[00:00:03]
MY NAME IS NEHEMIAH PITTS III, AND I'M, UH, CALLING TO ORDER THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION MEETING A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING TODAY, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12TH, 2023.
WE'RE LOCATED PHYSICALLY AT CITY HALL IN THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM NUMBER 1101.
SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND COMMISSION, UH, OR RATHER COMMISSION, MAY BE PARTICIPATING BY VIDEO CONFERENCE.
UH, AND THAT MEETING MAY BE VIEWED ONLINE AT HTTP COLON SLASH SLASH WWW.AUSTINTEXAS.GOV/PAGE/WATCH-AT XN LIVE.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN WITH OUR ROLL CALL, UH, AND THEN WE'LL JUMP INTO OUR AGENDA.
AS I MENTIONED, MY NAME IS NEHEMIAH PITT II AND I'M REPRESENTING DISTRICT ONE.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN IN THE ROOM WITH THE FAR LEFT.
STEVEN APODACA, REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO IS PRESENT.
BRIANNA SMITH, REPRESENTING DISTRICT THREE.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GO ONLINE.
IF I CAN, UH, JUST GO AHEAD AND IDENTIFY COMMISSIONER GARZA AND HAVE YOU.
CHRISTINA GARZA, DISTRICT FOUR.
MAXINE ISLAND, DISTRICT SEVEN.
GABRIEL KU, DISTRICT SIX COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN.
COMMISSIONER RICE GRIFFIN RICE DISTRICT FIVE.
AND COMMISSIONER SUPTA KUTA REPRESENTING DISTRICT 10.
UH, WE HAVE OUR QUORUM AMPLY PRESENT, AND WE ARE CALLED TO ORDER.
[CALL TO ORDER ]
EVERYONE THAT'S PARTICIPATING HAS SIGNED THEIR ATTENDANCE FORM AND ALSO COMMITTED, UH, SUBMITTED THEIR CONFLICT OF INTEREST, INTEREST STATEMENTS EITHER ONLINE OR IN PERSON.WE'LL BEGIN WITH OUR AGENDA HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
UH, PRESENTLY THERE IS NO ONE SIGNED UP, UH, TO COMMENT IN PERSON OR REMOTELY.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED TO THE NEXT PART OF OUR
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
AGENDA, THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES, BEGINNING WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING FROM MAY 10TH, 2023.WE'VE ALL HAD AMPLE TIME TO REVIEW THESE, UH, SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY 10TH, UH, 10TH MEETING AS PRESENTED.
UH, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GARZA AND, UH, UH, VICE CHAIR APA DACA.
UH, MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED, UH, INITIALLY BY VICE CHAIR APA DACA.
WITH THAT, WE CAN ALL HOLD A VOTE.
HOLD A VOTE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES PRESENTED FOR THE MAY 10TH, 2023 MEETING.
IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY.
WE ARE UNANIMOUS IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AMENDMENT, UH, AS PRESENTED FOR THE MAY 10TH MEETING.
NINE TO ZERO IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED IN OUR AGENDA.
WE'RE NOW LOOKING TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF OUR MEETING FROM THE MAY 24TH MEETING.
WE'VE HAD A LITTLE LESS TIME, BUT STILL AMPLE TIME, UH, TO REVIEW THESE MINUTES AS PRESENTED, HOWEVER, I WILL GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO TAKE ANOTHER QUICK LOOK AND CONFIRM THAT THEY'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE MINUTES.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
YOU'VE GOT A MOTION TO APPROVE BY VICE CHAIR PCA.
I BELIEVE THAT MOTION, UH, SECOND WAS BY COMMISSIONER ISLAND.
WE'VE GOT A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY 24TH MEETING AS PRESENTED.
UH, AND SECOND, WITH THAT, WE CAN HOLD A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED FOR THE MAY 24TH MEETING, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
[00:05:01]
AND SHOW YOUR HAND.IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? IS THERE ANYONE ABSTAINING? NO ABSTAIN.
WITH THAT, THEN WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES WITH THE MAJORITY VOTE, UH, BY THE COMMISSION SEVEN IN THE AFFIRMATIVE WITH ONE ABSTENTION.
AND SO THE MINUTES FROM THE 24TH MEETING, MAY 24TH ARE APPROVED.
WE'LL CONTINUE NOW TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, UH, ONCE MORE, UH, THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
THESE ARE FROM THE JUNE 14TH MEETING.
I'LL PAUSE AND GIVE YOU ALL SEVERAL MINUTES TO CONFIRM AND OFFER MOTIONS TO APPROVE TEPES, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER DASGUPTA.
UH, WE HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARZA.
SO WITH THAT, WE CAN HOLD A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 14TH MEETING.
PLEASE DO SO, UH, INDICATE SO BY SHOWING YOUR HAND AND SAYING, AYE.
IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? IS EVERYONE ABSTAINING? OH, OKAY.
WE HAVE ONE ABSTENTION BY COMMISSIONER ISLAND.
UH, BUT WITH THAT, WE DO HAVE SEVEN VOTES TO APPROVE THE MINUTES THAT'S PRESENTED, AND ONE ABSTENTION, UH, WHICH IS, AGAIN, A MAJORITY.
SO THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED FROM THE JUNE 14TH MEETING.
AND WITH THAT, WE CAN PROCEED IN OUR AGENDA, WHICH TAKES US TO
[Items 4 - 7]
DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UH, NUMBER FOUR, WORK PLAN, DISCUSSION AND WORK WORKING GROUP ASSIGNMENTS FOR DISCUSSION AND DEFINITE ACTION.TODAY, I'M GOING TO BEGIN BY SHARING MY SCREEN SO WE CAN ALL REVIEW AND, AND FOLLOW ALONG AND WORK THROUGH THESE ONCE WE GET TO THE POINT OF, UH, DELIBERATION.
UH, WELL ACTUALLY, NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE I'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PRESENTS, UH, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO REVIEW WHAT'S ONLINE AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT SIMULTANEOUSLY.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO THAT IN REAL TIME.
I CAN SEE, YOU CAN ALL SEE MY BROWSER, BUT IF YOU COULD CONFIRM OUR REMOTE PARTICIPANTS THAT YOU CAN AS WELL, CAN SEE IT.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S JUMP RIGHT IN.
UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE, UH, CTT C ANNUAL WORK PLAN, THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION RELIES UPON THREE FUNCTIONING WORK GROUPS, AS WE ALL KNOW.
AND, UH, THEY MUST CONSIST OF FIVE OR LESS COMMISSIONERS, UH, TO MEET MONTHLY AND ADVANCE, UH, AND TO ADVANCE OUTLINE OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMISSION AS DEFINED BY PREVIOUS WORK PLANS, OR AS AGREED UPON BY CONSENSUS AND OUR STANDING MEETINGS OR OUR WORKING GROUP DISCUSSIONS.
WE'VE STRUCTURED THE TOPICAL FOCUS TO DIVIDE THE WORK OF COMMISSIONS, AND THESE MEETINGS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY ALLOW US TO RECEIVE PRIVATE BRIEFINGS FROM CITY STAFF AND PARTNERS ON IMPORTANT BUT SENSITIVE MATTERS, WHILE ALSO ALLOWING FOR DISCUSSION DELIBERATION ON POSSIBLE ACTIONS, WHICH WE WOULD ADVANCE, UH, FURTHER OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMISSION, UH, DURING OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS.
OUR CURRENT WORKING GROUPS ARE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, 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.
NOW, WE HAVE ALREADY HAD, OF COURSE, OUR MAY COMMISSION MEETING WORK PLAN RETREAT, AND WE HAD A FOLLOW-UP MEETING, UH, LAST MONTH THAT TOOK PLACE AT AUSTIN PUBLIC, WHERE WE DELVED, UH, PRETTY DEEPLY, UH, INITIALLY IN THE WORK PLAN RETREAT, AND THEN SECONDARILY, UH, IN OUR JULY MEETING INTO THE WORKING GROUPS
[00:10:01]
AS WELL AS INTO THE WORK PLAN.UH, NEVERTHELESS, UH, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN BY GOING THROUGH EACH WORKING GROUP, UH, AND CONFIRM THE MEMBERSHIP FOR THAT WORKING GROUP, UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, WORK THROUGH THE ITEMS, UH, AGREE UPON WHAT'S GOING TO BE SUNSET AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD, AND THEN CONFIRM OUR FINAL MEMBERSHIP ROSTER FOR THE WORKING GROUPS.
ONE THING TO MENTION, ALTHOUGH UP TO THIS POINT, UH, WE'VE HAD A PRETTY LOOSE PROCESS, UH, OF REQUIRING PARTICIPATION, UH, BY COMMISSIONERS IN THESE WORKING GROUPS, UH, PARTICULARLY FOR OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE STILL GETTING FAMILIARIZED, UH, AND UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT WERE BEING HELD OR, OR HANDLED BY THE DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS.
UH, HAVING SAID THAT, UH, UNLESS THERE'S BEEN A SCENARIO, UH, WHERE YOU'VE HAD A ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSION WITH ME ABOUT YOUR, SO FAR, ABOUT YOUR CAPABILITIES, UH, WHICH WILL BE REFLECTED IN SOME OF THE WORKING GROUPS ASSIGNMENTS OR LACK THEREOF, UH, WE'RE GOING TO REALLY SHOOT FOR ASSIGNING, UH, EVERYONE TO A WORKING GROUP TODAY, UH, IF NOT GETTING THEM TO VOLUNTEER TO JOIN A WORKING GROUP TODAY.
SO NOW LOOKING ALONG HERE, FIRST, BEGINNING WITH THE DIGITAL INCLUSION, UH, WELL, LET ME PAUSE THERE.
ARE THERE ANY INITIAL QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO? OKAY, GREAT.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND JUMP RIGHT IN.
BEGINNING WITH THE DIGITAL INCLUSION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC POLICY IMPACT WORKING GROUP.
UH, THIS WORKING GROUP CURRENTLY, UH, HAS A SCHEDULE TO MEET THE FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AT 4:00 PM WE'VE HAD SOME HOLIDAYS THAT HAVE IMPACTED THE SCHEDULING OF THESE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS.
UH, SO WE'VE HAD TO BE A LITTLE NIMBLE AND, UH, TO ADJUST, BUT WE'VE STILL BEEN ABLE TO HAVE TWO MEETINGS, ONE EACH MONTH BASED UPON PARTICIPATION.
UH, AND THE STANDING MEETING SCHEDULES THAT WE HAVE.
THE CURRENT MEMBERS ARE MYSELF, UH, THE WORKING GROUP CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, APODACA, UH, VICE-CHAIR STEVEN APODACA, UH, COMMISSIONER AMAGE AZAM, UH, COMMISSIONER GABRIEL HAIKU, AND COMMISSIONER BRIANNA SMITH.
UH, I'D LIKE TO PAUSE, UH, JUST TO CONFIRM, SINCE WE GOT A FULL ROSTER WITH EXCEPTION OF COMMISSIONER ZAM, UH, THAT EVERYONE THAT'S CURRENTLY LISTED ON THIS WORKING GROUP WOULD LIKE TO REMAIN IN THIS WORKING GROUP.
I SEE NODS IN THE ROOM, UH, AND I SEE NODS ONLINE.
I, I DO WANT TO ALSO PAUSE, UH, AND TO CONFIRM SOMETHING, UH, WITH COMMISSIONER GARZA, I, I BELIEVE THAT YOU DID CONFIRM THAT IT WAS YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU WEREN'T ASSIGNED TO THIS WORKING GROUP.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I DIDN'T MAKE, UH, MAKE A MISTAKE THERE.
I MEAN, I WAS NOT AT THE BEGINNING, WHICH I HAD ASKED WHEN I FIRST JOINED THE COMMISSION AND WAS TOLD THAT YOU WERE ALREADY AT FIVE, YOU COULDN'T ADD ANYMORE, AND YOU REALLY NEEDED PEOPLE FOR THE KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION.
SO THAT'S HOW I ENDED UP THERE.
HOWEVER, LAST MEETING YOU MENTIONED THAT I COULD JOIN DIGITAL INCLUSION AND THAT WOULD GET PRIORITY OVER PICKING THAT GROUP.
I THOUGHT THAT WE'D HAD THAT CONVERSATION.
UH, I DID ACTUALLY ADD COMMISSIONER AZAM BACK IN HERE WANTING TO CLARIFY THAT.
UH, BUT BASED ON PARTICIPATION AND YOUR RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL, SO TO SPEAK, UH, YOU'RE INDEED ADDED BACK TO THIS WORKING GROUP.
SO I'M GONNA DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
NOW, UH, OUR NAME IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, UM, AND THE THEMES ARE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
IT IS IMPORTANT, UH, YOU KNOW, TO MENTION THAT THERE'S INTERSECTIONAL TOPICS THAT CERTAINLY AFFECT EVERY WORK WORKING GROUP IN SOME WAY.
UH, AND SO WE'LL NEED TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL STILL ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT WHERE THESE ITEMS SHOULD RESIDE AND WHAT THE, THE
[00:15:01]
FOCUS OF EACH WORKING GROUP SHALL REMAIN TO BE.UH, BUT ONE THING THAT I WANNA JUST FLIP OVER HERE BRIEFLY AND SPEAK TO IS HOW, AS IS DISPLAYED ON THE SCREEN.
THIS WORKING GROUP IS ALIGNED TO PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE STRATEGIC OUTCOMES OF OUR CITY COUNCIL AND OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, THAT INCLUDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND AFFORDABILITY, SAFETY, MOBILITY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT, CULTURE, AND LIFELONG LEARNING, AS WELL AS GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS FOR ALL.
JUMPING INTO THE FIRST ITEM, UH, WE'VE COVERED BEFORE THIS, THIS TOPIC AND MADE SOME PROGRESS, UH, INVESTIGATING WAYS TO ENABLE THE HOMELESS OR THE UNHOUSED AS, UH, IS A PREFERRED TERM OF ART, OR THOSE EXPERIENCING, UH, HOMELESSNESS USING A DIGITAL MATCHING PROGRAM, I E JOBS MATCHING PROGRAMS, ET CETERA.
NOW, WE HAD PRETTY EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION AROUND, UH, WELL, THERE'S BEEN SMALL CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE ROLE PLAYED BY LOCAL NONPROFITS AND DECK OF PARTNER SOLUTIONS WITHOUT MUCH FOLLOW UP.
UH, WE DID HAVE DIGITAL, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT DIGITAL KIOSKS AS WELL, UH, AS SOMETHING TO PURSUE.
BUT WE ARRIVED AT A, A FAIRLY RESOUND CONSENSUS THAT WE WANTED TO SUNSET, UH, PURSUING KIOSK AT THIS TIME.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE HOSTED DIANA GRAY, CHIEF HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY OFFICER AT A WORKING GROUP MEETING, AND SHE PRESENTED TO THIS WORKING GROUP ON THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, AS WELL AS, UH, TO OUR COMMISSION ON, UH, THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
WE, THIS WAS IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
WE ALSO HOSTED A TOWN HALL AT TERRAZAS BRANCH, IN WHICH, UH, IN OCTOBER, 2022, UH, WHEREIN THE OUTREACH PROCESS TO GET PARTICIPANTS LED US TO THE AUSTIN HOMELESSNESS ADVISORY, UH, COMMITTEE, AND CONNECTED US WITH, UH, LAURA WILLIAMSON, UH, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT THERE, AND LIAISON FOR THE COMMUNITY COURT.
WELL, THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS, UH, THAT LED UP TO YESTERDAY, UH, WHEN THE CITY ACTUALLY HOSTED A COMMUNITY SHOWCASE AT CITY HALL ON THEIR CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVE, UH, WHERE THEY HOSTED A COHORT OF 21 NONPROFIT SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO WERE SELECTED TO RECEIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS, UH, ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS UP TO 45,000, ALL AS PART OF THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO EXPANDING SERVICES, IMPROVING EQUITY, AND SUPPORTING MINORITY LED ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
AS A NEXT STEP, UH, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT IN TERMS OF THE WORK PLAN.
I ADVOCATE THAT WE REQUEST AN UPDATE RELATED TO THE HOMELESSNESS SERVICES ORGAN, UH, THE HOMELESSNESS SERVICES ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVE, UH, WHICH CREATED THAT SUMMIT, OR RATHER, EXCUSE ME, THAT, UH, SHOWCASE, UH, FROM COORDINATION BETWEEN THE HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY DIVISION AND INNOVATION OFFICE IN COLLABORATION WITH BLUE SKY PARTNERS.
I FURTHER HAVE LISTED ON A WORK PLAN, UH, AS A CONTINUATION OF THAT, A REQUEST OF A BRIEFING AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, UH, ON OUR CITY OF AUSTIN HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, UH, THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TEAM PROVIDES A COORDINATED CROSS DEPARTMENTAL CITY RESPONSE TO ENCAMPMENTS THAT PRIORITIZES THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL AUSTINITE AND STRIVES TO PRESERVE HUMAN DIGNITY AND RESPECT, RESOURCES AND TOOLS TO SUPPORT CITYWIDE, UH, HOMELESSNESS.
HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT EFFORTS ARE CENTRALIZED ON A SHAREPOINT PAGE, UH, WITH PUBLIC ACCESS.
OUR WORK PLAN INCLUDES REFERENCES FOR THE SHOWCASE, UH, FOR THE HOMELESSNESS SERVICES CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM, AS WELL AS FOR THE DATABASE ITSELF.
UH, NOW OBVIOUSLY WOULDN'T BE THE BEST TIME FOR US TO START HUNTING AROUND TO THEN ASK QUESTIONS, BUT THIS IS MEANT TO INFORM US ALL ABOUT WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS BULLET POINT ON THE WORK PLAN PURSUANT TO THAT BRIEFING.
SO WE COULD THEN LINE UP SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE PRESENTER, WHICH MAY OR
[00:20:01]
MAY NOT BE, UH, DAN GRAY, DEPENDING UPON, UH, WHO IS, UH, DELEGATED FOR THAT TASK.UH, WITH THIS BEING OUR FIRST ITEM, I'D LIKE TO PAUSE, UH, GIVE A CHANCE FOR QUESTIONS.
NO QUESTIONS, NO QUESTIONS IN THE ROOM.
ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS ONLINE? NO.
UH, I KNOW FEEDBACK'S ALSO HELPFUL AND IMPORTANT.
I KNOW PERSONALLY, UH, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED TO, TO LEARN ABOUT THE SHOWCASE AND BASICALLY REMISS THAT I HAD A DIRECT CONFLICT OF INTEREST THAT WAS GONNA TAKE ME TO BASTROP.
OTHERWISE, I WOULD'VE BEEN HERE AT CITY HALL, UH, AND WOULD'VE BEEN DELIGHTED, UH, TO HAVE BEEN AT THAT SHOWCASE.
UH, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY FEEDBACK? ALL RIGHT, WE'LL KEEP IT MOVING.
THE NEXT ITEM IN OUR WORK PLAN IS TO INCREASE C TTC RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES LIKE AT AND T, GOOGLE FIBER, ET CETERA, WITH THE GOAL OF IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND BOTH ACCESS AND UP-SKILLING SLASH EDUCATION, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF BROADBAND STANDARDS FOR MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE SPEEDS AND HOUSEHOLDS, PARTICULARLY HO LIKE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
UH, THERE'S CERTAINLY A WHOLE LOT MORE AS WELL, UH, THAT'S UNSAID IN TERMS OF WAYS TO IDENTIFY THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND A LOT OF IT IS, IS WRAPPED INTO THE WORK THAT WE DO, AND IT'S REFLECTED HISTORICALLY.
WE HAVE OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION, UH, AND A HISTORY OF MORE FREQUENT PRESENTATION FROM CARRIERS ON CHANGES IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY, UH, SUCH AS THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY ORIENTED PROGRAMS' PURSUANT TO THE WORK PLAN, OUR WORK PLAN, UH, WE'VE COMMITTED TO HOSTING A DIGITAL INCLUSION STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT IN COORDINATION WITH DECA PARTNERS THAT WOULD INCLUDE LOCAL TECH COMPANIES, BOTH AS A FOCUSED PART OF CONTENT WITHIN THE DIGITAL INCLUSION ECOSYSTEM.
AND THIS IS REFLECTIVE OF HOW IN, IN 2019, UH, WE AGREED UNANIMOUSLY TO ORGANIZE A DIGITAL INCLUSION SUMMIT DURING DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK OF 2020.
BUT DUE TO THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC AND ON PUBLIC EVENTS, UH, WE WERE FORCED TO PUSH THAT FORWARD, AND WE'VE DONE SO UNANIMOUSLY YEAR OVER YEAR, LEADING INTO THIS YEAR AS WELL.
THE DIGITAL INCLUSION STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT WILL EDUCATE STAKEHOLDERS ON THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT DIGITAL INCLUSION FOCUS ENTITIES, UH, AND DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK 2023, ALL WHILE CONVENING REPRESENTATIVE STAKEHOLDERS ON OCTOBER THE SECOND.
THAT IS THE MONDAY OF DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK THIS YEAR, FROM CRITICAL PARTS OF THE DIGITAL INCLUSION ECOSYSTEM FOR A DAY OF INTENTIONAL PROGRAMMING TO HELP ALIGN GOALS, STRATEGIES, OUTCOMES, AS WELL AS CELEBRATE SUCCESS.
AFTER MEETING WITH GOOGLE FIBER, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, CONTACT JOHN MICHAEL CORTEZ, UH, GOOGLE PROVIDER, UH, EXCUSE GOOGLE FI, FIBER PROVIDED A WORKING GROUP UPDATE AND A BRIEFING AT OUR JULY 20, UH, EXCUSE ME, JULY, 2023 MEETING, UH, JUST LAST MONTH, SHARING UPDATES ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THEIR EXPANDING FOOTPRINT INTO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IN THAT MEETING AS WELL, UH, AS IN PARTICIPATION AT OUR PLANNING SESSIONS FOR THE DIGITAL INCLUSION STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT, UH, JOHN MICHAEL CORTEZ EXPRESSED INTEREST IN SPONSORING, UH, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION SUMMIT.
UH, IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS, I INTEND TO FOLLOW UP WITH JOHN MICHAEL CORTEZ ABOUT THAT SPONSORSHIP, AND I WOULD PROMOTE THAT IN OUR WORKING GROUP, WE BEGIN FORMALIZING AN ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR ALL CARRIERS, UH, IN INCLUDING DISCUSSION ON BROADBAND STANDARDS, UPSKILLING, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR FIRST HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS AT THE DIGITAL INCLUSION PLANNING MEETING, WHICH HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE ON A PRETTY MUCH BIWEEKLY CADENCE ON THURSDAYS AT TWO O'CLOCK.
I DO WANNA PAUSE THERE AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OF THIS.
I'M SURE THERE MAY BE SEVERAL, UH, ABOUT THIS ITEM, UH, IN PARTICULAR THE DIGITAL INCLUSION, UH, STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT, WHERE SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN INFORMED ABOUT IT AND OTHERS MAY NOT HAVE TRIP, IS JUST TO BE CLEAR, ARE WE, UM, RESOURCING THE DIGI THE PREPARATION FOR THE DIGITAL INCLUSION SUMMIT AS PART OF THIS WORKING GROUP
[00:25:01]
AND NOT A SEPARATE OR FOURTH EFFORT, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE THREE? OKAY.YOU MEAN AS FAR AS THE AGENDA ITEMS CONCERNED, OR, UH, WHEN YOU SAY RESOURCING, WHAT TYPE OF, WHAT TYPE OF RESOURCES DID YOU HAVE IN MIND? UM, SO I THINK AT ONE POINT WE HAD DISCUSSED, UM, OUR EFFORTS THROUGH THE COMMISSION AS PERHAPS BEING A FOURTH BUCKET SINCE IT HAS A TERMINATION DATE OF ESSENTIALLY OCTOBER.
UM, BUT IF, UM, IF IT MAKES SENSE TO MANAGE IT, MANAGE THE EFFORT THROUGH THIS WORKING GROUP, I'M SUPPORTIVE.
UM, JUST WANTED TO PUT IT OUT THERE.
YEAH, NO, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
UH, HOPE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT QUESTION, UH, BECAUSE WE DID HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT ADDITIONAL WORKING GROUPS, AND AS PART OF EMBRACING THE INTERSECTIONAL, UH, NATURE OF THESE ITEMS, THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT COULD MERIT ADDITIONAL WORKING GROUP.
ONE THING TO POINT OUT THIS POINT DOESN'T PRECLUDE THE CREATION OF THAT WORKING GROUP, UH, BECAUSE IT WOULD STILL BE THE KIND OF ITEM THAT UNTIL THAT WORKING GROUP'S CREATED IT, IT'S, IT RESIDES THERE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE FOR EVERYBODY ELSE AS WELL? OKAY.
UH, WELL, NOW, UH, I'M GONNA BEGIN, UH, AS PART OF THIS DISCUSSION ITEM.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS.
UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER SMITH HAS PARTICIPATED, OR YOU, YOU'VE BEEN, I THINK YOU HAVE PARTICIPATED IN ONE OF THOSE WORKING GROUP DISCUSSIONS.
UH, VICE CHAIR PO DACA HAS BEEN IN MOST OF THE WORKING GROUP, MOST OF THOSE PLANNING MEETINGS, I SHOULD SAY.
UM, AND THEY'VE INCLUDED A, UH, RESOUNDING PARTNERSHIP OF, UH, DECA PARTNERS, UH, YOU KNOW, GOODWILL OF CENTRAL TEXAS, AUSTIN FREENET, HUMAN.
