[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:07]
WE ARE AT CITY HALL SIX, ALMOST 6:40 PM UH, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION TO ORDER.
UH, I THINK WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY, SO WE'LL MOVE ON
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
TO APPROVAL OF MINUTES.AND IF EVERYBODY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 2ND MEETING, PLEASE MOTION TO APPROVE.
I, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 2ND MEETING.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL, A SECOND FROM THE COMMISSIONER DAVILA.
COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, HAVE YOU VOTE? THANK YOU.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER LER, MYSELF, COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL, COMMISSIONER DAVILA, AND COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
[2. Live Music Fund collections update by Kim McCarson, Program Manager, Music & Entertainment Division, Economic Development Department. ]
SO MOVING ON TO STAFF BRIEFINGS.THE FIRST TOPIC, WHAT THE AGENDA HERE IS LIVE MUSIC FUND COLLECTIONS UPDATE BY KIM MCC CARSON, PROGRAM MANAGER, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION EDD KIM.
KIM MCC CARSON, PROGRAM MANAGER OF MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.
UM, SO THIS IS OUR MONTHLY, UH, UPDATE ON THE COLLECTIONS OF THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
SO, UH, HERE YOU SEE ALL THE WAY FROM OCTOBER THROUGH SEPTEMBER, UH, FOR 2023.
AND, UM, THE, UH, THE REPORTED INCOME IN SEPTEMBER IS 17,874.
AND THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL TO YEAR TO DATE WITH ENCUMBRANCE IS 4,472,973, WHICH YOU CAN SEE IS HIGHER THAN THE ESTIMATE THE YEAR END ESTIMATE BY ABOUT $429,000 HIGHER.
SO YOU'LL START TO SEE NOW A NEW, A NEW BAR FOR 2024 THAT WE'LL BE PUTTING UP THERE.
ALL, ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, KIM? ANYBODY ONLINE? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
[3. Live Music Venue Summit Virtual Meeting update, Shelbi Mitchell, Program Coordinator, Music & Entertainment, Economic Development Department.]
THE AGENDA IS LIVE MUSIC VENUE SUMMIT VIRTUAL MEETING UPDATE, UH, BY SHELBY MITCHELL, PROGRAM COORDINATOR, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.HI, COMMISSIONER SHELBY MITCHELL, PROGRAM COORDINATOR WITH THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.
I'M JUST GONNA RUN THROUGH SOME OF THE METRICS THAT WE GOT FROM OUR MOST RECENT VIRTUAL SUMMIT.
SO THAT WAS PRETTY NICE FOR YOU TO JOIN.
AND ALSO PAT WAS ABLE TO JOIN ALONG WITH OTHER VENUE OWNERS AND MANAGERS ALIKE.
AND SO JUST THOUGHT I'D MENTIONED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR ATTENDEES AND OUR REGISTRANTS.
OUR FIRST VENUE HAD 67 REGISTRANTS AND 31 ATTENDEES.
THIS TIME AROUND WE WERE ABLE TO GET 88 REGISTRANTS WITH 57 ATTENDEES, WHICH WAS PRETTY NICE.
AND THE POOL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, PULL FROM WAS ABOUT 29 FOLKS THAT WERE ENGAGED.
UM, BUT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD SO I CAN GET INTO THOSE.
UM, BRIEFLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE SHARED WITH THEM.
WE FELT LIKE IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO KNOW HOW WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, THESE GRANTS.
AND BASICALLY WE MET WITH THE VENUE OWNERS TO TALK ABOUT THE GRANTS AND, UH, THE GRANT CYCLE FOR 2024.
SO WE WANT TO GET THEIR INPUT FEEDBACK AND THEN ALSO EDUCATE THEM ON HOW WE DO THINGS, HOW WE LOOK AT THINGS.
UM, AND THIS IS WHAT WE SHARE WITH THEM JUST TO BRING IT TO LIGHT FOR ELIGIBILITY.
WITH ENOUGH OF THESE, UH, GRANTS, WE, UM, LISTED EVERYTHING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT MOST VENUE OWNERS DEFINITELY WOULD BE ABLE TO CHECK OFF ENOUGH OF THESE.
SO THAT WAS EXCITING TO HEAR THAT WE ARE NOT HINDERING OR INTERFERING WITH, UM, ELIGIBILITY IN THAT WAY.
AND SO ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS WERE THE EXACT QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED THOSE 29 TO 30 FOLKS.
YES, THEY WERE ENGAGED 'CAUSE I SAW 31 AND I GOT MIXED UP.
BUT ABOUT THAT FROM THAT POOL, WE ASKED THEM WHAT WOULD MOTIVATE YOU TO APPLY.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ASK THEM, WHAT IS GETTING IN YOUR WAY AND WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AS YOU FILL OUT GRANTS? UM, MAJORITY OF PEOPLE SAY,
UM, SO THAT MIGHT MEAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT EASY OR MAKE IT EASIER OR JUST, UH,
[00:05:01]
REWARDS THAT WILL REALLY BENEFIT THEM AND PUSH 'EM FORWARDS IN, IN THEIR BUSINESS.AND OF COURSE, THE EASIER APPLICATION PROCESS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO APPLICATION ASSISTANCE.
UM, WERE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO THEM.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD.
AND WE HAD TO ASK, WE CONSIDERING SO MANY THINGS THAT GOING FROM OCTOBER'S ACL, UM, TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, WE PULLED THEM AND ASKED THEM, WHEN IS THE MOST EFFICIENT AND MOST EASIEST TIME FOR YOU TO APPLY FOR A GRANT? AND THEY OPTED FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
WE THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY USEFUL INFORMATION.
WE KNOW PEOPLE GET BUSY IN THE SPRINGTIME AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT INTERFERING WITH THEIR SCHEDULES SO THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FILL IT OUT.
THIS QUESTION IS STRAIGHTFORWARD.
WE'RE ASKING DO YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WHEN IT COMES TO INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS? 'CAUSE THIS HAS COME UP, UM, IN OUR PAST, UM, OUR FIRST VENUE SUMMIT THAT WE HAD THIS, THIS SUMMER, UM, THAT CAME UP.
BUT WE ASKED THEM WHEN WE PULLED THEM HERE.
UM, IT WAS GOOD TO HEAR THAT ENOUGH.
PEOPLE AREN'T DEALING WITH IT, BUT WE DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS THOSE THAT ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH INSURANCE.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD.
THIS WAS DEFINITELY THE QUESTION OF THE HOUR.
UH, IN 30 MINUTES THAT WE HAD, WE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT, IF YOU WERE AWARDED MONEY, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO WITH IT? HOW WILL THIS SERVICE YOU? AND I DON'T THINK IT COMES AS A SURPRISE.
ARTIST GUARANTEES IS A PLACE WHERE THEY WOULD LOVE, UM, JUST ASSISTANCE FINANCIALLY AND RENT ASSISTANCE, UM, TO MAINTAIN THEIR SPACES ALONG WITH GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE AND THEN MARKETING TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE VENUE TO COME VISIT.
AND, UM, YEAH, THESE WERE VERY INTERESTING THINGS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A POLL THAT WE SHARE WITH THEM AFTER THAT, IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT WE DID NOT INCLUDE ON, BASICALLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IN THIS WHOLE CIRCLE IS EVERYTHING WE ASKED THEM, BUT WE ALSO ASKED THEM IF THEY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE WE MISSED.
WE GAVE THEM A SURVEY AFTER THE VENUE SUMMIT FOR THEM TO FILL OUT.
UM, IN CASE WE MISSED ANYTHING, I THINK THERE'S A FEW MORE QUESTIONS.
UH, I WANTED TO SHARE THIS SLIDE 'CAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE NEXT ONE.
AS YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, UM, WE WANTED TO ASK THEM, WHAT IS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY? UM, BUT KEEP IN MIND AS THE NUMBERS GET HIGHER, COMPETITION, IF YOU WILL, OR WHAT THE PULL OF HOW WE SELECT PEOPLE, EXCUSE ME.
UM, WILL, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY MINIMIZE.
AND, UM, MOVING FORWARD TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE WHAT PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS WERE.
UM, PEOPLE DEFINITELY WANTED A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING MORE MONEY OR GETTING MONEY FROM THE FIVE TO $10,000.
THEY JUST WANTED TO BE IN THAT POOL OF 200 ATTENDEE AWARDEES, EXCUSE ME.
UM, BUT THERE WERE A FEW PEOPLE THAT WANNA GO FOR THE HIGH PRIZE OF $75,000 AND UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT IT'LL BE A SMALLER POOL TO GET THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND I THINK THERE'S ONE MORE SLIDE AFTER THIS.
UM, AND LASTLY, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED THEM, HOW, UM, WHAT DO YOU APPRECIATE? HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO ANSWER AND MOVE THROUGH GRANTS? UM, HOW SHOULD WE BE SELECTING FOLKS? UM, AND REALLY DECIPHERING ELIGIBILITY OR JUST QUALIFICATIONS AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, 50 P 50% OF THE PEOPLE.
THERE'S ONE MORE, UM, ACTUAL SLIDE WITH NUMBERS.
50% OF PEOPLE WANTED TO BE GRADED ON THEIR PROJECT, UM, THAT FOLLOWS PIE.
UM, AND OTHER 50% OF PEOPLE WANTED IT TO BE VERY FRANK AND JUST SAY A MATTER OF ELIGIBILITY AND, AND EQUITY.
AND I HAVE A NEED AND I DON'T REALLY WANT TO MOVE THROUGH AND EXPLAIN MY PROJECT.
I'M WILLING TO, BUT THE NEED IS THERE.
SO THIS WAS AN INTERESTING QUESTION, UM, BUT IT WENT DOWN THE MIDDLE AND, AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA USE THESE THINGS.
THAT'S, THAT'S ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE GATHER, BUT WE'RE GONNA USE THESE THINGS IN THESE FEEDBACK, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE NEXT, UH, GRANT CYCLE.
UM, BUT WE ARE STILL REACHING OUT TO FOLKS.
WE ARE FOLLOWING UP WITH THEM WITH MORE SURVEYS, UM, AS MUCH AS THEY'LL NOT GET SICK AND TIRED OF 'EM
AND I THINK THAT'S EVERYTHING FOR THAT.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, SHELBY.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS, UH, ON THIS TOPIC? SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, THERE SEEMS TO BE A, WELL THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION, ACTUALLY RUNNING THE VENUE SUMMITS.
UH, I WAS CURIOUS, UH, THERE ARE SOME VERY CLEAR DECISION POINTS AROUND WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE PROJECT BASED OR IF IT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, UM, CRITERIA.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, DO THEY QUALIFY AS A VENUE OR NOT? AND THEN FURTHER RIGHT FROM THERE.
UM, SO I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME CONSULTANTS FROM GARTNER AND OTHER COMPANIES WORKING, UH, ON ANALYZING THIS WHOLE USER EXPERIENCE AND CRITERIA, ET CETERA.
ARE THEY ALSO LOOKING INTO THE, THE VENUE ASPECT OF THINGS? OR IS IT MORE TOWARDS THE GRANTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN, UH, THIS LAST ROUND THAT WE DID? I MIGHT NEED ASSISTANCE ON THAT 'CAUSE I HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT I DON'T
[00:10:01]
WANNA ANSWER IT WRONG.UM, NO, THE, THE, UH, CONSULTANTS ARE LOOKING AT, UM, THE THINGS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALREADY OCCURRED THERE.
BUT THE, IN TERMS OF VENUES JOINING, THAT HASN'T REALLY BEEN, UH, DISCUSSED IN WITH THE, UH, WHAT AM I TALKING THE CONSULTANT? YEAH, THE CONSULTANTS.
SO THEY'RE NOT INVOLVED IN THAT.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? OKAY.
UM, I, I WILL FOLLOW UP, BUT IS THERE, IS THERE A TIMELINE AROUND WHICH WE ARE TRYING TO COME TO SOME CONCLUSIONS AROUND, UH, THE CRITERIA AND HOW WE WANT TO ROLL THIS OUT SPECIFICALLY FOR VENUES? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE CAN RELEASE THE GRANTS WHEN WE WANT THOSE TO BE LAUNCHED.
IT'S STILL A TOPIC OF THIS DISCUSSION.
WE HAVEN'T COME TO A, LIKE, COMPLETE DECISION.
UM, BUT WE TALKED, LIKE I SAID, WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN PEOPLE WOULD FEEL MOST HEARD ON WHEN THEY WANT THOSE GRANTS TO ROLL OUT.
AND WE HAVE TAKEN THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT WE'RE STILL, UM, TRYING TO COME TO A DECISION, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, WE'RE WORKING WITH CONSULTANTS AND THERE'S INFORMATION WE WANNA GATHER FROM THEM AS WELL.
SO YEAH, LIKE ALMOST TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, RIGHT? ONE IS, ONE IS, UH, SETTING THE CRITERIA AND THEN AT SOME POINT, HOPEFULLY WE WILL ALSO SEE IT HERE.
AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF IS OF COURSE, WHEN THE ACTUAL GRANTS GO OUT.
AND I'M, I'M THINKING THAT THESE WILL BE KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT MILESTONES, RIGHT? AS WHEN THE CRITERIA GETS FINALIZED AND THEN AT SOME POINT WE'LL, WE'LL ROLL OUT THE, THE GRANTS THEMSELVES.
YEAH, THAT'S, SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS ON THE, ON THE FIRST STAGE, THAT'S BEEN A BIG TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.
I HOPE TO HAVE SOMETHING FOR THE NEXT MEETING THAT WE CAN REPORT BACK FOR SURE.
OH, I AM
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR, COMMISSIONER, MAYOR.
UM, THE, UH, HOW MUCH OF A, OF, OF A SAY SO DOES THE MUSIC COMMISSION ACTUALLY HAVE IN, UM, YOU KNOW, HELPING TO ADMINISTER THE RUBRIC AND EVERYTHING FOR ROUND TWO OF LIVE MUSIC PHONE AS IT CONCERNS VENUES? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
HOW MUCH DOES STEPH YEAH, SO WE ALL, WE, WE, UH, WE USUALLY BRING THE CHANGES AND WHAT WILL, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CHANGES TO PROGRAMS WILL BE TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
AND I THINK YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THAT OVER TIME, YOU KNOW, AS THINGS CHANGE, AS THINGS ARE TWEAKED OR ADDED OR WHATEVER, UM, YOU'VE SEEN THAT WITH CSAP PROGRAM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SAME FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE MUSIC COMMISSION WILL DEFINITELY BE INVOLVED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND YOU GUYS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE INPUT THAT WE GET FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW WE, YOU KNOW, SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH PROGRAMS AND WHAT KINDS OF THINGS WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
AND, AND IT'S, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT, KIM.
I, UH, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IT WAS, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT WHEN WE DID THE FIRST ROUND, IT WAS LIKE A WHOLE WORKING GROUP INVOLVED.
WE LITERALLY WENT THROUGH AND, YOU KNOW, DID ALL THAT STUFF RIGHT? AND SO, I MEAN, IF, IF SOMETHING'S COMING TO US AND IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE CONCRETE'S ALREADY POURED AND IT'S JUST WAITING TO CURE, THEN, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE YOU'RE KIND OF LIKE TELLING US WHAT IT IS VERSUS US, US YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO GET IT ON THE GROUND FLOOR AND WORK SOME THINGS OUT.
UM, I, I THINK THERE ARE SOME, UH, I DON'T WANNA SAY CONCERNS 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT REALLY CONCERNS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, LIKE THE HONKY TONK BILL FOR INSTANCE, AND, AND, AND HOW THE MONEY DIRECTLY APPLIES TO MAKING SURE THAT IF VENUES ARE GETTING THESE GRANTS, THAT IT ALLEVIATES THE COST OF ARTISTS TO GET IN THE DOOR AND ALL THIS OTHER, YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, UM, GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF REAL QUICK.
BUT I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST LIKE THEY GET THIS INFLUX OF CASH TO BE ABLE TO PROMOTE AND DO THEIR OWN SHOWS AND EVERYTHING, BUT IT'S ALSO, IT'S BENEFITING, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE INCLUDING ARTISTS AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO IT'S JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE A SHAKE AT THAT.
YES, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER STRICKLER.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR, UH, SHELBY ON THIS TOPIC? THANK YOU.
I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, THE OUTCOMES IN, UH, DECEMBER.
[4. Discussion following update on Live Music Fund survey by Pat Buchta, Executive Directors, Austin Texas Musicians.]
TOPIC ON THE AGENDA.UM, WE ARE MOVING ON TO DISCUSSION ITEMS HERE.
UM, DISCUSSION FOLLOWING UPDATE ON LIVE MUSIC FUND SURVEY BY PAT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AUSTIN, TEXAS, MUSICIANS.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US BACK.
THIS IS OBVIOUSLY OUR THIRD TIME, UH, BACK IN THREE MONTHS.
[00:15:01]
WE DID PRESENT A LOT OF DETAILED, UH, DATA TO YOU OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS ON, UH, MUSICIAN FEEDBACK.UH, AGAIN, WE ARE AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS.
WE SERVE 5,000, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS MUSICIANS ON POLICY ISSUES.
