Mar 07, 2022 Music

THAT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.

I UNDERSTAND THE REASONING BEHIND THAT TO A DEGREE, BUT IF THE GRANT WAS BUILT TO BE RELIEF FOR PEOPLE THAT WERE SEVERELY AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC, THOSE WHO EARN A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR INCOME FROM MUSIC WERE THE MOST EFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THEY HAVE.

UM, SO FROM, FROM JUST LOOKING AT THE DATA THAT WAS RELEASED, 60% OF A HUNDRED PERCENT INCOME MUSICIANS GOT THE GRANT, MEANING 40% GOT REJECTED.

UM, 60% IS A GOOD NUMBER, BUT TO ME, THOSE PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FRONT OF THE LINE BEFORE ANYONE ELSE.

AND IT WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT THEY WEREN'T.

UM, AND THEN BACK TO THE INCOME THING, LIKE IF YOU WERE ANYWHERE ABOVE THE LOWEST INCOME BRACKET, UM, YOU HAD SOMETHING LIKE A 70% CHANCE OF BEING DECLINED, JUST BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE WERE IN THAT FIRST INCOME BRACKET, WHICH AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WANT TO SERVE THOSE PEOPLE TOO.

BUT IF THE POINT OF THIS IS TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED INCOME SHOULD NOT BE SO HEAVILY INDEXED BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE MYSELF OR MY COLLEAGUES MAKE A GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY EARNING AND PLAYING FULL TIME, UH, DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE WEREN'T ALSO SEVERELY AFFECTED BY LOSING GIGS, LIKE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF LOSSES PER PERSON.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND IT ADDS UP, WHEREAS SOME OF THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING THE GRANTS MAY NOT EARN A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR PLAYING MUSIC BECAUSE THEY HAVE ANOTHER FULL-TIME JOB OR WHATEVER.

UM, AND SO I THINK JUST SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF A LOT OF MY, MY FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES THAT ARE, FULL-TIME A HUNDRED PERCENT MUSICIANS, UH, WE WERE VERY LARGELY DECLINED FOR THIS.

UM, I TOOK LIKE AN INFORMAL POLL OF MY, JUST MY CIRCLE OF PEOPLE THAT I TALKED TO AFTER WE GOT RESULTS, 35 APPLIED 28 REJECTED, SEVEN APPROVED.

SO THAT'S 80% OF JUST PEOPLE IN MY CIRCLE THAT WERE REJECTED.

I KNOW THAT'S LIKE A SMALL SAMPLING OF THE TOTAL 3000 PEOPLE, BUT THESE ARE ALL FULL-TIME MUSICIANS THAT EARN A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR INCOME FROM PLAYING MUSIC.

AND BASED OFF OF JUST MY OWN INFORMAL POLLING, THEY WERE REALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN GETTING THESE GRANTS OUT.

UM, SO I WOULD JUST SAY LIKE IN HOPES THAT THERE IS MORE MONEY GOING OUT IN THE FUTURE, MAYBE BE THINKING OF OTHER FACTORS THAT AREN'T JUST INCOME BASE.

UM, BECAUSE REGARDLESS OF THAT, LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE AFFECTED BY THIS AND THE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE WHO ONLY EARNED MUSIC INCOME, I THINK SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUSHED TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE AND JUST LOOKING AT THE DATA.

IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT WAS THE CASE.

SO THAT'S ALL I GOT.

THANKS.

THANKS ZACH.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, NEXT WE HAVE SARAH HALL AND THEN SONIA YOU'RE ON DECK.

HI.

HELLO.

UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FIRST FIGURE WORK, UM, GETTING THESE FUNDS OUT.

I'M A MUSICIAN'S ADVISORY PANEL MEMBER IN AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS AS WELL.

UM, AND I'M A HARPIST AND I'VE BEEN PLAYING FULL-TIME AS A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN IN AUSTIN FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS.

NO MUSICIANS I PERSONALLY KNOW AND HAVE MET OVER MY TIME HERE, UM, WERE ACCEPTED FOR THE GRANT.

UM, HOWEVER, EVERY SINGLE MUSICIAN I KNOW WAS REALLY DEEPLY AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC AND THE WORK THEY LOST BECAUSE OF THAT.

UM, SO I THINK THAT TOO MANY MUSICIANS WHO NEEDED THIS MONEY, UM, AND WERE PERFECT CANDIDATES FOR A PROGRAM LIKE THIS GOT REJECTED.

UM, SO I'D JUST LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT AUSTIN'S MUSICIANS NEED MORE FUNDS FOR THIS PROGRAM, LIKE PAT SAID, UM, ALONG WITH LIKE A MORE ACCESSIBLE WAY TO APPLY QUICKER RESPONSE TIMES, UM, AND JUST MORE TRANSPARENCY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS.

UH, THANK YOU ALL AGAIN, THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU, SARAH.

THANKS FOR COMING DOWNTOWN TO TALK TO US ABOUT THAT.

AND THEN AGAIN, SONIA, YOU'RE UP.

HELLO.

MY NAME IS SONIA DRAVET.

FULL-TIME

[00:15:01]

MUSICIAN.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF Y'ALL'S WORK.

I KNOW IT'S BEEN HARD AND DIFFICULT.

MY 2 CENTS FOR THE EQUITY PART OF THIS, WE DIDN'T, I WAS ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN, UH, GETTING THE GRANT CAUSE I'M AN LGBTQ PERSON OF COLOR AND A WOMAN AND STILL GOT DECLINED.

SO DIFF I DON'T KNOW HOW THE SYSTEM SHOULD WORK.

MAYBE A DATA ANALYZES AND ANALYSIS SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT TO MAKE IT BETTER, BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE WERE NOT CHOSEN OUT OF THE GROUP OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE CHOSEN AND IT WAS JUST FRUSTRATING.

THAT'S ALL.

THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK Y'ALL ARE DOING THOUGH.

THANK YOU, SONIA.

UM, AND NEXT WE HAVE NICK HAINES.

OH, OKAY.

GREAT.

UM, SO THEN OUR LAST SPEAKER THAT WE HAVE HERE IN PERSON IS DANIEL AND I CAN'T, I'M NOT SURE.

I CAN'T SEE YOUR LAST NAME, DANIEL WITH THE B, LET US KNOW.

MAYBE YOU'VE WONDERED OUT.

MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS, THERE IS A SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR LATINO MUSICIANS.

WELL, IF DANIEL COMES BACK IN A WHILE, WE'RE STILL DOING CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, WE'LL FOLD HIM IN.

UM, BUT NOW WE'VE, WE'VE GOT TWO SPEAKERS THAT ARE ON THE PHONE.

SO FIRST IF WE HAVE, UH, ON A , SO IT LOOKED LIKE ON US THERE, UH, DIGGING, UH, THIS IS ON A MUST YET.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.

HI.

UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.

UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS ANNA MACIAS.

I AM AN ADVOCATE FOR THE ARTS AND ESPECIALLY MUSIC, AND, UM, I, I WANT TO THANK, UH, ALL THE SPEAKERS UP TO NOW, ESPECIALLY THE ATX MUSICIANS.

UH, THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL YOU DO.

UM, OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY.

I, I, I HAVE THIS PASSION FOR MUSICIANS THAT I AM JUST, I DON'T, I WAS INVOLVED IN MUSIC VERY EARLY ON IN MY LIFE, BUT STOP PLAYING MY INSTRUMENT.

AND IT'S NOT WHAT WE'VE BEEN INTERESTED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND ADMIRE THE ART, UH, WHAT GOES INTO IT.

AND I HAD GREAT ADMIRATION FOR WHAT EVERYONE DOES IN THIS CITY.

UM, I JUST WANTED THANKS TO THE CITY OF BOSTON, UM, WHO IS CONTINUING TO, UH, INTEGRATE, UH, WELL, I WANT TO SAY THAT THE CITY LAWSON, UM, CONTINUES TO CHAMPION THE INTEGRATION OF EQUITY INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS.

UM, SUCH AS, UH, PURSUING A FORMAL SHUTTLE, CHANGES, BEING DELIBERATE IN AND FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO PRIORITIZE EQUITY.

UM, I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AS AN ADVOCATE AND FOR THAT, THE HUNTER MUSIC COALITION, UH, WHO IS RUN BY AGGIE, UM, SAW TANYA WHO RUNS THE, THE ORGANIZATION SINCE 2005.

SHE ASKED ME TO SPEAK ON HER BEHALF AS WELL.

AND I'M ALSO THE FORMER CHAIR OF THE AMA AS PART OF THIS MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER AND CURRENTLY PRESIDENT OF THE, AS WELL AS I BEGAN THROUGH PANAMERA PAN-AMERICAN, UH, RECREATION CENTER.

UM, I DO A LOT OF ADVOCACY WORK, ESPECIALLY IN THE ARTS MUSIC.

AND, UM, I KNOW THAT THAT DURING 2019 AND LAST YEAR, UM, THE CORONA VIRUS HAS CREATED SO MANY UNIQUE CHALLENGES FOR THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.

IT'S AFFECTED EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY, UH, LEAVING MANY WITHOUT THE MEANS TO ADJUST YOU, TO DIG YOUR PLATFORMS, UH, COUPLED WITH A LACK OF, UH, LOCAL RECORDING STUDIOS, UM, CATERING TO LATINO ARTISTS, MANY MUSICIANS HAVE BEEN FORCED TO, TO USE THE PROFESSIONAL MOVE FROM THE CITY ENTIRELY TOGETHER WITH OUR COMMUNITY.

WANT TO

[00:20:01]

AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO THAT WITH A MUSIC HUB AT, UH, AT THE MS BUDDY AND THIS MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL SCENE CENTER, UH, THAT WOULD PROVIDE, UH, LIKE YOU NEEDED SERVICES AND TRAINING ON HOW TO SUCCEED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.

I THINK THE MAC IS, AND ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT I'VE MENTIONED ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SUPPORT FROM ALL OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THROUGH THE 2018, UH, VOTER APPROVED BOND INITIATIVE THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO BEGIN TO WORK ON EXPANDING OUR CENTER TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.

UM, YOU WANT TO SEE A COURSE, YOU WANT TO IMAGINE A BRIGHTER FUTURE MUSIC INFRASTRUCTURE.

UM, OUR GOAL IS TO ALWAYS STAY ON PACE WITH THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND HOPEFULLY MAYBE DEVELOP, DEVELOP A MUSIC RESIDENCY PROGRAM THERE AT THE, AT THE MAC IN PARALLEL WITH THE CREATION OF A MUSIC HUB, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, UM, THAT THAT WOULD REALLY PROVIDE OUR LOCAL LATINO MUSICIANS WITH SERVICES THAT ALLOW THEM TO GROW AND, AND, AND REMAIN IN THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.

UH, WE'RE JUST SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE MUSIC AS A KEY COMPONENT OF OUR CITY'S GLOBAL IMAGE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN OUR MUSICAL HERITAGE AND ALSO WITH MANY, MANY, MANY PEOPLE.

UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF HOMEGROWN SOUND OR VIRGINIA ORIGINATING FROM OUR LATINO COMMUNITIES AND HAS, UH, PERSISTED IN GAIN THAT'S THE RECOGNITION WHILE NOT BEING FULLY EMBRACED, RECOGNIZED, AND APPRECIATED BY A LOCAL AUDIENCE.

UH, THERE IS ALWAYS BEEN A DISCONNECT LIKE WHAT WE SAID, BUT AS I THINK CONTINUES TO INCREASE THE, UH, PROMINENCE AS A LIVE MUSIC AND PRODUCTION CENTER, LATINO ARTISTS CONTINUE TO LACK THE RESOURCES SUPPORTING TO OTHER MORE MAINSTREAM.

UH DONRUSS I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT, UM, ALL MUSICIANS MATTER, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MEXICAN AMERICAN MUSICIANS BETTER.

IT'S NOT ABOUT BLACK MUSICIANS MATTER, IT'S ALL MUSICIANS MATTER.

AND IT DISTURBS ME GREATLY TO KNOW THAT WE PICKER AS TO, AS TO WHY WE FIGHT OVER THESE FUNDS, YOU KNOW, AND THAT INSECURE YOU, THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THE MEXICAN AMERICAN IN THE MINORITY COMMUNITIES ALWAYS SPEAK OUT.

SO ANGRILY AND FORCEFUL IS BECAUSE THERE HAS AGAIN BEEN A DISCONNECT IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR OUR MUSICIANS.

I, UM, I WANT TO ONCE AGAIN, WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND I WOULDN'T REPEAT THIS, BUT THE FIRST TIME AT THE, AS WELL AS THE AP GONE THROUGH PANAMERICA RECREATION CENTER, OR THE STAGE IS FOUNDATION IS CRACKING AND, UM, HAS BEEN THERE FOR OVER 63 YEARS NOW, WE WERE ABLE TO GET FUNDING FROM THE CITY OF BOSTON AFTER 60 YEARS, 60 YEARS FOR OUR 60 YEAR ANNIVERSARY ANNIVERSARY.

THAT'S HOW LONG IT'S TAKEN FOR, FOR THIS, THE LONGEST RUNNING OUTSIDE CONCERT SERIES TO BE NOTICED.

AND I THANK YOU.

I'M GOING TO KEEP MOVING ALONG.

I REALLY ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR PERSPECTIVE SO MUCH.

UM, AND SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT AND TAKE CARE.

OKAY, THANKS.

UM, AND THEN DO WE, UM, I WASN'T CLEAR IF ANNA WAS, IF AGGIE WAS DONATING HER TIME TO ANNA.

SO WE DON'T HAVE AGGIE ON THE LINE AS WELL.

DEFINITELY ON THE LINE.

IT LOOKS LIKE SHE IS NOT OH, OKAY.

THAT'S THERE TOGETHER.

ALRIGHT.

UM, SO DID AGGIE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? ARE YOU GUYS ALL SET? OH, WELL, I, I WAS TRYING TO TAKE HER TIME.

SHE WAS GOING TO LET YOU KNOW THAT SHE WANTED ME TO SPEAK FOR, FOR HER ORGANIZATION, THAT THE HUNTER MUSIC COALITION.

NO, SHE'S NOT ON THE LIGHT.

AWESOME.

I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO, I DIDN'T WANT TO, UM, CUT HER OFF IF Y'ALL HAD SOMETHING TO ADD.

YEAH, I THINK, I THINK WE GOT YOU PA THE TIMER WENT OFF.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I THINK THAT'S ALL OUR SPEAKERS, UNLESS DANIEL IS OVER OR WHAT? YES.

MA'AM.

[00:25:01]

YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T HEAR IT ON THE PHONE, BUT YEAH.

W I THINK Y'ALL GOT YOUR FULL SIX MINUTES.

YOURS IN AN ACTING.

SO, UM, SINCE HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WAS SPEAKING FOR AGGIE, HOW COULD YOU KNOW, UM, I THOUGHT THAT YOU MENTIONED IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING ANNA, IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU NEED TO SAY TO WRAP UP OR RIGHT AHEAD.

NO, I GUESS I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE, UH, THE HUNTER MUSIC ALLIANCE HAS BEEN TOGETHER SINCE 2005 AND, UH, THEY'RE A STRONG FORCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND LIKE ALWAYS, I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE DISTANCE ON, UH, ALL THE COMMITTED COMMISSIONERS UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT JUST, UM, TRYING TO TAKE, TAKE, UH, OWNERSHIP OF ANYTHING, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO USE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR, OUR LATINO, UM, MUSICIANS ALSO ARE ACKNOWLEDGED BECAUSE FOR MANY YEARS W THEY HAVEN'T BEEN.

AND, UH, WE, WE HAVE, WE JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE ALIVE AND WELL HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND THAT WE RESPECT WHAT EVERYONE ELSE DOES NOW.

AND I HOPE THAT, THAT, UM, THIS COMMISSION, UH, CONTINUES TO RESPECT ALL OF THE MUSICIANS, NOT JUST CERTAIN GROUPS.

HEY, THANK YOU, ANA.

I THINK THAT, THAT WRAPS UP CITIZEN COMMUNICATION AND, UM, SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO APPROVAL

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

OF THE MINUTES.

AND SO HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY'S HAD A, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE HAD A MOMENT TO LOOK THESE OVER A MOTION TO APPROVE.

I HAVE A SECOND.

SO COMMISSIONER GOLD SECONDS.

SO THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY MEETING ARE APPROVED.

SORRY.

MOTION.

UH, YEAH, I THINK GRAHAM DID.

YEAH, IT WAS IT DIAGRAM.

IT WAS OKAY.

WE WOULD NOT HAVE SOMEONE ON STAGE FOR TWO HOURS WITHOUT A BREAK PERFORMING, UH, OF NOTE.

SO, YEAH.

MOTION BY MR. REYNOLDS.

SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GOLD.

UH, OKAY.

THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO

[2a. Update on City rate for musicians from Stephanie Bergara, Artist and Industry Development, Music & Entertainment Division,]

EIGHT STAFF BRIEFINGS.

UM, SO OUR FIRST ONE IS LEGAL CONSIDERATION RELATED TO EQUITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDED PROGRAMS. UH, NOPE.

I'M SORRY.

I'M LOOKING AT THE WRONG ONE.

UH, UPDATE ON THE CITY RATE FOR MUSICIANS FROM STEPHANIE BACARA, UH, ARTISTS AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.

I WAS ABOUT TO SAY, I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THAT RIGHT NOW FOR YOU.

HELLO, MUSHERS AND STEPHANIE, BUT I GOTTA, I HAVE A YES, THANK YOU.

I'M STEPHANIE, BUT I GOTTA, I AM A ARTIST IN INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION, WHICH IS PART OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

AND I'M HAPPY TO FILL YOU GUYS IN, ON OUR UPDATE ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S MUSICIAN COMPENSATION PRACTICES.

SO, UH, IT'S A PRETTY SHORT PRESENTATION, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ON THIS INITIATIVE, UM, ABOUT JUST ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, WE WERE STARTED TO THE MUSIC DIVISION WAS ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF OLD, AND WE STARTED TO GET DEEPLY INVOLVED IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WORKING TO HELP REGULARLY RATES OF PAY AT VENUES FOR MUSICIANS.

WE WERE GETTING A LOT OF FEEDBACK THAT THE RATES OF PAY WERE A LITTLE LOPSIDED AND, UH, THAT'S NOT REALLY A PLACE WHERE THE CITY CAN KIND OF, UH, OVERSEE PRIVATE VENUES PAYING SUBCONTRACTORS.

BUT WHAT WE COULD DO IS ESTABLISH A RATE OF PAY THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS GOING TO PAY THE MUSICIANS.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID IN 2012.

AT THE TIME WE DECIDED THAT THAT RATE THE MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION DECIDED THAT RATE SHOULD BE A HUNDRED DOLLARS PER MUSICIAN FOR PER HOUR FOR CITY OF AUSTIN SPONSORED EVENTS.

SO THAT MEANS IF THEY WERE PLAYING AN EVENT AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS PAYING THEM, THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO PAY.

THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY PLACE WHERE WE COULD HAVE ANY SAY SO ON THAT COMPENSATION EFFORTS.

UM, SO THAT WAS THE STARTING POINT.

AND THEN IN 2016, A MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MADE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THAT RATE INCREASE TO $150 PER MUSICIAN PER HOUR.

AGAIN, FOR CITY OF AUSTIN EVENTS ONLY NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO TODAY WE ARE STILL AT THAT $150 PER MUSICIAN, PER HOUR RATES.

UM, AND I PUT AN EXAMPLE IN THERE BELOW.

SO FOR PLAYERS PLAYING A TWO HOUR SET WOULD BE A TOTAL OF $1,200 TO A PERFORMER.

