[00:00:01]
[CALL TO ORDER]
OKAY.SO WE'LL START OVER OPENING THE, UH, MARCH TOURISM COMMISSION BOARD MEETING.
AND, UH, WE HAVE OUR QUORUM LOOKING AT OUR AGENDA.
THE FIRST ITEM WOULD BE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
BEFORE I GET TO THAT, I JUST WANTED TO DO, UH, AN ANNOUNCEMENT, WHICH IS, UH, WE HAVE A REQUEST THAT WE END TODAY'S MEETING AT FOUR 30 SO THAT WE CAN ALL GET HOME SAFELY BEFORE THIS WEATHER COMES IN.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO A HARD STOP AT FOUR 30 WHEREVER WE ARE ON THE AGENDA? WE WILL JUST PICK UP NEXT TIME.
SO ANY, ANY OBJECTION TO ENDING AT FOUR 30 TODAY? YES, NO OBJECTION.
SO KEEP AN EYE ON THE TIME AND WE WILL END PROMPTLY AT FOUR 30.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY? NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE FEBRUARY 14TH MINUTES.THOSE MINUTES HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED.
UM, IF YOU'D JUST LOOK THOSE OVER, ARE THERE ANY, UH, CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES, THE MINUTES AND MOVE TO APPROVE? IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MINUTES SEEING NONE? LET'S TAKE A VOTE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE FEBRUARY 14TH MINUTES, RAISE YOUR HAND.
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
UH, LAST MEETING WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THERE NEEDING TO BE THE ELECTION OF A PRESIDING OFFICER THAT WE HAD BEEN INFORMED THAT WE WERE TO WAIT UNTIL ALL THE VACANCIES ON THIS BOARD WERE FILLED.
WE'VE SINCE BEEN TOLD THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT.
[2a. Election of a Presiding Officer]
OF A PRESIDING OFFICER IS THE FIRST ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA.SO PRESIDING OFFICER, ANY VOLUNTEERS, OH, RACHEL CAN ASK WHERE YOU STAND.
UM, I, MY, MY TAKE ON IT IS IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT WOULD BE WILLING THAT MAYBE HAS A BIT MORE TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, I SEE EVERYBODY LOOKING TO ME, HOPING THAT I WILL ACCEPT THE NOMINATION.
I WOULDN'T BE HAPPY TO BE YOUR VICE CHAIR TO HELP YOU.
IS THERE, IS THERE ANY NOMINATION OTHER THAN Y'ALL LOOKING AT ME TO HEAD THIS UP? NO, RACHEL, MISS COMMISSIONER MCGEE, SORRY.
I, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE FORCED INTO THIS.
UM, I, I'M NOT EAGER TO BE THE CHAIR OF THIS, BUT I DO HAVE A BANDWIDTH.
I THINK IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU CAN DO IT, I THINK YOU'VE BEEN GREAT AND I WOULD DEFINITELY SUPPORT YOU STAYING, BUT I REALLY WANT YOU TO BE OPEN ABOUT IT.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO FEEL TRAPPED.
UM, I THINK I'D BE WILLING TO TRY IT TO THE END OF THE YEAR.
UH, I AM WORRIED ABOUT MY BANDWIDTH, BUT IF THE BOARD, IF THE COMMISSION IS HERE WILLING TO SUPPORT, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE GETTING THE AGENDA TOGETHER.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF WE COLLABORATE ON THAT, THERE'S ALSO, UM, LOOKING AT THE BYLAWS OR ACTUALLY NOT THE BYLAWS, BUT SOMETHING THAT STEPHANIE HALL, UM, BROUGHT UP WAS, UM, THE CHAIRS RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH HAS TO BE DONE IN JULY.
UM, AND SO I FEEL LIKE I WOULD NEED ASSISTANCE WITH THAT.
THERE'S A TEMPLATE, BUT, UH, THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I WOULD WANT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND HELP WITH THAT.
SO IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S ADEQUATE SUPPORT, I'D BE WILLING TO TRY IT FOR THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND IF I REALLY FEEL LIKE MY BANDWIDTH IS TOO MUCH, I'LL COME BACK AND LET YOU ALL KNOW.
WE CAN, YOU KNOW, THINK AGAIN, DOES THAT SOUND, UH, I'M EXPECTING THE ANNUAL REPORT.
SO I, I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY ONE BIG UNKNOWN IS I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THAT YET.
LIKE WHAT KIND OF COMMITMENT THAT IS, UM, TO HELP WITH THAT.
AS WELL AS I, AND I WOULD MOVE TO A LECTURER IS THE CHAIRMAN.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE.
AND, UH, JUST FOR THE RETRO CLARITY, ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR THE POSITION? NO.
[00:05:01]
ON THE AGENDA NEXT MEETING TO ELECT TO VICE CHAIR IS NOW THAT POSITION IS VACANT, RIGHT? AND, UH, WE HEARD IT HERE AND IT'S ON VIDEOTAPE HERE FOR THAT POSITION, NEXT MEETING.[2b. Discussion and possible action to set remaining meeting schedule for 2022 (Part 1 of 2)]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS, UM, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO SET THE REMAINING MEETING SCHEDULE FOR THIS YEAR.SO ANY THOUGHTS ON OUR MEETING SCHEDULE? UM, ARE THERE ANYTHING, UH, FELICIA, IS THERE ANYTHING WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION FROM THE CITY SIDE ABOUT WHAT WE PICK? WE HAD BEEN MEETING PREVIOUSLY, WE'D BEEN MEETING THREE TO FIVE A WEEK PRIOR.
WE MOVED AT THIS MONTH BECAUSE OF SOUTH BY, UM, SO ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS? PREFERENCES? I, THEN WE TALKED ABOUT WANTING TO SET LIKE A REGULAR TIME, RIGHT? IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH MONDAYS? I GUESS, BECAUSE SOMETIMES MONDAYS ARE VERY BUSY FOR SOME PEOPLE.
MONDAY'S NOT YOUR FAVORITE DAY EITHER.
DOES ANYONE HAVE A PARTICULAR PREFERENCE, LIKE DAY OF THE WEEK? THAT'S A GOOD REGULAR COMMISSIONED A BUNCH.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT WE'VE BEEN WANTING TO HAVE PROFESSOR SANDERS.
I COULD PRESENTATION TO THE COMMISSION AND HE IS NOT AVAILABLE APRIL 12, 13 OR 14.
SO WE'RE GOING TO STICK WITH TODAY.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO DO IT THE THIRD TUESDAY, AGAIN, LIKE WE DID THIS MONTH, AT LEAST INSPIRATIONAL.
AND, UH, DO YOU MEAN MONDAYS OR DO YOU MEAN TUESDAYS? CAUSE YOU SAID TUESDAY, UM, 12TH, 13TH AND 14TH IS A TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, RIGHT? UM, I CAN DO MONDAY AND MONDAY THE 11TH, I GUESS HE COULD DO THAT TOO.
I WAS THINKING WERE LOOKING UP TWO BEDS.
UM, WELL WE, AT THE MOMENT WE WERE JUST SAYING THAT MONDAY IS NOT THE BEST DAY FOR A COUPLE OF US.
AND I WAS ASKING, IS THERE A BETTER DAY OF THE WEEK FOR MOST PEOPLE, A PREFERABLE DAY OF THE WEEK, IF NOT MONDAY.
AND ACTUALLY WE COULD PROBABLY, UH, KEEP THE NEXT ONE.
AND FOR MONDAY, IF THAT PERSON'S GOING TO MAKE A PRESENTATION, CAUSE I THINK YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT.
IF THOSE ARE THE DAYS HE'S AVAILABLE IS THAT MONDAY AND PERHAPS TO KEEP THAT ON THE SCHEDULE.
AND THEN IF SOME PEOPLE HAVE A BETTER DAY, OTHER THAN MONDAYS THAT THEY WANT TO SEE JESS, WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT FOR THE FUTURE ONES.
IS THIS, UM, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I'M NOT SURE I'LL BE ABLE TO ATTEND ON THE 11TH FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.
WE'RE TAPING OUR FIRST SHOW FOR AUSTIN CITY LIMITS IN THAT DAY, SEASON 48.
SO IT WOULD BE A CONFLICT FOR ME.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER DAY? THAT'S BETTER FOR YOU THAN MONDAYS? I LIKE WEDNESDAYS, BUT ANYBODY ELSE I'M WILLING WITH, WITH THE REQUEST TO PUNT OR THE LET'S DO THIS, LET'S TRY TO PICK, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN COME TO CONSENSUS ON A BETTER TIME OF THE, YOU KNOW, A GOOD DAY OF THE WEEK THAT SUITS MOST AND TIME FOR THE 22 CALENDAR.
AND THEN LET'S TALK ABOUT APRIL IN PARTICULAR.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS I FIND IT IT'S FOR ME PERSONALLY, CONVENIENT TO MEET HERE.
AND WHEN WE RUN INTO THESE ISSUES OF HAVING TO DRIVE OVER AND, OR BOUNCE IT AROUND TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT FACILITIES, BECAUSE, SO I WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A DAY THAT WOULD ASSURE OUR CAPACITY TO ENJOY THIS ROOM MORE OFTEN THAN THE WAY WE WERE BOUNCING AROUND THAT ONE YEAR THAT I MIGHT JUST GO WITH THAT THAT'S THE DAY, BECAUSE WE CAN ALWAYS BE ASSURED PARKING HERE AND EVERYTHING IS EASY.
AND THAT'S JUST ONE, I DON'T THINK WE NECESSARILY HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR TODAY'S MEETING.
DO WE? YEAH, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A CALENDAR THAT I SHARE.
UM, SO OUR NORMAL TIME ON THE SECOND MONDAY OF THE MONTH IS NOT AVAILABLE.
SO THEN IT HAPPENED THAT THIS MONDAY WAS AVAILABLE, WHICH IS THE THIRD MONDAY, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE REST OF THE SCHEDULE.
SO PERHAPS YOU GET CHECK FOR US TO SEE IF LIKE TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY IS BETTER.
IF ONE OF THOSE DAYS ARE BITTER.
I'M PRETTY GOOD FOR ANY DAY ABOVE MONDAY IS A TOUGHER ONE AND FRIDAYS ARE A TOUGHER ONE JUST BECAUSE END OF THE WEEK, BEGINNING OF THE WEEK NOW.
