[00:00:01]
ALL RIGHT, WELL WE HAVE A QUORUM.
[CALL TO ORDER]
UM, JANUARY MEETING OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION BOARD TO ORDER.AND, UH, FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
DO WE HAVE PUBLIC SPEAKERS? NOPE.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MM-HMM.SO NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
UM, THESE ARE OUR OCTOBER 19TH MINUTES.
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF WE CAN ASK WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE.
NEVER REALLY HAVE AN AUDIENCE.
UH, THESE ARE, UH, LADIES FROM THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING TO ON THE AGENDA.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD WITH, UH, OUR MINUTES AND THEN, UH, WE WILL GET TO THE CONVENTION CENTER STAFF.
IN A MOMENT, I MOTION TO PROVE THE, UH, MEETING MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 19TH, 2022.
IS THERE A SECOND? IT'S BEEN REGULARLY MOVED IN.
SECONDED TO APPROVE THE OCTOBER 19TH MINUTES.
ANY DISCUSSION? ANY CORRECTIONS? I HATE TO THROW A BANNER IN THE, TO THE WORKS, BUT CAN WE APPROVE THESE MINUTES WITH BILL NOT HAVING BEEN HERE? GIVE US ONLY FIVE PEOPLE WHO WERE HERE.
DIDN'T THAT HAPPEN LAST TIME? YEAH.
SO WE HAVE A QUORUM SO WE CAN CONDUCT BUSINESS.
UH, BILL COULD ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTE CUZ HE WASN'T HERE CAUSE HE CAN'T VOTE IF THEY'RE ACCURATE OR NOT.
BUT THE REST OF US THAT ARE HE, IF WE WERE HERE, WE CAN, UM, I KNOW WE'VE NOT, WE'VE AVOIDED THAT IN THE PAST, BUT HAVEN'T LOOKED AT ROBERT'S RULES ON THAT.
AGAIN, I BELIEVE AS LONG AS WE HAVE A QUORUM, WE CAN CONDUCT BUSINESS AND, UM, SO WE COULD TAKE A VOTE ON APPROVING THE MINUTES.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE PRESENT WHO WAS NOT AT THE OCTOBER MEETING? EVERYBODY ELSE WAS HERE.
IS THERE, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO HANDLING IT THAT WAY? THAT WE GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE VOTE THAT, THAT BILL WOULD'VE ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTE BECAUSE HE, SO I BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED IN OUR LAST MEETING.
WHAT WERE YOU GONNA SAY? DID WE APPROVE THE SEPTEMBER MINUTES? I DON'T REMEMBER.
I THINK THAT WE, UM, I DON'T REMEMBER, BUT I KNOW WE HAVE POSTPONED IT IN THE PAST BECAUSE OF THIS POINT.
WELL, WE CAN JUST LOOK AT THEM, BUT I THINK ACTUALLY AS LONG AS WE HAVE A COURT APPROVED, THEY WERE APPROVED AT 5, 5 0 1.
AND WE CAN WAIT FOR, UM, COMMISSIONER SMITH TO JOIN US BEFORE WE TAKE THE VOTE.
AND THAT WAY THERE'LL BE NO DOUBT.
DID YOU ALSO THINK IT WAS A THREE O'CLOCK START? YEAH.
MAKE ME FEEL BETTER CUZ I DID TOO.
WHY DID START? I JUST GOT HERE.
WELL YOU MAKE ME FEEL BETTER CUZ I MADE THE SAME MISTAKE.
SECONDED TO APPROVE THE OCTOBER 19TH MINUTES.
UM, HAS BEEN, UH, NO ONE HAS OFFERED ANY CORRECTIONS.
SO AT THIS TIME I'LL TAKE THE VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE OCTOBER 19TH MINUTES.
RAISE YOUR HAND AND DO I HAVE TO GET, I HAVE TO COUNT, RIGHT? SO, SIX IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? NO.
IT SHOULD BE COMMISSIONER BILL.
[2. Discussion and possible action on Downtown Commission Recommendation 20220420-2(d) on Convention Center Expansion adopted by the Downtown Commission on April 20, 2022]
NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION AND, UH, ON THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION, UM, THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION ON APRIL 20TH, 2022.AND, UH, WE WANTED TO HAVE CONVENTION CENTER STAFF WITH US BEFORE WE TOOK UP THIS DISCUSSION ITEM TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, THEY HAVE EMAILED SOME QUESTIONS WERE EMAILED AND RESPONSES WERE GIVEN, WHICH YOU HAVE PRINTED COPIES AND I'D NOW INVITE COMMENCE CENTER STAFF, UM, TO COME UP AND INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AS SOME OF US SOME OF US KNOW YOU, SOME OF US DON'T.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY COMMISSIONERS, UM, THAT HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, UM, WELCOME.
I AM THE CHIEF ADMIN OFFICER FOR THE AUSTIN COMMISSION CENTER.
[00:05:01]
AFTERNOON.I'M TRICIA TATRA, THE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE SENT.
UM, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER? I I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, OH, SORRY.
IS IT, IS IT ON? NO, YOU CHECK, CHECK
UM, YOUR ANSWER TO QUESTION NUMBER THREE GOT ME CURIOUS WHERE, UH, IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, UH, YOU SAY A CONVENTION CENTER THAT'S PRIVATELY CONTROLLED IS NOT COMPELLED TO PROVIDE REVENUE TO THE CITY, UH, NAMELY, ET CETERA, IN THE MANNER OF THE COMMISSION CENTER DOES, BUT THE DISTRIBUTION OF HOT FUNDS IS BAKED INTO THE CITY CODE.
SO WE'RE THERE TO BE A PRIVATE OPERATOR, THE LAW WOULD STILL REQUIRE, REQUIRE THE FULL FUNDING OF PRESERVATION AND ARTS AND THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
SO THE WAY WE APPROACHED THAT QUESTION WAS THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER WOULD NO LONGER BE A CONVENTION CENTER OR A CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENT, BUT IT WOULD BE PRIVATELY CONTROLLED AND OPERATED AND OUTSIDE OF THE CONTROL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THEREFORE IT WOULD BE A PRIVATE ENTITY WHICH WOULD NOT BE COMPELLED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I'M STILL CONFUSED BECAUSE I MEAN, THE LAW IS, THE LAW AND OUTSOURCING THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER WOULDN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT THERE'S A LAW IN THE BOOKS.
IT SAYS 15% OF ALL COLLECTED HOT HAS TO GO TO ARTS AND 15% OF ALL COLLECTED HOT HAS TO GO TO PRESERVATION.
SO COULDN'T THAT BE BAKED INTO A MANAGEMENT CONTRACT? WE'D HAVE TO GET THE LEGAL OPINION ON THAT.
UM, STATE LAW DOES NOT DICTATE THAT ALL THAT IT HAS TO BE 15%.
SO IT'S CITY LAW AND IT WOULD, IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHICH WOULD TRUMP IN THAT, IN THAT INSTANCE.
AND I THINK IT WOULD PROMPT, MOST LIKELY COME DOWN TO THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH WHATEVER THE OPERATOR THAT WAS CHOSEN TO DO SO WAS, THANKS.
ANYONE ELSE? I JUST WANT, WE'LL I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY AS I RECOLLECT AND I'M, I AM RECOLLECTING SINCE IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER AND I DON'T HAVE THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IF IT'S MY, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, THE FIRST QUESTION ON HERE WAS RELATED TO A STATEMENT THAT WAS IN THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
RECOMMENDATIONS IS, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, I HAVE IT.
IS THAT CORRECT? I HAVE THE DTC RECOMMENDATION.
I JUST WANTED TO, CUZ I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER A, I WAS TRYING TO SAY WHERE DID ALL THESE QUESTIONS COME FROM? AND I KNOW THAT SOME OF THEM CAME FROM HERE AND I, CUZ I THINK THE FIRST ONE I MADE A COMMENT IN THE MEETING ABOUT THE FAIRMONT, WHICH MIGHT HAVE PUT IT ON THE BOARD HERE FOR THESE QUESTIONS.
BUT I ALSO WANTED TO, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION, I WANTED TO JUST ASK WHILE WE'RE IN THIS SECTION OF THE MEETING, IF I WAS CORRECT THAT THE FAIRMONT WAS MATERIAL AND THAT RECOMMENDATION AND THAT'S WHY IT ENDED UP IN THIS, THIS Q Q AND A FROM THE CENTER.
SO JOHN SAID YES, IT WAS, IT'S MENTIONED OR NOT.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO READ IT IF YOU WANT.
ONE OF THE, WHEREAS IN THEIR RESOLUTION IS WHEREAS THE COMPLETION OF THE FAIRMONT, WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER AT A NEARLY 140,000 SQUARE FEET OF MEETING ROOM SPACE, EFFECTIVELY EXPANDING THE CONVENTION CENTER AT NO COST TO TAXPAYERS TO ACCOMMODATE LARGER EVENTS WHILE INCREASING COMPETITION FOR SMALLER EVENTS.
AND THE MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN OFFERS OVER 60,000 SQUARE FEET OF MEETING SPACE AND IS LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER WITH SIMILAR BENEFITS AND COSTS TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE, WHEREAS AT LEADS TO THEIR RESOLUTION THAT THE CITY, UH, THE RESOLUTION BASICALLY IS RIGHT, WE NEED A NEW ANALYSIS OF THE CONVENTION CENTER MARKET IN LIGHT OF SEVERAL FACTORS, INCLUDING THE ADDITION OF THAT PRIVATE, UH, CONVENING SPACE.
AND I THINK THAT IN THAT CONVERSATION, I, I MADE A COMMENT THAT YOU CAN'T ASK, THE FAIRMONT IS NOT A REPLACEMENT OF OUR CONVENTION CENTER ANY MORE THAN THE JW MARRIED AS A REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE PRIVATELY HELD COMPANIES AT LEAST JW BY THE WHITE CORPORATION OR WHATEVER, AND THEY'RE GONNA DO WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE WHITE LODGING CORPORATION IN THEIR PUBLIC STOCK OR WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO.
AND THAT YOU CAN'T COMPARE THE CONVENTION CENTER TO A PRIVATE CORPORATE ENTITY THAT'S GOTTA MAKE QUARTERLY NUMBERS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO, TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ATTRACT THE BUSINESS.
WE NEED TO ATTRACT, THEY'LL ATTRACT WHAT FITS IN THEIR MO IN THEIR MOUSE TRAP, BUT NOT, THEY'RE NOT GONNA SERVE THE WHOLE CITY.
I THINK THAT WAS MY COMMENT, BUT I THINK THE QUESTION WENT HERE WAS A DISTILLATION OF THAT COMMENT IN THE, SO CHAIR RECOGNIZES COMMISSION A BUNCH.
JUST TO STICK WITH THAT BEFORE GOING BACK TO THE OTHER, I THINK THE, THE POINT WASN'T TO COMPARE THEM CUZ THEY ARE DIFFERENT ANIMALS,
[00:10:01]
BUT THAT, UH, AS YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THERE IS A, AS AN EFFECT, UH, AN ADDITION THAT DOES REQUIRE COORDINATION, BUT IT'S THERE, THAT COORDINATION HAPPENS AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A PHYSICAL WALKWAY THAT CONNECTS THE TWO MM-HMM.UM, SO, BUT WHAT THIS, THE ANSWER FROM THE STAFF ADDRESSES THE EXPANSION AND THAT EFFECT OF BENEFITING, ESSENTIALLY GIVING US THIS FREE EXPANSION, ALBEIT, UH, WITH A REQUIREMENT OF ADDITIONAL COORDINATION FOR LARGER EVENTS THAT WOULD UTILIZE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME, BUT THEY DON'T ADDRESS THE QUESTION OF TAKING SMALLER EVENTS, COMPETING FOR SMALLER EVENTS WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER ITSELF.
AND I GUESS MY QUESTION TO STAFF WOULD BE THAT'S A FAIR STATEMENT, ISN'T IT? AND, AND AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THINK LOOK THINKING ABOUT AND LOOKING AT THE VIABILITY OF A GIANT EXPANSION THAT'S GONNA COST A LOT OF MONEY, THAT NOW WE HAVE THIS COMPETI EX EXPANDED COMPETITION FOR SMALLER EVENTS.
SO CAN YOU REPEAT WHAT YOUR STATEMENT IS? THAT WAS NOT WHAT WAS ASKED IN THE QUESTION.
SO I I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO ASCERTAIN AS A FAIR STATEMENT THAT THE FAIR AMOUNT WITH THAT ADDED SPACE AND, AND NOW THE, UH, THE HYATT, UM, ARE IN EFFECT BOTH, UH, HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO HELP THE CONVENTION CENTER ACCOMMODATE LARGER EVENTS BUT THEN UNDERCUT AND COMPETE FOR SMALLER EVENTS.
IS THAT A TRUE STATEMENT? SO WE DO COLLABORATE WITH ALL OF THE HOTELS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, BUT IT IS A PARTNERSHIP.
THERE IS NOT ANY WRITTEN AGREEMENTS, UH, BETWEEN THE CITY OR ANY OF THESE CITY OR ANY OF THESE HOTEL IN ENTITIES, UH, THAT WOULD ESSENT IT ESSENTIALLY GIVE US ANY MORE CONTROL OVER THE, OVER THE SPACE.
SO WE ALL WORK COLLABORATIVELY.
THE BUSINESS MODEL IS THAT THERE ARE HOTELS THAT BOOK THEIR OWN IN-HOUSE BUSINESS AND THEN THERE ARE THE HOTELS BOOK IN CONJUNCTION FOR CITY WIDES WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER.
IT IS A DELICATE, A DELICATE BALANCE, UM, WITH THE ADDITIONAL HOTELS THAT HAVE COME INTO THE MARKET AND INTO THE HOTEL INVENTORY.
UM, THEY, THEY ARE GROWING AND INCREASING THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, UH, THROUGH THE LEISURE.
BUT, UH, A LOT OF THE HO THE EVENTS THAT THE HOTEL'S HOST, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE MORE LOCAL EVENTS AND SO THAT THEY'RE NOT GROWING THAT PART OF THE BUSINESS, UH, OR TAKING THAT PART OF THE BUSINESS AWAY FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
IDEALLY, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, WE MA WE TRY TO MAXIMIZE THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AND WHEN WE WORK WITH VISIT AUSTIN TO BOOK EVENTS AND BRING THEM INTO OUR CITY, UM, WE WORK WITH THE HOTELS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT.
UM, BUT I WOULD, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IT WOULD NECESSARILY BE A FAIR STATEMENT.
UM, THE CONVENTION CENTER DOESN'T COMPETE WITH THE HOTELS FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS.
UH, WE STRIVE TO MAXIMIZE THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AND BRING EVENTS INTO THE CITY THAT DO THAT.
