[00:00:02]
I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE
[CALL TO ORDER]
JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THE COMMISSION ON AGING.UH, WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH ROLE WITH THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE.
SO I'M GONNA START OFF WITH MYSELF, JONATHAN FRANK'S CHAIR.
UH, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CAMERAS AND MICROPHONE IS ON SO THAT YOU ARE COUNTED, UM, UNDER CITY LAW.
SO, ELIZABETH MEYER, THINK YOU'RE MUTED.
I'LL PASS IT OVER TO OUR FRIENDS FROM COMMISSION ON AGING TO DO ROLL CALL.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
UM, WE'LL GO THROUGH OUR ROSTER HERE.
MARTIN CARI, I DON'T BELIEVE IS HERE.
AND, UH, HENRY VAN DEPU ALSO A NO, BUT WE ARE AT QUORUM.
UH, NEXT, UH, WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE PORTION WITH
[1. Approval of the minutes from the Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities September 8, 2023, regular meeting.]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER MEETING.I MOVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
NOW MOVING ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA.
[2. Discussion and updates on the Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC). (Jeremy Garza and Alejandra Mireles)]
IS DISCUSSION FROM THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE, JEREMY GARZA AND ALEJANDRO AND MS. MORALES.HAVE, UH, SOME HARD SIGNALS HERE WHILE I'M MOVING IN TRANSIT.
UM, MY SUCCESSOR, ALEJANDRA LES, UH, WHO'S TAKING OVER THE WORK WITH THE COMMISSIONS IN THE EQUITY OFFICE, SHE'S HAD A, AN EVENT TODAY, SO I'M STEPPING IN TO HELP.
BUT I JUST HAD ONE QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT, AND THAT'S ABOUT THE JOINT INCLUSION, UM, BUDGET TOWN HALLS THAT WE'RE KIND OF NAMING, INVESTING IN COMMUNITY.
UH, THE VERY FIRST ONE IS GONNA TAKE PLACE THIS UPCOMING WEDNESDAY, THIS UPCOMING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18TH AT 6:30 PM IT'S GONNA BE HOSTED AT THE VIRGINIA L. BROWN RECREATION CENTER, WHICH IS HOUSED IN THE SAME BUILDING AS THE, UH, ST.
JOHN'S BRANCH LIBRARY IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
UM, WE WELCOME COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND, BUT WHAT WE ASK OF Y'ALL MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IS TO REACH OUT TO SOMEBODY, TEXT SOMEONE, CALL SOMEONE IN COMMUNITY THAT YOU KNOW, AND ENCOURAGE 'EM TO SHOW UP TO OUR TOWN HALL.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, FREE FOOD, A FULL DINNER COURSE PROVIDED FOR FOLKS WHO ATTEND.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SUPERVISED CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE KIDDOS, UH, WHO MAY NEED THAT ASSISTANCE TO BE ABLE IN ORDER TO ATTEND.
WE'LL ALSO HAVE A LIVE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION AND AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND SPANISH AND VIETNAMESE AND MANDARIN.
AND THE WHOLE POINT OF ORGANIZING THESE EVENTS IS, IS FOR Y'ALL.
IT'S, IT'S ABOUT WELCOMING COMMUNITY VOICES TO MAKE RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMISSIONERS AND KIND OF HELP BRIDGE THAT GAP, BUT ALSO HELP, UH, SOLICIT COMMUNITY VOICES AND THE PRIORITIES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE FROM Y'ALL.
WHEN Y'ALL RE UM, DRAFT YOUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE DUE, UH, IN MARCH, UM, THIS UPCOMING MARCH, 2024, WE'RE DOING THESE BUDGET TOWN HALLS EARLY SO THAT Y'ALL CAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO MAY BE INTENDING WHO, UM, WHO MAY BE SUPER ACTIVE IN COMMUNITY, MAYBE INVITE THEM, UH, ONTO YOUR BUDGET TOWN HALLS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION, UM, FOR THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ATTENDING ABOUT EVERY SINGLE, UM, J I C COMMISSION, ALL 10 OF Y'ALL.
IT'S GONNA HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT WHEN Y'ALL'S MEETINGS ARE BETWEEN NOW AND MARCH, UM, WITH CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND STAFF LIAISON.
[00:05:01]
SO ANY COMMITTEE MEMBER WHO MAY WANNA REACH OUT AND MAYBE SPEAK, UM, AT A COMMISSION MEETING ABOUT THEIR BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE Y'ALL CHAMPION OR MAYBE JOIN A BUDGET GROUP.UH, AGAIN, THIS IS A, AN EVENT FOR HOSTING, UH, TO HELP Y'ALL MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS TO COMMUNITY AND TO HELP REACH OUT SO THAT Y'ALL, UM, GET TO AUTHOR SOME REALLY GREAT, UM, GET TO AUTHOR AND CHAMPION SOME REALLY GREAT BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, FOR THIS UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
UM, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S, UM, PARTICIPATION AND Y'ALL'S REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITY MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO ATTEND.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM EITHER COMMISSION?
[3. Presentation: Weather Trends and Preparedness, Ana Urueta, Austin Public Health.]
ON TO A PRESENTATION, WEATHER TRENDS AND PREPAREDNESS.ANA, I DO NOT WANT TO BUTCHER YOUR LAST NAME, SO IF YOU PLEASE JUST ANNOUNCE IT, I'D APPRECIATE THAT.
I AM WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM MANAGER.
OH, I SEE YOU'VE GOT THE PRESENTATION.
I'LL JUMP RIGHT IN JUST ONE SECOND.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
UH, I AM VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY AND TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT WEATHER TRENDS AND PREPAREDNESS.
UM, LIKE I SAID, I WORK WITH, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
WE HAVE INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERTS AND PLANNERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS IN OUR TEAM, AND WE WORK TO PREPARE THE COMMUNITY FOR, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES AS WELL AS, UM, RESPOND TO THEM.
SO ANY EMERGENCY EFFECTS OF PUBLIC'S HEALTH, SO LITERALLY ANYTHING THAT CAN HAPPEN, WE'RE INVOLVED.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAKS, UM, IF WE HAVE, UM, MANMADE DISASTERS OR IF WE HAD A NATURAL DISASTER LIKE A WINTER STORM, OR EVEN WE EVEN DEAL WITH LIKE EVACUATIONS IF THERE'S A HURRICANE AT THE COAST AND PEOPLE HAVE TO, UH, FLEE HERE.
SO MAYBE YOU'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE, BUT, UM, THIS GRAPH IS DEPICTS THE RATE AT WHICH THE POPULATION IS GROWING IN AUSTIN, AND ALSO, UM, HOW MANY, SOME OF THE DISASTERS THAT AND, UH, THAT WE'VE ENCOUNTERED LATELY.
NO MATTER WHAT THE WEATHER, AS THE CLIMATE CHANGES, WE COULD EXPECT MORE EXTREMES IN THE AREA, AND THE COMMUNITY HAS SEEN IT OVER AUSTIN'S HISTORY.
RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH NUMEROUS SHOCKS, INCLUDING FLOODS, FIRES, PANDEMICS, AND STRESSES SUCH AS EXTREME HEAT AND DROUGHT INEQUITY, AND A LACK OF AFFORDABILITY.
AND DESPITE THESE CHALLENGES, AUSTIN HAS CONTINUED TO GROW AND ADAPT IN WAYS THAT HAVE TRANSFORMED OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND AS THESE SHOCKS AND STRESSES INCREASE IN FREQUENCY, AND AUSTIN CONTINUES TO GROW, UH, WE MUST TACKLE THESE PRESSURES TO ENSURE ALL ESTIMATES CAN ENVISION A FUTURE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
SO THIS, UM, JUST SHOWS SOME OF THOSE MAJOR STRESSES, AND AS YOU CAN TELL, JUST IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, I'M SURE THAT YOU ALL CAN REMEMBER, WE'VE DEALT WITH PANDEMIC, UM, WHICH HAS THEN COMPOUNDED BY WINTER STORMS. AND THAT INSANE HEAT THAT WE HAD THIS LAST SUMMER, THAT JUST WAS A FEW WEEKS AGO.
UM, HOPEFULLY WE DON'T GET ANY MORE CRAZY HEAT DAYS, BUT IT'S STILL UNPREDICTABLE LATELY THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO PREPARE FOR EVERYTHING.
SO, UH, WE CONDUCTED A RESILIENCE CASPER IN APRIL, 2023.
UM, IT'S A COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE, AND IT'S A TOOL UTILIZED BY PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES TO COLLECT VALUABLE INFORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC DURING RESPONSE EFFORTS, OR TO IMPROVE PREPAREDNESS STRATEGIES.
IT'S A DATA-DRIVEN STRATEGY THAT REQUIRES THAT COLLECTION OF DOOR-TO-DOOR IN-PERSON SURVEYS IN RANDOMLY SELECTED NEIGHBORHOODS IN HOUSES.
AND WITH RANDOMIZATION SURVEY RESULTS CAN BE GENERALIZED TO THE REST OF THE SURVEY AREA AND IMPROVE RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS.
WE DID THIS SPECIFICALLY IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT, AND, UM, ALTHOUGH WE WERE UNABLE TO GET ENOUGH SURVEYS, WE CAN'T MAKE A GENERALIZATION ABOUT THE WHOLE EASTERN CRESCENT OR THE ENTIRE AREA SURVEYED, BUT IT DID ALLOW US TO HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH E OR FOR, FOR EMERGENCIES, AND, UH, WHICH HELPS GUIDE OUR WORK.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE LEARNED IS THAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND, UH, EXTREME HEAT, AND IT'S AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UH, 73% OF THE HOUSEHOLD SURVEYED BELIEVE EXTREME HEAT OR A HEAT WAVE WILL HAVE A MEDIUM
[00:10:01]
OR HIGH RISK OF IMPACTING THEIR HEALTH IN SOME WAY.AND THIS IS IMPORTANT AS WE KNOW THAT HEAT EXACERBATES MANY PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS SUCH AS ASTHMA AND HEART DISEASE.
