[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:06]
THE MUSIC COMMISSION TO ORDER IT IS 6 46.
AND, UH, I THINK WE HAVE ANY CITIZEN COMMUNICATION TODAY.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
AWESOME.SO WE CAN MOVE RIGHT INTO YOUR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
LET'S GIVE EVERYBODY A QUICK SEC.
[2. Discussion and possible action on City-paid music performance including loading and unloading and cancellation.]
RIGHT IN THEN TO OUR DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. AND OUR FIRST ONE IS DISCUSSION POSSIBLE ACTION ON CITY PAID MUSIC PERFORMANCE, INCLUDING LOADING AND UNLOADING TIME AND CANCELLATION FEES.GRAHAM AND SCOTT, UH, WHAT KIND OF LEADING ON THIS ITEM LAST TIME? SO, YEAH.
UH, AND I THINK SCOTT BROUGHT THIS TO US, SO, YEAH.
DO YOU WANT TO JUMP IN? UH, YEAH, SURE.
THE, UM, THERE IS, UM, I DUNNO IF IT WENT OUT, I SENT IT TO KIM, LIKE A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO, BUT, UH, I COULD PROBABLY SHARE MY SCREEN OR SOMETHING IF THAT WOULD WORK OR, UM, JUST KIND OF READ WHAT I HAVE SO THAT WE CAN ALL THINK ABOUT IT IF KIM WAS IN THE OFFICE TODAY.
UM, SO BASIC GIST OF IT IS, UH, PROVIDES COMPENSATION FOR A BAND'S DRIVE TIME, UNLOADING EQUIPMENT, STAGING EQUIPMENT, SOUNDCHECK, BREAKING DOWN AND LOADING OUT, UM, PROVIDING, UM, THE, AND THIS IS JUST LIKE A, LIKE A RUDIMENTARY THING THAT WE COULD ALL TALK ABOUT HERE, BUT, UH, PROVIDES REQUIRED PARKING VALIDATION FROM MEMBERS OF BAND, INCLUDING ALL BARON STAFF PROVIDES EASY ACCESS FOR VOTING IN AND LOADING OUT OF ALL GUARANTEE.
COMPREHENSIVE MATTER THAT'S COMMUNICATED AS PART OF THE BAND'S RIDER CONTRACT, UM, GIVES ALL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN PERMITTED ACCESS TO PARK AND DOESN'T NEED THE DESIGNATED LOADING AREAS WITHOUT RISK OF BEING ISSUED A TICKET OR A REQUIRED SERVICE.
UM, AND IF A TICKET IS ISSUED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO A MEMBER OF THE BAND OR BAND STAFF, UM, THEY WILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO OF COURSE, APPEAL THAT AND HAVE THAT CITATION REMOVED FROM THE RECORD.
UM, THIS, THE, THE HAY CUP, THE COMPENSATION PORTION OF IT BASICALLY IS, IS DESIGNATING AN HOUR OF TIME, 30 MINUTES FOR LOADING IN 30 MINUTES OF LOADING OUT, UM, AT ANY, UM, VENUE IN THE ETJ OR MSA.
UM, YEAH, SO, UH, CAMP, UM, KIM IS NOT HERE AS THERE.
ERIC IS DOING LIKE DOING TWO JOBS TONIGHT, BUT YEAH.
ERICA, COULD YOU WEIGH IN ON THAT OR LIKE PROCEDURALLY WHAT'S POSSIBLE.
WE ARE, AS YOU KNOW, THERE IS THE MUSICIAN LOADING AND UNLOADING, UM, SECTIONS OF DOWNTOWN, ESPECIALLY.
ERICA IS, UH, MIKE IS NOT WORKING SICK.
ALL RIGHT, GUYS, COMING UP TO THE PODIUM AND THIS IS WORKING.
HELLO, ERICA SHANLEY MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MANAGER.
SO AS YOU KNOW, THE MUSICIAN LOADING AND UNLOADING, UH, SECTIONS ARE DOWNTOWN, BUT MANY HAVE MOVED OR HAVE HAD TO MOVE BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION OVER THE YEARS SINCE THEY WERE FIRST IN PLACE.
SO KIM MCCARSON HAS REACHED OUT TO THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE THE MAP IS LIKE, WHAT ARE THE REMAINING, UH, AREAS THAT IT'S ALLOWED, BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE TO DO BASED ON HOW THE TRAFFIC FLOWS HAVE CHANGED.
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S WHAT NOW WITH, UH, THE LAST 15 YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION OF EVALUATING WHERE THOSE AREAS WOULD NEED TO BE FOR THE MUSICIAN LOADING AND UNLOADING, UH, PERMIT AREAS.
AND SO OF COURSE WE ALWAYS DO TRY TO KEEP IT.
AND, UH, AND THIS IS FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
WE TRIED TO KEEP IT, UH, CLOSE TO THE PARTICULAR VENUES WHERE YOU SEE A LOT OF TRAFFIC, A LOT OF TURNOVER IN TERMS OF ADVANCE, YOU KNOW,
[00:05:01]
LOADING IN AND OUT.SO WE'LL JUST HAVE TO SEE WHAT ATD SAYS.
SO APPARENTLY THE PERSON WHO HAD BEEN WORKING THERE ON THIS HAS RETIRED, AND SO THEY HAVE TO ASSIGN SOMEBODY IN THE DEPARTMENT FOR IT.
AND SO WE JUST NEED TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM ON NEXT STEPS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THIS GOING TO INVOLVE A STUDY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THEY MAY KNOW JUST BY LOOKING AT THE MAP AND WHERE, UH, HOW CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN GOING OR COULD BE GOING WITH PLANNING, UH, OF WHERE A GOOD LOCATION WOULD BE FOR THE LOADING ZONES.
WELL, YEAH, SO THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING, IF SCOTT CAN FOLLOW UP IN AN EMAIL AND THEN YOU CAN FORWARD THAT.
SO THAT'S JUST THE PARKING KIND OF LOGISTICS IN TERMS OF, UM, WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME THE MUSICIANS ARE BEING PAID FOR.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT PERFORMANCE TIMES SPECIFICALLY, PREVIOUSLY, BUT COULD WE ADD SCOTT SAYING HALF AN HOUR ON EITHER END? YEAH.
DOES THAT SEEM WELL, CURRENTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS ALWAYS ROUNDING UP.
SO EVEN IF THERE IS 15 MINUTES OF THE NEXT HOUR OR JUST 15 MINUTES PERIOD, THEY GET ROUNDED UP TO AN HOUR.
AND SO WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BUDGETING JUST TO SEE WHAT THE SITUATION IS.
WHAT'S THE LOAD IN AND LOAD OUT TIME, LIKE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THE MUSIC PROCLAMATIONS, THEY DO WAIT AROUND SOMETIMES FOR THEIR AGENDA ITEM TO COME UP OR FOR THE LUNCH TO COME UP SO THEY CAN PERFORM.
AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO PAY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF MORE FOR THEIR TIME OF WAITING BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TO TAKE A DAY OFF OF WORK JUST TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, UH, EVENT FOR OTHER EVENTS.
WE'LL JUST HAVE TO, I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE AND GAUGE IT FOR.
LIKE OUR STREET PERFORMANCE PROGRAM IS PRETTY EASY SET UP.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST KIND OF COME IN AND, AND, AND PLAY.
AND SO WE COULD TALK ABOUT LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S AN EXTRA FOR STREET PERFORMANCE PROGRAM, WE GIVE AN EXTRA 30 MINUTES OR HOUR, AND I WOULD PREFER ALWAYS TO ROUND UP THE HOUR.
UM, EVEN IF WE DECIDED IT'S AN EXTRA HOUR FOR TRANSPORTATION AND LOADING IN AND LOADING OUT, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET, LOOK AT HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, MUSICIANS WE HAVE, HOW MANY PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES AND WORKED WITH SYNOVIA ON THE BUDGET, JUST TO BE SURE THAT, UM, WE CAN DO IT BECAUSE WE WANT TO SPREAD THE WEALTH AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH THE $200 PER MUSICIAN PER HOUR, THAT'S A PERFORMANCE HOUR.
UH, SO WE JUST NEED, I THINK, EVALUATE, AND MAYBE DO SOME ENGAGEMENT ON HOW MUCH TIME IS NEEDED, HOW MUCH MORE MONEY IS NEEDED AND THEN CONSIDER OUR BUDGET.
THAT, THAT KIND OF BRINGS, BRINGS UP A QUESTION FOR ME, WHICH IS, UH, ARE YOU SCOTT, ARE YOU PROPOSING THAT THIS EXTRA HOUR THAT WE'RE TACKING ON WOULD BE AT THE SAME RATE OF AN EXTRA $200 FOR THIS? YEAH, BECAUSE IT COULD BE A LOADED MUSICIAN SO THAT, LIKE, I, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I WANT MUSICIANS TO GET PAID AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT THINKING ABOUT SPREADING THE WEALTH, IF YOU'RE HIRING A BAND FOR WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN HOUR PERFORMANCE OR A 45 MINUTES SET, THAT'S ROUNDED UP TO AN HOUR OR WHATEVER, YOU'RE JUST DOUBLING, YOU'RE DOUBLING THE FEE FOR THE BAND JUST BY ADDING THE LOADING THING.
AND THAT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF MUSICIANS.
AND I MEAN, LIKE GETTING AN EXTRA $200 PER PERSON FOR, UH, FOR TRAVEL AND LOADING IN TOWN TO ME IS LIKE WAY MORE THAN I WOULD CHARGE A PRIVATE CLIENT OR ANYTHING.
SO, UM, AND, AND I, AND I LEFT THIS PART OF IT OUT THE, THE, THAT 30 EXTRA MINUTES WOULD JUST BE FOR EITHER A BANK, LIKE AN ENTITY, BASICALLY.
SO IF IT'S, FOR INSTANCE, LAUREN GOLD, THAT'S PERFORMING THEN BORN GOLD.
BUT IF IT'S THE, HER BAND, THEN IT WOULD JUST BE FOR THE ENTIRE BAND.
IT WOULD NOT BE FOR THE MUSICIAN PER HOUR.
THAT WOULD JUST BE FOR LIKE, BASICALLY ONE ACT WOULD GET AN EXTRA 30 AT THE EXTRA HOUR, UM, OR BOTH THE LOAD IN LOAD OUT TIME.
THEN I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, WHAT IS IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? EXACTLY.
AND CAUSE YOU MAY ALSO HAVE SEVERAL MUSICIANS COMING IN WITH DIFFERENT LOADING AND DRUMS FROM ONE CAR AND OTHER STUFF FROM ANOTHER CAR.
SO, UM, LET'S JUST BE THOUGHTFUL AND EVALUATE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SO THAT IT DOES SEEM FAIR, YOU KNOW, FOR WHOEVER REALLY IS GOT THE BRUNT OF THE, OF THE LOADING IN AND OUT, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BETTER PARKING WE'RE WORKING ON THAT WE'VE BEEN KIND OF, WE FINALLY GOT TO THAT POINT WITH ATD JUST TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS NO ONE DOING IT BECAUSE THAT PERSON HAD LEFT.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW MUCH WE CAN GET IN TERMS OF PERMANENT, YOU KNOW, TEMPORARY PARKING PERMITS, WHERE'S THAT ACCEPTABLE.
[00:10:01]
WE DO TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT IT ISN'T JUST LOADING AND DRUMS OVER FIVE BLOCKS.AND SO THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO BE MORE MINDFUL OF IS MAKE IT REALLY CONVENIENT, UH, AND PAY FOR SURE, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT AS CONVENIENT AS POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO LOAD IN AND OUT.
SO MAYBE IT'S JUST, UM, AN ADDITIONAL FEE, LIKE A LOAD IN AND TRANSPORTATION FEE PER, SO IT'S NOT PER PERFORMER PER HOUR, BUT IT'S A FEE FOR THE PERFORMANCE.
THAT'S LIKE A HUNDRED BUCKS, 150 BUCKS.
SO WE CAN EVALUATE THAT AND, UH, TALK TO YOU GUYS AND MAYBE, UH, IF YOU COULD ALSO TALK TO FELLOW MUSICIANS AND SEE WHAT WOULD REALLY BE HELPFUL IF IT IS MAYBE $150 ONE-TIME FEE, UH, WE CAN TOTALLY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO HEAR THAT FEEDBACK AND SEE WHAT, WHAT REALLY WOULD HELP.
UM, YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO REACH OUT TO THEIR NETWORKS AND ASK ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN GRAHAM, YOU HAD BROUGHT UP ALSO SPEAKING OF FEES, LIKE I CAN'T HOW A CANCELLATION FEE COULD FEASIBLY WORK.
AND I HAVE SOME SERVE SPECIFIC IDEAS, BUT ALSO JUST A CONVERSATION ON HOW WE CAN GET TO SOMETHING THAT'S MORE CODIFIED OR, OR, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW WE COMPENSATE WHEN THINGS ARE CANCELED.
UH, UH, WE PAID THEY'RE CANCELED AND WE DON'T RESCHEDULE, PEOPLE GET PAID.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE HAD THAT POLICY IN PLACE OR NOT.
AND THEN I'M JUST GOING TO SECOND THAT I LIKED THE IDEA OF A ONE SINGLE FEE FOR THE BAND.
AND THEN THE BAND HAS TO FIGURE OUT WHO IS DOING THE LOADING.
WE DO, YOU KNOW, I THINK ALL OF US DO SHOWS WHERE SOME PEOPLE GET THEIR HOURS EARLY TO SET UP AND DO ALL SORTS OF DETAIL WORK.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE JUST DID A, DID A SHOW WITH BUNCH OF HORN PLAYERS AND, YOU KNOW, THE TROMBONIST SHOWS UP TWO SECONDS OR LITERALLY AT SOUNDCHECK TIME PULLS OUT THEIR TRAUMA AND THEY'RE READY TO GO.
THERE IS NO REAL LOADING AND THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT LIKE A DRUMMER OR A BAND LEADER OFTEN KEEPS A BIG VEHICLE THAT THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN.
AND, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE CARRYING SO MUCH GEAR AND THEN THE PLAYERS WHO HAVE THE LIGHTER INSTRUMENTS, UH, DON'T HAVE TO MAINTAIN THAT VEHICLE TO HAVE LOWER COSTS.
