Jan 29, 2024 Special Called Arts Commission

DO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMUNICATION FROM NATALIE EARHART WITH ALMOST REAL THINGS.

OUR MEETING IS OFFICIAL.

UM, WE

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

COME ON UP, NATALIE.

AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? UM, THANK YOU.

I'M NATALIE FROM ALMOST REAL THINGS.

UM, SO TWO THINGS I JUST WANTED TO SAY.

UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE AN OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS OF ALL MEDIUMS FOR OUR SECOND ANNUAL TOUCH, THE ART SHOW, WHICH IS HAPPENING IN APRIL.

SO ARTISTS CAN SUBMIT TO HAVE THE WORK IN THE EXHIBITION OR TO COLLABORATE ON AN INSTALLATION.

UH, THE INSTALLATION ARTISTS WE CHOOSE, THEY'LL BE GUIDED BY US AND COLLABORATE WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE THE WORK WITH THE ART STUDENTS.

UH, THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT IS THIS FRIDAY AND ALL THE INFO IS AT ALMOST REAL THINGS.COM/OPEN-CALL.

AND THEN THE SECOND THING, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TONIGHT TO ASK THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

A FEW QUESTIONS TONIGHT.

UH, ONE, WHEN IS THE NEXT NEXUS GRANT COMING OUT? HOW HAS THIS BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE ARTIST COMMUNITY? AND WHAT CAN WE DO GOING FORWARD TO MAKE THIS PROCESS MORE RESPONSIVE? SO, I'VE ASKED THESE QUESTIONS AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S NO UPCOMING DATE TO LAUNCH THE NEXT GRANT.

UH, MONTHS AGO DURING THESE MEETINGS, WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT EDD WOULD BE WORKING WITH CONSULTANTS TO ADDRESS THESE SOFTWARE CHANGES.

UM, BUT WHAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE? SO WE'RE THE COMMUNITY AMPLIFIER GROUP FOR NEXUS, AND I RECEIVE TEXTS AND EMAILS ALMOST DAILY.

I GOT ONE TODAY AT NOON ASKING ABOUT, UH, THE NEXUS GRANT.

AND I HAVE NOTHING TO SHARE.

THE ARTIST COMMUNITY THAT I'M IN TOUCH WITH FEELS LIKE THEY'RE IN THE DARK ABOUT AN OPPORTUNITY THAT CAN AFFECT THEIR LIVELIHOODS.

I'M NOT DOUBTING THE HARD WORK THAT CAD AND EDD HAS AND CONTINUES TO PUT IN, BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND PROACTIVE PROGRAMMING THAT CAN BE DONE NOW.

SO IF WE DON'T HAVE A DEADLINE, YOU NEED TO TELL ARTISTS WHY.

IF THE PORTAL ISN'T READY, IS IT POSSIBLE TO USE A THIRD PARTY PLATFORM? IN THE MEANTIME, WHAT CAN WE DO TO EQUIP ARTISTS WITH TOOLS AND CONFIDENCE THEY NEED TO APPLY WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES? THESE ARTISTS THAT ARE APPLYING, THEY WANNA CREATE AMAZING PROJECTS AND EXPERIENCES FOR THE COMMUNITY.

SO WE NEED TO BRING THEM INTO THE PROCESS AND KEEP THEM INFORMED.

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

OF MINUTES.

CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM LAST MEETING? I, MOTION.

[2. Discussion of Chair’s Report by Chair Zisman]

TO DISCUSSION ITEMS. THE FIRST IS OUR CHAIRS REPORT FROM ZISMAN.

HELLO EVERYBODY.

AS YOU CAN SEE, I AM TRAVELING AT THE MOMENT.

UM, SO PLEASE FORGIVE MY ABSENCE IN PERSON.

UM, I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO, UH, CHECK IN TODAY.

UM, AND I THINK WE'VE GOT A PRETTY TIGHT AGENDA.

SO I THINK I WOULD JUST GO AHEAD AND KEEP ON, I KNOW, UM, WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A BIT OF A TRANSITIONAL PERIOD AND STILL COLLECTING INFORMATION REGARDING OUR FUNDING PROGRAM.

SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING AN UPDATE FROM STAFF ON THAT.

THANKS SO MUCH THEN.

THANK YOU FOR CHAIRING TODAY, COMMISSIONER MALAK.

IS DISCUSSION OF ART AND PUBLIC PLACES LIAISON REPORT WITH COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.

GOT YOU.

[3. Discussion of the Art in Public Places Liaison Report by Commissioner Maldonado]

HELLO EVERYONE.

HAPPY NEW YEAR .

AND I HAVE A QUICK UPDATE.

SO I'LL JUST START OFF BY JUST, UH, GIVING MY HEARTFELT GRATITUDE TO

[00:05:01]

CONSTANCE WHITE AND, UM, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT SHE IS ACCEPTING A POSITION AT THE AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AND SHE'S CURRENTLY OUR A IPP UH, MANAGER.

SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, SEGUE IS INTO, UM, OUR LAST MEETING FOR A IPP.

THERE WAS A BIG DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS WORKING GROUP THAT'S, UH, I WANNA SAY MAYBE SINCE THE LAST QUARTER OF 2023, BEEN IN DISCUSSION.

AND THIS WORKING GROUP IS INTENDED TO REVIEW A FPP POLICY ORDINANCES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.

UM, SO REALLY IMPORTANT WORKING GROUP.

AND AT THIS TIME, UH, THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE THAT WE WILL BE HOLDING OFF ON THE WORKING GROUP UNTIL THE A IPP MANAGER ROLE IS FILLED.

AND TWO ITEMS THAT DID HAPPEN DURING OUR LAST IPP MEETING, WE DID REVIEW THE MID DESIGN FOR SLAUGHTER IN THE LANE CORRIDOR, AND WE ALSO DID APPROVE A MODIFIED FINAL DESIGN FOR THE KAMAL POCKET PARK.

SO THOSE TWO, UM, ITEMS WERE PART OF OUR LAST A IPP MEETING.

AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO REPORT TODAY.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.

NEXT WE HAVE

[4. Discussion of the Austin Economic Development Corporation/Cultural Trust Advisory Committee by Austin Economic Development Corporation Board Member Carl Settles]

DISCUSSION OF A EDC AND THE CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE BY A EDC BOARD MEMBER OR CHAIR.

CAN'T REMEMBER.

CHAIR CARL SETTLES.

HELLO, EVERYBODY.

UNFORTUNATELY, UH, HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, SO I CAN'T GET MYSELF ON CAMERA.

I HOPE IT'S OKAY THAT I CAN STILL REPORT OUT WITHOUT.

YES, THAT'S FINE.

GREAT.

UM, SO, UH, I BELIEVE, UH, ANN GATLING HAYES, THE CHIEF TRANSACTIONS OFFICER, UH, FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, DID A PRESENTATION FOR YOU ALL LAST MONTH.

UM, THAT WAS PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE.

UM, UH, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A BUNCH TO ADD ONTO THAT, BUT, UH, WE DO HAVE AN UPCOMING, UM, CREATE CREATIVE SPACE DESIGN, UM, UM, EVENT COMING UP.

UH, ACTUALLY IT'S GOING TO BE TOMORROW, UH, FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER OFFICE OFF OF MIDDLE FIFIELD ROAD.

UM, IT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE LINK OR THE HIGHLAND HIGHLAND MALL, UH, LINK COMPLEX.

UM, AND THAT IS FOR FOLKS TO PROVIDE INPUT ON THE DESIGN PROCESS, UH, FOR THE SPACE, UM, THAT, THAT IS GETTING READY TO BE BUILT, UH, WITH, UM, RU MAX AND AUSTIN BAT CAVE.

UM, OTHER THAN THAT, WE HAD THE COUNCIL AS FORMALLY APPROVED, UH, $4.5 MILLION, UH, IN BOND FUNDING FOR THE AUSTIN PLAYHOUSE PROJECT.

UM, AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT PROJECT.

UM, OTHER THAN THAT, WE'RE CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS FOR THE EAST 11TH AND 12TH STREET.

UM, AND, UM, I THINK WE HAVE TWO, UM, TWO PERSPECTIVE, UH, FOLKS, OR, OR, OR GROUPS THAT, THAT ARE VYING, UH, FOR THAT AT THIS POINT.

AND THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE.

HAPPY TO ASK YOU, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAD.

HELLO, COMMISSIONER MOCK.

CARL.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOOD IN THE ROOM AND I DID WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COMMISSIONER MOCK HAS JOINED US ONLINE.

AND THAT'S JUST IN TIME BECAUSE FIVE IS DISCUSSION OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION WITH COMMISSIONER MOCK.

COMMISSIONER MARK, ARE YOU THERE? COMMISSIONER SCHS SCHACH? I'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH HER.

I THINK SHE'S HAVING A LITTLE TECH TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY JOINING.

UM, MAYBE WE CAN COME BACK TO HER.

I'M, I'M TRYING TO TECH SUPPORT WITH HER BEHIND THE SCENES HERE.

LET US KNOW WHEN YOU'RE GOOD.

UM, IN THE MEANTIME, WE MOVE ON

[6. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Laura Odegaard, Cultural Investment Program Manager]

TO STAFF BRIEFINGS.

FIRST IS UPDATE ON HOT WITH LAURA ODEGAARD, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.

HELLO.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

UH, WHILE THE DECK

[00:10:01]

IS LOADING.

UM, I'M LAURA ODEGAARD, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.

I AM A WHITE WOMAN WITH LONG BROWN HAIR WEARING A GREEN DRESS AND A BLACK BLAZER.

AND WITH THIS PRESENTATION THAT IS NOW IN FRONT OF YOU, I'LL BE SHARING OUR LATEST HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR BOTH NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER.

ALL RIGHT.

SO FOR NOVEMBER, UH, THE TOTAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION NUMBERS WERE $6,327,721.

SO THIS MEANS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBER FOR NOVEMBER WAS $604,297.

UH, WITH THE NOVEMBER NUMBERS, WE WERE AT 22.4% TOWARD OUR FY 24 APPROVED BUDGET.

AND AS A REMINDER, AS ALWAYS, THERE'S A DELAY IN HOW HOT REPORTING HAPPENS.

SO THIS NOVEMBER REPORT, UM, SHOWS FUNDS THAT WERE COLLECTED IN NOVEMBER FOR HOTEL STAYS IN OCTOBER.

UH, AND SO THESE WERE OUR DECEMBER NUMBERS.

SO THE TOTAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX NUMBER FOR DECEMBER WAS $196,344.

SO THIS MEANS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBER FOR DECEMBER WAS $18,751.

SO THAT BROUGHT US UP TO 22.5% TOWARD OUR FY 24, UH, BUDGET.

UH, AGAIN, THERE'S THE DELAY IN HOW HOT REPORTING HAPPENS.

SO THIS REPORT SHOWS FUNDS COLLECTED IN DECEMBER FOR HOTEL STAYS IN NOVEMBER.

SO THE LITTLE BARS FOR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER ARE REALLY, REALLY TINY, BUT THEY ARE THERE.

UM, AND SO THIS IS THE GRAPH THAT CONTINUES TO SHOW OUR MONTHLY PROGRESS TOWARD THE APPROVED BUDGET FOR FY 24.

UM, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE TOP, UH, DOTTED LINE UP THERE, OUR APPROVED BUDGET FOR FY 24 IS $14,525,594.

UM, SO OUR HOT CULTURAL ARTS FUND ACTUALS RIGHT NOW ARE AT $3,266,808.

