[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:05]
IT IS 6 0 2 AND WE ARE GONNA CALL THIS SEPTEMBER MEETING OF THE ARTS COMMISSION TO ORDER.
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND START WITH ROLE.
I WILL START WITH THOSE HERE IN THE ROOM.
UH, WE HAVE GINA HOUSTON PRESENT, COMMISSIONER FASER CINI PRESENT, COMMISSIONER AC GRAY PRESENT, COMMISSIONER AMY MOCK PRESENT AND WELCOME COMMISSIONER MIKE KY.
AND ON SCREEN WE HAVE COMMISSIONER HEIDI SCHMACK PRESENT.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHO THE OTHER INITIALS ARE, BUT IF YOU ARE COMMISSIONERS, YOU MUST BE ON SCREEN TO BE COUNTED AS PRESENT, WHICH I DON'T THINK I'M THINKING OF THE INITIALS.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S ANYBODY THERE.
UM, WITH THAT WE, EXCUSE ME, GO TO OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY HERE SIGNED UP? WE DON'T.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ON GOING.UH, WE NEED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE ARTS COMMISSION MEETING FROM JUNE.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS, UH, WE DIDN'T MEET IN JULY.
AND SO TO APPROVE THE SECOND, I BELIEVE THAT WE DID GET, UH, OH, THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH PEOPLE HERE.
AB I BELIEVE, I THINK WE DIDN'T HAVE A, WE HAD TO HAVE FORUM BECAUSE SOME OF US WERE NOT THERE, SO WE DIDN'T VOTE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH VOTE TO PASS IT, I THINK.
WELL, WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THEM AT THIS POINT.
UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOVE TO APPROVE MO UH, COMMISSIONER GRAY MOVES TO APPROVE.
AND THEN WE ALSO NEED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING, UM, IN AUGUST, ALL MOVE TO APPROVE, UH, MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GRAY.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MARK.
[3. Discussion of Chair’s Report on Congratulations to Elevate Recipients by Chair Zisman]
WITH THAT, WE WILL GO TO THE CHAIR'S REPORT.I'M THE WOMAN OF COLOR WEARING A WHITE BLOUSE.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, THANK ALL THE NEW COMMISSIONERS.
WE ARE CELEBRATING A FULL DA HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OH, WELL OVER A YEAR.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, COMMISSIONER NEY, COMMISSIONER KY.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU WITH US AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, GETTING YOUR INPUT AND PERSPECTIVE ON ALL THAT IS FACING OUR ARTS COMMUNITY.
I'M VERY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU GUYS HERE.
UM, WITH THAT, I ALSO WANNA CONGRATULATE ALL OF THE RECIPIENTS OF ELEVATE.
UM, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE DIVERSE, UM, GROUP THAT, UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO UPLIFT THROUGH THIS FUNDING.
AND, UM, I'M JUST SO LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THAT'S GONNA COME AS A RESULT OF THOSE AWARDS.
SO, WITH THAT, UM, WE CAN KEEP GOING.
AND JUST A DISCLAIMER, IT IS VERY WARM IN HERE TODAY, SO AS I SHINE AND GLISTEN FOLKS AT HOME, PLEASE KNOW IT IS, IT'S NOT STRESS.
I'M REALLY HAVING A GREAT TIME HERE TONIGHT IF I JUST COULD GET MY BODY TEMPERATURE TO REGULATE.
[4. Discussion of the Art in Public Places Liaison Report by Commissioner Gray]
WE HAVE THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES LIAISON REPORT WITH COMMISSIONER GRAY.UM, THE, UH, ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES REGULAR MEETING WAS HELD ON SEPTEMBER 11TH.
UH, THE, UH, PANEL REAPPOINTED STEPHANIE LIMO, UH, TO THE ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES PANEL.
THEY APPROVED THE FINAL DESIGN FOR AL POCKET PARK APPROVED THE FINAL DESIGN FOR THE, UM, A F D 51 AND E M S 40 STATION, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, IF YOU DON'T KNOW.
AND E M S APPROVED THE FINAL DESIGN FOR PARK OSA AND ALSO APPROVED THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE PALMER OF ARTS, UH, PALMER EVENT CENTER, A I P P PROJECT, AS WELL AS THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE FAMILY VIOLENCE SHELTER AND PROTECTION CENTER PROJECT.
UH, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, APPROVED AND REVISED THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER.
THERE WERE STAFF BRIEFINGS, WHICH INCLUDED, UH, CONSTANCE WHITE AS PROJECT MANAGER.
INTRODUCING THREE NEW STAFF MEMBERS, COLLECTION MANAGER SEAN HARRISON, PROJECT MANAGER LINDSEY HUTCHINS AND PROJECT MANAGER BRIANNA ILA.
UH, WE ALSO, ALEX ERRA UPDATED THE PANEL ON THE COMPLETED INSTALLATION OF THE GEORGIAN ACRES NEIGHBORHOOD PARK PROJECT, AS WELL AS THE FARR TENNIS CENTER PROJECT, UH, AS WELL, IN ADDITION TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UPDATES ON THE SLAUGHTER LANE SEGMENT A AND THE BRUSH SQUARE, A I P P PROJECTS, THEY WERE ALSO SHARED.
UH, CONSTANCE WHITE ALSO UPDATED THE PANEL THAT THERE WILL BE AN A I P P PUBLIC ART SYMPOSIUM WITH THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY ON NOVEMBER 16TH FROM ONE TO 5:00 PM THE A I P P PANEL ALSO HAD A SPECIAL MEETING, UH, THIS PAST WEEK, UH, THAT INCLUDED DISCUSSIONS ON THE 2023 ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES YEAR IN REVIEW.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, WHAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED, WHAT'S STILL IN HOLD.
IT'S A, A REALLY EXCITING THING TO SEE
[00:05:01]
WHAT'S GOING ON IN A FULL YEAR.IT'S AMAZING TO SEE WHAT COMES THROUGH AND ALL OF THE ELDERS THAT ARE INVOLVED.
UM, DISCUSSIONS INVOLVING PUBLIC ART PLAN AND PLANNING PROCESS FOR 2024, WHICH WAS JUST SKIRTED.
UM, WE DISCUSSED PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND AWARENESS, NOT TO DETAIL OF HOW THAT WILL BE DONE, BUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS AS WELL AS THE OUTREACH TO ARTISTS.
UH, THERE WAS A REVIEW, A STARTED A REVIEW OF THE ORDINANCE AND GUIDELINES FOR THE PANEL.
AND, UH, AS WELL AS THE 2024 ART AND PUBLIC PLACES GOALS.
THE LAST TWO DISCUSSIONS, SEVEN AND EIGHT ARE STILL IN MOTION, BUT IT WAS A REALLY WONDERFUL MEETING.
VERY FULL OF THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GRAY.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE A DISCUSSION OF THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE BY A E D C DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD MEMBER CARL SETTLES.
CARL, THANKS FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY.
[6. Discussion of the Downtown Commission by Commissioner Mok]
COMMISSIONER MOCK, DO YOU MIND GIVING US THE UPDATE FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION? UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING IN AUGUST, UM, BECAUSE THE, THE AGENDA IS NOT FULL, SO I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT.AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS THIS COMING WEDNESDAY.
SO MAYBE AFTER THAT, I, I HAVE SOMETHING TO REPORT.
SORRY, OUR MEETINGS ARE KIND OF LOPSIDED.
ARE YOU PRESENT? LET'S GO BACK.
WE'LL PUT A PIN AND CARL CAN MOVE FORWARD.
I WONDER IF HE'S HAVING THERE.
[5. Discussion of the Austin Economic Development Corporation/Cultural Trust Advisory Committee by Austin Economic Development Corporation Board Member Carl Settles]
HI.UH, I DIALED IN ON MY PHONE 'CAUSE I WAS WALKING INTO A BUILDING AND THEN I COULDN'T UNMUTE MYSELF ONCE I GOT ON VIDEO.
ANYWAY, THAT'S BEEN, UH, RECTIFIED.
UH, APPARENTLY MISSED THE LAST, THE LAST MONTH'S MEETING SNUCK UP ON ME AND I DIDN'T, I ACTUALLY, I DIDN'T GET A NOTICE ABOUT THAT, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT, UH, PROVIDING A REPORT LAST MONTH.
UM, I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO BE, UH, TAKING OVER AS THE CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, CORPORATION AS OF, UH, OCTOBER.
UM, SO WE, UH, VOTED, UH, IN SESSION, UH, LAST WEEK, UM, WITH, WITH THE BOARD, UH, TO INSTALL ME WITH THE WHOLE, UH, NEW SET OF, UH, OFFICERS AS WELL.
UH, SO THAT'S HAPPENING, UM, IN TERMS OF THE URBAN RENEWAL BOARD REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR BLOCK 16 AND 18 WAS RELEASED, RELEASED ON AUGUST 22ND.
UM, PHASE ONE OF THE R F P IS DUE IN NOVEMBER.
UM, AND WE'LL FOCUS ON THE DEVELOPER QUALIFICATIONS AND VISION.
ALL MATERIALS FOR THE RS R F P IS ON THE A E D C WEBSITE.
AND INTERESTED FOLKS SHOULD EMAIL JOSE@AUSTINEDC.ORG, UM, FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
UM, THE CREATIVE HUB AT THE, UM, UH, PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, OFFICE, UH, DESIGN PROCESS IS STARTING, UH, THE FIRST COMMUNITY WORKSHOP, BUT THAT WILL BE HELD ON OCTOBER 1ST AT 6:00 PM AT THE P D C SPACE ON MIDDLE FISCAL ROAD.
UH, DETAILS WILL BE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE AND WILL BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH OUR NEWSLETTER AND DISTRIBUTION LIST.
AND, UH, WE STILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN LEGAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS ORGANIZATIONS ON THE LONG LIST OF, UH, OF POTENTIAL, UH, PROJECTS TO BE FUNDED.
THESE WERE THE 14 ORGANIZATIONS IDENTIFIED LAST SUMMER THAT HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING, WE'VE BEEN CONSIDERING, UH, FOR FEASIBILITY FOUR HAVE NOW BEEN ANNOUNCED.
THOSE ARE MILLENNIUM, THE MILLENNIUM CENTER, ROOT MAX SLASH BACK CAVE, UM, AND AT THE P D C AND, UM, THE HOLE IN THE WALL, ADDITIONAL ICONIC VENUE AND BOND PROJECTS ARE IN NEGOTIATION AND HOPE TO BE ANNOUNCED THIS FALL.
UH, SO THAT'S A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF WHAT I GOT THIS MONTH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.
WILL YOU BE SURE WHEN THE, UH, EVENTS ARE ANNOUNCED
[00:10:01]
AND MADE PUBLIC, CAN YOU JUST SEND US AN EMAIL SO THAT WE CAN HELP AMPLIFY VISIBILITY FOR THOSE THROUGH OUR NETWORKS? ABSOLUTELY.THANK YOU FOR JOINING AND BEING HERE TODAY.
[7. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Laura Odegaard, Cultural Investment Program Manager]
OKAY.WE HAVE, UM, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX BY LAURA ORDE GUARD CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.
I'M LAURA ODEGAARD, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
I'M A WHITE WOMAN WITH LONG BROWN HAIR WEARING A BLACK DRESS AND A TAN BLAZER.
AND WITH THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL BE SHARING OUR AUGUST HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION NUMBERS.
UH, SO HERE YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL HOT, UH, COLLECTION IN AUGUST WAS $11,510,668.
SO THIS MEANS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR AUGUST WERE $1,062,541.
UM, IN THIS SLIDE YOU CAN SEE BOTH THE APPROVED F Y 23 BUDGET AS WELL AS THE UPDATED YEAR END ESTIMATE.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, THERE'S A DELAY IN HOW HOT REPORTING TAKES PLACE.
SO THIS SEPTEMBER REPORT THAT I'M DOING FOR YOU TONIGHT SHOWS FUNDS COLLECTED IN AUGUST FOR HOTEL STAYS IN JULY, CLICKING SORT OF, THERE WE GO.
UM, SO HERE YOU CAN SEE HOW FAR PAST THE ORIGINAL APPROVED CULTURAL ARTS FUND BUDGET NUMBER OF 10.3 MILLION, AND HOW WE HAVE ALSO EXCEEDED THE UPDATED YEAR END ESTIMATE OF $14 MILLION.
UH, SO OUR HOT CULTURAL ARTS FUND ACTUALS RIGHT NOW ARE 15,637 15 MILLION.