UH, ANYWAY, I THINK WE'RE ALL SORT OF ON THE SAME PAGE NOW CLARIFIED A BIT.
THIS WAS FOR SCOTT TOO, AND THEN YOU PROBABLY HAVE AN ANSWER BUSINESS.
I'M TRYING TO, YOU MENTIONED DRIVE TIME.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU WERE THINKING IN TERMS OF THAT? AH, YEAH, THAT GRAND THAT'S.
UM, I THINK I WAS JUST KIND OF INCLUDING THAT IN THE ENTIRE, LIKE WROTE IN LIKE, YOU KNOW, PUT OUT OF TIME.
SO IT WOULD BE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.
SO YEAH, LIKE I KNOW THAT WE WERE WORKING TOGETHER ON AN I, I PUT IT TOGETHER THIS MORNING AND UH, I THOUGHT IT MAY HAVE GONE OUT, SO I'LL, I'LL SEND IT OUT TO EVERYONE.
AND YEAH, KIM, KIM WILL PROBABLY SHE'LL BE ABLE TO SEND THAT OUT.
UM, I JUST WANT TO NOTE, THIS IS, I THINK THE FIRST MEETING THAT I'VE EVER BEEN AT THAT KIM HASN'T BEEN AT, SHE'S ALWAYS HERE.
SO WE'RE ALL LIKE WHAT WHERE'S CAM, BUT, UM, SHE'S THAT WAY AND MANY OTHER WAYS, BUT YEAH, SHE'LL PROBABLY SHE'LL DISTRIBUTE THAT.
I BET LATER THIS WEEK AND SCOTT, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WRITING SOMETHING UP THAT REALLY HELPS, I THINK, CLARIFY THINGS FOR EVERYBODY.
AND THEN LET'S, SO LET'S READ THROUGH THAT WHEN WE GET IT DISTRIBUTED BY CAM LET'S EVERYBODY REACH OUT TO YOUR MUSICIAN NETWORK AND JUST ASK THE QUESTION, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S FAIR FOR HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED BLOATING AND LOAD OUT OR, OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO PUT THOSE OUT.
I JUST WANNA SAY, LIKE, I'M NOT A MUSICIAN, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW THE BEST WAY TO WORD THESE THINGS, BUT I WILL REACH OUT TO MY NETWORK AS WELL.
AND THEN LET'S TRY TO GET BACK TO ERICA WITH THE FEEDBACK WE GET, UM, IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, LIKE BY, UM, THE MIDDLE OF THIS MONTH.
AND THEN ERICA HAS SAID THAT SHE'S GONNA DO HER HOMEWORK FOR US ON THAT SOME RESEARCH.
AND THEN I THINK BY NEXT MEETING, WE CAN GO THROUGH THOSE THINGS QUICKLY AND MAKE, UM, A CONCRETE PLAN GOING FORWARD.
ANOTHER THING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IS THAT THE LOADING AND UNLOADING PROGRAM CONCENTRATED ON DOWNTOWN AND RED RIVER, IF THERE ARE OTHER AREAS THAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT WE REALLY NEED HELP IN THIS AREA, THAT'S ANOTHER POINT OF ENGAGEMENT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, IF IT ISN'T JUST DOWNTOWN, WHERE ELSE WOULD THIS TYPE OF SUPPORT BE NEEDED? OH YEAH, THAT'S GREAT.
THAT'S GREAT TO THINK ABOUT IF THERE WERE TO THINK ABOUT THIS IN GEOGRAPHIC ZONES AND JUST MORE HOLISTICALLY, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME AREAS THAT, UH, AUSTIN
[00:15:01]
TRANSPORTATION WAS LIKE, OH, THAT'S EASY.AND THERE COULD BE OTHER AREAS THAT ARE MORE PROBLEMATIC.
SO I WANT TO BE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE COVERING ALL OF OUR BASES AS, BECAUSE SOME THINGS COULD TAKE LONGER THAN OTHERS.
UM, IF IT, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE MOVE ON? I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LOADING AND UNLOADING ZONES, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, SORRY FOR JUST ANY PERFORMANCE AROUND THE CITY IN GENERAL, ARE WE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE CITY PERFORMANCE? OH NO, NO, NO.
FOR ANYTHING THERE, THOSE ARE INTENDED FOR, UH, TO HELP SERVE VENUES AND MUSICIANS THAT ARE PLAYING IN THOSE VENUES.
AND SO AS WE KNOW, VENUES HAVE SOME HAVE STAYED, PUT SOME HAVE MOVED AROUND AND SO WE JUST NEED TO KIND OF REEVALUATE.
THAT'S HOW I WAS SAYING THAT THERE MAY BE AS A STUDY, I WOULD NEED TO TALK TO AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION JUST TO SEE WHAT THEIR PROCESS WOULD BE BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUAL POSTED SIGNS, WHICH ARE PRETTY, IT'S A HARD PROCESS TO GET THESE POSTED SIGNS.
AND THEN THE VENUES GIVE THEM TEMPORARY PERMITS THAT THEY PUT IN THEIR WINDSHIELD AND THE, AND THE SIGNED OFF AREAS.
SO, UH, WE SHOULD DEFINITELY GO AND REEVALUATE BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE HAVE BEEN REMOVED BECAUSE OF JUST THE CHANGING, YOU KNOW, FACE OF AUSTIN.
SO WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT AGAIN.
THE REASON I ASKED IS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT, EXCUSE ME, IS MAYBE KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, JUST LIKE THIS ITEM HAS MAYBE LIKE KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
LIKE WE'VE GOT THE, UM, THE PEACE OF THE CITY PERFORMANCES AND COMPENSATING MUSICIANS FOR THEIR TRAVEL AND LOADING, WHATEVER.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE MORE LIKE CITYWIDE GENERAL LOADING, UNLOADING ZONES.
THAT'S SEPARATE FROM THE, I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE IT MIGHT HELP, UM, FOR US TO KIND OF SEPARATE THOSE IN OUR NORMAL YEAH, DEFINITELY BECAUSE IT'S THE LOADING ZONES, LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE POSTED CITY SIGNS THAT ARE PERMANENT CHANGES TO WHAT, WHAT PARKING IS THERE.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO DETERMINING THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPOTS AND WHAT WE CAN USE AND CAN'T USE.
WELL, UM, SO WE WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS NEXT MONTH AT OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING, WHICH WILL BE THE MONDAY AFTER LABOR DAY.
[3. Discussion and possible action on Austin Convention Center renovation, expansion and music industry role following presentation by Katy Zamesnik, Chief Administration Officer, Austin Convention Center.]
NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE AND I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE KATIE HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET TO OUR MEETING FOR A WHILE.AND, UM, UH, SHE IS WITH THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
AND SO THIS IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, RENOVATION EXPANSION, AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ROLE IN ALL THAT.
AND KATIE SEMEST, NICK IS THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATION OFFICER WITH THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UH, KATIE, AND I'M EXCITED TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO TELL US ABOUT THE PLANS.
UM, AND I ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, MY DIRECTOR, TRICIA TEACHER HERE WITH US AND SHE'S GOING TO BE DOING A PRESENTATION FOR YOU.
WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION AVAILABLE.
I THINK I SENT IT IN, IF NOT, I CAN SHARE MY SCREEN, ERIKA.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS AGAIN.
I'M TRISHA TANTRUM, THE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
MESNICK THE CONVENTION CENTER'S CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, AND WE'D LIKE TO DISCUSS OUR REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT WITH YOU TODAY.
UM, CAN YOU ADVANCE THE SLIDES, KATIE? PERFECT.
UM, TODAY'S BRIEFINGS GOING TO GO QUICKLY OVER THE HISTORY OF THE PROJECT AND THE PROOF OF CONCEPT THAT WE DEVELOPED FOLLOWING THE END OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO THE WEST, UM, AND SOME PROJECTS CONSIDERATIONS AS WELL AS A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THE FINANCING AND THE HILTON BOND INDENTURE.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL CLOSE WITH NEXT STEPS FOR OUR PROJECT.
SO 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, UH, WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL FORMALLY APPROVED AN ORDINANCE, UH, RAISING THE MUNICIPAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX RATE OR THE HOT TAX BY 2% IN SUPPORT OF AN EXPANSION FOLLOWING COUNCILS, UM, APPROVAL OF THAT 2% INCREASE CONVENTION CENTER STAFF WORK TOWARDS THE MASTER PLAN UPDATE AND AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY TO CONFIRM THE VIABILITY OF OUR EXPANSION PROJECT.
THESE REPORTS WERE RELEASED IN AUGUST OF 2020, AND WE WERE PRESENTED
[00:20:01]
AND WERE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER OF THAT YEAR.UH, BEFORE I CONTINUE, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE A PROCESS THAT, UH, WE DID NOT INCLUDE IN THIS TIMELINE.
UH, THAT'S THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER NEGOTIATIONS WITH PROPERTY OWNERS TO THE WEST, WHICH 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 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER WITHIN THE EXISTING PROPERTY LINE THAT WAS UNDER THE DEVELOPER'S CONTROL.
AND IT ALSO EXCEEDED, UM, ANTICIPATED COSTS AS A RESULT OF THIS DECISION.
THE CONVENTION CENTER BEGAN DUE DILIGENCE EFFORTS ON THE REMAINING OPTIONS FOR EXPANSION EVALUATING AND EXPANSION WITHIN THE CURRENT SITE OF THE EXISTING CONVENTION CENTER, UH, THAT WOULD NOT ONLY DELIVER A LARGER, MORE EFFICIENT FACILITY WITHIN A SMALLER FOOTPRINT, BUT IT WOULD ALSO REALIZE THE GOALS OF THE UT STUDY, THE CONVENTION CENTER, MASTER PLAN UPDATE, AND THE POND DISTRICT RESOLUTION, THE CENTER WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR CONSULTANT TEAM HAS DEVELOPED A PROOF OF CONCEPT THAT BEARS OUT THIS GOAL.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SHORTLY.
SO IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE PROJECT DELAYS AND BUDGET IMPACTS TO THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT, WHILE WE FINISHED THE FINANCING OPTIONS, STAFF TOOK FORTH AT RCA ON JUNE 10TH, 2021 TO THE, ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA THAT REQUESTED THAT THE COUNCIL IMPROVE FOR THE USE OF ACMR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK METHODOLOGY FOR CONTRACTING AND A PROJECT DELIVERY METHOD FOR THIS PROJECT IN TANDEM TO THIS ITEM, COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION WHICH PROVIDED FURTHER DIRECTION FOR ELEMENTS TO INCLUDE IN THE RFQ FOR ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEER ENGINEERING SERVICES.
AND IT ALSO DIRECTED THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, THE PALM DISTRICT, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, AND THE WATERLOO GREENWAY BE INCLUDED IN THE EVALUATION PANEL FOR THE RFQ.
UM, IN ADDITION TO STEADY STAFF, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO INCORPORATE THAT, THAT DIRECTION INTO THE FINAL RFQ, UH, WHICH SHOULD BE READY TO RELEASE SHORTLY.
AT THIS BRINGS US TO THE PROJECT ITSELF.
I NOTED PREVIOUSLY THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL BE A LARGER AND MORE EFFICIENT FACILITY WITHIN A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
THE OVERALL PROJECT WILL DELIVER AN ACTIVE AND COMMUNITY FRIENDLY EVENT FACILITY THAT ENHANCES THE CULTURALLY RICH FABRIC OF THE PALM DISTRICT.
AND THE PLAN ALSO, UH, WE HOPE THAT THIS PLAN WILL ALSO REMOVE THE BARRIERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY THE, UH, THE EXISTING CONVENTION CENTER IN THIS QUADRANT OF DOWNTOWN THE CHART ON THE RIGHT SHOWS, THE CURRENT RENTABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE TARGET SQUARE FOOTAGES CALL FOR IN THE MASTER PLAN UPDATE.
AND THE MINIMUM THAT WE WILL ACHIEVE UNDER THE NEW CONSTRAINTS COMBINED WERE NEARLY DOUBLING THE AVAILABLE RENTABLE SPACE.
AND WE'RE EVEN GOING BEYOND THE MASTER PLAN TARGET AS A, UM, A LARGE PART OF THIS INCREASE IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE MEETING SPACE ALLOCATIONS AND THE TRENDS THAT WE'VE SEEN FROM OUR EVENTS THAT ARE CALLING FOR A HIGHER AMOUNT OF MEETING SPACE, ALONG WITH MORE, UH, FLEXIBLE SPACES AS WELL.
THE REVISED SQUARE FOOTAGE TARGETS STILL ALLOWS US TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH OUR PEER CONVENTION CENTERS AND COMPETE FOR THE NEXT TIER OF BUSINESS AS WELL.
OUR CONSULTANT TEAMS HAVE TAKEN THE PROOF OF CONCEPT AND HAVE UPDATED OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT AND MARKET ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE IF THE PROJECT IS STILL FEASIBLE AND VIABLE.
AND THE ANSWER IS A RESOUNDING YES, THE ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACT FROM THE EXPANSION OR THE EXPANDED CONVENTION CENTER IS ESTIMATED TO BE AT OVER $280 MILLION A YEAR.
SO WHAT COULD THIS PROJECT LOOK LIKE? THOSE SLIDE, THIS SLIDE SHOWS OUR FACILITY, AS IT STANDS TODAY.
THIS VIEW IS ORIENTED EAST TO WEST, AND IT CLEARLY SHOWS HOW THE CONVENTION CENTER CREATES A BARRIER BETWEEN EAST AND WEST.
IT LIMITS THE GROUND LEVEL PUBLIC INTERACTION.
IT'S LOWER IN DENSITY FROM THE PROPERTY SURROUNDING IT, AND IT HAS ZERO GREEN SPACE AND ABOVE ALL IT'S INADEQUATE FOR THE EVENT, DEMAND GROWTH OF OUR CONVENTION CENTER.
[00:25:04]
AND HERE'S WHAT WE COULD BUILD ON OUR SITE.I WANT TO STRESS THAT THIS IS NOT A DESIGN OF THE BUILDING, BUT THIS IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A STARTING POINT FOR A THOUGHTFUL DESIGN PROCESS AND ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE OUR REMAINING DUE DILIGENCE EFFORTS.
