[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:02]
OH, THIS MEETING TO ORDER IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN MUSIC COMMISSION.
[MUSICAL PERFORMANCE]
TO START OFF WITH A MUSICAL PERFORMANCE.UM, THIS GROUP IS CALLED THE STRANGE CADETS.
GAVIN, YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY ABOUT THEM? I DO.
UH, SO THIS IS A BAND THAT WAS FORMED IN 2017 IN EL PASO, TEXAS.
THERE, UH, SEVERAL OF THEM ARE FROM MEXICO.
THEY WENT TO UT EL PASO FOR SCHOOL.
THEY MADE THEIR WAY TO AUSTIN FOR A COUPLE OF SHOWS, AND THEN THEY MADE A MOVE HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID JUST BREAK ALTOGETHER TO LIVE TOGETHER IN A VERY EXPENSIVE CITY.
SO THEY'RE AN INDIE POP ROCK BAND THAT HAS AN EAP OUT NOW CALLED LOVE'S NOT TIMES FOOL.
UM, THEY'VE ALSO APPEARED, UH, IN THE UK ON THE BBC MUSIC, INTRODUCING THEIR SINGLES SEASIDE, AND FAR FROM HERE, THEY HAD HIGHLY PRAISED DEBUT AT SAXON PUB RECENTLY.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, THE MAKEUP OF THE BAND IS RICHARD SELISE ON LEAD VOCALS, PEPE RAMIREZ ON LEAD GUITAR.
RAUL HA'S ON BASS AND ALAN MONTAS ON DRUMS LECTURE.
WE'VE GOT A VIDEO TO ROW HERE.
[00:06:40]
THANK YOU.YOU GOT ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? UM, JUST, UH, WE'LL BE LOOKING OUT FOR THESE KIDS AND THESE FOUR YOUNG LATINOS ARE REPRESENTING A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE CITY, I THINK IN THE, IN THE FUTURE THEY'RE IN THEIR EARLY TWENTIES.
UH, SO WE'LL BE LOOKING OUT FOR THIS GROUP.
ONCE AGAIN, THAT WAS STRANGE CADETS.
I FORGOT I WAS AT A MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING FOR A SECOND, JUST A SECOND.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION]
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA JUMP PAST CITIZEN CAN BEGIN COMMUNICATION BECAUSE, UH, THEY'RE THE FOLKS THAT ARE COMMUNICATING ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THREE EIGHT ON THE AGENDA.[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
POOL OF MINUTES.UM, IS THERE A SECOND? UH, OKAY.
I'LL POSE ARE ALL IN FAVOR SIDE ON THE FAVOR.
[2. CHAIR’S REPORT]
AND ON INTO THE CHAIR'S REPORT.UM, I HAVEN'T, UH, I REALLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY LAST MEETING COMMISSION MEETING AS A CHAIR AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT ABOUT CREATING SOME NEW WORDS, BUT I'VE SAID A LOT OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, UM, ON ISSUES OF EQUITY IN PARTICULAR IN THE CITY.
UM, SO I'M JUST GOING TO READ A FEW KIND OF THINGS.
I CUT AND PASTE FROM SOME OF THE THINGS THAT DELIVERED OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, AND JUST REITERATE TO THIS GROUP THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT GOING BACK TO NORMAL, BUT WE KNOW NORMAL WAS A PROBLEM FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE REALLY WANT TO USE THIS BODY TO PUSH FORWARD AND PUSH FORWARD WITH EQUITY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN THE FOCUS OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, AND I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE AS A COMMISSION, UM, IN COORDINATION WITH THE CITY AND COORDINATION WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, I FELT LIKE THE, UM, THE CHANGE THAT WE'VE PUSHED FOR IS CERTAINLY SIGNIFICANT AND HISTORIC, AND JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE US TO CONTINUE ON THAT PATH, EVEN THOUGH I WON'T NECESSARILY BE, UM, LEADING AS CHAIR, I'LL STILL BE HERE WITH, UH, WITH THAT VOICE.
AND, UH, I WANNA ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE THAT COMMITMENT.
SO I'M JUST GONNA READ A FEW DIFFERENT PIECES.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON.
SO RACIAL EQUITY IS THE CONDITION WHEN RACE NO LONGER PREDICTS A PERSON'S QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES IN OUR COMMUNITY AS SUCH THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS RECOGNIZED THAT RACE IS THE PRIMARY DETERMINANT OF SOCIAL EQUITY.
MOVING THIS DEFINITION INTO THE MUSIC SECTOR, RACE IS A PRIMARY DETERMINANT FOR THE SUCCESS OF BIPAP MUSICIANS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
WE CAN NOT AFFORD TO REMAIN IN THE REALM OF AWARENESS ANY LONGER IT'S TIME TO ACT.
AND CITY LEADERSHIP MUST PRIORITIZE EQUITY WITH THE SAME ENERGY THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO SAVING VENUES AND PROVIDING EMERGENCY FUNDING TO THOSE AFFECTED BY COVID-19.
[00:10:01]
WE MOVED ON THOSE THINGS RELATIVELY QUICKLY, BUT HAVE LEFT EQUITY ON THE TABLE FOR, FOR GENERATIONS.LET'S REMEMBER THAT OUR CITY BUDGET IS A MORAL DOCUMENT AND THAT THE FAILURE TO PROVIDE CLEAR DIRECTION IS ONE THAT WE CAN'T AFFORD.
IF WE INTEND TO SEE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN THE FUTURE, AUSTIN BRANDS ITSELF AS A PROGRESSIVE DESTINATION CITY.
AND THIS IS WHAT PROGRESS LOOKS LIKE IN 2021.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THEORY AND TRENDING TAGLINES.
IT'S ABOUT RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND ECONOMIC REDISTRIBUTION.
SO AGAIN, THE PI, UM, FUNDING THAT WE, THAT WE UNANIMOUSLY VOTED FOR TALK ABOUT PRESERVATION.
THE CITY CAN PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE TO ENSURE THAT THE LEGACIES OF HISTORICALLY UNDERFUNDED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WILL BE PRESERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, WHETHER IT'S PROVIDING FUNDS FOR THE HISTORY TO BE TAUGHT IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH EVENTS OR FOR CULTURAL TRADITIONS TO BE PASSED ON THROUGH PUBLIC WORKSHOPS OR FOR INFRASTRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS IN BUILDINGS, PRESERVATION LEADS TO TOURISM BECAUSE IT DEVELOPS PLACEMAKING OPPORTUNITIES AND SPACES THAT COULD BE MOLDED THAT CAN BE PROMOTED AND EXPERIENCED YEAR ROUND INNOVATION.
IT IS CRITICAL THAT MONEY BE IN THE HANDS OF THOSE MOST EFFECTED BY RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND THAT THEY BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO CARVE OUT THEIR FUTURE WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CITY.
THE FUTURE OF AUSTIN'S MUSIC SCENE, IS IT INEXTRICABLY LINKED WITH HIS ABILITY TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MOST MARGINALIZED MEMBERS, TOURISM WILL INEVITABLY GROW AS A RESULT DUE TO THE FACT THAT INNOVATION CREATES NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR ONLINE AND PUBLIC SPACES THAT WILL BUILD NEW AUDIENCES PREVIOUSLY UNTAPPED BY TRADITIONAL APPROACHES OF THE PAST ELEVATION, MUCH MORE CAN BE DONE WITH THE ALREADY EXISTING INDUSTRY INFRASTRUCTURE TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE MUSIC AND CULTURE COMING FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IN GYRUS FUNDING FOR ELEVATION CAN BE PROVIDED TO BIPAP LED ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADERS THAT HAVE IDEAS FOR BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT LEADS TO GREATER AWARENESS OF THE VIBRANT BIPAP MUSIC SCENE THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS.
THE GOAL OF ELEVATION IS TO MOVE THESE GROUPS FROM THE, FROM UNDER-REPRESENTATION TO EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACROSS ALL AREAS OF THE MUSIC SECTOR.
UM, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A LEGACY THAT WE HOPE TO BUILD UPON.
WE'RE MAKING SOME IMPORTANT DECISIONS TODAY.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
[3A. Discussion and Possible Action on Working Group recommendations regarding development of guidelines around criteria for 3rd party for the Live Music Fund Event Program and Austin Music Disaster Relief Fund.]
TO THREE A AND I'M GOING TO ASK, UH, PAT BOOKTA TO COME UP AND SPEAK.THANK YOU, SHAKA AND GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
UM, THE LAST TIME I WAS STANDING BEFORE THIS DYESS, I WAS TELLING SHOTGUN A MINUTE AGO THAT MY BELT SIZE WAS ABOUT THREE HOLES, SMALLER, BUT, UH, I'M GLAD TO BE HERE.
IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A LONG COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, WITH, UH, LIVE MUSIC FUNDS, UH, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM HAS WORKED REALLY, REALLY HARD TO GET TO THIS POINT.
UH, I KNOW IT'S BEEN LONGER THAN TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING IT'S BEEN, THIS THING HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT SINCE 2017, GONE THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMMITTEES, DIFFERENT VOTES, DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, AND, UH, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT ALL NOT AGREE ON EVERY POINT ALL THE TIME.
UH, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM IS ON THE SAME TEAM AND WE ALL WANT THE SAME GOAL IN MIND.
SO, UH, JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT.
AND, UM, AS FAR AS, UH, AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS, UM, THE BEST THING THAT WE CAN ALWAYS DO IS TO LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF OUR MUSICIANS AND GATHER THEIR FEEDBACK AND BRING THAT BACK TO YOU GUYS.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DID OVER THE LAST A MONTH.
AND, UM, IN OUR MAT MEETING ON FRIDAY, UH, WE KIND OF POSED A FEW QUESTIONS TO THE MUSICIANS AND WENT THROUGH SOME OF THE AGENDA ITEMS. AND THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE LANDED.
UM, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, WE, WE KIND OF FEEL LIKE, UH, THAT THE, UM, AUSTIN MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF, UH, FUND SHOULD GET OUT THE DOOR RIGHT NOW.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, BY SEPARATING THE TWO FUNDS, UH, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE MUSICIANS WHO REALLY NEED THOSE FUNDS, UH, HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE RIGHT AWAY.
AND I REALLY DO WANT TO COMMEND STAFF, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, WIDENING THE SCOPE OF, UH, SERVICE ON THOSE FUNDS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD FROM SO MANY MUSICIANS OVER THE LAST YEAR THAT JUST LIVE JUST OUTSIDE OF COUNCIL DISTRICTS, AND NOW THEY CAN, UH, TAKE PART IN THAT FUNDING.
UH, NUMBER TWO, UH, THEY FEEL LIKE IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WAITED TWO AND IT'S WORTH THE EXTRA TIME TO REALLY, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT THE MONEY WHERE IT CAN GROW.
[00:15:01]
AND GET THAT TO THE AEDC, UH, WHEN THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE ON THOSE FUNDS, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN DO THAT PRIVATE INVESTMENT AND HELP THOSE GROW.UM, ANOTHER THING THEY MENTIONED WAS THAT, UM, THE LIME MUSIC FUND CRITERIA JUST NEEDS A LITTLE MORE EXAMINATION.
THEY LIKED MOST OF THE POINTS.
I THINK, UH, ONE POINT THAT THEY BROUGHT UP WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, BY CREATING THIS, UH, $5,000 FLOOR AND CREATING THIS, UM, SORT OF SYSTEM TO CREATE MANSIC EVENTS, IT KIND OF CREATES A LITTLE BIT OF A BARRIER FOR SOME MUSICIANS WHO MAY NOT HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO CREATE A FULL ON EVENT, OR MAYBE EVEN BOOK A FULL, UH, ROSTER OF SHOWS FOR A YEAR TO HIT THAT 5K FLOOR.
UM, SO REALLY WHAT THEY WERE HOPING TO SEE, MAYBE AN ADDITION IS, UH, SOMETHING WHERE THEY COULD RE BE REIMBURSED TO PLAY INDIVIDUAL GIGS OR WHERE THE VENUES WOULD BE REIMBURSED TO PAY THEM A FAIR RATE THAT THE CITY IS DEFINED AS 150 HOUR TO PLAY THOSE GIGS.
UH, SO THEY'D LOVE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY I THINK IS, IS GENERALLY MOST OF THESE THINGS GO, UH, THEY WERE HOPING TO SEE, UH, THAT THE FINAL DECISION WOULD LIE WITH COUNCIL.
UM, AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE YOU GUYS HEAR THAT FEEDBACK AND MAKE THE MOST APPROPRIATE DECISIONS TONIGHT.
UH, ALSO, I JUST WANT TO SAY, I SEE THAT HAMS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOME EXTRA SUPPORT.
I THINK EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS THAT I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE HERE RIGHT NOW WITHOUT THE HELP OF HAM LAST YEAR WITH SOME OF MY MEDICAL, UH, ADVENTURES.
UH, SO I WOULD STRONGLY SUPPORT THAT WE, UH, HELP HIM OUT TONIGHT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CODY COWEN, IS THIS THE MASKS ON OR MASKS OFF THING? WHAT ARE THE RULES HERE? WE'RE MAKING THE RULES UP AS WE GO.
I'LL TRY, I'LL TRY MY BEST WITH IT ON IF WE'RE ALL PLAYING NICE AT FIRST, THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR TIME AND ALL THE, AGAIN, AS I ITERATED LAST COMMISSION, MEETING ALL THE ENERGY AND WORK, THAT'S GONE INTO THIS OVER THE COURSE, THIS EFFORT WITH THE LIVE MUSIC FUND OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST FOUR YEARS.
I THINK OF WHAT WE LEARNED FROM LAST MEETING WAS THAT THERE STILL A LITTLE WORK TO BE DONE IN TERMS OF CRITERIA AND IN TERMS OF HOW TO DEVELOP AND GROW THE FUND.
UM, WE STAND ON THE EDGE OF THE PRECIPICE OF HISTORY WITH THIS FUND.
WE WILL BE THE FIRST CITY IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE A COMMERCIAL FACING HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND FOR LIVE MUSIC THAT SETS US APART FROM ALL OF OUR PEERS NATIONALLY.
I THINK IT, AGAIN, BEARS IN MIND, JUST TAKING A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TO WORK ON THAT.
SO MUSIC I'M HERE AS THE PRESIDENT OF MUSIC MAKES AUSTIN TO IDENTIFY FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE MUSIC COMMISSION TODAY.
THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS TO DIVORCE THE AUSTIN MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF FUND FROM THE LIVE MUSIC FUND THAT'S DISASTER RELIEF FUNDING THAT NEEDS TO GET OUT TO MUSICIANS ASAP.
AND THERE'S NO REASON THAT THIS ONGOING PROCESS WITH MUSIC COMMISSION AND STAKEHOLDERS SHOULD SLOW THAT DOWN.
THE SECOND IS THAT AGAIN, HOT FUNDS ARE IN DRAMATIC DECLINE DUE TO PANDEMIC, AND ACCORDING TO REPORTS DELIVERED THROUGH VISIT AUSTIN, THE TRAJECTORY FOR OVERALL RECOVERY OF THOSE DOLLARS IS GOING TO BE AS OF TODAY, BETWEEN TWO AND THREE YEARS.
SO WE KNOW IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S HOT PIE, THE COMMERCIAL MUSIC INDUSTRY ONLY HAS A LITTLE BIT OF CRUST OF THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER THAN BEFORE WHEN COVID STARTED.
AND WE REALLY JUST NEED TO FIND, EXPLORE EVERY OPPORTUNITY WE CAN TO GROW THAT THROUGH PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY, AGAIN, TO REITERATE OUR RECOMMENDATION LAST TIME, WE STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT THE AEC BE THE THIRD PARTY ADMIN OF THIS FUND, IT WOULD FIT ELEGANTLY WITHIN THEIR MISSION.
IT HAS MULTIPLE POINTS OF INPUT FROM MULTIPLE GROUPS OF STAKEHOLDERS, AND IT ALSO IS GOING TO BE CARRYING FORWARD THE CULTURAL LAND TRUST.
AGAIN, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND COULD BE DELIVERED ON THE SHORT TERM BETWEEN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO WHILE THE CULTURAL LAND TRUST A BODY THAT'S SEEKS TO PRESERVE LAND OVER TIME IS GOING TO BE A LONG-TERM PROJECT.
I THINK IT JUST BE A GREAT WAY FOR THEM TO GET TO KNOW OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE INSIDE OF A FIRST STEP PROCESS PROJECT.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION CONTINUE FORWARD WITH MORE TIME LOOKING AT THE CRITERIA, EXAMINING IT A LITTLE CLOSER, A LITTLE DEEPER.