THESE PAYMENTS ARE MADE OUT TO ONE MEMBER OF THE BAND.

SO WE DON'T PAY INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS.

WE JUST, THE ONE BAND LEADER OR PERSON WHO WE CONTRACT WITH.

AND THEN THEY MAKE THE PAYMENTS.

THEY ALLOCATE THE PAYMENTS ACCORDINGLY TO THEIR PERFORMERS.

UH, THE PAYMENT IS FOR PERFORMANCE TIME ONLY.

SO WE DON'T PAY FOR SET UP OR BREAK DOWN.

IT'S JUST THE TIME THAT THEY'RE PERFORMING.

WE DO NOT ASK MUSICIANS TO PLAY FOR LONGER THAN TWO HOURS.

UM, AND MOST OF THE TIME WHEN THEY DO PLAY FOR TWO HOURS, THERE'S PROGRAMMATIC ANNOUNCEMENTS THERE'S BREAKS.

[00:30:01]

I DIDN'T PUT IT INTO THE PRESENTATION, BUT, UM, FROM TIME TO TIME, WE DO ACTUALLY BOOK MUSICIANS TO PLAY ONE SONG.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT THE MARIN COUNCIL INAUGURATION, UM, A LAND DEDICATION, THINGS LIKE THAT.

IF WE HAD THEM PLAY ONE SONG, WE WILL STILL MEET THAT ONE HOUR RATE.

SO WE WILL NEVER PRORATE IT OR MAKE THEM OR PAY THEM LESS THAN THAT.

IT'LL ALWAYS BE THE MINIMUM ONE 50 PER MUSICIAN PER HOUR AND TWO ON ONE, ONE NOTE, I WANT TO MAKE US THAT $150 IS THE MINIMUM.

THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND I'LL GO INTO THAT LATER, WHO PAY MORE OR WHO OFFER MORE TO THEIR PERFORMERS.

SO, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ALSO MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO PROVIDE SOUND EQUIPMENT, WHICH MICROPHONES AUDIO SETUP, OR THESE PERFORMANCES, IF WE CAN NOT DO THAT, WE WILL PAY EXTRA TO HAVE THE MUSICIANS BRING IN.

IT SOUNDED COOLAMON.

UM, AND THEN THERE'S LIKE PROGRAMS LIKE THE BUSKING PROGRAM WHERE AUDIO IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THAT PROGRAM.

SO THE RATE STAYS THE SAME, EXCUSE ME.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO SOME OF THE, JUST A FEW OF THE CITY OF BOSTON PROGRAMS WHERE MUSICIANS ARE COMPENSATED INCLUDE THE STREET PERFORMANCE PROGRAM, WHICH IS A, THE CITY'S PROGRAM WITH PARTNERSHIP WITH TRAMMELL CROW, IT HAPPENS A COUPLE BLOCKS DOWN THE STREET.

IT IS A NON AMPLIFIED PERFORMANCE.

UM, WE'RE WATCHING IT PRETTY EARLY IN THE SPRING.

THE SCORES COMING FROM ANNOUNCEMENT, THE CAPITAL METRO MUSIC PROGRAM LIVE MUSIC AT THE AIRPORT, ELECTRIC LADYBIRD, WHICH IS A PROGRAM OF THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

AND YOUR VERY YOUNG MUSIC COMMISSION PERFORMANCES ARE ALL COMPENSATED.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO CURRENT CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IMPLEMENTING THE CITY OF AUSTIN STANDARD RATE OF PAY INCLUDE MARIN COUNCIL, THE OPPOSITE OF THE CITY MANAGER, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS THE MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION, UM, WHERE WE'RE HOUSED AT THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY, PARKS AND RECREATION, AND THE CAPITOL METRO TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.

UM, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO KIND OF JUST CLARIFY THAT THIS IS WHERE WE STAND AND WE ENCOURAGE ALWAYS MUSICIANS TO BE PAID FAIRLY AND TO BE TREATED FAIRLY.

AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UH, HOW MANY SUCH PERFORMANCES DOES, UH, ON AVERAGE THE CITY PERSONS DATE? OOH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

UM, SINCE COVENANT HAS HAPPENED, WE HAVEN'T RUN ANY REALLY IN PERSON PERFORMANCES.

SO WE'VE BEEN DOING THE MUSIC COMMISSION PERFORMANCES, VIRTUALLY PROCLAMATIONS HAVE STOPPED.

UM, THE STREET PERFORMANCE PROGRAM WAS ON A HOLD.

SO IN A NON-CORE ANON COVID YEAR, I'D SAY ANYWHERE BETWEEN 40 AND 60 PERFORMANCES, 40 AND 60 PERFORMANCES ARE BOOKED A YEAR IF I HAD TO GUESS EDUCATED GUESS.

UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, STEPHANIE.

UM, WE HAD TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LIKE MARKETING FOR THIS PROGRAM AND, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I REFER, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THE CITY HAS THE STANDARDIZED RATE OF PAY BECAUSE I REFER TO IT WHENEVER I AM, UH, QUOTING, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL CLIENT CLIENTS AS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, A STANDARD SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY KNOW THAT, UH, IT JUST HELPS TO HAVE THAT KIND OF, UM, LEGITIMACY THAT THE CITY OFFERS TO, TO THAT RATE.

AND SO I FEEL LIKE IF MORE MUSICIANS KNEW ABOUT THAT, UM, THEY COULD DO THE SAME THING AND, UH, REALLY START TO KIND OF LIKE, LIKE AS A COMMUNITY, REALLY TRY TO RAISE THAT BAR, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL GONNA HAVE TO BE IN IT TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, TO BE ASKING FOR THIS RATE.

UM, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S REALLY, TO BE HONEST, I'M ALSO A, FULL-TIME 100% A WORKING MUSICIAN.

THAT'S HOW I GET ALL MY INCOME.

AND IT'S, IT'S RARE THAT WE, UM, THAT WE PLAY GIGS THAT WHERE THAT'S THE RATE.

SO, UM, SO I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE AMAZING IF WE HAD MORE KIND OF CONSISTENCY WITH THAT AND MORE PEOPLE ADVOCATING FOR THAT.

SO I WOULD REALLY SUPPORT, UH, SOME MARKETING EFFORTS BEHIND THE, THE CITY, UH, RATE OF PAY JUST TO GET THAT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY MORE.

I'M SORRY, THAT WASN'T REALLY A QUESTION THAT WAS JUST MORE, I KNOW THEN THE EXPECTATION WAS THOUGHTS, NOT THE EXPECTATION WAS OF COURSE, WHEN WE RETURNED TO LIVE LIVE EVENTS WITH THE CITY THAT WE PLANNED TO MAKE A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT IN TYING IN WITH ONE OF OUR PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS, SAY FOR EXAMPLE, STREET PERFORMANCE PROGRAM, OR PROCLAMATIONS RETURNING.

SO FORTHCOMING, WELL, I'M, WE'LL HAVE SOME MORE, UM, MARKETING MATERIALS FOR YOU.

HEY, HAS ANYBODY ELSE, ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? AND WE HAVE AN ITEM ON THE LATER IN THE AGENDA ABOUT, ABOUT THIS.

SO, UM, I THINK IT KINDA STARTED STRICKLING BROUGHT THAT FORWARD.

SO I'M NOT, WE MAY, WE MAY BUMP IT, BUT, UM, YEAH.

SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ALL THIS INSIGHTS YOU AS STEPHANIE.

[00:35:01]

[2b. Update on Live Music Fund recommendation by Erica Shamaly, Division Manager, Music & Entertainment Division.]

UM, UPDATE ON LIVE MUSIC FUND RECOMMENDATION BY ERICA SHOMALY DIVISION MANAGER, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.

HELLO, ERICA SHAMLEY DIVISION MANAGER FOR MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME, UH, JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON NEXT STEPS AROUND THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.

THE MUSIC COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION WAS POSTED TO THE BCIC SYSTEM FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO HAVE.

SO NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY ON UPDATING THE GUIDELINES ACCORDINGLY TO THAT, TO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS OF ADDING THE ADDITIONAL USES.

AND SO WE WILL GIVE YOU A BETTER UPDATE IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS TO THE, UH, TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT THOSE GUIDELINES.

UH, WE WILL ALSO BE UPDATING COUNCIL AND BAYER WITH A MEMO WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING TO BE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S UP TO DATE WITH OUR PROGRESS AND THOSE ELEMENTS THAT WE'LL BE BRINGING BACK.

NOT ONLY WOULD IT BE THE GUIDELINES, BUT ALSO METRICS THAT WE'LL BE MEASURING TO DETERMINE WHAT IS SUCCESSFUL AS FAR AS THESE DOLLARS BEING SPENT, AND AS WELL AS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE, UM, PRESENTATION LAST MONTH FROM NEIL, FAGUS ABOUT THE, UH, EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS AROUND SCORING AND OUR QUESTIONS.

SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH ALL OF THAT RIGHT NOW, GUIDELINES, METRICS, AND SCORING.

AND WE'LL BRING THAT BACK TO YOU AND UPDATE COUNCIL WITH THE MEMO.

AND THEN, UH, SYNOVIA HOLT RAB AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR WILL GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE FUNDING COMPONENT.

UM, SO ERICA, THE CAN, THE RFP FOR THE THIRD-PARTY ADMINISTRATOR CAN NOT GO FORWARD RIGHT NOW.

WELL, WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE, WE CAN, AND WE'VE ALREADY IN DISCUSSIONS WITH PURCHASING AND WITH, UM, OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO TRY TO FAST TRACK THAT AS BEST WE CAN WHILE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD SO THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT CAN SERVE US, YOU KNOW, UH, IN THE LONGTERM.

AND, UM, SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS, UH, WITH THE INTERNALLY WITH FINANCE AND PURCHASING AND WITH OUR EXECUTIVE LEAD TEAM ON GETTING THAT DONE AS QUICKLY AND AS, AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

AND SO THAT'S WHERE SYNOVIA CAN KIND OF, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHT ON THE TIMING OF THAT RFP, AS IT RELATES ALSO TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE CALCULATING THE BUDGET FROM THIS FISCAL YEAR OR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR USING ACTUALS.

SO SYNOVIA, OH, YOU HAVE, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE SHE GOES INTO THE MONEY PART.

YEAH, GO AHEAD.

SO, UH, GOOD EVENING STILL NOVIA HAUTE, RAB DIRECTOR, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AS ERICA SAID, WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR PURCHASING DEPARTMENT, UH, ON EXPEDITING THE RFP PROCESS, BUT PLEASE RECOGNIZE THAT MOST OF THE DEPARTMENTS ARE CAUGHT UP IN THIS CHALLENGE OF STAFFING.

AND SO WE WILL MOVE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

UH, NEXT MONTH WE WILL BE PRESENTING OUR FORECAST TO, UH, COUNCIL AND WE'LL HAVE, UH, FORECAST NUMBERS THAT WE WILL WORK WITH OR DISTRIBUTION OF THE LIVE MUSIC FUN.

AND ALL OF THAT WILL COME IN APRIL.

BUT AGAIN, ASK FOR YOUR PATIENTS THAT AGAIN, WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN TO EXPEDITE.

I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR SISTER DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE THAT RFP POSSIBLE.

DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UM, HI.

HI, SYLVIA, ERICA.

UM, I, UM, UH, THE, THE DEPARTMENT WAS GONNA PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION AROUND THE, THE, THE, THE QUESTIONNAIRE AS WELL AS THE OUTCOMES FROM THE DISASTER RELIEF FUND THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY INFORM, UH, HOW THE LIVE MUSIC FUND GETS DESIGNED, UM, OR THE, THE QUESTIONS AROUND THAT.

UH, DO YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION TODAY TO SHARE, UH, TO WIKI, GIVE YOU A FULL UPDATE AT THE NEXT MEETING? UH, CAUSE WE HAVE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, REQUEST THAT'S BEING MADE WITH SOME SAVINGS TO FUND A FEW MORE APPLICANTS THAT WE CAN.

AND SO THAT'S IN A MARCH AGENDA.

SO IN APRIL WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK WITH A FULL REPORT, BUT WITH, WE WERE ABLE TO FUND THE 1,150 APPLICANTS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FOR $2.3 MILLION THAT LEFT IN THE QUEUE 636 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS FOR ALMOST 3.2, ALMOST $3.3 MILLION LEFT.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE JUST SIMPLY WAS NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO FUND EVERYONE.

IT WAS ALSO ASKING ABOUT IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF, UH, THE QUESTION OKAY.

UH, BECAUSE OF WHAT LEGAL PRESENTED LAST TIME AND, AND THE STAND YOU HAD TO MAKE, YOU HAVE TO BASICALLY TWEAK THE QUESTIONNAIRE OR THE MATRIX TO THEN SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, WHATEVER LEGAL PRESENTED TO KIND OF WORK AROUND SOME OF THAT.

SO I WAS CURIOUS TO START.

AND CLICK ON ECONOMIC IMPACT, CLICK ON THE DATA DASHBOARD FOR AUSTIN MUSIC, DEVELOP DISASTER RELIEF GRANT, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE STATISTICS OF WHAT, HOW THOSE QUESTIONS PLAYED OUT.

UM, SO THE DATA DASHBOARD IS ON ATX RECOVERS.COM.

IF YOU GO TO THAT WEBSITE

[00:40:01]

AND AS WE ACTUALLY MET WITH OUR EQUITY OFFICE, UH, AND WITH THE EXECUTIVE LEAD TEAM ABOUT HOW THOSE QUESTIONS WORKED, UH, SO THAT WE COULD SHARE THIS INFORMATION AND DATA WITH THE REST OF THE DIVISIONS AND IT ACTUALLY WORKED PRETTY WELL, UH, IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THE, UM, DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION OF THE FOLKS THAT ACTUALLY WERE AWARDED, UM, AND HOW IT RELATED BACK TO THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS WE ASKED, NOT ONLY WAS IT AROUND ECONOMIC DATA AND HOW MUCH MONEY PEOPLE WERE MAKING, BUT ALSO DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A REGULAR BANK ACCOUNT? DO YOU HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE? THESE ARE, UM, AND ALSO DID, UH, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, PPE FOR COVID IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM SAFELY.

SO THERE WERE ADDITIONAL SCORED POINTS BEYOND JUST HOW MUCH YOU WERE MAKING TO STACK ON TOP OF EACH OTHER AND JUST, IT LOOKS LIKE, OH, AND ALSO IF YOU WERE IN THE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACT, UH, FROM A FEDERAL PERSPECTIVE, UM, AND SO WE COMBINED THAT WITH THE, UM, HOW MUCH MONEY PEOPLE WERE MAKING TO TRY TO STACK POINTS.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL BREAKDOWN OF DEMOGRAPHICS TO WHO WAS ACTUALLY AWARDED, IT SEEMS THAT THOSE QUESTIONS GOT US THERE AND DIRECTLY THAN JUST SCORING FOR THOSE PARTICULAR IMMUTABLE CHARACTERISTICS.

SO OVERALL QUITE A SUCCESS.

AND THERE'S SOME OTHER QUESTIONS WE WILL BE BUILDING THAT INTO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND QUESTIONS, ANY FUTURE TYPE OF, UH, GRANTING AND, UH, CONTRACTS TYPE OF QUESTIONS.

AND, UM, AND NOT JUST US, BUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WE'RE SHARING THIS DATA, NOT ONLY WITH OUR SISTER DIVISIONS, BUT WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF SHOWING THE DATA THAT ACTUALLY GOT US THERE.

UH, WHICH WAS, IT WAS GOOD TO SEE.

AND SO YOU THINK AT THE APRIL MEETING, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE YES.

CAUSE WE ARE JUST HAVE THAT LAST RCA, THEN WE CAN GIVE YOU A FULL PICTURE, BUT IN TERMS OF, UH, THE NEED THAT IS THERE, IT'S STILL $3.3 MILLION, UH, STILL NEEDED ON TOP OF THE 2.3 THAT WAS ALREADY EXPENDED TO GET US, UH, TO FUND ALL ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS IN THAT QUEUE.

IT JUST WASN'T ENOUGH MONEY.

SO, UM, IF, IF, IF THIS, THIS, THIS IS LIKELY AN ISSUE, UH, IT'S A BROADER ISSUE THAN JUST FOR MUSIC, RIGHT? I WOULD THINK IT'S A, THIS IMPACTS OTHER DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS YOU STAYED, UH, IF THERE A BROADER EFFORT, IS THERE A MORE KIND OF STANDARD WAY OF APPROACHING THIS ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS? SO IT'S, IT'S BEING, UH, REALLY THOUGHT THROUGH AND IMPLEMENTED, UM, ACROSS DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND THEN YOU'LL BE, ARE LOOKING AT THE OUTCOMES AND SEEING HOW DO WE TWEAK IT.

SO THAT WAY IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SO SPECIFIC TO PERHAPS THAT'S WHY MORE STANDARDIZED.

THERE ANY EXERCISE POSSIBLE OR DONE POST POSTS? YOU KNOW, THESE KINDS OF, UH, PROGRAMS WHERE YOU CAN NOW ACTUALLY PICK A SAMPLE AND RUN IT THROUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SCORING MATRIX OR WHATEVER IT IS, AND ACTUAL SAMPLE OF DATA AND SEE WHY SOMEBODY THAT SEEMS ELIGIBLE MAY NOT HAVE MADE IT, DO YOU, DO YOU, DO WE RUN SOME EXERCISES LIKE THAT? OR COULD WE DO THAT TO MAYBE USE SOME OF THAT TO TWEAK THE QUESTIONNAIRES, UH, THE NEXT TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS GOES OUT, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF, IF THAT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE.

AND STILL NOVIA CAN ANSWER TO THIS.

AND WHICH IS WHY THE EQUITY OFFICE HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH ALL OF OUR DATA.

SO SYNOVIA.

SO WE HAVE MET WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, NOT ONLY AROUND ANTI-DISPLACEMENT, BUT WITH OUR PROGRAMS. AND WE ARE MEETING REGULARLY TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE APPROACHING EACH PROGRAM OR PROJECT CONSISTENTLY IN TERMS OF AN EQUITY LENS.

AND SO IT'S NOT LOST ON US AND WE'RE NOT OPERATING IN A VACUUM, BUT WE ARE WORKING, UH, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE EQUITY OFFICE TO ENSURE NOT ONLY THAT HOUSING IS IN PLACE, BUT, UM, AROUND OUR PROGRAMS. AND WE EVEN HAVE LOOPED IN SMB PR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CONSISTENT, BUT TO GO BACK TO, UH, UH, THE MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF INCOME WAS JUST ONE COMPONENT.

WE ALSO, AS HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU MOVE? ARE YOU BANKED OR UNBANKED? IF YOU GO INTO THE DASHBOARD AND HOVER, WE OVERLAID THOSE QUESTIONS AROUND EACH COMPONENT.

AND SO YOU CAN GO IN AND TAKE A LOOK.

INCOME WAS NOT THE ONLY, UH, ONLY ITEM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALL ABOUT OUR RELIEF PROGRAMS SINCE LAST SUMMER HAVE BEEN OVERSUBSCRIBED, ALL OF THEM AND THIS PROGRAM WAS NO DIFFERENT.

AND SO THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH MONEY AND WE UNDERSTAND THE PAIN, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE JUST DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO FIND EVERYONE.

SO, SO I'M CURIOUS, LIKE ONCE WE, ONCE YOU HAVE THE DATA, THE OUTCOMES OF A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, UM, AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HEARD, UH, FROM THE PUBLIC COMMENTS TODAY.