YEAH, MY, MY SCHEDULE IS SIMILAR.
I MEAN, MONDAYS, FRIDAYS, I MIGHT BE GOING OUT OF TOWN.
LIKE MID-WEEK IS EASIER FOR ME, MIDWEEKS EASIER FOR YOU.
SO HOW DOES WEDNESDAYS, IS IT WEDNESDAY? LIKE MAYBE A WEDNESDAY, BUT SURE.
[00:10:01]
WHAT ABOUT TIME OF DAY IS THE THREE TO FIVE.WELL, WHY DON'T WE PUT IN A REQUEST FOR WEDNESDAYS THREE TO FIVE AND THEN, UM, DO WE, WHAT DO WE THINK ABOUT WHETHER IT SHOULD BE FIRST, WEDNESDAY, SECOND, WEDNESDAY, THIRD, WEDNESDAY.
UM, DOES ANYONE HAVE A PREFERENCE THERE IF WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THIS NEXT MEETING, WOULD WE WANT TO DO BUILD OUT FROM THERE? YEAH, LET'S SEE.
SO, SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS, UM, PROFESSOR SANDERS IS NOT AVAILABLE 12, 13, 14.
IS THAT CORRECT? COMMISSIONER BUNCH.
THOSE WERE THE DAYS HE'S NOT AVAILABLE.
THE THIRD ONE'S DAY ON THE 20TH.
WE WANT TO TRY FOR THIRD WEDNESDAYS THEN WORKS FOR ME.
THIRD WEDNESDAYS THREE TO FIVE.
CAN I GET THAT IN THE FORM OF EMOTION? DO I NEED THAT IN THE FORM OF MOTION? OKAY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A RANK WE WANT TO ENTERTAIN, BUT AT ONE POINT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT GOING TO EVERY TWO MONTHS.
HAVE WE DECIDED TO STICK WITH ONE MONTH OR ARE WE WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THE AUDIT COMMITTEE? I THINK WE HAD THE STICK WITH THE ONE MONTH BECAUSE THERE IS A REQUIREMENT YEAH.
AND SO THAT WOULD REQUIRE, REQUIRE A CHANGE IN, UH, THE BYLAWS.
WELL, MY RECOLLECTION IS WE HAVE A PENDING REQUEST TO MAKE THAT CHANGE, WHICH I DON'T THINK WE'VE HEARD BACK EVER ON THAT.
AND MAYBE WE JUST STICK WITH A MONTHLY BASIS FOR NOW, BUT I THOUGHT WE HAD SENT OUT A REQUEST TO SHOW.
I JUST DON'T KNOW IF IT, IF IT WENT ANYWHERE.
DO YOU KNOW FELICIA, IF, UH, IF A REQUEST WENT TO COUNCIL, I KNOW WE TALKED IT BEFORE, PRIOR TO THE SHUTDOWN, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF A REQUEST WAS ACTUALLY MADE.
DOES THIS CHANGE HAVE TO ALSO BE IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL TO CHANGE THE WEDNESDAY? NO, I DON'T BELIEVE SO BECAUSE IT JUST SAYS IN ARTICLE SEVEN, JUST AS THE BOARD SHALL MEET MONTHLY.
SO I THINK IT'S FINE FOR US TO PICK THAT THE DAY IN TIME.
UM, SO LET'S GO WITH, LET'S IN THE FORM OF EMOTION.
LET'S HAVE WEDNESDAY, THIRD, WEDNESDAY.
THIRD, WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
THREE TO FIVE, THREE TO FIVE SECOND, SECOND.
UM, I'M SUPPOSED TO ASK FOR THE RECORD.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? CORRECT.
CAN YOU TURN YOUR CAMERA ON SO THAT WE CAN, UH, CHECK THE VOTE? ARE YOU STILL WITH, OKAY, THAT'S GOING TO BE THE ONE THING THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PRACTICE BECAUSE OUR, OUR MEETINGS, WE DON'T HAVE TO RECORD WHO VOTED WHAT? SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THIRD, WEDNESDAY, UH, THREE TO FIVE.
THAT'S UNANIMOUS WHEN WE HAVE UNANIMOUS.
I DON'T NEED TO ASK FOR EXTENSIONS IN A POST YES.
SO OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE ON APRIL 20TH.
AND FELICIA, YOUR FIND OUT WHETHER THIS ROOM IS AVAILABLE AND WOULD, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SEE IF YOU CAN ASK IF THIS YEAH.
THAT THAT'S THE PREFERRED ROOM AND SO THE DOESN'T DOES COMMISSIONER BUNCH NEED TO, UH, HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THE PRESENTATION, UH, FOR THAT MR. HOLLY, FOR THE 20TH MEETING OUR STANDARD.
I THINK WE ALREADY HAD IT DOWN AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM AND NOW MINUTES.
BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO DO.
[3a. Report from the Parks and Environment Working Group on any updates or make new appointments]
NEW BUSINESS, UH, REPORT FROM THE PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP ON ANY UPDATES OR ANY NEW APPOINTMENTS? UM, NO LAST TIME WE MET COMMISSIONER CANADY, YOU ARE CONSIDERED, WE HAD A LIST, A LIST OF SOME POTENTIAL, OTHER MEMBERS.WONDERING IF YOU HAD REACHED OUT TO ANY OF THEM SINCE THE LAST MEETING, IF YOU HAD ANY UPDATES FOR US? I HAVE, UH, YES, I HAVE AN UPDATE.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, GET AN APPOINTMENT, JUST GETTING A REPRESENTATIVE FROM AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION.
SHE'S THEIR NEW CHIEF MISSION OFFICER, I BELIEVE NAMED JOY KESELOWSKI, C A S N O V S K Y.
AND, UM, SHE'S WILLING TO SERVE ON THE, THE COMMITTEE, THE WORKING GROUP, EXCUSE ME.
UM, AND I'VE ALSO ASKED, UM, FOR A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP US IDENTIFY SOME FOLKS FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CENTRAL PART OF TOWN IN EAST, SOUTH
[00:15:01]
AND NORTH.UM, SO CHRISTINE, UH, SHOOT CANNULA AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO TRY TO GET US SOME INFORMATION I'VE ALSO CONTACTED OR AT LEAST TRIED TO THROUGH, THROUGH THE INTERWEBS COLONY PARK LAKESIDE.
UM, THERE'S ALSO SOMETHING CALLED VISION EAST WITH WALTER LONG PARK.
UM, THERE'S ALSO AN AUSTIN BACKDROP RIVER CORRIDOR, AND THEY'RE SUGGESTING WE CONTACT THE DEL VALLEY COMMUNITY COALITION.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A GROUP CALLED FRIENDS OF GUERRERO THAT I CAN'T TELL IF IT'S STILL AROUND.
UM, AND LIKE ANOTHER ENTITY CALLED PUBLIC CITY.
SO I HAVE REQUESTS THAT ALL OF THESE OTHER GROUPS, THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAS AGREED TO JOIN ON THE WORKING GROUP IS, UH, THE JOY .
SO THAT'S THE ONE UPDATE ON THAT.
SO HOW MANY PEOPLE DO WE HAVE IN THAT WORKING GROUP RIGHT NOW? UH, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
AND YOU HAD THE DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM, UH, AND I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW, I'VE ASKED THE PARK DEPARTMENT, IF THEY COULD PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION TO THE WORKING GROUP ABOUT KIND OF THE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS OF TRYING TO FUND PARKS THROUGH THE SYSTEM THE CITY HAS IN PLACE.
IT'S KIND OF COMPLICATED, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THEM.
UM, AND IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THIS A STANDING AGENDA ITEM, SO WE CAN JUST CHECK IN WITH YOU EACH MONTH, HOW THINGS ARE GOING.
UM, DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY LIKE FORMAL PRESENTATION, BUT JUST A QUICK CHECK-IN.
UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE SIDE ITEM? ALL.
[3b. Report from the TPID working group on any updates or make new appointments.]
THEN WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM REPORT FROM THE WORKING GROUP ON ANY UPDATES OR MAKE ANY NEW APPOINTMENTS, COMMISSIONER REEDY.I'M TURNING TO YOU ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
I KNOW YOU HAD LOOKED, WE'RE HOPING TO REACH OUT TO SOME FOLKS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES TO SHARE WITH US? I REALLY DON'T.
I DID REACH OUT TO A COUPLE OF FOLKS IN THE HOMELESSNESS ADVOCACY COMMUNITY.
I THINK I'VE HIT THE WRONG PEOPLE UP.
I DID NOT REACH OUT TO THE FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
I OVERESTIMATED MADE IN MY BANDWIDTH IN THE RUN UP TO SOUTH BY, BUT, UM, WE SHOULD BE FINE NOW.
AND I'LL, I'LL COMMIT TO REACHING OUT TO YOU AND TO COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, UH, THIS WEEK IS THAT OUR FIRST CONVERSATION.
AND SIMILARLY, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THIS A STANDING ITEM SO THAT WE CAN CHECK IN WITH THIS AND MAYBE THAT WILL HELP US, UH, CREATE SOME MOMENTUM.
UM, AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE THE POWER TO DO THIS AS A PRESIDING OFFICER OR THIS WIND WITHIN THIS BODY.
SO I'M GOING TO PUT IT AS A REQUEST.
I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO, UH, CHAIR THAT TEEPEED WORKING GROUP, IF YOU'D BE WILLING.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? I THINK WE WOULD NEED TO RATIFY THAT AT THE FIRST MEETING OF THE THREE OF US.
UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? OKAY, GREAT.
I'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
[3c. Report on HOT collection by month to indicate how the industry is doing]
A REPORT ON HOT COLLECTION BY MONTH TO INDICATE HOW THE INDUSTRY IS DOING.WAS THAT THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS EMAILED TO US? THAT WAS THE RESPONSE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY THAT CAME THROUGH AT ONE O'CLOCK TODAY BY EMAIL.
UM, YOU DON'T HAVE HARD COPIES OF IT WITH, OH, YOU DO? OKAY.
THEY DON'T SAY, OH YEAH, THERE IS.
UM, YOU FOLKS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK THROUGH THIS OR DO WE NEED YEAH.
OR DO WE NEED TIME TO DO THAT? THAT GOT EMAILED TO US.
