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[CALL TO ORDER ]
PITTS III, AND I'M CALLING TO ORDER THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION HERE, WEDNESDAY, APRIL, TW THE 12TH, 2023, DOWN AT CITY HALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, ROOM 1101.SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, OR RATHER THIS COMMISSION MAY BE PARTICIPATING, UH, ARE COM PARTICIPATING BY VIDEO CONFERENCE, AND THE MEETING CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE AT HTTP SLASH SLASH WWW.AUSTINTEXAS.GOV/PAGE/WATCH.
AXN LIVE PUBLIC COMMENT IS ALLOWED IN PERSON OR REMOTELY BY TELEPHONE, BUT NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH OUR, UH, ROLL CALL.
AS I MENTIONED, MY NAME IS NEHEMIAH PITT III AND I'M THE CHAIR REPRESENTING DISTRICT ONE.
I'LL START IN THE ROOM AND THEN I'LL SWITCH TO THE PARTICIPANTS ONLINE.
UH, BEGINNING OVER HERE TO MY LEFT, UH, STEVEN ACO REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO IS PRESENT.
GABRIEL RAJAK, REPRESENTING DISTRICT SIX, PRESENT AND STARTING ONLINE.
UH, DAVE FLOYD, REPRESENTING DISTRICT FIVE PRESENT.
THOMAS SMITH, REPRESENTING DISTRICT THREE PRESENT.
AND COMMISSIONER AZAM? I'M RJA ZA, UH, THE DISTRICT THAT I'M REPRESENTING, I'M NOT SURE.
YOU ARE REPRESENTING DISTRICT THREE, COUNCIL MEMBER PAIGE ELLIS OR MAYOR PROTE.
OH, IS IT EIGHT? PARDON? DISTRICT EIGHT.
UH, WITH THAT, WE ARE CALLED TO ORDER.
AS I MENTIONED, UH, YOU COULD HAVE SIGNED UP TO, TO SPEAK HERE PUBLICLY OR ONLINE, UH, EXCUSE ME, BY TELEPHONE OR HERE IN PERSON, BUT NO ONE HAS.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.UH, AGENDA ITEM ONE, YOU'LL HAVE A COPY IN YOUR FOLDER FOR THOSE IN PERSON AND, AND THE OUTLOOK CALENDAR INVITATION FOR THOSE ONLINE.
UH, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN IN ATTENDANCE, FEEL FREE TO ABSTAIN AS WILL BE APPROPRIATE.
AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO REVIEW, AND THEN WE'LL ACCEPT A MOTION AND A SECOND, AND THEN WE'LL HOLD THE VOTE.
WE DO NEED A QUORUM, UH, BUT WE CAN HAVE A QUORUM AT ANY POINT AS LONG AS WE HAVE AN OPERATING MEETING.
SO THE VOTING RULES TO MY UNDERSTANDING IS, UH, NOT BASED ON, UH, THE NUMBER OF ABSTENTIONS IN A VOTE, BUT THE MAJORITY VOTING.
HELP ME CONFIRM THAT IF YOU COULD, JESSE.
SO, UH, UH, YEAH, QUICK CLARIFIER THAT IN ORDER FOR ANY ACTION OF THE COMMISSION TO PASS A MAJOR, A QUORUM MUST VOTE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
AND A QUORUM OF THIS COMMISSION IS SIX, REGARDLESS OF ATTENDANCE.
WELL THEN THAT, THAT, BASED ON THAT, WE KNOW WE CAN'T VOTE ON THESE MINUTES BECAUSE, UH, WE WON'T HAVE SIX COMMISSIONERS TO BE ABLE TO APPROVE THEM.
SO THEN, UH, THE ASK FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, PARDON ME? UH, WE DO HAVE SIX MEMBERS PRESENT.
UM, I THOUGHT YOU SAID WE HAD TO HAVE SIX VOTING, SIX VOTING, UH, IN THE AFFIRMATIVE TO PASS.
BUT, UH, THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UH, FOLKS PARTICIPATING REMOTELY.
RIGHT? SO WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, ONE COMMISSIONER PRESENT WHO WILL HAVE TO ABSTAIN TWO ONLINE.
THAT WOULD HAVE TO ABSTAIN, AND THAT LEAVES US WITH THREE.
SO, UH, I, I, YEAH, I, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UH, I, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANY LEGAL REQUIREMENT FOR ABSTENTION, BUT IF WE DO HAVE ANY ABSTENTIONS, THEN WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO REACH QUORUM.
WELL, THE ASK THEN, I GUESS, UH, WE CAN JUST BASICAL TO DECIDE NOW, EITHER WE CAN DO THE VOTE WITH ABSTENTIONS AND, UH, THEN THE VOTE WILL OBVIOUSLY FAIL BECAUSE IT WON'T BE A MAJORITY.
AND THEN THE ASK WILL BE FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WHO COULDN'T VOTE, UH, TO WATCH THE
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MEETING ONLINE, AND THEN TO BE ABLE TO VOTE ON THE MINUTES IN THE NEXT MEETING.SO, ALTERNATIVELY, UH, WE WOULD BASICALLY JUST HAVE TO KICK THE VOTE.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND HOLD A VOTE.
UH, AND, UH, IF, IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE, AGAIN, AS JESSE MENTIONED, THERE'S NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT, UH, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE UNLESS YOU ACTUALLY VIEWED THE MEETING AND KNEW THAT THESE MINUTES WERE, WERE ACCURATE TO ABSTAIN.
UH, WITH THAT THOUGH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE THAT.
WE APPROVE THESE MINUTES AS PRESENTED AND LOOK FOR A SECOND.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY MYSELF AND A SECOND BY VICE CHAIR DACA TO APPROVE THESE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THESE MINUTES, UH, MINUTES AS PRESENTED FOR THE MARCH 8TH, 2023 MEETING, PLEASE SAY, AYE, AND SHOW YOUR HAND.
WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4 VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, INCLUDING, UH, THE, THE VOTE OF, UH, FORMER COMMISSIONER.
AND, AND SO WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, UH, ABOUT THAT AND THE TIMING OF THINGS HERE.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND PROCEED, THOUGH, WITH THE VOTE.
AND THOSE ABSTAINING, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
SO WE HAVE TWO, I SEE TWO, UH, UH, ABSTENTIONS, UH, BY COMMISSIONER AZAM AND COMMISSIONER SMITH.
AND WE HAVE FOUR VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
SO BASED UPON THAT, THESE MINUTES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUSH THIS TO OUR NEXT MEETING.
SO, AGAIN, THEY ASK FOR, UH, OUR COMMISSIONERS, UH, WHO DIDN'T ATTEND.
LAST MEETING WILL BE JUST TO REVIEW THE ONLINE RECORDING, WHICH SHOULD BE AVAILABLE, AND THEN, UH, TO MAKE NOTE OF THE MINUTES AND, AND THEN COME PREPARED FOR YOUR VOTE.
WITH THAT, WE'LL PROCEED WITH OUR AGENDA
[2. New Commission Member Welcome and Introductions (Amarige Azzam, Gabriel Nwajiku, & Brianna Smith) ]
STAFF BRIEFINGS.ALTHOUGH THE FIRST ONE, UH, I WILL BE EITHER TAKING THE LEAD ON OR WORKING IN CONCERT.
UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE LEAD ON.
UH, THIS IS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, A NEW COMMISSION MEMBER WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS.
IT'S SO EXCITING, I HAVE TO SAY, UH, TO HAVE THREE BRAND NEW COMMISSIONERS ON THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.
UH, I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION SINCE 2016, AND IN THAT TIME, UH, I BELIEVE ONLY BRIEFLY THAT WE HAVE, UH, A FULL 11 MEMBERS.
UH, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD, UNFORTUNATELY, SOME VACANCIES OR TRANSITION.
SO IT'S EXCITING THAT YOU ALL ARE HERE.
I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY GIVING OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE TO, UH, INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND, UH, TO SHARE ANYTHING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF AND, AND, AND WHY YOU CHOSE TO JOIN US.
UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN BASED ON THE AGENDA WITH COMMISSIONER AZAM.
I DECIDED TO JOIN BECAUSE I WANTED TO GET INVOLVED IN, UH, LOCAL POLITICS.
I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOUR YEARS NOW, WENT TO GRADUATE SCHOOL AT UT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I'VE BEEN AT EA UH, FOR THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS NOW, UH, WORKING WITH, UM, A LOCAL PRODUCT TEAM, AND EXCITED TO SEE WHAT Y'ALL DO.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SERVICE AND FOR BEING HERE.
LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH Y'ALL.
WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD, UH, TO OUR NEXT COMMISSIONER.
WELCOME, UH, COMMISSIONER WKU, THE ANNA SILENT
UM, YES, UH, I CHOSE TO, UH, ESTABLISH MYSELF IN THIS BOARD A WHILE AGO.
UM, I'VE ACTUALLY LIKE, UH, ATTENDED, UH, PREVIOUS MEETINGS BEFORE.
AND, UM, THE, UH, TRUE CATALYST FOR MY INVOLVEMENT WAS, UM, UH, I'M ALSO INVOLVED IN TECH AS WELL.
AND, UM, WHILE I WAS ONBOARDING SOME NEW CARROTS AT MY JOB, I NOTICED THAT LIKE, THERE, THERE SEEMED TO BE LIKE A DISCONNECT BETWEEN, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND, AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE FIELD.
AND, UM, TO ME, I FELT THIS COULD BE A BRIDGED, UM, NOT NECESSARILY BY ME, OF COURSE, BUT I DID KNOW THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES TO WHERE I COULD TAKE, UM, WHAT I WASN'T DOING AND EXPAND UPON IT.
UH, AND SO I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT WAY TO KIND OF LIKE, EXPAND MY REACH AND REALLY SEE WHAT I COULD DO APPLICABLY, BECAUSE I FELT LIKE BEFORE, YOU KNOW, PASSING JUDGMENT ON WHAT COULD HAPPEN, I SHOULD BE MORE ACTIVE MYSELF.
AND IN BEING ABLE TO ONBOARD THE NEW TALENT AT MY CURRENT CAREER, UM, I REALIZED THAT LIKE, ENGAGEMENT, ESPECIALLY IN THIS FIELD, IS CRUCIAL, CRUCIAL.
CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T
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HAVE A CHOICE TO INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN OUR GENRE LIKE TECHNOLOGY IS, IS NEBULOUS.AND SO I FELT LIKE IT'S VERY, VERY CRUCIAL THAT I BE INVOLVED, SO I COULD BE ABLE TO BE A LIAISON TO MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND LIKE MAYBE THE DIVIDE BETWEEN MYSELF, PEOPLE LIKE OURSELVES, WHO ARE MORE INVOLVED IN THE FIELD THAN THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE GREAT.
AND, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND FOR, FOR YOUR SERVICE.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD, UH, TO OUR NEXT COMMISSIONER.
THANK YOU FOR THE WARM WELCOME.
I AM, UH, ORIGINALLY FROM OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, BUT I MOVED TO AUSTIN BACK IN 2014, SO ALMOST 10 YEARS NOW THAT I'VE BEEN HERE.
UM, I WORK, UH, AS A IT PROJECT MANAGER AT A COMPANY CALLED SALEPOINT.
WE'RE ACTUALLY HEADQUARTERED HERE IN AUSTIN AS WELL.
IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR.
SO I DO A LOT OF, UM, AS OF LATE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECTS, UM, FROM A PROGRAMMATIC STANDPOINT AND ALSO FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT, BEING A, A SCRUM MASTER FOR A LOT OF OUR, UM, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.
SO, KIND OF HAD MY HANDS IN IN MANY POT HONEY POTS HERE, UM, AND REALLY ENJOYED IT.
AND, AND I'VE DONE VOLUNTEER WORK IN, UM, WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, LIKE, UM, THE AUSTIN URBAN LEAGUE, UM, PEOPLE FUND A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT KINDA HELPED SMALL BUSINESSES WITH THEIR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION.
UM, BUT IT WAS WHEN I WAS WORKING WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE AND DOING GRANT RELIEF, UM, DURING STORM URI, THAT ACTUALLY MOTIVATED ME TO GET MORE INVOLVED, UM, ON, ON THE LOCAL POLITICS SIDE, JUST SEEING, UM, UM, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BETWEEN FOLKS WHO NEEDED SERVICES.
BUT THE ONLY MEANS TO ACCESS THOSE SERVICES WAS THROUGH DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS OR DIGITAL MEDIUMS. AND SO RECOGNIZING THAT THERE MAY BE A, A LEARNING GAP THAT I COULD POSSIBLY HELP FILL, UM, AS A FORMER EDUCATOR AS WELL.
SO YEAH, VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
AND AGAIN, WELCOME TO THE COMMISSION.
AND, UH, REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR APPOINTING YOU, UH, RIGHT, THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROCESS, UH, AND YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS NOW, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL.
UH, WITH THAT, WE'LL PROCEED WITH OUR AGENDA NOW, UH, TO AGENDA
[3. Briefing on Housing and Planning Department’s Action Plan for FY23-24 (Chris Duran, Senior Research Analyst – Housing and Planning Department) ]
ITEM THREE, BRIEFING ON HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT'S ACTION PLAN FOR FY 2324 BY CHRIS DURHAM, THE SENIOR RESEARCH ANALYST OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHRIS, FOR JOINING US IN, UH, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, I'M JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE, JAMIE MAY, UM, I'LL INTRODUCE MYSELF.
I AM WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
WE WERE RECENTLY, UM, HOUSING AND PLANNING IS NOW, UH, MOVING THROUGH SEPARATE DEPARTMENTS, BOTH HOUSING AND PLANNING AS INDEPENDENT DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE ARE WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
I'M A C RESEARCH ANALYST, AND I'LL LET JAMIE INTRODUCE HIMSELF.
I'M THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UH, OVERSEEING REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS AND, UH, FINANCIAL TRA UH, TRANSACTIONS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY HERE.
UM, I DO WANNA QUICKLY ASK STAFF, WE'VE BEEN DOING SO MANY MEETINGS THAT I'M FORGETTING IF WE HAVE A TIME PREFERENCE FOR OUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
UM, IS, IS STAFF AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THAT? IF THERE WAS A TIME LIMIT GIVEN
UH, MAYBE JUST LET ME KNOW HOW MUCH TIME YOU THINK YOU'LL NEED AND THEN I CAN FRAME IT, I THINK BETWEEN PRESENTATION AND THEN Q AND A.
UM, SO WE WILL GET INTO OUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
AND, UH, I THINK THE PRESENTATION WILL GIVE A GOOD, UM, GOOD OVERVIEW OF WHY WE'RE HERE AND, AND WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, FROM THE GROUP.
SO, AS I SAID, WE'RE WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND, UM, EVERY YEAR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UH, PRODUCES AN ACTION PLAN.
AND PART OF THAT PROCESS IS CONDUCTING A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
AND SO I WILL SAY, I KNOW WE HAVE NEWER COMMISSIONERS, SOME COMMISSIONERS MAY HAVE BEEN HERE LONGER, SO I APOLOGIZE IF I'M REPEATING ANYTHING ANYONE KNOWS, BECAUSE WE DO COME THROUGH, UM, ANNUALLY TO SOLICIT FEEDBACK.
SO SOME OF THIS MAY BE A BIT OF A REFRESHER FOR SOME, BUT I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE OTHERS IN THE DARK.
UM, BUT IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL OVERVIEW WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT.
[00:15:01]
SO WE RECEIVE A LOT OF ENTITLEMENT GRANTS, UM, A LOT OF FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, PARTICULARLY FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.AND I'M GONNA GO THROUGH SOME OF WHAT THOSE ARE.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH SOME OF THE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES THAT ARE FUNDED, AND WE'LL GO THROUGH A QUICK REVIEW OF THOSE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES, UM, LAST YEAR, UH, WHAT OUR CLIENTELE SERVED LOOKED LIKE.
UM, AND, UH, WE'LL GO THROUGH, UM, SOME OF THE, UH, I THINK WE'LL GO THROUGH SOME OF THE GOALS AND, AND WHICH WERE REACHED AND WHICH WE, UM, DIDN'T REACH.
UH, THERE'S A UNIQUE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY THAT'S COME THROUGH THAT I AM, UH, UPDATING, UH, COMMISSIONS ON.
WE ARE UPDATING COMMISSIONS ON LAST YEAR FOR ANY OF THOSE, UH, YOU, YOU WHO WERE HERE.
UM, WE WERE NOT ONLY SOLICITING INPUT FROM COMMISSIONS ON THE ACTION PLAN, BUT ALSO THE, UH, DRAFT PLAN FOR THIS UNIQUE GRANT OPPORTUNITY HOME, A R P, THAT A R P STANDS FOR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
AND WE DID SECURE THOSE FUNDS.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO NOT ONLY THANK THE COMMISSIONS, BUT GIVE AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S GONNA BE GOING ON WITH THOSE FUNDS, AND THEN GETTING INTO THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, I THINK, WHICH IS SHARING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD THAT'LL BE COMING UP ONCE WE PUBLISH A FIRST DRAFT.
AND TRY TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, FEEDBACK BOTH FROM THIS GROUP RIGHT NOW, BUT ALSO FROM THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY YOU SERVE, I KNOW YOU ALL ARE IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, UM, DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AROUND THE CITY ARE GOING TO HAVE DIFFERENT ISSUES, PARTICULARLY RELATED TO YOUR MISSION WITH, UH, COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
SO I'M VERY MUCH OUT AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF THIS MEETING.
UM, I THINK WE'RE GONNA GO OVER A LOT OF INFORMATION KIND OF FAST.
SO I THINK THE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING REALLY IS TWOFOLD.
A, TO KIND OF GIVE A, A BRIEF EDUCATION ON THE ACTION PLAN, AND THEN B, TO BEGIN GETTING KIND OF YOUR FEEDBACK BOTH NOW, BUT GOING FORWARD.
AND I GUESS I WILL SAY TOO, THAT I THINK THAT MAYBE RIGHT AWAY THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE HOUSING ACTION PLAN, TELECOMMUNICATION, WHERE'S THAT CONNECTION? OR MAYBE YOU ALL SEE IT RIGHT AWAY, GIVEN, GIVEN WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
BUT WHERE A, A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT THERE'S THIS KIND OF DIGITAL DIVIDE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO POPULATIONS WHO WE'RE SERVING.
AND THAT CAN BE A REAL ISSUE, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN A MYRIAD OF WAYS, EVEN FROM ACCESSING OUR PROGRAMS. AND SO THIS GROUP IS DEFINITELY SOME ONE THAT WE WANTED TO INCLUDE IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, AND WE ALSO RECENTLY, RECENTLY HAD A MEETING WITH GOOGLE FIBER TO REALLY BRING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR HERE.
THEY DO PROVIDE, UM, FREE, I GUESS YOU CAN RARELY USE THE WORD FREE, BUT THEY PROVIDE FREE SERVICES, UH, TO PUBLIC HOUSING, UM, THAT'S PROVIDED THROUGH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THEY'RE INTERESTED IN DOING MORE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, AT THE TOP, AND I'M SAYING IT SO I DON'T FORGET BECAUSE THAT'S A DISCUSSION, I'D REALLY LIKE TO BRING THIS COMMISSION INTO GO, NOT JUST TONIGHT, BUT REALLY GOING FORWARD.
I DON'T WANT TO COMMIT THEM TO ANYTHING.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S VERY INFORMAL.
CONVERSA A VERY INFORMAL CONVERSATION WE HA WE'VE HAD.
BUT, UM, THEY, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN DOING MORE.
AND A LOT OF THE TIMES IT'S, UM, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST, THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY, THE COMMISSIONS, UH, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
SO THAT'S KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE SPACE WE'RE, WE'RE ADDRESSING TODAY.
JUST TO CLARIFY, DO YOU WANT US TO HOLD QUESTIONS TO THE END, OR WOULD YOU LIKE THIS TO BE INTERACTIVE WITH THAT 30 MINUTE TIMEFRAME? THANKS FOR ASKING.
HONEST, I, I THINK MAYBE IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND THEN KIND OF DIVE INTO DISCUSSION AT THE END.
UM, SO THE, UH, LET ME, UH, GET INTO THE GRANTS AND KIND OF OUR, OUR, UH, OUR PROCESS WE'RE WORKING, UH, THROUGH HERE.
SO, AS I SAID, WE RECEIVE A LOT OF, UH, FEDERAL FUNDING HERE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT GETS INTO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
AND THIS IS THE REPORTING PROCESS, UM, THAT THEY REQUIRE.
WE OPERATE WITHIN, WE HAVE THAT FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN.
THEN WE HAVE ANNUAL ACTION PLANS, WHICH OPERATE WITHIN THAT FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, IS CRAFTING AN ACTION PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 23.
I HEARD SOME OF YOU SAYING YOU WORK IN TECH.
I HAVE NO DOUBT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH
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UNDER THAT FRAMEWORK, AND THEN ANNUALLY WE DO RE UM, WE DO PRODUCE, UH, IT'S EASILY, IT'S MORE EASILY SAID AS CAPER, THE CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT, WHICH CAPTURES, UH, THE UNIVERSE OF, UH, ACTIVITY THAT WE EXECUTED.BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN YEAR FIVE.
AND, UM, I DO LIKE TO STRESS THAT WHILE WE'RE SOLICITING INPUT FOR THIS YEAR'S ACTION PLAN FROM THE COMMUNITY NEXT YEAR, IT WILL NOT ONLY BE THE ACTION PLAN, BUT IT'LL BE YEAR ONE OF THAT FIVE YEAR.
SO WE'LL ACTUALLY ALSO BE SOLICITING INPUT FOR THE FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN, KIND OF THAT MASTER PLAN, WHICH THE ACTION PLANS OPERATE WITHIN.
AND I JUST STRESS THAT TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'LL BE A PARTICULARLY MEANINGFUL YEAR.
AND, UM, WE'LL PROBABLY REACH OUT, UH, AHEAD OF TIME TO KIND OF GIVE Y'ALL A HEADS UP JUST BECAUSE, UH, WE'D REALLY LIKE TO GET THE MOST, UM, KIND OF VALUABLE AND, AND THOUGHTFUL FEEDBACK WE CAN FOR THAT.
SO THESE ARE THE FOUR GRANTS I'VE BEEN REFERRING TO THAT, UH, OUR, THE ACTION PLAN DICTATES FUNDING FOR THE TOP TWO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS.
THOSE, UM, COME TO THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN WE ADMINISTER THE PROGRAMS, WHICH WE'RE ABOUT TO TALK TO, TALK ABOUT A SMALL PORTION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT.
UM, WE FUNNEL TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AS THEY ADMINISTER A PUBLIC SERVICES PORTION.
AND THEN THE BOTTOM TWO GRANTS, HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS AND EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANTS, THOSE COME TO THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, BUT THEN WE FUNNEL THOSE FUNDS TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THEY ADMINISTER THOSE PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
I'M GOING TO PASS IT OFF TO JAMIE WHO CAN GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES THAT THESE GRANTS FUND.
