIGHTEST.
AND SO ON OUR WEBSITE, THE ASIAN AMERICAN COACHES CENTER, WE ARE GOING TO DO A VIRTUAL CELEBRATION.
WE HAVE OVER 25 DIFFERENT LINKS ON OUR DIFFERENT ASIAN AMERICAN PERFORMANCE CULTURAL PERFORMANCE.
SO OUR WEBSITE IS WWW ASIAN AMERICAN CC.COM, TOURNEY FIVE DIFFERENT LANES OF INDIAN DANCE, KOREAN, CHINESE DANCE OF DIFFERENT GYN, OKINAWA DANCE.
AND YOU KNOW, SO I JUST WANT US TO REMEMBER, THERE IS JOY IN OUR LIFE.
REMEMBER THE FULL MOON WE WEREN'T WITH THE BRAIN MOON.
REMEMBER THE JOY, YOU KNOW? SO I THINK IT'S TIME TO GO.
HUH? WHAT TIME IS IT A LINK ALL DAY? WE'LL BE THERE FOR A MONTH.
IT'S THE LAST THING THAT YOU CAN DO IT WITH YOUR FAMILY AT THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME, YOU CAN PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH LANE YOU WANT TO GO FIRST.
AND COMMISSIONER MARK IS GOING TO PROVIDE ME WITH LINKS AND IT'S GOING TO BE ON THE NEWSLETTER.
WHAT AMAZING TIME IT'S YOU AT YOUR PLEASURE? OKAY.
I SECOND THAT WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
IT'S ANOTHER MONSTER FOR OUR MEETING, BUT GOSH, I APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU.
LET'S DO IT RIGHT WITH BIG HEARTS.