IT, UH, THOSE ARE A FEW OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN REPRESENTED, BUT IT'S ALSO BEEN ATTENDED CONSISTENTLY BY OUR TERRA STAFF, UH, THAT BEING INCLUDING COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY DIVISION STAFF HERE, THE STAFF LIAISON AND PROGRAM MANAGER, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, THE SENIOR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER.
UH, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS, UH, SOME IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTS TO NOTE, UH, THROUGH SPONSORSHIP OF DELL TECHNOLOGIES.
AND INDEED, UH, WE HAVE SECURED USE OF THE MOODY THEATER TO HOST OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT, UH, WHICH IS A, A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT AND A GREAT SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR OUR EFFORTS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN A CONVENING AND TO HIGHLIGHT OUR SUCCESS HERE IN A COORDINATED WAY, UH, TO REALLY GET THINGS DONE AND TO ADVANCE, UH, ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVES AS WELL.
UH, SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE'RE NOW IN, IN AN EXCITING PHASE OF PLANNING AND EXECUTION, WHEREIN WE'RE WAITING ON A FINAL PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES, UH, THAT MUST BE CONTRACTED THROUGH THE MOODY THEATER, FOR EXAMPLE, CLEANING SECURITY AND FOOD AND BEVERAGE, WHILE LEAVING US THE OPTION TO THEN PARTNER AND SECURE IN KIND AS WELL AS FINANCIAL SPONSORSHIPS, UH, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, FOR THE OTHER THINGS LIKE GUEST SERVICES, UH, AND EVEN, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING, UH, THE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE TO CONTRACT WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
WE'VE GOTTEN CLARIFICATION, UH, IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION THAT AS A COMMISSION, WE CAN'T ENTER INTO ANY DIRECT AGREEMENTS FOR SUPPORT, BUT WE CAN EASILY, AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, UH, MERELY BE THE CONDUIT, UH, FOR THAT SUPPORT, WHICH MAKES IT A REALLY SIMPLE MATTER.
UH, BECAUSE ONCE WE GET ANY PARTICULAR SPONSOR TO CONFIRM EITHER FINANCIAL OR IN-KIND SPONSORSHIP, WE WILL THEN SIMPLY SHOW THEM WHAT THE ASK IS AND THEN DIRECTLY REFER THEM TO WHO THEY NEED TO PAY.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE IN-KIND PIECE, THERE WILL BE LIKELY MORE HANDS-ON MANAGEMENT ON OUR PART, UH, BECAUSE THAT WILL NEED SOME COORDINATION.
UH, THAT'S WHERE THE SEGMENTATION OF THE PLANNING TEAM INTO COMMITTEES TO ADVANCE MORE STRATEGICALLY.
THE PLANNING EFFORT WILL BE CRITICAL.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SPONSORSHIP TEAM.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOGISTICS TEAM.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GUEST SERVICES TEAM, AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME BLIND SPOTS THAT WE NEED TO IDENTIFY, UH, THAT WOULD BE HANDLED BY A WHOLE TEAM.
BUT THE KEY THING IS, IF THAT ANY OF THAT SOUNDS
[00:30:01]
EXCITING TO YOU, AS IT DOES TO ME, AND, UH, AND I'VE SEEN PEOPLE REALLY GET INTO IT, THEN I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LET ME KNOW NOW, UH, SO THAT WE CAN INVITE YOU, UH, TO THAT PLANNING EFFORT.AGAIN, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN OUR WALKING CORN LIMITATIONS.
IT HAS TO BE LESS THAN THREE, EXCUSE ME, LESS THAN FIVE.
UH, SO SINCE THERE'S ALREADY THREE COMMISSIONERS CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN THE EFFORT, IT MEANS THEN THERE'S ONLY REALLY SPACE FOR TWO TO ADDITIONALLY JOIN.
UH, SO IF THERE'S ANYONE RIGHT NOW, UH, THAT KNOWS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS INTEREST IN JOINING THAT PLANNING TEAM, IF YOU COULD JUST LET ME KNOW.
UH, YOU'VE GOT AN OPEN MIC, AND IF NOT, THAT'S FINE.
UH, WE CAN ALSO, UH, WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION AT A LATER DATE.
AND, AND LET ME ALSO BE CLEAR, YOU'RE ALSO WELCOME TO JOIN ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS, UH, AND TO EITHER BE A FLY ON THE WALL OR JUST TO LISTEN IN IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.
UH, THE NEXT ONE IS SCHEDULED TO BE A BRIEF MEETING TAKING PLACE THIS THURSDAY AT 2:00 PM SO I'LL PAUSE THERE AGAIN AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYONE INTERESTED IN JOINING THAT MEETING, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE INVITED.
ANY QUESTIONS, UH, ABOUT THIS, THIS ITEM OR FEEDBACK? OKAY.
UH, I'LL TAKE, UH, UH, NO FEEDBACK TO MEAN THAT, UH, YOU'RE REALLY INTO IT AND AS, AND AS EXCITED AS I AM, AND THE WORKING GROUP, THE PLANNING TEAM ABOUT IT MOVING FORWARD AND ADVANCING OUR OBJECTIVES.
WITH THAT, THEN WE'LL PROCEED, UH, TO THE NEXT ITEM, REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEETINGS.
HISTORICALLY, AGAIN, AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF PUSHING FORWARD, THE INITIAL CONCEPT IN PILOT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S EMERGENCY DECLARATION SERVICES USED DURING THE PANDEMIC REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEETINGS TO ALLOW FOR HYBRID MEETINGS IS NOW THE STANDARD.
UH, SO THAT IS SOMETHING WHICH, UH, WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE AS A SUCCESS.
HOWEVER, IT IS STILL CURRENTLY LIMITED TO ONLY CERTAIN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO THE NEXT, I THE NEXT STEP REALLY REMAINS AN ITEM, UH, FOR FOLLOW UP, FOR US TO PROMOTE THE SUCCESS AS AN EXAMPLE OF EFFECTIVE, EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT ALIGNED TO ALL THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES, AND TO ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVEMENT AND EXPANSION WE'RE APPROPRIATE.
I'D LIKE TO PAUSE FOR ANY FEEDBACK OR THOUGHTS ON THIS ITEM.
CHAIR PITT, IS THERE ANY, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY, AND MAYBE JESSE AND DAN COULD ANSWER THIS TO IDENTIFY WHICH SPECIFIC COMMISSIONS, UM, ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE HYBRID MEETINGS.
WE COULD ASK THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
UH, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO LET US KNOW WHO DOES AND DOES NOT HAVE THAT ABILITY.
CAN WE TAKE THAT AS AN ACTION? YEAH, THAT'S, UH, IT'S BEEN AN INTERESTING CHALLENGE, UH, BECAUSE IT IS A LIMITED LIST OF, UH, OF THOSE THAT HAVE ACCESS TO FACILITIES THAT HAVE THAT CAPABILITY.
BUT THAT IS, AGAIN, BASED ON A PRIORITIZATION ORDER, UH, WHICH I UNDERSTAND BY DEFAULT GOES TO THOSE WHO ARE ACTIVELY USING THOSE TYPES OF, OF MEETING ROOMS. UH, AND THEN CASCADES FROM THERE.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT ULTIMATELY WHO HAS ACCESS TO THE FACILITIES, BUT THEN WE'LL STILL BE TASKED WITH DECIDING IF WE WANT TO PROMOTE IT AS A BEST PRACTICE, BECAUSE IF WE DO, THEN IT MEANS IT'S GONNA GET MORE COMPETITIVE TO USE THESE FACILITIES.
UH, AND WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, EMBRACE THAT, IF THAT'S GONNA BE THE CASE.
AND ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION, AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, UH, ANY COMMISSION CAN HAVE A HYBRID MEETING.
UH, BUT THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS ON HOW MANY COMMISSIONS ARE ACTUALLY BROADCAST.
UH, AND, AND THE, UH, NUMBER OF COMMISSIONS THAT ARE BROADCAST IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT'S THE PART THAT I THINK WE WOULD NEED TO TALK TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE ABOUT.
IT HAS TO DO WITH, UH, THERE'S ONLY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SLOTS, UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE OLDEST 20 SOMETHING COMMISSIONS, UH, HAVE THE PRIORITY FOR THE BROADCAST LOTS, IS MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, WITH, AGAIN, WITHOUT BEING DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THAT INFORMATION.
SO THE ACTION THEN IS TO CONFIRM WITH CLERK'S OFFICE THE NUMBER OF BROADCAST LOTS? UH, YES.
YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S REALLY ADD ON TO THE QUESTION THAT, UH, VICE CHAIR APCA ASKED.
SO, IS THE NUMBER OF BROADCAST SLOTS LIMITED
[00:35:01]
BY THE LICENSE THAT WE HAVE SIGNED FOR WEBEX, OR IS IT A MONEY MATTER, OR IS IT JUST THE LIMITATIONS OF THE LICENSE? AND THE QUESTION IS, IF IT'S A LIMITATION OF THE LICENSE, THEN WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF BROADCAST SLOTS? AND IS THAT ALSO A FINANCIAL DECISION? I, I FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT I CAN SPEAK FOR THAT, UH, THAT WE'RE NEEDING TO CONFIRM ALL THOSE ANSWERS.UH, BUT MAYBE JESSE'S GOT SOME INPUT.
I KNOW AT LEAST, UH, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHALLENGE IS THAT IT'S MAINLY A STAFFING CHALLENGE, UH, OF HAVING ENOUGH, UH, IT SUPPORT, UH, TO, TO MAKE ALL OF THOSE BROADCASTS HAPPEN.
UM, SO I, I THINK IT'S PRIMARILY A, A, A COST AND PERSONNEL ISSUE.
DID YOU HEAR THAT COMMISSIONER? I SCOOP HIM.
IN FACT, I RECALL, I THINK JESSE GIVING THE SAME ANSWER THE LAST TIME I ASKED
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CANDOR TOO, COMMISSIONER KUTA.
BUT YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S IMPORTANT THING TO, TO AT LEAST ZOOM IN ON BRIEFLY, BECAUSE IT GOES BACK TO THE EARLIER POINT, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, IF IT IS A STAFF CHALLENGE, IT, IT MEANS THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COMPETE FOR THAT STAFF AND OR ADVOCATE FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF.
UH, AND SO THEN, YOU KNOW, COMPETE FOR THAT STAFF UNTIL ADDITIONAL STAFF IS ASSIGNED, RIGHT? WE MADE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PAST, UH, FOR INCREASING STAFFING AROUND THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
IN FACT, I BELIEVE WE HAVE FOR THIS VERY THING, UH, NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT.
UH, SO, UH, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE CLERK TO CONFIRM INDEED, UH, HOW THE, HOW THINGS STAND.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK ON THIS ITEM? OKAY.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD.
ADVOCATE FOR ZOOM LICENSES ADMINISTERED BY LIBRARIES FOR CIVIC GROUPS.
UH, THIS IS A HISTORICALLY ADVANCED, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATION.
HOWEVER, UH, WHAT IS NOT LISTED HERE IN THE HISTORICAL, UH, THAT I BELIEVE WE SPOKE TO EXTENSIVELY, UH, AT, UH, OUR LAST MEETING IS HOW THE, THE LICENSES WERE UNDERUTILIZED, UH, WHICH IS, I THINK, DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO, UH, CHALLENGES WITH DEVICE ACCESS AND, AND BROADBAND ACCESS, UH, IN THE HOME, AS WELL AS I THINK AN ISSUE WITH THE LICENSES THEMSELVES.
UM, AND BASED ON MY RECOLLECTION THEN WHERE IT STOOD, WE WERE GOING TO REMOVE THIS FROM THE WORK PLAN AND, AND LOOK AT TRYING TO INCREASE CIVIC USAGE OF, UH, REMOTE PARTICIPATION RESOURCES FOR CIVIC NEEDS IN ANOTHER WAY.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I SEEM TO RECALL.
I LIKE TO OPEN THAT UP FOR FEEDBACK AND, AND OTHER RECOLLECTIONS.
YEAH, I, I THINK THAT WAS, THAT WAS RIGHT.
AND I THINK THE OTHER PART OF THAT, UM, IF I'M REMEMBERING THE CONVERSATION CORRECTLY, WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY, WE WANTED TO STAY AWAY FROM NECESSARILY ADVOCATING FOR A, A PARTICULAR SOLUTION, IN THIS CASE, ZOOM.
UM, WHEREAS THERE'S TEAMS WEBEX AND, AND MANY OTHER, UM, APPLICATIONS THAT ARE SIMILAR IN NATURE THAT COULD ACCOMPLISH SIMILAR, UM, SIMILAR ACTIVITIES.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CONFIRMATION.
UH, WELL, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THEN, UH, I THINK WE'VE GOT A CONSENSUS, UNLESS I'M HEARING ANYONE SUGGEST THERE'S A STRONG NEED TO KEEP THIS ITEM, UH, THEN I'M GONNA CONFIRM THAT THE CONSENSUS IS TO HAVE IT REMOVED.
NOW, UH, NUMBER FIVE, CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR LIBRARY WIRELESS HUB AND PLATFORM LENDING PROGRAMS. UH, THIS, UH, AGAIN, IS A STANDING, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO NEXT RENEW THAT BUDGET RECOMMENDATION AND TO INCREASE ADVOCACY WITH LOCAL PARTNERS, UH, AND COLLABORATION, UH, OR COLLABORATIVE.
IT SHOULD BE, UH, FUNDING SOURCES, UH, WITH THE DIGITAL INCLUSION STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT, UH, THAT IS, I THINK, A GREAT PLACE FOR THAT TO BE
[00:40:01]
FOCUSED.UH, YOU KNOW, LIBRARY IS CERTAINLY GOING TO BE A PARTNER, UH, ON AN ONGOING BASIS AS A, AS A, A MEETING SPACE, AS WELL AS, AS A RESOURCE PROVIDER, UH, AND, AND COLLABORATIVE PARTNER WITH THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE SPUN UP HERE, LIKE OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSIONS, UH, AS WELL AS FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, AND OTHER THINGS WE'RE DOING NOW, UH, YOU KNOW, BY EXAMPLE, UH, COMMUNITY CIRCLES AS PART OF OUR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR, OR FEEDBACK ON THIS ONE? OKAY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED.
UH, G OS, UH, TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR GTOP S UH, THE HISTORICAL, AGAIN, THIS IS A STANDING BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, UH, AND, UH, REVIEW PROCESS.
UH, THIS IS REALLY THE HEART, UH, AND SOUL I THINK OF, OF THIS COMMISSION IN TERMS OF WHAT WE DO.
UH, AND, AND I'VE GOT LOTS OF, YOU KNOW, UH, FACTS I COULD RATTLE, RATTLE OFF FOR YOU.
BUT JUST IN MY TENURE, UM, SINCE BEING EX OFFICIAL CHAIR OF THIS COMMISSION, WE'VE INCREASED THE FUNDING FROM, EXCUSE ME, EX OFFICIAL CHAIR OF THE REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR G OPPS.
UH, AND, UH, IN MY TENURE OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS OF BEING COMMISSIONED CHAIR, WE'VE INCREASED THE FUNDING OF GTOP PS FROM A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO 400,000.
AND, UH, MOST NOTABLY, WE'VE ALSO PROVIDED FEEDBACK TO ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, UH, DIFFERENT PATHWAYS WE SPUN UP.
UH, AND AS A RESULT, THERE'S NOW, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL PATHWAYS, INCLUDING A NEW ONE, UH, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE CALLED G OPPS CONNECT, UH, THAT WILL AWARD A SINGLE NONPROFIT UP TO, UH, APPROXIMATELY 3100, 30 $200, UH, EXCUSE ME, THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, TO HELP WITH AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM OUTREACH.
UH, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO PAUSE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY FEEDBACK ON THIS, THOUGH, OR ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, SO YEAH, AGAIN, I THINK IT'S, UH, CLEAR.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS AND RENEW THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION.
UH, B IS DETOX EXPANSION, UH, YOU KNOW, A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND OR RESOURCE MAPPING.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH HISTORICALLY, UH, IT'S BEEN AROUND AGGREGATING DATA POINTS, UNMET NEEDS, RESILIENCY CHALLENGES, INSTITUTIONAL OB OBSTACLES, ET CETERA.
UH, DIGITAL INCLUSION RESOURCES, UH, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RECIPIENTS, PROVIDERS, NONPROFITS, UH, YOU KNOW, AND HELPING TO EXPAND THE FUNDING CAPABILITIES AND, AND BETTER REWARDS BASED ON, UH, YOU KNOW, ACTIVE DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNITY NEEDS ANALYSIS.
UH, WELL, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A NEXT LISTED HERE, UH, TO ENGAGE OPEN AUSTIN AS A RESOURCE, I THINK THAT STILL REMAINS, UH, AN OPTION, UH, AND TO SEE, UH, WHERE, UH, THE INNOVATION OFFICE, UH, AND THE OPEN DATA GROUP NOW STANDS THAT THEY'RE ACTIVE AGAIN, UH, AS A RESOURCE FOR THIS, I THINK MORE CLEARLY AND PLAINLY, UH, THE TRAVIS COUNTY, CITY OF AUSTIN AND C T T C INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT, UH, TO CONDUCT COMMUNITY CIRCLES IS ADDRESSING THIS IN THE PRESENT.
UH, WE'RE ACTIVELY MEETING, UH, WITH, UH, OUR PLANNING GROUP TO CONTINUE THE PLANNING EFFORT TO EXECUTE THE COMMUNITY CIRCLES, WHICH ARE A VERSION, UH, OF, UH, OUR TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSIONS, BUT WITH MUCH MORE RIGOR, UH, AND FOCUS AROUND DATA COLLECTION AND ENABLING CO INTERPRETATION AND ACTIONS AROUND THAT DATA.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO AN ACTIVE DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNITY NEEDS ANALYSIS, I THINK, UH, THAT COULD, UH, IMPACT G OS OR G OPPS EXPANSION.
I THINK, UH, CONTINUING THOSE EFFORTS IS REALLY ONE OF THE BEST WAYS THAT WE COULD DO THAT.
UH, VICE CHAIR APODACA AND I ARE PART OF THE PLANNING TEAM, UH, AND IT IS A PRETTY ROBUST PLANNING TEAM.
WE WE'RE FAIRLY WELL COVERED IN THAT
[00:45:01]
REGARD.UH, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE WOULD BE TAKING UP IN DISCUSSING IN MORE DETAIL AT OUR WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, UH, THAT WHEN WE'RE NOT FOCUSED AROUND JUST BASICALLY SIGNING OFF ON THE WORK PLAN AS WE ARE IN THIS MEETING TODAY, UH, IT WOULD ENABLE YOU ALL TO REALLY DIVE IN MORE AND TO GET MORE INSIGHT INTO WHAT'S TAKEN PLACE.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO PAUSE AND GIVE, UH, JESSE A CHANCE TO SPEAK ON IT, UH, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CITY'S BEEN A KEY PARTNER IN THE EFFORT, AND HE MAY HAVE SOME INSIGHTS THAT HE WANTS TO IMPART ABOUT HOW, UH, HOW WELL IT'S GOING, AS WELL AS HOW PROMISING IT IS IN TERMS OF WHAT IT WILL YIELD FOR DATA.
UM, WE HAVE A VERY EXTENSIVE, UH, PROJECT WITH MANY DIFFERENT PIECES, UM, THAT CHAIR PITTS HAS GIVEN A, AN OVERVIEW OF, AND THAT'S HELPING US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE LANDSCAPE OF THE, OF DIGITAL EQUITY IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I'M GONNA THROW OUT A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT, UH, BRANCHES OF THAT ACTIVITY HERE.
UH, WE DO HAVE AN, AN INTERNAL DATA DASHBOARD, UM, THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND SEE WHERE IN THE COMMUNITY BY GEOGRAPHY, UH, FOLKS ARE IDENTIFYING THAT THEY HAVE, UH, NO INTERNET CONNECTION, UM, OR, UH, UH, THAT THERE'S, UH, SUBSCRIPTION VULNERABILITY BASED ON, UH, SOME ANALYTICS, UM, AND AMONGST MANY OTHER ITEMS. UH, IT IS A LICENSED PRODUCT WITH A, UH, AN ORGANIZATION THAT WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH.
SO IT'S NOT A PUBLIC DASHBOARD, BUT IT DOES, IT IS THERE TO HELP US MAKE DECISIONS, UM, FOR OUR PROGRAMMING.
WE ALSO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP VIA AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, THAT CHAIR PITTS GAVE, UH, A GOOD OVERVIEW OF ALREADY.
UM, I'LL JUST SAY THAT WE, THERE'S THREE LEGS OF THE PROCESS.
THE FIRST LEG WAS, UH, DOOR TO DOOR SURVEYING OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE AREAS THAT WE IDENTIFIED AS THE HIGH NEEDS AREAS, UM, TO, UH, UH, GIVE US SURVEY DATA THAT WILL, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF ANALYZING, UH, AND, AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UH, WHAT THAT, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, SO WE HAVE THE DATA, WE'RE CLEANING IT NOW.
UM, AND WE'LL BE INVITING, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HELP US TO INTERPRET THAT DATA ONCE IT'S CLEANED AND, AND READY TO, TO SHARE.
UM, WE HAVE ALSO ALREADY GONE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE HAD, I BELIEVE, THREE ADVISORY GROUPS THAT WE CONVENED TO HELP US TO DESIGN THE LAST PHASE OF THE PROCESS.
UH, AND THE LAST PHASE OF THE PROCESS IS, UH, THAT WERE TRYING TO SET UP COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, UM, UH, SET UP SOMEWHAT LIKE FOCUS GROUPS, ALTHOUGH WE DON'T HAVE TO GO WITH THE TRADITIONAL FOCUS GROUP MODEL.
UM, AND THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM VERY SPECIFIC PORTIONS OF THE POPULATION THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, AGAIN, AS HIGH NEEDS WHEN IT RELATE WHEN IT COMES TO ACCESSING TECHNOLOGY, UM, AND HEARING FROM THEM DIRECTLY.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, NONPROFITS RIGHT NOW OVER, UH, THE NEXT FIVE OR SO WEEKS.
WE HAVE A SPRINT GOING ON TO PLAN THOSE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, 19 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, UH, ALONG WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND, UH, THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND SO I, UH, ALL OF THIS DATA THAT WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON IS GONNA COME TOGETHER HOPEFULLY BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, MAYBE CLOSE TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND IT'S GOING TO INFORM, UH, BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY'S, UH, STRATEGIC PLANS FOR, UH, FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AS IT RELATES TO DIGITAL INCLUSION.
SO OUR CURRENT DIGITAL INCLUSION STRATEGIC PLAN WAS LAST PASSED IN 2014.
IT IS STILL ACTIVE, IT'S STILL GOOD AND STILL RELEVANT IN MANY PARTS.
UH, BUT ALL OF THIS DATA IS GONNA HELP US TO REFRESH THAT DOCUMENT AND PLAN FOR THE NEXT, UH, FIVE YEARS.
SO, UM, DEFINITELY HAVE A LOT OF IRONS IN THE FIRE.
I DIDN'T MENTION IT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE, UH, A CONTRACT WITH UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS TO HELP US TO DRAFT THAT STRATEGIC PLAN AS A PART OF ALL OF THIS AS WELL.
UM, SO LOTS OF, LOTS OF IRONS IN THE FIRE ON DATA, UM, AND HAPPY TO, UH, CONTINUE OR ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE.
YEAH, IT'S BEEN VERY EXCITING.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO, UH, ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE OF, OF JESSE.
I KNOW THIS WILL COME UP AGAIN UNDER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UH, WITH A DEEPER DIVE, UH, AND OVERVIEW OR ADDING RATHER TO THIS OVERVIEW, AND MAYBE MORE OF JUST KIND OF A CURRENT STATUS CHECK.
UH, BUT CAN PAUSE NOW AND GIVE ANYONE A CHANCE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THEY MIGHT HAVE.
[00:50:03]
FEEDBACK AS WELL.FEEDBACK ON, UM, ON THE COMMUNITY CIRCLES INFORMING THE, UM, THE ITEM THAT, THAT YOU HAD OUTLINED ABOVE.
UH, UH, HONESTLY, I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE, SO I THINK IT WAS A GOOD CALL OUT.
I'M GLAD THAT YOU MADE THE CONNECTION THERE.
SO WITH THAT, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD IN OUR AGENDA, UH, HERE ON THIS PARTICULAR WORKING GROUP OVERVIEW.
UH, EMERGENCY BROADBAND CARE RELIEF, UH, EVALUATION.
UH, YEAH, ONCE AGAIN, WE REQUESTED ENGAGEMENT FROM TEAR OFFS AND C T D A VARIETY OF RESPONSE WERE PROVIDED.
UH, LET'S SEE, THIS HAS NEXT, UH, TO PROVIDE A COMMUNITY, LET'S SEE, RECENT LEGISLATION HAS LIKELY INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF RESPONSES THEY NEED TO CONFIRM WHO'S PARTICIPATING.
NEXT, WE HAD, UH, PROVIDE A COMMUNITY REPORT ON PROVIDERS WHO RESPONDED, AND THOSE WHO DIDN'T NEED TO CONSIDER CREATING A MAP THAT HIGHLIGHTS CARES AVAILABLE FOR WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS ENABLE COMPETITION AND CONSUMER ADVOCACY.