OUR GROUP HAS IDENTIFIED FIVE DIFFERENT ISSUES CURRENTLY INSIDE OF THOSE.
AND WE'D LOVE TO CONTINUE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL TO REPORT BACK ON WHAT WE SEE HAPPENING AS WELL AS SOLUTIONS THAT ACCOMPANY THOSE.
AND LASTLY, WE RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS
[00:20:01]
SHOULD HAVE THE FINAL VOTE ON THE PROGRAM IN TERMS OF DELIVERY.AGAIN, THROUGH A COMBINATION OF EFFORT BY THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND MUSIC STAKEHOLDERS, WE'RE ABLE TO GET THAT THROUGH TO COUNCIL AND THROUGH REFERENDUM BROUGHT THAT BACK FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING, THE GREAT WORK YOU AND STAFF HAD BEEN DOING HERE, BUT WE FEEL LIKE IT SHOULD BE FITTING THAT COUNCIL GETS TO SEE IT ONE LAST TIME SO THAT WE'RE ALL COMFORTABLE.
IT CAN GET SIGNED OFF ON, AND THEN WE CAN JUST CHUG FULL STEAM AHEAD WITH THAT AND NOT LOOK BAD.
THANK Y'ALL FOR Y'ALL'S TIME AND HAPPY TO ELABORATE.
GOING TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR 'EM THOUGHTS, DISCUSSION ON, UM, THREE A DO YOU WANT TO, UH, DO YOU WANT TO PRESENT? OKAY.
SO WE HAD A, A WORKING GROUP GOT TOGETHER WAS THAT SINCE THE LAST MEETING WAS THAT LAST WEEK, UH, AND WE MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO EDD REGARDING, UM, THE APPLICATION FOR THE LA MUSIC FUND AND ALSO, UM, THIRD PARTY ADMIN.
UM, SO CAN WE, DO WE HAVE THAT AVAILABLE OR IS THAT, UH, ON A SCREEN OR NO? OKAY.
SO I GUESS WE CAN'T SHOW THAT ON THE SCREEN, BUT, UM, IF Y'ALL TAKE A CHANCE, TAKE MAYBE A FEW MINUTES TO LOOK THAT OVER OR HAVE AS EVERYONE HAD THE CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SCORING CRITERIA THAT WE SHARE? I CAN, UH, I CAN BASICALLY GO OVER IT.
UM, SO WITH EACH, UM, CATEGORY WITH, UM, WITH THE EDD PRESENTED THERE'S 20 POINTS, UM, FOR BEING A BIPAP APPLICANT, THERE'S 15 POINTS FOR PRESERVATION, ET CETERA.
UM, WHAT WE DID WAS WE KIND OF CREATED SOME SUB POINT CATEGORIES WITHIN THAT, SO THAT, UM, AS RECOMMENDATIONS TO EDD THAT THEY COULD POSSIBLY ADD TO THE APPLICATION PROCESS TO GET MORE FINE TUNED RESPONSES FROM APPLICANTS.
UM, SO WE BROKE IT THE FIRST CRITERIA, WHICH IS 20 POINTS INTO 10 SEPARATE QUESTIONS THAT WE PROVIDED TO EDD, UM, WHERE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITY COOPERATION, UM, HOW YOU CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIPAP ARTISTS, UM, DESCRIBING HOW THE EVENT WILL CREATE, UH, FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES, IDENTIFY THE NAME AND RACIAL IDENTITIES OF ALL OF THE CORE LEADERS, RECOMMENDATION LETTERS FROM BIPAP ARTISTS OR BIPAP LED ORGS.
UM, HOW WILL YOU, HOW WILL YOU GAUGE SUCCESS OF THE EVENT? UM, IF, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE NOT 100% OF THE DECISION-MAKING IS COLLABORATIVE AND BIPAP LED.
UM, AND ALSO IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME APPLYING FOR CITY FUNDING, UM, UNDER PRESERVATION, WE HAD THREE SUB-QUESTIONS TO, UH, EXPLAIN HOW CULTURAL AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS A PRIMARY GOAL OF THE EVENT.
DOES THE PRIMARY GENRE HIGHLIGHT, UM, A FOCUS ON HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUP AND AN EXPLANATION OF THAT, UM, WILL THE EVENT TAKE PLACE AT A HISTORICALLY BIPAP SPACE OF VENUE, UM, UNDER INNOVATION? UM, WE HAVE THREE SUB-QUESTIONS EXPLAINING HOW, EXPLAIN HOW THIS EVENT WILL CREATE NEW PLATFORMS FOR BIPAP, LGBTQ, LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
EXPLAIN HOW TECHNOLOGY, UH, VENUE MEDIA WILL BE USED IN A NEW AND CREATIVE WAY.
UM, HOW WILL THE EVENT FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE NEW COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS, UM, AND THEN UNDER EVENTS AND COLLABORATION, WE HAD FOUR SEPARATE QUESTIONS, UM, ABOUT HIGHLIGHTING AND PROMOTING ARTS AND CULTURE, UM, HOW THAT WILL HAPPEN WITH, UH, FOR BIPAP AND LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
UM, IF MORE THAN 51% OF THE HIRED AND CONTRACTED WORKERS IDENTIFY AS BIPAP OR NOT, YOU GET POINTS FOR THAT.
EXPLAIN, UM, EXPLAIN HOW EVENTS INTENDS TO TARGET BIPAP AND OR LGBTQ DEMOGRAPHICS.
AND THEN IF THE EVENT FEATURES SIGNIFICANT COLLABORATION BETWEEN BIPAP AND OR LGBTQ LED ORGANIZATIONS OR BUSINESSES, AND THEN THE EXPLANATION OF THAT.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF OUR EXTENSIVE BREAKDOWNS, UM, FOR THE APPLICATION THAT WE SHARED WITH EDD ON FRIDAY, JUST AS RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT OR COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT NOW US ON THE, SPECIFICALLY ON THE LAB MUSIC PART, AND THEN, UH, AND CHARLOTTE CAN SHARE THE, OR DO YOU WANT TO DO THERAPY PARTY NOW? OKAY.
YEAH, I THINK THOSE QUESTIONS, UM,
[00:25:02]
WILL BE VERY HELPFUL IN FOR THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR AND EVALUATING THE APPLICATION SO THAT WE THEY'VE RECEIVED.AND WE WENT THROUGH THESE WITH STAFF IS SHAKA SAID, AND I THINK A LOT OF THEM DOVETAIL WELL WITH THE INTENT OF THE APPLICATION.
UH, WE HAD A LITTLE SNEAK PEEK AT THE PORTAL.
SO I, I TH THE INTENT OF THAT REALLY IS JUST TO HELP THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR, UM, LOOK SIGHTFUL WAY.
AND WITH THE HOPE OF THAT, THAT THE APPLICANTS WHO ARE APPROACHING THIS WITH A SISSY, A SINCERE INTENTION TOWARDS, UH, DIVERSITY AND, UH, SUPPORTING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES ARE TRULY BEING PART OF AN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.
UM, THAT, THAT, THAT CAN BE CLEAR, UM, TO THE THIRD-PARTY ADMINISTRATOR.
YEAH, WE WERE, UM, CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TRYING TO JUST JUMP IN AND GET ON, GET ON A BOAT AND JUST RANDOMLY FIND SOME PEOPLE OF COLOR OR, OR, UH, QUEER COMMUNITY TO WORK WITH AND NOT REALLY HAVE IT BE AUTHENTIC.
SO WE WANTED TO KIND OF SAFEGUARD FOR THAT, BY HAVING THESE KIND OF SUB SUB QUESTIONS AND, UM, JUST EXPLANATIONS FOR THEIR HISTORY AND THEIR, UM, EXPERIENCE, UM, CREATING THESE TYPE OF EVENTS OR WORKING WITH THIS SPECIFIC COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY, THIS WAS OUR ATTEMPT TO JUST GIVE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL TO THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
UM, YEAH, AND I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD ALSO ADD THAT, UH, WE, WE DID MAKE A POINT TO, TO MENTION THAT WE'RE ALSO WANTING TO INCLUDE, UH, WOMEN AND NON-BINARY PEOPLE IN THOSE GUIDELINES AS WELL AS UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
AND, UM, I ALSO, I, I WONDER IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO MAYBE HEAR FROM ERICA OR SOMEBODY ERICA, OR SOMEBODY ON STAFF ABOUT THIS, BUT THE, UM, SOMETHING THAT I LEARNED, UM, THAT WASN'T CLEAR TO ME BEFORE WAS HOW THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS WILL BE HELPING PEOPLE WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND TO BE, UH, TO HELP, TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF THESE, UH, ALL THIS DOCUMENTATION IS A REALLY, YOU KNOW, EASY TO PROVIDE.
AND SO I'LL TURN IT OVER CHAIR, GIVE ME A ONE MINUTE, THE PODIUM'S NOT WORKING PROPERLY.
GOOD EVENING MUSIC, COMMISSIONER SILL, NOVIA HALL REP, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE ACTUALLY HAVE AN OPEN APPLICATION PROCESS AGAIN FOR COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS TO ASSIST ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS. THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO COUNCIL FOR NOT ONLY TO ASSIST WITH CITY PROGRAMS, BUT WITH FEDERAL PROGRAMS. SO THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH APPLICATIONS.
AGAIN, TRYING TO REMOVE BARRIERS, NOT EVERYBODY HAS DEALT WITH THE CITY SYSTEM, NOT EVERYBODY HAS APPLIED FOR A FEDERAL GRANT.
AND SO THESE NAVIGATORS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO HELP NOT ONLY WITH THIS PROGRAM, BUT WITH ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS COMING OUT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT APPLICATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LISTENING, YOU HAVE UNTIL OCTOBER 29TH TO APPLY.
AND, UM, ALSO, I, I ACTUALLY HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THAT, UM, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THE, THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PORTION OF THIS IS KIND OF SUBSTITUTING FOR THE PEER PANEL OF REVIEWING IN A WAY, OR KIND OF, KIND OF HELPING TO MITIGATE SOME OF THAT.
UM, UH, SINCE WE WERE MAKING THE, THE, THE APPLICATION VERY, YOU KNOW, OBJECTIVE WITH THESE QUESTIONS, UM, IS IT GOING TO BE A REQUIREMENT FOR PEOPLE TO, UM, HAVE THE ASSISTANCE OF A COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THIS STUFF IS, YOU KNOW, KOSHER OR IT IS NOT MANDATORY? AND I WANT TO SAY, THEY'RE NOT REPLACING THE PEER PANELS, THEY'RE THERE TO HELP, UH, WITH THE APPLICATION THAT THEN THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR WILL ADMINISTER AND EVALUATE, BUT THEY ARE STRICTLY THERE TO HELP.
AND IT'S SIMILAR TO THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM THAT THE SBA HAS.
SO THE CITY IS DOING ITS OWN VERSION.
YEAH, I GUESS JUST THE WAY THAT I UNDERSTOOD THAT WAS THAT, UM, THAT WAS ONE OF THE, UH, ONE OF THE WAYS TO MAKE SURE THERE'S STILL LIKE A HUMAN ELEMENT IN THE, IN THE PROCESS WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE MAKING THE APPLICATION.
SO OBJECTIVE, UH, ON SUCH A KIND OF SUBJECTIVE TOPIC.
MAYBE, MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD THAT, BUT
[00:30:01]
COULD YOU SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME? I COULDN'T HARDLY HEAR YOU.UM, WELL, WHEN WE TALKED, IT WAS, IT SEEMED LIKE THAT WAS, THAT WAS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT YOU GUYS WERE AT ENSURING THAT THE OBJECTIVITY OF THE, OF THE, UM, APPLICATION, UM, WITH NOT HAVING REALLY SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS, HAVING A LOT OF MULTIPLE CHOICE, THAT THERE WOULD BE STILL LIKE A, LIKE A HUMAN KIND OF MONITORING ELEMENT OF, OF THAT PROCESS.
AGAIN, IT'S A CUSTOMER SERVICE, UM, UH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANT THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED THROUGH ALL OF OUR COVID PROGRAMS. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT WE CALL DAN COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS ACTUALLY WENT TO SOMEONE'S HOUSE TO PULL TOGETHER RECEIPTS AND PUT ALL THE DOCUMENTATION TOGETHER.
WHAT IF THE APPLICANT DOESN'T HAVE A COMPUTER, HOW DO WE ASSIST THEM? THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE QUESTION MEANS, ET CETERA.
SO AGAIN, IT'S JUST PURE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP THEM GET THE APPLICATION.
AND THE, AND THE THIRD PART, THIRD PARTY ADMIN IS GOING TO BE HANDLING THE APPLICATION AND READING IT AND CHECKING TO SEE THE DETAILS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S THAT'S IN APPLICATION.
YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO MISS ANYTHING.
SO AGAIN, IT'S KIND OF LIKE IF I'M FILLING OUT AN APPLICATION, SOMEBODY TO COME BACK AND CHECK TO MAKE SURE I CHECKED EVERY BOX, MAKE SURE THERE'S NOTHING MISSING.
I GUESS, I, I GUESS I, UM, PUT SOMETHING ELSE TOGETHER IN MY MIND THAT MAYBE DIDN'T GO TOGETHER AND I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE ANY COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THE PROGRAM IS GOING TO WORK OR CONCERNS THAT I'M A LESS EXPERIENCED PROMOTER OR A MUSICIAN GROUP MIGHT BE STRUGGLING WITH THE PROCESS OR TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IN THE PROCESS, PLEASE STEP UP AND APPLY FOR THESE GRANTS SO THAT YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, HELP THESE EMERGING ARTISTS NAVIGATE THIS PROCESS.
UM, THERE'S A REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE, UM, FOR MORE EXPERIENCED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PLAY THROUGH THIS COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM.
AND I THINK IT CAN HELP, UM, SMOOTH OVER SOME UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OR CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THE PROGRAM CAN WORK.
LIKE YOU CAN HELP WITH THAT IN THE EARLY STAGES OF IT.
SO ANY, ANY THOUGHTS ON THE LIVE MUSIC, FUN APPLICATION? UM, I THINK ONE THING THAT, UM, THAT I LIKE TO SAY ABOUT IT, AND I THINK I'M VERY GRATEFUL AND APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS DONE IN THE WORK THAT EVERYONE'S DONE TO KIND OF, UM, GET THIS, UM, FUND OFF THE GROUND IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM END TO END FROM, FROM SOUP TO NUTS, IT REALLY IS ABOUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.
AND IT'S, UM, IF YOU KNOW, THE MORE DIVERSITY YOU HAVE IN ANY POINT IN THAT SUPPLY CHAIN, THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE TO GET FUNDED.
AND IT'S, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT, AND ALSO IF YOU, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE IN THERE, IF, IF YOU'RE, IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME, UM, PUTTING ON AN EVENT BY THE CITY, I BELIEVE THAT THAT, THAT MAY BE IN THERE.
UM, THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOING TO BE MORE QUALIFIED AND IT'S, AND IT'S ALSO KIND OF SUPPOSED TO ENCOURAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD PRE COVID OR MAYBE EVEN BEFORE THAT.
SO, UM, I, I'M JUST, UM, UH, JUST, JUST THE WAY THAT WE'VE KIND OF KIND OF TAKEN THIS, THIS, THIS, UM, THESE RUBRICS AND, AND, AND THE FUND, AND KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS AND UNDERSTANDING IT ALL AND WORKING WITH ERICA.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S JUST BEEN, UM, IT'S BEEN A VERY HUMBLING EXPERIENCE AND IT'S BEEN A VERY ENLIGHTENING EXPERIENCE AS WELL.
I JUST, I DO WANT TO SAY, UM, I KNOW THAT YOU WEREN'T LIKE THE ONLY PERSON INVOLVED, BUT OBVIOUSLY, BUT JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT.
SO, UM, I'LL ALSO, I KNOW, UH, PATRICK SPOKE ABOUT, UH, THE MONEY, THE $5,000 FLOOR.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, MY RESPONSE TO THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER COMMISSIONERS THOUGHT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHERE COLLABORATION COMES IN.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT ONLY COSTS A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND FIND SOMEONE ELSE THAT, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATE WITH SOMEBODY ELSE, AND IT COULD BE A PART OF A SERIES, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE CREATIVE, YOU KNOW, UM, AND REALLY INNOVATE, DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO A NEW COMMUNITY, UM, OR JUST THINK BEYOND LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST PLAYING ONE, ONE SHOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE OUT THERE TO, YOU KNOW, CREATE A VISION FOR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT YOU FEEL
[00:35:01]
LIKE HAS BEEN MISSING.I KNOW, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS MISSING IN THIS MUSIC SCENE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THIS, THIS FUNDING WILL START TO PLANT SEEDS FOR THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN NEEDED FOR A LONG TIME.
