[00:00:01]
[CALL TO ORDER ]
TO ORDER.I'M NOT SEEING AN INDICATION THAT WE'RE BEING, THAT WE'RE LIVE HERE, BUT AS SOON AS I DO, I'LL CONTINUE.
THIS IS NEHEMIAH PIT II, CALLING THE ORDER OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.
SCHEDULED HERE TODAY, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER THE 13TH, 20, UH, 20, UH, IN 25TH, EXCUSE ME, TWO, 2023 AT 6:30 PM IS OUR START TIME.
WE'RE NOW GETTING STARTED HERE IN CITY HALL AT THE BOARDS OF COMMISSIONS ROOM NUMBER 1101.
UH, SOME MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND COMMISSION HERE MAY BE PARTICIPATING VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE, AND INDEED THEY ARE.
UH, THE MEETING CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE AT HTTP SLASH FORWARD SLASH WWW.AUSTINTEXAS.GOV/PAGE/WATCH-AT XN LIVE.
UH, AT THIS TIME, PUBLIC WOULD BE ALLOWED, UH, EITHER IN PERSON OR VIA REMOTE AND TELEPHONE TO PROVIDE COMMENTS, BUT THERE'S NO ONE THAT'S SIGNED UP TO PROVIDE COMMENTS.
SO WE'LL SKIP THAT PART AND GO TO OUR ROLL CALL.
UH, AS I MENTIONED, MY NAME IS NEHEMIAH PITT III, AND I'VE BEEN APPOINTED BY DISTRICT ONE.
I'M HONORED TO SERVE AS CHAIR.
I'LL GO TO THE SCREEN, AND SINCE THE ORDER MAY CHANGE, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL YOU OUT.
IF YOU COULD BE SO KINDEST TO INDICATE YOUR DISTRICT, UH, AND SAY YOUR NAME.
CHRISTINA GARZA, DISTRICT FOUR.
COMMISSIONER RICE GRIFFIN RICE DISTRICT.
COMMISSIONER KEITH PINILLA, DE MAYOR FO.
UH, COMMISSIONER ISLAND DISTRICT SEVEN.
UH, COMMISSIONER SUPTA SUPTA FROM DISTRICT 10.
UH, COMMISSIONER KU, GABRIEL, KU, UH, DISTRICT SEVEN, SIX, SORRY.
WITH THAT, WE ARE CALLED TO ORDER, AND AS I MADE MENTION OF ALREADY, UH, PREMATURELY ACTUALLY, UH, WE WOULD HAVE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION IF SOMEONE HAD SIGNED UP EITHER BY PHONE OR ONLINE, AND NO ONE HAS.
SO WE'LL BE SKIPPING THAT PORTION OF THE AGENDA AND PROCEEDING
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
TO THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.UH, ONE, THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS MEETING SCHEDULED ON NOVEMBER THE EIGHTH, 2023.
GIVE YOU GUYS A CHANCE TO REVIEW AND THEN LOOK FOR A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVING OR RATHER VOTING TO APPROVE THE MINUTES THAT'S PRESENTED.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER SUPTA, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER KU.
UH, WITH THAT, WE CAN HOLD A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY.
THESE MINUTES ARE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY SEVEN, AND THE AFFIRMATIVE ZERO OPPOSED.
AND WE CAN PROCEED WITH OUR AGENDA NOW
[2. Presentation on the Enhanced Austin Public Library Card (Laura Tadena – Austin Public Library) ]
TO STAFF BRIEFINGS.NUMBER TWO, A PRESENTATION ON THE ENHANCED AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY CARD BY LAURA TENNA WITH THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UH, LAURA, HOW YOU DOING? GOOD.
HOW ARE YOU ALL? DOING WELL, THANK YOU.
UH, I DO APPRECIATE, UH, YOU ADDRESSING US ALL.
I KNOW THAT THERE'LL BE A CHANCE FOR EVERYBODY TO CHIME IN ONCE WE HAVE A QUESTION, PERIOD.
IN THE MEANTIME, I'LL, I KIND OF QUARTERBACK THIS FOR US, UH, BUT I DO WANT TO ASK YOU, UH, HOW YOU'D LIKE TO HANDLE IT, BECAUSE WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME EITHER TO ASK QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY OR TO HOLD THEM TOWARDS THE END.
UH, WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER? UH, WE, UH, SO A FEW OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE HERE WITH ME TODAY, UH, LINDA RODRIGUEZ AND WILL HARLAN.
AND SO OUR PRESENTATION IS IN TWO PARTS.
SO I CAN, UH, PAUSE AFTER MY SECTION ABOUT THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD, AND THEN WE CAN TAKE MORE QUESTIONS AT THE END, IF THAT'S OKAY? YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GOOD.
[00:05:01]
SOUND GOOD, COMMISSIONERS? SOUNDS GOOD.IF WE GET Y'ALL TO GO ON MUTE THEN FOR NOW, AND, UH, I'LL IDENTIFY YOU WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
YEAH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING, UH, US.
UH, AS, UH, COMMISSIONER PITT SAID, I AM, UH, LANA A SHE HER AA PRONOUNS, AND I'M WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND I WORK AS OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LIBRARIAN.
AND, UH, TODAY WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING BRIEFLY ABOUT OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION INITIATIVES, WHICH INCLUDE OUR ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD, AS WELL AS, UH, A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR INNOVATION LAB.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, JUST A QUICK OUTLINE OF WHAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, SO AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY, UH, RECENTLY HAD OUR STRATEGIC PLAN APPROVED IN MARCH, 2023.
AND SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF STREAMLINING OUR OPERATIONS AND BUILDING IN, UH, OUR NEW MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT.
AND OUR VISION IS TO BE A MODEL OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
AND OUR, UM, MISSION IS TO, UH, EXCUSE ME, TO, TO PROVIDE A SPACE, UH, FOR DISCOVERING, LEARNING AND CREATING.
AND OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION INITIATIVES HAVE ALSO BEEN UPDATED AND CONSIST OF KIND OF FOUR BROAD CATEGORIES UNTIL, UM, THEY ARE FINALIZED IN OUR ACTION PLAN, WHICH WILL COME OUT LATER THIS YEAR, OR, UH, YEAH, LATER THIS FISCAL YEAR, SO HOPEFULLY IN THE SPRING.
UH, BUT A BIG PART OF OUR WORK IS TO PROVIDE ACCESS.
AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN OUR LIBRARIES IS THAT WE PROVIDE LAPTOPS FOR DAILY USE AT OUR LIBRARIES.
REGARDLESS IF YOU HAVE A LIBRARY CARD, YOU CAN COME IN AND USE ONE OF OUR, UH, LIBRARIES AT ANY OF OUR BRANCH LOCATIONS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE LAPTOPS FOR CHECKOUT, AND WE HAVE HOTSPOTS AND WIFI, AND FREE WIFI IN ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS.
UH, WE ALSO PROVIDE DIGITAL LITERACY, WHICH INCLUDES COMPUTER CLASSES, UH, DIGITAL.
WE HAVE A DIGITAL NAVIGATOR WHO, UH, PROVIDES A TECH SUPPORT.
WE ALSO PROVIDE TRAINING, AND WE ARE VERY STRATEGIC ABOUT OUR PARTNERS AND BRINGING THEM IN TO HELP, UH, BRIDGE THE GAP OF OUR EQUITY NEEDS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A COMPONENT THAT SUPPORTS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND THAT INCLUDES OUR JOB PORTAL AT ALL OF OUR BRANCH SPACES.
WE HAVE MEETING ROOMS AT OUR CENTRAL LIBRARIES.
WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A SHARED LEARNING ROOM, WHICH ARE USED.
UH, WE ALSO PROVIDE ONLINE REFERENCE AND CHAT SUPPORT.
AND THEN WE HOST, UH, WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM.
AND THEN, UH, I'LL BRIEFLY TOUCH ON THIS, BUT WE'LL, AND LINDA WILL TALK MORE ABOUT IT, BUT WE ALSO, UM, ARE EXCITED TO HAVE OUR INNOVATION LAB, WHICH SUPPORTS OUR EMERGING TECHNO TECHNOLOGY.
AND WITH THAT, WE PROVIDE OUR COMMUNITY ACCESS TO NEW HARDWARE FREE SOFTWARE.
UM, WE HAVE A TECHNOLOGY PETTING ZOO, AND LOTS OF TRAINING AND WORKSHOP AND IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES.
SO ONE OF THE BIG PROJECTS THAT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY IS THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD, WHICH IS A PILOT PROGRAM THAT STARTED, UH, MAY 1ST, NEXT SLIDE.
AND THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD IS A LIBRARY CARD FOR ADULTS, 18 YEARS AND OLDER.
THAT INCLUDES A LIBRARY CARD, A PHOTOGRAPH, YOUR ADDRESS, DATE OF BIRTH, EXPIRATION DATE, AND A SCANNABLE BARCODE THAT CONNECTS TO OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM AND IDENTIFIES, UH, INTERNALLY FOR OURSELVES, JUST YOUR LIBRARY MEMBERSHIP.
UM, BUT THE LIBRARY CARD CAN BE USED TO CHECK OUT ITEMS AT ANY OF OUR LOCATIONS.
IT'S ALSO CAN BE USED TO, UM, ACCESS OUR DIGITAL RESOURCES.
AND AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY IS ONE OF THE CI UM, GROWING CITIES IN TEXAS THAT ALSO, IT HAS AN ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD.
AND SO SOME OF THESE SYSTEMS INCLUDE SAN ANTONIO, SAN MARCOS, HARRIS COUNTY DALLAS, AND MOST RECENTLY EL PASO.
AND, UM, THE GOAL OF THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD, AGAIN, IT'S, IT IS A LIBRARY CARD WITH A PHOTO ID, BUT IT IS TO HELP BRIDGE BARRIERS FOR FOLKS WHO MAY HAVE BARRIERS TO GETTING AN ID.
AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, HAVING A PHOTO ID, UM, CAN BE AN OBSTACLE FOR MANY INDIVIDUALS.
UH, YOU OFTEN NEED AN ID TO OPEN A CHECKING ACCOUNT, UH, TO GET ACCESS TO CITY SERVICES FOR APPLYING FOR HOUSING, UM, AND EVEN FOR CHECKING OUT RESOURCES FROM OUR LIBRARY.
AND THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD, AGAIN, WAS DESIGNED TO HELP BRIDGE THE GAP TO HELP STREAMLINE CITY SERVICES AND BE A STARTING POINT TOWARDS IDENTIFICATION.
AND SO THIS IS WHAT AN ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD LOOKS LIKE.
UH, AS I MENTIONED, IT HAS YOUR NAME, UH, YOUR ADDRESS, YOUR ZIP CODE.
IT HAS THE EXPIRATION DATE, DEPENDING ON, UM, KIND OF THE, THE TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP YOU HAVE.
[00:10:01]
IT ALSO INCLUDES YOUR DATE OF BIRTH.UH, ONE THING TO NOTE IS THAT, UH, WE DID WORK WITH A PD, AND WE HAVE A, A NUMBER OF PARTNERS THAT HAVE AGREED TO ACCEPT THE LIBRARY CARD, THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD AS A STARTING POINT FOR ID.
UM, AND IN THAT, WHEREAS, UH, THE EMPHASIS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE BOTH, UH, YOUR CHOSEN NAME AND YOUR LEGAL NAME.
UM, AND SO, UH, IF YOU DO, IF SOMEBODY DOES HAVE A DIFFERENT NAME THAN, UM, MAYBE WHAT'S PRESENTED ON THEIR, UH, LEGAL DOCUMENTATION, IT WOULD BE, UH, THE NAME AT THE BOTTOM, AND THEN THE CHOSEN NAME IS THE ONE, UH, ON TOP UNDER THE PHOTO.
UM, AND ONE THING WE WOULD EMPHASIZE IS THAT, UH, THIS ID DOES NOT, UH, ACT AS A FORM OF VOTER ID.
SO IT'S, IT, IT IS AGAIN, ESSENTIALLY A LIBRARY CARD WITH A PHOTO ON IT.
AND SO THIS IS A LIST OF SOME OF THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, THAT HAVE AGREED TO SIGN ON, UH, THAT ACCEPT OR CONNECT OR PROMOTE IT WITH THEIR CLIENTS.
AND, UM, THIS IS A REALLY INTEGRAL PART OF OUR PRO, UH, PROJECT SUCCESS, BECAUSE WE ARE ONE OF THE ONLY CITIES IN OUR STATE, UH, THAT HAS AN ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD THAT HAS THE SO MUCH COMMUNITY SUPPORT, INCLUDING A PD AND CITY DEPARTMENTS NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO THE INITIAL PILOT, UH, IS AT THREE LOCATIONS, LITTLE WALNUT CREEK, ST.
JOHN'S BRANCH, SOUTHEAST BRANCH, UM, AS WELL AS ONE PRINTER THAT'S USED WITH OUR OUTREACH TEAM.
UH, TYPICALLY CARDS ARE PRINTED.
IT TAKES ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINUTES, AND THEN, UM, APPLICANTS CAN LEAVE WITH THEIR CARD, NO APPOINTMENT IS REQUIRED.
UM, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE DID HAVE TO UPDATE OUR POLICY SO THAT WE COULD EXPAND ACCESS, UM, WHICH WAS A BIG, UH, A BIG WIN FOR US, AND TO BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE PEOPLE ACCESS TO USING OUR LIBRARY RESOURCES.
AND THAT INCLUDE EXPANDING IT TO INCLUDE, UM, THINGS LIKE, UH, STUDENT ID OR A LETTER FROM A SERVICE CENTER, UH, TO PROVE, UH, BOTH IDENTIFICATION AND, UH, RESIDENCE.
AND, UH, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AS OF YESTERDAY, UH, BEFORE FIVE O'CLOCK, SO I DIDN'T RUN IT AFTER FIVE, WE HAD, WE HAVE ISSUED 2,351 ENHANCED LIBRARY CARDS, AND WE WILL BE CONTINUING THIS PILOT, UH, NEXT YEAR AND, UM, HOPEFULLY EXPANDING TOWARDS THE END OF JANUARY OR FEBRUARY 1ST.
AND THIS EXPANSION WILL INCLUDE BRINGING ON NEW LIBRARY BRANCHES, WHICH INCLUDE AUSTIN CENTRAL LIBRARY, UH, THE
AND WE WILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL PRINTER FOR OUR OUTREACH TEAM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE DO IS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, WELL, HOW DOES THIS CONNECT TO DIGITAL INCLUSION? WELL, AGAIN, BY PROVIDING LIBRARY CARD ACCESS TO MORE PEOPLE, WHICH WE DID, BY EXPANDING OUR POLICIES, WE ARE ABLE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO, AGAIN, CHECK OUT LAPTOPS AND, UH, ACCESS OUR ELECTRONIC RESOURCES AND, UM, AGAIN, BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
ONE OF THE KIND OF STORIES THAT WE'VE HEARD WITH, UH, THERE WERE FOLKS WHO MAY BE LIVING IN A VAN THAT LOVE TO READ, THAT LOVE TO VISIT THE LIBRARY, BUT HAVEN'T ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO USE, UH, THE MATERIALS AND TAKE IT, TAKE THEM HOME WITH THEM.
SO THIS PROVIDED THEM THE ACCESS TO DO THAT, AND WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO ADD, TO BRING MORE PEOPLE IN TO USE OUR SERVICES SO THAT WE CAN, AGAIN, CONTINUE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, REFERRAL, AND CONNECT PEOPLE TO THE MANY THINGS THAT WE DO, LIKE OUR DIGITAL LITERACY TRAINING AND OUR WORKSHOPS AND OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO I'LL PAUSE ACTUALLY HERE IN CASE THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD, AND THEN THERE'LL ALSO BE MORE TIME AT THE END, TOO, TO ASK QUESTIONS FOR BOTH, UH, COMPONENTS.
UH, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO SEE THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS DURING THIS PART? UH, THAT WAY I CAN KNOW WHO WANTS TO ASK QUESTIONS? OKAY, GREAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE KEY QUESTION THAT I HAVE, UH, THAT I'M, I'M SURE, UH, YOU'LL APPRECIATE IS, IS REALLY FOCUSED AROUND, UH, THE SUCCESS YOU'VE HAD.
IN FACT, LET ME JUST BEGIN, UH, BY SAYING, UH, WHAT AN AWESOME PROGRAM THIS IS AND HOW EXCITED I AM THAT YOU ARE HERE, UH, TO PRESENT, AND THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, GETTING YOU ON OUR AGENDA SINCE THIS SUMMER.
UH, SO REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HERE NOW AFTER THE DIGITAL INCLUSION SUMMIT, UH, WHERE YOU PARTICIPATED AND OTHERS FROM THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UH, THIS IS REALLY A WONDERFUL PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HOSTED A TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSION AT THE TERRAZA BRANCH LIBRARY, UH, WHICH IS ONE LIBRARY AMONGST OTHERS, OF COURSE, THAT, UH, ALONG WITH OTHER PUBLIC SPACES HAS PEOPLE, UH, THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, ACTIVELY USING, UH, THOSE LIBRARIES.
[00:15:01]
WHAT A VALUABLE SOLUTION THIS IS, UH, UH, HEARING IT DIRECTLY FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM THIS IS.UM, AND BECAUSE IT'S SO GREAT, THAT LEADS TO THE QUESTION WHICH I STARTED TO ASK BEFORE.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU GET THIS, UH, CARD ACCEPTED AT MORE PLACES, UH, TO, TO SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT THE CARD, UH, BEYOND JUST THIS OPPORTUNITY TODAY? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS MORE AND MORE, UH, PARTNERS APPROACH YOU ALL, OR AS YOU WORK WITH PEOPLE WHERE YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK AT FIRST YOU DON'T NECESSARILY NOTICE THE BARRIERS THERE ARE TO AN ID, UH, UNTIL YOU POTENTIALLY EXPERIENCING IT.
SO, UM, AS YOU ARE AWARE OF POTENTIALLY NOW THE BEARS THAT PEOPLE HAVE, AND YOU SEE OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT, UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO CONNECT THEM TO ME.
UH, YOU'RE WELCOME TO, UH, POINT THEM TOWARDS A LIBRARY AND OUR WEBSITE.
UH, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO BRING ON MORE PARTNERS IN THE SPRING, UM, TO JUST CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OUR, OUR, OUR WORK.
SO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UH, YES, CONNECT 'EM TO US, SHARE IF YOU CAN HELP ADVOCATE, UH, OR PROMOTE THE LIBRARY CARD AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, DIRECT PEOPLE TO THE LIBRARY IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, I, I CAN'T PROMISE FLOODGATES, BUT
SO, I'LL PAUSE THERE AND, AND GIVE MOTHER COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
I SEE COMMISSIONER SUPTA HAS HIS HAND UP.
UH, I'M SURPRISED, BUT, UH, I'LL LET YOU GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER SUPTA, UH, YOU'RE ON MUTE RIGHT NOW.
SO THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A BEAUTIFUL PROGRAM, REALLY FANTASTIC.
I, I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I WATCH THE NEXT GENERATION OF YOUNGSTERS, UH, HAVING A DRIVER'S LICENSE IS GOING TO BE LESS IMPORTANT BECAUSE OUR TRANSPORTATION STRUCTURES CHANGING MORE, BUSES ARE COMING MORE.
LIGHT RAIL IS GONNA BE COMING SOON, AND PEOPLE CAN GO THROUGH FROM ONE CO PART OF THE CITY TO THE OTHER BY TAKING MASS TRANSIT.
SO A CAR IS NOT GONNA BE NECESSARILY, UH, YOU KNOW, NECESSARY TO LIVE IN THE CITY.
AND I THINK YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE YOUNGER GENERATION THAT THEY'RE TAKING MASS TRANSIT.
SO, WITHOUT A DRIVER'S LICENSE, WHICH IS A REAL ID, IS IT POSSIBLE TO TURN THIS ID WITH THE BLESSINGS OF THE STATE AUTHORITIES INTO A REAL ID, BECAUSE THIS CARD WILL THEN HAVE SO MUCH MORE VALUE? MM-HMM.
UH, UH, IN AN IDEAL WORLD, YES.
UM, AT LEAST LOCALLY, IT, YOU KNOW, LOCALLY ACCEPTED IN OUR REGION.
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THIS STATE HAS, UH, SPECIFIC LAWS, UH, THAT ARE IN PLACE THAT LIMIT, UM, CERTAIN, CERTAIN ACCESS TO, TO, TO, UH, GOVERNMENT SERVICES BASED ON THAT STATE ID.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A LOT OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS, UM, LIKE, UH, MEDICARE, UM, AND, AND I'M SORRY, I'M BLANKING ON A COUPLE OTHERS, BUT THE, THERE'S SOME FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT REQUIRE LIKE AN ACTUAL STATE DRIVER'S LICENSE NUMBER OR A STATE, UH, ISSUED IDENTIFICATION NUMBER TO BE ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR SERVICES.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BARRIERS THAT MANY FOLKS ARE, ARE EXPERIENCING.
BUT WITH THE HELP OF LIKE PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN THE CITY, WE ARE ABLE TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO DIFFERENT, UM, SECONDARY OPTIONS TO HELP, UH, ALLEVIATE SOME OF SOME OF THAT BARRIERS.
BUT YES, AND I, THERE'S SOME MODELS OF THIS IN OTHER STATES WHERE THEY'RE CALLED MUNICIPAL IDS, UM, JUST UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE SET UP TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT MAYBE ONE DAY IN THE FUTURE.
SO IN THAT CASE, I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
UM, THERE'S CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AS TO LIKE HOW MUCH INFORMATION WE HOLD OF OUR PATRONS.
UM, AND WE DO THAT SPECIFICALLY TO PROTECT OUR PATRON'S PRIVACIES.
UM, USUALLY YOU AREN'T ABLE TO ACCESS ANY INFORMATION FROM A LIBRARY CARD HOLDER UNLESS IT'S, UH, THROUGH A SUBPOENA OR A WARRANT.
AND SO WE ALSO HAVE THAT IN MIND BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT FOLKS TO BE ALSO TARGETED, BUT IF THEY HAD AN ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD.
UM, BUT YEAH, RIGHT NOW, THE, THE KIND OF DIFFERENT, THE DIFFERENTIATION
[00:20:01]
BETWEEN THE STATE ID AND, AND OUR LOCAL, UM, YOU KNOW, LIBRARY CARD IS, IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS SOME CONCERN IN TERMS OF LIKE, VOTING AND, UM, AND OTHER ACCESS TO RESOURCES.THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, HOW DO PEOPLE GET ONE, IS THIS NOW AUTOMATICALLY, IF I, I, I'M HERE IN BERG, SO IN ONE OF THE LIBRARIES THAT OFFERS IT, DO I JUST GO AND AUTOMATICALLY THAT'S THE CARD THAT NOW EVERYONE GETS? OR IS THAT SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR? DO YOU HAVE TO REQUIRE IT AND LIKE SHOW WHY YOU NEED IT? MM-HMM.
SO, UM, AT RIGHT NOW, YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO TO ONE OF OUR THREE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD LOCATIONS, OR ONE OF OUR OUTREACH EVENTS WHERE WE'RE ISSUING THE CARDS.
UM, BUT AT THAT LOCATION, YOU, AT ANY OF OUR LOCATIONS, YOU CAN GET A LIBRARY CARD AT THESE SPECIFIC ONES.
YOU CAN OPT INTO GETTING THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD.
SO WE'RE NOT, UM, NECESSARILY LIKE PUSHING THEM ON PEOPLE OR ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN OPT INTO.
BUT, UM, IF YOU DO CURRENTLY HAVE A LIBRARY CARD, YOU CAN GO IN, SHOW YOUR LIBRARY CARD OR, YOU KNOW, UH, YOUR ID, AND, UM, THEY CAN ISSUE AN ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD FROM YOUR CURRENT PROFILE.
SO YOUR LIBRARY CARD STAYS THE SAME, YOUR HOLDS ARE STILL THERE, UH, WHICH IS A BIG THING.
'CAUSE WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR LIBRARY CARD, UM, THEY ISSUE YOU A NEW NUMBER AND YOU ALSO LOSE ALL YOUR HOLDS.
AND IF YOU ARE A USER OF OUR, UH, UH, LIKE ELECTRONIC RESOURCES, LIKE AUDIOBOOKS AND, UH, EBOOKS, THAT WAIT LIST FOR SOME OF THOSE ITEMS CAN BE REALLY LONG AND IT CAN BE REALLY DEVASTATING.
SO, UM, IT IS JUST A, AN EASY, UH, TRANSFER OF YOUR CARD.
IT'S JUST THE SAME THING, SAME CARD, AND THEY PRINT IT OUT.
AND AGAIN, IT USUALLY TAKES UNDER 15.
UH, IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A LIBRARY CARD, IT USUALLY TAKES UNDER 10 MINUTES.
UM, BUT IF YOU'RE SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE A LIBRARY CARD, THEN YOU WOULD COME IN, PRESENT INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, PRESENT INFORMATION TO, TO JUST PROVE YOUR IDENTIFICATION AND PROVE YOUR RESIDENCE WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, AND THEN FILL OUT A LIBRARY CARD APPLICATION.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A QUESTION ALONG THE SAME LINES AS I LOOK AND SEE, NO ONE ELSE IS IMMEDIATELY JUMPING, UH, TO ASK A QUESTION.
UH, I I, IS THERE A WAY TO TIE IT TO THE TEXAS SHARE CARD, UH, THAT I'M HOLDING THAT ALLOWS US TO USE, UH, INVENTORY AT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT? YES.
AND THAT WAS A BIG HELP TO, UH, SO THE TEXT, THE TEXT SHARE CARD IS A PROGRAM THROUGH OUR STATE LIBRARY.
AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT ALLOWS FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO, UM, CHECK, GET A LIBRARY CARD.
SO IF YOU LIVE, UH, CLOSE TO ROUND ROCK OR DELL VALLEY OR CEDAR PARK, OR, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER LIBRARY SYSTEMS IN TEXAS, UH, YOU HAVE A LIBRARY CARD YOU COULD APPLY FOR A TECH SHARE CARD AT AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND THEN GET ACCESS TO OUR RESOURCES USING THE TECH SHARE CARD.
UH, AND THAT WAS HELPFUL 'CAUSE THERE ARE MANY FOLKS, UM, WHO LIVE IN AUSTIN BUT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR SERVICE AREA.
AND SO THEY DON'T NECESSARILY QUALIFY FOR, UH, A, AN AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY CARD.
UM, THEY'RE IN THAT, UH, EXTENDED, UH, JURISDICTION AREA.
AND SO, UH, THE TECH SHARE CARD CAME IN HANDY FOR, FOR MANY FOLKS BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO GET A CARD FROM EITHER ROUND ROCK OR EAST TRAVIS PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, AND THEN COME TO AUSTIN AND GET, UH, AN ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD THROUGH THEIR TEXTURE CARD.
AND THEN FOR FOLKS TO, THEY, YOU CAN ALSO GET A NON-RESIDENT CARD, OR YOU COULD GET A, UH, ELECTRONIC CARD AS WELL.
AND IT'S SOMETHING TO NOTE TOO, AT THE NEXT, UH, CITY COMMISSION MEETING OR CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THEY WILL BE VOTING ON, UM, ELIMINATING NON-RESIDENT LIBRARY CARD FEES, WHICH IS HUGE BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT, UM, MORE IF IT IS APPROVED, MORE PEOPLE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO BE ABLE TO USE OUR LIBRARY SYSTEMS RESOURCES.
UM, WHICH IS BIG, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WORK IN AUSTIN, BUT DON'T LIVE IN AUSTIN BECAUSE OF HIGH COSTS OF HOUSING.
UM, THIS WOULD, AGAIN, PROVIDE THEM ACCESS TO OUR ESSENTIAL RESOURCES LIKE THE LIBRARY.
UH, FOLLOW UP ON THAT, UH, RELATED, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY THINKING ABOUT INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS AND, AND WONDERING, HAS THERE BEEN ANY OUTREACH TO INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS TO, TO USE THIS AS A FORM OF IDENTIFICATION FOR ENROLLMENT IN THEIR SERVICES? YOU KNOW, UH, THERE HASN'T.
AND SO THAT COULD BE AN AREA WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU COME ACROSS, IF YOU CARE OF ANY REQUIREMENTS.
'CAUSE OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, I, WE TAKE FOR GRANTED WHEN PEOPLE ASK US FOR AN ID OR WHEN THEY'RE RUNNING BACKGROUND CHECKS OR WHEN YOU NEED A SECONDARY
[00:25:01]
ID, IT'S KIND OF PART OF OUR PROCESS.SO THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE JUST HAVEN'T BEEN AWARE, MADE AWARE OF.
SO YEAH, IF YOU HEAR OF ANY INTERNET PROVIDERS THAT ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT IT, EITHER AS A PRIMARY OR A SECONDARY FORM OF ID TO OPEN UP AN ACCOUNT FOR INTERNET, WE'D BE HAPPY TO, TO TALK WITH THEM AND DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, HOW THE ENHANCED LIBRARY, THE PROCESS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE, WHAT WE DO IN OUR SYSTEM.
UM, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, DE DEPENDING ON WHY THEY'RE, THEY'RE ASKING FOR THAT ID.
OKAY, THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE THERE'S A VARIETY OF REASONS, UH, RELATED TO AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESS.
UH, WE'RE BRINGING MULTIPLE ISPS TO THE TABLE FOR THIS KIND OF QUESTION, WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, SO LOOK FORWARD PLEASE TO, TO US FOLLOWING UP ON THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE TERRA OFFICE WOULD LOVE IF THEY WERE TO TAKE THIS KIND OF CARD AS A PRIMARY SOURCE OF IDENTIFICATION FOR, UH, FOR ENROLLMENT, UH, THAT WOULD ADDRESS A LOT OF CHALLENGES THAT PEOPLE DEAL WITH.
SO, UH, LET'S DEFINITELY PLAN ON FOLLOWING UP ON THAT.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THIS SEGMENT HERE BEFORE WE, UH, TRANSITION TO THE NEXT PORTION? OKAY.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GIVE IT BACK TO YOUR TEAM, LAURA.
UM, SO AT THIS POINT, I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UH, WILL AND LINDA TO COME ON SCREEN AND, UH, THEY WILL TALK ABOUT OUR DIGITAL MAKERSPACE.
UH, SO HEY EVERYONE, MY NAME'S WILL HARLAN, UH, AND I AM THE MANAGER OF A PL INNOVATE.
UH, I'M SORRY THAT YOU ARE NOT SEEING MY FACE RIGHT NOW.
I JUST, UH, I DID NOT HAVE A CAMERA WITH MY COMPUTER AT HOME, SO APOLOGIES FOR THAT.
UM, BUT I'M HERE WITH LINDA RODRIGUEZ, WHO, UH, IS MY TEAM LEAD FOR THIS PROJECT, A PL INNOVATE.
AND EVEN IN JUST SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, WE'VE DONE QUITE A LOT.
AND SO WE'RE JUST GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TODAY.
SO, LIKE I SAID, MY NAME'S WILL HARLAN, UH, YOU CAN SEE A OUTLINE IN MY FACE THERE.
I'M HERE ALONG WITH LINDA RODRIGUEZ, OUR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR.
AND IN THIS SESSION WE'RE JUST GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT IS OUR DIGITAL MAKERSPACE, WHAT ARE OUR GOALS? WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY USE OUR SPACE FOR? WE'RE ALSO GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING SO FAR AND THE FUTURE PLANS THAT WE HAVE.
SO, FIRST OF THINGS THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS, WHAT INNOVATE DOES IS WE PROVIDE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE TO THE PUBLIC THAT THEY CAN ACCESS WITHOUT A LIBRARY CARD OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S JUST A SIMPLE QUEUING SYSTEM.
AND THIS IS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE THAT IS INCREDIBLY COST PROHIBITIVE.
IT'S NOT STUFF THAT EVERYONE CAN NECESSARILY HAVE IN THEIR HOMES, UH, AND AFFORD.
YOU CAN SEE SOME SPECS OF SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UH, OUR LOUNGE IS KIND OF OPEN AND ON THE FLOOR TO ANYONE IN THE LIBRARY, AND THE LAB IS MORE CLOSED OFF AND CAN BE USED FOR RECORDING SESSIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT BOTH OF THESE ARE RESOURCES THAT, AGAIN, PEOPLE, ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS JUST MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A LIBRARY CARD ID, ANYTHING LIKE THAT TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS TECHNOLOGY.
SO A PL INNOVATE IS AUSTIN'S PUBLIC LIBRARY'S DIGITAL MAKERSPACE FOR COLLABORATION AND CREATION.
WE PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY ACCESS TO STATE-OF-THE-ART TECH, UH, COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE TO CREATE DIGITAL CONTENT SUCH AS PODCAST VIDEOS, 3D MODELING MUSIC, AND MORE FROM APPLE TO WINDOWS, ADOBE TO AUDACITY.
A PL INNOVATE GIVES YOU THE TECH SKILLS TO TECH TOOLS TO POLISH, UH, YOUR DIGITAL CONTENT AND UPSKILL YOUR DIGITAL CRAFT.
UH, YOU CAN SEE SOME PHOTOS OF SOME EVENTS THAT WE HOSTED BEFORE.
THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR WAS ONE FOR CREATING OBJECTS IN TINKERCAD, WHICH IS AN AUTOCAD 3D DESIGN SOFTWARE.
UM, AND ULTIMATELY, PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM GOT TO BE ABLE TO 3D PRINT THE DESIGNS, WHICH THEY THEMSELVES CREATED.
HERE'S JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE WIDE VARIETY OF SOFTWARE THAT WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO.
A MAIN THING THAT WE NOTICE AND THAT WE TOUT VERY FREQUENTLY IS WE HAVE THE FULL ADOBE SUITE THAT WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC FOR, FOR FREE.
IT HAS TO BE ON OUR COMPUTERS RIGHT NOW.
AND ADOBE CERTAINLY MAKES IT DIFFICULT.
BUT WE'VE MANAGED TO MAKE IT WORK.
AND, UH, PEOPLE GET THE BENEFIT OF BEING ABLE TO ACCESS, AGAIN, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF SOFTWARE AVAILABLE FOR FREE, FOR PUBLIC USE, NO NEED FOR ID OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST.
WE CAN ALWAYS ADD THINGS TO, AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF OUR USERS OR STAFF WHO ARE AWARE OF NEW TRENDS AND THINGS SUCH AS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR DIFFERENT SPACES.
I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WE HAVE A LOUNGE AS WELL AS A LAB.
OUR LOUNGE IS, AGAIN, THAT OPEN FLOOR LAYOUT, AND YOU CAN USE THE LOUNGE TECHNOLOGY FOR MORE SMALLER SCALE PROJECTS.
WE'VE SEEN PATRONS USING IT FOR 3D MODELING, AUDIO, VISUAL EDITING, GRAPHIC DESIGN, THINGS LIKE THAT.
[00:30:01]
VERY POPULAR.THE LAB HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY POPULAR FOR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN RECORDING MUSIC, PODCASTS, VIDEOS, AND 3D MODELING.
SO ESPECIALLY, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE MUSIC AND THE PODCAST PIECE OF THAT.
FOR ONE AWESOME PUBLIC LIBRARY DOES HAVE A PODCAST, IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF IT, IT'S CALLED A PL VOLUMES.
IT'S CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTION OF ITS FOURTH.
THAT PODCAST WAS RECORDED IN THE INNOVATION LAB.
SO WE'RE PARTNERS IN CREATING AND HOSTING AND PRODUCING THAT CONTENT.
ANOTHER THING TO NOTE, WE RECENTLY HAD A MUSICIAN WHO RECORDED AN ALBUM START TO FINISH USING OUR INNOVATION LAB USING THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE THERE.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS PROVIDING EQUIPMENT TO PEOPLE WHO OTHERWISE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THINGS LIKE THAT, TO BE ABLE TO CREATE GREAT THINGS.
I WANNA TALK ALSO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR TECH PETTING ZOO.
UH,
I'LL GIVE YOU THAT, UH, BECAUSE NO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF PUPPIES OR GOATS.
FREQUENTLY CHILDREN DO ASK US, WHERE ARE THE PUPPIES OR THE GOATS? AND WE'RE LIKE, OH, WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY.
BUT
CURRENTLY, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE FEATURE HAVE TO DO WITH JUST BASIC DIGITAL CONTENT CREATION, IN ADDITION TO PLACES THAT HOST SPECIAL DIGITAL ART PROJECTS.
SO WE TALK ABOUT DIGITAL CONTENT CREATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COVER IS, UH, WE PROVIDE JUST, UH, DEMO ACCESS TO TINKERCAD, WHICH IS A FREE 3D MODELING SOFTWARE.
IT'S VERY EASY TO USE, AND IT'S A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO USING THIS SORT OF SOFTWARE.
WE ALSO HAVE AN ELECTRIC ZINE MAKER TO HELP PEOPLE MAKE AND CREATE THEIR OWN ZINES, WHICH IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THOSE ARE LIKE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINES, UH, INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISHED MAGAZINES.
WE ALSO FEATURE, WELCOME TO MY HOMEPAGE AND THE NET ART ANTHOLOGY, WHICH ARE TWO, UH, DIFFERENT WEBSITES THAT FEATURE DIGITAL ART AND DIGITAL ARTISTS.
UH, WELCOME TO MY HOMEPAGE IS RUN BY THE MUSEUM OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT.
UM, AND THOSE ARE ALL THE FOLKS WHO WE'RE IN COLLABORATION WITH, UH, FOR A PROGRAM CALLED GAMES Y'ALL.
WE ALSO, UH, FEATURE A FLINT SYNTHESIZER WITH SOME HEADPHONES,
UH, YOU'LL SEE HERE, AND I'M GONNA PAUSE THIS JUST IN CASE IT'S A LITTLE BIT LOUD.
A PL INNOVATE IS SOON GOING TO OFFER 3D PRINTING FOR PUBLIC USE.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A PILOT PROGRAM WHERE STAFF CAN SUBMIT THEIR FILES TO US, AND WE GET THEM PRINTED OUT.
WE HAVE JUST A COUPLE SAMPLE OBJECTS THAT WE HAVE LISTED HERE.
UH, WE'RE WORKING ON A WAY TO MAKE THIS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, UH, AND USING THIS PILOT PROGRAM TO BASICALLY STRESS TEST OUR CAPACITY TO SEE WHAT IS POSSIBLE.
UM,
SO AS YOU SEE RIGHT HERE, A PL STAFF CAN REQUEST SPECIALIZED HARDWARE FROM US FOR VARIOUS PROGRAM NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE JUST BY FILLING OUT A FORM HERE AND MAKE IT PRETTY EASY.
WE HAVE AN EQUIPMENT LIST, WHICH IS VERY THOROUGHLY INVENTORIED.
UM, AND WE ALSO PROVIDE TRAINING ON USING THIS EQUIPMENT, UH, SO THAT FOLKS CAN USE IT AGAIN FOR PROGRAMS, FOR JUST LEARNING SOMETHING NEW, FOR WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY NEED.
CURRENTLY, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CIRCULATES TO THE PUBLIC.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE IN TALKS ABOUT, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS EQUIPMENT ALSO BE, UH, CHECKED OUT BY THE PUBLIC.
UM, BUT THAT'S IN A EARLY STAGES FOR RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST STAFF USE.
UH, AND FROM HERE I'M GOING TO HAND THINGS OFF TO LINDA, MY TEAM LEAD, WHO'S GONNA TALK ABOUT HOURS AND DAYS OF OPERATION AND GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE INTO WHAT SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS LOOK LIKE THAT WE'RE HOSTING IN THE SPACE.
I HOPE Y'ALL CAN HEAR, HEAR ME.
SO OUR HOURS OF OPERATION ARE TUESDAY TO THURSDAY FROM 11 TO SEVEN, AND FRIDAY TO SATURDAY FROM 10 TO FOUR.
MONDAYS ARE CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC, BUT WE DEDICATE IT FOR STAFF USE.
STAFF CAN RESERVE THE LAB, UH, FOR TWO HOURS, AND THEY CAN WORK ON THEIR DIGITAL LITERACY WORK ON PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE LIKE, UH, GRAPHIC DESIGN, UM, AUDIO PROJECTS, AND JUST LIKE STUFF THAT THEY WOULD LIKE, UM, FOR THEIR PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S BEEN REALLY NICE.
UH, HOW TO MAKE A MAKERSPACE RESERVATION.
UM, THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS YOU CAN TEXT, UM, AUSTIN LIBRARY, INNOVATE TO THAT NUMBER RIGHT THERE.
YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD THE APP, UH, YOU CAN SCAN THE BARCODE, BUT THE MOST, UM, POPULAR
[00:35:01]
ONE IS, UH, SIGNING UP IN PERSON.WE HAVE A KIOSK RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR SERVICE DESK, AND, UH, IT GIVES YOU A STEP BY STEP ON HOW TO MAKE A RESERVATION.
SO WE HAVE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, UH, CAN STAFF AND PATRONS 3D PRINT? SO RIGHT NOW, WE DO, LIKE WILL MENTIONED EARLIER, WE DO HAVE A PILOT PROGRAM FOR STAFF.
UH, THEY SUBMIT THEIR FILES AND WE'LL PRINT IT OUT FOR THEM.
WE ARE WORKING ON A PROGRAM WHERE WE CAN OFFER IT TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE TESTING IT OUT WITH STAFF FIRST.
UH, WE'RE AIMING FOR MAYBE, UM, FEBRUARY AND MARCH FOR PUBLIC PRINTING.
IT'S A VERY POPULAR QUESTION, AND WE HOPE TO OFFER THAT TO THE PUBLIC VERY SOON.
UM, WHY IS THE MAKERSPACE ONLY OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK? WE HAVE A VERY SMALL TEAM OF THREE PEOPLE.
UM, SO WE HAVE TO STAGGER OUR, UM, OUR HOURS AROUND.
SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE CAN ONLY DO SIX DAYS A WEEK.
UM, CAN PATRONS USE HARDWARE OUTSIDE OF THE LIBRARY? RIGHT NOW? NO.
UM, PATRONS CAN ONLY USE THE HARDWARE THAT'S IN THE LAB, AND THEY CAN ONLY BE IN THE LAB HOPEFULLY SOON.
UM, HOW LONG CAN PATRONS USE THE LAB AND LOUNGE COMPUTERS? SO THE LAB, YOU CAN RESERVE IT FOR TWO HOURS PER PERSON, AND, BUT THE LOUNGE, UM, THE LOUNGE IS PRETTY, THERE'S MULTIPLE COMPUTERS IN THE LOUNGE, SO PEOPLE CAN WORK ON THEIR PROJECTS ALL DAY.
WE'VE SEEN PEOPLE LIKE, WHO WORK FROM HOME AND MAKE GRAPHIC DESIGNS.
THEY'RE THERE FOR A FULL EIGHT HOURS AND THEY COMPLETE THEIR WORK, AND THEN THEY GO HOME, AND THEN THEY COME BACK THE NEXT DAY TO CONTINUE WORKING.
AND OH, DO YOU NEED A LIBRARY CARD TO USE IN MAKERSPACE? YOU DO NOT.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING REALLY COOL THAT WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER.
YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE A, YOU DON'T NEED A LIBRARY CARD TO MAKE A RESERVATION OR TO USE A SPACE.
ALL YOU NEED IS YOUR NAME, A PHONE NUMBER, AN EMAIL.
YOU CAN JUST MAKE UP THE EMAIL IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE.
UM, AS LONG AS YOU SHOW UP TO, UH, YOUR RESERVATION, WE CAN LET YOU IN.
UM, OH, CAN PATRONS BRING THEIR OWN HARDWARE TO USE IN THE LAB? YES.
UM, IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE PEOPLE BRING THEIR OWN, LIKE, UM, THEIR MICROPHONE STAND AND THEIR LAPTOP, AND THEY JUST CONNECT THEIR BEATS AND THEY GO AT IT IN THE LAB.
UM, HOW FAR IN ADVANCE CAN PATRONS RESERVE? IT'S UP TO TWO WEEKS AHEAD.
UM, YEAH, PEOPLE CAN MAKE RESERVATIONS UP TO TWO WEEKS AHEAD.
UM, WELL, DO YOU WANNA TAKE THE NEXT QUESTION? YEAH, SURE.
UH, DOES THE MAKERSPACE OFFER RESOURCES TO LEARN HOW TO USE THE SOFTWARE? SO WE'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO DEVELOP MORE WAYS TO PROVIDE PATRONS GUIDANCE, SELF-GUIDED GUIDANCE,
THE LIBRARY, OF COURSE, DOES OFFER RESOURCES SUCH AS UDEMY THAT CAN TEACH FOLKS, YOU KNOW, BASICS OF DESIGN OR BASICS OF USING PARTICULAR APPLICATIONS.
UM, HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME THAT SOMEONE ASKS US A QUESTION WHILE WE'RE AT THE DESK AT A PL INNOVATE, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP THEM TRY TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IF WE CAN'T FIND THE ANSWER OR, OR WE DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER OURSELVES, WE TRY TO HELP THEM FIND THAT ANSWER.
UM, SO IT'S BA YOUR BASIC KIND OF LIBRARY SERVICE THAT YOU, THAT YOU FIND THERE WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT WE KNOW HOW TO FIND THEM
SO YES, WE DO OFFER SOME HELP IN SOME RESOURCES IN THAT SENSE.
DO WE OFFER VR? UH, WE DO OFFER VR CURRENTLY.
UH, WE ARE WORKING ON MAKING IT MORE, UH, ON ACQUIRING MORE APPLICATIONS FOR THE VR HEADSET.
RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY THE VR HEADSET THAT WE HAVE IS AN OCULUS TWO, AND IT HAS A 3D DRAWING PROGRAM LOADED INTO IT THAT IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO EXPLAIN, BUT IF YOU COULD IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO BASICALLY LOOK AT THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND YOU AND DRAW WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE, AND ALSO HAVING THAT PAINT, I GUESS, HAVE LIKE THREE DIMENSIONS TO IT, TO WHERE IF YOU DREW A LINE IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE AND YOU STEPPED TO THE SIDE, YOU COULD SEE HOW THAT, UH, LINE WOULD HAVE A Z KIND OF ACCESS TO IT.
UM, HOW OFTEN DOES THE GEAR AND THE TECH PETTING ZOO CHANGE? SO, CURRENTLY WE ARE PARTNERING WITH OUR IT, UH, FOLKS TO GET OUR NEW SEASON OF THE TECH PETTING ZOO, UH, SET UP THE NEW, EACH SEASON IS GOING TO HAVE DIFFERENT THEMES SURROUNDING IT, LIKE I SAID, THE PREVIOUS ONE.
AND OUR STILL, OUR CURRENT ONE IS BASED AROUND DIGITAL ART AND DIGITAL
[00:40:01]
CONTENT CREATION.OUR NEXT IS GOING TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, AND IT'S GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT VIDEO GAMES AND THE CREATION OF VIDEO GAMES.
CAN HARDWARE CIRCULATE THROUGH THE BRANCHES? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
UH, WE HAVE A ENTER LIBRARY DELIVERY SYSTEM WHERE HARDWARE GETS DELIVERED.
UH, CAN INNOVATION STAFF MEMBERS COME TO MY BRANCH OR COME TO SOMEONE'S BRANCH TO HELP COLLABORATE FOR PROGRAMS AND LEAD PROGRAMS? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE, EVEN THOUGH THAT OUR STAFF OF THREE ARE HEADQUARTERED AND ARE HEADQUARTERED IN, UM, CENTRAL LIBRARY, WE FREQUENTLY TRAVEL TO OTHER LIBRARY LOCATIONS.
A PL INNOVATE IS A LIBRARY WIDE INITIATIVE.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET IN TOUCH WITH SOMEONE WITH THE INNOVATE TEAM? GIVE US A CALL OR SEND US AN EMAIL ON OUR WEBSITE, UH, AT, UH, THE LIBRARY WEBSITE.
UH, AND PATRONS SAVE THEIR WORK TO FLASH DRIVES.
WE HAVE FLASH DRIVES THAT WE CAN PROVIDE FOR THEM IF THEY NEED.
UM, BUT OFTENTIMES PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN.
AND WE JUST QUICKLY WANT TO OVERVIEW.
I KNOW THAT WE ARE RUNNING A LITTLE SHORT ON TIME, UH, JUST SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE SO YOU CAN GET A BETTER IDEA ABOUT OUR DAY-TO-DAY PROGRAMMING THAT WE HAVE HERE.
SO WE OFFERED BEAT MAKING, WHICH WAS A HUGE PROGRAM WHERE WE OFFERED PEOPLE INTRODUCTIONS TO, UM, GARAGE BAND AND LO-FI BEATS.
UH, WE OFTEN HAVE THESE PROGRAMS AND THEY'RE A HUGE SUCCESS.
UM, ANOTHER SIMILAR PROGRAM IS DDIY, RINGTONES.
IT SOUNDS CRAZY, WHO USES RINGTONES ANYMORE, BUT IT'S REALLY FUN TO MAKE AND CREATE YOUR OWN BEAT.
UM, WE ALSO OFFER DIGITAL PHOTO WALK WHERE WE TEACH PEOPLE THE, UM, THE BASICS ON TAKING PHOTOGRAPHY AND HOW TO EDIT PHOTOS.
THAT ONE'S BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS AS WELL.
WE GET PEOPLE FROM ALL AGES ATTENDING THAT PROGRAM.
UM, WHEN WE OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN JULY, WE HAD A SUMMER SYNTH EXPERIENCE PROGRAM, AND WE OFFERED A BUNCH OF COOL MUSIC TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU DON'T SEE EVERY DAY.
AND IT WAS A TWO WEEK PROGRAM, AND WE HAD ABOUT 30, NO, ABOUT 40 PEOPLE ATTEND TO, UM, THE CLASSES.
WE ALSO ALSO OFFER PIXEL PERFECT GIFT MAKING, SO IT'S AN INTRODUCTION ON HOW TO MAKE GIFTS.
UM, WE'VE HAD ORIGAMI, UH, YEAH, ORIGAMI CLASSES, UM, WITH SOME SPECIAL GUESTS.
UH, XAVIER, HE'S LIKE AN ORIGAMI MASTER, AND THAT'S BEEN A HUGE PROGRAM AS WELL.
UM, WE'VE ALSO HAD, UH, ADOBE FOR ALL A PROGRAM WHERE WE TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO USE ADOBE.
WE GO THROUGH, UM, EVERY ADOBE SOFTWARE.
UH, WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE FOR ILLUSTRATOR, UM, ANOTHER ONE FOR PHOTOSHOP, WHICH WAS A HUGE HIT.
THE DIGITAL HOLIDAY CARD THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK.
EVERYONE GETS TO LEAVE WITH SOMETHING.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE IS, UH, THE PUBLIC BOOKING PAGE.
THE NEXT ONE IS THE PUBLIC BOOKING, UH, PAGE AND THE PUBLIC LIB GUIDE, WHICH SHOWCASES ALL THE SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE THAT WE OFFER TO THE PUBLIC.
AND YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE OFFER.
UM, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO EXPAND, AND WE'RE IN THE EARLY STAGES.
WE'VE ONLY BEEN OPEN FOR ABOUT FIVE, SIX MONTHS.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN AMAZING TO OFFER ALL OF THIS TO THE PUBLIC FOR FREE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? AND THEN A PL INNOVATE AND WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING WITH, UH, OUR DIGITAL MAKERSPACE HERE AS WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED? OH, WOW.
UH, I, UH, I REGRET THAT IT'S TAKEN ME THIS LONG TO TO KNOW ABOUT THESE ADDITIONAL THINGS AND THE, UH, INNOVATE MAKES MAKERSPACE, UH, AFTER SEEING THE PETTING ZOO AND BEING PART OF AN INITIAL TOUR OF THE PETTING ZOO, YOU GUYS REALLY HAVE MADE SOME AMAZING STRIDES, UH, WITH WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE FEATURING THERE.
UM, SO I, I'M JUST STARTING TO IMAGINE ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE COULD DO.
UM, I'M, I'M SEEING HEADS NODDING HERE IN THE ROOM FROM OUR, UH, TERRA OFFICE AS WELL.
SO LET ME JUST PAUSE AND, AND, AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE, UH, WELL OVER TIME, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I, I LIKE TO PAUSE AND GIVE OUR COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE IF, IF THEY'RE EXCITED TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, AND THEN I'LL, I'LL, I'LL ADDRESS COMMISSIONER ISLAND.
[00:45:01]
MORE ABOUT, UM, HOW PEOPLE FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR PROGRAMS. WHERE ARE YOU ADVERTISING? YEAH, SO WE'RE ADVERTISING ON OUR LIBRARY PAGE, UM, ALSO ON EVENTBRITE.AND SOMETIMES WE DO GORILLA MARKETING, WHERE WE'LL GO EVERYWHERE AND JUST LIKE POST OUR FLYERS.
UM, YEAH, THAT ONE'S, THAT ONE'S BEEN PRETTY GOOD.
THAT'S A GOOD MARKETING STRATEGY.
WE'VE ALSO REACHED OUT TO, UH, UT WE POST FLYERS AT UT, UM, COFFEE SHOPS.
I MEAN, YEAH,
SOMETIMES PROGRAMS COME ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL, YOU KNOW, ON THE LIBRARY, SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, NOT ALL OF THEM, UH, JUST 'CAUSE OF, OBVIOUSLY THAT SPACE IS LIMITED, BUT YEAH.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO TO COMMISSIONER ISLAND, AND THEN I'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER DASS.
UM, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.
I LOVE HEARING ABOUT THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS. UM, UH, SO GREAT JOB Y'ALL IN, IN KIND OF PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND RUNNING WITH IT.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
ONE BEING, UM, HOW DO YOU KEEP THE TECHNOLOGIES, UM, IN THE FIRMWARE AND ALL THAT STUFF UP TO DATE? UM, AND JUST MAKING SURE THERE'S NOTHING THERE THAT, THAT COULD PROVIDE ANY TYPE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE STATE OF THE WORLD TODAY WITH ATTACKS AND ALL THAT STUFF, HOW DO YOU, UM, ENSURE ALL THAT STUFF STAYS UP TO DATE? UM, AND THEN SECONDLY IS IN REGARDS TO THE LIBRARY CARD, UM, HAVE YOU SEEN ANY TYPE OF LOSS ASSOCIATED WITH PEOPLE CHECKING OUT THINGS LIKE A LAPTOP AND THEN NOT RETURNING THEM, UM, OR ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? SO FOR, I COULD, I COULD ANSWER THE PART ABOUT KEEPING THE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE AND THINGS LIKE THAT UP TO DATE.
YOU KNOW, THE LIBRARY IS VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A GREAT TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT WITH ALICE, OR WHAT WE CALL IT ALICE, IT'S OUR INFORMATION SYSTEMS DIVISION.
AND THEY WORK VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH, UH, CITI IT.
AND, UH, THEY, YOU KNOW,
UM, YEAH, I, I WILL SAY FOR MOST OF THE COMPUTERS ON THE LIBRARY NETWORK OUTSIDE OF INNOVATE, UH, THEY'RE MANAGED THROUGH VIRTUAL WEAR, UH, LIKE VIRTUAL MACHINES.