I GOT IT THIS MORNING FOR SOME REASON.
I DON'T THINK I GOT MINE UNTIL ONE O'CLOCK.
UM, IF THERE ARE FOLKS HERE THAT DIDN'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY LOOK AT THIS, SHALL WE, UH, DO YOU WANT THE OPPORTUNITY, LIKE LOOK AT THIS BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT MEETING AND BRING BACK ANY QUESTIONS? UM, IS THIS THE ONE THAT THEY SAID THEY WOULD TAKE QUESTIONS IN WRITING? OKAY, GREAT.
UM, THIS WILL BE HOMEWORK FOR US TO LOOK THROUGH THIS.
AND IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS REPORT, THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED, WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO SUBMIT THEM IN WRITING.
AND WOULD THOSE GO TO THOSE QUESTIONS GO TO YOU AND YOU WOULD FORWARD THEM FELICIA, MAYBE NOT.
SO IT'S PROBABLY BETTER TO SUBMIT THEM IN WRITING, SO WE HAVE,
[00:20:01]
YEAH.AND THEN YOU CAN JUST COPY EVERYBODY ON WHAT YOU SEND TO THEM AND GIVE US A DEADLINE TO SEND THEM THE QUESTIONS TO YOU.
SO IF WE HAVE THE QUESTIONS, MAYBE BY THE END OF THE WEEK SENT TO YOU, THEY GIVE YOU PLENTY OF TIME AND WE CAN DISCUSS IT.
THE NEXT MEETING THEY SHOULD HAVE FOR WHERE SOME RESPONSES SOUND GOOD.
CAUSE I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S, I FEEL LIKE IT'S UNFAIR TO SIT HERE AND HAVE TO TRY AND LOOK AT THIS ON THE FLY WITH QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, I PREFER, I PERSONALLY PREFER TO SORT OF SIT BACK AND TAKE THE TIME AND SORT OF GO THROUGH IT AND THINK ABOUT THINGS.
SO I'M TOTALLY FINE WITH, UM, YOUR SUGGESTION, UH, ANYONE ELSE, ANY THOUGHTS? IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT, UH, UH, UH, A REPORT OR A NARRATIVE OF WHAT THE IMPACT OF THE CURRENT FUNDS AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HISTORICALLY.
AND I I'M SURE JOHN WOULD, WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT AS FAR AS WHERE WE DISPERSE THE MONEY, WHAT THE CUTBACK HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF THE STEEP DECLINE OF HOT TAX AND WHAT ARE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF ITS USES IN ALL, ALL ASPECTS, ALL THE ONES THAT ARE IN THIS CHART.
I MEAN, PARTICULARLY THE ONES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
WHAT, HOW HAS IT AFFECTED, UH, HOW WE MARKET AND TOURISM, CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING, THE WHOLE THING, SO THAT WE HAVE A PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH AND WHAT IT USED TO DO VERSUS WHAT IT CAN DO NOW AND HOW TO LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT WE'RE AIMING TOWARDS TO GET MORE RESOURCES FOR THE INTENDED USES.
AND THIS JUST IS X NUMBERS WITHOUT CONTEXT, AS FAR AS THE LAYMAN IS CONCERNED, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, I THINK IT BRINGS UP A GOOD POINT AND IT'S HARD TO, IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND IT IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOMETHING TO COMPARE IT TO, AND YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU HAVE THE, UH, WE HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, THE YEAR BY YEAR, TOTAL BY QUARTER TYPE THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT, BUT I THINK IT'S MORE OF THE TRANSFERS OUT IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, RIGHT.
CAUSE SPECIFICALLY, AND HOW THAT COMPARES TO HISTORICAL CONTEXT.
RIGHT? PREVIOUS YEARS, MAYBE I LOOK AT THE TOURISM IN FRONT OF $2 MILLION, WHICH IS TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH IS NOTHING REALLY, I WANT IT TO SUPPORT THAT.
I THINK A YEAR TO YEAR A COMPARISON OF ALL THE DIFFERENT FUNDS WOULD BE GREAT, ESPECIALLY THE TOURISM PROMOTION FUND HAS VARIED WIDELY, AND NOW IT'S RECEIVING MONEY BOTH BY STATUTE AND DIRECTLY FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO IT GETS KIND OF COMPLICATED, THE FLOW OF FUNDS.
UM, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, UM, HOW GREAT WE'RE DOING FOR FISCAL YEAR 22.
I NOTICED THAT TOO REALLY SWIFT BOUNCE BACK SHE'S ENCOURAGING ME YEAR TO DATE.
WE WERE TOLD MAYBE 25, WE WOULD GET BACK TO ROUGHLY 19 LEVELS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE ABOVE THAT SO FAR YOUR TODAY.
WELL, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? I'M HONESTLY LOOKING THROUGH, YOU'RE READING THESE BECAUSE I THINK FISCAL YEAR 19, DOES IT GO FROM OCTOBER OF 2019 THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF 20? THAT'S A QUESTION.
IT GOES FROM OCTOBER OF 18 THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF 19.
THAT'S THE YEAR PRIOR TO, SO THAT'S ABOUT A YEAR.
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION THOUGH.
SO THE FISCAL YEAR STARTS THE PREVIOUS YEAR THAT IT'S NAMED IN THE, THE PREDOMINANT CHUNK OF THE FISCAL YEAR IS WITHIN THE YEAR.
I'M NOT, I THINK 2019 WAS A HIGH MATER MARK YEAR, AS WELL AS TERMS OF TOTAL HOT TAX RECEIPTS.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S GOOD THAT WE HAVE THAT TO COMPARE FOR SURE.
UM, WELL THERE WAS KIND OF A TREND EVERY YEAR WAS ANOTHER HIGHMARK, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT WAS OKAY.
WELL, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP SEPARATE THE BOUNCE BACK OF THE HOT PACKS VERSUS THE BOUNCE BACK, BOUNCE BACK OR LACK THERE OF MEANING.
THEY'RE TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.
WHEN I THINK THAT DELAYED BOUNCE BACK WAS MORE IN REFERENCE TO THE NO BOOKING, ALL THE OTHER REASONS THAT, WELL, THAT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING THING THAT A DATA POINT TO HAVE IS NOT JUST HOT TAX COLLECTIONS OVER THE PAST YEAR AND ALL THE DIFFERENT FUNDS, BUT
[00:25:01]
CONVENTION, UH, DATA FROM THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME.SO WE CAN COMPARE THE HOT TAX GROWTH AND TO SEE WHETHER IT'S RELATED TO CONVENTION GROWTH OR NOT.
AND I TEND TO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER BUNCH THAT THIS BOUNCE BACK PROBABLY HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH THE CONVENTION BUSINESS, BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THAT IT HASN'T, THAT HASN'T BOUNCED BACK YET, BUT OTHER TOURISM ACTIVITIES APPARENTLY HAVE, WELL, I THINK THAT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING, IT'S REALLY HARD, IT'S NOT COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES AT ALL.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE THE CONVENTION BUSINESS HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY IN THE LAST, UH, FEW YEARS.
IT'S REALLY, ESPECIALLY THE WEEKEND BUSINESS HAS COME BACK.
AND, BUT I THINK YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT, BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, THEN MAYBE WE SHOULD LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS AS WELL AND REALLY GET A FEEL FOR, YOU KNOW, HOW IS THE, UH, HISTORICAL PRESERVATION FUND? YOU KNOW, WE SEE THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GROWN OR GONE DOWN OVER THE COURSE OF TIME AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THEIR REVENUES HAVE GONE UP OR DOWN, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH MONEY THEY HAD IN ORDER TO PAY FOR IT.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY CURIOUS AT ALL, ALL POINTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S EVEN POSSIBLE BY FRANKLY, BUT YOU KNOW, IT BRINGS UP, THERE'S A LOT OF OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS OR A LOT OF LOTS OF, YOU KNOW, AND YEAH, IT'S MY FIRST YEAR.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE, WHERE EVERYTHING STANDS WITH THAT.
I, I WOULD JUST COMMENT THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE TWO YEARS IS THE AMOUNT OF AVAILABLE INVENTORY OF HOTELS IN THIS TOWN HAS INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY.
AND SO, I MEAN, I LIKED THE NUMBERS WE'RE LOOKING AT, BUT GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF INCREASED ROOMS, YOU COULD ALMOST SAY THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT ON PAR WITH WHAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLY JUST BECAUSE OF YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, IF I WAS TALKING TO SOME PEOPLE AT THE FAIRMONT AND YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY BROUGHT THE FAIRMONT OPEN UP, YOU KNOW, THERE'S QUESTIONS AS TO HOW WELL ARE THEY GOING TO DO WELL, THEY DID PRETTY WELL UP UNTIL COVID.
SO I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW STRONG OR LAUGH STRENGTH THAT MAKES, BUT, BUT EVEN IN THE PAST, WHEN, WHEN THEY FIRST OPENED THE HILTON AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS AS TO WHETHER THE CITY COULD SUPPORT ANOTHER HOTEL AND WHETHER THEY WERE JUST GOING TO DRAW FROM THE OTHER HOTELS THAT WERE SURROUNDING THEM.
AND IT WAS PROVEN QUITE EFFECTIVELY THAT THEY DID NOT, THEY ACTUALLY BROUGHT A LOT OF NEW BUSINESS INTO THE, INTO THE COMMUNITY.
SO YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT, OF COURSE HAVING COVID IN THERE JUST, YOU KNOW, EXACERBATES THE WHOLE SITUATION.
I, I WOULD JUST ALSO ADD THAT WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER BUSINESS.
IT'S NOT LIKE MEETINGS HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
MANY OF THOSE MEETINGS ARE SCHEDULED YEARS IN ADVANCE.
YOU'RE FINDING THAT IT'S A SHORTER WINDOW THESE DAYS AND THE CONVENTION EACH GOT TO REMEMBER TOO, THE CONVENTION BUSINESS, ISN'T ALL SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
I MEAN, THERE'S JUST A HANDFUL THAT ARE MEGA.
SO GET CITY WISE LIKE THAT, THERE'S A LOT OF MANY, MANY CONVENTIONS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, 1000 TO 2000 ROOM NIGHT TYPE OF CONVENTIONS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE CONVENTION CENTER AS WELL.
