[00:00:06]
[CALL TO ORDER]
I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING OF THE ARTS COMMISSION TO ORDER.LET'S START WITH ROLE COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.
COMMISSIONER CASTILLO, PRESIDENT COMMISSIONER CLARK, PRESENT COMMISSIONER GRADE, RESIDENT COMMISSIONER SCHMO, BUCK, COMMISSIONER MOCK.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR JUNE MOTION TO APPROVE.I ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE EDITS.
UH, THERE WERE PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED ON THE MINUTES THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.
THREE A AND B AND FOR A, I WOULD LOVE A SECOND.
DO WE HAVE THOSE EDITS NOTATED? I CAN ALSO SEND THEM LATER.
IT'S JUST, IF YOU READ THE PRESENTATIONS, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
WONDER, UH, MY NAME IS BACK TO THE MINUTE COMMISSIONER.
MIKE, WILL YOU REPEAT THAT PLEASE? YOU BROKE UP JUST A BIT.
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE MY NAME WAS ADDED TO THE MINUTES FOR THE JUNE MEETING.
[2. Discussion of Chair’s Report regarding Creative Sector Momentum by Chair Zisman]
TO THE CHAIR'S REPORT.UM, I'M GOING TO KEEP THIS BRIEF, UH, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE THAT ARE TUNING IN ONLINE AS WELL.
THIS MAN, MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE.
THEY, I AM A PERSON OF COLOR WITH LONG DARK HAIR AND A PINK FLORAL BLOUSE.
I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE EFFORTS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, THAT ARE EMBLEMATIC OF THE ETHOS BEING PUT FORWARD BY THE COMMISSION AND STAFF DAWA DIVERSITY AWARENESS AND WELLNESS IN ACTION RUN BY FELLOW COMMISSIONER CHOCOLATE.
MCKOWN HAS JUST LAUNCHED A NO-COST STUDIO, A CONTENT STUDIO FOR ARTISTS LOOKING FOR SPACE AND EQUIPMENT.
AND FOR DIGITAL MEDIA WORKS, COMMUNITY PARTNER, ALMOST REAL THINGS WHO IS ALSO HERE TODAY.
JUST HOSTED AN INCREDIBLE EVENT WHERE OVER A THOUSAND CREATIVES FROM OUR COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS THE NEEDS OF THE CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM.
A QUEER VINYL COLLECTIVE WAS JUST ESTABLISHED TO CREATE A SAFE AND UNIFIED SPACE FOR LGBTQ DJS AND MUSIC APPRECIATORS ALIKE.
AND THEY HOSTED THEIR FIRST SOCIAL AND RECORD EXCHANGE.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW GROUPS CREATING EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITIES AND WHO HAVE TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES TO ACTIVELY BUILD INTERCONNECTEDNESS TO FURTHER PROGRESS FOR CREATIVES OF THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
OUR SURVIVAL, ALL THE ABILITY TO THRIVE IS A PROCESS THAT REQUIRES COOPERATION AND AGENCY ON BEHALF OF OURSELVES AND THE GREATER WHOLE.
WE MUST DO THIS WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS TOGETHER THAT WE ARE STRONGEST MOST CLEAR IN OUR GOALS AND THE LOUDEST FOR THOSE TO HEAR AS A COMMUNITY, HOW DO WE OPTIMIZE OUR RESOURCES, KNOWLEDGE, AND ACCESS TO CONTINUE TO UPLIFT OURSELVES, ALL BREATHING, BRINGING OTHERS ALONG WITH US, WE MUST REMAIN OPEN TO CHANGE.
AND THE EVOLUTION OF OUR EXISTENCE CHANGES THE ONLY CONSTANT AND RESISTING IT WILL RESULT IN FRUITLESS LABOR.
WE, THE COMMISSION STAFF, THE COMMUNITY ARE COMMITTED TO THE WORK BEING DONE AND I REMAIN UNENDINGLY GRATEFUL FOR THE ENERGY THAT HAS BEEN POURED IN FROM ALL SIDES.
UM, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE DISCUSSION AND THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES LIAISON BY COMMISSIONER GREG.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN WE BE DOING COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION AT THE TOP?
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION]
I'M SORRY.Y'ALL WE JUST JUMPED RIGHT AHEAD.
LET'S GO INTO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
UH, NATALIE EARHART FROM ALMOST REAL THINGS ALLOWED TO BE UP HERE.
HI, I'M NATALIE EARHART FROM ALMOST YOUR THINGS.
UM, IF YOU GUYS ARE UNFAMILIAR, ALMOST REAL THINGS IS AN ARTS COLLECTIVE.
WE STARTED AS A MAGAZINE IN 2016, SINCE THEN WE, UH, WE HAVE A STUDIO SPACE WHERE WE PROVIDE AFFORDABLE STUDIOS.
WE PUT ON EVENTS AND WE ALL SHOW BRAND AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM.
WE JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES.
[00:05:01]
WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING NEXT MONTH ABOUT THE BIG SPLASH EVENT THAT WE HAD, LIKE 1300 PEOPLE CAME OUT AND WE HAD INCLUDED 12 OTHER CREATIVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING AN AMAZING WORK IN THE CITY, BUT KIND OF STRUGGLING ON THE FUNDING SIDE.SO WE WANTED TO BRAINSTORM WAYS ON WHICH WE CAN GET MORE FUNDING FROM THE CITY.
UH, THAT'S BEYOND THE HOT FUNDING AND BRAINSTORM WAYS THAT WE CAN GET MONEY FROM PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS AND GET THEM MORE ACCOUNTABLE ON THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING MADE IN THE CITY.
NEXT STEP IS LOUISE OR DOES
I'M THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF PROJECT AND I WAS, UM, I SHARED A LITTLE SITUATION, UM, OVER AT THE ESB MAC WHERE WE'RE A CURRENT RESIDENT COMPANY.
AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT SITUATION HAS ESCALATED INTO UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS, UM, WHICH I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO DETAIL RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S A VERY, IT'S A REPEATED SITUATION THAT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS.
I AM HERE TO VOICE MY CONCERN OF THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR A PART, AND TO VOLUNTEER, TO STEP UP.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WORKING GROUP WITHIN THE COMMISSION THAT DOES ANY TYPE OF OVERSIGHT SUPERVISION OF THE RESIDENCY PROGRAMS IN THE CULTURAL CENTERS UNDER PART.
NOW I, AS A WORKING ARTIST, AS, UM, AN ARTIST THAT HAS SUPPORTED MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY, THE PROGRAMS, THE GUIDELINES, THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN THESE PROGRAMS IN THESE CENTERS ARE NOT PROTECTING THE ARTISTS.
I'VE BEEN THERE WITH MY LAWYERS, WITH CITY LAWYERS TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT A COMPROMISE ON CONTRACTS THAT DON'T PENALIZE, UH, ARTISTS FOR THE WORKING REALITY AND THAT HOLD THE CITY ACCOUNTABLE.
UNFORTUNATELY RIGHT NOW WE'RE KIND OF GOING THROUGH ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
SO, UH, PLEASE, THIS IS ME SAYING I AM READY TO JUMP ON A WORKING GROUP SO WE CAN START AN OVERSIGHT OF THESE PROGRAMS BECAUSE IF IT'S HAPPENING AT THE MAC, I AM SURE THAT UNFORTUNATELY, OTHER COMMUNITIES, OTHER ARTISTS ARE HAVING TO NAVIGATE THIS AS WELL.
SO I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE HOLD PART ACCOUNTABLE AND AS A COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER TO PROTECT OUR ARTIST.
[3. Discussion of the Art in Public Places Liaison Report by Commissioner Gray]
OKAY.NOW PCR AIPP PUBLICLY IS HONORABLE AIPP.
WELL, I FEEL LIKE A LITTLE PUPPY IS A NEW, UH, ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES LIAISON, BUT, UM, IT WAS NOT THE FIRST MEETING THAT I ATTENDED.
I HAVE, UM, I WAS THE FIRST TIME OVERWHELMED AT HOW INCREDIBLE THAT PROGRAM IS.
BUT, UM, AS FAR AS THE REPORT, UH, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, THINGS JUST IN GENERAL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO ALL DETAILS OF THE MEETING ITSELF, CAUSE THOSE MINUTES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE, FOR THE PUBLIC.
BUT JUST TO FIND OUT THAT THERE ARE 89 ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES, CURRENT PROJECTS RIGHT NOW, WHICH INCLUDE 10 TEMPO FROM 2021.
AND THAT WAS, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT.
AND I'M SURE THERE'S OTHERS THAT DON'T, UM, THERE ARE 10 PROJECTS THAT WERE COMPLETED IN FISCAL YEAR 21 AND FIVE TO BE COMPLETED IN FISCAL YEAR 22.
AND THE ONE THAT'S IN PROCESS OF CANCELLATION IS THE, UM, UH, THE AIRPORT ENTRANCE PROJECT, UH, IS THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON AT, UH, UH, WITH THE AIRPORT.
UH, AND AS THE LIAISON I MET WITH, UH, MARJORIE FLANAGAN AND RYAN RUNCIE JUST TO PULL ME UP UP TO DATE OF FINDING OUT MORE DETAILS ABOUT HOW, UH, EVERYTHING IS FUNDED, INCLUDING WHAT I DID KNOW THAT 2% OF CONSTRUCTION BUDGET AND THE TEMPO THAT WILL BE IN THE FUTURE THROUGH A HOT, HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, AND THERE WAS DISCUSSION, UM, IN THAT MEETING AND, UH, HAVE A NEED.
AND I SEE THIS ACROSS THE BOARD OF A NEED.
AND I'M, I'M SAYING THIS FOR ARTS IN PUBLIC PLACES THAT THERE'S AN ARTS PROFESSIONAL OR LIAISON WITHIN THE ACTUAL CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE THAT THOSE BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTIONS COME UNDER.
SO MANY OF THE DECISIONS OF LOCATIONS AND THINGS, OR, UH, THE NEED FOR SOMEBODY THAT KNOWS ARTS WAS BROUGHT UP.
AND IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT DID KIND OF CROSS MY MIND AS WELL, BUT IT WAS, I'M HONORED TO BE LIAISON.
AND THAT'S MY REPORT, A WONDERFUL FIRST REPORT.
[4. Discussion of the Austin Economic Development Corporation/Cultural Trust Advisory Committee by Austin Economic Development Corporation Board Member Carl Settles]
UH, NEXT IS DISCUSSION OF THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE BY AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPER.I'M SORRY, BUT, UM, YES, BY AUSTIN ECONOMIC
[00:10:01]
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, BOARD MEMBER, CARL SETTLES, HELLO, EVERYBODY.UH, NOT A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE I REPORTED LAST MONTH AND I BELIEVE, UM, AND GATLING HAYES IS GOING TO BE DOING A FULL PRESENTATION TO YOU ALL, UH, TODAY.
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, SO SHE'S GOING TO GIVE YOU THE FULL RUNDOWN ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND, UM, IN TERMS OF STARTING TO DO DUE DILIGENCE ON POSSIBLE, UH, CANDIDATES FOR THE, THE RFP, UM, THAT, THAT WE HAVE OUT.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THERE'S NOT WHOLE BUNCH MORE, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, BUT, UH, SHE CAN GIVE YOU, GIVE YOU THE, THE FULL, UM, DESCRIPTION OF THAT STUFF.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM IF I CAN.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR CARL? OKAY.
[5. Discussion of the Downtown Commission by Commissioner Mok]
NEXT IS DISCUSSION OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION WITH COMMISSIONER MOCK.UM, OUR MEETING WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY COMING WEDNESDAY.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT UNTIL AFTER THE MEETING.
[6. Presentation by Miriam Conner regarding Common Waters]
NEXT IS THE PRESENTATION BY THE TRAIL FOUNDATION ON THE COMMON WATERS PROJECT.YOU'RE WELCOME TO JOIN US UP CLOSER IF THAT'S MORE COMFORTABLE FOR Y'ALL.
LEAVING YOU UP THERE BY YOURSELF.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT.
MY NAME'S HEIDI ANDERSON, I'M THE CEO OF THE TRAIL FOUNDATION.
UM, I JUST WANT TO KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME FRAMEWORK OF WHAT OUR PRESENTATION IS HERE TONIGHT AS, SO THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT.
WE I'VE BEEN WITH THE SHOW FOUNDATION FOR FIVE YEARS AND WHEN I ENTERED THIS ROLE, I DISCOVERED THAT THERE HAD BEEN, UH, AN OFFICIAL MORATORIUM PLACED ON, UH, INSTALLING IN THE NEW PUBLIC ART AROUND THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL IN TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK.
UH, AND SO WE DUG INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THAT WAS GOING TO EXPIRE ORGANICALLY, SO WE ALLOWED THAT TO HAPPEN.
AND THEN WE STARTED ENTERING INTO A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WOULD PUBLIC ART LOOK LIKE IN TOWN LIKE METROPOLITAN PARK AND AROUND THE ANDROID BUTLER, HIKING BIKE TRAIL.
WE, UH, OUR PRIMARY MISSION IS TO PROTECT, ENHANCE, AND CONNECT THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL.
AND WE DO HAVE A BELIEF THAT THROUGH ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMMING AND PUBLIC ART, WE CAN ENCOURAGE NEW FACES TO COME VISIT THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, AND ALSO, UH, UH, OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE TRAIL REGULARLY, BUT AREN'T EXPOSED TO ART CAN BE EXPOSED AND VICE VERSA.
AND SO WE THINK THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY HERE.
SO WE LAUNCHED A FORMAL PUBLIC ART AND, UH, CULTURAL PROGRAMMING, UH, PROJECT THAT WE ARE NOW WORKING ON WITH CONSULTANTS AND A WHOLE TEAM OF FOLKS, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND BRAIN TRUST FOLKS, LOTS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH YOU'RE ABOUT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HERE.
AND ULTIMATELY BY THE END OF HOPEFULLY THIS YEAR, WE WILL HAVE A ROBUST AND DETAILED DELIVERABLE THAT IS OUR ARTS AND CULTURE PLAN FOR THIS PARTICULAR PARK.
WE ARE DOING IT IN PARTNERSHIP, FORMAL PARTNERSHIP WITH AIPP AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
SO IT'S BEEN A COLLABORATION FOR NOW, WELL OVER A YEAR.
AND PART OF THIS PROCESS WAS A VERY EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECT CALLED COMMON WATERS.
AND I WANT TO THANK OUR REPRESENTATIVES FROM PUBLIC CITY BACK THERE FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN FOR US THIS SPRING.
IT WAS A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE.
WE LEARNED A LOT WHERE WE'RE, IT'S THE FOUNDATION ON WHICH OUR ENTIRE PLAN WILL BE BASED FROM WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND TONIGHT WE WANTED TO COME SHARE THAT SUCCESS WITH YOU.
AND I'M INTRODUCING NOW, UM, MY PROJECT DIRECTOR WITH THE TRAIL FOUNDATION, CHARLOTTE TONSOR AND THE ARTISTS WHO JOINED US TO GIVE YOU THE FUN PART.
UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AND ESPECIALLY THANKS TO JAIME CASTILLO.
HE WAS THERE AT OUR EVENT DAY AND AMY WONG LOCK.
ALSO, I KNOW SHE'S SPOKEN HIGHLY ABOUT YOU WERE THERE AS WELL.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING THERE.
SO REALLY QUICKLY ON THE PLAN,
[00:15:01]
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A TIMELINE OF THE PLAN AND THEN WE'LL ZOOM INTO COMMON WATER.SO, UM, ENGAGEMENT CONTINUES TO BE IN PROGRESS.
COMMON WATERS WAS A REALLY BIG PIECE OF THAT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAD AN ONLINE SURVEY, UM, AND THEN WE DID, UH, IN-PERSON INTERCEPT INTERVIEWS ON THE TRAIL.
SO WE'RE ANALYZING ALL OF THAT DATA RIGHT NOW, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT EVENT, UM, THIS FALL.
AND THEN WE'RE FINISHING OUR RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS OF ALL THAT DATA, ALL THE PLANS.
THERE'S TONS OF PLANS ALONG THE TRAIL, ART PLANS AND VISION PLANS.
SO WE'VE BEEN REVIEWING ALL OF THAT.
AND THEN WE'RE ABOUT TO DIVE INTO ACTUALLY WHAT ENCOMPASSES THIS PLAN.
SO, UM, COMMON WATERS, AS I SAID, THIS WAS A BIG PIECE OF OUR ENGAGEMENT.
AND JUST THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY AGAIN, TEAM.
AND WE HAVE SOME ARTISTS HERE THAT WERE PART OF IT AND EVERYBODY THAT CAME, IT WAS, IT WAS A MAGICAL DAY.
AND I WAS SO HAPPY AT THE END OF THE DAY.
UM, WE COLLABORATED WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS, UH, PART WAS THERE TALKING ABOUT THE ZILKER VISION PLAN, WATERSHED PROTECTION? WAS THERE TALKING ABOUT RAIN TO RIVER? UH, FUTURE FRONT DID, UM, SOME COLLECTION TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND THEN ART SPARK, UH, DID A PERFORMANCE THAT WAS REALLY LOVELY.