UH, I'D LIKE TO PAUSE ON THIS ONE.
I BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH IS KIND OF BEING ROLLED UP INTO OTHER THINGS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, AND COULD BE REMOVED.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INPUT ON THAT? YEAH, FOR THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY, I FEEL LIKE HONESTLY, THE BDO IS DOING THIS TO SOME EXTENT, UM, BECAUSE THAT, I KNOW THAT THAT IS ONE COMPONENT OF THE CHALLENGE PROCESS, RIGHT? WHICH IS BEING ROLLED UP AT THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL AS NATIONALLY.
UH, YES, THIS IS, UH, A GOOD, A GOOD CALL OUT.
UM, IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT IT'S, IT'S URGENT, UM, BUT IT'S LESS URGENT NOW THAT WE HAVE A STATE OFFICE DEDICATED TO THE PROCESS.
AND WE'VE GOT, UH, EVOLUTION OF NOT JUST THE MAPPING PROCESS, BUT THE CHALLENGE PROCESS TO, TO SATISFY.
AND, UH, AND THAT'S A GOOD POINT TO PAUSE, UH, BECAUSE AS IT RELATES TO THE BDO, UH, SEVERAL OF US, UH, AS, UH, A POINT OF REFERENCE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN MEETINGS WITH THE, THE TEXAS BDO, UH, BDO OFFICE SINCE THE EARLY FORMATION IN 2021.
UH, AND THAT FIRST MEETING, UH, WAS ACTUALLY AT, UH, THE BURLESON CITY OFFICES.
AND THAT IS BOOK ENDED, UH, WITH A, FRANKLY, UH, FREQUENT CONFERENCE CALLS THAT ARE HELD EITHER WITH A REGIONAL FOCUS ON THE BDO, UH, OR, UH, THAT IS A SUBSET FOCUS OF DIFFERENT PARTNERS WITHIN THIS SPACE THAT ARE FOCUSED ON DIGITAL INCLUSION.
AND WHAT IT'S AMOUNTED TO IS A, A STRONG PRESENCE, UH, FROM OUR LEADERSHIP,
[00:55:01]
UH, WITH, INCLUDING RONDELLA HAWKINS, AS WELL AS OUR ACTING, UH, TERROR OFFICER, HOTAN HARMAN, UH, WHO IN HER ROLE AS SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER.UH, IT HAS BEEN ATTENDING THESE MEETINGS ON A, ON A CONSISTENT BASIS, ALONG WITH MYSELF, UH, AS CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION, UH, THAT ALL LEADING UP TO AN IN-PERSON, OUR FIRST IN-PERSON MEETING, UH, THAT TOOK PLACE FOR THE CAPITAL REGION AS IT'S BEEN DEFINED, UH, IN BASTROP YESTERDAY.
UH, I, I KNOW THAT I WAS PLEASED TO ATTEND.
UH, IT WAS A CHALLENGE, UH, ALTHOUGH, UH, WE, WE WANTED TO TRY TO FIND A WAY TO INCLUDE MORE COMMISSIONERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE IN-PERSON MEETING.
IT WAS A CHALLENGE BECAUSE WE HAD A LIMITATION THAT THIS MEETING WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A PUBLIC INTEREST ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WOULD ALLOW ALL COMMISSIONERS TO PARTICIPATE.
SO, UH, IT BECAME A MATTER OF GIVING COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE THAT, UH, BASED ON THEIR TENURE, UH, AND BASED ON THEIR EXPERIENCE LEVEL, UH, A CHANCE TO CONFIRM THAT THEY WOULD PARTICIPATE, UH, AND, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, WORKING GROUP MEMBERSHIP.
SO, VICE CHAIR DACA, MYSELF, UH, COMMISSIONER DA GUPTA, UH, AND COMMISSIONER, UH, GARZA, UH, WERE PRIORITIZED IN ADDITION TO COMMISSIONER CLARK, UH, WHO HAD, UH, ACTUALLY REACHED OUT DIRECTLY AND CONFIRMED THAT SHE WAS ALREADY REGISTERED FOR THE MEETING, UH, AND WAS WANTING TO THEN PUSH IT OUT, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALL COMMISSIONERS.
UM, IT WAS VERY BITTERSWEET SEEING THAT WE HAD, UH, A COMMISSIONER LEADING, UH, WITH, UH, INTEREST IN WANTING TO ADVOCATE PARTICIPATION IN THE MEETING, BUT YET KNOWING THAT WE COULDN'T DO IT IN THAT FASHION BECAUSE WE COULDN'T, UH, WE COULDN'T RISK A WALKING QUORUM.
SO, ALTHOUGH IT TOOK SOME TIME, UH, I WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM AT, AT THE VERY LEAST, THE COMMISSIONER KUTA WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, COMMISSIONER CLARK WAS REGISTERED MYSELF AS WELL AS, UH, VICE CHAIR PCA.
UH, AND, UH, WE THEN EXTENDED THE OPPORTUNITY AS WELL TO COMMISSIONER, UH, GARZA.
UH, ADMITTEDLY, UH, IT CAME TOGETHER, UH, JUST BEFORE THE MEETING, UH, GIVING VERY LITTLE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO EXTEND THE INVITATION TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
BUT THE GOOD THING IS THAT WE HAD A VERY ROBUST PRESENCE, FRANKLY, TO THE POINT WHERE, UH, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE OVER, UH, OVERBEARING, UH, IF WE HAD MORE, UH, COMMISSIONERS THERE.
SO IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A GOLDILOCK SCENARIO WHERE IT WORKED OUT, UH, JUST RIGHT THAT WE HAD, UH, THE AMOUNT OF COMMISSIONS THAT WE HAD.
UH, I KNOW COMMISSIONER DA GUPTA WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND ULTIMATELY.
UM, BUT WE HAD SOUND REPRESENTATION.
AND, UH, I, I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY GOOD MEETING.
I I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT FOR US TO BE SEEN, UH, AND INTERACT WITH OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS IN THE RURAL SPACE.
UH, PARTICULARLY SINCE WE KNOW, BASED UPON THE CURRENT MAPPING OF SERVED AND UNDERSERVED AREAS, UH, BASED ON PRIMARILY, UH, DATA, UH, THAT IS SELF-REPORTED BY CARRIERS THAT'S NOW BEING ADDED TO, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, HOME DATA AND CHALLENGES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, UH, REFLECTS AUSTIN TO BE PRIMARILY COVERED.
UH, AND TO HAVE SMALL, IF, IF NOT A FEW, UH, UNSERVED AREAS, WHAT WE KNOW, UH, FROM OUR TOWN HALLS.
WE KNOW FROM FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE THAT THAT IS NOT THE CASE, UH, FROM CHALLENGES THAT I, I'VE, I'VE HEARD FROM, UH, BY EXAMPLE FROM VICE CHAPPA, DACA AND OTHERS IN THE ROOM, UH, THAT WE DO HAVE, UH, REAL SERVICE DELIVERY NEEDS HERE, UH, AND HAVE UNSERVED, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND COMMUNITIES, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, SUBURBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES IN OUR METROPLEX AND WITHIN TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, THAT EXPERIENCED THE SAME CHALLENGES AS RURAL COMMUNITIES.
SO I FELT, UH, UH, PROUD THAT WE WERE SHOWING LEADERSHIP AS A CITY, AS A COUNTY, AS OUR PARTNERS FROM TRAVIS COUNTY WERE THERE, AND AS A DEPARTMENT, UH, AND ENCOURAGING, SHARING OUR BEST PRACTICES AND SUCCESSES, BUT ALSO, UH, EN ENCOURAGING COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE, UH, VICE CHAIR PCA, UH, A CHANCE TO SHARE HIS REACTIONS FROM THE MEETING, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, JESSE RODRIGUEZ, WHO WAS PRESENT.
UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE HAD A REALLY ROBUST PRESENCE TO THE, TO THE POINT TO WHERE, UM, AT ONE POINT THERE WERE BREAKOUT TABLES AND, UH, IT WAS DECIDED COLLECTIVELY THAT WE WOULD SORT OF SPREAD OUT.
SO WE REALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO, TO SHOW OUR
[01:00:01]
PRESENCE, BUT TO ENGAGE WITH SOME OF, UM, OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE REGION, WHICH WAS EXTREMELY REWARDING.UM, AND, UM, DEVELOP SOME RELATIONSHIPS THAT NO DOUBT WILL LEVERAGE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO, TO MAKE IT.
JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH THE BDO, UM, GOING TO THEIR, THEIR WEBSITE, SIGNING UP FOR THE, UH, THE NEWSLETTER THAT COMES OUT.
I'M NOT SURE HOW OFTEN IT ACTUALLY COMES OUT, BUT I'VE, I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN GETTING IT ABOUT ONCE A MONTH.
AND THAT HAS A PRETTY GOOD COLLECTION OF UPDATES AS WELL AS UPCOMING EVENTS, UM, THAT THE, UH, THAT THE OFFICE IS, IS PUTTING ON.
UH, FINALLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, UM, AS WELL AS PUSH OUT TO THEIR, UH, RESPECTIVE NETWORKS.
THE SURVEY TOOL THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO, UM, TO TAKE, UH, THERE'S A SPEED TEST ON THERE, UH, AS WELL AS A SERIES OF QUESTIONS THAT, UH, ARE CENTERED AROUND, UM, LIVED EXPERIENCES AND, AND, AND DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY.
SO ENCOURAGE ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO NOT ONLY TAKE THAT SURVEY, BUT TO PUSH IT OUT TO YOUR NETWORKS AS WELL.
AND, UH, JESSE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANY REACTIONS OR THOUGHTS? AND, AND YOU AS WELL, DAN, I'LL GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO, TO SHARE YOURS.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD, BUT THANK YOU.
AND DAN, I KNOW THIS WAS, UH, UH, THE FIRST KIND OF MEETING OF THIS TYPE THAT YOU HAD A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ANY, YOUR THOUGHTS AS OUR STAFF LIAISON? UH, YEAH.
UH, I AGREE WITH, UH, CHAIR APA DACA'S SENTIMENT OR VICE CHAIR P DACA SENTIMENT, UM, IS REALLY INFORMATIVE.
IT WAS NICE TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT CHALLENGES THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE IN THE, UH, RURAL COMMUNITIES ESPECIALLY, UM, PUT A LOT OF OUR OWN CHALLENGES INTO PERSPECTIVE.
UM, BUT I DEFINITELY WOULD SAY I LEARNED A LOT, ESPECIALLY A LOT OF THEIR DATA THAT THEY'RE PRESENTING, UM, IF I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THAT IF POSSIBLE, WITH THE COMMISSION IF THEY DIDN'T SEE IT.
I THINK IT'S VERY INFORMATIVE, BUT, UH, YEAH, THAT'S IT.
UH, IN FACT, YOU'D BE THE BEST ONE TO SHARE WITH THE WHOLE COMMISSION.
UH, SO I WOULD DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT ACTION BEING TAKEN.
UH, I KNOW THAT AT, AT OUR NEXT, UH, DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP MEETING, IF, IF WE CAN, UM, HAVE A MEETING WHERE WE GET TO THE WHOLE AGENDA, WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE DIVING INTO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
BUT, UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, UH, UH, IN OUR WORKING GROUPS, UH, WE DO HAVE A LOT TO COVER.
SO IT BECOMES THE CHALLENGE OF, OF PRIORITIZING WHAT, YOU KNOW, TO GO OVER.
SO I, I THINK WE'LL, WE'LL FIND A NEED TO RELY INCREASING INCREASINGLY UPON THOSE KINDS OF COMMISSION WIDE SHARE OUTS.
UH, DAN, SO WE'LL BE GETTING WITH YOU ON THOSE CHAIR PITS.
UH, SINCE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE MEETING, YES.
I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY SHARE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS INCREDIBLY USEFUL.
UM, IF AUSTIN'S POPULATION IS ABOUT 966,292 AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND, UH, IT WAS INTERESTING THAT THEY SHARED THE DATA THAT, UH, ACCORDING TO THEIR PRESENTATION AND THE FCC BROADBAND MAP, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT OUR TRAVIS COUNTY AND AUSTIN HAVE ABOUT 4.3% UNSERVED, WHICH WAS VERY GOOD TO HEAR THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO PINPOINT THESE NUMBERS.
THAT WOULD BE ABOUT 42,840 HOUSEHOLDS OR FOLKS.
AND THEN 2.7% ARE UNDERSERVED.
SO IT'S, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO GET THE NUMBERS, NAME THE NUMBERS, FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY ARE, AND THEN FOR OUR STAFF AND YOUR COMMISSION TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER TO SEE HOW WE COULD SERVE, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTIVITY, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER SERVICES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, HOAN FOR REMINDING ME, UH, THAT YOU WERE HERE, UH, BECAUSE I DEFINITELY WANTED TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE, UH, ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE THAT PARTICIPATED TO SHARE THEIR, THEIR REACTIONS.
UH, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO, TO WHAT YOU, UH, YEAH.
IT, IT WAS VERY, UH, FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO HEAR THE STORIES FROM OUR RURAL FRIENDS, BECAUSE WE HAD AT OUR TABLE, EXCUSE ME, THEY WERE GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES FROM SMITHVILLE AND BASTROP COUNTY, AND WE HAD HEARD ABOUT, UH, FAMILIES NOT HAVING ACCESS AND HAVING TO GO TO MCDONALD'S AND SIT, YOU KNOW, EITHER INSIDE OR IN THE PARKING LOT OR,
[01:05:01]
UM, GO TO STARBUCKS.BUT WE WERE ACTUALLY HEARING THESE STORIES IN REAL TIME.
AND ONE OF THE FOLKS AT OUR TABLE ACTUALLY SHARED THAT THEY HAD LOST THEIR JOB BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO GO ONLINE WHEN COVID HAPPENED, AND TO BE ABLE TO WORK, UH, OFF, YOU KNOW, ONLINE AND NOT IN PERSON.
AND IT WAS JUST VERY INTERESTING TO HEAR THE PERSONAL STORIES AS WELL AS THE DATA.
AND THERE WERE ABOUT 75, 80 FOLKS THERE.
ISPS WERE REPRESENTED THERE AS WELL.
UH, HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO AT AND T AND AT T FOUNDATION.
UM, IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE SOME OF THE PARTNERS WHO HAD SHOWN UP.
SO I THOUGHT IT WAS A WONDERFUL FIRST MEETING.
THE SECOND ONE FOR OUR REGION WILL BE IN BURNETT.
UM, I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO, I, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATE, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE.
BUT THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO FOR OUR REGION.
THANK YOU FOR THAT ADDITIONAL, UH, FEEDBACK AND, AND REFLECTION.
UH, IT IS THE 21ST, UH, I'M GLAD YOU REMINDED ME, UH, THE, THE MEETING ITSELF IN BURNETT.
UH, SO THAT PRESENTS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, UH, AND IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE, UH, UNDERSTANDABLE, UH, FOR COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE, TO BE PRIORITIZED, UH, IN, IN THAT, ALTHOUGH IT'S A LITTLE FURTHER OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, AND ALTHOUGH I KNOW THAT, UH, THERE WILL BE A LEADERSHIP PRESENCE, UH, OF SOME KIND, SO I'LL HAVE TO TAKE ONE OF THE SLOTS AVAILABLE TO OUR FIVE COMMISSIONERS, UH, BUT THAT STILL LEAVES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOUR OTHERS, UH, TO JOIN AND TO COME OUT THERE AND PARTICIPATE.
UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T IMPART MORE ON HOW HELPFUL IT IS JUST TO SHOW THAT WE'RE THERE FOR OUR RURAL, UH, OUR RURAL PARTNERS AND, AND ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
I KNOW THAT, UH, SHARING SOME OF THE REACTIONS WITHOUT GOING INTO NAMES, UH, EVEN THOUGH AUSTIN COMPARED TO OTHER RURAL REGIONS, HAS BEEN, UH, MAPPED OUT IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE CURRENT DATA SUGGESTS THAT WE'RE NOT AS UNDERSERVED.
UH, THERE'S STILL A PERCEPTION, UH, THAT WE MIGHT BE ACTUALLY IN AN ADVANTAGE POSITION, UH, FOR FUNDING, UM, WHEN IN ACTUALITY, I THINK WE'RE IN AN ADVANTAGE POSITION FOR THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, MOST OF ALL.
UH, AND THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE ASSETS OF A POTENTIAL FUTURE INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES AND, UH, NEIGHBORING CITIES, IT'LL BE ONE THAT WE LEAD WITH BEST PRACTICES, WE LEAD WITH, UH, SUCCESS STORIES.
WE LEAVE, WE LEAVE WITH, UH, EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS LIKE GTOP PS, UH, AND, UH, ALL OF THE PROGRAMS OF ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE FUNDED, UH, THAT, THAT WE'VE ENABLED THROUGH GTOP PS.
UM, AND SO I THINK, AGAIN, BEING THERE, BEING PRESENT IS A BIG PART OF THAT.
SO I, I'LL ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO, TO, UH, CONSIDER PARTICIPATING IN THAT EVENT.
I'LL, I'VE GOT ACCESS TO THE INVITATION LINK.
I'LL MAKE SURE DAN GETS THAT SO HE CAN SEND THAT OUT.
AND I'LL, AND I'LL LIST THAT DOWN AS AN ACTION CHAIR PITS, UH, YES.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT POINT YOU MADE.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF SPECIFICALLY AT OUR TABLE, WHEN WE WERE ASKED TO, TO SORT OF GO AROUND AND SHARE SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT EACH OF OUR, UM, MUNICIPALITIES OFFER WITH RESPECT TO, TO CLOSING DIGITAL DIVIDE, UH, SOME OF THE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES I GAVE WERE THE COMMUNITY CIRCLES, UH, EFFORT THAT, THAT WE ARE, THAT'S CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, AS WELL AS THE WORK THAT, UH, WE'VE DONE OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO, THE COMMISSION, UH, WITH THE LISTENING SESSIONS AT THE VARIOUS LIBRARIES.
UH, MANY FOLKS, ESPECIALLY IN THE RURAL AREAS, WERE VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING MORE ABOUT HOW WE SET UP, RUN, RAN, CONDUCTED THOSE SESSIONS.
SO ABSOLUTELY ECHO YOUR POINT THAT, UH, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RE REALLY LEAD BY EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE STATE CHAIR PITS.
UH, COMMISSIONER AKAKA, THANK YOU FOR THAT, BY THE WAY.
YEAH, I WANNA GO BACK TO THE, UH, COMMENT THAT, UH, QAN MADE THAT THE NUMBERS OF, UH, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, MARGINALLY SERVED OR UNSERVED, UH, POPULATION PERCENTAGE IS BASED ON THE OFFICIAL, UH, CENSUS DATA, WHICH SAYS THAT THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN IS AROUND 960,000.
UH, GIVE OR TAKE A FEW, UH, YEAH, TO CLARIFY, I UNDERSTAND.
I UNDERSTAND IS THAT NUMBER HAS BEEN CHALLENGED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IN FACT, MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN, THERE HAS BEEN CERTAIN DISTRICTS WHICH HAVE BEEN TERRIBLY UNDERCOUNTED, LIKE DISTRICT FOUR.
[01:10:02]
AND, UM, SO MY UNDERSTANDING WAS IN 2021, THE CITY OF AUSTIN CHALLENGED THOSE NUMBERS SAYING THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST ANOTHER 200,000 UNCOUNTED.UH, HAVE YOU GOT ANY UPDATES ON THAT? I MEAN, SHOULD WE BE TALKING, SHOULD THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER GIVE US A MORE UPDATED NUMBER? AND BASED ON THAT NUMBER, HOW DO THOSE PERCENTAGES CHANGE? BECAUSE IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THESE UNDERSERVED AREAS THAT WERE UN COUNTED MARGINALLY OR POORLY COUNTED, HOW DO THOSE NUMBERS GO UP? UH, IF YOU'RE ASKING ME DIRECTLY, COMMISSIONER DA GUPTA, UM, YES, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER WOULD BE THE RIGHT PERSON TO SPEAK WITH, AS WELL AS, UH, THOSE THAT WERE ENGAGED IN THE CENSUS COUNT, LIKE YOURSELF AND OTHERS WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE US SOME GUIDANCE ON THE REAL NUMBERS.
DEFINITELY THE PERCENTAGES WOULD CHANGE.
I THINK WE HAVE TO TRIANGULATE THIS BECAUSE THE FCC BROADBAND MAP IS GONNA GIVE US ONE SET OF DATA.
THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, VERY CONSCIENTIOUSLY, THAT JESSE'S LEADING WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND OUR COUNTERPARTS THERE IS GIVING US ANOTHER SET OF DATA GOING DOOR TO DOOR.
WE'VE HAD OVER 1000 RESPONSES SO FAR.
AND, UH, THE OTHER THING THAT IS ALSO HAPPENING IS THAT WE'RE HAVING, UT IS ALSO REACHING OUT AND HELPING US GET MORE DATA.
THERE WAS A WORLD CAFE THAT TOOK PLACE WITH THE NONPROFITS, SO WE'RE GETTING A LOT MORE DATA THAT WAY.
SO I THINK, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF AN EXACT SCIENCE IT'S GOING TO BE.
IT WILL DEFINITELY BE MORE THAN WHAT WE HAD EXPECTED.
IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF WE CAN PINPOINT IT.
THE MORE DATA SOURCES WE HAVE, THE MORE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO TRY TO PINPOINT IT A AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER SUPTA? YES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR, OR, OR FEEDBACK ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? OKAY, I, SO JUST TO CLARIFY AGAIN, UH, IN TERMS OF NEXT, UH, YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH THIS EFFORT'S CURRENTLY BEING MANAGED BY THE TEXAS B D O, WHO HAS MAPPED OUT THE UNSERVED AND UNDERSERVED AREAS, WHICH CAN BE AND HAS BEEN CHALLENGED BY HOUSEHOLDS, BUSINESSES, AND ORGANIZATIONS, UH, WE'RE GONNA ENCOURAGE COMMISSIONER PARTICIPATION AND INFORMATION SHARE OUTS BY THE, OUR STAFF LIAISON ABOUT THIS.
UH, AND WE'RE GOING TO, UH, ABOUT AVOID WALKING QUORUM AS WELL.
UH, IN THOSE IN-PERSON MEETINGS, WE'RE GOING TO ENCOURAGE MAPPING CHALLENGES.
AND I THINK THAT AS PART OF THIS, WE SHOULD, UH, AND WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS, I KNOW, AND, AND TO SOME DEGREE, UH, WE SHOULD CONSIDER A POTENTIAL OUTREACH STRATEGY TO ENABLE EDUCATION AROUND THE CHALLENGE PROCESS BEYOND JUST, UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE ALREADY USING OUR PERSONAL NETWORKS.
UM, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, UH, THE ASK IS FOR, UH, DAN, HE'LL FORWARD ON THE INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE UPCOMING BURNETT TEXAS BDO MEETING, UH, WHICH IS JULY 21ST.
SO, UH, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM HERE.
UH, STATE LEGISLATIVE TECH AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY EVALUATION.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ITEM.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF, OF FEDERAL, STATE, AND COUNTY POLICY ACTIONS AND, UH, UH, AND HOW THEY IMPACT, UH, THE DECISION MAKING OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, AND THE RESULT HAS BEEN REGULAR BRIEFINGS.
UH, THE CADENCE HAS BEEN QUARTERLY, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT WE'D AGREED UPON.
UH, SO AS FAR AS NEXT, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT A QUARTERLY BRIEFING.
UH, WE HAD ONE LAST QUARTER, SO WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO ONE NEXT QUARTER.
CHAIR PITS, UH, YES, CHAIRMAN ON THAT, ON THAT ITEM, THERE IS A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT WILL BE ON THE BALLOT LATER THIS YEAR.
UM, SO PERHAPS WE COULD FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON THAT SPECIFICALLY, UM, SINCE IT WILL BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE CREATION OF THE BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE FUND.
YEAH, I THINK YOU SHOULD EXPOUND ON THAT FOR THE BENEFIT OF EVERYONE.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE FUND TO ENABLE HIGH SPEED ACCESS.
UM, SO IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE, THE FUNDING MECHANISM, UM, TO, TO, FOR, FOR THE INVESTMENT.
UM, I'M SURE KOAN COULD PROBABLY DELVE DEEP INTO IT, BUT I WON'T PUT HER ON THE SPOT TODAY.
I CAN, I CAN GIVE YOU A TWO SECOND ANSWER.
VICE CHAIR APODACA? UH, YES, PLEASE HOLD ON.
YES, IT'S, UH, IT IS ABSOLUTELY VICE CHAIR.
IT IS A PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
IT WILL CREATE THE BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE
[01:15:01]
FUND, AND IT IS A COMPANION BILL TO HB NINE, AND IT WILL FUND, UH, 5 BILLION.THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND A MECHANISM FOR THE 5 BILLION THAT WILL THEN, UH, ACCOMPANY THE 3.23 BILLION THAT TEXAS IS GETTING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE 8 BILLION IF THIS PASSES TO BE ABLE TO SPEND ON BROADBAND.
SO, AND THE PROPOSAL IS JUST TO KEEP OUR EYES OUT FOR THAT IN PARTICULAR.
AND TO GET OUT PROBABLY, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN CALL FOR THIS, BUT, UH, IT WILL BE ON THE BALLOT AND WHATEVER THAT ENTAILS FROM THIS COMMISSION.