IF I, IF I MIGHT CHAIR WELL, I, I WAS HAD A, I RESERVED A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, SO GO AHEAD CHAIR RECOGNIZES COMMISSIONER SMITH.
WELL, I, I WOULD JUST MENTION THAT THE MAIN, THE MAIN PURPOSE BETWEEN THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE HOTELS DOESN'T REALLY REVOLVE AROUND SPACE IN PARTICULAR, IT REVOLVES AROUND GUESTROOMS. THEY CAN'T BRING A MAJOR HO A MAJOR CONVENTION INTO THE CITY UNLESS THEY HAVE THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF GUEST ROOMS THAT GO ALONG WITH IT.
AS AN ANCILLARY TO THAT, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU HAVE CONVENTIONS PUT IN AND THEY HAVE THEIR MAIN MEETING AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH TAKES UP A LOT OF SPACE, THEY MAY HAVE AUXILIARY COM MEETINGS IN THE VARIOUS HOTELS THAT TAKE UP SPACE AS WELL.
ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CONVENTION CENTER PER SE, THE HOTEL IS NOT GONNA GO AFTER MAJOR CONVENTIONS BECAUSE FOR THEM TO COORDINATE THE MAJOR CONVENTION IN GENERAL, THEY'D HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH ALL THE OTHER HOTELS, WHICH IS WHAT THEY DO.
AND THEY WOULD ALSO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT MAJOR SPACE FOR THE MAJOR GENERAL SESSION TYPE OF EVENTS AND OR EXHIBITS THAT THEY HAVE THAT WHETHER IT'S THE FAIRMONT, THE, UM, THE, UH, J UH, W OR THE HILTON OR WHATEVER AREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE.
AND PART OF THAT REASON IS, IS BECAUSE THESE MAJOR CONVENTIONS DON'T WANT TO SEGREGATE ALL THIS BUSINESS IN DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE THEY HAVE TO WALK BACK AND
[00:15:01]
FORTH TO SEE EXHIBITS OR WHATEVER THEY WANT THAT MAIN AREA WHERE THEY CAN DO THEIR GENERAL SESSION EXHIBITS AND MOST OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT THEY DO, WHATEVER THEIR AGENDA IS, AND THEN THE ANCILLARY STUFF GOES INTO THE HOTELS.BUT THEIR MAJOR THING THAT THEY COORDINATE WITH HOTELS IS GUEST ROOMS. I MEAN, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THEIR FIRST, UH, THAT'S THEIR FIRST WINE THAT THEY DO WHEN THEY'RE CONTRACTING WITH HOTELS IS THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THESE, THESE MAJOR CONVENTIONS, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL HAVE 50,000 ROOM NIGHTS ON PEAK NIGHT AND THEY GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THE HOTELS ARE, HAVE THE AVAILABILITY AND ARE AGREEING TO, UH, CONTRACT WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER, THOSE HOTEL ROOMS. AND THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT THEY DO.
I THINK ANOTHER POINT, UH, TO MENTION, UM, YOU'RE KIND OF COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES.
UM, AND A MAJOR ADVANTAGE THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER HAS OVER THE HOTELS, WHETHER IT BE A SMALL EVENT OR A LARGE EVENT, IS EVENTS GENERALLY BRING, UM, A LOT OF, UM, WHAT WE CALL IN OUR INDUSTRY GEAR WITH THEM.
SO THEY NEED DOCK SPACE WHERE THEY CAN UNLOAD FREIGHT, UNLOAD WHAT THEY'RE EXHIBITING AND DISPLAYING AND SHOWING, UH, ROLL IT OUT ONTO THE FLOOR, UM, YEAH, TO FIT IT THROUGH THE DOORS.
UM, I'VE WORKED IN A LOT OF THE HOTELS ON SMALLER EVENTS AND UH, I THINK ALL OF THEM, PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THEM HAVE A SLOPING DOCK, WHICH MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO UNLOAD.
THEY ALL HAVE TWISTS AND TURNS, THEY HAVE LOW CEILINGS, THEY HAVE SMALLER DOORWAYS.
SO, UM, IT CAN BE KIND OF IMPOSSIBLE TO GET, UH, EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO BRING WITH YOU, UM, INTO THEM.
AND THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, DOESN'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
IT'S PURPOSELY BUILT FOR THAT KIND OF, UM, FREIGHT AND, UH, GEAR THAT GOES ALONG WITH, UH, AN EXHIBIT OR A CONVENTION OR DISPLAY.
UM, NOT, NOT TO MENTION THE, UH, TYPES OF LABOR THAT THEY HAVE THAT ARE, UH, HAVE SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES LIKE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER TYPE OF PEOPLE OR WHATEVER IT MAY DB THAT HOTELS DON'T HAVE SOME OF THAT BACKGROUND OF TYPE OF PEOPLE TO HANDLE SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT STUFF THAT THEY HAVE, AV EQUIPMENT, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, YOU HAD A FOLLOW UP QUESTION? YES.
UM, GOING BACK TO QUESTION NUMBER THREE FROM QUESTION NUMBER FOUR AND UM, UH, COMMISSIONER REED'S QUESTION, UM, I MEAN THIS IS A PET PEEVE OF MINE WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS NOT CALLING OUT STAFF TO BE COMPLETELY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND HONEST.
THAT FIRST SENTENCE SAYS THE MONEY'S COMING FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THAT IS JUST FALSE.
AND YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN THAT SENTENCE.
IT'S VERY MIS IT'S, IT'S, IT'S MISLEADING, IT'S FALSE, IT'S INCORRECT.
WHICH SENTENCE ARE YOU REFERRING TO? WHICH THE FIRST SENTENCE IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH UNDER THREE A CONVENTION SENTENCE, IT SAYS, SAYS THE MONEY COMES FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
IT DOES NOT, AS COMMISSIONER REEDY POINTED OUT, IT COMES FROM THE COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL CAN ADJUST IT HOWEVER THEY WANT.
IT IS NOT MONEY THAT'S GIFTED FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER TO THE OTHER PURPOSES THAT THE COUNCIL HAS ALLOCATED.
PLEASE BE STRAIGHT WITH US AND THE COMMUNITY.
WE, THIS COMMISSION HAS A HISTORY OF THIS STAFF NOT BEING HONEST WITH THE COMMUNITY, NOT BEING HONEST WITH US.
AND WE'D REALLY LIKE TO END IT WITH THE NEW AND RELATIVELY NEW AND FRESH FACES THAT WE HAVE.
I, WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF I ACTUALLY READ IT LIKE THAT.
THE WAY I READ IT WAS, WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO SAY IS THAT IT'S COMING FROM THE HOT TAX, WHICH IS WHAT THEY, THEY GENERATE FOR THE CITY.
I DON'T THINK THEY'RE JUST SAYING IT'S, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S HOW I TOOK IT AS WELL.
NO, IT'S SAYING THE CONVENTION CENTER PROVIDES THE 30% OF REVENUE.
I TOOK IT TO MEAN THAT THEY ARE WORKING TO GENERATE HOT TAX.
I MEAN THAT WAS WHAT WAS IN THEIR OPENING STATEMENT, BUT THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS GENERATING HOT TAX, SAYS NAMELY.
30% OF ALL ELIGIBLE HOT THAT IS COLLECTED IS GIVEN TO THE CITY FOR THE LIVE MUSIC.
I DON'T THINK THEY SAY THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT.
AND THEY SPOKE TO IT WHEN, WHEN THEY FIRST CAME UP, IS THEIR, THEIR BELIEF IS THAT IF IT WERE PRIVATELY CONTROLLED, THERE WOULDN'T BE THAT OBLIGATION.
CHAIR RECOGNIZES COMMISSIONER RE WELL, I DIDN'T WANT TO GET AS HARSH AS COMMISSIONER BUNCH, BUT THIS WAS ENTIRELY DISINGENUOUS.
AND I'VE BEEN WATCHING THE CONVENTION CENTER DEPARTMENT FOR 12 YEARS AND THEY, AND I WOULD LIKE A FRESH START WITH YOU GUYS.
MARK USED TO JUST PRETEND THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER GENERATED ALL THE HOT IN TOWN AND HE WAS SO GENEROUS TO GIVE SOME OF IT TO ARTS.
AND YOU'RE CONTINUING THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER IN FACT GENERATES LESS THAN 3% OF HOT.
AND EVEN THOUGH ALL OF IT GOES THROUGH YOU GUYS TO REDISTRIBUTE, THE FACT IS THE LAW REQUIRES 30% TO GO TO OTHER USES.
AND THAT WOULD NOT CHANGE IF THERE WAS A PRIVATE OPERATOR.
SO I AGREE WITH BILL, THAT FEELS DISINGENUOUS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN MARK CAME HERE AND
[00:20:01]
OVERSTATED ATTENDANCE ONE TIME.WE JUST WOULD LIKE THE DEPARTMENT TO BE STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH US.
I'M NOT A SUPPORTER OF PRIVATIZATION AT ALL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, TO NOT HAVE A STRAIGHTFORWARD ANSWER ON A MATTER OF CITY LAW IS A BUMMER.
I THINK IT'S, I MEAN, I READ IT AS, AS, AS WE UNDERSTAND IT, THE CONVENTION CENTER IS A LAW FOR BRINGING EVENTS TO AUSTIN THAT THEN GENERATES HOTEL RO HOTEL OCCUPANCY, WHICH THEN GENERATES THE HOT TAX.
I MEAN THAT'S, THEY'RE, IT ONLY GENERATES A TINY PERCENT OF THE HOT TAX AND IN FACT IT LOSES OPERATIONAL MONEY AND REQUIRES SUBSIDIES.
BUT IT'S STILL, THE 30% IS NOT COMING FROM THE COMMISSION CHAIR.
THE 30% IS NOT COMING FROM COMMISSION CENTER.
IT DOESN'T NEED TO GENERATE ENOUGH.
ARE YOU, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? I DON'T LOOK AT IT AS THE 30%.
IT, IT JUST SAYS THAT 30% OF ALL ELIGIBLE HOT THAT IS COLLECTED IS GIVEN TO THE CITY.
IT DOESN'T SAY THAT THEY, IT SAYS GENERATE 30%.
IT'S SAYING THE MONEY'S COMING FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
IT IS NOT COMING FROM THE CONVENTION.
IT SAYS LITERALLY PROVIDE REVENUE IN THE MANNER OF THE CONVENTION CENTER CURRENTLY DOES.
SO THE CONVENTION CENTER DOES NOT PROVIDE THE REVENUE FOR ARTS AND PRESERVATION.
SO IT SEEMS THAT WE HAVE ALL READ THIS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENTLY.
LET'S ASK THOSE WHO WROTE IT, WHAT THEIR INTENTION WAS BEHIND THE STATEMENT.
COULD YOU SPEAK TO THE INTENTION BEHIND THE STATEMENT? OUR INTENTION WAS NOT TO SAY THAT WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING THE 30%, THE CONVENTION CENTER IS THE AVENUE BY WHICH HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX IS GENERATED BECAUSE THROUGH THE ACTIONS OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, 30% OF ALL HOTEL, ALL ELIGIBLE HOTEL TAX THAT IS COLLECTED, IS TRANSFERRED TO ARTS AND LIVE MUSIC.
IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTED LANGUAGE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO INCLUDE AND PROVIDE A REVISED STATEMENT FOR YOU, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO SO.
WE ARE NOT HERE TO TRY AND BE COMBATIVE.
WE ARE NOT HERE TO TRY AND LIE TO YOU.
WE HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT HONEST.
WE HAVE PROVIDED ANSWERS TO ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND I QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T APPRECIATE THAT WE ARE BEING CALLED LIARS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.
SORRY IF, AND AGAIN, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE US SOME ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN IT, WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE IT SO THAT IT CAN BE POSTED PUBLICLY AS BACKUP.
WELL, AND I, AGAIN, THAT'S YOUR OPINION.
THAT IS GROSSLY MISLEADING, SO YEAH, IT IS.
WELL, YOUR OPINION, I'VE BEEN READING ENGLISH FOR A LONG TIME, SO I
UM, THOSE, THE AUTHORS OF IT HAVE ANSWERED THE QUESTION AND I'M SATISFIED WITH THAT ANSWER.
I DON'T BELIEVE ANYBODY'S TRYING TO MISREPRESENT ANYTHING AND WE SHOULD MOVE PAST THIS OBSTACLE.
UH, COMMISSIONER ROLAND, I HAVE A, AND THANKS FOR COMING TODAY.
I'M A NEW COMMISSIONER AS ABOUT FIVE, SIX MONTHS AGO.
UM, I AM, UH, INTERESTED IN, IN LEARNING HOW ONCE THE REVENUES ARE COLLECTED FROM THE HOT TAX AND ARE, UM, BROUGHT INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER DEPARTMENT, CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT OF THE PROCESS OF HOW THOSE FUNDS ARE MANAGED WHEN THEY'RE IN THE CONVENTION CENTER'S BUCKET, SO TO SPEAK, MANAGED? HOW? WELL, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, IT'S, AND, AND FORGIVE ME IF I'M NEW TO THE COMMISSION AND I I NEED TO BE BETTER EDUCATED, BUT THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING THE QUESTION.
UH, SO WHEN THE REVENUES COME INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER, CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN HOW THOSE REVENUES ARE COLLECTED, LIKE DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, THE PARTICULAR PROCESSES AND THEN HOW THEN THOSE ARE REALLOCATED OUT FOR THESE SPECIFIC CITY PROGRAMS? SO THE, UH, HOTEL TAX COMES INTO THE HOTEL TAX FUND, UM, AND THAT, THAT COLLECTS THE MAJORITY OF IT.
THAT'S WHERE IT KIND OF SITS AT A HIGH LEVEL THAT'S NOT CONTROLLED BY THE CONVENTION CENTER.
IT'S THEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE VARIOUS FUNDS.
UM, HIS CULTURAL ARTS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, UM, THE VENUE FUND, WHICH PAYS FOR THAT, THE 2% THAT'S GOING TO PAY FOR THE ORIGINAL EXPANSION.
UM, THEN FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT IS THEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE CONVENTION CENTER FUND.
UM, THEN THAT PAYS DEBT SERVICE ON OUR REMAINING DEBT.
UM, WE HAVE A CO COUPLE MORE YEARS LEFT, I THINK, OF SOME GENERAL, UM, SOME GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT.
AND THEN THE BALANCE COMES INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER, UH, FOR OPERATIONS.
AND WHAT'S THE BALANCE THAT COMES IN AFTER ALL OF THOSE? UH, I'D HAVE TO, I CAN, I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
AND IT'S ALL PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, AND THEN I DID ALSO FORGET TO MENTION THE, THE 2% THAT COUNCIL APPROVED IN 2019 FOR THE EXPANSION GOES DIRECTLY INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER CAPITAL FUND.