UH, AND AS A REMINDER, THE FUNDS COLLECTED IN FY 24 WILL BE USED TO FUND PROGRAMS IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, FY 25.

UH, SO I'M ALSO, UH, THIS YEAR I'M ALSO INCLUDING OUR CULTURAL ARTS, UH, FUND HOT COLLECTIONS BY QUARTER FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS.

JUST SO YOU HAVE A COMPARISON.

UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE JUST SLIGHTLY BELOW OUR QUARTER ONE COLLECTIONS, UH, FROM LAST YEAR FY 23, BUT IT'S, IT'S SUPER CLOSE.

UM, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF FY 24.

SO, I JUST WANTED TO, AND I KNOW JESUS PRESENTED SOME OF THIS LAST MONTH, BUT I JUST ALSO WANTED TO REITERATE THE HOW, HOW WORKS, AND HOW OUR MONTHLY REPORTS FIT INTO THAT.

UH, SO THIS SLIDE IS JUST A REALLY, REALLY BRIEF HISTORY OVERVIEW OF HOW, UM, WE USED TO FUNCTION WITH ESTIMATES.

AND SO THAT BASICALLY MEANT THAT GRANT AWARDS WERE MADE BASED ON WHAT WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT COLLECT DURING THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR.

SO YOU CAN SEE THE EXAMPLE HERE ON THE LEFT, UM, THAT WE WOULD MAKE A PROJECTION LAUNCH, GRANTS SEND OUT AWARD LETTERS, AND THEN REPORT OUT TO YOU ALL EVERY MONTH HOW MUCH WAS COLLECTED AND BASICALLY HOPE FOR THE BEST.

UM, AND IT MOSTLY WORKED OUT, BUT THERE WAS A HUGE RISK INHERENT WITH THAT METHODOLOGY.

AND THE ARTS COMMISSION FOR YEARS HAD WANTED TO MOVE TO ACTUALS JUST IN CASE ANYTHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENED, LIKE A PANDEMIC.

SO WE WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO FULFILL OUR CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS TO GRANTEES.

UH, AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, THANKS TO FEDERAL ARPA DOLLARS BEING USED AS A BRIDGE DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO SHIFT INTO ACTUALS.

AND SO THIS MEANS THAT GRANTS ARE MADE BASED ON THE ACTUAL FUNDS WE HAVE COLLECTED THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.

SO THE EXAMPLE HERE ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THAT WE COLLECTED 12.87 MILLION IN FY 22, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO ACCURATELY BUDGET IN FY 23 TO IDENTIFY THE 10.4 MILLION THAT WE GRANTED OUT TO 286 AWARDEES.

SO THE FIRST ROUND OF THRIVE ELEVATE NEXUS.

SO I THINK HOPEFULLY THIS IS, UM, HELPFUL FOR YOU ALL BECAUSE IT CAN GET A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING, UM, BECAUSE JESUS AND I, WE REPORT OUT TO YOU ALL EVERY MONTH.

SO THIS SLIDE BASICALLY IS JUST EXPLAINING HOW THOSE REPORTS THAT WE'D GIVE TO YOU FIT WITH EACH OTHER.

UM, SPECIFICALLY THE USAGE VERSUS THE COLLECTIONS.

SO TONIGHT JESUS WILL BE SHARING THE PAST, WHICH IS AN UPDATE OF THE FY 22 FUNDS USED FOR THE FY 23 GRANTEES.

[00:15:01]

AND HE'LL ALSO BE SHARING THE PRESENT PLAN FOR FY 23 FUNDS, UH, COLLECTED LAST YEAR.

THAT WILL BE LAUNCHED AND AWARDED IN FY 24.

AND THEN I SHARE OUT THE FUTURE, SO OUR FY 24 COLLECTIONS THAT THEN INFORM OUR FY 25 FUNDING PROGRAM.

SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THINGS.

UM, SO AGAIN, EVERY MONTH WE REPORT OUT THE PAST GRANTEES STATUS AND ACTIVITIES, THE PRESENT SPENDING PLAN, AND OUR FUTURE COLLECTIONS.

SO PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.

ANY QUESTIONS? THAT'S ALL I HAVE TONIGHT.

COULD YOU GO BACK A SLIDE JUST SO WE CAN SIT WITH THAT FOR A SECOND? AND THEN COMMISSIONERS ANY QUESTIONS? I THINK THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL AND THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING AGAIN, UM, HOW WE'VE MOVED TO ACTUALS.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO SHARE.

YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS CLARIFICATION.

'CAUSE I, I WAS FUZZY, SO THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

, I HAVE A QUESTION.

UM, THIS MIGHT BE ANSWERED IN JESUS' PRESENTATION, BUT UM, I KNOW THESE GRANTS THAT WE JUST AWARDED ARE NEW, UM, MOVING FORWARD, WILL THERE BE A CONSISTENT BEAT TO HOW THESE ARE LAUNCHED AND HOW WE RECEIVE APPLICATIONS AND, AND GIVE OUT THIS MONEY? YES.

SO THAT'S DEFINITELY PART OF THE PLAN.

AS YOU ALL KNOW, THIS PAST, UM, YEAR, IT WAS OUR PILOT PROGRAMS AND SO WE LEARNED A LOT.

UH, AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE REST OF OUR, UH, SISTER DIVISIONS, UH, ACROSS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALIGNED AND WE DO HAVE A GOOD FLOW MOVING FORWARD.

COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.

SO LAURA, ON THAT, WHEN YOU SAY WITH THE PILOT PROGRAM, YOU'VE LEARNED A LOT.

SO IS THERE A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF MAYBE WHAT THOSE ITEMS ARE AND THEN THE ACTION THAT'S BEING TAKEN TO, TO REFINE SOME OF THOSE THINGS? YEAH.

SO THAT IT MIGHT BE BETTER, UM, AFTER JESUS DOES HIS PRESENTATION.

UM, BECAUSE WE DO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TAKEN FROM THE COMMUNITY, FROM YOU ALL FROM DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS, UM, PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAMS LAUNCHING TO MAKE SOME HIGH LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS NEXT ROUND OF THINGS OPENING.

UM, INTERNALLY WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THINGS THAT SAY THESE WERE SOME OF THE COMMENTS AND HERE'S HOW WE'RE CHANGING THEM.

UH, BUT WE CAN FOR SURE BRING THAT BACK TO YOU ALL IN A MORE EXPLICIT WAY.

COMMISSIONER MALDONADO, GO AHEAD.

I WANNA WELCOME COMMISSIONER CHARLA ALSO TO THE DAIS.

HELLO CHAIR ZIMAN.

UH, I JUST WANNA REEMPHASIZE WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER MALDONALDO SAID.

I THINK IF WE CAN HAVE SORT OF A, A LOG SHOWING THE MAYBE BEFORE AND AFTER, I KNOW THERE WAS A SIMILAR THING DONE WHEN, AS THE PILOT PROGRAMS WERE BEING LAUNCHED WHEN THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THE ROUNDS OF REVISION.

SO HERE'S WHERE IT STARTED, HERE'S WHAT WE MOVED TO, AND THIS IS WHERE THINGS GOT FINALIZED.

AND I THINK FOR THE SAKE OF TRANSPARENCY FOR THE COMMUNITY, IF THERE'S A PLACE THAT THAT CAN LIVE, IF WE CAN HELP AMPLIFY VISIBILITY OF THAT INFORMATION JUST TO SHOW THE PROGRESS.

'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE, YOU GUYS ARE MOVING VERY QUICKLY AND THERE'S LOTS HAPPENING, BUT IT'S ALMOST LIKE A DUCK ON TOP OF STILL WATER.

LIKE THE FEET ARE MOVING BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT IT LOOKS VERY PLACID FROM ABOVE.

SO ANYTHING THAT WOULD HELP DEEPEN THE UNDERSTANDING OF, OF THE PROGRESS THAT IS BEING MADE AND THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LEARNING, UM, I THINK WOULD BE OF GREAT ADVANTAGE TO, TO ALL OF US IN THIS PROCESS.

YES, FOR SURE.

I THINK THAT'S PART OF OUR, UM, PART OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS PLAN IN GENERAL THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT AS WE'RE GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF EVERYTHING, UM, HOW WE'RE COMMUNICATING THAT AND HOW WE'RE REALLY SHOWING, YOU KNOW, FOR LIVE MUSIC FUND, FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND.

SO ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS, HOW WE HAVE, UM, TAKEN THE PUBLIC FEEDBACK AND ADJUSTED OUR THINGS BEFORE WE RELAUNCH, UH, THIS FISCAL YEAR.

CAN YOU REMIND US WHEN THE FISCAL YEAR STARTS THE RELAUNCH, JUST FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW? SURE.

SO OUR FISCAL YEAR 2024 STARTED OCTOBER 1ST, 2023

[00:20:03]

AND GOES THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.

SO WE JUST FINISHED OUR FIRST QUARTER OF FY 24.

WE'RE IN QUARTER TWO RIGHT NOW.

COMMISSIONER CHARLA, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? SO YOU COME OFF MUTE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GET THE NEXT SORT OF PART OF THIS STAFF UPDATE FROM JESUS? OKAY.

AND I DO HAVE A PROCESS QUESTION, WHICH IS THAT WE JUST HAD A FEW MORE COMMUNITY MEMBERS JOIN US AND SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

CAN WE DO THAT NOW? OR WHERE IN THE ORDER DO WE DO THIS? IT'S NORMALLY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, BUT IT IS UP TO THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR.

UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ALLOW ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT.

YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO, UM, AT WHAT SHOULD ANY TIME WE DO THAT AFTER THIS REPORT.

COOL.

UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

COMMUNITY, WE WILL COME RIGHT BACK TO YOU AND MOVE ON TO

[7. Staff update on the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor]

JESUS.

'CAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY ON MIC.

ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, STAFF UPDATE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS WITH JESUS PANTEL.

JESUS PANTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.

I AM A LATINO WITH LONG GRAY HAIR AND A BLACK AND WHITE BEARD WEARING A GREEN SHIRT.

I WILL BE SPEAKING THIS EVENING, UM, ABOUT, UH, THREE DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT.

UM, SO I'LL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON THE CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE VARIOUS CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS, UM, AS WELL AS LETTING YOU KNOW SOME OF THE GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES HAPPENING BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT ARTS COMMISSION MEETING, AS WELL AS, UH, UPDATES TO THE GUIDELINES FOR THE VARIOUS CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UM, SO THE FIRST PART IS, UM, ABOUT OUR CURRENT CONTRACTS, UH, AND INFORMATION ON ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS IS AS OF JANUARY 25TH, 2024.

SO FOR ELEVATE, UM, OUT OF 200 ELEVATE AWARDS, 198 CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SENT.

JUST A REMINDER THAT THE LONG CENTER HOLDS THE CONTRACT, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ELEVATE AWARDS.

UM, OF THOSE 198 THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, SENT OUT, UM, ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN SIGNED AND PROCESSED.

ALL HAVE HAD TEST PAYMENTS ISSUED WITH 197 TEST PAYMENTS VERIFIED.

AND ADDITIONALLY, 196 FIRST PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED A REMINDER THAT THE FIRST PAYMENT IS 50% OF THE ELEVATE AWARD.

UM, SO THAT IS 98% OF ALL AWARDEES.

UH, 122ND PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED.

UH, SO THAT'S 40% OF THE AWARD.

AND WE HAVE ALSO HAD, UH, ONE FINAL PAYMENT THAT HAS BEEN ISSUED.

