Dec 14, 2022 Community Technology &amp; Telecommunications Commission

NOW TO AGENDA ITEM THREE, A PRESENTATION ON PROJECT LIGHTHOUSE BY JEREMY, UH, STIFLER, UH, I HOPE I PRONOUNCED THAT RIGHT.

WELL, THANK YOU ALL.

I, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS VERY INSPIRATIONAL, YOU KNOW, WATCHING THE LITTLE KIDS, UH, DOING THIS KIND OF WORK FOR A OLD MAN LIKE ME.

I KNOW THE WORLD IS GOING BE A BETTER PLACE.

SO MUCH INSPIRATION.

WELL SAID, WELL SAID.

EVERY DAY ABOVE GROUND IS A GOOD ONE, THAT'S FOR SURE.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

WITH THAT, WE CAN PROCEED IN OUR AGENDA

[3. Presentation on Project Lighthouse (Jeremy Striffler, Director of Real Estate, Austin Independent School District) ]

STRIFFLER, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE WITH THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND HE'S JOINED BY THE COLLEAGUES THAT I'LL LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A GENTLEMAN.

GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AGAIN, MY NAME IS JEREMY ST.

STRIFFLER.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE FOR THE AUSTIN AND PENN SCHOOL DISTRICT.

UH, WE'VE GOT JIM COOK, WHO'S WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT JOINING US REMOTELY.

AND THEN WITH ME IN PERSON IS CHAIRED LUT FROM BRANCH COMMUNICATIONS, UH, WHO'S PARTNERING WITH THE DISTRICT ON THIS PROJECT.

ONE THING JUST TO REITERATE FOR OUR COMMISSIONERS ONLINE, UH, WE'RE GOING TO LET THEM COMPLETE THEIR PRESENTATION AND THEN WE'LL ASK QUESTIONS.

EXISTING LEARNING ACTIVITIES, ET CETERA.

THANK YOU, JOHN.

SO FIRST, JUST SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON WHAT PROJECT LIGHTHOUSE IS.

WHAT'S THE OBJECTIVE BEHIND IT? IN SHORT, AS I'M SURE THIS GROUP IS MORE THAN FAMILIAR WITH, UH, THERE'S A CLEAR DIGITAL DIVIDE, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND IT WAS ESPECIALLY, UM, FELT BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, AND KIND OF SURFACED EVEN MORE SO DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN SO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS WERE LEARNING FROM HOME.

AND SO MANY THEN WERE CAUGHT WITHOUT, UH, INTERNET CONNECTIONS.

AND SO DISTRICT HAD TO EMPLOY A WHOLE BUNCH OF HOTSPOTS THAT COST US OVER 7 MILLION.

UM, SO THAT WAY THE KIDS COULD BE ONLINE AND CONNECTING TO THEIR LEARNING.

AND SO THIS PROBLEM IS NOT NEW PER SE, BUT AGAIN, IT JUST, UM, FINALLY GOT THE ATTENTION IT SO NEATLY DESERVED.

AND SO THE DISTRICT WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, OKAY, WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES FOR OUR STUDENTS? AND SO THE, TO FI FIGURE OUT A, A PATHWAY, UH, WE WENT OUT TO RFP AND, AND FOUND A PARTNERSHIP WITH BRANCH COMMUNICATIONS, WHICH BASICALLY THE METHOD HERE IS TO, UH, INSTALL MONOPOLES ON CAMPUSES WHERE WE CAN, UH, PROVIDE FREE WIFI SERVICE TO STUDENTS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY ATTEND THAT CAMPUS.

UM, UH, BUT WITHIN UP TO A, LIKE A ONE MILE RADIUS AND IN BRANCH COMMUNICATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THEIR PART, UH, THEY'RE BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEN WILL BE USING THE MONOPOLES AL ALSO FOR CELL PHONE CARRIERS IN ADDITION TO THE DISTRICT EQUIPMENT.

UH, IN TERMS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS, LIKE I SAID, THE, THE BOARD APPROVED THIS BACK IN THE FALL OF 21.

UH, WE THEN STARTED A VERY THOUGHTFUL PROCESS WITH BRANCH OF TOURING CAMPUSES, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED IN THE HIGHEST NEED, UM, AREAS, THOSE THAT WERE HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, UM, SIMILAR TO ACTUALLY OUR, UM, THE CAMPUSES, IF YOU'VE SEEN THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM.

YOU KNOW, OUR FOCUS WAS REALLY IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.

UH, AND SO FOCUSING ON THOSE CAMPUSES, WE KIND OF NARROWED IN ON A LIST.

AND, AND IT'S STILL EVOLVING A BIT OF WHAT THE PHASE FIRST PHASE WILL BE IN TERMS OF WHAT SPECIFIC CAMPUSES ACTUALLY DO TO THE BOND IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT GETTING IN THE WAY OF THE MODERNIZATIONS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE.

UH, BUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT CAMPUSES, UH, WHERE THERE IS THE NEED AND WHERE THE INFRASTRUCTURE MAKES SENSE, AND IN A PLACE TO HAVE THE MONOPOLES INSTALLED THAT WILL NOT DISRUPT

[00:15:02]

RIGHT? SO WE WANT THEM TO BE SOMEWHAT DISCREET PLACES ON CAMPUSES, BUT ALSO THAT HAVE EASY ACCESS, SO THAT WAY IF A SERVICE, THE MONOPOLE HAS TO BE SERVICED, THE TRUCK CAN GET OUT THERE WITHOUT HAVING TO DRIVE ACROSS OUR TRACKER FIELDS AND STUFF.

UH, SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UH, BRANCH ON FIGURING OUT THOSE LOCATIONS.

UM, BUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, UH, MONO POLES ARE NOT, HAVE NOT REALLY BEEN CONTEMPLATED IN TERMS OF OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT IS GENERALLY ALLOWED AND, AND, AND WHAT'S USUALLY INVOLVED WHEN WE WERE MODERNIZING A SCHOOL, SO WE HAD TO COME TO THE, YOU KNOW, WE REACHED OUT AND HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, THE CITY IN TERMS OF, OKAY, WELL HOW DO WE DO THIS? AND HOW DO WE DO IT IN A KIND OF EFFICIENT MANNER? UM, BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA COME UP IF WE'RE TRYING TO BE ROBUST IN OUR EFFORTS HERE, AND NOT JUST DO ONE PROJECT ALONE.

AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE TRYING TO DO NINE CAMPUSES AND JUST PHASE ONE.

AND SO THE CITY, UH, OF AUSTIN, PA, THE COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION IN MAY, BASICALLY SAYING, OKAY, CITY STAFF WORK WITH THE DISTRICT, AND LET'S COME UP WITH AN AGREEMENT FOR HOW WE CAN, UH, PROVIDE SOME ALLOWANCES FOR THESE MONOPOLES TO BE INSTALLED.

YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY THERE STILL WILL BE A SITE REVIEW, BUT, UH, THAT KIND OF, AGAIN, EXPEDITES THE PROCESS AND, AND SO YOU DON'T HAVE AS MUCH SUCH A LONG TIMELINE FOR EVERY SINGLE CAMPUS.

UM, AND SO SINCE MAY, BASICALLY WE'VE BEEN, UH, DRAFTING AN AGREEMENT.

IT'S BASICALLY AN AMENDMENT TO THE EXISTING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT IS AROUND THE LAND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, AND IT ADDRESSES SETBACKS, HEIGHT, ET CETERA.

AND IT IS PRETTY MUCH IN ITS FINAL REVIEW STAGE RIGHT NOW WITH THE ANTICIPATION THAT IT WILL BE, UH, ON THE AGENDA FOR BOTH THE BOARD OF THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON JANUARY 26TH, AS WELL AS THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, ON JANUARY 26TH.

UM, CITY OF AUSTIN LEGAL DEPARTMENT HAS IT FOR A FINAL REVIEW, AND WE'RE VERY HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN, UH, KIND OF GET THEIR GREEN LIGHT HERE IN THE NEXT, UH, FEW DAYS.

IN THAT WAY.

EVERYONE HAS THE, YOU KNOW, THE AGREEMENT READY TO BE ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA ITEM, SO THAT WAY IT'S IN A TIMELY MANNER FOR THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW AND FOR BOARD AND COUNCIL TO SEE IT.

UH, IN TERMS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, THE MONO WILL BE BE UP TO 120 FEET IN HEIGHT.

THE DISTRICT WILL TAKE THE TOP, THE TOP PORTION OF THE MONOPOLE TO INSTALL OUR EQUIPMENT, KIND OF LTE EQUIPMENT.

UH, THIS IS WHAT WE'LL USE TO, YOU KNOW, PUT OUT A 4G SIGNAL FOR THE WIFI.

UH, BELOW THAT BRANCH IS IT BASICALLY ABLE TO SUBLEASE, UH, AIR SPACE ON THE POLE TO CELL PHONE CARRIERS, AND IT CAN ACCOMMODATE UP TO THREE CELL PHONE CARRIERS.

AND SO THEY'VE BEEN TALKING TO KIND OF NATIONAL GROUPS LIKE VERIZON, AT AND T T-MOBILE.

UM, THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION PROCESSES, IS MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S CARRIER INTEREST IN THE MONOPOLES.

AND THANKFULLY THAT'S, IN GENERAL HASN'T BEEN MUCH OF AN ISSUE.

THEY'VE ALL BEEN VERY INTERESTED.

UH, AND SO THAT HELPS SUPPORT THIS PROJECT BECAUSE, UH, THE WHOLE STRUCTURE OF THIS IS THAT ALL THE COST, THE UPFRONT COST OF INSTALLING THE MONOPOLES BRANCH IS, UM, TAKING ON THAT.

AND THEN WE'LL ALSO BE TAKING ON THE COST OF MAINTAINING THE MONO POLES.

AND SO THERE HAS TO BE THAT KIND OF BALANCE HERE WHERE, UM, AS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT MAKES FINANCIAL SENSE FOR ALL PARTIES.

UM, SO THE MONOPOLE ITSELF, AS I MENTIONED, IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, THE LOCATION ON THE CAMPUS IS SOMEWHERE THAT IS NOT, IS AWAY FROM THE BUILDING, AWAY FROM ACTIVITIES.

IT WILL HAVE A, A SECURITY FENCE AROUND IT.

UM, AND WE'RE TRYING TO PUT IT WHERE IT HAS NO ACC EASY ACCESS IF ANY VEHICLES NEED TO GET TO IT.

UH, AND THERE'S SOME NOTES ON THE SLIDES ABOUT THE COMPLIANCES AND MORE, AND THIS IS WHAT THE AMENDMENT ABOUT THE LAND DEVELOPMENT STANDARD SPEAKS TO IN TERMS OF LIKE HOW MANY FEET IT WILL BE, SETBACKS, ET CETERA.

AND SO INCLUDED, UH, IN THESE SLIDES, IF, UM, IF YOU'RE SEEING 'EM IN REAL TIME OR HAD LOOKED AT 'EM BEFORE, BUT THESE ARE IMAGES OF WHAT THE MONOPOLE LOOKS LIKE, THIS KIND OF, THESE TWO IMAGES REALLY SHOWING THE, THE HEIGHT.

UM, THESE ARE OF COURSE, FROM OTHER PROJECTS THAT BRANCHES WORKED ON.

WE HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE YET TO INSTALL ANYTHING HERE THAT'S ALL SUBJECT TO THIS

[00:20:01]

AMENDMENT BEING APPROVED BY BOTH CITY COUNCIL AND THE BOARD.

AND THEN THIS NEXT, UH, THESE NEXT IMAGES JUST GIVE YOU A, A SENSE OF WHAT THE SECURITY FENCING AROUND IT, KIND OF LIKE THE SIZE OF THE FOOTPRINT, IF YOU WILL.

AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHY I'M INVOLVED AS DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE.

WHILE THIS IS VERY MUCH MORE COLLABORATION WITH THE TECH DEPARTMENT, IT IS ULTIMATELY A, UM, WE'RE LEASING THE LAND, THAT PORTION OF LAND, UH, TO BRANCH SO THAT WAY THEY CAN INSTALL THEIR, UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, IN TERMS OF STUDENT ACCESS, AS I MENTIONED.

UM, AND THIS WILL VARY CAMPUS BY CAMPUS.

A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH HOW MUCH CLUTTER THERE IS.

AND WHEN I SAY CLUTTER, I MEAN LIKE TREES AND, UH, OTHER THINGS THAT MIGHT DISRUPT A SIGNAL.

BUT WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT WHEREVER A MONOPOLE IS INSTALLED UP TO ONE MILE, WITHIN A ONE MILE RADIUS OF THAT MONOPOLE, ANY STUDENTS FROM THE DISTRICT WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE WIFI.

AND THEY'LL BE GET, THEY'LL GET A, UM, A ROUTER CPE FOR, YOU KNOW, IN MY LAYMAN'S TERMS, THIS IS NOT KIND OF OUT OF MY AREA OF EXPERTISE, BUT BASICALLY THEY'LL GET THAT, UH, ROUTER, THAT MODEM BASICALLY TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT IN.

THEY'LL STILL LOG IN THROUGH THE DISTRICT AS IF THEY WERE ON CAMPUS, RIGHT? THEY HAVE TO PUT IN THEIR STUDENT, UH, USERNAME AND PASSWORD.

AND IT'S FOR THEM TO ACCESS ALL THE DISTRICT'S SOFTWARE, LIKE THE VARIOUS TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS THAT WE USE, BLEND, ET CETERA, UH, FOR THEM TO ACC DO HOMEWORK WORK ON PROJECTS.

AND WHILE THE CAMPUSES THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON IN TERMS OF WHERE THE MONOPOLES WILL BE INSTALLED, OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, IF YOU GO TO MIDDLE SCHOOL OR HIGH SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT, BUT HAPPEN TO LIVE WITHIN THAT ONE MILE RACE, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL BE INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM.

AND CERTAINLY THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THERE'S MORE AND MORE NEED TO BE ONLINE, ESPECIALLY AS THEY'RE DOING THEIR HOMEWORK.

UM, AND WORKING ON PROJECTS.

UH, THIS IS NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS FOR LEARNING.

I GUESS I'LL JUST EMPHASIZE THAT RATHER THAN SAY WHAT IT'S NOT FOR, I'LL JUST SAY WHAT IT IS FOR, WHICH IS THAT IT'S FOR LEARNING.

AND THAT'S THE MAIN FOCUS HERE OF, OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR THE STUDENTS.

UM, IN TERMS OF COLLABORATION, I MENTIONED THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON ALREADY IN TERMS OF THE AGREEMENTS AND, AND KIND OF OUR TARGET DATE IS JANUARY 26TH.

SO VERY HAPPY TO BE PRESENTING WITH YOU ALL TONIGHT, UH, IN ADVANCE OF THAT.

UH, AND THEN IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THIS CAME UP IN THE WORK GROUP AND WANTED TO KIND OF MAKE CLEAR KIND OF OUR HIGH LEVEL PLAN RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF HOW, ONCE WE GET A CLEAR TIMELINE ON WHEN A MONOPOLE WILL BE INSTALLED, HOW WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S AWARE OF IT.

YOU KNOW, TO DATE, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS FOR THE CAMPUSES THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, WE JUST HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE PRINCIPALS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE, THEY'RE AWARE OF WHAT, WHAT COULD BE COMING.

UH, THEY WERE ALL VERY SUPPORTIVE, ENTHUSIASTIC OF IT.

AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE, IN GENERAL, LOOKING FOR THEIR GUIDANCE IN TERMS OF HOW TO BEST ENGAGE WITH THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES AT THAT CAMPUS.

SO AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL, THAT COULD LOOK LIKE EVERYTHING FROM, UH, ONE PAGE HANDOUTS THAT GO IN ALL THE BACKPACKS TO THE PRINCIPAL HOSTING COFFEE CHATS, WHICH TEND TO HAPPEN WEEKLY OR EVERY OTHER WEEK ALREADY, UM, AS WELL AS CAMPUS SOCIAL MEDIA.

BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S KIND OF A VENN DIAGRAM OF WHO'S GOING TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THAT ONE MILE RADIUS, THERE CERTAINLY WILL BE STUDENTS WHO GO TO THAT CAMPUS, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO STUDENTS WHO ARE WITHIN THE DISTRICT WHO JUST HAPPEN TO LIVE BY IT.

SO, AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, UH, WE'LL USE OUR FAMILY NEWSLETTER TO PROVIDE UPDATES, MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON.

WE ANTICIPATE WE'LL HAVE SOME INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS USUALLY VIA, WE DO THAT VIA ZOOM, UH, AND THEN ALSO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES, FAQS, ET CETERA, ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE.

WE ALREADY HAVE AN EXISTING PAGE, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO UPDATE IT IN REAL TIME AS WE GET MORE CLARITY AS TO THE SPECIFICS ON THE PROJECT.

AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE NEIGHBORS, WHO'S KIND OF THAT OTHER, UM, GROUP THAT'S IMPACTED IN A WAY, RIGHT? BECAUSE CERTAINLY IF YOU LIVE NEAR ONE OF THESE CAMPUSES, I'M SURE IT'LL STICK OUT TO YOU TO SEE A 120 FOOT MONO POLE GOING UP.

YOU KNOW, OUR HOPE IN GENERAL IS THAT NEIGHBORS WILL BENEFIT BECAUSE THEY'LL BE CELL PHONE CARRIERS ON THERE.

THAT MEANS THEIR COVERAGE, IF THEY USE ONE OF THOSE CARRIERS, WILL IMPROVE.

THEY CERTAINLY AREN'T GAINING THE FREE WIFI, BUT HOPEFULLY THEY CAN, UH, APPRECIATE OUR OBJECTIVE HERE, WHICH IS TO, UH, SHRINK THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE AND, AND HELP WITH LEARNING.

UH, BUT IN TERMS OF NEIGHBORS, WE CERTAINLY, THEY'LL BE INVITED TO ANY

[00:25:01]

DISTRICT-WIDE INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS.

YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE ALL PUBLIC, BUT ALSO WE ANTICIPATE SENDING OUT MAILERS DIRECTLY TO THOSE WHO LIVE WITHIN THAT ONE MILE RADIUS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AWARE.

UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN GENERAL, OUR CREDOS, WE DON'T LIKE PEOPLE TO BE SURPRISED, RIGHT? WE WANT TO BE PROACTIVE IN OUR COMMUNICATION.

AND SO THIS WILL BECOME A BIT MORE SOPHISTICATED IN TERMS OF AN ACTUAL ROLLOUT PLAN.

UM, FOR NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST KIND OF TOUCHING, WANT TO TOUCH UPON WHAT WE THINK ARE THE MAIN, MAIN ELEMENTS OF A, A SMART, UH, THOUGHTFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.

UH, AND THEN CERTAINLY CAN PROVIDE UPDATES TO THE COMMISSION ONCE WE HAVE MORE OF A, AN EXACT TIMELINE FOR IT.

YOU KNOW, A LOT.

AGAIN, THAT'S, IF THE AGREEMENTS ALL APPROVED BY BOTH PARTIES IN JANUARY, YOU KNOW, THEN I'LL KIND OF LEAN ON, UM, MY COLLEAGUES TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WELL HOW LONG THEN FROM APPROVAL TO WHEN YOU ACTUALLY MIGHT START CONSTRUCTION? AND THEN WE'LL FIGURE OUT, KIND OF WORK BACKWARDS FROM THERE TO FIGURE OUT WHEN THE ENGAGEMENT STARTS.

WE DON'T WANNA ALERT PEOPLE TOO EARLY IN THE PROCESS, THUS WE HAVEN'T REALLY SAID MUCH CUZ WE DON'T WANNA CAUSE CONFUSION IF IT'S LIKE, WELL, THE MONOPOLES ACTUALLY NOT GONNA EVEN BE INSTALLED FOR ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR.

IT'S LIKE, WELL THEN WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME ABOUT IT TODAY? , YOU KNOW, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S RELEVANT INFORMATION AND, AND TIMELY INFORMATION AND NOT, UH, JUST TELLING THEM SOMETHING FAR IN ADVANCE THAT THEY'RE GONNA JUST FORGET AND NEED TO BE BROUGHT UP AGAIN AS WE GET CLOSER.

SO I BELIEVE THAT'S EVERYTHING WE HAD IN TERMS OF PRESENTATION, AND CERTAINLY HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ALONG WITH, UH, JARED AND IF JIM'S ABLE TO, UM, ANSWER AS WELL.

CERTAINLY HE IS, UM, WELL VERSED IN ALL THIS BEING FROM OUR TECH DEPARTMENT.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, UH, FOR THE SECOND TIME.

I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION EARLIER, UH, THIS WEEK, UH, OR RATHER LAST WEEK AT OUR WORKING GROUP MEETING.

AND, UH, IT CAME UP IN DISCUSSION AT, OR THE OTHER WORKING GROUP MEETINGS THIS WEEK.

SO IT'S BEEN TOP OF MIND FOR OUR COMMISSION.

UH, I'M GOING TO JUST ASK, UH, A COUPLE OF BASIC QUESTIONS AND THEN I'LL PASS IT TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR SOME OTHER QUESTIONS.

IN LIGHT OF, UH, THE PRESENTATION AND THE TIMELINE, UH, AND THE GOAL TO GET APPROVAL FROM CITY COUNCIL HERE SHORTLY IN THE NEW YEAR, UM, WE KNOW THAT THIS TIME IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, UH, THAT THIS TIME TO PRESENT TO THE COMMUNITY TO SHARE WITH OUR COMMISSION, UH, AND TO GET QUESTIONS ANSWERED HERE IS IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY TO CITY COUNCIL AS THEY LISTEN IN AND, AND GET ADVISEMENT FROM US ON THIS.

AND THAT LEADS TO MY MAIN QUESTION, UH, AS IT RELATES TO, UH, THE SCOPE ITSELF, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE JUST NOW GETTING TO SINK OUR TEETH INTO THIS AS A COMMISSION AND JUST BEING ABLE TO ADVISE CITY COUNCIL IN THIS REGARD.

UH, MY QUESTION IS RELATED TO THE CURRENT SCOPE AND HOW ADAPTABLE THAT SCOPE IS GOING TO BE WHEN YOU PRESENT TO CITY COUNCIL.

UH, I FORESEE AS YOU'RE ABOUT TO HEAR, THERE'S GONNA BE A VARIETY OF QUESTIONS AROUND INFRASTRUCTURE, AROUND OUTREACH, AROUND, UH, COST BENEFIT.

UH, I KNOW ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE RELATES TO CURRICULUM AND UNDERSTANDING THAT YOUR TARGET IS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS NOW, BUT AS THAT VENN DIAGRAM INCLUDES OTHERS, UH, AND EVEN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS, AS THEY DEMONSTRATE HOW CAPABLE THEY ARE WITH TECHNOLOGY WHEN THEY HAVE IT, UH, THAT WE FACTOR IN ADAPTABILITY AND A NEED FOR, UH, BEING ABLE TO SCALE UP QUICKLY INTO WHATEVER PROPOSALS THERE ARE UP THERE.

UH, SO I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO ADDRESS THAT AS AN ISSUE BEFORE I PASS IT ON TO MY PEERS.

YOU KNOW, HAVE ANY FUNDING EARMARKED FOR, FOR RIGHT NOW.

I'LL, I'LL START AND THEN LEAN ON JIM AND JARED TO, UH, FILL IN BLANKS THAT , THEY CAN PROBABLY SPEAK BETTER IN TERMS OF SCOPE, WHAT THE DISTRICT DOES HAVE BUDGETED FOR RIGHT NOW IN THESE NINE CAMPUSES.

