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YOU READY? OKAY.[CALL TO ORDER]
IS OCTOBER 19TH, 2022.I'M MAYOR PROTE AND CHAIR OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
I'M JOINED REMOTELY BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY IS IN, UM, THE CHAMBERS WITH ME, AND I BELIEVE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, UH, VICE CHAIR IS ON THE DIAS AS WELL.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO GET STARTED WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
[Public Communication: General]
DID YOU WANT US TO START WITH REMOTE FIRST OR IN PERSON? WHAT'S EASIER FOR YOU? SHE'S NOT SET UP FOR OWN.UM, THEN I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP TONY.
I CAN'T SEE IF THAT'S JOHNNY IN THE BACK.
MR. SARR, THEY CHANGED OUR LIGHTS OUT HERE AND YOU CANNOT SEE ANYTHING.
UH, YOU HAVE THREE MORE MINUTES.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR PROTEM, COUNCIL MEMBER AND STAFF MEMBER.
SIR, I'M THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF CS CONSULTING AND SERVICES, AN ENGINEERING FIRM FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS.
IT'S PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY AND SHARE MY PERSPECTIVE ON ITEM THAT WILL BE COMING TO YOU FOR CONSIDERATION.
LAST YEAR, THE CITY OF AUSTIN BEGAN WORK ON UPDATING ITS 2016 DISPARITY STUDY.
THE STUDY HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND THE RESULTS WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL SOON.
I WANT TO CLARIFY MY POSITION TODAY.
I AM NOT HERE TO CHALLENGE THIS STUDY METHODOLOGY OR RESULTS.
INSTEAD, I LIKE TO USE THE DATA FROM THE STUDY AS A BASIS FOR CONSIDERING AN ALTERNATIVE PATH FOR SUPPORTING NOT ONLY OUR MBE AND WB CONTRACTOR AND CONSULTANT, ALL SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESS IN AUSTIN AREA.
MAYOR PROTEM, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND SUPPORT AND OUR INITIAL DISCUSSION ON FRAMING THIS PROPOSAL.
A STRIKING POINT FOR ME FROM THE, THE STUDY IS THE MIGRATION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROCUREMENT DOLLAR TO OTHER COUNTIES.
SINCE THE LAST DISPARITY STUDY BEFORE THIS RECENT STUDY THE PREVIOUS DAY, THE COLLECTION REFLECTS 75% OF THE PROCUREMENT DOLLAR IN THE AUSTIN MSA.
TODAY WE SEE THAT DATA REFLECT A DECREASE TO 63%.
THE LARGEST MUNICIPALITY IN THE 19 COUNTY AREA HAVE SOME FORM OF LOCAL PREFERENCE, FEATURE THE PROCUREMENT PRACTICES THAT SUPPORTS THEIR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
FOR EXAMPLE, HOUSTON HAS ITS HOUSTON FIRST PROGRAM AND THE OTHER HEAVIER VERSION OF LOCAL PREFERENCE FEATURE TOO.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THESE PROGRAM HELPED KEEP MORE THEIR PROCUREMENT DOLLAR WITHIN THE AREA.
THE CONTINUE MIGRATION OF CONTRACT DOLLARS OUTSIDE THE AUSTIN MSA AND THE IMPACT LOWER GOAL FOR MINORITIES AND WOMEN IN AUSTIN, BUSINESS WILL DECREASE.
AND THE PROJECT PARTICIPATION LEVELS MAKE IT MORE CHALLENGING TO KEEP UP WITH THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN THIS AREA.
RECRUITING TALENT AND EXPENSIVE HOUSING MARKET INCREASED TAXES IN LONG COMMUTE TIMES FOR OUR EMPLOYEE.
THERE IS ANOTHER POTENTIAL LOSS FOR THE CITY OF, WAS THE CITY OF WASHINGTON.
THE SURROUNDING REGION AND THE STATE ARE EXPERIENCING TREMENDOUS GROWTH.
COMPETITION FOR ENGINEERING AND RELATED TECHNICAL TALENT IS VERY HIGH.
LOCAL FIRM WHO ARE BEST SUITED FOR SUPPORT.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROJECT, BECAUSE OF THE KNOWLEDGE IN THE FAMILIALITY
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FOR OUR COMMUNITY AREA, ARE LESS LIKELY TO PURSUE CITY AUSTIN PROJECT BECAUSE OF LACK OF TALENT OR BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THEY HAVE BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING AWARDS WITH OTHER PROJECT.THERE IS NOT A, THERE IS NOT AS MUCH AS EXTERNAL COMPETITION.
THEY HELP ME MITIGATE THIS IMPACT.
I ASKED THE CITY COUNCIL CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING TWO ITEMS. ONE, CONSIDER LOCAL PREFERENCE FEATURE FOR A SMALL LOCAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE.
MR. SOER, MR. SOER, MR. SOER, YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS ELAPSED, COULD YOU, BUT WE'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU WRAP UP.
THE THREE MINUTES HAS EXPIRED.
CONSIDER LOCAL PREFERENCE SPEECH OF A SMALL LOCAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, S L B E IN COMPLETING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROJECT.
ALIGN THE COMPLETION OF THE DISPARITY STUDY GOAL IMPLEMENTATION WITH INTRODUCING A NEW SMALL LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM AS WELL, LBE GOAL ADMINISTERED BY YOUR PURCHASING OFFICE.
THANK YOU MR. SIR, FOR BEING HERE.
UM, AND COLLEAGUES WILL TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE LATER, BUT I WILL HAVE, UM, AN AMENDMENT ALONG THOSE LINES AT OUR COUNCIL MEETING, UH, NEXT WEEK.
UM, IS JONATHAN JOHNSON HERE? OKAY.
UM, IF HE ENDS UP COMING IN, UH, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Audit and Finance Committee meeting of September 21, 2022]
NOW MOVE TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, WHICH IS ITEM ONE.DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY MAKES THAT MOTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UNANIMOUS ON THE DIAS.
UM, AT THIS POINT, UM, THAT WOULD BE FOUR OF US, UM, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO NOT VISIBLE YET.
UM, THEN, UM, WE WILL NOW MOVE, I'M MOVE TO ITEM TWO, WHICH IS OUR CITY SERVICES
[2. City Services for Older Adults Audit.]
FOR OLDER ADULTS AUDIT.I'M COREY STOKES, THE CITY AUDITOR, AND, UH, WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT THIS AUDIT.
WE HAVE NEHA SHARMA WAS THE MANAGER ON THIS AUDIT, AND KELSEY THOMPSON WAS THE AUDITOR IN CHARGE.
KELSEY IS NOW AN AUDIT MANAGER IN OUR OFFICE.
AND KELSEY WILL BE DOING OUR PRESENTATION THIS MORNING.
MY NAME IS KELSEY THOMPSON AND I WAS THE LEAD AUDITOR FOR THIS PROJECT.
THE OBJECTIVE FOR THIS AUDIT WAS, DOES THE CITY PROVIDE SERVICES TO OLDER ADULTS? EQUITABLY AND EFFECTIVELY? THERE WE GO.
OLDER ADULTS OR PEOPLE 50 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER MAKE UP AN INCREASINGLY LARGE PORTION OF THE POPULATION GLOBALLY.
AND HERE IN AUSTIN, AUSTIN, RESIDENTS BETWEEN 65 AND 74 WERE THE FASTEST GROWING AGE GROUP BETWEEN 2010 AND 2020, INCREASING BY ALMOST 70%.
GETTING USED TO THE CLICKER HERE.
THE CITY HAS TAKEN SEVERAL ACTIONS TO SUPPORT OLDER ADULTS.
CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE CITY'S FIRST AGE FRIENDLY ACTION PLAN IN 2016, AND THE CITY HIRED AN AGE FRIENDLY PROGRAM COORDINATOR IN 2019.
THE COMMISSION ON AGING PREVIOUSLY NAMED THE COMMISSION ON SENIORS, WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN BOTH OF THESE ACTIONS.
AND IN 2021, THE CITY UPDATED THE AGE FRIENDLY AUSTIN ACTION PLAN, NOTING ACHIEVEMENTS AND AREAS STILL IN PROGRESS.
YET THERE ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THE CITY CAN MAKE REGARDING THE AGE FRIENDLY PLAN.
I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH THIS CLICKER.
OUR FIRST FINDING IS THAT THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO MEASURE PROGRESS TOWARDS THE GOALS IN THE AGE-FRIENDLY PLAN, ESTABLISH RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE GOALS AND IN ASSESS IF THE CITY'S EFFORTS ARE EQUITABLE ACROSS ALL GROUPS OF OLDER ADULTS.
WE SAW THAT THE AGE-FRIENDLY PLAN DID NOT HAVE CLEAR INDICATORS TO MEASURE PROGRESS, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO KNOW HOW MUCH PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE ON THE PLAN'S, GOALS, AND STRATEGIES.
IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE STRATEGY IS TO PROVIDE MULTI-GENERATIONAL PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW MANY PROGRAMS A CITY SHOULD PROVIDE TO ACCOMPLISH THE PLAN'S GOAL AND MEET THE COMMUNITY'S NEED.
VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE SERVICES TO OLDER ADULTS.
WE SAW THAT THE PLAN DID NOT CLEARLY INDICATE WHICH DEPARTMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR GOALS AND STRATEGIES IN THE PLAN.
IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE STRATEGY IS TO SUPPORT AUSTIN UP, WHICH IS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION TO DEVELOP AGE-FRIENDLY BUSINESS BEST PRACTICES IN THE UPDATE FROM 2021 SAID PROGRAM DESIGN, T B D.
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SO IT'S UNCLEAR WHICH DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKING OR MOVING THE STRATEGY FORWARD.AND WITHOUT CLEAR RESPONSIBILITY, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THE CITY TO KNOW WHO IS WORKING ON WHAT TO ENSURE THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES ARE IMPLEMENTED.
COLLECTING AND ANALYZING DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IS AN IMPORTANT WAY TO UNDERSTAND IF AND HOW PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ARE EQUITABLY SERVING THE COMMUNITY.
AND TO REVIEW THIS, REVIEW THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF OLDER ADULTS.
WE REVIEWED 10 PROGRAMS ACROSS FOUR DEPARTMENTS THAT SERVE OLDER ADULTS AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS NOT A CONSISTENT PROCESS TO COLLECT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, ANALYZE HOW PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ARE AFFECTING DIFFERENT GROUPS SUCH AS OLDER ADULTS OF DIFFERENT RACES OR AGES DEPARTMENTS.
WERE COLLECTING SOME DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ACROSS PROGRAMS, BUT THE TYPE OF DATA VARIED MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO COMPARE AND USE FOR ANALYSIS.
AND WE FOUND THAT THE AGE-FRIENDLY PLAN DOES NOT INCLUDE THE USE OF DEMOGRAPHIC DATA TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES IN THE PLAN MAY AFFECT DIFFERENT GROUPS OF OLDER ADULTS AND, AND THAT THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA THAT DEPARTMENTS ARE COLLECTING IS NOT USED.
TO INFORM THE AGE-FRIENDLY PLAN, WE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO WORKED WITH THE CITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO OLDER ADULTS.
WE SENT THE SURVEY TO 32 PARTNERS AND RECEIVED 19 RESPONSES FOR A 59% RESPONSE RATE.
AND WE ASKED, HOW DOES THE CITY MEET THE NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS ON A 10 POINT SCALE WITH ONE BEING NO NEEDS MET AND 10 BEING ALL NEEDS MET.
THE AVERAGE RATING FOR EACH CATEGORY WAS 5.4 OR BELOW.
HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION HAD THE LOWEST AVERAGE RATINGS AT 3.6 OR BELOW.
SO THE CITY CAN BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS IN AUSTIN BY DEVELOPING A WAY TO MEASURE PROGRESS TOWARDS GOALS IN THE PLAN, ESTABLISH RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE GOALS, AND ASSESS THAT THE CITY'S EFFORTS ARE EQUITABLE ACROSS ALL GROUPS.
OUR SECOND FINDING WAS ABOUT OUTREACH.
WE FOUND THAT THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE CLEAR, CONSISTENT OUTREACH ABOUT CITY PROGRAMS FOR OLDER ADULTS, MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR OLDER ADULTS TO FIND WHAT THEY NEED.
WE FOUND THAT THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT PROGRAMS WAS DECENTRALIZED AND VARIED BY DEPARTMENT AND PROGRAM.
WE SAW THAT THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE CLEAR, CONSISTENT ONLINE ADVERTISING FOR CITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
AND THE CITY INFORMATION FOR OLDER ADULTS IS LOCATED ACROSS VARIOUS CITY WEBPAGES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE AGE FRIENDLY PROGRAM HAS A WEBPAGE WITH INFORMATION AND RESOURCES.
THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS ONLINE INFORMATION GUIDES FOR OLDER ADULTS, AND THERE'S SOME OVERLAP BETWEEN THESE, BUT THERE'S DIFFERENCES AS WELL.
AND ADDITIONALLY, PART HOUSING AND PLANNING EMS HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS ACROSS THEIR RESPECTIVE WEBPAGES.
AND THIS LACK OF CLEAR AND CONSISTENT, I'M TRYING TO CHANGE THE SLIDE AGAIN HERE.
UH, THIS LACK OF CLEAR AND CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR OLDER ADULTS TO FIND WHAT THEY NEED.
IN OUR SURVEY OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, WE ASKED ABOUT OUTREACH AND 58% OF PARTNERS DISAGREE THAT OLDER ADULTS ARE AWARE OF CITY PROGRAMS. 85% DISAGREE THAT IT'S EASY FOR OLDER ADULTS TO FIND INFORMATION IN ONE CENTRAL PLACE AND 53% SAID THE CITY'S WEBSITE WAS NOT SO USEFUL IN HELPING OLDER ADULTS LOCATE PROGRAMS. OUR THIRD FINDING IS ABOUT RESOURCES.
MANY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING PUBLIC HEALTH PART LIBRARY, HOUSING AND PLANNING, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR GOALS IN THE, IN THAT AGE-FRIENDLY PLAN.