UM, SO THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE MANAGED, UH, THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, OR THROUGH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT OR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, CAN BE CATEGORIZED IN ONE OF SEVEN, UH, LARGE, UH, BUCKETS, IF YOU WILL.
UH, THESE ARE LISTED BEFORE YOU, AND WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES INDIVIDUALLY.
UH, SO WE'LL START WITH THE FIRST ONE.
UH, NEXT SLIDE UNDER HOMELESSNESS ASSISTANCE.
THIS INCLUDES, UH, ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT.
AS THESE, UH, THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE OUR RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM WE'RE IN, UH, WE CAN PROVIDE, UH, A VOUCHER AND A, UH, UH, HOUSING OPPORTUNITY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS ACUTELY EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, OUR TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE WHEREIN WE CAN PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS ADDITIONAL.
THIS IS AN ADD, AN ADDITIONAL VOUCHER PROGRAM, UH, FOR, UH, INCOME QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS.
UH, WE ALSO PROVIDE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE SUPPORT FOR THE ARCH, AS WELL AS OUR OTHER, UH, BRIDGE AND, AND TRANSITIONAL SHELTERS, UH, BOTH THE NOR BRIDGE AND SOUTH BRIDGE.
NEXT, THE, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGES MULTIPLE, UH, SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, UH, INCLUDING ALL THOSE PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH HOPWA AS, UH, CHRIS MENTIONED, AS WELL AS OUR CHILDCARE SERVICES AND SENIOR SERVICES, AND OTHER YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
NEXT, OUR RENTER'S ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS INCLUDES NOT ONLY, UH, TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE, WHERE, AGAIN, THAT'S A VOUCHER TO, UH, UH, ASSISTED INDIVIDUAL AND PAYING FOR THEIR RENT.
UH, WE ALSO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE, UH, IN TERMS OF, UM, REPRESENTATION AT NEGOTIATION AND CONVERSATION WITH PROPERTY MANAGERS, UH, PARTICULARLY IN, UH, AREAS OF EVICTION.
UH, THAT'S OUR TENANT'S RIGHTS ASSISTANCE.
UM, AND FINALLY, WE HAVE OUR ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVAL PROGRAM, UH, WHICH PROVIDES, UH, FUNDING FOR A RENTER TO ADD IN A, UH, RAMP OR GRAB BARS OR ANY OTHER, UH, IN IMPLEMENTATION, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN ENJOY THE FULL, UH, SCOPE OF THEIR RENTAL UNIT.
NEXT, SIMILARLY, WE HAVE OUR HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. UH, THESE ARE PRIMARILY OUR REAPPEAR AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMS. UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, THESE HOMES, UH, SOME OF THESE HOMES NEEDED AS CONSIDERABLE WORK.
UH, THE ROOF REPAIR IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE FUNDED THROUGH OUR, UH, HOME REHABILITATION LOAN PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THROUGH OUR MINOR HOME REPAIR.
WE DO LIKE TO USE ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS IN CONJUNCTION WITH ONE ANOTHER.
UH, SO IF AN INCOME QUALIFIED HOUSEHOLD, UH, REQUIRES ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVAL, UH, AS WELL AS MAYBE THERE'S A FOUNDATION CONCERN THAT HAS IMPACTED THE ROOF, WE CAN USE MINOR HOME REPAIR TO REPAIR THE DOORFRAMES, UH, THE HOMEOWNER REHABILITATION LOAN PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THE FOUNDATION ISSUES.
AND THEN THE GO REPAIR PROGRAM TO ADDRESS, ADDRESS THE ANY ROOF ISSUES.
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AS I MENTIONED, THESE PROGRAMS DO LEAN AGAINST EACH OTHER, UH, SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THE GREATEST SUPPORT FOR, UH, INCOME QUALIFIED HOMEOWNERS.NEXT, WE ALSO HAVE OUR HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH CAN PROVIDE UP TO $40,000 IN DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, UH, FOR INCOME QUALIFIED HOME BUYERS.
NEXT, OUR HOUSING DEVELOPER ASSISTANCE IS ESSENTIALLY A GAP FINANCING PROGRAM FOR, UH, RENTAL AND OWNERSHIP HOUSING DEVELOPERS.
UH, IN EXCHANGE FOR, UH, THE FUNDING THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT WILL PROVIDE DEEP AFFORDABILITY, UH, FOR SOME OF THEIR UNITS.
WE HAVE DEVELOPER INCENTIVE-BASED PROGRAMS LISTED HERE AS WELL, BECAUSE ANY PRO ANY PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT THAT WE INVEST IN, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ALL OF OUR INC INCENTIVE-BASED PROGRAMS, SUCH AS SMART HOUSING AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, OR ANY DENSITY BONUSES THAT, UH, MAY APPLY.
AND FINALLY, NEXT WE HAVE OUR OTHER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, PROGRAMS. UH, THIS IS KIND OF A CATCHALL CATEGORY.
UM, IN HERE WE HAVE OUR BI FAMILY BUSINESS LOAN PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS OUR CHOTO OPERATING EXPENSE GRANTS, THE COMMUNITY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, OR CHOTO.
UH, WE HAVE FOUR OF THOSE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THESE GRANTS PROVIDE, UH, EXTREMELY FLEXIBLE CAPITAL, UH, FOR THE ONGOING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE CHOTO.
UH, YOU CAN PAY ANYTHING FROM RENT TO STAFF, UM, OR JUST BUY, UH, PENS AND PENCILS.
UH, THIS IS A, A WAY TO HELP THESE, UH, SMALL ORGANIZATIONS KEEP THE LIGHTS ON.
SO I'LL HAND IT BACK OVER TO CHRIS.
SO I WANT TO GIVE KIND OF A PICTURE OF THE CLIENTELE THAT WE'RE SERVING.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, UH, FISCAL YEAR 21 MO.
OUR MOST RECENT, UH, FISCAL YEAR, UH, WE SERVED A LITTLE OVER 2,600 PEOPLE THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS. THAT WAS A BIT LOW FOR US.
I WASN'T WITH THE DEPARTMENT, BUT, UM, I KNOW JAMIE HAS SHARED THAT.
UM, UH, USUALLY WE'RE, WE'RE HIGHER THAN THAT, AND THIS IS THE LAST YEAR, HOPEFULLY, THAT WE CAN, UH, CITE, UH, SOME REMAINING COVID, UM, EITHER RESTRICTIONS OR A LACK OF DEMAND, YOU KNOW, FOLKS PERHAPS NOT WANTING TO INVITE PEOPLE INTO THEIR HOMES, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, VARIOUS, UM, UH, FACTORS WITH COVID STILL, STILL KIND OF BEING AT PLAY, IF YOU THINK BACK TO, AT THE BEGINNING OF FISCAL YEAR 21, GOING INTO THE WINTER 2021.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY, UH, THOSE WILL BE BACK UP NEXT YEAR.
AND I DO BELIEVE WE'RE ON TRACK FOR THAT.
THE ENTITLEMENT GRANTS THAT I DESCRIBED, THOSE ARE A BIT OVER $16 MILLION.
SO THAT IS THE FUNDING POT THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
THAT'S THE FUNDING POT THAT, UH, WE ARE HOPING TO GET AS MUCH COMMUNITY INPUT ON AS POSSIBLE.
UM, IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A UNIQUE PANDEMIC ERA FUNDING, AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT COME DOWN THROUGH A TH DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
SO THE CARES ACT PROVIDED A LITTLE OVER $12 MILLION TO SUPPLEMENT OUR PROGRAMMING.
UM, AND SO WE WON'T SEE THAT SO MUCH NEXT YEAR, BUT WE, WE WILL SEE, UH, FUNDING THAT I, I ALLUDED TO EARLIER WITH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
SO, UM, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE MIGHT HAVE FUNDS THAT SUPPLEMENTS THE ENTITLEMENT GRANTS THAT WE GET EVERY YEAR.
SO, WE DO TRACK, UM, DEMOGRAPHICS PRETTY METICULOUSLY, UM, UH, ON OUR CLIENTELE.
WE SERVE AN OUTSIZED PROPORTION OF THE POPULATION WHEN IT COMES TO THE BLACK AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY THAT ACTUALLY TICKED UP A FEW PERCENTAGE POINTS THIS YEAR.
SO WE SERVE A LITTLE OVER A THIRD OF OUR CLIENTELE BEING BLACK, AFRICAN AMERICAN, UM, RELATIVE TO, UM, THE POPULATION OF BOSTON BEING ABOUT SEVEN OR 8%.
UM, WHERE WE HAVE A ACTUAL LOWER PERCENTAGE, UM, SERVED IS, UM, ASIAN AMERICAN.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE, UH, HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, WITH THE ASIAN AMERICAN QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION.
AND WE, WE'VE KIND OF HAD BEEN HAVING GOOD DIS WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW MAYBE IN SUB-SEGMENTS OF THAT POPULATION, THERE'S, UH, LESS NEED, BUT IT'S SUCH A VAST POPULATION THAT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT REDOUBLING, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS THERE.
UM, IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, IT'S RELATED.
UM, WE TRACK ETHNICITY, AND, UM, WE HAD A BIG JUMP HERE YEAR OVER YEAR.
UM, A LITTLE OVER, OR A LITTLE UNDER HALF OF OUR CLIENTELE IDENTIFIES HISPANIC OR LATINX.
AND THEN AS JA AS YOU SAW, AS JAMIE KIND OF GAVE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR PROGRAMMING, UM, THE MAJORITY, I GUESS YOU WOULD KIND OF SEE GIVEN OUR PROGRAMS THAT THE CLIENTELE WOULD KIND OF SPAN THE BREADTH
[00:30:01]
OF INCOME LEVELS.UM, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY, OR THE GOOD MAJORITY OF OUR CLIENTELE ARE UNDER 30%, M F I, WHICH IS MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME OF THE AREA.
UM, AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR CLIENTELE ABOVE 90% ARE BELOW 50% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
AND THEN YOU SEE A SMALLER PORTION OF OUR CLIENTELE BEING IN THAT 51 TO 80% MFI.
UM, AND THAT'S, UH, I THINK YOU SEE THAT A LOT MORE WITH, UH, PERHAPS PROGRAMS LIKE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
SO JAMIE WILL GO INTO AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF OUR, UH, GOALS AND, AND, UH, EXPENDITURES THIS YEAR, THIS PAST YEAR.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS SLIDE, UH, THIS IS JUST THE SAMPLING OF SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS. AS MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, THE SENIOR SERVICES, CHILD SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, THESE, AGAIN, ARE MANAGED BY OUR FRIENDS AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, SENIOR SERVICES EXCEEDED THEIR GOAL, UH, CONSIDERABLY, UH, WHILE THE OTHER TWO, UH, CAME CLOSE.
UH, WE SAY THAT'S, UH, THAT'S APPROACHING THE GOAL.
UM, CONVERSELY, UH, I POINT OUT HOMELESSNESS ASSISTANCE, UH, FELL ABOUT 400, UH, INDIVIDUALS SHORT OF ITS GOAL, UH, PRIMARILY.
THIS, AGAIN, IS DUE TO OUR, UH, UM, SOCIAL DISTANCING CHALLENGES AROUND, UH, AROUND COVID, UM, AND THE, UH, LACK OF BEDS FOR, UH, HOMELESSNESS.
UH, SO BUILDING MORE BEDS, ADDING, ADDING MORE UNITS, ADDING MORE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
UH, THEY SAY THE ONLY WAY TO SOLVE HOMELESSNESS IS WITH A HOME.
UM, SO WE DO HOPE TO, UH, UM, RECTIFY THAT IN THE COMING YEARS TO, UH, ACHIEVE THAT GOAL, UH, THROUGH MORE FUNDING.
THESE ARE ANOTHER SAM, UH, A COUPLE OF SAMPLING OF OUR PROGRAMS. UH, AND WHAT GROUPS THESE TOGETHER.
YOU POINT OUT THE ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVAL, MINOR HOME REPAIR, AND THE HOMEOWNER REHABILITATION LOAN PROGRAM.
ALL THREE OF THESE FELL, UH, SHOT SHORT OF THEIR GOALS.
UM, AND THIS WAS PRIMARILY DUE TO, UH, THE SOCIAL DISTANCING PROBLEMS OF, OF, UH, OF THE PANDEMIC.
UM, IT'S DIFFICULT TO GO INTO SOMEONE'S HOME, UH, AND REPAIR, UH, THE HOME IN WHICH THEY LIVE.
UH, WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, REMAIN SOCIALLY DISTANT AND NOT SEE ANYBODY, UH, AGAIN, WE SHOULD SEE A BOUNCE BACK OF THESE PROGRAMS, UH, NOW THAT THE, UH, PANDEMIC HAS WANED AND IS NOW INTO AN ENDEMIC STAGE.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY WE WILL, UH, ACHIEVE THIS GOAL IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
I WOULD ALSO POINT OUT UNDER RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AND OWNERSHIP, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, WE SURPASSED THOSE GOALS.
THIS WAS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE FACT THAT, UH, IN THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, UH, CONSTRUCTION DID NOT STOP.
SO WE WERE HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE ARE BUILDING, UH, MORE AND ADDING MORE UNITS TO OUR INVENTORY, UH, WITH, UH, OVER ALMOST 150 ADDITIONAL UNITS BEYOND OUR GOAL, UH, FOR JUST FOR THE RENTAL SIDE.
AND THEN THIS IS THE LAST YEAR THAT WE WILL HAVE OUR CARES ACT.
UM, SO WE HAVE OUR CARES ACT, WHICH WE FUNNELED INTO MULTIPLE PROGRAMS. HERE'S JUST TWO OF THOSE.
UH, THE CHILDCARE SERVICES SUPPLEMENTED OUR, UH, STANDARD, UH, CHILDCARE SERVICES PROGRAM FUNDING.
UH, SO COUPLING THE TWO TOGETHER, WE DID ACHIEVE THAT, UH, THAT SET OF GOALS.
UM, AND THEN OUR RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM, AGAIN, VERY, UH, CONSIDERABLY SHORT OF, UH, THE STATED GOAL, UH, AFTER THE PANDEMIC WANED, UH, THEN, UH, THE EXPLOSION IN RENT AND, UH, THE DEMAND, UH, FOR HOUSING LEFT.
OUR FRIENDS AT ECHO WHO MANAGE OUR, UH, LANDLORD ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY, UM, AT A BIT OF A LOSS, UH, IT'S TOUGH TO, UH, FIND, UM, AFFORDABLE UNITS OR EVEN UNITS THAT WOULD TAKE ON, UH, RAPID REHOUSING CLIENTS WHEN THERE ARE NO UNITS TO RENT.
UH, SO AS THE MARKET COOLS AS, UH, WE RETURN TO SEMBLANCE OF NORMALS, UH, WE DO UP TO SEE OUR, UH, RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS REBOUND.
AND I BELIEVE I'LL HAND IT BACK TO CHRIS NOW.
UM, I'LL GO THROUGH THIS REALLY QUICKLY CUZ IT DIVERGES FROM THE ACTION PLAN, BUT, UM, WE DID WANT TO GIVE A SUMMARY OF, UM, THIS UNIQUE GRANDING GRANT FUND THAT'S BEEN SECURED.
AND WE ARE ALSO SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT SOME UNIQUE ASPECTS OF ASPECTS OF THIS, THIS GRANT FUNDS TO THE COMMUNITY.
[00:35:01]
PLAN, UH, SIGNED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN IN 2021, CONGRESS APPROPRIATED $5 BILLION, UH, TO BE ADMINISTERED THROUGH HOME GRANTS, UH, SUCH AS OUR, UH, DEPARTMENT, UH, ADMINISTERS, UH, FOR THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES, UH, YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN, UM, DEVELOPMENT OF SUPPORTABLE AND SUPPORT OF POOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, 10 BAY RENTAL ASSISTANCE, PROVISION OF SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT OF NON CONGREGATE SHELTERS AND PLAN PLANNING, GET ADMINISTRATION.IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, WE SECURED ABOUT, OR NOT ABOUT, OR ABOUT, UM, 11.4 MILLION, UM, IN FUNDING A LARGE, UH, FOCUS OF THAT WILL BE IN THE ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT OF NON CONGREGATE SHELTER.
UH, THERE'S ALSO A, UM, STRONG PIECE OF DEEL DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, IT OVERVIEWS SOME UNIQUE ASPECTS TO THIS FUNDING FOR THE NON CONGREGATE SHELTER.
THERE'S A, A SINGLE, UM, PREFERENCE FOR WHO HAS, UM, PRIORITIZATION FOR THESE FUNDS TO BE SERVED, TO BE THE BENEFICIARY OF THIS FUNDS.
AND THAT'S SINGLE OR MULTI-MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
HOWEVER, UM, IN A FEW OF THE CATEGORIES, UM, ONE OF THEM BEING RENTAL HOUSING UNITS CREATED THROUGH NON CONGREGATE SHELTER CONVERSION.
UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS APPLYING AN ELIGIBLE PRE ELIGIBILITY PREFERENCE, NOT ONLY TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, AND HOUSEHOLDS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT ALTAS ALSO THOSE FLEEING OR ATTEMPTING TO FLEE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, STALKING, OR HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
AND IF WE MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING, UH, THERE ARE ALSO THAT TWOFOLD PRIORITIZATION AS WELL, BOTH FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND THOSE FLEEING OR ATTEMPTING TO FLEE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND SO WE'VE UPDATED OUR PARTNERS WHO WORK IN THAT AREA, LIKE SAFE ALLIANCE, AND WE'VE BEEN, UM, SPREADING THE, THE NEWS ABOUT THIS, UH, UNIQUE FUNDING COMING THAT'LL BE COMING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY.
SO, GETTING BACK TO THE ACTION PLAN, UH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, IT'S DE I I FEEL LIKE, UH, I QUESTION THE, THE USE OF THIS SLIDE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE JUST THROWING A LOT AT YOU.
BUT, OH, THE POINT OF IT IS TO REALLY, I JUST SHOW THAT WE ARE REALLY MAKING AN EFFORT NOT JUST TO GET A DIVERSE ARRAY OF INPUT AROUND THE COMMUNITY WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, WITH DIFFERENT MISSIONS, BUT ALSO PROVIDE BOTH A DIGITAL AND IN-PERSON MEANS FOR, UH, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO GIVE FEEDBACK.
UM, WE'RE HOLDING, UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS, UH, AT THIS POINT.
THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, OPPORTUNITIES HAVE BEEN HELD BOTH AT CITY COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
BUT AS YOU'LL SEE, UH, A FUTURE SLIDE, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, UH, WE ARE TAKING, STILL TAKING DIGITAL INPUT, UH, THROUGH THIS SATURDAY, WHICH I'LL GET THE THAT TO THAT IN A FUTURE SLIDE.
BUT IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, AFTER THIS SATURDAY, WE'LL CLOSE THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT PORTION OF THIS PROCESS, AND WE'RE GONNA GO TO WORK, PUTTING TOGETHER A FIRST DRAFT OF THE ACTION PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, AND THEN BEGINNING MAY 2ND, AND RUNNING THROUGH FRIDAY, JUNE 3RD.
THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER P PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
SO WE'LL BE, I'LL BE SURE TO GET THE LINK FOR THAT OVER TO YOUR COMMISSION, UM, SO THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO A FIRST DRAFT.
YOU COULD MAYBE
UM, YOU'D BE ABLE TO LOOK, UH, FOR SECTIONS THAT PERTAIN TO THE FOCUS OF YOUR GROUP.
AND, UH, WE'D REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, FEEDBACK, UH, AT THE DIGITAL, UH, PORTAL THAT WE'LL HAVE OPEN.
AND THEN WE'LL ALSO HAVE IN-PERSON PO UH, OPPORTUNITIES, UH, AT THE DIFFERENT PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT YOU SEE FOR INPUT AS WELL.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS, UM, THE, UH, LINK THAT I JUST REFERRED TO, PUBLIC INPUT.COM/HOUSING NEEDS, UM, THROUGH SATURDAY.
WE'D REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, INPUT FROM YOU INDIVIDUALLY, FROM, UH, FOLKS IN YOUR COMMUNITIES AND YOUR DISTRICTS, UM, THAT CAN REALLY ADVOCATE FOR WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE PRIORITIZED IN SPENDING.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF NEED IN DIFFERENT AREAS, UM, AND SO WE KIND OF LOOK TO THE PUBLIC TO GET THAT INPUT ON WHAT WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE AND WHAT WE NEED TO BE PUTTING FUNDS TOWARD FIRST.
UH, MY, MY EMAIL'S ON HERE TOO, BECAUSE I DO, LIKE I SAID AT THE TOP, I JUST, I FEEL LIKE WE WENT OVER A LOT JUST NOW.
SO I'M REALLY COMMITTED TO BEING AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF THIS MEETING, AND I ALSO AM OPEN TO COMING BACK IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, SPACE FOR COLLABORATION
[00:40:01]
AND CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS GOING FORWARD.I CAN'T HELP FEEL THAT IT WAS KIND OF SERENDIPITOUS THAT WE, WE HAD THIS, UH, EXACT PRESENTATION AND MEETING TODAY WITH THE COMMISSION ON AGING.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE IS A REAL OVERLAP THERE BETWEEN, UM, SENIORS AND KIND OF THAT DIGITAL LITERACY.
UM, AND I'LL BRING IN THAT PRIVATE SECTOR PIECE.
I, UH, REFERRED TO EARLIER, GOOGLE FIBER HAS VOICED THAT THEY'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN, UH, PR PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, FREE, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD PARTNER SOME WAY WITH THE CITY PROVIDING FREE, UM, EDUCATION CLASSES, UM, FOR, TO KIND OF GA UM, FILL THAT DIGITAL LITERACY GAP.
UM, SOMETHING I WAS TRYING TO SAY EARLIER IN MY BRAIN JUST WASN'T WORKING, UH, AS, UH, EFFECTIVELY AT THIS HOUR, WAS THAT ONE AREA THAT GOOGLE FIBER, UH, VOICED TO US WAS THAT WHILE THEY'RE INTERESTED IN PROVIDING MORE FREE SERVICES, UH, TO THE CITY, ESPECIALLY IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING SITUATIONS, UM, A LOT OF THE TIME, IF THE DEVELOPMENT IS OLDER, IF THE BUILDING IS OLDER, THEY, THEY WANT TO PROVIDE THE FREE SERVICE, BUT TO, TO, TO, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IS COST PROHIBITIVE FOR THEM.
AND SO THE, I I WOULD JUST OFFER TO THE COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION GOING FORWARD, THEN PERHAPS THAT'S A, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, UH, AN EFFECTIVE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
BUT, UM, I DON'T WANT TO GO ON TOO LONG.
I WANT TO RESPECT YOUR TIME AND ALSO LEAVE SOME TIME FOR, FOR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION HERE.