WELL, THAT DOES SEEM LIKE A GREAT FIT THERE WITH THIS ITEM AS A MATTER OF POLICY EVALUATION.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON THAT.
UH, YES, PLEASE, COMMISSIONER DA.
SO, WHEN IS THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT GOING BE PUT ON BALLOT THIS YEAR? NOVEMBER, 2020.
OKAY, WELL, LET'S LISTEN TO THE QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM OR FEEDBACK.
UH, THIS IS ONE I THINK WE SHOULD CLEARLY KEEP, STAY ON TOP OF AND KEEPING OUR WORK PLAN.
MOVING ALONG, UH, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, SMART MOBILITY AND PROJECT CONNECT.
HISTORICALLY, WE'VE HAD OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND THE INNOVATION FOR ADVANCED SERVICES TEAMS, UH, WHICH HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME AS THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE CHANGED, UH, THAT INCLUDES, UH, RECENT, UH, CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP AS JASON JOHN MICHA, WHO WAS THE POINT OF CONTACT THERE, HAS LEFT THE CITY AND IS NOW WORKING WITH THE STATE.
UH, I THINK THAT SERENDIPITOUSLY THOUGH, WE DID ACTUALLY GET SOME CONTACTS, UH, DURING, UH, JUST COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
UH, DURING THE JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL.
I NETWORKED WITH ROB BOROWSKI, UH, THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER FOR CAPITAL METRO, WHO IS REPRESENTING CAPITAL METRO IN, UH, THE PROJECT CONNECT EFFORTS, AND IS, UH, INTERESTED IN MEETING WITH US AND SHARING MORE, AND GIVING US A CHANCE TO HAVE MORE INPUT, UH, OR AT LEAST, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, MORE OF A COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP ON OUR, OUR MOBILITY PROJECTS HERE.
I THINK THAT THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, UH, ALSO PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
UH, AND SO THAT MIGHT INCLUDE AN ASK, ACTUALLY, OF CITY STAFF, UH, TO CONFIRM WHO IS PARTICIPATING IN THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN PUT YOU GUYS ON? CAN YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN? SURE.
UH, THERE'S, UH, WITH THE DEPARTURE OF, UH, OF, OF, OF JASON, JON-MICHAEL, UM, JUST WANTED TO MAKE MENTION OF THE FACT THAT WE WERE LEVERAGING NEW CONTACTS, UH, MADE DIRECTLY WITH, WITH, UH, CAPITAL METRO, UH, TO GET INSIGHTS ON PROJECT CONNECT AND WHERE THINGS STANDS AND HOW WE CAN ENABLE COMMUNITY INPUT, UH, PARTICULARLY AROUND DIGGING ONCE, YOU KNOW, THE SAME OBJECTIVES WE'VE HAD FOR A WHILE, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF LEVERAGING THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE INFRASTRUCTURE ALONG THE GREEN LINE AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, I'VE BEEN ADVISED, UH, THAT THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, UH, IS A GOVERNING, UH, YOU KNOW, GROUP THAT'S PLAYING, THAT'S COMPRISED OF, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS FROM CAPITOL METRO, FROM, UH, FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
AND SO THE ASK IS TO SEE IF, IF YOU COULD RESEARCH THAT COMMITTEE AND FIND OUT WHAT DEPARTMENTS ARE INVOLVED AND SEE WHO WE MIGHT WANNA INVITE IN, UH, FOR BRIEFING CHAIR PITS.
UH, UH, YES, HOLD ON A SECOND.
I'M, I'M WAITING ON A RESPONSE BACK FROM, UM, JESSE ON THIS.
YES, WE'RE HAPPY TO FIND A CONTACT FOR YOU.
[01:20:01]
COMMISSIONER SUPTA, ARE YOU TALKING TO AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP? I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, IF IT'S THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.YOU, ANYBODY THAT'S GOT MEMBERS FROM C AND FROM CAP METRO TO PUSH PROJECT CONNECT FORWARD? UH, I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE REFERRING TO THE EXACT SAME THING OR NOT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT.
IT COULD BE BECAUSE I'M IN THE FINANCING RISK COMMITTEE.
SO THEN MAYBE YOU COULD GIVE US SOME INSIGHT.
UH, NOT, NOT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE C DTC.
I'M FOCUSED MOSTLY ON FINANCE.
BUT AS FAR AS, UH, THE QUESTION THAT YOU ASKED IS THE RIGHT QUESTION.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT TIDBIT, THOUGH.
UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE ANY, ANY IF PIECE OF INFORMATION WE HAVE AND, AND UNDERSTANDING OF, OF WHAT'S INVOLVED WOULD BE HELPFUL, PARTICULARLY ON THE FINANCE SIDE, UH, RIGHT.
SO, NOTED, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
BUT THE ACTION IS, UH, FOR, SO YOU SAID IT WAS, YOURS IS CALLED THE AUSTIN, UH, AUSTIN TRANSIT PART PARTNERSHIP.
IT'S AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
SO LET'S CONFIRM, FIRST OFF, IF THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES OR IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING.
AND IT'S GOT 2, 2, 2, 2 MAIN ENTITIES THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE OTHER ONE IS TAP METRO.
I THINK THAT, UH, HOPEFULLY IN A CONCERTED FASHION BETWEEN THE STAFF, UH, ASSISTANCE AND, UH, AS WELL, ROB BOROWSKI, THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER WITH CAP METRO, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, TO GET THAT SORTED OUT PRETTY QUICKLY.
SO I DON'T THINK WE'LL BE SPENDING MUCH TIME CONFIRMING WHO TO TALK, CONFIRMING WHO TO TALK TO, BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER, TALKING TO PEOPLE AND, AND ADVANCING THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK ON THIS BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD? OKAY.
UH, COLLABORATION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AROUND LIVED EXPERIENCE SHARING WITH TECH.
UH, THIS REFERENCE POINT, UH, REFERS TO SPECIAL CALL MEETINGS.
UH, AND THE EXAMPLE WAS THE SPECIAL CONVERSATION FOR DIGITAL EQUITY THAT WE DID DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN WE HAD NO OTHER OPTION.
UH, AS A NEXT STEP, I RECOMMEND THAT WE DO KEEP THIS ON, UH, AND ENTERTAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIAL FOR A Q4 SPECIAL CALL MEETING, UH, THAT COULD FOCUS AROUND ADVANCING POTENTIAL BUDGET SENSITIVE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT MORE TOPICALLY, UH, COULD ALSO, UH, IN Q AND THIS IS Q4 OF THE FISCAL YEAR, RIGHT? UH, ANOTHER OPTION WOULD BE, I THINK, IN Q1 OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND I'M CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, TO DISCUSS THE SAME, BUT FRANKLY, FOR IT TO BE, UH, A MEETING THAT TAKES PLACE DURING DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK, UH, AND IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE, UH, A LONG MEETING, UH, BUT IT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO MAKE USE OF THAT WEEK TO FEATURE AND SHOWCASE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO.
IN ADDITION TO THE SUMMIT, IT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT WE'RE ALL PRETTY SPENT, UH, AND, AND WORN OUT FROM ATTENDING A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WEEK, IN WHICH CASE WE WON'T WANNA DO IT.
BUT, UH, JUST A POSSIBILITY AND SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
UH, BUT AS IT RELATES TO BUDGET SENSITIVE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FACT IS THAT, AND WE, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS IN ONE OF OUR WORKING GROUPS THIS WEEK, UH, AND IN SOME ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS, UH, OUR CALENDAR, WHICH WE APPROVE EVERY YEAR, WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER, UH, MAKING A, A CHANGE, UH, TOO, EVERY YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN A COMMISSIONER, WE'VE HAD AUGUST AS A, A MONTH OFF.
AND THAT'S, I THINK, BEEN HISTORICAL SCHEDULING.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A, A HIGH VACATION TIME MONTH, UH, WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE.
UH, AND SO IT'S JUST BEEN A PATTERN OF PRACTICE THAT WE LEFT THAT ON.
BUT IN TALKING ABOUT IT, UH, WE RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, THAT KIND OF PUTS
[01:25:01]
US IN A UNIQUE SPOT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL DIRECTLY RELATED TO BUDGET IN THAT MONTH, WHICH THEY'RE LOOKING TO THEN VOTE ON IN SEPTEMBER.WE'RE THEN BASICALLY LEFT IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER SCRAMBLING TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING THAT CAN GET ON THEIR AGENDA AND THEN POTENTIALLY IMPACT THE BUDGET.
SO, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT JESSE HAS PLAYED A PART IN, IN, UH, CERTAINLY IN ADVISING US ON THE TIMING OF BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, AS WELL AS, UH, IN, IN, UH, HELPING US TO APPROVE THAT CALENDAR YEAR OVER YEAR.
I'M REALLY CURIOUS TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
UH, AND THEN FOR US TO THEN VIBE ON IT SOME MORE AS A COMMISSION.
UH, THE ONE NOTE I THINK I WOULD HAVE ON THIS IS THAT THE, THERE IS A DEFINED PROCESS FOR COMMISSIONS TO GIVE BUDGETARY RECOMMENDATIONS TO, TO INFORM THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UH, AND THAT IS, UH, ON OUR SET AGENDA FOR, I BELIEVE THE, UH, THE MARCH OR THE APRIL, UM, UH, MEETINGS OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE THE RECOMMENDED TIME FOR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS TO HAPPEN.
UH, ANYTHING AS LATE AS AUGUST PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, UH, CHANGE THE BUDGET ANYWAY, UNLESS IT'S CONVERSATIONS FOR THE NEXT BUDGET IN, IN WHICH CASE IT WOULD BE VERY EARLY FOR THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
BUT WELL LET, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE, OKAY.
AND, AND I DO RECALL, UH, THAT WE HAVE THAT MARCH DATE FOR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WHAT I, WHAT I NOTICED IS, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE HOT BUTTON ISSUES THAT GET ELEVATED TO IMPORTANCE IN THE SUMMER, UH, THEN OFTEN TAKE, YOU KNOW, THE OXYGEN OUT OF THE ROOM, AND THEY TAKE A LOT OF THE ATTENTION, AND THEN WE'VE GOT NO CHANCE TO REACT TO THOSE THINGS AT ALL.
UH, SO EVEN THOUGH WE'VE GOT THAT SET PROCESS, UH, I, I, I WILL ASSUME THAT THAT PROCESS IS MEANT TO SERVE US AND NOT TO HAMSTRING US.
UH, BECAUSE IF EFFECTIVELY WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THAT COME AUGUST, WE'RE ALWAYS LIKE, OH, WOW, WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO REACT TO THAT.
WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO REACT TO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, DOES THE CURRENT PROCESS ACTUALLY SERVE US? UH, AND THAT'S A TOUGH QUESTION FOR YOU TO ANSWER.
I, I, I, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW,
FROM, FROM MY RECOLLECTION, THAT'S A COMMISSION WIDE STANDARD ACROSS ALL COMMISSIONS, BECAUSE I REMEMBER GETTING EMAILS FROM STEPHANIE HALL, UM, AS JESSE AND DAN ARE NODDING, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, MANY REMINDERS SAYING, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, SO AS A MATTER OF, OF PRACTICE, I'M NOT SURE THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN CHANGE ON THAT.
NOW, WE, WE DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERHAPS, UM, SUBMIT RESOLUTIONS AHEAD OF COUNCIL VOTING ON BUDGET, BUT I KNOW THE, THE SPECIFIC, UM, DETAILS RELATED TO BUDGET WOULD'VE BEEN DONE DURING THE MARCH TIMEFRAME.
WELL, LET ME, LET ME, I, I WAS NODDING TOO.
SO, UH, BECAUSE I, I DO KNOW IT, IT IS A COMMISSION STANDARD, BUT WHAT I'M RAISING IS IF THE STANDARD IS INADEQUATE, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I'M SAYING.
I'M, I'M WONDERING, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT RESOLUTIONS CAN CALL ATTENTION TO SOMETHING.
BUT I GUESS THE, THE QUESTION, MAYBE THE QUESTION BEHIND THIS QUESTION IS, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE OUR STANDARD PERIOD FOR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, ARE WE PROHIBITED FROM MAKING BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST? AND NO.
SO THE, THERE'S DIFFERENT, UM, THERE'S DIFFERENT PATHWAYS.
UH, SO THERE'S COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, THERE'S COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGENDA REQUESTS, AND THERE'S BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
THOSE ARE, UH, THREE UNIQUE THINGS THAT THE COMMISSION COULD DO TO INTERACT WITH, UM, WITH CITY COUNCIL AND OR TO JUST STATE A POSITION, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION'S LENS.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THE MOST LIKELY PLACE FOR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS TO GO THROUGH IS IN THE TRADITIONAL PIPELINE FOR, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MARCH MEETING.
UM, AT ANY POINT, THE COMMISSION CAN PASS A RECOMMENDATION, UM, AND THAT, UH, WOULD NORMALLY TAKE THE FORMAT OF, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF, WHEREAS STATEMENTS, AND THEN SOME TYPE OF RECOMMENDATION
[01:30:01]
AT THE BOTTOM.UM, AND THAT, UH, Y'ALL CAN DO THAT AT ANY TIME OF YEAR.
UM, NOW THAT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY SPUR ACTION BY ANY OTHER BODY.
SO THE CLERK'S OFFICE GETS NOTIFIED, UM, BUT IT DOESN'T SPUR ACTION.
IT, IT'S BASICALLY A STATEMENT FROM THE COMMISSION ON WHAT Y'ALL THINK SHOULD HAPPEN.
UH, A COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGENDA REQUEST, UH, COULD TAKE A SIMILAR FORMAT WITH SOME ADDITIONAL STEPS, UM, BUT IT WOULD SPUR ACTION ON CITY COUNCIL SIDE TO TAKE THE, TAKE THAT ITEM UP AND DISCUSS AT A, UH, COUNCIL WORKING GROUP SESSION.
UH, NOW OF COURSE, THE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, UH, HAS DISCRETION ON ASSIGNING IT, AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE DISCRETION ON, UH, TAKING IT UP, BUT IT DOES SPUR THAT PIPELINE OF ACTIVITY.
UM, SO THOSE ARE OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMISSION AT, AT ANY TIME, UH, AND COULD POTENTIALLY INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, REQUESTS FOR FUNDING, UH, OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.
UM, SO, SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
AND, AND SO, UH, IT CHANGES THE, I THINK, THE, THE TOOL, BUT IT DOES CENTER BACK TO THE QUESTION OF AUGUST, BECAUSE THEN ULTIMATELY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS REEVALUATING OUR CALENDAR TO CONSIDER AUGUST A MEETING A MONTH THAT WE SHOULD MEET DURING, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE NOT IMPACTED BY OUR STANDING OR EXISTING BUDGET.
RECOMMEND BUDGET REQUESTS FROM THE, FROM THE SPRING THAT ARE IN REACTION TO HOT ISSUES AND, AND THINGS THAT NEED ATTENTION POTENTIALLY, AND INPUT FROM OUR, OUR COMMISSION, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGENDA REQUESTS AS WELL TO ELEVATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE THINGS.
I'M GONNA, UH, I SEE YOUR HAND, COMMISSIONER GUPTA, I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE VICE CHAIR DACA FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO YOU.
YEAH, THE, I GUESS MY ONLY RESPONSE WOULD BE, UH, HONESTLY, I THINK AUGUST MIGHT BE TOO LATE TO DO THOSE THINGS, BECAUSE AS JESSIE DESCRIBED, BY THE TIME WE COMPLETE THE RESOLUTION OR RECOMMENDATION OR WHATEVER PATH WE CHOOSE TO TAKE, BY THE TIME THE, THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL WORKING GROUP TAKES IT, HAS RECEIVES IT, AND THEN TAKES IT UP, UM, AUGUST WILL HAVE ALREADY HAVE PASSED.
SO IF I THINK IN THE FUTURE, IF WE WERE TO DO THOSE STEPS OR, OR REVISIT BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, PERHAPS EITHER, EITHER JUNE OR JULY MIGHT BE THE TIME TO DO IT.
WELL, I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT.
UH, I THINK WHAT AUGUST DOES IS GIVES US A CHANCE ON THE RECORD TO REACT TO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN MAY, JUNE, AND JULY.
IT'S ONE LESS MONTH WHEN THEY'RE ABOUT TO ACT ON THE RECORD, WHEN WE CAN REFER TO WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WHERE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, AT THE VERY LEAST, ASK FOR STATUS CHECKS ON THE RECORD ABOUT THESE THINGS.
UH, SO I, I THINK I STILL GO BACK TO A PLACE OF SEEING THE VALUE OF AN AUGUST MEETING, UH, AND MAYBE POTENTIALLY HAVING A DIFFERENT MONTH OFF.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULDN'T HAVE A MONTH OFF, RIGHT? I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT, UH, I'M JUST WONDERING IF AUGUST IS THE RIGHT MONTH TO HAVE OFF, UH, AND MAYBE WE CAN KIND OF PIVOT THE CONVERSATION THERE.
WHAT WOULD BE, FROM A CITY STAFF STANDPOINT, DISADVANTAGES TO HAVING SEPTEMBER VERSUS AUGUST.
UH, BUT, UH, BEFORE I DO THAT, LET ME RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER SUPTA TO SEE IF, UH, YOU HAD SOMETHING THAT WAS DIRECTLY ALIGNED TO THIS.
I, I ACTUALLY WOULD LIKE TO ECHO WHAT, UH, VICE CHAIR ACA SAID THAT AUGUST WOULD BE TOO LATE.
IN FACT, IN EARLY JUNE, I WAS, I WAS INVITED TO A, UH, UH, A TOWN HALL BUDGET, TOWN HALL WHERE THE BASIC OUTLINE OF THE BUDGET WAS PRESENTED BY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER BARILLA.
AND, UH, IT WAS A WONDERFUL MEETING.
I MEAN, THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, THINGS HADN'T BEEN ANCHORED DOWN YET.
THE DOLLAR VALUES HADN'T BEEN ANCHORED DOWN YET, BUT THEY WERE GENERALLY TALKING IN BUCKETS LIKE WE THINK, YOU KNOW, IN FACT, WE WENT AND, UH, DID THAT, THAT GAME WHERE YOU GO TO THE BOARD AND IT'S, OKAY, THERE, HERE ARE THE, ALL THE EIGHT DIFFERENT THINGS WE CAN DO, PICK FIVE.
AND WE ALL WENT AND PUT OUR PRIORITIES IN THE, ON THE TOP FIVE, AND THEY TOOK THAT ALL BACK AS INPUT TO THE COUNCIL SESSIONS.
AND SO, IF YOU WANT TO AFFECT THE COUNCIL, UH, AND GO TO ONE OF THESE COUNCIL COMMITTEES, UH, WITH A RESOLUTION, THEN I THINK WE NEED TO DO OUR HOMEWORK, MAYBE STARTING IN MAY.
WE SHOULD START PRETTY EARLY SO THAT WE CAN AFFECT THEM IN JUNE AND JULY.
UH, SO AGAIN, RIGHT, WE HAVE A STANDARD BUDGET RECOMMENDATION PROCESS THAT STARTS IN MARCH.
[01:35:01]
IN MARCH.WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS USING THE AUGUST MEETING TO REACT TO OTHER THINGS.
CASE IN POINT, UH, THE BUDGET FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, THAT INCLUDES FUNDING FOR A P D IS A HOT BUTTON ISSUE, AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION IS MEETING, UH, TO OFFER INSIGHTS AND REACTIONS TO THAT.
NOW, EVEN THOUGH THE BUDGET HAS ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED, I KNOW THAT THERE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AS PART OF A STANDARD PROCESS PROBABLY ALSO CAME IN MARCH.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN, THOUGH, THAT THEY'RE NOT PRIORITIZING, REACTING TO THE BUDGET, WHICH HAS BECOME PUBLIC AND HAS GOTTEN REACTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY NOW, UH, RIGHT.
SO I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE STOP DOING EARLY BUDGET REQUESTS THAT WE STOPPED DOING EARLY RECOMMENDATIONS OR COUNCIL COMMITTEE REQUESTS.
WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS THAT WE EVALUATE AUGUST VERSUS SEPTEMBER AS THE MONTH WOULD TAKE OFF TO ENABLE PRIORITIZATION AND, YOU KNOW, HIGHLIGHTING DIFFERENT THINGS AND OR, YOU KNOW, CALLING ATTENTION TO THINGS, UH, THAT ARE BUDGETED, UH, THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REACT TO, RIGHT? BECAUSE PART OF THAT PROCESS OF, YOU KNOW, US REACTING TO A BUDGET IS ONE THING, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS BEST AS WE CAN TO TRY TO GET THE PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY, WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH WE FIND OUT IN THE PRESS HOW THE PUBLIC FEELS ABOUT THINGS AT TIMES, AND THEN WE HAVE TO PIVOT TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THEM.
SO, I HOPE Y'ALL ARE PUT PICKING UP WHAT I'M PUTTING DOWN IN TERMS OF, UH, US DOING MORE THAN WHAT WE WERE ALREADY PLANNING TO DO BY AKA YEAH.
UH, NO, I, I UNDERSTAND WHERE, WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST AS, AS AN EXAMPLE, AND, AND TO GO OFF OF WHAT COMMISSION KUTA HAD MENTIONED, THE, THE DISTRICT TWO BUDGET TOWN HALL ISN'T UNTIL THE 25TH OF THIS MONTH.
UM, SO ONLY AT THAT POINT WILL I, JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF MY COUNCIL MEMBER'S POSITION UN UNLESS I'VE HAD A ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION WITH HER.
UM, BUT I, I, I DO THINK THAT THE, THE MONTH OFF IS A SEPARATE CONVERSATION FROM THIS.
HONESTLY, I, I WOULD, MY POSITION WOULD BE TAKING DECEMBER OFF IN FUTURE YEARS.
UH, WELL, AND THAT'S INTERESTING, RIGHT? UH, BECAUSE IT DOES, YOU KNOW, I JUST THREW SEPTEMBER IN THERE JUST AS, BECAUSE IT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, A MONTH NOT TOO FAR REMOVED FROM THE EXISTING ONE.
SO, WITH THAT, LET, LET ME PAUSE AND, AND, AND TURN TO CITY STAFF, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY DISADVANTAGES THAT COME TO MIND, UH, BEHIND TAKING A DIFFERENT MONTH OF THE YEAR OFF AS OPPOSED TO AUGUST? I THINK THAT THE, THE COMMISSION CERTAINLY HAS THE DISCRETION TO SET WHICH MONTH IT WOULD LIKE TO, TO TAKE OFF.
UM, JUST LOOKING AT THE APPROVED CALENDAR OF EVENTS THAT, UM, WAS LAST APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION, I THINK IN LAST NOVEMBER, UM, JULY, AUGUST, OCTOBER, DECEMBER, AND JANUARY ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, NO PRE PRESET ITEMS ON THOSE AGENDAS.
THE SEPTEMBER MEETING DOES TEND TO BE AN IMPORTANT ONE FOR G O PS.
UH, JUST FROM A TIMING PERSPECTIVE, UM, IT'S WHERE WE TRY AND GET THE REVIEW, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEXT CYCLE, KNOWING THAT THE NEXT CYCLE COULD START AS EARLY AS OCTOBER.
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE IT IN, UH, INTO THE OCTOBER MEETING, BUT IT DOES KIND OF CUT THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT CLOSE.
UM, AND WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST JUST FROM STAFF NEEDS, UH, OF DELAYING THE PROCESS.
UM, SO WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK WITH WHATEVER WORKS FOR THE COMMISSION.
UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, UH, VICE CHAIR PCA MENTIONED DECEMBER, THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE GOOD MONTHS, UH, BUT OCTOBER, JULY, AND JANUARY AS WELL.
UH, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS? UH, WE WE'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT GONNA HAVE TO MAKE THIS DECISION RIGHT NOW, UH, BUT IT'S ON THE, THE WORK PLAN.
SO, UH, YES, JESSICA, AND, AND JUST ONE ADDITIONAL ITEM.
THE CALENDAR FOR THIS YEAR IS SET, AND IT IS, UH, AN AN ANNUAL PROCESS FOR THE COMMISSION TO ADOPT THE CALENDAR FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND IT IS IN THE NOVEMBER MEETING THAT WE WOULD BE TAKING THAT VOTE.
SO, UM, WE CAN WAIT, IF THE INTENT IS TO SET THE, THE EXPECTATION FOR THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR, WE CAN WAIT UNTIL THE NOVEMBER MEETING, YOU KNOW, KNOWING THAT WE CAN, UH, THINK THROUGH IT.
UH, UNTIL THEN, OR IF THE COMMISSION IS SEEKING ACTION FOR CHANGING THE DATES THIS YEAR, THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD START TO NEED TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE VOTES AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
[01:40:01]
RIGHT.YEAH, I, I'M NOT ADVOCATING THAT WE, UH, WELL, Y YEAH.
WELL, I'M NOT ADVOCATING THAT WE LOOK TO CHANGE, UH, THE CALENDAR SCHEDULE.
UH, THERE IS, UH, A THOUGHT TOWARDS THE VALUE OF A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, UH, THIS NEXT, THIS LAST, UH, THIS LAST QUARTER OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
UH, AND THAT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO THEN ADDRESS SOMETHING HOT.
BUT THAT'S GONNA COME UP IN, YOU KNOW, AT, WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT NOW, SO IT, IT, THAT'S A SITUATION FOR US TO, TO ENTERTAIN.