AND IT WILL CREATE, UM, YOU KNOW, CULTURE AND, AND ENCOURAGE NEW IDEAS.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE CITY NEEDS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THINGS A CERTAIN WAY FOR A LONG TIME.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, FUNDING HASN'T REALLY BEEN IN THE HANDS OF MUSICIANS DIRECTLY.
JUST THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONE TO VENUES HAS GONE TO ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFITS, BUT THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR, YOU KNOW, MUSICIANS OUT THERE TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE LEAD AND FROM, FROM THEIR CREATIVITY.
SO THOSE, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT MAKE ME EXCITED ABOUT THE FUN PERSONALLY.
I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THIS IDEA ABOUT WHAT INDIVIDUALS CAN DO WHEN EVEN WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF MODERN MODERATE RESOURCES.
AND I THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS WHOLE LMS FUN.
WE TALK ABOUT LEADING WITH EQUITY AND DIVERSITY.
AND I WAS RECENTLY LOOKING AT THE LATEST DEMOGRAPHICS IN THE CITY, AND WE HAVE ABOUT 33% HISPANIC POPULATION, ABOUT 7% BLACK, ALMOST 9% ASIAN AMERICAN.
THIS FUND ALSO COVERS OTHER INTERSECTIONALITIES, AND IT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY TODAY.
AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO BRING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO BROADER COMMUNITIES, TO ACTUALLY REFLECT THE POPULATION IN THIS TOWN.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 2.3 MILLION HERE, ROUGHLY, AND THERE ARE AROUND AT LEAST 8,000 MUSICIANS IN THIS TOWN AT 5,000 TO 10,000, AVERAGING IT OUT TO ABOUT 7.5 K.
WE ARE SERVING AROUND A LITTLE OVER 300 MUSICIANS.
THAT'S 3.8% OF THE MUSICIANS THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS TOWN IN THIS TOWN.
EVEN IF WE EXTRAPOLATE AND SAY, EACH OF THESE GRANTS SUPPORTS FOUR MUSICIANS, WE'LL GET TO ABOUT 15% THAT'S.
SO I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN PERSPECTIVE AS TO WHAT THIS FUND, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH THIS FUND IS GOING TO COVER.
I DO UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS AROUND THIS NOT BEING BROADER PERHAPS THAN THE WAY IT'S BEEN DESIGNED AT THIS POINT OF TIME BECAUSE THE MUSIC ECONOMY, AND I BELIEVE OUR CONCERN HERE AS MUSIC COMMISSIONERS IS THE MUSIC ECONOMY.
AND THAT INCLUDES ALL STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THIS ECONOMY.
IT INCLUDES THE VENUES, IT INCLUDES THE MUSIC BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS.
SOME OF THESE STAKEHOLDERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING THIS HOTEL TAX DOLLARS IN TO THE PICTURE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND THIS FUND AT THIS POINT OF TIME DOES NOT COVER MAYBE SOME OF THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT, AND, BUT WE ARE ALSO KIND OF LIVING THROUGH A CERTAIN TIME OF CHANGE AND ALSO EXTENUATING SITUATIONS, INCLUDING THE LAST TWO YEARS OF LIVING THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.
AND JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, AND NOT REALLY A PINPOINT ON ONE PARTICULAR STAKEHOLDER, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN, THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER FUNDS OR GRANTS THAT HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO SOME OF THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PICTURE THAT HAVE BEEN DIRECT GRANTS TO THOSE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND THE IDEA IS RIGHT NOW IS TO JUST SEE HOW CAN WE, AND IT IS IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT, BUT IT IS 15% OR REALLY 3.8 OR LESS THAN 4% OF DIRECT GRANTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE, HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE THE BENEFIT OUT OF THESE, OUT OF THESE FUNDS? SO, AND, AND ALSO REALLY BE OPEN TO THE IDEA THAT THIS CAN EVOLVE OVER THE YEARS.
THIS CRITERIA IS NOT, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT SETS A CERTAIN PRECEDENT, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SET IN STONE AS IN THAT IT CANNOT EVOLVE, ESPECIALLY IF IT GOES TO A THIRD PARTY AND THEY CAN GROW THE FUND THAN THE IDEA THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW,
[00:40:01]
EVOLVE THE CRITERIA AS WELL IS VERY, THAT'S VERY FEASIBLE.UM, AND SO I DO SUPPORT THE, THE CORE PRINCIPLE OF HOW THIS HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND SIMPLY BECAUSE ALSO NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE DEI ASPECT, BUT THAT IT REFLECTS THE TRUE DEMOCRACY FIX OF THE CITY.
UM, I THINK, YEAH, I MEAN, I, I WILL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
UM, I PERSONALLY AM OPEN TO THE IDEA OF JUST SPENDING JUST A TAD MORE TIME IF IT NEEDS TO BE RELOOKED AT, AND IF THAT IS WHAT THE COMMISSION COLLECTIVELY WANTS TO DO, I WOULD BE OPEN TO THE IDEA.
I DO COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THE IDEA OF SEPARATING OUT THE DISASTER RELIEF FUND.
THERE'S NO REASON TO HOLD THAT.
AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE ADMINISTERED FORWARD BY THE EDD AND I'M COMPLETELY IN SUPPORT OF THAT.
UM, SO YEAH, I, I JUST, I JUST THINK THAT THE IDEA OF THIS BEING PUT YOU, IT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, BRINGING IN TOURISM, UM, NEW PEOPLE WILL BRING NEW IDEAS AND, AND, AND, AND I THINK FOR THAT REASON AS WELL, BRINGING NEW ARTISTS AND NEW STAKEHOLDERS INTO THE FOLD IS GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND, AND BROADLY, LIKE I SAID, IF NOT THIS ROUND, AND THERE ARE, THERE IS INDIRECT BENEFIT TO OTHER STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL THROUGH THIS MIX.
IT'S NOT LIKE IT DOESN'T SERVE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, BUT, BUT I DO, I DO, I WILL, I WILL END WITH THIS, THAT, YES, IT IS.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO GIVE THEM THE DUE DILIGENCE, EVEN IF IT TAKES A LITTLE TIME, BECAUSE THESE ARE LIMITED FUNDS.
SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAXIMIZE IT, ESSENTIALLY.
ANYBODY ELSE, ANYBODY ELSE DON'T ALLOW ME TO FIND ANOTHER THING THAT I'VE HEARD IN THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE, I HADN'T HEARD THE FLOOR YET, BUT SOME PEOPLE THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, $10,000, ISN'T ENOUGH FOR AN EVENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY BE TRUE FOR YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PUTTING ON A FESTIVAL OR WHATEVER, BUT THIS CAN BE A COMPONENT OF YOUR BUDGET.
THIS IS NOT THE END ALL BE ALL.
UM, THIS COULD BE, YOU KNOW, BRINGING IN A SPECIFIC HEADLINER OR, UH, ADDING SOME NEXT LEVEL OF PRODUCTION TO SOMETHING.
THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE YOUR ENTIRE, YOU KNOW, BUDGET FOR YOUR EVENT.
SO THIS IS NOT MEANT TO SAY, HEY, YOU ONLY HAVE 10,000.
YOU CAN, AS A, AS A CREATIVE, AS AN ENTREPRENEUR, AS SOMEONE THAT'S PUTTING ON A VAN, A PROMOTER, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF YOUR BUDGET THIS WILL SUPPORT, YOU KNOW? SO, UM, AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I THINK THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS CAN, YOU KNOW, HELP PEOPLE FIGURE OUT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I ALSO WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC TOO, CAUSE I HEARD THAT TYPE OF CONVERSATION.
WELL, I CAN'T PUT ON AN EVENT FOR 10,000.
WHO CAN, YOU KNOW, WHO CAN DO THAT? WELL, YOU KNOW, OKAY.
YOU KNOW, UH, FIND A SPONSOR, UM, FIND ANOTHER GRANT OR, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST BE CREATIVE WITH THIS.
IT WAS SAYING THAT, UM, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR, UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, CODY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MONEY NOT BEING REPLENISHED OR BEING REALLY BACK UP TO WHAT IT WAS IN THREE YEARS.
BUT, UM, THAT IS ALSO A CONCERN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK STARTING HERE AND SEEING WHAT HAPPENS FROM THE FIRST ROUND, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD NOT NECESSARILY FAST-FORWARD, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SPEND A LOT OF TIME, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT AND TALKING ABOUT IT AND TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK GIVING IT A SHOT AND SEEING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY CREATES IN AUSTIN IS SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE.
DID, DID HAVE ONE SHORT THING TO ADD.
UM, JUST IT'S BEEN ON MY HEART AND MIND TODAY WHEN I THANK THE WORKING GROUP FOR WORKING QUICKLY AND GETTING THAT DONE AND BEING SO SPECIFIC.
CAUSE I WAS REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT IT.
WE WERE ALL FRUSTRATED AT THE END OF OUR LAST MEETING, I THINK, OR TO AN EXTENT DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO DIFFERENT LEVELS.
BUT THE PART THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IN REGARD TO SEPARATING THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AND THE EMERGENCY RELIEF, UM, MONIES, I THINK IS ALSO AN ELEMENT OF LEADING WITH EQUITY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO DO NOT HAVE THE PRIVILEGE THAT WE DO THAT ARE, HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THERE ARE PEOPLE OF MANY COLORS, MANY BACKGROUNDS, UM, AND, UH, THE URGENCY, UH, IT CALLS FOR US AND LEADING WITH EQUITY AND OUR COMMITMENT TO DO THAT, TO SEPARATE THOSE TWO FUNDS IN ORDER FOR US
[00:45:01]
TO GET THE EMERGENCY FUNDING OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.LAUREN, DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD? I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD SEGUE.
DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND TALK ABOUT, UM, THE SECOND PART OF WHAT THE WORKING GROUP TALK ABOUT, WHICH IS, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AD DISASTER RELIEF FUND ADMINISTRATION? UM, YES, THAT WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WANTED TO, UM, SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME WITH THIS WAS BECAUSE I I'VE, I FELT VERY STRONGLY ABOUT SEPARATING THOSE TWO FUNDS AND, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO, UM, WE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT AT ALL FROM THE STAFF PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE Y'ALL WILL BE MORE SPECIFIC, BUT SO NO, THE HAUTE RAB AGAIN.
WE HEARD THE COMMISSION AND WE HEARD THE WORKING GROUPS.
SO WE ARE WORKING AS FAST AS WE CAN TO DEPLOY THE AUSTIN MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF FUND TO GET CHECKS OUT BEFORE DECEMBER.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY APPRECIATED.
SO, UM, THEN THAT ALLOWS FOR US TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, DETAILED ABOUT OUR RFP PROCESS FOR THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE, UM, FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, WHICH IS ANOTHER THING WE WORKED ON IN OUR WORKING GROUP.
AND, AND CHARLOTTE, DID YOU WANT TO, YEAH, SO I'LL GO OVER OUR, UM, I'LL JUST HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THOSE, FOR THE RFP PROCESS.
AGAIN, THIS, UH, STAFF SUPPLIED A LOT OF INFORMATION TO US ABOUT, UH, WHAT WOULD BE IN THE RFP.
AND SO THIS ALIGNS FOLLOWS ALONG WITH, UM, DIRECTIONS IN THAT.
SO I WILL JUST GET, I'LL JUST ROLL RIGHT INTO IT.
SO WE RECOMMEND THAT, UM, THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT HOLDS PUBLIC PRE-CONFERENCE MEETINGS OR ONE MEETING WHICHEVER IS APPROPRIATE SO THAT, UM, BITTERS CAN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS IN A PUBLIC MEETING.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT'S JUST PARTLY TRANSPARENCY.
SO WE KNOW WHO'S OUT THERE BIDDING.
UM, WE WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND THAT THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT RECOMMEND OR REQUIRE EACH BITTERS PACKAGE TO INCLUDE A PUBLIC INFORMATION PACKAGE.
SO THAT WOULD PROBABLY JUST BE LIKE A PDF DOCUMENT.
THAT'S AN ABBREVIATED VERSION OF THEIR PROPOSAL, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT STRIPS AWAY A LOT OF THE, THE MORE GRANULAR MATHEMATICAL DETAIL, BUT IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC TO BE AWARE OF.
UM, AND WE RECOMMEND THAT THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR AT HAE EVALUATE APPLICATIONS, ACCORDING TO THE LIVE MUSIC EVENT, PROGRAM GUIDELINES EXACTLY AS DEVELOPED AND PRESENTED IN PUBLIC MEETINGS TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
SO IN ESSENCE, THE THIRD PARTY WOULD NOT ALTER THE GUIDELINES.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, THESE, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE WE'VE DEBATED AND DISCUSSED PUBLICLY WITH TRANSPARENCY.
SO WE DON'T WANT THINGS TO CHANGE AFTER THEY LEAVE A MORE PUBLIC FORUM.
UM, AND FOR TERMS OF CONTRACT, UM, THE RFP STATES THAT THE CONTRACT SO SHALL CONSIST OF A 12 MONTH TERM AND A ONE MONTH OR NOW ONE 12 MONTH EXTENSION, THE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDS THAT IF THE CONTRACT IS EXTENDED, THAT THAT COME WITH THAT COME BEFORE THE MUSIC COMMISSION SO THAT WE CAN GIVE SOME OVERSIGHT ON THAT.
AND AGAIN, WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THIRD-PARTY ADMINISTRATOR HAS, HAS PROVEN THAT THEY'VE SERVED THE COMMUNITY WELL, AND THEN SOME SCORING THINGS.
UM, MOST OF THIS IS JUST KIND OF EXPANDING ON THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY DETAILED IN THE SCORING RUBRIC.
UM, BUT WE WOULD LIKE BITTERS TO DESCRIBE A MECHANISM FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTING.
SO THEY'RE VERY CLEAR ABOUT AN UPFRONT ABOUT THE FEE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO CHARGE.
UM, THEY WOULD DESCRIBE THEIR CAPACITY FOR EVALUATING, UM, THE LIVE MUSIC EVENT FUND PROGRAM, GRANT APPLICATIONS, AND HOW THEY WOULD DO THAT.
AND A FAIR WAY, HOW THEY WOULD GO DO THAT EXPEDITION, EXPEDITION, LOOSE EXPEDITIOUSLY AND IN A HOLISTIC MANNER.
AND WE FEEL LIKE THE QUESTIONS, UM, THAT THE WORKING GROUP DEVELOPED THAT, THAT ADDITIONAL LAYER OF, UM, INQUIRY WILL AID IN THAT, UM, HOLISTIC EVALUATION.
UM, THE BITTERS SHOULD DESCRIBE AND NARRATIVE FORM THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO AN EXPERTISE IN THE AUSTIN MUSIC INDUSTRY.
WE WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF THIS THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR
[00:50:01]
TO TRULY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MUSIC ECOSYSTEM SO THAT THEY CAN FAIRLY EVALUATE APPLICATIONS.UM, THEY'LL DESCRIBE A PROCESS BY WHICH, UM, APPLICATIONS WOULD BE APPLICANTS WOULD BE VETTED BY PROFESSIONALS WITH A DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF THE AUSTIN MUSIC INDUSTRY.
SO THOSE TWO THINGS JUST KIND OF GO TOGETHER.
AND LASTLY, WE WOULD LIKE FOR THIS TO BE AS AN OPTIONAL PART OF THE RFP, THE BITTERS MAY SUBMIT A WELL-DEFINED PLAN TO REDUCE OUR MINISTRY, ELIMINATE ADMINISTRATIVE FEES AND PRODUCE FUND GROWTH THROUGH PRIVATE GIVING.
I THINK, UM, AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW IT MAY BE TOO SOON AND TOO EARLY TO INCORPORATE THIS IDEA OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS OR GROWING THE FUND.
BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW IF THERE ARE BITTERS OUT THERE THAT DO HAVE THAT CAPABILITY.
SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A REQUIREMENT FOR WINNING THE BID.
UM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT THE CITY CAN ASK BITTERS TO DESCRIBE THAT CAPACITY IF THEY HAVE IT.
AND, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THE CITY HAS DONE.