AND LIKE I SAID, WE ARE KIND OF FINE TUNING WHAT ARE THOSE SPECIFIC NINE CAMPUSES.

AND PART OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH WE JUST SEC, YOU KNOW, HAD THE BOND PASS.

AND SO SOME CAMPUSES THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT NOW, KNOWING THAT IT'S GONNA BE AT LEAST A YEAR OR SO WITH DESIGN WORK, ET CETERA, IF THEY'RE, IF THERE'S A MODERNIZATION TAKING PLACE, IT'S LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO INSTALL A MONOPOLE THAT HAS TO BE MOVED, UH, SO WE'RE MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT, RIGHT INITIAL BATCH OF CAMPUSES.

IN TERMS OF BEYOND THAT.

THAT'S CERTAINLY OUR HOPE IS FOR THIS PROJECT TO GO BEYOND KIND OF THIS FIRST PHASE, UM, IN TERMS OF BUDGET FOR THAT, UH,

[00:30:01]

BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY THE HOPE IS THAT AS THIS CONTINUES TO DO WELL AND, AND WE DEMONSTRATE SUCCESS, THAT WE CAN BUILD SUCCESS UPON SUCCESS WITH THAT.

AND PART OF THAT IS THE CARRIER INTEREST.

UM, SO THE BENEFIT OF THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH BRANCH IS THAT BRANCH BUILDS THE MONOPOLE AT THEIR COST.

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT GETS TO INSTALL THEIR EQUIPMENT ON THE MONOPOLE AT, YOU KNOW, FOR FREE, RIGHT? THEY'RE NOT CHARGING US TO USE SPACE ON THE MONOPOLE.

AND THEN IN ADDITION, WE GET RENT FROM BRANCH COMMUNICATION FOR RELATIVE TO HOW MANY CARRIERS THEY HAVE ON THE MONOPOLE.

AND SO THERE'S KIND OF A SET ASSUMPTION THAT THERE'S A MINIMUM AMOUNT BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE AT LEAST ONE CARRIER.

THAT'S KIND OF THE GO NO-GO IN TERMS OF HOW THIS WAS STRUCTURED, RIGHT? THEY'RE GONNA BUILD A MONOPOLE, ASSUMING THAT THERE'S A CELL PHONE CARRIER INTERESTED IN BEING ON THERE.

SO WE HAVE KIND OF A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE KNOW WILL COLLECT EACH YEAR AND RENT.

UH, AND THEN THERE COULD BE ADDITIONAL REVENUE IF THERE'S MORE THAN ONE AND, YOU KNOW, UP TO THREE ON EACH, ON EACH MONOPOLE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN REINVEST THAT MONEY IN THIS PROJECT AND, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'LL LET US EXPAND TO OTHER CAMPUSES BEYOND JUST ALSO THIS COST OF THE EQUIPMENT TO GET MORE OF THESE, UH, CPES, THESE ROUTERS ESSENTIALLY THAT WILL GO INTO THE STUDENTS HOME.

CAUSE THAT, THAT, THAT IS A COST TO THE DISTRICT.

AND I DON'T KNOW, JIM, IF YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT AT ALL IN TERMS OF THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT.

UM, BUT THAT'S IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT IS WE DO HOPE TO GO BEYOND THESE NINE CAMPUSES.

AND THEN IN TERMS OF FUNGIBILITY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THESE CAMPUSES WE'RE WORKING ON WHAT THE NINE ARE, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A LITTLE ROOM RIGHT NOW BEFORE ANYTHING'S IMPROVED ON WHAT THAT FINAL NINE IS.

AND THEN CERTAINLY IN, IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE SCOPE OF THAT LOVE FEEDBACK REGARDING THAT.

AND, AND THAT'S ALL MALLEABLE BECAUSE WE, UM, HAVEN'T STARTED THAT YET, JIM.

UM, SOME PROMISING, UH, PATHS FORWARD.

SO WITH REFERENCE TO THE, UM, CAMPUSES THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'VE CHOSEN, UH, ARE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, UH, JUST BECAUSE THAT'S AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAMPUS DOESN'T MEAN THAT OTHER STUDENTS IN THE FAMILY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE, UH, UH, EQUIPMENT, UH, UH, THROUGH THEIR COMPUTER.

SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF BROTHER AND SISTER, UH, ARE AT A MIDDLE SCHOOL OR A HIGH SCHOOL, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY JUST GO IN ON THAT SAME, GO IN ON THAT SAME CPE AND BE ABLE TO GO INTO THEIR BLEND COURSES.

AND BASICALLY, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE KIND OF REFER TO AS A I S D EVERYWHERE OR A A S D ANYWHERE.

SO IT'S JUST LIKE THEY'RE IN CLASS WHEN THEY'RE USING THEIR COMPUTERS.

IT'S JUST THAT OPPORTUNITY.

UH, IN ADDITION TO WHAT THEY WOULD DO AS FAR AS HOMEWORK AT HOME OR, UH, RESEARCH PAPERS OR EVEN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE, THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, THEY'LL, UH, THEY, THEY'LL HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO ONLINE AND APPLY TO, UH, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS, UH, WITH REFERENCE TO, UM, UH, KIND OF THE COST OF, UH, THIS PRO, THIS PROJECT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF ESSER FUNDS THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE, UH, UH, BUT THOSE ESSER FUNDS ARE NOT GOING TO LAST FOREVER.

SO, UH, IT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF A TIMELINE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT, GET SOME DATA AND RESEARCH, AND, UH, BE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER SOME, UH, WHAT IF SPREADSHEETS, YOU KNOW, AS, AS TO THE VALUE THAT THIS PROVIDES TO THE DISTRICT, TO OUR STUDENTS.

AND, UH, TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO THEN MAKE THIS A SELF-FUNDING TYPE OF PROJECT THAT WOULD THEN BE ABLE, UH, TO ALLOW US TO GO INTO OTHER AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY.

UH, EVEN IN, UH, CERTAIN AREAS WHERE THERE IS NO CARRIER INTEREST, WE COULD ACTUALLY JUST PUT A, UM, SINGLE MONOPOLE IN THAT AREA AND, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICE, UH, OUR, UH, OUR COMMUNITY STUDENTS IN THAT AREA.

UH, I HAVE A FOLLOW UP, BUT I'LL WAIT ON IT BECAUSE IT MIGHT GET COVERED BY MY PEERS.

I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK FOR EVERYONE TO BE IDENTIFIED, AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I CALL ON YOU SO WE CAN MAKE IT ORDERLY IN TERMS OF THE QUESTION ANSWER SESSION HERE.

AND, UH, I KNOW MY COLLEAGUE IN THE ROOM, UH, IS, UH, EAGER TO ASK QUESTIONS.

UH, SO I'M GONNA PASS SOME QUESTION, UH, TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS FIRST.

THANKS SO MUCH.

THANKS FOR THE, FOR THE PRESENTATION.

DEFINITELY HEAR SOME,

[00:35:01]

CERTAINLY WHAT YOU MENTIONED AROUND THE CARRIER INTEREST WITH, WITH RENTING SPACE ON THE MONOPOLES, AS WELL AS, UH, THE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN.

THAT'LL BE, UH, SORT OF JUST IN TIME.

I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S CERTAINLY THE RIGHT APPROACH.

UH, MY MAIN QUESTION IS, UM, THE NINE CAMPUSES THAT YOU'RE TARGETING.

I'M CURIOUS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY KIND OF AN ANALYSIS DONE OF HOW MANY STUDENTS OR HOUSEHOLDS WILL BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM, UH, AT LEAST THE PILOT PHASE? UH, JIM, DO YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION? YEAH, SO BASICALLY WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, APPRO ANYWHERE FROM 150 TO 200 CPES PER CAMPUS.

AND OF COURSE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, WE COULD ALSO THEN FIND OUT ONCE WE KNOW THE ADDRESSES THAT THOSE CS ARE GOING INTO, HOW MANY STUDENTS OR THOSE, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE OUR, UM, CONSULTANT TO WORKING WITH US, UH, ON IDENTIFYING THOSE STUDENTS.

SO IT'S KIND OF HARD TO RIGHT NOW PUT A, UH, A NUMBER OF STUDENTS, BUT AS FAR AS HOUSEHOLDS, WE PER CAMPUS, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT, UH, ABOUT 200 CPES PER CAMPUS.

AND TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF SCALE, UH, UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 25,000 HOTSPOTS THAT ARE COSTING US 3.5 TO 4 MILLION A YEAR.

SO THAT'S MONEY THAT WE DON'T RECOVER.

AND SO THIS ALSO PROVIDES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOWER THOSE COSTS.

UH, WE STILL, YOU KNOW, AS WE TRANSITION TO MORE AND MORE OF THE MONOPOLES, THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF, UH, HOTSPOTS THAT ARE OUT THERE.

BUT PROBABLY ABOUT 15% OF OUR ENTIRE, UH, STUDENT POPULATION REQUIRES HOT SAUCE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE RELIABLE INTERNET AT HOME.

AND, UH, AND WHEN I, I TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, 25,000 THAT WE'VE PURCHASED, THEY'RE ALL OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

THAT'S HELPFUL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THE, THE, THE RANGE FOR SERVICE IS ABOUT ONE MILE, SO IT'S HELPFUL TO QUANTIFY A HUNDRED TO 200 HOUSEHOLDS.

UH, I'M CURIOUS, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE IN THE FUTURE TO EXPAND THAT COVERAGE BEYOND ONE MILE? SO IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON THE, UM, ENVIRONMENT WHERE, WHERE THE, UH, SCHOOL IS LOCATED AND WHERE THE MONOPOLE IS LOCATED.

UH, JEREMY HAD MENTIONED CLUTTER, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WOULD GET IN THE WAY.

ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WOULD, UH, GIVE TO OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IS TO PUT THE CPE AS OPPOSED TO A WINDOW AS POSSIBLE, SUCH SUCH THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE THE INTERFERENCE IN THE HOUSE.

UM, SO, UH, I WILL SAY THIS, UH, JUST FROM SOME TESTING THAT WE'VE DONE FITTING, YOU KNOW, ON THE RIGHT, UH, UH, SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES, WE'VE HAD A SIGNAL THAT GOES AS FAR AS FIVE MILES, BUT WE WOULD NOT, YOU KNOW, SAY THAT AS A, UH, A GUARANTEE.

SO, UH, WHAT THE PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY SAY IS THAT IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE MILE RADIUS AROUND THE SITE OF THE MONO IS PROBABLY THE BEST, UH, NUMBER TO, TO PUT OUT THERE.

UNDERSTOOD.

THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW.

GOOD QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU FOR THOSE, UH, VICE CHAIR ACA.

UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER SUPTA ALSO HAS QUESTIONS.

I'D LIKE TO PASS IT TO COMMISSIONER SUPTA NOW.

I WANT IS A LEGAL, YOU KNOW, A LAWSUIT THAT SLOWS THIS PROCESS DOWN AND THE CHILDREN ARE DEPRIVED.

UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

AS YOU REMEMBER FROM THE PRESENTATION IN THE TECHNOLOGY WORKING GROUP, THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING GROUP BY .

AND, UM, SO FIRST QUESTION IS CPE.

WHAT'S THE CPE ? YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE OUTER, UH, THE ? YEAH, SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A CONSUMER PREMISES DEVICE.

SO I MEAN, MAYBE J UH, JEREMY WAS BETTER OFF, UH, CALLING IT A ROUTER, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE ON A CABLE SYSTEM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE CABLE BOX FOR IT TO WORK.

SO IT'S JUST A, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT LARGER THAN A HOTSPOT.

UM, BUT, AND IT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT PLUGGED INTO THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET.

AND THEN THERE'S A COUPLE OF LITTLE ANTENNAS THAT AK OKAY.

SO, UH, FOR MY MAIN QUESTION, UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE TALKING TO THE THREE MAJOR, UH, CARRIERS, NATIONWIDE CARRIERS, OR, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LEASING, THE, THE POLES OUT, THE MONO POLES OUT.

UM, COULD THAT CAUSE UH, POSSIBLE LEGAL PROBLEMS WITH, UH, CAREERS THAT FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING LEFT OUT? BECAUSE THE LAST THING

[00:40:01]

YOU KNOW, I WANT THIS THING TO, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS THING GETTING IMPLEMENTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A BRILLIANT IDEA.

SO, UH, GOOD, GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS JARED LADAY AND, UM, WITH BRANCH, UH, WOULD YOU PLEASE TURN YOUR MIC ON HERE? THANK YOU.

MY NAME IS, DO YOU HAVE ME TO REPEAT THE QUESTION? NO, I'M, I'M GOOD.

I'M GOOD.

SO, UM, GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS JARED LADAY.

I'M THE CEO OF BRANCH COMMUNICATIONS.

AND, UH, DEFINITELY APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT AUSTIN SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS PUT IN WITH US TODAY.

I THINK THE VALUE, UH, THAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE IS EXACTLY TO THE QUESTION AT HAND IS, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE ENSURE BOTH TO THE DISTRICT AND TO THE CITY AND TO THE CONSUMERS, THAT EVERY CARRIER HAS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE THIS INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? SO MY COMPANY HAS, UH, MASTER LICENSE AGREEMENTS OR LEASE AGREEMENTS WITH ALL OF THE THREE MAJOR COMPANIES, AND A FOURTH ONE WHO WILL BE INTRODUCED SHORTLY INTO THE, INTO THE, UM, WIRELESS INDUSTRY BEING DISH COMMUNICATIONS AND WILL BE A, A WIRELESS PROVIDER, UH, RELATIVELY SOON AS WELL.

BUT WE HAVE STANDARD AGREEMENTS ALREADY IN PLACE, UH, WITH THE AMOUNT OF IN, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, CAPITAL OUTLAY THAT WE WILL BE INVESTING IN EACH ONE OF THESE SITES.

IT'S IN OUR COLLECTIVE BEST INTERESTS THAT, UH, EVERY CARRIER, UH, BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THESE, IMPROVE THE COVERAGE, UH, INTO THESE COMMUNITIES FROM A WIRELESS STANDPOINT ACROSS THE BOARD AS WELL.

SO, UH, THE, THE DISTRICT IS GONNA AFFORD US ENOUGH GROUND SPACE, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE MOST, UH, UM, IMPORTANT ASPECT TO WHERE, UH, WE'RE MODELING THIS TO WHERE IT'S A ALMOST A PLUG AND PLAY, WHETHER AT AND T IS THE ORIGINAL ANCHOR TENANT, THEY GET ON IT IN DAY ONE, AND THEN TWO YEARS LATER, VERIZON SAYS, I WOULD LIKE TO GET ON THAT TOWER, UH, WITHIN PROBABLY SIX MONTHS, UH, VERIZON COULD BE INSTALLED, BUT IT ALL DEPENDS UPON THEIR NETWORK NEEDS, THEIR CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS AND THINGS THAT DRIVE THEM TO THESE SPECIFIC AREAS AS WELL.

DOES THAT HELP ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? NOT QUITE.

WHATEVER.

SUGGEST ASKING YOU, SINCE THERE, YOU CAN TAKE ABOUT THREE, YOU KNOW, DEVICES ON THESE POLES.

WHAT IF ANOTHER COMPANY COMES TO SAYING, WELL, I DIDN'T GET A FAIR SHOT, AND SUDDENLY YOU'RE FACING A LAWSUIT AND IT SLOWS EVERYTHING DOWN? WELL, I WOULD SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE OWN ABOUT 300 TOWERS NATIONWIDE, AND, UH, I DON'T HAVE A SINGLE TOWER TO DATE WHERE ALL FOUR CARRIERS ARE ON IT, RIGHT? I MEAN, THE NEEDS, THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE, ARE THERE.

UH, TRUST ME, I'D LOVE TO HAVE FOUR ON ALL, ALL FOUR ON EVERY STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THE NEEDS OF AT T ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.

I MEAN, IT'S BEEN VERY INTRIGUING BECAUSE I'M DOING THE SAME EXERCISE WITH OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS AND, AND A HOUSTON AREA DISTRICT.

IT WAS VERY HEAVY BY T-MOBILE.

THEY WERE KIND OF THE, THE MOST INTERESTED, MOST, UH, QUALIFIED, YOU KNOW, DRIVER OF, OF THE NEED.

AND LOCALLY HERE, IT'S, IT'S VERIZON.

SO IT REALLY DEPENDS UPON THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CONSUMER PENETRATION IN THE LOCAL MARKET AND, AND WHO THE, WHERE THESE SITES ARE LOCATED, UM, TO WHERE THE TRUE CONSUMER, CONSUMER CONSUMERS ARE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION AND FOR THAT ANSWER, UH, COMMISSIONER YATES, PLEASE GO RIGHT AHEAD.

YES, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

UH, MY QUESTIONS DEAL WITH HOW THIS COMMISSION WOULD DRAFT A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT.

SO WHAT YOU NEED TO, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FROM CITY COUNCIL IS TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

UM, SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS BESIDES THAT, THAT NEED TO BE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL? UH, NO.

IT'S, IT'S A SINGULAR AMENDMENT TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT STANDARD AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.

UM, IS THERE ANY DRAFT PROPOSAL, UM, THAT CAN, THAT IS ONLINE OR SOMETHING NOW THAT WE COULD REFER TO, UM, WHEN WE DRAFT OUR RECOMMENDATION? JERRY'S HERE? PERFECT TIMING.

HELLO MALCOLM.

UH, JERRY ROTON WITH HOUSING, HOUSING AND PLAN DEPARTMENT.

UM, WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON, MALCOLM IS A AMENDMENT TO WHAT'S CALLED THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND A I S D.

IT IS THE, UM, UNIQUE SET OF DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS THAT, UM, A I S D MUST FOLLOW TO WHEN THEY BUILD THEIR FACILITIES, MOSTLY SCHOOLS.

UM, SO WE ARE, I'M WORKING ON A DRAFT I WAS WORKING ON TODAY ACTUALLY, UM, WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT.

I DON'T

[00:45:01]

HAVE FINAL LANGUAGE YET.

UM, IT WILL BE GOING BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL AS, AS WAS STATED ON, UH, JANUARY 26TH, HOPEFULLY.

UM, SO I'LL GET, I'LL SHARE THAT LANGUAGE WITH THE COMMISSION OR WITH RONDELLA WHO CAN FORWARD IT ONTO AL Y'ALL AS SOON AS WE HAVE IT.

BUT IT'S NOT FINALIZED YET, BUT IT'S NOT TECHNICALLY A LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENT.

IT'S AMENDMENT TO THE, THE INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

SO THAT, UM, LANGUAGE YOU CAN PROBABLY FORWARD TO THE COMMISSION, THE LAND, WE COULD ACTUALLY VOTE ON IT BEFORE JANUARY 26TH.

UM, SO I THINK THAT'S WITHIN OUR TIMELINE OF FEASIBILITY.

NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO, UH, MAKE A PRESENTATION TO AUSTIN HA'S COUNCIL, BUT GENERALLY THEIR MEETINGS ARE AT THE END OF THE MONTH, SO IT WOULD BE A LITTLE LATE JANUARY.

UH, WE WEREN'T ANTICIPATING PRESENTING TO THAT GROUP, BUT I WILL SAY BOTH AS THIS WILL BE A, YOU KNOW, VOTED ON BY THE DISTRICT AND THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, BOTH OF THOSE WILL PRESIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS FOR, UH, SUPPORT AND FOR PEOPLE TO SHARE FEEDBACK, RIGHT? YOU DON'T WANT ANY BUMPS IN THE ROAD.

AND GENERALLY, UH, WHENEVER, UH, ANY KIND OF AMENDMENTS TO THE LAND AVAILABLE CODE COME UP, UH, PEOPLE GET REALLY EXCITED.

SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING YOU CAN EXPECT.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

THAT WAS MY QUESTION.

GREAT QUESTION.

UH, COMMISSIONER YATES, UH, THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING YOURSELF, JERRY, AND FOR ANSWERING THAT QUESTION.

UH, AS A MATTER OF FOLLOW UP, UH, I'D LIKE TO ASK REGARDING SIMILAR OUTREACH, UH, MADE MENTION OF THIS ON OUR CALL THE OTHER DAY, UH, THE DISTRICT ADVISORY COUNCIL, IS THERE ANY PLAN TO INTERACT WITH THEM ON THIS OR HAVE YOU? UH, I'M, I'M SORRY, CHAIR, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHICH, WHICH, WHICH ORDER ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? OR THERE WAS REFERENCE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL AND, AND, UH, HOW INTERACTING WITH THEM MIGHT HELP TO INFORM.

OH, THERE WAS, THERE WAS SOME TALK WITH A I D I THINK ABOUT WORKING WITH THE, UH, CAMPUS ADVISORY COMMITTEES, I BELIEVE THEY'RE CALLED, RIGHT? YES.

SO WE WERE TALKING MORE ABOUT ENGAGING WITH NOT ONLY THE CAMPUS ADVISORY COUNCILS FOR THE NINE CAMPUSES THAT WILL BE A PART OF THIS FIRST PHASE, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY IN TERMS OF OUTREACH TO THE NEIGHBORS ENGAGING WITH, YOU KNOW, THE APPROPRIATE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION GROUPS.

UH, BUT WE WERE ANTICIPATING, YOU KNOW, DOING THAT SUBJECT TO APPROVAL THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY MOVING FORWARD ON THIS PROJECT.

I GUESS IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CHICKEN EGG IN TERMS OF WHEN YOU TALK TO IT.

I, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE CONFUSION BY ENGAGING A CAMPUS ABOUT A MONOPOLE THAT MAY OR NOT EVEN HAPPEN.

SO OUR PLAN WAS VERY MUCH TO LET THEM KNOW THIS IS HAPPENING, UH, AND, AND GET AHEAD OF QUESTIONS, MAKE SURE THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF WHEN THE MONO POLE'S IN PROCESS OF BEING INSTALLED.

UM, BUT IN TERMS OF ENGAGING THEM AT THIS STAGE OF, I GUESS, APPROVALS OF THE PROJECT ITSELF, THAT WASN'T ANTICIPATED, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THE BOARD, UM, AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE BOARD APPROVED THIS PARTNERSHIP BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2021.

SO THERE HAD BEEN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE AROUND THAT AND COMMENT AND IF EXPRESS, IF THERE WAS ANY CONCERNS.

AND THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A RESOLUTION IN MAY OF 2022, ENCOURAGING STAFF OR GUIDING STAFF TO WORK ON THIS AS WELL.

SO AGAIN, THERE WAS ANOTHER POINT IN TIME FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE KIND OF COMMENTED AND, AND BE ENGAGED IN TERMS OF IF THERE'S ANY, UM, PUSHBACK ON IT.

BUT TO DATE, WE'VE JUST SEEN SUPPORT.

AND SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT CONTINUES TO BE THE CASE.

CERTAINLY WE WILL MAKE SURE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF AND OUR NEIGHBORS KNOW ABOUT THIS AS IT BECOMES MORE OF A REALITY.

BUT IN TERMS OF ENGAGING WITH THEM PRIOR TO THIS KIND OF APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT, WE, WE HAVEN'T BEEN WORKING ON THAT V VERY WELL, VERY WELL.

UH, ONE LAST QUESTION FROM MY PART BEFORE I CHECK WITH MY PEERS AGAIN, UH, AS WE'RE REFERRING TO, UH, AN AMENDMENT OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO ANY OF THOSE THOUGHTS OR CHANGES IN YOUR DRAFT AT THIS POINT TODAY? OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO JUST WAIT FOR THAT DRAFT? I THINK, WE'LL, WE'LL WAIT FOR THE DRAFT.

LIKE I SAID, IT'S A INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, NOT THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, RIGHT? PARDON? UM, BUT, UM, YEAH, I'M STILL WORKING WITH OUR LAW DEPARTMENT AND , I'M FINALIZING THE LANGUAGE THAT WE'LL PRE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND TO THE, TO THE BOARD, THE SCHOOL BOARD.

COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS ONLINE? OKAY.

UH, ANY OTHER

[00:50:01]

WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION IN THE ROOM HERE FROM VICE CHAIR COM.

UM, IN THOSE INTERACTIONS THAT YOU'VE HAD WITH A I S D OR OTHER BOARDS, WERE THERE ANY, UM, CONCERNS RAISED AND HOW DID YOU ADDRESS THEM? UH, YOU KNOW, TO DATE, THE ONLY REAL CONCERNS CAME UP WHEN WE WERE ENGAGING WITH THE PRINCIPALS.

AND, AND THAT'S WHERE AFTER THE FACT, AND THIS WAS BACK IN THE SPRING, UH, WE TALKED WITH THEM BEFORE WE, THE CITY COUNCIL, PASSED THAT RESOLUTION, WE STARTED TALKING WITH THE PRINCIPLES THAT, OF THE NINE CAMPUSES THAT WE WERE ANTICIPATING INSTALLING THE MONO POLES, AND THAT'S WHERE WE PUT A RESOURCE PAGE TOGETHER.

AND SO ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE, IF YOU SEARCH PROJECT LIGHTHOUSE THERE IS KIND OF SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU'VE SEE IN THE PRESENTATION ALL ABOUT THIS, AND THEN A FAQ.

AND LIKE I SAID, AS WE CONTINUE TO GET MORE SPECIFICS AS THE PROJECT PROGRESSES, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO UPDATE THAT WEBSITE.

SO THERE'S ALWAYS A RESOURCE, UM, TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE THESE GONNA BE? HOW, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THIS WORK, ET CETERA.

IS THERE A COST TO ME AS A FAMILY IF YOU'RE GONNA GIMME A ROUTE OR DO, DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT? SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE ON THAT, UH, ONE PAGE.

AND THEN HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR FOR THE NEIGHBORS TO UNDERSTAND IN TERMS OF WHAT THE IMPACT IS ON THEM.

AND THEN WHEN WE HAVE THAT DISTRICT WIDE KIND OF INFORMATIONAL MEETING ABOUT THIS, HEY, THESE ARE COMING, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO BE ADDRESSING ALL THOSE QUESTIONS.

AND THEN OUR KIND OF PROTOTYPICAL FORM IS THAT LIKE AFTER THAT ENGAGEMENT, THAT COMMUNITY MEETING THAT GETS POSTED ONLINE, SO ANYONE WHO MISSED IT CAN SEE IT AS WELL AS MEETING NOTES WILL BE THERE.

AND THEN CERTAINLY WE'LL HAVE THEN AN EMAIL LIST FOR ANYONE WHO ATTENDS.

THAT WAY WE CAN SEND UPDATES IF NEEDED.

UM, SO I'LL ONLY SHARE SOME OF MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES AND OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS WELL, WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE INSTALLED THE MONO POLES.

UH, THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT, I WOULD SAY 18 MONTHS AT THIS POINT.

AND I HAD A LOT OF, UH, I WOULDN'T SAY A LOT, BUT I HAD A, A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE REACH OUT TO ME DIRECTLY, AND THE ASIDE FROM SAY, BE SAYING THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE INITIATIVE WITH THE NETWORK, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTION, UH, IT WAS ALSO, CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT CARRIER'S GONNA BE ON IT TO WHERE THEY KNOW AND ARE CONFIRM WHAT WIRELESS IMPROVEMENTS THEY'RE GONNA BE HAVING IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

SO I THINK THAT TIES HAVE KIND OF TURN, AND I REALIZE NOT EVERY CITY, EVERY MUNICIPALITY IS, IS THE SAME.

UH, IT COULD BE VERY DIFFERENT HERE, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM THE, THE TOWER SIDING SOLUTIONS WE GO AND PRESENTED IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCILS AND ZONING BOARDS, UM, IT'S DEFINITELY LESSENED A LOT.

AND IT, AND IT'S, IT'S MORE ABOUT, UH, WHO'S COMING TO PROVIDE THE, THE SOLID WIRELESS COVERAGE THAT A LOT OF THE CONSUMERS EXPECT IN DEMAND.

AND IT HELPS WITH A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING COMPARED TO, YOU KNOW, 15, 20 YEARS AGO.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

WE'VE GOT ONE LAST QUESTION FOR YOU HERE, AND I DON'T WANT TO, UH, UH, DERAIL ANYTHING, BUT AS I PREFER AND HARKEN BACK TO, UH, PRIOR VENDOR SELECTION PROCESSES, WHEREIN THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN INVOLVED AFTER THE FACT AND THEN, UH, PRESENTED, UH, THOUGHTFUL AND, UH, ROBUST MATERIALS ON PROJECTS, UH, WE'VE NOTICED THERE'S BEEN PUSHBACK, UH, AND THAT RESULTED IN THOSE PROJECTS BEING DELAYED AND IT RESULTED IN VENDOR CHANGES.

SO I, I'D LIKE TO JUST ASK IF THERE'S BEEN ANY CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT THE SELECTION OF BRANCH COMMUNICATIONS, AND IF YOU FEEL THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED, IF THERE WERE, UH, I'LL DEFER TO JIM IF HE KNOWS OF ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.

BUT LIKE I SAID, WE WENT THROUGH A, UM, PUBLIC PROCESS AROUND THAT.

AND AGAIN, IT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD.

SO IF THERE WERE ANY CONCERNS IN THE FALL OF 2021 WHEN IT WAS AWARDED, THE, YOU KNOW, THE AGREEMENT WAS BASICALLY APPROVED BETWEEN BRANCH AND, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

YOU KNOW, THAT OPPORTUNITY WAS PRESENTED TO THE COMMUNITY, TO THE PUBLIC TO, UH, COMMENT.

JIM, ARE YOU, WAS THERE ANY, DID ANYTHING COME UP IN THAT PROCESS? UM, I DON'T RECALL ANYTHING THAT CAME UP.

I MEAN, IT'S LIKE ANY DOCUMENT, JUST LIKE THE ILA THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH NOW.

THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE IT WAS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENTS, BUT JUST, UH, UH, A, A, A FEATURE OF OUR WORLD TODAY.

SO, UH, I MEAN, I THINK THAT, UH, WE'VE BEEN,

[00:55:01]

WE WERE, WE'VE BEEN EXCEEDING TO BE HAPPY WITH BRANCH.

I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'RE WORKING IN OTHER PEOPLE DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, NO ISSUES ALONG THAT LINE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, THOSE SCENARIOS DID INVOLVE VENDORS FROM OUTTA STATE AND OTHER PLACES, SO, UH, THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR.

AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL NOW CHECK REAL QUICK ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES.

LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOOD.

WELL, WITH THAT THEN, I WANT TO THANK YOU, JEREMY, JARED AND JERRY.

UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

AND JIM, YEAH, THE FOUR, THE FOUR JS , THE FOUR JS, UH, AND GO PERFORM NOW AND MOTOWN GROUP.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, BEING ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE DRAFTS OF THE, OF THE MLA'S YOU, YOU MAY MENTION OF, AND TO HELPING ANY WAY THAT WE CAN.

NUMBER FOUR, THE GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM 2023, UPDATE BY JESSE RODRIGUEZ, OUR PROGRAM MANAGER.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT, ENTHUSIASM FOR THIS PROJECT.

JUST WANNA ECHO AGAIN, FOR CLARITY'S SAKE.

IT, IT IS AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DISTRICT AND THE CITY THAT WE'RE AMENDING RELATIVE TO CAMPUS DEVELOPMENTS, NOT THE CITYWIDE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

IT'S RIGHT.

ENTER LOCAL AGREEMENT.

PRECISE.

YEAH, EXACTLY.

, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT.

THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.

OKAY, SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED IN OUR AGENDA, UH, TO GEN ITEM

[4. Grant for Technology Opportunities Program 2023 Update (Jesse Rodriguez, Program Manager) ]

GO RIGHT AHEAD, JESSE.

CHAIR PITTS, UH, JESSE RODRIGUEZ WITH THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY DIVISION.

AGAIN, I HAVE A LIGHTNING QUICK UPDATE ON THIS ONE.

I DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH TO SHARE.

UM, BUT I DID WANT TO HAVE SPACE ON THE AGENDA JUST TO MAKE THE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM, UH, 2023 CYCLE IS NOW OPEN.

SO WE ARE ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS RIGHT NOW, UM, FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING IN THE, THE DIGITAL EQUITY SPACE.

UM, YOU CAN GO TO G TOPS.ORG IF YOU ARE A NONPROFIT WHO IS INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR FUNDING FROM OUR PROGRAM.

AND WE WOULD LOVE TO, UM, UH, HAVE ALL OF YOU APPLY.

UH, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF $275,000 AVAILABLE IN THE GTOP S CORE PROGRAM THIS YEAR, AND THOSE, EACH INDIVIDUAL AWARD IS UP TO $35,000.

SO WITH THAT, I REALLY JUST WANTED TO, UH, MAKE PUBLIC MENTION OF THAT AND TO, UH, ASK FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO SPREAD THE WORD THROUGH YOUR NETWORKS.

UM, THE, THE LETTER OF INTEREST PROCESS HAS BEEN OPEN SINCE NOVEMBER 1ST, AND IT WILL CLOSE ON JANUARY 9TH, SORRY, JANUARY 8TH.

UM, SO, UH, WE NEED TO HAVE THE LETTERS OF INTEREST IN BY THAT DATE TO CONSIDER YOUR APPLICATION.

UM, SO IF, UH, AGAIN, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD THROUGH YOUR NETWORKS, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR FORWARD ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL MIGHT NEED.

AWESOME.

10 OR 11, UH, ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED ON THE CALL.

AWESOME.

THANK YOU FOR THAT, JESSE.

UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, A AS EVERYONE KNOWS, YOU'RE ON THE COMMISSION.

AND FOR THE, THE SAKE OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE UNAWARE, THIS COMMISSION IS, UH, INEXTRICABLY TIED TO THE GTOP S PROGRAM THROUGH OUR FOCUS ON DIGITAL INCLUSION, UH, THROUGH OUR APPROVAL OF THE FUNDING AWARDS, THROUGH OUR, UH, FEEDBACK LOOP AS IT RELATES TO THE DIFFERENT FUNDING CHANNELS, UH, THROUGH, UH, THE UNANIMOUS VOTE BY THIS COMMISSION TO DOUBLE THE FUNDING AMOUNT, UH, TWO YEARS AGO.

UH, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING AN ONGOING PARTNER, UH, IN THIS EFFORT AND, AND APPLAUD THE EFFORTS OF A FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THEIR WORK ON THIS PROGRAM, UH, PARTICULARLY AS, AS JESSE HAS HAD TO WEAR MULTIPLE HATS, UH, IN HIS, HIS ROLE TRANSITIONING FROM INTERIM TO PROGRAM, UH, MANAGER, WHILE ALSO BEING THE BUSINESS PROCESS SPECIALIST AND, UH, WEARING OTHER HATS, UH, FOR OTHER VACANCIES IN THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT THAT ARE BEING FILLED.

UH, BUT JUST WANTED TO PLOT THAT EFFORT.

UH, I DID WANNA ASK ONE QUESTION TOO, RELATED TO, UH, THIS PAST WEEK, UH, SINCE THERE WAS A COMMUNITY MEETING THAT INCLUDED SOME NONPROFITS, UH, JUST TO SEE HOW THAT MEETING, UH, WENT, HOW, HOW WELL IT WAS ATTENDED AND, AND, UH, WERE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? SURE.

UH, IF I'M, IF I'M CORRECTLY IDENTIFYING THE MEETING, I BELIEVE WE HAD A GTOP S ORIENTATION LAST THURSDAY EXACTLY.

AND, UH, WE, WE HAD A FAIRLY GOOD PARTICIPATION.

THE PURPOSE OF THAT MEETING IS TO INVITE ANY MEMBERS OF THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY WHO ARE INTERESTED IN APPLYING.

UH, WE GIVE A FULL PRESENTATION ON WHAT THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ARE, THE PROGRAM PARAMETERS, UH, HOW TO APPLY THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

UH, BASIC OVERVIEW OF GTOP PS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.

UM, WE DID HAVE A FAIRLY DECENT, UH, UH, NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS PRESENT.

I THINK WE HAD AROUND

[01:00:01]

UM, AND WE HAVE CURRENTLY, UH, I BELIEVE NINE LETTERS OF INTEREST ON FILE.

SO WE'RE OFF TO A, A FAIRLY GOOD EARLY CLIP ON THE APPLICATION PROCESS.

UM, AND STILL PLENTY OF TIME FOR THOSE LETTERS OF INTEREST TO COME IN FOR SURE.

UM, BUT YEAH, UH, CHAIR PITS, I THINK THAT MEETING WENT WELL.

WE HAD A LOT OF GREAT, UM, QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND I'VE, UH, FIELDED A NUMBER OF CALLS SINCE THEN WITH OTHER INTERESTED ORGANIZATIONS TO KIND OF WALK THEM THROUGH, UH, THE GRANT AS WELL.

AWESOME.

THAT'S GREAT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? OKAY.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT LIGHTNING UPDATE.

THAT WAS GREAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, JESSE.

APPRECIATE THAT.

UH, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD IN OUR AGENDA NOW, UH,

[5. Digital Inclusion Town Hall Listening Session Report (Commission Discussion and Action)]

TO AGENDA ITEM DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, RATHER, UH, BEGINNING WITH NUMBER FIVE, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSION REPORT.

UH, AND BEFORE I, I START THIS ROUND OF DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. I WANT TO PROVIDE A STATEMENT, UH, RELATED TO, UH, FRANKLY, EVERYTHING, UM, AS IT RELATES TO MY WORK HERE ON THE COMMISSION.

UH, YOU KNOW, MY WORK IN DIGITAL INCLUSION AND ON THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN LARGELY INFLUENCED BY MY PASSION FOR EQUITY, UH, AND HAVING TWO DEAF GRANDPARENTS THAT ATTENDED THE SCHOOL, UH, FOR THE DEAF, DUMB AND ORPHANED, AS IT WAS CALLED FOR COLORED YOUTH HERE IN AUSTIN.

UM, AND GROWING UP IN A SINGLE PARENT FAMILY BORN, UH, FROM THOSE TWO WONDERFUL GRANDPARENTS, UH, THAT FAMILY INCLUDED MY SISTER, UH, WHO REGRETTABLY HAD JUST PASSED AWAY UNEXPECTEDLY A COUPLE OF, UH, WEEKS AGO BEFORE, UH, JUST BEFORE THANKSGIVING.

AND, UH, I DON'T WANNA BRING US DOWN, UM, BUT I, I DO WANNA SPEAK TO, UH, MY UNATTAINED GOAL, UH, TO LEVERAGE SOME TIME DURING THE HOLIDAYS, UH, TO ADVANCE SOME OF THESE OBJECTIVES, UH, AS I'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON FAMILY AND GRIEVING.

AND, UH, ASK FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THAT AS A COMMISSION, AS SOME OF THESE ITEMS, UH, WILL NEED TO BE WORKED ON IN THE FUTURE.

UH, HAVING SAID THAT, I, I WANNA MAKE FULL USE OF OUR TIME HERE TODAY, UH, WITHOUT KEEPING US TOO LATE.

BECAUSE WE DO HAVE QUITE A FEW THINGS TO GO OVER.

UH, SO I, I'D ASK THAT AS WE CONTINUE ON IN OUR AGENDA, UH, AND WE GET CLOSER TO THE, THE END OF OUR NORMAL STOP TIME, UH, THAT WE KEEP THAT IN MIND.

UH, SO WITH THAT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND JUMP INTO THE, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSION REPORT AND THIS REPORT, UH, I, I'M DELIGHTED TO GIVE, ALTHOUGH IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE, UH, OUR TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSIONS HAVE BEEN A MAJOR FOCUS OF, OF THIS COMMISSION, UH, REALLY SINCE THE PANDEMIC, UH, IN 2020 IN PARTICULAR, UH, THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, AS WE ALL KNOW HERE IN THE ROOM, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE COMMUNITY, AGAIN, HAS A DEDICATED FOCUS ON DIGITAL INCLUSION AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, UH, WITH INCLUSION FOR ALL AND EQUITY AS OUR DEFINED STRATEGIC OUTCOME FOR DISAFFECTED AND UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.

UH, THIS DEDICATION IS REFLECTED AGAIN, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IN THE YEARLY ADMINISTRATION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM BY THE TELE MUTATIONS AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS, UH, OFFICE IN COORDINATION WITH THE CTT C.

UH, THAT 2020 CONVENING WAS AN ONLINE CONVENING BY REQUIREMENT, BECAUSE WE WERE FORCED TO MEET ONLINE AND HAD NO OTHER OPTIONS.

UH, THANKFULLY, AGAIN, OUR COMMISSION WAS PREPARED, UH, HAVING ALREADY BEGUN TO PILOT REMOTE PARTICIPATION.

AND SO IT WENT QUITE WELL, UH, IN THAT CONVENING.

UH, AGAIN, THE PURPOSE WAS TO, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, WAS TO ALLOW OUR CITIZENS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECTLY COMMUNICATE THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES AND PERSISTENT CHALLENGES WITH ACCESSING INTERNET ENABLED DEVICES AND EQUITABLE BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICES.

UH, THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY MEMBER ACCOUNTS PROVIDED US CHALLENGED DATA POINTS FOR CATALOGING AND POTENTIAL RESOLUTION.

AND SINCE THAT PROCESS BEGAN IN 2020, WE HAVE SEEN THAT PROCESS YIELD RESULTS.

UH, WE HAVE SEEN THOSE DIRECT CHALLENGE POINTS CONVEYED, INFORM POLICYMAKING DECISIONS HERE IN THE CITY, HELP TO INFORM OUR ADMINISTRATION OF THE OS PROGRAM, AND

[01:05:01]

HELPED TO INFORM CERTAINLY A NEED TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS.

WE HAD OUR NEXT CONVENING, UH, ONLINE AS WELL, ALTHOUGH WE WERE KIND OF IN THAT HYBRID, UH, TIMEFRAME.

AND THIS TOOK PLACE, UH, WITH, UH, THE, AND, AND BY THE WAY, TO CLARIFY, UH, THAT CONVENING, UH, CONCLUDED A HOST OF, UH, OF CITY LEADERS, UH, A AS WELL AS NONPROFIT LEADERS.

UH, THOSE INCLUDE MEMBERS FROM THE UNITED WAY OF GREATER AUSTIN, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN PATHWAYS, AS WELL AS THE AUSTIN URBAN TECHNOLOGY MOVEMENT.

IT INCLUDED, UH, A HOST OF OUR COMMISSIONERS HERE, UH, SOME WHO HAVE HAVE PASSED, UH, RATHER, PERHAPS SOME WHO HAVE, UH, UH, SINCE RESIGNED OR MOVED ON TO OTHER THINGS BASED ON THEIR CAREER PATHS, UH, AND MANY THAT ARE HERE STILL TODAY, AS WELL AS ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAFF.

SO, AS I MENTIONED, THAT PROCESS CONTINUED, UH, INTO THE NEXT YEAR WITH AN ONLINE CONVENING, UH, WITH THE HELP OF MISSION CAPITAL, AND INCLUDED A VARIETY OF OUR COMMISSION MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE PRESENT TODAY.

UH, AND SO JUST TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THOSE WHO ARE STILL WITH THE COMMISSION THAT PLAYED A ROLE IN THE FIRST MEETING, UH, I WANT TO GIVE THANKS TO, UH, OUR, OUR COMMISSIONERS, MALCOLM YATES, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON AND COMMISSIONER SUPTA AND MYSELF, WHO WERE PART OF THAT INITIAL CONVENING.

AGAIN, THAT PROCESS CONTINUED, UH, WITH COLLABORATION FROM MISSION CAPITAL AND EXPANDED THE AUDIENCE AMONGST COMMISSIONERS, INCLUDING NEW COMMISSIONERS.

UH, TWO OF OUR NEWEST AT THE TIME.

UH, OUR VICE CHAIR, ALTHOUGH AT THE TIME, UH, JUST COMMISSIONER, UH, STEVEN APODACA AND OUR COMMISSIONER ONLINE, UH, MAXINE ISLAND.

IT ALSO INCLUDED, UH, OUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS, UH, AT THE TIME, DIGITAL INCLUSION FELLOW COTAN HARMON, AS WELL AS, UH, OUR, AT THE TIME, MAYOR PROTON, UH, PROTE, NATASHA HARPER MADISON, AS WELL AS DISTINGUISHED STAFF, UH, FROM MISSION CAPITAL.

WELL, IN THE SPIRIT OF THOSE COLLABORATIONS, UH, AND IDENTIFYING THE NEED, UH, PARTNERS PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THAT EFFORT, UH, ONCE MORE UNITED WAY OF GREATER AUSTIN.

UH, AND, AND AT THAT TIME, UH, PAULA SYLVERE, THE DIRECTOR OF FAMILY PATHWAYS FOR THE UNITED WAY OF GREATER AUSTIN, UH, AS WELL AS KATHERINE KRAGO WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN PATHWAYS.

I SAY AT THAT TIME BECAUSE, UH, ALTHOUGH MANY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE MAINTAINED THEIR SUPPORT, SOME OF THE PLAYERS HAVE CHANGED, AND, UH, AS IS NOT TO BE UNEXPECTED, UH, THEY ACHIEVED GREATER HEIGHTS IN THEIR CAREERS, BUT YET STILL REMAINED INVOLVED IN THE COST.

AND THAT LED US TO THE COLLABORATIONS THAT WE DID THIS YEAR, UH, INCLUDING THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

NOW, IN TERMS OF, UH, OF THOSE COLLABORATIONS, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT I CALL OUT KEY INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE SUPPORTIVE OF THE EFFORT FROM A PLANNING STANDPOINT AND FROM A ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STANDPOINT, UH, BASED UPON ALL THE HARD WORK THEY PUT IN TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.

UH, SENIOR LEADERSHIP FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY INCLUDE DIRECTOR WEEKS, AS WELL AS EMMY JOHNSON.

UH, ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP, UH, FROM THE LIBRARY INCLUDES, UH, THE, THERE'S A COUPLE OF TEAM MEMBERS HERE.

BEAR IT WITH ME.

UH, OUR FIRST ENGAGEMENT, UH, TOOK PLACE AT THE SOUTHEAST BRANCH LIBRARY.

WE HAD TWO DIFFERENT SEPARATE ENGAGEMENTS THERE, UH, AND I'VE SPOKEN TO THOSE EARLIER THIS YEAR, BUT I WANT TO, IN, IN, IN THE CHRONOLOGY ACKNOWLEDGED LEADERSHIP OF, UH, THE BRANCH MANAGER THERE.

IT, RENA, HER LAST NAME'S ESCAPING ME RIGHT NOW.

UH, I APOLOGIZE.

UH, IRENE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HER HELP AND ASSISTANCE WITH COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UH, AT THE ENGAGEMENT AT SOUTHEAST BRANCH, UH, WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE A BILINGUAL ENGAGEMENT, UH, IN ONE ROOM, SPANISH SPEAKING, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND IN THE OTHER ROOM, ENGLISH SPEAKING COMMUNITY

[01:10:01]

MEMBERS ARE ALL RELAYING, UH, INVALUABLE INSIGHTS INTO THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY EXPERIENCED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES AS WELL, LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY.

SO, WITH THAT IN MIND, I WANT TO THANK, UH, AND I'VE, I'VE THANKED THESE INDIVIDUALS ALREADY, BUT ON THE RECORD, I WANT TO, UH, FORMALLY, UH, THANK SOME KEY INDIVIDUALS HERE.

AGAIN, THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE TO LIST THEM ON THE RECORD.

PITT, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR ER, IRENE'S LAST NAME OR OTHER FOLKS AS WELL? WELL, HERS AS WELL, BUT YEAH, SO PLEASE, YEAH.

P FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN IF YOU CAN HELP WITH SOME OF THE, UH, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THAT I'M WORKING ON HERE.

UH, UH, I KNOW AARON'S LAST NAME IS MAGANA.

NO, NOVA.

NOVA.

NOVA, YEAH.

I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY DOCUMENTS HERE, AND I CAN, UH, PERHAPS THROW OUT SOME MORE NAMES, UH, THAT, UH, FOLKS THAT WERE INVOLVED.

I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA MISS ANYBODY.

UH, YES, PLEASE, PLEASE.

I KNOW THAT WE ALSO HAD, UH, ERIC LINDHOLM WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, UH, HOUSING AUTHORITY.

WE HAD DANNY REDDY WITH THE LIBRARY.

WE HAD IAM LEON WITH GOODWILL AND LYNN COWS WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, AND, UH, CARMITA MCKENNA WILLIAMS WITH THE CITY, FRANCISCO GALLEGOS WITH UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL TEXAS, AND PAULA MONTOYA CASTRO WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS WELL.

AND, AND JESS WA JESS ROSS WITH AUSTIN FREENET.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

AND, UH, AND THAT'S A GOOD TRANSITION, UH, BECAUSE AS I MAY MENTION, UH, UH, THE ASSISTANCE FROM SOME INDIVIDUALS EVEN PERSISTED AS THEY SWITCHED ORGANIZATIONS.

AND SO, AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS P SYLVERE.

UH, SHE ACTUALLY IS NOW, UH, A LEADER FOCUSED ON DIGITAL INCLUSION MATTERS AT INDEED, UH, BUT PROCEEDED TO THEN BECOME A SPONSOR OF OUR FUTURE EVENTS.

THAT GIVES US A, A GOOD SEGUE TO THEN, UH, TRANSITION OUT OF THOSE, UH, THAT AS WELL AS GOOD WORK AUSTIN, WHO, UH, PROVIDED FOOD SUPPORT FOR BOTH ENGAGEMENTS, THE TWO DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENTS THAT WE HAD AT THE SOUTHEAST BRANCH LIBRARY.

UH, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS, UH, REPORT NOW, I'LL DEFINITELY CONSIDER PRELIMINARY AND REALLY MORE OF AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

UH, I WILL MAKE THIS A PRIORITY BY THE NEXT MEETING, UH, TO FORMALLY LIST EVERY INDIVIDUAL THAT THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED, AS WELL AS, UH, THE, THE DATA POINTS THAT WERE GOING TO BE SHARED.

UH, ALTHOUGH I'VE GOT MANY OF THEM HERE, UH, I, I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A NEED TO, UH, TO MAKE THIS A PRESENTATION THAT CAN ACTUALLY BE CONTRIBUTED ON THE RECORD, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.

ALTHOUGH I'LL, I'LL READ AND SPEAK TO SOME OF THOSE TODAY.

I DID ACTUALLY, UH, SEND, UH, CITY AV A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT REFER TO TOWN HALLS.

UH, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO REFERENCE THEM AND PUT THEM ON THE SCREEN, THAT'LL BE FINE.

IF NOT, THAT'S, THAT'S FINE TOO.

UM, IN RELATION TO TRANSITIONING FROM THE TWO DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT WE HAD, UH, IN LATE APRIL AND EARLY MAY AT THE SOUTHEAST BRANCH LIBRARY, FOCUSED ON THE DOVE SPRINGS

[01:15:01]

COMMUNITY.

AND THE KEY THING, AGAIN, UH, THAT I WANNA REITERATE ABOUT, UH, IN REPORTING ON THE TOWN HALL ENGAGEMENTS, IS THAT THE MAIN FOCUS WAS KEEPING THEM VERY COMMUNITY FOCUSED AND HYPER-LOCAL, BOTH IN TERMS OF LOCATION AND ALLOWING COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO THEN VISIT AND PARTICIPATE THAT WOULD USE THOSE BRANCH, UH, LIBRARIES OR PUBLIC FACILITIES, AS WELL AS, UH, ENGAGING IN COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO THEN ENGAGE IN OUTREACH TO INVITE PEOPLE, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE MEETINGS.

AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ROLE OF OTHER PEOPLE, UH, INCLUDING, UH, IRENA, THE BRANCH MANAGER AT THE SOUTHEAST BRANCH, AND OTHERS, UH, LIKE, UH, I KNOW FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WE HAD, WE HAD, UH, PARTICIPATION FROM AT LEAST ONE CO, UH, UH, CONSTABLE AND ONE A I S D, UH, FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, UH, A AS WELL.

UM, AND AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE THAT I DON'T HAVE THAT NAME RIGHT NOW, ALTHOUGH I, I'M THINKING OF CO UH, CONSTABLE MORALES, AND I BELIEVE, UH, UM, A, AS I KNOW SHE ATTENDED THE TECH FOR ALL FESTIVAL.

I'M, I'M SEEING HER FACE RIGHT NOW, AND HER NAME'S ESCAPING ME.

UM, I, I'M DRAWING A BLANK, UH, THERE, BUT, UH, HAVING ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED HER, I JUST WANTED TO, TO MAKE SURE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THOSE NAMES WILL BE FORMALLY AVAILABLE ON THE RECORD.

UH, WELL, THAT GETS US AGAIN TO, UH, TO THE LATER ENGAGEMENTS THIS YEAR, UM, AT THE TARAS BRANCH LIBRARY AND AT THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER, UH, WHERE WE HOSTED, UH, AN ENGAGEMENT HERE IN OCTOBER, UH, JUST AFTER OUR LAST MEETING.

AND IN EARLY NOVEMBER, UH, RESPECTIVELY, BOTH OF THOSE MEETINGS WERE VERY WELL ATTENDED, UH, WITH ROBUST CONVERSATIONS AND, AND, AND ENGAGEMENT AMONGST THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WERE PRESENT.

UH, I DO WANT TO RELAY, AS I DID BEFORE WITH THE, THE PRIOR, UH, MEETINGS, A COUPLE OF, OF INSIGHTS FROM THOSE MEETINGS TODAY.

UM, REALLY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT, IT'S NOT REALLY FAIR FOR ME TO DO THAT WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO RELAY ALL THE CONCERNS TO, TO SOME DEGREE.

UH, BUT AGAIN, THE KEY IS THAT EACH OF THESE ENGAGEMENTS HAS BEEN FOCUSED AROUND, UH, GIVING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS A CHANCE TO ENGAGE TO, TO, TO SEE FIRSTHAND THAT WE AS POLICY MAKERS OR INFLUENCERS CARE, UH, AND THAT WE'RE LISTENING TO THEM, AND THAT WE'RE ENGAGED IN THEM IN THEIR EXPERIENCES AND THEIR CHALLENGES ON, ON A CONSISTENT BASIS.

UH, ONE THING THAT WAS BORN OUT OF EARLIEST MEETINGS WAS A NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT TO CONTINUE.

UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, AS EVERY ENGAGEMENT THIS YEAR HAS BEEN, UH, ALSO ATTENDED BY, UH, OUR VICE CHAIR, STEVEN APODACA.

I'D LIKE TO GIVE HIM A CHANCE WHILE I TEE UP SOME OF THE DATA POINTS FROM THE ENGAGEMENTS.

UH, I HAVE THEM IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WHAT, AS I TEE UP A COUPLE OF THE ENGAGEMENTS, UH, DATA POINTS FROM OUR ENGAGEMENTS AT TARA'S BRANCH AND THE ARC, UH, TO SHARE HIS THOUGHTS AS WELL.

UH, ALTHOUGH THERE WILL BE A MORE FORMAL REPORT, WHICH WILL INCLUDE INPUT FROM, UH, VICE STRAKKA, AS WELL AS INPUT FROM AMY JOHNSON WITH RESPECT TO THE LIBRARY ENGAGEMENTS.

THOSE, UM, THESE TYPES OF EVENTS LISTENING SESSIONS, AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO BRING SOME OF THE RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING THOSE RESOURCES, UM, DIRECTLY TO, UM, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT WE'RE LISTENING TO.

UM, JUST THINKING FOR MYSELF PERSONALLY, THE, UH, THE FOUR SESSIONS THAT WE'VE LED HAVE REALLY BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE HEARING DIRECTLY FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, ON THEIR DIGITAL EQUITY NEEDS, EXPECTATIONS, EXPERIENCES, SO THAT WE ARE THEN ABLE TO, UM, COMMUNICATE SOME OF THOSE DESIRES TO NOT ONLY THE REST OF THE COMMISSION, BUT TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL.

UM, HEARING LIVED EXPERIENCES WAS PARTICULARLY IMPACTFUL FOR ME, PARTICULARLY FROM THE, THE HOMELESS POPULATION.

IT WAS REALLY EYE-OPENING TO HEAR HOW IMPORTANT HAVING A MOBILE DEVICE AND POWER FOR THAT MOBILE DEVICE IS FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY OF, OF, UM, FOLKS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

SO, MOVING FORWARD, I HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW

[01:20:01]

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UH, VICE CHAIR.

UM, AND BEWELL SAID, YOU KNOW, I, I, I, JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THAT, IN TERMS OF, UH, THE TARAS BRANCH, UH, ENGAGEMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MADE OUR PROCESS OF SELECTING THE LIBRARY LOCATION, NECESSARILY FLUID AS WE BASE IT UPON, UH, OUR CAPABILITIES IN TERMS OF, UH, GAINING ATTENDANCE AND TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO RSVP.

UM, WE WERE IN COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, EMMY JOHNSON AND HER LEADERSHIP TEAM, UH, ABOUT HOSTING EVENTS AT RUIZ BRANCH, AS WELL AS TARAS BRANCH, UH, IN ADDITION TO LITTLE WALNUT CREEK AND OTHERS THAT WE'VE, UH, IDENTIFIED, UH, WITH THE GOAL, FRANKLY, OF HOSTING ONE IN EVERY DISTRICT IN THE CITY, BUT STARTING IN AREAS THAT WE KNOW ARE DEALING WITH CHALLENGES WITH DIGITAL INCLUSION, UH, AND, UH, WITH POPULATIONS THAT COULD BENEFIT DIRECTLY FROM THE IMMEDIATE ENGAGEMENT.

WELL, AS I FOUND MYSELF, UH, REACHING OUT TO TARA'S BRANCH AND ACTUALLY GOING DIRECTLY TO THE LIBRARY TO VISIT AND TO, TO, TO TOUR THE FACILITY, IT WAS THEN THAT I WAS ADVISED THAT I WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO ACTUALLY GET IN FRONT OF, UH, THE HOMELESS ADVI, THE HOMELESSNESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, AND TO THEN ACTUALLY DIRECTLY RECRUIT MEMBERS FROM THAT COMMITTEE, UH, AND AS LEADERS WHO USE THE TERRAS BRANCH, UH, TO THEN ENGAGE IN OUTREACH.

AND, UH, AND THEY WERE EXTREMELY HELPFUL IN TERMS OF THEIR INSIGHTS AND THEIR ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN OUTREACH, UH, AND IN ADDITION, UH, TO, UH, THEIR LIAISON, UH, WHO WAS ALSO VERY HELPFUL.

UM, AND I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF THOSE NAMES.

NOW TODAY, FOR ONE, UH, DANNY WALKER, UH, IS THE BRANCH MANAGER AT TARA'S BRANCH, WHO, UH, WELCOMED US WITH OPEN ARMS. AND EVEN THOUGH HE COULD NOT ATTEND THE EVENT, UH, HE WAS ABLE TO DELEGATE RESPONSIBILITIES TO, TO OTHER TEAM MEMBERS THAT WERE EXTREMELY HELPFUL.

UH, AMONG THOSE, UH, WOULD INCLUDE MARK FANON STEEL, AS WELL AS, UH, CARLOS PENN, ALTHOUGH CARLOS, UH, IS THE BRANCH MANAGER FROM, UH, PARIS LIBRARY, WHO I, WE WERE IN COMMUNICATION WITH, AS I MENTIONED, UH, A KEY SUPPORT ROLE WAS PLAYED BY ZACH SCHLATER, WHO IS THE DIGITAL NAVIGATOR.

THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY AT TARA'S BRANCH LIBRARY, WHO, IN ADDITION TO, UH, BEING A SHINING STAR FOR HELPING PEOPLE WITH, UH, CLASSES AND GUIDANCE THERE ON COMPUTERS AT THE LIBRARY, ALSO ENGAGED IN OUTREACH AND, UH, AND HELPED BOLSTER ATTENDANCE AT THE EVENT.

UH, AS VICE CHAIR DACA MENTIONED, UH, IT WAS VERY POWERFUL LISTENING TO SOME OF THE NEEDS CONVEYED, UH, YOU KNOW, NEEDING MORE PLACES TO CHARGE BATTERIES, UH, THANKING, BEING, HEARING APPRECIATION FOR THE EFFECT THAT PEOPLE COULD CHARGE BATTERIES AT THE LIBRARIES, BUT HOW THEY COULD USE MORE, UH, NEEDING TO KNOW WHERE PLACES WERE, WHERE PEOPLE COULD GET CHARGING STATIONS, WHERE THEY COULD GET FREE WIFI.

UH, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT BASED UPON THE DYNAMICS FOR OUR, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THAT WE MIGHT CONSIDER IN TERMS OF SOLUTIONS, LIKE HAVING CHARGING STATIONS WITH LOCKS LIKE THEY DO AT SOME RETAIL LOCATIONS, UH, TO AVOID PEOPLE FROM HAVING TO STAND IN, IN A, IN A SPOT FOR TWO TO THREE HOURS TO PROTECT THEIR PHONE WHILE IT'S CHARGING, UH, A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL CLASSES, A NEED FOR, UH, KNOW-HOW IN TERMS OF INTERNET USAGE SETTINGS, ESPECIALLY FOR OLDER GENERATIONS, UH, IDEAS, GREAT SOLUTION IDEAS THAT WILL BE HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE WITH UNIQUE NEEDS, UH, SCROLLING BOARDS, UH, WITH NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, PARTICULARLY WHEN CASE WORKERS ARE LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS.

AND THERE'S A DISCONNECT WITH SERVICES BECAUSE THERE'S A DISCONNECT IN COMMUNICATION.

THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY USEFUL

[01:25:01]

INSIGHTS, UH, THAT, UH, I'M, I JUST FEEL, UH, REALLY THRILLED, NOT, NOT THE RIGHT WORD, BUT JUST HONORED TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THIS KIND OF LIVED EXPERIENCE AND INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE DIRECTLY EXPERIENCING THESE CHALLENGES, TO BE ABLE TO INFORM ME, UH, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY, AND TO BE ABLE TO PASS THESE INSIGHTS ON AND REPORT TO OUR CITY COUNCIL.

UH, I'VE, I'VE GOT THEM ALL LISTED OUT HERE, BUT I, I COULDN'T GET THEM TO FIT INTO, UH, THERE'S SO MANY, I COULDN'T GET THEM TO FIT INTO THE, THE SLIDESHOW, UH, THAT I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH, UH, TARA, IF I CAN, TO HELP MAKE THIS MORE CONSUMABLE.

UH, CUZ THERE IS SO MUCH, AND, UH, WITHOUT SURPRISE.

UH, THEY WERE ALSO VERY CANDID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT THEY HAD RELATED TO SIGNAL STRENGTH AND, AND, AND CHALLENGES, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT SECURITY, CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, INTIMIDATION AROUND TECHNOLOGY.

UH, BUT UNIQUE CONCERNS RELATED TO THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT ALSO, UH, OLDER PEOPLE, UH, WHO ARE OFTEN NOT NECESSARILY PROVIDE THE SAME KIND OF, UH, PEER GROUP, UH, EXPERTISE AND INSIGHTS OR, OR, OR GUIDANCE, BUT YET, UH, RELIANT AND, UH, BEING ABLE TO DO QUITE A BIT WITH THE HELP OF RESOURCES LIKE OUR LIBRARY.

UH, THESE TWO, UH, THIS PARTICULAR ENGAGEMENT ONCE MORE WAS ATTENDED BY RESOURCE PARTNERS.

AND, UH, WITHOUT THE SUCCESS, WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THEIR HELP, WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A SUCCESS.

UH, SPECIFICALLY AUSTIN FREENET AND, UH, GOODWILL, GOODWILL OF AUSTIN.

UH, I KNOW IAM DE DELEON WAS ALREADY MENTIONED, UH, BUT I WANNA MAKE SPECIAL MENTION OF, UH, JESS ROSS'S TEAM, UH, WHO WAS ALSO PRESENT AND PLAYED KEY ROLE AND ASSISTANCE AS, UH, PROVIDING SCRIBES AND, AND, AND PLAYING KEY ROLES.

UH, WE MAY MENTION OF SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS EARLIER.

UH, UH, KATE THORTON WAS MENTIONED, UH, A AS WELL AS, UM, AND THIS IS GONNA BE A VERY IMPORTANT ONE CUZ SHE PLAYED A KEY ROLE.

UM, PLEASE HELP ME, UM, I'M SEEING HER FACE RIGHT NOW.

UM, THERE WAS TWO INDIVIDUALS FROM AUSTIN FREENET, UH, JASMINE, YES, YES, OF COURSE, JASMINE VARGAS, UH, JASMINE VARGAS, UH, ANOTHER KEY PLAYER IN MAKING THAT EVENT A SUCCESS.

UH, WHICH IS A GOOD SEGUE BECAUSE OUR MODEL WITH THE LIBRARY, UH, WAS ONE WHERE WE WANTED TO MAKE USE OF EXISTING CI CITY PROPERTIES WHERE WE KNOW PEOPLE, UH, GO TO THOSE LOCATIONS FOR SERVICES AND THEN THEREFORE COULD SHARE THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES AROUND THOSE SERVICES.

WELL, AND THE SCOPE OF THAT, THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER WAS PUT ON OUR RADAR, UH, BY, UH, OUR SENIOR INFORMATION OFFICER, BRIANNA, UH, GOWING AND I SEIZED THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND TO REQUEST, UH, USAGE OF THE SPACE.

AND THEY SO WILLINGLY OBLIGED AND GOT US SET UP, AND WE WERE ABLE TO THEN HOST AN EVENT THERE.

THIS TOOK PLACE ON NOVEMBER 19TH, UH, AND, UH, HAD ABOUT 23 OR 24, UH, ATTENDEES.

UH, THE TARA'S EVENT HAD ABOUT 15 OR 17 ATTENDEES.

UH, BUT ONCE MORE, IT WAS REALLY A POWERFUL, UH, CONVENING WHERE PEOPLE GOT TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND ENJOY A MEAL TOGETHER AND, AND, AND REALLY COMMUNE IN THE WHOLE EFFORT OF, OF SHARING, UH, AND, UH, AND TO POINT OUT DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY KNOW ARE CONCERNS FOR THEM AND, AND THINGS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, THINGS THAT, THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE IN THE MIDST OF, OF CHALLENGES.

SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE, WERE, WERE RAISED DURING THIS ISSUE, UH, DURING THIS EVENT, UH, WERE DIFFERENT KEY USAGES, UM, AMONGST THE POPULATION, WHICH INCLUDED, UH, SEVERAL SENIORS AS WELL, IF NOT, UH, FRANKLY, A, A PREDOMINANT MIX, UH, OF, OF SENIOR CITIZENS, UH, USING PHONES FOR PHONE USAGE, OF COURSE, COM, COM COMPUTER WORK FROM FROM HOME, EMAIL MESSAGING, UH, YOUTUBE FOR HOW-TO VIDEOS, UH, YOU KNOW, LEVERAGING VIETNAMESE CONTENT AND OTHER LANGUAGES, UH, FOR EXERCISE, COOKING, UH, YOU KNOW, TELEHEALTH, DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS.

UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, UH, ROBUST CONVERSATION AROUND LEARNING TO USE PHONES FOR SECURITY FROM MAPS

[01:30:01]

AND DIRECTIONS, A NEED FOR, FOR THESE THINGS.

ADDITIONALLY, OF COURSE, TRANSLATION SERVICE, UH, A VARIETY OF DEVICES BEING USED IN THE COMMUNITY, SMARTPHONES, TABLETS KINDS, UH, TRACK PHONES, UH, SIMPLER, BUT YET STILL WIDELY USED, UH, NEEDS DISCUSSED, A NEED FOR HOT HOTSPOTS, UH, WIFI TO AID WITH LEARNING, UH, A NEED FOR PATIENCE, UH, AS, AS I'VE ASKED FOR.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, RELATED TO THIS, BECAUSE OF, UH, AS WAS CALLED OUT, HOW MANY OF OUR ELDERS FEEL THAT, UH, THE YOUTH WERE, WERE BORN WITH DEVICES IN THEIR HANDS.

UH, YOU KNOW, MY DAUGHTER, WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE WATCHING RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, I, I REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS LIKE WHEN SHE, WHEN SHE REMINDED ME, UH, WHAT ACTUALLY, SHE INTRODUCED ME TO WHAT SHE CALLED SAD BIRD AT THE TIME, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY ANGRY BIRDS.

UH, AND THAT WAS MY FIRST GAME INTRODUCTION ON A SMARTPHONE.

UH, AND MY DAUGHTER WAS NINE, I THINK, OR EIGHT AT THE TIME.

UM, WELL, ALL, SOMETIMES OUR YOUTH AREN'T AS PATIENT, PERHAPS AS THEY CAN BE.

AND SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR EVERYONE TO DEMONSTRATE PATIENCE WITH, WITH OUR ELDERS AS WE GUIDE THEM THROUGH DIFFERENT THINGS, ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES AND CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED, SHOPPING WITH ADVERTISEMENTS AT THE GROCERY STORE, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS.

UH, AND THIS IS A QUOTE AND INTENTIONALLY CAUSING OUTAGES, UH, FOR MONEY.

UH, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO, RETAILERS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY, YOU KNOW, SCAMS. UH, THESE ARE DIFFERENT CONCERNS THAT, UH, WERE RAISED AND THERE'S MORE AND MORE, UH, THAT WE'LL AGAIN, PUT INTO THE RECORD, UH, LATER.

BUT THE TAKEAWAY, REALLY THAT I WANT TO CONVEY HERE IN THIS ABBREVIATED, YOU KNOW, HIGH LEVEL PRELIMINARY, HIGH LEVEL PRELIMINARY REPORT IS EXTREME GRATITUDE FOR ALL THE RESOURCE PARTNERS, UH, THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THIS EFFORT.

UH, A AGAIN, TO LIST THEM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UNITED WAY OF GREATER AUSTIN.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOODWILL OF, OF, OF, OF AUSTIN.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND, AND AUSTIN PATHWAYS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INDEED FOR THEIR SPONSORSHIP AND HELPING, UH, TO PROVIDE, UH, UH, LYFT PASSES TO, UH, THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE SECOND ENGAGEMENT AS WELL AS TO, UH, AUSTIN FREENET, WHO HAS BEEN A PERENNIAL PARTNER IN, IN EVERY ENGAGEMENT, AND PROVIDED LIFT CODES FOR THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT AT TARA'S BRANCH, UH, TO FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.

UH, AND LYNN COLES, UH, FOR HER WORK AND SUPPORT OF OUR TWO ENGAGEMENTS AT THE SOUTHEAST BRANCH LIBRARY, UH, TO, UH, ANY OTHERS THAT I MISSED.

THE GOODWILL OF AUSTIN, EXCUSE ME, GOOD WORK.

AUSTIN, WHO AGAIN, UH, HELPED PROVIDE FOOD SUPPORT, UH, AND GAVE A CHANCE FOR, UH, EL DORADO CAFE TO SHINE, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, AS A SHINING STAR IN OUR LAST, UH, CON CONVENING, UH, WHERE WE ALL HAD WONDERFUL FOOD, INCLUDING VEGAN FOOD FOR THOSE, OR VEGETARIAN FOOD, UH, FOR THOSE THAT DIDN'T EAT MEAT.

UH, GRATITUDE AND THANKS, UH, TO, ESPECIALLY TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, FOR BEING WILLING TO PARTICIPATE, FOR SPENDING THEIR EXTREMELY VALUABLE TIME, UH, SOMETIMES WITH, WITH SIMPLY THE REWARD OF A MEAL, AND KNOWING THAT THEY'D HAVE, UH, UH, A KIND EAR TO LISTEN TO, TO SHARE THEIR PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES AND TO DOCUMENT THEM.

AND OUR COMMITMENT TO FOLLOWING UP ON THOSE CHALLENGES, TO, TO MAKING SURE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THE SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE ABLE TO DIRECTLY DELIVER SERVICES.

UH, YOU KNOW, WITH EACH ENGAGEMENT, THERE'S A LIST OF CLIENTS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN SERVED BASED UPON THEIR IMMEDIATE NEEDS.

AND THEN A LIST OF ACTION ITEMS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN UNDERTAKEN AND MORE THAT ARE UNDERWAY BASED ON ONGOING NEEDS AND, UH, FUTURE SOLUTIONS.

SO WITH THAT, UH, AGAIN, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WILL BE MORE DETAILS TO COME, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE, UH, AGAIN, VICE CHAIR, AKA A CHANCE TO SHARE ANY THOUGHTS ON A PRELIMINARY BASIS ON THIS REPORT, AS WELL AS, UH, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT PARTICIPATED, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, COMMISSIONER ISLAND, UH, OR OTHERS, UH, THAT HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS AT THIS STAGE.

BUT I'LL START WITH, UH, MY VICE CHAIR IN THE ROOM.

UM, THE ONLY OTHER ADDITION I HAD ARE THE, UH, PUBLIC OFFICIALS THAT WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE LAST MEETING.

SO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, NATASHA HARPER MADISON, AS WELL AS COMMISSIONER TRILLIAN, UM, WE'RE IN ATTENDANCE.

[01:35:01]

THE LAST MEETING, I BELIEVE YOU COVERED EVERYONE ELSE.

SO THAT WAS REALLY, UM, UM, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THEM, UM, TO SEE THOSE INDIVIDUALS SUPPORT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, AS WELL AS PROVIDE FOR THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND, AND SEE THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, UM, WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

UM, GO AHEAD AND LET MY OTHER COMMISSIONERS PROVIDE COMMENTS AT THIS POINT.

WELL, BEFORE YOU DO, I, I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE, UH, INDEED, UH, COMMISSIONER JEFF TRILLIAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER NATASHA HARBOR MADISON WERE ALSO PRESENT, UH, IN, IN ADDITION TO COTAN HARMON, UH, WHO WAS PRESENT AT THE LAST EVENT, UH, SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

UH, AGAIN, YES, SO VALUABLE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO HEAR FIRSTHAND AND, AND THE VERY REASON WHY THOSE INVITATIONS WERE EXTENDED.

UH, BUT WITH THAT, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS ONLINE? OKAY.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, UH, AND FOR, UH, FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS EFFORT.

UH, WE'RE GONNA TRANSITION QUICKLY, UH, TO AGENDA ITEM SIX,

[6. Digital Inclusion Town Hall Listening Session Planning (Discussion and Action) ]

WHICH GETS INTO THE PLANNING EFFORT, UH, FOR THE NEW YEAR, UH, THE CALENDAR YEAR.

UH, WE HAVE A FISCAL YEAR, AND WE GOT A CALENDAR YEAR.

WE'RE, WE'RE BASICALLY, UH, ENTERING INTO THE SECOND QUARTER OF, UH, WELL SEE.

WE, WE JUST, WE JUST ACTUALLY, UH, TURNED THE CORNER ON OUR, OUR FISCAL YEAR.

WE'RE NOW INTER CLOSING OUT THE FIRST QUARTER OF A NEW, UH, FISCAL YEAR.

UM, HOWEVER, WITH THAT BEING SAID, OUR CALENDAR IS SOMETHING WHICH I WANTED TO REVISIT FROM A PLANNING STANDPOINT.

MY THOUGHT IS WITH THE, AN EFFORT AND TO, AGAIN, MAKE THIS A KIND OF A MOVING, UH, TRANSITIONING FROM DISTRICT TO DISTRICT OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO, TO REALLY BEGIN PLANNING OUR NEXT FOUR, UH, FIVE, HOWEVER MANY WE DECIDE IS APPROPRIATE TO TRY TO PULL OFF IN A YEAR, UH, AND THEN LOOK AT THE CALENDAR AND LOOK AT THE LOCATIONS.

I KNOW THAT, UH, I'VE ACTUALLY GOT A MAP, UM, OF LIBRARIES BY DISTRICT, UH, WHICH MIGHT BE HELPFUL.

BUT, UM, I WOULD RATHER RELY UPON THE INSIGHTS OF THE COMMISSIONERS ON, ON THE CALL.

UH, BASED UPON, UH, OUR EFFORTS THIS YEAR, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN ASPIRATION TO STILL HAVE YET ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT AT RUIZ BRANCH, UH, THAT WAS IDENTIFIED AS A, A CORE AREA THAT WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON.

UH, UH, OTHER LOCATIONS THAT I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER WOULD BE THE CARVER, UH, BRANCH B, BOTH IN TERMS OF FACILITY AND LOCATION.

UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S THE S IT'S, IT'S OFF OF ST.

JOHN'S.

UM, IT'S ADJOINING A MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND IT'S ACTUALLY RIGHT IN THE, IN THAT LITTLE SECTION BETWEEN 180 3 AND ST.

JOHN'S.

UM, DRAWING A BLANK THERE, BUT I'VE, I'VE THROWN OUT A COUPLE OF, UH, POTENTIAL LOCATIONS.

UH, MAYBE WE COULD START BY ADDING TO THAT LIST, OR IF YOU GUYS WANNA WEIGH IN ON THOUGHTS ABOUT THOSE TWO, UH, THAT BEING THE CARVER AND OR RU EAST BRANCH, THE, THE, WHERE YOU'RE SPEAKING OF IS, UM, I THINK IT'S PICKLE, OR AT LEAST THE SCHOOL IS CALLED PICKLE IN ITS OWN BLESSING AVENUE HERE IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD.

YES, YES.

UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.

I KNOW I WAS CARRYING, I WAS CARRYING THIS LIST AROUND

[01:40:01]

WITH ME FOR, FOR MONTHS, AND NOW WHEN I, I NEED IT MOST, I CAN'T FIND IT.

WELL, WHY DON'T WE START WITH, UH, WITH A NUMBER THAT WE THINK IS, IS FEASIBLE BASED UPON, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT, UH, WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH TIME TO WORK WITH, BUT YET WE STILL HAVE A GOAL TO TRY TO MAINTAIN, UH, OUR PRESENCE AT THESE TOWN HALLS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

UH, THIS, THIS, THIS PAST YEAR WE DID THREE AND OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES, AND THEN ONE IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY SPACE.

WE HAVE IDENTIFIED RUIZ BRANCH AND THE CARVER AS HAVING POTENTIAL, SO THAT, THAT COULD BE TWO LIBRARIES.

ANY THOUGHTS ON ANY OTHER PUBLIC SPACES WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO AND OR WANT TO HOST CONVENINGS? UH, UH, YES.

COMMISSIONER DOCU.

YOU SAID CARVER.

DO YOU CONSIDER CARVER AS A LIBRARY, OR IS THAT, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, RESOURCE CENTERS? YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

IT IT, NO, YOU'RE RIGHT.

IT IS BOTH.

UM, BECAUSE THE, AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY BOTH GREAT SPACES.

UH, THERE'S, THERE'S THE CARVER COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, WHICH HAS AMPLE SPACE, AND THERE'S THE, THE CARVER LIBRARY, WHICH ALSO HAS AMPLE SPACE SIDE BY SIDE.

AND THEY ARE, IS THERE A REQUIREMENT THAT THEY HAVE, UH, VIDEO, VIDEO CAPABILITIES, ET CETERA, WE CAN CALL IN? OR IS THAT GONNA BE FACE TO FACE? UM, WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE IMMEDIATE, WELL, RIGHT NOW, WE'VE ONLY MADE THE REQUIREMENTS, UH, THAT WE, WE BASICALLY HAVE A SAFE SPACE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN.

SO WHAT WE'VE REQUIRED IS THAT, UH, WE ONLY SCALE UP THE PARTICIPATION OF OUR POLICY MAKERS AND OR, UH, LISTENERS TO A FRACTION OF THE PARTICIPANTS.

UH, SO THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT MAGIC NUMBER IS ABOUT A FIFTH.

UH, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW IT STANDS.

OR FOURTH, IT'S, IT'S HOW IT STANDS.

UH, AS LONG AS THERE'S NO MORE THAN A FOURTH OF THE POP OF THE, UH, IN ATTENDANCE THAT ARE, ARE LISTENERS, UH, THEN WE'RE GOOD.

UH, AND THAT, THAT HAS PLAYED OUT.

UM, BUT SPACE IS ALSO A REQUIREMENT.

UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE KNOW THAT THOSE SPACES ARE SUITABLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE ROOM FOR, UH, PEOPLE.

I KNOW THAT THE RE RANCH IS, IS, IS, UH, WOULD ACCOMMODATE BECAUSE, UH, THEIR ABILITY TO HOST ELECTIONS AND THEY'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, LARGE MEETING ROOMS THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE, UH, A ROUND TABLE AND OR ROUND DISCUSSION WITH, UH, UH, OUR ABILITY TO THEN TAKE NOTES AND, AND LISTEN INTENTLY, UH, AND TO POTENTIALLY RECORD.

IT HAS NOT BEEN A REQUIREMENT THAT THEY HAVE, UH, THAT THEY HAVE RECORDING OR, UH, TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES.

BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD STANDARD TO, TO, TO CREATE, I THINK BASED UPON THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE'VE HAD THIS PAST YEAR, UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, TWO ENGAGEMENTS WHERE WE, WE HAD LIVE VIDEO CONFERENCING FROM THE EVENT THAT WORKED REALLY WELL.

UH, AND THEN WE HAD, UH, ONE EVENT WHERE WE HAD NO PEOPLE, NO PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR ONLINE PARTICIPATION WHATSOEVER.

AND ALTHOUGH WE DID HAVE THE CAPABILITY, AND WE HAD ANOTHER EVENT WHERE, UH, WE, AGAIN, WE HAD NO ONE SIGN UP FOR ONLINE.

SO, UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I THINK WE CAN MAKE IT A REQUIREMENT IF WE ALL AGREE THAT IT MAKES SENSE.

COMMISSIONER PITS, UH, I MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON SOME OF THIS.

I KNOW THAT AT CARVER THEY HAVE FULL TELECOMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE HAD COMMUNITY MEETINGS THERE BEFORE, AND I BELIEVE, BUT EVEN CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, UM, AS FOR RUIZ LIBRARY, I KNOW THAT THEY, UH, THEY DO HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY FOR SMALLER GROUPS TO HAVE, UH, UH, REMOTE PARTICIPATION.

BUT, UH, WHETHER THIS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR A, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEETING, I'M NOT SURE.

YOU'D HAVE TO ASK CCPM OR THE LIBRARY ABOUT THAT.

THE HOST, LIBRARY OR FACILITY HAVE, UH, A REMOTE MEETING CAPABILITY, AND I, I THINK THERE'S, SEEMS TO BE A CONSENSUS FORMING THAT IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO HAVE THAT.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UH, COMMISSION YATES, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR TOWN HALL ENGAGEMENTS, NOT, NOT OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS.

UM, SO THE QUESTION WAS, IF IT'S A REQUIREMENT THAT WE ASK THAT

[01:45:01]

UM, AND YET AT THE SAME TIME, UH, AS TWO OF OUR MEETINGS DID NOT REQUIRE IT BASED UPON HOW ENROLLMENT WENT, UH, IT, IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE NECESSARY, RIGHT? SO I THINK IT'S A NICE CAPABILITY TO HAVE, UH, THAT WAY PEOPLE CAN PARTICIPATE REMOTELY.

UM, AND I THINK BASED UPON WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT POTENTIAL LOCATIONS WHERE WE CAN DO IT.

UH, SO THAT'S GOOD.

UH, I HOPE THAT HELPS TO CLARIFY.

YES, COMMISSIONER NAS GUPTA.

LIST, IF NOT NEXT ON THE LIST, YOU KNOW, BASED UPON THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH, UH, THE BRANCH MANAGER AND, AND THEIR INTEREST IN THIS.

AND ALSO, I THINK IF YOU HAVE THE, FOR VIDEO RECORDING, IT IS GOOD FOR SHARING PURPOSES AS WELL AS FOR URBAN PURPOSES.

YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND LOOK AT THEM, SHARE THE, UH, UH, MEETING WITH, UH, OTHERS IN THE CITY.

I THINK THERE'S SOME VALUE THERE.

OF COURSE, IT LIMITS OUR CHOICES, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO, YEAH, I, I DEFINITELY, UH, CAN RELATE TO THAT.

I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE, UH, WITH THE ENGAGEMENTS WE'VE HAD, UH, THE, THE CONTENT, THE, THE, THE SHARING CAN BE VERY PERSONAL AND, AND SENSITIVE.

UH, AND SO WE HAVE TO BE DIFFERENT.

UH, YOU KNOW, WE BASICALLY, UH, HAVE OPERATED IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS.

UH, BASED UPON THIS PAST YEAR, WE'VE OUTRIGHT ASKED, UH, HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT, OF COURSE, BEING RECORDED.

AND, AND, AND, AND THEY'VE ALL BEEN FAIR, FAIRLY ACCEPTING OF THAT.

UH, WE'VE POSTED THAT THE MEETING'S RECORDED AND THEN BASICALLY KIND OF OF CHECKED THE ROOM TO SEE HOW PEOPLE FELT ABOUT THAT.

AND, AND, AND IT'S BEEN FINE.

UH, AND THEN IN, IN SOME CASES, WE JUST HAVEN'T RECORDED BECAUSE, UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ONLINE, UH, PARTICIPANTS.

AND, UH, AND, AND FRANKLY, IT WAS PROBABLY FOR THE BEST BECAUSE IN, IN SOME OF THOSE SCENARIOS, IT, IT WAS A MORE SENSITIVE, UH, MORE SENSITIVE CHALLENGES THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH AND, AND TALKING ABOUT AS, AS PEOPLE WERE RELAYING THEIR CONCERNS, UH, THAT WERE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, FOR EXAMPLE.

UM, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK TO YOUR POINT, IT'S VALUABLE.

AND I THINK, UH, JUST AS A MODEL, WE HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE.

MM-HMM.

, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE ALL THIS CAPABILITY AND WE JUST GO AROUND AND ASK WHETHER IT IS OKAY TO DO SO.

AND IF THE AUDIENCE SAYS, NO, WE'D RATHER NOT HAVE A RECORDER, WE JUST SHUT IT OFF.

AGREED.

I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S SEEMS TO BE THE BEST PRACTICE TO BE BE READY, UH, AND BE FLEXIBLE.

WELL, UH, FROM A PLANNING STANDPOINT, UM, OH, YES.

BY CHAIR, UH, HAD A FEW THOUGHTS.

SO CERTAINLY AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER DES GUPTA.

UM, MOVING FORWARD, WE SHOULD PERHAPS PRIORITIZE LOCATIONS WITH A VIRTUAL CAPABILITY THAT WOULD GIVE US MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF FLEXIBILITY.

UM, I KNOW YOU HAD TWO OTHER QUESTIONS AROUND LOCATION AND TIMING FOR LOCATIONS.

I'M JUST LOOKING, WHILE YOU, WHILE WE WERE DISCUSSING, I WAS JUST LOOKING ON THE MAPS HERE.

CARVER BRANCH IS ALSO IN DISTRICT ONE.

UM, SO WE MAY JUST WANT TO THINK ABOUT, WE JUST, WE MAY JUST WANNA THINK ABOUT, UM, IDENTIFYING ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, PERHAPS IN THE NORTH OR SOUTHWEST, SINCE WE'VE ALREADY ESSENTIALLY COVERED DISTRICTS TWO AND ONE.

RUIZ LOOKS TO BE LOCATED IN DISTRICT THREE, SO I BELIEVE THAT MIGHT BE A REALLY SOLID, UM, OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ENSURE COVERAGE YEP.

THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

AND THEN, UH, THE OTHER QUESTION AROUND TIMING.

WE WERE ABLE TO EXECUTE ON FOUR LISTENING SESSIONS LAST YEAR.

IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT PERHAPS THE TIME IT TAKES TO PLAN, MOBILIZE, RECRUIT, AND THEN EXECUTE, I'M THINK PERHAPS SHOOTING FOR FOUR, THAT WHERE WE'RE AT LEAST TARGETING DOING ONE SESSION QUARTERLY MIGHT BE, UM, A GOOD APPROACH.

YEAH, I DEFINITELY AGREE ABOUT, UH, RUIZ BRANCH.

UM, AND TAKE YOUR POINT, UH, RUIZ BRANCH IS, IS BASICALLY HIGH ON THE

[01:50:01]

AND, UH, SO I, I'D SAY THAT'S VERY LIKELY TO BE OUR, OUR NEXT, AND WE SHOULD BASICALLY JUST GO AHEAD AND, AND TRY TO SHOOT FOR THAT BEING OUR NEXT ONE.

UH, I SUPPORT THE IDEA OF US DOING QUARTERLY ENGAGEMENTS, UH, AS WELL.

UM, I KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD DO MORE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HAVING A PLAN TO DO FOUR, UH, AND THEN EVOLVING THAT PLAN, IF WE DETERMINE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THINGS SPINNING SO SMOOTHLY THAT WE CAN DO SO WOULD BE EASY ENOUGH AS WELL.

RIGHT.

SO I THINK STARTING WITH FOUR PLANNED WITH FOUR LOCATIONS IN MIND, UH, AND THEN GOING FROM THERE, I, I AGREE.

I THINK THAT'S A GOOD, GOOD APPROACH.

HOW DOES EVERYONE ELSE FEEL ONLINE? I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND ONE MORE LOCATION.

UM, I KNOW THAT THIS LOCATION DOES HAVE FULL TELECOMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITY, AND IT IS THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER ON MIDDLE FISKVILLE ROAD.

AH, SO IT HAS A VERY LARGE MEETING ROOM THAT'S ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC WITH FULL COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES.

SO THAT MIGHT BE ANOTHER CANDIDATE.

YEAH, THAT'S INTERESTING.

UM, AND IT, IT RAISES AN INTERESTING QUESTION, UM, BECAUSE, WELL, TO ME, WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT IT, FIRST OFF, IS IT'S IN A NEW AREA, A NEW DISTRICT IS REPRESENTED, I BELIEVE THAT'S DISTRICT, UH, WHAT DISTRICT IS THAT? DISTRICT NINE, RIGHT? IT DOES APPEAR TO BE DISTRICT NINE OR 10.

UH, BUT EITHER WAY IT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT DISTRICT.

THE ONE CHALLENGE THAT COMES TO MIND, AND I I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT THEY'VE GOT, UH, THE CAPABILITIES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO IDENTIFY AS, AS A KIND OF A REQUIREMENT.

THE ONE CHALLENGE, UH, THAT I SEE, AND OR OPPORTUNITY RATHER, IS THIS WOULD BE YET A THIRD OR, OR A FOURTH MODEL, RIGHT? WE'VE DONE ONLINE, UH, IN THE MEETING, WE'VE DONE ONLINE, UH, HIGH DONE ONLINE, RATHER OUTSIDE OF A MEETING SCHEDULE.

WE'VE DONE IN PERSON AT THE LIBRARIES, AND WE'VE DONE IN PERSON AT A COMMUNITY SPACE WHERE PEOPLE USE THAT FACILITY ON A REGULAR COMMUNITY BASIS.

WHAT WE HAVE NOT DONE IS DONE AN ENGAGEMENT AT A CITY LOCATION WITH CAPABILITIES, BUT THAT PEOPLE DON'T GO TO UNLESS THEY'RE JUST GOING THERE FOR, FOR SOME REASON FOR THE CITY.

UM, AND SO MY ONLY CONCERN ABOUT THE PLANNING AND PERMITTING OFFICE IS THAT, UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO ENGAGE IN RECRUITMENT WITH LEADERS FROM, UH, BASICALLY, UH, THAT WORK WITHIN THE AREA TO HAVE PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS AT COMMUNAL SPACES, BUT YET TO GET THEM TO THEN DIRECT PEOPLE TO THE CITY SPACE.

UM, RIGHT.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACC, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE, THERE IS A LIBRARY NOT TOO FAR.

UH, ACTUALLY IT'S, IT'S ACROSS LAMAR, I BELIEVE, UM, DOWN OVER, UM, NEAR SHOLL CREEK, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.

I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE CLOSEST ONES IN THE, IN THAT, UH, VICINITY.

SO I, I LOVE THE IDEA OF LEVERAGING THE SPACE.

WE WOULD JUST HAVE A CHALLENGE OF, UH, ADDITIONAL CHALLENGE OF RECRUITMENT, BECAUSE RECRUITMENT HAS RELIED HEAVILY UPON, UH, LOCATION.

UH, SO DO YOU HAVE ANY INITIAL THOUGHTS ON HOW WE MIGHT EMBRACE THAT CHALLENGE, COMMISSIONER YATES? NO, BUT, UH, I THINK THAT, UH, THAT AREA, UH, UM, DOES HAVE A LOT OF PRESIDENTIAL IN THERE, UH, A LARGE RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT THAT, UH, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO RECRUIT, UM, BY PUTTING UP NOTICES IN LIBRARIES OR NOTICES TO, UH, UM, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.

SO THERE, THERE ARE WAYS TO, UH, GET AROUND THAT.

AND, UH, ANOTHER POINT IS THEY GOT A LOT OF PARKING THERE.

SO, UH, THAT'S, UH, IT'S KINDA, UH, EASY ACCESS, GOOD PARKING.

UM, I THINK IT IS A GOOD, UH, GOOD CANDIDATE FOR A MEETING.

IT ALSO HAS GREAT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ACCESS.

UH, SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT SEEMS HELPFUL.