SO WHAT I HEARD WAS, UH, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WOULD BE A YEAR TO YEAR, UM, COMPARE COMPARISON OF HOW THE HOT COLLECTIONS WENT TO DIFFERENT FUNDS.
UH, COMPARE THE BOUNCE BACK OF HOT TEXT TO THE BOUNCE BACK OF BOOKINGS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND COMPARE HOT TAX GROWTH TO CONVENTION CENTER GROWTH AND POSSIBLY OTHER VENUES OF AS POSSIBLE.
CAN I JUST GET A CLARIFICATION ON WHAT THE BOUNCE BACK IS? UM, I THINK WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, UM, THAT WE SEE THAT THE REVENUES ON THIS REPORT THAT IS INCREASED COMING BACK, COMING BACK.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I HAD IT RIGHT.
AND THERE IS NOT AN ACRONYM THAT I WASN'T AWARE OF.
YEAH, NO, JUST THAT WE'RE SAYING TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WHICH IS GOOD.
UM, AND ANYTHING ELSE, AND THEN, UM, COMMISSIONER SMITH, CAN YOU JUST RECAP, UH, YOUR SUGGESTION FOR HOW WE RESPOND TO THIS REPORT? WE TALKED ABOUT, WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS WE SEND, UH, FELICIA WE'LL SEND THOSE.
I THOUGHT IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO AS EMOTION OR JUST, I JUST WANTED YOU TO RECAP TO REMIND US WHAT I WAS INTEREST.
WHAT I WAS SAYING IS THAT PERHAPS WE CAN, UH, LOOK AT THESE, DEVELOP THE QUESTIONS BETWEEN NOW AND FRIDAY TO HAVE THEM TO FELICIA IN PLENTY OF TIMES SO SHE CAN PUT THEM TOGETHER.
AND THEN WHEN SHE SENDS IT OFF TO THEM THAT YOU CAN COPY US ON IT.
SO WE KNOW WHAT WHAT'S, WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS ASKED THOUGH.
AND OBVIOUSLY FELICIA, IF THERE'S ANY REDUNDANCIES, YOU JUST CAN PUT IT TOGETHER.
AND ARE WE SUBMITTING THOSE TO FELICIA BY EMAIL? LIKE OUTSIDE OF THIS MEETING, IF WE THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE INDIVIDUALLY, I WOULD SAY YEAH.
SO EVERYBODY CLEAR ON, ON THE PROCESS AND THEN, UM, WE CAN, THIS TOPIC COULD BE UNFINISHED BUSINESS ON THE NEXT AGENDA SO THAT WE HAVE MORE, UH, MORE, IF WE HAVE ANSWERS, WE CAN MOSTLY DISCUSS.
[00:30:01]
FURTHER ON THAT AGENDA ITEM? GREAT.[3d. Report on current HOT and its disbursement]
REPORT ON CURRENT HOT AND IT'S DISBURSEMENT.THAT'S THE SAME REPORT, IS IT NOT? OH, THIS ONE HERE.
UM, SO, AND ASKING FOR, UM, A REPORT ON CURRENT HOT KNITS DISBURSEMENT, UH, RESPONSE FROM KATIE, I'M GOING TO SAY THAT NAME WRONG.
DO YOU KNOW THE PRONUNCIATION OF HER LAST NAME? IT'S THE MAIN SAME SNAKES, UM, FROM KATIE SAM'S NAKED AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER CONSENT TO WE'LL BE HAPPY TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS IN WRITING OFF TO THE MEETING.
SO SIMILAR, SIMILAR IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE WANT TO FORMULATE, UM, REGARDING THE REPO ON CURRENT HOT TAX AND ITS DISBURSEMENT, FELICIA, WAS THIS THE ONE THAT YOU WERE TELLING ME, UM, THAT THEY DO A QUARTERLY REPORT? IS THAT THE ONE WE DISCUSSED, YOU FOUND OUT THAT THEY HAVE A QUARTERLY REPORT? WAS THAT A DIFFERENT ITEM? UH, WAS THIS THE COLLECTION REPORT ON CURRENT HOT TAX AND ITS DISBURSEMENT? WE HAD A DISCUSSION WHERE YOU HAD SPOKEN WITH SOMEBODY AND THEY MENTIONED THAT THERE WASN'T A MONTHLY REPORT, BUT THERE WAS A QUARTERLY REPORT.
UM, I THINK COMMISSIONER REEDY YOU'D MENTIONED THAT, UH, THERE IS A MONTHLY REPORT THAT GOES OUT AND WHAT FELICIA WAS TOLD WAS THERE'S A QUARTERLY REPORT AND THEN, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DO LIKE A MONTHLY UPDATE TO IT, CORRECT.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE LEARNED THERE.
UM, SO DO WE HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WE WANT TO DEVELOP WITH REGARD TO A REPORT ON HOT COLLECTIONS THAT WE WANT TO SUBMIT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER? I THINK IT'S THE SAME THING.
I THINK IT'S SUCH AN OVERLAP, RIGHT? YEAH.
[3e. Report from Heritage Preservation Division on grant awards and disbursement of HOT funds for Historic Preservation]
REPORT FROM THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION DISTRICT ON GROWN AWARDS AND DISBURSEMENT OF HOT FUNDS FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, UH, THE RESPONSE WE GOT FROM THAT WAS THE DRAFT HERITAGE PRESERVATION GUIDELINES ARE UNDER REVIEW AND NO FISCAL YEAR 22 FUNDS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED.AND THAT CAME FROM MELISSA ALVARADO, UM, FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT ITEM? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSIONS, DID YOU SAY 2020? IS THAT WHAT YOUR NO, 22 THEY'RE UNDER REVIEW AND NO FISCAL YEAR 20, 22 FUNDS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED.
AND YOU FOCUSED THOUGHTS, WHAT DID WE WANT DIDN'T WE WANT, I MEAN, I THINK I MADE THE REQUEST FOR THAT.
AND I WAS BASICALLY SAYING, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE SEEN ANY FROM ANY PERIOD BECAUSE THEY WERE HIRING IN THE POSITION PRE COVID.
I MEAN, DURING THE SH I THINK THEY'VE GOT THE POSITION FILLED SOMEWHERE NEAR THE TIME THAT WE GOT DISRUPTED, AND WE KNOW THAT WE, THE BUDGET HAD BEEN APPROVED FOR THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO FILL THE FULL, BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN HOW THOSE DOLLARS GENERALLY HAPPENED IN 20 20, 20, 21.
I DON'T BELIEVE SO IF WE'RE ADVISING, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE BYLAWS AND I KNOW THAT'S ON THE AGENDA, I MEAN, SEEING WHAT THE IMPACT OF THE INVESTMENT OF HOT TAX FOR THE HERITAGE FUND WOULD BE, I THINK, VALUABLE INFORMATION FOR US TOO, TO BE ABLE TO BE CLEAR AS IT GOES FORWARD, WHAT IT DOES, WHERE IT WORKS, HOW IT SERVES, IS IT EFFECTIVE? RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND I THINK I WAS JUST VERY CURIOUS THAT WE SHOULD SEE THE IMPACT OF THOSE PROCEEDS.
EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE TO GO BACK IN TIME.
HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? I WAS REALLY LESS CONCERNED WITH 22, I THINK.
SO WE CAN GO BACK AND WE CAN ASK WHAT ABOUT 20, 20, 20 AND 2021.
AND BASICALLY WE'RE JUST LOOKING TO SEE WHAT THE IMPACT IS AND HOW THEY'VE BEEN DISPERSED.
AND IS IT WORKING AND COMMISSIONER BAILEY, BASICALLY, WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE HOW, HOW IT'S, WHAT WE'RE GIVING THEM IS IMPACTING WHAT THEY'RE DOING OR HOW WELL THEY'RE DOING FOR SURE.
AND I ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE EDUCATING OURSELVES.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER COMMISSIONERS AGREE THAT WE BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THESE INVESTMENTS DRIVE TOURISM.
AND THAT'S THE IMPACT OF THAT.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW, WHERE,
[00:35:01]
WHERE THOSE FACILITIES OR PROGRAMS ARE STACKING UP ALONG WITH OTHER PROGRAMS, THE ARTS PROGRAMS AND PARKS, ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE THE ANCILLARY, HOW WE PUT THOSE DOLLARS INTO CULTURAL AND OTHER IMPACT HOW IT DRIVES TOURISM, BECAUSE THAT'S SUPPOSEDLY THE BOTTOM LINE IN THIS RESPECT.IS IT RENEWS HOT TAX? YOU INVEST IN IT, IT RENEWS HOT TAPS.
I THINK I SAW HER HAND RAISED, UH, COMMISSIONER REEDY.
DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? UM, YES.
UH, I ACTUALLY JUST WENT TO THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION DIVISION PAGE.
UH, WE HAVE SEEN A LIST, UM, I'M AWARE OF SPECIFIC GRANTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE FROM THAT, UH, FUND, BUT I CAN'T RECALL IF I SAW IT IN THIS BODY OR SOMEWHERE ELSE IN ANOTHER CITY EVENT, BUT JUST TO ANSWER THE QUESTION THERE HAVE BEEN GRANTS GIVEN OUT AND THERE IS A LIST AVAILABLE.
SO MAYBE WE CAN JUST REQUEST THAT LIST AND THEN GO BACK TO THE LIST QUESTIONS.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED A FORMAL PRESENTATION.
WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE NEED, I AGREE WITH YOU.
SO WE'LL REQUEST A LIST OF THE GRANTS GIVEN FOR 2020 AND 2021 AND, UH, REVIEW THAT AND GO FROM THERE.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER CANNOT BE, I JUST I'M REMEMBERING SOMETHING I HOPE CORRECTLY, BUT I BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE HOT FUNDS WERE ALSO FUNNELED THROUGH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR HISTORIC PROJECTS, AND IT WAS KIND OF ANOTHER BIG BUCKET.
SO IF THESE ARE BOTH, THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
I THINK HISTORIC PRESERVATION WAS KIND OF USING ONE SET OF CRITERIA, BUT THERE'S ALSO BEEN QUITE A FEW INVESTMENTS THROUGH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR HISTORIC PROJECTS.