AND THE CITY'S AGE-FRIENDLY PROGRAM COORDINATOR WORKS WITH THESE AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS OVER 30 COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO PROVIDE AGE-FRIENDLY SERVICES AND ALIGN WITH THE PLAN.
AND LIKE I MENTIONED, THE CITY HIRED AN AGE-FRIENDLY PROGRAM COORDINATOR IN 2019, AND THEY HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING PROGRESS ON THE CITY'S PLAN.
RESPONDENTS TO OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY NOTED THAT STAFFING THIS POSITION IS ALLOWED FOR MORE TARGETED OUTREACH, EFFECTIVE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, BETTER COORDINATION.
HOWEVER, THESE RESOURCES MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO EFFECTIVELY COORDINATE EFFORTS ACROSS ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE AGE-FRIENDLY PLAN.
70% OF OUR COMMUNITY RESPONDENTS DISAGREE THAT THE CITY HAS SUFFICIENT RESOURCES DEDICATED TO PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS.
AND WE ALSO CONDUCTED A REVIEW OF THE TOP SCORING AGE FRIENDLY CITIES THAT WERE SELECTED BY THE A A R P AND FOUND THAT 70% OF THEM HAVE AN AGING SERVICES FUNCTION SUCH AS AN OFFICE OR A DEPARTMENT.
UH, COUNCIL DID APPROVE ANOTHER POSITION FOR THE AGE FRIENDLY PROGRAM AS PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET BASED ON A, A COMMISSION FROM A, BASED ON A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSION ON AGING.
WE, UH, ISSUED FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, ONE TO THE CITY MANAGER, UH, TO ENSURE THAT ALL DEPARTMENTS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE AGE-FRIENDLY PLAN.
AND THREE TO THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WHERE THE AGE-FRIENDLY PROGRAM IS LOCATED.
ONE, TO UPDATE THE PLAN TO INCLUDE THE ITEMS THAT WE NOTED TO, TO CREATE CENTRALIZED GUIDANCE AROUND COMMUNICATION.
AND THREE, TO ASSESS THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO COORDINATE THE PLAN AND MANAGEMENT AGREED WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND WE ARE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
IS THERE STAFF FROM PUBLIC HEALTH HERE TO RESPOND?
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I THINK THAT'S MS. TRUMP.I THINK I JUST SAW ADRIAN IT'S BOX A SECOND AGO.
CAN WE GIVE MY CAMERA TO WORK? GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE AUDIT AT ALL? I HAVE NO COMMENTS.
I I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE DID.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAM TO THE DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY, UM, AND WE ARE READY TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
NEHA, DID YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING HERE? NO.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OF FUENTES.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED TODAY.
MY QUESTION IS, UM, AS PART OF THIS, UH, REPORT, HOW HAS THIS ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION ON AGING? AND WILL THEY BE OFFERING ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS? AND PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU LAID OUT THE AREAS IN WHICH, UM, OLDER ADULTS ARE EXPERIENCING HARDSHIPS, I SAW IN PARTICULAR, HOUSING WAS AT THE LOWEST AND HAD A 3.8.
UM, ON THE SCALE OF ONE TO 10, I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW WILL WE, UM, RECEIVE EVEN MORE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW THE CITY CAN, UM, BETTER ENHANCE OUR OUTREACH AND OUR PROGRAMMING FOR, FOR OLDER ADULTS? WE, THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT, WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION ON AGING, AND WE WILL BE PRESENTING TO THEIR COMMISSION IN NOVEMBER AND CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH THEM ABOUT THE PROCESS MOVING FORWARD FOR MORE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS IN THESE AREAS.
SO, UM, I WANNA JUST SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE TIMEFRAME FOR DELIVERING, UM, ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, MR CAN YOU SPEAK TO, UM, THE TIMEFRAME? YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS ABOUT, UM, NOT HAVING A WAY TO MEASURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD OR ASSESSING OUR EFFORTS.
UM, AND I, AND I BELIEVE THAT THE DELIVERY DATE FOR THAT WAS JULY OF 2026.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT PLEASE? UM, AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER ONE, UM, ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE FAMILIAR AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE PLAN.
UM, THE OTHER ONES ARE IN 23, WHICH, UM, STILL LATER END OF 23, WHICH IS STILL LATER THAN I WOULD LIKE, BUT IS REASONABLE.
COULD YOU SPEAK TO THE, TO THE DATES PLEASE? WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
AND SO WE ARE ECSTATIC THAT THE COUNCIL, UM, HAS GIVEN US THE ADDITIONAL POSITION IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, AND WE ARE POSTING THAT POSITION AND HOPING TO HAVE THAT PERSON COME ON BOARD.
TYPICALLY, IT TAKES FOUR MONTHS TO HAVE SOMEONE ON ONBOARDED FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, WITH THAT, UH, THE AGE FRIENDLY COORDINATOR THAT WE HAD IN PLACE WAS RECENTLY PROMOTED TO A POSITION IN THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS.
SO WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE ANY STAFF TO DO THIS WORK.
SO, UH, THE FIRST WINDOW IS A, A FOUR TO SIX MONTH RAMP UP TO GET PEOPLE ON BOARD AND THEN TO HAVE, UH, TIME TO ORIENT THEM TO THE, THE PLAN, UM, TO GET ACCLIMATED TO THE COMMISSION AND KIND OF GET THEIR, THEIR BEARINGS SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO DIG INTO THE MEAT OF THE WORK.
I THINK THE, UM, THE MEASURES ITEM IS, IS THAT FAR OUT TO GIVE US TIME TO REALLY PLAN INTENTIONALLY AND GET SOME OF OUR CITY SYSTEMS IN PLACE.
UM, I, I CAN SPEAK FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, JUST TO WORK WITHIN ONE DEPARTMENT TO GET A COORDINATED SYSTEM OF DEMOGRAPHIC COLLECTION HAS BEEN CHALLENGING.
AND SO TO LOOK AT THAT ACROSS SEVERAL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE DATA POINTS AND THAT WE HAVE A COHESIVE SYSTEM TO COLLECT THEM CONSISTENTLY ACROSS THE BOARD IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME.
AND THAT PROCESS WILL IMPACT HOW WE'RE ABLE TO ESTABLISH AND REPORT OUR MEASURES.
AND, UM, I THINK THIS MIGHT BE FOR THE AUDIT STAFF, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION OF HOUSING BEING A REALLY IMPORTANT FACTOR.
UM, ARE YOU ABLE TO DRILL DOWN MORE INTO THAT TO HELP US UNDERSTAND IF IT WAS ACCESS TO HOUSING OR IF IT WAS MORE ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES OR WHAT, WHAT WAS THE WEIGHT THAT WAS GIVEN TO DIFFERENT THINGS,
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UM, IN THAT RESPONSE? YEAH, IN, IN OUR SURVEY, WE DID NOT DRILL DOWN TO THAT LEVEL OF, UH, DETAIL WITH THE HOUSING.UM, BUT THE, WE KNOW THAT THE COMMISSION ON AGING HAS SEVERAL WORK GROUPS RELATED, AND ONE OF THEM IS RELATED TO HOUSING.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, WE CAN PROVIDE ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WE GOT, WHICH ARE PROVIDED IN OUR REPORT, AND WE CAN HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COMMISSION ON AGING TO GET THEIR INPUT ON, ON THOSE DRILLING DOWN INTO THOSE CATEGORIES.
UM, AND MR. STIR UP, I KNOW THAT YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH THE STAFF, UM, BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN WE PLAN TO HAVE A REPORT, UM, DELIVERED IN OCTOBER AND WE DO A BUDGET IN AUGUST, UM, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN, UM, GET EITHER A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE BUDGETARY GAPS, UM, IN ADVANCE OF BUDGET, YOU KNOW, PREFERABLY BEFORE THE CITY MANAGER FINALIZES HIS BUDGET.
SO HE HAS THAT INFORMATION, BUT IF NOT THAT, AT LEAST TO, UH, CITY COUNCIL SO THAT IF WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE ADDITIONAL SERVICES FOR THOSE WHO ARE AGING, THAT WE HAVE INFORMATION AND THE BENEFIT OF THAT REPORT, UM, TO DO THAT.
YOU, YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT, AND YES, WE CAN LOOK AT ADJUSTING THAT TIMELINE SO THAT THERE WILL BE SOME INFORMATION TO, UH, DRIVE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
UM, AND THEN ONE LAST QUESTION THAT I WANTED TO ASK IS, UM, TO THE EXTENT, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS SPACE, TO WHAT EXTENT ARE WE WE SUPPORTING THE CAREGIVERS, UM, FOR OUR SENIORS AND HOW DOES THAT ALIGN, UM, WITH WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GO WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OR WITH WHAT YOU'RE, WITH, WHAT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING? SO, THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS THIS YEAR, WE DID GET SOME FUNDING FOR A SHORT PILOT, AND I AM HOPING THE INFORMATION THAT WE WITH, UH, FOR CAREGIVERS WITH THE ADEPT, AND I'M HOPING THAT THROUGH THAT PILOT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET SOME INFORMATION THAT WE COULD USE TO KIND OF EITHER, UM, GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL ABOUT ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS OR TO RE REIMAGINE SOME OF THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL IN THE BASIC NEEDS CATEGORY.
UM, COLLEAGUES, DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
[3. Audit and Finance Committee meeting dates for 2023]
AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING DATES FOR 2023 STOKES, UH, CHAIR, DID WE NEED TO ACCEPT THAT AUDIT? UM, YES.UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AUDIT COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY? SURE.
I, I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AUDIT.
COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA MAKES THAT MOTION SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, THAT IS UNANIMOUS ON THE DIAS AND WE CAN SEE EVERYONE WHO'S VIRTUAL.
I'M, I AM, AS I THINK MY OFFICE SHARED WITH YOU, UM, SPLITTING, NEEDING TO SPLIT MY TIME TODAY BETWEEN AUSTIN POLICE RETIREMENT BOARD, WHICH I ALSO SERVE ON AND AUDIT AND FINANCE.
SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO, I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE AND HAVING HAD SOME TECHNOLOGY DIFFICULTIES, BUT I'M GONNA HAVE TO SIGN OFF FOR A LITTLE BIT AND THEN I WILL REJOIN YOU ALL HERE SOON.
AND I DO APPRECIATE YOUR OFFICE LETTING ME KNOW THAT IN ADVANCE WAS HELPFUL.
SO ITEM THREE IS ON THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE DATES.
WE TOOK THE DATES APPROVED FOR COUNCIL MEETINGS, AND THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD PULL THAT UP, ACTUALLY.
UM, THAT, UH, THESE ARE THE DATES.
UH, BASICALLY WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE TRYING TO AIM FOR THE THIRD WEDNESDAY.
SOMETIMES THAT WORKS, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T.
BUT WE TRY TO FIND A WEEK THAT DOESN'T HAVE A COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, AND, UH, WE HAVE, YOU CAN SEE HERE, WE'VE CANCELED THE JUNE MEETING AND, UM, THE, AS ALWAYS, THE NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER MEETINGS SLIDE AROUND BASED ON CALENDARS.
UM, AND IF WE HAVE TO MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE COUNCIL CALENDAR, THEN WE'LL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AUDIT AND FINANCE ABSOLUTELY.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE MAY BE MAYBE A FEW ADJUSTMENTS, SAY IN THE AUGUST TIMEFRAME THAT WE MIGHT SEE.
UM, SO THERE MAY BE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AS WE MOVE ALONG.
SO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CALENDAR.
COUNCIL MEMBER VICE CHAIR POOL MAKES THAT MOTION SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AND ONE SEC.
STARTING AT NINE 30 IN THE MORNINGS.
THE PLAN IS TO CONTINUE THE NINE 30 TO 11 SLOT.
NINE 30 TO 1130, I BELIEVE IT IS.
AND WE'VE ASKED THAT AUSTIN WATER THAT'LL GENERALLY MEET ON THE SAME DAY WHEN THEY MEET ON QUARTERLY TO START AT ONE 30.
[00:25:01]
YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GOOD.IF I COULD JUST SEE THAT LIST FOR TWO MORE SECONDS.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I WROTE EVERYTHING DOWN PROPERLY AND MAYBE SEND IT TO ALL OUR OFFICES.
I WAS LOOKING TO SEE IF IT WAS HERE AND I COULDN'T FIND IT.
AND JUST TO FLAG FOR THOSE OF US THAT WHO ARE, CUZ I THINK FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF US ARE STAYING TO THE NEXT COUNCIL.
UM, SO WE DECIDED TO HAVE A JANUARY AUDIT AND FINANCE MEETING.
UM, JUST SO THAT WE DON'T GET BACKLOGGED TOO MUCH, UM, WITH OUR WORK, BECAUSE WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT THIS DECEMBER'S MEETING, UH, WILL BE, WHEN WE HEAR THE AUSTIN WATER, UM, AUDIT COME BACK ON DECEMBER 13TH.
IF COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, I JUST WANNA SAY I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST YEAR AND I ANTICIPATE THAT THAT WILL CONTINUE INTO NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT ADDITIONAL MEETING WILL BE VERY HELPFUL.
AND THEN WE CAN, WE CAN INTRODUCE OUR NEW COLLEAGUES TO OUR COMMITTEE AND, UM, I THINK IT'LL BE GOOD TO, TO HAVE THAT WORK MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SO AT THIS POINT, THERE ARE THREE OF US WHO ARE PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, AND MYSELF.
OUR CALLER, UM, OUR CITIZEN COMMUNICATOR FROM EARLIER IS ACTUALLY ONLINE NOW.
UM, IS THIS MISS BREEZE MEISTER? WHAT'S THAT? THIS JANIE BREEZE.
CAN YOU HEAR? CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN.
I APOLOGIZE FOR, UM, THE, MY CONFUSION ON THE CALL IN.
UM, SHOULD I BEGIN? ARE YOU READY? YES, PLEASE BEGIN.
I'M CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION ON AGING.
RECENTLY REAMED FROM THE COMMISSION ON SENIORS.