AND SO IT'S NOT A CONCERN AT ALL, UH, BECAUSE ALL THAT INFORMATION GETS, GETS DELETED, AND WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL SCRIPTS THAT RUN IN OUR COMPUTERS IN THE LOUNGE THAT CAN, UM, ERASE FILES THAT HAVE BEEN USED PREVIOUSLY.
AS FOR THE LAPTOP QUESTION, UH, WE DON'T HAVE LAPTOPS IN OUR AREA WHERE PEOPLE CAN CHECK OUT WITH THEIR LIBRARY CARDS.
WE JUST HAVE THE STATIONARY, UH, LOUNGE COMPUTERS AND THE LABS SEPARATELY.
UH, SO YEAH, WE DON'T, BUT AS OF LOSS, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANYONE WALK OUT WITH ANY EQUIPMENT SO FAR, WHICH WE'RE VERY THANKFUL ALSO.
LIKE OUR AREA'S VERY SMALL, SO WE HAVE EVERYWHERE.
BUT YES, EVERYONE HAS BEEN VERY HONEST AND YEAH, THEY USE OUR SPACE THE WAY IT SHOULD, SO THAT'S REALLY NICE.
AND, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THEFT DOES HAPPEN.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE, UM, OUR SYSTEMS LIKE INVENTORIED, AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO, TO QUICKLY IDENTIFY IF LAPTOPS HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, STOLEN OR LOST OR DAMAGED.
UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY THOSE HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE HAD THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD.
UM, AND SO WHENEVER, UH, WE DO HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PERSON'S ACCOUNT IS FLAGGED, AND SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, WHEN WE SCAN SOMEBODY'S LIBRARY CARD, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IF THEY HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL FIND DUE TO, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN, CERTAIN THRESHOLDS.
UH, COMMISSIONER ALLEN, UH, COMMISSIONER SCOTA, PLEASE.
UM, SO I HAVE A SUGGESTION TO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONNAIRE QUESTION ABOUT ADVERTISING AND SEE THAT, HOW IT PLAYS.
AND THEN I HAVE A QUESTION, UH, ABOUT, UH, OUTREACH, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS.
IT IS FANTASTIC WHAT YOU'VE GOT HERE.
SO, AS FAR AS OUTREACH CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE NEWSLETTERS, MAYBE YOU CAN GET A FREE RIDE ON THOSE NEWSLETTERS.
UH, THEY SOMETIMES HAVE OUTREACH MEETINGS, MAYBE YOU CAN GET ON THEIR AGENDA.
AND, UH, HOW ABOUT CONNECTING WITH THE HIGH SCHOOLS? UH, AND MAYBE YOU CAN HAVE EXTENSION CAMPUSES IN HIGH SCHOOLS WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, WHICH LEADS TO MY QUESTION IS WHAT IS YOUR SCALING PLAN? YOU KNOW, SCALING TO GET BIGGER AND BIGGER.
UH, YOU'LL BE LIMITED WITH SPACE, YOU, WITH THE NUMBER OF EQUIPMENT, MAYBE YOU CAN PARTNER WITH THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND, UH, HAVE EXTENSION CAMPUSES.
SO YOU TAKE THE TECHNOLOGY TO THE
[00:50:01]
STUDENTS RATHER THAN THE STUDENTS COMING TO YOUR FACILITIES.SO YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT? THAT'S, I I LOVE THAT QUESTION, AND IT'S, IT'S A GOOD ONE THAT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S POSSIBLE WITH PATENT RIGHT NOW.
UM, BECAUSE THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE HEAR, UH, YOU KNOW, AT CENTRAL RIGHT NEXT TO I LOVE THIS LIBRARY, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, IS HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PARK HERE? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET HERE FOR PROGRAM, THE GREAT PROGRAMS THAT YOU ALWAYS OFFER? SO WE'RE JUST, AS THE ENTIRE LIBRARY IS TRYING TO WORK ON INITIATIVES TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE PROGRAMMING THAT IS BEYOND JUST CENTRAL, BEYOND JUST THE LIBRARIES, BUT BE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING INTO, UM, AND SOMETHING THAT, THAT I'M VERY, VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT.
SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU ASKED THAT.
UM, NOTHING TO ANNOUNCE YET ON THAT FRONT, BUT, UH, AS SOON AS WE DO
IT'S THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, UH, COMMISSIONER DSCO, UH, AND THE ONE THING THAT, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE TO PUT BACK IN OUR COURT, UH, SINCE WE'RE APPOINTED BY CITY COUNCIL, UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, PRETTY GOOD ACCESS TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, SO ALL THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT WAYS TO ENGAGE CITY COUNCIL, WE SHOULD ENACT ON OUR OWN.
UH, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, SINCE YOU GOT A GREAT IDEA, COMMISSIONER SUPTA, I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR LEADERSHIP ON HOW WE CAN ENACT THAT IDEA, UH, AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL, UH, SINCE WE'VE GOT SUCH GREAT ACCESS.
BUT THAT WOULD BE SO APPRECIATED.
UH, SO WITH THAT, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, UH, BEFORE I, I, I CLOSE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WANNA GET A QUESTION IN OR ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY.
WELL, WELL THEN LET'S, LET'S THANK OUR TEAM HERE.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, LINDA, AND THANK YOU WILL SO MUCH FOR THIS, UH, WONDERFUL PRESENTATION AND FOR THIS, THIS GREAT, THESE GREAT PROGRAMS. UH, WE'RE EXCITED AND PUMPED TO BE ABLE TO, UH, AMPLIFY THIS AND, AND HELP ANY WAY THAT WE CAN.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, AND WE'LL BE SURE TO SEND YOU OUR NEXT, UH, UPCOMING EVENT.
OKAY, SO, UH, MOVING ALONG WITH OUR AGENDA HERE NOW, UH,
[3. CTTC Bylaws Review]
TO DISCUSSION ITEMS, UH, WE COME FIRST TO DISCUSSION, UH, ITEM AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, THE CTTC BYLAWS REVIEW.UH, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ASK YOU ALL WHO ARE ONLINE, UH, WHICH IS EVERYBODY ELSE BESIDES ME,
UH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M GONNA ACCESS AND SHOW ON THE SCREEN NOW.
SO IF YOU, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, UH, WHEN WE HAVE TO ACT, UH, WE ACTUALLY WON'T BE ACTING NOW, THIS IS JUST DISCUSSION.
SO, UH, WE'LL USE THIS AS A, OUR POINT OF REFERENCE.
UH, AND, UH, I USE THIS TO TIP UP OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR TALK TODAY ABOUT THE BYLAWS.
UH, SO AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, THESE BYLAWS, UH, DICTATE REALLY OUR PURPOSE AND DUTIES AS A COMMISSION.
UH, I, I ASSUME WE'VE ALL READ THEM, UH, EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE A MEMORIZED, UH, WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH, WE, THEY STATE AND, AND HOW THEY GOVERN OUR ACTIVITIES, GENERALLY SPEAKING.
BUT I WANNA CALL IT OUT IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE WE'RE ENTERING INTO A INFREQUENT TIMEFRAME FOR OUR COMMISSION AS IT RELATES TO CERTAIN DUTIES THAT WE HAVE TO FULFILL.
AND I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY HOW, UH, THE BYLAWS REALLY DO CENTER THOSE DUTIES AND, UH, PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO BE ADVISORS, UH, DIRECTLY TO CITY COUNCIL, AS WELL AS CITY STAFF AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS BASED UPON OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE SCOPE OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, WE ALL KNOW WE'RE FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
UH, SO WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, THE, THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THAT MEANS IS SPELLED OUT UNDER OUR PURPOSE, UH, TO ADVISE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING ISSUES THAT INCLUDE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY, TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES, NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR ACCESS TECH, UH, TELEVISION PROJECTS, NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS, UH, ALLOCATION OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT, ANNUAL, EXCUSE ME, FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
UH, THE EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF ACCESS TELEVISION CONTRACTORS AND OTHER COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CONTRACTORS, INCLUDING DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA TO BE USED FOR EVALUATIONS AND INFORMATION
[00:55:01]
AND COMMUNICATIONS, TECHNOLOGY, FACILITIES, SERVICES THAT ARE OPERATED BY THE CITY FOR PUBLIC USE, INCLUDING THE CITY WEBSITE, INTERNET SERVICES, AND OPEN GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY.I WANNA PAUSE THERE, UH, LOOKING AT THAT LIST, BECAUSE WE, WE, WE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ON A CONSISTENT BASIS, WE'RE IN THE WEEDS WITH, UH, COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY FROM A DIGITAL INCLUSION STANDPOINT, UH, A VARIETY OF, OF ISSUES WE'VE TAKEN UP AS THEY RELATE TO OUR DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS, UH, WHICH WILL ALSO BE A TOPIC HERE OF DISCUSSION.
UH, BUT, UH, WHEN IT, AND, AND WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF THOSE CONTRACTS, IT, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN BE PERIODIC, UH, AS, UH, PERHAPS, UH, CONTRACT EVENTS COME UP.
BUT, UH, AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF IT, AS IS LISTED IN THE BYLAWS, IS, UH, EVALUATIONS, UH, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THEN BE INCLUDED, UH, IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA TO BE USED FOR EVALUATIONS, UH, OF THOSE CONTRACTORS AND THOSE CONTRACTS.
UH, AND, AND LIKEWISE, UH, WHAT IT MEANS FROM AN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY STANDPOINT, UH, FACILITY STANDPOINT, AND THE SERVICES OPERATED BY THE CITY FOR PUBLIC USE, UH, INCLUDING THE WEBSITE, UH, INTERNET SERVICES AND OPEN GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY.
UH, WE RECENTLY HAD A RFP ISSUED, UH, THAT HAS BEEN SENT OUT, UH, TO THE DECA COMMUNITY, UH, THAT HAS, UH, A RESPONSE DATE OF THE 11TH OF JANUARY, IF I'M, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, OR, OR SO IN THERE.
UH, BUT I'LL, I'LL USE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY PERHAPS TO HAVE SOME OPEN DISCUSSION WITH OUR CITY STAFF, UH, BECAUSE THE BYLAWS TALK ABOUT A LOT.
UH, THEY TALK ABOUT, UH, EVALUATION CRITERIA DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE, OF THOSE CRITERIA, AS WELL AS THE EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CONTRACTORS THEMSELVES.
AND SO, SINCE AN RFP HAS JUST BEEN ISSUED, WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMISSION ON, UH, REQUIREMENTS, UH, I'D LIKE TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HOW THIS PROCESS SHOULD UNFOLD, UH, FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE AND, AND HOW THE COMMISSION COULD GET DIALED IN.
WE, WE DO HAVE A SOLICITATION ON THE STREET RIGHT NOW, WHICH WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT BECAUSE OF SOLICITATION GUIDELINES FROM PURCHASING.
UM, BUT YEAH, STAFF IS HAPPY TO WORK WITH THE, THE COMMISSION.
UM, UH, THE, THE PROCESS TO DEPLOY, UH, UH, THIS RFP WAS, UH, WAS LONG
UM, SO I, UH, WE, WE HAVE A LONGER FORM RESPONSE, UH, THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY EVALUATING FOR, UH, VIA EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE, BUT, UM, HOPEFULLY THAT CAN, UH, UH, HOLD US OVER FOR, FOR NOW,
UH, I, I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, AND YOUR CANDOR, UH, ESPECIALLY REGARDING RFP PROCESSES AND, AND HOW LONG THEY TAKE TO CREATE, UM, UH, TO BE CREATED.
UH, AND, AND SO IT, IT, IT MAY BE BEST FOR US TO TAKE, UH, THE CONVERSATION, UH, TO EMAIL AND, AND LEARN MORE.
I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE, UH, OTHER COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE, UH, TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS HERE, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A SUBSTANTIVE FOLLOW UP OVER EMAIL.
DEPUTY, MAY I HAVE A MARY QUESTION? UH, YEAH.
LET ME, UH, LET ME, UH, GO TO A SCREEN WHERE I CAN SEE YOU ALL AGAIN.
UH, CAN, CAN AT TXN HELP ME OUT SO I CAN SEE, TO STOP SHARING, I HAVE TO STOP SHARING, EVEN THOUGH I, I'VE GOT A CAMERA IN THE ROOM THAT SHOULD BE ON ME, AND THIS SHOULD ALSO BE PRESENTING, SO PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY I SHOULD HAVE TO STOP SHARING.
IT CAN'T SHOW BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.
E EVEN THOUGH I CAN RECORD BOTH, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TOLD IT'S RECORDING.
UH, I THINK, UM, PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE FEEDS.
THERE'S THE WEBEX, WHICH IS THE PRESENTATION, JUST LIKE THE GREAT, THANK YOU.
SOMEONE TOLD ME IT WAS POSSIBLE.
UH, SO I'M SEEING, UH, SOME COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER SUPTA, UH, I HEARD YOU, SO PLEASE GO AHEAD AND, UH, UH, AND FRAME YOUR QUESTION.
SO SPECIFIC TO ITEM SIX IN THE, IN THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMISSION, UH, SINCE NO TWO RFPS ARE ALIKE, AT WHAT POINT IN THE PROCESS SHOULD THE COMMISSION GET INVOLVED? SHOULD WE HAVE BEEN CONSULTED BEFORE IN DEFINING WHAT THE RFP CONTENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN? OR IS IT A POST FACTOR THAT IT'S AFTER
[01:00:01]
THE, UH, THE RESPONSES COME IN THAT WE ARE PART OF THE PROCESS OF, YOU KNOW, GIVING OUR OPINIONS? WELL, I'VE GOT, THERE'S A QUESTION REALLY FOR JESSE.WELL, WE'LL LET JESSE RESPOND, UH, MOMENTARILY.
UH, BECAUSE THE FRAMING OF THE QUESTION WAS SOMEWHAT INTENTIONAL, UH, WHEN I ASKED, UH, UH, IF WE WOULD'VE BEEN CONSULTED PERHAPS TO HELP, TO ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS FOR THE RFP MM-HMM,
UH, I ALSO AM VERY SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT CERTAIN THINGS CAN'T BE DISCUSSED IN PUBLIC, WHICH ENABLES US IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS OFF THE RECORD THAT ARE NOT PUBLIC.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE NOT POISED TO DO THAT TODAY EITHER.
UH, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE THAT TO JESSE TO ADDRESS.
YEAH, WE, WE HAD, UH, SOME EMAIL, UH, CONVERSATION LEADING UP TO THIS, UH, INDICATING THAT STAFF WAS NOT PREPARED TO DISCUSS THIS.
UH, SO I, I, I REALLY CAN'T TALK THROUGH THE RFP ON THE RECORD AT THIS MOMENT.
UH, AND THAT'S THE RFP ITSELF.
UH, WE DON'T NEED TO NECESSARILY BELABOR, UH, TIMING ISSUES.
UH, I THINK THAT, AGAIN, MY ANSWER IS FOR US TO BE ADVISORS, WE HAVE TO BE GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES TO ADVISE, UH, RIGHT? SO, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO RFP DECISIONS FOR CONTRACTS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE INVOLVED IN, THE EVALUATION OF, UH, THAT SEEMS TO BE A, A PRETTY CLEAR OPPORTUNITY AND A MAYBE AN INCUMBENT SITUATION.
UH, BUT, UH, ONCE MORE, WE, WE'D HAVE TO TAKE SOME OF THESE DISCUSSION POINTS OFFLINE TO DIG IN MORE DEEPLY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS HERE? OKAY.
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, KEEP PERUSING THROUGH THESE QUICKLY.
UH, AND I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THINGS MAY BE A LITTLE DRY ON THE CONTENT SIDE RIGHT NOW, WE ARE GOING TO BE OUTTA HERE AT A, A REASONABLE HOUR.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE KNOW THAT I'M NOT GONNA KEEP YOU GUYS TOO LATE.
UH, SO THEN, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FORWARD HERE IN, IN THE, THE DESCRIPTIONS, I GUESS, UH, WE ALREADY HAVE A FOLLOW-UP ACTION REQUEST, UH, TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE RFP, UH, THE REQUIREMENTS GATHERING, UH, PROCESS, UM, AND A FUTURE, AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT CADENCE, UH, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AS MUCH IMPACT AS WE CAN, UH, AS ADVISORS ON THOSE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND, AND BEAR OUT OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN THE BYLAWS TO BE INVOLVED IN THOSE EVALUATIONS.
UH, CONTINUING HERE, UH, THE COMMISSION SAW CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARINGS REGARDING ISSUES THAT INCLUDE THE PERFORMANCE OF ACCESS TELEVISION CONTRACTORS AND OTHER COMMUNITY TELEVISION CONTRACTORS, THE IDENTIFICATION OF CABLE, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDS.
UH, THAT'S SOMETHING WHICH WE CAN FAIRLY SAY WE DO ON A FAIRLY CONSISTENT BASIS, AS WE JUST DID, UH, IN INVITING IN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY TO SPEAK ABOUT THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD, UH, AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, UH, AND HAVING DEPARTMENTS SPEAK ABOUT, UH, THE HOMELAND, UH, SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AS AN EXAMPLE.
OR, UH, AS IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMISSION INVITING, UH, OR, UH, JUST EMBRACING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, TARIFF STAFF TO TALK ABOUT G OS AND, UH, G TOPS UPDATES OR PROGRAMMATIC, UH, DEVELOPMENTS, UH, ON THE RECORD, UH, PRETTY CLEAR HOW WE DO THAT.
UH, AND AT THE SAME TIME, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY.
UH, I, I SAY THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE ALL MIGHT THINK ABOUT DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET ENGAGED AS COMMISSIONERS.
UH, AND, AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, AS I APPROACH, UH, WHAT WILL BE A, A TERM LIMIT BARRING, UH, AN UNFORESEEN SITUATION WHERE I'M REAPPOINTED BY MY COUNCIL MEMBER TO STICK AROUND FOR ANOTHER YEAR, UH, IT'LL BE VERY IMPORTANT THAT OTHERS ARE ENGAGED IN THESE SAME KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES, UH, BEYOND JUST THE CHAIR, UH, ESPECIALLY AS WE CONSIDER, UH, SUCCESSION AND THE NEED FOR A CHAIR, UH, AND OR COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE ENGAGED AT THIS LEVEL.
UH, MEANING, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE DOING YOUR THING, UH, OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, INTERACTING, UH, YOU KNOW, SEEING THINGS THAT YOU RECOGNIZE MIGHT BE A VALUE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW ABOUT IN GENERAL OR, UH, TO BRING TO THE COMMISSION TO SHARE WITH THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
AND THEN CITY COUNCIL IN PARTICULAR, UH, SO THEY KNOW ABOUT THEM.
UH, THERE'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, UH, LITTLE THAT CAN'T BE BROUGHT, AT LEAST TO THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL FOR DISCUSSION, OR BROUGHT AT LEAST TO, UH, ME AS THE CHAIR OR TO A SUB QUORUM GROUP OF OTHER COMMISSIONERS TO THEN, YOU KNOW, KICK AROUND ABOUT, UH, HAVING A PRESENTATION ON, OR HAVING A BRIEFING ON.
[01:05:01]
OF THINGS, UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, CATCH OUR ATTENTION IN THE NEWS, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, SOME GOOD, SOME BAD, UH, BUT THEY CAN TRIGGER, YOU KNOW, THOSE THOUGHT PROCESSES ABOUT, WELL, WE COULD HAVE MAYBE DONE SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT BETTER HERE, OR WE GOT THAT COVERED.LET'S MAKE SURE WE HIGHLIGHT HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT CHALLENGE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, DIFFERENT WAYS, UH, FOR YOU GUYS TO GET INVOLVED IN AN AREA OF YOUR OWN PASSION, UH, BUT FOR THAT TO BE TIED TO SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A BRIEFING, UH, OR THE IDENTIFICATION OF A, AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS, UH, A, A HEARING ON, UH, ANY QUESTIONS THERE OR, OR THOUGHTS, IMMEDIATE THOUGHTS THERE.
AND THAT INCLUDES, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, IT WOULD BE A LITTLE, NOT TOO MUCH OFF TOPIC, BUT GERMANE TO THE ISSUE OF A HEARING.
ANYTHING OUT THERE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT COMES TO MIND AS SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT WANT THAT YOU'RE WONDERING, WE COULD HAVE A HEARING ON THAT, UH, WE HAVEN'T ALREADY DISCUSSED.
WELL, HOME, AGREE, AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
I MEAN, HOMELAND SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SERVICES, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE ENTERING OUR WINTER STORM PERIOD, UH, RIGHT.
AND, UH, THAT'S, UH, A SYSTEM WHERE, UH, HAVING A HEARING ON THE RECORD ALREADY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ISSUES, SHOWS THAT WE'RE CONCERNED, AND, AND WE'RE WANTING TO MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITY IS INFORMED BY WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, THAT'S ALSO ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE WE NEED FOLLOW UP.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS AN EXAMPLE, BECAUSE WE'RE ENTERING THAT WINTER STORM PERIOD, AND NOW IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, FLASH FLOODS AND, AND, UH, AMBER ALERTS OR EXTREME HEAT WEATHER ALERTS, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, BUT NOW IT'S GONNA BE, UH, WINTER STORMS. UH, SO, OKAY, CONTINUING, UH, THE COMMISSION STYLE, PROMOTE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, UH, TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES AND COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGIES BY METHODS INCLUDING PUBLIC AWARENESS USE, AND VIEWERSHIP OF ACCESS TELEVISION PROGRAMMING AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEDIA, IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY NEEDS AND PROBLEMS IN THE CITY, AND DEFINING INNOVATION AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING APPROACHES TO THOSE NEEDS AND PROBLEMS. UH, THREE, PUBLIC AWARENESS OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY AND COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY ISSUES.
UH, ONCE AGAIN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
I, I'D SAY, UH, SQUARELY WITH OUR WORK PLAN, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COMBINATION OF THESE THINGS, UH, WAS ADDRESSED BY THE DIGITAL INCLUSION SUMMIT, WHICH WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT MORE LATER.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO INNOVATE AND IDEATE ABOUT WAYS TO ADDRESS THIS, UH, THESE ASPECTS OF OUR BYLAWS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, MORE, UH, ROBUSTLY, UH, AND, AND OTHER WAYS, AGAIN, BEHIND YOUR OWN AREAS OF PASSION.
UH, YOU CAN ENGAGE AS COMMISSIONERS.
ANY QUESTIONS HERE? AND, UH, CONTINUING HERE.
ALONG THE SAME LINES, THE COMMISSION SHALL SERVE AS A COORDINATING FORUM FOR ISSUES RELATING TO THE PROVISION OF EVERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES AND COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGIES BY RECEIVING REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OTHER CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND FROM CITY DEPARTMENTS, AND FORWARDING THOSE TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, VERY MUCH ALONG THE SAME LINES.
AND, UH, REFLECTIVE OF, UH, A NEED FOR US TO CONTINUE, UH, REPORTING ON OUR WORK, BUT THEN ALSO TO INCREASE, UH, REPORTING, UH, AS WE'RE WORKING AS A COMMISSION TO SUNSET SOME OF THESE WORKING GROUPS, EACH WILL NEED TO HAVE A REPORT ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
UH, AND THAT'S NOT MEANT TO SCARE ANYBODY FROM JOINING A WORKING GROUP, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY GONNA BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THOSE WORKING GROUP CHAIRS.
BUT HOPEFULLY JUST TO GET YOU EXCITED ABOUT HAVING INPUT ON THOSE REPORTS, UH, AND ENGAGING AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, UH, BECAUSE WE REALLY DO NEED MORE ENGAGEMENT THERE.
UH, I, I STRUGGLE AT TIMES TO ASK FOR MORE OF ANYBODY IN THIS APPOINTED ROLE, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW YOUR TIME IS VALUABLE, UH, AND, UH, WE'RE NOT PAID FOR THIS TIME.
UH, AND AT THE SAME TIME, UH, UH, UH, THINKING ABOUT MYSELF AND, UM, MAYBE IT, IT'S UNREASONABLE TO THINK THAT ANYONE WOULD SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS I DO, UH, ON THIS KIND OF STUFF, BUT IT JUST MORE TIME, UH, AND, UH, THE DEGREE OF TIME I THINK THAT, UH, REALLY CAN GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET ENGAGED, UH, AND TO REALLY KIND OF FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT IN AN AREA OF PASSION WHERE IT WON'T SEEM LIKE WORK.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT IS REALLY WHAT MOTIVATES ME, BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS JUST SO IMPORTANT.
UH, AND IT'S BEEN THESE ISSUES WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH FOR SO LONG.
UH, LASTLY, THIS IS NOT, UH, UH, SHOULD NOT BE MISSED.
UH, THE COMMISSION DOES NOT POSSESS, AND THERE'S A TYPO, UH, BUT I'M GONNA READ IT AS IS DOES NOT POSSESS AND SOVEREIGN AUTHORITY, I
[01:10:01]
THINK IT'S ANY REGARDING ANY CABLE, TECHNO, ANY CABLE TELEVISION, OR CABLE RELATED TELECOMMUNICATIONS ISSUE.AND THE COMMISSION SERVES IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY ONLY.
UH, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, BECAUSE WHAT IT MEANS IS, UH, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WE CAN DO OUTRIGHT AND CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE CAN'T.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO PROMOTION OF, UH, COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, UH, THAT'S CODIFIED WITHIN CITY CODE AND ALSO WITHIN OUR BYLAWS, SO WE CAN PROMOTE, UH, AND, AND, AND THAT'S ADVOCACY, BASICALLY, UH, THE ACCESS TO SERVICES AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE ALONG THOSE LINES THAT ARE PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES.
UH, BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, UH, WE, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WE CAN'T DO, UH, BY EXAMPLE, WE CAN'T ENTER INTO CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS TO DO THINGS ON OUR OWN.
UH, WE CAN'T, UH, THAT, YEAH, THAT'S LIKE THE MAIN THING, UH,
I'M SURE THAT, THAT COME TO MIND.
UH, I KNOW ONE THING THAT I DID WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UH, TO DRILL DOWN ON IS THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, RIGHT? AND WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN FORMALLY ACTUALLY SUBMIT COMMENTS AS AN ORGANIZATION TO THAT.
UH, JESSE PROVIDED A RESPONSE OR, UH, SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT, UH, OVER EMAIL THAT INDICATED THAT WE CANNOT SUBMIT SOMETHING AS AN ORGANIZATION.
BUT I WANTED TO CONFIRM, UH, WHAT THAT WAS BASED ON.
I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN, UH, A WHOLE LOT MORE INTERACTION WITH INTER GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, UH, AS OF LATE.
UH, SO I DO WANNA CONFIRM WHAT IT'S BASED ON.
UH, AND THEN ASSUMING THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, A QUESTION ASKED AND ANSWERED WITH, UH, A PAPER TRAIL OF DECISION MAKERS OVER EMAIL, UH, IF WE COULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT JUST TO, WE'VE GOT THE OFFICIAL ADJUDICATION.
UH, SO THE, UM, ANY PART OF THE CITY, UH, ESSENTIALLY HAS THE SAME RULES.
WE CAN'T INTERACT WITH, UM, ANY, UH, RULEMAKING PROCESS AS AN INDIVIDUAL UNIT, BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE AN AFFILIATION WITH THE CITY, AND THE CITY IS ONLY ALLOWED TO HAVE ONE OPINION, ESSENTIALLY.
AND SO, ALL OF THESE TYPES OF INTERACTIONS NEED TO GO TO THROUGH, UH, IGR, WHICH IS INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS.
UM, SO IF THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SUBMIT, UH, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO IGR POTENTIALLY, THEN THAT WOULD BE, UH, THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE.
BUT JUST AS, AS ONE MICROCOSM OF THE CITY, UH, JUST LIKE TARA, UH, YOU KNOW, NEITHER, NEITHER OF US CAN SUBMIT, UH, COMMENT AS AN ORGANIZATION, EVEN IF ALL OF US ARE ABLE TO COMMENT AS INDIVIDUALS.
SO, LEMME ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THAT ONE.
UH, I NOTICED ON THE COMMUNITY ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS LIST FOR BEAD BEAD BEING THE BROADBAND EQUITY ACCESS DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM, THERE WERE SEVERAL CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT HAD MADE SUBMISSIONS.
IS THAT A MISTAKE? IS THAT SOMEHOW SEPARATE OF THIS? OR HOW DO YOU, UH, RECONCILE THAT? I, I DON'T KNOW.
UH, RAPIST UHHUH, YES, PLEASE.
AM I SUPPOSED TO SEE ANYONE? UH, I'M NOT SURE.
YOU, YOU SHOULD HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO SEE ALL THE SCREENS.
IT, IT MAY DEPEND ON THE, THE VIEW THAT YOU HAVE SET UP ON WEBEX, UH, IF IT'S IN GALLERY MODE OR NOT.
I SEE THE BYLAWS, OH, LET ME SEE.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN TURN ON, UH, ACCESS.
I'M ON MY PHONE BECAUSE I CANNOT GET ON ON MY COMPUTER.
SO, CHIP, IT'S THE QUESTION YOU HAD AGAIN, UH, THE QUESTION I HAD IS, UH, I NOTICED THAT, UH, THERE WAS OTHER DEPARTMENTAL SUBMISSIONS.
IN OTHER WORDS, UH, JESSE'S POINT, UH, WHICH I TAKE, IS THAT, UH, INTER THE, THE GUIDANCE FROM INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS APPARENTLY, IS THAT, UH, WE CAN ONLY HAVE ONE VOICE AS A CITY.
UH, AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY COMMENTS FOR TDOP CAN'T COME FROM THE COMMISSION OR FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
UH, BUT THEN I THINK ABOUT, UH, WHAT I SAW FOR THE BROADBAND EQUITY ACCESS DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM, UH, THAT DID INCLUDE VARIOUS CITY ORGANIZATIONS AND DIFFERENT SUBMISSIONS.
SO I'M TRYING TO RECONCILE THOSE TWO.
THERE WERE NO OTHER SUBMISSIONS THAT WE ARE AWARE OF, OR IGR IS AWARE OF.
IF YOU ARE, PLEASE FORWARD THOSE TO US.
UH, WE COORDINATE WITH INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS AS STAFF OF, UH, COUNCIL, AND, UM, WE WORK WITH THEM AS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
THEY GIVE US THE GO AHEAD TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM COMMENTS.
[01:15:01]
SEEN OTHER COMMENTS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED, AND WE WOULD BE INTERESTED TO SEE.AGAIN, YEAH, WE ALL HAVE, I THINK WE HAVE HOPEFULLY ACCESS TO THAT, UH, COMMUNITY ANCHOR INSTITUTION SPREADSHEET.
UH, AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT I'M REFERRING TO.
UH, UM, I AM NOT SEEING THAT, BUT HAPPY TO LOOK AT IT OKAY.
YEAH, WE CAN FOLLOW UP ABOUT THAT BECAUSE, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THE, UH, EFFORT TOWARDS GETTING ALL THE ARROWS POINTED IN ONE DIRECTION, AND THERE BEING, UH, UH, A LACK OF CONFUSION, UH, ABOUT HOW THE CITY STANDS, YOU KNOW, ON DIFFERENT ISSUES, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE STATED POLICIES, WE'VE GOT A STATED VISION, UH, MISSION STATEMENT, AND, AND, UH, AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
UH, I FULLY APPRECIATE THAT, UH, THE, THE THING THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE OF ALSO, ESPECIALLY SINCE, UH, I HAD NEVER HEARD OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS UNTIL THIS YEAR.
UH, SO, UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S CHANGED, UH, BECAUSE, UH, MANY OF THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE, HAVE, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, HAVEN'T CHANGED AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL, BUT WE WE'RE HEARING ABOUT INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS THIS YEAR.
UH, SO IT, IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO RECONCILE, UH, JUST IN TERMS OF HOW WE OPERATE.
HAPPY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THAT.
UH, I, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD REALLY BELABOR THIS POINT.
UH, UH, LET'S GO AND KEEP MOVING THOUGH, UH, TO THE MEMBERSHIP PIECE.
UH, SO THEN, MEMBERSHIP, UH, WE ALREADY KNOW, UH, COURSE COMPRISE OF 11 MEMBERS.
WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, WE WE'RE SERVING AT THE, THE PLEASURE OF CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOUR, UH, FOUR YEAR TERMS, UH, BEGINNING AT THE 1ST OF MARCH.
UH, AND ANY INDIVIDUAL MEMBER, UH, CANNOT ACT IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY EXCEPT THROUGH ACTION OF THE BOARD.
UH, I WANNA PAUSE THERE ONLY BECAUSE THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WHICH WE IDENTIFIED IN A WORK PLAN THAT ARE ACTIONS THAT, OF COURSE, ARE OFFICIAL CAPACITIES THAT WE ACT IN.
UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE WORK PLAN IDENTIFIED THE DIGITAL INCLUSION SUMMIT IS SOMETHING WE WERE GONNA UNDERTAKE AS, UH, AN ACTIVITY AND THEN WORK TOWARDS.
UH, SO THOSE ACTIVITIES WERE AUTHORIZED BY THE WORK PLAN IN TERMS OF THE, THE WORKING GROUP AND, UH, THE PLANNING TEAM THAT INCLUDED, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION AND OR MYSELF AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN TIME.
UH, AS AN EXAMPLE, A BOARD MEMBER, UH, WHO'S ABSENT FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE REGULAR MEETINGS, OR ONE THIRD OF ALL REGULAR MEETINGS IN A ROLE IN 12 MONTH TIMEFRAME, AUTOMATICALLY VACATES THE MEMBER POSITION, SUBJECT TO HOLDOVER PROVISIONS.
UH, AND THOSE HOLDOVER, HOLDOVER PROVISIONS ARE WHAT THEY PUT INTO PLACE.
UH, WHENEVER SOMEONE'S NOT APPOINTED YET, AND YET SOMEONE'S AT THE END OF THEIR TERM, UH, WHICH, UH, CAN, YOU KNOW, BEAR AN IMPACT.
UH, I'M NOT TRYING TO, TO BRING THIS UP TO ALARM ANYONE, BUT JUST KEEP IN MIND, UH, THAT THERE, THERE COULD BE AN AUDIT, SO TO SPEAK, OF ATTENDANCE, UH, BY THE CLERK'S OFFICE, IN WHICH CASE, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ACCEPT THE OUTCOME IF THAT HAPPENS, IF ANYONE'S IN VIOLATION.
UH, I DON'T, UH, HAVE, YOU KNOW, A, YOU KNOW, WHO'S NAUGHTY LIST, UH, ON ME RIGHT NOW OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO, I, I, I'M JUST GONNA ASSUME WE'RE ALL BEING NICE, UH, AND SHOWING UP WHENEVER WE CAN.
BUT, UH, NOTWITHSTANDING THAT, UM, IF IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, A MEDICAL ISSUE OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED UNEXCUSED, THEN, UH, THAT'S WHERE THE ISSUE, UH, POTENTIALLY BECOMES AN ISSUE.
UH, SO HOPEFULLY ALL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXECUTE YOUR ATTENDANCE FORMS, UH, ONLINE, YOUR CONFLICT OF INTEREST FORMS ONLINE, EVERYTHING THAT, THAT DAN NEEDS, HE'S GIVEN A THUMBS UP.
AND NOW, IN TERMS OF OFFICERS ARTICLE FOUR HERE, SCROLLING DOWN, UH, THE ONLY OFFICERS WE HAVE FORMALLY IDENTIFIED IN OUR BYLAWS ARE, UH, CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
UH, AND THAT IS BASED ON OUR BYLAWS.
THERE ARE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT MAY HAVE SECRETARIES OR, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER ROLES AND WHATNOT.
UH, IN ORDER FOR OURS TO CHANGE, WE WOULD HAVE TO, BY SUPER MAJORITY, AMEND.
UH, OFFICERS ARE ELECTED ANNUALLY, UH, MAJORITY OF THE VOTE, UH, FIRST REGULAR MEETING AFTER APRIL 1ST.
AND THAT TERM SHALL BE ONE YEAR, BEGINNING IN MAY, ENDING IN APRIL.
UH, DIFFERENT THINGS CAN AFFECT WHEN THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS, BUT THAT'S WHEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
UH, AND THAT PERSON MAY NOT SERVE AS AN OFFICER IN A DESIGNATED POSITION FOR MORE THAN FOUR CONSECUTIVE, UH, ONE YEAR TERMS,
[01:20:02]
UNLESS, UH, THERE IS, AGAIN, A SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE.AND THE PERSON WHO HAS SERVED AS AN OFFICER DESIGNATED POSITION OF THE BOARD FOR, UH, THEY'D HAVE TO BE AS EXPLANATION HERE.
THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REELECTION TO THAT, UH, DESIGNATED OFFICE UNTIL THE EXPIRATION OF TWO YEARS AFTER THE LAST DATE OF THE PERSON'S SERVICE IN THAT OFFICE.
UH, UNLESS THE BOARD OVERRIDES IT, UH, WITH A, A TERM LIMIT POSITION, UH, RATHER TERM LIMIT PROVISION, UH, THAT WOULD ALLOW THE OFFICER TO CONTINUE TO SERVE, UH, BY AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF TWO THIRDS OF THE AUTHORIZED BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, THAT'S THE, THE, THE, THE VOTE THAT PUT ME INTO PLACE AS YOU'RE CONTINUED CHAIR.
NOW, UH, ENTERING MY FOUR AND A HALF, UH, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY LESS THAN FIVE, AND IT'LL END UP LESS THAN FIVE WHEN I
BUT, UH, AGAIN, DISPUTE OVER EXACTLY WHEN, UH, MY CHAIR TERM STARTED AND, UH, OR MY COMMISSION TERM STARTED, IS WHAT LEAVES THAT KIND OF UP IN THE AIR.
OF COURSE, WE CAN ONLY HOLD ONE DUTY AT A TIME.
ANY QUESTIONS HERE ABOUT OFFICERS AND DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THERE, OR, EXCUSE ME, UH, TERMS AND, AND, AND WHATNOT, UH, TO DUTIES THE CHAIR SHALL, SHALL PROVIDE, UH, AT BOARD MEETINGS, APPOINT ALL COMMITTEES, REPRESENT THE BOARD AT CEREMONIAL FUNCTIONS, AND APPROVE EACH FINAL AGENDA AND THE ABSENCE OF THE CHAIR.
THE VICE CHAIR SHALL PERFORM ALL DUTIES OF THE CHAIR, UH, MENTIONING THAT BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR PROCESS HAS BEEN, UH, AT THIS COMMISSION LEVEL HAS BEEN FAIRLY DE DEMOCRATIZED.
UH, WE DON'T OPERATE STRICTLY BY THESE, UH, GUIDELINES.
UH, AND THAT'S BASED UPON, UH, ACCEPTANCE FROM THE COMMISSION AND, UH, UH, AGREEMENT, UH, THAT IT MADE SENSE TO NOT APPOINT PEOPLE TO COMMITTEES.
I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THAT, UH, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE BEST WAY TO KEEP PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, REALLY, UH, DOING SOMETHING THAT THEY'D LIKE TO DO, BUT THAT ASSUMES THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING THAT THEY'D LIKE TO DO.
SO, IF, IF WE ARE NOT GETTING WORKING GROUP PARTICIPATION BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN'T INTERESTED IN THOSE TOPICS, UH, IF OUR SCHEDULE'S OFF, UH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, I JUST WANT US TO CHANGE THAT, UH, RATHER THAN TO FEEL LIKE I NEED TO MAKE ASSIGNMENTS, UH, THAT PEOPLE MAY OR MAY NOT WORK.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GIVE RUB THE WRONG WAY, THAT WAY.
UH, I'D LIKE TO PAUSE THERE AND GIVE A, A CHANCE FOR SOME REACTIONS TO THAT, UH, OR FEEDBACK ON THAT, JUST TO KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
UH, YES, JESSE, UH, JUST A QUICK NOTE.
I BELIEVE THAT ARTICLE REFERS TO COMMITTEES NOT WORKING GROUPS.
UH, IT DOES, UH, IT DOES SAY COMMITTEES NOT WORKING GROUPS.
AND I WANT YOU GUYS TO, TO MAKE NOTE OF THAT, BECAUSE WITHIN OUR BYLAWS, WE'LL GET TO LATER, IT SAYS, WE'LL HAVE NO COMMITTEES, AND IT SAYS, WE'LL HAVE ONLY WORKING GROUPS, WHICH IS A VIOLATION OF THE WAY WE'RE SUPPOSED TO OPERATE, UH,
UH, BECAUSE OUR CURRENT WORKING GROUPS ARE OPERATING AS QUASI COMMITTEES.
UH, SO, UH, THIS COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO POTENTIALLY AMEND THESE BYLAWS TO, TO, TO MAKE THEM REALLY SPEAK TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, BUT JESSE'S POINT IS WELL TAKEN, AND EITHER WAY, IT'S THE SAME DECISION POINT WE HAVE.
AND, AND, AND A FEEDBACK REQUEST FOR YOU GUYS.
HOW DO YOU GUYS FEEL ABOUT OUR WORKING GROUP SET UP RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE FACT THAT I'M LOOKING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE A, A SUB QUORUM AMOUNT OF PARTICIPATION.
PARTICIPATION CAN BE A, SO, SO, AND RIGHT NOW, NONE OF THOSE ARE ASSIGNMENTS.
THEY'RE ALL, UH, VOLUNTARY, UH, UH, ASSIGNMENTS.
ANY FEEDBACK, GOOD OR BAD? DO I, I HAVE COMMISSIONER ALLEN STILL WITH US.
UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE STILL HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER ALLEN, I DON'T SEE YOU ON, ON MY LITTLE SCREEN.
UH, COMMISSIONER DOSTA, DID YOU WANNA WEIGH IN? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT, UH, IN THE PARTICULAR WORKING GROUP THAT I'M LEADING, UH, WE COULD USE ONE MORE INDIVIDUAL.
AND, UH, I REQUESTED, UH, UH, TWO OF THE NEW MEMBERS TO CONSIDER.
COMMISSIONER DASS, UH, I APPRECIATE THE SWITCH TO SOLICITING MEMBERS TO THE WORKING GROUP, BUT THE QUESTION IS HOW THEY'RE GOING, UH, AND, AND IF THIS IS WORKING AS A SYSTEM, WHAT YOU DESCRIBED IS A WORKING GROUP THAT NEEDS MEMBERS.
SO IS THAT WORKING OR NOT? I SUPPOSE IT IS.
WE HAVE VERY GOOD DISCUSSIONS WHEN WE MEET.
SO THAT'S ONE VOTE FOR, ITS WORKING.
[01:25:01]
I CHAIR THE DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKING GROUP, WHICH I WOULD LOVE TO NOT CHAIR, UH, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING WE'VE GOT DIGITAL INCLUSION PRACTITIONERS.UH, I, I, I WON'T CALL OUT ANY NAMES, UH, BUT YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING FOR ESTEEMED ORGANIZATIONS THAT, AND GRANTED, THOSE, THOSE, THOSE, UH, RESPONSIBILITIES MIGHT MAKE IT HARDER FOR YOU.
BUT WHAT I THINK IT DOES IS IT GIVES YOU A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, UH, AS A DIGITAL INCLUSION LEADER.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT SOME OF THE REAL NEEDS ARE, UH, PERHAPS FOR THAT WORKING GROUP.
SO, BUT WITHIN THAT WORKING GROUP, IT JUST DEPENDS.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS PAST WEEK, UH, NO ONE, UH, RCP, UH, SO I DIDN'T FEEL THE NEED TO MEET BY MYSELF.
UH, I JUST, YOU KNOW, MADE NOTE OF THINGS I WANTED TO CALL OUT DURING OUR MEETING TODAY.
UM, SO THAT'S A SPACE WHERE I, YOU KNOW, MIGHT FEEL OBLIGED TO, TO MAKE SOME ASSIGNMENTS, UH, IF YOU KNOW, BUT THEN AGAIN, I'LL RECOGNIZE IT'S HOLIDAY SEASON.
IT COULD JUST BE KIND OF A QUIRK, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF RARE.
UH, I THINK THAT THAT'S HAPPENED LIKE TWICE.
UH, USUALLY THERE'S AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON.
BUT, UH, ANY FEEDBACK FROM THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THAT WORKING GROUP, PERHAPS? OKAY.
WELL, UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA, PLEASE.
I THINK I STILL WOULD LIKE MORE CLARITY AROUND THE, LIKE, WHAT LED TO THE CREATION OF THESE WORKING GROUPS AND WHAT IS THE GOAL FOR EACH OF 'EM.
UH, AND I, I, I CAN ONLY SHARE SO MUCH CLARITY, BECAUSE GENERALLY SPEAKING, THIS WORKING GROUP STRUCTURE OCCURRED BEFORE MY TERM.
UH, WE HAD THREE OR FOUR WORKING GROUPS, I THINK, AND NOW WE'VE REDUCED IT TO, TO THREE.
UH, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THEY WERE DIGITAL INCLUSION, UH, TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION OR, OR KNOWLEDGE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND, UH, WE DISTILL THEM INTO, UH, THE CURRENT WORKING GROUPS THAT THEY ARE BEING DIGITAL INCLUSION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND STRATEGIC POLICY IMPACT TO TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEN TO KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION AND DATA STEWARDSHIP.
AND, AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT WAS TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS WE HAD OF HAVING WORKING GROUPS THAT WERE THEMATIC, UH, AT A TIME WHEN WE WERE NOT BEING GIVEN GUIDANCE, THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY WE WERE DOING OUR WORKING GROUPS, UH, AT A TIME WHEN WE WERE, UH, LITERALLY FOLLOWING THE LETTER OF OUR BYLAWS THAT SAID, THIS COMMISSION WOULD NOT HAVE ANY COMMITTEES.
UH, SO WHAT'S MISSING, UNFORTUNATELY, IS THE REASON WHY THIS COMMISSION CHOSE TO CREATE THIS STRUCTURE THAT DID NOT HAVE COMMITTEES, AND THAT HAD THESE THREE WORKING GROUPS, OR THAT HAD THREE OR FOUR AT THE TIME, WHICH THEY HAD.
UH, SO THERE'S SOME HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE THERE THAT'S JUST MISSING, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, ABOUT WHY, UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS BEFORE JESSE'S TIME, BEFORE MY TIME, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER SUPTA, THIS WAS NOT BEFORE YOUR TIME.
MIGHT YOU RECALL WHY YOU'RE ON MUTE RIGHT NOW? COMMISSIONER SUPTA? ACTUALLY, I, I DON'T REMEMBER NOW.
IT'S BEEN SO LONG, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.
I, I, I, I DEFINITELY, UH,
UH, SOMETIMES I'M SHARPER THAN OTHER TIMES.
UH, BUT, UH, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION, UH, BECAUSE TO ME THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME, UH, INTENT POTENTIALLY THERE, BUT IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT, UH, THERE'S, UH, GUIDANCE FROM THE CLERK ABOUT US NEEDING TO CHANGE, UH, IN ORDER TO OPERATE, UH, OUR WORKING GROUPS MORE AS, YOU KNOW, FUNCTIONAL WORKING GROUPS, WHICH HAVE BEGINNING AND END DATES THAT ARE MORE, UH, PERIODIC AS OPPOSED TO, UH, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE YEARS, UH, BEFORE THERE'S ANY CHANGE, UH, EXCEPT FOR JUST THE THINGS WE, WE, WE, WE COVER.
WELL, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? IF NOT, UH, WHAT I AM PROPOSING WE DO IS, UH, AS WE WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IN THE WORKING GROUP SECTION OF THE AGENDA, UH, TO LOOK AT THE WORK PLAN AND PRIORITIZE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO SUNSET, UH, THINGS THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO, TO COMPLETE A REPORT ON, AND THINGS THAT WE WANNA START KNOWING.
[01:30:01]
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A START DATE AND AN END DATE, AND A REPORT REFLECTED BASED UPON WHAT WE TAKE UP.UH, IN TERMS OF AGENDAS, UH, JUST SOME, WE, EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS.
ALL IT TAKES IS TWO OR MORE, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, UH, INTERESTED IN AN ITEM, UH, BY ORAL OR WRITTEN REQUESTS TO THE STAFF LIAISON AT LEAST FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
UH, AND AFTER FIRST CONSULTING WITH AND RECEIVING INPUT FROM THE STAFF LIAISON, THE CHAIR WILL THEN APPROVE THE FINAL MEETING AGENDA.
SO, THE THINGS THAT WE SEE ON OUR AGENDAS ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN WORKING GROUPS THAT WE'VE AGREED TO TAKE UP, OR THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSIONS WITH, UH, VICE CHAIR, EPI, DACA, AND MYSELF, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, OR EVEN IN, UH, ONE-ON-ONE INTERACTIONS, UH, BETWEEN MYSELF AND ANY ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S LITERALLY ALL THAT IT TAKES IS TWO COMMISSIONERS.
UH, THE FACT THAT A CONVERSATION INVOLVES THE CHAIR MAKES IT A SIMPLER CONVERSATION, OBVIOUSLY.
'CAUSE THEN I CAN WORK WITH, UH, THE TERROR OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, IT'S REFLECTED ON THE AGENDA.
BUT THE OTHER WAY WE MAINLY DO IT IS, OF COURSE, HERE AT OUR MEETINGS, UH, WITH FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THAT'S A CHANCE FOR US TO ALL KIND OF TALK ABOUT IT AS A GROUP AND THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE ON THERE OR NOT, UH, COVER AT THE AGENDA LEVEL.
UH, MEETINGS, UH, MEETINGS ARE GONNA COMPLY WITH TEXAS CODE OF, UH, UH, UH, CODE CHAPTER 5 5 1, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BE GOVERNED BY ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER.
UH, WE'RE TASKED WITH MEETING MONTHLY AND IN NOVEMBER OF EACH YEAR, ADOPTING A SCHEDULED MEETINGS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, INCLUDING MAKEUP MEETING DATES FOR THE HOLIDAYS, AND CANCELED MEETINGS.
UH, E THE CHAIR MAY CALL A SPECIAL CALL MEETING, AND THE CHAIR SHALL CALL A SPECIAL CALL MEETING IF REQUESTED BY THREE OR MORE MEMBERS.
UH, THE CALL SHALL STATE THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING.
A BOARD MAY NOT CALL A MEETING IN ADDITION TO ITS REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS AS IDENTIFIED IN ITS ADOPTED MEETING SCHEDULE MORE OFTEN THAN ONCE A QUARTER, UNLESS THE MEETING IS REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE STATUTORY DEADLINE OR DEADLINE ESTABLISHED BY CITY COUNCIL.
QUORUM IS SIX, UH, OR MORE COMMISSIONERS.
UH, OF COURSE, WE CANNOT MEET IF WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM.
UH, TO BE EFFECTIVE, ANY BOARD ACTION MUST BE A VOTED ON BY AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF A NUMBER OF MEMBERS TO PROVIDE A QUORUM.
SO, AT LEAST SIX, I HAVE THE SAME VOTING PRIVILEGES, OR THE CHAIR HAS THE SAME VOTING PRIVILEGES AS ANY OTHER MEMBER.
UH, AND THE BOARD SHALL ALLOW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON AGENDA ITEMS AND DURING A PERIOD OF TIME SET ASIDE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
THAT'S THAT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PIECE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TODAY.
UH, AGAIN, OUR MEETINGS ARE GONNA ADJOURN NO LATER THAN 10:00 PM UH, AND THAT WON'T BE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO BEING THE CASE TODAY.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BE ENDING, UH, NO LATER THAN NINE 30.
UH, I'M GONNA TRY TO SHOOT FOR NINE IF I CAN.
WE'RE ALL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT ESTABLISHING THAT, UH, AND MAINTAINING THAT.
THANK Y'ALL FOR, FOR BEING SO COURTEOUS WITH EACH OTHER.
AND A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC MAY NOT ADDRESS A BOARD MEMBER, UH, ADDRESS A BOARD AT A MEETING ON AN ITEM POSTED AS A BRIEFING.
UH, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CALL OUT.
UH, AND CONVERSELY, UH, WE'VE CONFIRMED, AND IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, UH, AS I HAD A HISTORICAL, UH, REFERENCE FOR, BUT JUST NEED TO BE REMINDED, UH, OFFICIALLY, UH, THAT WHEN IT COMES TO DISCUSSION AND DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, UH, NON-COMMISSION MEMBERS CAN PRESENT AND BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
SO, JUST AS OUR SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER, HOAN HARMON, UH, JUMPED IN AND, AND, UH, SHARED HER INSIGHTS AND FEEDBACK EARLIER, UH, THE SAME IS, IS ALLOWED AT ANY POINT.
AND THAT INCLUDES PRESENTATIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS THERE FROM ANYBODY? OKAY.
UH, QUICKLY THEN, WITH WORKING GROUPS, I THINK WE KIND OF COVERED THIS FAIRLY WELL, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE I WANT YOU TO SEE THE, THE, THE, THE ISSUES WE HAVE.
THERE'S A WHOLE SECTION THAT SAYS COMMITTEES.
AND THEN THE FIRST BULLET, A, THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WILL HAVE NO COMMITTEES.
A COMMITTEE CANNOT MEET UNTIL ITS CREATION IS APPROVED BY COUNCIL, AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
ITS COMMITTEE, UH, SHALL CONSIST OF AT LEAST THREE BOARD MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE CHAIR.
A COMMITTEE, A STAFF MEMBER SHALL BE ASSIGNED TO EACH COMMITTEE BY DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS.
[01:35:05]
THE BOARD CHAIR SHALL APPOINT A COMMITTEE MEMBER AS THE COMMITTEE CHAIR WITH THE MEMBER'S CONSENT.A MAJORITY OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS CONSTITUTES A QUORUM.
EACH COMMITTEE SHALL MAKE AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE BOARD.
JANUARY, AT THE JANUARY BOARD MEETING, COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 5 5 1 TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
UH, AT EACH COMMITTEE MEMBER AT EACH COMMITTEE MEETING, A COMMITTEE MEMBER SHALL SIGN IN ON THE SHEET, JUST LIKE WE DO FOR OUR MEETINGS.
ATTENDANCE, UH, ATTESTING TO NO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
UH, AGAIN, ALL THAT, THAT FOR SOMETHING WE DON'T HAVE WORKING GROUPS.
THE, THE BOARD, UH, CAN DETERMINE THE SIZE OF A WORKING GROUP, BUT THE NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS SERVING ON THE WORKING GROUP MUST BE LESS THAN A QUORUM.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE, UH, WORKING GROUPS OF FIVE OR LESS.
A WORKING GROUP MAY DESIGNATE A CHAIR WITH THE MEMBER'S CONSENT, BUT IT'S NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO.
UH, AND IT'S BEEN A GOOD WAY TO HELP, TO SHARE RESPONSIBILITY.
I WANNA THANK, UH, COMMISSIONER SUPTA FOR, UH, ADDITIONAL, UH, MANAGEMENT OF THE CALENDAR AND OTHER THINGS FOR, FOR THE WORKING GROUP.
