[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:05]
UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO START THE SEPTEMBER 13TH MEETING OF THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION.
UH, FIRST ORDER ON THE AGENDA IS TO, UH, REQUEST IF THERE ARE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
SEEING NONE, UH, WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION BOARD REGULARLY MEETING ON AUGUST 9TH, 2023.UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? SO I MOVED BY COMMISSIONER CHAN, I'LL SECOND AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER.
COMMISSIONER PIAN, UM, DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF PASSING THE MINUTES FROM, UH, AUGUST 9TH, 2023.
COMMISSIONER RE, IS THAT AYE? AYE.
UH, THE MEETING MINUTES FROM AUGUST 9TH, 2023.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, SHE'S ONLINE, BUT SHE'S OH, OKAY.
UM, IT SEEMS, ADAM, I, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ONE MORE PERSON.
ONE COMMISSIONER EILEEN BISON, THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE A PANELIST.
[2. Staff briefing regarding commission announcements and vacancies by Felicia Ojeda, Staff Liaison]
NEXT ORDER OF AGENDA.UH, WE HAVE ORDER OF BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA RATHER, IS, UH, FELICIA AJERA, STAFF LIAISON, UH, TO SPEAK TO ANY BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENTS SHE MAY HAVE REGARDING THE TOURISM COMMISSION BOARD.
UM, WE HAVE NO NEW ANNOUNCEMENT OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A FULL ROSTER NOW.
UH, DISTRICT SIX, I BELIEVE IS BISHOP, UM, CHAPPELLE.
AND IF YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND WE CAN DO A QUICK INTRODUCTION, PLEASE DO EVERYONE, UH, BISHOP CHAPPEL.
BISHOP CHAPEL REPRESENTING DISTRICT SIX, OR NOMINATED FROM DISTRICT SIX.
AND IF WE'D LIKE TO GO QUICKLY DOWN THE LINE, WE CAN SAY WHO WE ARE AND WHAT DISTRICT WE REPRESENT.
HI, RACHEL MCGEE, REPRESENT DISTRICT FOUR.
MY NAME'S DANIEL RONAN, AND I AM DISTRICT NINE.
ED BAILEY, UH, REPRESENTING DISTRICT FIVE, ANNA PINOC, REPRESENTING FOR THE MAYOR GREG SHANNON, REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO CHRISTIAN SHAY REPRESENTING DISTRICT THREE.
I HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT TODAY.
UM, CAN WE GET THE TWO COMMISSIONERS TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES ONLINE? UM, JOHN REEDY, DISTRICT SEVEN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONERS, AND WELCOME TO BISHOP CHAPPELLE HERE.
UM, MAY THE, UH, UH, RECORD BE CORRECTED TO SHOW THAT, UH, WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER FROM, UH, DISTRICT EIGHT, STEPHANIE MATHIS.
[3. Discussion and possible action of the Tourism Commission Board of a proposal recommendation of the Austin TPID to Council]
ON TO THE NEXT ITEM OF THE AGENDA.ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION BOARD OF A PROPOSAL RECOMMENDATION OF THE AUSTIN TEPID TWO COUNCIL.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT RACHEL, UH, EXCUSE ME, COMMISSIONER MCGEE HAD PROPOSED, UM, SOME ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION AS MOTIONS TO THIS BODY.
UH, AND I'LL GIVE HER THE FLOOR TO DISCUSS THOSE PROPOSED RECOMMENDATIONS OR MOTIONS FOR RECOMMENDATION, POSSIBLY.
I WANNA DEAL WITH THESE SEPARATELY.
SO MY FIRST MOTION IS THAT THIS BODY RECOMMEND A COUNCIL, UM, THAT THE COUNCIL PUT IN PLACE MECHANISMS TO ENSURE ALL FUNDS RECEIVE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FROM THE AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT REVENUE BE, BE USED SOLELY TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
AND I'LL WAIT FOR A SECOND BEFORE I SPEAK FURTHER.
UH, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT WE HAVE A SECOND FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER SHEPE.
SO, UM, I HOPE THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WE CAN REACH CONSENSUS ON.
WE'VE SORT OF TALKED ABOUT HOMELESS REVENUE BEFORE.
[00:05:01]
I'VE LEFT THIS VERY GENERAL, IT DOESN'T SPEAK TO SPECIFIC AMOUNTS, UM, AND IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE PASSAGE OF THE TID, IT'S NOT INTENDED TO AFFECT THE PASSAGE OF THE TID.IT'S REALLY, UM, JUST SPEAKING TO THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE, UM, OF THE CITY RECEIVING TID REVENUE.
IT'S, IT SORT OF CODIFIES THE ORIGINAL VISION.
AND SO IT'S SORT OF A MINI REFERENDUM WHERE VOTING ON THIS KIND OF PUTS, UH, PROVIDES A PUBLIC RECORD OF WHERE THIS BOARD, THIS BODY STANDS ON THE ISSUE.
UM, LIKE I SAID, NO AMOUNT IS SPECIFIED, BUT THE WORD SOLELY IS INCLUDED FOR A REASON.
UM, I BELIEVE IT'S IN THE INTERESTS OF HOTELS AND OTHER TOURISM BUSINESSES TO TACKLE HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE HOMELESSNESS HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT TO THE CITY.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S IN LINE WITH OUR MANDATE AS A BOARD BECAUSE IT, BECAUSE ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS DOES, UH, OR IMPROVING THE SITUATION WITH HOMELESSNESS DOES BENEFIT TOURISM, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, OUR MANDATE TO SORT OF LOOK AT.
UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD KIND OF ASK WHY WOULD WE ALLOW THE MONEY TO GO ELSEWHERE? BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL VISION, UM, AND SUPPORT FROM THE HOTELS IN CREATING THE T I D AND ALLOWING SOME REVENUE TO GO TO THE CITY WAS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, WHICH AS I SAID, THEY AS A TOURISM INDUSTRY WOULD BENEFIT FROM.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
CAN YOU REREAD THE MOTION PLEASE, COMMISSIONER? CERTAINLY, IT'S THAT WE RECOMMEND THAT THE COUNCIL PUT IN PLACE MECHANISMS TO ENSURE ALL FUNDS RECEIVED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FROM THE AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT REVENUE BE USED SOLELY TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
UH, DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION, COMMISSIONER BAILEY? SORRY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M REALLY CLEAR ON THE, THE WORD SHARE.
YOU'RE USING ALL FUNDS DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY AND SOLELY SO IS, BUT YOU'RE SAYING IT'S NOT A SPECIFIED AMOUNT, BUT YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT ALL THE MONEY FROM THE TID GO TO HOMELESSNESS.
AND ADDITIONALLY, I'M NOT SPECIFYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT SERVICES, UM, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT GETS TOO MUCH INTO THE DETAILS AS WELL.
WELL, I I'LL SUBMIT TO SOMEONE ELSE'S QUESTIONS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER CHA? SO, UM, I, I WOULD OPPOSE, I, I WOULD OPPOSE THE MOTION.
I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE DISCUSSIONS ON THE TPI HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR SIX YEARS.
UM, I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE PASSED COUNCIL, PASSED THE TPI THAT, UM, I DON'T, IT'S ABOVE MY PAY GRADE TO TELL CITY COUNCIL WHAT TO DO WITH ITS FUNDS OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS MAY BE A BIG ISSUE.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BIG ISSUES ARE GONNA BE IN THE FUTURE, WHETHER IT'S LAW ENFORCEMENT, DEALING WITH TRAFFIC, WHO KNOWS ALL THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, AFFECT, UM, TOURISM.
AND, UM, I WOULD RATHER THAT THOSE FUNDS BE GENERAL REVENUE AND THAT THEY JUST GO TO THE CITY.
WHAT I WORRY ABOUT IS, IF ONE OF THE THINGS I WORRY ABOUT IS, WELL, OKAY, WE GIVE THIS LARGE POT OF MONEY FOR HOMELESSNESS.
AND WHAT I'VE SEEN CITY COUNCILS DO IN THE PAST IS WE'VE GOT THIS NEW SOURCE OF FUNDING, SO THEY, IT'S JUST A SHELL GAME.
THEY CUT BACK, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'RE OTHERWISE GETTING AND THEY PUT IT.
OTHERWISE, I WOULD JUST RATHER BE MUCH MORE DIRECT ABOUT IT.
AND WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL IS PASSING ITS ANNUAL BUDGET, THEY DECIDE WHAT THEY'RE GONNA SPEND THE MONEY ON.
THAT'S WHAT WE ELECT THEM FOR.
CAN I RESPOND TO THAT? COMMISSIONER MCGEE? UM, I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND AND SAY THIS IS NOT DESIGNED TO AFFECT THE PASSAGE OF THE TPI AT ALL.
THIS IS SPEAKING TO THE TPI HAPPENS.
THIS IS SPEAKING TO WHAT HAPPENS TO THE REVENUE WHEN IT'S COLLECTED.
UM, WE HAD SPOKEN LAST TIME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SENDING A LETTER TO COUNCIL RECOMMENDING THAT THEY AMPLIFY HOMELESS OR WHATEVER.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE IT'S NOT, I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT CONNECTED, UNDERSTAND.
AND RACHEL, SO I CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOUR MOTION IS JUST, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE MONEY THAT THE CITY GETS BACK FROM THE T ID FUNDS, IT'S NOT ALL THE TAX REVENUES FROM THE TID THAT IS CORRECT.
IT'S THE MONEY THAT THE CITY RECEIVES FROM THE TID PER THE SERVICE AGREEMENT ARRANGEMENT.
ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONER EE, THREE YEARS AGO, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAD ROUGHLY 3,500 HOMELESS PEOPLE.
AND TODAY WE HAVE ALMOST 5,000.
SO JUST DURING THE COURSE OF COVID UNTIL NOW, THE HOMELESS POPULATION IN AUSTIN'S INCREASED BY ABOUT 50%.
LESS THAN 10 YEARS AGO, WE HAD LESS THAN $10 MILLION, UM, FROM THE CITY BEING PUT TOWARDS HOMELESSNESS.
EVERY YEAR WE'VE CHRONICALLY DISINVESTED FROM HOMELESSNESS.
[00:10:01]
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A SOLID STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO ENSURING THAT WE DO SOMETHING AS A CITY TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS LONG TERM.THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SHEPE.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR, UH, COMMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, CHAPEL, SORRY.
UH, JUST CLARIFYING, IS IT THE PERCENTAGE OF AVAILABLE FUNDS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS OR THE TOTAL SUM GIVEN TO THE CITY FOR HOMELESSNESS? DIRECTLY? IT'S THE TOTAL SUM OF WHATEVER THEY RECEIVED FROM THE TEPID WHEN THEIR TE I WAS ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED.
THE, THE PROMISE WAS THAT, UH, MONEY WOULD BE, WOULD COME EITHER, WELL, BOTH DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY.
NOW, IT ONLY COMES INDIRECTLY, UM, THROUGH THE TP REVENUE TO THE CITY.
SO THE CITY COULD SPEND IT ON HOMELESSNESS.
SO THE GOAL OF THIS IS TO UNDERSCORE THAT PROMISE AND KEEP THAT PROMISE THAT IT IS USED INDEED FOR HOMELESSNESS AND IT'S NOT FARM, YOU KNOW, UH, DIVERTED TO OTHER THINGS.
THE, THE PIECE OF THE THE PUZZLE PLAN WE REFERENCING? YES.
OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, UM, UH, WE'D LIKE TO MOVE TO A VOTE.
UM, THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED RE RESOLUTION TO I CAN READ IT, RECOMMEND THAT THE COUNSEL PUT IN PLACE MECHANISMS TO ENSURE ALL FUNDS RECEIVED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FROM AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AT BID REVENUE BE USED SOLELY TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
THOSE IN FAVOR, THOSE OPPOSED? UM, THE MOTION PASSES.
I THINK THIS ONE WILL BE, COULD POTENTIALLY BE MORE, UH, CONTENTIOUS.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, UH, IN SIMILAR VEIN AT PREVIOUS, UM, UH, MEETINGS.
BUT I WANTED TO PUT THIS FORTH.
SORRY, I'M SPEAKING ON THE MOTION BEFORE I'VE MADE THE MOTION.
AND THEN I WILL JUSTIFY THE MOTION.
UH, I MOVE THAT WE RECOMMEND THAT THE COUNCIL INCLUDE LANGUAGE IN THE AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT SERVICE AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE FOR DIRECT CONTRIBUTIONS OF AUSTIN TID REVENUES AS AND WHEN STATE LAW ALLOWS AT THE LEVELS PRESENTED DURING THE AUGUST 31ST, 2017 COUNCIL MEETING.
WE HAVE A SECOND WITH COMMISSIONER.
UM, SHAPEY, DO WE HAVE, UH, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UH, CAN I SPEAK FROM IT FIRST? OH, ACTUALLY, UH, COMMISSIONER
LET ME SPEAK TO IT SO YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE I'M COMING FROM.
UM, AS I WAS SAYING, I THINK THIS IS LARGELY SYMBOLIC.
UM, IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT THIS, IF WE WERE TO APPROVE THIS, IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO EFFECT UNLESS STATE LAW CHANGES, WHICH, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY WON'T EVER HAPPEN.
UM, I'M CERTAINLY NOT TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR A DELAY IN THE SERVICE AGREEMENT BY INTRODUCING THIS.
UH, AS WE'VE SEEN, UM, COUNCIL, UM, REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE RECOMMEND, THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE ACTION ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS CORRECT.
RIGHT? WE'VE SEEN THIS SERVICE AGREEMENT DELAYED TWICE NOW BY COUNCIL.
UM, AND THAT IS BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA VOTE ON THE SERVICE AGREEMENT, NOT US.
SO THEY'RE THE ONES WITH ANY LEVERAGE TO BARGAIN FOR ANYTHING, NOT US.
UM, SO I DON'T IF WE APPROVE THIS, I DON'T ANTICIPATE, UM, COUNSEL TAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION AND INCLUDING IT IN THIS SERVICE AGREEMENT.
MAYBE IF WE APPROVE IT, IT GETS INCLUDED IN A FUTURE SERVICE AGREEMENT.
UM, THIS IS REALLY ABOUT, IN MY VIEW, SOMEBODY IN THIS ENTIRE PROCESS NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE VERY PUBLIC PROMISES THAT WERE MADE IN 2017, UM, WHICH WERE TO INCENTIVIZE EXPANDING THE CONVENTION CENTER AND CREATE A TPI.
UM, THERE WERE VERY PUBLIC PROMISES ABOUT HOW MUCH OF THAT TPI WAS GONNA COME BACK TO THE CITY.
UM, SO I BELIEVE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS BODY TO GO ON RECORD, UM, EITHER SUPPORTING THE ORIGINAL INTENT AND VISION OF THE T ID, UM, BY RECOMMENDING TO COUNCIL THAT THEY HONOR THE ORIGINAL DEAL IF THE OPPORTUNITY EVER ARISES.
UM, IN MY OPINION, VOTING IT DOWN IS TO SUGGEST THAT HOTELS WERE NEVER COMMITTED TO THE WIDELY PUBLICIZED PLAN, UM, AS WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE DISCUSSION.