UM, I'M SPEAKING ON MY OWN BEHALF THIS MORNING.
THE AUDIT WAS NOT MADE PUBLIC PRIOR TO OUR LAST COMMISSION MEETING, THEREFORE, THE FULL COMMISSION COULD NOT REVIEW AND VOTE ON THE COMMENTS AND VOTE ON COMMENTS.
THROUGHOUT THE REVIEW, THE AUDIT STAFF MET WITH ME AND OTHER COMMISSIONERS SEVERAL TIMES.
OVERALL, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH THE FINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH CONFIRM AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT THAT HAVE ALSO BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMISSION.
AND I'D LIKE TO MAKE JUST A FEW COMMENTS.
UM, UH, WE AGREE WITH IMPROVING MEASURES OF PROGRESS FOR OUR GOALS AND STRATEGIES IN THE AGE FRIENDLY PLAN, ACTION PLAN.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE AGE FRIENDLY PROGRAM COORDINATOR ON THAT.
WE ALSO BELIEVE BETTER DATA IS NECESSARY TO IMPROVE EQUITY AS A COMMISSION.
WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO ADEQUATELY REVIEW THE EQUITY OF PROGRAMS FOR OLDER ADULTS.
IN 2019, WE PASSED A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CITY COLLECT MORE GRANULAR DEMOGRAPHIC DATA TO HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW OLDER ADULTS WERE OR WERE NOT BEING SERVED BY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
AND ON BEHALF OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS, THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE HAS ALSO REPEATEDLY ASKED THE CITY TO COLLECT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA IN A STANDARD FORMAT THAT ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONS COULD USE TO EVALUATE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
UM, THE AUDIT RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY MANAGER SHOULD ENSURE THAT ALL DEPARTMENTS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE AGE-FRIENDLY ACTION PLAN.
I ALSO RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY MANAGER SHOULD GIVE THE AGE-FRIENDLY COORDINATOR THE AUTHORITY TO RECOMMEND WHICH DEPARTMENTS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHICH GOALS AND STRATEGIES IN THE PLAN.
AND THAT EACH DEPARTMENT SHOULD ASSIGN A POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE AGE-FRIENDLY ACTION PLAN, UM, ON COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH.
IT'S ONE OF THE, UM, COMPLAINTS THAT WE HEAR MOST FROM OLDER ADULTS IS THAT THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF WHAT THE CITY OFFERS.
THE PANDEMIC AND FREE ARE EXAMPLES OF WHERE WE WERE SCRAMBLING TO GIVE VITAL INFORMATION OUT TO OLDER ADULTS.
UM, COMMUNITY COMMUNITY BASED OUTREACH IS EFFECTIVE IN REACHING OLDER ADULTS, AND THE COMMISSION MADE A REQUEST IN THE CURRENT BUDGET CYCLE FOR AN ADDITIONAL STAFFER TO WORK ON JUST THAT, ESPECIALLY AROUND RESILIENCY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
AND THIS POSITION WAS FUNDED DURING BUDGET AMENDMENTS FROM COUNCILS.
UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH COMMUNITY OF PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS FILL IN GAPS.
AN ORGANIZATION CALLED A MIGHT.
GOOD TIME HAS DONATED AND BUILT A CUSTOM WEBPAGE FOR THE CITY FOR A ONE STOP SHOP ON OLDER ADULT ACTIVITIES AROUND SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND LIFELONG LEARNING.
AND THE SITE HAS GONE THROUGH VARIOUS APPROVALS WITHIN THE CITY, AND IT'S JUST PENDING THE FINAL ACTIONS NEEDED TO GO LIVE.
AND IT WILL BE, UM, EMBEDDED WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE.
BUT THIS IS JUST A FIRST STEP AND THE CITY WILL NEED TO MAKE ITS OWN WEBSITE MORE FRIENDLY FOR OLDER ADULTS.
UM, AND FINALLY, AS THE OLDER ADULT POPULATION
[00:30:01]
CONTINUES TO GROW, WE WILL NEED MORE RESOURCES TO, TO SUPPORT THE AGE-FRIENDLY PROGRAM.AS THE AUDIT MENTIONED, THE COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDERS SURVEYED BY THE AUDITORS, I'LL STRONGLY AGREE, THE PROGRAM NEEDS MORE RESOURCES.
THE ADDITIONAL STAFFER AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE NECESSARY.
CAN YOU WRAP UP THIS? AND I AM DONE.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
WELL, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR MANY YEARS OF SERVICE ON THE COMMISSION ON AGING.
WE, WE APPRECIATE, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, UM, SOMEONE FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT MS. STIRRUP, UM, AND SOMEONE IN APH HEARS THOSE COMMENTS BECAUSE THEY CAME OUT OF ORDER, UM, WITH THE AUDIT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, UM, THE APPROPRIATE PERSON AT APH IS, IS HEARING THAT.
UM, THANK YOU MS. BREES MEISTER, APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR BEING HERE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE, IF THE COMMISSION ON AGING HAS, UM, ADDITIONAL, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THIS AUDIT, UM, YOU KNOW, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE GET TO, TO OUR OFFICES, UM, AS FEEDBACK, UM, FOR THE NEXT STEPS.
VERY OFTEN WITH AN AUDIT, IT'S NOT JUST WHAT THE AUDITOR SAYS, BUT IT IS ALSO WHAT COUNCIL OFFICES DECIDE TO PUSH, UM, AFTER THE FACT.
UM, AND, AND WE CAN ADD ADDITIONAL THINGS AS NEEDED, UM, TO THAT PROCESS.
UM, WAS THERE AN ADDITIONAL, JONATHAN JOHNSON.
YOU CAN COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES PLEASE.
WAIT TILL YOU GET TO THE PODIUM SO WE CAN HEAR YOU CLEARLY.
WISH I WAS IN BETTER CONDITION.
UH, YOU KNOW, MY ISSUE WOULD BE, UH, I'M HAVING AN ISSUE WITH, UH, WITH YOUR LIBRARIES.
AND I HAD ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE, UH, LAST WEEK.
I'VE ALSO, UM, EMAILED, UH, THE CITY MANAGER, UH, MR. SPENCER.
UH, AND, AND SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, I KNOW I'M PRETTY SURE YOU GOT A BUSY SCHEDULE, BUT THE RESPONSE IS PRETTY SLOW ON SOMETHING VERY SIMPLE.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS, THIS WOULD BE THE PROPER FORM.
UM, I'M PRETTY SURE YOU HAVE OTHER ISSUES TO BE DEALING WITH.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING VERY SMALL.
BUT I THINK THAT I'VE DRAW, I THINK I KNOW I'VE, UM, I HAND DELIVERED THREE COMPLAINT FORMS, UH, LAST WEEK AT YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GOT IT IN PARTICULAR OF WHOEVER MIGHT GOT IT.
UH, BUT, UM, UH, MY, I THINK MY, UM, MY, UM, WHAT WAS MY, UH, GOAL HERE? A LOT OF STUFF IN MY BRAIN.
SO I SIGNED UP YESTERDAY CAUSE IT WAS THE FINANCE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
SO WOULD YOU BE INVOLVED WITH AUDITING THE LIBRARY BUDGET HERE? OR AM I A LITTLE BIT OVERBOARD? AM I A LITTLE BIT TOO LATE? UM, WE COULD BE, HUH? WE COULD BE.
CAUSE I ASKED MISS SAMMY UP THERE, AND SO SHE WAS VERY HELPFUL.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT MORE EMPLOYEES LIKE MISS SAM THAN THINK OF THE THINGS WERE FUNCTION LITTLE BIT BETTER AROUND HERE, MY OPINION.
MY LITTLE TIME IS UP HERE, BUT, UH, I DID NOTIFY, UH, LIKE I SAID, SPIRIT ABOVE.
UM, AND I'M PRETTY SURE THEY WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK, UH, MR. ALEX, THE, UH, RECEPTIONIST WAS, UH, WAS VERY HELPFUL.
UH, AND I, I HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO GO TO THE LIBRARY.
BUT THE ISSUE WE HAVE IS THIS ISSUE HASN'T BEEN RESOLVED WITH, UH, MR. WALKER DOWN HERE ON EAST SIDE, UH, EAST, UH, CHAVEZ STREET, NOR MR. WEEKS, WHO I THINK HAS SHOWED POOR LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND HAS DISREGARDED HIS OWN RULES AND POLICY.
SO, UH, IF YOU ARE TO, UM, KNOW, IF YOU ARE TO COMMITTEE THAT, UH, THAT AUDIT AT THE LIBRARY, UH, THINK THAT, UM, YOU SHOULD BE EXPECTING SOMETHING FROM ME PRETTY SOON.
IT COULD BE JUST HAND DELIVERED, OR I MIGHT MAIL IT IN.
LOOK FORWARD TO THE MATERIAL THAT YOU SHARE.
AND MAYBE SAMMY, IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL HELP THAT YOU CAN, ASSISTANCE THAT YOU CAN OFFER MR. JOHNSON AND ADDRESSING HIS CONCERN, UM, THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
AND YOU, UH, THANK YOU, UH, CHAIR, UH, MS. SAM HAS DONE, UH, DONE THE UTMOST BY EVEN, UH, GETTING UP AND GOING AND, UH, ALLOWING ME TO, UH, SPEAKING TO THE GENTLEMAN AND ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE TODAY.
SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT PART.
YOU, WE, WE, WE ARE SLIGHTLY MORE FLEXIBLE COMMITTEE BECAUSE WE WE'RE, PEOPLE ARE LESS ACCUSTOMED TO IT.
AND IF I'M AT THE WRONG COMMITTEE, I'LL FIX IT.
I JUST, I HAD TO GET THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAD TO GET THAT OUT THERE.
BUT, UH, LIKE I SAID, UH, HOPEFULLY, UM, I DID COME TO THE CORRECT COMMITTEE.
THIS IS A OP OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
THERE'S ALSO THE COUNCIL MEETING.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU DO AUDIT THE LIBRARY BUDGET.
AM I CORRECT? I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR ABOUT THIS.
YES OR NO? WE, WE HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER THE LIBRARY.
UM, WE WILL NOW RETURN BACK TO ITEM FOUR, WHICH
[4. Fiscal Year 2023 Proposed Draft Audit Plan.]
IS THE PROPOSED DRAFT AUDIT PLAN.WARNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS JASON
[00:35:01]
HADA, DEPUTY CITY AUDITOR.I'M GOING TO PRESENT OUR DRAFT AUDIT PLAN FOR CALENDAR YEAR 23.
AND I'M GONNA DO MY BEST TO MAKE SURE THIS WORKS.
UH, BEFORE I GET INTO THE PROPOSED PROJECTS FOR THE PLAN, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR CAPACITY.
LIKE MANY OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, WE'VE EXPERIENCED TURNOVER.
WE FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO RECRUIT AND HIRE SUCCESSFULLY.
WE'VE BROUGHT IN, UH, SEVERAL NEW AUDITORS, BUT WHAT WE HAVE LOST IS SOME INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE.
WE'VE, UH, WE'VE LOST EXPERIENCED PROJECT MANAGERS.
WE'VE BROUGHT IN NEWER AUDITORS, AND WE'RE REALLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WHAT THEIR LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES ARE GONNA BE LIKE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF FISCAL YEARS.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, OUR CAPACITY IS REDUCED A LITTLE BIT AS FAR AS THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'LL INCLUDE ON OUR PLAN.
SO IF YOU COMPARE IT TO PRIOR PLANS, THERE'LL BE A FEW LESS HIGHLY COMPLEX PROJECTS.
SO, SO WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO PUT 14 PROJECTS ON THE PLAN.
THE FIRST SIX THAT WE'VE INCLUDED ARE CARRYOVER PROJECTS FROM THE CURRENT AUDIT PLAN.
THEY'RE DEPICTED HERE IN THIS TABLE.
ALL OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE, UM, HAVE ALREADY BEEN INITIATED OR ARE BEGINNING WORK SOON.
SO WE ANTICIPATE CARRYING SOME SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON, ON EACH OF THESE PROJECTS INTO THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, THIS SHOWS THE EIGHT REMAINING PROPOSED PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE, FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR PLAN.
WE'VE NOTED THE COMPLEXITY ON THE FAR LEFT COLUMN, BUT I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT THAT DOES NOT REFLECT THE LEVEL OF RISK OR THE IMPORTANCE OF EACH AUDIT TOPIC.
IT'S JUST THE COMPLEXITY WITH WHICH WE NEED TO, UM, UNDERSTAND OUR CAPACITY AND, AND ASSIGN PROJECTS OUT.
SO ALL OF THE TOPICS ON THIS YEAR'S PLAN, AND THE ALTERNATE TABLE, WHICH I'LL PRESENT NEXT, ARE MEDIUM TO HIGH RISKS.
THESE ARE ALL AUDIT TOPICS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
WE JUST HAVE LIMITED, EXCUSE ME, LIMITED CAPABILITY TO DO SO MUCH WORK AT, AT ONE TIME.
AND THEN FINALLY, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE, THE LAST SLIDE SHOWS SOME ALTERNATE PROJECTS THAT WE HAD.
AGAIN, ALSO MEDIUM TO HIGH RISK, VERY IMPORTANT TOPICS THAT, UH, THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO ADDRESS SOON THAT OUR OFFICE WILL, WILL INCORPORATE SOON.
ANY OF THE PROJECTS ON THIS ALTERNATE PROJECT TABLE CAN BE SWAPPED IN FOR SOME OF THE PROJECTS ON THE PROPOSED PLAN, UH, PROVIDED THERE OF AN EQUAL OR LESSER COMPLEXITY.
AT THIS POINT, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY FEEDBACK, ASK, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS FOR THE AUDIT PLAN, WE CAN TAKE ANY FEEDBACK FOR SWAPPING PROJECTS IN AND OUT AND ADJUST THE PLAN, COME BACK TO THE NEXT AUDIT COMMITTEE, OR YOU CAN VOTE TO MOVE THE, MOVE THE DRAFT PLAN FORWARD TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR, FOR THEIR APPROVAL.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE THE AUDIT PLAN FOR FISCAL CALENDAR 2023.