UH, BUT THAT'S ALL THAT REALLY THAT THE ASK IS RIGHT NOW, IS JUST GOING THROUGH THE, THE, THE PROCESS OF REACHING OUT TO YOUR WORKING GROUP MEMBERS, TO, TO, TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT THE AGENDA'S GONNA BE FOR THAT MEETING.
UH, INVITING THEM TO THE MEETING, MAKING SURE, UH, THAT WE GOT, YOU KNOW, A QUORUM ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY JUSTIFY THE MEETING.
UH, AND THEN IF WE HAVE CHALLENGES, UH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT SCHEDULING AND WHATNOT, SO WE CAN GET THAT RESCHEDULED IF IT'S NOT WORKING.
STAFF SUPPORT, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT, STAFF SUPPORT WILL NOT BE PROVIDED FOR WORKING GROUPS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN KINDLY OFFERED GRACIOUS SUPPORT FROM TARA AT DIFFERENT POINTS FOR THE WORKING GROUPS, UH, IN PARTICULAR WHERE IT'S JUST BEEN A MUTUAL BEST INTEREST, UH, IN THE AREA OF DIGITAL INCLUSION PROGRAM MANAGEMENT.
THEY FOUND IT VALUABLE TO HELP TO STEWARD SOME OF THOSE CALLS, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME TIME NOW IN THE PAST.
UH, AND THEY, THEY'VE MADE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE, I THINK, AS NEEDED TO DO SO AS WELL IN THE FUTURE.
UH, SO IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A NEED, AND THEN, UH, WE CAN PULL THEM IN EASILY.
SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE DO HAVE TO MAKE, UH, A DISCUSSION POINT ON, ON WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO AMEND OUR BYLAWS, UH, TODAY, OR, UH, WE CAN'T DO IT TODAY BECAUSE WE'D HAVE TO ADD IT AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
BUT IN THE FUTURE, UH, TO THINK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO ACTUALLY HAVE COMMITTEES OF SOME FORMAL TYPE OR JUST CHANGE HOW WE'RE OPERATING WITH OUR WORKING GROUPS SO THAT WE CAN SUNSET SOME OF THE THINGS, REPORT ON THEM AS NEEDED, AND THEN DEVELOP A CADENCE WHEREIN WE'RE NOT HAVING PERPETUAL TOPICS THAT DON'T GET REPORTED OUT, UH, TO CLOSURE.
ANY FEEDBACK OR THOUGHTS THERE BEFORE WE MOVE ON? I'M SEEING SHAKING OF THE HEADS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK CHANGING, CHANGING THE BYLAWS TO INCLUDE COMMITTEES, ET CETERA, MAYBE, UH, A RATHER LONG-WINDED PROCESS.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE CARRY ON WITH THE STRUCTURE, AND WHEN WE FORM THE WORKING GROUPS, WE SHOULD DEFINITELY HAVE A SUNRISE AND SUNSET WITH THE FINAL MEETING, WITH SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS. AND, UM, WE, WE MAY, WE, WE, WE MAY CONTINUE TO USE THE SAME NAME, LIKE WE COULD SAY 20 20, 23 WORKING GROUP ON TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION.
THE NEXT YEAR, WE CALL IT 2024, BUT THE AGENDA IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.
SO WHILE THE NAME MAY BE SOMEWHAT SIMILAR, BUT IT DEFINITELY WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT AGENDA AND TARGET.
AND IF THAT IS ACCEPTABLE, WE CAN LIVE WITH IT RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH THE 10 LONG-WINDED PROCESS, CHANGING THE BYLAWS.
WELL, I'VE GOT SOME IMMEDIATE THOUGHTS.
UM, ANYBODY ELSE WANNA RESPOND? UH, MY INITIAL THOUGHTS GO TO, UH, AGREEMENT.
UH, BUT ALSO, UH, COMMISSIONER KU, I SAW YOU COMING OFF.
DID YOU GUYS WANNA WEIGH IN? OKAY.
MY, MY INITIAL THOUGHTS GO TO AGREEMENT, AND AT THE SAME TIME, NOT WANTING TO GAME THE SYSTEM.
SO, I AGREE WITH YOU IN PRINCIPLE THAT WE CAN LEAVE THE BYLAWS AS THEY ARE AND THEN JUST BASICALLY MODIFY OUR WORKING GROUP BEHAVIOR AND OR REPORTING.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR ISSUES THAT ARE MORE SUBTLE OR NUANCED
[01:40:01]
THAN JUST A YEAR CHANGE, UH, WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO SUBMIT A REPORT ON THOSE ISSUES.AND, AND THEN, UH, IF THE ISSUE GETS COME UP OR, OR SPUN UP ANOTHER WAY, THEN JUST TO, TO, TO, TO SPIN UP ANOTHER WORKING GROUP.
UH, BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT WE WANT TO AVOID, OBVIOUSLY, IS INCREASING THE WORKING GROUP NUMBER AND THEN DECREASING EVEN MORE SO THE WORKING GROUP PARTICIPATION, RIGHT? I THINK IT'LL BE LOGISTICALLY HELPFUL TO GROUP CERTAIN TOPICS UNDER, UH, THE SAME KIND OF FLUID WORKING GROUP TEAMS. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT, I THINK THAT THE TOPICS WILL CHANGE, AND THE REPORTS WILL HAVE SUNSET DATES, AND, AND THEY'LL HAVE BEGINNING DATES.
SO, I, IN, IN A SENSE, I THINK WE'RE AGREEING, BUT I ALSO JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR FOR THE CLERK'S, UH, SAKE, AND FOR THE RECORD TO SHOW THAT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GAIN THE SYSTEM.
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD TO EVERYBODY? YEAH, AGREE.
UH, WELL, WITH THAT, UH, PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY, UH, IS THE NEXT DESCRIPTION HERE.
AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT ROBERTSON'S ORDER AND THE AMENDMENT OF THE BYLAWS.
AGAIN, ANY BYLAW AMENDMENTS THAT WE ENTER INTO WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE, THE COUNCIL AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
SO IT'S, IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE THINK'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO, TO, TO, YOU KNOW, ELEVATE TO THAT LEVEL OF, OF IMPORTANCE, BUT THAT TAKES CARE OF THAT.
OKAY? UH, WITH THAT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND ADVANCE IN OUR AGENDA.
GOT AMBITIOUS GOALS HERE NOW TO THE SUMMARY REPORT,
[4. Summary Report for the Digital Inclusion Stakeholder Summit 2023 held on 12/1 ]
UH, FOR THE DIGITAL INCLUSION STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT 2023, HELD ON DECEMBER THE FIRST, UH, I'M GOING BACK TO MY SCREEN HERE.YOU GUYS ARE ALL SEEING MY SCREEN.
UH, SO, UH, IT'S WITH GREAT EXCITEMENT, UH, THAT I SHARE, UH, THIS REPORT, UH, AND THE COMPLETION OF A KEY PART OF OUR WORK PLAN THAT'S BEEN ON A WORK PLAN FOR SEVERAL YEARS, STATING BACK TO 2019, UH, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT HOSTING AND CONVENING A STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT, A DIGITAL INCLUSION STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT, IN PARTICULAR, UH, THE, THE KEY THING WAS WE IDENTIFIED AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL HOW SILOS WERE AVOIDING SOUND DECISION MAKING, AND, UH, PROBLEM SOLVING IN A VARIETY OF AREAS, UH, BUT IN PARTICULAR IN, IN THE DIGITAL INCLUSION SPACE, UH, AS WE WOULD OFTENTIMES HAVE TO REACT TO POLICIES COMING DOWN FROM THE STATE, UH, OR, UH, FROM THE FED, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT REACTIVELY.
UH, WE WANTED TO TAKE A, A PROACTIVE APPROACH.
NOT ONLY THAT, WE ALSO WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, TRIANGULATE AN ECOSYSTEM ON THESE ISSUES, UH, BEYOND JUST, UH, DIGITAL INCLUSION PRACTITIONERS LIKE OUR COMMISSION, LIKE THE TERRA OFFICE, LIKE THE DECA NETWORK, UH, THAT'S COMPRISED OF, UH, EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, UH, FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES, ISPS, UH, NGOS, UH, AND OTHER PARTNERS.
UH, THE, THE THING THAT WE, I THINK START TO IDENTIFY, UH, AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL AND, AND CERTAINLY AT THE, AT, AT THE DECK OF COMMUNITY LEVEL, IS THAT IF YOU DON'T SEE YOURSELF IN THE DIGITAL INCLUSION SPACE, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, OF THAT, OF BEING SPELLED OUT.
UH, AND SO, UH, THE THEME, UH, THAT WE DEVELOPED FOR, UH, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION SUMMIT REALLY CENTERED AROUND THAT, BRINGING EVERYONE TOGETHER FOR DIGITAL INCLUSION.
AND, UH, ALTHOUGH WE HAD INITIALLY, UH, TARGETED, UH, THE DATE OF OCTOBER THE SECOND, UH, THE LAUNCH OF DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK AS A DATE, WHEN WE WOULD HOST THAT EVENT, UH, UH, THROUGH A QUIRK OF FATE AND, AND, AND SE, UH, SOME SOMEWHAT SERENDIPITOUSLY, I WOULD SAY, WE WERE THEN FORCED, UH, TO RESCHEDULE FOR DECEMBER 1ST.
UH, OR RATHER, WE WERE FORCED TO RESCHEDULE AT A FUTURE DATE.
UH, AND, AND IN THE PROCESS OF RESCHEDULING AND TRYING TO SELECT A DATE, UH, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF, OF VISITING WITH JENNIFER HARRIS, THE FEDERAL PROGRAM MANAGER, UH, FOR, UH, THE NATIONAL, UH, TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, ALLIANCE.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT NTIA STANDS FOR.
I, I APOLOGIZE IF I, IF I MISSPOKE ON THAT.
BUT NTIA, UH, AND, UH, THERE WAS GUIDANCE GIVEN THAT WE HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ALIGN OUR EVENT WITH A SWEET SPOT FOR BROADBAND EQUITY ACCESS DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM, COMMENT RESPONSE, AND TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM RESPONSE, UH, TEXAS DEALER OPPORTUNITY, UH, COMING FROM THE, UH, DIGITAL EQUITY ACT, UH, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT BECOMING AN OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM AT THE STATE LEVEL.
[01:45:01]
UH, AND SO, UH, WE DID A, A, A, A SHORT POLL OF THE PLANNING TEAM, AND THERE WAS RESIDENTS, UH, AMONGST THE PLANNING TEAM GENERALLY, UH, THAT THE FIRST SEEMED LIKE THE BEST DATE TO DO THAT.THERE WAS ALSO SUPPORT FOR POTENTIALLY DOING AN EVENT, UH, DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, OR EVEN A FUTURE DATE OUT INTO 2024.
UH, AND WHAT BECAME CLEAR FOR, FOR ME, UH, AND FOR, I THINK FOR THE COMMISSION, IS THAT WE COULDN'T MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE PUBLIC COMMENT AND TO DRIVE A, A, A CALL TO ACTION FOR COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP THIS YEAR.
UH, AND SINCE IT ALLOWED US TO THEN ALSO FOCUS AROUND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, WHICH IS ANOTHER CALL, UH, OF THIS COMMISSION, UH, IT REALLY DOES HELPED TO MEET A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES WE HAVE AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL, UH, WITH OUR WORK PLAN.
SO WE AGREED TO THIS DATE, UH, FROM A PLANNING TEAM STANDPOINT, AND WE THEN WENT ABOUT WORKING AND COORDINATING TO GET A AND SECURE A VENUE.
UH, AND WE WERE PLEASED TO HAVE THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY OFFER THE SPECIAL EVENT CENTER, UH, AS A, AN IN KIND SPONSORSHIP OF THE EVENT AND SUPPORTING OUR EFFORT.
UH, SO THAT REALLY HELPED TO MAKE THINGS SIMPLE, UH, INCLUDING, UH, ADJUSTING THE, THE AGENDA TO BE ABLE TO FIT IN THE TIME THAT WE WERE ALLOTTED, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND NOT ALL COMING TOGETHER AGAIN ON DECEMBER THE FIRST.
AND, AND SO IT'S REALLY WITH PLEASURE, UH, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT HOW ON THE FIRST WE DID HOLD A SUCCESSFUL CONVENING, UH, OF THE INAUGURAL, UH, DIGITAL INCLUSION STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT WITH THE THEME ALTOGETHER FOR DIGITAL INCLUSION.
UH, AGAIN, A FOCUS BEING ON COLLABORATION, PARTNERSHIP, ELEVATING, UH, REALLY RESOURCES FROM OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THAT FULFILL THE NEEDS OF, UH, UH, A VARIETY OF AT RISK POPULATIONS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, OR, OR AT LEAST DO THEIR BEST TO, TO DO SO, UH, IN ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, UH, BUT ALSO TO INSTIGATE A CALL TO ACTION, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, FOR A COLLABORATION, PARTNERSHIP AND PUBLIC COMMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE BROADBAND EQUITY, UH, ACCESS AND DEPLOYMENT ACT, THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN DRAFT, AS WELL AS THE TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY, UH, PLAN.
SO, PLEASE TO SAY ON THAT DATE, OUR, OUR, OUR GATHERING, UH, INCLUDED APPROXIMATELY 80 OR SO PEOPLE, UH, I'D SAY UPWARDS OF A HUNDRED, UH, BUT NO LESS THAN 80, UH, PEOPLE.
UH, AND THAT WAS COMPRISED OF, UH, DIVERSE GROUP OF REPRESENTATIVE STAKEHOLDERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, PUBLIC OFFICIALS, UH, MANY WHO ARE ON THE CALL HERE TODAY, COMMISSIONERS, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, GOVERNMENTAL AND, UH, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION LEADERS, CITY SERVICE PROVIDERS, ISPS, ALL RALLYING AROUND THIS THEME.
WE BEGAN WITH AN IMPORTANT LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, UH, IDENTIFYING, UH, THAT, THAT THE SPACE WE'RE ON IS, UH, REALLY HOME, UH, ORIGINALLY TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.
UH, THIS AREA OF CENTRAL TEXAS BEING THE, UH, MOST CONTINUALLY INHABITED AREA IN THE AMERICAS, UH, BASED ON THE FACT THAT ARROWHEADS HAVE BEEN FOUND DOWN, DOWN IN, IN, UH, THE SAN MARCOS AREA, FOR EXAMPLE, DATING BACK 14,000 YEARS.
UH, WHAT IT SPEAKS TO IS HOW THIS IS A VERY POPULAR PLACE TO BE.
UH, AND AS WE DEAL WITH CHANGE, UH, IT, IT HELPS TO CENTER OURSELVES AROUND UNDERSTANDING THAT CHANGE HAS BEEN PART OF, UH, THIS SPACE FOR PEOPLE DATING BACK TO WHEN IT WAS FIRST INHABITED.
UH, SO EMBRACING CHANGE WITH THE SPIRIT, UH, THAT IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD GET USED TO, I THINK WILL HOPEFULLY ALLOW US TO THINK ABOUT SOLUTIONS FROM A STANDPOINT COLLECTIVELY OF EMBRACING THESE, UH, AS JUST FACTS OF LIFE THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
UH, WE THEN, UH, FOCUSED BRIEFLY ON THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN IN TERMS OF THE US CIVIL WAR AND THE MUNICIPAL STRATEGY FOR GROWTH AND, AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, THAT DISPLACED FREEDMAN COMMUNITIES, UH, AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE, THE CITY.
UH, THESE NUGGETS, BY THE WAY, ARE PART OF A PRESENTATION BY THE THEN PRINCIPAL PLANNER, SAM TELFORD, UH, THAT, UH, WAS GIVEN TO OUR COMMISSION, UH, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UH, AND IN OTHER CIRCLES AROUND, UH, AROUND TOWN, UH, BUT REMAIN PART OF THE, THE PERMANENT RECORD.
UH, WE DELVED INTO THE ROOT CAUSES FOR THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, UH, AND COULD TRACE THE HISTORICAL CHALLENGES, UH, STEMMING TO THE 1928 STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, THAT LED TO RACIAL SEGREGATION, RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS, INDUSTRIAL ZONING, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, OTHER TYPES OF ZONING, UH, YOU KNOW, PROTECTIVE ZONES, UH, THAT BASICALLY DO THE INVERSE OF INDUSTRIAL ZONING, WHERE CERTAIN PARTS
[01:50:01]
OF TOWN, UH, ARE, UH, ARE, ARE FOCUSED OF THE FOCUS OF AREAS FOR BEAUTIFICATION OR RATHER FOR MAINTAINING, UH, GREEN SPACE.UM, AND IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UH, AS WAS DESCRIBED, MANY OF THOSE SPACES, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE BARTON SPRINGS USED TO BE FREEDMAN COMMUNITIES.
THEY WERE MADE INTO PARKS AFTER THEY WERE COMMUNITIES, UH, OCCUPIED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR.
UH, AND THEN A AFTER, UH, CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN WERE ZONED FOR INDUSTRIAL USE, THEN THOSE PARTS OF TOWN WERE THEN ZONED FOR PROTECTED USE.
WELL, THAT'S ALL COMING INTO QUESTION.
NOW, AS WE KNOW AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL, UH, THERE'S A WHOLE BIG CAMPAIGN TO BOTH SAVE ZILKER PARK, UH, AND TO REZONE IT FOR DIFFERENT USES.
UM, I HAVE TO ADMIT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I PERSONALLY SIGNED A PETITION FOR PETER PAN GOLF, WHILE ALSO, UH, UNDERSTANDING IF THINGS CHANGE.
IT'S BEEN THE SPIRIT OF THINGS GOING BACK TO BEFORE THIS WAS A CITY, AND THAT CHANGE IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD REALLY JUST EMBRACE AS BEST WE CAN, UH, WHILE ALSO KEEPING OUR INTEREST IN AT HEART AS A CITY AND A COMMUNITY, UH, THAT, THAT HAS TO EMBRACE CHANGE AND DEAL WITH CHANGE.
BUT THE KEY THINGS ARE THE DISPARATE OUTCOMES AND THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO MANAGE BECAUSE OF, UH, THE, THE FALLOUT, INCLUDING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
BUT THE CORE THING ABOUT THIS SUMMIT WAS TO BRING TOGETHER STAKEHOLDERS TO RECOGNIZE THAT DIGITAL INCLUSION AFFECTS MORE THAN JUST TECHNOLOGY.
IT AFFECTS MORE THAN JUST TECHNOLOGISTS OR DIGITAL INCLUSION PRACTITIONERS.
IT REALLY AFFECTS EVERYBODY IN ALL SECTORS IN SOME WAY.
UH, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT USES THE INTERNET OR TECHNOL, UH, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES OR THE SKILLS REQUIRED TO MAKE THE MOST OF, OF, OF ALL THOSE THINGS IS AFFECTED BY DIGITAL INCLUSION.
UH, AND IN SOME ASPECT HAS IMPACT ON THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AS WELL.
WE TRIANGULATED AND GOT TOGETHER AS A GROUP, REALLY FOCUSED AROUND A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT GOALS, BUT WE DID IDENTIFY THESE AS CORE THINGS WE AGREED WERE IMPORTANT, AND WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ATTEND A STAKEHOLDER, UH, UH, SUMMIT FOCUSED ON DIGITAL INCLUSION, DRIVING DIGITAL INCLUSION, UH, OF COURSE, INTENTIONAL COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS AND STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT FOR STAKEHOLDERS CAN DO MANY THINGS, INCLUDING DRIVING DIGITAL INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, ENHANCING RESILIENCY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE, UH, CULTIVATING A FUTURE ORIENTED WELLBEING ECONOMY, UH, HARNESSING DIGITAL OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS ALL SECTORS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND FOSTERING CAPACITY, BUILDING AFFORDABILITY, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION.
UH, THE SPIRIT OF THIS WAS REALLY BRINGING EVERYONE TO THE TABLE, UH, AROUND THESE GOALS.
WITH CONCLUSION INCLUSION AT THE CENTER, UH, WE WERE VERY DELIGHTED TO HAVE, AS I MENTIONED, UH, THIS CONVERSATION ANCHORED BY JENNIFER HARRIS, UH, THE FEDERAL PROGRAM OFFICER WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THE NTIA, UH, ON APPROPRIATE BEAD AND TDOP RESPONSES, GIVING THAT EXPERT GUIDANCE AFTER THAT HISTORICAL FRAMING.
UH, LIKEWISE TO THEN BE JOINED BY, UH, BECKY LENTZ, THE DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY INITIATIVE AT THE RGK CENTER FOR PHILANTHROPY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, FOCUSING ON FUNDING AND HOW WE HAVE A NEED, REALLY FOR DIGITAL INCLUSION TO HAVE A FUNDING MOVEMENT, UH, REALLY ONE THAT CENTERS AROUND DIGITAL INCLUSION BEING THOUGHT OF AS AN INVESTMENT, AS A SOUND INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE.
ONE FOR SUSTAINABILITY, FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, AMONG OTHER THINGS FAR MORE, UH, THAN SOMETHING AS SIMPLE, UH, AND DIMINUTIVE AS, AS, AS, AS BEING CONSIDERED CHARITY.
UH, IT'S REALLY A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY AND AN IMPORTANT ONE.
UH, WE THEN, AFTER THOSE TWO SESSIONS, DELVED INTO THREE DIFFERENT BREAKOUTS, UH, ONE FOCUSED ON DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY, ONE FOCUSED ON FUNDING, AND ONE FOCUSED ON BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, HERE, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY BREAKOUT HIGHLIGHTS, UH, CENTERED ON, UH, AS WITH THE OTHERS, REALLY AN INTERSECTIONAL RESOURCE MAPPING EXERCISE.
UH, AS THE FLIP CHARTS WERE USED, UH, THROUGH SELF-SELECTION, UH, WE, UH, ALLOWED THE AUDIENCE TO THEN CHOOSE WHICH GROUP THEY WANTED TO PARTICIPATE IN OR TO, TO, TO JUMP AROUND.
WE HAD THREE SEPARATE BREAKOUTS OCCUR IN THE ROOM, UH, AND THEY SELF-SELECTED, BUT IT WAS WONDERFUL, UH, EXPERTISE SHARING, PROBLEM SOLVING, RESOURCING, UH, COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP DISCUSSIONS, ALL TO PROPEL THOSE CALLS TO ACTION FOR THE SUMMIT.
UH, THIS IS ALL BEFORE THE FIRST PANEL.
SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, UH, THAT ARE IMPORTANT, UH, THAT MULTIFAMILY, UH, SHOULD RECEIVE IMPORTANT FOCUS FOR SERVICES, UH, THAT EDUCATING KIDS SO THEY'RE NOT LEFT BEHIND.
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AI, UH, GET, UH, BE, BECOME, AND MAINTAIN, UH, REMAIN A PRIORITY.UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE COULD ON-RAMP, YOUTH AND SENIORS AS DIGITAL NAVIGATORS, UH, REFLECTING HOW OFTEN IT'S BEST JUST TO BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN RELATE TO GENERATIONALLY, UH, AND HOW THOSE CORE GROUPS CAN THEN GET HELP BY INVOLVING OTHERS THAT CAN BE THE, THE PEER, UH, TRAIN THE TRAINER, TEACH THE TEACHER TYPE OF APPROACH, UH, AS WELL AS SERVING OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UH, SIMILARLY, HOW WE CAN EDUCATE PEOPLE ON FRAUD AND, AND DATA RECORDING COLLECTION, UH, UH, PITFALLS, SUPPORTING, UH, LEP AND NON-ENGLISH, UH, SPEAKING COMMUNITIES IN RELATION TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
HOW DO WE REACH HARD TO SERVE AREAS? UH, THIS IS IMPORTANT AND INSTRUCTIVE BECAUSE AGAIN, AT THAT TIME, WE WERE STILL ADDRESSING COMMENTS IN RELATION TO THE BROADBAND EQUITY AND ACCESS PROGRAM, UH, DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM, UH, WHICH WE DID SUBMIT AT, AT THE C LEVEL.
AND I'M VERY THANKFUL, UH, FOR, UH, THAT SUBMISSION FROM ART TERRA OFFICE, CREATING COLLABORATIVE SPACES TO LEVERAGE WORK AND EXPERTISE OF ORGANIZATIONS, UH, EVENTS LIKE THIS, BUT ALSO HOW WE CAN ENCOURAGE MORE OF THAT, INTEGRATING SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS, UH, PARTNERS BECAUSE OF THEIR COMMUNITY FOOTPRINT AND ABILITY TO SCALE ALIGNING PARAMETERS FOR, UH, ADVANCED CERTIFICATES, UH, SO THAT COMMUNITY COLLEGES CAN HELP PEOPLE GET ADVANCED SKILLS, UH, TO THEN FIND JOBS.
UH, THIS WAS ALSO A MAJOR FOCUS, UH, OF THE PRESENTATION DISCUSSION BY, UH, OR THE SINGH, UH, THE, UH, A IT BOARD PRESIDENT, BUT AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, AS WELL IN OUR CONVERSATION, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, UH, HOW DIGITAL CONCLUSION CAN SUPPORT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, BEYOND JUST THE APP, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM HOMELAND EMERGENCY SERVICES, BUT OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO, AND THEN ALSO AVAILABLE TECH SUPPORT AND KNOW, TRAINING OUR, OUR YOUTH LIBRARIES, UH, UNIVERSITIES TO HELP.
UH, WE ARE VERY THANKFUL TO HAVE A VERY ROBUST, UH, UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, UH, AND, UH, A ROBUST DECA PARTNER NETWORK THAT INCLUDES UT HOUSTON, TILLSON, UH, ST.
UH, I'M NOT NAMING THEM ALL, BECAUSE WE HAVE REALLY A ROBUST, UH, ROBUST, UH, HIGHER RE EDUCATION, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM, UH, THROUGH AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN OUR, IN OUR CITY, LET ALONE EXPANDING IT OUT TO INCLUDE TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY, SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY IN GEORGETOWN, TEXAS STATE, AND SAN MARCUS.
UH, SO ALL VERY HELPFUL RESOURCES.
OUR NEXT BREAKOUT WAS ON, ON FUNDING HERE.
UH, THERE WAS A, A, A FOCUS ON FUNDING FROM DIFFERENT ASPECTS LOCALLY.
OUR, OUR GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM, UH, WHICH WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE LETTER OF INTEREST, PHASE FOUR, UH, UH, WHICH WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SUBMIT.
THERE'LL BE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT LATER.
BUT THERE'S ALSO OTHER RESOURCES, UH, TEXAS RURAL FUNDERS, WHICH IS FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON RURAL, UH, FUND, UH, RURAL, UH, COMMUNITIES.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, THEY ALSO FOCUS ON COMMUNITIES LIKE TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH HAS, UH, SUBURBAN AND, AND, AND FRANKLY, RURAL FOOTPRINT AS WELL, OR REGIONS LIKE THE CAPITAL ECONOMIC REGION, WHICH INCLUDES BASTROP COUNTY AND OTHER COUNTIES THAT DO HAVE A LARGER RURAL FOOTPRINT.
UH, NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE NTIA, UH, BUILDING OFF OF WHAT EXISTS WAS PUSHED AS A PREDOMINANT THEME.
DIRECT SERVICES ON ONE END, DIRECT ACTION ON THE OTHER, UH, WITH EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, UH, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT PLAYING OUR ROLE.
UH, BUT CORPORATIONS PLAYING A ROLE AS WELL WITH THEIR CSR DEPARTMENTS, UH, AND ONES THAT CLEARLY SHOW OR, OR, OR DEMONSTRATE ATTENTION TOWARDS INCLUSION.
UH, THOSE ARE CLEAR OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION AND, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, PARTNERSHIP.
