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[CALL TO ORDER]
GOOD MORNING.IT'S WEDNESDAY, MAY 25TH, 2022.
UM, AND MY NAME IS ALISON ALTER, MAY PER TIME.
AND CHAIR OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE WANT TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 9:32 AM ON THE DAYAS WITH ME.
I HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, KELLY AND COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TOWS INFORMED ME THAT SHE WILL BE JOINING US SHORTLY.
UM, BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR BUSINESS, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT, UM, AND THINK OF THE VICTIMS IN A VALDI AND, AND THINK ABOUT OUR COUNTRY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I COULDN'T SLEEP LAST NIGHT.
UM, HAD TO HUNG MY SON EXTRA HARD THIS MORNING WHEN HE LEFT FOR SCHOOL.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO AS A COUNTRY.
UM, AT THIS POINT I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY CHILDREN HAVE TO DIE BEFORE WE DO SOMETHING, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE, WHY IT'S SO DIFFICULT FOR US TO HAVE BACKGROUND CHECKS, WHY IT IS THAT WE DON'T SEEM TO BE ABLE TO BAN ASSAULT RIFLES.
WHY IT IS THAT WE ALLOW FOR LARGE MAGAZINES, WHY THERE'S SO MUCH HATE IN THIS WORLD THAT SOMEONE WHO'S THE SAME AGE AS MY SON WOULD GO INTO A SCHOOL AND SHOOT A CLASSROOM OF KIDS AND THEIR OWN GRANDMOTHER BEFORE THAT, UM, THIS IS THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN, BUT IT IS NOT THE WORLD THAT WE HAVE TO LIVE IN.
UM, AND EACH OF US HAS A RESPONSIBILITY, UM, TO TAKE STEPS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, ON THINGS HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, I'LL BE HOSTING A GUN VIOLENCE SUMMIT WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ON JUNE 8TH THAT WE'VE BEEN PLANNING FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
WE'RE ABOUT, WE WERE ABOUT TO ANNOUNCE IT TODAY.
UM, WE HAVE WORK TO DO, AND I WOULD, YOU KNOW, JUST ASK EVERYONE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN DO TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
UM, MAYBE WE CAN'T CHANGE WHAT'S GOING ON IN WASHINGTON.
MAYBE WE CAN'T CHANGE WHAT'S GOING ON UP AT THE CAPITOL.
UM, BUT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CHANGE HERE IN AUSTIN TO THE MENTAL HEALTH ENVIRONMENT, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, HOW VIOLENCE PLAYS OUT.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TREAT THIS AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, WHICH IS WHAT OUR OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION, WHICH I INITIATED IS DOING.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN BE DOING EVEN HERE WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS, UM, AND WE NEED TO BE DOUBLING DOWN ON THEM.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK US TO TAKE A MINUTE OF SILENCE IN HONOR, OF THE 19 CHILDREN WHO DIED YESTERDAY AND THE TWO ADULTS WHO DIED, UM, AND THE VALDI COMMUNITY.
AND IF ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES, UM, ARE INTERESTED IN, IN ANY THOUGHTS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FUNDUS, THANK YOU, CHAIR, SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SHARED EARLIER, JUST NOW LIKE MANY, UM, AUSTINITES WE ARE, WE ARE FEELING, UH, FOR THE VALLEY COMMUNITY AND I TOURED A SCHOOL IN MY DISTRICT JUST, UM, JUST ON MONDAY AND KNOWING JUST HOW MUCH OF OUR COMMUNITY, UM, IS FEELING THE IMPACTS OF WHAT HAPPENED IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY IN TEXAS.
IT'S RESONATING WITH SO MANY, BOTH WITH PARENTS, BOTH WITH FAMILY MEMBERS, BOTH WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT LARGE.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I WANTED TO ASK YOU, CHAIR, ALTRIX I KNOW YOU HAVE, UH, EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE IS PERHAPS YOU COULD SHARE A BIT OF WHAT LOCALLY HERE, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL HAD DONE.
YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THAT WE'RE SO LIMITED ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO ADEQUATELY AND FULLY ADDRESS AND HAVE GUN REFORM, THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE HERE LOCALLY, DESPITE STATE AND FEDERAL OVERREACH AND THE PREEMPTION THAT WE FACE.
UM, SO IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND SHARING A
[00:05:01]
COUPLE OF THE POLICIES THAT WE'VE PASSED HERE LOCALLY, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY JUST TO KNOW THAT IN AUSTIN, THAT WE STAND STRONG AND COMMITTED TO, TO GUN REFORM.AND I'LL JUST BE REALLY BRIEF SO THAT WE'RE NOT OUT OF ORDER, UM, WITH OUR MEETING, SINCE THIS IS NOT ON OUR AGENDA TO S TO SPEAK ABOUT IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE MANY THINGS WITH RESPECT TO THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, UM, AND ADVOCATING FOR, UM, DIFFERENT POLICIES THERE, SUCH AS BANNING THE ASSAULT RIFLE AND BACKGROUND CHECKS, ET CETERA, TO BE PART OF THOSE LEGISLATIVE AGENDAS.
UM, ON THE LOCAL LEVEL, WE HAVE LAUNCHED THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION, WHICH IS CURRENTLY CONDUCTING A STUDY OF THE PROFILE OF GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, SO THAT WE CAN TAKE VERY TARGETED PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIES AND DEPLOY THEM FOR THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A, UM, WE ARE ALSO THROUGH THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
UM, WE HAVE A CURRENT MENTAL HEALTH, UM, WELLNESS CAMPAIGN THAT'S GOING ON.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT PARTICULAR HOTSPOTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, WITH RESPECT TO WHERE THE VIOLENCE IS.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY CONDUCTING A, UM, GUN SAFETY STORAGE LOCK CAMPAIGN.
UM, WE ARE WORKING ON ACTIVITIES, UM, TO ADDRESS HATE.
UM, WE HAVE PREVENTED OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM RESELLING THEIR GUNS INTO THE MARKET.
UM, AND WE ARE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN SORT OF TRYING TO REALLY, UM, BE TARGETED.
UM, THE GOAL OF THE GUN VIOLENCE SUMMIT IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MOVE US TO BUILD THE KIND OF ECOSYSTEM THAT WE NEED, THIS, THE PUBLIC SAFETY ECOSYSTEM THAT WE NEED, UM, AND A COLLABORATIVE, UM, GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION STRATEGY.
WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT THINGS LIKE DEVELOPING, UM, A, UM, I FORGET THE TECHNICAL TERM FOR IT, BUT, UM, WHEN THERE'S A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATION, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S A RESTRAINING ORDER, NOT JUST A RESTRAINING ORDER, BUT THAT THE GUNS ARE TAKEN AWAY, UM, FROM THE, THE, UH, THE VIOLENT PARTY IN THAT SITUATION.
UM, A LOT OF THESE THINGS NEED TO BE COLLABORATIVE ACROSS DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
UM, AND, UM, WE HAD OUR GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION TASK FORCE, UM, WHICH MATT AND THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION WAS A PIECE OF THAT.
THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION, WE'LL BE, UM, LOOKING AT, UM, VARIOUS WAYS TO DO VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE'S THE WORK THAT YOU INITIATED ON THE TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTER THAT HOPEFULLY WILL BE ANOTHER PIECE OF THE PUZZLE AS WE, AS WE, UM, AS WE LOOK AHEAD, UM, ALL OF THAT SAID WHILE THERE IS MUCH THAT WE CAN DO HERE.
UM, AND, AND WE ARE REELING FROM THE TRAGEDY OF ALL DAY.
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT GUN VIOLENCE DOESN'T HAPPEN.
LIKE IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY ON A DAILY BASIS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S THE MASS SHOOTINGS ARE THE THING THAT GET OUR ATTENTION.
UM, BUT EVERY DAY SOMEONE'S DYING OF SUICIDE.
SOMEONE'S DYING IN A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATION.
UM, THERE'S A CHILD THAT'S GRABBING A GUN AND SHOOTING SOMEONE OR THEMSELVES BECAUSE THE GUN WAS NOT STORED SAFELY.
AND, AND, AND THAT IS WHAT WE SEE SOMEONE STEALING A GUN FROM SOMEONE'S CAR, WHERE THEY STORED THEIR GUN AND IT WAS UNLOCKED.
UM, AND SO WHILE, WHILE THE HEADLINES MATTER AND THEY HELP US TO FOCUS OUR ATTENTION, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T ONLY, UM, ONLY DESIGN OUR GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ACTIVITIES TO MEET THE THREAT OF A SCHOOL SHOOTER, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, KELLY, THANK YOU.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED AND YOU VALIDATE YESTERDAY? IT WAS ABSOLUTELY HEARTBREAKING WHEN I WAS SITTING IN MY CAR, LISTENING TO THE RADIO AND FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT.
I STRUGGLED TO FIND WORDS TO REALLY ADDRESS WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
UM, ANYTIME A SCHOOL IN OUR CITY GOES ON LOCKDOWN, WE ALL ARE AT A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF SAFETY FOR OUR STUDENTS AND THE TEACHERS THAT ARE THERE.
THE ADMINISTRATORS, UM, AS A MOTHER OF A 12 YEAR OLD BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRL, UM, I, I HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE ROUND ROCK ISD POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE DISTRICT THAT I REPRESENT.
AND I WANT TO THANK OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS FOR THEIR SWIFT RESPONSE.
I ALSO WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I HAVE VERY GOOD LINES OF COMMUNICATION WITH THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE PLANS IN PLACE FOR WHEN THESE TYPES OF THINGS OCCUR AND TO PREVENT THEM, BUT
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WE REALLY DO, UM, HAVE THE REMINDER THAT A LOT OF WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE IN REGARDS TO MENTAL HEALTH, NOT JUST IN OUR CITY, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.AND SO I WANT FAMILIES, UM, HERE IN AUSTIN AND ALSO THE FAMILIES THERE IN THE VALLEY THAT WERE AFFECTED TO KNOW THAT WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER AND AS POLICY MAKERS, WE CAN MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP PREVENT THESE TYPES OF THINGS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S INDULGENCE.
AS WE, AS WE, UM, TAKE A FEW MINUTES HERE, UM, TO RECOGNIZE WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR STATE.
UM, SO TODAY WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO TAKE UP OUR ITEMS IN ORDER.
[Public Communication: General]
OUR FIRST ITEM IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER AND OUR ONLY SPEAKER IS MR. PAUL ROBBINS, MR. ROBBINS, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR REFLECTIONS THIS MORNING.
UH, COUNSEL I'VE BECOME AN INTERVENER IN THE AUSTIN ELECTRIC RATE CASE AND UTILITY RATE MAKING THERE'S CONCEPT CALLED IMPRUDENCE.
IT MEANS THAT IF UNJUSTIFIED SPENDING HAS BEEN MADE, THE WASTE MUST BE DEDUCTED FROM THE UTILITIES PROFITS.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO CONTEST IS THE CONTINUING PROBLEMS IN AUSTIN.
ENERGY'S POORLY RUN CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT GIVES DISCOUNTS TO LOW INCOME RATE PAYERS.
SOME OF THE FUNDS ARE PROBABLY STILL GOING TO CUSTOMERS WHO APPEAR BY THEIR PROPERTY VALUES TO BE WEALTHY INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR PROOF HAS BEEN AVAILABLE FOR MANY YEARS.
HOWEVER, AUSTIN ENERGY IS USING A STATE LAW PASSED IN 2021 TO BLOCK THIS KIND OF EVIDENCE.
AS FAR AS I CAN TELL THIS LAW WAS SUPPORTED BY THE CITY GOVERNMENT WITHOUT CITY COUNCIL EVER HAVING BEEN ADVISED, UH, IF I'M WRONG ON THIS POLICE, CORRECT ME, THE PARENTS IS THAT STAFF SUPPORTED A LAW TO BLOCK EVIDENCE THAT MIGHT CAUSE CONTINUED EMBARRASSMENT TO THE UTILITY WITHOUT COUNSEL EVER HAVING BEEN CONSULTED.
SHOULD ANYONE LISTENING DOUBT THE RELEVANCE OF MY PAST INVESTIGATIONS? LET ME, UH, TELL YOU THAT ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS, THEY'VE YIELDED RESULTS.
I'VE DISTRIBUTED A MEMO TO YOU THIS MORNING FROM THE SPRING OF 2015, UH, SHOWING AUSTIN ENERGY IN, IN RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINTS, AUSTIN ENERGY TIGHTENED IN THE ENROLLMENT SCREEN RESULTING IN THE ELIMINATION OF ENOUGH PARTICIPANTS TO SAY AT LEAST $850,000 A YEAR IN DISCOUNTS MULTIPLY THIS TIMES SEVEN SUCCESSIVE YEARS THAT'S AS MUCH AS $6 MILLION IN SAVINGS IN 2018 IN RESPONSE TO MY CONTINUED CRITICISM, AUSTIN ENERGY TIGHTENED ITS ENROLLMENT, UH, TO REQUIRE INCOME VERIFICATION OF CUSTOMERS WITH HIGH PROPERTY WEALTH, BUT THIS DID NOT WORK PERFECTLY.
SO I ASKED FOR AN AUDIT OF THE PROGRAM IN 2021, THE AUDIT CON FOUND CONTINUED FAULTY PROCEDURES THAT WERE SUPPOSEDLY PREPARE REPAIRED, BUT AGAIN, THE PUBLIC HAS NO LONGER HAS THE ABILITY TO VERIFY THIS.
SO I'M ASKING FOR THREE THINGS FIRST, A WAY THAT INTERVENERS IN THE RATE CASE CAN GATHER EVIDENCE LIKE THIS TO AN AUDIT OF THE PROGRAM, TO DETERMINE THE PERCENTAGE OF PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE REALLY POOR AND THREE AN INVESTIGATION INTO HOW WELL INCOME VERIFICATION PROGRAMS WORK FOR LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE IN SAN ANTONIO AS SACRAMENTO AND OTHER UTILITIES THAT HAVE INCOME VERIFICATION PROCEDURES.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Audit and Finance Committee meeting of April 27, 2022.]
UM, OUR NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS, UM, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING FROM APRIL 27TH.DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE COUNCIL MEMBER? KELLY MAKES THAT MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER FLINT, US SECONDS, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
SO UNANIMOUS ON THE DIOCESE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, UM, ABSENT.
[2. Update on implementation of recommendations from the Online Access to City Services and AustinGO: Website Governance and Management audits.]
OKAY.AND, UM, BEFORE WE GET THERE, I'LL JUST SAY THAT ITEM TWO, AN ITEM THREE, OUR FOLLOW-UP REPORTS THAT THE AUDITOR, UM, DOES THAT ALLOW US TO LOOK BACK AT PRIOR AUDITS THAT WE CAN ASSESS AND DISCUSS HOW IMPLEMENTATION IS GOING.
IT IS ANOTHER WAY THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER TOOL THAT WE HAVE TO, TO SEE HOW
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OUR AUDITS ARE FUNCTIONING, BUT ALSO TO HOLD OUR, UM, DEPARTMENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE, THE AUDIT, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS, AUDITOR STOKES, PLEASE.UM, THIS PROJECT WAS MANAGED BY OLGA OF TRINKO, UH, AND THE PRESENTER IS GOING TO BE REMOTE.
UM, AND WE'LL GET THAT PRESENTATION UP IN JUST A SECOND.
UH, KATHY HARRISON WAS THE LEAD ON THIS PROJECT AND WE'LL PRESENT TODAY.
GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I'M THE AUDIT LEAD ON THE PROJECT AND I'LL BE GIVING THIS PRESENTATION.
WE CONDUCTED TWO AUDITS RELATED TO ONLINE RESOURCES IN 2013 AND 2017 FOCUS ON THE WEB STRUCTURE AND CONTENT MANAGEMENT OF THE CITY'S WEBSITE, AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV, AND ONLINE ACCESS TO CITY SERVICES.
WE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL AREAS OF NEEDED IMPROVEMENT IN THESE AUDITS.
SOME COMMON AREAS OF CONCERN INCLUDED A NEED TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO MAKE SURE WEB CONTENT IS DESIGNED AND MANAGED TO ALLOW PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES TO FIND AND USE CITY SERVICES OFFERED ONLINE.
WE ISSUED SIX RECOMMENDATIONS AND VERIFY THE CITY IMPLEMENTED THREE OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THREE ARE UNDERWAY.
ALTHOUGH THE CITY HAS MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO SERVICES OFFERED ONLINE, MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE TO MAKE THESE SERVICES QUICK, TO FIND AN EASY TO USE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES.
AND THE TWO IN THE 2013 AUSTIN GO AUDIT.
WE CONFIRM THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION WAS IMPLEMENTED BY APPROVING A STRATEGIC PLAN.
THAT INCLUDES THAT INCLUDED STEPS, CLEAR ROLES AND DUTIES TO OFFER SERVICES ONLINE.
WE CONFIRM THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION WAS UNDERWAY WITH AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION WHILE THE CITY HAS MADE PROGRESS BY UPGRADING THE CITY'S WEBSITE, DEVELOPING GUIDANCE ON SITE MANAGEMENT AND APPROVING AN AGREEMENT TO INCREASE TEAMWORK ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS, MORE WORK IS NEEDED TO CREATE A WEBSITE THAT IS EASY FOR PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES TO USE AND TO FULLY ADDRESS GAPS IDENTIFIED IN THIS AUDIT.
IN THE 2017 ONLINE ACCESS AUDIT, THE FIRST AND SECOND RECOMMENDATIONS WERE IMPLEMENTED BY ADOPTING A STRATEGIC PLAN, UPDATING SERVICE REQUESTS AND CREATING GUIDANCE TO IMPROVE ONLINE SERVICE OFFERINGS.
THE CITY ALSO CREATED A GROUP TO COORDINATE RESOURCES AND MAKE SURE WEBSITE CONTENT LOOKS THE SAME ACROSS DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS.
THE THIRD AND FOURTH RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE 2017 ONLINE ACCESS AUDIT ARE UNDERWAY.
THE CITY HAS MADE PROGRESS BY LAUNCHING A PAPERLESS INITIATIVE TO INVENTORY ONLINE SERVICES AND FISCAL YEAR 2019 AND MONITORING THE CITY'S WEBSITE TO SEE WHICH WEB PAGES HAVE THE MOST VISITORS.
THESE NUMBERS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S OPEN DATA PORTAL.
IN ADDITION, WE RETESTED WEBSITES REVIEWED AND THE 2017 AUDIT TO DETERMINE HOW EASY IT WAS TO FIND AND USE 13 POPULAR ONLINE SERVICES OFFERED.
WE FOUND THAT ALL ONLINE SERVICES RETESTED CAN BE DONE ONLINE COMPARED TO 75% IN 2017.
WE ALSO FOUND THAT SOME OF THE ONLINE SERVICES STILL ARE NOT EASY TO FIND OR USE AS THE CITY CONTINUES TO IMPROVE SERVICES OFFERED ONLINE.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REMAINING RECOMMENDATIONS IS IMPORTANT TO DRESS GAPS IDENTIFIED IN THESE TWO AUDITS.
THE CITY MUST ENSURE THAT SERVICES OFFERED ONLINE ARE QUICK TO FIND AN EASY TO USE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES.
PLEASE NOTE THAT NO ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS WERE ISSUED SINCE THIS IS A FOLLOWUP PROJECT.
THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
WOULD, UM, CTM LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING GOOD MORNING.
I'M THE IT CORPORATE MANAGER COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FINDINGS OF THE AUDIT AND SAY, WHILE THERE IS MORE IMPROVEMENT TO BE MADE, THE TEAM HAS MADE GREAT PROGRESS IN THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS.
SO WE GO OFF A WEEK, AA COMPLIANCE, ACCESSIBILITY SCORE, AND WE HAVE SEEN A 30% IMPROVEMENT IN THAT PERIOD BEAVER IN THE LOWEST SIXTIES.
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WE ARE AT THE INDUSTRY GOVERNMENT STANDARD WEBSITE BENCHMARK AT 85%.AND WE ARE WELL IN A WAY TO ACHIEVE THE AA B CAP COMPLIANCE SCORE.
AND THEN BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, WE'LL BE AT MAKING GOOD PROGRESS.
AND ALSO ON THE, ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WE ARE TRYING TO TACKLE IS CREATE A SIMPLE SEAMLESS WEBSITE AND ALSO MAINTAIN A SECURE SUSTAINABLE WEBSITE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BALANCING ACT.
WE, AS A COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
THANK YOU, MS. WAGNER, DID YOU NOT SURE IF YOU WERE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
I DIDN'T, I WASN'T SURE IF YOU CAME UP TO SPEAK AS WELL.
UM, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE TIME TO ADDRESS YOU REGARDING THIS AUDIT AS, UM, MY COLLEAGUE MS. ROCKYNOL, UM, WAS ABLE TO CONVEY, UM, THE SUCCESSES THAT WE AS A COLLECTIVE TEAM HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.
UM, I'LL INTRODUCE MYSELF I'M YES, MEAN WAGNER AND, UM, I WORKED FOR THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.
UM, SO WE ARE TWO PEER TEAMS THAT COLLABORATE, UM, ON A DAILY BASIS TO ENSURE THAT THE SITE IS, UM, ACCESSIBLE IS, UM, USABLE AND IS ABLE TO MEET RESIDENT NEEDS.
UM, AS MS
UH, WE ARE, UH, WE HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO NOT EXPLORE A SHALLOW AND DEEP, UM, EXPLORATION OF THE SITE AND IMPROVEMENTS, BUT RATHER TO TAKE VERY DEEP, UM, CHUNKS OUT OF THE WORK.
UM, FIRST BEING ACCESSIBILITY NEXT, WE ARE MOVING INTO BEGAN THE WORK TOWARDS SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, WHICH WILL INCLUDE ENCOURAGE OUR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE SERVICES MORE READILY AS WELL.
WE HAVE EMBARKED ON AN RFP PROCESS, UH, FOR A TRANSLATION SOLUTION, WHICH WILL PROVIDE A MUCH MORE READILY AVAILABLE AUTOMATED TRANSLATIONS WITH FIDELITY TO RESIDENTS.
SO NOT ONLY RESIDENTS OF ALL ABILITIES, BUT RESIDENTS WITH ALL LANGUAGE NEEDS WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT CONTENT AS WELL.
SO QUITE A FEW, UM, STRATEGIC EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY, UM, THAT I THINK WILL GO A LONG WAY TO ACHIEVING, UM, THE GOAL STATED IN THE AUDIT IN THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
UM, COMICS, YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION AND, UM, YOU GUYS TOUCHED ON A LITTLE BIT, UM, BUT WE DO HEAR FROM CONSTITUENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, PRETTY FREQUENTLY THAT THEY'RE EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERNS, THAT THE CITY WEBSITE IS DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE, AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO ACCESS INFORMATION.
UM, YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE SORT OF ACCESSIBILITY A LITTLE BIT, UM, AND THAT PIECE OF IT.
UM, BUT CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO IMPROVE THAT USER EXPERIENCE AND USER INTERFACE PLEASE? UM, WE HAVE KICKED OFF A PROJECT FOR A SERVICE DESIGN PROJECT FOR CREATING, DESIGNING FOR THE RESIDENTS AS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE, THE INITIAL GROUNDWORK PAIN FRAMEWORK IS COMPLETE.
SO WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO EXPLORE IS GO THROUGH, UH, THE PERSPECTIVE FROM A RESIDENT AND SEE HOW THEY NAVIGATE THE SITE.
SO THIS WILL INVOLVE IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWING THE RESIDENTS AND SEE HOW NAVIGABLE THE SITE IS AND WHAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THEY NEED TO GET THERE.
SO TODAY WE HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE, BUT THE MEANS TO GET THAT IS, MIGHT BE THE DELTA THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE A PROJECT UNDERWAY TO ADDRESS THAT GAP AS WELL.
AND, AND I GUESS WHAT I'M, I MEAN, THERE'S SOME HISTORY TO THIS WHOLE PROCESS THAT WASN'T REALLY BEING COVERED IN, IN THE DISCUSSION OR THE AUDIT WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WE WERE DOING A MUCH DEEPER DIVE OF THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, WEBSITE, HOW TO AN ALTERNATIVE WEBSITE.
WE CHOSE NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
AND WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M, I GUESS, WHAT I'M WANTING TO UNDERSTAND BETTER IS WHAT IS THE APPROACH THAT WE ARE USING AT THIS POINT, KIND OF AT ALL, I KNOW AT A MORE MACRO LEVEL, UM, TO GET TO THE SAME END.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A DECISION MADE NOT TO PURSUE THE PATH.
THAT WAS THE FIRST PATH THAT WE WENT DOWN, UM, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
UM, BUT I, BUT I'M NOT, I I'D LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT SORT OF MORE MACRO SET OF CHOICES THAT ARE BEING MADE AND WHAT'S GOING TO GET US TO BEING, HAVING
[00:25:01]
A GREAT WEBSITE.I APPRECIATE THAT CHRIS STEWART, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER IS CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO YES, THE, THE HISTORY, OBVIOUSLY THIS, THE INITIAL AUDIT WAS 2013.