IT, IT SEEMED LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT HAVE COMPLETELY FIT THE CRITERIA AT LEAST BROADLY, I'VE NOT REALLY LOOKED AT, LIKE I SAID, I'VE NOT SAT IN SCOLDED MYSELF, SO I WOULD KNOW, BUT, BUT IT, IT FEELS LIKE SOMEBODY MIGHT HAVE MISSED OUT OR AT LEAST FEELS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHY DIDN'T THEY QUALIFY? UM, IS

[00:45:01]

SO REMEMBER BASED ON NEIL'S PRESENTATION, WE CAN'T SCORE AROUND IMMUNABLE CHARACTERISTICS.

AND A LOT OF WHAT I HEARD TONIGHT ARE THOSE CHARACTERISTICS THAT WE CAN'T SCOPE SCORE FOR.

SO IF YOU WANT TO OVERLAY, IF WE COULD HAVE SPORT AROUND SPECIFIC COMPARED TO WHAT WE, HOW WE SCORE IT, THAT WOULD BE ONE THING, BUT WE CAN DO A DEEPER DIVE, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THOSE CHARACTERISTICS.

WE COULD NOT SCORE DIRECTLY FOR.

THAT'S WHY BASED IN CONSULTATION WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, WE CHOSE INCOME, BANKED, UNBANKED, THE PRIORITIES, ZIP CODES.

WE ACTUALLY TOOK THE ZIP CODES FROM THE, THAT HOUSING IS FOCUSING ON, ON ANTI-DISPLACEMENT.

AND ALONG THAT CORRIDOR, WE HAD ALMOST 500 PEOPLE THAT FIT INTO THOSE PRIORITIES, ZIP CODES THAT ARE PROBABLY MORE LIKELY TO BE GENTRIFIED OR PEOPLE TO BE DISPLACED AS PART OF THE RE THE RAIL SYSTEM.

SO WE HAVE LOOKED AT HOW WE OVERLAY, HOW WE'RE WORKING WITH EQUITY OFFICE, UM, IN TERMS OF OUR PROGRAMS. SO AGAIN, IT'S NOT LOSS, BUT AGAIN, WE COULD NOT SCORE WITH THOSE IMMUTABLE CHARACTERISTICS.

AND IF WE COULD HAVE, WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN STRAIGHT THERE.

AND SO WE DID THE BEST WE CAN IN TERMS OF THE QUESTIONS.

NO, THANK YOU.

I MEAN, AND NOT TO BELABOR THE POINT, BUT I, YEAH, I, I GET, I GET WHAT LEGAL PRESENTED LAST TIME AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S OUT OF THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY, AT LEAST FOR THE MOMENT.

NO, GIVE ONLY, I THINK YOU'RE HITTING ON SOMETHING INTERESTING THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY, I MEAN, WE CAME UP WITH THESE STANDARDS AS BEST AS WE COULD.

AND WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS IS THAT THEY DID NOT COME OUT, RIGHT.

WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO HAVE A GROUP LIKE SAY AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS, OR, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER GROUPS THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM TAKE SAMPLE DATA, UH, RUN THAT THROUGH THE CITY'S OLD METHODOLOGY AND THEN PROVIDE THEM WITH WHAT SCORE, UM, THESE VARIOUS SAMPLES DATA WERE.

SO THAT WAY, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT IS GETTING, UH, OVEREMPHASIZED IN THIS THAT, UH, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A BLACK BOX.

WE CAN, THEY CAN AT LEAST HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MIGHT MOVE THE NEEDLE.

AND CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE BASED IN STATS AND STATISTICS.

UM, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MENTIONED UNBANKED AND INCOME LEVEL.

THOSE TWO ARE OFTEN GO TOGETHER.

SO, UM, UH, IF THAT, THAT MIGHT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT RIGHT THERE MIGHT, MIGHT BE THE, MIGHT BE THE DIFFERENCE AND, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S OWN COACHING TO MUSICIANS IS THAT YOU BE, UH, ECONOMICALLY RESPONSIBLE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BANKING.

SO THERE'S, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF ALL KINDS OF THINGS.

WOULD THAT BE POSSIBLE TO, UH, TO OPEN UP THE SCORING MECHANISM, NOT JUST TO AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS, BUT, UH, TO A LOT OF, UH, UH, ADVOCACY GROUPS.

SO, SO THAT, THAT WAY WE COULD SEE, YES, THE SCORING WAS PART OF THE GUIDELINES AND WAS POSTED, UH, ON OUR WEBSITE, UH, PRIOR TO THE, UH, APPLICATION OPENING.

UM, I HAVE REQUESTED THAT WE PUT THOSE GUIDELINES, YOU KNOW, JUST AS A REMINDER OF THOSE GUIDELINES IN SCORING BACK ON THE WEBSITE, BECAUSE IT WAS JUST A PROCESS OF CLOSING THAT WEB, THAT WEBPAGE DOWN.

SO WE CAN BE SURE THAT, THAT INFORMATION, ALL OF THOSE GUIDELINES THAT INCLUDE SCORING FACTORS ARE INCLUDED ON A WEBSITE, JUST SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GO BACK AND REFER TO IT.

UM, BUT THE KEY FACTOR WAS STACKING THOSE QUESTIONS, STACKING INCOME ON TOP OF INSURANCE ON TOP OF HOW MANY TIMES YOU'VE MOVED ON TOP OF, ARE YOU BANKED OR UNBANKED ON TOP OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO YOU LIVE? AND SO WE'VE LEARNED A LOT, UH, TO TELL US WHAT WAS EFFECTIVE TO GET US THERE.

AND WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO COME UP WITH ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS, UM, AS THIS CONVERSATION, SINCE LAW PRESENTED TO NOT JUST MUSIC COMMISSION, BUT TO THE ARTS COMMISSION, TO OTHER COMMISSIONS, OTHER QUESTIONS WE COULD ASK, LIKE, UM, DO YOU SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD? UM, ARE YOU, UH, PRESENTING YOUR PROJECT IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE, CULTURAL DISTRICT, UH, THINGS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH LOCATION

[00:50:01]

AND, UM, SO I THINK THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE ON, I THINK, UH, A GOOD SYSTEM THAT WE'VE STARTING TO FIGURE OUT BASED ON THIS NEW GUIDANCE AND HOW WE CAN GET THERE.

AND SO, YES, WE CAN PROVIDE WHAT THOSE SCORING MECHANISMS WERE, UM, JUST SO THAT YOU CAN CRUNCH THAT DATA.

ALL OF THE, EVERY SINGLE PROGRAM WE'VE DONE THROUGH IS, HAS ITS OWN DASHBOARD.

SO YOU CAN, LIKE SYNOVIA SAID HOVER OVER EACH GRAPH, AND YOU CAN LEARN A LOT ABOUT HOW OUR PROGRAMS EVOLVED AND HOW THAT AFFECTED FUNDING.

BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE CANNOT RELEASE NAMES.

NO, OF COURSE NOT.

IT'S JUST ALL DAY THAT JUST, OF COURSE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR.

BUT WE CAN PUT THE GUIDELINES IN SCORING BACK UP, WHICH JUST SHOWED YOU HOW MANY POINTS YOU COULD POTENTIALLY GET, LIKE WHAT WAS THE MAX AMOUNT.

AND THEN THAT'S WHERE WE ENDED UP WITH A CUE FROM THE HIGHEST SCORE ALL THE WAY DOWN, SO.

YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

AND SO THIS WAS ALL FEDERALLY.

THIS WAS FUNDED THROUGH FEDERAL DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS.

CORRECT.

SO GIVEN THAT THERE'S A SHORTFALL, IF, UM, I ASSUME ALL THE FEDERAL MONEY IN SNELL, THE DISASTER RELIEF MONEY, IS THERE ANY OF THAT LEFT AT THE CITY OR SYNOVIA? DO YOU WANT TO GO INTO THAT? UM, THERE WAS SOME CONTINGENCY, BUT, UM, NO FOR THE DIRECTION HAS BEEN GIVEN ON HOW THAT WOULD BE DISPERSED.

THAT'S VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW.

SO WE GET, WE WERE COVERING TWO DIFFERENT FUNDS HERE, UH, WHICH IS GREAT CAUSE ALL OF THIS NEEDS TO BE COVERED AND I REALLY APPRECIATE STAFF RESPONDING TO, UM, WHAT THE COMMUNITY BROUGHT IN TONIGHT.

AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMUNITY FOR DOING THAT.

UM, AS FAR AS THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, DO YOU GUYS FEEL LIKE, AGAIN, JUST TRACKING BACK TO WHAT LEGAL HAD WON, THE NEWS THAT LEGAL BROUGHT TO US, DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE SOMEWHAT SEAMLESS TO TRANSFER OVER THE WAY THE QUESTIONS WERE ASKED FROM, FROM THIS, FROM THE DISASTER RELIEF, UH, TO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.

AND I GUESS REALLY THE QUESTION I'M ASKING IS LIKE, HOW MUCH DO WE THINK THIS IS GOING TO SLOW THINGS DOWN? WELL, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON IT RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE HOPING WE ARE ALREADY GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH LAW.

ABOUT WHAT ABOUT THIS? WHAT ABOUT THIS? SO, CAUSE WE PRETTY MUCH HAD IT AS FINAL AS WE COULD GET BEFORE AND WHILE PRESERVING PIE, WE ARE JUST STRETCHED, STRETCHING WHAT WE CAN DO GOING BACK TO LEGAL, INCORPORATING THESE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.

UM, AND WE ARE DILIGENTLY AT WORK, RIGHT? NO.

FORAY INTO FINDING THOSE QUESTIONS WITH THAT WOULD HELP GIVE US THAT DIVERSITY OF SCORE SO THAT WE ULTIMATELY ARE PRIORITIZING THE GROUPS THAT ARE MOST IN NEED FOR THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF FUNDING, WHICH IS EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTS.

WELL, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE NIMBLENESS ON THAT.

I KNOW THIS WAS A KIND OF A CURVE BALL FOR EVERYBODY, BUT UM, JUST DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO KEEP THINGS MOVING ALONG ON THIS FUND.

AS I KNOW YOU GUYS TOO.

UH, DOES ANYBODY ELSE FROM THE COMMISSION HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT EITHER ONE OF THE, THESE FUNDS? IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE HEARING MORE AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT DISASTER RELIEF A LITTLE BIT MORE IN OUR BUDGET DISCUSSION, BUT LAUREN, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT I'M TRYING TO HIDE.

I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT IT INTO WORDS.

UM, BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT, I'M LOOKING AT THE DATA SPLIT AND THE COMMENTS THAT I WAS SEEING, UM, BECAUSE I, I FOLLOWED THE THREAD ON THE, UM, THE ATEX M UH, GROUP ON THE, ON THE DISASTER RELIEF FUND.

AND THE PEOPLE KEPT SAYING, WELL, I WAS ELIGIBLE, BUT I WAS DECLINED.

I WAS ELIGIBLE, BUT I WAS DECLINED.

AND I GUESS SO IT'S, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WASN'T A PROBLEM WITH ELIGIBILITY NECESSARILY.

AND AS WE SAY, NOT ENOUGH MONEY.

SO THEN WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE TODAY, HOW WAS COUNTING ON THIS MONEY? WHY DID I, OKAY.

I WAS ELIGIBLE, BUT I WAS DECLINED.

WHY WAS I DECLINED? I'M LOOKING AT THIS DATA.

AND IT SEEMS LIKE IF I JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, I'M GLAD THAT YOU HAVE IT ALL COLOR-CODED HERE.

CAUSE IT'S LIKE THOSE, THE WAY IT'S ALL SPLIT UP BETWEEN THOSE AWARDED AND THOSE DECLINED SEEMS VERY LIKE SIMILAR.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE THERE WASN'T A LOT OF LIKE PRIORITIZATION OF DIFFERENT GROUPS.

LIKE IT WAS, IT ALMOST LOOKS, I MEAN, OF COURSE THIS IS LIKE SUPER RAW.

I'M NOT GETTING INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF IT, BUT IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE YOU COULD TAKE ALL THE APPLICANTS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE AND THEN JUST SPLIT THEM UP, YOU KNOW? WELL, IT WAS BY SCORE.

AND SO OUR GOAL AND WHICH IS WHY WE'RE GOING BACK TO COUNCIL IS TO FINISH OFF A SCORING CATEGORY WITH SAVINGS THAT WE HAVE, WHICH LENT.

THEN WE GO TO THE NEXT SCORING CATEGORY.

THERE COULD HAVE BEEN JUST ONE OR TWO POINTS SEPARATING A GROUP, BUT THAT'S WHY THIS WAS OUR FIRST

[00:55:01]

EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME.

I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU GUYS, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN WAY OFF TOPIC ON THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA.

AND WE'RE NOT SPEAKING AT THIS POINT ON AN ITEM THAT'S ON THE AGENDA.

UM, MAYBE IT'S APPROPRIATE UNDER THE BUDGET PART, BUT, UM, BUT IT'S NOT LISTED HERE.

I AM SO SORRY.

I THOUGHT WE WERE ON THE DISASTER RELIEF.

UH, WELL, ALL WEEK WE WENT DOWN, THERE'S A GOOD FLOW GOING HERE, BUT KIM HAS AN EXCELLENT POINT.

SO I THINK IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE DONE WITH THE LIVE MUSIC PART OF THIS, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON.

AND THEN WE MAY PROBABLY PICK THIS BACK UP.

CAUSE WE HAVE, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY THERE.

SO I ASKED ABOUT THE DISASTER RELIEF IN THE CONTEXT OF THE LEBANESE ACTUALLY, WHERE I WAS GOING.

THAT'S ACTUALLY WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THAT IS BECAUSE, UM, OUR GOAL WITH PI WAS PRIORITIZATION.

RIGHT? AND SO I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN TELL FROM THIS DATA, WHETHER THAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOME MORE DETAILS ABOUT IT, CAUSE I'VE LOOKED AT THE GRAPHS AND IT'S, IT'S HARD.

IT'S REALLY HARD TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S REALLY, WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A PICTURE YET.

SHE'S LIKE, I'M AT THE, OF ALL OF THESE THINGS AND I DIDN'T GET THIS, WHAT GIVES, YOU KNOW, SO I JUST, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE DATA FURTHER AND, AND KNOW WHETHER OR NOT IT'S ACHIEVING.

CAUSE IT'S, IT'S AT IT'S AT, AT THE SURFACE.

I, I'M NOT SURE THAT I SEE THAT IT'S ACTUALLY ACHIEVING THAT PRIORITIZATION THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.

SO I'M INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS COME BACK WITH AND IF THERE'S MORE BREAKDOWN OF THIS DATA THAT WE CAN SEE, OR IF THERE'S ANYTHING MORE THAT WE CAN TELL OUR COMMUNITY AS, AS LIKE, JUST TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF LIKE, WHY AM I ELIGIBLE BUT NOT, IS IT, IT COULD BE JUST THOSE COUPLE OF OVERLAPPING POINTS.

COULD IT HAVE BEEN WHEN THEY TURNED THE APPLICATION IN? WAS THAT THAT DIDN'T GO UNDER CONSIDERATION AT ALL? SO YEAH, I JUST IT'S LIKE, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH SOME MORE INFORMATION.

WE'LL GIVE, WE JUST WANT IT TO HAVE THE FULLEST PICTURE FOR YOU.

AND SO WE'LL BREAK THAT DOWN INTO ALL OF THE DATA FOR APRIL.

AND OF COURSE THAT INFORMATION WILL INFORM THE LIVE MUSIC FUNDAMENT PROGRAM AND ANY FUTURE LIVE MUSIC FUND PROGRAM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WITH THIS, THIS NEW DIRECTION, WE NEED TO FIND THE QUESTIONS THAT PRIORITIZE HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS MONEY PRIORITIZE AS FAR AS, UM, AUSTIN MUSIC.

SO GREAT POINTS ON THAT.

YEAH, DEFINITELY.

I APPRECIATE LAUREN'S POINT ABOUT WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER HAPPENED WITH THE DISASTER RELIEF GRANT IS INSTRUCTIVE FOR US GOING FORWARD WITH THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.

SO, UM, ALL RIGHT, COOL.

LET'S THAT'S SO GOOD.

LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY ON AT HOME IS GOOD TO YOU.

A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION FALLING PRESENTATION BY QUENTIN PRYOR, BATTALION CHIEF ASSISTANT FIRE MARSHALL, SPECIAL EVENTS ON VENUE SAFETY PROGRAMS AND IS, THINK STUFF IS FINDING THAT I BELIEVE QUENTIN IS ON.

WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE,

[3a. Discussion and Possible Action following presentation by Quentin Prior, Battalion Chief/Assistant Fire Marshall, Special Events, on venue safety priorities.]

SO WE'RE JUST CONNECTING TO HIM.

YEP.

LOOKS LIKE HE'S COMING.

HEY, YOU HAD BEEN MUTED AT FIRST, SO I WASN'T ABLE TO GET ON.

SO WE GO THROUGH THOSE AND WE HAVE A REVIEW PROCESS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT SITE PLANS.

THANKS FOR REJOINING US.

UM, HAVE A SECOND MONTH ON THINGS RAN REALLY LATE, UH, AT OUR LAST MEETING.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU MAKING TIME AGAIN, UH, FOR THIS MEETING.

SO YEAH, GO AHEAD.

YOU BET.

I'M QUENTIN PRYOR WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE MARSHALL, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH THE AUSTIN FIRMWARE FROM DEPARTMENT AND, UH, WORKING UNDER THE ACE TEAM, UH, KIND OF WANT TO GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT HISTORY OF WHAT WE DO.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW ALREADY ACES THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS, WE HAVE PARTNERS WITH OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES, ALSO TRANSPORTATION CODE ARCS TO BE A FEW, UH, THERE'S MANY THERE'S ABOUT 30 MEMBERS.

UH, WE HAVE STANDING MEETINGS EVERY TUESDAY AND THEN ANY OF THE EVENTS THAT ARE GOING ON THROUGHOUT AUSTIN, WE HAVE MEETINGS, UH, UPON THEIR REQUEST TO HELP THEM BASICALLY GUIDE THEM AND DIRECT THEM THROUGH, UH, DIFFERENT THINGS FOR THEIR APPLICATION AND ALSO THE REVIEW PROCESS.

UH, SO I'LL TAKE YOU THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF THE REVIEW PROCESS FOR AUSTIN FIRE PROMISE.

SO THE FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE, UH, HAS THINGS THAT ARE INTAKE COME IN THROUGH ACE AND THEY COME TO THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND REVIEW THOSE FOR BASICALLY FOR OUR SAFETY, UH, FOR CODE THE INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE, AND THEN ALSO THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION AGENCY, UH, STANDARDS.

[01:00:01]

UH, AND THEN THROUGH THOSE SITE PLANS, WE CAN TALK TO THE APPLICANT AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A SAFE SITE TO HAVE THEIR EVENT.

SO, UH, MANY OF THESE EVENTS HAVE MUSIC INVOLVED AND WITH THE EVENTS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT REALLY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS MAKING SURE THAT ANYTHING IS CONTAINED WITHIN, LET'S SAY BRICK AND MORTAR BUILDING OR TEMPORARY FENCING HAS A PROPER EXIT.

UH, SO WE CALCULATE HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN BE IN THAT SPACE.

AND WE ALSO CALCULATE HOW MANY XS THAT THEY CAN HAVE SO THEY CAN EXIT SAFELY.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, THROUGHOUT US HISTORY, SOME OF THE BIGGEST, UH, DISASTERS WE'VE HAD IN PLACES LIKE CLUBS AND VENUES, UH, AND TEMPORARY, AND YOU USE SOME OF THOSE PLACES THAT HAVE HAD, UH, LARGE LOSSES OF LIFE IN THOSE.