AND I DON'T KNOW, WE COULD PROBABLY GET A SHORT LIST FROM THEM TOO, BUT THAT, I THINK THAT GIVE US A COMPLETE PICTURE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING.
SO ALSO A LIST FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS ITEM? ALL RIGHT.
[3f. Discuss Bylaws Article 2 Section B]
THIS IS A STANDING ITEM, DISCUSS BYLAWS, ARTICLE TWO, SECTION B, UM, VITALS WERE SENT AND IT'S JUST TO, UH, REVIEW, UM, OUR THERE'S A TYPO IN OUR COPY.EIGHT IS NOW B THROUGHOUT THE DOCUMENT AND D IS AUSTIN 28TH, 20 18, 8, 8.
SO, UM, SO THIS IS JUST TO REVIEW, UM, OBSTACLE TO OUR PURPOSE AND DUTIES.
UM, THE SEVEN ITEMS LISTED AND SORT OF TO REVIEW THOSE AND SEE IF, UM, THAT INSPIRES FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. SO WE HAVE ONE MATTERS RELATING TO THE ALLOCATION INVESTMENT AND BUDGETS FOR THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUE AND OTHER RELATED FUNDS TO CITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITY INVESTMENTS RELATED TO TOURISM, THREE SPECIAL EVENTS AND OTHER CITY EVENTS THAT HAVE A MAJOR TOURISM COMPONENT FOR REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MARKETING RELATED TO ADVERTISING OF AUSTIN, AUSTIN, SPECIAL EVENTS, MUSIC, ART, CULTURAL, EXISTING, OR FUTURE TOURIST ATTRACTIONS, FIVE STUDIES, REPORTS AND PLANS RELATED TO THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER AND ANY PLANS FOR EXPANSION, SIX STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATION RELATED TO THE MUNICIPAL USE OF HOTEL, OCCUPANCY TAXES, AND SEVEN, ANY OTHER ITEMS RELATED TOURISM AND HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE CITY COUNCIL OR THE TOURISM COMMISSION.
AND SOMETIMES I READ THOSE AND I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE QUITE NARROW.
AND OTHER TIMES I READ THEM FEEL LIKE THAT QUITE BROAD.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY WHO IS FOLLOWING STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATION FOR US? UH, I THINK COMMISSIONER JOSS USED TO BE PRETTY GOOD AT THAT, BUT HE'S SINCE LEFT.
UM, I KNOW COMMISSIONER BUNCH ALSO FOLLOWS, UM, STATE LEGISLATION, OR THAT'S BEEN MY IMPRESSION IMPRESSION.
UM, THERE WAS A CHANGE IN STATE LEGISLATION, SOMETHING TO DO WITH, UM, WITH THIS CHAPTER, I FEEL LIKE, OR THERE WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH HOTELS WITHIN IF IT WAS THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO PICK X COMMISSIONER JOCELYN'S BRAIN.
I WAS, UM, I WAS WONDERING IF THEY CHANGED THE STATUTE REGARDING TEPA
[00:40:02]
YES, IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT.I WAS SURPRISED AT CAME UP IT, CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE NO SOONER DOES SOMETHING HAPPEN HERE, THEN IT'S UP THERE AND I, I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFICS, SO YEAH, I THINK WE SHOULD FIND OUT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I'M JUST READING IT.
I'M NOT IN LAYMAN'S TERMS. I'M NOT REAL SURE HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT OR WILL IMPACT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME, UM, THERE WERE SOME GOALS SET AT THE CITY LEVEL FOR , UM, COMMISSIONER SMITH.
DID I HEAR YOU SAY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO RESEARCH THAT? GREAT.
SO COMMISSIONER READING, WELL, I RECALL A CHANGE IN CHAPTER THREE SEVENTY TWO, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT CHAPTER IN 2019.
ARE YOU REFERRING SPECIFICALLY TO ANOTHER CHANGE IN 2021? I DON'T RECALL.
I JUST REMEMBER, I JUST REMEMBER THINKING THAT SEEING SOMETHING THAT HAD COME UP AND I DON'T RECALL WHICH, WHICH YEAR IT WAS, BUT I REMEMBER THAT SEEING SOMETHING, IT WAS BECAUSE WE'RE COMMISSIONERS AND WE GET THOSE EMAILS NOW.
AND AGAIN, LIKE THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, WHENEVER THE CITY IS INFORMING US, LIKE WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM, THAT'S COMING UP AT THE LEGISLATURE.
AND I REMEMBER SEEING A TPA ITEM COME UP AND LOOKING AT AND SORT OF LOOKING AT IT.
AND I DON'T REMEMBER, IT MAY HAVE BEEN 2019, CAUSE IT MAY HAVE BEEN PRE SHUT DOWN.
THINK IT, I RECALL THAT IT WAS, THERE WAS A CHANGE OF 2019 THAT WE DISCUSSED IN HIS COMMISSION AND THAT CHANGE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY, EXCUSE ME, NARROWING THE AVAILABLE USES OF FUNDS FROM THE TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT SOLD ME TO TOURISM MARKETING.
AND AT THE TIME COMMISSIONER JOSLIN HAVE SAID THAT THAT WAS INTENDED TO BRING IT, BRING THE LAW INTO LINE WITH HOW IT WAS ACTUALLY USED.
UM, BUT I'M, I'M CURIOUS IF THERE WAS ADDITIONAL, UH, ADDED, UH, AMENDMENTS TO THAT LAW IN 21.
I THINK THE ONE YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS THE ONE THAT I'M REMEMBERING BECAUSE MY, I REMEMBER LOOKING AT THAT AND I W AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, AND I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT IN THAT NARROWING, DOES THAT MEAN THAT SOME OF THE GOALS THAT WE HAD AT THE CITY LEVEL FOR THE T DURING NOW CANNOT BE FOLLOWED SUCH AS THE, THE, UM, HOPE THAT BY HAVING A TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WE CAN FUNNEL SOME MONEY TO HELP HOMELESS ORGANIZATIONS.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT, I DON'T THINK I HAVE A POST THAT QUESTION.
SO THERE WAS NO HAVING NOT POSED THE QUESTION.
THERE WAS AN ANSWER TO THAT, BUT, UM, I, IT'S UP TO YOU ALL, WHAT YOU WANT ON THE FUTURE AGENDA.
I FEEL LIKE I WOULD HAVE TO REVISIT THAT KNOW MORE ABOUT IT AND UNDERSTAND IT BETTER.
WELL, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO KNOW IF THERE WERE CHANGES MADE IN 21 TO ANY OF THE CHAPTERS THAT RELATE TO HIGH TAX.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER, I BELIEVE IT WAS COMMISSIONER SMITH AGREED TO RUN THAT DOWN.
APPRECIATE THAT, UM, TO THE 2019 CHANGES YOU REFERRING TO, UM, I'M PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THEM.
UM, NOT ONLY DO I RECALL, COMMISSIONER JOSS LOVES TALKING ABOUT HOW IT COMPLICATED THE PATH, UH, FOR THAT MONEY TO REACH HOMELESSNESS SERVICES, BUT IT, IT, I RECALL IT WAS COVERED IN THE MEDIA A COUPLE OF TIMES WHERE THE MAYOR HAD COMMENTED ON IT, MAKE THE PATCH FOR THAT MONEY, DIFFICULT TO MEET THE CITY'S GOALS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT PROMPTED US TO START TO TALK, START TALKING ABOUT TEEKA WORKING GROUP THAT OBVIOUSLY GOT DELAYED BY THE PANDEMIC.
UM, SO FUTURE AGENDA ITEM WOULD BE TO HEAR BACK FROM COMMISSIONER SMITH WHEN HE'S CHECKED DOWN ANY LEGISLATIVE UPDATES FOR US TO REPORT TO US.
UM, ANYTHING JUST TO GET PERMISSION TO GO ON A RELATED TOPIC? WE, I BELIEVE THE CITY HAS SOME SOMEBODY LOBBYING ON OUR, THE CITY'S BEHALF, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY COULD GIVE US A, MAYBE A BIGGER SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
WELL, I WAS GOING TO SAY IN RELATION TO HOT TAX THIS CATEGORY, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE PURSUING OR INTERESTED IN PURSUING, UM, THAT THEY MIGHT GIVE US SOME INSIGHT AND HOW WANT TO MAKE ONE ADDITIONAL SUGGESTION THAT AT LEAST WAY BACK SEEMED LIKE IT MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING THING TO EXPLORE.
CURRENTLY, THE STATE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW HOTEL TAXES TO BE SPENT ON WATERSHED PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION PROJECTS.
THERE'S A WHOLE CATEGORY THAT'S KIND OF BEEN PULLED BACK BY THE LAW THAT WAS PASSED.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS AGO.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE, AS A COMMUNITY, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ENGAGE THE CITY SUPPORT AND MAYBE TRYING TO LOOSEN
[00:45:01]
THAT BACK UP.IT IS, AS I SAID, AS THE CATEGORY OF EXPENDITURES UNDER CHAPTER 3 34, THAT IS GENERALLY ALLOWED.
AND THEN THEY, THEY ENDED UP GOING IN AND SAYING, OKAY, BUT FOR THESE CITIES OF THIS SIZE, YOU CAN'T USE IT FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION PROJECTS.
AND MAYBE THAT'S A, MAYBE THAT'S A DOG THAT WON'T HUNT THE STATE LEGISLATURE, BUT AT LEAST WE MIGHT DISCUSS IF THAT'S THE PRIORITY FOR THIS CITY TO HELP US USE HOT FUNDS TO ACQUIRE, UM, OPEN SPACE AND GREEN SPACE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE TODAY, BUT AT LEAST WANT TO PUT A LITTLE TACK ON THAT IDEA.
WE COULD COME BACK TO AT SOME POINT, OKAY.
SO NOW THE POTENTIAL FUTURE AGENDA ITEM FOR DISCUSSION AND, AND FIGURE OUT.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD GO HAND IN HAND WITH, UH, OR DOES IT GO HAND IN HAND WITH YOUR IDEA OF HAVING SOMEBODY LIKE A S A CITY LOBBYIST, COMMON SHARE WITH US WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED, AND, AND THEN WE COULD ASK THEM THE QUESTION ABOUT THE WATERSHED AND HOW WE WOULD APPROACH IT.
