Jun 22, 2022 Ethics Review Commission

B POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS TO THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE PROVISIONS, A CITY CODE CHAPTER TWO DASH SEVEN.

SEEING NONE.

I'M GOING TO GO ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.

ONE

[1 b. Potential amendments to the financial disclosure provisions of City Code Chapter 2-7 (Ethics and Financial Disclosure). ]

SO DO WE HAVE ANY REPORTS ON THIS OR, UM, WE MET, UM, THE WORKING GROUP MET AND, UM, WE WERE PRIVILEGED TO HAVE, UM, LYNN CARTER ATTEND OUR MEETING AND SHE HAS WORKED ON SUBSTITUTE LANGUAGE AND IT'D BE BETTER IF SHE EXPLAINS.

2 7 7 2, WHICH IS WHAT HAS TO BE, UH, CHANGED IN REGARD TO THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION FILING, UM, SUBSECTION E EIGHT AND NINE.

SO THE, UH, THE WORKING GROUP ASKED TO CHANGE SECTION

[00:05:01]

AND, UM, SO I HIGHLIGHTED IN YOUR COPY OF PORTIONS OF CHAPTER TWO SEVEN, UH, SOME CHANGES.

AND IF YOU SCROLL DOWN TO KIND OF THE, UM, THIS IS NOW A PDF, BUT IT'S ABOUT PAGE SEVEN.

UH, WHAT WE HAVE ADDED IS A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST ON ITEM EIGHT.

UM, AND ALSO IT SAYS A LEGAL, EQUITABLE, OR BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN REAL PROPERTY.

SO IT'S BEFORE IT WAS AN ITEMIZED INTEREST, A REAL PROPERTY IN WHICH THE OFFICIAL HOLDS ANY LEGAL OR BENEFICIAL INTEREST.

UM, AND THEN IT TELLS WHAT HAS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE PROPERTY DESCRIPTION.

THERE'S NO SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE IN THAT THERE WAS APPARENTLY A TYPO IN THE CODE OR POSSIBLY THE PRIOR VERSION THAT WAS, UH, PASSED THAT SAID TO STATE THE STATE ADDRESS INSTEAD OF THE STREET ADDRESS.

SO WE'VE CORRECTED THAT TYPO, UM, BUT SUBSECTION EIGHT IS CLARIFIED.

SO THAT, SO THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST IN REAL PROPERTY, UM, NOT JUST AN EQUITABLE OR LEGAL INTEREST AND I'LL, I'LL GET INTO, UM, AFTER I DO SUBSECTION EIGHT AND NINE, WHY THERE IS SOME CHANGES IN TERMS OF EQUITABLE AND BENEFICIAL USE OF THOSE TERMS AND INTEREST.

SO SUB SECTION NINE IS A CHANGE, A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE BEFORE IT REQUIRED DISCLOSURE OF REAL PROPERTY HELD BY A BUSINESS ENTITY OF WHICH SOMEONE WHO'S FILING THIS, UM, MUST OWN A 5% INTEREST.

UM, AND WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS AT THE LAST, UH, OUR MAY REGULAR MEETING.

UM, THE PROPOSED CHANGE WOULD CHANGE 5% INTEREST TO A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST.

AND THAT WOULD MEAN THAT IT WOULD INCLUDE $5,000, UM, NOT JUST A 5% INTEREST IN REAL PROPERTY.

UM, AND THEN THERE'S JUST SOME CLARIFYING LANGUAGE.

UM, NO SUBSTANTIVE INTENT OF CHANGE IN REGARD TO THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT MUST BE INCLUDED, UM, IN YOUR PACKET.

I ALSO INCLUDED, UH, SOME INFORMATION ON THE STATE FORM FOR THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION UNDER STATE LAW, THE, UM, FILER OF A WHAT'S CALLED A PERSONAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

AND BY THE WAY, OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR, AS WELL AS OUR CITY MANAGER AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY HAVE TO FILL OUT BOTH THE STATE FORM AS WELL AS THE LOCAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM, WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL INTEREST IN THE CITY CODE.

SO THE STATE FORM REQUIRES IF SOMEONE HAS A BUSINESS ENTITY WHERE THEY HAVE A 50% OR MORE OWNERSHIP INTEREST, THEN THE OFFICIAL HAS TO FILL, IDENTIFY THE ASSETS AND LIABILITIES OF THAT, UM, BUSINESS ENTITY.

UH, IT DOES NOT HAVE IT UNDER THE STATE LAW.

IF YOU HAVE A 5% INTEREST IN A BUSINESS ENTITY, YOU IDENTIFY THAT ENTITY BY NAME.

WE HAVE THAT SUBSECTION FIVE OF 2 7, 2 E I'M SORRY, 2 7, 7 2 E.

SO WE REQUIRE IDENTIFYING A BUSINESS ENTITY OF WHICH THERE'S AT LEAST A 5% INTEREST, UM, OR, UH, A, A VALUE EXCEEDING $5,000.

UM, BUT WHAT THE WORKING GROUP PROPOSES IS THAT IF THERE'S A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST IN PROPERTY, THAT'S EITHER HELD BY THE, UM, INDIVIDUAL WHO IS FILING OR IT'S HELD BY A BUSINESS ENTITY OF WHICH, UM, THE FILER HAS A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST, MEANING $5,000 IN THAT INTEREST IN THAT BUSINESS ENTITY OR 5% INTEREST, THEY ALSO HAVE TO IDENTIFY ALL THE REAL PROPERTY HELD BY THAT BUSINESS ENTITY.

UM, ON A TECHNICAL NOTE, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO

[00:10:01]

THE DEFINITIONS, WHICH ARE UNDER 2 77 TO A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST IN REAL PROPERTY IS SUBSECTION 13.

AND I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS AN INCONSISTENCY AT ONE POINT, THE CODE TALKS ABOUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REAL PROPERTY, AN EQUITABLE OR LEGAL OWNERSHIP INTEREST.

AND THEN IN ANOTHER PROVISION, IT TALKED ABOUT A BENEFICIAL OR LEGAL OWNERSHIP INTERESTS.

I'M RECOMMENDING THAT YOU INCLUDE ALL THREE TERMS. UM, I DO BELIEVE BASED ON LEGAL RESEARCH THAT EQUITABLE AND BENEFICIAL ARE SOMEWHAT REDUNDANT, BUT, UM, I THINK YOU AVOID CONFUSION IF YOU INCLUDE ALL THREE TERMS, UM, YOU'VE COVERED ALL YOUR BASES.

SO, UM, I'LL STOP THERE.

SEE IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SO WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE WORKING GROUP OR WHAT, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS ON THIS ITEM? SO IF, UM, IF SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CHANGES, UM, WHICH UNDERLINING INDICATES NEW LANGUAGE STRIKE THROUGH, UH, IF THERE'S LANG TEXTS THAT IT HAS STRIKE THROUGH AND IT'S IN BRACKETS THAT IS DELETED LANGUAGE, UM, THEN SOMEONE CAN MAKE A MOTION TO MAKE CHANGES TO 2 7, 2 13 AND 2 7, 7 TO E EIGHT AND NINE, OR YOU COULD TREAT THOSE SEPARATELY.

UM, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE LANGUAGE THAT IS BEFORE YOU, THAT WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY AN AMENDMENT TO THE CODE.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE SPECIFIC FORMS OF A RECOMMENDATION.

I COULD TURN THE VOTE INTO YOUR RECOMMENDATION FROM THE BOARD.

UM, SO YOU COULD TAKE ACTION FOR AN AMENDMENT.

SOMEBODY COULD MOVE TO OFFER SOMETHING DIFFERENT, OR THE BOARD COULD TAKE NO ACTION, ACTION, COMMISSIONER GREENBERG.

UM, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO MAKE THE, FOR OUR COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND THE SUGGESTED CHANGES.

DID WE HAVE A SECOND COMMISSIONER TENA, YUCA SECONDS? IT, DO WE HAVE A DEBATE OR EXCUSE ME, A DISCUSSION, FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.

COMMISSIONER MCCORMACK.

I JUST THINK IT CLARIFIES IT BECAUSE IT WAS, CAN GET A LITTLE BIT IN THE WEEDS IF WE DON'T DO IT AND WE DON'T NEED THAT.

UM, FOR DESCRIBING THE PROPERTY.

I'M LOOKING AT OUR VIRTUAL ATTENDEES.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM ANYONE WHO'S VIRTUAL TONIGHT SEEING NONE AND NO? UH, NO SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.

UH, I WILL GO AHEAD AND HOLD THE VOTE ON THE MOTION.

AND THAT WAS TO APPROVE THE NEW LANGUAGE AS RECOMMENDED, UH, LYNN, SHOULD I SPELL THAT OUT MORE SPECIFICALLY? IT WOULD BE TO A MEN SECTION TWO DASH SEVEN DASH SEVEN TWO SUBSECTION 13.

IT'S MY MICROPHONE.

SORRY, LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN.

UM, SO THE RECOMMENDED LANGUAGE WOULD BE TO, UM, AMEND SUBS SECTION 13 OF SECTION 2 7 7 2, SO THAT INSTEAD OF EQUITABLE OR LEGAL OWNERSHIP, IT SAYS EQUITABLE, BENEFICIAL OR LEGAL OWNERSHIP.

AND THEN IN SUBSECTIONS, UM, SUBSECTION E OF SECTION 2 7, 7 2 OF THE CITY CODE, UH, SUBSECTIONS SUBSECTION EIGHT, IT WOULD ADD A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST WHETHER AS LEGAL, EQUITABLE, OR BENEFICIAL INTEREST, WHEREAS BEFORE, UM, IT, THE PHRASE SAID IN WHICH THE OFFICIAL HOLDS A LEGAL, ANY LEGAL OR BENEFICIAL INTEREST, UM, INCLUDING REAL PROPERTY SECTION NINE, UM, OF 2 7, 7, 2 E WOULD BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST IN PLACE OF 5% INTEREST OF THE FILER.

UM, AND THEN IT WOULD CLARIFY THAT THE ITEMIZED PROPERTY LISTS SHOULD INCLUDE A DESCRIPTION, UH, TO THE PROPERTY.

AND, AND ALSO THERE'S ONE, THE TYPO THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER IN SUBSECTION EIGHT, UM, INSTEAD OF STATE ADDRESS, IT WOULD BE STREET ADDRESS,

[00:15:01]

I'M SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.

I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON THE MOTION.

UM, AND I'LL JUST GO DOWN THROUGH THE WAY WE'RE LISTED IN THE OPENING OR ON THE AGENDA.

EXCUSE ME.

UH, CHAIR SOBER ON COMMISSIONER DANBURG YES.

COMMISSIONER LEVIN'S IS NOT HERE.

COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. I SUPPORT THE MOTION.

VICE CHAIR, KALE.

I SUPPORT THE MOTION.

COMMISSIONER GREENBERG.

COMMISSIONER MCCORMICK VACANCY.

UH, COMMISSIONER STANTON IS NOT HERE.

COMMISSIONER LAURIE? YES.

IT PASSED WITH, UM, EVERYONE WHO'S PRESENT TONIGHT.

UM, ITEM ONE, C CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM PLANNING, UH, MS. CARTER HAS UPDATED THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LANGUAGE TRANSLATION AND WHAT THE CITY CAN PROVIDE.

SO WE WILL JUST GET ONTO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.

[1 c. City Council Candidate Forum Planning]

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR PACKET INCLUDES SECTION TWO DASH TWO DASH 65 OF THE CITY CODE SUBSECTION E, UM, WHICH AUTHORIZES THIS COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH EQUITABLE GUIDELINES FOR CANDIDATE FORUMS. AND TONIGHT WE HAVE, UM, SPEAKING ON THIS TOPIC, CAROL ECHO CAMP FROM THE AUSTIN AREA LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

SO THIS IS LYNN CARTER WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT.

I'M GOING TO LEAD OFF AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO CAROL TO ADD ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE.

UM, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT CAME UP AT, UM, LAST MONTH'S MEETING ABOUT THE CANDIDATE FORUM IS THAT THERE WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT LANGUAGE TRANSLATION, UM, BECAUSE THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION CAN SET EQUITABLE GUIDELINES.

THE COMMISSION CAN CERTAINLY MOVE TO REQUEST, UM, TRANSLATIONS FOR CERTAIN LANGUAGES.

UM, ADDITIONALLY I HAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT HOW, UM, SOMEONE CAN CONTACT 3, 1, 1 WITHIN FIVE BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO A CANDIDATE FORUM.

AND THERE ARE ABOUT 20 LANGUAGES THAT THE CITY CAN SET UP, UH, THROUGH WHAT'S CALLED A TELE TOWN HALL.

AND IF SOMEONE REQUESTS THAT, THEN THERE'LL BE CONTACTED BACK WITH A TELEPHONE LINE THAT THEY CAN LISTEN INTO SO THAT THERE IS REAL TIME TRANSLATION, UM, IN ABOUT 20 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

WE USE AN OUTSIDE VENDOR FOR THAT.

UM, AND THE LANGUAGES THAT, UM, I UNDERSTAND ARE KIND OF THE TOP LANGUAGES BESIDES SPANISH WOULD BE VIETNAMESE.

AND THEN WHAT IS CONSIDERED AN INTERNATIONAL CHINESE OR A SIMPLIFIED CHINESE THAT I I UNDERSTAND IS, UM, MAINLY FOCUSED ON MANDARIN.

UM, AND THEN, UH, THE COMMUNICATIONS PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE ALSO MENTIONED AS SOME EXAMPLES THAT, UM, THE PUBLIC HAS REQUESTED TRANSLATION FOR IN THE PAST, SUCH AS FOR RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, MEETINGS HAS BEEN BURMESE AS WELL AS ARABIC.

UM, SO WE S WE ALWAYS HAVE THE OPTION AND WHAT THE COMMUNICATIONS OF PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE CAN DO IS PUT ON OUR WEBSITE AND ON NOTICES THAT, UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAN REQUEST THROUGH 3, 1, 1, UH, LANGUAGE TRANSLATION TRANSLATION WITHIN FIVE BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO, UM, THE CANDIDATE FORUM, THE SLOT THAT WE HAVE IN THE AUSTIN ENERGY NEWSLETTER IS NOT BIG ENOUGH, UH, TO ADD THAT INFORMATION, BUT, UH, IN TERMS OF THE WEBSITE THAT WE HAVE AND ANY PRESS RELEASES AND THAT SORT OF THING THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED AS WELL AS, UM, I THINK THE INFORMATION THAT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS PUTS OUT, UM, OPTIONS FOR THIS COMMISSION IS THAT YOU COULD, UM, PROACTIVELY REQUEST THAT THERE BE, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, A SCRIPT, IF YOU HAVE NOTICED, WHEN YOU GO TO ATX N FOR, UM, TO LOOK UP IN THE ARCHIVES FOR ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION MEETINGS, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THERE'S A TRANSCRIPT.

IT'S NOT A PERFECT TRANSCRIPT.

IT IS COMPUTER GENERATED, BUT, UM, A SIMILAR TRANSLATION COULD BE DONE IN, UM, DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

IF YOU WANTED

[00:20:01]

TO REQUEST THAT IT SPANISH WILL BE DONE AUTOMATICALLY, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO REQUEST VIETNAMESE, UM, OR THE INTERNATIONAL CHINESE, YOU CERTAINLY HAVE THAT OPTION TO DO THAT.

YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO REFER THIS TO THE WORKING GROUP AND HAVE THEM WORK ON IT.

UM, I JUST RECOMMEND THAT YOU KIND OF TAKE ACTION BY THE JULY MEETING AND NOT WAIT UNTIL AUGUST BECAUSE PLANNING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

AND SO I THINK IF YOU DON'T TAKE ACTION TO TODAY, THEN PROBABLY YOUR BEST OPTION WOULD BE TO TAKE ACTION IN JULY, UM, ON THIS ITEM AND YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE ACTION.

UM, HI, SECRETARY STANTON, I'M JUST GOING TO FILL YOU IN.

UM, SO ONE OPTION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CANDIDATE FORUMS AND OPTIONS FOR LANGUAGE TRANSLATION.

WHAT IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IS THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAN CALL IN TO THREE, ONE, ONE, UH, AT LEAST FIVE BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE CANDIDATE FORUM AND ASK FOR A TRANSLATION.

UM, AND THEY WILL BE CALLED BACK WITH A PHONE NUMBER THAT THEY CAN LISTEN TO IN REAL TIME, UH, IN ABOUT 20 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, UM, ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE VENDOR.

I DON'T HAVE A COMPLETE LIST.

UM, THE ONES THAT I'VE BEEN PROVIDED ARE, UM, VIETNAMESE, UH, AN INTERNATIONAL CHINESE ALSO HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS A SIMPLIFIED CHINESE THAT IS MAINLY, UH, FOCUSED ON THE MANDARIN LANGUAGE.

UM, BURMESE AND ARABIC HAS ALSO BEEN PROVIDED BY THAT VENDOR IN THE PAST.

UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE PUT OUT IN PRESS RELEASES ON THE WEBSITE ABOUT CANDIDATE FORUMS. UM, AND THEN, UH, TRANSLATION COULD BE DONE AFTER THE FACT AND IN TERMS OF A TRANSCRIPT, UM, IF THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION WANTED TO TAKE ACTION, UM, TO, ON TO RECOMMEND, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT A TRANSCRIPT BE PROVIDED FOR LIKE THE TOP FOUR LANGUAGES, UM, THAT WOULD BE, UM, SOMETHING THAT THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION CAN DO, OR THIS COULD BE TURNED OVER TO THE WORKING GROUP AND THE WORKING GROUP COULD WORK ON IT BETWEEN NOW AND THE JULY MEETING.

I WOULD JUST NOT RECOMMEND WAITING PAST JULY BECAUSE THE CANDIDATE FORUMS WILL START IN EARLY SEPTEMBER.

UM, WELCOME COMMISSIONER STANTON.

TWO THINGS.

THOSE QUESTIONS ARE AVAILABLE.

AND SO, UM, I'M GOING TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO DISCUSSION IF Y'ALL WANT TO TAKE ANY KIND OF ACTION ON REQUESTING TRANSCRIPTS IN OTHER LANGUAGES.

IT'S OTHER LANGUAGES BESIDES THE MAIN FOUR, MS. CARTER IS THAT OR OTHER LANGUAGES, BUT SIDE'S ENGLISH HAS DONE SPANISH WILL BE DONE IF THERE'S THERE OTHER LANGUAGES BESIDES THOSE TWO, THEN IT WOULD BE BEST FOR YOU TO SPECIFY WHICH LANGUAGES YOU WANT DONE.

OR THE WORKING COULD GROUP COULD WORK WITH DEMOGRAPHERS BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT MEETING TO KIND OF FOCUS THAT MORE ON, ON WHAT THEY WOULD WANT TO DO.

AND I'M TALKING ABOUT THE CANDIDATE FORUM WORKING GROUP, UM, AND ALSO, UM, CAROL ECHO CAMP IS HERE FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, AUSTIN AREA.

AND SHE CAN TALK ABOUT LANGUAGE TRANSLATIONS THAT THEY USE FOR THE VOTERS GUIDE, WHICH THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION HAS ALWAYS USED AS IT'S, UM, THIRD CANDIDATE FORUM.

UM, THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION SPONSORS THREE CANDIDATE FORUMS. ONE IS THE ONE MODERATED BY THE LEAGUE, UM, WHERE THERE IS A QUESTION AND ANSWER, UM, AND THE, THEN THE CANDIDATES GIVE A FIVE MINUTE PRESENTATION, LIKE JUST KIND OF A SPEECH ABOUT WHY THEY'RE RUNNING FOR OFFICE.

UM, ITX THEN COULD ALSO DO A TRANSLATION OF THOSE STATEMENTS.

UM, AND THEN THE THIRD IS ACTUALLY THE, UM, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS QUESTIONNAIRE OR CANDIDATE GUIDE, WHERE THEY ASK QUESTIONS TO EACH OF THE COUNCIL AND MAYORAL CANDIDATES, UH, AND ANSWERS.

THEY POST THAT ON THEIR WEBSITE.

WE POSTED ON OUR CANDIDATE FORUM PAGE, AS WELL AS IT'S AVAILABLE AT ALL THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARIES.

UM, AND WHEN I JUST WANTED TO BE AVAILABLE, IF ANYONE HAS A QUESTION ON IT, BUT TO, TO REITERATE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, AS 102 YEAR OLD ORGANIZATION HAVE HAD TO LOOK VERY CLOSELY AT OUR DIVERSITY AND EQUITY AND INCLUSIVENESS OF NOT ONLY INTERNALLY OF OUR MEMBERSHIP, BUT ALSO OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE IN AUSTIN.

AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE BEGAN THE TRANS TO RAISE THE FUNDS.

IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO PRINT THE VOTER'S GUIDE AND TO PUT THE VOTERS

[00:25:01]

GUIDE TOGETHER.

AND THIS IS AN ALL VOLUNTEER OPERATION THAT DOES THIS EVERY SINGLE ELECTION.

AND, BUT WE ARE TRANSLATING IT IN, WE HAVE BEEN FOR A LONG TIME TRANSLATING IN SPANISH, BUT IT IS BEING TRANSLATED INTO WHAT IS CONSIDERED A STANDARD CHINESE WOOD, WHICH BASED ON CENTRAL MANDARIN AND THEN VIETNAMESE, UM, BECAUSE THE VIETNAMESE IS THE NUMBER THREE ENGLISH, SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, AND CHINESE, UH, THAT WE CHOSE THOSE FOUR TO TRANSLATE OUR VOTERS GUIDE IN.

AND THAT IS ONLINE.

WE HAVE NOT, I'M PRETTY SURE I'M SPEAKING CORRECTLY.

WE HAVE NOT PRINTED, UH, AS MANY OF THE LANGUAGES, BUT WE WOULD BE HAPPY IF, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY AND I CAN'T SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE COST, THAT IT WOULD BE IN HOW MANY WE COULD PRINT.

UH, WE WORKED THAT OUT EVERY YEAR GETS HARDER AND HARDER TO FIND A PRINT EDITION, UH, SOMEONE TO HELP US PRINT THAT, UM, IS TO PRINT MORE OF THAT LANGUAGE.

BUT WE ALSO WOULD LIKE IT TO BE KNOWN THAT BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING WE DO IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY, YOU GUYS SPONSORED THESE, AND WE PUT OUT THE GUIDE AND THEN MODERATE THE FORUMS IS THAT IT IS AVAILABLE AND WE WANT TO PUBLICIZE IT.

ALSO, IF YOU ALL DO DO THE TELE TOWN HALL IN THOSE LANGUAGES, WE WOULD ALSO PUBLICIZE THAT IN THE DISTRICT, IN THE AREAS OF WHICH WE SERVE, WHICH IS ALL OF THE DISTRICTS OF AUSTIN, UH, ALL THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS.

SO WE WANT TO PUT THAT IN OUR PUBLICITY, BUT WE ALSO WOULD LIKE YOU ALL TO PUT IN THE PUBLICITY THAT THOSE GUIDES ARE IN OTHER LANGUAGES, UH, THE WRITTEN GUIDE.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S KNOWN AND THAT'S IN THE PUBLICITY AND THE OUTREACH THAT WE DO, COMMISSIONER MCCORMICK, ARE THEY AVAILABLE ONLINE AND THE OTHER LANGUAGES, SINCE IT'S HARD, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE READ ONLINE NOW MORE THAN THEY'LL PICK UP.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

AND WE DO PRINT BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR CITIZENS THAT DO STILL WANT TO READ IT.

SO WE ARE PRINTING STILL PRINTING, YOU KNOW, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF COPIES.

SO YEAH, AND WE PUT THEM IN THE LIBRARIES AND IN OTHER LOCATIONS AND DISTRIBUTION IS A HUGE EFFORT FOR US TOO, BUT A LOT OF THEM, BUT IT'S ONLINE.

THEY CAN, THEY CAN PICK IT UP EASILY ONLINE.

AND IT GOES ONLINE THE WEEK, THE WEEKEND BEFORE EARLY VOTING STARTS.

THAT IS ALWAYS WHEN THE ONLINE IS, IS RELEASED COMMISSIONER TANA, UGA.

I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT, UM, WHEN THOSE THAT HAVE A QUESTION AND IT'S IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE, DO THEY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUBMIT THOSE QUESTIONS BEFOREHAND? SO THERE AND AFTERWARDS AS WELL, UM, AFTER THE TRANSCRIPT AND AFTER THEY HEAR EVERYTHING AND THEY HAVE QUESTIONS, HOW WOULD THEY DO THAT? WE HAVE PROVIDED A CENTRAL, WE HAVE A CENTRAL OFFICE NUMBER AND WE HAVE MULTIPLE EMAILS.

UH, THE ONE WE ADVERTISE THROUGH THE CITY IS FORUMS AT L WV, AUSTIN.ORG, BUT FORUM, UH, THERE'S MULTIPLE SPELLINGS OF IT, UH, THAT WE'VE CAPTURED THAT ALL COME INTO THE CHAIRPERSON, WHICH I SERVE AS THE CHAIRPERSON.

WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY, UH, TO GET THOSE TRANSLATED, UH, WITH OUR SERVICES, NOT IN THE, UH, IN THE, IN THESE FOUR LANGUAGES, ENGLISH, SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, AND CHINESE.

WE HAVE THAT ABILITY.

WE WOULD ASK THE CITY IF WE NEEDED HELP ON THOSE ON OTHER LANGUAGES.

IS THAT AVAILABLE IN THE INSTRUCTIONS? YES, IT'S BEEN PUMP, IT IS PUBLICIZED.

WE'D HAVE NOT PUBLICIZED THIS AS MY FIRST KNOWLEDGE OF THE, UH, THE TELE TOWN HALL.

SO WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE PUBLICIZE THAT INFORMATION ALONG SO THAT WHEN WE GET THOSE IN, WE'LL DEFINITELY GET THEM TRANSLATED.

WE TAKE, WE TAKE QUESTIONS ALMOST UP TO THE DAY OF, AND WE DO GET MULTIPLE QUESTIONS IN THE, IN THE INBOX.

AND WE USUALLY AGGREGATE THEM BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ARE ON WHATEVER THE HOT TOPIC IS.

AND THE LEAGUE DOES, YOU KNOW, HAVE FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY BE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FORUMS IS THAT WE, UH, TAKE THE FINAL, WE HAVE THE FINAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS AND THE CANDIDATES DO NOT SEE ANY OF OUR QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE.

UM, SO, OKAY.

AND I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION.

IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN GET THIS, UM, INFORMATION THAT YOU GUYS INSTRUCTIONS SENT TO US IN AN EMAIL SO THAT I COULD SEND IT TO MY CANDIDATE OR MY CANCEL WOMAN SAID THAT SHE CAN THEN POST IT ON OUR SITE AND ADVERTISE IT BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.

THE CITY DOES A CITY COMMUNICATION OFFICE DOES A PRESS RELEASE ON THESE CANDIDATE FORUMS. AND IT USUALLY HAS ALL THAT INFORMATION ON THERE.

I THINK WE'D WANT TO ADD THIS INFORMATION ON THE ONE THAT WE HAVE.

WE NORMALLY PUBLISH AS THAT PRESS RELEASE AND IT USUALLY COMES OUT WE'VE NOW I THINK YOU ALL HAVE, OR THE CITY HAS APPROVED THE LANGUAGE INTO THE UTILITY FLYER.

THAT IS CORRECT.

IT HAPPENED IN JUNE.

THE UTILITY FLYER FOR THE AUSTIN ENERGY JUST HAS ENOUGH ROOM FOR THE DATES AND TIMES OF THE CANDIDATE FORUMS. AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO RIDE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO REQUEST

[00:30:01]

LANGUAGE TRANSLATION, BUT THE CANDIDATE THERE IS A SPECIFIC CANDIDATE FORUM WEBSITE, UM, AND, AND THE PRESIDENT OR THE CHAIR OF THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION SENDS OUT A LETTER TO EVERY CANDIDATE IN AUGUST.

SO THERE'S A FILING DEADLINE AROUND AUGUST 20TH.

UH, THE NEXT DAY IS THE GOAL FOR THE LETTER, FROM THE CHAIR OF THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION TO GO OUT DESCRIBING EACH OF THE THREE, UM, CANDIDATE FORUMS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WILL INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR LANGUAGE TRANSLATION.

WE, IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE RUNNING TO ALSO BE PUBLISHING THIS INFORMATION.

WE WANT TO HAVE A CENTRAL SITE, AND WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE PREFERENCE TO A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT AS A CANDIDATE, AS OPPOSED TO SOME, SOME OTHER CANDIDATE.

SO WE WOULD JUST USE A CENTRAL SITE.

NOW IF, UH, ALSO COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE TO SEPARATE THEIR CAMPAIGN ROLE FROM THERE, THEY CAN'T USE CITY, CITY EQUIPMENT, OR CITY WEBSITE, UM, CITY RESOURCES FOR THEIR CAMPAIGN.

SO THEIR CAMPAIGN COULD CERTAINLY, UH, INCLUDE A LINK TO THE INFORMATION, UM, AT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, AS WELL AS THE, UH, CANDIDATE FORUM WEBSITE THAT THE S THIS THE CITY HAS.

UM, SO WE JUST, WE DID JUST NEED TO KEEP THOSE TWO SEPARATE, AND WE DO HAVE THAT INFORMATION ON OUR SITE, AND WE ALSO, UH, KEEP, UH, KEEP THAT FRESH AND KEEP THAT OUT IN OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, BECAUSE WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO VIEW IT ONLINE AND TO BE ABLE TO GO SEE IT IF THEY CAN'T VIEW IT THAT NIGHT.

SO THE TELEVISION, UH, WE GET A LOT OF HITS, UH, LOTS AND LOTS OF HITS ON OUR SITE.

AND WE LINK IT BACK TO THE, THE CITY, UH, ARCHIVE, UH, FOR A WINNER WHEN IT'S ARCHIVED THAT NEXT DAY AND THE OTHER DAYS THAT IT'S ON THERE.

SO YOU DO GET A LOT OF MOVEMENT ON THAT, BUT WE PUT ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS ON IT FROM DIRECTLY FROM THE CITY.

SO, UH, WE TRY TO GET IT TO EVERY CANDIDATE.

I USUALLY COMMUNICATE WITH THE CANDIDATES, UH, AND AS IF THEY'RE A CURRENT INCUMBENT, I DO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR, UH, CAMPAIGN OFFICE, UH, ON THAT TO KEEP IT AGAIN, KEEP IT OUT OF THE, THE CITY OFFICE.

SO WE TRY TO GET THAT INFORMATION AND WE TRY TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS THE INFORMATION.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE CANDIDATES ARE COMFORTABLE.

AND, UM, THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT SOMETIMES, BUT WE TRY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.

THAT'S A GREAT ORGANIZATION, BUT WE'RE PRIVILEGED AND HONORED.

AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR, UH, EVERY YEAR ALLOWING US TO WORK AND, UH, TO MEET THE, TO COMMISSIONER MCCORMICK FOR HER EFFORTS, UH, SHE GETS, SHE SHOULD HAVE SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR THEM, BUT WE THANK YOU FOR THE HONOR TO DO THIS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF ME, COMMISSIONER STANTON? I WANT TO ECHO, I WANT TO ECHO THOSE SENTIMENTS OF GRATITUDE THAT VERY FAMILIAR WITH L WV AND IN ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU DO.

UM, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ME UP TO SPEED.

I APOLOGIZE.

UM, RAN LATE TODAY AND THIS TOPIC IS, UM, UH, DEAR TO MY HEART.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF I, I THINK I, MY QUESTIONS ARE MORE FOR US.

UM, THE FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE CANDIDATE FORUM TO REQUEST THIS IS TO REQUEST SUPPORT IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

CORRECT? CORRECT.

AND WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO, AND IF IT IS TOO, UM, WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO EFFECT THIS CHANGE.

UM, I, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT MY INTENTION IS I WOULD LOVE TO SEE OUR PROCESS COME TO A POINT WHERE IT'S NOT A DIFFERENT PROCESS FOR ANOTHER LANGUAGE, RIGHT.

WE DON'T HAVE THE FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO THE CANDIDATE FORM PROCESS FOR SPANISH.

SO I WOULD LIKE FOR, EXCUSE ME, FOR EQUITY STAKE IN FAIRNESS THAT WE NOT IMPLEMENT THAT PROCESS, JUST BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I'M TRYING TO MAKE IT WHERE, WHY FOR VIETNAMESE OR CHINESE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO REQUEST IT FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE CANDIDATE FORM WISE.

AND THAT JUST A PART OF THE PROCESS, JUST AS MUCH AS SPANISHES I, IF THIS COMMISSION WANTS TO TAKE ACTION AND ADD VIETNAMESE AND, UM, CHINESE, THEN THAT WOULD BE FINE.

I DON'T, YOU KNOW, IF IT WERE, IF IT WENT BEYOND THAT, I THINK THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE RESEARCH DONE BY THE WORKING

[00:35:01]

GROUP TO WORK WITH THE DEMOGRAPHER, TO, YOU KNOW, TRY TO FOCUS BECAUSE WE HAVE A VENDOR, AN OUTSIDE VENDOR WHO'S OUT OF BOSTON WHO ACTUALLY PROVIDES LANGUAGE TRANSLATION FOR 20 LANGUAGES, BUT I, I THINK IT WOULD BE, UM, I'M SURE THERE ARE COSTS CONCERNS.

AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACT REQUIRES WITH, BUT THAT VENDOR IS AVAILABLE FOR FIVE BUSINESS DAYS NOTICE, UM, TO LOTS MORE LANGUAGES THAN THE FOUR THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED, BUT CERTAINLY THIS COMMISSION COULD EASILY SAY, CAN WE ADD VIETNAMESE CHINESE? IF THERE ARE, UM, IF THE WORKING GROUP WANTS TO TAKE TIME BETWEEN NOW AND THE JULY MEETING AND RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER OTHER TOP LANGUAGES ARE IN THIS, THOSE COUNCIL DISTRICTS.

UM, WELL REALLY SINCE THE MAYOR IS UP THIS TIME ACROSS THE CITY, THEN YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.

BUT I WOULD, AGAIN, JUST RECOMMEND THAT YOU NOT WAIT PAST THE JULY MEETING JUST BECAUSE AUSTIN, AUGUST IS CUTTING IT REALLY CLOSE TO THE FIRST CANDIDATE FORUM IN EARLY SEPTEMBER.