THE RED AND YELLOW BOXES CONTAIN THE CONVENTION CENTER FUNCTIONS AS WELL AS MANY OF THE RETAIL AND COMMUNITY SPACES.
THAT 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 THAT WAS DESIRED FROM 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, OLIVIA GETTING 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 FOR US TO REOPEN SECOND AND THIRD STREETS TO MULTIMODAL TRAFFIC, AND IT HELPS REMOVE THE BARRIER BETWEEN 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 FOR THE PALM DISTRICT.
THE FULL PROOF OF CONCEPT WILL BE INCLUDED WITH THE RFQ.
WE ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT THE PROOF OF CONCEPT ENVISIONED THE PHASED APPROACH TO THE EXPANSION PROJECT, BUT WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT IT FROM ONE PHASE PROJECT AS WELL.
AND THE DESIGN PROCESS WILL BE WHERE WE ULTIMATELY DECIDE AND MAKE THAT DECISION.
THIS SLIDE HELPS TO VISUALIZE THE POTENTIAL PUBLIC BENEFITS THAT WILL BE REALIZED AND THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, OUR GOAL IS TO BRING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY BACK.
AND WE'RE CERTAINLY HAVING, WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT HERE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE INCORPORATED SIGNIFICANT GREEN SPACE ALONG RED RIVER, HELPING TO ACTIVATE THAT STREET.
UM, IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS AND GATHERINGS AND A PLACE FOR OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED COMMUNITY SPACE AND AN ART GALLERY AT STREET LEVEL THAT WOULD SHOWCASE LOCAL ARTWORK.
THE RED BOXES THAT RUN THROUGHOUT THE SITE ARE INTENDED TO BE RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE WOULD WORK CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY TO IMAGINE WHAT RETAIL WOULD BE APPROPRIATE HERE.
WE'VE SET ASIDE SPACE FOR PROJECT CONNECT ALONG TRINITY, AND WE ENVISIONED THAT THIS WILL BE A STATION SERVING THE BLUE LINE.
AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE STREET GRID HAS BEEN REOPENED TO MULTI-MODAL TRAFFIC.
ONE OF OUR OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS PROJECT WAS THE FINANCING WE'VE WORKED 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 HUT AND THE 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 OUR ATTENTION, UM, THAT THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT COULD TRIGGER A DEFAULT CLAUSE IN THE BONDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY OUTSTANDING AT THE CITY OWNED HILTON HOTEL.
THE HOTEL IS MANAGED BY AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER ENTERPRISES ALSO KNOWN AS ACE AND THE ACE BOARD PRESIDENT HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH THE BOND HOLDERS TO PURSUE A RESOLUTION TO THIS POTENTIAL ISSUE.
UH, WE WILL BE ALLOWED TO RELEASE THE RFQ ONCE A RESOLUTION IS ACHIEVED.
SO THE NEXT STEPS FIRST, WE WILL RELEASE THE RFQ FOR ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING SERVICES.
A FEW MONTHS AFTER THAT, WE RELEASE AN RFP FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES.
THESE CONTRACTS WILL GO BACK TO COUNCIL APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS AFTER ISSUANCE, AND THEN THE DESIGN PROCESS WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST.
WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BACK TO THIS COMMISSION AT ANY POINT DURING THE PROCESS TO UPDATE YOU ON OUR WORK.
AND WE ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE MUSIC COMMUNITY, UM, AS WE'RE DESIGNING THIS A THOUGHTFUL COMMUNITY AND A COMMUNITY SPACE AND CONVENTION CENTER.
SO IN CLOSING, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS TODAY AND, UH, WITH THAT,
[00:30:01]
UH, KATIE AND I ARE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.UM, YEAH, SO COMMISSIONERS, DID ANYBODY WANT TO LEAD OFF WITH QUESTIONS? I'M SURE WE ALL HAVE SEVERAL.
SO LAUREN, DID YOU WANT TO GET US GOING, UM, WHERE TO BEGIN? UH, SURE.
UM, WELL, DO YOU HAVE ONE IN MIND? I'LL GO.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU MENTIONED INCREASED, UM, SIGNIFICANT INCREASE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, UM, FUNDS FROM, OR, UM, I GUESS ECONOMIC EXPANSION FROM THE, UH, UH, CONVENTION CENTER.
WHAT ARE THE, UM, THE PRIMARY DRIVERS FOR, UH, THE INCREASE IN REVENUE? WELL, ULTIMATELY WHEN WE INCREASE THE SIZE OF OUR FACILITY, DEFINITELY IN THE SIZE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BRING IN A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER EVENTS AS WELL AS MORE EVENTS TO THE CITY.
UM, ULTIMATELY, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER'S JOB IS TO FILL THAT SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY BUSINESS, UH, WITH OUT OF TOWN, UH, THE BUSINESS TRAVELERS.
SO THE INTENT WOULD BE, UH, THAT IF WE'RE BRINGING MORE VISITORS INTO TOWN DURING THE WEEK, THAT THAT WILL DRIVE THE AVERAGE DAILY RATE OF HOTEL ROOMS DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.
UM, AND SO THEN THE LEISURE TRAVEL, UH, THAT WE GET ON THE WEEKENDS IN ADDITION TO THE INCREASED, UH, BUSINESS TRAVEL DURING THE WEEK WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, WHICH CAN, UH, THEN FUNNELS DOWN AND LEADS TO AN INCREASE IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION, LIVE MUSIC, FUN, CULTURAL ARTS.
I, I, UM, SO YOU MENTIONED THE LARGER SPACE IN A SMALLER FOOTPRINT A COUPLE OF TIMES, IF YOU COULD PLEASE ELABORATE ON HOW THE TRANSLATE.
SO RIGHT NOW, UM, OUR CONVENTION CENTER, UH, IS AT STREET LEVEL AND THEN IT GOES UP TO THREE WORKFORCE STORIES, DEPENDING ON WHICH SIDE OF THE FACILITY YOU'RE ON.
UM, ULTIMATELY WHAT OUR INTENTION IS, IS TO GO UNDERGROUND.
UM, AND WE ARE GOING TO PUT OUR LOADING DOCKS AND OUR SERVICE YARD AND OUR EXHIBIT HALLS UNDERGROUND.
UH, AND THAT WILL ALLOW US, UH, SOME SPACE ON THE STREET LEVEL TO OPEN UP TO RETAIL AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO VERTICALLY STACKED, UM, ABOVE THAT.
AND SO OUR MEETING ROOMS AND BALLROOMS AND, UH, UH, WE'LL BE ON SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH LEVELS AND ABOVE.
SO THAT WILL GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DOUBLE THE SIZE BECAUSE OUR EXHIBIT HALLS WILL BE UNDERGROUND AND IT WILL GIVE US THAT CONTIGUOUS SPACE THAT WE NEED.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO VERTICALLY.
UM, CURRENTLY OUR EXISTING CONVENTION CENTER, OUR EXHIBIT HALLS ARE ON THE FIRST LEVEL AND THEY'RE COLUMN-FREE.
SO WE, THE BUILDING STRUCTURALLY WAS NOT DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT IT CAN GO VERTICALLY ON ITS EXISTING STRUCTURE.
SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE WOULD NEED TO DEMOLISH THE ENTIRE FACILITY, PUT OUR EXHIBIT HALL TO UNDERGROUND, ACTIVATE THE STREETS, UM, AT STREET LEVEL, AND THEN BUILD THE EXISTING, THE ADDITIONAL SPACE THAT WE NEED FOR MEETING ROOMS AND BALLROOMS, UM, VERTICALLY.
AND THAT WOULD HAVE, THAT WOULD BE HOW WE GET TO DOUBLE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OR ALMOST DOUBLE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE.
UM, AND THIS IS, I REALLY LIKED THE, UH, THE IDEA OF OPENING THOSE STREETS UP, UM, AS WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, REALLY INTRIGUING.
UM, AND I KIND OF WANTED TO, UH, ELABORATE ON A NAGA VOLLEYS QUESTION WITH, UH, WHENEVER, UH, BASICALLY IT SOUNDS LIKE, AND IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME KIND OF SITUATION.
LIKE WE'RE GOING TO MAKE MORE SPACE FOR MORE CONVENTIONS AND THEREFORE WE WILL HAVE MORE CONVENTIONS.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF, UH, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY DATA TO SUPPORT THAT THERE IS REALLY THE, THAT THERE'S THE DEMAND FOR THAT, THAT, THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY FILL THAT SPACE WITH, UH, WITH MORE PEOPLE, UM, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, I'VE, I'VE GOTTEN SOME INFORMATION THAT LEADS, UH, AND THAT LEADS ME AND, AND OTHERS TO BELIEVE THAT THERE MAY NOT BE THAT DEMAND, UH, AND THAT IT MAY IN FACT BE DECLINING AND ALSO JUST IN LIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT FULLY RECOVERED FROM THAT YET.
AND IT WON'T BE A FEW YEARS BEFORE WE REALLY KNOW, UH, WHAT THE, THE LANDSCAPE OF TRAVEL AND CONVENTIONS WILL BE.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS WHERE, WHERE YOU GUYS, UH, ARE AT WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF DEMAND.
SO, UH, WE HAD HBS DO AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY FOR US WHILE WE WERE UNDERGOING, UM,
[00:35:01]
AS I SAID EARLIER, WHEN WE SHIFTED FROM NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO THE WEST, AND WE SHIFTED TO LOOK AT OUR EXISTING FOOTPRINT.UM, SO WE HAD A STUDY, UH, THAT WAS DONE DURING THAT TIME.
AND THAT STUDY OVERWHELMINGLY, DID SHOW THAT THERE WAS STILL A DEMAND, UM, FOR A LARGER EXPANDED CONVENTION CENTER.
ADDITIONALLY THERE'S CONVENTION CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, WHO ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THEIR EXPANSION PROJECTS AS WELL IN ANTICIPATION OF THE MARKET'S FULL RECOVERY.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT SINCE WE STARTED HOSTING EVENTS AGAIN FROM THE CLOSURE FROM COVID, UH, THAT ARE, UH, THAT ARE EVENTS THAT HAVE COME BACK TO US, UM, HAVE, UH, ALTHOUGH THE ATTENDANCE NUMBERS STARTED OFF SLOW IN THE BEGINNING, UM, OVER THE LAST SIX TO NINE MONTHS, WE'RE LOOKING, UH, AT EVENTS THAT HAVE A NUMBERS THAT ARE BACK AT THEIR ATTENDANCE NUMBERS, WE'RE EXCEEDING THAT.
UM, AND SO THE TREND IN THE F AND THE INDUSTRY OVERWHELMED IS OVERWHELMINGLY, UH, THAT THE, UH, THE VIRTUAL WAS GOOD WHILE IT LASTED, BUT THEN ULTIMATELY PEOPLE WANT TO MEET IN PERSON.
THEY WANT TO BE EDUCATED IN PERSON.
THEY WANT TO, UH, HAVE THAT HUMAN INTERACTION WITH ONE ANOTHER.
AND, UH, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LEISURE BUSINESS, UH, THE LEISURE TRAVEL IS RETURNED, UM, AND REBOUNDED VERY WELL IN AUSTIN.
AND SO IS THE CONVENTION IN BIZ AND MIDWEEK BUSINESS.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT AS SIGNIFICANTLY IN SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT WE'VE HAD MOST RECENTLY, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE INCREASE IN THE, UH, AVERAGE DAILY RATE OF THE HOTEL OF THE HOTELS WHEN WE HAVE, UH, CONVENTIONS IN TOWN VERSUS WHEN THEY'RE NOT IN TOWN.
UM, SO I WOULD POINT YOU TO THE HBS STUDY, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO SHARE, UM, WITH YOU, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION AND ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.
UM, THIS JUST, UM, I MEAN, SOMETHING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT IS, UM, IF I, IF I THINK ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER IN THE CONTEXT OF MUSIC, UM, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST BRINGS IN SIGNIFICANT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TO THIS TOWN, TO THE CITY.
AND SO ONE OF THE WAYS TO, IN MY MIND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS TO CONSIDER DEFINITELY IS THE EXPANSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER POTENTIALLY LEADS TO EXPANSION OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST OR, OR FOLKS COMING INTO TOWN THROUGH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF EVENTS HAPPENING IN TOWN, BUT STILL THERE ARE THESE KEY MUSIC FESTIVALS IN TOWN THAT ARE PRIMARY DRIVERS TO BRINGING IN REVENUE AND BUILDING, YOU KNOW, AND BRINGING IN A HOTEL OCCUPANCY INTO THE CITY.
AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A CONSIDERATION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF JUST IF I LOOK AT IT FROM THE CONTEXT OF MUSIC AND HOW SIGNIFICANT THAT FESTIVAL IS, HOW SIGNIFICANT THE, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY THAT, UH, POTENTIALLY EXPANDING THE CONVENTION CENTER AND EXPANDING, UH, UH, THE, THE, UH, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST THROUGH THAT, UM, WOULD, WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER.
AND I THINK ALL OF THIS WILL ALSO TRANSLATE TO GREATER, UH, TAXES, UH, FOR MUSIC.
SO, UM, JUST SOMETHING TO, UM, UH, CONSIDER IN THIS, IN THIS CONTEXT FROM A MUSIC PERSPECTIVE.
I JUST GOT ONE LITTLE, UH, DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, UH, A QUESTION TO FOLLOW UP.
UM, SO IN, IN CASE THE NUMBERS, DIDN'T, UM, DIDN'T MEET EXPECTATIONS IN CASE ATTENDANCE DIDN'T MEET EXPECTATIONS.
UM, WHAT WOULD BE, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF, UM, IF THE REVENUE GENERATED WAS, WAS FAR BELOW WHAT WAS EXPECTED? YOU KNOW, THIS BEING A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT, I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHAT WOULD BE THE CONSEQUENCES IF THAT WERE THOSE PROJECTIONS WERE NOT, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.
I APPRECIATE THAT COMMISSIONER.
UM, SO AS WE WORK ON THIS HBS STUDY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE COMING OUT OF A PANDEMIC AND WE MADE SURE THAT, UH, THE DATA THAT WE WERE USING, WE WERE USING CONSERVATIVE NUMBERS, UM, AND FACTS, UH, THE NUMBERS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE ABSOLUTELY HAD FROM, FROM THE PAST.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, WHEN WE'VE ASKED THEM TO PROJECT OUT WHAT THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX WOULD BE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF, UM, THE RECOVERY FROM COVID FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX SHOULD BE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, IF WE DOUBLE IN SIZE, UM, THAT GIVES US SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE CHECKS AND BALANCES.