SO I THINK I'LL JUST PUT IT BACK TO Y'ALL.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, CHRIS, AND, UH, UH, YOUR COLLEAGUE AS WELL.
UH, I, I, I DID WANT TO MAKE SURE TO CLARIFY, WE ONLY HAVE REALLY JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES HERE FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, SO I'M GONNA JUMP IN, UH, YOU KNOW, BASED UPON THE OUTLINE YOU DESCRIBED IN, IN TERMS OF, UH, WELL, FOR, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THIS IS ALL VERY VALUABLE AND, AND USEFUL INFORMATION.
UM, I, I'VE GOT LOTS OF REACTIONS TO, UM, THE GOALS AND, AND HOW WE MISSED THE MARK ON, ON THOSE.
BUT I TAKE TO HEART WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE EFFECT OF THE PANDEMIC AND, AND SAW THOSE DYNAMICS AND DIFFERENT THINGS WE DID HERE AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL.
BUT JUMPING IN TO YOUR US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, UH, TIMELINE AND WHAT YOU BASICALLY FORECASTED AS, UH, A NEED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT TO BE OPENED ON THE CONSOLIDATED FIVE-YEAR PLAN, UH, POTENTIALLY THIS YEAR, LEADING INTO NEXT YEAR, UH, I'M, I'M REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT NOTION AND A WAY FOR US TO ADD VALUE TO THIS.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF COLLABORATING WITH PARTNERS HERE WITH THE CITY, UH, AND TRAVIS COUNTY AND OUR DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN TO HOST AN EVENT, UH, THIS OCTOBER, WHICH COULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LAUNCH LOCALLY, THAT PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, UH, EVEN IF IT IS, UH, PRELIMINARY OR EVEN IF IT IS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME TO MIND WHEN I LOOKED AT YOUR CALENDAR FOR COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH THE 15TH BEING, UH, NEXT WEEK, UH, WOULD'VE BEEN HOW GREAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN TO HAVE HAD YOU ON THIS AGENDA, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS EARLIER, UH, AND, AND TO THEN BE NOW, UH, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING, UH, ADDITIONAL INPUTS TO THE COMMENTARY, UH, THROUGH OUR, OUR RESOURCES.
BUT I'M VERY GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE NONETHELESS.
UM, I KNOW THAT I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO, TO REACT TO THAT, AND THEN I'LL PASS IT OFF TO SEE IF THERE'S ONE OR TWO OTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, CHRIS IS HAVING SOME CONNECTION DIFFICULTIES.
UH, SO, BUT I CAN SPEAK TO, UH, THE, THE TIMELINE AND THE, UH, UH, THE SCHEDULING THAT YOU MENTIONED.
THE, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING, UM, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE GOING TO COUNSEL, UH, ON, UH, NEXT OR TOMORROW, UH, FOR OUR FINAL PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
UM, THEN WE WILL BE GOING TO COUNSEL AGAIN AND THE COM AND THE, UH, UH, C D C, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, UH, FOR A PUBLIC HEARING OVER THE DRAFT, UH, UH, ACTION PLAN.
UM, I WOULD ALSO OFFER THAT ALL COMMENTS THAT WE'RE COLLECTING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UH, WILL THEN BE COLLECTED AND, UH, USED FOR OUR CONSOLIDATED PLAN PROCESS, WHICH WILL, UH, BEGIN, UH, IN THE COMING YEAR.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, AND, UH, ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE ARE ALSO, UH, GOING TO PURSUE A STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT FOR OUR INTERNAL PROGRAMS. UM, SO COMMENTS THAT WE ARE COLLECTING HERE, UH, WILL BE BASICALLY HAVE THREE LIFETIMES, UH, OVER THE THREE PROGRAMS THAT WE
[00:45:01]
ARE, UH, THAT WE'RE PURSUING BOTH THIS CURRENT ACTION PLAN, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'LL PURSUE OVER THE SUMMER AND THEN NEXT YEAR'S CONSOLIDATED PLAN.UH, CHRIS, I HOPE I DON'T SPEAK TOO MUCH, EDITOR.
SPEAKING OF TECHNOLOGY, I, UM, I HAD TO SWITCH TO MY PHONE.
I WAS, MY COMPUTER'S BEEN HAVING ISSUES, BUT, UM, YEAH, I'M BACK NOW.
AND, UM, I, I MISSED THE QUESTION IF YOU WANTED TO RESTATE IT.
WELL, I, I THINK WHAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, ESPECIALLY BASED ON, UH, UH, THE RESPONSE THAT JAMES JUST GAVE, UH, UHHUH
OUR EVENT IN THE FALL IS A STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT, RIGHT? WHICH CERTAINLY INCLUDES, UH, YOUR DEPARTMENT AND YOUR STAKEHOLDERS, UH, AS A KEY SUBSET, IF NOT A PRIMARY SUBSET OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, AND THOSE AFFECTED BY THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
SO, TO BE CLEAR, UH, WE ARE HEAVILY FOCUSED ON THE SAME POPULATIONS, IN FACT, YES.
UH, LOCALLY, ONLY 18% OF THOSE QUALIFIED FOR THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM HAVE ENROLLED.
UH, AND UNDOUBTEDLY MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ARE USING YOUR SERVICES, UH, BASED UPON WHERE THEY ARE.
UH, SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, SINCE WE'RE OUT OF TIME NOW, IS TO BASICALLY SCHEDULE A FOLLOW UP CONVERSATION WITH A, A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONERS, UH, AND, UH, YOUR TEAM TO THEN IDEATE ON HOW TO INTEGRATE YOU INTO OUR LONG-TERM PLANNING, UH, BOTH TO GET PUBLIC COMMENTS AND ALSO TO HE HELP IN ANY WAY WITH STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
I, I JUST WANNA SAY, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA AND, UM, YEAH, WE, WE CAN DEFINITELY REDO THAT.
WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UH, I, I APOLOGIZE, COMMISSIONERS, WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR ANY QUESTIONS NOW, BUT IF YOU'LL BE SO KIND, ASKED TO EMAIL, UH, MYSELF, UH, COPY, UH, DAN, UH, WITH YOUR QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE'LL, UH, GET THAT SMALL WORK GROUP TOGETHER, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR CONVERSATION WITH, UH, CHRIS AND HIS TEAM WORK GROUP.
WELL, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHRIS AND JAMES FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.
UH, ESPECIALLY WORKING UNTIL LATE, UH, NIGHT HOURS.
I'LL REACH OUT THANKS, UH, TO YOU NO LATER THAN TOMORROW, UH, TO START TRYING TO SET UP UP THAT FOLLOW-UP CALL.
OKAY, SO MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR AGENDA, WE'RE NOW ONTO, UH,
[4. Working Group Assignments (Commission Discussion and Action)]
DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. AGENDA ITEM FOUR, WORKING GROUP ASSIGNMENTS.AND THERE'S A SUPPORTIVE DOCUMENT IN HERE, UH, THAT THOSE IN PERSON HAVE IN THEIR FOLDERS, AND YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR INVITATION ONLINE.
AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF, UH, EDITS I WANNA ADDRESS IN THE FLOW OF THE DOCUMENT.
UH, BUT TO BEGIN WITH, I JUST WANT TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONERS.
UH, SO OUR COMMISSION AS RES OPERATES REALLY, UH, IN WORKING GROUPS TO CONDUCT BUSINESS WHEN WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY CONDUCTING IT HERE AT THE MEETINGS.
UH, AND THAT BUSINESS, TO BE CLEAR, IS NOT OFFICIAL ACTION, BUT WHAT IT IS, IS RESEARCH FACT FINDING, UH, LITTLE BIT OF CONSENSUS DEVELOPMENT AND OR SEEING HOW WE FEEL ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS, OFTENTIMES WILL INCLUDE CITY STAFF ON SENSITIVE TOPICS, UH, AND GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHED LIGHT ON THE DYNAMICS WITHOUT HAVING TO, UH, DO SO AT THE, THE COMMISSION MEETING.
BUT OFTENTIMES, THEY HELP PREPARE THOSE PRESENTATIONS AT THE COMMISSION MEETINGS AS WELL.
UH, THOSE WORKING GROUP DISCUSSIONS ARE, ARE REALLY, UH, A KEY PART OF GETTING THINGS DONE AT THE COMMISSION, BECAUSE AS YOU'LL FIND OUT, UH, EVEN THOUGH AS CHAIR, I WORK TO TRY TO LIMIT THESE MEETINGS TO THREE HOURS, THAT THREE HOURS GOES REALLY QUICKLY.
UH, AND THEN WE'RE LEFT WITH THE REST OF THE MONTH, EITHER TO INTERACT OUTSIDE OF A QUORUM WITH EACH OTHER OR WITHIN THOSE WORKING GROUPS TO GET BUSINESS DONE.
SO AS, AS DESCRIBED HERE, THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS THAT WE UTILIZE, AGAIN, WITH THE STRUCTURED TOPICAL FOCUS TO DIVIDE THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND STRATEGIC POLICY IMPACT WORKING GROUP, THE KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION AND DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP, AND THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP.
WE HAVE A WORK PLAN RETREAT PLANNED, UH, AS WE DO EVERY
[00:50:01]
YEAR IN OUR MAY MEETING.AND AT THAT MEETING, WE'LL ACTUALLY REVIEW THE WORKING GROUP CHAIR REPORTS, WE'LL DISCUSS RESTRUCTURING THE CURRENT WORKING GROUPS IN THE COMMITTEES WHERE POSSIBLE, AND WE'RE GONNA SET TIMELINES FOR EACH FUNCTIONING WORKING GROUP TO REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES AND FINDINGS, UH, AND AT FULLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT, UH, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, FOR COMMISSIONERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING ONLINE, UH, AS THREE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS HAVE DONE TODAY.
UH, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WHICH OUR COMMISSION ACTUALLY HELPED TO GET INSTATED FOR COMMISSIONS.
SO, I, I DON'T WANT TO UNDERSTATE HOW PROUD AND THANKFUL I AM THAT YOU CAN DO THAT.
HAVING SAID THAT, UH, OUR PLANNING RETREAT IS ONE WHERE WE REALLY WOULD BENEFIT FROM FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION.
UH, WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING SOME WORKSHOPPING AND WHITEBOARDING.
UH, AND SO EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GOING TO FACILITATE A WAY FOR ANY COMMISSIONER WHO CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN PERSON TO JOIN US REMOTELY, I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU CAN, UH, JOIN US IN PERSON.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE ON MAY 10TH.
SO IF YOU WANNA CHECK YOUR CALENDARS AND GO AHEAD AND PLAN THOSE COMMUTE ROUTES, PARKING,
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET'S GO AHEAD AND JUMP INTO THE CURRENT WORKING GROUPS AS THEY'RE STRUCTURED AND GIVE YOU GUYS KIND OF A SENSE OF WHO'S CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THEM, HOW THEY MEET TIMING-WISE.
UH, WE'LL TALK MORE THEMATICALLY ABOUT WHAT THEY DO, UH, AND THEN WE WILL DO A LITTLE RECRUITMENT AND SEE IF WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET SOME OF THESE ASSIGNMENTS DONE TODAY.
SO IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, REALLY ALPHABETICAL, UH, BEGINNING WITH THE DIGITAL INCLUSION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC POLICY IMPACT WORKING GROUP.
THEY CURRENTLY, I SAY THEY, WE CURRENTLY MEET ON THE FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT 4:00 PM I AM THE CHAIR OF THAT WORKING GROUP.
UH, I'VE BEEN SERVING AS CHAIR OF THAT WORKING GROUP SINCE I SURELY AFTER BECOMING A COMMISSIONER, UH, WHEN I VOLUNTEERED TO BECOME EX-OFFICIAL CHAIR OF THE GTOP S, UH, PROGRAM, SO TO SPEAK, AS IS EXPLAINED, VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
UH, THIS WORKING GROUP IS SQUARELY FOCUSED ON DIGITAL INCLUSION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND STRATEGIC POLICY IMPACT.
ALTHOUGH EVERY WORKING GROUP HAS TO FOCUS ON STRATEGIC POLICY, UH, BECAUSE THE WORK WE DO IN TECH AND TELECOM IS, UH, VERY INTERRELATED WITH, UH, STATE AND LOCAL AND COUNTY POLITICS.
SO WE ARE OFTEN, UH, HAVING TO REACT TO POLICY.
IN FACT, THAT'S THE REASON WHY THAT, UH, WORKING GROUP WAS AMENDED TO INCLUDE STRATEGIC POLICY.
UH, CURRENTLY OUR VICE CHAIR, STEVEN ABBA DACA, IS ALSO ON THAT WORKING GROUP, UH, COMMISSIONER ISLAND WHO'S NOT PRESENT, UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA, WHO'S NOT PRESENT.
UH, AND COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, UH, WHO HAD R C P, BUT THEN HAD SOMETHING COME UP IN, UH, COULD NOT ATTEND.
UH, SO THERE'S NOT CURRENTLY ANY VACANCIES ON THAT WORKING GROUP, BUT I DO WANNA MAKE MENTION OF THE FACT THAT, UH, THERE MAY BE AN OPENING COMING AVAILABLE, UH, DEPENDING UPON WHAT HAPPENS, UH, IN DISTRICT NINE.
UH, CURRENTLY COMMISSIONER THOMPSON IS SERVING AN EXTENSION FOR APPOINTMENT.
SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL FIND OUT IF SHE'LL BE JOINING US NEXT MONTH, AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
AND I'LL KEEP YOU ALL POSTED ON THAT.
UH, THIS WORKING GROUP IS BASICALLY THE, THE FIRST PLACE THAT WE DISCUSSED DIGITAL INCLUSION TOPICS WITHIN THE COMMISSION.
UH, WE OFTEN WILL DISCUSS GTOP PS, UH, THINGS GOING ON WITH GTOP PS, THINGS GOING ON WITHIN DECA, UH, THINGS, UH, THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, INCLUDING THE TOWN HALLS THAT WE'VE BEEN HOSTING HERE AT OUR LIBRARIES, UH, AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN LEADING AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL.
THE NEXT WORKING GROUP IS THE KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION, AND DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, LEMME PAUSE.
UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DIGITAL INCLUSION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC POLICY IMPACT WORKING GROUP AT THIS STAGE? AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ASK MORE LATER, SO NO, NO WORRIES IF NOT.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON, UH, TO THE KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP.
UH, THE CURRENT SCHEDULE IS THE SECOND MONDAY OF THE MONTH AT 4:00 PM AND THAT IS CURRENTLY CHAIRED BY VICE COMMISSION, VICE CHAIR STEVEN APODACA.
COMMISSIONER ISLAND IS ALSO ON THAT WORKING GROUP IN THAT WORKING GROUP.
AND CURRENTLY COMMISSIONER FLOYD, UH, IS PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP, ALTHOUGH COMMISSIONER FLOYD IS SERVING HIS EXTENDED
[00:55:01]
TERM RIGHT NOW.UH, AND SO AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, COMMISSIONER FLOYD, WHO'S, UH, BEEN A DUTIFUL SERVANT ON THIS COMMISSION FOR, UH, EIGHT YEARS NOW, WILL BE TERMED OUT AND FORCED TO RESIGN.
UH, BUT, UH, WITH THAT, UH, WE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO AN OPPORTUNITY AS SOON AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER HAS APPOINTED SOMEONE.
UH, IN THE MEANTIME, UH, THERE'LL BE A VACANCY, SO THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE FORTHCOMING.
UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA AND THEN MYSELF ALSO SERVING ON THIS WORKING GROUP, THE KNOWLEDGE INFORMATION DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP, VERY MUCH LIKE THE TITLE SUGGESTS, UH, IS FOCUSED THEMATICALLY ON KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION, AND DATA STEWARDSHIP.
UH, WE ARRIVED AT THIS WORKING GROUP NAME DURING ONE OF OUR WORK, UH, OUR WORK PLAN RETREATS, AND AGREED THAT THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT FOCUS BECAUSE OF HOW IMPORTANT WE KNOW DATA, UH, IS AND INFORMATION IS BOTH TO THE COMMUNITY AND US AS ADVISORS, UH, TO ADVISE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE, UH, THE WORKING GROUP CHAIR A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO THIS AND TO, UH, ADD TO WHAT I'VE, I'VE STATED ABOUT THIS WORKING GROUP.
UM, SO RATHER THAN THAN CONTINUE TO GO, UH, I CAN PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON JUST BRIEFLY SORT OF BRING IT TO LIFE A BIT.
UM, SO SOME OF THE, THE RECENT TOPICS THAT, THAT WE'VE SORT OF UNDERTAKEN, UH, INCLUDE HOW, HOW BEST TO COMMUNICATE SOME OF THE BEST, SOME OF THE CITY PROGRAMS, RESOURCES, UM, AND, AND ALLOW GREATER ACCESS TO THE, TO THE INTERNET, UM, WORKING TO, UH, IMPROVE DATA MAPPING AND ANALYSIS FOR OUR CITY.
UM, ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE UNDERTAKEN IS CONTINUING TO MONITOR CI, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE REDESIGN PROJECT.
NOT SURE IF YOU ALL HAVE SORT OF KEPT A PULSE ON, ON ON THE UPDATES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON WITH THE WEBSITE, BUT, UM, IF, IF YOU HAVE, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MAJOR CHANGES.
SO, UM, SEVERAL TIMES WE'VE HAD FOLKS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REDESIGN COME, UH, PROVIDE UPDATES ON WHAT'S BEEN, WHAT'S BEEN DONE IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, MONTHS, AND SORT OF WHAT'S IN THE PIPELINE.
UM, SOME OTHER ITEMS THAT, THAT WE'VE, UH, UNDERTAKEN ARE, UH, SOME OF THE, THE APPS THAT, THAT ARE BEING, UH, PUSHED OUT BY THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN INCLUDED, INCLUDING A P D, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS.
UH, SO CONTINUE TO KEEP A PULSE ON WHAT IS GOING ON WITH, UH, WITH THOSE ITEMS. BUT, UM, I DON'T WANNA BE LABORED AT THE POINT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON, UH, ANY IN MORE QUESTIONS ON, ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE, THE COMMITTEE OR, OR, UM, EVEN IDEAS FOR HOW WE MAY, MAY, UM, EXPAND OUR SCOPE OR, OR ADJUST INTERESTED TO, TO HEAR THEM.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOME COMMISSIONER JOIN THE, UH, THE COMMITTEE.
ANY QUESTIONS NOW, UH, FOR, REGARDING THIS WORKING GROUP? OKAY, THANK YOU EVERYBODY.
WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED TO THE NEXT WORKING GROUP.
THAT BEING THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP, UH, VERY MUCH LIKE IT SOUNDS, UH, FOCUSED ON TECHNOLOGY, INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION.
UH, EXAMPLES WOULD INCLUDE, UH, WELL BEFORE WE GET TO THE EXAMPLES, UH, IT'S CURRENTLY SCHEDULED ON THE FIRST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT 4:00 PM AND IS CO-CHAIRED BY COMMISSIONER DAVE FLOYD AND COMMISSIONER SUMIT SUPTA.
UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, COMMISSIONER FLOYD WILL BE, UH, AT HIS TERM LIMIT AT THE END OF THE MONTH AND THE EXTENSION PERIOD.
SO WE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE A VACANCY.
AND, UH, AS IT TURNS OUT, COMMISSIONER YATES, UH, WE KNOW HAS BEEN REPLACED BY COMMISSIONER BREONNA SMITH.
UH, AND THIS IS KIND OF, I, I THINK NEWS FOR COMMISSIONER YATES.
UH, SO, UH, I WANT US TO HAVE JUST AN OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT BRIEFLY.
UM, OR, OR JUST MAKE, MAYBE JUST TO CLARIFY AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS IT MORE LATER.
UH, THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER SMITH COMPLETED HER TRAINING AND RRC P FOR THE MEETING JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME.
SO SHE WAS ABLE TO THEN OFFICIALLY ACCEPT HER APPOINTMENT AND, AND DUTIES.
UH, SO THEREFORE, UH, THE EXTENSION PERIOD, UH, THAT COMMISSIONER YATES WAS OPERATING IN, UH, WITHIN, HAS COME TO AN END.
[01:00:01]
THAT, UH, COMMISSION YATES HAS BEEN AN INVALUABLE, UH, MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION, UH, AND PARTICULARLY THIS WORKING GROUP LEVERAGING, UH, HIS BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE, HAVING WORKED WITH C T M, UH, WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND BEING A VERY ACTIVE MEMBER, UH, IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, UH, AMONG OTHER, UH, GROUPS, I'M SURE.SO THAT WILL CREATE ANOTHER, UH, OPENING, UH, AND CLEARLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMISSIONER SMITH AS WELL AS THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS TO JOIN.
AND THEN THERE'S ALREADY A VACANCY, SO THAT'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THIS WORKING GROUP IS WORKING ON, AS YOU WOULD IMAGINE, UH, DIRECTLY RELATE TO INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, AMONG THOSE WOULD INCLUDE, UH, SMART INFRASTRUCTURE AND AN INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON.
UH, JUST AS RECENT AS TWO COMMISSION MEETINGS AGO, WE PASSED A RESOLUTION FOCUSED ON THIS, UH, AND ENCOURAGING THE CITY TO EVALUATE DIFFERENT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND BEST PRACTICES AND TECHNOLOGIES, UH, RELATED TO THIS.
UH, AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE PUBLIC INFORMATION NETWORK NODE, UH, BUT OTHERS, UH, AS THE TITLE SUGGESTED, INCLUDE INNOVATION AND, UH, WORKING, UH, ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO PURSUE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS AND, OR AT THE VERY LEAST, TO EVALUATE DIFFERENT THINGS WE'RE DOING WITHIN THE, UH, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY SPACE.
UH, WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS WORKING GROUP, OR LET ME, LET ME, UH, REPHRASE.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE, UH, THE CO-CHAIR OF THE WORKING GROUP A CHANCE, UH, COMMISSIONER FLOYD TO ADD ANYTHING THAT I MIGHT HAVE MISSED, UH, AND, UH, TO MAKE A PITCH FOR THIS WORKING GROUP.
SO YOU'VE HIT THE INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE, THE PINS, AND A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH LIKE, THE EVOLUTION OF, UM, WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE HERE IN AUSTIN, UM, GROWING WITH 5G, WHAT, AND WHATEVER COMES PAST THAT.
UH, AND A LOT OF THE CONNECTED TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL BE PART OF IT.
UM, WE'VE TALKED A LOT IN THE PAST.
UH, BROADBAND SPEEDS HAVE BEEN A BIG DEAL, UM, BOTH FROM WIRED LIKE FIBER BROAD, YOU KNOW, ACCESS THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WIFI AND, UH, CELL ACCESS ALL AT THE APPROPRIATE SPEEDS AS A BIG DEAL DURING THE PANDEMIC.