IS THAT SORT OF WHAT YOU'RE THINKING THEY MIGHT BE IN A GOOD POSITION TO ADDRESS IT? I MEAN, I DOUBT THAT WE HAVE, I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN TRYING TO CHANGE THAT PARTICULAR RULE, BUT IT MIGHT NOT BE A BAD ONE FOR US TO SUGGEST THAT THEY FOCUS ON.
UH, TAKE COMMISSIONER REEDY AND THEN COMMISSIONER SMITH, COMMISSIONER REIDY.
UH, I, YOU KNOW, I ABSENTMINDEDLY PUT IT INTO THE CHAT, BUT THERE IS A PERSON WHO IS HER NAME IS BREE FRANCO, AND SHE'S THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OFFICER FOR THE CITY.
UM, AND, UH, PERHAPS FELICIA CAN ASK HER TO COME AND TALK ABOUT BOTH CHANGES IN THE 21 SESSION AND COMMISSIONER , UM, QUESTION.
YEAH, THAT SOUNDS REASONABLE TO ME.
UH, COMMISSIONER SMITH, NO QUESTIONS.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR COMMISSIONER SMITH, UM, REFRESH MY MEMORY.
I'M STILL A LITTLE FOGGY ON ALL THE PROTOCOLS AROUND TPS, BUT AM I CORRECT IN MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FOR OUR T PAD TO BE AUTHORIZED, THAT THE, IT ALSO REQUIRES THE CONSENT OF OWNER HOTEL OPERATORS WITHIN A DISTRICT, SO THAT IT'S A NEGOTIATION.
IT ISN'T JUST, IT GETS LAID DOWN.
IT'S LIKE WE WILL AGREE TO DO A TEPE ED IF X, X, X HAPPENS THAT MEET MUTUAL INTERESTS, I'LL SAY.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF LOOKING AT WITH ALL THE STATUTES.
IT'S A MATTER OF, PARTICULARLY WITH OUR CASE, GETTING CONSENSUS FROM THE AFFECTED REAL ESTATE HOLDERS IN THE REGION.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M STILL ON POINT.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? OKAY.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS (Part 1 of 2)]
WITH REGARD TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, WHAT I'VE ASKED FELICIA TO DO IS, UM, TO, UM, UH, KEEP THEM LISTED, UM, UH, ON OUR MINUTES.UM, SO THAT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN, LET ME BACK UP ALL THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I WANT TO KEEP LISTED ON THE MINUTES ON THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. SO WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE'VE ASKED FOR, AND WE DON'T LOSE ANYTHING.
UM, AND, BUT WHAT APPEARS ON THE AGENDA FOR EACH MEETING KIND OF DEPENDS ON WHO WE CAN GET.
SO, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT WERE, UM, UH, ASKED FOR LIKE PROFESSOR HAYWARD SANDERS.
WE DID INQUIRE AND WE FOUND HE WASN'T AVAILABLE.
AND SO FOR THIS MEETING, SO THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
SO L HELP US, ALL OF US KEEP TRACK, BUT ALSO HELPS FELICIA AND I KEEP TRACK SO THAT WE KNOW WHO WE CAN TRY TO HIT UP.
AND BASICALLY THE AGENDA FOR THE MEETING WILL BE WHOEVER WE'VE MANAGED TO GET, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AVAILABLE.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF OUR, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO RUN WITH FOR NOW.
SO WE'VE ADDED SOME EXTRA FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE STILL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER ON THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT, AND AN UPDATE ON THE FINANCE REPORTS PROJECT.
THAT'S STILL IN THE FUTURE ITEMS BECAUSE WE COULDN'T GET THEM FOR THIS MEETING BECAUSE OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
SO, UM, WE'RE HOPING TO ASK TO SEE IF THEY CAN COME APRIL.
UM, SAME WITH PROFESSOR SANDERS.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE HEARD FROM COMMISSIONER BUNCH THAT HE'D ALSO REACHED OUT TO PROFESSOR SANDERS, UM, AND PRESENTATION ON HOW THE HOSPITALITY WORKERS AND THOSE WHO WEREN'T LIVE EVENTS, INCLUDING OUR OWN ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE IMPACTED BY THE CURRENT ECONOMIC STATE.
SO WE'VE ALREADY SENT OUT SOME REQUESTS FOR ITEM A AND B UNDER FUTURE AGENDA.
UH, THERE'S BEEN NO MOVEMENT ON C I HAVEN'T REACHED OUT AGAIN SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
I KNOW YOU HAD, UH, COMMISSIONER SMITH, YOU'D MENTIONED, UM, A POSSIBLE PRESENTATION.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THAT AS FUTURE
[00:50:01]
ITEM, NOT NECESSARILY FOR NEXT MEETING, BUT I CERTAINLY HAVEN'T.UM, I HAVEN'T REACHED OUT TO ANY OF MY LEADS IN THAT AREA YET EITHER.
UM, YOU'VE ALREADY GOT A COUPLE OF THINGS ON YOUR LIST FOR NEXT MEETING.
SO KEEP THAT AS A FUTURE, MAYBE AIM FOR LIKE, MAY, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, PERHAPS.
ANY, UH, OBJECTION TO THAT SORT OF TIMELINE.
ALL, WELL, THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF THE ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA AND 3 55, UH, ANY
[2b. Discussion and possible action to set remaining meeting schedule for 2022 (Part 2 of 2)]
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS OR THOUGHTS BEFORE WE DEPART TODAY ONE, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO INCLUDE IT UNDER A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, BUT DO WE WANT TO COME BACK AT SOME POINT, UH, AND REVISIT HOW FREQUENTLY WE MEET? MAYBE, MAYBE WE'VE BEEN REINVIGORATED HERE.WE CAN SEE HOW THIS GOES FOR A FEW MONTHS, BUT I ALSO THINK WE HAVE A PENDING REQUEST TO CHANGE OUR SCHEDULE, BUT WE CAN COME BACK.
I THINK WHAT I THINK WHAT FELICIA AND I CAN DO BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT MEETING IS SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT IF THERE IS A REQUEST AND THEN, UM, LET'S PUT IT ON THE, ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING TO DISCUSS THE FREQUENCY.
UM, IF WE FIND THERE ISN'T, BECAUSE THEN WE CAN EVEN REPORT BACK WHETHER THERE HAS BEEN SOMETHING.
AND IF THAT HAPPENED, WE CAN DECIDE NEXT MEETING IF WE WANT TO MAKE THAT REQUEST.
AND ALSO, CAN WE FIND OUT FELICIA, CAN YOU HELP ME FIND OUT WHAT THE, HOW WE WOULD ACTUALLY DO THAT? I THINK IT PROBABLY TELLS US IN OUR FILES, HOW WE AMEND OUR BYLAWS TO AMEND OUR BYLAWS AMENDMENT NOOK, BYLAWS, A BYLAW AMENDMENT IS NOT EFFECTIVE UNLESS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
SO IT HAS TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, RIGHT.
SO WE CAN DISCUSS THAT NEXT TIME.
CAUSE I KNOW PRIOR TO SHUT DOWN, WE WERE PRETTY MUCH IN FAVOR OF, UH, EVERY OTHER MONTH, BUT LAST TIME WE INFORMALLY DISCUSSED THIS WHEN WE WERE COMING, COMING BACK TOGETHER, POST SHUT DOWN, THERE WAS A FEELING THAT BECAUSE WE HADN'T MET IN SO LONG THAT WE SHOULD KEEP IT MONTHLY FOR A WHILE BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO CATCH UP
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS (Part 2 of 2)]
COMMISSIONER REEDY.I FORGOT TO MENTION IN THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS SECTION, UM, ARE WE PERHAPS GOING TO MAKE A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION? I'M AWARE THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND ARTS COMMISSION ARE DOING SO, AND I THINK NOW'S THE SEASON.
SO WHEN WOULD WE HAVE TO SUBMIT THAT BY TIMELINE-WISE? UM, WITH A MUSIC COMMISSION IS BRINGING IT FOR A VOTE AT THEIR APRIL MEETING.
SO I PRESUME PRETTY SOON, BUT I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IF THERE'S A DEADLINE.
WELL, I'VE SEEN IN TERMS OF WHEN DOES THE CITY REQUIRED? THE CITY COUNCIL REQUIRE IT FROM US BECAUSE THEY SET BUDGETS IN THE SUMMER RIGHT BEFORE SEPTEMBER.
THEY USUALLY, THEY USUALLY VOTE ON IT IN SEPTEMBER, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY, THEY LAST CYCLE OR THE LAST CYCLE I PAID ATTENTION TO THE COMMISSIONS ALL HAD THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS IN BEFORE COUNCIL TOOK A SUMMER BREAK IN, UM, SORT OF JUNE WAS WHEN THE COMMISSIONS THAT I, I FOLLOW HAD AT LEAST DONE IT.
SO I'LL TRY TO FIND OUT, BUT I JUST, I THINK IT MIGHT BE USEFUL.
I'VE SEEN THE MUSIC COMMISSIONS, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, UM, I THINK I'VE SEEN SORT OF WHAT THE ARTS COMMISSION IS CONSIDERING.
AND IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING FOR US TO LOOK AT THOSE AND SEE IF WE CAN ENDORSE THEM, UM, BECAUSE, UM, THEY TALK ABOUT, UH, LARGELY MORE MARKETING TOWARD, UM, EVENTS, MUSIC, ET CETERA.
I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, EXCUSE ME, STILL GOT A LITTLE SPRING PAUL AND IN MY THROAT, UM, THE, UM, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS COME FROM THE COMMISSIONS.
ARE THEY BASED ON MORE, UM, PROPOSED STRATEGY AND PROPOSED AREA OF EMPHASIS AND NOT NUMERICAL? ARE THEY, ARE THESE COMMISSIONS MAKING FINANCIAL SUGGESTIONS FOR BUDGET LIMINAL DOLLARS OR IS IT JUST ENDORSEMENT? I'M TRYING TO GET CLEAR ON WHAT, WHAT THE SHAPE OF THAT IS THESE, THESE OTHER COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'M SORRY, I COULDN'T HEAR HER CLEARLY FOR A MOMENT THERE AND THEN IT RESOLVED, SORRY.