UH, AND IN CIVIL SOCIETY, WE'VE GOT FAMILY FOUNDATIONS, INSTITUTIONAL, UH, ORGANIZATIONS AND PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, AND THEY IDENTIFIED, UH, VARIETY OF, OF CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES AROUND MAPPING, CONVENING, CO-LEARNING, COALITION BUILDING, AND, UH, AND EVEN, UH, WITHIN POLITICS, UH, REGARDLESS OF WHICH PARTY, UH, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT AFFECTS EVERYBODY.
SO THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THERE FOR COALITION BUILDING AS WELL.
UH, AND AROUND FUNDING IN PARTICULAR.
UH, NEXT, IN TERMS OF BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE, I MIGHT'VE SKIPPED OVER THAT, UH, ALREADY.
UH, A FOCUS AROUND NETWORKING TO THE HOME, UH, WITH LATENCY AND ACTUAL SPEEDS, UH, DETERMINING THE QUALITY OF SERVICE, A FOCUS AROUND PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVICES, UH, SKILLS AND APPLICATIONS, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD POTENTIALLY HELP TO SERVE, UH, CLEARLY I THINK DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY, BUT ALSO,
[02:00:01]
UH, COULD, COULD HELP IN TERMS OF BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.UH, THE FACT IS THERE'S A HUGE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMPONENT AROUND, UH, READINESS TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE, THE NEEDS OF BEAD.
UH, AND THAT IS GONNA REQUIRE A, A LOT OF SKILLS, UH, AND A LOT OF, UH, RESOURCES SO THAT, THAT, THAT BRINGS WITH IT OPPORTUNITIES, UH, AND, AND THEREFORE, OF COURSE, A, A NEED FOR ONGOING EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ABOUT THESE OPPORTUNITIES AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL AND WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
WE THEN WENT ON TO HAVE OUR FIRST, UH, PANEL, UH, AFTER THE, THE, THE BREAKOUT SESSION.
AND, UH, THE, THE PANEL INCLUDED, UH, LILA VALENCIA, THE, FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, OUR CITY DEMOGRAPHER, WHO HAS PRESENTED HERE AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL.
UH, BRIAN DILLARD, UH, WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
HE'S THEIR CHIEF INNO INNOVATION OFFICER, AS WELL AS, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S, UH, INTERIM CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER, UH, DANIEL COLTA.
UH, IT WAS A VERY GREAT CONVERSATION, UH, TO MODERATE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND ONE, UH, FOCUSED AROUND DIGITAL INCLUSION RESEARCH AND DATA, UH, AS MENTIONED.
UH, AND IT WAS THEN FOLLOWED AFTER, UH, THAT, UH, ROBUST CONVERSATION, UH, IN DEPTH CONVERSATION, UH, BEFORE AND DURING, UH, WITH, UH, A CATERED LUNCH BY THREE CHICK SOUL FOOD, UH, WHICH WAS WELL RECEIVED, UH, AND SANDWICHED BY, UH, PUN INTENDED.
WE DID ACTUALLY HAVE BOX LUNCHES, UH, BY THE DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT, UH, COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN EXHIBITOR SHOWCASE, AND A SERIES OF, OF, OF RESOURCE LIGHTNING ROUND PRESENTATIONS BY GOODWILL OF CENTRAL TEXAS, BY HUMAN IT, UH, BY T-MOBILE, AND BY THE UT, UH, AUSTIN OFFICE OF INCLUSIVE INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, FIBERLIGHT, UH, WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SHOWCASE.
UH, SUBSEQUENTLY, WE HAD A PANEL ON INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP THAT WAS COD BY REUBEN CANTU, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF INCLUSIVE INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITH THE, THE, WITHIN THE DIVISION OF DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY.
UH, AND IT, IT WAS, UH, REALLY NICE TO, TO HAVE PARTICIPATION FROM SO MANY LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT COULD OFFER GREAT EXPERTISE, UH, INCLUDING, UH, SKY DOWNING THE PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR FROM A COMMUNITY TECH NETWORK, UH, RITA IRVIN, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION AT THE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY, UH, LAURA DONNELLEY, UH, OWNER OF THE RADICAL CONSULTANT AND FORMER, UH, FOUNDER AND FORMER CEO OF LATTAS, UH, AS WELL AS MICHAEL WARD JR.
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE AUSTIN URBAN TECHNOLOGY MOVEMENT.
INDEED, UH, THEY OFFERED, UH, REALLY A LIVELY EXCHANGE, BEST PRACTICES AND INSIGHTFUL PERSPECTIVES, UH, AND GAVE A LOT, UH, FOR THE AUDIENCE TO CONSIDER, UH, AND, AND CHALLENGING THEM TO HAVE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES IN THE REALM OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITH THOSE CHALLENGES, YOU KNOW, CITY PLANNING AT THE FOREFRONT.
WE THEN HAD A PANEL, UH, ON SMART CITY, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, PRIVACY, RESILIENCE, AND DATA GOVERNANCE, UH, WHICH WENT VERY WELL AND, UH, WAS, UH, VERY ENGAGING, UH, IN, IN FACT, UH, THAT WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS IN THE AGENDA WHERE WE WISH WE HAD MORE TIME, UH, BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE SO ENGAGED IN, IN ASKING QUESTIONS ON THIS TOPIC.
UH, WE CLOSED WITH A FIRESIDE CHAT DISCUSSION THAT INCLUDED ARTIE SINGH, THE BOARD PRESIDENT, AND AT LARGE TRUSTEE OF AUSTIN, A SD, AND, UH, THE FOUNDER OF RAY'S ACHIEVEMENT, LLC, AS WELL AS CATHERINE CRAIGO, THE HEAD OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN PATHWAYS, UH, EACH, AS IS STATED, UH, PROVIDED INSIGHTFUL PERSPECTIVES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, LEFT THE AUDIENCE REALLY CAPTIVATED AND, AND YEARNING FOR MORE.
UH, IT WAS WONDERFUL TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, UH, SUCH GREAT PARTICIPATION, UH, AND, UH, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS ENGAGED SO HEAVILY IN THIS EVENT, UH, BUT NOT JUST ON THE STAGE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD WITHIN THE AUDIENCE A ROBUST PARTICIPATION, UH, FROM DIFFERENT STATE ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADERS.
UH, YOU SEE WITHIN OUR PICTURE HERE TO THE LEFT MEMBERS FROM, UH, THE TEXAS BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, UH, FROM CONNECTED, UH, NATION, FROM HR NA ADVISORS, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM OFFICER, UH, PRESENTED, UH, REALLY JUST SHOWING BROAD SUPPORT FOR GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN, AS WELL AS THE BEAD, UH, PROGRAM AND THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE COMMENT, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, DRIVING HOME THE CALL TO ACTION AND CATALYZING A CALL TO ACTION FOR COLLABORATION, ADVOCACY, AND PARTNERSHIP, AND REALLY
[02:05:01]
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.THIS EVENT WAS ONLY MADE POSSIBLE, UH, TO GENERAL SUPPORT OF SPONSORS, INCLUDING OUR FISCAL SPONSOR, US IGNITE, THE HOST SPONSOR OF THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY FINANCIAL SPONSORS GOOGLE FIBER, AND THE RGK CENTER FOR PHILANTHROPY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, AS WELL AS KEY PLANNING CONTRIBUTORS FROM INTEL CAPACITY CATALYSTS, N 50, UH, PROJECT GEEKS WITHOUT FRONTIERS, UH, THE COMMUNITY TECH NETWORK, AND OTHERS, UH, FROM THE, UH, THE DECA NETWORK, UH, THAT ALL HELPED TO BRING THIS EVENT, UH, UH, TO FRUITION.
UH, PLANNING FOR THIS EVENT STARTED BACK IN MARCH.
UH, AND I, I KNOW IN INCLUDED A, A LARGE INVESTMENT OF TIME, UH, FROM, UH, THE COMMISSION FROM MY PART, UH, FROM VICE CHAIR STEPHEN APODACA, UH, AS WELL AS A HOST OF OTHERS, UH, WITHIN THE DECK OF COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, THE COMMISSION WILL BE FOREVER THANKFUL FOR THAT AND FOR ALLOWING US TO BRING, UH, SO MANY STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER FOR THIS EVENT IN THIS WAY.
AND THE KEY THING IS, AGAIN, UH, REALLY, UH, ALTHOUGH WE'RE LEADERS OF THIS PLANNING EFFORT, UH, AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL, UH, THIS IS BY NO MEANS MEANT TO BE THE END ALL, BE ALL.
THIS IS MEANT TO SET THINGS IN MOTION, UH, IN THE COMING WEEKS, THE MONTHS AND YEARS, UH, REALLY LOOKING TOWARDS 2028 AS THE HUNDREDTH A HUNDRED YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1928 STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, APOLOGIES FOR THE TYPO THERE.
UH, WITH THAT, I WANNA PAUSE AND GIVE, UH, OUR COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE THAT ATTENDED, UH, COMMISSIONER SUPTA, UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA.
UH, IT'D BE GREAT IF YOU COULD SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE EVENT AND GET SOME FEEDBACK FOR, FOR OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND.
AND, UH, WHOEVER GOES OFF MUTE FIRST, I'LL GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO GO FIRST.
I DIDN'T GET TO ATTEND THE AFTERNOON, JUST THE MORNING, BUT I COULD TELL THAT IT WAS A ROOM FULL OF BUZZING WITH ENERGY AND IDEAS AND EXCHANGE.
SO IT WAS GREAT TO SEE, UM, GET TO HEAR AND EATS DROP INTO SOME OF THE SMALLER GROUPS, CONVERSATION GROUPS THAT WERE HAPPENING IN THE MORNING, UM, AND GETTING PEOPLE TRULY COLLABORATIVE AND EXCITED TO GET TO KNOW THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE.
SO, UM, I THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY NICE, UM, EVENT IN TERMS OF REALLY HELPING THE ATTENDEES CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER AND HAVE THOUGHTFUL EXCHANGES.
THANK YOU FOR THAT FEEDBACK, MR. GARZA.
THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE AS WELL.
AND I UNDERSTAND HOW BUSY YOU ARE.
UH, SO YOU, YOU APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
UH, COMMISSIONER SUPTA, DID YOU WANNA JUMP IN THERE? I SEE YOU'RE OFF MUTE AS WELL.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DIGITAL INCLUSION, I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE TALKED AT, AT LENGTH ABOUT IT, IS IT'S ABOUT OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, LESS ENDOWED, ET CETERA, PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN POVERTY, PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT HAD THE, UH, SAME OPPORTUNITIES IN LIFE AS, UH, UH, MANY OTHERS HAVE.
BUT AS I LISTENED TO THE PRESENTATIONS, WE TALKED ABOUT SMART CITIES, WE TALKED ABOUT ALL, YOU KNOW, SMART TRANSPORTATION.
WE TALKED ABOUT ALL A WHOLE HOST OF, UH, TOPICS.
AND WHAT I CAME AWAY WITH IS THAT DIGITAL INCLUSION IS NOT JUST ABOUT OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S ABOUT SURVIVAL FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO, UH, NEED TO BE IN, YOU KNOW, TO BE IN INCLUDED MORE IN OUR SOCIETY.
THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE GOING TO PAY THE PRICE FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR GLOBAL WARMING.
AND, UH, AND, AND, AND YOU'RE SEEING THE RESULTS OF IT AROUND THE WORLD.
SO THIS IS, DIGITAL INCLUSION IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS A COMPUTER AND SOFTWARE.
HERE, HERE, UH, UH, I COULD AGREE WITH YOU MORE, UH, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, RESILIENCY, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, OUR ABILITY TO, TO REACT TO DIFFERENT SITUATIONS LIKE EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS OR, UH, HAPPENINGS OR SUSTAINABILITY.
AND I MEAN, WE'RE JUST THINKING LONG-TERM, UH, LONG-TERM ABOUT EXISTING, UH, AND, AND HOW WE ENABLE THAT, UH, IN A WORLD WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, RESOURCE SCARCITY AND OR, UH, YOU KNOW, COMPETITION.
UH, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UH, ANY OTHER, OTHER THOUGHTS OR, OR QUESTIONS HERE AT THIS POINT? SO, MY QUESTION IS, ARE WE GONNA HAVE, UH, AN EVENT LIKE THIS EVERY YEAR? OR, UH, IS IT SOMETHING LIKE EVERY OTHER YEAR? OR WHAT'S A PLAN? UH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, I, I, I DEFINITELY, UH, THINK THAT THE INAUGURAL EVENT WOULD BE, IT'D BE A SHAME IF WE ONLY HAD ONE OR IF, UH, UH,
[02:10:01]
IF THIS WASN'T SOMEHOW, UH, SUSTAINED FROM A MOMENTUM STANDPOINT.UH, LESS IMPORTANT TO ME, UH, TO HAVING ANOTHER EVENT IS JUST SUSTAINING OUR MOMENTUM FROM THE EVENT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK IT IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT AND POTENTIALLY VOTE ON AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL, UH, BECAUSE THEN WE COULD START PLANNING, UH, IN A MORE COORDINATED FASHION, UH, HAVING HAD A SUCCESSFUL EVENT ALREADY.
AND THEN I THINK BUILD, UH, WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE REGIMEN, PERHAPS A PROCESS FOR INVOLVING RESOURCES, UM, AND, UH, ALLOCATING RESOURCES FROM THE CITY POTENTIALLY, UM, AND, AND OTHER PARTNERS.
UH, SO, UH, I THINK IT, IT MAKES FOR A GOOD FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO TALK ABOUT, UH, VOTING AND, AND SCHEDULING ANOTHER SUMMIT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS HERE? OKAY.
ONE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT, I THINK, TO CALL OUT AND TO MENTION, UH, IS THAT ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS EVENT ARE GOING DIRECTLY BACK INTO OUR WORK PLAN, UH, THAT US IGNITE HAS COMMITTED, OF COURSE, IN HOSTING THE EVENT TO, TO AGGREGATE THESE FUNDS AND THEN TO DISPERSE THEM AS WE CHOOSE, UH, UH, AT, AT THE DECA PLANNING LEVEL.
UH, SO, UH, THAT BEING SAID, THE, AND, AND REALLY TO, TO BE MORE FORMAL, UH, WITH DIRECTION FROM THE COMMISSION, BUT, UH, OPENING UP THAT TO BEING A, A DECK OF PLANNING TYPE OF, UH, ENGAGEMENT.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, WE ALREADY HAD OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION TOWN HALL, TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSION ON OUR RADAR, BOTH FOR DECA, BOTH FOR THE COMMISSION, UH, AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
UH, AND WE KNOW FROM PAST EXPERIENCE THAT, UH, WE'VE GOT RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING THOSE EVENTS WORK.
UM, ALTHOUGH WE DID APPROVE A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, UH, THAT INCLUDED BUDGET FOR FUTURE TOWN HALLS, UH, I, I'D LIKE TO MAYBE JUST KIND OF PAUSE THERE AND SEE, IS THERE, IS THERE ANY UPDATES ON THE STATUS OF THOSE FUNDS, UH, AND US POTENTIALLY GAINING ACCESS TO THEM FOR, UH, FUTURE TOWN HALLS THIS FISCAL YEAR? SURE.
UM, SO THE BIG UPDATE IS THAT, UH, UM, WE, WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO TRACK DOWN WHAT HAPPENED TO, TO THIS AND OTHER, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THEY LET US KNOW THAT NO, UH, COMMISSION BUDGET REQUESTS WERE EVEN CONSIDERED THIS YEAR AS A PART OF THE BUDGET CYCLE.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, WE HAD FOLLOW UP CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE, AND, UH, TARA, TARA DID.
AND, UH, WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WERE, WE MIGHT STILL BE ABLE TO GET SOME, SOME SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET TO SUPPORT THIS, THAT ALSO DID NOT COME THROUGH
UH, THAT BEING SAID, UH, TARA IS WILLING TO SUPPORT, UH, THAT AMOUNT WITH SOME, SOME, UH, VACANCY SAVINGS, BUT THIS WOULD BE COMING OUT OF TARA'S EXISTING BUDGET.
UM, SO, SO WE, WE, WE CAN MAKE THE, THE FIGURE REQUESTED WORK, UM, BUT IT'S NOT COMING FROM, FROM ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS,
SO WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE PETER AND PAUL ANALOGY FOR THOSE THAT ARE FAMILIAR, UM, THAT THERE'S RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS AND SOMETHING ELSE MIGHT HAVE TO GIVE IN ORDER FOR THAT BUDGET TO BE ALLOCATED FROM THE TERRA BUDGET.
IS THAT ACCURATE? WELL, WE WOULD DRAW THOSE FUNDS FROM, FROM VACANCY SAVINGS FOR, FOR VACANT POSITIONS.
AND SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO CUT BACK ON, ON ANY OTHER STANDARD PARTS OF THE PROGRAMMING, UH, BUT IT WILL BE USING TARA'S EXISTING BUDGET, RIGHT.
WHICH, WHICH WE'RE HAPPY TO DO.
BUT YOU MADE MENTION OF VACANCY SAVINGS.
UH, SO WE'RE REFERRING TO, UH, MARKETING.
ARE WE REFERRING TO, UH, VISTA? WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE REFERRING TO THERE? YEAH, WE HAVE TWO, UH, TWO POSITIONS WHICH WE'RE ACCRUING VACANCY SAVINGS FOR.
ONE IS THE PUBLIC INFORMATION SPECIALIST SENIOR, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY HELD BY BRIANNA GOWING, UHHUH
UM, THE OTHER IS, UH, PATRICK GORMAN.
UH, WE HAVE A LONG STANDING, UH, UH, INTERN POSITION THAT, UH, HAS RECENTLY BECOME VACANT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE ACCRUING, UH, VACANCY SAVINGS ON BOTH OF THOSE POSITIONS.
SO THEN THAT GIVES US SOME, SOME, UH, INSIGHT INTO OUR ABILITY TO STILL GET
[02:15:01]
SOME BUDGET, UH, BASED ON SUPPORT.BUT THE GOOD THING IS THAT WE STILL HAVE, UH, BUDGET TO ALLOCATE FROM THE SUMMIT, UH, WHOLLY TOWARDS THIS EFFORT AS WELL.
AND, UH, THE VISION FOR THAT NOW IS TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
SO OUR, AT OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION TOWN HALLS, UH, WE'VE OFFERED AN INCENTIVE.
WE'VE OFFERED A MEAL FOR THOSE PARTICIPATING.
UH, IN THE PAST, THOSE INCENTIVES HAVE BEEN EITHER VISA GIFT CARDS OR, UH, LIFT, UH, TRANSPORTATION CODES.
UH, BUT THE MEALS HAVE ALL BEEN GOOD.
UH, AND SO THE THOUGHT IS BASICALLY TO, AS WE GET TO THAT PORT PART OF THE AGENDA, TO THEN TALK ABOUT VOTING ON, UH, THE DATE FOR THE TOWN HALL THAT WE'RE GOING TO HOST, AND THEN ALLOCATING THOSE FUNDS, UH, ALTHOUGH THAT'S LESS, UH, IN NEED OF AN ACTION, PER SE, UH, VOTING ON THE DATE ITSELF, WHEN WOULD DO IT, IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, UH, AS FAR AS WHEN WE'D ACTUALLY HOLD THAT EVENT.
SO, UH, JUST REALLY DELIGHTED THAT WE ACHIEVED THE OBJECTIVE OF BRINGING TOGETHER STAKEHOLDERS, CONVENING A MEANINGFUL EVENT, AND THEN ALSO WE'RE ABLE TO USE IT TO FUND OTHER THINGS IN OUR WORK PLAN, UH, TO HELP GIVE, UH, A BREAK TO TARA, UH, WHO'S ALREADY RESOURCE CONSTRAINED, UH, AND CAN DRAW FROM VACANCY BUDGET, UH, AS YOU KNOW, AS WAS MENTIONED.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, WE MAY ACTUALLY NEED A, A SENIOR PROGRAM, UH, SENIOR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER TO, TO REPLACE BRIANNA, WHICH IS TOUGH TO DO, BUT THOSE ARE TOUGH SHOES TO FILL.
WE HAVE KIMBERLY, UH, MORE IN PLACE, RIGHT? OPERATING AS THE PUBLIC INFORMATION SPECIALIST, I BELIEVE IS HER ROLE.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UH, SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE TO GIVE.
AND SO ULTIMATELY, OUR ABILITY TO HELP TO MITIGATE THAT, UH, AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL, I THINK WE SHOULD HANG OUR HATS ON.
BUT I'D LIKE TO PAUSE THERE AND SEE IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE TRANSITION FROM THIS ITEM.
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER ISLAND? NO.
WELL, WITH THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I, I WANNA GIVE, UH, THE COMMISSION, UH, FRANKLY, A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
UH, YOU CAN JOIN IF YOU WANT TO.
I'M, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA, GONNA CLAP ON THE RECORD, UH, FOR GETTING THIS DONE AND FOR HAVING THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS AND FOR KEEPING THE MOMENTUM GOING.
UH, AND WITH THAT, UH, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, IT TAKES US TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS KEEPING THE MOMENTUM GOING AROUND TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN AND PUBLIC COMMENT, OPPORTUNITY UPDATE.
[5. Texas Digital Opportunity Plan & Public Comment Opportunity Update ]
UH, SO WE ALL KNOW, UH, ULTIMATELY, UH, I, I, I'D SAY WHAT DIGITAL INCLUSION IS AND WHAT IT ISN'T, WHAT DIGITAL EQUITY IS, AND WHAT IT ISN'T, BUT IT'S, IT'S HELPFUL SOMETIMES TO, TO HAVE IT SPELLED OUT, UH, AND TO, TO REVIEW IT IN A DESCRIPTION, RIGHT? EQUITY BEING A CONDITION IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES HAVE THE INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY CAPACITY NEEDED FOR FULL PARTICIPATION IN OUR SOCIETY, DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMY, NECESSARY FOR CIVIC CULTURAL PARTICIPATION, EMPLOYMENT, LIFELONG LEARNING, AND ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL, UH, SERVICES.THAT'S THE DEFINITION ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE, AND THEY'RE A GREAT AUTHORITY ON THAT.
UH, AND IN OFFERING THIS DEFINITION FOR US MANY YEARS AGO, UH, TO CENTER OURSELVES ON, AS WE HAD BEGUN FORMING OUR OWN DEFINITION OF WHAT DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT MEANT.
UH, AND, AND CERTAINLY WE'RE OPERATING WITH A, A, A, UH, AN ENERGY TOWARDS DIGITAL INCLUSION.
WE ALL KNOW DECA IS THE DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, THE COMMISSION IS, IS PROUD TO BE PART OF THAT, ALONG WITH THE TERRA OFFICE, WHICH HOLDS A CENTER OF, OF DECA WITH HOSTING THE CALLS.
UH, NDIA SUPPORTS THESE EFFORTS.
UH, WE, WE'VE DISCUSSED THE, THE PAST AND, AND WHAT IT MEANT TO, TO HOST THE SUMMIT AND, AND WHAT ACTUALLY GOT US CENTERED AROUND THE STATE.
I, I DON'T WANNA, UH, REALLY FOCUS ON THIS TOO MUCH, BUT JUST WANTED TO CENTER IN ON IT BECAUSE, UH, THERE IS DEFINITELY A, A DISTINCTION BETWEEN APPRECIATING WHAT DIGITAL EQUITY IS, UH, WHAT DIGITAL INCLUSION IS, OUR EFFORTS TO TRY TO MITIGATE, UH, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, THAT IS THE, THE ACTIVE, UH, DISPARITIES THAT EXIST BETWEEN THOSE THAT CAN MORE EASILY AND READILY ACCESS THE INTERNET, THE, THE SKILLS TO USE THE INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY, UH, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES, AND THE DEVICES THEMSELVES.
AND THEN WHAT OPPORTUNITY IS NOW, UH, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES, ADMITTEDLY, JUST BECAUSE
[02:20:01]
IT'S, UH, IT'S BEEN IN MY SLIDE DECKS, AND I NEED TO UPDATE IT WITH THE NEW, WITH NEWER PICTURES,BUT THIS PICTURE COMES FROM, UH, UH, ONE OF OUR, UH, POSTER DESIGN CONTEST WINNERS FROM 2020.
UH, IN PARTICULAR, UH, THIS IS MAYOR PATEL.
UH, SO YOU'RE GETTING A GREAT RUN.
UH, MIRA, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK.
UM, OUR CITY'S BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR THESE EFFORTS, UH, IN 2017 BY MAYORAL MAYORAL PROCLAMATION IN 2022 AND IN 2023.
UH, BUT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THIS AS SOMETHING FORMALLY AT THE CITY LEVEL, DATING BACK TO 2014, UH, AND BEFORE, BUT REALLY OFFICIALLY THEN WITH THE PLAN, UH, OUR PERSISTENT EFFORTS AT THE CITY LEVEL HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED IN THIS DOMAIN, IN FACT, THIS YEAR, UH, AS WE MADE MENTION OF AT AN EARLIER MEETING, UH, WE RECEIVED RECOGNITION FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS AND ADVISORS, UH, NATOA, UH, RECOGNIZING THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS COMMUNITY BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL EQUITY INITIATIVE WITH A 2023 DIGITAL EQUITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD.
AND ON AN ONGOING BASIS, WE'RE FOCUSED ON ENABLING EQUITABLE BROADBAND FOR ALL OF CENTRAL TEXAS THROUGH SYSTEMIC CHANGE, AND MAXIMIZING ACCESS TO HISTORIC FUNDING NOW, UH, THROUGH SHARING BEST PRACTICES AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP.
AND THAT INCLUDES, UH, GUIDING PEOPLE TOWARDS PUBLIC COMMENTS, RIGHT? SO PEOPLE ASK THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN THEY HELP? WHAT'S THIS REALLY ALL ABOUT? UH, COMING OUTTA THE SUMMIT, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO GET EVERYONE FOCUSED ON A MIND SHIFT TOWARDS DIGITAL INCLUSION, IMPACTING EVERYONE ON PERSISTENT COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP AND ADVOCACY, UH, ON PRIORITIZING EQUITABLE OUTCOMES OVER EVENTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S NICE TO HAVE AN EVENT, UH, AND TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE GALVANIZED AND EXCITED ABOUT DOING THINGS.
UH, THE SUMMIT DID A, AN IMPORTANT PART IN DOING THAT.
UH, AND AT THE SAME TIME, THE OUTCOMES OF DRIVING PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, WHICH WILL AND CAN POTENTIALLY DRIVE FUNDING, UH, IS EVEN MORE, UH, IMPACTFUL.
UH, YOU KNOW, CENTERING AROUND GOALS AND OUTCOMES AROUND THOSE EVENTS THAT WE HOST CAN BE AN IMPORTANT THING TO DO.
EVEN SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS, AS GETTING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO READ THE DIGITAL TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN, UH, AND TO ELEVATING, UH, THE VOICES OF THE AFFECTED GETTING PLUGGED INTO OUR DECK OF MEETINGS.
UH, WE JUST HAD ONE ON DECEMBER THE SIXTH LAST WEEK.
UH, THEY'RE NOW SCHEDULED ON A MONTHLY BASIS, AND THERE'LL BE RESOURCES SHARED WITH THIS PRESENTATION FOR, FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS AND TO THEN ENROLL.
BECOMING INVOLVED IN GTOP S UH, THAT'S ONE OF OUR MAJOR FUNDING PATHWAYS HERE, UH, AT THE CITY LEVEL.
AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S OPEN FOR LETTERS OF INTENT, UH, AND WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED AS REVIEWERS AND CERTAINLY AS, UH, INSTITUTIONS, 5 0 1 C3 INSTITUTIONS, UH, AS APPLICANTS.