GOSH, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, WE DID HAVE A, A TOUGH DECISION.
WE HAD TWO WEBSITES@THETIMEWEHAVEOFFSITES.GOV.
AND THEN WE HAD A PILOT THAT WE WERE DOING.
SOME OF THE SERVICE DESIGN THAT DIVYA HAD MENTIONED AROUND, HOW DO WE GET A CITIZEN AND A RESIDENT FOCUS TO OUR, TO OUR WEBSITES? I THINK WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB THERE.
THE ONE THING WE HAD TO DO IS WE HAD TO MAKE A DECISION.
WE HAD TO SAY, AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV IS OUR WEBSITES.
THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO PUT ALL OF OUR ATTENTION.
SO YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF THAT'S HAPPENED IN THIS PAST YEAR.
THAT WAS NOT HAPPENING IN YEARS BEFORE THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS.
THE SCORES ARE GOING UP, COULD NOT BE HAPPIER WITH THE SATISFACTION OF OUR WEBSITES, ACCESSIBILITY IN PARTICULAR, THE ROADMAP MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT PLAN IN PLACE.
WE ALSO HAVE A DIGITAL SERVICES TEAM.
WE DID NOT HAVE, WE'VE PUT SO MUCH EFFORT TOWARDS THAT.
OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT WORKING WITH CTM.
THAT'S NOT HAPPENED IN THE PAST AS WELL AS IT'S HAPPENING TODAY.
SO WE'VE GOT A REALLY GREAT TEAM.
SO WE'VE PUT ALL OF OUR EFFORTS TOWARDS AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV, WE'RE DOING SEO.
SO THAT'S THE SEARCH SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION THAT YOU GUYS KNEW WAS TALKING ABOUT.
SO WE HAVE A GREAT ROADMAP OF HOW TO GET THERE.
WE'VE GOT THE AUDIT TO GUIDE US TOWARDS, UM, THE PROPER PATH, BUT YES, THE HISTORY IS THERE.
THERE WAS A SLOW LEAD UP TO THIS.
UM, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THE TEAM THAT'S IN PLACE TODAY HAS BEEN MOVING VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
THEY'VE ACHIEVED RESULTS THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ACHIEVED ANYWHERE IN THE PAST.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE PUT A LOT OF FOUNDATIONAL WORK INTO OUR CURRENT WEBSITE AND ALL THAT FOUNDATIONAL WORK IS NOW COMPLETE.
WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED TWO UPGRADES.
WE'VE CONTAINERIZED, WE'VE SECURED LIKE CRAZY.
IT'S SO MUCH SECURITY AROUND US.
SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THE PLATFORM, REALLY HAPPY WHERE WE ARE AND NOW WE'RE REALLY MAKING PROGRESS.
SO WE SEE THAT WE'VE DONE THE FOUNDATIONAL WORK, AND NOW WE'RE DOING THE WORK TO GET THE SITE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
SO OUR RESIDENTS CAN FIND WHAT THEY NEED TO FIND EASILY.
AND CAN YOU GIVE US A TIMEFRAME? I KNOW IT'LL BE ONGOING.
I MEAN, IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE FULLY DONE, BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE BULK OF THE PROJECT, IT WILL BE RIGHT NOW, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'RE DOING AN RFP.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR THE VENDOR TO DO ALL OF THE LANGUAGE ACCESS.
SO THE, THAT THE TRANSLATION SERVICES ARE COMING UP SOON.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH AUDIT ON SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON POPULAR SERVICES OPTIMIZATION BECAUSE THOSE CHANGE ALL THE TIME.
WHAT'S A POPULAR SERVICE IN 2017 IS NOT A POPULAR SERVICE TODAY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH AUDIT ON HOW DO WE FIND KIND OF THESE GOALS FOR US TO ACHIEVE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S A BIT OF A MOVING TARGET, BUT THERE'S NOT AN END GOAL FOR WHEN OUR WEBSITE'S GOOD ENOUGH.
IT'S GOING TO ALWAYS BE CONTINUAL OPTIMIZATION MOVING FORWARD.
YOU DID COLLEAGUES, ANY FINAL QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, MR. STEWART, THANK YOU TO YOUR STAFF.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ASKING THESE QUESTIONS BECAUSE IT IS OUR PORTAL.
IT IS, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT IS HOW THEY MOST INTERACT WITH THE CITY.
AND, AND JUST TO UNDERSCORE HOW IMPORTANT THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING THAT YOU ARE ENGAGED IN IS COMMUNICATE WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND TO SERVE THEM.
[3. Update on implementation of recommendations from the Consistency of Austin Code Investigations and Resolutions Audit (April 2016) and Performance Audit of the Code Compliance Function]
ALL RIGHT.SO THEN WE WILL TAKE UP ITEM THREE, UM, WHICH IS SIMILARLY A FOLLOW-UP REPORT.
UM, THIS WENT ON, UM, SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE CODE DEPARTMENT IT WAS CASE SOLACE AND FRANCIS RILEY IS HERE AND WILL BE PRESENTING TO Y'ALL UH, GOOD MORNING.
UH, MY NAME IS FRANCIS RILEY AND I WAS THE AUDITOR IN CHARGE OF THIS FOLLOWUP.
UM, OUR OFFICE HAS DONE FOR AUDIT, UM, AND ISSUED ONE SPECIAL REPORT SINCE 2010 REGARDING, UH, AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT.
UM, IN, UH, 2010 AND 2016, WE LOOKED AT CODE INVESTIGATIONS AND THEN IN 2020, WE FOCUSED ON THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM.
UM, IN THIS FOLLOWUP, WE DID NOT INCLUDE, UH, OUR 2014 AUDIT OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS, UM, CAUSE CODE WASN'T THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT ON THAT.
AND, UH, THE ISSUES IN THAT, IN THAT AUDIT WHERE WE'RE PRETTY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE LOOKED AT, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UM, ACROSS THOSE THREE AUDIT, WE ISSUED 15 RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, WE VERIFIED THAT 14 OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE COMPLETE.
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UM, THAT, UH, ONE IN PROGRESS IS DUE LATER THIS FALL.UM, IN ADDITION TO, UH, VERIFYING RECOMMENDATIONS, WE LOOKED AT, UM, IF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN CODES OUTCOMES, WHICH IS WHAT I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH AND THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, WE GENERALLY FOUND THAT AUSTIN AND CODES CHANGES, UM, IMPROVE THEIR AREAS OF OPERATIONS.
UM, IN OUR 2010 AND 2016 AUDIT, UH, WE FOUND TIMELINESS OF INITIAL INSPECTIONS WERE, UM, AN ISSUE WITH AN AUSTIN CODE, UM, IN OUR 2016 AUDIT, UH, FEWER THAN HALF OF THE INITIAL INSPECTIONS WERE WITHIN THE REQUIRED TIMEFRAME.
UM, SINCE OUR AUDIT, UH, CODE HAS UPDATED THEIR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
UM, AND SO WHEN WE TESTED THIS, UH, IN THIS FOLLOW-UP, WE FOUND THAT 90% OF THEIR INITIAL INSPECTIONS ARE ON TIME.
UM, WE ALSO, UH, LOOKED AT, UM, UH, HOW OFTEN CODE ISSUES NOTICES OF VIOLATIONS, UM, IN 2016, UH, THEY ISSUED NOTICE OF VIOLATION ONLY 53% OF THE TIME WHEN THEY CONFIRMED A VIOLATION EXISTED.
UM, IN OUR FOLLOWUP WORK THAT HAS IMPROVED SLIGHTLY TO 58% OF THE TIME.
WE ALSO SAW IMPROVEMENTS FOR ENFORCEMENT FOR CITY ON PROPERTIES.
UM, IN 2016, UH, WE FOUND THAT CODE HAD NOT ISSUED, UH, NOTICES OF VIOLATIONS FOR ANY, UH, CITY-OWNED PROPERTIES.
UM, CODE HAS SINCE UPDATED THAT OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
UM, AND WE FOUND THAT BETWEEN 2018 AND 2021, THEY'D ISSUED 345 NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS.
UM, WE ALSO SAW IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR SITE VISIT, UM, AND PHOTO DOCUMENTATION OF CITY OWNED PROPERTIES AND, UH, AN IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR RATE OF FOLLOW-UP INSPECTIONS AS WELL, EXCITE PLEASE.
UM, IN BOTH OUR 2010 AND 2016 AUDITS, UH, WE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THAT CODE INTEGRATE 3, 1, 1 WITH, UH, CODES, CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, UH, KNOWN AS AMANDA.
UM, AND THEN IN OUR 2020 REPEAT OFFENDERS AUDIT, WE RECOMMENDED THAT CODE, UH, STREAMLINE THEIR PROCESS FOR IDENTIFYING, UH, PROGRAM ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES.
UM, WE'VE CONFIRMED THAT, UM, ALL OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IN 2016, UH, OUR AUDIT FOUND THAT NOT ALL STAFF MET, UH, THE DEPARTMENT'S QUALIFICATIONS.
UH, WE OBSERVED THAT CODE DID NOT HAVE A PROCESS FOR MONITORING, UH, EMPLOYEES, QUALIFICATIONS, UM, OR THAT THE PROCESS WAS INEFFECTIVE.
UM, WE RECOMMENDED THAT CODE, UH, ENSURE ALL STAFF MET, UH, QUALIFICATIONS AT TIME OF HIRE, UM, AND THAT THEY IMPROVE THEIR PROCESS FOR MONITORING, UH, STAFF QUALIFICATIONS.
UH, SINCE OUR REPORT, UH, CODE HAS IMPROVED THEIR PROCESS FOR CHECKING QUALIFICATIONS AT TIME OF HIRE, UM, AND HAS A SYSTEM FOR MON BRAIN, UH, STAFF TO ENSURE THAT THEY, UH, OBTAIN THE STATE OF TEXAS CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, UH, REGISTRATION, UM, ALL STAFF NOW MEET THAT REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IN OUR 2020 REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM AUDIT, UH, WE FOUND THAT THE PROGRAM DID NOT ENSURE THAT ALL PROPERTIES MET, UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS.
UM, CODE WAS ALSO NOT ESCALATING ENFORCEMENT OF, UH, REPEAT OFFENDER PROPERTIES TO CORRECT VIOLATIONS.
UH, WE RECOMMENDED THAT CODE INCREASED ENFORCEMENT AND ESCALATION, UM, INCLUDING THROUGH SUSPENSIONS, UM, SINCE OUR AUDIT, UH, CODE HAS ISSUED ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING CITATIONS, UM, ESCALATED VIOLATIONS TO MUNI
[00:35:01]
COURTS AND, UH, AGAIN, UH, ISSUING SUSPENSIONS, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.AND THEN LASTLY, UH, WE RECOMMENDED SOME PROGRAM CHANGES TO THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM.
UM, WE RECOMMENDED THAT CODE CREATE A VOLUNTARY LANDLORD INCENTIVE PROGRAM, UM, WHICH WOULD HELP ENCOURAGE, UH, LANDLORDS TO CORRECT PROPERTY VIOLATIONS AS WELL AS, UM, OFFER, UH, ADDITIONAL TENANT PROTECTIONS.
UM, AUSTIN CODE CONDUCTED SOME PEER CITY ON THIS, AS WELL AS OUTREACH TO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, THEY ALSO SENT A, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS SURVEY OUT, UM, BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK, AUSTIN CODE HAS DECIDED TO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UM, BUT WE DID CONSIDER, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE OF THEIR CONSIDERATION, UH, OF IT.
UH, WE ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT CODE CONSIDER, UM, SOME OTHER PROGRAM CHANGES, INCLUDING, UH, CITYWIDE, UH, RENTAL REGISTRATION, RENAMING THE PROGRAM AND ADOPTING A FEE SCHEDULE THAT BETTER ACCOUNTS FOR PROPERTY SIZE.
UM, THESE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE IN PROGRESS CURRENTLY AND ARE DUE, UH, LATER THIS FALL, UH, X SITE.
UH, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND STAFF FROM CODY'S HERE AS WELL.
UM, WOULD STAFF FROM CODE LIKE TO RESPOND TO THE FOLLOW-UP REPORT AT ALL? OR JUST TAKE QUESTION GOOD MORNING, ELAINE GARRETT WITH AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT.
UH, I REALLY DON'T HAVE A RESPONSE.
I WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. CARIO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TO VOTE.
I HAVE, I HAVE MULTIPLE QUESTIONS AND I'LL TRY TO KEEP THEM LIMITED, BUT, UM, LET ME START WITH WHERE WE LANDED AND THAT IS ON THE RE UM, REQUIRED RENTAL REGISTRATION PROGRAM.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CODE? MY, MY QUESTION IS GOING TO BE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CODE IS RECOMMENDING AND JUST FOR MY COLLEAGUES BENEFIT, THAT IS WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PENDING, UH, RESOLUTION THAT I HAD BROUGHT BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE DIDN'T HAVE QUITE ENOUGH VOTES TO PASS IT.
