[00:00:02]
UM, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL TO ORDER THE, A WORK SESSION.
THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL HERE ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12TH, UH, 2021.
UH, THE TIME IS, UH, UH, 11 OR THREE.
UM, WE HAVE A CORUM, UH, PRESENT, UM, COLLEAGUES.
UM, THE FIRST THING WE'RE GOING TO DO IS TAKE CARE OF THE ONE ACTION ITEM THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF RELATIVE TO THE ELECTION.
IT'S A HOUSEKEEPING MATTER, UH, BUT WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO GET THAT DONE.
UH, THEN WE'LL ASK IF THERE ARE ANY, UH, POLLED ITEMS OR THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP ON THURSDAY THAT PEOPLE NEED TO ADDRESS OR TALK ABOUT AT THIS POINT, I'M ON UNAWARE OF ANYTHING THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, PULLED, UH, IN THAT REGARD.
WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO EXEMPTION SECOND LIVE SESSION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TALK ABOUT THE, UM, UH, TWO ITEMS THAT, UM, UH, MAY VERY WELL BE TIMELY, UH, FOR US, UH, THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ME TO CONSIDER IN CASE SOMEONE WANTS TO TAKE ACTION THIS WEEK ON THOSE THINGS.
UH, AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, UH, E THREE AND E FOUR.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THOSE TWO ITEMS, UH, WE HAVE, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE CLOCK.
UM, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, UH, ON THE LGBTQ, UH, REPORT, UH, THAT WILL, WILL ALLOW 60 MINUTES FOR ABOUT A 30 MINUTE PRESENTATION, ABOUT A 30 MINUTE, UH, DISCUSSION THE PRESENTER, UH, THE THIRD PARTY, A FACILITATOR IN THAT PROCESS NEEDS TO LEAVE CITY HALL HERE AT TWO O'CLOCK.
SO NO LATER THAN ONE O'CLOCK WE WILL CALL THAT ITEM TO HAVE THAT 60 MINUTES.
WE COULD CERTAINLY CALL IT SOONER IF TIME ALLOWS FOR US TO, TO, TO DO THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, UH, AN ADDITIONAL, UH, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, TO, TO GET ON, UH, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT FUNDING PROGRAMS. I HAD ASKED THAT TO BE PUT ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, UH, THAT I JUST WANTED TO, TO, TO AIR, UH, FOR, FOR, UH, COLLEAGUES.
CAUSE I'M, IT'S GIVEN THE RULES OPEN MEETING RULES.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING I COULD DIRECTLY ADDRESS, UH, WITH YOU GUYS OTHERWISE.
UH, AND WE ALSO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL EXECUTIVE, UH, UH, SESSION ITEM ON, UH, CYBER SECURITY.
UH, AND WE HAVE A FIVE O'CLOCK HARD STOP, UH, REASON I'M TAKING IT IN THIS ORDER IS, UH, FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, COMMENTS THAT I GOT FROM PEOPLE SAYING, HEY, LET'S CALL UP EARLIER.
THE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY TIMELY THAT WE HAVE TO ACT ON DURING THE WEEK, SO THAT WE'RE NOT FINDING OURSELVES PULLING UP THOSE ITEMS AT FOUR O'CLOCK AND THEN WE'RE RUSHING THROUGH THEM AND, AND NOT, AND WE'RE TIRED.
SO, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW GENERALLY THAT, UH, ORDER ALL THE WHILE LOOKING AT THE CLOCK AND WE CAN ADJUST AS WE, AS WE NEED TO.
DID YOU MENTION ABOUT THE, UM, OTHER ITEM IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS? YEAH, SO THOSE ARE THE TWO ITEMS THAT I THOUGHT WERE TIMELY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET BOTH THREE AND FOUR.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THOSE RIGHT AFTER WE DO THIS FIRST PART.
AND I THINK I MENTIONED TO YOU, UM, YESTERDAY, UM, THAT I WILL HAVE TO LEAVE AT ABOUT 3 45.
[A. Pre-Selected Agenda Items]
ALRIGHT, COLLEAGUES LET'S, UH, BEGIN, UH, WITH THE, UH, ACTION ITEM THAT IS IN FRONT OF US.UH, IT'S ON OUR AGENDA AS AN ITEM ACTION ITEM, UH, NUMBER, UH, ONE FROM, UH, FROM LAW, UH, IT'S UH, TO AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AN ORDINANCE, UH, RELATING TO THE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER HOUSECLEANING, KEEPING MATTER, MAKING SOME CORRECTIONS CHANGES.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ITEM? NUMBER ONE, THE MAYOR PRO TEM MAKES THE MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION COUNCIL? REMEMBER RENT MARIA SECONDS? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM HEARING NONE.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A, VOTE THOSE IN FAVOR OF PASSAGE OF ITEM.
NUMBER ONE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THOSE OPPOSED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY YOU'RE WITH US, BUT I CAN'T SEE HOW YOU'RE VOTING.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE IN THE DOCTOR'S CHAIR AT THIS MOMENT OR NOT.
UH, FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CALI THAT MAKES IT A UNANIMOUS VOTE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER COZ SAR OFF OF THE
[00:05:01]
DESK.DO WE HAVE ANY PULLED ITEMS, UH, FOR US TO CONSIDER I'M UNAWARE OF ANY COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, UH, MAYOR? I DID.
I NEGLECTED TO PULL A COUPLE ITEMS I DID WANT TO DISCUSS, UM, AND SO LIKELY THE STAFF AREN'T TEED UP TO DO THAT, BUT SO I'LL JUST SIGNAL WHAT THEY ARE.
I, I DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF ABOUT THE WAYFINDING SYSTEM, AND JUST WANT TO ASK OUR MANAGER IF THERE ARE ANY UPDATES.
I KNOW I ENCOURAGE THEM TO LOOK AT WAYS TO PHASE THAT PROJECT SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY, UM, ESPECIALLY SIGNAGE FOR THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT.
UM, TWO YEARS AGO, MY STAFF FORWARDED ON TO OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF, THE WORK THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD DONE TO IDENTIFY AT LEAST A FIRST PASS OF SITES THAT COULD BE ON THAT SIGNAGE.
WE, WE DO HAVE, UM, IDENTIFIED SITES FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT COULD BE IN THAT FIRST WAVE OF SIGNAGE.
AND REALLY DON'T, I THINK REQUIRE AN EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER PROCESS, WHICH ITEM NUMBER IS THIS? UM, I'M GOING TO NEED SOMEBODY TO HELP ME OUT WITH THAT.
I JUST SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF ME AT THE MOMENT, BUT IN THE CASE MANAGER, IF, IF THERE IS AN UPDATE THAT WE CAN GET AT SOME POINT TODAY ON WHETHER THERE WERE ANY, WHETHER THERE WAS ANY, UM, ANY POSSIBILITIES FOR THAT PHASING OR AFTER OUR MEETING OF STAFF WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOME FASTER PATHS THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
AND THEN THE OTHER ITEM THAT I'VE BEEN TRACKING IS THE LINCOLN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CONTRACT AT, AT OUR LAST MEETING, I HAD REQUESTED THIS BE POSTPONED AND ASK SOME QUESTIONS AND JUST, WE DID GET A MEMO THIS MORNING THAT I HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ CAUSE WE'VE BEEN IN THIS MEETING, BUT IT DOES HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
I JUST WANT TO SIGNAL, I MAY HAVE SOME FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS THAT BRIDE PERUSE AND ABSORB THAT INFO.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN RESPOND AT THIS POINT OR PULL SOMEBODY UP THIS AFTERNOON OR AT LEAST GET THE INFORMATION SO THAT YOU CAN SPEAK TO IT.
UH, AND, UH, UH, KATHY, LET US KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO, TO READ THEIR REPORT OR TAKE A LOOK AT IT, MAYBE OVER LUNCH, IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THE, UH, LINCOLN PROPERTIES, UH, ISSUE ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE PULL COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER? I'M SORRY.
[E. Executive Session (Part 1 of 2)]
ALL RIGHT.SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO NOW IS GO INTO A EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, TO TAKE UP, UH, I'M ON A LIST, ALL THREE ITEMS. SO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SHOULD COUNCIL DECIDE IT WISHES TO DO THAT? UH, SO I'M GOING TO CALL PURSUANT TO SECTION FIVE, FIVE, NINE OH SEVEN, SIX AND 5 5 1 0 8 9, THE GOVERNMENT CODE, A DISCUSSION CONCERNING INFORMATION SECURITY RELATED TO ITEM E TWO.
UH, I'M NOT SURE WHETHER WE'LL GET TO THAT IN THIS FIRST EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, BUT WE WILL AT LEAST COVER THESE NEXT TWO ITEMS PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 5, 5, 1 0 7 1 AND 5 5 1 0 7 2, THE GOVERNMENT CODE CITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES AND REAL ESTATE MATTERS RELATED TO ITEMS E THREE AND PURSUANT TO 5, 5, 1 0 7.
ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE WHERE HAVE DISCUSS THE LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO E FOUR.
UM, UM, WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER POOL IS THE CITY'S AGREEMENT WITH AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.
SO NOT ON THIS CALL, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE ITEMS ANNOUNCED.
UH, IT IS, UM, UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, 11, 11, UM, LET'S TAKE FIVE MINUTES TO, TO WORK OUR WAY BACK TO THE OFFICE.
WE WILL DO EXECUTIVE SESSION ENTIRELY, UH, BY, UH, BY REMOTELY, UH, PER OUR, UM, CUSTOMER PRACTICE.
UH, WE'LL SEE YOU ALL IN, UH, IN FIVE MINUTES, WELCOME MAYOR PRO TEM.
AND I AM JOINED HERE ON THE DIOCESE AND COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
I AM GOING TO, UH, STEER THIS WORK SESSION FOR A FEW MINUTES WHILE THE MAYOR'S OFF THE DIOCESE.
AND I'M JOINED ON THE DAYAS BY COUNCIL MEMBER, QUINTAS CITY MANAGER, CRUNK AND CITY ATTORNEY, DEBORAH THOMAS.
WE ARE OUT OF CLOSED SESSION IN CLOSED SESSION.
WE DISCUSSED REAL ESTATE MATTERS RELATED TO ITEM
WE HAVE NOT YET TAKEN UP ITEMS
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WILL TURN
[B1. Briefing and discussion of a final report on the LGBTQIA+ Quality of Life Study.]
THE MIC OVER TO CITY MANAGER, SPENCER CROCK, SPENCER CRONK FOR OUR LGBTQ PLUS QUALITY OF LIFE STUDY FOR LS AND GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL, AS NOTED WITHIN THE WORK SESSION AGENDA.THIS ITEM INCLUDES A BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION ON A FINAL REPORT ON THE LGBTQ PLUS QUALITY OF LIFE STUDY,
[00:10:01]
THE LESBIAN GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER QUEER INTERSEX AND ASEXUAL COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN REGION IS ESTIMATED TO CONSTITUTE THE THIRD, HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF A MAJOR US METROPOLITAN AREA.THE STUDY, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED BY HMA COMMUNITY STRATEGIES THROUGH OUR EQUITY OFFICE PRESENTS FINDINGS DERIVED FROM COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENTS, AS WELL AS HMES RECOMMENDATIONS, SPANNING SEVEN QUALITY OF LIFE, OUTCOME AREAS.
EACH RECOMMENDATION IS FURTHER ALIGNED WITH A STRATEGIC OUTCOME IN SD 2023, INTRODUCING HMA.
IT WILL BE NEIL FALCO, OUR ONE OF OUR CITY ATTORNEYS AND OUR PREVIOUS STAFF LIAISON TO THE CITY'S LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION.
NEIL WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE COMMISSION, THE EQUITY OFFICE, AND OUR CONSULTANTS DURING THE STUDY.
AND NOW I'LL TURN THE PRESENTATION OVER TO NEIL.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
ARE HE HIM? AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE THIS AFTERNOON FOR THIS PRESENTATION, WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT TO YOU THE FINDINGS OF A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE LGBTQ, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND IN CONJUNCTION, WHICH WITH NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY, WHICH WAS RECOGNIZED YESTERDAY IN 2017, THE COUNCIL CREATED AND APPOINTED MEMBERS TO THE LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION.
AS THE COMMISSION BEGAN THEIR WORK, THEY QUICKLY REALIZED THERE WAS NO DATA AVAILABLE TO THEM ON THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN ON WHICH THEY COULD BASE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNCIL.
THEY IDENTIFIED AN OPPORTUNITY WITHIN THE CITY TO FIRST BEGIN COLLECTING DEMOGRAPHIC CENSUS STYLE TYPE INFORMATION, AND THEN TO CONDUCT AN INTERSECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY.
IN 2018, COUNCIL APPROVED $200,000 IN FUNDING FOR THIS STUDY.
AND IN 2019 COMMISSIONERS BEGAN WORKING WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE TO PUT THEIR VISION INTO REALITY.
FROM THE BEGINNING, THE COMMISSION WANTED A STUDY BASED IN EQUITY AND FOCUSED ON THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF LGBTQ INDIVIDUALS.
COMMISSIONERS BEGAN THEIR WORK BY ATTENDING THE CITY'S UNDOING RACISM TRAINING, AND THEN CONDUCTED A DAY LONG RETREAT WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE TO DETERMINE A SCOPE OF THEIR WORK.
THIS WORK RECOGNIZED THE POWER PRESENT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND SOUGHT TO CENTER THE VOICES OF QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR, A GROUP THAT YOU WILL SEE FROM THE PRESENTATION THAT OFTEN BEARS A DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN OF NEGATIVE OUTCOMES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
HMA COMMUNITY STRATEGIES WAS SELECTED AS THE CONSULTANT IN 2019 AND BEGAN WORK IN EARLY 2020, JUST AS WE ENTERED THE PANDEMIC.
THE BRIEFING YOU WILL RECEIVE TODAY REPRESENTS YEARS OF PLANNING AND MONTHS OF FOCUS, COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK OF THE EQUITY OFFICE, ESPECIALLY JOSHUA ROBINSON AND COMMISSIONERS, MELISSA TAYLOR, KANU CORETT AND CHARLES CURRY FOR THEIR WORK AND LEADING THIS PROJECT.
I'LL NOW HAND IT OVER TO CHARLES ROBBINS FROM HMA COMMUNITY STRATEGIES FOR THE PRESENTATION THANK YOU, UM, FOR, UM, THE PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE.
UM, I'M DELIGHTED TO PRESIDE, UM, OR PRESENT THE INFORMATION FROM OUR STUDY.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO THIS QUICKLY BECAUSE I KNOW YOUR TIME IS REALLY IMPORTANT TODAY.
UM, SO LET'S DIVE IN I'M CHARLES ROBBINS, MY PRONOUNS ARE HE HIM? I'M A PRINCIPAL WITH HEALTH MANAGEMENT, ASSOCIATES, COMMUNITY STRATEGIES.
WE'RE A NATIONAL CONSULTING FIRM, UH, STEEPED IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.
THE RESEARCH TEAM CONSISTED OF FIVE INDIVIDUALS NEXT, AND WE WANT TO ALSO, UH, GIVE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO THE EQUITY OFFICE FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT NEXT AND THE COMMISSION AND ALL OF THEIR PARTICIPATION AND SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.
NEXT WE ENGAGED COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
THIS WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF BEING ABLE TO CONDUCT A RESEARCH STUDY.
SO THESE PARTNERS CAME TOGETHER TO HELP PROMOTE THE STUDY AS WELL AS HELP US TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF THE, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.
UM, SO WE ENGAGED A RESEARCH ADVISORY BOARD AS WELL.
THESE WERE VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS, WIDELY PROMOTED.
WE RECEIVED 35 APPLICATIONS AND 11 FINALISTS WERE CHOSEN.
[00:15:01]
73% IDENTIFIED AS PEOPLE OF COLOR AND 45% IDENTIFIED AS TRANSGENDER.THE ADVISORY BOARD MET FOUR TIMES AT KEY STAGES DURING THE PROJECT, AND THEY WERE PROVIDED A THOUSAND DOLLAR STIPEND FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION FOR THE FOUR MEETINGS.
AND THIS IS GIVES YOU, UH, THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THIS DIVERSE GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS WHO SUPPORTED THE EFFORT.
I WANT TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT BECAUSE YOU'LL HEAR ME REFERENCE SOME OF THESE TERMS. UM, AND IT'S REALLY, UH, JUST IMPORTANT FOR CONTEXT SETTING, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE ACRONYM FOR LGBTQ I A IS.
UM, BUT I WANT TO ALSO EXPLAIN INTERSEX, WHICH IS A GENERAL TERM USED FOR A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS, WHICH A PERSON IS BORN WITH A REPRODUCTIVE OR SEXUAL AUTONOMY THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO FIT TYPICAL DEFINITIONS OF FEMALE OR MALE.
UM, YOU'LL HEAR US TALK ABOUT SOGI OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY.
AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO JUST GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT ABOUT GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION, WHERE THESE ARE INTERNAL PERCEPTIONS OF ONE'S GENDER, HOW ONE IDENTIFIES OR EXPRESSES ONESELF.
UM, CIS-GENDER I'M CIS-GENDER I WAS BORN MALE THAT'S WHAT WAS ASSIGNED TO MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE.
AND I IDENTIFY AS MALE TRANSGENDER REFERS TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHOSE CURRENT GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION DIFFERS FROM THE SEX THAT THEY WERE ASSIGNED WITH AT BIRTH AND GENDER EXPANSIVE IS A TERM THAT WE USE TO EXPRESS IDENTITY ALONG THE ENTIRE GENDER SPECTRUM THAT COULD INCLUDE GENDER QUEER, GENDER NON-CONFORMING NON-BINARY AGE, GENDER TO SPIRIT.
AND THEN FINALLY, PREP PREP IS A MEDICINE THAT PEOPLE TAKE AT RISK FOR HIV TO PREVENT FROM GETTING HIV FROM SEX OR INJECTION DRUG USE.
SO A LITTLE BACKGROUND, UH, AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THERE WAS NO, UH, OFFICIAL CITY-WIDE DATA COLLECTION EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY, UH, OFFICIALS.
AND THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT POINT OFFICIAL DEMOGRAPHIC DATA DEFINITIONS DO NOT TYPICALLY ACCOUNT FOR SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY.
THE TWIN PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES REALLY UNDERSCORED THE FUNDAMENTAL NEED TO RECONCEPTUALIZE THE MEANING OF COMMUNITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE AND OF SIGNIFICANT NOTE PEOPLE OF COLOR REPRESENTED 43% OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO COMPLETED THE SURVEY, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT DURING THE TIME OF WHEN THERE WAS GROWING MISTRUST OF GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS.
SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT.
UM, THE STUDY WAS CENTERED IN EQUITY.
UM, AND IT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THOSE UNDER REPRESENTED POPULATIONS.
SO WE HAD SPECIFIC FOCUS ON QUEER AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE OF COLOR AND GENDER EXPANSIVE INDIVIDUALS, LGBT YOUTH AND OLDER ADULTS.
UM, THIS WAS CONDUCTED DURING A PANDEMIC AND RACIAL UNREST.
AND SO THAT PRESENTED MANY CHALLENGES IN NORMAL RESEARCH.
WE WOULD DO A LOT OF THINGS IN PERSON.
AND SO WE HAD TO PIVOT, UM, AND OUR METHODOLOGY.
WE UTILIZE THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, DOMAINS OF QUALITY OF LIFE.
WE ADAPTED A FRAMEWORK THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
WE IDENTIFIED SEVEN OUTCOME DOMAINS, AND THAT WAS THROUGH COMMUNITY INPUT.
THEY DECIDED WHAT THOSE SEVEN DOMAINS WE WOULD FOCUS ON.
WE UTILIZED A MIXED METHODS, COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH APPROACH.
AND FOR OUR QUALITATIVE DATA, WE, UH, HAD 30 KEY STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS.
WE HELD TWO COMMUNITY TOWN HALLS THAT WERE VIRTUAL.
THEY WERE A TOTAL OF 150, A 52 PARTICIPANTS.
THERE WERE FOUR FOCUS GROUPS THAT CONSISTED OF 38 PARTICIPANTS THAT INCLUDED AFRICAN-AMERICAN ASIAN, AMERICAN, OLDER ADULTS AND TRANSGENDER AND GENDER EXPANSIVE INDIVIDUALS.
AND I WILL NOTE THAT, UM, UH, THE LATIN X COMMUNITY REPRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED THE OLDER ADULTS IN GENDER EXPANSIVE.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO CONDUCTED A POWER ANALYSIS AT THE VERY END OF THE REPORT.
YOU'LL SEE THE POWER ANALYSIS AS AN APPENDIX.
SO OUR QUANTITATIVE DATA INCLUDED 156 QUESTION ONLINE SURVEY.
[00:20:02]
COMPLETED RESPONSES.THE AVERAGE DURATION WAS 30 MINUTES AND IT WAS AVAILABLE IN PRINT AND IN THE THRESHOLD LANGUAGES.
SO IT WAS AVAILABLE ONLINE AND YOU COULD ALSO REQUEST A PRINT VERSION OF IT.
UM, THE, UH, RESPONSES, THE 2,149 REPRESENTED 89 ZIP CODES IN THESE FIVE COUNTIES.
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE LGBT POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES, TEXAS AND AUSTIN.
SO THE WILLIAMS INSTITUTE IS A THINK TANK OUT OF UCLA, AND THEY ESTIMATE THAT 4.5% OF THE TOTAL US POPULATION IS LGBT.
NOW IN TEXAS, THEY ESTIMATE THAT ONLY 4.1% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION IS ESTIMATED TO BE LGBT.
HOWEVER, IN A MARCH, 2021 STUDY, THEY LOOKED AT THE AUSTIN ROUNDROCK GEORGETOWN METROPOLITAN AREA, AND THEY FOUND THAT IT HAS A HIGHER DENSITY OF LGBT PEOPLE, WHICH IS ESTIMATED AT 5.9% OR 90,000 INDIVIDUALS.
AND THUS METRO AUSTIN IS HOME TO THE THIRD LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF LGBT PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY, AND THAT'S BEHIND THE BAY AREA AND PORTLAND.
SO WITH A TOTAL POPULATION OF ALMOST 2.3 MILLION IN THE GREATER AUSTIN AREA, BETWEEN A HUNDRED THOUSAND AND 118,000 ARE LGBT.
SO WE CAME UP WITH THE DEFINITION OF QUALITY FOR LIFE.
AND THIS WAS ALSO BASED ON THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION.
QUALITY OF LIFE IS THE GENERAL WELLBEING OF INDIVIDUALS IN SOCIETIES OUTLINING NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE FEATURES OF LIFE CONSISTS OF THE EXPECTATIONS OF AN INDIVIDUAL OR SOCIETY FOR A GOOD LIFE.
AND THESE EXPECTATIONS ARE GUIDED BY THE VALUES GOALS AND SOCIAL CULTURAL CONTEXT IN WHICH WE LIVE.
THESE ARE THE DOMAINS THAT WERE SELECTED FOR THE FOCUS OF THE STUDY.
SO COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND WORK, EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY AND ACCESS, HEALTH, HOUSING, PERSONAL SAFETY, AND SOCIAL AND PUBLIC SERVICES AND BENEFITS.
AND OUT OF THAT, WE CREATED NOT WORKING.
CAN YOU HIT NEXT FOR ME? THERE WE GO.
WE DEVELOPED OUR A RAINBOW OF, UM, OUTCOMES.
AND SO, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS DIAGRAM, UH, WE, UH, PROVIDE A DEFINITION FOR EACH OF THE DOMAINS THAT WE WORKED ON AND THEN WORKED WITH OUR, UH, UM, RESEARCH ADVISORY BOARD TO DESCRIBE WHAT A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IS.
SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, SOCIAL COHESION, AND COLLECTIVE ACTION.
ALL OF THAT LEADS TO THE RESIDENTS, THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENT, WHICH IN THE MIDDLE ARE THE GIFTS, DREAMS, AND CONCERNS OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY.
SO THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, THIS WAS A REALLY IMPRESSIVE RESPONSE.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT 43% OF PEOPLE OF COLOR PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THE GRAPHS, THERE WAS EQUAL DISPERSION OF DIFFERENT GENDER IDENTITIES, AS WELL AS SEXUAL ORIENTATION OF ALL THE RESPONDENTS.
WHAT WAS INTERESTING WAS THAT, UH, 9% OF THE INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED AS INTERSEX AND, UM, MOST POPULATION AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ESTIMATES THAT ABOUT 2% OF THE WORLD IS INTERSECT.
SO THERE WAS A HIGH PARTICIPATION OF INTERSEX INDIVIDUALS IN THIS STUDY.
SO THESE ARE THE KEY THEMES, AND I ALWAYS WANT TO START WITH THE THINGS THAT ARE POSITIVE ABOUT, UM, THE COMMUNITY HERE IT'S VIBRANT.
SO WE ESTIMATE IT TO BE ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO 118,000 INDIVIDUALS, UM, WITH MANY INFLUENTIAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES THAT I'M SURE YOU ALL ARE VERY AWARE OF.
UM, THE STUDY FOUND THAT THERE IS A HIGH DEGREE OF ACCEPTANCE BY CHOSEN FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
TWO THIRDS OF THE SURVEY, RESPONDENTS INDICATED A HIGH SATISFACTION OF OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND THREE QUARTERS, WHICH IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE FILLED THEIR LIFE IS MEANINGFUL.
THERE IS A GREAT DESIRE AND NEED FOR A COMMUNITY CENTER LED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT PROVIDES A SAFE SPACE FOR
[00:25:01]
PEOPLE TO CONVENE WITH THEIR CHOSEN FAMILY.THESE ARE, UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE LOOKED AT, UM, SOCIETAL STRESSORS, STRUCTURAL RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
HALF REPORTED A DIAGNOSIS OF NEURODIVERGENCE.
SO ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, PTSD, ADHD, THERE'S INCREASED LIVING AND HOUSING COSTS ARE A CONCERN, GENTRIFICATION AND POOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, ALSO IMPACT QUALITY OF LIFE AND DRIVE.
SO RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES, FOUR OF FIVE RESPONDENTS BELIEVE RACISM IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
HALF KNEW SOMEONE IN AUSTIN WHO EXPERIENCED A PHYSICAL THREAT OR ATTACK AND HALF REPORTED EXPERIENCING VERBAL ABUSE OR HARASSMENT IN AUSTIN BECAUSE THEY'RE LGBTQ PLUS IT'S CHALLENGING FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY HERE IN THE ORGANIZATIONS TO BRIDGE RACIAL AND SOCIAL ECONOMIC SOCIOECONOMIC DIVIDES THAT ARE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO THERE WAS RECOGNITION, UH, AND A NEED TO ADDRESS RACISM WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE QUEER COMMUNITY WITH MORE THOUGHT AND ATTENTION, IT WAS NOTED THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS US VERSUS THEM, A NEED TO LIFT AND INVEST IN SMALLER AND LESS INFLUENTIAL ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THAT WAS THROUGH OUR POWER ANALYSIS THAT PROVIDE US SERVICES EXCLUSIVELY ON BEHALF OF QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR.
THERE'S A NEED FOR MORE INTENTIONAL ENGAGEMENT OF QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR AND TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS IN COMMUNITY BUILDING AND ORGANIZING THERE.
UM, ANOTHER THEME THAT AROSE THERE'S A NEED FOR HIGH QUALITY AFFORDABLE, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE, INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE.
AND OUR QUESTIONS IN THE SURVEY, UM, INCLUDED SEXUAL HEALTH, EMOTIONAL HEALTH, AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.
MOST RESPONDENTS REPORTED WORRYING ABOUT THEIR HEALTH.
THERE'S A NEED FOR MORE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AND GENDER AFFIRMING PROVIDERS.
41% OF THE RESPONDENTS DID NOT SHARE THEIR LGBT IDENTITY WITH THEIR PROVIDER.
IT WAS KIND OF ASTOUNDING TO FIND THAT 41% AREN'T EVEN OUT TO THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER.
19% OF THE RESPONDENTS HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF PREP AND THERE'S A NEED FOR MORE HEALTH EDUCATION AND INCREASED HEALTH LITERACY, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY AND A NEED FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES.
THIS IS A REALLY ALARMING OF 114 RESPONDENTS WHO INDICATED THEY HAD INJECTED DRUGS, 80% OF THOSE SHARED NEEDLES OR INJECTION EQUIPMENT.
AND WE KNOW THAT HIV AND HEPATITIS C AND, UH, CAN BE TRANSMITTED, UM, WITH, UH, NEEDLES, 12%.
ANOTHER ALARMING STATISTIC OF RESPONDENTS HAD THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE, PERSONAL SAFETY AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE ARE ALSO ISSUES HIGHLIGHTED, WHICH ARE A CONCERN.
UH, SO PERSONAL SAFETY, ONLY 6% INDICATED A HIGH DEGREE OF ACCEPTANCE IN SCHOOLS.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ABUSE ARE PREVALENT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
ONE MORE CLICK IT, THERE WE GO.
NEARLY HALF EXPERIENCED VERBAL ABUSE OR HARASSMENT FROM STRANGERS AND QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR YOUTH AND TRANSGENDER AGENDER EXPANSIVE INDIVIDUALS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY HAD EXPERIENCED NEGATIVE INTERACTIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
41% ARE SOMEWHAT UNCOMFORTABLE OR VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SEEKING HELP FROM THE POLICE COMMUNITY MEMBERS SEEK AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ECONOMIC STABILITY, ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND EQUAL RIGHTS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY RANKED AS THE MOST IMPORTANT AREAS OF CONCERN.
TWO THIRDS REPORT SPENDING 30% OR MORE OF THEIR MONTHLY INCOME ON HOUSING AND 17% REPORT SPENDING MORE THAN 50% OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING, 10% REPORTED CURRENTLY BEING, OR HAVING EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS AND OVER HALF REPORTED, SOME LEVEL OF FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY, 11% EXPERIENCED, SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES WHEN COMPLETING THE SURVEY.
UM, THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT, UM, UH, FINDING, UM, PROTECTING TRANSGENDER AND GENDER EXPANSIVE.
PEOPLE FROM DISCRIMINATION AND HIRING AND AT WORK WAS RANKED
[00:30:01]
AS THE MOST IMPORTANT POLICY PRIORITY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.SO THERE ARE A SEGMENT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE SYSTEMICALLY MORE EFFECTED BY SOCIAL STRESS, STRESSORS, RACISM, LACK OF SAFETY, ECONOMIC INSECURITY, AND LACK OF ACCESS, QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR, YOUTH AND TRANSGENDER GENDER EXPANSIVE INDIVIDUALS HAVE GREATER DISPARITIES, TRANSGENDER PEOPLE OF COLOR EXPERIENCE, THE HIGHEST BURDEN OF THAT DISPARITY.
SO WE CAME UP WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND, UH, AS MENTIONED, THEY DO ALIGN WITH THE CITY'S, UH, STRATEGIC DIRECTION IN THE PLAN IN THE, UM, IN THE REPORT, EACH RECOMMENDATION ACTUALLY LISTS THE SPECIFIC STRATEGIES, UM, THAT THAT ARE IN ALIGNMENT.
SO OUR OVERALL RECOMMENDATIONS, NUMBER ONE, ENHANCED SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY, UM, DATA COLLECTION DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES, AND CREATE A PIPELINE OF CULTURALLY COMPETENT PROVIDERS WHO REFLECT THE COMMUNITY LEAD WITH ANTI-RACIST POLICIES, INVESTMENTS, AND STRATEGIES, BOLSTER SUPPORT FOR QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR PRIORITIZE THE NEEDS OF TRANSGENDER AND GENDER EXPANSIVE INDIVIDUALS AND INVEST IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN LGBTQ COMMUNITY CENTER IN AUSTIN.
THERE ARE 314 COMMUNITY CENTERS IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE, UH, URL THERE IS THE, UM, LGBT CENTERS ASSOCIATION.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW PICTURES.
SO HOUSTON, DALLAS, TULSA, UM, AND THEN LOS ANGELES, WHICH IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE DIFFERENT DOMAINS, THERE'S SOME KEY RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, SO FOR DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION CAN, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO CENTER EQUITY IN ALL POLICY AND FINANCIAL RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS AND BE INCLUSIVE OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY, CONTINUE TO PROVIDE REPRESENTATION AND VISIBILITY OF PEOPLE OF COLOR WITHIN CITY, GOVERNMENT, AND ENFORCE AND HOLD AGENCIES ACCOUNTABLE TO THE MAYOR'S MANDATED TRAINING, UNDOING RACISM FOR COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, INVESTING IN A CULTURAL CENTER AND CULTURAL DISTRICT THAT IS INCLUSIVE OF COMMUNITY SECTORS EMPOWER AND PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR THE, UM, LGBTQ COMMISSION TO BRING IN CONVENE LGBT ORGANIZATIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER IN WORKSHOPS AND TOWN HALLS.
WE HEARD THAT THE CONSTITUENTS THAT WE INTERVIEWED EITHER IF THEY WERE IN THE FOCUS GROUP, OR IF THEY WERE PART OF OUR KEY STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS, THEY WERE REALLY DELIGHTED TO BE ASKED TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING.
AND SO THAT KIND OF MOMENTUM COULD CONTINUE FORM A TRANSGENDER AND GENDER EXPANSIVE COUNCIL THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY PROVIDE LOW COST LOANS OR GRANTS TO LGBT ENTREPRENEURS INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE TO A WAGE WHERE ALL PEOPLE I WILL SAY CAN NOT ONLY SURVIVE, BUT THRIVE AND ENACT EMPLOYMENT.
NON-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCES WITH REALLY STRONG, CLEAR PENALTIES AND ROBUST ENFORCEMENT FOR THOSE VIOLATIONS FOR HEALTH FUND, TRANSGENDER HEALTH CARE THAT IS ACCESSIBLE, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUTH AND PRIORITIZE AND REALLY ALIGN YOUR POLICIES WITH THE HIV PLANNING, COUNCILS, INTEGRATED HIV PREVENTION AND CARE PLAN.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE WE SAW THE HIGH NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS AND HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES THAT NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED AND DEVELOP A PIPELINE, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE INTERNSHIPS, UM, AND ESTABLISHED FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO REALLY ATTRACT LGBTQ PLUS ASIAN, BLACK AND HISPANIC HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN HOUSING.
UH, YOU HAVE, I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD THIS IN MANY OF YOUR MEETINGS INCREASE IN AWARENESS AND ACCESS TO RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. UM, CREATE A PLAN THAT SUPPORTS AND INVESTS IN DEVELOPING HOUSING, UM, INVENTORY AND PROTECTS AND INCENTIVIZES BLACK AND HISPANIC OWNED BUSINESSES INVESTIGATE AND REVIEW ALL CONTRACTS TO LONG-TERM USE OF PUBLIC LAND, INVEST IN THE BUILDING OF LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING AND DIVESTING FROM LUXURY
[00:35:01]
DEVELOPMENTS.AND AGAIN, ENFORCE HOUSING NON-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCES WITH STRONGER PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND THEN FOR SAFETY, UM, CHANGING POLICY AND FOCUSING ON MODELS, UM, UH, THAT PROVIDE A BROADER RANGE OF SOCIAL RESPONSE, CREATE A CADRE OF COMMUNITY LIAISONS FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY BLACK, LATINO, ASIAN, AND OTHER SUBPOPULATIONS MANDATE, ONGOING LGBT CULTURAL COMPETENCY TRAINING THAT ADDRESSES STIGMA, IMPLICIT BIAS AND RACISM FOR A P D AND ALL PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL.
THIS IS SOMETHING THE CITY CAN DO IS ADVOCATE FOR A STATE LAW THAT WOULD BAN THE USE OF THE GAY PANIC OR TRANS PANIC DEFENSES.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.
I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING OVER, UH, COLLEAGUES, UH, QUESTIONS ON THE, UH, ON THE PRESENTATION COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN, UH, YET SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS WORK.
IT'S, IT'S, UM, VERY HELPFUL AND, AND ALONG OVERDUE.
UM, SO A QUESTION THAT I HAVE YOU'VE MENTIONED, UM, WELL, I'M JUST CURIOUS, I'M THINKING ABOUT THE DATA COLLECTION YOU HAD MENTIONED.
UM, I THINK IT WAS 10% OF FOLKS HAD BEEN HOMELESS AT ONE POINT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT THIS AND MAYBE COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO WOULD KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT I'M CURIOUS WHETHER OUR ECHO DASHBOARD, UM, CAPTURES, UH, DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND INFORMATION, UH, RELATED TO, UM, TO GENDER IN THIS WAY.
DO YOU KNOW
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT DATA COLLECTION EFFORT IS.
I DON'T KNOW IF SOGI IS SO G IS INCLUDED IN THAT.
YEAH, THE, THE DATA COLLECTION, UH, ECHO IS OUR, UH, COMMUNITY, UM, UH, COLLABORATIVE THAT, UM, THAT IT'S CHARGED WITH TRACKING INFORMATION RELATED TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND SERVICES PROVIDED TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
AND THEY'VE GOT A DASHBOARD AND THEY, UH, COLLECT DATA SO THAT YOU COULD STRATIFY, UM, HOW WE'RE DOING AS A COMMUNITY ALONG DIFFERENT LINES AND DIFFERENT POPULATIONS THAT WE'RE SERVING.
SO, UM, SO I WILL DO SOME CHECKING ON THAT UNLESS COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO ALREADY KNOWS, I THINK THE ANSWER IS YES.
AND I THINK THEY COLLECT SOME OF THAT DATA, UM, AS PART OF THE POINT IN TIME COUNT TOO.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO DOUBLE CHECK MY MEMORY BY LOOKING AT THEIR SITE, BUT I, I BELIEVE SOME LEVEL OF THAT IS, IS DEFINITELY COLLECTED IN THE POINT IN TIME DATA, AS WELL AS DONNA, IT JUST SEEMED LIKE A, THE 10% SEEMED LIKE A VERY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.
AND SO WE WOULD WANT TO CIRCLE BACK AROUND ON, UM, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SERVICES FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT ANY UNIQUE NEEDS THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF.
SO GOD'S ARMOR COSARA THEN COUNCIL MEMBER WENT THIS, THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION.
THIS ROBIN'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN AFTER GETTING TO CELEBRATE YESTERDAY, THANKS TO YOUR WORK.
I ALSO APPRECIATE SO MUCH WHAT OUR COMMISSION DID.
THANK YOU, NEIL, FOR KEEPING THIS ON TRACK, AND I'M JUST REALLY IMPRESSED BY THE WORK THAT YOU WILL HAVE DONE.
IT'S REALLY CLEAR TO ME THAT YOU GOT SUCH A WIDE SWATH OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT REALLY FOCUSED IN ON THE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED OUR SUPPORT.
THE MOST AS A CITY HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND THE MOST.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE TOO OFTEN, UH, ISSUES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY OR ISSUES IN EAST AUSTIN AS IF THOSE ARE SEPARATE ISSUES, WHEN THEY SO CLEARLY ARE THE SAME ISSUE, WHEN YOU GO AND TALK TO PEOPLE.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY CLEAR, YOU SPOKE WITH PEOPLE EXTENSIVELY.
IT GOES TO SHOW THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
IF THEY WANT TO DO A WHOLE 30 MINUTE SURVEY WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU BROUGHT LEADERSHIP FROM OUR QUEER COMMUNITY OF COLOR FOLKS LIKE KB AND ROCKY AND OTHER GREAT PEOPLE THAT SERVED.
AND I THINK THAT, THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE STUDY BECAUSE I THINK IT, IT TALKS ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES WE TALK ABOUT HERE, BUT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, THAT MEAN WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT GENTRIFICATION, UNLESS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT QUEER ISSUES.
WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT POLICE REFORM, UNLESS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE ISSUES.
WE CAN'T END HOMELESSNESS UNLESS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FOLKS WHO ARE LGBT, UH, LIVING ON THE STREETS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS REPORT REALLY CENTERS THAT, SO I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO TODAY, BUT I THINK THAT THIS, UH, WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED, UM, SURPASSES MY EXPECTATIONS AND PUTS A REAL
[00:40:01]
CALL TO ACTION FOR OUR WORK.UH, ONE THING I ALSO WANT TO RAISE FOR THE MANAGER STAFF AND FOR COUNSEL'S ATTENTION IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WAS RAISED IS ABOUT WORKERS RIGHTS.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS SOON OUR NEW CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD, UH, ORDINANCES TO STRENGTHEN OUR ENFORCEMENT OF THOSE NON-DISCRIMINATION RULES, UH, IN HOUSING AND AT THE WORKPLACE.
BUT I THINK THE FOCUS THAT WE ARE HEARING FROM OUR COMMUNITY THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT FORWARD HERE IS JUST REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO I JUST REALLY WANT TO SAY, SAY, THANKS FOR LOOKING AT THIS IN AN INTERSECTIONAL WAY.
AND I KNOW IT WAS YOU, BUT ALSO OUR COMMISSIONERS AND OUR COMMUNITY THAT, THAT IT WAS A GROUP EFFORT.