SO A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO IMPROPER EXITING, UH, WALKED X IT'S, THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO NOT ONLY DO WE DO THE REVIEW PROCESS, WE'RE ALSO TASKED WITH THE ENFORCEMENT PART OF IT.

UH, PART OF OUR PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE IS, UH, ONGOING THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT DIFFERENT NIGHTS OF THE YEAR.

WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED NIGHT INSPECTORS.

SO THEY GO OUT TO ALL THE BARS, WHAT WE CALL PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES AND INSPECT THOSE AND MAKE SURE THOSE ARE SAFE.

UH, BUT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST COMING UP, WE ALSO, IN ADDITION TO THAT HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A PACE TEAM.

SO THE PACE TEAM IS A PUBLIC ASSEMBLY CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM MADE UP OF AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT EIGHT, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND CODE ENFORCEMENT, THOSE TEAMS GO OUT AND THEY WILL RESPOND TO 3, 1 11 COMPLAINTS THROUGHOUT SOUTH BOT, AND THEY WILL RESPOND TO ANY OF THE MENUS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE FIRE SAFETY THINGS IN PLACE CODE, BUILDING CODE IN PLACE.

AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE SOMEONE ON THE TEAM TO BE ABLE TO HELP ENFORCE IF WE HAVE TO MAKE ANY CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS AT THAT TIME.

UM, SO NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, WE LOOK AT EXITING.

SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE LOOK AT FOR, UH, FOR SAFETY AT THE EVENTS WOULD BE SAY COOKING.

SO IF FOR ROUTE USING ANY TYPE OF OPEN FLAME COOKING, OR IF THEY'RE USING PROPANE, WE LOOK AT ALL THOSE THINGS, BUT ALSO LOOK AT THE FIRE LANES, UH, MAKE SURE WE HAVE PLENTY OF EMERGENCY ACCESS TO AND FROM ANY MENU.

AND SO THE, THE MAIN THING THAT WE DO AT AUSTIN CENTER EVENTS FROM THE SPECIAL EVENT IS TEMPORARY IN NATURE.

SO WE HAVE PART OF THE PREVENTION DIVISION THAT DOES PERMANENT.

UH, SO LET'S SAY HIGH RISE BUILDING.

THEY HAVE A TECHNICAL SECTION.

WE HAVE A MAINTENANCE SECTION THAT OVERSEES ALL THE SAFETY YEARLY FOR YEARLY INSPECTIONS.

NOW WE HAVE A NEW WHAT'S CALLED INTERFACE.

SO THAT'S THE NEWEST THING THAT WE STARTED IN JANUARY.

UH, MY SECTION I'M OVER ARSON INVESTIGATORS, AND I'M ALSO OVER THE, UH, THE TEMPORARY SPECIAL EVENTS PART.

SO I WANT TO STRESS TEMPORARY.

SO WE LOOK AT TEMPORARY STRUCTURES, ALSO THINGS LIKE TENTS.

UH, WHEN ARE WE GO OUT TO CODA AND DO, UH, ACTIVITIES OUT THERE ACTIVATIONS, THEY MIGHT HAVE A TWO STORY TENT THAT IS THE BIGGEST FOOTBALL FIELD.

SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS WE LOOK AT.

UM, I KNOW THERE MIGHT BE SOME QUESTION ABOUT ADA COMPLIANCE.

WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY AUTHORITY OVER ADA, BUT WHEN WE DO, UH, THE, THE, THE VIEWING OR THE OVER YEAR REVIEW OF THE SITE PLANS, UM, THE EXITING, THE STANDARD EXITING OUT OF VENUE WILL MEET THE STANDARD EXITING FOR ADA REQUIREMENTS.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE DON'T REALLY REVIEW ANYTHING ELSE.

UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY AUTHORITY TO REVIEW ANYTHING ELSE, LIKE THE SIZE OF SIDEWALKS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

SOME OF THOSE THINGS COME INTO PLAY WITH RIGHT AWAY, UH, AT THIS TIME WHEN, UH, LEAVE IT OPEN FOR QUESTIONS, IF ANYBODY NEEDS ANY CLARIFICATION OR ANYTHING, OR HAS ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR ME.

UH, ANY QUESTIONS LAUREN? THE IDEA IS RIGHT.

WELL, I'M, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ADA COMPLIANCE HERE, AND IT'S REALLY MORE OF AN OBSERVATION THAN A QUESTION.

IS THIS IS THIS, SO IS THIS OKAY, KIMBERLY? I KNOW YOU'RE KEEPING US ON TOPIC, BUT, UH, I WANT TO TALK BIT ABOUT, THIS WAS SORT OF THE GENESIS OF, UH, YOUR, YOUR TOPIC AND CLINTON BEING HERE, ALL OF THIS KIND OF TIES TOGETHER.

SO, UM, YEAH, IF NOBODY'S GOT LIKE A QUESTION RIGHT AWAY FOR QUENTIN, THEN I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND PITCH IT TO OREN TO TALK ABOUT THE ADHD PART OF THIS, THAT QUENTIN MENTIONED.

AND, UH, WE GOT A TOUR OF THE FACILITIES.

AND REALLY WHAT, WHAT I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IS THE DISABILITY TASK FORCE THAT WAS SET UP BY CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS WITH THE ASSISTANCE.

UH, WELL AT, AT THE INITIATIVE OF, UH, BRUCE L FAN THE, UM, TRAVIS COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR, UM, THIS IS A TASK FORCE AND ALSO ON THE TASKFORCE IS A MUSIC COMMISSIONER LEHMAN AS WELL.

ON FRIDAY, WE WENT OUT TO COTA

[01:05:01]

AND REALLY JUST TO SET THE STAGE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AWARE, THERE WAS A ROLLING STONES CONCERT OUT THERE, BACK IN, I THINK IT WAS NOVEMBER AND IT WAS VERY BAD THE WAY THE TRAFFIC WAS, AND IT WAS BAD ENOUGH FOR, UM, FOR EVERYONE, BUT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UH, UH, WHAT, UM, WHAT, UH, UH, BRUCE ELFANT TOLD US WAS THAT HE DID NOT GET HOME UNTIL 2:00 AM THAT NIGHT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE WAY THAT THE PARKING WAS, WERE TREATED AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT.

AND, UM, WHAT, UH, OUT OF THIS HAS COME THIS, THIS TASK FORCE.

AND, UH, WE MET FOR THE FIRST TIME ON, ON FRIDAY.

AND FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO PRAISE CODA.

UH, THEY GAVE US A TOUR OF THE FACILITIES AND THEY REALLY TOOK THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY ENCOUNTERED VERY SERIOUSLY.

UM, THEY WERE OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS AND, UH, AND THE, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THAT ROLLING STONES CONCERT, THEY WERE EMBARRASSED.

THEY SAID, PLEASE DON'T JUDGE US BY THIS ROLLING STONES CONCERT.

UM, AND I THINK FOR ONE THING, PR WISE, IT REALLY GAVE THEM A BLACK EYE, BUT JUST PERSONALLY, UH, AS, AS PROFESSIONALS, THEY REALLY, UH, THEY, THEY FELT THAT THEY HAD PERFORMED POORLY AND THEY TAKE THAT VERY PERSONALLY ALL OF THE, UH, INCONVENIENCE AND SUFFERING THAT THIS COST TO PEOPLE.

SO I GIVE THEM, I, I TAKE THEM AT THEIR WORD BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THERE ARE ABOUT EIGHT PEOPLE THERE FROM CODA.

THERE ARE ABOUT 15 PEOPLE THERE ON THIS TASK FORCE AND THEY WERE REALLY THERE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

SO I JUST WANT TO, UM, PRAISE CODA FOR, UH, BEING OPEN TO SOLVING THE ISSUES OF ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

UM, WE, UH, WE GOT THE TOUR.

UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD SAY THAT THE FACILITIES ARE GREAT.

UH, IT'S A NEW BUILDING, ALL KINDS OF THINGS LIKE THE, UM, THE RAMPS AND THE BATHROOMS AND THE SEATING AND THE AVAILABILITY OF COMPANIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH WHEELCHAIRS.

UH, THAT'S, THAT'S VERY GOOD.

THE ISSUE HERE IS WITH THE PARKING AND THAT'S PROBLEMATIC.

AND THE, WHEN YOU HAVE A CONCERT VENUE, YOU'RE GOING TO CHARGE MORE FOR THE SEATS THAT ARE CLOSER TO THE STAGE.

THAT'S JUST THE MUSIC BUSINESS.

THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.

THAT'S EXPECTED.

UH, I THINK THE ISSUE, AND WE WILL TALK ABOUT THIS WITH TASKFORCE IS THAT AT CODA THEY'RE TREATING PARKING AS JUST ANOTHER REVENUE STREAM AND THE PARKING SPACES THAT ARE CLOSEST TO THE ENTRY ENTRANCES.

THEY COST MORE AND EXPECTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO PAY MORE FOR PARKING SPACES THAT ARE CLOSE CLOSER.

THAT'S REAL DISCRIMINATION BECAUSE WITH A PARKING SPOT, FOR SOMEONE WITH MOBILITY ISSUES, IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF A LUXURY.

IT'S A QUESTION OF ACCESS AND WE ARE NOT MAKING, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS APPROACH TO PAYING EXTRA FOR PARKING IS NOT EQUITABLE.

NOW WITHIN THE LETTER OF THE LAW, THEY MAY BE OKAY BECAUSE THEY WERE SAYING, HEY, WE'RE, WE'RE PROVIDING ADA COMPLIANT PARKING SPACES AT ALL TIERS.

BUT, UM, IF THAT TIER OF PARKING IS LOCATED A HALF MILE AWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE, AS IT IS AT THE GERMANIA, UH, AMPHITHEATER, UH, HAVING A NICE PARKING SPOT, UH, WELL HAVING AN ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPOT STILL MEANS YOU NEED TO GET YOURSELF A HALF MILE TO THE ENTRANCE AND THEY DO THEIR BEST.

THEY HAVE CARTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT, UM, THE, THAT THAT'S THAT'S, THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS QUITE AWARE OF, THAT WE WILL, UM, THAT I WANT TO MAKE KNOWN, UM, AS PART, AS PART OF THIS, THIS COMMISSION, AND THEY WERE OPEN TO THAT.

UM, BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE ASKING.

UM, THEY'RE UM, THEY WERE REALLY CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THIS ROLLING STONES CONCERT.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF EVENTS AT CODA.

THEY HAVE THE CAR RACES FOR ONE THING, WHICH HAS A DIFFERENT LOGISTICAL NEEDS BECAUSE PEOPLE COME AND LEAVE AT DIFFERENT TIMES THAN THEY WOULD FOR A CONCERT.

UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT FACILITIES.

THE STONES CONCERT WAS

[01:10:01]

AT THE MAIN RACETRACK.

THERE'S ALSO THE GERMANIA, UH, AUDITORIUM, WHICH HAS A CAPACITY OF, UH, 13,000.

AND THEY'RE ALSO THROWN OFF BY THE DEMOGRAPHICS.

I, I LOOKED IT UP, THE ROLLING STONES WERE FOUNDED 60 YEARS AGO AND THEIR FANS ARE GOING TO BE OLDER AND GOING TO HAVE MORE DISABILITY NEEDS THAN PEOPLE WHO WENT TO THE LITTLE BABY CONCERT.

UM, SO BY PLANNING AHEAD, THEY CAN, UM, UH, BUT BY DOING SOME ANALYSIS AHEAD OF TIME, THEY CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR PLANS.

ALSO, ANOTHER THING IS THEY SEND OUT EMAILS TO PEOPLE WHO ATTEND BY MAKING IT BY MAKING A CLEAR, UH, IN THE EMAILS.

AND THEY DO MENTION IN THE EMAILS THAT IF YOU HAVE DISABILITIES, PLEASE CONTACT THEM.

BUT EMAIL IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST WAY TO, TO REACH PEOPLE.

THEY WERE OPEN TO TRYING OTHER WAYS OF REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

AND I THINK THAT COVERS, UM, THE ISSUES AROUND MOBILITY.

WHAT MADE THE VISIT REALLY WONDERFUL IS THE EXPERTISE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE TASK FORCE.

UM, THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTY, UH, THE CITY AND THE, THE STATE, THE GOVERNOR'S COMMITTEE ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

WOW.

THEY REALLY KNEW SO MANY THINGS, UH, THINGS THAT I WOULD HAVE NEVER DREAMED OF.

IT WAS AN EDUCATION, UM, THINGS LIKE, UM, UH, CLOSED CAPTIONING, UH, ON THE, ON THE JUMBOTRON, UH, AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE STATE PARKS HAVE, UH, ON HOW TO MAKE, UM, BIG AREAS, UH, HANDICAP, UM, UH, ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE.

SO, UM, THIS IS THE FIRST MEETING.

THERE'S THREE MORE SCHEDULED.

IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, PLEASE COME TO ME OR, UH, COMMISSIONER LEHMAN, UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO, UM, UH, TO GET ANY, TO GET ANY INPUT FROM YOU GUYS.

AND ALSO, UM, WHAT WE LEARNED FROM HERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE US BACK BEST PRACTICES TO OTHER FACILITIES IN AUSTIN.

UH, AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO THANK CODA FOR BEING SO, UH, OPEN ABOUT THEIR OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THIS.

THEY, THEY REALLY DO TAKE A PERSONALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND, UH, COMMISSIONER LUMON, UH, JOINING THAT TASK FORCE AND KEEPING US UPDATED.

AND, UH, SO SOMEBODY HAVE A QUESTION FOR OREN ABOUT THAT.

I JUST WANT TO GIVE HIM PROPS FOR DOING ALL THAT WORK ON AND THANK YOU.

UH, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

UM, SOMETHING THAT MOST OF US HAVE PRIVILEGE WITH OUR BODIES DON'T THINK ABOUT ON A REGULAR BASIS.

SO, UM, REALLY APPRECIATE THE EQUITY WORK THERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AWESOME.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

AND, UH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU QUENTIN, ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE FILLING US IN ON EARLIER.

SO I ASSUME WHEN SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST WITH A LOT OF THE SPECIAL EVENTS AND POP-UPS DO THOSE, DID ALL OF THOSE GO THROUGH Y'ALL FOR APPROVAL? DID THEY HAVE TO DO PEOPLE SUBMIT SUB SITE PLANS AND SO ON FOR ALL THOSE EXTRA EVENTS? THAT IS CORRECT.

SO I WOULD SAY PROBABLY IN THE 99 PERCENTILE OF THINGS THAT COME IN THROUGH THE ACE PORTAL COMES TO AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.

SO JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING HAS SOME SORT OF SITE PLAN OR HAS SOME TYPE OF APPROVAL OR FOR A PERMIT THAT WE NEED TO ISSUE.

SO ALL THOSE THINGS ARE BASED ON INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE.

AND LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, NATIONAL PROTECTION FIRE ASSOCIATION STANDARDS.

SO GIVE AN EXAMPLE LIKE A TENT, BA 7 0 1.

SO THAT'S A NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION STANDARD THAT WE GO BY.

SO A LOT OF OUR STUFF IS PRETTY, PRETTY BLACK AND WHITE WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE TUFTS OF RULES AND THINGS THAT WE FOLLOW.

BUT THE BIG THING IS THERE ARE ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF SITUATIONS THAT HAPPEN.

SO YOU MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING THAT HAS FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT FIRE CODES ARE INVOLVED, AND THEN HE MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S INVOLVING FIVE OR SIX OTHER DEPARTMENTS, LIKE A RIGHT-AWAY IS ONE OF THEM, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION.

WE DEAL WITH THEM QUITE A BIT.

POLICE DEPARTMENT WORKS WITH THEM QUITE A BIT TO BASICALLY WORK ON TRAFFIC CONTROL AND THOSE THINGS THAT'D BE ENDS.

BUT, UH, MORE WHAT WE LOOK AT IS WE'RE FOCUSED ON A LOT OF TEMPORARY THINGS.

WE SEE A LOT OF TEMPORARY FENCING.

WE SEE A LOT OF TEMPORARY STRUCTURES, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE FOR THE EVENT.

[01:15:03]

WELL, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A HUGE TASK, UH, DURING SOUTH BY.

AND SO THEN DO YOU ALL MAKE LIKE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, UH, LIKE AS YOUR WORK DONE, ONCE YOU'VE APPROVED THIS, I PLANS, OR DO YOU GO AND DO VISITS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK? TAKE THE, TO, UH, SPECIFICALLY SOUTH BY, SO, UH, THE, THERE WAS ABOUT A HUNDRED, SIX OR 107 APPLICATIONS.

IF YOU'RE A LITTLE DOWN FROM THE LAST TIME THEY HAD SOUTH BY, I THINK SOME FOLKS ARE STILL A LITTLE LEERY OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING INVESTING IN SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD, COULD OR COULD NOT HAPPEN.

FORTUNATELY, IT'S LOOKING LIKE THE COVID NUMBERS HAVE, UH, HAVE GOTTEN BETTER.

SO WE'VE GONE FROM STAGE FIVE TO STAGE TWO NOW.

SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR, FOR EVERYONE FOR EVENTS.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE APPLICATION, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY THERE'S 105, WE USE IT THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE GO THROUGH THAT AND WE LOOK AT THE SITE PLANS.

AND SO THERE'S AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE THAT IS ASSIGNED TO THAT EVENT.

SO THAT EVENT USUALLY HAS AN EVENT ORGANIZER AND THAT FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE, A REPRESENTATIVE, THE LIEUTENANT WORKS WITH THE EVENT ORGANIZER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING RIGHT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE EVENT HAPPENS, THEY ALSO DO A SITE INSPECTION BEFORE THE EVENT HAPPENS.

SO A LOT OF THIS ALSO OCCURS AROUND FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF WEEKEND EVENTS.

SO OUR GUYS WERE WORKING.

I TELL YOU BACK IN THE FALL, WE WORKED THREE MONTHS SOLID ABOUT 80 HOURS, PLUS EACH, EACH PERSON IN THE OFFICE.

UH, WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT PROBABLY THE NEXT TWO AND A HALF MONTHS, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE A SMALL, WE HAVE A SMALL GROUP OF INSPECTORS, UM, THAT DO THE SITE INSPECTIONS.

THEY GO OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE BEFORE THE EVENT.

AND THEN ONCE THAT'S LOOKED AT, ONCE THE FEES HAVE BEEN PAID, WE ISSUE A PERMIT, UH, IN THAT PERMIT, IT WILL HAVE CRITERIA WRITTEN IN THE PERMIT, UH, GUIDELINES BASICALLY TO GO BUY.

AND SO WE, UH, PARTNER ENFORCEMENT IS DURING SOUTH BY ESPECIALLY, WE'LL HAVE THE PACE TEAM OUT.

AND WHILST I HAVE NINE INSPECTORS OUT, THEY TAKE A LOOK AT THESE VENUES AND THEY MAY VISIT SOMETHING, SOME PLACES ONE OR TWO TIMES, SOMETIMES THEY MIGHT VISIT ON THE HALF A DOZEN TIMES, JUST DEPENDING ON HOW THAT, HOW THE FLOW OF THINGS GO.

UH, AND THEN ALSO WITH THE PACE TEAM, IF THERE'S ANY COMPLAINTS, THEN WE'LL GO INVESTIGATE THOSE.

UM, SO WE QUICK REFERENCE TO THE SITE PLANS.

WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE AT ANY TIME.

WE HAVE A PHONE APP THAT WE USE, UH, WE CAN ENTER INFORMATION AND IT COMES TO THE COMMAND POST.