AND WATERSHED PROTECTION WAS OUR PARTNER FOR THIS COMMON WATERS EVENT AND FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE ART PIECE.
AND THEN OUR ARTISTS TEAM THAT WE, UH, THE LOCAL ARTISTS TEAM THAT WE WORKED ON, I'VE GOT TWO OF THEM BEHIND ME, REGINA, THOMAS, RUBEN S CAVELL AND TAYLOR DAVIS.
AND THEY WERE AMAZING WORKING WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S, UH, WILD IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY THAT WE CALL HOME AND ACTUALLY MAKING IT HAPPEN ON TIME.
SO WHAT IS COMMON WATERS? SO, AND THIS CAME DIRECTLY FROM THE ARTISTS, A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY EXPLORATION, AND CO-CREATING AN ART INSTALLATION TO INFORM THE TRAIL FOUNDATION'S ART AND CULTURE PLAN.
THE PROJECT EXPLORES THE INTERSECTION OF ART ACTIVISM, ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY WHILE HIGHLIGHTING THE BEAUTY AND DEMONSTRATING IMPORTANCE OF LADYBIRD LAKE, OUR CITY'S LIFELINE.
SO WE CHALLENGED THEM THAT WE WANTED TO DO A FLOATING WETLAND AND TO DO AN ARTISTIC EXPRESSION OF SOMETHING ON THE TOP.
SO WHAT IS A WETLAND YOU MAY ASK, THERE'S A GRAPHIC THERE THAT SHOWS YOU VISUALLY, BUT IT'S GOT THIS MAT OF FLOATS ON THE WATER.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAD A SCULPTURAL PIECE AND THEN THERE'S PLANTS AND THE SCULPTURAL PIECE WAS A NEST AND THEY USED INVASIVE BAMBOO BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING WE COULD GET.
WE DEFINITELY DRIED IT BEFORE IT WENT INTO THE LAKE, BUT IF YOU NOTICE, UM, IT IT'S A VERY RAPIDLY GROWING, UM, PLANT, AND IT ALSO KIND OF EMULATES THE RAPIDLY SPREADING CHANGES THAT OUR CITY IS FACING RIGHT NOW IN THE PAST.
AND EVEN AT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN THE FUTURE.
SO WHAT THE FLOATING WETLAND DOES, WE HAVE OUR NEST ON THE TOP, BUT THE PLANTS INSIDE UNDER THE NEST WILL GROW DOWN INTO THE WATER.
AND THOSE ROOTS CREATE SURFACES FOR MICROBES AND FISH AND CAN COME INTO THE ROOTS.
AND THAT'S ALL GOING TO CLEAN CONTAMINANTS AND EXCESS NUTRIENTS OUT OF THE LAKE.
SO HERE'S THE FUN, HERE'S THE FUN PART UP THERE.
YOU SEE, THAT'S A SKETCH THAT WAS A BEGINNING SKETCH FROM OUR ARTISTS TEAM.
THEY WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE NEST IS.
AND I LOVE THAT THEY'VE WRITTEN THAT THEY WERE A NEST IS A SYMBOL OF SAFETY HOME AND PROTECTION.
AND IF YOU THINK OF THE NEST AS BEING A SHELTER FOR THE PLANTS ON THE FLOATING WETLAND, THAT CLEAN AND FILTERED TOXINS FROM THE LAKE THAT PROTECTING THE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF AUSTIN WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOREVER AND HAVE REALLY BEEN THE BACKBONE OF OUR CULTURE, UM, WE CAN CLEAN THE TOXINS FROM OUR TRAUMA IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE WORKING FORWARD TO IMPROVE.
SO COTTON, THERE WAS A LOT MORE TO JUST A NEST AND SOME DRIED BAMBOO AND A FLOATING WETLANDS.
SO IT WAS A REMINDER THAT LADY BIRD LAKE IS SO IMPORTANT.
WE HEARD SO MANY REFERENCES TO HOW IMPORTANT THE WATER IS, WATER HEALS, WATER RELAXES.
YOU CAN RECREATE ON WATER AND THAT THE WATER CAN BRING US TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE CAN PROTECT THAT, BUT ALSO PROTECT THE FUTURE GENERATIONS AND THE COMMUNITY COMING FORWARD.
AND AS I SAID, OUR ARTISTS WERE AMAZING.
THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH CITY, SO DO REQUIRMENTS AND PERMITTING AND HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS AND PICK A LOCATION THAT WAS SHELTERED.
SO I THINK WE GOT A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE AS WELL, WORKING THROUGH A PROJECT LIKE THAT.
SO I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU JUST A MYRIAD OF, OF PICTURES HERE.
AND THEN WE'LL KIND OF GO TO TAKEAWAYS, UH, FROM COMMON WATERS.
SO THIS WAS THE LAUNCH, UH, BROUGHT THE NEST.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE TOP RIGHT OUT ON A BIG TRAILER, THE WETLAND IS ON A BARGE PULLED BY OUR GREAT, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION TEAM, THE LAKE TEAM THEY'RE ON THE LOWER LEFT, WHO WERE ALL SMILES THROUGH THE WHOLE THING.
UH, WE HAD VOLUNTEERS COME OUT.
WE HAD PEOPLE JUST COME OFF THE TRAIL, WONDERING WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND WE WERE PLANTING AND INSTALLING.
AND THEN WE HAD A MUSICIAN ON THE BOAT, EFREN
[00:20:01]
OWENS PLAYED, AND THAT WAS SO MAGICAL.AND I HAD, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW THAT WAS GOING TO WORK, BUT IT WORKED OUT BEAUTIFULLY.
AND THEN THEY WERE KAYAKING ALONG WITH THE FLOATING WETLAND AS IT WENT EAST DOWN THE LAKE.
UH, AND THEN WE, UH, IT MADE IT THERE AND WE HAD A BLESSING AND WE HAD A PERFORMANCE AND THEN THE GREAT WATERSHED TEAM AND PUBLIC CITY AND TTF, AND THE ARTISTS, UH, GOT IT OFF THE BARGE.
YOU CAN SEE OUR WATERSHED GUY WITH HIS HANDS STRUNG OUT THERE.
AND SO HERE'S A, UM, MORE AERIAL VIEW OF THE PROCESSION.
WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE JOIN THAT KNEW ABOUT IT.
WE HAD SOME PEOPLE JUST COME ALONG AND SAY, WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO IT WAS REALLY THIS GREAT COMBINATION OF COMMUNITY AND DIVERSE FACES.
AND THIS IS, UM, THIS IS THE PIECE AS IT'S, UH, WAS INSTALLED THERE, UM, NEAR, UH, PLEASANT VALLEY.
AND SO I'M GOING TO PAUSE ON THIS AND I THINK, UM, ONE OF OUR ARTISTS, TAYLOR DAVIS, UM, SHE'S ARTISTS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT ALSO IS JUST GOING TO SHARE A FEW TAKEAWAYS, UH, THAT SHE EXPERIENCED BEING ON THE TEAM.
UM, THIS WAS, UH, AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE FOR ME IN A LOT OF WAYS.
UM, BUT I WAS ABLE TO SORT OF BRING IN, YOU KNOW, MY LOVE FOR NATURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND COMBINE THAT WITH MY DEEP APPRECIATION FOR ART AND PUBLIC ART, ESPECIALLY, UM, TYPICALLY I, UM, FOCUS ON CURATING AND CELEBRATING AND PROMOTING, UH, BLACK MALE ARTISTS, UM, AND AUSTIN AND OTHER CITIES.
AND THIS OPPORTUNITY, I WAS ABLE TO REALLY PUT ON MY CREATIVE HAT AND LEARN FROM JUST AMAZING PEOPLE AND ARTISTS IN AUSTIN THAT ARE DOING THE WORK FOR ARTISTS, UM, TO BE RECOGNIZED AND, UH, TO BE SHOWN IN VERY UNIQUE, VERY UNIQUE WAYS.
UM, I THINK THIS, THIS WHOLE PROGRAM WAS, UM, VERY ENRICHING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO AN ITERATION OF THIS PROGRAM THAT, UM, IS EVEN LONGER AND MORE INTENTIONAL.
UM, I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM COULD EASILY BE, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR OF US REALLY DIVING INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FABRIC OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE WORKING IN AND HAVING REALLY INTENTIONAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT, UM, SORT OF THESE ARTISTIC METAPHORS ARE MEANING.
AND I THINK WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE OUR OWN EXPERIENCES THAT I THINK WERE VERY REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMEONE KEEP GOING AS ON MY TIME, JUST SCARE ME ANYWAY.
UM, BUT ALL IN ALL, I THINK IT WAS A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE.
I, UM, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, MORE FUNDING AND MORE SUPPORT FOR TTF AND FOR PUBLIC CITY TO REALLY KEEP ARTISTS ENGAGED, UM, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY MAKE A GREAT IMPACT, UM, UM, BUT ALL IN ALL AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE.
AND THEN I'LL JUST LEAVE YOU, THOSE WERE QUOTES FROM THE ARTISTS, JUST THE ATTENDEE FEEDBACK, WHICH WE LOVED READING DIVERSE FACES, COMRADERY, THE PROCESSION.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR SHARING AND SUCH DEPTHS.
UM, THE EXPANSIVENESS OF THIS PROJECT, COMMISSIONERS, UH, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.
HI, MAYBE YOU WANT TO GO FIRST.
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, HOW EXCITING JUST FROM BEING ON THAT FIRST BOAT RIDE AND SEEING THIS, THIS TO THIS.
AND I WAS SO, UH, UPSET BECAUSE I RAN TOO LATE TO MAKE IT TO THIS EVENT.
I WAS HEARTBROKEN, HEARTBROKEN, AND THEN WHEN I SAW THE PHOTOS COME OUT AND STUFF, I JUST, IT BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES.
CAUSE THIS IS IT'S STILL, IT GIVES ME CHILLS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.
OH, IT'S A BIT, UH, COULD YOU GET, CAN WE GET A CLARIFICATION OF LIKE, THIS WAS NOT CITY FUNDED AND THIS WAS NOT, UH, AN AI KEEP AN ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, A PROJECT.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST CLARIFY WHERE THE FUNDING CAME FROM AND THE ROLE OF THE CITY.
CAUSE SHE HAD SOME CITY DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED IN THIS.
SO, UM, THE PLAN THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS TTF FUNDED AND AIPP AND PART HAS MONEY IN DEVELOPMENT.
THE PLAN, THIS WAS A PIECE COMMON WATERS WAS REALLY GROWN OUT OF, UM, CRITICISM REALLY FROM OUR OWN TEAM, UM, ABOUT THE LACK OF DIVERSITY ON OUR CONSULTANT TEAM.
SO WITH, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC CITY HAD THIS WONDERFUL IDEA AND THEN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL ARTISTS, STACY LEVY, TO CREATE THIS COMMUNITY PROJECT WHERE WE WOULD GO OUT AND HAVE A TEAM OF, UH, BIPAP ARTISTS.
[00:25:01]
WE HAD HAD THE BUDGET SET TTF STEPPED IN AND RAISED THE ADDITIONAL MONEY TO FUND THIS COMMON WATER SECTION OF THE PROJECT.AND THEN THE, THEN THE ROLES OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE INVOLVED WITH WHAT, WHAT THE ROLE OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS IN THE PROJECT? SURE.
SO, UM, AIPP AND PARD, UH, WE HAVE REPRESENTED REPRESENTATIVES ON OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP.
SO IT WAS REALLY THE GROUP THAT SHEPHERDING THIS PLAN THROUGH THE PROCESS WATERSHED PROTECTION STEPPED IN AND WE HAVE WATERSHED PROTECTION, OUR COMMITTEE, BUT THEY STEPPED IN FOR COMMON WATERS AND THEY WERE ACTUALLY THE SPONSOR FOR THE WETLAND AND THEY SUBMITTED THE PERMIT AND THEY HELPED US GO THROUGH ALL THE APPROVALS AND THEN THEY HAD THEIR TEAM AND THEIR BOATS THERE MULTIPLE TIMES TO HELP US WITH THE INSTALLATION.
I SEE YOU, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A MARJORIE FLANAGAN FROM AIPP CHIME IN HERE.
IF SHE HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD.
I KNOW SHE SPOKE AT THE EVENT.
SO AIPP UM, PARTIALLY FUNDED OR IS FUNDING THE PLAN FOR, UH, THE TRAIL FOUNDATION TO BE ABLE TO DO ARTWORK ON THE TRAIL.
AND WE FUNDED THAT THROUGH A 2% FOR THE BOARDWALKS CIP PROJECT, THE PHASE TWO OF THAT PROJECT.
UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT THROUGH THE CONSULTANTS WORK GATHERING STORIES, WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE THOSE STORIES, ARCHIVE, THOSE STORIES, ARCHIVE THE PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO THAT SURROUNDED MUCH OF THEIR, THEIR ENGAGEMENT WORK, AND THEN USE THEM TO INSPIRE THE PERMANENT WORK THAT GOES WITH THAT PROJECT.
AND AS EVERYONE HAS STATED PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS A HUGE FEAT WITH LOTS OF CITY DEPARTMENTS, LOTS OF OUTSIDE HELP, UM, PAID ARTISTS COMING TOGETHER.
COMMISSIONER VANDYKE AND THEN COMMISSIONER MOCK.
UM, BOY, I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS.
UM, I LOVE THE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE COMING TOGETHERNESS, BUT I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE FLOATING ISLAND.
ARE THERE ANY PLANS FOR ANY MORE FLOATING ISLANDS? I, WE, WE LOVE DOING THEM.
THEY ARE, THEY TAKE SOME ENGINEERING AND, UM, SOME, SOME FUNDING.
UM, BUT I, I THINK THE BENEFITS THAT THEY HAVE ARE REALLY GREAT AND WE'RE FIGURING OUT HOW TO DO THEM BETTER.
EACH TIME WE HAVE TWO THAT ARE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, AND OTHER CITIES ARE DOING THEM AS WELL.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF ECOLOGICAL, UH, BENEFIT TO THEM.
I WAS TRYING TO RAISE MY HAND, BUT THAT GADGET DOESN'T WORK.
BUT IN ANY CASE, UM, I, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE, UH, TO SERVE ON THEM, SELECT A SELECTING PANEL.
AND I REALLY, I MEAN, I WANTED TO SAY THAT, THAT THEY HAD COMMITTED TO USE ARTISTS FROM THE EAST SIDE, YOU KNOW, TO DO, UH, THIS PROJECT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE EAST SIDE FOR A LONG TIME TO HAVE THEIR POINTS OF VIEW, YOU KNOW, UM, ON THIS, UH, COLORED WATER PROJECT.
SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR CONVICTION AND THEIR COMMITMENT, YOU KNOW, TO INCLUDE THE FOLKS WHO LIVE ON THE EAST SIDE VERY OFTEN, UH, BEING, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, NOT AS MISERABLE.
SO JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX THAT.
IF NOT, THEN I WOULD JUST HAVE TO SHOUTS, I GUESS, JUST FLAIL YOUR ARMS VERY WILDLY AND I WILL SEE YOU.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS.
JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID HERE.
THIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL ALIGNMENT OF ALL OF THE VALUES THAT WE HAVE AS A COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE TALKING DAY IN AND DAY OUT AND TO SEE IT COME TO FRUITION AND WITH THIS EXPRESSION IS REALLY INSPIRING AND HEARTWARMING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR YOUR WORK.
[00:30:01]
WITH[8. Presentation by Katy Zamesnik, Austin Convention Center Department Chief Administrative Officer, regarding Convention Center Expansion]
THAT.LET'S MOVE ON TO THE PRESENTATION BY KATIE
ARE THEY PRESENT BY CHANCE AS SUE ANY? DO WE KNOW IF SHE'LL BE OH, THERE'S PERFECT.
WHAT I'M LOOKING AROUND THE ROOM, OF COURSE, YOUR ONLINE.
GREAT, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER AND I AM JOINED BY KATIE'S MS. NICK, UH, OUR CONVENTION CENTER, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, UH, WE'RE HERE THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS OUR CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT.
TODAY'S BRIEFING IS GOING TO QUICKLY GO OVER THE HISTORY OF THE PROJECT AND THE PROOF OF CONCEPT THAT WAS DEVELOPED FOLLOWING THE ENDING OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO THE WEST AND SOME, UH, SOME PROJECT CONSIDERATIONS AND A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THE FINANCING AND THE HILTON BOND INDENTURE.
AND WE'LL CLOSE WITH OUR NEXT STEPS.
THE IDEA OF AN EXPANSION HAS BEEN CONTEMPLATED FOR NEARLY A DECADE AND WAS FIRST FORMALLY DECLARED IN 2015 WITH THE PUBLICATION OF OUR LONG RANGE MASTER PLAN.