COMMISSIONER CHAAN, SO FAR, SO FAR, I'M NOT, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE HOTELS ARE COMMITTED TO THE CURRENT PLAN.
IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY, I THINK IT'S WHAT, 60%? MAYBE 65%.
UM, THERE AGAIN, WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR
[00:15:01]
SIX YEARS, JUST AS CURRENT DELAY THAT WE'VE HAD IN APPROVING THE TPI, I UNDERSTAND IS COST THE, UM, THE CITY A MILLION DOLLARS OR LESS REVENUES THIS PHYSICAL YEAR.UM, AND THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL, I THINK DO NOTHING BUT MUDDY THE WATER, UM, AND GETTING THE T PIT A PASSED AND GETTING IT IMPLEMENTED SO THAT WE CAN PROMOTE TOURISM WITHIN OUR CITY, WHICH IS THE, IN MY OPINION, THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION.
I WASN'T THE BEST AT MATH, BUT, UM, THE ORIGINAL PLAN, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WAS 40% OF 1%.
THE, OF THE REVENUES, THE CURRENT PLAN IS 2% OF, OF, EXCUSE ME, 20% OF 2%, WHICH SHOULD GENERATE BASICALLY THE SAME THING.
AND IN FACT, IN THE MATERIALS PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL, IT EXPRESSLY STATES THAT, THAT THIS, UM, TPI AS PROPOSED.
OF COURSE, THERE ARE SOME OTHER MODIFICATIONS TO IT, AND I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, THAT WOULD GENERATE BASICALLY THE SAME LEVEL OF UNRESTRICTED ANNUAL REVENUES FOR THE CITY.
SO I DON'T ALSO, THE TPI WORKING GROUP, AS I UNDERSTAND IT IN THEIR RECOMMENDATION, ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT'S UNLIKELY FOR ANYTHING TO CHANGE THAT ALLOWS ANYTHING ELSE.
SO THAT WAS A DIFFERENT CITY COUNCIL, IT WAS DIFFERENT.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT MORE HOTELS SINCE THEN.
UM, THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY I WOULDN'T DO THIS.
MAY I RESPOND TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER MCGEE? UM, SO WITH REGARD TO YOUR MATH, THE ORIGINAL DEAL WAS 40% OF A 1% LEVY WITH THE OPTION TO INCREASE IT TO A 2% LEVY.
SO 40% ON 2% WITH, WITH TWO THIRDS APPROVAL OF THE HOTELS, RIGHT? WELL, ANY SERVICE LUCK, ANY SERVICE AGREEMENT IS TWO IS TWO THIRDS.
AND AT THE TIME IT WAS PRESENTED, WE WERE ALL ASSURED THE HOTELS WERE ALL BEHIND THIS BECAUSE THEY WERE VERY INTERESTED IN T BID TO RAISE MONEY FOR THEIR MARKET.
DON'T, I'M SORRY, I HAVE TO STEP IN.
WE, WE CAN'T HAVE IT BACK AND FORTH ON THE DI SO COMMISSIONER TANNIN.
IN FACT, THE CITY, EXCUSE ME, THE HOTEL, YOURS DID NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TFI PLAN IN 2020 BECAUSE THERE WAS A PUSH TO GENERATE MORE REVENUES TO BE DIRECTED TO THE CITY.
UM, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE HOTELIERS GONNA AGREE TWO THIRDS OF THEM AT LEAST TO CONTRIBUTE MORE FUNDS.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED COMMISSIONER IAN? I I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT THAT I FEEL LIKE THIS, UH, SECOND MOTION, I WONDER IF WE COULD CHANGE IT TO KIND OF A STATEMENT FROM PEOPLE WHO MAYBE WERE HERE AND ON THE BOARD.
UH, I THINK A MAJORITY OF US, UH, WE'RE NOT ON THIS COMMISSION AND BOARD AND DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE HISTORY.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS COMING FROM MORE OF A HISTORICAL SENSE.
AND I'M LOOKING AT IT LIKE, WELL, HERE WE ARE TODAY.
WE HAVE AT LEAST SOME KIND OF TPI WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD.
BECAUSE I'M NOT, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT HISTORICAL, HEY, THEY WERE GONNA GET 40, NOW IT'S ONLY 20 BACK AND FORTH.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THIS ISN'T A VOTE? AND MAYBE JUST A MEMORIALIZED COMMENT FROM
UM, COMMISSIONER EE, I THINK IT'S ONLY A MEMORIALIZED COMMENT JUST DEPENDING ON WHAT OUR VOTE IS.
LIKE, IF WE APPROVE IT, IT'S A MEMORIALIZED COMMENT.
IF WE DON'T, IT'S NOT, I MEAN, I WOULD BE WILLING, WILLING TO, UM, I'D BE WILLING TO PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT TO THIS TO TRY AND SOFTEN IT SLIGHTLY, IF THAT MAKES IT MORE PALATABLE BY, UM, REPLACING, IF YOU LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE, REPLACING THE WORD INCLUDE IN THE FIRST SENTENCE WITH CONSIDER, INCLUDING, BECAUSE IT'S NOT MY INTENT TO HOLD UP THE SERVICE AGREEMENT ANYMORE.
THIS IS REALLY, I JUST WANT PUBLIC RECORD OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL OKAY.
UM, COMMISSIONER MATHIS HAD A COMMENT.
UM, I'M JUST, CAN YOU HEAR ME? GO AHEAD.
UH, YOU KNOW, I DO, I WORRY, UM, THAT THE, UM, APPROVAL OF OWNERS THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO GET THIS PASSED IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S A GIVEN.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE, UM, THAT YOU THINK THAT IT IS, UM, I'M SAD TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST MOTION PASSED THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE TO TRY
[00:20:01]
TO TELL CITY COUNCIL WHAT TO DO AND, UM, HOW TO DIRECT THESE FUNDS AS THEY SEE FIT.UM, DO WE NOT TRUST THEM ANYMORE THAN THAT TO GOVERN THE CITY? I MEAN, IT'S JUST SO, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE REALLY STEPPING OUT HERE TO TRY TO TELL THEM HOW TO USE THE MONEY.
WE'RE TRYING TO PROMOTE TOURISM.
NOBODY HERE SEEMS TO THINK THAT IT'S A BAD IDEA TO DO THAT, AND THAT THIS IS NOT A GREAT WAY TO DO JUST THAT.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS SORT OF LANGUAGE, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS UPSET THAT IT ISN'T THE EXACT SAME WORDING AS SOMETHING THAT WAS PROPOSED YEARS AGO WHEN THE WORLD HAS CHANGED.
I MEAN, IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU'RE JUST SAYING THAT LIKE, YOUR FEELINGS ARE HURT OR SOMETHING ON HERE THAT IT, I MEAN, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE DIRECTIONS THAT ARE NOT JUST LIKE, HEY, CAN WE NOTE THAT THESE FEELINGS ARE HURT BUT ARE, ARE ACTUALLY USEFUL? NO ONE WOULD EXPECT THAT A HOME PRICE FROM 2017 IS THE SAME, OR THAT YOUR MORTGAGE RATE WOULD BE THE SAME AS 2017.
THERE'S A LOT THAT'S HAPPENED SINCE THAT TIME.
A WHOLE LOT AND OWNERS HAVE GOT TOGETHER AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND SPOKE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE VISIT AUSTIN AND THE CONVENTION CENTER AND HAVE SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
THIS IS WHAT WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN DO.
AND IT'S NOT THAT MAILABLE ANYMORE, AND IT COULD END TOMORROW.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OWNERSHIP GROUPS IN THIS CITY THAT OWN SO MANY HOTELS IN THIS CITY THAT CAN AFFORD TO FUND THEIR OWN MARKETING.
AND THAT IF WE BLOW THIS UP WITH MORE OF THESE THINGS, WE'LL HURT THE SMALL HOTELS THAT AREN'T THE BIG BOXES THAT CAN'T JUST GO AND FUND THEIR OWN MARKETING.
AND THERE IS A FATIGUE FROM SOME PEOPLE THAT WE WON'T JUST APPROVE THIS AND LET THIS MOVE FORWARD TO HELP THE CITY.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
WE HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONERS WISHING TO SPEAK.
OH, I JUST WANT TO, I JUST WANT TO, UH, QUESTION THAT PREMISE OF THE PREVIOUS COMMISSIONER IN THAT THIS BODY WAS APPOINTED TO ADVISE COUNSEL AND THAT'S ALL WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
AND SECONDLY, WHEN IT COMES TO FEELINGS, IT SEEMS LIKE THE HOTEL INDUSTRY IS VERY ANGRY.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY PARTICULAR FEELINGS ABOUT THIS EXCEPT TO SUPPORT THE BEST DEAL I CAN.
COMMISSIONER PAAN, DO YOU WANNA COMMENT? YEAH.
LIKE I, YOU KNOW, ONLY HAVE BEEN ON THIS COUNCIL FOR A BIT.
UM, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT OUR PURPOSE IS TO RECOMMEND THINGS TO COUNCIL.
AND THAT'S HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS.
AND NOT ONLY US, BUT LIKE EVERY TIME THERE'S A COUNCIL MEETING, PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO COME IN AND LIKE, GIVE THEIR SUGGESTION, RIGHT? BECAUSE LIKE, COUNSELORS ARE COUNSELORS, BUT THEY WORK FOR THE PUBLIC, FOR THE PEOPLE.
UM, AND I THINK ANOTHER PIECE, UM, THAT'S ALSO KIND OF LIKE INTERESTING, AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I, YOU KNOW, ALSO WORK CLOSELY ALONGSIDE LIKE HOTELS, UM, HOTEL WORKERS, HOMELESS FOLKS, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF HOTEL WORKERS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS AND CLEAN THE HOTEL ROOMS, RIGHT? OF THE, THESE MASSIVE HOTELS.
UM, AND I THINK I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT THE FIRST, FIRST THING PASSED.
I THINK THE SECOND PIECE IS SOMETHING THAT I SEE A LOT IN CONTRACTS WE HAVE WITH HOTELS.
THE CONCEPT THAT, HEY, A LAW MIGHT CHANGE AND IF THAT LAW CHANGES, CAN YOU RECONSIDER THIS? I DON'T THINK, I THINK ASSUMING THAT THE HOTELS ARE GONNA ACCEPT IT OR NOT ACCEPT IT, SHOULDN'T MATTER, RIGHT? IT'S JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE LAW COULD CHANGE AND IT SHOULDN'T BE A, A FIGHT TO DO THAT AND IT SHOULDN'T BE.
I THINK ALSO THE HOTEL INDUSTRY KIND OF LIKE SEEMINGLY HOLDING SOME THINGS HOSTAGE AROUND LIKE HOW LONG IT'S TAKEN AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
WHEN AT THE SAME TIME THERE'S PEOPLE EXPERIENCING LIKE, REAL HOMELESSNESS AND STUFF.
AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE THINGS GET OVER THE YEARS.
IT'S BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FOCUSING MORE ON ONE THING THAN OTHERS.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER BAILEY? YEAH, UH, I JUST WANTED TO DRAW A DISTINCTION BECAUSE IT HASN'T COME UP YET IN THIS CONVERSATION THAT I ASKED, UH, FOR, UH, THE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM VANESSA FUENTES AND RYAN AL ALTER THAT WAS PUT OUT YESTERDAY ABOUT THE T I D AND ABOUT THEIR NEGOTIATION WITH THE AUSTIN HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT ADVANCING AND IT, I THINK IMPROVING THE TID DEAL.
AND, UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ARE TAKING THIS INTO ACCOUNT.
AND WHAT I MEAN IS TO MORE OR LESS ALIGN WITH WHAT STEPHANIE WAS SAYING, IS THAT THERE'S A PROCESS THAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING AS WE SPEAK, AND IT'S BEEN GOING ON.
[00:25:01]
THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VOTES TOMORROW.AND THE, AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE IS NO ACRIMONY BETWEEN THE AUSTIN HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION AND THE CITY COUNCIL RIGHT NOW, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE ON TRACK TO MAKE A DEAL, WHICH IS, WE SHOULD BE SUPPORTING THAT.
I THINK THE FUNCTION TODAY OF THIS CONVERSATION SHOULD BE, HEY, LOOK, A COUPLE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE MADE THIS DEAL BETTER.
WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT WHY IS THE DEAL BETTER? WHAT DO WE THINK ABOUT THE EXPANSION AND THE CHANGES IN THE LANGUAGE, AND THAT WE SHOULD BE MAKING A VOTE TO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE IF WE THINK IT MAKES THE TPI BETTER.
BUT WE ARE SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT 2017.
I THINK WE'RE OFF COURSE AND TO SOME DEGREE, BUT I RESPECT MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS AND AND CONCERNS.
SO I'M HERE TO VOTE MY CONSCIOUS AND TO SUPPORT, BUT I WANNA SAY TO THIS BODY, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE PRO TPI FIRST AND HOW THE MONEY GETS SPENT IS NOT UNDER ALL OF OUR JURISDICTION.
SEEING NO ADDITIONAL HANDS, UM, I'M GONNA CALL THE CURRENT, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY A FEW COMMENTS IN TERMS OF THE SECOND RESOLUTION.
THE FIRST RESOLUTION I UNDERSTAND FOR THE SYMBOLIC NATURE, UM, AS DISCUSSED, RIGHT? IT IS ALREADY IN DISCUSSIONS WITH CITY COUNCIL TO GET IT DONE.
SO ADDING A SECOND AMENDMENT SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT FAR FOR ME.
WE MIGHT AS WELL ADD, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER BACK TO THE CONVERSATION.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THESE THINGS ARE OUT OF OUR HANDS IN SITTING WITH CITY COUNCIL.
WE'VE ALL SHARED ARTICLES ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION.
SO THE PUBLIC RECORD, I THINK HAS ALREADY BEEN STATED.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO ADD, UM, TO IT ANY FURTHER.
UM, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH VOTING ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION THAT'S UNEDITED.
CAN YOU HAND THAT TO ME SO I CAN READ IT? MM-HMM.
DIDN'T YOU MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO YOUR OWN MOTION? NO.
IN DISCUSSION, I SAID I WOULD CONSIDER IF IT MADE IT MORE PALABLE, THAT'S, BUT NOBODY SECONDED IT.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I SKIPPED IT.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE AROUND THAT.
DO YOU WANT ME TO READ IT ONE MORE TIME BEFORE WE VOTE? UM, ARE YOU GOOD? ARE WE OKAY? OKAY, GREAT.
ALL, SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION I JUST READ? ALL RIGHT.
UM, WAIT, DO WE, I THINK THAT'S, GO AHEAD.
COMMISSIONER CHAAN, IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO SUGGEST ANOTHER MOTION? UM, YOU CAN DO THAT, YEAH.
UM, MY MOTION WOULD BE THAT THIS BODY RECOMMEND THE CITY COUNCIL PASSING THE T I D BASED UPON, WITH THE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE BEING GOING TO BE PROPOSED BY COMMISSIONER ALTER AND, UM, FUENTES WHO APPOINTED ME.