UM, AND, UH, TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA, UM, JUST GONNA CONCLUDE THAT, UH, FEEDBACK, UH, INFORMATION THAT WE GAVE YOU GUYS, UH, THE LAST TWO MONTHS AND OFFER THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND REALLY, I WANNA KEEP THESE SUPER SIMPLE TONIGHT.
I KNOW THAT THE DATA WE PROVIDED WAS VERY DETAILED LAST MONTH, BUT THIS THING'S GONNA BE VERY SIMPLE.
UM, SO WE WILL JUST KEEP IT BRIEF, UH, FOR THOSE COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE, UH, NEW.
WE'LL JUST GO THROUGH A COUPLE OF, UM, UH, BACKGROUND ITEMS IF WE MAY.
SO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND WAS ESTABLISHED, UH, IN 2019.
UH, AND THIS WAS BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE, UH, VISITOR IMPACT TASK FORCE, UH, IN 2017.
UM, SO IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT THE TIMELINE, 2015, WE HAD OUR FIRST MUSIC CENSUS, HOW THAT CAME, THE OMNIBUS, UH, BY MAYORAL ADLER AT THE TIME, UH, IN 2016, WHICH RESULTED IN THIS, UH, INITIATIVE IN 2019.
OUR FIRST PROJECT WAS TO, UH, WORK WITH MANY OF YOU GUYS HERE TO, UH, GET THIS HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FOR TAX FOR MUSIC ON THE TABLE THAT WE NOW CALL THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST ROUND WENT OUT, UH, THIS SPRING, AND WE GOT THAT FEEDBACK.
AND NOW HERE ARE OUR, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, JUST SOME MORE BACKGROUND.
UH, THIS INAUGURAL LIVE MUSIC FUND, UH, IS SOURCED FROM HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FOR REVENUE.
UH, THIS ENCOURAGES, PROMOTES, IMPROVES, AND SHOWCASES AUSTIN'S DIVERSE LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY THROUGH SUPPORTING LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCES.
THESE, THIS IS ALL TAKEN FROM THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATIONS IN 2017, UH, THAT SUPPORTS AUSTIN'S INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS, PROFESSIONAL LOCAL MUSICIANS AND LIVE MUSIC VENUE PROMOTERS, UH, THE INDUSTRY VERTICAL THAT PRODUCES LIVE PERFORMANCES AT LOCAL LIVE MUSIC VENUES AND INDEPENDENT FESTIVALS THAT CAN BE MARKETED TO LOCAL AUDIENCES POTENTIAL IN VISITING TOURISTS AND CONVENTION DELEGATES.
UH, THIS CREATES TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE IN THE CITY'S LIVE MUSIC ECOSYSTEM THROUGH EQUITY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DRIVEN PLANNING, AND IN ECOSYSTEM, IN MENTATION PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE A MORE EQUITABLE AND DIVERSIFIED MUSIC INDUSTRY IN AUSTIN.
SO AGAIN, UM, I JUST WANNA UNDERLINE TO EVERYONE THAT THE LIVE MUSIC FUND EXISTS, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH ARTICLE 3 51 ON THE STATE LEVEL.
AND THAT ARTICLE DOES STIPULATE THAT ANYTHING WE DO WITH THE LIVE MUSIC FUND DOES HAVE TO HAVE A TOURISM, UH, FACING BENEFIT.
UM, SO ALSO IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS, UH, I'M GONNA LET SIERRA TELL YOU GUYS LITTLE BIT.
UM, THIS SUMMER ATXM WORKED WITH COUNCIL TO CREATE A CITY STANDARD PAY RATE OF $200 PER MUSICIAN RAISED FROM ONE $50 PER MUSICIAN.
IT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN, UM, BASED OFF OF THE ORIGINAL MUSIC COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION THAT EDD HAS BEEN FOLLOWING FOR A WHILE.
UM, THE RESOLUTION, UH, WRITTEN BY MYSELF PASSED ON JULY 20TH.
UM, AFTER THE LIVE MUSIC FUND APPLICATION CLOSED AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS RECEIVED A WIDE RANGE OF FEEDBACK FROM OUR MEMBERS, INCLUDING, UM, BOTH SHORTFALLS AND BENEFITS TO THE CURRENT FORM.
UH, BASED ON THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVE, UM, WE'RE GONNA PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE CURRENT MODEL IS, UH, AND, AND I WANT TO SORT OF ILLUSTRATE HERE THAT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT MUSICIANS.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PROMOTERS, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT VENUES.
I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THOSE DISTINCTIONS.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS ARE WE PAYING FOR PRODUCTIONS? ARE WE PAYING FOR THE CURRENT MODEL, WHICH IS TO PRO, UH, FUND THESE BIG EVENT PERFORMANCES AND PRODUCTIONS? UH, OR ARE WE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH MUSICIANS WHO TELL US WE REALLY JUST NEED TO BE PAID MORE TO PLAY AT MUSIC VENUES.
SO THIS 50% MODEL, UH, RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE ENCOMPASSES, UH, I THINK ALL OF THAT, UH, THE CURRENT MODEL CAN STAY IN ITS FORMAT, UM, AND 50% CAN GO TO PRODUCTIONS.
UM, HONESTLY, I'D LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE MORE GO TO PERFORMANCES, BUT THE PERFORMANCE MODEL WE'RE PROPOSING HERE, UH, DOES ACCOUNT FOR MUSICIANS PLAYING IN VENUES, UH, AND ALSO FOR THE NEXT ROUND WITH VENUES APPLYING.
[00:20:01]
THINK IN OUR MINDS, IT'S, IT'S, UM, SEMANTICS WHETHER THE MONEY GOES DIRECTLY TO VENUES TO PAY MUSICIANS, OR WHETHER THE MONEY GOES IN MUSICIAN'S POCKETS.AND SO VENUES GET TO KEEP THAT EXTRA MONEY IN THEIR POCKET.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THAT'S JUST AN ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THE MUSICIAN WINDS UP IN THE, OR, AS LONG AS THE MONEY, EXCUSE ME, WINDS UP IN THE MUSICIAN'S POCKETS, THAT'S ALL WE CARE ABOUT.
UM, SO, UH, WITH THAT DISTINCTION, WE'RE SAYING 50% TO THESE PRODUCTIONS CURRENT FORMAT, 50% TO PERFORMANCES.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE THE $200 PAY RATE COMES INTO PLAY.
UH, SO SARAH, YOU KNOW, IF, UM, FOR INSTANCE, YOU HAVE A GIG, UH, IF ONE OF YOU GUYS HAD A GIG, NAVAL, IF YOU HAD A GIG AT THE MOHAWK AND THEY SAY THEY'RE GONNA PAY YOU AND EACH MEMBER OF YOUR BAND A HUNDRED BUCKS, WELL, IN OUR MINDS, IDEALLY, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND WOULD THEN KICK IN TO SUBSIDIZE THAT PERFORMANCE COST AND GET EVERY BAND MEMBER UP TO THE CURRENT CITY STANDARD PAY RATE OF $200 PER MUSICIAN PER HOUR.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT CAN'T APPLY TO EVERY MUSICIAN, UH, IN THIS CITY.
UH, I THINK THE LAST INSTANCE REVEALED THAT WE DO HAVE 9,000 MUSICIANS IN AUSTIN.
UH, SO REALLY WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING HERE, UM, AND I KNOW THAT, THAT YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE KINDA YOUR DEFINITION AROUND WHAT MUSICIANS, UH, A WORKING MUSICIAN IS.
I THINK THAT WAS BASED OFF MUSIC CARES.
UH, OURS IS A LITTLE MORE STRINGENT.
UH, AND THIS IS OUR CURRENT ATXM PRO MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENT WHERE, UH, MUSICIANS HAVE TO MEET FOUR OUT OF SIX OF THESE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, PERCENTAGE OF INCOME FROM MUSIC RELATED BUSINESSES MUST BE 40% OR HIGHER.
UH, NUMBER OF LIVE MUSIC GIGS, UH, PER YEAR MINIMUM 25, UH, MUSIC LESSONS, UH, MINIMUM, MINIMUM OF 300 OR STUDIO GIGS MINIMUM OF 25, UH, REGISTERED, UH, AS ADBA OR LLC OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF, UH, BUSINESS MUST HAVE LIVED IN AUSTIN, CERTAINLY FOR ONE YEAR LONGER.
UH, AND CERTAINLY, UH, HAVE YOUR MARKETING ONLINE, PLEASANT PRESENCE WITH A WEBSITE, SOCIALS, UH, ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF, AND HAVE A MINIMUM OF AT LEAST FIVE COMMERCIAL RELEASES IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
PHYSICAL OR DIGITAL ALBUMS, EPS OR SINGLES.
THAT'S WHAT WE PROPOSE, YOU KNOW, BASED OFF THE FEEDBACK WE GOT, WE JUST WANT TO SEE THIS MONEY GO WHERE THE MOST NEED IS, AND THAT IS TO PERFORMING MUSICIANS.
UM, IN SUMMATION OF THE DATA THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, WE FOUND THAT, UH, THE CURRENT MODEL, UH, WHICH IS PRODUCTION BASED, EVENT BASED, UM, REALLY DOES, UM, WORK WELL WITH PROMOTERS AND A LOT OF OUR MUSICIANS ARE PROMOTERS.
UH, BUT IT ALSO SERVED AS A BARRIER TO A LOT OF MUSICIANS WHO DON'T HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL, WHO DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES MAYBE TO PULL TOGETHER A BIG, UH, MASSIVE EVENT AND REALLY JUST NEED TO BE PAID, UH, TO PLAY THESE SHOWS.
UH, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT KEEPING LIVE MUSIC IN THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, THAT'S THE WAY TO DO IT IN OUR MINDS.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, PAT.
UH, COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? A COMMENT? YEAH.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE RESOLUTION THAT CREATED THIS WAS TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE.
AND WHEN I HEAR THAT MONEY IS GOING TO PROMOTERS AND TO THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ASPECT OF, UM, OF, OF PROMOTION, OF EVENT PRODUCTION, ET CETERA, MY PERCEPTION IS THAT THERE'D BE A VERY HIGH CHANCE THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME KIND OF TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE COMING OUTTA THAT, CONSIDERING THAT WE'RE SPECIFICALLY, THAT WE'RE SEEKING OUT DIVERSE VOICES.
AND, UM, WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU'RE GONNA EXPECT TO SEE SOME NEW, NEW IDEAS.
SOME WILL WORK, SOME, SOME WON'T WORK, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING.
AND I THINK IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE, I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT, UH, SERVING WHERE THE MOST NEED IS, UH, IS A WAY TO DO THAT WHERE, UH, OUR WORKING MUSICIANS ARE IN DANGER.
UH, THE LAST CENSUS REVEALED THAT MOST OF OUR MUSICIANS CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ANYMORE, SO THEY'VE HAD TO MOVE ELSEWHERE.
UH, SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE, I THINK PUTTING MONEY BACK INTO THE POCKETS OF MUSICIANS, UH, WOULD CERTAINLY, UH, ENCOMPASS THAT.
UM, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT US KINDA MAKING UP THIS INFORMATION.
[00:25:01]
FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM, UH, HUNDREDS OF MUSICIANS, UH, WHO PARTICIPATED IN OUR SURVEYS AND FEEDBACK.UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? SO, UM, ONE THING, UH, THAT I JUST, JUST AS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, MM-HMM.
I DO WANNA SAY THAT THE RESOLUTION PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL WHEN WE TALK OF THE CITY RATE IS $200 PER ARTIST PER PERFORMANCE.
THE PER HOUR CLAUSE IS NOT IN THE CITY RESOLUTION.
I JUST WANT TO JUST CLARIFY THAT.
UH, EDD HAS TAKEN ON AND TAKEN IT FORWARD AS A PER HOUR, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE CONTINUING TO DO.
UM, AND SO HOW THAT GETS APPLIED, WHETHER IT ENDS UP BEING PER PERFORMANCE OR PER PERFORMANCE PER HOUR, WE'LL, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO SORT FIGURE THAT OUT, UH, AS PART OF THE CRITERIA, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT IT, THE RESOLUTION ITSELF DOESN'T STATE PER HOUR IN THERE.
UM, SO I, I REALLY JUST, I MEAN, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE FEEDBACK AND, YOU KNOW, DOING THE WORK TO, UM, UH, FIRST OF ALL RUN THAT SURVEY AND COME HERE AND PRESENT IT.
UM, I REALLY DO LIKE THE IDEA OF KIND OF A BIT OF A MORE, UM, MAJOR RETHINK WHILE STILL PRESERVING, UM, THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH THESE FUNDS.
AND I THINK, UH, THIS, THIS KIND OF INFORMATION ALONG WITH, UM, UM, ALSO THE, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE WORK THAT CONSULTANTS WOULD BE DOING UNDER DIRECTOR HOLD, ROB, HOLD, UH, ROB, UM, I THINK, UM, ALL OF THAT HOPEFULLY LEADS TO SOMETHING THAT'S, UM, MUCH MORE SIMPLER WHILE STILL ACHIEVING KIND OF THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF WHAT WE WANTED TO TARGET THESE FUNDS TOWARDS.
UH, UM, I THINK THE QUESTIONNAIRE THIS ROUND WAS, IT FELT FAIRLY COM COMPLEX.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT DEFINES, YOU KNOW, UH, A MUSICIAN WHO MIGHT QUALIFY, I DO FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD COVER A RANGE FROM EMERGING ARTISTS WHO MM-HMM.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IN MY ORIGINAL, UH, VERSION OF THIS, WE DO HAVE THREE DIFFERENT LEVELS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
I WANTED TO KEEP THIS VERY SIMPLE.
UH, BUT IF WE GO DOWN THAT ROAD, WHAT WE COULD SAY ESSENTIALLY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT OUR MARQUEE MUSICIANS, THE GARY CLARK JR'S, FOLKS LIKE THAT WHO, YOU KNOW, ARE SUCCESSFUL.
THEY PROBABLY MEET ALL OF THEIR CRITERIA, AND THEY MAY NOT NEED, UH, AS MUCH OF THE MONEY, BUT THERE MAY STILL BE A NEED THERE.
THE CRUX OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS I THINK THE, THE WORKING MUSICIANS WHO WOULD MEET FOUR OUTTA SIX REQUIREMENTS, AND THEN THE EMERGING ARTISTS, UH, WE ESSENTIALLY SAY THOSE, THOSE WOULD BE THE FOLKS THAT WOULD MEET ESSENTIALLY TWO OUTTA SIX REQUIREMENTS.
AND THERE SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SPACE FOR THOSE GUYS AS WELL.
UH, BUT WE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON WHERE THE NEED IS, WHICH IS WITH OUR WORKING MUSICIANS.
AND, AND YEAH, THE, FOR ME, THE EMERGING MUSICIANS ALSO ARE A PART OF THAT.
AND I THINK YOU RECOGNIZE THAT AS WELL.
SO I DO LIKE, YEAH, THE IDEA THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO HEAR IT, UM, AND LOVE THE IDEA OF THE PRODUCTION AND, UH, YOU KNOW, LIVE, UH, LIVE PERFORMANCE.
HOWEVER, WE SPLIT THAT AS A DIFFERENT MATTER, BUT IT COULD BE CATEGORY BASED SUCH AS THAT FOR RECORDING PROJECTS AND FOR VIDEOS AND FOR, UM, LIVE PERFORMANCES.
UM, AND JUST, JUST WAYS TO JUST SIMPLIFY IT WHERE APPLYING IS NOT SO TEDIOUS.
ALSO BECAUSE THESE GRANT LEVELS ARE NOT THAT HIGH.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY DON'T COMPARE IT TO AN ELEVATE OR A THRIVE GRANT.
ON THE ARTS SIDE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT FIVE TO $10,000 GRANT, SO IT'LL BE WONDERFUL TO SIMPLIFY IT, UM, ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FOR, UH, ON THIS TOPIC? THANK YOU.
UM, UH, SINCE WE HAVE BEEN HERE SO MUCH OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS, I JUST, AGAIN, WANNA UNDERLINE, UH, THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD ON THIS PROGRAM UP, UP TO THIS POINT.
I THINK WE'RE ALL GETTING HERE TOGETHER AS SEES NOVIA UP THERE.
AND, UH, SHE'S DONE A GREAT JOB KINDA LEADING THE, THE SHIP INTO THESE UNCERTAIN WATERS.
NOBODY'S EVER DONE THIS THING BEFORE.
THIS IS GROUNDBREAKING STUFF, AND WE'RE JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE AND BE A PART OF IT WITH YOU.
AND, UH, AND THAT'S VERY, THAT'S VERY TRUE.
AND INDEED, I MEAN, WE ARE ALL VERY PROUD OF, UH, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN IN SOME WAY, A SMALL PART OF, UH, THIS QUITE, QUITE A, QUITE A MOMENTOUS THING IN, IN OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY IN ROLLING OUT THESE FUNDS.
SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS PUT IN WORK AND, UH, UH, WE CAN ONLY, UH, MAKE IT BETTER FROM HERE.
[00:30:01]
STOP.COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
YEAH, UH, I, I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WANT TO, UM, UH, ECHO A LITTLE BIT ON, ON WHAT, WHAT PAT WAS TALKING ABOUT.
THE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THE, THE, UM, UH, THE ECOSYSTEM AS A WHOLE IS SUSTAINED, UM, FIVE MUSICIANS.
AND, UM, THERE'S, UM, IT, IT, I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE, THAT WE, THAT AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BUILDING ON AND, AND BUILDING OUT THE LIVE MUSIC FUND THAT, THAT WE MAKE SURE, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT FIRST VERSUS, UM, OTHER STAKEHOLDERS OR ANYTHING ELSE.
AND THAT WE'RE ALSO KEEPING, YOU KNOW, IN MIND, YOU KNOW, ARTICLE 3 51 OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AND ALL THAT STUFF.
UM, JUST MAKING SURE THAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE DIRECTLY REFLECTIVE OF TOURISM AND NOT, UM, ANYTHING, UM, EXTENDING OUTSIDE OF THAT.
I'LL, THAT'S ALL I'LL SAY FOR RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, AS PART OF THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE PROVIDED, UM, UH, JUST TO REITERATE, WE HAD, UM, AGREED ON AND, AND, AND I THINK COUNCIL, UM, ALSO, UH, AGREED ON BASED ON OUR RECOMMENDATION, THREE DIRECT RECIPIENTS, MUSICIANS, INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS IN THE FIRST YEAR, AND IN THE SECOND YEAR, MUSICIANS, INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS AND VENUES.
SO THOSE ARE THE DIRECT RECIPIENTS.
UM, I THINK THEN THAT'S, THAT'S THE BROADER QUESTION OF THEN HOW THEY GET TO USE THOSE FUNDS.
UH, WE HAD SOME OUTCOMES, UH, FROM THE RECOMMENDATION ON THAT AS WELL.
SO ALL THAT IS CLEARLY LAID OUT AT THIS POINT.
UH, THE QUESTION IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IS IN, IN, IN, IN NOW, JUST FIGURING OUT HOW TO DO THE APPLICATIONS AND HOW TO MAKE THAT BETTER.
AT LEAST THAT'S WHERE WE ARE, UM, AS WE STAND.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS TOPIC? ANYBODY ONLINE? THANK YOU.
[5. Discussion on Live Music Fund Event Program following update by Erica Shamaly, Division Manager, Music & Entertainment Division.]
THE NEXT TOPIC, UM, ON THE, THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS, UH, DISCUSSION ON COMMISSIONERS, SORRY, DISCUSSION ON LIVE MUSIC FUND EVENT PROGRAM FOLLOWING UPDATE BY CHALY DIVISION MANAGER, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.UM, I KNOW ERICA, UH, IS NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO ATTEND THIS EVENING.
UM, UH, I, UH, DIRECTOR RA, UM, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE ON THIS OR SHOULD WE BE SKIPPING THIS TOPIC? I WAS HOPING THAT SOMEBODY COULD, UH, PROVIDE SOME UPDATE ON THIS TODAY HERE.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
UM, WELL, OUR PARTNER, THE LONG CENTER BAR GARZA IS STILL OVER IN THE ARTS COMMISSION AND HAS SOME DATA AS TO WHERE WE ARE, UH, IN TERMS OF THE CONTRACTS AND WHAT HAS BEEN DISPERSED TO DATE.
SO JUST KNOW THAT, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO, I THINK ERICA SENT YOU GUYS AN EMAIL ON WHERE WE ARE.
WE HAVE BEEN, UH, CONSISTENTLY MEETING WITH OUR PARTNER, THE LONG CENTER, AND THEY HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTING PAYMENTS.
AND SO RIGHT NOW, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
SOME PAYMENTS HAVE, UH, BEEN MADE 100% AND OTHERS ARE STILL AT MILESTONES.
SO I DON'T HAVE, I WANTED TO ALLOW BOBBY TO SPEAK TO THAT, BUT HE IS STILL, I CAN HEAR HIM 'CAUSE I'M JUST OUTSIDE IN THE LOBBY ANSWERING QUESTIONS IN THE OTHER ROOM.
BUT I DEFINITELY WANT TO SPEAK TO THE MEMO THAT WENT TO COUNCIL WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT EVALUATING THE SYSTEM, OUR USER EXPERIENCE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS AROUND THAT, I COULD TRY AND ANSWER.
PLEASE KNOW THAT WHEN THERE'S A POINT IN TIME TO PROVIDE A NEW UPDATE, I WILL, YOU WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE FINAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED.
BUT AGAIN, WE WANT TO MAKE THAT USER EXPERIENCE BETTER THAN IT WAS BEFORE, UM, AS WE, UH, PROCEED WITH, UM, UH, WITH THE CONTRACT.
AND SO, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS, WE WANT A BETTER USER EXPERIENCE AROUND PORTAL.
WE WANT A BETTER SPANISH TRANSLATION, A SIMPLER APPLICATION, LESS TIME CONSUMING.
WE WANNA OPTIMIZE THAT APPLICATION TIMING, IN OTHER WORDS, THE CADENCE ON WHEN WE RELEASE THESE GRANTS, UH, CLEAR ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES, ET CETERA.
ALSO, I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THESE CONTRACTS ARE NOT FUNDED BY HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
AGAIN, WE FUNDED THESE CONTRACTS USING OUR OPERATING DOLLARS, SO THE HOT FUNDS ARE HELD HARMLESS.
AND SO I SEE BOBBY HAS JOINED US NOW, HE'S ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS OVER IN THE ARTS COMMISSION.
SO BOBBY, UM, CAN YOU LET THE COMMISSION KNOW WHERE
[00:35:01]
WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IN TERMS OF THE DISBURSEMENTS? AND YOU'RE ON MUTE IF YOU'RE TALKING TECHNOLOGY'S, UH, FLEXING SOMETIMES.I'M THE CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER FOR THE LONG CENTER, UH, THE GRANT ADMINISTRATION THAT, THAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE CITY AS PART OF, UH, WHAT I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, IN TERMS OF MY DUTIES.
UM, I WANTED TO FIRST CALL OUT THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, A BRAND NEW LINK THAT'S LISTED ON THE LONG CENTER'S MAIN PAGE.
IT'S ABOUT THE THIRD BLOCK DOWN OF INFORMATION THAT SAYS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT GRANT ADMINISTRATION, CLICK HERE.
THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO A NEW SITE THAT GIVES YOU A BUNCH OF INFORMATION.
THERE'S SOME FAQS AND THERE'S SOME BY THE NUMBER STUFF.
I'M GONNA READ SOME OF THAT, UH, FOR YOU GUYS.
UM, JUST TO KIND OF LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO AS OF TODAY OF OF, OF THE 368 AWARDEES, UM, WE HAVE SENT GRANT AGREEMENTS TO 347, WHICH IS ABOUT 94.3% OF EVERYONE THAT WAS AWARDED.
UH, WE'VE SENT, UH, PAYMENTS TO 319 AWARDEES, WHICH IS ABOUT 86.68%.
UM, THE MAIN THING THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT HERE IS THAT, UH, HOW WE'VE BEEN PRIORITIZING HOW AWARDEES GET, UM, FUNDED IS IF, IF WE HEAR FROM YOU AND WE'RE IN ACTIVE DISCUSSIONS, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET YOU ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO FOR THOSE PEOPLE IN WHICH WE'VE ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION AND ASKED FOR, UH, INFORMATION, SO THAT THAT INCLUDES, UH, HCH INFORMATION, UH, BEING ABLE TO SEND A TEST VERIFICATION, UH, W NINE, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS FOR THE, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO, UM, WE HAVE SET, WE HAVE A GRANT AGREEMENT AND HAVE COMPLETED ALL THEIR PAPERWORK, UH, WE'RE AT ABOUT A 99%, LITTLE 99.7% COMPLETION RATE THUS FAR.
UM, THAT'S IN ABOUT THE LAST MONTH THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO START WRITING GRANTS AGREEMENTS, UH, AND GET EVERYTHING COMPLETED.
SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, UH, COMPLETELY IS ABOUT, UH, A LITTLE OVER A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS FROM THE FUND.
WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED A COUPLE OF ROUND TWO PAYMENTS, UH, BASED ON WHEN PEOPLE WERE HAVING THEIR EVENTS AND THE TIMELINESS, UH, NECESSARY.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY EVEN GOT A HANDFUL OF ROUND THREE PAYMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PAID TO DATE.
I'LL STOP THERE, TIFFANY, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
AND I ALSO WANT TO REITERATE THAT THE LONG CENTER IS OUR PARTNER WHO IS EXECUTING GUIDELINES THAT WERE ADOPTED, UM, OR RECOMMENDED TO, UM, THE COMMISSION.
THE LONG CENTER IS ONLY SCORING ACCORDING TO THE RUBRIC DEVELOPED.
THEY'RE NOT CHANGING ANYTHING, THEY'RE JUST, UM, ACTIVATING WHAT WE HAVE, UH, ESTABLISHED AS THE GUIDELINES THAT'S ON THE WEBSITE.
SO, I KNOW THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR.
THEY'RE JUST EXECUTING THE GUIDELINES DEVELOPED BY THE CITY.
THEIR JOB IS TO GET THE FUNDS OUT THE DOOR FASTER.
THEY'RE ABLE TO DO A TEST, DEPOSIT AND DIRECT DEPOSIT INTO THE, THE CLIENT'S BANK ACCOUNT.
AND SO, JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.
SO NOVIA, THANK YOU, UH, BOBBY, UH, FOR PRESENTING, UM, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON.
UH, SO CAN, CAN YOU REMIND ME, UH, SOME OF YOUR, OR BOBBY, WHAT ONCE, UM, A GRANTEE COMPLETES THEIR PROJECT OR THEIR SHOWCASE OR WHATNOT, DO THEY, WHAT DO THEY PROVIDE AT THE END OF ALL THAT? UM, SO THAT WE CAN KNOW, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE PROJECT OR, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN THAT BE? I, I'M JUST THINKING AHEAD OF LIKE, HOW, HOW COULD WE SHOWCASE, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND SO ON.
SO WHAT, WHAT IS THEY, WHAT'S THAT AFTER, AFTER THEY COMPLETE THEIR WHATEVER THAT THEY WERE AWARDED THE MONEY FOR? LIKE, DO THEY HAVE AN ADDITIONAL DELIVERABLE? YES.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S THREE ROUNDS TO THESE PAYMENTS AS WE UNDERSTAND IT.
THERE'S A, THE FIRST ROUND IS 50% OF YOUR TOTAL AWARD.
THE SECOND ROUND IS 40% OF YOUR TOTAL AWARD.
AND THEN JUST MORE POINTEDLY TO YOUR QUESTION, THE LAST ROUND IS YOUR FINAL 10%.
IN ORDER TO GET THAT FINAL 10% OF YOUR AWARD, UH, WE NEED A FINAL REPORT, AN UPDATED PROJECT BUDGET, AND A MARKETING PLAN.
SO, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S LINKS.
UM, IF YOU CLICK THROUGH FROM THE LONG CENTER WEBSITE THAT HAVE, UM, THOSE SPECIFIC FORMS, UH, THOSE WOULD GO TO THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION STAFF.
THEY LOOK THROUGH 'EM, VERIFY 'EM, AND THEY SEND US A MESSAGE AND SAY, THIS IS READY FOR PAYMENT, AND WE'LL INITIATE PAYMENT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO, ONCE THE PROGRAM IS DONE, WE CAN CAPTURE WHAT
[00:40:01]
IS THE, UH, INFLUENCE ON THE ECOSYSTEM AS A WHOLE, OR STUDIO TIME SPENT PAYMENT TO ARTISTS.HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL HIRE ALL OF THAT DATA? WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET TO YOU AND ALSO AS A YES, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
THAT'S AMAZING TO JUST, IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, AS A COMMISSION IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE CITY, SEE, SEE THE COMPLETE IMPACT.
AND I KNOW IT'S A LOT TO, TO GATHER ALL OF THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'LL BE SO HELPFUL GOING FORWARD.
UM, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF LIKE COMMERCIAL, WELL, I MEAN, WAS THERE, IS THERE A SEGMENT OF GRANTEES THAT ARE LIKE SOLIDLY IN THE NON-PROFIT SPHERE AS OPPOSED TO COMMERCIAL MUSIC? I WILL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU AND CHARLOTTE.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE A DASHBOARD, BUT I'M NOT SURE.
SO LET ME WRITE THAT DOWN AND MAKE SURE I CAN GET BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
THAT IS NOT A, AT LEAST IN MY IMMEDIATE RECOLLECTION, THAT'S NOT A, A, A HUGE NUMBER, BUT I'M HAPPY TO PULL THAT NUMBER FOR YOU GUYS AND PROVIDE IT TO THE, TO THE COMMISSION.
YEAH, I MEAN, THAT WOULD JUST BE, I MEAN, I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, THE INTENTION SOMEWHAT OF THE FUND WAS TO DIRECTLY IMPACT THE COMMERCIAL MUSIC, UM, SECTOR.
BUT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, MUSIC NONPROFITS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEIR STATED GOAL IS TO, IN, IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER, LIKE HELP HELP EMERGING ARTISTS.
AND OVERALL THEY DO HAVE AN IMPACT ON COMMERCIAL MUSIC.
SO IT WOULD JUST BE INTERESTING TO SEE LIKE WHAT, WHAT THE SYNERGY IS THERE AND HOW THAT WORKED OUT WITH AWARDEES.
UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF LIKE, ALSO WE'VE HAD THE ARTS GRANTS ROLLING OUT, AND THEN LATER WE'LL HAVE VENUES WHO MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE FOR BOTH A LIVE MUSIC FUND GRANT AND A HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT.
LIKE ARE THERE, WERE THERE AWARDEES WHO RECEIVED BOTH, UM, A CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION GRANT AND LIKE A ELEVATE GRANT OR A NEXUS OR WHATNOT? I DON'T KNOW IF NEXUS IS OUT YET.
THRIVE, THERE ARE AWARDEES THAT RECEIVED BOTH THE LIVE MUSIC FUND GRANT AND A CULTURAL ARTS GRANT, BUT NOT FOR THE SAME EXPENDITURE.
IT HAS TO BE A CLEAR DELINEATION.
AND I BELIEVE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN FOUR, BUT THAT'S IT.
IT HAS TO BE, YOU CANNOT HAVE, UH, THE SAME EXPENSE PAID FROM BOTH FUNDS.
SO HOW WOULD SOMEBODY, SO YOU MIGHT HAVE THE SAME AWARDEE, BUT THEY WERE USING, THEY HAVE LIKE TWO DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
WE, TRUST ME, WE DID A DEEP DIVE TO MAKE SURE WE CONSULTED WITH LAW TO MAKE SURE, AND IT WAS ONLY ABOUT FOUR.
AND SO WAS THAT, WERE THE, WERE THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, LIKE WAS ONE LIKE MORE SOLIDLY, LIKE THEY RECEIVED AN ARTS GRANT FOR SOMETHING THAT JUST DEFINITELY FALLS INTO CULTURAL ARTS AND THEN THE MUSIC AND ONE THAT WAS SOLIDLY MUSIC AND THAT'S THE DELINEATION, SOLID MUSIC, UM, PERFORMANCE, ET CETERA.
UH, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S JUST SOMETHING ALSO THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHEN WE LOOK AT ALL THE FINAL DATA.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THERE WERE NO PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT WERE, COULD HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE IN THE SAME WAY, BUT THOUGHT THEY WEREN'T AND APPLIED TO ONE AND NOT THE OTHER.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S JUST GOING FORWARD, REALLY IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY.
UH, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE, RIGHT.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY LIKE GETTING INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, AS THE VENUES JOIN AND THEY'RE ALSO LIKE, LIKE A, A CLUB DOWNTOWN THAT MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE FOR A HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT, BUT THEN THEY'RE ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR A LIVE MUSIC FUND.
LIKE, WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S CLEAR ABOUT WHERE THE, ALL THE DIVIDING LINES ARE.
AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I MENTIONED IN THE MEMO.
IF YOU LOOK AT LIKE THE SEVEN BULLET POINTS OF, WITH THE CONSULTANT CLEARLY DEFINED GUIDELINES, THAT'S ONE OF HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE THAT? SO YES, WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD, WE'VE TRIED TO GIVE THE CONSULTANT EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE HEARD.
WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF FEEDBACK.
AND SO, UM, SNAP MANAGEMENT IS HELPING US, UM, GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT ALONG WITH GARTNER TO ADDRESS ALL THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMISSIONS.
AND SO WERE THOSE ALL, WERE THEY NO BID CONTRACTS.
THE CITY HAS MASTER AGREEMENTS THAT THEY'VE ALREADY PROCURED FOR CERTAIN SERVICES.
WE, UH, SELECTED THESE CONSULTANTS FROM THE MASTER AGREEMENT THAT COUNCIL HAD ALREADY APPROVED.
AND IS THAT TYPE OF THING, I MEAN, THIS IS GETTING REALLY
[00:45:01]
INTO THE WEEDS, BUT IS THERE A LIMIT, LIKE A DOLLAR LIMIT ON LIKE, IF IT'S A, IF THEY'RE ALREADY, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, ON THE VENDOR LIST OR WHATNOT, THE APPROVED LIST, BUT THEN IS THERE A MAXIMUM FEE THAT CAN BE PAID OUT WITHOUT IT GOING TO BID OR ONCE THEY'RE ON THE LIST? IT'S, SO TYPICALLY IN A MASTER AGREEMENT PROCESS, WHEN THERE'S AN RFP AND THEN THERE'S A ROTATION LIST, THERE IS A MAXIMUM DOLLAR AMOUNT ON THE MASTER AGREEMENT SOMETIMES PER YEAR.SO IT, THERE COULD BE FIVE, UH, COMPANIES ON THIS AGREEMENT.
I'M NOT SURE I'M JUST USING THIS AS AN EXAMPLE, BUT BASED ON WHAT WE NEEDED, GARNER WAS THE BEST FIT.
AND THEN, UH, BASED ON WHAT WE NEEDED, THERE WAS A DOLLAR AMOUNT AS PART OF THE BID, AND THAT'S HOW IT WAS CAPTURED.
WE DO IT IN TERMS OF IN PUBLIC WORKS, THEY HAVE ROTATION LISTS.
UH, WE EVEN DID IT FOR THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS.
IT'S A PRACTICE THAT THE CITY IS INVOLVED IN.
AND AGAIN, ALL APPROVED BY COUNCIL, ALL OF THESE ROTATION LIST APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
AND SO IS THAT THE, UM, YOU SAID THEY, SO THOSE CONTRACTS CAN JUST RENEW LIKE INDEFINITELY OR DO THEY NO, NO, NO.
IT DEPENDS ON HOW THE MASTER, UH, DEV, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LONG CENTER.
THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF YEARS IS FIVE YEARS, AND WE TOOK THAT TO COUNCIL FOR A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS BECAUSE WE WERE LOOKING FIVE YEARS OUT.
SO THAT'S HOW YOU CAN DO A MASTER DEVELOPMENT, AGREE WITH THE THREE OR FIVE, ET CETERA, BUT IT'S GONNA END AT SOME POINT.
WE'RE ALL, WE SHOULD ALL BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT CONTRACT AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
SO YEAH, THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
THANKS FOR, UH, THE, THE DETAIL ON THAT.
NO, THERE'S BEEN, UH, UH, YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD CONCERN ABOUT IT, SO THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR S OLIVIA OR BOBBY
I'M GOING BACK TO ARTS COMMISSION.
[6. Discussion on commissioners attending Live Music Fund recipients’ projects.]
AGENDA IS A DISCUSSION ON COMMISSIONERS ATTENDING LIVE MUSIC FUND RECIPIENTS PROJECTS.UM, WAS THERE, UM, ANY COMMISSIONER THAT WAS PARTICULARLY CHAMPIONING THIS OR WE WANTED TO HAVE A GENERAL DISCUSSION ON THIS? UH, WELL, WE ALL WANTED TO GO
THE, UH, THAT'S WHERE IT CAME IN FROM.
WE'LL DEFINITELY WANNA GO SEND ANYBODY'S A PASSION PROJECT TO GET US ALL IN
WELL, I MEAN, WE, IN, IN ADDITION TO US ATTENDING, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING, UH, ONLY AUSTIN IS DOING THIS, AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE ALL GO AND, YOU KNOW, THIS CAN GENERATE A LOT OF GOOD PRESS, A LOT OF GOOD PR, AND THAT'S THE MAIN THING.
DO WHEN, SO WHEN DO WE KNOW WHEN THE FIRST EVENT IS GOING TO BE HELD? THAT THAT IS FUNDED BY THE LIVE MUSIC FUND? LET'S, LET'S START WITH THAT.
SO, UM, I DON'T HAVE A CALENDAR OF EVENTS, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO LIKE PUT UP LIKE, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER WHAT, UH, EVENTS ARE HAPPENING THAT ARE LIVE MUSIC FUNDED.
HOWEVER, ALL OF THE EVENTS AND RECORDINGS, UM, WHEN YOU SEE THE INFORMATION POSTED WOULD HAVE THE CITY LOGO, UM, ON IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD ALL NOTIFY YOU THAT THIS IS, THIS EVENT IS, IS PAID FOR IN PART OR AND HOLD BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND SO EVENTS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU MIGHT, YOU, YOU WOULD NOTICE THAT, THAT THEY WOULD BE LIVE MUSIC FUNDED EVENT.
UM, BUT I DON'T HAVE A CALENDAR.
I MEAN, CERTAINLY TAKE A NOTE OF THAT.
AND AT OUR DECEMBER MEETING, WILL ANY OF EVENTS EVENTS BE HAPPENING BETWEEN NOW AND DECEMBER? ARE WE THAT, UH, ARE THERE ANY THAT THEY'VE POSSIBLY THEY'VE BEEN HAPPENING.
SO YEAH, LET, CAN CAN WE SEE A CALENDAR THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
IS THERE, UM, UM, IS THERE A ASK TO SAY THAT IT'S FUNDED BY THE LIVE MUSIC FUND PROGRAM? OR IS IT GENERALLY, DOES IT GENERALLY JUST SAY, FUNDED BY, PARTLY FUNDED BY CITY OF AUSTIN? WOULD THE LMF BE QUALIFIED? BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT, THERE'S A LOT GOING THAT'S BOSTON.
I I THINK IT DOES SAY CITY OF AUSTIN.
I DON'T THINK IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS LIVE MUSIC, MUSIC FUN.
[00:50:01]
COMING FROM THE ARTS SIDE TOO, WHERE WHEN YOU JUST SEE CITY OF AUSTIN.SO WE, WE NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT AND LIKE, THE FACT THAT I'M NOT EVEN AWARE OF, OF, OF SHOWS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN GOING ON WITH, UM, WITH THIS, UH, LIVE MUSIC FUND.
LET'S, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET, GET THE WORD OUT AND CERTAINLY PUT IT ON CITI WEBSITES AND ALL, ALL THINGS LIKE THAT.
ANY OTHER, UH, DISCUSSION ON THIS? YEAH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
YEAH, THERE EVENTS ARE HAPPENING ALREADY, I WOULD ASSUME, BECAUSE THEN THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN OUT.
SO I WOULD, I, I WOULD ASSUME, YEAH, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICS, UH, ON KIM, YOU HAVE SOME NAMES OR, WELL, I DON'T THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF.
I DON'T KNOW THE NAMES OF THE EVENTS OR THE, THE ARTISTS, BUT I DO KNOW THAT EVENTS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING.
IS, IS THERE, UM, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE COULD, UH, GET SOME DATA LIKE TICKET CELLS OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UM, ALCOHOL CELLS, OR DO WE SEE HOW, UM, WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IS LIKE DIRECTLY, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AM I SAYING THE RIGHT THING? WELL, THE FINAL REPORT DOES ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE EVENT AND HOW IT WENT AND, YOU KNOW, INCOME STREAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, ALCOHOL SALES MIGHT BE MORE OF THE VENUE.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION, BUT IF THAT INFORMATION IS NOT SPECIFICALLY ASKED IN THE FINAL REPORT, SO, UM, BUT, BUT THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT I THINK YOU MIGHT BE GETTING AT LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT KINDS OF, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, WHAT WERE THE TOP TWO WAYS THAT WE GOT THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WERE, YOU KNOW, IN THE MARKETING PLAN OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS OF HOW DID IT GO, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT WERE THE RESULTS, UM, IN THE FINAL REPORT, AND I, I JUST SAY, OH, SO SORRY SCOTT.
I, I JUST SAY I'VE GOT BIGGER QUESTIONS THAN THAT, THAN ALCOHOL SALES.
WE, WE WERE PROMISED TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE, AND IT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW WHICH EVENTS THESE ARE.
SO THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN REALLY ASSESS WHETHER THIS APPROACH THAT WE'RE TAKING, WHICH IS CURRENTLY FUNDING, UM, MUSICIANS AND, UM, PROMOTERS IS REALLY WORKING AND BRINGING THE CHANGE THAT, THAT WE WANT.
IF WE'RE NOT, IF THERE HAVE BEEN EVENTS AND WE'RE NOT EVEN AWARE OF IT, TO ME, THAT'S AN INDICATION THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE.
AND, AND I, I WOULD, I WOULD ALSO SAY TO, TO, TO, TO ECHO A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WARREN'S SAYING, IT'S, I MEAN THE, I I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THE DATA FROM, FROM THE, FROM THESE THINGS I GUESS ARE GONNA BE COMING OR, YOU KNOW, AT, AT, AT, AT SOME POINT IN TIME FROM, YOU KNOW, THESE EVENTS THEMSELVES.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF ESPECIALLY WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DRIVING TOURISM AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT, LIKE TOURISM SPECIFICALLY, IT'S LIKE, I MEAN THE DIRECT, I MEAN, TICKET SALES IS LIKE THE BIGGEST INDICATOR OF TOURISM DRAWING THAT'S THERE.
SO LIKE, UH, I MEAN, I, IT, IT WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY GOOD TO HAVE AS MUCH OF THIS INFORMATION AS WE HUMANLY POSSIBLY COULD, SO WE COULD LOOK AT IT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THAT THE RECIPIENTS ARE ASKED TO DO OR REQUIRED TO DO IS TO INCLUDE, UM, ON THE, THE VISIT AUSTIN WEBSITE TO UPLOAD THEIR EVENT THERE SO THAT IT WOULD BE ON THAT CALENDAR.
UM, NOW WHETHER OR NOT IT SAYS IF IT WAS FUNDED BY A, A CULTURAL ARTS PROGRAM OR IF IT WAS FUNDED BY LIVE MUSIC FUND, THAT I DON'T KNOW.
UM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY ARE UPLOADING IT ONTO THE VISIT AUSTIN, SO THE EVENTS WILL BE THERE AND THEY WILL BE PUBLICIZED.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY CAN PUBLICIZE IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
UH, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING.
WELL, AND IT, IT WOULD BE NICE JUST TO START BY, UH, GETTING THAT CALENDAR OF JUST THE THINGS THAT ARE FUNDED BY THE LIVE MUSIC FUND OUT TO ALL OF US MUSIC COMMISSIONERS, SO WE CAN START TAKING A LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT OUR LIVE MUSIC FUND, UH, HOT TAX DOLLARS ARE BRINGING US.
KIM, UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER TAL.
KIM IS THERE, IS THERE A MECHANISM, UM, FOR YOU TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW? WHEN I SAY NOT RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, IS THERE SOMETHING IN PLACE WHERE YOU CAN EASILY IDENTIFY THAT? AND THAT IS SOMETHING PROBABLY IT'LL BE WONDERFUL TO ACTUALLY, UH, UM, TAKE A LOOK AT IN, IN THESE COMMISSION MEETINGS MONTH TO MONTH? YOU MEAN PRODUCE A CALENDAR? YEAH, YEAH.
AS TO, OKAY, WHAT'S COMING UP IN THE UPCOMING MONTH WHERE THAT'S BEEN FUNDED BY THE LIVE MUSIC MONTH? IS THERE, IS
[00:55:01]
THERE SOMETHING EASILY AVAILABLE? THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE THE PROGRAM, SO THERE'S NO EXISTING, YOU KNOW, UM, GOT IT.PROTOCOL OR MECHANISM THAT TO DO IT.
BUT I HAVE MADE NOTE THAT YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED IN THAT, SO WE'LL DEFINITELY BRING IT BACK TO STAFF AND, AND SEE IF THAT CAN HAPPEN.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING I WANTED TO KNOW IS, IS THERE, DO WE HAVE A MECHANISM TO FIGURE THAT OUT? I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND IT WOULD BE SO COOL IF WE CAN EVERY MONTH, LIKE ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE CALENDAR AND JUST GO THROUGH IT AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, SO, BUT I THINK WHAT I'M, I'M UNDERSTANDING IS WHAT IS AVAILABLE IS, UM, UH, UH, ON VISIT AUSTIN, YOU CAN SEE WHAT IS BEING FUNDED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
YOU JUST DON'T HAVE THE NEXT LEVEL OF CATEGORIZATION COMMISSIONER, UH, GOULD.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A PRETTY EASY THING TO JUST TAG THOSE EVENTS ON THE VISIT AUSTIN CALENDAR AS LIVE MUSIC FUND FUNDED, BECAUSE I THINK NOT ONLY WOULD IT BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE COMMISSION TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THEM, I THINK IT WOULD REALLY HELP THE COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT EVENTS ARE HAPPENING, UH, BOTH FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE THINKING ABOUT ALL THE FEEDBACK THAT PAT, UM, AND, AND SARAH AND THE PEOPLE FROM ATXM BROUGHT, UM, AND THAT COMMUNITY AND TO HELP THEM TO SEE WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING WITH THOSE FUNDS AND THOSE APPLICATIONS.
AND ALSO TO INSPIRE PEOPLE FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR THE FUTURE OR JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST TO SHARE WITH THE GENERAL COMMUNITY WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE TANGIBLE RESULT OF ALL OF THIS, UM, THING THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED FOR SO LONG.
IS IT EASY ENOUGH TO JUST TAG THEM ON THE VISIT AUSTIN CALENDAR SINCE THEY'RE ALREADY GOING ON THAT CALENDAR? SO I, I, I CAN BRING IT UP TO STOP AND, AND FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN DO.
UM, AND, BUT I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE MORE OF A WEBSITE QUESTION, I THINK.
WELL, I THINK I WOULD STRONGLY, UM, SUGGEST THAT WE TRY TO DO THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S THE, UH, WHAT'S THE BEST MECHANISM FOR LIKE, WE, DO WE NEED TO JUST, DO WE NEED TO MAKE ANY SORT OF SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THAT OR DO WE JUST LEAVE THAT WITH, WITH Y'ALL AND WE'LL CHECK IN ABOUT IT? WE'LL DEFINITELY TALK ABOUT IT ON THE STAFF LEVEL.
SO I, I, UM, I WILL DEFINITELY BRING IT UP AT THIS NEXT STAFF MEETING AND WE'LL SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE DO'S AND DON'TS ARE AND FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN DO.
SO, UM, IT WILL, IT'LL BE DISCUSSED.
YEAH, JUST SO PROCEDURALLY, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, LAUREN, I'D SAY LET'S JUST, UH, PUT THIS AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM SO WE DON'T FORGET ABOUT IT.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO STAFF, UM, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, KIM'S GONNA LOOK INTO IT FOR US.
UH, BUT LET'S MAKE SURE WE TAKE IT UP AGAIN NEXT TIME.
ANY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR, UH, QUESTIONS ON THIS TOPIC? THANK YOU.
[7. Discussion on all ages shows and how we support youth in Austin.]
ON, DISCUSSION ON ALL AGE ISSUES AND HOW WE SUPPORT YOU IN AUSTIN.UM, I KNOW COMMISSIONER CASADA IS USUALLY DRIVING THIS TOPIC, BUT, UM, UM, ANY, ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS, THIS TOPIC FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS? YEAH, I, I'VE GOT, UH, A FEW UPDATES.
IT'S, YEAH, I, I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WASN'T HERE.
UH, SO WE DID, UH, UH, MEET WITH, UM, UH, UM, A BIG PROMOTER IN TIME.
I'M FORGETTING, UM, HIS NAME IS ACTUALLY CELESTE'S BROTHER.
UM, BUT LIKE, SO WE, SO WE MET WITH HIM AND, UM, GOT A LOT OF REALLY GREAT AND AMAZING FEEDBACK FOR HOW TO, UM, I GUESS START ENGAGING.
UM, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WE'RE THE SAME THING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF PROMOTION, WHICH IS JUST ALL AGES SHOWS AND, AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, VISIT AUSTIN ACTUALLY DOES A LOT OF THAT.
UM, AND, AND, AND THEY'RE PRETTY GOOD AT PROMOTING THAT STUFF.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, UM, UH, DARE I SAY MAKE IT COOL AND, UM, TALKING TO, UM, WELL, WE'RE BEGINNING TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH TABC ON HOW TO MAKE THAT WORK BECAUSE APPARENTLY THERE ARE, UM, LIQUOR LAWS, UM, AND THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY WITH VENUES THAT THEY HAVE IN TERMS OF, UM, UH, LETTING IN MINORS VERSUS NOT LETTING IN MINORS AND, AND, AND THEM BEING SEPARATED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S A WHOLE HUGE BALL OF WAX BEHIND THAT, THAT I DON'T HAVE TIME TO
[01:00:01]
TALK ABOUT RIGHT NOW.BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD OPTIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND, UM, WE'RE LOOKING INTO ALL THAT STUFF.
THE OTHER REALLY GOOD THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING INTO AT THE MOMENT IS, UM, GETTING MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS INVOLVED AND, UM, AND MAYBE TRY TO GET SOME MUSIC PROGRAM PROGRAMMING STARTED.
UM, THERE ARE SOME HIGH SCHOOLS, UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY THESE ARE LIKE SOME OF THE MORE PRIVILEGED HIGH SCHOOLS, BUT THEY HAVE MUSIC PROGRAMS ALREADY STARTED WHERE ARTISTS KIND OF COME IN AND GIVE TALKS AND WORKSHOPS, DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT, UM, BASICALLY IT'S A WAY OF KIND OF BRINGING THE AUSTIN MUSIC COMMUNITY INTO THESE SPACES TO INSPIRE THE NEXT, UM, GENERATION OF, UH, OF CHILDREN TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE UP THE MANTLE AND, AND, UM, KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD, SO TO SPEAK.
SO THE CONVERSATIONS ARE GOING WELL, THEY'RE EXTREMELY FRUITFUL.
UM, CELESTE AND I WILL HAVE LAURA TO REPORT BACK, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING, AND IT MIGHT JUST BE ME DOING THIS FOR A WHILE, BECAUSE, UM, SHE'S GONNA GET REALLY, SHE'S, SHE'S EXTREMELY BUSY RIGHT NOW, SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS? COMMISSIONER DAVILA? SOME, SOME OF THE, UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT VENUES ON WHERE TO HAVE THIS, RIGHT, SCOTT? UH, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT WAS LIKE MAYBE OVER FIESTA GARDENS, UM, ON THE, ON THE OLD PART, UH, SINCE, UH, IT'S PRETTY, IT'S A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, FENCED IN AND STAGING AND PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED FOR THE, FOR THE YOUTH THERE AT, UM, AT FIESTA GARDENS.
YOU KNOW, ALCOHOL, THAT WAS ALCOHOL THAT WAS BROUGHT UP WHEN WE TALKED.
I WAS JUST SAY THAT, THAT, THAT WAS BROUGHT UP WHEN WE, WHEN, WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAD THAT, UM, UM, CONVERSATION, LITTER WAS ALSO A BIG PART OF THAT CONVERSATION TOO.
COMMISSIONER DILLA, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? NO.
UM, YOU KNOW, UM, SPEAKING OF LIKE PROGRAMMING IN SCHOOLS, I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE ARE ARTISTS WHO GET, UH, ON THE ARTS SIDE, THE CULTURAL ARTS GRANTS.
UM, PART OF THAT PROGRAM OR, OR, OR CRITERIA FOR RECEIVING THOSE GRANTS OR TO FULFILL, UM, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAT GRANT IS, I THINK SOME OF THEM ALSO GO IN AND PERFORM IN SCHOOLS.
AND, UH, UH, I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL OF MY ARTIST FRIENDS DO THAT.
IS THAT STILL GOING ON? DO YOU KNOW? ON THE OUTSIDE WHERE I'VE SEEN DANCERS, MUSICIANS GETTING CULTURAL ARTS GRANTS WHERE YES, IT'S FOR, UH, SOME PROFESSIONAL UNDERWEAR, BUT PART OF THAT EXERCISE, THEY ALSO GO TO SCHOOLS AND, AND, AND HAVE PRESENTED, UH, THEIR ART.
I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE CULTURAL ARTS GRANTS REQUIREMENTS, AND I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT.
AND I, I'VE NOTICED, I THINK SOVIA, UH, POPPED BACK INTO THE ARTS COMMISSION MEETING, SO, AND SHE MIGHT HAVE KNOWN THAT, BUT I'LL MAKE A NOTE AND, AND SEE WHAT I CAN FIND OUT ABOUT IT.
YEAH, YEAH, BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE DEFINITELY HAD ARTIST FRIENDS WHO HAVE DONE THAT, SO, UH, I THINK IT'S BUILT INTO THE PROGRAM.
[8. Discussion on finalizing musical performance for December Music Commission meeting.]
ON, UH, TO THE NEXT TOPIC, UH, THE AGENDA ITEM IS DISCUSSION ON FINALIZING MUSICAL PERFORMANCE FOR DECEMBER MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING.UM, ARE, WE, COULD, COULD, COULD WE PLEASE DO A RAISE OF HAND OR, I LIKE WHO'S, WHO ALL HAS SIGNED UP TO BRING IN ARTISTS? I KNOW COMMISSIONER GOULD, YOU, YOU WERE BRINGING SOMEBODY IN IN DECEMBER, IS THAT RIGHT? NO.
I BROUGHT IN THE LAST, I BROUGHT IN THE LAST YES.
SO YES, I WAS PASSING ALONG TO OTHERS.
UM, YOU WERE ON COMMISSIONER MAHO WAS THE OTHER COMMISSIONER WAS, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS, IT WAS, UH, ONE, THREE AND FOUR.
UM, NOW, UM, HAS, HAS THAT DATE BEEN FINALIZED ON THE 4TH OF DECEMBER OVER AT THE LIBRARY? I DON'T THINK SO.
UM, IS STAFF GOING TO CHECK ON THAT? AND, UH, YEAH, WE'LL CHECK ON THAT.
UM, BUT REGARDLESS, EVEN IF WE ARE DOING THAT HERE, WOULD WE STILL WANT TO CONTINUE WITH, WITH THE EVENT, WITH GETTING THE ARTISTS IN? I, I FEEL, I FEEL SO, YEAH.
[01:05:01]
NOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, THAT I HAVE DONE, UH, I CONTACTED ONE OF THE, UH, RADIO STATIONS AND THEY WILL, THEY WILL, UH, PROMOTE, PROMOTE THE EVENT.AND, UH, VAL ASKED IF IT, YES, IF IT WAS JUST GONNA, UH, MENTION THE, UH, THE HANO ARTIST AND ALL, IT'LL, IT'LL, IT'LL DO THE WHOLE SHOW.
EVERYTHING THAT'S, THAT'S PRESENTED.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY CHECK IN WITH STAFF.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT, UH, CONSTRAINTS US FOR, UH, FROM HAVING, UH, A RADIO STATION IN TOWN ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WILL BE THREE ARTISTS COMING IN HERE TO PERFORM AT THE, AT THE MUSIC COMMISSION? NO, THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANYTHING.
RIGHT? NO, THAT SHOULD BE FINE.
WE WANTED TO CHECK IN ON THAT, SO THAT'S FANTASTIC.
AND ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE THE POSSIBILITIES, IF ANYBODY KNOWS ANYBODY AT SOME OF THESE OTHER SESSIONS, WE MAY DO IT EITHER AS APSA OR, UH, YEAH.
SOMETHING TO PROMOTE TO PROMOTE THE EVENTS.
AND, UH, YEAH, SO PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE USUALLY FREE.
UM, BUT DIFFERENT RADIO STATIONS WILL TREAT THEM DIFFERENTLY.
UM, SO SOME WILL, YOU KNOW, SOME ARE VERY STRICT ABOUT WHAT KINDS OF PSAS THEY DO FOR CERTAIN KINDS OF CHARITIES AND THAT KIND OF THING.
AND SOME WILL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, MORE LIBERAL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO THEY INCLUDE.
BUT IT, IT'LL GO FROM STATION TO STATION.
IT'LL, IT'LL, IT'LL DEPEND ON THE STATION.
SO IT'LL BE DIFFERENT FROM STATION TO STATION.
UHHUH, ANYTHING, ANYTHING ELSE?
UH, SO, UM, SO WE ARE GOING TO DO, UH, I'LL, I'LL REACH OUT, SEND A REMINDER TO, UM, THE COMMISSIONERS FROM THESE DISTRICTS, UH, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BE PREPARED TO PRESENT AN ARTIST, UH, BRING IN AN ARTIST, UH, ON DECEMBER 4TH.
UM, AND, UH, WE PREFER THE LIBRARY, EVEN IF THAT CAN'T HAPPEN, UH, THE GOAL, THE IDEA WOULD BE TO STILL HAVE THE PERFORMANCES HERE AT, UH, CITY HALL.
AND, UH, AS FAR AS EQUIPMENT GOES, UH, ARE WE STILL GOOD TO GO IN EITHER PLACE? UH, SORRY.
I THINK THAT DISCUSSION IS GONNA HAPPEN ONCE WE MAKE THE RESERVATION AND TALK TO WHOEVER'S IN CHARGE OF THE SOUND FOR THAT VENUE.
SO WE'LL CONSIDER IT GOOD TILL WE, UNLESS WE HEAR OTHERWISE, UH, FROM STAFF ON, ON, ON, UM, THE, THE TECHNOLOGY PART OF IT.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS? COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND? YES, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER, MAD CHARLA.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HAVING THREE ARTISTS ON ONE DAY OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT OKAY.
SO THREE ARTISTS ONCE A QUARTER.
JUST TO KEEP THE LOGISTICS SIMPLE.
UH, AS FAR AS THE TECHNOLOGY ASPECT OF IT GOES, THAT WAS THE IDEA.
[9. Discussion on how the city can support the Austin Record Convention.]
ON HOW THE CITY CAN SUPPORT THE AUSTIN RECORD CONVENTION.UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A SPEAKER ON THIS.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
MY NAME IS NATHAN HANNER, I'M THE, UH, OWNER AND OPERATOR AND PROMOTER OF THE AUSTIN RECORD CONVENTION.
UM, BEFORE I START TALKING ABOUT THE RECORD CONVENTION, I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE HERE FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING TO SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC IN AUSTIN.
I BORN AND RAISED HERE, BEEN A MUSICIAN SINCE I WAS 16 YEARS OLD.
AND, UM, THAT PLAYED PRETTY MUCH EVERY VENUE IN AUSTIN.
AND SO, UM, IT'S, I KNOW THE CITY'S CHANGED A LOT OVER THE YEARS, AND I KNOW I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S EFFORTS HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IT'S STILL A CITY WHERE LIVE MUSIC IS, UH, IMPORTANT AND VALUED AND, AND MUSICIANS CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, BUT YES, THE AUSTIN RECORD CONVENTION.
SO MY FATHER FOUNDED THIS IN 1981, JUST LESS THAN A MILE FROM HERE, UM, OFF OF SOUTH CONGRESS.
UH, THE VERY FIRST ONE, JUST, I'LL GIVE YOU A BIT OF BACKGROUND, UM, YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I THINK THE FIRST EVENT WAS AT ZILKER CLUBHOUSE, UH, PRETTY QUICK.
IT WAS, THERE WAS A LOT OF INTEREST IN IT, SO THEY VERY QUICKLY MOVED TO THE, UH, OLD PALMER AUDITORIUM WHERE THE LONG CENTER IS NOW.
UM, IN THE LAST, UH, 43 YEARS, I GUESS IT'S BECOME THE, UH, LARGEST SALE OF RECORDED MUSIC IN THE UNITED STATES, UM, IN NORTH AMERICA.
IT'S THE SECOND LARGEST VINYL KIND OF FLEA MARKET EVENT IN THE WORLD.
THE ONLY LARGEST ONES ACTUALLY IN THE NETHERLANDS.
UM, WE HAVE OVER 300 TABLES OF, UH, YOU KNOW, MERCHANDISE ON DISPLAY, USUALLY A HUNDRED OVER 150 VENDORS FROM ALL OVER THE US AND BEYOND, WHICH IS KIND OF AMAZING.
UM, THE GENERAL ADMISSION PRICE IS STILL $5, WHICH IT HASN'T CHANGED SINCE LIKE 83, I THINK, WHICH IS, I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT WHY IN A MINUTE.
BUT, UM, BUT YES, IT'S, UH, YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
YOU CAN SEE, I THINK I INCLUDED A OH YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE OLD LONG, UH, PALMER, UH, OLD PALMER AUDITORIUM AND THE NEW, UH, PALMER EVENT CENTER.
SO WE WERE DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE LONG CENTER.
[01:10:01]
UH, WHEN MY DAD WAS RUNNING IT STILL, HE HAD MOVED IT OUT TO SOME OTHER PLACES.UM, BUT WE CAME BACK TO THE PALMER VINCENT ABOUT 2015, I THINK, MAYBE 2016.
I INCLUDED A SHOT OF THE OLD, UH, WHEN IT WAS AT THE OLD PALMER AUDITORIUM.
UM, AND, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, AFTER A, A KIND OF A LULL DURING THE STREAMING MUSIC, UH, PERIOD THAT'S SORT OF NOW GROWING, UM, PRETTY STRONGLY, AGAIN, AS THE VINYL RESURGENCE HAS HAPPENED, EVEN WITH THE PANDEMIC KIND OF PUTTING A DENT IN IT FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF OR TWO, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF INTEREST AND THERE'S STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, WHO'VE BEEN COMING SINCE I WAS A KID.
I'VE, I'VE BEEN RUNNING IT, UM, UM, SINCE 2016 ISH, I THINK, UM, WHEN I TOOK IT OVER FROM MY DAD.
AND, UM, YEAH, THERE'S STILL JUST A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE THAT, THAT COME TO IT AS AND, AND KINDA SEE IT AS AN AUSTIN TRADITION THAT KIND OF LINKS THEM BACK TO THE OLD, UM, AUSTIN, MAYBE THEY REMEMBER FROM WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG AND NOW THEY'RE BRINGING THEIR KIDS TO IT.
AND, UM, SO IT'S SORT OF A LABOR OF LOVE.
I MEAN, I, UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'VE TRIED TO PUT SOME DATA TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT THE, UH, INTEREST IN THE SHOW AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
UM, WE'VE TRIED TO GET BETTER ABOUT DATA AS WE'VE MOVED TO ONLINE SALES.
WE HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION WE CAN SORT OF RELY ON.
BUT, UM, WE HAD TO CANCEL THE EVENTS IN 2020 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.
BUT IF YOU SORT OF, IF I SQUINT AND I LOOK AT THE DATA FROM 2019, AND THEN MAYBE STARTING IN 2021 WAS A WEIRD YEAR.
IF YOU SKIP THAT, SKIP 20 AND 2020 AND 2021, AND YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, UM, FROM 2019 TO 2022, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT.
UM, I HAVE HERE YOU HAVE TWO GRAPHS.
ONE IS THE SPRING SHOWS AND THE OTHER ONE IS THE FALL SHOWS.
THE SPRING SHOWS ARE ACTUALLY ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN THE FALL SHOWS, BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THEY'RE BOTH GROWING ROUGHLY 20% YEAR OVER YEAR THE LAST FEW YEARS.
SPRING SHOWS GROWING AT 24% FALL SHOWS GROWING AT 18%, WHICH IS WILD.
UM, AND, UH, IT'S MOSTLY ATTRIBUTABLE, ATTRIBUTABLE, I THINK TO THE, UM, INTEREST IN VINYL AND ALSO JUST THE GROWTH OF AUSTIN AS A CITY.
UH, PEOPLE ARE REALLY HUNGRY FOR EVENTS AS, AS YOU ALL KNOW VERY WELL, I'M SURE.
ARE THESE ATTENDANCE FIGURES OR SALES FIGURES? ATTENDANCE, ATTENDANCE FIGURES? I'M SORRY.
YEAH, THESE ARE, THESE ARE TICKET SALES.
UM, WE HAVE TWO KINDS OF TICKET SALES, ACTUALLY, I SHOULD POINT THAT OUT TOO 'CAUSE IT'LL COME IN, UH, BE USEFUL IN A MINUTE.
WE HAVE THE $5 GENERAL ADMISSION, WHICH HASN'T CHANGED IN 40 YEARS.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR EARLY SHOPPER ADMISSION, WHICH GETS PEOPLE IN DURING THE SETUP DAY ON FRIDAY IS $30.
UM, IT ACTUALLY WAS 40 AND WE LOWERED IT TO 30, UM, DURING THE, I GUESS 2019 OR SOMETHING.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THIS IS FASCINATING TO ME,
SO RIGHT NOW I THINK IT'S, UM, LIKE 45 AND 53, 40 5% PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, IN THE AUSTIN METROPOLITAN AREA.
AND, AND, UM, 53% IN THE AUSTIN METROPOLITAN AREA AND LIKE 45% OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
BUT YOU CAN SEE THE TREND HERE IS GONNA KIND OF, AT SOME POINT, THOSE LINES WILL CROSS AND WE'LL HAVE MORE PEOPLE COMING FROM OUTSIDE AUSTIN TO THIS EVENT THAN INSIDE AUSTIN, WHICH IS AMAZING TO ME.
UM, BUT IT KIND OF TRACKS WITH SOME OTHER THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED IN TERMS OF THIS EVENT BECOMING MORE OF A, UH, MORE OF A, A MORE POPULAR AROUND NOT ONLY CENTRAL TEXAS, BUT ALSO NEIGHBORING STATES AND EVEN INTERNATIONALLY.
IF YOU LOOK AT JUST THE EARLY SHOPPER VIA SLASH VIP TICKETS, THE ONES I MENTIONED THAT ARE $30, AND YOU LOOK AT WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM THERE, WHICH IS, I THINK THE NEXT SLIDE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IN 20 19, 80 6% OF OUR, UH, OUR EARLY SHOPPERS, VIP WERE COMING FROM THE US AND THE OTHER 14% WERE COMING INTERNATIONALLY.
2021 WAS, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS A WEIRD YEAR.
WE HAD HARDLY ANY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL REALLY.
BUT, UM, NOW WE'RE SORT OF, IT'S IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO IMPROVING IN 20 22, 20 23, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE INTER PERCENTAGE OF INTERNATIONAL EARLY SHOPPERS GO BACK UP.
SO, UM, AND WHAT'S INTERESTING, WHAT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THIS DATA, I'M SURE SHOWING IT AS A PERCENTAGE, I THINK THE TOTAL NUMBERS FROM 2022 TO 2023 ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER.
LIKE IT'S GONE FROM MAYBE, MAYBE IN 2029, IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, 10 AND I THINK WE'RE INTO THE SEVERAL DOZENS AND THE INTERNATIONAL SHOPPERS THAT ATTEND, UM, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THEY'RE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY.
USUALLY THEY'RE STOCKING STORES THAT ARE IN EUROPE OR IN ASIA, AND THEY'RE SHIPPING, UH, THEY LITERALLY BRING IN MOVING TRUCKS AND THEY LOAD 'EM UP AND THEY, YOU KNOW, SHIP BOXES AND BOXES AND BOXES OF VINYL AND OTHER MERCHANDISE BACK TO THEIR SHOPS OVER, UH, OVERSEAS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE SOME OF THEM WHO ACTUALLY MAINTAIN A, UH, LIKE A STORAGE LOCKER HERE IN AUSTIN, AND THEY SHIP STUFF TO, TO THEMSELVES HERE.
SO THEY CAN SOMETIMES BE A VENDOR AT THE SHOW, AND THEN OTHER TIMES THEY'LL JUST SHOP AND STOCK THEIR STORE.
SO THERE'S SORT OF THIS WILD, UM, INTERNATIONAL, UH, YOU KNOW, MARKET HAPPENING WHERE, WHERE THE, THE VINYL ECONOMY
[01:15:01]
IS SORT OF, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, USING AUSTIN AS SORT OF A, A, A HUB IN A WAY.UM, I CAN'T SPEAK IF THIS IS HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES AS WELL.
I MEAN, IF IT'S, I WOULD IMAGINE BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF OUR SHOW RELATIVE TO OTHER SHOWS, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, MORE SIGNIFICANT HERE THAN, THAN IN OTHER CITIES IN, IN THE US.
BUT, UM, SO THIS IS INTERESTING.
ALL OF THIS SORT OF TRACKS WITH WHAT I'VE OBSERVED ANECDOTALLY, WHICH IS THE, UM, THE ATTENDANCE IS WE HAD, I THINK OUR BIGGEST SHOW IN OUR ENTIRE HISTORY IN THE SPRING OF THIS YEAR.
AND THE, THE AUDIENCE IS BECOMING MUCH MORE, MORE AND MORE DIVERSE, MORE AND MORE LIKE THE AGE RANGES ARE BROADER THAN EVER.
YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE LIKE TAYLOR SWIFT AND JOHN LEGEND AND HARRY STYLES WHO ARE ISSUING NEW VINYL, YOU KNOW, FREQUENTLY.
UM, AND SO THAT'S GETTING A LOT OF YOUNGER, YOUNGER PEOPLE INTO VINYL TOO.
SO IT'S REALLY FASCINATING TO WATCH IT BROADEN.
UM, THERE'S STILL SOME CHALLENGES THOUGH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, OH, AND I JUST PUT THIS IN HERE.
WE'RE GETTING A BUNCH MORE ATTENTION, WHICH IS REALLY WEIRD FOR ME.
YOU KNOW, HAVING GROWN UP WITH THIS, UM,
AND THAT'S A SCREEN, YOU KNOW, A PHOTO OF OUR SHOW THAT THEY USED AS SORT OF THE BACKGROUND.
UM, SO, UH, BUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, IT IS INTERESTING.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, I PUT THIS OUT HERE JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AND IN TERM WHEN IT COMES TO SUPPORTING THE EVENT, UM, I JUST THOUGHT IT'D BE, YOU KNOW, CLARIFYING.
JUST TALK ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE, HOW DOES THE EVENT OPERATE? WHAT ARE THE OPERATING EXPENSES? THE NUMBER ONE THING WE SPEND, UH, ALL OF THE OPERATING EXPENSES ON IS, UH, THE FACILITY RENTAL IS THE BIGGEST EXPENSE.
UM, WHAT WE LOVE PALMER EVENT CENTER, IT'S AMAZING.
UH, THE PEOPLE THERE ARE GREAT TO WORK WITH.
IT IS EXPENSIVE, BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S THE LOCATION THAT WE SORT OF IS THE PART OF THE HISTORY OF THE SHOW.
UM, THE MARKETING PROMOTION IS PROBABLY THE SECOND MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM.
WE'RE DOING A LOT OF OUTREACH ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO, UH, BEYOND TEXAS, YOU KNOW, EVEN INCLUDING ALL OF NORTH AMERICA.
WE'RE SEEING AND WE'RE SEEING SEEING VENDORS.
UM, AND, UM, AND SHOPPERS COME FROM, LIKE I SAID, OBVIOUSLY INTERNATIONALLY, BUT EVEN VENDORS COMING FROM, UH, I THINK MORE AND MORE VENDORS ARE COMING FROM MEXICO.
MORE AND MORE VENDORS ARE COMING FROM LIKE CANADA.
UM, AND OCCASIONALLY OBVIOUSLY FROM OVERSEAS AS WELL.
LIKE I MENTIONED WITH LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOMEHOW WORKING OUT THE LOGISTICS OF THAT, IT'S STILL BOGGLES THE MIND THAT THEY'RE SHIPPING BOXES OF VINYL AROUND THE WORLD TO DO THIS.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER REASONS OUR MARKETING PROMOTION BUDGET KEEPS GOING UP IS THAT JUST AUSTIN IS SO EVENT SATURATED, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
UM, OUR FALL SHOW WAS JUST AT THE BE END OF SEPTEMBER, BEGINNING OF OCTOBER, AND THERE'S JUST A TON GOING ON IN AUSTIN AS YOU WELL KNOW, LIKE FORMULA ONE AND, UM, ACL.
AND SO IT'S HARD TO JUST GET THE MESSAGE OUT.
SO WE HAVE TO SPEND A LOT THERE ALSO IN THE SPRING.
YOU KNOW, IT'S USUALLY WE HAPPEN RIGHT AFTER SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
UM, SO THAT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE.
UM, MAY'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER, WHICH IS I THINK WHY THE MAY SHOW IS THE, THE LATE SPRING EARLY SUMMER SHOW IS GROWING A LITTLE BIT MORE RAPIDLY THAN THE FALL ONE.
UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS, UH, UH, INTERESTING.
ACTUALLY, THAT POINT NUMBER FIVE IS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE A SUB-BULLET OF FOUR, WHICH IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE TO TRY TO MAKE THE SHOW MORE ACCESSIBLE AND STIMULATE SALES FOR OUR VENDORS AND MAKE CUSTOMERS HAPPY IS WE'VE, UH, WE RUN A TEXT TO SEARCH SYSTEM.
EVERY SHOW, THIS IS, THIS IS REPLACES OUR VERY OLD SCHOOL WAY OF LIKE, ANNOUNCING WHAT PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO LOOK FOR OVER THE PA.
WE BASICALLY HAVE THIS TEXT MESSAGE SYSTEM WHERE YOU CAN TEXT US WHAT YOU WANT AND WE BROADCAST IT OUT TO ALL THE VENDORS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING AND THEY CAN RESPOND WITH A CODE IF THEY HAVE IT.
AND THEN YOU GET A TEXT MESSAGE BACK SAYING, GO TO TABLE 22.
AND SO YOU CAN GET OUR MAP AND GO FIND THE, THE RECORD THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
IT'S BEEN INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP WITH THE SHOW TO INTRODUCE NEW MECHANISMS LIKE THAT IS, I WAS ALWAYS, I'M ALWAYS CURIOUS TO SEE HOW PEOPLE WOULD REACT TO IT.
YOU CAN IMAGINE THERE'S A LOT OF ANALOG FANS AND INTRODUCING, UH, TECH THINGS INTO THE SHOW COULD BE, PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT FEELINGS ABOUT THAT, BUT ACTUALLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT THE VENDORS HAVE LOVED.
UH, IT HELPS 'EM STIMULATE A LOT OF SALES, UM, WHICH HELP HELPING THEM FIND WAYS TO MAKE MONEY IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND ALSO IT, IT HAS THE, IT'S WORKS ON BOTH SIDES.
IT MAKES CUSTOMERS HAPPIER 'CAUSE THEY FIND WHAT THEY WANT.
IT MAKES VENDORS, YOU KNOW, HAVE MORE SALES.
UM, AS WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE WHY, UM, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND WAYS TO CHARGE MORE FOR THE SHOW.
BECAUSE IF YOU COULD IMAGINE IF YOU'RE A RECORD VENDOR COMING FROM FLORIDA TO ATTEND THIS THING, YOU'VE GOTTA RENT A U-HAUL OR GET A GIANT VAN AND REPAIR YOUR CAR, PAY A WHOLE BUNCH OF GAS, STAY AT HOTELS ALONG THE WAY, GET TO AUSTIN IF THERE'S A FOOTBALL GAME.
THE HOTEL COSTS ARE REALLY HIGH.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF PRE THERE'S ONLY A, THERE'S A LOT OF DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON RAISING THE PRICES THAT I CAN CHARGE VENDORS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT IT JUST WON'T MAKE FINANCIAL SENSE FOR THEM DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH RECORDS THEY'RE SELLING.
I'M TRYING TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO DO THAT BY HELPING 'EM MAKE MORE MONEY USING THAT TEXT OF SEARCH SYSTEM.
UM, BUT, UH, IT'S A CHALLENGE IS, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN EVER, AND OUR, OUR VENDORS THAT ARE, ARE COMING FROM OUTTA TOWN HAVE, UH, A LOT OF EXPENSES AROUND THAT.
AND AS WE GET MORE AND MORE CUSTOMERS FROM OUTTA TOWN, THE SAME IS ALSO TRUE, RIGHT? THE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING FROM FARTHER AND FARTHER
[01:20:01]
AWAY.UM, THE OTHER THING I DON'T HAVE A GOOD DATA SLIDE FOR, FOR A VISUALIZATION OF IS THE NUMBER OF STATES.
LIKE AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE SHOW I SHOWED YOU THAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE OUT OF AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST WITHIN TEXAS.
BUT IF YOU LOOK MORE BROADLY, JUST LIKE THE LIST OF PEOPLE FROM OUT OF STATE ALSO GROWS, IT'S NOT AS HIGH OF A PERCENTAGE NUMBER, BUT IT GETS BIGGER EVERY YEAR.
SO ALL THOSE FOLKS ARE FLYING IN, YOU KNOW, AND AT SOME POINT IT, IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR RARE RECORDS, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT MORE EASILY ABLE TO ABSORB THE, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY SPEAKING, THE HOTEL COSTS AREN AS HIGH, BUT IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR DEALS AND BARGAINS, ESPECIALLY A LOT OF OUR LOCAL CUSTOMERS ARE THEN, YOU KNOW, UM, ALL OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED EVEN WITH PARKING, YOU KNOW, THE PARKING COSTS THAT, THAT GARAGE WENT UP, I THINK EITHER LAST YEAR, I THINK LAST YEAR FROM EIGHT TO 10 OR WHATEVER.
IT'S ONE OF THE OTHER REASONS WHY RAISING OUR TICKET PRICES CAN BE CHALLENGING, BECAUSE AT SOME POINT WE'RE EATING INTO OUR VENDORS, READING INTO THE CUSTOMER'S BUDGET FOR SPENDING MONEY, WHICH THEN AFFECTS OUR VENDORS.
SO THERE'S KIND OF A, A ECONOMIC, YOU KNOW, FLYWHEEL HERE THAT IS, UH, EASY TO BREAK, UM, DEPENDING ON IF WE RAISE PRICES TOO MUCH.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S MOST OF IT.
I THINK THIS MIGHT, YEAH, THAT'S BASICALLY IT.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS OR SORT OF TALK ABOUT, UH, ANY OPPORTUNITIES YOU MIGHT HAVE IN MIND.
THANK YOU FOR, OH, I SHOULD SAY THAT I WAS GONNA REACH OUT TO ERICA, UH, SHAMALI BEFORE THIS.
UM, AND I WASN'T, SHE OBVIOUSLY ISN'T ABLE, WASN'T AVAILABLE TODAY.
UH, WE WERE, WE HAD A PLANNED PHONE CALL.
I WAS GONNA SORT OF PICK HER BRAIN ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES AND WHAT'S POSSIBLE.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, INFORMATION THERE, BUT I'M SORRY.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN, UH, UM, PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION.
UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION, UH, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS ON THE TOPIC FROM THE COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL? YEAH, WELL, I JUST WANNA SAY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MUSIC IN AUSTIN, HERE IS SOMETHING THAT HAS GROWN ON ITS OWN, GOTTEN BIGGER AND BIGGER WITHOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT MUCH AWARENESS FROM THE CITY, FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, WHAT MAKES AUSTIN A GREAT CITY IS THE VITALITY.
AND JUST, YOU KNOW, SO FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU BECAUSE MAKE, MAKING AUSTIN YET ANOTHER MUSIC DESTINATION FOR YET ANOTHER REASON IS PART OF WHAT MAKES AUSTIN GREAT.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS SUPPORTED, UH, IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE SUPPORT OTHER EVENTS.
UH, VINYL IS GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER.
THE COSTS OF VINYL, UH, GO UP AND UP.
I, I'VE BEEN COMING TO THE RECORD CONVENTION FOR, WELL, I FIRST MOVED HERE IN OH SIX, AND THAT WAS MY FIRST RECORD CONVENTION.
SO THE AMOUNT THAT I SPEND AT EACH RECORD CONVENTION GOES UP, UP, UP, UP, UP.
UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT USED TO BE A BAR, YOU KNOW, A, YOU KNOW, BARGAIN, NOW IT'S BECOME, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S NEW RELEASES.
UM, THE RARE STUFF BECOMES, BECOMES RARE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I SEE THIS AS A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP AUSTIN.
IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOT AND HOW CAN WE KEEP THIS, UH, AS, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW, HOW CAN WE KEEP THIS? YEAH, I MEAN, I, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I, AND I'M, UM, I ALSO THINK ABOUT WAYS TO, FOR THE, FOR, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FLIPPING IT AROUND, I THINK OF WAYS THAT THE RECORD SHOW COULD HELP SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, LIVE MUSIC IN AUSTIN AS WELL.
AND WE'VE, WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HAVING BANDS AND OR DJS THERE WOULD BE A NATURAL FIT, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, IT'S TRICKY BECAUSE THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED INTO THIS, AND IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO NOW, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ASCAP AND BMI FEES ARE SIGNIFICANT.
LIKE THEY DO, THEY'RE MORE THAN OUR WHOLE MARKETING BUDGET IN SOME CASES.
UM, YOU KNOW, PAYING MUSICIANS TO PERFORM WOULD BE GREAT.
WE NEED ACTUALLY ADDITIONAL FACILITY SPACE TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT KIND OF CAN, IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL, YOU CAN MAKE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HARDCORE SHOPPERS FOR VINYL KIND OF UNHAPPY BY HAVING A BAND ROCKING OUT AND, YOU KNOW, OVER TO ONE SIDE OF THE STAGE.
SO WE KIND OF, IF WE EVER GET A CHANCE TO EXPAND INTO, UH, BOTH HALLS AT PALMER, WE COULD PROBABLY WORK THAT OUT.
WE'VE ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT DOING SOMETHING ON THE PORTICO, BUT OF ALL THAT COSTS MONEY TOO.
SO AT SOME POINT THERE'S A, A, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT, SOME OF THESE THINGS, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE ALL SORTS OF DREAMS ABOUT COOL THINGS WE COULD DO AROUND THAT, IT'S, IT'S SLOW GOING.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOSE THINGS COST, UH, MONEY AND IT'S HARD TO, UH, SOME OF IT'S JUSTIFIED THE EXPENSE THERE.
BUT, UM, I THINK THERE ARE, UM, AND, AND IT'S INTERESTING, LIKE THERE'S SO MANY MUSICIANS THAT ARE WORKING AT RECORD STORES THAT ARE VENDORS,
IT'S SORT OF A CIRCUITOUS WAY TO GET BACK TO THE LOCAL MUSICIANS THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING.
BUT, BUT THEY'RE DEFINITELY THERE.
AND THIS IS ANOTHER WAY THAT THEY'RE, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKING MONEY IS BE BY, UM, SLINGING VINYL.
[01:25:01]
IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY I FEEL LIKE IT IS, UH, IN ITS OWN WAY SUPPORTING, UH, LIVE MUSIC, LIKE I SAID, IN A LITTLE BIT MORE ROUNDABOUT FASHION.BUT HELPING THESE MUSICIANS GET TOGETHER AND, AND MAKE A LIVING WITH THEIR, IF THEY'RE IN THE VINYL BUSINESS, IS, UM, YEAH.
UM, FIR, FIRST QUESTION, AND I DO, I GREATLY APOLOGIZE FOR THIS.
CAN YOU GIVE ME YOUR NAME AGAIN? OH, YEAH.
MY NAME IS NATHAN S UM, MR. NERS.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS.
I, I, I GREATLY, UH, APPRECIATE, UM, EVERY, EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAD TO SAY ABOUT, ABOUT THIS BY, I GUESS, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS IS ABOUT KIND OF LIKE THE CITY ASKING, YOU KNOW, LIKE, OR THE CITY BEING ABLE TO, TO SUPPORT, UM, THE RECORD CONVENTION.
UH, BY QUESTION WOULD BE, IF YOU LIKE, HAD A GENIE OR A MAGIC WAND, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD CITY SUPPORT LOOK LIKE FOR THE OFFICER RECORD CONVENTION? YEAH, I MEAN, IT, YOU KNOW, AS MENTIONED EARLIER IN THIS VERY MEETING, LIKE SUBSIDIZING LIVE PERFORMANCE WOULD BE GREAT IF I COULD FIND A WAY TO PAY MUSICIANS, YOU KNOW, A MEANINGFUL, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, AMOUNT TO PERFORM AT THE EVENT.
ESPECIALLY IF I, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE FACILITY COST IS ANOTHER THING COMPLETELY, BUT IF I COULD WORK IT ALL OUT, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, UM, BANDS, UM, PERFORMING.
UM, PEOPLE COME TO, ONE OF THE REASONS THE RECORD SHOW HAS GROWN HAS BECOME SUCCESSFUL OVER THE YEARS IS BECAUSE AUSTIN IS SUCH A GREAT FIT FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BECAUSE OF OUR LIVE MUSIC SCENE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ATTRACTING MUSIC SUPER FANS TO THIS EVENT, AND OF COURSE THEY WANT TO COME AND SEE LIVE MUSIC WHEN THEY'RE HERE.
UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER LIVE PERFORMANCE IS AT THE RECORD SHOW OR AT SOME PARTNER EVENT OR SPONSORED EVENT, UM, SPONSORED BY, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER VENUE, CITY OF AUSTIN, THAT'D BE AMAZING.
THERE'S MORE PRACTICAL THINGS, HONESTLY, LIKE THE, I DUNNO IF THIS IS WITHIN THE POWER, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS GONNA TALK TO ERICA SHAMALI ABOUT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S IN THE POWER OF THE CITY TO DO LIKE, IT, IT WOULD BE AMAZING TO GET, UH, THE PARKING COSTS ARE SIGNIFICANT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE MORE, THEY'RE TWICE THE PRICE OF OUR GENERAL ADMISSION.
SO BEING ABLE TO OFFER ATTENDEES A BREAK ON THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S IN THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY, BUT IT WOULD BE A HUGE HELP.
UM, IT WOULD GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE WIGGLE ROOM IF WE EVER DID NEED TO EXPAND OUR, UH, INCREASE OUR, UH, GENERAL ADMISSION PRICE.
LIKE I SAID, WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN 40 YEARS.
IT'S NOT 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO, IT'S JUST 'CAUSE WE'RE AFRAID OF, OF MESSING UP THE, THE ECONOMICS FOR OUR, UH, ATTENDEES AND OUR SHOPPERS.
BUT I THINK, UM, THERE'S OTHER THINGS TOO.
I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S WAYS THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN PROMOTE THE RECORD SHOW, UH, ALONGSIDE OTHER FESTIVALS AND THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUELY AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE THAT'S ABOUT ATTRACTING TOURISTS FROM FARTHER ABROAD, YOU KNOW, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OR OR OUTSIDE FARTHER FIELD IN TEXAS.
THAT WOULD BE, UH, A GREAT HELP.
THAT'S WHY I KIND OF DID THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR OPERATING COSTS, RIGHT? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WIGGLE ROOM THERE'S ON SOMETHING LIKE THE FACILITY RENTAL, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY OUR NUMBER ONE EXPENSE.
BUT, UM, EVEN IN THE MARKETING AREA, THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF COOL OPPORTUNITIES THERE WHERE I, I FEEL LIKE, UM, IT'S THE KIND OF THING PEOPLE GET A BIG KICK OUT OF WHEN THEY ATTEND IT.
IT'S, IT'S, DESPITE ALL MY BEST EFFORTS, IT'S STILL A LITTLE BIT OF A SECRET DEPENDING ON, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE AUSTIN, TEXAS, YOU'RE FROM.
UM, I'M ASHAMED TO SAY THAT ACTUALLY
BUT, UM, THERE'S SOME SORT OF, UH, VENN DIAGRAM OF, YOU KNOW, MUSICIAN, VINYL FAN, YOU KNOW, PAYING ATTENTION TO WHATEVER, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, TARGETED ADS I'M RUNNING WHERE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD COME TO AUSTIN FOR IT.
UM, SO ANYWAY, GETTING IT ONTO MORE CALENDARS, MORE, UH, PROMOTIONAL STUFF WOULD BE ANOTHER MAGIC WAND THING I WOULD PROBABLY WAVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE, THOSE ARE THE TOP TIER ITEMS, YOU KNOW, SAVING, UM, UH, EVEN INDIRECTLY SAVING ON COSTS, LIKE THE PARKING GARAGE IDEA, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, IT WOULD BE VERY PRACTICAL.
SO, UM, BUT HONESTLY, I MEAN, THERE'S, THIS IS WHY I WAS REALLY INTERESTED TO TALK WITH, UM, ERICHO, AND WE'LL STILL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, HOPEFULLY LATER THIS WEEK OR NEXT.
BUT I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY OPPORTUNITIES THAT I'M NOT EVEN AWARE OF.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, WE'VE BEEN DOING THINGS, UH, PRETTY SIMILARLY FOR 40 YEARS, SO I'M TRYING TO, UH, INNOVATE, UM, WITHOUT CHANGING THE FUNDAMENTAL NATURE OF THIS EVENT.
IF I, YOU KNOW, MADE IT TOO CORPORATE OR STARTED HAVING PANELS TALKING ABOUT HOW TO MANUFACTURE VINYL, I MEAN, THAT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT AUDIENCE.
YOU KNOW, WE REALLY LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S A BUNCH OF MUSIC SUPER FANS, AND IT FEELS KINDA LIKE A COMIC CON FOR, YOU KNOW, MUSICIANS AND, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPER INTO MUSIC, IS THE BEST WAY I CAN DESCRIBE IT, IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN, IT'S, UH, UH, IT'S VERY MUCH A COMMUNITY KINDA ORIENTED EVENT, SO I DON'T REALLY WANNA BREAK THAT, UM, EVEN IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST TO, FOR THE SAKE OF GROWING THE SHOW.
UM, BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, I'M SURE THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT I'M, I'M SUPER INTERESTED TO HEAR ABOUT.
IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU EVER WANNA REACH OUT TO ME, IF YOU HAVE MORE IDEAS, UM, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, WHICH IS AUSTIN RECORDS.COM.
WE HAVE A CONTACT FORM ON THERE, WHICH BASICALLY JUST GOES TO ME, SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU IF YOU HAVE MORE ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS.
[01:30:01]
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I THINK, UM, UH, WHEN YOU, WHEN WE GET INTO THE REALM OF PRESENTING ART, MUSIC, UM, I THINK THAT ITSELF AUTOMATICALLY DOES OPEN UP SOME AVENUES ON THE GRANT, UM, ON THE GRANTS CITY GRANT SIDE FOR YOU, THAT I WOULD REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, RECOMMEND THAT, UH, THAT YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK AT FOR NEXT YEAR.UH, AND FURTHER ON FROM THERE.
UM, MY, MY, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT, UM, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH ERICA AS WELL.
UH, THIS IS UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS BASED ON, UH, ANY FURTHER IDEAS THAT THE COMMISSIONERS MIGHT HAVE, OR, UM, ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US, UM, OVER EMAIL, YOU COULD REACH OUT TO ERICA AND, AND HAVE HER, UM, COMMUNICATE SOME IDEAS TO US.
UM, AND, UH, IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE CAN HELP THROUGH A RECOMMENDATION IN THE NEXT, UH, COMMISSION MEETING, THEN WE, WE COULD DO THAT.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
AND, UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL AS WELL FOR, UH, UM, UH, PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, THE NEXT TOPIC IS, UM, ON THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS DISCUSSION FOLLOWING BRIEFING ON AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL UPDATES.
UM, I THINK WE MOVED THIS TO THE DECEMBER AGENDA.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPEAKERS FROM C THREE, UM, OR FOR, FROM ACL, UM, FESTIVAL AS BROWN.
UH, SO WE'LL MOVE THAT AND, UH, TO, TO NEXT MONTH.
AND, UH, THE EARLIER ITEM MAYBE SEE IF WE WANT TO MOVE THAT UNDER DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION FOR NEXT TIME.
[11. Discussion and possible action on recommendation to create a Convention Center Expansion Advisory Board, following update from Joint Arts and Music Urban Core Land Use Working Group.]
UM, TOPIC ON TODAY'S AGENDA IS UNDER DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON RECOMMENDATION TO CREATE A CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION ADVISORY BOARD FOLLOWING UPDATE FROM JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC, URBAN CORE LAND USE WORKING GROUP, UM, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON OR GOLD, UH, WHO'S TAKING THIS? YEAH, PLEASE GO AHEAD.YEAH, I CAN TAKE THIS UPDATE AND THEN LAUREN, FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN.
UH, SO YEAH, THE, THIS JOINT WORKING GROUP WE'VE GOT, THERE'S, UH, TWO ARTS COMMISSIONERS AND THEN TWO MUSIC COMMISSIONERS, LAUREN AND MYSELF, AND I'VE TALKED TO Y'ALL ABOUT THAT BEFORE.
AND THEN WE, WE'VE ALSO GOT SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT WE'VE, UM, DISCUSSED IS THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION.
UH, THIS WAS RECENTLY, UM, COUNCIL RECENTLY APPROVED A $1.2 BILLION CONTRACT, UH, WITH A PAIR OF CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES FOR THE DESIGN OF THIS, UM, DESIGN AND BUILD.
AND, UH, THEY ALSO HAVE A, THEY'RE PLANNING TO DO, UM, A, A COMMUNITY, I GUESS THEY HAVE A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN.
SO SOME OF THAT WILL INVOLVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
I, I BELIEVE THEY'RE PLANNING TO ENGAGE A FIRM.
I THINK THEY HAD A, ABOUT A, A A MILLION DOLLARS TO SPEND ON THAT.
SO BECAUSE THE CON THE CONVENTION CENTER DIRECTLY IMPACTS, UM, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES AND ALSO IS BRINGING IN SO MANY VISITORS, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR VISIBILITY FOR MUSICIANS THERE.
UM, ALSO CULTURAL ARTISTS, UH, PROMOTIONS.
AND IT'S JUST, IT'S SUCH A, A LARGE USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS THAT, UM, WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE LAND USE WORKING GROUP IS HOW, HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT THERE ARE PUBLIC BENEFIT, PUBLIC BENEFITS FOR ALL OF AUSTIN TO BE DERIVED FROM THIS VERY LARGE CAPITAL PROJECT.
UM, SO THERE ARE PRECEDENTS IN PLACE FOR THE, THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.
SO LIKE THERE'S, UM, DEVELOPMENT PLANNED ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT, WHICH HAD AN A APPOINT A CITY APPOINTED ADVISORY BOARD, ALSO PROJECT CONNECT FOR THEIR ANTI DISPLACEMENT FUND.
THAT'S, UM, THEY HAVE $300 MILLION TO SPEND FOR THAT.
THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF APPOINTING A COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD.
SO, UM, OUR GROUP HAS SENT A, BASICALLY A POSITION LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL AND THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION TEAM, UH, RECOMMENDING THE CREATION OF A ADVISOR, CONVENTION CENTER, ADVISORY BOARD THAT'S MADE UP OF, UM, STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING MUSIC AND ARTS.
[01:35:01]
SO THAT'S JUST, UH, SO WE DID SEND A LETTER FROM THE GROUP TO COUNCIL, BUT THAT'S NOT AN OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATION.SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE, UM, OR MY HOPE IS THAT MUSIC COMMISSION TONIGHT COULD SEND AN OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL ON THAT AND RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL DIRECT THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION TEAM TO FORM A COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE EXPANSION.
AND AGAIN, I JUST WANNA MAKE THE POINT THAT, SO SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD LIKE THAT INVOLVES A, AN EXPENDITURE THAT WAS A, A TAX INCREMENT, UM, WHAT'S CALLED THE TURS.
AND THAT WAS A EXPENSE TO THE CITY OF, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AROUND $300 MILLION PROJECT CONNECT.
THE DISPLACEMENT FUND AROUND $300 MILLION.
OVERALL, THAT'S LIKE A $7 BILLION PROJECT.
SO THIS IS A $1.2 BILLION, UM, EXPENDITURE THAT REALLY DIRECTLY IMPACTS MUSIC AND ARTS.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHY WE FEEL LIKE, BECAUSE THERE'S A PRECEDENT FOR THESE CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARDS AND, UH, THAT THIS IS ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE AND ALSO FITS WITH, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION TEAM'S STATED GOAL OF HAVING, UM, A COMMUNICATIONS, A ROBUST COMMUNICATIONS EFFORT, UM, FOR THE, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE EXPANSION.
UM, SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? THANK YOU, UH, UH, FOR, UM, SHARING THE INFORMATION, UH, COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR PATTERSON, UM, I WAS, UM, CURIOUS IF, UM, AND, AND KIND OF SHOUTED A BIT ABOUT THIS, UM, IS, UH, IS THERE ALREADY ANYTHING, AN EXISTING BODY THAT, BECAUSE THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION IS MUSIC ARTS AND ENCOMPASSES SO MANY OTHER THINGS, UM, IS THERE AN ADVISORY BODY OF ANY SORT THAT WE ARE AWARE OF THAT ALREADY EXISTS THAT, THAT WE CAN PLUG INTO TO, NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
WE DID, UH, CC THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, EXPANSION DIRECTORS ON THE, THAT LETTER.
AND SO THEY DID NOT CHIME IN AND SAY, HEY, WE'VE ALREADY GOT THAT.
AND I KNOW, LAUREN, YOU'VE, YOU'VE SPOKEN DIRECTLY WITH KATIE OR TRICIA, DID THEY SAY THAT THERE WAS ALREADY SOMETHING IN PLACE LIKE THIS AND, AND YOU WERE LOOKING TO GET, GET SOMEBODY TO SPEAK TODAY AS WELL, RIGHT? I HAD, I REQUESTED, AND I, I, I, THAT DID, DID YOU NOT GET A RESPONSE BACK ON THAT? I, I DID NOT GET A RESPONSE.
SO YEAH, THE REQUEST WAS JUST TO HAVE THEM COME AND TALK TO US MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT COMMUNICATIONS PLAN WOULD ENTAIL.
GO, UH, NO, THERE, THERE WASN'T SOMETHING ALREADY IN PLACE.
UM, AND, AND I THINK I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY SUGGESTING THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION OR COMMISSIONERS BE THIS ADVISORY BOARD THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING THAT THEY CREATE THIS ADVISORY BOARD MAY OR MAY NOT INCLUDE ANY.
I MEAN, IF, IF ANYBODY ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION WANTS TO TRY TO BE A PART OF THAT, I'M SURE, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE A THING, BUT IT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NE THAT WE'RE TAKING ON FROM THE COMMISSION.
IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THEY DO THE IDEA.
THE IDEA BEING THAT THERE ARE STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE MUSIC AND ARTS COMMUNITY THAT ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND GIVE SOME INPUTS, ESSENTIALLY, DOESN'T MATTER HOW THEY EXACTLY, BECAUSE BECAUSE WE WANNA, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE, UH, THAT THERE'S REPRESENTATION FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES WHEN THEY ARE PLANNING THIS ENORMOUS PROJECT BECAUSE, UM, YEAH, OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT, UM, FOR THOSE VOICES TO MAKE ANY IMPACT ON THAT PROCESS.
I THINK, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A SPECIFIC, THAT'S WHY WE'RE SUGGESTING THIS SPECIFIC ADVISORY BOARD, SO THAT THERE'S A, AN OFFICIAL PIPELINE FROM, UM, THOSE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS IN MUSIC AND ARTS, UM, DIRECTLY TO THE PLANNING OF THIS HUGE EXPANSION.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT STAKEHOLDERS IN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY, THAT TO WHOM THIS CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION IS IMPORTANT, ARE WE TALKING MAINLY ABOUT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST? UH, NO.
I MEAN, I THINK SOUTH BY CERTAINLY IS A STAKEHOLDER
SO LIKE, BUT I FEEL LIKE THE CONVENTION CENTER CAN ALSO IMPACT, YOU KNOW, SMALLER VENUES, UH, THROUGH PROMOTION.
UH, IT CAN IMPACT MUSICAL ARTISTS THROUGH PERFORMANCE SPACE.
[01:40:01]
MULTIPLE, I THINK, OPPORTUNITIES THERE FOR MUSIC BUSINESSES.UM, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THE AUSTIN RECORD CONVENTION COULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF A STAKEHOLDER, YOU KNOW, IN THIS PROCESS.
SO RATHER THAN, I MEAN, THERE'S SO MUCH GRANULAR DETAIL THAT AS A COMMISSION, LIKE WE COULD GET INTO JUST, JUST THE MUSIC PART, UH, AS RELATED TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, BUT IT DOES IMPACT LOTS OF PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, HOSPITALITY WORKERS, UM, ARTISTS CAN HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
SO THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S WHY THE ARTS COMMISSION IS, IS EQUALLY INTERESTED IN THIS AND SUPPORTS, UH, THIS PARTICULAR INITIATIVE.
UM, SO, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH THAT I JUST, I THINK IT'S ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE THAT A BODY BE CREATED SPECIFICALLY TO DEAL WITH, WITH THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO AS LAUREN SAID, IT WOULDN'T SPECIFICALLY BE MUSIC COMMISSION MEMBERS.
THERE WOULD BE A FORMAL, FORMAL APPLICATION PROCESS.
SO LIKE THAT'S ONGOING RIGHT NOW FOR THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
LIKE THEY'RE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS, UM, FOR MEMBERS TO JOIN THAT, THAT ADVISORY BOARD.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I FEEL, YOU KNOW, THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION TEAM, UH, WOULD BE DIRECTED TO LEAD, OR THE, THE FIRM THAT THEY'RE ENGAGING, UH, TO DO COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH COULD CERTAINLY HELP FACILITATE THE FORMATION OF THIS BOARD.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UM, AND I THINK, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
YEAH, SO, UH, THE, IN, IN THESE DISCUSSIONS THAT, THAT, THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN HAVING, UH, WELL, I'M, I'M GONNA PREFACE, I'M GONNA FRAME IT WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, THE CONVICTION CENTER IS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DEBT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT, IT, IT DOESN'T FOR AT LEAST FOR, UH, PRE COVID, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS LATELY, BUT IT HASN'T REALLY PRODUCED MUCH OF A PROFIT, UM, UH, PRE COVID.
AND THEN WE HAD COVID, AND THEN, UM, NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THE ENTIRE LIVE MUSIC FUND IS, IS, IS TIED TO, UM, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX DOLLARS THAT ARE GENERATED AND, AND, AND THAT GO TO THE CONVENTION CENTER MOSTLY OF WHICH IS GOING TO BASICALLY PAY DOWN DEBT.
SO, UM, THIS IS, UM, I MEAN, I HAVEN'T HAD A WHOLE LOT OF TIME TO, TO, TO REALLY LASER FOCUS ON THIS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS QUITE ALARMING.
AND I, AND I'M, I'M, I'M ASKING THE QUESTION.
THERE'S THE FRAME, I'M ASKING THE QUESTION.
HAVE YOU GUYS LIKE TALKED TO ANYONE FROM THE CITY ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT OR ANY OF, IN ANY OF THESE PEOPLE THAT, IN THESE MEETINGS THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN HAD, HAS THERE BEEN ANY, YOU KNOW, TALKS FROM ANY PEOPLE THAT ARE LIKE OPPOSING THE CONSIDER EXPANSION OR ANY OF THIS STUFF, OR ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT AT ALL? YES.
SO, UM, SO THE SPEND WITH THE CON ON THE CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN APPROVED BY COUNSEL.
BUT ONE OF THE ASKS IN OUR LETTER RECOMMENDATIONS IN OUR LETTER WAS, UM, THE PROVISION OF A FRESH FINANCIAL UPDATE POST COVID AND THE COMPARISON OF HOW HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES MIGHT BE AFFECTED, UM, BY THE CLOSURE, UH, DURING, DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IF WE HAVE A BOARD FORMED, YEAH, A BOARD IS FORMED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE, TO OVERSEE THE EXPANSION, THEN NOW THEY WOULD HAVE FORMAL MEETINGS.
AND SO SCOTT, LIKE YOU COULD GO BEFORE THEM DURING THEIR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION PERIOD AND SAY, HEY, LIKE, I HAVE THIS RULE, THIS CONCERN ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT SERVICING THAT STILL EXISTS FOR THE CURRENT CONVENTION CENTER, AND I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK FOR THIS NEW PROJECT, WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY MORE EXPENSIVE.
AND SO THEN THAT BOARD CAN DISCUSS THAT AND THEY CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION THEY WOULD LIKE, THEY WOULD LIKE THE EXPANSION TEAM TO PROVIDE.
BUT AS FAR AS LIKE A DISCUSSION OF LIKE, WHETHER OR NOT THE EXPANSION SHOULD HAPPEN OR WILL HAPPEN, I, I MEAN, I KIND OF FEEL LIKE THAT SHIP HAS SAILED.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE EXPENDITURE'S BEEN APPROVED.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THE, IS A BE, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN BE THE MO WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT, LIKE THE HIGHEST AND
[01:45:01]
BEST PUBLIC BENEFIT THAT CAN COME OUT OF THIS? UM, SO THAT WE DON'T, I THINK WORST CASE SCENARIOS, WE HAVE A REALLY EXPENSIVE PROJECT BUILT, AND IT'S A SERIES OF MOSTLY, MOST OF THE TIME EMPTY BALLROOMS. LIKE NOBODY WANTS A BIG BOX THAT DOESN'T SERVE THE COMMUNITY.UM, BUT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MUCH TO TACKLE HERE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE, YOU KNOW, IS AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN, WHEN, YOU KNOW, DELVING INTO FINANCIALS TO SAY LIKE, OH, WELL, MAYBE IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE $1.2 BILLION.
OR, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE ALL OF THAT IS LIKE, THAT IS SO MUCH MATH AND IT'S SUCH A BIG NUMBER THAT IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I, YOU KNOW, IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
LIKE, WHAT IF IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, WHAT IF THE CONVENTION CENTER DEBT IS SO GREAT THAT IT DOES NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES? I MEAN, REALLY, THAT I THINK IS THE BIGGEST QUESTION.
OR HOW CAN IT BE IN ADDITION TO GROWING HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES, HOW CAN IT SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC IN AUSTIN? LIKE, I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE A LOT OF INTENTIONALITY AROUND THAT.
AND, AND LAUREN TOOK LAUREN'S, IT WAS LAUREN'S SUGGESTION, LIKE, HEY, WHAT IF THERE WAS A BOARD? AND I THINK THAT THAT IS JUST BRILLIANT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT THERE CAN BE THIS BODY THAT IS DEVOTED TO ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER COLE, PLEASE.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, IN CHARLOTTE AND YEAH, UM, SCOTT, I, I, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN HAVING THAT CONVERSATION FOR A COUPLE YEARS NOW,
UM, SO WE'VE DEFINITELY BEEN THROUGH THAT RINGER.
AND, UM, HOWEVER WE MIGHT FEEL ABOUT THE EXPANSION, IT IS WHERE, WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW ON IT IS LIKE, YES, IT'S BEEN APPROVED, SO HOW CAN WE MAKE IT THE, UM, MAKE IT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY, UH, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, UM, WITH WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY DECIDED TO DO.
SO IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WE CAN'T NECESSARILY STOP IT FROM HAPPENING, SO LET'S MAKE SURE THAT IT IS, UM, REALLY BENEFICIAL TO THIS COMMUNITY AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE MORE WEIRD ADULT DISNEYLAND AUSTIN, WHICH IS MM-HMM.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT.
LIKE, DEFINITELY AWARE OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND, UM, THIS IS KIND OF OUR WAY OF SAYING LIKE, ALRIGHT, LET'S, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THERE ARE ENOUGH DIVERSE VOICES PART OF THAT PROCESS.
SO, SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU TAKE, SO I THINK A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE I 35 EXPANSION PROJECT, RIGHT? LIKE THAT'S, IT'S A PRETTY HOT BUTTON ISSUE WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, COUNSEL AND AUSTIN RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, THERE'S A PUSH, IT'S BEEN APPROVED, BUT THERE'S BEEN A PUSH TO ACTUALLY STOP OR AT LEAST PAUSE THAT DEVELOPMENT FROM ACTUALLY EVEN HAPPENING.
SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST, I MEAN, YEAH, IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S BEEN, THE MONEY'S APPROVED AND, AND, AND ALL THIS STUFF IS, IT'S BEEN HAPPENING, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH ENOUGH PUBLIC PRESSURE, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE SHOULD BE PUBLIC PRESSURE AROUND THIS, I'M JUST SAYING THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING'S BEEN APPROVED AND SOMETHING'S MOVED THROUGH AND THERE'S FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT, THAT IT WON'T ACTUALLY, THAT THAT IT WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN, RIGHT? LIKE, IT CAN ACTUALLY BE PAUSED.
SO I WOULD SAY, AND I, I, I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY, UM, THAT I WOULD LOVE SOME KIND OF PRESENTATION FROM, HONESTLY, I WOULD LIKE FOR THE CITY ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT, UM, TO COME FORWARD WITH US AND, AND, AND GIVE A PRESENTATION ON, UM, THEIR TAKE ON THE CONVENTION CENTER OR SOMEONE JUST FROM, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER SIDE.
I DON'T, I, FOR ME PERSONALLY, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING ON HAVING, YOU KNOW, AN ADVISORY BOARD APPROVED FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, THE EXPANSION OF THE CONVICTIONS CENTER, BECAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THAT TO EVEN MAKE A, A, A HEALTHY ASSESSMENT OF IT.
BUT, UM,
I THINK WE HAD, DIDN'T WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE PRESENTATIONS, UM, SOMETIME LAST YEAR, OR, YEAH, LAURA TEMPLETON, UH, DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONER, WHO'S ALSO, UM, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE CAPITAL
[01:50:01]
OR WAIT, CITY ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT YEAH.CAME AND SPOKE WITH US BUS OH, YEAH, YEAH.
SCOTT, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
THE CONCERN ABOUT, UH, WHAT HAPPENS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER BEING SOMETHING THAT IMPACTS THE CHARACTER OF ALL OF AUSTIN, AND I FEEL THAT'S SOMETHING THAT GETS DECIDED AT A LEVEL THAT'S MUCH HIGHER THAN MUSIC.
I MEAN, I LOVE, I LOVE MUSIC, BUT YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE WEIGH IN STRONGLY EITHER FOR OR AGAINST THIS CONVENTION CENTER, WE'RE NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE CONSIDERED AS A HEAVY HITTER.
EITHER IT WILL, UH, EITHER IT WILL HA EITHER IT WILL GET EXPANDED OR IT WON'T GET EXPANDED.
AND I THINK WHAT LAUREN AND AND CHARLOTTE ARE SUGGESTING IS THAT WE AT LEAST HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE FOR WHATEVER HAPPENS, TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF MUSIC, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS, AND IF IT, AND IT DOES SEEM THAT WE'RE ON THE DIRECTION OF EXPANSION, THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS WILL PROVIDE WORK FOR MUSICIANS OPPORTUNITY TO MARKET AUSTIN AS A CONVENTION DESTINATION BASED ON THE PRESENCE OF MUSIC.
I, I DON'T THINK THIS, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T SEE OUR AGREEING OR, OR ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE HAVE THIS COMMISSION, OR WHAT IS IT, UH, THIS BOARD.
I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THAT AS NECESSARILY WEIGHING IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ABOUT WHETHER THIS THING GETS BUILT.
BUT I DO SEE IT AS US HAVING A VOICE IN WHATEVER DECISION GETS MADE.
UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, STRICKLAND, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? UH, YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT, ORIN.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
LIKE THE RECOMMENDING THAT THE ADVISORY BOARD BE FORMED IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OR A, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S, IT'S A NEUTRAL POSITION.
IT'S JUST SAYING THAT WE WANT THERE TO BE OVERSIGHT ON THE PROCESS.
UM, SO IT'S PRETTY, I MEAN, AND THAT BOARD CAN TAKE UP WHATEVER BATTLES THEY WANT.
UM, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK TO THEM, YOU KNOW, AS COMMISSIONERS.
SO, UM, I WOULD MOTION THAT, SO I HAVE A, I HAVE A MOTION, I, I MOTION THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION RECOMMEND THAT CITY COUNCIL DIRECT, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION TEAM TO FORM A CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'D LIKE TO SECOND THAT.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM, UH, SO THERE'S A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER PATTERSON TO ASKING CITY COUNCIL TO, OR RECOMMENDING, UH, CITY COUNCIL TO ASK THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION TEAM TO CREATE A CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD.
AND, UM, AND WE HAVE A SECOND SONG FROM COMMISSIONER GOLD.
DO WE, DO WE NEED TO SPECIFY INCLUDING, UM, MEMBERS OF THE MUSIC AND ARTS COMMUNITY? OH, YEAH.
UH, SO LET ME STATE THAT AGAIN.
UM, SO I MOTION THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION RECOMMEND TO CITY COUNCIL.
RECOMMEND THAT CITY COUNCIL DIRECT THE CONVENTION CENTER ADVISORY TEAM TO FORM A CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION THAT INCLUDES STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE MUSIC AND ARTS COMMUNITIES.
SO, UH, IF I MAY JUST QUICKLY, THE CONVENTION CENTER, UH, EXPANSION TEAM YOU MEANT? YES.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, OR WE HAVE A, UH, TO RECOMMEND THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, THAT THEY ASK THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION TEAM TO CREATE A CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD THAT IS INCLUSIVE OF MUSIC AND ARTS, UM, STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER GOLD.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THIS UP FOR
[01:55:01]
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE.I JUST HAVE A COMMENT THAT I, I I, I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA.
UM, I, FOR PERSONALLY, I'M VERY OPEN TO HOW IT MANIFESTS.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT WHATEVER THIS COMMUNICATION TEAM IS WORKING ON, UH, HAS, HAS A PROPOSAL OR I, I'M WONDER IF DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE IS ALREADY IN, INVOLVED IN SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.
SO IN WHATEVER FORM IT MANIFESTS, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, I, I FEEL THAT THAT'S OKAY AS LONG AS THE ENGAGEMENT IS THERE, BASICALLY.
UM, BUT THAT, UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE? ALRIGHT, SO, ALL IN FAVOR? ALRIGHT, THE MOTION PASSES, UH, UNANIMOUSLY.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
GREAT.UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. WE HAVE, UM, LIVE MUSIC, FUN COLLECTIONS, UPDATE BY KIM CARSON.
WE PUT THAT BACK IN LIVE MUSIC, UH, VENUE.
I DON'T THINK THIS SHOULD BE A VENUE SUMMIT VIRTUAL MEETING UPDATE, BUT RATHER, UH, LIVE MUSIC WHEN YOU, UH, INCLUSION CRITERIA INTO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
WOULD THAT BE, OR RECOMMENDATIONS? WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME, UH, ALL RIGHT.
SO FOLLOW UP ON INCLUSION OF, UH, UH, LIVE MUSIC VENUES INTO THE LIVE MUSIC EVENT FUND PROGRAM.
AND THEN, UH, THE NEXT ONE, WE WILL ALSO INCLUDE DISCUSSION ON LIVE MUSIC FUND EVENT PROGRAM FOLLOWING UPDATE BY RIKA SHALI.
WE'LL PUT THAT BACK IN, UM, DISCUSSION ON UPCOMING.
YEAH, A CALENDAR FOR UPCOMING, UH, FOR, UH, UPCOMING EVENTS.
PARDON ME? I JUST, I SENT A TEXT.
SO I WAS JUST ADDING, WE'VE LOST, JUST TRYING TO GROUP THESE.
ARE ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
SO I'LL JUST CONTINUE WITH THE LIST OF KNOWN ITEMS AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL REQUEST COMMISSIONERS TO ADD ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SO DISCUSSION ON, UH, CREATING A CALENDAR OF, UH, UH, MUSIC EVENTS FUNDED BY THE LIVE MUSIC FUND PROGRAM.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SEE IF CITI HAS AN, A STAFF, HAS AN UPDATE ON THAT DISCUSSION ON ALL AGES SHOWS AND HOW WE SUPPORT YOUTH IN AUSTIN.
WE'LL KEEP THAT DISCUSSION ON, OKAY.
WE WILL HAVE A LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCE.
SO THAT WILL BE THE FIRST
WE'LL REACH OUT AND SEE IF WE COULD BRING SOMEBODY IN FROM, UM, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL TO SPEAK ON THAT.
AND, UH, ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? UM, ANYONE ONLINE? DID, DID WE SAY ALL AGES OR IS IT, IS ARE WE, ARE WE PUTTING THAT BACK IN? ARE WE ADDED? YEAH, WE ADDED ALL AGENTS BACK IN.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, MR. ALL RIGHT.
UM, COULD SOMEBODY MOTION TO APPROVE ALL OF THESE, UH, AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MEETING? MOTION TO APPROVE ALL THE AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
A SECOND FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
ALL IN FAVOR? ALRIGHT, THE MOTION PASSES, UH, UNANIMOUSLY AS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY, UH, MOTION TO ADJOURN.
I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT, UM, FOR SURE WHEN THE, THE CONCERTS AT THE NEXT MEETING SHOULD, WOULD BE HELD SO THAT WE CAN EITHER TIE DOWN THE ACTS THAT ARE GOING TO PERFORM.
I, I THINK, UM, NOW, COMMISSIONER
[02:00:01]
DE VILLA, THAT, THAT, I THINK WE CAN GET A CONFIRMATION OVER EMAIL ON THAT.AND, AND WE'LL DEFINITELY HAVE THEM AT THE START OF THE MEETING, SO YES.
A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER DILLA.
A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
ALL IN FAVOR ALL COLE MOTION PASSES.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.