UM, EXCUSE ME, UM, COMMISSIONER MCCORMICK, AND THEN I'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER DANBURG.

FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE GOT TO SEE WHAT THE DEMAND IS.

AND SO IF YOU'RE IN THAT COMMUNITY, UH, WE NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT IN THAT COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT THE DEMAND WILL BE.

I DID AN INTERNATIONAL MEETING AND WE HAD TRANSLATION IN THREE LANGUAGES BECAUSE OF THE DEMAND.

SO THAT'S IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE WE CAN MAKE DECISIONS, BECAUSE IF YOU JUST HAVE A FEW PEOPLE THAT WANT THE TRANSLATION, YOU KNOW, FIVE, 10, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT'S NOT GOING TO PAY FOR US TO GET, HAVE THAT IT TRANSLATED AND THAT WITHOUT A VOLUME.

SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING WE'VE GOT TO DO IS DO SOME KIND OF A SURVEY TO SEE WHAT THE DEMAND IS.

COMMISSIONER, UM, EXCUSE ME, I'M SORRY.

I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THE QUEUE COMMISSIONER DANBURG AND THEN COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, AND THEN STAND.

YEP.

A NEED FOR REQUESTS FIVE DAYS IN ADVANCE.

WHILE WE STILL HAVE CAROL HERE.

UM, I'VE KNOWN MY, MY HEAVY WHO, YOU KNOW, RANDY CHAPMAN AND I INDIVIDUALLY AND TOGETHER I'VE BEEN LEAGUE MEMBERS FOR SINCE, BEFORE I WAS OLD ENOUGH TO VOTE, I THINK.

BUT, UH, ONE THING I NOTICED IS WE DO THE LEAGUE DOES A LOT OF FUNDRAISING SPECIFICALLY TO PUT OUT THE BUTTER GUY AND IT'S A VERY, UH, STRONGLY SUPPORTED EFFORT.

UH, AND I THINK THAT PROBABLY SOME OF THESE OTHER LANGUAGES THAT ARE SPOKEN IN AUSTIN AND THAT HAVE PRINT MEDIA, YOU KNOW, PRINT MEDIA IN THOSE VARIOUS LANGUAGES, I AM WILLING TO BET THEY HAVE DEMANDS VARIOUS VARIOUS MONEY SOURCES, AND THAT AMONG THEM WOULD BE SOME NON-PROFIT FUNDING FOR, FOR EDUCATION FOR THEIR AUDIENCE.

UH, AND I THINK THAT HAVING THE LEAGUE REACHING OUT TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THEMSELVES WORK SOME SORT OF PARTNERSHIP AND PUT IT INTO THE VARIOUS LANGUAGES, UH, OWNED NEWSPAPERS WOULD, WOULD BE BENEFICIAL IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, COMMISSIONER GREENBERG.

UM, I DON'T REALLY THINK THIS IS A FINANCIAL ISSUE.

THE, UM, WE'VE ALREADY SAID IF THERE'S A REQUEST FOR ANY OF THOSE 20 LANGUAGES, THE TRANSLATION WILL BE PROVIDED.

AND SO THIS IS JUST ABOUT MAKING IT EASIER.

SO THAT FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE FORUM, YOU DON'T SAY, OH, GEE, TOO LATE TO ASK FOR IT.

UM, THOSE OTHER TWO LANGUAGES, WHICH ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT AS PREDOMINANT AS ENGLISH OR SPANISH STILL ARE PREDOMINANT ENOUGH THAT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IS PROVIDING A GUIDE.

SO I THINK WE SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY, UM, HAVE THOSE ADDITIONAL TWO LANGUAGES, UM, PROVIDED FOR TRANSLATION SO THAT THERE WON'T BE

[00:40:01]

UM, I WISH WE COULD DO ALL 20, BUT, UM, TH THE OTHER TWO SEEMS REASONABLE, UH, COMMISSIONER STANTON, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GREENBERG.

UM, THAT IS MY PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.

WE HAVE A GREAT HISTORY AND WORK FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS WHO OBVIOUSLY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE EFFORT OF PROVIDING WRITTEN GUIDES IN FOUR LANGUAGES.

UM, I HAVE, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, UM, MY APOLOGIES, UM, QUESTION.

I, I MEAN, NO OFFENSE, BUT IT DOESN'T SIT WELL WITH ME FOR US TO SAY, WELL, IF THE DEMAND IS THERE AND THEY HAVE TO LET US KNOW THAT THEY NEED IT FOR US TO FILL THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO DO THAT, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, AND I'LL REPEAT MYSELF.

UM, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ALREADY DISENFRANCHISED COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITIES WHO DO NOT HAVE THE SAME ACCESS BECAUSE OF LANGUAGE BARRIERS.

UM, THE ONUS IS ON US TO SEE THAT THIS IS A BARRIER.

THAT LANGUAGE IS A BARRIER.

AND AGAIN, I, I, UM, I WANT TO APPLAUD THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FOR THEIR WORK IN THAT I'M SIMPLY ASKING FOR US TO ALIGN WITH WHAT'S ALREADY THERE PROVEN, RIGHT? THAT THESE, THAT THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED IN FOUR LANGUAGES.

UM, AT THIS POINT, THE WAY I LOOK AT IT AS, YEAH, I WOULD LOVE IT IN AS MANY LANGUAGES AS POSSIBLE, BUT I KIND OF LOOK AT THIS AS AN EASY ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.

UM, SO WHAT CAN WE DO? DOES IT NEED A, A MOTION? OKAY.

COMMISSIONER MCCORMICK, THAT, ISN'T WHAT I MADE YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR DEMAND AND THE CLUBS CAN GO AND I'M CLUB MEMBERS.

AND WHENEVER WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO SHOW UP FAR, WE GO TO THE CLUBS AND SAY, OKAY, WHO WANTS TO GO? AND WHO'S GOING, IT'S THE SAME WAY WITH GOING OVER TO THE CENTER? I'D SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, HOW MANY PEOPLE WANT TO COME AND WE WANT YOU TO COME.

SO IT'S, IT'S NOT AN OFFENSIVE THING.

IT'S, IT'S A PROUD THING TO SEE WHO, WHO WATCHED THE COM.

SO THAT'S MAP.

SORRY, SORRY.

COMMISSIONER MCCORMICK.

I THOUGHT YOU WERE DONE.

UM, OH, I'M GOING TO TAKE, UM, COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER GREENBERG HAS ONE MORE COMMENT, AND THEN WE'LL SORT OF WRAP IT UP AND SEE IF WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, UNLESS THERE'S A NEED FOR MORE DISCUSSION.

SO YES, THIS IS JUST A QUESTION WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE A TRANSLATION AS A CITY, IF THERE'S EVEN ONE REQUEST, IS THAT CORRECT? SO THE CORRECT ONE, BUT THE WAY THAT TELE TOWN HALL WORKS IS THAT IT WOULD BE VIRTUAL DURING, IT WOULD BE IN REAL TIME DURING THE CANDIDATE FORUM, THAT PERSON WOULD BE LISTENING ON A TELEPHONE LINE TO A TRANSLATOR IN THE LANGUAGE THEY REQUESTED.

SO, UM, THE OTHER POSSIBILITIES THAT WE DISCUSSED WERE, UM, USING A TRANSCRIPT AFTER THE CANDIDATE FORUM, UH, TWO THAT WOULD INCLUDE TRANSLATIONS IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

LIKE WE HAVE THE ENGLISH TRANSCRIPT OF THESE MEETINGS, IF YOU GO ON THE ATX IN.

UM, SO IT'S, I DON'T EXPECT THAT IT'S GOING TO BE PERFECT, JUST LIKE OUR CURRENT TRANSCRIPT IS NOT PERFECT.

UM, BUT IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, BE AS GOOD AS, UM, WHAT WE HAVE FOR ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

HOW DOES IT WORK FOR SPANISH? I THINK WE SHOULD PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICE FOR TWO ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES THAT WE PROVIDE FOR SPANISH.

AND OF COURSE, ENGLISH.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE JUST TREAT, UM, VIETNAMESE AND CHINESE, THE SAME FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE FORUM AS SPANISH AND ENGLISH.

I WOULD LIKE TO SECOND THAT MOTION, UM, LET'S ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS, AND I SAW COMMISSIONER DAN BURKE HAD, OR HER HAND UP AND COMMISSIONER SOBER ON AS WELL.

REGARDING THIS MOTION, BUT JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, WE ALSO AT FORUMS, DO YOU HAVE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE TRANSLATORS BY DEFAULT OR BY REQUEST UM, THIS IS LYNN CARVES, A LOT DEPARTMENT.

COMMISSIONER DANBURG IT'S, IT'S NOT

[00:45:01]

I KNOW THAT, UM, TARA OLSON WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE RAISED AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT I CAN'T RECALL IF SHE SAID THAT WAS DONE AUTOMATICALLY.

UM, BUT I, THAT WAS KIND OF MY UNDERSTANDING.

THERE THERE'S A SCRIPT THAT A REAL TIME SCRIPT THAT RUNS ON THE FORUM IN REAL TIME FOR WRITTEN SCRIPT TIER.

SO BRIAN, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP, SO I THINK I JUST WANTED, UM, UH, SO FIRST I'M GENERALLY IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S CLARITY ON WHAT THE EFFECT OF THE MOTION WOULD BE TO TREAT THOSE TWO LANGUAGES.

UM, THE SAME LEVEL, AS I THINK IF I HEARD THE MOST DIRECTLY, IT WAS TO TREAT, UH, STANDARDS, I'M INTERPRETING STANDARD CHINESE AND VIETNAMESE, UM, THE SAME AS SPANISH.

AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THE FULL IMPLICATIONS OF THAT.

UM, BUT JUST GENERALLY IN SUPPORT, IT'S COMING FROM A PLACE OF SUPPORT AND WANTING TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

MS. CARTER.

UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD WAS, OH, SORRY, DONNA, BETH, THE HISTORY ABOUT SIGN LANGUAGE IN THE PAST VIDANT MANY YEARS, UH, IT HAS TO BE REQUESTED TO HOW SIGN LANGUAGE.

AND INDEED, SINCE I'VE DONE A FEW JULIAN CONVENTIONS, IT'S GETTING TO WHERE NOW IT'S NOT AS PROMINENT TO HAVE SIGN LANGUAGE, UM, UNLESS IT'S REQUESTED.

AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE TO DO SIGN LANGUAGE BECAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IS AVAILABLE WITH THE TRAN, LIKE IT WAS WHEN I WAS IN SPECIAL ED.

SO, UH, YOU HAVE TO REQUEST IT.

UM, MS. CARTER, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD WAS IF WE VOTE ON A MOTION TO, UM, ELEVATE, UM, TO HAVE VIETNAMESE AND CHINESE AND TREAT THEM THE SAME WAY WE DO SPANISH, DOES THAT MEAN THAT PEOPLE WILL STILL HAVE TO CALL IN AND, UH, IN ORDER TO HEAR THE FORUM IN THAT LANGUAGE OR, OR WILL THAT NEGATE THE NEED TO DO THAT? BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENT AHEAD OF TIME.

I, I WILL HAVE TO CHECK ON THAT.

I MEAN, IF THAT IS THE DIRECTION GIVEN BY THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION, THEN WE, WE WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE VERY LEAST THE TRANSCRIPT COULD BE DONE THE NEXT DAY AND A TELEPHONE LINE COULD BE, UM, PROVIDED, UH, IN THE NOTICES FOR THOSE TWO LANGUAGES.

LIKE THIS WOULD BE THE TELEPHONE NUMBER THAT YOU CALL.

UM, I, I'M NOT, I KNOW RIGHT NOW THAT THERE IS A SPANISH RADIO STATION THAT BROADCASTS, UM, THE CANDIDATE FORMS IN SPANISH LANGUAGE.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS DOABLE FOR VIETNAMESE AND, UM, FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CHINESE THAT'S BASED ON MANDARIN.

UM, SO, UM, I'M JUST NOT SURE, BUT I THINK IF THAT IS THE DIRECTION THAT YOU GIVE THAT THE CITY, UM, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE WILL DO EVERYTHING IT CAN TO GET AS CLOSE AS THEY CAN TO WHAT IS PROVIDED, UM, THROUGH SPANISH.

BUT WE HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE GROUPS THAT ARE ASSISTING WITH THAT.

AND SO I JUST, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT'S DOABLE.

UM, AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT FOR ME, IT'S A WIN, IT'S A SUCCESS.

IF WE TAKE ANY STEP TOWARDS THAT END GOAL, UM, I AM SENSITIVE TO PERHAPS THIS DIRECTIVE COULD POSE A HARDSHIP IF WE WERE TO FULLY IMPLEMENTED.

AND THAT'S KIND OF A NOD TO WHAT, UM, UH, CHAIR'S SOBER MENTIONED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE IMPLICATIONS, RIGHT? WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OR WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO, I CAN'T THINK

[00:50:01]

OF A BETTER WORD, BUT TO BRING IT INTO COMPLIANCE.

AND SO BEING AWARE THAT IT COULD MEAN A LOT OF THINGS TO BRING IT INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THIS NEW DIRECTIVE, IF IT PASSES.

UM, I JUST WANT TO STATE THAT I WOULD BE HAPPY IF, IF WE CAN JUST SHOW PROGRESS OR WE SAY IT'S A LIST OF 10 THINGS AND YOU GIVEN THE TIME WE CAN ONLY IMPLEMENT ONE.

THAT TO ME IS PROGRESS AND NOT EXPECTING ALL 10 OF THOSE ITEMS TO BE ADDRESSED FOR THE NEXT CANDIDATE FORUM, BUT JUST HAVING THIS ON RECORD, THAT THIS IS THE DIRECTION AND MAKING GOOD FAITH EFFORT IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.

UH, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. I SEE YOU HAD RAISED YOUR HAND.

UM, MY QUESTION IS, UM, IS ANYONE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW, UM, THIS MAY CREATE SORT OF DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT FOR OTHER MINORITY GROUPS AS WELL, WHO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, THE, UM, EVENT BROADCAST AND THEIR SPECIFIC LANGUAGE? UM, IF WE ELEVATE, UM, I GUESS IT'S VIETNAMESE AND CHINESE TO THE, THE LEVEL OF SPANISH, UM, WHAT'S THE POLICY BEHIND THAT W I CAN SEE WHAT SPANISH, BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH A LARGE POPULATION THAT'S STATISTICALLY DOCUMENTED, UM, UH, NEED TO, TO MAKE THAT SORT OF A NO-BRAINER, BUT WITH REGARDS TO THE OTHER MINORITY GROUPS, UH, WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE THRESHOLD TO WHERE WE START ALLOWING FOR THE SAME SORT OF AUTOMATIC TRANSLATION SERVICES FOR THOSE GROUPS.

SO I, THIS IS LYNN CARTER WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT.

I IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT VIETNAMESE AND THE, UH, INTERNATIONAL CHINESE THAT'S BASED ON MANDARIN ARE THE NEXT TWO, UM, MOST POPULOUS LANGUAGES.

AND I, I SHOULD HAVE EXPLAINED EARLIER THAT WHEN I SAID, IF THE WORKING GROUP WANTS TO WORK WITH THE DEMOGRAPHER, THE DEMOGRAPHER HAS THE CENSUS DATA FROM THE MOST RECENT CENSUS THAT IF PEOPLE INCLUDED THE, UH, LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN THE HOUSEHOLD, THEN WE WOULD HAVE THAT, THAT INFORMATION, UM, FOR THE CITY AS WELL.

SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE 20 LANGUAGES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE BY, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CALL IN AND LISTEN TO THAT TRANSLATION IN REAL TIME.

I DON'T KNOW HOW THOSE WERE CHOSEN.

UM, BUT IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING.

AND MAYBE THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS MAY HAVE MORE EXPERTISE ON THIS, THAT VIETNAMESE AND THE, UH, INTERNATIONAL CHINESE WERE THE NEXT TWO MOST, UM, POPULOUS IF THAT'S THE CORRECT TERM, UM, IN TERMS OF POPULATION, OUR POPULATION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, PEOPLE WHO SPEAK THAT AS A FIRST LANGUAGE, THAT WAS OUR FINDING, AND THAT WAS WHY THE LANGUAGES WERE CHOSEN.

UH, BUT THE SPANISH IS, IS WAY, YOU KNOW, ON THE GRAPH IT'S HERE AND THEN THE OTHERS ARE HERE.

SO THAT'S WHY WE CHOSE THAT.

AND THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T PRINT AS MANY BECAUSE OF THE COST.

HAVE ANYBODY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER LAURIE? UH, I ACTUALLY REALLY LIKED THAT MOST RECENT SUGGESTION BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'M THIS WAY TOO.

I'M GOING TO THROW OUT THERE THAT WE, OH, SORRY, COMMISSIONER LAURIE.

UM, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR RAISING THIS ISSUE.

I THINK IT'S A REALLY, UM, INTERESTING TOPIC, UM, TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF SORT OF, HOW DO YOU PICK AND CHOOSE LANGUAGES AND WOULD IT SEEM SORT OF DISCRIMINATORY IN WHICH LANGUAGES WE'RE PICKING? ONE WAY WE COULD STAY TO IS NOT SPECIFY, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS YEAR, YES, IT WOULD BE VIETNAMESE AND CHINESE, BUT JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, THE TOP FIVE, MOST SPOKEN LANGUAGES AND HOUSEHOLDS IN AUSTIN BASED ON MOST RECENT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA OR WHATEVER IT IS, WE WOULD HAVE THOSE ACCESSIBLE, UM, ON THE SPOT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO APPLY IN ADVANCE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO WE CAN SORT OF CREATE THAT THRESHOLD.

LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, CREATE A NUMBER OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, TOP FOUR, TOP FIVE, MOST COMMONLY SPOKEN LANGUAGES.

AND IT APPEARS BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING, THAT AT LEAST THE, YOU KNOW, THE ADDITIONAL TWO RIGHT NOW THAT WE KNOW OF WOULD BE VIETNAMESE AND, UM, INTERNATIONAL CHINESE COMMISSIONER GREENBERG.

WE COULD ALSO SAY FOR THIS YEAR'S FORUMS AND SEE WHAT THE DEMAND TURNS OUT TO BE BEFORE THIS KIND OF CHANGE HAS MADE PERMANENT ANYBODY WHO'S VIRTUAL,

[00:55:01]

IT'S LIKE, WE WANT TO KIND OF FIGURE EVERYTHING OUT BEFOREHAND BEFORE WE IMPLEMENT STUFF.

AND OFTEN THINGS JUST TAKE FOREVER TO CHANGE.

AND SO I KIND OF LIKED THE IDEA OF A TRIAL.

LIKE, LET'S TRY IT OUT, LET'S SEE WHO ACTUALLY SHOWS UP, UM, AND USES THESE SERVICES INSTEAD OF WAITING TO EXPAND AND PROVIDE.

I LIKE THAT SUGGESTION.

SO I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

WOULD WE BE ABLE TO GET METRICS ON THAT ON USAGE? IS THAT SOMETHING THE CITY TRACKS? I MEAN, IN THEORY THEY SHOULD, BUT LYNN CARTER WITH A LOT DEPARTMENT, I'M NOT CERTAIN, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DEMOGRAPHER HAS ACCESS AND HAS INTERPRETED THE CENSUS DATA.

THAT INCLUDES, UM, INFORMATION PROVIDED BY PEOPLE WHO FILLED OUT THE CENSUS, A CENSUS ABOUT THEIR LANGUAGE SPOKEN IN THE HOME.

UH, ACTUALLY, AND I'M GOING TO CLARIFY MY QUESTION.

MY QUESTION WAS, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO TRACK THE USAGE OF THOSE SERVICES, YOU KNOW, AS THE CANDIDATE FORUMS TAKE PLACE? SO COMMISSIONER TENOR, YUCA, I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE CAN REQUEST THAT INFORMATION FROM THE DEMOGRAPHER, LIKE, UM, WHAT ARE THE TOP FIVE LANGUAGES RIGHT NOW, OR WHAT ARE THE, ALL OF THEM ACTUALLY, IF HE CAN LIST THEM ALL OUT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT JUST FOR US TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION, BUT I DO AGREE THAT WE SHOULD BE TRACKING METRICS WISE, UH, COMMISSIONER STANTON.

I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF THE, LET'S SEE WHAT SHAKES OUT FIRST BEFORE WE, UM, BEFORE WE DO WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE MOST EQUITABLE AND FAIR.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, AND I FEEL THAT THIS IT'S KIND OF A CIRCULAR LOGIC.

IT KIND OF PUTS THE ONUS BACK ON IT.

IT FEELS TO ME LIKE WE WANT PEOPLE TO PROVE THAT THEY NEED IT BEFORE WE PROVIDE IT.

AND THAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF MY PERSPECTIVE ON THIS.

I THINK THAT WE, THE ONUS IS ON US.

WE KNOW BETTER IN THE SENSE THAT WE HAVE DATA SHOWING, YOU KNOW, BASED ON CENSUS DATA, THE MOST POPULOUS OR MOST THE TOP FIVE WIDELY USE LANGUAGE IN OUR CITY.

IT'S BEEN THE BASIS OF A GROUP THAT HAS DONE TREMENDOUS GREAT WORK WITH, UH, VOTER EDUCATION.

AND IT SEEMS KIND OF WE'RE GOING BACKWARDS.

AND WE'RE SAYING, WELL, PROVE TO US, PROVE TO US THAT WE SHOULD PROVIDE THE SERVICE BY SHOWING UP.

AND I THINK THAT THAT IS, THAT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT TO ME.

WE KNOW WHAT THE LANGUAGES ARE.

WE KNOW WHERE THE GAPS ARE.

WE KNOW THE PROBLEMS WHEN THERE ARE LANGUAGE BARRIERS AND WE HAVE THAT IT IS EASILY REMEDIED OR, YOU KNOW, ALL WE'RE ALL I'M ASKING FOR IS TO ADD TWO LANGUAGES THAT ARE ALREADY ADDRESSED BY THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FOR YEARS, ADDING THOSE TWO LANGUAGES TO GET THE SAME TREATMENT AS ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE TO PROVE THAT THE PEOPLE WANTED FIRST, UH, COMMISSIONER LAURIE, SORRY, JUST TO CLARIFY MY COMMENTS IN CASE THAT'S CREATING CONFUSION.

I AGREE.

I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS BASED ON THAT WE COME UP WITH TOP FOUR, TOP FIVE LANGUAGES, AND I MEANT TO SAY, DON'T WAIT TO TEST IT OUT, PUT IT OUT THERE.

AND WE CAN TRACK THE METRICS, YOU KNOW, TO SEE WHETHER IT IS, HAS BEEN USEFUL.

BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD WAIT TO GET THAT DATA WAIT.

OR LIKE YOU SAID, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE HAVE TO PROVE THAT THEY NEED THIS, BUT I THINK IT IS USEFUL TO MONITOR THE EFFICACY OF OUR CHANGES.

SO I AGREE WITH YOU.

I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA IS THERE AND I THINK EXPANDING NOW, UM, RATHER THAN CREATING MORE OBSTACLES, UM, AND TESTS BEFORE WE GO AHEAD AND DO IT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT.

SO I'M GOING TO GET BACK TO THE MOTION.

WE HAD A MOTION TO ADD VIETNAMESE AND THE INTERNATIONAL MANDARIN CHINESE, AND I'M GONNA SUGGEST THAT WE, THAT WE TAKE A VOTE ON THE MOTION AND THAT WE LEAVE

[01:00:01]

OPEN THE POSSIBILITY OF THE WORKING GROUP IN THE INTERIM.

IF, IF THE WORKING GROUP WORKING GROUP TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER LANGUAGES PRIOR TO THE CANDIDATE FORUMS THAT WE ALSO WANT TO PUT INTO THIS PROCESS.

AND THEN, AND THEN, UM, AS WE WERE SAYING BEFORE, ONCE A CANDIDATE FORUMS ARE, ARE DONE, WE CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THE USAGE LIKE, HOW ARE WE, WHERE WERE WE SUCCESSFUL? HOW DO WE BE MORE SUCCESSFUL? BUT I THINK WE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON THE MOTION AT THIS TIME AND LEAVE IT OPEN THAT WE CAN DISCUSS THIS, UH, IF THE WORKING GROUP WOULD LIKE TO, UM, PRIOR TO THE NEXT MEETING, UNLESS THERE'S ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON IT.

SO WOULD YOU REPEAT THE MOTION? SO NOW, BECAUSE I LOVED YOUR ADDITION, I'M JUST NOT SURE THAT THAT IS PART OF THE MOTION, RIGHT.

AND IT'S, IT'S NOT PART OF THE MOTION.

IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST ME SAYING THE WORKING GROUP HAS THAT OPTION IF THEY WOULD LIKE.

SO THE MOTION IS TO INCLUDE VIETNAMESE AND MANDARIN CHINESE AND THE, UM, IN THE CAMPAIGN CANDIDATE FORUMS THAT WE ARE DOING, UM, ON THE SAME LEVEL THAT WE DO WITH SPANISH AND I HAD SECONDED IT.

AND YOU HAD SECOND TO THAT.

I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD UNLESS THERE'S ANY MORE DISCUSSION I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON THIS.

I'LL JUST GO DOWN THE LIST AS IT IS ON THE AGENDA.

UM, IS THAT OKAY WITH EVERYBODY? WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE.

COMMISSIONER LEVINSON IS NOT HERE.

COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. I SUPPORT THE MOTION.

UH, VICE CHAIR, KALE.

I SUPPORT THE MOTION.

COMMISSIONER GREENBERG.

COMMISSIONER MCCORMACK.

UM, COMMISSIONER, EXCUSE ME.

THAT MOTION HAS PASSED.

UM, THOSE OF US WHO RUN ON THE WORKING GROUP CAN EMAIL EACH OTHER AFTER THIS AND JUST SEE WHERE WE WANT TO GO NEXT ON IT.

SO, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, IS, DID YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE? MISS ECHO CAMP? YEAH.

YOU GUYS HAVE, HAVE BROUGHT SOME THINGS TO LIGHT.

AND I THINK THE COUNTY ALSO RUNS THE ELECTION PROCESS FOR US.

AND AS THE LEAGUE PART OF OUR WHOLE MISSION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ELECTIONS ARE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.

BUT I ALSO THINK IT GOES BACK INTO THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN FROM THE TOP UP, BUT IT HAPPENS FROM THOSE PEOPLE WORKING IN THE DISTRICTS AND THOSE PEOPLE WORKING IN THE DISTRICTS SHOULD KNOW THEIR, UM, THEIR CONSTITUENCY.

AND IF THERE IS A LANGUAGE NEED IN THEIR CONSTITUENCY, THAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT UP FROM THE COUNCIL FROM THE GROUND LEVEL, NOT FOR MANY COMMISSIONER BOARD, UH, ON THIS, I ADMIRE YOUR WORK ON THIS, BUT IT'S ALSO, IS IT ACCESSIBLE AS A ELECTION, UH, FOR THE CITY.

SO, UM, ALSO THE FISCAL COST OF DOING THIS AND AS A CITIZEN AND AS A MEMBER OF THE LEAGUE, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE THAT TOO.

SO I ADMIRE THAT AND I JUST APPRECIATE YOU SETTING A STANDARD FOR US.

THAT'S A GREAT POINT TOO.

COMMISSIONER MCCORMACK.

I JUST HAVE A LITTLE COMMENT.

WE'VE GOT ANOTHER GROUP THAT'S COMING IN, UH, EASTERN EUROPEAN PEOPLE, RIGHT.

THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, BECAUSE THEY ARE MOVING IN AND A LOT OF THEM ARE ALREADY HERE.

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT GROUP TOO.

SO WE HAVE AN OPTIONAL ITEM CONTINUATION OF THE ETHICS CODE OVERVIEW OF SECTION 2 7, 6, 2 STANDARDS OF CONFIDENCE CONDUCT AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST PROVISIONS.

THERE ARE A LOT OF, UM, AUSTIN'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE DIVERSE EVERY SINGLE DAY.

SO, UM, AND A LOT OF THOSE ARE IN MY NEIGHBORHOODS.

ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING TO GO ONTO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM WE'RE GOING TO, UM,

[d. Ethics Code Overview of Section 2-7-62 (Standards of Conduct) and conflict of interest provisions, Section 2-7-63, 2-7-64, and 2-7-65, and Section 2-7-2 (Definitions).]

SECTION 2 7 6 3 2 7 6 4 AND 2 7 6 5.

AND SECTION 2 72.

UM, MS. CORTEZ THAT'S LYNN, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU COULD COMMENT ON? UM, THERE ARE ABOUT 13 MORE SLIDES.

IF THE COMMISSION WANTS ME TO GO FORWARD, IF THE COMMISSION HER FIRST WEEK, THAT CAN BE POSTPONED.

IT'S UP TO YOU.

WHAT IS THE VIBE TONIGHT? DO YOU ALL WANT TO GO THROUGH THOSE SLIDES? COMMISSIONER .

IS THAT THE LAST THING ON THE AGENDA? UM, NO, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME OLD BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA, BUT I, I THINK IT SHOULD GO FAIRLY QUICKLY.

I'M OKAY WITH MOVING FORWARD JUST TO KNOCK IT OUT.

I AGREE.

VIRTUAL COMMISSIONERS.

[01:05:02]

WHAT, WHETHER YOU'RE AN ATTORNEY OR A NON-ATTORNEY, THESE ARE THE RULES FOR ALL LOBBYISTS.

LET'S DO IT.

AND SO I'M, CAN WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION ON THE SCREEN? YES.

AND THE WE'RE YEAH.

IT'S SLIDE 47 ACTUALLY.

I BELIEVE.

DID YOU SAY 40? YEAH.

47.

THAT'S GREAT.

SO, UM, LAST, UM, MEETING THE LAST TWO MEETINGS, WE'VE HAD THIS, UM, ETHICS PRESENTATION, WHICH IS NOT THE ENTIRE ETHIC CODE ETHICS CODE, BUT WE'VE COVERED, UM, KIND OF WHAT 2 7, 6 TWOS HAS THE STANDARDS OF CONDUCT AND THEN THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST PROVISIONS AND, UH, QUITE A FEW OF THE DEFINITIONS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.

SO WE'RE BACK TO GIFTS ON, UM, SLIDE 47.

AND, UM, SO YOU MAY REMEMBER LAST TIME WE DISCUSSED, THERE'S A $50 GIFT LIMIT.

UM, IT CAN NOT BE CASH.

UM, THE EXCEPTIONS AND GIFT CARDS ARE CONSIDERED CASH.

UM, ONE EXCEPTION THAT IS BUILT INTO THE CITY CODE IS THAT, UM, GIFTS BETWEEN COWORKERS, UM, WAS THAT, DO YOU WANT TO SEE IF YOU CAN HELP HIM LOCATE SLIDE 47? I THINK WE'RE JUST A LITTLE BIT OFF.

UM, SO GIFTS BETWEEN COWORKERS IS ALLOWED, UM, IT'S A CUMULATIVE $50 OF THE YEAR.

UM, AND SO WE ALWAYS CAUTION SUPERVISORS THAT THEY SHOULD BE CAREFUL NOT TO FAVOR ANY COWORKERS.

AND PLEASE KNOW THAT THE CITY DEPARTMENTS HAVE SOMETHING, UM, CALLED REWARDS AND RECOGNITION THAT THE APARTMENTS CAN PROVIDE THINGS LIKE POP UP, YOU KNOW, BREAKFAST, TACOS, OR POPCORN.

THEY CAN USE REWARD AND RECOGNITION MONEY TO PROVIDE THINGS LIKE GIFT CERTIFICATES BASED ON THAT FUNDING IN THE CITY AND THE CITY WOULD BUY THOSE AND PROVIDE THEM TO EMPLOYEES ON AN EQUITABLE BASIS.

SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, UH, UH, EXCEPTIONS.

AND THEN NEXT SLIDE.

SO INAPPROPRIATE GIFTS.

UM, IF, FOR EXAMPLE, A VENDOR WERE TO GIVE A CITY OFFICIAL OR CITY DEPARTMENT A GIFT.

THOSE WOULD HAVE TO BE RETURNED IF THEY COULD NOT BE RETURNED.

UM, OUR RULE IS THAT THOSE BE PROVIDED TO A NONPROFIT.

UM, AND, BUT WE ALWAYS TELL CITY OFFICIALS THAT THEY NEED TO COMMUNICATE TO THE PERSON OR ENTITY THAT PROVIDED A GIFT THAT WE CANNOT ACCEPT THEM, UH, DUE TO THE CITY'S, UH, ETHICS CODE.

SO THAT THEY'LL KNOW NOT TO DO IT AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

UM, SO AGAIN, NONPROFITS WE'VE, YOU KNOW, HAD, UH, PERISHABLE THINGS LIKE FRUIT TRAYS, UM, THAT ENDED UP GOING TO NONPROFITS.

UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY WERE TO COME IN FROM A VENDOR, AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE IF THE CITY HAS AT THE LAW DEPARTMENT HAS A CONTRACT THROUGH THE CITY WITH THE COURT REPORTING SERVICE, AND THEY WERE TO GET, SEND SOME PERISHABLE ITEMS. THOSE WOULD BE SENT TO A, UM, CHARITABLE, UH, NONPROFIT GROUP.

UM, AND SO LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO LOBBYING REGULATIONS, UH, LOBBYING REGULATIONS ARE IN CHAPTER FOUR, EIGHT OF THE CITY CODE.

THIS COMMISSION HAS JURISDICTION, UM, OVER IF THERE WERE A VIOLATION OF THE, UH, CHAPTER FOUR EIGHT, IT WOULD COME TO THIS COMMISSION SO FAR, WE HAVE, WE'VE HAD 16 COMPLAINTS THAT WERE THEN WITHDRAWN BECAUSE THEY WERE WORKED OUT, UH, IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE, UM, PRELIMINARY HEARING.

AND SO THIS COMMISSION DID NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE EARLY ON.

WHEN WE HAD THE, UM, NEW LANGUAGE THAT WAS ADOPTED IN JUNE OF 2017, WE HAD SEVERAL LAW, 16 LAWYERS OR LAW FIRMS WHO DIDN'T WANT TO DISCLOSE THEIR COMPENSATION, THE AMOUNT OF THE COMPENSATION THEY RECEIVED FROM THEIR CLIENTS, THE CITY'S POSITION WAS IF YOU'RE A LOBBYIST, IT DOESN'T MATTER

[01:10:01]

AND SO IF YOU MET, IF YOU MEET THE DEFINITION OF HAVING TO REGISTER AS A LOBBYIST, YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES.