THERE'S A PROCESS FOR THAT FOR ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
SO, UM, AGAIN, AS WE'VE ALL STATED, THE HOT FUNDS ARE NOT, IT'S A SMALL, IT'S A SMALL BUCKET.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE THERE ENTITIES OUT THERE THAT HAVE A PLAN OR CAPACITY FOR GROWING THAT FUND.
SO THAT'S, I GOT THE BORING PART OF THIS, BUT YEAH, SO THAT'S OUR THREE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TOGETHER.
WE HAVE THESE MORE HOLISTIC QUESTIONS TO INCLUDE FOR APPLICANTS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEPARATE, UM, THE DISASTER RELIEF FUNDING AND MINISTRY STATION FROM THE LIVE MUSIC FUND ADMINISTRATION.
AND WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE THE RFP, HAVE THESE COMPONENTS FOR MORE, MORE TRANSPARENCY, UM, CLEAR ROUTES AND PROFESSIONALISM IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND AN OPTIONAL, UM, WAY TO INDICATE IF THEY HAVE CAPACITY TO GROW THE FUND.
SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, THE ONE THING THAT, UM, MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT ONE, I MEAN, ONE THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS, UM, IF WE CAN THREAD THIS SO THAT THIS IS LIKE, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE'RE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION HERE, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE FOR THIS TO, UM, UH, WHETHER IT'S A NORMAL RFP PROCESS OR WHETHER WE'RE DOING IT UNDER SECTION, WHAT IS IT 2 53, WHICH IS LIKE SOME KIND OF EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION OR SELECTING CONTRACTORS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IF YEAH, THAT'S A NO, THAT'S A SYNOVIA QUESTION.
AND FOR THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHAT I WILL DO IS TAKE THESE BACK AND HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH OUR PROCUREMENT OFFICER AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT TO SEE HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE SOME OF THESE, DEPENDING ON THE LAW.
EVERYTHING HAS TO BE WRITTEN, YOU KNOW, IN CONTEXT WITH OUR LEGAL FRAMEWORK.
SO I WILL DISCUSS THIS WITH, UM, PURCHASING.
SO WE DO APPRECIATE YOU PROVIDING THOSE MATERIALS TO US.
AND, AND AGAIN, JUST AS SOMEBODY WITH SOME FAMILIARITY WITH THE RFP PROCESS, I PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE WHAT WE'VE DELIVERED IS, IS, UM, HELPFUL TO THE PROCESS AND, AND VERY FEASIBLE WITHIN THE PROCESS.
UM, AND I DID WANT TO SAY ONE THING ABOUT THE LIVE MUSIC FAN.
I WANTED TO, AGAIN, JUST ECHO NAGA, VOLLEY THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT BUILDING A MONUMENT OR GROWING A GARDEN.
WE CONTEND THIS, WE WILL GROW IT.
I PERSONALLY PROMISE THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE WILL TAKE IN COMMUNICATION CRITICISM SUGGESTIONS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE PROGRAM AND MAKE IT BETTER.
UM, AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, THERE HAS BEEN HEADBUTTING, THERE'S BEEN ARGUMENTS.
THERE'S BEEN PROBABLY TEARS, TEARS SHED AT POINTS.
UM, THAT IS ALL GOOD BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT LIKE EVERYBODY IN THIS COMMUNITY REALLY CARES STAFF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IF YOU SERVED ON A WORKING GROUP, IF YOU LOST SLEEP OVER THIS, IF YOU ARE PART OF THIS COMMISSION OR WERE PART OF THIS COMMISSION, IF YEARS AGO YOU TURNED TO SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY AND SAID, I'VE GOT THIS GREAT IDEA, LIKE IT'S HAPPENING NOW.
AND YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOURSELF.
THERE'S NO ONE ROCK STAR IN ALL OF THOSE.
THIS IS AN ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE.
LIKE I'M HUMBLED TO BE PART OF IT.
AND YEAH, GO TO BED TONIGHT, FEELING LIKE YOU DID A GOOD JOB IF YOU WERE A PART OF
[00:55:01]
THIS.AND I THINK YOU, UH, AND SO WITH THAT, IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS ABOUT OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORK THAT THE WORKING GROUP DID, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT AS A COMMISSION, WE, UM, DELIVER THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO EDD.
ARE THERE ANY MORE COMMENTS ARE GOING TO GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO SAY ANYTHING YOU GUYS DOWN THERE OR LET'S DO IT.
YOU GUYS GET GAVIN? ALL RIGHT.
SO THE MOTION, UH, TO YOU SAY IT AGAIN.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DELIVER THIS SET OF WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS TO EDD FOR INCORPORATION INTO THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AND THE THIRD-PARTY ADMINISTRATOR.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THREE B.
DO YOU HAVE A GAVEL? I FEEL LIKE YOU SHOULD HAVE A GALA.
[3B. Discussion and Possible Action following Austin Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) update from Emmett Beliveau.]
RIGHT.THREE B UM, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION FOLLOWING AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION UPDATE FROM EMMETT EMMA HERE FINALLY.
SO I'M ANNABEL EVO HERE AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO THE NEW AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD.
UM, AND BEFORE I DO THAT, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A QUICK SECOND AND GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE FROM MY OTHER HAT ABOUT THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND THAT DID HAPPEN AFTER A LONG TWO YEARS.
UM, AND I WANTED TO PUBLICLY THANK, UH, TONS OF FOLKS FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT, THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN IN AN INCREDIBLE YEAR FROM PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND EVERY DEPARTMENT IN BETWEEN THE PARK TOOK TWO ROUNDS OF MAJOR RAIN LAST WEEK.
AND IT TOOK SOME TRULY HISTORIC EFFORTS BETWEEN THURSDAY NIGHT OR FRIDAY MORNING, AROUND 5:00 AM AND 3:00 PM FRIDAY WHEN WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET THE DOORS OPEN.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, THANKS FROM ALL OF US TO THE FOLKS THAT MADE THAT HAPPEN.
AND FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, WE'VE GOT HUNDREDS OF MUSICIANS AND THOUSANDS OF FOLKS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY BACK AT WORK IN AUSTIN, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
SO, UH, ACL UPDATE COMPLETE, UH, ON THE, UH, ON THE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, UM, CORPORATION UPDATE.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, UH, AND THEN TOUCH BRIEFLY ON THE, ON THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
UM, JUST, I THINK AS A, AS A, AS AN IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR, FOR ALL OF US OF WHAT THE AEDC IS, I JUST WANT TO READ YOU A COUPLE PARAGRAPHS, UH, FROM OUR NEWLY LAUNCHED WEBSITE, UH, WHICH IS ANOTHER SIGN OF THE PROGRESS THAT'S HAPPENING WITH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UH, IN OCTOBER, 2020, RECOGNIZING THE INCREASING PRESSURES OF RISING REAL ESTATE PRICES ON AFFORDABILITY EQUITY AND THE CITY'S ICONIC VENUES AND SMALL BUSINESSES.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN CREATED THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AEDC IS A PUBLIC REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER WORKING FOR PURPOSE INSTEAD OF PROFITS AEDC CAN SPEED THE PACE OF THE PUBLIC RESPONSE TO DECREASING AFFORDABILITY AND EQUITY BY MOVING AT THE PACE OF THE MARKET TO BLEND THE BEST OF THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DEAL-MAKING SO BIG PICTURE STUFF, RIGHT.
UM, AND IT'S BEEN A SLOW START.
THE CITY WAS ABLE TO STAFF, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WITH STAFF FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, INCLUDING AN INTERIM CEO AND INTERIM COO.
AND I'M PLEASED TO REPORT THAT WITHIN THE LAST MONTH, THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HAS ITS FIRST, UM, EMPLOYEE HAS HIRED A CHIEF TRANSACTIONS OFFICER WHO WILL MANAGE THE CULTURAL TRUST RFP.
THAT'LL GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON AS WELL AS THE VARIOUS DEALS AND, AND, UM, INITIATIVES THAT WILL BE IN THE PIPELINE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF A, OF A NATIONAL SEARCH FOR THE CEO.
THAT POSITION HAS BEEN POSTED PUBLICLY FOR SOME TIME.
UH, AND THE GOAL IS THAT THAT NEW CEO BE ONBOARD, UM, BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, WHICH WILL ALLOW THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THE DUAL HAT WORK BETWEEN EDD AND THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO GO BACK TO THEIR DAY JOBS, UH, WHICH I KNOW THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T WAIT TO DO A, SO AN UPDATE FIRST ON THE CULTURAL TRUST, UH, RFP, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS VERY CLOSELY FOR YEARS.
[01:00:01]
BEEN AN RFI, THE NEW CULTURAL TRUST THAT'S BEING MANAGED BY THE NEW CULTURAL TRUST RFP RATHER, WHICH IS BEING MANAGED BY OUR NEW CHIEF TRANSACTIONS OFFICER IS GOING TO BE OUT SOMETIME IN THE NEXT MONTH.UH, THE STAFF IS SHARING WITH ME, THEY'RE SAYING OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER, UH, WHERE WOULD MAKING SURE THAT THEY DO THIS AS QUICKLY AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
UH, AND THEY, THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS BOTH TO IDENTIFY, UH, POTENTIAL VENUES AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR FUNDING, UM, BUT ALSO TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR FOLKS AS THEY APPLY AND WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS.
THERE IS A CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE AEDC BOARD.
UH, THERE ARE SOME REPRESENTATIVES OF IN THIS ROOM THAT SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
THE PURPOSE OF THAT, UM, SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, IS TO ADVISE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON THIS CULTURAL TRUST PROGRAM.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY AGAIN, PUBLICLY THAT WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR MEMBERS, UH, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COMMUNITY TO JOIN THAT CT AC.
UM, AND THERE'S A LINK TO JOIN THE CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THE AEDC WEBSITE AS A LOT OF ACRONYMS. UH, AND IT IS AUSTIN EDC.ORG IS THE NEW, UM, DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WEBSITE, SWITCHING TO THE, UM, DISCUSSION ABOUT THE, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND MANAGEMENT.
UM, WE ARE AS A BOARD IN RECEIPT OF YOUR COMMUNICATION OF SOME TIME AGO NOW ASKING US TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY ABOUT, UH, OF POTENTIALLY ADMINISTERING THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
UH, WE HAVE NOT, HOWEVER, AS A BOARD, UH, FORMALLY CONSIDERED THAT THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING, WHICH IS A WEEK FROM TODAY, UH, AT OUR SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETING.
UH, I WILL, I WILL SAY WE HAD A, UH, A BRIEF AND PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION, UH, TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO FORMALLY, UH, LOOK AT THIS.
AND SO WE'VE ASKED OUR STAFF, UH, TO PRESENT US SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND ITSELF, UM, TIMELINES, POTENTIAL COSTS, AND FRANKLY, JUST THE FEASIBILITY OF WHETHER IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WITH ITS STAFF OF ONE, UH, TO TAKE THIS ON, UH, AT THIS TIME.
BUT WHAT I WILL PLEDGE TO YOU ALL IS AFTER THAT DISCUSSION, UH, NEXT MONDAY IS TO COME BACK AT YOUR NEXT MEETING, UH, AND JUST TELL YOU WHAT THINK, UH, AND IF THERE'S AN ABILITY FOR US TO COMMUNICATE BACK TO YOU THROUGH STAFF BEFORE YOUR NEXT MEETING, UH, WE'LL DO THAT.
UM, BUT I CAN SAY PERSONALLY, THERE ARE SEVERAL OF US ON THE BOARD THAT WHILE WE WORK THROUGH THESE LONG-TERM SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES THAT THIS ENTITY WAS CREATED, UH, TO, TO TACKLE, UH, WOULD LOVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME QUICK WINS, UH, ESPECIALLY WHERE THERE'S DEDICATED FUNDING INVOLVED, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY LEVERAGE SOME, SOME PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY AND OUTSIDE DOLLARS, UH, TO DO EVEN MORE IMPACT, YOU KNOW, TO THE MUSICIANS IN AUSTIN.
SO MORE TO COME ON THAT, UH, HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION, BUT THAT'S EVERYTHING I HAD FOR YOU TODAY.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT EMIT.
UM, IF, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO BE PART OF YOUR CONVERSATION, UM, WHEN YOU GUYS DO REVIEW THIS, BUT, UM, ONE THING THAT I WOULD BE CURIOUS ABOUT WOULD BE, UM, THE POTENTIAL TIMELINE THAT, UH, WOULD WORK FOR YOU GUYS, IF, IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS FEASIBLE FOR YOU, IF MAYBE THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE DISCUSSION OF LIKE, WHAT, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE I THINK TIMELINE IS ALSO LIKE ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT WE'RE ALL KIND OF WEIGHING ON THIS, UM, UH, DECISION.
SO I DUNNO IF THAT'S ALREADY PART OF THE CONVERSATION, BUT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I'D BE CURIOUS ABOUT.
AND TO BUILD ON THE GARDEN ANALOGY, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BELIEVES IS IS, IS DOABLE OR FEASIBLE IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS MAY NOT BE WHAT WE THINK IS DOABLE OR FEASIBLE IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, 12 MONTHS OR SIX YEARS.
SO WE MAY ALSO COME BACK TO YOU AND SAY, WE CAN'T HELP YOU NOW, BUT MAN, WOULD WE LOVE FOR THIS TO BE A PART OF AN OFFERING OR A PROGRAM AS WE STAND OURSELVES UP? UM, SO LET'S NOT THINK OF IT AS WE'VE GOT ONE SHOT AT THIS, UM, OR, OR NEVER, I KIND OF SEE THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IS THIS LIVING, BREATHING THING THAT'S GOING TO EVOLVE OVER TIME.
AND I THINK THAT EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD, UM, UH, SEES IT THAT WAY.
I THINK THAT, UM, FOR, FOR US TO, TO, UM, LET ME SEE, I'M LEARNING MY WORDS HERE.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR EVENTUALLY FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND TO WORK ITSELF INTO, YOU KNOW, UH, A POOL WHERE IT'S NOT BEING DEPENDENT ON HOT TAXES AND STRICTLY ON THE HOT TAXES.
I THINK WE KNOW THAT FROM LAST YEAR THAT WE REALLY CAN'T DEPEND ON, UM, THOSE
[01:05:01]
FUNDS VERY MUCH SO.UM, I, I, I THINK THE, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS WHAT IS IT THAT, UM, HOW IS IT THAT YOU ALL, I GUESS THE ADC COULD WORK IN CONJUNCTION AND IN TANDEM WITH EDD TO REALLY KIND OF SOLIDIFY THIS THING CAN GET THIS THING DONE.
AND THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE LET'S JUST SAY FOR SOME ODD REASON, UH, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, LIKE THE ROLLOUT OF IT IS, IS, IS NASTY LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR WHATEVER REASON, I'M JUST GOING TO PUT IT OUT THERE THAT LIKE, IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THE BEST THING OF THE WORLD.
AND THEN MAYBE COUNSEL GOES, WELL, THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO USE THE MONEY OR WHATEVER.
SO MAYBE THEY DON'T, MAYBE WE'LL JUST DISCONTINUE THE LIVE MUSIC FUND BECAUSE IT'S SO UNPOPULAR OR SO LIKE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, FOR WHATEVER REASON, I DON'T KNOW THAT IS, I THINK ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD, WHICH IS WHY WHEN WE WANTED TO STOP THINGS, WE DID THAT.
AND THEN WE WANTED TO GET ANSWERS BECAUSE WE LEFT WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN WE DIDN'T ANSWERS.
AND WE GOT THE ANSWERS AND IT TURNS OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE FOR THE MOST PART, PRETTY SOLID ON, UM, ON, ON, UH, ON THE SIDE OF SYNOVIA AND ON THE SIDE OF, OF ERICA AND THEIR STAFF AND HOW HARD THEY'VE BEEN WORKING AND EVERYTHING.
AND SO, UM, I THINK MY QUESTION IS HOW DO WE KIND OF BRIDGE, UM, TO KIND OF ENSURE THAT, I GUESS BOTH THESE DEPARTMENTS ARE, ARE TAKING CARE OF THIS FUND OR IS THAT POSSIBLE? I DON'T KNOW.