UM, WE LEARNED THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS A LOWEST LEVEL OF CONCERN FOR, UM, FOR DISASTERS LIKE FLOOD AND FLASH FLOODS, WILDFIRES, AND TORNADOES, AND THEY'RE MORE CONCERNED FOR SEVERE WINTER WEATHER, EXTREME HEAT AND EPIDEMICS OR PANDEMICS.
SO I PRESENT THIS INFORMATION BECAUSE I WANNA USE IT, UH, TO GET TO THINK ABOUT AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE RECOMMEND, UH, FOR PREPAREDNESS MEASURES LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
SO, WE CONDUCT SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE IN, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND ESSENTIALLY THAT JUST MEANS THAT WE MONITOR THE HOSPITAL RELATED ILLNESSES, UM, TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY TRENDS IN PEOPLE THAT ARE SHOWING UP FOR CERTAIN ILLNESSES.
AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT, UM, BEFORE A DISASTER HAPPENS BECAUSE IT CAN GIVE US A SNAPSHOT OF SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE GOING ON.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO REALLY INTERESTING TO COMPARE, UH, FROM SEASON TO SEASON SO WE CAN SEE IF WE HAD A MORE ACTIVE SEASON OR IF WE HAD MORE, UM, ILLNESSES RELATED TO, UM, TO THE SUMMER OR THE WINTER OR MORE DEATH.
SO FOR THIS LAST SUMMER, WE SAW 1,587 HOSPITAL RELATED ILLNESSES.
IT'S THE MOST WE'VE EVER TRACKED, BUT WE'RE ALSO AT OUR HIGHEST POPULATION, AND THE DEATHS HAVE BEEN PROPORTIONATE TO THE NUMBER, SIMILAR TO 2011 WHEN WE LAST EXPERIENCED EXTREME DROUGHT.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON ANALYZING THE DEATH DATA AND SOME DEATH SOME DEATHS ARE STILL COMING ON.
SO WE CAN'T COMPLETELY REPORT AT THIS TIME, BUT WE DO MONITOR THEMIC SURVEILLANCE, UM, FROM MAY 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 30.
UH, ANOTHER THING THAT WE NOTED, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT WE CAN LOOK AND GET BACK TO YOU ON, UH, RELATED TO AGE AND, UM, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, BUT WE DID NOTE THAT THE, WE DID SEE THAT THE MAJORITY OF HOSPITAL RELATED VISITS, UH, DURING THE SUMMER WERE MALE AND LIKE A WAY MORE THAN FEMALE, 73%, AND THEIR AGE WAS BETWEEN 30 TO 39 YEARS OLD.
SO WHAT ABOUT LAST WINTER? WE DO MONITOR FROM NOVEMBER ONE TO MARCH 30.
CRAZY TO THINK THAT WE JUST HAD SUCH HOT WEATHER, BUT WE'RE GONNA START MONITORING FOR THE WINTER HERE IN JUST A FEW WEEKS.
NOVEMBER 1ST, UM, WHAT WE SAW LAST YEAR WAS 321 COLD RELATED EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS IN HOSPITALS, AND THAT'S IN HAYES, TRAVIS IN WILLIAMSON COUNTIES.
UM, 27% OF THOSE VISITS WERE PEOPLE THAT WERE 60 YEARS OR OLDER, AND WE DID SEE LESS THAN FIVE DEATHS.
UH, MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE GONNA START, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE DOING THIS, UM, LOOKING AT DATA OF HOSPITAL RELATED ILLNESS DURING THE WINTER, BUT WE'RE GONNA START INCLUDING SLIPS AND FALL INJURIES AND CARBON MONOXIDE RELATED ILLNESS.
UM, SO WE CAN START TO, TO CLOSELY MONITOR THOSE ITEMS A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SO ALL THAT DATA IS IN THE BACKGROUND OF OBVIOUSLY, OF, OF, OF THE, THE SITUATIONS ENHANCED.
SO WINTER STORM AURA, IF, IF YOU ALL WERE HERE, I'M SURE THAT YOU EXPERIENCED SOME CRAZINESS.
UM, WE SAW SOME VERY, SOME EXTREME DAMAGES FROM THE STORM.
EXTREME WEIGHT OF ACCUMULATED ICELAND POWER LINES.
UM, ABOUT 30% OF AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER AND OVER 10 MILLION TREES REALLY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MY TEAM HELPED WITH IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WAS TO DO SHELTERING FOR THE UNHOUSED AND HOUSE RESIDENTS.
UH, ESPECIALLY WE DO SHELTER COLD WEATHER SHELTERING FOR THE UNHOUSED, UM, WHEN THERE AREN'T DISASTERS, SO IF IT'S FREEZING TEMPERATURES, BUT THEN WHEN IT GETS INTO A DISASTER REALM, UM, AND THERE'S PEOPLE WITH, UH, PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING A SUSTAINED LOSS OF POWER, THEN, UH, IT IS NECESSARY FOR US TO ALSO HELP WITH SHELTERING PEOPLE THAT DO HAVE HOU HOMES.
UM, WE ALSO HELPED WITH FOOD AND WATER DISTRIBUTION, TRANSPORTATION SERVICES TO SHELTERS.
WE HELP A LOT WITH RECOVERY EFFORTS, UM, SPECIFICALLY THROUGH MULTI-AGENCY RESOURCE CENTERS.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE ALSO HAD SOME FOOT TEAMS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T GET TO MULTI-AGENCY RESOURCE CENTERS OR THAT CAN'T LEAVE THEIR HOUSES, UH, WHENEVER THERE'S A DISASTER LIKE THIS.
AND SO WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK TO, UH, SEND OUT FOOT TEAMS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND PRE-IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE CHECKED ON.
UM, SO WE CAN BRING RESOURCES TO THEM AND JUST, UM, HAVE THAT ADDED LAYER OF SUPPORT.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM WINTER STORM.
[00:15:02]
SO, UH, WE LEARNED A LOT.WE'VE LEARNED A LOT DURING THE LAST WINTER STORMS, AND WE'RE USING A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION TO PREPARE FOR THIS UPCOMING WINTER.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO, UM, ESPECIALLY AS AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, IS THE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS FOR THE UNHOUSED SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE NOT, UM, PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR SHELTERING FOR GENERAL POPULATION, BUT WE DO OVERSEE MEDICAL SHELTERS IF, IF THERE WAS A NEED FOR THAT.
UM, SO JUST FOR EVERYBODY'S KNOWLEDGE, COLD WEATHER SHELTERS, WE OPEN THEM ANYTIME THE TEMPERATURE FALLS BELOW 32 DEGREES AND DRY, OR IF IT'S 35 DEGREES WITH A WIND CHILL OF 32 DEGREES AND BELOW.
AND SO, UM, THE PRIMARY DEMOGRAPHIC THAT WILL ATTEND THESE SHELTERS ARE THE UNHOUSED.
BUT, UM, REALLY THOSE ARE THERE FOR ANYBODY THAT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP WARM OVERNIGHT IN JUST A REGULAR FREEZE NIGHT.
UM, IF WE WERE TO HAVE A DISASTER LIKE AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT, UM, WHERE THE TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW MORE THAN THAT, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE CAN'T, OR LESS THAN THAT, AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE CAN'T HANDLE IT.
AND WE HAVE SUSTAINED POWER OUTAGES.
UM, WE WORK WITHIN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER TO SUPPORT, UH, OTHER SHELTERING SERVICES THAT EXPAND PAST, UM, ANYBODY THAT MIGHT, MIGHT NEED IT.
SO IF IT'S FAMILIES AND MINORS, UM, OR JUST PEOPLE THAT CAN'T STAY WARM INSIDE THEIR HOME.
BUT IDEALLY, THE SHELTERING SHOULD BE A BLAST RESORT BECAUSE IT'S A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES, LEAVE THE COMFORT OF THE ITEMS THAT THEY HAVE.
AND SO WE REALLY FOCUS ON, UM, HELPING PEOPLE PREPARE AND BUILD THEIR PREPAREDNESS, PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS PLAN TO BE ABLE TO STAY AT HOME IF ABLE OR EVACUATE TO A FRIEND'S HOME OR A FAMILY'S HOME.
UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF EMERGENCY POP-UP EVENTS EACH MONTH, UM, WHERE WE PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO BUILD A KIT, UM, HOW TO TURN YOUR WATER OFF ALL THE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS ATTEND.
AND, UM, I, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO ATTEND THOSE.
IT'S INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN TAKE FOR YOURSELF AND YOU CAN DISSEMINATE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I CAN SHARE THE INFORMATION IN THE CHAT OF, UH, WHEN IN THE, WHEN THOSE, WHEN THOSE FAIRS TAKE PLACE.
WE WERE ALSO, WE'VE ALSO BEEN DOING A LOT OF RECOVERY PLANNING.
I MENTIONED THE MULTI-AGENCY RESOURCE CENTER.
SO, UH, ANYTIME THAT THERE'S A DISASTER AND THERE'S AN IDENTIFIED NEED TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, WE HAVE MULTI-AGENCY RESOURCE CENTERS PLANS, WHICH MEANS IT'S JUST A LOCATION THAT WILL OPEN AT LIKE A, A GYM OR, UM, A LOCATION THAT THE COMMUNITY FEEL COMFORTABLE AND ARE FAMILIAR WITH.
AND WE WILL BRING DIFFERENT RESOURCES LIKE, UM, THROUGH PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS.
THE LAST MULTI-AGENCY RESOURCE CENTER THAT WE OPENED WAS IN RESPONSE TO WINTER STORM MARA.
AND, UH, WE PROVIDED, UM, SOME FOOD FROM THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK.
UH, SOME GIFT CARDS FROM H E B INSURANCE COMPANIES WERE THERE THAT COULD PROVIDE, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT INSURANCE CLAIMS. WE HAD, UM, THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO CHARGE THEIR PHONES.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYBODY CAN GET TO THESE MULTI-AGENCY RESOURCE CENTERS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE EXPANDING ON IS, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, IS THE EXPANSION OF THESE FOOT TEAMS THAT CAN GO OUT AND BRING THE RESOURCES TO PEOPLE'S HOMES.