FOLLOWING THIS SEVERAL REPORTS AND STUDIES WERE CONDUCTED THROUGH 2019, WHEN CITY COUNCIL FORMALLY APPROVED AN ORDINANCE RAISING THE MUNICIPAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY RATE OR THE HOT BY 2% IN SUPPORT OF AN EXPANSION FOLLOWING COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF THE 2% HOT INCREASE CONVENTION CENTER STAFF WORKED TOWARDS A MASTER PLAN UPDATE AND AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY TO CONFIRM THE VIABILITY OF THE EXPANSION PROJECT.
THESE REPORTS WERE RELEASED IN AUGUST OF 2020 AND WERE PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER OF THAT YEAR.
BEFORE I CONTINUE, I DID WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S A PROCESS THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THIS TIMELINE.
UH, THAT IS THE APPROVAL THAT THE CITY MANAGER GAVE FOR US TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS DIRECTLY TO THE REST WEST OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH A COUNCIL GAVE IN NOVEMBER OF 2020 STAFF BEGAN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS IN EARNEST FOLLOWING COUNCIL'S APPROVAL, UNFORTUNATELY AS COMMUNICATED TO COUNCIL IN APRIL OF 2021, DESPITE THE BEST EFFORTS OF ALL PARTIES, THE FINAL PROPOSAL WAS UNABLE TO DELIVER THE PROGRAMMATIC FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER WITHIN THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY UNDER THE DEVELOPER TEAMS CONTROL, AND IT EXCEEDED THE ANTICIPATED COSTS FOR THE PROJECT.
AS A RESULT OF THIS DECISION, THE CONVENTION CENTER BEGAN OUR DUE DILIGENCE EFFORTS ON THE REMAINING OPTIONS FOR EXPANSION EVALUATING AN EXPANSION WITHIN THE CURRENT SITE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT WOULD NOT ONLY DELIVER A LARGER, MORE EFFICIENT FACILITY WITHIN A SMALLER FOOTPRINT, BUT IT WOULD ALSO HELP US REALIZE THE GOALS OF, BUT STUDY THE CONVENTION CENTER, MASTER PLAN UPDATE, AND THE PALM DISTRICT RESOLUTION, THE CENTER WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR CONSULTANT TEAMS HAS DEVELOPED A PROOF OF CONCEPT THAT BEARS OUT THIS GOAL, WHICH WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU SHORTLY.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE COUNCIL, UH, IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE PROJECT DELAYS AND THE BUDGET IMPACTS TO OUR PROJECT WHILE WE'VE FINISHED THE FINANCING OPTIONS FOR THE PROJECT STAFF TOOK FOURTH IN RCA ON JUNE 10TH, 2021, UM, TO CITY COUNCIL REQUESTING THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVE THE USE OF A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK CMR METHODOLOGY OF CONTRACTING AS THE PROJECT DELIVERY METHOD FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION IN TANDEM TO THIS ITEM, COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION WHICH PROVIDED FURTHER DIRECTION FOR ELEMENTS TO INCLUDE THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS, THE RFQ FOR ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES, AND DIRECTS THAT REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CENTER FROM SINGAPORE, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, THE PALM DISTRICT, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, AND THE WATERLOO GREENWAY BE INVOLVED IN THE EVALUATION PANEL FOR THE RFQ.
IN ADDITION TO THE CITY STAFF, WE'VE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO INCORPORATE THE DIRECTION AND THE FINAL RFQ, AND WE WILL BE, UM, RELEASING THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
THAT BRINGS US TO THE PROJECT ITSELF.
AS I NOTED PREVIOUSLY, THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL BE A LARGER, MORE EFFICIENT FACILITY ON A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
THE OVERALL PROJECT WILL DELIVER AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY FRIENDLY EVENT FACILITY THAT
[00:35:01]
ENHANCES THE CULTURALLY RICH FABRIC OF THE PONG DISTRICT AND REMOVES THE BARRIERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER FROM THIS CORNER OF DOWNTOWN.THE CHART ON THE RIGHT SHOWS, THE CURRENT RENTABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE TARGET SQUARE FOOTAGES CALLED FOR IN THE MASTER PLAN UPDATE AND A MINIMUM WITH WHICH, UM, WE WILL ACHIEVE UNDER THESE NEW CONSTRAINTS COMBINED.
WE'RE NEARLY DOUBLING THE AVAILABLE RENTABLE SPACE AND EVEN GOING BEYOND THE MASTER PLAN TARGET A LARGE PART OF THIS IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE MEETING SPACE ALLOCATIONS AND SOME TRENDS THAT WE'VE SEEN AMONG EVENTS WITH, UM, MAYBE IN HIGHER AMOUNT OF MEETING SPACE AND MORE FLEXIBLE SPACES.
AND THIS HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY EVIDENT, UH, WITH OUR EVENTS COMING OUT OF THE COVID.
THE REVISED SQUARE FOOTAGE TARGETS STILL ALLOWS US TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH OUR PEER CONVENTION CENTERS AND COMPETE FOR THAT NEXT TIER OF BUSINESS.
OUR CONSULTANT TEAMS HAVE TAKEN THE PROOF OF CONCEPT AND UPDATED OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT AND MARKET ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE IF THE PROJECT IS STILL FEASIBLE AND VIABLE.
THE ANSWER IS A RESOUNDING YES, AND THE ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE EXPANDED CONVENTION CENTER IS ESTIMATED TO BE AT OVER $280 MILLION A YEAR.
SO WHAT WILL THE PROJECT LOOK LIKE? THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE CURRENT FACILITY, AS IT STANDS TODAY.
THIS VIEW IS ORIENTED EAST TO WEST AND CLEARLY SHOWS HOW THE CONVENTION CENTER CREATES A BARRIER BETWEEN THE EAST AND WEST LIMITS.
THE GROUND LEVEL PUBLIC INTERACTION IS LOWER IN DENSITY FROM THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE SURROUNDING IT.
WE HAVE ZERO GREEN SPACE AND ABOVE ALL IT'S INADEQUATE FOR THE EVENT, DEMAND GROWTH THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER IS FACING.
AND HERE'S WHAT WE COULD BUILD ON OUR SITE.
I WANT TO STRESS THAT THIS IS NOT A DESIGN OF THE BUILDING, BUT INSTEAD IT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A STARTING POINT FOR A THOUGHTFUL DESIGN PROCESS.
AND IT ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE RE OUR REMAINING DUE DILIGENCE EFFORTS.
YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS IS THE EXACT SAME BLOCKS THAT THE EXISTING CONVENTION CENTER SITS ON.
THE RED AND YELLOW BOXES CONTAIN THE CONVENTION CENTER FUNCTIONS AS WELL AS MANY OF THE RETAIL AND COMMUNITY SPACES.
THE FACILITY WILL BE LARGER THAN OUR CURRENT SITE, BUT ON A SMALLER FOOTPRINT, THE TEAL BLOCK AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE PROPERTY IS INTENDED TO BE A P THREE DEVELOPMENT.
SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HEARD VERY CLEARLY WAS DESIRED BY THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY IN THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT, THE EXHIBIT HALL SPACES ARE UNDERGROUND SPANNING THE FULL LENGTH OF THE SITE.
WE'VE ALSO MOVED TO THE LOADING DOCKS UNDERGROUND ALONG RED RIVER, ALLEVIATING THE TRUCK TRAFFIC ON THAT STREET.
AND THIS WILL WORK IN TANDEM WITH OUR NEARLY COMPLETE MARSHALING YARD OUT BY THE AIRPORT.
THIS CONCEPT ALLOWS US TO REOPEN SECOND AND THIRD STREETS TO MULTIMODAL TRAFFIC HELPING TO REMOVE THAT BARRIER BETWEEN THE EAST AND WEST THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS.
FINALLY, THE PROOF OF CONCEPT INTEGRATES OUR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT WITH THE OTHER INVESTMENTS OCCURRING IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, INCLUDING PROJECT CONNECT AND THE VISION OF THE PALM DISTRICT.
THE FULL PROOF OF CONCEPT WILL BE INCLUDED WITHIN THE RFQ.
AND WE ALSO WANT TO KNOW THAT THE NOTE THAT THE PROOF OF CONCEPT ENVISIONS A PHASED APPROACH TO THE EXPANSION PROJECT, BUT WE HAVE ALSO LOOKED AT A ONE PHASE PROJECT AND THE DESIGN PROCESS WILL ULTIMATELY BE WHERE WE MAKE THAT DECISION.
THIS SLIDE HELPS TO VISUALIZE THE POTENTIAL PUBLIC BENEFITS THAT WILL BE REALIZED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
OUR GOAL IS TO BRING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY BACK, AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT HERE.
AS YOU CAN SEE WHERE YOU'VE INCORPORATED SIGNIFICANT GREEN SPACE ALONG RED RIVER, HELPING TO ACTIVATE THAT STREET.
AND ADDITIONALLY WE'VE BEEN, UM, IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS AND AS A GATHERING PLACE FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
WE'RE ALL, WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED COMMUNITY SPACE AND AN ART GALLERY AT STREET LEVEL THAT WOULD SHOWCASE LOCAL ARTWORK.
THE RED BOXES THAT RUN THROUGH THE SITE ARE INTENDED
[00:40:01]
TO BE RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE WOULD WORK CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY TO IMAGINE WHAT THAT RETAIL COULD BE AND WHAT WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE.WE'VE SET ASIDE SPACE FOR PROJECT CONNECT ALONG TRINITY, AND WE ENVISIONED THAT THERE WILL BE A STATION SERVING THE BLUE LINE.
AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE STREET GRID HAS BEEN REOPENED ON SECOND AND THIRD STREETS.
ONE OF OUR OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS PROJECT WAS THE FINANCING WE HAD WORKED DIGITALLY.
WE HAVE WORKED DIGITALLY DILIGENTLY WITH OUR OUTSIDE FINANCIAL ADVISORS, OUR CONSULTANT TEAMS, AND OUR INTERNAL CORPORATE FINANCE TEAM TO FINALIZE THE FUNDING MODEL FOR THE PROJECT AND OPERATIONS PROJECT CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS REMAIN FULLY FUNDED THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTERS ALLOCATION OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, THE 2% EXPANSION HOT AND CONVENTION CENTER REVENUES.
THIS MODEL INCLUDES THE 15% ALLOCATION OF THE 2% EXPANSION HOT FOR BOTH LIVE MUSIC FUND AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND DOES NOT CURRENTLY ANTICIPATE ANY FORCED REDUCTION IN STAFFING.
LATE LAST YEAR, IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE CITY'S ATTENTION THAT THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT COULD TRIGGER A DEFAULT CLAUSE IN THE BONDS THAT CURRENTLY OUTSTANDING AT THE CITY OWNED HILTON HOTEL.
THE HOTEL IS MANAGED BY THE AUSTIN CONVENTION ENTERPRISES AND THE ACE BOARD PRESIDENT HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH THE BOND HOLDERS TO PURSUE A RESOLUTION TO THIS POTENTIAL ISSUE.
WE WILL BE ALLOWED TO RELEASE THE RFQ ONCE OUR RESOLUTION IS ACHIEVED.
FIRST WE PLAN TO RELEASE THE RFQ FOR ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES.
A FEW MONTHS AFTER THAT, WE WERE RELEASED THE RFP FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES.
THESE CONTRACTS WILL GO BACK BEFORE COUNCIL IN APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS FOR THEIR VOTE AND ISSUANCE.
AND THEN THE DESIGN PROCESS WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST.
UH, WE ARE HAPPY TO COME BACK TO YOU AT ANY POINT DURING THE PROCESS TO UPDATE YOU ON OUR WORK.
WE CERTAINLY WOULD LOVE TO ENGAGE, UH, WITH, UH, THE ARTS COMMISSION HAS WE'RE DESIGNING THIS FACILITY AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR LOCAL, UH, AIPP ARTWORK THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE EXISTING CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, AND ALSO SEE THIS AS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY AND IT WILL BE AN AIPP PROJECT, UH, UH, TO BRING LOCAL ARTWORK, UH, OF ALL TYPES, UH, INTO, AS WE DESIGN THIS FACILITY.
UM, SO WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO COMING BACK TO THIS COMMISSION AND WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU.
UM, AND, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
AND WITH THAT, WE WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
YOU MIGHT HAVE COMMISSIONER VAN DYKE.
I KNOW YOU'VE GOT A QUESTION WHAT'S P THREE, THAT WOULD BE A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
SO THE CONVENTION CENTER WOULD BE UTILIZING THE SPACE UNDERNEATH THAT TEAL BOX THAT YOU SAW.
UH, AND THEN THE CITY WILL, UH, WORK WITH REAL ESTATE SERVICES, UH, TO DETERMINE THE BEST AND HIGHEST USE, UH, FOR A BUILDING THAT WILL BE, UM, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE BUILT ON THAT, ON THAT END OF WHAT IS THE EXISTING CONVENTION CENTER COMMISSIONER CHRYSTIA? UH, I'VE GOT TWO QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, D TO CONFIRM THAT THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE AN INTERRUPTION IN THE 2%, UH, UH, ADDITIONAL 2% ON HOT FUNDS.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO INTERRUPT.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE INTERRUPTED AND THEREFORE INTERRUPTING, UH, THE MUSIC AND THE HERITAGE TOURISM FUNDS, CORRECT.
HI, NO, THIS IS KATIE'S MESNICK, I'M OUR CHIEF ADMIN OFFICER.
SO WE HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRING AT, AT ONCE COUNCIL APPROVED THE ADDITIONAL 2% WE'VE BEEN MAKING THAT TRANSFER REGULARLY AND WILL NOT, UM, THAT WILL NOT HELP US DURING, THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
SECOND QUESTION IS, CAN WE GET ANOTHER, ANOTHER LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT Y'ALL, WHAT WHAT'S BEING THOUGHT OF AS, AS BRINGING THE COMMUNITY BACK IN? I KNOW YOU MENTIONED GREENSPACE, BUT, UH, I JUST WANT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED AS TO HOW Y'ALL, WHAT'S BEING ENVISIONED AS BRINGING THE COMMUNITY LOCAL COMMUNITY IN.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE TOURISM INDUSTRY BRINGS IN,
[00:45:01]
UM, GUESTS THAT VISIT OUR CITY.UH, THERE'S TWO TYPES OF TOURISM.
THERE'S THE, THE WEEKEND TOURISM, THE LEISURE AND TRAVEL TOURISM.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE BUSINESS AND CONVENTION, UH, TOURISM THAT HAPPENS DURING THE WEEK.
UM, AND SO ON THE WEEKENDS, ALL OF OUR GUESTS THAT COME INTO TOWN WANT TO ENGAGE AND INTERACT WITH ALL OF THE, ALL THAT, EVERYTHING, ALL OF THAT AUSTIN HAS TO OFFER OUR CONVENTION ATTENDEES DURING THE WEEK, HAVE THAT EXACT SAME DESIRE.
HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE CONDUCTING BUSINESS WHILE THEY'RE HERE AND THEY MAY HAVE LESS ABILITY DURING THE DAY AND IN THE EVENINGS TO GO OUT AND ENGAGE WITH OUR CITY.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DETERMINED THAT, UH, VISITORS WANT TO HANG OUT WHERE THE LOCALS ARE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, FROM, UH, THE FIELD THAT YOU GET AT THE AIRPORT, WHEN YOU FIRST ARRIVE AND IT'S AUTHENTICALLY AUSTIN, UH, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE MORE OF AN AUTHENTICALLY AUSTIN EXPERIENCE IN AND AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, WE WANT IT TO BE A PLACE WHERE LOCAL AUSTINITES WANT TO COME AND GRAB DINNER AND HANG OUT AND HAVE IT BE MORE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, INTERACT THAT IN, UH, ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT WITH WHAT OUR CONVENTION CENTER IS.
SO WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT IN A LOT OF THOSE RETAIL SPACES, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, THAT, UM, CAN CATER TO, YOU KNOW, ENTERTAINMENT AND HOSPITALITY THAT WE'RE SELECTING FOOD AND BEVERAGE VENDORS THAT ARE AUTHENTICALLY AUSTIN AND NOT PER SE A CHAIN RESTAURANT.
UM, AND THEN WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCORPORATING OUR ART AND OUR MUSIC, UH, INTO THIS FACILITY AS WELL.
THERE WILL BE EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE WILL BE, UM, EXTENSIVELY ENGAGING WITH THE MUSIC AND THE ARTS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED ONCE WE GET THIS DESIGN TEAM ON BOARD, THEY, UH, TO SHARE WITH THE VISION IS, UH, AND WORK AND COLLABORATE WITH THE EXPERTS IN OUR CITY TO DETERMINE WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAN DEVELOP AND DELIVER, UH, THAT OUR GUESTS WILL ENJOY.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, OUR LOCAL AUSTIN ATTENDEES ARE LOCAL AUSTIN.
UM, WHAT PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO COME AND ENGAGE.
AND SO A PLACE THAT'S, THAT'S ACTIVE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, UH, WITH LOCALS AND VISITORS.
UH, I'VE GOT A QUICK QUESTION JUST TO THAT EFFECT, TWOFOLD.