WELL, RIGHT NOW IT'S THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE MEETING, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
AND, UH, SO RIGHT NOW IT LITERALLY IS THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE SERVING BOTH ENTITIES, YOU KNOW, SO THOSE EXPERTS ARE AT THE TABLE AND LEADING US AS WE MAKE THESE DECISIONS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK AS AGAIN, STAFF OF ONE, UH, HOPEFULLY STAFF OF TWO OR THREE BY THE END OF YEAR, UH, ON THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
UM, BUT I THINK ONCE THAT CEO IS IN PLACE, UH, AND I'M NOT SAYING WE W WE SHOULD HOLD THIS UP FOR THAT DECISION, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S GOING TO COME UP TO, TO HER OR HIM TO SAY, HEY, DOES THIS, DOES THIS WORK IN THE LONGTERM VISION OF THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION? UM, WHAT DO WE THINK? IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER SEEN, UH, A LEADER OF A NONPROFIT OR A QUASI NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, SEE SOMETHING WITH DEDICATED FUNDING LIKE THIS AND SAY, WE DON'T WANT THAT.
UH, SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, WHAT'S ATTRACTIVE ABOUT IT IS THERE IS TODAY SOME MONEY IN THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THOSE OF YOU ALL RAISE MONEY KNOW THAT IT'S, IT'S ATTRACTIVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY, YOU'RE NOT GIVING THE FIRST DOLLAR TO SOMETHING, RIGHT.
CORPORATION X OR PATRON OF MUSIC.
UM, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN WITH, YOU KNOW, THE ADC IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
UM, BUT IF WE CAN, IF THIS THING IS GOING TO A THIRD PARTY ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS THERE'S A WAY THAT IT STARTS SOMEWHERE AND EVOLVES ELSEWHERE.
SO LET ME, LET ME ASK YOU A MORE PRECISE QUESTION.
SO THE AEDC RIGHT NOW IS IN ITS INFANTILE STAGES.
BUT ONCE IT'S ABLE, PRENATAL, PRENATAL, NOT QUITE PRENATAL, PRE NOT, WE'RE NOT QUITE PRENATAL, BUT IT'S THERE, BUT ONCE IT'S ALL ENOUGH TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, BUY SOME BOOZE AND A PACK OF SMOKES, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF IT'S LIKE, IT'S KIND OF STANDING ON ITS OWN, WHAT'S YOUR VISION FOR, UM, THAT DEPARTMENT AND HOW DOES THAT WORK IN TANDEM WITH, UM, IT'S NOT MY VISION, RIGHT? THE COUNCIL HAS, HAS SET AND SAID, THERE ARE SOME BIG SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS IN THIS CITY FROM AFFORDABILITY TO HOMELESSNESS, TO THAT.
THEY KNOW IT TO EQUITY THAT NEED AN ENTITY, THAT IT CAN BE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBLE THAN THE CITY.
THAT CAN, HAS THE BEST OF THE CITY AND ITS EXPERTISE AND ITS HISTORY AND ITS DATA, BUT ALSO HAS THE ABILITY TO MOVE AT THE SPEED OF MARKETS.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE, THAT'S WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS.
AND THAT MODEL HAS WORKED SUCCESSFULLY IN, IN MANY OTHER CITIES, AS IT COMES TO MUSIC.
AND, AND, AND MY PURPOSE, AS I'VE SHARED WITH, YOU KNOW, MANY OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY, I CAN'T TELL YOU OTHER THAN I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES IN THESE VARIOUS PROJECTS, WHETHER IT'S THE SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT OR WORK WITH DOING WITH HOUSTON TILLOTSON OR IN OTHER PLACES ON THE EAST SIDE TO LOOK FOR A HOME FOR MUSIC IN THOSE SPACES, WHETHER THAT'S PART OF THE CULTURAL TRUST OR WHETHER IT'S PART OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES THAT THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS PROVIDING TO ONE OF THESE ENTITIES.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF MUSIC, FUN JUST KIND OF FELL OUT OF THE SKY, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN IT COMES TO THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT EDC, AND I THINK IT WAS, AS I SAID TO MY FELLOW ADC BOARD MEMBERS, WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT MAKES SENSE.
MAYBE IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR US, BUT WE OWE THE MUSIC COMMISSION, SOME ANSWERS ON THIS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WILL HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, NEXT MONDAY AT OUR MEETING.
UM, I JUST HAVE A, I JUST HAVE A COMMENT OR PERHAPS A REQUEST, UM, UM, IF ADC BY TO TAKE IT ON, UM, GIVEN THAT THIS, THIS PARTICULAR FUND, ESPECIALLY IS REALLY ALSO LOOKING
[01:10:01]
TO ENGAGE BROADLY WITH, UM, ARTISTS FROM UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, PREVIOUSLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.UM, MY REQUEST WOULD BE THAT WE ADC REALLY LOOK AT ENGAGING, UH, INDIVIDUALS FROM VARIOUS COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE THE STANDING AND HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO SPEAK FOR ARTISTS FROM, FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD, UM, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL, UH, TOWARDS THIS PROCESS IN WHO ACTUALLY, UH, IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THIS ON, UM, EVENTUALLY IT'S SITTING AND MAKING THE DECISIONS, UM, UH, IF YOU COULD JUST PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.
AND I, AND I THINK THE CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO IF THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU ALL WANT AT THAT TABLE AND IN THE ROOM, MAKING THE DECISIONS ABOUT THE FUNDING THAT WILL COME OUT OF THE CULTURAL TRUST PROCESS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, LET'S GET THEM ON THAT GROUP.
NOW, UH, IT'S, IT'S A VERY EASY APPLICATION PROCESS ON THE WEBSITE, IS THAT, UM, UH, EVEN, EVEN IN THE CASE OF THE CREATIVE SPACE BOND HERE, LMF, UH, IF YOU HAD TO TAKE IT ON AGAIN, UM, IS THAT, IS THAT THE SUBGROUPS, ARE THEY SUBCOMMITTEES THAT ARE GOING TO COME OUT OF THE LARGEST SEA-TAC OR IS IT SEA-TAC THAT IS MAKING THE CALLS? SEATAC IS GOING TO ADVISE THE STAFF AND THE BOARD ON THE DECISIONS, UM, FOR FUNDING FROM THE CULTURAL TRUST FUND.
I THINK THE PLAN IS TO TAKE EVEN A SUBSET OF THE ADVISORY GROUP THAT WILL ACTUALLY REVIEW THE RFP AND REVIEW THE RESPONSES AND DO THE SCORING AND ALL THAT STUFF.
HEY, UM, I KNOW WE'RE ALL REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOU TO COME IN, ESPECIALLY ON MONDAY AFTER THE FIRST WEEKEND OF ACL.
AND I WON'T TELL YOU WHAT TIME I GOT HOME LAST NIGHT, OR WHY I SOUND LIKE THIS IS THE DUST, JUST, UM, IN THINKING OF ALL THIS, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE, AT LEAST IN JUST, UH, HOW I'VE EXPERIENCED IT, UM, WHAT'S FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S TRYING TO HURRY UP AND GET THESE FUNDS OUT.
AND AS EVERYONE SAID, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF ANXIETY IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHO'S GOING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, DISTRIBUTE THIS, MANAGE IT, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND PART, A BIG PART OF OUR ROLE IS TO HELP CREATE HELP, TO CREATE AND FOSTER PUBLIC TRUST AND TO BE A BRIDGE FOR COMMUNICATION OF ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN OUR DISTRICTS AND TO HAVE GOOD COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER, TO HELP EACH OTHER, UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE ALL COMING FROM, FROM OUR DIFFERENT LIVED EXPERIENCES.
AND SO, UM, JUST WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM AEDC AS WE GET TO HEAR FROM EDD A LOT ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP TO FOSTER THAT PUBLIC TRUST.
BECAUSE I THINK IN THE VERY BEGINNING, IT SEEMED LIKE SOME PEOPLE, UH, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE GOT WAS JUST LIKE, WHAT THE HECK IS AEDC AND IT'S EASY TO PAINT, YOU KNOW, LIKE A MONSTER FACE ON SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T KNOW.
AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE OVER TIME, A LOT OF CURIOSITY HAS HAPPENED AND A LOT OF COMMUNICATION.
AND I KNOW THAT WE WERE ALL VERY, UM, HOPEFUL THAT YOU WOULD COME IN AND TALK WITH US SO THAT WE COULD START PUTTING MORE FACES, REAL HUMAN FACES, WHO CARE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND GENUINELY CARE ABOUT THE MUSIC ECOSYSTEM AND THE PEOPLE, THE HUMANS THAT LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION GOING BACK AND FORTH, UM, SO THAT WE CAN CREATE THAT PUBLIC TRUST.
SO THAT, THAT BRIDGE THAT SCOTT'S TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY CAN HAPPEN, EVEN IF ADC CAN'T, UH, COME IN AT THIS TIME WITH, UH, HOW FAST YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO DEVELOP.
AND SOMETIMES QUICK DEVELOPMENT IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST DEVELOPMENT.
THERE JUST HASN'T BEEN THAT MUCH TO, TO UPDATE YOU ALL ON, YOU KNOW, TO BE FRANK AND, AND WHETHER THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IT HAPPENS NOW OR HAPPENS LATER.
I THINK THAT THE CULTURAL TRUST, YOU KNOW, WILL REQUIRE CLOSE PARTNERSHIP AND IN COLLABORATION WITH ALL OF YOU FOLKS IN THE FOLKS YOU REPRESENT, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING RIGHT AT THESE ISSUES OF AFFORDABILITY AND VENUE, PRESERVATION AND SPACE FOR CREATIVES IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME.
AND I THINK THAT ANN WHO'S, OUR NEW CHIEF TRANSACTIONS OFFICER IS VERY FOCUSED ON GETTING THAT PROCESS RIGHT TO, SHE OWNS IT NOW, AND THAT HASN'T HAD AN OWNER WHOSE ONLY JOB IS TO FOCUS ON SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME TIME.
AND SO SHE WANTS TO GET IT OUT AS I SAID IN THE NEXT MONTH.
UM, BUT DO IT IN A WAY THAT IS FLEXIBLE ENOUGH, UM, TO HELP PEOPLE THROUGH THE PROCESS OVER THE SUBSEQUENT WEEKS AND MONTHS.
[01:15:01]
THAT IT'S SUCH A COMPLEX SITUATION.WE'RE ALL SERVING IN THESE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND IN THE CASE OF, I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON, BUT FOR INSTANCE, I SERVE ON A CERTAIN DISTRICT THAT I USED TO LIVE IN THAT I CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN WHILE I'M SUPPORTING FIVE GENERATIONS OF MY FAMILY.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY ALL A MIXED BAG IN THE CITY, AND WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW EXACTLY WHO EACH PERSON IS WHEN WE PROJECT OUR IDEAS ON PEOPLE THAT WE SEE AND ULTIMATELY OUR GOAL AS, AS A BODY AND AS A PART OF THE BIGGER PICTURE OF AUSTIN IS TO, TO LISTEN AND TO UNDERSTAND, AND TO CREATE THESE BRIDGES SO THAT WE CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEMS AND HEAL THE PAST AND THE DAMAGE THAT'S BEEN DONE FROM THE DISENFRANCHISEMENT.
SO ALSO APPRECIATE THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID ABOUT BEING VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT LOOKING FOR PLACES AND PEOPLE TO WORK TOGETHER WITH, TO CREATE THOSE CREATIVE SPACES IN THOSE PLACES THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
AND THAT THOSE THINGS WOULD BE VERY HEALING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IS IT TALKED ABOUT THAT, THAT WE, WE WANT TO BE VERY, UM, SOLICITOUS IN, IN ASKING FOLKS TO RESPOND TO THE EVENTUAL RFP, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE MATCHES.
SHE MAY SAY, THERE'S THIS ORGANIZATION THAT HAS THIS REQUIREMENT.
THEY MAY NOT NEED THE WHOLE SPACE THEMSELVES, BUT THEY MAY WORK WELL WITH THIS OTHER ONE.
AND SO THAT'S THE KIND OF WORK THAT THE STAFF, THAT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION STAFF WILL DO BEHIND THE SCENES.
UM, SO I CAN CERTAINLY COMMIT TO HAVING AN COME IN SOMETIME IN THE NEXT MONTH, ONCE THE RFP IS FINAL OR CLOSE TO FINAL AND WALKING YOU ALL THROUGH IT, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN HELP BE AMBASSADORS FOR US ONCE THIS THING IS ON THE STREET, UH, TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO APPLY EIGHT, UNDERSTAND IT, AND TO APPLY FOR IT.
DO, DO WE NEED TO MAKE THAT OFFICIAL FOR HER TO COME IN AND, OH, WELL JUST, JUST INVITE HER AND I'LL TELL HER, OKAY, COOL.
IS SHE IN, IS SHE INVITED? YES, YES, YES.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF I NEEDED TO MAKE AN EMOTION OR, YOU KNOW, STILL GETTING USED TO THE RULES.
WE'LL HAVE ADC UPDATES GOING FOR, I MEAN, WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HAVING THIS ON EVERY AGENDA, JUST TRYING TO COORDINATE SCHEDULES, BUT YEAH, THIS WILL BE A STANDING ITEM.
SO I MEAN, I'M AT, YOU'RE INVITED EVERY TIME AND IF YOU WANT TO BRING A BUDDY, UM, SOMEBODY ELSE FROM THE ADC, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION OR INSTEAD OF, BUT YEAH, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO HEAR, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE THIS, I THINK SITUATION IS GOING TO GET MORE EXCITING.
THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL FOR MUSIC AND ALL OF THESE ASPECTS OF WHAT, UM, ADC CAN DO.
UM, I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED TO HEAR HOW, UM, INVESTMENT IN MUSIC INFRASTRUCTURE CAN BE PART OF THE SOUTH SHORE WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THERE FOR, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE CREATIVE SPACE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, WHICH DEFINITELY TOUCHES OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.
SO YOU WANT TO HEAR MORE AND, UH, AND OF COURSE, YEAH, I HAVE TO KEEP US UPDATED ON WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL FOR THE ADC TO MANAGE THE LIVE MUSIC FUND? UM, I DO THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE IT, IT WOULD TAKE SOME HUSTLE TO GET READY AND BE PART OF IT RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT'S, I MEAN, YOU GUYS TELL US, UM, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN RFP PROCESS THAT, UM, YOU COULD, YOU COULD APPLY THAT WAY.
I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT WORKS THROUGH THE CITY, BUT, UM, AND THEN IN ANOTHER 12 MONTHS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ANOTHER CONTRACT.
SO, UM, YEAH, I MEAN, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR HOW ADC CAN GROW INVESTMENT IN THE MUSIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
I REALLY DO WANT THE CITY TO SEE MUSIC IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AN INDUSTRY JUST LIKE THE TECH INDUSTRY AND, UM, FUNDING AND, UH, SUBSIDIZED SPACE THAT COMES THIS WAY IS NOT THESE, THIS ISN'T LIKE YOU'RE GIVING A HANDOUT TO THESE FOUR MUSICIANS.
IT'S LIKE YOU ARE HELPING GROW THE ECONOMY WHEN THESE FUNDS COME THE WAY OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE MUSIC IS A DRIVER OF TOURISM QUALITY OF LIFE HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, IT BRINGS IN BIGGER CORPORATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, COME HERE FOR THE TALENT POOL THAT ARE DRAWN HERE BECAUSE OF THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.
SO LIKE THIS IS A VERY, UM, UH, MOMENT OF MATURITY, I THINK FOR THE MUSIC COMMUNITY AND THAT THE, IN THE AEDC IS CERTAINLY HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN THAT.
SO WE LOOK FOR THE UPDATES EVERY, EVERY, AT EVERY MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING.
AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AND IT WAS SO GOOD TO FINALLY SEE YOU IN PERSON.
UM, SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE LIVE MUSIC FIND AS YOU, AS YOU'VE HEARD IT W UM,
[01:20:01]
WHAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT IT? I, ON THE CURRENT CRITERIA AND STRUCTURED, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HA I HAVEN'T SEEN A FULL BRIEFING ON IT, SO I DON'T WANT TO SPECULATE.WELL, WE NEED TO GET YOU TO HAPPY TO, BUT I TRUST THESE GUYS BACK HERE A WHOLE LOT, SO, YEAH.
UM, I DO I HAVE, I HAVE A QUESTION, IF LET'S JUST SAY, FOR INSTANCE, YOU LIKE A, IF, IF IT'S THE CULTURAL TRUST OR IF IT'S, UM, UH, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, LET'S JUST SAY IT'S ONE OF THOSE.
WOULD YOU ALL BE ABLE TO JUST, UM, WHAT YOU ALL WOULD HAVE TO FIND A THIRD PARTY, RIGHT.
OR WHAT YOU BE ABLE TO JUST ABSOLUTELY.
ONE STAFF MEMBER, GAL, ONE STAFF MEMBER.
SO YOU'D HAVE TO JUST LIKE, ADD WHAT YOU ALSO HAVE TO FIND.