IT'S STILL A BIG DEAL BECAUSE WE WANT EVERYONE AROUND TOWN TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO HIDE.
SO INTERNET FOR SCHOOL OR FOR WORK PURPOSES, RIGHT? SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE WORKED ON FOR AS LIKE, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION.
UH, I KNOW ONE OF, UH, ONE OF THE PROJECTS WE'VE WORKED ON IN THE PAST THAT'S STILL KIND OF IN A NEBULOUS STATE IS, UM, BOATING TEMPERATURE WITH THE CITY.
SO WE CAN BETTER KEEP TRACK OF BOATS, UM, THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE CONVERSATION IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN, UH, I WILL LET COMMISSIONER YS TALK ABOUT SHARED CONDUIT.
THAT'S ONE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT IN THE PAST TOO.
WELL, LET ME PAUSE THERE FOR A SECOND.
UH, SO UN UNFORTUNATELY, UH, UNLESS, YEAH, YEAH.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, AND THIS IS SO WEIRD TO DO, UH, BUT COMMISSIONER YATES IS NOW, UH, CITIZEN MALCOLM YATES, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
SO UNFORTUNATELY HE CANNOT COMMENT.
UM, HOWEVER, UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE TO ELEVATE THE ISSUE OF SHARED CONDUIT AND VOTING TURE, WHICH ARE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT COMMISSIONER YATES HAS CHAMPIONED.
AND TO MAKE CLEAR, UH, THAT I PLAN ON PASSING ON THE INSIGHTS AND, UH, SHARING A REPORT ACTUALLY AS IT IS MADE AVAILABLE, UH, FROM COMMISSIONER, FROM, UH, FORMER COMMISSIONER YATES, UH, TO SPEAK TO, UH, BASICALLY A CONTINUITY, UH, HE WOULD LIKE, AS HE STATED TO ME, TO SHARE, UH, EMAILS, UH, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND I THINK HE'S GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO DECIDE SINCE HE'S BEEN A, HE'S BEEN A COMMISSIONER FOR SO LONG, EXACTLY WHAT TO PRIORITIZE FOR SHARING.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING WITH THAT.
AND, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER YATES FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING TOO OF THESE MOVING PARTS.
UH, I REALLY WISH I COULD LET YOU SPEAK ON THE RECORD NOW, UH, BUT I'M JUST GLAD THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO JOIN.
UH, DID YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT COMMISSIONER FLOYD? WELL, YEAH.
AND I, I PERHAPS, UM, A WORKING GROUP WOULD BE A GREAT AVENUE IN THE FUTURE FOR HIM TO COME AND PRESENT AND DO AN INFORMATION DOWNLOAD ON THE NEW MEMBERS.
IN FACT, IT WOULD, IT WOULD PROBABLY, YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS, IT'D PROBABLY BE HELPFUL TO EITHER MAKE THAT THE SINGULAR TOPIC OF OUR, OF OUR NEXT WORKING GROUP FOR THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION WORKING GROUP, OR TO HAVE A SEPARATE SPECIAL MEETING JUST FOR THAT, UH, BECAUSE HE
[01:05:01]
HAS SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE TO SHARE.UH, BUT, BUT ONE POINT THAT I WANTED TO ADD TO THIS WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION IS WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED HEAVILY ON TRYING TO ADDRESS THE LEGACY INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITHIN OUR CITY.
UH, YOU'LL FIND THAT THERE'S A VENN DIAGRAM OF DIGITAL INCLUSION THAT REALLY AFFECTS EVERY WORKING GROUP.
SO EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP, IT AFFECTS EVERY WORKING GROUP.
AND INFRASTRUCTURE IS NO DIFFERENT.
IT'S BEEN A MAJOR FOCUS LATELY AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HOSTING A SUMMIT AND RECRUITING PARTNERS TO HELP TO FACILITATE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, AS WELL AS RESEARCH, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT A STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT FOCUSED ON THIS, UH, DIGITAL INCLUSION THEMATICALLY OVERALL, BUT INFRASTRUCTURE AS A SUBSET OF THAT.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO CLARIFY THAT, UH, THIS WORKING GROUP WILL BE INVOLVED IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS, UH, AS IT RELATES TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND POTENTIAL, UH, DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AND OR STRATEGIES TO ENCOURAGE THEM.
UH, BUT WITH THAT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND KEEP THINGS MOVING.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS WORKING GROUP BEFORE YOU PROCEED? OKAY.
UH, SO, UH, CORRECTION HERE ON WHAT I HANDED YOU.
UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA IS PART OF TWO WORKING GROUPS, UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST LINE OUT, UH, THE ONE IN FRONT OF YOU AND DISREGARD, UH, THAT AS SHE IS CURRENTLY A MEMBER OF THE DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP, AS WELL AS, UH, THE KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION I, DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, THAT DOES LEAVE OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS UNASSIGNED CURRENTLY TO WORKING GROUPS.
UH, WE HAVE CURRENTLY, AS YOU ALL CAN SEE, WE HAVE ONE IMMEDIATE OPENING, OR RATHER, EXCUSE ME, TWO IMMEDIATE OPENINGS, UH, ON THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP.
AND ONE THING TO CLARIFY, UH, AS WELL, UH, IT'S NOT PREFERRED TO HAVE, UH, SOMEONE ON EVERY WORKING GROUP.
AT ONE POINT IN TIME, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT, UH, TO HAVE PARTICIPATION, UH, OR AT LEAST FULL PARTICIPATION IN EVERY WORKING GROUP.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M PART OF EVERY WORKING GROUP AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND BASED UPON OUR TRANSITIONS, I, I'LL PROBABLY FEEL OBLIGED TO MAINTAIN THAT, UH, IN THE INTERIM.
BUT I FORESEE A DAY WHEN PERHAPS I DON'T HAVE TO BE PART OF EVERY WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND OR THE CURRENT CHAIR, UH, DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PART OF EVERY WORKING GROUP.
UH, SO THAT'S JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT, I THINK, FOR EVERYONE TO DECIDE ON WORKING GROUPS IMMEDIATELY AND OR TO FIND A WAY TO FAIRLY, UH, CREATE, UH, A PECKING ORDER, SO TO SPEAK.
IN THE PAST, WE'VE DONE IT RANDOMLY.
IF OUR COMMISSIONERS HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT WORKING GROUPS AND YOU KNOW THAT, UH, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO JUST TO LET ME KNOW.
AND THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME WHICH WORKING GROUPS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT.
UH, BUT I'LL GO TO YOU, EACH OF YOU, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, AND THEN IF WE NEED TO, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND SORT IT OUT AND GET THIS DONE TODAY.
UH, AND WITH THAT, I'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER, UH, WITH JAIKU IN THE ROOM.
UM, NOT TO BE OVERZEALOUS, BUT, UM, I, I'M DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN BEING A PART OF EACH WORK.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR.
UH, AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND, AND WORK LEFT TO RIGHT.
UH, COMMISSIONER SMITH, UH, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON, ON JOINING A WORKING GROUP RIGHT AWAY? UM, EXCUSE ME.
I'M DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN JOINING, UH, THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP.
UM, NETWORKING AND INFRASTRUCTURE IS WHAT I, WHAT I DO AND IDENTITY SECURITY, CLOUD COMPUTING.
SO, UM, I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO SIT DOWN WITH, UH, FORMER COMMISSIONER YATES AS WELL TO KIND OF, UM, DO A KNOWLEDGE OR BRAIN DUMP, AS I LIKE TO SAY, TO LEARN ALL THAT HE'S BEEN WORKING ON.
UM, BUT I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN THE, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, UM, AND STRATEGIC POLICY AND DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP AS WELL.
BUT I KNOW THERE'S NOT AN OPENING FOR THAT, SO I WILL WAIT PATIENTLY.
[01:10:01]
THANK YOU FOR THAT.UH, AND COMMISSIONER ZA, UH, I'M INTERESTED IN JOINING ALL OF THEM.
SO, UH, THE ONES WITH THE OPENING, IT WILL BE GREAT FOR ME.
I THINK I CAN ALSO LEARN A LOT, UH, IN THAT ONE.
WELL, WITH THAT, THEN, LET, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET THIS DONE.
WE'RE GONNA GO VERY OLD SCHOOL WITH THIS.
YOU KNOW, THE MORE I THINK ABOUT THIS, UH, UH, THE MORE I THINK ABOUT THIS, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE WORTHWHILE FOR US TO TAKE THIS PROCESS OFFLINE, ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU'RE ALSO INTERESTED.
UH, WE'LL SAVE TIME AND WE'LL MAKE SURE TO CONFIRM THAT PROCESS IS EQUITABLE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA ALREADY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, UH, WE HAVEN'T DONE BEFORE WITH THE ONLINE VOTING, UH, AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SO MANY COMMISSIONERS ONLINE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO HOLD OUR ELECTIONS.
UH, AND I DON'T WANT THAT, UH, WRINKLE TO AFFECT THIS PROCESS SINCE YOU'RE ALSO EAGER TO JOIN.
UH, SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS, UH, TO ENGAGE WITH OUR STAFF LIAISON AND, AND REACH OUT TO EACH OF YOU.
UH, AND THEN BASED UPON, UH, A RANDOM PROCESS, UH, THAT WE AGREE UPON, WE'LL LET YOU KNOW AND THEN GIVE YOU ALL A CHANCE TO CHOOSE AND THEN, UH, GET YOU ALL ASSIGNED TO WARDEN GROUPS.
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD FOR EVERYBODY? OKAY.
WITH THAT, THEN, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD IN OUR AGENDA.
[5. Approval of selected applications for GTOPs Core 2023 (Commission Discussion and Action) ]
FIVE, THE APPROVAL OF SELECTED APPLICATIONS FOR GTOP PS CORE 2023 COMMISSION DISCUSSION AND ACTION.UH, I'LL JUST DO A BRIEF STATEMENT AND THEN I'LL HAND IT OFF.
UH, IT'S WONDERFUL THAT OUR COMMISSION PLAYS SUCH A LEADERSHIP ROLE WITH THE GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES.
I'M NOT GONNA SPOIL, UH, DAN THUNDER ABOUT THE GRANT, UH, BUT IT'S A REAL PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO OFFICIATE THAT GRANT AND TO HELP TO, UH, STEWARD THE PROCESS.
SO, WITH THAT, AND MARTINEZ, ALL RIGHT.
UH, LIKE, UH, CHAIR PITTS WAS SAYING THIS IS, UH, PROBABLY ONE OF THE STRONGEST THINGS THAT WE DO TO FIGHT DIGITAL EQUITY WITHIN AUSTIN.
SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE, UM, OUR POTENTIAL AWARDEES, UH, PENDING Y'ALL'S, UH, APPROVAL.
UM, BUT YEAH, FOR ALL THE NEW COMMISSIONERS WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR, UH, GTOP S IS THE GRANTFORD TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO FUND PROGRAMS WITHIN AUSTIN OR THE AUSTIN AREA THAT LOOK TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL EQUITY GAP.
UM, AND, UH, THIS IS OUR CORE PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DISTRIBUTING $275,000, UM, USUALLY BETWEEN EIGHT TO 11 DIFFERENT, UH, PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. AND, UH, YEAH.
SO THIS YEAR, UM, MOST OF THE AWARDEES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT TODAY, UM, THEIR PROGRAM ALIGNED WITH THE GTOP S GOALS OF INCREASING THE USE OF DIGITAL, UH, AND COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY DEVICES, AS WELL AS INCREASING THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF DIGITAL AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY.
UM, THERE WAS NOT ANY THAT WERE INCREASING ACCESS TO THE USAGE OF INTERNET, UM, THIS, UH, DURING THIS APPLICATION CYCLE THAT WERE, UH, ARE THESE SUGGESTED AWARDEES.
AND, UH, THERE'S ONE, UH, THERE'S ONE CORRECTION, EXCUSE ME.
UH, SO WE RECEIVED 22 APPLICATIONS THIS YEAR, UM, AND WE HAD, UH, SIX WONDERFUL, UH, REVIEW, UH, PANELISTS.
UM, WE ALL DELIBERATED ON THURSDAY.
UM, JESSE, CHAIR PITTS AND I WERE ALL THERE.
AND, UM, WE ARE ABLE TO NARROW DOWN THE TOP SELECTION, UM, OF THOSE, OF THESE 10 THAT WE'VE CHOSEN TO AWARD THIS TIME.
[01:15:01]
SIX OF THEM HAVE RECEIVED GTOP, S PUN, UH, FUNDING IN THE PAST, AND FOUR OF THEM HAVEN'T.THIS IS GONNA BE THE FIRST TIME, UH, RECEIVING THIS GRANT, THE CORE GRANT, UM, OR ANY GTOP PS FUNDING AT ALL.
AND, UM, OF THOSE FOUR, UH, YES, O OF THOSE FOUR, WELL, I'LL JUST GET INTO IT.
THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE ANTHROPO, ARTS NON PERIL INSTITUTE, THE CHANGING EXPECTATIONS, AUSTIN URBAN TECHNOLOGY MOVEMENT, TEXAS FOLK LIFE RESOURCES INC.
THE MUSEUM OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT BUILDING PROMISE, UH, LATINITAS AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS, AND AUSTIN SPEECH LABS.
AND THEY ALL HAVE VERY DIVERSE PROJECTS.
UM, AND, UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU GUYS CAN APPROVE, UM, IF I AM CORRECT, WE'RE LOOKING FOR UNANIMOUS APPROVAL FROM THE SIX, UH, COMMISSIONERS PRESENT TODAY.
UM, AND IF NOT, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO DECIDE SOMETHING ELSE, BUT YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, LEMME JUST SAY, BEFORE WE OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE, UH, THAT, UH, I HAD SECOND DAN'S EMOTION ABOUT HOW SMOOTH THIS REVIEW PROCESS WENT.
UH, JUST FOR HISTORICAL REFERENCE, UH, WE HAVE HAD SOME EVOLUTION IN TERMS OF HOW WE MANAGED THE REVIEW PROCESS OVER THE COURSE OF MY TENURE AS COMMISSIONER.
AT FIRST, THEY USED TO DO IN-PERSON, UH, PRESENTATIONS ALL DAY SESSION.
UH, THEN, UH, WE SCALED BACK FROM THE PRESENTATION AND, UH, SCALED BACK FROM IN-PERSON AS WELL WITH THE PANDEMIC.
UH, AND THEN WE STARTED TO, TO BASICALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, TRANSITION BACK INTO AN IN-PERSON MODE, UM, HYBRID BASICALLY, BUT WITHOUT THE PRESENTATIONS.
AND THIS LAST, UH, IN FACT, LAST YEAR, EXCUSE ME, WAS, WAS HYBRID.
UH, BUT THIS YEAR, UH, THE REVIEW WAS ALL IN PERSON AGAIN.
AND, UH, AS WAS STATED, VERY SMOOTH.
UM, I KNOW THAT ANOTHER KEY THING THAT, UH, I'M VERY PROUD OF IS IN OUR TENURE HERE, UH, ALONG WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER YAKS AND COMMISSIONER FLOYD, UH, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THIS GRANT DOUBLED.
IT WAS INITIALLY A $200,000 GRANT, AND WE GOT IT DOUBLED TO 400,000 IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY THE CORE PROGRAM IS NOW OVER 200,000.
UH, BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE CAPACITY AND MANY AS WELL, UH, THAT ARE SUBSETS OF THE OVERALL PROGRAM.
I, UH, WANNA SAY THAT I FULLY SUPPORT, UH, HAVING PARTICIPATED IN THE REVIEW PANEL AS, UH, AN EFFICIENT, UH, ESSENTIALLY A MODERATOR MEDIATOR, SO TO SPEAK, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS ABLE TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS.
UH, I FELT AS THOUGH EVERYONE WAS THOUGHTFUL IN THE REVIEW PROCESS.
AND, UH, THOROUGH, UH, I FEEL LIKE THESE SCORES ARE TRUSTWORTHY AND DEMONSTRATIVE OF AN EFFECTIVE REVIEW, REVIEW, UH, REVIEW PROCESS.
AND FOR THAT REASON, I WOULD MOVE TO APPROVE THESE AWARDEES AS PRESENTED.
UH, BUT BEFORE I ASK FOR A SECOND, I WANNA OPEN UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYONE MAY HAVE AND GIVE DAN AND, UH, JESSE A CHANCE TO ANSWER THOSE AND ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES OR QUESTIONS.
CHAIR PITTS, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, DAN, FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THIS.
I, I CONSIDER THIS PROBABLY THE FLAGSHIP PROGRAM FOR OUR COMMISSION.
UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE WANT TO CONTINUE MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE HIGH QUALITY APPLICANTS, UM, AND THAT IT IS SOMEWHAT COMPETITIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, IF WE HAD 22, I THINK YOU MENTIONED 22 APPLICATIONS, 12 WEREN'T AWARDED, THAT WAS LESS THAN 50%.
SO I'M, I'M CURIOUS, WHAT WAS, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE MAIN THEMES, UM, THAT CAME UP, UH, BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE AWARDED FUNDS AND THOSE THAT WERE NOT? UH, I'D SAY THE LARGEST ONE THAT I NOTICED AND THAT WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY WAS, UH, AN EMPHASIS ON CREATIVE, UH, PROGRAMMING.
WE, WE NOTED THAT SOME OF THE MORE, UH, GTOP S ALIGNED PROGRAMS THAT ARE, ARE, THEIR GOALS ARE VERY ALIGNED WITH OUR OWN, UM, THEY DIDN'T BREAK THE TOP 10.
UM, SO THIS YEAR WAS A LOT MORE FOCUSED ON THE CREATIVE ART ASPECT OF, OR INTERSECTION BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND, UM, UM, ARTS.
UM, UH, WE, I AL I ALSO NOTICED THAT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WEREN'T BASED IN AUSTIN DID NOT SQUARE AS HIGHLY.
[01:20:01]
HMM.BUT OTHERWISE, I WOULD, I WOULD CONCUR WITH CHAIR PITTSON THAT THE DISCUSSION WAS VERY GOOD.
WE, UH, HAD A GREAT REVIEW PANEL.
UM, THE DISCUSSION WAS THOROUGH.
UM, AND, AND YEAH, I, I THINK THAT WE, WE HAVE A GREAT RESULT WITH THE, THE SCORES IN FRONT OF US.
AND AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT, UM, IS CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK GIVEN TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE NOT AWARDED FUNDS? YES.
WE COLLECT ALL THE NOTES THAT THE A, UH, REVIEW PANELISTS MAKE FOR THESE APPLICATIONS.
WE HAVE A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD WHERE THEY, UH, ASK QUESTIONS OF, UH, THOSE APPLICANTS AND HAVE THEM CORRECT IT.
SO THAT'S LIKE THE INITIAL WAVE OF FEEDBACK.
BUT THEY ALSO SUBMIT THEIR STRENGTHS, THE WEAKNESSES OF EACH APPLICATION, UH, AS WELL AS THEIR GENERAL THOUGHTS.
AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL RECEIVE ALL THAT INFORMATION ONCE, UH, WE ANNOUNCE ALL THE AWARDEES.
WELL, UH, AGAIN, I'M MOVING AS CHAIR TO, UH, APPROVE THESE AWARDEES AS PRESENTED.
AND I'LL WAIT FOR A SECOND, AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO HOLD A VOTE A SECOND.
WE HAVE A, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE AWARDEES THAT'S PRESENTED BY MYSELF AS CHAIR AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WKU.
WITH THAT, WE CAN HOLD A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THESE AWARDEES AS PRESENTED.
IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? GREAT.
WE ARE UNANIMOUS IN FAVOR OF THE APPROVAL, UH, WITH THAT, AND THAT IS A VOTE OF SIX IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
AND WITH THAT, THEN OUR GTOP S WARDEES ARE APPROVED, EXCITED TO SEE ALL THE GREAT THINGS AND THE PROGRAMS UNFOLD.
AND, UH, IF THEY'RE LISTENING, CONGRATULATIONS.
UH, WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR AGENDA NOW TO AGENDA ITEM SIX,
[6. Officer Elections (Commission Discussion and Action) ]
OFFICER ELECTIONS.SO, UH, AS IS STATED IN OUR BYLAWS, UH, THERE'S TWO POSITIONS, UH, WHICH ARE VOTED FOR HERE.
UH, THERE'S CHAIR, AND, WELL, TO BE, BE CLEAR, UH, THERE ARE TWO OFFICER POSITIONS ON THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS, UH, COMMISSION, UH, THE CHAIR ROLE AND THE VICE CHAIR ROLE.
UH, THE DUTIES OF THE CHAIR ARE TO OFFICIATE THE MEETINGS, UH, TO, UH, MANAGE AND TO REPRESENT THE COMMISSION AND ANY PUBLIC EVENT OR SETTING.
UH, AND TO THEN THEREFORE SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION BASED UPON OUR WORK PLAN AND CONSENSUS, UH, THAT IS THE ESSENTIAL DUTY.
UH, THE DUTIES OF THE VICE CHAIR ARE TO BACK UP THE CHAIR AND ONLY THE VICE CHAIR, UH, CAN ACTUALLY STAND IN AND ACTUALLY OFFICIATE MEETINGS IN THE PLACE OF THE CHAIR.
IT'S BEEN AN HONOR, UH, TO SERVE AS CHAIR, UH, NOW FOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW.
UH, AND I AM IN MY LAST YEAR BEFORE I'LL BE TERMED OUT AS A COMMISSIONER AND UNABLE, UH, TO SERVE AS A COMMISSIONER, UH, LET ALONE CHAIR.
UH, WITH THAT IN MIND, I WILL BE HONORED TO SERVE THIS LAST YEAR AS YOUR CHAIR, AND, UH, WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A NOMINATION FOR THAT ROLE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M DOING THAT IN GOOD FAITH.
AND I WOULD ALSO OPEN IT UP TO ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR ANYONE ELSE TO PARTICIPATE, OR RATHER TO, UH, TO BE ELECTED TO COMPETE FOR THE ROLE AS CHAIR.
AND AS FAR AS THE PROCESS, BECAUSE WE HAVE THREE COMMISSIONERS ONLINE, AND WE HAVE THREE IN THE ROOM, I'LL ASK FOR THE THREE COMMISSIONERS ONLINE TO EMAIL YOUR RECOMMENDATION IF YOU HAVE A NOMINATION, RATHER, TO JESSE AND OR DAN.
UH, I GUESS DAN IS WHO YOU'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE MOST.
UH, AND I SHOULD CERTAINLY ALSO, BEFORE YOU, UH, RECOMMEND SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY INTEREST, CHECK TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED BEING A CHAIR THIS YEAR, UH, THAT WANTS TO COMPETE FOR THE ROLE.
[01:25:01]
ANYONE IN THE ROOM OR ANYONE ONLINE, BECAUSE THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY MAKE THINGS SIMPLER, UH, IF NOT.WELL, LET ME, UH, MAKE THINGS SIMPLER.
UH, LOOKS LIKE, NO, NO ONE ELSE WANTS TO, UH, NOMINATE, UH, THEMSELVES FOR CHAIR.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO BE NOMINATED AND NOT NOMINATE MYSELF.
UH, SO IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN MAKING THAT NOMINATION, UH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
OTHERWISE, I'LL HAVE TO NOMINATE MYSELF, UH, MAKE THAT NOMINATION.
UH, COMMISSIONER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, I APPRECIATE THAT.
I WILL ACCEPT THAT NOMINATION,
UH, AND AT, AT THAT POINT, SINCE I'M THE ONLY CANDIDATE, UH, FOR THE CHAIR ROLE, DO YOU NEED A SECOND? UH, NOT FOR THE NOMINATION.
SO ONCE WE HAVE THE NOMINATIONS, THEN I GUESS WE CAN DO THE VOTE, RIGHT? SO WE COULD, UH, ARE THERE, WE'LL GO.
WE HAVE A DOM, I'M SORRY, JESSE, PLEASE.
DANA AND I WERE TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
IN, IN THE MEANTIME, UHHUH
UH, THAT THE FOUR, FOUR YEAR TERMS IS WHAT YOU'RE CAPPED AT WITH REGULAR VOTES.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT THAT WOULD APPLY IN THIS CASE, THAT THIS IS YOUR FOURTH YEAR, UH, THAT YOU'VE JUST COMPLETED YOUR FOURTH YEAR AS CHAIR.
IF I'M REAL, THAT'S NOT MISTAKEN.
UH, I, COMMISSIONER FLOYD, DID YOU WANNA WEIGH IN ON THIS? YEAH, I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT THIS WAS YOUR THIRD YEAR THAT EITHER I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN CHAIR AT SOME POINT IN THERE, AND THEN YOU HAD THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
UM, BUT I, I BELIEVE, IF NOT, IF NOT MISTAKEN, I BECAME CHAIR IN 2019.
THIS BEING MY THIRD YEAR AS CHAIR.
SO THAT WOULD MAKE ME ELIGIBLE FOR ONE MORE YEAR TO BE THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR.
UH, AND IN THAT CASE, I THINK I, I, I WOULD RECOMMEND WE PROCEED AS NORMAL, UH, AND WE CAN, UH, GO BACK AND CHECK THE RECORDS.
UM, IF, IF, IF OUR INITIAL ANALYSIS WAS CORRECT, UHHUH,
SO, JUST A NOTE, UM, SINCE, UH, SINCE WE THINK IT'S YOUR THIRD YEAR, THEN IT SHOULD BE FINE.
BUT IF WE GO BACK AND DETERMINE THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO REVISIT THE VOTE.
AND, AND SINCE WE ONLY HAVE SIX IN ATTENDANCE, WE, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A SUPER MAJORITY THERE.
THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH
I, I THINK IT WAS ME THEN, THEN, UH, COMMISSIONER, YE'S.
I THINK THAT'S KIND OF HOW I REMEMBER IT, BUT THAT, THAT'S MY RECOLLECTION AS WELL.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND CHAT ABOUT THE, UH, VICE CHAIR, UH, ROLE.
UH, IT, I, I THINK, UH, VICE DACA HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN THE ROLE.
UH, AND I WOULD NOMINATE VICE CHAIR ABBA DACA TO CONTINUE SERVING AS VICE CHAIR.
BUT I DON'T WANT, UH, TO STEP ON ANYONE'S TOES.
UH, I, I, I THINK IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT IT'S ONLY BRAND NEW COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, TWO OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE SUNSETTING, UH, IT'S UNLIKELY.
BUT, UH, IF, IF ANY COMMISSIONERS ARE INTERESTED TO THROW YOUR HAT IN THE RING, UH, PLEASE, UH, LET US KNOW.
NOW, I SEE, UH, ONE PERSON SHAKING THE HEAD, COMMISSIONER AZAM IS NOT INTERESTED.
UH, COMMISSIONER SMITH, UH, JUST SMILING.
AND COMMISSIONER FLOYD, OF COURSE, IS, UH, SUNSET AND COMMISSIONER WITH JAIKU.
YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA JOIN ALL THREE WORKING GROUPS? ARE YOU SURE YOU DON'T WANNA THROW YOUR HAT? OKAY.
SO WITH THAT, THEN, UH, UH, I DEFINITELY NOMINATE, UH, VICE TRPA DACA TO CONTINUE IN THE ROLE.
AND WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, AND HOLD SIMPLE VOTES, AND THEN WE'LL RECORD THOSE VOTES.
SO, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF ME REMAINING IN THE ROLE AS CHAIR.
IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR REELECTING, ME AS YOUR CHAIR.
UH, I'M HONORED TO SERVE IN THIS ROLE AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL.
UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH THE VOTE FOR OUR VICE CHAIR.
UH, I HAVE NOMINATED VICE CHAIR STEVEN APODACA, TO CONTINUE SERVING IN THE ROLE.
[01:30:01]
UH, WITH THAT, IS THERE A MOTION FOR, ACTUALLY, DO WE EVEN NEED TO MOVE FOR A SECOND FOR, FOR THAT VOTE? I DON'T THINK WE DO.UM, AND SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SAY, ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AGAIN ANOTHER YEAR.
UH, AND WITH THAT THEN, OUR ELECTION OF OFFICERS IS COMPLETE, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE TOPIC, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE WORKING GROUPS.
ONCE WE HAVE THE WORKING GROUPS CHOSEN, WE'LL THEN GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SELECTING AND OR, UH, YOU KNOW, ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIR AND SEEING IF ANYONE WANTS TO STEP DOWN, YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF THING.
SO, UH, JUST BEAR THAT IN MIND FOR THE FUTURE.
NOW, FOR WORKING GROUP UPDATES, BEGINNING WITH THE
[7. Update from Digital Inclusion, Civic Engagement, and Strategic Technology and Telecom Policy Working Group ]
DIGITAL INCLUSION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOM POLICY WORKING GROUP.WELL, WE JUST HAD, UH, AN UPDATE ON GTOP S WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE WORKING GROUP UPDATE FOR THIS WORKING GROUP.
UH, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT, AND WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ALL, UH, FOR, UH, ONE OF YOUR FIRST OFFICIAL, UH, ACTIONS, UH, AS COMMISSIONERS BEING TO APPROVE THESE AWARDEES.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD'VE BEEN DIFFERENT IF YOU HAD JUMPED IN ON SOMETHING MORE BASIC, BUT YOU GUYS CAME IN AND JOINED AT A CH AT A TIME WHEN YOU COULD ACTUALLY CAST A VOTE FOR SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, THE DOMINANT FOCUS OF THIS WORKING GROUP, UH, OF LATE HAS BEEN PLANNING IN RELATION TO TWO MAIN THINGS.
FIRST, UH, OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSIONS, WHICH WE'VE AGREED AS A COMMISSION TO CONTINUE.
AND OUR, UH, AN ENACTED PART OF OUR WORKING PLAN.
OUR WORK PLAN AGREED TO HOST FOUR THIS YEAR, AND SET A TIMELINE SCHEDULE TO DO SO WITH THE FIRST BEING AT THE RUIZ BRANCH LIBRARY, AND THE REMAINING THREE, UH, AND OTHER DISTRICTS STRATEGICALLY LOCATED BASED UPON WHERE WE HAVE NOT BEEN DOING TOWN HALLS.
UH, WE'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT IN THE WORKING GROUP SESSIONS.
UH, BUT I DO WANNA PUT THOSE ON YOUR RADAR.
IN FACT, THE VERY NEXT ONE IS GOING TO BE APRIL 29TH.
AND THAT IS TAKING PLACE AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, AT RUIZ BRANCH.
AND THAT'S IN DISTRICT THREE, RIGHT? CURRENTLY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OF VELASQUEZ IS, UH, THE, WE'RE WAITING, UH, WAITING AN APPOINTMENT FOR THAT DISTRICT, UH, TO THEN EXTEND AN INVITATION TO, UH, SPECIAL INVITATION FOR THAT COMMISSIONER.
BUT THE VISION IS WITH THESE TOWN HALLS, UH, IS THAT THE COUNCIL, UH, MEMBER, UH, RATHER, EXCUSE ME, THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE SPECIFIC DISTRICT WHERE THE TOWN HALL IS TAKING PLACE, UH, WOULD PARTICIPATE.
THAT WAY YOU'RE ABLE TO HEAR FIRSTHAND FROM YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH, AND THEIR EXPERIENCES.
UH, WITH THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, UH, THE, THE, THE FOCUS OF THOSE TOWN HALLS VERY MUCH LIKE IT SOUNDS IS DIGITAL INCLUSION.
UH, BUT IT'S LITERALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SIGN UP IN RSVP TO SHARE THEIR CHALLENGES, SUCCESSES, UH, AND HOW THINGS ARE GOING FOR THEM WITH ACCESS ON THE INTERNET DEVICES AND TECHNOLOGY.
UH, IN GENERAL, WE HAVE HOSTED SEVEN, NO EIGHT TOWN HALLS.
UH, TWO OF THOSE TOOK PLACE ONLINE BEFORE WE COULD MEET IN PERSON AGAIN.
AND THEN THE REMAINING, I SAID SEVEN, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY SIX.
UH, THE REMAINING FOUR, UH, TOOK PLACE AT OUR LIBRARIES AND COMMUNITY SPACES.
[01:35:01]
THE SOUTHEAST BRANCH, ONE AT TARA'S BRANCH, AND ONE AT THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER.WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING THE SAME THING.
AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THE THE NEXT ONE IS PLANNED FOR THE 29TH SATURDAY AT THE RUIZ BRANCH.
ONCE WE, UH, IDENTIFY THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS FOR THE DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP, THEY TEND TO BE THE NEXT PRIORITY GROUP THAT GETS, UH, DEFAULTED.
SO ONCE WE SORT OUT WHO'S GONNA BE IN THAT WORKING GROUP, THEN I'LL EXTEND AN INVITATION TO THOSE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS TO JOIN AS WELL.
BUT THE MAIN THING ABOUT THOSE TOWN HALLS IS WE WANT TO KEEP A SAFE SPACE ENVIRONMENT, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATES FEELS COMFORTABLE AND NOT LIKE THEY'RE IN A FISHBOWL.
SO WE ALWAYS MAINTAIN A RATIO.
UH, IF IT TURNS OUT THERE'S TOO MANY OF US, THEN WE WILL START TO SHAVE AWAY AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS MORE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAN THERE IS PUBLIC OFFICIALS OR STAFF.
ANOTHER FOCUS OF THE WORKING GROUP, MAJOR FOCUS OF THE WORKING GROUP HAS BEEN.
AND, AND, AND, SORRY, BEFORE I GET OFF OF THAT, UH, THERE'S ONGOING PLANNING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THOSE TOWN HALLS, AND, UH, YOU ALL ARE WELCOME TO JOIN THAT PLANNING TEAM INDEPENDENT OF THE WORKING GROUP.
SO, UH, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH EACH OF YOU TO SEE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT, OR, UH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW NOW IF YOU THINK THAT YOU MIGHT BE, UH, INTERESTED IN, IN, IN JOINING THAT.
UH, I'M INTERESTED,
UH, AND COMMISSIONER SMITH, UH, I SEE YOUR HAND.
AND, UH, REALLY QUICKLY, JUST A CORRECTION.
SO, UM, THAT THE, OUR NEXT EVENT IS IN COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ'S DISTRICT, UH, WHOM, UH, COMMISSIONER SMITH IS THE COMMISSIONER FOR, I BELIEVE.
UM, SO THE WAY WE'VE, WE'VE APPROACHED IT IN THE PAST IS, UH, EMPTYING TO GIVE THE COMMISSIONER IN THAT, GIVEN NO, IT WAS A TYPO.
UH, I DEFAULTED BACK TO MY TYPO.
SO THAT, THAT'S A GET, AS I EXPLAINED, THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT, RIGHT? COMMISSIONER SMITH, UH, IS HERE TODAY, AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY COMMISSIONER YATES CANNOT PARTICIPATE.
SO CLEARLY, UH, THERE'S REPRESENTATION FOR THAT DISTRICT.
SO, UH, WE DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU THERE.
UH, AND, UH, UH, SO HOPE YOU CAN MAKE IT ON THE 29TH.
BUT THEN ALSO APPRECIATE YOU WANTING TO JOIN THE PLANNING TEAM.
UH, SO WE'LL LOOP YOU INTO THOSE CONFERENCE CALLS AND, UH, INCLUDE YOU IN THAT CONVERSATION.
UH, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR JOINING THAT PLANNING EFFORT.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TOWN HALLS BEFORE WE CONTINUE WITH THIS PART OF THE, OF THE, THE AGENDA? OKAY.
UH, THE NEXT MAJOR THING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, AFTER GTOP S AND THE TOWN HALLS ARE, UH, IS, UH, CONVENING A DIGITAL INCLUSION STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT.
THIS HAS BEEN A VISION, UH, OF THE COMMISSION FOR, UH, AT, AT AT LEAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
UH, AND IT'S GOTTEN SUPPORT FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, AND THEN BASED UPON THE PANDEMIC, WE HAD TO THEN, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER DOING SOMETHING ONLINE.
NOW WE'RE BACK IN FULL, IN PERSON MODE AND EXCITED ABOUT TRYING TO ACTUALLY PRODUCE THIS THING AND TO BRING TOGETHER THESE KEY STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, THIS FALL, UH, IT USUALLY, EXCUSE ME, UH, OCTOBER IS A KEY MONTH FOR DIGITAL INCLUSION.
FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, UH, IT IS THE MONTH OF DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK, WHICH IS TYPICALLY THE SECOND FULL WEEK OF OCTOBER.
AND THAT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED BY THE NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE.
VERY KEY GLOBAL PARTNER IN DIGITAL, UH, DIGITAL INCLUSION EFFORTS AND, UH, AND LEADERSHIP.
UH, WE ACTUALLY, AS A CITY, MORE OR LESS, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, VICE CHAIR OF DACA, MYSELF, UH, AS WELL AS JESSE, UH, CORTAN HARMON, AND, UH, BRIANNA GALLING, UH, FROM OUR FINANCIAL SERVICES DIVISION WITH TARA, UH, JOINED THE NET INCLUSION CONFERENCE IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
AND IT WAS REALLY INVIGORATING, UH, AND IT REALLY SET IN MIND FOR ME, UH, A MISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO SOMETHING, UH, HAVE AN IN-PERSON CONVENING OF SOME TYPE THIS YEAR, EVEN IF IT'S SMALL, UH, JUST SO WE CAN BUILD FROM THAT.
AND THEN, UH, MAKE THIS INTO SOMETHING
[01:40:01]
THAT WE KNOW THAT IT CAN BE.UH, THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE SUMMIT IS TO DO A FEW THINGS, CONVENE STAKEHOLDERS, UH, IN THIS ECOSYSTEM OF DIGITAL INCLUSION, AS IS MEANT, AS WAS MENTIONED, BUT ADDITIONALLY, TO MEET THE COLLABORATIVE GOALS OF OUR PARTNERS AND OUR COMMISSION IN THE, THE, THE REALM OF SURVEYS AND RESEARCH, UH, OUR PARTNERS BEING TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, THAT INCLUDING AN ALIGNMENT OF, OF FORTHCOMING AND EXISTING DATA, UH, DATA COR CO INTERPRETATION, UH, VIA CONVENINGS FOR A DEEPER DIVE AS PART OF THAT ANALYSIS OF, OF SURVEYS AND RESEARCH, NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS.
AND THAT'S A MAJOR FOCUS OF THIS COMMISSION.
UH, AND ONE THAT THROUGH OUR MANAGEMENT OF GTOP S I FEEL, IS THOUGH WE DO SHEPHERD DUTIFULLY, UH, BECAUSE IT IS A MATCHING GRANT.
HOWEVER, UH, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO MORE, UH, BECAUSE NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING COULD ALSO BE REPRESENTED IN PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, AS WAS STATED EARLIER.
THAT IS THE KIND OF THING THAT'S NEEDED FOR MANY OF THESE PROJECTS WHERE CARRIERS OR OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS CAN ONLY GO SO FAR.
AND IF WE CAN GET OTHERS TO THE TABLE, UH, WE CAN HELP TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, HELPING TO ADVANCE THESE GOALS.
I PARTICIPATED IN A SESSION DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, HOSTED BY DELL TECHNOLOGIES, AND IT WAS FOCUSED ON DIGITAL INCLUSION.
THEY WERE SHOWCASING THEIR EFFORTS AS PART OF THE N 50 PROJECT, N FIFTY.ORG, UH, BEING A GLOBAL, UH, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON CONNECTING PEOPLE, UH, UH, GLOBALLY, AGAIN, AROUND THE WORLD.
THEY WERE FOCUSED ON, UH, HIGHLIGHTING THEIR EFFORTS AND SHOWING THEIR COMMITMENT TO THIS.
AND, UH, IT WAS JUST REALLY SERENDIPITOUS TIMING.
CAUSE I GOT A CHANCE TO THEN ADDRESS THEM ABOUT OUR NEEDS HERE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ARE TIED TO LEGACY, UH, ISSUES, FRANKLY.
AND THE 1928 STRATEGIC PLAN THAT SEGREGATED OUR TOWN, AND THEN QUITE ORGANICALLY, FORCED DEVELOPMENT IN CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN.
UH, AND THEN NATURALLY, ONCE THINGS GOT TO THE POINT WHERE, UH, THEY WERE DESEGREGATED THAT THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, INDUSTRIAL ZONING, RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS, UH, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WERE MENTIONED.
UH, AND THIS IS ALL EASILY ACCESSIBLE IN OUR RECORDS, UH, AND A BRIEFING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PLAN, OUR HOUSING PLAN HERE, UH, BY SAM TELFORD, THE PRINCIPAL PLANNER FOR OUR CITY, AS WELL AS, UH, AND THE CITY RECORDS OF THE ANNIVERSARY OF THAT STRATEGIC PLAN, AND HOW THE CITY TOOK OWNERSHIP OF THE IMPACT OF SEGREGATION AND WHAT IT DID TO OUR CITY.
UH, SINCE WE'RE FOCUSED ON DIGITAL INCLUSION, WE ARE FULLY AWARE OF HOW THAT IMPACTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO, A MAJOR FOCUS OF THIS SUMMIT WILL BE TO TRY TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS LIKE THE N 50 PROJECT.
AND I'M PLEASED TO SAY THAT THEY HAVE EXPRESSED DIRECT INTEREST IN SUPPORTING OUR EFFORTS, INCLUDING GEEKS WITH FRONTIERS AND INTEL AS AN N 50 PROJECT PARTNER.
UH, THEY HAVE MORE OR LESS COMMITTED, UH, TO PILOTING A PROJECT IF WE CAN IDENTIFY AN APPROPRIATE, UH, COMMUNITY CENTER AND OR SCHOOL TO WORK WITH.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, WORKING WITH OUR TERRA TEAM, UH, AND OUR TRAVIS COUNTY PARTNERS, UH, TO IDENTIFY THAT SCHOOL AND OR COMMUNITY CENTER.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PLANNING DISCUSSION WHERE THIS WILL COME UP, UH, THE NEXT ONE SCHEDULED TOMORROW.
UH, I KNOW THAT VICE CHAPPA DACA IS, UH, PART OF THAT PLANNING TEAM AND WILL BE PARTICIPATING.
I WILL, IT IS SHORT NOTICE, BUT I WILL INCLUDE, UH, COMMISSIONER WOJAK AND COMMISSIONER SMITH SINCE THEY EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THIS SPECIFICALLY, UH, THAT WAY YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO JOIN THAT DISCUSSION AS WELL.
[01:45:02]
UH, IT'S, AGAIN, VERY EXCITING BECAUSE THE, THE KEY IS TO TRY TO, TO REALLY ADVANCE THESE EFFORTS.WE HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN REFRESH THAT OUR COLLEAGUES WITH, UH, UH, TARA ARE HELPING TO STEWARD.
UH, AND THEY'VE GOT DATES THAT THEY'RE, UH, THAT THEY'RE HONORING IN TERMS OF TIMELINE ON WHEN THAT PROCESS WILL UNFOLD.
UH, AND AS WE WERE, AS A COMMISSION PART OF THE ORIGINAL PLANNING GROUP THAT CREATED THE ORIGINAL PLAN, UH, WE'RE ALSO ENCOURAGING, UH, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING PART OF THE NEW PLAN WHEN THAT SPECIFIC TIME, UH, BASED ON THEIR TIMELINE UNFOLDS.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE KNOW THAT IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO HELP TO CREATE THIS SCAFFOLDING AND, AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AND, UH, TO FURTHER ADVANCE OUR OBJECTIVES.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND THIS SUMMIT IS A KEY PART OF THAT.
AND THE LAST, UH, OBJECTIVE OF THE SUMMIT IS TO INFORM THE TRAVIS COUNTY AND CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, EXCUSE ME.
UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, OF COURSE, IS A HUGE FOCUS AND THIRD, UH, OUTPUT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO FROM THE SUMMIT.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, TO INFORM THE TRAVIS COUNTY AND CITY OF AUSTIN DIGITAL EQUITY PLANS.
UH, AND SO THERE MAY BE MANY QUESTIONS.
I'M, I'M SEEING SOME GLAZE IN THE EYES.
UH, BUT I DO WANT TO GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS OF THIS WORKING GROUP, UH, ESPECIALLY SINCE, UH, I KNOW THAT Y'ALL CONSIDERING JOINING THE WORKING GROUP, AND YOU MAY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS WE'RE DOING.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE SUMMIT.
DO WE HAVE TO BE PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP? I KNOW THAT THERE WASN'T AN OPEN SPOT IMMEDIATELY, UH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE SUMMIT.
I THINK IT'S REALLY, UH, THE, THAT'S COOL.
THE OVERALL OBJECTIVES THAT IT'S TRYING TO DO.
SO IS THAT POSSIBLE? GREAT QUESTION.
UH, FIRST LET ME SAY THAT IF EVERYTHING GOES TO PLAN, THIS EVENT WILL BE TREATED AS, UH, THE KIND OF EVENT THAT EVERY COMMISSIONER CAN PARTICIPATE IN.
WE HAVE A PROHIBITION AGAINST THE WALKING QUORUM, UH, UNLESS WE DESIGNATE IT AS A PUBLIC INTEREST, UH, EVENT, OR, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHERE ANYONE AND EVERYONE FROM THE CITY CAN BE THERE.
UH, AND SO THAT'S THE SUMMIT ITSELF.
SO YOU'LL DEFINITELY BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SUMMIT WHEN IT COMES TO PLANNING? UH, I THINK SO, BECAUSE AS LONG AS WE DON'T HAVE SIX OR MORE COMMISSIONERS IN THE PLANNING TEAM, WE DON'T HAVE A WALKING QUORUM.
AND RIGHT NOW IT'S VICE CHAIR APODACA, MYSELF, UH, COMMISSIONER WAS JAIKU AND COMMISSIONER SMITH, SO YOU WOULD BE THE FIFTH, AND THAT WOULD THEN CAPUS AT OUR FIVE COMMISSIONERS IN THE PLANNING TEAM.
UH, I DO WANNA SAY SOMETHING, UH, TO BE FAIR, UH, BECAUSE COMMISSIONER THOMPSON IS NOT HERE, SHE IS ACTUALLY PART OF THE PLANNING TEAM.
AND IN THE EVENT THAT COMMISSIONER THOMPSON GETS REAPPOINTED, SHE MIGHT END UP RECLAIMING HER SPOT IN THE PLANNING TEAM.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UH, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO MAKE SURE TO AVOID A WALKING QUORUM, SO, OKAY.
JUST AMANDA'S EXPECT EXPECTATIONS APPROPRIATELY, BUT GREAT QUESTION.
ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, MY SPECIFIC QUESTION, I GUESS, WAS MORE SO ON BEHALF OF, UM, STAKEHOLDER DESIGNATION.
UM, ARE THERE LIKE SPECIFIC VENDORS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, SOLICITED AS STAKEHOLDERS? OR IS IT LIKE A OVERALL PUBLIC INTEREST? GREAT QUESTION.
UH, I WANNA SPEAK TO THAT DIRECTLY.
UH, SO WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT WE TERM STAKEHOLDERS, UH, AND THE SUMMIT, THE VISION FOR THE SUMMIT, I, I, IS ONE WHERE WE BEGAN PLANNING AROUND AN ECOSYSTEM, BASICALLY, AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL STAKEHOLDERS AND OR DEFINITIVE STAKEHOLDERS, RIGHT? BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW.
UH, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO ASSUME THAT WHAT WE KNOW IS EVERYTHING, RIGHT? WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.
SO THE KEY THING IS THAT WE BEGAN TO CREATE AN INCOMPLETE LIST, A BRAINSTORM OF POTENTIAL STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, BUT THIS WAS, AGAIN, WITH THE THOUGHT OF WHO TO, TO MAKE SURE TO INVITE AND OR, UH, TO INCLUDE IN, IN POTENTIALLY RECRUITMENT AND PLANNING.
UH, BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
[01:50:01]
GETTING SOMETHING DONE, UH, THE EAGERNESS OF STAKEHOLDERS STARTS TO DEMONSTRATE WHO BECOMES INVOLVED IN PLANNING, RIGHT? SO THE CURRENT STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN PLANNING ARE DECA MEMBERS WHO TYPICALLY JOIN THE BIWEEKLY CALLS.SO THEY EITHER REPRESENT A DEPARTMENT OR NON-PROFIT THAT HAS BEEN ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THESE THINGS GOING ON ONGOING BASIS, OR WE KNOW THEY REPRESENT, UH, OR THEY'RE DIRECTLY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, OR TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO ONCE AGAIN, STAKEHOLDERS, UH, BUT ONGOING PARTNERS IN THIS EFFORT.
I THINK THAT CATEGORICALLY, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, TO NAME A FEW PLANNING COMMISSION, PARKS COMMISSION, LIBRARY COMMISSION, ARTS COMMISSION, THOSE ARE ONES THAT COME TO MIND.
UH, CITY OF AUSTIN ORGS, TARA, OBVIOUSLY, HAKA IS ONE OF THOSE PARTNERS.
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN, UH, HOUSING AUTHORITY OF AUSTIN, UH, AUSTIN PARKS AND REC PUBLIC WORKS, UH, CAP METRO, AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, YOU KNOW, CTM CERTAINLY.
UH, BUT THAT INCLUDES THE EQUITY OFFICE AND MORE, UH, INNOVATION OFFICE, COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, UH, EMS, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, UH, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UH, RIGHT.
UH, EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY EVERY, UH, EDUCATION, UH, EVERY HIGHER EDUCATION ENTITY IN OUR REGION, UH, EFFECTIVELY.
UH, BUT THEN ALSO, UH, THE LOCAL, UH, K THROUGH 12 BOARDS OF ED, UH, AS WELL.
AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE KEY STAKEHOLDERS, RIGHT? UH, THEIR ROLE IN THE CONVENING WILL, WILL BE REFLECTIVE OF THEIR ROLE AS SERVICE PROVIDERS.
UH, BUT IT DEPENDS ON WHAT CONVERSATION THEY'RE BEING A PART OF, RIGHT? IF, IF, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE AN AGREE UPON A TRACK FOCUSED ON PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AND INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS, AND GOOGLE, UH, WANTS TO BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION, THEN WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MORE OF A COLLABORATIVE ONE WHERE WE'RE BASICALLY IN THE ROOM, BUT WE'RE LETTING THEM, YOU KNOW, WORK THINGS OUT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE NO PROHIBITION AGAINST THAT AS WELL.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO EFFECTIVELY, ANY, ANY COMPONENT OF ECOSYSTEM, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED THAT YOU FEEL SHOULD BE INCLUDED, YOU KNOW, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, LET US KNOW.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, EFFECTIVELY IT'S, IT'S THOSE THAT WE KNOW ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED OR, UH, INDIRECTLY IMPACTED BY DIGITAL INCLUSION AND OR DIGITAL EQUITY MATTERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION.
THERE'S BEEN MENTION OF, UH, GOOGLE FIBER.
UH, IS THAT THE PREFERRED I S P OR ARE WE I S P AGNOSTIC? WE ARE, ABSOLUTELY.
WHAT IS THAT? UH, IS S P AGNOSTIC.
IN FACT, UH, IT'S A SHAME WE DIDN'T HAVE MORE TIME.
UH, I KIND OF WISH WE, WE HAD STUCK.
I, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA NEED MORE TIME.
I WISH WE HAD, UH, HAD OUR, UH, JAMES AND, UH, CHRIS, UH, ANSWER QUESTIONS, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY MADE MENTION OF IS A CONTRACT THAT GOOGLE WAS AWARDED, UH, BUT IT WAS A COMPETITIVE ONE TO MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, TO THEN OFFER SERVICES AT OUR PUBLIC HOUSING FACILITIES.
UH, AND IT WAS ONE, UH, THAT OUR COMMISSION WAS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN NEGOTIATING, UH, BUT WE WERE INFORMED OF, UH, RELATIVELY EARLY ON AFTER I BECAME A COMMISSIONER, BUT ABSOLUTELY PLATFORM AGNOSTIC.
IN FACT, UH, OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO ENCOURAGE COMPETITION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, UM, PRIMARILY FOR CONSUMER PROTECTION AND, AND AFFORDABILITY.
BUT THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT.
UH, WITH THAT THEN, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, AND, UH, WELL, BEFORE I, I, I CLOSE OFF, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU ALL, UH, HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES ON WHICH WORKING GROUPS TO JOIN.
AND, UM, AS I MENTIONED, IT IS A LITTLE UP IN THE AIR AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THERE'LL BE AN OPENING ON THIS WORKING GROUP, BUT I'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE INFORMED ABOUT THAT AND, UH, AND HOPE THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING THIS WORKING GROUP.
[01:55:01]
BUT LET'S PROCEED IN OUR AGENDA.ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW WHAT, BEFORE I DO THAT, UH, LET ME PAUSE.
UM, SINCE WE HAVE A LITTLE, LITTLE TIME HERE, I'D LIKE TO TURN TO VICE RAPPA DACA, UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT MISSING ANYTHING RELATED TO THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF ACTION GOING ON ON THE DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP.
UM, YOU KNOW, CHAIR PITS MADE REFERENCE TO THE INCLUSION CONFERENCE THAT HE AND I AND OTHERS AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN ATTENDED.
UM, DIA IS SORT OF THE PREMIER ORGANIZATION AROUND DIGITAL EQUITY NATIONALLY.
AND, UM, SOME OF THE PROGRAMMING INCLUDED VISITING THE SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY.
IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY COOL TO SEE, TO COMPARE THAT TO SOME OF THE WORK THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS DOING.
WE ARE EITHER RIGHT ON PAR WITH THE, OUR OFFERINGS WITHIN THE LIBRARY, OR WE'RE A LITTLE AHEAD.
SO IT'S, THAT'S GOOD TO, TO TO SEE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, WE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO HEAR A BIT FROM MAYOR RON NURENBERG, WHO'S THE, THE MAYOR OF, OF SAN ANTONIO, AND HEAR DIRECTLY FROM US COMMERCE SECRETARY, UM, GINA RAMONO.
UM, SO THE FACT THAT, THAT THIS ORGANIZATION HAS, HAS, UM, HIGHLIGHTED DIGITAL EQUITY AS BEING SUCH A NEED THAT A COMMERCE SECRETARY, SITTING, COMMERCE SECRETARY CAME AND GAVE REMARKS, AS WELL AS AN ANNOUNCEMENT AROUND PROVIDING, UM, PROVIDING INPUT TO SOME OF THE WORK BEING DONE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL IS A HUGE DEAL.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THING, SORT OF RECREATING THAT EFFECT ON A SMALLER SCALE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR OCTOBER SESSION, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT.
THAT'S SORT OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE HAD IN OUR MINDS, AND THESE, THESE SORT OF GRAND VISIONS AND SORT OF, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME RESOURCES, UM, OR, OR LEVEL OF EFFORT TO, TO RECREATE SOMETHING OF THAT MAGNITUDE.
BUT, UM, IF WE'RE ABLE TO, TO SORT OF BRING THE SAME ENERGY ATTENTION AT A LOCAL LEVEL, I THINK IT'LL GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS ACHIEVING OUR GOALS.
UH, HERE, HERE, UH, JESSE, WE'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT, WELL, MAYBE NOT ADD ADD TO THAT PARTICULAR POINT, BUT, UH, ONE QUICK NOTE ON THE WORKING GROUPS.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE'RE, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN, THE, THE WORKING GROUPS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SOME STRUCTURAL UPDATES, UM, BASED ON THE CLERK'S OFFICE REQUEST.
AND, UH, WITH THE NEW COMMISSIONERS ON BOARD AND THEIR INTEREST IN THE DIFFERENT, UH, WORKING GROUPS.
UH, I THINK WE'RE OVER CAPACITY ON INTEREST FOR
UM, ONE WAY THAT WE CAN, UH, TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERY COMMISSIONER HAS, UH, OR PARTICIPATES IN THE TOPICS THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, I THINK WILL BE THAT REORGANIZATION OF THE, THE WORKING GROUPS THAT IS IN THE WORKS AND, AND MAYBE COMING, UH, DOWN THE PIPELINE WITH THE NEXT MEETING, UH, WITH THE ANNUAL RETREAT.
UM, IF, IF THE COMMISSION WERE TO BREAK OUT THE, THE, THE WORKING GROUP INTO FOCUSED TOPICS, UH, THEN THE, THE COMMISSIONERS MIGHT BE ABLE TO, UH, SELF, SELF-ASSIGNED TO THOSE NARROWER TOPICS, UH, WITHOUT US, UH, RUNNING INTO ANY QUORUM CHALLENGES.
SO, JUST WANTED TO THROW KIND OF A STRUCTURAL, UM, NUANCE THAT, THAT MIGHT BE A, YOU KNOW, A, A GOOD THING FOR, UH, THE COMING, UH, REORGANIZATION NOW.
UH, LET'S CHAT ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND, BECAUSE, UH, IF YOU GUYS WILL LOOK BACK TO THE CTT C WORKING GROUP MEMBERSHIP DOCUMENT.
AND THIS, AGAIN, IS, UH, WHY IT'S GONNA BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR EVERYONE TO BE THERE IN PERSON.
UH, IT, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN, AND I DO WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT.
EVER SINCE WE GOT THE REQUEST FROM, UH, THE CLERK'S OFFICE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO BASICALLY THINK OF THE BEST WAY TO HONOR THAT REQUEST, UH, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE C T T C IS IN A UNIQUE POSITION.
UH, I'M NOT SURE HOW UNIQUE, BUT I KNOW IT'S SOMEWHAT UNIQUE IN THAT OUR BYLAWS SPECIFY THAT OUR BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED IN WORKING GROUPS.
AND WORKING GROUPS HAVE A MORE TRADITIONAL ROLE,
[02:00:02]
UH, IN, UH, THE, THE, THE, ACCORDING TO THE CLERK'S, THE, THE, THE FEEDBACK FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS THAT WORKING GROUPS ARE INTENDED TO BE, UH, SUNSETTED.THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BASED ON DELIVERABLES, AND THEN THEY STOP.
WHEREAS COMMITTEES, UH, CONTINUE ON AND ON AND ON.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, WITHOUT HAVING THE HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EXACTLY WHY, UH, THESE WORKING GROUPS WERE STRUCTURED THIS WAY, UH, WE MADE A POINT, UH, TO HONOR AS BEST WE CAN, THE CLERK'S REQUEST AND TRANS TO TRANSITION AS BEST WE CAN OUT OF THE CURRENT WORKING GROUP STRUCTURE.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, UH, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THIS STRUCTURE UNTIL THE WORK PLAN RETREAT, UH, AND BASED UPON THE TIMING, UH, EVEN THOUGH IT WILL ADD AN, AN ADDED LAYER, UH, BASED UPON OUR CURRENT STRUCTURE AND THE FACT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE WORKING REPORTS THAT WERE BEING FINALIZED BY, UH, VICE CHAIR APODACA AND MYSELF, AND, UH, WORKING GROUP CHAIR, UH, COMMISSIONER SUMIT SUPTA, I FEEL AS THOUGH YOU'LL BE ABLE TO REVIEW THESE DRAFTS AND TO THEN, UH, AT THE VERY LEAST, GET A SENSE FOR WHETHER OR NOT YOU'D LIKE TO THROW YOUR HAT IN THE RING FOR THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, NOTHING REALLY GET FINALIZED UNTIL THE WORK PLAN RETREAT.
SO IT'S JUST GONNA BE KIND OF A, YOU KNOW, AN EDUCATIONAL PROCESS HERE IN THE MEANTIME.
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT MIGHT CHANGE THAT IS IF WE HAVE IMPORTANT BUSINESS THAT WE NEED TO, TO HANDLE, UH, DURING THOSE, WHICH WE NORMALLY DO.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S WHY I'M HESITATING, UH, THE MAY TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP MEETING AND THE MAY DIGITAL INCLUSION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, WORKING GROUP MEETING, EXCUSE ME, DIGITAL INCLUSION AND STRATEGIC, UH, TELECOM POLICY IMPACT WORKING GROUP MEETING.
UH, THOSE OCCUR BEFORE THE WORK PLAN RETREAT.
UH, SO IN A LOT OF THE CALENDAR, IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS.
UH, SO WHAT THAT MEANS TO ME IS, I, I THINK, AND I'D LIKE TO GET SOME FEEDBACK ON THIS TOO, BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT MY, MY, MY THOUGHT IS IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT TO, TO HAVE, UH, AS MUCH OF A, A NON WALKING CORNER AS WE CAN, UH, ENGAGING IN THESE DISCUSSIONS IN THE WORKING GROUP MAY MEETINGS, AND A LOT OF THE FACT THAT THOSE WORKING GROUPS ARE ALSO GOING TO CHANGE, UH, BUT THEY, THEY EXIST WITH SOME RELATIVE CLARITY AS WAS EXPLAINED TODAY.
UH, AND WE HAVE A TRANSITION PLAN, SO I'LL TURN IT TO VICE CHAIR FIRST.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ACCEPTING THROUGH A RANDOM PROCESS, UH, PRIORITY, UH, SELECTIONS OF OUR COMMISSIONERS TO JOIN WORKING GROUPS? UH, TWO OF THEM HAVE SAID THEY WANNA JOIN WORKING GROUP.
ACTUALLY, ALL THEY ALL ALL SAID THEY WANNA DRUM WORKING GROUPS, RIGHT? SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW WE CAN BASICALLY GET THEIR INPUT INTO CURRENT WORKING GROUPS, KNOWING THE FACT THAT SOME OF THEM MAY SUNSET? YEAH.
BUT YET WE NEED TO HAVE THAT INPUT BEFORE THE WORK PLAN RETREAT.
WELL, A, AS YOU WERE TALKING, I WAS SORT OF BRAINSTORMING IN MY HEAD.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA MISSPEAK FOR, FOR THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, BUT AT FROM MY OBSERVATION, IT LOOKS LIKE SOME MAY BE INTERESTED IN NOT ONLY THE, THE, THE WORK GROUPS AS, AS, AS THEY EXIST, BUT SOME SPECIFIC INITIATIVES.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION, UM, COMMITTEE RIGHT NOW IS ESSENTIALLY THE PLANNING TEAM FOR THE, UM, THE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS.
ONE IDEA MIGHT BE TO COMPLETELY SPIN THAT OFF INTO ITS OWN COMMITTEE OR WORKING GROUP, BUT WHATEVER THE CORRECT TERMINOLOGY IS, AND, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THREE WORKING GROUPS.
UM, I COULD ENVISION US HAVING FIVE TO SEVEN INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVES THAT ARE TIME-BASED OR TIME LOCKED GOING ON AT ANY INDIVIDUAL TIME.
PLUS THE, THE, WHAT WE KNOW OF AS TODAY IS AS COMMITTEES.
SO, YEAH, LET ME, UH, LET ME ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE,
[02:05:01]
YOU'RE SPEAKING TO SOMETHING WHICH NOT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF.UH, AND YET IT'S KIND OF BAKED IN, RIGHT? SO, UH, EVERY WORKING GROUP IS HANDLING INITIATIVES.
SO THE REPORTS LIKE THE ONE THAT YOU HAVE IN, IN GIRAFFE, YOU KNOW, FINAL DRAFT MODE, LIKE THE ONE THAT I HAVE, THE ONE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER SUPTA HAS THOSE ALL SPEAK TO THOSE INITIATIVES, RIGHT? SO IN ANALYZING WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANNA JOIN THE CURRENT WORKING GROUP, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THOSE INITIATIVES AND TO THEN DECIDE EVEN IF IT'S TEMPORARY, THAT THEY WANNA JOIN THAT WORKING GROUP FOR THE NEXT DISCUSSION.
UH, AND COLLECTIVELY, WE'LL THEN TAKE THAT FEEDBACK AND THEN LOOK AND DECIDE WHAT'S GOING TO BE INITIATIVE, YOU KNOW, LONG TERM FOCUSED, AND THEN TIED TO, UH, I'D SAY LONG TERM, EVEN THOUGH INITIATIVES ARE SHORT TERM, UH, AND THE WORKING GROUPS ARE SHORT TERM AND THEN TIED TO A DEADLINE, RIGHT? AND THEN WHAT'S GONNA BE COMMITTEES, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE LEAVE THE WORKING PLAN RETREAT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ALL THIS SORTED OUT.
UH, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE NEED THE INPUT OF COMMISSIONERS AND OUR NEXT MEETINGS.
UH, AND SO, UH, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT IT'S CHANGING, AND WE KNOW IT'S CHANGING IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE WILL BE PASSIONATE ABOUT INITIATIVES, BUT YET WE STILL NEED TO HAVE INPUT IN OUR WORKING GROUPS.
UH, I'M CURIOUS, WHAT DO YOU THINK, JESSE? I THINK THAT'S A, YEAH, EXCELLENT QUESTION.
AND, UH, ONE THING THAT WE CAN DO IS DAN AND I ARE GONNA, UH, CIRCULATE, MAKE SURE THAT EVERY, ALL OF THE NEW COMMISSIONERS, AND WE CAN RE RECIRCULATE IT TO EVERYBODY, HAS, UH, ACCESS TO OUR LAST ANNUAL PLAN, UH, WHICH HAS A BREAKOUT OF EACH OF THE WORKING GROUPS AND EACH INDIVIDUAL ITEM THAT THE WORKING GROUP WAS, UH, SET TO CONSIDER.
UH, AND THAT SHOULD GIVE YOU A GOOD OVERVIEW OF WHAT EACH, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS, WHAT IS ON THE MENU OF ACTIVITIES THAT THE COMMISSION IS CURRENTLY INTERESTED IN AND ACTIVELY WORKING ON.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, IN PREPARATION FOR OUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS THE ANNUAL RETREAT, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD PROPOSE IF EVERY COMMISSIONER, UH, WANTED TO SEND, UH, JUST A LIST OF TOPICS TO US, TO DAN AND I THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, OR WOULD LIKE THE COMMISSION TO, UH, CONSIDER.
WE CAN COMPILE THAT INTO A LIST AS ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT MIGHT INFORM THE RETREAT SESSION, UH, FOR, FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
UH, SO THAT WAY EACH COMMISSION MEMBER CAN PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO, UH, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE WORKING ON OVER THE NEXT YEAR AS IT RELATES TO THE COMMISSION, AND WE CAN THEN, UH, BRING THAT TO THE WHOLE GROUP, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING.
HEY, JESSE, REAL QUICK, CAN YOU JUST WANT, AND, AND I APOLOGIZE, CAN YOU JUST ONCE AGAIN, DEFINE FOR ME IN THE NEW WORLD THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COMMITTEE AND A WORKING GROUP, WHICH, AND THE TERMINOLOGY, WHICH ONE SHOULD BE ENDATED, WHICH ONE POTENTIALLY HAS THE OPTION TO CONTINUE ON IN PERPETUITY? I COULD, I'D LIKE TO DEFINE THAT, UH, AND RESPOND TO JESSE.
UH, BUT I'LL DEFINE THAT FIRST.
UH, COMMITTEES CAN CONTINUE, UH, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE MINUTES MM-HMM.
UH, THERE'S ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE A, UH, A PUBLIC RECORD, UH, A STATEMENT ABOUT WHEN THEY'RE HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SCHEDULE, WORKING GROUPS, BYLAWS.
PICK, PICK, PICK THAT UP AGAIN.
UH, IN ADDITION, UH, COMMITTEES WOULD NEED TO BE, UH, UH, YOU, YOU ALL WOULD NEED TO TAKE A VOTE TO AMEND YOUR BYLAWS, TO ADD EACH INDIVIDUAL COMMITTEE, AND THEN THE COMMITTEE, UH, ONCE, UH, YOU KNOW, APPROVED WOULD BE A PART OF YOUR BYLAWS.
AND, AND MOREOVER, UH, THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS REMOVING THE LINE THAT SAYS, THIS COMMISSION WILL HAVE NO COMMITTEES.
UH, SO YEAH, IT'S IN, REQUIRE AMENDING THE BYLAWS.
UH, THE WORKING GROUPS ARE THE ONES THOUGH THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN BE INITIATIVE FOCUSED.
UH, BUT THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, A SUNSET DATE.
AND WILL THEN ALSO REQUIRE A REPORT BE YIELDED.
AND JESSIE, DO THE COMMITTEES, DO THEY NEED TO BE PUBLICLY HELD OR JUST MINUTES POSTED? COMMITTEES WOULD ACT, UH, ESSENTIALLY LIKE THIS MEETING.
IN THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO BE, THEY WOULD NEED TO HAVE FORMAL AGENDAS, FORMAL MIS MINUTES.
THEY WOULD NEED TO BE, UH, PO POSTED PUBLICLY.
SO IT, IT'D BE A FULL MEETING, UH, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES THAT MIRRORS THIS STYLE.
UM, AND WE'D HAVE TO HAVE, UH, ATX IN SUPPORT AND ALL THAT.
[02:10:01]
WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE AT X N SUPPORT, BUT THE MEETINGS WOULD HAVE TO BE RECORDED.AND SO, UH, WE, WE COULD HAVE AUDIO RECORDINGS, FOR INSTANCE.
UH, BUT THOSE RECORDINGS WOULD BE MADE PUBLIC.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS WE NEED TO TAKE ANY CONSENT.
IN FACT, UH, THESE ARE THINGS THAT I'VE, I'VE BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, AND PART OF THE REASON WHY I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL A LITTLE IRKED THAT I DON'T HAVE THE HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE, RIGHT? THERE WAS A CHOICE MADE TO OPERATE IN THE WAY THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY OPERATING BY THIS COMMISSION, AND THEY VOTED ON IT, THEY CHANGED THE BYLAWS TO REFLECT IT, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE CONTEXT FOR THAT.
UH, BUT WE KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO DO, TO NOT DO THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE, IT WOULD MEAN THEN HAVING TO DO A WHOLE LOT MORE WORK, UH, FRANKLY, IN ORDER TO DO OUR WORK, RIGHT? SO, UH, BUT YET, UH, WE TAKE TO HEART THE CLERK'S REQUEST AND, UH, WANNA BE IN COMPLIANCE AS MUCH AS WE CAN, RIGHT? UH, BUT TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE COMPLIANT WITH OUR BYLAWS.
UH, IT'S JUST A QUESTION AS TO HOW SOMEHOW THESE BYLAWS, WHICH WERE, UH, ACKNOWLEDGED AND, AND ACCEPTED BY THE CLERK'S OFFICE THEN BECAME AN ISSUE BECAUSE WE'RE OPERATING UNDER THOSE BYLAWS.
AND THAT MIGHT REMAIN A MYSTERY.
BUT I, I STILL HOPE TO FIND OUT HISTORICALLY WHY WE CREATED THIS, THIS, THAT WE STRUCK THE COMMISSION THIS WAY, AND WHAT CHANGED, UH, IN EITHER, UH, I, I BELIEVE IT.
THERE WAS NOTHING ABOUT US SPECIFIC NECESSARILY, UH, BUT A GENERAL TRAINING ABOUT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, AND HOW THEY CURRENTLY OPERATE.
AND THEN OUR COMMISSION BEING CALLED OUT AS ONE THAT OPERATES DISTINCTLY FROM OTHERS, BUT YET AGAIN, COMPLIANT WITH OUR BYLAWS.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND KEEP THIS MOVING.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT ADDITIONAL COLOR ON THIS WORKING GROUP UPDATE.
WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TRANSITION TO AGENDA,
[8. Update from Knowledge, Information, and Data Stewardship Working Group ]
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, AN UPDATE FROM THE KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION AND DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP.AND VICE CHAIR DACA IS THE WORKING GROUP, GROUP CHAIR.
UM, SO CHAIR PITTS ALLUDED TO, UM, A FINAL REPORT.
UM, I'M IN THE PROCESS OF AUTHORING, UM, IT'S IN DRAFT MODE, UM, AT THE MOMENT.
SO PLAN ON HAVING THAT COMPLETED, UH, IN TIME FOR OUR WORK PLAN RETREAT IN MAY.
UM, SOME OF THE MAJOR ITEMS, UH, I WON'T COVER EVERY INDIVIDUAL ITEM, BUT JUST SOME OF THE BIG TICKET ITEMS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IS, UM, CONTINUING TO HELP COMMUNICATE, UH, CITY PROGRAMS RESOURCES.
SO, UM, UM, THE TARA OFFICE, UM, WANNA WANT TO DO A, A, A POSITIVE SHOUT OUT TO, TO BRIANNA'S HAS BEEN, UM, CONSOLIDATING THE DIGITAL ACCESS RESOURCE RESOURCE LIST.
SO THAT'S CERTAINLY A DOCUMENT THAT'S, UH, SHARED THAT THE PUB WITH THE PUBLIC SHARED WITH, UM, SHARED DURING OUR COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO, TO KEEP AN EYE ON, PROVIDE FEEDBACK, FEEDBACK, INPUT ON, UM, THE COUNCIL VOTING TEMPERATURE DATABASE.
ESSENTIALLY BRINGING VISIBILITY TO, UH, HOW CITY COUNCIL HAS, HAS VOTED HISTORICALLY AND, AND MOVING INTO THE FUTURE.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS, UH, TRANSITIONED TO, UM, ANOTHER WORKING GROUP.
BUT HISTORICALLY THAT HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE, UM, THAT WE HANDLED.
SO ESSENTIALLY, MY, MY FINAL REPORT WILL, WILL INDICATE THAT TRANSITION, TRANSITION, THAT ITEM, UM, CONTINUING TO, TO FOLLOW UP ON VARIOUS TECHNOLOGIES THAT THE CITY IS, IS LEVERAGING, UH, WITH REGARDS TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, SOMETIME AGO, UH, A P D, UM, BEGAN DEVELOPMENT AS PUSHED OUT, UM, AN APP CALLED ATLAS ONE.
UM, SO THAT IS ONE ITEM THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO, UM, TO LOOK INTO PROVIDING FEEDBACK, UH, WITH OUR APD COLLEAGUES ON, UH, ANOTHER MORE RECENT DEVELOPMENT INCLUDES, UM, OUR, OUR INVITATION TO AN INDIVIDUAL WITHIN THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO PROVIDE US A BRIEFING ON, UM, EMERGENCY TEXT
[02:15:01]
MESSAGE CAPABILITY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.UM, THIS HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, AS YOU KNOW, UH, WINTER STORM URI, AS WELL AS, UM, OTHER WINTER STORMS THAT, THAT HAVE OCCURRED MORE, MORE RECENTLY.
UH, SENDING TEXT MESSAGES OUT TO THE PUBLIC, NOT ONLY, UH, TO EXPECT SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS, BUT WHERE TO GET RESOURCES, WHERE TO, WHERE TO GET HELP, ASSISTANCE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
UM, I WILL KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE PERSONALLY SEEN, UM, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THAT SYSTEM, AS I'M SURE THE, THE PUBLIC HAS AS WELL.
UM, SO WE JUST WANT TO GET A SENSE OF, UM, SORT OF THE, THE STRATEGIC EVOLUTION OF, UM, OF THAT ITEM AND, UH, IMPROVEMENTS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPECT, UM, IN THE COMING MONTHS AND YEARS AS WE CAN EXPECT SEVERE WEATHER, UH, OR OTHER EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, UH, TO CONTINUE OCCURRING.
UM, AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL, YOU KNOW, THERE'LL BE A FULL REPORT, BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE BIG TICKET ITEMS, UM, THAT WE DIDN'T, THAT WE HAVE WORKED ON RECENTLY, UM, IN THIS, UM, THIS COMMITTEE.
AND I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR VICE? I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, NOT ASK A QUESTION, BUT JUST, UH, FURTHER REITERATE THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, SOME, UH, A VENN DIAGRAM, UH, OF, YOU KNOW, MANY OF THESE TOPICS ARE INTERSECTIONAL.
SO, UH, AS HE ALLUDED TO VOTING TABLET ARE, UH, WHICH TOPICALLY I IS, THE FOLKS OF THIS WORKING GROUP ENDED UP BEING SWITCHED TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING GROUP BECAUSE COMMISSIONER YATES, UH, WAS ON THAT WORKING GROUP, AND IT BEGAN AS SOMETHING, UH, A COMMUNITY CONCERN FROM HIS SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.
UM, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE PROBABLY FOR IT TO GO BACK.
UM, BUT WE CAN SORT THAT OUT AT THE WORK PLAN RETREAT.
UM, UH, I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WASN'T MENTIONED THAT'S IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW AS WELL, UH, FROM A P D IS AN UPDATE FROM THEM ON THEIR POLICE BODY CAMERA AND, UH, IN-CAR DASH CAM VIDEO PROCESSING TIMES, UH, AND THEIR D M A V UNIT, UH, PROJECT UPGRADE.
UH, WERE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO, UH, TO GET THE RIGHT CONTACT TO COME AND, AND SPEAK TO US AT A WORKING GROUP MEETING, AND WE CAN ANTICIPATE THAT MIGHT BE A, UH, A BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR THAT CONVERSATION IN LIGHT OF, UH, SOME OF THE SCRUTINY, UH, THAT AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN UNDER.
BUT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, OR, OR THOUGHTS HERE ON THIS WORKING GROUP? I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION.
COMMISSIONER SMITH, VICE CHAIR, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE I PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME RIGHT, APODACA.
UH, ARE YOU WORKING DIRECTLY WITH CTM OR IS YOUR WORKING GROUP RATHER WORKING DIRECTLY WITH CTM TO DEVELOP THE TEXT PLATFORM? OR ARE YOU UTILIZING AN EXISTING SERVICE? UM, I'M KIND OF PAYING PER USER.
UM, NO, THE, THE WORKING GROUP ISN'T INVOLVED DEVELOPMENT, UM, THAT'S OKAY.
I BELIEVE HANDLED BY, UM, THE OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THE, THE, THE, THE FUNCTIONALITY WE'RE, WE'RE SIMPLY REQUESTING A, UM, A, A BRIEFING FROM THAT DEPARTMENT ON THE GENERAL FUNCTIONALITY, HOW THE, UM, PLATFORM HAS, HAS EVOLVED, UH, WHAT IS PERHAPS IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, SO THAT PERHAPS WE MAY BE BUILT TO OFFER, UM, END USER OR COMMUNITY LED INPUT INTO THAT, UM, STRATEGY.
YEAH, THAT, THAT'S SORT OF WHAT I WAS GETTING AT WAS I WAS, I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE END USER, I'M NOT WONDERING, I'VE EXPERIENCED
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE, I THINK IS WORTH SHARING THAT FEEDBACK.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE WAS A CHANNEL FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THAT EMERGENCY RESPONSE, UH, SERVICE.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO BASICALLY FACILITATE THAT.
[02:20:01]
OKAY, YOU KNOW, IN ESSENCE, THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, KNOW, STEPHEN AND I TALKED ABOUT VICE DUCK AND I TALKED ABOUT, AND, AND OTHER COMMISSIONERS, AND I TALKED ABOUT IT AS WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THESE PAINS IN THE CITY, UH, RIGHT.AND WITH THE LAST ICE STORM, UH, STORM, UH, RECEIVING UPDATES FROM TRAVIS COUNTY AND OTHERS, BUT YET NOT ONES THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN USEFUL.
IT, YOU KNOW, GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, TO BASICALLY ENGAGE AND THEN TO HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, INFORM.
SO IT'S, IT'S BOTH, UH, A FEEDBACK PROCESS AND ALSO, UH, OUR GOAL TO INFORM THE COMMUNITY, UH, ABOUT THESE RESOURCES, UH, AND THEN THE, HOPEFULLY THEN, UH, HELP THEM GET UTILIZED OPTIMALLY.
AND ONE OTHER POINT, COMMISSIONER SMITH, IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, UM, WE, WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP CONVERSATION, I THINK TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR 24TH, THE 24TH, WITH, WITH OUR CONTACT.
UM, SO THAT WON'T BE IN A COMMISSION MEETING LIKE THIS ONE.
THIS WILL BE IN, IN A WORKING GROUP.
UM, BUT IF YOU DO HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM OVER TO ME AND I CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE INCLUDED.
I, I'VE, I'VE COMPILED A LIST OF QUESTIONS IN PREPARATION FOR THAT, BUT, UM, APPARENTLY WANNA GIVE OTHERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE SAME.
AND THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE.
UH, WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER FLOYD'S, UH, TERM LIMIT, THERE'LL BE AN OPENING IN THAT WORKING GROUP.
SO, UH, I, I THINK I'M SEEING A NATURAL FIT, BUT WE'LL LET, UH, WE'LL LET THE PROCESS OF RANDOMNESS AND WHO GETS TO CHOOSE FIRST UNFOLD, UH, OKAY.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE.
UH, NOW THEN, MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR AGENDA HERE, AGENDA ITEM
[9. Update from Technology, Infrastructure, and Innovation Working Group ]
NUMBER NINE, UPDATE FROM THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP.UH, AND I WILL THEN HAND IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER DAVE FLOYD, PROVIDING THE WORKING GROUP CHAIR UPDATE.
I, YEAH, I MEAN, WE BASICALLY, OUR LAST MEETING WAS TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT I BROUGHT UP EARLIER.
THOSE WERE THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED.
UM, I MEAN, OUR LAST SEVERAL COUPLE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN ABOUT SORT OF HOW THIS, HOW THIS, UH, WORKING GROUP TRANSITIONS WITH NEW MEMBERS COMING IN, BECAUSE I'M OFF COMMISSIONER YEAS OFF, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER COMMISSIONER DOCU HAS.
UM, AND HE HAS, SPEAKING TO COMMISSIONER DOCU TO, HE HAS BEEN WORKING ON A, UH, DOCUMENT AS WELL, GOING THROUGH THE WORK PLAN, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, AND, UM, YOU SORT OF A, OUR HISTORY AS A GROUP AND WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT WANT TO TAKE ON MOVING FORWARD.
SO THAT'LL BE, UH, VERY HELPFUL.
AND WE'RE PART OF OUR WORK PLAN DISCUSSION, UH, AT THE WORK PLAN RETREAT.
UH, ONE THING THAT I DID WANNA MENTION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR MEETING, UH, FOR THE WHOLE BODY HERE TODAY, UH, IS TO SAY THAT, UH, I WAS INVITED TO SPEAK AT THE INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE, UH, POSTED HERE IN AUSTIN, UH, IN A, YOU KNOW, A SPEAKING SLOT DESIGN FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
UH, AND, UH, I, I INFORMED THE WORKING GROUP ABOUT THAT AND, AND CAME BACK TO THE WORKING GROUP, BASICALLY, UH, LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY AND, AND HOW, ASKING HOW WE CAN MAKE THE MOST OF THIS FOR THE COMMISSION.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER HOW IT'S AN IMPORTANT GOAL OF OURS AS AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL TO ADDRESS THESE INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES, THE LEGACY ONES, ESPECIALLY SINCE, UH, YOU KNOW, INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE, SMART INFRASTRUCTURE IS GONNA ENABLE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT TYPE OF UPLIFT FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE AUTHORED A VARIETY OF RESOLUTIONS FOCUSED AROUND THIS, UH, SUBTERRANEAN, UH, BUILD RESOLUTION, UH, THAT'S IN DRAFT MODE, EFFECTIVELY AT DIG ONCE RESOLUTION MM-HMM.
UH, ENCOURAGING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP IN THIS SPACE.
AND THEN, UH, DEDICATED RESOURCE ASSIGNMENT TO, FROM THE CITY MANAGER TO ANALYZE, UH, DIFFERENT USE CASES FOR THE CITY, UH, WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WELL, THAT'S STILL THE GOAL, UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S, IT REQUIRES SOME, SOME SCAFFOLDING.
SO WHAT WE DID IS WE LOOKED AT THE SPEAKER'S LIST COLLECTIVELY, UH, AS A WORKING GROUP,
[02:25:01]
AND IT INCLUDES, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY, UH, IN ADDITION TO OTHER ECOSYSTEM PARTNERS THAT WE WOULD WANNA BE INVOLVED IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ENCOURAGING PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.UH, UH, TEXDOT WAS ONE OF THEM AS WELL.
UH, AND COMMISSIONER YATES ENCOURAGED US TO USE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BASICALLY TALK ABOUT WHAT, TO REACH OUT TO THESE KEY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SPEAKING AT THE EVENT, TALK ABOUT WHAT THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN DOING, UH, YOU KNOW, RELATED TO PERMITTING, UH, SUBTERRANEAN PLANNING AND OR STRATEGIC PLANNING.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO ENCOURAGE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR SUMMIT TO ENCOURAGE, UH, THEM ENJOYED LIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR FSD LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGIC PLANNING, AND TO DO OUR PART, UH, AS, UH, CONVENERS AND, UH, ADVISORS TO SHEPHERD THOSE RESOURCES IN A COLLABORATIVE WAY.
UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR, THAT, UH, I'M OPEN AND WILL ENCOURAGE ANY FEEDBACK ON WHAT I SHOULD SPEAK ON AT THAT JUNE.
LEMME MAKE SURE I GET THE DATE RIGHT.
THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT, JUNE, JUNE 6TH.
SO, THE GREAT THING IS WE'LL HAVE A, A CHANCE TO, TO IDEATE ON THIS IN THE WORK PLAN RETREAT.
UH, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I HAVE ALREADY, BASED ON THE SUGGESTION OF, UH, THE CONSENSUS IN THE WORKING GROUP, UH, BEGAN, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT WHAT I WILL, UH, HOW I WILL ENGAGE, UH, LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY AND, UH, TEX DOT.
UH, BUT YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT THAT I'LL BE REACHING OUT TO JESSE AND THE LEADERSHIP TEAM ON HOW TO BEST FRAME THAT, UH, TO ELEVATE THE STRATEGIC PLAN INTERESTS AND OUR COLLABORATIVE INTERESTS WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, AND THE SUMMIT AS A WHOLE.
UH, BUT WITH THAT, THOUGH, I WANNA, UH, OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER FLOYD OR MYSELF PERTAINING TO THIS WORKING GROUP.
THE SPEAKER INVITATION OPPORTUNITY, I, IS THE PUBLIC INVITED YES.
WELL, WAIT, HOLD ON A SECOND TO, TO THE EVENT.
UH, IT'S A PUBLIC EVENT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THE PUBLIC IS INVITED PER SE.
UH, I KNOW THAT BECAUSE IT'S, YEAH, IT'S AT THE RENAISSANCE HOTEL, AND IT'S, UH, A CONFERENCE.
IT'S A CONFERENCE SETTING, IT'S A CONFERENCE SETTING.
UH, BUT TO BE CLEAR, UH, AND THIS IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT, UH, WE'RE ALL INVITED SHORT OF A WALKING QUORUM.
SO BASED ON THE TOPIC BEING INFRASTRUCTURE, VERY MUCH LIKE WE OPERATE, UH, WITH OTHER WORKING GROUPS KIND OF HAVING PRIORITY, YEAH, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY, INF, YOU KNOW, INNOVATION WORKING GROUP HAVE THE PRIORITY OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND.
UH, SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS TO SHARE, UH, THE LINK INVITE THAT I WAS SENT FOR THIS, UH, NOT THE SPEAKING ONE, BUT THE, THE CONFERENCE INVITE.
UH, AND FIRST WE'LL DETERMINE WHO'S ON THE, THE, THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE, INNOVATION WORKING GROUP.
AND THEN THOSE PEOPLE WILL GET THE INVITATION FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL EXTEND IT OUT TO ANYONE ELSE BECAUSE WE CAN ATTEND FOR FREE AS PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
AND THAT, BY THE WAY, IS THE SAME FOR YOU ALL.
UH, AND I'VE HEARD THAT, THAT RON'S BEING RECRUITED TO SPEAK, BUT I KNOW THAT SHE HASN'T SAID SHE'S GONNA SPEAK.
SO I'M NOT GONNA COMMIT HER TO THAT UNTIL SHE SAYS SHE HAS
SO SHE MIGHT BE PART OF A, UH, OF A, UH, OF, UH, THE SAME PANEL WITH ME SPEAKING MM-HMM.
[02:30:01]
THAT'S THAT.UH, WELL, UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD OUR AGENDA, UH, NOW TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UH,
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
SO OUR NEXT MEETING IS THE WORK PLAN RETREAT.SO THAT AGENDA IS PRETTY SET,
WE'RE GONNA BE FOCUSED ON THE BUSINESS OF THIS COMMISSION, HOW WE OPERATE OUR WORKING GROUPS, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW TO STRUCTURE OUR NEW COMMITTEES, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, HOW TO GET THINGS DONE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA DO SOME, SOME BIG PICTURE THINKING AND VERY TACTICAL STUFF TOO.
UH, BUT I WANT TO ADD TO, TO, I WANNA SWEETEN THE POT A LITTLE BIT, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE A BUDGET AT THIS COMMISSION, UH, AS A COMMISSION, UH, I WANT TO, I'M GONNA FEED EVERYONE WHO COMES TO THAT WORK PLAN RETREAT, RIGHT? UH, I'M GETTING HUNGRY RIGHT NOW, JUST SITTING HERE, SO I CAN IMAGINE HOW WE'RE GONNA FEEL WORKING IN A ROOM TOGETHER.
SO, I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER GARZA, UH, SAID SHE WAS COOL WITH PIZZA, AND PEOPLE ARE COOL WITH PIZZA.
BUT, UH, WE HAVE THREE NEW COMMISSIONERS, AND YOU ALL GET YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITY TO LET ME KNOW ABOUT ANY PREFERENCES YOU MIGHT HAVE, UH, WITH MY LIMITED BUDGET, BUT WITH MY OWN PERSONAL BUDGET.
UM, AND MAKE A SUGGESTION FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UH, WE CORRESPONDED ON THIS, UH, BEFORE THE MEETING.
WELL, I'M SORRY, WE'RE NOT READY FOR SUGGESTIONS YET.
UH, I, I'M WAITING FOR FEEDBACK ON MY, MY REQUEST ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO EAT, AND THEN WE'LL GET TO, TO OTHER AGENDA ITEMS, BECAUSE OUR NEXT AGENDA IS SET FOR THE WORK PLAN RETREAT.
SO LET'S, LET'S SORT THAT OUT FIRST.
UH, DO YOU, I'M GONNA START IN THE ROOM, Y'ALL.
UH, COMMISSIONER WOULD JACO, I, I, DO YOU HAVE ANY PREFERENCES ON WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO EAT OR WOULD NOT LIKE TO EAT? I DON'T HAVE ANY PREFERENCES.
NO ALLERGIES, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, AZAM, I STARTED ON THE LEFT, SO I'M GONNA START ON THE RIGHT THIS TIME.
I'M GOOD WITH EVERYTHING, SO PIZZA SOUNDS GOOD.
AND COMMISSIONER SMITH, I AM GOOD WITH ANYTHING AS WELL.
IF YOU DIDN'T BRING PIZZA, I WAS GOING TO BRING SOMETHING.
SO
IT WON'T, IT, IT WILL BE GOOD PIZZA.
JUST, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I'M NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA SHAME ANYBODY, BUT IT'S GONNA BE GOOD PIZZA.
UH, SO THAT TAKES CARE OF, UH, THE WORK PLAN RETREAT.
UH, AND YOU'RE CHOMPING AT THE BITS.
LET ME LET YOU GO AND GET AT IT.
UM, IF, IF POSSIBLE, I THINK A, IF, IF, IF WE COULD HAVE, WE'RE LOOKING AT JUNE BY THE WAY, AND FURTHER OUT, I, I THINK IT WOULD BE VALUABLE TO HAVE A SHORT BRIEFING NEXT SESSION ON LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY, BECAUSE THAT MIGHT INFORM SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE TAKE ON IN OUR INDIVIDUAL WORKING GROUPS OR COMMITTEES.
UM, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THE LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW.
HB NINE, UM, APPROPRIATING 5 BILLION IN FUNDS, UM, BEING MANAGED BY THE BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BILLS.
THERE'S SB 9 74, UH, LOOKING TO PERHAPS PROHIBIT CABLE INTERNET SERVICE, UM, UM, AND, AND, AND OFFER LARGER, UM, UM, MORE, MORE, MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR APARTMENT COMPLEXES TO, UM, TO, UH, TO, TO ADD DIFFERENT SERVICE PROVIDERS.
UM, AND A MONTH IS, IS, IS ALONG, IS A DECENT AMOUNT OF TIME, UM, IN THE, WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE LEGISLATURE AND ITEM, I DON'T WANT US TO MISS ANY OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, TO FIT THAT IN TO OUR WORK FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND LET'S SHARE, UH, WITH THE GROUP.
SO, UH, I'VE BEEN PART OF A, A CONVERSATION TODAY, UH, A DIALOGUE WITH VICE CHAPPA, DACA AND, UH, OUR EX, OUR, UH, LIAISON, UH, DAN MARTINEZ, UH, ABOUT THIS
[02:35:01]
TOPIC.AND, UH, JUST FOR, FOR CLARITY, UM, WE DO HAVE AGREEMENT, UH, TO PROVIDE QUARTERLY, UH, LEGISLATIVE UPDATES ON AN ONGOING BASIS, UH, FROM OUR SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER, COTAN HARMON, COTAN HARMON.
UM, HOWEVER, IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE, UH, THIS, UH, LET LEGISLA SESSION COMING UP HERE VERY QUICKLY.
AND SO THE ASK IS, AND I'M WAITING FOR CORTAN TO CONFIRM, CONFIRM THIS, BUT THE ASK IS TO SEE IF WE CAN HAVE THAT LEGISLATIVE UPDATE IN OUR WORK WORKING GROUPS SINCE WE HAVE TWO WORKING GROUPS BEFORE THE WORK CLAIM RETREAT.
AND THEN TO, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE MOST OF THAT.
UH, CUZ THAT MIGHT BE A MORE APPROPRIATE SETTING FOR, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS NEXT ONE.
UH, AND THEN TO SEE IF IT THEN WOULD MAKE SENSE TO DO AN ON THE RECORD LEGISLATIVE UPDATE THAT WE CAN BUILD OFF OF.
UH, BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THE TIMING IS, IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, WE CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH, RIGHT? UH, AND WE KNOW THAT CITY COUNCIL CAN ALSO ONLY DO SO MUCH.
AND SO THEN IT, IT BECOMES A QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT LIKE YOU, I THINK WE'RE INTIMATING WHETHER OR NOT WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, BASED ON WHAT'S HAPPENING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO IMPACT THESE ISSUES IN OTHER WAYS, RIGHT.
AND GO AHEAD AND GET READY FOR THAT, RIGHT? THE SOONER WE, WE CAN, THE BETTER.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR RAISING THAT, CUZ THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.
UH, BUT I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE OKAY, AT LEAST IN TAKING IT ON IN THE WORKING GROUPS AND THEN SEEING IF WE NEED TO ELEVATE IT UP TO THE, TO, TO THE MEETING.
SO THAT SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT.
UH, BUT AGAIN, GREAT CALL OUT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT? DAN, I THINK YOU GOT SOMETHING IN MIND.
UH, JUST AN UPDATE ON THAT LAST ITEM.
RONDELLA JUST TEXTED US AND SAID, UM, SHE CAN SEND OUT A WRITTEN LEGISLATIVE UPDATE TO THE CTC BEFORE THE RETREAT.
UM, AND WE ALSO THOUGHT, UH, UM, WE COULD POSSIBLY ALSO GET KAAN OR RONDELLA INTO BOTH OF THOSE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, WHICHEVER ONE Y'ALL PREFER.
UH, THANK YOU RONDELLA,
AND, UM, ALSO FOR, FOR BEING RESPONSIVE.
ELA HAWKINS IS THE OFFICER, BY THE WAY, OF, UH, TELECOMMUNICATION, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS.
UH, SHE'S, UH, SHE, I, I'M OFFICER, SHE'S THE OFFICER
AND THE FINAL SAY ON, ON ALL THE MATTERS THAT WE DO HERE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY.
SO, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, RONDELLA FOR, FOR BEING SO ON TOP OF THINGS.
AND WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE AGENDA ITEMS FOR JUNE.
UM, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT.
SOME WORKING GROUP ITEMS. UM, WE HAD THE AUSTIN AUSTIN ENERGY BRIEFING, UM, WITH TINA LITTLE, THAT'S POSSIBLY HAPPENING SOMETIME SOON.
UM, IT'S GETTING COORDINATED RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT A POSSIBLE GOOGLE FIBER, I S P, UM, WORKING UP OR WORKING GROUP UPDATE, UH, OR BRIEFING, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, THE, WE GOTTA APPROVE THE MARCH MEETING MINUTES AT THE NEXT, UH, MEETING.
AND, UH, JUST, UH, FOCUSING IN ON THE WORK PLAN, THE ANNUAL RETREAT PORTION OF THE MEETING.
I JUST WANTED TO REMIND Y'ALL, UH, WE DID REQUEST SUPPORT FROM THE STEPS TEAM, WHICH IS THE STRATEGIC PLANNING TEAM INSIDE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO OFFER SOME FACILITATION, UH, FOR, UH, THE WORK PLAN SESSION NEXT MONTH.
AND SO KATHY JACKSON, UH, DID SAY THAT SHE WAS AVAILABLE TO HELP US OUT.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE, UH, ANY LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT Y'ALL ARE, UH, COMFORTABLE SHARING IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WOULD LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM HER FOR THAT SESSION.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK SHE HAS A, A GENERAL IDEA OF MAYBE LIKE SOME, SOME IDEA MAPPING OR AS SOME IDEA GROUPING THAT MIGHT, UH, YOU KNOW, TURN INTO SOME TYPE OF, YOU KNOW, WORK PLAN DOCUMENT.
UM, BUT IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC OR OR FURTHER GUIDANCE THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO OFFER TO HELP HER PREPARE FOR FACILITATING THE SESSION, THEN I'M, I'M HAPPY TO PASS THAT ALONG.
UH, AND SO THAT'S ITEM NUMBER ONE RELATED AND ITEM NUMBER TWO, UM, I, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, UH, AS LONG AS THE, THE COMMISSION IS IN AGREEMENT, UM, IF Y'ALL WANTED TO START THAT PROCESS BY IDEATING AHEAD OF THE MEETING AND THEN SENDING IDEAS TO DAN AND I TO COLLECT AND THEN SHARE OUT AT THAT MEETING, THAT COULD BE A STARTING POINT FOR US.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UH, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR SECURING KATHY.
UH, AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, UH, IT, IN OUR DISCUSSION TODAY AND IN PRIOR WORKING GROUPS, HAVING THAT FACILITATION IS VERY HELPFUL.
UH, IT HELPED TO, TO FORMULATE THIS CURRENT STRUCTURE, UH, OF THE WORKING GROUPS, OR AT LEAST, UH, THE,
[02:40:01]
THE, UH, STRUCTURE PRIOR TO THIS CURRENT STRUCTURE, WHICH IT BECAME AMENDED TO BE.UH, YOU'RE CURRENT, YOU'VE CURRENTLY OFFERED FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO EMAIL YOU THINGS THEY WANT TO TAKE UP.
UH, I, I THINK WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE IS FOR YOU TO TAKE WHAT YOU RECEIVE, UH, AGGREGATE IT, UH, AND THEN SEND THAT OVER TO ME.
UH, AND THEN I'LL GET WITH VICE CHAIR APP ABOUT THAT.
AND, UH, IN OUR PENDING, UH, LEADERSHIP MEETING, WHICH INCLUDES THE TERRA TEAM, UH, VICE CHAIR APP, DACA, AND MYSELF, UH, WE'LL THEN I, I THINK BE ABLE TO CONFIRM, UH, THE BEST NEXT STEP.
CAUSE THAT MEETING IS GOING TO COME UP PRETTY QUICKLY.
RIGHT? THAT MEETING IS NEXT WEEK? OR IS IT THIS WEEK PLANNING? UH, NO, NO.
SO IT'S NOT THE PLAN, IT'S NOT THE PLANNING MEETING I'M REFERRING TO.
I'M REFERRING TO THE LEADERSHIP MEETING.
IT IS THE 25TH, SO, OH, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M IN THE WRONG LINE.
SO IT'S, LET'S SEE, FROM A TIMING WA TIMING STANDPOINT, ALMOST TWO FULL WEEKS AHEAD OF THE PLANNING MEETING.
SO I GUESS INITIAL FEEDBACK WOULD BE FOR KATHY, IF YOU CAN JUST LET HER KNOW THAT, WE'LL, WE WOULD LIKE UNTIL THE 27TH TO CONFIRM THE BEST WAY, UH, TO GIVE HER THAT FEEDBACK ON, ON HOW WE MIGHT PROPOSE THIS INTEGRATION.
GO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PROCESS.
UH, BUT JUST MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THAT 13 DAYS IS GONNA BE ENOUGH FOR HER AND SHE NEEDS MORE TIME THEN WE'LL, WE'LL PUT HER HEADS TOGETHER SOONER.
ASK IF SHE CAN WAIT UNTIL THE 27TH OR THE 20, OR, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE 28TH FOR A DAY AFTER THE MEETING, CUZ THAT'S CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON THE 27TH.
SO ASK IF SHE CAN WAIT TILL THE 28TH THAT FRIDAY.
AND THEN, UH, WE'LL GET SOME ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK.
AND I WOULD REQUEST, UH, JUST TO ALLOW FOR, UH, TIME FOR US TO COLLECT, UH, THE COMMISSIONER'S INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK AND HAND IT OVER BACK TO CHAIR PITTS AND VICE CHAIR, AKA IF, IF Y'ALL COULD SEND ANY, UH, DETAIL OUR WAY BY THAT SAME DATE, THE 28TH, I THINK THAT'LL ALLOW US TO HAVE SOME TIME TO COLLECT THINGS AND SHARE IT BACK OUT.
SO, UH, YEAH, ALL COMMISSIONERS, AGAIN, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A BROAD FOCUS, UH, AND POTENTIAL FOCUS AS A COMMISSION, UH, LITERALLY, UH, COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
UH, UH, SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, UH, TO, TO READ THE BYLAWS, UH, EVEN JUST THE, JUST STARTING WITH THIS STATEMENT HERE, UH, THAT'S ON THE COMMISSION PAGE.
AND, AND THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO PUT ON THIS LIST.
ADVISE CITY COUNCIL ON COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY, TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES, NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR ACCESS TELEVISION PROJECTS, NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS, ALLOCATION OF ANNUAL, UH, FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF FRAN FRANCHISE HOLDERS, ACCESS TELEVISION CONTRACTORS AND OTHER COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CONTRACTORS, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA USE FOR EVALUATIONS.
UH, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THE BYLAWS, LET THAT BE YOUR, YOUR FRAME, IF YOU WILL.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HAVE ADDED, I THINK, UH, STAYING FOCUSED ON THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE, UH, HOT TOPICS FOR THE COMMUNITY WOULD CERTAINLY, UH, BE WISE, UH, OR ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT.
UH, BECAUSE THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA BE, UH, YOU'RE GONNA WANNA RUN WITH IT.
YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO, UH, TO PROVIDE AS MUCH FEEDBACK AS YOU
[02:45:01]
CAN.YOU'RE GONNA WANNA ENGAGE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ON AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
SO WHATEVER YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND, UH, THAT THE COMMISSION CAN HELP WITH, UH, THAT WOULD BE WHAT I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO SUBMIT.
UM, YOU KNOW, MORE RECENTLY THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE TEXT MESSAGE, THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEXT MESSAGING IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT WASN'T NECESSARILY ON OUR RADAR OR ON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN TO BEGIN WITH, BUT WE SAW AS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO PERHAPS BE MORE INVOLVED WITH MOVING FORWARD.
SO ANY OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WE MAY HAVE BLIND SPOTS OR WE MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT AS A COMMISSION YET, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY OPEN TO, UM, TO YOUR INPUT, FEEDBACK AND HEARING NEW PERSPECTIVES.
VICE CHAPPA DACA, UH, ALTHOUGH EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS IS PART OF OUR PLAN, UH, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, RECENT PAIN.
UH, AND SO THE ELEVATION IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING WHICH WE CAN, WE CAN SPEAK TO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THIS DAY-TO-DAY AND THE, THE, THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN FEELING WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, UH, BEING TOP OF MIND.
UH, SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT.
AND I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T JUST STOP NOW AND ASK YOU ALL, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, PARTICULARLY OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, COMMISSIONER FLOYD AS THIS IS, UH, YOUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SHARE WHAT YOU THINK MIGHT BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO FOCUS ON.
UH, I, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH, UH, OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS.
UH, I'LL START ON THE LEFT SIDE NOW.
COMMISSIONER SMITH, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN THINK OF, UH, THAT YOU KNOW, UH, THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ELEVATE AS A, A MATTER OF IMPORTANCE FOR US TO FOCUS ON? YEAH, SO, EXCUSE ME.
THE FIRST IS LITERACY IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THROUGHOUT THIS MEETING, IS BRIDGING THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE.
UM, AND, AND NOT JUST THROUGH ANOTHER, UH, LINK ON THE WEBSITE THAT SAYS, HERE'S HOW YOU ACCESS THIS THING, RIGHT? BUT, BUT ALSO, UM, INTEGRATING A, A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INTO IT.
FINDING COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT CAN HELP US FACILITATE AND ADMINISTER THOSE SERVICES.
UM, UH, THAT'S ONE THING THAT COMES TO MIND.
THE OTHER IS, UM, GETTING, UH, 5G NETWORK AND, AND BROADBAND AS, AS DAVE TALKED ABOUT IN SOME OF THE MORE, UM, RURAL AREAS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE GREATER AUSTIN AREA IS SOMETHING WE COVER.
I'M THINKING OF LIKE DEL VALLEY AND THE MAINER AREA.
UM, BUT AS A MILLENNIAL WHOSE FRIENDS HAVE NOW MOVED TO THAT AREA, CUZ THAT'S WHERE THEY CAN AFFORD A HOME, UM, THEY'VE GOT NOT GREAT INTERNET SERVICE
IT'S, IT'S, SO, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE THINGS LIKE STORM URI OR THE RECENT FREEZE THAT WE HAD.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT COMES TOP OF MIND, JUST MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S EQUITABLE ACCESS TO, YOU KNOW, 5G, UM, UH, NETWORKS.
UH, SO MUCH TO SAM RESPONSE, BUT WE'RE PRESSED FOR TIME.
UH, UH, COMMISSIONER AZAM, ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO ADD TOP OF MIND? DEFINITELY ACCESSIBILITY, ESPECIALLY DURING LIKE, UM, DANGEROUS WEATHER CONDITIONS.
I THINK THAT ONE ISSUE THAT I PERSONALLY FACED IN THE AREA THAT I LIVE IN AUSTIN, UH, WE LOST BASICALLY ALL ACCESS TO, UM, BROADBAND INTERNET FOR DAYS DURING THIS PAST, UH, STORM.
AND SO I THINK JUST, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE PROACTIVELY PLAN, OR AT LEAST ARE PART OF THE CONVERSATION FOR INSTANCES LIKE THAT, I THINK IS IMPERATIVE FOR US TO FOCUS ON.
UM, AND SO SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
SO IT DOESN'T TAKE A STORM FOR US TO REALIZE THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
SO YEAH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON.
UH, WELL SAID, UH, COMMISSIONER WHO WAS SKU WAS SKU.
UM, TO BE CONCISE, UH, IT'S DEFINITELY AN AMALGAMATION OF WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER SMITH AND COMMISSIONER AZIM HAVE STATED BEFORE IN TERMS OF ACCESSIBILITY, BUT ALSO, UM, I DO FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THE ACCESSIBILITY CONCERNS HAVE BEEN FOR CARY REASONS, AND I DON'T KNOW OUR SCOPE, BUT, UM, IN TERMS OF VENDORS, I, I KNOW FOR INSTANCE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UM, STARLINK HAS BEEN A HUGE PROPONENT OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, REMOTE ACCESSIBILITY.
UM, IT DOES HAVE A WAITING LIST THOUGH, AND THERE ARE REGIONS OF, UM, AUSTIN'S PARTICULARLY THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE ISSUES COVERING UNTIL MAYBE LATER ON IN THE YEAR.
BUT SEEING IT AS AN INITIATIVE TO ACCEPT SOMETHING LIKE THAT EARLY, I THINK COULD BE A BONUS IN
[02:50:01]
TERMS OF THE ACCESSIBILITY QUESTION.BUT IN TERMS OF, UM, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND, UM, JUST OVERALL AWARENESS, UM, A HOT TOPIC IN THE TECH COMMUNITY HAS BEEN, UM, THE EMERGENCE OF AI AS A GENRE, UM, WITH SPECIFIC CHAMPION CHAT, G P T FROM OPEN AI BEING LIKE THE NUMBER ONE PROTOTYPE FOR WHAT AI IN THE FUTURE IS GONNA LOOK LIKE.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DON'T KNOW THE BEST WAY TO SPECIFY THIS AS AN INITIATIVE, BUT AWARENESS OF, UM, THE APTITUDES OF TECHNOLOGY, GIVEN THAT AI IS BRIDGING THE GAP OF CAPABILITY THAT WAS PRESENT BEFOREHAND IS IMPERATIVE.
AND, UM, BEING A PRIOR MEMBER OF THE LIBRARY COMMISSION, I DO KNOW THAT THE TOWN HALL HALLS ARE EFFECTIVE, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT IN TERMS OF LIKE DIRECT OUTREACH THAT, UM, I THINK I'LL PO POSSIBLY STRESS MORE SO OF ACADEMIA BEING A FOCUS SINCE THAT'S SUCCESSFUL THAT MOST PEOPLE INTRODUCED TO THEIR PRACTICAL DIGITAL KNOWLEDGE.
UM, BUT YEAH, FOR, FOR THE SAKE OF KEEPING THIS CLEAR AND CONCISE, JUST MORE SO LIKE INDIVIDUAL AWARENESS, UH, SPECIFICALLY WITH THIS GREATER CYBERSECURITY CONCERN GROWING IN THE EMERGENCE OF AI.
UH, YEAH, THOSE, THAT'S ALL GOOD STUFF.
AND WE COULD HAVE A WHOLE NOTHER MEETING JUST REACTING TO THOSE, RIGHT? THOSE THINGS THAT, THOSE, THE, THE, THE COMMISSIONERS JUST MENTIONED.
BUT, UH, AS YOU'LL FIND OUT, UH, OVER THE NEXT YEAR, I'M VERY COMMITTED TO KEEPING THESE MEETINGS TO UNDER THREE HOURS.
UM, ON OCCASION WE MAY HAVE TO GO LONGER, AND IN WHICH CASE WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO VOTE, UH, TO GO BEYOND 10 O'CLOCK, I THINK.
UH, AND WE DID THAT ONE TIME THIS YEAR, UH, NOT THIS YEAR, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, ONE OF THE, THE, THE FUNNEST THINGS TO DO AT THIS POINT IN THE MEETING, UH, IS TO MOVE ALONG THE AGENDA, UH, TO ADJOURNMENT
UH, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN, UH, FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO JOINING THIS COMMISSION, UH, AND FOR OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS, BOTH LIVE, UH, ON TV AND, UH, LIVE HERE IN LIVING COLOR.
UH, AND, UH, THANK VICE CHAIR ABBA DACA FOR HIS DUTIFUL WORK AND ASSISTANCE AND, AND, UH, PROFESSIONALISM IN THE ROLE.
AND TO THANK, UH, DAN AS WELL FOR TAKING THE, THE BULL BY THE HORNS AND REALLY JUMPING IN AND IMMERSING YOURSELF INTO THIS ROLE WITH G TOPS AND DOING A GOOD JOB.
UH, AND, AND JESSE, UH, FOR JUST BEING AWESOME AND BEING A, JUST A, A STEADY, STEADY, STEADY JESSE
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY, UH, BUT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING, UH, AND, AND, AND THIS TEAM.
I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHAT I'VE SEEN TODAY, I THINK WE CAN REALLY DO SOME GREAT STUFF TOGETHER.
SO, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREAT YEAR AND SERVING AS YOUR CHAIR.
UH, BUT WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE A, A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT, UH, AND A SECOND, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO HOLD A VOTE TO ADJOURN.
UH, SECOND, UH, WELL, I DIDN'T WANNA MAKE THE MOTION.
I, I'D LIKE, UH, BUT I, I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER, UH, WHEN JACO, UH, TO ADJOURN.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER AZAM? ALL RIGHT.
UH, WITH THAT, THEN WE CAN HOLD A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNING, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
UH, COMMISSIONER FLOYD, UH, WE, WE, WE, I FORGOT, UH, BUT I DID NOT FORGET, UH, LAST STATEMENT ON THE RECORD HERE FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE, UH, SORRY, COMMISSION YATES, THAT YOU COULDN'T DO THAT TODAY.
UH, WE JUST HAD A MISCOMMUNICATION, BUT COMMISSIONER FLOYD, PLEASE, UH, ON THE RECORD, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN FUN EIGHT YEARS, UH, BUT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A GREAT IN GROUP AND, UH, I THINK YOU'ALL ARE GONNA DO WELL, AND I THINK YOU WILL DO WELL WITH THE GUIDANCE OF CHAIR PITTS AND VICE SHERIFF, AKA.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THOSE KIND WORDS.
UH, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE TO SAY THAT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, RIGHT, UH, OR NO, PERMITTING.
PERMITTING, RIGHT? AND SO, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, THE RIGHT OF WAY IS A MAJOR FOCUS OF THIS COMMISSION.
AND PERMITTING AND PLANNING THE RIGHT OF WAY WILL BE AN INCREASING FOCUS OF THIS COMMISSION.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, LET'S LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER FLOYD, UH, MORE IN THE FUTURE.
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THAT VOTE.ALL IN FAVOR, UH, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WOJAK, UH, SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR ABBA DACA.
WE ARE NOW OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED.
UH, CAN'T WAIT TO TALK TO YOU ALL AGAIN SOON.