UM, SO THE ATTORNEYS IN THEIR LAW FIRMS DECIDED THEY WOULD COMPLY AND WE HAVE NOT HAD ISSUES WITH THAT SENSE.

UM, SO WE'LL SEE IF, YOU KNOW, WE GET COMPLAINTS IN THE FUTURE.

IF WE DO THEN, THEN THIS COMMISSION HAS AUTHORITY TO HEAR THOSE, UM, NOT FOR A FINAL HEARING, BUT ONLY AT A PRELIMINARY HEARING STAGE AS THE CURRENT PROVISION, THE CITY CODE.

SO WHAT WE DO TRAIN CITY OFFICIALS ON IN TERMS OF LOBBYING REGULATIONS IS THAT CITY OFFICIALS HAVE TO KEEP CERTAIN RECORDS, UM, FOR IF THERE IS AN IN-PERSON MEETING, NOT ONE THAT'S VIDEO OR TELEPHONE AT THIS POINT, ALTHOUGH THAT COUNCIL IS WANTING TO CHANGE THAT, TO MAKE, BROADEN IT, TO INCLUDE PEOPLE ON VIDEO AND TELEPHONE.

UM, IF IT'S WITH A PERSON BEING COMPENSATED BY ANOTHER, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THAT PERSON IS, UM, A REGISTERED LOBBYIST OR NOT.

UM, THEN THERE ARE CERTAIN DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS AND CITY DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICES, INCLUDING COUNCIL OFFICES HAVE TO KEEP THAT INFORMATION.

NEXT SLIDE.

THIS ALSO APPLIES TO NOT JUST ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT BOARD MEMBERS.

AND Y'ALL MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT IN YOUR, IN EVERY EMAIL THAT YOU SEND OUT, THERE IS A FOOTER THAT PROVIDES A LINK TO A MONKEY SURVEY, SO THAT IF ANYONE WERE TO WANT TO MEET WITH YOU IN PERSON, THEY THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THAT INFO, PROVIDE THE DISCLOSURES OF THEIR NAME, THE IDENTITY OF THEIR CLIENT, UM, THE CITY OFFICIAL THEY'RE MEETING WITH AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE BEING COMPENSATED.

SO FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AUTOMATICALLY GETS THOSE RECORDS.

UNFORTUNATELY, YOU DON'T GET A COPY OF WHEN THAT INFORMATION IS COMPLETED, BUT YOUR EMAILS AUTOMATICALLY SEND OUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.

THIS COMMISSION, YOU HAVE AN EX PARTE COMMUNICATION PRIVILEGES, SO YOU DON'T HAVE THIS ISSUE ARISE, BUT THERE ARE OTHER COMMISSIONS WHERE OUTSIDE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE EFFECTED BY VOTE ARE GOING TO REQUEST A MEETING, UH, WITH AN INDIVIDUAL MEMBER OF THE, THE COMMISSION.

UM, SO NEXT, UH, SLIDE I'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS MONKEY SURVEY.

LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO CITY DEPARTMENTS HAVE KIND OF A SIGN IN SHEET THAT THEY CAN USE AT A RECEPTION DESK.

UH, THEY CAN CREATE THEIR OWN FORM.

THEY CAN SET UP AN ELECTRONIC KIOSK TO COLLECT THAT INFORMATION.

WHEN SOMEBODY GOES ONSITE TO A CITY FACILITY TO, UM, MEET WITH THE CITY OFFICIAL, UM, THE, UH, CITY CLERK'S OFFICE IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT ALSO PUT TOGETHER AN OUTLOOK IN BY THAT, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICERS USE NEXT SLIDE.

AND IT'S KIND OF HARD TO TELL ON THIS SLIDE, BUT BASICALLY IT JUST SAYS, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE MEETING DATE AND TIME, AND IT ASKS FOR THE INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED, UM, BY THE PERSON THAT'S, THAT'S INVITED TO MEET WITH THE CITY OFFICIAL.

UM, NEXT SLIDE SO THAT, UM, THE LOBBYING REGULATIONS ARE MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF WHAT CITY, UH, DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICES ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE, THAT'S THE INFORMATION THAT WILL BE PROVIDED BECAUSE YOU ARE A BODY THAT WOULD BE, UM, POTENTIALLY SITTING TO DECIDE ETHICS COMPLAINTS, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WILL BE PROVIDED TO YOU, UH, WOULD REALLY BE LEGAL ADVICE AND WILL BE PROVIDED TO YOU IN A CLOSED SESSION OR IN AN OPEN SESSION WHEN YOU ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT A SPECIFIC MATTER.

I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT WOULD REALLY BE, UH, APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO BE EDUCATING YOU AT LENGTH ON THE LOBBYING REGULATIONS.

UM, SO FUNDRAISING, UH, THE CITY IS VERY CAREFUL ABOUT, UH, DOING FUNDRAISING WITH PARTNERING WITH OTHER GROUPS TO DO FUNDRAISING, IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN.

UM, THEN IT HAS TO BE APPROVED AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS.

UM, NEXT SLIDE EMPLOYEES CANNOT SOLICIT FUNDS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

UM, AND ONE OF THE EXAMPLES I GAVE YOU EARLIER IS THAT

[01:15:01]

EMPLOYEES CAN'T GO GET GIFT CARDS FOR LIKE THE CHARITABLE, UM, FUNDRAISING THAT THEY DO IN THE FALL FOR, FOR CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS.

UM, BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, EMPLOYEES CAN NEVER SOLICIT FUNDS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.

UM, AND IF THERE WERE TO BE SOME KIND OF PARTNERING, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH A NONPROFIT GROUP TO, UM, TRY TO DO SOME FUNDRAISING FOR THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A PUBLIC PURPOSE UNDER THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION.

AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS, NOT JUST THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, BUT ALSO THE CITY MANAGER.

UM, AND THE REASON IS THAT WE DON'T WANT BUSINESSES TO FEEL DISADVANTAGED IF, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY DOES BUSINESS WITH THE CITY AND THEY'RE ASKED TO DONATE TO IT ANY GOOD, CAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO FEEL PRESSURED TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE ARE THE PUBLIC FISK, UH, AND WE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE LOTS OF FUNDING NEXT SLIDE.

SO THIS POLICY IS, IS GEARED TOWARD TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY MANAGER, UH, IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, IS PROVIDING CONSISTENCY AND MAKING SURE THAT, THAT, THAT WE DON'T HAVE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS MAKING DECISIONS ON THAT.

IT HAS TO BE HANDLED AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS.

UM, AND IF WE WERE TO GET A GIFT, SO SOMETIMES WE GET A GIFT FROM LIKE A SISTER CITY, UM, OVERSEAS, UM, THAT, THAT IS ALL INVENTORIED BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.

UM, AND SO WE HAVE TO KEEP STRICT ACCOUNTING OF THAT, UH, SORT OF THING.

SO NEXT SLIDE, UM, USE OF CITY PROPERTY.

THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE KIND OF ALREADY TALKED ABOUT.

SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO THROUGH IT QUICKLY.

UM, MISUSE OF GOVERNMENT RESOURCES, LIKE IF IT WERE USED FOR A CAMPAIGN, UH, CAN BE A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

UM, IT MEANS USING A CITY RESOURCE FOR SOME KIND OF PERSONAL BENEFIT, WHETHER IT BE FOR A CITY EMPLOYEE OR A CITY OFFICIAL, OR FOR A FRIEND OR SOMEONE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO INFLUENCE OR SOMEBODY WHO'S TRYING TO GET FAVORS FROM THE CITY.

UM, AND EMPLOYEE'S TIME ON THE JOB IS CONSIDERED A GOVERNMENT RESOURCE AND STATE LAW PENALTIES RANGE, UH, FROM A CLASS C MENACE CLASS C MISDEMEANOR TO A FIRST DEGREE FELONY.

SO, UM, THE POTENTIAL PENALTIES ARE PRETTY HIGH UP TO A $500 FINE.

UM, AND THEN IF IT WERE A FELONY, UH, FIVE TO 99 YEARS AND A FINE OF UP TO $10,000.

SO, UM, STATE LAW TAKES MISUSE OF, UH, CITY PROPERTY OR PROPERTY, VERY, UM, SERIOUSLY, NEXT SLIDE.

SO THE CITY HAS A NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATIVE BULLETINS.

UM, THESE ARE, UM, AUTHOR BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.

UM, I'M KIND OF GOING THROUGH A LIST OF THOSE THAT THESE, THAT WE PROVIDE TO EXECUTIVES THAT ARE ETHICS RELATED WHEN THEY COME ON BOARD AT THE CITY.

UM, THERE ARE LOTS MORE THAN THIS, BUT I'M JUST SHOWING YOU A LIST OF THE, UM, TOPICS THAT WE INCLUDE IN AN EXECUTIVE, UH, ETHICS, UH, ORIENTATION NOTEBOOK.

SO IT INCLUDES USE OF THE INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM DIMINIMOUS USE IS OKAY.

LIKE THE EXAMPLES I GAVE YOU BEFORE ABOUT THE PHONE OR THE COMPUTER CHECKING A KID'S SCHOOL, UM, CALLING A DOCTOR'S OFFICE, THAT SORT OF THING.

UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF GIFT, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE BULLETINS, BUT ONE IS ABOUT SOLICITING GIFTS OR CONTRIBUTIONS.

UM, WHAT'S ALLOWED AND NOT ALLOWED AT, UM, CHARITABLE EVENTS OR, UM, IF THERE'S AN EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION, UM, ATTENDANCE AT A CONVENTION OR ADMISSION TO AN EVENT, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE THAT THERE HAS TO BE A PUBLIC PURPOSE, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, IF AS CITY EMPLOYEE WERE INVITED TO SPEAK AT AN, UH, EVENT, UM, LIKE A GOVERNMENT LAW CONFERENCE FOR CITY ATTORNEYS AND, AND IT'S TYPICAL THAT SPEAKERS GET FREE REGISTRATION AND SOMETIMES MEALS AND TRAVEL OR LODGING, IF THAT'S OFFERED FOR ALL THE SPEAKERS, THAT'S APPROPRIATE, IT'S A PUBLIC PURPOSE.

WE GAIN KNOWLEDGE WHEN WE GO TO THESE SEMINARS AND WE GAIN KNOWLEDGE WHEN WE PREPARE A DETAILED PAPER, UM, ON AN AREA OF GOVERNMENT LAW, UH, INCLUDING GOVERNMENT ETHICS, THEN THAT IS APPROPRIATE.

UM, THERE, THE SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT, NEXT SLIDE, UH, SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM.

THERE'S A REQUIREMENT THAT THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR, AS WELL AS DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS

[01:20:01]

APPROVE SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT.

SO THERE IS A ADMINISTRATIVE BULLETIN ON THAT.

UM, THERE IS A ANOTHER CHARITABLE CAMPAIGN, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE BULLETIN, A BULLETIN ON, AND THIS IS BASICALLY POLICY ABOUT CITY VEHICLE ASSIGNMENT, UH, DELEGATION OF THE CITY MANAGERS, UH, SIGNATURE AUTHORITY.

THERE'S A STRICT LIMIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO HAS AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN LEVELS AND CERTAIN TYPES OF SIGNATURES.

UM, THAT PARTICULAR ADMINISTRATIVE BOLTON HAS A BIG MATRIX AT THE END THAT DESCRIBES A NUMBER OF SCENARIOS AND WHICH LEVEL OF PERSON COULD SIGN IT.

FOR EXAMPLE, DEPARTMENT, DIRECTOR, AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UM, ET CETERA, THERE'S A CASH HANDLING POLICY, UM, WHICH IS FOLLOWS THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

AND NEXT SLIDE.

SO, AND THEN THIS, THE CITY PROVIDES BOTH, UH, ETHICS HELPLINE THROUGH THE LAW DEPARTMENT THAT CAN EITHER A PHONE CALL OR AN EMAIL FOR CITY EMPLOYEES AND CITY OFFICIALS.

AND THEN THE CITY ETHICS OPEN GOVERNMENT WEBPAGE, UM, IS, UM, ALSO AVAILABLE TO CITY EMPLOYEES AND OFFICIALS.

UM, AND THEN THE CITY AUDITOR HAS THE INTEGRITY HOTLINE.

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER KALE ASKED ME, UM, YESTERDAY OR EARLIER TODAY WAS ABOUT 3, 1, 1.

IF SOMEBODY CALLS IN ABOUT AN ETHICS COMPLAINT, HOW, WHERE DOES THAT GO? I'M STILL CHECKING ON THAT, UH, TO SEE WHAT THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE.

UM, MY BEST GUESS IS THAT IT GOES TO THE CITY AUDITOR HOTLINE, BUT, UM, BUT I AM DOUBLE-CHECKING ON THAT INFORMATION.

I'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT SO WE CAN MOVE ON UNLESS THERE ARE QUESTIONS.

FOR EXAMPLE, WITH SMOKING ORDINANCES, UH, STATE LAW SAYS CITIES CAN HAVE MORE STRICT SMOKING ORDINANCES THAN STATE LAW.

IS THE $50 LIMIT FROM A PARTICULAR GIFT GIVER OR FROM ALL GIFT GIVERS TO A PARTICULAR RECIPIENT FROM A GIFT GIVER TO A PARTICULAR RECIPIENT.

UM, AND SO, UM, I MEAN, YOU'RE RAISING A POINT THAT I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT BEFORE.

WHAT IF, UM, WELL, LET ME JUST POINT THIS OUT THAT A GIFT IN ANY AMOUNT IS INAPPROPRIATE.

IF IT'S INTENDED TO INFLUENCE, UM, A DECISION OR AN ACTION BY CITY OFFICIAL.

SO ANY GIFT FROM A LOBBYIST SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, UM, WELL THERE'S A STRONGLY CONSIDERED WHETHER THAT IS INTENDED TO INFLUENCE.

UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU WERE AT A SEMINAR WHERE THE LOBBYIST IS SPONSORING THAT SEMINAR, AND EVERYBODY THERE IS OFFERED A, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, COOKIE OR SOMETHING BY THAT VENDOR, YOU WOULD BE TREATED THE SAME AS ANYONE ELSE THERE.

AND THAT WOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTING TO INFLUENCE YOU ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN ANYBODY ELSE WHO'S TENDING.

SO THAT WOULD BE OKAY.

BUT IF YOU WERE AT THAT CONFERENCE AND A VENDOR SAID, LET'S GO TO DINNER.

I WANT TO TAKE YOU TO DINNER AND BUY YOU DINNER.

THAT WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE.

THAT WOULD DOESN'T MATTER WHAT AMOUNT IT WOULD BE, THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY.

AND I THINK IT'S FAIR TO ASSUME THAT THAT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE.

THERE'S A LAW FIRM AROUND THE CORNER FROM THIS BUILDING THAT HAS LOBBYISTS INCLUDED IN THAT LAW FIRM.

AND THEY, I GUESS, NOT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, BUT THEY TRADITIONALLY HAVE A HOLIDAY PARTY AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY MANAGER, AND MANY OTHERS FROM CERTAIN COMMISSIONS, AS WELL AS STAFF ARE THERE.

AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF DRINKS AND FOOD, UM, WHICH COULD EASILY ADD UP TO $50 IF YOU DRINK ENOUGH.

WELL, AND THERE ARE ALSO SEPARATE LOBBYISTS DISCLOSURES FOR EXPENDITURES, BOTH UNDER STATE LAW, AS WELL AS, UM, CHAPTER FOUR EIGHT.

SO, UM, THERE ARE SEPARATE DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR LOBBYISTS TO, IN TERMS OF GIFTS, UM, AND THERE, AND STATE LAW MAKES SOME SPECIFIC EXCEPTIONS FOR FOOD TRAVEL.

UM, SO THERE MAY BE AN EXCEPTION IN STATE LAW THAT APPLIES THAT WE CAN'T OVERRIDE BECAUSE OF STATE LAW HAS ALREADY SPOKEN ON A MATTER.

THEN WE'RE PREEMPTED FROM A DRIP FROM MAKING IT MORE STRICT UNLESS THE STATE LAW SAYS,

[01:25:01]

OKAY, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DANBURG.

AND I'M THINKING OF A CIRCUMSTANCE BACK WHEN THE STATE REGULATIONS WERE LOOSER THAN THEY ARE TODAY, UM, WHERE LOBBYISTS WOULD TAKE PEOPLE OUT TO DINNER AND A PARTICULAR MEMBER WOULD PAY THE EXACT AMOUNT ON THE MENU FOR WHAT SHE ATE, UM, BUT STILL DRINK THE WINE THAT WAS BEING PASSED AROUND.

HOW EXACTLY DO YOU CALCULATE THAT SORT OF THING? IF, WELL, I, UM, I THINK THE BEST TO HANDLE THAT IS A, MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOU PLAN TO PAY FOR YOUR OWN FOOD AND BEVERAGE AT AN EVENT.

AND THEN YOU SHOULD NOT PARTAKE IN THE BOTTLES BEING PASSED AROUND.

YOU SHOULD ORDER YOUR DRINK SEPARATELY.

AND IF AT THE END OF THE MEAL, THE LOBBYIST SAYS, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

I ALREADY PICKED UP THE TAB.