UH, BUT I HAVE YET TO SEE SOMETHING, WHICH I FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT NEEDING, UH, A SPECIAL CALL MEETING FOR IN THIS LAST QUARTER YET.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE, BECAUSE THAT IS PART OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT, UH, IN Q4 AS IS LISTED HERE, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL FOR A SPECIAL CALL MEETING IN Q4 OR IN Q1, UH, RIGHT.
SO Q4 OF 2022 AS IT COMES TO A CLOSE, I GUESS, UH, IT'S ALWAYS SO WEIRD TO, TO PUT, UH, 2 0 22 DASH 2 2 3.
THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
TWO Q1, I GUESS IT'S FORMALLY THE 2024 FISCAL YEAR WE'LL BE ENTERING, RIGHT? OR IS IT THE 2023 FISCAL YEAR? WHAT ARE
SO YOU, YOU, YOU'RE DOING THE SAME THING THAT, THAT I, I'M DOING, I'M, IT'S ALWAYS WEIRD TO, TO QUOTE TWO YEARS IN A SINGLE FISCAL YEAR STATEMENT, BUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE MIRROR THE, THE FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR.
UH, I BELIEVE IT'S STILL CONSIDERED ONE OR THE OTHER, THE, THE FORMAL, YES.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S STILL SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
UH, DOES ANYONE THINK THERE'S ANYTHING THAT, UH, IS PRESSING FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT OR A COMMUNITY STANDPOINT? UM, I KNOW YOUR MEETING'S NOT UNTIL THE 25TH, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, I MADE MENTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME CONCERNS, UH, THAT SOME OF US HAVE EXPRESSED PRIVATELY.
UH, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING THAT THEY THINK IS PRESSING TO THE POINT WHERE THEY WOULD WANT TO DISCUSS IT IN A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING NEXT MONTH? I DON'T SEE ANYBODY JUMPING OR CHOMPING AT THAT.
SO, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND KEEP IT MOVING.
UH, CITIZEN PARTICIPATION VIDEO CONFERENCING FROM PUBLIC, UH, FACILITIES, UH, I FEEL LIKE THIS WAS ALREADY HANDLED, UH, IN RELATION TO THE ZOOM ITEM.
UH, WOULD, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU AGREE? YEAH.
SO I THINK THIS IS PRETTY MUCH JUST A, A DUP OKAY.
UH, DECA EXPANSION, UH, YOU KNOW, FUNDING SOURCE IDENTIFICATION AND PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
UH, I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR, UH, DECK EXPANSION.
UM, I THINK THAT IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO ENTER A, UH, YOU KNOW, A THOUGHT EXERCISE WITH, WITH DECA MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT WE WANT DECA TO BE.
UH, ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT INCLUDES FEEDBACK POINTS AROUND WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT DECA AND WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE ABOUT DECA.
UM, BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF ENERGY, UH, AT TIMES AND, UH, A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS AND, UH, OPPORTUNITY, UH, UH, I JUST, I FEEL LIKE IT'S STILL UNTAPPED, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF ITS POTENTIAL.
UH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, DECA, IF WE, FOR EXAMPLE, HAD, YOU KNOW, A, A, AN AGREED UPON MISSION, IF WE HAD, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, CLEARLY MORE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED GOALS BEYOND JUST BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, WHICH IS A CLEAR GOAL OF OURS AND THE WORK THAT WE DO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO THEN ADVANCE THOSE GOALS MORE INTENTIONALLY AND, YOU KNOW, TO,
[01:45:01]
UH, CHECK THEM OFF BEYOND JUST THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AS ENTITIES, RIGHT? WE HAVE OUR WORK PLAN, WE'VE GOT THINGS THAT WE KNOW MOVE THE NEEDLE, AND, UH, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS CLEARLY HAVE THEIRS AS WELL.UH, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT, AND, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO HAVE DATA THAT CAN INFORM THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND, AND FRANKLY, UH, YOU KNOW, TO SET A MARK FOR, UH, I THINK, UH, SEASON THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE 2020, OF THE 1928 STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, I THINK WE COULD SET SOME MARKS.
LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'VE GOT IS A VISION WHEREIN PART OF THE, THE INTENT BEHIND THE SUMMIT IS TO, TO MAKE SOME GOALS, UH, THAT WE WANT TO HAVE ACHIEVED BY 2028 WHEN WE HAVE THAT A HUNDRED YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
UH, SINCE THAT PLAN CLEARLY IS WHAT SET THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, UH, RIGHT.
I THINK DECA COULD PLAY A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THAT.
UH, BUT IT WOULD NEED TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE OF A FORMAL BODY AND OR MORE FORMALLY DEFINED, UH, UH, MORE FORMALLY DEFINED MISSION, UH, WITH CERTAIN THINGS IN MIND.
AND THESE COULD BE, THIS COULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE TRACKED FROM THE SUMMIT, ACTUALLY, RIGHT? HAVING EVERYONE TOGETHER, UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, YOU KNOW, SEEK TO, TO MAKE THIS BE ONE OF THE OUTPUTS OF THE SUMMIT THAT WILL LEAVE THE SUMMIT WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, A CLEARLY DEFINED MISSION AND GOALS THAT DECA WILL ACHIEVE BY 2028.
YOU KNOW, ANY THOUGHTS IN THE ROOM OR ONLINE? I JUST HAD A QUESTION.
UM, ARE HOW ARE WE MEASURING HOW WE ARE PERFORMING AGAINST THE DIGITAL INCLUSION STRATEGIC PLAN FROM 2014? THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, SO THE 2014 DIGITAL INCLUSION STRATEGIC PLAN SETS OUT A NUMBER OF, UM, UH, PROJECTS OR, OR THINGS THAT IT WOULD, UH, SHOULD BE A FOCUS OF THE WORK.
UM, WE DO HAVE A SECTION OF THE WEBSITE ONLINE THAT HAS WHAT STATE EACH ITEM IS IN.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT IT'S BADLY OUT OF DATE
UM, BUT SOME TYPE OF CLOSEOUT OF THE OLD REPORT, I THINK WOULD BE, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO BEFORE THE NEW ONE COMES OUT.
CAN WE MAKE THAT AN, AN ACTION ITEM TO HAVE A FORMAL CLOSEOUT AND I GUESS, SHARE OUT TO THE COMMISSION? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
AND, AND JUST FULL TRANSPARENCY, THAT'S ON OUR, OUR AGENDA ALREADY.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, THOUGH, BECAUSE, UM, IT'S, IT'S BEGS THE QUESTION, RIGHT? UM, AND THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME THAT IT'S, IT'S STILL ON YOUR AGENDA.
I KNOW THAT, I KNOW THAT IT'S PART OF IT.
AND, AND FRANKLY, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AS A COMMISSION, UH, THAT WHOLE ANALOGY OF, YOU KNOW, UH, WORKING ON THE PLANE WHILE IT'S FLYING, UH, COMES INTO, COMES TO MIND, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, I'LL SAY WE IN THE ROLE, WE, UH, AS A CITY, WE HAVE, UH, HAD TO DO A LOT WHILE, UH, JUGGLING A LOT.
AND I KNOW THAT, UH, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I'M SURE JESSE PROBABLY GOT TIRED OF HEARING US ASK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN
SO, UM, I'M ENCOURAGED, AND, AND THAT OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS ARE ALSO AS EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S HELPFUL CONTEXT, UH, BECAUSE IT'S CERTAINLY BEEN ON OUR RADAR, UH, FOR SOME TIME NOW.
SO, BUT THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT, UH, FOR REMINDING US ALL THAT IT'S A STANDING ACTION.
UM, SO CERTAINLY VALUE CITY OF AUSTIN'S LEADERSHIP WITH COORDINATING THOSE MEETINGS.
I KNOW THE RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE SHIFTED, UM, UH, OVER THE YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, STILL DO SEE A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES AS YOU ALLUDED TO, UM, TO BE MORE MISSION ORIENTED, BUT ALSO JUST, UH, REFRESH OR, OR, OR ENGAGE IN, UM, A BIT OF A RECRUITMENT EFFORT.
UM, AT LEAST SINCE, SINCE I'VE BEEN ATTENDING THESE MEETINGS, I, I'VE SEEN MEMBERSHIP SORT OF WANE SORT OF DROP OFF.
SO, UM, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE ACTIONS THERE,
[01:50:01]
UH, THAT I DON'T THINK WE AS A COMMISSION NECESSARILY NEED TO BE THE PRIMARY DRIVER, BUT I THINK STRONG PARTNER IN MAYBE PROVIDING, UM, GUIDANCE ON, UH, DEVELOPING A MORE FOCUSED MISSION AS WELL AS, UM, ADVERTISEMENT AND BRINGING AWARENESS TO THE COMMUNITY.YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT CALL OUT.
I THINK, UH, AND I, I HAVE TO ECHO THE SENTIMENT, UM, WITH REGARD TO PARTICIPATION.
I'LL SAY, UM, UH, AND THE CALLS, UH, I, I HOPE AND, AND BELIEVE THAT WE DON'T HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, ENTITIES THAT NO LONGER CAN CONSIDER THEMSELVES DECK OF PARTNERS THAT THEY'VE JUST BEEN, YOU KNOW, BUSY AND JUST NOT BEEN AROUND.
UM, UM, BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE AT A PROOF POINT FOR THAT, RIGHT? BECAUSE, UH, THE SUMMIT IS MEANT TO BRING THEM ALL OUT, RIGHT? IT'S MEANT TO, TO BASICALLY, UH, GIVE THEM ALL A CHA AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE WHAT THEY DO, UH, IN FRONT OF A, AN AUDIENCE OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT CAN ONLY HELP TO FUND THEM.
UH, BUT THAT CAN HELP TO CALL ATTENTION TO WHAT, TO WHAT THEY DO, AND TO EXPAND THEIR REACH.
SO I, I THINK THAT THOSE WHO OPT OUT OF PARTICIPATING IN THE SUMMIT AND IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER ARE, ARE, ARE LETTING US KNOW HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT DECA TO SOME EXTENT.
UM, AND SO FOR THAT KIND OF REASON, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE POSITION IT AS A CONVENING, LIKE WE HAVE IN THE PAST, WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, UH, MEETINGS, FOLKS AROUND CAPACITY, FOLKS AROUND PLANNING, UH, THAT WERE IN PERSON CONVENINGS FOR DECA.
UH, WE, WE, WE MADE THEM CLEARLY PUBLIC INTEREST ANNOUNCEMENTS, SO THAT WAY ALL COMMISSIONERS COULD PARTICIPATE.
UH, AND WE GOT GREAT PARTICIPATION.
YOU KNOW, IN FACT, UH, THE DECISION TO DO A SUMMIT WAS BORN OUT OF ONE OF THOSE CONVENINGS, A DECK OF THE HALLS, UH, THAT TOOK PLACE IN PERSON AT THE CARVER.
UM, AND I'M THANKFUL THAT EVERY, ALL, EVERY ENTITY THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THAT CONVENING WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE SUMMIT IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER.
UM, WELL, IF WE DO THE SAME THING PUBLIC, AN INTEREST ANNOUNCEMENT AND MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A DECA CONVENING, WE'RE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, GIVING, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ENTITIES TO PROVIDE INPUT ON THE MISSION, THEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE, WHO KNOWS, MAYBE, LIKE YOU SAID, MAYBE WE'LL GET SOME THAT HAVE BEEN HANGED BACK AND JUST WAITING FOR A CHANCE TO HAVE MORE INPUT, RIGHT? AND TO, TO HAVE MORE OF A FOOTPRINT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT, THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.
SO TO ESTABLISH AN AGENDA, UH, NO, A MISSION, A NEW MISSION.
ANY QUESTIONS OR, OR THOUGHTS THERE FROM, UH, OUR ONLINE COMMISSIONERS? Y'ALL ARE, HOPEFULLY WE'RE NOT PUTTING Y'ALL TO SLEEP.
UH, UH, MOVING ALONG HERE, UH, THAT'S GONNA OF COURSE INCLUDE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIAL FOR FUNDING SOURCE IDENTIFICATION.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF SHARE OUTS THAT HAPPEN WITH DECA, AND THAT'S WHAT THAT'S ABOUT.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A PERSISTENT PART AND I THINK A SUCCESS, UH, THAT DECA CAN SPEAK TO, AND ALWAYS, UH, MAKING MENTION OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND I WANNA THANK OUR SENIOR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, BRIANNA GALLING FOR, UH, SEIZING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO SHARE ABOUT DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES.
UH, PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IS LISTED HERE, UM, AND IT REALLY IS A, UH, ITS OWN THING.
I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE JUST BEEN KIND OF COMBINED.
UH, FRANKLY, THAT'S BASICALLY 12, AND IT'S THE LAST ONE.
AND, UH, WE HAVE THE N 50, UH, PROJECT, UH, WHICH EVERYONE HERE HAS BEEN UPDATED ON.
IT'S A, A PILOT PROJECT THROUGH, UH, N THE N 50 PARTNERS, UH, MAIN PARTNER, INTEL
[01:55:01]
AND, UH, GEEKS WITHOUT FRONTIERS.AND I'D LIKE TO PAUSE BECAUSE WE, I THINK WE HAVE A STATUS UPDATE, UH, BASED ON RECENT COMMUNICATIONS I'VE SEEN PERTAINING TO, UH, THE PILOT PROJECT.
IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, JESSE? WELL, UH, I THINK THAT THERE ARE, THERE'S MOVEMENT ON THE PROJECT.
I HESITATE TO, TO GET INTO THE DETAILS AS WE DON'T HAVE ANY FORMAL, UH, FINAL DISPOSITIONS.
UH, SO I HESITATE TO THROW THINGS OUT ON THE RECORD, BUT JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, I'LL SAY THAT WE HAVE UP TO THREE LOCATIONS THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY PARTNER WITH.
UM, THE, IN THE DEVICES THAT ARE GONNA BE COMING THROUGH FROM INTEL, UH, ARE EXPECTED TO COME THROUGH ANY DAY.
UM, AND, UH, WE, UH, SO WE HAVE THE DEVICES, WE HAVE LOCATIONS.
THE REST OF IT SEEMS TO BE TECHNICAL, UH, INSTALLATION DETAILS, UH, AND, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE NOW.
UH, THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH IS JUST MAKE, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, INTERNET NETWORK TO CONNECT TO, UH, TO CONNECT THE DEVICES TO, UM, THE CITY HAS CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS ON, UM, NOT HAVING PUBLIC DEVICES ON, ON THE CITY'S NETWORK.
SO WE HAVE TO HAVE SECONDARY INTERNET CONNECTIONS, UH, TO, TO RUN THO TO MAKE THOSE LABS WORK.
UM, I HAVE ALSO TALKED WITH OUR CONTRACTOR, AUSTIN FREENET.
UH, THEY ARE, THEY, THEY'RE AWARE THAT THIS, UH, THESE LOCATIONS ARE ABOUT TO COME ONLINE.
THEY'RE INTERESTED IN HELPING OUT, UH, WITH, UM, WHATEVER THEY CAN TO, TO MAKE VALUE OUT OF THOSE LOCATIONS.
UM, UH, AND, AND WE WILL CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WE GET CLOSER TO, UH, THOSE SITES COMING ONLINE.
UM, AND, AND JUST AS A FINAL NOTE, THERE'S A FOURTH LOCATION THAT WE ALREADY HAVE A PRESENCE AT, WHICH NEEDS, UH, A DEVICE REFRESH ANYWAY.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST AN ADDITIONAL LOCATION IN THE MIX, UM, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UH, A REFRESH HAPPEN AT.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, I KNOW, UH, YOU DID CLARIFY LAST TIME THAT WE WEREN'T READY TO, TO SPECIFY LOCATIONS AND ALL THAT.
SO THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, STILL, UH, HIGH LEVEL IN INSIGHT.
BUT, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH WE CAN EASILY DELVE INTO IN MORE DETAIL IN ONE OF OUR WORKING GROUP MEETINGS.
UH, THIS IS UNDER THE DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP.
SO, UH, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S COMMIT TO, TO GETTING THROUGH OUR WHOLE AGENDA NEXT TIME.
AND THAT WAY WE CAN GET INTO SOME OF THESE SPECIFICS THERE.
BUT I'LL PAUSE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS BASED ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TELL YOU HIGH LEVEL ABOUT THIS.
UH, BECAUSE NEXT BASICALLY IS, UH, SEE WHAT THE STAT, CHECK THE
HOW ABOUT THAT? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UH, NOW WE'LL GO TO THE KNOWLEDGE INFORMATION DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP.
UH, CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO MEET THE SECOND MONDAY OF THE MONTH.
UH, THE MEMBERSHIP IS, UH, VICE CHAIR A POCA, WHO'S THE CHAIR OF THE WORKING GROUP, UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA AND MYSELF.
UH, THERE ARE TWO VACANCIES ON THIS WORKING GROUP.
UH, IT'S ALREADY QUARTER TO NINE, AND WE'VE ONLY COVERED ONE WORKING GROUP.
UM, DO YOU THINK WE WILL FINISH YES.
OUR WORK, RIGHT? OR DO WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT A SPECIALLY CALL, AN ADDITIONAL SPECIAL CALL MEETING? NO, I THINK WE'LL FINISH.
UH, SO BACK TO THE DISCUSSION HERE.
UH, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH QUICKLY.
UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, IF YOU ALL RECALL IN THE MEETING MINUTES, AND THIS IS WHY, THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA HELP US SPEED THIS PROCESS UP.
UH, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT S SOME OF THE UPDATES ON MY WORKING GROUP, UH, WERE IN, WERE INADEQUATE.
LAST MEETING, UH, AND YET THAT WAS NOT THE CASE FOR, UH, MANY OF THE UPDATES FROM, UH, THE KNOWLEDGE INFORMATION DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP.
SO WE'VE ALREADY SIGNED OFF ON, ON, ON THE FOLLOWING MEETING MINUTES.
I JUST WANNA RELY, UH, REMIND EVERYONE HERE.
[02:00:01]
UM, VICE CHAIR PO DACA GAVE A RECAP OF THE WORKING GROUP, UH, EMPHASIZED THE SUCCESS OF THE WORKING GROUP WITH THE PROJECTS SUCH AS BROADBAND ACCESS, DATA MAPPING, CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT, AND CHANGES ON THE CITY WEBSITE.UH, CREATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL DATABASE.
UH, DISCUSSED SUNSET, THE RESIDENTIAL, UH, TECHNOLOGY STUDIES ITEMS SINCE IT HAS BEEN, UH, ROLLED INTO A LARGER PROJECT BEING DONE.
TRAVIS COUNTY SUNSET SETTING THE COLLABORATION FOR UT RESEARCH.
UH, IT'S NOW LOWER PRIORITY AND SUNSET SETTING THE 3D PRINTING HOMELESSNESS SOLUTION, UH, SINCE IT'S BETTER SUITED FOR COMMISSION ON HOMELESSNESS.
UH, ALSO LOOKING FOR FUTURE UPDATES ON SMART CITIES, UH, MONITORING SECURITY IN PUBLIC AREAS AND THE CITYWIDE TECHNOLOGY PILOT IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THEIR WORK IN, IN THOSE AREAS.
UH, THOSE THINGS ARE GONNA COME UP IN FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, AS YOU SEE HERE ON THE RECORD, UH, IS A REPEAT OF VICE CHAIR PCA'S WORK PLAN, UH, WHICH I'M GIVING YOU A CHANCE TO LOOK AT.
UH, THAT COINCIDES WITH THE DISCUSSION HE LED IN OUR LAST WORKING GROUP MEETING THAT YOU'VE ALREADY CONFIRMED TOOK PLACE WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU ALL VOTED TO APPROVE THESE MINUTES.
SO I THINK THE ONLY PERSON WHO MIGHT, UH, NEED TO DIG, DIG MORE DEEPLY INTO THESE MINUTES, UH, AND INTO THIS WORK GROUP DISCUSSION WILL BE, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, RICE, WHO I BELIEVE ABSTAINED FROM VOTING TO APPROVE THESE MINUTES.
DID I RECALL THAT CORRECTLY, OR WAS IT COMMISSIONER? UM, I ABSTAINED FROM THE ONE IN MID-MAY WHEN I WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND.
SO YOU DIDN'T, YOU VOTED AFFIRMATIVE ON THIS ONE.
SO WAS IT COMMISSIONER ISLAND THEN? WHO VOTED TO I DID.
SO, COMMISSIONER ISLAND, UH, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE.
I KNOW THAT, UH, IT'S TOUGH TO READ THIS DOCUMENT IN THIS FASHION.
UH, BUT I'D LIKE TO TO GO WITH YOU THROUGH, WITH YOU QUICKLY HERE TO SEE IF YOU'VE GOT ANY, ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, THAT SUMMATION PROVIDED IN THE MINUTES IS, UH, ACCURATE.
THAT'S WHY WE ALL VOTED IN FAVOR OF IT.
UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I, I DON'T WANNA TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO DIG DOWN AND DRILL DOWN ON THIS PARTICULAR WORKING GROUP, UH, BEFORE WE CAN AGREE TO THE WORK PLAN.
JUST LOOKING AT THE HIGHLIGHTS HERE ON THE SCREEN, DID YOU HAVE ANY IMMEDIATE QUESTIONS? NO, AND I MEAN, I READ THROUGH THE, THE MINUTES, UM, AS WELL.
AND, UH, I TOOK PART IN SOME OF THESE MEETINGS EARLIER ON, SO, THAT'S RIGHT.
I THINK I'M COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
SEE, COMMISSIONER SUPTA, THERE'S A, THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY.
UH, I THINK WE'RE ALREADY NOW THROUGH WITH THIS PART, AGAIN, BASED ON THE WORK OF VICE CHAIR PCA IN GETTING THIS ON THE RECORD AT THE LAST MEETING.
UH, BUT, UH, I DO WANT TO, UH, MAKE MENTION OF A COUPLE THINGS I KNOW THAT HAVE, HAVE ADVANCED, AND, AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND COVER 'EM SINCE I I'VE GOT IT.
UM, UH, LOOKING AT THIS PARTICULAR WORKING GROUP, THERE'S BEEN ADVANCEMENT ON, UH, WELL, WE JUST GOT THE DISCUSSING, UH, THE ISSUE OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND HOW WE'VE GOT A WHOLE NEW ITEM, WHICH IS, IT'S GOING TO BE COVERED EITHER BY THIS WORKING GROUP OR THE DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP AROUND GETTING A BRIEFING ON, UH, THE H E M SYSTEM, UH, WHICH IS THE HOMELESSNESS HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
NOT TO BE CONFUSED BY THE HOMELESSNESS, SECURITY EMERGENCY, UH, MANAGEMENT BRIEFING PROCESS, WHICH IS A FOCUS OF THIS WORKING GROUP.
UH, AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAD A BRIEFING ON THIS, UH, AT OUR LAST COMMISSION MEETING.
UH, IT WAS INITIALLY GOING TO BE DONE BY, UH, ONE REPRESENTATIVE.
AND THEN, UH, YET ANOTHER CAME AND PRESENTED.
UM, AND WE WERE PRESENTED ON THE READY CENTRAL TEXAS SYSTEM, UH, BASED UPON, UH, THE OUTCOME OF THAT MEETING, AND NO SMALL PART AS WELL AS OUR EXTREME WEATHER AND, AND, AND POWER OUTAGES.
UH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOW THAT A FORMAL REQUEST WAS MADE IN, IN AGREEMENT, UH, WITH, UH, THE ACTING TERROR OFFICER, UH, TO GET A FORMAL RESPONSE, UH, FROM TARA ON OUR CITY'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN.
UH, AND THAT INCLUDES, UH, THE REACTION TO BROWNOUTS BLACKOUTS, UH, WHETHER PLANNED OR NOT.
UH, AND, UH, WE ALSO, IN BEING MADE AWARE OF THE USAGE OF, UH, EVERGREEN EVERBRIDGE, EVERBRIDGE EVERBRIDGE, AND THE USAGE OF EVERBRIDGE, UH, TO POPULATE
[02:05:01]
THE SYSTEMS WITH PHONE NUMBERS THAT THEY CAN REACH PEOPLE AT FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE, UH, WE WERE MADE AWARE THAT THOSE LISTS, UH, HAVE SERIOUS GAPS, UH, THAT REFLECT LARGE, UH, GAPS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE NOT REPRESENTED, THAT WHO THEN WOULD NOT BE, UH, GIVEN THE ALERTS IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCIES.UM, SO AS PART OF THAT REQUEST, UH, I'M NOW SHOWING YOU ALL HERE.
THERE'S THE FIRST PART WHERE WE MADE THE FORMAL REQUEST, UH, TO UNDERSTAND THE CITY'S CURRENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN IN THE EVENT OF OUTAGES.
WE ALSO WANNA KNOW, BECAUSE WE KNOW, UH, THAT THE RELIANCE UPON THE THIRD PARTY LIST MEANS THAT THERE ARE LIMITATIONS IN HAVING COMPREHENSIVE GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF AUSTIN.
WE WANNA BE MADE OF AWARE OF THE OUTREACH STRATEGY OF H S EEM AND TERRA AND OTHER PERTINENT DEPARTMENTS TO INCREASE SIGN UP ADOPTION AND USAGE OF THESE APPS, UH, BY CAP COG RADIO CENTRAL TEXAS, AND WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS, PARTICULARLY IN THESE UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES, TO HELP ENSURE THAT THESE COMMUNITIES DO NOT EXPERIENCE DISPARATE IMPACT OR BETTER ENSURE THEY DON'T ENSURE, UH, THEY DON'T RECEIVE, UH, EXPERIENCE DISPARATE IMPACT BY WEATHER EMERGENCIES.