AND I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN, UM, MAKE YOURSELF VISIBLE OR HOW YOU CAN SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, WHERE YOU LIVE THAT WOULD BE DISSEMINATED TO US.
SO WE COULD SEND A TEAM TO CHECK ON PEOPLE.
UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN DOING, WORKING ON A CITYWIDE WINTER WEATHER CAMPAIGN, UM, THAT WILL BE DISPLAYED ON THE READY CENTRAL TEXAS WEBPAGE, AND IT'S GOING TO BE SHOWN IN 14 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, INCLUDING A S L.
SO, UM, THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE OF, UH, THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TO PREPARE YOURSELF, AND HOPEFULLY BY NOW YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN, UH, YOU'VE ALREADY SIGNED UP IN WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS.
BUT IF YOU COULD SHARE THE MESSAGE.
UM, BASED ON THE CASPER, GOING BACK TO THAT SURVEY THAT WE CONDUCTED, WE LEARNED THAT 73% OF THE HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVED EMERGENCY ALERTS DURING THE MOST RECENT WINTER STORM.
UM, AND JUST CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE, IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY FOR PEOPLE TO GET INFORMATION AND UPDATES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE RESPONSE OR THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT.
AND SO, UH, SIGNING UP FOR ONE, ONE CENTRAL TEXAS IS A SIMPLE PROCESS.
YOU JUST GO ON THEIR WEBPAGE AND PUT IN YOUR INFORMATION.
UM, BUT YOU CAN GET TEXT MESSAGE ALERTS, INTERNET AND ONLINE NEWS, OR YOU CAN GET TEXT AND TEXT MESSAGE ALERTS.
[00:20:01]
THROUGH THE CASPER THAT PEOPLE GET INFORMATION DURING DISASTERS WAS THROUGH INTERNET AND ONLINE NEWS AND PHONE CALL ALERTS.BUT THE WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS SEEMS TO BE A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY.
AND SO WE HIGHLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS.
STEER IS A STATE OF TEXAS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE REGISTRY.
AND WE'VE BEEN, UH, PUSHING FOR THIS A LOT.
IT'S, UM, WAY A PLACE WHERE IT'S A FREE REGISTRY THAT PROVIDES LOCAL EMERGENCY PLANNERS AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITY.
SO ANYBODY CAN GO IN THERE AND, UM, AND INDICATE THE SUPPORT THAT THEY WOULD NEED AND TO MAKE THEMSELVES KNOWN IN A REGISTRY.
SO THEN IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY, WE'RE ABLE TO PULL UP THE LIST OF EVERYONE THAT'S REGISTERED AND WE CAN PRIORITIZE CHECKING ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS FIRST.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK, UH, IN ENSURING THAT WE CAN PULL THOSE LISTS AND LAYER THEM ON A MAP OUT IT, LIKE WHO IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING AN OUTAGE.
UM, AND THEN THAT WAY WE CAN PRIORITIZE CHECKING ON THOSE FOLKS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A REALLY, UH, BIG REGISTRY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH FOR.
REGISTRIES ARE REALLY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN BECAUSE, UM, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT BE, MIGHT NEED TO BE ON A REGISTRY AND THEN, UH, THE NEXT YEAR THEY NO LONGER NEED TO BE THERE.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT YEARLY, ON A YEARLY BASIS DOES NEED TO BE UPDATED.
AND, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW GREAT OF A JOB THE STATE HAS DONE IN MAINTAINING THIS ONE UP TO DATE, BUT IT IS, UM, ONE OF THE BEST REGISTRIES THAT WE'VE GOT SO FAR.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME EFFORTS IN THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SPHERE OF IMPROVING REGISTRIES, BUT THIS IS CERTAINLY ONE THAT WE, UH, ADVOCATE FOR RIGHT NOW THAT EXISTS.
OH, I THOUGHT I MUST HAVE DELETED IT, BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER SLIDE ON, ON AUSTIN ENERGY'S MEDICAL VULNERABLE REGISTRY.
I WILL SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU ALL AFTER, I THINK I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED THAT SLIDE.
BUT IT'S A, A REGISTRY THAT'S SPECIFIC TO AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMERS, AND THEY DO HAVE SOME MORE STRICT GUIDELINES.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO GET CLEARED BY YOUR MEDICAL PROVIDER TO BE ON THAT LIST, BUT IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GET ON THAT LIST, AUSTIN ENERGY DOES HAVE, UM, CLIENT OR CASE MANAGERS THAT CHECK ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS IF THERE IS A POWER OUTAGE.
UM, WE KNOW THAT DURING THE LAST STORM, WE WERE ABLE TO ASK AUSTIN ENERGY TO GIVE US A LIST OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE, UM, STILL WITHOUT POWER THAT WERE PART OF THEIR MEDICAL VULNERABLE REGISTRY.
AND WE HAD OUR FOOT TEAMS GO CHECK ON THOSE FOLKS AT THEIR HOUSE, UM, IF THEY WEREN'T PICKING UP THEIR PHONE.
AND SO THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT REGISTRY THAT I'LL DROP IN THE CHAT.
WELL, LEMME PICK UP, UM, ANOTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING WINTER SEASON IS, UH, WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING VACCINATED.
SO THE FLU VACCINE IS STILL SHOWN TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FLU ILLNESS AND MORE SERIOUS FLU OUTCOMES THAT CAN RESULT IN HOSPITALIZATION OR EVEN DEATH IN OLDER PEOPLE.
AND WHILE SOME PEOPLE WHO GET VACCINATED MAY STILL GET SICK, FLU VACCINE HAS BEEN SHOWN IN SEVERAL STUDIES TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF ILLNESS IN PEOPLE.
UM, WE ALSO RECOMMEND THE COVID VACCINE GETTING VACCINATED WITH THE COVID VACCINE.
IT'S STILL THE BEST DEFENSE AGAINST HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH RELATED TO C OVID 19.
AND WE KNOW THAT OLDER ADULTS CONTINUE TO BE AT HIGHER RISK OF COMPLICATIONS DUE TO THE THEIR AGE.
UM, MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND IN THE C D C, BUT THE COVID TO 19 VACCINES AVAILABLE INCLUDE PFIZER, MODERNA, AND NOVAVAX.
AND THEN, UH, WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING THE R S V VACCINE THAT USED TO BE A VACCINE THAT WAS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR INFANTS, AND NOW IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OLDER ADULTS, R S V.
AND SO, UM, THE VACCINE IS RECOMMENDED FOR ADULTS AGED 60 YEARS AND OLDER.
UM, AND THAT WILL PRODU PROVIDE PROTECTION FOR AT LEAST TWO R S V SEASONS.
AND I AM NOT A CLINICIAN, BUT, UH, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING AND SPEAKING WITH, UH, OUR NURSES AND ABOUT THESE IMMUNIZATIONS IS THAT R S V CAN CAUSE A REALLY NASTY, COLD COMBINED WITH LIKE PNEUMONIA.
AND, UH, THE VACCINE CAN BE A REALLY GREAT WAY OF PREVENTING THIS FROM HAPPENING, UM, OR AT LEAST REDUCE THE SEVERITY.
AND OF COURSE, UH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU DISCUSS WITH YOUR CLINIC, WITH YOUR PROVIDER AND DECIDE TOGETHER IF IT'S THE BEST, UH, COURSE OF ACTION FOR YOU.
BUT IT IS AN OPTION THAT IS OUT THERE AND SOMETHING THAT'S RELATIVELY NEW THAT THE C D C IS RECOMMENDING AND CAN HELP, UH, REDUCE ILLNESS IN THE COLD WEATHER WHEN WE TEND TO SEE LARGER NUMBER OF PEOPLE GET ILL.
[00:25:01]
SLIDE PLEASE.OF COURSE, KEEP WASHING YOUR HANDS.
WE'VE LEARNED THAT THAT'S, THAT'S JUST THE, THE BEST WAY OF PREVENTING ILLNESS.
UM, BUT IF YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW, UH, WE, THE, YOU CAN STOCK UP ON C OVID 19 TESTS THROUGH THE COVID TESTS.GOV.
YOU CAN GET FOUR FREE AT HOME COVID TESTS, UM, DELIVERED TO YOUR HOUSEHOLD.
AND SO IT'S GOOD TO JUST, RIGHT NOW, WHEN YOU'RE NOT EXPERIENCING ANY SYMPTOMS, JUST GO ON COVID TEST.GOV.
IT TAKES LITERALLY LIKE 20 SECONDS TO FILL IN YOUR INFORMATION, YOUR ADDRESS, AND A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER THEY WILL SHOW UP IN YOUR HOME.
AND SO IF YOU'RE FEELING ANY SORT OF SYMPTOMS, IT'S GOOD TO TEST YOURSELF SO YOU CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOU STAY AT HOME, UM, AND PREVENT COVID FROM SPREADING.
AND ALSO, UM, TO JUST STAY ON TOP OF IT.
IF YOU DO HAVE COVID, YOU CAN COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR PROVIDER AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO THESE ARE JUST SOME GENERAL WINTER WEATHER SAFETY, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, SO PEOPLE BEFORE GOING OUTSIDE, DRESS IN LAYERS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE COLD, UM, WHILE HEATING YOUR HOME.
NOT TO USE GENERATORS, GRILL CAMP STOVES, OR ANY GASOLINE, PROPANE AND CHARCOAL BURNING DEVICES.
WE DID SEE A RISE IN CARBON MONOXIDE, UM, ILLNESS, THE LAST WINTER STORM.
AND ALSO, UM, JUST ANYTIME THAT WE HAVE THE REALLY COLD WEATHER WHEN PEOPLE TEND TO LOSE ELECTRICITY, IT'S JUST A GOOD REMINDER.
UM, I THINK FOR SOME PEOPLE IT MIGHT BE COMMON SENSE, BUT FOR OTHERS IT'S NOT.
WHEN YOU'RE FREEZING AND YOU JUST ARE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO STAY WARM, UM, UH, PEOPLE WILL TEND TO USE THESE, THESE SOLUTIONS, BUT IT WILL CAUSE A DEADLY CARBON OF MONOXIDE GAS, UM, FOR PETS, BRINGING YOUR PETS INSIDE TO KEEP THEM WARM AND SAFE.
LOTS OF INFORMATION ONLINE FOR THAT.
UM, ON THE AUSTIN CITY OF AUSTIN'S WEBPAGE FOR PIPES INSULATING OR COVERING EXPOSED PIPES TO PROTECT THEM FROM FREEZING AND FOR PLANTS.
SO I, THESE ARE ALL, UM, GOOD MESSAGES FOR YOU TO KNOW, BUT ALSO TO, AS YOU'RE COMMUNICATING WITH, UH, OUR OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS, JUST THINGS THAT ARE EASY TO REMEMBER.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, WITH PIKES, UM, I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THE PROCESS BY HEART, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE WAYS THAT, UM, THERE ARE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS THAT YOU CAN DIRECT PEOPLE.
AND I SAY THAT ONLY BECAUSE, LIKE EVEN PERSONALLY FOR ME, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE THOSE RESOURCES THAT I CAN JUST GO FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND IT'LL SHOW ME EXACTLY WHAT PROCESS I NEED TO FOLLOW FOR TAKING CARE OF MY PIPES.
SO JUST RESOURCES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO, UH, FOR FAMILY AND PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS.
UH, 66% OF HOUSEHOLDS IN OUR SURVEY THAT WE CONDUCTED LET US KNOW THAT THEY WOULD GO TO A FRIEND'S FAMILY OR A SECOND HOME IF EVACUATION WAS NECESSARY.
UM, ESPECIALLY FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE THE, THE AGING POPULATION OR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITY, I THINK THIS PIECE IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
EVEN JUST, UM, GIVING YOUR NEIGHBORS YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, LETTING THEM KNOW IF YOU DO LIVE ALONE, UM, OF IF YOU ARE GONNA BE STAYING AND NOT EVACUATING, JUST TO HAVE PEOPLE CHECK ON YOU AND YOU HAVING THAT SUPPORT SYSTEM, I THINK THAT THAT REALLY HELPS, UM, PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE PREPAREDNESS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A DESIGNATED MEETING, MEETING PLACE WITH YOUR FAMILY.
SO WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT WINTER PREPAREDNESS, BUT IF WE WERE TO HAVE A DISASTER THAT AFFECTED YOUR HOME AND YOU'RE NOT AT HOME, UM, AND LET'S SAY THAT THE PHONE LINES WERE DOWN AND YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR FAMILY, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AHEAD OF TIME TO JUST SAY, HEY, THIS IS THE PLACE THAT THIS TARGET DOWN THE STREET THAT WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH, OR SPECIFIC LANDMARK.
LET'S, UH, LET'S MEET THERE FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE CAN'T COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND THERE'S A WILDFIRE IN OUR HOUSE IS WIPED OUT.
THOSE DISCUSSIONS AHEAD OF TIME CAN, CAN REALLY MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO PLAN FOR YOUR PETS AND ALSO TO MAKE A PLAN AND PRACTICE IT JUST ONCE A YEAR, REMIND, REMIND EACH OTHER WHAT IS THAT MEANING PLACE THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE.
UM, AND JUST HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS ROUTINELY ON MAKING IT A PART OF YOUR DAILY LIVES WILL HELP YOU FEEL MORE PREPARED AND EMPOWERED.
SO THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, DO YOU JUST TO THINK ABOUT, DO YOU HAVE A PLAN? DO YOU HAVE A GO BAG? UM, I MENTIONED EARLIER ESTABLISHING A SUPPORT SYSTEM AND GOING OVER YOUR EMERGENCY PLAN WITH YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
[00:30:01]
HAVING A GO BAG, UM, CAN, CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS JUST HAVING SOME, UM, COPIES OF YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS HAVING, UM, EXTRA HEAT HEARING AID, BATTERIES AND, UH, EXTRA COPIES OF YOUR IDENTIFICATION THAT CAN ACTUALLY CAUSE A LOT OF PEACE OR, OR CAN RESULT IN MORE PEACE OF MIND IF A DISASTER IS HAPPENING.AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN GRAB QUICKLY BEFORE, UM, IF BEFORE HAVING TO EVACUATE IF YOU'RE HAVING TO EVACUATE QUICKLY.
JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF, UM, HOW TO PLAN, HOW TO HAVE A KIT.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO PLAN TO BE ON YOUR OWN FOR AT LEAST 72 HOURS.
UM, I MENTIONED HAVING EXTRA BATTERIES FOR HEARING AIDS, HAVING EXTRA GLASSES, UM, HAVING SUPPLIES FOR SERVICE ANIMALS AHEAD OF TIME.
AND THEN JUST WHAT MEDICINE IS, UH, SPECIFIC TO YOU.
DO YOU NEED, UM, TO HAVE A PLAN FOR OXYGEN FOR INSULIN CATHETERS AND OTHER MEDICAL SUPPLIES THAT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE IN YOUR GROW BAG AS WELL.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF RESOURCES TOO ON, ON THE INTERNET THAT CAN HELP YOU WITH BUILDING MY BUILDING A CUSTOMIZED GO BAG FOR YOURSELF.
UH, VERY IMPORTANT TO, AS YOU'RE HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS WITH YOUR FAMILY AND OR WITH YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM TO HAVE A WRITTEN PLAN THAT HAS HOUSEHOLD INFORMATION, THE COMMONPLACE, WHERE TIME IS SPENT, UH, DESIGNATED MEETING AREAS, EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE, UH, CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IF YOU JUST TAKE THE TIME TO DO THEM AHEAD OF THE DISASTER.
THAT IS REALLY IT AS FAR AS PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED FROM THE CASPER, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOU FOUND THE INFORMATION VALUABLE.
I KNOW THAT, UM, A LOT OF IT IS ARE PROBABLY THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD, BUT FOR US WORKING IN THE PREPAREDNESS WORLD, I, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S JUST BECAUSE I'M THINKING ABOUT IT AND TALKING ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME, BUT, UM, AT THE VERY LEAST, IF YOU CAN TAKE FROM THIS PRESENTATION THAT, UM, IF YOU ARE PERSONALLY PREPARED, UM, TAKING IT TO YOUR NEIGHBOR AND LETTING YOUR NEIGHBOR KNOW, HEY, HAVE YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR FAMILY ABOUT YOUR MEETING LOCATION? OR, UM, HAVE YOU BUILT A GO BAG? THOSE SORT OF THINGS CAN REALLY ENHANCE OUR COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS AND TAKE IT TO A WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL AND HELP US ALL FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE KNOWING THAT THESE DISASTERS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE HAPPENING AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE, UM, MORE EXTREME THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST.
WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, IF THE OTHER CHAIR AGREES, UM, WE DO HAVE MULTIPLE OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
I WOULD SAY ROOM FOR MAYBE TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, WHAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN CONFUSING IN THE PAST IS FOR PEOPLE IS NOT KNOWING IF THEY NEED HELP AND THEY NEED TO ACCESS SOME OF THESE CITY, UM, UH, RESOURCES.
WHAT DO THEY CALL, IS IT 9 1 1 3, 1 1 2, 1 1.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE MAIN NUMBER THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW? THE NUMBER THAT YOU SHOULD CALL, UNLESS IF YOU'RE NOT, OF COURSE, IF SOMEONE'S EXPERIENCING AN EMERGENCY, 9 1 1, BUT 3 1 1 IS A GREAT RESOURCE BECAUSE, UM, WHENEVER WE'RE HAVING EXPERIENCING A DISASTER, WE, UM, AND THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER IS ACTIVATED EVEN WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER ACTIVATED.
WE JUST HAVE REALLY COLD WEATHER AND WE'RE MONITORING FOR POWER OUTAGES.
WE'RE IN COMMUNICATION WITH 3 1 1 AND GIVING THEM A LIST OF RESOURCES.
AND THEY'RE ALSO COMMUNICATING BACK TO US, LETTING US KNOW IF SOMEONE CALLS, UH, ASKING FOR A SPECIFIC RESOURCE.
SO 3 1 1 IS, UM, A, A REALLY GOOD NUMBER TO CALL.
ALL RIGHT, ONE MORE QUESTION IF ANYONE HAS ONE.
SO IN THE EVENT OF A DISASTER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING OUT TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UM, TO HELP THEM LIKE LEAVE THEIR HOMES, ARE YOUR, DO, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT PEOPLE THAT USE WHEELCHAIRS LIKE YOUR, UM, YOUR WARMING CENTERS? AND I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES THAT Y'ALL USE CAPITAL METRO BUSES FOR THOSE KIND OF TRANSPORTATION ISSUES.
UM, BECAUSE I HAVE A, I HAVE A LARGE FAMILY AND ALL OF US HAVE SOME KIND OF DISABILITY INCLUDING THE WHEELCHAIR USER.
BUT FOR ME AND MY FAMILY, WE DON'T DRIVE BECAUSE I'M LEGALLY BLIND.
AND SO THAT IS ONE OF MY, UM, BIGGEST FEARS.
LIKE WE HAVE THE GO BAG, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, COMP, UM, PREPARED, BUT IF THERE'S, LIKE
[00:35:01]
FOR EXAMPLE, WE LIVE ALONG THE TRAIN TRACKS AND IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY AND MY NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS TO EVACUATE, UM, WE, THERE'S NOT JUST TWO OF US HERE, THERE'S LIKE SEVEN.SO WE CAN'T JUST LIKE JUMP IN MY NEIGHBOR'S CAR AND GO WITH THEM.
UM, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
SO THE REGISTRY, WITH THE REGISTRY, ARE Y'ALL THINKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT? YES.
AND ANYTIME THAT THERE IS, LET'S SAY THAT YOU DID NEED TO, YOU NEEDED HELP WITH EVACUATING THREE ONE, LET'S SAY YOU CALL 3 1 1 AS YOUR, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT NOT FEEL LIKE YOUR IMMEDIATE, UM, LIFE IS AT RISK.
SO YOU MIGHT JUST CALL 3 1 1, THE LINES ARE BACKED UP.
YOU SHOULD CALL 9 1 1 AND ALWAYS SPECIFY THAT YOU NEED, UM, EITHER IF IT'S THREE, ONE OR 9 1 1 THAT YOU CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH, SPECIFY THAT YOU NEED, UM, UH, MOBILITY ASSISTANCE OR YOU NEED A SPACE FOR WHEELCHAIR.
UM, I KNOW THAT DURING WINTER STORM MARA, WE HAD TO EVACUATE A COUPLE OF HAKA RESIDENCES BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN OUT OF POWER FOR A SUSTAINED AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND WE WORKED WITH CAP METRO TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAD THEIR VEHICLES THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO FIT IN THE WHEELCHAIRS AND TRANSPORT FOLKS WITH MOBILITY ISSUES.
SO THERE, THAT IS AN ONGOING, UM, ITEM THAT WE, WE DO ASK THE QUESTION WHENEVER WE'RE EVACUATING INDIVIDUALS AND SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER TO ALSO MAKE A NOTE WHENEVER YOU'RE CALLING, LIKE, HEY, I NEED TO BE PICKED UP AND I NEED SPACE FOR A WHEELCHAIR.
ALL RIGHT, ANA, THANK, I WANNA THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, LIA LIAISONS, IF YOU GET TO CIRCULATE THE INFORMATION AMONGST YOUR COMMISSIONS, UH, IF THERE'S ANY MORE FURTHER QUESTIONS, JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVE A LOT ON THEIR AGENDA.
DIDN'T WANNA CUT ANY OF Y'ALL OFF, BUT WE DO HAVE OTHER ITEMS. BUT THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN, ANNA, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE FROM YOU IN THE FUTURE.
I WAS TRYING TO FIND THE, LIKE A CHAT OPTION TO DROP AUSTIN ENERGY'S MEDICAL VULNERABLE REGISTRY, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE IS ONE.
UM, YOU CAN JUST SEND, YOU CAN SEND, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
OH YEAH, YOU JUST SEND THE INFORMATION TO THE LIAISONS FOR BOTH COMMISSIONS AND THEY CAN CIRCULATE ALL THAT, UH, THE INFORMATION YOU SEND AMONGST, UM, EACH COMMISSION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY FOR YOUR TIME.
JONATHAN, THIS IS, UH, AMY TEMPORALLY.
WE'RE ABOUT TO LOSE ONE OF OUR MEMBERS, WHICH IS GONNA IMPACT OUR QUORUM, BUT HE'S ABLE TO STAY LONG ENOUGH SO THAT YOU COULD FINISH YOUR BUSINESS.
'CAUSE WE KNOW YOU HAD A COUPLE OF ACTION ITEMS, NUMBER SEVEN AND EIGHT IF YOU WANTED TO SKIP TO THAT.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE AN EXTRA PERSON AND SHE'S NOT HERE.
SO WHEN, WHEN WE LOSE ONE, WE'LL LOSE QUORUM.
LET ME JUST GET TO THAT PARTICULAR PART OF THE AGENDA.
WE JUST DIDN'T WANNA IMPACT YOUR ACTUAL BUSINESS.
YEAH,
[7. Discussion and possible action on appointing a new member to the Project Connect Community Advisory Committee (CAC). ]
SO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN ON THE AGENDA FOR THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE IS APPOINTING A NEW REPRESENTATIVE TO SERVE ON THE PROJECT CONNECT, UH, COMMITTEE.A COMMITTEE ADVISORY COMMITTEE DID, THERE'S EVEN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD ENTAIL, LIKE WITH DATES AND TIMES FOR MEETINGS.
I, MY OUTLOOK HAS NOT BEEN COOPERATING.
JACQUELINE, DID YOU CIRCULATE ANYTHING? I DUNNO, I THOUGHT I, I COULD PROBABLY HELP YOU WITH THAT.
I'M ON THE, THE C A C OH, IF YOU DON'T MIND SHARING THAT INFORMATION.
THEY MEET, UM, WE MEET THURSDAY EVENINGS, THE SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH RIGHT NOW, USUALLY FROM FIVE TO SEVEN THAT IT COULD CHANGE THOUGH WITH THE NEW, UM, THE NEW PEOPLE COMING ON.
UM, AND LET ME THINK THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN PERSON, SO YOU CAN DO REMOTE.
JUST THE CHAIR HAS TO BE IN PERSON SIMILAR TO THESE COMMISSION MEETINGS.
MAYOR'S COMMITTEE, ANY VOLUNTEERS? UM, WELL IF IT'S FROM FIVE TO SEVEN, THEN I CAN DO THAT.
IS THAT, UH, VICE CHAIR MEYER? YEAH, IT'S ELIZABETH MEYER.
UM, IS, UH, SOMEONE MOTION, UNLESS THERE'S ANYONE ELSE THAT WANTS TO, NO.
SO I'LL NEED A MOTION IN A SECOND TO, UH, NOMINATE VICE CHAIR MEYER TO SERVE ON THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR CAP METRO.
I'LL NOMINATE THE VICE CHAIR MEYER BEYOND THAT COMMITTEE
[00:40:01]
AGAIN.UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOUR, UM, WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AND WE LOOK HERE FORWARD TO HEARING BACK FROM YOUR REPORTS.
'CAUSE I KNOW THIS, UM, THIS ESPECIALLY HAS SOME SIGNIFICANCE TO WHAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING, UM, YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
UM, SO I'LL JUST GET INFORMATION ABOUT THAT WITH THE LINKS IN MY EMAIL, CORRECT? PROBABLY.
OR SHOULD I REACH OUT TO THEM? HOW DO I, HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM? MM-HMM.
JUST WANNA SAY IT ON THE MIC SO IT'S ON THE RECORD BY EMAIL.
[8. Discussion and possible action on appointing an alternative representative to the Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC). ]
AGENDA FOR, UM, DISCUSSION ACTION IS APPOINTING, UH, ALTERNATE FOR THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE.UH, VICE CHAIR MEYER COULD NOT, UM, UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT.
A LOT OF KIDS, WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT CAN BE.
UM, SO DEFINITELY LOOKING FOR ANOTHER PERSON TO SERVE AS THE ALTERNATE.
IT'S JUST, UM, FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW, IT'S JUST IN CASE THE APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVE, UH, JENNIFER POWELL CANNOT MAKE IT.
AND SO YOU WOULD JUST ATTEND, YOU COULD ATTEND VIRTUALLY, I BELIEVE SO.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR HOME.
SO, LOOKING FOR ANY VOLUNTEERS, THIS IS COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ.
JUST SEEING IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE.
AND A SECOND TO, FOR SOMEONE TO NOMINATE LEADER, UH, COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ.
TO SERVE AS THE ALTERNATE FOR THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE.
I NOMINATE COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ TO SERVE AS ALTERNATE FOR THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE.
IS THERE A SECOND? THIS KRISTEN? YEAH, THIS IS KRISTEN.
ALL HAS IT MOVED AND SECONDED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
IS COMMISSIONER IL HERE? YEAH.
MICKEY, IF YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER FAT MICKEY, IF YOU COULD UNMUTE YOURSELF JUST SO WE CAN GET YOUR VOTE.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S VOICE IS COUNTED.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ.
UM, YOU CAN STILL ATTEND THE MEETINGS IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, EVEN IF, UM, COMMISSIONER POWELL IS ATTENDING, JUST IN CASE YOU WANTED TO GET SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEETINGS, SEE HOW THEY'RE RUN AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND JONATHAN, THIS IS AMY AGAIN.
AND WE ARE LOSING FRED LUGO, BUT PATTY BORDY HAS JOINED US.
SO WE ARE BACK AT QUORUM AND WE CAN CONTINUE.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO SERVE ON THESE, UM, COMMITTEES.
WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING, UM, WHAT YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS WILL BE.
[4. Discussion between the Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities and the Commission on Aging on common priorities and goals, and opportunities for collaboration (Chair Temperley and Chair Franks). ]
YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND START THIS DISCUSSION REGARDING THE COLLABORATION AND, UH, DISCUSSION PRIORITIES AND COMMON GOALS.THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT, AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, UM, DOING THIS JOINT MEETING WITH US.
I THINK IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS MAYBE SINCE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS, BUT THERE'S SO MANY OVERLAPPING, UH, PRIORITIES AND ISSUES THAT IT'S GOOD FOR US TO GET TOGETHER AND KIND OF GET A SENSE OF WHAT THE OTHERS ARE DOING.
UM, JUST FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, THE COMMISSION ON AGING, UH, ADVISES AND SUPPORTS, UM, THE AGE-FRIENDLY ACTION PLAN, WHICH IS A, WE ARE AN AGE-FRIENDLY CITY HERE IN AUSTIN.
THAT'S A DESIGNATION FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION THAT IS MANAGED BY A A R P.
[00:45:01]
SO WE HAVE, UM, SOME DOMAINS OF LIVABILITY THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT ON A REGULAR BASIS.AND SO FOR US, I, I THOUGHT I'D JUST KIND OF SHARE WHAT SOME OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES AND ISSUES HAVE BEEN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND THEN I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS AND, AND OTHER FOLKS, UM, WHAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE WITH YOUR, YOU KNOW, UH, COMMITTEE AND SEE WHERE THOSE OVERLAPS ARE.
SO PROBABLY OUR THREE TOP, WELL, FOUR TOP ISSUES THAT WE HEAR.
WE DO A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT EVERY YEAR, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, THROUGH TOWN HALLS AS WELL AND THROUGH OTHER MODALITIES, BUT HOUSING, BOTH AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND, UM, HOMELESSNESS, BEING MAJOR ISSUES.
UH, TRANSPORTATION, WHICH IS SUCH A BIG MONSTER, UM, THAT WE ALL FACE.
I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE UP AGAINST THAT, AGAINST THAT ONE TOO.
SO PERSONAL SAFETY, FEELING SAFE IN YOUR HOME, FEELING SAFE IN YOUR COMMUNITY ARE BIG ONES.
AND THEN PROBABLY A BIG ONE THAT COMES OUT FOR US ALL THE TIME IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM OR HOW TO ACCESS THEM.
AND THAT IS AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR US.
UM, AND THEN VERY FORTUITOUS BECAUSE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE AND CONCERN OF OURS AS WELL.
IF YOU'LL NOTICE, UM, ON THE SLIDESHOW, UH, 27% OF THE COLD RELATED, UM, EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS, 27% WERE 60 AND OLDER, BUT WE'RE ONLY ABOUT 10% OF THE POPULATION.
SO THAT'S A REALLY HIGH, UM, RATE.
AND WE KNOW THAT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, A, A HUGE PROBLEM IN WINTER STORM URI, UH, AS WELL.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT AND THAT WE TEND TO MAKE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS ON.
BUT WE'D LOVE TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT THINGS HAVE BEEN SURFACING HIGH ON YOUR PRIORITY LEVEL AND MAYBE THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO, UH, SOLVE SOME ISSUES.
SO I WILL LEAVE IT TO YOU NOW.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND START, AND THEN I'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR OUR COMMISSION.
UM, EVERYTHING YOU MENTIONED THERE IS INTERSECTIONALITY BETWEEN, UM, OUR DIFFERENT POPUL, OUR POPULATIONS WITH TRANSPORTATION.
THAT'S ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES, UM, THAT VICE CHAIR MEYER IS REALLY FOCUSING ON WITH, UM, SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION.
UM, ACCESSIBILITY HAS BEEN, UH, A CHALLENGE WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, UH, SIDEWALKS THAT END AND YOU CAN'T WALK A FEW MORE BLOCKS BECAUSE IT'S JUST GRASS.
IT'S NOT SAFE JUST TO WALK RIGHT IN THE STREET, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, OVER 70% OF AUSTIN IS UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH INTERSECTIONALITY BETWEEN WHAT YOU SAID AND WHAT AND WHAT AFFECTS OUR POPULATION AND, AND A, A LARGE SUBSET OF OUR POPULATION WILL FIT INTO YOUR CATEGORY.
SO I THINK WE SHARE A LOT OF COMMON GOALS, BUT I AM ONLY ONE PERSON, SO I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR OUR COMMISSION TO SPEAK ON THEIR PARTICULAR PASSIONS AND HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AS COMMISSIONS TO MAKE A BETTER AUSTIN FOR ALL OF US.
UM, THIS IS KRISTEN AND MY MAIN PASSION IS PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES.
I THINK THERE IS CROSSOVER, UM, WITH THE COMMITTEE ON AGING IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, PATIENTS WITH, OR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA OR ALZHEIMER'S, BUT I'M REALLY LOOKING AT THE WHOLE LIFE OF THOSE PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES MM-HMM.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THAT, BUT I, I DO THINK THAT IS, THAT IS THE REASON I'M ON THIS COMMITTEE AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS A CITY TO BE A REALLY JUST CITY, UM, IS TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE, UM, WITH PHYSICAL AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES.
UM, MY NAME'S ADRIAN AND I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING HOW YOU GUYS GAUGE THE POPULATION OF AGING.
DO YOU DO IT VIA CENSUS DATA? AND THEN A SECOND QUESTION WOULD BE, UM, DO YOU DETERMINE YOUR PRIORITIES BASED ON THE OPEN MEETINGS THAT YOU HAVE? I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAD SOME FORUMS MAYBE LIKE TWICE YEARLY, ONCE A QUARTER, I CAN'T REMEMBER.
YEAH, SO, UM, IT IS, IT IS DIFFICULT TO
[00:50:01]
GET THE DATA.UM, AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOOK AT AGING.
SO IN SOME SPECTRUMS, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 50 AND OLDER, WHICH IS WHAT WE DO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE UNHOUSED POPULATION BECAUSE OF, UM, THE CONCERNS OF STREET AGE PEOPLE WHO ARE 50 PRESENT, LIKE THEY'RE 65, 75, MUCH OLDER.
SO IT IS IT KIND OF CONVOLUTED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE FOUND THAT HAS CAUSED US A LOT OF PROBLEMS IS THAT A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT TRACKING BY AGE.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS COMING UP, PARTICULARLY IN THE, UM, HOMELESS SERVICES DIVISION, UM, UH, IN THE POINT IN TIME COUNT FOR HOMELESSNESS.
THEY WERE NOT TRACKING THOSE AGES OR SEGMENTING DATA BY AGE.
SO A LOT OF THE WORK WE'VE DONE HAS REALLY BEEN PUSHING PEOPLE TO DO THAT.
IN TERMS OF ASSESSMENT, UM, WE DO, EVERY YEAR WE DO A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR SIX OR SEVEN YEARS PROBABLY, UM, THAT I THINK WE GOT ABOUT 400 RESPONSES LAST YEAR.
WE DO IT IN PERSON THROUGH SENIOR CENTERS AND HOUSING SITES AND ALL OF THAT.
ONE OF OUR BIGGEST STRUGGLES THERE IS GETTING TO, UM, LOWER INCOME AND MORE DIVERSE POPULATIONS.
SO OUR RESPONDENTS TEND TO BE, UM, VERY WHITE
SO WE, UM, WE, WE HAVE STRUGGLED A LITTLE BIT WITH THAT.
ONE PLACE THAT I THINK MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO TALK ABOUT AND SEE IF YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED IN ENGAGING IS WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR AGE FRIENDLY ACTION PLAN HAS DOMAINS OF LIV LIVABILITY, SO MM-HMM.
AND WE HAVE WORK GROUPS SET UP FOR EACH OF THOSE DOMAINS.
AND THOSE DOMAINS HAVE CONVERSATIONS THAT GO IN A LOT MORE DEPTH THAN WE COULD EVER GO INTO AT A COMMISSION MEETING TO BRING IN SPEAKERS, BRING IN EXPERTS, AND ALSO BRING IN PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY AS MEMBERS WHO HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THOSE ISSUES.
A LOT OF OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS SURFACE FROM THOSE DOMAIN WORK GROUPS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE, UM, SET OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES.
WE ACTUALLY ARE DIVIDING OUR HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION WORK GROUP INTO TWO SEPARATE WORK GROUPS, UM, IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO BECAUSE THOSE ARE SUCH BIG ISSUE AREAS.
AND THAT MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING PLACE IF ANY OF YOU WERE WANTING TO ENGAGE, TO ADD YOU INTO THOSE WORK GROUPS SO THAT YOU'D BE RECEIVING THE SAME KIND OF INFORMATION AND DATA THAT WE ARE GETTING THROUGH THOSE GROUPS.
JUST A THOUGHT, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA BECAUSE EACH, LIKE YOU, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, EACH AREA YOU HAVE MENTIONED ALREADY, UH, DOES AFFECT THE DISABILITY POPULATION IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND WITH THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF OLDER INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, WHO YOU KNOW, SUCH AS THOSE WHO LIKE MAYBE RECEIVE, UH, GET MACULAR DEGENERATION WITH THEIR EYESIGHT OR LOSE THE ABILITY TO MANEUVER.
SO THEY HAVE NEED DIFFERENT MOBILITY DEVICES AND OTHER, UM, ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO, YOU KNOW, NAVIGATE THE WORLD.
I THINK A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WOULD BE, UH, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO RECEIVE THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION.
UH, MANY, UH, MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION ARE RELATIVELY NEW, SO WE'RE LOOKING TO, YOU KNOW, START OFF WITH PRI NEW PRIORITIES.
UH, WE HAD A LOT OF DROP OFFS, SO I DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S VOICES ARE HEARD AND SO THAT WE CAN NAVIGATE AS A COMMISSION MOVING FORWARD AND BENEFIT EVERY AGE, UM, FOR INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS OF AUSTIN.
UH, I'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR MORE FOR OUR COMMISSION AND EVEN IF THERE'S OTHER, YOU KNOW, COMMISSION ON AGING, IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS ANYTHING TO CONTRIBUTE, WE'D DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK.
WELL I ALSO THINK THAT THAT IS A GREAT IDEA.
I AM, UM, I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND ALL OF THE, THE DIFFERENT HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC SAFETY, ALL THE THINGS YOU'VE LISTED.
HOWEVER, LIKE, UM, THE CHAIRPERSON SAID A LOT OF US ARE NEW, MYSELF INCLUDED.
I JUST CAME ON BOARD I THINK IN APRIL.
UM, SO I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND, UM, SEE KIND OF HOW Y'ALL DO IT.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE A GOOD SYSTEM AND Y'ALL ARE PRETTY WELL
[00:55:01]
SET UP AND PREPARED AND, UM, I WOULD JUST APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT AS WELL.WHAT WE CAN DO IS I CAN SEND, UH, JONATHAN, I CAN SEND YOU INFORMATION ABOUT OUR WORK GROUPS THAT YOU CAN DISTRIBUTE AND THEN YOU COULD DO, WE COULD DO IT ONE OF TWO WAYS.
YOU OBVIOUSLY COULD COME AND VISIT WORK GROUPS MM-HMM.
BUT IF YOU WANTED TO GET MORE ENGAGED, THEN WE COULD DO A FORMAL APPOINTMENT OF SOME OF YOUR MEMBERS TO OUR WORK GROUPS AS WELL.
UM, YEAH, 'CAUSE UH, WE DID HAVE, WE DID, A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE DID CIRCULATE A SURVEY AMONGST THE DISABILITY POPULATION OF AUSTIN AND IT WAS, IT WAS, WE DIDN'T EVEN RECEIVE MANY RESPONSES.
SO I THINK, UM, THIS IS A GOOD LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR MYSELF AND NOT ONLY MYSELF INCLUDED, BUT FOR OUR, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF MY COMMISSION OR THIS COMMISSION, EXCUSE ME.
UM, ALTERNATIVE METHODS TO GAIN MORE FEEDBACK.
UM, 'CAUSE IT'S
THERE'S OFF, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S DISABILITY OF GROUPS LIKE THE NATIONAL FOOTAGE AND THE BLIND ADAPT AND MANY OTHER AUTISM SPEAKS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, BUT THAT NOT EVERYONE IS, YOU KNOW, A MEMBER OF SAID ORGANIZATION.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY WOULD LOVE TO, YOU KNOW, GAIN SOME INSIGHT ON HOW WE CAN DO MORE OUTREACH, UM, WITH OUR OWN PERSONAL NETWORKS AND EXPAND THAT SO THAT WE CAN REACH MORE INDIVIDUALS SO THAT WE CAN BENEFIT THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
WE ALSO WE'RE UPDATING OUR OWN COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
UH, THERESA THAT'S ON THE CALL IS, IS LEADING THAT WORK GROUP THAT'S UPDATING THAT.
AND ONCE THAT GETS DONE WE CAN SHARE A COPY WITH YOU OF WHAT WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE.
WE'LL PROBABLY BE DOING OUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN JANUARY, SO YOU CAN, UH, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
'CAUSE IT DOES ASK, THERE ARE QUESTIONS ON THERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE A DISABILITY? OH, GREAT.
SO ANOTHER, THIS IS RICHARD FROM AGING.
UM, ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE MIGHT PARTNER IS, UM, I KNOW THAT MOST OF THE GROUPS, IF NOT ALL OF THE GROUPS ON THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE MORE DATA SEGMENTATION WHEN IN CITY REPORTS, WHEN THEY DO SURVEYS, WHEN PEOPLE REACH OUT TO OR INTERACT WITH ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY, THEY AREN'T ASKING ABOUT AGING.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE INFORMATION THAT, UM, YOUR COMMISSION GETS GIVES YOU ALL THE DATA BREAKDOWN THAT YOU WOULD LIKE.
AND I KNOW OTHER COMMISSIONS SPECIFICALLY THE, UM, L G B T QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION HASN'T BEEN GETTING THAT AS WELL AS THE HISPANIC LATINO COMMISSION.
SO THIS MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO START RATTLING THE CHAINS AND GETTING THE WAY THAT THOSE SURVEYS ARE DONE, THAT DATA THAT IS GATHERED AND THEN STORED, UH, MIGHT BENEFIT ALL OF US A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
JUST, JUST TO SPEAK ON THAT, ON OUR QUALITY OF LIFE STUDY THAT WE DID, UM, WE RECEIVED VERY VAGUE INFORMATION AND MOST OF OUR QUESTIONS WERE NOT ANSWERED.
UM, SO DEFINITELY WANT TO ECHO THAT SENTIMENT.
RICHARD, APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING THAT BECAUSE, UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCREPANCIES WITHIN THE DATA WE RECEIVED AND, UM, THE GOAL, THE ORIGINAL INTENT AND GOAL OF OUR QUALITY OF LIFE STUDY THAT WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO DO.
SO APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT THE FLOOR IS STILL OPEN.
I HAVE SOMETHING, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YES.
UM, JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO KRISTEN FOR MENTIONING JOBS.
I THINK THAT IS A SPACE WHERE WE, WE HAVE SO MANY CHALLENGES AT, YOU KNOW, FOR OLDER ADULTS AND, UM, JUST REALLY IMPACTED EVEN MORE SO DURING COVID.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO JUST THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE STRATEGIES TOGETHER AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY MYSELF WENT TO A CITY JOB FAIR AT ONE POINT, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY TRY, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE OVER 50 TO SEE WHAT IT WAS ABOUT, SEE HOW IT COULD BE IMPROVED.
SEE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A REAL IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THIS COMMUNITY, UM, BECAUSE OF THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUE.
BUT THEN I ALSO THINK, AND I THINK YOU MIGHT KNOW OR MIGHT HAVE HEARD, I MEAN, PART OF OUR ISSUE IN OUR AUDIT THAT CAME UP WAS THAT OUR OLDER ADULTS DON'T REALLY KNOW WHERE TO GO AND HOW TO FIND INFORMATION AND, AND THE OUTREACH IS THE OTHER PIECE THAT MM-HMM.
AND SOME OF THEM ARE GONNA BE PROBABLY THE SAME.
UM, WE, I'M SURE YOU WOULD HOPE TO STRAY AWAY FROM THE STEREOTYPICAL WALMART GREETER, YOU KNOW,
[01:00:01]
YEAH.BECAUSE THE, THE, THERE'S MOST, A LOT OF STUDIES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UM, THOSE WITHOUT JOBS, A LOT OF IT IS A SUBSET OF IT IS SKEWED BY, UM, THOSE WHO CHOOSE NOT TO WORK.
UM, BUT THERE ARE MANY WHO LIVE OFF SOCIAL SECURITY AND THAT IS NOT AFFORDABLE IN AUSTIN.
UM, NO MATTER WHAT RATE IT IS WITH A CONSTANT GROWTH AND THE POPULATION GROWTH MM-HMM.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN 60 AND 70% OF PEOPLE DISABILITIES NATIONALLY ARE UNEMPLOYED, UH, DUE TO, UH, MANY FACTORS.
EMPLOYER BIAS, UM, YOU KNOW, LACK OF ACCESSIBILITY FOR THOSE WHO ARE BLIND AND IN LIKE FROM, I'M BLIND MYSELF FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW, UM, INACCESSIBLE WEBSITES, UH, TO THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE UTILIZE, UM, UNLABELED BUTTONS, YOU KNOW, ON THE SCREEN WHERE IT MAY SAY SUBMIT AND IT DOESN'T WORK.
YOU KNOW, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME THINGS I'VE EXPERIENCED, BUT I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP ALL THIS CONVERSATION.
I WANNA, YOU KNOW, HAVE EVERYONE GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO SPEAK.
I WONDERED IF I COULD FOLLOW UP AND ASK, UM, WHERE I MIGHT GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE SPECIFIC QUESTION THAT YOU ASK ABOUT THE AGING POPULATION WHO MAY BE DISABLED.
I'M KIND OF CURIOUS TO SEE THE ANSWERS ON THAT AND THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AND ALSO THE VERBIAGE.
UM, I, I MADE MYSELF A NOTE ACTUALLY TO SHARE YOU, UH, THE SURVEY RESULTS FROM OUR LAST SURVEY MM-HMM.
SO I'LL, I'LL SEND YOU SOME STUFF, UM, EARLY NEXT WEEK.
UM, AND THEN YOU'RE WELCOME TO GET BACK WITH ME WITH, WITH DEEPER QUESTIONS ON THAT.
HAS THE NEXT SURVEY ALREADY BEEN FORMULATED? IS IT READY TO PRINT AND DISSEMINATE? NO, NO.
WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY REVAMPING IT.
WHAT, WHAT WE, WHAT WE KEEP FINDING IS WE'RE GETTING VERY GENERAL INFORMATION, LIKE TRANSPORTATION IS NOT GOOD AND HOUSING IS NOT GOOD, BUT NOT A LOT OF DETAIL.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO HONE IN A LITTLE BIT WITH THE NEW SURVEY.
THERESA, DID YOU WANNA ADD TO ANY OF THAT? YOU'RE, YOU'RE KIND OF HEADING THAT UP, SO YEAH.
NOTHING TO REPORT IT RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, YEAH, BUT WE'RE TRYING, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT MORE CONSISTENT WITH OTHER CITIES.
'CAUSE AUSTIN OF COURSE ISN'T THE ONLY AGE FRIENDLY CITY.
I'M INTERESTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT DESIGNATION OF A AGE FRIENDLY CITY.
UM, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE IS A SIMILAR DESIGNATION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
HAS ANYBODY EVER HEARD OF THAT? THERE MIGHT BE.
THERE ARE DEMENTIA FRIENDLY CITIES AS WELL, SO THAT'S ANOTHER SUBSET, UM, WHICH WE HAVEN'T PURSUED AT THIS POINT.
UM, BUT THAT MAY BE WELL WORTH LOOKING INTO.
'CAUSE IT, IT HAS, THAT'S HOW WE WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE REALLY THE CITY.
THEY, THEY'VE TOOK IT IN AS PART OF THEIR OWN STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD FROM THAT AND THAT'S REALLY GIVEN US A LITTLE BIT MORE VOICE BECAUSE THEY WANNA MAINTAIN THAT DESIGNATION.
UM, AND CAN YOU REMIND ME WHERE, WHERE THAT DESIGNATION COMES FROM? IT'S FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION IS THE MAIN TOP ONE.
UH, THE, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR WE DO A REPORT TO A A R P.
THEY KIND OF OVERSEE IT HERE IN THE US.
AND JUST SO YOU'LL KNOW AS WELL, WE JUST, UM, SO WE HAVE AN AGE FRIENDLY STAFF PERSON, UM, AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND WE WERE JUST, WELL, WE WERE APPROVED ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO TO ADD A COMMUNITY OUTREACH POSITION AND THEY ARE FINALLY INTERVIEWING FOR THAT POSITION.
SO WE ARE SOON GOING TO HAVE A COMMUNITY OUTREACH POSITION.
SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER PLACE, AS PATTY WAS MENTIONING, THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER ON SOME OUTREACH EFFORTS.
BECAUSE OF THAT PLACE, WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED.
AND SO THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, SHARE INFORMATION.
UM, THIS IS COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ.
UM, I WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTED IN CREATING A RECOMMENDATION SURROUNDING EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
UM, WHETHER THAT BE RAISING KNOWLEDGE OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES OR LOOKING TO IMPROVE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
I KNOW WE HAD JUST TALKED ABOUT THE MOBILITY ASSISTANCE THAT THE CITY PROVIDES, WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT HOW MUCH THE SERVICE IS USED, WHO IS USING IT, OF COURSE, FOLLOW UP RATE FROM THE REGISTRIES MENTIONED.
UM, I JUST, UM, I THINK VERY IMPORTANT CONSIDERING CURRENT WHERE THE CLIMATE IS THAT CURRENTLY AND JUST WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.
UH, JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT, UH, DISABILITY RIGHTS, TEXAS DOES
[01:05:01]
CIRCULATE A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND I'M SURE THAT COULD BENEFIT, UM, THOSE, LIKE IN THE COMMISSION AGING AS WELL.WELL, I HAVE SEVERAL NOTES HERE.
I'M GONNA SEND YOU A LOT OF INFORMATION NEXT WEEK, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIND SOME OVERLAPS.
I'LL BE SURE TO CHECK MY EMAIL BECAUSE MY OUTLOOK IS GOING CRAZY.
MY WORK ONE WORKS, BUT NOT MY CITY ONE SOMETIMES, BUT YEAH,
I COULDN'T ON MY COMPUTER, BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET ON MY IPAD, SO JUST SAYING IT IS KIND OF A PROBLEM RIGHT NOW.
ANY OTHER, UM, IDEAS? I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD STARTING POINT, BUT I JUST WANNA GIVE EVERYONE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
UM, THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAS, UH, SPOKEN UP.
WE DEFINITELY LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER COLLABORATION.
UM, I, I'M SURE THERE'S, UH, WORKING TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A, A LARGER IMPACT.
'CAUSE IT, IT, YOU CAN'T JUST DO IT JUST ONE PERSON.
AND THIS WILL BE REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH OF OUR POPULATIONS.
[5. Discussion and update on the AARP Walkability Audits completed by Age Friendly Austin and Aging is Cool (Chair Temperley).]
CHAIR LEY, LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE UP NEXT.I'LL, WE'LL JUST DO THIS VERY QUICKLY.
THIS IS JUST KIND OF AN F Y I A A PROJECT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT THAT HAS A LOT OF OVERLAPS WITH, WITH YOUR COMMITTEE.
UM, WE, MY COMPANY RECEIVED A SMALL GRANT FROM A A R P AND WE'VE PARTNERED WITH OUR AGE-FRIENDLY TEAM AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO DO TWO WALKABILITY AUDITS, UM, OF PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOODS TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE HOW EASY THEY ARE TO MANEUVER FOR OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
SO THAT WE FOCUSED IN ON TWO AREAS.
UM, ONE IS THE H E B AT PLEASANT VALLEY AND RIVERSIDE.
THE OTHER H IS THE H E B AT CONGRESS AND OLTORF.
BOTH OF THESE WERE CHOSEN BECAUSE OF OBVIOUSLY HAVING A LARGE GROCERY STORE, VERY LARGE, UH, CAPITAL METRO, UM, LOTS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN THOSE AREAS.
SO WE HAVE, UM, COMPLETED THOSE TWO AUDITS.
UM, AND WE, UH, IN FACT THE, I THINK YESTERDAY WAS THE SECOND ONE.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING TOGETHER THE DATA ON THAT.
UM, AND, UH, WE WILL BE HAVING A PUBLIC MEETING PROBABLY IN IF, IF MY, IF WE CAN GET IT TOGETHER, I WOULD SUSPECT EARLY DECEMBER.
WE'LL MAKE IT REALLY EASY FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS, UM, WITH THOSE RESULTS OF WHAT WE FOUND IN THOSE AREAS ALONG WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO WE'LL BE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO PUBLIC WORKS AND TO THE CITY.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU, I PARTICIPATED IN THE WALK AUDIT AT PLEASANT VALLEY AND RIVERSIDE.
AND WHEN YOU WERE TALKING A MINUTE AGO ABOUT SIDEWALKS THAT ARE UNMANEUVERABLE, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN MY WHOLE LIFE.
LIKE SOME OF THEM WERE, YOU KNOW, BROKEN IN PLACES WHERE IT WAS, YOU KNOW, SIX TO EIGHT INCHES RAISED.
THERE WAS ONE PLACE IF YOU WERE BLIND AND WALKING WITH A CANE, THERE WAS A WIRE THAT WOULD'VE LITERALLY IMPALED YOU IN THE FACE AS YOU WALKED BY.
SO, UM, IT'S, AND INCLUDING THE CROSSWALK, UH, BUTTON'S NOT WORKING AND THE SOUND'S NOT WORKING AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
SO WE FOUND A LOT OF THINGS IN THE AUDIT.
UM, BUT I WILL DEFINITELY SEND YOU AN INVITATION WHEN WE GET READY TO, UH, DO THE REPORTS ON THOSE.
'CAUSE I THINK THEY'LL BE INTERESTING TO YOU.
I'LL SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT NORTH LAMAR
SAY I WALK OUT RIGHT ON MY PLACE AND I WALK ABOUT 200 FEET TO THE RIGHT, THEN IT'S CUT OFF, YOU KNOW, THE SIDEWALK'S CUT OFF.
SO IT'S REALLY, THAT'S MY HUGE GRIP WITH NORTH LAMAR.
EVEN TRYING TO WALK TO THE H E B ON ROMBERG AND NORTH LAMAR IS, IT'S NOT FEASIBLE FOR, YOU KNOW, ANYONE IN A WHEELCHAIR.
SOMEONE WHO'S BLIND, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THERE'S A CREEK RIGHT OFF TO THE RIGHT WHERE YOU COULD JUST, OR A SEWER OR SOMETHING.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS, BUT MY LORD.
YOU JUST, YOU COULD FALL INTO IT AND BREAK YOUR NECK.
WELL, WE'RE HOPING THIS'LL BRING SOME ATTENTION, BUT ALSO IT WAS REALLY, IT'S BEEN A FUN PROJECT AND WE BROUGHT IN, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO DO THE AUDITS AND IT'S JUST BEEN REALLY INTERESTING DATA.
SO MAYBE WE CAN DO SOME MORE, UM, AS TIME GOES ON.
DEFINITELY LOOKS LIKE YOUR VICE
[6. Discussion on gaining Joint Inclusion Committee support to host an Implicit Bias Awareness Event and drafting a proclamation for an Implicit Bias Awareness Day (Vice-Chair Bondi). ]
CHAIR IS NEXT.HI EVERYBODY, THIS IS RICHARD WITH THE COMMISSION ON AGING.
[01:10:02]
WE ARE, I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE ON THE NEXT JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE AGENDA, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO START SOME TRACTION ON AN IMPLICIT BIAS AWARENESS EVENT.WE DON'T HAVE A DATE SPECIFIED, BUT WE THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD THING TO TRY AND MAKE PEOPLE AWARE.
UH, THE FACT THAT WE ALL HAVE THOSE AND THAT WE NEED TO START WORKING TO OVERCOMING THOSE.
WE HAVE LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES.
UM, SO WE'VE ALREADY HIT THE NEXT TWO AGENDA ITEMS, SO I'M GONNA LEAVE THE FLOOR OPEN FOR THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. CAN I FOLLOW UP WITH A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, IMPLICIT BIAS, UM, ISSUE? I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S GONNA BE AIMED MOSTLY TOWARD THE AUSTIN PUBLIC OR TOWARD BUSINESSES.
WE HAVEN'T REALLY FORMULATED IT, BUT IDEALLY WE WOULD HAVE MAYBE THE HARVARD TEST OR SOME OTHER WELL-KNOWN TEST AVAILABLE.
JUST PEOPLE WOULD COME IN AND TAKE IT.
IT DOESN'T TAKE THAT LONG, DISCUSS THEIR RESULTS AND JUST START INCREASING AWARENESS ABOUT IT, IDEALLY BOTH AT THE INDIVIDUAL PUBLIC LEVEL AND THE CORPORATE LEVEL.
DOES THAT KIND OF ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? BUT THIS IS JUST IN THE EARLY STAGES AT THIS POINT? IT DOES.
I MEAN, I THINK PARTICULARLY GEARED TOWARD BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY IF IT HAD KIND OF THE CITY'S ENDORSEMENT.
UM, I'M LOOKING FOR A STRONGER WORD THAN ENDORSEMENT
UM, BUT AT ANY RATE, YEAH, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THAT.
I'LL, UM, TAKE YOUR NAME DOWN AND, UM, IT'LL BE IN THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE NEXT TIME, BUT I'LL REACH OUT TO YOU.
THIS IS GONNA, IT HAS TO BE FORMULATED A LITTLE OVER TIME, BUT I DON'T SEE WHY WE WOULDN'T GET THE CITY'S SUPPORT AND ENDORSEMENT.
ANY FUTURE? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? JONATHAN? I WONDER IF IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO PROPOSE, THIS MAY REQUIRE MORE DISCUSSION, BUT, UM, TO PROPOSE AN AMENDED CENSUS FOR PEOPLE WITH NEW PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHALLENGES OR EXPERIENCING LIFELONG PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHALLENGES.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
IN THE NEXT AGENDA TO, UH, HAVE A FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, THE IDEAS THAT YOU HAVE AND COLLABORATE.THE CITY IS TALKING A LOT ABOUT JOBS, UM, NOT JUST WITHIN THE CITY OF ALL
ARE THEY THINKING OF PARTICULAR JOBS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES? I THINK THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING FOR US TO HEAR, UM, AND HOW THEY ARE LOOKING AT THOSE JOBS.
UM, I THINK THEY'RE WORKING WITH TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION, SO IT MAY BE MORE OF THAT LANE, BUT AT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT HOW THEY'RE CONSIDERING ALL OF THE POPULATION.
UH, WE COULD DEFINITELY, UM, JACQUELINE, IF WE COULD LOOK FOR MAYBE A REPRESENTATIVE WHO COULD SPEAK ON THAT.
IF, UH, I THINK WE MAY HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME.
UM, SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT COMES UP THAT YOU WANT ON THE NEXT AGENDA, UM, EITHER YOU CAN COLLABORATE WITH ANOTHER COMMISSIONER, YOU CAN EMAIL ME AND THAT, AND THEN I'LL, YOU KNOW, INCLUDE JACQUELINE ON, ON, ON THE EMAIL.
AND THEN, UM, I'LL MOST LIKELY APPROVE IT IF IT IMPACTS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
YOU KNOW, I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT, SO JUST SAYS.
IF ANYTHING ELSE, LAST CALL FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. HEARING NONE, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
ELIZABETH MEYER, IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
OPPOSED? I DEFINITELY WANNA THANK THE COMMISSIONER ON AGING FOR, UM, FOR FINALLY BEING ABLE TO GET BACK TOGETHER TO DO A MEETING TOGETHER.
[01:15:01]
BRI UH, WAS ON THE, WAS THE CHAIR, IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS, SO I DEFINITELY WELCOME THIS AND FURTHER COLLABORATION.AND PLEASE STAY SAFE, STAY HEALTHY AS BEST AS YOU CAN, AND, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING Y'ALL NEXT MONTH.