SO FINAL REPORTS ARE STARTING TO ROLL IN AND WE ARE REVIEWING THOSE AND SENDING OUT FINAL PAYMENTS FOR THAT AS WELL.

SO THAT MEANS A TOTAL OF $4,630,000 HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED IN ELEVATE TO DATE OUT OF 6,250,000 TOTAL.

UH, FOR THRIVE, THIS IS A SIMILAR SLIDE TO, UM, WHAT WE HAVE PRESENTED IN THE PAST.

NO CHANGES.

ALL 36 AWARDEES HAVE HAD THEIR CONTRACTS, UH, SENT OUT, SIGNED AND PROCESSED.

UM, ALL THE PAYMENTS, UH, SENT AS WELL THEIR FIRST PAYMENTS.

UH, SO A TOTAL DISTRIBUTION OF JUST UNDER 3.5 MILLION, $3,447,500.

TOTAL DISTRIBUTION TO DATE OUT OF THE 3,935,000, UH, SET ASIDE IN YEAR ONE.

AS A REMINDER, THRIVE IS A TWO YEAR, UH, CONTRACT, SO IN YEAR ONE OF THE THRIVE CONTRACT.

FOR NEXUS.

UH, WE HAVE 51 AWARDEES IN NEXUS, AND ALL 51 CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SENT, UM, FOR NEXUS AS WELL AS FOR THRIVE.

UH, THE CITY HOLDS, UH, THE CONTRACT, UM, NOT THE LONG CENTER.

WE DO UTILIZE THE LONG CENTER FOR HELP WITH PAYMENTS IN NEXUS AND THRIVE.

UM, OF THE 51 NEXUS CONTRACTS, UM, ALL HAVE BEEN SENT, SIGNED, AND PROCESSED.

46 TEST PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED, AND ALL 46 HAVE ALSO BEEN VERIFIED WITH 44% OF FIRST PAYMENTS ISSUED.

UM, AND NEXUS, THE FIRST PAYMENT IS 90% OF THE TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT.

UM, NEXUS IS A FLAT $5,000 AWARD, SO $4,500 AWARDS HAVE GONE OUT TO 44 RECIPIENTS.

WE HAVE ALSO APPROVED THREE FINAL REPORTS AND HAVE THREE FINAL PAYMENTS PENDING, UH, FOR THEIR FINAL 10%, UH, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE DISTRIBUTED $198,000 TO DATE IN THE NEXUS PROGRAM.

UM, ALL CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS ARE BEING PROCESSED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND THEN FOR ARTS EDUCATION,

[00:25:01]

THIS IS, UH, FEDERAL FUNDS, UH, THROUGH THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

SO WE ARE MANAGING THESE DIRECTLY.

UM, THERE ARE 19 AWARDEES, 17 CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SENT.

ALL 17 HAVE BEEN SIGNED AND ARE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROCESS TO RECEIVE PAYMENT CODES.

UH, THE TWO WE ARE STILL WAITING ON.

UH, WE ARE WAITING FOR AN INSURANCE CERTIFICATE, UH, FOR BOTH OF THOSE BEFORE WE CAN ISSUE THOSE CONTRACTS.

UM, ALL 17 THAT HAVE BEEN SENT AND SIGNED, UM, HAVE HAD FIRST PAYMENTS, UH, ISSUED.

UM, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY FINAL PAYMENTS ISSUED YET, AND WE HAVE, UH, GIVEN OUT A TOTAL OF $382,500 TO DATE IN THE ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAM.

SO NEXT I WILL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON THE CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS.

UM, OR EXCUSE ME, I'LL BE LETTING YOU KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES HAPPENING BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT ARTS COMMISSION MEETING.

NEXT SLIDE.

UM, WE RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION, UH, FOR THE GRANTEE EVENTS, UH, FROM VISIT AUSTIN.

SO, UM, IF YOU'RE WATCHING AND YOU ARE A, UM, UH, ELEVATE OR NEXUS OR THRIVE RECIPIENT, AND YOU DO NOT SEE YOUR AWARD IN THESE, UH, SLIDES THAT ARE FOLLOWING, PLEASE BE SURE TO POST YOUR EVENT TO VISIT AUSTIN SO THAT WAY WE CAN SEE IT AND POSSIBLY HIGHLIGHT YOU AT AN ARTS COMMISSION MEETING.

UM, AS WE STARTED DOING LAST MONTH, WE ARE PROVIDING THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, UM, IN THESE PRESENTATIONS AS WELL.

AND WE ARE GOING BY WHAT THE GRANTEES PROVIDED IN THEIR PORTAL APPLICATION.

UH, SO FOR ELEVATE, UH, THE EAST AUSTIN CREATIVE COALITION FROM DISTRICT ONE, UM, IS CURRENTLY DOING THE BLUE MONDAY BLUES JAM MONDAYS AT THE VICTORY GRILL.

WE HAVE THE HYDE PARK THEATER IN DISTRICT NINE DOING FRONTERA FEST.

UH, 2024, UH, STARTED JANUARY 16TH, GOING THROUGH FEBRUARY 17TH AT THE HYDE PARK THEATER.

UH, AUSTIN OPERA IS DOING S LARA DE LA LUNA, UH, FEBRUARY 1ST, AND, UH, FEBRUARY 34TH AT THE LONG CENTER.

RICH'S ART GALLERY FROM DISTRICT THREE IS DOING AMERICAN HISTORY.

VOLUME THREE ELEVATE, UM, ON FEBRUARY 3RD AT RICH'S ART GALLERY.

AND BEETHOVEN FROM DISTRICT 10 IS DOING TO INVOKE HISTORY ON THE 4TH OF FEBRUARY AT SEREN GRUN DAY HALL.

WE ACTUALLY HAD QUITE A NUMBER OF ELEVATE ACTIVITIES.

SO, UH, CONTINUING, UH, FROM DISTRICT EIGHT FEST PROJECTS IS DOING BRAZILIAN ZOO EAST MONDAYS AT FESTER STUDIOS, AS WELL AS BRAZILIAN ELK IN THE PARK ON SATURDAYS AT MILLS POND.

AUSTIN, CLASSICAL GUITAR FROM DISTRICT DISTRICT NINE IS DOING LIVE AT THE ROSETTE ZOO YOUNG, UH, FEBRUARY 3RD AND FOURTH AT THE ROSETTE.

THE LEVITE LABORATORY IS FROM THE METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA.

SO JUST A REMINDER THAT, UH, RECIPIENTS, UH, MUST, UH, PERFORM THEIR, UM, ACTIVITIES IN AUSTIN OR THE EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, BUT THEY CAN BE FROM THE FIVE COUNTY SURROUNDING AREA AS LONG AS OVER HALF OF THEIR WORK DOES TAKE PLACE, UM, IN AUSTIN OR THE ETJ.

AND THEY'RE DOING HOPE IS LIKE A LIGHT MUSIC THERAPY CONCERT SERIES FEBRUARY 10TH AT THE CARVER MUSEUM.

AND THEN GROUND FLOOR THEATER FROM DISTRICT THREE, DOING ALWAYS A BOY FEBRUARY 15TH THROUGH MARCH 2ND AT GROUND FLOOR THEATER.

SO, MOVING ON TO NEXUS, UM, ON TORE INTERMEDIATE EVENTS AND INSTALLATION FROM DISTRICT 10 IS DOING INTERFERENCE INTERFERENCE FEST 2024 ON FEBRUARY 1ST AT THE LIN STUDIO AT KMFA, UH, AMY PRODUCES SLASH THE SCHOOL OF HOPE FROM DISTRICT THREE IS DOING A BETTER WAY, NARRATIVES OF RESILIENCE AND COLLABORATION FOR IMMIGRANTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

FEBRUARY 8TH AT CANVA HEADQUARTERS, AUSTIN MOON FLOWER PERFORMING ARTS FROM DISTRICT SIX IS DOING THE 2024 NEW YEAR LUNAR CELEBRATION OR LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION, EXCUSE ME, FEBRUARY 10TH AT VANDER GRIFT HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM, ARTFUL RESISTANCE FROM DISTRICT FIVE ART OF PLEASURE EXHIBITION FEBRUARY 4TH AND FLOURISH SANCTUARY FROM DISTRICT ONE, DOING HOMEGIRLS HEALING, NO COST TAX CLINIC CLINIC FEBRUARY 24TH AT THE VILLAGE PLACE.

OUTSIDER FEST DISTRICT NINE IS DOING THEIR 2024 OUTSIDER FESTIVAL FEBRUARY 15TH THROUGH THE 18TH AT THE VORTEX.

MOVING ON TO THRIVE, UM, GRANTEE ACTIVITIES S LAS AMERICA FROM DISTRICT NINE IS DOING MAXIMA, PART OF THEIR JERE LA LUCHA SERIES.

JANUARY 31ST AT THE VIOLET CROWN CINEMA.

METE ALSO FROM DISTRICT NINE IS DOING MIX AND MASH CELEBRATING AUSTIN HOLDING AN OPENING RECEPTION FEBRUARY 2ND AT THE METE MUSEUM.

ES TANGO FROM DISTRICT THREE IS DOING SALSA IN LASA WITH REMO VE FEBRUARY 9TH, UM, AT 2 0 9 PETINA STREET

[00:30:02]

AND PUERTO RICAN FOLKLORIC DANCE FROM DISTRICT THREE IS DOING THE PRINCE AND THE PANA FEBRUARY 25TH, UM, AT THE PUERTO RICAN FOLKLORIC DANCE STUDIO.

SO IN RESPONSE TO YOUR REQUEST TO BRING BACK ANY PROPOSED GUIDELINES CHANGES, WE ARE PROVIDING THIS STATUS UPDATE, UM, IN TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION BASED ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, AS LAURA MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, INCLUDING FROM ARTS COMMISSIONERS, FROM REVIEW PANEL MEMBERS, AND FROM APPLICANTS.

WE ARE SIMPLIFYING THE LANGUAGE TO MAKE IT MORE CLEAR AND CONCISE.

WE'RE ALSO ADDING MID-LEVEL SCORING OPTIONS FOR SOME OF THE RUBRIC RESPONSES.

AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE CITYWIDE CORPORATE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE LANGUAGE ACCESS TO TEAM TO SEE HOW WE CAN BEST SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH.

SO FOR THE NEXUS GUIDELINES, WE WORK WITH ALMOST REAL THINGS ON SIMPLIFYING THE NEXUS APPLICATION QUESTIONS AND GUIDELINES TO ENSURE APPLICANTS WERE CLEAR ON WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR IN THEIR RESPONSES.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD A MARKETING QUESTION WHERE WE WERE LOOKING FOR A MARKETING PLAN IN THE RESPONSE, BUT THE QUESTION DID NOT CLEARLY ASK FOR THE APPLICANTS TO PROVIDE A MARKETING PLAN.

WE ALSO, SO WE CLARIFIED THAT AND WE ALSO CLARIFIED QUESTIONS THAT WERE GEARED MORE TOWARDS ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TO MAKE THEM MAKE MORE SENSE FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.

AND NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND ALSO AS IN NEXUS, WE CLARIFIED THE RUBRIC QUESTIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.

AND WE'LL, WE HAVE ACTUALLY CREATED, UH, OR WE'LL HAVE A RUBRIC FOR ELEVATE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES, AND A RUBRIC FOR ELEVATES FOR NONPROFITS.

UM, YOU CAN SEE BOTH OF THEM IN HERE.