BUT BACK TO THAT PUBLIC COMMENT, THE KEY THING TO APPRECIATE HERE IS IT'S REALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND, AND, AND REALLY SIMPLE AS FAR AS WHAT IT'S MEANT TO DO AND TO ACHIEVE.
AND THE PROCESS FOR GETTING INVOLVED, UH, I'M THANKFUL THEY HAVE, UH, ACCESS TO BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH VERSIONS.
UH, AND THERE'S OTHER, UH, VERSIONS YOU CAN GAIN ACCESS TO AS WELL, UH, THROUGH THE WEBSITE, WHICH, UH, IS PROVIDED HERE ON THE SLIDE.
BUT CLICKING THROUGH WILL TAKE YOU THEN TO THE FORM ITSELF.
BUT AS STATED, UH, THE TEXAS BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE DEVELOPED THE TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN TO ADDRESS BROADBAND ACCESS, AFFORDABILITY, AND ADOPTION FOR ALL TEXANS.
WE'VE BEEN INVITED AS TEXANS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS, UH, TO READ THE PLAN AND TO SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS DRAFT OF THE PLAN.
AND THAT PERIOD, WHICH BEGAN, UH, JUST BEFORE THE SUMMIT THAT WE HOSTED ON DECEMBER 1ST, AND, UH, WITH THE INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT, AND THEN OPENED UP, I THINK THAT WEEKEND ACTUALLY, OR THAT DAY EVEN, WILL END ON JANUARY THE FIFTH IN 2024.
WHAT IS PUBLIC COMMENT? IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TEXANS, UH, FOR RESIDENTS TO REVIEW AND GIVE THEIR FEEDBACK ON THE TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN.
AND IT'S ALSO A REQUIREMENT TO RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDING NEEDED TO CONNECT TEXANS TO RELIABLE AND HIGH-SPEED INTERNET AND DIGITAL RESOURCES.
SO, WITHOUT THIS PLAN, THERE IS NO FUNDING WITHOUT SUITABLE COMMENTS THAT SHOW AND,
[02:25:01]
OR A PLAN THAT SHOWS WE'LL BE ABLE TO MEET THE NEED.SO IT BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S DIRECTLY TIED TO FUNDING.
HOW WILL BDO USE THE COMMENTS? WELL, BY LAW, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO REVIEW EVERY COMMENT.
THAT MEANS THAT GETTING YOUR COMMENTS ON THE RECORD BECOME IMPORTANT AND WILL SURFACE UP THINGS THAT ARE MISSING IN THE PLAN.
THEY WILL LITERALLY HELP TO AS DESCRIBED, REFINE THE PLAN AND TO EXPAND DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY AND FUTURE FUNDING STRATEGIES.
WHO SHOULD COMMENT ALL TEXANS AND ORGANIZATIONS, UH, RESIDENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS? AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION BECAUSE THERE'S THE INDIVIDUAL CAPABILITY, AND YOU, YOU CHOOSE INDIVIDUAL.
AND THERE'S THE ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSE.
THE BDO IS INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM INDIVIDUALS, IDENTIFYING WITH COVER POPULATIONS, AS WELL AS ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE, UH, THOSE COMMUNITIES MOSTLY.
BUT ANY AND ALL TEXANS ARE, ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, YOUR COMMENTS WILL NOT BE ANONYMOUS.
UH, YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS WILL BE SHARED WITH THE BDO AND ALL COMMENTS, AGAIN, INCLUDED, UH, WITH THE PLAN WITH NAMES AND EMAIL ADDRESSES WILL BE REMOVED.
SO ANY KIND OF PERSONAL IDENTIFYING INFORMATION WILL NOT BE, YOU KNOW, INCLUDED IN THE PLAN, BECAUSE THAT'S ALL VERY SENSITIVE.
BUT THEY'RE GONNA MAKE THEIR COMMENTS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE WITH THAT INFORMATION REMOVED.
AND THEN HOW THEY PLAN ON ADDRESSING THOSE COMMENTS.
SO, AS FAR AS STEPS TO SUBMITTING COMMENTS FOR COMMISSIONERS ESPECIALLY, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE IN PARTICULAR, REVIEW THE PLAN.
UH, IT'S A, IT'S REALLY, UH, NOT A DIFFICULT READ.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE APPENDICES AND, UH, IT, IT, IT MIGHT NOT BE AS, AS SHORT AS IT, IT, UH, WE MIGHT LIKE FOR IT TO BE, BUT IT'S, IT'S FAIRLY CONSUMABLE.
UH, AND YOU COULD ALSO SEARCH FOR DIFFERENT KEYWORDS, UH, AND JUMP TO DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE PLAN.
THEN YOU'LL WANNA FILL OUT THE ONLINE FORM WITH YOUR INFORMATION.
SELECT A COMMENT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS.
UH, YOU COULD TYPE OR USE VOICE TO TEXT, ENTER YOUR COMMENT, UH, AND THEN SELECT ANOTHER SECTION IF YOU, UH, SECTION, IF YOU WISH TO INCLUDE, COMMENT FOR MULTIPLE SECTIONS.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO INCLUDE ATTACHMENTS AS WELL.
UH, AND THEN YOU WANNA PRESS SUBMIT.
NOW, I'M GONNA ESCAPE FROM HERE AND TAKE US TO THE FORM ITSELF, JUST TO SHOW YOU.
SO, HERE'S THE WEBSITE ITSELF AND A LIST OF THE DIFFERENT APPENDICES THAT YOU CAN ACCESS.
UH, PARTICULARLY ONES THAT I WANNA POINT OUT THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
UH, THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT IN THEIR OWN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT IN PARTICULAR, I THINK THAT, UH, THE APPENDIX, UH, APPENDIX C, THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND ASSET INVENTORY IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE.
THAT'S WHERE ULTIMATELY YOU'LL WANT TO, UH, TO, TO, TO REALLY DIG IN AND TO MAKE SURE AS THAT COORDINATES AND, AND, AND ALIGNS WITH THE BEAD, UH, PROGRAM LIST, UH, THAT WE'RE SEEING UPDATES TO THE COMMUNITY ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS LISTED THERE, UH, THE DE THE DETAILED ASSET INVENTORY AS WELL.
BUT THE PLAN ITSELF IS IMPORTANT.
AND SO, SCROLLING DOWN, AS IT'S DES DESCRIBED HERE, YOU BEGIN BY INDICATING, IF YOU'RE SUBMITTING YOUR COMMENT AS A RESIDENT OR AN ORGANIZATION, THEY'RE GONNA ASK IF YOU IDENTIFY AS OR PROVIDE SERVICES TO ANY OF THOSE COVERED POPULATIONS.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A SERVICE PROVIDER.
YOU COULD ACTUALLY, PERSONALLY QUALIFY OR CONSIDER YOURSELF AMONG THESE GROUPS.
AND IT'LL BE IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO NOTE, BECAUSE THESE ARE THE GROUPS THEY'RE LOOKING TO FOCUS ON AS THE ONES IN THE MOST NEED.
AND SO, IF YOU FIT INTO ONE OF THESE GROUPS OR MULTIPLE, THEN YOUR OPINION WILL BE THAT MUCH MORE VALUABLE IN TERMS OF SHARING YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCES.
UH, SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE 60 YEARS OR OLDER, THOSE WHO ARE ENGLISH, UH, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, OR HAVE DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH, UH, IMMIGRANTS, UH, INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS IN NON-FEDERAL FACILITIES.
SO STATE, COUNTY, UH, THOSE LIVING WITH A DISABILITY, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, UH, AT, UH, LESS THAN 150%, EXCUSE ME, UH, GREATER THAN 150%,
[02:30:01]
THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL MEMBER OF A TRIBE OR TRIBAL COMMUNITY, UH, RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES, UH, RURAL, UH, AREA RESIDENTS, UNHOUSED, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UH, US VETERANS, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.YOUR NAME, YOUR INFORMATION, UH, YOU CAN SELECT THE, THE, THE SECTION YOU WANT TO SUBMIT TO.
AND IT ALSO INCLUDES THE OPTION.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU NEED, UH, ASSISTANCE FOR VOICE OF TEXT, YOU CAN SPEAK TO IT.
AND THE OPTION TO INCLUDE FILES.
NOW, I WANNA, UH, MAKE MENTION HERE, THIS IS A SECTION WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WANTED TO, UH, ADD INFORMATION ABOUT THE QUALITY OF SERVICE IN YOUR AREA, THAT MIGHT INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, A SPEED TEST.
WELL, FIRST OFF, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN GUIDANCE THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA DO A SPEED TEST, YOU WANT TO DO IT THREE TIMES, THREE DIFFERENT TIMES, NO, EXCUSE ME, THREE DIFFERENT THREE TIMES, THREE DIFFERENT TIMES, UH, THREE DIFFERENT, UH, DAYS.
AND, UH, THREE DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY.
UH, SO THREE TESTS, THREE DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY, THREE DIFFERENT DAYS, UH, TO GET THAT COMBINED, WELL, YOU COULD BE INCLUDING SCREENSHOTS FROM YOUR PHONE, UH, IF YOU'RE DOING THIS ON A PHONE OR, UH, FROM, UH, FROM YOUR SCREEN PRINT, IF YOU WILL, TO INCLUDE AS A FILE.
YOU COULD ALSO INCLUDE, UH, YOU KNOW, A PROGRAM, UH, A PROGRAM OVERVIEW.
IF YOU, YOU'VE GOT AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S RUNNING A PROGRAM, UH, A LIST OF OTHER ASSETS AND RESOURCES.
THE POINT IS YOU CAN INCLUDE, UH, THINGS TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMENT, UH, IN THIS DIRECT SECTION HERE.
GOING BACK TO THE PRESENTATION HERE, I, IT IS IMPORTANT, AGAIN, TO UNDERSTAND THE, UH, THE PURPOSE OF, OF PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, TO HOLD PUBLIC COMMENT PERIODS, TO ALLOW RESIDENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO GIVE THEIR FEEDBACK ON THE DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLANS, UH, TO HELP REFINE AND IMPROVE UPON THE PLAN.
SO THE THING THAT I WANNA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE IS JUST TO BE, UH, CONSTRUCTIVE.
WE, WE CAN UNDERSTAND IF, IF YOU'D LIKE TO VENT, MAINLY, UH, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT QUALITY OVER QUANTITY IS, IS REALLY WHAT'S, UH, THE KEY.
UH, SO A COMMENT WHERE YOU OFFER A SUGGESTION THAT MAYBE YOU BRING UP A CHALLENGE, BUT YOU OFFER A SUGGESTION ON HOW TO ADDRESS THAT CHALLENGE WOULD BE BETTER RECEIVED THAN A COMMENT THAT'S JUST A, A GLARING COMPLAINT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, FEEL FREE TO MAKE THOSE COMPLAINTS.
UH, UH, IT'S YOUR CHOICE TO DECIDE TO USE THAT PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, AS YOU WILL JUST UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU'VE GOT IDEAS, IF YOU'VE GOT SOLUTIONS, UH, THAT, THAT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PLAN, BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO ADDRESS THESE WITH SOLUTIONS, UH, AND, UH, TO ADDRESS GAPS AND THE CHALLENGES AND THE, UH, AND THE NEEDS, UH, THAT ARE NOT REFLECTED IN THE EXISTING DRAFT TO ADDRESS THOSE AS WELL WITH THESE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AND THAT'S WHERE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THE PLAN THAT THAT MAY NOT BE CAPTURED, COMES IN OR CORRECTING THE RECORD WHERE CORRECTING THE RECORD COMES IN.
SO, WITH THAT, UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, PAUSE HERE IN TERMS OF THE DISCUSSION OF, UH, THE TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THIS, WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE, UH, SENT, WE'RE ALL GONNA GET ACCESS TO THIS PRESENTATION, UH, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE A BRIEF, UH, BULLETED STATEMENT THAT WE CAN ALL SHARE WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND WITHIN OUR NETWORKS TO THEN ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE PUBLIC COMMENT.
IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY BRIEF, BASICALLY DESCRIBING, UH, WHAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN NOW AS FAR AS WHAT IS NEEDED, UH, AND, AND WHY.
AND THEN THE LINKS TO WHERE THEY CAN GO, UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S UP TO US TO KINDA GET OUTTA THE WAY AND THEN LET PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY CAN, UH, AND FOR US JUST TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY.
BUT WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO PAUSE AND GIVE COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE TO, TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS, UH, AND ALSO GIVE, UH, OUR SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER, UH, HOTAN HAR HARMAN, A CHANCE TO ADD ANYTHING ELSE THAT I MAY HAVE MISSED, OR THINGS THAT YOU THINK, UH, ARE ALSO IMPORTANT, UH, TO NOTE OR HIGHLIGHT ABOUT THE TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN, UH, AND THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, JUST ONE POINT OF CLARITY, UM, THERE'VE BEEN WONDERFUL SESSIONS THAT THE BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE HAS OFFERED THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF INTERACTING WITH 'EM AND ALSO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
[02:35:01]
THAT THEY'RE WORKING WITH ON WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS PLAN, WHAT ARE THE STRATEGIES WHERE TO FOCUS ON? AND THERE'VE BEEN SOME INTERESTING INSIGHTS FROM THAT.FOR EXAMPLE, THIS PLAN ADDRESSES EVERYTHING THAT TEXANS NEED TO BE ABLE TO ADOPT AND MAKE USE OF HIGH SPEED INTERNET.
IT'S NOT ABOUT BUILDING INFRA INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND IT WILL INFORM GRANT MAKING, AS YOU SAID.
AND TO THAT POINT, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR TO FUND ARE FOUR THINGS.
ONE IS THEY WANNA PARTNER WITH AND FUND STATEWIDE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE THE LARGEST REACH WITHIN OUR STATE.
SECOND IS THEY WANT TO FUND LOCAL PARTNERS, PROMOTE INTERNET ADOPTION.
AND THEN FOURTH, THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT MAINTAINING A LIVING DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN, WHICH IS, I THINK YOU WERE SPEAKING TO THAT ABOUT ASSET INVENTORY, WHICH THERE WILL BE A DATABASE, AND BDO WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND AS THEY HEAR FROM US IN TERMS OF, YOU WERE SAYING, WHICH AREAS ARE YOU SERVING, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT WE'RE SERVING? AND THEN, AND WHO IS WORKING IN TEXAS TO ADVANCE DIGITAL INCLUSION AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARISE FROM THAT.
AND THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, STAKEHOLDERS TO PARTNER AND APPLY TOGETHER.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR COLLABORATION THAT IS BEING BUILT IN THE TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN.
NOW, WHAT COMES AFTER JANUARY 5TH MAY HELP INFORM OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PLAN AND HOW WE WANT TO BE ENGAGED WITH IT.
SO, AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, BDO WILL DEVELOP A CAPACITY GRANT PROGRAM, AND THEY'RE GONNA FUND AND EMPOWER ALIGNED ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE STATE.
AND THEN THEY WILL, THERE IS GONNA BE AN APPROVAL OF THE PLAN IN SPRING OF 2024, AND SPRING RUNS ANYWHERE TILL JUNE, UH, IN TERMS OF THEIR TIMELINE.
THEN THEY WILL DEVELOP COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS THAT ARE ANTICIPATED IN THE SUMMER OF 2024, AND THEN THE GRANT APPLICATIONS OPEN IN THE FALL.
SO THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING PROCESS.
AND THEY WERE SAYING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE BOTH POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK.
SO IF THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE PLAN THAT WE, LIKE, THEY WOULD APPRECIATE HEARING FROM ALL OF US, HEY, THIS IS REALLY GOOD.
THIS IS HOW IT'S GONNA SERVE, UH, PEOPLE IN OUR AREA TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
AND IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE COULD CONSTRUCTIVELY SHARE WITH THEM AND SAY, HEY, YOU MAY HAVE, THIS IS INTERESTING, BUT HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THIS OTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT IT? AND HERE'S SOME SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN OFFER.
SO THERE'S THE TIMELINE THAT YOU'RE PUTTING UP.
SO THOSE ARE JUST VERY FEW POINTS THAT I WANTED TO BRING UP.
UM, I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB COVERING IT, JUST IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HEARING IN THE RESOURCES AND TRAININGS THAT THEY'RE SHARING.
UH, IN PARTICULAR, UH, WITH REGARDING, UH, THE DATES AND, AND, AND REALLY PROMPTING, YOU KNOW, PROMPTING ME TO BRING UP THIS TIMELINE, UH, BECAUSE IT IS JUST THE BEGINNING.
AND SO THERE ARE, UH, ADDITIONAL INPUT POINTS, UH, BASED UPON, UH, YOU KNOW, DEPENDENT UPON WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE COMMUNITY ANCHOR INSTITUTION PIECE, FOR EXAMPLE.
WHICH, UH, WILL ACTUALLY INFORM BOTH THE BEAD, UH, WHICH IS FOCUSED ON INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, BUT ALSO INFORM TDOP BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE OPERATING FROM A SHARED LIST, UH, OF COMMUNITY ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS, RIGHT? SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S AN AREA WHERE I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO US SHOWING AND PUTTING OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, ROBUST, UH, ORGANIZATIONS WE HAVE THAT ARE FOCUSED ON DIGITAL INCLUSION AND ALL THE GREAT WORK WE'RE DOING HERE IN, IN THIS SPACE.
UH, SO WHAT I, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE TO MENTION, UH, IS AS IT'S REFERRED TO HERE, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE BRIEF SHARE, WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU GUYS WHAT YOU NEED FOR THIS PUBLIC COMMENT PARTNER TOOLKIT, UH, AND, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT THE BDO OR, OR PARTNERS HAVE TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THIS.
UH, SO WITH THAT, UH, LET ME STOP AND PAUSE FOR ANY QUESTIONS, UH, ABOUT, UH, THE TOP OR TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN AND PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE, UH, TRANSITION TOWARDS THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS TO VOTE ON HOW TO HANDLE OUTREACH.
AND, UH, IT'S 9 24, SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND IN TERMS OF OUR TIMETABLE, UH, COMMISSIONER SUPTA.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT, UH, YOU COULD SEND OUT THE LINKS, UH, TO THE COMMISSIONER SO THAT WE CAN, UH,
[02:40:01]
UH, YOU KNOW, ACT ON THEM? OF COURSE.IN FACT, UH, THIS PRESENTATION, UH, I'M GONNA SEND, IT'S GOT HOT LINKS ON IT.
I'M GONNA SEND THIS TO EVERYONE FOLLOWING THE MEETING TODAY, AND IT'S ALSO GONNA BECOME PART OF THE PERMANENT RECORD.
WELL, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS HERE, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, UH, SHOW THAT WARP SPEED TO GET US TO OUR GOAL IN TERMS OF THE AGENDA.
UH, SO NOW TRANSITIONING TO AGENDA ITEM
[6. Texas Digital Opportunity Plan (TDOP) – Public Comment Outreach - Vote on Commissioners driving TDOP Review and Public Comment by individuals and organizations at the Council District level]
NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, THE TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN, PUBLIC COMMENT, OUTREACH, VOTE ON COMMISSIONERS DRIVING TDO REVIEW AND PUBLIC COMMENT BY INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS AT THE COUNCIL DISTRICT LEVEL.UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE TO EXPLAIN, UH, UH, I HAD A, A GREAT CONVERSATION, UH, WITH, UH, CARRIE OVERTON AT, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, EARLIER PRIOR TO THIS MEETING.
UH, AND, UH, HAD A MEETING ON MONDAY, UH, THAT WAS HOSTED BY THE TOURISM, UH, COMMISSION CHAIR, UH, AUSTIN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, MIXER, UH, THAT, UH, BECAUSE OF QUORUM RESTRICTIONS ONLY INCLUDED, UH, COMMISSION CHAIRS AND VICE CHAIRS.
BUT, UH, I'M EXCITED ABOUT BOTH OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND HOW FROM THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING, THERE WAS WIDE SUPPORT FOR GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT THIS, UH, AMONGST ANY CHAIR OR COMMISSIONER THAT I SPOKE WITH.
AND THEY'RE BASICALLY WAITING, UH, FOR US TO GREEN LIGHT WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE'RE GONNA SHARE WITHIN OUR OWN NETWORKS SO THEY CAN START TO SHARE WITHIN THEIRS.
UM, THAT GOT ME VERY EXCITED IN ADDITION TO WAYS TO COLLABORATE, UH, ON DIFFERENT INTERSECTIONAL ISSUES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
UH, SO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
IN TERMS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOKED AT IN OUR CHARTER, UH, OUR, OUR BYLAWS WERE REALLY ENCOURAGED TO DO THAT AND TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO, UH, GLAD TO THAT, THAT WE ENABLED, UH, PATHWAYS FOR THAT AND FOR US TO BE CONTINUING TO DO THAT.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE CONVERSATION WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I GOT REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE, THE HOPE AND PROSPECT OF, UH, US GETTING A PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, LINK AND INFORMATION ON AUSTIN ENERGY BILLS, UH, AND FINDING A WAY TO POTENTIALLY DO THAT RIGHT AWAY, UH, TO IMPACT, UH, THE JANUARY 5TH DUE DATE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, JUST BECAUSE OF THE, UH, THE, THE, THE UNDERSTANDABLY ROBUST ENTERPRISE THAT IS AUSTIN ENTER IS AUSTIN ENERGY AS A DEPARTMENT, UH, EVEN AS MUNICIPAL ENERGY PROVIDER HERE, UH, THEY, THEY HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, CYCLES THAT REQUIRE MUCH MORE TIME IN ORDER TO INTERRUPT, UH, IN, IN THAT CAPACITY, IN THAT WAY.
UH, SO 30 DAYS WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.
60 DAYS WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN BEEN POSSIBLE.
NOW, THIS DOESN'T MEAN, THOUGH, THAT WE COULDN'T BE LOOKING AT FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES, WHAT SIX MONTHS CAN DO FOR US AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, A QUARTER CAN DO FOR US TO POTENTIALLY HAVE THAT KIND OF IMPACT.
BUT IT ALSO, UH, DOES NOT PRECLUDE, UH, US PROVIDING THE SAME KIND OF, UH, GUIDANCE TO BE POSTED UP AT PLACES WHERE PEOPLE MAKE PAYMENT TO, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY.
UH, AND THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE OF OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED IN ORDER FOR US TO PINPOINT THE, THE, THE BEST STRATEGY FOR THAT.
UM, AND THE, THE KEY QUESTION IS THE ONE THAT CENTERS AROUND, UH, QUESTIONS.
AND, AND THIS IS ONE THAT I, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I, I FEEL EMBARRASSED I DIDN'T ASK IN THE MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD, UH, WITH BDO, WHETHER IT WAS THE OFFICE HOURS, THE ONE-ON-ONE, OR THE WEBINAR WAS ON EARLIER TODAY, UH, WE'VE BEEN TOLD AND GUIDED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE SUBMISSIONS IS ONLINE.
WELL, THE QUESTION THEN BECOMES, WHERE DO PEOPLE GO WITH QUESTIONS THEY HAVE ABOUT, UH, HOW TO SUBMIT, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS OR ABOUT TD OPP IN GENERAL? UH, IS THERE, UH, A PHONE LINE AND EMAIL ADDRESS? UH, DOES ANYONE KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION? UH, HUTAN, IS THAT SOMETHING BY CHANCE, THAT YOU MIGHT BE, UH, PRAISED ON? UM, I THINK THERE IS A PHONE LINE.
I'M QUICKLY LOOKING THROUGH MY EMAILS, UM, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THERE IS.
I THINK THERE'S ONLINE AND THEY ALSO HAVE PHONE.
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, UH, JUST TO, YOU KNOW, FROM A, A CAPACITY STANDPOINT, THE QUESTION WE NEED TO ANSWER FOR AUSTIN ENERGY IS, OKAY, WELL, WHEN QUESTIONS COME UP, WHERE, WHERE CAN WE SEND THESE PEOPLE? BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, THEY'RE NOT PREPARED TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS AT, YOU KNOW, A A BILL COLLECTION DESK.
UH, BUT IF WE'VE GOT A PLACE WE CAN SEND THEM, THEN AT LEAST THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN HELP TO GET PEOPLE DIRECTED TOWARDS THAT.
UH, AND IT'S THE SAME APPROACH WE WANT TO TAKE WITH THE LIBRARIES, UH, AS WELL, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH CARMELITA, UH, MCKENNA WILLIAMS, UH,
[02:45:01]
UH, WHO, UH, DEFINITELY, UH, SUGGESTED THAT I, I CONTACT DIRECTOR WEEKS ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL.UH, BUT, UH, I'M LOOKING FOR SUPPORT, BASICALLY FROM THE LIBRARY TO THEN DO SOMETHING SIMILAR JUST TO BA BASICALLY MAKE A BASIC, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, NOTICE OF THIS WITHIN THEIR BULLETINS.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, ONE WHEREIN, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S SELF-CONTAINED BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE RESOURCES TO GO TO FOR QUESTIONS, AND THIS MAY BE SOME BASIC, IF ANYTHING, SOME BASIC HELP, UH, WITH DIGITAL NAVIGATION, UH, IF THEY HAVE ONE AT THAT PARTICULAR LIBRARY, OR JUST ACCESSING THE FORM ONLINE.
UM, SO, UH, I AM EXCITED THAT EVEN THOUGH WE CAN'T GET ON PEOPLE'S BILLS IN THIS SHORT TIMEFRAME, UH, THAT WE GOT SUPPORT TO GET IN THE SPACES WHERE PEOPLE PAY THEIR BILLS.
UH, AND, AND, AND, AND THERE'S POTENTIALLY REAL VALUE IN THAT AS WELL WITH THE, THE POPULATIONS WE'RE LOOKING TO SERVE THE MOST, BECAUSE THOSE THAT HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE AT HEB, UH, TO PAY THEIR BILL, UH, OR THE KINDS OF PEOPLE THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE KNOW ABOUT THIS, UH, THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT US, FOCUSED ON THESE ISSUES, THAT THEY KNOW THAT THERE'S RESOURCES OUT THERE, UH, IN THIS PLAN THEY CAN USE.
AND, AND, AND ONES MAYBE THAT, THAT THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT YET, BUT THEY CAN BE, YOU KNOW, CLUED IN ON.
UH, SO, UH, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT? OKAY.
WELL, ULTIMATELY, HERE'S THE, THE, THE THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO, I'M SORRY, THERE WAS A QUESTION.
UH, COMMISSIONER NAS, YOU KNOW, YOU ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT WHERE DO WE GO TO FIND OUT ABOUT, UH, BDO? WELL, I WAS PER PERUSING THERE.
UH, UH, THEIR WEBPAGE IS THE COM COMPTROLLER.TEXAS.GOV, UH, WEBSITE.
AND AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF IT, AND I, I SEE VERY FEW HOT LINKS.
THERE'S ONE ON COMMENTS ON THE TDO, BUT THEN AT THE VERY BOTTOM IT SAYS, UH, IF YOUR QUESTION IS NOT ADDRESSED HERE, EMAIL US.
AND ALSO, THERE'S A HOT LINK CALLED EMAIL US.
UH, UH, YES, HUTAN, DID YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT? I DID.
UM, TOMORROW, UH, THERE IS A SESSION WITH A COUPLE FOLKS FROM THE BDO FOR DECA AND OTHER PARTNERS AT 3:00 PM UH, THAT IS BEING FACILITATED BY TARA.
SO WE'LL ALSO ASK THERE AND MAKE SURE, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS ARE ATTENDING THAT, BUT THAT INFORMATION WILL BE COVERED THERE AS WELL.
SO WE'LL HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU.
THERE SHOULD BE A PHONE NUMBER THAT THEY CAN SHARE, OR A WAY FOR FOLKS WHO ARE NOT ONLINE AND DON'T HAVE ACCESS CAN ASK THEIR QUESTIONS.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT CALL OUT, BECAUSE I DID WANT, UH, THE COMMISSION TO BE REMINDED ABOUT THAT.
I, I MOST LIKELY WILL BE ON THE CALL.
UH, BUT BRIEFLY COMMISSION SUPTA IF THERE'S ANYTHING ABOUT A PHONE NUMBER.
OTHERWISE, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND KEEP, KEEP IT MOVING.
UM, BUT WHAT I DO WANNA KEEP IT MOVING TOWARDS, THOUGH, IS THE VOTE AND THE ACTION WE NEED TO TAKE HERE.
UM, ESSENTIALLY ALL WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS TO, TO COMMIT AND TO HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE FOR ENGAGING WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SHARING THE PD F1 PAGER, THAT'S GOING TO INCLUDE SOME BULLETS, A LINK TO THE PLAN, AND A LINK TO, TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM.
THAT'S BASICALLY GONNA BE THE LIFT, RIGHT? SO I'M EFFECTIVELY MAKING A MOTION RIGHT NOW THAT WE AGREE AS A COMMISSION TO ALL INDIVIDUALLY ENGAGE OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH THIS PDF TO THEN ENGAGE THEIR DISTRIBUTION LISTS, UH, NEWSLETTER LISTS, OR WHATEVER THEY HAVE FOR OUTREACH TO THEIR DISTRICTS TO MAKE THEM AWARE ABOUT THIS PUBLIC COMMENT FORM AND THE TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN TO BE REVIEWED WITH THOSE BASIC GOALS, AGAIN, OF FILLING THE GAPS, CORRECTING THE RECORD, HAVING PEOPLE'S VOICES BE HEARD.
IS THERE A SECOND? WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, VISUALS, I'M SORRY.
UH, I NEED TO SEE EVERYONE'S VISUALLY, UH, SO WE CAN DO THIS FORMALLY.
UH, AND WE STILL HAVE SIX OF US HERE, THANKFULLY.
CHAIR, ITS I SECOND OF MOTION.
SO THE MOTION IS MADE BY MYSELF, UH, AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DASS GUPTA.
WITH THAT, WE CAN HOLD A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF ENGAGING AS DESCRIBED IN THE TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN, PUBLIC COMMENT, OUTREACH, HAVING COMMISSIONERS DRIVE TOP REVIEW IN PUBLIC COMMENT BY INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS AT THE COUNCIL DISTRICT LEVEL.
[02:50:01]
AYE.IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY, SO WE'RE UNANIMOUS.
UH, WE LOST COMMISSIONER WITH JAIKU, IT LOOKS LIKE, BUT WE STILL HAVE A QUORUM WITH OUR SIX COMMISSIONERS, AND THAT VOTE IS MADE.
UM, I'M GONNA TRANSITION TO THE NEXT ITEM HERE QUICKLY, BECAUSE I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M ALREADY OVER TIME AND I WANNA GET US OUTTA HERE.
[7. Digital Inclusion Town Hall Listening Session (12/9) Reschedule Discussion ]
ACTION ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, DIGITAL INCLUSION TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSION.UH, 12 NINE, RESCHEDULED DISCUSSION.
WE SET A MARK FOR 12 NINE, WHICH WAS VERY AMBITIOUS AFTER THE SUMMIT.
AND, UH, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH THE MANAGING LIBRARIAN THERE.
THEY'RE COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDING.
UH, AND WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT A NEED TO CHOOSE A DIFFERENT DATE.
UH, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT DATE NEEDING TO BE IN THE NEW YEAR, BECAUSE BASICALLY, UH, THIS YEAR IS KIND OF A WRAP AND IT'S GONNA BE VERY DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE TO COME OUT, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION LEVEL OR FROM OTHER RESOURCES TO COME OUT.
SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO BASICALLY GET, UH, TO SEE WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT THERE IS FOR, UH, DATES IN JANUARY.
UH, I BASICALLY PUT OUT THERE FOR THE LIBRARIAN AND OTHERS, UH, MLK DAY WEEKEND.
UH, AND, AND, AND I KNOW THAT'S A HOLIDAY WEEKEND, WHICH COULD BE AN, AN INTERESTING CHOICE.
AND I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND MY LOGIC.
FOR ME, IT'S REALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACTIVATING IN A COMMUNITY WHICH WILL HAVE GENERATIONAL PARTICIPATION THAT WEEKEND.
THERE'LL BE PEOPLE COMING INTO TOWN THAT DON'T NORMALLY COME IN THAT, THAT AREN'T NORMALLY AROUND, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BRING PEOPLE AND STEWARD, UH, CONVERSATIONS FOR ELDERS AND HELP.
UH, THAT COULD BE HELPFUL, AS I'VE SEEN IN OTHER TOWN HALLS, TO GET PEOPLE TO SHARE THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S A HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
SO IT, IT DOES MEAN THEN THAT, THAT IF YOU HAVE PLANS TO TRAVEL, UH, BECAUSE YOU'RE OFF THAT MONDAY, UM, AND IT DOESN'T REALLY WORK, UH, THEN MAYBE IT'S NOT GONNA WORK.
UM, I PLAN ON MARCHING THAT MONDAY.
UH, I DON'T PLAN ON BEING ANYWHERE BUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BUT THEN AGAIN, THAT'S ALSO GONNA DEPEND ON WHAT MY DAUGHTER'S DOING.
I'M, I'M GONNA TRY TO INVOLVE HER.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW MY TIME MIGHT BE SPLIT TOO, YOU KNOW, SO I, I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO BE CANDID ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT DAY CAN WORK FOR YOU OR NOT.
RECOGNIZING THAT WE CAN ONLY HAVE MORE, WE CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN FIVE COMMISSIONERS THERE ANYWAY.
UH, BUT, UH, AT THE SAME TIME, DEPENDING UPON WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE WE GET, WE MAY OR MAY NOT WANT TO HAVE A DEDICATED SPANISH ROOM.
THAT PARTICULAR LIBRARY, UH, HAS A LARGE SPACE THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE A SPANISH CONVERSATION NEXT TO AN ENGLISH CONVERSATION, DEPENDING UPON HOW, UH, THE, THE ENROLLMENT AND THE OUTREACH GOES FOR SIGN UP.
SO, UH, WITH ALL THAT, UH, DATES IN JANUARY, STARTING WITH, UH, JANUARY 13TH, UH, HOW DO Y'ALL FEEL? THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN.
GOOD, BAD, INDIFFERENT, DOWN? UH, YEAH.
UH, THAT, THAT WAS DEFINITELY A MONTH.
UH, I, IS THERE A BETTER DATE THAT MONTH, OR, UH, IS THAT DATE JUST BAD? UH, WHAT WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER THOUGHTS? UH, I, I DON'T KNOW OF, OF AN ALTERNATIVE TO GIVE.
UM, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WILL BE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME.
WELL, I APPRECIATE YOUR CANDOR.
UH, I DO KNOW THAT, UH, I GOT A THUMBS UP FROM COMMISSIONER ISLANDS, WHICH IS GREAT.
AND
SO, UH, HOW ABOUT ALTERNATIVES FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA AND COMMISSIONER PINA VIA, DO Y'ALL HAVE ALTERNATIVE DATES SINCE Y'ALL ARE, ARE HAVE CONFLICTS ON, ON, ON, UH, MLK DAY WEEKEND? UM, I'LL BE GONE THE WHOLE MONTH OF JANUARY, SO I WON'T BE HERE IN AUSTIN UNTIL FEBRUARY.
WELL, YOU'LL BE MISSED, UH, COMMISSIONER PENA VIA, UH, YEAH, I'M TAKING A COURSE, UH, THAT WEEKEND, BUT I GUESS, UH, ANY, ANY OTHER DAY I'LL BE OPEN.
AND I SHOULD MENTION FROM A TIMEFRAME STANDPOINT, UH, IT, IT WILL BE MOST LIKELY FROM AROUND 10 TO ONE.
SO IT'S GONNA BE A, A MORNING, EARLY AFTERNOON ACTIVITY THAT, THAT AFFECTS YOUR SCHEDULE.
ACTUALLY I'M NOT AVAILABLE THAT DAY.
SO, UH, IS THERE ANOTHER DAY THAT YOU ARE AVAILABLE IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY? A SATURDAY THE 27TH? JANUARY THE 27TH, HUH.
[02:55:03]
OKAY.I DO RECALL COMMISSIONER, UH, VICE TRA DACA HAS A CONFLICT THAT DAY.
UM, HE MAY MENTION OF, BUT YOU'RE DEFINITELY UNAVAILABLE THE, THE 13TH, RIGHT? COMMISSIONER, UH, ISLAND.
AND WHAT ABOUT YOU, COMMISSIONER DAS GUPTA? UM, MIDDLE OF JANUARY, I AM VERY BUSY BECAUSE I HAVE A DAUGHTER AND HER FAMILY COMING TO VISIT, AND WE ARE GONNA BE THE NEXT TWO WEEKENDS, WE ARE GONNA BE THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE WEEK WITH THE TWO WEEKENDS IN, YOU KNOW, STARTLING THE TWO ENDS.
WELL, UH, DOES TARA HAVE ANY INPUT ON, ON THIS? OR, OR, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE ASK IS FOR Y'ALL TO JOIN US, BUT IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT.
UM, UH, THE, THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND WOULD BE TOUGH FOR ME PERSONALLY.
UM, BUT OTHER WEEKENDS SHOULD BE FINE.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, MAYBE THIS IS, UH, MAKING, UH, THE 27TH, UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S TWO COMMISSIONERS, UH, AND TARA.
UH, SO WITH THAT, UH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION, UH, FOR US TO HOST THIS TOWN HALL, UH, ON THE 27TH AND LOOK FOR A SECOND.
UM, THAT'LL GIVE OTHER COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE TO LEASE, UH, COMMISSIONER RICE.
UH, CHANCE TO CHECK YOUR AVAILABILITY AND, UH, COMMISSIONER PENA VIA AS WELL.
UM, IF NO ONE WANTS TO SECOND THAT, THEN I'M, I MIGHT HAVE A BAD DATE.
UH, I SECOND THAT CHAIRMAN PITS.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, THAT I MADE TO RESCHEDULE THIS DIGITAL INCLUSION TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSION TO JANUARY 27TH AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER PENA VIA.
SO WITH THAT, WE CAN HAVE A VOTE, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF RESCHEDULING OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSION FROM 12 NINE TO 1 27.
PLEASE SAY, AYE, AND SHOW YOUR HAND.
UH, THAT DATA SET AND IT'S APPROVED.
UH, NOW WE'RE GONNA GET INTO THE PART OF THE AGENDA WHERE, UM, I TELL YOU, UH, AS WE SWITCH TO WORKING GROUP
[8. Update from Digital Inclusion, Civic Engagement, and Strategic Technology and Telecom Policy Working Group ]
UPDATES, NUMBER EIGHT, STARTING WITH THE DIGITAL INCLUSION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY TELECOM POLICY WORKING GROUP.I FEEL AS THOUGH THE UPDATE ON THE SUMMIT WAS SUFFICIENT IN TERMS OF THAT, UH, THAT COMBINED WITH THE UPDATE AROUND, UH, THE TEXAS DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN, UM, AND OUR OUTREACH FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UH, AND IN ADDITION TO THE, UH, DIGITAL INCLUSION TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSION, THOSE, THOSE ARE BASICALLY THE THREE MAJOR, UH, FOCUSES OF THAT WORKING GROUP, UH, RIGHT NOW.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE EXCITING, UM, THAT WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT LATER.
BUT THE MOST, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, I THINK, IS REALLY JUST, UH, THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND MEMBERSHIP, UH, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING ALL THE COOL THINGS THAT THIS WORKING GROUP HAS BEEN WORKING ON, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SUMMIT, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSIONS, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED IN JOINING THE WORKING GROUP? WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, A SPOT, I BELIEVE THAT IS NOT PERMANENTLY FILLED, THAT'S JUST KIND OF BEEN LIKE A, A, A TEMPORARY SPOT OR PLACEHOLDER.
SO THAT'S MAINLY FOR THE NEW COMMISSIONERS, UH, COMMISSIONER PENA VIA, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THIS WORKING GROUP MEETS, UH, ON THE FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, UH, AT FOUR O'CLOCK NOW.
UH, BUT I'M OPEN TO, TO RESCHEDULING THAT TO, UH, UH, A DIFFERENT TIME IF IT'S MORE CONVENIENT FOR OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
UH, BUT THIS IS MY BRIEF SOLICITATION FOR WORKING GROUP MEMBERSHIP THERE WITH THAT WORKING GROUP.
DOES ANYONE ELSE, UH, ANYONE BY CHANCE, INTERESTED IN JOINING THAT WORKING GROUP? ALL RIGHTY.
UH, WELL, WITH THAT, I THINK THAT'S A SUFFICIENT UPDATE, BUT I WILL ASK IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE, THE WORKING GROUP.
WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TRANSITION TO THE NEXT
[9. Update from Knowledge, Information, and Data Stewardship Working Group ]
AGENDA.ITEM NUMBER NINE, UPDATE FROM THE KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION, UH, DATE OF STEWARDSHIP WORKING GROUP.
[03:00:01]
UH, VICE CHAIR, DACA CHAIRS, THAT WORKING GROUP, AND HE'S NOT HERE TODAY.UH, THAT BEING SAID, UH, I COULD PROVIDE SOME UPDATES.
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE KEY THINGS, UH, THAT, UH, IS CENTRAL TO THIS WORKING GROUP IS THE, THE, THE TOPIC OF DATA ECONOMY AND, UH, ISSUES AROUND DATA PRIVACY, UH, AND SURVEILLANCE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THAT TOPIC NEXT MONTH.
SCHROER DID CONFIRM THAT SHE WILL BE PRESENTING NEXT MONTH, UH, DAN, JUST SO YOU KNOW, UH, RIGHT.
SO WE'LL HAVE THAT PRESENTATION FINALLY.
UH, BUT WHAT I, I, I WANNA SEE, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE SUMMIT, UH, AND THE PANEL THAT WE HAD THAT INCLUDED, UH, DANIEL COLADA AND BRIAN DILLARD, UH, AND OTHERS, UH, BASICALLY A MELD OF THE TWO PANELS, THE ONE ON SMART CITIES, AND THE ONE ON SURVEILLANCE AND DATA GOVERNANCE.
UM, BUT WHAT, WHAT I WANNA SEE IS, UH, THE EVOLUTION OF THE, THE DIVE GROUP, UH, UH, WHICH, UH, THE ACRONYM'S ESCAPED ME RIGHT NOW, BUT IT REPLACED THE OPEN DATA GROUP THAT'S ESSENTIALLY TASKED, UH, WITH, UH, ANALYZING AI, UH, AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES.
AND, UH, WITH ASSEMBLING OUR FIRST GOVERNANCE MODEL, UH, FOR, UH, AI AND OTHER, OTHER THINGS.
UH, AND SO WHAT I'M GONNA ADVOCATE FOR IS THAT WE INVITE THEM IN AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL TO COME AND PRESENT TO US.
UH, AND I SAY THAT IN RELATION TO THE SUMMIT, BECAUSE DATA ECONOMY AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THEN HAVE THE ASSET OF, UH, OF, OF DATA, UH, TO BE, UH, A LEVERAGE AND, UH, AND, AND NEGOTIATION POINT FOR AGREEMENTS WITH, UH, PROVIDERS, UH, UH, AND OTHERS, UH, THAT WOULD PARTICIPATE IN A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AROUND INFRASTRUCTURE IS, IS ONE THAT COULD BE DRAWING DOWN FIVE YEAR BROADBAND EQUITY ACCESS DEPLOYMENT FUNDING.
UH, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE THINK ABOUT THE ELECTRIFICATION OF I 30, UH, GOING FROM DALLAS TO TO, TO SAN ANTONIO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS TO CONSIDER FROM WHAT THAT MEANS FROM AN INNOVATION STANDPOINT, UH, INVOLVING, UH, MORE THAN JUST OUR ECONOMIC SECTOR, WHICH IS THE CAPITAL AREA, UH, RIGHT.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE ALAMO AREA, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CENTRAL AREA, UH, ECONOMIC, UH, REGION, UH, RATHER.
SO, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING WHICH I, I, I, I DO WANNA JUST RAISE UP, UH, THAT AS WELL AS FOLLOWING UP ON, UH, HOMELAND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SERVICES, UH, GETTING AN UPDATE FROM THEM ON, UH, THE ALERT SYSTEM AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO EXPAND, UH, THEIR, THEIR LIST OF PARTICIPANTS FOR THOSE THAT THAT DON'T, WEREN'T PART OF THE COMMISSION.
WHEN WE HAD THAT PRESENTATION, WHAT WE SAW IS THAT WE HAVE A SYSTEM RIGHT NOW THAT'S SOMEWHAT FLAWED BECAUSE THEY USE THIRD PARTY DATA TO ENROLL PEOPLE IN, IN THE ALERT SYSTEM.
BUT THOSE THIRD PARTY LISTS ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THEY CAN BE.
UH, AND WE HAVE WHOLE SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION THAT NEVER FILL OUT SURVEYS, THAT NEVER CONSENT TO THOSE KIND OF LISTS.
AND SO THEREFORE, THEY, THEY JUST AREN'T ON THE LISTS, AND THEREFORE THEY'RE NOT GETTING EMERGENCY ALERTS.
UH, AND SO WHAT WE WERE TOLD IS THERE WOULD BE A CONCERTED EFFORT, UH, TO ENGAGE IN OUTREACH IN THESE AREAS OF TOWN WHERE THERE'S THOSE GAPS.
WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT TO SEE THAT IT'S HAPPENED, TO KNOW THAT BY THE TIME WE HAVE OUR NEXT FREEZE OR SOMETHING, THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA REALLY BE GETTING THE ALERTS THEY NEED.
UH, AND WITH THAT, I'LL TRANSITION, UH, WITH, UH, WORDS OF, OF GUIDANCE, UH, FOR THE WORKING GROUP CHAIR,
[10. Update from Technology, Infrastructure, and Innovation Working Group ]
COMMISSIONER SUPTA, UH, UH, WE NEED TO HAVE THIS, THIS SECTION DONE IN LIKE THREE MINUTES.UH, SO
SO, UH, THIS IN, IN, IN, IN THE SPIRIT OF WHAT A WORKING GROUP SHOULD BE AND SHOULDN'T BE IN AN EARLY DISCUSSION, WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO IDENTIFY THROUGH OUR, FROM OUR WORK PLAN, A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT WE COULD WORK ON THIS YEAR IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, AND THEN SUNSET THEM SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON TO A NEXT SET OF PROJECTS UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME OR THE SAME NAME, WHATEVER.
BUT IT'S NOT GONNA JUST BE A CONTINUING WORKING GROUP, LIKE A, LIKE A COMMITTEE.
AND SO WE, UH, IDENTIFIED THREE ITEMS, AND I'VE SENT IT OUT TO, UH, TO, TO, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER RICE AND TO CHAIR PITCH.
AND WE HAVEN'T YET NAILED DOWN EXACTLY THE WORDING, BUT THE THREE ITEMS WE TALKED ABOUT ARE, ONE IS 5G AND SMALL CELL DEPLOYMENT BEYOND THE DOWNTOWN AREA, INCLUDING ADOPTION OF INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE AS
[03:05:01]
A MEANS TO REMOVE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.THE SECOND ONE IS WORKING WITH THE CITY'S INNOVATION OFFICE TO MEASURE SMART CITIES PROGRESS.
AND, UM, REVIEW OF 20, 23, 20 24 INITIATIVES, PARTICULARLY RELATING TO ATDS SMART MOBILITY EFFORTS.
AND IT JUST GOES ON TO, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT AI BASED TOOLS AND OTHER, UH, O OTHER, UH, CAPABILITIES THAT COULD BE BROUGHT TO BEAR HERE.
THERE WAS ALSO A CONCERN ABOUT, UH, ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS COLLECTION OF DATA, UH, BASED ON AI-BASED TOOLS, HOW IT CAN BE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW IT CAN INTERFERE WITH THE PERSON'S, UH, IDENTITY AND LIFE, ET CETERA.
SO THAT'S AN AREA THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A FOCUS DISCUSSION ON.
AND, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE'LL WRITE A REPORT ON IT.
AND THEN THE THIRD ITEM IS WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE CITY, UH, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION, AUSTIN ENERGY, AND AUSTIN ELECTRIC, TO EMPHASIZE THAT PLANS ARE ALIGNED IN TIME SO THAT THEY DON'T WORK IN CROSS PURPOSES.
THERE WAS A ANECDOTAL EXAMPLE OF, UH, WHERE SOME, YOU KNOW, ROADS WERE DUG UP AND THEY WERE SEALED AGAIN, AND SOMEBODY ELSE CAME IN AND DUG UP THE ROAD AND THEY CUT UP CABLES AND WIRE AND, AND PIPES.
SO HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER SO THAT WHEN WE DIG UP A STREET, WE DO IT ONCE FOR EVERYBODY? AND SO THAT'S THE THIRD ITEM.
SO THESE ARE THREE ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO NAIL DOWN BEFORE WE PROCEED.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE LEFT OFF AT THE LAST MEETING.
WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THIS DISCUSSION, FINALIZE IT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
I HOPE I MADE IN MY THREE MINUTES.
UH, COMMISSIONER SUPTA, ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER SUPTA? OKAY, GREAT.
YEAH, THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME THINGS TO TALK ABOUT THERE MORE.
UH, IN FACT, UH, DIG WANTS IS A, IS A MAJOR FOCUS, AND ONE OF OUR PARTNERS FOR THE SUMMIT, UH, GEEKS WITHOUT FRONTIERS, UH, IS AN FCC, UH, DIG, WANTS, UH, PROVIDER.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME REAL OPPORTUNITIES THERE AS WELL TO DIG, DIG INTO, UH, UH, THAT WAS AN UNINTENTIONAL PUN, UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT BRIEF UPDATE.
SO WITH THAT, UH, THAT TAKES US, UH, TO THE NEXT ITEM IN OUR AGENDA, FUTURE
[ FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS. UH, SO, UH, CAN WE CHAT BRIEFLY ABOUT THINGS THAT WE'D ALREADY SCOPED THAT WE NEED, UH, TO CONSIDER? UH, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON THE, ORSO NOTHING ON THE CALENDAR WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
UM, WE, WE DO NEED TO HAVE, UH, THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CONTRACTS, UH, UH, THE EVALUATIONS, UH, RIGHT.
AND THAT COULD BE A SEPARATE CONVERSATION, BUT, UH, THAT WILL MAYBE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
WELL, I GUESS BASED ON THE TIMING, IT DEFINITELY WILL BE, UH, BECAUSE THE RFP IS, IS DUE ON THE 11TH, UM, UH, RIGHT.
AND OUR MEETING IS THE DAY BEFORE.
SO THAT'S LIKELY TO BE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM AS WELL.
UM, BUT ONGOING FOLLOW UP, I THINK, UH, RIGHT, UH, TDO P AFTER TDO P PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER ACTION IS LIKELY TO BE ON THE AGENDA AMONG OTHER THINGS.
UM, SO, AND THOSE FOLLOW UP BRIEFINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THAT IS REALLY BURNING, UH, YOU KNOW, TOP OF MIND FOR ANY OF OUR COMMISSIONERS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS ON OUR AGENDA? THIS IS OUR, OUR OUR TIME TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND GET THAT OUT THERE.
ANYTHING GOING ON IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOU THINK IS NOT GETTING THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES WITH TECH AND TELECOM? UH, NO.
WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, MY EMAIL BOX IS ALWAYS OPEN.
UH, AGAIN, SO IF ANYTHING COMES TO MIND, UH, AGAIN, AS YOU'RE OUT THERE ENGAGING IN THE COMMUNITY, IT'S THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, BE REMINDED AND GET THE PULSE OF, OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND, AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE NEED TO, TO BRING TO THE, THE ATTENTION OF CITY COUNCIL.
UH, OTHERWISE I'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS ARE GETTING, UH, ABREAST OF EVERYTHING THAT I'M DOING AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S GOING ON.
YEAH, I JUST THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, AT THAT CONFERENCE, YOU KNOW, GOOGLE FIBER WAS THERE.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, JOHN MICHAEL SPECIFICALLY, UH, WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HIM IN A LONG TIME AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL.
WOULD IT BE WORTHWHILE LISTENING TO HIM ABOUT THE STATUS OF GOOGLE FIBER? WELL, UH, JUST TO REMIND YOU, IT HASN'T BEEN THAT LONG, ACTUALLY.
UH, WE DID GET A BRIEFING, UH, IN FACT THE SAME, UH, MEETING, UH, WHERE WE GOT THE HOMELAND SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BRIEFING.
WE GOT A BRIEFING FROM JOHN MICHAEL CORTEZ ON THE DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS AND HOW THEIR LIST HAD
[03:10:01]
BEEN BOLSTERED.UH, SO, BUT, BUT I THINK, UH, WHAT MAY BE HELPFUL IS A SEPARATE CONVERSATION, PERHAPS AROUND INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, AND OR MAYBE SOME WORKING GROUP DISCUSSIONS, UH, THAT ARE MORE GERMANE, UH, THAT COULD THEN YIELD A, A, A, A FOCUS PRESENTATION.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
I PROBABLY MISSED THAT MEETING WHERE YOU PRESENTED IT WAS AT, UH, IT, IT, IT WAS A MEMORABLE MEETING, UH,
IN FACT, I REMEMBER YOU WERE DEFINITELY ONLINE, UH, THAT DAY.
SO, NO, I, I WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
UH, BUT YEAH, UH, EITHER WAY WE COULD DEFINITELY, UH, GET THOSE, UH, MATTERS READDRESSED AND REVISITED FROM THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL UP.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT, THAT ANYBODY CAN THINK OF THAT, THAT, UH, THEY KNOW THEY MIGHT WANNA ADDRESS ON A FUTURE AGENDA? OR IF NOT, WE'LL JUST GIVE EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW, TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT MORE.
WELL, WITH THAT THEN, UH, LET'S DO THAT.
BEFORE I GO TO THIS NEXT ITEM, UM, I JUST WANNA THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, A GREAT YEAR.
UH, MANY OF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION, UH, FOR, UH, MORE THAN THE YEAR, UH, AND, AND OTHERS ARE, UH, ARE RELATIVELY NEW.
BUT, UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT STARTING A NEW YEAR WITH YOU, UM, AS YOUR CHAIR, UH, EVEN IF I WON'T FINISH THE YEAR AS YOUR CHAIR.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, WISH YOU ALL WONDERFUL, HAPPY, SAFE HOLIDAYS, UH, AND, UH, CERTAINLY ASK YOU TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THOSE FOLLOW-UP DOCUMENTS.
AND, AND AGAIN, AS WE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY, UH, YOU KNOW, TO TAKING IN THE AFTER ACTIONS AND GETTING OUT INTO OUR DISTRICTS WITH THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TDO P AND UH, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
UH, SO WITH THAT, UH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
UH, ANYBODY ELSE, UH, HAVE ANY LAST WORDS BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT HERE? THIS WILL BE OUR LAST MEETING IN 2023.
OKAY, SO NOW, UH, HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODY.
SO NOW THEN, UH, I'VE MADE THE MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN BY MYSELF, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DAS GUPTA.
ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNING OUR LAST MEETING OF THE 2023 YEAR.
UH, WITH THAT WE ARE ADJOURNED UNANIMOUSLY.