WE REQUESTED A ADVISEMENT AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I, I'LL PAUSE AND GIVE, SINCE WE DO HAVE, UH, OUR ACTING TERROR OFFICER WHO I SENT THIS REQUEST TO, A CHANCE TO RESPOND, UH, ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE, UH, THAT WE RE RECEIVE A RESPONSE THIS QUICKLY.
SINCE YOU'RE HERE, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND GIVING US YOUR THOUGHTS.
UH, THERE IS NO RESPONSE AT THIS TIME, BUT I WILL NOTIFY YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE'LL CARRY THIS ITEM FORWARD, UH, AND, AND GIVE, UH, HO A CHANCE TO, TO, TO GET THE INFORMATION.
WE, WE JUST MADE THE REQUEST, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
SO NATURALLY IT'LL TAKE SOME TIME TO PULL THAT TOGETHER.
UH, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UH, AS BECOMES MORE AND MORE PRESSING, UH, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING UPON HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET THE RESPONSE, WE'LL HAVE TO DECIDE IF WE WANNA TAKE ADDITIONAL ACTION, UH, SUCH AS A COUNCIL COMMITTEE, UH, RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO PRIORITIZE THIS, TO, TO GET THE DEPARTMENTS TO RESPOND, UH, TO OUR, UH, OUR ACTING OFFICER'S REQUEST FOR INFORMATION.
SO, UH, THAT'S A BIG ONE THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WAS ADDED.
UM, WHAT, WHAT ELSE DID WE HAVE, UH, VICE TRAPADA THAT WE KNOW WAS GONNA BE ADDED TO THIS? UM, I THINK WE HAVE, WE HAVE MONITORING THE WEBSITE, CORRECT? YES, WE DO.
UM, OH, WAS IT THE ITEM THAT YOU WERE FOLLOWING UP ON, UM, AROUND, UM, AUSTIN PD? I'M NOT SURE THAT'S FULLY REFLECTED.
UH, RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON ATLAS ONE.
UM, SO YEAH, ALSO REFLECTED HERE.
I THINK THAT'S EVERYTHING THEN.
SO, UH, YEAH, UH, WE, WE'VE, WE'VE COVERED IT HERE.
I DO WANT TO, UH, FIND THE ITEM.
SO WE'LL ADD THE ITEM, ESSENTIALLY THOSE TWO THINGS WE WANT TO BE BRIEFED ON, UH, THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE STRATEGY, AND WE WANT TO BE BRIEFED ON THE OUTREACH STRATEGY.
BUT WHAT I'M GONNA PUT THAT UNDER IS EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND S H E M, AND THEN MAKE THESE
[02:10:01]
SUB BULLETS, SIR.SO THAT TAKES CARE OF THIS WORKING GROUP.
SO NOW, UH, MOVING WITH WARP SPEED ONTO THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP, UH, THAT CURRENTLY CONSISTS OF, UH, WORKING GROUP CHAIR SUPTA.
FIRST OFF, IT, IT'S CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO MEET THE FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH AT 4:00 PM AND IT CURRENTLY INCLUDES WORKING GROUP CHAIR, SUMIT SUPTA, MYSELF, AND NEW EDITION COMMISSIONER GRIFFIN RICE TO THIS WORKING GROUP.
I KNOW THAT'S NEWS FOR, UH, COMMISSIONER SUPTA, BUT I'M SURE IT'S GREAT NEWS.
UH, WE'RE VERY GLAD THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO THROW YOUR HAT IN THE RING AND TO JOIN THIS WORKING GROUP, UH, PARTICULARLY AS A NEW COMMISSIONER.
UM, I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UH, WAS THE SCHEDULING OF THIS WORKING GROUP MEETING.
UH, THAT WAY WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT WHEN WE CAN MEET, UH, COMMISSIONER KUTA.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO, TO SHARE ANY THOUGHTS OR, OR, OR ABOUT THE TIMING.
I KNOW THAT, AS YOU KNOW, YOU AND I HAVE BEEN THE ONLY ONES, UH, UH, AVAILABLE FOR THAT SLOT FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS SINCE WE'VE HAD THE CHANGEOVER.
UH, SO I WANTED TO CONFIRM WITH YOU FIRST AS WELL, THAT YOU WERE OPEN TO CHANGING THE MEETING TIME.
UH, THAT'S CONDU TO A TIME THAT'S CONDUCIVE FOR AT LEAST THE THREE OF US.
AND THEN TO SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTED TO JOIN COMMISSIONER SUPTA.
WELL, YOU KNOW, UH, LET'S START WITH WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAVE.
UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK, UH, COMMISSIONER RICE IF THIS TIME IS ACCEPTABLE.
IF IT IS, THEN WE JUST KEEP IT, OTHERWISE WE CHANGE.
UH, USUALLY WORKING BEFORE SIX IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME.
WELL, THAT DOES SIMPLIFY THINGS.
UH, THE TOP SPIN LAW INTO FOR COURT THERE.
COMMISSIONER SUPTA, YOU KNOW, I CAN, I CAN EASILY PICK A TIME, LIKE SAY IT'S AN HOUR LONG.
SO SAY WE CAN DO IT AT, UH, SEVEN O'CLOCK, WOULD THAT BE OKAY? I MEAN, OUR, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IS, LET'S, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DATE.
IS THE FIRST MONDAY ACCEPTABLE? YEP.
SO WE ARE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE TIME.
WE CAN MOVE IT TO SEVEN O'CLOCK.
SO
YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE THE FLEXIBILITY.
HOW, HOW ABOUT, HOW ABOUT, UH, CHAIR PITS? HOW ABOUT YOU? YEAH, THANK YOU FOR ASKING FOR SOME INPUT ON THAT.
UH, I, UM, I'M OKAY WITH BEING, IT'S BEING AT SEVEN O'CLOCK, UH, EARLIER.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, IF, UH, IF AS A RETIREE, IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU'RE REALLY OKAY WITH IT BEING AT SIX, I I SAY SIX.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT, SHOULD WE MAKE IT SIX 30 JUST TO MAKE IT NOT QUITE SIX
NOW, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THERE'S VACANCIES.
SO I'M, I'M NOT QUITE TURNING OVER THE, THE REINS YET HERE.
I'M STILL MANAGING THIS PART OF THE AGENDA.
COMMISSIONER NACOTA? NO, BUT, UH, I DO WANNA OPEN IT UP.
UH, SO, UH, YEAH, DO YOU WANT, YOU HAVE A PITCH? YOU WANNA GIVE YOUR PITCH? I'LL LET YOU, UH, TAKE THE, THE FLOOR.
UH, ARE YOU ASKING ME? UH, YES.
COMMISSIONER DACO, YOU'RE THE WORKING GROUP CHAIR.
AND AS, AS THE TITLE SAYS, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY, INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION.
SO WE ARE AT THE LEADING EDGE OF TECHNOLOGY.
I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT THE COMMISSION DOES.
UH, WE ARE, WE TALK ABOUT ALL KINDS OF IMPORTANT TOPICS SUCH AS, UM, YOU KNOW, SMART CITIES AND SMART TRANSPORTATION.
AND, UH, THAT'S, THERE'S MORE AND MORE OF THAT COMING.
UH, PLUS, UH, HOW DO WE HANDLE THE ISSUE OF MAKING SURE THAT, UH, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, NO AREA IN THE CITY IS, UH, DENIED ACCESS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, REASONABLE, UH, BANDWIDTH IN BROADBAND, IN CELL PHONE, UH, COMMUNICATION, ET CETERA.
SO THESE ARE ALL THE TOPICS THAT WE, UH, UH, TALK ABOUT, UH, REGULARLY.
AND SO IT'S A VERY EXCITING, UH, PLACE TO BE.
IN FACT, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN DOING RECENTLY IS ABOUT, UM, UH, SMART, UH, COMMUNICATION.
UH, AND, UH, THERE IS SOME WORK GOING ON OUTSIDE AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING
[02:15:01]
TO THEM ABOUT HOW, UH, THE CITY COULD BE WORKING WITH THEM TO SEE HOW DO WE GET, UH, UH, 5G, UH, ROLLED OUT AT A MUCH FASTER PACE.SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE EXCITING THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.
SO, ANYBODY ELSE INTERESTED CHAIR PITS? CAN YOU SCROLL UP A LITTLE MORE? I'M INTERESTED IN, IN THIS IS COMMISSIONER SMITH.
I'M INTERESTED IN JOINING THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP.
IF THERE'S NO ONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO JOIN.
UH, SO THAT'S ONE LESS VACANCY.
UH, SO NOW YOU HAVE ONE SPOT OPEN.
ANYBODY
ANYBODY ELSE WANNA, THAT WAS ME CHEERING.
SO DO WE GET ANOTHER ONE? I SEE COMMISSIONER GARZA SMILING.
I'M HAPPY FOR COMMISSIONER SUPTA.
WE'RE GONNA GO BACK AND, I MEAN, I'M SURE WE'RE STILL FINISHING THIS, BUT ARE WE GONNA GO BACK AND FINISH TALKING ABOUT MEMBERSHIP FOR KIDS? CUZ I THINK WE JUST DISCUSSED WHAT WAS IN THE PLAN, BUT DIDN'T TALK ABOUT, UM, VACANCIES.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR MENTIONING THAT.
UH, OKAY, LET'S PAUSE HERE FOR A SECOND THEN, UH, BECAUSE I DO WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ACTUALLY DONE BEFORE WE, UH, OKAY.
SO YES, THERE'S TWO VACANCIES ALSO ON, UH, YEAH.
COMMISSIONER DOKU, WE STARTED RECRUITING FOR YOU A LITTLE TOO EARLY.
UH, UH, COMMISSIONER
UM, SO, AND, AND BY THE WAY, IT'S, WE, WE WANT AN IDEAL SCENARIO IS COMMISSIONER SERVE, AT LEAST ON, UH, ON, ON TWO WORKING GROUPS.
UM, AND THE WAY IT STANDS NOW, LET'S SEE HERE.
UH, AND THIS IS BASED ON, YOU KNOW, PRIOR CONVERSATIONS.
UH, UH, COMMISSIONER ISLAND, UH, IS NOT CURRENTLY SERVING ON ANY WORKING GROUPS.
UH, HOWEVER, BASED ON WHAT I SEE HERE, UH, WELL, WELL, EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE, THE RECRUITING HAPPENED OUT OF TURN, UH, COMMISSIONER SMITH IS BY VIRTUE OF THAT COMMITMENT SERVING ON TWO WORKING GROUPS.
SO YOU'RE, I'M TAKING YOU OFF THIS LIST OF ONLY SERVING ON ONE WORKING GROUP.
UH, SO REALLY THEN THE CONVERSATION SHIFTS TO COMMISSIONER, UH, WAS JAIKU, ARE YOU STILL WITH US? OOPS.
LOOKS LIKE WE MAY HAVE LOST HIM.
WE LOST HIM, BUT WE DID NOT LOSE QUORUM.
UH, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER ZAM IS NOT HERE.
UH, IT MEANS THEN THAT WE CAN'T REALLY BOOST YOUR MEMBERSHIP BY TOO MUCH RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO JOIN, UH, YOUR WORKING GROUP ARE NOT ON THE CALL, BUT WE AT LEAST GOT ONE, ONE ADDITIONAL NAME.
SO WHY DON'T WE TYPE THAT NAME IN AT NO, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOURS AGAIN.
I'M, WE, WE'RE GONNA PAUSE AND GET, WE'RE GONNA PAUSE AND GET BACK TO YOUR WORKING GROUP IN JUST ONE MOMENT.
WE'RE, WE'RE FINISHING, WE'RE FINISHING OUT THE, UH, KIDS WORKING GROUP.
SO VICE CHAIR PCA, UH, IS, IS COMMISSIONER RICE ON ONE WORKING GROUP OR, UH, YEAH.
YEAH, SO COMMISSIONER RICE, UM, NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, COMMISSIONER RICE
NOW, I WILL SAY THIS, UH, BECAUSE THAT WORKING GROUP MEETS AT 4:00 PM AND I THINK PART OF THE REASON WHY I DID KIND OF GO, YOU KNOW, I WAS EXCITED TO GO TO, UH, TO THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION WORKING GROUP MEETING IS BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS A CHANCE IT WAS GOING TO BE RESCHEDULED.
UM, AND THAT DID KIND OF CENTER AROUND COMMISSIONER RICE'S AVAILABILITY.
THIS WORKING GROUP IS SCHEDULED AT 4:00 PM ON SECOND MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION IS TO YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING THAT THE ONLY AVAILABLE COMMISSIONER TO JOIN THAT WOULD HAVE TO JOIN AFTER SIX, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN DOING? I COULD BE FLEXIBLE, AT LEAST IN THE MEDIUM TERM.
SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS TO COMMISSIONER GARZA AS AN EXISTING AND ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP, UM, WOULD THAT MESS YOU UP? AND THEN I, I GUESS EVEN BEFORE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER RICE, WOULD YOU EVEN BE INTERESTED IN, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THE KIDS WORKING GROUP? I THINK I'M GONNA HAVE TO PASS ON THIS ONE JUST CUZ OF NO WORRIES, NO WORRIES.
BUT, BUT HEY, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR OPENNESS AND, UH, FOR, UH,
[02:20:01]
BEING, UNDERSTANDING VICE AKA IT DOES STREAMLINE THIS PROCESS CUZ IT MEANS THEN WE HAVE TO TABLE ANY ADDITIONAL, UH, MEMBERS TO THIS WORKING GROUP UNTIL WE HAVE MORE COMMISSIONERS PRESENT.UH, AND THAT TAKES US BACK TO THE KNOWLEDGE, EXCUSE ME, TO THE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AND, AND IN, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP.
SO NOW BACK TO YOU COMMISSIONER DAS GUPTA.
SO LET'S, AND I PUT NAME IN, I, I, I'LL, I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT,
GOTTA GET THIS DIALOGUE BOX OUTTA MY WAY.
NOW YOU ONLY HAVE ONE VACANCY ON THIS WORKING GROUP.
UH, WELL WE CAN WORK ON THAT AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S DEFINITELY A BETTER PLACE TO BE.
UH, AND SO YEAH, SINCE, SINCE COUPLE OF THE, UH, COMMISSIONERS AREN'T HERE, UH, WE HAVE HOPED THAT WE CAN TALK TO THEM AND, UH, GET ONE MORE NAME.
I MEAN, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS IS NOT THE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE THIS WORK PLAN TODAY.
UH, THESE, WE'LL HAVE THAT GO.
THIS IS A, A LIVING DOCUMENT, A AS IS OUR ACTIONS ON THE WORKING GROUP.
SO, UH, JUST DIVING IN HERE, UH, AGAIN, AND, AND, UH, I'M GONNA QUARTERBACK THIS, BUT I WILL, UH, PIVOT TO YOU AT TIMES.
UH, THESE ARE SPECIFIC COMMISSION CHALLENGE STATEMENTS THAT, UH, THE WORKING GROUP CHAIR, UH, OFFERED ONTO THE RECORD.
UH, THAT WASN'T THE ASK, UH, BUT IT'S OKAY.
AND, UH, THEY SPEAK TO DIFFERENT THINGS.
THIS WORKING GROUP IS WORKING ON, UH, ONGOING EFFORT.
HOW MIGHT THE COMMISSION ENCOURAGE AND MONITOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADOPTION AND DEPLOYMENT OF 5G SMALL CELL AND OTHER ADVANCED UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES, UH, OR UPCOMING TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING POSSIBLY EXTENDING SUCH SERVICES TO AREAS BEYOND THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
ONGOING, UH, EFFORT MERGED WITH NUMBER SEVEN FROM THE 2022 PLAN.
HOW MIGHT THE COMMISSION WORK WITH AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, UH, AS DESCRIBED EARLIER, UH, THAT IS DRIVING PROJECT CONNECT AND OTHER REGIONAL AUTHORITIES AND CARRIERS TO ENSURE THAT THE LATER CAPABILITIES ARE ENHANCED IN ALIGNMENT WITH PROJECTS IN AUSTIN AND SURROUNDING, UH, SURROUNDINGS TO UPGRADE ITS TRANSPORTATION ECOSYSTEM, ONGOING EFFORT.
HOW MIGHT THE COMMISSION PROVIDE CITIZEN OVERSIGHT, EXCUSE ME, OVERSIGHT OVER AND INSIGHT TO SMART CITY AND OPEN GOVERNMENT EFFORTS? HOW MIGHT, UH, NUMBER FOUR, HOW MIGHT THE COMMISSION WORK WITH OTHER COMMISSIONS AND ACROSS ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION? AND, AND BY THE WAY, WHAT I RECOGNIZE, THIS IS JUST SO YOU KNOW, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH, UM, WE SHOULD ALL BE LOOKING AT TOGETHER LATER.
UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, SO THAT'S FINE.
BUT I'M GONNA TAKE IT AND, AND, UH, MOVE IT TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS DOCUMENT, UH, BECAUSE IT INCLUDES INPUT FROM THE WORKING GROUP CHAIR, BUT IT INCLUDES CHALLENGE STATEMENTS THAT WE'VE ALL HAD INPUT ON.
UH, SO IT DESERVES THE FOCUS OF THE WHOLE COMMISSION AND NOT JUST THIS WORKING GROUP AND THE DISCUSSION, BY THE WAY, CHAPS.
UH, I, I WANNA BE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS DOCUMENT ALSO HAD INPUTS FROM THE TWO PREVIOUS MEMBERS, UH, WHO, WHO RETIRED.
WHEN I, WHEN I SAY COMMISSIONER EATS, AND COMMISSIONER FLOYD.
SO WHEN I SAY THESE ITEMS HAVE INPUT FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS, THAT INCLUDES COMMISSIONERS THAT CAME BEFORE YOU, UH, BECAUSE AS BILL AS YOURSELF, UH, YEAH.
UH, I'M, I'M GONNA QUARTERBACK THIS, BUT I'LL, I'M GONNA PIVOT BACK TO THE WORKING GROUP IN, IN A SECOND.
UH, BUT, BUT PLEASE LET ME, UH, IDENTIFY YOU.
UH, SO THIS, UH, INCLUDES INPUT FROM THE PRIOR WORK PLAN, WHICH OF COURSE, BEFORE YOUR TIME INCLUDED, COMMISSIONERS, THAT, THAT WERE OTHERS.
UH, BUT WE CAN GIVE THEM NAME RECOGNITION.
COMMISSIONER DAVE FLOYD, UH, COMMISSIONER MALCOLM YATES, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, NICOLE THOMPSON, BEAVERS, UH, AND COMMISSIONER, UH, SOPHIE RO, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER SYED, UH, WHOSE FIRST NAME I'M FORGETTING.
[02:25:01]
UH, I'M, I'M, I'M LOOKING FOR AN ASSIST NOW.IF YOU, IF YOU CAN HELP ME NAME ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS I'VE FORGOTTEN.
I THINK THAT'S, YOU'VE GOT GOT THEM ALL, I THINK.
SO, YEAH, THEY'VE ALL BEEN IDENTIFIED AND RECOGNIZED AS HAVING CONTRIBUTED TO THIS, BUT, UH, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THE MOST OF THIS TIME AND GO BACK TO THAT.
UH, SO GOING BACK TO YOUR WORKING GROUP HERE, THE FO HERE'S THE FOCUS OF THIS WORKING GROUP RIGHT NOW.
AS Y'ALL KNOW, WE JUST HAD AN UPDATE ON THE GOOGLE DEPLOYMENT.
UH, AND, AND ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT DONE ON THIS DOCUMENT, UH, WE'LL MOVE TO A MODEL, UH, GOING FORWARD WHEREIN LIKE THE OTHER TWO WORKING GROUPS, COMMISSIONER SUPTA, WE SHOW A HISTORICAL, AND THEN WE SHOW A NEXT, UH, A NEXT ACTION FOR EACH OF THESE ITEMS. FOR, FOR THE MEANTIME, IN THE INTEREST OF EXPEDIENCY, WE'RE GONNA LEAVE IT JUST AS IS CUZ THAT'S HOW IT'S BEEN ON THE RECORD.
UH, BUT IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU.
UH, SECOND ROLLOUT AND UPGRADES OF CARRIERS BY INTERCONNECTED TECHNOLOGY, PARTICULARLY IN AREAS WHERE THE CITY IS UPGRADING ITS ROADS, ITS ROAD, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, YOU KNOW, CONNECTING WITH CARRIERS AT, AT REGULAR INTERVALS, UH, THAT AGAIN, IS, IS IS SOMETHING WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AND ENTERING INTO A MORE FORM OLEIC WAY TO DO THAT, I THINK WITH ALL CARRIERS WAS IDENTIFIED.
AND SO, WE'LL, WE'LL SORT OUT THAT IN A FUTURE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHICH WORKING GROUP, I THINK, UH, SHOULD OWN THAT IF IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE, IT REALLY DOES BELONG IN THIS WORKING GROUP.
WE'LL JUST NEED TO FIND A WAY TO BIFURCATE THE CONVERSATIONS, UH, AROUND DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY AND DIGITAL INCLUSION, UH, WHEN THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THAT.
AND THEN TO THEN, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UH, THREE, CONTINUED EMPHASIS ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN NETWORK SHARING, UH, EXAMPLE, GIVEN GATTON AND EVALUATION OF MEANS BY WHICH THE CITY COULD INCENTIVIZE CARRIERS TO UPGRADE SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, THIS IS ONE THAT WE DID TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO PAUSE ON, ON GATTON.
UM, I KNOW THAT I FEEL AS THOUGH, AND WE MAY HAVE SOME INSIGHTS FROM OUR, OUR ACTING TERROR OFFICER AS WELL.
I FEEL AS THOUGH, UM, WE'VE KIND OF GONE IN CIRCLES A LITTLE BIT BETWEEN FEELING THAT GADEN WAS A DEAD END, UH, TO FEELING AS THOUGH GADEN HAD POTENTIAL.
UM, AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE WE STAND NOW, UH, WITH IT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE, UH, OUR ACTING TERROR OFFICER A CHANCE TO, TO SHARE HER THOUGHTS, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THE VALUE OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, UH, TO OUR FUTURE PLANNING AND CURRENT INITIATIVES.
UH, WE'RE ENTERED INTO, UH, INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS OF, UH, NOVELTY THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE STILL WITH US, I'D LIKE TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU SEE, UH, VALUE IN US EMPHASIZING ANY KIND OF, UH, COLLABORATION THROUGH GATTON OR DEVELOPMENT THROUGH GATTON.
UM, I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
UM, WE, UH, THE ONLY CONTACT I'VE HAD WITH GATTON RECENTLY IS I CONNECTED ANOTHER COMMUNITY TO THEM WHO WANTED TO CREATE THEIR OWN GATTON.
AND WE HAD A VERY BRIEF CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT I THINK THE WAY THAT YOU'RE POSING A CHAIR PITS IS, UH, IS A VERY INTERESTING IDEA THAT THIS MIGHT BE THE RIGHT TIME TO CIRCLE BACK TO GATTON, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE'S FUNDING COMING DOWN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SINCE WE KNOW HOW MUCH, UH, TEXAS IS GETTING.
UM, AND WE CAN BEGIN TO DISCUSS PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THEM TO SEE IF THEY'RE OPEN TO IT.
UH, IT'S A VERY CLOSED SYSTEM.
IT HAS BEEN A CLOSED SYSTEM, AND THEY KEEP CITING NATIONAL SECURITY, UM, FOR WHY THEY REMAIN CLOSED.
UM, BUT I'M SURE, UH, COMMISSIONER KUTA CAN, THAT'S AS MUCH AS I CAN SHARE AT THIS POINT, BUT I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD THING TO CIRCLE BACK TO THEM.
THE FUNDS ARE NOT GONNA BE MADE AVAILABLE TILL 2024.
SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
COMMISSIONER KUTA? YES, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
UH, WHAT WE WERE FOCUSING ON WHEN, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER YATES WAS STILL PART OF THE COMMISSION AND THE WORKING GROUP, IS THAT IT'S NOT THAT WE WOULD, UH, SHARE, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, THE WIRES WITH THE, THE, THE, THE, THE PROVIDERS.
THERE'S ALREADY EXISTING FIBER OPTIC CABLES THAT ARE CONNECTED TO
[02:30:01]
DIFFERENT, UH, USERS OF THIS SYSTEM.WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO USE IS THAT THE CONDUITS THAT ARE ALREADY EMBEDDED UNDER THE, UNDER THE ROADS HAVE EXCESS CAPACITY.
AND WE WERE WONDERING WHETHER WE COULD USE THAT EXCESS CAPACITY AS INCENTIVE, UM, TO THE CARRIERS TO PROVIDE MORE SERVICE MORE READILY, MORE QUICKLY IN THE LOWER LINE AREAS.
AND THAT WAS, I THINK, THE EMPHASIS THAT WE WERE COMING IN.
AND SO THAT DISCUSSION, I THINK, NEEDS TO BE RESUSCITATED TO SEE, GIVEN THE 8 BILLION TRUST FUND THAT WE ARE SOON GOING TO HAVE FOR BROADBAND, WHETHER THIS COULD BE AN ENABLER TO PUT THAT MONEY TO WORK FASTER AND BETTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY.