UM, THAT, UM, AND AS I UNDERSTAND THOSE AMENDMENTS, UH, ONE OF THE CONCERNS WITH THE CURRENT T P D WAS WHILE THE, UM, CONVENTION CENTER IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THEY WERE WORRIED THAT THE AMOUNT THAT WAS BEING GENERATED, THE TRANSFER BACK TO THE CITY WOULD FALL.
AND THAT THEIR PROPOSAL IS TO ALLOW DURING THE PERIOD, WHILE THE, UM, I I SECOND THAT MOTION.
SECONDED BY, UM, COMMISSIONER PEN.
CAN YOU STATE THE MOTION THOUGH, BECAUSE I THOUGHT WITH YOUR DISCUSSION, SO MY, MY, MY AMENDMENT, MY, MY MOTION WOULD BE IS THAT THIS BODY, UH, APPROVED RECOMMENDING TO CITY COUNCIL THE PASSAGE OF THE T JUDGE WITH THE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED BY COMMISSIONER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, OFFICER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS FUENTES.
UM, AND I CAN DESCRIBE WHAT I, AS I UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE AMENDMENTS ARE.
UM, PLEASE DO COMMISSIONER CHEN.
SO, AS I WAS SAYING, THE CONCERN WAS RAISED AND IT'S RAISED IN THE ARTICLE.
YOU, YOU, YOU CIRCULATED RACHEL THAT WHILE THE CONVENTION CENTER WAS DOWN THERE WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH GENERATED TO TRANSFER BACK TO THE CITY.
AND WHAT THE AMENDMENTS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT TO, IS THEY ADD THAT, UM, BUY DOWNS THAT COULD BE USED TO BE TRANSFERRED BACK TO THE CITY TO REIMBURSE THE CITY COULD BE USED TO PAY FOR, UH, NOT JUST THE CONVENTION.
THIS IS JUST DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD, COULD BE USED NOT JUST FOR THE, UM, CONVENTION CENTER IN PALMER, BUT ALSO COULD BE USED TO REIMBURSE, UM, OR PAY FOR COSTS THAT THE CITY
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INCURS IN CONNECTION WITH BIG EVENTS SUCH AS A C L SOUTH SOUTH BY ET CETERA.THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER TANNON.
UM, WE HAVE A SECOND AND WE ALSO HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
UH, DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE MOTION? UH, COMMISSIONER BAAN? NO.
UM, SEEING NONE, UH, THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE PASSING THE TPI AS AMENDED, UH, BY VANESSA FUENTES AND RYAN ALTER.
IS THAT, AM I READING THAT CORRECTLY? OKAY.
UH, THOSE IN FAVOR, THOSE OPPOSED, AND I'M ACTUALLY GONNA ABSTAIN ON THIS ONE.
UM, SO MOVING FORWARD, THEN WE'VE GOT, UH, TWO PASS MOTIONS ON THE TABLE, OR RATHER OFF THE TABLE NOW, UM, JUST PASSED THAT HAVE PASSED, RATHER, YES, THAT THEY HAVE PASSED.
I HAVE, UH, ONE MORE MOTION IF IT IS APPROPRIATE.
I WANT I HAND THIS OUT SO EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO HAVE IT IN FRONT OF THEM.
DID YOU OPPOSE THAT LAST ONE? DID I? SORRY, DID YOU OPPOSE THE LAST ONE? I ACTUALLY ABSTAINED.
DO YOU WANT A COPY OF THAT? SO, I, I THINK THAT PEOPLE WILL FIND THIS AGREEABLE.
SO I'M GONNA READ THE MOTION, AND I HOPE I GET A SECOND.
UM, RECOMMEND THAT THE COUNCIL MANDATE ANNUAL MONITORING OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT IN, IN TERMS OF THE COLLECTION OF FUNDS, THE AMOUNT COLLECTED, AND THE TPIS PERFORMANCE RELATIVE TO OTHER TPI DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE.
I'LL SECOND AND JUST, UH, LET FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE, UM, HAVE THE RECORD NOTE THAT COMMISSIONER MCGEE MCGEE HAS SECONDED THE MOTION ON THE TABLE.
COMMISSIONER SPEAKING ON THIS.
UM, THE KEY PIT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
IT WILL BOOST LOCAL ARTS, LOCAL MUSEUMS, LOCAL BUSINESS, UH, THAT DE THAT, THAT DEPENDS ON TOURISM DOLLARS.
THE TOURISM COMMISSION SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THE T BID TAX IS USED EFFECTIVELY SO THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN WILL GET THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT, AND SO THAT IT WILL PROMOTE THE MOST GROWTH TO TOURISM.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR COMMUNITY ADVOCACY GROUPS WHO HAVE FOUGHT TO HELP GET THE BEST TERMS FOR THE CITY.
UH, WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THE BUY DOWNS FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT THE CITY AND OUR MANY ADVOCACY GROUPS HAVE FOUGHT SO HARD FOR ARE ACTUALLY SENT TO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND TO BE UTILIZED TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
SO, AGAIN, WITH THE MOTION, UH, THE REASONINGS ARE TO UPHOLD ACCOUNTABILITY, TO UPHOLD TRANSPARENCY, TO UPHOLD, UH, MAKING SURE THAT OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE SPENT PRUDENTLY.
UH, WE'VE TAKEN ABOUT SEVEN YEARS TO GET TO THIS POINT, UH, TO PASS.
UH, AND WE ARE THIS CLOSE TO PASSING A T ID IN THE END.
THIS WILL HELP THE TOURISM COMMISSION AND ALL RELEVANT PARTIES EVALUATE HOW, WHERE, HOW WELL OUR TPI IS WORKING, SO THAT THE CITY AND HOTELS WILL BE HAPPY TO EXTEND THE TPI AT RENEWAL.
WITH THIS, THE CITY AND HOTELS WILL CLEARLY SEE THE POSITIVE IMPACTS OF THE TPI GOING FORWARDS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SHEEE.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS? UM, COMMISSIONER TANON.
SO, AS I UNDERSTAND THE TPI HERE IS A CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE FORMATION OF THE TPI ID, WHICH SAYS A MINIMUM OF 20% OF THE TPI FUNDS COLLECTED WILL BE REMITTED TO THE CITY.
I FAIL TO SEE WHAT NEEDS TO BE MONITORED, UM, OTHER THAN THE 20% GETS TRANSFERRED.
IT'S A REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, IT'S REQUIRED.
UH, COMMISSIONER MATHIS, I JUST, I FEEL LIKE ISN'T THERE ALREADY AN ANNUAL REVIEW ON, ON IT? SO WHAT ARE WE DOING? UH, COMMISSIONER SCHEE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND? YEAH.
SO THE, THE POINT OF THIS IS TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THE TOURISM COMMISSION, UH, FROM THE POINT OF THE VIEW OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT COUNSEL REVIEWS THIS AND REVIEWS THE, UH, HOW THE MONEY IS SPENT ON AN ANNUAL CADENCE.
WHY ARE WE DOING SYMBOLIC THINGS INSTEAD OF DOING THINGS THAT MATTER? UM, COMMISSIONER MATHIS, I'M SORRY.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS, JUST FOR THE, FOR THE RECORD, DID YOU WANNA REPEAT YOUR COMMENT? I
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MEAN, I, I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE SPIRIT OF IT, IT'S JUST THAT WE CAME TO SEEM TO KEEP MUDDYING THINGS, AND THIS IS ALREADY PART OF THIS TPI DEAL TO REVIEW THIS ANNUALLY.SO, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION ON SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY THERE.
I I MEAN, AT THIS POINT, I JUST CAN ONLY SUPPORT US SUPPORTING THE TPI THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, BEEN WORKED ON, UM, ARDUOUSLY BY, YOU KNOW, ALL STAKEHOLDERS NOW.
AND NOW IS THE TIME TO DO THAT.
UH, COMMISSIONER BAILEY? YOU HAD A COMMENT? OH, OKAY.
UM, IT'S JUST, JUST A COMMENT.
AM I ON? HELLO? UM, I JUST, I HAVE TO SAY THAT I FIND IT PHENOMENAL.
I WAS EVEN WATCHING THE CHIRON AS YOU SPOKE ABOUT THIS AMENDMENT AND THE WORD TOURISM ABOUT TOURISM, THE IMPACT OF THE TPI ON IMPROVING TOURISM TO THE CITY IS NOT MENTIONED.
AND SO I I ION IT WAS, WELL, LET'S GO BACK AND LOOK.
IT WASN'T TALKING ABOUT TOURISM BUSINESS AND TOURISM REVENUE AND RAISING THE STAKES.
CULTURAL, CULTURAL IMPACT AND USING THE MONEY AND HOW WE SPEND IT FOR CULTURAL, FOR ALL THE CULTURAL AGENCIES THAT ARE LINED UP TO GET IT.
AND I'VE, I JUST CONTINUE TO BE SURPRISED BY THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT BEING PUT IN TO HOW WE CAN HELP SHIFT DOLLARS FROM THIS PROCESS, WHICH THE HOTELS ARE GONNA DO TO DRIVE MORE VISITORS TO THIS TOWN, PERIOD.
AND I JUST HAVE TO GO ON RECORD AND REMIND THAT TO PEOPLE WHO TUNE IN AND WATCH THIS, WHO THINK THAT MOST OF THIS IS ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA SPEND THE TPI DOLLARS AND TELL COUNCIL TO SPEND THE TID DOLLARS AND ALL, AND HOW WE'RE GONNA HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY DON'T SPEND IT A CERTAIN WAY.
COMMISSIONER CHAPPELLE, THANK YOU.
UM, ACTUALLY TOOK IT AS A, A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
UH, MY THINKING WAS MORE ALONG THE LINES OF ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT ALSO PRICING STRATEGIES FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, IF YOU'RE COMPETING IN THE DARK AGAINST FELLOW CITIES, UH, I THINK THAT PUTS YOUR CITY, UH, AT A NEGATIVE ADVANTAGE.
I THINK IT HELPS WITH ACCOUNTABILITY.
IT ALSO RELIES THAT BASIS FOR FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS GOING FORWARD WHEN YOU KNOW HOW EFFECTIVE THE CONTRACT WAS.
I THINK THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN TALKED ABOUT THAT I I THINK THIS GROUP SHOULD TALK ABOUT THEM IN TERMS OF HOW THAT IMPACTS BACK TO YOUR POINT ON, ON TOURISM.
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK IT, IT GOES TO SPEAKING HOW CITY COUNCIL SHOULD SPEND THE FUNDS PER THAT CONTRACT THAT'S ALREADY BEING NEGOTIATED.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE LOOKED AT THE PERFORMANCE RELATIVE TO OTHER TPIS IN OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS.
SO THEY HAVE DONE THAT ANALYSIS AND, UM, HONESTLY, I LOOKED AT THIS AS KIND OF AN, YEAH, I'M A FINANCE PERSON, SO I LOOKED AT IT AS IT'S A AUDITING.
UM, I MEAN, OF COURSE THEY'RE GOING TO AUDIT IT.
I CAN'T IMAGINE THEY'RE GETTING LESS THAN WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY DO THEIR JOB, THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE COLLECTING THE RIGHT AMOUNT.
SO THAT'S WHY I FELT LIKE, I'M NOT SURE THIS IS A MOTION TO VOTE ON.
OF COURSE, THEY'RE GONNA AUDIT, UH, COMMISSIONER MCGEE.
UM, WELL SORT OF PIGGYBACKING ON WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER PENOC HAS JUST SAID, AND, UM, COMMISSIONER MATHIS, IF IT'S ALREADY IN THE DEAL THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA MONITOR, THEN I DON'T SEE THIS MOTION AS BEING IN CONFLICT WITH WHAT THEY'RE ALREADY GONNA DO.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S IN LINE, SO I DON'T SEE IT AS MUDDYING THE WATER.
AND, UH, PIGGYBACKING ON COMMISSIONER, UH, CHAPPELLE, I THINK, UM, HE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THIS, THIS IS LOOKING AT, WE, AND YOU'RE CORRECT, THEY DID LOOK AT HOW THE T-BIRD WOULD PERFORM IN OTHER GROUPS, BUT THIS MOTION, AS YOU READ THIS LANGUAGE, IS TALKING ABOUT JUST MONITORING IT AS IT MOVES FORWARD, RIGHT? WE KNOW WHAT THE PERFORMANCE IS SUPPOSED, UH, GONNA PROJECTED, BUT THIS IS JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT AS IT MOVES FORWARD, WE DO CONTINUE TO MONITOR IT AND ASSESS IT AND SEE IS IT PERFORMING THE WAY THAT WE ALL HOPED IT PERFORMED? BECAUSE THEN IN THE FUTURE, IF THERE'S A RENEWAL, WE CAN SEE WHERE THINGS MIGHT NEED TO BE TWEAKED, AND MAYBE THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE IN THE NEXT, UH, TERM OR WHATEVER.
AND I DON'T THINK I KNOW HOW, UM, WE HEARD, UM, COMMISSIONER SHAPEY, UM, IDEAS BEHIND THIS, BUT WHEN YOU READ THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE, THIS DOESN'T EXCLUDE TOURISM AT ALL.
TO COMMISSIONER BAILEY'S POINT, IT SIMPLY SAYS THAT WE AGREE OR RECOMMEND, UM, THAT THE PERFORMANCE OF IT IS MONITORED REGULARLY.
UM, AND WE COMPARE IT TO HOW IT'S PERFORM, YOU KNOW, HOW OUR TID IS PERFORMING COMPARED TO OTHER TPIS IN TEXAS.
IT'S JUST THAT DATA IS USEFUL DATA, RIGHT.
FOR MOVING FORWARD IN THE FUTURE.
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COMMISSIONER IAN? SORRY, I JUST WANNA COMMENT QUICKLY THAT IT JUST APPEARS LIKE WE'RE TELLING 'EM TO DO THEIR JOB AND HOW TO DO IT.I MEAN,
SO I, I WANT THIS TO BE ABOUT THE, UM, THE CITY'S DOLLARS THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING.
I DO BELIEVE THAT IT'S ALREADY THERE.
AND, AND I ALSO BELIEVE THAT, UM, THERE HAS TO BE IN, UM, IN THE T BID LANGUAGE, THERE'S A YEARLY REVIEW OF THIS AND, UM, UH, VISIT AUSTIN WILL BE ADDRESSING CITY COUNCIL, UM, AND GIVING ALL OF THIS INFORMATION THAT IS THERE.
AND I KNOW THAT IT'LL BE IMPORTANT BECAUSE T P WILL COME UP FOR RENEWAL.
AND I'M THINKING THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE, UM, VERY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE.
BECAUSE WE ALL REMEMBER FROM WHEN WE HAD DIFFERENT HOMELESS, UM, ADVOCACY GROUPS HERE, WHO, UM, EACH OF THEM USED THE WORDS EVERGREEN.