AND SO I POSTPONED IT INDEFINITELY, BUT I THINK IT'S READY TO GO.
AND I'M PRETTY INTERESTED IN REVIVING THAT CONVERSATION FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE, THAT WAS, THAT WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN BILL SPELMAN WAS ON THE COUNCIL.
SO IT WAS A WHILE BACK AT THIS POINT, AND WE REALLY HAVE, WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE CHALLENGES HOLDING LANDLORDS ACCOUNTABLE FOR DETERIORATING PROPERTIES, WHERE THEY'RE EITHER UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO MAKE REPAIRS.
AND IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A MAJORITY RENTER CITY AND WE NEED, AND WE HAVE SOME AGING PROPERTIES AND WE NEED TO DO BETTER FOR THOSE WHO ARE LIVING THERE.
AND, AND THE CHALLENGES THAT I'VE SEEN OVER THE YEARS, UM, IT PRESENTS AND RENTAL REGISTRATION IS AN IDEA THAT OUR PREVIOUS CODE DIRECTOR SUGGESTED, AGAIN, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE VOTES AT THE TIME TO PASS IT.
UM, BUT I AM, I AM REALLY QUITE INTERESTED IN, IN EXPLORING THAT AGAIN.
AND I SEE IT ON THE AUDITOR'S LIST.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU, THAT THE CODE DEPARTMENT IS RECOMMENDING AT THIS POINT? SO THAT IS ONE OF THE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE STILL REVISITING AND LOOKING AT THAT THAT ARE STILL PRESENT.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS TO GATHER INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS.
THERE IS AN OPEN, UH, SURVEY THAT IS ONLINE UNTIL JUNE THE END OF JUNE FOR ALL INPUT TO BE, UH, CONDUCTED FOR OUR STAKEHOLDERS, AS WELL AS THAT, WE WILL BE ALSO DOING ONSITE, UH, SURVEYS WITH TENANTS AND RESIDENTS OF SOME OF THE, UH, PROPERTIES TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE OBTAIN THEIR FEEDBACK AS WELL, BECAUSE MANY TIMES PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO USE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, PORTALS OR THE, UH, THE COMPUTER SYSTEMS. SO THAT IS STILL UNDERWAY UNTIL THE END OF JUNE.
AND THEN WE WILL, OUR TIMELINE SAYS WE'LL COME BACK IN OCTOBER WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'LL EXPLORE THIS OUTSIDE OF THAT MEETING.
I, I, I, I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
I THINK WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT IT THROUGH THE YEARS, AND I'M INTERESTED IN KIND OF SEEING US TAKE THAT NEXT STEP.
SO I'M PROBABLY GOING TO BRING THAT FORWARD.
AND I THINK IT COMPLIMENTS THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT, ABOUT OUR STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, UM, ABOUT TENANTS STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK.
I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT I CAN TELL MY COLLEAGUES IS THAT WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING THIS BEFORE WE DID GET, WE DID GET LOTS OF SUPPORT FROM RENTERS
[00:40:01]
AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT REPRESENT RENTERS BECAUSE RENTAL REGISTRATION IS, IS A REALLY GOOD SOLUTION IN A, IN A CITY LIKE OURS, WHICH, WHERE TENANTS ARE FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT CALLING AUSTIN CODE OR FEEL THAT THERE MIGHT BE REPERCUSSIONS OR RETALIATION FROM THEIR LANDLORD.SO MY EXPECTATION IS THAT OUR, OUR RENTERS ARE GOING TO FIND THIS, UM, VERY RESPONSIVE TO THEIR NEEDS.
SO I AM INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHY SO FEW, UM, NOTICES OF VIOLATION HAVE BEEN, ARE ISSUED ON IN THIS REGARD.
I THINK IT HAS, YES, IT HAS INCREASED A BIT, BUT I WOULD, IT'S STILL FAR UNDER, YOU KNOW, FOR A VERY LONG WHILE.
UM, AND I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF YOU WERE PART OF THE CODE DEPARTMENT, UH, DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, BUT FOR A VERY LONG TIME, YOU KNOW, CODE'S PERSPECTIVE WAS TO TRY TO GET COMPLIANCE RATHER THAN NECESSARILY ENFORCEMENT.
AND I THINK WE ALL SAW THAT THAT DIDN'T, THAT DIDN'T RESULT IN CHANGE QUICKLY ENOUGH FOR THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY NEEDED IT.
SO I'M, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN TAKING, EXCUSE ME, TAKING A VERY STRONG ENFORCEMENT APPROACH WHEN IT COMES TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PEOPLE'S RESIDENCES.
SO CAN YOU, CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT POINT ABOUT THE NOTICES OF VIOLATION AND WHY WE'RE NOT SEEING MORE OF THEM? DEFINITELY.
UH, I I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN THERE SINCE 2008, AND I HAVE SEEN THE TRANSITION OF CODE WORD WENT FROM CODE ENFORCEMENT TO CODE AND COMPLIANCE AND THEN CODE ENFORCEMENT AGAIN.
UH, AND AS YOU STATED, UH, MANY TIMES, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH AN OWNER TO OBTAIN VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.
SO DURING THAT TIME SPAN, OBVIOUSLY OUR, OUR NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS WERE NOT ISSUED AS QUICKLY, OR AS OFTEN AS THEY NEEDED TO BE, UH, THAT RISE IS NOW CONTINUING TO, TO OCCUR.
UH, WE'VE LOOKED AT OUR POLICIES, UH, THROUGH OUR SYSTEM AND HOW WE RESPOND AND OUR TIMELINE SYSTEM ON SENDING OUT NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS THAT IS CREATED THE IMPROVEMENT IN HOW WE'RE DOING THE PROCESS, OUR, UH, CURRENT REVIEW OF OUR POLICIES RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE'RE STILL UNDER SEE AND HOW, UH, WE ARE OVERLOOKING TO SEE HOW THE SUPERVISOR MONITORING OF HOW THE INSPECTOR IS APPROACHING THE CASE FROM THE BEGINNING, UH, TO ONCE THEY, UH, CONFIRM WHETHER A VIOLATION EXISTS, UH, SOMETIMES CASES WILL REQUIRE RESEARCH SO THAT WE VALIDATE THAT WE DO HAVE AN ACTUAL VIOLATION, AND THEN THE NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS ARE GOING OUT.
SO WE ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE THE, THE POLICY FOR THE SUPERVISOR MONITORING OF THOSE NOTICES.
THIS'LL BE MY LAST QUESTION FOR NOW, UM, THAT I HAVE ONE ABOUT HOURS.
IF WE CIRCLE BACK AROUND AFTER MY COLLEAGUES ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, ARE THERE, IS THERE ANY, YOU TALKED ABOUT JUST TOWARD THE END ABOUT THE NEED FOR POLICY AND BY THE WAY, THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU.
I KNEW YOU HAD BEEN WITH CODE FOR A LONG TIME.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR SHARING WITH US THAT YOU WERE THERE WITH THAT PIECE, THAT EARLIER PIECE WHERE IT WAS REALLY ABOUT COMPLIANCE.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED FROM COUNCIL IN TERMS OF POLICY DIRECTION THAT WOULD ENABLE YOU TO DO WHAT YOU'VE JUST DESCRIBED ABOUT REALLY TAKING A MORE, UM, A STRONGER APPROACH TOWARD NOTICES OF VIOLATION? YOU TALKED ABOUT POLICY, IT SOUNDED THOUGH, LIKE IT WAS MORE PROGRAMMATIC POLICY THAT WOULD BE COMING FROM THE DEPARTMENT, BUT IS THERE ANY POLICY DIRECTION THAT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FROM THE COUNCIL, UH, AT THIS TIME? NO, I THINK IT'S OUR INTERNAL POLICIES THAT WE'RE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE IMPROVE THAT SYSTEM AND HOW WE'RE FOLLOWING IT.
UH, WE HAVE WORKED TREMENDOUSLY HARD ON, AS YOU COULD SEE THROUGH THE STATS ON IMPROVING OUR FOUNDATION POLICY OF HOW WE BEGAN AN INITIAL INSPECTION TO THE END.
AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE REVIEWING EACH OF OUR POLICIES, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, AS WE SPEAK TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE UPDATED, UH, THAT THE SUPERVISORS ARE, ARE IN LINE SO THAT WE HAVE EQUITY IN HOW WE'RE ENFORCING THOSE POLICIES AND, AND, AND OUR EQUITY IN HOW WE CONDUCT OUR INSPECTIONS AND FOLLOW UP ON THEM.
SO, UH, I, I'M LOOKING AT IT MORE AS AN INTERNAL, UH, WORK FOR US.
I SAID THAT WAS MY LAST QUESTION, BUT I JUST HAVE ONE FOLLOW UP ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
DO YOU WORK WITH THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION OR THE EQUITY OFFICE IN DOING THOSE TWO THINGS? CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THOSE ARE BOTH TASKS THAT REALLY THEY IS AS WELL WITHIN THEIR EXPERTISE.
AND I'M WONDERING HOW MUCH CROSS WORK IS GOING ON AT THE, AT THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL.
YES MA'AM YES, ACTUALLY WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH INNOVATION.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH EQUITY OFFICES AND, UH, WE DO WORK WITH, ARE CURRENTLY, WE HAVE A CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER THAT IS COLLABORATING ALL OF THAT WITH US.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH COLLEAGUES.
UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO ASKED, UM, SOME THINGS THAT WERE SIMILAR TO SOME OF MY QUESTIONS.
UM, I KNOW THAT YOUR ORIGINAL PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION DATE WAS, UM, OCTOBER OF 2022, AND YOU'RE STILL VERY MUCH ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS FOR CHANGES TO REPEAT OFFENDERS, WHETHER THEY'RE THOSE CHANGES OR OTHER CHANGES,
[00:45:01]
UM, GIVE A SENSE OF THE TIME TABLE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.SO RIGHT NOW, AS I SAID, THERE'S A STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT THAT OUR CURRENT TIL JUNE, UH, THE TIMELINE, HOPEFULLY ESTIMATES LEE SAYS THAT WE WILL PRESENT SOMETHING TO YOU, TO THIS COUNCIL IN OCTOBER.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE ADOPTING THE LEGISLATION.
THERE MAY STILL BE A DELAY AFTER THAT THEN BEFORE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH OF THE DETAILS OF THE SPECIFICS AND HAVE NOT BEEN ENGAGED IN THE, UM, THE FEEDBACK.
I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN FEEDBACK OF ALL SORTS AROUND THIS PROGRAM.
UM, SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN IMPROVE THE PROGRAM, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE FEEDBACK, UM, THAT YOU'RE GETTING, WHETHER IT'S WHAT THE AUDITOR RECOMMENDED OR NOT, WE'LL SEE AT THE END OF YOUR PROCESS.
UM, BUT I DO HOPE THAT WE CAN IMPROVE, IMPROVE THAT PROCESS.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THAT, THAT, UM, CREATE MORE INCENTIVES FOR THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS TO PROVIDE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY WHILE ALSO, UM, RECOGNIZING SOME OF THE SITUATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED OF DIFFICULTIES FOR THOSE APARTMENT BUILDINGS THROUGH THE CURRENT SETUP OF THE PROCESS.
UM, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT REPORT.
[4. Update on the Cultural Arts Funding Program Guidelines.]
UM, OUR NEXT ITEM IS ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS AN UPDATE ON THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAM GUIDELINES FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.DO WE KNOW WHO IS PRESENTING FOR EDD ONLINE? I THINK, UH, YES, ALL OF THE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOLKS HAVE BEEN MOVED OVER AS OF NOW.
LET ME SAY GOOD MORNING, UH, DIRECTOR.
HELLO, ROB, ARE YOU THE SPEAKER? YES.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU.
CAUSE I HEAR A LOUD AND CLEAR YOU ARE LAUGHING.
THEY'LL KNOW, BE HOME WRAPPED DIRECTOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND IT IS OUR PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR CULTURAL ARTS REVIEW.
UM, FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS WITH ME TODAY IS SUSANNA CABO HALL, OUR ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR, MEGAN WELLS, OUR DIVISION MANAGER FOR CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION, AS WELL AS LAURA.
AND I JUST WANT TO FIRST, UH, THANK THE COMMUNITY, UH, FOR BEING ENGAGED AS THIS, IN THIS PROCESS, AS WELL AS THE EQUITY OFFICE, UH, WALKING WITH US THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND SO I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO MEGAN TO PRESENT TODAY.