AND WE WERE HONORED TO BE THE FACILITATORS OF THAT.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING I WILL SAY IS, YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN GET THESE RFPS TO DO, UM, EITHER HEALTH OR QUALITY OF LIFE STUDIES FROM PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS OR, UM, HEALTH CARE CONSORTIA.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME WHERE WE SAW A CITY MUNICIPALITY PUT OUT AN RFP TO STUDY A MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY, UM, WITH CENTERING EQUITY.
IT WAS REALLY QUITE GROUNDBREAKING.
YOU ALL SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS STUDY REPLICATED IN OTHER CITIES OF SIMILAR SIZE AND DOWN THE ROAD, DO SOME COMPARISONS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, HAVING THE SOJI DATA IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND SO ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD DO TO KIND OF MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOUR DATA ACQUISITION INCLUDES SOJI, UM, WILL ONLY PROVE TO, UH, BE ABLE TO DO BETTER RESEARCH IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT WAS AN HONOR TO INCLUDE SUCH A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE.
I MEAN, JUST IN REFLECTION OF OUR YEARS AND TIME HERE, WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, OR WE TALK ABOUT FAMILY VIOLENCE AND, AND, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY, WE KNOW THOSE ARE SO IMPORTANT IN THE LGBT COMMUNITY TO BE ADDRESSED, BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THEM AS THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE HITTING THEIR, THE HARDEST.
UM, AND, AND YOU'RE A REMINDER TO US THAT THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON AND THAT WE SHOULD KEEP THAT IN OUR DATA IN OUR MINDS, I THINK WILL, WILL SERVE AS WELL.
SO I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY THAT WORKED ON THE THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO ECHO WHAT MY COLLEAGUE
I SO APPRECIATE YOUR WORK BECAUSE IT HIGHLIGHTS HOW INTERSECTIONAL OUR ISSUES ARE AND THAT HOW WE AS LEADERS OF THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY, AS WE STRIVE TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES, THEY ARE EXTREMELY INTERSECTIONAL AMONGST OUR MOST MARGINALIZED AND VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
AND SO IT'S VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF STUDY AVAILABLE TO US AS POLICYMAKERS.
AND IT REALLY IS A STARTING POINT.
YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE WAY YOU'VE LAID OUT THE KEY FINDINGS.
UM, SOME WERE VERY ALARMING, UM, BUT THEN ALSO HOW YOU, UM, LAID OUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO I'M PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL POSSIBILITY OF BRINGING A COMMUNITY CENTER TO AUSTIN AND JOINING THE RANKS OF OTHER BIG CITIES WHO HAVE INVESTED IN THAT TYPE OF COMMITMENT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WANTED TO, TO SHARE OR TO KNOW THE, THE FINDING OF HOW, UM, RACISM IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
AND CERTAINLY I KNOW THAT THROUGH THE WORK THAT I'VE DONE IN THE PAST PREVIOUSLY, AND WITH MY WORK ON COUNCIL, I BELIEVE, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM HARBOR MADISON, YOU BROUGHT THAT RESOLUTION FORWARD.
AND I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF GREAT WORK AND LEADING ON THAT FRONT.
UM, SO ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU PROVIDED WAS, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING INCENTIVES OR LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE BEST IMPROVE OR DEVELOP A PIPELINE OF CULTURALLY COMPETENT PROVIDERS.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO WHAT TYPE OF PROGRAMS OR INCENTIVES HAVE YOU SEEN, UM, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES OR OTHER COMMUNITIES TAKE ON? YEAH.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE UNIVERSITIES ARE REALLY THE, UH, UH, AND ESPECIALLY YOU'VE GOT DELL MEDICAL UNIVERSITY HERE, UM, OF, OF REALLY WHEN THEY GRADUATE, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFICULTY IS KEEPING THEM HERE, RIGHT? AND SO CREATING INCENTIVES FOR A QUEER PERSON OF COLOR, WHO'S GRADUATING WITH A MEDICAL DEGREE TO STAY IN AUSTIN AND BE OF SERVICED IN AUSTIN.
SO SOME KIND OF INCENTIVE AROUND THAT, UM, WHETHER IT'S LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM OR, UM, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL COMPENSATION, BUT WHAT WE REALLY CLEARLY HEARD, AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR OUR ASIAN, UH, TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS.
THERE'S NOT A PROVIDER THAT REFLECTS THEM IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE HEARD THAT PEOPLE WERE GOING TO HOUSTON FOR HEALTHCARE.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT I THINK A CITY COULD DO TO REALLY INFLUENCE, UM, A PIPELINE
[00:45:01]
THAT, UM, WOULD BE A BENEFIT.THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A PATIENT AND THE PROVIDER IS SO IMPORTANT, SO CRITICAL, UM, TO ADDRESS THE HEALTH DISPARITIES AND LONGSTANDING ISSUES.
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT FEEDBACK AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK TO BRING THE SITE TOGETHER TO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A FEW YEARS BACK, UH, I THINK, UH, 2015 GOING INTO 2016, UH, WHEN, UM, I TOGETHER WITH, UH, WITH COLLEAGUES ISSUED THE FIRST CALL TO, TO CREATE A COMMISSION, UH, TO ELEVATE THE STATUS OF THE ATTENTION, RECOGNIZING THAT YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T ACTUALLY ADDRESS CHALLENGES THAT YOU AREN'T DEFINING.
AND IF IT'S NOT STATED, AND IT'S NOT THERE, THEN, THEN IT NEVER SEEMS TO, TO, TO, TO GET, TO GET ADDRESSED, UM, UH, APPRECIATIVE AND SUSCEPTIVE SIDES OF THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLATTING IN COULD MAKE THE MOTION TO, TO, TO CREATE IT, WHICH WAS, WHICH WAS GREAT.
UH, AND THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION SINCE THEN ON SO MANY ISSUES HAS BEEN APPRECIATED.
THIS IS, THIS IS LIKE THE CRESCENDO OF A LOT OF EFFORTS IN A LONG TIME AND IN CALMING.
UM, AND THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE GOING RIGHT IN THIS CITY RIGHT NOW, AND ECONOMY THAT'S OFF THE CHART.
AND SO MANY PEOPLE WANNA LIVE HERE, MAYBE TOO MANY PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE HERE AND BUSINESSES.
AND, UH, TWO, TWO OBSERVATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
THE FIRST IS THAT THIS IS A MAGICAL COMMUNITY, I THINK.
AND, AND WE WERE EARLY AMONG THE FOLKS TO SCORE REALLY HIGH IN THE INDICES THAT MEASURED COMMUNITIES, UH, UH, NOT ONLY ACCEPTANCE AND, UH, BUT, BUT, BUT RESPECT FOR PEOPLE, UH, ALL PEOPLES THAT, THAT LIVE IN, IN, UH, IN A COMMUNITY.
UM, WHEN I, WHEN I SEE THE REPORT HERE, THIS IS REPLETE WITH SO MANY THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING DOING BETTER, BUT JUST TO TAKE A PAUSE FOR A SECOND TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS STILL A VERY SPECIAL PLACE, OR WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE THIRD HIGHEST, UM, UH, POPULATION PER CAPITA, UH, QUEER POPULATION OF CAPITA IN OUR CITY.
UH, IF THIS WASN'T, UH, A WELCOMING, A GOOD PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME.
SO JUST TO CELEBRATE THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S YOUR EXPERIENCE AS YOU'VE BEEN GOING AROUND TO DIFFERENT CITIES TO SEE THINGS IT IS.
AND, UH, AUSTIN IS UNIQUE IN THAT REGARD AND YOU ALL HAVE A VERY SPECIAL, UM, OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO NURTURE AND, AND CHERISH THE COMMUNITY, SUPPORT THEM, BUT ALSO TAKE A MOMENT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY WHO STILL ARE EXPERIENCING DISPARITY, AND YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON LIFTING THEM SO THAT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY GETS LIFTED.
A COMMUNITY CENTER CAN REALLY DO THAT BECAUSE IT JUST BRINGS TOGETHER OLDER ADULTS AND YOUTH WHO CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, UM, AND, AND FEEL IDENTIFIED YESTERDAY, THE, UM, THE CEREMONY WITH THE CROSSWALK.
SO EMPOWERING, ESPECIALLY FOR A YOUNG KID WHO SEES THAT AND GOES, OH, I'M REPRESENTED.
I FEEL A PART OF MYSELF IN THE CITY.
I WAS THE CEO OF THE TREVOR PROJECT AND NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE FOR LGBTQ YOUTH.
AND, UM, THAT WAS A TOUGH JOB.
I WAS THERE FIVE YEARS AND HEARING THE DESPONDENT VOICES OF YOUTH THAT WANTED TO TAKE THEIR LIVES AND HAVING TO SPEAK WITH MOTHERS AND FATHERS WHO LOST THEIR KIDS TO SUICIDE.
UM, GET A LITTLE EMOTIONAL HERE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M AN OUT GAY MAN.
CIS-GENDER, I'M ALSO HIV POSITIVE.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT MARRIAGE EQUALITY AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS WOULD CHANGE, BUT THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE.
AND I REALLY APPLAUD YOU ALL FOR TAKING A STAND FOR LIFTING THOSE VOICES FOR, INCLUDING THEM AND BEING A CITY THAT REALLY SHOWS YOUR TRUE COLORS, ALL KINDS OF COLORS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND THAT I THINK IS THE SECOND HALF OF THE POINT, THE FIRST ONE IS THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS GOING WELL, AND THIS IS A COMMUNITY THAT IS DOING A LOT OF THINGS, RIGHT.
BUT BECAUSE OF THOSE THINGS, WE ARE IN A POSITION TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON THE DISPARITIES THAT EXIST AND ON THE CHALLENGES THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE.
AND IT'S, AND IT'S AN ABILITY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT HAVING TO DEAL WITH LARGE SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THE BIG CRIME ISSUE RELATIVE TO OTHER CITIES OR THE UNEMPLOYMENT ISSUE THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE THAT THEY NEED TO FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON.
WE GET TO DO, WE GET TO ACTUALLY FOCUS ON THINGS THAT ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
AND FOR US, THE DISPARITIES THAT EXIST, THE PEOPLE
[00:50:01]
IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE NOT ENJOYING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS ARE IN THERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THEN BECOMES OUR MOST IMMEDIATE CHARGE.AND, AND YOU CERTAINLY HAVE LAID OUT HERE, A LOT OF THINGS FOR US TO, TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON.
AND I, I, UH, WELCOME THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND THEN, UH, COUNSELOR TOPO, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
UH, I, I'VE SEEN, UH, LIVING HERE IN AUSTIN AND I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE FAMILIES THAT, UH, WHEN THEY PERSON COMES OUT AND OPENS UP TO THEM, SOME OF THE PARENTS KICK THEIR KIDS OUT, DO THERE, IS THERE AN AREA OR A PLACE HERE IN AUSTIN WHERE THESE YOUNG KIDS CAN ACTUALLY GO TO AND YOU CAN GET SOME WELL OUT YOUTH IS YOUR YOUTH PROVIDING ORGANIZATION.
AND THEY TRY TO CONNECT YOUTH IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE TO HOUSING RESOURCES.
A LOT OF THESE KIDS ARE COUCH SURFING OR, OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES UNFORTUNATELY WORKING IN THE STREETS.
UM, BUT OUT YOUTH IS THE, THAT CRITICAL ORGANIZATION THAT CAN BE A LIFELINE.
AND I NOTICED THAT ON ONE OF THE PICTURES THERE THAT YOU, UH, ON THOSE CENTERS, THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF LA OFFICE, IT WAS LIKE A 60 STORY BUILDING.
THERE ARE THOSE ACTUALLY ROOMS WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY GO IN AND YEAH, AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU LOOK AT THE SOUTHWEST CENTER FOR HIV IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA.
WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS THEY HAVE A LARGE SPACE WHERE HALF OF THE BUILDING ARE OFF, UM, PHYSICAL OFFICES FOR THE DIFFERENT LGBT ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THE CHORUS, THE GAY CHORUS, THE YOUTH ORGANIZATION, UM, I THINK THERE'S SIX DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THEN THEY HAVE THE LARGE COMMUNITY SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND DO, UM, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL GROUPS OR LARGE CONVENINGS TOWN HALLS.
THAT KIND OF MODEL IS REALLY GREAT BECAUSE IT BRINGS TO, IT PROVIDES A GREAT, UM, INCENTIVE FOR A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION TO GET A REALLY GOOD SPACE AND BE VISIBLE.
AND IT ALLOWS THEM TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE LARGER SPACE, WHICH MANY OF THEM DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO.
I THINK YOU HEAR THAT IN A WORD.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, SOUTHWEST CENTER FOR HIV.
UM, THANKS FOR THIS, THIS REPORT.
THIS IS REALLY, IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THIS LEVEL OF DATA COLLECTION AND ASSESSMENT, AND ALSO THE LIST OF NEXT STEPS, WHICH ARE REALLY INTERESTING.
I THINK MAYOR YOU AND I WERE ACROSS THE STREET AT THE W UM, WHEN THERE WAS KIND OF A, A COMMUNITY-WIDE DISCUSSION THAT, THAT GAVE RISE TO THE RECOMMENDATION TO FORM A COMMISSION.
AND SO I'M REALLY, IT IS REALLY GREAT TO THINK BACK TO THAT CONVERSATION AND TO SEE THIS WORK TODAY AND KNOW JUST HOW VALUABLE OUR COMMISSION HAS, HAS BECOME AND, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN THE FUTURE.
I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND I WONDERED IF YOU COULD GIVE US AN ASSESSMENT OF HOW DIFFERENT COMMUNITY CENTERS ARE FUNDED.
ARE THEY, UM, JUST IN LOOKING OVER THAT WEBSITE THAT YOU SHOWED US, IT WASN'T CLEAR, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT GOING TO EACH INDIVIDUAL ONE HOW THEY'RE FUNDED AND KIND OF WHO, WHO CREATED THEM.
SO I WONDERED IF YOU COULD GIVE US AN ASSESSMENT IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
YOU HAD ONE FROM HOUSTON, IS THAT THE MANTRA CENTER, CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO MAYBE JUST STARTING WITH THE ONE THAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED IN PHOENIX, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY INTERESTING MODEL AND THEN THE MANTRA CENTER, AND THEN THE ONE IN DALLAS, UM, HOW ARE THOSE FUNDED, HOW ARE JUST IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, HOW ARE THEY TYPICALLY FUNDED AND, AND WHO ARE FINANCIAL PARTNERS? PHOENIX IS A LITTLE UNIQUE BECAUSE THE BUILDING WAS DONATED.
IT WAS A LARGE WAREHOUSE SPACE WAS DONATED BY A INDIVIDUAL PHILANTHROPIST.
BUT WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS BY CREATING THE DIFFERENT OFFICES, THEY'RE PAYING RENT FOR THE SPACE.
AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, UM, IT'S A COLLECTIVE OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, SO THEY HAVE A SEPARATE 5 0 1 C3 AS A COLLECTIVE, JUST FOR OPERATING THE COMMUNITY SPACE.
THE LEAD ORGANIZATION IS THE HIV PROVIDER.
UM, MANY, MOST OF THE, IN THAT MODEL, NO MUNICIPAL PARTICIPATION.
UM, THEY DO GET, THEY DO RECEIVE CITY FUNDING, BUT IT'S USUALLY THROUGH GRANTS FOR SPECIFIC PROGRAMS, RIGHT? YEAH.
UM, I, UH, THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, AND SO THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE 5 0 1 C3 ORGANIZATIONS THAT START UP AS A FOCUS FOR BEING AN LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND THEN THEY GET A MIX OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDS TO FUND THEM PRIMARILY
[00:55:01]
PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING, WHICH IS REALLY DIFFICULT.AND THEN THEY, YOU KNOW, TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY, TRY TO NEGOTIATE TO GET CONTRACTS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR THROUGH THE CITY, UH, TO OPERATE THEIR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
SO THERE'S JUST A MYRIAD OF WAYS IN WHICH, UH, OUR, UH, UH, CENTER COULD BE ESTABLISHED.
CAN YOU TELL US JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MANTRA CENTER AND THE CENTER IN HOUSTON, A RANGE OF PROGRAMS AND VERY EXTENSIVE, A LOT OF HEALTH PROGRAMS, TRANSGENDER HEALTH PROGRAMS, THEY PROVIDE PRIMARY CARE SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES.
YOU CAN SEE A MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST THERE, A LOT OF SOCIAL CONNECTION PROGRAMS, SO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ACTIVITIES, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, SEXUAL HEALTH PREVENTION EFFORTS.
I KNOW THERE, UM, ONCE OR TWICE, I THINK THERE'VE BEEN CONVERSATIONS, UM, ON COUNCIL ABOUT COMMUNITY CENTERS.
THAT'D BE REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING THIS IDEA MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING ONE AND I APPRECIATE YOU DESCRIBING HOW, AT LEAST THE ONES YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, HOW THEY ARISE AND, AND KIND OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE CITY.
IT DOES SOUND LIKE THE NONPROFIT, THE NONPROFIT FORMATION AND, AND, UM, COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROCESSES REALLY IS REALLY THAT KIND OF THE BEST PATH TO SUCCESS.
AND YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE THAT THE CITY CAN, I MEAN, IF THERE IS CITY PROPERTY THAT THAT COULD BE REPURPOSED WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT START.
I THINK WE HAVE ABOUT SIX MINUTES LEFT BEFORE HE GETS A WHISKS WITH UP TO THE AIRPORT.
WELL, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TOOK THE LAST ONE OF MY QUESTIONS, WHICH WAS ABOUT THE MODELS OF FUNDING FOR THE CENTER.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, THAT WAS USEFUL INFORMATION.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT HAS TO DO WITH REPRESENTATION.
UM, THE CREATION OF THE COMMISSION ITSELF WAS ONE OF THE FIRST VOTES I TOOK ON COUNCIL.
UM, AND I'M PART OF A, A PROJECT, AN APPOINTMENT PROJECT WITH UNITED, WE WITH MAYOR PRO TEM AND THE MAYOR, UM, TO TRY AND HAVE MORE WOMEN ON OUR COMMISSIONS.
UM, AND I'M, AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU LOOKED AT ALL AT THE REPRESENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OR, OR, OR WHATNOT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UM, BY THE WAY, IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, WE HAD AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF CIS-GENDER MEN AND CIS-GENDER WOMEN FILLING OUT THE SURVEY.
SO THAT WAS REALLY GOOD TO SEE.
UM, UH, THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ABOUT THE MAKEUP AND THE MEMBERSHIP.
UM, I KNOW THAT THROUGH THE INTERVIEWS THAT WE DID WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AS WELL AS THE RESEARCH ADVISORY BOARD THAT WE PUT TOGETHER, WHICH AGAIN, PRIMARILY PEOPLE OF COLOR, PEOPLE WHO EXPRESSED DIFFERENT GENDERS OR NON-GENDER, UM, ARE VERY INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE REALLY WILLING TO, AND WANTING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK YOU CAN FIND THEM.
UM, I WAS ALSO STRUCK BY THE SECTION ON, ON SAFETY.
UM, AND, AND I THINK IT'S WORTH NOTING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID AGAIN, AND I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THEM.
SO HALF KNEW SOMEONE IN AUSTIN WHO EXPERIENCED A PHYSICAL THREAT OR ATTACK AND HALF REPORTED EXPERIENCING VERBAL ABUSE OR HARASSMENT IN AUSTIN, BECAUSE THEY'RE LGBTQ PLUS, WE ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR, YOUTH AND TRANSGENDER, UM, GENDER EXPANSIVE INDIVIDUALS, DISPROPORTIONATELY EXPERIENCED NEGATIVE INTERACTIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
41% ARE SOMEWHAT UNCOMFORTABLE OR VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SEEKING HELP FROM POLICE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE PRETTY STRONG STATEMENTS AND LARGE NUMBERS, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY SPEAK TO SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE US THINKING ABOUT HOW TO RE-IMAGINE, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY SO THAT EVERYONE IN AUSTIN CAN BE SAFE.
UM, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU LEARNED THROUGH THE SURVEY OR WHAT THE SURVEY REVEALS ON THAT AND WHAT THEY WERE UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT OR MORE ABOUT SORT OF EXPERIENCES AND HOW THE ATTACKS WERE HANDLED? YEAH, WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, THE SURVEY DIDN'T HAVE SKIP LOGIC QUESTIONS AFTER THEY REPORTED, IF, IF THEY WERE VERBALLY ABUSED OR EXPERIENCED HARASSMENT.
UM, IN HINDSIGHT, I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE DIVED DOWN INTO THE RATIONALE OR THE REASONS WHY THAT OCCURRED.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY DURING THE QUALITATIVE PORTION OF THE WORK THAT WE DID WITH THE FOCUS GROUPS, UM, WE HAD HEARD THAT INDIVIDUALS, UM, AND AGAIN, ESPECIALLY TRANSGENDER PEOPLE OF COLOR HAD NOT HAD POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
MATTER OF FACT, WE'RE VERY FEARFUL
[01:00:01]
OF, UH, ANY INTERACTION WITH, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT.UM, SO THE, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD IT BOTH QUALITATIVELY AND QUANTITATIVELY THAT THAT'S A CONCERN.
I KNOW WE PROMISE TO BE DONE IT TOO, AND NOT TAKE UP TOO MUCH MORE OF YOUR TIME TODAY.
UH, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TO, TO DAYLIGHT.
UM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS OUT OF THIS STUDY, IT WAS REALLY EYE OPENING TO, UM, TO SEE ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT REALLY WANTED TO PARTICIPATE IN A COMPLEX SURVEY.
UM, WHAT WAS SURPRISING TO ME WAS ALSO, YOU KNOW, ON TOP OF EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE AND, YOU KNOW, SAFETY ISSUES IS HOW MUCH IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR MARKET RATE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND IT, IT JUST KIND OF DAYLIGHTED TO ME THAT WE CAN TRY TO SOLVE MANY, MANY PROBLEMS, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD OR A WAY TO GET TO AND FROM WORK, IT'S GOING TO BE AN UPHILL BATTLE FOR ANYONE EXPERIENCING THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT THE CITY MANAGER, UM, ALSO DID AN UNVEILING OF ONE OF HIS BUDGET PRESENTATIONS THAT LIFEWORKS, WHICH I KNOW, UM, SPECIALIZES IN, UM, MINORS WHO ARE AT RISK OF BEING ON THE STREET.
UM, AND SO I KNOW THAT THAT'S ANOTHER RESOURCE THAT'S AVAILABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT I REALLY JUST APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN DAYLIGHTING THIS FOR US.
UM, I DID HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION JUST ABOUT THE BACKGROUND OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD SPEAK WITH, YOU KNOW, ABOUT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION VERSUS PRIVATE, OR IF THAT NEEDS TO BE MR. FALCO.
UM, THAT HAPPENED BEFORE MY TIME.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE WERE INITIATIVES FOR US TO TRY TO DO ONE AT THE CITY, OR IF WE'VE EVER TALKED ABOUT BONDING FOR SOME, YOU KNOW, GOING TO THE VOTERS TO DO VOTER APPROVED BONDS.
CAN YOU KIND OF FILL ME IN A LITTLE BIT SINCE IT HAPPENED BEFORE I GOT HERE? SURE.
COUNCIL, UH, YES, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISCUSSION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, WHO HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, RAISING MONEY FOR A 5 0 1 C3 TO, UM, TO IMPLEMENT A COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND, UM, I THINK MAYBE FOR THE PAST YEAR TO TWO YEARS, UH, THAT'S BEEN REALLY, UM, SORT OF PUT ON HOLD TO SEE HOW THIS, UH, STUDY SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME OUT OF THAT.
BUT I DO KNOW FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE COMMISSION, UM, THAT THIS IS ONE OF THEIR TOP PRIORITIES AND THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN ANY FUNDING DISCUSSION, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM COUNCIL, UH, IN TERMS OF BONDING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, CITY STAFF ON, ON WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FROM INVOLVEMENT OF LIBRARY OR PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S RISEN TO THE LEVEL OF COUNCIL.
AND WE WON'T DECIDE THAT HERE TODAY, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR ONE OVER THE OTHER, IF THAT CONVERSATION'S ALREADY HAPPENING.
I'VE JUST BEEN REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THESE OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PUT ALL THESE RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, PERS PERSONAL RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY INTO THESE CENTERS.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT THING FOR OUR CITY TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE AS WELL.
AND I WANT TO GIVE, ACKNOWLEDGE MY, UH, COLLEAGUE ELIANA GILMAN, WHO WAS A KEY AND INSTRUMENTAL ILIANA IS HERE IN AUSTIN AS PART OF THE HMA COMMUNITY STRATEGIES TEAM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH COLLEAGUES.
UM, I MISSED A CUSTOMER ELLIS WHEN YOU ALL PULLED BACK TOGETHER.
THE NEXT WORK ITEM I THINK WE HAVE IS TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO AT LEAST TAKE UP APA.
UH, AND WE NEED TO DO THAT BEFORE WE LOSE A COUNCIL MEMBER POOL WHO I THINK WILL BE LEAVING, UH, A LITTLE AFTER 3, 3 45.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WANTED TO TAKE A LUNCH BREAK, UH, ON THE WAY TO EXECUTIVE SESSION OR WHETHER YOU WANTED TO, TO MEET QUICKLY IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, DID Y'ALL DECIDE THAT WE DID NOT.
I ACTUALLY DIDN'T LAY OUT, UM, EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS ON OUR PLATE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY UNTIL YOU GOT BACK, BUT I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF GRABBING OUR LUNCH AND THEN GOING TO DO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
RIGHT? HOW ABOUT IF WE DO THIS, THEN HOW ABOUT I'M GOING TO CALL US INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION IS 30 MINUTES ENOUGH, TWO 30.
WOULD THAT GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO GATHER? ALL RIGHT, SO WE'LL CONVENE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THEN AT TWO 30, WE'LL HANDLE, AT LEAST THE APA.
WE CAN MAKE A DECISION WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO DO CYBERSECURITY WEEKEND, DO THAT ON THURSDAY, IF WE WANT TO.
AND WE WILL COME BACK OUT FOR THE, UH, UH, MUSIC, UH, UH, BRIEFING, UH, AND THEN MAKE THE CALL WHETHER TO GO BACK TO CYBERSECURITY, IF WE WANT TO, IF WE CAN MAKE THAT CALL,
[01:05:01]
UM, UH, HERE IN JUST A MOMENT HAS NUMBER ALTAR.UM, I HAVE TO DO A TALK AT FOUR 30 AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE THERE FOR THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ON CYBER SECURITY, DEPENDING ON WHEN WE DO THAT.
WELL, KEEP THAT IN MIND AND SEE WHAT, SEE WHAT MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT HAPPEN, UH, AT A TIME WHEN YOU'RE NOT HERE.
[E. Executive Session (Part 2 of 2)]
THEN, UH, WE'RE GOING TO, UM, UH, GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP, UH, AT LEAST ONE OF TWO ITEMS PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 5, 5, 1 0 7, 6 AND 5 5 1 0 8 9.UH, COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS INFORMATION SECURITY RELATED TO
UH, I'LL SEE YOU, UH, ONLINE AT TWO 30.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO, UM, UH, CALL US BACK.
UM, WE HAVE CONCLUDED OUR DISCUSSION OF, UM, LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO ITEM E FOUR.
UH, WE'VE ALSO CONCLUDED OUR, UH, INFORMATION SECURITY, UH, UH, AND LEGAL, UH, INFORMATION, SECURITY ISSUES RELATED TO E TWO.