FORWARD TO THE FULL COUNSEL FOR ITS REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, SECONDS, THAT MOTION? UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
SO I UNDERSTAND THE CONSTRAINTS THAT YOU'RE OPERATING UNDER.
UM, THERE'S TWO ON THE ALTERNATE MENU THAT I, THAT I REMAIN CONCERNED ABOUT.
UM, ONE IS THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS SYSTEM EFFECTIVENESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AT LEAST FOUR NEW MEMBERS COMING IN IN JANUARY.
THERE'LL BE A LOT OF APPOINTMENTS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE GREAT IF WE HAD SOME SENSE ON IF THERE WERE SOME BOARDS THAT WE WANTED TO NOT, UM, CONTINUE WITH IF THEY WERE NOT SERVING THE NEEDS OF COUNCIL.
UM, OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PROVIDE LOTS OF REALLY IMPORTANT INSIGHT AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS TO, TO ENGAGE.
UM, BUT THEY ALSO DO ENGAGE STAFF HEAVILY IN THAT WORK AND TAKE THEM AWAY FROM OTHER THINGS.
SO WE NEED TO BE, MAKE SURE THAT OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSION PROCESS IS FUNCTIONING.
WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT, UM, IN 10 YEARS.
SO CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT, WHAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO IN THAT REGARD? SURE.
EVEN IF YOU, IF YOU DID UNDERTAKE IT, SURE.
IF, IF THAT, IF THAT AUDIT ISN'T MOVED ONTO THE PLAN, UH, WE ARE ANTICIPATING DOING SOME SPECIAL REQUEST WORK WHERE WE'LL ANSWER A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.
I I DON'T HAVE THOSE QUESTIONS FINALIZED IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW, BUT WE WILL BE DOING SOME WORK IN THIS AREA AND SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH COUNSEL SO THAT YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF WORK THERE.
AND THEN IF, IF THAT SPECIAL REQUEST REVEALS ANY HIGHER RISKS, UM, ANYTHING THAT SUGGESTS WE SHOULD ELEVATE IT, THERE'S ALWAYS THE POTENTIAL TO, UH, TO ADJUST A PLAN MIDYEAR.
UM, AND ARE THOSE SPECIAL REQUEST ALREADY IN PROCESS? UH, I DON'T THINK, OR DO YOU NEED US TO FINALIZED YET? BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEING, THEY'RE A WORK IN PROGRESS, SO VERY SOON.
[00:40:01]
OKAY.AND THEY ARE, YOU'RE WORKING WITH COLLEAGUES ON COUNCIL TO DO THAT.
UM, MAYBE YOU CAN CIRCLE BACK WITH ME SO I CAN HAVE A, HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHO'S DOING THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO HAVE PEOPLE LEADING ON THAT.
UM, AND THEN FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT DOING SOME KIND OF SERIES ON THAT.
UM, THAT'S WHERE YOU ASKED, DOES THE CITY EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY MANAGE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS STREET BIKE PATHS AND PIPELINES.
UM, WHAT IS THE LOGIC ON WAITING ON GETTING STARTED ON THAT? I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THERE'S, UH, AN ARGUMENT FOR WAITING ON IT VERSUS DURING THE OTHERS.
IT'S JUST EVERYTHING THAT'S ON OUR PROPOSED PLAN AND THE ALTERNATE LIST ARE ALL VERY IMPORTANT.
AND SO, UM, WE, WE COULD TRADE THAT OUT FOR ANOTHER PROJECT IF, IF THE COMMITTEE DESIRED IT.
JUST THERE, EVERYTHING THAT'S ON OUR PROPOSED PLAN IS, IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH FORWARDING THIS TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
I'D LIKE IT TO BE ON THE NOVEMBER 3RD AGENDA, THOUGH, NOT THE 27TH.
YEAH, THIS SEEMS LIKE AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS WHEN WE DISCUSS THE, I GUESS, THE COMMISSION ON COMMISSIONS OR THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PROCESS IN GENERAL, UM, I'VE TAKEN A LOT OF COUNCIL'S COMMENTS AND I'VE STARTED DRAFTING IN IFC.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS WITH ME, PERHAPS WE COULD, UM, UTILIZE THAT AS A WAY TO ALSO BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE WITH OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE LEAD ON THAT.
VICE TRIPLE, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU'RE KIND OF PULLING TOGETHER THE RAW MATERIAL FOR SPECIAL REQUESTS AND SO FORTH, THAT I'D ALSO LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AND SEE WHICH, UM, OF THE DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE KIND OF BEING LOOKED AT.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO JOIN YOU COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, ON THE IFFC FOR AN OVERARCHING REVIEW.
BUT WE WOULD NEED TO SOMEHOW COORDINATE THE TWO EFFORTS.
SO LET'S HAVE A, LET'S ALL GET OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND SEE HOW WE CAN, THE SPECIAL REQUEST COURSE WE CAN DO MORE QUICKLY AT A SMALLER, UM, MAY PERHAPS LESS GRANULAR LEVEL, UM, KIND OF GET THE TOP LINES WORKING.
UM, BUT IF WE DO APPROVE AN IFFC WITH AN OVERARCHING REVIEW, UH, THAT THE CITY CLERK WOULD LEAD ON, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO SEE WHAT ROLE THE WORK THAT THE AUDIT TEAM WAS SPECIAL WAS, COULD, COULD BRING TO IT.
I WOULD WANT THEM TO WORK TOGETHER IN CONCERT, BUT THAT WAS MY INTENTION, TO HAVE THE CITY CLERK REVIEW THE PROCESS AND COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL TO AT LEAST GET THE BALL ROLLING ON SOMETHING THAT'S MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE FOR THE WHOLE OF COUNCIL.
AND I THINK THEY LOOK AT DIFFERENT THINGS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THESE GUYS CAN DIG INTO MISSIONS AND PROCEDURES AND, AND A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC TO HOW THINGS ARE PROCESSED.
AND THEN THE CLERK CAN MANAGE THE LARGER EFFORT AS A PROCESS AND STAFFING AND THAT SORT OF THING.
BUT WE CAN, YOU PROBABLY HAVE ALL OF THIS KIND OF OUTLINED IN YOUR IFFC.
SO I, UH, APPRECIATE, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THAT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU ALL MORE TO DISCUSS THE DETAILS AND SPECIFICS SO WE CAN REALLY MAKE IT A WONDERFUL IFC THAT WILL BENEFIT THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
AND I TOO APPRECIATE OTHERS TAKING ON THE LEADERSHIP ON THESE ISSUES.
SO WE HAVE A, A MOTION AND A SECOND, AND I WOULD SAY THAT WE WOULD PUT THAT ON THE NOVEMBER 3RD, UM, ASSUMING THAT'S THE RIGHT DATE, UM, NOVEMBER 3RD COUNCIL MEETING, THAT'LL GIMME A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT, UM, ITEM AND WHETHER THERE'S SOMETHING I WANNA SUBSTITUTE OUT FOR THAT.
UM, SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, IT'S UNANIMOUS WITH THE THREE OF US ON THE DIAS.
OUR NEXT ITEM IS THE PROJECT CONNECT
[5. Project Connect Financing Conversation]
FINANCING CONVERSATION.AND I THINK, UM, MR. LAVAS IS GONNA INTRODUCE IT AND THEN PASS IT ON TO, UM, MR. RIVERA.
I'M HAPPY TO INTRODUCE BRIAN RIVERA, THE TREASURER FOR AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, AND ALSO A FORMER CITY EMPLOYEE, UM, FROM FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
SO WE DO MISS HIM, BUT, UH, HAPPY TO HAVE HIM HERE TO TALK THROUGH, UM, ALL THE VARIOUS FUNDING, UM, RELATED TO PROJECT CONNECT AND THE INTENDED USES, AND JUST GIVE YOU AN OVERALL UPDATE ON THINGS AS WELL.
UM, SO MR. RIVERA, YOU ARE THE TREASURER FOR, FOR ATP AND YOU ARE YES, MA'AM.
INVOLVED AS THE CITY EMPLOYEE, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE FINANCING PLAN FOR THE TRE AND HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WHEN YOU WERE AT THE CITY WITH, UM, $4 BILLION WORTH OF, UM, OF DEBT CREDITS OR WHATEVER.
UM, SO WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE YOU BACK AND HOPEFULLY
[00:45:01]
ATP'S NOT STEALING ANYMORE OF OUR STAFF, UM, HERE.AND, UM, PART OF THE REASON THAT, UM, WE INVITED, UM, ATP TO COME AND SPEAK AND WORKED WITH THEM TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN IS THIS IS THE CITY'S MONEY.
UH, WE ARE THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND WE WANTED TO, UM, INCREASE THE TOUCH POINTS THAT WE HAD, UM, WITH ATP, UM, FOR COUNCIL AND AUDIT AND FINANCE SEEM TO BE A REALLY GOOD PLACE, UM, FOR US TO BE DOING THAT ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTE, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, AGAIN, I JUST WANNA ECHO WHAT YOU SAID.
I MEAN, THE CITY IS ONE OF THE LARGEST INVESTORS IN PROJECT CONNECT, SO WE DO BELIEVE IT.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE BEFORE THIS BODY, AGAIN, JUST GIVING PERIODIC UPDATES, KEEPING YOU GUYS ALL INFORMED OF WHAT'S GOING ON, AND, UM, BASICALLY BRINGING YOU GUYS ALONG WITH THE PROCESS OF HOW WE ARE GONNA LEVERAGE THE PROP A FUNDS TO FINANCE THE PROGRAM.
SO I JUST WANTED TO DO A BRIEF KIND OF LOOK BACK OF THE HISTORY OF HOW WE WERE FOUNDED OR WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT THE FORMATION OF ATP.
UM, OR ABOUT A MONTH AWAY FROM BEING ABLE TO SAY, TWO YEARS AGO THE PROPOSITION WAS APPROVED, UM, AND BA ESSENTIALLY THE, THE PROPOSITION SET ASIDE A, AN INDEPENDENT BOARD TO OVERSEE THE FINANCE AND, AND ACQUISITION CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPPING EQUIPPING OF THE RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM, UM, ALL VIA THE PROP A FUNDING, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA LEVERAGE OVER TIME TO ENTER INTO LOANS ISSUE ISSUE DEBT.
AND AS YOU'LL SEE IN A LATER SLIDE, THE THAT FUNDING ALSO PLAYS A, A CRUCIAL ROLE IN BEING ABLE TO SECURE GRANTS TO FUND THE PROJECT.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE INDEPENDENT BOARD WAS CREATED BOTH BY THE CITY AND CAP METRO.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE, THE ONE OF THE MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD IS TO OVERSEE AND FINANCE THE PROJECT CONNECT SYSTEM, SYSTEM PLAN.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, THE ATP WAS, WAS ESSENTIALLY CREATED REALLY TO PROVIDE A MECHANISM TO LEVERAGE THE PROP A FUNDS THAT WERE GONNA BE SET ASIDE VIA THE TRE.
UM, AGAIN, BEING ABLE TO LEVERAGE THOSE FUNDS WITHOUT IMPACTING OR HAVING THE CITY TO TAKE ON THOSE ADDITIONAL OBLIGATIONS, THE ATP BOARD AND ATP IS SOLY GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE LOANS AND, AND BONDS THAT ARE ISSUED IN THE PUBLIC MARKET.
SO SHORTLY FOLLOWING THE, UM, THE APPROVAL OF THE, THE PROP A FUNDING, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP ENTERED INTO A INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT TO, TO BASICALLY LAY OUT THE FORMULA OF HOW, HOW THE FUNDING IS CALCULATED ON A YEAR BY YEAR BASIS.
UM, AGAIN, IT ALSO SET UP THE, THE PAYMENT PROCESS FOR HOW THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE REMITTED OVER, OVER THE FISCAL YEAR FOR THE ASSOCIATED YEAR THAT YOU'RE IN OR THAT WE'RE IN.
UM, AND IT ALSO STIPULATED SOME, SOME REQUIREMENTS REALLY FROM A FINANCIAL COOPERATION PERSPECTIVE BETWEEN THE TWO ENTITIES, AGAIN, TO SUPPORT VARIOUS ITEMS SUCH AS ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS, THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, AND AGAIN, THE ASSOCIATED BOND SALES THAT ANTICIPATED TO TAKE PLACE OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM.
SO THE ATP BOARD, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, IS, IS THE MAIN BODY THAT IS, UM, DESIGNATED AS A FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT, IF YOU WANNA CALL IT COMMITTEE FOR THE PROP A FUNDS.
UM, AGAIN, THE, THEY, THEY ARE, THEY HAVE THREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THE BOARD AND ONE REP, ONE VOTING REPRESENTATIVE FROM EACH CAT, METRO, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN SITTING ON THE BOARD TO HELP GOVERN THE, THE PROJECT AND, AND MAKE THOSE POLICY DECISIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE REQUIRED OF THE BOARD.
UM, AGAIN, FROM JUST HOLISTICALLY AND, AND WHAT'S WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS FOR THE CREATION OF ATP, ATP WAS, IS THE MAIN ENTITY FOR PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM AS A WHOLE RESPONSIBLE FOR FINANCING THE, THE, THE PROGRAM AND JUST PROVIDING OVERSIGHT OVER THE PROP A FUNDS THAT WOULD BE RECEIVED OR THAT ARE GOING TO BE RECEIVED FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, WITH, WITH BEING ABLE AND AS DESIGNATED WITHIN THE BALLOT LANGUAGE, WE'RE GONNA BE CONTRACTING WITH CAPITAL METRO FOR OPERATIONS ON, ON THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM, THAT MORE THAN LIKELY WILL THAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE.
AND AGAIN, THEY ARE ALSO IMPLEMENTING, UM, THE METRO RAPID PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.
THE BOARD IS, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A A MYRIAD OF TASK.
UM, REALLY THE MAIN ONES ARE KIND OF LISTED UP HERE.
AGAIN, PROVING THE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR, FOR ATP AS A WHOLE.