SO WE CALL IT THE COMMAND CENTER DURING, UH, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.

SO I'LL BE IN THERE QUITE A BIT OF TIME.

I'LL PROBABLY BE IN THERE BY 80% OF THE TIME THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH BY EVENT.

AND I'M ABLE TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS AND WE'LL MAKE A DETERMINATION WHETHER OR NOT, UH, THEY'RE DOING THINGS SAFELY.

UH, ARE WE CHANGING HOW THE SITE WAS SET UP? SO THAT HAPPENS OFTEN TOO.

SOMETIMES THINGS GET MOVED AROUND AND THEY'LL NEED TO BE MOVED BACK.

SOMETIMES XS GET BLOCKS.

SO WE'RE OUT THERE MAKING SURE THAT THOSE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN, UH, BEST WE CAN, SO WE CAN MAKE THIS SAFE EVENT.

AND THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT WE DO ALL YEAR LONG FOR ALL EVENTS.

UH, DURING THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF LAST YEAR, WE HAD 970 EVENT APPLICATIONS.

WE ISSUED 970 PERMITS IN 2019.

WE ISSUED 662 FOR THE WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR.

SO JUST KIND OF LOOK AT THAT NUMBER.

WE INCREASED OUR, OUR WORKLOAD BY ABOUT 50% IN HALF A YEAR, I THINK A LITTLE BIT LESS DUE TO FOLKS COMING OUT.

AND, UH, NOW WE, WE HAVE OPENED UP A LITTLE BIT FOR SOME EVENTS.

SO WE'VE HAD MORE EVENTS TOWARDS THE END OF THE LAST YEAR.

IT LOOKS LIKE THAT PACE IS STILL CONTINUING THROUGH AT LEAST THE END OF MAY.

SO IT WAS LOOKING PRETTY BUSY.

SO I, WHEN, WHEN FOLKS APPLY FOR THE EVENTS, UH, SOMETIMES WE SEE THOSE THREE MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME.

SO WE STARTED KIND OF GETTING AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH WORKLOAD WE HAVE COMING FORTH.

ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EXPLAINING ALL THAT.

THANK YOU FOR ALL Y'ALL'S HARD WORK, AND YET THIS IS A PARTY TOWN.

SO KEEP THANKS FOR KEEPING EVERYBODY SAFE SO WE CAN HAVE A GOOD TIME.

APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT.

AND WITH THE ADDITION OF SOME OF THE NEW VENUES HAVE Y'ALL, HAS ANYBODY GOT OUT TO VISIT THE NEW Q2 STADIUM AND THE NEW ORDERLY PARK? THAT'S A VERY NICE VENUE USE, UH, WITH ADDITION TO THOSE THAT INCREASE THE WORKLOAD EVEN MORE.

UM, AND I KNOW THAT Q2 IS GOING TO HAVE SOME CONCERTS, SO THEY HAVE MANY CONCERTS NOW, SO LOTS OF STUFF TO DO IN AUSTIN FOR FUN OUT THERE.

MO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE B.

[3b. Discussion and Possible Action on Gig Buddy following presentation by Pat Buchta and Sonya Jevette of Austin Texas Musicians.]

SO WE HAVE ANOTHER COOL PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE GIG BUDDY PROGRAM POTENTIAL PROGRAM, FOLLOWING PRESENTATION BY PAT BOOKTA AND SONIA DEVET OF AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS.

AND THEY ALSO HAVE NICK CANES WITH THEM FROM THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE.

SO Y'ALL COME ON UP.

SO NOVIA, I, YOU HAVE THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON YOUR SHOULDERS, AND I DON'T THINK YOU GET A LOT OF THANKS FOR, SO I WANT TO SAY SINCERELY, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THANK YOU FOR PUTTING EQUITY FIRST IN EVERYTHING.

AND I THINK WE HAVE A PRESENTATION IF YOU GUYS WANT TO PULL THAT UP.

UM, BUT I DO WANT TO START, UH, I ALSO WANT TO SHARE SOME MORE GOOD NEWS, UM, OUR OWN SYNOVIA HOLD RAB GOT A PROMOTION.

SHE'S NOW OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.

[01:20:02]

UH, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

SO THANK YOU.

A GIG BUDDY.

THIS IS A NEW PROGRAM, UH, THAT WE'VE JUST, WE STARTED TO GET OFF THE GROUND AND THEN COVID HIT US ONCE AGAIN, BUT WE ARE HERE.

UH, WE'RE LAUNCHING THIS, UH, WE'VE HAD A FEW PARTICIPANTS SO FAR AND WE'RE HERE TODAY TO TRY TO MAXIMIZE THE EFFORT AND GET MORE PARTICIPATION.

UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

A GIG BUDDY, JUST LIKE IT SAYS IS A FREE SERVICE FOR ALL AUSTIN MUSICIANS, UH, WHO PLAYED DOWNTOWN.

SO IF YOU'RE COMING DOWNTOWN, UH, AND YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT LEAVING YOUR GIG AT TWO 30 IN THE MORNING WITH A HANDFUL OF CASH.

WELL, THIS IS A HOPEFULLY A SOLUTION TO THAT NEXT LINE.

UH, SO THE GIG BOOTY PURPOSE, UH, AS WE SEE HERE IS NUMBER ONE, MUSICIAN SAFETY.

UH, BUT THESE GUYS ARE ALSO GOING TO PROVIDE CARTRIDGE TO YOUR GIG IF YOU NEED IT, WHICH IS REALLY OUTSTANDING FOR THOSE OF US WHO, UH, HAVE A HARDER TIME GETTING AROUND.

UH, AND THEN THEY CAN ALSO PROVIDE SET UP ONCE YOU GET TO YOUR DESTINATION, UH, AT THE END OF THE NIGHT, YOU CAN LET THEM KNOW AND THEY'LL COME MEET YOU AND BRING YOU BACK TO YOUR CAR SAFELY.

UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UH, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO SONIA TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON HOW THIS ALL CAME ABOUT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND YOU SPEAK AGAIN.

SO WHEN, WHEN, UM, COVID TAKE THIS OFF, WHEN WE GOT THE CHANCE TO GO BACK OUT AND START PERFORMING AGAIN, MY FIRST GIG THAT I HAD WAS ONE OF THE, UH, CITY, UH, EVENTS THAT WAS ON THE SIDEWALK OUT HERE, AND I REALIZED THAT WE GOT PARKING.

AND SO I WENT TO GO PARK, AND THEN I FORGOT THE RULE.

NUMBER ONE FOR WHEN YOU GO DO A GIG IS TO TAKE YOUR GEAR, PUT IT OUT THERE AT THE EVENT, AND THEN COME BACK AND PARK.

WELL, I HAVE A HILL IN A DARK PARKING LOT WITH MY GEAR ACROSS THE STREET, AND I SEE THE AMBASSADORS AND I'M THINKING TO MYSELF, I WISH THEY COULD HELP ME MOVE MY STUFF AROUND.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

UM, SO NOW HERE WE ARE IN 2022 WITH THE, UH, PARKING, UH, WITH THE, UH, GIG BUDDY PROGRAM.

NEXT SLIDE.

AND I'LL LET NICK SPEAK ON THIS BLOCK BY BLOCK IS NATIONWIDE USE OR HELLO, MUSIC PEOPLE.

I'M, I'M NICK HAINES.

I'M ACTUALLY GENERAL MANAGER WITH THE DOWNTOWN AMBASSADORS.

AND JUST TO QUICKLY EXPLAIN BLOCK-BY-BLOCK IS SIMPLY THE SERVICE PROVIDER FOR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AMBASSADORS.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE PROGRAMS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, BUT OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS RELEVANT TO DA'S, UM, PROGRAM.

SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

YOU SEE THE PICTURE OF OUR TEAM OF OUR TEAM.

YOU'LL SEE US WALKING DOWNTOWN AND WHAT'S CALLED A PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WHICH IS MOST OF THE DOWNTOWN ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE FRONTAGE ROAD.

AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE ALMOST 60 AMBASSADORS THAT DO, UH, JUST A NUMBER OF ROLES, BUT, BUT SAFETY IS AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE SAFETY GUIDES.

AND, UM, EVEN THE CLEANING THAT WE DO IS TO GIVE THE PERCEPTION OF SAFETY OR TO PROTECT THAT PERCEPTION.

SO REALLY IT'S AT THE CORE OF WHAT WE DO.

AND WHEN GIG BUDDY REACHED OUT, IT'S JUST NATURAL FOR US TO, TO DO THIS AND JUST TO HELP OUT AND PROVIDE A HAND, UM, WITHIN OUR DISTRICT NEXT LOT.

SO OUR DISTRICT IS, LIKE I SAID, IT'S WEST OF 35.

NORTH IS MLK THE SOUTH SIDE OF MLK.

WE HAVE A SOUTHERN AREA THAT'S MOSTLY CAESAR, THEN A SMALL AREA CALLED SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.

IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY, WHICH IS RIGHT ACROSS JUST SOUTH OF THE CONGRESS BRIDGE, WE ACTUALLY, THE WESTERN IS, UM, AS FAR AS WEST AVENUE, BUT MOSTLY SAN ANTONIO.

WE ALSO HAVE AMBASSADORS IN SOCO AS WELL.

WE ARE, UM, LIKE I SAID, SINCE WE ARE ASSIGNED TO THE ALLIANCE, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE DISTRICT THAT WE SERVE, BUT THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE OF THAT, BUT THIS IS THE FOCUS FOR OUR CURRENT TEAM.

NEXT SLIDE.

JUST AN EXPLANATION, QUICK EXPLANATION.

SO THE WAY WE WANT THIS AND NEED THIS TO WORK, UM, LIKE SONYA MENTIONED, YOU PARK YOUR VIDEO, UM, VEHICLE, IT SAYS CALLING AMBASSADOR, BUT, UM, WE DO SAFETY GUIDES ON CALL, BUT WITH THIS PROGRAM, WITH THE CARD AND THE, UM, YOUR INSTRUMENTS, IT WOULD REALLY, WE, WE WANT TO SCHEDULE THIS.

UM, YOU STILL WOULD CALL THE AMBASSADOR, RECEIVED THE ESCORT, THE CART AND THE HELP AFTER YOUR GIG CALLED THE AMBASSADOR.

CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THE GIG ENDS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE AMBASSADORS 24 7

[01:25:01]

IN THAT CALL.

THAT SECOND CALL IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE AMBASSADORS AFTER 10 O'CLOCK ARE PRIMARILY PRESSURE WASHING AND DRIVING EQUIPMENT.

SO THAT PHONE CALL, UM, HE MAY HAVE TO BE TWO OR THREE PHONE CALLS, BUT WE'LL GET THROUGH AND GET BACK TO THE, UM, THE MUSICIAN AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS, UM, IN ORDER SAFE, UM, ET CETERA.

SO NEXT LINE AND JUST ANOTHER THING, UM, I FORGOT, I JUST THOUGHT ABOUT THIS.

SO IN OTHER CITIES, IF YOU LOOK AT SAN FRANCISCO AND LOUISVILLE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS.

AND THE REASON I MENTIONED THAT, BECAUSE IF THIS PILOT GOES WELL DOWNTOWN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT OTHER CITIES NOT JUST FOCUSED ON MUSICIAN, BUT WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY, THE HOSPITALITY ASPECT, WHICH AUSTIN MUSICIANS ARE A HUGE PART OF THAT, WE HAVE SOME MODELS THAT ARE CURRENTLY WORKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOUNDS OF A DOWNTOWN DISTRICT.

BUT, BUT OUR HOPE HERE IS THAT, UM, THIS WILL BE A GOOD MODEL TO JUST TO REALLY ENHANCE, WHICH IS A HUGE PROTEST.

AND THEN COMING BACK INTO THE PANDEMIC, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UM, DEAL WITH HONESTLY, DEAL WITH SOME OF THESE PERCEPTIONS OUT THERE THAT WE FEEL AREN'T TRUE.

UM, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S RELEVANCE THERE.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR DISTRICT TO SHOW, UM, THE CLEANEST AND SAFETY AND HELP THE MUSICIANS GET BACK ON THEIR FEET.

AND THAT MISTAKES ON ME.

UM, ACTUALLY, YEAH.

SO THE FIRST THING YOU WANT TO DO TO SCHEDULE THIS IS TO CONTACT SONIA, SHE'S KIND OF SCHEDULING, UH, ALL THE MUSICIANS WHO WANT TO COME OUT AND THEN WE'LL TAKE IT FROM THERE.

SO IF YOU'RE PLAYING DOWNTOWN, IF YOU'RE PLAYING A GIG DOWNTOWN, UH, YOU KNOW, EMAIL SONIA, EMAIL MYSELF, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU, UH, UH, WHAT YOU NEED.

UM, SO, AND I ALSO WANT TO MENTION REAL QUICK BESIDES THIS LOVELY PICTURE OF SONYA.

AND I LOOK LIKE, I LOOK LIKE I'M IN THE MOVIE, THE OUTSIDERS ARE A MEMBER OF SHAUNA.

I DON'T KNOW WHICH, BUT, UM, UH, WE'RE ALSO WORKING RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE ABOUT THIS CLOSE TO GETTING A, A DOWNTOWN PARKING SOLUTION, UM, WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.

UM, AND I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU ALL HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE, UM, THE, UH, I THINK THE WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, MOVE MOVABILITY.

I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE I GET THAT WRONG MOVEABILITY AND THE DOWNTOWN, UM, TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, UH, TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT A PARKING SOLUTION FOR DOWNTOWN.

AND RIGHT NOW FOR ANYBODY WHO'S NOT AWARE, UH, WE DO HAVE DISCOUNTED PARKING PROGRAMS DOWNTOWN FOR MUSICIANS AND PEOPLE WHO WORK DOWNTOWN WHERE YOU CAN PARK IN CERTAIN GARAGES FOR 30 TO $40 A MONTH.

UH, WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS MAYBE EVEN TRYING TO GET THAT COST SHARED AMONGST A NUMBER OF MUSICIANS IN BANDS, UH, ACROSS A MONTH'S TIME.

AND THAT WOULD TAKE A LITTLE ADMIN WORK AND A LITTLE SCHEDULING.

UM, THE CHALLENGE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS HOW DO WE MAKE THIS APPEALING, UH, TO SOME OF THE PARKING MANAGEMENT COMPANIES WHO DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO PROMOTE THE FACT THAT THEY'RE GIVING AWAY FREE PARKING TO THE GUYS WHO OWN THOSE LOTS.

BUT HOW DO WE MAKE THAT APPEALING TO THEM? WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM, RIGHT.

BESIDES SOME GOOD PR.

UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE COULD BE SOME POSSIBILITY WHERE THEY CAN INTERACT MORE WITH, UH, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN LINES WITH THE CITY.

UH, SO I CHALLENGE EVERYBODY TO KIND OF BRAINSTORM AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN TAKE THAT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.

UM, BUT THAT'S IT, UH, QUESTIONS WITHIN THE MUSICIANS PAY, BRINGING OTHER BUSINESS TO THE PARKING LOT.

SO, I MEAN, FOR THEM TO SEE THE VALUE IN GIVING DISCOUNTED OR FREE PARKING TO THE, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST COMPILE SOME OF THOSE AND GET SOME FEEDBACK TOGETHER.

I THINK THAT IS A GOOD POINT.

WELL, I I'M JUST NOTICING THE PARALLEL WHEN PARKING BECOMES JUST ANOTHER REVENUE STREAM.

EXACTLY.

THE SAME ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH CODA, AS WE'RE HAVING WITH GETTING MUSICIANS ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN PARKING, I DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION FOR YOU, BUT THAT DOES SEEM TO BE TO, UH, TO SITUATIONS WITH THE SAME ROOT CAUSE.

SO FORGETTING.

SO I THINK THAT SONIA HAD MENTIONED THE GIG BUDDY IDEA TO US A WHILE BACK AND I THOUGHT IT SOUNDED REALLY COOL.

AND SO THERE'S BASICALLY NO CHARGE TO THE MUSICIAN.

IT'S TOTALLY FREE SERVICE.

LIKE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, A BUSY NIGHT? YEAH.

THAT'S REALLY COOL.

UH, SO WHAT WOULD THE, LIKE HOW MANY MUSICIANS OR ESCORTS, OR WOULD POTENTIALLY THIS PROGRAM BE ABLE TO PROVIDE

[01:30:01]

I MEAN, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, YEAH, SCHEDULING, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM, BUT, UH, NICK HAS A CHALLENGE I THINK, TOO, THAT HE NEEDS TO MEET.

AND MAYBE YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT A LITTLE BIT.

WELL, UM, I THINK THE CHALLENGE PAT IS REFERRING TO IS STAFFING.

WE'RE PROBABLY, I DON'T KNOW, 85%, 90% STAFF, BUT THE SCHEDULING PIECE IS REALLY THE BIGGEST PART OF IT.

BECAUSE IF WE HAVE A TIME IN THE SCHEDULE, MY TEAM CAN, UM, MAKE TIME FOR THE WORK, SO TO SPEAK AND ORGANIZE THEIR DAY OR THEIR NIGHT AROUND IT.

UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THINGS WE CAN DO TO SET UP EARLIER IN THE DAY DIVERT OR DO DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORK.

JUST, THAT'S WHY THE SCHEDULING PIECE IS REALLY, REALLY CRITICAL VERSUS A ON CALL, WHICH ANYONE DOWN TOWN DOWNTOWN CAN DO ON CALL, BUT TO DO PROVIDE THE CART, MOVE INSTRUMENTS, DO ALL OF THESE EXTRA THINGS.

THE SCHEDULING IS CRITICAL.

SO I WOULDN'T EVEN ENUMERATE IT AT THIS POINT.

I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN HANDLE PROBABLY A FAIR SHARE.

IT'S JUST REALLY DEPENDS ON SCHEDULING.

SURE.

IT'LL BE AN EVOLVING SITUATION, BUT, UH, YEAH.

AND SONIA, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE YOUR HANDS FULL WITH SOME SCHEDULING.

THAT'S AWESOME THAT YOU'RE TAKING THAT ON.

UH, SO YEAH, I MEAN, AS IT GROWS, LIKE LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOU AND, UM, CAUSE IT DOES SEEM LIKE SOMETHING WHERE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW MIGHT BE MANAGEABLE, BUT IT MIGHT GROW A LOT.

AND UM, YOU KNOW, W THE SUPPORT FOR THE MUSICIAN COMMUNITY I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

UM, CAUSE IT'S SONIA SAID, YOU KNOW, SHE TOLD ME THAT ANECDOTE OF JUST TRYING TO WALK HER GEAR UP A HILL IN THE DARK ONE TIME.

AND YOU KNOW, I MEAN, JUST THOSE, I'M NOT A MUSICIAN, BUT THOSE OF US WHO JUST GO TO SHOWS, LIKE WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT, LIKE TRYING TO PARK SOMEWHERE AND THEN MOVE AROUND DOWNTOWN THAN YOU HAD LIKE AN ANT AND A GUITAR CASE WITH YOU TOO.

LIKE THAT'S A LOT, SO YEAH.

THANK YOU FOR, UM, JUST TAKING THIS ON IT'S GREAT.

Y'ALL I DO THIS, I'VE ALREADY TESTED IT OUT.

IT DOES WORK.

I'VE HAD THEM COME MEET ME AT MY EVENT AND THEN MEET ME AND TAKE ME BACK TO MY CAR.

SO IT DOES WORK.

IT DIDN'T TAKE A LOT OF TIME.

NO, NO SUPER FRIENDLY.

AND WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT WALKING ON FOOT HERE.

I MEAN, YOU GUYS HAVE, WE HAVE A MOBILE AT NIGHT, SO WE HAVE ATVS TRUCK.

WE, UH, WE CAN DO IT PRETTY EFFICIENTLY AS LONG AS IT'S SKIP.

ALL RIGHT, COOL.

YEAH, THAT ACTUALLY IS AMAZING.

AND I MEAN, I CAN ACTUALLY EVEN SAY AS A DANCER, LIKE CARRYING LIKE A BIG BAG, MY BIG COSTUME BAG WITH ME, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT WOULD BE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN DOVETAIL OUR DANCE COMMUNITY AND WHEN I COULD CHILL OFF.

AWESOME.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR THESE GUYS? WELL, IS THERE A, IS THERE LIKE PROMOTIONAL STUFF LIKE, UH, MARKETING MATERIALS FOR THAT? JUST TO SPREAD THE WORD? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I MEAN, WE'VE POSTED A COUPLE OF THINGS IN THE GROUP AND ON OUR SOCIALS, BUT WE'D LOVE TO ELEVATE THAT MESSAGE.

AND I THINK THE NEXT THING WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS PROBABLY PRINT UP SOME STUFF, UH, AND PUT IT AROUND IN THE VENUES DOWNTOWN, MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, WE GET THE MESSAGE AND WE COULD USE EVERYBODY'S HELP TO ELEVATE THAT MESSAGE.

SO KNOW, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS JUST, UM, I KNOW MUSICIANS PLAY ALL OVER AUSTIN, SO WHY IT'S CRITICAL JUST TO HAVE THAT MAP BECAUSE THE AMBASSADORS, UM, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN LIONS IS BOUND TO THAT AREA.

NOW WE CAN GO A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE, BUT WITHIN REASON, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T DO THE EAST SIDE.

THERE'S SOME PLACES WE, WE, WE CAN'T DO AT THIS TIME JUST BECAUSE WE'RE BOUND TO THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.

SO JUST CLARIFY THAT.

WELL, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU JUST, UH, SEND AN EMAIL WITH MARKETING MATERIALS, TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS.

AND, UM, ALSO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, ITS CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT CAN SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS, BUT PUT IT IN A NEWSLETTER.

I KNOW THAT GOES OUT TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

UM, SO I WAS SUGGESTING YOU PUT IT IN THERE AS WELL.

THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

AND JUST KEEP IT IN THERE EVERY MONTH.

I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING ON CONTINUOUSLY, SO JUST KEEP IT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EMAIL OR WHATEVER, SO PEOPLE KNOW.

NICE, GOOD STUFF.

THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S REAL COOL.

THANKS JOEL.

APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN TO CITY HALL TO TALK TO US ABOUT THIS.

TO ITEM THREE C UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON CONVENERS CONVENTION CENTER, RENOVATION EXPANSION, AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ROLE IN THAT.

WE WILL MOVE ON

[3c. Discussion and Possible Action on convention center renovation, expansion and music industry role.]

UM, WE HAD ASKED THE CONVENTION CENTER LADIES TO COME GIVE US A PRESENTATION, BUT THEY WEREN'T AVAILABLE.

SO WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE

[01:35:01]

THAT PRESENTATION TO, UM, A FUTURE MEETING WHEN THEY'RE AVAILABLE.

UM, SO I TOUCHED ON THIS BRIEFLY AT THE END OF THE LAST MEETING, BUT THE REASON THAT THIS IS SOMETHING COMING UP, SO WE DO HAVE THE, UH, PLANNED EXPANSION, UM, THE TOURISM COMMISSION AND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING WHAT FORM THAT RENOVATION EXPANSION MIGHT TAKE, UH, POST PANDEMIC.

UM, AND, UM, I FEEL LIKE MUSIC IS SUCH A DRIVER OF TOURISM THAT WE, WE DO WANT TO HAVE A ROLE IN WHAT, HOW THE CONVENTION CENTER IS ENVISIONED AND WHAT THE SPACES ARE THERE.

IF THERE'S SPACES FOR PERFORMANCE OR, UM, A RECORDING STUDIO IN HOUSE.

I MEAN, TO ME, THIS COULD BE A VERY VISIONARY EXPANSION, UM, BUT A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION AND AT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.

AND I THINK AT THE TOURISM COMMISSION TO SOME EXTENT IS ALSO AROUND, UH, FINANCIALS, UM, IN THE FACE OF HOW THE CONVENTION BUSINESS HAS CHANGED OR, OR MAY CONTINUE TO CHANGE POST PANDEMIC.

SO, UM, I MEAN, ESSENTIALLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL PROBABLY BASICALLY TABLE THE SIDE ON FOR NOW, BUT, UH, I DID WANT TO SAY THE, THOSE THERE'S GOING TO BE, I BELIEVE A JOINT WORKING GROUP FORMED, UM, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, TOURISM COMMISSION, AND WE ARE INVITED TO JOIN THAT.

UM, SO Y'ALL NOBODY, DON'T EVERYBODY RAISE THEIR HANDS AT FIRST, BUT, UH, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THAT JOINT WORKING GROUP? OKAY.

SO, UH, COMMISSIONER GOULD, UH, YEAH, IT IS, IT IS.

SO WE'LL ONCE AND IT HASN'T FORMED YET, SO IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A RIGHT NOW THING, BUT IT'S A PRETTY, PRETTY SOON.

SO, UM, YEAH, WE'LL PENCIL YOU IN FOR THAT.

AND I APPRECIATE IT, LAUREN, BECAUSE LAUREN IS ALSO SERVING ON ANOTHER REALLY SIGNIFICANT WORKING GROUP RIGHT NOW AND JUST WRAPPED UP WITH THE LIVE MUSIC FUND WORKING GROUP.

UM, SO, UM, WELL, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW IT, BUT, UH, IN CHARLOTTE, BUT UH, IF LAUREN DOESN'T STEP UP, I CAN STEP UP IN THAT.

OH, I'M SORRY.

CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? CHUCK? I CAN'T LIKE Y'ALL ARE REALLY SOFT TONIGHT.

WHO ELSE WAS ALWAYS MY HAND.

THEN Y'ALL UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU NEEDED TO TAG TEAM SWITCH OFF AT DIFFERENT MEETINGS OR WHATEVER, BUT THAT'S GREAT TO HAVE TWO COMMISSIONERS, SO, OKAY.

SO WE WILL HAVE COMMISSIONER GOLD AND COMMISSIONER MAHOEN, UH, JOINED THAT, UH, JOINT WORKING GROUP ONCE IT'S FORMED AND I'LL KEEP IT ALL UPDATED.

AND THEN HOPEFULLY NEXT TIME WE'LL HAVE A BIT CONVENTION CENTER REPRESENTATIVES OUT TO GIVE US MORE INFORMATION OF WHAT THE PLANS EXPANSION HAS AND YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN LIKE WITH OTHER COMMISSIONS.

AND, UM, WHAT'S IN THE WORKS.

ANYBODY GOT ANY FEEDBACK RIGHT NOW ON THAT? OKAY, COOL.

UM, AND THEN I DID WANT TO JUST MENTION THAT OUR HOT FUNDING FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND DOES, IS RELATED TO THAT EXPANSION.

SO, UM, SOMETHING FOR US TO KEEP IN MIND.

DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON MAKING A POSSIBLE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.

VERY GOOD.

IN THAT IT TAKES CARE OF ALL OUR ITEMS UNDER NEW BUSINESS.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO OLD BUSINESS, UM,

[4a. Discussion and Possible Action on making a possible budget recommendation]

SO EXCITING BUDGET TALK, BUT, UM, YEAH, I MEAN, WE'RE BASICALLY ALL ABOUT FUNDING MOST OF THE TIME HERE.

UH, SO, UM, I WORKED AT A DRAFT DOCUMENT.

IT'S JUST A STARTING PLACE FOR US.

AND KIM SENT THAT AROUND TO Y'ALL AND I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK, BUT BASICALLY I IDENTIFIED AND NAGA VOLLEY HELPED ME OUT AS WELL.

SO WE, WE, WE WORKED ON THIS TOGETHER, SOME, UM, THREE AREAS, UH, FOR FUNDING.

SO ONE IS SOME ANOTHER ROUND OF DISASTER FUNDING.

SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT A LOT TONIGHT.

ANOTHER, UM, IS MARKETING FOR THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HERE, UM, FEELS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT COMES UP IN CONVERSATION SO MUCH WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ANYTHING FROM LIKE THE GIG BUDDY TO THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM, JUST THE NEED FOR A ROBUST, UM, FOCUS ON MARKETING.

AND THAT COULD GO, I MEAN, THAT'S A REALLY BROAD TOPIC.

UM, BUT, UM, I DID SUGGEST THAT WE, WE ASK, UM, FOR SOME MONEY FOR THAT IN THE, IN THE CITY BUDGET.

AND, UM, THE THIRD THING WAS SPACE SUBSIDIES OR SUBSIDIZED, UH, CREATIVE SPACE,

[01:40:01]

UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ALWAYS A BIG TOPIC IN OUR CITY.

UM, RIGHT NOW PROJECT CONNECT THERE'S THEY HAVE BUDGETS SET ASIDE, UH, FOR ANTI-DISPLACEMENT.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY A HOUSING INITIATIVE.

SO THERE'S SOME VARIOUS POCKETS OF BUCKETS OF MONEY THAT WE CAN THINK ABOUT FOR THESE THINGS.

UH, BUT FIRST I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF THROW IT OUT TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND SEE IF Y'ALL HAD THOUGHTS ABOUT THOSE SPECIFIC ITEMS OR SOME ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT WE, UH, SHOULD REQUEST FROM COUNCIL AND ANY POSSIBLE FUNDING SOURCES AS WELL.

SO, UM, I'LL JUST START WITH THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE HERE IN PERSON.

I'LL START DOWN HERE, LAUREN AND WE'RE IN.

DID Y'ALL HAVE ANY THOUGHTS? WELL, I WAS CURIOUS HOW DETAILED DOES IT NEED TO BE? CAN WE JUST HAVE THOSE KINDS OF BROAD BUCKETS OR DO WE NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION FOR STAFF.

I THINK, UM, STILL NOVIA, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME GUIDANCE ON HOW, HOW TO MAKE A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT COUNCIL WILL, UH, TAKE NOTICE OF? SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THAT YOU CAN DO A RESOLUTION SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU DID LAST YEAR, AND YOU WILL ENTER THAT INTO, UM, A S A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, AND WE CAN GET THAT LINK FROM THERE.

THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE SENT TO THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO CONSIDER.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU SHOULD ALSO REACH OUT TO YOUR APPOINT, UH, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER THAT APPOINTED YOU TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS.

AND SO IT WILL BE RECOGNIZED LISTED IN THE BUDGET AS A REQUEST, AND THEN, UM, IT'S SENT TO THE DEPARTMENTS AND IF THE DEPARTMENTS CAN ADDRESS IT WELL, BUT IT WON'T BE GUARANTEED UNTIL THE BUDGET IS APPROVED.

UH, SO YEAH, SO ESSENTIALLY IT SOUNDS LIKE WE START WITH THE DOCUMENT, UM, AND THEN WE NEED TO ADVOCATE WITH OUR, WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR WHY, WHY WE'RE MAKING THOSE REQUESTS.

AND IT'S GOOD TO KNOW.

I WOULD THINK LIKE SPECIFICALLY WHAT SOURCES WE'RE ASKING FOR.

SO, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR DISASTER RELIEF, YEAH.

GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE DATA THAT YOU KNOW OF.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, TONIGHT THAT IT WAS AN OVERSUBSCRIPTION OF YOUR MUSIC, UH, PROGRAM AND SO DOCUMENTATION AND HOW IT TIES BACK TO STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 23, THOSE ARE ALSO GOOD METRICS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND HAS COUNSEL GIVEN.

SO IN TERMS OF LIKE THEIR BUDGET PRIORITIES OR THEIR DIRECTION, LIKE, HAVE THEY, HAVE THEY IDENTIFIED BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR FISCAL YEAR 23? NOT AT THIS TIME THAT I'M AWARE OF, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF BUDGET.

SO WE'RE JUST NOW WORKING ON THE FORECAST.

THEY DID HAVE A WORK SESSION A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, UM, AND I'M NOT AWARE OF SPECIFIC PRIORITIES THAT HAVE COME OUT, BUT I WILL DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO THE BUDGET OFFICE, BUT TYPICALLY YOU, YOU DO IT TWOFOLD.

YOU PUT IT IN THE APPROVE, YOUR RECOMMENDATION, THEN YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR COUNCIL PERSON.

ARE THERE ANY, UM, IS THERE ANY HISTORICAL REFERENCE WHERE THAT WE CAN USE TO SEE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT BUDGETS HAVE BEEN APPROVED LIKE IN THE PAST OR WHAT KIND OF RECOMMENDATIONS MIGHT HAVE BEEN, OR IS IT JUST, WE PUT ANY NUMBER TOGETHER THAT WE THINK IS APPROPRIATE AND SEND IT ACROSS? SO THE LAST TWO YEARS, I WILL SAY LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE YOU GUYS REQUESTED $10 MILLION, UM, FOR TWO YEARS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, CORRECT.

THIS, THIS PAST YEAR, THAT WAS, UM, SOME OF THAT WAS ENABLED BY ARPA FUNDING.

AND COVID, UH, AS YOU ALL MAY RECALL, WE'RE UNDER A THREE AND A HALF PERCENT TAX CAP.

AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, SO I CAN'T SAY THAT IT WILL, UH, WON'T BE APPROVED.

I'M JUST GIVING YOU PARAMETERS THAT WE ARE WORKING UNDER IN TERMS OF A BUDGET A LITTLE BIT.

WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU PLEASE MIND REPEATING WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE PARAMETERS AGAIN, IF YOU COULD JUST REITERATE, SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME, PLEASE JUST REITERATE THE PARAMETERS.

I DON'T THINK I QUITE QUITE CAUGHT THAT.

FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

SO LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE YOU GUYS REQUESTED 10 MILLION

[01:45:01]

AND SO YOU DID RECEIVE ARPA FUNDS FOR THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY, AND THAT WAS MADE AGAIN AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF THE ARPA FUNDS, BUT TYPICALLY, UM, BECAUSE OF THE EXPANSION, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IS FUNDED WITH HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.

BUT AS YOU MAY RECALL, THE STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED AT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT TAX CAP.

SO ANYTHING ABOVE THREE AND A HALF PERCENT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE ODORS.

AND I CAN SEND YOU A LINK TO THE LAST, UM, BUDGET PRESENTATION FROM THE BUDGET OFFICE THAT SHOWS THE GAP IN TERMS OF THE GENERAL FUND.

JUST SO YOU'RE UNDERSTAND THE PARAMETERS THAT COUNCIL WILL BE, UM, USING TO MAKE A FINAL, UH, BUDGET APPROVAL.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? KIND OF, YES.

PLEASE, PLEASE DO SEND THEM MORE QUESTIONS.

I JUST WANT TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT IN TERMS OF THE PARAMETERS COUNCIL DEFINITELY CAN SET THEIR PRIORITIES, BUT JUST NOTE THAT THE GENERAL FUND OVER THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS OR BASED SOME CHALLENGES.

BECAUSE I'M JUST CURIOUS AT THE MUSIC COMMISSION PRESENTING A BUDGET AND THE, THE, THE SUCCESS RATE OF, UH, UM, ACTUALLY THAT BEING CONSIDERED AND BEING ACHIEVED, UH, BY, BY COUNCIL.

SO WE MIGHT HAVE TO GET A LITTLE CREATIVE AND ASK LOOKING AT POSSIBLE SOURCES.

SO THE GENERAL FUND IS ONE REVENUE SOURCE.

UM, THERE ARE HOT FUNDS THAT GO TO SO LIKE HOT, HOT FUNDS THAT GO TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.

SO THAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE MARKETING.

THE MARKETING COULD BE FUNDED THROUGH THAT, UM, HOUSING.

UM, I, AGAIN, LIKE THERE'S SOME MONEY RELATED TO PROJECT CONNECT.

I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE DENSITY BONE BONUS PROGRAM, BUT I THINK, UM, I DON'T EXACTLY KNOW HOW ALL THAT GETS PAID INTO ITS DEVELOPMENT AND SO ON, BUT THERE ARE SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, PLUS IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S STILL SOME FEDERAL MONEY SITTING AROUND THAT WE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE WHERE WE'D TO IDENTIFY THAT SOURCE FOR ADDITIONAL DISASTER RELIEF.

SO, YEAH, I DEFINITELY HEAR WHAT SYLVIA IS SAYING ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND THERE'S, IT'S KIND OF, UH, I MEAN, BASICALLY IT WAS THE PROPERTY TAXES ARE CAPPED THAT THAT CAPS THE REVENUE COMING IN OR THE PROPERTY TAX RATE, BUT THERE'S SOME OTHER POSSIBILITIES WHERE WE CAN FIND, FIND, GO KNOCKING ON SOME DOORS, I THINK, UH, WITH SUPPORT OF COUNCIL OR IN, UH, YOU HAD A COMMENT.

UH, I'M TAKING IT BACK, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY, UM, ITEMS THAT WE COULD PUT ONTO THE BUDGET.

UH, WE'VE STARTED HAVING, UH, MUSIC PERFORMANCES, RECORDED MUSIC PERFORMANCES, LIKE, UH, LIKE TODAY'S FANTASTIC PERFORMANCE, WHICH IS STILL GOING THROUGH, UM, THROUGH MY HEAD.

UM, BUT COULD WE BUDGET TO HAVE, UH, IN THE COMING YEAR TO HAVE ACTUAL LIVE MUSICIANS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND IF WE HAD LIVE MUSICIANS YES, CERTAINLY WE WOULD, WE WOULD PAY THEM THIS RATE OF 150 AN HOUR, BUT I BET WE COULD GET REALLY GOOD TURNOUT AT OUR MUSIC COMMISSION MEETINGS AS A SIDE BENEFIT, UH, FOR THAT MUSIC COMMISSION FREE SHOW.

YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GOOD.

YEP.

LET'S PUT THAT IN THERE.

I THOUGHT IN THE BUDGET, I APPRECIATE THAT.

UH, YEAH, WE GET LONELY.

WE WANT MORE PEOPLE HERE, SO, UM, UM, THAT'S YEAH, NO, GO AHEAD, LAUREN.

AND YEAH, EVERYBODY THAT'S REMOTE, LIKE JUST DO SHOUT OUT OR WAVE YOUR HAND AROUND.

CAUSE Y'ALL ARE LIKE, IT'S SO SMALL AND EVERYBODY HERE IS SO MUCH MORE PRESENT FOR ME, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY THAT HAS A COMMENT, UM, CAN JUMP IN, BUT YEAH, GO AHEAD, LAUREN.

WELL, I WAS JUST WONDERING, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT, WE SPREAD THE, THE ARPA FUNDS OVER TWO YEARS.

COULD PLEASE ADVISE ON THE AMOUNT? SO I BELIEVE YOU, UH, UNDER MUSIC CATEGORY WAS 4 MILLION AND A PORTION WENT TO SHORE UP THE LIVE MUSIC VENUE PRESERVATION FUND, AND THEN THE BALANCE WAS, UH, DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF FUND.

UM, AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE ARE TOTALLY TIED TO THAT OR IF GIVEN THAT IT'S DISASTER RELIEF MONEY THAT, AND, AND THE NEED IS SO OVER SUBSCRIBED, LIKE, IS IT POSSIBLE TO, OR PRUDENT EVEN TO TAP INTO SOME OF THAT MONEY? THAT'S KIND OF SET ASIDE FOR YEAR DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS BECAUSE WE, THE DISASTER IS ONGOING.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? LIKE QUICK QUESTION, ACTUALLY, HOW MUCH OF THOSE CYBER FUNDS PANNED OUT? LIKE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DID WE GET OUT OF THE ARPA FUNDS? IF YOU

[01:50:01]

BUT JUST AS A REMINDER, COUNCIL APPROVED A SPENDING FRAMEWORK OR THE ENTIRE ARPA FUNDS.

AND SO UNDER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, HOMELESS, THE BULK OF IT WENT TO HOMELESS SERVICES, AND THEN THERE WAS A CONTINGENT LINE ITEM.

AND THAT IS THE ONLY LINE ITEM THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT HAS YET TO BE, UM, DECIDED ON HOW IT WOULD BE SPENT.

BUT THE OVERALL FRAMEWORK WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL.

AND I CAN GET THAT LINK OUT TO YOU.

SO BASICALLY ALL THE FUNDS FOR MUSIC, UH, HAVE BEEN SPENT ALL THE FUNDS AROUND ARTS HAVE BEEN SPENT.

AND SO, UH, HOMELESSNESS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, ET CETERA.

IT'S JUST THAT CONTINGENT LINE ITEM THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF.

IT HASN'T BEEN DESIGNATED.

I THINK I THOUGHT IT WAS, UH, THAT, THAT IT WAS SPREAD OUT OVER TWO YEARS THE REQUEST, BUT WE BASICALLY REQUESTED 20 MILLION AND I THINK WE GOT FOUR AND IT'S, WE'VE GOTTEN, IT'S ALL BEEN SPENT.

I SEE.

OKAY, COOL.

I THOUGHT FOR SOME REASON I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS SOME THAT WE WERE SAVING FOR YEAR TWO OR SOMETHING.

SO NEVERMIND, CLARIFYING, THERE ARE SOME PROGRAMS THAT DO HAVE A TWO YEAR SPENDING CYCLE, LIKE AROUND HOMELESS, BUT FOR THE CREATIVE SECTOR NOW WE SPENT IT ALL IN THE CURRENT YEAR.

I HAD A FEW THOUGHTS AND CHARLOTTE, THIS IS A GOOD TIME.

DIALOGUE SO THAT THEY CAN SUGGEST WHAT KINDS OF THINGS WOULD, WHAT KIND OF DATA WOULD THEY LIKE TO SEE? WHAT KIND OF, WHAT WOULD HELP THEM? WHAT CONVINCES THEM, WHAT DOESN'T CONVINCE THEM, UH, ANY FEEDBACK THEY MAY HAVE.

UM, WELL FIRST I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB DRAFTING THIS, UH, THIS PROPOSAL, THE RECOMMENDATION.

AND I, I, I ALWAYS FIND IT VERY HELPFUL WHEN THERE'S A SIMPLE OVERVIEW LIKE THIS AND THEN JUST SORT OF DOUBLING DOWN ON.

SO NOT THOUGHTS, UH, UH, THEN SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS BEYOND THAT, BECAUSE I THINK WITH ALL THE DOCUMENTS GOING ACROSS STAFF THAT'S AND COUNCILS THAT'S, THE QUICK OVERVIEW WILL BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

AND THEN ONCE IT CATCHES ATTENTION, GETTING INTO THOSE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS, WHICH WOULD BE DATA FOR PRECEDENTS, UH, POTENTIAL SOURCES, I THINK IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL SOURCES, UH, IS, UH, IS KEY.

UH, AND THEN, UM, BUT I ALSO THINK IN ADDITION TO SORT OF HARD DATA, WE GET A LOT OF PERSONAL STORIES, UH, HERE AT THE COMMISSION.

AND I THINK THOSE COULD HELP A PAGE OR TWO OF, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF SENTENCES DESCRIBING THIS PERSON ONCE BRAINS, THE PANDEMIC FOR CERTAIN MUSICIANS.

UM, SO IT GOES BEYOND, IT BECOMES MORE, FEELS MORE REAL THAN JUST PLAYING DATA.

UM, AND SO I THINK THOSE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS COULD BE MOVING.

AND I, I LOOKING OVER THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, I WONDER ABOUT THE WORD MINIMUM, UH, WHERE IT SAYS A MINIMUM OF 15 MILLION, A MINIMUM OF 10 MILLION, UH, BASICALLY WITH ESSENTIALLY, UH, THE, IT HAS THE DANGER OF SOUNDING PRESUMPTUOUS BECAUSE THAT I'M NOT COMPETENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET 15, NINE OR 10 MILLION.

AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE WILL NOT BE GRATEFUL OR HAPPY OR BE ABLE TO USE EFFECTIVELY ANYTHING LESS.

AND IF SO, THEIR IMPLICATION, IF WE DON'T GET 10 MILLION, IF WE DON'T GET THE MINIMUM 15, THAT IT WON'T DO ITS JOB AT THAT POINT, WHY GIVE 8 MILLION, IF IT'S NOT GOING TO DO THE JOB, UH, AND TO ME, WHILE 15 MILLION WOULD BE IDEAL.

AND I THINK WE COULD LIST LEGITIMATE NEEDS THAT GO FAR BEYOND THAT, UH, ASKING FOR SOMETHING THAT'S THAT UNDERSTANDING THERE'S DEEP NEED ACROSS THE CITY AND THAT WE WILL BE FLEXIBLE ON WHAT MONEY DOES COME.

WE, I THINK STAFF AND WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE, UH, AN EFFECTIVE AND DEEP IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY.

ANYWAY, THAT WAS THE ONLY CHANGE I SAW GLANCING OVER IT.

IT SEEMED LIKE A RED FLAG THAT MIGHT RUB PEOPLE THE WRONG WAY WITH SO MANY NEEDS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

I WOULD DOUBLE DOWN ON EVEN SENDING THIS DRAFT THAT PEOPLE LIKE IT TO THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO START THAT DISCUSSION EARLY.

BUT EVEN BEFORE THIS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP OR A, AN ONGOING

[01:55:01]

SO WE CAN JUMP INTO THIS AND, AND REALLY FLESH IT OUT WITHOUT, WITHOUT GETTING RID OF THIS SIMPLE OVERVIEW.

CAUSE I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL, BUT FLUSH IT OUT WITH SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS THAT REALLY MAKE IT A POWERFUL STATEMENT, GIVEN THAT THE COMPETING AND IMPORTANT OTHER NEEDS THAT WILL WELL WE'LL BE AGAINST IN THIS.

UH, AND THEN I WOULD JUST DOUBLE DOWN ON OREN'S THOUGHT OF IN-PERSON.

I ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT THE TIME WE TAKE THE PERFORMANCES, BUT I THINK GETTING ATTENDANCE UP WELL, DEEPEN THE IMPACT THAT THE, THAT THE COMMISSION CAN HAVE AND MAKING THOSE IN-PERSON THINGS AND REALLY INVITING THE COMMUNITY TO THE MEETINGS COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR IMPACT.

BECAUSE I THINK THAT WHEN THE COMMUNITY SHOWS UP THE PRESS NOTICES, THE COUNCIL NOTICES, UH, THE STAFF NOTICES FOR THAT MATTER, IT MAKES AN IMPACT WHEN THERE ARE NUMBERS AND IN THE ROOM.

AND, UH, THAT'S IT, THOSE WERE MY THOUGHTS.

AND THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK ON THE PROPOSAL.

ALRIGHT, THANKS, GRAHAM.

YEAH, THAT'S SUPER HELPFUL.

UM, ACTUALLY, AND SO YEAH, I WOULD ASK, UM, EVERYBODY, SO AFTER TONIGHT, AFTER, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER THOUGHTS AFTER THE MEETING, Y'ALL CAN EMAIL ME AND WE CAN STILL CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT PROCESS FOR A SEC.

UM, LET ME KNOW, EMAIL ME OR CALL ME, AND THEN I'LL INCORPORATE THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, UM, AND SEND THAT DRAFT, UM, BACK OUT TO Y'ALL.

AND I DO THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO GO TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND JUST SAY, HEY, WE'RE WORKING ON THIS.

THESE ARE THE THINGS WE REALLY CARE ABOUT.

CAN YOU, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO SEE IN HERE? THAT'S HELPFUL, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU HELP ME WORKSHOP THIS? UM, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE COUNCIL MEMBER.

IT CAN BE SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, LEAN ON THEIR STAFF TO HELP US MAKE THIS A REALLY GOOD DOCUMENT.

UM, SO THAT IT REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT, IT MAKES AN IMPACT WHEN IT DOES GO TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.

UM, SO YEAH, THAT, THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY, IF YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GOT THEIR INDIVIDUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH, WITH THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER.

SO THINK ABOUT WHETHER IT'S BETTER TO HIT UP YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER OR SOMEBODY ON THEIR STAFF.

THAT'S JUST SUPER HELPFUL AND JUST SAY, HEY, WE NEED HELP WITH THIS.

WELL, WE KNOW THIS STUFF IS IMPORTANT.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.

AND THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THAT, LET'S ALL GATHER THAT FEEDBACK AND GET BACK TO ME AND THEN WRITE UP A REALLY GOOD BUDGET RACK.

I WANT OURS TO BE THE BEST ONE SO WE CAN DO IT.

UM, SHAKA OR GAVIN OR, UH, CHRIS DID Y'ALL HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON BUDGET STUFF, IF NOT THAT'S OKAY.

I AGREE WITH WHAT, UH, W WHAT GRAHAM SAID, I WAS GOING TO SAY A FEW SIMILAR THINGS, UM, IS, UH, YEAH, NO, NO, I I'LL EMAIL YOU FOR SURE.

I THINK IT'S SOLID THOUGH.

OVERALL.

SO, I MEAN, IT'S A GREAT PROJECT FOR SURE.

THIS IS JUST TO GET US STARTED.

UM, BUT OUR DEADLINE, I THINK IS MARCH 31ST FOR THIS.

WE HAVE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON VOTER REGISTRATION AND THE MUSIC COMMISSION ROLE, BUT THIS IS A SCOTT THING AND SCOTT IS SICK.

STAFF'S NODDING.

UH, SO IT'S PRETTY LIKE, GO AHEAD AND LIKE, LET'S GET STARTED ON IT THIS WEEK.

CAUSE MARCH IS GOING TO BE IN WITH SOUTH BY, IN THE MIDDLE OF IT AND EVERYTHING LIKE THIS MONTH IS GOING TO GO BY LIKE THAT.

SO, ALL RIGHT.

UM, IF THAT IS IT ON BUDGETS, THEN NEXT THING ON OUR LIST,

[4b. Discussion and Possible Action on voter registration and Music Commission role.]

SO WE'LL PUSH THIS TO NEXT TIME.

AND THEN I DON'T THINK WITH, WITH RESPECT TO THE, UH, VOTING, UM, UH, UH, COUNTY, UM, VOTER REGISTER ELEPHANT TOLD ME HE WAS VERY EAGER TO TALK TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE IN GETTING PEOPLE VOTING.

SO LET'S ASK, UM, LET'S ASK COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND TO COORDINATE WITH, UH, COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR, UM, VOTED REGISTRAR ELEPHANT.

THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.

THREE C DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON INCREASING CITY RATE FOR MUSICIANS AND COMMISSIONER OF STRICKLAND.

CAN YOU, CAN YOU CONNECT THEM? YEAH.

[4c. Discussion and Possible Action on increasing City rate for musicians. ]

AGAIN, BROUGHT THIS UP, BUT I, WE HAVE SOME MUSICIANS HERE IN OUR MIDST.

DO Y'ALL HAVE SOME COMMENTS, YOU HAD A MEETING ABOUT IT.

DO YOU WANT TO TALK TO US ABOUT, OKAY.

OH, INCREASING THE INCREASING THE RATE, UH, THAT YOU PRESENTED ABOUT EARLIER.

GREAT RESPECT TO STEPHANIE.

[02:00:01]

SO YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THAT INCREASED.

UM, YEAH, WE TALKED ABOUT IT.

I MEAN, AND, AND THE LAST ONE WAS IN 2016, I THINK YOU SAID THAT'S CORRECT.

SIX OR SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE'VE LOTS OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THEN AND COST OF LIVING HAS GONE UP QUITE A BIT.

UM, SO, UH, I, I'M INTERESTED IN WHAT THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, MUSICIANS AND, AND, AND, UH, OTHER FOLKS ON THE COMMISSION THINK ABOUT THAT, BUT, UM, I WOULD, OF COURSE BE IN FAVOR OF IT IF IT'S POSSIBLE.

AND SO, STEPHANIE, AND I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS BASED ON HER RECOMMENDATION ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO.

AND SO I'VE BEEN SCRUBBING THE BUDGET WITH OUR FINANCE PEOPLE TO END P YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS IN THOSE LINE ITEMS, UH, AS WE WERE PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR.

AND JUST ALSO LOOKING AT OUR, UH, CURRENT YEAR ESTIMATE, YOU KNOW, TO FORECAST TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR.

AND SO I AM IN FAVOR OF RAISING IT TO AT LEAST 1 75, IF NOT 200, BUT WE'RE JUST GOING TO DO SOME, A LITTLE BIT MORE, YOU KNOW, JUST A MATH TO GET THAT DONE SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PERFORMANCES PER YEAR, TIMES THAT BY THE NUMBER AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE OUR BUDGET COVERED.

AND, UM, SO I WOULD LOVE FOR ONE OF OUR MUSICIANS ON THE COMMISSION TOO, FOR THE FOLKS WATCHING AT HOME, AND THEY MIGHT WONDER LIKE, WOW, 150 AN HOUR.

THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT, BUT THAT'S PERFORMANCE HOUR.

SO DO Y'ALL WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT ELSE GOES, WHAT OTHER TIME IS REQUIRED OF THEM AS A MUSICIAN, PRIOR TO A PERFORMANCE THAT'S A 24 HOUR JOB.

MOST OF THOSE HOURS ARE ANYBODY LAUGHED AT ONCE.

THEY'RE SHOCKED.

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE SOME STUFF TO SAY ABOUT THAT.

UH, TOO MUCH MONEY, YOU KNOW, TOO MUCH NOW, SERIOUSLY.

I MEAN, THERE'S THE THERE'S, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE IN A BAND, YOU HAVE A BAND, YOU GOT TO PRACTICE SOMEWHERE, AND MAYBE YOU MAY BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE YOU COULD PRACTICE, BUT IF NOT, YOU GOING TO FIND A PLACE TO PRACTICE, THERE'S PARKING, UM, WHEREVER YOU GO, MOST OF THE TIME THERE'S, UH, JUST EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU LOSE STRING, WHATEVER, WHATEVER, UM, BUYING EQUIPMENT TO PRODUCE, WHAT YOU'RE DOING ARE PRODUCING, UM, THINGS TO SELL FOR IMMERSE TO MAKE A LIVING.

I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY COSTS TO BEING A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, UM, BEFORE YOU EVEN HIT THE STAGE MARKETING, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BUY ADVERTISING DIGITAL MEDIA, UH, TO ADVERTISE A PERFORMANCE, UM, IF YOU'RE GOING TO EVEN HAVE SOMEONE CREATE A DESIGN FOR YOU TO HAVE A FLYER TO PUT IT THERE, ANYTHING THAT YOU SEE, UM, IT COSTS MONEY.

ANYTHING THAT YOU SEE RELATED TO A MUSICIAN PERFORMANCE COST MONEY.

UM, SO, UM, $150 IS, IS, IS, IS NOT MUCH WHEN, WHEN YOU TAKE ALL THAT INTO ACCOUNT, UM, IT'S REALLY PROBABLY MINIMUM WAGE FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY PUT IN JUST TO GET TO THAT, TO THAT SHOW.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M ALL FOR 1 75 MILE 4,200, I THINK 200 IS GOOD.

UM, HOPEFULLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD PUSH FORWARD BECAUSE IT'S TIME AGREED BECAUSE WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE DATA TO PROVIDE MORE CONTEXT THAT PEOPLE YOU MAY ASSUME ARE SUCCESSFUL AND THEY'RE PAYING, AND THEY GET PAID X AMOUNT.

YOU MAY KNOW, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ANNUAL SALARY FOR THAT SAME MUSICIAN, IT'S SHOCKING HOW LOW IT IS.

AND SO THAT'S REALLY THIS CONVERSATION WE NEED TO BE HAVING IS HOW MUCH CAN A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN MAKE WORKING FULL-TIME AS A MUSICIAN, NOT HAVING TO WORK THREE OTHER JOBS IN ORDER TO HAVE KIDS HOUSE, ALL, ALL THE STUFF THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE.

AND SO IT'S A LOT MORE THAN 200 AN HOUR BECAUSE NO ONE'S GETTING PAID FOR THE REST, THE OTHER 18 HOURS.

THEY JUST WORK THAT DAY SO WELL.

AND I'D LOOK AT IT LIKE THIS, RIGHT? A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN HAS BEEN WORKING IN THE FIELD FOR 10, 20, 30 YEARS.

SO WHEN YOU HAVE THEM UP THERE TO PLAY FOR TWO HOURS AND YOU'RE PAYING THEM $400, YOU'RE PLAYING FOR THE 20 YEARS, NOT THE TWO HOURS.

AND SO THAT'S THAT WITH THE MARKETING THING THAT WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER, THAT THIS WAS ALSO STEPHANIE SENSES, AS WE TALKED TO THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS ABOUT REALLY HAVING THIS BE A CITY-WIDE INITIATIVE, THAT MARKETING PLAN AND THAT MARKETING IS TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT THIS CAN'T JUST BE THE CITY.

IT HAS TO BE EVERY SINGLE PERSON PAYING A MUSICIAN TO PLAY IN THIS TOWN.

AND THE EXPECTATION OF THE RE THE FACTS.

LIKE YOU MAY THINK THAT PAYING X AMOUNT IS A GREAT AMOUNT, BUT THAT EQUATES TO, IT'S ALMOST LIKE HAVING A CALCULATOR.

OH, WELL, THAT EQUATES TO, THEY'RE MAKING 15 GRAND A YEAR.

AND TO PUT IT IN THAT CONTEXT, I THINK WE NEED TO PUT IT BACK IN THE CONTEXT OF PEOPLE UNDERSTANDING THEIR ANNUAL, HOW MUCH AN ANNUAL SALARY REALLY IS.

UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALSO KIND OF WORKING ON IN THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC, UH, GROUP, UM, IT'S STILL LIKE, JUST LIKE A LITTLE KERNEL OF AN IDEA, BUT WE'RE, BUT, UM, UH, JUST TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT HERE, YOU MOVED HERE FOR ALL OF THE REASONS THAT YOU DID AND HOW DO YOU SUPPORT IT? HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT THE CULTURE THAT BROUGHT YOU HERE CONTINUES TO THRIVE IN THAT REQUIRES PARTICIPATION FOR EVERYONE? AND SO I FEEL LIKE MARKETING DOLLARS, UH, FROM OUR END AND WHATEVER WE, UM, DO ALONGSIDE THE, THE ARTS COMMISSION.

I ALSO WANTED TO ADD THAT.

UM, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS,

[02:05:01]

I THINK, UM, WE REALLY NEED TO JUST LIKE TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO BE GOOD CONSUMERS OF ART AND MUSIC AND HOW TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY.

AND IN A WAY THAT'S NOT THAT DOESN'T HAVE LIKE A, LIKE A, A CHARITABLE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STARVING ARTISTS KIND OF SLANT TO IT, BUT IN A WAY THAT PRESENTS US AS WE ARE A SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, WE ARE WORKING PROFESSIONALS AND, AND ALL OF THAT STUFF.