THAT'S WHY THERE'S KIND OF THIS DOUBLE COLUMN HERE.

ADDITIONALLY, WE REDUCE THE NUMBER OF RUBRIC QUESTIONS FROM 13 TO EIGHT FOR BOTH, UH, NONPROFITS AND INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.

THE QUESTIONS GET AT THE SAME, UM, ARE LOOKING FOR THE SAME INFORMATION.

IT'S JUST WE CLARIFIED AGAIN FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, SO IT MAKES MORE SENSE FOR THEM WHEN THEY'RE FILLING THAT OUT AS OPPOSED TO ANSWERING IT AS AN ORGANIZATION, UM, FOR REDUCING THE NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.

THIS INCLUDES GETTING RID OF THE BUDGET NARRATIVE QUESTION, BUT A BUDGET ITSELF WILL STILL BE REQUIRED AND THE BUDGET WILL STILL BE SCORED ON.

UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, LAURA MENTIONED EARLIER WE HAD OVER $14 MILLION THAT WE ARE, UM, HAVE AVAILABLE FOR FY 24 FISCAL YEAR 24.

SO FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES, WE INCREASED THE TOTAL AVAILABLE AWARD AMOUNT, UH, BY A MILLION DOLLARS.

SO, UM, IN FY 23, WE HAD $1.25 MILLION, UM, AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.

WE ARE INCREASING THAT TO 2.25 MILLION, $2,250,000 FOR NONPROFITS.

WE ARE INCREASING THAT BY $2 MILLION FROM 5 MILLION TO $7 MILLION AVAILABLE TO BE AWARDED OUT IN ELEVATE, UM, FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.

WE ARE INCREASING THE NUMBER OF AWARDS FROM 75 TO 100 FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.

FOR THE NONPROFITS, WE ARE KEEPING IT THE SAME AT 125 AWARDS.

WE HAVE ALSO INCREASED THE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM AWARD AMOUNTS, UH, FOR BOTH INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS FOR NONPROFITS, FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.

UH, WE ARE INCREASING THE MAXIMUM AWARD AMOUNT FROM 25,000 TO $30,000.

AND THEN THE MAXIMUM AWARD FOR NON-PROFITS IS BEING INCREASED FROM 75,000 TO 80,000.

THE MINIMUM AWARDS ARE BEING INCREASED FROM 10 TO 15,000 FOR THE INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESS APPLICANTS.

AND FOR NON-PROFIT APPLICANTS, THE MINIMUM AWARD IS GOING FROM 30,000 TO $40,000.

COMMISSIONERS, CAN WE ACTUALLY PAUSE ON QUESTIONS FOR A MOMENT TO ALLOW FOR OUR ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY COMMENTS, UM, BEFORE WE GO INTO DISCUSSION, AND JUST REAL QUICK, I WANT TO FIND OUT IF WE CAN GET COMMISSIONER MOCK ON ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN DO WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES.

UM, AS IN THE OTHER FUNDING PROGRAMS IN THRIVE, WE HAVE ALSO SIMPLIFIED THE LANGUAGE AND ADDED MID-LEVEL SCORING OPTIONS TO THE RUBRIC.

WE ARE ALSO COMBINING THE THRIVE APPLICATION WITH THE ELEVATE FOR NONPROFITS APPLICATION.

SO APPLICANTS INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THRIVE WILL ANSWER ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION.

IT'LL BE BASICALLY THE SAME APPLICATION WITH JUST ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION.

THAT WAY, IF THEY DO NOT SCORE HIGH ENOUGH TO RECEIVE THRIVE FUNDING, THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE CONSIDERED FOR ELEVATE WITHOUT HAVING TO FILL OUT A SEPARATE APPLICATION.

AND NEXT SLIDE.

THAT IS MY PRESENTATION COMMISSIONER.

SO I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

[00:35:01]

I CAN, I CAN ONLY USE VOICE.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU, BUT WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T SEE YOU.

IT'S OKAY.

SO CAN I, UH, WELL, I, I LET YOU FINISH THE ITEM FIRST AND I WILL REPORT ON THE, ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.

WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.

THAT'S FINE.

CAN WE MOVE ON TO JUST TAKE A PAUSE ON THIS TO LET OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS SPEAK AND WE HAVE FIRST HECTOR ORDAZ FROM TRO AND A REMINDER THAT YOU ALL HAVE, UM, THREE MINUTES EACH WHERE THE, YOU, YOU CAN COME RIGHT NEXT TO ME.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

OH, RIGHT.

HELLO.

UH, WELL, GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

UM, AS YOU STATED, MY NAME IS TRO, UM, AND I JUST WANT TO, I GUESS, APOLOGIZE ON MY BEHALF FOR NOT BEING PRESENT THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS.

UM, WE'VE HAD A BUSY SEASON, UH, LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS WITH WORK, UM, AND SOME HEALTH ISSUES AND WHATNOT.

SO HAVEN'T BEEN AS PRESIDENT AS, AS WE'D LIKE.

UM, BUT, UH, WE JUST ACTUALLY WRAPPED UP OUR LAST SHOW YESTERDAY.

UM, AND, UH, SO FIGURED I'D COME IN AND, UH, WHAT BETTER WAY TO START THE AFTERMATH THAN COMING IN HERE.

UM, BUT, UH, I JUST WANTED TO, I SAW THE, THE AGENDA ITEMS AND I WANTED TO, I GUESS, TOUCH BASE ON, ON ON NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS, I GUESS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE CULTURAL ARTS PROGRAMMING.

AND AS YOU GUYS ARE AWARE, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, WELL, YOU GUYS ARE MORE THAN AWARE OF, OF, OF OUR HISTORY AND OUR DIALOGUE THAT WE'VE HAD.

UM, AND IT'S SAD TO SEE AND BE HERE STILL AFTER ALL THIS TIME.

AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AWARE OF ANY, OR RECEIVED ANY COMMUNICATION OF ANY CHANGES TO ALL THE CHANGES AND ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE REQUESTED SINCE, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR.

UM, GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR EFFORTS, WE WERE ABLE TO, TO DIALOGUE WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WERE GRACIOUS TO ALLOW AN EXTENSION TO, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, THE ELEVATE PROCESS.

AND THEN WHEN WE MET WITH THE DIRECTOR AT THAT TIME, UH, WE WERE MADE A PROMISE THAT WE'D BE IN THE LOOP OF THINGS AND, UH, WOULD BE MADE PART OF THE PROCESS ALSO FOR THE CHANGE OF THE PORTAL.

UM, BUT WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY COMMUNICATION SINCE THEN.

UM, SO JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT THE STATUS IS, UM, AND WHEN WILL WE BE PART OF THAT COMMUNICATION, WHETHER THAT'S IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE OR THAT'S IN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE AS WELL, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED, UM, ANY COMMUNICATION OR ANY NOTIFICATION.

AND IF WE HAVE, I CERTAINLY APOLOGIZE BECAUSE THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, UM, BEEN, UM, TIED UP WITH WORK AND LIKE, LIKE I SAID, SOME PERSONAL HEALTH ISSUES.

SO I, I WILL APOLOGIZE, UM, AHEAD IN, IN CASE I MISSED AN EMAIL OR A CALL OR A TEXT OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.

AUSTIN, AND BEING A LEADER AND A TEACHER FOR MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS TO SEE HOW WE CAN DO BETTER OR WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SPACE.

UH, NEXT WE HAVE, SORRY, I'M READING THE HANDWRITING.

RAQUEL RIVERA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

HELLO.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

UM, MY NAME IS RAQUEL RIVERA, UH, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF PSEUDO A COMPANY FOCUSED ON, UM, THE PRESERVATION OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN MEXICO WITH COMMUNITIES HERE IN AUSTIN.

AND, UM, KIND OF PICKING UP WHERE HECTOR LEFT OFF AND WHAT SOME OF THE THINGS HE WAS SAYING, UM, THE LAST FUNDING THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR WAS MY FIRST TIME APPLYING FOR ANY SORT OF GRANT THROUGH THE CITY.

AND, UM, I HAD COME BEFORE TO EXPRESS KIND OF THE SAME CONCERNS OF IT NOT BEING VERY, UH, EASY TO NAVIGATE.

AND I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THERE ARE, UM, THERE'S SOMETHING BEING DONE TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BETTER.

UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS THAT AS PART OF THIS, UH, A GROWING IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN AND A GROWING HISPANIC COMMUNITY IN

[00:40:01]

AND ONE OF THE MAIN AND, UM, HARDEST THINGS THAT I'VE FOUND AS SINCE I'VE FOUNDED, UM, THE COMPANY THREE YEARS AGO, IS FINDING A SPACE AND FINDING THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO DO AND TEACH.

AND, UM, I HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS AND, UM, COMMUN FAMILIES WHO ARE JUST WAITING FOR CLASSES TO BE IN AND ARE WAITING FOR.

AND IT'S NOT JUST ME.

I MEAN, I HAVE FELLOW, UM, ARTISTS LIKE HECTOR AND OTHER PEOPLE IN IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY NEEDING THE SPACE.

AND LAST CULTURAL FUNDING.

I DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY, UM, AWARDS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW I CAN BE A PART OF KNOWING WHAT I CAN DO, KNOWING WHAT WE CAN DO AND HOW IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE FUTURE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SPACE HERE.

UM, I THINK THAT'S IT.

AND OUR LAST, UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IS I THINK MARIA LUISA GUTIERREZ, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

YOU KNOW, BOTH FROM THE PANELISTS AND FROM THE APPLICANTS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS HARD TO SCORE THIS APPLICATION 'CAUSE THEY'RE KIND OF DOING THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO SCORE THEM A ONE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT DOING IT ALL COMPLETELY.

CAN YOU PLEASE PULL UP THE LAST PRESENTATION, JESUS'S PRESENTATION, AND THEN COMMISSIONERS.

I HOPE THAT SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS COMMUNITY CAN BE ANSWERED THROUGH THIS CONVERSATION.

UM, AND I'LL GO TO MY COMMISSIONERS FOR QUESTIONS.

ANYBODY WANNA START? I CAN START.

OH, CHAIR, GO AHEAD.

I THINK WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.

I'LL LET YOU, SINCE YOU'RE IN THE ROOM.

UM, OKAY.

WELL THE ONE IS JUST A CLARIFYING QUESTION IF YOU CAN, UM, JESUS, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE MID, UM, WHAT IS THE LANGUAGE, THE MID-LEVEL SCORING OPTION? CAN YOU JUST DETAIL THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, AND I'M NOT SURE EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE LANGUAGE.

SURE.

SO THE WAY THAT WORKS IS ON THE, FOR THE SCORING RUBRIC, UM, YEAH, PULLING UP A SLIDE.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, NECESSARILY ANY SPECIFIC SLIDE.

IT'S MORE WHAT I TALKED ABOUT THAN WHAT IS LISTED ON THE SLIDE.

BUT, UM, YEAH, WE ADDED SOME MID-LEVEL SCORES, UH, ACROSS THE, UH, PROGRAM.

SO NEXUS THRIVE AND ELEVATE.

UM, AND SO WE'RE NOT CHANGING THE TOTAL SCORES, UM, UM, OR WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE SCORES, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'RE COMBINING ELEVATE AND AND THRIVE FOR THAT ONE APPLICATION.

BUT, UH, FOR SOME, WHEN THE PANELISTS SCORED THE APPLICATIONS, UH, THEY COULD SCORE A CERTAIN, UM, WAY.