[00:50:01]
ONCE THE PROJECT PICKS UP AND, AND WE ENTER THAT CONSTRUCTION PHASE, THE, THE BOARD WILL BE ENTERING INTO THE CONTRACTS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONSTRUCTION OF, OF THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM, ACQUIRING THE VEHICLES NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM, UM, AND, AND AS WELL AS ANY REAL ESTATE THAT NEEDS TO BE ACQUIRED TO, FROM A RIGHT OF WAY PERSPECTIVE AND EVEN FOR THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE, THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM.AND LASTLY, AGAIN, THE ATP BOARD IS THE BOARD THAT'S GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FINANCING AND THE, AND THE DEBT OBLIGATIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE ISSUED IN THE PUBLIC MARKET.
SO MORE RECENTLY, UM, BACK ON SEPTEMBER 21ST, I BELIEVE OUR BOARD APPROVED OUR F Y 23 BUDGET.
UM, LISTED HERE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM, FROM THE BUDGET THAT WAS RECENTLY APPROVED.
UM, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WERE THE BOARD SET ASIDE AND APPROPRIATED, UM, AN ADDITIONAL $35 MILLION FOR THE ANTIS DISPLACEMENT FUNDING, WHICH BRINGS THE TOTAL UP TO A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS BEING FUNDED AND SET ASIDE FOR THAT ASPECT OF THE PROGRAM IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS.
UM, WE'RE ALSO A, AGAIN, THE BOARD, THE BOARD APPROVED THE STAFFING LEVEL, UM, FOR A SET AMOUNT OF FTE'S TO BE THAT POSSIBLY BE BE HIRED OVER THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WHICH INCLUDED TWO NEW AUDIT INTERNAL AUDIT POSITIONS.
UM, AND ALONG WITH THE BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED IN SEPTEMBER, THOSE, UH, INTERNAL AUDIT PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD AS WELL.
UM, TRYING TO PRIORITIZE AGAIN, THE FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT OF THE USE OF FUNDS.
SO THOSE, THOSE ACTIVITIES ARE UNDERWAY NOW.
AND ANOTHER ONE OTHER MAIN ASPECT OF THE RECENT BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED WAS, UM, UH, IN ADDITION TO REALLY THE FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT WERE ALREADY SET UP LAST YEAR WITH THE BUDGET.
UM, AND ALSO AGAIN, JUST, JUST GETTING READY FOR WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE IN THE FUTURE FROM A FINANCING PERSPECTIVE AND BEST POSITIONING ATP AGAIN TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, UM, ANY FINANCING THAT COMES DOWN THE, ANY REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FINANCING ITEMS THAT, UM, AS WE, WE GO DOWN THAT PHASE, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THE FINANCIAL POLICIES, THAT ONE, THE ONE THAT WAS ADDED WAS AN OPERATING RESERVE OF $20 MILLION OR 180 DAYS OF, OF OPERATING EXPENSES.
UM, AND REALLY THAT'S, THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN CONNECTION WITH OUR, UM, FINANCIAL ADVISOR PFM.
AND JUST, AGAIN, THINKING, THINKING IN THE FUTURE, KNOWING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ACCESSING THE PUBLIC MARKET, WE DO KNOW THAT CREDIT RATING AGENCIES ARE GONNA WANT TO SEE THAT.
UM, ATP HAS ADEQUATE RESERVES ON HAND TO SUPPORT ANY, ANY, UM, DELAYS IN WHETHER OR NOT THE, THE PAYMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ATP TAKE PLACE ARE TO TAKE, TO BASICALLY RESOLVE ANY ISSUES THAT MAY ARISE THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR.
UM, WE DO KNOW THAT AS, AS WE DO GET CLOSER TO ISSUING DEBT IN THE PUBLIC MARKETS, THAT THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL RESERVES REQUIRED, ONE BY THE, BY THE INVESTORS AT THE TIME.
WE, WE ARE BRINGING OUR OBLIGATIONS TO THE MARKET.
AND TWO, FROM A CREDIT RATING AGENCY'S PERSPECTIVE.
SO SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE EITHER A CAPITAL RESERVE OR A DEBT SERVICE RESERVE ASSOCIATED WITH THE OBLIGATIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE ISSUED.
UM, AND AGAIN, JUST HIGHLIGHTING THAT OUR BUDGET PROCESS OR OUR, OUR BUDGET DOCUMENT IS INCLUSIVE OF OUR FINANCIAL POLICY.
SO AS THE BOARD APPROVES THE BUDGET DOCUMENT, THEY'RE ALSO APPROVING THE FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT KIND OF HELP GUIDE US THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE ALL KNOW THAT THE PROP A FUNDING WAS, WAS CREATED AND ESTABLISHED TO FUND A, A WHOLE LIST OF DIFFERENT ITEMS. UM, AND IT'S KIND OF A BALANCING ACT AS, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF MAKING SURE THAT ATP IS BEST POSITIONED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PUBLIC MARKETS AND ISSUE DEBT.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE PROP A FUNDS ARE GOING TO FUND ARE OBVIOUSLY THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE LIGHT RAIL LINE, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH JUST RUNNING ATP AND SUPPORTING THE PROGRAM HOLISTICALLY.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THE, THE FUNDING IS ALSO GONNA BE UTILIZED TO PAY FOR A CONSTRUCTION COST OR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ON A PAYGO BASIS OR WITH CASH.
UM, AND ALSO A KEY POINT OF, AND A KEY REASON WHY THE TRE WAS, WAS FOUNDED WAS TO, WAS TO PROVIDE THE, THE LOCAL COMMITMENT SOURCE THAT'S REQUIRED TO ENTER INTO THE NEW STARTS INTO A NEW STARTS GRANT AGREEMENT WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS A COMPETITIVE GRANT, UM, GRANT OPPORTUNITY THAT THE, THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION PUTS ON FOR THE ENTIRE US.
[00:55:01]
IT'S SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE DISCRETIONARY FUNDING THAT'S PROVIDED TO THE REGIONAL, UM, TRANSIT AUTHORITIES THROUGHOUT THE US.AND LASTLY, UM, THE MAIN IMPORTANT, THE MAIN IMPORTANT USE REALLY OF THE PROP A FUNDING IS TO ACT AS A SECURITY PLEDGE FOR THE OBLIGATIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA ISSUE IN THE PUBLIC MARKET.
SO WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ISSUING CONTRACT REVENUE BONDS, WHICH ARE GONNA BE JUST BONDS SECURED SOLELY BY THE PROP A FUNDS ON A SENIOR LEAN BASIS.
AND THEN WE WILL ALSO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF SOME LOW INTEREST LOAN OPPORTUNITIES THAT, UM, THE BUILD AMERICA BUREAU VIA THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFERS.
AND THESE TIFIA LOAN OBLIGATIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ENTERING INTO WITH THE BUILD AMERICA BUREAU, AFFORD US THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOWER INTEREST RATES AS, AS THESE LOANS ARE REALLY TIED TO THE 30 YEAR TREASURY RATE.
AND ALTHOUGH RATES HAVE BEEN INCREASED AND RECENTLY, UM, THE RATES THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SECURE THE OTHER CONTRACT REVENUE BONDS WOULD BE SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN, THAN THE, THAN THE 30 YEAR TREASURY, FOR INSTANCE, THAT'S GONNA BE TIED TO THE TIFIA LOANS.
UM, ONE O ONE OTHER ASPECT OF THIS LOAN LOAN PROGRAM THAT THE BUILD AMERICA BUREAU OFFERS IS FLEXIBLE REPAYMENT TERMS. SO, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE WILLING TO, TO ALLOW FOR A LONGER DURATION PERIOD TO PAY BACK THOSE OBLIGATIONS TO ALLOW US TO, TO FINANCE MORE, UM, TO, TO BRING A, A MORE HOLISTIC PROGRAM OPTION PERIOD.
AND THEN ALSO WE'RE GONNA BE UTILIZING SOME SHORT TERM FUNDING OR FINANCING OBLIGATIONS, SIMILARLY TO HOW THE CITY USES THEIR COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FOR JUST IN TIME FINANCING FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, BOTH ON AUSTIN WATER AND AUSTIN ENERGY.
WE'LL BE MORE THAN LIKELY CREATING SOME, A SIMILAR SHORT TERM FUNDING PROGRAM OVER AT ATP TO KIND OF HELP WITH THE LIQUIDITY NEEDS DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
AND AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THE PROP A FUNDS ARE SERVING AS THE LOCAL MATCH FOR THE NEW STARTS GRANT.
AND THESE GRANT AGREEMENTS THAT ARE EXECUTED BY THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION ARE PAID OUT OVER A DURATION OF TIME.
AND WE KNOW THAT THE DURATION IS MORE THAN LIKELY THAT THE DURATION OF TIME THAT THIS GRANT AGREEMENT IS GONNA BE PAID OUT OVER IS GONNA BE LONGER ESSENTIALLY THAN WHAT THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS IS GONNA TAKE.
SO ULTIMATELY WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO IS ISSUE THESE GRANT ANTICIPATION NOTES IN THE MARKET THAT ARE GONNA BE SECURED BY THESE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT ARE GONNA BE RECEIVED VIA THE FTA.
AND THERE MAY BE A NEED TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL, UM, BACKSTOP OR SECURITY TO THOSE OBLIGATIONS VIA THE PROP A FUNDING, WHICH WE CAN, WHICH WE CAN DO.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING, AGAIN, THAT THINKING THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE, JUST TRYING TO GET A HOLISTIC PICTURE OF THE VARIOUS OBLIGATIONS THAT ARE GONNA NEED TO BE ENTERED INTO TO FINANCE THE PROGRAM.
SO WITH ALL THAT, UM, JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE YOU ALL AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WORK IS GO IS CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE AND, AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE GONNA BE COMPLETING HERE OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UM, REALLY TO, TO GET ATP IN A PLACE WHERE WE CAN ACCESS THE PUBLIC MARKETS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING THE WORK ON CRAFTING A MASTER IN DENTURE TO HELP SECURITIZE THOSE PROP A FUNDS.
UM, AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT DOES, IT SETS UP THE, IF YOU WANT TO CALL, IF YOU WANNA CALL IT THE WATERFALL OR THE FLOW OF FUNDS FOR THE PROP A MONEY.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, PFM AND THE BOND COUNCIL FIRMS. WE HAVE ON, ON THAT WE'RE ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT WITH, UM, TO HELP AGAIN, CRAFT THAT MASTER INDENTURES.
SO WE'RE PROVIDING THE MOST SECURITY TO BOND HOLDERS, UM, AND MAKING IT CLEAR TO CREDIT RATING AGENCIES THAT THIS NEW CREDIT THAT WE'RE CREATING HERE AT ATP IS GONNA BE A SECURE FUNDING SOURCE FOR ONE, THE PROGRAM.
AND AGAIN AND AGAIN FOR BOND HOLDERS.
ULTIMATELY, AS WE WE GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, ANY ADDITIONAL SECURITY THAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO BOND HOLDERS IS GONNA GIVE US A HIGHER CREDIT RATING WITH THE CREDIT RATING AGENCIES AND IT'S GONNA LOWER FINANCING COSTS FOR THE PROGRAM AS A WHOLE.
UM, AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT WORK, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES, AGAIN, VIA VARIOUS FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE TO KIND OF HELP BRING ADDITIONAL FEDERAL DOLLARS TO THE TABLE TO HELP MOVE THE PROJECT FORWARD.
AND WE CONTINUE TO JUST RE WE, WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL MODEL
[01:00:01]
AND ANALYZE THE VARIOUS VARIABLES THAT WE HAVE IN THERE, UM, TO KIND OF, TO HELP US REFINE REALLY WHAT OUR OVERALL, UM, AFFORDABILITY PICTURE LOOKS LIKE.SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU GUYS TODAY.
UM, I'M HERE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS MAY HAVE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PAUL, WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY, MR. RIVERA.
I, I, UM, I SIT ON THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD, AS YOU KNOW, AND WATCHING, UM, SITTING AND, AND WATCHING FROM TWO DIFFERENT VANTAGE POINTS HAS BEEN, UH, PARTICULARLY INFORMATIVE AND IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, THOSE OF US ON THE CAT METRO BOARD FELT THAT IN OUR WORK WITH ATP, WITH A PARTNERSHIP FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE AND KNOWING THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS IN FACT THE FINANCIAL ENGINE THAT MM-HMM.
AND IT SEEMED LIKE THIS COMMITTEE WAS A REALLY PERFECT, UH, PERFECT SPOT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
AND I APPRECIATE THE CHAIR'S WILLINGNESS TO ADD THIS TO THE AGENDA.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PARTNERSHIP STAFF, IN FACT, ARE IN FRONT OF THE CITY COUNCIL SO THAT WE CAN CORRECT, CREATE A RELATIONSHIP AND GET TO KNOW YOU AND, AND, UH, GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRETTY TECHNICAL, UH, FINANCIAL DETAILS.
I'M NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE OPERATIONAL SIDE.
YEAH, WE'RE JUST FOCUSED ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE, UH, HERE IN AUDIT AND FINANCE.
SO THIS IS A PROCESS THAT I HOPE THAT WE CAN ESTABLISH HERE TODAY AND, AND CONTINUE AS PROJECT CONNECT PROCEEDS.
I HAD A, A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, KIND OF HIGH LEVEL, UM, I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
UM, THE CITY AND PARTNERSHIP STAFF HAVE A STRONG COLLABORATION ON PROPERTY TAX AND ANTI-DISPLACEMENT POLICIES, AND THOSE TENANTS AND PRINCIPLES ARE DRIVING US FORWARD.
UM, WHAT NEW PROCESSES OR PROCEDURES HAS ATP PUT IN PLACE TO INCREASE CONTROLS AND TRANSPARENCY? YEAH, SURE.
UM, AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, AS PART OF THIS BUDGET CYCLE, THERE WERE TWO ADDITIONAL, UM, INTERNAL AUDIT STAFF ADDED TO, TO THE STAFFING ROLE FOR ATP.
AND AGAIN, IT'S GONNA SUPPORT KATIE HOUSTON, OUR INTERNAL AUDITOR IN, IN THE EXECUTING THE DRAFT, THE, OR THE AUDIT PLAN THAT SHE BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE BOARD AND WAS APPROVED.
SO THAT WAS ONE FUNCTION, UM, FROM A CONTROLS PERSPECTIVE THAT WAS ADDED.
AND THEN AGAIN, JUST HIGHLIGHTING THAT AUDIT PLAN.
THIS IS THE FIRST AUDIT PLAN THAT'S PUT BEFORE THE BOARD.
UM, AND I KNOW SHE'S BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS TO IDENTIFY KEY AREAS THAT THEY WANT TO LOOK A LITTLE DEEPER INTO.
SO AGAIN, JUST HAVING THAT FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEN FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, UM, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, AS PART OF THIS BUDGET, WE CREATED THAT OPERATING RESERVE, UM, AGAIN, TO JUST ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE FUNDS ON HAND FOR, UM, ANY, ANY ISSUES THAT MAY ARISE.
SO, AND THINGS LIKE CONTRACT REVIEWS.
SO ONE THING THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, UM, WE RECENTLY ONBOARD, OR EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE ONBOARDED A COMMERCIAL RISK ADVISOR AND DELIVERY PARTNER, UM, VIA ERNS AND YOUNG.
AND WE HAVE STAFF ON BOARD VIA ERNS AND YOUNG ON THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE ADVISORY GROUP.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT, UM, JUST ONE, THE CONTRACTS THAT WE'VE ENTERED INTO TODAY AND LOOKING AT OUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO SEE HOLISTICALLY HOW WE CAN ENSURE THAT ATP IS BEST POSITIONED TO ONE, MANAGE THOSE CONTRACTS AND FROM A RISK PERSPECTIVE IS NOT ENTERING INTO ANY ADDITIONAL RISK THAT'S NOT NEEDED.
SO YEAH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT.
AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THE IMPACT ON OUR CITY GOING FORWARD AND INTO THE FUTURE INFINITELY IS A VERY DISTINCT AND IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY.
I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR IN YEAR TWO AS YOU, AS YOU FINISH YEAR TWO OF THE PARTNERSHIPS EXISTENCE, THAT, UM, THE, THE FOCUS IS ON REVIEWS AND AUDITS AND CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF FINANCIAL EXPENDITURES AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL APPROPRIATE CONTROLS AND GUARDS ARE IN PLACE 100%.
UM, AS ATP BEGINS ITS PROCESS TO ISSUE DEBT FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THE MARKET WOULD BE LOOKING FOR AS WE ISSUE THIS NEW BONDED DEBT? UM, I HONESTLY THINK THE, THE ONE MAIN, ONE MAIN, I WOULDN'T CALL A ISSUE, BUT NEED THAT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND IS ENSURING THAT WE'RE KEEPING THIS AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.
UM, ESPECIALLY ONE FROM A BOND HOLDER'S PERSPECTIVE.
ANY SORT OF COMPLEXITY WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCING INCREASES THE RISK ON THEIR SIDE AND ALSO INCREASES THE FINANCING
[01:05:01]
COSTS.SO ONE, ENSURING THAT SIMPLICITY IS MAINTAINED, AT LEAST FROM A FINANCING PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEN ALSO THAT THE ENTITY, AGAIN, IS THE WAY ATP IS STRUCTURED, THE ENTITY RECEIVING THE FUNDS IS ALSO THE ENTITY ENTERING INTO THE OBLIGATIONS, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ISSUING IN THE PUBLIC MARKET.
SO, SO THE ELEGANCE OF SIMPLICITY HELPS, UH, ALSO WITH MAYBE KEEPING THE, UM, DOES IT AFFECT THE INTEREST RATES? YEAH.
SO, SO AS, AS BOND, AS THE RISK INCREASE FROM A BOND HOLDER'S PERSPECTIVE, IT ALSO INCREASES INTEREST RATES THAT, UM, WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE OBLIGATIONS ISSUED.
SO, AND THEN I JUST HAD ONE LAST QUESTION.
IS THIS THE SAME AS COLLATERAL? YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PROP A FUNDS WOULD BE A BACKSTOP.
SO THAT'S ON THE GRAND ANTICIPATION NOTES SIDE OF THINGS.
SO, UM, IN A PERFECT WORLD, WE WOULD LIKE TO JUST HAVE THOSE GRAND ANTICIPATION NOTES SECURED BY THE GRANT REVENUE THAT'S GONNA BE RECEIVED FOR THE PROJECT.
BUT KNOWING THE IN INADVERTENT RISK WITH A GRANT AGREEMENT AND HAVING, UM, AN EXTERNAL ENTITY APPROPRIATING FUNDS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE KNOW THAT BOND HOLDERS MAY VIEW THAT AS A RISKY SORT OF INVESTMENT TO ENTER INTO.
UM, SO AGAIN, PROVIDING SOME ADDITIONAL SECURITY BY BACKSTOPPING IT WITH THE PROP A FUNDS WILL KIND OF HELP REDO THAT, REDUCE THAT RISK TO BOND HOLDERS, AND IN TURN REDUCE THE INTEREST RATE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE OBLIGATIONS.
AND, AND THANK YOU ALSO FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO COME BACK REGULARLY TO YEAH.
AND ROUTINELY TO REPORT TO THIS COMMITTEE.
VICE CHAIR, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
AND THEN I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN IS WITH US AS WELL.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AS WELL.
I REALLY APPRECIATED YOUR, UM, CONVERSATION OR DISCUSSION.
UM, I NOTICED THERE'S NO PRESENTATION IN THE BACKUP ON OUR WEBSITE, SO I JUST REQUEST THAT WE GET THAT POSTED SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN VIEW THE PRESENTATION AS WELL.
UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, I JUST WANNA ECHO WHAT YOU HAD SAID ABOUT THIS BEING A PARTNERSHIP.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO HEAR REGULARLY FROM ATP AND I WAS WONDERING IF WE DON'T ALREADY, COULD WE MAYBE HAVE A STANDING AUDIT AND FINANCE ITEM QUARTERLY SO THAT THEY CAN COME TALK TO US? DO YOU THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA? UM, I THINK THAT'S, WE WERE INITIATING THAT TODAY.
WE HADN'T DETERMINED LIKE, THE BEST CADENCE.
IT'LL DEPEND IN PART WHEN WE'RE HAVING TRI-PART MEETINGS AND, AND SO LIKE WE HAVE ONE IN, UM, DECEMBER TRI PARTY MEETING AND, OR NOVEMBER 30TH, I GUESS, TECHNICALLY.
UM, BUT THE IDEA WAS TO INITIATE THAT, THAT ATP WOULD BE SPEAKING WITH US REGULARLY, OR IF NOT ATP, THEN CAB METRO OR OUR FINANCE STAFF RELATED TO THE PROJECT.
CAUSE THEY'RE, EACH HAS THEIR OWN PIECE OF THIS.
AND THAT IN THIS COMMITTEE, WE WOULD BE FOCUSING ON THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS, UM, WHEREAS THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE WOULD BE FOCUSING MORE ON THE PROJECT.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR JOINING LATE.
SO IF YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY COVERED THAT, JUST TELL ME, AND I CAN ASK THAT QUESTION OFFLINE.
BUT, UM, WHAT I WANTED TO JUST CHECK IN WITH YOU ALL ON, UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, ATP IS IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING THE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE, UH, MOBILITY COMMITTEE THAT A ATP IS IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING, UM, THE, UH, THE PROGRAM, THE DIFFERENT, UH, PIECES FROM AN ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN AS A COMMUNITY JUST HAVE, WE'VE JUST, AS WE'VE SEEN ACROSS ALL OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'VE SEEN SOME INCREASE IN COST THAT'S NOT DIFFERENT FOR ATP.
IT'S THE SAME AS WE'VE SEEN FOR ALL OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, UH, WE WILL GET, UH, AN UPDATE ON THAT AT THE RIGHT TIME.
I KNOW THAT'S STILL IN PROCESS.
UH, BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU ALL HAS TO DO FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, MORE ABOUT THE PERFORMER.
THE PERFORMER WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS MADE AVAILABLE, UM, TO THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND IT WAS THE INITIAL ESTIMATE OF HOW THE, UM, TAX DOLLARS WOULD RELATE TO THE COST THAT WE ANTICIPATED AT THAT TIME.
SO MY QUESTION IS SIMPLY, IS THE PRO PROFORMA BEING UPDATED? UH, MY THOUGHT IS THAT THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO US AT THE POINT THAT, UM, ATTP HAS COMPLETED THEIR, UH, REVIEW OF THE PROJECT AND BRINGING FORWARD THEIR IDEAS OF WAYS TO, UH, ADJUST THE PROJECT IN LIGHT OF THE, OF THE, OF THE, UH, NEW COST.
DO YOU EXPECT THE FORMER TO BE UPDATED? SURE.
THE, THE FINANCIAL MODEL IS, IS EVER IS FOREVER BEING UPDATED.
[01:10:01]
UM, AGAIN, AS, AS I MENTIONED IN IN THE PRESENTATION, WE CONTINUE TO ANALYZE THE VARIOUS VER ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE FINANCIAL MODEL.UM, AND WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE TECHNICAL TEAM TO ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT THAT'S BROUGHT FORWARD OR, OR THE ITEMS THAT ARE BROUGHT FORWARD DO FIT WITHIN OUR FINANCIAL, UM, AFFORDABILITY REALM.
SO I THINK THAT IT WOULD, WILL BE IMPORTANT, UM, AS THE TECHNICAL TEAM COMPLETES THEIR, UH, ANALYSIS AND REVIEW AND BRINGS THAT BACK TO THIS BODY AS WELL AS CAP MA AND TO THE PUBLIC, UH, THAT THE UPDATED, UH, FINANCIAL MODEL BE BROUGHT AT THE SAME TIME SO THAT THERE'S FULL TRANSPARENCY AND PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND, UM, ANY, YOU KNOW, ANY ADJUSTMENTS IN THE ASSUMPTIONS IN OUR FINANCIAL MODEL.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO BRING THAT UP.
IT'S NOT TIMELY YET, UH, BECAUSE, UH, THE TECHNICAL REVIEW IS STILL OCCURRING.
UM, AND, BUT I WANTED TO BRING THAT, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
SO IT'S YOUR EXPECTATION THAT THAT'S HAPPENING, IT SOUNDS LIKE.
WE'VE BEEN JOINED ON THE DIAS BY COUNCIL MEMBER OF FUENTES.
DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PROJECT CONNECT? OKAY, GREAT.
UM, I'VE HAD A OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT, AT LENGTH WITH, WITH OTHERS AT, AT, UM, ATP.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OKAY.
BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, I WANTED TO SEE IF ANYONE FROM OUR CITY FINANCE STAFF HAD WANTED TO SAY ANYTHING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO, JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY IF YOU, IF YOU DID WANT TO CHIME IN, YOU'RE FINE.
[6. 2022 Disparity Study for the City ofAustin Minority-owned Business Enterprise and Woman-owned Business Enterprise Program.]
NEXT ITEM THAT WE HAVE ON OUR AGENDA IS THE 2022 DISPARITY STUDY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM.AND I WILL JUST CALL MY COLLEAGUES ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT ITEMS 34 AND 35 ON OUR AGENDA ON THE 27TH RELATE, UM, TO THIS ITEM.
AND WE HAD ONE SPEAKER EARLIER ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTE, COUNCIL MEMBERS, EDWARD CAMP'S, DIRECTOR OF THE SMALL MINORITY BUSINESS RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT BRIEFLY OVERVIEWS, UH, OUR ACTIVITIES TO DATE, AS WELL AS AN UPDATE ON THE WORK OF THE INCLUSIVE PROCUREMENT WORKING GROUP, THAT COUNCIL FORMED BY RESOLUTION.
I'M JUST GONNA GIVE A HIGH OVERVIEW OF THE PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE DISPARITY STUDY, SOME INFORMATION RELATED TO UTILIZATION AVAILABILITY, DISPARITY RATIOS, SOME STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, INFORMATION RELATED TO BRIEFINGS AND OUTREACH THAT WE'VE DONE ON BEHALF OF THE STUDY AND ITS CONTENTS, THE INCLUSIVE PROCUREMENT WORKING GROUP, AND THEN NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS.
SO THE PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES, AS YOU HAVE HEARD BEFORE, UH, WE ARE A RACE AND GENDER BASED PROGRAM.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH SOME CONSTITUTIONAL BANDAIDS, UH, RELATED TO EVIDENCE SUPPORTING OUR PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF HAVING A DISPARITY STUDY.
IT ALSO PROVIDES A LEGAL DEFENSE IF WE ARE CHALLENGED, UH, PROVIDES ACCURATE DATA FOR ANNUAL AND CONTRACT GOAL SETTING, AND IT GATHERS FEEDBACK FOR POTENTIAL PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS.
SO, SOME OF THE GOOD INFORMATION THAT CAME OUT OF THE DISPARITY STUDY IN TERMS OF THE QUANTITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS, UH, HAD TO DO WITH THE UTILIZATION OF MBS AND WBS ON CITY CONTRACTS FOR CONTRACTS ISSUED FROM 2013 TO 2018.
SO IT WAS A FIVE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME.
WE LOOKED, WE PROVIDED THE CONSULTANT WITH OVER 4,000 CONTRACTS.
SHE TOOK A SAMPLE OF THOSE CONTRACTS, AND THIS IS THE RESULT OF THE ANALYSIS THAT SHE PROVIDED.
UH, WE HAVE UTILIZATION FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS, HISPANIC, ASIAN, NATIVE AMERICANS, UM, AND WHITE FEMALES.
WE ALSO HAVE WEIGHTED AVAILABILITY INFORMATION ON CITY CONTRACTS.
[01:15:01]
INFORMATION, UH, FROM THE CITY'S MARKETPLACE, WHICH IS THE 19 COUNTIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE DISPARITY STUDY, UH, FOR WEIGHTED AVAILABILITY.WE HAVE, EXCUSE ME, AFRICAN AMERICANS AT 1.5 HISPANICS, 4.7 ASIAN AMERICANS, 1.4 NATIVE AMERICANS, 0.4 AND WHITE FEMALE, 6.5%.
IF YOU LOOK AT A DISPARITY RATIOS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US IN TERMS OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE DISPARITIES IN THE MARKETPLACE, AND IF SO, WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE THOSE DISPARITIES OR RE DECREASE THOSE DISPARITIES? I'D SAY, UH, WE HAVE AFRICAN AMERICANS AT 118%.
ASIANS AT 142% NATIVE AMERICANS AT 20%, UH, AND WHITE FEMALES AT 104.
UH, ACCORDING TO THE COURTS, AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT A STATISTICIAN, UH, BUT WHAT THEY LOOK FOR IS A RATIO OF AT LEAST 80%, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT WOULD BE, UH, TAKEN AS NO DISPARITY.
AND ANYTHING OVER THAT WOULD BE, UH, UH, AN OVERACHIEVEMENT, IF YOU WILL, OF THE, OF THE, OF THE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THAT THE PROGRAM HAVE MADE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
SO SOME OF THE STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THAT CAME OUT FROM THE ANALYSIS OF OUR PROGRAM INCLUDES THE USE OF ADDITIONAL RACE NEUTRAL MEASURES, THE USE OF, UH, ANNUAL PROCUREMENT FORECAST.
SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT ITEM.
UH, CENTRALIZED OUR PROGRAM'S DATA TO OUR NEW B2 NOW SYSTEM.
ENHANCE STRATEGIES ON PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, CONTRACTS, ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERING IN PARTICULAR, UH, AND USE THE STUDY AVAILABILITY DATA TO ASSIST US IN SETTING OUR MB AND WBE CONTRACT GOALS, AS WELL AS USING THAT INFORMATION ON ANY ANNUAL, UH, PROCUREMENT GOALS THAT WE MAY ESTABLISH.
UH, LOOKING AT IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES PROGRAM.
UH, COUNCIL, UH, THIS YEAR PROVIDED US WITH, UH, POSITIONS THAT WILL HELP US START THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN ADOPTING A MENTOR PROTEGE PROGRAM, WHICH WE SEE AS, UH, BEING SOMETHING THAT WILL IMPLEMENT, UH, IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, IT, THAT TAKES A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, MEASURE FOR THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS. SO THIS IS A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE ROADSHOW THAT WE WENT ON OVER THE COURSE OF THREE MONTHS.
UH, WE DID 17 UNIQUE EVENTS IN PROVIDING INFORMATION TO OUR VARIOUS STAKEHOLDER COMMUNITY, UH, UH, ALLOWING THEM TO ADDRESS, UH, OUR STAFF AS WELL AS THE CONSULTANT AND, AND ASK QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE STUDY AND ITS CONTENTS.
UH, WE ALSO DID A LOT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND, AND OUTREACH STRATEGIES.
I THINK THIS IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE, UH, BRIEFING AND OUTREACH THAT WE'VE DONE IN ANY DISPARITY STUDY IN THE 23 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY.
SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THE STAFF DID.
UH, ON BEHALF OF THE STUDY, UH, COUNCIL ASKED US TO FORM THE INCLUSIVE PROCUREMENT WORKING GROUP MADE UP OF, UH, CITY STAFF MEMBERS, DEPARTMENT HEADS, AS WELL AS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN MEETING SINCE LAST AUGUST, AUGUST OF 2021.
WE'VE HELD OVER 26 MEETINGS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UH, IN LOOKING AT IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR PROGRAM.
WE STILL CONTINUE TO MEET AND WE HOPE TO FINALIZE, UH, THE INFORMATION RELATED TO THOSE 11, UH, POIGNANT ITEMS IN THE RESOLUTION THAT COUNCIL FORMULATED, UH, BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
SEPTEMBER 13TH, WE WENT TO THE MEW ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THEY RECOMMENDED ADOPTION OF THE DISPARITY STUDY, AS WELL AS, UH, THE RCA FOR EXTENDING THE SUNSET DATE OCTOBER 27TH.
UH, YOU DO HAVE TWO RCAS, UH, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THE ADOPTION OF THE DISPARITY STUDY, AS WELL AS THE EXTENSION OF THE SUNSET DATA, THE ORDINANCE TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE THE WORK OF THE INCLUSIVE PROCUREMENT WORKING GROUP AND FINALIZING THE CHANGES, UH, TO OUR MB W B PROCUREMENT ORDINANCE IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER.
WE HOPE TO FINALIZE THOSE ORDINANCE REVISIONS, COMPLETE THE, UH, REVISIONS TO ANY ADMINISTRATIVE RULES.
AND AGAIN, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE, WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE I P W G FOR SHORT.
WE HOPE TO DO SOME PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE SPRING OF 2023 AND BRING THE COUNCIL IN THE SUMMER A A NEW COUNCIL, EXCUSE ME, A NEW ORDINANCE FOR CONSIDERATION.
AND I'M HERE TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M ALSO JOINED BY RON PGE, OUR, UH, CITY ATTORNEY AS WELL AS TAMAS ALNA, UH, OUR POINT PERSON ON THIS PROJECT.
I HAVE A, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, WE, IN THE FEEDBACK AND RESPONSES, YOU WERE ASKED A QUESTION, IS THE GOAL METHODOLOGY GOING TO BE
[01:20:01]
MODIFIED FOR HOW SBR IS SETTING PROJECT SPECIFIC GOALS, OR WILL THIS STAY THE SAME? UM, THE RESPONSE WAS THAT YOU'LL CONTINUE TO UTILIZE BEST PRACTICE IN ESTABLISHING GOALS AND REVIEWING MINIMUM LEVEL OF SCOPES OF WORK AND AVAILABILITY OF CERTIFIED FIRMS AND THE SCOPES OF WORK IDENTIFIED FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS.UM, I READ THAT QUESTION TO REALLY BE ASKING, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THE GOALS GIVEN THE DISPARITY STUDY AND WHAT HAS CHANGED OVER TIME? SO WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE IS GONNA HAPPEN TO OUR GOALS GIVEN THE DISPARITY STUDY RESULTS? SO I THINK IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GOALS RELATED TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE THE, UH, A DECREASE IN THOSE GOALS.
THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE BEEN USING, AND REALLY, THEY'RE NOT GOALS, THEY'RE AVAILABILITY NUMBERS THAT WERE PROVIDED IN A 2008 STUDY AND THEY WERE ADOPTED AS GOALS.
UM, WE'VE BEEN USING THOSE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
AND SO WE WANT TO GO BACK TO THE PRACTICE OF ESTABLISHING PROJECT SPECIFIC GOALS, WHICH IS BEST PRACTICES AND WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR EVERY OTHER SOLICITATION OUTSIDE OF THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, UH, CONTRACTS.
SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT NUANCE OF WHAT YOU WERE DOING BEFORE VERSUS, VERSUS NOW? CAUSE WHAT I SAW IN THE DISPARITY STUDY WAS A LOT OF VARIATION ACROSS DIFFERENT TYPES OF SERVICES IN TERMS OF THE AVAILABILITY.
UM, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
SO I THINK THAT THERE, THERE TENDS TO BE SOME CONFUSION.
WHEN FOLKS SEE AVAILABILITY NUMBERS, THEY AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME THAT THOSE ARE, ARE GONNA BE TRANSLATED INTO GOALS, AND THEY ARE NOT.
THE AVAILABILITY NUMBERS GIVES US A STARTING POINT IN OUR GOAL SETTING PROCESS.
UH, WE CERTAINLY HAVE A LOT OF DATA THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE DISPARITY STUDY.
AND SO AT THE GRANULAR LEVEL, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT COMMODITY CODES, SCOPES OF WORK, IF YOU WILL, TRADES AND LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE AVAILABILITY THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE MARKETPLACE FOR THOSE GOALS.
AND THEN TRANSLATE LIKE WE WOULD DO FOR ANY STANDARD ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROJECT GOAL USING THE BASE DATA, WHICH IS THE DATA THAT'S IN THE AVAILABILITY STUDY, EXCUSE ME, IN THE DISPARITY STUDY.
AND THEN LOOKING AT WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR INTERNAL SYSTEM AND SEEING HOW WE CAN EITHER MARRY THOSE TWO OR MASSAGE THEM TO CREATE AN APPROPRIATE GOAL FOR A PARTICULAR CONTRACT.
SO ARE ANY OF THE GOALS GONNA INCREASE? IT DEPENDS ON THE SPECIFIC SCOPE OF WORK.
UM, MORE THAN LIKELY SINCE THE AVAILABILITY NUMBERS HAVE REDUCED, UM, WE PROBABLY WILL SEE A REDUCTION IN GOALS.
UM, THE M W E, UH, PROGRAM IS FOCUSED SOLELY ON SUBCONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES.
IS THAT CORRECT? FOR THE MOST PART, YES.
SO, UM, COLLEAGUES, I WANTED TO JUST FLAG, UM, UH, I'M NOT SURE YET IF IT'S AN AMENDMENT OR DIRECTION THAT I'LL BE PROVIDING ON.
I THINK IT WILL BE ITEM 34, UM, BUT IT COULD BE ITEM 35 NEXT WEEK.
I THINK THAT WE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS OUR M W E PROGRAM HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL, AS WE HAVE, UM, BEEN PURCHASING MORE AND MORE OUTSIDE OF OUR LOCAL AREA, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE INVESTIGATE WHAT KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE AT THE PRIME CONTRACT LEVEL, UM, TO MEET SOME OF THESE GOALS THAT WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT AND TO, TO CREATE A SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, UM, LEVEL PROGRAM THAT HAS A LOCAL PREFERENCE AT, UM, FOR THE PRIME CONTRACTS.
UM, AND JUST TO FLAG FOR YOU THAT WE'LL BE PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, DIRECTION RELATED TO THIS, THIS DOESN'T NECESSARILY END UP IN THE S NBR DEPARTMENT.
THIS WILL BE MORE SORT OF PROCUREMENT.
UM, WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE OF OUR DOLLARS GO OUT.
SO THIS ALLOWS US TO EMPHASIZE LOCAL, AND THERE ARE, ARE MANY DISTINCTIONS, M W B E BEING ONE OF THEM, UM, THAT ALLOW US TO FOCUS IN ON BUSINESSES THAT ARE DESIGNATED AS SMALL.
THERE'S HUB, THERE'S, UM, AN L G B T Q DESIGNATION, THERE'S A DISABILITY DESIGNATION, UM, ET CETERA.
SO THIS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF THE SMALL, UM, BUSINESS ENTERPRISE LOCAL, UH, PROGRAM THAT MR. SO WAS SPEAKING ABOUT.
UM, AND THEN THERE WILL ALSO BE DIRECTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S COMING BACK, UM, CONSISTENTLY WITH WHEN THOSE GOALS ARE CHANGING SO THAT WE ARE ABLE, UM, ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR, AND OUR POLICY GOALS TO, TO INVEST LOCALLY AND SUPPORT OUR, OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.
UM, SO I WILL BE BRINGING THAT FORWARD.
UM, THE LAST QUESTION I HAD HAS TO DO, UM, WE, WE HEARD SOME CONCERNS FROM THE DISABILITY COMMISSION ABOUT NOT BEING INCLUDED IN THE M W B E PROGRAM.
UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO WAYS PROGRAM THAT I'M SUGGESTING FOR THE PRIME CONTRACT LEVEL COULD INCLUDE DISABILITY, UM, MEASURES, UM, AS A, AS A QUALIFYING FACTOR.
[01:25:01]
M W E E AND, AND, AND HOW WE MIGHT, UM, INCLUDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR DISABILITY COMMUNITY, UH, BUSINESSES? YES, MA'AM.SO IF YOU RECALL, UH, WE INCLUDED, UM, DISABLED VETERANS IN THE 2016, UH, DISPARITY STUDY.
AND WE DID THAT BY CAPTURING RELEVANT DATA IN OUR AUSTIN FINANCE ONLINE.
UM, THAT IS WHERE WE CAPTURE OUR DATA FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ANY DISPARITY STUDY CONSULTANT THAT WE WOULD HIRE, UH, TO DO OUR DISPARITY STUDY ANALYSIS.
UH, I DID SPEAK AT THE, UM, THE, THE MAYORS, UH, COMMITTEE ON, ON DISABILITY ON LAST FRIDAY, AND SPOKE TO THEM ABOUT WAYS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER, UH, WITH OUR PURCHASING OFFICE TO TRY TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE DATA POINTS IN OUR AUSTIN FINANCE ONLINE CONTRACT PORTAL SO THAT WE CAN THEN EXTRACT THAT DATA TO SEE HOW MANY CONTRACTS WE DO HAVE WITH FOLKS THAT IDENTIFY AS, AS BEING DISABLED.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN PROVIDE THAT AT A FUTURE STUDY, UH, PERIOD.
UM, I MAY HAVE SOME DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO NEXT STEPS WITH RESPECT TO THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY, UM, OF BUSINESSES.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S OVERLOOKED IN OUR CURRENT PROGRAM, UM, BEYOND THE VETERANS.
AND, AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, 20% OF, OF, OF, UH, DEAF PEOPLE IN TEXAS LIVE IN AUSTIN BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF.
AND, UM, I THINK THERE'S SOME REAL OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT THEY CAN OFFER OUR COMMUNITY, UM, THROUGH OUR, THROUGH OUR PROCUREMENT.
SO, UM, AND JUST AS A, AS A ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, WE ARE A RACE AND BASE, RACE AND GENDER BASED PROGRAM.
SO ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THAT WOULD BE A PROCUREMENT OFFICE, UM, PROGRAM SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE DONE WITH THE INITIATIVE UNDER THE DISABLED VETERAN PROGRAM.
AND AGAIN, JUST FOR MY COLLEAGUES, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN LEARNING IS THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SUBCONTRACTING THROUGH THE RACE AND GENDER BASED AND, UM, THE PRIME CONTRACT PIECE.
UM, AND WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO USE SOME NEW TOOLS, UM, FOR THE PRIME CONTRACT COUNCIL MEMBER.
FUENTES, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AGAIN.
I TOO WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THAT I'M ALSO LOOKING AT BRINGING FORWARD DIRECTION.
AS MANY OF YOU ALL KNOW, I SERVED ON THE, UH, HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD AND THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS, AND CERTAINLY KNOW, UH, MANY OF OUR MEMBERS' ISSUES, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO PARTICIPATION IN OUR M M W B E PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU, YOU HIGHLIGHTING WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON MAYOR PROTE, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE FOR YOU DIRECTOR, IS, UM, WE HAD A, UH, A RESIDENT, UH, TESTIFY OR PROVIDE COMMENTS EARLIER TODAY ON A LOCAL PREFERENCE, UH, PROGRAM.
AND IN FACT, HE REFERENCED HOUSTON HAVING ONE AND I, I BELIEVE MY, THE CITY OF MIAMI ALSO HAS A, A LOCAL PREFERENCE AND, AND CONTRACTING PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM.
CAN YOU SHARE YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS ON, ON WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE HERE IN AUSTIN AND HAVE WE CONSIDERED IT BEFORE OR JUST SOME CONTEXT BEHIND THAT CONCEPT? SURE.
UH, WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT IT IN TWO WAYS.
UH, WE DO HAVE THE INCLUSIVE PROCUREMENT WORKING GROUP LOOKING AT THE CURRENT, UH, LOCAL BUSINESS PREFERENCE PROGRAM AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH THE PURCHASING OFFICE.
UH, MR. SCARBOROUGH HAS PROVIDED US SOME INFORMATION.
WE ARE CIRCLING BACK WITH THAT WORKING GROUP TO FINALIZE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT PROGRAM.
UH, I THINK AS A WHOLE, UH, THERE ISN'T ANYONE IN THE CITY THAT DOESN'T SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF TRYING TO DO AND MAINTAIN BUSINESS IN, IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
UH, IT WOULD JUST BE SOMETHING, AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF THE, UH, S AND B R DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD LIVE IN THE PURCHASING REALM.
AND WHEN, WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS? GETTING BACK TO US? WE HOPE TO HAVE SOMETHING IN YOUR HANDS IN, IN TERMS OF A FINAL REPORT IN THE, UH, JANUARY TIMEFRAME IN JANUARY.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTIONS I HAD ON THE REPORT THAT YOU PROVIDED WAS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME FORWARD IN THAT REPORT HAD US, UM, CITED SOME CONCERNS ON, OR SOME SUGGESTIONS ON BROADENING THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE QUALIFICA QUALIFICATIONS BASED SOLICITATIONS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT I'VE HEARD IS JUST HOW ONEROUS OUR REQUIREMENTS ARE TO EVEN GET CERTIFIED THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
AND I'M CURIOUS WHAT WORK IS BEING DONE ON, ON THAT END TO BROADEN THE SELECTION PROCESS? THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND ACTUALLY THAT WAS ONE OF THE 11 ITEMS IN THE RESOLUTION THAT COUNCIL PASSED.
AND SO, UH, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO LOOKING AT THE CURRENT CERTIFICATION PROCESS AND
[01:30:01]
THE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP PROVIDING US WITH PROPOSED RECOMMENDATIONS TO DATE.WE HAVE OVER 40 PROPOSED RECOMMENDATIONS ON IMPROVEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM.
A GOOD CHUNK OF THOSE ARE, UH, RELATED TO CERTIFICATION.
NOT ALL OF THEM WILL MAKE THEIR, THEIR, UH, WAY FROM A PROPOSED TO A RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDATION.
SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS NOW.
UH, BUT WE CERTAINLY ARE LOOKING AT, UM, UH, THE PROCESS, HOW ONEROUS IT IS.
WE DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU THERE, UM, THAT WE KNOW IT'S AN ADMINISTRATOR BURDEN AT TIMES.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO SEE WHERE WE CAN LESSEN THAT BURDEN, UH, WHILE STILL MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY OF THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS.
AND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD COME FORWARD.
AND IS THAT THE JANUARY, THAT JANUARY TIMEFRAME? YES, MA'AM.
AND, UH, WHAT ABOUT REDUCING CONTRACT SIZE AND COMPLEXITY? ANY WORK BEING DONE ON THAT END? THAT'S, THAT WORK IS CON ALWAYS DONE IN OUR OFFICE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO, UH, FOR OUR COMPLIANCE TEAM.
THEY'RE INSTRUCTED TO LOOK AT THE CONTRACTS IF IT'S QUITE LARGE.
WE WORK WITH THE PURCHASING OFFICE AND THE, THE BUYER IN QUESTION TO SEE IF WE CAN BREAK IT UP, IF WE CAN, WE, WE MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION TO DO SO.
SO I GUESS BECAUSE THIS REPORT, THIS AUDIT SHOWS THAT THESE ARE ISSUES, BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU'RE ALREADY WORKING ON IT.
SO HOW ARE WE SQUARING THAT AWAY BETWEEN WHAT IS RECOMMENDED FROM THIS REPORT? I MEAN, I GUESS YOU DID SAY THAT THIS WAS FROM A CONTRACT SIZE SAMPLE OF 2013 TO 2018.
SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'RE REFERRING HAVE BEEN INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN INITIATED IN THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
I'VE WORKED WITH THIS DEPARTMENT SINCE 1999 IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.
AND THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A COMPONENT OF THE COMPLIANCE WORK, IS TO LOOK AT SIZE OF THE CONTRACTS BEING ISSUED BY THE PROCUREMENT OFFICE AND LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN EITHER REDUCE THAT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SMALLER FIRMS COMPETE ON THESE CONTRACTS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE LARGER AND HARD FOR THEM TO BID OR BOND.
UH, SO WE ALWAYS HAVE DONE THAT.
UH, I THINK A LOT OF THE ITEMS WE'D LIKE TO WORK ON IS BEING ABLE TO TELL OUR STORY.
UH, COUNCIL, UH, RECENTLY, UH, IN THIS NEW BUDGET, UH, PROVIDED US WITH A NEW FTE FOR OUTREACH SERVICES.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE OUTREACH IS DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE, UH, SMALL MINORITY WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS COMMUNITY? AND I DON'T THINK WE DO THAT VERY WELL.
I GUESS I, I'M JUST STRUGGLING TO DISCERN BETWEEN WHAT THIS REPORT IS SHOWING AS AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AND YOUR RESPONSES HAVE BEEN, WE ARE ACTIVELY ADDRESSING IT, BUT ARE YOU ALL MAKING, WILL THE DEPARTMENT BE MAKING FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THIS REPORT? I, I THINK SO.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY GONNA BE IN CONCERT WITH OUR PROCUREMENT OFFICES TO SEE HOW WE CAN REALLY TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND REALLY MAKE SOME, EITHER SOME STRONGER COMPONENTS IN TERMS OF REVIEW.
AND THEN I KNOW FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE CONTRACTS RELATED TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, THE ARCHITECTS, THE ENGINEERS, AND HOW WE HAVE THOSE CONTRACTS SET UP.
SO WE'LL BE, AGAIN, WORKING WITH THE CAPITAL CONTRACTING OFFICE AND CIRCUIT PROCUREMENT TO TRY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED.
UM, AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, YOU MADE A COM ON THE, I THINK IT WAS SLIDE ON THE, UM, DISPARITY RATIOS.
YOU MADE A COMMENT THAT THE, I GUESS THE BENCHMARK, THE DISPARITY RATIOS, THE BENCHMARK THAT YOU WOULD LOOK FOR IS AROUND 80% AND IT SHOWS FOR OUR HISPANIC AND, AND BLACK COMMUNITIES, THEY'RE ABOVE A HUNDRED.
SAME THING FOR ASIAN, UH, AND WHITE WOMEN.
SO ARE, IS THAT, ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE ARE DOING WELL ON OUR, UH, DISPARITY CONTRACT OR ARE YOU SAYING LIKE, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO INTERPRET THAT? SURE.
SO, AND THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
BY THE WAY, THE DISPARITY RATIOS ARE SHOWING THAT WE ARE DOING EXCEPTIONALLY WELL, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NATIVE AMERICAN FIRMS. THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES SHOWING A, AN ACUTE DISPARITY, UH, WITHIN THE CONTRACTING PROCESS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO WE WILL BE WORKING ON WAYS TO TRY TO MITIGATE THAT.
UM, THAT'S NOT JUST, NOT TO SAY THAT THERE AREN'T DISPARITIES IMPACTING THE OTHER RACIAL GROUPS OR, OR WHITE FEMALES, IT'S JUST THAT IT'S NOT SHOWING IN TERMS OF THE UTILIZATION OF CONTRACT DOLLARS TO AVAILABILITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT, UM, WHAT I'M GONNA BE PROVIDING DIRECTION ON WOULD BE A SMALL BUSINESS AND LO SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, UM, APPROACH THAT WOULD BE FOCUSED ON THE, THE PRIME CONTRACTS, BUT IT INS THE SMALL BUSINESS AND THE LOCAL AND M W B E ONLY COMES IN AS
[01:35:01]
IT IS ONE WAY TO CERTIFY THAT SOMEBODY IS SMALL SUBCONTRACTS.UM, AND SO IT, IT, THESE WOULD BE, UM, YOU CAN USE THE M W B E CERTIFICATION THAT WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW FOR SUBCONTRACTORS AS ONE OF THE WAYS TO SAY THAT A COMPANY IS SMALL UNDER OUR S B L E PROGRAM IF WE WERE TO LAUNCH ONE.
SO IT HAS THE LOCAL PREFERENCE.
IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE AMPLIFYING THE LOCAL PREFERENCE RIGHT NOW, UM, AND, AND WOULD HAVE SOME DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE OVER WHAT IS THE AREA RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE A, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A LOCAL PREFERENCE FOR OUR PRIME CONTRACTS, BUT IT'S ONLY, UM, IF THEY'RE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION.
UM, AND SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DECIDE WHETHER WE WANTED THAT TO BE, UM, BROADER UNDER THE S B L E AND THAT WOULD BE PART OF WHAT STAFF WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK AS, AS A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, MORE, MORE ABOUT THAT, UM, IF YOU LIKE.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES? UM, THANK YOU MR. CAMPOS.
UM, LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION NEXT WEEK, AND, UM, WE WILL, UM, WE WILL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET OUR AMENDMENTS UP AS SOON AS WE CAN.
DID WANNA ALSO JUST MENTION, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUNES THAT YOU MAY WANT TO TALK, UM, WITH OUR PROCUREMENT STAFF BECAUSE THEY HAVE INTRODUCED SOME ADDITIONAL MECHANISMS FOR REACHING FOLKS, UM, FOR SMALLER CONTRACTS, UM, THAT THEY'RE EXPERIMENTING WITH AND ARE, ARE PLANNING TO, TO EXPAND, IF THAT IS OF INTEREST TO YOU.
[7. Identity items to be discussed at future meetings]
LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS TO DISCUSS ITEMS AT FUTURE MEETINGS.UM, AT THIS POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE AGENDA FOR NOVEMBER IS STILL IN FLUX.
UM, BUT WE DO EXPECT, UM, WE HAVE AN AUDIT RELATED TO EMERGENCY SHELTERS.
WE EXPECT TO PRESENT THE BRIEFING ON THE CITY PENSION SYSTEM WILL BE AT THAT MEETING.
UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN REQUESTED TO PRESENT THE SPECIAL REQUEST, UH, RELATED TO AIRPORT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, THAT REPORT'S NOT OUT YET, UH, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE IN, IN TIME FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, AND THEN WE HAD SOME OTHER ITEMS AS, AS PLACEHOLDERS PARTICULARLY.
I THINK THE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS COMES BACK PERIODICALLY.
SO THAT COULD BE NOVEMBER, COULD BE, UM, LATER ON AND EMS BILLING I BELIEVE AS WELL.
UM, SO THOSE ARE, UM, AND ACTUALLY THE, THE, I BELIEVE THE, THE MEDICAL, UM, OFFICE OF THE, THE, THE OC M O, WHICH I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU WHAT THAT STANDS FOR, BUT, UM, RELATED TO HEALTH RECORDS AND BILLING, THE MEDICAL OFFICE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICE.
THE CHIEF IS THE FRIDAY I WAS MISSING.
UM, SO I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN, UH, WE ARE TALKING ALSO LOOKING AT THE NEXT MEETING DECEMBER 13TH.
UM, TENTATIVELY WE ARE HOLDING THAT FOR THE, AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THE, UM, PRESENTATION FROM THE AUSTIN WATER EXTERNAL REVIEW.
AND, YOU KNOW, UM, I'LL MENTION IT AGAIN, UH, WHEN WE HAVE A CALENDAR DISCUSSION ON TUESDAY GOING OVER OUR NEW CALENDAR, UM, BY THAT DECEMBER 13TH MEETING, IF, IF EVERYTHING STAYS ON TRACK FOR THAT EXTERNAL REVIEW WILL BE, WILL BE, UM, WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT.
AND THEN FOR THE NOVEMBER MEETING, FRAUD AND FINANCE, JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE WILL BE CANVASSING THE ELECTION RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA SET THE TIMES FOR THE SPECIAL CALLED AND FOR THE AUDIT FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING TO, TO BE THE SAME.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE WILL, I THINK THE, THE, IF PEOPLE SHOW UP ON TIME AND WE HAVE THE QUORUMS THAT WE NEED, WE CAN MOVE REALLY QUICKLY THROUGH THE ELECTION CANVASSING, UM, TO OUR AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
BUT I DIDN'T WANNA GO EARLIER UNNECESSARILY.
UM, COLLEAGUES, ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANNA BRING UP FOR FUTURE MEETINGS? OKAY, GREAT.
WELL THEN, UM, IT IS 10 42 AND I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
EVERY NIGHT IT SAYS SAYING, I HEAR YOU CALLING MY NAME, YOUR LINE NEXT TO ME.
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NO, JAKE, THE.