THEN THAT CITY OFFICIAL HAS A DUTY TO REIMBURSE, UM, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THAT FOR THE AMOUNT THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE AN ESTIMATE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE CALCULATED.

YOU HAVE A MENU, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU ORDERED, YOU CAN CALCULATE SALES TAX AND, UM, TIP IF YOU PLAN TO TIP COMMISSIONER STANTON, OH, AND THEN COMMISSIONER SABRA, HOW IS PERSONAL GAIN DEFINED? I DON'T THINK PERSONAL GAIN IS DEFINED, UM, BUT THERE IS AN EFFECTED DEFINITION IN YOUR NOTEBOOK.

SO IN THE DEFINITION SECTION OF 2 7, 7 2, UM, UM, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS PRESENTATION IS CALLED AN OVERVIEW.

IT'S NOT INTENDED TO GET DOWN INTO ALL THE SPECIFICS IN LARGE PART BECAUSE YOU MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT HOW TO INTERPRET CHAPTER TWO SEVEN OF THE CITY CODE.

SO I DON'T WANT TO BE OFFERING LEGAL ADVICE AS PART OF THE PRESENTATION, BUT IN THE, IN TAB, ONE OF YOUR, UH, NOTEBOOK, THE SECTION 2 7, 2 DEFINITIONS, THE FIRST DEFINITION IS AFFECTED.

UM, SO THAT OFTEN IS WHAT, WHAT WE GO BY IN TERMS OF HOW, WHETHER SOMEONE IS DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY AFFECTED BY A DECISION.

UM, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, OTHERWISE WE, AS MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION KNOW, AND I'M NOT GOING TO, I THINK BE DISCLOSING ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATELY WHEN WE'RE IN A CLOSED SESSION, WE LOOK AT THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE OF THE CODE AND WE RELY HEAVILY ON THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE OF THE CODE.

AND, UM, AND THEN WHEN YOU WERE IN OPEN SESSION AND MAKING DECISIONS, THERE IS LOTS OF DISCUSSION, JEN, USUALLY AMONG COMMISSIONERS ABOUT THIS IS HOW I INTERPRET THAT PROVISION OF THE CODE.

SOMEBODY ELSE WILL SAY, WELL, I INTERPRET IT DIFFERENTLY.

UM, AND SO, UM, THERE IS A LOT OF PAST DISCUSSION AND WE'LL BE IN THE FUTURE ABOUT HOW THIS COMMISSION HAS HISTORICALLY AND WILL IN THE FUTURE INTERPRET THE CITY CODE.

UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A RUNNING TALLY OR RECORD ON, YOU KNOW, WHICH MEETINGS THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED.

SO, UM, THAT'S ABOUT HOW MUCH I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION, COMMISSIONER SOVEREIGN.

UM, I WAS JUST GOING TO OFFER, UH, IF THERE WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, WHAT, WHAT IS, AND IS NOT A GIFT AND WHAT IS, IS NOT VIOLENT OF CERTAIN RULES, UM, THERE'S A BROCHURE THAT THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION PUBLISHED IS CALLED.

CAN I TAKE IT? UM, AND WHILE THEY'RE NOT, UH, STEADY RULES NECESSARILY THEY ARE, I THINK CITY RULES ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO STATE RULES THAT IT'S A REALLY HANDY BROCHURE.

SO IT WAS JUST GOING TO BE A PLUG FOR THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION.

CAN I TAKE A BROCHURE? GREAT.

AND IF THERE'S NO MORE DISCUSSION, I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.

WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[01:30:01]

UH, LET'S SEE.

UM,

[2 a. Review and evaluation of the dollar limits established in Chapter 2-2 (Campaign Finance) and consider making recommendations to the city council as to those limits.]

SO OLD BUSINESS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE FOLLOWING REVIEW AND A REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF THE DOLLAR LIMITS ESTABLISHED AND CHAPTER TWO DASH TWO, CAMPAIGN FINANCE AND CONSIDER MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS TO THOSE LIMITS.

DO WE HAVE ANY UPDATES ON THAT? ANYBODY? OKAY.

I'M GOING TO GO ONTO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.

SO WHAT, WHERE DO WE LEAVE THAT IF IT'S THEIR LAND? IS THIS SOMETHING WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE LATER, UM, IN TERMS OF WE, THAT CITY COUNCIL IS, UM, TRYING TO LIMIT THESE TYPES OF OPEN-ENDED GENDA ITEMS. YEAH.

IT'S ACTUALLY A CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.

IT WAS FOR CONSISTENCY.

SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AT FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, IT'S ACTUALLY, A LOT OF WHAT'S IN OLD BUSINESS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE KIND OF HAS KIND OF BECOME STANDING ITEMS FOR THIS COMMISSION.

SO YOU CAN GO 3, 2, 1, YOU CAN ASK IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING UNDER OLD BUSINESS, UM, AND, AND MOVE ON AND THEN TALK ABOUT DOING THAT PART OF THE AGENDA DIFFERENTLY IN THE FUTURE.

COMMISSIONER DIDN'T WE CREATE A NEW GROUP OR VOTE LAST MEETING TO CREATE A NEW GROUP TO REVIEW THE, THIS PIECE HERE, WHICH IS THE DOLLAR LIMIT ACCOUNT, JUST THE GROUP TWO.

WELL, IT USED TO KIND OF BE IN OUR KITCHEN SINK WORK GROUP, BUT LAST MEETING, WE, I THOUGHT VOTED, MAYBE WE DIDN'T VOTE, BUT I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO CREATE A GROUP SPECIAL FOR FINANCE.

WAS THAT CHAIR SOBER HOME? IS THAT WHAT WE WERE? I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO GO INTO THE NEW GROUP THAT, THAT WAS, WE WERE SUGGESTING TO CREATE.

B TO B STATEMENT AND OR VIDEO OF WHAT THE COMMISSION DOES AND HOW THE PUBLIC CAN USE THE COMMISSION AND STATEMENT EQUITY ACCESS AND THE NEED FOR REFORM.

CHEERS COBRAM.

SURE.

SO JUST TO, UH, TO RECAP THE LAST MEETING, IT WAS, UH, SO WE SORT OF REFINED THE SCOPE OF THAT KITCHEN SINK, WORKING GROUP TO EXCLUDE CAMPAIGN FINANCE THINGS AND TO KIND OF NARROW THE FOCUS ON, UM, WHAT THAT WORKING GROUP WAS GOING TO WORK ON.

UH, WE DIDN'T CREATE A NEW WORK, A SECOND WORKING GROUP, BUT INSTEAD, UM, WHAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAD KIND OF EXPRESSED AS A DESIRE WAS THAT IF THE MISSIONERS MOVING FORWARD, THE THOUGHT THAT THEY SHOULD REVIEW THOSE DOLLAR LIMITS, UM, FOR FUTURE ELECTION CYCLES, THAT THEY COULD RECONSTITUTE A WORKING GROUP TO DO THAT OR THAT, UM, UH, THE KIND OF THRUST OF WHAT WAS GOING ON LAST TIME WAS THAT CAMPAIGN FINANCE, UH, UNDER OUR JURISDICTION IS SUCH A BIG, BROAD SUBJECT THAT IT DESERVES SPECIAL ATTENTION, DESERVES ITS OWN WORKING GROUP.

AND ESPECIALLY SINCE ELECTIONS HAPPEN ON A CYCLICAL BASIS ON SURPRISINGLY, UM, THAT TO HAVE MORE TIMELY IMPACT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS, PARTICULARLY ON DOLLAR LIMITS THAT MIGHT IMPACT THIS NOVEMBER ELECTION.

UM, WE'LL JUST LEAVE IT TO A FUTURE IN FUTURE COMMISSION, MEANING JUST FUTURE MEETINGS AND FUTURE COMMISSIONERS, UH, TO CONSTITUTE THOSE WORKING GROUPS ON A MORE AD HOC BASIS.

SO I'M HEARING THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND PENDING THE DISCUSSION FROM MS. CARTER.

WE CAN GO AHEAD AND STRIKE A OFF OF OLD BUSINESS KEEPING IN MIND, WE CAN ALWAYS REFORM WORKING GROUPS TO ADDRESS THINGS IN THE FUTURE.

THERE'S NOTHING PREVENTING US FROM DOING THAT.

DO I NEED A MOTION TO DO THAT, LYNN, UM, FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, THERE CAN BE TWO PEOPLE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CHAIR CAN KIND OF DECIDES WHAT THE LIAISONS, BUT IT'S THE COMMISSION CAN ALWAYS TAKE A VOTE.

UM, BUT OTHERWISE I THINK THE CHAIRS SAID THIS WILL BE DROPPED FROM FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, IF ANY, TWO MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION DISAGREE WITH THAT AND WANT IT ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, THEN THAT CAN BE BROUGHT UP AT THE, AT, IN FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS OR NOW, OKAY.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT OR SHOULD WE MOVE ALONG KNOWING WE CAN BRING IT? OKAY.

SO A

[2 b. Statement and/or Video of What the Commission Does & How the Public can use the Commission and Statement on Equity, Access, and the Need for Reform by the Working Group on Race, Identity, and Equity ]

SO I'M WORKING ON

[01:35:01]

THAT.

I, I HAVE A DRAFT AND I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THE MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP, BECAUSE LAST TIME WE, WE GOT SOME NEW MEMBERS IS MY UNDERSTANDING AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M INCLUDING EVERYBODY.

I KNOW IT'S ME.

IT'S COMMISSIONER MCCORMICK, UH, COMMISSIONER, LAURIE COMMISSIONERS, STANTON.

ARE YOU ON IT? I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER.

I CAN'T.

AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT AND COMMISSIONERS, UH, SOBER ON TO A LESSER DEGREE.

SO, UM, DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE FIVE MEMBERS OR LESS, UM, WE HAVE TO HAVE FIVE.

SO I THINK COMMISSIONER MCCORMICK IS ON THE CANDIDATE FORUM WORKING GROUP.

WELL, I THINK COMMISSIONER STANTON WAS GOING TO BE IN A, ONE, WENT OFF MEETING TO HELP WITH, CAUSE I'M LIKE, WAIT, I OFFERED TO HELP YOU VIEW OR LOOK AT IT, BUT YES, YES.

AND I'M LOOKING AT THE MEMBERSHIP HERE.

THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING IT IN THE AGENDA, BUT THE MEMBERSHIP FOR EACH WORKING GROUP WAS IN D OKAY.

I THINK IT IS CORRECT.

SO THAT THAT'S GOOD.

AND WE HAVE FEWER THAN FIVE, SO THAT'LL WORK.

WE DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TONIGHT.

I DON'T HAVE A LATEST DRAFT JUST BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT, BUT THAT'S ONE THAT WE CAN LEAVE ON THERE BECAUSE AS, YEAH.

ALRIGHT.

SO LET'S THAT, UM, BEN , WHO IS OUR STAFF LIAISON HAS REFRESHED MY RECOLLECTION.

SO, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE WORKING GROUP ON RACE IDENTITY AND EQUITY CHAIR, SO, UH, SAID HE WOULD STEP OFF AND, UH, SECRETARY STANTON AND COMMISSIONER MCCORMICK, AS WELL AS CAL AND LORI ARE GOING TO BE WORKING ON THE ITEM.

THAT'S THE, UM, THE STATEMENT ON EQUITY AND ACCESS AS WELL AS THE VIDEO.

SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.

THERE ARE FOUR ITEMS AND THEN THE OTHER, UM, IN TERMS OF PLANNING FOR PRESENTATIONS OR TRAINING OF THE EQUITY OFFICE, I THINK THAT STILL, UM, IS KALE AND LAURIE.

UM, TO SEE CONTENT OF THE AGENDA FOR FUTURE MEETINGS, INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMISSION'S JURISDICTION AND OUR FUNCTIONS, DOES ANYBODY HAVE A, WE ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT AT THE LAST MEETING.

BECAUSE WERE WORKING UP RAP THEATER, RIGHT? YEP.

UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.

SO I'LL PUT THE FOUR OF US NOW, THAT'S ME MCCORMICK, LORI, AND STANTON, BUT IT'S OKAY IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TIME OR THE BANDWIDTH RIGHT NOW TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP, JUST LET US KNOW.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.

UM, OKAY.

SO,

[2 c. Content of the agenda for future meetings, including description of Commission’s jurisdiction and/or functions.]

I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANYTHING MORE MOVING FORWARD AND IT CAN ALWAYS BRING BROUGHT UP IN THE FUTURE, BUT, UM, WE'RE BEING DISCOURAGED FROM HAVING STANDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.

SO DOES THAT MEAN WE CAN REMOVE THAT ITEM UNLESS THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE THAT WANT IT FOR A FUTURE AGENDA? YES.

AND YOU CAN CHOOSE TO DISCUSS OR SKIP, UM, YOU KNOW, TABLE ITEMS UNTIL A FUTURE MEETING.

THAT'S ALWAYS UP TO YOU.

ANYBODY WANT TO DISCUSS THAT? UM, RE-IGNITE IT, OR, OR SCRAP IT FOR NOW, KNOWING AGAIN, WE CAN ALWAYS BRING, BRING THESE THINGS UP.

I'M GOING TO GET HER, I'M GOING TO READ THE ROOM FIRST.

COMMISSIONER STANTON.

UM, I SHOULD REMEMBER THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE HAS, UM, STANDARDIZE AGENDA.

THIS IS KIND OF MY MAIN TAKEAWAY.

AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO DEVIATE FROM THAT.

MY NEXT QUESTION THEN IS, AND FORGIVE ME, I CAN'T RECALL IF I HAD ASKED THIS QUESTION LAST TIME, BUT IS THERE A PROCESS BY WHICH WE COULD PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR, UH, CHANGING THE TEMPLATE BECAUSE IT'S A TEMPLATE.

BOARDS ABOUT THE TEMPLATE FOR THE AGENDA.

AND SO I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO ASK TO, OH, LET'S BREAK AWAY FROM THE TEMPLATE CURRENT TEMPLATE NOW, BUT I ALSO WANT TO, UM, KIND OF BE FORWARD THINKING IN THE FUTURE, RIGHT.

IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE INPUT INTO THE TEMPLATE? UM, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WANTS THERE TO BE CONSISTENCY ACROSS

[01:40:01]

SO I THINK THE ONE SPECIFIC REQUEST LAST BEFORE AND THE MAY MEETING WAS WHETHER A CALENDAR COULD BE ADDED OR LIST OF FUTURE MEETINGS AND WE WERE TOLD NO.

UM, AND PART OF THAT IS THERE ARE LOTS OF BOARDS THAT HAVE EXTENSIVE LISTS OF ITEMS THAT THEY ADDRESS.

AND SO W WE REALLY DO WANT THERE TO BE CONSISTENCY AND THE FOCUS BE ON WHAT'S GOING TO BE ON THE AGENDA.

AND PART OF THAT IS FOR, UM, TRANSPARENCY COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETING ACT.

UH, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE AN AGENDA THAT WE CANNOT, UM, THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NUMBERED ITEMS ON THE AGENDA THE PUBLIC CAN SPEAK TO.

UM, AND SO CONSISTENCY IS THE MAIN REASON FOR THAT IN TERMS OF THE TEMPLATE THAT'S PROVIDED TO THE STAFF LIAISONS, UM, AND THE EXECUTIVE LIAISONS.

I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH OUR PROVIDING YOU A COPY OF THAT.

I MEAN, IT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU SEE.

AND THEN THE, YOU KNOW, THE ITEMS, I MEAN, NEW, NEW BUSINESS AND OLD BUSINESS IS NOT PART OF THAT TEMPLATE.

UM, WHAT IS INCLUDED IS THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS THAT PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, TIME WHO THE MEMBERS ARE, UM, CALL TO ORDER, UM, THE LAST, THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UM, THE LANGUAGE WHERE IT SAYS DISCUSSIONAL POP POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THAT IS STANDARD TEMPLATE LANGUAGE, UM, AND, AND ADJOURNMENT, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE KIND OF STANDARD ITEMS, BUT THEN THE SPECIFIC NUMBER ITEMS IS WHAT'S CHOSEN BY THE COMMISSION'S REGULAR BUSINESS.

OR FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THIS COMMISSION, IF WE GET A NOTICE OF A, IF WE GET A COMPLAINT FILE, WE HAVE DEADLINES THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW IN TERMS OF HOW QUICKLY THAT SET FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, AND THEN HOW QUICKLY IT'S SET FOR FINAL HEARING AFTER THAT, UM, OTHER COMMISSIONS HAVE OTHER SEPARATE EITHER STATE LAW PROVISIONS OR CITY CODE PROVISIONS ON HOW QUICKLY THEY MUST ACT ON CERTAIN MATTERS.

SO, BUT IN TERMS OF WHERE YOU ARE ADVISORY, UM, THEN THOSE ITEMS ARE, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY SOMETHING THAT THE CHAIR WILL CHOOSE BECAUSE IT'S THE APPROPRIATE TIME OF YEAR TO CHOOSE IT AND WORKS WITH THE STAFF TO CHOOSE THAT.

BUT ALWAYS THE CITY CODE PROVIDES THAT TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION CAN PUT AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA, ANY TWO MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.

SO IF YOU, ANY PERSON, ANY OF YOU WERE TO TELL ME, PREFERABLY THAT BY THE WEDNESDAY, BEFORE THE MEETING, I WANT TO ADD THIS TO THE AGENDA.