SO IF IT WAS A 15 POINT QUESTION, FOR INSTANCE, UM, MAYBE IT WAS ONLY A ONE OR A 15 WERE THE TWO SCORING OPTIONS THAT THEY HAD.

SO INSTEAD OF AN ALL OR NOTHING RESPONSE, WE'RE NOT DOING IT FOR ALL OF THE QUESTIONS, BUT FOR SOME OF THE RUBRIC QUESTIONS, WE'RE ADDING MORE OF A MID-LEVEL RESPONSE.

UH, SO THAT WAY WE CAN, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UM, I MENTIONED THIS, UM, AND YOU KNOW, LOTS OF DIFFERENT EXAMPLES, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT,

[00:45:01]

OR AN APPLICANT WAS SAYING THAT THEY'RE DOING SOME OF, UH, WHAT IS ASKED FOR, UH, BUT NOT ALL OF IT.

SO BY ADDING THAT MID-LEVEL, UM, THAT JUST GIVES A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY TO THE PANELISTS, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, TO THE APPLICANTS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING.

THAT, UH, UM, ANSWERS WHAT THE RUBRIC QUESTION IS LOOKING FOR.

UM, I HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS, BUT I WANNA, OH, AND UH, LAURA JUST REMINDED ME, UM, IT IS, IT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.

UM, IF YOU GO, YOU CAN SEE KIND OF WHAT THE SCORING, UM, WHAT IT IS THAT THE PANELISTS ARE LOOKING FOR.

SO THAT IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEBPAGE.

I KNOW SPECIFICALLY FOR ELEVATE, 'CAUSE THAT'S A PROGRAM I'M MOST FAMILIAR WITH.

I BELIEVE WE HAVE IT FOR ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS ON OUR, ON OUR WEBPAGE IS THANK YOU.

AND THAT, THAT INCLUDES THE CHANGES THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED? NO, THESE ARE PROPOSED CHANGES.

OR, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE STILL FINALIZING AND, UH, DISCUSSING INTERNALLY.

BUT THESE, THIS IS A BIG PICTURE HIGHLIGHT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, HIGH LEVEL OF, UH, THE CHANGES THAT WE ARE MAKING TO THE GUIDELINES.

AND SO ONCE IT IS, UH, FINALIZED, UH, WE WILL POST THOSE ONTO OUR WEBSITE WHEN WE'RE READY TO OPEN THE APPLICATIONS UP.

UH, BUT WHAT IS ON THERE CURRENTLY IS THE CURRENT, UH, GUIDELINES.

GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.

THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

AND I SEE QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONER MALDONADO AND COMMISSIONER SIMAN.

CHAIR SIMAN.

SO FOR THE ELEVATE GUIDELINES, IF I'M READING THIS CORRECTLY, SO THE INCREASED NUMBER OF AWARDS FROM 75 TO A HUNDRED, THAT'S INDIVIDUAL CREATIVE BUSINESSES FOR NONPROFITS.

THERE'S NO CHANGE IN NUMBERS, BUT THERE IS AN INCREASE IN THE AWARD AMOUNT.

SO I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHY WE WOULD NOT KEEP THE AMOUNTS THE SAME AND AWARD IT TO MORE NONPROFITS.

LIKE WHAT WAS THE DECISION PROCESS WITH THAT? SO I THINK, UM, THIS IS LAURA ODEGAARD AGAIN, NOT SURE WHAT CAMERA TO LOOK AT, BUT, UM, I CAN JUMP IN TO ANSWER THAT ONE.

I THINK A BIG PART OF IT WAS THE AWARD AMOUNTS THAT THE 125 NONPROFITS RECEIVED LAST YEAR.

MANY OF THEM RECEIVED THE LOWER AMOUNT JUST BECAUSE THAT'S HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAD.

SO THERE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT THAT RECEIVED THE 75,000, UM, A PRETTY SMALL AMOUNT HONESTLY, THAT RECEIVED THE MID-LEVEL AWARD AMOUNT, AND THE MAJORITY OF FOLKS RECEIVED THE $30,000 AWARDS.

I THINK THE IMPACT THAT WE WANNA HAVE ON THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IS A DEEPER INVESTMENT FOR THEM.

AND SO FROM WHAT WE HEARD AND FROM THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT WE RECEIVED IN THE NONPROFIT CATEGORY LAST YEAR, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO INCREASE WHAT THAT ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT WAS FOR THE 125 AWARDEES.

THANK YOU, LAURA.

, GO AHEAD.

SIMAN, UM, I, TWO THINGS.

I, UH, WANT, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, THE LINK FOR THE INFORMATION THAT JESUS REFERRED TO, IF THAT COULD BE CIRCULATED, JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW EASY IT IS TO NAVIGATE THE CITY WEBSITE, UM, UPDATES LIKE THAT COULD, IF IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED IF WE COULD BE UPDATED VIA EMAIL, UM, WITH LINKS LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

THAT, AGAIN, WE COULD AMPLIFY AND DISTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY AS, UM, AS WE ARE TOUCHED FOR THOSE QUESTIONS AND JUST HELP TO SPREAD THAT GENERAL INFORMATION.

BUT I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND TOUCH BACK ON THE QUESTIONS ASKED BY, IN OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION BY NATALIE EARHART, UM, WHICH I'M PULLING UP ONE MOMENT.

I HAVE, UM, DO YOU HAVE THEM, HEIDI, DO YOU MIND, UM, GO AHEAD AND LISTING THEM OFF? YEP.

UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

MEGAN WELLS, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.

SO THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED AND, AND I THINK IT DOVETAILS WITH SOME OF THE OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT, WHEN IS THE NEXT NEXUS GRANT CALL COMING OUT? WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THIS IS BEING COMMUNICATED TO ARTISTS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE THIS PROCESS MORE RESPONSIVE.

AND CHAIR ZISMAN, IF I MISSED ANYTHING, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

CAN START ANYWHERE.

HELLO COMMISSIONERS.

UM, I'D LIKE TO TAG TEAM WITH MY DIRECTOR, SOVIA SOVIA HOLT ON THIS QUESTION, AND SHE CAN PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT ABOUT WHAT KIND OF CONSULTANT, UM, PROJECT WORK IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW, WHICH AFFECTS OUR DECISION MAKING ABOUT LAUNCHING.

UM,

[00:50:01]

AND THEN I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH ANY DETAILS THAT MIGHT YOU MIGHT NEED FOR, FOR HELPING TO PROJECT.

GOOD EVENING.

COMMISSIONER SONOVA HRA, DIRECTOR OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

AS, UH, DISTRIBUTED IN NOVEMBER THROUGH THE MEMO, WE HAVE HIRED THREE CONSULTANTS.

ONE IS GARDNER, WHO IS EVALUATING THE SYSTEM.

IE THE TECHNICAL OFF THE SHELF, COULD BE CUSTOMIZED.

THEN WE, UH, ENGAGE SNAP MANAGEMENT, WHICH IS HELPING US DISCUSS THE USER EXPERIENCE.

WE HAVE BEEN PROGRESSING ALONG THROUGH ALL THE DIVISIONS BECAUSE ALL THE DIVISIONS TOUCH THIS PLATFORM AND WE ARE MAKING SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS.

UM, UH, GARDNER HAS WRAPPED UP THEIR WORK AND WE WILL BE PREPARING AN UPDATE MEMO TO COUNCIL.

UH, ALL OF THAT STILL IS CONTINGENT UPON FINALIZING, UM, UH, TOUCH POINTS WITH THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THAT'S ONE THING COUNCIL WANTED US TO DO IS TO GO BACK OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.

SO WE ARE FINALIZING WHAT THAT SURVEY TOUCHPOINT COULD BE, AND WE HOPE TO LAUNCH THAT FIRST WEEK, EARLY FEBRUARY.

I'M GONNA PUT STAFF ON THE SPOT.

ONCE WE COLLECT ALL THAT FEEDBACK, WE WILL THEN RECONVENE WITH THE CONSULTANT TO UPDATE COUNSEL AND PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO THE ARTS COMMISSION.

AS I REMINDED THE ARTS COMMISSION, WE ARE TRYING TO GET THIS RIGHT, SO IT MAY SEEM SLOW, BUT WHAT I DON'T WANNA DO IS RUSH A PROCESS AND THEN WE STILL HAVEN'T, UM, UM, GOTTEN ALL THE KINKS OUT, UM, AROUND LANGUAGE BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST EDD CAN'T SAY THIS IS WHAT WE'LL DO AROUND LANGUAGE ACCESS.

IT HAS TO BE IN LINE WITH THE CITY.

ANYTHING WE PROCURE HAS TO BE IN LINE WITH THE CITY.

AND SO WE ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT.

PROGRESS IS BEING MADE.

GREAT INSIGHTS HAS BEEN, UM, UH, UNVEILED.

AND SO WE ARE TAKING ALL OF THAT, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO DO THAT FINAL TOUCH POINT WITH COMMUNITY, WHICH WE HAVEN'T.

UM, AS FAR AS THERE WAS A ASK ABOUT TESTING, WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS A PLATFORM THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY, UM, UH, HAVE TESTERS TEST THE SYSTEM SO THAT ANYONE HERE IN THE AUSTIN AREA WHO MAY WANT TO APPLY ISN'T PUT IN JEOPARDY FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO APPLY.

AND THAT WILL BE TESTED ENGLISH IN ALL LANGUAGES.

UM, SO WE HAVE WORKED WITH CTM TO SECURE, UH, THAT PLATFORM.

SO A LOT OF PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE.

WE WILL UPDATE COUNCIL AND ALSO KEEP YOU UP TO DATE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT I MAY HAVE MISSED? YES, MA'AM.

UM, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PART OF THE PROCESS? YOU, YOU MENTIONED A SURVEY, BUT IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE WHERE YOU'RE MEETING WITH PEOPLE FACE TO FACE? WELL, WE HAVE LOTS OF FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED DURING THE PROCESS THAT, UM, BASED ON WORK WITH OUR CONSULTANT, HE, THIS HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THE BEST WAY TO HAVE TOUCHPOINT.

IT JUST, IT'LL BE IN DEPTH.

WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL HELP US AMPLIFY IT.

WE ARE ASKING ALL OF THE CITY COUNCIL OFFICES TO PUSH IT OUT IN THEIR NEWSLETTER SO THAT WE CAN COVER ALL BASE.

BUT WE HAVE A COMMUNICATION PLAN AND STRATEGY THAT WE ARE LAUNCHING IT.

BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY ENGAGING COUNCIL BECAUSE THEY HAVE REACHED OUT TO US.

SO WE ARE DEFINITELY ASKING ARTS COMMISSION AND THE CITY COUNCIL TO HELP US GET THAT MESSAGE OUT AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS.

SO IF YOU GET IT, PLEASE FORWARD IT OUT TO THOSE THAT YOU INTERACT WITH.

OTHER QUESTIONS HERE TOO, BUT I DO WONDER IF IT IS, IS IT, I'M, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A, UM, A A A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROCESS SO FAR AND GIVEN THEIR FEEDBACK, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN SEND THIS INFORMATION DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PROVIDED INFORMATION TODAY? SO JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T MISS IT.

, CAN I ASK A QUICK CLARIFYING QUESTION ON THAT? SO JUST TO SUMMARIZE, IS THE SURVEY THAT WE'RE ESTIMATING WILL BE DISTRIBUTED BACK TO COMMUNITY FOR FEEDBACK IS BASED ON THE CONSULT GARDNER CONSULTANTS FINDING SNAP, SNAP.