UM, HI EVERYONE, MEGAN WELLS, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TODAY, I'LL BE GIVING AN UPDATE ON THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS AND THE DRAFT ISLET GUIDELINES.
BUT BEFORE I DIVE IN, I WOULD JUST WANT TO ECHO SOME NOVIAS THANKS TO THE CITY COUNCIL, TO THE ARTS COMMISSION, TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO STAFF.
THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE OPEN AND DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WE'VE BEEN HAVING TOGETHER OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
AND JUST TO BRIEFLY SUM UP HOW WE'VE GOTTEN HERE, UH, THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS IN AUSTIN OFFICIALLY DATE BACK ABOUT 50 YEARS WHEN FUNDING FIRST BEGAN TO BE ALLOCATED FROM THE CITY TO A HANDFUL OF ARTS GROUPS, THE PROGRAMS WERE ADVISED HEAVILY IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS AND HAVE BEEN TWEAKED OVER THE LAST DECADE.
BUT IN THAT TIME NOT SIGNIFICANTLY REVIEWS ARE EVALUATED FOR EFFECTIVENESS, EFFICIENCY, OR EQUITY, THE NEED FOR A RACIAL EQUITY CENTER SHIFT IN THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISIONS FUNDING PROGRAMS IS CLEARLY ILLUSTRATED THROUGH OUR OWN PROGRAM DATA THAT REVEALS HOW OUR PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN EXCLUSIONARY OVER TIME.
I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT THOUGH, WE LEAD WITH RACE.
WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERSECTIONALITY AND HOW WE ADDRESS OTHER HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, SUCH AS THE LGBTQ AND DISABILITY COMMUNITIES.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE ARE ALSO MITIGATING THE CONCERNS BY THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND COUNCIL ABOUT THE LEGAL RISK OF LEADING WITH RACIAL EQUITY.
THIS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT BALANCE.
AND PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE PILOT PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE, THE IMPETUS TO REVISE THE GUIDELINES HINGED ON SEVERAL FACTORS DATING BACK TO 2017 IN 2017, THE ARTS COMMISSION ESTABLISHED THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAM, RESPONSIVENESS WORKING GROUP AT THEIR REGULAR MEETING.
ITS PURPOSE WAS TO MAKE FUNDING MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY, ADDRESSING SPECIFIC PRIORITIES THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN ALL FUNDING PROGRAM GUIDELINES, WHICH INITIATED THE CONVERSATION TO ADDRESS THE
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INEQUITIES IN THE FUNDING PROGRAMS FROM THIS DEVELOP THE IDEA OF BRINGING A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS IN 2018.AUSTIN'S EXPANDING POPULATION COMBINED WITH SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM RETENTION AND OUTREACH RESULTED IN INCREASING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE FUNDING PROGRAMS, BUT HOT FUNDS WERE NOT INCREASING IN PROPORTION TO THIS PARTICIPATION AND FUNDING CUTS OCCURRED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN QUITE SOME TIME PAIRED WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASING AND SUSTAINING CULTURAL EQUITY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE VARIOUS QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS.
THESE CONDITIONS PRESENTED BOTH CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO RE-EXAMINE AND TAKE A TRANSFORMATIVE DISRUPTIVE STANCE.
THE CURRENT FUNDING MODEL GOALS, STRUCTURE OPERATIONS, AND PRIORITIES WITH STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
NEXT SLIDE CONVERSATIONS WITH COUNCIL COMMISSIONS AND COMMUNITY ASKED US TO LEAD WITH EQUITY, BUT ALSO CONSIDER NEEDS OF THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM.
THUS, WE ARE USING THREE PROGRAMS TO SERVE THE ECOSYSTEM EACH WITH AN EQUITY LENS, NO ARTIST OR ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATION WILL BE INELIGIBLE TO APPLY.
WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THEMSELVES IN THESE PROGRAMS WITH THE IDEA THAT OVER TIME WE CAN SCALE UP AWARD AMOUNTS AS HOT RETURNS.
THIS APPROACH MAINTAINS THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE'VE HISTORICALLY USED TO SERVE VARIOUS CONSTITUENCIES AND SIZES AND TYPES OF CULTURAL PRODUCERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO PROVIDES ROOM FOR MORE INTENTIONALITY FOR GROUPS WHO HAVE BEEN CONTRIBUTING TO OUR CITY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS THAT HAVE NEVER RECEIVED THE TYPE OF INVESTMENT FROM US THAT OTHER SIMILAR GROUPS HAVE.
WE KNOW THAT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO FIX OR SOLVE THIS SYSTEMIC ISSUE OVERNIGHT, NOR WILL ANY PROGRAM OR FRAMEWORK BE PERFECT.
BUT THIS APPROACH IS WHERE WE FEEL A SOLID PILOT PROGRAM LANDS.
IT ALSO FITS SQUARELY WITH AN EDD MISSION TO PROMOTE A COMPETITIVE, SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE ECONOMY FOR ALL NEXT SLIDE TO RECAP MILESTONES SINCE SEPTEMBER, 2021.
WHEN WE LAST HAD CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL, WE FOCUSED ON TRANSPARENCY IMPACT ANALYSIS, THE SUGGESTION OF THE ARTS COMMISSIONS, WORKING GROUPS AND FURTHER COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FROM THE LAUNCH OF THE DRAFT GUIDELINES.
THE WORKING GROUP FORMED BY THE ARTS COMMISSION WAS FOCUSED ON MEMBERS WHOSE VOICES HAD NOT BEEN HEARD IN THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.
SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAD BEEN VERY VOCAL AND SOME HAD NOT BEEN HEARD AT ALL.
THE ARTS COMMISSION WANTED TO HURT HEAR FROM THOSE WHO HAD NOT BEEN INVOLVED, SPECIFICALLY PEOPLE OF COLOR, LGBTQ AND DISABILITY, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND WOMEN, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE A MIX OF CULTURAL CONTRACTORS AND NON CULTURAL CONTRACTORS.
THE WORKING GROUP COMMUNITY MEMBERS MET WITH THE ARTS COMMISSIONERS ON THE WORKING GROUP WITH MARGIE REESE.
OUR CONSULTANT WITH STAFF BRIEFLY COMMENTS WERE ACCEPTED THROUGH AUGUST, 2021 ON THE DRAFT PROGRAMS WERE RELEASED LAST SUMMER.
ALTHOUGH WE INTENDED TO LAUNCH AT THAT TIME DUE TO COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, WE INCORPORATED MORE CHANGES INTO THE NEW PROGRAMS. CULTURAL CONTRACTORS HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT SINCE THEN TO STAFF AND ARTS COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
AFTER THE UPDATED PILOT PROGRAMS WERE RELEASED.
THERE WERE ANOTHER THREE WEEKS TO PROVIDE TARGETED FEEDBACK.
WE GATHERED THAT DATA TO PRESENT TO THE ARTS COMMISSION ON THE 31ST, AND WE'VE ALREADY MADE CHANGES TO THE DRAFT PILOT PROGRAMS BASED ON COMMUNITY INPUT.
SOME OF THESE CHANGES INCLUDE INCREASING AWARD AMOUNTS, DEVELOPING THE ELEVATE PROGRAM, REWORKING THE SCORING RUBRIC AND GUIDELINE LANGUAGE IN KEEPING WITH COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, EQUITY, OFFICE CONSULTATION, AND LEGAL GUIDANCE.
WE WILL NOT BE SCORING ON IMMUTABLE CHARACTERISTICS AND WE ARE LOOKING INSTEAD MORE BROADLY AT MISSION AND COMMUNITY SERVED.
WE EXAMINING THE THRIVE PILOT COHORT, REMOVING OTHER RESTRICTIVE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, CREATING TWO CATEGORIES AND ELEVATE.
SO ARTISTS ARE NOT COMPETING AGAINST NONPROFITS, CLARIFYING CAPITAL EXPENDITURES AND THOSE ABOVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT WHICH NEEDS STAFF APPROVAL AND FOLKS FOCUSING ON SUSTAINABILITY, NOT JUST GROWTH.
THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE PHASED PROCESS THAT WE USE TO REVISE THE GUIDELINES WHEN THE PROCESS GOT STARTED AND THE CONSULTANTS WHO PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO US, IT ALSO INCLUDES WHEN THE COMMUNITY INPUT AND CONVERSATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT GOT STARTED AND CONTINUED.
THE FIRST COMMUNITY WIDE MEETING WAS HELD ON JULY 10TH, 2019, AND PROCEEDED IN PHASES.
YOU CAN SEE HOW THESE PHASES WERE STRUCTURED, LISTENING, ANALYZING, AUDITING, DEVELOPING, AND REFINING TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, CONSULTANT, RESEARCH AND ADVICE, STAFF ANALYSIS, AND MANY OTHER TYPES OF FEEDBACK AND INFORMATION WERE FULLY CONSIDERED.
NEXT SLIDE BUILDING ON THREE YEARS OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, EVALUATION OF PAST PROGRAMMING, STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AND PEER RESEARCH CONDUCTED DURING THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW STAFF HAS PUT FORWARD A THREE, A NEW THREE PROGRAM STRUCTURE THAT WILL ENCOURAGE NEW TALENT SUPPORT ESTABLISHED CULTURAL PRODUCERS AND INVEST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIVERSE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE ROOTED IN AND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE.
THE SPENDING ECOSYSTEM WILL PRIORITIZE EQUITY.
YOU'RE A COMBINATION OF SEED FUNDING, BROAD SECTOR SUPPORT AND TARGETED INVESTMENT.
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TO HONOR THE GOAL OF A HOLISTIC FUNDING ECOSYSTEM.THE THREE PROGRAMS WILL OFFER A RANGE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES IN SCALE AND CONTRACT LENGTH.
IN THIS PROGRAM ECOSYSTEM, THE NEXUS PROGRAM WILL NURTURE NEW AND EMERGING APPLICANTS BY FUNDING CREATIVE PUBLIC PROJECTS.
THIS PROGRAM WILL HAVE THE EASIEST APPLICATION AND CONTRACTING PROCESS PROVIDING AN IDEAL ENTRY POINT FOR APPLICANTS WHO ARE NEW TO CITIES BENDING.
AND ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INSTITUTIONALLY AND SYSTEMICALLY MARGINALIZED BY TRADITIONAL STRUCTURES AND INSTITUTIONS BROADER SECTOR SUPPORT WILL BE REALIZED THROUGH THE ELEVATE PROGRAM.
ELEVATE WILL BE OPEN TO ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS OF ALL SIZES.
THIS FUNDING WILL BROADLY SUPPORT CULTURAL PRODUCERS WHO PUT ON PUBLIC PROGRAMS. FINALLY THRIVE WILL PROVIDE, WILL PROVIDE FOCUSED INVESTMENT TO SUSTAIN AND GROW ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DEEPLY ROOTED IN AND REFLECTIVE OF AUSTIN'S DIVERSE CULTURE.
THIS PROGRAM SEEKS TO DIRECTLY CORRECT THE HISTORICAL UNDERFUNDING, DISPLACEMENT AND CULTURAL ERASER OF COMMUNITIES WITHIN AUSTIN BY OFFERING SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING FOR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO SELF DETERMINED AND INVEST IN THEIR OWN SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH BRIBE IS ONLY OPEN TO 5 0 1 C3 ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE AT LEAST A FIVE YEAR HISTORY IN AUSTIN.
THIS PROGRAM PRIORITIZES ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE NOT YET REACHED, REACHED INSTITUTIONAL STATUS, WHICH HAS ACCESS TO LARGE CASH RESERVES, ENDOWMENTS, ET CETERA, THRIVE INCLUDES ACCESS TO A SUPPORTIVE COHORT LEARNING MODEL IN WHICH CURRICULUM AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE SELF IDENTIFIED BY THESE CONTRACTORS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON PURE LEADERSHIP LEARNING AND GUIDANCE FROM CITY STAFF AS NEEDED.
HIS PROGRAM WILL LEVERAGE EXISTING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN EDD AND OTHER CITY PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE.
THESE ARE THE TENTATIVE AWARD AMOUNTS AND TENTATIVE NUMBERS OF AWARDS PER PROGRAM.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO RECEIVE HOT ACTUALS EACH MONTH AND WE'LL REVISIT THESE NUMBERS WHEN, AND IF OUR ACTUALS CHANGE NEXUS IS ANTICIPATED TO BE A FLAT AWARD OF $5,000, WE ANTICIPATE 50 AWARDS PER CYCLE WITH TWO CYCLES PER YEAR.
THE TOTAL ALLOCATION FOR THIS PROGRAM WILL BE $500,000.