WE NEED EVERGREEN FUNDING, WHICH I GUESS THAT MEANS OUR TPIS ABOUT TO, TO GET PRETTY EVERGREEN.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER CHAPPELLE, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I DID THIS APPROPRIATE, UM, TIME, BUT WHAT ABOUT OPEN FOR DISCUSSION TO SET OF THAT, COMPARING DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS? YOU SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE LIKE, CITIES OF SIMILAR, UH, SIZE AND STANDARDS OF WHY COMPARE JUST WITH TEXAS.
UH, THE LEADING PRACTICES AREN'T ONLY IN TEXAS.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO COMPARE DATA OUTSIDE OF TEXAS TO SEE HOW THOSE TWO PITS ARE PERFORMING.
SO BISHOP, WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROPOSE A, UM, MODIFICATION TO THE MOTION? I WOULD.
AND WHAT IS THE MODIFIED, UH, TO INCLUDE MOTION, THE, TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE, UH, TO COMPARE RTPE AGAINST, LIKE CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY? WOULD IT BE ADDING AND LIKE CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY? YEAH.
WE SHOULD BE CARRYING IT, COMPARING IT TO OTHER REGIONALITIES OF THIS SIZE.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT TPIS ARE REALLY NOT THAT COMMON OUTSIDE THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I BELIEVE THERE'S TWO OTHER STATES.
UH, IT SHOULD HELP FOR DATA COLLECTION.
UH, SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDED, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT THE, THAT THE TOURISM COMMISSION RECOMMEND THAT THE COUNCIL MANDATE ANNUAL MONITORING ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, A TEPID IN TERMS OF THE COLLECTION OF FUNDS, THE AMOUNT COLLECTED, AND THE TPIS PERFORMANCE RELATIVE TO OTHER TEPI DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS AND LIKE CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
SO A DISCUSSION, OH, ACTUALLY WE DON'T HAVE TO DISCUSSION ON AMENDMENT.
CAN I JUST STOP YOU FOR A SECOND? YEAH.
SO COMMISSIONER SCHELL HAS PROPOSED ADDING AN AMENDMENT, WHICH WOULD BE TO ADD THE WORDS AND LIKE CITIES ACROSS THE US THAT AMENDMENT HAS TO GET A SECOND.
AND WE DISCUSS JUST THAT AMENDMENT PART.
AND IF THAT PASSES, THEN WE GET THE AMENDMENT.
SO WHO WOULD LIKE TO SECOND, UM, THE AMENDED MOTION PROPOSED BY COMMISSIONER CHAPPELLE? I JUST HAVE ONE MORE THING TO ADD.
UM, WE ACTUALLY, WE HAVE TO HAVE A SECOND, OR WE HAVE TO DROP THIS.
THAT MOTION IS AGREEABLE TO ME.
COMMISSIONER SHAPEY, UH, AMENDS SECOND.
THE MOTION ON THE TABLE BY SECONDING.
OR RATHER SECOND THE, THE AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS, I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT SOME OF THE DATA THAT YOU'RE HOPING TO GET, I THINK FROM OTHER CITIES AND IN OTHER STATES, I MEAN, THIS IS FIERCELY COMPETITIVE BUSINESS, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THAT EASY TO GET THIS DATA THAT YOU WANT.
AND IN PARTICULAR WHEN NO ONE IS GONNA WANT TO DIVULGE WHAT OUR PRICING IS AS FAR AS WHAT BUY DOWNS, YOU KNOW, WE DID FOR CERTAIN THINGS.
YOU'RE, WE ARE, WE'RE COMPETING WITH THESE OTHER CITIES.
SO IT'S NOT, I MEAN, THE ONLY REASON I WOULD SAY I, I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS IS BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY IN THET PIT AND I THINK THAT YOU'RE MOVING TOWARDS AN AREA TO WHERE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS, DO YOU HAVE ANY, UM,
[00:45:01]
COMMENTS ON THE AMENDED MOTION? WE'RE, WE'RE VOTING ON THE AMENDMENT, NOT THE MOTION.SO, UM, ANY COMMENTS BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT? SO, SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO VOTE GREG, UH, EXCUSE ME, COMMISSIONER.
FOR THE AMENDMENT? IT'S JUST TO INCLUDE THE AMENDMENT IN THE MOTION.
IT'S NOT FOR VOTING TO APPROVE THE MOTION, CORRECT? IT IS A PROCEDURAL VOTE FOR US TO VOTE ON THE WHOLE MOTION.
CAN I ADD ONE MORE THING? UH, COMMISSIONER CHAPPELLE.
SO, AND BECAUSE TPES ARE RELATIVELY NEW, THIS DOES GIVE THE CITY OF AUSTIN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE LEADING PRACTICES.
AND SO I THINK, UH, GOING FORWARD, HAVING PRICE TRANSPARENCY IS A BENEFIT AND A STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER FOR THE CITY COMMISSIONER TANNIN.
WE NEED TO LOOK AS WIDE WITHIN THE COUNTRY AS POSSIBLE 'CAUSE WE'RE A NATIONAL BUSINESS.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, AND I'M GONNA VOTE FOR THE AMENDMENT, BUT I'M NOT GONNA VOTE TO APPROVE THE MOTION JUST 'CAUSE I DON'T AGREE WITH IT.
SO, ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW IS A VOTE FOR THE AMENDED MOTION, NOT TO APPROVE THE MOTION OR DENY THE MOTION, BUT TO VOTE TO AMEND THE MOTION, RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL MANDATE ANNUAL MONITORING ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AT TEPI IN TERMS OF THE COLLECTION OF FUNDS, THE AMOUNT COLLECTED, AND THE TE'S PERFORMANCE RELATIVE TO OTHER TEPI DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS AND LIKE CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
THOSE IN FAVOR? SO JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS IS A VOTE ON JUST THE LANGUAGE.
JUST THE LANGUAGE AND LIKE CITIES ACROSS THE US RIGHT? UM, SIX IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED, TWO OPPOSED.
UM, ABSTAINING COMMISSIONER PENOC IS ABSTAINING FOR THE RECORD MOTION ON THE AMENDMENT PASSES.
UM, THE AMENDED, THE AMENDED MOTION IS NOW UP FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE VOTING, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER BAILEY? I I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, HERE WE GO.
UM, THE REASON I VOTED DOWN ON THE LAST VOTE FOR CHANGING THE AMENDMENT IS BECAUSE I CONSEQUENTLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE WORD MANDATE FROM THE GET GO THAT WE ARE MANDATING TO COUNSEL WHAT THE, HOW TO NEGOTIATE THIS DEAL.
SO I'M JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT TO THE RECORD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER SHAY, JUST TO ONCE AGAIN, SPEAK ON THE INTENTION OF THIS, IT'S TO UPHOLD ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE, ARE SPENT PRUDENTLY.
AND I THINK THERE IS A NATURE OF, UM, BEING ABLE TO TAKE THE LEAD AS A CITY, UH, RELATIVE TO OTHER CITIES IN, IN, UH, HOW WE ARE, UH, PUTTING OUR TAX DOLLARS TO USE IN, IN THE T BID AND HOW THAT'S PROMOTING TOURISM HERE.
UH, COMMISSIONER BAILEY, WOULD REMOVING THE WORD MANDATE FROM THE MOTION CHANGE YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS MOTION? WOULD REMOVING THE WORD MANDATE AND REPLACING IT WITH CONSIDERS RECOMMEND THAT THE COUNCIL CONSIDERS ANNUAL MODERATE MONITORING, ET CETERA, ET CETERA? WOULD THAT CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE MOTION? I, OR COULD YOU CHANGE THE TURN TO IMPLEMENT LIKE, WE'RE NOT MANDATING WHERE YOU IMPLEMENT THE, THE OPERATION PRACTICE? UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CHAPPELLE.
I HAVE TO RECOGNIZE YOU TECHNICALLY.
UH, COMMISSIONER BAILEY, I'M SORRY THAT I'M PROCESSING MY THOUGHT.
UM, I, I, I THINK WE CAN JUST LEAVE IT AS IS BECAUSE I, I FUNDAMENTALLY HAVE CONCERNS ACROSS THE BOARD ON HOW WE'RE APPROACHING THIS.
SO I, I THINK I'M GONNA END UP VOTING HOW I NEED TO VOTE, SO I DON'T THINK CHANGING IT IS GONNA CHANGE MY POSITION.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BAILEY, ARE THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED AMENDED MOTION ON THE TABLE? SEEING NONE, WE'RE, UH, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD IN VOTING ON THE MOTION TO RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL MANDATE ANNUAL MONITOR MONITORING ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AT PIT IN TERMS OF THE COLLECTION OF FUNDS, THE AMOUNT COLLECTED, AND THE T PIT'S PERFORMANCE RELATIVE TO OTHER TPI DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS AND LIKE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.
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FIVE.UH, THOSE POSED FOUR WITHOUT A QUORUM.
ANY ADDITIONAL PROPOSED MOTIONS WITH REGARD TO THE AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND YOUR PERSPECTIVES WITH REGARD TO THE AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
MOVING ON TO THE AGENDA DISCUSSION, UM, AND POSSIBLE ACTION OF THE ARTS PROGRAM FUNDING BY GENERATING QUESTIONS FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
I'M GONNA PLACE THIS ONE FURTHER DOWN ON THE AGENDA WITH RESPECT TO, UM, OUR VISITOR HERE TODAY, IF THAT, UM, UH, IS PERMITTED BY MY COLLEAGUES.
[6. Community Presentation on Tourism & Philanthropy, Executive Director, Paul Scott, with Health Alliance for Austin Musicians]
I WOULD LIKE TO CALL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PAUL SCOTT OF THE HEALTH ALLIANCE FOR AUSTIN MUSICIANS TO THE PODIUM TO SPEAK ABOUT, UH, HIS WORK AND HIS TEAM'S WORK TO PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF AUSTIN MUSICIANS, UH, TOURISM AND BROADER PHILANTHROPY HERE IN AUSTIN.THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, COMMISSIONERS, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE, UM, AT HEALTH ALLIANCE FOR AUSTIN MUSICIANS HAM, UM, BUT ALSO HOW, UM, REALLY, UM, IT KIND OF CONNECTS WITH THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AS COMMISSION AROUND TOURISM, AND THEN ALSO THAT A LAYER OF KIND OF WHAT PHILANTHROPY MEANS, OBVIOUSLY TO A NONPROFIT, UH, IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AS AN ORGANIZATION.
UM, SO, UM, AS DANIEL MENTIONED, UM, I, UH, COMMISSIONER RONAN HAD MENTIONED, UM, I'M THE C E O OF HEALTH ALLIANCE FOR AUSTIN MUSICIANS.
UH, I'VE BEEN IN NONPROFIT WORK FOR ABOUT, UM, NEARLY 30 YEARS NOW.
PREVIOUSLY I WAS WITH AID SERVICES OF AUSTIN AS THEIR C E O HERE IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND SO IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE FOR ME TO BE PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION WHERE OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE, UM, UM, ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE FOR LOW INCOME WORKING MUSICIANS, AS WELL AS PREVENTION AND WELLNESS SERVICES FOR WORKING MUSICIANS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, UM, WE ARE, WE ARE HERE TO PROVIDE A MYRIAD OF, OF SERVICES TO THEM, INCLUDING, UM, ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE, UM, PREMIUM ASSISTANCE, DENTAL CARE, UM, HEARING SERVICES, UM, LOCAL SERVICES, UM, UM, EYE SERVICES, AS WELL AS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
WE ALSO LAUNCHED, UM, SOME BASIC NEEDS SERVICES FOR MUSICIANS BECAUSE MANY OF OUR MUSICIANS, UM, UM, ARE, YOU KNOW, WORKING SEVERAL JOBS.
MUSIC MAY NOT BE THEIR PRIMARY, UM, SOURCE OF INCOME, OR IF IT IS, IT'S A, A VERY LOW SOURCE OF INCOME.
UM, MOST OF OUR MUSICIANS EARN LESS THAN $24,000 A YEAR IN THE COMMUNITY, AND WE SERVE ABOUT 3,100 MUSICIANS EACH YEAR, OF WHICH, UM, THAT'S, THAT NUMBER IS ABOUT A THIRD OF WHAT WE EX, UM, UM, THINK ARE THE NUMBER OF MUSICIANS, WORKING MUSICIANS IN AUSTIN, WHICH IS AROUND, UM, 9,000.
UM, THE OTHER QUALIFICATIONS FOR OUR SERVICES AT HAM IS YOU HAVE TO BE BELOW 4% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL.
UM, YOU HAVE TO RESIDE IN, UM, TRAVIS COUNTY OR ONE OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES, AND THEN BE A PROFESSIONAL WORKING MUSICIAN AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, IF YOU, UH, CAN CALL UP THE PRESENTATION, UM, REAL QUICKLY SO I CAN GO INTO THAT AND POINT OF ORDER COMMISSIONERS, YOU ALL HAVE ACCESS TO THIS PRESENTATION IN PAPER FORM, THANKS TO THANK YOU, ADAM.
UH, I MENTIONED MY MISSION EARLIER, AND SO ALSO, UM, WE, SINCE OUR INCEPTIONS IN 2005, WE HAVE SERVED OVER 6,700 MUSICIANS.
AND WITH, UH, OUR PROGRAMMING AND OUR MISSION, WE HAVE BROUGHT IN ABOUT $144 MILLION IN AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE, UM, INTO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S A COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT FACTORS, INCLUDING TAX CREDITS OF GETTING ONTO THE A C A, UM, AS WELL AS VALUING THE HEALTHCARE AND THAT OUR MEMBERS ACCESS THROUGH, UM, NOT ONLY HEALTH INSURANCE, BUT THROUGH SOME OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE AND PARTNERSHIP WITH CENTRAL HEALTH, UM, AND THEIR PREMIUM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, WITH THAT, UM, OUR MUSICIANS ARE HARDWORKING.
UH, ONE THING WE ALWAYS LIKE TO POINT OUT FOR FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY IS THAT OUR MUSICIANS ARE FUELING OUR ECONOMY HERE.
UM, IT'S LATE NIGHTS, IT'S HARD ROAD WORK.
UM, UM, I KNOW COMMISSIONER BAILEY IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH, UM, UH, WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS WELL WITH, UM, HIS POSITION AT A C L I MOODY THEATER.
AND, UH, WHAT'S INTERESTING THOUGH IS THAT THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF MUSICIANS IS ABOUT 25 YEARS LESS THAN THE AVERAGE POPULATION.
AND SO THERE'S SEVERAL STUDIES OUT THERE, UH, THAT HAVE INDICATED THAT BECAUSE OF, UH, THE NATURE OF THE WORK, IT'S, IT'S, UM, CHALLENGING IN TERMS OF CONTINUING
[00:55:01]
THAT WORK AS YOU, AS YOU AGE.AND ONE THING WE DO AT HAM, OBVIOUSLY, IS BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND OTHER SERVICES.
WE HELP, UM, MAINTAIN KIND OF HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND GIVE THEM ACCESS TO SERVICES SO THAT THEY CAN, UM, EXTEND THEIR LIFESPAN.
AND SAME TIME EXTENDING, UM, THEIR MUSIC, WHICH AT THE SAME TIME, UM, EXTENDS KIND OF THE, UH, LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL MONIKER OF HONEST, UH, OF AUSTIN, UH, WHICH DRIVES OUR TOURISM, UM, AND BRINGS PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO, UM, ATTEND CONCERTS, EVENTS AND OTHER, AND VENUES WHERE LIVE MUSIC IS PLAYING.
UM, AS WE TALK ABOUT LIVE MUSIC, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO SERVE AT HAM, UH, MUSICIANS OF ALL STRIPES, ALL GENRES, ALL UM, AGES.
UM, AND MANY PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IT INCLUDES PIANO TEACHERS OR OTHER MUSIC TEACHERS THAT ARE, UH, OR SYMPHONY MEMBERS, UM, THAT ARE, THEY'RE STRUGGLING MAYBE ON THEIR INCOME TO BE ABLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND, AND NEED A NEED ASSISTANCE.
ALSO, LIKE MANY OF OUR MUSICIANS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, TYPICAL, UM, CORPORATE BENEFITS SUCH AS LIKE 4 0 1 K, UM, AND OTHER BENEFITS AS WELL.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY THE HAM IS IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN OUR MUSICIANS, UH, SO THEY CAN ACCESS TO SOME OF THESE, UM, SERVICES.
UM, AND SO, UH, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE, WE DO A LOT OF WORK AT HAM WITH LEVERAGING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, AND THESE ARE SOME OF OUR KEY COMMUNITY PARTNERS HERE THAT WE WORKED WITH OVER THE YEARS.
WE ACTUALLY WERE, UH, UM, WHEN WE WERE FOUNDED IN 2005, UM, WE ACTUALLY WENT TO ASCENSION SETON.
UM, ROBIN SHIVERS WAS OUR, WAS OUR FOUNDER, AND WE PARTNERED WITH THEIR CHARITABLE CLINIC WHEN WE FIRST STARTED.
AND, UM, AND THEN WITHIN THE YEAR WE WERE SERVING 500 MUSICIANS.
UM, AND THEN OVER TIME WE HAVE BRANCHED OUT TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH ST.
DAVID'S FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT OUR, OUR DENTAL PROGRAM, CENTRAL HEALTH, WITH SOME ADDITIONAL PREMIUM ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS A, A GRANT FOR OUR OUTREACH TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, UM, FOR MUSICIANS OF COLOR.
UM, WE WORK WITH THE Y IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO, UM, UM, EXERCISE AND MEMBERSHIP FOR OUR MUSICIANS TO STAY HEALTHY IN THAT WAY.
UM, SS AUDIOLOGY IS ONE OF OUR LONG-TERM PARTNERS FOR, UM, HEARING SERVICES FOR OUR MEMBERS, AND THEN COMMUNITY CARE IS ANOTHER ONE OF OUR PARTNERS AS WELL IN PROVIDING HEALTHCARE TO OUR WORKING MUSICIANS.
AND SO, UM, WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, WE PROVIDE A WIDE ARRAY OF SERVICES, BUT WE ALSO WORK WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, IN VARIOUS WAYS WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION, ARTS COMMISSION, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND SO WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AS, AS WE LOOK AT SUPPORTING AND MUSICIANS, UM, IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND FROM A HEALTH PERSPECTIVE.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW, KNOW THAT SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR LIVING IN AUSTIN.
AFFORDABILITY, I'M SURE HAS BEEN A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION AMONGST ALL OF US.
AND WITH THAT, UM, COMES, UH, IN MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THINGS CONTINUE TO BE AFFORDABLE FOR OUR, OUR MUSICIANS, UM, AND, AND TRYING TO HELP STAY IN AUSTIN, UH, LIVE HERE IN AUSTIN AND WORK HERE IN AUSTIN AS WELL.
UM, JUST YOU, A COUPLE OF QUOTES HERE THAT I GOT SOME SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION.
UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE LAUNCHED, UM, VACCINE CLINICS AND, UM, A LOT OF OUR MUSICIANS WERE WORKING, UM, BUT THAT THEY HAD TO GO BACK TO WORK.
AND SO, UH, MAMA DUKE WAS ONE OF OUR MEMBERS AND, UH, GOT THE VACCINE THROUGH ONE OF OUR VACCINE CLINICS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, OUR MODEL FIRST IS, YOU KNOW, ACCESS TO CARE.
UH, WE LOOK AT AFFORDABILITY, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE MUSICIANS THAT ARE A LOWER INCOME, UM, ARE ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR INSURANCE.
UM, ROUGHLY OUR AVERAGE, UM, OUR MUSICIAN AVERAGE, UM, AVERAGE PAYS ABOUT $94 A MONTH, UH, TOWARDS THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE.
AND, UM, WE COVER THE OTHER, UM, PART OF THE PREMIUM THROUGH HAM.
UM, WE ALSO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THROUGH THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE THEIR INSURANCE.
ONE INTERESTING THING TO KNOW ABOUT OUR MUSICIANS, UM, UM, I I, I USE MY INSURANCE AND SOMETIMES I DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE IT.
UM, BUT 89% OF OUR MUSICIANS SAY THEY ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO USE THEIR INSURANCE.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE OUR TEAM WORKS WITH THEM TO, TO DISCERN, OKAY, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO USE IT? UM, WHAT KIND OF PLAN DO I NEED? YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE MY MEDICAL NEEDS COMING UP? AND SO WE WORK REALLY INTENSIVELY WITH OUR MUSICIANS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN LEVERAGE THAT COVERAGE TO THEIR BENEFITS.
AND THEN ALSO OUR, OUR FOCUS IS AROUND OUR CULTURAL COMPETENCE.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR THE LAST, UM, UM, SEVERAL YEARS IN PARTICULAR TO DO OUTREACH INTO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AS WE'VE LOOKED AT BOTH THE MUSIC CENSUS, UM, 2015 AND THE MOST RECENT ONE.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE MUSICIANS? UM, NOT ONLY THAT THEY'RE NOT ENGAGING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, UM, SOMETIMES ARE, ARE NOT KIND OF LINKED INTO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND TRADITIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, BUT ALSO THERE'S AN ISSUE AROUND UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAM DOES IN TERMS OF, OF THE AFFORDABILITY OF THE HEALTHCARE THAT WE PROVIDE.
EITHER IT'S EITHER ZERO COPAY OR AS I MENTIONED, UP TO $94 ON AVERAGE.
AND SO EDUCATING THEM, EXCUSE ME, EDUCATING THEM ABOUT, UH, THAT OUR SERVICES ARE ACTUALLY FREE AND THAT, OR LOW COST TO THEM, UH, SO THAT WE CAN GET THEM INTO CARE
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AND GET THEM INTO OUR SERVICES SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO STAY HERE.UM, WE DON'T WANNA LOSE THEM TO LA WE DON'T WANNA LOSE THEM TO OTHER MUSIC CITIES, UH, THAT THEY MAY BE LOOKING AT THAT MAY HAVE, UM, DIFFERENT, UM, SYSTEMS OF CARE.
UM, AS WE LOOK AT THIS SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL HERE, THIS KIND OF BREAKS IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, NAVIGATION IS, IS A KEY PART OF WHAT WE DO, UM, WITH OUR MUSICIANS, HELPING THEM GO THROUGH AND, AND FIGURE OUT KIND OF WHAT SERVICES THEY NEED, UM, HOW TO APPLY FOR DIFFERENT BENEFITS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE DO PREVENTIONS A LOT OF SCREENINGS FOR MUSICIANS.
UM, YOU KNOW, HEARING SCREENINGS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING ON FINANCIAL LITERACY, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, P N C BANK.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, UM, WE ARE WORKING, UM, HELPING THEM KIND OF DEVELOP BUDGETS AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RUN A BUSINESS.
AND SO THAT WILL BE GOING, UM, OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON THE FINANCIAL HEALTH.
AGAIN, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH OR CRITICAL FOR OUR MUSICIANS.
IT'S NOT ONLY JUST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, THEIR HEALTH, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT WHERE THEY LIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, UM, EXERCISE, UH, ABOUT, UM, THEIR FOOD, HEALTHY FOOD, UM, AND OTHER OPTIONS AROUND MAKING SURE THEY'RE LIVING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.
AND THEN ACCESS TO CARE IS OUR PRIMARY AREA.
UM, AND, AND HERE'S A LIST HERE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
UM, SO WHAT'S, UM, KIND OF KEY TO OUR WORK IS REALLY ACCESS TO, UM, ON PREMIUM ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. WE PROVIDE ABOUT $14 MILLION OF HEALTHCARE COVERAGE EVERY YEAR TO OUR MUSICIANS WHO OTHERWISE WOULD BE UNFUNDED.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS BY PAYING FOR THESE PREMIUMS, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, LEVERAGE THE A C A IN PARTICULAR IN TERMS OF HELPING OUR, OUR MEMBERS UNDERSTAND TAX CREDITS.
UM, THEY WORK WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES AS WELL TO HELP THEM ENROLL IN THE APPROPRIATE A C A PLANS.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, BRING IN MONEY SO THAT OUR LOCAL PROVIDERS CAN GET A FULL, UM, PAYMENT AS WELL.
SO IT STIMULATES OUR ECONOMY IN THAT WAY.
UH, AND THEN INCREASING ACCESS ALL AROUND TO OUR MUSICIANS.
AND ONE THING WE'VE RECENTLY BEEN WORKING ON AS WELL IS THAT ABOUT 150, 200 OF OUR MUSICIANS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, UM, ARE NOT ABLE TO GET ONTO THE A C A OR SOME OTHER FORM OF INSURANCE.
AND SO WE WERE PARTNERING THE LOCAL ENTITY, UH, A WELL KNOWN ONE, UH, TO HELP PROVIDE COVERAGE TO THEIR PRIMARY CARE CLINICS THAT THEY'VE LAUNCHED IN AUSTIN NOW AT A VERY LOW COST AS WELL.
SO THEY'RE ABLE TO GET KIND OF, UM, UH, KIND OF A SUSTAINING MEMBER MODEL FOR, UM, PROVISION OF PRIMARY CARE.
AND SO AS WE LOOK AT KIND OF THE IMPACT OF, OF KIND OF WHAT WE KIND OF SEE AS THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN AUSTIN, UM, Y'ALL PROBABLY HAVE SEEN SOME OF THESE NUMBERS AND OTHER PRESENTATIONS.
I KNOW THAT LAST MONTH I BELIEVE THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, GROUP CAME IN AND TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, THE HOT TAX, FOR EXAMPLE, AND KIND OF ITS IMPACT AND THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
I'LL TOUCH UPON THAT JUST EVER SO BRIEFLY, BUT I KNOW Y'ALL HAD A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THAT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ESTIMATE AROUND $2 BILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY EACH YEAR IN TERMS OF LIVE MUSIC IN AUSTIN, ABOUT $38 MILLION IN LOCAL REVENUE TAXES.
UM, AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY COMING INTO AUSTIN, UH, AROUND PEOPLE VISITING HERE, UH, ATTENDING LIVE MUSIC, AT EVENTS, UM, AT VENUES, ET CETERA.
UM, AND OF COURSE, AUSTIN IS HOME TO ABOUT 9,000 MUSICIANS.
UM, AND WE KNOW THAT LIVE MUSIC IS A KEY ECONOMIC ENGINE, UM, FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT'S ALSO PART OF OUR CULTURAL IDENTITY.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING, YOU KNOW, ARE WE STILL THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD? AND, UH, WE'RE WORKING HARD TO MAINTAIN THAT, UH, MAINTAINING THAT IN TERMS OF ALSO, YOU KNOW, SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH AFFORDABILITY IN OUR OWN CENSUS THAT WE DO, WE, WE DO A SURVEY EVERY YEAR WITH OUR MEMBERS, UM, AS PART OF THEIR ENROLLMENT PROCESS.
UM, WE HAVE NOT SEEN A HUGE AMOUNT OF ATTRITION YEAR OVER YEAR.
UM, UH, MEMBERS MOVING OUTSIDE OF, UM, THE AUSTIN AREA.
UM, THEY MAY BE MOVING FURTHER OUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT NOT LEAVING THE COMMUNITY IN, IN ITS IN ITS ENTIRETY.
UM, SO WE SEE THAT AS A HOPEFUL SIGN THAT WE CAN MAYBE MAINTAIN, UH, MUSICIANS HERE AND KIND OF, AGAIN, MAINTAIN THIS MUSIC SCENE, WHICH DRIVES PEOPLE TO COME TO AUSTIN AS PART OF ITS REPUTATION.
SO, KIND OF GOING DOWN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, I, I KNOW THE TOPIC, UH, ORIGINALLY WHEN I WAS APPROACHED, UM, BY COMMISSIONER, UH, RONAN WAS AROUND PHILANTHROPY AND TO TOURISM.
AND SO, UH, KINDA THESE LAST SLIDES KIND OF FOCUS ON THAT AREA.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR, OUR LOCAL AS WELL AS NATIONAL EVENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR NATIONAL TOURS COMING THROUGH, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, BRING PEOPLE INTO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THEY TRAVEL HERE FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES TO ATTEND THE MOODY CENTER OR TO A C L I, MOODY CENTER.
ALL THE DIFFERENT VENUES THAT WE HAVE, I THINK WE HAVE, WHAT, 250 PROBABLY VENUES ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY THAT, UM, ARE HOSTING LIVE MUSIC AT ANY ONE POINT.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, THERE'S THESE MAJOR EVENTS ALSO THAT HAPPEN IN AUSTIN OR COME TO AUSTIN, LIKE A C L FEST SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST F ONE.
I SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED IT ON A C L LIVE MOODY THEATER AS WELL, IN TERMS OF, UH, THE TAPINGS THERE.
BUT ALSO LIKE TEXAS RELAY HUGE, YOU KNOW, INFLUX OF PEOPLE COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE SEE THE SHOWS COMING INTO THE BASS HALL, UM, AND THEN THAT GIVES BACK TO EITHER DIRECTLY BACK TO BROADWAY
[01:05:01]
CARES OR TO LOCAL AGENCIES AS WELL.UM, AND SO ALL THESE EVENTS ARE COMING IN AND, AND THERE'S, THERE'S MANY TIMES THERE'S A BENEFIT TO A LOCAL NONPROFIT.
AND IN TURN, OBVIOUSLY THE CLIENTS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I KNOW FOR US, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, A C L FEST, YOU KNOW, KNOW DEFINITELY, UM, BENEFITS, UM, LOCAL, UM, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING WORK AT THE COMMUNITY OF THE PARKS, UM, UH, PARKS GROUPS, IT BENEFITS HAMS. SAME FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
THEY HAVE BENEFICIARIES AS WELL FROM, UM, THE WORK THEY'RE DOING.
SO WE SEE KIND OF THIS IMPACT AS TOURISTS COME IN, ATTEND THESE EVENTS, UH, THEY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LOCALLY IN TERMS OF THE, THE EVENT ITSELF.
UM, BUT, UM, THEY MAY NOT REALIZE THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY BENEFITING SOME LOCAL WORK WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND NOT JUST THE MONETARY BENEFIT OF SOME OF THESE, UM, UM, EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND BENEFITING LOCAL CHARITIES.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO RAISING AWARENESS, UM, UH, AS PART OF THIS AS WELL, IN TERMS OF WHAT THE LOCAL IMPACT IS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE AT HAM, IT'S GREAT THAT WE CAN, ANYTIME THAT WE CAN SHOWCASE A LOCAL MUSICIANS AND WHAT THEY MEAN TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, THAT RAISES KIND OF THAT LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING OF LIKE, OH, OKAY, I KNOW THAT PART OF MY MONEY MAY BE, OR SOMEHOW IS HELPING LOCAL MUSICIANS AS UP GOING TO THE A C L FEST FOR, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, AND SO, UM, WITH THIS ALSO IN THIS, UM, LOOKING AT KIND OF THIS WHEEL, I KIND OF TURNED HERE KIND OF ARROWS HERE, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, TOURISM COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, FESTIVALS, EVENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE, THE HOT SAUCE FESTIVAL COMING IN AS WELL.
UH, AND SO WITH THAT, UM, WE KNOW AS PEOPLE COME IN, UM, THERE'S GONNA BE LOCAL IMPACT AND THERE'S KIND DIFFERENT KIND OF WAYS THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING IN AND, UM, UH, AS TOURISTS WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATION IN PARTICULAR, UH, AS WE KIND OF TALK ABOUT THIS FROM A PHILANTHROPIC STANDPOINT, AS WE WORK ON INDIVIDUAL DONORS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE SEE A LOT MORE PEOPLE KIND OF GETTING DIVING DOWN AS LIKE, I WANNA KNOW WHAT MY IMPACT IS, OR I WANT TO HAVE AN IMPACT, AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE, OH, OKAY, THAT'S A GREAT CAUSE I'LL JUST GIVE TO IT.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY DOLLARS? AND SO I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE AS WE LOOK AT TOURISM PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY TOURISM AND THE ARTS AND MUSIC IN PARTICULAR IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE CONNECT PEOPLE COMING INTO THESE EVENTS, BOTH PEOPLE THAT ARE RESIDING IN THE AREA, BUT ALSO PEOPLE COMING EXTERNALLY FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES OR OUTSIDE THE STATE.
HOW DO WE EDUCATE THEM ABOUT, OKAY, WELL THERE'S THIS MAY IMPACT, UM, LOCAL, UH, LOCAL CHARITY IN TERMS OF YOUR TICKET PRICE, OR IF THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL ADD-ON TO A TICKET PRICE, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE COMPONENT OF AS, UM, INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS COME INTO THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES THERE FOR THEM TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE GROUPS COME IN AT THE VARIOUS VENUES, LARGER VENUES ON A NATIONAL TOUR, AND THEY MAY HAVE THEIR INDIVIDUAL CHARITIES THAT THEY WANT TO SUPPORT.
AND THAT CHARITY MAY BE A INTERNATIONAL CHARITY, MAYBE A NATIONAL CHARITY.
UH, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE HERE TO KINDA WORK THROUGH, UM, UM, OUR, OUR FOLKS AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW TO SAY, OKAY, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED SUPPORTING A LOCAL CHARITY THAT ALIGNS WITH YOUR WORK? SO IF IT'S A MUSICIAN OR A BAND, WHATEVER, AND DO YOU WANNA SUPPORT HAM? DO YOU WANNA SUPPORT SIMS? DO YOU WANNA SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT ANY ONE OF THESE MUSIC ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING HERE LOCALLY? SO THERE COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR TOURISM TO, TO DIRECTLY IMPACT LOCAL PHILANTHROPY.
UM, AND CONVERSELY, WE ALSO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.
I KNOW WE MET WITH THE, UM, THE VISIT AUSTIN FOLKS A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND, UH, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MUSICIANS THAT ARE TOURING OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN TO TALK ABOUT AUSTIN? SO THERE'S THIS ALSO KIND OF CONVERSE THING WE ASKING PEOPLE TO, AS THEY COME TO AUSTIN, TO, TO HELP LOCAL, UM, EFFORTS HERE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE CAN USE OUR ARTISTS, OUR MUSICIANS, OR WHOMEVER ELSE IS KIND OF FROM AUSTIN TRAVELING OUT THERE INTO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY OR INTERNATIONALLY, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN THEY EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL AUSTIN IS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO COME HERE AGAIN, BRINGING TOURISM AND HIGHLIGHTING TOURISM AS A KEY INDUSTRY COMING BACK INTO THE, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND SO, UM, JUST KIND OF, UH, LASTLY, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, THIS IS JOHN LONDALE, ONE OF OUR MEMBERS HERE.
UM, WE, WE WERE ABLE TO INTERVENE, GET HIM INTO THE HOSPITAL, AND ESSENTIALLY WE SAVED HIS LIFE, AND SO HE COULD CONTINUE, UM, TO PLAY AND TO DO MUSIC.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS KIND OF A STORY AS COMING TO THIS ORGANIZATION TWO YEARS AGO.
UH, IT'S BEEN VERY INTERESTING THAT I CAN BE ANYWHERE AND A MUSICIAN'S GONNA COME TO ME AND SAY, YOU SAVED MY LIFE, OR YOU SAVED MY MOUTH, OR YOU SAVE MY HAND.
UM, AND IT'S LIKE, AND IT'S JUST SO REWARDING TO KINDA GET THIS VALIDATION OF WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'RE DOING THIS.
AND, UM, AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THEIR HEALTH, IT'S ALSO ABOUT, YOU'VE SAVED MY CAREER AND YOU'VE
[01:10:01]
ALLOWED ME TO CONTINUE TO TOUR AND PLAY AND BE PART OF THE MUSIC COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN.AND SO I THINK THAT'S JUST SO CRITICAL.
AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE CELEBRATING THIS NEXT TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH IS HAM DAY.
SO IF YOU'RE, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HAM DAY IS, GO TO MY HAM.ORG.
BUT, UH, THAT IS A DAY WHERE WE ASK ALL OF OUR MUSICIANS, UM, IF THEY WANT TO, TO GIVE BACK TO HAM.
SO ONE DAY WE ASK THEM TO PLAY FOR FREE.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE OVER 250, UM, PERFORMERS, BANDS PLAYING ACROSS THE CITY ALL THROUGHOUT, STARTING AT SIX O'CLOCK AT THE H E B ON LAKE AUSTIN.
UM, UM, MELOT IS OUR FIRST PERFORMER OF THE DAY.
AND THEN, UM, WE END UP GOING THROUGH ABOUT ONE OR TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AT VARIOUS CLUBS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO IT'S AN ALL DAY EVENT, UM, FOCUSING ON LIVE MUSIC AND SUPPORTING OUR MUSICIANS AND SUPPORTING THE VENUES THAT ALSO HOST OUR MUSICIANS AS WELL.
AND SO, AGAIN, THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT THERE AND SPREADING THE WORD TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, UM, TO, TO COME TO HAM DAY, TO COME TO THE VENUES, WORKING WITH THE VARIOUS HOTELS, FOR EXAMPLE, TO EDUCATE THEM AND TO HELP PROMOTE THIS AS WELL, SO THAT OUR TOURISTS AND PEOPLE COMING INTO AUSTIN CAN REALLY EXPERIENCE THIS GREAT DAY OF MUSIC.
UM, PRETTY MUCH, UH, EVERYWHERE IS GONNA BE AT A, UM, FREE OR AT A LOW COST.
UM, AND IF IT IS AT A COST, USUALLY THAT MONEY WILL GO BACK TO HAM AS PART OF HAM DAY AS WELL.
UM, AND WE ALSO ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO SHOP.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR VENDORS, UH, OUR OUR, UM, RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS ARE ALSO GIVING BACK THAT DAY TO HAM.
UM, AND SO IT'S ANOTHER WAY TO DRIVE PEOPLE INTO BUSINESSES, DRIVE PEOPLE INTO RESTAURANTS, UM, TO SPEND THEIR DOLLARS, BUT KNOWING THAT PART OF THAT MONEY GOES BACK TO SUPPORT A LOCAL ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO, UM, AS WE, UM, YOU KNOW, BUILD TOURISM, UM, ENCOURAGE THAT AND CREATE KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES WITH, YOU KNOW, TRAVELING, UM, GROUPS AND PERFORMERS, UM, IN A WAY TO HELP SUPPORT LOCAL ORGANIZATION, EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT HAM OR KIND OF ABOUT SOME OF THE COMMENTS I HAD AROUND TOURISM AND PHILANTHROPY.
AND APOLOGIES, I MISSPOKE EARLIER.
UM, MR. SCOTT IS THE C E O OF THE HEALTH AUSTIN FOR, UH, EXCUSE ME, HEALTH ALLIANCE FOR AUSTIN MUSICIANS.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO MR. SCOTT'S PRESENTATION? UH, COMMISSIONER PIAN RIGHT HERE.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SPEAKING WITH US, AND I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS GREAT FOR THE MUSICIANS, HOWEVER, YOU DID DISCOURAGE ME FROM BEING EVER BEING, BECOMING A MUSICIAN WITH THAT
SO, BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.
I THINK THE WORK YOU'RE DOING IS GREAT.
WELL, WE'RE HOPING, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THAT WAS SAID IN, IN LIEU OF, UM, UH, KIND OF TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE BE HEALTHY.
UM, SO WE'RE HOPING TO BUCK THAT TREND.
UH, AND ANOTHER REASON TO BE IN AUSTIN IS THAT YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF SUPPORT HERE AND, AND IT'S NOT JUST HAM.
THERE'S MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SUPPORTING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
AND I THINK THE MORE WE CAN DO THAT, THE MORE THAT'S GONNA HELP NOT ONLY OUR LOCAL MUSICIANS, BUT KIND OF HELP OUR ECONOMY AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER, UM, MATHIS, YES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, MUSICIAN.
UH, COMMISSIONER MATHIS, I THINK YOUR, YOUR MIC.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
MUSIC IS, IS, UM, I THINK THE LIFEBLOOD OF, OF OUR CITY.
UM, AND I'M WONDERING, YOU HAD MENTIONED, UM, UH, YOU'VE BEEN SAVING TEETH.
DO YOU ALSO WORK WITH DENTISTS? AND BECAUSE I'VE LOOKED AT YOUR LIST OF PARTNERS, I JUST, UM, I'M ASTOUNDED, YOU KNOW, AT THE COST OF HEALTHCARE AND THEN ESPECIALLY DENTAL CARE FOR, FOR, UM, INDIVIDUALS NOW.
I IMAGINE THAT THAT IS QUITE A CHALLENGE, UM, FOR, FOR SOME MUSICIANS.
SO, UH, WE RECEIVE FUNDING FROM ST.
DAVID'S FOUNDATION, UM, UH, THAT SUPPLEMENTS OUR PROGRAM.
AND SO WE ACTUALLY PROVIDE A STIPEND FOR MUSICIANS TO GO TO A DENTIST.
UH, TYPICALLY WE WANNA, WE FOCUS FIRST ON PREVENTATIVE CARE.
WE ALSO HAVE A SEPARATE FUND FOR RESTORATIVE CARE FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE, UM, MORE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES.
AND RIGHT NOW WE WE'RE ABLE TO COVER A LITTLE LESS THAN HALF OF OUR MUSICIANS THAT PROBABLY NEED IT JUST BECAUSE OF FUNDING LIMITATIONS.
UM, BUT WE WORK WITH ABOUT 260 PLUS DENTISTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE PART OF OUR PROGRAM, AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY, THEY'LL LOOK AT A DISCOUNT AT THOSE DENTISTS.
UH, AND SO, UH, AND SAME THING HAPPENS WITH OTHER PROVIDERS.
WE, WE TRY TO WORK WITH OTHER PROVIDERS IN TERMS OF WHETHER SURGERY OR VOCAL ISSUES MM-HMM.
IT'S VERY LOW, IF, IF NOT ZERO.
YEAH, I NOTICED THAT, I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE, ARE PAYING DIRECTLY, AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU ALMOST LIKE WORK AS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS INSURANCE MODELS DOES, WHERE THEY DRIVE THE COST DOWN FOR THE SERVICES AND, AND WORK WITH PROVIDERS.
I THINK THAT IT'S A GREAT IDEA TO, UM,
[01:15:01]
CONSIDER EVENTS.I HAVE JUST IN THE LAST 60 DAYS BEEN TWO, UM, TWO LARGE CONVENTIONS.
AND EACH TIME WE HAD AN APP ON OUR PHONE AND EACH OF THEM HAD A CHARITY THAT THEY WERE, UM, UH, WANTING TO SUPPORT.
UM, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THE LAST ONE I WENT TO WAS 10,000 OF US IN THE CHARITY THAT WAS MENTIONED THAT YOU COULD EASILY DONATE ON THE APP ON YOUR PHONE WAS, UM, FOR MAUI.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THE EVENTS HERE ARE, ARE SO MUSIC CENTRIC, RIGHT.
UM, TO, TO PARTNER AND DO SOMETHING AMAZING FOR THESE MUSICIANS.
I HATE THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, HALF OF, UH, UH, YOUR MEMBERS WAITING TO GET SOME HELP WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR CARE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU JUST AREN'T ABLE TO MEET THE DEMAND.
UH, YEAH, WE'RE NOT, IT'S, IT'S A MATTER OF, OBVIOUSLY IT'S A MATTER OF RESOURCES.
UH, BUT I THINK TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, I WENT TO THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN CONCERT AND HE TALKED ABOUT THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK.
UH, THERE WASN'T NECESSARILY QR CODE OR ANYTHING THAT WENT UP MM-HMM.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS A CAMPAIGN TO ASK PEOPLE TO GIVE, YOU KNOW, CANNED GOODS COMING TO THE CONCERT OR NOT.
UH, BUT THEN ALSO WE WORKED WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR, UH, TRAVELING PERFORMERS WHO SOLD THEIR PINS, UM, UH, AT THEIR CONCERT.
AND WE, THEY RAISED OVER $5,000 TO SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMMINGS THROUGH SELLING PINS AT THEIR CONCERT.
UH, SO THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE HAVE YOU APPROACHED C THREE OR ANY OF THE EVENTS IN TOWN, OR, UM, YEAH, SO OUR, OUR BOARD CHAIR IS ACTUALLY WITH C THREE PRESENTS.
UM, AND, UH, WE ARE GONNA BE WORKING KIND OF, UH, TO PRESENT TO THEIR KINDA BUYERS AND BOOKERS MM-HMM.
SO THEY'RE GONNA BRING SOMEONE TO AUSTIN, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN THEY, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT SUPPORTING SOMETHING LOCALLY.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES IF THEY'RE BRINGING THEIR OWN CHARITY TO THE TABLE IN TERMS OF AN INTERNATIONAL OR NATIONAL CHARITY, YOU KNOW, THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT, UM, DECIDED, BUT SOME MAY NOT MAYBE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING.
SO THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO GET IN FRONT OF THEM AS THE BOOKERS TALK WITH THEM.
IN PARTICULAR, DO YOU WORK WITH SIMS IF SOMEONE APPROACHES YOU ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING RESOURCES? DO YOU SAY ALSO HAVE YOU, YOU KNOW, REACHED OUT TO SIMS FOR ANY SORT OF, YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH, UM, CARE THAT YOU MIGHT NEED? WHAT ARE THE SYNERGIES THERE WITH OTHER, UM, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT MUSICIANS HERE IN AUSTIN? YEAH, I THINK, AS YOU SAID EARLIER, PARTNERSHIPS IS KIND OF THE KEY TO WHAT WE DO.
UH, WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA DUPLICATE OR RECREATE THE WHEEL MM-HMM.
SO, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES, UM, IF, UM, IF THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT, POTENTIALLY LIKE THROUGH THEIR INSURANCE, FORTUNATELY WITH A C A NOW THERE IS MENTAL HEALTH COVERAGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE REFER THEM AND WORK WITH SIMS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN GET ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE.
AND EVEN THOUGH THEY DO HAVE, UM, INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE'LL, WE'LL REFER 'EM TO SIMS JUST SO THEY CAN FIND THE MOST APPROPRIATE PROVIDER THAT CAN CARRY THEIR COVERAGE AS WELL.
I THINK, UM, WE ALL WANT AUSTIN, TEXAS TO BE THE VERY BEST PLACE FOR MUSICIANS TO LIVE AND THRIVE.
COMMISSIONER BAILEY, I BELIEVE YOU HAD SOMETHING TO ADD.
I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU TOTALLY.
FOR, UM, LEADING THIS ORGANIZATION AND, AND BUILDING IT FROM WHERE IT'S, IT'S BEEN OVER 20 YEAR ORGANIZATION, OF COURSE, RIGHT? GETTING CLOSE.
20, UH, 2025 IS OUR 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
SO I, I, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE PUSHED THE ORGANIZATION AND EXPANDED IT AND GROWN IT SUCH TO A DEGREE THAT WE ARE BEING COPIED.
I WANNA JUST FOR MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER CITIES TRYING TO REPLICATE WHAT HAS BEEN CREATED HERE.
'CAUSE THIS WAS A NOVEL, NO ONE ELSE HAD THIS, AND NOW, AND HE COULD PROBABLY, PAUL COULD PROBABLY GIVE US EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING HERE STUDYING THEIR MODEL AND TRYING TO GIVE IT BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD ALL FEEL PROUD AS WE DO ABOUT BEING IN AUSTIN, THAT WE ARE A HOME, A PLACE THAT GROWS THESE KIND OF FERTILE IDEAS AND CREATIVITY AND, AND EVEN WHEN IT'S SERVING OUR FELLOW PEOPLE.
AND I, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU BECAUSE I NOTED IN HERE THAT YOU, YOU BROUGHT IN CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY AND TOURISM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLY WHEN WE WERE, UH, CHOOSING THIS PANEL IS I, I BROUGHT UP PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AS BEING AN ADJUNCT TO PHILANTHROPIC.
IT'S NOT STRAIGHT PHILANTHROPIC, BUT IT'S, YOU, YOU NOTE HERE A C L S SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FORMULA ONE, AND YOU NOTE HOT TAX.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN, DO A LOT OF TALK IN THIS COMMISSION ABOUT HOW HOT TAX GOES BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY AND COMING BACK TO YOU.
AND I'M SURE THAT ALL OF THESE EVENTS AND OTHERS THAT YOU AREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO DETAIL HERE, ALL RESIDUALLY CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HAM, IF NOT DIRECTLY WHILE THEY'RE HAVING THE EVENT.
BUT BECAUSE THESE EVENTS HAVE THEIR OWN TRAJECTORY AND IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY, WHICH LOOSENS UP RESOURCES.
SO I THINK YOU MENTIONED THE PARKS AS BEING A RECIPIENT OR PEOPLE WHO CAN PLAY AROUND.
I THINK I'VE SEEN OVER THE YEARS, THE 20 YEARS THAT I'VE SEEN HAM IN
[01:20:01]
EXISTENCE, AND I KNEW ROBIN SHIVERS WHEN SHE STARTED THE ORGANIZATION.SO I DO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMUNITY DOES LEAN INTO HAM.
WE'RE ALL VERY PROUD OF IT, AND EVERYBODY WANTS TO GIVE, AND THEY NEEDED A DYNAMIC INDIVIDUAL LIKE YOURSELF TO REALLY GET OUT THERE AND BUILD THOSE PARTNERSHIPS.
I THINK YOU'VE NEVER BEEN MORE VISIBLE THAN YOU ARE TODAY.
AND THAT'S TO YOUR GREAT WORK.
AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT AND SUCCESSFUL HAM DAY NEXT WEEK.
UH, AND I THINK AS THE CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY, UH, IT'S, IT'S COMING INTO THIS, UH, ORGANIZATION.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT BECAUSE OF MU AUSTIN BEING A MUSIC CITY.
UM, HOWEVER, I THINK THERE'S MORE WORK TO BE DONE BECAUSE CORPORATIONS USE AUSTIN BEING THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL WORLD AS A EQUIPMENT TOOL OR LIKE A SCHOOL CITY.
ALL THESE VENUES GOT SIXTH STREET, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
AND, UM, AND SO WITH THAT, YOU BRING PEOPLE IN AND SAYING, OKAY, WELL HOW ARE YOU SUPPORTING THAT? SO THAT, HOW DO WE CHALLENGE OUR CORPORATE COMMUNITY SAYING, IF YOU'RE LEVERAGING THIS AND PULLING PEOPLE INTO THE COMMUNITY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A HEALTHY MUSIC COMMUNITY, A HEALTHY ART COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT JUST, NOT JUST MUSIC, IT'S ART AS WELL TO EXPAND THAT.
AND AGAIN, AS, AS WE KNOW, THAT WILL BRING MORE PEOPLE INTO THE COMMUNITY AS WE HAVE MORE AND MORE THINGS TO DO.
LIKE I HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER THAT JUST MOVED FROM DALLAS TO AUSTIN JUST BECAUSE THEY FOUND THEY, THEY WERE IN THE THIRTIES, THEY FAMILY HAS NOTHING TO DO IN DALLAS.
UH, THEY CAN MOVE TO AUSTIN 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO IN TERMS OF OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, BUT ALSO LIVE MUSIC.
UH, AND, AND SO I THINK IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THAT AS AUSTIN AS A DESTINATION, UH, PLACE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY WILL KIND OF UPLIFT OUR MUSICIANS IN PARTICULAR PART.
AND THEN, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE HOT TAX, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN ALSO HELP THEM WITH THEIR CAREERS.
AND SO AS THEY BUILD THEIR CAREERS AND EARN ENOUGH MONEY, THAT OPENS UP MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO GET DENTAL CARE, ANOTHER MUSICIAN TO COME IN AND ACCESS THAT DENTAL CARE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EXPANSION.
UM, I AGREE WITH YOU AND I THINK, UM, NOT ONLY EXPANSION WITH MUSICIANS, BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT EXPANSION IN OUR COMMUNITY, OF THOSE THAT SUPPORT THOSE MUSICAL EVENTS TOO, LIKE HOSPITALITY, UM, WORKERS ALSO HAVE AFFORDABILITY ISSUES AND, AND, UM, DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE STAGE HANDS.
SAME THING THAT SUPPORT MUSIC EVENTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, OVERLAP BETWEEN MUSICIANS AND STAGEHAND MUSICIANS THAT SOMETIMES WORK AS STAGEHAND STAGEHAND THAT ARE MUSICIANS.
AND SO I HAVE EXPERIENCED, UM, I'M A STAGEHAND BY TRADE, AND SO I HAVE EXPERIENCED MY FELLOW STAGE MAN STAGEHAND, UM, GAINING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE THROUGH HAM.
'CAUSE THEY ARE ALSO MUSICIANS.
I HAVE EXPERIENCED A, A FRIEND, UH, WHERE HAM SAVED THEIR LIFE AS WELL, UM, BECAUSE THEY HAD TO GO INTO OPEN HEART SURGERY WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU PLANNED, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS TO YOU.
AND HE WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH THAT, THROUGH HAM.
AND I, AS A STAGEHAND, I HAVE ALWAYS WISHED THAT WE HAD SOMETHING SIMILAR BECAUSE YOU SEEM TO BE SO SUCCESSFUL AND YOU'RE DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB AND IT'S SO, SUCH IMPORTANT WORK.
AND THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SAY IS, PLEASE REPEAT WHEN HAM DAY IS.
SO HAM DAY IS A DAY OF LIVE MUSIC ACROSS THE COMMUNITIES.
RIGHT? BUT WHAT DATE WAS IT? SO THE DATE, OH, THE DATE.
SO THE DATE IS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH.
IT'S ALSO A TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY.
SO IF YOU WANNA REMEMBER IT THAT WAY,
UH, BUT I, I DO WANNA COMMENT ABOUT KIND OF, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT IS LIKE WITH LIMITED RESOURCES, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, DO WE GO DEEPER WITH OUR MUSICIANS IN TERMS OF, OF MORE DENTAL CARE, FOR EXAMPLE? OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE WHEN IT COMES TO STAGE, HANDS, SOUND ENGINEERS, UH, PROMOTERS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY THERE AS WELL? SO WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A DEEP DIVE IN LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DIRECTION WE GO IN AS WE COMPLETE OUR CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN ENDS AT THE END OF 2024.
SO THAT'S OUR NEXT FOCUS IS GETTING INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, IS HOW DO WE DO THIS? AND IF, IF WE DO THIS, LIKE HOW DO WE GET SUPPORT FOR IT? THANK YOU.
UH, MR. SCOTT, THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR COMING.
I HAD A BROADER QUESTION WITH REGARD TO, UH, BROADER PHILANTHROPIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN AUSTIN AND HOW IT COULD SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS IN PARTICULAR WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTHCARE FOR MUSICIANS, BUT ALSO GROWING THE PIE FOR THESE BROADER SECTORS THAT YOU SPEAK TO IN TERMS OF THE ARTS, UH, BUT ALSO HEALTH, EDUCATION, THE ENVIRONMENT.
UNFORTUNATELY, UH, WE INVITED THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TODAY.
UM, DO YOU SEE THERE, UM, TO BE GROWTH IN THIS PHILANTHROPIC SECTOR AMONG YOUR PEER ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFITS IN AUSTIN? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD HELP SOLIDIFY THIS, UH, ECOSYSTEM OF SUPPORT FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING? UM, I THINK FIRST OF ALL, KIND OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION PROFESSIONALS ARE LOOKING KIND OF MORE OF A SOCIAL IMPACT.
UM, AND SO THEY WANT TO TIE THEIR GIVING TO SPECIFICALLY, OKAY, WHAT IS IT DOING? DO I KNOW WHAT IT'S DOING? AND HOW, HOW CAN I BE INVOLVED ALSO IN MAKING THAT IMPACT? IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT GIVING A CHECK.
[01:25:01]
NONPROFIT COMMUNITY WE NEED TO BE BETTER AT ARTICULATING IS LIKE, NOT ONLY WE'RE ASKING YOU TO GIVE MONEY TO SUPPORT US, BUT HERE'S HOW YOU, YOU CAN BECOME INVOLVED AND SUPPORT THE WORK DIRECTLY.I THINK GOING BACK TO THE CORPORATE SECTOR IS, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN THEY ENCOURAGE AND WORK WITH, UM, THEIR EMPLOYEES TO SUPPORT PHILANTHROPIC, UM, CAUSES.
UH, A LOT OF OUR CORPORATIONS DO THAT.
UM, AND WE WORK WITH ONE OF OUR KEY PARTNERS IS SERIOUS LOGIC, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEY ARE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW THEY WORK WITH THEIR EMPLOYEES AROUND CORP, THEIR PERSONAL GIVING, AND THEY MATCH UP TO A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WHAT THEIR EMPLOYEES DO.
UH, SO I THINK AS WE, AS A COMMUNITY, AS WE LOOK AT THAT, HOW DO WE KIND OF COMBINE THIS CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY OR, UH, AND ALSO CORPORATE CORPORATIONS ENCOURAGING THEIR EMPLOYEES TO BE PHILANTHROPIC, HOW TO BECOME, COMBINE THAT WITH THE NEEDS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE CITY AS WELL AND ENGAGE THEM IN THAT WAY.
DO YOU THINK THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAS A ROLE IN THAT, OR HAVE YOU SEEN THAT HAPPEN? I I'M JUST THINKING FROM A SORT OF HIGHER UP PERSPECTIVE, SINCE THEY SEEM TO BE THE LARGEST COMMUNITY DRIVEN NONPROFIT, UH, SUPPORTING LOCAL PHILANTHROPY.
I WOULD THINK ALSO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, MIKE AND HIS TEAM WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF, UH, AL ALMOST BE A CONVENER AROUND THIS TOPIC ABOUT HOW DO YOU, UH, I KNOW AUSTIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAS BEEN THAT ROLE OVER THE YEARS ANYWAY.
UH, AND BEEN PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, SO HOW CAN THEY, YOU KNOW, AS A CONVENER, UH, WITH ALL THE FUNDS THAT THEY HOLD THERE IN PARTICULAR, UM, AS KIND THE GO-TO RESOURCE FOR, UM, MOST FOLKS, YOU KNOW, WITH MEANS IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW DO THEY CONVENE, UM, FOLKS TO THE TABLE TO KIND OF HAVE THIS LARGER CONVERSATION AROUND ENCOURAGING PHILANTHROPY? 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME ROOM IN AUSTIN TO BE ABLE TO GROW THAT WE'RE A GREAT CITY FOR VOLUNTEERING, BUT WE HAVE SOME MORE WORK TO DO IN TERMS OF THE AVERAGE KIND OF PHILANTHROPIC GIFT PER CAPITA.
UH, COMMISSIONER BAILEY, I JUST WANNA KNOW WHETHER YOU CAN CONFIRM, I, I HEARD A STATEMENT RECENTLY THAT AUSTIN HAS MORE NONPROFITS THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN AMERICA.
DOES THAT, DID, HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ANYTHING ON THAT? I, I'VE HEARD THAT, I'VE HEARD THAT SINCE EVERY SINCE I MOVED TO AUSTIN BACK IN 2006, BUT WELL, IF WE'RE NOT THE NUMBER ONE, WE'RE AT LEAST RIVAL FOR OUR SIZE POUND FOR POUND.
SO, I MEAN, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY FOR THE REST, THOSE OF US WHO WORK IN NON-PROFIT WORK SEE THAT IT'S A, IT'S A VERY THIN POOL OF THE USUAL SUSPECTS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING AND SUPPORTING AND LIFTING THIS COMMUNITY UP.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS HOW DO WE BROADEN THAT? HOW DO WE GET MORE STAKEHOLDERS THIS TOWN, MORE PEOPLE ARE MOVING HERE THAN JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE IN AMERICA.
SO THE BODIES ARE COMING AND IT'S, IT'S ENGAGING THEM AND GETTING THEM FOCUSED AND READY TO GET ON BOARD.
AND I ALSO HEARD ANOTHER STATISTIC, AGAIN, THAT PHILANTHROPY TO THE, TO A 25 TO 35, OR WE EVEN SAY 18 TO 40 SET, IS, LOOKS RADICALLY DIFFERENT THAN ABOVE THAT LINE IN THAT THE NEW, THE NEW MODELING THAT'S GONNA BE REQUIRED TO UNLOCK THOSE DOLLARS AND CREATE THAT ENGAGEMENT.
THE GOOD NEWS IS AUSTIN'S BRIMMING WITH NEW, NEW MODELS AND NEW PEOPLE, AND THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING DEFINITELY SPEAKS TO THE NEW MODEL PHILANTHROPISTS OR ENTRY LEVEL, WE'LL CALL IT THAT.
I THINK WE'RE SEEING ROUGHLY, UH, ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, $7 TRILLION IN WEALTH TRANSFER FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT.
WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT RIGHT NOW FROM THE BABY BOOMERS.
UM, AND SO THAT IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WEALTH THAT PEOPLE ARE TAPPING INTO AS A YOUNGER GENERATION.
WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITH THAT? AND I THINK THAT COMES BACK TO, UM, NOT ONLY APPEALING TO LIKE THE TRADITIONAL IDEA OF LIKE APPEALING TO SOMEONE'S HEARTSTRINGS IN ORDER FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, THE POWERFUL STORIES AND, AND INDIVIDUAL STORIES OF, OF IMPACT OF WHAT A NONPROFIT MAY DO.
UH, BUT I THINK THERE'S ALSO AN ECONOMIC CONVERSATION FOR MANY DONORS AS TO WHAT DOES THIS DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY? UH, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE, UH, THIS KIND OF FORUM HERE IS AN APPROPRIATE, UM, DISCUSSION AREA FOR, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE ARTICULATE THAT AS WE BRING PEOPLE INTO THE COMMUNITY TO VISIT AUSTIN AND SPEND THEIR DOLLARS HERE? HOW IS THAT IMPACTING, UM, THE, THE CHARITIES AND THE NONPROFITS IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL? AND WHAT, AND, AND HOW DO WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OR CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
WELL, MR. SCOTT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR PERSPECTIVES THIS AFTERNOON.
AND, UH, OF COURSE, THE GREAT WORK OF YOUR YOURSELF AND YOUR TEAM, UH, TO HELP OUR MUSICIANS IN THE BROADER ARTS AND CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND ECONOMY THRIVE HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND, UH, WE HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON.
HAM DAY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH.
[01:30:01]
BACK TO,[4. Discussion and possible action of the Arts Program Funding by generating questions for the Economic Development Department]
UM, ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS ON THE AGENDA.UH, TODAY WAS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE ALSO TO DISCUSS THE ARTS PROGRAM FUNDING.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DO NOT HAVE, UH, AVAILABILITY FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO COME SPEAK WITH REGARD TO, UH, ARTS FUNDING.
UH, AND ACTUALLY THERE'S BEEN A RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF, I BELIEVE, EVOLVE GRANTS THAT, UM, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING NEXT MEETING IN OCTOBER FROM E D D WITH REGARD, UM, TO THIS TOPIC.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I KNOW THIS SUBJECT HAS COME UP ON PREVIOUS COMMISSIONS IN OUR MEETINGS, UM, AND WANTED TO, IN PREVIOUS COMMISSION MEETINGS, EXCUSE ME, AND WANTED TO, UH, ASK IF ANYONE HAD ANY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS THAT THEY WANTED TO ASK OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OR PERHAPS WANTED TO SEE ANY SPECIFIC DATA WHEN IT CAME TO THE ARTS AND CULTURE GRANT, UH, GIVING PROGRAMS. I KNOW MIKE KTI USUALLY HAS QUESTIONS, SO UNFORTUNATELY HE'S NOT ABLE TO, UH, JOIN US TODAY.
AND IF, IF, AND ANY TIME IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION THAT YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE ANSWERED OR, UM, AS A PART OF SOMEONE'S PRESENTATION, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO INFORM SPEAKERS AND THEY, UM, AS WE PREPARE FOR MEETINGS, COMMISSIONER SHANNON, I'M SURE THIS WILL BE DISCUSSED WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY COME, BUT I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT THE CRITERIA IS THAT THEY MAKE GRANTS BASED OFF OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHERE THEY BASE THEIR CRITERIA FOR.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE A GENERAL, UH, UNDERSTANDING OF THE CRITERIA UPON WHICH GRANTS GRANT DECISIONS ARE MADE.
UM, I KNOW THAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY BROUGHT UP A CONCERN WITH REGARD TO THE GEO GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF GRANTS AS THEY APPLY TO BOTH MUSIC GRANTS AND ARTS GRANTS.
AND I'D BE, BE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE, UM, DATA AND RESEARCH AS A, UH, AROUND HOW THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION IMPACTS WHETHER OR NOT ARTISTS DECIDE TO LIVE WITHIN THE CITY AND, UM, WHAT IMPACT THAT HAS IN TERMS OF, UM, THE CONTINUANCE OF ARTS AND CULTURE ACTIVITY WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ITSELF.
IF SOMEONE IS LIVING OUTSIDE THE CITY AND, UM, COMMITS TO PERFORMING 51% OF THEIR TIME OR DOING 51% OF THEIR ACTIVITIES, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE MECHANISM BY WHICH THAT'S ACTUALLY VERIFIED, UM, IS A QUESTION THAT I HAVE.
I THINK I SAW A HAND OVER HERE.
WHO'S ANSWERED? OH, YOU RIGHT.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I, I THINK THAT THIS WILL BE A MUCH MORE FERTILE CONVERSATION IF WE HAVE MR. REEDY BACK IN THE ROOM AND AT THE DIOCESE, BECAUSE HE'S, YEAH.
HE TYPICALLY HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WILL SPARK.
UM, SO I'M, I, I WAS GONNA SAY, I AGREE WITH PERHAPS REVISITING THIS IN ANOTHER MEETING MM-HMM.
UH, COMMISSIONER MATHIS, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO, HE ANSWERED THE QUALITY.
I WONDER, UH, COMMISSIONER REDY AND COMMISSIONER BISON, UM, LEFT THE MEETING FOR OTHER COMMITMENTS, UM, BUT GREAT.
WE'LL, UM, CONTINUE TO DISCUSS VIA EMAIL, UM, AS WELL AS IN COORDINATION WITH OUR SPEAKERS AS TO, UH, WHAT THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO HEAR IN TERMS OF SPECIFICS WITH REGARDS TO THE ARTS AND CULTURE GIVING PROGRAMS, AND ALSO THE NEWEST RESULTS OF, UM, THE LATEST ROUNDS OF GRANT FUNDING FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. MOVING ON TO,
[5. Discussion and possible action of Tourism Commission Road Map upcoming topics]
UM, AGENDA TOPIC NUMBER FIVE, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE TOURISM COMMISSION ROADMAP, UH, UPCOMING TOPICS.LAST MEETING, WE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO, UH, THIS ROADMAP, WHICH I COMPOSED TO HELP US AS A COMMISSION REALLY GUIDE THE CONVERSATION AROUND TOURISM, UM, TO ONE THAT IS MORE CONSISTENTLY ON TOPIC, OF COURSE.
UM, WE CAN GET OFF TOPIC WITH REGARD TO WHEN WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THINGS SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF SPEAKERS, UH, AS WELL AS THE TIMELINESS OF SOME OF, UM, OF THE TOPICS RELATING TO TOURISM.
LIKE WITH THE TFI THAT HAD COME UP SEVERAL TIMES, INCLUDING THIS MEETING, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
IT WOULD BE GREAT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVING NOW CONSIDERED OR TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE COMMENTS FROM THE LAST MEETING, WHAT WE THINK ABOUT THE, THE ROADMAP AS IT REFLECTS THE CONVERSATION WE HAD LAST MEETING.
UM, THE OMISSION OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I KNOW WAS A CONCERN FOR, FOR FOLKS, UM, IN SHAPING OUT THE REST OF THE
[01:35:02]
YEARS, UM, THE REST OF THE YEAR'S AGENDA.UM, AS WE SEEK TO APPROACH THESE TOPICS AND FORECAST FOR 2024, WHAT, WHAT TOPICS WE'D LIKE TO SEE.
DO WE HAVE ANY IMMEDIATE QUESTIONS OR, UM, COMMENTS ON THIS ROADMAP? I BELIEVE MS. OJEDA HAS A COMMENT I DO, UM, REGARDING THE GENERATED QUESTIONS FOR E D D, IF Y'ALL CAN RE GIVE THOSE TO ME BY NEXT WEEK TO GIVE E D D ENOUGH TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU MS. OJEDA AND COMMISSIONER BAILEY, YOU HAD A QUESTION? I, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, SAY THAT I THINK, FOR INSTANCE, I WAS CERTAINLY ADDITIONAL TOPICS AND IT, WE HAVE MEETING AND CONVENTION PLANNERS AND WHAT THEY SEE IN AUSTIN, AND I SEE THAT, THAT I FEEL LIKE AUSTIN AS A DESTINATION CITY TOPIC IN JANUARY MM-HMM.
I ALSO JUST WANT, I THINK I SAID THIS IN THE LAST MEETING ABOUT THIS WITH THE, UH, R F P, UH, FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER BUILD OUT BEING ACTIVE AND GOING ON THAT SOMEWHERE.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU MEANT WHEN YOU SAID THERE'LL BE OTHER TOPICAL THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS MM-HMM.
AND I JUST WANTED TO PUT IT ON THE MAP THAT I THINK THAT THIS BODY HA HAS AN OPPORTUNITY AND PROBABLY A REAL NEED TO TRACK WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE DESIGN PROCESS.
AND WE WANT TO, THAT'LL BE SOMETHING HISTORICALLY WE, WE CARE ABOUT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST, WE ALWAYS HAVE A PLACE FOR THAT IN THE 2024.
I THINK THAT'LL BE A, A GOOD TOPIC TO, AND I THINK THE TPI DISCUSSION WE HAD TODAY IS GONNA ENLIVEN OVER THAT COURSE OF TIME TOO.
SO I JUST, SINCE THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY SHOWN ON THE ROADMAP, I JUST WANNA DRAW A DISTINCTION.
AND I'VE ADDED THAT TO OUR ROADMAP TO ENSURE THAT THOSE ARE INCORPORATED FOR, UH, MOST LIKELY THE JANUARY, UM, AUSTIN AS A DESTINATION CITY AGENDA.
THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, DANIEL.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
DO WE HAVE THE SPEAKERS CONFIRMED THAT YOU HAVE LISTED HERE? UH, WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVEN'T REACHED OUT YET.
UM, THERE'S NO POINT IN REACHING OUT UNLESS WE KNOW WHAT WE WANNA OFFER.
BUT IT'S ALSO, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AS WHAT WE, WHO WE WANT TO HEAR FROM.
SO NOW THAT WE'VE GOT, UM, BROADER, UH, CONSENSUS, I THINK IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, LABOR, UH, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, UH, AND ITS WORKERS, INCLUDING ORGANIZED LABOR, WE CAN, UM, SAY THOSE NOW AND WE CAN HAVE THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY OUR SPEAKERS.
I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING AT RACHEL FOR THIS.
I'M LOOKING AT OCTOBER, OCTOBER, LITTLE BIT GOING ON IN OCTOBER IN THIS TOWN.
HOW MANY OF THESE WORKERS, I MEAN, HOW MANY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE GOING TO BE AVAILABLE IF ALL THE HOTELS ARE FULL TWICE BETWEEN A C L AND FORMULA ONE AND EVERYTHING? I, MY AND MY POINT OF BRINGING UP IS SHOULD THIS BE REPOSITIONED AT ANOTHER DATE? I'M LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK ON THAT.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S, SO THERE YOU GO.
THAT WAS ALL, THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BAILEY FOR THAT VERY, UM, IMPORTANT POINT.
UM, PERHAPS WHAT WE CAN DO JUST TO NOT MOVE TOO FAR AWAY FROM THIS ORDER IS TO SWITCH TOPICS.
UH, THE TOPIC FROM OCTOBER, TOURISM INDUSTRY WORKERS AND ORGANIZED LABORS WITH THE, THE TOPIC FOR NOVEMBER, HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND TOURISM.
AND ALSO THEN BUNCH THE ARTS WITH, UM, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, WHICH IS I THINK ARE KIND OF BEDFELLOWS.
ARE THEY KIND OF COME LATER, OR, UM, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.
COMM COMMISSIONER, UH, MATHIS, UM, I, I'M NOT SURE THE, THE INVITATION IS ON THE TABLE IF THEY'D LIKE TO COME, I THINK THEY WOULD ADD TO THIS CONVERSATION AND, UH, I'LL REEXTEND THE INVITATION.
UM, BUT AS OF NOW, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT CURRENTLY PLANNED.
UH, IS EVERYONE IN FAVOR OF THAT PROPOSAL? AWESOME.
WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE ON IT 'CAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY EMOTION.
ALTHOUGH, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
[01:40:01]
RIGHT.AND IF THERE'S, AT ANY TIME, ARE THERE ANY OTHER IDEAS, UM, THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE ON THE AGENDA? IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET A, YOU KNOW, A HEADS UP AS YOUR CHAIR AS I'M THE ONE THAT PUTS TOGETHER THE, THE, UH, AGENDAS.
UM, AND ALSO ED IS ALWAYS MY STAND IN IF I'M NOT ABLE TO, TO DO THIS ROLE.
SO JUST BE AWARE THAT WE'RE INTERESTED, ENGAGING ALL OF YOUR IDEAS.
UM, WE HAD TWO COMMISSIONERS ACTUALLY PETITION TO PUT THE TPIT BACK ON THE AGENDA ON FRIDAY, WHICH IS WHY IT CAME ON THE AGENDA SO LATE IN THE GAME.
UM, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT GIVING EVERYONE A HEADS UP ABOUT THAT, BUT SOMETIMES Y'ALL WANT SOMETHING, SO YOU'RE ENTITLED TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT PARTICULARLY AS IT, UH, RELATES TO PLANNED SPEAKERS, IT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO, FOR MORE OF A HEADS UP, SO WE'RE ABLE TO GET THEM HERE DURING THE RIGHT TIME WITH THEIR PRESENTATION ORGANIZED AND ALL OF THAT.
UM, BUT UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OTHER IDEAS, QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS ON THIS ROADMAP, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE PRESENTING THIS AT EACH MEETING TO SORT OF KEEP AN ONGOING, UM, UH, PULSE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE TOURISM COMMISSION AND, UM, THAT WILL HELP US STAY FOCUSED.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, ONGOING INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION.
UM, WITH THAT, UH, I AM GONNA STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT IT IS COMMISSIONER MCKEE'S BIRTHDAY
REALLY, I NEEDED TO KNOW EARLIER, UM, RAISE THE CAKE.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UH, WE HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH ALL OF OUR, UM, ALL OF OUR AGENDA ITEMS TODAY.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO, MOVE.
THIS CONCLUDES THE SEPTEMBER 13TH MEETING OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION BOARD.