OH, THAT'S SNAP THAT'S THE USER EXPERIENCE.

SO YOU, OKAY.

WE WANNA UNDERSTAND YOUR LANGUAGE.

HOW DID YOU ACCESS ALL OF THOSE TOUCH POINTS? AND PART OF THEIR PROCESS HAS BEEN COLLATING THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THUS FAR.

OH, YES.

AND THE PROCESS IS TO THEN RETURN THAT INFORMATION TO GUT CHECK IT, GROUND TRUTH IT WITH THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GIVEN THE FEEDBACK.

EXACTLY.

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT WE'RE GETTING IT OUT THROUGH COUNCIL OFFICES AND, BUT SPECIFICALLY LIKE HOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE WHO ARE LIKE, WHEN AM I GONNA HEAR ABOUT IT? HOW WILL THE COMMUNITY BE GETTING THE INFORMATION? SO IT WILL GO OUT THROUGH OUR NEWSLETTER, WHICH WE HAVE OVER 13,000 IN OUR DATABASE.

WE WILL THEN SEND TO THE ARTS COMMISSION, MUSIC COMMISSION, ANYONE WHO IS, UM, THE HERITAGE, UH, TOURISM COMMISSION AS WELL AS COUNCIL OFFICES TO ASK THEM TO PUSH IT OUT IN THEIR NEWSLETTERS.

I'M SURE THERE ARE

[00:55:01]

SO EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T RECEIVE AN, UH, AN AWARD, IF YOU'RE IN OUR DATABASE, YOU WILL STILL GET IT, IT ANY, WE HAVE A EXTENSIVE DATABASE SO WE CAN CROSS-REFERENCE, BUT I'M ALMOST CERTAIN THAT YOU'RE IN THE DATABASE AND IF NOT, WE CAN DO THAT.

CROSSCHECK JUST TO CIRCLE BACK.

AND THERE'S OTHER COMMENTS.

YEAH, I JUST WANNA ADD TO THAT.

UM, IN THAT WE WILL ALSO BE USING SOME COMMUNITY PARTNERS.

, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE TOUCHING THEIR NETWORKS.

, UM, LIKE SONO, YOU MENTIONED WE HAVE A ROBUST, UM, CRM SYSTEM, THE CLIENT RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT WE CAN TAP INTO PAST APPLICANTS, PEOPLE WHO HAVE INTERACTED WITH OTHER DIVISIONS.

WITHIN EDD.

UH, WE WILL ALSO BE PLACING SOME PAID ADVERTISEMENTS MM-HMM.

IN MEDIA OUTLETS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GETTING AUDIENCES BEYOND WHAT, WHO WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH CURRENTLY.

SO THERE ARE OTHER KIND OF COMPONENTS OF THE PROMOTIONAL PLAN THAT WE PLAN TO ENACT.

AND OUR COMP TEAM IS WORKING REALLY DILIGENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, TOUCHING OUTLETS THAT WOULD GET AN INCLUSIVE RESPONSE TO THE SURVEY.

AND JUST TO ALSO ADD ONTO TO THAT, IT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE IN NINE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

THE SURVEY WILL BE, UM, AND THE ADVERTISEMENTS WILL BE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR SUGGESTIONS? I THINK THERE'S SOME MORE ONLINE.

COMMISSIONER CHARLA, GO AHEAD.

HI.

HI, UH, DIRECTOR RA.

UM, I, I WAS CURIOUS, SO THE, THE, THE CHANGES THAT THE CS WAS PRESENTING, ARE THEY FOR THE IMMEDIATE TERM FOR 2024 WHILE, WHILE WE STILL, UM, TAKEN FEEDBACK FROM THE CONSULTANTS FROM THE, UM, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC, UH, FEEDBACK THROUGH A SURVEY OR BY SOME OF THE MEANS AND, AND THESE GRANTS WILL FURTHER EVOLVE AS AN OUTCOME OF THAT AND, AND WHAT WAS PRESENTED BY WAS PERTAINING ESSENTIALLY TO THE ROLLOUT THIS YEAR? HOW SHOULD I READ THAT? SO, AND I'LL LET STAFF CORRECT, BUT WE ARE TAKING THOSE SUGGESTIONS THAT JESUS MADE TO LAUNCH THIS YEAR.

AND SO, JUST TO BE, JUST TO BE CLEAR, TWO OF THE CONSULTANTS THAT, SO NOVIA MENTIONED, THOSE ARE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON THE SYSTEM, THE, THE ACTUAL USER EXPERIENCE, UM, THE LANGUAGE ACCESS.

AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND SO THAT IS, THAT IS THE HOW IT HAPPENS, RIGHT? THE WHAT IT HAPPENS.

SO WHAT THE ACTUAL MEAT OF THE PROGRAM IS THAT IS BEING EVALUATED BY A THIRD CONSULTANT MEASURE.

AND THEY'RE GONNA BE REVIEWING THIS PAST YEAR'S GRANTEES TO SEE IF THE EQUITY GOALS THAT WE HAD IN PLACE AND THAT WE ALL CAME UP WITH TOGETHER AS PART OF THE, THE RE-IMAGINING FOR THESE PROGRAMS, IF IT WAS ACTUALLY, UH, IMPACTFUL, IF IT, IF IT DID WHAT WE HOPED IT WOULD.

AND SO IDEALLY THE MEASURE REPORT WOULD THEN IMPACT THE FOLLOWING YEARS GRANT APPLICATIONS AND GRANT PROGRAMS. SO RIGHT NOW THE PILOT PROGRAMS ARE STAYING RELATIVELY, UM, THE SAME OTHER THAN THE BUDGET CHANGING, SIMPLIFYING THE QUESTIONS, UM, AND HAVING, UH, IDEALLY A, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SYSTEM FOR USER ACCESS.

UM, WHAT AM I FORGETTING? I THINK THOSE ARE MM-HMM.

, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE MAIN THINGS.

BUT THE, THE, THE THIRD CONSULTANT, THEY'RE FOCUSED ON, ON THE, WHAT THE PROGRAM IS AND WHAT THE OUTCOMES WERE.

AND SO THAT WILL INFORM THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

SO, UM, WHEN DOES, WHEN DOES, UM, THE WORK OF THE CONSULTANTS, UH, REVIEWING THE OUTCOMES FROM THEIR, THEIR, UH, YOU KNOW, THEIR ANALYSIS AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC ANALYSIS, WHEN DOES ALL THAT WRAP UP? UH, I WOULD SAY, WHAT'S THE GENERAL TIMELINE ON THAT? SORRY, PLEASE GO AHEAD.

NO, I BELIEVE BY THE END OF SUMMER, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I'LL HAVE TO PULL IT.

BUT THEY, I KNOW THEY HAVE A KICKOFF NEXT WEEK.

JUST MEASURE, JUST, JUST MEASURE, JUST MEASURE NOT GARDNER AND NOT SNAP, BUT JUST MEASURE WHO'S LOOKING AT THE OUTCOMES.

THAT'S THE KICKOFF MEETING TOMORROW.

BECAUSE, YEAH.

OF AT LEAST STRUCTURALLY AT SOME LEVEL, REMAIN THE SAME? IS THERE ANY PROVISION BEING ADDED WHERE, UH, APPLICANTS HAVE THE ABILITY TO RESPOND BACK TO ANY QUERIES OR, UM, UH, AND HAVE SOME, SOME KIND OF A WINDOW TO RESPOND BACK TO ANY GAPS THAT THE PANELISTS ARE CALLING OUT? OR, UH, IS THE IDEA OF ADDING A MID-LEVEL SCORE ESSENTIALLY TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT TO AN EXTENT? I THINK ADDING THE MID-LEVEL SCORE SOMEWHAT ADDRESSES THAT TO AN EXTENT.

UH, AND, UH, ALRIGHT.

IS THERE, IS THERE ANY PROVISION BEING MADE IF, IF THE GRANTS, UM, UH, OTHER THAN THE CHANGES THAT JESUS ALREADY POINTED OUT, UM, ARE MORE OR LESS KIND

[01:00:01]

AND, YOU KNOW, AS HAS BEEN, AND I'M LOOKING AT THIS SCREEN 'CAUSE I'VE GOT WEBEX UP HERE, I'LL LOOK OVER THERE.

UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE ANY MAJOR CHANGES MEASURE, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ALL THAT.

SO LIKE LAURA HAD MENTIONED, THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL ITERATIVE.

WE ARE LISTENING TO, UH, WHAT YOU ALL HAVE SAID, WHAT THE APPLICANTS HAVE SAID, WHAT THE PANELISTS HAVE SAID TO MAKE, UH, THESE CHANGES.

AND THEN WE'LL LISTEN TO WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT THE MEASURE CONSULTANT REPORT SAYS TO SEE HOW, IF, IF AT ALL, UM, THAT CHANGES.

I I, I REALLY FEEL THAT AT LEAST THAT OPPORTUNITY SHOULD BE RECORDED.

UM, EVEN, YOU KNOW, EVEN THIS YEAR, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, IF THE PANELISTS ARE BRINGING UP SOMETHING THAT'S LACKING IN AN APPLICATION, UH, IT SEEMS, UH, FAIR GAME TO AT LEAST PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, THE APPLICANT TO RESPOND TO THAT WITHIN A TWO WEEK TIMEFRAME TILL IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, FURTHER SCORED, UM, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD REALLY HOPE THAT YOU WOULD, UH, REQUEST THAT YOU LOOK INTO THAT.

UM, YEAH, I THINK, UM, I THINK, YEAH, THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE RIGHT NOW.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

USMAN.

I, IN REGARD TO TIMELINE, UM, GIVEN THAT THE CURRENT, UH, NEXUS, LIKE FOR THE PROJECT COMPLETION IS FROM SEPTEMBER TO MARCH, JUST SO PEOPLE CAN ANTICIPATE, LIKE I KNOW THE ROLLOUT IS STILL PENDING, BUT I, I CAN SEE THAT IT'S PRETTY CHALLENGING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE FUTURE PLANNING FOR THEIR, THESE PROJECTS AND EXHIBITIONS.

JUST ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW THOSE WILL BE PLOTTED ON THE CALENDAR IF WE'RE LOOKING AT SUMMER FOR A COMPLETION DATE FOR THE CONSULTANTS, THAT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GONNA REALLY HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT WITH THE CURRENT ROLLOUT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THRIVE, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THAT'S OUR TWO YEAR PROGRAM.

SO DOES THAT MEAN EVERYTHING WILL BE PUSHED BACK? IS THAT, OR ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE PROGRESS WHILE THE CONSULTANTS ARE FINALIZING? I I WOULD SAY WE MORE THAN LIKELY WILL HAVE PROGRESS WHILE WE ARE STILL WORK.

BUT I DON'T HAVE DETAILS.

I CAN'T SAY IT'S GONNA LAUNCH IN TWO WEEKS, BUT WE TRUST, WE ARE EVALUATING WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.

BUT ALSO AS A, UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, THRIVE WAS THE TWO YEAR CYCLE.

AND SO, UM, I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT PEOPLE ARE PLANNING THAT THAT WAS A TWO YEAR COHORT.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE AFTER THAT NEXUS? I KNOW, UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS WERE OVERSUBSCRIBED.

SO I DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE FALSE HOPE THAT WE CAN FUND EVERYONE BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS.

ABSOLUTELY.

, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.

MY FEAR IS THAT WE'RE GONNA GET INTO THE POSITION WHERE WE'LL GO ANOTHER YEAR WITHOUT FUNDING.

NO.