ELEVATE WE'LL HAVE TWO CATEGORIES, ONE FOR 5 0 1 C ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS ONLY.
AND ONE FOR
THIS MAY INCLUDE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, ARTISTS CO-OPS IMPROV TROUPES AND DANCE COMPANIES.
ANNUAL CONTRACTS WILL RANGE FROM $10,000 TO $75,000 FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, 5 0 1 C3 AND $10,000 TO $30,000 FOR NON 5 0 1 C3.
WE ANTICIPATE AROUND 100 AWARDS PURPOSEFUL YEAR IN THIS PROGRAM.
THE TOTAL ALLOCATION FOR THIS PROGRAM WILL BE AROUND $3 MILLION FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, 5 0 1 C3 AND AROUND $1 MILLION FOR ARTS ARTISTS AND ARTS GROUPS.
PLEASE NOTE A NON 5 0 1 C CREATIVE BUSINESS WITH AN ANNUAL BUDGET.
OVER $500,000 WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE.
FINALLY THRIVE AWARDS WILL RANGE FROM $80,000 TO $150,000 PER YEAR.
THE TOTAL ALLOCATION FOR THIS PROGRAM WILL BE AROUND $3 MILLION.
PLEASE NOTE THE BULK OF HOT CULTURAL ARTS SPENDING WILL BE GOING TO SUPPORT ARTS AND CULTURE NONPROFITS.
SOME ACROSS THE BOARD CHANGES EVERYONE IN THE ARTS AND CULTURE ECOSYSTEM SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THEMSELVES SOMEWHERE IN THESE PROGRAMS. NO ONE NEEDS TO PROVIDE MATCHING FUNDS.
AWARDS ARE NOT BASED ON BUDGET HISTORY AS REQUESTED BY THE COMMUNITY.
THIS WILL BE A COMPETITIVE PROCESS.
THE GOAL IS NOT TO FUND 99% OF APPLICANTS.
ADDITIONALLY, REGARDING A TRANSITION PLAN, ARPA FUNDS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO ALL EXISTING CULTURAL CONTRACTORS WHO HAD NOT RECEIVED OVER $1 MILLION IN RELIEF.
THIS RECOMMENDATION FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION WAS ABLE TO STABILIZE ORGANIZATIONS AND CREATIVES IN A WAY THAT PERCENTAGE OF HOT NEVER COULD HAVE, AND BECAUSE THE FUNDS WERE SO FLEXIBLE, THEY COULD USE IT FOR STABILIZATION AND PROGRAMMING.
IT DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT ON A PUBLIC EVENT AND COULD FOCUS ON RENT OR SALARIES.
THIS ALSO INCLUDED CULTURAL HERITAGE FESTIVAL CONTRACTORS WHO RECEIVED ARBA FUNDS TOTALING NEARLY $450,000.
NEXT SLIDE I'D LIKE TO COVER QUICKLY.
SOME TARGETED CONCERNS THAT HAVE ARISEN IN OUR, WITH REGARD TO THE MOVE FROM PROJECTIONS TO ACTUALS WITH OUR HOT FUNDS, WE ARE STILL IN RECOVERY MODE AND HAVE LIMITED HOT FUNDS WE WANT AND NEED TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION.
PLUS THIS CHANGE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BY THE ARTS COMMISSION AND COMMUNITY.
FOR SEVERAL YEARS, IT PROVIDES THE CITY AND CONTRACTORS, MORE STABILITY AND GREATER PLANNING ABILITY EACH YEAR.
OUR DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS ON A DEPARTMENT WIDE PANEL INTAKE PROCESS RECRUITMENT WILL BE STARTING IN LATE JUNE TO ATTRACT COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTERESTED IN SERVING ON PANELS.
STAFF IS WORKING WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE AND HUMAN RESOURCES TO DEVELOP A SUITE OF FORMALIZED TRAINING
[01:00:01]
MODULES FOR PANELISTS.ADDITIONALLY, ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS NOW A DETAILED SCORING RUBRIC REDUCED SUBJECTIVITY AND FEWER NARRATIVE QUESTIONS IN OUR APPLICATIONS.
NEXT SLIDE, FISCAL SPONSORSHIP.
WE ARE NOT GETTING RID OF FISCAL SPONSORSHIP.
WE ARE SIMPLY NOT REQUIRING IT ANY LONGER.
IF THE APPLICANT BELIEVES IT IS VALUABLE FOR THEM, NEXT SLIDE, COMMUNITY CAP, COLLABORATION, COMMUNITY COLLABORATION IS NOT REQUIRED, BUT IF YOU WANT TO DO A PROJECT DEVELOPED THROUGH COMMUNITY ACTIVATION OR COLLABORATION, YOU CERTAINLY CAN FOR COLLABORATIONS, THAT MIGHT INCLUDE PROJECTS THAT INVOLVE ARTISTS, CULTURALLY SPECIFIC GROUPS, GROUPS REPRESENTING LGBTQ IN DISABILITY COMMUNITIES, NON-PROFITS SOCIAL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS AND SIMILAR NEXT SLIDE, THRIVES COHORT MODEL.
THE PROGRAM'S PURPOSE IS ABOUT SELF-DETERMINATION.
WE WANT TO PROVIDE THE OPTION FOR PEER LEARNING AND NETWORKING BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE HEARD FOR YEARS THAT CONTRACTORS WANT, BUT IT IS OPTIONAL FOR THESE PARTICIPANTS.
NEXT SLIDE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT EDD IS WORKING HOLISTICALLY TO STREAMLINE THE HOT PROGRAM ROLLOUT.
AND SPECIFICALLY IN CULTURAL FUNDING, WE WILL NOT BE CLOSING OUT FINAL REPORTS THE SAME MONTH THAT WE ARE ENTERING INTO NEW CONTRACTS.
THIS WILL, THIS STAGGERING WILL BETTER SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY AND STAFF CAPACITY.
WE ARE ALSO LEARNING FROM VARIOUS RELIEF PROGRAMS TO STREAMLINE AND AUTOMATE PARTS OF THE PRE-CONTRACT MATERIALS AND CONTRACTING PROCESS.
NEXT SLIDE, APPLICANT SUPPORT.
THERE'LL BE A VARIETY OF WORKSHOPS, MATERIALS SUCH AS AN APPLICATION CHECKLIST AND VIDEOS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN USE.
AND WATCH THERE WILL BE INCREASED OPEN OFFICE HOURS WITH STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO HELP SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY AND APPLYING FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, SUCH AS THESE X SLIDE.
I'D LIKE TO CONCLUDE WITH INFORMATION ON THE TIMELINE.
RECENTLY WE HAD ON APRIL 18TH, A WORKING GROUP PRESENTATION TO THE ARTS COMMISSION ON APRIL 19TH, WAIT STAFF POSTED THE NEW DRAFT GUIDELINES AND ACCEPTED COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON THE GUIDELINES UNTIL MAY 10TH.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE WHERE WE ARE IN THE STEPS, UH, STEPS AHEAD.
THE TIMEFRAME FOR ATDS FINALIZATION OF GUIDELINES AND HOW THAT PROCESS WILL OCCUR OR LISTED ON THIS SLIDE.
UH, COMING UP IN MAY AND JUNE, THE ARTS COMMISSION WILL TAKE DISCUSSION, WE'LL DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION.
JUNE 21ST, WE WILL START PANEL RECRUITMENT IN AUGUST.
WE PLAN TO RELEASE THE STREET PERFORMANCE PROGRAM.
SEPTEMBER 8TH, THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT WILL LAUNCH OCTOBER THRIVE LAUNCH DECEMBER.
WE WILL HAVE OTHER PROGRAMS SUCH AS SISEP THE COMMUNITY CULTURAL SPACE, SORRY, CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, AND THEN IN JANUARY WE PLAN TO LAUNCH NEXUS ROUND ONE, FEBRUARY ELEVATE, JUNE OF 2023 LIVE MUSIC AND IN JULY, 2023 NEXUS ROUND TO NEXT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR US.
UM, MS. WELLS, AND JUST WANT TO, UM, CLARIFY FIRST, THANK YOU FOR THE EXHAUSTIVE WORK ON THIS.
THIS IS, UM, A CHALLENGING PROCESS.
UM, ONE THAT IS HOPEFULLY IN THE END, YOU'RE GOING TO, UM, BUILD MORE EQUITY INTO OUR PROCESS AND LIFT UP ALL OF OUR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND OUR ARTS CAPACITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, JUST WANT TO CLARIFY IN A PROCESS STANDPOINT, UM, YOU'RE STILL TAKING FEEDBACK CAUSE THE ARTS COMMISSION IS NOT, UM, VOTED YET ON THE, ON THE GUIDELINES.
SO THIS IS A CHECK-IN THAT YOU ASKED FOR WITH COUNCIL, UM, TO HAVE THROUGH OUR COMMITTEE.
UM, SO THAT, THAT COUNCIL COULD BE MADE AWARE, UM, THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
IN FACT, UH, THE ARTS COMMISSION HAVE CONDUCTED SEVERAL COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS IN THE PAST, I WOULD SAY PAST MONTH OR SO AND CONTINUE TO COME, YOU KNOW, CONVERSE WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
WE ARE OPEN TO FEEDBACK, UH, CONTINUING THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
AS I MENTIONED, THESE ARE PILOTS.
WE INTEND TO TAKE AN ANALYSIS OF THESE PROGRAMS AS THE, AS WE LAUNCH THEM SO THAT WE CAN BUILD ON SUCCESSES AND LOOK AT, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT.
BUT YES, THE ARTS COMMISSION IS STILL TAKING FEEDBACK AND STAFF AS WELL.
AND THE WAY THIS PROCESS WORKS, UM, WELL THE, THE ARTS COMMISSION WILL VOTE ON THIS DOES NOT REQUIRE A VOTE OF COUNCIL AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
[01:05:01]
THANK YOU.ALSO WANT TO ECHO, UM, MY GRATITUDE, UM, SEEMS LIKE DEFINITELY YOU CAN TELL THAT YOU ALL HAVE TAKEN A LOT OF TIME AND INTENTIONALITY INCORPORATING FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO I AM PLEASED TO SEE, UM, THE REVISED PROGRAM GUIDELINES OR THE REVISED PROCESS.
I THINK THAT THE CHANGES MAKE A LOT OF SENSE AND I APPRECIATE THE FLEXIBILITY IN WHICH Y'ALL HAVE LAID OUT, UM, FOR OUR CREATIVES.
I THINK THAT WILL GO A LONG WAY AND INCLUSIVITY AND BRINGING ADDITIONAL ARTISTS AND NON-PROFITS ALONG.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THE EXTENSIVE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE.
SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE AT THAT, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.
YOU MENTIONED THAT WHILE THIS, WITH THIS NEW FRAMEWORK, IT WOULD INTEL THAT NOT 99% OF CONTRACTORS WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED SOME AMOUNT OF FUNDING, UM, WOULD NOT GET FUNDED THROUGH THESE CHANGES.
AND I KNOW WHEN JUST DOING A QUICK MATH, IT SEEMED LIKE WE WOULD AT LEAST HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO AWARD 235, UH, DIFFERENT CONTRACTS THROUGH THESE CHANGES 235.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WITH THOSE 235, ASSUMING THAT THEY ARE UNIQUE IN THAT, YOU KNOW, EACH NON-PROFIT OR ARTISTS WOULD BE ONLY WOULD ONLY RECEIVE ONE AWARD.
ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE CASE, UM, HOW, LIKE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT WOULD BE, I JUST WANT TO LEVEL SET WITH THE COMMUNITY IF 99%, UM, ARE NOT GOING TO RECEIVE FUNDING, WHAT PERCENTAGE AMOUNT WOULD BE RECEIVING FUNDING WITH THESE CHANGES? LAURA, DO YOU HAVE THAT NUMBER? I CAN, I CAN GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BALLPARK.
UM, TYPICALLY WITH OUR CORE PROGRAM, WE HAVE ABOUT 400 CONTRACTORS FOR 50.
UM, AND SO THIS WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THAT AMOUNT.
UM, AND TYPICALLY WITH OUR, UH, OUR EXISTING COMMUNITY INITIATIVES PROGRAM, WE'VE HAD ABOUT WHAT 125 OR SO, SO THERE WOULD BE FEWER IN THAT AS WELL, BUT LAURA, IF YOU HAVE BETTER NUMBERS YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT.
I WOULD SAY THAT THE, TYPICALLY WE HAVE CLOSE TO 600, UM, CONTRACTORS IN ALL THREE OF OUR PAST PROGRAMS. UM, SO IT IS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION.