UM, THE FIRST BEING, BRINGING IN LOCAL BUSINESSES TO COME AND BE FOOD VENDORS, THE EFFORTS THAT ARE THOSE ALSO AFFORDABLE SPACES.
CAUSE I THINK A HUGE ISSUE THAT WE'RE FACING ON MULTIPLE FRONTS IS AFFORDABILITY.
SO IN ORDER TO RETAIN OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THE CONTRIBUTORS TO THE ECOSYSTEM, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL EFFORTS BEING MADE TO FOR THAT INCLUSION? THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.
UM, IT IS CERTAINLY, UH, BEEN PART OF THE CONSIDERATION.
UM, WE WILL BE WORKING WITH REAL ESTATE SERVICES AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF GREAT PROGRAMS, UM, YOU KNOW, GEARED TOWARDS THIS, BUT, UM, IT WILL, IT WILL BE, UM, AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND DETERMINING WHAT TYPES OF SPACES THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY WILL RENT FOR, UH, WE WILL BE WORKING WITH REAL ESTATE SERVICES, UH, TO ENSURE THAT, UM, WE CAN REACH A BALANCE THAT, THAT, UM, WILL MAKE THIS A SUSTAINABLE AND SURVIVABLE ENVIRONMENT.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S HUGE, UH, AS DISPLACEMENT HAS BEEN FRONT AND CENTER AND A LOT OF OUR CULTURAL DISTRICTS, UM, OF LATE.
AND SO HAVING CONFIDENCE IN RENTING SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN AND ALSO HAVE A HOME IN FOR, IN TERMS OF LONGEVITY IS SOMETHING TO DEFINITELY CONSIDER.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION, UM, IS PARKING, YOU'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT LOCALS AND INCORPORATING THAT, UM, TOURISM DOESN'T NECESSARILY EQUATE TO THAT PARKING IN THAT, UM, RESOURCE FOR PEOPLE COMING INTO DOWNTOWN FROM THAT DON'T LIVE IN THE NEAR AREA.
AGAIN, DISPLACEMENT PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO TRAVEL INTO DOWNTOWN.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S BEING ACCOUNTED FOR? UH, SO WE HAD TWO CONVENTION CENTER PARKING GARAGES CURRENTLY, AND WHAT THE STUDIES THAT WE'VE DONE, WE BELIEVE THAT WE WOULD HAVE SUSTAINED A SUBSTANTIAL, UM, HARKING TO MEET OUR GUESTS NEEDS.
AND, AND ADDITION TO, UM, THE GROWTH OF THE EXPANDED CONVENTION CENTER, UM, WITH, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, CAPITOL METRO AND THE TRAIN THAT WILL BE COMING DOWN TRINITY STREET AND THAT DIRECT, UM, FROM THE AIRPORT INTO DOWNTOWN.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE THAT WE'LL HAVE ADEQUATE ADEQUATE PARKING, UH, TO, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BUILD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER GRAY.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO A CHAIR ZUSMAN'S, UH, POINT OF REFERENCE TO, UH, ARTISTS OF THE CITY AND LOSS OF SPACE, BUT EVEN ON TOP OF THAT,
[00:50:01]
A BIG EXCLAMATION POINT THAT IF YOU WANT LOCALS, AS WELL AS WHY TOURISTS COME HERE, THE FLAVOR OF AUSTIN, IT IS THOSE ARTISTS.AND I WOULD JUST HOPE AND USING, UH, TERMS AND EVEN IDEAS BEHIND THE WORD ENTERTAINMENT AND THE WORD AND KNOWLEDGE OF CULTURE THEY ARE AND CAN BE THE SAME AND THEY CAN BE VERY DIFFERENT.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THAT, UM, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THE P THREE PROCESS OF THAT SPACE, THAT, THAT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF STRONG AND ON THE TOP OF THE LIST CONSIDERATION OF THE LOCAL ARTISTS.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES, I DO.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT HE SHOULD DEAL WITH PETE ITSELF, UM, AT THE, THE P THREE, UH, WE WILL HAVE ADEQUATE ALLOCATION OF WORK.
I MEAN, I, UM, EXPENSES, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THIS BIG PROJECT, YOU KNOW, UM, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU TALK TO THE AIPP PEOPLE AND OUR STAFF, UM, FROM THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO PLAY CATCH UP.
ABSOLUTELY COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR THAT FEEDBACK.
UM, JUST FOR CLARITY, YOU KNOW, THIS CONVENTION CENTER AND RE DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT WILL BE AN AIPP PROJECT.
THE 2%, UM, OF THE CONSTRUCTION COST WILL GO TOWARDS THIS PROJECT, WHICH WE ARE THRILLED AND ECSTATIC ABOUT BECAUSE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE, I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, WE WILL BE ABLE TO CREATE A UNIQUELY, UM, AUTHENTIC AUSTIN EXPERIENCE.
UH, SO WE HAVE ENGAGED WITH AIPP, UM, AND WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THEM THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROJECT COMMISSIONER, SMALL BOOK.
UM, YOU, AND IT'S GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THE 2% AIPP, UM, YOU OFFERED TO DO, YOU KNOW, FREQUENT UPDATES, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE RIGHT PACE FOR THAT.
UM, WHAT, WHAT MAKES SENSE, UM, AS THIS DEVELOPS, BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A HUGE PROJECT, AND I HOPE THAT WHETHER IT'S JUST THROUGH OUR MEETINGS OR THROUGH ANOTHER, UM, MECHANISM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORKING GROUPS, BUT IT WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CREATIVELY CREATE SOME DIRECT BENEFITS, UM, FOR CREATIVE BUSINESSES AND CULTURAL WORKERS AND ARTISTS, AND NOT, NOT JUST THINKING IN TERMS OF, OF, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT WE SEE AND, AND I'M NOT CASTING DOUBT ON THE NUMBERS AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSES, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE, FOR THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY THAT OFTEN IS AN EXTERNALITY OR LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, AN INDIRECT BENEFIT.
AND WE WOULD REALLY WELL, I WOULD, AND I THINK OTHER COMMISSIONERS WOULD AS WELL, LIKE TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN BUILD IN SOME, SOME PROGRAMMING THAT WOULD TO DIRECT ECONOMIC BENEFITS, UM, FROM, YOU KNOW, THE CONVENTION TOURISM THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THROUGH THE EXPANSION.
THAT'S REALLY GREAT FOR YOU BACK.
UM, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU AND WE CAN KIND OF FIGURE OUT ONCE WE GET THE DESIGN PROCESS, UM, GOING AND OUR TEAM ON BOARD, UM, I, I, WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT SCHEDULE WOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT, UM, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A P THREE WORKING GROUP ALREADY ESTABLISHED THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD POINT OF CONTACT THAT, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY FACILITATE THOSE UPDATES.
UH, TWO OF THOSE MEMBERS ARE NOT PRESENT, UM, BUT COMMISSIONER MOCK AND COMMISSIONER CAMELBAK, I KNOW YOU BOTH ARE ON THAT WORKING GROUP, SO LET'S, UH, LET'S REGROUP.
COMMISSIONER VANDYKE, YOU HAD AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS ALL SUDDEN YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF, UH, YOU MEAN AN AM, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY BE PART OF THAT OR NOT.
SO WE'VE KIND OF FEEL LIKE HERE'S MY CHANCE TO THROW MY IDEA.
AND, UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, MAKING SPACE FOR LOCAL ARTISTS AND, UH, I LOVE TO SEE THE MURALS GOING UP FROM LOCAL ARTISTS, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING MORE, UH, THAN IT, YOU KNOW, ONE TIME OR, UM, EVEN, UH, A SPACE THAT KEEPS CHANGING WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT TURNS COME IN IS THAT THEY HAVE AN EASY WAY TO FIND OUT OTHER PLACES THAT THEY CAN GO TO IN THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY, UM, THE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, WORKING AND GO SEE DANCE,
[00:55:01]
WHERE CAN YOU GO SEE THEATER, UH, EVEN A KIOSK, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT, CAUSE IT CHANGES ALL THE TIME, SOMETHING THAT IS CURRENT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT POTTERY STUDIOS ARE OPEN THAT YOU COULD GO, YOU KNOW, CHECK OUT THE LOCAL BOUNDARY, BUT, UH, SO THAT'S THANK YOU.ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS, MARK, AS I SAYS, I JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP, UH, COMMISSIONER WHEN DIES.
UH, YEAH, I THINK WE HAVE A INCREASING NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING TO AUSTIN AND I'M SURE WITH THIS EXPANSION, WE WILL HAVE MORE PEOPLE.
I MEAN, AUSTIN, WE CANNOT HIDE ANYMORE.
SO I'M HOPING THAT, UM, THAT WILL BE A MARKETING OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR LOCAL ARCHES, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE ARE DISPLAYING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK, WE ALSO HAVE, YOU KNOW, LIKE A KIOSK OR WHATEVER, UH, DID THE TWO MECHANISM THAT THEY KNOW WHERE TO GO.
IF THEY SAW A PIECE OF STYLE THAT THEY LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN THEY CONTACT THE STUDIO, THE ARTISTS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN IS WEIRD, WE ARE UNIQUE.
SO, UM, I'M SURE THAT THAT ALL THESE ITEMS COULD BE HOT ITEMS TO BRING HOME, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR LOCAL ARTISTS.
SO JUST AS JUST HAVE THAT IN MIND TO HELP MARKET, YOU KNOW, ARTISTS ARE NOT VERY GOOD IN DOING BUSINESS.
SO WE, WE NEED YOU IF THE BUSINESS MIND, UH, YOU KNOW, TO HELP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER CASTEEL I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL, UH, FOR STAFF TO BRING IN, UH, VISIT OFTEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MARKETING.
I MEAN, THAT'S THEIR ROLE, UH, THE SPACE THAT THE IT'S POTENTIALLY GOING TO COME OUT OF THIS FROM CONVENTION CENTER.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE CONVENTION CENTER'S ROLE IS TO HAVE THE SPACE.
IT WOULD BE VISIT OFTEN TO DO THE ACTUAL MARKETING AND TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ART COMMISSIONER THOUGH IS JUST THE CONNECTION POINT THERE.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH, TRICIA AND KATIE FOR BEING HERE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND LOOKING FORWARD TO FURTHER UPDATES.
I DID SKIP OVER ITEM SEVEN, BUT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE IN MY KNOWLEDGE, I KNOW THAT CAITLIN HAS ASKED TO BE MOVED TO AUGUST, SO WORRY NOT, UM, WE HAVE NOT SKIPPED OVER ANYBODY.
[9. Presentation by Anne Gatling Haynes, Austin Economic Development Corporation Chief Transaction Officer, regarding Updates within the Austin Economic Development Corporation]
NEXT IS PRESENTATION BY ANNE GATLING HANGS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, CHIEF TRANSACTION OFFICER REGARDING UPDATES WITHIN THE AEDC CORPORATION.UM, COULD EVENING AND, UM, HOPEFULLY TODAY I CAN GIVE YOU A CONCISE UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE ON THE CULTURAL TRUST PROGRAM AND A LITTLE BIT STEPPING BACK ON WHO WE ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION AND WHY WE'RE DOING THIS WORK.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY MAKE SOME TIME FOR SOME QUESTIONS, CAUSE I'M SURE THERE'S PLENTY OF QUESTIONS.
UM, SO NEXT SLIDE, OR DO I CLICK IT MYSELF OR OKAY.
SO THIS IS OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UM, AND I WANTED TO STEP HERE FIRST.
UH, WE ARE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION SET UP BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO WORK ON BEHALF OF AUSTIN, UH, FOR EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH AN INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT THAT WAS SET UP LAST JUNE OR SIGNED LAST JUNE.
WE HAD A NUMBER OF INITIAL PROJECTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED FOR OUR PRIMARY WORK AND, UH, TWO OF THE AGENDA, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY ONE PROJECT WAS TO IDENTIFY INVESTMENTS FOR A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SOURCES OF MONEY FOR WHAT WAS CALLED THE CULTURAL TRUST PROGRAM.
AND WE'RE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF A TON OF ADVOCACY, BOTH FROM THIS COMMISSION, MUSIC COMMISSION, MANY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, ET CETERA.
SO CERTAINLY WE ARE RUNNING A PROCESS THAT A LOT OF THINGS HAVE FED INTO, BUT WHERE IT'S REALLY THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED.
SO, UH, YOU'LL COME ALONG WITH ME ON THIS RIDE OF EXPLAINING WHERE WE ARE.
UM, BUT ONE THING I JUST WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT WE HAVE, UH, PROJECT COMMITTEES FOR EACH ONE OF OUR PROJECTS AND THE CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS ABOUT 20 FOLKS WHO VOLUNTEERED TO BE A PART OF OUR OPEN PANEL.
IT INCLUDES FOUR OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, INCLUDING CARL SETTLES, UM, AND THEN ULTIMATELY MEMBERS OF MUSIC, CULTURE, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULDN'T BE APPLYING TO THE PROGRAM, BUT COULD REPRESENT THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT WAS MY FIRST WEEK WAS OUR FIRST MEETING.
AND WE'VE BEEN MEETING MONTHLY THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS AND IS REALLY MY PRIMARY FEEDBACK LOOP, UM, FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING AS BEST AS WE CAN WITH THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
[01:00:02]
UM, IT REALLY WAS, AS I SAID IN, UH, IDENTIFIED AS A PROJECT FOR US, UM, IN PART TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE THE CITY FUNDS THAT WERE APART OF THE PROGRAM, BUT ULTIMATELY TO HELP LEVERAGE THAT WITH SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND GROW THE FUND OVER TIME.UM, AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE STARTING AND I'LL GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHERE WE ARE ON THAT.
UH, WE INITIATED INITIALLY DID A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.
I THINK IT WAS NOVEMBER 30TH, OPENED IT UP, UM, AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS OF TRYING TO REACH OUT AND A 20, 20 RFI PROCESS, UM, TO REALLY GET OUT AS FAR AND WIDE AS WE COULD THAT SAID, I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT FOUND OUT ABOUT TOWARDS THE END OF THAT RFP PROCESS FOUR MONTHS LATER.
UM, AND WE KEPT, UH, PIPELINE ONLY APPLICATION OPEN FOR TWO MONTHS SO THAT PEOPLE COULD CONTINUE TO TELL US THEIR NEEDS.
UM, IT'S REALLY A UNIQUE AND NEW PROCESS BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY NOT A GRANT PROGRAM.
IT'S AN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PROGRAM.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT MAKES IT QUITE DIFFERENT.
UM, AND WE REALLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO THROUGH THE DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED AND CONTINUE TO COLLECT.
IN FACT, WEEKLY, I GET CALLS AND I CONTINUE TO PUT THAT ON MY MASTER SPREADSHEET ABOUT REALLY THE NEEDS OF CULTURE, MUSIC AND ARTS, SPECIFICALLY FOR ORGANIZATIONS AND OPERATORS.
WE ALSO HEAR QUITE A BIT FROM INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS THAT ARE BEING PRICED OUT AND DISPLACED.
UH, WE DO NOT HAVE FUNDS TO REALLY SUPPORT THAT AT THE MOMENT, BUT HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIND A WAY TO INVEST IN FACILITIES THAT WILL HELP SUPPORT THE BROADER ARTS COMMUNITY.
UM, THESE WERE THE THREE INITIAL BUCKETS I CALL THEM OF MONEY THAT WERE IDENTIFIED FOR THIS PROGRAM.
$12 MILLION FROM THE CREATIVE SPACES BOND FROM 2018, A 2.4 MILLION OF HOT FUNDS FOR THE ICONIC VENUE FUND.
THOSE WERE ORIGINALLY SLATED FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
SO THIS REALLY GOES TO THE ICONIC VENUE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN AND THROUGH THEIR BUDGET, UH, PROVIDED AN INITIAL 2.5 MILLION OF POTENTIALLY OVERALL A LARGER AMOUNT OF MONEY TO MATCH THAT ICONIC VENUE.
SO THIS 16.9 IS SORT OF OUR SEED FUNDING.
AND CERTAINLY WE WANT TO MAKE MEANINGFUL INVESTMENTS WITH THIS, BUT WE ANTICIPATE EACH AND EVERY PROJECT LOOKING FOR CLEVER WAYS TO FIND ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF MONEY TO MAKE THE PROJECTS HAPPEN AND DO AS MANY PROJECTS AS WE CAN.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THIS INVOLVES LOTS OF OTHER PARTIES, UM, YOU KNOW, BANKS AND, UH, NONPROFITS AND PHILANTHROPY AND OTHER THINGS.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO REPORT BACK ON HOW WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT THIS FIRST ROUND.
AND WE DO HOPE THAT AS MORE FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE, THE PIPELINE OF PROJECTS, PEOPLE THAT HAVE APPLIED TO THIS PROGRAM, WE CAN CONTINUE TO HELP OVER TIME.