UH, THAT, THAT WAS THAT FOR TON, I THINK AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER SUPTA, I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA, AND I THINK SOONER RATHER THAN LATER WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, CHAIR PITTS WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ABOUT WHERE THIS DISCUSSION COULD TAKE PLACE SO WE COULD HAVE A DEEPER CONSULTATION ON, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT REALITIES AND KNOW HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, WHETHER IT IS WITH SOME MEMBERS OR WHETHER THEY HAVE A TECHNICAL BOARD.
IS THAT THE RIGHT PLACE TO GO? OR IS IT THE LIAISON FROM AUSTIN? WE CAN CERTAINLY DISCUSS ALL OF THAT, BUT I AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER DA GUPTA.
IT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO, UH, PRIORITIZE THIS, UH, SINCE WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A WORKING GROUP MEETING YET FOR THIS WORKING GROUP, I THINK WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE HAVING ONE BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE MONTH.
UH, SO THAT REQUIRES, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING VALIDATION FROM COMMISSIONER RICE AS WELL.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD BE LOOKING AT NEXT MONDAY AT SIX 30, OR THE MONDAY AFTER AT SIX 30, IF THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY.
UH, ANY THOUGHTS IF I AM INCLUDED IN THAT DISCUSSION NEXT MONDAY? I AM NOT IN AUSTIN.
I'LL BE IN DC SO THE WEEK AFTER.
SO DOES THAT SOUND FEASIBLE THEN? UH, LOOKING AT THE WEEK AFTER, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, ARE YOU TALKING THE 24TH? UH, IF YOU'VE GOT THE CALENDAR UP ALREADY, THEN YOU KNOW, PLEASE.
UH, COMMISSIONER RICE, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA BLOCK TIME AT SIX 30.
COMMISSIONER RICE, HOW DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK? YEAH, THAT SHOULD WORK.
UH, SO THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, UH, SPECIAL CALL WORKING GROUP MEETING FOR THIS WORKING GROUP ON THE 24TH, BUT WE'VE AGREED TO, UH, RESUME IN A REGULAR CADENCE.
WELL, OH, OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
COMMISSIONER, UH, SMITH, I FORGOT.
UH, YOU'RE ON THIS WORK GROUP TOO.
I GOT, I GOT A THUMBS UP IN THE ROOM.
SO COMMISSIONER SMITH'S ON BOARD TOO, THE 24TH.
PLEASE, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.
UH, SO YEAH, ALL COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, OUR GUEST SPEAKER HAVE CONFIRMED THAT WE CAN DIVE INTO THIS CONVERSATION.
A SPECIAL CALL WORKING GROUP MEETING, OR NOT.
IT'S ACTUALLY NOT SPECIAL CALL.
IT'S JUST, UH, RESCHEDULED, UH, ON 7 24.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING LAST THIS, THIS MONTH YET, RIGHT AT SIX 30.
SO CORDAN, LET'S TAKE IT OFFLINE AND HAVE A FOLLOW UP DISCUSSION ON WHO WE SHOULD BE INVITING.
I WOULD NEED SOME HELP FROM YOU ON THAT.
WELL, ONE THING JUST TO KIND OF SPEAK TO THAT ALREADY, UH, THIS MEETING TIME IS NOT REALLY CONDUCIVE TO GETTING A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PLACES TO YEAH.
BUT WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE THAT OFFLINE, EVEN IF WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT UNTIL THAT MEETING.
UH, BUT EITHER WAY, I THINK STRATEGIZING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO AND WHAT AND HOW WE'RE GONNA APPROACH GADEN IS THE NEXT STEP.
UH, MOVING ALONG, UM, CONTINUE EMPHASIS ON 5G SMALL CELL DEPLOYMENT BEYOND DOWNTOWN AREA, INCLUDING ADOPTION OF INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE, JEFF KU AUTONOMY INSTITUTE.
HOW CAN THIS TOPIC ENABLE ITEMS FIVE AND SIX BELOW, POSSIBLY COMBINE ALL THREE? HOW CAN TOPIC, UH, ASSISTANCE SOLVING ITEM NUMBER NINE? UH, SO I THINK, UH, AS WE SPOKE TO OUR, UH, IMPRESSIONS OF THE INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY MYSELF, COMMISSIONER SUPTA, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, UH, RONELLA HAWKINS AND, UH, HOTAN HARMAN, UH, UH, WE SEE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION AROUND THESE TOPICS, UH, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP UP WITH THIS.
[02:35:01]
UH, THERE'S, AS A NEXT STEP, I KNOW JEFF TECU HAS OFFERED TO, UM, TO MEET WITH US AND GIVE US AN UPDATE ON, UH, HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH GARY FARMER, UH, AND, AND WHAT THAT CAN MEAN FOR ENABLING A POTENTIAL POC.UH, SO IT MAY BE THE CASE THAT HE'S SOMEONE THAT WE CAN GET TO COMMIT TO COME IN AT SIX 30 ON THE 24TH, WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, CITY DEPARTMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT.
UH, WHAT WHAT I'LL DO IS I THINK WORK ON, ON THAT.
CAUSE HE WAS BASICALLY WAITING FOR ME TO TELL HIM A DATE THAT WE WERE GONNA BE AVAILABLE.
SO IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD, I'LL INVITE HIM TO THAT MEETING CHAIR.
I THINK JEFF, I THINK IT'S A BRILLIANT IDEA.
BECAUSE I THINK JEFF IS WILLING TO, WILLING TO COME MEET WITH US AT ANY TIME.
YES, HE IS
I WAS, YOU KNOW, VERY BIASED BASED ON MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND FROM YEARS BACK.
I WAS THINKING SELF, YOU KNOW, CELL, YOU KNOW, CELL PHONE COVERAGE, BROADBAND, ET CETERA.
BUT FROM THAT, UH, CONFERENCE, I CAME AWAY SAYING THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE, WE HAVE TO THINK IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION, HEALTHCARE, AIR QUALITY.
THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS, QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THROUGH INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, AND I, I SEE NODDING AND, AND, AND RESONANCE, UH, FROM EVERYONE IN THE ROOM.
SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CALL OUT AND, UH, AN IMPORTANT REMINDER WHY IT'S A TOP OF OUR LIST, NOT TO MENTION PUBLIC SAFETY IMPLICATIONS.
UH, THERE'S JUST SO MANY, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.
BUT, UH, MOVING ALONG, UH, CONTINUED EMPHASIS ON SMART CITY'S PROGRESS AND REVIEW OF THE 20 23 24 INITIATIVES.
UH, AND AS A NEXT, I THINK THAT IS A MATTER OF COORDINATING WITH THE INNOVATION OFFICE, UH, AND, UH, WITH CHARLES PERMA, UH, ON THAT.
UH, NEXT CONTINU EMPHASIS ON AUSTIN TRANS, UH, AT D'S FORMABILITY EFFORT AND MEANS TO ALIGN ENHANCEMENTS, UH, TO THE COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, WE'VE AGREED WITH THAT, WITH, UH, THE PROJECT CONNECT EFFORT.
AND, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME CONTACTS, WE HAVE NEW CONTACTS.
SO WE'VE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT.
UH, CONTINUING EMPHASIS ON, ON ALIGNMENT WITH PROJECT CONNECT.
WE JUST SPOKE TO THAT, UH, UPGRADE TO CITY FIBER TECHNOLOGY.
UM, THAT IS, UH, DEFINITELY INTERESTING.
UH, WHAT EXACTLY WE HAVE IN MIND THERE, COMMISSIONER SCU? WELL, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAD ONE MEETING, UH, WITH, UH, WITH MICHAEL, UH, UH, JOHN.
JOHN, JOHN MI, UH, WHAT? JASON, JOHN, MICHAEL, JASON, JOHN, NOT JASON, JOHN, MICHAEL.
UM, YEAH, JOHN MICHAEL CORTES.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR CONNECTIONS, UH, HOT WITH THEM BECAUSE, UH, WE WANT TO SEE HOW THEY, UH, YOU KNOW, EXTEND THEIR, UH, REACH TO OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY, UH, BOTH NORTHEAST AND NORTHWEST.
SO THAT'S GOOGLE FIBER, THAT'S NOT CITY FIBER.
YEAH, NO, I WAS TALKING, THIS IS GOOGLE FIBER, RIGHT? STARTING, MAYBE IT IS NOT SPELLED RIGHT.
SO THAT, SO I THINK WE GOT THAT COVERED THEN IN TERMS OF IT BEING GOOGLE FIBER, WHICH WAS ALREADY ADDRESSED.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S NOT RENUMBERING, BUT IT'S NOT, BUT EIGHT AND LAST, HE, UH, LASTLY HERE, REMOVAL THE BARRIERS TO ACCESS AND BROADBAND WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY AND MARGINALLY, UH, SERVE LOW INCOME AREAS OF THE CITY.
AND THUS, EMPOWERING NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TO PRIDE BEFORE.
WE'RE GONNA KEEP DOING THAT, UH, INTERSECTIONALLY, I THINK, THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, WORKING GROUPS.
SO NOW THEN, UH, MOVING ALONG HERE TO THE COMMISSION, CHALLENGES THAT WE SHALL ADDRESS OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
UH, THIS BEGINS WITH THE ONGOING EFFORT.
HOW MIGHT THE COMMISSION ENCOURAGE AND MONITOR THE DEVELOPMENT, ADOPTION AND DEPLOYMENT OF 5G SMALL CELL AND OTHER ADVANCED AND UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUDING POSSIBLY EXTENDED SERVICES AREAS BEYOND THE DOWN, BEYOND THE DOWNTOWN AREA? UH, I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE THAT CHALLENGE, UH, AS A QUESTION.
[02:40:01]
IT'S ONE THAT, UH, AGAIN, IT'S COVERED BY MANY THINGS, BUT IT SHOULD BE AN ONGOING EFFORT PERSONALLY.UH, ANY FEEDBACK OR STRONG THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT, BUDDY? ANYBODY? I THINK WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT.
TWO, THE ONGOING EFFORT, UH, MERGED WITH SEVEN FROM THE 2022 PLAN.
UH, AND THIS IS GOING BACK AGAIN TO THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND, AND PROJECT CONNECT.
I CAN SAY CONFIDENTLY THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE, UH, THIS AND TO WORK WITH REGIONAL AUTHORITIES AND OTHER CARRIERS TO ENSURE THAT, UH, CAPABILITIES ARE ENHANCED.
IN FACT, OUR EFFORTS WITH THE BDO, UH, MEETING, UH, ARE, YOU KNOW, SHOWING THAT COMMITMENT, UH, TO A REGIONAL APPROACH.
UH, AND, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD.
IN FACT, AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WAS SITTING AT MY TABLE, UH, WAS A CON A CONTACT WITH L C R A, AND WE KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO IN TERMS OF A, A, AN, A REGIONAL, A REGIONAL ENTITY THAT'S VERY WELL HANDSOMELY FUNDED.
UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, FOCUSED ON A COMMON TERRITORY, AN AREA THAT NEEDS SUPPORT.
UH, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT FOCUSED ON TRANSPORTATION, THEY ARE FOCUSED ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF, UH, THE, THE ECOSYSTEM AND ENABLING POWER AND RESOURCES TO GET WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.
ANY STRONG THOUGHTS OR FEELINGS ON THAT? ANYBODY? OKAY.
MOVING ALONG, ONGOING EFFORT, HOW MIGHT THE COMMISSION PROVIDE CITIZEN OVERSIGHT AND INSIGHT TO SMART CITY AND OPEN GOVERNMENT EFFORTS? I THINK WE'RE DOING THAT BY REQUESTING THE BRIEFINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, THAT WERE REQUESTED FROM THE INNOVATION OFFICE AND, UH, FROM, UH, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE REQUESTING FROM OTHERS.
UH, AND ONES THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST.
UM, YOU KNOW, EXAMPLES OF THAT ARE THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHERE WE'RE REQUESTING A BRIEFING.
EXAMPLES OF THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST ONE, YOU KNOW, UH, TOP OF MIND EXAMPLE, UH, WE, WE SPOKE TO OTHERS AS WELL.
THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM.
UH, IT ITSELF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CLEARLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS AS A COMMISSION, AND WE SHOULD, UM, ANY DISAGREEMENT? MM-HMM.
HOW MIGHT THE COMMISSION WORK WITH OTHER COMMISSIONS AND ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION? I THINK OUR SUMMIT IS GONNA BE THE NEXT BEST OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP.
UH, WE WILL HAVE TO NAVIGATE WALKING QUORUM CHALLENGES IF WE CANNOT GET IT BRANDED, GET AT LEAST PART OF IT BRANDED AS PUBLIC INTEREST ANNOUNCEMENT.
BUT EVEN IF WE JUST HAVE THE CHAIRS OF A VARIETY OF COMMISSIONS TOGETHER, AND IN AN EFFORT TO BE EDUCATED ABOUT HOW WHAT THEY DO RELATES TO DIGITAL INCLUSION AND IS IMPACTED BY THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, THEN I THINK IF WE, IF WE ACHIEVED NOTHING ELSE, WE, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN LEVERAGING THE SUMMIT FOR THAT.
UH, BUT HAVING SAID THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN IDEATE IN THE WORKING GROUPS AND AT OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS MORE ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT.
SO ANYBODY HAVING ANY STRONG DISAGREEMENT OR OR OPPOSITION TO THAT.
MOVING ALONG, UH, 2 23 EMPHASIS, HOW MIGHT WE UC TECHNOLOGY TO PROMOTE CIVIL PARTICIPATION, TRANSPARENCY, OPEN DATA, PARTNERING WITH CARRIERS, POSSIBLY, UH, PROVIDING CITY INCENTIVES TO CARRIERS TO DELIVER EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SERVICES AND CITIZENS.
UH, I THINK A BIG WAY OF PROMOTING THAT IS BY ENGAGING WITH THEM, WHICH WE'VE COMMITTED TO DOING, UH, AND IN A NEW WAY, UH, BY BRINGING OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO THE TABLE.
SO AGAIN, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH IS ADVANCED BY THE, UH, STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT AND, UH, SUPPORTING EFFORTS.
UH, AND ALSO SOMETHING WHICH IS ADVANCED BY THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, UH, AND OUR COORDINATED PLANNING WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN A AROUND THESE EFFORTS.
UH, AND SOMETHING WHICH IS REFLECTED IN OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE REGIONAL BDO.
UH, SO, UH, ONCE AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S CLEAR HOW WE'RE DOING THAT.
ANY STRONG FEELINGS OR THOUGHTS OTHERWISE.
UH, NEXT, HOW MIGHT THIS COMMISSION WORK WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY RESOURCES, UT AND CARRIERS TO FACILITATE RESIDENTS AND MARGINALLY SERVED, UH, LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS TO ACQUIRE THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT AND PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SERVICES AT AFFORDABLE PRICES TO ENSURE THAT ADULTS AND CHILDREN, THOSE NEIGHBOR NEIGHBORHOODS, HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO JOB AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AS ANY OTHER RESIDENT WOULD.
CORPORATE ENTITIES ALSO SERVE AS ENABLERS AS PART OF, IN ENLIGHTENED SELF-INTEREST, UH, WANTS MORE? UH, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE THE SUMMIT IS, IS PULLING THIS ALL TOGETHER IN ADDITION TO OUR ONGOING EFFORTS IN THE, THE WORKING GROUPS.
UH, SO WE CAN FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, MOVING THIS, THIS FORWARD.
[02:45:01]
STRONG THOUGHTS OR FEELINGS OTHERWISE? OKAY.UH, CUZ IT JUST DOESN'T WANT A NUMBER, SO I'M GONNA SEE IF I CAN MAKE IT.
YEAH, THE NUMBERING IS GONNA, IT'S, THERE YOU GO.
UH, CUZ THAT CHANGED TO 11, EVEN THOUGH IT JUST WON'T PUT EIGHT.
CONNECT WITH, UH, SEVEN
HOW CAN THE, UH, TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING GROUP AND CTC HELP HERE? UH, THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WHICH IS, UH, BEING TAKEN UP BY ALL WORKING GROUPS, BUT, UH, IN PARTICULAR, UH, WILL BE A FOCUS OF THE SUMMIT BECAUSE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, IS A CRITICAL PARTNER, UH, BOTH FROM A, UH, DATA STAND STANDPOINT.
AND WE HAVE, I THINK, HELPED THEM TO BECOME MORE INTELLIGENT ALREADY BY SHARING DATA WITH THEM AND PARTNERING WITH THEM ON DATA.
UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, THEY WERE, SOME OF, A LOT OF THEIR WORK HAS BEEN INFORMED BY MEASURE, UH, AND COLLABORATIONS, UH, AROUND, UH, DATA SENSITIVE TO THE PANDEMIC EXPERIENCE, UH, AS WELL AS OUR RESIDENTIAL STUDY.
SO I THINK WE'RE DOING THAT, UH, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT MORE RELATED TO THE SUMMIT AND OUR WORKING GROUP EFFORTS.
UH, ANY THOUGHTS THERE? COMMISSIONER DA SCOOP THAT WE ARE VERY PRESSED FOR TIME.
NO, JOE, VERY QUICKLY DID, THESE ARE BY THE WAY, ADDITIONS THAT HAPPENED AFTER I CAME BACK FROM THE CONFERENCE.
AND IT, IT'S STILL APPRECIATED.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE VERY WELL MAY BE SOME REDUNDANCIES HERE, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
YOU KNOW, UH, SO ANY STRONG OPPOSITION OR, OR FEELINGS OTHERWISE.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP DOING THIS.
LAST TWO BEYOND SMART METERS, UNDERSTAND WHAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS DOING TO BECOME MORE INTELLIGENT IN DELIVERING RELIABLE SERVICES.
GIVEN THE CLIMATE CHANGE WILL LIKELY CREATE MORE SITUATIONS LIKE THE LAST TWO POWER BREAKDOWNS.
WHAT ARE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THESE LAST TWO CRISES? HOW COULD GREATER USE OF ROOF INSTALLED SOLAR PANELS HELP HERE? AND WHAT IMPROVE STRATEGY DOES THE CITY NEED TO IMPLEMENT? UH, I THINK THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, TURNED THAT CORNER WITH A REQUEST FOR A BRIEFING, UH, RATHER A REQUEST FOR, UH, THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN, AS WELL AS OUTREACH PLANS TO EXTEND, UH, RESOURCING.
BUT I THINK WE COULD, COULD DELVE INTO THIS, THIS MORE.
I, I THINK THAT, UH, WE COULD EXPLORE AND SHOULD EXPLORE THIS MORE IN THE WORKING GROUPS.
UH, SO I THINK IT, IT'S A WORTHY INCLUSION, UH, IN OUR WORK PLAN.
ALTHOUGH, UH, IT IS NOT BY ANY MEANS SPECIFIC JUST TO THIS WORKING GROUP.
ANYBODY HAVE STRONG FEELINGS, OTHERWISE, UH, SUPPORTIVE.
MAKING SURE WE'RE ALL STILL THERE ONLINE AS WELL.
LADIES, UH, GENTLEMEN, I SEE NODS.
UH, MOVING ALONG, UH, NUMBER 12.
UH, IT'S ACTUALLY NINE, UH, AND I JUST DID IT.
AND IS THAT DUPLICATE? IT IS DUPLICATE.
WE'RE SAYING BEYOND SMART METERS AGAIN.
BUT BASICALLY POED OPPOSED TO AUSTIN WATER.
UH, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE AUSTIN WATER, UH, COULD BE ASKED THE SAME QUESTION.
UH, PARTICULARLY AS, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE UNIQUELY IMPACTED BY, UH, THE WATER LEVEL, UH, DECREASE.
UH, THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING WHICH IS UNIQUE, UH, TO OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S GONNA HAVE IMPACT AND ALSO SOMETHING THAT COULD BE, UH, PART OF THE L C R A CONVERSATION, RIGHT? SO I THINK MAKING THOSE CONNECTIONS WILL HELP, UH, AND EXPAND THAT CONVERSATION.
SO, UH, NO OPPOSITION FROM ME, AND I'M JUST, UH, IN AGREEMENT HERE.
ANY STRONG OPPOSITION OR, OR, UH, OR SUPPORTIVE? EVERYONE.
WELL, THAT TAKES CARE OF THAT WORKING GROUP.
UH, AND PRETTY MUCH THEN THEREIN TAKES CARE OF THE PLAN.
SO NOW, NOW THAT WE'VE GONE OVER EACH WORKING GROUP, WE'VE SOLIDIFIED MEMBERSHIP, WE'VE SOLIDIFIED, UH, EITHER WHAT THE WORKING GROUP IS WORKING ON AND OR WHAT IT HAS DONE AND WILL CONTINUE WORKING ON, UH, BASED ON THE WORK PLAN.
I'M MAKING A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS WORK PLAN, OUR ANNUAL WORK PLAN, AS DISCUSSED TONIGHT, AS EDITED IN REAL TIME.
UH, AND AS THIS DOCUMENT WILL THEN BECOME
[02:50:01]
A PART OF THE PERMANENT RECORD, UH, FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE AND USAGE.THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY MYSELF AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DA SUPTA.
WITH THAT, THEN WE'LL HOLD A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THIS WORK PLAN, SAY AYE.
IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? AND I KNOW AT THIS POINT, UH, WE HAVE ALL COMMISSIONERS UNANIMOUSLY IN FAVOR, THEN, UH, THAT'S SEVEN COMMISSIONERS.
A MAJORITY HAS APPROVED THE WORK PLAN.
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON IN OUR AGENDA.
UH, UH, WHERE IS THE AGENDA? OKAY.
UH, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION SUMMIT PLANNING RESOURCE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THIS FAIRLY EXTENSIVELY IN THE WORK PLAN, UH, BUT I DID WANNA BRING IT UP HERE AND HAVE AN AS AN ITEM FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION.
FOR ONE, I WANTED TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE OPPORTUNITY AND TO SEE, UH, IF WE WOULD GET ANY ADDITIONAL COMMITMENT, UH, TO JOIN THE PLANNING EFFORT HERE.
BUT I ALSO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UH, SOMETHING.
AND JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE WAS AWARE, BECAUSE OF OUR INABILITY TO ENTER INTO AN MOU, UH, AS A COMMISSION, UH, WE WERE FACED WITH A CHOICE.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN PRESENTED WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FROM A LOCAL NONPROFIT CALLED CAPACITY CATALYST TO USE AN EXTERN WHO WOULD THEN, UH, AFTER BEING DIRECTLY, UH, REMEDIATED BY CAPACITY CATALYST IN THE, IN THE AMOUNT OF LIKE $3,600, UH, FOR A THREE MONTH TIMEFRAME, UH, WOULD LITERALLY BASICALLY PROVIDE SUPPORT IN OUR PLANNING EFFORT AROUND OUTREACH, UH, AND AROUND, UH, RECRUITMENT.
THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO, UH, IS A, ACTUALLY THEY'RE AN UNDERGRAD, UH, BUT THEY'RE AN UNDERGRAD WITH BOTH BRANDING AND DATA, UH, EXPERIENCE.
UH, AND AN EXTENSIVE RESUME THAT WAS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, UH, COULDN'T ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM DIRECTLY.
UH, SO IT BECAME A CHALLENGE IN, IN TERMS OF HOW TO GET IT DONE.
UH, AND I'LL BE CANDID WITH YOU, I, I, I RACKED MY BRAIN FOR EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.
UH, AND ONCE I CONFIRMED THAT THE PROCESS FOR ACCEPTING IN-KIND AND FINANCIAL, UH, CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THIS EFFORT WAS GOING TO BE SIMPLE, BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO, AND WE WERE GOING TO, AS A PLANNING TEAM, BASICALLY ONLY BE A PASS THROUGH, UH, THAT ESSENTIALLY HANDED OFF THE INVOICE FROM WHOEVER TO, UH, WHATEVER SPONSOR THAT WAS PAYING IT.
UH, AND THEN, AND SIMILARLY, UH, YOU KNOW, SIMPLY DESCRIBED THE SERVICES THAT WE WOULD BE USING.
UH, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, UH, HP ENTERPRISE HAS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN PROVIDING MANPOWER TO HELP WITH GUEST SERVICES AT OUR EVENT.
I STILL WANT THEM TO DO FINANCIAL SPONSORSHIP, BUT THEY HAVEN'T COMMITTED TO THAT YET.
THEY'VE ALREADY COMMITTED TO MANPOWER.
WELL, THE MOMENT THIS THURSDAY THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS WANTING TO BE THE, THE GUEST SERVICES, UH, COMMITTEE LEAD, THEY'RE THEN, THEN GONNA BE PUT IN CONTACT WITH, UH, THE, THE PEOPLE AT HP ENTERPRISE TO, TO SAY, OKAY, WELL, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU GONNA COMMIT TO? YOU KNOW, WHAT HOURS ARE THEY AVAILABLE? AND IT'S GONNA BE THAT SIMPLE, UH, RIGHT.
BUT WHEN IT CAME TO, TO GETTING THIS INTERN TO ACTUALLY SUPPORT ME IN THE OUTREACH EFFORT AND TO, UH, AND, AND TO HELPING US ALL IN THE OUTREACH EFFORT AND TO TAKING, UH, UH, A SPREADSHEET AND SEGMENTING IT, UH, BASED ON, AND THIS, THEY STARTED WITH MY LINKEDIN, UH, CONTACTS AND SEGMENTING IT, UH, BASED ON WHO THEY THOUGHT MIGHT WORK AND WHO, WHO MIGHT NOT, BASED ON FEEDBACK I GAVE THEM, IN ORDER TO GET THEM PAID, THEY NEEDED AN ENTITY TO BE ABLE TO SAY THEY WERE WORKING WITH.