WE'LL SAY THIS CORRECTLY, $15,637,258.
UM, FOR COMPARISON, THIS TIME LAST YEAR, THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND WAS $12.8 MILLION.
UH, AND AS A REMINDER, THE FUNDS COLLECTED THIS YEAR IN F Y 23 WILL BE USED TO FUND PROGRAMS IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR F Y 24, WHICH STARTS ON OCTOBER 1ST.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, LAURA.
I WANNA JUST ACKNOWLEDGE MY NEWBIES.
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS IF THERE'S A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
UM, I'VE SAID THIS TO YOU GUYS INDIVIDUALLY, BUT SOMEONE OUT THERE IS GONNA HAVE A SIMILAR QUESTION.
BY ALL MEANS, IF, IF SOMETHING DOESN'T QUITE MAKE SENSE OR THE NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP, LIKE THIS IS WHAT STAFF IS HERE FOR US.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT LAST POINT YOU MADE IN TERMS OF WHEN THESE FUNDS ARE APPLIED OR IS A WONDERFUL REMINDER FOR ALL OF US.
LIKE THIS IS MONEY FOR NEXT YEAR AND THE FISCAL YEAR THAT WE FOLLOW, WHICH WILL BEGIN IN SEPTEMBER FOR OCTOBER.
OCTOBER ENDS IN SEPTEMBER, BEGINS IN OCTOBER.
[8. Staff briefing regarding the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor, and Laura Odegaard, Cultural Investment Program Manager]
NEXT WE HAVE STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS BY JESUS PENTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR, LAURA ODEGAARD, UH, AND LAURA ODEGAARD, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.I'M JESUS PANTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.
UM, I WILL BE GIVING A PRESENTATION MAINLY ON ELEVATE, UM, BUT ON A COUPLE OF OUR OTHER CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS AS WELL.
I, UM, SO JUST A REMINDER THAT, UH, AFTER THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS, WE ARE LOOKING AT A HOLISTIC CULTURAL FUNDING ECOSYSTEM WITH OUR PILOT PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S THRIVE, ELEVATE, AND NEXUS.
UH, THRIVE AWARDS WERE, UM, MADE IN JANUARY AND, UH, APPROVED, UH, WE GAVE AN UPDATE AT THE FEBRUARY ARTS COMMISSION MEETING.
I'M GONNA BE SPENDING THE BULK OF THE PRESENTATION.
WE JUST, UH, MADE AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, LAST WEEK, UM, WEEK BEFORE LAST.
UM, AND THEN NEXUS IS IN THE, UH, MIDST OF BEING REVIEWED RIGHT NOW.
AND WE WILL BE MAKING NEXUS AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS SOON.
UM, AND SO A LOT OF THESE, UM, UH, SLIDES ARE GONNA BE REMINDERS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR A WHILE, FOR SOME OF THE NEW ONES.
THESE ARE SOME, UH, KEY DATES OF THE ELEVATE, UH, FUNDING PROGRAM.
UH, WE'RE ON THE FAR RIGHT OF THE SLIDE WHERE THE AWARDS ARE ANNOUNCED.
UM, CONTRACTS ARE FROM SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2023 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.
[00:15:01]
CONTRACT.WHAT THAT'S MEAN, WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE FUNDED HAVE TO TAKE PLACE ANY TIME PERIOD WITHIN THAT.
IT COULD BE ONE DAY, IT COULD BE A COUPLE OF DAYS, IT COULD BE MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES, UM, OVER THAT TIME PERIOD.
UM, EVEN UP TO AND INCLUDING ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024 IS THE LAST DAY THAT, UM, ACTIVITIES WILL BE FUNDED.
AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE LONG CENTER AS OUR THIRD PARTY, UM, ADMINISTRATOR TO, UH, GET PAYMENTS OUT BY THE END OF THE SEPTEMBER, BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER IS THE GOAL.
AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, UH, HAVE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, SO WE DID HAVE OUTSIDE FACILITATORS THAT WERE HELPING US WITH THE ELEVATE PROGRAM.
UH, WE TRAINED, UM, 100 PEOPLE IN 10 DIFFERENT, UH, GROUP TRAININGS, SO THAT WAY THEY COULD BE MORE ONE-ON-ONE INDIVIDUALIZED TRAININGS OR, YOU KNOW, A, A SMALLER GROUP OF PEOPLE, I GUESS I SHOULD SAY.
UM, WE DID HAVE FOUR, FOUR SPANISH APPLICATIONS THAT WERE RECEIVED.
UM, ONE OF THE, UM, CONTRACTS THAT WAS AWARDED, UH, WAS FOR, TO A SPANISH LANGUAGE APPLICANT.
UM, WE HAD, UM, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPLICATION ASSISTANCE THAT, UH, THE STAFF PROVIDED IN A VARIETY OF, UH, DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, AND 263 PEOPLE WERE ASSISTED IN THOSE, UH, VARIETY OF, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS.
UH, SO AN ELEVATE APPLICATION SUMMARY, UH, 762 APPLICATIONS WERE STARTED.
487 WERE SUCCESSFULLY SUBMITTED.
AND THEN ONCE WE, UH, CHECKED FOR DUPLICATES, THERE WERE 448, UH, UNIQUE APPLICANTS THAT WERE ALSO ELIGIBLE.
SO SOME OF THAT 4 87, THEY WERE EITHER DUPLICATES OR THEY WERE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING.
UH, WE WENT INTO THE REVIEW PROCESS.
THERE WERE 265, UM, INDIVIDUAL AND CREATIVE BUSINESS, UM, APPLICATIONS, OR NON 5 0 1 C ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, THEY ALL WENT TO A STAGE ONE REVIEW WHERE THEY WERE, UH, REVIEWED BY THREE DIFFERENT READERS, UM, AND SCORED AND COMMENTED ON.
THEY REVIEWED THE WHOLE APPLICATION, UH, THE TOP, UM, 125 APPLICATIONS, THEN WENT ON TO, UH, ROUND TWO, UH, STAGE TWO, UM, AND 75.
UM, UM, AWARDS WERE MADE OUT OF THAT.
SO THEY HAD IN THE STAGE TWO, A FULL REVIEW PANEL, UM, WHERE THE PANELISTS, UH, DISCUSSED THE APPLICATIONS, UM, AMONGST THEMSELVES, UH, FOR THE 5 0 1 C APPLICATIONS, UM, WE'RE AWARDING 125 SINCE THERE WERE ONLY 183, UH, NON-PROFIT 5 0 1 C APPLICATIONS.
UH, WE SKIPPED THE READER STAGE.
UM, SO ALL 183 WENT STRAIGHT TO THE REVIEW STAGE, AND 125 OF THOSE 123 WERE AWARDED FUNDING.
UM, AND SO NOW I'M GONNA GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, WHAT, UH, KIND OF, UH, SOME DETAILS ABOUT WHAT THE APPLICANTS LOOK LIKE.
I'VE BROKEN DOWN ELEVATE, UM, SO THERE'S SOME STUFF AT THE END THAT'S THE PROGRAMS THAT A WHOLE.
BUT, UH, FOR THE RACE AND ETHNICITY OF THE LEADERSHIP AND THE GENDER OF THE LEADERSHIP, I WANTED TO BREAK IT DOWN FOR THE NONPROFITS AND FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CREATIVE BUSINESSES.
UM, SO 56% OF THE 183 ELIGIBLE NONPROFIT AATE APPLICANTS HAD, UM, EITHER MAJORITY WHITE OR PREFER NOT TO ANSWER AS THEIR, UM, LEADERSHIP, UH, MAKEUP, UH, FOR THE RACE AND ETHNICITY.
AND THIS IS SELF-REPORTED BY THE APPLICANTS.
ALL THIS DATA I'M GONNA BE, UM, PROVIDING YOU IS, UH, SELF-REPORTED BY THE APPLICANTS ON THEIR APPLICATION.
UH, 33% WERE MAJORITY, UH, DIVERSE RACE OR ETHNICITY, AND 11% WERE, UM, EQUAL, UH, WHITE OR DIVERSE RACE ETHNICITY.
UH, FOR GENDER OF THE LEADERSHIP, UH, 56% WERE MAJORITY FEMALE OR NON-BINARY, 35%.
UM, MAJORITY MALE PREFER NOT TO ANSWER.
AND EQUAL DISTRIBUTION IS, UH, 9%.
NOW, TAKE A LOOK AT THESE SLIDES.
I'M GONNA FORWARD TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AND THEN I MAY COME BACK TO THIS ONE SO THAT WAY YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE ACTUAL AWARDEES WERE.
SO FOR RACE AND ETHNICITY, 56% WERE MAJORITY WHITE OR PREFER NOT TO ANSWER OF THE APPLICANTS 47%, UM, WERE OF THE RECIPIENTS WERE MAJORITY WHITE OR PREFER NOT TO ANSWER.
UH, 42% MAJORITY RACE DIVERSE RACE ETHNICITY OF THE 125 AS OPPOSED TO 33% OF THE APPLICANTS.
AND THEN THE EQUAL DISTRIBUTION WAS 11% OF THE APPLICANTS AND 11% OF THE, UM, RECIPIENTS FOR THE GENDER OF LEADERSHIP, UH, 61%, UH, WERE MAJORITY FEMALE OR NON-BINARY.
UM, AS OPPOSED TO 56% OF THE APPLICANTS, UH, 35% OF THE APPLICANTS WERE MAJORITY MALE, OR PREFER NOT TO ANSWER, UH, 29%.
UM, OF THE RECIPIENTS WERE MAJORITY MALE, AND 10% OF THE RECIPIENTS WERE EQUAL DISTRIBUTION, UM, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY UP TO THE 9% OF THE APPLICANTS THAT WERE EQUAL DISTRIBUTION.
SO THAT'S THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, UM, LOOKING AT THE INDIVIDUAL AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.
UM, AGAIN, SELF-REPORTED FOR THESE AS WELL.
UH, 32% OF THE 264 APPLICANTS WERE MAJORITY WHITE OR
[00:20:01]
PREFER NOT TO ANSWER.UM, 13% OF THE RECIPIENTS WERE, UM, MAJORITY WHITE OR PREFER NOT TO ANSWER.
UH, GOING BACK TO THE, UM, APPLICANTS, UM, AND I'LL, I'LL STAY ON THIS SO YOU CAN KIND OF ABSORB THESE NUMBERS AND INSTEAD SEARCHING BACK AND FORTH.
I'LL DO IT LIKE I DID THE FIRST TIME.
UM, OF THE NEXT TIME, IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO PUT 'EM SIDE BY SIDE, PUT 'EM SIDE BY SIDE.
UM, MAJORITY DIVERSE RACE OR ETHNICITY WAS 53% OF APPLICANTS AND 15% WE'RE EQUALLY LED BY WHITE AND DIVERSE RACE OR ETHNICITIES.
UH, FOR GENDER OF THE LEADERSHIP, 50% OR HALF WERE MAJORITY FEMALE OR NON-BINARY.
A THIRD WERE MAJORITY MALE OR PREFER NOT TO ANSWER 17% WERE EQUALLY LED BY THE GENDERS.
UM, AND AGAIN, 80% OF THE RECIPIENTS WERE MAJORITY, UM, OR EXCUSE ME, 13% WERE MAJORITY WHITE OR PREFER NOT TO ANSWER RACE OR ETHNICITY.
RACE OR ETHNICITY, 7% EQUALLY LED, UM, WITH THE GENDER LEADERSHIP.
UM, MAJORITY FEMALE OR NON-BINARY WAS 54%.
UH, JUST OVER A THIRD WAS MAJORITY MALE OR PREFER NOT TO ANSWER.
AND 11% WAS EQUALLY LED BY THE GENDERS.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS KIND OF BREAKING DOWN BOTH ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE AND AWARDEES BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT THE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE, UM, THEATER, MUSIC AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY WERE, UM, THE LARGEST NUMBER OF DISCIPLINES THAT WE GET.
AND THAT'S, THAT TRACKS WITH, UM, HOW, UH, AWARDS AND APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST IN THE PREVIOUS FUNDING PROGRAMS. UM, I ALSO WANT TO, UH, DRAW YOUR ATTENTION THAT THERE WERE 18 ARTS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.
NOW, THIS IS ALL ELEVATE APPLICANTS, ALL 200 THAT RECEIVED FUNDING COMBINED.
AND SO OF THOSE 218 WERE ARTS SERVICE ORGANIZATION, UM, 18 WERE ARTS EDUCATION.
UH, SO WE ARE FUNDING A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES, INCLUDING ARTS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND ARTS EDUCATION, UH, PROVIDERS.
AND WE EVEN HAD ONE ARTS, UM, OR MUSIC THERAPY APPLICANT.
UM, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU SEE A BREAKDOWN BY DISTRICT, ALL 10 COUNCIL DISTRICTS WERE, UM, UH, HAD RECIPIENTS WHO RECEIVED FUNDING.
UM, ON THE LEFT HAND, KIND OF THE BIGGER SQUARES, UM, SHOWS, UH, THE, UH, DISTRICTS THAT HAD THE MOST, UM, APPLICANTS THAT RECEIVED FUNDING.
SO DISTRICT THREE HAD THE MOST WITH 35.
DISTRICT ONE HAD THE SECOND MOST WITH 29, UH, DISTRICT NINE AND DISTRICT FOUR.
SO ALL OF THOSE HAD, UM, ABOVE 20.
UM, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU CAN SEE MORE OF THE BREAKDOWN FOR, UM, IN THE TEENS OR, UH, SINGLE DIGITS FOR, UM, DISTRICT SIX, UH, NOT IN AUSTIN, OR SOME LEFT AT BLANK.
SO THEY JUST, UM, EITHER LEFT AT PLAN OR DID NOT KNOW.
SO, AND THAT, I BELIEVE IS THE PRESENTATION.
UM, THAT WAS IT FOR ELEVATE RECIPIENTS.
SO THERE IS AN APPEALS PROCESS, UH, FOR THOSE WHO, UM, DID NOT RECEIVE FUNDING.
I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH APPLICANTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN POTENTIALLY, UM, FILING AN APPEAL, UH, IN OUR OLD FUNDING PROGRAMS. WE DID HAVE AN APPEAL PROCESS.
THIS ONE WILL BE, UH, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
UH, WE MODELED IT OFF OF THE OLD PROGRAM, BUT IN THE PAST IT WAS, UM, THE APPEALS, UH, DECISIONS WERE MADE BY STAFF WITH THIS ONE, THE ARTS COMMISSION IS INVOLVED.
THE WAY THE APPEALS PROCESS WILL WORK IS, UM, APPLICANTS, UH, SUBMIT, UM, AN APPEAL FORM, AND THEY CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, WWW.AUSTINTEXAS.GOV/ELEVATE.
UM, AND THIS IS NEAR THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE ORGANIZATION FINALISTS HERE.
THIS IS A SCREENSHOT OF THE WEBPAGE.
UM, SO LIST WHO THE ORGANIZATIONS WERE THAT RECEIVED FUNDING, WHO THE INDIVIDUAL AND CREATIVE BUSINESS, UM, RECIPIENTS WERE.
AND THEN BELOW THAT IS THE APPEALS PROCESS.
UM, YOU CAN APPEAL, UH, BASED ON MISINFORMATION OR FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
SO IT'S A VERY, UM, UH, SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT CAN BE, UM, APPEALED.
SO I HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH APPLICANTS TO GO OVER, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING, UM, UM, CAN BE, UM, APPEALABLE.
UM, I TELL THEM IT IS UP TO THEM ULTIMATELY, IF THEY DECIDE I'M, I'M NOT NECESSARILY TRYING TO DISCOURAGE THEM FROM APPEALING, BUT I'M LETTING THEM KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S BLACK OR WHITE.
UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S A SHADE OF GRAY BECAUSE OF SUBJECTIVE OPINIONS AND SCORES OF THE PANELISTS ARE NOT APPEALABLE.
SO, UM, UH, STAFF WILL BE, UH, LOOKING AT THE ELIGIBILITY APPEALS, UH, OR AT THE APPEALS TO SEE IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE.
IF STAFF DETERMINES THAT THEY ARE ELIGIBLE, UH, WE WILL BRING THOSE TO NEXT MONTH'S, THE OCTOBER ARTS COMMISSION, UH, MEETING, OR WE WON'T BRING THE APPEALS, BUT WE WILL, UH, LET YOU KNOW THAT WE FOUND SOME THAT STAFF POTENTIALLY THINKS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR APPEAL.
UM, AND THEN YOU ALL WILL FORM AN APPEALS WORKING GROUP.
UH, THE APPEALS WORKING GROUP WILL, UM, REVIEW
[00:25:01]
THE, UM, APPEALS THAT STAFF HAS, UH, SAID ARE POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE FOR APPEAL.UM, UM, YOU'LL MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION, BRING THAT TO THE NOVEMBER ARTS COMMISSION MEETING, AND THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION WILL VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THE APPEALS WERE SUCCESSFUL.
AND IF SO, HOW MUCH FUNDING THE, UH, SUCCESSFUL APPEALS, UH, SHOULD RECEIVE.
UM, THE DEADLINE, UH, FOR THE APPEAL IS 10 BUSINESS DAYS FROM RECEIVING, UH, NOTICE OF, UH, YOUR AWARD.
UM, AND SO SINCE WE SENT THOSE OUT, UH, NOT THIS PAST FRIDAY, BUT LAST FRIDAY, THE AWARD APPEAL IS, UH, DEADLINE IS 11:45 PM THIS FRIDAY.
UM, SO, UM, THE WAY WE HAVE IT SET UP, IT'S IN 15 MINUTE INCREMENTS.
SO WE, UH, DID IT AS CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT AS WE CAN, BUT IT'S THIS FRIDAY, UH, THAT THE APPEALS PROCESS, UM, DEADLINE IS, IS DUE.
UM, AND THEN OTHER GRANTS, UM, AS I MENTIONED, UH, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF REVIEWING NEXUS.
UH, THERE WILL BE $55,000 AWARDS, UM, IN NEXUS.
UH, WE RECEIVED 191 ELIGIBLE APPLICATIONS.
AND THIS IS A STAFF, UM, REVIEW.
SO STAFF FROM, UH, BOTH THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION AS WELL AS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ARE, UM, IN THE MIDST OF, UH, REVIEWING ELEVATE APPLICATIONS.
AND WE WILL ANNOUNCE, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, UH, NEXUS APPLICATIONS AND WE WILL ANNOUNCE NEXUS AWARDS AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
UH, THE ARTS EDUCATION, UH, RELIEF GRANT HAS CLOSED AS WELL.
UH, WE WILL BE AWARDING 19 AWARDS OF $25,000 EACH.
UH, THERE WERE 58 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.
UM, AND WE HAVE EIGHT EXTERNAL PANELISTS, UH, THAT ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING APPLICATIONS.
UM, AND THERE WILL BE TWO CONCURRENT PANEL REVIEWS, UH, THAT ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC HELD ON WEDNESDAY, UH, SEPTEMBER 27TH, STARTING AT 10:00 AM.
UM, AND YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT BY GOING TO OUR WEBSITE, AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/ARTS-EDUCATION-RELIEF GRANT.
AND THAT WAS MY PRESENTATION, SO I'M OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
COMMISSIONER GRAY, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, IN THE EVENT OF A SUCCESSFUL APPEAL, WHERE WERE THOSE FUNDS COME FROM? UH, SO WE WOULD LOOK TO SEE, UM, WHAT WE HAVE IN THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, UM, UH, THAT IS SET ASIDE FOR THIS YEAR.
AND, UM, THE AWARD AMOUNT WILL DETERMINE ON HOW MANY SUCCESSFUL, IF ANY, UM, APPEALS THERE ARE.
UM, THIS MAY BE PICKY, AND I KNOW YOU GOT A GREAT ANSWER, BUT THE PREFER NOT TO ANSWER ANSWER KIND OF FLOATS AROUND IN THE, IN THE REPORTING.
IS THERE A REASON WHY IT'S FLOATING INTO FEMALE, MALE, UH, THAT DA AND NOT JUST BY ITSELF? OR DOES IT MATTER? UM, MAYBE IT'S A VERY NAIVE QUESTION.
I GUESS WE, UM, UM, DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC REASON FOR THAT SO WE CAN BREAK IT OUT IN THE FUTURE.
JUST WONDERING, IT'S IF IT'S, IT'S NOT CONSISTENT, WHETHER IT'S THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OR THE LOWEST OR WHEREVER IT SITS.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST EARLY QUESTION, BUT I KNOW IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.
JUST A REMINDER, THE NEXT CYCLE FOR ELEVATE STARTS.
WHEN AND WHAT FISCAL YEAR OR WHAT TIME WINDOW DOES THAT COVER? SO, UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY PLANNING ON STARTING ELEVATE, UH, SOMETIME IN EARLY 2024 MM-HMM.
UM, WE WANT TO LOOK AT THE TIME PERIOD OF WHEN ELEVATE, YOU KNOW, SO FOR, FOR THIS YEAR IT WAS, UM, UM, SEPTEMBER 15TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH.
SO THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, AND IF IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF MONTHS TO DO PANELS, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO KIND OF WORK OUR WAY BACK.
BUT WE NEED TO LOOK HOLISTICALLY AT WHAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE, UM, IS DOING FOR OTHER PROGRAMS, UH, THAT WANT TO LAUNCH.
BUT THAT IS OUR CURRENT PLAN IS TO HAVE ELEVATE, UH, RUN FROM JULY 1ST THROUGH JUNE 30TH.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S NOT, ARE YOU PUSHING IN THE FUTURE TO GET BACK IN A FISCAL YEAR WINDOW, OR IS IT, I, AM I REMEMBERING CORRECTLY THAT IT'S GONNA BE, THEY'RE ALL GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
THEY'RE ALL GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, SO THAT WAY STAFF CAN SPEND MORE TIME OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY FINAL REPORTS I'LL DO AT THE SAME TIME OR CONTRACTS, UH, GOING OUT AT THE SAME TIME.
SO IT IS PURPOSEFULLY BEING STAGGERED.
THANKS FOR REMINDING US OF THAT.
WE'VE GOT, UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA IN THE ATTENDEES AREA, IF WE CAN MOVE HIM OVER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER HOUSTON? UH, YES.
UM, FULL DISCLOSURE, I AM CURRENTLY IN A PRODUCTION FOR ARCHIVE THEATER AND I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO ANYONE IN THE ORGANIZATION ABOUT THE PROCESS, BUT I'VE HEARD THROUGH THEIR GRAPEVINE,
[00:30:01]
IS THERE ANY WAY THAT I CAN LOOK AT THE BACKGROUND OF THAT? SURE.
SO, UM, UM, WE CAN, UH, MAKE A NOTE AND WE CAN, UM, GET AT THAT.
BUT THE WAY THE, UM, SO I TALKED ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.
SO THERE WAS A TWO ROUND PROCESS, RIGHT? AND SO NOT EVERYBODY ADVANCED TO THE SECOND ROUND OF FUNDING.
UM, WE CAN LOOK, UM, INTO THAT ONE.
THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE 'CAUSE THERE WERE SOME APPLICATIONS THAT WERE, THAT WERE NOT ELIGIBLE.
BUT IF YOU CAN, UH, SEND US THE NAME, WE CAN LOOK INTO, INTO THAT ONE TO SEE WHAT, UH, THE REASONING FOR THAT MIGHT BE.
UM, SINCE WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT DEADLINES, UM, SINCE THRIVE, I BELIEVE OPENED IN DECEMBER, MAYBE DECEMBER OF 2023, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UM, WHEN WILL THAT BE EXPECTED TO REOPEN FOR NEW APPLICANTS? SO THRIVE WON'T BE OPENING UP AGAIN FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR.
THRIVE IS A TWO YEAR FUNDING PROGRAM.
SO, AND IT RUNS, UM, THE WAY IT ENDED UP RUNNING, LIKE APRIL WAS THE, UM, UH, CONTRACT START DATE.
BUT, UM, WE WANT THAT ONE TO RUN ON A CALENDAR YEAR.
SO, UM, YEAR ONE, WE'LL CLOSE, UH, DECEMBER 31ST, 2023, UH, YEAR TWO, UH, WOULD RUN FROM JANUARY 1ST, 2024 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2024.
UM, AND SO WE WOULD DO, YOU KNOW, OPEN UP ELEVATE PROBABLY MID, UM, 2024, UM, AGAIN, FOR THE, FOR THE NEXT TWO YEAR FUNDING CYCLE.
DO YOU MEAN THRIVE AND ASSUMING THRIVE ASSUMING THE PROGRAM, UH, THRIVE? YES.
AND THAT'S ASSUMING THE PROGRAMS, UH, STAY AS IS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THESE ARE PILOT PROGRAMS. WE'RE GONNA BE REVIEWING, UM, ALL OF THE PILOT PROGRAMS, THRIVE, ELEVATE, AND NEXUS, UM, TO SEE WHAT, IF ANYTHING, UM, WILL CHANGE.
SO ASSUMING THRIVE STAYS IN ITS CURRENT FORM, IT'S A TWO YEAR FUNDING CYCLE.
UM, AND, UM, IT WOULD OPEN UP PROBABLY IN, YOU KNOW, A THIRD OF THE YEAR IN HALFWAY INTO THE YEAR OF, UH, UH, 2024, UH, MOST LIKELY.
SO IT WON'T BE SIMILAR TO, UM, LIKE, LET'S SAY TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS WHERE THEY HAVE DIFFERENT, LIKE ARTS YEAR ONE, ARTS YEAR TWO, SO THERE'S MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS FOR THOSE GRANTS.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE, UH, REVIEW PROCESS, UM, LOOKING AT THAT, UM, FOR THE PILOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SURE IF WE WANTED TO DO THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL KINDS OF, UM, FEEDBACK FROM, UH, THE APPLICANTS, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHO APPLIED BUT MAY NOT HAVE GET GOTTEN FUNDED FROM, UH, U S A ARTS COMMISSION.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY, UH, THAT'S NOT THE PLAN IS TO JUST, YOU KNOW, OPEN IT UP, YOU KNOW, FINISH OUT THIS FIRST COHORT AND THEN, UH, SEE WHAT WE, UH, HOW WE WANT TO STRUCTURE THRIVE, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
AND FOR NEXUS, THAT ONE'S SUPPOSED TO RUN EVERY SIX MONTHS.
UH, SO WHEN IS THE NEXT CYCLE FOR THAT ONE? THE NEXT CYCLE WILL BE EARLY, UH, 2024 IS, UH, THE CURRENT PLAN FOR THE NEXT CYCLE, UM, FOR ACTIVITIES FROM APRIL 1ST THROUGH OCTOBER 30TH.
SO THAT ONE IS GONNA RUN MORE ON THE CITY'S, UH, FISCAL YEAR.
SO, UH, THE FIRST HALF, UM, AGAIN, AS, AS CURRENTLY ENVISIONED AS CURRENTLY PLANNED MM-HMM.
AND THEN THE SECOND ROUND WOULD BE APRIL 1ST THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH.
AND I JUST HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION 'CAUSE I KNOW THESE ARE ALL REALLY NEW.
SO, UM, FOR NEXUS, ARE THERE PANEL REVIEWS FOR THAT ONE? I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T CATCH THAT ON THE, SO THERE, THERE ARE PANEL REVIEWS, BUT IT'S AN INTERNAL, UH, PANEL DONE BY STAFF.
UM, NEXUS IS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR OLD COMMUNITY INITIATIVES PROGRAM, WHICH WAS ALSO, UH, JUST REVIEWED BY STAFF.
THAT WAS REVIEWED BY ONE STAFF MEMBER.
UH, THIS ONE, UH, NEXUS IS, UM, WHILE SIMILAR, WE ARE MAKING IT MORE OF A PANEL LIKE PROCESS WITH, AGAIN, BOTH CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION STAFF MEMBERS AS WELL AS, UH, STAFF MEMBERS FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT REVIEWING THOSE NEXUS APPLICATIONS.
SO WITH NEXUS BEING KIND OF INTERNALLY REVIEWED, IT'S SO THAT IT KIND OF PUSHES FORWARD A LITTLE BIT FASTER THAN LIKE KIND OF GETTING OKAY.
THE CURRENT PLAN IS TO, UM, ANNOUNCE AWARDS, UH, BEFORE THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE A MORE ROBUST, UH, NEXUS UPDATE AT THE OCTOBER ARTS COMMISSION MEETING.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, I, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, I KNOW YOU HEARD ME MENTION THAT COMMISSIONER GARZA IS NOW IN THE ROOM, BUT, UM, COMMISSIONERS
[00:35:01]
IN THE DIGITAL SPHERE, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR JESUS REGARDING ELEVATE? COMMISSIONER NAL.UM, UH, SO, UM, UH, MS.
IS THERE ANY MORE INSIGHT INTO THAT OR SHOULD WE,
SOVIA HOLT, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
YES, THIS LAST QUARTER OF 2023, WE ARE TAKING AN EVALUATION OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES PORTAL, THAT INCLUDES, UH, LANGUAGE ACCESS, THE ENTIRE USER EXPERIENCE.
WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK, AND SO WE WANNA TAKE OUR TIME, UM, AND, UH, DO AN EVALUATION OF THE SYSTEM TO SEE HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE USER EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS WE HEARD, AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND SAY WE ACCEPT THAT AND WE'RE STRIVING TO GET IT BETTER.
BUT WE HAVE ABOUT A FIVE 10 PAGE PLAN.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE BRINGING IN CONSULTANTS, WE'RE WORKING WITH C T M, WHICH IS OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT TO SEE HOW WE CAN DEFINITELY IMPROVE.
AND SO THE NEW LAUNCH DATES ARE, SEEMS REASONABLE BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY WON'T START TO THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR, BUT JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HEARD YOU, UH, I MADE A PRESENTATION TO THE HISPANIC QUALITY OF LIFE ABOUT IT.
AND SO WE JUST WANT TO TAKE OUR TIME TO TRY AND GET IT, UM, RIGHT.
UH, IT'S NOT GONNA BE PERFECT 'CAUSE WE ARE IN AN IMPERFECT WORLD, BUT I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WERE CHALLENGES.
WE HEARD YOU, AND WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, TALKING WITH OUR CLIENTS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR USER EXPERIENCE, TALKING WITH STAFF AND EVERYTHING.
I DON'T HAVE A FIRM TIMELINE, UH, HAVING SOME CONTRACT CHALLENGES WITH ONE OF THE CONSULTANTS.
SO, UH, JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT.
SO, JUST TO CLARIFY, THAT WILL INCLUDE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND THE CONSULTANTS WILL BE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH COMMUNITY, THOSE WHO APPLIED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN RECEIVED AND DIDN'T RECEIVE.
PERHAPS WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THE CONSULTANT TO CHART THE BEST PASSPORT ON HOW WE RECEIVE THAT FEEDBACK.
BUT THE GOAL IS DEFINITELY TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY.
I'VE HEARD FROM COMMUNITY, I'VE MET WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS.
I WANNA THANK MY EQUITY INCLUSION COORDINATOR WHO'S ONLY BEEN ON THE JOB MAYBE THREE MONTHS.
HE'S NOW DOING CONSTITUENT SERVICES TO HEAR FROM ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS SO THAT HE CAN HELP ALONG WITH US CHART THE BEST PATH FORWARD.
BUT WE HEARD YOU, WE HURT COMMUNITY AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, IS THAT, THAT'S THE BACKEND, THE, THE MECHANISM, LIKE THE ACTUAL PORTAL, AND THEN IS THAT ALSO INTO THE OVERALL APPLIC, LIKE THE APPLICATION OR THE, IS IT SOUP TO NUTS OR IS IT JUST A FACET OF THE PROCESS? WE DON'T WANT TO CHANGE THE INTENT OF THE QUESTIONS I'VE GUARANTEED STAFF.
HOW DOES IT OVERLAY ONTO A SYSTEM? OKAY.
LIKE, HOW DO THE QUESTIONS OVERLAY ONTO IE.
HOW DOES LANGUAGE ACCESS, HOW DO WE, UH, PROVIDE THAT SERVICE? WE'RE TALKING TO OUR SISTER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY TO SEE HOW THEY EVEN HANDLE IT.
HOW DOES PAR HANDLE IT? HOW DOES A P A HANDLE IT? AND WE ARE LEADERS IN THAT SPACE.
WE DEFINITELY PROVIDE A LOT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, A LOT OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IT TO SEE WHAT WE CAN SUSTAIN AND HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD.
I'M SEEING, UH, LAURA SNEAK UP HERE.
JUST GONNA SNEAK UP AND ADD, UM, AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, IT'S A MULTI-STEP REVIEW PROCESS.
SO THE REVIEW PROCESS THAT I THINK SOVIA WAS JUST MENTIONING WAS SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE SOUP TO NUTS, THE SYSTEM, THE PROCESSES, ALL OF THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE A SEPARATE CONSULTANT THAT'S REVIEWING ALL HOT PROGRAMS AND THE EFFICACY OF OUR EQUITY EFFORTS.
SO REVIEWING THE PROGRAMS, THE QUESTIONS, THE RESULTS, IS IT HELPING THE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE ARTISTS LIKE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD MM-HMM.
SO TWO SEPARATE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN TANDEM.
JUST TO CLARIFY, SHE'S SHE'S CORRECT.
I FORGOT ABOUT THE MEASURE CONTRACT.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN A QUESTION FROM THE COMMUNITY IS, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE EFFORTS, THIS BIG UPHEAVAL ISN'T REALLY TAKING US TO WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GET.
[00:40:01]
COMMISSIONERS BEFORE I RELEASE STAFF AND MOVE ON.ANYBODY ELSE? JUST A SUGGESTION, PLEASE.
THIS IS JUST MORE OF A SUGGESTION, UM, IS I THINK FEEDBACK IS OBVIOUSLY VERY CRITICAL.
UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CHANGE SYSTEMS AND LIKE THE UX DESIGN.
UM, SOMETHING I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IN THE FUTURE, NO MATTER WHAT WE LAND ON, IS DOING, UM, LIKE AN ACTUAL TRAINING SESSION WHERE YOU, WHERE LIKE A PERSON FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT'S ON THE TECH SIDE ACTUALLY TOURS THE APPLICATION FOR FOLKS.
UM, AS AN APPLICANT THAT, UM, APPLIED, UM, I FOUND IT REALLY PROBLEMATIC THAT YOU COULDN'T SAVE THE INFORMATION.
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY JARRING FOR FOLKS, UM, WHEN THEY'RE APPLYING TO SOMETHING WHEN YOU COMPLETELY CHANGE THE SYSTEM.
BUT THERE'S NOT ANY TOOLS FOR TRAINING.
AND I KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAD LIKE YOUR ONE-ON-ONE TECHNICAL, BUT YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY CAN MAKE THAT.
IT WOULD BE REALLY USEFUL TO JUST BE ABLE TO HAVE REFERENCE DOCUMENTS, UM, ESPECIALLY VIDEOS BECAUSE IT'S A VISUAL BASED COMPONENT.
SO THAT'S, UM, SOMETHING THAT I'VE SEEN OTHER GRANTORS DO, LIKE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST BIT OF FEEDBACK, WHICH I KNOW THAT IS LIKE VERY WISHFUL THINKING,
I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAVING IT PARTITIONED OUT WHERE, YOU KNOW, TELECOMMUNICATIONS HAS ONE SYSTEM AND THEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAS ANOTHER SYSTEM, IT'S VERY CONFUSING.
UM, AS A PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY WHO RUNS A NONPROFIT OR IS LOOKING FOR FUNDING TO HAVE TO KIND OF DIG AND ALSO LEARN ALL THESE DIFFERENT, UM, LIKE DESIGN PROCESSES WITH, I DON'T THINK IT'S VERY EQUITABLE, UM, FOR, AND I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF THAT, BUT THIS IS MY FEEDBACK FOR YOU.
AND THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO AND CONTINUE TO DO.
WE'RE SEEING THE IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY.
I PERSONALLY HEARD FROM A HANDFUL OF FOLKS ON BOTH THE NON-PROFIT AND FOR-PROFIT, UM, SIDE OF THE RECIPIENT LIST, UM, JUST ELATED.
SO IT'S WORKING, IT'S HAPPENING.
THE FUNDS ARE GETTING OUT THERE, PEOPLE ARE EXCITED, UM, TO MOVE ON, UM,
[9. Staff briefing on Creative Space Assistance Program by Kim McCarson, Music and Entertainment Division]
NEXT WE GO ON TO OUR STAFF BRIEFING ON THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BY KIM MACARON MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.UM, AND TO CLARIFY, WELL KIM COMES UP HERE.
THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WAS FACILITATED BY THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT, BUT REALLY UMBRELLAS BOTH LIKE, ENDS ALL THE ENDS OF OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS WHY I'VE INVITED KIM TO PRESENT TO US TODAY.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND MAKING TIME.
SO I'M KIM MCC CARSON, THE PROGRAM MANAGER IN THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND I'LL BE GIVING A PRESENTATION TONIGHT ON CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH WE CALL C CSAP FOR SHORT.
SO YOU'LL HEAR ME SAYING THAT.
UM, AND IT'LL INCLUDE PROGRAM OVERVIEW AND SOME AWARD RESULTS.
SO FIRST, UH, JUST PART OF THE OVERVIEW, THE PURPOSE, AS YOU KNOW, RENTS AND REAL ESTATE PRICES HAVE BEEN INCREASING RAPIDLY IN AUSTIN.
AND AS A RESULT, MANY CREATIVE ORGANIZATIONS ARE PRESSURED TO MOVE FROM THEIR SPACE IN SEARCH OF CHEAPER RENT, SOMETIMES OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
SO CSAP SEEK SEEKS TO HELP SOME OF OUR CREATIVE ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE FACING DISPLACEMENT, UH, TO STAY IN AUSTIN.
THE PROGRAM BUDGET IS THIS YEAR WAS 1.5 MILLION, AND, UH, IT'S A ONE YEAR GRANT CYCLE FOR AWARDS OF 5,000 TO 50,000 EACH.
TO QUALIFY A CANDIDATE MUST BE AN ARTS FOCUSED NON-PROFIT, A SELECT FOR-PROFIT CREATIVE BUSINESS, AS ALLOWED BY PROGRAM DEFINITIONS, WHICH I'LL GO INTO IN THE NEXT SLIDE, BE AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST WITH A COMMERCIAL LEASE AND THE PROPERTY MUST BE LOCATED IN AUSTIN OR THE EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OR E T J.
SO HERE ARE ALL THOSE DEFINITIONS FOR THE FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES.
UM, THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES THAT QUALIFY FOR FUNDING.
IT'S LIVE MUSIC VENUES, PERFORMANCE VENUES AND THEATERS AND MUSEUMS OR ART GALLERIES.
TO BE CONSIDERED A MUSIC VENUE, THE BUSINESS MUST HAVE TO MUST DEMONSTRATE AT LEAST FIVE OF THESE EIGHT CHARACTERISTICS THAT YOU SEE HERE.
UM, AND TO QUALIFY AS PERFORMANCE, VENUE OR THEATER, THE BUSINESS'S PRINCIPLE FUNCTION, AND I WANNA UNDERSCORE PRINCIPLE FUNCTION AND MISSION HAS TO BE TO PRESENT LIVE PERFORMANCES, PLAYS, LIVE MUSIC, SCREEN, FILM SCREENINGS, ET CETERA, UM, AND
[00:45:01]
BE ACCESSIBLE, UH, BY PUBLIC AUDIENCES TO QUALIFY AS A MUSEUM OR ART GALLERY.THE BUSINESS'S PRINCIPLE FUNCTION AND MISSION, AGAIN, KEY PHRASE, UM, IS TO EXHIBIT, PRESENT AND OR SELL ARTISTIC WORK.
UM, AND AGAIN, MUST BE ACCESSIBLE BY PUBLIC AUDIENCES.
UM, AND FACILITIES THAT ARE RUN OR OWNED BY THE CITY, STATE OR OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DO NOT QUALIFY FOR THIS PROGRAM.
SO APPLICANTS COULD APPLY FOR ONE OF THREE TYPES OF FUNDING.
SO ONLY ONE OF THE THREE ON YOUR SCREEN.
RENT STIPEND, WHICH PAYS FOR A PORTION OF MONTHLY RENT OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR GAP FINANCING, WHICH MAY BE APPLIED, UH, TO PROPERTY ALREADY PURCHASED OR THAT IS BEING PURCHASED OR OTHER SPACE RELATED NEEDS TO HELP WITH LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS NEW BATHROOMS OR A NEW STAGE OR NEW THEATER SEATING, THINGS THAT'LL HELP THE BUSINESS TO BE SUSTAINABLE.
THE FUNDS IN THIS CATEGORY MAY ALSO BE USED FOR DISPLACEMENT RELATED EXPENDITURES, LIKE MOVING COSTS.
CS A P HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A FEW YEARS AND CHANGES ARE MADE TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAMMER TO ANSWER IMMEDIATE, UH, COMMUNITY NEEDS FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
UH, SO WHAT'S NEW THIS YEAR? THIS YEAR IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE DISTRIBUTED A PERCENTAGE OF THE AWARD UPFRONT.
THE DISTRIBUTION SCHEDULE IS 50% UPFRONT, THEN 40% MIDWAY THROUGH THE PROJECT, AND THEN 10% AT THE END.
UPON RECEIPT OF THE FINAL REPORT, UH, RENT STIPEND, ANOTHER CHANGE IS CALCULATED AT 30% OF BASE RENT, NOT INCLUDING TRIPLE NET.
EVERYONE WHO WON AN AWARD FOR RENT STIPEND RECEIVED 30% OF THEIR BASE RENT FOR ONE YEAR.
THE NEW RECIPIENT BONUS IS ANOTHER SLIGHT CHANGE IS TO HELP APPLICANTS THAT HAVE NOT RECEIVED FUNDING.
BEFORE THIS YEAR, WE INCLUDED MANY OF THE RELIEF GRANTS THAT WERE DISTING, UH, DISTRIBUTED DURING THE PANDEMIC.
SO IF A CANDIDATE RECEIVED ONE OF THE AWARDS THAT'S LISTED HERE ON THIS THIRD BULLET, THEN THEY WOULD NOT RECEIVE THE 10 BONUS POINTS.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, A E D C, PARTNERED WITH US TO SCORE AND PROCESS APPLICATIONS.
THERE WERE SEVEN SCORING CATEGORIES.
I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN, CAN SEE THOSE.
UM, MOST OF THE CATEGORIES WERE MADE UP OF MULTIPLE QUESTIONS FOR TOTAL OF 115 POINTS.
SO YOU STOPPED TOP TO BOTTOM, ACCESS TO SERVICES WAS UP TO 30 POINTS.
COMPELLING PROJECT NEED 20 POINTS, URGENCY, 15 POINTS, CO-LOCATION, 15 POINTS, COMMUNITY BENEFIT, FIVE, EQUITY 20.
AND THE NEW RECIPIENT BONUS WAS A 10 POINT BONUS.
SO NOW THE RESULTS, SO AT THE TOP OF THIS SLIDE, AND I, I THINK YOU ALL WILL RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS ELECTRONICALLY, SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CLICK ONTO IT.
UM, BUT THERE IS A LINK THE TO THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UH, PAGE, AND THE DASHBOARD IS FRONT AND CENTER ON THAT PAGE.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU LISTENING IN, IT'S AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND, UH, THERE WERE 152 APPLICATIONS.
62% WERE FOR RENT STIPEND, 36% WERE FOR OTHER SPACE RELATED NEEDS.
AND THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS YEARS.
49% WERE MAJORITY DIVERSE RACE OR ETHNICITY, AND 42% WERE MAJORITY WHITE OR PREFER NOT TO ANSWER 8% WERE EQUALLY LED BY WHITE AND DIVERSE RACE OR ETHNICITY.
SO THAT WAS, UH, THAT WAS JUST APPLICATIONS.
MAJORITY OF APPLICANTS WERE FROM DISTRICTS THREE, ONE, AND NINE.
I THINK IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO THE LAST PRESENTATION.
SO THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS THE AWARDS AND THIS IS THE WHAT THE TAB WILL LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU CLICK ONTO IT.
AND YOU CAN HOVER OVER THESE GRAPHS AND DIVE DEEPER INTO, UH, MORE INFORMATION.
53 OF THE 65 WERE FOR RENT STIPEND 11 WERE FOR OTHER SPACE RELATED NEEDS.
30 OF THE AWARDS WERE ARTS NONPROFITS.
SO THE MAJORITY OF AWARDS WERE ARTS NONPROFITS.
NINE WERE FOR-PROFIT MUSIC VENUES, SEVEN WERE FOR-PROFIT MUSEUMS OR ART GALLERIES.
EIGHT WERE FOR-PROFIT THEATERS OR PERFORMANCE SPACES, WHICH MEANS THEY DO OTHER THINGS BESIDES MUSIC.
AND 11 WERE INDEPENDENT ARTISTS WITH COMMERCIAL SPACE.
[00:50:01]
UM, IN THIS, THIS TAB, THE FINAL TAB SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AWARDS AND DECLINES IN RACE AND ETHNIC GROUP, GENDER GROUP AND THE COUNCIL DISTRICT E T J.SO YOU CAN COMPARE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE, THE APPLICATIONS AND THE ACTUAL AWARDS, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT CHANGED OR SAVED THE SAME.
AND THEN, UM, I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO GO TO THAT SITE AND, UH, DIVE DEEP INTO THOSE, UH, GRAPHS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR YOU.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU GET A CHANCE TO REALLY LOOK AT THOSE, UH, FEEL FREE TO SEND ME AN EMAIL.
UM, MY EMAIL IS UP HERE, KIMBERLY DOT MACARON@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV.
AND THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
UM, UNLESS YOU ALL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR ME, AND THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONERS, I'M GONNA WAIT TILL I GET THEM BACK ON SCREEN, BUT COMMISSIONERS IN THE ROOM.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR KIM? WE HAVE HER COMMISSIONER CINI.
UM, SO I KNOW ONLINE YOU CAN SEE THE LIST OF ALL OF THE RECIPIENTS, UM, FOR THIS YEAR'S AWARD.
BUT I WAS WONDERING IF, UM, Y'ALL HAVE EVER CONSIDERED, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF VENUES, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS DOING SOME HIGHLIGHTS ON THESE ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS OR OTHER NONPROFITS THAT NEED SPACE IN AUSTIN KIND OF HAVE A RESOURCE TO GO TO.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT A LOT AND I THOUGHT THE CREATIVE SPACES ASSISTANT GRANTS WOULD BE A GREAT BRIDGE.
UM, AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE TEXAS FILM COMMISSION.
THE TEXAS FILM COMMISSION HAS A DIRECTORY AREA ON THEIR WEBSITE.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR EDUCATION, YOU CLICK IT.
YOU CAN SEE THE EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A SPACE TO SHOOT, YOU CAN CLICK IT AND THEY ACTUALLY GO OUT AND TAKE PICTURES SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE WHAT'S THERE.
THE REASON WHY I MENTIONED THIS IS THERE'S NO CENTRALIZED DATABASE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WHERE ME AS AN ARTIST CAN GO AND SEE WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES OUT THERE FOR ME THAT ARE NOT RUN BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR TRANSPARENCY, BUT ALSO TO SUPPORT THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY HAVING ISSUES WITH, YOU KNOW, RISING RENT COSTS, UM, BEING DISPLACED, GENTRIFICATION, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW ABOUT.
UM, IT IT'S JUST A SUGGESTION THAT I THINK COULD BE VERY SIMPLE, BUT VERY IMPACTFUL.
UM, AND WHAT I CAN SAY, AND, AND I'LL DEFINITELY PUT THIS FORWARD, BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT CO-LOCATION OFTEN COMES WITH, UM, PRICE AND INCOME FOR THE, THE, THE GROUP THAT OWNS THE SPACE.
AND WHAT I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DO WOULD BE TO PROMOTE ONE GROUP OVER ANOTHER BY PUTTING IT ON THE WEBSITE, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, ADVERTISING THEM FOR, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THEY WOULD GET MORE INCOME AND THEN SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T GET THE GRANT MAY HAVE SPACE, BUT THEY DIDN'T GET THAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY WEREN'T POSTED ON THAT THING.
BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME OTHER THING THAT, THAT WE COULD DO.
UM, BUT LET ME, LET ME, UH, CHOMP ON THAT AND PASS THAT AROUND STAFF TOO.
CAN I, CAN I GET COMMISSIONER YOUR NAME AGAIN? UH, COR WHAT'S MY NAME?
UM, SO I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS, UM, I KNOW I KEEP MENTIONING T C I SWEAR LIKE I DON'T WORK FOR THEM OR ANYTHING, BUT, BUT WHEN YOU APPLY FOR A GRANT WITH T C A, THEY ACTUALLY ASK YOU FOR A SMALL, UM, LITTLE, LIKE TWO TO THREE SENTENCES ON WHAT THOSE FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR.
AND THEN THEY ACTUALLY PUT THAT INFORMATION, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO YOU'RE NOT ONLY SEEING THIS PERSON WAS A GRANT RECIPIENT, YOU'RE SEEING WHAT THEY DO.
AND SO IF YOU KIND OF STUCK IT TO, IT WOULDN'T BE, YOU KNOW, TO ME IN MY, IN MY OPINION, IT WOULDN'T BE PROMOTING THEM.
IT WOULD BE TELLING THE PUBLIC, WHAT DOES THIS VENUE DO IF, YOU KNOW, X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS WENT TO THIS THEATER GROUP, YOU KNOW, THEY HOST EVENTS AND SCREENINGS AND IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, HERE'S THEIR WEBSITE.
IF YOU'RE JUST SEEING A NAME, YOU'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO CLICK THROUGH AND GO TO ALL OF THESE URLS AND DIG THROUGH INFORMATION THAT'S NOT MAKING IT EASIER FOR THE ARTISTS WHO PROBABLY IS ALREADY ON BORROWED TIME TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF ACCESS RESOURCES IN THEIR CITY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO WOULDN'T, IT WOULD BE LESS OF TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE CO-LOCATION SPACE, BUT MORE OF JUST A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHO THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THEY DO AND WHAT THE FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR.
UH, AND JUST TO BUILD ON THAT, I THINK IT DOESN'T EVEN NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE THE AWARDEES.
IN FACT, I THINK IT'S MORE BENEFICIAL FOR THOSE THAT DIDN'T RECEIVE THE AWARD.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS AROUND CONSENT, RELEASING INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE HAVE PRIVACY.
THEY DON'T WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT THEY APPLIED FOR THESE GRANTS.
SO IF IT IS A CONSENSUAL THING, IT'S A BOX.
YOU CHECK BY APPLYING, YOU KNOW, CHECKING THIS BOX, YOU AGREE TO BE LISTED ON THE WEBSITE AS AN ARTS FACILITY FOR X MM-HMM.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, CONTEXT IS HELPFUL ON THE LIST OF RECIPIENTS AS ANTONE'S, AND I THINK THEY'RE LIKE A WONDERFUL INSTITUTION.
[00:55:01]
DON'T KNOW THEY HAVE A NONPROFIT.WHAT DOES THEIR NONPROFIT DO? WHO DO THEY SERVE AS A NONPROFIT AND NOT JUST THE MUSIC VENUE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN HERE FOREVER.
SO HAVING THAT, UM, THE POINT OF CLARIFICATION, IT'S LIKE, WHAT DID YOU APPLY FOR THIS GRANT FOR? HOW ARE YOU SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND HAVING THAT, UM, LAID OUT EXPLICITLY IN A DIRECTORY, WHICH IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
HOWEVER, THAT CAN BE, UH, OH, HERE WE COME.
AM I IN TROUBLE? WHAT I SAY
BUT LET US RUN THROUGH OUR CHAIN OF COMMAND, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE CERTAIN CRITERIA WE HAVE TO OPERATE IN, IN THE CITY.
BUT LET US, UH, TAKE IT BACK AND TALK TO OUR C T M DEPARTMENT.
ALL, ALL OF OUR IDEAS WE KNOW HAVE TO GO THROUGH, RIGHT? THE, THE, THE PROPER PROTOCOLS.
UH, COMMISSIONER GRAY, YOU REMIND ME OF ME FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF MEETINGS AND RESOURCES IN GENERAL, NOT ONLY SPACE, BUT MATERIALS, EVERYTHING.
AND SOMETHING GOT STARTED AND KIND OF PASSED AROUND.
SO I THINK THE COMMUNITY, I MEAN, I'LL PARTNER WITH YOU AND AN IDEA IS HOW TO GET THIS OUT AND START IT.
I MEAN, WE WENT TO THE EXCEL SPREADSHEET IDEA, WHAT DO YOU HAVE? WHAT CAN YOU SHARE? WHAT ARE YOU NOT USING RIGHT NOW? WHAT CAN WE HAVE? BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
THE MORE WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER AS A COMMUNITY, WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER.
AND I'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY RESEARCHED KIND OF THE TECH BEHIND IT, SO JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE,
COMMISSIONERS, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR KIM WHILE WE HAVE HER? I, NOTHING.
UM, FOR THOSE APPLICANTS WHO DID NOT RECEIVE AN AWARD, ARE THEY ELIGIBLE TO INQUIRE ABOUT FEEDBACK THAT COULD HAVE MADE THEIR APPLICATIONS STRONGER OR IS THAT SOMETHING, UM, THAT Y'ALL HAVE CONSIDERED? ABSOLUTELY.
UH, THEY, EVERYONE WAS, UH, UH, SENT OUT, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO CONTACT ME FOR A ONE, UH, ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, THE APPLICATION.
UM, WHICH INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, JUST INFORMATION ABOUT IT, HOW, HOW IT COULD BE BETTER, THAT KIND OF THING FOR THE FUTURE.
'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE AWARDS, YOU MAY NOT GET IT ONE YEAR, BUT YOU'RE STILL GONNA FACE THE SAME CHALLENGE A YEAR FROM NOW.
SO ANY HELP THAT CAN BE OFFERED TO MAKE THAT THEIR APPLICATION STRONGER NEXT GO AROUND.
I KNOW THAT GOES A LONG WAY WITH, WITH ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO PRESENT TO US.
I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION IF WE ARE FINISHED WITH CSS A,
[Items 10 - 15]
UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS 10 THROUGH 16, EXCUSE ME, 10 THROUGH 15, UH, A I P P APPROVALS ON CONSENT.AND SECONDED BY GAR, TRIPLED BY GARZA.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF MOVING ITEMS 10 THROUGH 15 ON CONSENT.
[16. Discussion of Community Engagement Needs (Part 1 of 2)]
BRINGS US TO ITEM 16, WHICH WAS SOMETHING THAT I PUT ON OUR AGENDA ALONG WITH A COUPLE OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND IT FEEDS INTO HONESTLY, UM, THE LAST COMMENT WE HAD REGARDING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND INQUIRING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY FOR THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, AS IT RELATES TO OUR NEW PROGRAMS AS IT RELATES TO NEEDS THAT ARE ONGOING AS IT RELATES TO THINGS THAT ARE SURFACING, UM, IN REAL TIME.I KNOW WE HAVE TWO WORKING GROUPS RIGHT NOW ON, UM, WITHIN THE WORKING GROUP LIST THAT ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO THIS.
AND ONE IS A BIT OF A DATED GROUP THAT, UM, DEALT WITH THE EARLY, THE, THE EQUITY WORKING GROUP WAS REALLY ABOUT THE LAUNCH AND THE FORMING OF THIS IN THE FORMATION PHASE OF OUR NEW PROGRAMMING.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S, WE NEED TO CARRY ON THAT TORCH IN THAT WAY.
AND I'M ALSO SEEING THAT THE QUARTERLY WORKING GROUP IS JUST HAVING DIFFICULTY DESPITE BEST EFFORTS.
UM, A LOT OF ENERGY HAS BEEN POURED INTO THAT GROUP, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING A SORT OF STUTTER STEP IN REGARDS TO ACTUALLY LAUNCHING THOSE MEETINGS IN A CONSISTENT FASHION.
I THINK WE'VE MAYBE HAD TWO AND, AND BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT GOES THREE, UM, THE WORK THAT GOES INTO THEM, NOT JUST THE COORDINATION OF OUR COMMISSIONER SCHEDULES, THEN FINDING A TIME AND PLACE THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY THINKING ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND ACCESSIBILITY, UM, CONSTRAINTS THAT WE, OR, YOU KNOW, RUBRICS FOR THOSE MEETINGS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING DIFFERENT COMMISSIONERS THERE AND THEY'RE HAVING IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF TOWN.
IT JUST, I THINK, MONTHS PASS BEFORE
[01:00:01]
WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO BRING THAT IDEA TO FRUITION.AND SO I, WHAT I, ALONG WITH OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UM, AND JUST PEOPLE I'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH, LIKE IN TERMS OF IDEATING IN COMING UP WITH AN IDEA, UM, WHAT MAY BE THE BEST MOVE FORWARD IS TO SUNSET THESE WORKING GROUPS THAT AREN'T, THE EQUITY WORKING GROUP IS JUST NO LONGER ACTIVE.
AND THE QUARTERLY WORKING GROUP, I THINK MAYBE WE'VE JUST WORKED OURSELF INTO A LITTLE BIT OF A CORNER IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY GETTING THOSE OFF THE GROUND.
UM, AND CREATING A NEW WORKING GROUP THAT IS LITERALLY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT CAN UMBRELLA ALL THE NEEDS, UM, OF THE COMMISSION THAT ALLOWS US TO BE PRESENT IN THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT THE SORT OF MORE STRINGENT PARAMETERS THAT WE PUT FORTH WITH, AGAIN, BEST OF INTENTIONS TO BE THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE, UM, GROUPS OUT THERE THAT ARE ALREADY HOSTING COMMUNITY GATHERINGS, AND REALLY THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP WOULD BE THE CORE AS I SEE IT.
AND AGAIN, I'M BRINGING THIS FOR DISCUSSION FOR MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
UM, IT WOULD BE THE FACE OF THE COMMISSION.
AND OBVIOUSLY AS LONG AS WE HAVE UNDER SIX PEOPLE, ALL COMMISSIONERS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND.
WE JUST NEED TO SORT OF BE ORGANIZED SO WE DON'T HIT A QUORUM.
BUT THAT WORKING GROUP WOULD THEN LEAD THE CHARGE IN TERMS OF LIKE, HEY, THERE'S A MEETING, UM, WITHIN THE CERTAIN, THIS CERTAIN COMMUNITY AND THEY'RE INVITING THE COMMISSION TO COME BE PRESENT AND ANSWER QUESTIONS OR JUST TO MINGLE, JUST TO MEET THE CONSTITUENTS.
UM, BACK IN 2020 AND 2021, UM, COMMISSIONER POLGAR AND I WITH EXPEDIENCY AND URGENCY WERE ABLE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND BASICALLY JUST SENT UP A FLARE AND SAID, HEY, WE'RE AVAILABLE.
IF YOU WANT US IN FRONT OF YOUR, YOUR MEMBERSHIP, YOUR, YOUR BOARD, BRING US OUT AND WE'LL BE THERE.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE SIMILAR, YOU KNOW, LESS ORGANIZED, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE SCRAPPY, A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE OF A BODY THAT WE NEED TO SORT OF SHAPESHIFT INTO BECAUSE THE, THE, THE RIGIDITY AROUND WHAT WE'VE CREATED IS NOT WORKING.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE, THE FEW, AND ACTUALLY PHASE, IT WAS A HOST OF ONE OF OUR, UH, QUARTERLY YOU HAD A SIN MAKER SPACE.
YOU HOSTED A QUARTERLY WORKING GROUP.
SIX, UM, WAS I JUST THREE? THERE WERE SIX ASIAN, THE ASIAN FILM SOCIETY DID ONE AS WELL.
WELL, THAT WAS A COMMUNITY CHAT, BUT LITERALLY IT A QUARTER.
THAT'S, I I THINK WE'VE COME, WE'VE SORT OF CONFLATED THE TWO.
THERE WAS COMMUNITY CHATS AND THEN THERE WAS THE QUARTERLY WORKING GROUP.
UM, BUT AGAIN, BY THE TIME IT'S LOCKED IN, WE HAVE A WEEK TO PROMOTE IT.
AND IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S NOT DOING THE THING.
SO THAT IS MY PROPOSAL TO THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE IS DO WE FEEL LIKE WE COULD SHIFT OUR MODALITY IN THE WAY THAT WE GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, CREATE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY ABOUT THE MECHANISM, AROUND THE MECHANISM, AND REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUR COMMUNITY AMPLIFIERS, OUR PARTNERS THAT ARE ALREADY HOSTING EVENTS.
LIKE WHY ARE WE TRYING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL HERE WHEN IT'S ONLY PUTTING MORE, IS MORE WORK ON US? AND THE PRIMARY OBSTACLE IN BRINGING THIS MEETING TO FRUITION OR THESE MEETINGS TO FRUITION IS CAPACITY IS OUR, THE CAPACITY OF US AS A VOLUNTEER BODY.
SO IT'S REALLY MAKING OURSELVES AVAILABLE IN A FORM A WAY, AND THEN REACHING OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND AMPLIFIER SAYING, HEY, WE'RE HERE.
ANYTIME YOU HAVE AN EVENT AND YOU WANT COMMISSIONERS THERE, LIKE THE DISNEYLAND CHARACTERS AND HANDLERS, LIKE, WE'LL BE THERE.
SO I, I'M JUST PUT THROWING IT OUT THERE TO MY COMMISSION.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FEEDBACK, UM, PARTICULARLY FROM MEMBERS OF THOSE WORKING GROUPS.
UM, WE HAVE THE CHAIR OF THE, UH, QUARTERLY MEETUP WORKING GROUP HERE.
SO WHAT ARE THOUGHTS? I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL.
UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO FIND A COMMUNITY PARTNER IN THIS.
UM, AND, UH, BECAUSE I, LIKE YOU SAID, JUST THE VOLUNTEER BODY OF WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE'RE COVERING AND ALL THE WORKING GROUPS WE'RE DOING, UM, THAT COMMUNITY WORKING, THAT COMMUNITY, UH, AND, UH, QUARTERLY WORKING, IT'S BEEN TRYING TO GRAB GROUND FOR A YEAR AND A HALF AND TO, IT'S, YES.
AND IT'S, IT'S JUST LIKE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE POSTPONED OR SOMEBODY AND IT, IT'S JUST, YOU'RE RIGHT.
AND TO ME, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT,
SO TO FIND, UM, US TO REACH OUT TO COMMUNITY GROUPS, COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT ARE HERE IN THE HOUSE AND LISTENING TO THIS MEETING, I THINK, UH, IF YOU CAN LET ONE OF YOUR COMMISSIONERS KNOW THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BEING A PART OF THIS, THIS, UH, COMMUNITY, WE ARE, THE, THE ARTS COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY ARE ONE, WE ARE NOT SEPARATE.
WE ARE WANTING TO JOIN HANDS TO MAKE ALL OF THIS GROW IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
ANY OTHER PLEASE? COMMISSIONER NEY? YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ALLOWED, 'CAUSE I'M, I'M STILL LEARNING.
UM, BUT KIND OF JUST TO EXPAND ON WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, IF THERE WAS A WAY TO FORMALIZE THAT ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE
[01:05:01]
ON LIKE, ARE YOU, DO YOU HAVE AN UPCOMING EVENT THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HAVING AN ARTS COMMISSIONER AT? BECAUSE I AGREE WITH YOU, LIKE, WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER.WHEN PEOPLE SEE, AND I'M, I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE I'M AN ARTIST.
SO IF THERE ARE ALREADY THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE SHOULD BE SUPPORTING, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY ANYWAY THAT ARE DOING THE WORK TO GET THEIR CONSTITUENCY THERE, EVEN JUST SHOWING UP AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, I REPRESENT THIS DISTRICT.
I THINK ONE THING, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T BEEN A COMMISSIONER FOR VERY LONG, BUT ONE, ONE QUESTION THAT THAT PEOPLE HAVE FOR ME IS LIKE, WELL, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ACTUALLY DO? AND SO I, I THINK DEMYSTIFYING THAT AND THEN ALSO OFFERING OPPORTUNITY JUST FOR ONE-ON-ONE COMMUNICATION, UM, IS REALLY, REALLY GREAT.
AND THERE'S SO MANY EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UM, YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL DOES THIS IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY.
SO I, I THINK THAT THAT'S GREAT.
WE NEED TO SHOW UP FOR OUR COMMUNITIES MM-HMM.
AND I THINK THAT US TRYING TO CREATE THE, OUR, THE ARCHITECTURE AROUND HOW WE DO IT, IT ENDED UP BEING MORE CUMBERSOME THAN WE ANTICIPATED AND IT JUST STALLED A, A NEED.
AND THAT WAS FOR US TO BE AVAILABLE, UM, EVEN JUST TO BE ACTIVE LISTENERS.
I MEAN, THAT WAS ONE THING THAT I REALLY LEARNED FROM FORMER COMMISSIONER POLGAR WAS LIKE, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE ANSWERS AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SOLVE ANY REAL PROBLEMS IN REAL TIME.
BUT BEING A VESSEL FOR THESE PEOPLE AND KNOWING THAT THEY'RE BEING HEARD AND THAT THIS FEEDBACK IS BEING CARRIED UP THE CHAIN, LIKE THERE IS CONFIDENCE AND TRUST, UM, THAT, AND TRANSPARENCY THAT CAN BE BUILT THROUGH THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
AND WE ARE ALL REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ALL HAVE A DEEP WELL, UM, OF THIS NETWORK THAT WE REPRESENT BEING HERE.
SO WE NEED TO SORT OF RECIPROCATE AND MIRROR THAT BACK TO THE PEOPLE THAT, UM, ARE ENTRUSTING US.
YOU KNOW, I DO NOT WANT TO JUST GO TO A MEETING FOR THE SAKE OF HAVING A MEETING.
UM, I DO THINK THAT THE CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT TO BUILD TRUST.
UM, I THINK WHEN IT WAS STARTED, IT WAS BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO PUSH THESE NEW PROGRAMS OUT.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF ANXIETY.
PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO LEARN ALL OF THIS.
SO THERE IS A PURPOSE FOR THOSE MEETINGS.
SO I WANTED TO ASK THEN, UH, IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS, WHAT ARE THE PURPOSE? AND PEOPLE HAVE VERY BUSY LIFE AND THE AUSTIN TRAFFIC IS NOT HAVING, YOU KNOW, SO IF WE ARE GOING TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, WHAT DO WE OFFER? WHAT DO WE OFFER TO THE COMMUNITY? WHY SHOULD THEY COME AND MEET US, YOU KNOW, WITH THEIR BUSY LIFE MM-HMM.
AND SO THE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS PROPOSED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP WOULD BE A BODY OF COMMISSIONERS THAT THEN STRATEGIZE ON THAT.
WHO IS OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER MM-HMM.
WHEREAS LIKE THE QUARTERLY WORKING GROUP IS WE MEET QUARTERLY.
WE ARE, WE'RE ROTATING DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE THESE COMMISSIONERS, AND IT'S JUST LIKE THE, THE RIGIDITY IN THAT WAS SO LIMITING MM-HMM.
WHEREAS THIS, THE WORKING GROUP CAN THEN MM-HMM.
IF WE'RE BEING INVITED INTO A SPACE AND THE THEME OF THE EVENT IS ALREADY DICTATED, IS ALREADY DETERMINED, THEN WE'RE JUST THERE TO CONTRIBUTE AND BE PRESENT.
IF IT'S SOMEBODY SAYING, HEY, WE'RE HEARING A LOT FROM OUR MEMBERS REGARDING NEXUS PROGRAMMING, CAN YOU GUYS COME SPEAK TO THAT? THERE'S, IT JUST OPENS US UP TO TO BE WATER, RIGHT? BE LIKE WATER AND FILL THE GAPS THAT WE NEED OR THAT ARE BEING CONVEYED TO US.
BUT I DO THINK THE SPECIFICS OF THAT IS THE WORKING GROUP'S RESPONSIBILITY AND LETTING THEM LEAD THE CHARGE IN HOW WE'RE MEETING, HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW FREQUENTLY WHO WE'RE MEETING WITH.
BECAUSE I THINK, AGAIN, IT CAN SHIFT.
THEY'RE GONNA BE SEASONS THAT ARE MORE, YOU KNOW, POPULATED WITH EVENTS.
AND THERE'S MORE OPPORTUNITY THIS SUMMER.
EVERYBODY'S BEING COOKED ALIVE OUTSIDE, THERE'S NOTHING HAPPENING, RIGHT.
SO AGAIN, THE STRUCTURE ON THE QUARTERLY, I THINK WE KIND OF JUST GOT, UM,
[01:10:01]
IT, IT ENDED UP JUST BEING MORE CUMBERSOME, UM, AND LIMITING THAN WE ANTICIPATED.SO JUST TRYING TO OPEN THAT UP A LITTLE BIT.
SO IT'S BREATHING ROOM, BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT IN THAT TIME IS OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET, AND WE NEED TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL IF WE'RE INVITING PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S, I'M TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM IN REINVENTING THE WHEEL.
WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER EVENT TO DRAW PEOPLE IN.
COMMISSIONER GRAY, JUST A THOUGHT.
EVENTS THAT MAY BE TAKING PLACE, BUT I THINK A BROAD AGENDA, BECAUSE IT DID HAPPEN IN THOSE EARLY MEETINGS, UH, WITH, UH, UH, CHAIR POLGAR AND YOURSELF AND OTHERS, IS THE COMMUNITY COMING INTO A NETWORKING SITUATION LETTING US KNOW WHAT THEY NEED? BECAUSE JUST FELLOW COMMISSIONER HERE ALREADY HAS POINTED OUT THINGS THAT SHE FEELS THAT JUST LET, WE, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEY NEED.
AND WE MAY ALREADY HAVE THOSE ANSWERS THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE.
NOT EVERYBODY LISTENS TO EVERY ARTS COMMISSION MEETING.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT MAY BE RIGHT THERE THAT WE CAN HELP WITHIN THESE MEETINGS.
AND I THINK NOT ONLY WILL THEY GET ANSWERS, WE'RE GONNA GET THE ONES WE NEED.
YEAH, I KIND OF AGREE WITH YOU.
WE SHOULD SUNSET THESE MEETINGS.
UH, THERE'S THE REAL WORLD AND THEN THE REALITY WORLD.
AND FOR MANY, MANY MONTHS WE'VE BEEN WITH A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF ARTS COMMISSIONER.
WE'VE HAD SEVEN ARTS COMMISSIONERS, WHICH MEANS WE'RE MISSING FOUR FOR ALMOST OVER HALF A YEAR.
AND SO ONE OF MY HESITATIONS HAS ALWAYS BEEN IS TO START A MEETING WHERE THE COMMUNITY REALLY DOESN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
SO I'M GLAD WE WON'T LET, LET US SUNSET THIS THING.
UH, IT HAD A VERY AMBIGUOUS GOAL TO START OFF WITH, AND I THINK THE GOAL SHOULD HAVE BEEN SET MORE PRECISE, UH, OTHER THAN JUST A QUARTERLY SET, 1, 2, 3, 4 MEETINGS PER YEAR, OR THE THREE MEETINGS OR ONE QUARTER OFF OR WHATEVER.
BUT ANYWAY, LET'S JUST MOVE FORWARD.
UH, WE'VE ALL PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO IT.
I'VE WRITTEN PLENTY OF LETTERS.
I'VE DRAFTED LETTERS, REDRAFTED LETTERS, SENT LETTERS AND WHATNOT.
AND IT IS, IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETIMES OUR COMMISSION SOMETIMES, UH, HAS A SENSE OF OVER IMPORTANCE THAT WE'RE ASKING OUR CONSTITUENTS TO MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE WHEN IT'S CONVENIENT TO US, NOT NECESSARILY CONVENIENT TO THEM.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT EQUITY IS WE CAN'T ALWAYS JUST COME UP WITH PRECISE, ONE FOURTH, ONE FOURTH, ONE FOURTH, AND EXPECT THAT THAT'S GONNA WORK OUT.
THAT'S JUST, JUST KIND OF SILLY, ACTUALLY.
AND SO IF WE'RE LEADING WITH EQUITY, THEN WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE MEETINGS OR THESE KINDS OF MEETINGS CAN'T EVER START UNTIL WE HAVE A FULL COMMISSION SET, BECAUSE THEN AND ONLY THEN CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY, EVERY SINGLE COMMISSIONER HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND, AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT ANYWAY, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I APPRECIATE, UM, YOU SHARING.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANY THOUGHTS? OKAY.
[17. Update from Equity Working Group with Community Arts leaders of the BIPOC/LGBTQIA/Disabilities Community/Women with Commissioners Gray, Zisman, and community members]
VERY NICELY INTO OUR WORKING GROUP UPDATES, UM, FOR WHICH, UH, WE'RE BEGINNING WITH THE EQUITY WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS WITH THE P O C.UH, L G B T Q I A DISABILITIES COMMUNITY, WOMEN WITH COMMISSIONERS, GR
AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN ON HIATUS FOR A LONG TIME.
THESE WORKING GROUPS ARE MEANT TO BE MORE TEMPORAL.
I, AS THE, UH, CHAIR, I THINK UNOFFICIAL CHAIR OF THIS WORKING GROUP, UM, MOVED TO SUNSET.
THIS GROUP, WE HAVE A REPORT, UH, BACK FROM WHEN COMMISSIONER POLGAR WAS STILL WITH US WHEN WE WERE CLOSING THE, THE, UH, COMMUNITY CHATS PORTION.
AND WE'RE KICKING OFF, UH, PROGRAMMING.
SO I'M HOPING WE CAN FIND THAT BACK IN THE ETHER SOMEWHERE.
UM, CITY STAFF, WILL YOU HELP ME OUT? DO I NEED TO DO ANYTHING BESIDES ANNOUNCE THAT I'M SUNSETTING THIS GROUP? I THINK SO.
I'LL SAVE THE MUSICAL THEATER.
SO OFFICIALLY AC GETS MY JOKE.
DON'T LEAVE ME HANGING UP HERE GUYS.
SO OFFICIALLY SUN SETTING THE EQUITY WORKING GROUP.
[18. Update from Quarterly Arts Community Commission Meet-ups Working Group with Commissioners, Garza (chair), Gray, and Maldonado]
THE UPDATE FROM THE QUARTERLY ARTS COMMISSION, UH, ARTS COMMUNITY COMMISSION MEETUPS.AGAIN, WE HAD A ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS, UH, CHAIR GARZA WOULD, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO THIS CONVERSATION? LET'S SUNSET THIS SUCKER SUNSET.
UM, ACTUALLY LET ME PUT A PAUSE ON THAT.
DO WE NEED A IN WITHIN OUR DISCUSSION AND ACTION.
[01:15:01]
CAN WE CREATE OUR NEW WORKING GROUP OR CAN WE DO IT AT THE END AFTER OUR UPDATES? OR DOES IT MATTER? IS IT YEAH.IS THERE, I DON'T WANNA BREAK PROTOCOL.
YEAH, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A DISCUSSION.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO CREATE A NEW WORKING GROUP OR WHAT? I DON'T THINK WE CREATE A NEW WORKING GROUP THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY WHAT IT IS AND I'M GONNA SAY EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
UM,
SINCE IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, IF YOU CAN DO THAT, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE POSTED.
SO LIKE THE APPEALS WORKING GROUP THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER MM-HMM.
SO NEXT MONTH YOU COULD DO THAT.
SO WE COULD PUT THAT AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL SUBJECTIVE 'CAUSE I PUT MY ITEM UNDER DISCUSSION AND ACTION.
AND THAT'S THE ACTION I WANNA TAKE.
I CAN'T JUST MAGICALLY, IF WE'RE STILL ON THAT ACTION ITEM, THEN YEAH, WE'RE GOING BACK.
YEAH, WE'RE GOING BACK TO ITEM 16.
IS THAT, DOES THAT COUNT? CAN WE DO THAT? I THINK SO.
WHAT'S THE WORDING OF THE AGENDA ITEM? UH, DISCUSSION.
BUT IT'S UNDER ACTION ITEMS. YEAH, I THINK, I THINK SO.
THE ACTION OR THE AGENDA ITEM IS DISCUSSION OF COMMUNITY ACTION NEED.
AM I READING THAT RIGHT? ENGAGEMENT.
SO IF THE WORKING GROUP IS RELATED TO THAT, THEN YES, YOU COULD FORM THAT WORKING GROUP.
IF IT'S RELATED TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WE DID IT.
SO THE MOTION STANDS WE ARE, WE'VE GONE BACK, WE WENT
[16. Discussion of Community Engagement Needs (Part 2 of 2)]
INTO WORKING GROUPS, UH, UPDATES 17, 18, BUT WE'VE GONE BACK TO ITEM 16.AND THE MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GRAY WAS TO ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP.
SO THEN WE'LL NEED TO PICK COMMISSIONERS FOR THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO WITH THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE MEMBERS THAT ARE MISS COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE MISSING TODAY MM-HMM.
AND I WANNA GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, FOR NEXT MONTH, LET'S CALENDAR, OR I'M SORRY, ADD TO THE AGENDA DISCUSSION AND, AND ACTION REGARDING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WORKING GROUP MEMBERS.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET ALL OF OUR MEMBERS THERE AND THAT'LL ALSO GIVE US TIME TO REACH OUT AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE, THE MEMBERS THAT AREN'T HERE TODAY.
SAY AGAIN? YOU STILL TAKE A VOTE.
OH, ALL IN FAVOR OF ESTABLISHING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP.
I'M SO GLAD WE'RE GONNA GET SOME FORWARD MOTION ON THAT.
BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN, MAYBE I'M JUST TIRED, BUT WE'VE HAD WORKING GROUPS WITH COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE PAST.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP.
UH, BECAUSE FOR ME AND MY VISION AND THE COLLECTIVE VISIONS THAT I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER WORKING GROUP MEMBERS AND AND PAST COMMISSIONERS IS THAT THIS IS, THIS REPRE, THIS WORKING GROUP IS A BODY OF COMMISSIONERS THAT WE THEN SATELLITE OUT AND LEAD THE CHARGE IN TERMS OF INVITING OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT AREN'T ON THE WORKING GROUP.
HEY, HERE'S THE LIST OF COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT ARE GOING ON.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE FORMALLY INVITED US.
HERE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE GONNA CRASH AND JUST BE PRESIDENT.
LIKE, IT'S, THE WHOLE IDEA IS ENGAGEMENT WITH OUT BOUNDARIES, RIGHT? LIKE WE WANT TO MAKE OURSELVES PRESENT.
AND SO AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA MICROMANAGE THE WORKING GROUP.
I WANT THEM TO, TO BRING IDEAS TO THE TABLE AND, AND CRAFT HOW THAT WORKS.
AND THEN PIVOTS AND MOVES AND, YOU KNOW, BOBS AND WEAVES AS WE ARE GETTING THAT FACE TIME WITH AND, AND TO BE RESPONSIVE IN REAL TIME TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S TELLING US THAT THEY NEED.
[19. Update from Emergency Funding and Proactive Strategies for Future Funding Working Group with Commissioners Schmalbach and Zisman (chair)]
NEXT IS AN UPDATE FROM THE EMERGENCY FUNDING PROACTIVE STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE FUNDING WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONER MBE AND THIS BEEN CHAIR, UM, THAT IS IN PROCESS.WE, THAT IS THE CONTRACT THAT WE ARE DOING WITH THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS.
UH, WE GOT A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF REGARDING THAT A WHILE BACK AND I THINK THAT WAS OUR PRIMARY ITEM WITHIN THAT WORKING GROUP.
SO WE WILL HAVE TO MEET BEFORE NEXT MEETING AND SORT OF DISCUSS NEXT MOVEMENT FORWARD.
[20. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Gray, Maldonado, and Schmalbach (chair)]
UM, NEXT IS UPDATE FROM THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION WORKING GROUP WITH URBAN ON URBAN CORE ISSUES WITH COMMISSIONERS, GRAY MALDONADO AND MACH CHAIR COMMISSIONER, UH, VICE-CHAIR MACH, PLEASE.UM, WE HAVEN'T YET HAD OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING, SO, UM, DON'T HAVE A, A MEETING UPDATE, BUT WE'VE BEEN WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS, INCLUDING, UM, A LETTER THAT YOU ALL WILL SEE SOON AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION.
UM, AND WE'VE ESSENTIALLY BEEN WORKING IN SORT OF MICRO GROUPS OF THE WORKING GROUP AND WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER OFFICIAL MEETING A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
I DON'T HAVE THE DATE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT SOON.
[01:20:04]
WONDERFUL.AND I KNOW WE HAD THAT ROBUST PRESENTATION FROM DONALD LAST MONTH ABOUT THE WORK, THE DEFINITIONS THAT HAVE JUST BEEN APPROVED.
[ITEMS FOR INFORMATION]
WITH THAT, UM, WE ARE IN ITEMS FOR INFORMATION, UM, TO MY COMMISSIONERS.THIS IS, UM, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO AMPLIFY EVENTS OR HAPPENINGS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US AND, UM, THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I JUST SENT JESUS THE, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT OUR HARVEST MOON FESTIVAL THIS COMING SATURDAY.
SO I SENT IT TO JESUS OR JESUS CAN SEND IT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
DO YOU WANNA JUST GIVE IT A PLUG, LIKE TIME AND PLACE? YEAH, YEAH.
IT IS FROM 10:00 AM TO 3:00 PM IS THE HARVEST MOON FESTIVAL.
THERE WILL BE 15 DIFFERENT ASIAN PERFORMING ARTS OF MUSIC DANCE AND THE LIONS DANCE WILL BE AT AROUND NOON.
THERE WILL BE MARTIAL ARTS DEMONSTRATION.
AND ON TOP OF THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A AUTHENTIC, UH, FESTIVAL FOOD.
AND YOU WILL GET TO TASTE THE MOON CAKE.
WHAT'S THE DATE AGAIN? UH, THIS COMING SATURDAY, THE 23RD.
PLEASE COME BECAUSE AFTER THE COVID WELL I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE TO INVITE YOU ALL BECAUSE OF THE RAIN, BECAUSE IT'S NOT THREE DIGITS NOW
SO IT IS ONLY IN THE NINETIES.
AND WHERE IS IT LOCATED? LOCATED? IT'S GOING TO BE AT ASIAN AMERICAN CULTURE CENTER.
IT IS OUR ANNUAL HARVEST MOON FESTIVAL.
IT'S ALSO OUR 23RD ANNIVERSARY FOR OUR ASIAN AMERICAN COASTAL CENTER.
SO COME AND HAVE A HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARTY.
AND BY THE WAY, IT'S FREE
ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? COMMISSIONER HOUSTON ON MONDAY, UH, SEPTEMBER THE 25TH AT THE VORTEX THEATER WILL BE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BI AND PAIN NOMINEES FOR 2324.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THEATER AND WANNA SEE WHO'S NOMINATED FOR AN AUSTIN TONY, THEN COME OUT TO THE BOARDEX 7:00 PM UM, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? I'VE GOT ONE ON BEHALF OF, UH, COMMISSIONER MALDONADO WHO'S WORKING DILIGENTLY AT HOME RIGHT NOW, WHO WASN'T ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY IN PREPARATION FOR THIS EVENT.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH, FIVE 2:11 PM UM, IS THE B-BOY CITY BREAK IN AUSTIN.
IT'S A MEMORABILIA AND ART EXHIBIT.
IT'S A FIVE TO 11 AT RICH'S ART GALLERY AND I KNOW WE'RE ALL INVITED, SO I'M HAPPY TO HELP CIRCULATE THAT INFORMATION, BUT I KNOW SHE'S BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD.
UM, SO CHECK OUT MAURA, WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE FOR MORE INFORMATION, ANY OTHER COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS.
ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON TO FUTURE
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS. UM, WE HAVE BRI FRANCO COMING IN FROM THE I R G O TO PRESENT AT THE ARTS COMMISSION TENTATIVELY FOR OCTOBER, WHICH IS NEXT MONTH.UM, FOR MY NEW COMMISSIONERS, WE'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF CONVERSATION REGARDING ST SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
AND BRIE, THERE HAS BEEN SOME ACTION AT THE LEDGE THIS PAST SESSION.
NOTHING, I THINK THAT TOOK ANY FOOTING, BUT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HEAR FROM THEM SINCE IT IS AN, AN ISSUE THAT AFFECTS US AND OUR FUNDING LEVELS.
SO I REACHED OUT, WE OR ASKED STAFF TO REACH OUT A FEW MONTHS AGO AND THEY WERE DEFINITELY WAITING UNTIL AFTER SESSION CLOSED.
SO CAN WE LET ALL LISTENERS KNOW WHAT I G R O STANDS FOR? I WOULD IF I KNEW WHAT IT STOOD FOR.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT STANDS FOR? KIND OF, BUT NOT REALLY.
STAFF, CAN WE GET A DEFINITION OF JUROR GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OFFICE? THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SALAK.
I I READ IT HOPING NOBODY WOULD ASK ME WHAT THAT REPRESENTATIVE, BUT I'M SORRY.
I THINK IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THAT POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
I KNOW SHE'S, I GET LOTS OF EMAILS FROM BRIE.
SO SHE'LL BE COMING IN OCTOBER IDEALLY.
I'M SURE WE'LL BE CIRCLING BACK WITH HER.
THE OTHER FEATURE, AGENDA ITEM WE HAVE IS THE, UH, BUILDING OUT OF THE NEW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP.
ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WE WANNA INCLUDE AT THIS POINT? UM, AGAIN, A NOTE FOR MY NEW COMMISSIONERS.
ALL YOU NEED IS A, A SECOND FROM ANY COMMISSIONER.
I'M ALWAYS OPEN TO SECOND AN ITEM TO BE ADDED.
WE JUST NEED TO DO IT WITHIN ABOUT A WEEK OF OUR NEXT MEETING.
SO IF THERE'S EVER ANYTHING YOU WANNA BRING TO THE TABLE OR SOMETHING
[01:25:01]
SPECIFIC OR IF YOU WANNA INVITE A PRESENTER, UM, PLEASE JUST FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME.MAL BUCK I KNOW IS AVAILABLE FOR THAT AS WELL.
WELL WE'VE MADE IT THROUGH OUR AGENDA.
YOU NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN? NO, DON'T NEED ONE, BUT I LIKE ONE.