UM, AND IT JUST A SHOUT OUT, THANKS TO EDD ON WE'VE JUST UNDERSTOOD THAT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL, THERE'S ANOTHER 2.5 MILLION FOR THAT ICONIC MUSIC FUND.
WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER 2.5 IN THAT, IN THAT FUND.
UM, THIS REALLY JUST HIGHLIGHTS THE, WE DID AS MUCH COMMUNITY OUTREACH AS WE COULD.
WE, WE, UM, BORROWED HEAVILY ON MAILING LISTS AND OTHER WAYS TO GET THE WORD OUT.
UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE A PRESS BUDGET.
SO WE REALLY, REALLY WORKING AT, UM, VERY LOW FIVE, BUT CERTAINLY, UH, LEARNED A LOT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, INCLUDING ABOUT THE PROCESS ITSELF, WHAT THINGS RESONATED WITH ORGANIZATIONS, WHAT THINGS MAY HAVE TAKEN TOO LONG FOR THEM TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION.
WE CERTAINLY HAVE LEARNED A LOT TOWARDS, UH, THE NEXT STEPS.
OUR WEBSITE HAS QUITE A FEW OF OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SESSIONS THAT ARE STILL AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, AND, UH, I'VE NEVER HAD THAT EXPERIENCE OF PUTTING YOUTUBE STUFF AND PEOPLE WATCH THEM AND THEN THEY EVEN LIKE THEM.
UM, AGAIN, SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO BETTER GET THE WORD OUT IN THE NEXT ROUNDS.
UM, WE REALLY LOOKED FOR BOTH PRESERVING EXISTING VENUES OR PROVIDING NEW SPACES.
AND IN BOTH CASES CERTAINLY FOCUSED ON FOLKS THAT HAD BEEN DISPLACED, UM, OR HAD REPEATEDLY BEEN DISPLACED IN THEIR MANY, MANY YEARS OF OPERATION.
THE SCORING RUBRIC WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FOR EACH ONE.
UH, EXISTING VENUE HAD A LOT TO DO WITH ORGANIZATIONAL BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL CAPACITY.
WHEREAS FOR NEW VENUES ARE REALLY LOOKING FOR COMMUNITY IMPACT DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION AS A CORNERSTONE OF THEIR EFFORTS.
UM, THIS KIND OF IS A DIAGRAM THAT SHOWS WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PROCESS, AND IT TRULY IS A FUNNEL FROM THE BROADEST SET OF APPLICATIONS TO WHAT WE HOPE ARE TWO TO SIX PROJECTS OR INITIAL INVESTMENTS.
AND THAT WOULD BE A MIX OF BOTH ICONIC, UH, VENUES AS WELL AS EXISTING AND NEW VENUES.
WE'RE RIGHT AT THE POINT ON THE MIDDLE OF THE SLIDE CALLED THE LONG LIST.
AND WHAT WE ARE NOW IS IN A FEASIBILITY PHASE, GOING FROM THE INITIAL 45 APPLICATIONS THAT WE RECEIVED BY THE END OF MARCH 31ST, UM, TO AN INTERMEDIATE LIST TO THIS LONG LIST THAT WE'RE DOING EXTENSIVE FEASIBILITY, HOW BIG IS THE PROJECT? HOW MUCH INVESTMENT IS REQUIRED? WHAT ARE THE PARTIES INVOLVED? HOW CAN WE SET UP THE APPROPRIATE NEGOTIATION TO ASSURE AFFORDABILITY? SO THAT'S REALLY THE NEXT THREE MONTHS TO REALLY DIG INTO THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL HOPEFULLY GET TO WHAT WE CALL A SHORT LIST OF PROJECTS WE RECOMMEND FOR INVESTMENT IN THE FALL.
THAT IS OUR GOAL, UH, LOTS OF VARIABLES.
SO THAT'S OUR GOAL, BUT I THINK WE CAN GET THERE.
[01:05:01]
UM, WE HAD 45 SUBMISSIONS, AS I SAID, WE HAD 16 PIPELINE ONLY APPLICATIONS.AND AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH THAT APPLICATION PROCESS IS CLOSED, I CONTINUE TO KEEP TRACK OF PEOPLE THAT REACH OUT TO ME.
UM, IT REALLY WAS A BROAD VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS FROM STARTUP TO 57 YEARS IN BUSINESS.
WE HAD A VARIETY OF MUSIC, VISUAL ARTS, DANCE, HUMANITIES, REALLY ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF ARTS, WHICH WAS REALLY EXCITING BECAUSE WE HAD HOPED FOR THAT ABOUT 30% EACH FOR NEW VENUE, EXISTING VENUE OR A NEW VENUE THAT HAS A SPECIFIC LOCATION PROPOSAL.
SO VERY, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN ON OUR WEBSITE, UH, BUT THE LIST OF THE 45, UM, APPLICANTS ACTUALLY FROM 10 DISTRICTS, UH, WITH 10 COUNCIL DISTRICTS, WHICH WAS NICE TO HAVE THAT, UH, BREADTH.
UM, BUT WHAT WE REALLY STARTED FOCUSING ON PRETTY QUICKLY IS THE FACT THAT WE CERTAINLY HAVE MORE NEEDS THAN WE HAVE DOLLARS.
UM, AND WE ANTICIPATE WELL OVER A HUNDRED, 150 MILLION TOTAL NEEDS.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, LOOKING AT EACH INDIVIDUAL PROJECT, WHAT WE CAN DO ON THE SORT OF SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM THE BIGGER SURPRISE WAS RATES OF WHAT PEOPLE PAY IN RENT AND TRIPLE NET PROPERTY TAX WAS KIND OF A LITTLE BIT ALL OVER THE BOARD.
SO WHAT IS AFFORDABLE FOR ONE MAY NOT BE AFFORDABLE FOR SOMEONE ELSE? UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TRACK, BUT IN THE 45 APPLICATIONS ALONE, FOLKS ARE PAYING OVER $3 MILLION A YEAR IN RENT AND PROPERTY TAX, UH, WHICH IS A LOT.
AND ESPECIALLY WITH PROPERTY TAXES, THAT'S INCREASING RAPIDLY AND MORE THAN CAN BE SUSTAINED.
WE DID HAVE AN EVENT FOR THE 45 APPLICANTS REALLY TO KIND OF GET A LITTLE BIT MORE FEEDBACK AND ACTUALLY BRING FOLKS TOGETHER FROM ACROSS DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES.
UH, THIS WAS ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT OF FUN.
I WAS JUST NICE TO SEE PEOPLE IN PERSON, UM, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, UM, AND CERTAINLY GIVE THEM THE BEST SENSE WE COULD ABOUT THE PROCESS GOING FORWARD.
THEY DID ONE MINUTE DESCRIPTIONS OF THEIR PROJECTS, AND I THINK THAT SYNERGIES BETWEEN PROJECTS WERE JUST ALMOST AS EXCITING AS THE SPECIFIC PROJECTS THEMSELVES.
UM, AGAIN, AS I SAID, RENT, RENT INCREASES AND TRIPLE NET LEASES, UH, DEFINITELY TWO OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON.
UM, BUT REALLY THAT SORT OF RELATES TO DIVERSIFIED INCOME STRATEGIES FOR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY POST COVID AND ALL THE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT CREATE THE COST STRUCTURES FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE CAN'T SOLVE ALONE.
THIS IS REALLY A BRICKS AND MORTAR KIND OF PROGRAM, BUT CERTAINLY WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, LOOKING AT HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO MITIGATE SOME OF THESE COST INCREASES FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS. UM, AND AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE MORE, MORE REPORTING BACK IN THE FUTURE.
UM, THE LONG LIST, WHICH I KNOW EVERYBODY WOULD LOVE A LIST OF WHO'S ON THE LONG LIST, WHICH FOR VERY SPECIFIC REASONS AROUND REAL ESTATE NEGOTIATION AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE STRONGEST POSITION TO ASSURE THE MOST AFFORDABILITY WE ARE NOT RELEASING THE NAME.
SO THOSE 14 PROJECTS RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE FOUR ICONIC VENUES, UH, FIVE EXISTING VENUES.
AND I WOULD SAY EVEN THE EXISTING VENUES ARE SOMEWHAT ICONIC.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE FIVE NEW VENUES.
I THINK IT'S THREE OF WHICH HAVE IDENTIFIED LOCATIONS AND TWO OF WHICH NEED LOCATION.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH CITY ON WHERE WE CAN FIND SOME, UM, PROPERTY THAT MAY BE CITY OWNED, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US FOR A VERY, UH, MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE, UH, PROJECT.
UM, WE, THESE, THESE 14 COME FROM ABOUT FIVE COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
UH, MOST ARTS DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINES ARE REPRESENTED.
THOSE ORGANIZATIONS OR OPERATORS MAY BE, ESPECIALLY IF THE NEW VENUES MAY BE A LEAD AND WE WOULD BUILD OUT A PROJECT THAT WAS SUED MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS AND MULTIPLE OTHER SPACES.
SO W I GUESS I GOT MY 10 MINUTES, SO I'M GOING TO BE, I'M ALMOST DONE ACTUALLY.
UM, BUT BECAUSE OF THE REAL ESTATE NEEDS, EACH ONE IS NOT APPLES TO APPLES, AND WE REALLY HAVE TO DIG IN VERY DEEPLY TO EACH OF THESE PROJECTS IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
AND ACTUALLY THE, THE PIPELINE PROJECTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE IDENTIFIED AS EITHER SUPPORTING ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH.
AND CERTAINLY AS WE CAN MATCH, MAKE WITH OTHER OPPOR OPPORTUNITIES WITH DEVELOPERS OR OTHERWISE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PAY ATTENTION.
UM, THE LONG LIST HAS A VARIETY OF THESE SPACES.
MANY OF THESE ON THE LIST ARE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THE JOINT WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATION, DIFFERENT VENUE, SIZES, UH, MULTIPURPOSE SPACES, REHEARSAL SPACES, MUSIC, RECORDING STUDIOS.
WE HOPE THAT THE BREADTH OF SPACE THAT CAN BE CREATED OUT OF THESE FIRST INVESTMENTS START TO REPRESENT A PORTFOLIO OF SPACES THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.
UM, I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO BE IN THIS POSITION.
I'M FORMERLY AN ARCHITECT THAT DESIGNED PERFORMING VISUAL ARTS SPACES.
SO THIS IS VERY MUCH MY HAPPY PLACE TO MAKE THESE THINGS COME TO LIFE.
UM, AND THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE, BUT REALLY WE DO WANT TO BALANCE TRANSPARENCY AND KEEPING PEOPLE UPDATED WITH THE FACT THAT THESE ARE REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS.
AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY AS BEST INFORMED AS WE CAN.
UH, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT PROJECT SIZE, HOW MUCH DOLLARS IT TAKES AND HOW FEASIBLE IT IS JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY ACQUIRE A BUILDING OR EVEN LEASE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD LIKE TO.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF NEGOTIATION
[01:10:01]
TO HAPPEN BEFORE WE CAN CONSIDER FEASIBILITY.UM, WE REALLY DO WANT TO UTILIZE THIS COMMISSION, THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND OTHERS ON FEEDBACK SPECIFICALLY FOR FUTURE ROUNDS.
OUR GOAL WAS DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
A NUMBER OF THE SPACES ON THE LONG LIST ARE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN EITHER DISPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES AND OLDER AS AN OPERATION OR ORGANIZATION, BUT WE CERTAINLY WANT TO SEE SOME OF THE NEWER ORGANIZATIONS REALLY BE ABLE TO THRIVE IN THIS CITY.
AND SO FINDING WAYS TO CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS AND MAKE AN APPLICATION PROCESS.
THAT'S A GOAL AGAIN FOR FUTURE ROUNDS AND FUTURE CONVENING.
I THINK THIS IS REALLY CRITICAL, UM, YOU KNOW, BA FIVE ABSENT THAT, GETTING PEOPLE TOGETHER AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE LAST SLIDE AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, CAUSE YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT FOR THE NEXT ROUND AND MAKING ACCESSIBILITY A PRIORITY, HAVE YOU RECEIVED FEEDBACK REGARDING THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND TRACKING THAT? YEAH, AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN SO MANY THINGS IN HINDSIGHT, UH, IF WE, WE HAD REALLY WANTED TO GET THE PROGRAM UP AND RUNNING BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING FOR THESE INVESTMENTS FOR A LONG TIME.
AND I THINK IN HINDSIGHT, WE MIGHT'VE DONE A TWO-STEP PROCESS, UM, WHERE WE COULD REALLY CAPTURE THE BROADER SET OF ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THEN IF THERE WERE MONEY, WHICH AT THE TIME THERE WASN'T MONIES THAT COULD HELP PROVIDE SOME TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SOME PROJECTS IN THAT FIRST, A SECOND PHASE, THAT WOULD BE THE IDEAL WAY TO DO IT.
I THINK NOT EVERY ORGANIZATION HAS THE SAME ACCESS TO RESOURCES.
AND I DO THINK AEDC IN PART WAS CREATED TO HELP BE A REAL ESTATE OMBUDS PERSON TO HELP, YOU KNOW, BRING SOME OF THESE PROJECTS TO FRUITION.
UM, I DID HEAR FROM A COUPLE OF GROUPS ACTUALLY THAT WERE VERY DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE THEY JUST ARE BUSY MAKING ART IN A COVID PANDEMIC AND WRITING OUT AN APPLICATION THAT WAS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT WAS A HURDLE.
SO, AND CERTAINLY WE'D LIKE TO FIX THAT FOR THE NEXT TIME.
YOU GUYS SEEM TO BE VERY RESPONSIVE AND PIVOTING AS NEEDED AND MAKING THOSE CHANGES, COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER, MONK, AND THEN COMMISSIONER SMALL BOT.
I JUST HAVE A QUESTION OF THIS 14 PROJECTS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME WHO ARE THEY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO KNOW THE, THE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET.
WELL, THIS 14 BUDGETS EAT UP ALL THE MONEY.
UM, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO ALL 14 PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THIS LONG LIST.
THAT FUNNEL IS PROBABLY THE BEST DIAGRAM IS THAT WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH AND SEEING WHICH OF THOSE 14 KIND OF MEET THE PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND ARE THE MOST FEASIBLE GIVEN THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND MANY OF THE APPLICANTS AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE ON THE LONG LIST, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH WE WANT TO DO ALL OF THE PROJECTS, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM ARE ON THE LONG LIST.
OUR GOAL IS TO DO AS MANY AS WE CAN, BUT MAKE REASONABLE AND RE MEANINGFUL INVESTMENTS.
WE DON'T WANT TO JUST PUT MONEY ASIDE AND THEN HAVE THE PROJECT NEVER HAPPENED EITHER.
SO WE REALLY LOOKING AND WEIGHING ALL THOSE DIFFERENT VARIABLES.
MAY I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION? SO THE, THIS, THIS TRUST IS, IS, UH, YOU'RE ALSO EXPLORING THE OPPORTUNITY OF TOPIC FIVE AND HOT AND SHIT.
SO, UM, YEAH, WE CANNOT FUND ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS.
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, PRIVATE, YOU KNOW, FUNDING COMING, YOU KNOW, PARTNERS? YES, YES, THERE IS.
AND I THINK WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF THE PROJECT WHO IS THE RIGHT PRIVATE PARTNER, WHETHER IT'S PHILANTHROPY OR IN SOME CASES, BANKS OR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S OUR GOAL.
UM, ALL OF THESE PROJECTS WILL BE STRONGER IF THEY'RE NOT JUST CITY FUNDED.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND THE MONEY WILL CERTAINLY GO FURTHER.
UM, WE ARE A STARTUP AND THIS IS AN INITIAL ROUND AND SOME FINANCIAL FOLKS, INCLUDING PHILANTHROPY TEND TO, WANT TO WATCH AND WAIT AND SEE UNTIL WE SEE HOW THIS GOES FORWARD.
SO WE'RE REALLY GOING TO BE, UM, EXPLORING THIS THROUGH THIS FIRST ROUND.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SPAWN.
UM, YOU ACTUALLY JUST ANSWERED SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD IN YOUR RESPONSE TO COMMISSIONER MOCK.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THIS MIGHT BE IN A FUTURE UPDATE, BUT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME HERE, BUT JUST KIND OF BREAKING DOWN THE VARIOUS MECHANISMS THAT YOU'LL USE TO ACCOMPLISH THESE PROJECTS.
AND AGAIN, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO ANSWER THAT NOW, BUT I THINK HAVING THAT LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
AND THEN JUST TO REITERATE, CAUSE YOU JUST SAID SOME OF IT PHILANTHROPY, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, BUT WHAT ELSE WILL ENABLE FUTURE ROUNDS OF THIS PROGRAM TO HAPPEN? WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR, UM, GREAT QUESTION.
SO I THINK PERSONALLY, UH, THE DATA WE'VE COLLECTED HELPS TELL A STORY.