I WOULD SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO THE OTHER, UM, WAS THAT, OR I WOULD SEND OUT THE EMAIL TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE CHAIR SAID, SURE, ADD IT TO THE AGENDA.

IF THE CHAIR SAID, NO, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TIME OR SOMETHING.

WE WOULD SEND IT IN AN EMAIL TO THE OTHER MEMBERS TO SAY, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO CO-SPONSOR THIS AGENDA ITEM? ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OF THAT ITEM? SO FOR NOW, I'M GOING TO REMOVE, REMOVE THAT FROM OLD BUSINESS,

[2 d. Working group status reports and/or recommendations on the following. i. Working Group on Sanctions, Procedures, and other Issues (Chair Soberon and Commissioners Greenberg, Stanton, and Teneyuca) on the following subjects: - Potential amendments to City Code, Chapter 2-7 (Ethics and Financial Disclosure). - Potential amendments to the Rules of the Ethics Review Commission. - Dollar Limits in Chapter 2-2 (Campaign Finance Code) ii. Working Group on Race, Identity, and Equity (Commissioners Kahle, Lari, and Soberon) status report and/or recommendations on: addressing issues of race, identity, and equity including: (i) planning for presentations or trainings by the Equity Office; 3 (ii) helping focus the Commission’s evaluation of racial injustice and how the Commission can operate more fairly and effectively in light of racial injustice.]

AND I'M GOING TO GO ONTO D WORKING GROUPS, STATUS REPORTS AND OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FOLLOWING D ONE, THE WORKING GROUP ON SANCTIONS PROCEDURES AND OTHER ISSUES, WHICH ARE SO BROKEN AND COMMISSIONERS GREENBERG, STANTON, ANTENNA, YUCA ON THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS AS LISTED BELOW THOSE THREE.

ARE THERE ANY UPDATES ON THAT AGENDA ITEM, ASIDE FROM THE MOTION THAT WAS PASSED EARLIER? UM, WE'LL PROBABLY LOOK TO WHAT IS THE NEXT THING THAT WE SHOULD, UM, WORK ON.

AND MAYBE IF ANYBODY WANTS TO SAY WHAT THEY THINK IS THE NEXT THING WE SHOULD WORK ON, THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME.

I WAS GOING TO SAY EMAIL US, BUT THEN WE COULD END UP VIOLATING QUORUM RULES.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THEY THINK IS THE NEXT THING THE WORKING GROUP SHOULD WORK ON? OTHERWISE WE'LL PROBABLY JUST MEET AND DECIDE.

SO IN THAT STRIKES ME AS ONE, THAT WE CAN LEAVE ON THE LIST BECAUSE THERE ARE END PRODUCTS BEING DEVELOPED

[01:45:01]

ON A REGULAR BASIS.

SO I THINK THAT WOULD, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU, LYNN? YEAH, IT DOES.

UM, I'LL JUST POINT OUT THAT IT, UM, I THINK THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WOULD PREFER THAT THERE'D BE MORE DEFINED SUBJECT MATTERS FOR WORKING GROUP.

A WORKING GROUP IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A FINITE, UM, GOAL ASSIGNMENT, UM, THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON AND THEN THE WORKING GROUP HAS DONE.

SO, UM, WHILE AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY CODE RELATED TO THE, YOU KNOW, CHAPTER TWO, SEVEN IS ARGUABLY FINITE.

UM, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT THE WORKING GROUP OR THIS COMMISSION MAY DECIDE, LET'S JUST WORK ON THIS ON A SUBJECT MATTER, BY SUBJECT MATTER BASIS, LIKE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IN CHAPTER TWO SEVEN, OR MAKING SURE THE RULES AND THE, IN THE CITY IN CHAPTER TWO SEVEN, AND OUR ERC RULES ARE CONSISTENT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT THAT'S, THAT'S UP TO THE, THAT'S UP TO YOU AS THE COMMISSION COMMISSIONER TOWN OF YOGA.

I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THE THIRD BULLET THERE.

IT LOOKS LIKE A DUPLICATE FROM A YOU'RE.

SO THAT ONE, I WILL SCRATCH BECAUSE WE SCRATCHED IT FROM A, WELL, DO WE HAVE TOUCH SCRATCH? BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE POINT WAS THAT IT COULDN'T BE A STANDING A STAND ALONE TOPIC, BUT IT COULD IT BE AS A STANDING TOPIC WITHIN THE STRUCTURE OF THE WORKING GROUP OR NOT AT ALL CONDITIONER TENANT YOGA.

I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, I THINK THERE'S AN OBLIGATION FOR THIS TO BE REVIEWED ANNUALLY AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT'S BEEN DONE YET.

SO I'D BE CONCERNED THAT IF WE TAKE IT OFF THE LIST, THEN WE DON'T MEET OUR COMMITMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DONE ANNUALLY.

SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE FOR CONSIDERATION.

THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, OR IS THERE A LIST OF THOSE THINGS LIKE WITH A CALENDAR FORMAT LIKE THIS, MAYBE WE NEED TO START REVIEWING IN JANUARY.

GREAT POINT.

IT'S I THINK PART OF THE, THIS IS LEN CAR WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND CHAIR SOBER, AND LOOKS LIKE HE WANTS TO SPEAK TO THIS.

I'M JUST GOING TO SAY QUICKLY.

I THINK THE DECISION LAST TIME WAS THAT THIS WORKING GROUP WOULD NOT LOOK AT CAMPAIGN FINANCE ISSUES.

AND I DON'T, UM, I DID NOT GET TO THE MINUTES, SO I APOLOGIZE HAD I GOTTEN TO THE MINUTES, UM, I WOULD BE MORE UP TO SPEED ON THE SPECIFIC VOTES FROM LAST MEETING.

UM, BUT PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH MAKING ANY CHANGES TO THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE CODE IS THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ELECTION YEAR.

UM, AND IT WOULD, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO WAIT TO MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE CODE UNTIL AFTER THE, NOT JUST THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION, BUT ALSO THE RUNOFF ELECTION.

SO YOU'RE REALLY IN ALL PRACTICAL, UM, TIMING LOOKING AT JANUARY OF 2023 IS THE EARLIEST THAT YOU WOULD LOOK, WOULD BE, WOULD MAKE SENSE TO REALLY MAKE CHANGES TO THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE CODE.

IF YOU MAKE CHANGES, IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY COUNCIL.

UM, SO IT REALLY MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO WAIT ON THAT.

EXCUSE ME, CHAIR.

SO, BRIAN, DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, JUST TO ADD IN, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, IT IS MY RECOLLECTION THAT IN THE PAST WE HAVE, UM, PERIODICALLY REINTRODUCED THIS TOPIC ON THE AGENDA, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A WORKING GROUP SPECIFICALLY ASSIGNED TO IT.

UM, AND, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, IN, IN HAVING IT ON THE AGENDA AND HAVING DISCUSSED IT IN, UH, SOME OF OUR MEETINGS AND HAVING OUR HAD A WORK GROUP, WORKING GROUP, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.

UM, JUST, UH, COMMISSIONING, ATTENDING, YOU COULD SPEAK TO WHAT COMMISSIONER ATTENDING UGA WAS SAYING ON WHETHER OR NOT WE'VE MET OUR OBLIGATION.

UM, UH, I THINK, I THINK IT'S, IF I WERE INTERPRETING IT, I THINK WE'VE MET AN OBLIGATION TO AT LEAST HAVE CONSIDERED IT.

UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE FACT THAT WE DIDN'T PRODUCE ANY, UH, STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS OR, UH, AS A COMMISSION VOTE ON ANY RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE SENT TO COUNCIL, I DON'T THINK IS A INDICATIVE OF US NOT HAVING AT LEAST THOUGHT ABOUT IT.

I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.

UM, I WOULD MAYBE SUGGEST SCRATCHING IT OFF OF D AND, UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION THOUGH.

SURE.

WHEN WE HAVE THESE, LIKE FOR SEO COUNT, LIKE, IS THIS LIKE AN OBLIGATION? I THOUGHT THAT WE WERE REQUIRED TO DO THIS ANNUALLY.

IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD THAT AND THAT VERY WELL COULD BE, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE DO HAVE THINGS LIKE THAT,

[01:50:01]

UM, SO THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY ON OUR OLD BUSINESS AND WE DON'T LOSE IT, BUT WE HAVE SOME TYPE OF CALENDAR OR SOMETHING TO REMIND US THAT IT'S COMING UP AND THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

THERE IS NOT REALLY A CALENDAR PER SE, UM, EXCEPT THERE, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT THE LIAISONS KEEP, FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY TWO YEARS OR BEFORE EVERY ELECTION, WE WORK WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE, AS WELL AS THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE ON THE CANDIDATE BROCHURE, THE CANDIDATE FORUMS, UM, THE WEBSITE AND GETTING THE INFORMATION UP ABOUT THE CANDIDATE FORUMS. UM, SO THOSE ARE DRIVEN BY ELECTION DEADLINES.

AND SO WE, UM, BUT WE COULD, UM, PUT TOGETHER, UM, A CALENDAR FOR THE COMMISSION THAT KIND OF SHOWS WHAT HAPPENS IN TERMS OF CHANGES TO CHAPTER TWO, TO THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE PROVISIONS.

MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE, YOU CAN START IN JANUARY OF 2023 BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN ELECTION YEAR PER SE.

YOU CAN ALWAYS HAVE, UM, ELECTIONS WHERE ON, UH, AN, A PROPOSAL BY AN OUTSIDE GROUP, YOU KNOW, THEY PASS A PETITION AND IT GOES ON, WE HAD AN ELECTION IN MAY, UM, UH, ON A PETITION ABOUT MARIJUANA PROSECUTIONS.

UM, SO WE'VE, WE HAD A SPECIAL ELECTION IN JANUARY.

SO WE, WE, IT IS BECOMING NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE ELECTIONS FREQUENTLY AS OPPOSED TO EVERY, UM, TWO YEARS.

SO I, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT A WORKING GROUP GET STARTED ON IT IN JANUARY OF 2023.

UM, I SAW COMMISSIONER GREENBERG HAD HER HAND UP, BUT THEN COMMISSIONER STANTON AS WELL, LOST MY MIND.

SO, OKAY.

UM, COMMISSIONER STANTON, I REALLY LIKED THAT I DID HAVE A CALENDAR AND I DON'T KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT I GUESS WOULD FIT IN THE KITCHEN SINK WORKING GROUP? I MEAN, I KNOW, OR, I MEAN, I HATE TO ASK THIS OF LYNN ALL THE TIME.

YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF YOUR WORKLOAD AND ALL THIS STUFF.

IT IS VALUABLE.

AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS, THIS SEEMS TO BE A CONCRETE DELIVERABLE THAT WE COULD MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO START, IS IT START WITH OUR WORKING GROUP, ANOTHER WORKING GROUP, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT CALENDAR PRODUCE TALENT OR LIST.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE CALENDAR, BUT HERE ARE THE THINGS HERE ARE DELIVERABLES FOR OUR COMMISSION.

AND SO BASED ON THAT, THAT DATE, THEN WE CAN PLAN, OKAY, WE NEED TO START DISCUSSING IT THREE MEETINGS PRIOR TO THIS DATE, RIGHT.

THAT WILL HELP US.

MORE TASK ORIENTED SO THAT THEY HAVE, UH, OBJECT A, YOU KNOW, COMPLETE THAT OBJECT, DO SOMETHING, REPORT IT TO THE FULL COMMISSION.

MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT EITHER THE CHAIR AND THE LIAISONS WORK TOGETHER ON THAT OR THAT A WORKING GROUP AND THE LIAISONS WORK TOGETHER ON THAT, UM, A CALENDAR COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, ONE THING IS THAT YOU CAN START COLLECTING CONTRIBUTIONS A WHOLE YEAR BEFORE AN ELECTION, AND IT TAKES US MONTHS TO GET ANYTHING DONE.

UM, SO WAITING TILL JANUARY, MAYBE ISN'T THE WISEST THING THAT, AND THAT'S SORT OF PESSIMISTIC, BUT, UM, MAYBE JANUARY IS FINE AS LONG AS THERE'S REALLY A START IN JANUARY, BUT THAT REQUIRES A WORKING GROUP BECAUSE THE KITCHEN SINK WORKING GROUP OFFLOADED THIS, UM, PART OF THE CODE CHEER SO BROAD, SO, UH, WANTED TO, UH, CLARIFY SOMETHING.

AND THEN THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT I FORGOT TO MAKE EARLIER, UM, IN THAT, UH, IN RECONSTITUTING, OUR KITCHEN SINK WORKING GROUP, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE IN THAT WORK IN GROUP, UM, IT'S KIND OF PRIORITIZE THE SPECIFIC SET OF TOPICS THAT WE WANT TO TACKLE, NOT TOPICS THAT MUCH, BUT, UM, KIND OF LIKE PRIORITIZE TASKS FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO ACCOMPLISH, UH, TO TRY TO EAT A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC, UM, SORT OF TO WHAT LYNN WAS SAYING THAT WORKING GROUPS SHOULD BE, UH,

[01:55:01]

AND THEN THAT'S THE WORKING GROUPS WORKING GROUPS DONE.

UM, SO WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION FROM EARLIER, UH, THEN SEPARATELY WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT I THINK WE'RE SAYING AND WHAT LYNN WAS SAYING WHEN JANUARY'S KIND OF THE EARLIEST, UM, TO WORK ON THE TWO DASH TWO, UH, CONTRIBUTION LIMITS, WHAT ARE THE DOLLAR LIMITS? I THINK WHAT SHE'S SAYING IS THAT THAT'S THE EARLIEST THAT, UM, PROPOSED CHANGE WOULD BE VIABLE TO GO INTO, UM, THAT TRYING TO IMPLEMENT A CHANGE IN CODE OR TRYING TO PUSH FOR A CHANGE IN CODE.

AND WE STARTED NOW HAVING A RECOMMENDATION BY JULY COUNCIL TRIES TO VOTE ON IT WERE ALREADY INTO, I THINK AT THAT POINT, UM, MAYBE SEPTEMBER, BUT THAT'S UNLIKELY GIVEN IT'S BUDGET SEASON, MAYBE OCTOBER THE COUNCIL VOTES ON IT, WE'RE ALREADY INTO THE ELECTION SEASON.

AS WE MENTIONED, WE'VE GOT THE POTENTIAL FOR RUNOFFS AND CITY ELECTIONS THAT WOULD OCCUR IN DECEMBER.

SO REALISTICALLY, JANUARY WOULD BE WHEN, UH, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULDN'T CONFLICT NECESSARILY WITH AN ELECTION CALENDAR TO HAVE A NEW SECTION OF CODE IMPLEMENTED.

UM, NOT THAT WE HAVE TO WAIT AS A WORKING GROUP TO THINK AND TALK ABOUT IT UNTIL THEN.

UM, BUT JUST THAT, IF WE, UH, JUST TO KIND OF BE MORE REALISTIC ABOUT WHEN SOMETHING COULD BE IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT, UM, MUCKING WITH THE CURRENT ELECTION CYCLE, UM, JUST WANTING TO CLARIFY, CAN WE SHARE GREENBERG AND THEN I'LL MOVE ON TO HOPEFULLY LAST COMMENT IS THAT, UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS HAVE TERMS THAT ARE ENDING IN FEBRUARY, 2023.

SO MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE STARTED IN MARCH BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE TURNOVER.

THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

HI, I'M UNSURE.

WHAT ARE WE STARTING? THE, THE CALENDAR OR THE, A NEW WORKING GROUP, OR THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE, UM, IN SAY MARCH OF 20, 23, WHEN THERE'S NEW COMMISSIONERS, RIGHT.

I MEAN, THERE COULD BE TURNOVER ON THE COMMISSION AS A RESULT OF THE ELECTION OR TERMS EXPIRING OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

AND SO FORMING A WORKING GROUP PRIOR TO THAT HAPPENING COULD BE, UM, IT COULD, RIGHT.

IT COULD JUST BE A, UM, A MISUSE OF TIME INSTEAD OF WAITING TO SEE, OKAY, WHO'S IN PLACE FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, AND GET IT, GET IT STARTED THEN, ALTHOUGH THERE'S NOTHING TO PRECLUDE PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS FROM, FROM WORKING ON THIS, FORMING A WORKING GROUP TO COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEXT WORKING GROUP.

I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A BALANCE BETWEEN GETTING A HEADSTART, BUT ALSO BEARING IN MIND THAT THERE COULD BE SOME TURNOVER.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? OKAY.

UM, SO THAT'S PART OF THAT KITCHEN SINK, UM, POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION IS ALSO UNDER THERE AND MY SCRIPT.

UM, SO THAT'S IN THAT KITCHEN SINK WORKING GROUP, IF, UM, SO, AND THEN THE FINAL ITEM IS WORKING GROUP ON RACE, IDENTITY AND EQUITY.

I'M ON THAT WITH COMMISSIONER LAURIE AND COMMISSIONER SOBER OWN ANY STATUS REPORTS ON THAT.

WE, WE DISCUSSED HAVING TRAINING BY THE EQUITY OFFICE AND HELPING FOCUS THE ERCS EVALUATION OF RACIAL INJUSTICE AND HOW WE CAN OPERATE MORE, FAIRLY AND EFFECTIVELY IN LIGHT OF RACIAL INJUSTICE.