SO I DON'T KNOW HOW DETAILED WE NEED TO GO IN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DONE WITH THE BUDGET DISCUSSION, BUT, BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT MARKETING, UH, COMPONENT OF IT AND ALSO MARKETING, NOT JUST TO THE, UM, CONSUMERS OF, OF MUSIC, BUT TO THE MUSICIANS THEMSELVES, BECAUSE WE ALL, IT'S VERY HARD FOR US TO ADVOCATE FOR OURSELVES.

UM, AND SO IF WE HAVE THAT SUPPORT FROM LIKE THAT, THERE'S THIS PRECEDENT AND THERE'S THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST VERY STRONG, UM, UH, DATA DRIVEN, YOU KNOW, MARKETING CAMPAIGN LIKE THAT WE CAN FALL BACK ON.

I THINK THAT WILL HELP MUSICIANS TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES.

AND WE'VE DONE A TON OF WORK PRE, UH, PRE OMICRON SURGE, UH, EXPECTING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT LIVE MUSIC EVENTS ARE RETURNING FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND THAT THIS RATE IS THIS, AND THESE DEPARTMENTS HAVE AGREED TO THIS.

SO WE HAD TO PIVOT AND WE HAD SOME SETBACKS WITH THE, WITH THE SURGE, BUT, UM, THAT WAS ALWAYS THE EXPECTATION IS THAT WE HAVE A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT AROUND THE RETURN OF PROCLAMATION PERFORMANCES AND STREET PERFORMANCE PROGRAM AND OTHER LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCES.

SO THERE'S AN EXPECTATION THERE ON OUR, ON, ON US, WE HAVE OF OURSELVES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

OKAY, COOL.

I MEAN, UM, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE YOU GUYS COULD MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THAT JOINT WORKING GROUP AND HERE I'M, I'M PART OF IT TOO.

AND WE COULD DO SOME IDEA SHARING AND PLANS FOR THAT.

UM, I DID WANT TO SAY ALSO, IN TERMS OF MARKETING, USING HOT DOLLARS FOR, UM, MARKETING, THAT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HIS DRIVING TOUR, THE HOT FUNDS STATUTE SAYS THAT THAT'S GOT TO BE, IT'S GOT TO DRIVE TOURISM, BUT I, I WOULD ARGUE THAT, UM, SOME TOURISM IS LOCAL TOURISM.

LIKE YOU MIGHT COME DOWNTOWN AND HAVE A DRINK AT THE FAIRMONT AND PARK AT THE FAIRMONT.

AND THEN YOU, THEN YOU'VE HAD, YOU SPENT A HUNDRED BUCKS AT THE FAIRMONT, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, OR GET POOL PASSES, LIKE ALL, I MEAN, THAT'S A HUGE THING IN THIS TOWN.

SO YOU MIGHT GO LIKE, GET A POOL PASS PLAN TO GO SEE A SHOW.

YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE THINGS LIKE STAYCATIONS AS LAUREN IS SAYING DOWN HERE.

UM, SO MARKETING MUSIC TO LOCALS, LIKE CAN, UH, BRING IN DOLLARS TO OUR HOTELS AS WELL.

SO, UM, I THINK AGAIN, LIKE WE GOTTA LOOK AT ALL SOURCES FOR THESE BUDGET ITEMS AND THAT, UH, VISIT AUSTIN CAN, CAN HELP SUPPORT US, UH, WITH FUNDING.

AND YEAH, DEFINITELY WANT TO TALK TO, TO STAFF MORE ABOUT YOUR IDEAS FOR MARKETING.

SO, ALRIGHT AND BUDGET OF 50 K A YEAR FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.

BUT YES, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM SOMEWHERE TO INCREASE THAT.

AND IT WAS A GREAT CAMPAIGN, GREAT, UH, ANALYTICS COMING OUT OF IT THAT WAS VERY SPECIFIC TO DRIVING TICKET SALES AND, YOU KNOW, IN VISITS TO, YOU KNOW, ARTISTS' WEBSITES AND TO SHOWS.

SO WE WILL, YOU KNOW, SO IT WENT WELL AND WE WILL CONTINUE THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT DATA WITH YOU AS WELL.

NO I'M AND I'M ALSO, YOU KNOW, FULL DISCLOSURE.

SO YEAH, I SEE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE CAN BE LIKE THIS BROAD CITY-WIDE CAMPAIGN, BUT THERE CAN ALSO BE FUNDING THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO MUSICIANS AND ORGANIZATIONS, OR LIKE SMALL, LIKE MICRO CAMPAIGNS FOR DIFFERENT SEAN EURO'S OR DIFFERENT, UM, COMMUNITIES.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF POSSIBILITY HERE AND JUST IF IT'S APPROACHED STRATEGICALLY, I THINK IT CAN BE, UM, JUST HUGELY EFFECTIVE.

AND I MEAN, I, FOR ONE JUST LIKE, WOULD LIKE TO NORMALIZE PEOPLE, PAYING $15 COVER WHEN THEY GO SEE A LOCAL BAND OR MORE, UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, LIKE $200 AN HOUR FOR A PERFORMANCE, UM, IS, I MEAN, THAT'S BANDS ARE THEY'RE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETERS.

THEY DO SPEND TIME DOING VENUE NEGOTIATIONS.

THEN THE LEADER OF A BAND HAS GOT TO CALL, YOU KNOW, THE DRUMMER AND REMIND THEM TO SHOW UP ON TIME OR NOT, NOT NO DISCRIMINATION TOWARDS STRONG ROSE, BUT I MEAN, COME ON AND YOU GET, UM, UH,

[02:10:01]

I'M ALSO A PERFORMING MUSICIAN AND TO PLAY A GIG TAKES ANYWHERE BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10 HOURS OF WORK IN A WEEK.

AND BY THE TIME YOU PAY FOR A BABYSITTER FOR A MINIMUM OF THREE HOURS AND PARK AND FEED YOUR BAND OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT MONEY IS GONE.

SO, UH, WE'RE WE'RE WELL, WE'RE VERY MINDFUL OF THAT AND AWARE OF IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE HOUR THAT YOU'RE PLAYING.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

SO IT'S IMPORTANT.

I THINK AT THE, AT THE CITY GOVERNMENT LEVEL THAT WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE STRONGLY SUPPORT, UH, PAYING MUSICIANS IN THAT WAY.

SO STAFF, IS IT HELPFUL IF WE MAKE A MOTION ABOUT THIS? YEAH.

YOU COULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION OF WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE.

UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE INCREASE THE CITY OF BOSTON RATE FOR PAYING MUSICIANS TO $200 AN HOUR OF PER PERFORMANCE.

WE HAVE A SECOND, A SECOND AND WE HAVE A SECOND, SECOND AND THIRD, SECOND, SO THEY CAN, UH, UH, VOLLEYED BEACHY TO IT.

SO WE'VE GOT A COMMISSIONER METTA CHARLA SECONDS, AND THEN ALL IN FAVOR, I BELIEVE THAT IS UNANIMOUS.

UM, ALL RIGHT, SO IT'S ONLY 8 49, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO JUST SIT AROUND FOR LIKE ANOTHER HOUR BY OUR TRACK RECORD.

IT'S AMAZING.

AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE DO NEED TO GO THROUGH THAT.

SO A FUTURE

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

UM, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO, UM, MOVE OVER FROM THIS TIME.

UM, SO WE'LL HAVE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON CONVENTION CENTER, RENOVATION AND EXPANSION, FOLLOWING A PRESENTATION, UH, FROM CONVENTION CENTER STAFF, UM, UPDATE ON LIVE MUSIC FUND.

LET'S SAY LET'S MOVE THAT ONE OUT OF STAFF BRIEFING BRIEFING.

SO WE'LL DO YOUR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION FALLING UPDATE ON LIVE MUSIC FUND RECOMMENDATION, UM, FROM EDD STAFF AND A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON VOTER REGISTRATION AND THE MUSIC COMMISSION ROLE WHEN SCOTT WILL BE BACK.

AND SO WHAT ELSE? UM, IT COULD BE, COULD BE A REQUEST TO STAFF UPDATE ON THE DISASTER RELIEF FUND AND THE OUTCOMES.

UM, CRITERIA AND OUTCOMES AND, UH, UM, YEAH, MAINLY MAINLY THAT.

OH, AND IF YOU COULD, UM, PROVIDE SOME MORE INSIGHT INTO THE RFP PROCESS AS WELL FOR THE DISASTER RELIEF FUND.

SO THAT WOULD HELP US, UH, BE INFORMED ABOUT HOW THOSE THINGS WILL WORK.

UH, PERHAPS BLOOD PERHAPS DID THE LIVE MUSIC FUN.

YEP.

CAN WE SECOND? I KNOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SECOND ALL THAT.

CAN WE SECOND IT AS A BATCH? THE WHOLE THING IS THAT ALL OF THEM? YEAH.

IS THAT, IS IT ANYBODY GOT ANYTHING ELSE FOR NEXT TIME? OKAY.

YEAH, GO AHEAD.

I GOT A QUESTION.

UM, MAYBE I MISSED IT, BUT, UM, SO IS, IS THE, UH, ARPA FUNDING? IS THAT, IS IT, IS IT NO MORE OF THAT? WE THINK MAYBE THE CITY HAS, SO NOVIA HAS SOME INSIGHT ON THAT.

IS IT JUST CONTINGENCY LINE ITEM THAT WASN'T, UH, APPROPRIATE IN THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES? AND I KNOW THAT'S, UM, I NEED TO CHECK WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE ON WHERE THEY ARE WITH THAT, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE HAD BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL, THE ENTIRE FRAMEWORK, BUT THERE WAS ONE LINE CALLED CONTINGENCY AND THAT LINE ITEM, UM, HAD NOT BEEN ALLOCATED.

SO I JUST NEED TO CHECK ON THAT.

SEE WHERE WE ARE.

WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A NEED, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT ON RECOMMENDATION AND SAY IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, STILL HOWEVER MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR THIS ASSISTANCE AND WE SHOULD RECOMMEND THAT FROM THAT 10 MILLION OR CONTINGENCY MONEY THAT, UM, WE SUPPLY FUNDING TO THE REMAINDER OF THE APPLICANTS.

HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH IS THAT ON THEM? OH, I DON'T WANT TO, I MEAN, I, WELL, IT WASN'T LIKE, I KNOW IT WAS OVER 10 MILLION, I BELIEVE.

LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET APPROVED.

CAN WE VOTE? WE VOTE AT NIGHT TO JUST LIKE, UH, GET THE MONEY TO THE REST OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE MONEY AS A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL.

SO YES, YOU COULD MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.

IF THAT'S THE DESIRE OF THE MUSIC COMMITTEE, WE SHOULD DO THAT AS A COMMISSION.

I MEAN, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT THAT ARE LOOKING FOR IT.

AND I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, UH, GIVE, UH, THE REST OF THE FOLKS THAT APPLIED THAT ASSISTANCE, MAYBE A MISUNDERSTANDING.

BUT I THINK WHAT'S AN OBVIOUS SAYING IS THAT IT'S NOT THE 10 MILLION IS NOT MUSIC SPECIFIC.

THIS IS OUR BOAT.

NO, I GET IT.

I GET IT.

BUT I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, BECAUSE WE HEARD FROM THE MUSICIANS TONIGHT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, WITH 3000 APPLICANTS OR WHATEVER FOR HOWEVER MANY 1200 OR WHATEVER,

[02:15:01]

WE CAN MOTION FOR THAT.

DO YOU WANT TO PUT THAT, DO YOU WANT TO MAKE THAT MOTION? CHAKA? DID I, DID I JUST DO IT NOW? OKAY.

UH, I'M TERRIBLE AT THIS.

UH, SO I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANT TO, UM, ASK TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT THE CITY, UM, THROUGH THE CONTINGENCY FUNDING, THE OPERA CONTINGENCY FUNDING FUND, UH, WITH OUR REMAINING APPLICANTS, UH, FOR THE, UH, RELIEF MONEY, UM, UM, HOWEVER MANY THAT IS, YEAH.

I THINK IT'S LIKE, YEAH, IT COMES OUT TO ABOUT 3.3 MILLION.

SO WE JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, TAKE, TAKE THAT FUNDING AND, AND SUPPLY LEVEL LEAVE TO THE REMAINING APPLICANTS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR THAT SUPPORT.

WE GOT ONE MORE GOOD RECOMMENDATION NOW, ONE POINT OF ORDER.

SO WHERE DOES THAT, DOES THAT FIT UNDER LIKE A, UH, A, UM, AN AGENDA ITEMS, SCORNED OR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? SO THE MINUTES IN THE ORDER THAT THEY OCCUR, BUT I GUESS I COULD REFER BACK TO, IS THAT LIKE THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION? LET'S PUT THE, SORRY.

WE WERE REALLY ALL OVER THE PLACE TONIGHT, BUT, UH, I THINK THAT THAT COULD FIT UNDER ITEM THREE, A ALL RIGHT.

SO NOVIA, CAN THAT ACTUALLY HAPPEN BECAUSE THAT YOUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AND THAT CONTINGENCY LINE IS .

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE THE SAME.

IT PROBABLY DOES NEED IT SEPARATELY.

HOLD ON ONE SECOND.

I'M TALKING TO THE BUDGET OFFICER JUST TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T MISSTATE SOMETHING.

HOLD ON.

CAUSE I MEAN, WE CAN FOLD IT INTO OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WE HAVE TO SUBMIT BEFORE OUR APRIL MEETING.

SO THAT PART IS A LITTLE BIT, IT WOULD BE FOLDED INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR THOUGH.

SO THIS, THIS WOULD BE AN ALLOCATION FOR FEES SET, TENDING.

EXACTLY.

SO PROBABLY WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO.

AND KIM IS CORRECT.

WE HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA FOR APRIL, AND THEN YOU MAKE THAT MOTION IN APRIL THAT WE RECOMMEND.

CAUSE WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH AND THAT'S GOOD.

SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT RECOMMENDATION QUICKLY TO COUNCIL IN APRIL.

SO THEN ARE YOU SAYING WE NEED TO LIKE TAKE THIS ITEM BACK UP AS AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THE NEXT MEETING, BUT ON THERE.

TAKE IT OFF A STAFF BRIEFING.

SO IF I COULD INTERRUPT MY APOLOGIES, I JUST TALKED TO THE BUDGET OFFICER.

WE HAVE PROPOSED A CONTINGENCY LINE ITEM, BUT IT DID NOT PASS IT.

THERE IS NO MONEY LEFT EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING TO ALLOCATE IT.

MY APOLOGIES.

SHE SAID I WAS GETTING IT CONFUSED WITH ANOTHER LINE ITEM.

SO AGAIN, MY APOLOGIES.

SO THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED TO THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES.

I STAND CORRECTED, I'M SORRY TO GIVE HOPE, BUT MY APOLOGIES AND A LOT OF NUMBERS RUNNING IN MY HEAD.

UM, SO THEN IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A FUTURE BUDGET.

THE NEXT, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE FISCAL YEAR 23 TO PUT IT AS PART OF, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD BE MORE DESCRIPTIVE IN THAT LANGUAGE TO FINISH OFF THE FYI 22 AWESOME MUSIC, DISASTER RELIEF FUND IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION.

AND THEN IF YOU WANT ADDITIONAL FUNDS AFTER THAT, ADD THAT INTO.

JUST FOR POINT OF ORDER THAN WOULD, UM, FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION YOU JUST MADE, WOULD SOMEBODY, WHY WOULD YOU NEED TO RESEND IT TO JUST MOVE IT TO NEXT MONTH? IS THAT THE PLAN? I DON'T KNOW.

THERE'S NO MONEY.

I MEAN, OKAY.

I GUESS WE, I DON'T HATE THE IDEA OF SENDING THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL JUST TO UNDERSCORE THE NEED, EVEN IF THEY CAN'T ARE, DOES THAT MAKE US LOOK LIKE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING? DEFINITELY OVERPRESCRIBED EXACTLY HOW MUCH.

SO WE JUST WANT IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE, BUT WE WILL SAY THAT WE RECOMMEND FUNDING THE REMAINING APPLICANTS.

ARE LIKE, FULL-TIME MUSICIANS THAT DIDN'T GET THIS.

I THINK, I THINK WE SHOULD RECOMMEND IT REGARDLESS.

THAT'S MY OPINION.

JUST LIKE, LET THEM KNOW THAT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE THIS GREAT NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, I THINK WE DID A GREAT JOB OF PROMOTING IT.

OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE AND, UM, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD DO OUR BEST TO TRY AND MEET THAT NEED.

UM, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAT, UH, WOULD BENEFIT FROM THIS FUNDS OBVIOUSLY AS ZACH AND OTHER PEOPLE MENTIONED THAT THERE

[02:20:01]

SO, UH, WE SHOULD DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO JUST IMPRESS UPON THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO, TO HONOR ALL THE PEOPLE THAT APPLIED IF POSSIBLE.

I AGREED.

SO I WOULD DO BOTH DO THE RECOMMENDATION.

YOU CAN IDENTIFY FROM WHERE FOR 22 AND THEN IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR NEXT YEAR, SAY IF NOT COVERED IN 20 TO FINISH OFF THAT GROUP AND THEN WHATEVER ADDITIONAL THE MONEY YOU MAY WANT.

SO, SO THIS RECOMMENDATION IS GOING TO GO HERE IN TODAY'S MEETING OR ARE YOU GUYS MOVING IT TO, UH, NO, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DO IT TODAY.

AND THEN YEAH, IF WE NEED TO CLARIFY ANYTHING LATER, KIM, YOU AND I CAN, CAN SORT IT OUT.

UM, ALL RIGHT.

AND I'M SO SORRY.

I'M GLAD.

I'M GLAD WE DID THAT THOUGH.

I THINK THAT WAS IMPORTANT.

UM, UH, UP, UP OF, OH MY GOSH.

WHAT'S THE WORDING DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION FOLLOWING AN UPDATE BY THE JOINT, UH, ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION WORKING GROUP, OR PERHAPS IT SEEMS IT GOT SOME STUFF.

YEAH, THAT, THAT WAS THE GROUP THAT WAS FORMED TO RESEARCH POSSIBLE FUNDING SOURCES OUTSIDE OF HOT FOR BOTH ART AND MUSIC.

UM, AND THAT THAT GROUP HAS BEEN MEETING AND, AND THERE'S SOME INTERESTING THINGS GOING ON THERE AND, UM, OR IN AN, IN CHARLOTTE OR BOTH ALSO PART OF THAT GROUP.

SO I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE MAYBE AN UPDATE ON THAT IN THE NEXT MEETING.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

SOME REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS GOING ON THERE, SO, OKAY.

SO IF THAT'S ALL THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE KNOW FOR NOW, SORRY, WE NEED SECONDS FOR ALL.

NONE OF THESE HAVE SECONDS YET.

SO CAN WE SECOND THEM ALL AS ONE BATCH? I FEEL LIKE WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE.

AGAIN, THEM ALL IN ONE BATCH, THE WHOLE SLEW OF IS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GOLD.

OH, LAUREN.

ONE OF THEM WAS YOUR EMOTION.

SO WE'LL NEED SOMEONE TO SECOND.

THE ONE THAT YOU JUST MOTIONED.

UH, ANYBODY WANT A MOTION TO ADJOURN SECOND? OKAY.

I THINK, I THINK COMMISSIONER AND GOT THAT SECOND, SO.

WELL WE'RE DONE, UM, NINE O'CLOCK.

YES, WE'RE OUT.

ANOTHER GOOD MEETING.

Y'ALL THANKS.