AND IN FACT, WHEN WE HAD THE 45 VENDORS TOGETHER,
[01:15:01]
WHAT I DIDN'T ANTICIPATE, EVEN THOUGH I READ EVERY APPLICATION WAS THE STORY OF DISPLACEMENT AND HOW COMPELLING IT IS AND HOW MUCH OF A CRISIS THIS, THIS ECOSYSTEM IS IN.AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HEAR THAT AND YOU SEE IT AND IT'S MUCH MORE TANGIBLE, I THINK IT WILL ACTUALLY BRING RESOURCES, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE SUCCESSFULLY ABLE TO DO SOME DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS THAT SHOW HOW THESE DIFFERENT SOURCES OF MONEY COULD COME TOGETHER.
AND ACTUALLY JUST TO YOUR POINT, I DO WANT TO HOPE, I HOPE THAT THIS FALL, WHEN WE IDENTIFY PROJECTS, IT'S NOT JUST A, THIS IS THE ONE TEMPLATE, BUT HERE'S THE TWO OR THREE WAYS WE CAN USE THIS DOLLARS.
AND ACTUALLY HERE'S THE KIND OF DOLLAR WE NEED BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A DOLLAR ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
SO HOPEFULLY OUT OF THIS PROCESS, WE CAN PROVIDE SOME MOMENTUM IN TERMS OF FUTURE ROUNDS.
VICE CHAIR, COMMISSIONER GRAY.
CONGRATULATIONS FOR ONE, JUST SEEING IT COME THIS FAR.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY INCREDIBLE WHEN I THINK ABOUT NEXT ROUNDS AS WELL.
UM, AND IT MAY BE TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH OUT THERE AND YOU'RE GOING FROM SOMEBODY TO DIFFERENT PLACES, BUT IN THE COMMUNITY OF KNOWING, UH, SOME OF THOSE INITIAL 45, DO YOU SEE STAYING IN TOUCH OR INTERIM REPORTS FROM THOSE 45 AND THEN NOT EVEN THINKING OR ALREADY THINKING BIGGER THAN THE 45 AND NOT THAT NOT AS A COMPETITION THING, BUT JUST STAYING IN TOUCH FOR THOSE IN THAT ROOM OF PEOPLE YOU'RE LEARNING.
WELL, SO I'VE HEARD RESOUNDINGLY, PLEASE JUST GIVE US AN UPDATE, EVEN IF THERE'S NO UPDATE.
UM, AND HONESTLY I THINK THAT'S, AND I EVEN, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH I'VE GOT SOMETHING ON MY CALENDAR MONTHLY TO GIVE PEOPLE A SENSE OF, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SUCCESSFUL AT THAT BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH WORK TO DO, BUT YOU'RE UTILIZING, I THINK OUR PARTNERS, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, LONG CENTER WITH THEIR CREATIVE CONSORTIUM AND SOME OF THE CONVENING, I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING IN THE FALL, UM, BOSTON CREATIVE ALLIANCE, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS CAN STEP IN WITH US AND DO THAT KIND OF CONVENING.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S A LISTSERV OR SOMETHING, CAUSE PEOPLE IN THAT ROOM WERE MAKING CONNECTIONS ABOUT BOTH SPACE AND AVAILABILITY AND RESOURCES.
AND I JUST, IF THERE WAS A WAY TO DO THAT MORE FREQUENTLY, I THINK WE'VE GOT A PILOT GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT TEST THAT OUT ON AND IT SHOULDN'T BE EXCLUSIVE TO THOSE 45.
WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONTINUE TO GROW THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S A PRETTY POWERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE WHEN ACTING TOGETHER.
SO, AND I, I THINK, UH, JUST PERSONALLY, JUST LOOKING AT JUST A PIPE THAT, THAT ONE GROUP AND KNOWING THAT THERE'S OTHERS OUT THERE JUST, THERE'S A GREAT DATA, DATA REFERENCE THERE OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT ROUND IN THE GROWTH OF AUSTIN.
HOW DID IT AFFECT THOSE? ABSOLUTELY.
AND I KNOW WORKING WITH EDD AND CERTAINLY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN BRING THE DATA TO BEAR, NOT JUST WITHIN THIS PROGRAM, BUT ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND CERTAINLY HOW THESE PROGRAMS FIT TOGETHER.
UM, IT'S, IT'S CRITICAL BECAUSE THEY KIND OF ALL REPRESENT A DIFFERENT STAGE FOR AN ORGANIZATION AS WELL AS A DIFFERENT HELP AND SUPPORT SYSTEM AND NOT ANYONE TOOL IS PERFECT FOR ANY ONE ORGANIZATION.
SO, UM, YEAH, NO, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
LIKE HOPEFULLY LOOKING FOR THE NEXT, THE NEXT ROUND.
UM, IDEALLY WE DO SOMETHING THAT'S MAYBE MORE OF A ROLLING SITUATION AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO WAIT.
LIKE IF WE CAN FIND ENOUGH RESOURCES TO HAVE SOME VERSION OF A ROLLING PROCESS, UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT, UM, KIND OF DO THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS TO LOOK AT.
I MEAN, WE'RE, THIS CITY IS PRETTY AMAZING ABOUT THE MONEY THAT IT HAS PUT FORWARD TO SEED THIS EFFORT.
UM, BUT LOOKING AT WAYS TO CONTINUALLY DO THIS WORK IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH JUST TO CHIME IN.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE ABOUT THE WAYS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SO MINDFUL TO COMBINE AND SHARE AND BUILD AND KEEP EVERYBODY MOVING FORWARD AND YOUR MATCHMAKING IS INSPIRING.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, KEEP IT UP AND KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL HERE AND SUPPORT.
FEEDBACK, THE FEEDBACK LOOP PIECE OF IT.
WE'LL FIGURE THAT OUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS WILL BE REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL FOR ANY NEXT ROUND.
THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT PRESENTATION.
I'M GONNA ZOOM OUT A LITTLE BIT FROM NOT JUST THE CULTURAL TRUST, BUT ALSO AEDC AS AN ORGANIZATION, UH, THE CHALLENGE OF THE NEED IN THE COMMUNITY BEING SO CRITICAL.
AND SO, I MEAN WE'RE BEYOND EMERGENCY.
UM, BUT KNOWING THAT IT IS A PROCESS AND THAT IT IS CLARIFYING THAT IT IS NOT A GRANT PROGRAM, BUT IT IS A REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT.
UM, THERE WAS A SHIFT YOU DID, Y'ALL MOVED FROM TRYING TO FIND A COMMUNICATIONS PERSON TO STRATEGIC, UH, AN RFQ FOR STRATEGY, STRATEGIC PLANNING.
CAN YOU GIVE US SOME INSIGHT AS TO WHY THAT SHIFT? AND SO IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, WE DID HAVE A COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER, COMMUNITY MANAGER THAT WE WERE GOING TO HIRE.
AND, UM, RIGHT NOW, AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE, WE HAD
[01:20:01]
SOME RESOURCES FROM SOME PROJECTS TO POTENTIALLY HIRE A PERSON, BUT IN A STARTUP ORGANIZATION, IT IS OFTEN VERY DIFFICULT TO ASSURE THAT PERSON OF A LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, OUR YEAR TO YEAR RIGHT NOW AS A STARTUP, WE DON'T HAVE THAT.UM, SO WE DECIDED TO GO TO MORE OF A CONTRACT BASED, UH, FOR BOTH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORK PROJECT BY PROJECT AND THE STRATEGIC PLANNING WAS AN RFP FOR CONSULTING SERVICES.
SO THAT'S A CO A CONSULTING GROUP.
SO WE HAVE, OH, SO RIGHT NOW I SHOULD HAVE SAID, SO WE HAVE A CEO, I'M THE CXO, THE CHIEF TRANSACTION OFFICER, THE PROJECT LEAD.
AND THEN WE HAVE A COO CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AND THAT'S US.
SO, AND THEN RIGHT NOW, ADDITIONAL CONTRACT CONSULTANTS THAT ARE HELPING US WITH DIFFERENT PROJECTS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND I MAY HAVE NOT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY, BUT YEAH.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY, SO YOU HAVE CONTRACT WORK FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTRACT WORK FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING.
WE HAVE NOT HIRED THE STRATEGIC PLANNING CONSULTANT YET.
WE JUST CLOSED THAT RF Q OR P.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE HARDEST PART WITH BEING A STARTUP IS THAT WANTING TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH OF A RUNWAY TO BE ABLE TO ASSURE A TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT CAN BE THERE.
FULL-TIME UM, SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE KIND OF GOING ON A CONTRACT BASIS, BUT, UH, WE TAKE VOLUNTEERS THROUGH TO THE COMMUNITY TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE, LIKE TRYING TO SORT OF BRING THE ARMY WITH US CAUSE WE'VE GOT A LOT TO DO SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER IS ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.
AND JUST A REMINDER, WE ARE A RESOURCE FOR YOU.
WE HAVE A NEWSLETTER, WE HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE THAT'S GROWING IN ATTENTION.
SO PLEASE, AND YOU HAVE ME ON A SATURDAY MORNING TALKING WITH FOLKS, SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE FEEDBACK SESSIONS.
[10. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Laura Odegaard,Cultural Investment Program Manager]
TO MOVE ON TO STAFF BRIEFINGS.FIRST UP IS RECEIVED REGARDING UPDATE ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX BY LAURA ODEGAARD CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.
CAN YOU REMEMBER IF YOU'RE SHAKING HEAD AND EVENING EVERYONE? CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN.
SO I'M MORE OLD GUARD, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
YOU CAN'T SEE ME TONIGHT, BUT I AM A WHITE WOMAN WITH LONG LIGHT BROWN HAIR WEARING A BLUE AND WHITE STRIPED BUTTON UP SHIRT.
AND MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE FOR NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? THE OCCUPANCY TAX NUMBERS OR COLLECTION IN JUNE WAS $597,000, 597 FORTY-FIVE DOLLARS.
OUR YEAR TO DATE NUMBER IS $89.5 MILLION.
AND THIS IS 28% ABOVE WHAT THE APPROVED BUDGET WAS OF 69.7 MILLION.
AND JUST FOR COMPARISON THIS TIME LAST YEAR, OUR TOTAL YEAR TO DATE HOT COLLECTION WAS $31.5 MILLION.
AND THEN OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR JUNE FOR $57,019.
AND JUST FOR COMPARISON WITH THAT, JUNE, 2021 WAS $15,000.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE HOW THE ARE ABOVE OUR ORIGINAL APPROVED BUDGET OF $6.6 MILLION.
UM, AND SO OUR HOT CULTURAL ARTS FUNDS ACTUALLY RIGHT NOW ARE $8.5 MILLION.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR THIS? JUST HAPPY DANCES ON THIS END, LAURA COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, LAURA, FOR JOINING US, WE MISS YOUR FACE, BUT WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.
[11. Staff briefing regarding the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Meghan Wells, Cultural Arts Division Manager, and Laura Odegaard, Cultural Investment Program Manager]
STEP IS DEF BRIEFING REGARDING THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS BY MEGAN WELLS, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER AND LAURA, OR WHAT A GUARD CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.MY NAME'S MEGAN WELLS, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.
AND YOU'RE ACTUALLY NOT DONE WITH LAURA ODEGAARD JUST YET.
UH, BUT I DID WANT TO TEE UP HER PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
UM, EACH EACH MONTH WE COME TO YOU, WE TRY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF OUR CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW.
SO AS LAURA BEGINS THE PRESENTATION, SHE'S GOING TO BE SHARING WHERE WE ARE IN THE TIMELINE, AS WELL AS NEXT STEPS AND SOME, A LITTLE D LITTLE BIT DEEPER DETAIL ON PROGRAM SPECIFICS, ESPECIALLY THE THRIVE PROGRAM, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONE OUT THE GATE.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL HAVE, UH, LAURA, OTOGUARD START THE PRESENTATION AND WE'RE BOTH HERE FOR QUESTIONS, IF YOU HAVE ANY.
[01:25:01]
ODEGAARD CULTURAL INVESTMENT FOR BRAND MANAGER.SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE PRE-LAUNCH PHASE OF THE PROCESS.
CULTURAL SENDING STAFF IS WORKING WITH THE DATA AND COMMUNICATIONS TEAMS WITHIN EDB TO PREPARE OUR NEW IN-HOUSE SYSTEM CALLED PORTAL.
SO SINCE WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM DIM GRANTS THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME INTO THIS NEW SYSTEM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BUILDING IN ENOUGH TIME FOR REGISTRATION AND ORIENTATION AND TRAINING, NOT JUST OF STAFF, BUT ALSO, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND WE'RE ALSO COORDINATING WITH OUR COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS TO BE PREPPED, TO ASSIST APPLICANTS AND PROMOTE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO APPLY.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS.
UM, NEXT MONTH WE'LL BE MEETING WITH BOTH OF THOSE TEAMS, UH, IN THE NEXT WEEK.
SO EXCITED TO SHARE MORE ABOUT THIS NEXT MONTH.
SO JUST AS A REMINDER ABOUT THE PILOT PROGRAMS YOU ALL APPROVED LAST MONTH, THIS IS A MODEL OF FUNDING THAT WILL OPERATIONALIZE OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY THROUGH A THREE PROGRAM APPROACH.
THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH A COMBINATION OF SEED FUNDING FOR NEW AND EMERGING CREATIVE PROJECTS, BROAD SECTOR SUPPORT FOR ESTABLISHED CULTURAL PRODUCERS AND A HIGH IMPACT TARGETED INVESTMENT IN STRENGTHENING THE FUTURE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS OF AUSTIN.
SO THRIVE WILL BE THE FIRST PROGRAM TO LAUNCH ON OCTOBER 12TH OF THIS YEAR, 2022, THERE'LL BE A SIX WEEK APPLICATION PERIOD TAKING US THROUGH THANKSGIVING IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE'LL HAVE THE EVALUATION AND PANEL PROCESSES AND MOVE FORWARD, RECOMMENDED, RECOMMENDED AWARDS TO COUNCIL, AND THEN PROCEED THE CONTRACTING AND INVOICING.
SO WE'LL BE MOVING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IN THIS TIME PERIOD AND ARE IMPLEMENTING A NUMBER OF, UM, INTERNAL PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT KEEP IN MIND, THE HOLIDAYS WILL IMPACT OUR PLANS AND STAFFING CITYWIDE AT THAT POINT.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL BE DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN.
SO JUST IN CASE, UM, IF THERE ARE NEW VIEWERS TO SEE THE ARTS COMMISSION MEETING, I JUST WANTED TO DO A RECAP REAL QUICK ABOUT WHAT THE THRIVE PROGRAM IS THAT WE'LL BE LAUNCHING IN OCTOBER TO THRIVE WILL BE PROVIDE, UH, FOCUSED INVESTMENTS TO SUSTAIN AND GROW ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DEEPLY ROOTED IN AND REFLECTIVE OF AUSTIN'S DIVERSE CULTURES.
THIS PROGRAM SEEKS TO DIRECTLY CORRECT THE HISTORIC UNDERFUNDING, DISPLACEMENT AND CULTURAL ERASER OF COMMUNITIES WITHIN AUSTIN BY OFFERING SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO SELF-DETERMINE AND INVEST IN THEIR OWN SUSTAINABILITY AND GROW.
AS A REMINDER, THRIVE IS ONLY OPEN TO 5 0 1 C ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE AT LEAST A FIVE-YEAR HISTORY IN AUSTIN.
UH, IT PRIORITIZES ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE NOT YET REACHED INSTITUTIONAL STATUS.
UM, IT ALSO INCLUDES A SUPPORTIVE COHORT LEARNING MODEL IN WHICH CURRICULUM AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE SELF IDENTIFIED BY THE CONTRACTORS.
AND FIVE AWARDS WILL RANGE FROM 80 TO $150,000 PER YEAR.
AND THE TOTAL BUCKET FOR THIS PROGRAM IS GOING TO BE AT LEAST $3 MILLION.
SO HERE'S JUST A BRIEF REMINDER OF HOW SCORING WILL BREAK DOWN FOR THRIVE WITHIN THE TWO BROAD CATEGORIES OF OPERATIONS AND CULTURAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT.
SO HOPEFULLY THIS IS NOT NEW, BUT HANDLE RECRUITMENT HAS BEGUN.
THERE ARE LINKS ON OUR SOCIAL PAGES, NEWSLETTER, AND WEBSITES, BUT ALSO SHARING THE LINK HERE THAT WILL BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE IN THE BACKUP AND ON THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PAGE.
SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE IT WITH ANYONE YOU THINK MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR A DIVERSE POOL OF APPLICANTS FOR PANELISTS.
SO ETHNICITY, RACE, AGE, GENDER ABILITY, BOTH LOCAL AND OUT OF TOWN AND WITH A VARIETY OF ARTISTIC EXPERIENCES FROM PRACTITIONERS TO ADMINISTRATORS AND BEYOND.
AND PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PANEL INTAKE FORM WILL BE OPEN ALL YEAR LONG, BUT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE THRIVE PANEL, YOU MUST APPLY BY SEPTEMBER 30TH.