SO I WAS GOING TO SEE, I PERSONALLY DON'T HAVE ANY UPDATES FOR THAT WORKING GROUP, BUT I WAS GOING TO ASK THE OTHER TEAM.

NO UPDATES ON, ON THAT ONE.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES, THE DRAFT MINUTES FROM LAST MONTH, AREN'T READY YET.

SO, UM,

[3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: MAY 25, 2022 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING]

SO LET'S MOVE TO APPROVE THEM.

UM, I WOULD NOT SECOND THAT, SO JUST SO YOU KNOW,

[4. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]

UM, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

TO UPDATE US ON, YOU KNOW, CONSISTENCY, WHAT WE NEED TO WORK ON.

SO I'M GOING TO HAVE LYNN TALK ON THIS, UM, THIS FIRST BULLET POINT ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, NUMBER FOUR, UM, FOR TRANSPARENCY PURPOSES.

SO, SO THE, UM, CITY CLERK'S OFFICE HAD, UM, SOMETIMES MEETS WITH, UH, THE LIAISONS

[02:00:01]

ONE OF WE'VE HAD ONE ON THE MINUTES, WE'VE HAD ONE ON THE AGENDA FINAL YET BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL WAITING FROM INPUT FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT, NOT FOR ME.

UM, BUT THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE IS HOPING TO, UH, DO A WAY WITH STANDING ITEMS ON AN AGENDA, UM, FOR TRANSPARENCY PURPOSES, FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE DISCUSSED AT A MEETING, UM, AND FOR CONSISTENCY WITH BOARDS, UM, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO DO AWAY WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, STANDING ITEMS, WORKING GROUPS, STANDING AS A STANDING ITEM.

UM, THEY WOULD PREFER THAT IT BE SPECIFIC.

SO THE PUBLIC CAN LOOK AT THE AGENDA AND SAY, I KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE DISCUSSED, NOT WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE DISCUSSED, BUT MAY NOT.

UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD BE BEST FOR US TO MOVE TOWARD.

UM, UM, SO I'M JUST, I'M PASSING THAT ALONG.

UM, AND THEN I'LL ANSWER QUESTIONS OR TURN IT BACK TO, UH, VICE CHAIR, KALE COMMISSIONER TENA .

DOES THAT MEAN THAT THIS OLD BUSINESS TYPE OF STUFF WOULD GO WAIT? CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE JUST DID RIGHT NOW IS WE JUST WENT DOWN AND SAID, YEAH, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW OR SO THAT WOULD BASICALLY GO AWAY AND THEN IT WOULD BE THE, WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SPECIAL WORKING GROUPS TO CONTACT YOU ALL WITHIN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING.

CORRECT.

PREFERABLY ONE WEEK BEFORE I LIKE THAT.

THAT'S GREAT.

COMMISSIONER STANTON.

DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? I DID.

I'M STILL CONFUSED ABOUT THE TOPIC OF THE CALENDAR OF WHEN I'M CALLING THE CALENDAR OF COMMISSION TASKS.

IS THAT A CANDIDATE FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM THEN? OR IS IT, YEAH, IT IS IN TERMS OF, UM, ART IS THE GOAL TO HAVE A WORKING GLUE GROUP WORKING ON IT, OR JUST WANT TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE CALENDAR CONFUSED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ENDED UP WITH DECIDING, AND I HEARD TWO OPTIONS, WHICH IS THE CHAIR WITH, UH, LIAISONS CAN WORK ON THAT OR A WORKING GROUP WORKING WITH THE LIAISONS TO COME UP WITH THAT.

AND THERE IS ALWAYS THE OPTION THAT THE ENTIRE COMMISSION CAN WORK ON IT.

I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY.

UM, BUT IT'S NOT AN ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA, SO THAT'S WHY IT WOULD NEED TO BE ON, UM, YES, W IS APPROPRIATE FOR FUTURE AGENDA.

THAT'S GREAT.

I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT THAT AS A, A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.

I WOULD, OH, EXCUSE ME.

COMMISSIONER TENNECO.

YOU KNOW, THE DOLLAR LIMITS REVIEW THE THRESHOLDS FOR THE LOBBYING REGULATIONS.

NO, WELL, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE DO THAT, UM, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY WHEN YOU SAY LIAISON, BY THE WAY, IS THAT LISA IN ME, DO YOU ALL DO EITHER OF Y'ALL JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY ALREADY HAVE SOMETHING EXISTING THAT YOU CAN QUICKLY SAY, HERE'S THE LIST OF THINGS.

MAYBE NOT EVEN THE DATES, BUT HERE ARE THE LIST OF OBLIGATIONS THAT THE COMMISSION IS OBLIGATED TO DELIVER OF DELIVERABLES LIKE ON ANNUAL OR BI-ANNUAL OR SO THERE IS THE INTERNAL REPORT THAT THE CHAIR PREPARES EACH YEAR.

ALTHOUGH AT, WHEN I FIRST JOINED THE COMMISSION IN 2018, IT HAD NOT BEEN DONE FOR THE PAST YEAR.

AND SO WE, WE, THE LIAISON STARTED PUTTING A DRAFT TOGETHER.

WE DID NOT GET THAT DONE LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE WERE WITHOUT A STAFF LIAISON UNTIL JANUARY.

IT'S STILL, SO WE'RE, WE'RE MISSING ONE.

UM, BUT, BUT THOSE, AND WHAT GETS POSTED ONLINE ARE, IS THE, YOU KNOW, MOST RECENT YEAR RUNS FROM EITHER THE BEGINNING OF JULY TO THE END OF JUNE, I THINK IS WHEN IT RUNS.

AND SO PART OF WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THERE ARE THE GOALS FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T RUN THE, YOU KNOW, THE CHAIR DOESN'T DECIDE EVERYTHING FOR THE COMMISSION.

THE COMMISSION CAN DECIDE WHATEVER IT WANTS TO DO, AND THE COMMISSION CAN ADOPT IT'S, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR CALENDAR WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THIS COMMISSION.

OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T ANTICIPATE WHEN YOU GET, UM, COMPLAINTS FILED, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN DUTIES THAT YOU HAVE,

[02:05:01]

UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT, THAT YOU HAVE AUTHORITY TO DO, AND SOME ARE SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, EVERY TWO YEARS OR EVERY FOUR YEARS.

SO IT CERTAINLY MAKES SENSE TO, TO PUT THAT TOGETHER FOR THE ENTIRE COMMISSION.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE LIAISONS CAN DO AND THEN MAYBE PASS OVER TO OUR SPECIAL WORKING GROUP? AND, UM, I, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD CANDIDATE, BUT I DO THINK THAT AS A GROUP, WE COULD HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.

UM, THE PRIORITY, OUR PRIORITY LISTS THAT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED CREATING.

I, SO I'M, I'M GONNA, I DON'T HAVE PERMISSION TO SHARE THOSE, BUT I FEEL LIKE IN ALL FAIRNESS, I NEED TO DISCLOSE TO YOU THAT I'M RETIRING FROM THE CITY AND I WILL NOT BE HERE FOR THE NEXT TWO MEETINGS.

YOU KNOW, IF THEY NEED ME TO ASSIST WITH TRANSITION, I CAN HELP IN SEPTEMBER, BUT HOPEFULLY THERE'S A NEW ATTORNEY IN MY ROLE.

UM, BY EARLY JULY, YOU KNOW, THE POSITION IS POSTED, SO LIZETTE IS STILL DOING TWO JOBS.

UM, SHE'S STILL SERVING IN HER ROLE AND THE ROLE OF PARALEGAL.

AND SO THE PARENT NEW PARALEGAL IS SUPPOSED TO START ON JULY 5TH.

SO I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I DON'T, YOU KNOW, IT'S FINE FOR WORKING GROUP TO GET A HEADSTART ON IT.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THE CALENDAR WILL GET DONE THIS SUMMER BECAUSE THE PRIORITIES ARE GOING TO BE THE CANDIDATE FORUMS, THE CANDIDATE LETTERS THAT GO OUT, WE HAVE TO BE ELECTION DRIVEN, UM, IN OUR ROLES AT PRESENT.

AND BECAUSE OF THE NEW TRANSITION, THEN, UM, I THINK THE NEW PERSON COMING ON IN MY ROLE IS GOING TO HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL UNLESS WE GET LUCKY.

AND IT'S SOMEBODY THAT WORKS AT THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION.

AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF NEW SPECIFICS, BUT ETHICS WOULD BE OLD HAT AND, AND THEIR ROLE ALSO INCLUDES CAMPAIGN FINANCE.

SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE THE NEW PERSON HAS.

SO I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO COMMISSIONERS.

OH, I'M SORRY.

I'VE BEEN HANDED OVER COMMISSIONER STAN, BUT I WAS GOING TO SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICK.

IF YOU LOOK IN OUR BYLAWS, UM, ARTICLE TWO PURPOSE AND DUTIES, THE PURPOSE, THE COMMISSION IS THAT'S A LIST.

AND, UM, IT SAYS SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

SO IT MIGHT BE A MATTER OF JUST PEGGING IT TO THIS HAPPENS IN MARCH.

THIS HAPPENS IN APRIL, THIS HAPPENS IN JUNE, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF A THING.

SO, UM, SO I'M GONNA HAND IT BACK OVER TO YOU, COMMISSIONER STANTON.

I WANT TO SUPPORT OUR MOVE TOWARDS REALLY STICKING ADHERING TO A PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE.

AND, AND WE'VE DONE THIS IN THE PAST, AND THIS IS NOT THE ONLY COMMISSION THAT THIS HAPPENS ON, BUT WHEN A TOPIC IS BROUGHT UP FOR FUTURE AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, WE REALLY TECHNICALLY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO ASK QUESTIONS OR DISCUSS IT AT ALL.

IT WAS SAVING IT FOR, BECAUSE THEN THAT DEFEATS THE WHOLE POINT OF WHAT LYNN TOLD US IS THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE PUBLIC.

NOW, AT THIS POINT, THE PUBLIC DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE WERE GOING TO DISCUSS THIS ITEM RIGHT TODAY.

SO, UM, JUST BE MINDFUL IF IT'S SOMETHING IS BROUGHT UP FOR FUTURE, IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE TABLED UNTIL A FUTURE MEETING TO DISCUSS SO NERDY.

WELL, SO GETTING BACK TO THAT, UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THAT YOU'D LIKE IT TO BE ON THE AGENDA NEXT TIME AND IT TAKES TWO PEOPLE TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.

SO I WILL BE THAT SECOND PERSON IF YOU'D LIKE TO PUT IT ON NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA.

SOUND GOOD? OKAY.

UM, ALL RIGHT.

WHERE WAS I? ANY OTHER, HANG ON, LET ME GET BACK TO MY SCRIPT.

UM, OKAY.

SO ANOTHER ITEM, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT AND WE COULD POSSIBLY PUT ON THE NEXT AGENDA IS SOMETHING COMMISSIONER GREENBERG BROUGHT UP ASKING THAT THE NEXT AGENDA INCLUDE PUBLISHING THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES FILED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT? YEAH, I MEAN, WE HAVE IMPROVED THE FORM HOPEFULLY AND, UM, OR THE REQUIREMENTS

[02:10:01]

AT LEAST.

AND SO THAT SHOULD GET TRANSLATED TO THE FORM.

DO WE NEED TO HAVE A SPECIFIC ITEM FOR CHANGES ON THE FORM OR SHOULD WE, IF YOU WANT TO APPROVE THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION, THAT'S FINE.

UM, OTHERWISE I CAN TAKE, UM, WHAT YOU VOTED ON AND JUST CONVERT IT TO A RECOMMENDATION AND GO WITH THE VOTE.

I MEAN, IF THE, IF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO, THAT'S FINE.

I'M JUST LIKE, AS, AS THE CODE IS GOING TO CHANGE.

SO THE FORM HAS TO CHANGE RIGHT.

THE FORM, UM, THAT ACTUALLY HAS TO WAIT UNTIL COUNCIL APPROVES THE CHANGES TO THE CODE.

THEN THE CITY CLERK HAS AN ELECTRONIC FILING PROCESS.

AND SO THE CITY CLERK AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, USUALLY MY ROLE OR SOMEONE IN OUR DIVISION WOULD WORK ON LANGUAGE AND THEN BRING IT BACK TO THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION.

ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THAT AND THAT GETTING BACK TO THE CALENDAR, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT COMES UP EVERY FOURTH YEAR.

AND THEN ONCE, OR EVEN IF IT'S NOT DONE, UM, GOING FORWARD, I THINK THAT THE ELECTED OFFICIALS SHOULD HAVE THEIR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE ONLINE.

UM, THEY'RE CURRENTLY ACCESSIBLE, BUT IT REQUIRES A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST, WHICH ALWAYS TAKES WEEKS.

AND SOMETIMES THEY DECIDE TO SEND THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE FORM INSTEAD OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION.

YOU KNOW, THE CAMPAIGN, THE IT'S NOT A CAMPAIGN, IT'S JUST THE, UM, FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE INFORMATION.

SO I THINK THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE INFORMATION, THE FORM THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, PLUS THE SIX MONTH UPDATE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE, ACCESSIBLE ONLINE, UM, FOR ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO FILL IT OUT.

SO, UM, WHAT I'M HEARING IS W WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT ON THE NEXT AGENDA.

IF WE HAVE A SECOND PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO AGENDIZE THAT WITH COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.

YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF ASCENT IN THAT CASE, SO, OKAY.

THAT WILL BE ON THE AGENDA.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VERY PAINSTAKING WORK ON THAT.

SO, WELL, I DON'T THINK WE COULD HAVE FINISHED IT WITHOUT THE HELP OF MS. CARTER.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND WHEN WE'RE ALL DONE, WE'LL SAY GOODBYE TO MS. CARTER OFFICIALLY OVER THE, OVER THE PA.

SO, OKAY.

NEW, NEW TOPIC, MAYBE FOR NEXT MONTH COUNSEL ASSIGNED THE ERC TO REVIEW.

UM, EVERY FOURTH YEAR WE SHOULD, THE COUNCIL ASSIGN US TO US EVERY FOURTH YEAR, THE THRESHOLDS FOR LOBBYIST REGISTRATION IN SECTION FOUR DASH EIGHT DASH THREE OF THE CITY CODE, OR CHAPTER FOUR, EIGHT ADDRESSES REGULATIONS FOR CITY LOBBYISTS.

SO, UM, ONE OF THE NOTES FROM MS. CARTER IS THAT WE ADD THIS DISCUSSION OF THE LOBBYIST REGISTRATION THRESHOLDS AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.

UM, SO IT, I DON'T, I DON'T RECALL REVIEWING THE REGISTRATION THRESHOLDS IN THE NEAR PAST MYSELF.

SO, UM, WE HAVEN'T REVIEWED THEM SINCE THEY WENT INTO EFFECT IN JUNE OF 2017.

SO, UM, AND THOSE ARE THE THRESHOLDS.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT BETTER WHAT THE THRESHOLD IS LIN? SURE.

UM, UH, THRESHOLDS WOULD BE THERE IN SECTION 4, 8, 3 OF THE CITY CODE.

WHAT REQUIRES SOME BO ONE TO REGISTER AS A LOBBYIST? THEY WOULD, UM, BE COMPENSATED $2,000 IN A QUARTER CALENDAR QUARTER AND, UH, SPEND AT LEAST 26 HOURS LOBBYING OR PREPARING TO LOG LOBBY, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE LIKE RESEARCH, UH, IN PREPARING TO LOBBY A CITY OFFICIAL, OR THEY COULD MAKE AN EXPENDITURE OF $500 FOR THE PURPOSE OF LOBBYING.

SO, UM, THOSE ARE THE CURRENT THRESHOLDS.

UM, I, AND THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEM WOULD BE TO TURN, YOU KNOW, REMIND THE ERC THAT IT'S THEIR ROLE IN SUBSECTION E OF, UH, SECTION 4, 8, 3 OF THE CITY CODE THAT THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION SHALL REVIEW THE THRESHOLDS EVERY FOURTH YEAR.

SO, UM, PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AND THEN YOU COULD DECIDE HOW TO HANDLE IT, WHETHER TO HANDLE IT AS A GROUP AT THE NEXT MEETING, WHETHER TO APPOINT IT, TO WORK IN GROUP, ET CETERA.

UM, BUT IT WOULD JUST PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR FUTURE ACTION,

[02:15:04]

SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM OUR YEARLY RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT IT'S STILL A CALENDAR ITEM.

UM, ANYTHING ELSE? I THINK, UH, ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA THAT YOU WANT TO BRING UP AT THIS POINT OR? OKAY, SO, UM, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD.

WE DON'T NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

DO WE LYNN OKAY.

BUT I DID WANT TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO LYNN.

IT'S BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH YOU OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND WE ARE REALLY GOING TO MISS YOU.

ARE YOU COMING BACK? WELL, I PROMISE YOU, I WILL SHOW UP AT CANDIDATE FORUMS AND, UH, SO YOU KNOW, BUT YEAH.

WOW.

THEN AGAIN, THERE MAY BE 11 ELECTIONS.

OH, THAT'S RIGHT.

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE.

SO, AND THANKS TO THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO GIVE SUCH GREAT SERVICE TO OUR COMMISSION.

SO THANKS A LOT.

THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

IT IS 8:21 PM ON JUNE 22ND, 2022.