IT'S, IT CAN ONLY BE SPENT ON THE EXPANSION.
UM, AND THEN THE CONVENTION CENTER ITSELF TRANSFERS FIF THE EQUIVALENT OF 15% OF THAT 2% TO
[00:25:01]
THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.UM, AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR, UH, THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
IT'S VERY COMPLICATED AND I, IT'S NOT AN EASY, IT TOOK ME QUITE A WHILE TO, TO GET UP TO SPEED TO IT.
UM, WE DO HAVE A FLOW OF FUNDS CHART THAT I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE TO YOU THAT KIND OF, THAT MIGHT HELP SHOW HOW IT ALL WORKS.
AND ALSO, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHEN THOSE DOLLARS HIT, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM, YOU KNOW, WHICH SAY QUARTERS AND HOW THAT HITS YOUR BUDGET.
UM, JUST THE TIME THAT LAPSES FROM SAY, A VISITOR SPENDING A ROOM NIGHT AND THAT COMING INTO THE CONVENTIONS.
I'D JUST LOVE TO SEE THE TIME AS WELL, NOT JUST THE PROCESS.
HOTEL TAX COLLECTION LAGS A QUARTER.
AND THEN I'D BELIEVE WE GET QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTIONS TO ALL THE, ALL THE VARIOUS FUNDS.
I'LL LOOK OUT FOR THAT INFORMATION.
AND THAT'S ALL ONLINE ALSO? YES.
CHAIR RECOGNIZES COMMISSIONER VAN.
UM, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S RELEVANT HERE AND, AND Y'ALL CAN CALL ME BACK OR NOT, BUT SINCE YOU'RE ASKING THE QUESTIONS, I THOUGHT POSSIBLY JUST, IT'S NOT IN THIS, BUT WE TALKED ABOUT THE TPI, THE TPI ITSELF AS A PART OF THESE ALLOCATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, THIS BODY MADE A VOTE OR MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL ABOUT THE TPI BEFORE YOU WERE A PART OF THIS.
BUT IT'S RELEVANT, I BELIEVE THE FUNDING AND THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR THESE FUNDS ARE TIED TO A POTENTIAL TPI, WHICH I THINK MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE CIRCULATING AGAIN THIS YEAR AS PART OF THE NEW COUNCIL'S ACTION AND THE NEW MAYOR'S ACTION IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT CONNECTS BACK TO PART OF YOUR ANSWER ABOUT HOT TAX BECAUSE THERE'S ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY GONNA BE UNLOCKED ONCE THE TPI IS PUT INTO POSITION.
AND THAT DOES NOT RELATE TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
IT'S KIND OF ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT.
BUT THE, THE, THERE IS A NEW DRAFT THAT IS, I BELIEVE BEING FINALIZED AND THEY'RE RERUNNING SOME PROJECTIONS.
UM, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE VISIT AUSTIN PROVIDE A, A STATEMENT ABOUT KIND OF THAT PROCESS AND WHERE THEY ARE IN IT.
UM, BUT WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL BE SEEING SOME MOVEMENT ON THE TPI THIS YEAR.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT EXPANSION.
UM, YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR ANSWER THAT, UM, IN ANSWER TO WHEN DOES THE CONVENTION CENTER CLOSE? THE ANSWER WAS, UH, YOU'LL HAVE A CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE AND CLOSURE DATE WHEN THE RFQ IS RELEASED.
WHEN DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE RFQ BEING RELEASED? WELL, UH,
UM, WE WILL STILL NEED TO DO SOME BRIEFING WITH COUNSEL AND SOME OTHER, SOME OTHER STEPS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN.
BUT WE ARE, UM, HOPING BY THIS SPRING THAT THE RFQ WILL BE RELEASED.
AND WHEN YOU SAY YOU'RE, UH, NEGOTIATING, WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT IF YOU CAN TELL, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO SHARE WITH US WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU NEGOTIATING OR AND WHO WITH WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ARE, ARE WE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, I BELIEVE WE HAD, WE HAD WRITTEN COMMUNICATION BRIEFING THEM ABOUT THE BOND DENTURE.
SO, UM, THERE'S A BOND INDENTURE IN, SO THE, THE CITY OWNS AND OPERATES OR OWNS THE, UM, HILTON HOTEL DOWNTOWN.
WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FINANCING.
I THINK THAT'S A, A PIECE IN THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION RESOLUTION THAT IS, UM, IN INCORRECT.
UM, IT'S STATING THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT DEBT.
WE ARE NOT, UM, THE ACE CORPORATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, IT, AND, AND HANDLES ALL OF THE DEBT.
SO THEY HAVE, UM, OUTSTANDING DEBT RELATED TO SOME DEBT THAT WAS ISSUED.
I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN.
UM, BUT IN THE LANGUAGE THERE, IF THERE IS A CLOSURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, IT COULD, IT COULD CONSTITUTE AN EVENT OF DEFAULT.
SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH THE BOND HOLDERS, UM, AND HILTON THEMSELVES ON A RESOLUTION TO THAT AMENDMENT OR TO THAT PIECE OF THE INDENTURE TO GET AN AMENDMENT DONE.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF THAT NEGOTIATION.
SO PRESUMABLY YOU'RE TRYING TO NEGOTIATE SO THAT IF IT, IF WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER CLOSES, IT DOESN'T TRIGGER THIS DEFAULT? CORRECT.
I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT CLOSURE, BUT I RECOGNIZE, UH, COMMISSIONER REED.
UH, WHY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE HILTON? I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED TOO BY THAT STATEMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN.
SO MY QUESTION WAS, THE CITY IS NOT PAYING THE BONDS FOR AUSTIN CONVENTION ENTERPRISES PROPERTY? THAT'S CORRECT.
IT'S NOT THE CITY OF AUSTIN RESPONSIBILITY? THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, I ALSO WONDERED, AND IT MAY BE TOO SOON, BUT UM, YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT WHEN IT CLOSES, UM, THE GOAL IS TO STILL BRING EVENTS AS, AS WE CAN DURING CLOSURE, UM, AND, UH, OPERATE SORT OF LIKE A CAMPUS APPROACH WITH THE HOTELS MM-HMM.
UM, AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER EMPLOYEES OVER 300
[00:30:01]
FULL-TIME STAFF.SO I'M JUST WONDERING, LOOKING FOR SORT OF, UH, AN UPDATE ON WHAT CONVERSATIONS, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU IMAGINE IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE FOR THE 300 STAFF, UH, ON CLOSURE AND, AND EXPLAIN WHAT YOU ENVISION THE CAMPUS STYLE BEING LIKE? I IMAGINE WE'VE, FOR HOWEVER LONG IT'S CLOSED, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GOING TO DO WITHOUT SOME SIGNIFICANT BUSINESS.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM YOUR ANSWERS, THERE'S GOING TO BE A GOAL TO ENSURE THAT AS SOON AS IT'S UP AND READY AND BACK ONLINE, THERE WILL ALREADY BE EVENTS BOOKED.
AND I'M ASSUMING EVEN THOUGH WE'LL BE TEMPORARILY LOSING BUSINESS, WE SHOULD STILL HAVE THE AUSTIN DRAW, WHICH IS WHAT A LOT OF EVENTS CHOOSE US FOR OVER OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES.
BUT, UM, WHAT KIND OF ARE THE THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW THE CLOSURE'S GONNA BE HANDLED IN TERMS OF EMPLOYEES AND BUSINESS? YEP.
SO, UH, OUR CURRENTLY OUR MODELS, WE ARE PLANNING TO KEEP ALL 300 OF OUR CURRENT FULL-TIME STAFF ON BOARD.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MANY NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY FOR CUSTODIAN STAFF, THAT KIND OF THING THAT WE CAN, UM, PROVIDE SOME HELP TO SOME OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WITHOUT HAVING THEM TO GO OUT AND HIRE OTHER FOLKS FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THE HOWEVER LONG WE'RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO WE'VE INCLUDED THAT IN ALL OF THE MODELS THAT WE'VE BEEN RUNNING IS, IS HAVING THAT COST ON THE PAYROLL.
UM, AND WITH REGARDS TO THE CAMPUS APPROACH, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE ALL OF OUR BUSINESS.
UM, AS YOU GUYS, AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, THE EXHIBIT HALLS AND, AND SUCH, UM, THERE ARE JUST SOME EVENTS THAT ARE TOO LARGE THAT THAT CANNOT, THE HOTELS OBVIOUSLY CAN'T TAKE.
SO SOME OF THE SMALLER EVENTS WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE.
AND WE'VE ALREADY HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS, UM, AROUND THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE ONES THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE ALREADY DO HAVE ON THE BOOKS FOR THOSE YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, WE'LL BE WORKING TO REBOOK THEM AS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE, UM, IN, WITHIN THE NEW CENTER WHEN WE REOPEN.
UM, AND SO HOPEFULLY THAT KIND OF, WE'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT BUSINESS BUT JUST SHIFT IT TO A LATER DATE WHILE ALSO PURSUING NEW BUSINESS.
SO IS IT THE GOAL THEN THAT, UM, YOU WILL FARM THE CURRENT EMPLOYEES OUT TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS, OTHER AREAS TO KEEP THEM EMPLOYED AND THEN WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER REOPENS THAT THEY WILL COME BACK? SO YOU WILL HAVE A, YOU'LL BE FULLY STAFFED WITH PEOPLE THAT KNOW HOW TO OPERATE THE CONVENTION CENTER? OKAY.
AND THEN WHEN YOU SAY, UM, BRINGING EVENTS, UM, WHAT EVENTS YOU CAN ACCOMMODATE AND ACCOMMODATING SMALLER EVENTS, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT WILL THOSE EVENTS BE ACCOMMODATED ON CITY PROPERTY LIKE THE PALMER OR IS IT, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT PARTIAL CLOSURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER NOW OR IS IT STILL A FULL CLOSURE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GO DOWN AND UP? SO IT WOULD STILL BE A FULL CLOSURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER? UH, WE WILL, WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE HOTEL COMMUNITY, UH, TO SEE HOW WE CAN, UH, BEST ACCOMMODATE THOSE SMALLER EVENTS, UH, IN AN, IN A CAMPUS TYPE APPROACH.
UNDERSTANDING, LIKE KATIE SAID, THAT THERE WILL BE A LAR THERE WILL BE A LARGE AMOUNT OF EVENTS THAT, THAT WE JUST SIMPLY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO, TO FIT.
UH, BUT WE PLAN ON USING OTHER CITY FACILITIES AND, UH, OTHER LARGER VENUES, UH, AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
BUT WE DO HAVE THE PALMER EVENT CENTER, WE HAVE EXHIBIT HALLS THERE.
UM, AND SO WE WILL BE WORKING JUST AS DALLAS AND OTHER CONVENTION CENTERS THAT ARE UNDERGOING RENOVATIONS AND CLOSING PORTIONS OF THEIR FACILITIES.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS SOMEWHAT, UM, A STANDARD PRACTICE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY.
SO, UH, WE, YES, WE WILL BE WORKING TO ACCOMMODATE, UH, AS MANY SMALL EVENTS AS POSSIBLE.
UH, OUR STAFF WILL BE WORKING AT, WE, WE WILL STILL OWN AND OPERATE TWO GARAGES DOWNTOWN AS LONG AS WELL AS THE PALMER EVENT CENTER.
UM, AND WE HAVE A MARSHALLING YARD AND WAREHOUSE THAT WE, UH, HAVE AS WELL.
SO OUR STAFF WILL BE WOR EMPLOYED WITHIN THE CONVENTION CENTER AND WITHIN OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, DURING THE TIME OF THE CLOSURE.
AND I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY WHEN THIS STARTED ORIGINALLY, UM, THERE WAS, UH, OH, MY COMMISSIONER CANNADY IS LOOKING TO JOIN US ONLINE IN, UM, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY, UH, WHEN THIS, WHEN THIS PLAN FIRST STARTED, IT WAS HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE PARTIAL A PHASE CLOSURE SO BUSINESS COULD CONTINUE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK HOTELS, I THINK EVERYBODY WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, INCLUDING THE HOTELS.
SO IS THE HOTEL COMMUNITY NOW THAT IT'S A FULL, A FULL CLOSURE, ARE THEY BEING GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE? UH, YES.
THEY'RE GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF A SINGLE PHASE CLOSURE, UH, BECAUSE THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER WOULD BE OUT OF COMMISSION WOULD BE MUCH, MUCH SHORTER.
UM, RATHER THAN TRYING TO DO A PHASED APPROACH, UH, WHERE YOU HAVE EVENTS IN HALF OF A FACILITY, THOSE EVENTS ARE, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY FACING CHALLENGES WITH CONSTRUCTION AND CONSTRUCTION SOUND AND NOISE.
UM, AND UH, SO IT, THE, THE HOTEL COMMUNITY IS GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
AND HOW, HOW SHORT, HOW LONG WOULD THE CLOSURE BE IS THE ESTIMATE? UH, UNDERSTANDING YOU DON'T HAVE AN RFQ YET? THE ESTIMATE CURRENTLY IS FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.
UH, BUT WE, YEAH, WE WILL, THAT WILL BE, UH, DETERMINED DURING THE, THE DESIGN PHASE IN THE CONSTRUCTION.
[00:35:01]
REEDY? IS THERE ADDITIONAL COUNSEL ACTION NEEDED BEFORE THE RFP IS ISSUED? THERE IS NO OFFICIAL ACTION REQUIRED WHEN COUNSEL APPROVED THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER METHODOLOGY, UH, BACK IN JUNE 10TH, 2021.UM, WE ARE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY COUNSEL, UM, BUT THERE IS NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED BY COUNSEL.
THEY WILL OBVIOUSLY BE APPROVING ANY CONTRACT RIGHT.
RECOMMENDATION THAT THIS, THAT STAFF BRINGS FORWARD FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF THAT PROCESS.
ANYONE ELSE? I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO JUMP IN.
UM, SO DALLAS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO EXPAND THEIR CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, WE ARE ALREADY, THEY'RE ALREADY FOUR TIMES THE SIZE OF OUR CONVENTION CENTER AND THEY'RE GONNA GO BIGGER AGAIN.
UM, WHAT IMPACT DO YOU FEEL THAT IS GONNA HAVE ON THE FUTURE? EVEN WHEN WE OPEN OUR EXPANDED CONVENTION CENTER, IF ANY? I THINK THAT WE'LL STILL BE COMPETING WITH A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MARKET THAN DALLAS WILL BE.
UM, EVERY CONVENTION CENTER IN EVERY DIFFERENT CITY.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THERE'S DIFFERENT NICHES IN DIFFERENT MARKETS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, NATIONALLY WE BELIEVE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH BUSINESS, UH, TO SUPPORT OUR EXPANSION AND DALLAS'S EXPANSION, UM, IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S KIND OF HAPPENING AND GOING ON ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT WE WILL STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BOOK OUR BUILDING SUCCESSFULLY.
AND, UM, WE HAVE THE REPORTS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE, UH, HAD OUR CONSULTANTS RUN AS WELL.
UH, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF ALL OF THE ACTIVITY THAT'S TAKING ON THAT'S TAKING PLACE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY AND CONVENTION CENTERS BEING BUILT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
CHAIR RECOGNIZES COMMISSIONER BAILEY, SINCE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
IT, IT REMINDED ME AND, AND SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS, UM, PRESENTERS THAT HAVE APPEARED BEFORE US THAT THE DISCUSSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER SEEMS TO REVOLVE AROUND THE WORD MAKING IT BIGGER.
AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT BASED ON A COMMENT YOU JUST MADE ABOUT THERE'S DIFFERENT NICHES, DIFFERENT MARKETS AND DIFFERENT CENTERS KIND OF PERFORM IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS WHERE THE REVIEWS, BECAUSE I THINK JUST SAYING WE WANT A BIGGER, BIGGER IS NOT WHAT I SAW ON MY, IN OUR EARLY FEASIBILITY STUDIES WITH UT AND OTHER THINGS, THERE WAS A LOT OF PLANNING OF THE DOWNTOWN MM-HMM
AND THAT ACTUALLY THE CENTER ITSELF NEEDS CERTAIN TYPES OF NEW FEATURES THAT ARE DRIVING MODERN AND CURRENT MEETING, UM, AESTHETICS.
WHETHER IT'S DIFFERENT KINDS OF DIGITAL FIRE POWER, DIFFERENT KIND OF AV EQUIPMENT INSTALLED AND READY AT, AT THE READY AND READY TO USE VERSUS BREAKOUT ROOMS. I JUST WONDERED IF YOU COULD COMMENT ON, SO WE DON'T JUST KEEP STICKING WITH THE SAME IDEA.
WE WANT A BIG, WE WANT A BIG BOX THAT COMPETES WITH DALLAS, CUZ DALLAS HAS GOT A BIG BOX.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CONVERSATION AND I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFINE OUR THINKING ON THAT.
UM, YEAH, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
SO, UM, I BELIEVE WE PROVIDED YOU ALL WITH THE PROOF OF CONCEPT THAT WE DRAFTED I THINK ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
IF, IF WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT AGAIN.
UM, AND YOU'LL NOTICE WHAT, TO ME, THE BIGGEST THING ABOUT THAT PROOF OF CONCEPT IS THAT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE HAVE A CONVENTION CENTER ON THAT QUADRANT ANYMORE.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT WE HEAR IS IT'S A BIG BOX.
ARE WE JUST GONNA BUILD A BIGGER BOX? UM, AND WITH THIS REDEVELOPMENT OF THE, OF THE CENTER, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTIVATE THE STREET GRID AGAIN, OPEN UP SECOND AND THIRD STREET, PROVIDE GREEN SPACE ALONG RED RIVER, PROVIDE THE OP THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A P THREE, SOME TOWER ON, UM, THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF IT.
ALTHOUGH, AGAIN, PROOF OF CONCEPT IS NOT A DESIGN, IT IS JUST A STARTING POINT FOR THE DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTEGRATE ALL OF THE BRAND NEW TECHNOLOGY.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY SHIFTED FROM THE 2015 ORIGINAL MASTER PLAN TO KIND OF OUR RE OUR RETHINKING THAT WE DID IN 2020 TO WHEN WE RELEASED THE PROOF OF CONCEPT, WE'VE INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF MEETING SPACE.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, MR. HAZINSKI, WHEN HE SPOKE BEFORE YOU IN AUGUST, KIND OF SPOKE TO THAT TREND, UH, THAT WE'RE SEEING MORE MEETING SPACE BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE BREAKOUT SESSIONS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO FOSTER THOSE CONNECTIONS WITH FOLKS RATHER THAN JUST HAVE THE BIG BALLROOM SPACES.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON, BUT YOU STILL NEED THE BALLROOM SPACE AND YOU STILL NEED THE EXHIBIT HALLS FOR ALL OF THE OTHER IMPORTANT PIECES THAT GO ALONG WITH THE CONVENTION.
UM, SO WE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THE DESIGN AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO LEARN MORE AS WE'RE EMERGING FROM COVID AS WE GO THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS ON HOW WE CAN REALLY MAKE THIS CONVENTION CENTER, THE CONVENTION CENTER OF THE FUTURE, UM, AND MAKE IT FLEXIBLE AND NIMBLE SO IT CAN RESPOND TO THE CHANGING TRENDS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND AGAIN, I THINK WHAT I, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS, AGAIN, THAT ACTIVATION
[00:40:01]
AT THAT STREET LEVEL, UM, TO JUST KIND OF INTEGRATE WITH ALL OF THE GOOD WORK THAT THE PALM DISTRICT IS DOING.WATERLOO GREENWAY, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH I 35, WE'LL BE ABLE TO JUST KIND OF BE THAT STAIR STEP FROM, YOU KNOW, THE NEW BOULEVARD.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY AND WE AGREE IT'S NOT JUST, IT'S NOT JUST A BIG BOX.
WE'RE TRYING TO REMOVE THE IDEA OF A BIG BOX, UM, FROM THIS PART OF DOWNTOWN.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I JUST WANNA PAUSE FOR A MOMENT.
UM, I JUST WANNA CHECK YOUR, THERE YOU GO.
WE NEED TO HAVE YOUR CAMERA ON, UM, WITH ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU WISH TO ASK THE STAFF? CUZ IF YOU'D HAD YOUR HAND UP.
I HADN'T SEEN YOU, YOU WERE A BLACK BOX AND YOU'RE MUTED.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CHAIR RECOGNIZES COMMISSION A BUNCH.
IS THERE ANY, UM, UH, YEAH, HAVE, HAVE Y'ALL DONE ANY SORT OF, UH, WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF HOW THE NEW MOODY CENTER MAY AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS? IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF BUSINESS.
I'LL LET TRISHA KIND OF SPEAK TO THAT.
YEAH, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY ANALYSIS ON THAT, BUT THAT'S A COMPLETELY SEPARATE TYPE OF BUSINESS.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE AUDITORIUM THEATER SEATING, WE DON'T PR WE DON'T, DON'T PRODUCE CONCERTS.
UM, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY CHANGE IN SPORTING EVENTS, UH, IN THE BOOKINGS OF SPORTING EVENTS THAT WE HAVE SINCE THE MOODY CENTER HAS OPENED.
UM, SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE'S BEEN ANY NEGATIVE IMPACT, UH, AT THIS POINT.
THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN ADVERTISING THE CENTER FOR CONVENTIONS AND SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THAT BEING A PIECE OF THEIR BUSINESS.
THEY'VE NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACTED, UH, OUR BUSINESS TO DATE THAT WE KNOW OF AND WE'RE AWARE OF.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, THIS IS SORT OF OUT OF YOUR PURVIEW, BUT JUST, UH, WANTED TO, UM, SOLICIT YOUR OPINION OR EXPERIENCE.
UM, HOMELESSNESS HAS INCREASED OBVIOUSLY IN AUSTIN SUBSTANTIALLY.
DO YOU THINK, OR HAVE YOU HEARD FROM, UM, UH, ANY OF THE ATTENDEES? UM, IS, IS OUR HOMELESSNESS, DOES IT HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON TOURISM? WE HAVE HEARD FROM OUR ATTENDEES, THERE HAS BEEN SOME NEGATIVE IMPACT FROM THE, THE, UH, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UH, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH D AA, WE WORK WITH A P D, WE'RE WORKING WITH VISIT AUSTIN, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION.
THE OVERALL TOURISM INDUSTRY, UM, IS EXPERIENCING, UM, I BELIEVE SOME NEGATIVE IMPACTS FROM PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
HOWEVER, UH, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE A VERY NIMBLE GROUP AND WE'RE PROBLEM SOLVERS AND WE'RE COLLABORATIVE PEOPLE.
ALL OF THESE ENTITIES ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT, UM, WE'RE PROVIDING THE SAFEST FACILITIES, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WALKABILITY FROM THE HOTELS TO THE CONVENTION CENTER AND VICE VERSA.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR CONVENTION CENTER TEAM, OUR SECURITY TEAM IN PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THEY A CITY EMPLOYEES AND WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH A P D, UM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY, UH, WORK HARD, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE UTMOST SECURITY AND SAFETY FOR OUR OVERALL ATTENDEES.
BUT WE HAVE, WE HAVE HEARD THAT FEEDBACK.
UM, I WILL SAY I BELIEVE THAT THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE RECEIVING IS, IS, UH, FAR LESS THAN A YEAR AGO WHEN WE WERE COMING OUT OF COVID.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
UM, I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY PARTICULAR, UM, DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY THAT'S ACTIVELY WORKING TO HELP IMPROVE THINGS? I MEAN, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT EVERY, AT EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY THAT'S TASKED WITH HOMELESSNESS IS ACTIVELY WORKING TO IMPROVE THINGS.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU, UM, IT IS A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION AND I BELIEVE THAT, UH, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE THAT ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN.
UM, AND WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH THEM IN, UM, IN PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, THE AREAS SURROUNDING THE HOTELS AND THE CONVENTION CENTER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER ROMAN? I, I JUST HAVE A COMMENT.
I THINK THAT'S, UM, THAT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SOLUTIONS FOR THE HOMELESSNESS.
UM, SOME WOULD SAY HOUSELESSNESS CRISIS, UM, AND I THINK IT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL, UH, I THINK IMPETUS FOR PICKING UP THE TWO PAID CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE LEFT EXACTLY, UM, IN THE PREVIOUS MAYORAL ADMINISTRATION.
SO I REALLY HOPE TO SEE SOME TRACTION ON THIS THIS YEAR WITH THIS NEW MAYOR AND NEW COUNCIL.
[00:45:01]
OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.ANY, ANY LAST COMMENTS? THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR JOINING US.
UM, I HAVE COPIES IF ANYBODY DOESN'T HAVE THEIRS OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION'S MOTION.
YES, PLEASE SEND, SEND THEM DOWN.
UH, I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH FOR Y'ALL, BUT I HAVE A FEW MORE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, MOVE THAT WE SECOND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION'S MOTION AS WRITTEN AS I PASSED OUT WITH ONE CHANGE.
UM, THAT BEING ON THAT REFERENCE TO THERE NOT BEING COMPLETELY ACCURATE ON THE FOURTH, WHEREAS THAT PERTAINS TO THE BONDS RIGHT NOW, IT SAYS AT THE FOURTH, WHEREAS, UM, AUSTIN IS CURRENTLY PAYING FOR MULTIPLE CONVENTION CENTER RELATED BONDS.
UM, STRIKE IS CURRENTLY PAYING FOR AN INSERT MUST CONSIDER, AND THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY CHANGE.
AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, ALSO I'D LIKE TO READ JUST THE BE IT RESOLVED PART SO THAT ANYBODY WHO'S PAYING ATTENTION IS TRYING TO FOLLOW ALONG AND CAN'T READ THIS.
UH, I WON'T READ ALL THE WAREHOUSES, BUT IN SHORT, THE MOTION THAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION PASSED ALMOST UNANIMOUSLY, I BELIEVE THERE WAS ONE DISSENT OR ONE ABSTENTION, UM, SIMPLY CALLS FOR THE COUNCIL TO SLOW DOWN AND UNDERTAKE SOME FURTHER STUDIES, UM, OF THE CONVENTION CENTER BEFORE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR COMMITMENT THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY TIE UP HUGE CHUNKS OF OUR HOTEL TAX FOR ANOTHER 30 YEARS MINIMUM.
UM, AND IT READS BE RESOLVED BY THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN BEFORE MOVING FORWARD WITH ANY ACTIONS RELATED TO THE EXPANSION OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
THE CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL AND STAFF SHOULD NUMBER ONE, DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO DIRECT STAFF TO INDEPENDENTLY ANALYZE A, THE OVERALL CONVENTION CENTER INDUSTRY CONDITION AND TRENDS.
B, THE FINANCIAL TRACK RECORD ATTENDANCE AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS COMPARED TO THE PRIOR 2001 CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION C, THE AVAILABILITY AND USE CASES FOR ADDITIONAL MEETING ROOM SPACE AT THE FAIRMONT, FAIRMONT, AND OTHER NEARBY HOTELS.
D THE OVERALL OPPORTUNITY THAT HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY A COMBINATION OF HISTORICAL TRENDS, THE PANDEMIC AND A TECHNOLOGY SHIFT TO HYBRID AND ONLINE CONVENTIONS.
AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF THE RESOLUTION, UH, DIRECT AGAIN, DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO, UH, OR RECOMMENDING THE COUNCIL TO ISSUE I'M READING AGAIN, ISSUE A REQUEST FOR A PROPOSAL FOR POTENTIAL PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO REDESIGN A CONVENTION CENTER THAT INCLUDES DOWNTOWN HOUSING, INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT 50 TO 60%, UH, UH, MEDIUM FAMILY, MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME AVAILABLE TO ARTISTS AND SERVICE INDUSTRY WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
UH, AND THEN CONCLUDING THE CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF WILL PRESENT AN ASSESSMENT OF EXPECTED UPSIDE AND DOWNSIDE EXPANSION SCENARIOS WEIGHTED BY PROBABILITY IN EARLY 2024 AFTER CONSULTING A SPECTRUM OF INDUSTRY EXPERTS THAT INCLUDES BOTH OPTIMISTIC INSIDERS AND CRITICS.
ALL RIGHT, SO THERE'S A MOTION, UH, MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER BUNCH THAT THE TOURISM COMMISSION SECOND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION'S RESOLUTION WITH AN AMENDMENT TO THE FOURTH, WHEREAS REPLACING IS CURRENTLY PAYING FOR WITH MUST CONSIDER.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? IT'S BEEN REGULARLY MOVED AND SECONDED.
DISCUSSION CHAIR RECOGNIZES COMMISSIONER READING.
YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO GO BACK.
I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS SINCE 2016, SO ABOUT SEVEN YEARS OF THIS CONVERSATION.
AND WHAT I LEARNED WAS THAT, UM, CONVENTION SUBS, PUBLICLY SUBSIDIZED CONVENTION CENTERS ARE AN OUTDATED BUSINESS MODEL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE FACT REMAINS
[00:50:01]
THAT IT GENERATES VANISHINGLY LITTLE BUSINESS IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF OVERALL VISITORS AND TOURISM IN AUSTIN, AND YET IT SOAKS UP 70 ISH PERCENT OF OUR HOTEL TAXES.UM, IN FACT, THE DETECTIVES COMPTROLLER HAS STATED AND, AND ISSUED A REPORT THAT AUSTIN SPENDS MORE TO SUBSIDIZE ITS CONVENTION CENTER THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN TEXAS.
SO I'VE ALWAYS ADVOCATED FOR A BALANCE AND A WELL AND OPEN CONVERSATION.
UM, I SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED MORE RESEARCH.
I THINK THAT, UM, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE WHOLE PICTURE AND IN PARTICULAR IT'S BEEN A FACT STATED AND SH PROVEN BY HAYWOOD SANDERS AND OTHERS THAT THE EXISTING CONVENTION CENTER HAS NEVER MET EVEN 50% OF ITS BUSINESS PROJECTIONS.
SO THAT LEADS ME NOT TO TRUST FUTURE PROJECTIONS FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, I THINK WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT THE CONSULTANTS HIRED TO GENERATE THESE REPORTS HAVE MADE AN INDUSTRY OUT OF SAYING YES TO CITIES THAT THEY ALL NEED NEW CONVENTION CENTERS.
WE'VE ALSO SEEN PROVEN THAT SUPPLY IS OUTPACING DEMAND NATIONALLY.
UM, AND WHILE I DO BELIEVE AUSTIN HAS AN EDGE BECAUSE OF OUR CULTURE, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER ACTUALLY PRESENTS A THREAT TO THAT CULTURE BY LOCKING UP ALL OF OUR HOTEL TAX FOR THOSE MANY YEARS, 30 YEARS.
WE PUT ARTS AND PRESERVATION FUNDING AT RISK.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE VISITOR IMPACT TASK FORCE REPORT BACK FROM 2017, THEY ACTUALLY SHOW THAT GIVEN THE BUSINESS PROJECTIONS, IF THE CONVENTION CENTER FALLS SHORT OF THE PROJECTIONS THEY MADE, AND IT HISTORICALLY HAS FALLEN 50% BELOW PROJECTIONS, IT WILL CANNIBALIZE JUST TO PAY OFF THE BONDS OTHER USES OF HOTEL TAX.
SO I THINK IT DEFINITELY NEEDS MORE RESEARCH.
UM, I THINK WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB FOR AUSTIN BY JUMPING OUT OF THE SOUTH DATA BUSINESS MODEL INTO SOMETHING NEW.
I DO LOVE THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE STREET GRID AND ALL THAT STUFF IS REALLY COOL.
I GET WHY THAT'S APPEALING AND ATTRACTIVE, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK WE WOULD BE BETTER OFF BUILDING A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THAT LAND AND TOURISM IN AUSTIN WOULD CONTINUE TO GROW IF WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A CONVENTION CENTER.
SO I JUST WANNA THROW ALL THAT OUT THERE.
I MEAN, THE FACTS I THINK ARE ON THE SIDE OF NEEDING MORE RESEARCH.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU GUYS THAT HISTORICALLY THIS INDUSTRY HAS UNDERPERFORMED AND THE CURRENT EXPANSION HAS UNDERPERFORMED.
AND THE REASON I GOT INVOLVED SEVEN YEARS AGO WAS SOMEBODY TOLD ME THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER HAD NEVER MET ITS BUSINESS PROJECTIONS.
AND THE ANSWER I GOT WAS, WELL, IT WASN'T BIG ENOUGH TO BEGIN WITH.
AND THAT'S JUST GOT ME TO START DOING MY OWN RESEARCH.
YOU KNOW, I'VE READ MULTIPLE ACADEMIC PAPERS, TONS OF RESEARCH ON THIS.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AUSTIN TRY TO TAKE A TURN OUT OF CHASING DIMINISHING RETURNS WITH BIGGER AND BIGGER PUBLIC INVESTMENTS.
YOU'VE HEARD AN ARGUMENT FOR THE MOTION.
IS THERE AN ARGUMENT AGAINST THE MOTION CHAIR RECOGNIZES COMMISSIONER SMITH? WELL, I THINK FIRST OF ALL, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, WHILE IT DID LISTEN TO MR. SANDERS, WHO HAS NEVER FOUND A CONVENTIONAL CENTER THAT HE LIKED, THEY DIDN'T INVITE THE VISIT AWESOME PEOPLE TO EVEN COME AND TALK TO THEM.
SECONDLY, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, NOT EVEN 50% OF THE ROOM NIGHT GOALS, EVEN ACCORDING TO THIS, THE NUMBER IN 2018 WAS 2 46, WHICH IS BIGGER THAN FIF MORE THAN 50%, PROBABLY ABOUT 70% OF THE 3 32 ROOM NIGHT GOALS THAT THEY HAD.
AND OF COURSE, THE BUSINESS MODEL SINCE THEN HAS CHANGED IN THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT HOTEL ROOMS ANYMORE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AIRBNB, WHICH PICKS UP A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF GUEST ROOMS OVERALL.
AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PERHAPS AT SOME POINT DOING SOME TYPE OF OCCUPANCY TAX ON THEM, WHICH SHOULD BE DONE.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF BUSINESS IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW, CENTER ROOM NIGHTS, ACCORDING TO THIS, A TOTAL CONVENTION CENTER ROOM NIGHTS WERE FOR, UH, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, 246,000.
I MEAN, IT'S FEWER THAN 9% OF THE TOTAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
THERE'S STILL A LOT OF ROOMS. I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S, UH, A SMALL AMOUNT.
YOU'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT AN EASY $5 MILLION THAT THEY BRING INTO THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, GET THESE INFORMATION.
IF THIS INFORMATION IS, IS CORRECT, THE FAIRMONT, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, 40 YEARS IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS, THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE A LARGE HOTEL WITH A LARGE BALLROOM, ET CETERA, REALLY IS ANCILLARY
[00:55:01]
TO A CONVENTION CENTER.I USED TO RUN THE CHICAGO HILTON AND TOWERS AND, YOU KNOW, THE CONVENTION CENTER UP IN CHICAGO IS ONE OF THE LARGEST ONES EXCEPT FOR PROBABLY LAS VEGAS.
AND OUR BUSINESS MODEL WAS NOT TO JUST COUNT ON WHAT THE CONVENTION CENTER BRINGS IN, BUT WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER BRINGS IN LARGE CONVENTIONS, IT GIVES IT, YOU KNOW, IT, THE, THE HOTEL DECIDES WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA PARTICIPATE OR NOT.
AND TO SAY THAT IT'S EASY FOR THE CONVENTION TO JUST MOVE SOME OF THEIR STUFF OVER TO THE, OVER, TO THE, UH, UH, FAIRMONT ET CETERA, IS NOT, IT'S DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT THE CONVENTION PLANNERS WANT TO SEE.
SO IT'S, IT DEPENDS ON THE CONVENTION.
THEY'RE ALL VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS, ET CETERA, THAT THEY DO HAVE.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DEATH BY ANALYZATION TOO.
I MEAN, YOU CAN SIT HERE, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS STARTED BACK IN WHAT, 20 13, 20 12, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE, HAS THE MARKET CHANGED SINCE THEN? SURE.
DID THE MARKET CHANGED SINCE 2018 COVID? SURE.
IS THE MARKET GONNA CHANGE IN ANOTHER EIGHT YEARS? SURE IT IS.
BUT YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A QUESTION OF DO YOU WANT A, A GHOST TOWN OF A CONVENTION CENTER THAT IS NOT EQUIPPED TO HANDLE SOME OF THE MORE LARGER LUCRATIVE TYPES OF BUSINESS, OR YOU WANT TO TRY AND STAY UP WITH IT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE, AGAIN, MORE HOT TAX? REMEMBER THE MORE HOT TAX YOU CUT THAT COMES IN THE MORE, AND IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF PERCENTAGE, IT'S DOLLARS.
I MEAN, 30% OF A MILLION IS NOT THE SAME AS 30% OF 10 MILLION.
SO YOU'RE GONNA GET MORE MONEY INTO THOSE AREAS THAT ARE NOT STANDALONE PROFIT CENTERS LIKE, YOU KNOW, BARTON SPRINGS OR LIKE MUSEUM OR WHATEVER.
AND THAT'S NEEDED IN ORDER TO MAKE THOSE VIABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY, OBVIOUSLY.
I THINK THE LAST THING I'D, I'D LIKE TO MENTION TOO IS WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ANALYZATION, ET CETERA, THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN PASSED, YOU KNOW, BEEN APPROVED BY THE MAYOR, BY THE CITY COUNCIL, BY THIS COMMISSION, AND BY THE VOTERS.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE ALREADY APPROVED THIS.
AND WE'VE BEEN BEATING ON THIS FOR, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION FOR A COUPLE YEARS.
WE'VE HEARD AN ARGUMENT FOR, AND AN ARGUMENT AGAINST.
I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COMMISSION POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
SO I I, I WOULDN'T WANT TO FRAME THIS AS PRO AND AGAINST.
I MEAN, THIS IS SHOULD BE THE DISCUSSION.
AND ACCORDING TO ROBERT'S RULES, THE CHAIR SHOULD, UH, ALTERNATE BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE FOR, OR THOSE WHO ARE SPEAKING AGAINST THE MOTION.
I'M, AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING FOR, FOR AND AGAINST I TRYING TO MAKE THIS LESS CONTENTIOUS.
I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE POSED THAT WAY, IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
I'M NOT SURE HOW ELSE TO OPPOS IT
IT'S NOT ABOUT EXACTLY, EXACTLY.
I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE IT CONTENTIOUS.
I'M TRYING TO ENSURE THAT WE OBSERVE ROBERT RULES AND THAT WE ALTERNATE BETWEEN THE OPINIONS.
UM, I'M ALSO OBSERVING ROBERT'S RULES.
I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COMMISSION A BUNCH NEXT BECAUSE COMMISSIONER REEDY HAS ALREADY SPOKEN.
I, FIRST I WANT TO CORRECT WHAT COMMISSIONER SMITH SAID, CUZ IT'S NOT ACCURATE THAT THE VOTERS APPROVE THIS.
WHAT THE VOTERS APPROVE VOTED ON AND VOTED DOWN BY A FAIRLY SMALL MARGIN WAS, UH, AN INITIATED ACTION THAT REQUIRED A PUBLIC VOTE AND REQUIRED A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS.
IT WAS NOT A VOTE ON EXPANDING THE CONVENTION CENTER SO THAT WHAT YOU SAID IS NOT CORRECT.
UM, AND I WOULD JUST ALSO SORT OF AFFIRM WITH SOME SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WORDS FROM COMMISSIONER REEDY.
IN MY VIEW, THE, THE HOT TAX HAS BEEN SKYROCKETING IN THIS TOWN BECAUSE OF THE CULTURAL CACHE OF LIVE MUSIC, UNIQUE LOCAL RESTAURANTS, LADY BIRD LAKE AND BARTON SPRINGS.
IT IS NATURAL AND CULTURAL TOURISM AND YOU'RE A BUSINESSMAN.
COMMISSIONER SMITH AND A LOT OF YOU FOLKS HERE HAVE BUSINESS EXPERIENCE.
YOU UNDERSTAND THE IDEA OF OPPORTUNITY COSTS AND IF WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT WE CARE ABOUT TOURISM AND GENERATING TOURISM.
WHAT'S PROVEN TO SUCCEED IS INVESTING IN LIVE MUSIC, CULTURAL AND NATURE TOURISM.
AND WHAT'S PROVEN FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS TO FAIL IS INVESTING IN CONVENTION CENTERS.
AND ALL OF THE DATA OUT THERE IS SHOWING THOSE TWO TRENDS ARE GONNA CONTINUE.
WE COULD EXPAND THIS CONVENTION OR FIVE TIMES, AND IT WOULD NOT MOVE THE NEEDLE
[01:00:01]
A FRACTION, MAYBE A TINY FRACTION ON HOW MANY PEOPLE COME TO AUSTIN AND RENT HOTEL ROOMS. WHEREAS IF WE ACTUALLY INVESTED IN WHAT BOTH VISITORS AND LOCALS LOVE ABOUT THIS TOWN, MUSIC, THEATER, THE ARTS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, NATURE, WATER, THAT IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA SEE SUCCESS WITH PUTTING HEADS IN BEDS, WHICH IS ALLEGEDLY WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TRYING TO DO.SO THIS, THIS IS LITERALLY, IF WE JUMP OFF THIS 30 YEAR CLIFF, WE'RE STEALING MONEY.
AND IT'S NOT A SMALL SUM, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM WHAT MADE THIS A GREAT CITY, AN ATTRACTIVE CITY.
AND PRIMARILY THAT'S LIFE MUSIC.
AND IT'S GONNA PUT THE EMPHASIS OF HYPOCRISY SQUARED ON OUR LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
ALL THIS DOES IS SAY, COME ON FOLKS, LET'S GET AN HONEST ANALYSIS INSTEAD OF AN ANALYSIS FROM A GUY WHO'S BEEN PROVEN THAT ALL HE DOES IS SHILL FOR EXPANSIONS.
AND HIS AND HIS PROJECTIONS ARE ALWAYS WAY OVER EXCESSIVE AND NEVER MET.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? DID I GET TO MAKE MORE COMMENTS,
UM, AND I'LL GO WITH COMMISSIONER RON AND WHO'S SPOKEN BEFORE.
UH, THE REASON WHY I BROUGHT UP THAT POINT OF ORDER WAS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE IF I'M SUPPORTING THIS, SO TO FRAME IT THAT WAY MAKES IT SO I CAN'T TALK
SO, WELL, YOU ARE GENERALLY SUPPOSED TO SAY SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST A MOTION THAT IS ON THE FLOOR, BUT I, BUT IT'S ALSO A CONVERSATION TO UNDERSTAND THE MOTION.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I'M FOR OR AGAINST IT YET.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I SEE, UM, THE FRUSTRATION ON, ON BOTH SIDES, UH, PRO AND AGAINST THE MOTION TO PROVE THE, THE CURRENT, UM, PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE.
AND I, I SEE AS A NEW COMMISSIONER, THIS HAS BEEN A LONGSTANDING DEBATE HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND, UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW, JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, UM,
I DIRECT A MUSEUM HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN INVEST LIMITED RESOURCES.
AND SO THAT IS REALLY WHAT, WHERE I'M COMING TO THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE PUBLIC SUBSIDY IS NOT INFINITE.
AND I BELIEVE AS REPRESENTATIVES OF, UM, THE PUBLIC TRUST, WE SHOULD BE WORKING TOWARDS THAT END GOAL IN TERMS OF BEING, UH, GOOD STEWARDS OF, UM, PUBLIC DOLLARS.
AND I KNOW WE'RE AN EXTENSION OF THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL, UM, HOWEVER WE SHOULD ALL BE, IN MY VIEW, UM, REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT AIM.
UM, I, I'M JUST GONNA PUT OUT THERE THAT FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN THE PRESENTATIONS AND READ THE REPORTS FROM SORT OF EITHER SIDES OF THIS DEBATE, UM, OUR ACADEMIC FRIEND FROM, UH, U T S A AS WELL AS OUR CONSULTANT FOLKS FROM CHICAGO.
AND WHAT I FOUND TO BE INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY DO WANT MORE EVIDENCE AND I, I DO AGREE WITH THIS PORTION OF, UM, THE PARTICULAR MOTION PUT BEFORE US, UH, MY PARTICULAR QUESTION TO THE CONSULTANT IN CHICAGO FOR THREE EXAMPLES OF WHERE PROJECTIONS WERE MET WAS NEVER RESPONDED TO.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF RESERVATION IN, YOU KNOW, BEING IN SUPPORT OF A FULLY EXPANDED CONVENTION CENTER WITHOUT ADDITIONAL, UH, INFORMATION TO HELP, UH, CONTEXTUALIZE MY OWN SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT.
SO I'M JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE.
AS YOU KNOW, I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDLESS OR NOT OF WHETHER I SUPPORT THIS MOTION.
UM, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE MEMBERS OF, UM, THE CITY STAFF COMING TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE HELPING ME GET ON BOARD WITH THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP TO DATE.
CHAIR RECOGNIZES COMMISSIONER KATI.
UM, AM I ALLOWED TO SPEAK AGAINST YES.
UM, I, I HAVE ALSO BEEN, UH, ATTENDING THE TOURISM COMMISSIONER MEETINGS AS MR. REEDY SAID SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 2016.
[01:05:01]
AND ACTUALLY ALMOST ALL OF THE VISITOR IMPACT TASK FORCE MEETINGS BEFORE THAT.AND I, I FEEL LIKE MOST OF THESE ARGUMENTS ARE A REHASH OF WHAT HAVE BEEN THE ARGUMENTS ALL ALONG TO NOT, UH, CREATE SUPPORT FOR THE COMP.
UH, THERE'S SOME, SOME NEW WRINKLES ON IT, BUT I HEARD A LOT OF THESE ISSUES ADDRESSED AT THE VISITOR IMPACT TASK FORCE.
THEY WERE, AGAIN, ADDRESSED AT THE TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING BEFORE WE ADOPTED THE RESOLUTION AND SUPPORT OF IT.
UM, I THINK MR. BUNCH SAID THAT THE PROPOSITION B WAS NOT ABOUT THE, THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION, BUT I'M LOOKING AT THE ARTICLE FROM THE CHRONICLE, WHICH ACTUALLY CHARACTERIZES PROP B AS THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AND CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION QUESTION.
THAT'S HOW THE COMMUNITY LOOKED AT IT.
UM, I, I, I'M ALSO, I MEAN, I'VE HEARD MR. BUNCH TALK ABOUT FINDING BETTER WAYS TO USE HOTEL TAX MONEY, AND I THINK, I WOULD AGREE THIS WOULD BE GREAT WAYS THAT WE COULD USE MONEY IF IT WAS AVAILABLE.
MUSIC, THEATER, ARTS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION NATURE, THAT IS A WONDERFUL USE OF PUBLIC MONEY.
BUT THE STATE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW US TO SPEND MORE THAN 15% IN THIS CULTURAL ARTS AND HISTORIC CATEGORY.
AND WE ARE MAXING THAT OUT NOW.
AND I, I, I'M FRUSTRATED THAT WE CAN'T DO MORE, BUT THE STATE DOES NOT ALLOW US TO DO MORE THAN WE ARE OR THE ARE.
SO I'M, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND.
I MEAN, IT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT IT'S NOT AS I UNDERSTAND AS A STATE LAW, SOMETHING THAT'S FEASIBLE.
SO I'M, THAT WOULD BE IN SHORT MY REASONS.
WE'VE ALREADY ADDRESSED THIS REPEATEDLY.
THE VOTERS HAVE ADDRESSED IT, SO I'M GONNA IMPOSE THE MOTION.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION OR PUT IT TO THE VOTE? UH, THAT WAS AGAINST, I'LL GO WITH COMMISSIONER REEDY.
UM, YEAH, I WANTED TO RESPOND TO COMMISSIONER KANA A LITTLE BIT.
UM, IN THAT, UH, MULTIPLE ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS, UH, HAVE STATED THAT CITY GOVERNMENTS HAVE WIDE DISCRETION IN USING HOT TAX.
SO WHILE WE ARE MAXED OUT IN DIRECT PRESERVATION AND CULTURAL ARTS PROGRAMMING FUNDING, YOU CAN LOOK AT HOUSTON, WHICH HAD A MARKETING GRANT FOR CULTURAL EVENTS OUTSIDE OF THE CULTURAL PROGRAMMING BUDGET.
UM, YOU CAN LOOK AT IN EXISTING THINGS WE DO, SUCH AS FILM INCENTIVES OUTSIDE THE CULTURAL BUDGET, WE, UH, HAVE VISIT AUSTIN PROMOTE MUSICIANS ON JUNKETS TO OTHER CITIES.
WE COULD LITERALLY CREATE A 25 MILLION HOTEL TAX FUNDED OPPORTUNITY TO HIRE LOCAL ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, CHEFS AND FILMMAKERS TO PROMOTE THE CITY OF AUSTIN OUTSIDE THE CULTURAL ARTS SPENDING BUDGET.
AND I'M SAYING THESE THINGS BECAUSE WACO DOES IT.
AND THERE'S NO CAPS ON FILM INCENTIVES IN THE STATE LAW.
SO THERE ARE WAYS TO SUPPORT LOCAL CULTURE IN ADDITION TO THE MAXED OUT LEVELS OF CULTURE AND PRESERVATION FUNDING, AND OTHER CITIES HAVE SHOWN THAT.
AND TO ADDRESS THE VISITOR IMPACT TASK FORCE, I WENT TO EVERY SINGLE MEETING AND WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT THAT WAS A PRE-PROGRAMMED DOG AND PONY SHOW, UH, BEAUTY PAGEANT IN SUPPORT OF, OF CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSIONS.
UM, MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, INCLUDING MYSELF AND MAYBE COMMISSIONER BUNCH, TRIED AND FAILED TO GET ITEMS ON THE VISITOR IMPACT TASK FORCE AGENDA THAT WOULD SHOW COUNTERPOINTS TO THOSE PERSISTENT AND MISLEADING ARGUMENTS THAT CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION SOLVE EVERYTHING FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, AND IN FACT, UH, MY FRIEND JAMES RUSSELL, WHO WAS THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMISSION, CAME TO THE TOURISM COMMISSION AND ADMITTED THAT THE VISITOR IMPACT TASK FORCE DID NOT ASSESS THE CURRENT EXPANSIONS BUSINESS PERFORMANCE VERSUS PROJECTIONS.
THEY DID NOT LOOK AT ANY EXPANSIONS IN OTHER CITIES, WHICH, BY THE WAY, CONSISTENTLY FAILED TO MEET PROJECTIONS, AND THEY DIDN'T TAKE UP OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO USE HOT TAXES TO SUPPORT LOCAL CULTURE THE WAY HOUSTON, WACO, FORT WORTH, SAN ANTONIO, AND DALLAS DO.
SO, UH, THIS IDEA THAT THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO WITH HOT TAXES IS INVEST IN CONVENTIONS, I THINK HAS BEEN SORT OF THE BIG LIE OVER THIS WHOLE DEBATE FOR SEVEN YEARS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SHOW THAT THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES THAT WE HAVEN'T CONSIDERED.
UH, AND I THINK WE SHOULD BEFORE WE COMMIT MULTIPLE BILLION DOLLARS FOR 30 YEARS.
CHAIR RECOGNIZES COMMISSIONER BAILEY.
I JUST FEEL LIKE WHEN WE APPROVE THE LAST TO MIKE'S POINT, WHEN WE APPROVE, GAVE OUR STAMP OF APPROVAL FOR THE CITY MANAGER AND FOR THE COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLAN TO INVESTIGATE HOW TO EXPAND AND DO IT, IT ADDRESSES HALF THE THINGS THAT ARE DOWN HERE AND THE, THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE REALIZING, AS WAS MENTIONED BY THE STAFF TODAY.
THERE'S STILL A DESIGN PROCESS, THERE'S STILL AN INTEGRATION
[01:10:01]
PROCESS.THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE THINGS THAT GET DETERMINED IN THE DESIGN OF THE, AND WE SHOULD EXPECT THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE INPUT BY COUNSEL AND OTHER MATTERS AND, AND PROBABLY FROM THIS BODY TO WEIGH IN ON THOSE MATTERS.
AND I DON'T THINK THIS RESOLUTION CHANGES THAT.
IT'S GOTTA HAPPEN THAT WAY ANYWAYS.
THE DEBATE OF WHETHER OR NOT HOT TAX SHOULD BE USED IN OTHER WAYS IS A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION THAN WHETHER OR NOT OUR ORIGINAL ASSERTION AND RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FEASIBILITY AND DUE DILIGENCE AND PUTTING OUT THE RFP SO WE COULD GET CLEAR ON THE TYPE OF CONVENTION CENTER WE ACTUALLY WANTED TO COMMIT TO BUILD.
I THINK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED, AND I THINK THAT WE DON'T NEED TO GO BACKWARDS AND AGREE WITH THIS FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
AND THIS DOESN'T ADDRESS THAT HOT TECH ISSUE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, OR WHETHER WE CAN CRACK OPEN THE VAULT AND GET HOT TAX USES.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A SEPARATE TRACK CONVERSATION FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
BUT IF WE COMMIT ALL THE HOT TAX TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY, THERE'S, THERE'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY.
INCREASED THE INCREASED AMOUNT OF HOT TAX WE'RE MAXED OUT BY STATE LAW.
WELL, AND THAT'S THE QUESTION OF BOOK LOBBYING.
WELL, IT, IT MAY SOUND FUNNY, BUT THAT, THAT'S EXACTLY HOW IT STARTED.
I THINK WE SHOULD PUT IT TO THE VOTE WE'VE HAD, UH, ARGUMENTS FOR AND FOR THE MOTION AND IN OPPOSITION FOR THE MOTION.
I THINK WE SHOULD PUT IT TO A VOTE.
IT IS 4 0 6 AND I SURE WOULDN'T WANT US TO GET TO FOUR 30 AND NOT HAVE TAKEN THIS IMPORTANT VOTE.
WE'RE ALL HERE, WHICH WAS ALSO IMPORTANT TO THE BOARD THAT WE ALL BE HERE.
SO IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, I'D LIKE TO CALL FOR THE VOTE THERE ANY OBJECTION? THERE WILL BE NO OBJECTION.
UM, THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS A MOTION THAT THE TOURISM COMMISSION SECOND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION RESOLUTION WITH THE AMENDMENT TO THE FOURTH PAR TO THE FOURTH, WHEREAS REPLACING THE WORDS IS CURRENTLY PAYING FOR WITH THE WORDS MUST CONSIDER.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ANY ABSTENTION? ZERO ABSTENTIONS.
[3. Discussion and possible action on city clerk’s office responses regarding commission board bylaws]
ALL RIGHT.NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS, WAS LISTED AS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
RESPONSES REGARDING COMMISSION, BOARD BYLAWS.
UM, WE HAVE NOTHING PREPARED FOR THAT TODAY.
AND IF WITHOUT OBJECTION, I'D LIKE TO REMOVE THIS FROM THE AGENDA AND FUTURE AGENDAS.
UH, SO MY INTENTION WAS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS LAST IN DECEMBER AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING MM-HMM.
SO, UM, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP A STANDING AGENDA ITEM TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE ABOUT FILLING THE VACANCIES, UM, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE A NEW COUNCIL AS WELL AS A, UH, NEW MAYOR THAT CAN HELP US HOPEFULLY HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND FILLING THESE VACANCIES AND ENFORCING ATTENDANCE.
SO, SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS IS INTENDED TO DO AS A, AS A, AN AGENDA ITEM.
I HAVE A CO I HAVE, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAVE VISITED OUR, UH, WEBPAGE RECENTLY, BUT THERE ARE TWO NEW MEMBERS LISTED.
THEY HAVEN'T, UH, COMPLETED THEIR, UH, ORIENTATION YET.
SO THEY'RE NOT FORMAL MEMBERS.
BUT THAT WAS ENCOURAGING TO ME CUZ IT MEANS THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE APPOINTING PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S GREAT AND IT'S REALLY GOOD TO HEAR THAT NEWS.
UM, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU DON'T HAVE TO COMPLETE THE ORIENTATION IN ORDER TO SERVE ON THE, LIKE, SO THIS IS A DISCONNECT AGAIN.
I THOUGHT YOU DID HAVE TO DO THE ORIENTATION BEFORE YOU COULD SERVE YOU.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU HAVE LIKE TWO MONTHS? IS IT FELICIA? IT'S SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I DIDN'T COMPLETE MY ORIENTATION BEFORE I STARTED COMING HERE AND VOTING.
SEE, I HAD TO COMPLETE MINE FIRST.
SO I MEAN THAT'S, AND IF THE, IF THAT ISN'T, AND MAYBE I DID IT WRONG, THERE NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY THEN FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE THAT'S
UH, YOU KNOW, AND CUZ YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE HURTING RIGHT.
AS COMMISSIONS ACROSS THE CITY, NOT JUST THIS COMMISSION.
SO I DON'T MEAN TO BEAT A DRUM.
AND, AND CAN I JUST CLARIFY, DOES IT NEED TO BE A STANDING ITEM OR, BECAUSE WHAT I WAS THINKING WAS, CAN WE REMOVE IT FROM THE AGENDA UNLESS WE ACTUALLY HAVE A RESPONSE TO BRING, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? UH, JUST BECAUSE WE TAKE IT OFF FUTURE AGENDAS WHEN WE HAVE A RESPONSE, WE COULD RIGHT.
SO, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS IT'D BE GOOD TO BRING THE CLERK IN AND THEN WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL
[01:15:01]
OF OUR POLICY QUESTIONS ARE.I MEAN, THAT'S LIKE, I, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? LIKE, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
BETTER CHANCE OF CARPET TO ANSWER AS OPPOSED TO THEM COMING IN.
SO THEN THAT'S WHAT THE ARGUMENT, I THINK FOR KEEPING IT ON THE AGENDA IS, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE, I GUESS A MONTH LONG BACK, YOU KNOW, BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS.
SO LEAVE IT, SO LEAVE IT ON THE AGENDA AS IS MM-HMM.
AND NEXT, ARE YOU SAYING BY NEXT MONTH WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS? OR ARE WE SAYING WE'RE GONNA SUBMIT QUESTIONS VIA OUR EMAIL? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE ASK, THEY WANT QUESTIONS VIA OUR EMAIL BEFORE THEY COME.
THEY WANT, WHICH MEANS DILIGENCE LESS A MONTH TO PREPARE MM-HMM.
UM, I CAN DO THAT FOR NEXT MONTH, BUT IT, IT WOULD NEED TO BE LIKE REALLY FOCUSED ON, UM, ATTENDANCE AND NOT HAVING ATTENDANCES FORGIVEN.
SO WHEN YOU SAY YOU, YOU'LL HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS FOR THE BOARD, SO THAT'LL BE PART OF IT.
IT'S LIKE, SO WHAT IS THE POLICY ON CANCELING, UH, EXCUSED ABSENCES OR RATHER EXCUSING ABSENCES MM-HMM.
SO LIKE, I DON'T THINK IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN REALLY CLEAR.
AND IS IT A COUNCIL MEMBER ACTUALLY DOING THAT? OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THE PROCESS? MM-HMM.
SO I'M NOT LOOKING TO PICK A BONE, BUT I'M ALSO LOOKING TO MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS FOR OTHER COMMISSIONS BECAUSE THIS, THIS IS GRINDING OUR COMMISSIONS TO A HALT.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, THESE RIDICULOUS EMAIL PROCEDURES THAT HAS INHIBITED COMMUNICATION AND CROSS OUR COMMISSION.
I WOULD SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE IS A POINT WHERE THERE NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA PUSH BACK, LIKE MM-HMM.
SO WHAT ARE YOU PROPOSING TO, TO HAVE READY FOR NEXT? SO I I, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE BEHIND THESE DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.
WHAT IS THE POLICY BEHIND NOT BEING ABLE TO CC ALL TO MEMBERS OF A PUBLIC BODY ON A PUBLIC EMAIL SERVER? MM-HMM.
THAT IS JUST RIDICULOUS TO ME.
ARE YOU SAYING HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS AND I'LL HAVE THAT READY FOR YOU.
I'M JUST BRINGING UP WHAT THOSE QUESTIONS ARE.
SO YOU'LL HAVE, SO THAT'LL BE THE PRODUCT, RIGHT? THAT NOW WITH MORE TIME, THEN WE'LL USE THEM AS A DRAFT AND THEN YES.
AND I CAN GET THAT TO YOU BY A WEEK BEFORE THE MEETING.
AND THEN WE'RE PROCESSING AND I'LL CC FELICIA.
AND THEN WE CAN ALL LOOK AT IT TOGETHER NEXT MEETING AND THEN EMAIL HER OFF AND ASK FOR SOMEONE, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO JOIN US AT THE FOLLOWING MEETING.
HOWEVER, I WILL NOT BE HERE ON THE MARCH MEETING.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A MEETING THAT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE.
DON'T WE ALL? I MEAN, IT DEPENDS ON THE DATE.
WOULDN'T CAN I ASK A QUESTION? JUST MAKE, SHOULD I RECOGNIZE THIS COMMISSIONER CAN ADD, UM, JUST WONDERING IF THIS IS REALLY WITHIN OUR MISSION.
I MEAN, IT MIGHT BE AN APPROPRIATE QUESTION TO ADDRESS, BUT IT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE IT'S MORE OF A RIGHT.
CLOSING COMMISSIONS WRITTEN LARGE QUESTION.
NOT A TOURISM FOCUSED, BUT I, I THINK IT ACTUALLY DIRECTLY RELATES TO OUR MISSION BECAUSE IT TALKS ABOUT HOW WE CAN OPERATE AS A COMMISSION IT, AND HAVE LIKE A DEBATE ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BEST FOR TOURISM HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
SO THAT'S REALLY MY MISSION, UM, IN HAVING US FUNCTION BETTER AS A COMMISSION.
AND WHAT IS ON THE AGENDA NEXT MONTH? GOOD QUESTION,
SO, I MEAN, WHAT ELSE ARE WE GONNA TALK ABOUT? WOULD BE, UH, MY SECONDARY QUESTION.
UM, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO START FOCUSING ON THE GOAL OF THE TEPID.
THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS? WHAT ARE, WHAT SOLUTIONS ARE PAR ARE CURRENTLY, UH, ON THE CITY'S AGENDA FOR, UM, HOMELESS OR HOUSELESS OR HOUSELESS CRISIS? UM, FROM A HUMANITARIAN PERSPECTIVE AND A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE FOR, UM, WORKERS AND VI AND VISITORS, UM, AND, AND THE HOMELESS THEMSELVES.
UM, CUZ I DO THINK THAT HAS, UH, UH, IMPACT AND NEGATIVE IMPACT ON TOURISM.
AND SEEMS TO ME IF WE ARE A TOURISM BOARD, THAT THESE ARE QUESTIONS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES, WHAT ARE THE, YOU KNOW, WHO IS WORKING ON THIS? AND ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF IF THE TEPID CONVERSATION IS COMING UP AGAIN, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? HOW'S THAT MONEY GONNA BE FUNNELED? HOW, WHERE IS IT GONNA GO? I FEEL LIKE I'VE SEEN THE CITY, UM, ATTEMPT TO MOVE IN A COUPLE OF DIRECTIONS AND BE THWARTED.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S A BUILDING IN NEAR WHERE I LIVE THAT I, THE CITY WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE OVER TO, TO BECOME
[01:20:01]
AN AREA TO HOUSE PEOPLE.AND I'M GUESSING THAT THE COMMUNITY AROUND GOT TOGETHER AND MAYBE POO-POOED THAT BECAUSE THE CITY HASN'T ACQUIRED IT.
UM, AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE THAT CUT, UH, CUT YOUR NOSE DESPITE YOUR FACE KIND OF SITUATION, RIGHT? EVERYBODY WANTS IT SOLVED, BUT NOBODY WANTS A PROBLEM ON THEIR DOORSTEP.
BUT THE TRUTH IS, IT'S, IT'S ON OUR COLLECTIVE DOORSTEP AND IT'S OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO SOLVE IT.
AND THAT ISN'T, THAT ISN'T TAKING A BIG BROOM AND SWEEPING PEOPLE AWAY.
THAT'S SO WHO IS CURRENTLY ON COUNCIL THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT THIS UP? OR IS, IS IT ORIGINATING IN ANYONE'S STAFF OFFICE? I DON'T KNOW.
DOES ANYONE ELSE, DOES ANYONE KNOW? I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE LUNCH WITH SOMEBODY TO TALK ABOUT THAT THIS TODAY, BUT HE, HE RESCHEDULED WITH ME.
SO I'LL, I'M TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF PRIORITIZING THIS ISSUE.
IN FACT, I BELIEVE WE SHOULDN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THE EXPANSION WITHOUT THE TPI BEING APPROVED BECAUSE THAT WAS THE CARROT THAT THE HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION DANGLED MM-HMM.
SO MAYBE WE SHOULD CONSIDER INVITING THE A H L A TO, TO COME AND TELL US WHERE THEY'RE AT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY THE AUSTIN HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
AND THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR TPI, BRINGING THE TPIT FORWARD TO THEIR MEMBERSHIP.
WELL THAT SEEMS GOOD BECAUSE, BECAUSE I FEEL MUCH LIKE YOU, I'M, I'M FEEL LIKE I KNOW IT'S BEING TALKED ABOUT, TALKED ABOUT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO IS ANYBODY LEADING IT.
IS ANYBODY HEADING IT OUT? LIKE I HAVE THOSE, I HAVE THOSE QUESTIONS AND I WANT US SOMEHOW AS A BOARD TO FIND OUT THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
IT DEFINITELY FEELS LIKE IT SLIP THE, THE PRIORITY PRIORITY LIST.
AND MAYBE HELP DRIVE IT BECAUSE REGARDLESS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE DRAWER IS FOR A VISITOR TO COME TO AUSTIN, YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE AND A SAFE EXPERIENCE.
AND YOU WANT THE WORKERS IN THAT, IN THE INDUSTRY TO BE SAFE.
COMMISSIONER BAILEY, IT'S JUST A POINT OF POINT OF ORDER QUESTION.
ARE WE, ARE WE DOWN TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS NOW IN THIS DISCUSSION? DO WE STILL HAVE ITEMS FOUR AND FIVE? WE, FOR THIS, FOR THIS MEETING BY FOUR 30? I'M JUST, YOU ARE CORRECT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR POINT OF ORDER.
WE HAVE JUMPED, UM, WE SORT OF SPRINGBOARDED OFF OF THE, UM, CITY CLERK RESPONSES, WHICH I WANNA HAVE A DISCUSSION.
I'M JUST WANNA KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA TIME OUT ON THESE OTHER TWO.
UM, SO LET'S NOT TIME OUT IN THE OTHER TWO.
I THINK, UH, THERE WAS INTRODUCTION TO REMOVING THE CITY CLERK'S RESPONSES AND WE'VE HEARD WE'RE GONNA LEAVE THAT ON THE AGENDA.
UM, I'M GOING TO ASSUME, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT, THAT WE DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY DISCUSSION OR UPDATES FROM EITHER OF OUR WORKING GROUPS FOR TODAY.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
WE CAN SAFELY SKIP OVER THEM AND CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, WHICH SO FAR I HAVE, UH, LET'S REACH OUT TO THE HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION AND INVITE THEM TO LET US KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH TPI AND, AND THEN, UM, IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT, UM, THERE IS, IS THERE NOT, UH, DIDN'T WE HEAR FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER STAFF THAT THERE IS A HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY OFFICER MM-HMM.SO MAYBE WE COULD INVITE THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER TO, TO TO, TO LAY OUT THE GROUND FOR US.
LIKE WHO'S LEADING IT, WHAT'S THE CHARGE? YES.
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE PLAN? YEAH, I JUST WOULD MENTION THAT I THINK A LOT OF THE HOMELESS PROBLEMS ARE REALLY SWEPT UNDER THE TABLE.
THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF HOTELS THAT ARE REALLY HAVING PROBLEMS WITH STUFF GOING ON.
WELL I THINK WE HAVE SOME FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, I THINK THREE'S A GOOD NUMBER.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET MAYBE TWO OF THREE, EVEN IF WE GET ONE OF THE THREE, WE'VE GOT SOMETHING TO, TO LOOK AT.
AND TO GO BACK, I MEAN, WE, WE DID DISCUSS A LOT OF POTENTIAL FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS IN OUR OCTOBER MEETING.
UM, RE WE ALSO REQUEST THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE TO COME AND SPEAK ABOUT, UM, THEIR WORK DOWNTOWN, THEIR CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES.
SO I MEAN, THAT'S ANOTHER IDEA AS WELL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DID BRING UP LAST TIME MM-HMM.
I MEAN, IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL HERE.
SO I MEAN, WE'VE DEFINITELY HAD IDEAS THAT WE'VE BROUGHT UP.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO REVISIT THIS LIST AS WELL.
I THINK WE WANNA KEEP THAT LIST.
AND JUST, JUST ADD THREE OR FOUR PER MEETING THAT WE ACCOMPLISHED.
SO I GUESS MOVING FORWARD MAYBE LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY FROM OUR CHAIR, HOW WE PRIORITIZE THE AGENDA ITEMS, UH, OF THE ITEMS YOU GUYS TELL ME.
IT'S, IT'S A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
SO, UM, I KNOW, UH, WE CAN KIND OF PRIORITIZE TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY AND THEN WE, UH, GIVE THAT, UM, FELICIA TO FELICIA AND THEN IT BECOMES
[01:25:01]
WHO SHE'S ABLE TO GET SOME RESPONSE FROM AND WHO SHE'S ABLE TO PIN DOWN.SO ALTHOUGH WE MAY HAVE AN ORDER, IT MAY CHANGE ACCORDING TO SOMEONE'S AVAILABILITY, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY GENERATE A LIST AND SAY, THIS IS OUR PRIOR IN ORDER OF THIS IS OUR PREFERENCE OF ORDER.
SO CAN, CAN WE, INSTEAD OF MAYBE DOING THIS MEETING BY MEETING, CAN WE JUST GO WITH THESE IDEAS AND SEE WHO'S AVAILABLE AND THEN WE CAN PRIORITIZE TOGETHER ONCE WE HEAR BACK.
YOU PROBABLY HAVE TO HAVE FIRST THINK YOU HAVE TO PRIORITIZE FIRST.
WELL I'M JUST THINKING DOWN THE LINE, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M, I MEAN, MONTHS HAPPENED REALLY QUICKLY.
UM, SO THAT'S SORT OF WHAT I'M GETTING AT MM-HMM.
SO MAYBE IT'S A COMBINATION OF TRYING TO PLAN TWO, THREE MEETINGS OUT, NOT JUST THE NEXT MEETING IS REALLY WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
SO LOOKING AT THE, THE, UM, SO NUMBER NINE WOULD, COULD ENCOMPASS THE, UH, HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY OFFICER THAT WE'VE JUST TALKED ABOUT, RIGHT? UH, RESPONSES.
SO CITY CLERK ARE IN ADDITION TO, UM, ITEM SIX THROUGH 12 AND HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION.
WOULD WE GROUP THAT IN SEVEN? I FEEL LIKE THAT'S NINE AS WELL.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S NINE AS WELL, IS WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
IT FITS SEVEN IS IT FITS SEVEN AS WELL.
ALSO NINE, BUT NINE IS A BIG ONE.
AND I THINK, I MEAN, AT LEAST JUST CHATTING, A BUNCH OF US IDENTIFIED THE HOMELESS AS A TOP PRIORITY.
ABSOLUT, RIGHT? SO WOULD EVERYONE AGREE THAT MAYBE ITEM NINE IS A, IS THE TOP PRIORITY? I WOULD AND THEN I GUESS WHO ARE WE GOING TO INVITE? UH, WELL I THINK IT'S REACHING OUT TO THOSE TWO ENTITIES, RIGHT? YEP.
A H L A AND THE, THE STARTING POINT ENERGY OFFICER.
UM, IS THERE ANOTHER, LOOKING THROUGH SIX THROUGH 12, DOES ANYONE HAVE A STRONG FEELING ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT PRIORITY? WELL, THERE'S ALSO 13 AND I JUST WANT TO CALL THAT, OH, SORRY, THAT WAS MY QUESTION THAT I ASKED TODAY.
SO FELICIA, I MIGHT LEAN ON YOU TO ASK THE STAFF MEMBERS THAT JUST LEFT FOR THAT INFORMATION IN PARTICULAR.
AND I KNOW IT'S ONLINE, BUT EVERYTHING'S ONLINE AND TO GET TO A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THE CITY WEBSITE IS ACTUALLY HARD.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M CALLING IT OUT IN PARTICULAR.