COMMISSIONER DOT SCOOP, DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS LOCATION? UH, YOU'RE MUTED.

WE CONSIDERED HAVING IT IN A HIGH SCHOOL? OH, I'M SORRY.

HAVE

[01:55:01]

BEFORE, DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS LOCATION? OH, NO, NO, NO, NO.

SEND SOMETHING TO CITY AV, WHICH I'M HOPING WE CAN BRING UP, UH, THE COMMISSION BYLAWS, I, I CITY AV FOUR.

UH, OKAY.

I'LL ASK YOU TO HOLD THAT THOUGHT THEN.

UM, OKAY.

SO BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT ANOTHER LOCATION, I GUESS MY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS ONE IS, UM, I THINK THAT THE PLANNING AND PERMITTING OFFICE COULD WORK IF IT WAS PLANNED IN SAY, Q UH, UH, CALENDAR YEAR Q2 OR Q3 OR Q4, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO THAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

UH, RELYING UPON THE LIBRARIES AND RELYING UPON COMMUNITY SPACES HAS GIVEN US THE, THE FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SHORTER RECRUITMENT TIMEFRAMES, BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE ALREADY USING THOSE SPACES FOR COMMUNITY.

UM, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER.

SO, UH, I'M NOT ADVERSE TO USING A, A SPACE LIKE THE PLANNING AND PERMITTING OFFICE AS LONG AS WE ARE STRATEGIC ABOUT IT, AND WE PLAN IT OUT FROM A, A TIMING STANDPOINT TO BE IN Q3 OR Q4, PROBABLY TO, TO BE AT, OF THE, THE CALENDAR YEAR.

UM, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, DID YOU HAVE A THOUGHT ABOUT A DIFFERENT LOCATION THAT COMMISSIONER SUPTA? YEAH, I WAS THINKING, UH, HOW ABOUT A HIGH SCHOOL? UM, WE COULD LISTEN TO THE TEACHERS, UH, AND, UH, UH, PARENTS OF THE STUDENTS, UH, THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES.

YEAH, I AGREE.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE VALUABLE.

UM, I THINK THAT, UM, AD WOULD BE A WILLING PARTNER.

UH, I THINK THAT WE MAY EVEN HAVE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO ENGAGE, UH, OUR HIGH SCHOOLS ABOUT, UH, UNIQUELY, UM, IN OUR, THE NEW YEAR.

SO I, I GUESS AT THIS POINT, WE NEED TO START KIND OF MOVING TOWARDS SOME LOCATIONS TO VOTE ON, UH, AND OR SETTLE ON IF WE'RE GOING TO RESOLVE AT LEAST THE LOCATION PIECE TODAY.

UH, I THINK WE'VE KIND OF, THERE SEEMS TO BE ACCEPTANCE FOR, YOU KNOW, ONE PER QUARTER.

UH, SO IF WE'VE GOT TWO LOCATIONS IN MIND ALREADY, UM, ONE BEING RUIZ, ANOTHER BEING THE PLANNING AND PERMITING OFFICE, THEN WHAT SHOULD OUR GOAL BE, UH, FOR THOSE, THOSE NEXT TWO? AND, AND I THINK, AGAIN, IT SEEMS TO MY, TO MY ESTIMATION BEST, IF WE WERE TO PLAN, UH, THE PLANNING AND PERMITTING ONE IN Q3 OR FOUR CHAIR PITS, I THINK, I DUNNO IF THIS, I MEAN, UNLESS ANYONE HAS A SU HAS A SPECIFIC SUGGESTION TONIGHT, THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE THINK ABOUT AND BRING BACK, UM, PERHAPS EVEN ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THE WORKING GROUPS, UM, AS AN ACTION ITEM TO HAVE A POTENTIAL LIST OF LOCATIONS TO BRING BACK TO THE FULL COMMISSION.

YEAH, I THINK IT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION IF ANYONE, IT IS UNOPPOSED BASED ON WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.

UH, WE HAVE A LOCATION TARGETED TO DO FIRST, SO WE COULD START THE PROCESS OF REACHING OUT AGAIN TO, UH, CARLOS PENN, THE BRANCH MANAGER THERE AT RUIZ, UH, TO TRY TO SELECT A DATE AND THEN TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF RECRUITMENT TOWARDS THAT DATE FOR THE FIRST ONE.

IN THE MEANTIME, IF IT'S OKAY, UH, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT THE DIGITAL INCLUSION AND, UH, STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY IMPACT WORKING GROUP TAKE THIS UP, UH, AND COME BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING WITH TWO ADDITIONAL PROPOSALS, AND ONE OF THEM BEING POTENTIALLY A HIGH SCHOOL, UH, AND ANOTHER BEING A LIBRARY IN THE NORTHERN PART OF TOWN, UH, OR, UH, SOME LOCATION WEST OF 35 AND OR NORTH OF 180 3.

UH, IF THAT SOUNDS LIKE A, A GOOD PROPOSAL, UH, THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AND THEN COME BACK WITH, UH, THOSE INSIGHTS.

HOW DOES THAT SOUND? EVERYBODY? I SEE NODS THUMB UP.

WELL, WITH THAT THEN, I THINK WE HAVE A PLAN AND, UH, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND CHECK THIS ITEM OFF ON OUR AGENDA AND MOVE FORWARD.

NOW FOR THIS, I DID ACTUALLY, UH,

[02:00:01]

MM-HMM.

NUMBER SEVEN HERE, UH, CTT C BYLAW REVIEW, WORKING GROUPS AND COMMITTEES, DISCUSSION AND ACTION.

OKAY, EVERYONE, UH, AGENDA ITEM

[7. CTTC By-Law Review: Working Groups & Committees (Discussion and Action) ]

UH, FOR CONTEXT, UH, I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN, UH, THAT, UM, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, UH, AFTER OUR, UH, FINANCIAL SERVICES, UH, AND TERRA STAFF PARTICIPATED IN, UH, A TRAINING SESSION, UH, ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, THAT THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE AND OR SOME CONCERNS AT LEAST, UH, ABOUT OUR OPERATING FUNCTION AND MODEL, UH, RELYING UPON WORKING GROUPS AND NOT COMMITTEES THAT SPECIFICALLY, UH, WORKING GROUPS WERE DESIGNED TO BE TEMPORARY AND TO YIELD A REPORT OR OUTCOME, AND THEN TO BE SPUN DOWN.

WHEREAS COMMITTEES WERE MEANT TO BE ONGOING.

KEY DIFFERENCE BEING THAT COMMITTEES, UH, HAVE GREATER DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS, UH, IN ADDITION TO, UH, THE FACT THAT THEY CARRY ON AND, AND DON'T SPIN DOWN SO EASILY.

UH, I HAVE THE, UH, BYLAWS UP AS A POINT OF REFERENCE BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THESE BYLAWS HAVE NOT CHANGED, UH, SINCE MY TENURE OR, OR THERE'S BEEN A SMALL, UH, UH, INEFFECTUAL CHANGE TO THIS TOPIC, UH, SINCE MY TENURE.

UH, AND I'LL ASK YOU IF YOU COULD PLEASE, UH, TO JUST SCROLL DOWN TO THE SECTION FOCUSED ON, UH, IT'S, UH, ARTICLE EIGHT.

THERE YOU GO, RIGHT THERE.

COMMITTEES SLASH WORKING GROUPS CHAIR.

IT'S THE VERY FIRST THING IT SAYS.

YEAH, WE MAY NOT HAVE ANY COMMITTEES.

UH, THAT'S A VERY, THAT'S A VERY ASTUTE OBSERVATION.

INDEED, IT DOES.

AS, AS THIS HAS BEEN A TOPIC THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED IN ONE OF OUR WORKING GROUPS.

UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE STOPPED WITH WORKING GROUPS.

, YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT TOO, RIGHT? RIGHT.

SO, SO LET ME PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT WITH THE REST OF, OF THE COMMISSIONERS, BECAUSE ONLY ONE WORKING GROUP HAS TAKEN THIS UP AS A POINT OF DISCUSSION, ALTHOUGH IT HAS COME UP, UH, IN ONE OTH ONE OTHER WORKING GROUP AND BEEN A DISCUSSION AMONGST, UH, VICE CHAIR AND MYSELF, UH, IN THAT DISCUSSION.

BUT THE, THE KEY THING THAT I'M WANTING TO BRING UP HERE BY BRINGING UP THE BYLAWS IS TO SHOW THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR BYLAWS.

UH, AND AS COMMISSIONER SUPTA MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, OUR BYLAWS PLAINLY STATE THAT THIS COMMISSION SHALL HAVE NO COMMITTEES.

UH, AND THEN IT GOES INTO DESCRIBING HOW, UH, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK WITHIN, IN WORK WITH, UH, HOW MANY COMMITTEES SHOULD WE LOOK AT THE SECTION ON WORKING GROUPS? WELL, IF, IF YOU'LL BE SO KIND AS TO HOLD QUESTIONS, AND, AND LET ME JUST LEAD THIS DISCUSSION, UM, BECAUSE THERE IS A, A, A THOUGHT PROCESS HERE TO IT ALL.

UM, I JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO QUOTE THE BYLAWS AS I DO IT AND NOT HAVE TO FORCE OUR AB PERSON TO SCROLL AROUND FOR ME.

CONCERNS ABOUT OUR POTENTIAL NON-COMPLIANCE, UH, AGAIN, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE NOT REFERRING TO COMPLIANCE WITH OUR BYLAWS BECAUSE WE ARE CLEARLY COMPLIANT WITH OUR BYLAWS.

NOW I'VE GOT IT UP IN FRONT OF ME.

UH, SO ONE OF A FEW THINGS HAS TO HAPPEN, UH, IF WE'RE GOING TO REFLECT RESPONSIVENESS TO THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND THE

[02:05:01]

UH, AND THAT MEANS THEN WE HAVE TO DO ONE OF A FEW THINGS.

EITHER WE AMEND, UH, OUR BYLAWS AND VOTE TO UPDATE THE BYLAWS TO REFLECT THE EXISTENCE OF COMMITTEES, WHICH WILL THEN OPERATE UNDER THE STANDARDS OF COMMITTEES, AS WE'VE BEEN ADVISED AND, AND IS UNDERSTOOD BY THE, THE CLERK'S OFFICE.

OR WE BASICALLY, AND, OR I SHOULD SAY, WE THEN, UH, ALTER OUR OPERATIONAL MODEL WITHIN THE WORKING GROUPS TO BE ONE WHERE EACH WORKING GROUP THEN ADDRESSES AN ISSUE, UH, OR MATTER THAT YIELDS AN ACTION OR REPORT, AND THEN SPINS DOWN.

GOOD.

TELL TARA, UH, GIVE US SOME CONTEXT OF HISTORICAL CONTEXT ON WHY THE, UH, TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE HAS NO COMMISSION, HAS NO COMMITTEES.

WAS THERE A REASON FOR THAT? OR IT'S JUST THAT THINGS NEVER FELT TO BE NECESSARY? UH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

IT'S, IT'S ONE, UH, BEFORE I LET JESSE, UH, UH, WORK HIS BEST TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ASKED FOR, UH, WAS HISTORICAL, UH, REFERENCES OF THE AMENDMENT OF THE BYLAWS.

UH, I, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHY OUR BYLAWS ARE STRUCTURED AS THEY ARE BY UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY EVOLVED TO BE WHAT THEY ARE.

BUT, UH, THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES WITH THAT.

AND, AND, UH, NOW I'LL GIVE JESSE A CHANCE TO ADDRESS THAT .

THAT COMMITTEE WAS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL AND AUDIT FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND IT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST THREE BOARD MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE CHAIR AND A STAFF MEMBER, UH, TO BE ASSIGNED TO EACH COMMITTEE BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE REGULATORY AFFAIRS OFFICE.

UH, AND THANKS FOR THE QUESTION, COMMISSIONER YATES.

UM, ALL COMMISSION BYLAWS ARE, UH, DRAFTED FROM THE SAME TEMPLATE.

UH, THE PROVISION UNDER COMMITTEES, UH, THAT SAYS THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WILL HAVE NO COMMITTEES, ISN'T A PROHIBITION OF COMMITTEES.

UH, IT'S JUST RECOGNIZING THAT THERE ARE NO COMMITTEES, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE BEEN ENSHRINED FOR THIS, UH, FOR THIS COMMISSION.

IN ORDER TO INSTITUTE ANY COMMITTEE, FOR ANY COMMISSION, UH, THE COMMISSION WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE TO, UH, ADOPT A COMMITTEE, AND THEN THAT COMMITTEE, UH, AND THAT, THAT VOTE WOULD ESSENTIALLY TAKE THE FORM OF AN AMENDMENT TO YOUR BYLAWS.

SO IN THAT AMENDMENT TO YOUR BYLAWS, IT WOULD INCLUDE A REPLACEMENT OF THAT PROVISION WITH THE PROPOSED, UH, COMMITTEE COMMITTEES ON, ON THAT, UH, PROPOSAL.

AND THEN THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE WOULD, UH, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON THAT TO EITHER ACCEPT OR REJECT THAT CHANGE TO THE BYLAWS.

UM, THAT BEING SAID, UH, UH, I BELIEVE THE QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER YATES WAS, WHY DOES, UH, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UH, WHY DOES THE CTT C NOT HAVE ANY, UH, UH, ANY COMMITTEES? IT'S, IT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE NONE HAVE BEEN PROPOSED OR VOTED ON SO FAR.

SO, UH, AND COMMISSIONER YATES, HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, BUT LET ME KNOW IF I MISSED THE BOAT ON THAT.

NO, THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION, WHICH BRINGS UP THE NEXT QUESTION IS, UH, THE QUESTION OF FLEXIBILITY AND, UH, WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST FOR OUR GROUPS TO MAINTAIN WORKING GROUPS OR THE FORM COMMITTEE? UH, MAYBE THAT'S REALLY GOTTA BE THE QUESTIONS AND THE DISCUSSIONS.

WHAT, UH, WHAT ARE THE CONSTRAINTS ON THESE THAT ARE NOT ON WORKING GROUPS? WELL, OUR BYLAWS ANSWERED SOME, OUR BYLAWS HELPED TO ANSWER SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS, UH, AND I ALLUDED TO SOME OF THEM EARLIER AS WELL.

UM, ONE THING, IF YOU READ ALONG HERE UNDER WHAT IT SAYS FOR COMMITTEES, EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS WE SHALL HAVE NO COMMITTEES, IT DOES PROVIDE THE RULES FOR COMMITTEES.

UH, AND WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE EACH COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED BY AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF THE BOARD.

WE COULDN'T MEET UNTIL OUR, THE CREATION OF

[02:10:01]

UH, SEE, THE BOARD CHAIR SHALL APPOINT A COMMITTEE MEMBER AS THE COMMITTEE CHAIR WITH THE MEMBER'S CONSENT.

A MAJORITY OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF APPOINTED COMMITTEE MEMBERS CONSTITUTES A QUORUM.

EACH COMMITTEE SHALL MEET REGULARLY SCHEDULED, UH, BUT AT LEAST QUARTERLY, EACH COMMITTEE SHALL MAKE AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE BOARD AT THE JANUARY BOARD MEETING COMMITTEE MEETINGS MUST BE POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.

THAT'S ANOTHER BIG ONE, RIGHT? SO, AS OPPOSED TO OUR WORKING GROUPS WHERE WE HAVE SOME FLUIDITY WITH THE MEETING DATES AND TIMES, WE WOULD THEN BE BOUND TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, UH, TO POST THOSE COMMITTEE MEETINGS AT EACH COMMITTEE MEETING.

A COMMITTEE MEMBER SHALL SIGN IN ON A, ON A SHEET PROVIDED, AND SHALL INDICATE THAT THE MEMBER HAS NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH ANY ITEM ON THE COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA, OR IDENTIFY EACH AGENDA ITEM ON WHICH THE MEMBER HAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

NOW, THAT, AS OPPOSED TO WORKING GROUPS WHERE THE REQUIREMENTS ARE , I MEAN, LITERALLY THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, A THROUGH H REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMITTEES, WORKING GROUPS, IT'S A THROUGH E.

UH, THE BOARD CAN DETERMINE THE SIZE OF THE WORKING GROUP, BUT THE NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS SERVING IN THE WORK GROUP MUST BE LESS THAN A QUORUM FOR THE BOARD OF THE BOARD WORKING GROUP MAY DESIGNATE A CHAIR WITH THE MEMBER'S CONSENT, BUT IS NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO.

QUORUM REQUIREMENTS DO NOT APPLY IN WORKING GROUPS, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE APPLIED THEM TO AVOID WALKING QUORUM CHALLENGES AND E WORKING GROUPS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO POST OUR MEETINGS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.

SO THERE'S A, A CLEAR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.

UM, I, I TAKE JESSE'S, UH, STATEMENT, UH, DIRECTLY FOR WHAT IT IS, UH, AND IT, IT, IT STILL LEADS ME WITH UNANSWERED QUESTIONS PERSONALLY.

UM, AND IT, IT MIGHT JUST BE SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE TIMING.

I, I KNOW THAT, UH, JESSE CAME ON BOARD IN THIS ROLE, AND HE DID ACTUALLY, UH, HELP TO GET THIS CURRENT VERSION, UH, AS PROBABLY ONE OF HIS, HIS FIRST ACTS, UH, UH, AS THE COMMISSION STAFF LIAISON TO GET THIS APPROVED BY THE, UH, BY CITY COUNCIL.

UH, HOWEVER, IT DOESN'T SPEAK TO HOW WE ENDED UP HERE, UM, OR WHY, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, IT'S CLEAR YES, THAT A STATEMENT THAT SAYS THE COMMITTEE, THE CT TC WILL HAVE NO COMMITTEES, DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE SAYING WE SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT.

BUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, UH, THESE BYLAWS WERE AMENDED FOR THAT.

AND THE FOCUS WAS CLEARLY, I DEDUCE, UH, THAT THE FOCUS CLEARLY BECAME, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM A, A WORKING FUNCTIONALITY STANDPOINT, UH, WORKING MODEL, UH, ONE WHERE WORKING GROUPS WAS THE FOCUS.

AND WITH, WITH THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, YOU KNOW, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT IN MIND, AND THOSE KEY DIFFERENCES, IT ALMOST SEEMS AS THOUGH THAT WAS THE SPECIFIC REASON.

BUT I, I CAN'T SAY WHY.

I CAN'T SAY THAT FOR SURE.

BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THE CONSEQUENCE IS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE, WE, WE WOULD HAVE TO, UH, DO THINGS QUITE A BIT DIFFERENTLY IF WE DID GO TO COMMITTEES.

SO I, I SEE ROND COME ON, AND, AND SHE'S SHOWING HER HAPPY FACE.

MAYBE SHE'S GOT SOME THOUGHTS, BUT, UH, LET ME LET YOU ASK YOUR YOUR QUESTION FIRST.

COMMISSIONER DUSS GUPTA, YOU KNOW, FROM EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE SAID ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A COMMITTEE AND A WORKING GROUP COMMITTEE WILL JUST BECOME A LITTLE MORE, UH, UH, BUREAUCRATIC.

AND, UH, I ACCEPT THE IDEA OF BECOMING MORE BUREAUCRATIC.

I THINK WE HAVE SOME VERY FINE DISCUSSIONS, AND I'D LIKE TO, EARLY ON WITH THIS INFORMAL STRUCTURE, THE ONLY THING COMING IN THE WAY IS THE FACT THAT THESE WORKING GROUPS SEEM TO GO ON AND ON AND ON, BUT WITHIN THE CON, WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF A WORKING GROUP, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US IN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE WORKING GROUPS HAVE BEEN TRACKING MULTIPLE T TOPICS, ONE AT ANOTHER AFTER ANOTHER.

SO MAYBE,

[02:15:34]

NO, I, I, I LOVE THOSE 2 CENTS.

UH, AND I LOVE THAT FEEDBACK FROM COMMISSIONER YATES.

UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE RONDELLA A CHANCE TO SHARE HER THOUGHTS, AND MAYBE THOSE COMMENTS MIGHT SIMPLIFY HER THOUGHTS.

I DON'T KNOW.

YEAH, THANK YOU.

AND GOOD EVENING, RONDE HAWKINS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS OFFICER.

AND, UM, I AM JUST THINKING, GIVEN SOME HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF WHEN THE BYLAWS, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE CAME UP WITH THIS BYLAW TEMPLATE FOR ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, THAT WAS ADOPTED BY, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A TIMELINE SET BY CLERK'S OFFICE FOR ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO ADOPT THIS TEMPLATE.

AND THAT WAS DONE.

AND IF I, I'M TRYING, I DON'T HAVE THE BYLAWS IN FRONT OF ME THAT THE DATE OF THE BYLAWS THAT WE HAVE HERE, THE CURRENT ONES, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN, UH, THAT AT THE TIME THAT THE BYLAWS WERE, WERE ADOPTED BY THIS COMMISSION, THAT THERE WAS NOT A THOUGHT OF HAVING, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST THE THOUGHT OF WHAT THE TOPICS AND THE FOCUS AND THE, THE THOUGHT OF HAVING, UH, COMMITTEES WAS NOT CONTEMPLATED, WHICH IS WHY IT SAYS NO, JUST NO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY COMMITTEES.

UM, AND THEN SINCE THEN, THEN THE CREATION OF THE THREE WORKING GROUPS, UH, CAME TO BE.

AND I, I REALLY THINK THAT'S JUST, IF I COULD RECALL THE KIND OF LIKE THE, THE INTERNAL EVENTS, UM, AND THEN THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS MATTER OF, UH, THE COMMITTEES VERSUS THE WORKING GROUPS.

UM, I THINK THAT, THAT THERE'S, THE CLERK'S OFFICE WAS WANTING TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION, UM, OUT TO ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE WORKING GROUPS ARE MEANT TO BE TEMPORARY BODIES.

UM, YEAH, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE SUBJECT TO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT OR THE, OR THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT FOR POSTING IN MINUTES.

AND, UM, YEAH, IT'S MUCH MORE, I THINK SHORT TERM.

THERE'S A, THERE'S A PROJECT, AND THEN THE WORKING GROUP IS, YOU KNOW, ASSIGNED, AND THEN THEY, THEY DELIVER THE RECOMMENDATIONS AS DISSOLVED.

SO I THINK THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT IS THE, I THINK THE, THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHAT'S ATTRACTIVE TO THESE WORKING GROUPS BECAUSE YES, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BECOME A FORMAL COMMITTEE IN THE STRUCTURE.

AND AGAIN, THE POSTING OF THE MEETING AGENDA, UM, IT'S MUCH MORE FORMAL AND STRUCTURED, AND YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, MEET QUARTERLY.

AND, UH, BUT I, I MEAN, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER DUN SPTA YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR SUGGESTION THAT, THAT IN ORDER TO, UM, YEAH, THAT WE, THE COMMISSION IDENTIFY A SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, SUBJECT MATTER, YOU KNOW, A TOPIC OR A PROJECT, WORKING GROUP ASSIGNED, AND THEN, UM, IT'S, IT'S FINISHED AND THEN THE NEW SUBJECT, THEN YOU CAN CREATE AN, UH, A NEW WORKING GROUP.

BUT THERE'S THE SAME NAME OF THE WORKING GROUP, BUT A DIFFERENT TOPIC.

I, I MEAN, I, YEAH, I THINK THERE IS A WAY TO WORK AROUND IT.

THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR BYLAWS, , RIGHT? SO I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THIS CONTENTIOUS, UM, BECAUSE IF I START THINKING ABOUT INTERPRETING WORDS , LIKE TEMPORARY, AND WHAT THAT CAN MEAN, THEN IT BASICALLY MEANS WE'RE STILL IN COMPLIANCE.

ROND.

UH, I, I WANNA REACT TO THAT AGAIN.

UH, WELL GO AHEAD.

COMMISSION DOCU.

YOU PROBABLY WANNA ADD TO THAT.

YOU KNOW, I, I, UH, I WANNA PLAY ON THE WORD .

NOWHERE IN THE BYLAWS THEY SAID WHAT TEMPORARY MEANS.

DOES IT TEMPORARY COULD BE SIX MONTHS, COULD BE SIX YEARS, COULD BE 10 YEARS, AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T HAVE LAST US .

FAIR, FAIR ENOUGH.

PHYSICIANS, NO, I UNDERSTAND.

LEFT IT, THEY'VE LEFT IT TO OUR IMAGINATION TO DEFINE WHAT CONTEMPORARY MEANS.

WELL, I I, LET ME JUST JUMP IN THERE BECAUSE, UH, I, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.

UM, AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THESE BYLAWS AND, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO APPROACH THIS, RIGHT? I MEAN, WHAT'S CLEAR IS THAT WE WANT TO APPROACH THIS IN A WAY THAT MAINTAINS GOODWILL WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE THAT ALLOWS US TO ALSO, UH, REMAIN ABOVE REPROACH.

UH, I SAY THAT BEGINNING THE CONVERSATION BY SAYING

[02:20:01]

UH, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, THAT'S AGAIN, PERHAPS SHOWING, UH, YOU KNOW, A LACK OF CONSIDERATION FOR THE, THE GOALS BY THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO CREATE SOME UNIFORMITY, UH, TO THE METHODS AND PRACTICES OF OUR COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS.

I MEAN, SINCE WE'VE ALREADY DIRECTLY INFLUENCED THE WORKLOAD, UH, OF THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE THROUGH, UH, SOUND ADVISEMENT FOR METHODS AND PRACTICES THAT SHOULD EXTEND TO ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WE THINK THROUGH REMOTE PARTICIPATION, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO SHOW THE SAME KIND OF, UH, WISDOM AND CONSIDERATION IN HOW WE OPERATE AND HOW WE TAKE THEIR FEEDBACK.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M GOING TO PROPOSE, UH, THAT, UH, BASICALLY YOU TURN YOUR SUGGESTION INTO A MOTION COMMISSIONER SUPTA, UH, THAT I'VE ALREADY HEARD, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER YATES, THAT I WOULD GLADLY SECOND AS WELL, UH, AND THAT WE VOTE ON IT.

BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, IF WE CHANGE TO A MODEL WHERE WE ADDRESS ISSUES, UH, ON A TEMPORARY BASIS, AND THEN AT THE VERY LEAST MONTH TO MONTH, UH, AGREE, UH, WHAT HAS BEEN CHECKED OFF, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WHAT MATTERS BEEN CLOSED AND WHAT WE CAN START AGAIN AS A WORKING GROUP, THEN I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, ACHIEVING THE OBJECTIVE TO NOT HAVE AS MUCH BUREAUCRACY, BUT ALSO SATISFYING THE NEED TO HAVE TEMPORARY TOPICS AND WORKLOAD, UM, BY THE PERCEPTION OF THE CLERK'S OFFICE.

IF, IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO YOU, THEN I'LL, I'LL JUST LOOK FORWARD TO THAT MOTION, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A VOTE.

UH, DO, DO YOU WANT ME TO COME UP WITH THE MOTION TONIGHT, OR, UH, WELL, I THINK YOU ALREADY DID.

UH, IF, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, YOUR MOTION, YOUR THOUGHT WAS, OR HOW WOULD YOU, DID YOU WANNA PHRASE IT SPECIFICALLY, OR? WELL, I WAS GOING TO PROPOSE THAT, UH, I MOVED THAT WE, UH, DEFINE SPECIFIC PROJECTS, UH, FOR, UH, THE WORKING GROUPS AND AT THE, AT THE END OF OUR DISCUSSION WITHIN THE WORKING GROUP, THAT, UH, WHATEVER NOTES THAT ARE AVAILABLE ARE TURNED OVER AS A REPORT, AND AT WHICH POINT THE, UH, WORKING YOU, UH, MAY BE TERMINATED, AND THEN DETERMINATED AGAIN, WITH THE SAME NAME FOR, UH, DIFFERENT SET OF, UH, DIFFERENT SET OF, UH, PROJECTS.

BE PREPARED TO THEN DESIGNATE THE WORKING GROUPS IN A PRIORITY LEVEL, AS IN HOWEVER MANY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AND WHAT ORDER WE'RE GONNA GO IN AGREEING THOUGH, THAT WE'RE ONLY GONNA HAVE SO MANY, UH, AT ONE TIME, RIGHT? I THINK THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE, AND LET'S PRESS PAUSE ON THE, ON, ON THE, ON THE MOTION.

WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, UH, JESSE'S GOT SOME THOUGHTS.

UH, THANK YOU, CHAIR PITTS.

UH, JUST ONE THOUGHT.

UM, IT MAY BECOME COMPLEX, UH, IF EVERY WORKING GROUP HAS THE SAME NAME WHEN IT'S RESUSCITATED, UH, FOR, FOR THE PURPOSES OF HISTORICAL TRACKING, UH, EVERY REPORT WOULD MAYBE HAVE THE SAME NAME IN A SERIES OF WORKING GROUPS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

UM, I DON'T, UH, SO JUST A, AN ITEM TO CONSIDER THERE.

NO, IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING.

UH, DO YOU HAVE A THOUGHT OR REACTION TO THAT COMMISSION, SUPTA? YEAH, SO WE COULD POTENTIALLY USE, UH, THE YEAR, FOR INSTANCE, WE COULD HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, WORKING GROUP HERE, 2023, AND THEN 2024, AND WE HAVE A FORMAL TERMINATION AND A, YOU KNOW, FORMAL BEGINNING AND A FORMAL END.

AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR WE START A DIFFERENT WORKING GROUP, MAYBE THE SAME NAME, BUT WE'VE GIVEN A DIFFERENT CURE BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE FOCUSING ON DIFFERENT TOPICS, RIGHT? SO IF WE'RE FOCUSING ON DIFFERENT TOPICS, THE TOPIC COULD BE THE NAME OF THE WORKING GROUP.

YEAH, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A SIMPLER WAY, UH, JUST TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE TOPIC, WHICH WILL CHANGE THE NAME OF THE WORKING GROUP, THE WORKING, YEP.

THAT THROUGH, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE KIND OF A HYBRID OF BOTH.

WELL, UH, IN THAT CASE, UH, HOW ABOUT THIS? THEN, UH, I MOVE THAT, UH, WE BEGIN THE PROCESS OF EVALUATING THE TOPICS THAT ARE GOING TO BE FORMED INTO WORKING GROUPS AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, AND THEN BY THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING,

[02:25:02]

WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT WE, UH, CAN ONLY HANDLE SO MUCH AS COMMISSIONERS, UH, AT, AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, OR COMMITTEE LEVEL, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT.

UH, AND I THINK WE'D ALL AGREE THAT, UM, WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF TESTED THOSE LIMITS , UH, TO, TO SOME EXTENT, RIGHT? SO I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY WISE OF US TO HANDLE, UH, MORE THAN, UH, YOU KNOW, IF, IF EACH WORKING GROUP RIGHT NOW IS HANDLING, LET'S SAY ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO FOUR TOPICS, UH, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, HAVE ONGOING CHECK-INS OR WHATEVER, THEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE SHOULD DISTILL THAT DOWN, UH, TO THE POINT WHERE, UH, THE NEW WORKING GROUPS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE SPIN UP BASE SURFACE UP IF WE'VE GOT WHATEVER, HOWEVER MANY TOPICS WE'VE GOT, UH, LET'S SAY WE SURFACE UP HALF OF THAT AMOUNT OF TOPICS AS POTENTIAL NEW WORKING GROUPS FROM EACH WORKING GROUP.

SO THAT WOULD BE THE MOTION, I GUESS, THAT WE GO BACK IN OUR NEXT WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, AND AS WORKING GROUPS DECIDE WHAT HALF OF THOSE TOPICS WE WANT TO HAVE, CREATE, WE WANT TO CREATE WORKING GROUPS FOR, AND THEN TO BE PREPARED TO COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION AND WILL PRIORITIZE AS A COMMISSION, WHICH, WHICH SIX, WHICH, YOU KNOW, FIVE, FOUR, HOWEVER MANY, WE THEN WILL TURN INTO WORK GROUPS.

I THINK THAT WE COULD FOCUS ON THE TOPICS THAT CAN BE CLOSED IN A TIMELY MANNER AND A REPORT GIVEN SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT TOPICS THAT MIGHT REQUIRE MORE TIME.

I AGREE.

AND I THINK THAT, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMISSION, YATES.

I AGREE.

AND I THINK THAT WE CAN USE THAT THOUGHT PROCESS TO HELP INFORM US, UH, IN OUR DECISION MAKING AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, RIGHT? SO THE VERY NEXT TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE MEETING THAT WE HAVE, WE COULD THEN LOOK AT OUR LIST AND SAY, OKAY, THESE TWO OR THREE, WE KNOW WE CAN YIELD REPORTS, LET'S DO THAT.

AND THAT'LL KIND OF HELP TO MAKE THE DECISION AS A WORKING GROUP.

IT, IT MIGHT MEAN, MIGHT BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THOUGH FOR ANOTHER WORKING GROUP, RIGHT? WE MIGHT GO TO THE KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION AND DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP AND DECIDE THAT, OH, WELL, NO, THESE TWO THINGS, YOU KNOW, THEY KIND OF LINGER ON.

UH, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY, WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF CHECKED THE BOXES ON ALL THE THINGS THAT WE CAN HANDLE QUICKLY.

SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO COME BACK WITH, UH, THESE TOPICS AS LONGER WORKING GROUPS, BUT STILL AS TEMPORARY WORKING GROUPS.

UH, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT VICE CHAIR? YEAH, THAT'S ACTUALLY EXACTLY WHERE MY MIND WOULD MY GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE.

SO THE WAY I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT IN MY MIND WAS PERHAPS HAVING TWO SHORT TERM ITEMS, AND THEN PERHAPS TWO, LIKE LONGER TERMS, BUT WE'LL GET INTO SPECIFICS.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER THOUGHT TOO, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, AS CHAIR OF THE DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP, UH, WITH THE MEMBERS HERE PRESENT, DOES THAT SOUND GOOD TO YOU? THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE BASICALLY, AT OUR NEXT DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP MEETING, WE LOOK AT A COUPLE THINGS WE KNOW WE CAN KNOCK OUT QUICKLY.

FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION TOWN HALL REPORT FOR THIS PAST YEAR, UH, SINCE THAT'S ALREADY, YOU KNOW, ALMOST FINAL, WE KNOCKED THAT OUT AS A, AS A, AS A WORKING GROUP, GET IT CHECKED OFF, GET THE REPORT ISSUED, UH, BUT THEN WE HAVE OTHER THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WE CARRY ON.

SO IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO YOU, UH, ALL, THEN I THINK WE GOT A, A GOOD PLAN HERE.

I SEE NODS.

YEP.

OKAY, GREAT.

SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T, WE DON'T ACTUALLY NEED TO VOTE ON THAT RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE GOT A DECISION, UH, WE'VE GOT A CONSENSUS AND WE GOT A PLAN CHAIR PITS.

I, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE AND GET ANY FINAL FEEDBACK OR INPUT FROM RONDELLA AND JESSE ON THAT PATH FORWARD.

YEAH, SURE.

THAT SEEM LIKE IT'S, IT WOULD MEET EXPECTATIONS, UM, BASED ON THE TRAINING THAT YOU ALL ATTENDED.

WHAT WHAT THEY WERE COMMUNICATING.

I, I MEAN, I DO THINK THAT THIS, UM, THAT THIS NEW APPROACH, IT, IT, AND THEN THERE IS NOT WHATEVER THEY COULD DEFINING, LIKE TEMPORARY, THE CLERK'S OFFICE SAYS WE CANNOT DEFINE WHAT THE DURATION IS, IT'S JUST THERE'S A DURATION OF A WORKING GROUP WHENEVER THE OBJECTIVE OF THAT WORKING GROUP IS MET.

SO, BUT I THINK THIS APPROACH, I THINK, YEAH, I THINK IT SATISFIES AND MEETS, UM, MEETS WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE,

[02:30:01]

JESSE.

SECOND THAT.

AND, UH, IF, IF MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIRECTION, UH, IS CORRECT, IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT THE COMMISSION IS MOVING TOWARDS IS HAVING, UH, UH, BASICALLY SUBDIVIDING THE EXISTING TOPICS WITHIN EACH OF THE WORKING GROUPS INTO INDEPENDENT WORKING GROUPS, AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, SETTING, UH, TIMELINES FOR EACH OF THOSE BASED ON PRIORITY.

UM, I THINK IF, IF MY UNDERSTANDING IS CORRECT, THEN THAT WOULD COMPLY WITH WHAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS REQUESTING.

UH, I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.

COMMISSIONER DOKO, DID YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING? YEAH, I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD DO AS, UH, A GROUP, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, THE NEXT, UH, THE NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS THE 2ND OF JANUARY, WE SHOULD GO THROUGH OUR LIST AND CALL THROUGH THAT AND SEE WHAT, WHAT THING WE'LL WORK ON IN WHAT PLAN FRAME.

I THINK JESSE'S GOT A REACTION TO THAT.

ONE, ONE QUICK, UH, THOUGHT HERE.

UH, AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO FIGURE OUT ALL OF THE LOGISTICS AT THIS SESSION.

MAYBE WE FIGURE OUT THE LOGISTICS IN THE WORKING GROUP SESSIONS THEMSELVES.

BUT, UM, I, I THINK, OR I SUSPECT THE WAY THAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO THIS IS, UH, SINCE WE HAVE WORKING GROUPS, WE HAVE FOUR, THREE WORKING GROUPS, RIGHT? THREE, THREE .

WE HAVE THREE WORKING GROUPS.

UH, UH, ESSENTIALLY WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE NEXT SET OF WORKING GROUPS COME UP WITH A FINAL REPORT, WHICH THAT FINAL REPORT MAY BE THE CONSTITUTION OF THE OTHER WORKING GROUPS, IN OTHER WORDS, THAT WOULD KIND OF FORMALLY CLOSE THE BOOKS ON THE THREE THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE OPEN, UH, WHILE KIND OF SETTING UP THE NEXT SET OF WORKING GROUPS, UH, WITH THEIR OWN, UH, TIMELINES AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT, UH, COMES TO MIND.

THERE'S SOME NUANCES TO HOW WE, HOW THAT MIGHT NEED TO HAPPEN, BUT, UM, HAPPY TO ASSIST IF NEEDED WITH THAT, THOSE SERIES OF WORKING GROUPS FOR US TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

THEY MAY NOT BE AS PRODUCTIVE AS WE'RE THINKING RIGHT NOW.

I, I THINK THAT, UH, THAT'S ENTIRELY FEASIBLE.

IT, IT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE HAD IN MIND, YOU KNOW, UH, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE REMINDING OURSELVES THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE A LOT OF THESE DECISIONS WITHIN, YOU KNOW, AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, UH, RIGHT.

AND SO BY THE TIME WE COME BACK TO THAT JANUARY MEETING, WE SHOULD ALREADY HAVE, UH, GOALS IN MIND.

WE SHOULD ALREADY HAVE DATES IN MIND.

SO THAT'LL BASICALLY BE THE, THE ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF EACH WORKING GROUP TO GO AHEAD AND PUT, UH, YOU KNOW, AN EXPIRATION DATE OR PUT A DEADLINE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND TO RAISE THE TOPICS, WHETHER THEY'RE, UH, SHORTER OR LONGER TERM, BUT TO PROVIDE A TERM FOR THOSE TOPICS, UH, WHEN WE'RE GONNA MANAGE THEM.

SO, IF, IF, AGAIN, THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO EVERYBODY, THEN I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE GOT, UH, SOME GOOD DIRECTION ON THIS ONE.

AND, UH, WELL, I THINK FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE GROUP, THE, WE SHOULD HAVE EMAILS THAT ARE GOING BACK AND FORTH BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING THAT GIVE LISTS AND POSSIBLE DATES FOR CLOSURE, AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS THEM AT THE MEETING AND MAKE WE ACTUALLY MAKE SOME DECISIONS, RIGHT? RIGHT.

SO, UH, YEAH, I MEAN, THE, THE KEY THING IS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE DECISIONS IN THE NEXT MEETING.

SO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, UH, YOU WANNA SHARE YOUR OPINION, UH, ABOUT WHAT DATES AND, AND WHAT TOPICS PRIOR TO THAT WORKING GROUP MEETING, THEN I'M CERTAINLY TO THAT.

UH, AND WE'LL RECEIVE THAT AND BE READY TO SHARE THAT.

UH, BUT IN MY, FOR MY PART, AS LONG AS YOU COME TO THE NEXT WORKING GROUP MEETING, KNOWING WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE, HAVE BEEN, UH, BASED ON THE WORK PLAN AND BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, CALL OUT A VOTE OR, OR, OR A DATE, THEN WE'LL BE ACHIEVING THE SAME OUTCOME.

UH, BUT I, I DO APPRECIATE THE SUGGESTION THAT WE WORK AHEAD AND THAT WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, UH, EMAIL TO DO IT SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DATES AND, UH, TOPICS.

AND WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE LISTS.

SO, COMMISSIONER FORD, I WAS GONNA SAY, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT IT IS TWO WEEKS OF HOLIDAY IN BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.

SO, UM, WE CAN MAKE, I THINK WE CAN MAKE THE EFFORT TO HAVE SOME EMAIL DISCUSSIONS, BUT

[02:35:01]

I AGREE.

THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.

UM, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.

UM, AND WITH THAT POINT, ACTUALLY, DO WE NEED TO LOOK, DO WE NEED TO EVEN TALK ABOUT, UH, OR LOOK AT THE, THE DATE OF THE CALENDAR? I MEAN, UH, OUR, OUR, THE TIMING OF OUR MEETING, WE OBVIOUSLY AGREED TO THIS CALENDAR EARLIER THIS YEAR.

UM, SOME WERE PRESENT ON THE COMMISSION, BUT SOME WEREN'T.

UH, IS EVERYBODY PLANNING ON BEING IN ATTENDANCE ON THE SECOND FOR THE, FOR THE WORKING GROUP? YEAH, I'M RUNNING.

AND I'LL BE, I'LL BE AROUND FOR IT THEN.

OKAY, GOOD.

GOOD, GOOD.

WELL, THAT, THAT SHOULD BE, THAT'S GOOD THEN.

AT LEAST WE KNOW WE GOT THAT DATE.

UH, JESSE, JUST AS A NOTE, THE SECOND IS A CITY HOLIDAY, SO I PROBABLY WON'T BE ABLE TO OPEN A, A MEETING FOR YOU ALL.

SO THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TALK, UH, DISCUSSION POINT NOW.

UM, SO FELLOWS, IF WE WANNA DO THAT THAT DAY, WE CAN, BUT SOMEONE ELSE IS GONNA HAVE TO USE, UH, THEIR PLATFORM OR ACCOUNT.

UM, WE CAN GO TO ZOOM.

WE KNOW THAT I'VE GOT A ZOOM LICENSE.

SO THEN, UH, COMMISSIONER YATES, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH, UH, USING YOUR LICENSE THEN, AND THEN WE'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND, UH, GO OFF.

WE WON'T RELY ON ANY CITY RESOURCES FOR THAT TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP MEETING ON THE SECOND.

OKAY, FINE.

SO I'LL SEND OUT A, UH, AN INVITATION, UM, FOR THE, UH, ZOOM MEETING.

WELL THEN I THINK I, I, I ASSUME THOUGH THAT WE PREPARED TO COME, YOU KNOW, COME PREPARED TO SAY, OKAY, THIS IS MY PROPOSED LIST OF THINGS.

WE WILL HAVE AN ACTIVE DISCUSSION, WHAT WILL NSTITUTE OUR PERFORMANCES PLAN FOR THE WORKING GROUP? AND THEN SAY THE REST GOES TO THE NEXT ONE.

RIGHT? RIGHT.

THE EMAILS ARE FOUR .

RIGHT, RIGHT.

WELL, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS WE'RE PREPARED TO, TO COME AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND TO, TO SAY WHICH TOPICS ARE IMPORTANT, AND THEN WE'VE GOT FOUR, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, UH, ENOUGH PEOPLE TO ARRIVE AT SOME CONSENSUS, THEN WE SHOULD BE FINE.

I FEEL AS THOUGH THERE'S A, A WHOLE NEW ELEMENT, UH, TO THIS FOR US TO CONSIDER AS IT RELATES TO CHALLENGING, UH, BEING, UH, A MAJOR FOCUS AND A NEED FOR US AS A COMMISSION TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, WORK ON THE PLAN, WORK ON THIS PLANE WHILE IT'S IN MOTION, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE CHANGES THAT ARE GONNA INCREASE OUR ELEVATION WHILE WE'RE IN MOTION, UH, BUT ALSO KEEP THINGS GOING AND MAKE SURE WE DON'T GO DOWN.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL THEN, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, AND MOVE FORWARD IN OUR AGENDA TO AGENDA ITEM EIGHT, FCC BROADBAND STANDARDS.

UH, THIS AGENDA ITEM HAS, UH, AND IS LIKELY TO REMAIN, UH, FRANKLY, UH, TOP OF MIND.

UH, IT, IT'S BECOME TOP OF MIND DUE TO, UH, DUE TO, UH, THE ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BY, UH, THE STATE B D O.

AND, UH, THE WHOLE DYNAMICS OF MAPPING, UH, ARE SERVED UNSERVED AND UNDERSERVED AREAS.

THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL, UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, MADE BY OUR, UH, RESOURCES, OF COURSE, WITH THE FCC, BUT ALSO FROM OUR PUBLIC, SENIOR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, BE BRIANNA GOWING ABOUT THIS, AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF CHALLENGING.

NOW, WE WERE ALREADY FOCUSED AS A COMMISSION ON TRYING TO ELEVATE A BROADBAND STANDARD FOR AUSTIN TO SHOW LEADERSHIP IN THIS SPACE.

NOW, UH, SINCE THAT TIME, UH, WE'VE HEARD ON THE RECORD, UH, ABOUT A PROJECT THAT WILL REQUIRE THE AMENDMENT OF AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, UH, THAT WILL DELIVER HIGH-SPEED SERVICES TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AND OTHERS NEAR, UH, SCHOOLS, WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S REFERRED TO AS BROADBAND OR NOT, UH, WE HAVE, AND AT DIFFERENT DEGREES, I'M SURE, BEEN INVOLVED IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UH, THE CHALLENGE PROCESS FOR MAPPING AND HOW WE CAN HELP COMMUNITY MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY, OR INSTITUTIONS INSTITUTIONALLY CHALLENGE THE BROADBAND MAPS TO THEN THEREFORE MAKE SURE FUNDING IS ALLOCATED APPROPRIATELY.

[02:40:06]

AND I SAY THAT REALLY WITH, UH, THE CHALLENGE PROCESS IN MIND AND THE TIMING OF ANY STANDARD THAT WE ADVOCATE FOR BY RESOLUTION.

I'D LIKE TO KIND OF PULL MY PEERS HERE.

HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW, UH, THE COMMUNICATIONS FROM BRIANNA, UH, PERTAINING TO THE FCC, UH, MAPPING, UH, THE CHALLENGE PROCESS, UH, AND, AND WHAT THAT MEANS? HAS, HAS EVERYONE BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF, UH, TRAIN UP, SO TO SPEAK, OR TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THE, THE, THE MOST RECENT COMMUNICATIONS BY THE FCC CHAIR? MAY I, UM, GIVE A UPDATE FROM TODAY? YES, PLEASE, PLEASE, RIGHT AHEAD.

HI, GOOD EVENING.

THIS IS HUTAN PARMAN.

I AM THE SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN TODAY, UM, WAS THE BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE ADVISORY BOARD MEETING, AND THERE WERE SOME UPDATES ON THE CHALLENGE PROCESS.

UM, B D O WILL NOW PROVIDE A BULK CHALLENGE ON BROADBAND SERVICEABLE LOCATIONS, OR THE SO-CALLED BSLS, BUT NOT SERVICE AVAILABILITY.

SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO IDENTIFY WHICH LOCATIONS ARE INCORRECT, BUT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO CHALLENGE SERVICE AVAILABILITY.

THE REASONING IS THAT BOTH TEXAS AND THE FCC HAVE RECEIVED SERVICE AVAILABILITY DATA FROM PROVIDERS AND IS NOT NEEDED TO BE CHALLENGED, IS WHAT THEY SAID.

SO IN EFFECT, N T I A WILL REVIEW THE REVISED FCC MAP THAT WILL INCLUDE THE TEXAS DSL CHALLENGES FOR THE LOCATION AND CHECK THOSE LOCATIONS AGAINST AVAILABILITY DATA FROM PROVIDERS TO TEXAS AND FCC IN MAKING ITS FUNDING ALLOCATION.

SO THAT WAS THE DECISION.

SO THERE IS NO MECHANISM FOR B D TO CHALLENGE SERVICE AVAILABILITY DATA, AND THAT PROVIDERS MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN WRONG.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND AT THIS TIME.

THE REASON ANSWER THAT THEY GIVE IS THAT THE SAME DATA AND INFORMATION HAS BEEN SHARED AND GIVEN TO THE FCC AS WELL AS TEXAS, AND THAT THE BURDEN OF CHALLENGING THE SERVICE AVAILABILITY DATA WILL REST WITH HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES ACROSS TEXAS THROUGH INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGES, BUT NOT THROUGH BOTH CHALLENGES FROM THE BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.

THAT IS WHY, UH, COMPTROLLER HAGER HAS ASKED IN A RECENT, UM, PRESS RELEASE THAT WAS JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, FOR A 60 DAY EXTENSION, UH, TO THE FCC MAP CHALLENGE DEADLINE OF JANUARY 13.

SO COMMUNITIES COULD BE MOBILIZED TO SUBMIT SERVICE AVAILABILITY CHALLENGES.

OUT OF THE 300 PLUS PROVIDERS IN TEXAS, ONLY 141 HAVE SUBMITTED DATA TO THE B D O, WHO, OR WHAT WILL COMPEL THE REST TO SUBMIT THEIR DATA.

IT IS UNCLEAR IF THERE IS A STRATEGY IN PLACE.

SO THAT'S THE LATEST UPDATE.

THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE TOO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

COTAN, YOU, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR COTAN.

UM, I KNOW THAT TRAVIS COUNTY RIGHT NOW IS, HAS BEEN BROADCASTING A SURVEY ASKING PEOPLE TO, UM, TELL THEM ABOUT THEIR, UH, THEIR BROADBAND EXPERIENCES.

UM, IS THIS PART OF SOME KIND OF AN EFFORT TO, TO CHALLENGE THE CARRIER'S DATA? YES, AND THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

SO THE CITY OF LAWSON AND TRAVIS COUNTY ARE WORKING TOGETHER, ARE BRO, UH, OUR PIO AND THEIR PIO O AND OUR, UM, DIGITAL EQUITY GROUP, AND THEIR DIGITAL EQUITY GROUP ARE TRYING TO HARNESS THE

[02:45:01]

COMMUNITY.

QUESTION, PLEASE.

SO WHAT'S THE, THE, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL FAMILY OR INDIVIDUAL HERE IS WHAT, WHAT KIND OF SERVICE HE OR SHE HAS IS THE REQUIREMENT THAT HE OR SHE CAN THEN CHALLENGE? YES, DIRECTLY WITH THE FCC, THERE IS A FORM.

SO WHEN YOU GO ON THE FABRIC MAPS, THERE IS A CHALLENGE BUTTON THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW, AND THERE ARE STEPS TO TAKE.

AND THERE ARE NOW TOOLKITS AVAILABLE AT THE BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.

AND I KNOW BRIANNA HAS ALSO SHARED THAT IN THE PRESS RELEASE WITH TRAVIS COUNTY OF WHAT THE STEPS ARE, AND THERE'S A VIDEO AND, BUT EACH INDIVIDUAL WILL HAVE TO DO THEIR OWN, EACH HOUSEHOLD, EACH BUSINESS.

SO WHAT DOES THE CHALLENGE MEAN? IS IT A CHALLENGE SAYING THAT I CHALLENGED THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE VERACITY OF THE REPORT? CORRECT.

YOU CAN SAY IT IS NOT ENOUGH WHAT I'M GETTING.

SO WHAT DOES THE CHALLENGE MEAN? YEAH, THE CHALLENGE IS VERY SPECIFIC TO, THIS IS THE WRONG LOCATION.

I LIVE IN A HOUSE, THIS SAYS IT'S A GARAGE, OR THIS IS NOT WHERE I LIVE.

SO CORRECTING THAT AS WELL AS THE AVAILABILITY IS, SO ONE OF THE PROVIDERS, THERE'S A LIST OF PROVIDERS THAT, AND YOU CAN CHOOSE DIFFERENT OPTIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, 25 3 AND SEE ALL THE PROVIDERS THAT ARE OFFERING 25 3.

IT IS, THAT IS THE ADVERTISED SPEED AND SERVICE, NOT WHAT IS ACTUALLY RECEIVED BY WHAT IS CONNECTED TO BY THE HOUSEHOLD AND OR THE BUSINESS.

AND SO YOU CAN SAY AT 25 3, I AM NOT GETTING THE SERVICE OR AT 120 AND THE MULTIPLE, UM, OPTIONS THERE.

OKAY, LAST QUESTION.

SO LET'S SAY I AM SUPPOSED TO GET 25 3, BUT I'M GETTING FIVE AT ONE.

SO I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT BY RUNNING, SAY OR WHATEVER THE TEST IS.

WHEN I RUN IT SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.

AND THAT'S THE DATA I SUBMIT.

AND THE PROVIDER COULD JUST AS EASILY SAY, YEAH, BUT WE DID OUR OWN TESTING AND THIS IS WHAT WE MEASURED.

THAT'S RIGHT.

SO HOW DO WE RESOLVE THAT DATA? VERY GOOD QUESTION.

COMMISSIONER SUPTA, THEY'RE RECOMMENDING THAT YOU ACTUALLY CAPTURE SCREENSHOTS, TAKE PHOTOS, HAVE SOME SORT OF EVIDENCE THAT YOU HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE PROVIDER, YOU HAVE DONE YOUR SPEED TEST, AND THAT, UH, THEY, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE SPEED PROMISE CONSUMER PROTECTION ISSUE.

SO I SAID THAT THAT WAS THE LAST QUESTION, BUT THIS IS THE NEXT, AFTER THE LAST QUESTION.

WHERE, UM, THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY, GETTING THE WORD OUT THROUGH MEDIA, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH ALL KINDS OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WHICH WE ARE THROUGH DECA, AND ALSO OUTREACH INTO THE COMMUNITY AND ENSURING THAT THERE IS AVAILABILITY FOR SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPANY FOLKS THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

SO WILL THE FCC RECOMMEND CERTAIN TESTING REGIMEN, CERTAIN TESTING PROTOCOL BY WHICH IT'S OKAY, THIS IS THE STANDARDIZED TEST THAT EVERYBO SHOULD RUN? THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.

I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT, SO I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT I CAN FIND THAT FOR YOU.

I THINK THERE ARE, UH, BOOK CLASS ONE.

THERE ARE OTHERS AS WELL OUT THERE.

I'M SURE THAT THEY WILL, IF IT IS DOCUMENTED AND IF IT'S SUBMITTED, I'M SURE THEY WILL LOOK AT IT.

SO WHAT WE DO KNOW FROM THE FCC IS THAT THEY, THE BULK QUOTE, UNQUOTE BULK IDEA IS THAT THERE IS A MASSIVE MOVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY TO RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGE.

THAT'S THE BULK APPROACH OF, I THINK JESSE'S GOT A REACTION HERE IN THE ROOM.

PLEASE.

I HAVE A QUESTION, AND IT MAY BE AN OBVIOUS, IT MAY HAVE AN OBVIOUS ANSWER, BUT I WANNA POSE IT AND, AND QUAN, YOU'RE THE EXPERT HERE, OR THE PERSON THAT'S THE MOST CONNECTED.

UM, SO IF THE, IF THE FCC MAP SHOWS AN INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD AS HAVING INFRASTRUCTURE AVAILABILITY, BUT THAT HOUSEHOLD DOES NOT, IN ACTUALITY HAVE AVAILABILITY, HOW WOULD THAT HOUSEHOLD KNOW TO CHALLENGE THE REPORT IF THEY DON'T HAVE ANY INTERNET AVAILABLE IN THE FIRST PLACE? , THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE THIS OUTREACH INTO THE COMMUNITY IS GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT TO WORK WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SERVING THE CLIENTS WHERE THERE IS A TRUST RELATIONSHIP, AND THAT THESE ARE FOLKS WHO ACTUALLY DO NOT HAVE CONNECTIVITY, BECAUSE IT FEELS VERY STRANGE TO ACTUALLY BE, TO NEED THE INTERNET TO CHALLENGE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE AN INTERNET.

IT SOUNDS LIKE A SORT CONUNDRUM, RIGHT? SO THAT'S

[02:50:01]

IT'S ACTUALLY MORE CHALLENGING AND COMPLEX THAN IT SOUNDS.

IT'S NOT AS EASY.

WE'VE SEEN A FEW DEMONSTRATIONS OF IT, AND THEN WE SORT OF GOT IT.

SO, UM, WE, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE PLANS IN PLACE HOW TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AROUND THIS.

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT'S OUT THERE IS THAT, UH, THE BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE UNDER HB FIVE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT, THEY HAVE TO PRODUCE THE TEXAS BROADBAND MAP ON JANUARY 1ST, AND THE CHALLENGE DEADLINE FOR THE FCC MAPS IS JANUARY 13TH.

THAT DOESN'T GIVE ME PEOPLE A LOT OF TIME TO SORT OF CROSSWALK THESE TWO DATA SETS.

SO THERE ARE, WE'RE HEARING THAT BESIDES TEXAS, THAT OTHER STATES THAT MAY ALSO BE AN OTHER NONPROFIT WHO ARE REACHING OUT TO FCC AND REQUESTING AN EXTENSION SO THE COMMUNITY COULD BE MOBILIZED.

THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER AND THEIR NETWORK DIRECTLY.

SO JUST TO JUMP IN RIGHT THERE, UH, JESSE'S QUESTION WAS, WAS, WAS REELING AROUND MY MIND.

AND IT REALLY CENTERS BACK ON, I THINK OUR CHALLENGE HERE, UH, AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL.

UH, AND, AND THIS IS THE REASON WHY I'M SUGGESTING WE KIND OF SHIFT FOCUS, EVEN THOUGH I, I STILL THINK WE SHOULD WORK TOWARDS AN ASPIRATIONAL STANDARD FOR, FOR AUSTIN, UH, THAT CAN HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, BE A, A SHINING LIGHT FOR PEOPLE.

UH, RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO HELP PEOPLE WITH THEIR CHALLENGES.

UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE NEED TO FIND A WAY, UH, TO LEVERAGE OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, BEST PRACTICES, UH, AND TO RATCHET THEM UP TO HELP TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT THIS CHALLENGE, THIS FABRIC MAPPING CHALLENGE PROCESS.

UM, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE WE ENTERTAIN INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS, UH, WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO ENGAGE IN AN INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN EDUCATION, UH, CAMPAIGN AROUND FABRIC MAPPING AND CHALLENGING.

UM, AND IT'S, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, YEAH, LET'S LET, SO LET'S DO IT RIGHT QUICK, RIGHT? UH, , THAT'S ALL IT TAKES, IF ONLY, UM, BUT AT THIS POINT, I WANNA OPEN THE FLOOR UP, YOU KNOW, TO IDEAS AND, AND THOUGHTS ON HOW WE CAN TACKLE THAT CHALLENGE.

HOW, HOW DO WE HELP INDIVIDUALS CHALLENGE THE ACTUAL AVAILABILITY AND LOCATIONS THAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH? VICE CHAIR? YEAH, THANKS.

UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, I'VE BEEN TO THE WEBSITE.

I ENCOURAGE ALL COMMISSIONERS AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC WHO, WHO MIGHT NAME GO TO BROADBAND MAP FCC.GOV, BROADBAND MAP.FCC.GOV.

IT'S REALLY EASY.

IT TOOK ME LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES TO PLUG IN MY ADDRESS.

AND, UH, WHAT I FOUND WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTING.

THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PROVIDERS, UH, AT MY ADDRESS THAT I KNOW FOR SURE DO NOT PROVIDE SERVICE AS WELL AS DISCREPANCIES IN THE UP AND DOWN SPEEDS.

ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE DISCREPANCIES IN THE SPECIFIC ADDRESS LOCATION.

SO, I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU ALL WHAT I DID.

I'M ON THE HOA FOR, FOR MY TOWNHOME COMMUNITY OF ABOUT 60 UNITS.

I'VE BLASTED MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS MULTIPLE TIMES TO PLEASE GO IN AND SUBMIT INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGES, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, UM, WE ONLY HAVE UNTIL MID-JANUARY, AND NO ONE KNOWS THEIR SPECIFIC ADDRESS, LOCATION AVAILABILITY, UM, UP, DOWN SPEEDS BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU WHO LIVE, UM, IN AND AROUND AUSTIN.

SO I WOULD RECOMMEND ALL COMMISSIONERS GO IN AND DO THAT TONIGHT IF POSSIBLE, AS WELL AS, UM, REACH OUT TO YOUR NETWORKS AND HAVE THEM DO THE SAME.

YEAH, I WANT TO JUMP ON THAT BECAUSE, UH, WE'VE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT A CHALLENGE, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR BODY IS SOMEWHAT INCOMPLETE.

UH, WE DON'T HAVE EVERY DISTRICT REPRESENTED NECESSARILY ON THIS COMMISSION RIGHT NOW.

UH, BUT FOR EVERYONE THAT IS REPRESENTING A DISTRICT, UH, YOU HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT YOU AND THEIR COUNCIL, AND WELL AT LEAST, UH, SOME OF YOU STILL DO AND SOME OF YOU DON'T.

BUT, YOU KNOW, , UH, UH, THAT'S ALSO A MATTER THAT'S IN FLUX.

BUT FOR EVERYONE THAT'S HERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'RE STILL OBVIOUSLY STILL SERVING IN THEIR POST UNTIL SOMEONE ELSE IS SWORN IN, AND THAT WON'T BE BEFORE, UH, THE 13TH.

UH, SO WE STILL HAVE THIS SWEET SPOT RIGHT NOW WITH EVERYONE HERE ON THE CALL, EVERYONE THAT'S ON THE COMMISSION TO ENGAGE

[02:55:01]

I THINK THAT, UH, A TEMPLATE WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE FOR THIS, UH, PROCESS.

IT, I'VE BEEN ON THE MAP AND I, I'VE DONE THE MAP MYSELF, BUT I HAVEN'T CREATED A TEMPLATE, UM, THAT I COULD DROP INTO EMAIL AND THEN SEND OUT.

UH, MAYBE WE CAN GET SOME HELP FROM TARA, UH, ON, ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR, OR FROM OUR, OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE OR FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UH, JUST TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR US TO, TO ACHIEVE.

UM, BUT, UH, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.

YOU KNOW, I, I, I THINK WE NEED TO, TO REALLY PRIORITIZE THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A, UH, I MEAN, BASICALLY FROM A TIMING STANDPOINT, THE DEADLINE IS VERY CLOSE TO OUR NEXT MEETING, UH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, CHAIR PITS.

UH, YES.

UH, WOULD THE VICE CHAIR KINDLY SEND AN EMAIL OUT WITH, UH, UH, WITH, WITH, UH, LINK SO THAT I THINK I'M THERE ALREADY.

I WAS ACTUALLY PLAYING AROUND WITH IT AND, AND, UH, AT LEAST FROM MY ADDRESS, I MAY BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, FIND SOME ERRORS.

I SENT OUT THE LINK FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO EVERYONE I BELIEVE ALSO COPIED JESSE.

SO IF JESSE COULD, UH, FORWARD THAT EMAIL TO EVERYONE.

COMMISSIONER THOMPSON? YES.

I'M HAPPY TO SHARE INFORMATION, UH, AS NEEDED.

AND, AND THAT, UH, PARTICULAR EMAIL AS WELL, RIGHT? YOU, YOU, UH, YOU UNDERSTAND WHICH EMAIL WAS THAT WAS ON THE, UH, THE LINK TO THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN PRESS RELEASE ON THE, UH, UH, NATIONAL DRUG BAN MAP DATED DECEMBER 10TH, RIGHT? YES.

SO, WITH THAT, THEN, UH, I MOVE THAT WE ALL AGREE, UH, TO SHARE AT A MINIMUM THIS LINK FAR AND WIDE WITHIN OUR NETWORKS, UH, BUT SPECIFICALLY TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO HAVE THEM SEND IT TO THEIR NETWORKS.

UH, THAT'S GONNA BE KEY.

THEY'VE, THEY'VE GOT TYPICALLY THE MOST ROBUST OUTREACH MECHANISMS FOR FUNDRAISING AND OTHER THINGS THEY DO, UH, WITHIN THEIR DISTRICTS, WITHIN OUR DISTRICTS.

UH, SO WE DON'T NEED TO NECESSARILY HAVE A VOTE OR AN ACTION ON THAT.

BUT, UH, I THINK WE CAN ALL RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS AND HOW THAT SHOULD TAKE PRIORITY OVER EVERYTHING ELSE RELATED TO THE FCC.

AND THEN WITH THAT IN MIND, I MOVE THAT WE TABLE, UH, THE DISCUSSION OF A FUTURE STANDARD, UH, TO OUR NEXT, TO OUR NEXT MEETING.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP IN OUR DISCUSSIONS OF, UH, PROJECTS BEING EVALUATED, LIKE PROJECT LIGHTHOUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, IS IF EVEN THAT SERVICE WOULD BE CONSIDERED BROADBAND, UH, BASED UPON, UH, STANDARDS OF BROADBAND, BUT IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT THERE'S VALUE ON, ON THAT PROJECT.

THERE'S VALUE IN US CREATING A STANDARD AS A CITY, AND THERE'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT VALUE IN US ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO ENSURE ACCURACY IN THE MAPPING.

UH, AS WE KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST SOME SERIOUS ISSUES THERE AS WE'VE ALL, I NO, I, I PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED THESE SAME DYNAMICS AT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS THAT I OFFICE OUT OF, UH, WHETHER IT'S MAHOME ADDRESS, UH, OR, UH, MOBILE OFFICES OR, UH, FAMILY WHERE I OFFICE REGULARLY.

DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR, OR THOUGHTS HERE ON THE FCC ITEM BEFORE WE PROCEED IN OUR AGENDA? UH, YES, PLEASE.

C I DON'T HAVE AN EMAIL THAT'S DATED DECEMBER THE 10TH, AND SO IF YOU COULD SEND OUT A TEMPLATE OR SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING AND EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT YOU NEED FOR US TO DO, UM, I'LL BE GLAD TO COMPLY.

AND ALSO, ONE OTHER POINT, WE'RE, WE'RE AT NINE 30.

HOW MUCH LONGER ARE WE GOING TO GO TODAY? I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED.

UH, NO, I, I, UH, FRANKLY, I FEEL AS THOUGH, UM, PARTICULARLY WITH OUR PLAN TO GET

[03:00:01]

INTO THE WORKING GROUPS, UH, AND TO SORT OUT TOPICS AND PRIORITIES, UM, AND OUR WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, UH, WITH THE SUBSTANTIVE DIGITAL INCLUSION, UH, WORK, UH, UPDATES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, UH, THE WORKING GROUP CHAIRS, UH, MY COUNTERPARTS, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THEY FEEL IS PRESSING, UH, THAT THEY'D LIKE ADDRESSED, MAYBE WITH A NOD OR, YOU KNOW, THUMBS UP PRESSING, OR, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY GIMME SOME INDICATION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU'LL BE BOTHERED IF WE END UP CUTTING THIS A LITTLE SHORT.

I SEE.

AND AT LEAST.

ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE WANTED TO SET BEFORE, UH, OTHER THAN THE ITEMS THAT WERE TABLED, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE WANTED TO SET BEFORE WE ADJOURN? NO, TH I'VE GOT SEVERAL, BUT WHAT I CAN DO, JESSE, IS TO SEND, I WOULD ASK THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMISSION, YATES.

SO WITH THAT, THEN, UM, FRANKLY, I MOVE THAT WE TABLE, UH, ALL FUTURE ALL, UH, THE REMAINING AGENDA ITEMS THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UH, THE INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE RESOLUTION DISCUSSION, AS WELL AS WORKING GROUP UPDATES, UH, TO OUR NEXT MEETING.

UH, ANYTHING SUBSTANTIVE WILL BE TAKEN UP IN THE WORKING GROUPS.

AND, UH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION, UH, FOR ADJOURNMENT.

I'LL SECOND, UH, BUT, UH, , I'M SORRY, BEFORE, BEFORE WE PROCEED WITH THAT VOTE, WE HAVE A QUESTION OR THOUGHT BY JESSE.

JUST A QUICK QUESTION

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

I WOULD ASK, UH, IF WE CAN START, UH, WITH THOSE TOPICS GOING TO THE WORKING GROUPS THAT THEY MIGHT BE HANDLED BY, UH, BECAUSE, UH, UH, THEN WE CAN JUST GET QUICK CORROBORATION AND, AND THEN SURFACE THOSE THINGS UP IN THE WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION AS AGENDA ITEMS. AS LONG AS WE'VE GOT, UH, TWO OR MORE COMMISSIONERS INTERESTED IN A PARTICULAR ITEM IN A WORKING GROUP, AND, AND WE'VE GOT SOME CONSENSUS, THEN I'LL SEE TO IT BEING PUT ON THE AGENDA.

OKAY? OKAY.

SO WITH THAT THEN, UH, GETTING BACK, UH, MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY MYSELF FOR ADJOURNMENT.

IT'S BEEN SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR APP DACA.

WITH THAT, WE CAN HOLD A VOTE.

ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT, PLEASE SAY, AYE.

AND SHOW YOUR HAND.

AYE.

ANYONE OPPOSED? NO ONE'S OPPOSED.

SO WE HAVE A VOTE IN FAVOR UNANIMOUSLY SEVEN, UH, NO EIGHT, NO, IT IS SEVEN.

UH, SEVEN, UH, IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT.

SO WITH THAT, WE ARE ADJOURNED.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING TODAY.

GOOD NIGHT.