NOW THIRD PARTY, WHAT DID THAT MEAN? TEMP STAFF OR AN OUTSIDE ENTITY OR AN OUTSIDE CONTRACT.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOLVED FOR SOMEHOW.
THAT NEED NOT BE THE CASE SIX OR 12 OR 18 MONTHS FROM NOW.
IF, IF COLLECTIVELY, AND IT PROBABLY, AS WE'VE ALL SAID, PROBABLY COMES DOWN TO COUNCIL COUNCIL THAT DETERMINES IT SHOULD LIVE OVER THERE, THEN WE'LL PROBABLY NEED TO STAFF UP TO HANDLE IT.
AND JUST, JUST FOR THE KIDS WATCHING AT HOME, CAN YOU TELL US, LIKE, WHAT, WHAT'S THE, UH, VERY SUCCINCT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT AAC DOES AACD DOES AND WHAT EDD IS LIKE, LIKE THE TWO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, WHAT DOES, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? WELL, THE EDD IS BEING THE, THE, THE CITY ENTITY CHARGED WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS CREATION, SUPPORT, RECRUITMENT.
MOST OF THAT, I GET MOST OF IT.
GRANT ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANCE.
ADC IS ALL THAT, BUT INTENTIONALLY STRUCTURED OUTSIDE OF CITY GOVERNMENT TO ALLOW FLEXIBILITY.
UM, BEING ABLE TO TAKE PRIVATE MONEY, BEING ABLE TO WORK ON PROJECTS, HOPEFULLY NOT YET, BUT AT A SPEED AND LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION WHEN IT COMES TO DEAL STRUCTURE, THIS DOESN'T, THAT IS NOT RESIDENT INTENTIONALLY IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
UM, SO SOME OF THESE MONSTER PROGRAMS, UH, WHETHER IT'S TAX INCENTIVES OR, OR BONDS OR LOANS, HOW DO THEY BE S HOW DO THEY BE STRUCTURED? UH, SO THAT AS THE CITY CONTINUES TO DEVELOPMENT, IT'S NOT DEVELOPED, IT'S NOT JUST THE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE BENEFITING FROM IT, BUT THERE IS A, AS A PURPOSE, AS I READ TO YOU A PURPOSE, NOT A PROFIT, RIGHT.
SO HOW CAN MUSICIANS BENEFIT FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT? HOW CAN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT HELP US SOLVE OUR UNHOUSED, RIGHT.
UM, BUT IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO, TO TAKE DIRECTION FROM CITY COUNCIL.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S AN AGREEMENT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S CALLED THE INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT.
UM, WHERE THE CITY COUNCIL SAYS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION GO WORK ON THE CULTURAL TRUST.
SO TH THAT IS WHAT THEY HAVE TOLD US IS OUR PRIORITY.
THAT'S WHY OUR FIRST HIRE WAS FOCUSED ON IT, BUT THAT'S A FLEXIBLE DOCUMENT.
SO IF WE WENT BACK AND SAID, HEY, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND EDD, AND WE'D LIKE TO TACKLE THIS LIVE MUSIC FUND.
WHAT DO YOU THINK COUNCIL WOULD NEED TO TELL US, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN A COUPLE OF SENTENCES IN THIS INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT, WHICH, WHICH CAN BE AMENDED, AND IT'S GOING TO BE REISSUED EVERY YEAR, HERE'S WHAT WE WANT YOU ALL FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
AND SO YOU ALL KIND OF GET TO DO YOUR THING OVER HERE, SEPARATE FROM THE CITY, BUT THERE'S STILL OVERSIGHT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
IS THAT RIGHT? THERE WON'T BE ANY OVERSIGHT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? NO.
IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST, WE'RE IN THIS, THAT, THAT, THAT STAGE WHERE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF IS ALSO SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WHILE WE GET STARTED, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE MOST EXPERT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE CITY SAID, WHO, YOU KNOW, WHO CAN HELP THESE GUYS GET STARTED, OBVIOUSLY EDD WAS THE CHOICE FOR IT.
UM, BUT AT SOME POINT, THESE GUYS WILL GO BACK TO THEIR DAY JOBS, EDC, SORRY, AEDC, WE WILL HIRE OUR OWN STAFF THAT ARE NOT EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY.
THEY'RE EMPLOYEES OF THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WHO WILL CONTINUE TO OBVIOUSLY WORK CLOSELY WITH EDD, BUT THERE WON'T BE ANY OVERSIGHT AT THAT POINT.
AND SIMILARLY, ON THE FUNDING SIDE, WHILE THE CITY IS PROVIDING STARTUP FUNDS, ESSENTIALLY, UM, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS TO THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THE HOPE IS THAT THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION DOES BECOME SELF-SUSTAINING THROUGH FEES THAT DEVELOPERS ARE CHARGING, UH, ARE PAYING RATHER TO BE, TO, TO GET OUR SERVICES ESSENTIALLY.
AND SO A, THE ONLY GOVERNING BODY THAT WOULD SORT OF KIND OF OVERSEE AACD WOULD BE CITY COUNCIL.
I THINK THE THING, I THINK THE THING, THE WAY I'VE THINK I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT IS THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE US THEIR PUNCH LIST.
WE WANT YOU WORKING ON THESE, THESE THREE THINGS.
AND THEN, BUT THEN THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WILL HAVE A CEO AND HAVE A BOARD OR RIGHT.
IN WHICH I SIT ON AND IT'S A BIG BOARD, MORE THAN 20 FOLKS, UM, THAT WILL, THEY WILL DO THE DAY-TO-DAY OVERSIGHT OF THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
UM, BUT I SEE IT BEING BOTH WAYS.
I CAN SEE THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION COMING BACK TO COUNCIL
[01:25:01]
AND SAYING, HEY, THESE FOLKS CAME OVER TO US WHEN ASKED US TO WORK ON THIS, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A TOP DOWN THING IT'S GOING TO BE, I THINK THEY WANT THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO BE OUT THERE HUNTING, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR STUFF, BEING FLEXIBLE, TAKING BEST PRACTICES FROM OTHER CITIES COMING BACK AND SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, SEATTLE IS DOING THIS NEW ORLEANS DOING THIS.CAN WE GO WORK ON THIS? AND HOPEFULLY THEY SAY, YEAH.
MA'AM UM, WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE AEDC IN GENERAL, JUST, I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T, YOU'RE NOT COMPLETELY AWARE OF THE LIVE MUSIC FUND OR YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BRIEF OR WHATEVER, BUT WHAT, WHERE DID THEY STAND IN TERMS OF LIKE A VERY STRONG EQUITY? UM, I HATE THIS WORD, BUT OVERLAY A VERY STRONG PLATFORM IN TERMS OF EQUITY.
UM, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU, HOW DO YOU THINK THAT THEY, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE FOUNDING PRINCIPLES OF IT, RIGHT? LIKE IN THAT THING, I READ YOU, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT EQUITY AND DIVERSITY IN THAT FIRST PARAGRAPH.
SO I, NOTHING, NOTHING IS GETTING DONE A DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WITHOUT THAT BEING PART OF THE LENS.
WHAT'D YOU DO, WOULD YOU SAY IT'S A PRIORITY, LIKE, UM, LIKE TOP LIKE THE TOP PRIORITY? CAUSE I MEAN, THAT'S AT THE FRONT, THE FOREFRONT OF THE LMF.
SO WOULD YOU SAY THAT THAT'S, YOU ALL ARE SETTING THE CRITERIA RIGHT.
THE IDEA IS THAT THIS WOULDN'T COME OVER TO THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO, TO RE REDO THE PROGRAM.
I THINK IT'S JUST TALKING ABOUT ADMINISTRATION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT GETS HANDED TO SOMEONE, THERE'S ALWAYS THINGS THAT'S LOST IN TRANSLATION.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT YOU FELT LIKE, UM, IN TERMS OF YOUR ORGANIZATION AND THEIR PRIORITIES.
AND IF THIS ALIGNS, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY WITH THOSE PRIORITIES, THAT'S, THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE NEXT WEEK AT OUR BOARD MEETING.
CAUSE WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT IT AND I'M NOT HERE TO SPEAK FOR THE BOARD.
OTHER THAN TO SAY, WE HEARD YOU, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT.
AND THEN ME PERSONALLY THINKING THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING THERE.
UM, BUT I, IT IS, I THINK I'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS THAT IN SOME WAY FOR YOU GUYS, SO WE CAN COME BACK, UM, AND TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT ISSUES OF EQUITY HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED AT EVERY ONE OF OUR THREE BOARD MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, IN A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT CONTEXTS, BUT WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AS A BOARD.
I HAD, UH, A COUPLE MORE THINGS TO SAY JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY, THAT'S BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR CONVERSATION FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.
UM, AND, UH, ALONG WITH THAT, UH, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IN REGARD TO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, CULTURAL TRUST, ALL THE THINGS THAT AT THEIR BASE HAVE INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS THAT ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, TO WHATEVER EXTENT THEY'VE ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES IN TERMS OF WHETHER THAT'S REALLY A FORMERLY OR NOT IN TERMS OF HOW THEY DO BUSINESS.
BUT I THINK THERE'VE BEEN TWO REAL BLIND SPOTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH.
ONE, THE BIG ONE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS EQUITY, UM, IN REGARD TO ALL THE WAYS WE HAVE.
THE OTHER BIG BLIND SPOT IS THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT THE DATA OF BIG FESTIVALS.
YOU CAN, UH, SORT OF ANALYZE THE DATA OF LIVE MUSIC VENUES ALL OVER OUR CITY.
UM, MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT HARDER WITH THAT.
I'M NOT SAYING IT'S EASY TO ANALYZE HOW SMALL LIVE MUSIC VENUES WORK AND THEN TO ANALYZE THE IMPACT THAT THOSE HAVE ON OUR ECONOMY IN THIS CITY.
BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S HUGE AND IT HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY, AND THEN THERE'S THE BLIND SPOT THAT IS THAT PEOPLE REALLY DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, AND I'D LOOK AT IT LIKE A CELLULAR CELLULAR LEVEL, ALL THE MUSICIANS AND MUSIC, UH, YOU KNOW, INDUSTRY WORKERS THAT WORK IN THESE LIVE MUSIC VENUES, UM, ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF WHAT OUR ECONOMY TO A GREAT EXTENT.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, MY REQUEST, AND I'M SAYING THIS ON BEHALF OF US, BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING FROM ALL OF OUR CONVERSATIONS THAT THIS WOULD BE A REQUEST IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING LIKE THE, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BEING CREATED, WE KNOW THAT THE EDD UNDERSTANDS A LOT OF THESE THINGS BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN HAVING THESE DIRECT CONVERSATIONS.
UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT CONTINUE IN EDD AND WHAT I LIKE TO SEE, UH, WITH, UM, AEDC IS THAT THERE BE THESE CONVERSATIONS, NOT JUST ABOUT EQUITY IN REGARD TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE AN INQUIRY AND AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT AS A PERSON WHO'S BEEN PLAYING MUSIC IN VENUES IN AUSTIN, TEXAS FOR 32 YEARS, AND WHO FIRST CAME TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME WHEN I WAS 18.
AND THAT DEVELOPED MY IDEAS ABOUT HOW I COULD BE A MUSICIAN IN THIS TOWN AND HOW THAT COULD BE AN ACTUAL CAREER FOR ME.
[01:30:01]
UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S THIS BIG BLIND SPOT OF UNDERSTANDING THE, THE MAGNITUDE OF THE COLLECTIVE OF ALL OF THOSE MUSICIANS AND WHAT WE CREATE IN OUR ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT IS AUSTIN.AND I THINK THAT WE NEED AS A MUSIC COMMISSION AS A CITY COUNCIL, AS EDD, AND AS THIS NEW BODY FOR THE, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, TO FIND WAYS TO UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE TRUE VALUE THAT ARE THE INDEPENDENT MUSICIANS THAT LIVE IN THE CITY, SO THAT WE CAN FILL THIS GAP OF UNDERSTANDING SO THAT WE DON'T CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS FEELING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN FORGOTTEN THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED THAT WHEN THINGS LIKE A PANDEMIC HAPPENS OR, YOU KNOW, BIG BUSINESSES GET CREATED IN THIS TOWN THAT BECOME GIANT ECONOMIC ENGINES FOR THE CITY, IT'S OFTEN FORGOTTEN THAT IT'S ALL THE MUSICIANS THAT WENT TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IN 1988 AND ALL THE CLUBS LIKE CANNIBAL CLUB AND STEAMBOAT AND ALL THOSE CLUBS THAT WORKED HARD AND BUSTED THEIR ASSES IN ORDER TO MAKE THE CITY STRONG AND TO DRAW ALL THESE PEOPLE TO AUSTIN, BECAUSE EVERYONE WERE LIKE, WOW, AUSTIN'S AMAZING.
THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND WE'VE BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT OF THAT FOR DECADES.
AND I THINK WHERE WE'RE NOT ON THE FOREFRONT OF IT NOW, BUT WE MIGHT BE APPROACHING THAT IS REALLY BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND THE POWER AND THE ESSENTIAL NEWNESS OF THE INDEPENDENT MUSIC, INDEPENDENT MUSICIANS AND MUSIC INDUSTRY WORKERS.
AND I THINK IT'S FOLKS LIKE, UM, ALL OF YOU AT ACL AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, WHICH GREW TO BE THIS MASSIVE COMPANY TO REALLY BE OUR ALLIES AND TO REALLY LOOK DEEPLY INTO WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UM, THE INDEPENDENT, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE THE SMALL MUSIC MUSICIANS AND MUSIC INDUSTRY WORKERS THAT LIVE IN THIS CITY.
UM, SO, UH, UH, M UH, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR VISIONS FOR HOW AEDC CAN HELP MUSIC IN AUSTIN, I'D LIKE TO SHARE MINE AND AUSTIN.
THE MUSIC IS CONCENTRATED DOWNTOWN.
DOWNTOWN IS ALSO WHERE THE GENTRIFICATION IS MOST CONCENTRATED AS WELL.
UH, THERE ARE BIG PARTS OF AUSTIN THAT ARE COMMERCIALLY VIABLE THAT COULD REALLY USE MUSIC.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE MUSICAL OPPORTUNITIES GROW FROM JUST BEING CENTERED RIGHT DOWNTOWN TO PLACES LIKE THE DOMAIN, UH, SOUTH OF TOWN, UH, ALL, ALL, ALL OVER TOWN.
UH, AND JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
AND I HOPE THAT THE AEDC WILL LOOK 50 YEARS AHEAD AT AUSTIN AS A CITY OF 5 MILLION PEOPLE, AND START LAYING DOWN THE PLANS FOR WHERE MUSIC IS GOING TO BE.
THEN NO QUESTION, JUST TO COMMENT.
NO ONE ELSE HAS ANYTHING TO SAY.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENCE, MAN.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU NEXT NEXT MONTH.
I HOPE TO SEE SHOW ME IN THE PARK THIS WEEKEND.
I THINK WE, UH, OH, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO MOVE
[3C. Discussion and Possible Action on which working groups are still active and which are dissolved.]
A THREE C TO OUR NEXT MEETING BECAUSE THAT'S, UH, BEING LED BY A GRAM.THAT DISCUSSION IS BEING LED BY GRAHAM.
SO HE'S SOMEWHERE IN MEXICO RIGHT NOW.
IT'S THE WORD ON THE STREET? SO, UM, HE'S NOT GOING TO BE ZOOMING IN, ON HIS, IN HIS CAR.
SHOUT OUT TO CHRIS OUT THERE, ZOOMING A WEBEX IN OR WHATEVER WE'RE DOING TODAY.
[3D. Discussion and Possible Action after update from Systemic Racism Working Group.]
IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, UH, AFTER UPDATE FROM SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP.SO WE HAD A MEETING LAST, WAS IT LAST, THE SECOND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH WHEN WE MET AND, UH, WHAT WE DECIDED AT THAT MEETING, THERE WAS ONLY A HANDFUL OF US THERE.
UM, AND THE GROUP HAS BEEN GETTING SMALLER.
SO WE HAVE A FOUNDATION THAT WE'VE, UH, COMPILED AND WE HAVE SOME, SOME GROUND TO LIKE MOVE FORWARD WITH.
BUT WHAT WE DECIDED, UM, TO DO AS A S AS A SMALL GROUP IS TO FOCUS ON INDIVIDUALS THAT EQUITY AND RACIAL JUSTICE AND THINGS ALL AT THEIR PR, ONE OF THEIR PRIMARY THINGS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.