SO I LITERALLY CREATED AN ENTITY THAT I'M THE SOLE PROPRIETOR OF TO DO THAT.
AND IT'S CALLED, ALTOGETHER FOR DIGITAL INCLUSION.
AND ITS ONLY PURPOSE RIGHT NOW IS TO ENABLE THIS INTERN TO GET PAID BY KEPT CAPACITY CATALYST.
IT HAS, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP, BECAUSE A CAPACITY CATALYST HAS A PAY AS YOU PAY WHAT YOU CAN MODEL.
AND THEY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS WAS PURELY DONE TO GET THIS INTERN PAID TO HELP ME HELP THE COMMISSION, HELP THE PLANNING TEAM.
UH, THEY AGREED TO IT, BUT I WANTED TO, TO DISCLOSE THAT IN FULL TO EVERYONE, UH, TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT'S DESIGNED TO DO AND WHAT IT DOES.
UH, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I, I, I DIDN'T OBVIOUSLY COME TO YOU GUYS FOR PERMISSION TO DO THAT, BUT I
[02:55:01]
DID WANT TO INFORM YOU AND TO GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO TAKE ACTION IF YOU FELT A NEED TO, YOU KNOW, TO REEL ME BACK IN OR TO DO ANYTHING ELSE.SO, WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR AND JUST ASK FOR FEEDBACK AND THOUGHTS.
I DON'T THINK I, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY IMMEDIATE THOUGHTS.
UM, I THINK IN THE, IN THE SPIRIT OF, UM, OF, UH, TRYING TO MOVE QUICKLY, I THINK IT, IT, IT MADE SENSE.
UM, BUT GIVEN THAT THERE'S NO FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS, I DON'T SEE A, UM, A RISK.
UH, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OF ANYONE ONLINE? NO, I, I, I ECHO, UH, VICE SHERIFF.
THANK YOU FOR THAT FEEDBACK, COMMISSIONER KUTA.
UH, WELL, WITH THAT BEING SAID THEN, I, I THINK THAT IS THE MAIN THING I WANTED TO FOCUS ON THERE.
UM, ESPECIALLY WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PLAN AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA HANDLE IN-KIND AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT BEING ONE WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO GET INVOLVED, UH, SHORT OF JUST PASSING THE BATON.
AND THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE IN TERMS OF OUR TOWN HALLS.
CASE IN POINT, WE, WE HAD A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION TO FUND THE TOWN HALLS THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE TERRA OFFICE.
THEY ALLOCATED BUDGET TO THEN FEED PARTICIPANTS IN THE TOWN HALLS.
ALTHOUGH I DID COORDINATE, UH, ON THE AMOUNT OF MEALS WITH GOOD WORK, AUSTIN AND I DID COORDINATE ON GETTING THE INVOICE FROM THEM.
AND I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT OR HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT IT SINCE, BUT I'M ASSUMING IT'S BEEN TAKEN CARE OF, UH, RIGHT.
I THINK THAT DOES, UH, TAKE CARE OF THAT ITEM, UH, AND WITHOUT A NEED FOR, FOR ANY ACTION.
UH, I WILL SAY THIS, UH, SINCE WE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY, AND IT'S ON THE RECORD, UH, AND, AND, AND I'M ABLE TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM THIS VOTING ITEM.
AND AS WE COULD STILL ALSO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE A MAJORITY, UH, I WILL ASK IF THERE IS, UH, A MOTION TO FORMALLY VOTE ON, UH, ALLOWING ALTOGETHER FOR DIGITAL INCLUSION TO PURELY BE AN END NAME ONLY ENTITY, TO ALLOW CAPACITY CATALYST TO PAY THE EXTERN.
AGAIN, BECAUSE THIS ENTITY HAS NO FUNDING AND HAS NO, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, HAS, HAS NO FINANCIAL STAKE WHATSOEVER, PURELY JUST ENABLING THE INTERN TO GET REMEDIATED.
BUT I WILL ASK IF THERE IS A MOTION, AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE A VOTE.
IF NOT, WE COULD ALSO PUT THAT ON A FUTURE AGENDA, THE ITEM TO TAKE UP IF THERE NEEDED TO BE MORE DETAIL, OR IF YOU GUYS WANTED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY SEE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DBA OR, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
UH, BUT I'LL PAUSE THERE BEFORE I MOVE ON.
I, I THINK WE SHOULD, UH, TABLE IT AND, UH, ADD IT TO NEXT MONTH, NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA ITEM.
UM, I THINK JUST MAKING SURE THAT, UM, TH THERE'S NO, I, I MEAN, I TAKE YOU AT YOUR WORD THAT THERE'S NO FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES, BUT MAYBE JUST PROVIDING ANY FOLLOW-UP DOCUMENTATION FOR THE REST OF THE COMMISSION TO FEEL COMFORTABLE.
AND SO WITH THAT, THEN, UH, UNLESS WE'RE IN OBJECTION, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CONSIDER THIS ITEM CLOSED FOR NOW, AND WE'LL USE THAT AS A SEGUE.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE BASED ON THE EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD, UH, IN THE WORKING PLAN, IN THE WORK PLAN DISCUSSION, UM, ABOUT THE WORKING GROUPS EFFECTIVELY, EACH OF THEM BEING A DEEP DIVE UPDATE, UH, THAT WITH AGREEMENT FROM THE WORKING GROUP CHAIRS.
UH, I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF AS THE CHAIR OF THE DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP.
I FEEL AS THOUGH WE'VE COVERED EVERYTHING SIGNIFICANTLY AND HAVE NO NEED TO HAVE A FURTHER UPDATE.
I'LL TURN NOW WITH AGENDA ITEM SEVEN, UH, TO, UH, THE CHAIR OF THE, THE KNOWLEDGE INFORMATION DATA STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP TO CONFIRM THE SAME, SAME, UM, I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION NEEDED TONIGHT.
AND THEN FINALLY, COMMISSIONER SUPTA AS THE CHAIR OF THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION WORKING GROUP.
DO YOU AGREE THAT WE'VE COVERED EVERYTHING? YES, THOROUGHLY? YES.
SO THAT THEN, UH, COVERS WORKING GROUP UPDATES, AGENDA ITEM SIX, SEVEN, AND EIGHT, UH, NOW FOR, UH, FUTURE
[03:00:01]
AGENDA ITEMS.[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
SO, UH, WE JUST HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, MENTION THAT WE, WE PROBABLY WANNA GO AHEAD AND PUT DIGITAL INCLUSION RESOURCE SUMMIT PLANNING AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION, UH, WHEREIN I'LL PROVIDE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION THAT I HAVE FOR THE ENTITY, UH, THAT I CREATED.UH, AND THEN WE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE A VOTE WHERE I'LL RECUSE MYSELF, BUT GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO REACT AND, AND, AND FORMALIZE THEIR SUPPORT FOR THAT PATH.
UH, I KNOW TOP OF MIND THERE IS A UP UPDATE FROM, UH, SHARON TROOVER, GOOD SYSTEMS AND CHARLES PERMA ON SURVEILLANCE THAT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED FOR A FUTURE MEETING.
UH, THAT'S GOING TO BEGIN WITH A WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION.
UH, SO THE NEXT ACTION IS FOR ME TO INVITE THEM TO THAT WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION.
AND WE HAVE A DATE FOR THAT IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT THAT'S LOOKING GOOD, AND THAT YOU'RE STILL GOOD WITH THAT DATE, UH, VICE CHAIR, DOCTOR, BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE IN THE, THE, THE KIDS WORKING GROUP.
UH, SO THAT TAKES CARE OF THAT.
UH, I KNOW THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR A, PROBABLY A NEED FOR A G OPPS, UH, ITEM IN THE MONTH OF, UH, IN OUR NEXT MEETING.
THAT'LL BE SEP WELL, IT'LL BE FUTURE.
IT JUST MAY OR MAY NOT BE, WELL, IT WON'T BE AUGUST, IT'LL BE, SO IT'LL BE SEPTEMBER, RIGHT? SO IN SEPTEMBER, WE'LL NEED TO HAVE A G OPPS UPDATE.
UH, I THINK THAT THERE WILL PROBABLY NEED TO BE A SEPARATE DIGITAL INCLUSION STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM SEPARATE FROM THE RESOURCING PIECE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S ON THE, ON THE, ON THE RADAR.
AND THEN I KNOW THAT THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE, UH, A S O P OR A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE ITEM ON A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, EXCUSE ME, A FUTURE AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S BORN IN, IN NO SMALL PART TO, UH, OUR EXPERIENCE AT OUR LAST MEETING.
AND I'LL PAUSE THERE AND GIVE A CITY STAFF A CHANCE TO SHARE ANY THOUGHTS THEY MIGHT HAVE ON THAT ITEM.
SO, UM, I'LL, UH, GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF, UH, THE LAST MEETING.
UM, AS Y'ALL KNOW, WE HAD A LOT OF TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES AT THE LAST MEETING.
A LOT OF FEEDBACK, DIFFICULTIES WITH, UH, THE, UH, COMMUNICATION BETWEEN FOLKS THAT WERE PARTICIPATING REMOTELY AND THE FOLKS THAT WERE PARTICIPATING IN, IN PERSON.
UM, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF REASONS FOR THAT.
UM, ONE OF THOSE WAS, UH, THAT THE, UH, STAFF, UH, WAS EXCITED THAT THE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY WAS CELEBRATING THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY.
AND SO AT THE 11TH HOUR, WE HAD THE IDEA THAT WE WERE GONNA, UH, YOU KNOW, SEEK TO HAVE THE COMMISSION MEETING AT THAT LOCATION.
UM, AND SO WE MOVED AHEAD WITH THAT IDEA AT THE, YOU KNOW, THE LAST MINUTE.
BUT THE CHALLENGE WAS THERE'S ONLY THREE APPROVED LOCATIONS FOR, UH, HYBRID MEETINGS TO OCCUR.
UM, AND, AND THAT FACILITY WAS NOT ONE OF THEM.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THAT RULE IS BECAUSE OF THE TECHNOLOGY, UH, REQUIREMENTS OF HYBRID MEETINGS.
SO, UH, THAT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE ERRORS THAT WAS MADE.
UM, WE ALSO, UH, THE, THE SECOND IMPORTANT ERROR THAT WAS MADE IS THAT WE DIDN'T COMMUNICATE TO THE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY THAT IT WAS A HYBRID MEETING.
UM, SO LIKE, ON, ON STAFF'S END, ALL MEETINGS ARE HYBRID THESE DAYS.
AND, AND ALL OF THE COMMISSIONS MEETINGS WERE HYBRID.
UM, BUT THE LAST TIME THAT WE HAD AN, UH, UH, A BROADCAST FROM THAT FACILITY WAS PRE C O V I D.
AND SO OUR CONTACTS OVER THERE, UH, OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS GONNA BE A HYBRID MEETING.
UM, THEY DID, THEY DO HAVE THE CAPACITY AND THE CAPABILITY TO SUPPORT THOSE TYPES OF MEETINGS, UH, BUT THEY WOULD'VE NEEDED, YOU KNOW, A HEADS UP TO SET THAT UP AHEAD OF THE MEETING.
SO, UM, THAT WAS, UH, AN OVERSIGHT ON OUR PART AS WELL.
UM, SO AS FAR AS RESOLUTION, UH, THOSE ARE TWO PRETTY UNIQUE, UH, CHALLENGES THAT WE RAN INTO.
UM, I DON'T FORESEE THOSE BEING CHALLENGES IN THE FUTURE.
HOWEVER, UH, WE ARE COMMITTED TO, UH, UH, TO MAKING SURE THAT THAT IS THE CASE BY DOCUMENTING, UH, IN OUR PROCEDURES, THE RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR WHICH LOCATIONS WE ARE ABLE TO UTILIZE, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, UH, HAVE CHECKLISTS GOING INTO MEETINGS THAT, UH, HAVE WHO, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO
[03:05:01]
WE CAN WORK WITH FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF MEETINGS, UM, AND WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE ARE COMMUNICATED AHEAD, UH, AHEAD OF TIME TO OUR PARTNERS.UM, UH, AND TO THAT END, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, UH, WE, WE DO PROJECT THAT ALL, UH, FORESEEABLE COMMISSION MEETINGS ARE GONNA BE LIMITED TO ONE OF THE THREE APPROVED LOCATIONS, UNLESS THE COMMISSION, UH, WOULD LIKE TO SPECIFICALLY SCHEDULE AN IN-PERSON, UH, SESSION.
AND, AND IN WHICH CASE A LOT OF THE TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES GO AWAY.
UH, WHAT ARE THE THREE LOCATIONS? UH, SO THIS IS ONE OF THEM.
THIS IS OUR TRADITIONAL MEETING LOCATION.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, THE PC AND AUSTIN ENERGY AND THE AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, FACILITY.
UH, WE'VE NEVER BEEN TO THE AUSTIN ENERGY FACILITY.
I HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE AUSTIN ENERGY FACILITY.
UM, BUT THE OTHER ONE IS THE PLANNING, UH, AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER THAT WE HAD, UH, OUR MEETING AT A FEW MEETINGS AGO WITH THE WORK PLAN SESSION.
UM, SO THAT'S ANOTHER APPROVED SITE.
AND, AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY THOSE ARE GOOD SITES.
THEY'RE STAFFED, UM, AND THEY'RE SET UP TO EASILY BROADCAST ON AT X N.
UM, AND SO, UH, A LOT OF THE TECHNOLOGY, UH, CHALLENGES, LIKE THEY, THEY JUST HAVE STAFF THERE THAT COULD HELP US WITH, UH, SETTING UP THE MEETINGS.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I ALSO WANTED TO, TO, UH, GIVE THANKS FOR, FOR, UH, UH, TO A, TO A FEW DIFFERENT ENTITIES AND FOLKS, UM, FOR ACTUALLY MAKING THE MEETING HAPPEN, BECAUSE IT WAS VERY TOUCH AND GO THAT IF, IF THE MEETING WAS GONNA BE ABLE TO HAPPEN AT ALL.
UM, AND FIRST, UH, FIRST, AND FOR FOREMOST, OF COURSE, CHAIR PITTS FOR, UM, BEING AT THE MEETING 30 MINUTES EARLY, GIVING US A HEADS UP THAT THAT WAS INDEED, UH, A CHALLENGE THAT THE, THE FOLKS ON SITE DIDN'T KNOW, UH, THAT THE MEETING WAS GONNA BE HYBRID.
AND SO THAT ALLOWED, UH, DAN AND I TO HOP OVER QUICKLY, UH, AND START TRYING TO, UH, TO MOVE THINGS ALONG.
I DID WANNA ALSO THANK DAN BECAUSE, UH, THERE WAS, UH, ONE OF, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, UH, UH, AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE WAS THAT HE WAS, UH, ON, HE WAS ON THE PHONE WITH FOLKS AT CITY HALL.
UH, BECAUSE WITH THE MEETING BEING POSTED ON WEBEX AND US HAVING FOLKS TRYING TO JOIN WEBEX, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WAS, UH, UH, WE NEEDED FOLKS AT CITY HALL TO ACTUALLY OPEN UP THE ROOM.
AND, AND, UH, NORMALLY THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE WE'RE HERE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOMEBODY HELPING US OUT.
BUT BECAUSE WE WERE OFFSITE, UH, THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY SCHEDULED OVER HERE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, AND, AND WEREN'T AWARE TO LET US IN, INTO THE ROOM.
AND SO HE HAD TO CALL, UH, DOWN, DOWN THE PHONE CHAIN, UH, AND YEAH, UH, GET US, GET US INTO THE ROOM AT THE LAST MINUTE THERE.
UM, I ALSO, OF COURSE, WANTED TO THANK AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY, WHO IS THE HOST AT THE SITE.
UM, NONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE, THAT, THAT EXPERIENCED WERE THEIR FAULT.
UM, IT WAS OUR FAULT FOR NOT LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT TECHNOLOGY AND, AND REQUIREMENTS WERE, UM, BEFORE, BEFORE GETTING THERE.
UM, AND THEY PROVIDED LIVE SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE MEETING, AND EVENTUALLY GOT US TO A, A PLACE OF STABILITY TOWARDS THE END OF THE MEETING AFTER, UH, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT BEHIND THE SCENES WHAT WAS GOING ON FOR THE WHOLE MEETING.
UM, AND OF COURSE, UH, I WANNA THANK THE COMMISSION FOR YOUR, UH, PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING WITH, UH, WITH, UH, GIVING US GUIDANCE, WORKING WITH US, UH, THROUGH THESE, UH, TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES THAT WE EXPERIENCED.
UM, AND WITH ALL THE, ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE GONNA BE DEVELOP, UH, TUNING UP.
WE ALREADY HAVE AN O P, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE ADDING A LOT OF MEAT ON THE BONES FOR THE S O P, UM, AND, UH, ARE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT OUT WHEN IT COMES, UH, AVAILABLE.
WE, UH, I, I DON'T QUITE WANNA SHARE IT YET.
WE HAVE MOST OF THE INFORMATION THERE.
IT'S A SEVEN PAGE DOCUMENT, BUT, UH, I'M PRETTY SURE WE CAN CONDENSE THAT DOWN AND, AND STREAMLINE IT FURTHER.
UM, AND HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WHEN IT COMES, UH, COMES THROUGH.
UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS OF THAT.
AND, UH, ALL THAT WENT INTO, UH, THAT'S GOING IN INTO THE SOP PROCESS.
UH, DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME FOR REACTIONS, UH, BUT REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, I KNOW AN ADDITIONAL, UH, SO THAT'S GONNA BE IN A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
UH, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, VICE CHAIR, DOC AND I WILL BE THE ONES PROVIDING INPUT ON THE O P.
UH, WE SHOULD BE PRETTY WELL COVERED, I THINK, WITH THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU'LL GET A CHANCE TO REACT TO IT ON THE RECORD AT A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM MEETING.
SO, UH, AT THAT POINT, IT SHOULD BE THE BEST VERSION OF IT THAT IT COULD BE, HOPEFULLY.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THERE ARE TWO THINGS I THINK WE HAVEN'T, UH, IN THE LAST YEAR, WE HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH.
AND THAT IS GETTING AN UPDATE FROM SMART CITIES AND ALSO FROM THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT ON THEIR STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK THAT, UH, WE HAVE TALKED IN THE WORKING GROUPS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A
[03:10:01]
ADVANCING BOTH OF THOSE.UH, SO BE PREMATURE, I THINK, TO REQUEST A BRIEFING YET, AND TO SET AN AGENDA ITEM.
UH, BUT I THINK IT, IT'S STILL TEED UP, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF, IF THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN QUICKLY, THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO GO THERE.
UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME ABOUT THAT.
UM, I THINK SOMETHING NEW THOUGH, UM, TO CONSIDER, UH, THAT I, I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH, I KNOW VICE CHAIR POCA ABOUT, UH, AS A POTENTIAL ITEM, AND THIS RELATES TO THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD, AND WE'VE GOT A, A VERY BRIEF TIME TO GET THIS OUT.
WE, WE'VE HAD, UH, A PERSISTENT PATTERN OF, IN THE PAST FEW YEARS OF, UH, INTERIM LEADERSHIP AT A DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL AFFECTING, UH, THE CAPABILITY FOR SHARE OUTS.
UH, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING WITH, UH, AND THAT'S, UH, HASN'T NECESSARILY BEEN A BAD THING.
UH, I, I THINK IT'S BEEN SOMETIMES A GOOD THING, BUT THERE ARE OTHER TIMES WHEN IT HAS, IT'S CERTAINLY BEEN A VERY IMPACTFUL THING.
UM, AND, AND I'LL SAY THIS, UH, I HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF MEETING WITH OUR, UH, INTERIM CIO, UH, KEKA LAKE, UH, AT, UH, THE CITY OF FACILITY.
AND, UH, IT WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION.
IT WAS BRIEF, BUT SHE SHARED AN ADAPTIVE STRATEGY IN REACTION TO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR CAPABILITIES WITH TECHNOLOGY AND HOW TO SUPPORT THEM.
BUT YET A DESIRE, UH, TO BE MORE OF A STRATEGIC PARTNER, UH, WHICH, UH, WAS CONVEYED CONSISTENTLY BY CHRIS STEWART AS HE HAD CONVEYED WANTING FOR CTM TO BECOME MORE OF A STRATEGIC PLAYER AND TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE IN TERMS OF PLANNING, UH, LESS OF A RESPONSE ORGANIZATION AND MORE OF A PARTNER, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, TECHNOLOGY.
UH, WELL, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, UH, THAT I KNOW OUR CIO, INTERIM CIO HAS IS THE FACT THAT AS AN INTERIM CIO, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO REALLY, UM, TO STICK YOUR NECK OUT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF A PLANNING STANDPOINT OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE DUE FOR A BRIEFING FROM CTM, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET ONE UNTIL, UH, EITHER IT'S AGREED UPON BY THE CITY MANAGER, OR, UH, SHE'S MADE PERMANENT.
AND WHAT IT REMINDED ME OF IS HOW YOU COULD SEE THAT SAME KIND OF PATTERN UNFOLD FOR OTHER AREAS.
UH, WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, AREAS AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY THAT WERE CAUGHT UP IN TRANSITION WITH, UH, INTERIM LEADERSHIP FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, UH, ISSUES AROUND, UH, OPEN DATA, AND NOW A STANDING ISSUE, UH, WELL LESS SO NOW, UH, UH, BUT AN OPEN ISSUE AROUND AI GOVERNANCE, UH, THAT'S BEING MANAGED BY THE INTERIM, UH, CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER, UH, YOU KNOW, WHO I FEEL IS ENABLED TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE AND TAKE STEPS IN, IN THEIR ROLE.
UH, BUT WHAT IT REMINDED ME OF IS WE MAY WANT TO HAVE, UH, A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM AROUND THIS, UH, THAT COULD, UH, RESULT IN A RECOMMENDATION BASICALLY TOWARDS THE CITY MANAGER, UH, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, MORE OR LESS PROVIDE, UH, FREEDOM, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, TO UNCUFF, SO TO SPEAK, INTERIM LEADERS IN THE CITY, TO FEEL COMFORTABLE TO ACT, UH, ESPECIALLY ON THINGS THAT WE KNOW ARE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO BE PUSHED, YOU KNOW, FROM QUARTER TO QUARTER THAT, THAT NEED ACTION NOW.
UH, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT OUT THERE BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, ARE THERE ANYTHING ELSE? IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT PEOPLE HAVE IN MIND? UH, VERY QUICKLY, UH, THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN IS CHANGING ITS HYBRID WORK POLICY.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD AT THE VERY LEAST, DISCUSS PERHAPS IN DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP.
THAT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE, UM, A GOOD PLACE FOR IT.
UH, I KNOW ONE OF THE, MY, MY THOUGHTS, CAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AS WELL, UH, WAS WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, ARRIVE AT A CONSENSUS ABOUT THAT IN WHICH WILL REQUIRE DISCUSSION.
UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I'VE GOT COMPETING THOUGHTS ABOUT, UH, IT BEING GOOD OR BAD.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT THERE MAY BE STRONG THOUGHTS AMONGST THE COMMISSION AS WELL.
I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE IT UP IN THE WORKING GROUP AND THEN CHOP IT UP AND THEN, UH, SEE HOW IT CAN, CAN FIT ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
AND JUST VERY QUICKLY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S RELEVANT, UH, TO Y'ALL, BUT THERE'S TWO OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY, UH, TAKEN THE ITEM UP AND, UH, UH, OFFERED RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, THE, THE TWO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS, UH, HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED AND SUBMITTED RECOMMENDATIONS.
THAT'S, THAT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, ENVISION IMPLICATIONS FROM A, UH, ENERGY GRID STANDPOINT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WE MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN AFFECTED BY, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, THAT WE'RE NOT CONSIDERING.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S DEFINITELY LOTS OF WAYS TO, TO DICE THIS ONION.
AND WE NEED TO, TO CHOP IT UP AND, AND, AND DEAL WITH THE SMELL.
[03:15:01]
COVERS, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, AND THAT TAKES US TO OUR LAST AGENDA ITEM ADJOURNMENT.UH, I MAKE A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
WE HAVE A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT, UH, BY MYSELF, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER KUTA.
UH, WITH THAT, ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ANYBODY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT, THEN.
WE ARE OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED WITH THE SEVEN OH VOTE.
THANK YOU ALL COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR PATIENCE, UH, AND FOR YOUR ENERGY HERE FOR THE MEETING TONIGHT, AND FOR GETTING OUR, OUR WORK PLAN APPROVED FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AT THE NEXT, UH, WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, UH, NEXT MONTH.
UH, AND, UH, PLEASE, UH, COMMUNICATE WITH ME DIRECTLY WITH ANY CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS OR THINGS YOU WANNA HAVE ADDRESSED IN THOSE WORKING GROUPS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU WON'T BE PRESENT, UH, COMMISSIONER ISLANDS, UH, THAT REALLY IS FOR YOU.
I KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS ON YOUR PLATE, UH, AND SO YOU CAN'T BE IN A WORKING GROUP RIGHT NOW, BUT PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE ANY THOUGHTS YOU MIGHT HAVE THAT YOU WANNA ADDRESS IN THE WORKING GROUPS.
YOU HAD FALL, BIG FALL WHEN I FOUND BABY, FOR REASON.