AND I THINK COMING OUT OF THAT, LIKE, SO IF, IF THE ROLLOUT'S HAPPENING, WE NEED TO GIVE AMPLE TIME FOR PEOPLE TO APPLY AND THEN IF MONEY ISN'T ALLOCATED UNTIL FY 25, THEN OUR FY 24 IS DRY IS THAT WE NOW, WE WILL BE DEPLOYING FUNDS THIS FISCAL YEAR AND WE ARE VERY MINDFUL OF THE CADENCE AND THAT WAS ANOTHER CONCERN WE HEARD.

WHY IS IT SO QUICK? SO WE ARE TRYING TO TIME EVERYTHING AND IF THE SUGGESTION HAVING A TWO WEEK WINDOW, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD EXTEND TIME.

IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT ANY LITTLE THING ADDED IS GONNA EXTEND TIME.

AND SO WE WANNA GET THE CADENCE RIGHT.

'CAUSE I DEFINITELY HEARD THAT.

UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON THROUGH THE PROGRAMS. JUST AS A REMINDER, SMALL AND MIGHTY STAFF ON THAT SUPPORT SERVICE SIDE AND HAVING BACK TO BACK PROGRAMS CAN BE CHALLENGING ON, ON THAT MIGHT SMALL BUT MIGHTY.

UM, NOTE WE HAVE JUST GOTTEN OUR MEMO FROM THE CITY REGARDING BUDGET.

COMMISSIONER MACH AND I WORK IN TANDEM WITH OUR MUSIC CHAIRS.

REQUESTS NEEDING TO BE SUBMITTED AT THE END OF MARCH.

HAS THERE BEEN MUCH PROGRESS WITH A TRANSLATOR POSITION? HAS THAT BEEN SOMETHING YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DISCUSS? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, UM, AMMUNITION FOR Y'ALL? UM,

[01:05:01]

WE WANT TO DEFINITELY PROVIDE A UNITED FRONT TO HELP STAFF.

UM, AND BEING THAT LANGUAGE ACCESS HAS BEEN A MAJOR, UH, GROWTH EDGE, I'LL SAY FOR US AS A UNIT, I, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL OR PERHAPS LIKE PART-TIME? UM, I THINK WE'LL BE COMING TO YOU GUYS FOR SOME SPECIFIC ASKS, BUT ON RECORD IN THIS PUBLIC SPACE, LIKE HOW ARE WE WITH A, A STANDING, UM, A RESOURCE FOR SPANISH LANGUAGE ACCESS SPECIFICALLY? UM, SO LET ME HELP TRY TO FILL IN SOME OF THE GAPS HERE.

SO WE, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS NEEDS, UM, IN CONCERT WITH THE CITY'S, UM, CORPORATE PIO, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE AGENCY ACROSS WHICH ALL, YOU KNOW, IT'S SORT OF UMBRELLAS ALL THE COMMS EFFORTS WITHIN THE CITY.

SO THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS A NEED ACROSS THE CITY.

THERE IS NOT CURRENTLY A SPECIFIC JOB TITLE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

JOB TITLE FAMILY FOR TRANSLATOR.

UM, WE ARE, SO WE ARE TRYING TO WORK WITHIN CURRENT CONSTRAINTS KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, THERE ARE SOME IMPEDIMENTS TO JUST BRINGING ON SOMEONE WHO CAN DO THAT WORK UM, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE JOB FAMILIES ACROSS THE CITY TO SEE IF THEY CAN CREATE SOME SPECIALIZED TITLES THAT WILL SERVE OUR NEEDS BETTER.

IN THE MEANTIME, WHAT ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE AS A DEPARTMENT THAT WILL AID IN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AS PROGRAM MANAGERS? UM, WE DO HAVE SOME TOOLS AVAILABLE TO US, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT DEPENDS ON HOW OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN IS FLUSHED OUT, WHAT CURRENT STAFF LOADS ARE, ARE THERE THIRD PARTY PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY? MM-HMM.

THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE.

THERE'S A VARIETY OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO US, AND WE'RE STILL KIND OF FIGURING OUT WHAT IS THE SMARTEST WAY TO MOVE FORWARD IN THAT NEED, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND, LIKE IT'S PARAMOUNT THAT WE GET IT ADDRESSED IN THE NEXT LAUNCH BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S SUCH A PRESSING, YOU KNOW, NEED FOR THE EFFICACY OF ACCESS TO OUR PROGRAM.

SO WE'RE ALL OF THAT TO SAY WE'RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF OPTIONS AND WE HAVEN'T NARROWED IT DOWN TO JUST ONE THAT WE'RE GONNA GO WITH YET, BUT WE'RE STILL CONSIDERING WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO US.

AND SO LET ME, IF YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING TO THAT.

YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU SEE ME? YOU'RE WITH US ON THE .

AND, UM, IN THIS PUBLIC SETTING, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT DEPARTMENTS ARE GIVEN VERY SPECIFIC BUDGET INSTRUCTIONS.

AND SO AS A COMMISSION, IF YOU FEEL, UH, A NEED OR DESIRE OF WHAT YOU ANTICIPATE AS A GAP, AS A COMMISSION, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO, UM, DO WHAT YOU DO.

BUT AS A DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, I HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN AND THE PROTOCOL THAT I HAVE TO FOLLOW IN MY CHAIN OF COMMAND HEARD.

AND I, I THINK WE'RE ALL JUST EAGER TO DO WHAT'S GONNA CREATE A MORE IMMEDIATE RESULT.

SO, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTING SOMETHING OUT OF LEFT FIELD IF THAT'S JUST GONNA FALL ON DEAF EARS.

BUT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE GONNA FIND MOST RESOURCEFUL OR MOST HELPFUL, UM, I THINK WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW AND BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE, UH, TO OUR MUSIC COMMISSIONERS AS WELL.

WE APPRECIATE THAT.

AND I, I DON'T WANT THE MESSAGE TO BE PERCEIVED OTHERWISE.

WE DO APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT.

YEAH, WE, UM, SO LET US, LET ME CIRCLE BACK WITH, WITH SO NOVIA AND JUST GET THE LATEST INFORMATION ON, ON WHAT DIRECTIVES SHE'S RECEIVED TO HELP EDD CRAFT THE BUDGET.

AND THEN I CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT AND YOU CAN COORDINATE ACROSS OTHER COMMISSIONS AND, AND BE A LITTLE MORE STRATEGIC IN YOUR ASK.

HELPFUL, I HOPE.

AND I JUST WANNA ASK IF WE CAN, AND I KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING THIS, BUT REITERATING THAT MORE COMMUNICATION TO EVERYONE MM-HMM.

ESPECIALLY THE COMMUNITY IS BETTER OVER COMMUNICATING IS OKAY.

AND IF WE CAN SAY HERE'S WHAT THE HOLDUP IS IN WHATEVER WAY WE'RE ABLE TO SAY THAT BECAUSE IT FEEL, I THINK THERE'S, AGAIN, WE'RE IN LIKE A STATE OF LIKE STARTING TO GET A LITTLE BIT PANICKY BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THESE PAUSES BECAUSE OF COVID BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF HOT, BECAUSE NOBODY WAS COMING TO AUSTIN DURING COVID.

AND I CAN SENSE AND UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WITHOUT SEEING A DATE THAT WHEN THIS IS GONNA OPEN UP AGAIN, WE'RE STARTING TO FREAK OUT.

SO ANY COMMUNICATE, LIKE THE TRANSPARENCY OF SAYING WE, WE HEAR YOU AND I KNOW YOU'RE SAYING IT HERE, BUT IN WRITING, SO THE PEOPLE, AND WE'LL DO, WE'LL DO IT TOO AS COMMISSIONERS, BUT TO THE FOLKS WHO, YOU KNOW, ARE NOT LISTENING TO THIS MEETING AND AREN'T GONNA SPEND TWO HOURS LISTENING TO THE MEETING TO JUST SAY LIKE, HERE'S WHAT IS HAPPENING.

AND I KNOW YOU HAVE RESTRICTIONS ON THE WAY YOU CAN COMMUNICATE THAT, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY APPRECIATES IT TOO.

BUT I JUST CAN'T SAY ENOUGH THAT OVER COMMUNICATION IS LIKE KIND OF IMPOSSIBLE, UM, IN THIS, IN THIS MOMENT.

UM, AND I SAW A HAND ON, ON THE SCREEN, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHOSE IT WAS.

[01:10:01]

I WAS IN THAT ISLAND.

UM, SO I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REQUEST THAT, SHOULD THERE BE A DELAY BECAUSE OF, WHILE WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, IMPROVING OUR SYSTEM, IF THERE IS A, UM, A CONCERN THAT IS THERE ANY, ANY POSSIBILITY OF ANY DELAY, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME UP WITH A, AN A PLAN SO THAT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UM, THE, THE GRANTEES, UM, WILL NOT PICK TOO MUCH HARDSHIP? YES.

CISMAN, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YOUR HAND IS LIKE PARTIALLY RAISED , I THINK YOU'RE JUST SUPPORTING YOUR HEAD.

ANY OTHER YES, GO AHEAD.

I WONDER, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? OKAY.

UM, AS THE SYSTEM IS KIND OF BEING FINALIZED AND, UM, A LOT OF THE, UH, I'M SURE A LOT OF THE LANGUAGE IS GONNA BE IN FLUX, BUT I WONDER IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT CAN BE, LIKE ANYTHING AROUND THE APPLICATION THAT CAN BE PROVIDED UP FRONT AS KIND OF LIKE A HEADS UP, THIS IS THE TYPE OF INFORMATION WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR IN OUR APPLICATIONS.

THIS IS WHAT YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION CAN BE THINKING ABOUT AS WE ARE FINALIZING THE PROCESS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BECAUSE I, UM, SPEAKING AS AN ARTIST WHEN I'VE HAD THESE LARGER APPLICATIONS AND, AND I KNOW WEEKS IN ADVANCE OF WHAT THE CRITERIA IS, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, AND SOME OF THE QUESTIONS TO BE AWARE OF, I CAN ALREADY GET STARTED ON THAT IN THE MEANTIME.

AND IT'S WHEN THE APPLICATION FINALLY GOES LIVE, I'VE ALREADY GOT MY WORD DOC THAT HAS EVERYTHING ANSWERED AND TRANSFER IT OVER, FINE TUNE IT AND JUST MIGHT SAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME FOR SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE LIKE ITCHING TO GET GOING BUT DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

JUST A THOUGHT.

YES, THAT HAS BEEN PART OF OUR DIALOGUE IN TERMS OF HOW WE ROLL IT OUT, WHAT IS ANNOUNCED, GIVEN TIME, THEN YOU LAUNCH, WE DISCUSS ALL OF THAT.

SO WE WON'T ANNOUNCE AND LAUNCH.

WE WILL ANNOUNCE AND GIVE SOME TIME THEN LAUNCH.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST WANNA ADD TO, OH, I THINK MEGAN, YOU WANNA RESPOND AND I'LL ASK.

YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE MORE THING BECAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT AND, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.

SO, UM, THE THREE CONSULTANTS THAT, SO NOVIA HAS MENTIONED THAT ARE WORKING ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF HOW WE OPERATE AS A DEPARTMENT WITH ALL THE GRANT PROGRAMS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE TOUCH THE COMMUNITY.

THEY ARE ALL WORKING ON SEPARATE TIMELINES AS WELL.

SO AS WE'VE MENTIONED, UM, THE THREE TIMELINES OF THOSE CONSULTANTS, ONE IS BASICALLY WRAPPED UP RIGHT NOW.