SO THESE NEXT SLIDES YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE, BUT JUST TO SUM UP PANELISTS WILL BE REQUIRED AND PAID TO PARTICIPATE IN SEVERAL MODULES OF TRAINING, COVERING THINGS FROM EQUITY AND UNCONSCIOUS BIAS TO CULTURAL TOURISM REQUIREMENTS.
AS I MENTIONED, THERE'LL BE A BROAD VARIETY OF PEOPLE ON THE PANELS THEMSELVES, AND YOU CAN SEE HERE WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR POTENTIAL THRIVE PANELISTS TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS.
BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER, THIS WAY, STAFF
[01:30:01]
CAN IDENTIFY A SHORT LIST AND PANELISTS CAN START THEIR TRAININGS TO BE READY TO REVIEW APPLICATIONS.JUST A REMINDER ABOUT THE DAY OF PANELS.
UH, THEY WILL BE WEBINARS TO DIAL TO THE PUBLIC CAN WATCH, BUT WILL NOT INTERACT WITH PANELISTS AND THERE WILL NOT BE DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC PANELS AND 5 0 1 C APPLICANTS WILL BE REVIEWED SEPARATELY FROM
AND THAT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ELEVATE PROGRAM.
AS, SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE PANEL DETAILS FOR THE THRIVE PROGRAM.
THERE WILL BE SEVEN TO NINE PANELISTS WHO WILL BE REVIEWING EVERYTHING IN A MULTI-STEP PROCESS AND THRIVE PANELISTS WILL BE PAID UP TO $1,500 FOR TRAINING REVIEWING, SCORING, AND MEETINGS.
UH, NEXT AND LAST SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN FOR ELEVATES PANELS, UH, DUE TO THE VOLUME OF APPLICANTS, UH, ANTICIPATED FOR THIS PROGRAM, THERE WILL BE TWO ROUNDS REVIEW PROCESS, AND WE ANTICIPATE AROUND 40 PANELISTS WHO WILL BE NEEDED FOR THIS PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR TONIGHT.
UH, BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU, LAURA COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS, NOT SEEING ANY FLAILING ON MY SCREEN HERE, ANYBODY IN THE ROOM, PUSH COMMISSIONER MARK.
UM, SO, SO YOU, SO THE APPLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED AS PANELISTS, THAT THAT LINE IS OF TAMBOUR 30TH.
SO, UM, AND THEN WHEN WILL THEY START DOING THE, UH, VIEWING? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO THE IDEA IS SEPTEMBER 30TH IS THE DEADLINE JUST FOR THRIVE.
UM, AND THEN STAFF WILL NEED A FEW WEEKS TO MAKE THE SHORT LIST.
AND SO BY THE END OF OCTOBER, PANELISTS FOR THRIVE WILL BE CONFIRMED AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, SOLIDIFY THE EXACT DATES OF WHEN THOSE PANELS WILL BE TAKING PLACE.
AND THEN DURING THE TIME THAT THE APPLICATION FOR THRIVE IS OPEN, IS GOING TO BE THE TIME THAT THE PANELISTS WILL BE TAKING THEIR TRAINING.
SO WHAT IF, UH, YOU SAID YOU NEED OVER 40 PANEL LIST.
SO FOR FRY, HOW MANY PANELISTS DO YOU NEED? SO WE NEED SEVEN TO NINE PANELISTS FOR THRIVE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A 15 PERSON SHORT LIST TO THEN MOVE FORWARD.
CAUSE WE ALWAYS NEED TO KIND OF HAVE MORE PANELISTS THAN, THAN WHAT WE NEED, UM, JUST FOR SCHEDULING CONFLICTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE 15 CONFIRMED IN OCTOBER.
SO YOU HAVE PRETTY CONFIDENCE THAT YOU CAN GET 100%, ANY OTHER FRUIT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH, LAURA.
THIS HAS BEEN, UM, REALLY EXCITING TO SEE COME TO FRUITION AND THAT WE'RE IN THE PANELIST STAGE AND WE'VE SEEN THAT LITTLE RED BOX MOVE TO THE NEXT ARROW.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AT THIS POINT.
I'D LOVE TO INVITE, UH, MEGAN WELLS TO COME AND INTRODUCE OUR, UH, ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, PROGRAM MANAGER.
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO BRING YOU THE NEWEST MEMBER OF OUR TEAM, CONSTANCE WHITE TO, UH, GOSH, THIS IS HER.
WHAT NINTH DAY ON THE JOB? 10TH DAY ON THE JOB.
UH, SHE'S OUR NEW ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, PROGRAM MANAGER.
AND, UH, I WILL GIVE HER A FEW MINUTES JUST TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER BACKGROUND AND WHERE SHE'S COMING FROM.
AND, UM, WE'RE JUST SO PROUD TO HAVE HER ON BOARD WITH THAT.
UM, I WASN'T EXPECTING TO TALK MUCH.
I'M VERY LITTLE SHY AS YOU CAN TELL, BUT I'M HAILING TO YOU FROM DALLAS, TEXAS.
UM, SO I I'VE MADE A LITTLE SCRIPT HERE FOR MYSELF.
UM, BUT MEGAN SAID I'M REACHING MY 10TH DAY HERE WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
[01:35:01]
SO I FEEL LIKE I KNOW EVERYTHING AND NOTHING AT THE SAME TIME I'M IN THE VORTEX.UM, LET'S SEE, MY WORK CAN BE SEEN THROUGHOUT THE DFW METRO AREA, UH, WHICH INCLUDES BOTH AIRPORTS AND, UM, ALSO OVER TO SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
UM, I'VE WORKED IN BOTH OF THE CAROLINAS RECENTLY, AS WELL AS BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, AND FROM STREETS TRAILS AND TRANSIT TO RECREATION SPACES, CONVENTION CENTERS, AND AIRPORTS, AS WELL AS WATER UTILITIES.
I HAVE ABOUT 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I STARTED IN THE WOMB.
UM, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IMMERSIVELY, UH, CRAWLING WITH MY EXPERIENCE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE BARK, BUT WE DO NOT BITE, SO DON'T BE AFRAID OF US.
NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT MEGAN SAID.
I'M JUST, I BELIEVE THAT I BELIEVE THAT I WOULD
[Consent Agenda]
LOVE TO MAKE A MOTION TO COMBINE ITEMS 12, 13, 14, 15, AND 16 ON CONSENT.SO I CAN, UH, LET'S TAKE A VOTE.
I'LL UH, THAT AGREE WITH THAT.
MY WORDS I'VE LOST SOME WONDERFUL UNANIMOUS ON CONSENT.
MOVING SWIFTLY THROUGH THE AGENDA.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AGAIN.
YOUR TWO 12 AND 17 DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
NOW WE'VE GOT RID OF THAT, UH, TWO MEETINGS AGO.
SO THAT SHOULD BE STRICKEN FROM THE RECORD.
WHAT WITH, WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO, OKAY.
I'VE GOT A PEANUT GALLERY UP HERE.
[18. Update from Equity Working Group with Community Arts leaders of the BIPOC/LGBTQIA/Disabilities Community/Women with Commissioners Keeton (chair) and commissioners Castillo, Gray, Polgar, Zisman, and community members]
WORKING GROUP UPDATES.UM, I KNOW 18 UPDATE FROM THE EQUITY WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS.
DIDN'T DO WE KNOW THAT'S STILL OPEN? I'M SORRY.
UM, UH, LEADERS OUT OF THE BIPAP, LGBTQ DISABILITIES COMMUNITIES, WOMEN WITH COMMISSIONERS, KEATON CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS CUSTODY, A GRAY POLAR ZISMAN AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
COMMISSIONER KEATON IS NOT HERE.
FORMER CHAIR, POLAR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THIS UPDATE? WELL, WE DID NOT MEET, BUT THE LAST TIME WE MET AS A COMMISSION, WE SUPPORTED THE WORK THAT THEY CONTRIBUTED HEAVILY TO.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AT THE MOMENT.
AND I WILL HOLD ON ANY FUTURE PROMISES BECAUSE COMMISSIONER KIMBERLY KEATON IS NOT HERE.
[19. Update from Joint Working Group for Joint Cultural Committee with Commissioners Castillo (chair) and Polgar, and working group members from the Quality of Life Commissions]
UPDATE FROM THE JOINT WORKING GROUP FROM JOINT CULTURAL COMMITTEE WITH CASTILLO CHAIR, PULL GAR AND WORKING GROUP MEMBERS FROM THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS, NO UPDATE.I TOLD THEM I WAS LEAVING RUDE.
UH, I ENCOURAGED THEM TO MEET AF AFTER TONIGHT AND, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, COMMISSIONER PULL DOWN.
WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE IN THE COMING MONTHS.
I PROMISE COMMISSIONER, IS THIS YOUR LAST MEETING? YES.
IS THAT WHAT YOU SAUNTERED IN HERE? SO CASUALLY WITH YOUR CAP? YEAH, THE, THE WEIGHT OF RESPONSIBILITY, JUST LIFTING AWAY, JUST, UH, THAT SOMETHING WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
YOU WILL BE SENDING THAT OVER.
IT'S GOING TO MOONWALK OUT OF HERE.
[20. Update from Public Private Partnership (P3) Working Group Commissioners Barnes (Chair), Schmalbach, Flores, and Mok]
20 UPDATE FROM PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS, BARNES, CHERISH, SMALL BLOCK FLORES AND MOCK UP COMMISSION MURDERS, SMALL BLOCK, OR MOCK WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE US AN UPDATE? THERE'LL BE ONE.I DON'T THINK WE HAVE MET AFTER THE LAST REPORT, SO I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY FURTHER, UH, WE FOUGHT ON THAT, BUT I'M JUST SO GLAD THAT, UM, THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION, THE EXPANSION OF CONVENTION CENTER TO GOING INTO THAT 2%, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO AIPP BECAUSE THAT IS A HUGE PROJECT.
SO, UM, YEAH, VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
[21. Update from Quarterly Arts Community Commission Meet-ups Working Group with Commissioners Barnes, Castillo (chair), Garza, and Gray]
UH, NEXT ITEM UPDATE FROM QUARTERLY ARTS COMMUNITY COMMISSION MEETUPS WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS BARNS, CASTILLO, CHAIR, AND GARZA.DID WE MOVE TO HAVE GARZA CHAIR? THAT IS CORRECT.
I LOVE HOW YOU'RE CHIMING IN, INTO REMOVE YOURSELF FROM ALL RESPONSIBILITIES.
UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA IS NOT HERE.
UM, I DID ALSO MENTION TO HIM THAT I WOULD
[01:40:01]
BE HAPPY TO HELP WITH THAT AS I'D BE HERE BECAUSE YEAH, YOU'RE ON IT, GIRL.UM, BUT, UM, AS THE ORGANIZER OF THE COMMUNITY CHATS THAT WERE HOSTED THROUGHOUT, UH, THE LAST YEAR, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT A NICE, UH, ARSENAL OF RESOURCES AND HOSTS AND SPACES THAT ARE WILLING TO HAVE US.
AND SO I'M HAPPY TO THROW MY NAME ON THAT WORKING GROUP TO REPLACE COMMISSIONER CASTILLO, PERHAPS IRREPLACEABLE, MASSIVE HOLE TO FILL.
NEXT EMERGENCY UPDATE FROM EMERGENCY FUNDING.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
I THINK THE MOMENTUM THAT WE STARTED NEEDS TO KEEP GOING.
I THINK WE'RE OVERDUE ON THIS WORKING GROUP AND IT NEEDS TO BE PUSHED FORWARD.
SO I THINK IF THERE'S NO MOVEMENT AS CHAIR, I ASKED YOU THAT WE MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE SOME MOVEMENT FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
I THINK THAT THAT'S A FINE IDEA.
MAYBE YOU CAN SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO THIS GROUP, UH, JUST TO KIND OF CIRCULATE A GARZA IS THE CHAIR, BUT HE'S NOT PRESENT.
SO PERHAPS JUST TO SPARK A LITTLE ACTION ON THAT FRONT AND WE CAN GET GOING
[22. Update from Emergency Funding and Proactive Strategies for Future Funding Working Group with Commissioners Flores, Polgar, Schmalbach, Van Dyke, and Zisman (chair)]
A UPDATE FROM EMERGENCY FUNDING AND PROACTIVE STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE FUNDING WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS FLORIDA'S POOL GUARD, SMALL BLOCK VAN DYKE, AND ME THE CHAIR.YEAH, WE HAVE NOT MET, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, ACC.
P A S A P HOW MANY MORE ACRONYMS COULD WE POSSIBLY SAY? YES.
UM, AND THAT IS THE CULTURAL CONSERVATION CORE AUSTIN CULTURAL CONSERVATION COURT, JUST TO LAY OUT ALL THOSE ACRONYMS THERE.
THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT BETTER YET.
IT'S A LOT OF LETTERS TO KEEP STRIPE.
WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE FOR EVERYBODY, UM,
[23. Update from Art Neighborhoods Working Group with Commissioners Gray, Mok, Zisman, and Van Dyke (chair)]
UPDATE FROM THE ARTS NEIGHBORHOOD WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS GREY MOCK ZISMAN AND VAN DYKE, WHICH IS TWO, IS THE CHAIR COMMISSIONER VAN DYKE.WOULD YOU LIKE TO UPDATE US? UM, I FEEL LIKE A NEW MAMA, UM, ON SORRY IF I APPROPRIATE PREGNANCY MODEL, BUT I FELT LIKE THE BABY HAD TO JUST COME OUT.
UH, AND IT'LL SCOTT, WELL, HOPEFULLY MORE TIME TO GROW IN THE BELLA.
UM, I THOUGHT ABOUT, UH, GIVING CONTEXT TO IT, BUT I HAVE IN THE PAST AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE IF, UM, HOW IT STANDS ON ITSELF, HOW THE DOCUMENT STANDS ON ITS OWN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW REALLY HOW THIS WORKS SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST, THIS IS SOMETHING NEW MAMA.
UM, SO I'M HOPING, ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT IT MAYBE NEXT MONTH? UM, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE, I'M NOT, I TRUST IN PEOPLE REALLY.
HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF TIME TO LOOK AT IT.
UM, UH, RICK, I THINK ABOUT MAYBE IF, UM, WE ASKED THAT ALL COMMISSIONERS DO LOOK AT THAT DOCUMENT AND THEN WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AND IT WOULD BE JUST, UH, RICK, IF YOU WANT TO CONTACT ME, WE COULD BE THE TWO COMMISSIONERS, PERHAPS ADD THAT CONVERSATION TO THE AGENDA.
UM, SO DID IT, DID EVERYBODY GET IT? UM, SELENA TOLD ME TO TELL, HEY, SUZ TO SEND IT OUT.
I'M GETTING NODDING HEADS HERE.
YEAH, I DO THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
AND JUST A BIT MORE TIME TO REVIEW THE DOCUMENT FOR THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE WE'RE MISSING COMMISSIONERS TONIGHT AS WELL.
UM, SO PERHAPS A FOLLOW-UP THERE, UM, BUT IT WAS A LABOR OF LOVE, RICK, YOU ARE RIGHT.
AND I'M EXCITED TO HAND THAT OFF, UM, TO OUR CONSULTANTS WHO WE'VE YET TO HEAR FROM, BUT I'M CONFIDENT WE WILL HEAR FROM THEM SOON, AT LEAST JUST TO PASS ALONG.
UM, THE RESEARCH THAT WE HAVE ARE THEY, UM, THE REPORT THAT WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER, SO WE'LL GET THERE.
WE'LL GET THERE GETTING REASSURING NODDING FROM MEGHAN WELLS.
RICK, YOU CAN'T SEE, BUT IT'S HAPPENING OVER HERE? COMMISSIONER MARK.
UM, WELL I HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
I THINK I REALLY WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER VAN GUY, YOU KNOW, TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY VERY PERSISTENT, UM, IN PUSHING THIS BABY OUT.
I, I THINK I, I, YOU KNOW, I READ IT AND IT IS JUST THESE THIS REPORT AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE IDEA, THE US NEIGHBORHOOD IDEA, UH, CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BE SHOCKED.
UH, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE CONSULTANT AND SEE HOW, UH, WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN IS GROWING AND I THINK THIS IS SUCH A NICE IDEA TO HAVE A ARTS NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK,
[01:45:01]
UM, ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME THAT WE FEEL SO DISCONNECTED.UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF LIKE A VILLAGE, YOU KNOW, A VILLAGE TYPE, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOOD TYPE TO CONNECT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON, YOU KNOW, UH, IN, IN, YOU KNOW, CITY, YOU KNOW, COUNTRY AND ALL OF THAT.
I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF PHYSICAL SPACE, UM, THAT, THAT HE CAN, UM, WE HAVE, UH, A REASON REASON TO COME OUT AND MEET OUR NEIGHBORS.
SO, UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST ALL THE WORK THAT SHOULD NOT BE WASTED.
I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS CONCEPT, UH, NEEDS TO BECOME A REALITY.