IT'S PART THE MASK AND IT'S PART, MY VOICE IS LOW.
WHAT, IN WHAT FORM DID THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THESE COMMISSIONS MANIFEST? ARE THEY IDEAS AND AREAS OF EMPHASIS? ARE THEY LITERAL DOLLARS? UM, IT IS, UH, IN THE PAST, WHAT I'VE SEEN IS ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNTS, UM, TOWARDS SPECIFIC AREAS OF INTEREST TO THOSE COMMISSIONS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR, UH, MUSIC COMMISSION ASKS FOR $20 MILLION AND, UM, MADE SOME SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHERE IT MIGHT GO.
[00:55:01]
I THINK WHAT I'VE NOTICED IS A LOT OF THESE COMMISSIONS WILL ASK FOR THE MOON AND HOPE FOR SOMETHING.SO OBVIOUSLY MUSIC DID NOT GET 20 MILLION IN FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL FUND LAST YEAR, BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S USEFUL SOMETIMES TO PUT IDEAS INTO PLAY.
UM, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL SINCE IN BOTH CASES, THE ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSIONS ARE PROPOSING, UM, THINGS THAT ARE FOR TOURISM MARKETING THAT MAYBE WE LOOK AT THEM AS LOOK AT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL.
UM, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE LITERAL BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS UP TO SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HOT TAX FLOWS, THE SUPPORT, I WAS NEVER CLEAR THAT THAT WAS REALLY EVEN IN OUR CHARTER, BUT I'M OPEN TO HEARING THAT IT IS.
I JUST DIDN'T THINK THAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING BUDGETS FOR DEPARTMENTS.
WE WERE TALKING MORE ABOUT HOW TO TAKE THE AVAILABLE HOT TAP POTENTIALLY AND WHERE TO FOCUS THEM.
I THINK IT FITS IN, UH, IN ITEM ONE IN THAT VERTICAL TO BE MATTERS RELATING TO THE ALLOCATION INVESTMENT AND BUDGETS FOR THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUE AND OTHER REASONS.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY IT'S FROM MY STANDPOINT, HOW I LOOK AT THINGS, I WOULD WANT A FULL REPORT ON THE, THE MARKETING BUDGETS THAT HAVE BEEN USED TO DRIVE TOURISM FOR THE CITY, FOR THIS, THE CITY FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I WOULD WANT TO SEE WHAT THE COMPETITIVE SPEND IS.
AND OTHER MARKETS IN TEXAS, I WOULD NOT FEEL BOLD ENOUGH TO GO IN AND MAKE THEM RECOMMENDATION ON HOW MUCH THE BUDGET SHOULD BE TO MARKET AUSTIN.
UNLESS I COULD LOOK AT IT IN A BROAD, BROADER SCOPED MATRIX.
UH, MY RECOLLECTION IS VISIT AUSTIN HAS PRESENTED US WITH THAT KIND OF BUDGET INFORMATION AT THE TIME.
YES, WE'VE SEEN THEIR BUDGET, BUT I DIDN'T SEE THE REVERSE OF US TELLING THEM OR ACCOUNTS OF WHAT THE BUDGET OUGHT TO BE IS WHAT I'M QUESTIONING.
I, I HEAR YOU BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAD IN THE PAST LOOKED AT A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS, RIGHT.
AND, AND WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO, WHAT THE BUDGET WAS GOING TO BE, ET CETERA.
BUT I DON'T RECALL US EVER REACHING THE STAGE WHERE WE WERE RECOMMENDING, UH, ITEMS IN THE BUDGET.
AND, UM, AND I, LIKE, I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, PURSUING OR, UM, PROPOSING IDEAS IN MONETARY TERMS, WHICH IS A SENSORY WATER.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE MUSIC CAN ARTS COMMISSIONS ARE DOING, IT'S JUST BASICALLY SAYING, WE'D LIKE YOUR FOCUS TO ZERO IN ON THIS, THIS AREA NEEDS, WE THINK THIS AREA IS A PRIORITY.
I FEEL LIKE I PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
WE NEED A LOT MORE, IT SEEMS LIKE A MORE, A LOT MORE IN DEPTH.
I'D CERTAINLY THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE GET TO THAT STAGE.
BUT I THINK WHAT COMMISSIONER REIDY IS ASKING FOR RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST, LET'S HAVE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT THESE OTHER COMMISSIONS I WOULD LOVE TO.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW THOSE, HOW THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS OPERATE DEFINITELY WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM.
I THINK IT WOULD VERY HELPFUL AND ILLUSTRATIVE.
AND IF WE DO WANT TO, UM, COME UP WITH, UM, A PROPOSAL OR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS BOARD, THEN WE DEFINITELY NEED TO BE PUT IN ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, THE INFORMATION WE FEEL WE WOULD NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK WE WOULD NEED SOMETHING LIKE ON THE APRIL AGENDA AND THE MAY AGENDA IN THE HOPES OF PUTTING SOMETHING TOGETHER IN THE JUNE AGENDA THAT WE ALL AGREE ON.
I HAD THE SAME THOUGHT THAT'S RIGHT.
I AGREE WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S IN OUR PURVIEW TO DO THAT.
I MEAN, I NOTICE IT SAYS HERE, BUT ARE WE JUST, MY QUESTION IS, ARE WE JUST GIVING A ENDORSEMENT OF WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR OR ARE WE ACTUALLY GOING TO TELL THEM WHAT WE THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE? AND I THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENCE FOR THREE IN THAT.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO, IF WE'RE GETTING TO BE SPECIFIC ON THIS AND WE NEED TO KNOW THE COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS, WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
I MEAN, I WOULD JUST BE A MATTER OF COURSE.
SO I THINK THE QUESTION IS, IS WHAT, WHAT DO WE FEEL OUR PURPOSE IS HERE, COMMISSIONER REALLY? YOU YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH ALL THIS.
SO PERHAPS YOU CAN GIVE US AN IDEA OF, IS THAT REALLY WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, APPROVING THEIR BUDGET, OR ARE WE JUST, YOU KNOW, GIVING A, UH, AN ENDORSEMENT OF WHATEVER THEY'RE ASKING FOR, OR IT REVOLVING AROUND, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE ALSO ARE REVOLVING AROUND HERE'S THE HOT PACKS AND HERE'S HOW MUCH EVERYBODY SHOULD GET AND HOW THEY, HOW THEY MARKET.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO ASK THEM FOR THEIR MARKETING STRATEGIES, BUT IT, HOW, WHAT, HOW MUCH THEY, EACH COMPONENT YOU GET OUT OF THE OVERALL HOT, HOT TATS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS WHAT THE OTHER FOLKS HERE SUGGESTED, I THINK, OR, I MEAN, I AGREE WITH IT.
LET'S GET, IF WE CAN, THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND AN ARTS COMMISSIONS, UH, ASKS
[01:00:01]
OR THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, CAUSE THOSE WILL BE PUBLIC RECORD.WE CAN JUST LOOK AT THEM AND SEE WHAT I THINK.
UM, WE COULD CHOOSE TO ENDORSE THEM BECAUSE I KNOW MUCH OF THEIR, AT LEAST THE MUSIC COMMISSIONS ONE HAS TO DO WITH TOURISM PROMOTION AND MUSIC MARKETING, OR WE COULD JUST USE THEM TO COMPARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY DID AND WHAT WE MAY DO IN THE FUTURE AND THEN ASK FOR IN MAY AND JUNE AT THOSE MEETINGS, MORE INFORMATION FROM VISIT AUSTIN SO WE CAN GET THAT FIVE-YEAR VIEW.
UM, AND THEN I WOULD POINT OUT THAT ALTHOUGH COUNCIL APPROVES A BUDGET IN AUGUST, THIS SPECIFIC MARKETING PLAN AND BUDGET FOR VISIT AUSTIN IS APPROVED RIGHT INSIDE THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
SO USUALLY IN OCTOBER, UM, LIKE THE, THE AMOUNT IS ALREADY SET IN THE, IN THE BUDGET, BUT THE DETAILS THAT WERE APPROVED IN OCTOBER, SO WE COULD STAY ON TOP OF THAT AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THERE IF WE CHOOSE TO.
UM, AND I'M ALSO UNDER, IF, IF THIS BODY CHOOSES THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO WAIT INTO, THAT'S FINE TOO.
BUT I WANTED TO BRING YOU TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT OTHER COMMISSIONS ARE LOOKING AT RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND TOURISM MARKETING.
AND IF THEY ARE, WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THAT.
THEN, THEN THAT JUST BRINGS UP THE POINT THAT IF THAT'S, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH ANYTHING YOU SAID EITHER, BUT IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE PACKAGE.
WE CAN'T JUST LOOK AT ONE SLIVER AND SAY, OKAY, THE CULTURE ARE FUN.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE THING.
I WOULD GUESS, YOU KNOW, BRILLIANT RECOMMENDATIONS OF OTHER COMMISSIONS.
WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE INFORMATION OF THE CONTRARY.
YOU, I MEAN, THEY'RE PUSHING THEIR OWN GENDER.
I'M NOT SURE I HAVE THE FULL PACKAGE OF INFORMATION.
BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IS WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR AGENDA IS.
BUT NOT NECESSARILY KNOWING HOW THEY CAME TO THAT GAME OR WHAT THE CONTRARY VIEW IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T KNOW ENOUGH.
AND I, AND I IT'S, IT'S CURIOUS TO ME, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BEEN WONDERING, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO, TO THE SHUTDOWN, I WAS WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS BODY, AND IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHERE THIS BODY FITS, BECAUSE I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT YOU HAVE ALL THESE OTHER SEPARATE, UH, COMMISSIONS THAT ARE ACTIVELY PROMOTING THEIR AGENDA AND ALL OF THEM AFFECT TOURISM.
AND WE'RE THE TOURISM COMMISSION, BUT WE'RE NOT DRIVING ANYTHING.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST, I FELT LIKE WE VERY MUCH WERE STILL IN THAT BEING NEW.
WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING AND RECEIVING INFORMATION AND FIGURING IT OUT.
AND, AND I'M CURIOUS IF IT'S EVERGREEN, IF IT'S GOING TO BECOME A POINT WHERE WE BECOME, SO IN THE KNOWLEDGE, IN THE KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING, THAT'S GOING ON, LIKE YOU SAY, THE WHOLE BIG PICTURE THAT WE START TO DRIVE, BUT IT IS CURIOUS TO ME THAT OTHER AREAS ARE DRIVING.
MAYBE IT'S EASIER BECAUSE THEIR FOCUS IS MORE NARROW.
WHEREAS AL'S KIND OF ENCOMPASSES ALL OF THAT.
AND W TO USE AN ANALOGY LIKE WHEN YOU LOOK AT NUMBER FOUR, OR IF IT BACK WHEN THE CITY WAS DETERMINING WHETHER IT WAS CODA WAS GOING TO BE BUILT, NOT GOING TO BE BUILT, YOU KNOW, WHAT A PRESENTATION OF WHAT IT MIGHT DO TO HOTEL VISITATION OR ANNUAL VISITS AND ALL OF THAT, AND GETTING A REPORT OF THIS, THE ATTENDANCE TO AN F1 RACE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HAVE THIS KIND OF SINGULAR IMPACT ON HOT TAX RECEIPTS.
THAT WOULD BE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN ME.
BUT ON THE IDEA OF THAT, WE WOULD BE WEIGHING IN ON WHETHER THE PLACE SHOULD BE BUILT OR NOT.
I THINK THAT'S OUT OF SCOPE PERSONALLY.
I'M CURIOUS WHERE, WHERE THE, THE PARAMETERS ARE, BECAUSE I GET THE SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSION SUCCESS TO BE ABLE TO GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S LIKE, SO WHERE EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE LINES, UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC? ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WE WANT STUFF TO ASK FOR RELATED TO THIS IN TERMS OF GETTING, UM, GETTING THINGS ON THE NEXT AGENDAS? THERE WAS MENTIONED THERE ABOUT FIVE YEARS LOOKING AT FIVE YEAR, UM, FIGURES FOR FIVE YEARS, UH, COMMISSIONER READING.
SO IF THE MUSIC COMMISSION PASSES A RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WOULD BE THE FIRST MONDAY OF APRIL, SO FAIRLY SOON, DO WE WANT TO ASK FELICIA TO MAYBE JUST EMAIL THAT TO US SO WE CAN SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE? I DON'T THINK SO.
I DON'T THINK IT REALLY MATTERS BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE PIE BEFORE YOU SAY YEAH, YOUR NAME AND WHO'S YOU LOOK AT IT.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO HURT ANYTHING, BUT FOR US TO MAKE ANY DECISION FACTOR, I DON'T THINK WE COULD DO THAT, BUT IT DOESN'T HURT TO LOOK AT AT THAT POINT, I THINK THOUGH, STARTING TO COLLECT ALL
[01:05:01]
THIS INFORMATION AND THEN IN MAY ASKING FOR THAT, OR STARTING TO GET ON THE RADAR FOR VISIT AUSTIN, TO SHOW US LIKE A LONGER VIEW.UM, BUT START TO REALLY COLLECT THAT INFORMATION.
AS, AS COMMISSIONER MCGEE POINTED OUT, WE'RE STILL PRETTY, AND WE WERE INTERRUPTED FOR THE BETTER PART OF TWO YEARS, BUT I COULD SEE DOWN THE ROAD, THIS COMMISSION, UM, DRIVING, OR EVEN WORKING WITH OTHER COMMISSIONS TO, UM, TAKE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, MAKE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.
MAYBE NOT THIS YEAR, MAYBE IT'S TOO LATE, BUT MAYBE NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER.
WELL, I THINK COMMISSIONER REALLY BRINGS UP A REALLY GOOD QUESTION FOR THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS, OF THIS COMMISSION.
AND THIS COULD BE A DYNAMIC COMMISSION, QUITE FRANKLY, IF THE OTHER COMMISSIONS HAD TO GET OUR THUMBS UP OR, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEIR BUDGETS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW THAT, BUT THAT'S A LOT OF WORK.
I MEAN, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF WORK WITH THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S A DYNAMIC THAT COULD HAPPEN, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR A RECOMMENDATION.
AND AGAIN, I THINK IT REALLY DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME WITH THIS, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE, WHAT THE FEELING IS FOR THIS BOARD ON HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO CHEW OFF.
AND ANYTHING COMMISSIONER IS REALLY JUST CORRECT ME.
WE COULDN'T DO IT THIS YEAR, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDED LIKE IT'S IT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE BYLAWS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT TO THE, TO JOHN'S POINT INTO YOURS IS THAT ONE OF THE INTERSECTIONS AS IF WE CARE ABOUT, AND WE ARE AWARE OF WHAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION'S ASPIRATIONS ARE AND HOW THEY'RE PROJECTING INCOME, BECAUSE IT'S PRECISELY RELATED TO THE T PERIOD AND THAT THEY'RE COUNTING ON AN EXTRA 3% COMING OFF THE TEE PIT AND THE T KID IS PREDICATED ON THE FACT THAT A CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION IS THE AGREED UPON METHODOLOGY TO GET THE TEE PAD.
THEN IT DOES ALL INTERSECT AT THIS COMMISSION LEVEL.
AND NOT JUST TO TAKE THAT ONE STEP FURTHER, IT D THE HOTEL TAX DOESN'T HAPPEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE PEOPLE IN THE HOTELS.
SO, I MEAN, IT JUST IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL PART OF THE WHOLE FLOW.
I THINK, UH, I MEAN, THEY'RE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, COMMISSIONED READING, I SAID, THERE'LL BE PUBLIC RECORD, SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND THEM ON THEIR BOATS AND COMMISSION WEBSITES.
SO, I MEAN, I'D DEFINITELY BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AND JUST EVEN LEARNING, UM, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, JUST TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
I THINK, I THINK IT'S TOO LATE THIS YEAR, BUT I THINK THAT SHOULDN'T STOP US FROM AT LEAST EDUCATING OURSELVES AND LOOKING AT IT.
AND, AND CONSIDERING IS THIS SOMETHING WE WANT TO LOOK AT FOR NEXT YEAR? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PURPOSES BOARD? CAUSE I ALSO AGREE, I THINK IT WOULD BE A LOT OF WORK TO, TO GET OUT THERE AND HOW MUCH BANDWIDTH DO WE ALL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN? UM, BUT I, I DEFINITELY WOULD BE INTERESTED JUST LIKE THINKING ABOUT IT, UM, IN THAT VEIN, UM, I ALREADY ASKED THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WERE HERE, UM, APART FROM COMMISSIONER BAILEY.
CAUSE I THINK YOU ARRIVED AFTER I'D ASKED, WE LAST MEETING WERE SENT AND I WROTE IT DOWN.
NO, I DON'T KNOW WHICH PAPER I WROTE IT DOWN ON.
LAST MEETING BEFORE LAST MEETING, WE WERE SENT A STAFF UPDATE ON AGENDA ITEM TWO D TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING, UM, THE, FOR THE FEBRUARY TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING.
AND IT WAS A SIMILAR, IT LOOKED SORT OF SIMILAR IN FORMAT TO THIS THAT WE RECEIVED BY EMAIL TODAY.
UM, AND IT HAD A LOT OF LINKS IN IT TO OTHER ITEMS. UM, AND I REMEMBER, UM, WE LOOKED AT IT, UH, OUR AGENDA ITEM TWO D WAS THE FEBRUARY MINUTES.
UPDATE FROM STAFF ON EXPANSION CONTRACTED UNDERWAY WITH HIM.
HOW MUCH, ANY, I'M JUST READING IT, PLEASE DO IN ANY TIMELINE OF NEXT STEPS AND DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION RELATED TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS TO DO WITH THE UPDATE ON THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION.
I DON'T REMEMBER RECEIVING ANYTHING THAT MAY HAVE BEEN LOST IN THE SHUFFLE ON A, IT WAS, IT WAS, UM, STAFF UPDATE THAT WE RECEIVED OUR EMAIL.
SO PERHAPS FELICIA CAN RESEND IT TO YOU IF YOU FELT LIKE YOU DIDN'T SEND IT OUT TO EVERYONE.
WE HAD DECIDED WE COULDN'T DISCUSS IT LAST MEETING BECAUSE WE HADN'T HAD TIME TO LOOK AT IT.
AND THERE WERE LOTS OF LINKS IN IT.
AND SO THE HOMEWORK WAS THAT WE ALL LOOK AT IT IN CASE WE WANT TO BRING IT BACK AS A FUTURE.
I DID LOOK AND CLICK ON SOME OF THE LINKS.
ONE OF THE LINKS TAKES YOU TO, UM, A PRESENTATION THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHICH IS I FOUND
[01:10:01]
INTERESTING.SO I'D JUST LIKE TO ASK THAT EVERYBODY, UM, HAVE A LOOK AT THAT, THAT, UH, STAFF UPDATE THAT WAS SENT TO US AND FOLLOW SOME OF THOSE LINKS.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT TO OUR, TO MY ATTENTION.
AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO BRING THAT UP, YOU KNOW, ANY DISCUSSION ON WHAT, WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM, FROM SEEING THAT PRESENTATION OR WAS THAT THE ONE FROM TWO 14? YES.
AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT YOU WANT TO PROPOSE FROM, FROM LOOKING AT THAT, BUT YEAH.
I WILL ALSO DO A SEARCH FOR THAT, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO SEND IT, YOU'RE GOING TO SEND IT AS WELL.
IT'S ALSO ON OUR TOURISM COMMISSION WEBSITE UNDER THE BACKUP MATERIALS MEETING.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO RAISE BEFORE WE ADJOURN? WE'LL JUST LIKE TO KNOW FOR THE RECORD THAT YOU'VE DONE IT.
EXCELLENT JOB OF PRESIDING OVER DOUBLE YOUR SALARY.
LET IT BE KNOWN AS THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS, WE SHALL ADJOURN UNTIL APRIL AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET THIS, THIS SPACE AND WE'LL KEEP OUR PRICE AS TO WHAT THE, UM, WHETHER IT BE HYBRID IN PARSON AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT SEEMS TO CHANGE PRETTY RAPIDLY.
SO JUST KEEP AN EYE ON THAT AND EMAILS FROM FELICIA ON ANY UPDATES ON THAT.
AND, UH, WE ARE ADJOURNED TILL APRIL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYBODY.