[00:00:07]
JESUS.ARE WE GONNA START IN THE ROOM OR ON, UH, FOLKS, OR IS THAT FOR ME TO DECIDE? UM, LET'S GO AHEAD.
LET'S START WITH ONE PERSON ON THE PHONE AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE FOLKS IN PERSON.
UH, I GUESS WE SHOULD TAKE ROLL FIRST, RIGHT? THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD PLACE TO START.
I'M JUST READY TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY.
[CALL TO ORDER]
UM, THE DATE IS, UH, FEBRUARY 27TH.IT IS 6:06 PM THIS IS OUR FEBRUARY MEETING OF THE ARTS COMMISSION.
COMMISSIONER MOCK VICE CHAIR SCH MALACH.
AND THEN I THOUGHT I SAW COMMISSIONER FLO.
THERE'S COMMISSIONER FLORES IN THEIR NEW OFFICE.
AND THEN IN THE ROOM I HAVE COMMISSIONER GRAY AND COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.
WITH THAT, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
STARTED.AND JESUS, I'LL LET YOU TAKE IT FROM HERE.
UM, SALLY, WE WILL LET, UH, YOU, UH, SPEAK FIRST.
YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, UH, FOR, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
SALLY, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
CAN WE UNMUTE HER OR CAN SHE UNMUTE HERSELF? ONE MOMENT.
SALLY, I'M NOT SURE IF WE CAN UNMUTE YOU ON OUR END.
UM, ANNE MARIE, CAN YOU TRY AND, OH, THERE SHE'S, OH, THERE YOU GO.
THE ELIG ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT FOR SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION TO THRIVE WAS THAT THE ORGANIZATION HAVE A 5 0 1
SEVEN OF THOSE FUNDED DID NOT HAVE THAT STATUS, AND ONE PERSON THAT LEADS TWO ORGANIZATIONS WERE FUNDED TWICE.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE PROTOCOL IS FOR THAT.
I'M POINTING THIS OUT, NOT BECAUSE OF RACE, BUT BECAUSE OF FAIRNESS.
AS A PERSON OF COLOR, IRAQI EAST INDIAN WHITE, I HAVE HAD MY FAIR SHARE OF DISCRIMINATION GROWING UP IN THE UK.
NONE OF THESE APPLICANTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE PROCESS.
AND BECAUSE OF IT, IN ITS ESSENCE, ELIMINATED OTHER APPLICANTS THAT WERE LEGITIMATE.
THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO BY THE ARTS AND ACTION TAKEN TO RECTIFY THIS GROSS OVERSIGHT BY CITY STOPS.
SO I'M ASKING YOU TO LOOK INTO IT AND REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE CITY COUNCIL HOW IT'S GOING TO BE REMEDIED.
THE RULES WERE ESTABLISHED BY THE CITY AND THEN NOT FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH BY THE CITY.
AND A TRAVESTY OF WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FAIR PROCESS HAPPENED.
THE ARTISTIC ECOSYSTEM IS FALLING APART.
ORGANIZATIONS ARE FOLDING, LETTING GO OF STAFF, AND ARE ENABLED TO CONTINUE WITHOUT CITY SUPPORT.
ARTISTS CONTRIBUTE ENORMOUSLY TO A CITY VIBRANCY AND ENERGY WITH DIVERSE ARTISTIC PROJECTS THAT REACH ALL COMMUNITIES.
BLUE APPLE SLIDE IS THE ONLY SITE SPECIFIC AERIAL DANCE COMPANY IN THE COUNTRY THAT CREATES FOUR LENGTH AERIAL DANCE WORKS ON STRUCTURES, BUILDINGS, AND INTERESTING ARCHITECTURE.
IT IS KNOWN INTERNATIONALLY, NATIONALLY, AND LOCALLY.
WE EMPLOY DANCERS FROM DIVERSE CULTURES AND HAVE NEVER RECEIVED THE MINIMUM THRIVE AWARD AMOUNT, EVEN WITH A SCORE OF 98% ON OUR LAST APPLICATION.
OUR VIBRANT ARTS COMMUNITY ARE NOW BEING SHOVED INTO ONE POOL, ALONG WITH APPLICANTS FROM SURROUNDING FIVE COUNTIES TO APPLY FOR FUNDING IN ONE CATEGORY.
I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT PANELISTS ARE EXPERTS IN ALL THESE ART FORMS. THERE IS A REASON THAT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS OF THE ARTS AND THE TCA HAVE PANELED IN EACH OF THESE ART FORMS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS WHEN ADDRESSING OUR CONCERNS TO THE CITY STAFF, EVEN FILLING IN THEIR SURVEYS, THE LAST SURVEY SHOWED THAT THE AVERAGE RATING AND FEELING FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS TWO OUTTA FIVE REGARDING THE CITY'S PLAN FOR CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING.
THE CITY'S STAFF'S RESPONSE TO THAT SURVEY WAS THAT THE SAME PEOPLE WERE FILLING IT OUT AND WHINING.
THE TRUTH IS, WE ARE DYNA DYNAMIC, CREATIVE, AND INSPIRATIONAL GROUP OF ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATION ACROSS MANY ART FORMS WHOSE PASSION FOR THEIR WORK IS BEING UNDERMINED.
I ALSO EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO BE INCLUDED ON THE EQUITY COMMITTEE FORMED BY THE ARTS COMMISSION, AND WAS TOLD I HAD BEEN HEARD FROM ENOUGH AND THEY WANTED NEW VOICES.
THIS IS WHAT I HAVE TO SAY, AND I DO HOPE THERE'S SOMETHING GOOD THAT COMES OUT OF THIS BECAUSE I THANK
[00:05:01]
YOU FOR YOUR TIME, BUT THIS HAS REALLY BEEN A CHALLENGING, A DIFFICULT TIME FOR MANY OF US IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY.WE'LL GO TO ONE IN THE ROOM, BY THE WAY, I'M HAPPY TO SEND A COPY OF THIS IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO YOUR COMMISSIONER.
SALLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
UM, I CO-RUN AN ORGANIZATION CALLED ALMOST REAL THINGS.
UH, WE HAD AN EVENT THIS PAST WEEKEND CALLED ART UNDER A HUNDRED DOLLARS, SO I WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF THE STATS FROM THAT AND ALSO JUST MAKE A POINT ABOUT FUNDING AS WELL.
UM, SO THE CONCEPT OF THE SHOW IS TO SELL AFFORDABLE ART.
IT'S ALL ORIGINAL ART UNDER A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT PEOPLE THAT DON'T USUALLY GET THE CHANCE TO COLLECT ART AT THIS PRICE POINT CAN, CAN START, AND THEN THAT'S KIND OF THEIR LEEWAY INTO SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IT ALSO GIVES ARTISTS A CHANCE TO SELL MORE ARTWORK AT THIS PRICE POINT.
UM, WE ALLOWED PEOPLE TO BRING UP TO 12 OR 16 PIECES, UM, AND IN THAT WAY THEY CAN SELL MORE AT ONCE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO JUST SELL LIKE ONE $1,000 PIECE.
UM, SO WE HAD, FROM OUR ESTIMATES, CURRENTLY WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THEM, BUT WE HAD 918 ATTENDEES.
UH, WE HAD 60 ARTISTS THAT WERE PARTICIPATING.
ALL OF THE ARTISTS KEPT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR SALES.
UM, WE HAD 413 ARTWORKS THAT WERE AVAILABLE FOR SALE, AND WE SOLD ABOUT 310 OF THOSE WITH AN AVERAGE PRICE OF $75.
THAT WAS, UH, $23,250 MADE IN FOUR HOURS, UH, FOR THESE ARTISTS.
UM, SO THIS, IT'S SOMETHING WE WANNA CONTINUE.
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE'VE DONE IT.
UM, BASED ON, UH, OUR CAPACITY.
WE CAN ONLY REALLY DO IT ONCE A YEAR, BUT WE WANT IT TO GROW.
THERE'S DEFINITELY A DEMAND FOR EVENTS LIKE THIS FOR WANTING TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY, TO LEARN ABOUT NEW ARTISTS, AND ALSO TO, UH, BUY AFFORDABLE ARTWORK.
UM, SO IN ORDER TO REACH OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN AND CONTINUE THIS, UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT, UM, THE TOPIC OF THAT AL ALTERNATIVE FUND, A OUTSIDE OF HOT TAXES, KIND OF, UH, GETS SOME MORE ATTENTION AND THAT, UH, THERE CAN BE MORE TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATION WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS OUTSIDE OF THE CURRENT PILOT PROGRAMS THAT, UM, GROUPS LIKE OURS CAN PARTICIPATE IN.
UM, CUZ WE ALL KNOW THAT THE HOT TAXES DO NOT COVER EVERYTHING.
UM, BUT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED WITH THE SUCCESS AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE DOING WHAT WE DO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR SHARING.
THAT'S INCREDIBLE NEWS AND GREAT NUMBERS FOR THE ARTISTS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
WITH THAT, WE'LL GO TO OUR NEXT CALL IN, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
JESSICA NIRO? NOPE, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UM, I JUST WANNA FIRST SAY THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME O THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
I'M SURE WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY, MANY OF YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD.
UM, AFTER A MEETING I HAD ON FRIDAY AND AFTER RECEIVING THE LIST OF THRIVE RECIPIENTS LAST WEEK, I WAS LEFT BAFFLED.
I SPENT TIME RESEARCHING AND LOOKING AT EACH INDIVIDUAL GROUP, GROUP THAT WAS FUNDED AND WONDERED HOW THIS OCCURRED.
A PILOT PROGRAM THAT DID NOT EVEN BEGIN TO FOLLOW THE RULES SET OUT BY THE CITY'S STAFF AND PUT INTO PLACE BY THE ARTS COMMISSION.
ONE OF THE MAIN RULES PUBLISHED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE UNDER THE THRIVE GUIDELINES WAS AN ORGANIZATION HAS TO BE IN OPERATING 5 0 1
NEARLY $700,000 WENT TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM.
RIGHT NOW, THAT MEANS AT LEAST SEVEN ORGANIZATIONS THAT DID APPLY DID NOT RECEIVE THE FUNDING THEY SHOULD HAVE.
THIS PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO HELP BUILD SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED ORGANIZATIONS TO INSTITUTIONAL STATUS.
THERE ARE THREE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE FUNDED WITH BUDGETS OVER 1.2 MILLION.
SOMETHING TELLS ME THAT IF YOU AVERAGED OUT THE BUDGETS OF THE APPLICANTS, IT WOULD FALL VERY, VERY SHORT OF THAT NUMBER.
I WOULD BE SHOCKED TO SEE A MEDIUM SIZED ARTS ORGANIZATION IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT HAS A MILLION PLUS BUDGET.
AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, IN MY OPINION, MET INSTITUTIONAL STATUS AND DID SO A LONG TIME AGO.
LET ME SAY, WE DIDN'T APPLY FOR THRIVE.
WE DID NOT APPLY BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE WE DID NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROGRAM.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE AT LEAST A THIRD OF THE RECIPIENTS DID NOT MEET THEM EITHER.
SO MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE, HOWEVER, I AM SURE THE RULES THAT THAT WERE INTENDED TO BE FOLLOWED WOULD'VE PREVENTED US FROM MAKING THE CUT.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A WORKING WEBSITE OR EVEN A NINE 90 IN SOME CASES.
[00:10:01]
WHY ARE RULES IN PLACE IF THEY ONLY APPLY WHEN THE CITY SEEMS TO WANT THEM TO? IF THEY'RE IN PLACE, THEN EVERYONE HAS TO FOLLOW THEM.THEY CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BE ARBITRARILY APPLIED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A SELECT FEW.
THIS LOOKS A LOT LIKE FAVORITISM AND NEPOTISM TO ADDRESS SOME THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
IN TERMS OF THE ARTS COMMISSION, WITHOUT NAMING NAMES, I'VE BEEN STOPPED FROM HAVING MEETINGS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
I'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF FEEL GOOD ATTEMPTS BY COMMISSIONERS THAT I'VE COME TO REALIZE.
OUR SMOKE SCREEN COMMISSIONERS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITY, NOT TO ANY ONE PARTICULAR PERSON.
AND NOBODY SHOULD LITERALLY BE STOPPED FROM HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH ANY OF THEM.
BUT I WAS, I HEARD A LOT OF, LET'S WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
WE ARE WORKING ON THIS AND IT WON'T BE PERFECT, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.
I DID KNOW, I KNEW THEN, AND I KNOW NOW, I SAW THE TRAIN WRECK DOWN THE TRACK LONG BEFORE IT GOT HERE.
WELL, HERE IT IS, $655,000 GIVEN OUT TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO APPLY $335,000 GIVEN OUT TO LARGE ORGANIZATIONS.
$185,000 GIVEN TO ONE PERSON THAT RUNS TWO ORGANIZATIONS, ONE OF WHICH SHOULD NOT HAVE QUALIFIED TO APPLY IN THE FIRST PLACE.
OUR SECOND SPEAKER IN PERSON IS HECTOR ORDAZ FROM PORO.
UM, WELL THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.
UH, MY NAME IS HECTOR OR, UH, AUDIO ARTIFICIAL DIRECTOR FOR PROJECT.
AND, UM, I WANTED TO COME HERE TODAY.
UM, THIS IS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY THAT I HAVE TO PRESENT, UH, A COUPLE OF CHALLENGES AND ISSUES THAT I'VE SEEN IN, IN MY FIELD PRIMARILY.
UM, I WANT TO JUST ECHO SOME OF THE CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, THE COMMU THE, THE CITIZENS I'VE ALREADY HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A, A, A CRISIS OF, OF FUNDING, YOU KNOW, FOR ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TO PRODUCE ART.
AND WITH THAT I'LL SEGUE INTO, THERE'S ALREADY CHALLENGES, RIGHT, UH, ON THE FUNDING SIDE OF THINGS.
UM, BUT THEN THOSE CHALLENGES ARE ONLY AMPLIFIED AND EXACERBATED WHEN, UH, THE FACILITIES AND THE TOOLS, THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, DON'T MEET THOSE NEEDS OR AREN'T, YOU KNOW, GIVEN, PROVIDED PROPERLY TO ORGANIZATIONS TO ACTUALLY USE THEM.
UM, SO WITHIN WHAT I DO, YOU KNOW, I DO AUDIO, VIDEO, LIGHTING, ALL THE TECH, ANYTHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT ENCOMPASSES TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS WITHIN PRODUCTIONS ON STAGE AND OFF STAGE.
SO, UH, I HAPPENED TO WORK WITH SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS, UM, IN AUSTIN AND, YOU KNOW, WE JUST KIND OF JUMP AROUND AND WE HELP EACH OTHER WHERE WE CAN, ESPECIALLY NOWADAYS.
UM, AND SO RECENTLY AT THE END OF JANUARY, FEBRUARY, UM, I WAS ACTUALLY ASKED TO COME ON BOARD AND HELP WITH THE LATINO COMEDY PROJECT AT THE CARVER MUSEUM.
UM, AND SO COMING IN, UH, THE REASON WHY I WAS ASKED TO COME IN WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE HAVING ISSUES WITH AUDIO AND VIDEO, WHICH WERE TWO COMPONENTS, YOU KNOW, HEAVY COMPONENTS IN THEIR PRODUCTION.
AND I WAS CALLED TO COME IN, UH, TWO DAYS BEF ACTUALLY A DAY BEFORE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO OPEN.
UM, AND SO I CAME IN AND I MEAN, I SAW THEIR ISSUES.
UM, THERE ISN'T, THERE WASN'T, THERE ISN'T ANYONE QUALIFIED TO PROVIDE ANY TECHNICAL SERVICES TO THIS ORGANIZATION.
UM, THERE WAS NO ONE ON SITE THAT COULD IN, IN ESSENCE JUST HELP OR ASSIST WITH ANYTHING.
AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT EXAGGERATING.
UM, SO I HAD TO, YOU KNOW, JUST GO AND HUNT AND FIND THINGS IN THE BACK.
THE ONLY COOL, COOL, AND GOOD THING WAS THAT THINGS WERE ACCESSIBLE VERSUS OTHER SITES.
UM, LIKE THE MAC WHERE EVERYTHING IS CLOSED WITH A KEY AND YOU HAVE TO FIND PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TO GET ACCESS TO THINGS.
SO HERE, AT LEAST THINGS WERE ACCESSIBLE TO YOU, BUT THEY WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
THEY WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN BAD CONDITION.
UH, CABLES WERE CHEWED UP, UM, YOU KNOW, BY MICE.
UH, SAME THING WITH OTHER EQUIPMENT.
UM, I WAS TRYING TO FIND JUST ONE MICROPHONE TO WORK A WIRELESS MICROPHONE, BUT IT WAS, UH, PUT TOGETHER WITH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE MASK AND TAPE, GAFF TAPE, UM, JUST SO I COULD STAY IN ONE PIECE.
AND THAT MICROPHONE WAS ACTUALLY GONNA BE USED THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND OR THAT COMING WEEKEND, UH, AFTER THE PRODUCTION CLOSED FOR A GUEST SPEAKER.
AND SO I VOLUNTEERED MY TIME TO THE STAFF THERE AND SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS IS WHAT I DO.
LIKE, HOW CAN I HELP YOU TO GIVE THIS PERSON THAT'S GONNA COME IN AND USE THE RESOURCES, WHAT THEY ACTUALLY NEED AND WHAT THEY SHOULD BE USING? UM, AND SO THAT
[00:15:01]
JUST SEG SEGUES INTO, I KNOW THE CARVER THAT THE THEATER IS BEING, UM, YOU KNOW, CLOSED FOR RENOVATION, BUT AT, SO AS, SO MANY TIMES IT HAPPENS.LIKE THE SPACE IN ITSELF DOESN'T, I MEAN, YES, RENOVATIONS IS GOOD, BUT THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S THERE IS, IT SHOULD BE GOOD, BUT IS NOT TAKEN CARE OF.
AND THINGS ARE MISPLACED AND THERE ISN'T, YOU KNOW, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT TO PROPERLY HOUSE IT INVENTORIED AND PUT IT USED.
AND IT'S THE SAME THING THAT SAME THINGS THAT WE FACED AT THE MAC.
WE'VE BEEN AT THE MAC SINCE IT OPENED.
PART OF OUR, UH, WE, WE ENDED UP WITH, UM, UNFORTUNATELY GOING TO A, UH, MEDIATION MEETING WITH THE CITY AND PAR.
UM, AND ONE OF THE MANY THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE AGREED TO WAS THAT PAR, YOU KNOW, WHICH THESE CULTURAL CENTERS ARE UNDER, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WOULD STAFF AND THEY WOULD CREATE A PRODUCTION TEAM TO THEN RUN THESE PRODUCTION SITES.
BUT THAT HASN'T HAPPENED, YOU KNOW? AND THAT WAS WHAT, LIKE FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO? AND SO THE MAC IS, YOU KNOW, IT ALREADY CLOSED BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE RENOVATED.
CARVER IS CLOSING BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE RENOVATED.
THE DAK IS ALSO ON THAT SAME PATHWAY.
SO ALL THESE SITES HAVE THE SAME CHALLENGES AND ISSUES, AND I'M ONLY BRINGING UP, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE.
AND IT'S THE SAME THING AT THE SILK HILL SITE.
I WAS THERE OVER THE SUMMER, IT WAS THE SAME THING.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT EQUIPMENT.
AND YOU KNOW, THE FUNNY THING IS ALL THESE SITES ARE UNDER PAR.
YOU WOULD FIGURE THAT IF THERE IS A PRODUCTION TEAM AND ALL THESE COMPANIES USE ALL OF THESE, YOU KNOW, ONE TIME OR THE OTHER, THAT YOU COULD HAVE A PRODUCTION TEAM THAT PROVIDES SERVICES FOR EACH AND ONE OF THOSE IN A SENSE, LIKE SHARING, YOU KNOW, PERSONNEL OR SHARING EQUIPMENT.
SO THEN ALL, ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TO COME IN, USE THE SPACE, BUT THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, THEY CARRY OUT COSTS TO RENT EQUIPMENT, TO ACQUIRE EQUIPMENT BECAUSE THE FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST NOT UP TO UP TO WORKING CONDITIONS, YOU KNOW, SO, AND THEN THAT PUTS A HIT INTO HOW WE GET PAID AS WELL, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S JUST LIKE, EVERYTHING JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, GETS IMPACTED DOWN THE WAY, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON WHO'S TURNING ON A MIC, YOU KNOW? SO IT'S CHALLENGING.
IT'S A CHALLENGING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ATMOSPHERE OUT THERE.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND I MEAN, I KNOW THIS IS THE ARTS COMMISSION.
MY, MY, MY PURPOSE IS TO BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION APART AS WELL.
NO, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE AWARE AS WELL.
WE HAVE ONE, OH, WE'VE GOT ONE LATE ADDITION FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
YEAH, WE HAVE, UH, NAGA, ME, CHARLA JOINING US.
UM, JUST LIKE YOU SUGGESTED
UM, AND, UH, I, UH, HAVE BEEN A LONGTIME AUSTIN RESIDENT FOR OVER 22 YEARS AT THIS POINT, UH, UH, MUSICIAN HERE.
AND I CURRENTLY SERVE ON THE, UH, MUSIC COMMISSION, UM, UH, GETTING CLOSE TO TWO YEARS, UH, SERVING AS THE VICE CHAIR RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, UM, I AM, UM, REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO JOIN THE ARTS COMMISSION HOPEFULLY FROM NEXT MONTH ONCE I COMPLETE, UH, ANY DUE TRAINING AND WHATNOT AS THE, UH, UH, MAYOR'S APPOINTEE HERE.
AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO COME IN AND OBSERVE TODAY.
AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, WORK WITH ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HERE AND AS WELL AS THE, UH, BROADER ARTS COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
AND THAT IS A WONDERFUL SEGUE INTO THE CHAIRS REPORT.
UH, WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE A, A EXTREME CHANGING OF THE GUARDS.
I, I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COMMISSIONER POLGAR HAS JOINED US, UH, AS WE WERE ENTERING, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
SO WE'VE GOT A FULLER DIAS HERE.
AND, UM, MICHELLE POLGAR IS OUR WILL BE FORMER, UH, MAYORS APPOINTEE, PASSING THE TORCH ONTO NAGA VALLEY, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING AND BITTERSWEET AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, BUT, UH, LET ME RESTART HERE.
MY PRE, UH, MY PRONOUNS ARE, SHE, THEY, I AM THE WOMAN OF COLOR WITH A SHORT HAIR WEARING A DENIM SH SHIRT.
UM, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING AND, UH, SPEAKING TODAY TO THE THRIVE GRANT.
UM, I ALSO, AT THE SAME TIME WANNA CONGRATULATE THOSE 36 ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE RECEIVED THE GRANT.
UH, IT WAS APPROVED AT CITY COUNCIL LAST WEEK, AND THAT IS A HUGE, UM, MILESTONE IN THIS PROG, UH, PROCESS FOR US.
[00:20:01]
BUT THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE A FEW COMMISSIONERS HERE THAT WILL BE SERVING AT THEIR LAST MEETING.UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES, COMMISSIONER POLGAR, AND COMMISSIONER BARNES, WHO IS NOT WITH US TODAY, UM, WILL BE STEPPING OFF THE DIAS.
UH, SADLY, UH, THESE ARE THREE OF OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, LONG-STANDING COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE A LOT, UM, OF KNOWLEDGE, UH, IN THIS SPACE.
AND WE'LL BE SAD TO LOSE THEM, BUT I KNOW THEY WON'T BE TOO FAR AWAY.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I WANNA GO AHEAD AND KEEP GOING WITH THE MEETING, CUZ I KNOW WE HAVE QUITE A BIT TO COVER TODAY, INCLUDING, UM, AN UPDATE FROM STAFF REGARDING THE VERY EXCITING THRIVE GRANT.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE ON.
YOU'LL NEED TO, OH, I SHOULD DO THAT.
UH, LET'S DO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
I HAVE, UH, MOTION BY COMMISSIONER POLGAR.CAN I GET A SECOND? I'LL SECOND COMMISSION.
UH, COMMISSIONER GRAY HAS SECONDED THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, AND THEN I'M SEEING, OH, THIS IS, I'M SO SORRY.
I'M LOOKING, I'M REALIZING THAT I DON'T HAVE A PRINTED AGENDA HERE.
DO YOU NEED ONE? DO YOU HAVE ONE? YOU CAN HAVE ONE.
UM, WE ALSO NEED TO APPROVE THE ARTS COMMISSION SPECIAL COLD MEETING MINUTES FROM OUR RETREAT ON FEBRUARY 11TH.
COMMISSIONER SCHACH IS MOTIONED.
CAN I GET A SECOND? COMMISSIONER GARZA.
UH, I NEED IT ALL IN FAVOR, DON'T I? SORRY GUYS, I'M A LITTLE SPACEY TODAY.
UH, LET'S DO AN ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM JANUARY'S MEETING.
GOOD UNANIMOUS AND APPROVAL OF MEETING, UH, OF MINUTES FROM OUR RETREAT ON FEBRUARY 11TH.
UH, WITH THAT, THAT BRINGS US TO THE DISCUSSION
[4. Discussion of the Art in Public Places Liaison Report by Commissioner Gray]
OF ART AND PUBLIC PLACES.LIAISON REPORT WITH COMMISSIONER GRAY.
UM, I HAVE ASKED, UH, THE STAFF TO PUT, UM, THE LIAISON REPORT IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS.
SO I, IT IS THERE FOR DETAILS.
UH, THERE IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE, UH, A I P P CALL NUMBERS, UH, FOR WHEN THE MEETING FOR THE FEBRUARY 6TH MEETING.
AND IT SHOWS THAT APPLICATIONS, UH, HAD GONE UP WHEN, UM, WHEN, UH, THE SUBMISSION, UH, DATES WERE MOVED.
THIS WAS BROUGHT UP BEFORE IN A, IN A LIAISON REPORT.
UM, THE RETREAT FOR AIP P IS STILL ON HOLD.
IT IS, UH, SCHEDULED TENTATIVELY TO BE IN APRIL, BUT, UH, NO DATES HAD BEEN SET, UH, THE PANEL DUE TO REVIEW OF MIDD DESIGN FOR THE, UM, UH, A F D, THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, EMS DEL VALLEY STATION, UM, AS WELL.
AND THAT ARTIST IS AUGUSTINE NAGA, UH, REVIEW OF THE MIDD DESIGN FOR THE BARTON SPRINGS BATHHOUSE.
UM, AND THAT ARTIST IS LIZ SANTA MARIA, UH, APPROVED, UH, THE, THE AIP P PANEL APPROVED THE COMBINED PROSPECTUS FOR THE WALTER ELONG AND JOHN TREVINO JR.
THERE WAS ALSO A DISCUSSION OF THE QUOTE UNQUOTE CONFABULATION OF MEETINGS OF ARTS LEADERS, UH, AND A NETWORKING SOCIAL, UH, TO GET, UH, COMMUNITY AND ARTS LEADERS AND, UH, STAFF OF AIP P P TOGETHER.
UM, AND ALSO THERE WAS A DISCUSSION OF A TWO-YEAR PLAN LEADING UP TO THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE A I PPP HERE IN AUSTIN, WHICH IS IN 2025.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISS GRAY.
[5. Discussion of the Austin Economic Development Corporation/Cultural Trust Advisory Committee by Austin Economic Development Corporation Board Member Carl Settles]
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE BY AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, BOARD MEMBER CARL SETTLES.CARL COULD NOT BE WITH US TONIGHT, BUT HE HAS SENT A ROBUST UPDATE, UM, VIA OUR NEW LIAISON, UM, JESUS, REMIND ME YOUR LAST NAME.
SO IF YOU CHECK YOUR, UM, EMAILS, CARL, UH, PUT HIS UPDATE IN WRITING FOR US, AND, UM, WE CAN ADD THAT TO THE BACKUP FOR PUBLIC ACCESS AS WELL.
NEXT WE HAVE COMMISSION OF THE
[6. Discussion of the Downtown Commission by Commissioner Mok]
DOWNTOWN, UH, DISCUSSION OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION BY COMMISSIONER MARK.HI, I, I SENT YOU GUYS A ATTACHMENT, UH, ABOUT THE RED RIVER, UH, PROJECT.
UM, THE REASON WHY I BRING UP IS BECAUSE THERE WAS A PRESENTATION AT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING, AND THIS IS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PROJECT WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND, YOU KNOW, AND THE MARKET VALUE APARTMENT AND ALL THAT, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE ALLOCATED SPACE FOR, UM, A I P P, UM, PROJECT.
BUT, UM, BUT THEY SAID THAT, UM, THEY, THEY HAVE SPACE ALLOCATED FOR IT.
SO I DO NOT KNOW, UM, SINCE THIS IS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PROJECT, HOW, WHAT IS THE FUNDING GOING TO LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, UM, SO WE,
[00:25:01]
WE, WE MAY NOT HAVE AN ANSWER AT THIS MOMENT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, SEE IF, IF THERE'S A CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE STAFF AND THIS PROJECT STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IF POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THIS IS, UH, PRIVATE PUBLIC PROJECT TO SEE IF THERE WILL BE FUNDING FOR THE A I P P, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY.AND ANOTHER THINGS THAT I, I, I ALSO KNOW THAT PROJECT CONNECT, PROJECT CONNECT, UM, YOU KNOW, HAS $300 MILLION OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO, SO I DO NOT KNOW, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WOULD IT BE CONSIDERED PART OF THE, UM, CITY PROJECT THAT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL IT BE SUBJECT TO THE, UM, TO THE, UH, RESOLUTION THAT WE PASS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, IS IT 2%, YOU KNOW, TO GO TO AI P P COMMUNITY? SO JUST WANTED TO, UM, FOR US TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT, TO SEE, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY ARE BEING, YOU KNOW, THEIR INTERESTS ARE BEING PRO PRO PROTECTED.
SO YEAH, THAT IS BASICALLY, UM, MY REPORT OR THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MARK, CAN YOU EMAIL STAFF THE NAMES OF THE P THREE PROJECTS, JUST SO THAT WE'VE GOT COHESION ACROSS THE BOARD? WHICH ONE? THE P THREE ARE YOU TALKING PROJECTS? WHAT P THREE PROJECT? YOU MEAN THE RED RIVER? YEAH.
AND THAT IS THE, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, UH, WE GOT A PRESENTATION FROM THE CITY STAFF, AND IT IS A PRIVATE PUBLIC PROJECT.
IT IS CALLED THE, UH, RED RIVER.
SO BASICALLY THE CITY GIVE THE LAND FOR THE, UM, PRIVATE DEVELOPER TO DEVELOP.
SO THEY PRESENT THIS PROJECT AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE SPACE, UH, FOR A I P P, BUT, UM, BUT I DO, THEY, DO THEY PROVIDE FUNDING, YOU KNOW, UM, TO HAVE THE AIP P P PROJECT OR THEY JUST PROVIDED SPACE.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO IT'S NOT THE P I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE P THREE THINGS.
MY QUESTION WAS GONNA BE, IS IT IN FACT THE P THREE? I THOUGHT THE P THREE PROJECTS WERE THE ONES THAT THE CITY WAS GONNA PURCHASE BACK FROM THE DEVELOPER, NOT, NOT A BUILDING THAT'S BEING PRIVATELY DEVELOPED.
I THINK THERE'S SLIGHTLY, THERE'S A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE IN THAT, AND I'D LIKE A CLARIFICATION FROM STAFF AND ALSO ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
FOR SOME REASON, I DIDN'T THINK AFFORDABLE HOUSING FELL WITHIN THE AIP P P ORDINANCE, BUT, UH, COULD, COULD WE HAVE STAFF CLARIFY THAT FOR US? I THINK IT'S GONNA REQUIRE SOME LOOKING INTO, I THINK WE'VE GOT CONSTANCE HERE.
UH, CONSTANCE WHITE, THE CURRENT, UH, ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM MANAGER, UM, ADDRESSING THE COMMISSIONERS IN, UM, ORDER OF THEIR COMMENTS.
FIRST, UH, COMMISSIONER MOCK AND THEN COMMISSIONER FLORES, COMMISSIONER MOCK, I, I KNOW OF SOME DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE RED RIVER DISTRICT, AND I THINK I NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION FROM YOU ABOUT WHAT CITY STAFF OR DEPARTMENT BROUGHT THAT INFORMATION FORWARD TO YOU PRIOR TO ME BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE A RESPONSE.
AND SO IF YOU COULD EMAIL ME THE INFORMATION THAT YOU DO HAVE, I COULD ADEQUATELY PROVIDE YOU A RESPONSE.
I HAVE ATTACHED THE PRESENTATION.
I SEND THE ATTACHMENT TO THE CITY STAFF, I MEAN, TO EMORY, AND I THINK IT'S ATTACHED ON THE BACKUP, BACKUP MATERIAL.
SO ON THERE, THEY, THEY SHOULD HAVE THE, THE STAFF'S NAME ON IT.
UM, I DO, AS THE POLICY, AS THE, UM,
[00:30:01]
ART AND PUBLIC PLACES POLICY CURRENTLY STANDS, UM, ORDINANCE CURRENTLY STANDS, UH, SEVEN DASH TWO.THERE IS NOT A SPECIFIC CALL OUT THAT APPLIES TO, UM, TO, UM, TO HOUSING.
AND, UM, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE 2% FOR ORDINANCE IS APPLICABLE.
BUT AGAIN, I NEED TO REVISIT THAT.
WE JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'LL NEED TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INTO THAT.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD? RIGHT? NO, IT'S NOT APPLICABLE TO LOW INCOME HOUSING.
AND ALSO I HAD, MY QUESTION WASN'T QUITE ANSWERED.
I KNOW YOU HAVE TO LOOK IT UP IN TERMS OF GETTING THE NAME FROM AMY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT MY QUESTION IN GENERAL THAT, UM, THE DEFINITION OF A P THREE PROJECT MEANT THAT IT WAS, THAT THE CITY INTENDED TO BUY BACK THE BUILDING FOR ITS USE AND THAT THEY WERE JUST LETTING PRIVATE DEVELOPERS BUILD IT OUT FOR THEM TO SAVE THAT FUNDING.
IS THAT CORRECT OR NOT CORRECT, OR AM I MISTAKEN? SO THE, THERE IS A, A DESIGNATED, LIKE SPECIFIC MODEL THAT THE CITY REFERS TO AS PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE REFER TO AS P THREE.
THERE ARE MYRIAD OTHER SCENARIOS THAT ARE CONSIDERED PUBLIC-PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT OR PRIVATE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS DELIVERY MODEL, IT IS THE CI THE CITY ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT FOR A DEVELOPER, PRIVATE DEVELOPER FOR A REAL ESTATE, UM, DELIVERY METHOD OR FACILITY DE DELIVERY METHOD.
SO, YES, UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES AT THE END OF THAT, UH, DEVELOPMENT, THE CITY DOES PURCHASE THE, THE PROPERTY.
UM, IF WE NEED TO CIRCLE BACK, WE CAN AND KIND OF GET A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY ON THAT ISSUE.
UM, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE ON.
IT LOOKS LIKE OUR SPECIAL PRESENTER, PAT BTA OF A T X M IS NOT WITH US, UNFORTUNATELY, SO MAYBE WE CAN RESCHEDULE HIM, EXCUSE ME, FOR MARCH.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT TAKES US TO STAFF BRIEFING.
[8. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Laura Odegaard, Cultural Investment Program Manager]
UM, ITEM EIGHT STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAB, PROGRAM MANAGER.UM, COULD I ACTUALLY HAVE THE OTHER PRESENTATION PLEASE FOR THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FIRST? IN THE MEANTIME? GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS LAURA OGAR, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
UM, MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE, HER, AND WITH THIS PRESENTATION, UM, THAT YOU ALSO HAVE RECEIVED IN BACKUP, I'LL BE SHARING OUR LATEST HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION NUMBERS IN MIRROR MOMENTS.
WHILE WE WAIT, I WILL DESCRIBE MYSELF AS A, UH, WHITE WOMAN WITH SHOULDER LENGTH LIGHT BROWN HAIR.
I'M WEARING NAVY BLUE GLASSES AND NAVY AND WHITE STRIPED SHIRT, RED LIPSTICK, GOLD VALET FLATS.
COULD WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? PERFECT, THANK YOU.
SO THE TOTAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION IN JANUARY WAS $29,267,046.
SO OUR YEAR TO DATE FOR THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF FY 23 IS $64,856,563.
[00:35:05]
SO THIS IS 60% OF THE TOTAL APPROVED BUDGET OF 108.3 MILLION.SO THIS MEANS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR JANUARY WE'RE $2,795,003.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE HOW FAR ALONG WE ARE ON OUR APPROVED CULTURAL ARTS FUND BUDGET NUMBER OF 10,342,800 OR $385.
UM, SO THE
OUR DECEMBER BAR IS GRAY AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY SKINNY, BUT I PROMISE IT'S THERE.
AND THEN OUR JANUARY FIGURES ARE IN THE GOLDEN ROD UP AT THE TOP OF THE 2.79 MILLION.
UM, SO OUR TOTAL HOT CULTURAL ARTS FUND ACTUALS TO DATE ARE $6,193,835.
AND JUST FOR COMPARISON THIS TIME LAST YEAR, OUR CULTURAL ARTS FUND WAS AT 4.5 MILLION.
SO HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR LAURA? GIMME JUST ONE SECOND.
UM, JUST CURIOUS, UM, SINCE OUR APPROVED BUDGET IS TEN THREE FOUR TWO THREE EIGHT FIVE, UH, CAN WE HAVE JUST THAT UPWARD AT ALL IF WE SURPASSED? JUST CURIOUS.
SO SHE'S SAYING THE APPROVED BUDGET, SO THIS IS THE APPROVED BUDGET FROM COUNCIL FROM THE PAST YEAR'S BUDGET CYCLE.
SO WHEN THEY APPROVED THAT IN AUGUST, I BELIEVE, UM, I THINK THEY, THEY'LL DO ANOTHER PROJECTION AT SOME POINT.
IN APRIL, MAYBE THEY'LL DO AN ADJUSTED.
UM, SO IT MIGHT CHANGE, BUT AT THIS POINT, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT NUMBER WOULD BE.
IT, DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? COMMISSIONER FLORES? WELL, JUST CURIOUS CUZ FY 23, I'M SO CONFUSED BECAUSE I'M HERE WORKING ON A BIENNIAL BUDGET
SO THIS ONE IS FOR, UH, THE, THE PROJECTS FOR STARTING OCTOBER OF 23, RIGHT? YES.
SO SINCE WE MADE THE SHIFT LAST YEAR, THE COLLECTIONS THAT WE RECEIVE IN FY 23, SO EVERYTHING WE RECEIVE THROUGH THE END OF SEPTEMBER WILL THEN FUND PROGRAMS NEXT FISCAL YEAR IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, WHICH STARTS IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR, AND GOES THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF NEXT YEAR.
SO THEN I BELIEVE IN THE SPRING, LIKE YOU SAID, POSSIBLY APRIL, IF THE PROJECTIONS KEEP INCREASING, THERE MIGHT BE A, THERE COULD BE A BUDGET AMENDMENT LATER TO INCREASE THAT AMOUNT AND THAT MIGHT IMPACT THE PROGRAMS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN FUNDED AND HAVING A LITTLE EXTRA MONEY.
IS THAT, WOULD THAT BE THE CASE? POSSIBLY? NO.
SO THAT WOULD BE FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, SO NOT BEFORE.
SO NOT THIS YEAR'S ELEVATE ORTH THRIVE OR ELEVATE AND NEXUS THAT ARE STILL COMING.
THAT'S FROM LAST YEAR'S COLLECTIONS THAT WERE SPENDING THE MONEY THIS YEAR.
AND WHAT WAS WAS THE APPROVED AMOUNT FOR THAT YEAR? I WANNA SAY IT'S 12.8 MILLION.
AND SO FOR THE, AND THAT'S SUBSEQUENT.
WHY IS IT, WHY IS IT LESS FOR THE SUBSEQUENT YEAR? WHY DO WE DROP TO 10? ARE WE BEING CONSERVATIVE AND WAITING TO SEE HOW THE HOT FUNDS ARE COMING IN? SO THE, THE, UM, THE APPROVED BUDGET LAST YEAR WAS 6.6 MILLION, AND WE ENDED UP COMING IN AT 12 SOMETHING.
SO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET DID GO UP, BUT IT WAS STILL RELATIVELY CONSERVATIVE IN THE, IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS OVER THE PAST, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS.
BUT IT WAS AN INCREASE IN THE, IN THE, UH, ESTIMATED APPROVED BUDGET.
BUT THEN THERE IS ROOM FOR GOING UP MM-HMM.
POSSIBLY WITH A, A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR FY 24.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE STAFF BRIEFING WITH
[9. Staff briefing regarding the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Meghan Wells, Cultural Arts Division Manager, and Laura Odegaard, Cultural Investment Program Manager]
THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS. UM, EXCUSE ME, I'M MEGAN WELLS, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER, AND LAURA AUTO GUARD COM.UH, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.
UH, TONIGHT WE'LL BE SHARING, UH, THE UPDATES, UH, SPECIFICALLY ON THRIVE, AND THEN SOME TEASERS ABOUT SOME OTHER CULTURAL, UH, FUNDING
[00:40:01]
PROGRAMS COMING SOON.UM, SO THIS PRESENTATION IS MOSTLY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU ALL SAW ON THE RETREAT ON FEBRUARY 11TH.
WE HAD SOME ADJUSTMENTS AT THE TAIL END OF THIS PRESENTATION, SO IT WILL BE UPDATED, UH, IN YOUR BACKUP AFTER THIS, AFTER THIS MEETING.
UM, SO JUST A REMINDER, THE THRIVE GRANT IS THE FIRST OF A SUITE OF THREE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS. THRIVE OFFERS FOCUSED INVESTMENT TO SUSTAIN AND GROW LOCAL ARTS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DEEPLY ROOTED IN AND REFLECTIVE OF AUSTIN'S DIVERSE CULTURES.
IT'S A TWO YEAR INVESTMENT THAT INCLUDES LARGE OPERATING GRANTS AND ACCESS TO A SUPPORTIVE PEER COHORT WITH CAPACITY BUILDING RESOURCES, NETWORKING, AND OTHER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO START BY REVIEWING THE OVERALL PROCESS FOR THRIVE.
SO SOME OF THE KEY MILESTONES, UH, PANEL RECRUITMENT TOOK PLACE LAST SUMMER.
THRIVE OPENED ON OCTOBER 12TH.
THE ARTS COMMISSION APPROVED THE SLATE OF PANELISTS ON OCTOBER 17TH.
IN NOVEMBER, THE PANELISTS WERE PROVIDED AN EXTENSIVE ORIENTATION AND TRAINING ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S EQUITY PRIORITIES AND THE PRIORITY GOALS OF THE THRIVE GRANT PROGRAM.
AS OUTLINED IN THE GUIDELINES, UH, THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO KEEP THESE PRIORITIES TOP OF MIND WHEN SCORING.
UH, WE THEN MOVED TO THE PANELIST STAGE OF REVIEW, UH, AND THEN THE PANEL MEETINGS AND THEN PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF AWARDEES WENT OUT AT THE BEGINNING OF NOV, OF BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER, BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY.
UH, THE COUNCIL BACKUP WAS POSTED ON THE 10TH OF FEBRUARY, AND THEN COUNCIL ACTION WAS TAKEN ON FEBRUARY 23RD WHERE THEY APPROVED, UH, THE 36, UM, GRANTEES.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE HOW THE SELECTION PROCESS BROKE DOWN BY NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS.
WE HAD 206 APPLICATIONS STARTED AND 154 WERE SUCCESSFULLY SUBMITTED.
146 OF THOSE MET THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND WENT TO THE READERS FOR REVIEW.
JUST AS A REMINDER TO BE ELIGIBLE, APPLICANTS HAD TO HAVE A FIVE YEAR PRESENTING HISTORY IN AUSTIN AND NEEDED TO HAVE 5 0 1
THIS MEANT GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY UNINCORPORATED OR WERE SPONSORED PROJECTS WE'RE ABLE TO RECEIVE THEIR 5 0 1
UM, WE APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HEARD SO FAR, UM, ABOUT THE LANGUAGE NOT BEING CLEAR AROUND THE ELIGIBILITY, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO INCORPORATE THESE ADJUSTMENTS IN FUTURE YEARS.
UM, ELIGIBILITY DETAILS WERE ADDRESSED BY ME TO THIS BODY.
WE ADDRESSED THE CONCERN IN FAQS THAT WERE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE, AND STAFF ADDRESSED THIS QUESTION AT ALMOST EVERY, UM, PUBLIC PRESENTATION AND RECORDING THAT THEY HAD BOTH VIRTUAL AND IN PERSON WITH PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THEN WE HAD THE HIGHEST 59 SCORING APPLICATIONS, WENT TO THE FULL PANEL FOR REVIEW.
UM, AND THEN 36 APPLICATIONS WILL BE RECEIVING AWARDS RANGING FROM 85,000 TO $150,000.
SO TO LOOK AT THIS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, ONLY 40% OF TOTAL ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS MADE IT TO THE SEMI-FINAL STAGE, AND 24% OF TOTAL ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS WILL BE RECEIVING AWARDS.
UM, AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THE TOTAL AVAILABLE AMOUNT OF FUNDING FOR THRIVE WAS AROUND $3.9 MILLION.
SO ALL OF THIS INFORMATION, UM, HAS BEEN UPDATED ON OUR WEBSITE@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV SLASH THRIVE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD OF, UM, APPLICANTS ELIGIBLE SEMI-FINALISTS, AND THEN AWARDEES.
UM, BUT JUST WANTED TO WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC, UH, TAKEAWAYS HERE.
SO OF THE 145 ELIGIBLE, UM, APPLICANTS SELF-REPORTED LEADERSHIP DEMOGRAPHICS IN THEIR APPLICATION, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAD 62% OF APPLICANTS IDENTIFY THEIR LEADERSHIP AS MAJORITY FEMALE OR NON-BINARY.