SO JUST THANK YOU, COMMISSION ONI.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW, WHAT'S APPROPRIATE TO, UM, ASK
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT IN AUGUST.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
SO THAT TAKES US TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. WE'VE GOT A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE ARTS NEIGHBORHOOD.HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE MAYBE SOME COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CONSULTANTS TO ALSO ADD TO THAT AT THAT POINT.
UM, WE'LL BE JOINED BY ALMOST REAL THINGS ARE WONDERFUL COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WERE HERE SPEAKING AT, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND, UH, CAITLYN, OH BOY.
WHAT IS HER WONDERFUL LAST NAME? CAITLIN RYAN OF STREAM REALTY, WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US THIS MONTH.
WE'LL BE PRESENT NEXT MONTH TO PRESENT TO US ON SOME SIXTH STREET DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT SHE IS MANAGING ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO CARRY OVER.
COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER MOCK, AND THEN COMMISSIONER GRAY.
I'M WONDERING, UM, IS THERE ANY, UH, NEW DEVELOPMENT ABOUT THE SIX SQUARE, UM, PROJECT? I'M JUST, I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE, UM, IS, IS, UM, IS THERE ANY MOVEMENT THEN, AND CAN WE GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE, WHERE IS GOING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN THE SIXTH GRADE.
CAN YOU ELABORATE COMMISSIONER MOT? UH, YEAH, WE, I THINK WE TALK ABOUT, UM, MANY, MANY, MANY MONTHS AGO THAT, UM, THE SIX SQUARE THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION, RIGHT.
TO HELP DEVELOP THE EAST SIDE, THE SIX SQUARE, UM, TO MAKE IT INTO SORT OF LIKE A CULTURAL DISTRICT FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
SO, UH, I KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE WORKING ON IT AND, UH, BECAUSE SOME SUPPORT FROM THE CITY I BELIEVE, AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FROM THAT DISTRICT, UM, I THINK, UM, IS A CHAMPION FOR THAT.
SO I'M WONDERING, BECAUSE THAT'S LIKE A LOT OF RICH CULTURE, UM, PROPOSAL, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THAT DEVELOPMENT.
SO I, I WANTED TO SEE IF I CAN GET SOME UPDATE ABOUT WHERE IS IT, HOW CAN WE SUPPORT IT? YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN SUPPORT IT, UH, COMMISSIONER MIKE, CAN WE GET SOME CLARIFICATION BECAUSE THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION CALLED SIX SQUARE AND THEY ARE WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE PROJECT, THE EAST AUSTIN COALITION WITH, UM, WITH HAROLD.
AND THAT'S DEFINITELY A PRODUCT THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED AT COUNCIL LEVEL.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE RIGHT PROJECT, RIGHT.
BECAUSE SIX SQUARE IS AN ORGANIZATION WHERE THERE IS AN ACTUAL PROJECT LED UP BY HAROLD AND THE EAST AUSTIN, UH, CREATIVE COALITION.
NO, I'M REALLY TALKING ABOUT THE PROJECT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ORGANIZATION, UH, IS ALSO INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE IS THIS SIX SQUARE PROJECT THAT IS, THAT IS BREWING.
[01:50:01]
AND, UH, I, I'M WONDERING IF I CAN GET SOME, I DON'T KNOW WHO AT THE CITY IS DOING THIS AND WHERE IS THIS PROJECT? UM, UM, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROGRESS AND ALL THAT.SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN SOMEHOW, UM, LAND OUR WAY, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO, TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO HAROLD MCMILLAN IS, UH, FROM DIVERSE ARTS IS HIS ORGANIZATION AND ABSOLUTELY INVITING HIM TO COME PRESENT ON PROGRESS.
I KNOW THAT WE CAN CHECK IN WITH STAFF TO SEE WHAT UPDATES WE CAN GET.
UM, JUST IN THE MEANTIME, TO SEE WHERE THINGS ARE AT, AS IT HAS SINCE LEFT CANCELS DIES.
UM, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MOFFITT.
SO A WONDERFUL QUESTION AND SOMETHING WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY HAVE OUR HANDS ON THE PULSE ON COMMISSIONER, SMALL BUCK.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD? I'M SORRY.
UM, THE, YES, WELL A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, AND NOT NECESSARILY FOR NEXT MEETING, IF WE COULD GET IT FOR NEXT MEETING, THAT WOULD BE GREAT, BUT A FUTURE UPCOMING MEETING, UM, SOMEONE TO PRESENT FROM THE CITY, ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY ON SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AND COMPLICATIONS WITH DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ARTISTS, UM, JUST KIND OF DRAFTING OFF WHAT WE HEARD IN THE, IN THE ARTISTS AND CULTURAL WORKERS MORE BROADLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHO OFTEN FALL UNDER, UM, OUR MEDIAN INCOME AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MANY EVEN IN THE, IN THE LOWER INCOME CATEGORIES.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME.
UM, AND THEN WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CHALLENGES AROUND THAT BEING IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND, AND JUST GENERALLY, SO REALLY HAVING A WALKTHROUGH THAT COULD BE ON RECORD AND PEOPLE COULD TUNE INTO AND SORT OF UNDERSTAND THAT AS A COMMUNITY MORE BROADLY, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST, AND ALSO WHERE THERE MIGHT BE, UM, POTENTIAL FOR, FOR DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT PERSON IS OR THOSE PEOPLE ARE, BUT I KNOW MEGAN DOES.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST TO PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA.
CAN I GIVE Y'ALL HOMEWORK FOR FUTURE IS SURE.
I THINK A CONVERSATION WITH, I THINK, I BELIEVE IT'S THE EQUITY OFFICE DISCUSSING THE CITY'S GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM, UH, AND C SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND POSSIBLY WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR CREATIVES.
YOU SURE YOU WANT TO LEAVE, RIGHT.
I HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS, I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP COMMISSIONER CASTILLO SOMEWHERE IN THE ROOM.
AT LEAST IT'S LIKE FLINGING THINGS FROM THE BACK OF THE AUDITORIUM.
I THINK WE SHOULD ADD ANOTHER AT-LARGE.
SECOND PERMANENT PUBLIC COMMUNITY MEMBER.
COME ON 13 YEARS, I MOVE THAT.
WE ADOPT ANOTHER ONE SECOND ADVICE MY LOT.
JUST HOPEFULLY IT JUST A REAL QUICK THOUGHT, BUT JUST OVER THE YEARS AND OVER, EVEN AS MY SHORT TIME, OVER THE YEAR AND IN A MONTH, TWO MONTHS, THREE, WHAT, UH, BEING AN ARTS COMMISSIONER, THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON, YOU GUYS IN ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS, SEE BEAUTIFUL WORK OF TYING TOGETHER AND WATCHING THE CULTURAL TRUST PROCESS OF, OF, UH, ADC.
UM, I THINK CONNECTING AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT IT WAS KIND OF, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE SAY, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
LET'S BE SURE WE ARE CONNECTING EVERY TIME WE MEET.
LET'S BE SURE WE ARE GETTING REPORTS ACROSS THE BOARD BECAUSE WE ALL NEED TO BE SUPPORTING ALL OF THESE THINGS, NEED TO HOLD EACH OTHER UP.
AND COMMISSIONER MOCK SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO ASK ONE DAY, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT.
WE ACTUALLY ALL DO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, SO WHERE'S THAT CENTRAL POINT, MAYBE I THINK ABOUT, UH, ARTS NEIGHBORHOODS AND YES, OF COURSE WE NEED THAT.
AND THEN I START THINKING, WE, WE, WE TEND AT SOMETIMES TO, TO HEAR ARTS NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEN WE ALSO TALK ABOUT ARTS NEIGHBORHOODS AND THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT THAT SAME THING.
WE JUST HEARD THE WHOLE THING ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER BEING A HUB.
SO THERE'S A LOT, AND MAYBE IT'S A RETREAT CONVERSATION FOR THE COMMISSION WHENEVER THAT HAPPENS.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S ON A REGULAR TIME SCHEDULE.
AND WE GOT SO PUSHED OVER WITH THAT ONE MEETING, BUT I JUST, IT'S JUST KIND OF, UH, UH, MY LITTLE BUBBLE WISH THAT WE REALLY ARE, ARE SEEING THAT.
[01:55:01]
I KNOW CHAIR, YOU ARE PROBABLY ALREADY DOING THAT AND YOU'RE SAYING, HOW CAN I SHARE A GRAY SHIRT? I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITHAND WHEN I THINK ABOUT, UH, THE HOUSING THAT, UH, THAT, UH,
UH, I DO, I DO ON A SINCERE NOTE.
I WANT TO GIVE THIS PARTING GIFT.
IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT YOU ASKED FOR, FOR COMMISSIONER GRAY? THAT'S WHAT THE ARTS COMMISSION IS FOR.
RIGHT? BRING THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO THE TABLE, HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, GIVE REPORTS.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU'VE WENT TO A MEETING REGARDING, UH, VERTICAL MIXED USE THAT WAS CONDUCTED BY HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR ARTISTS, AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW, HOW WE PLUG IN.
UM, AND SO THAT'S THE CHALLENGE FOR EVERY ART COMMISSIONER IS EVERY TIME YOU GO OUT AND CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY, SEE WHAT YOU CAN BRING BACK TO THE ARTS COMMISSION, EMAIL THE CHAIR AND SAY, HEY, I WANT TO ADD THIS TO THE AGENDA AND CONNECT WITH ANOTHER ARTS COMMISSIONER SO THAT IT GETS ADDED.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE CHALLENGE IS, IS THIS IS, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE NEXUS POINT.
THIS IS HOW WE SHARE THAT INFORMATION.
AND I DID WANT TO SAY, THANK YOU EVERYONE.
UH, I STARTED IN, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YEAR, 13 YEARS AGO, I STARTED AS A VOLUNTEER FOR ART AND PUBLIC FACES PANEL, UH, UH, 30 SOMETHING WHO THOUGHT, WELL, HE WAS GOING TO CHANGE AIPP FOR THE BETTER.
UM, ALONG THE WAY, I LEARNED THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT I WANT, IT'S ABOUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS.
AND THEN I LEARNED THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT, JUST ABOUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS, BUT THE SYSTEMS THAT WE'RE WORKING IN AND THAT WE, UH, AS VOLUNTEERS NEED TO HELP TRANSLATE AND INTERPRET, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY, WHAT THE SYSTEMS ARE AND THE SYSTEM, WHICH ARE THE CITY, WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND WANTS.
UM, AND SO I'M, I'M ENDING MY 13 YEAR RUN, UM, AS A 40 SOMETHING WITH SOME GRAY HAIRS, UH, HAVING LEARNED THAT, AND I WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE WHO, WHO HELPED TEACH ME THAT ALONG THE WAY, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
IF IT WERE NOT FOR YOU, I WOULD NOT BE HERE.
AND YOU'RE THE REASON WHY I JOINED THE COMMISSION WHEN I DID.
AND I WOULD BE VERY LOST WITHOUT YOU.
AND THE GENIUS THAT YOU BRING TO THIS WORK IS INCOMPARABLE, AND YOU WILL BE SORELY, SORELY, MISSED COMMISSIONERS.
ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO HARASS HIM BEFORE HE GOES, COMMISSIONER HAD A, UM, IT'S BLOWS MY MIND, HOW LONG, HOW MUCH STUFF THERE IS TO LEARN IN THIS VOLUNTEER JOB.
AND AS I'M WATCHING ALL THESE LONGTERM OR ABOUT TO GO OFF OR GOING OFF, UM, WE'RE LOSING REALLY A LOT.
I I'M ALWAYS SO IMPRESSED WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE SUCH A DEPTH AND BREADTH OF UNDERSTANDING OF THIS STUFF.
UM, IT TOOK ME FOREVER TO REMEMBER WHAT AN RFI IS AND THEN THEY MOVED ON TO RFP.
AND I'M STILL WORKING ON THAT.
UM, JAIME, THANK YOU FOR, UM, MAKING IT EASIER FOR ME TO COME IN.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LONG SERVICE.
UM, I KNOW THAT I WILL MISS YOU AND THAT WE WILL MISS YOU.
I'M GOING TO RAZZY JUST A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE YOU KNEW IT WAS COMING AND SEE, HE KNEW IT WAS COMING JUST TO SAY, AND YOU KNOW, THIS THAT I HAVE CALLED YOU ARE VISIONARY AND YOUR, YOUR EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY TO SEE POSSIBILITIES AND EVERYTHING HAS BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO ME EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT I'VE BEEN IN THIS SPACE, UM, FROM THE FIRST DAY THAT YOU WERE SORT OF COMMERCIALLY LEANING AGAINST THE WALL AT OUR FIRST MIXER.
THANK YOU FOR BEING MY FRIEND AND MY MENTOR AND MY PARTNER IN THIS WORK AND, AND OUR PR OUR PARTNERS IN THIS WORK WRIT LARGE.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, JAIME.
CAUSE I'VE BEEN ON THAT SIDE AND NOW I'M ON THIS SIDE AND I'M, UH, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY HUNDREDS OF WAYS YOU'VE HELPED ME, GOD, ON BOTH THINGS, JUST THE CLARIFICATION'S IN THE PICKY QUESTIONS IN THE
[02:00:01]
13 YEARS AGO, TENURE, WHATEVER IT WAS, WHEREVER WATCHING ANY OF THAT BEEN AROUND YOU FOR YEARS.AND I DON'T THINK I'D BE THE ARTIST OR THE ARTS COMMISSIONER.
I CAN TRY TO BE IF IT WERE NOT FOR YOU, DEAR, SIR, I THINK FOR THAT VICE CHAIR, I HAVE NOTHING MORE ELOQUENT TO ADD, BUT I, YOU ARE AN EXTREMELY GENEROUS PERSON.
THAT'S THE FIRST WORD THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN I THINK ABOUT YOU.
AND I JUST DID A QUICK CALCULATION ON MY PHONE THAT I THINK THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY VOLUNTEERED SOMETHING LIKE 7,500 HOURS OR MORE IN YOUR TIME.
AND WHEN YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT JUST HOW MUCH TIME THAT IS, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE AND IT'S SUCH A GENEROUS GIFT TO, TO THIS COMMUNITY AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE REALLY MISSED AS CHAIR.
I OFFICIALLY MAKE THAT 10,000 HOURS AT LEAST.
I, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU HAVE JUST FINISHED A VERY RICH CHAPTER, YOU KNOW, OF YOUR LIFE JOURNEY AND, UM, I'M SURE YOU WILL, UM, FEEL ON IT AND STARTING ANOTHER CHAPTER, UH, THAT WE'LL BE JUST AS RICH AND AS IMPACTFUL, UH, AS YOU WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, SERVING ON THE US COMMISSION.
SO, UH, WE HAVE NOT SEEN, YOU KNOW, UM, THE END OF VIEW, I MEAN, SO I DON'T, YOU HAVE FINISHED YOUR FINAL CHAPTER YET, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO READ YOUR BOOK, HAVE A GOOD LIFE.
IT'LL BE MOSTLY PICTURES, BUT THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR KIND WORDS.
AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MISS ME BECAUSE I KNOW MOST OF Y'ALL HAVE MY CELL PHONE AND PROBABLY GOING TO CALL ME AND WE'RE GOING TO CHAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL GOOD.
HE'S ON THE RECORD SAYING THAT EVERYBODY HEARD IT.
I'LL SEND IT OUT IN THE MINUTES.
HEY SUSAN, I'M NOT SEEING IT ON THE AGENDA.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE A VERY FANCY UPDATED STRUCTURE.
ARE WE STILL DOING ITEMS FOR INFORMATION? IS THAT A THING TESTING THAT WAS NOT ON THE TEMPLATE THAT, UM, THE NEW TEMPLATE THAT WAS THERE.
UM, BUT I CAN ADD THAT ON FUTURE AGENDAS, BUT FOR THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA, NO, THERE ARE NOT ITEMS FOR INFORMATION.
SO I WILL ADD THAT AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO HAVE ITEMS FOR INFORMATION FROM THE NEXT TIME, NO RULES ON THE ARTS COMMISSION.
UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, COMMISSIONERS, ANY ITEMS FROM INFORMATION THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE? I'LL CHIME IN QUICKLY.
SAGE STUDIO IS A STUDIO FOR ARTISTS AND CREATORS WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, THEY ARE HAVING THEIR FUNDRAISER ON JULY 30TH, FOR THOSE THAT MAY WANT TO COME OUT AND SUPPORT.
IT'S A, UH, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A VERY FANCY WINE COMPANY.
SO I BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE WINE FOR THAT, FOR THAT.
UM, ANYTHING THAT ALERT THEY'VE GOT ALERT ANYBODY IN.
UM, BUT IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT SAGE STUDIO, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND LOOKING INTO THEM.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND OUT INFORMATION THROUGH CHRISTMAS.
UM, JUST SO Y'ALL HAVE THAT ON YOUR RADAR.
THEY'RE REALLY WONDERFUL SPACE FOR ARTISTS WITH DISABILITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY, DOING A LOT OF GREAT WORK.
ANYBODY ELSE? HI, MY, DO YOU WANT TO DO THE HONORS MEANING AS A DRUNK