I THINK THE QUICK MATH ON THAT IS MORE LIKE 40% INSTEAD OF 99% OF APPLICANTS.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S SAYING THAT WE'RE ONLY GONNA HAVE EXISTING PAST CONTRACTORS APPLY.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY WITH THE PANDEMIC AND WITH, UM, A LOT OF THE OUTREACH THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION AND STAFF HAS BEEN DOING, UM, WITH RELIEF PROGRAMS, I WOULD EXPECT THAT WE'RE HAVING MORE APPLICANTS PROBABLY, UM, WITH THESE PILOT PROGRAMS THAN MAYBE WE HAVE IN THE PAST AS WELL.
AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE A FEW ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAD RECEIVED, DID YOU SAY A MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE ARPA FUNDING OR THAT YOU WOULD, THERE WOULD BE SOME SORT OF CUTOFF? SO IF AN ORGANIZATION HAD ALREADY SAVED A CERTAIN AMOUNT, IF YOU CAN CLARIFY WHAT THAT AMOUNT WAS THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR FOR THESE PROGRAMS, IS THAT RIGHT? SO THAT WAS FOR THE, UM, ARPA ARTS COMMUNITY RELIEF, UM, THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION DECIDED, UM, VOTED ON IN THE FALL.
AND THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR TO ALL EXISTING CONTRACTORS.
AND SO THE ARTS COMMISSION, THEY LOOKED AT WHO HAD RECEIVED RELIEF FUNDING ALREADY THROUGH THE CITY, AS WELL AS WHO HAD RECEIVED FUNDING FEDERALLY LIKE THE SHUTTERED VENUE, UM, AWARD.
AND SO THERE WERE MAYBE FOUR ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAD RECEIVED A TOTAL OVER A MILLION DOLLARS BETWEEN CITY FUNDS AND FEDERAL SHUTTERED VENUE RELIEF.
UM, AND SO THOSE FOUR ORGANIZATIONS DID NOT RECEIVE OUR ARTS COMMUNITY RELIEF FROM THE CITY IN THE MONEY THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED IN JANUARY, BUT THEY WOULD STILL BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY TO THE NEW PILOT PROGRAMS LAUNCHING THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
YEAH, THERE, AND I JUST HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS HERE WITH THE, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A MEMO RECENTLY SENT TO COUNCIL REGARDING THE LATEST HOTEL TAX PROJECTIONS.
I JUST HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME TO READ IT.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF SOMEONE ON STAFF COULD PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE LATEST, UH, HOTEL TAX REVENUE PROJECTIONS, AS IT RELATES TO CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING.
UH, WE ARE STILL, UH, IN RECEIPT AND WORKING WITH OUR, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS, BUT THEY ARE UP, WE WON'T KNOW FINAL NUMBERS PROBABLY UNTIL LATE AUGUST.
AND I'VE IN CONVERSATION WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE THAT WITH THE PIVOT TO ACTUALS, EVEN WHEN THE BUDGET IS APPROVED IN AUGUST, WE WILL MORE THAN LIKELY DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO ADD THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS COLLECTED.
[01:10:01]
TO BE ON TRACK WITH THE CURRENT COLLECTIONS AND EVEN MORE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A FINAL NUMBER.AND SO THE PROJECTIONS FOR THIS YEAR WAS 6.6 MILLION JUST IN THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU IT'S COMING IN HIGHER THAN THAT.
AND THAT WAS 6.6 MILLION FOR CULTURAL ARTS SPENDING JUST FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND.
AND LAST QUESTION I HAVE, AND THAT'S GREAT BY THE WAY, EXCITED TO HEAR THAT OUR HOTEL TAX REVENUES ARE, ARE ON TRACK AND UNEXPECTED TO BE, UH, HOPEFULLY MODESTLY ABOVE THAT OR EVEN MORE.
UH, MY LAST QUESTION IS ON THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM, I WAS VERY EXCITED TO SEE THAT, UM, TO SEE THAT AS PART OF THE POLICY DIRECTION THAT WE SET FORTH.
OF COURSE, I WISH IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED A LOT SOONER, UM, AND RECOGNIZING THE IMPACT THE PANDEMIC HAS HAD ON OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY, UH, ANY UPDATE ON THE NAVIGATOR PROGRAM, HOW ARE, I GUESS THE FOCUS NOW FOR THE NAVIGATORS WOULD BE ON, UM, CONNECTING APPLICANTS WITH THESE PROGRAMS AND HELPING THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR THRIVE, ELEVATE AND NEXUS IS RIGHT.
WE HAVE TWO CONTRACTORS THAT WE WILL ENGAGE IN THE FALL SPECIFICALLY FOR ALL THE HOT FUNDED PROGRAMS, NOT ONLY THE CULTURAL ARTS, BUT AS WELL AS MUSIC AND HERITAGE TOO.
AND WE'RE ALSO EXPLORING HOW WE CAN CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN A GREAT PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC PRIOR TO CALLING IT COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS.
WE HAD OUR COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS AND THIS HAS JUST BEEN A GREAT WAY TO REACH DEEPER INTO COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONTINUE FUNDING THAT PASSED THE ARC BY HALF A MILLION DOLLARS ONCE IT'S GONE.
OTHER COLLEAGUES, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? UM, MS. HALL, ROB, I HAVEN'T FULLY FINISHED MY WAY THROUGH THE MEMO THAT YOU RELEASED YESTERDAY FOR THE BROADER PROGRAMS. UM, I THINK WE MAY WANT TO INVITE YOU TO COME IF WE HAVE SPACE ON OUR JUNE MEETING TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND CHANGES IN MORE SPECIFICS ON THE LIVE MUSIC ONES AS WELL.
UM, I THINK, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE SPACE OR NOT.
UM, CAUSE I THINK I W I WOULD LIKE TO, TO UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT BETTER, UM, AND THAT, AND THAT PROCESS, AND THERE ARE, UM, THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS WITH THE FUNDING, UM, THAT I JUST NEEDED IT AND UNDERSTAND BETTER HOW THIS IS BEING IMPLEMENTED, UM, IMPLEMENTED, UM, WITH RESPECT TO THAT, THAT FUNDING.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS THEN THANK YOU LADIES FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
[5. Discussion and possible action regarding Audit and Finance Committee meeting dates for 2022.]
UM, NEXT UP ON OUR ITEMS ARE, I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT, UM, WE ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS A CHALLENGE FOR TWO OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR DECEMBER.WE HAVE NOT YET IDENTIFIED A DATE, UM, TO MEET UNLESS, UM, STOKES HAS A DATE AT EACH OFFICE CAN MEET.
UH, THIS WAS FOR THE DECEMBER MEETING, CAN MEET ON THE 13TH FROM NINE 30 TO 1130.
UM, SO WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE THAT CHANGE TODAY.
SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, DECEMBER MEETING DATE TO DECEMBER 13TH, MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER APPOINTED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
AND WE ARE NOW FULL DYESS FOR THAT VOTE.
[6. Recommendation to Council regarding the status of the Economic Prosperity Commission due to the failure of the Economic Prosperity Commission to convene for a period of over six months.]
ALL RIGHT.SO WE'RE NOW GOING TO TAKE UP ITEMS SIX AS THE CLERK WANNA SPEAK TO THE FIRST THAT'S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION.
GOOD MORNING, STEPHANIE HALL WITH THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK, WE ARE HERE TO REPORT THAT THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION HAS FAILED TO CONVENE FOR A PERIOD OF OVER SIX MONTHS.
AT THE TIME WE SENT THIS NOTICE ON APRIL 26, THE COMMISSION HAD NOT MET SINCE AUGUST 30TH, 2021.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, HOWEVER, THE COMMISSION MET LAST WEEK ON MAY 18TH, AND I BELIEVE THEY EVEN ELECTED A NEW CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO ATTENDANCE VIOLATIONS THAT REQUIRE COUNCIL ACTION.
HOWEVER, AS OF THIS WEEK, THERE ARE A TOTAL OF THREE VACANCIES.
THE RESPECTIVE COUNCIL OFFICES HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED AND ARE WORKING ON THAT.
AND THEN WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND THEN I BELIEVE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS HERE AS WELL.
[01:15:01]
SO WE, UM, HAVE BEEN DOING SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE ABOUT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS KIND OF MORE BROADLY.UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE, THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSION, UM, DID MEET RECENTLY AND APPOINTED A CHAIR.
UM, I THINK THAT SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE TO ALLOW FOR HYBRID MEETINGS ARE NOW KIND OF FILTERING THROUGH AND THEY'RE BEING ABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN HAVING AN IMPACT.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, THERE ARE A QUORUM CHALLENGES THAT WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE ACROSS MANY COMMISSIONS.
SO, UM, IF EACH OF US CAN TAKE A LOOK AND SEE WHERE WE HAVE OPENINGS, I KNOW I HAD SOME THAT I JUST FELT I HAVE ONE MORE, UM, TO FILL, UM, MYSELF.
UM, BUT IF WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT OUR OPENINGS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FILLING THOSE OPENINGS, AND THEN IF YOU'RE HEARING FROM BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS, THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES IN THEIR COMMISSION, IF YOU WANT TO LET THE CLERK'S OFFICE KNOW, UM, WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
UM, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS ACROSS THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION.
MY, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE FOR US TO VOTE, TO CONTINUE THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION.
UM, NOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE QUORUM AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
UM, WE ARE, UM, ANTICIPATING THAT MY OFFICE WILL ADD SOME DIRECTION WHEN WE MAKE THAT MOTION, UM, REGARDING THE NEED FOR LIAISON SUPPORT AND LOGISTICS FOR BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETINGS.
UM, SO WE HAVE TO SEND THIS TO, UM, SO IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION THAT HAS TO GO TO COUNCIL VOTE, UM, AND SO WE WILL VOTE TO CONTINUE THAT.
UM, BUT THEN, UM, WE WILL PROBABLY PROVIDE SOME DIRECTION TO THE CITY MANAGER.
UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME COMMISSIONS THAT DO NOT HAVE EXECUTIVE LIAISONS ATTACHED TO THEM, ET CETERA.
SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG FOR YOU THAT WE MAY BE DEVELOPING THAT FOR THE JUNE 9TH MEETING.
I DON'T HAVE THAT FOR US TO VOTE ON TODAY.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO TO RAISE IS THAT, UM, IT HAS BEEN 10 YEARS SINCE WE TOOK A DEEP DIVE INTO THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE SOME BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WILL BE WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF MEMBERS HE'LL BE COMING UP ON THE TIME LIMIT.
UM, AND WE'LL HAVE MANY NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS POTENTIALLY COMING IN IN JANUARY.
UM, AND SO IT MAY BE TIME FOR US TO INITIATE, UM, SOME SORT OF TASK FORCE, UM, TO LOOK AT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND SEE WHAT'S FUNCTIONING.
AND WHAT'S NOT FUNCTIONING CUT SOME OVERTONES.
YEAH, I, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMITTEE, I'M THINKING IT, I THINK THAT TIME MIGHT BE NOW.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PROVIDING ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONS ARE PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A COUPLE OF THE COMMISSIONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY SOVEREIGN BOARDS AND CAN MAKE FINAL DECISIONS ON THEIR OWN, WHICH I DON'T THINK WOULD BE UP FOR DISCUSSION ABOUT NOT CONSIDERING, BUT, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS IS A LONG TIME.
SOME OF THESE COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN THERE THAT LONG.
I THINK ECONOMIC PROSPERITY WAS CREATED IN 2015, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY.
AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, IF THOSE COMMISSIONS ARE NOT, ARE NOT RELEVANT TO THE WORK THAT THE COUNCIL IS DOING, THEN I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER WHETHER IT'S, UM, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE CONTINUE THEM.
SO I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO HAVE A FULL CONVERSATION AROUND THE EX, UM, ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION AND TALK ABOUT HOW WE'VE USED THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR GUIDANCE THROUGH THE YEARS AND WHETHER THAT'S WORTH CONTINUING.
AND, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IT'S PROVIDED A LOT OF VALUE, BUT I, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS A ZERO SUM GAME HERE.
AND WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A LOT OF STAFF SUPPORT AND PROBABLY THE PUBLIC'S NOT AWARE OF THE LEVEL OF STAFF SUPPORT.
IT TAKES FROM THE LIAISON TO CTM, TO THE BUILDING SERVICES, TO THE RESERVATION OF THE ROOM.
AND SO I JUST THINK WE SHOULD BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONS AND REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THEM AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYBE AT A WORK SESSION AND TALK ABOUT WHICH ONES WE'RE FINDING USEFUL IN TERMS OF HELPING SHAPE POLICY AND PROVIDING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND WHICH ARE USEFUL, BUT MAYBE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TIME THE TIME HAS COME TO SUNSET THEM.