UH, THAT BEING SAID IT IS NOW, UM, 3 56, UH, AND
[B2. Update on Music and Entertainment Funding Programs.]
WE'LL TAKE UP HERE THE LAST, UH, ITEM THAT WE HAVE, UH, UNLESS THE MANAGER'S READY TO RESPOND TO KATHY'S QUESTIONS.AT THE END OF IT, WE COULD CHECK AND SEE IF YOU ARE.
UH, BUT IF NOT, UH, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU.
YOU'RE PULLING STAFF TOGETHER WITH RESPECT TO THE, UH, THE MUSIC ISSUE.
THERE'S A PRESENTATION THAT, UH, HAS BEEN PUT INTO THE, INTO THE PACKAGE.
UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, I THINK IS JUST IDENTIFY THE QUESTION THAT I HAD, AND THEN YOU CAN RESPOND TO THE QUESTION SINCE IT'S FOUR O'CLOCK, UH, FOUR O'CLOCK ALREADY, UH, AND THE QUESTIONS I HAD RELATED TO THE LIVE MUSIC, UH, FUND, UH, EVENT, UH, PROGRAM, UH, WHICH IS YOUR RECALL COLLEAGUES WAS THE ADDITIONAL 2% AND 15% ON THE ADDITIONAL 2%, UH, THAT WE HAD, UM, UH, CREATED, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION, WHERE MONEY BECAME AVAILABLE, UH, AND THAT'S THE LIVE MUSIC, UM, UH, FUND WHEN THAT FUND WAS CREATED, UH, TOGETHER AS A BODY, UH, WE, WE CREATED IT WITH A REALLY SPECIALIZED AND SPECIFIC PURPOSE IN MIND, AND WE HAD DISCUSSED THIS.
THERE WAS A EXTENDED EXCHANGE, UH, BETWEEN ME AND COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, UH, BUT OTHER FOLKS PARTICIPATED IN IT AS WELL.
AND WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WAS IN PART, WE WERE TRYING TO RESOLVE A DECADES LONG CONFLICT BETWEEN THE, UH, MUSIC INDUSTRY, THE PROFESSIONAL MUSIC INDUSTRY, AND THE CULTURAL MUSIC ARTS IN OUR CITY, UH, WHERE THE PROFESSIONAL MUSIC INDUSTRY WAS, UM, FRANKLY, UH, TRYING TO GET INTO THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING TO GET, UH, DOLLARS.
UH, AND EVERY YEAR THERE WOULD BE SEEMED TO ME A BATTLE ON THAT.
AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WORKING WITH A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION I WAS INVOLVED IN WELL BEFORE I MADE IT ON TO COUNCIL.
UM, AND WE ENDED UP HAVING PITTING A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AGAINST OTHER PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE FINALLY GOT THOSE GROUPS TOGETHER.
UH, AND AS PART OF A BIGGER COMMUNITY PROCESS REACHED AN AGREEMENT WHEREBY THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WOULD NO LONGER BE LOOKING AT THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING AS A SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
AND WE WOULD CREATE A SEPARATE FUND FOR THE MUSIC INDUSTRY THAT THEY WOULD ALWAYS LOOK TO.
AND IT KEPT EVERYBODY IN THEIR LANES RECOGNIZING TWO THINGS THAT THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING, THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO SEE LOTS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF GENRES, UH, LOTS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF PERFORMERS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR PERFORMERS TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM AND, AND BE OUT IN THE PUBLIC THAT THE SHOWS YOU SEE IN PUBLIC SPACES
[01:10:01]
AND AT LIBRARIES AND, AND WITH, UH, WITH HUNDREDS OF ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO, TO KEEP CREATIVITY ALIVE, THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, WORK.AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE'RE KIND OF KNOWN FOR, AND IT HELPS DRIVE TOURISM, UH, AS IT NEEDS TO DO WITH, WITH HOT DOLLARS, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE COME HERE TO BE OVER TO PARTAKE AND BE ART, AND THAT THE MUSIC PLAN WAS SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT FROM THAT.
UH, AND IT WAS SAYING, HEY, WE HAVE A, A MUSIC INDUSTRY IN THIS CITY, UH, THAT IS STRONG IN PART BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME VENUES THAT ARE STRONG AND SOME MUSICIANS THAT ARE STRONG, BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A REAL VERTICAL THAT'S BEEN CREATED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY TO REALLY HELP OUR CITY.
THERE'S NOT REALLY AN EASY WAY FOR SOMEBODY.
I THINK THE EXAMPLE I GAVE AT ONE POINT WAS TO BE PLAYING IN THEIR GARAGE AT 16, BUT STILL IN AUSTIN, IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WHEN THEY'RE 45 AND, AND, AND TAKING CARE OF A FAMILY, UH, AT THAT POINT, HOW DO WE BUILD THAT, THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT, THAT VERTICAL IN THE PROFESSIONAL MUSIC INDUSTRY HAS BECOME PART OF OUR BRAND.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ANSWERS ARE, BUT WE SAID IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE MUSICIANS.
IT'S THE INDUSTRY THAT SUPPORTS THE MUSIC VENUES.
IT'S THE BAR KEEPS AND THE, AND THE BARS IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALL OF THAT.
IT WOULD BE PUBLISHERS PERHAPS.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ANSWERS ARE.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S CREATING, UM, UH, ADDITIONAL VENUES.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, IF IT'S CREATING A MUSIC LABEL, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ELEMENTS ARE TO REALLY SOLIDIFY A MUSIC INDUSTRY IN THIS CITY THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM LA AND DIFFERENT FROM NASHVILLE.
UH, BUT IT PROVIDES THAT LONGTERM ABILITY FOR US, BUT I, YOU KNOW, AM ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT THE COMMUNITY AND, AND THE STAFF WOULD BRING FORWARD WITH RESPECT TO THAT INDUSTRY, VERTICAL GROWTH, THAT LONG-TERM INVESTMENT THAT WE WOULD BE MAKING IN THAT, UH, IN THAT, UH, INDUSTRY.
UH, THERE WAS SOME QUESTION WHEN, WHEN COVID FIRST HIT US, AS YOU'LL RECALL, UH, TAKING THAT FUND AND CUTTING IT INTO, INTO SMALL PIECES AND MAKING, UH, GRANTS AND, AND ALLOWANCES FOR, UH, INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, UM, UH, BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK TO BE HAD AND WE WANTED THEM TO SURVIVE.
AND WE, AS A COUNCIL DECIDED THAT WE WOULD NOT TOUCH THE LIVE MUSIC FUND FOR THAT PURPOSE.
AND WE CREATED OTHER FUNDS TO BE DEALING WITH THAT.
SO AS TO BE ABLE TO PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF THAT FUND, TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE, UH, THERE'S, THIS KIND OF INDUSTRY, UH, UH, ASSIGNMENT.
SO HERE'S, HERE'S MY QUESTION.
AND FIRST, LET ME SAY WHAT MY QUESTION IS.
NOT BECAUSE WHAT HAS COME OUT OF THIS IS A FOCUS ON THE LIVE MUSIC FUND FROM AN EQUITY STANDPOINT.
SO IT'S BEING PROPOSED IS SOMETHING THAT EDIT'S CORE AND, AND AT ITS BASE IS SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE FUND SAID WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT ACTUALLY ADDRESSES HISTORICAL INJUSTICES AND INSTITUTIONS AND SYSTEMS THAT HAVE FOR TOO LONG, BEEN STACKED AGAINST COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, AND I AM WHOLLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
UM, AND, AND I AM, AM GLAD TO SEE THAT THAT ELEMENT, UH, BECAME THE, THE OVERLAY ON THE APPLICATION OF THESE, OF THIS FUNDING.
CAUSE I THINK THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AND WE'RE DOING IT NOT ONLY HERE, BUT WE'RE DOING IT IN AS MANY PLACES THROUGHOUT THE CITY AS WE CAN IDENTIFY.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M 100% BEHIND THAT AND WANT US TO CONTINUE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THAT.
I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT DOING THAT INVOLVES A CERTAIN MEASURE OF DISRUPTION, UH, BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT IT'S NOT GOING THE WAY THE DOLLARS NORMALLY GO FOR THE THINGS THAT DOLLARS NORMALLY GO TO, AND THAT'S GONNA CREATE, UH, SOME ANXIOUSNESS AND THAT'S PART OF DISRUPTION.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS COUNSEL ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS HAVE SAID, WE'RE WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT PRICE AND THAT COST IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS KIND OF ADVANCE.
AND I SUPPORT THAT, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT HOW THESE FUND DOLLARS ARE ACTUALLY BEING USED IN THAT REGARD.
UM, UH, OTHER THAN THE, UH, FOCUS ON, ON EQUITY.
AND I, I NOTE THAT IN THE PACKET, BECAUSE WHAT
[01:15:01]
IT APPEARS TO ME IS I READ THIS AND I COULD BE READING IT WRONG.IS THAT THE FOCUS ON THE DOLLARS LOOKS A LOT, LIKE THE WAY DOLLARS ARE GIVEN OUT IN THE CULTURAL ARTS PROGRAM TO ARTISTS, GIVING ARTISTS THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM IN PUBLIC PLACES AND LIBRARIES OR WHATEVER.
THERE'S A TALK ABOUT BEING ABLE TO RENT VENUES, BUT YOU REALLY CAN'T RENT VENUES IN THE CITY.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT REALLY HAPPENS, UH, IN, IN THIS CITY, IF YOU WERE WANTING TO ACTUALLY GET A MUSIC VENUE, WHEN USE OF THESE FUNDS MIGHT ACTUALLY BE TO CREATE A MUSIC VENUE, UH, TO, TO RENT AND RUN OUR OWN ONE AND USE IT AS A, AS A GROUNDS TO, TO ONLY HAVE PERFORMANCES BY BIPAP ARTISTS AND TO TRAIN MANAGERS AND PROMOTERS AND, AND, AND FOLKS, AND GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO REALLY BLOSSOM IN AN INDUSTRY VERTICAL CAREER.
BUT THAT'S NOT A BEST AS I CAN TELL HOW THE DOLLARS HAVE EXPANDED.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S SMALL GRANTS GIVEN TO ARTISTS TO HELP THEM BE ABLE TO PERFORM, WHICH I THINK IS A REALLY IMPORTANT THING.
AND MAYBE THERE'S SOME PART OF THIS MONEY THAT, THAT CAN AND SHOULD BE USED THAT WAY.
BUT THE, THE VISION FOR THIS FUND WAS, WAS, WAS MORE THAN JUST THAT IT WAS ABOUT ACTUALLY BUILDING.
THIS WAS THE REAL LONG-TERM INDUSTRY INVESTMENT TO CREATE THE LONG-TERM, UH, EFFORT.
UH, I WENT BACK TO SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, HELP ME WITH THIS.
CAUSE I HAD, WE HAD SET IT UP.
I HAD THOUGHT THAT TO BE SOMETHING ELSE.
I THINK IN THE REPORT, YOU SAID THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THIS, UM, MUSIC FUND EVENT, PROGRAM GUIDELINES.
I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT THAT, UM, AS I READ THE TRANSCRIPT, I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE CASE.
I THINK WHAT THEY FORMERLY DID WAS ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THIRD PARTY THAT HAD ADMINISTRATION.
I KNOW STAFF MADE A PRESENTATION, BUT I CAN'T FIND THE DEBATE AND THE VOTE ON THIS FUND PROGRAM IN THAT CONVERSATION, IF THAT HASN'T HAPPENED, UH, I WOULD S I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS DISCUSSION HAPPEN AT THE MUSIC COMMISSION, SO WE CAN GET A FEEL BACK AT COUNCIL FOR WHAT THE REALLY GRAND VISION OF THIS FUND, WHICH IS A LOT OF MONEY DEDICATED TO THIS USE, UH, AND INVESTMENT TO TRY TO PRESERVE SOMETHING THAT HAS BECOME A BIG PART OF OUR BRAND IN THE, IN THE CITY.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, UM, SPENDING SOME OF THE MONEY ON ARTISTS LIKE THIS, SPENDING THE MONEY ON THE ARTIST AND USING THOSE ARTISTS AS A WAY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS THAT HAPPENS TO THEM NEXT.
I MEAN, ONCE THEY PERFORM AT THE LIBRARY, THEN, THEN HOW IS IT THAT THEY ACTUALLY GET INTO THE INDUSTRY TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES THE REST OF THEIR LIVES AND, AND SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES? UH, WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE ARE WE BUILDING OUT? UH, ARE THERE INSTITUTIONS WE SHOULD BE CREATING OR JOB CATEGORIES OR PHYSICAL VENUES OR TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS, UH, THAT BECOME KIND OF THE AUSTIN MUSIC SCENE.
THAT'S NOT NASHVILLE AND IT'S NOT LA, BUT IT'S AUSTIN.
WHAT IS THAT? AND IT'S BECAUSE I HAD HOPED THAT THIS FUND WOULD KIND OF INSPIRE ME THAT WAY.
WHEN I SAW THIS, I PULLED IT AND SAID, IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE BREAKING THIS INTO AND USING THE WHOLE FUND FOR FIVE, 10 OR $15,000 GRANTS WOULD IMMEDIATELY START CREATING A, AN EXPECTATION THAT NEXT YEAR, THOSE PEOPLE WOULD GET THE GRANTS OR OTHER PEOPLE WOULD GET THOSE SAME GRANTS.
AND, AND WE WOULD THEN BE CREATING A PROGRAM THAT LOOKED ALL TOO FAMILIAR TO SOMETHING THAT WE WERE TRYING TO BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM.
SO PROBABLY THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS IN WHAT I JUST SAID, AND I'M HAVING TO TELL THE STAFF RESPOND AND HELP ME BETTER UNDERSTAND.
UM, RODNEY GONZALES, IT SITS IN CITY MANAGER OVER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND AFFORDABILITY.
THANK YOU MAYOR FOR, OR, UH, VOICING THAT SENTIMENT AND THE QUESTIONS.
AND OF COURSE, THE CONCERN, AND WE'VE GOT STAFF HERE FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, VERONICA PERSONAL OR CHIEF ECONOMIC RECOVERY OFFICER.
SO THAT'D BE A HOPE GRAHAM, OUR INTERIM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, UH, DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, AS WELL AS ERICA.
SHAMLEY OUR MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MANAGER, UM, IN MARRIAGE, UH, TO YOUR POINT, THE STAFF DIDN'T PUT TOGETHER A PRESENTATION, I THINK ALSO HELPS TO EXPLAIN SOME OF HOW WE GOT HERE, INCLUDING OF COURSE, A WORKING GROUP THAT WAS FORMED BY
[01:20:01]
THE MUSIC COMMISSION, WHICH IS A SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP.AND SO THE STAFF HAS WORKED IN CONCERT WITH THE MUSIC COMMISSION, NOT JUST ON THE LIVE MUSIC FUND PROGRAM GUIDELINES, BUT ALSO IN THE WORK OF, IS OF SYSTEMIC RACISM AND DISMANTLING SOME OF THOSE INTO INSTITUTIONS OF, UH, RACISM.
AND SO IT MAY BE HELPFUL FOR SONOVA TO AT LEAST GO THROUGH SOME OF THAT BACKGROUND THAT MIGHT ALSO REFLECT SOME OF THE RESPONSES TO YOUR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS AS TO HOW WE, HOW WE'VE GOTTEN HERE.
UM, ONE THING IS FOR CERTAIN IS THAT WE DID, UH, UH, TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE PIECE OF THIS PROGRAM, APPLYING TO THE COMMERCIAL MUSIC INDUSTRY, UM, WHICH IS WHERE WE BELIEVE THAT IT LIES.
UM, NOW THERE ARE THOSE OTHER PARAMETERS THOUGH, THAT, UH, WE'VE LOOKED AT, WHICH OF COURSE CONNECT TO STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 2023 WITH EQUITY IN MIND, AS WELL AS THE MUSIC COMMISSIONS, UH, SYSTEMIC CRISIS AND WORKING GROUP.
SO, SO NOW IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU JUST TO QUICKLY GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND THEN WE CAN DIVE INTO SOME MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UH, NO, VERY, I DON'T KNOW IF CITY HALL HAD TURNED THE VOLUME UP, UH, AND THE CHAMBERS THAT WOULD PROBABLY HELP.
UH, SO NOVIA HAUTE, RAB, DEPUTY DIRECTOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HERE ALONG WITH, UH, VERONICA
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, THE LAB MUSIC FUND WAS ESTABLISHED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019, AND THE MUSIC COMMISSION FORMED TWO WORKING GROUPS, THE LAB MUSIC FUND WORKING GROUP, AS WELL AS THE SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP.
AND FROM THAT, THEY CAME OUT WITH A CORE PRINCIPLE OF THE MUSIC GUIDELINES CALLED PI PRESERVATION INNOVATION AND ELEVATION.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF THE PROGRAM.
WHAT IS PRESERVATION ENRICHING THE PAST, INVESTING IN HISTORIC UNDER, UM, UH, UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS INNOVATION PROVIDING, UH, INNOVATION OF BUSINESS MODELS TO INNOVATE, PROVIDE INCLUSIVE PRACTICES THAT BUILD CAPACITY, ELEVATION AND COLLABORATION, WHICH WILL PROVIDE AN, UH, EDUCATION AND PROMOTION OF AUSTIN MUSIC FROM THE HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
THE LIVE MUSIC EVENT PROGRAM IS A PILOT.
THIS IS OUR PILOT YEAR, AND IT WILL ENCOURAGE, PROMOTE AND IMPROVE AND SHOWCASE AUSTIN'S DIVERSE LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
UH, IT WILL SUPPORT AUSTIN'S INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS.
IT WILL SUPPORT AUSTIN'S PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS AND BANDS THAT PRODUCE AND PROMOTE LIVE AND VIRTUAL SHOWS THAT CAN BE MARKETED NOT ONLY TO LOCAL AUDIENCES, BUT VISITORS AND POTENTIAL CONVENTION DELEGATES.
AND THE GUIDELINES WERE REVIEWED BY LAW AND THE EQUITY OFFICE.
WE PRESENTED THESE GUIDELINES TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION STARTING IN JULY, THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION IN AUGUST, AS WELL AS THE ARTS COMMISSION, HISPANIC RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION, THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMISSION.
AND AGAIN, WE RECEIVED 41 COMMENTS ON, UH, OUR SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE ABOUT THE LIVE MUSIC.
AND YES, WE'VE INCORPORATED FEEDBACK FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION, UH, ON THEIR CONCERNS THAT WERE EXPRESSED.
AND AT THIS TIME WITH THE NEXT SLIDE, THE MUSIC COMMISSION, I JUST WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR MANY HOURS.
THEY DID NOT DO THIS WORK IN A VACUUM, BUT THEY WORK WITH MJ, OUR PARTNERS ON HOW TO SET EXPECTATIONS, DEFINE RACIAL EQUITY, AS WELL AS DIVERSITY.
AND NOW I LIKED ERICA SHAMLEY TO SPEAK TO HOW THIS RELATES TO THE AUSTIN COMMERCIAL.
I AM THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
SO WHAT DID IT GO OVER LITTLE BIT OF HOW THIS COULD AND WILL IMPROVE THE COMMERCIAL MUSIC INDUSTRY HERE IN AUSTIN? SO THERE ARE THREE AREAS OF, UH, THAT WE SEE DEVELOPMENT IMPROVEMENT BEING POSSIBLE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO, UM, MARKING AUSTIN AS A MUSIC INDUSTRY, UH, CITY THAT'S BASED IN DIVERSITY AND INNOVATION.
SO THESE, UH, AWARDS WILL PAY FOR THE PRODUCTION EXPENSES THAT TYPICALLY GO INTO SHOWS.
SO THESE, THESE ARE THE TYPES OF EXPENSES
[01:25:01]
THAT, UH, PROMOTERS ARTISTS OR VENUES ARE PAYING OUT OF POCKET OR BY TICKET SALES OR THROUGH WHATEVER MEANS THEY CAN, A LOT OF TIMES CREDIT CARDS JUST TO PAY FOR THE PRODUCTION EXPENSES.AND SO WHAT THEY TRY TO DO IS SELL TICKETS AND GET THE SPONSORSHIPS TO KIND OF PAY THAT ALL BACK.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT EITHER NOT A LOT OF MONEY IS MADE BY THE END OF THE NIGHT OR THE MONEY IS JUST, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T GET PAID, WHAT THEY SHOULD GET PAID, CAUSE THE NOT ENOUGH MONEY WAS MADE.
SO BY THIS PROGRAM ACTUALLY PAYING FOR THOSE CORE PRODUCTION EXPENSES AND GETTING THEM OUT OF THE WAY, YOU'RE TAKING A LOT OF THE RISK OUT OF THE EQUATION.
SO MUSICIANS, AS WELL AS SMALL PROMOTERS CAN APPLY FOR THIS AND THEY CAN PROPOSE THEIR EVENTS AND HAVE THOSE EXPENSES PAID FOR, AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO PERFORM.
THEY CAN PAY THEMSELVES AS THE EVENT PRODUCER, THEY COULD PERFORM AND GET PAID ALSO AS A MUSICIAN, BUT THEY'RE ALSO DOING A VENUE RENTAL FOR NIGHT OF SHOW.
THEY'RE PAYING FOR WHATEVER CONTRACTORS AND MARKETING EXPENSES AND ALL THE ELEMENTS IT TAKES TO HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
SO THEY CAN ALSO AT THE SAME TIME STILL SELL TICKETS, STILL GET SPONSORSHIPS.
AND MORE OF THAT MONEY WILL ACTUALLY BE, YOU KNOW, REVENUE, ACTUAL PROFITS RATHER THAN MONEY.
THAT JUST GOES BACK INTO THE DEBT OF THE SHOW.
SO THIS IS ALREADY LEVEL SETTING, YOU KNOW, TAKING IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE.
AND ALSO WE ARE, UM, REQUIRING THAT THROUGH THE GUIDELINES THAT MUSICIANS AND CONTRACTORS HAVE TO BE PAID A FAIR RATE FOR MUSICIANS.
THAT'S $150 AN HOUR PER MUSICIAN.
AND FOR, UH, CONTRACTORS THAT IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, MINIMUM WAGE OF $15 AN HOUR.
SO WE ALREADY KNOW THEN THAT THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, EVERYONE'S GOING TO GET PAID WELL, UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE MARKETING SUPPORT.
THE VENUES WILL GET PAID SO THAT THERE'S NO RISK TO THEM.
UH, THEY GET TO HAVE THEIR NIGHT WITH NO RISK AND ALSO KEEP THE BAR SALES WHILE THESE NEW INNOVATIVE EVENTS ARE HAPPENING NOW, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS.
SO THIS WILL NOT BE DONE IN A VACUUM OF THE APPLICANTS WILL GET TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AS WILL THE CONTRACTORS, BECAUSE THERE ARE INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR ADVANCING SHOWS TO DO IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE.
SO WE HAVE A MARKETING TEMPLATE AND A PRODUCTION AND BUDGET TEMPLATE THAT THE CONTRACTORS WILL USE IN ORDER TO ADVANCE THEIR EVENTS.
AND THEY CAN NOT ONLY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE AWARD FROM THE CITY, UH, AND THE EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AWARD, BUT ALSO TICKET SALES SPONSORSHIPS, AND HOW IT ALL FEEDS IN TOGETHER FOR ALL COSTS RELATED TO THE SHOW.
SO A LOT OF TIMES WHAT WE SEE IS MUSICIANS NOT UNDERSTANDING, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW A CONTRACT WORKS WITH A VENUE OR WITH A PROMOTER.
AND SO THIS IS PROVIDING THAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO THE AWARDEES TO, UH, UNDERSTAND AND LEARN THE PROFESSIONAL ASPECTS OF BEING A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, AGAIN, KIND OF RAISING THE BAR OF PROFESSIONALISM WITHIN OUR CITY.
SO WE'RE NOT JUST GIGGING AND GETTING TO THAT GIG SHOW AND YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU'LL GET PAID UNTIL THE END OF THE NIGHT.
A LOT OF TIMES IT'S NOT NEARLY WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.
YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING IN AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BEEN PAID FOR HOW MUCH YOU'RE GOING TO GET PAID AND HOW MUCH EVERYONE ON THE BILLS GONNA GET PAID.
UH, THE OTHER, UH, VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT IS AUSTIN IS ALIVE, IS THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
AND, UM, BUT THE PANDEMIC AND ALL OF THE, UH, ISSUES THAT WE WERE HAVING BEFORE THE PANDEMIC THAT WAS MAKING IT HARD IN AUSTIN BECAUSE OF COSTS AND EVERYTHING GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE.
THIS IS BY PRIORITIZING EVENTS BASED IN PI.
THIS IS AN INNOVATIVE WAY OF LIKE KIND OF AUSTIN SHOWING WHAT WE CAN DO AS A MUSIC CITY.
THAT'S DIFFERENT BY PRIORITIZING EVENTS ABOUT COLLABORATION, DIVERSITY EQUITY, AND BRINGING NEW PEOPLE INTO VENUES THAT PROBABLY HAD NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE NEW ARTISTS TO VENUES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE.
AND SO IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION, NOT ONLY FOR THE COLLABORATORS WORKING TOGETHER AND DOING NEW THINGS TOGETHER, NEW TYPES OF EVENTS, BUT ALSO BRINGING NEW AUDIENCES TO VENUES ACROSS THE CITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AUDIENCES THAT HAD NEVER STEPPED FOOT INTO THAT PARTICULAR VENUE BEFORE.
AND SO IT IS A WIN-WIN SITUATION, NOT ONLY FOR THE VENUES AND THE CONTRACTORS GETTING PAID, BUT ALSO THE ARTISTS COLLABORATING WITH EACH OTHER TO CREATE NEW AND INTERESTING EXPERIENCES THAT OUR AUDIENCES HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE.
SO AGAIN, PUSHING THE ENVELOPE THAT AUSTIN ALWAYS DOES OF CREATING AMAZING AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UNIQUE EXPERIENCES.
AND THAT WILL FURTHER, YOU KNOW, JUST SET AUSTIN APART AS AN INNOVATIVE MUSIC CITY.
AND SO WE SEE THESE THREE THINGS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, REALLY HELPING THE COMMERCIAL MUSIC INDUSTRY SO THAT,
[01:30:01]
UH, PEOPLE CAN AFFORD THE RENT.THEY CAN AFFORD THEIR MORTGAGE BECAUSE THIS IS A MORE SURE WAY TO PAY THOSE EXPENSES AND MARKET THEM AND GET A LOT OF PEOPLE TO SHOW UP AND, UH, CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH NEW PARTNERS.
AND AGAIN, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, COUNCIL HAS, UM, SET ASIDE FUNDING FOR OUR LIVE MUSIC VENUES.
AND AGAIN, AS ERICA MENTIONED, WE SEE COLLABORATION, UH, NOT ONLY FROM MUSICIANS, BUT AGAIN, PROMOTERS THOSE WHO CAN PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND EDUCATION.
AND SO AGAIN, THIS IS THE PILOT YEAR TO TEST AND THEN IT CAN BE EXPANDED AS WE MOVE FURTHER INTO THE FUTURE OF THE MUSIC PROGRAM.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU WALKING US THROUGH THE PRESENTATION BEFORE I PASS ON TO OTHER COLLEAGUES HERE IN JUST A SECOND.
UH, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE PRINCIPLES, THE PI PRINCIPLES, YOU KNOW, I CAN SIT AND I CAN CLOSE MY EYES AND I CAN DESCRIBE THE LA MUSIC INDUSTRY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE VERTICAL I CAN DESCRIBE THE NASHVILLE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
I HAVE MORE DIFFICULTY WHEN I TRY TO DESCRIBE WHAT IT IS THAT IS THE AUSTIN MUSIC INDUSTRY.