AND 57% OF APPLICANTS IDENTIFY THEIR LEADERSHIP AS MAJORITY DIVERSE RACE AND ETHNICITY.
60% OF THESE APPLICANTS WERE RETURNING, AND THE MEDIAN ANNUAL REVENUE FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS WAS $99,000.
AND THE MEDIAN YEARS IN INCOME OR MEDIAN YEARS IN OPERATION WAS 25.
[00:45:01]
UM, JUST AS A REMINDER AS WELL, WE ARE LEADING WITH RACIAL EQUITY, BUT DID NOT SCORE ON IMMUTABLE CHARACTERISTICS.INSTEAD, WE HAD A VARIETY OF NARRATIVE QUESTIONS THAT LOOKED AT RACIAL EQUITY IN THE ORGANIZATION'S DECISION MAKING POWER AS A CORNERSTONE SCORING METRIC.
THE APPLICATION AND RUBRIC LOOKED AT HOW COMMUNITY IS REPRESENTED WITHIN THAT POWER STRUCTURE AND PANELISTS COULD SCORE ACCORDINGLY.
UM, THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO SUPPORT AND DEVELOP ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS OF BY AND FOR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE AT IMMEDIATE RISK OF CULTURAL LAURE AND DISPLACEMENT WITHIN AUSTIN AND OR HAVE BEEN INSTITUTIONALLY MARGINALIZED AND UNDERFUNDED.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THIS NARRATIVE APPROACH SEEMS TO HAVE WORKED THE WAY THAT WE WANTED IT TO.
SO OF THE 59 SEMI-FINALIST APPLICATIONS, 64% IDENTIFIED THEIR LEADERSHIP AS MAJORITY FEMALE OR NON-BINARY.
86% IDENTIFIED THEIR LEADERSHIP AS MAJORITY DIVERSE RACE AND ETHNICITY.
68% WERE RETURNING APPLICANTS.
THE MEDIAN ANNUAL REVENUE FOR THESE TOP 59 GROUPS WAS $84,000, AND THE MEDIAN YEARS IN OPERATION WAS 19.
SO THEN WE HAVE THE 36 RECOMMENDED ORGANIZATIONS.
97% OF APPLICANTS IDENTIFIED THEIR LEADERSHIP AS MAJORITY DIVERSE RACE AND ETHNICITY.
67% OF THEM IDENTIFIED THEIR LEADERSHIP AS MAJORITY FEMALE OR NON-BINARY, AND 76% OF THESE APPLICANTS WERE RETURNING.
THE MEDIAN ANNUAL REVENUE FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS WAS $119,000, AND THE MEDIAN YEARS IN OPERATION WAS 22.
AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE HERE THAT THE OLDEST ORGANIZATION THAT APPLIED THEIR FOUNDING DATE WAS 1974.
AND JUST, UM, COMMISSIONER POLGAR HAD REQUESTED AT THE LAST MEETING TO KNOW THE RANGE OF THE REVENUE AND THE RANGE WAS FROM 20,000 TO 1.6 MILLION.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE, UM, A BREAKDOWN OF THE NUMBER OF YEARS FUNDED BY THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION, AS WELL AS THE HISTORIC AVERAGE AWARD RANGE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT 13 OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN FUNDED FOR OVER 21 YEARS BY THE, THE CITY.
EIGHT OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WERE NOT.
UM, THIS, THIS DIDN'T APPLY BECAUSE THEY WERE NEW TO CITY FUNDING.
UM, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE HISTORIC, UM, AVERAGE AWARD RANGE.
AND SO THE MAJORITY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS FELL INTO THE 10, THE 11 TO $25,000 RANGE FOR PREVIOUS AWARDS.
AGAIN, THE FULL DASHBOARD IS ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, BUT HERE YOU CAN SEE THE DISTRICT DISTRIBUTION AS WELL AS THE ARTISTIC DIS DISCIPLINE DISTRIBUTION.
UM, A LOT OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS WERE MULTIDISCIPLINARY ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, DISTRICTS THREE AND DISTRICTS NINE, UM, HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF AWARDEES IN THEIR DISTRICTS.
I ALSO WANTED TO JUST SHARE SOME, UM, IMPACT SNAPSHOTS OF SOME OF THE RECIPIENTS THAT HAD RECEIVED THESE FUNDINGS.
THE FULL LIST IS ALSO ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHO ARE THESE THRIVE GRANTEES, UM, HERE ARE SOME GREAT STATS FOR SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS LAP PENA, WHO'S RECEIVED FUNDING FROM US FOR 35 YEARS.
THEIR AVERAGE AWARD HAS ONLY BEEN $42,000.
SO THIS REPRESENTS A 187% INCREASE IN FUNDING.
I WON'T, I WON'T READ THROUGH ALL OF THEM, BUT, BUT THIS IS, UM, IT'S REALLY POWERFUL INFORMATION AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE, BOTH IN THE PUBLIC AND ON THE COMMISSION TO, TO LOOK INTO THIS MORE.
SO, AS WE'VE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, UM, THRIVE IS ONLY ONE PART OF A SUITE OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
UM, THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM CSAP, UM, IS OPEN FOR I THINK ONE MORE DAY.
UH, BUT THESE FUNDS ARE FOR REVENUE GENERATING SPACE IMPROVEMENTS, LEASE PAYMENTS, AND GAP FINANCING FOR CREATIVE SPACE PURCHASES.
UM, THESE FUNDS ARE UP TO $50,000.
UM, NEXT WE WILL BE LAUNCHING THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IN APRIL.
AND THIS IS SMALL AWARDS FOR MUSICIANS, BANDS AND INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS PUTTING ON EVENTS.
[00:50:01]
IN MAY ON MAY 23RD.I HAVE A REAL DATE HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL.
MAY 23RD WE'RE LAUNCHING ELEVATE.
UM, IT IS BROADER SECTOR SUPPORTS AND THIS WILL OFFER FUNDING FOR THE CREATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES OF CULTURAL PRODUCERS THAT AMPLIFY EQUITY AND PRIORITIZE INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING.
THERE WILL BE AT LEAST 100 AWARDS FOR ARTS AND CULTURE 5 0 1
UH, THE TOTAL BUCKET FOR ELEVATE IS AROUND $6 MILLION.
SO THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR LARGEST BUCKET OF FUNDS FOR, UM, CULTURAL FUNDING THIS YEAR.
AND THEN NEXUS WILL LAUNCH, UM, JULY 11TH.
AND THIS PROGRAM IS FOR NEW AND EMERGING APPLICANTS, UM, PUTTING ON CREATIVE PUBLIC PROJECTS.
UM, THIS PROGRAM WILL HAVE THE EASIEST APPLICATION AND CONTRACTING PROCESS PROVIDING AN IDEAL ENTRY POINT FOR APPLICANTS WHO ARE NEW TO CITY FUNDING.
EACH CYCLE THERE WILL BE 50 AWARDS OF $5,000 AND THERE WILL BE A NEW CYCLE EVERY SIX MONTHS.
SO THERE'S $250,000 PER CYCLE.
UH, AND THEN THIS ONE IS A LITTLE HARD TO SEE ON THIS BIG SCREEN, UM, BUT THIS IS JUST THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S LAUNCH CALENDAR PLAN DATES FOR ALL OF THE THINGS FROM NOW THROUGH AUGUST.
SO JUST WANTED TO SHARE THINGS BEYOND CULTURAL FUNDING THAT, UM, THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU, TO YOU ALL AS THIS BODY.
UM, SO SPECIFICALLY YOU CAN SEE THE LIVE MUSIC FUND GRANTS.
WE'LL BE HAVING A UNESCO MEDIA ARTS EXHIBITION THAT WILL HAVE A PANEL AND OPENING ON APRIL 7TH AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY GALLERY.
UM, THERE'S A SMALL BUSINESS ACCELERATOR THAT WILL BE IN APRIL STREET PERFORMANCE EVENT, UH, ALSO LAUNCHING IN APRIL, SMALL BUSINESS WEEK IN MAY.
UM, THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, OUR TOWN ENDORSEMENT PROCESS WILL BEGIN IN MAY.
UM, AND THAT'S FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL BE APPLYING TO THIS FEDERAL, UH, GRANT.
THEY NEED TO RECEIVE, UH, AN ENDORSEMENT FROM THE MAYOR AND WE HELPED SHEPHERD THAT PROCESS.
UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF MAY, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ART AND PUBLIC PLACES ARTIST CALL FOR AT LEAST FIVE OPPORTUNITIES, THEN ELEVATE TOWARD THE END OF MAY.
UM, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ROUND OF ARTIST CAREER TRAINING THAT WILL LAUNCH IN JUNE.
UM, THE MUSIC DIVISION IS DOING A TORONTO MUSIC CITY EVENT IN JUNE AS WELL.
NEXUS WILL BE LAUNCHING IN JULY, FACES OF AUSTIN WILL BE LAUNCHING IN JULY.
AND THEN IN AUGUST WE'LL BE LAUNCHING THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ARTS EDUCATION GRANTS.
AND THIS WAS THE GRANT THAT WE, THE CITY RECEIVED, UM, TO DISTRIBUTE FEDERAL FUNDS, UM, FOR ARTS EDUCATION, SPECIFICALLY ARPA FROM ARPA.
SO THAT WAS, UM, ARPA FUNDS FOR THE NEA ARTS EDUCATION.
AND THAT CONCLUDES WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL THIS EVENING.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
JUST GIVE US ONE SECOND WHILE AB GETS MY SCREEN.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR LAURA? I ACTUALLY, UM, JUST HAVE PERHAPS QUESTIONS, BUT JUST WANT TO BRING UP, UM, SOME THRIVE ISSUES.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, JUST TO PR AND I'M TRYING TO FIND THIS, BUT, UM, HOW BEAUTIFUL A PICTURE OF THAT FUNDING TO LOOK AT THAT AND WHAT, UM, THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMISSION AND THE STAFF HAS GONE THROUGH TO SEE THAT INCREDIBLE SUPPORT FOR THOSE 36 ORGANIZATIONS.
SO, UM, JUST, IT'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
UM, AND JUST TO PREFACE THAT, THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
BUT I DO AS AN ARTS COMMISSIONER WANNA BE, UM, UH, NOTED ON RECORD THAT IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE THRIVE PROGRAM WAS FOR 5 0 1
UM, I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THINGS MAY HAVE GONE IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS OR PERHAPS I MISINTERPRETED THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PERHAPS MAYBE NOT NOW TO HEAR THE DIFFERENCE, BUT THAT IS HOW I HEARD IT.
AND PERHAPS IT IS BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS SENSITIVE IN THAT AREA AS MEDIUM SIZE, WORKING WITH OTHER MEDIUM SIZE ORGANIZATIONS, ARTISTS THAT WERE NOT 5 0 1
[00:55:01]
SIDES, THE 5 0 1AND IT KEPT PEOPLE FROM APPLYING AND, UH, PERHAPS THEY BECAME A 5 0 1
AND YES, IT DOES TAKE TIME TO BECOME A 5 0 1
BUT IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IS WHAT THRIVE WAS SET UP AS.
AND WITH THAT, IT WAS LOOKING AT THE TWO YEAR FUNDING A LARGE, UM, INVESTMENT, UM, UH, TO, UM, A GRANT PROCESS.
AND WHAT I SAW WAS THE SUPPORT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAD BEEN DOING THE WORK FOR FIVE YEARS IN AUSTIN OR LONGER THAT WERE UNDER THE GUIDANCE AND FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY, A BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF A 5 0 1
SO I JUST WANNA BE REALLY, UH, UH, I JUST WANNA BE HEARD AND NOTED AS AN ARTS COMMISSIONER, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT IN THE PROCESS OF APPROVING AND LOOKING IS WHAT I FELT WAS THERE.
BUT I BACK UP AND SAY THE PICTURE OF WHAT THE RESULT IS IS AMAZING.
BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT COMMUNITY SAYING THAT THIS BODY OR STAFF ARE NOT TRANSPARENT, PERHAPS IT'S NOT THE A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, IT'S CLARITY.
COMMISSIONER M IS IT, MAY I RESPOND TO THAT? UM, I JUST WANTED TO ALSO POINT OUT THAT IT WAS IN THE THRIVE RUBRIC THAT IS ALSO IN THE GUIDELINES WHERE IT HAS 5 0 1
AND IT SAYS 5 0 1
AND THEN PRODUCTION HISTORY IS A SEPARATE ELIGIBILITY SCREENING REQUIREMENTS.
AND IT SAYS THAT, UM, 51% OR MORE OF THE APPLICATION'S CREATIVE PRODUCTION IS WITHIN THE AUSTIN TEN ONE DISTRICTS OR E T J AND A MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS OF CREATIVE PRODUCTION WITHIN AUSTIN.
SO, UM, AGAIN, A APPRECIATE ALL THIS FEEDBACK, UM, BUT IT WAS, UH, IT WAS IN THE GUIDELINES THROUGH THE RUBRIC.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
I THINK, I THINK PERHAPS JUST IN MOVING FORWARD AS A PILOT PROGRAM TO TAKE THAT ONE BIG, BOLD LINE OF ELIGIBILITY AND ADJUST THAT WILL MAKE A REALLY, REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE.
BECAUSE PEOPLE MAY NOT GET TO THAT RUBRIC WHEN THEY DON'T GET PAST NUMBER ONE MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
THANK YOU, UM, THAT MEGAN WELLS CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP AND FOR US TO, TO HAVE DIALOGUE ABOUT THAT.
UM, TO YOUR POINT, CLARITY IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO WORK ON OR, OR AT LEAST SEE FROM MAYBE A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.
AND THAT'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT, UM, WITHOUT THAT WE, WE COULDN'T MOVE FORWARD IN, IN IMPROVEMENT.
UM, THAT SAID, I HOPE EVERYONE PLEASE KNOW, YOU KNOW, I HOPE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT OUR DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN.
IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS OR IF WE'VE PUT SOMETHING INTO THE WORLD THAT SEEMS INCONGRUENT WITH THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST, I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO CLARIFY OR TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE PHRASED SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, AS CLEARLY AS WE COULD HAVE.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT AND THANK YOU.
AND WE'RE MAKING ALL KINDS OF NOTES TO MAKE OUR PROGRAMS BETTER GOING FORWARD.
WELL, I WANNA THANK YOU ALSO FOR WHAT HAS BEEN DONE, CUZ IT'S BEEN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.
BUT AGAIN, THAT FIRST STEP IN WHAT YOU SEE, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T TAKE THAT SECOND STEP.
SO, AND I THINK IT, I THINK THAT BECAUSE THIS HAS COME UP, IT WILL BE IMPROVED.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FLORES.
I JUST WANNA COMMENT THAT, UM, YES, I CAN SEE BECAUSE IT WAS A CONJUNCTIVE SENTENCE THAT IT, YOU KNOW, IT, THE, THE DESCRIBER MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONFUSING IN THE SENSE.
SO I THINK BREAKING IT DOWN IN THAT FIRST PART WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT I, I DID UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, AN ORGANIZATION NEEDED TO BE AN OPERATION AT LEAST FIVE YEARS, BUT, AND THAT, BUT AT AND AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION, THEY NEEDED TO BE A 5 0 1
UH, SO THAT I UNDERSTOOD IT TO BE THAT WAY.
BUT I CAN SEE TO YOUR POINT, A AIA THAT THAT FIRST,
[01:00:01]
YOU KNOW, THE, THE SHORT PART AT THE BEGINNING BEFORE YOU GET TO ALL OF THE, THE MEAT AND, AND CRUX OF IT NEEDS TO BE MORE CLEAR.AND I, I THINK EVERYBODY IS, IS IN, IN AGREEMENT THAT IT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE, YOU KNOW, UH, MISUNDERSTANDING OF, OF THAT, WHAT THAT MEANT.
SO, UH, APPRECIATE THAT STAFF IS GONNA LOOK INTO FIXING THAT SO THAT IT'S, IT'S MUCH MORE CLEAR IN THE FUTURE.
SO, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER PAUL GAR, IS THAT A HAND? YES, YES, IT IS.
UM, TRANSFORMATIONAL SUPPORT OF SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SORT OF FIGHTING TO MAINTAIN.
UM, I AM INTERESTED SINCE IT'S MY LAST MEETING AND I'M LIKE HANDING THIS OVER.
UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR WHAT THE PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS IS BECAUSE IT IS A PILOT PROGRAM, RIGHT? AND IT'S A TWO YEAR PROGRAM.
AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL NEED TO SET UP SOME REGULAR SORT OF CHECK-INS ALONG THE WAY AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE CLEAR AND THE PUBLIC KNOWS HOW THAT THEY, HOW THEY CAN PLUG INTO THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT A WORKING GROUP UPDATE THAT WILL WE'LL TOP INTO THIS TOO, BUT, AND, UM, BUT FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, I'M JUST REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE HOW THE FEEDBACK LOOP IS STRUCTURED, UM, AND HOW WE START TO MAKE THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND GUYS REALLY AMAZING, LIKE SERIOUSLY TRANSFORMATIONAL WORK.
COMMISSIONER SCHACH, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND? I DID.
MY ORIGINAL HAND WAS ANSWERED BY, BY ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ASKED AND ANSWERED.
AND I, I ALSO HAD THE SAME UNDERSTANDING AS LULU AND I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY LEARN AND MAKE IT CLEAR IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT AS YOU ALREADY SAID, RIGHT, STAFF GIVE THE THUMBS UP.
THERE WASN'T ANYONE WHO WAS GRANTED THROUGH THRIVE.
THAT IS NOT A 5 0 1
AND WE KNOW FROM THE AMAZING DATA THAT YOU PROVIDED THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE MEDIAN LENGTH OF TIME AS A, AN ORGANIZATION IS, WHETHER WITH STA 5 0 1 CUN
SO I THINK THAT THE, THE, UM, INTENTIONS OF, OF THE THRIVE PROGRAM WERE ABSOLUTELY MET BY THE GRANTEES AND I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE US AS A COMMUNITY TO HOLD UP THE, THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT, UM, ARE VERY DESERVING WHO HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING.
ALSO THE MANY, AS YOU POINTED OUT, WITH ONLY 24% BEING FUNDED THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, BUT TO DO SO IN A WAY THAT IS THAT THAT CELEBRATES, UM, THAT CAN POINT OUT THE, THE PLACES WHERE WE CAN GET BETTER WITHOUT TEARING DOWN THE AMAZING GROUPS WHO WERE, WHO WERE FUNDED.
UM, MY ACTUAL QUESTION IS ABOUT ELEVATE AND DO YOU ALL ANTICIPATE IT'S SO GREAT THAT IT'S GONNA BE LAUNCHING IN MAY? AND I WAS ALSO WONDERING IF YOU HAVE YET A SIMILAR TIMELINE AS WE'VE HAD FOR THRIVE ABOUT, UM, ANTICIPATION, LIKE HOW LONG THE PROCESS IS GONNA BE, WHEN IT'LL BE OPEN, ESSENTIALLY GETTING TO WHEN MIGHT WE EXPECT THAT THOSE WHO ARE FUNDED THROUGH ELEVATE WOULD, UM, WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE FUNDING SINCE WE ALL KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME, UM, SINCE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO GET CULTURAL ART SPENDING OUT THE DOOR TO ORGANIZATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.
UM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME BACK NEXT MONTH WITH MORE IN-DEPTH ELEVATE DETAILS.
UH, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE APPLICATION, UM, CREATION RIGHT NOW WITH THE PORTAL SYSTEM, UM, AND OUR INTERNAL TEAM.
SO WE'LL HAVE SOME, SOME HARD DATES TO SHARE WITH YOU, UH, NEXT MONTH AS FAR AS WHEN WE'LL HAVE THE WEBSITE UP FOR ELEVATE, WHEN WE'LL HAVE THE DRAFT GUIDELINES POSTED.
UH, THE APPLICATION ITSELF WILL BE OPEN FOR FIVE WEEKS, UH, AND THEN THERE WILL BE THE TWO STEP REVIEW PROCESS, UM, WITH MANY, MANY PANELISTS FOR ALL OF THOSE.
SO, UM, SO STAY TUNED FOR NEXT MONTH
I ALSO WANNA ADD THAT, UM, THIS WILL BE THE FIR, SORRY, THIS WILL BE THE FIRST PROGRAM.
I'M NOT SURE IF I'M LOOKING AT HEIDI.
THIS WILL BE THE FIRST PROGRAM THAT WE USE OUR THIRD PARTY PARTNER TO HELP US ADMINISTER.
THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE, UM, MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE LONG CENTER AS OUR THIRD PARTY.
AND THAT'S TO ASSIST IN, UH, BRINGING FORWARD EFFICIENCIES TO HELP US PROCESS PAYMENTS QUICKLY, MORE QUICKLY, UM, ALLOW US TO MOVE THROUGH THE PAYMENT PROCESSES DIFFERENTLY THAN THE CITY NORMALLY DOES, UM, WITH THIS PARTNER IN BOARD ON BOARD.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT WITH THE INCREASE IN APPLICATIONS AND SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS IN THRIVE THERE, OUR THIRD PARTY IS ABLE TO GET THOSE PAYMENTS OUT THE DOOR MORE QUICKLY THAN THE CITY WOULD NORMALLY BE ABLE TO IF IT WERE RUNNING THOSE INTERNALLY.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS WORKING WITH THE LONG CENTER TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A
[01:05:01]
REALLY GOOD SET OF, UM, OF DELIVERABLES TO, FROM CITI AND, AND LONG CENTER TO COMBINE IN THE THRIVE ADMINISTRATION.SO AS LAURA SAID, NEXT MONTH WE CAN GIVE YOU A MORE DETAILED ANSWER AS FAR AS WHEN THOSE MILESTONES ARE GONNA HAPPEN AND WHEN PAYMENT GOES OUT, BUT IT'S OUR FULL, UM, INTENT TO GET, UH, THAT PAYMENT OUT BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, IF NOT MUCH SOONER THAN THAT.
BUT I'LL HAVE A FEW MORE DATES NEXT MONTH FOR YOU.
AND MATE, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, YOU'RE SAYING THRIVE, BUT DO YOU MEAN ELEVATE? ARE YOU SAYING THRIVE? I'M SORRY, ELEVATE.
JUST, JUST WANNA CLARIFY ON THE BRAIN.
I KNOW WHAT I'M HEARING GUYS ELEVATE.
WE'RE TALK STRIVE WILL BE HANDLED INTERNALLY.
UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE A SMALLER COHORT.
UM, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE GONNA SAVE OUR BANDWIDTH YES.
UH, FOR THE LONG CENTER TO HELP US WITH ELEVATE.
BUT THE PROJECTED FUNDING DATE BEFORE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR IS PHENOMENAL.
SO, INCLUDING NEXUS, UHHUH, INCLUDING NEXUS.
UM, YEAH, I, I JUST WANNA SECOND EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY HAS SAID THUS FAR AND SEEING THE LIST OF RECIPIENTS, HAVING SPOKEN PERSONALLY WITH A FEW PEOPLE ON THAT LIST, UM, IT, IT'S WORDS CAN'T EXPRESS THE GRATITUDE THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING.
UM, I WISH THEY COULD ALL COME AND SHARE THAT EXCITEMENT WITH EVERYBODY SO THAT WE COULD ALL BE THE BENEFIT OF THAT, UM, ELATION.
BUT, UM, I, I KNOW THAT WHAT WE'LL BE SEEING FROM OUR COMMUNITY MOVING FORWARD IS, IS GONNA BE JUST PHENOMENAL.
SO, UM, SO GRATEFUL FOR Y'ALL AND THIS WORK AND IT'S WORKING AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA HIT BUMPS ALONG THE WAY, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE ALL DOING OUR BEST HERE AND, AND ARE GONNA IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES NECESSARY AS, AS WE CAN DO.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR STAFF BEFORE WE MOVE ON? I THINK I MAY HAVE ONE COMMISSIONER GRANT.
IT'S JUST BACKING UP CUZ I KNEW THAT THERE WAS GONNA BE SOME UPDATES IN ELEVATE.
CAN YOU GO BACK OVER THE, CUZ YOU KNOW, I KNEW THERE'S TWO POTS NON-PROFIT AND THAT THE HUNDRED FUNDED WAS THE 5 0 1
WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO INCREASE THAT AWARD AMOUNT.
AND SO NEXT MONTH LET US BRING BACK A LITTLE BIT MORE PRECISE NUMBERS FOR YOU, BUT AT LEAST A HUNDRED AND AT LEAST 50, BUT HOPING, HOPING TO GIVE YOU A FEW MORE.
UM, ON TOP OF THAT, YOU, YOU'RE GETTING HEART HANDS FROM MICHELLE AND
COMMISSIONER MOCK, UM, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE PHYSICAL YEAR.
SO DOES IT END BY SEPTEMBER, 2023? YES.
END OF SEPTEMBER IS THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO, SO FOR PEOPLE WHO APPLY FOR ELEVATE, THEIR EVENT HAS TO BE, THEN WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE MONEY OUT? YOU THINK? THE IDEA IS THAT THEY WILL AT LEAST HAVE ONE PAYMENT IN BEFORE THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 23.
SO, SO THE EVENT, UM, LET US, LET US, LET US BRING BACK MORE INFORMATION NEXT MONTH.
I I, I JUST, IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO IT, PLEASE BE, BE CLEAR ABOUT, MY QUESTION IS, IF, IF EVERYTHING HAS TO END BY SEPTEMBER, 2023 NO.
DOES IT THAT THE EVENT, UM, WILL, WILL NEED TO BE ORGANIZED BEFORE SEPTEMBER, 2023, WHICH IS A VERY SHORT TURNAROUND TIME.
SO PLEASE BRING BACK THE INFORMATION.
YEAH, JUST TO, JUST TO CLARIFY REAL QUICK, COMMISSIONER MOCK, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SAYING THE FUNDS, THE FIRST FUND WILL BE OUT THE DOOR BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CONTRACT ACTIVITIES TO BE FROM OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF NEXT YEAR.
SO THE GOAL IS TO GET THAT FIRST PAYMENT OUT THE DOOR BEFORE ANY ACTIVITY WOULD POSSIBLY BEGIN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS, COMMENTS? GREAT.
I, I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE, UM, THE, THOSE THAT DID APPLY FOR THRIVE THAT WERE NOT A PART OF THE RECIPIENT LIST TO CONTINUE TO KEEP ELEVATE ON THE HORIZON FOR THEM.
UM, WE KNEW THAT THRIVE WAS NOT GOING TO, UH, HAVE THE UNIVERSAL IMPACT, UM, AS MAYBE PREVIOUS PROGRAM CORE PROGRAMS HAD BEFORE THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW.
UM, THE AMOUNTS ARE STILL SIGNIFICANT.
STAFF WAS VERY INTENTIONAL IN THE WAY THE CALENDAR LAID OUT WITH THESE PROGRAMS SO THAT YOU COULD APPLY AND STILL APPLY FOR FOLLOW UP PROGRAMS IF YOU WERE NOT AN INITIAL RECIPIENT OF THESE PROGRAMS. SO I REALLY JUST WANT TO, I KNOW WE HAVE A, A, A RICH COMMUNITY
[01:10:01]
THAT ARE ALL DESERVING AND THERE'S STILL ROOM FOR EVERYONE HERE.THRIVE WAS INTENDED TO BE, UH, A SMALLER PROGRAM AND ELEVATE IS MEANT TO HAVE A WIDER IMPACT.
SO PLEASE STAY OPTIMISTIC, STAY POSITIVE, STAY IN COMMUNICATION WITH US.
WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT THERE ARE NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH STAFF AND, UM, WE'LL BE AMPLIFYING THOSE THROUGH OUR PLATFORMS. BUT I KNOW THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS OPEN FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, I KNOW THAT LAURA AND MEGAN HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ONE-ON-ONE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS OVER THE LAST WEEK.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT CHANGING AND WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
SO LET'S CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE OPEN AND HONEST CONVERSATIONS, UM, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO.
WITH THAT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION ACTION ITEMS. WE HAVE THE, UM, ITEM 10 APPROVED,
[10. Approve the Combined Prospectus for the Walter E. Long and John Treviño, Jr. Metro Parks Public Places Projects]
THE COMBINED PROSPECTUS FOR THE WALTER ELONG AND JOHN JUU JR.METRO PARKS PUBLIC PLACES PROJECT.
AND I'M SO EXCITED TO GET TO HEAR ABOUT THIS FINALLY, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE AIP P P KIND OF GETS THE COLD SHOULDERS SOMETIMES.
I, UH, ADMITTEDLY HAVE TAKEN YOU OFF FOR GRANTED BECAUSE WE HAVE GONE ON CONSENSUS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
UM, BUT, UH, MY WINGMAN KURT IS, UH, STANDING IN THE BAY WAITING, WAITING TO, UH, PROVIDE PROLIFIC INFORMATION ON BOTH OF THESE PROJECTS.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS AND THANK YOU STANCE.
IF SOMEBODY COULD PULL UP THE, UH, THE BACKUP FOR THE, UH, UM, FOR THE WALTER E. LONG JOHN TREVINO JR.
UM, SO WE'VE CHANGED THE FORMAT A LITTLE BIT SINCE I THINK LAST TIME WE MAY HAVE SHARED SOMETHING IN PERSON.
SO JUST WANTED TO, UH, POINT THAT OUT.
UM, THAT WE'VE GONE TO MORE OF A, A MEMO O STYLE, UH, JUST TO SORT OF SPEED THE PROCESS ALONG.
UM, YOU, WE STARTED DOING THIS, UH, BACK IN SEPTEMBER WHEN WE HAD 20 SOME ODD OPPORTUNITIES TO BURN THROUGH AND MAKING A GRAPHIC PRESENTATION WAS, UH, UM, WAS BURDENSOME.
SO, UM, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT, UH, THAT AREN'T FILLED IN THE, UH, IN WHAT I'M ABOUT TO GO THROUGH, UH, JUST LET ME KNOW.
BUT, UH, I'LL POINT OUT SOME OF THE HIGH POINTS OF THIS.
HOPEFULLY YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT.
THIS IS THE COMBINED PROSPECTUS FOR THE WALTER LONG AND JOHN TREVINO JR.
WALTER LONG IS, UM, AROUND, UH, THE WALTER E. LONG LAKE.
IT'S AN EXISTING METRO PARK THAT'S, UH, THAT'S BEEN IN THE PARK SYSTEM SINCE THE 1960S.
METRO PARK IS ONE THAT WAS, UM, THE CITY BOUGHT THE LAND, OH, I GUESS ABOUT A DECADE AGO AND HAS BEEN, UH, AND HAS JUST NOW, UH, GETTING IT, UM, DEVELOPED TO THE POINT THAT IT COULD TURN INTO A PARK.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY A RANCH, UH, THE, THE MORRISON RANCH.
SO, UH, PART OF THE, UH, UM, THE PROJECT GOING ON THERE IS TO IMPROVE IT, UM, TO MI HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN, UH, VISIT IT, UH, PARK.
UH, BUT TO, UH, POINT OUT THE LOCATION OF THESE THERE IN DISTRICT ONE, THEY ARE VERY FAR EAST, UH, ADJACENT TO COLONY PARK, UM, AND MAYER, ALMOST DARN NEAR MAYER OUT THAT WAY.
UM, TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WALTER LONG, IT'S A, UH, 3,695 SQUARE FOOT, UM, PARK AROUND, UH, ABOUT A THIRD OF WHICH IS WITH, IS COVERED BY LAKE.
THE PHASE ONE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE, UH, UH, JUST SORT OF THE LAKESIDE PARK AREA, UH, AND REHABBING INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, THE TREVINO PARK, UH, IS NAMED AFTER, UH, JOHN TREVINO JR.
WHO HAS, UH, THE, UH, DISTINGUISHED HONOR OF BEING AUSTIN'S FIRST, UH, LATINO COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR PRO TE UM, THE IMPROVEMENTS TAKING PLACE.
THERE ARE, UM, UH, TO THE, UH, UM, VEHICULAR ACCESS AGAIN, I, I THINK I MENTIONED ALL THIS A SECOND AGO, BUT, UM, WE ENVISION THIS AS ONE COMBINED OPPORTUNITY FOR A SINGLE ARTIST OR TEAM.
UM, BOTH, UM, THEY, THESE PARTS ARE IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY, SO WE SAW SOME EFFICIENCIES BY MAKING THIS ONE LARGE COMMISSION, UH, RATHER THAN TWO SMALLISH ONES.
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC ARTS EXISTS AT THE, UH, AT THE ENTRY POINT OF THESE PARKS.
UH, METRO PARK IS A DAY USE FACILITY WITH A $5 FEE.
WE LIKE TO, WE DON'T LIKE TO CHARGE FOR PUBLIC ART.
WE LIKE TO HAVE THE ACCESS BE, UH, FREE AND, UH, OPEN TO ALL.
WE'RE PLANNING TO USE ART AS A ALMOST A WAY FINDING OR AN ENTRY FEATURE.
[01:15:01]
UM, SOMETHING SCULPTURAL.UH, THIS CALL IS OPEN TO AUSTIN-BASED ARTISTS, UH, ARTISTS FROM THE SEVEN COUNTY AREA.
UM, IT IS AN OPEN CALL, NOT USING THE PRE-CALL LIST.
AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, GET THIS LAUNCHED, UH, RELATIVELY SOON, UH, LAUNCHING IT IN MARCH AND APRIL.
UM, THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THE LAST CALLS WE DO USING THE OLD SYSTEM BEFORE WE TOO JOIN THE PORTAL WORLD.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY.
JUST ONE SECOND WHILE I GET MY DI BACK IN FRONT OF ME.
AVE CAN YOU MAKE IT SO I CAN SEE THE COMMISSIONERS? APOLOGIES.
I USUALLY HAVE MY OWN SCREEN UP AS WELL.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR KURT? I JUST, I HAVE SAYING, OH, YES, I, COMMISSIONER OCK IS CONSIDERED OFF THE DIAS IF SHE'S NOT ON CAMERA, BUT SHE MIGHT BE JUST AWAY FROM HER COMPUTER.
UM, ON THE DOCUMENT, IT SAYS THE DEADLINES APRIL 18TH.
SO DOES THAT MEAN IT'LL BE ABOUT A MONTH THAT IT'S OPEN SINCE YOU, IT'LL BE ALLEGEDLY SOON.
AND, AND WE'LL HAVE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WHAT WE USUALLY SEE IS THAT A LOT OF ARTISTS START AN APPLICATION EARLY AND, AND FINISH IT THAT LAST WEEK.
SO I THINK IF WE, UH, IF WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE WITH OUTREACH THAT, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, A, UH, ONE MONTH, UH, APPLICATION PERIOD SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT.
SUPER ARTISTS DON'T PROCRASTINATE AT ALL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR KURT REGARDING THIS AIP P P PROJECT? OKAY.
UM, WITH THAT, CAN WE GET A MOTION TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER POLGAR A, WE'LL GIVE IT TO MAL NOW, THIS TIME A, UM, ALL FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THIS AIP P PROJECT.
LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT A UNANIMOUS APPROVAL.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED FOR ALL THAT'S COMING.
AND, UM, YES, PLEASE KEEP US POSTED.
I, UH, WILL ABSOLUTELY, ONCE THIS IS OFFICIALLY UP, I CAN AMPLIFY IT, UM, UH, NON-SEQUITUR, BUT WE'LL BE, THIS WILL BE THE FIRST QUARTER FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, UM, SINCE THIS WILL BE THE FIRST FISCAL QUARTER THAT WE'RE HERE, SO THAT'LL BE ONE THAT'LL OPPORTUNITY WILL BE INCLUDED IN THAT.
UM, SO FOR THOSE, YOU KNOW, AT HOME WATCHING, UH, BE EXCITED, THE NEXT, THE FIRST, UH, NEWSLETTER OF 2023 IS, IS ON ITS WAY.
[11. Recap of the Arts Commission Retreat]
RECAP OF THE ARTS COMMISSION RETREAT, UM, VERY EXCITED TO GET US ALL, UH, IN PERSON IN A SINGLE SPACE.WE HAD MOST OF OUR COMMISSION JOIN US.
UM, WE HAD SOME REALLY WONDERFUL CONVERSATIONS.
WE ALSO HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING INTRODUCED TO KATE CHII, WHO WILL BE OUR D ONE COMMISSIONER.
UM, SHE'S DONE WITH HER ORIENTATION AND WILL BE JOINING US FOR OUR MARCH MEETING.
UM, SHE'S, UH, UH, AN AUSTIN LOCAL, BORN AND RAISED HERE, AND IS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH US.
SHE'S AN ARTIST, ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF I COSA COLLECTIVE THAT'S BASED OUT OF CANOPY.
UM, AND WHILE WAS NOT ABLE TO OFFICIALLY PARTICIPATE, UH, I'VE HAD SOME REALLY WONDERFUL CONVERSATIONS WITH HER AND I'M EXCITED TO HAVE HER ON THE DIAS WITH US.
UH, ONE OF THE PRIMARY THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS OUR CORE VALUES AND OUR PILLARS AND THE WHY BEHIND WE, WHAT WE DO, WHAT WE DO.
AND I THINK WE HAD SOME PRETTY GREAT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UH, THOSE PILLARS HAVING BEEN ORIGINALLY DRAFTED IN 2018, REVISED AGAIN IN 2021, UM, AND HOW NOT ONLY DO WE STILL ALIGN WITH THEM, BUT HOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT ACTIONS HAVE WE TAKEN, UM, IN REAL LIFE AND, UM, AS, AS A UNIT TO UPHOLD THOSE PILLARS.
UM, AND I FEEL, UH, REINVIGORATED AND INSPIRED TO CONTINUE DOING THAT WORK.
UM, SOME OF THOSE ITEMS WERE ESTABLISHING WORKING GROUPS, UH, THAT INVOLVED THE COMMUNITY.
UM, MUCH OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN 2021 HAD TO DO WITH THE THRIVE GUIDELINES AND ELEVATE AND NEXUS.
AND THAT COMING TO, UM, THOSE DRAFT GUIDELINES AND WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY DIRECTLY TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK, UH, THROUGH AN, UH, EQUITY WORKING GROUP, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY CHATS THAT WE HOSTED, NUMEROUS COMMUNITY CHATS, UH, IN DIFFERENT CULTURAL ART SPACES, UM, WITH DIFFERENT, UM, UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES AND LONG-STANDING INSTITUTIONS.
AND JUST A VARIETY OF FOLKS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM, ALONG WITH, OF COURSE, THE NEWSLETTER AND THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM.
UM, I WANNA ALLOW ANYBODY ELSE IN THE ROOM OR, UH, IN VIRTUAL LAND TO SPEAK TO THE RETREAT.
[01:20:01]
UNFORTUNATELY, COMMISSIONER POLGAR COULD NOT JOIN US.UM, BUT WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO REFLECT ON THE RETREAT HAVING PARTICIPATED DIRECTLY? COMMISSIONER GRAY, JUST IN SHORT, JUST WHAT YOU HAD JUST SAID, IT WAS JUST, IT, I FELT VERY PROUD THAT SO MANY GOALS THAT WERE SET EARLY ON WERE MET, OR ARE GOING IN IN BIG STRIDES IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UH, THE OTHER THING WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, OH, COMMISSIONER MOCK, ARE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND? YES.
I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER GRAY WAS SAYING.
SOMETIMES IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO REFLECT ON WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, ALSO MOVE FORWARD AND BUILDING ON WHAT WE HAVE DONE.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU AND, UM, THE PARTICIPATION IS VERY, VERY MIGRATING AND VERY, UH, INVOLVED EVERYBODY.
SO I FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT BEING PART OF YOU.
AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FLORES.
WELL, SINCE THIS IS MY LAST MEETING,
I DIDN'T SAY HOW MUCH IT WAS, IT, IT MEANT TO BE ABLE TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM WITH EVERYBODY, UH, AND ACTUALLY BE IN THE SAME ROOM WITH COMMISSIONER, SMALL DOG FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.
UH, SO GOT TO MEET HER FACE TO FACE AND DIDN'T REALIZE HOW TALL SHE WAS,
BUT ANYWAY, IT WAS, UM, IT'S BEEN, UH, A REAL PLEASURE, UH, TO SERVE ALONGSIDE ALL OF YOU ALL.
IT'S, UM, UH, IT'S BEEN A REAL IMPORTANT PART, UH, OF MY, UM, LAST 12 YEARS,
AND, SORRY, I'M GETTING A LITTLE CHOKED UP BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE MY SWAT SONG.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW HOW MUCH YOU ARE VALUED AND APPRECIATED AND WILL BE MISSED.
UM, I'M NOT TOO FAR AWAY, SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ALWAYS, UM, CALL ON ME AND, UH, ANYTHING I CAN DO.
UM, AND THEN IN MY NEW CAPACITY, I'LL BE LOOKING OUT FOR THE ARTS, UH, ON MY NEW, UH, ASSIGNMENT ON THE COMMITTEE OF CULTURAL, UH, TOURISM, RECREATION AND TOURISM.
SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT BEING ON THAT COMMITTEE AND LOOK FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH YOU ALL ON, ON ANY PROJECTS THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT, UH, COME BY, COME THROUGH THIS, UH, GROUP.
SO DON'T BE STRANGERS, COME BY THE CAPITOL.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING WHO YOU ARE.
LULU, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE WITH YOU.
UM, AND YEAH, I'M NOT EVEN GONNA GO THERE.
COMMISSIONER POLGAR, I'M SORRY I COULDN'T JOIN YOU FOR THE RETREAT, BUT I JUST WANNA TO CIRCLE BACK TO THE FOUR PILLARS AND, AND THE, THE GUIDING LIGHT THAT THEY HAVE PROVIDED FOR US IN SOME TIMES THAT HAVE BEEN REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT FOR, FOR THIS COMMISSION AND FOR THE COMMUNITY THROUGH COVID AND THROUGH A TOTAL REDESIGN OF THEIR CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS. UM, TO HAVE THAT AND TO HA AND TO HAVE DEVELOPED THOSE WITH, WITH THIS GROUP SO CLEARLY AND IN SUCH A HEARTFELT AND CONSIDERED FASHION HAS BEEN AN, AGAIN, JUST YOU GUYS INSPIRE ME EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND, AND LIKE LULU, I'M ON MY WAY OUT AND I'M ONLY AT ALMOST EIGHT YEARS WITH THIS BODY, BUT JUST SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE ALL OF YOU IN SUPPORT OF OUR INCREDIBLY VIBRANT CULTURAL COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN.
AND AS I SIT HERE IN CONNECTICUT AND THE SNOW STARTS TO FALL, AND, UM, JUST GO GET 'EM, GUYS, LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH.
THIS STAFF, YOU KNOW, I'VE, UH, A LOT OF YOU HAVE BEEN HERE FROM THE BEGINNING,
AND, UM, SO JUST KEEP TRUCKING, THANK YOU TO BOTH.
AND I WISH BRETT, UH, WAS HERE IN PERSON SO WE COULD RAZZ HIM FOR LEAVING TOO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO WHAT WE CAN.
WE'LL CARRY IT OVER TO THE NEXT TIME.
BUT I WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY WHAT OUR FOUR PILLARS ARE.
UM, CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP, DEVELOP CURRENT AND EMERGING LEADERS, ENSURE AND ENCOURAGE EQUITY, REFLECT THE GROWING DIVERSE POPULATION OF AUSTIN.
FOSTER COLLABORATION, CONTRIBUTE TO AUSTIN'S ROBUST ARTS ECOSYSTEM AND INSPIRE EVOLUTION, ACHIEVE ADVANCEMENT THROUGH INNOVATION AND RESILIENCY.
AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THE GUIDANCE, UM, OF, UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES AND COMMISSIONER PGA THROUGH THIS TIME.
[01:25:01]
TO HAVE, UH, COME IN IN 2019 UNDER THEIR TUTELAGE, UM, HAS REALLY SHAPED MY EXPERIENCE ON THE COMMISSION.AND I PERSONALLY AM FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THE KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM THAT THEY'VE SHARED, UM, IN THIS SPACE WITH US AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
UM, I JUST WANNA TAKE A MOMENT, UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON.
UH, ANOTHER MAJOR POINT THAT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE RETREAT WAS OUR SCOPE OF INFLUENCE, OUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE, AND WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO, UM, ALONG WITH WHY WE'RE HERE.
BUT I WANNA REMIND EVERYONE, UM, SORT OF THE, THE TEXTBOOK DEFINITION OF THE ARTS COMMISSION.
OUR JOB IS TO ADVISE THE CITY COUNCIL IN ALL ARTS RELATED MATTERS, INCLUDING LONG RANGE PLANNING, THE ALLOCATIONS PROCESS AND COORDINATION WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, PROMOTE CLOSE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND ALL PRIVATE CITIZENS, INSTITUTIONS AND AGENCIES INTERESTED IN OR CONDUCTING ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE ARTS IN THE CITY SO THAT ALL ART RESOURCES ARE WITHIN THE CITY MAY BE COORDINATED TO MAXIMIZE PROMOTION AND SUPPORT THE ARTS IN THE CITY.
FACILITATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND FOSTER AND ASSIST THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARTS IN THE CITY.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER BARNES, I FEEL LIKE DID A REALLY WONDERFUL JOB SUMMARIZING THAT, UM, IN WHAT I'M GONNA CLEVERLY CALL THE A'S.
AND THAT WAS TO ADVISE, TO ADVOCATE, TO APPROVE AND TO ATTEND.
AND I FEEL STRONGLY THAT THE BODY HERE AND THOSE INCOMING, UM, ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO UPHOLD THAT PROMISE THAT WE HAVE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WITH THAT, I'M DONE CHATTING, BUT WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING BEFORE WE MOVE ON? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU EVERYBODY.
[12. Update from Equity Working Group with Community Arts leaders of the BIPOC/LGBTQIA/Disabilities Community/Women with Commissioners Gray, Maldonado, Polgar, Zisman, and community members]
12, UH, UPDATE FROM THE EQUITY WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS AND THE BIPO L GT Q A DISABILITIES WO COMMUNITY, WOMEN WITH COMMISSIONERS, GRAY MALDONADO, POLGAR, ASMAN, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND GIVE THE UPDATE THERE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, WE'RE HAVING ACTIVE COM CONVERSATIONS ABOUT.
UM, IT WAS DISCUSSED THAT WE WOULD, UH, REIGNITE THIS GROUP, UM, AFTER THE THRIVE PROGRAM HAD LAUNCHED AND BEEN RECEIVED.
AND NOW WE'RE IN THIS WONDERFUL STAGE OF GETTING READY TO SEE THESE APPLICANTS, UM, BEGIN THE PROCESS OF RECEIVING THEIR FUNDS HOPEFULLY SOON.
UM, BUT, UM, THE FEEDBACK PORTAL CONTINUES, RIGHT? WE ARE THAT MECHANISM.
UM, WE'RE FIGURING OUT IF THERE WILL BE ANY SORT OF, IF AND WHEN THERE'LL BE A FORMAL BODY THAT WE CAN RECONVENE AND, AND HOW, UM, BUT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING.
SO WE'LL HAVE PROBABLY MORE TO RETURN BACK TO YOU GUYS WITH IN MARCH.
[13. Update from Joint Working Group for Joint Cultural Committee with Commissioners Polgar (chair), Zisman, and working group members from the Quality of Life Commissions]
JOINT WORKING GROUP FROM THE JOINT CULTURAL COMMITTEE AND COMMISSIONER WITH COMMISSIONERS, UH, POLGAR CHAIR AND MYSELF WORKING WITH GROUP, UM, MEMBERS FROM THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS COMMISSIONER, PULL GUARD.ANY THOUGHTS HERE? SO THIS, BECAUSE OF ALL THE TRANSITIONS WITH THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, AND NEW COMMISSION MEMBERS COMING ON, WE SORT OF LIKE SAID WE'D PAUSE THIS AND PLUG BACK IN AS EVERYONE ELSE IS REAPPOINTED.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE SEND OUT EMAILS TO THE TEAMS AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS AND, AND TRY TO GET THE CONVERSATION STARTED.
REMEMBER THE GOAL HERE INITIALLY WAS TO SEE IF WE WOULD INSTITUTE, UH, AN EXISTING COMMITTEE THAT IS IN THE CHARTER THAT HAS NEVER BEEN ACTIVATED BY, BY THE, UM, CITY COUNCIL.
SO WHETHER OR NOT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, UM, WE COULDN'T COME TO A CONSENSUS ABOUT IT EARLY ON WHEN WE STARTED ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO TO START MEETING REGULARLY.
BUT WE FOUND IT INVALUABLE TO BE ABLE TO TOUCH BASE ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS AND OUR FELLOW COMMISSIONS THAT ARE ALL DEALING WITH THE SAME ISSUES.
UM, THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS AND PERSPECTIVE, AND THAT HAS BEEN JUST IN INCREDIBLY INSPIRING AND ALSO LED TO A LOT OF THE DISCOVERIES THAT WE'VE MADE THROUGH THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, SO I ENCOURAGE IT TO CONTINUE, UM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO TOUCH BASE AND GET EVERYBODY BACK IN THE ROOM AGAIN IN WHICH WE, WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO DO FOR A LITTLE BIT.
AND COMMISSIONER POGROM, PERHAPS YOU AND I CAN TALK ABOUT, UM, SORT OF AN ON ONBOARDING OFFBOARDING SITUATION SINCE YOU'LL, UM, NO LONGER BE IN THIS SPACE, BUT, UM, WE CAN, YEAH, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH WHO MIGHT BE A GOOD MATCH FOR ME IN THAT SPACE.
[14. Update from Quarterly Arts Community Commission Meet-ups Working Group with Commissioners Barnes, Garza (chair), Gray, and Zisman]
FROM THE QUARTERLY ARTS COMMUNITY COMMISSION MEETUPS WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS BARNES GARZA GRAY AND ZISMAN.AND ACTUALLY MAL NADO SHOULD BE ON THIS, AND JESUS, LET'S MAKE A NOTE.
WE NEED TO TAKE BARNES OFF OF THIS ONE.
UM, AND, UH, I'LL ALLOW FEA TO DO THE UPDATE, BUT I, UM, AM GONNA FORMALLY REQUEST TO STEP DOWN FROM THIS WORKING COMMISSION.
I'M ON THREE
AND I'M ALSO MAINTAINING THE MARKETING, UM, ASPECT FOR THE COMMISSION.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN I CAN CHEW AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO IF THERE'S ANOTHER COMMISSIONER THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED.
[01:30:01]
AND STEPPING ON, YOU KNOW, I THINK THREE COMMISSIONERS IS ADEQUATE, UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE A, A VOLUNTEER IMMEDIATELY, BUT IF, UH, FOLKS WANNA START THINKING ABOUT IT, PLANTING THE SEED, HINT, HINT, PERHAPS WITH MANY OF THE NEW COMMISSIONERS THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED AND TAKING ON, UH, THIS WORKING GROUP.UM, BUT WITH THAT, I'LL LET FELIPE UPDATE US.
ALL RIGHT, SO, UH, WHAT I'VE DONE SO FAR IS I'VE BEEN SHARING A LETTER WITH, UH, COMMISSIONERS ON THE, ON THIS WORKING GROUP AND, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH COMMISSION MAL NADO, SO COMMISSION MAL NADO AND I HAVE TALKED TO YOU OTHER ABOUT COMBINING OUR COMMUNITY MEETUP.
AND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR RIGHT NOW, OR THE DATE THAT I'M LOOKING AT, IS ON, WHERE AM I, APRIL 22ND.
IT'S A SATURDAY AND IT'D BE AT THE
AND THAT'S KIND OF ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF MY DISTRICT AND KIND OF NEAR THE NORTH SIDE OF COMMISSIONER MANDOS.
AND THEN DISTRICT FIVE, UH, BE VERY EASTERN BORDER TOUCHES DISTRICT THREE AND DISTRICT TWO FOR QUITE A BIG DISTANCE.
SO WE FIGURED THOSE TWO BE GOOD TOGETHER.
AND THEN, SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET TWO MORE QUARTERS.
SO THERE'S ACTUALLY MEETINGS AND THEN ONE BREAK DURING THE WINTER.
AND SO THE SECOND, UH, QUARTER WOULD BE FOR MAY, JUNE, AND JULY.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE WOULD BE AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, AND THEN TAKING OFF NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, AND JANUARY.
AND IT'LL, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO, TO UH, OPEN UP THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION IN A MORE INFORMAL SETTING, A LITTLE BIT MORE INTIMATE, WHERE UH, WE CAN ACTUALLY TALK AND WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SEE WHAT THEIR QUESTIONS ARE, SEE WHAT THEIR COMMENTS ARE, AND TO JUST KIND LIKE WE'VE BEEN DOING RECENTLY WITH, WITH THE THRIVING AND EVERYTHING ELSE, TIGHTEN UP HOW WE WRITE OUR PROGRAMS TO ABLE TO BE ABLE TO BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
CUZ THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO.
AND SO, AGAIN, UH, DISTRICT TWO, THREE AND HOPEFULLY DISTRICT FIVE WILL HAVE SOMEONE ON BOARD BY APRIL 22ND.
AND WE WANNA PUT THAT ONE AT THE LIBRARY FROM 11:00 AM TO 1:00 PM SO WE COULD ADD THAT TO, TO THE NEWSLETTER.
AND, UH, AND THEN AS WE GO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHO TO SERVE IN THE OTHER QUARTERS, CUZ INITIALLY I HAD THOUGHT OF DISTRICT FOR QUARTER TWO BE DISTRICT 1, 4 9 AND THE MAYORS, BUT NOW WITH BRETT GONE OR REALLY GONNA NEED SOMEONE TO STEP UP FROM, UH, EITHER 6, 7, 8, OR 10 AND JUST TRY TO HAVE A BALANCE EACH, NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A NEW COMMISSIONER OR SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE AT ALL BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SUCH A BIG LOSS OF, UH, EXISTING COMMISSIONERS.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN, UH, DO IT THEN.
I THINK THAT'S GREAT, PHIL BEGA, IF YOU CAN EMAIL ME THE, UM, LOCATION AND DATE INFORMATION FOR THOSE, THE EVENTS THAT ARE CONFIRMED, I'M HAPPY TO HELP, UH, DEVELOP A GRAPHIC TOO.
YEAH, WE CAN THROW THAT ON FACEBOOK.
WE CAN THROW THAT, UH, IN THE NEWSLETTER, UM, THAT CAN BE USED, UH, INDIVIDUALLY BY COMMISSIONERS FOR INVITATIONS, UH, DIRECTLY TO THE COMMUNITY.
I JUST NEED TO STEP BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT, BUT I THINK THAT'S GREAT AND THOSE, THOSE DATES SOUND, THE QUARTERS SOUND GOOD.
AND I'LL SAY, UM, I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING, UH, COMMISSIONERS ASSIGNED TO EACH, BUT LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, WE HAVE, WE'LL HAVE THREE CURRENT, UM, OPENINGS, SO WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE EVERY DISTRICT REPRESENTED.
THE CHAIR CAN STEP IN, THE VICE-CHAIR CAN STEP IN, AND I WOULD JUST SAY IT SHOULD BE AN OPEN INVITATION AS LONG AS WE DON'T HIT QUORUM.
UM, YOU KNOW, A FOCUS ON DISTRICTS, UH, SPECIFICALLY IS GREAT.
BUT I REALLY THINK IF, IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE COMMISSIONERS TO GO, UM, EVEN AS A NEW, UM, A NEW COMMISSIONER, I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET FACETIME WITH THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, YEAH, JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE, BUT THAT'S GREAT, GREAT NEWS, FELIPE.
OH, AND STEPH, IS IT POSSIBLE TO SEND EMAILS OUT TO THESE DISTRICTS WITH A NOTICE AS WELL? ARE YOU GUYS ALLOWED TO CON UH, JUST COULD WE INCLUDE AN EVENT IN YOUR OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER? ANY OFFICIAL COMMS? WE, WE'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW UP FELIPE, BUT NO PROBLEM, NO PROBLEM.
WE'LL DO OUR BEST GORILLA STYLE AND THEN
IT MAY BE THE, THE TIMING I KNOW FOR COMMS ON THEIR END TAKES A MINUTE.
UH, YEAH, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU CAN SHARE WITH US WHEN EVERYTHING'S FINALIZED, WE CAN ROUTE IT THROUGH OUR COMMS PROCESS AND SEE IF THEY WILL ALLOW US TO HELP PROMOTE.
[15. Update from Emergency Funding and Proactive Strategies for Future Funding Working Group with Commissioners Polgar, Schmalbach, and Zisman (chair)]
UPDATE FROM THE EMERGENCY FUNDING AND PROACTIVE STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE FUNDING WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS POL, GARAL, BUCK AND ZISMAN.AND JUST ANOTHER NOTE, WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE POLGAR OFF OF THAT LIST.
I THINK I SHOULD BE OFF OF 12.
EXCUSE THIS GUYS ADDING COMMISSIONER MAL NADO TO THE QUARTERLY AND
[01:35:01]
YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.WE PULLED YOU, THAT WAS A MISTAKE TO HAVE YOU LISTED FOR THE EQUITY WORKING GROUP BECAUSE YOU WERE IN THAT WORKING GROUP AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER.
CAN WE MAKE A NOTE? UM, COMMISSIONER MALAL SHOULD NOT BE ON THE EQUITY WORKING GROUP, RATHER THE ITEM 16, THE, UH, URBAN CORE ISSUES.
UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THE UPDATE FOR ITEM 15.
UM, WE'VE BEEN MEETING AS A GROUP, UM, WITH STAFF ABOUT SPECIFICALLY THE A ACCC AND THAT IS THE AUSTIN CONSERVATION COMMUNITY CORE, UM, UH, FUNDING, WHICH IS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER CITY PROGRAMS, UM, OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN AND DIFFERENT EXAMPLES THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK WITH.
UM, SO NARROWING IT DOWN, BUT I BELIEVE WE'LL HAVE A MORE DETAILED UPDATE IN MARCH ON HOW WE'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN WITH THAT, SO WE CAN GO TO ITEM 16,
[16. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Gray, Mok, and Schmalbach (chair).]
UPDATE FROM JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION, UH, WORKING GROUP ON URBAN CORE ISSUES WITH COMMISSIONERS, GRAY MOCK AND SCHALK CHAIR AND MALDONADO, EXCUSE ME.WE HAVE MET, AND THIS FEELS REPETITIVE, BUT I THINK IT'S BECAUSE WE GAVE THIS UPDATE AT OUR RETREAT.
UM, AND WE HAVEN'T MET AGAIN SINCE THEN.
THIS GROUP IS MEETING MONTHLY.
UM, WE HAVE A SET MONTHLY SCHEDULE WE HAVE BROUGHT ON, UM, THANKS TO AIA AND ALSO TO ANNE CHARLOTTE FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION, UM, AND HOPEFULLY A THIRD, UH, MEMBER NON-COMMISSIONED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO THE WORKING GROUP WHO REPRESENT, UM, DIFFERENT AREAS OF EXPERTISE INCLUDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE GETTING SOME, THE, THE TWO MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD SO FAR HAVE BEEN VERY RICH AND INFORMATIVE.
UM, AND I THINK, AS I SAID LAST TIME, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO HONE IN ON, UM, THINGS THAT ARE WITHIN OUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE OR OUR POTENTIAL SPHERE OF INFLUENCE THAT ARE CONSEQUENTIAL PROJECTS HAPPENING, UM, CONSEQUENTIAL, ESPECIALLY FOR THE CULTURAL COMMUNITY.
UM, SO NO, I'M SCANNING MY BRAIN TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO, UM, TIMELY UPDATES AT THE MOMENT.
WE WILL KEEP, UM, UPDATING AS WE GO AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE HOSTING, UM, WITH ONE OF OUR, UM, ONE OF THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US FROM THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE AS SORT OF OPEN HOUSE, UM, IN THE COMING MONTHS WHERE FOLKS CAN COME AND GET MORE INFORMATION, UM, AND CONTINUE TO JUST SHARE WHAT WE'RE LEARNING, UM, WITH THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
AND IF ANY OF MY, THE TWO IN IN PERSON WANTED TO ADD ON TO THAT, PLEASE DO.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SCHWALBACH.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MOCK? UM, I AM THE NEWBIE
SO JUST LET ME KNOW WHEN IT'S THE NEXT MEETING AND I THINK WE CAN COMMUNICATE AND SEE WHAT'S NEXT, BECAUSE I JUST GOT RECRUITED, I THINK.
SO, UH, I APPRECIATE ALL THE, ALL THE, UM, HISTORY.
I THINK THE TECHNICAL TERM, AMY IS VOLUNTOLD AND OF COURSE THAT WAS BRETT WHO'S NOT HERE TO, UH, TO THANK FOR THAT.
I WILL MAKE SURE OF THAT, AMY.
YOU GUYS, WE ARE CRUISING THROUGH THIS AGENDA.
[ITEMS FOR INFORMATION]
COMMISSIONERS, ANYTHING WE MUST KNOW.OBVIOUSLY SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS AROUND THE CORNER.
THERE'S LOTS OF FILMS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO VIEW, UM, AND THE CITY WILL BE POSSESSED FULLY.
I THINK WE'VE GOT AN UPDATE FROM OUR A I P P MANAGER.
IT'S CONSTANCE WHITE AGAIN, THE CURRENT, UM, ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM MANAGER.
UM, JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN ARTWORK DEDICATION HAPPENING ON THIS SATURDAY, AND IT IS, UM, FROM 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM IT IS AUSTIN FIRE STATION NUMBER 10 LOCATED AT 3009 WINDSOR ROAD.
THE ZIP CODE ON THAT IS 78 703.
THE NAME OF THE ARTWORK IS, GOSH, IT'S NOT ON HERE.
I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS ALL DAY.
YOU WOULD THINK I WOULD MEMORIZE THE NAME OF THE ARTWORK.
[01:40:01]
UM, BUT THE ARTISTS ARE MARY COLLETTE AND LOUISE GUTIERREZ, AND, UM, I THINK REMARKS BEGAN AT 10:00 AM OH, I GOT YOU.AND IT'S, UH, LARGER THAN LIFE STONE SCULPTURE WITH TWO HANDS KIND OF EMBRACING EACH OTHER, SYMBOLIZING THE, UM, THE SPIRIT OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
WILL YOU BE SURE TO JUST SEND ME A, A LINK OR SOMETHING SO I CAN BE SURE TO PROMOTE AND INCLUDE? OH, IT'S IN MY INBOX.
ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONER MOCK? YES, I, I JUST, I, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR 40 YEARS A I P P, UH, PROJECT COMING, UH, UP, I WOULD LIKE TO REALLY SEE, BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT IT, OUR RETREAT TO SEE IF WE CAN CHARTER A BUS, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO GO TO, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PROJECTS TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK BECAUSE OUR CITY IS PRETTY BIG, YOU KNOW, IT IS HARD TO, YOU KNOW, BUT WE HAVE SUCH A PORTFOLIO, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT WE HAVE ACCUMULATED IN THE PAST 40 YEARS.
I THINK IT WILL BE NICE TO, ESPECIALLY FOR THE NEW COMMISSIONERS, UM, COMING ON BOARD, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, IF IT IS POSSIBLE FOR WEEKEND, YOU KNOW, TO JUST TAKE A LOOK, YOU KNOW, AT, UM, ALL THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS AROUND TOWN, WE HAVE A ROUTE, RIGHT? LIKE A PUBLIC, I KNOW THERE'S A MAP, BUT IS THERE LIKE A, LIKE A A BECAUSE WHAT I'VE FOUND WITH THE ART AND PUBLIC, AND IT'S PUBLIC ART.ORG, RIGHT? IS IT'S ALL THE PUBLIC ART THAT EVER EXISTED IN AUSTIN, AND THAT INCLUDES STUFF THAT'S NO LONGER VISIBLE, RIGHT? I, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THROUGH MY OWN SLEUTHING, THAT'S LIKE, OH, BUT THAT WAS IT.
JUST SOME TEMPO STUFF IS ON THERE THAT'S NOT THERE ANYMORE.
BUT I WONDER IF THERE'S A ROUTE, LIKE A DRIVABLE OR WALKABLE OR BUS ROUTE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, JUST IF SOMEBODY FROM OUTSIDE OF TOWN WAS LIKE, I WANNA SEE PUBLIC ARTS SWIFTLY, YOU KNOW, IF WE'VE GOT A PATH FOR THEM TO FOLLOW CONSTANCE, PERHAPS THERE'S DEFINITELY A DOWNTOWN WALKING, UM, SELF-GUIDED TOUR.
AND, UM, I DON'T THINK THERE ARE THERE OTHERS? MEGAN, WE'VE DONE BUS ROUTES IN THE PAST, LIKE WITH CAT METRO AND WITH SPECIAL BUSES THAT WE'VE CHARTERED FOR DIFFERENT EVENTS.
SO WE HAVE ROOTS, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE NECESSARILY ON THE WEBSITE, SO WE COULD PUT THAT ON THERE.
BUT I THINK YOU CAN ALSO CREATE YOUR OWN ROUTE.
PUBLIC ARTIST.ORG IS, IT'S UH, IT'S, IT'S TOUGH.
IT'S A PUBLIC ART ARCHIVE THAT, THAT'S THE ONE.
PUBLIC ART ARCHIVE IS THE ONE THAT, THAT IS THE, UH, WELLSPRING OF ALL OF THE INFORMATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO, JUST AS A TEASER, SAY THAT IN DISCUSSION WITH, UM, OUR TEAM, A I PPP TEAM'S THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE, UH, DISTRICT SPECIFIC MAPS SO THAT YOU CAN, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, IN OUR PLANNING PROCESS.
AND SO, BUT WE CAN, WE DEFINITELY GOT A THUMBS UP FROM COMMISSIONER MOD.
UH, SO WE'RE, THERE'S A LOT ON THE TABLE IN THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE WANNA DO FOR THE FUTURE.
AND UH, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS LIKE RIGHT ON THE FOREFRONT IS LIKE, WHAT IS A DISTRICT SPECIFIC MAP? LOOK, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE ASKED FOR TOO.
AND SO MAYBE WE CAN HIRE AN ARTIST TO DO SOME ILLUSTRATIONS FOR US.
AND YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE ANYTHING YOU'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? YOU CAN JUST, NO, WE'RE PRETTY OPEN.
OH, AND DO THIS OR, UM, NO, COMMISSIONER MOCK.
I REALLY LIKE THAT IDEA AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, TO, YES, AND AS MY WONDERFUL COMMISSIONER POLGAR HAS TAUGHT ME, UM, BUT, UM, I KNOW WE HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH RESOURCES, UM, LOOKING BEHIND ME OVER HERE AT OUR ALMOST REAL THINGS LIAISON.
UM, BUT LET'S CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION CUZ I, ACCESSIBILITY AND, UH, VISIBILITY OF THOSE CROWN JEWELS WITHIN OUR COLLECTION.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, UM, MAKING THAT AS, AS EASY TO ACCESS AS POSSIBLE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE PART OF IT.
I CAN SEE THAT BEING A PART OF LIKE THE VISIT AUSTIN RESOURCE GUIDE TOO, RIGHT? AS YOU'RE COMING TO AUSTIN, YOU WANNA SEE SOME PUBLIC ART WHERE YOU STAY AND WHAT'S AROUND MM-HMM.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER ITEMS FOR INFORMATION? YES.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL THAT THE, UM, UNESCO MEDIA ARTS STEERING COMMITTEE, UH, IS GOING TO BE HOSTING
[01:45:01]
AN EXHIBITION AT THE LIBRARY GALLERY.UM, AND SO I WILL SEND YOU INFORMATION TO THEN PUT IN THE NEWSLETTER, BUT JUST AS A REMINDER FOR FOLKS WHO AREN'T AWARE, UM, AUSTIN IS THE ONLY CITY IN THE US WITH A UNESCO CREATIVE CITY OF MEDIA ARTS DESIGNATION, UH, WHICH WE RECEIVED IN 2015.
UH, SO WE WORK WITH 22 OTHER CITIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD THAT ARE ALSO MEDIA ARTS CITIES.
UM, AND OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS WE HAD DIFFERENT, UM, VIRTUAL ARTISTS EXCHANGES, UH, BETWEEN AUSTIN ARTISTS AND SOME OF THESE OTHER ARTISTS FROM CHINA, FROM ENGLAND, FROM GERMANY, SLOVAKIA.
UM, AND SO WE'RE DOING AN EXHIBITION AT THE LIBRARY, UH, AND IT'S, UM, WE'RE DOING A PREVIEW DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
SO ON MARCH 11TH WE'LL HAVE GUESTS FROM DENMARK AND SLOVAKIA AND ENGLAND, UM, THAT ARE ALSO PART OF THE MEDIA ARTS NETWORK.
UM, SO ALONG WITH THE MEDIA ARTS STEERING COMMITTEE AND ARTISTS THAT ARE IN THE SHOW, WE'LL HAVE LIKE A LITTLE NETWORKING, INTRO CHAT, UM, THING ABOUT THE SHOW.
AND THEN THE ACTUAL, UM, OFFICIAL PANEL AND OPENING WILL BE ON APRIL 7TH.
SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME TO ANY AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
NOT IN QUORUM, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT.
UM, CUZ WE'RE VERY COORDINATED.
UM, I WANNA, UH, BECAUSE IT POPPED INTO MY HEAD, AMPLIFY AUSTIN, YOU GUYS IS COMING UP MARCH 1ST AND SECOND CITYWIDE EFFORTS TO SUPPORT NONPROFITS.
UM, PLEASE, UM, SUPPORT AND, UH, SHARE EVERYBODY'S CAMPAIGN.
THERE'S EVERY NONPROFIT UNDER THE SUN THAT I, I KNOW OF PARTICIPATES IN THAT.
AND, UH, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO UNIFY AS A CITY AND, AND RAISE SOME MONEY.
UM, WITH THAT, ANY OTHER ITEMS FOR INFORMATION? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO TO FUTURE AGENDA
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ITEMS. AND I, I MEAN, THIS IS JUST RECORD SETTING, BUT, UM, I WANNA DISCUSS BRIEFLY TWO THINGS.I'LL, I'LL DO THINKING OUT LOUD HERE.
AIP P P ALEX IEDA HAS SENT OUT INVITATIONS TO ALL OF THE AIP P P PANEL MEETINGS.
UM, I, I ASK AND REQUEST, UH, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT WE KNOW OUR AIP P P COUNTERPARTS, WE KNOW WHAT THEIR PROCESSES ARE AND UM, I JUST THINK THAT MORE COHESION ON THE ART SIDE IS A GOOD THING.
SO IF YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE SENT OUT THE NEXT MAYBE SIX MONTHS OR SO OR THE YEAR'S WORTH OF AIP P MEETINGS.
OH, FOR OUR PANEL MEETINGS? YES.
I KNOW THE RETREAT IS STILL PENDING.
NO, I WAS JUST THINKING SELECTION PANELS.
WE HAVE SIX THIS MONTH IN MARCH, SO I WAS LIKE, IS THAT THE WHOLE YEAR?
WE HAVE SENT OUT THE ENTIRE CALENDAR OF, UM, PANEL MEETINGS.
SO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, IF YOU CAN ATTEND ONE, I THINK THAT THAT'S GREAT.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL FOR THE A I P P PANEL TO SEE OUR FACES AND FOR US TO SEE THEIRS.
AC IS SPOILED AND GETS TO GO EVERY MONTH.
WE SHOULD ALL GET TO ENJOY THAT AS WELL.
UM, THE LAST THING I WANNA BRING UP.
UH, WE, WE WERE ABLE TO SCHEDULE THE MUSIC COMMISSION, I'M SORRY, THE ARTS COMMISSION RETREAT SO SWIFTLY, UM, FOR FEBRUARY AND, UH, SQUEAKED IT IN FOR Q1.
FOR Q2, I WANT OUR SPECIAL CALLED MEETING TO BE THIS JOINT MEETING WITH MUSIC.
AND THIS WORKED SO WELL LAST TIME.
I JUST WANNA THROW SOME DATES OUT THERE TO, TO GET A READ FROM COMMISSIONERS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO LOCK IT AND ANSWER, UM, FOR A POTENTIAL DATE.
WE ALSO NEED TO CONFER WITH MUSIC, BUT THESE ARE DATES THAT, UH, HAVE ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT APRIL, SO PLENTY OF TIME TO PREPARE.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE WEEKENDS OF APRIL 8TH, WHICH IS THE SATURDAY BEFORE EASTER.
UH, APRIL 22ND AND APRIL 29TH.
I BELIEVE THE PREFERENCE WAS APRIL 8TH FROM THE GROUP THAT CAME UP WITH THESE DATES.
BUT, UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY ANSWERS, YAY OR NAY NOW, PLEASE JUST, UM, NOTE THOSE DATES, TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR CALENDAR AND I CAN SEND OUT AN EMAIL THROUGH OUR WONDERFUL LIAISON AND WE CAN, UH, DO A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK TO LOCK IN A DATE.
DO YOU HAVE JUST ONE POINT THAT QUARTERLY MEETUP WAS JUST SET ON APRIL 22ND.
SO JUST KNOW THAT THAT'S A DATE.
THAT MAY NOT BE A GOOD ONE OR IT'S EVEN BETTER, OR WE KNOCK THAT OUT.
THAT'S TRUE, PHILLY, BUT CAN YOU REMIND ME THE TIME? I'M SORRY I DIDN'T WRITE 11 TO ONE.
SO THAT MAY BE RIGHT SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, BUT LET'S, LET'S FIGURE IT OUT.
WE CAN KIND OF PLAY IT BY EAR.
UM, AGAIN, I THINK FOUR EIGHT WAS THE PREFERRED DATE.
SO IF, IF FOLKS ARE IN TOWN THAT WEEK
[01:50:01]
AND WOULDN'T MINDUM, LULU, I KNOW THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO YOU CUZ YOU'RE LEAVING US, BUT, UM, UH, JUST PUT THOSE DATES IN MIND AND I'LL SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO FOLLOW UP WITH Y'ALL.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION FROM MUSIC.
UM, ANYBODY ELSE? FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? COMMISSIONER POLGAR, WHAT I SAID EARLIER ABOUT THRIVE AND PUBLIC INPUT AND WHERE, AND, AND THE STRUCTURE FOR THAT.
CAN, CAN YOU ELABORATE OR JUST LIKE, JUST YEAH, JUST MAKING SURE THAT, THAT AT SOME POINT WE FIGURE OUT AND, AND CLARIFY TO THE COMMUNITY WHERE THOSE IN, UM, WHERE THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE FOR THEM TO RESPOND TO THRIVE AS IT'S MOVING FORWARD WE HAVE AND WHAT THOSE STRUCTURES ARE AND WHAT DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, THE, OBVIOUSLY WE HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE COMING HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT IS THERE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY? IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY AT SIX MONTHS, AT A YEAR? YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND I KNOW THAT STAFF WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT TOO, BUT I JUST WANNA KEEP IT ON THE, ON THE LIST FOR THINGS TO TALK ABOUT DOWN THE LINE AS WE START TO LAUNCH THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR ON HOW THOSE FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITIES INTERSECT.
JUST THAT WE HAVE A REALLY CLEAR ROADMAP AND WE DON'T DROP ANYTHING ALONG THE WAY.
THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH GOOD WORK, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE IT ON AND I KNOW YOU WILL.
AND GUESS WHAT? I GET TO GO TO ANYTHING ALL THE TIME AND IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY OF YOU ARE GONNA BE THERE.
SO I GET TO SEE AS MANY OF YOU AS POSSIBLE.
YOU JUST GET YOUR LOVELY SELF BACK TO AUSTIN AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN.
HOW ABOUT WE START THERE? I'LL, I'LL SEE YOU FOR THE WEEK OF SOUTH BY AND THEN I'LL BE BACK IN APRIL AND IN MAY AND IN JUNE AND IN JULY AND IN AUGUST.
I GOT THIS KID THAT'S GOTTA GRADUATE.
OH WELL WE'LL TRY AND GET HIM TO KEEP YOU HERE LONGER,
UM, OKAY YOU GUYS, ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE WANNA TALK ABOUT IN THIS MOMENT? COMMISSIONER FLORES? YEAH, COMMISSIONER MOCK.
COMMISSIONER FLORES AND COMMISSIONER P FOR YOUR SERVICE.
IT HAS BEEN AMAZING TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOU.
I AM IN DISBELIEF THAT YOU WON'T BE IN A TINY LITTLE RECTANGLE NEXT MONTH, BUT, UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK AND THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, DO ONE OF YOU CUTIES, WANNA MAKE A MOTION? COMMISSIONER BO
AND, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OR WHATEVER, I THINK IF WE CAN JUST END IT.