AND SO, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR BUDGET YEAR OVER YEAR, THAT WE'RE SUBMITTING TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT HOTEL OCCUPANCY, UH, GROWTH.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN VERY DILIGENT AND LOOKING AT THAT AND CONSERVATIVE IN OUR NUMBERS.
ADDITIONALLY, THE, UM, COST FOR CONSTRUCTION HAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF CONTINGENCY IN
[00:40:01]
THAT, AND WE WILL BE DESIGNING THE FACILITY, UM, IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO TOUCH BASE WITH THESE NUMBERS, UH, YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.UM, BECAUSE WE, WE DO NOT, WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL BE DESIGNING THIS PROJECT, UM, EARLY NEXT YEAR.
AND THAT GIVES US EVERY QUARTER THAT THAT GOES BY, THAT GIVES US A COMPARISON TO, UH, THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE BUDGETED.
SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT AS WE'RE DESIGNING THIS FACILITY, WE'RE DESIGNING IT TO A PRICE TAG THAT WE CAN FIT AND WE CAN AFFORD.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, KATIE, BE HAPPY TO CHIME IN, UM, IF SHE HAS ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT WAS ALL REALLY GREAT.
I THINK THE ONLY OTHER PIECE THAT I JUST SORT OF WANT TO MENTION IS THAT ATTENDANCE NUMBERS ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE ONLY METRICS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT.
ONE PERSON IN THE DOOR DOES NOT EQUAL, YOU KNOW, NECESSARILY A CORRESPONDING AMOUNT IN HOTEL TAX.
AND SO WE ARE FOCUSED ON AS A BUSINESS, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE MAXIMIZING HOTEL TAX THAT COMES IN AND THAT FLOWS TO ALL OF THE OTHER BUCKETS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IT SUPPORTS NOT ONLY THE CONVENTION CENTER, BUT ALSO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, CULTURAL ARTS AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION AS WELL.
AND SO THAT'S THE FOCUS REALLY.
UM, AND, AND SO WHILE ATTENDANCE IS A USEFUL METRIC, IT'S NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT WE FOCUS ON.
UM, AND IF IT'S MORE ABOUT WHAT TRISHA WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THAT MID WEEK BUSINESS, THAT OTHERWISE WOULDN'T EXIST AND THE COMPRESSION OF THE HOTEL ROOMS. UM, AND SO THERE IS ALSO A LARGE CONTINGENT, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE IS CONVERSATION ABOUT NUMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED IN THE PAST FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WITHOUT ALL OF THE CONTEXT THAT NEEDED TO BE PROVIDED AROUND THOSE NUMBERS, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT FOCUS ON BOOKING OUTSIDE THE BLOCK AS IT'S KNOWN.
UM, AND SO WHATEVER NUMBERS WE HAVE WE KNOW ARE NOT ALWAYS FULLY COMPLETE BECAUSE THERE IS THAT ELEMENT THAT IS INCLUDED IN THAT.
UM, AND SO WE'RE HAPPY TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP IN WRITING.
UM, IF YOU HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS, UM, THAT MORE SPECIFICALLY SURROUNDING THAT, UM, ADDITIONALLY GOING BACK TO WHAT A COMMISSIONER SAID A FEW MOMENTS AGO ABOUT SOUTH BY, YOU KNOW, GROWING INTO A LARGER VENUE AND THAT BRINGING MORE MUSIC TO THE CITY, JUST BASED ON THAT ONE EVENT, UM, THERE ARE NUMEROUS MUSICAL EVENTS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, UH, NAM BEING ONE OF THOSE, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF, UM, MUSIC MAKERS.
AND, UH, SO WE'VE HAD THEM FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS UNTIL THEY JUST FLAT OUT OUTGREW US, COULDN'T SQUEEZE THEM IN OUR FACILITY AND THERE, UM, IN THE WAY THAT THEY OPERATE THEIR EVENT.
UM, AND SO THERE'S GREAT OPPORTUNITY OUT THERE TO BRING BACK SOME OF THOSE MUSIC CONVENTIONS, COMPETITIONS, UM, THAT, THAT WE'VE HAD HISTORICALLY.
UM, AND SO THERE, THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY THROUGH A LARGER FACILITY TO, TO BRING SOME ADDITIONAL MUSIC TO THE, TO OUR CITY, UH, THROUGH SOME OF THESE CONVENTIONS.
AND SO WHAT IS THE ESTIMATED TOTAL PROJECT COST AT THIS TIME? SO THE PROJECT COST AT THIS TIME IS, UM, ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 1.2 AND 1.4 BILLION.
AGAIN, I WILL SAY THERE'S A LOT OF CONTINGENCY BUILT INTO THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE OUR DESIGN TEAM OR OUR ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION FIRMS ON CONTRACT YET.
UM, SO THAT, THAT IS A HIGH NUMBER, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO REFINE AS WE GO THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS.
AND THEN THERE'S STILL, UM, THERE'S YOU MENTIONED THE BOND, THE EXISTING BOND.
SO THAT'S FOR CURRENT DEBT, THAT'S HER DEBT ON THE EXISTING CONVENTION CENTER, CORRECT? THAT RUNS, YEP.
THAT'S ON THE ORIGINAL EXPANSION WAS COMPLETED, I BELIEVE IN 2001.
UM, AND SO CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND, UM, HOW HOW'S THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS? IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S, SO CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND THAT BONDING PROCESS AND WILL THAT PROCESS BE THE SAME FOR THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER AND HOW IT GETS PAID BACK OVER TIME? SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE PREVIOUS, UM, BONDING PROCESS.
I WAS NOT HERE OR EVEN AT THE CITY.
UM, AT THAT TIME FOR THIS ONE, WE WILL BE WORKING WITH OUR, UH, OUR OUTSIDE FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS, UM, THAT THEY WILL DO KIND OF JUST AS THEY DO ALL OF THE BONDING.
UM, ALL OF THE DEBT ISSUANCES IN THE CITY WILL, IT'LL BE A PHASED APPROACH.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO SELL 1.2 BILLION RIGHT UPFRONT.
UM, WE ARE ANTICIPATING IN FACT, IN ORDER TO FIND SOME SAVINGS THAT WE WILL CASH FUND, UM, AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN THE BEGINNING STAGES TO KIND OF SPREAD OUT HOW WE NEED TO ISSUE THE DEBT.
SO WE'LL, IT'LL BE A PHASED APPROACH.
UM, WE'LL ISSUE IT KIND OF AS WE NEED.
THE PLEDGE IS BEING 2% EXPANSION HOTEL TAX THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL APPROVED IN AUGUST OF 2019, UM, AS WELL AS THE FOUR AND A HALF, THAT THE BALANCE OF THE FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER GUESTS FROM, UM, THE 7%.
[00:45:01]
OKAY.UM, SO JUST GOING BACK TO COMMISSIONER, GOLD'S QUESTION ABOUT IF PR ACTUALS AND PROJECTIONS AREN'T THE SAME.
SO IF, UM, FOR SOME REASON, IF, UH, THE PROJECTED HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES AREN'T AS HOPED, DOES THAT START TO, UM, AS THEY'RE PAYING, AS WE'RE PAYING BACK THE BOND, DOES THAT START TO WITH B WOULD WE STILL GET A DEDICATED STREAM TO MUSIC, ARTS AND PRESERVATION, OR WOULD SOME OF THAT, IS THAT DEPENDENT ON LIKE, WHAT'S BASICALLY IN THE BANK FOR A TOXIC TEXANS COMING IN THE FUNDING, THE 15, SO OF THE 2%, UM, THAT WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, THE CONVENTION CENTER TRANSFERS THE EQUIVALENT OF 15% OF THAT 2% TO LIVE MUSIC AND 15% OF THAT, 2% TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION, IF, IF, IF AN EXPANSION IS NOT PURSUED.
UM, SO IF, IF FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE DECIDE NOT TO GO FORTH DOWN THIS PATH, UM, AND I'M NOT A LAWYER, SO WE WOULD CERTAINLY NEED THE MORE LEGAL OPINION ON THIS.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IF WE HALT PLANS TO PROCEED FORWARD WITH THAT EXPANSION, THE 2% CAN NO LONGER BE COLLECTED.
AND THEREFORE THE CONVENTION CENTER WOULD NO LONGER TRANSFER THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
UM, THE EQUIVALENT OF THAT 15% OF THE 2% TO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
SO I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF WE, IF WE GO FORWARD WITH THE EXPANSION AND OR WHEN WE GO FORWARD WITH THE EXPANSION, UM, I THINK A CONCERN FOR ME IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE, THE EXPANSION COSTS ARE APPROPRIATE TO WHAT BUSINESS WE CAN BRING IN, SO THAT WE'RE NOT GOING INTO, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE'RE BEING ABLE TO PAY OFF OUR DEBT ON THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND STILL FUND ARTS AND MUSIC SO THAT WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT LIKE BORROWING OR STEALING FROM THE ARTS AND MUSIC FUNDING LIKE THAT, THAT I THINK WOULD BE, THAT'S A, THAT'S A HUGE CONCERN FOR THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.
AND WE JUST WANT TO BE REASSURED THAT THERE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE LOSING, IT'S NOT A LOSING PROPOSITION AT SOME POINTS.
SO THE, THE SCENARIOS THAT WE'VE BEEN RUNNING WITH OUR OUTSIDE FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS AND WITH OUR CORPORATE FINANCE OFFICE, UM, THEY SHOW THAT THAT, THAT FUNDING, THAT DEDICATED FUNDING IS, IS REMOVED FROM THE EQUATION.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHEN IT, WHEN WE'RE RUNNING THE ANALYSIS ON OUR ABILITY TO ISSUE DEBT AND WHAT THAT NUMBER LOOKS LIKE HAS ALREADY TAKEN THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
UM, AND SO THAT IS THAT IT WAS A COMMITMENT FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER AND, AND WILL CONTINUE, UM, UNLESS OBVIOUSLY THE 2% IS NO LONGER BEING COLLECTED.
UM, DID ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE FINANCIAL PART? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
UH, SO, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I, I THINK THAT THE, UM, HOW MUCH WAS THE TOTAL COST FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE? AGAIN, OUR CURRENT CONSTRUCTION COST IS ABOUT 1.2 TO 1.4 BILLION.
UH, SO, SO ONCE THAT'S COMPLETE, IT WOULD BE VERY SAFE TO ASSUME THAT THAT PROPERTY VALUE WOULD DRIVE UP A LOT OF OTHER PROPERTY VALUE IN THE SURROUNDING AREA.
IS THAT CORRECT? AND QUITE POSSIBLY, I'M NOT QUALIFIED TO SPEAK TO THAT, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, I THINK THAT THE AMENITIES THAT WE WILL HAVE DOWN THERE, I THINK WILL CERTAINLY BE MORE ATTRACTIVE.
UM, BUT WE, WE HAVE NOT REALLY BEEN LOOKING INTO OUR IMPACT ON THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES KNOWING.
I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK, YOU HAVE THE BLUE LINE COMING OF TRINITY, UM, A LOT OF OTHER, UH, PROPERTIES ARE GOING UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING OUR FACILITY AS WELL.
SO IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE TOUGH TO QUANTIFY THAT.
AND, AND, AND TO YOUR POINT, UH, THERE, UH, I THINK, I BELIEVE AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE HAD, UM, A DEVELOPER FROM, UM, SIXTH STREET COME IN AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE GONNA KEEP WITH THE PRESERVATION AND, AND, AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND STUFF.
AND, UM, BUT BASICALLY THE, SOME OF THE BARS THERE WOULD NO LONGER BE BARS.
IT WOULD BE HIGH RISES INSTEAD.
AND THE MEETING BEFORE THAT ON FOURTH STREET, THE WAREHOUSE DISTRICT IS BASICALLY THE SAME KIND OF THING.
AND SO AS A MUSICIAN THAT PLAYS MUSIC IN THE CITY, UM, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALREADY INCREASINGLY MORE DIFFICULT FOR MUSICIANS TO FIND ROOMS TO PLAY IN.
UM, WITH TICKETED SHOWS, THE ROOMS ARE GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE TO PLAN, OBVIOUSLY WITH COVID AND OTHER VENUES KIND OF BEING CLOSED DOWN AND WHATNOT,
[00:50:01]
AND SOME REOPENING, SOME NOT, UM, IT'S I THINK, YOU KNOW, AND I, AND I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER GOULD QUESTIONING ON THIS BECAUSE IT IT'S KIND OF, IT RAISES FLAGS.IT, YOU KNOW, IN MY OPINION, AND I THINK THAT I KNOW THAT PART OF THE LIVE MUSIC, A BIG CHUNK OF THE LIVE MUSIC FUNDING, WHY THIS EVEN EXISTS IS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COMING FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER IN THE FIRST PLACE, HOWEVER, THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, BEFORE A PANDEMIC.
AND SO, I MEAN, THE, THE COST OF THIS VERY MUCH CONCERNS ME BECAUSE IT BASICALLY MEANS THAT THE BARS THAT ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING OR HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, GET IN THE BLACK OR STAYING IN THE BLACK OR BEING A BLACK COMFORTABLY OF YOU NEED TO BE, UM, WE'LL HAVE THAT MUCH MORE OF A DIFFICULT TIME DOING THAT.
AND IF THIS CONVENTION CENTER IS BUILT, THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE NICE TO GET THAT, TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF THAT EXTRA HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, BUT IT WON'T REALLY BE ANYTHING IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO PLAY.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S A CONCERN OF MINE AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND, UM, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW, I KIND OF WANT TO, UM, LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WHAT'S HAPPENING AND, AND, AND HAVE MORE DIALOGUE WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
SO, UM, AND I, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT AND COMPLETELY HEAR THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW, UM, IF YOU NOTICED ON ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT TRISHA WAS PRESENTING ON WAS SPEAKING TO THE COMMUNITY SPACE THAT WE'VE GOT KIND OF CARVED OUT IN THE PROOF OF CONCEPT RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE HEARD KIND OF THROUGH ALL OF THESE CONVERSATIONS OVER THE LAST ALMOST DECADE IS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT THIS BRING THE COMMUNITY BACK IN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT AN ACTIVE LIVE MUSIC VENUE AT THE MOMENT.
UM, BUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING ALONG RED RIVER WITH THAT GREEN SPACE AND WITH A DEDICATED COMMUNITY SPACE IN THE FACILITY, WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE US THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE A SPACE THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY AT THE COMMERCIAL RATE, RIGHT? THAT IS THE ONE BENEFIT OF BEING A FACILITY THAT IS NOT OWNED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
UM, AND SO THE OTHER BIG PIECE OF IT IS ONCE WE START DESIGNING IS THE ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT WE WILL ENGAGE, UM, THERE, THAT WE WILL EMBARK UPON.
UM, WE DON'T, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF EMOTIONS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF, UM, COMPETING PRIORITIES SURROUNDING THIS PROJECT.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BRINGING, WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD A PROJECT THAT THE COMMUNITY IS PROUD OF AND THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO STAND BEHIND.
AND SO THAT'S, THOSE, THESE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS ARE WHAT, WHEN TRISHA MENTIONED AT THE END OF HER PRESENTATION, THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BACK, WE'RE HAPPY TO MEET WITH COMMISSIONERS ONE-ON-ONE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, HOWEVER, WE CAN DIVE INTO WHATEVER DETAILS THAT WE NEED TO TALK THROUGH.
AND HOWEVER, WE CAN TAKE THAT FEEDBACK AND INCORPORATE IT AS MUCH AS WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE DO HAVE TO BUILD A FACILITY THAT WE CAN RENT, UM, AND THAT, THAT, AND THAT PENCILS OUT SO THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE IN THE BLACK AS WELL.
UM, BUT WE, WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO BE PROUD OF THIS FACILITY.
WE WANT TO GIVE BACK AND WE WANT TO MAKE THIS JUST A WORLD-CLASS INNOVATIVE, UM, PROJECT THAT ISN'T JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING.
AND WHEN YOU SAY COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY, UM, IS, CAN YOU DESCRIBE JUST BRIEFLY SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE BEEN TALKING TO? SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO, I ONLY CAME ON AND TRISHA AND I HAVE BOTH WORKED, STEPPED INTO THESE ROLES IN THE LAST, I THINK I STARTED ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HIT.
UM, SO, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY PULL UP SOME OF THE OLDER, UM, PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE THAT, UM, THE REPORTS AND THE, THE INFORMATION GATHERING THAT WAS DONE BEFORE, UM, WE HAVEN'T CRAFTED OUR FULL PROJECT YET, OR OUR FULL ENGAGEMENT, UM, PATH FORWARD YET WE'LL BE WORKING WITH OUR CORPORATE PIO OFFICE AND MOST LIKELY BRINGING IN A FIRM TO KIND OF HELP US.
BUT, UM, WE HAVE BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH THE PALM DISTRICT FOLKS AND ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY'RE INVOLVED WITH OF THE HOME DISTRICT PLANNING TEAM.
UM, AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING KIND OF WITH ANYONE AND EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO COME.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN COMING AND DOING ALL OF THESE COMMISSION MEETINGS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TOUCHING ALL OF THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT GROUPS THAT NEED TO, THAT NEED TO BE INVOLVED WITH THIS SURE THING.
AND I THINK THE COMMISSION WOULD, WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME OF THAT DATA THAT, THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING THERE.
UM, BUT I THINK ONE LAST QUESTION ON MY END, AND THIS IS KIND OF GOING FURTHER WITH THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE THING THAT COMMISSIONER GOLD WAS SAYING, UM, WHAT, SO WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ALL BREAK GROUND AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, CHECK START GETTING RID OF MONEY, STARTS GETTING SPED AND, UM, THERE'S ANOTHER LOCK.
THERE'S ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, 20, 20 PER SE,
[00:55:01]
WHAT HAPPENS AT THAT POINT? HONESTLY, THAT WOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PART THAT WAS WISHING WE WERE UNDER CONSTRUCTION WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT THIS FIRST TIME AROUND, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO CLOSE THE FACILITY AND WE DO HAVE TO TURN BUSINESS AWAY IN ORDER TO BUILD THIS FACILITY.AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I THINK WE'VE SEEN NOW THAT WE CAN WEATHER THAT STORM.
AND, UM, AS TRISHA MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ARE BEING INCREDIBLY CONSERVATIVE IN OUR PROJECTIONS, UM, TO THE POINT OF FRUSTRATION ON SOME, UH, BY SOME, UM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACCOMMODATING FOR THAT POSSIBILITY.
UM, WE DID TAKE A VERY LARGE HIT.
WE THANKFULLY, UM, WERE ABLE TO WEATHER IT, I THINK BETTER THAN WE PROBABLY THOUGHT AT SOME POINTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT IS, IT'S A RISK KIND OF WITH ANYTHING RIGHT THERE, THERE ARE ALWAYS RISKS INVOLVED AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE TO MITIGATE THOSE RISKS.
AND THAT INVOLVES INFLATING, THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS BEING VERY CONSERVATIVE ON OUR FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS WITH HOTEL TAX, KIND OF LOOKING AT WHAT THE IMPACT WE NOW KNOW SORT OF WHAT AN IMPACT OF A PANDEMIC MIGHT BE ON HOTEL TAX COLLECTIONS.
SO WE CAN MODEL THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND SO THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, IT IS NOT JUST TRICIA AND I GOING IN AND GOING UP TO NEW YORK AND FLYING UP TO THE BOND HOLDERS AND SAYING, PLEASE GIVE US MONEY.
IT IS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, THERE'S A TEAM OF FOLKS KIND OF AROUND US.
UM, AND IF, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SHUT DOWN AGAIN FOR A PERIOD FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, WE KNOW WE'LL WILL EMERGE FROM IT, UM, STRONGER.
AND WE, THAT WILL GIVE US KIND OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BUILD THE FACILITY WHEN THINGS WERE QUIET.
I DON'T KNOW IF TRISHA HAS ANY OTHER COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE NO, IT'D BE PRETTY MUCH SUMMED IT UP THINGS.
UM, SO WHAT IS THE CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE? UH, THE CONCERN, UH, SO WE DON'T HAVE A FIRM START DATE YET.
UM, BUT WE ANTICIPATE THE CLOSURE OF THE FACILITY TO BE A FOUR YEAR PERIOD OF TIME.
SO WE, WE KNOW THAT IT WILL TAKE ABOUT FOUR YEARS TO REBUILD THIS FACILITY.
UM, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, UNTIL WE GET THE RFQ OUT ON THE STREET AND WE GET OUR DESIGN TEAM ON BOARD, UH, AND OUR CONSTRUCTION TEAM, THEY'LL BE THE ONES TO HELP US, UH, DETERMINE, UH, WHAT YEAR WE WILL START.
UM, I MEAN, THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED THAT IT WOULD BE PROBABLY A PERIOD OF YEARS.
UM, BUT IT JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO I HAVE A QUESTION, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, YEAH, KATIE, IF YOU COULD SEND ME THE ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY FROM YOUR, UM, THAT WAS DONE.
AND THEN I CAN SHARE THAT WITH OUR STAFF LIAISON TO SHARE WITH THE REST OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN DIVE INTO SOME OF THAT AND SEE WHAT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS WE HAVE, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE THE DETAILS.
UM, AND THEN I HAD A QUESTION ON THERE, THE PROOF OF CONCEPT, UM, THE P THREE SPACE.
I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, WHAT IS B3? SURE.
SO THAT WOULD BE A PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP.
UM, AND SO IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE A LONG-TERM LAND LEASE AND THAT WOULD BE RUN THROUGH REAL ESTATE SERVICES, UM, FOR THAT, UH, PORTION OF THE, OF THE LAND.
UH, AND THEN THERE COULD BE A PRIVATE PARTNER THAT WOULD DEVELOP, UH, THAT, UH, PORTION OF LAND, UH, VERTICALLY WITH OUR EXHIBIT HALLS, UM, UNDERGROUND.
SO IT WOULD BE A PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE DEVELOPER.
SO THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE A TOWER WITH THE, OKAY, SO CONVENTION SPACE ON THE BOTTOM, AND THEN, SO IT WOULD BE OFFICES, HOUSING.
UM, SO IT COULD BE A MIX OF OFFICE SPACE.
UM, IT COULD BE A MUTE, UH, MIX OF HOUSING CONDOS, UM, AND THAT'LL BE WORKED OUT THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH REAL ESTATE SERVICES TO DETERMINE THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE FOR THAT SPACE.
AND SINCE IT'S, UM, CITY OWNED LAND, AND THIS IS, I WOULD SAY A TREND WITH CITY OWNED LAND WHERE HOUSING IS CONCERNED RIGHT NOW, UH, WHAT WOULD THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY BE THERE POTENTIALLY? I THINK THAT THERE COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, BUT, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT THE, WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, FEELS IS MOST APPROPRIATE, UH, AS WELL FOR THAT SPACE AND REAL ESTATE SERVICES.
AND THEN SINCE THAT'S A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP PORTION, DOES THAT IN SOME SENSE, LIKE HELP FINANCE A PART OF THE, THE COST FOR THE EXPANSION.
IT IS NOT CONTEMPLATED TO BE PART OF THAT.
I HAVE A LOT, I THINK I HAVE SUCH DETAILED QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, BUT I'LL SAVE IT FOR LIKE AN EMAIL.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UM, BUT I MEAN, I GUESS THAT IS THE COUNCIL REGARDS
[01:00:01]
TO THAT IS LIKE FINANCIALLY BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY TO, TO PURSUE THAT, THAT LAND USE IN THAT WAY.UM, AND YEAH, SO THEN SPEAKING OF LIKE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING POSSIBILITIES AND SCOTT BROUGHT UP THE, THE COMMUNITY USES AND, UM, CAN YOU TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE PUBLIC OPPORTUNITIES ARE FOR USING THE SPACE, THE GREEN SPACE, UM, THE PALM DISTRICT, UM, AND I GUESS, TELL, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY'S FAMILIAR WITH THE, THE PALM SCHOOL AND THE PLANS THERE ARE.
SO IF YOU COULD TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ALL OF THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I LIKE KATIE GIVEN UPDATE ON THE OVERALL PUMP DISTRICT.
UM, SHE, SHE IS ABLE TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS MORE FREQUENTLY THAN I AM.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE COMMUNITY SPACE AND THAT GREEN SPACE, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WHAT WE HEAR FROM OUR ATTENDEES IS THAT THEY REALLY WANT TO ENGAGE WITH AND HAVE AN AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE WITH THE CITY THAT THEY'RE IN.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE GOAL HAS BEEN FROM THE VERY START.
UH, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, CREATING SPACES WHERE OUR VISITORS AND OUR LOCALS WANT, WANT TO BE TOGETHER IN THE SAME SPACE.
UM, AND SO IN THIS QUADRANT OF DOWNTOWN, WE HAVE A, A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, DEMOLISH A FACILITY THAT'S BASICALLY FOUR BLOCKS BY TWO BLOCKS OF JUST STRAIGHT CONCRETE, UM, AND TURN IT INTO A ACTIVE, ENGAGING PLACE.
UH, AND WE CAN DO THAT PROGRAMMATICALLY THROUGH, UM, UH, PROGRAMMING, THESE GREEN SPACES AND THESE COMMUNITY SPACES.
UM, AND THEN, UH, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH EDD AS WELL TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT PROGRAMMATICALLY, UM, WHAT PROGRAMS WE CAN RUN, HOW WE CAN LEASE THESE SPACES OUT.
HOW CAN WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND WHAT, UH, OPPORTUNITIES THERE MIGHT BE FOR US TO BRING THE COMMUNITY INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER AND INTO THESE SPACES, UH, MORE FREQUENTLY, UH, TO INTERACT WITH OUR CONVENTION ATTENDEES OR EVEN ON DAYS OR IN THE EVENINGS WHEN, WHEN WE MAY NOT HAVE SOMETHING GOING ON.
UM, SO THERE WILL BE A ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS WE'RE DESIGNING.
THE GREAT THING IS WE DON'T HAVE THE DESIGN TEAM ON BOARD.
SO ONCE WE DO GET THAT TEAM ON BOARD, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE MANY VISIONING SESSIONS AND WE'LL BE REACHING OUT TO THE COMMISSIONS ALONG THE WAY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GETTING YOUR FEEDBACK.
AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, COLLECTIVELY CREATING, UM, A STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY THAT THE CANDIES, LIKE KATIE SAID, IT'S NOT BEEN DONE ANYWHERE ELSE, UH, THAT, THAT WE CAN, WE CAN INNOVATE AND REALLY DECIDE AND DETERMINE HOW DO WE CREATE A SPACE THAT, UM, OUR VISITORS, AS WELL AS OUR LOCALS WANT TO ENGAGE IN AND BE AT AT THE SAME TIME.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AND I'LL LET KATIE SPEAK TO THE PUB DISTRICT ITSELF.
SO THE PALM DISTRICT PLANNING INITIATIVE WAS BORN OUT OF A COUNCIL RESOLUTION THAT I USED TO BE ABLE TO RATTLE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, UM, THEN THE NUMBER, UM, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS PASSED TO SOMETIME IN 2019.
UH, AND IT, IT SORT OF WAS LOOKING AT TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S HAPPENING ALONG THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE DOWNTOWN FOR UP TO 35.
AND SO, UM, THE BOUNDARIES ARE SLIGHTLY FLUID, BUT THEY GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO RAINY AND THE, UH, MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, AND THEN ALL THE WAY UP, I BELIEVE TILL THE 15TH STREET.
AND SO IT'S AN INITIATIVE THAT'S BEING LED BY OUR PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT, UM, AND LOOKING AT HOW THEY CAN AMEND THE DOWNTOWN PLAN.
SO FOR ZONING AND THAT KIND OF THING, AND HOW WE CAN SORT OF INTEGRATE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT INITIATIVES THAT ARE GOING ON.
AND SO IT'S A LOT OF IT IS JUST BRINGING FOLKS TO THE TABLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN PROJECTS THAT THE CITY HAS CONTROL OVER.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WATERLOO GREENWAY HAS COME TO THE TABLE, UM, WE CERTAINLY ARE AT THE TABLE OF LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS OVER ON SEVENTH STREET ON THE MUNICIPAL COURT AS WELL.
SO LOOKING AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO INTEGRATE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, CAP METRO IS CERTAINLY AS A PART OF THAT AS WELL.
AND I IMAGINE AS THE
UM, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF THE, IF THEY'RE SORT OF BECOMING THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND, WHAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, HELP TRYING TO HELP GUIDE SOME OF THAT REDEVELOPMENT, UM, ALONG THAT EASTERN OR OF DOWNTOWN, UM, AS, AS THINGS KIND OF START GOING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO PROTECT KIND OF ALL OF THE THINGS THAT AUSTIN VALUES AS A COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO SEND A LINK AND, AND KIND OF ALL OF THE PIECES TO IT.
UM, THE RESOLUTION I THINK WAS 27 PAGES.
UM, AND SO, BUT I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT TO YOU ALL AS WELL, IF YOU'D, IF YOU'D LIKE, YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE.
UM, AND, UM, I MEAN THE PALM SCHOOL ITSELF IS A HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT BUILDING, PARTICULARLY, UH, I BELIEVE FOR THE LATINO COMMUNITY.
AND IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY CURIOUS
[01:05:01]
TO SEE HOW THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO THE OVERALL PLAN AND PRESERVED AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SURROUNDING LAND USED AS FOR THE COMMUNITY.UM, SO I DO THINK THERE'S A REALLY COOL OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR THERE TO BE A LOT OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THE BUSINESS PART OF THIS, WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS REALLY IMPORTANT, THEN WE NEED TO BRING IN THE MONEY.
UM, BUT, UH, AND SPEAKING WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION WHO WE'RE IN, WE'RE IN FREQUENT CONTACT WITH, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE TWO COMMISSIONS THAT ARE VERY ALIGNED AND SERVE SOME SIMILAR COMMUNITIES.
THEY TOO ARE REALLY INTERESTED.
AND I THINK PROBABLY JOINTLY WE'LL, WE'LL PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF POSSIBLE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE.
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY, ENGAGING WITH COMMISSIONS.
UM, YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, MUSIC AND ARTS, WE WOULD, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, PRIMARY PARTNERS AND ON THE COMMUNITY SIDE OF THIS.
UM, AND I'M JUST SEEING WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS I HAD.
SO IN TERMS OF BENEFITS TO MUSIC SPECIFICALLY, SO WE DID TALK ABOUT BRINGING IN MUSIC RELATED CONVENTION BUSINESS, UM, THE POSSIBILITY FOR SPACE THERE ONSITE THAT COULD BE USED, YOU KNOW, TO SUPPORT MUSICAL PERFORMANCE, POSSIBLY.
I KNOW THERE'S RESTAURANT AND RETAIL AS WELL.
AND SO THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES THERE, IS THERE A WAY FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, LIKE THROUGH IT'S LIKE DIRECT MARKETING TO, UH, CONVENTION TOURISTS TO SUPPORT, UM, MUSICAL PERFORMANCE AND THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC HERE, LIKE OUTSIDE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, LIKE IN TERMS OF DIRECTING PEOPLE TO VENUES, GIVING THEM LIKE A LIST OF, OH, HERE'S THINGS TO DO IN AUSTIN TONIGHT, OR IS THERE THAT TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR, FROM ESSENTIALLY MARKETING SUPPORT OF, UM, THE MUSIC BUSINESS? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, HOPE FOR AND DISCUSS? SURE.
I HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND THAT.
WHO'S KIND OF OUR MARKETING ARM, UM, TO OUR CONVENTIONS AND, UM, IN GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE THE VISITOR CENTER THAT IS LOCATED INSIDE OF, UH, OR NEAR OUR FOURTHS OR A FOUR STREET PARKING GARAGE.
UM, AND THEN WE DO HAVE A KIOSK INSIDE THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT WE OPERATE, UM, AND A GIFT SHOP THAT WE OPERATE.
UM, AND SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO PUSH OUT THAT INFORMATION, UM, AND WE, AND VISIT AUSTIN IS VERY GOOD AT THAT AS WELL.
UM, MAKING SURE THAT OUR ATTENDEES DELEGATES KNOW, UH, WHAT MUSICIANS, WHEN ACTS ARE PLAYING IN DOWNTOWN, WHAT PLACES TO GO HEAR LIVE MUSIC AND WORK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO PUSH OUR ATTENDEES, UM, OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S PART OF, YOU KNOW, THE ANCILLARY REVENUE THAT, UM, WE'VE KIND OF KATIE, WE'VE KIND OF SPOKEN ABOUT THAT.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT, UM, THE ATTENDANCE NUMBERS FOR AN EVENT.
IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE SPEND OF WHAT THOSE ATTENDEES, UH, SPEND, UM, IN THE EVENINGS AT RESTAURANTS AT, UH, DOWN SEEING ENTERTAINMENT AND ENJOYING THEMSELVES.
UM, SO WE DO VERY HARD TO, TO PROMOTE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE, IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
UM, THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR ADDITIONAL COLLABORATION AND HAPPY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
YEAH, I'VE DEFINITELY HEARD SOME INTERESTING IDEAS, UM, FROM THE COMMUNITY POSSIBLY ABOUT WAYS TO DIRECT, UM, CONVENTION TOURISTS TO VISIT OTHER, YOU KNOW, OTHER VENUES AROUND THE CITY.
AND I MEAN, CERTAINLY THERE'S THE DOWNTOWN VENUES, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THINGS FURTHER AFIELD TO THAT.
IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE AWESOME IF LIKE A SAHARA LOUNGE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR SAGEBRUSH, LIKE THEY'RE BENEFITING FROM THIS CONVENTION TOURISM AS WELL.
AND I THINK THAT'S JUST A MATTER OF, UM, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW, BUT THERE MAY ALSO BE SOME OTHER, UM, INTERESTING WAYS THAT, UH, THOSE VENUES CAN BENEFIT FROM TOURISTS THAT ARE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, EXCUSE ME.
UM, AND I THINK I, YEAH, SO IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND WORKING WITH WELL ARTS AND MUSIC AND IN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UM, I I'M FEELING LIKE A WORKING GROUP COMING ON SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A DEDICATED SET OF COMMISSIONERS THAT WORK ON THIS AND CAN BE YOUR, YOUR CONTACT AND HELP WITH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
UM, SO WE CAN, WE CAN KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS IF OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT THIS WOULD JUST BE MY LAST POINT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO FORM, UM, UH, CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION, UM, MUSIC COMMISSION, WORKING GROUP, ANYBODY SECOND, THAT I WOULD SECOND THAT ALL IN FAVOR.
ANY OTHER, OR ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THAT? ANY THOUGHTS?
[01:10:01]
UM, I JUST HAD SOME COMMENTS, BUT I, I DON'T MIND TAKING THE WORD FIRST AND THEN, OKAY, WELL, DO YOU, DO YOU WANT TO DISCUSS THE, UH, WORKING GROUP? NO, DEFINITELY.I'M, I'M, I'M IN LINE WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, I, UM, I THINK WHAT, WHAT, SOMETHING LIKE THIS, UM, IT IMPACTS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
SO OBVIOUSLY IT IMPACTS HAS IMPACT ON ME AS THE MUSICIAN COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THE BROADER PICTURE OF THIS CONVENTION.
UM, SO, SO THIS PRESENTATION TODAY AND KIND OF GETTING THIS BROAD IDEA ABOUT, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS, THE ECONOMIC ASPECTS, IT'S VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE, VERY HELPFUL.
I DO HOPE, AND IT PRETTY MUCH EXPECT THAT I'M SURE THERE ARE EXPERTS AND ALSO, UH, REALLY LIKE RELEVANT COMMISSIONS LOOKING AT THE FINANCIAL AND THE ECONOMIC DRIVERS, ET CETERA, AS WELL.
UM, WHAT, AND, AND, AND W YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY MY INTEREST ON THIS MUSIC COMMISSION AND I HOPE BROADLY, I'M SURE IT ACTUALLY IS ALIGNED WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, UH, IN, IN, IN, IN, ON FUTURE DATES, I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO UNDERSTAND AND EXPLORE.
AND PART OF THAT COULD BE THROUGH A WORKING GROUP IS, IS WHAT ARE THE INTERSECTIONALITIES WITH THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
AND REALLY THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO FOCUS ON IS HOW CAN WE PLAY A ROLE? WHAT IS, UH, HOW CAN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ENGAGE AND, UH, AND YOU KNOW, SO IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION AND HOW CAN WE CONSTRUCTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE CONVERSATION AND, AND THAT'S WHERE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, MY INTEREST AND FOCUS WITH THE THANK YOU FOR SURE.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST YOU MAKE THAT A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO DISCUSS, UH, SPECIFICALLY A WORKING GROUP IN GREATER DETAIL.
CAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT OFF TOPIC TOPIC FROM WHAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT.
SO I WOULD PUT THAT ON YOUR FUTURE AGENDA.
SO WE'LL HAVE THAT AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, BUT I, SO I HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FOR THE FORMATION OF THE GROUP.
CAN WE TAKE A VOTE ON THAT AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFICS IN THE NEXT MEETING? OR SHOULD WE TABLE THE MOTION? UM, I THINK I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE.
I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF, YEAH, IT SEEMS TO ME, WE HAVE POSSIBLE ACTION ON OUR AGENDA ACTION IN RESPONSE DIRECTLY TO THEM TO GET AGENDA ITEM.
SO THAT WAS AN CHARLOTTE HAD MOVED AND LAUREN WAS THE SECOND.
SO IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE EMOTION AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION TO FORM A CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION WORKING GROUP, SO ALL IN FAVOR.
DID IT EVER, DID, DID EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY PUT THEIR HAND UP?
UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND THEN, UH, COMMISSIONER METTA, CHARLA, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, COMMISSIONER GOLD.
AND THEN, UM, THEN ALL NOT IN FAVOR, ANYBODY AGAINST.
SO THE MOTION CARRIES, UH, I THINK THAT'S 7 71.
AND SO THEN IN OUR NEXT MEETING, WE'LL DISCUSS LIKE THE MECHANICS AND SPECIFIC DIRECTION OF THAT GROUP AND YEAH.
SO KATIE AND, UH, TRISHA, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE'LL NEED Y'ALL HERE FOR THAT MEETING CAUSE THAT'S JUST US LIKE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE REALLY HOW TO BE FOCUSED WITH OUR GROUP.
UM, BUT I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE YOU IN FUTURE, UM, MEETINGS.
AND THEN IN OUR NEXT MEETING, WE CAN DETERMINE WHO WANTS TO BE IN THAT GROUP.
AND THAT'LL BE A GREAT, I THINK, A REALLY GOOD WAY FOR US TO BE COMMUNICATING WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION TEAM.
UM, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S SO DETAILED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY LIKE WE CAN'T DO THIS, EVERY MEETING, LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S SO MUCH WORK THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO BEHIND THE SCENES TO, AND THEN WE CAN REPORT BACK TO THE COMMISSION OR COMMISSION OR WHOEVER'S ON THE WORKING GROUP CAN REPORT BACK AND GET FEEDBACK FROM THE FULL COMMISSION.
DID ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR, UM, KATIE AND TRICIA? OKAY.
I THINK COMMISSIONER GOLD HAS ONE MORE COMMENT.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS AGAIN SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND, AND, UH, AND ENERGY AND FOR SHARING ALL THESE DETAILS WITH US.
UM, AND, UH, I'M ACTUALLY KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES.
UM, I HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I WAS NOT EXCITED ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION BEFORE.
UM, BUT HAVING SEEN YOUR PRESENTATION I'M CURED.
I'M, I'M DEFINITELY INTRIGUED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES
[01:15:01]
HERE BECAUSE AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, IT'S, AS YOU SAID, IT'S JUST, UH, A CONCRETE BLOB THAT IS NOT BEING ENGAGED BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.I MEAN, VERY, VERY LITTLE, UM, MAYBE I'VE PLAYED TWO GIGS THERE AND I'VE LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE, TWO OR THREE GIGS THERE.
UM, SO I LOVE THE IDEA OF THAT SPACE BEING TRANSFORMED INTO SOMETHING THAT ENGAGES THE COMMUNITY, UH, MORE DIRECTLY AND, UM, REALLY, UM, GETS, UH, THE, THE VISITING PEOPLE AND THE, THE LOCAL PEOPLE, MORE, UH, INTERACTION AND, UM, ALL KINDS OF POSSIBILITIES THERE.
UM, AND I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A STATEMENT REGARDING, YOU KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND'S COMMENTS ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES AND PROPERTY VALUES AND THINGS GOING UP, BUT, UM, THE IMPACT LOOKING INTO THE IMPACT ON SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THE PURVIEW OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT THING TO CONSIDER IN ALL OF THIS.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, SCOTT BRINGING THAT UP, UH, THAT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN ORGANIZATION ENGAGED TO ACTUALLY RESEARCH THE IMPACTS OF ALL OF THIS ON THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, BUT IF NOT, I THINK THAT, UH, IT WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE THIS IS, THIS IS HUGE AND IT COULD BE REALLY BEAUTIFUL, UM, AND REALLY A GREAT IMPROVEMENT OF THAT AREA FOR US, IF IT WERE IN LINE WITH, UM, WHAT, WHAT THE ARE THE TRUE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE ROOTS ROOTED COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN HERE FOR FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND DECADES, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD BE AT RISK FOR BEING PUSHED OUT.
AND I MEAN, I REALLY HOPE THAT Y'ALL ARE SPEAKING TO, YOU KNOW, CULTURE BEARERS AND, UH, PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS FOR GENERATIONS AND THOSE KINDS OF PEOPLE.
SO ENGAGING WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF ORGANIZATION THAT REALLY HAS BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND IS, AND IS TALKING TO THOSE KINDS OF FOLKS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR GENERATIONS AND, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD AND, AND THOSE IMPACTS ARE CONSIDERED.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I REALLY HOPE THAT'S A PART OF THE PLAN.
AND IF, IF, IF IT IS, IT WOULD HELP ME FEEL A LOT MORE SUPPORTIVE ABOUT, ABOUT IT ALL MOVING FORWARD.
APPRECIATE ALL OF THE THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS.
UM, KATIE AND I ARE REALLY ENCOURAGED AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE WORKING GROUP, UM, AS WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY FORWARD.
I DID HAVE LIKE ONE MORE SUPER QUICK QUESTION.
HOPEFULLY IT'S JUST A YES OR NO QUESTION.
UM, BUT THE, I KNOW THAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION HAD, THEY HAD PASSED A RESOLUTION AND THEY WERE ASKING FOR FRESH FINANCIALS, UM, ON THE CONVENTION CENTER, BUT YOU, THERE IS THIS EXISTING ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY.
IS THAT, DOES THAT ANSWER WHAT THEY WERE ASKING FOR? OR WERE THEY ASKING FOR SOMETHING ADDITIONAL, UH, WE PROVIDE CAN LOOK BACK AND SEE YOU EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE PROVIDED THEM, AND I'M HAPPY TO FORWARD THAT TO YOU ALL AS WELL.
UM, BUT YES, WE, WE HAVE FULLY ANSWERED THEIR QUESTIONS.
THE THING YOU REQUESTED FROM US.
I KNOW WE'LL BE IN CONVERSATION QUITE A BIT GOING FORWARD.
SO THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME NINE.
[4. Discussion and possible action on Music Commission community engagement events. Font Size: 12; Font: Times New Roman; Font Style: Regular]
ON, UH, ITEM FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON MUSIC, COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS.UM, SO WE'VE HAD THIS AS AN AGENDA ITEM FOR A BIT, AND WE'VE TACKLED IT KIND OF IN, IN BITS AND PIECES, BUT BASICALLY, UM, COMMISSIONER GOLD BROUGHT THIS UP, UH, INITIALLY IN TERMS OF HOW, HOW MUSIC CAN MISSION CAN BETTER ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT COUNCIL ENGAGEMENT.
UH, PART OF WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS HAVING DISTRICT BY DISTRICT EVENTS, WHICH, UM, THAT KIND OF STRUGGLED HAD MISSED THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS BECAUSE OF COVID AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE KEEPING US ALL FROM DOING WHAT WE WANT TO BE DOING.
BUT SO WE'LL, WE'LL CIRCLE BACK TO THE EVENTS, BUT YEAH, LAUREN DID WANT TO GO AHEAD AND LIKE TOSS IT TO YOU SINCE YOU'VE BROUGHT THIS, UH, THIS ITEM TO US INITIALLY.
SO THOUGHTS, AND I KNOW THIS TIES INTO THE JOINT WORKING GROUP WITH ARTS.
UM, WELL, UH, I'M GLAD THAT THIS IS, I'M GLAD WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
UM, I THINK, UH, AT DISTRICT BY DISTRICT, UH, TYPE EVENT WOULD BE INTERESTING.
[01:20:01]
THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT IS IN LINE WITH THE WORK THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC, UM, WORKING GROUP.I DON'T KNOW IF ARE WE DOING AN UPDATE ON THAT? UH, I THINK I KNOW THIS IS NO, NO, WE DIDN'T HAVE IT AS AN AGENDA ITEM, BUT IS, I MEAN, AS IN ANYTHING WITH THIS RELATES TO THAT, FEEL FREE TO TELL US WE'RE ALL YOURS.
AND I, THERE'S DEFINITELY LIKE WE'RE WORKING ON THE KIND OF HOW, HOW WE AUSTIN, HOW TO AUSTIN, HOW TO BE A GOOD CULTURAL CITIZEN, BASICALLY, EITHER AS A TOURIST OR, OR A LOCAL OR, UM, AND, UH, THAT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE PROJECTS WE HAVE IN THE WORKS.
AND SO THERE'S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A GREAT NEED FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO I THINK, UM, IF, IF WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF START THAT PROCESS, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A, IT'S NOT LIKE FLIPPING A SWITCH, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A LONGER, MORE ORGANIC PROCESS TO TRY TO BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP.
UM, SO THAT PEOPLE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AND WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE COMMUNITY.
AND JUST, UM, SO I'D LOVE FOR US TO FIND WAYS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE WAS A, THERE WAS AN EVENT THAT MAYBE USED TO HAPPEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, BEFORE IT WAS ON THE COMMISSION WHERE IT WAS LIKE A GATHERING, UM, AFTER HOURS OR SOMETHING AFTER COMMISSION MEETINGS OUT SOMEWHERE, MAYBE SCOTT KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, MAYBE SOMETHING THAT HAS MUSICIANS ORGANIZED, I'M NOT SURE, BUT YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE, YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
SO I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THERE ARE OTHER, YOU KNOW, EVENTS WHERE WE CAN, AND THIS IS, THIS IS ALL VERY OFF THE CUFF, SO I'LL STOP.
I KIND OF AMBUSHED YOU WITH THIS.
UH, BUT SO, SO YOUR POINTS OF, UM, HAVING THESE POINTS OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, SO WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, AND I'LL JUST REMIND EVERYBODY HERE IS A DISTRICT BY DISTRICT EVENTS.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED, UM, SEVERAL YEARS BACK, I THINK IN 2016 OR 17, BEFORE I WAS ON THE COMMISSION, GRAHAM AND GAVIN ARE REMINDING US THEY'RE ON THE ROAD, KIND OF LIKE TOWN HALLS.
UM, BUT IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INVITE THE COUNCIL OFFICE FOR THAT DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS ARE THERE, WE INVITE THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M ENVISIONING IT AS LIKE A MIXER.
AND, UM, SO WE HAD TALKED ABOUT REALLY, YOU KNOW, HOW TO GO ABOUT THAT.
UM, ERICA AND I HAD A PHONE CALL TODAY, WE'RE JUST ON SOME OF THE LOGISTICS ABOUT QUORUM RULES FOR THIS.
LIKE, DOES IT NEED TO BE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING FOR EXAMPLE, OR HOW DO, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT? YEAH, GO AHEAD AND JUMP IN.
AND ERICA WOULD NOT BE AN OFFICIAL MEETING, BUT YOU STILL HAVE A QUORUM BECAUSE THEN IT IS OFFICIAL BEATING WITH, AND WE'VE VIOLATED TOMA RULES BY NOT LETTING PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THAT AND THAT WAY.
AND SO, BUT LIKE I SAID, I WILL TALK TO KIM IN GREATER DETAIL AND TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE, JUST TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE TOTALLY CLEAR ON WHAT YOU GUYS CAN DO AND WHAT YOU CAN'T DO.
UM, AND THAT MAYBE IT DOES WORK GREAT JUST TO WORK WITH EACH OF YOUR COUNCIL OFFICES FOR WHICHEVER DISTRICT YOU'RE IN FOR THE EVENT.
UM, SO WE MAY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, FOR SOME DONATED SPACE AND SUPPORT AND, UH, DISTRICT NINE, ACTUALLY ON SIXTH STREET, WHICH IS, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT LENGTH IN AN EARLIER MEETING, UM, ONE OR TWO MEETINGS AGO.
SO THAT MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING KICKOFF EVENT.
UM, JUST BECAUSE THE SIXTH STREET REDEVELOPMENT IS REALLY BIG NEWS FOR THE CITY AND ALSO THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT, UH, I DO AGREE THAT WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL OFFICES ON EACH OF THESE EVENTS IS A GREAT IDEA, SO THAT I'VE NOT HAD A CONVERSATION WITH ANY COUNCIL OFFICE ABOUT THIS YET.
UM, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE NEXT IN THE PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALSO HAVING MUSICAL PERFORMANCE, THERE WOULD BE GREAT.
WE WOULD NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT PROCESS IS LIKE FOR SELECTING THE PERFORMER.
AND MAYBE LIKE WE DO FOR MUSICAL PERFORMANCES HERE AT THE MEETING, WE HAVE THE, THE COMMISSIONER SELECT SOMEBODY OR A COUPLE OF MUSICAL ACTS THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DISTRICT.
WE MIGHT HAVE A SUBMISSION PROCESS AND THAT MAY BE ABLE TO DOVETAIL WITH, UM, SUBMISSIONS FOR THE PAID MUSICAL PERFORMANCE, THAT PROGRAM THAT'S KICKING BACK OFF AT, YOU KNOW, NOW POST PANDEMIC.
AND ERICA, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT TIMELINE A LITTLE BIT TOO, LIKE I'M KIND OF MIXING TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS HERE, BUT YOU SAID THAT MAYBE IN THE FALL THERE'LL BE A SUBMISSION PROCESS.
[01:25:01]
SO OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THE SUBMISSION FORM, WHICH WILL BE EVERGREEN AND ALWAYS THERE, UH, LIVE SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER AND THEN, UH, SO THAT WE CAN START TAKING PEOPLE IN, INTO OUR DATABASE SYSTEM AND JUST BE VERY ORGANIZED AND IT WON'T BE ONLY US.IT WOULD BE AUSTIN, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, HOPEFULLY THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT.
SO THAT WE'RE ALL KIND OF WORKING WITH THROUGH ONE DATABASE FOR MUSICIANS SO THAT WE CAN BETTER TRACK, YOU KNOW, WHO'S GETTING PAID AND HOW, WHAT GENRES THERE ARE.
AND JUST SO THAT WE HAVE A REALLY GREAT, UH, DATABASE OF MUSICIANS TO WORK FROM.
AND SO, BUT FOR THE STREET PERFORMANCE PROGRAM, ONCE THAT SUBMISSION FORM GETS FILLED, WE ARE LOOKING TO BOOK IN OCTOBER, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME PERFORMERS THAT WE'LL HIT UP FIRST THAT WERE, UH, APPROACHED BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, BECAUSE WE DID HAVE TO CANCEL THE PANDEMIC AND BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC FOR OUR SPRING 2020, UH, PROGRAM.
SO WE'LL, UH, LIKELY GO TO THOSE FOLKS FIRST TO SEE WHO WE CAN RESCHEDULE AND THEN, UM, START USING, UTILIZING THE SUBMISSION FORM AS WELL FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY AND FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE CITY.
SO THAT'S, UH, YEAH, JUST KIND OF NARROWING IN ON WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES MIGHT BE FOR THIS.
UM, YEAH, SO I, I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT, TO START WITH DISTRICT NINE AND POSSIBLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS, UM, THIS POP-UP SPACE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, SO PATRICE, THAT'S YOUR DISTRICT.
SO W WE'D WANT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU DEFINITELY INVOLVED IN THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE D NINE OFFICE AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE OPEN TO DOING? UM, BUT I DO THINK IT'S A GREAT WAY.
IT'S A FUN WAY FOR THE MUSIC COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY, UM, THE COME, YOU KNOW, MEET YOUR COMMISSIONER OR MEET YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CAN BE WAYS TO ASK FOR INPUT.
WE CAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S A TRUE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS WHERE MAYBE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO WRITE DOWN COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, OR WE DO A Q AND A OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO AGAIN, THERE'S SOME OF THOSE, UM, THINGS NEED TO BE IRONED OUT, BUT THIS WOULD BE THE, THIS WOULD BE THE GUINEA PIG EVENT AND WE CAN SEE WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T, AND KIND OF TAILOR THINGS FOR FUTURE EVENTS.
SO ANY THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS FOR ME? YEAH.
SO, UH, WAY MORE DRY THAN, UH, THAN THE EXCITING MIXER THAT YOU'RE SITTING THERE.
LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME.
UH, BUT I WAS CURIOUS, WHAT IS THE POSSIBILITY OF, UH, POTENTIALLY IRRITATING THE MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING ITSELF, UH, ONCE A QUARTER TO ENTER THE CITY LOCATION? I THINK, UM, LAST TIME WHEN, UM, GAVIN AND GRAHAM HAD TALKED ABOUT, THEY HAD TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THAT TO TAKE IT TO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND, UM, HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, PICK A CITY LOCATION WITHIN THAT DISTRICT AND HAVE THAT MEETING AND PERHAPS THERE AS WELL, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN STREAMLINE THE AGENDA AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR THAT PARTICULAR, UM, UH, MEETING, WE COULD POTENTIALLY CREATE, UH, SUMMIT COMMUNITY, SOME LEVEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING MUSIC PERFORMANCES, ET CETERA, AND KIND OF FACILITATE THE SAME GOAL, BUT, UH, THROUGH THIS KIND OF A MORE FORMAL, OFFICIAL MEETING YET, IT'S A POSSIBILITY TO EXPLORE.
WE WILL HAVE TO WORK WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND, UH, CTM TO BE SURE THAT IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MEETING IS, UH, ASSESSABLE TO AND HAS PARKING AND ALL THE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS.
WELL, ONE THING YOU LOSE BY DOING, UM, THE CITY FACILITY IS THE SORT OF BRINGING IT TO THE PEOPLE QUALITY EVENTS, EVEN THOUGH WE'LL BE CLOSER IN TERMS OF DRIVING.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF I DID SHOWS LIKE, UH, SAY ON OLD SIXTH STREET, LIKE ON EMOS, AND THEN I DID A SHOW ACROSS THE STREET EMPANADA PARLOR, TOTALLY DIFFERENT PEOPLE WOULD SHOW UP LITERALLY ACROSS THE STREET.
AND SO PART OF THE, GETTING OUT OF CITY HALL AND DOING THESE DISTRICT BY DISTRICT EVENTS, I THINK IS GOING TO WHERE A COMMUNITY FEELS COMFORTABLE, FEELS LIKE THEIR VOICES HEARD AND, UH, IS THE GATHERING PLACE ALREADY.
AND SO GOING TO THE COMMUNITY RATHER THAN ASKING THEM TO COME TO US, BECAUSE WE CAN SEE, LIKE TONIGHT WE HAD ZERO PEOPLE ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND WHEN WE DID THESE EVENTS YEARS AGO, THERE WAS, THERE WAS EXCELLENT TURNOUT AT ALL OF THEM I WAS AT.
AND WE COULDN'T ALL GO TO ALL OF THEM CAUSE QUORUM, SAME THING AS NOW.
BUT, UH, JUST SOMETHING I WOULD CAUTION ABOUT, UH,
[01:30:01]
MAKING THIS AN OFFICIAL CITY FACILITY.UH, SO THE, UM, UM, I I'VE BEEN, AS FAR AS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GOES, UH, INITIALLY I BELIEVE IT STARTED OUT AS LIKE A VOTER REGISTRATION KIND OF THING.