WHAT IS IT THAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT US? YOU KNOW, I'M NOT IN THE INDUSTRY AND I'M NOT YOU GUYS, AND YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK HERE AND I'VE MET A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND MY SENSE IS YOU'RE REALLY CLOSE TO GETTING TO, TO, TO WHAT I THINK MIGHT BE LIKE REALLY SPECIAL AND UNIQUE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A TIE TO TECHNOLOGY IN OUR INDUSTRY VERTICAL IN A WAY THAT NO OTHER CITIES DOING THAT THEN BECOMES WHAT WE BUILD ON TO BUILD CAREERS AND, AND, AND PROFESSIONAL TRACKS FOR PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE CITY.
AND IF WHATEVER WE DO, WHEN PEOPLE TALK IT, THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT DEAL IN AUSTIN, THAT VERTICAL IN AUSTIN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL ABOUT PRESERVATION AND INNOVATION AND ELEVATION.
I LOVE THAT, AND I'M HAPPY THAT THAT'S HAPPENING, BUT IT'S WHAT THAT GETS APPLIED TO IN TERMS OF THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF BUILDING THE VERTICAL THAT'S DIFFERENT.
AM I CORRECT THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION HAS YET TO TAKE AN ACTUAL VOTE ON THE, UH, UH, LIVE MUSIC, UH, FOND EVENT, UH, PROGRAM GUIDELINES.
SO IN JULY THEY WERE, UH, PRESENTED WITH THE FIRST DRAFT OF GUIDELINES AND TO VERY POSITIVE SUPPORT CAUSE THEY KNEW THAT WE WERE PRESENTING THE FIRST DRAFT TO THEM TO THEN GO THROUGH JULY AND AUGUST AND PRESENT TO COMMUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK.
AND IF YOU GO BACK THROUGH THE TRANSCRIPT, YOU'LL SEE KIND OF THE ABUSIVE PRAISE FOR THE GUIDELINES BECAUSE THEY WERE BASED IN THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP.
WE PRETTY MUCH JUST PULLED DIRECTLY FROM THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO HELP BUILD THESE GUIDELINES.
SO ACROSS, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS, WE DIDN'T HEAR ANY, UM, YOU KNOW, TREPIDATION AROUND THE GUIDELINES.
UH, THE AGENDA ITEM WAS ALWAYS PUT ON THEIR AGENDA FOR ACTION.
UH, BUT NO COMMISSIONERS EVER TOOK A MOTION, UH, ALONG THE LINES OF APPROVAL.
AND SO EACH TIME WE WENT BACK IN AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, WE EXPLAINED WHAT THE IMPROVEMENTS WERE, WHAT WE HEARD FROM COMMUNITY.
AND IN SEPTEMBER WE SHOWED THE FINAL GUIDELINES AND THEY WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE WITH JUST ONE TWEAK OF MOVING THE FAIR PAY COMPONENT TO NOT BE A SCORED QUESTION, BUT BE AN ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT OF THE PROGRAM.
AND SO THE OTHER WORKING GROUP THAT WAS JUST BORN WAS AROUND THE THIRD PARTY SOLICITATION.
UH, SO THAT WAS MORE ABOUT LIKE HOW THE SOLICITATION SHOULD LOOK AND HOW APPLICATION QUESTIONS SHOULD BE, UH, ASKED BASED ON THE GUIDELINES.
BUT THE ACTUAL GUIDELINES WERE PRETTY MUCH APPROVED IN SEPTEMBER, ALTHOUGH THEY DID NOT TAKE A VOTE ON THOSE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES AND IT WAS, AND ERIC, I APPRECIATE THAT.
WHAT I WOULD, MY, MY FIRST ASK.
IN FACT, MY ONLY REAL ASK IN THIS WOULD BE THAT YOU TAKE IT TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND ASK THEM TO VOTE.
UM, BECAUSE I, I HEAR DIFFERING VIEWS ON, ON WHERE PEOPLE ARE, UH, AND YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSION IS THERE.
I MEAN, CERTAINLY THEY CAN COME BACK TO US AND SAY, WE AFFIRMATIVELY DON'T WANT TO VOTE, BUT IF THEY MAKE THAT DECISION NOT TO VOTE, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY NOT.
UM, BUT SO THAT THERE'S NO AMBIGUITY.
AND SO THAT THIS DEBATE HAPPENS AT THE MUSIC COMMISSION IN A WAY THAT EVERYBODY CAN SEE IT.
RODNEY, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU TAKE IT TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION, GET A VOTE AND COME BACK TO US.
CERTAINLY IF, YOU KNOW, I COULD BE WRONG, THEY COULD UNANIMOUSLY SAY, THIS IS HOW YOU START TO BUILD THE, THE, THE INDUSTRY, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR
[01:35:01]
CITY.YOU KNOW, IN MY MIND, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, IT SEEMS TO BE KIND OF MUSICIAN CENTRIC, UH, WHICH MAY BE THE RIGHT WAY TO GO.
BUT THERE'S SO MANY OTHER ASPECTS OF CREATING A MUSIC INDUSTRY VERTICAL, UM, BUT I COULD BE WRONG.
SO WHY WOULD YOU TAKE IT BACK THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND SEE IF YOU CAN GET A VOTE? YES, MAYOR, WE CERTAINLY CAN, IF THAT'S THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL TO DO SO, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE FOLLOWED THE COUNCIL DIRECTION OF DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM.
AND AS, AS EXPECTED, WE DID THAT IN CONCERT WITH THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
AND SO I CAN APPRECIATE THAT THE STAFF WORKED WITH THE MUSIC COMMISSION OVER THE SUMMER, UM, AND WOULD THEN RESPECTFULLY ASK THEM BECAUSE WE DID TEE IT UP AS AN ACTION ITEM THAT WE WOULD REQUEST THEIR SPECIFIC VOTE ON THE GUIDELINES.
SO I WOULD REQUEST IN COLLEAGUES, IF YOU FEEL ANY DIFFERENT, PLEASE SPEAK UP THAT YOU, THAT YOU, THAT YOU WOULD ASK THEM TO DO THAT SO THAT WHEN YOU SAY IT'S UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED, WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOMETHING THAT, THAT WAS A UNANIMOUS APPROVAL OF SOMETHING AND NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS, UH, INFERRED, UH, IN PART, BECAUSE I JUST REALLY THINK THAT THERE'S A REALLY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY THAT THE CITY HAS GIVEN OURSELVES BY CALLING OUT THAT 2% TO DO SOMETHING THAT 20 YEARS FROM NOW IS, IS, IS, HAS CREATED AN INDUSTRY IN OUR CITY.
I LOVE THE BIPAP FOCUS ON THIS.
I, I THINK THAT, THAT I AM A HUGE FAN OF MAKING THAT CORE AND CENTRAL TO WHAT WE DO, BUT THE PROGRAM IS DESCRIBED THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, DIVERSITY AND INNOVATION SOUNDS A LOT LIKE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE DO IN THE CULTURAL ARTS AREA RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND I THINK THE HOPE HERE WAS TO DO SOMETHING THAT WAS DIFFERENT TO BUILD IN INDUSTRY, UH, IN, IN THIS CITY.
UH, BUT IF THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO DO IT, THAT'D BE GREAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE MUSIC COMMISSION ACTUALLY BOTH ON THAT.
UH, AFTER MY FIGHT THIS, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? THANK YOU.
I ECHO THAT SUPPORT FOR HAVING A VOTE FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IN THE PRESENTATION ON PAGE TWO, IT DOES SAY THE MUSIC COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE LIVE MUSIC FUND EVENT PROGRAM GUIDELINES ON SEPTEMBER 13TH.
SO I HOPE THAT THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN WHICH CASE I WOULD ASK, WHY IS IT, WHY IS IT INCLUDED IN HERE STATING THAT IT DID HAPPEN? UH, SO IF WE CAN HAVE THAT CONFIRMED, I DO WANT TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF OTHER CONCERNS THAT WERE BUBBLING UP FROM THE MUSIC COMMUNITY AS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT I THINK IS RELATED.
UM, PART OF THE CONCERNS THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING INCLUDE, UM, THE TIMELINE AND HOW WE ARE ROLLING OUT THIS, BUT I'M ASSUMING THE PILOT PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE AUSTIN MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF FUND, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING THE EMERGENCY FUNDS, THE ONE-TIME EXPENSES HAS NOT GONE OUT YET, AND THERE'S A NEED FOR THOSE TO BE ADMINISTERED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I HEARD ABOUT THE THIRD-PARTY ADMINISTRATOR AND UNWRITTEN CONCERNS WERE VOICED ON THE PROCESS IN WHICH THAT IS, UM, UNDERTAKEN.
AND I KNOW THAT CERTAIN COMMISSIONERS MAY, UM, HAVE SOME, SOME THOUGHTS AND SUGGESTIONS ON HOW WE GO ABOUT THAT PROCESS AND HOW THAT, UH, THAT, UM, FUND IS ADMINISTERED.
UM, BUT THE, THE CONCERNS ARE BUBBLING UP IS THAT THE WANT TO HAVE THE EMERGENCY, THE AUSTIN MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF FUND OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND I THINK, UM, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE CASE, AND THIS IS WHAT MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT THERE HAD BEEN TALKS OF COMBINING THE LIVE MUSIC FUND WITH THE AUSTIN DISASTER RELIEF FUND AND HAVING THOSE TWO FUNDS, I GUESS, UM, COMBINED AND HAVING IT ADMINISTERED AS ONE PROCESS THROUGH THAT.
SO I WANT CLARIFICATION IF THAT IS THE CASE, BECAUSE IF SO, THE CONCERNS ARE THAT THOSE TWO FUNDS HAVE DISTINCT PURPOSES AND DISTINCT SCOPES AND SERVE DIFFERENT ROLES OF, OF, UH, UH, ADDRESSING NEEDS IN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE AUSTIN MUSIC DISASTER FUND IS A FUND THAT SET UP FOR ALL WORKERS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE SET UP AS A, AN ATTEMPT TO DO ONE TIME FUNDS TO ADDRESS EMERGENCY NEEDS.
WHEREAS THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IS FOR MUSICIANS AND SMALL COMPANIES AND TO SUPPORT LIVELIHOODS OF OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.
AND SO UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY HAVE TWO SEPARATE AND DISTINCT ROLES, THERE WAS CONCERNS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF COMBINING THEM.
ADDITIONALLY, IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE, THERE IS ANOTHER WORKING GROUP OF THE MUSIC COMMISSIONERS HAVE FORMED.
THAT INCLUDES THE CHAIR, THE VICE CHAIR, AND THE D TWO COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER GOLD, UM, THAT ARE ACTIVELY WORKING
[01:40:01]
ON THIS AND HAVE SHARED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE TWO FUNDS SEPARATED.SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, UM, CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO, IS, IS, UH, ARE Y'ALL PROPOSING THAT WE COMBINE THOSE TWO RELIEF FUNDS AND HAVE IT ADMINISTERED BY THE SAME, UH, THIRD-PARTY ADMINISTER OR IS IT LIKE, HOW IS THAT PROCESS RELATED TO THIS PILOT PROGRAM COUNCIL MEMBER? IF I COULD RESPOND TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION IN TALKING TO STAFF, IT SEEMS LIKE THE WORD CHOICE COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.
UH, THEY HAD MENTIONED UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
IT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED.
UH, THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THE COMMISSION NEVER VOTED FOR THIS.
AND SO AS A WORD CHOICE, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPORTED VERSUS APPROVED.
UH, BUT WITHOUT ALTERNATIVE OVER TO STAFF TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTION OF THE THIRD PARTY, YES, WE ARE ACTUALLY SEPARATING THE EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDS.
AS I INDICATED TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION AT THEIR OCTOBER MEETING, THAT WE WOULD DO OUR BEST TO EXPEDITE DEPLOYMENT OF THOSE FUNDS BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
AND SO WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR PURCHASING OFFICE TO TRY AND GET THAT DONE, UM, BEFORE CHRISTMAS, BUT WE ARE NOT COMBINING THE TWO.
THEN THAT HELPS ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE COMING MY WAY, AND I'LL BE SURE TO RELAY THAT INFORMATION AND IT CAN, CAN I SHARE THAT THAT WILL BE FURTHER ADDRESS AT THE NEXT, AT THE OCTOBER COMMISSION MEETING, THEY'VE ALREADY HAD THEIR OCTOBER MEETING AND THAT'S WHERE I EXPRESSED THAT WE ARE WORKING TO GET THOSE FUNDS OUT THE DOOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WELL THEN MAYBE, UM, WHAT, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR HEARING THE CONCERNS THAT WERE, UM, THAT WERE GIVEN, AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL WORKING TO ADDRESS THEM.
THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES, ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? YES.
SUPPORT FOR ALSO, UM, TAKING THAT BACK TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND LETTING THEM KIND OF JUST REEVALUATE AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S EXACTLY HOW THEY WOULD WANT TO BLESS IT.
YOU HAD ASKED WHAT WE WERE THINKING AND I AGREE, LIKE TO SEE IT GO BACK TO THEM.
THEN I THINK THAT WE'RE DONE THEN WITH THIS ITEM.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANSWERS TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COBOS, TWO QUESTIONS? I DON'T SEE KATHY RIGHT NOW.
DO YOU HAVE ANSWERS TO, IF YOU COULD, I'D LIKE TO TALK WITH THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT THOSE QUESTIONS BEFORE RESPONDING TO COUNCIL.
AND I THINK SHE ALLOWED FOR THAT.
I THINK THAT MEANS NOW AT 4 32, I THINK WE'VE TAKEN CARE OF ALL OUR BUSINESS FOR TODAY.
SO THIS MEETING WORK SESSION IS ADJOURN.