I THINK THIS GROUP WAS EXCELLENT IN TERMS OF ITS DIVERSITY IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE JUST WANTING TO PARTICIPATE IN AND, AND LEARN AND GROW.
UM, BUT NOW WE'RE IN A PLACE WHERE WE REALLY NEED
[01:35:01]
FOLKS THAT THIS IS THEIR KIND OF, UH, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR A SANDBOX PLAYGROUND, UM, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY GET SOLIDIFIED, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS OUT.SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S OUR NEXT STEP.
WE'RE GOING TO BE KIND OF FOCUSING ON A SMALLER GROUP, BUT PEOPLE THAT ARE PRIMARILY FOCUSED IN THAT AREA OF CULTURE, DIVERSITY EQUITY, UM, AND TAKE ALL THE THOUGHTS AND ALL THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE, THE GROUP THAT WE'VE MET, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UM, EVERYBODY, PATRICK BOOKED UP WAS A PART OF THAT GROUP.
UM, AVI MINCOM FROM HER PRESENTS AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE, I'M NOT, I'M NOT GOING TO LET NAME THE LIST BECAUSE THEN I'LL FORGET SOMEBODY, BUT WE MET FOR OVER A YEAR AND WE REALLY CAME WITH SOME, SOME GREAT IDEAS THAT WE CAN BUILD UPON.
UM, BUT, UM, WELL WE DECIDED TO LAST MINUTE, BECAUSE AGAIN, THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THIS, THIS FOR THOSE WATCHING THESE, THESE WORKING GROUPS ARE, IT'S A LOT, IT'S A BIG COMMITMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF HOURS A MONTH, UM, DISCUSSIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, CARRY OUT INTO, BEYOND THOSE MEETINGS.
SO I THINK WE'VE REALLY PULLED THE FRUIT FROM THAT, FROM THAT INITIAL GROUP.
AND WE'RE GOING TO STRIVE TO GET AN, ANOTHER GROUP, A SECOND GROUP, A SMALLER GROUP OF FOLKS THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY FOCUSED ON THOSE ISSUES ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO THAT'S THE UPDATE FROM THE SYSTEMIC RACISM WORK GROUP.
WE'RE NOT SHUTTING IT DOWN, WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF REGROUP AND, UH, COME BACK WITH SOME CLEAR RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE END OF THE YEAR, POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, IN 2022.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THAT.
[4A. Discussion and Possible Action after presentation from Rachel Blair, Chief Operating Officer of Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), regarding a request for funding under the American Rescue Plan.]
RIGHT.FOR A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE, UM, ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT THE SPECIFIC BREXIT WORKING GROUP.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO LIKE SEE SOME STUFF THAT YOU'VE BEEN, PAT'S BEEN TALKING TO ME ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
WE CAN, WE CAN SEND YOU SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS.
WE SHARED A FEW OF THEM AT THE LAST MEETING.
UM, UM, ONE WAS SPECIFICALLY A CONTRACT, UM, AND THAT WAS LOOKING AT FIGURING OUT LIKE SCORING FOR VENUES AND THEIR BOOKING PRACTICES.
AND, AND, UM, IT WAS KIND OF A RELATIONSHIP AGREEMENT, LIKE A STANDARDIZED RELATIONSHIP AGREEMENT, UH, BETWEEN ARTISTS AND VENUES.
UM, YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME THINGS AROUND VENUES AND ENTRE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
AND SOME, SOME OTHER THINGS THAT MORE SPECIFIC TOWARDS THE CITY, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
SO I CAN SEND YOU THOSE THINGS.
I KNOW WE SHARED A FEW OF THEM.
I COULD, I COULD HAVE TEXTED YOU, BUT I, I JUST FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, SAYING IT FOR THE ALRIGHTY.
AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL HAVE KIM SEND IT OUT WHENEVER SHE GETS BACK.
FOR A, WE GOT, UM, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION AFTER PRESENTATION FROM RACHEL BLAIR, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF HEALTH ALLIANCE FOR AUSTIN MUSICIANS.
I THINK WE'VE ALL HEARD OF THEM, EVERYBODY.
FOR, UM, REGARDING A REQUEST FOR FUNDING UNDER THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ME, I AM A RACHEL BLAIR, AS SHAKA SAID, I AM THE COO OVER AT HAM.
I'M A SOCIAL WORKER, I'M A MOM, I'M AN ARTIST, I'M A HEALTHCARE NERD.
AND SO, UM, WHO USED TO BE A HAND MEMBER AND THE WORK WE DO IS PROFESSIONALLY VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, BUT ALSO PERSONALLY, VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, AS I KNOW IT IS TO MANY OF YOU ALL AS WELL.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT A REALLY CRITICAL AND URGENT OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT AUSTIN'S MUSICIANS.
AS WE SOON BEGIN OUR OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD, AND ONLY A FEW SHORT WEEKS STARTING ON NOVEMBER 1ST TONIGHT, I'M ASKING THE MUSIC COMMISSION FOR SUPPORT, UH, FOR, UH, UH, PROPOSAL TO CITY COUNCIL.
HAM HAS REQUESTED THAT OUT OF THE $44 MILLION OF FEDERAL AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS INTENDED FOR HEALTHCARE, THAT COUNCIL ALLOCATE $800,000 FOR HAMS HEALTHCARE ACCESS PROGRAM TO DIRECTLY BENEFIT AUSTIN'S MUSICIANS.
THESE FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH FOR THIS USE ARE ALLOWABLE AND IMPROVED FOR HEALTHCARE ACCESS PURPOSES.
AS OUTLINED IN THE GUIDELINES SET OUT BY THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT, HAM WILL USE THESE FUNDS TO DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR MUSICIAN'S HEALTHCARE COSTS, OUTREACH TO A DIVERSE GROUP OF MUSICIANS, AND WILL NOT ONLY HELP THEM GET COVERED, BUT WE'LL HELP THEM USE THEIR COVERAGE EFFECTIVELY ALL YEAR LONG BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO GET COVERED.
IT'S THE OTHER THING, IT'S A WHOLE OTHER THING TO BE ABLE TO USE YOUR COVERAGE IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
SO WE HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR HEALTHCARE ACCESS.
SO GETTING PEOPLE COVERED, BUT ALSO FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR MUSICIANS, WE DON'T WANT THEM JUST TO HAVE INSURANCE.
WE WANT THEM TO BE AS HEALTHY AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN BE.
HAM RECEIVED, CARES, ACT FUNDING FROM THE CITY LAST YEAR, WHICH ENABLED US TO PROVIDE PREMIUM ASSISTANCE IN 2020 AND GET STARTED IN 2021 WITHOUT CONTINUED FUNDING.
[01:40:01]
TO HUNDREDS OF OUR MUSICIANS FOR THE REST OF 21 AND INTO 2022.AND AGAIN, THAT STARTS IN JUST A FEW WEEKS.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH HIM, WE'VE SERVED, LOW-INCOME WORKING MUSICIANS OF AUSTIN FOR 16 YEARS.
AND SINCE OUR FOUNDING HAVE PROVIDED OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN HEALTHCARE SERVICES, SINCE THE OUTSET HAM HAS PROVIDED THIS ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE ALONGSIDE HIGHLY SKILLED HIGH IMPACT HEALTH NAVIGATION SERVICES, OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH LEADING HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS GIVE HAND MUSICIANS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, INSURANCE PREMIUM ASSISTANCE, PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY AND SPECIALTY CARE, DENTAL TREATMENT, MENTAL HEALTH COVERAGE, SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT, VISION, HEARING FITNESS AND WELLNESS SERVICES.
MOST RECENTLY, HAM HAS EXPANDED TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY BASIC NEEDS ASSISTANCE AND VACCINE CLINICS.
THAT'S A MOUTHFUL, BUT IT'S BECAUSE WE REALLY DO DO A LOT FOR OUR MUSICIANS.
IF ANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE RECEIVING END OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT DURING THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD, HAM GENERATES AN ENORMOUS EFFORT TO COMMUNICATE WITH AUSTIN'S MUSICIANS, INVITING THEM TO STREAMLINED, FULLY SUPPORTED AND ACCESSIBLE PROCESS OF ENROLLING IN HEALTH INSURANCE, AS WELL AS IN ASSISTANCE WITH PREMIUM COST TO MAKE INSURANCE COVERAGE A SUSTAINABLE REALITY.
ON AVERAGE HAM MUSICIANS SAVE OVER $7,300 PER YEAR ON THEIR HEALTHCARE PREMIUMS ALONE.
AND WHEN YOU MAKE $15,000 A YEAR, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING HEALTH CARE COVERAGE AND NOT HAVING HEALTHCARE COVERAGE, HAMS IMPACT IS BIGGER THAN THE HEALTH THAN HEALTHCARE ALONE.
WHILE MOVING CLOSER TO HEALTH EQUITY, INCLUDING TARGETED OUTREACH TO MUSICIANS OF COLOR AND WOMEN IN MUSIC, HAM RECOGNIZES THAT WHEN MUSICIANS CAN LEAN ON RELIABLE HEALTH COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, NOT ONLY IS THEIR HEALTH BOLSTERED, BUT THEIR OVERALL EMOTIONAL HOUSING FAMILY AND FINANCIAL STABILITY IS IMPROVED.
HAM DEPENDS ON THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY AUSTIN'S MUSICIANS AND THEIR FAMILIES DEPEND ON HIM TO KEEP AUSTIN MUSICIANS ALIVE AND WELL, AND TO KEEP THEM ONSTAGE HEALTHY AND DRIVING THE ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT IS LIVE MUSIC IN THIS TOWN EVERY YEAR, HAM RAISES EACH DOLLAR THAT WE INVEST IN OUR MUSICIANS RIGHT NOW THAT'S $3.6 MILLION PER YEAR.
AND THAT'S A VERY HEAVY LIFT THIS YEAR.
WE RECENTLY CONCLUDED, OR JUST RECENTLY, WE JUST CONCLUDED HAM DAY AND WE CAME UP $250,000 SHORT OF MEETING OUR GOAL AND WITH OUR SIGNIFICANT ANNUAL FUNDRAISING LIFT THE SHORTFALL AND THE URGENCY OF OPEN ENROLLMENT, FAST APPROACHING, I'M GRATEFUL TO EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THIS EVENING, AS WE BUILD MOMENTUM FOR A PROPOSAL AND HOPEFULLY ENROLL MORE MUSICIANS THAN WE EVER HAVE BEFORE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT AND YOUR WORK SUPPORTING AUSTIN'S, UH, MUSICIANS AND THE INDUSTRY.
AND I WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
FIRST OF ALL, WE LOVE HAM AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE, UH, WHEN HEARING ABOUT THIS REQUEST AND HEARING THAT THERE'S $40 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR THE WHOLE CITY FOR ALL OF ALL OF AUSTIN GRANTED, BUT YOU ARE ONLY ASKING FOR 800,000, THAT STRIKES ME AS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT, 2%, OR I THINK EVEN A LITTLE BIT LESS OF THAT MONEY.
AND I'M SURE YOU HAVE YOUR REASONS FOR CALIBRATING OF WHAT YOUR ASK IS, BUT WOULD WE BE IN A POSITION TO RECOMMEND EVEN MORE? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU MENTIONED THERE'S $250,000 SHORTFALL FROM HAM DAY, AND IF THAT COULD BE MADE UP FOR, UM, THAT, THAT THAT'S HALF A PERCENT OF THIS $40 MILLION, AND IF THIS GROUP CAN HELP, UH, REQUEST TO HELP YOU MEET YOUR BUDGET, UH, COULD WE BE ABLE TO DO THAT FOR YOU? WELL, THAT IS CERTAINLY APPRECIATED.
AND, UM, WHILE I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON ALL OF THE PROCEDURAL PIECES, I, UM, WOULD CERTAINLY WELCOME THAT SUPPORT.
AND REALLY WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS EMOTION OR A STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR OUR PROPOSAL TO COUNCIL.
AND THEN COUNCIL WILL, UM, DECIDE WHAT IS IN, UM, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND.
AM I ON? YEAH, I WANTED TO MENTION, YOU KNOW, FROM THE BEGINNING I'VE BEEN WATCHING MUSICIANS BENEFIT FROM HIM WHEN YOU FIRST CAME ON, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE HAS TO DEAL WITH HEALTHCARE AND IT'S ALWAYS TOO EXPENSIVE AND IT'S ALWAYS A NIGHTMARE.
AND THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT I'VE SEEN OVER THE YEARS THAT KNOCKS A MUSICIAN OUT OF THE GAME IS HAVING A HEALTH CRISIS
[01:45:01]
THAT COSTS SO MUCH MONEY THAT THEY CAN NEVER GET BACK IN.I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN MANY TIMES.
IT'S MY OPINION THAT THAT HAM IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT MUSIC ORGANIZATION IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I MEAN, IT'S AN AMAZING, UNIQUE PLAY THING, BUT I HAVE JUST SEEN THE BENEFITS THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED TO PERSON AFTER PERSON.
AND THEY'RE VERY HUMAN BENEFITS.
YOU KNOW, MY TEETH HURT MY LEGS BROKEN, I'M SICK.
THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, SUPERFLUOUS THINGS.
THEY ARE REAL FOUNDATIONAL THINGS.
AND ANY SUPPORT THAT WE CAN GIVE HIM IS THE BEST MONEY WE CAN POSSIBLY SPEND IN THIS CITY, IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE IT GOES TO SUCH A DESPERATE NEED AT IT.
IT GOES TO SUCH A BROAD RANGE OF PEOPLE.
IT'S, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE THING TO HAVE IN THIS CITY.
WE SHOULD SUPPORT IT AT EVERY CHANCE.
I HEAR FROM MUSICIANS ALL THE TIME AND THEY SAY REGULARLY, IF IT WEREN'T FOR HAM, I WOULD LEAVE AUSTIN.
OR BECAUSE OF HIM, I LEFT OR I LEFT WHERE I WAS AND I CAME TO AUSTIN AND NOW I'M STICKING AROUND.
I HAVEN'T FELT SUPPORT LIKE THIS ANYWHERE ELSE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED TONIGHT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT EVERY MUSICIAN THINKS OF THEMSELVES AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER OR AN ENTREPRENEUR.
THEY THINK OF THEMSELVES AS CREATIVE ARTISTS, BUT THAT'S REALLY WHAT THEY ARE.
AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS NEED THE SAFETY NET AND THE SUPPORT TO TAKE THAT LEAP FROM HAVING A DAY JOB WITH INSURANCE OR BENEFITS INTO CREATING THEIR OWN BUSINESS AND HAVING IT BE SUSTAINABLE.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY PIVOTAL IMPACT IN MUSICIANS LIVES IN THEIR LIVELIHOODS AND IN THEIR CAREERS AND ALSO IN THEIR HEALTH.
I'LL TELL YOU A REAL QUICK STORY THAT IN 2009, MY HUSBAND WAS HELPING HIS FRIEND CUT A TREE DOWN.
AND, UM, I GUESS IT'S A TYPICAL ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENS CALLED A WIDOWMAKER WHERE THE BRANCH, THE HARD PART OF THE BRANCH, THE HEAVY PART OF THE BRANCH FALLS, AND THEN RICOCHETS BACK UP, WELL, IT HIT HIS HAND AND BROKE OFF THE HANDMADE BONE AND THE INSIDE OF HIS, UM, HIS HAND.
AND WE RUSHED IMMEDIATELY TO SETON SOUTHWEST BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT AS A HAM MEMBER, HE COULD GO THERE, ENDED UP HAVING, UM, A SPLINT RADIOLOGY AND THEN WAS HOOKED UP WITH ONE OF THE BEST SURGEONS IN TOWN WHO RECOMMENDED PT AND EXERCISES.
AND IT HELPED HIM ACTUALLY NOT ONLY HEAL, BUT NOT LOSE FUNCTIONALITY.
AND HE GAINED FUNCTIONALITY IN HIS HAND, SURPRISINGLY FROM THE, UM, FOLLOW-UP CARE, WE WOULD STILL BE PAYING OFF THOSE BILLS TODAY, IF IT WEREN'T FOR HIM.
AND HE WOULD HAVE PROBABLY HAD TO GO GET A DAY JOB TO PAY THOSE BILLS.
SO FROM OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, WE KNOW KIND OF THE BENEFITS REALLY GRATEFUL THAT YOU ALL RECOGNIZE THAT AS WELL.
AND, UM, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT VERY MUCH.
I GOT TO SAY, YEAH, DEFINITELY.
FOR ME PERSONALLY, UM, IT WAS A REASON.
HAM WAS THE REASON THAT I MOVED TO AUSTIN.
UM, A FRIEND OF MINE, HE WAS A PART OF A GROUP CALLED ANTIBALAS AND THEY TRAVELED THE WORLD PLAYING, UH, AFROBEAT MUSIC INSPIRED BY FELA, KUTI FROM NIGERIA.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HE WAS HERE IN AUSTIN AND HE WAS LIKE, YO, YOU KNOW, I'VE TRAVELED THE WORLD AND I'M ON HIM.
YOU KNOW? UM, THIS, THIS GUY IS A PROFESSOR LEVEL, UM, IN TERMS OF HIS KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC, ET CETERA, TEACHERS AROUND THE WORLD.
SO HE WAS HERE ON HAND, BUT HE TOLD ME LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT MOVING TO A CITY, YOU KNOW, HE SAID, YOU SHOULD COME HERE BECAUSE OF THIS.
LIKE HE WAS SPEAKING SO HIGHLY OF IT.
IT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WE MOVED TO THE CITY.
I ALSO WANT TO SHARE THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN THIS CITY, UH, FOR, IT'S GOING TO BE 12 YEARS IN DECEMBER AT THE END OF DECEMBER.
AND SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE BEEN PRETTY VOCAL ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, UM, THAT I SEE IN A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT REPRESENT FOR MUSIC.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, HAM IS ONE OF THE FEW ORGANIZATIONS I GOT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, TO RAINY, UM, COLLINS.
I WAS ALWAYS OPEN TO THE CRITICISMS THAT I HAD, UH, ABOUT DIVERSITY, BUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WHO THEY'RE REACHING, HOW THEY'RE REACHING THEM.
UM, AND SHE WAS ALWAYS OPEN TO THAT CONVERSATION.
AND THAT WAS NOT THE CASE, UM, AT A LOT OF THESE MUSIC NONPROFITS IN THIS CITY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, GOT A LOT OF PUSHBACK AND, AND, UH, LET ME JUST SAY IN SOME CERTAIN SITUATIONS, BUT HAM, UM, WAS, UH, SPECIFICALLY RENIE COLLINS WAS ALWAYS HAD AN OPEN EAR FOR ANY OF THE, UH, CRITICISMS LIKE, OR, OR IDEAS THAT I HAD TO, FOR THEM TO BE MORE EQUITABLE
[01:50:01]
OR MORE, MORE OPEN TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.SO I, I GOT TO SAY THAT ABOUT HIM AS WELL.
UH, UM, I'M THE DAUGHTER OF A MUSICIAN AND, UH, THE ONLY REASON THAT, UM, MY FAMILY HAD HEALTHCARE WHEN I WAS A KID IS BECAUSE MY MOM WAS A MEDICAL ASSISTANT AND, UM, I MOVED TO AUSTIN WHEN I WAS 20 AND MY MOM FOLLOWED ME HERE.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING ON THE BOARD OF SIMS FOR FIVE YEARS DURING THE TIME THAT HAM WAS CREATED.
AND A LOT OF MY FRIENDS' LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED BECAUSE OF HIM.
AND, UH, I'M NOT REALLY SURE, UH, HOW I PULLED IT OFF, BUT I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO AFFORD HEALTH INSURANCE WHEN I TURNED 40 I'M 51.
NOW THREE OF MY BEST FRIENDS HAD BREAST CANCER OVER THE COURSE OF TWO YEARS AND HAD, UM, REALLY INTENSE SURGERIES.
AND THAT'S WHAT DROVE ME TO SAVE MONEY, UH, TO BUY HEALTH INSURANCE.
UM, SO I HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE HAM NETWORK, BUT DEFINITELY BEEN IMPACTED BY IT.
SOME OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY IT, FOR SURE.
AND, UH, I HOPE THAT, UH, EVERYONE VOTES, I CAN'T THINK OF A SINGLE COMMISSIONER WHO WOULDN'T, UH, TO PUT FORWARD WHAT YOU'RE ASKING US FOR.
AND THANKS FOR COMING IN AND FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, SINCE WE'RE ALL SHARING, I'LL SHARE, UM, I WOULD NOT BE WHERE I AM TODAY WITHOUT HIM.
AND, UM, UH, IT WAS PARTICULARLY DOING DURING THE, UH, THE PANDEMIC WHEN THERE WERE NO GIGS OR ANY MONEY OR ANYTHING ANYWHERE, UM, YOU ALL WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT, THAT CALLED AND SAID, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.
YOU CAN PLAY ON THE STREET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE'LL PAY A COUPLE HUNDRED BUCKS OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, IT JUST, I MEAN, UM, THAT THE FACT THAT YOU WERE BEING THAT INNOVATIVE DURING THAT KIND OF A TIME, UM, IT'S, UM, IT'S BEEN REALLY GREAT TO SEE THAT.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, DURING PROBABLY I THINK THE DARKEST TIME OF MY LIFE, UH, LAST DECEMBER, UM, I GOT DIVORCED AND OF COURSE I LOST MY HEALTH INSURANCE AND ALL THAT STUFF.
AND I'M LITERALLY SITTING AROUND, WENT PACKING BOXES IN MY APARTMENT THAT I LIVE IN NOW AND, UM, THE PHONE RING AND IT WAS HIM.
AND, UM, THEY WERE LIKE, IF YOU NEED HEALTH INSURANCE, LET, LET US HELP YOU.
LIKE, I DIDN'T EVEN DIDN'T FILL OUT AN INTAKE FORM OR ANYTHING, I THINK WORD GOT AROUND ABOUT IT.
AND, UM, UM, YEAH, SO THANKS, SCOTT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO JUST SAY TONIGHT IS, UM, I, IT'S A PRIVILEGED POSITION TO WORK AT HAM AND TO, UM, SERVE IN THE CAPACITY THAT I DO, BUT I WON'T LIE THAT IT'S NOT HARD WORK AND THAT SOMETIMES IT'S NOT A GRIND AND SOMETIMES IT GETS LONELY.
SO I WILL TAKE THE COMMENTS AND THE SUPPORT AND THE LOVE FROM Y'ALL.
AND, UM, REALLY TAKE THAT IN AND THEN ALSO SHARE IT WITH OUR STAFF WHO ARE RIGHT NOW WORKING ON FIXING A TECHNICAL ISSUE TO GET OPEN ENROLLMENT OFF THE GROUND.
YOU KNOW, THEY WORK LONG, HARD HOURS.
AND SO, UM, THEY'RE ALL WONDERFUL PEOPLE, BUT I APPRECIATE, UM, THE SUPPORT SO MUCH AND THEY WILL DO ALL RIGHT.
I HAVE, I HAVE, I, I JUST, I, I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU MY LIFE STORY, BUT I HAVE TO THANK YOU.
UM, I I'VE BEEN ON HIM FOR, UH, 15 YEARS, SO, AND IT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT I'VE HAD HEALTH INSURANCE AS, AS, UH, AN ADULT, UH, PERSON.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ALSO THANK YOU FOR POINTING OUT THE FACT THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE IN OTHER PROFESSIONS HAVE INCLUDED WITH THEIR, UM, AS PART OF THEIR JOBS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE TEND TO LOOK AT OUR COMMUNITY WITH, YOU KNOW, THOUGHTS OF CHARITY AND, UH, IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, BUT I REALLY, I REALLY WANT MORE PEOPLE TO SEE IT AS, UM, IT'S AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR, OF OUR, UH, CAREER, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU GUYS ARE PROVIDING THAT MOST OTHER JOBS PROVIDE.
SO IT'S, I DON'T REALLY SEE IT AS CHARITY.
I SEE IT AS YOU KNOW, UM, AND, AND NOT AT ALL VERY, I DON'T KNOW, ARE THERE ANY OTHER CITIES THAT HAVEN'T, NO, IT WAS A SOLUTION THAT THE
[01:55:01]
CITY OF AUSTIN'S COMMUNITY PUT TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE THAT AS FAR AS I CAN TELL FROM MY RECOLLECTION.AND I THINK THAT IT'S BEEN LIKE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT ALL OVER OUR COUNTRY OF WHY AUSTIN IS SPECIAL AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE CREATING SOLUTIONS AROUND HEALTHCARE EQUITY, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR CITY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE.
AND HAM IS A BIG PART OF THAT.
SO I FEEL REALLY FORTUNATE THAT WE LIVE HERE AND WE HAVE YOU GUYS, SO CAN WE RECOMMEND MORE MONEY OR ARE WE STUCK WITH THE FIGURE? I'M GOING TO JUST A MOTION THAT, UH, WE SUPPORT HANDS REQUEST FOR $800,000 FOR HEALTH FUNDING AND THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, AND IT BE DIRECTED TO MUSICIANS FOR THE HEALTH CARE.
[4B. Discussion and Possible Action regarding officer elections related to election of new Chair.]
FOR B THE MOMENT HAS COME.UM, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE VOTE, HOW DOES THE VOTING WORK AGAIN? WHAT DO WE HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION TO? I CAN'T REMEMBER FROM, RIGHT, BUT PEOPLE HAVE TO LIKE NOMINATE OR I'M SORRY.
I THINK THAT'S HOW IT HAPPENED BEFORE.
I'M NOT, I DON'T REALLY REMEMBER.
SO, UM, IF, UH, DID WE DO VICE-CHAIR FIRST OR WOULD YOU, DOES IT MATTER? I'M SORRY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THE CHAIR.
SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THE, UH, THE CHAIR POSITION.
SO IS ANYBODY WANT TO TAKE THAT FOR THIS? I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO NOMINATE ANN CHARLOTTE PATTERSON IS CHAIR SECOND.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT'S THINKING ABOUT THAT? OKAY.
WELL, THAT'S EASY ALL IN FAVOR OPPOSED.
AND CHARLOTTE, CHAD, DEFINITELY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
AND SEAN HAS BEEN WORKING SUPER HARD OUT HERE AND IN ALL THE WAYS AND ALL THE GROUPS AND JUST REALLY, UH, STANDING UP FOR US AND MUSIC.
SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT, AND CHARLOTTE IS THE CHAIR OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
SO DO WE HAVE TO THEN, UH, FIGURE OUT THIS VICE CHAIR SITUATION NOW? YEAH.
I NOMINATE A NAGA, VOLLEY MEHTA, CHARLA AS VICE-CHAIR SECOND.
ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD NOMINATE COMMISSIONER LIMONE YEAH, NO, YOU CAN, YOU CAN NOMINATE YOURSELF AS WELL.
MY, YOU KNOW, MY COMMUNITY, MY COMMUNITY WAS ASKING SOME THINGS FOR ME AND I GOT, I, I, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA BE REALISTIC.
WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COMMISSION AND WHAT'S BEST FOR THE MUSIC SCENE IN AUSTIN.
AND I, THIS END OF THE YEAR IS GOING TO GET REALLY BUSY FOR ME.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF BODIES IN A ROCKET THIS, SO YES, YES.
SO WE GOT A SECOND FROM, I THINK STEWART WAS FIRST ON THAT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH STUART ON A SECOND.
OH, OH, CHRIS, CHRIS WAS A SECOND TO BE THE BEARER OF BAD NEWS, BUT YOU ONLY HAVE LISTED ON THE AGENDA FOR ELECTIONS FOR A CHAIR.
OH, WELL, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PUT THAT ON FOR, UH, NEXT, NEXT SESSION.
WELL, I THINK WE KNOW WHERE THAT'S GOING.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE'D LIKE TO ADD TO THE AGENDA? YEAH.WELL, FIRST OUT, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS CHAIR.
YOU'VE BROUGHT AN AMAZING ENERGY TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, A LOT OF HISTORIC THINGS HAVE HAPPENED.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PROPELLING US FORWARD.
I'VE LOVED WORKING WITH YOU AS VICE CHAIR.
I THINK WE'VE MADE A REALLY A PRETTY GOOD TEAM.
AND I'M EXCITED FOR WHAT'S AHEAD OF US AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW PERSON.
THANKS EVERYBODY FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
AND EVERYBODY'S BEEN IN THE WORKING GROUPS.
[02:00:01]
WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES.UM, I THINK THIS MUSIC, THIS, THE CITY IS, IS BETTER FOR WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S BEEN PLENTY OF WORK BEFORE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, YOU KNOW, IF I SPEAK, HONESTLY, WHEN I JOINED THE MUSIC COMMISSION, IT WAS NOT, NOT WHAT IT IS TODAY IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY, IN TERMS OF JUST THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY AND JUST THE WILLINGNESS TO COMMIT TO THIS COMMUNITY THAT I, I SEE A BIG CHANGE AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND IT'S VERY EASY TO STEP DOWN AND JUST BE A PART OF THAT AND NOT FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO BE AT THE, AT THE FRONT OF IT.
SO DEFINITELY APPRECIATE EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR IDEAS, ENERGY AND COMMITMENT.
IT'D BE REALLY COOL IF WE COULD HAVE, NOT THAT THIS IS A TIME WITH COVID ALL OF THAT BUSINESS TO HAVE LIKE A GATHERING, BUT I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, CHAKA AND WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT EARLIER AND CHARLOTTE, JUST ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED, LIKE ALL THE THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE I'VE LEARNED ABOUT WHO CAME BEFORE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT HAROLD, I THINK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME TO SPEAK ABOUT EQUITY AND THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN FACING TOGETHER.
AND IT WOULD JUST BE REALLY COOL IF WE COULD GET TOGETHER AND ACKNOWLEDGE EVERYONE OR HAVE SOME KIND OF A, MAYBE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT AS AN AGENDA ITEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S EVEN, YOU KNOW, OFFICIAL, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE BECAUSE OF THESE HISTORIC THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
IT WOULD SEEM LIKE A GOOD OCCASION TO GET PEOPLE TOGETHER WHO HAVE WORKED ON IT IN THE PAST AND BEHIND THE SCENES AND ALL THAT, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
SO WE CAN MAKE A MOTION ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, MOTION FOR, UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, UM, TO DISCUSS A POSSIBLE GATHERING CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE, THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE ON THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
SO YEAH, I JUST NEED A SECOND FOR THAT.
ANY OTHER, UM, I DON'T FEEL THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
W WE WOULD NEED THE ELECTION OF VICE CHAIR ON THE, ON THE EDGE OF, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S CLEAR.
MICHELLE, MICHELLE ALSO, CAN WE CIRCLE BACK TO THE, UH, THE GUIDELINES ON THE LIVE MUSIC FUNDS? DO WE NEED TO MAYBE HAVE, UH, AN UPDATE FROM, FROM STAFF ABOUT WHERE THAT'S AT NEXT TIME AND INCORPORATING THESE, THESE, UH, NEW RECOMMENDATIONS AND SEE WHERE THAT IS AT THE NEXT MEETING? MAYBE I'LL SAY, OKAY, DO I NEED TO WORD THAT PROPERLY THEN DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON, UH, PENDING STAFF UPDATES ON THE GUIDELINES OR THE APPLICATION QUESTIONS FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, I THINK, IS THAT CORRECT FOR THE RFP? OKAY.
WELL, THERE'S TWO THINGS, RIGHT? THE THERE'S THE, THERE'S THE RFP, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE APPLICATION QUESTIONS WITH THE, THE FEEDBACK FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
AND IS THERE A, LIKE, UH, ARE WE, WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT THE DISASTER RELIEF THAT DID WE AREN'T WE, YOU DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT YOU SAID LIVE MUSIC, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE AN UPDATE ABOUT THE DISASTER REALLY, LIKE WHERE WE'RE AT, WHERE WE'RE AT THE PROCESS ARE WE SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON AND GETTING THAT MONEY OUT OR SOMETHING, IS THAT HAPPENING NOW? OR DOES THAT HAPPEN LATER? DO WE, DO WE VOTE ON THAT NOW? WE VOTED ON THE, ON THE RECOMMENDATION RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE WORKING.
HAD THE, UH, OTHER THREE OFFICER POSITIONS ON THE LIST SO WE CAN VOTE NEXT WEEK OR NEXT MONTH.
WE DON'T WANT TO JUST DO THOUGH.
I DON'T THINK THOSE TERMS ARE EXPIRED.
SO IT WARREN'S, UM, SECRETARY AND GRAHAM IS PARLIAMENTARIAN.
SO THERE, THEY SHOULD BE GOOD UNTIL DECEMBER, DECEMBER OR JANUARY IS WHEN WE HAVE LIKE REGULAR ELECTIONS.
SO YEAH, YOU'RE NOT OFF THE HOOK OR, SORRY.
RIGHT? AMAZING JOHN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, BAR DOWNTOWN.