SO, UM, FOR KIND OF LIKE GOING FOR, WITH HIM, DAVE AND WE'RE, UM, I'M ON THE, UM, COMMITTEE TO KIND OF ORGANIZE, UM, HAM DAY AS WELL.
SO I'M NOT BUSY OVER HERE AT ALL, BUT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR LAST MEETING WAS HAVING VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES AT ALL OF OUR EVENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE POPPING UP ACROSS THE CITY.
AND SO, UM, THERE, AND I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY VOTER REGISTRATION DEPARTMENT.
AND SO, UM, ANDY PHILLIPS AND, UM, BARBARA PETERSON, THEY'RE GOING TO BE, WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO KIND OF COORDINATE WITH THE BAR OWNERS AND THE VENUE OWNERS FOR HAM DAY.
UM, WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE, BUT THERE SHOULD BE VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES AT ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT EVENTS.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE A FLAGSHIP SORT OF THING.
AND THEN WORKING FORWARDS TOWARDS THE RIGHT TURN AND WORKING BACKWARDS.
I STILL HAD NOT COMMUNICATED WITH HAROLD, UH, YET THAT'S ON MY LIST OF THINGS TO DO, BUT, UM, HAMDI IS GOING TO BE A PRETTY AMAZING DAY, UM, FULL OF ALL THAT STUFF.
AND THAT'S, I THINK SEPTEMBER 13, IT IS 13.
SO YEAH, THAT IS GOING TO BE A REALLY COOL DAY COMING.
CAUSE IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE IT COULD BE A REALLY BIG EVENT.
SO IN TERMS OF VOTER REGISTRATION, I MEAN, CERTAINLY I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO AT OUR EVENTS AS WELL.
UM, SO MAYBE WE COULD TARGET OCTOBER EARLY OCTOBER FOR THOSE, UM, BEFORE, BEFORE ACL FEST, LIKE REALLY EARLY OCTOBER, BUT ANYWAYS, SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'LL, UH, KIM'S RESEARCHING SOME THINGS FOR US.
UH, I WILL TALK WITH, UH, PATRICE AND I WILL TALK ABOUT REACHING OUT TO THE DENYING OFFICE.
AND THEN, I MEAN, ANYBODY THAT HAS ANY THOUGHTS, LIKE I, IF WE WANT TO WIDEN IT TO LIKE MULTIPLE DISTRICTS THAT ARE NEARBY SO WE CAN CAPTURE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO THAT TOO KNOW, DEFINITELY DISCOURAGED DOING IT IN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF OCTOBER BECAUSE THE 1ST OF OCTOBER IS A SATURDAY AND THEN YOU ROLL INTO THE WEEK OF ACL THE NEXT TWO WEEKS OF IT'S JUST GOING TO BE SUCH A MESS EVERYWHERE.
SO NOT TO BE NEGATIVE, BUT YEAH, NO, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE A JUDGE IN FRONT OF ME, SO I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN ACL STARTS, BUT YEAH, WELL LET'S YEAH.
SO WE'LL LOOK AT THE CALENDAR NOVEMBER OR LATE SEPTEMBER.
UM, I MEAN, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A SUPER COMPLICATED EVENT AND, UM, BUT WE'LL SEE, LIKE WE'LL PICK A DATE AND, UM, HOPEFULLY, SO WE'LL HAVE MORE DETAILS NEXT MEETING, I THINK.
BUT YEAH, IF ANYBODY'S GOT ANY SPECIFIC THOUGHTS IN THE MEANTIME, LIKE, UH, JUST EMAIL ME BECAUSE OF WHAT THE INPUT.
[5. Discussion and possible action following update on the Live Music Fund Hotel Occupancy Tax Collections by Kim McCarson, Program Manager, Music & Entertainment Division, Economic Development Department.]
WE'RE MOVING ONTO OUR LAST AGENDA ITEM, SO THAT IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.AND FOLLOWING AN UPDATE ON THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COALITIONS.
AND SO NOVIA IS GONNA, UH, TELL US ABOUT IT.
SO NOVIA HAUTE, RAB DIRECTOR, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, LET'S END THIS MEETING ON A GOOD NOTE.
SO TO DATE AS OF JUNE, WE HAVE COLLECTED $1.4 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 72% OF THE BUDGET, WHICH IS 78, 40 7% OF OUR CURRENT YEAR ESTIMATE.
SO WE'RE ON TRACK, UM, TO MEET OUR BUDGET FOR 2020 TO A 1.9 MILLION.
AND AS MENTIONED BEFORE ACTUAL CASH IN THE BANK WOULD BE THE 3.2 PLUS THE 1.4.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 4.5, SIX ISH IN THE BANK.
AND AS YOU HEARD LAST MONTH FROM PURCHASING, WE ARE ON AN EXPEDITED PROCESS TO TRY TO GET THAT IN THE COMMUNITY.
[01:35:01]
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, UH, HOW DOES THIS IMPACT OR PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT COSTS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DISCUSSING SMALLER THINGS LIKE THESE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THINGS, BUT THEN LARGER THINGS LIKE THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION AND THINGS LIKE THAT SINCE WE'RE DEALING IN ACTUAL, UH, JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW WE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE WHILE ALSO WORKING WITH ACTUAL.SO WORKING WITH ACTUAL IS ACTUALLY, MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID IT LIKE THAT.
WORKING WITH ACTUALS IS BEST IN THIS SCENARIO BECAUSE YOU'RE COLLECTING AND THEN YOU'RE PLANNING TO SPEND.
SO YOU'RE NOT WORKING ON AN ESTIMATE.
SO HYPOTHETICALLY, IF WE KNOW, SO WE HAVE PROJECTIONS FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT GO ABOUT FIVE YEARS OUT.
SO WE CAN TRACK WHAT'S POTENTIALLY TO COME IN TO THEN PLAN TO SPEND.
SO NEXT YEAR, AS ALREADY SUGGESTED, WE ALREADY KNOW $3 MILLION IS THE BASE TO GO OUT IN COMMUNITY, CORRECT.
THEN IN YEAR TWO, YOU'RE NOW ADDING A NEW ELEMENT.
IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WHICH WOULD BE VENUES.
SO THEN IN, FOR US, WE NEED TO COME BACK TO YOU WITH A CONSERVATIVE RECOMMENDATION, SAY, HYPOTHETICALLY, HYPOTHETICALLY, WE STARTED OUT WITH A $3 MILLION BASE THE NEXT YEAR BASED ON WHAT WE ACTUALLY COLLECT.
MAYBE WE THEN MOVE THAT UP TO 4 MILLION BECAUSE NOW WE'RE BRINGING IN ANOTHER ELEMENT.
SO THEN IN THE OUT YEAR IN 25, BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE IN THE BANK, THEN WE NEED TO START THINKING OF WHAT WILL THE YEAR THREE LOOK LIKE? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO WE WANT TO BE CONSERVATIVE.
THAT'S HOW I LIKE TO APPROACH IT.
YOU DON'T WANT TO OVER-COMMIT BUT ALWAYS HAVE A LITTLE RESERVE.
AND I'VE TALKED WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION, EVEN THEY SUGGESTED.
SO THERE'LL, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE SUGGESTING SPEND, ACTUALLY IT MAY NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA TO HAVE SMALL RESERVE BECAUSE SAY SOMETHING HAPPENS IN 24.
WE DON'T KNOW, WE CAN'T PREDICT PANDEMIC.
WE STILL WANT TO HAVE SOME FUNDS TO KEEP GOING.
SO THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE WILL BE CONSIDERING, BUT WE'LL BRING BACK A RECOMMENDATION TO YOU.
SO WOULD THAT BE LIKE A, OH, GO AHEAD, GRAHAM.
I JUST, LIKE, I DUNNO A LOT OF BUDGETS HAVE A CONTINGENCY OF 10, 15% OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT, UH, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT IS THERE A, WE DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE A 10%, BUT WE ALREADY KNOW WE HAVE ACTUALS IN THE BANK, SO IT'S GOING TO BE THOSE OUT YEARS THAT YOU WANT TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
SO NEXT YEAR, ONCE WE SEE THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS OR JUST GOING OUT TO INDIVIDUALS, WE KNOW WE BRING IN, IN VENUES, THEN WE ANALYZE THAT DATA AND THAT'S WHY IT'S GOOD TO HAVE ONE SYSTEM THAT EVERYBODY'S FEEDING INTO.
SO THEN WE CAN SAY, OKAY, HYPOTHETICALLY, WHO WOULD BE IN THE POOL IN YEAR THREE, THEN WHAT DOES THE BUDGET LOOK LIKE? SO YOU DON'T WANT TO PUT ALL YOU ALL OF IT OUT.
BUT THEN MAKING SURE THERE'S SOME CONSISTENCY IN THE OUT YEARS, BECAUSE YOU MAY COME BACK AND THE COMMUNITY MAY SAY THAT FIVE OR 10 ISN'T WORKING.
MAYBE WE NEED TO NOW BUMP IT UP TO 20.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO WE'RE GOING TO BE COLLECTING DATA THROUGHOUT THE FIRST TWO YEARS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEXT ITERATION COULD BE.
ANYBODY ELSE GOT A QUESTION ON HOT COLLECTIONS CURRENTLY KNOTS, IF NOT, WE CAN THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO NOVIA, UM, WE CAN MOVE ON TO
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND WRAP THINGS UP.SO ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, ANYONE? WELL, I HAVE THE ONES THAT YOU'VE LISTED SO FAR, SO JUST LET ME LIST OUT WHAT I HAVE AND THEN I'LL NEED TO GET, UM, MOTIONS AND SECONDS.
UM, SO FIRST IS A POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING CITY PAID MUSIC PERFORMANCES TO INCLUDE LOADING AND UNLOADING FEE.
SO CARRY THAT TO THE NEXT ONE.
SO DO WE, UH, YEAH, SO I GUESS, DID WE ALREADY EMOTION FOR THAT? AND WE JUST NEED A SECOND ESSENTIALLY.
WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY OF THAT YET.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAD DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, OR I WOULD MENTION THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSION POSSIBLE ACTION ON A CONVENTION CENTER WORKING GROUP SPECIFICS.
[01:40:01]
YEAH, SO DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? OKAY.SO DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON, UH, UH, HOT COLLECTIONS FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
I DON'T WANT TO JUST LOOK ON THE LANGUAGE.
UM, THEN WE'LL HAVE, UH, JUST FOLLOW UP DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION ON, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS IN THE FALL.
AND THEN FOR THE POT, IT WAS MEHTA CHARLA THAT, UH, DID THE MOTION, CORRECT? COMMISSIONER.
UH, VICE-CHAIRMAN HAD A TRIAL.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST IN A CAT.
AND THEN ALSO WE SUGGEST THAT FOR AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT LOADING, UNLOADING, THAT'S A SEPARATE CONVERSATION.
CAUSE THAT'S JUST ABOUT GENERALLY ABOUT THE SIGNAGE DOWNTOWN ELSEWHERE.
SO THAT'D BE LIKE A STAFF BRIEFING.
IF YOU WANT TO MAKE, BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO LEA AGENDA ITEM.
WE COULD, WE WERE ALREADY PLANNING AND WE WERE TRYING TO GET MORE INFORMATION.
UM, SO WE DON'T HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING YET.
HOPEFULLY WE WOULD BY SEPTEMBER.
AND AM I CORRECT THOUGH? THAT WE CAN'T TAKE ACTION ON A STAFF BRIEFING, BUT WE CAN TAKE ACTION IF WE MAKE IT A DISCUSSION POSSIBLE ACTION.
SO I WOULD, JUST, TO ME, IT'S ALWAYS BETTER IF WE CAN TAKE ACTION IN CASE THERE'S ANYTHING IMMEDIATE, UH, JUST MAKING THAT A REGULAR AGENDA ITEM.
SO, UH, YEAH, FOLLOWING, I THINK IT WOULD BE DISCUSSION ON POLICY ACTION AND FOLLOWING UPDATE ON LOADING AND UNLOADING FROM THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
AND WE'VE HAD SOME TIMES THAT IT WAS WILD BACK, BUT WHERE WE WERE, THERE WERE SOME BIG THINGS HAPPENING AND WE WANT TO TAKE SOME IMMEDIATE ACTIONS, BUT BECAUSE THE, OR PEOPLE WOULD COME WITH SOMETHING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T PUT IMPOSSIBLE ACTION IN THE AGENDA ITEM.
WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING EVEN THOUGH WAITING A WHOLE MONTH WAS NOT, UH, NOT PREFERABLE.
SO I JUST TRY TO DO THAT ON ALL THE AGENDA ITEMS NOW THAT WE CAN TAKE ACTION WHEN NEEDED.
UH, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING MORE? GO AHEAD.
I THINK THERE WAS ALSO THE MUSIC COMMISSION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS.
I NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK THEN.
DO YOU KNOW WHO MADE THAT MOTION? I THINK I MADE THE MOTION AND YEAH.
AND CHARLOTTE, AND THEN, UM, NOT ABOUT THE SECOND.
THIS, IF KIM WAS HERE, SHE WOULD HAVE NO ISSUE BRINGING ANY OF IT.
I WANTED TO ADD ALSO, SORRY, THIS IS SO MANY ITEMS, BUT THERE WILL BE FINE.
UM, I WANTED TO ADD, UH, LET'S SEE, IS IT A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION FOLLOWING, ADD AN UPDATE ON THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSIONS WORKING GROUP ON ALL OF THE WORKING GROUPS THAT ARE.
DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S A ONE, THAT'S THE JOINT MUSIC AND ARTS TWO WORKING GROUP TWO.
WE FORMED IT TO RESEARCH FUNDING OUTSIDE OF HOT.
THERE'S ONLY ONE CHIP CURRENT CURRENTLY.
THERE'S ONLY ONE SHOWING WORKING GROUPS.
UH, ARE WE READY TO WRAP UP? DOES ANYBODY WANT A MOTION TO ADJOURN? ALL IN FAVOR.
WE ARE ADJOURNING, UH, GOSH, 38 30.
SO BETTER AND BETTER AT THIS NIGHT.