WELL, MAYBE WE CAN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL TO I SHIPPO GIVEN, GIVEN ALL OF THAT.
AND I SUPPORT THE CALL FOR A DISCUSSION ABOUT CONTINUANCE.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S SMART, ALWAYS TO REVIEW THINGS KIND OF SUNSETTING IN THAT SENSE.
UM, DO YOU WANT A MOTION ON THIS ITEM HERE TODAY? UM, I DO NEED A MOTION TO, IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE THIS STATUS OR NOT.
I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE TO TAKE SOME MEASURE AND I'M NOT SURE THAT I'M
[01:20:01]
NOT SURE THAT WE'RE IN A POSITION TO STOP THEM, RIGHT.OR WHETHER WE WANT TO DO THAT IN THE SHORT RUN.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO LOOK AT IT.
I THINK THEY'RE JUST BEING THE EXAMPLE FOR THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONE THAT'S BEFORE US.
SO I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO THINK THAT WE ARE PICKING ON THEM PER SE.
IT'S JUST THAT THAT EXAMPLE IS THE ONE THAT'S BEFORE US BECAUSE OF THE REQUIREMENT AND IN STATUTE FOR IT TO COME, I'D BE HAPPY TO MAKE THE MOTION TO CONTINUE THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMITTEE.
I'M HAPPY TO SECOND IT FOR THE M FOR THE MOMENT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THAT COMMISSION AND OTHERS HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS, AND I APPRECIATE THE TASK FORCE IDEA, BUT I THINK THAT IS, I THINK WE REALLY SHOULD HAVE A CONVERSATION AS COUNCIL BECAUSE THOSE ARE SERVING, SERVING THE COUNCIL MEMBERS RATHER THAN AN, AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK THAT I WOULD SUGGEST THE CONVERSATION BEGIN.
UM, I THINK WE CAN BEGIN THERE.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE NEED TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMISSIONERS ON AS WELL.
I THINK IT WOULD BE VALUABLE TO ALSO HEAR FROM COMMISSIONERS, WHETHER THEY FEEL LIKE THEIR COMMISSIONS ARE VALUABLE AS WELL AND WHERE THAT'S NOT THE CASE, THAT WE ALSO ARE ABLE TO LOOK AT THOSE KINDS OF MEMBER KELLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT OCCURS TO ME THE STATE HAS THAT SENSE, THAT REVIEW PROCESS.
AND I WONDER IF THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A VALUE THAT WE COULD TALK ABOUT IN A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE AT COUNCIL AS A WHOLE DURING THE WORK SESSION.
UM, WE CAN BEGIN TO TALK WITH THE MAYOR ABOUT, UM, WHICH MEETING AGENDA YOU MAY WANT TO BE ON.
I'M A LITTLE WARY OF THE JUNE 7TH WORK SESSION, WHERE WE HAVE THE LIVING WAGE PRESENTATION, AS WELL AS BMU TWO, AS WELL AS COMPATIBILITY.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT COUNCIL CONVERSATION CAN HAPPEN ON THE 14TH, UM, OR NOT.
UH, WE CAN CERTAINLY, UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY FORESHADOW IT ON THE NINTH OR WHENEVER THIS ITEM COMES FORWARD, COUNCIL MEMBER FUNDUS.
AND I THINK ALSO AT THAT WORK SESSION ON JUNE 7TH, WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
LISA I'VE ASKED FOR A BRIEFING ON THAT MY NEW STAFF IS WORKING ON THAT ISSUE AS WELL.
UM, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT TOPIC FOR US TO CONSIDER, AND I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IT FROM THE LENS OF, UM, LOOKING AT IT FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT OF STAFF SUPPORT.
SO UNDERSTANDING WHAT ARE THE COMMISSIONS THAT CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE A STAFF LIAISON WHO IS BEST APPROPRIATE TO PROVIDE A STAFF LIAISON, WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE NEEDED FOR OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO OPERATE EFFECTIVELY.
ALSO LOOKING AT THE ONES THAT ARE SELECTED TO BE BROADCAST ON ATX IN, YOU KNOW, WE, OUR AIRPORT COMMISSION IS ONLY AVAILABLE VIA AUDIO AND THE AUDIO IS UPLOADED A DAY OR TWO AFTERWARDS.
AND I REALLY THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION SHOULD BE BROADCAST LIVE AND PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE.
I KNOW THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT AS EASY AS THAT SCENE BECAUSE THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF ROOMS AVAILABLE THAT CAN CONNECT WITH ATX IN, THAT HAS THE RIGHT CABLE.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT MORE COMPLEXITY TO IT, BUT I DO THINK AS WE HAD THE CONVERSATION AND DO THAT SENSE AT REVIEW OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, THAT WE ALSO LOOK AT THE OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES ASSOCIATED WITH IT TO ENSURE THAT STAFF IS BEST, UH, BEST SUPPORTED, UM, TO HELP WITH THAT, TO HELP WITH THE OPERATIONS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UM, I WANT TO INVITE OUR CLERK, UM, IF SHE WANTS TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID SO FAR, IF YOU'RE NOT READY TO, THAT'S FINE.
AND ALSO WANTED TO GET A SENSE OF, UM, WHETHER THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION YOU COULD HAVE AVAILABLE FOR US FOR THAT MEETING, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE SOME OF THE INFORMATION FOR INSTANCE, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER OF ONE DESK JUST ASKED FOR.
AND, UM, I KNOW THERE'S CHALLENGES IN THAT OUR LIAISONS ARE NOT PROVIDING YOU WITH ATTENDANCE, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, I THINK A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION GOING INTO THAT MEETING WHEN WE DO SET, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR COUNCIL.
UM, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO, TO PREPARE THAT.
SO THIS IS WHERE NOBODY ELSE, CITY CLERK, I'M SORRY.
I I'M HAVING I'M AT A SEMINAR.
SO I HAD TO STEP OUT OF THE CLASS, BUT, UM, I, WE ARE IN TOTAL SUPPORT AND AGREEMENT THAT WE DO NEED TO REVISIT HOW THE COMMISSION STRUCTURE IS INTENDED TO FUNCTION.
UM, AND WE BACK IN 2013, WE, UM, THE FORMER COUNCIL DIRECTED THE CITY CLERK TO CREATE A TASK FORCE, BUT I SEE THAT, UM, YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAYBE PROCEED A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY, BUT HOWEVER I CAN, I'VE JOTTED DOWN SOME NOTES AND I CAN HAVE SOME INFORMATION READY.
[01:25:01]
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF NEXT WEEK WOULD BE A FEASIBLE SINCE WE HAVE HOT TOPIC ITEMS, BUT IF IT WOULD BE A FUTURE, IF WE CAN CONDUCT A FUTURE OR HAVING A FUTURE WORK SESSION ITEM, UM, WE ARE HAPPY TO PROVIDE OUR CURRENT PROCESSES, UM, PROVIDE SOME OPTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS AND, UM, WHAT, UM, WE CAN DO TO STREAMLINE THIS PROCESS AND SEE IF ANY COMMISSIONS NEED TO, UH, SEND SETTING OR IF THEY CAN BE MERGED, EXCUSE ME.UM, BUT YES, WE CAN BE, WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING RIGHT.
AND, UM, I'LL JUST ASK MY STAFF, IF YOU CAN WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO SEE IF THERE'S TIME ON THE 14TH, UM, FOR THAT.
AND I DON'T, I THINK THAT WOULD BE THROUGH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE BECAUSE THIS IS, THESE ARE ALL COUNCIL CREATIONS.
UM, SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE TO, UM, CONTINUE THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR FOR THE CAVEAT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR WITH THE CAVEAT THAT WE ARE REVIEWING, UM, THE, UH, COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AND WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT WILL BE ON THE JUNE 9TH OR THE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL BE ON THE JUNE 9TH OR THE JUNE 16TH, IF IT IS ON THE JUNE 9TH, WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF BEGIN FORESHADOWING THE NEED FOR THE CONVERSATION, EVEN IF WE'RE REALLY ONLY ABLE TO HAVE THE WORK SESSION UP ON THE 14TH, COME TO MY BOOK.
JUST, UM, SPECIFICALLY THE CAVEAT RELATES TO ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, NOT JUST THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY ONE, THE REVIEW.
I'M NOT SURE THAT GOES IN THE MOTION TO THE, LIKE, I THINK THE, SURE.
WHAT IF I TOOK YOUR EMOTION AS, UM, I MEAN, THIS IS ADDITIONAL DIRECTION, RIGHT? TO CONSIDER THIS BECAUSE I OFFERED A CAVEAT THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER IT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE BROADER, WHICH IS PERCENT, WHICH IS PRECISELY HOW I VIEW DATA AS WELL.
SO THEN THE, I THINK THE ITEM COMES AND THEN WE MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION WHEN WE SPEAK.
SO WHEN, WHEN I GET RECOGNIZED AS AUDIT CHAIR TO TALK ABOUT IT, I'M NOT ACTUALLY SURE.
THERE'S A, I'M NOT SURE IF IT ACTUALLY SAYS WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS IN THIS CASE FOR THIS EXAMPLE, CHAIR, IT'LL PROBABLY POST THE EXACT SAME WAY IT IS RIGHT NOW.
IT'LL JUST TRANSFER THAT WORDING LANGUAGE, WHICH IS THE STATUS OF THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION.
SO I THINK AT THAT TIME YOU CAN MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION BASED ON WHAT THE COMMITTEE DECIDED AND THEN ADD HERE.
THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT I WAS SUGGESTING.
SO THEN AT THAT POINT I WILL RECOGNIZE THAT OUR MOTION WAS TO CONTINUE THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION, BUT TO TAKE A REVIEW OF ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT GIVEN THAT WE WERE AT A 10 YEAR TIME FROM WHEN THEY WERE LAST REVIEWED AND WE WANT TO START THAT PROCESS WITH A COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
AND THEN AS PART OF THAT, WE CAN FIGURE OUT IF WE NEED ANY KIND OF TASK FORCE.
AND WE'VE ALREADY VOTED CORRECT.
[7. Identify items to be discussed at future meetings.]
THEN THE LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED AT FUTURE MEETINGS.OUR NEXT MEETING IS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15TH, AND WE WILL HAVE, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE AFTER ACTION REPORTS FROM STORM URI.
UM, LATER THIS YEAR, I EXPECT THAT WE'RE GOING TO REVISIT THE CITY STRATEGY TO MOVE FROM LEASING TO OWNING, UM, AND THE INTERSECTION WITH TELECOMMUTING.
UM, AND I LIKELY WILL WANT TO HAVE, WANT TO HAVE, UM, A FURTHER DISCUSSION OF OUR CAPITAL BUDGET REPORTING PROCESS.
I THINK WE USED TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR CAPITAL BUDGET THAN WE DO.
UM, SO I GUESS I WOULD SAY WE'D LOVE TO SEE MORE OF THAT INFORMATION WITHIN THIS BUDGET.
UM, BUT WE MAY NOT, WE MAY OR MAY NOT GET TO TALKING ABOUT THAT AT THE JUNE MEETING CAUSE WE MAY BE FULL.
UM, AND THEN AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'LL PROBABLY HEAR ABOUT THE OTHER HOT TAX PROGRAMS. UM, MS. STOKES, WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT, THAT MATCHES THE LIST THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE? UM, THERE, THERE IS ONE OTHER ITEM ON THERE AND NOW I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT IS.
I'M LOOKING AT NINA IN CASE SHE REMEMBERS.
UM, BUT WE HAVE, WE HAVE UPDATES COMING ON PRIOR AUDITS.
AND THEN I THINK IN AUGUST WE HAVE SEVERAL THINGS SLATED, UM, RELATED TO PRIOR AUDITS THAT WE'LL BE BRINGING BACK.
SO INCLUDING THE IT SECURITY DISCUSSION, UM, WE ALSO HAVE SOME MORE FOLLOWUP WORK LIKE WE PRESENTED TODAY.
[01:30:01]
AND WE ARE NOT MEETING IN JULY.UM, AND I WANT TO JUST, UM, WELCOME OUR NEW AUDITORS, WHO WILL BE COMING ONBOARD, UM, SHORTLY.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY HIRE SEVERAL OF OUR VACANCIES AND SO CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO THOSE, UM, NEW AUDITORS.
IT OF MY REPORT, MS. STOKES, OUR JUNE MEETING IS THAT ON THE 22ND UNTIL THE 15TH? IT'S ON THE 15TH.
YEAH, WE MOVED THAT UP A WEEK.
YEAH, WE MOVED THAT TO THE 15TH.
IT IS 11:02 AM AND I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING.