[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER]
ON NOVEMBER 6TH.THIS IS THE NOVEMBER MEETING OF THE ARTS COMMISSION.
IF I COULD HAVE MY COMMISSIONERS COME ON SCREEN.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND START WITH ROLL, AND WE'LL START WITH OUR ONLINE FOLKS.
UH, COMMISSIONER CEI HERE PRESENT.
AND THEN IN THE ROOM WE HAVE COMMISSIONER KY, COMMISSIONER GRAY, COMMISSIONER MACH HERE.
AND I'M SEEING COMMISSIONER MALDONADO JUST JOINED US ON SCREEN.
COMMISSIONER MALDONADO A PRESENT.
AND I THINK WE'LL HAVE A COUPLE MORE JOINING US AS WE GET GOING HERE.
NEXT UP IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY FOLKS SIGNED UP? NOBODY SIGNED IT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
GONNA MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR OUR OCTOBER MEETING.COMMISSIONER GRAY MOTIONS TO APPROVE.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I ACTUALLY HAD A CORRECTION.
IT'S A VERY MINOR CORRECTION, PLEASE.
AND WITH THAT FIXED, I MOVE TO APPROVE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
[2. Discussion of Chair’s Report by Chair Zisman]
TO MY CHAIR'S REPORT.I AM THE PERSON OF COLOR WEARING A WHITE BLOUSE WITH HAIR PULLED BACK.
I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AND, UM, THE TITLE OF MY CHURCH REPORT IS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN OUR HISTORY AND THE PATH AHEAD.
AND I THINK, UM, AT THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS OF OUR CULTURAL FUNDING, UM, EVOLUTION, THAT WE ARE REALLY, UH, COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THE CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY THAT, UM, ALL OF US AS INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS ARE CONTINUING TO HAVE DIALOGUES WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THAT, AND THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS CONTINUE ONTO STAFF, UM, FOLLOWING OUR OCTOBER MEETING, WHICH WAS VERY PASSIONATE AND, UM, TO ME IS A TESTIMONY TO HOW INVESTED WE ALL ARE IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING WEEKLY REPORTS FROM STAFF ON THE STATS FROM THE ELEVATE GRANT, UM, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY INFORMATIVE.
WE'VE HEARD ALSO INDIVIDUAL UPDATES ON SOME OF THE SPEAKERS THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, PRESENT AT THESE MEETINGS IN PARTICULAR, UM, THOSE THAT WERE HERE LAST WEEK.
UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF PROGRESS HAPPENING, UM, ON ALL FACETS OF THIS PROCESS.
UM, WANTED TO GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE REGARDING, UH, CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE CONSULTANTS THAT ARE GONNA BE BROUGHT IN.
THERE WAS A MEMO THAT WENT OUT LAST WEEK THAT I JUST WANNA SHARE A FEW, UM, SNIPPETS FROM.
UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS IDENTIFIED THE AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE USER EXPERIENCE AND RELATED PROCESSES OF OUR GRANT APPLICATION CYCLES.
THE MAJOR THEMES THAT HAVE SURFACED FOR IMPROVEMENT WERE BETTER USER EXPERIENCE WITH THE APPLICATION PORTAL, BETTER SPANISH TRANSLATION, AND BETTER SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT FOR THE SPANISH SPEAKING APPLICANTS AND POTENTIAL APPLICANTS SIMPLER APPLICATION AND LESS TIME CONSUMING PROCESSES, POTENTIAL REEVALUATION OF PANELS AND PANELISTS REQUIREMENTS OPTIMIZE APPLICATION TIMING, CADENCE TO REDUCE ISSUES SUCH AS APPLICANTS APPLYING FOR FUNDS THEY CANNOT ACCEPT DUE TO BEING AWARDED A DIFFERENT GRANT.
CLEARER ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES ACROSS OPPORTUNITIES ALIGNED COMPARABLE DELIVERABLES FOR GRANTS AS A PART OF FUNDING REQUIREMENTS AND BETTER AND MORE COMMUNICATION FROM STAFF AND THIRD PARTY PARTNERS ON WHAT TO EXPECT.
UM, THIS, I THINK, IS, UM, A WONDERFUL FOUNDATION FOR MOVING FORWARD.
AND, UM, JUST A TESTAMENT TO THE LISTENING AND THE DEEP LEARNING AND LISTENING THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, UM, ON BEHALF OF STAFF COMMISSIONERS, UM, AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE BEING HAD, UM, I'M GONNA ALLOW STAFF TO GIVE THE FULL UPDATE REGARDING THE PARTNERS THAT WE'LL BE WORKING WITH, UM, WHICH ARE THREE DIFFERENT CONSULTANCY PRO UM, PARTNERS, UH, TO ADDRESS DIFFERENT FACETS OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
BUT I WANT TO YIELD MY TIME TO COMMISSIONER CHENEY, WHO HAS AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE FOLLOWING THE, UH, OCTOBER MEETING.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING ALL OF THAT.
[00:05:01]
UM, AFTER THE MEETING, UM, WHICH WAS VERY PASSIONATE AND, UH, A LOT WAS SHARED AND A LOT WAS SAID, UM, I DID RECEIVE AN EMAIL AND I'M NOT REALLY GONNA GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT THE EMAIL BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY THINK, UM, TO BE HONEST, IT'S THAT IMPORTANT WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE EMAIL.BUT ONE THING THAT I WANT TO GO ON THE RECORD SAYING, AND I JUST WANNA BE VERY CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT, I'M LOOKING DOWN BECAUSE I'M LOOKING DOWN AT MY NOTES, SO JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS
I WANT TO REITERATE THAT I DO APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS OF THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
YOU CAN BE BOTH APPRECIATIVE AND CALL FOR ACTION.
THOSE ARE NOT TWO EXCLUSIVE THINGS.
UM, AND SO I, I DO WANNA MAKE THAT VERY, VERY CLEAR TO EVERYONE, ANYONE THAT IS LISTENING.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, ALL I WAS CALLING FOR WAS TRANSPARENCY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE BEING PROACTIVE AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE THESE DELAYS HAPPEN OR WE'RE NOT TRANSPARENT WITH OUR PROTOCOLS OR WITH OUR POLICIES, OR WITH FUNDING OR WHATEVER THE ISSUE IS, THAT IT AFFECTS REAL PEOPLE AND IT AFFECTS THEIR LIVES, IT AFFECTS THEIR BOTTOM LINE AND IT AFFECTS THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
UM, THAT IS WHAT I WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT LAST WEEK BECAUSE I THINK OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE IN THE THICK OF IT AND YOU'RE IN THE WEEDS OF IT, AND YOU KNOW, IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME, I'M SURE IT'S HAPPENED TO EVERYONE HERE.
YOU FORGET THAT THERE'S REAL PEOPLE INVOLVED AND DAY TO DAY, AND THIS IS ON THEIR MIND EVERY MINUTE OF THE DAY.
UM, BUT I WANNA ALSO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT I WILL NOT ENTERTAIN THREATENING EMAILS FROM THE PUBLIC, UM, THAT ARE DISRESPECTFUL TO DEPARTMENTS AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THEY ALSO HAVE THINGS GOING ON IN THEIR LIVES.
WE'RE ALL HUMAN BEINGS TOGETHER,
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT SUPER, SUPER CLEAR.
UM, I DO EXPECT ACTIONABLE CHANGES, UH, FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS, BOTH AS, BOTH AS A COMMISSIONER AND A COMMUNITY MEMBER.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I, I, I DON'T WORK UNDER THREAT AND I THINK THAT NO ONE DOES, AND IT'S JUST NOT A PRODUCTIVE WAY TO GO ABOUT ANYTHING TO, TO HAVE ACTUAL REAL CHANGE HAPPEN.
WE'RE ALL COMMITTED TO THIS WORK.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE IN THIS ROOM.
THAT'S WHY WE SHOW UP, UM, EVERY DAY TO DO WHAT WE DO FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, THERE SHOULD BE NO DOUBT THAT EVEN WHEN WE DISAGREE, AND SOMETIMES THE BEST CONVERSATIONS CAN COME FROM DIFFERENT VANTAGE POINTS, AND WE JUST NEED TO LEAN INTO THAT AND, AND PUT COLLABORATION AT THE FOREFRONT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET WHERE WE'RE GOING.
[3. Discussion of the Art in Public Places Liaison Report by Commissioner Gray]
TO OUR DISCUSSION OF THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES LIAISON REPORT WITH COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.AND YOU'RE STILL ON MUTE, JUST IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW.
UH, SO THIS IS MY FIRST MONTH AS THE LIAISON, UH, BETWEEN ART AND PUBLIC PLACES AND THE ARTS COMMISSION.
AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GONNA BE RECONVENING, THERE'S NOT A MEETING FOR NOVEMBER, AND WE WILL BE CONVENING DECEMBER 4TH.
SO I WILL HAVE A REPORT BACK AFTER THAT MEETING.
SORRY, COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.
UM, WILL YOU REPEAT THAT? I'M SO SORRY.
SO WE ARE ACTUALLY, THERE WAS NOT A MEETING, UH, FOR NOVEMBER, AND WE WILL BE CONVENING FOR A MEETING WITH AIPP, UH, DECEMBER 4TH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND WELCOME TO THAT POSITION.
[4. Discussion of the Austin Economic Development Corporation/Cultural Trust Advisory Committee by Austin Economic Development Corporation Board Member Carl Settles]
OF THE EEC AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE BY AEDC[00:10:01]
CORPORATION, UH, BOARD MEMBER, ACTUALLY BOARD CHAIR, UH, CARL SETTLES.MY APOLOGIES FOR MISSING, UH, WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN AUSPICIOUS MEETING YOU ALL HAD LAST MONTH.
UH, MY, UH, SCHEDULE GOT CROSSED, BUT, UM, THINGS ARE MOVING ALONG WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
UM, THE PHASE ONE OF THE RFP THAT WE HAVE FOR EAST 11TH STREET, UH, BLOCK 16 AND 18 IS ACTUALLY DUE, UH, ON NOVEMBER 8TH.
SO, UH, TWO DAYS FROM NOW, UM, RESPONSES WILL FOCUS ON DEVELOPER QUALIFICATIONS AND THEIR VISION FOR THOSE, UH, PROPERTIES ON BLOCK 16 AND 18.
AND ALL MATERIALS FOR THE RFP, UM, ARE ON THE AABC WEBSITE.
UM, IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED, STILL INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE INFORMATION OR APPLYING, AND THEY SHOULD EMAIL JOSE@AUSTINEDC.ORG IF THEY NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
UM, WE HAVE BEGUN THE CREATIVE HUB, UH, DESIGN PROCESS THAT'S GONNA BE AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I FORGET WHAT THE C STANDS FOR FOR, AT THE PVC, UM, THE CREATIVE HUB THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING THERE.
WE HAD A COMMUNITY, OUR FIRST COMMUNITY WORKSHOP WAS HELD AT THE SPACE.
WE WERE ABOUT 70 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE.
UM, AND REALLY STARTING TO, PART OF WHAT THEY DID IS THEY LAID OUT, UM, COMPARABLE SPACES, UH, AROUND THE WORLD AND HOW THOSE SPACES ARE USED AND, AND REALLY START, HELP GET PEOPLE TO START TO THINK ABOUT, UH, WHAT THEY, WHAT NEEDS THEY WANT THIS SPACE TO ANSWER.
UH, THE NEXT WORKSHOP IS SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 5TH, AND, UH, INFORMATION ON THAT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED, UH, BROADLY, UM, WITHIN THE NEXT, UH, WEEK OR TWO.
UH, LASTLY WE HAVE THE CULTURAL TRUST.
UM, WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN LEGAL AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, UH, AS WELL AS ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS ON THE LONG LIST OF 14 ORGANIZATIONS THAT, THAT WE IDENTIFIED LAST SUMMER, UM, THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED FOR FEASIBILITY.
UH, FOR THOSE, UH, OF COURSE HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED.
UM, THOSE ARE MILLENNIUM, UH,
UM, ADDITIONAL ICONIC VENUE AND BOND PROJECTS ARE IN NEGOTIATION AND WE HOPE TO HAVE THOSE ANNOUNCED IN A FEW MONTHS.
AND I'LL, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE.
COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER NEY.
SORRY, I'M STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE INTERFACE OF WEBEX.
I'VE, AS, I HAVEN'T REALLY USED IT MUCH.
UM, YEAH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
SO THERE ARE 14 GROUPS ON THE LONG LIST, AND SO FOUR HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS CORRECT.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS 10 ADDITIONAL, OR, SORRY, FOUR ADDITIONAL OF THE 14.
THAT WAS MY ONLY QUESTION, HUH? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THAT WAS THE EASY ONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE, CARL.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE PROGRESS WITH THESE PROJECTS.
NEXT WE HAVE A DISCUSSION OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION WITH COMMISSIONER MOCK, WHO IS NOT ABLE TO BE WITH US TODAY.
I ALSO DON'T THINK THAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION HAS MET YET, SO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE HAD AN UPDATE FOR US.
ANYWAY, UH, CRUISING RIGHT ALONG, WE'RE MOVING INTO STAFF BRIEFINGS.
[6. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Laura Odegaard, Cultural Investment Program Manager]
WE HAVE OUR STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX BY LAURA ODEGAARD, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.I'LL KEEP, I'LL JUST GO SUPER CLOSE.
LAURA ODEGAARD, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.
UM, I DO NOT ACTUALLY HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU ALL THIS MONTH BECAUSE WE ARE VERY EARLY IN THE MONTH OUR MEETING.
UM, AND SO USUALLY WE DON'T GET THE REPORT UNTIL AROUND THE 15TH.
SO USUALLY IT'S THE DAY BEFORE OR THE DAY OF OUR NORMALLY SCHEDULED MEETING.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE AN UPDATE, UM, YET THIS MONTH.
SO WE WILL BE DOING PROBABLY TWO MONTHS WORTH OF UPDATES AT OUR MEETING IN DECEMBER.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO ADD SOMETHING? I MEAN, I THINK YES TO DECEMBER, OBVIOUSLY, I JUST FOR
[00:15:01]
THE SAKE OF REPETITION AND CONSISTENCY, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GET AN UPDATE ADDED TO OUR NOVEMBER BACKUP WHEN YOU DO HAVE THE NOVEMBER NUMBERS? SURE, FOR SURE.INSTEAD OF DOUBLING UP FOR DECEMBER, WE CAN JUST ADD IT TO THE BACKUP AND THEN MAKE REFERENCE TO IT FOR SURE IN DECEMBER.
MM-HMM,
COMMISSIONER CHENEY? I KEEP WANTING TO GO WHERE ZOOM'S UNMUTE IS AND IT'S THROWING ME OFF EVERY TIME.
SO THE LAST MEETING OR AN AN A QUESTION
AND THAT SLIDE WAS KIND OF JUST SHOWING KIND OF A PIPELINE OF, UM, THE HOT FUNDS, UH, BUDGET.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN COUNT ON, UM, BEING IN THIS NEXT CYCLE, LIKE THE DECEMBER OR THE, YOU KNOW, SUBMITTING IT POST-MEETING? YES, THAT CAN BE ADDED.
WE'RE STILL DISCUSSING SOME THINGS INTERNALLY AND SO THAT'S WHY WE FIGURED WE DIDN'T HAVE THE NUMBERS YET.
WE WOULD JUST HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER IN DECEMBER.
UM, BUT I WILL, WE'LL ADD THE MOST RECENT NUMBERS TO OUR NOVEMBER BACKUP WHEN WE HAVE THEM, AND THEN WE CAN DO A RECAP OF THAT AND THE NEW NUMBERS IN DECEMBER AS WELL AS KIND OF A SUMMARY OF HOW ACTUAL HOT, UH, FUNDS WORK REGARDING PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS LAST MONTH.
MM-HMM,
AND THAT IF THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S EVERGREEN THAT WE HAVE AND CAN, YOU KNOW, I CAN DISTRIBUTE IT ON THE, THE, THROUGH THE CHANNELS THAT WE HAVE JUST TO KEEP THAT FRESH IN PEOPLE'S MINDS.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS? OKAY, MOVING RIGHT ALONG,
[7. Staff briefing regarding the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor, and Laura Odegaard, Cultural Investment Program Manager]
UH, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS BY JESUS PENTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR AND LOWER ORDER GUARD CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.HELLO AGAIN, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UH, START THIS PRESENTATION AND THEN, UH, PASS IT OFF TO JESUS, PROBABLY HALFWAY THROUGH.
I THINK I'M SOUNDING A LITTLE SCRATCHY, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
SO AGAIN, MY NAME'S LAURA ODEGAARD, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER, AND WE'RE GONNA DO, UM, THE CULTURAL FUNDING UPDATE.
AND THIS IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE WANT TO START DOING EVERY MONTH FOR YOU ALL.
I KNOW WE WERE DOING A MONTHLY UPDATE, KIND OF WHERE WE WERE IN THE PROCESS, WHERE WE WERE IN APPLICATIONS, AND SO WE'RE JUST KIND OF SWITCHING GEARS TO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE NOW THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE HAPPENING, UM, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE LONG CENTER AND WHAT, UH, OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY IS DOING.
SO THIS IS A VERY SIMPLE, UH, AGENDA FOR THIS DECK.
WE ARE GOING TO, TO TALK ABOUT CONTRACTS AND PAYMENT, UH, AND THEN SHARE SOME GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES THIS MONTH.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT OUR, UM, THIRD PARTY PARTNER FROM THE LONG CENTER, UM, BOBBY IS ON THE LINE AS WELL, IN CASE THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS AFTER WE GO THROUGH THIS, UH, PRESENTATION.
UM, SO JUST REALLY QUICK, UM, SO WHERE ARE WE AT WITH ELEVATE GRANTS? SO, AS A REMINDER, WE HAVE 200 ELEVATE AWARDEES.
THE LONG CENTER HOLDS THE CONTRACT FOR THE ELEVATE AWARDS, NOT THE CITY.
SO WE HAVE, THEY HAVE SENT 189 CONTRACTS SO FAR, THEY HAVE RECEIVED 173 BACK.
SO SIGNED PROCESS CONTRACTS, THERE HAVE BEEN 194 TEST PAYMENTS ISSUED AND 182 TEST PAYMENTS VERIFIED BECAUSE AS A REMINDER, WHAT THE LONG CENTER IS DOING FOR US IS THEY'RE ALLOWING DIRECT DEPOSITS TO OUR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY DOESN'T ALWAYS ALLOW FOR.
UM, SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THEY HAVE TO SEND A TEST PAYMENT OF ABOUT 4 CENTS, 3 CENTS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN THE AWARDEE HAS TO CONFIRM THAT YES, WE RECEIVED THESE 3 CENTS, 4 CENTS, UM, IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT PART, WHICH IS THE FIRST PAYMENTS BEING ISSUED.
SO WE'VE 171 FIRST PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED, SO THAT'S 86% OF THE AWARDEES.
UM, THE FIRST PAYMENTS AS A REMINDER ARE 50% OF THEIR TOTAL AWARD.
64 SECOND PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED SO FAR AS OF TODAY, UM, WHICH IS THE NEXT 40% OF AN AWARD.
AS A REMINDER, IN ORDER TO GET THIS SECOND PAYMENT, YOU HAVE TO COMPLETE A MILES PARTNERSHIP MARKETING CLASS AND TAKE THE SURVEY THAT SAYS YOU ATTENDED THE CLASS, OR YOU HAVE TO VISIT POST TO VISIT AUSTIN AND TELL CITY STAFF THAT YOU'VE POSTED IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE.
AND WHAT HAPPENS ONCE THESE ONE OF THESE REQUIREMENTS HAPPEN? UH, THE CULTURAL FUNDING STAFF, THEY ARE MARKING
[00:20:01]
THIS OFF IN A SHARED, UH, DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE LONG CENTER.SO THE LONG CENTER IS NOTIFIED THAT, OKAY, THIS AWARDEE HAS DONE DELIVERABLE NUMBER TWO CHECK, AND THEN THEY CAN ISSUE THE SECOND PAYMENT.
UH, SO AS OF EARLIER TODAY, THERE HAVE BEEN A TO, THERE'S BEEN A TOTAL DISTRIBUTION OF $3,522,752 TO ELEVATE AWARDEES.
UM, AND THIS IS THE TOTAL BUCKET FOR ELEVATE IS $6.25 MILLION.
THERE HAVE BEEN A HANDFUL OF, UH, AWARDEES WHO HAVE BEEN NON-RESPONSIVE.
UH, I WANNA SAY IT'S MAYBE AROUND 12 RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE BEEN NON-RESPONSIVE FOR WHATEVER REASON.
UM, BUT THE LONG CENTER AND CITY STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY TO, UH, FOLLOW UP MULTIPLE PHONE CALLS, EMAILS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THINGS HAPPEN, SOMETIMES THINGS GO TO SPAM, SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR A MONTH OR TWO.
SO I'M ALMOST POSITIVE THAT ALMOST A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE SINCE RESPONDED TO CITY STAFF AND THE LONG CENTER STAFF.
AND THEY SAID THEY'RE GONNA START WORKING ON THESE DELIVERABLES BECAUSE THEY OBVIOUSLY, THEY HAVE TO SIGN THE AGREEMENTS, PROVIDE THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION, ET CETERA.
UM, SO I THINK WE ARE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE WITH THE STATUS OF ELEVATE AWARDEES.
I JUST WANTED TO HAVE A LITTLE MOMENT OF STORYTELLING HERE TO COMPARE OUR LAST PRE PANDEMIC NORMAL SEASON OF WHAT CULTURAL FUNDING WAS.
UM, AND AS A REMINDER, THIS IS KIND OF RIGHT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING TO IMPROVE THINGS, WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS A LOT THAT WE NEEDED TO WORK ON.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE NEEDED TO WORK ON WAS OUR TURNAROUND TIME.
UM, SO THE LAST NORMAL CYCLE OF CORE WHERE WE HAD 397 AWARDEES, IT TOOK 94 DAYS FROM PRE-CONTRACT MATERIAL SUBMISSION TO GETTING THE FIRST CHECK OUT THE DOOR.
0% OF THE AWARDEES HAD INVOICED BY THE END OF OCTOBER.
2% HAD INVOICED BY THE END OF NOVEMBER, 23% HAD INVOICED BY THE END OF DECEMBER, AND WE HIT 86% INVOICING BY THE END OF MARCH.
TODAY, WORKING WITH THE LONG CENTER FOR 200 ELEVATE AWARDEES, THE AVERAGE TIME FROM CONTRACT MATERIAL SUBMISSION TO FIRST CHECKOUT THE DOOR IS 4.5 DAYS.
SO GOING FROM 94 DAYS TO 4.5 DAYS IS AN INCREDIBLE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT FOR OUR STAFF AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO WE'VE HAD 86% OF AWARDEES INVOICED BY THE END OF OCTOBER.
UM, AND AS A REMINDER, I THINK THIS CAME UP LAST MONTH, UM, LAST MONTH OR THE MONTH BEFORE.
UM, I THINK THERE WAS SOME CONCERN ABOUT FIRST PAYMENTS ARE USUALLY 90%.
I JUST WANTED TO, TO SHOW THIS A LITTLE BIT HERE, THAT IN THE PAST 75% OF FOLKS DIDN'T INVOICE UNTIL AFTER JANUARY ONE AND JANUARY ONE WAS THE MOMENT OF, OKAY, YOU CAN NOW INVOICE NUMBER TWO.
SO MOST PEOPLE, 75% OF OUR AWARDEES DIDN'T INVOICE UNTIL JANUARY OR AFTER.
AND SO THEY WERE INVOICING FOR THAT 90% OF THEIR AWARD.
SORRY, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE SECOND PAYMENT MILESTONE WAS THE JANUARY ONE PAYMENT MILESTONE.
UM, OKAY, I'M HAVING WHISPERING NEXT TO ME, BUT I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SAY NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS GRANT STATUS.
JESUS, DO YOU WANNA TAKE THE NEXT PROGRAM? OKAY, SURE.
I'LL TAKE THE NEXT PROGRAMS. JESUS PANTEL CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.
SO, UH, LAURA'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT ELEVATE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE NEXUS GOING OUT RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE 51, UM, AWARDS IN NEXUS.
UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, HOLDS THE CONTRACT, UH, TO NEXUS.
WE ARE UTILIZING THE LONG CENTER, UM, AS A THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR TO HELP WITH PAYMENTS.
UM, BUT UNLIKE AN ELEVATE, UH, STAFF, UH, CITY STAFF ARE THE ONES, UH, DOING ALL OF THE CONTRACTS.
UM, SO 49, UH, CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SENT OUT, AND OF THOSE 49, 44 HAVE BEEN, UH, SIGNED, UM, AND SENT BACK TO US.
AND, UH, PROCESSED, UH, WE HAVE, UM, OR THE LONG CENTER IS ISSUED, UH, 34 TEST PAYMENTS, UM, WHICH, UH, LAURA WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
AND 29 OF THOSE 34 TEST PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN VERIFIED.
UM, ZERO FIRST PAYMENTS ISSUED.
AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN UH, JUST A SECOND.
AND, UM, LAURA WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, UH, PAYMENT AMOUNTS.
[00:25:01]
NEXUS, UH, THERE ARE ONLY TWO PAYMENTS.THERE'S ONE PAYMENT FOR 90%, AND THEN THE SECOND PAYMENT, UH, WHEN THEY SUBMIT THEIR FINAL REPORT AND IT'S SUCCESSFULLY CLOSED OUT, IS FOR THE FINAL 10%.
UM, AND SO $0 TOTAL DISTRIBUTION TO DATE.
BUT THAT IS BECAUSE, UH, WE, UM, HAVE JUST BEEN, UM, RECEIVED THE INVOICE FROM THE LONG CENTER ON NOVEMBER 1ST, AND IT TAKES TWO TO THREE BUSINESS DAYS TO PROCESS.
SO THEY SHOULD BE GETTING THE FUNDS SOON.
ONCE THE LONG CENTER HAS THE NEXUS FUNDS DISTRIBUTED, UM, THEY WILL SUBMIT THOSE FIRST PAYMENTS OUT TO THOSE WHO HAVE SIGNED AN AGREEMENT AND SUBMITTED THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND VERIFIED THEIR TEST PAYMENT.
UH, FOR THRIVE GRANT STATUS, UM, AGAIN, UH, SIMILAR TO NEXUS, UH, CITY STAFF IS MANAGING THE THRIVE CONTRACTS, UH, BUT WE ARE UTILIZING THE LONG CENTER TO HELP US WITH PAYMENTS.
UM, THRIVE WAS OUR FIRST PROGRAM THAT LAUNCHED, UH, BACK IN, UH, LATE JANUARY, EARLY FEBRUARY IS, UH, WHEN WE APPROVED THOSE.
SO ALL 36, UM, CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SIGNED AND PROCESSED.
UM, ALL THE PAYMENTS ISSUED OR THE FIRST PAYMENTS ISSUED, UH, TEST PAYMENTS ISSUED AND VERIFIED.
UM, ALL FIRST AND SECOND PAYMENTS HAVE GONE OUT.
SO OUT OF THE OVER $3.9 MILLION, UM, SET ASIDE FOR THRIVE, $3,447,500 IN TOTAL DISTRIBUTION HAS GONE OUT.
AS A REMINDER, THRIVE IS A TWO YEAR CONTRACT.
SO THESE ARE THE YEAR ONE PAYMENTS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE, UH, THIS ON, UH, WITH YEAR TWO.
UM, AND THEN JESUS VALA IS MANAGING THIS PROGRAM, AND HE HAS MET WITH EACH ORGANIZATION INDIVIDUALLY TO SET THEIR STRATEGIC GROWTH GOALS FOR YEAR ONE.
UM, HE'S ALSO PREPARING THE LAUNCH OF CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS, UTILIZING FEEDBACK FROM THE THRIVE COHORT.
SO AGAIN, JESUS IS MEETING INDIVIDUALLY WITH THEM, GOING OVER THEIR GOALS, UH, UTILIZING THOSE GOALS TO SEE WHAT KIND OF CAPACITY BUILDING WOULD BE HELPFUL.
WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE A TOP DOWN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE KIND OF, UH, THING WE THINK YOU SHOULD DO.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE, UH, RECIPIENTS WHAT IS THE THING THAT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL OR THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL FOR THEM.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON, UH, CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS ON THE NEXT ROUND OF REPORTING AND PAYMENTS, UH, WILL BE IN JANUARY OF 2024.
AND ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDS, WE DID RECEIVE, UM, ARPA FUNDS FROM, UH, TO HELP, UH, WITH THE NEA ARTS EDUCATION, UH, GRANT.
UM, AND SO THERE WERE 19 AWARDEES ON THAT.
WE ARE MANAGING THOSE, UH, CONTRACTS.
UH, WE'RE DOING ALL THE PAYMENTS IN-HOUSE AS WELL.
SO THIS ONE IS COMPLETELY, UH, MANAGED BY CULTURAL FUNDING STAFF AND, UH, CITY STAFF.
UM, SO 14 CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SENT OUT OF THE 19.
UM, AND THEN NINE CONTRACTS ARE SIGNED AND ARE, UM, IN THE CITY PROCESS FOR PAYMENT CODE.
SO NO PAYMENTS HAVE GONE OUT YET, BUT WE ARE, UH, WORKING ON GETTING ALL THOSE PAYMENTS READY.
AGAIN, ALL THE PAYMENTS WILL GO THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, SO NO FIRST OR SECOND PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED YET OR ISSUED YET.
AND SO $0, UH, DISTRI DISTRIBUTED TO DATE.
UM, AND JUST A NOTE, NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS FOR THE ARTS REQUIRES THAT ALL GRANT RECIPIENTS HAVE A UNIQUE ENTITY ID THROUGH SAM.GOV.
AND SO THE FIVE CONTRACTS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN SENT, UH, HAVE PENDING U EIDS OR UNIQUE INTO TID NUMBERS AND OR INCOMPLETE PRE-CONTRACT MATERIALS.
SO, UH, THAT'S WHY THOSE HAVE NOT BEEN SENT OUT YET.
SO THAT WAS AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH, UH, PAYMENTS AND CONTRACTS IN, UH, THE VARIOUS FUNDING PROGRAMS. UH, NEXT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE NOVEMBER ACTIVITIES.
UM, AND SO SOME OF THE, UM, RECIPIENTS, UH, GIVE US INFORMATION, UM, IN THEIR PORTAL ACCOUNT OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.
BUT PROBABLY THE EASIEST WAY FOR YOU AS COMMISSIONERS AND FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, UH, TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IS TO GO TO VISIT AUSTIN.COM.
UM, AND SO IT IS A CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENT, REQUIREMENT FOR ALL CULTURAL FUNDING RECIPIENTS TO POST THEIR EVENT ON VISIT AUSTIN.COM.
THEY CAN ALSO POST, UM, EVENTS THAT ARE NOT, UH, FUNDED BY THE CITY, BUT WE DO HAVE A SPECIAL LINK, UM, FOR THE, UH, RECIPIENTS TO UTILIZE TO, UH, POST THEIR EVENTS.
UM, IF YOU GO TO VISIT AUSTIN.COM, UM, NEAR THE VERY TOP OF THE PAGE ON THE TOP LEFT HAND SITE, UH, YOU'LL, UH, SEE A MENU BUTTON.
SO YOU WANT TO CLICK ON THAT, AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, TAKES YOU TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AND IT'LL PULL UP THE PLANET TRIP PLACES TO SAY YOU WANT TO CLICK ON EVENTS IS PROBABLY THE EASIEST WAY.
YOU CAN SEARCH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT IF YOU JUST WANNA SEE
[00:30:01]
WHAT'S COMING UP, UM, IN A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD, YOU CAN CLICK ON EVENTS, UM, AND THEN SEE, YOU KNOW, FROM TODAY'S DATE TO, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, A COUPLE OF DAYS, YOU KNOW, TO THE END OF THE MONTH.WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT EVENTS, UM, UM, IN ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT FUNDING PROGRAMS, UH, FOR ELEVATE.
I'M NOT GONNA READ EVERYTHING HERE, BUT WE DO HAVE EVENTS COMING UP FROM AUSTIN, SHAKESPEARE FROM EARLY ERA COLLECTIVE, FROM JARRET PRODUCTIONS, FROM MOTION MEDIA ARTS CENTER, FROM GROUND FLOOR THEATER, FROM AUSTIN JAZZ WORKSHOP.
IF WE GO INTO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE CAN SEE AUSTIN JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL, NEW MANIFEST THEATER, AUSTIN CREATIVE REUSE, UH, THE TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL, AS WELL AS CAPITAL BROADCASTING ASSOCIATION, ALSO KNOWN AS KAM FA, CLASSICAL 89.5 FM.
UH, GOING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF, UH, NEXUS GRANTEES WITH EVENTS, UH, COMING UP AS WELL.
AGAIN, NEXUS HAS, UH, RECENTLY, UH, BEEN ANNOUNCED.
SO WE'VE GOT PNO POTLUCK, ATX, AS WELL AS SILA MUSIC.
THEN ON OUR NEXT SLIDE, UM, IS SOME OF OUR THRIVE GRANTEE AWARDEES.
AND, UH, THE FIRST ONE THAT'S LISTED THERE, AUSTIN, ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL, SAN LAS AMERICA, AND INDIE MEME, UM, AS WELL AS OTHERS.
UH, ALL THREE OF THOSE ARE THRIVE RECIPIENTS AND, UM, THEY'RE DOING A COLLABORATION ON THIS EVENT AFTER MEETING EACH OTHER IN THE THRIVE COHORT.
SO THAT'S, UM, INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, NICE SEEING THE COHORT IN ACTION AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, ALREADY TAKING UP STUFF LIKE THAT AND THEY'RE ALL FILM, UM, AND SO DOING SOMETHING TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY.
UH, SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, CAPITAL VIEW ARTS HAS AN EVENT COMING UP, UH, DAWA, GREAT PROMISE FOR AMERICAN INDIANS AS WELL AS LA PENA.
UH, NEXT SLIDE, A COUPLE MORE.
THRIVE, UH, GRANTEE, UM, ACTIVITIES, MEXICAN CARTA MUSEUM, UH, ADA TORCH LITERARY ARTS, AS WELL AS WOMEN IN JAZZ.
LAURA, DID YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING? I DO, I JUST WANNA ADD A QUICK LITTLE NOTE THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE THIS, BUT I THINK NEXT MONTH WE'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD WHAT DISTRICT THE ACTIVITY IS OCCURRING IN, JUST SO IT'S AN EASIER ROLL UP FOR YOU ALL WHEN YOU'RE, UM, TALKING TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AS WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF COMMISSIONER CNI? YES.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'VE CUT DOWN THE, UH, TIMEFRAME OF GETTING PAYMENTS OUT, BUT WHAT I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND IS, UM, WHY THAT PROCESS TOOK 94 DAYS TO GET PAYMENTS OUT.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE LIKE PROTOCOLS BEYOND THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION WITH THAT, BUT I GUESS I, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, SO MY FIRST IS LIKE, UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS ON THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION SIDE OR THE CITY SIDE, LIKE, BECAUSE IF THERE ISN'T A THIRD PARTY, IS THERE, ARE THERE GOING TO BE IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT PROCESS? UM, OR IS THERE AN ACTIONABLE PLAN TO DISCUSS IMPROVEMENTS ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN PAYMENT STRUCTURE? UM, OR IS THE PLAN TO ALWAYS HAVE A THIRD PARTY? LIKE, I KIND OF WANNA JUST WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THAT BECAUSE I, I, I GET WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
YOU WANTED TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESS SO YOU WEREN'T REPEATING HISTORY, AND THE EASIEST WAY WAS TO BRING IN THE LONG CENTER TO DO DIRECT DEPOSIT, TO HAVE A WHOLE ADDITIONAL TEAM THAT WAS HANDLING THAT, RIGHT? LIKE, I GET THAT, BUT WHAT I WANNA UNDERSTAND, LIKE TRUTHFULLY, IS WHY WE HAVE TO DO THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UM, AND IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER THAT, TOTALLY FINE, BUT ARE, ARE WE KIND OF WORKING TOWARDS ACTIONABLE STEPS TO IMPROVE THAT PROCESS? BECAUSE MAYBE, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE THE LONG CENTER OR, YOU KNOW, OR YOU CAN'T GET A THIRD PARTY.
I DON'T KNOW, JUST, JUST PUTTING SOME KIND OF LIKE HYPOTHETICALS OUT THERE.
I WOULD LOVE TO RESPOND TO THAT.
UM, SO IT LOOKS LIKE STAFF PULLED UP, UH, A VERY OLD PRESENTATION, UM, THAT WE DID THAT STUDIED THE TURNAROUND TIMES FOR WHAT CULTURAL FUNDING 2019 LOOKED LIKE.
UM, SO YES, IT DOES TAKE, AND APOLOGIES, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK IF I'M SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING AT YOU ON THE SCREEN OR LOOKING AT SOME RANDOM CAMERA IN A CORNER OF THIS ROOM.
SO, UM, JUST GONNA LOOK AT MY COMPUTER, I GUESS.
UM, SO THIS SLIDE HERE FROM A VERY OLD DECK, IT BASICALLY IS SHOWING, UM, THE PROCESS THAT IT TOOK LAST TIME.
UM, SO TENTATIVE NOTIFICATIONS WENT OUT IN SEP ON SEPTEMBER 3RD.
[00:35:01]
COUNCIL MADE THE APPROVAL FOR CULTURAL FUNDING ON THE 19TH OF SEPTEMBER.THEN THE EDD FINANCE TEAM PREPARES SOMETHING CALLED AN RQM, UH, WHICH TAKES ABOUT A WEEK.
UH, AND THEN IT GOES TO THE MAIN PURCHASING DEPARTMENT TO APPROVE SOMETHING CALLED THE MASTER AGREEMENT OR MA ONCE THAT HAPPENS, THEN EDD FINANCE CREATES THE DO NUMBERS AND THERE HAS TO BE A DO NUMBER CREATED FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL AWARD.
AND SO THAT TAKES A FEW DAYS AS WELL.
UM, SIMULTANEOUSLY CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING TEAM, THEY HAD TO REVIEW ALL THE PRE-CONTRACT MATERIALS AND CREATE THE CONTRACT ITSELF, WHICH TOOK THE SHORTEST, UH, WAS AROUND NINE DAYS FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
UM, ONCE ALL OF THE PRE-CONTRACT MATERIALS WERE CREATED AND THE DO NUMBER WAS CREATED, THEN WE WERE ABLE TO SEND YOU ALL THE CONTRACTS, UH, FOR SIGNATURE CONTRACTS WITH THE SIGNED, UM, PAGE CAME BACK TO US.
WE HAD TO SEND IT THROUGH OUR CHAIN TO GET THE PROPER SIGNATURES ON THE CITY SIDE AND THEN SUBMIT IT TO CENTRAL PURCHASING.
AFTER ALL THAT HAPPENED, THEN WE COULD FINALLY ASK FOLKS TO SUBMIT AN INVOICE TO US.
AND THEN ONCE THAT INVOICE WAS RECEIVED, WE SUBMITTED IT TO EDD FINANCE.
ONCE IT WAS SUBMITTED CORRECTLY, UM, WE SENT IT TO EDD FINANCE, WHICH HAS TO APPROVE IT ON THEIR SIDE, AND THEN IT GOES TO CENTRAL PURCHASING TO REVIEW IT AGAIN BEFORE THEY'RE ABLE TO CUT A CHECK.
SO WITH THE WITHIN 30 DAYS, THEY HAVE TO CUT THE CHECK WITHIN 30 DAYS.
UM, SO IF EVERYTHING WENT SUPER, SUPER QUICKLY, UM, IT WAS STILL REALLY, REALLY TIGHT TO GET ANY KIND OF PAYMENT OUT BEFORE THE END OF DECEMBER.
UM, SO YOU CAN, I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, GO TO SLIDE, GO TO SLIDE 13.
UH, AND SO THE OTHER PART OF THAT WAS IN YES, SLIDE 13.
UM, SO HERE YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER PIECE THAT WAS A PROBLEM FOR CULTURAL FUNDING STAFF IS THAT WE WERE ALSO CLOSING OUT CONTRACTS FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
AND SO WE HAD A DEADLINE OF OCTOBER 31ST FOR ALL CONTRACT FINAL REPORTS TO BE SUBMITTED.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, THAT'S WHEN EVERYONE WAS SUBMITTING THEIR PRE-CONTRACT MATERIALS FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
SO THIS CHART HERE, IT SHOWS HOW MANY FY 18 CONTRACTS WERE BEING CLOSED PER DAY, AND HOW MANY FY 19 CONTRACTS WERE BEING UPLOADED, AND HOW MANY FIRST PAY INVOICES WERE BEING SUBMITTED, UM, AS WELL.
SO IT WAS, UM, GO TO THIS ONE.
UM, SO THE LITTLE, THE LITTLE GREEN LINE IS WHEN THE FIRST INVOICES WERE REQUESTED.
SO THE VERY FIRST INVOICES REQUESTED THAT YEAR WERE THE 21ST OF NOVEMBER.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE THERE WAS A BIG SPIKE, UM, AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF JANUARY, END OF DECEMBER, BEGINNING OF JANUARY.
UM, AND SO WE, THAT'S HOW YOU CAN SEE THAT IT WAS ONLY 22.5% AT THE END OF DECEMBER OF INVOICES SUBMITTED.
UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT OTHER SLIDES COULD YOU GO TO SLIDE EIGHT, PLEASE.
UM, AND SO THIS WAS, THIS WAS PART OF OUR PROCESS WHEN WE WERE GOING INTO THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.
WHAT WERE THE PROBLEMS? WHAT WERE THE THINGS THAT WE COULD IMPROVE IN-HOUSE AND WHAT THINGS COULD WE ABSOLUTELY NOT CONTROL? AND MAYBE IT MADE MORE SENSE FOR THEM TO GO OUTSIDE OF OUR INTERNAL STAFF TEAM.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE CHANGED A LOT OF, UM, THE THINGS THAT WERE CAUSING DELAYS FOR FINAL REPORT REVIEW, AS WELL AS FOR PRE-CONTRACT MATERIALS.
WE'VE CUT OUT A GREAT MAJORITY OF, UH, PRE-CONTRACT MATERIALS THAT STAFF HAD TO REVIEW AHEAD OF TIME, AND WE JUST ARE WRAPPING THINGS UP INTO THE FINAL REPORT INSTEAD.
UM, WHAT ELSE IS IN HERE? UM, BECAUSE THAT, HONESTLY, THAT THE BIGGEST TIME SUCK WAS THE REVISIONS AND THE CONSTANT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN STAFF AND SAYING, OKAY, WELL YOU NEED TO DO THIS REVISION BECAUSE OF X, Y, AND Z.
UM, AND SO THAT JUST KIND OF GOT CONTRACTS STUCK IN A LITTLE BIT OF A LOOP.
UM, SO WE WERE TRYING TO, TO FIX WHAT THAT ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE, UM, AS WELL AS NOT HAVING FINAL REPORTS ALL DUE AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE DECIDED TO HAVE THREE NEW PROGRAMS AND HAVE THEM STAGGERED AT A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, UM, TIMEFRAME WAS SO WE WEREN'T HAVING THAT COMPLETE, LIKE, AVALANCHE OF ALL THE MATERIALS AT THE SAME TIME.
[00:40:01]
I MEAN, HONESTLY, STAFF WAS MOSTLY JUST PUSHING PAPER FOR THE GREAT MAJORITY OF, I WOULD SAY AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER.STAFF WOULD WORK OVER CHRISTMAS MANY TIMES TO TRY TO GET THINGS OUT TO TRY TO GET PAYMENTS OUT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO WE, WE HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENTS INTERNALLY, WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
I THINK ONE OF THE, UM, THE THINGS THAT THE CHAIR HAD MENTIONED WAS THE THREE CONSULTANTS, UM, THAT WE BROUGHT ON BOARD FOR, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO THAT AT ALL IN DETAIL, BUT THE MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT WENT OUT AT THE END OF LAST WEEK, UM, ONE OF THOSE PIECES IS LOOKING AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITHIN, UH, WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT FRANKLY WE JUST CAN'T CHANGE.
WE ARE A CITY ENTITY AND WE CANNOT CHANGE CERTAIN LEGAL REQUIREMENTS THAT A CITY HAS WITH OUR CONTRACTING, BUT WE CAN, I DON'T WANNA SAY AVOID, BUT WE CAN, UH, BE CREATIVE WITH OUR BUREAUCRACY IF THOSE CONTRACTS DON'T LIVE WITH US, IF THEY LIVE WITH A THIRD PARTY.
UM, SOVIA, DID YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING? UM, YES, BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE LAW.
AND AS LAURA SAID, THERE ARE SOME ACRONYMS UP THERE THAT ARE NOT IN OUR CONTROL.
THE CITY CAN'T HAVE 35 DEPARTMENTS GOING ROGUE DURING THEIR OWN THING.
SO ALL OF OUR INFORMATION IS FUNNELED THROUGH WHAT WE CALL CENTRALIZED SYSTEMS, WHETHER THAT'S LAW, WHETHER THAT'S PURCHASING, AND JUST LIKE MOST CITY DEPARTMENTS, EVEN PRE COVID, THOSE STAFF, UH, THAT DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE UNDERSTAFFED.
SO JUST LIKE FUNNELING THROUGH OUR FINANCE TEAM, YOU HAVE A FIVE MEMBER FINANCE TEAM, NOT ONLY HANDLING CULTURAL ARTS, MUSIC, SMALL BUSINESS REDEVELOPMENT, ALL OF THOSE.
WE UNDERSTAND PEOPLE NEED THEIR FUNDS, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT BACK END OF THE HOUSE, WE CANNOT CHANGE THAT IS SET UP BY OUR CONTROLLER.
AND WE HAVE GREAT BOND RATINGS BECAUSE OF CONTROLS THAT ARE IN PLACE.
SO WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE THROUGH OUR CONSULTANTS, WE MOST DEFINITELY WILL.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ALREADY GONE TO COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE LONG CENTER BEING OUR PARTNER FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT PARTNERS EVEN DURING PANDEMIC.
SO I JUST WANT, UH, THE COMMISSION TO KNOW, WE'VE HEARD YOU, WE ARE DEFINITELY TRYING TO MAKE STRIDES, BUT WE UNDERSTAND, UM, OUR CLIENTS NEED THEIR FUNDS AND WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN TO GET THEM OUT AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I DEFINITELY THINK THAT PROVIDES SOME CLARITY TO ME.
UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.
UM, SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS, UM, THE, THE REPORTS FROM THE CONSULTS WOULD, WILL THOSE BE PROVIDED TO THE ARTS COMMISSION REGARDING KIND OF THESE, UM, I GUESS ISSUES OR, OR OBSTACLES THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING? WE WILL PROVIDE A FINAL REPORT, UM, WITH OUR CONSULTANTS AND WE WILL DETERMINE WITH THE CONSULTANTS ARE TOUCH POINTS BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF DATA, WE HAVE A LOT OF FEEDBACK THAT HE'S COMBING THROUGH, UM, A LOT OF DATA FROM COMMUNITY.
SO WE WILL WORK WITH HIM TO MAKE APPROPRIATE TOUCH POINTS 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANNA OVERSATURATE OUR CLIENTS.
SO, AND IT'S NOT JUST CULTURE ARTS, HE'S EVALUATING ALL THE DIVISIONS AND ALL OF OUR CLIENTS.
SO YOU WILL DEFINITELY GET A REPORT, COUNCIL WILL GET A REPORT BECAUSE I'VE UPDATED THEM.
UM, AND I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, BUT IT'S NOT REGARDING THE BUDGET.
UM, IT'S JUST REGARDING, UM, WHO MANAGES VISIT AUSTIN.
I'M JUST, I'M SURE IT'S ON THE WEBSITE, BUT I JUST WASN'T SURE IF IT'S CITY MANAGED OR IF THAT'S ALSO MANAGED BY A THIRD PARTY.
SO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS A SPECIFIC CONTRACT WITH MOUSE PARTNERSHIP, BUT THE OVERALL TOURISM CONTRACT THAT YOU, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX THAT'S DESIGNATED FOR TOURIST ATTRACTION, THAT'S MANAGED BY THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND SO THEY ALSO GO TO COUNCIL AFTER THE MAIN BUDGET IS APPROVED, THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL THEN BRING BACK THE VISIT AUSTIN CONTRACT.
SO ALL THAT DATA IS ON THE WEBSITE ON OUR COUNCIL WEBSITE.
ALSO, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS AWARE THAT THE THREE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE ARE NOT FUNDED BY HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
THEY ARE FUNDED FROM OUR OPERATING FUND AND WE HAVE AN ADVERTISING PACKAGE WITH VISIT AUSTIN THAT'S SEPARATE FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING TO REDUCE THAT BURDEN ON OUR CLIENTS SO THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO TRAINING, ACCESS TO THE WEBSITE, ET CETERA.
BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW, NOT HOT.
[00:45:01]
OUR OPERATING BUDGET.COMMISSIONER CHENEY, WAS THAT ALL YOUR QUESTIONS? YES.
AND JUST TO FILL IN A LITTLE BIT, THE VISIT AUSTIN CONTRACT, IF I CAN RECOUNT THIS CORRECTLY, IS A NEWER, UM, POINT OF ADVERTISING FOR CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION.
WE HAD A COMMUNITY PARTNER CONTRACT THAT ENDED AND WE DECIDED THE COLLECTIVE, UM, TRANSITIONED FROM, UM, ONE WEBSITE TO VISIT AUSTIN.
AND VISIT IS, UH, ALMOST LIKE A FRANCHISE OF WEBSITES FOR DIFFERENT CITIES.
SO THERE'S LIKE VI VISIT CHATTANOOGA, VISIT NEW YORK.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THOSE ARE EXACT CITIES THAT THEY REPRESENT, BUT IT'S A WELL-MANAGED AND HIGH TRAFFIC HIGH AUTHORITY WEBSITE.
THAT'S A GOOD PLACE, UH, FOR OUR CULTURAL CONTRACTORS EVENTS TO LIVE BECAUSE THEIR ORGANIC TRAFFIC IS VERY HIGH, REMEMBER THEIR PRESENTATION TO US.
SO IT WAS DEFINITELY AN APPETIZING, UH, CONTRACT FOR US TO TRANSITION TO FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION AND
YEAH, WE NEED MADONNA HEAD PIECES IN THIS PLACE.
UM, SO WE CAN RESHARE LAST YEAR'S, UM, JUST SO IT'S HANDY.
UM, BUT SEEING ALL OF THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN ALL SORTS OF FIGURES AND GRAPHS IS ALWAYS A NICE THING.
SO, UH, WE'LL BE SURE TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THAT AS WELL.
THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD REFRESHER.
ESPECIALLY WE HAVE OUR, OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS JOINING US WHO WEREN'T A PART OF THAT HANDOFF, THAT TRANSITION.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, IS IT AUSTIN? UM, IT, OH, I WANTED TO SAY IT IS FREE.
SO EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A CULTURAL CONTRACTOR AND YOU WANNA LIST YOUR, UM, YOUR COMMUNITY EVENTS, THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO DO THAT.
UM, AGAIN, IT REALLY CATCHES A LOT OF THE TOURISM THAT'S COMING TO AUSTIN.
PEOPLE DO, UM, USE THAT WEBSITE AND THE METRICS DEMONSTRATE THAT, UM, IN A RESOUNDING WAY.
THE, I APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE SCREEN BY SCREEN ON HOW TO FIND ARTS EVENTS.
I KNOW THIS WAS A PART OF THE CONVERSATION ORIGINALLY, BUT IS THERE A SPECIAL FILTER OR TAG FOR CULTURAL CONTRACTORS EVENTS? IS THAT SOMETHING MAYBE WE CAN JUST LIKE PITCH OUT BACK TO THEM? PERHAPS WE HAVE PITCHED IT.
UM, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE SENSE RIGHT NOW, UM, FOR THEM TO ADD THAT FEATURE IN.
WE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SPECIAL PAGE WHERE CULTURAL CONTRACTORS HAVE TO ENTER THEIR INFORMATION SO IT PULLS THE REPORT FOR US, UM, BUT THERE'S NOT SOMETHING ON THE PUBLIC FACING SIDE THAT'S A FILTER OR A LITTLE TAG OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
FOR OUR NEXT, UH, YOU KNOW, CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, TOSS IT OUT THERE, SEE WHAT THEY'RE INTO, EVEN IF IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOME DEMARCATION THAT, THAT EMPHASIZES THAT THIS IS A CITY FUNDED PROGRAM, LIKE A LOGO OR SOMETHING.
I REMEMBER EARLY ON IN COMMISSIONER CHILE GEESE, UH, TIME THAT SHE HAD A COMMUNITY MEMBER APPROACH HER AND SAY, WELL, HOW DO I KNOW WHICH ONES ARE CITY FUNDED SPECIFICALLY FOR VISIT AUSTIN? SO I DO THINK IT'S WORTH REVISITING IF WE CAN HELP HIGHLIGHT, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE ADVERTISING, UM, CONTRACTS WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
SO LIKE IF YOU ARE DOING PAID ADVERTISING, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SEEING MORE AT THE TOP.
UM, AND SO JUST SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES WHERE THEY CAN JUST A TAG OR A FILTER.
I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE ANYTHING SUPER SPECIAL.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING LAUREN? JESUS'S PRESENTATION? ACTUALLY COMMISSION, OH, GO AHEAD.
BOBBY AND I ARE GONNA HAVE TO STEP OFF BECAUSE THE MUSIC WAITING.
BOBBY, ARE YOU GUYS GONNA COME BACK? YOU THINK YOU DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
ALL RIGHT, WELL I HOPE YOU COME BACK.
OKAY, MY QUESTION IS, I ACTUALLY HAD A QUESTION WITH REGARD TO REVISIONS THAT CAME UP IN THE LAST MEETING AND I THOUGHT BOBBY WOULD STILL BE THERE.
SO JUST, UM, REVISIONS, CONTRACT REVISIONS, LIKE IF YOU WERE FUNDED LESS THAN WHAT'S YOU'RE SURE.
SO CONTRACT REVISIONS THAT GOES THROUGH CITY STAFF.
UM, AND THEN CITY STAFF LETS THE LONG CENTER KNOW THAT YES, WE'VE APPROVED THIS REVISION, YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH CONTRACTING AS PER THE
[00:50:01]
QUESTION.UH, LAST MONTH CONTRACT, THE REVISION, THE CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SIGNED IN SOME SITUATIONS THE REVISION OPPORTUNITY WAS NOT OBVIOUS OR WAS NOT THERE.
SAME PROCESS, NO PROBLEM, SAME PROCESS, NO PROBLEM.
JUST COME TO STAFF AND SAY THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING INSTEAD.
AND THEN WE JUST MARK IT IN THE FILE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE LONG CENTER'S AWARE OF WHAT THE ACTUAL EVENTS ARE GOING TO BE.
UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD BE REFLECTED IN THEIR FINAL REPORT AT THE END OF THE, THE AWARD CYCLE.
IT HAS TO BE A PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR, UM, ACTIVITY.
LIKE YOU COULDN'T APPLY AND RECEIVE FUNDS FOR SOME KIND OF DANCE EVENT AND THEN SAY, OH, JUST JOKING, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA GO, I DUNNO, SING ON THE CORNER SOMETHING INSTEAD.
SO NOT SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT SUBSTANTIALLY RELATED TO YOUR ORGANIZATION, YOUR ARTISTIC PRACTICE.
I HAVE A THANK YOU FOR YOU GUYS.
IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE NEXT, JUST LIKE, THAT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT'S GONNA GET HARDER IF IT'S NOT ALREADY HARD BECAUSE IT'S THE EAR.
WE'RE HAVING AN EARLIER MEETING AND THEN THE NEXT MEETING WON'T BE UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER.
SO, AND I THINK THAT THAT, SO HOWEVER YOU DID ALL THAT, THANK YOU FOR THAT, THAT WAS REALLY WONDERFUL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE LONG CENTER WHILE WE STILL HAVE BOBBY HERE ON SCREEN COMMISSIONER CNI.
YEAH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UM, IF THERE WAS LIKE A SPECIFIC TIMELINE THAT Y'ALL ARE PUTTING INTO PLACE FOR KIND OF THE NON-RESPONSIVE FOLKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE IS THERE LIKE A DEADLINE OR SOMETHING THAT FOLKS CAN BE AWARE OF IN CASE ANYBODY'S WATCHING AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH SHOOT, LIKE I HAVEN'T GOTTEN BACK TO THEM.
THOSE ARE TYPICALLY, UH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
THOSE ARE TYPICALLY ACTIVE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE BETWEEN CITY STAFF AND LONG CENTER STAFF.
SO WE HAVE A, A RUNNING LIST OF EVERYBODY THAT WE'VE TRIED, SENT EMAILS TO OR CALLED, UM, YOU KNOW, LEFT MESSAGES FOR.
I, I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY, UM, UP TO US TO SAY LIKE, IT HAS TO GET DONE BY X DATE OR Y DATE.
I THINK AT SOME POINT WE'LL PROBABLY FORWARD A LIST AND SAY WE'VE TRIED SIX OR EIGHT TIMES TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THIS PERSON BY PHONE OR EMAIL AND, AND FRANKLY THE CITY STAFF HAS BEEN AWESOME ABOUT HELPING US WITH THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE IF THE CITY CALLS, IT'S DIFFERENT THAN SOMEBODY FROM OUR OFFICE CALLS AND IT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OFFICIAL, BUT WE'VE BEEN KNOCKING DOWN THAT LIST.
I THINK THERE'S ONLY A HANDFUL OF FOLKS THAT ARE UNRESPONSIVE AT THIS POINT.
COMMISSIONER KY, UH, ARE THERE ALTERNATES THAT WERE PICKED, UM, IN THE SCENARIO THAT MAYBE SOME OF THESE NON-RESPONSIVE PEOPLE NEVER, UM, COME AROUND? AND IF NOT THEN WHERE DOES THAT FUNDING END UP? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ALTERNATES WITH CULTURAL FUNDING IN OUR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM.
THERE'S USUALLY THE SELECTED ARTIST AND THEN AN ALTERNATE.
UM, WE DON'T DO THAT FOR CULTURAL FUNDING.
UH, I WOULD SAY MOST PEOPLE WILL EVENTUALLY RESPOND.
WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE LONG CENTER, BUT LIKE BOBBY SAID, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MAYBE A HANDFUL THAT HAVEN'T BEEN RESPONDING YET.
UM, I THINK IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, SHOW UP AT PEOPLE'S DOORS IF WE NEED TO AND SAY, HEY, REMEMBER THIS LETTER THAT SAID YOU GOT AN AWARD? UM, IF FOR SOME REASON SOMEONE WASN'T USING THE AWARD AND THEY DECLINED IT FOR WHATEVER REASON, IT WOULD ROLL BACK INTO THE HOT POT AND THAT WOULD THEN, UH, GO TO OTHER AWARDS IN THE FUTURE.
BUT WE DON'T, WE DON'T LOSE THAT MONEY, IT WOULD JUST GO BACK INTO OUR MAIN HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDING BUCKET.
I DID HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
UM, THERE WAS A BULLET, UH, RIGHT AROUND THE VISIT AUSTIN.COM, UM, ABOUT A, LIKE A MARKETING CLASS REQUIREMENT.
COULD WE HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE LESS EXPERIENCED WITH THAT AND JUST, YEAH, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF COLOR AROUND THAT AND, UM, WHO OWNS THAT SYLLABUS AND THAT KIND OF THING? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, SO I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT THE BULLET WHERE IT SAYS FOR THE SECOND DELIVERABLE YOU HAVE TO EITHER POST WITH VISIT AUSTIN OR YOU HAVE TO ATTEND AT LEAST ONE MILES PARTNERSHIP MARKETING CLASS, RIGHT? YEP.
UM, AND SO THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AGREEMENT, THE FULL YEAR AGREEMENT, UM, WE'RE ASKING AWARDEES TO ATTEND AT LEAST TWO MARKETING CLASSES WITH MILES PARTNERSHIP.
UM, AND SO WE WORKED WITH MILES PARTNERSHIP AND DIFFERENT, UM, CITY DIVISIONS TO KIND OF IDENTIFY WHICH ARTS MARKETING CLASSES MADE THE MOST SENSE TO TRY OUT THIS ROUND.
UM, SO WE NARROWED IT DOWN TO SIX MARKETING CLASSES.
[00:55:01]
THAT HAPPENED TODAY, LET'S SEE WHERE THAT, DO YOU GUYS HAVE IT PULLED UP? IT WAS AI LIKE LEVERAGING AI WITH YOUR MARKETING, UM, FOR YOUR CONTENT WRITING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.UM, SO ALL OF THE CLASSES THEY, UM, YOU CAN WATCH THEM LIVE, YOU CAN STREAM THEM LIVE THROUGH THE MILES PARTNERSHIP PORTAL.
WE HAVE LIKE AN EDUCATION PORTAL WITH THEM, UH, DIFFERENT FROM THE EDD PORTAL, JUST TO BE VERY CLEAR.
UM, AND SO YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT IN, UM, IN THAT EDUCATION, UM, SITE, AND YOU CAN WATCH IT LIVE, YOU CAN WATCH THE RECORDING AFTERWARDS, UM, OR YOU CAN WATCH IT IN SPANISH.
AND SO I THINK THE, THE TURNAROUND TIME FOR THE SPANISH ONE IS UP TO, I THINK IT'S FIVE DAYS BETWEEN WHEN IT POSTS, UM, WHEN THE LIVE CLASS HAPPENS IN ENGLISH, BEFORE IT GETS TRANS, UM, TRANSCRIBED AND, UM, CREATED IN SPANISH.
UM, SO ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT SESSIONS.
SO THERE, THE FIRST ONE THAT WE HAD AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER WAS GETTING TO KNOW TODAY'S TRAVELER AND THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FROM VISIT AUSTIN.
SO KIND OF LIKE SETTING, SETTING THE STAGE.
UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY PEOPLE CAN ATTEND ALL SIX OF THEM.
LIKE THIS IS A FREE RESOURCE FOR PEOPLE TO ATTEND AS MANY AS THEY WANT, BUT THEY HAVE TO AT LEAST DO TWO.
UM, THEN THE NEXT ONE WAS INSPIRE CONFIDENCE AND MAXIMIZE EXPOSURE WITH ONLINE LISTINGS.
UM, THE NEXT ONE WAS SMALL BUSINESS WEBSITE AND SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION.
UM, THEN THERE WAS VERTICAL AND SHORT FORMAT VIDEO BEST PRACTICES.
UM, TODAY WAS LEVERAGING AI FOR CONTENT WRITING AND MARKETING.
AND THEN ON NOVEMBER 13TH THERE'S GETTING STARTED WITH PAID ADVERTISEMENT ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, AND GOOGLE.
SLIGHT DEPARTURE SECURITY JUST APPROACHED ME.
WE HAVE A SILVER FORD EXPLORER WITH THEIR ALARM GOING OFF IN THE, ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
HE WAS CHECKING IN IF THAT'S ANY OF US.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO HELP THEM OUT 'CAUSE I'M SURE THAT'S NOT SO FUN TO LISTEN TO.
UM, OH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PRESENTATION? UM, I HAD ONE, JUST 51 FOR NEXUS.
DOES THAT MEAN WE HAD A TI ANOTHER TIE? 'CAUSE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 50, RIGHT? WE DID ONE, WE HAD A THREE-WAY TIE, SO WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND FUND 51, UM, AND ADDED THAT EXTRA $5,000 TO, UM, THAT PART OF THE AGREEMENT WITH THE LONG CENTER TO MAKE THAT EXTRA PAYMENT FOR US AS WELL.
I THINK EVERYTHING HAS BEEN ADDRESSED THAT I HAD WRITTEN DOWN.
SO YOU SAID IT'S JUST A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL KIND OF CATCHING UP.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THAT ROBUST PRESENTATION.
I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE POINT OF COMPARISON FROM THE BEFORE THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.
UM, I THINK THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL FOR NOT ONLY OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS, BUT THOSE AT HOME, WATCHING THE COMMUNITY TO SORT OF UNDERSTAND THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE.
UM, I'VE BEEN ALONG ON THIS RIDE FOR SOME TIME.
COMMISSIONER SCHACH, UM, JOINED A LITTLE BIT AFTER ME, BUT, UM, WE NO LONGER HAVE THE LULUS AND THE BRETTS AND THE HYMES AND AMY'S NOT HERE.
SHE COULD PROBABLY SHARE, BUT, UM, TO HAVE THAT CONTEXT OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO, UM, AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NOTABLE.
SO I AGAIN, APPLAUD YOU ON THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE.
IT'S, WE'RE ALL WORKING ON THIS TOGETHER AND IMPROVING IT TOGETHER.
UM, AND IT'S JUST GONNA BE FULL ON WORK.
REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND THE WORK.
[8. Approve Art in Public Places Artwork Loan: Enter the Dragonfly by Jake and Jennifer Rodgers]
DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. WE HAVE, UH, APPROVE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, WORK, ARTWORK, LOAN, ENTER THE DRAGONFLY BY JAKE AND JENNIFER ROGERS.SEAN HARRISON, COLLECTIONS MANAGER, ART AND PUBLIC PLACES.
AND, UH, I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE CHUCK SMITH WITH PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, WHO HAS, UH, TWO LOAN REQUESTS, UH, PENDING THAT WE WOULD LIKE YOUR CONSIDERATION ON.
AND TYPICALLY WE PRESENT THESE TO PANEL AS A COURTESY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE SHIFT IN SCHEDULE, WE WILL BE PRESENTING THEM AFTER THIS MEETING FOR ANY DISCUSSION NECESSARY.
SO, UH, CHUCK WILL FIRST BE PRESENTING ON ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, AND WE CAN HAVE QUESTIONS FOLLOWING THAT PRESENTATION.
AND THEN WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH ITEM NUMBER NINE.
[01:00:02]
GOOD EVENING.MY PRONOUNS ARE HE, HIM AND HIS.
I'M THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, UH, AT PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY.
AND WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TO NOT HAVE JUST ONE, BUT TO HAVE TWO PROPOSALS.
UM, BEFORE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, UH, THIS EVENING.
THE FIRST ONE, UH, IS ENTERED THE DRAGONFLY.
UH, IT IS, WELL ONE IS, IS ONE.
PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, UH, IS A PARTNER WITH THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, UH, IN THE STEWARD STEWARDSHIP AND MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF PEACE DISTRICT PARK.
THE FIRST, UH, ARTWORK IS, UH, ENTER THE DRAGONFLY.
UM, ALL OF THE ART THAT WE DO AT PEACE PARK.
WE TRY TO ALIGN WITH OUR MISSION OF CONSERVANCY AND EDUCATION, UH, OUR PRIMARY BUCKETS OF PROGRAMMING, OUR ART, LEARNING, CONSERVATION, AND WELLNESS.
UM, ENTER THE DRAGONFLY ENVISIONS AN ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION OF SHOAL CREEK AS A HABITAT, UH, FOR DIVERSITY OF NATIVE LIFE.
UH, DRAGONFLIES THEMSELVES ARE ONE OF THE OLDEST INDICATOR SPECIES OF A STABLE AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM.
UM, THESE PIECES WERE PREVIOUSLY EXHIBITED IN 2022 AT CREEK SHOW, UH, AT WALLER CREEK.
UM, THE ARTISTS ARE LOCAL TO AUSTIN AFTER THAT EXHIBITION.
UM, THEY HAVE LIVED SINCE THEN ON A CUL-DE-SAC IN NORTH AUSTIN.
UH, THEY SUCCESSFULLY SURVIVED THE ICE STORM.
UH, THEY HAVE, UH, THE, WE WERE APPROACHED ABOUT, UH, BECAUSE THEY WERE STILL IN, IN GOOD SHAPE ABOUT REFURBISHING AND REUTILIZING THEM, UH, IN PEASE DISTRICT PARK.
AND SO, UM, THEY, UH, HAVE BEEN REFURBISHED AND WOULD BE FOR A SHORT THREE TO SIX MONTH INSTALLATION AT KINGSBURY COMMONS IN PEASE DISTRICT.
UH, SO THIS IS THE FIRST OF, UH, TWO SLIDES THAT SHOWS THE, THE GENERAL LOCATION, UH, AGAIN, SO AT WATER CREEK, THEY WERE ALL FOUR TOGETHER, UH, AT PEACE PARK, THEY WOULD BE SEPARATED OUT, UH, IN INDIVIDUAL PIECES.
UH, THE RED DOTS ARE THE, THE, THE LOCATIONS, UH, TWO OR ON THE EAST SIDE CLOSER TO THE CREEK.
UH, AND ANOTHER TWO ARE ON, UH, THE WEST SIDE, UH, IN BE SORT OF IN, IN THE PATH BETWEEN THE TUDOR COTTAGE AND TERRACE, UM, AND THE TREE HOUSE.
UH, THIS IS A MORE DETAILED MAP SHOWING THE LOCATIONS AND, UM, WHICH SPECIFIC DRAGONFLIES OR WHICH SCULPTURES WOULD BE, UH, IN EACH LOCATION.
UM, THE TWO ON, UH, THE EAST SIDE, UH, ARE BOTH IN, UH, A HORIZONTAL POSITION.
UH, THE ONES ON THE WEST SIDE ARE MORE IN A VERTICAL POSITION.
UH, THREE OF THE FOUR PIECES, UM, ARE, UH, IN PLANTED AREAS, UH, TO DISCOURAGE ACCESS OR OR ACCESS TO THEM.
UH, ONLY ONE OF THE PIECES, THE NUMBER THREE, ONE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER, UH, IS, IS ON THE LAWN, UM, NEAR A LARGE OAK TREE AND A FOOTBRIDGE OVER SHOAL CREEK.
UH, THAT'S THE ONE THAT WOULD BE PLACED HIGHEST TO WHERE NONE OF THEM WOULD BE REACHABLE BY, BY THE PUBLIC.
UH, BUT SO THE, THE NUMBER THREE IN THE CORNER, BECAUSE IT'S ON THE LAWN, IS ONE THAT WOULD BE HIGHER THAN THE OTHERS.
UH, SO WITH REGARD TO SAFETY, SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY, UH, AS I SAID, THE SCULPTURES ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED UP CLOSE, UM, BUT VIEWED FROM AFAR, THEY WILL LOOK COOL DURING THE DAY, BUT THEY WILL PRETTY MUCH JUST BE, UM, MOSTLY SILVER.
UH, BUT THEY ARE ALL LIT WITH LED LIGHTS, SO THEY PRETTY MUCH COME ALIVE AT NIGHT TO WHERE THEY WOULD BE PROGRAMMED TO BE ON, UH, IN THE EVENING HOURS.
UH, BUT GO OFF AT 10 O'CLOCK FOR THE PARKS CURFEW.
UH, AS I SAID, NUMBERS ONE, TWO, AND FOUR ARE PLACED IN PLANTED AREAS.
NUMBER THREE IS ON THE EDGE OF THE GREAT LAWN AND WILL NOT BE REACHABLE FROM THE GROUND.
UH, AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT PLAYGROUND SCULPTURES.
THEY'RE NOT INTENDED FOR CLIMBING, AND THEY WILL NOT SUPPORT WEIGHT.
UM, SO THERE WILL BE SIGNAGE INSTALLED THAT, UM, SAYS NO CLIMBING.
UM, AND, UH, WHILE THE, UM, ENTIRETY OF THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL IS NOT ADA COMPLIANT KINGSBURY COMMONS IS.
AND SO THERE WILL BE, UH, WHEELCHAIR ACCESS THROUGH THE KINGSBURY PARKING LOT THAT SEES THAT WILL ALLOW, UM, PARK VISITORS TO SEE ALL FOUR OF THESE SCULPTURES.
UH, SO, UH, FABRICATORS ARE BUSILY WORKING AWAY RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE HAVE SET A TARGETED GOAL TO, UH, IF THIS IS APPROVED, UH, THAT, UH, THEY ARE TRYING TO WORK ON A SCHEDULE THAT THEY WOULD INSTALL THEM, UH, BY THIS WEEKEND.
UH, IT WOULD COINCIDE WITH, UM, PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY'S ANNUAL FUNDRAISER.
LUMINAR IS THIS WEEKEND IN LIVE OAK MEADOW, WHICH IS JUST TO THE NORTH OF KINGSBURY COMMONS.
SO THERE ARE FOLKS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE WORKING ON LIGHTING PROGRAMS AND SEWING DRAGONFLY SKINS.
UH, BUT, UH, SO THE, THE TIMELINE, UH, THE TARGETED GOAL
[01:05:01]
WOULD, WOULD BE IF, IF THIS IS APPROVED, UH, TO TRY AND HAVE THEM INSTALLED, UH, BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.UH, AS I SAID, THIS IS A SHORTER, UH, UH, A SHORTER INSTALLATION, UM, TO WHERE THE LOAN PERIOD WOULD, WOULD RUN FROM NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, UH, AND THEN PROBABLY SOMETIME INTO APRIL.
UH, BUT ALL OF THE PIECES WOULD BE DECOMMISSIONED IN ADVANCE OF THE ER'S BIRTHDAY PARTY, UH, WHICH HAPPENS AT THE END OF APRIL IN PEACE PARK.
UH, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE ARTWORK, BUDGET AND MAINTENANCE, UH, WAR BOOK LIGHTING STUDIO WAS INVOLVED IN THE ORIGINAL INSTALLATION, AND THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, UM, THE REFURBISHMENT OF THAT.
UM, THE, ACTUALLY IT'S CHANGED SINCE THEN.
THEIR ORIGINAL, THEIR, THEY ORIGINALLY PROPOSED $25,000.
WE HAVE WORKED WITH THEM TO LOWER THAT TO $20,000.
UH, AND THEY'RE ALSO GONNA DO AN IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, OF THE, UH, INSTALLATION.
AND THE ARTWORK IS BEING FUNDED FROM OUR ARTS, UH, OPERATING BUDGET OF THE CONSERVANCY.
UH, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY SIGNIFICANT MAINTENANCE EXPENSES DURING THE SHORT RUN OF THE INSTALLATION.
UH, IF THERE WERE GRAFFITI, OUR OPERATION STAFF WOULD TAKE CARE OF GRAFFITI.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR PRESENTER? COMMISSIONER MALAL QUESTION, CELINE? YEAH, GO FOR IT.
UM, I'M JUST INTERESTED, UM, DOES, DOES THE ORIGINAL ARTISTS, ARE THEY COMPENSATED AT ALL, AT ALL FOR THE, UH, FOR THE, THEIR PIECES BEING USED? HOW DOES THAT WORK? OR MAYBE THAT'S AAPP QUESTION.
UM, I MEAN, I, WELL, WHETHER OR NOT, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT, WELL, THEY WERE, THEY, THEY, THEY WERE, THEY JUST LOVED THE PIECES SO MUCH THAT AFTER A CREEK SHOW, THE PIECES HAVE LIVED IN THEIR CUL-DE-SAC.
UM, SO THEY MAY HAVE BEEN COMP, THEY'RE NOT BEING COMPENSATED BY US.
THE, THE, THE, THE, THE FOLKS THAT HELP WORK WITH THEM AND THAT ARE DOING THE PROGRAMMING, UH, ARE BEING COMPENSATED BY THE CONSERVANCY, UM, TO, TO ALLOW THE REUSE OR RECYCLING OF THE PIECES.
UM, HONESTLY, THE ARTISTS ARE SORT OF DOING IT AS OF AS AN ACT OF LOVE TO WHERE SINCE THEY WERE STILL IN SUCH GOOD SHAPE, THEY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF IT, IF THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE PEOPLE THAN THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THEIR CUL-DE-SAC TO SEE THEM, UH, THEN THAT, THEN THAT'S WHY THEY WERE SUPPORTIVE OF, OF WORKING WITH US TO, TO, TO BRING THEM OUT OF THE CUL-DE-SAC AND PUT THEM BACK IN THE PARK.
SO THE ARTISTS ARE AWARE AND THEY'RE BASICALLY DONATING THE PIECES THEY ARE.
AND TO CLARIFY THIS IS, THIS IS NOT AN AIPP COMMISSION PIECE.
IT'S NOT THROUGH OUR NORMAL CIP PROCESS.
THIS IS SOMETHING ENTIRELY GENERATED ON THE PARK SIDE WITH THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ARTIST.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER CHENEY? NOT A QUESTION.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT'S REALLY COOL TO SEE AN ARTIST DONATING AND REPURPOSING IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S JUST, IT'S REALLY COOL.
SO THANK YOU FOR DOING IT TO EVERYONE
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING ITEM EIGHT BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO ITEM NINE? ONE MORE COMMENT, IF I COULD MAKE, UH, WE HAVE A, A FULLY SIGNED MEMO OF INTENT FROM PARKS TO SUPPORT THIS DONATION.
WOULD YOU PREFER THAT WE APPROVE
[9. Approve Art in Public Places Artwork Loan: Troll by Thomas Dambo]
THESE, UH, PROJECTS INDIVIDUALLY, OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO PRESENT ON BOTH AND THEN HAVE US VOTE ON BOTH? WHAT, EITHER, EITHER WORKS BEST FOR YOU, DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND KEEP PRESENTING SINCE YOU'RE ON A ROLL.UH, SO THE NEXT PIECE IS A LONGER TERM ARTWORK LOAN OF A THOMAS DABO TROLL.
UM, DO WE HAVE THE, THERE IT IS.
UH, SO THOMAS DABO IS AN INTERNA, INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN RECYCLING ARTIST.
UM, HE WOULD DESIGN, CREATE, PRODUCE, AND INSTALL ONE TROLL SCULPTURE, UH, IN P DISTRICT PARK.
UH, HE, UH, HE IS ALL ABOUT, UH, REUSING TRASH AND UNUSED AND UNWANTED MATERIALS.
UM, THE TROLL WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED FROM RECLAIMED NATURAL UNTREATED WOOD, UH, MOSTLY WOOD PALLETS, BUT OTHER, OTHER TYPES OF WOOD.
UM, THE, THE HEAD ARMS AND LEGS WOULD BE PREPRODUCED, UH, IN DENMARK AND SHIPPED TO AUSTIN.
BUT THEN THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE, UH, WOULD BE ASSEMBLED ON SITE, UH, IN THE PARK.
UH, IT IS, OR IT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET WIDE, 19 FEET TALL, UH, AND WEIGH APPROXIMATELY 6,000 POUNDS.
UH, THESE ARE NOT LITTLE TROLLS.
UH, THERE ARE SLIGHTLY MORE THAN A HUNDRED AROUND THE WORLD.
[01:10:01]
THIS MOST RECENT SUMMER, UH, ON A TOUR FROM THE EAST COAST TO THE WEST COAST, INSTALLING 10, UH, TROLLS IN THE US.UM, SHOULD THIS BE APPROVED? UH, IT WOULD BE THE FIRST DABO TROLL IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND, UH, WE ARE HOPING TO, AND LOOKING UPON IT AS A GIFT TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, I THINK ONE MORE BEFORE THAT, SORRY.
UH, SO THE ARTWORK LOCATION, UH, WOULD, WOULD BE JUST NORTH OF KINGSBURY COMMONS.
UH, IT'S THE RED.IN THE, UH, ON THE MAP ON THE RIGHT.
UH, THE PICTURE IN THE LOWER LEFT IS, UH, A VIEW FROM THE TARGETED SITE TOWARD THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL AS IT LOOKS, UM, SOUTHEAST TOWARD SHOAL CREEK.
UM, UH, THIS, THIS UPDATED SITE WAS, UM, THE FINALIST OF THREE SITES THAT WERE CONSIDERED, UH, THIS ONE WAS ULTIMATELY CHOSEN, UM, DUE TO ITS, UM, GREATER ACCESSIBILITY.
AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE OTHER SITES, UM, COMING UP.
UM, SO THE ARTWORK CONCEPT, UH, AS PROPOSED BY THE ARTIST FOR THIS TROLL, UH, IS THAT SHE WOULD BE AN ANCIENT FEMALE TROLL.
UM, HER VISAGE DEPICTING WISDOM AND EONS OF TALES UNTOLD.
UH, AND THESE ARE THE, ALL THE ARTISTS WORDS.
SO I WANNA SHARE 'EM 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S TO HIS EFFECT IN TERMS OF WHERE HE WAS COMING FROM, THAT EVERY WRINKLE ON HER FACE, EVERY CREASE, WHISPERS STORIES, UH, HER POSE IS TRANQUIL, SEATED IN A LOTUS LIKE POSITION.
UH, HE, UH, WE'RE WORK, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE ARTISTS, UH, UH, WHEN THE INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WERE SORT OF CENTERED ON THE POSSIBILITY OF HER BEING A, A QUEEN OF SQUIRRELS.
UM, BUT ADDITIONAL WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS AND FOLKS HAVE SORT OF MOVED US AWAY FROM ANYTHING TO, TO WHERE AN INITIAL IDEA WAS, WAS THAT IT MIGHT ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BRING FOOD FOR SQUIRRELS.
AND ULTIMATELY IT'S LIKE, WE DON'T WANNA FEED WILDLIFE.
UH, SO, UH, WE'RE WORKING IN TERMS OF, UH, POTENTIALLY BEING A PROTECTOR OF WATER, UH, 'CAUSE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO CONNECT BOTH TO PRESENT DAY AND ANCIENT, UM, DAY COMPONENTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, BOTH TO THE ANCIENT SEAS THAT HAVE FORMED THE LIMESTONE AND THE FOSSILS, UH, IN THIS AREA, AS WELL AS ITS PROXIMITY TO SHOAL CREEK AND THE EDWARDS AQUIFER.
UH, AND TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER AND PRESERVING AND PROTECTING WATER, UH, UH, WITH REGARD TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY.
WELL, ACTUALLY, ON THIS ONE, IF YOU SEE THE, SO THERE'S TWO IMAGES THERE.
SO, ONE, UH, IS, UH, IS HER FACE.
AND THEN THE BOTTOM IMAGE, UH, AGAIN, IS THAT SHE WOULD BE SITTING IN A, A LOTUS LIKE POSE.
UH, HER HANDS WOULD BE OUTSTRETCHED AND SHE WOULD BE HOLDING THE BASIN OF WATER.
UH, WITH REGARD TO SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY.
SO, UH, WE CURRENTLY ACTUALLY SIGNED, UH, UH, UH, A, A A A CONTRACT AT THE END OF LAST WEEK, UH, WITH ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERS COLLABORATIVE, UH, ARE BEING RETAINED TO DO AN ENGINEERING STUDY, UH, TO DETERMINE THE BEST WAY TO SECURE THE FOUNDATION OR TO SECURE, UH, THE TROLL SCULPTURE TO THE SITE, MOST LIKELY.
UM, THAT WILL INCLUDE, UM, FOUNDATION SCREWS THAT WOULD ANCHOR INTO THE GROUND, AND THEN THE BASE OF THE STRUCTURE WOULD BE THERE TO HOLD IT IN PLACE.
UM, THE INNER STRUCTURAL FRAME WOULD BE ROT RESISTANT WOOD.
UH, AND I, AS I MENTIONED, THE, THE, UH, EXTERIOR, UH, IS MADE FROM REPURPOSED AND RECYCLED, UH, WOOD MATERIALS, UH, USUALLY UNTREATED WOOD PALLETS.
UH, IT'S NOT INTENDED TO BE CLIMBED.
THIS ONE WOULD ALSO HAVE SIGNAGE THAT SAYS NO CLIMBING.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH REGARD TO CAR PARKING AND ACCESSIBILITY.
UM, THAT'S ON THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, SO PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY CONDUCTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PUBLIC OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
WE STARTED THAT IN AUGUST, UH, WHICH WAS WHEN WE INITIALLY SIGNED, UM, A CONTRACT WITH, UH, THOMAS DABO ART TO PURSUE, TO PURSUE THE IDEA OF THIS PROJECT.
UH, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WAS, WAS DONE TO HELP DETERMINE OR GAUGE, UH, LEVELS OF SUPPORT, UM, FOR THE INSTALLATION.
UH, JUST UNDER 1500 PEOPLE, UM, RESPONDED.
UH, THIS INCLUDED BOTH ONLINE SURVEYS IN-PERSON SURVEYS, UH, ENGAGEMENT IN THE PARK.
UH, AND JUST UNDER 84% OF RESPONDENTS WERE SUPPORTIVE, UH, OF THE TROLL INSTALLATION.
UH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THERE WERE THREE SITES ORIGINALLY UNDER CONSIDERATION.
UM, THE ONE THAT, THAT WE'RE PROPOSING, OR THE ULTIMATE SELECTION HERE, UH, WAS WHEN ASKED TO RATE THE THREE POTENTIAL SITES, THE ONE JUST NORTH OF KINGSBURY, UH, 49% RATED IT AS THEIR NUMBER ONE CHOICE, UH, AND IS 39% RATED IT AS THEIR NUMBER TWO OR NUMBER THREE CHOICES.
[01:15:01]
UH, 12% OF PEOPLE, UH, WERE NOT IN SUPPORT OF THE TROLL AT THIS LOCATION.UM, THIS COMPARES TO, AND WE LEARNED A LOT IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THAT WE HAD INITIALLY, UM, UH, CONSIDERED, UH, LOCATIONS AT THE NORTH END OF THE PARK.
UH, INITIALLY THOUGHT OF DOING THAT AS A MEANS OF, OF ACTIVATING AND SPREADING OUT THE USE WITHIN THE PARK.
UM, UH, BUT LEARNED FROM THAT.
AND ON THAT, THAT 45% OF RESPONDENTS, UH, EVALUATED THE NORTH SITES AS BEING NOT IN SUPPORT AT THE END OF THE DAY.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS PREDOMINANTLY DUE, UM, TO, UM, LACK OF, UH, AVAILABLE CAR PARKING, UH, AND HOW BASICALLY THE ABILITY, UH, FOR US TO ACCOMMODATE VISITORS TO SEE THE TROLL.
UH, AND SO ULTIMATELY THE LOCATION THAT'S BEING SELECTED AT THE SOUTH END OF THE PARK IS THE ONE THAT, UH, HAS GREATER CAPACITY TO DO THAT.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT MORE ABOUT THAT ON THIS NEXT SLIDE.
UH, SO AGAIN, IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERNS, THE LACK OF CAR PARKING WAS THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN THAT WAS EXPRESSED.
UH, AND WHAT ULTIMATELY ELIMINATED THE SITES AT THE NORTHERN END END OF THE PARK FROM CONSIDERATION, UH, THE KINGSBURY COMMONS AREA? UH, WELL, SO JUST TO SAY IS THAT IN TERMS OF ONSITE PARKING AT, AT KINGSBURY COMMONS, THE PARKING LOT ONLY HAS 18 PARKING SPACES.
SO MUCH OF WHAT WE DO, UH, IS SUPPLEMENTING, UH, WITH ADDITIONAL NEARBY PARKING.
UM, UH, KINGSBURY COMMONS NOW HAS, UH, ADDITIONAL CAPACITY, UH, INCLUDING 400 FREE GARAGE SPACES ON WEEKENDS, UH, AT THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE RIO GRANDE CAMPUS, WHICH IS THE PHOTO THAT YOU'RE SEEING, UH, ON THE SCREEN.
UH, WE SUBSIDIZE OR PAY, UH, WE RENT THE, THE PARKING GARAGE FROM ACC, UH, UH, IN ORDER TO ALLOW FREE ACCESS TO PARK VISITORS ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS, NOW, OUR PARK USERS HAVE FREE ACCESS, UH, TO AROUND A HUNDRED PARKING SPACES AT THE AUSTIN RECREATION CENTER, UH, WHICH IS THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, UM, PROPERTY.
UH, BOTH OF THESE LOCATIONS ARE A REALLY SHORT FIVE MINUTE WALK, UM, TO THE PARK.
UH, AND IT'S BEING ABLE TO BE DONE IN A WAY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO CROSS NORTH LAMAR, UH, FROM BOTH OF THESE LOCATIONS, YOU GET ON THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL AND THE TRAIL GOES UNDERNEATH LAMAR AND COMES OUT, UH, AT, AT THE PARK.
SO, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT HAS LED US TO, UH, ULTIMATELY TO THE ULTIMATE, UM, DESIGNATION OF THE SITE AT THE SOUTH END OF THE PARK AS BEING THE PREFERRED LOCATION.
UH, AND WE'VE ALREADY BEGUN, UH, AN AGGRESSIVE MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO LET MORE PARK VISITORS, NOT EVEN JUST RELATED TO THE TROLL, UH, BUT TO LET MORE PARK USERS, UH, BE AWARE OF THEIR PARKING OPTIONS, UH, THAT ARE AVAILABLE WHEN THEY WOULD, UH, VISIT PEACE PARK.
UH, THERE ARE ALSO ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS GOING ON RIGHT NOW, AN ADDITIONAL, UH, PARKING GARAGE AT MLK IN LAMAR, UH, THAT THE BUILDING OWNER THERE, UH, IT, IT, IT WAS A BUILDING THAT WAS FORMERLY, UM, T THREE ADVERTISING.
UH, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT USING THE GARAGE, AND SO THE OWNERS ARE GONNA TURN IT INTO AN LAZ PARKING.
UH, AND THAT WILL ALSO PROVIDE ANOTHER 70 PARKING PLACES FOR PARK VISITORS.
SO WE, WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT, THAT, UM, PARKING ACCESS IS A DETRIMENT TO PEOPLE USING THE PARK.
UH, AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO ADD THESE ADDITIONAL WAYS FOR PARK VISITORS TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE PARK IF THEY CHOOSE TO DRIVE.
WE ALSO ENCOURAGE ALL OTHER FORMS THAT DON'T INVOLVE A CAR, BUT, UH, FOR THOSE THAT DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, WE ARE MANAGING TO THE FACT THAT WE WOULD EXPECT THAT THE, THIS INSTALLATION TO BE POPULAR.
UH, WE WOULD PROBABLY EXPECT THAT THERE WOULD BE A SPIKE IN THAT IT WOULD LEVEL OUT OVER TIME, BUT WE'RE MANAGING TO THE SPIKE AT THE BEGINNING.
UH, AND SO, UH, WITH REGARD TO CROWD CROWD MANAGEMENT, WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO PILOT, UH, USING OFF-DUTY, UM, PUBLIC, PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS, UH, ON WEEKENDS TO HELP MANAGE, AND AGAIN, IT'S MOSTLY CAR TRAFFIC, UH, BUT TO KEEP TRAFFIC FLOW, UH, MOVING AT THE SITE, UM, WE, UH, CURRENTLY ENGAGE, UH, CONTRACT SECURITY THAT MAKES FOUR VISITS TO THE PARK, UH, DURING CURFEW HOURS, UH, FROM 10:00 PM TO 6:00 AM UH, THIS TROLL INSTALLATION WOULD BE ADDED TO THE ROUTINE STOPS, UH, OF THAT, UH, PATROL ON A NIGHTLY BASIS WHERE THEY MAKE FOUR VISITS A NIGHT.
UH, AND THEN WE WOULD SUPPLEMENT OUR, ON OUR ON STAFF, UM, UH, PARK OPERATIONS TEAM, UH, WITH A DAY PORTER SERVICE ON WEEKENDS, UH, TO HELP HANDLE, HANDLE ANY ADDITIONAL VOLUME IN TERMS OF USE OF THE RESTROOMS, UH, AND TRASH PICKUP.
UH, AND THEN OUR PARK OPERATIONS TEAM, UH, WOULD MAINTAIN PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR GRAFFITI REMOVAL.
UH, SO WE SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH THOMAS GABO IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS.
UH, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN STRUCTURING THE CONTRACT IN SUCH A WAY, UH, THAT MOST OF THE CONTRACT IS NOT PAID UNLESS THE CITY APPROVES THE INSTALLATION.
SO WE DID HAVE TO PAY SOME IN ORDER TO GET WHERE WE ARE TODAY, BUT MOST OF IT IS STILL CONTINGENT UPON, UH, AN APPROVAL PROCESS, UM, BY THE CITY.
UH, ASSUMING THAT, AGAIN, SO WE TALKED ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WAS IN AUGUST THROUGH OCTOBER.
[01:20:01]
UH, WE RECEIVED THIS PROPOSED CONCEPT PLAN IN SEPTEMBER.A FINAL CONCEPT PLAN AND BUDGET WOULD BE DUE BY MID-NOVEMBER.
I WAS GONNA SAY THE ARTIST HAS BEEN ON VACATION SINCE MAKING HIS, UM, MONTH LONG TRIP, UH, OF WORK IN THE US SO HE'S TAKING A LITTLE BIT OF TIME OFF.
UH, BUT BY THE, UH, MIDDLE OF THIS MONTH OR MID TO END OF THIS MONTH, UH, WE WOULD AGAIN, FINALIZE THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE NARRATIVE STORY IS FOR THE TROLL AND WHAT, WHAT THEIR HISTORY IS.
UH, AND THEN, UH, CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION WOULD BE MID-FEBRUARY, UH, INTO MARCH.
UH, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A LONGER TERM LOAN, THAT IT WOULD BE A 15 YEAR LICENSE AGREEMENT.
UM, AND, UH, WE CAN TALK NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
RELATED TO THAT IS THAT UNDER THAT LOAN AGREEMENT, UM, THAT PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, UH, WOULD BE, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE DURING THE LICENSE PERIOD.
UM, THE CONTRACT FOR THE DESIGN AND THE INSTALLATION, UH, IS AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $350,000.
A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT MONEY, UH, HAS EITHER, HAS EITHER BEEN PLEDGED AND OR FUNDED.
UH, AND THEN WE ARE BUDGETING AROUND 80,000, $82,000 A YEAR FOR ONGOING MAINTENANCE.
UM, THAT INCLUDES THE CROWD MANAGEMENT, THE DAY PORTER SERVICE, UH, THE GRAFFITI REMOVAL AND, AND GENERAL MAINTENANCE OF THAT.
UH, AND THEN WE WOULD ADJUST THAT BUDGET OVER TIME.
HOPEFULLY IT WOULD GO DOWN AFTER SORT OF THE INITIAL SPIKE PERIOD TO WHERE WE WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULDN'T NEED TO MAINTAIN AS MUCH OF THE CROWD MANAGEMENT CONTROL, UM, SORT OF AFTER THE NOVELTY WEARS OFF, PERHAPS OVER TIME.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR PRESENTER ON ITEM NINE, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I GUESS I'M EXCITED.
UH, HOW BIG IS THE TROLL AGAIN? IT'S ABOUT 15 FEET WIDE AND 19 FEET TALL.
UM, I AM ASSUMING THAT THE REASON THAT A LOT OF THE PIECES OF THE SCULPTURE ARE BEING SHIPPED ARE BECAUSE OF TIME AND STUDIO CAPACITY.
IS THAT RIGHT? RATHER THAN BEING LIKE, CREATED ON SITE? WELL, WELL, SO I THINK, SO IT'S, IT'S THE, THE FEET, THE HANDS AND THE HEAD.
UM, AND THOSE ARE DONE BECAUSE THEY'RE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO THE SITE.
AND SO THERE'S A WHOLE SHOP OF ARTISTS THAT BUILD THOSE PIECES.
AND THEN WHAT'S DONE THAT THOSE ARE SHIPPED HERE, AND THEN THE FRAME IS BUILT, AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND THAT IN INCLUDING THE EXTERIOR CLADDING WOULD BE DONE HERE.
AND SO THE SORT OF THE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MATERIALS FOR THE EXTERIOR CLADDING IS THE LARGEST COMPONENT IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF, OF REPURPOSED WOOD THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED.
AND IT'S, IT'S CUBIC YARDS UPON YARDS.
AND SO THAT WILL BE BOTH A LARGE VOLUNTEER PROJECT AND IN TERMS OF RESOURCING AND THEN DISASSEMBLING THE PALLETS TO MAKE THEM USABLE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS ITSELF.
I JUST, UM, I LOVE THE, LIKE, ETHOS OF THE RECYCLED MATERIALS, BUT IT'S HARD TO HOLD THAT ALONGSIDE SHIPPING A BUNCH OF STUFF OVERSEAS,
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY, I'M SURE THAT THE ARTIST DEALS WITH THIS A LOT.
UM, BUT I JUST THINK THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF AND BRING INTO THE MATERIAL OR TO THE, UM, COMMUNICATION ABOUT THIS PIECE IN GENERAL.
'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY WILL, THAT'S THE FIRST PLACE MY BRAIN WENT.
UM, AND THEN JUST A SUGGESTION TO MAYBE, UM, LEVERAGE SOME OF THE EXCITEMENT ABOUT THIS PIECE BEING, UM, BROUGHT TO AUSTIN BY MAYBE MAKING SOME PROGRAMMATIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH SOME OF OUR LOCAL ARTISTS WHO COULD KIND OF RUN SOME WORKSHOPS ABOUT HOW TO WORK WITH RECYCLED MATERIALS AND DO SOME THINGS THAT ARE LIKE, BRING THAT ETHOS INTO, UM, PROGRAMMING AND ALSO LIKE, REFLECT YOUR MISSION.
OH, THAT'S, YEAH, THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY A COMPONENT OF IT.
LIKE, 'CAUSE IT'S LIKE WE'RE MANAGING TO THE POPULARITY.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT FOR SOME PEOPLE IT'S AN INSTAGRAM PHOTO OPPORTUNITY, BUT WE'RE DOING IT BECAUSE IT NEEDED TO ALIGN WITH OUR MISSION AND WITH OUR PROGRAMMING.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO WHY WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, AGAIN, PUSHING, PUSHING THE, THE CONCEPT OF, OF, OR ADVAN ADVANCING THE CONCEPT OF IT, OF SHE, SHE BEING A STORYTELLER.
AND SO THAT'S ONE THAT WE WOULD HOPE TO BE ABLE TO ALIGN THAT WITH THE ART, THE LEARNING, THE CONSERVATION, AND THE
[01:25:01]
WELLNESS TO WHERE THERE WOULD BE A LARGER COMPONENT OR WAYS OF TO MAKE IT A STORYTELLING SPACE.ALSO, WHAT ARE YOUR SECRETS FOR GETTING 1500 PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO A SURVEY?
AS A RESEARCHER, A QUALITATIVE RESEARCHER, THAT'S, THOSE ARE BIG NUMBERS, ESPECIALLY FOR I, UH, A PUBLIC, IT'S GREAT.
THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, I SAW THE COVER SOCIAL MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING, UM, THAT WE DID.
AND, UM, AND THEN ALSO, I WAS GONNA SAY, I MEAN, YES, THE, THE, THE SITE, THE SITES AT THE NORTHERN END, AS WE MENTIONED, WERE NOT POPULAR.
SO THERE WAS DEFINITELY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, OF VIRAL ACTIVITY THERE FOR PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T WANT THE IT AT THAT, AT THAT LOCATION.
UM, THAT'S NO REALLY FANTASTIC.
AND THERE'S A VERY THOUGHTFUL AND, UH, DETAILED PRESENTATION WHERE IT FEELS LIKE YOU'VE REALLY KIND OF CONSIDERED ALL ANGLES OF THIS.
ONE THING I WOULD, UH, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY ADDED IT TO YOUR LIST, BUT POTENTIALLY COMMUNICATING WITH CAP METRO.
THEY DO THESE ART WRAPPED BUSES WHERE THEY'RE USING LOCAL ARTISTS.
A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE ALIGNED WITH, UM, THE MONTH.
LIKE RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN, UH, NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH.
UH, OUR LOCAL ARTISTS, RUBEN ESQUIVEL JUST HAD HIS BUS UNVEILING.
A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE NOT BOUND TO A ROUTE, SO THEY COULD BE LEVERAGED TO DO SOME TRANSPORTING DIRECTLY TO THE SITE, UM, OR ALIGNING WITH A CAT METRO BUS ROUTE.
BUT JUST TRYING TO, LIKE, IF WE'RE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM CAR CULTURE AND REALLY TALK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND CARBON FOOTPRINT, UM, PARTNERING WITH OUR PUBLIC TRANCE, I THINK WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND THAT REACH AND GET PEOPLE THERE WITHOUT USING INDIVIDUAL CARS.
ANYTHING
WELL, LET'S GET SOME, ALL THE ART BUSES ON THE FIVE, UM, COMMISSIONERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER GRAY? THIS MAY BE A REALLY CRAZY QUESTION, BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE JUST HAVING BEEN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE LIAISON FOR AIPP PANEL, UM, THERE WAS A PIECE OF ARTWORK THAT HAD AN AREA THAT WOULD HOLD WATER THAT WAS ACTUALLY DISCUSSED FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
SO I GUESS MY, MY, UH, AND POSSIBILITIES OF PROBLEMS AROUND THAT, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW FAR AWAY THAT IS? HOW BIG IT IS? WHAT, HOW DOES IT GET THE WATER? HOW'S THE WATER NOT TURNED INTO ABSOLUTELY.
CAN PEOPLE COMMENT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO IT WILL, IT WILL, I MEAN, IT WILL PROBABLY BE DECENT SIZE VESSEL IN TERMS OF HER, HER ARMS WILL BE BIG AND WIDE AND SEMI FAR APART.
UH, I THINK IT'S ENVISIONED TO BE A, A SHALLOW VESSEL.
AND, UH, WATER WILL EITHER BE CONTRIBUTED BY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION OF WATER.
UH, BUT IN TERMS OF ITS MAINTENANCE, UM, THIS PARTICULAR SITE, UH, IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO, UH, QUICK COUPLERS THAT WE HAVE IN THE PARK TO WHERE, UH, IT WILL NEVER GET GREEN AND SLIMY TO WHERE IT WILL BE A PART OF OUR PARK OPERATIONS STAFF'S DAILY MAINTENANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WATER IS THERE, UH, IS CLEAN AND NOT GROWING THINGS.
IT'S NOT A MOSQUITO BREEDING GROUND.
SO ALL WE NEED ARE, I WOULD THINK INDIVIDUAL MOTIONS TO APPROVE THESE TWO ARTWORKS.
I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE, MOVE TO APPROVE, MOVE TO APPROVE BOTH, UH, NUMBER EIGHT AND NUMBER NINE, STAFF.
DO WE NEED INDIVIDUAL MOTIONS OR CAN WE YEAH, WE NEED IN.
SO I MOVE TO APPROVE NUMBER EIGHT, SECONDED BY SCH, SMALL BLOCK, INITIATED BY COMMISSIONER.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING, UH, THE ENTER THE DRAGON.
FLY BY JAKE AND JENNIFER ROGERS FOR PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY ON SCREEN.
JESUS, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? SECOND, UH, SMALL BACK SECONDED.
UH, MOTIONED AND THEN
CAN WE GET NOTIFIED WHEN THAT GETS INSTALLED, BY THE WAY,
UM, I SAW A MOTION BY, UH, YEAH.
IS THAT THAT MOTION TO PROVE? MOTION TO PROVE BY MONICA MALINDO.
AND LET'S SECOND IT TO OUR NEW COMMISSIONER, MIKE KY.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME BACK AND PRESENT TO US, UM, IF YOU'RE NEEDING ANY ARTISTS OR, I MEAN, YOU HAVE AIPP RIGHT THERE IN YOUR POCKET, BUT WE'RE HERE AS WELL, UH, TO BE A RESOURCE.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS OR SHARE FLYERS.
WE'RE HAPPY TO CIRCULATE THERE.
THERE WILL BE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, THERE WILL BE MULTIPLE SHIFTS TO HELP DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
PEOPLE THAT WANNA HELP BUILD PATROL.
[01:30:01]
WE CAN'T WAIT.A LOT OF US HAVE KIDS TOO, SO WE'LL BE THERE IN FULL FORCE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
[10. Approve AIPP nominating committee recommendations for three new AIPP Panel members.]
THE APPROVE, AIPP NOMINATING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THREE NEW AIPP PANEL MEMBERS.AND THAT WILL BE PRESENTED BY CONSTANCE WHITE, AIPP PROGRAMS MANAGER.
I'M THE CURRENT ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM MANAGER, UH, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION.
UH, THANK YOU CHAIR CISMAN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AIPP IS REQUESTING OFFICIAL NOMINATIONS OF THREE NEW CANDIDATES TO THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PANEL.
AN OPEN APPLICATION FOR AIPP PANEL MEMBERSHIP LIVES ON OUR CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE, AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/AIP P.
ON AUGUST 15TH, STAFF BEGAN REVIEWING APPLICATIONS FOR MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPLICANTS.
UH, MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS ARE PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS AND DESIGN PROFESSIONALS AS DEMONSTRATED BY EXPERIENCE AND A PORTFOLIO OF WORK OF FIVE TO 10 IMAGES.
SIX CANDIDATES WERE INTERVIEWED BY THE AIPP NOMINATING COMMITTEE, CHAIRED BY I OUTGOING, AIPP PANEL CHAIR, TAMMY RUBIN.
AND THE, UM, NOMINATING COMMITTEE ALSO INCLUDED ARTS COMMISSION CHAIR SELENA CISMAN, OUTGOING, AIPP PANEL COMMISSION LIAISON, AC GRAY, AND INCUMBENT AIPP PANEL COMMISSIONER, LIAISON, COMMISSION LIAISON, MONICA MALDONADO.
UM, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO TURN THE MIC OVER TO THE CHAIR OF THIS PROCESS, UH, TAMMY RUBIN TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEW CANDIDATES STAFF.
DO WE HAVE TAMMY IN THE ROOM? I DON'T KNOW THAT SHE MADE IT.
WILL YOU JUST CONTINUE AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND SURE.
UM, THE, THE BACKUP INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED IN THE, UM, OR IN YOUR PACKETS, AND I'M HAPPY TO FLOW THROUGH THAT, THOSE CANDIDATES, UH, PORTFOLIOS.
LET ME TURN SO I COULD SEE THE SCREEN.
UM, SO IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SO TAYLOR DAVIS IS A LOCAL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND A CURATOR.
SHE, UH, WORKS WITH MANY ARTISTS TO DO, UM, ACTIVATIONS AROUND THE CITY AND TO ALSO CURATE EXHIBITIONS FOR LOCAL EMERGING ARTISTS.
TAYLOR IS ALSO PRACTICED IT BEING, UM, AN ARTIST HERSELF AND WORKING ON, UH, LOCAL PROJECTS.
AND THIS WAS THE, UM, INAUGURAL PROJECT, COMMON WATERS WITH THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY.
AND SO WE HAVE, UM, AS A PART OF THE APPLICATION, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT ONE AND MAYBE FLOW THROUGH TAYLOR DAVIS'S, UM, PORTFOLIO.
BUT WE ASK EACH APPLICANT TO, UH, SUBMIT A PORTFOLIO OF WORK TO DEMONSTRATE, UM, THEIR QUALIFICATIONS, AS I MENTIONED.
AND SO THESE IMAGES HERE ARE OF, THE FIRST IMAGE WAS OF TAYLOR'S COLLABORATION AS AN ARTIST.
AND THESE IMAGES, THE FOLLOWING IMAGES ARE OF HER WORK AS A CURATOR, SO WE CAN KEEP GOING.
SO ALL SITE SPECIFIC INSTALLATIONS.
UM, THIS PARTICULAR INSTALLATION WAS LOCAL ARTISTS AND ARTISTS FROM ELSEWHERE.
AND THE NEXT ONE, SO WE CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT CANDIDATE.
UH, CHRISTINE AND SHERA IS NEW TO AUSTIN.
SHE'S BEEN IN THE CITY FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS AND WORKS IN THIS SPACE, UM, AS A CONSULTANT, UM, IS A FORMER, UH, MUSEUM PROFESSIONAL, BUT ALSO IS A SEASONED ARTS ADMINISTRATOR.
AND, UH, THESE ARE SOME OF THE, THE PROJECTS
[01:35:01]
THAT SHE'S WORKED ON, AS WELL AS SOME PROJECTS THAT SHE HAS CURATED.WE CAN KEEP GOING JUST FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, WE CAN ROLL THROUGH SO YOU CAN SEE THE EXPANSIVENESS OF, UM, EXPERIENCE THAT WE ARE ONBOARDING.
LISA WOODS ALSO IS A LOCAL, UM, ARTIST THAT WORKS IN THE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY SPACE AND HAS MANAGED SPACES HERE, UH, FOR ARTISTS, GALLERY SPACES FOR ARTISTS HERE IN THE CITY.
UH, LISA'S ALSO RECEIVED THE OLIVER FRANKLIN AWARD THIS YEAR, UM, AS THE SECOND AWARD RECIPIENT, UM, BEHIND THE FIRST RECIPIENT WHO WAS OUR HONORABLE CHAIR LAST YEAR.
AND SO, UH, WE ARE PLEASED TO WELCOME, UH, HER, UH, ESTEEMED, UH, CREDENTIALS TO OUR AIPP PANEL.
AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT, UH, LISA HAS INSTALLED.
AND IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO TAMMY RUBIN, OUR OUTGOING CHAIR, THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO WORKS IN THE SPACE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY SINCE THAT IS A MEDIA THAT IS BEING, UM, WIDELY PRACTICED IN, UM, BY ARTISTS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND ALSO HERE IN THE CITY.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT CANDIDATE.
ARE WE STUCK? OH, THOSE WERE THE THREE.
WE, I INTERVIEWED SO MANY PEOPLE I FORGOT.
I'M IN AUTO MODE, BUT, SO THOSE ARE THE THREE CANDIDATES WITH YOUR CREDENTIALS AND UM, I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR OR TURN THE FLOOR BACK OVER TO YOU.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR CONSTANCE? NO.
AS SOMEBODY WHO WAS IN THAT ROOM, THERE WERE A LOT OF REALLY GREAT CANDIDATES, BUT I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT WITH THOSE THAT WE'VE SELECTED AND HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH A COUPLE OF THEM SINCE.
AND THEY'RE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC AND EXCITED TO BE JOINING THE PANEL.
UM, AND IT WAS SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO GET TO SEE LISA ON TWO DIFFERENT PANELS.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, WE WOULD NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE.
LET'S SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THESE AIPP APPLICANTS.
SO DID THEY START, UM, SERVICE, THEIR FIRST MEETING WILL BE WITH YOU, UH, MONICA, DECEMBER 4TH, COMMISSIONER MALDONADO ON DECEMBER 4TH.
SO THEY HAVE ALL HAD THEIR, UM, 90 MINUTE ORIENTATION WITH STAFF, THEIR AIPP ORIENTATION AND RECEIVED THEIR, UM, THEIR BIBLE OF, UM, HOW TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE DO IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
VERY EXCITING, FRESH BLOOD ON THE AIPP PANEL.
[11. Discussion and possible action on from Appeals Working Group Recommendations with Commissioners Schmalbach, Garza, Houston, and Zisman (chair)]
AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON FROM APPEALS WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS WITH COMMISSIONER MBO GARZA, HOUSTON, AND ZISMAN.UM, JUST FOR FUTURE NOTE, DO WE NEED TO MOVE THIS TO WORKING GROUP UPDATES OR IS THIS, IS, DOES THIS STANDALONE BECAUSE IT'S A TEMPORARY, LIKE FIXED INIT.
LIKE INDEN, WE'LL JUST PRETEND LIKE IT'S THERE TODAY.
UM, WE HAVE MET, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO MEET THE THREE OF, UH, UM, COMMISSIONER SCHWABA, MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER GARZA WITH UM, JESUS PANTEL.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON WAS UNDER THE WEATHER AND UNABLE TO JOIN US, UM, BUT WILL BE A PART OF FUTURE MEETINGS.
UM, WE HAD A VERY DETAILED CONVERSATION, UM, ABOUT, UH, EACH APPELLANT AND WE'LL BE CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION WITH STAFF ON HOW THE BEST STRATEGY FOR MOVING FORWARD.
UM, WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT THE PROPO AT THIS BEING THE FIRST ITERATION OF THIS FUNDING PROGRAM AND THEREFORE THE APPEALS PROCESS, UM, THE PROPOSED PROCESS BEING THAT THERE IS A HEARING, UM, WE ARE DISCUSSING AMONGST, UH, THE WORKING GROUP AND STAFF IF THAT'S NECESSARY.
AND I THINK WE'RE STILL GOING BACK AND FORTH A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT WE'LL ULTIMATELY PROBABLY LEAVE IT TO EACH APPELLANT, UM, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO MEET WITH US AS A GROUP.
UM, BUT, UM, THAT'S KIND OF THE BULK OF THE UPDATE.
AND HEIDI, DO YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? NOT IF WE'RE, NO, NO, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY THOROUGH CONSIDERING, UH, WHERE WE'RE AT AT THIS MOMENT.
OUR STAFF WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH THE APPELLANTS, UM, I'M SURE WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.
UM, WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING ON TO
[12. Update from Emergency Funding and Proactive Strategies for Future Funding Working Group with Commissioners Schmalbach and Zisman (chair)]
THE UPDATE FROM THE EMERGENCY FUNDING PROACTIVE STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE FUNDING WORKING GROUP WITH[01:40:01]
COMMISSIONERS SCHMUCK ASMAN, AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THAT ONE AS WELL.UM, NO MAJOR UPDATE SINCE LAST MONTH.
IT IS, UM, WE ARE VERY EARLY IN THE MONTH FOR OUR MEETING.
UM, SO WE'RE STILL SORT OF ON COURSE FOR THE PROGRAM PARTNERING WITH RAISIN IN THE SUN FOR THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, AND, UH, PARTNERING WITH OUR UNSHELTERED NEIGHBORS FOR SAME DAY PAYMENTS, A MURAL PROCESS.
I I DON'T HAVE THAT, UM, PROJECT DESCRIPTION IN FRONT OF ME, SO FORGIVE ME, BUT WE'RE SAME AS LAST MONTH.
[13. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Gray, Maldonado, and Schmalbach (chair).]
FROM THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION WORKING GROUP ON URBAN CORE ISSUES WITH COMMISSIONERS, GRAY MALDONADO AND SCHACH CHAIR.UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY NEW UPDATES FROM WHAT I UPDATED LAST MONTH BECAUSE WE MEET NEXT WEEK, BUT, UM, THIS WEEK, THIS MONTH WE WILL BE JOINED IN OUR WORKING GROUP BY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE TOURISM COMMISSION, UM, TO TALK ABOUT SOME OVERLAPPING CONCERNS AND STRATEGY AROUND, UM, SHORT-TERM RENTAL HOT COLLECTION MORE SOON.
[14. Update from Community Engagement Working Group with Commissioners Zisman, Houston, Csillagi, and Kracheni (chair)]
THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS SPEN HOUSTON, SHEILA GEE, AND CHENEY CHAIR.THIS IS MY FIRST TIME EVER DOING ANYTHING WITH A WORKING GROUP, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, SO THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO UPDATE
UM, BUT UM, I DID WANT TO, UM, CHAT ABOUT AN IDEA THAT I HAD.
IS THAT ALLOWED TO LIKE TALK ABOUT THE IDEA? UM, YES.
LET'S HEAR ULTI, I MEAN, IN, IN THEORY THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN THE WORKING GROUP AND THEN YOU GUYS COME TO US AND SAY, HEY, WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, BUT GIVEN THAT IT'S ALL VERY NEW AND WE'RE STILL DEVELOPING THE WORKING GROUP, GO AHEAD AND LET, LET'S HEAR IT
SO, YOU KNOW, UM, BASED ON KIND OF JUST LIKE RESEARCH AND TALKING, UM, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY LIKE A FRAMEWORK WOULD HAPPEN WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AND THEN THEY WOULD BRING IT TO THE PUBLIC.
BUT I KIND OF WANTED TO EXPLORE THE IDEA OF NOT DOING THAT.
UM, AND ACTUALLY JUST POSTING, UM, A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETUP AND SEEING WHO WAS INTERESTED IN THE COMMUNITY FROM ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TO ARTISTS, UM, TO ARTS SUPPORTERS, TO ACTUALLY BE A PART OF THE PROCESS OF CREATING THE FRAMEWORK OF WHAT IS A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP.
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THIS GROUP IS FOR THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? IT'S FOR COMMUNITY TO HAVE VOICE.
UM, AND SO, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE CREATING THESE PROTOCOLS, POLICIES, GROUPS TO ACTUALLY HAVE THAT COMMUNITY VOICE BE A PART OF THE INITIAL STEP.
UM, I ALSO THINK IT COULD BE VERY INSPIRATIONAL FOR US AS ARTS COMMISSIONERS, BUT ALSO THE PUBLIC, UH, TO FEEL VALIDATED, UH, THAT THEIR CONCERNS AND THEIR IDEAS ARE BEING HEARD FROM THE START.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK OFTENTIMES, UM, IN CITY GOVERNMENT, UH, WHETHER IT'S COMMISSIONS OR YOU KNOW, THE CITY IN GENERAL, ANY CITY IN THE WORLD, UM, OFTENTIMES THE CITIZENS JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE A PART OF THAT PROCESS.
UM, AND SO I THOUGHT MAYBE WE COULD DO STUFF DIFFERENTLY THIS TIME.
SO I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR EVERYONE.
I THINK THE THE NEXT STEP THOUGH IS TO MEET AS THE OFFICIAL WORKING GROUP ON HOW TO JUST SUSS OUT THE, THE DETAILS OF HOW THAT IS TO MOVE FORWARD AND TO HAVE CONSENSUS WITHIN THAT GROUP.
AND I WILL BE REACHING OUT TO THE FELLOW PEOPLE TO KIND OF SET UP AN INITIAL MEETING, UM, WITH THE HOPES TO HAVE A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETUP IN DECEMBER.
[ITEMS FOR INFORMATION]
TO ITEMS FOR INFORMATION.UM, TOMORROW IS VOTING DAY, SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO GET OUT THERE AND VOTE.
UM, MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER INFORMED ME THAT ONLY LIKE 10% OF AUSTINITES HAVE GONE OUT AND VOTED EARLY.
UM, SO TOMORROW IS THE DAY, UH, TO GET OUT THERE AND VOTE.
UM, THERE'S A HANDFUL OF OF GUIDES OUT THERE, NONE OF WHICH WE CAN ENDORSE OFFICIALLY HERE ON THE DAIS.
BUT DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND UH, DEFINITELY DO YOUR CIVIC DUTY COMMISSIONERS.
ANY OTHER, I MEAN WE JUST HAD SOME AMAZING EVENTS FOR DAY OF THE DEAD.
WHAT'S THAT? STUDIO TOURS? THE AUSTIN STUDIO TOURS GOING ON.
WE HAVE TWO MORE WEEKS OF THAT CREEK SHOW.
WHERE IS, WHERE ARE MY WATERLOO PEOPLE? THEY ALWAYS COME AND TALK TO US.
THEY'VE BEEN SO QUIET THIS YEAR.
UM, WELL, WE'LL GET, WE'LL ASK THEM IN FOR A RECAP.
[01:45:02]
I HOPE THEY'RE AT THE MUSIC COMMISSION.POOR NAVAL WAS DIVIDED AND TWO TODAY AND IF SHE WASN'T THE CHAIR I WOULD'VE GUILTED HER HARDER.
UM, OUR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES MANAGER, PROGRAM MANAGER, CONSTANCE WHITE HAS AN UPDATE FOR US.
I WANTED TO SHARE AGAIN THAT ON NOVEMBER 16TH WITH THE TRIAL CONSERVANCY, AIPP IS PRESENTING AN ARTS SYM, A PUBLIC ART SYMPOSIUM CALLED A SENSE OF PLACE.
AND UM, IF ANYONE IS WHO'S GOING WHAT YOU ARE Y'ALL.
Y'ALL WHAT? LOOK AT THE SUPPORT
IF ANYONE NEEDS ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE UH, PINGING US AND LET US KNOW.
HAS THE CALL FOR THE TROLL CONSERVANCY AND THE TEMPO THEM DOING THAT PROGRAM HAS THAT CALL FOR ARTISTS? HAS IT ALREADY CLOSED, OPENED AND CLOSED IT DID, I BELIEVE, ARE WE THERE YET? IT CLOSED I BELIEVE OCTOBER 16TH AND THEN WE HAD 43 UNIQUE APPLICANTS.
SO RE REVIEW FOR THAT WILL HAPPEN WEDNESDAY AND I CAN REPORT BACK NEXT MONTH ON WHAT THOSE RESPONSES WERE.
I KNOW WE WOULD BE, OH WE'LL LET COMMISSIONER MALDONADO REPORT IN ON ALL OF THOSE APPLICANTS.
UM, I DID SHARE THOSE CALLS THROUGH OUR, UM, SHARED PLATFORMS. UM, SO IDEALLY THOSE HELPED WITH THE REACH FOR THOSE, BUT THAT'S GREAT, GREAT TO KNOW.
AND I WILL AMPLIFY THE EVENT ON THE 16TH AS WELL 'CAUSE I DO HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
ANYTHING ELSE? I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
UM, THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR THAT LIST OF ALL OF OUR CULTURAL CONTRACT EVENTS.
UM, WE'LL SURELY, UM, TAKE SOME SCREENSHOTS OF THOSE SLIDES AND PUT THOSE OUT THERE.
'CAUSE THAT'S A WONDERFUL CALENDAR AND RESOURCE FOR, UM, OUR COMMUNITY TO GO OUT AND SUPPORT THOSE THAT ARE BEING SUPPORTED BY THE CITY.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
UH, ANYBODY? I, I'M DRAWING A BLANK IN THIS MOMENT.BEYOND OUR NORMAL UPDATES AND ITEMS, JUST A REMINDER TO THE COMMISSION IF THE, IF AT ANY POINT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING TO OUR AGENDA, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GET IN TOUCH WITH ME AND I WILL SECOND, UM, ANY ITEM WE CAN DISCUSS WHERE THAT BEST FITS.
BUT IF THAT IS THE END OF ITEMS INFORMATION AND FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, I WOULD HUMOR EMOTION TO.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS DECEMBER 11TH, RIGHT HERE AT OXYGEN ENERGY.
SO IF YOU PEOPLE IN TV LAND WANNA JOIN US, IT'S VERY SPACIOUS.
THERE'S PARKING AND YOU'RE NOT DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN I THINK IF WE CAN RECIRCULATE THE 2024 DATES THAT WOULD, I KNOW IT'S IN BACKUP, BUT IF WE CAN JUST SEND THAT OUT TO EVERYBODY SO WE CAN MARK OUR CALENDARS BE SUPER GREAT.
THAT WAS MAINLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS THE TBD OF WHERE MESSED ME UP.
ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE SHOULD SHARE BEFORE WE CONCLUDE ON THIS BEAUTIFUL MONDAY EVENING? WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO MOTION TO ADJOURN? I KNOW WE DON'T TECHNICALLY HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT I DO LIKE TO.
YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST WAIT TILL EIGHT.
APPRECIATE COMMISSIONERS ON SCREEN.