UM, JUST THE FLOW CHART THAT SHE SPOKE TO FELICIA, IF WE COULD GET THAT INFORMATION OF HOW THE FUNDS ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM AS THEY COME INTO THE, THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, DEPARTMENT.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK PERHAPS THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE COULD HAVE A, A, A MORE BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF ALL OF THIS AND HOW IT'S AFFECTING TOURISM MORE BROADLY DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND I KIND, I KIND OF LIKE THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE NEXT.
CAUSE I THINK IT ALSO SEGUES LIKE THEY MUST BE HAVING FEEDBACK AND EXPERIENCE WITH THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUES.
AND SO MAYBE INVITING DE PER THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WOULD BE A, A NICE THING TO SORT OF CONCLUDE.
CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? DE HURT IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UH, MIGHT BE THE PRESIDENT AND CEO.
I DON'T REMEMBER HIS TITLE, UM, SPECIFICALLY, BUT, UM, THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD WAY TO SORT OF PINPOINT AND HAVE A LARGER DISCUSSION.
IS IT OKAY TO ASK THEM IF I CAN CONNECT THEM TO YOU? IS THAT, UH, IS THAT COOL? CAN YOU SET UP A MEETING TO, TO, TO SEE THAT SHOULD BE, TO GET A GROUP OF THEM HERE.
I MEAN, IT MAY BE BELOW DEE'S PAY GRADE TO COME TO US,
BUT I DON'T WANT TO GO AROUND PROTOCOL IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
I THINK IF YOU, THEY AGREE WITH YOU TO MEET WITH US, UM, YOU CAN JUST LET ME KNOW THEIR CONTACT INFO.
I'LL PUT IT ON THE LIST OF CONVERSATION TOMORROW.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON FUTURE GENDER ITEMS OR PRIOR? ANY OTHER INPUT ON PRIORITIZING THIS LIST? IS IT POSSIBLE JUST TO SUM UP WHAT THE NEXT PROPOSED AGENDA IS? THE NEXT PROPOSED AGENDA IS THAT WE WILL REVIEW THE DRAFT RESPONSES OR QUESTIONS, RATHER REVIEW A DRAFT OF QUESTIONS FOR THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
AND THAT WE WILL REACH OUT TO THE HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION AND THE HOMELESSNESS, UH,
[01:30:01]
STRATEGY OFFICER TO SEE IF THEY CAN COME BEFORE US, UM, THE HOTEL LODGING STATION TO LET US KNOW ABOUT TEED AND UH, GIVE US FEEDBACK ON HOMELESSNESS DOWNTOWN AND, UM, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER TO EDUCATE US ON THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO, UM, RESOLVING THE ISSUE.UM, AND THEN NEXT ON THE PRIORITY LIST WOULD BE, UM, REACHING OUT TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE AND HAVING THEM VISIT WITH US, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN EDUCATE US FURTHER ON THEIR BIRD'S EYE VIEW AS YOU PUT IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I HAVE SO FAR IN TERMS OF PRIORITIES.
I, I WOULD JUST MAKE A RECOMMENDATION OF DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS THAT WE THINK THE CITY CLERK SHOULD BE ASKED? WHY DON'T WE FUNNEL IT THROUGH DANIEL SO HE CAN GET SOME OF OUR MM-HMM.
AND THOSE ARE REALLY THE THREE MM-HMM.
AND THEN IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING ELSE THEY CAN FUNNEL FUNNEL UP TWO COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER RONAN.
VIA THE EMAIL THAT HE CAN'T, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, SO THE, ARE WE GONNA TRY FOR ALL THOSE SPEAKERS? HONESTLY? UM, I THINK WE SHOULD REACH OUT TO ALL OF THEM BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA NEC, YOU KNOW, SOME ARE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE IT.
AND I, I WILL SAY LIKE WE CAN DO THAT IN TWO HOURS.
LIKE I THINK THERE'S ENOUGH TIME.
SO LIKE, I REALLY DO THINK WE SHOULD JUST INVITE EVERYONE CUZ PART OF IT IS LIKE GETTING MOMENTUM.
UM, CUZ SOMETIMES I ACTUALLY THINK THERE'S LIKE NOT ENOUGH TO TALK ABOUT AT MEETINGS.
SO WE COULD REACH OUT TO ALL OF THEM WITH THE HOPE THAT PERHAPS THE ONES WE'VE ALREADY MENTIONED WILL COME NEXT WEEK AND THE OTHERS COULD COME THE FOLLOWING WEEK TO GENERATE THAT MOMENTUM.
THE MONTH, YOU MEAN THE NEXT MONTH? FOR THE NEXT MONTH.
I'M NOT CHANGING MONTHLY
I GUESS I ONLY EVER REMEMBER WHAT WE VOTED ON OPPOSED TO ACTUALLY READING WHAT THE IDEA WAS BECAUSE I, IN MY BRAIN I REMEMBERED THAT WE HAD ALL DECIDED THREE TO FIVE WAS WHERE WE WERE GONNA STAY.
AND, UH, JUST A THANK YOU TO FELICIA FOR GIVING US A FULL LIST BEFORE ALL THE MEETING DATES AS I REQUESTED LAST MEETING.
COMMISSIONER BAILEY HAS SOMETHING FOR US BEFORE WE LEAVE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, AS WE ALL TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, I, I'M TRYING TO ASCERTAIN, WE WERE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT THIS BEFORE YOU CAME IN, BUT MM-HMM.
IS IT POTENTIALLY THAT THREE PEOPLE SITTING UP HERE COULD NOT BE AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING? WE'VE SET THE AGENDA AND, AND I WANNA MAKE AN APPEAL FOR, ESPECIALLY AS I'VE WALKED, HE'S BEEN, DANIEL'S BEEN VERY THOUGHTFUL AND, AND I THINK ASSERTIVE IN GETTING HIS ARMS AROUND THIS.
WE'VE SEEN OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE SAT ON THE COMMISSION HAVEN'T BEEN NEARLY AS INTO IT AS YOU ARE.
AND, AND, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IF THREE NEW PEOPLE SHOW UP AT THE DIAS, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PRO TO HELP INITIATE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE, THIS COMMISSION HAS TACKLED MM-HMM.
UM, SO I'M, I'M TRYING TO GET A FEEL HERE FOR, CUZ I KNOW I'M DISTRICT THREE.
I HAVEN'T EVEN MET MY REPRESENTATIVE YET.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA BE, CONTINUE TO BE HERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE I, THE DID IS, UM, MR. WELL, I, I'M MR. BUTS.
I'M DISTRICT 10, BUT I HAVE A COUNCIL PERSON THAT I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THEY CHANGED MCKINSEY TO DISTRICT SIX I THINK IT WAS OR SOMETHING.
AND THAT'S ALSO ON THE LIST FOR THE CLERK BECAUSE I, WE GOT AN EMAIL SAYING THAT WE'RE NO LONGER THANK YOU FOR OUR SERVICE AND YEAH, I HAD, I GOT, I'VE OFFICIALLY REAPPLIED WITH NO FURTHER ABUSE.
SO I JUST, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
DON'T THINK IT'S AN ACTION, BUT I'M, I'M AMONG US WHILE WE'RE HERE TOGETHER.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANNA SAY IS SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD THAT AIR, IT'S MARCH 10TH THROUGH THE 19TH, AND I KNOW THAT EVEN OUR CHAIR HAS BEEN IN BUILDOUT MODE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HAS HAD COMPLICATIONS OF PARTICIPATING.
YOU, DID YOU MENTION FOR SURE THAT YOU MAY NOT MAKE MARCH? UH, YEAH, I'M NOT GONNA BE HERE.
SO I, I I MEAN MARCH IS PROBABLY DONE.
WE, WE CAN MAKE THE DECISION, BUT I'M, EVEN NOW, I THINK IT SHOULD BE HELD OFF TILL THE FEBRUARY MEETING OF WHAT WE DO IF, IF SOUTH BY OR MARCH IS COMPLICATED.
BUT KNOWING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SET OUT FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
[01:35:01]
TO YOUR RESPECTFUL POINT, I'D HATE TO INVITE PEOPLE TO COME HERE AND SEE THIS BODY MARCH.AND WE, AND WE HAVE A SICK OUT KIND OF SITUATION THAT HAPPENS.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND US AS WE'RE PLANNING THAT AGENDA TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHO WE'RE INVITING, LIKE THE HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION OR THE CONVENTION CENTER, INVITING THEM TO COME IN HERE AND, AND GIVE REPORTS TO US ON THE HEELS OF SOUTH BY TAKING OVER THE CITY IS PROBABLY
SO I MIGHT PROPOSE, GIVEN YOUR POINT, UM, COMMISSIONER REALLY, THAT WE TRY AND SCHEDULE THESE PEOPLE AND IF WE CAN SCHEDULE THEM FOR NEXT MEETING, WE PUSH WHATEVER WE SCHEDULE TO APRIL.
YOU KNOW, HOLD OFF ON CANCELING THE MARCH MEETING JUST YET.
I THINK THERE'S GREAT POTENTIAL FOR US GETTING CLOSER TO THE MARCH MEETING AND SAYING WE, WE CAN'T, WE JUST CAN'T, UM, MEET THE OBLIGATION.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.
AND AGAIN, PROPS TO FELICIA TO GET US THIS ROOM.
ANYBODY NOTICE IT LOOKS SO MUCH BIGGER WHEN YOU SIT OUT THERE AND LOOK AT IT.
TO YOUR POINT, ED, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WORK A LOT TO RECRUIT FOLKS TO SERVE ON THE ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSIONS.
LIKE PEOPLE JUST DROP OFF AFTER SIX MONTHS CUZ THEY'RE NOT GIVEN A GOOD ASSESSMENT OF THE TIME AND SCOPE.
I'M GONNA, I RAN INTO ONE OF OUR OLD PEOPLE AT A HOLIDAY PARTY AND I GOT AN EARFUL ABOUT THIS COMMISSION FROM THAT PERSON.
I'LL SHARE IT, BUT I WANT US TO BE OUT OF SURE.
NOT UNTIL RECORD, BUT I WOULD, I WAS JUST GONNA SUGGEST BECAUSE OTHERWISE, SO I STARTED TO DO IS WHEN SOMEBODY IS, IS WANTING TO SERVE ON THE ARTS OR MUSIC COMMISSION, I TRY TO CONNECT THEM TO AN EXISTING COMMISSIONER.
GOOD IDEA TO SIT DOWN AND JUST SAY, DUDE, DON'T EVEN TRY IF YOU'RE MM-HMM.
IF YOU WANNA BE EFFECTIVE MM-HMM.
AND IT TAKES A LOT OF OFFSITE READING AND HOMEWORK AND IF YOU WANNA DO A GOOD JOB.
AND SO I'M THINKING MAYBE YOU OFFER JOSE'S OFFICE TO STAY, IF NOT TO STAY.
I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD OFFER TO TALK TO HIS APPOINTEE, AT LEAST HAVE COFFEE WITH THEM AND OH YEAH.
I, I'M, I'M SENT, I'M, I'M, I'M SENT THE WORD THROUGH.
YOU SINCE I THINK WE HAVE A, I'M TRYING TO MAKE THAT CONNECT MM-HMM.
I'M ALSO CONFUSED BY THE, UM, THE TERMS, BECAUSE I THINK IN OUR BYLAWS, ISN'T IT? SO YOU CAN SERVE TWO TERMS. YES.
AND I'M LISTED AS FIRST TERM AND IT'S LIKE, I'M PRETTY SURE THIS IS MY SECOND TERM.
THEY'RE, THEY, THEY'RE PRETTY OFF BASE ON A LOT OF, AGAIN, I WENT TO THE ARTS COMMISSION WEBSITE YESTERDAY AND THEY HAD THREE, THREE COMMISSIONERS TERMS. HOW DO YOU KEEP STATED? SO I'M NOT, SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I'M AT THIS POINT
I SEE IF, IF IF IF IF WE LOSE, IF WE WOULD LOSE YOU AND ME AND IT'S LIKE BILL, I THINK ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, I MEAN IT'S ALMOST LIKE A DO THAT I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE NEED, UH, AN INITIATION AND SOME SORT OF A TO SOMEHOW OR I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, I KNOW WE CAN'T USE CITY, WE DON'T NEED TO SIT HERE AND DO A 1 0 1 CLASS IN TOURISM COMMISSION.
BUT I ALSO FEEL LIKE TO YOUR EXPERIENCE AND POINT, NOT EVERYBODY'S EQUALLY READY TO ROLL IN TERMS OF WHY ARE YOU HERE, WHAT DO WE DO AND WHAT'S THIS, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM ME TODAY? RIGHT.
AND HOW DO WE KEEP, KEEP IT MOVING AND MAYBE IT HAS TO DO WITH THAT COMMUNICATION FLOW, THE PRE COMMUNICATION FLOW.
AND HOW DO WE KEEP IT MOVING FORWARD INSTEAD OF JUST BECOMING CIRCULAR.
AND GOING BACK TO WHAT COMMISSIONER REED SAID, MAYBE WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU DO IS A PROPOSAL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE QUESTIONS IS WHEN YOU'RE DOING ORIENTATION THAT THEY, WE ALSO HAVE ONE PERSON ON THE COMMISSION THAT THEY HAVE LUNCH WITH OR SOMETHING.
CAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU WERE MENTIONING BEFORE IS, WOULD BE GREAT IF SOMEBODY DID.
AND I JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT THE GOAL OF THIS, LIKE CLERK COMMUNIQUE IS NOT TO CALL OUT THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
IT REALLY IS TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE ABOUT HOW COMMISSIONS WORK AND HOW WE CAN MAKE THEM WORK BETTER.
AND I THINK IN LIGHT OF OUR TRANSITION AS A CITY TO 10, ONE AND YOU KNOW, THE, THE MOVING OF THE MAYOR, UM, TO 2024, A LOT OF IT HAS SORT OF BEEN CAUGHT UP IN THESE.
LIKE THE MACHINE IS A LITTLE GUNKY RIGHT NOW.
JUST WORKING TO TRY AND IMPROVE THAT IS THE REAL AIM OF THIS.
NOT TO CALL OUT THE CITY AND IT'S, AND IT'S REALLY HARDWORKING.
WELL IT IS 4 34, SO, UH, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO ADJOURN IT AT FOUR 30.
[01:40:14]
ST WAS A DARK SKINNED GIRL WITH RAVEN HAIR, A GYPSY FROM NEW ORLEANS.I WAS A RIVER BOAT GAMBLER ON THE MISSISSIPPI QUEEN IS WHERE I FOUND HER.
SAY I WAS MAN MEANS ON MY WAY FROM KENTUCKY ALL DAY LONG.