ONE CONTINUES TO WORK, BUT IT, WE ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, ENDING FAIRLY SOON.

THE MEASURE ONE THAT WE'VE MENTIONED KICKS OFF TOMORROW AND WE'LL GO THROUGH SUMMER.

SO THERE'S SORT OF A LITTLE BIT OF A, A GANTT CHART.

THERE'S AN OVERLAP IN SOME OF THEIR SCOPE, BUT WE, WE CAN BE DOING THINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY AND WE ARE DOING THINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MEASURE HAS COMPLETED THEIR WORK TO LAUNCH A PROGRAM.

BUT THERE, IT, THERE ARE COMPETING FACTORS THAT MAKE A LAUNCH MAKE MORE SENSE IF WE DO HAVE MORE OF A PICTURE PAINTED BY ALL THREE.

SO ALL OF THAT TO SAY WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

AND I THINK THE SUGGESTION IS THAT WE LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN ROLL OUT PIECEMEAL MM-HMM.

WE DON'T, THAT'S SOMETIMES NOT IDEAL, BUT I THINK IT CAN HELP TO PAVE THE WAY FOR PREPPING FOR THING WHEN THINGS DO GET RELEASED THAT THERE'S A HEADS UP AND I, I HEAR THE COMMUNICATION REQUEST AND SO ALL OF THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE BACK AND REALLY SERIOUSLY KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN PACE AND WHAT WE CAN SHARE OUT TO BE AS PROACTIVE AS WE CAN WHILE THE WORK IS IS TAKING PLACE.

SO, I DON'T KNOW THAT'S, IF THAT'S SATISFYING, BUT WE I HEAR YOU.

I HOPE, I KNOW IT WILL HELP US COMMUNICATE TO THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS, WHAT DEPENDS ON WHAT OTHER, YOU KNOW, LEVER, UM, AND SEEING THAT IN A WAY THAT'S REALLY VISUAL WOULD, WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL.

, UH, WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT.

UM, WE'LL JUST BE TRYING TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT WHAT WE CAN ROLL OUT AS SOON AS WE CAN.

THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL.

AND SPEAKING OF PICTURES PAINTED, COULD YOU, PER PERHAPS, YOU'VE BEEN DOING AN AWESOME JOB AND I THINK WE ALL REALLY APPRECIATE LIKE SEEING THE GRAPHICS THAT YOU'VE BEEN CREATING FOR US THAT HELPS PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING.

UM, KIND OF AS A SNAPSHOT, IF YOU COULD MAYBE CREATE SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THESE OVERLAPPING PRESS, LIKE A GANTT CHART THAT SHOWS THE OVERLAPPING PROCESSES AND, AND LIKE WHERE YOU ARE, WHERE WE ARE AND THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AND WHAT'S STILL TO COME AND KIND OF WHAT, WHAT IS CONTINGENT ON THE OTHER THINGS.

I THINK THAT WOULD REALLY HELP COMMISSIONERS, AND ALSO

[01:15:01]

AND AGAIN, I KNOW THAT I WANNA REITERATE THAT LIKE, THIS ISN'T JUST CULTURAL ARTS AND IT'S NOT JUST EDD, LIKE THERE'S A WHOLE PROCESS AND A CHAIN THAT IS, IS, UM, ASKING AND, AND AND, AND MAKING US GO THROUGH ALL THESE STEPS AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.

BUT I THINK JUST REITERATING THAT I HEAR THAT YOU'RE HEARING US, UM, AND AGAIN, LIKE THE BEST WAY TO GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER IS WITH COMMUNICATION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

DOES SIMAN YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YEAH, I JUST COULD NOT BE MORE IN SUPPORT OF THAT.

I THINK THAT HAVING A GRAPHIC, AND LAURA, YOU'RE JUST SO GOOD AT IT.

UM, HAVING A GRAPHIC THAT WE CAN CIRCULATE RIGHT, UM, TO OUR A TX THEATER NEWSLETTERS TO OUR ALMOST REAL THINGS, NEW LETTERS, LIKE THESE ARE GONNA BE COMMONPLACE QUESTIONS THE SAME WAY THAT WE HEARD SORT OF THE SAME QUESTIONS OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHEN WE WERE PILOTING AND LAUNCHING THESE PROGRAMS AS THEY WERE BEING DESIGNED.

SO I THINK SOMETHING THAT WE CAN POINT TO, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TEXT OUR COMMUNITY, THAT WE CAN SEND THEM THAT HAS THIS MAPPED OUT.

IT, IT WOULDN'T LAND THE SAME IN WRITING, IT WOULDN'T LAND THE SAME IN A PRESS RELEASE OR A MEMO.

SO I JUST THINK IT, IT IS ONE MUCH MORE HELPFUL FOR, FOR ABSORBING AT THE END INFORMATION, BUT IT ALSO MAKES IT A QUICK REFERENCE FOR PEOPLE TO, TO GET OUT THERE AND CIRCULATE IF IT'S A, A PICTURE THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, POST, UM, AND SHARE AND DISTRIBUTE INDIVIDUALLY, UM, IF WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT READILY AND BE LIKE, DON'T FREAK OUT, HERE'S THE TIMELINE AND THEN BOOM, IT'S, IT'S READY TO GO.

SO, UM, I REALLY, I KNOW IT FEEL MAYBE FEELS REDUNDANT TO HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT I KNOW THAT IT MAKES THE BIGGEST IMPACT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE, TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION OVER COMMUNICATED, LAID OUT IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND JUST ACCESSIBLE.

UM, WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO ALSO OWN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HELPING TO SPREAD AND DISSEMINATE THIS INFORMATION.

AND I THINK DOING THINGS LIKE CREATING INFOGRAPHICS MAKES THAT VERY DOABLE.

UM, AND JUST PUTS THE ONUS ON EVERYONE TO, TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE IN THE KNOW.

SO JUST, YES, PLEASE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, ? YEAH, I JUST, UM, UM, AND THIS, THIS IS PROBABLY JUST, UM, SOME COMMENTS.

UM, I CAN SAY THAT, UM, WE ARE TRYING, LOOKING TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE, MAKE CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW SYSTEMICALLY THIS IS DONE.

UH, YOU KNOW, SOFTWARE WISE, UH, WE ARE, UH, WORKING ON, ON LANGUAGE PROVISIONS, ET CETERA.

UM, THERE WAS, THERE WAS THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, LOT OF, UH, POSITIVE FEEDBACK AROUND THE CHANGES THAT CAME UP.

THERE WAS ALSO, UH, UH, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF UPSET WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY.

SO WE, WE KIND OF SAW BOTH SIDES, UH, ON THE CHANGES.

UM, AND, AND SOME OF THAT UPSET, I THINK CAME FROM HOW THE PANELISTS WERE, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE EVALUATING CERTAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN RESPONSES, ET CETERA.

SO I DO HAVE A CONCERN AROUND IF WE, IF WE MAKE, MAKE THE SYSTEM THE APPLICATION PROCESS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, JUST MORE ACCESSIBLE, THE SYSTEM, EASIER TO USE.

ALL THOSE ARE, UM, REALLY FANTASTIC CHANGES.

UH, BUT IF YOU DON'T, UH, KIND OF LOOK DEEPER, A BIT DEEPER, EVEN THIS ROUND ITSELF INTO HOW THE APPLICATIONS WERE EVALUATED, WHERE SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK CAME FROM.

UM, AND YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, TWO OF THE, AND, AND THIS IS, I UNDERSTAND THE SUBJECTIVITY OF THIS AND HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN ON ANY GIVEN, YOU KNOW, DAY, UH, OR, OR APPLICATION.

BUT, YOU KNOW, TWO, TWO PANELISTS, LIKE RATING SOMEBODY REALLY HIGH, THE THIRD ONE NOT FINDING, UH, SAYING THERE'S ENOUGH DIVERSITY IN THERE AND, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE SCORE DOWN TO 35 OR SOMETHING FROM 85 THAT THE OTHERS GAVE THEM.

SO THOSE KIND OF DISCREPANCIES SOMEWHERE, SOMEWHERE, I THINK, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE THE PANELISTS PROCESS BETTER AS WELL BECAUSE I'M, UH, MY, MY CONCERN IS THAT WE'LL END UP GETTING SIMILAR FEEDBACK IF WE DON'T, UH, MAKE SOME, UH, POSITIVE SHIFTS.

UH, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FROM THE LESSONS LEARNED, UH, EVEN WITHOUT ENTIRELY WAITING FOR THE MEASURES FEEDBACK TO COME BACK IN SUMMER, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SO IIII WOULD REALLY, UH, ASK THAT WE SEE WHAT NET NEW CHANGES THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT, UM, IN THAT PROCESS AS WELL WHILE WE WAIT ON THE, UH, LARGER OUTCOMES FROM THESE CONSULTANTS.

GOOD.

ANY LAST CALL FOR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM? ACTUALLY MOVE BACKWARDS IN TIME.

THANKS EVERYBODY.

[01:20:01]

SI SMITH, I HAVE ONE QUESTION, UM, THAT ISN'T RELATED TO THE CONSULTANTS OR THE NEXT ROLLOUT OF THE PROCESS.

IT'S ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE CURRENT, UH, BATCH OF GRANT RECIPIENTS AND THAT IS THE REPORTING OR DOCUMENTATION OF HOW THE FUNDS WERE USED.

I'M JUST CURIOUS WHEN WILL WE SEE OR, OR DO WE HAVE A, A TEMPLATE OR, OR FORM THAT THEY WILL BE FILLING OUT? UM, I KNOW THAT THE APPLICATION REQUIRED A BUDGET, UH, ON HOW THE PROPOSED USE OF FUNDS WOULD BE USED, BUT IS THERE, UM, THE, IN THE CLOSING, UM, OF THAT PROGRAM, AS THEIR PROGRAMS ARE COMPLETED, WHEN WILL STAFF, UM, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW HOW IN FACT THOSE FUNDS WERE ROLLED OUT? DO WE HAVE THAT, THAT SORT OF CLOSING PROCESS LOCKED IN? YES, WE DO.

THAT IS PART OF THE FINAL REPORT, UH, THAT THEY NEED TO FILL OUT.

SO IT INCLUDES, UH, VARIOUS DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS, BUT THERE'S ALSO AN EXPENSE DOCUMENTATION FORM, UM, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGETS THAT WERE REQUIRED IN WITH FINAL REPORTS IN THE PAST THAT SHOWS, UM, BOTH HOW THEY SPEND THE, UH, CITY AWARD AMOUNT, UH, ANY MATCH, A REMINDER THAT THERE IS NO MATCHING REQUIREMENT.

WE GOT RID OF THAT DURING THE PANDEMIC AND HAVE NOT REINSTITUTED IT.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ONLY HAD A HANDFUL OF FINAL REPORTS COME IN, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THE MAJORITY, SINCE THE APPLICATIONS, MOST OF THEM DID NOT HAVE A MATCH.

IT'S GONNA BE SPECIFICALLY HOW THEY SPENT THE, THE CITY FUNDS AND, UH, THE VARIOUS BUDGET CATEGORIES ON THAT.

SO, UH, YES, WE ARE COLLECTING THAT NOW AND WILL BE COLLECTING IT.

UH, THE VAST MAJORITY OF, UH, FINAL REPORTS, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE DUE AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST, UM, IN ELEVATE AND ESPECIALLY IN THRIVE, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE FULL, UH, TWO YEAR PERIOD.

SO, UM, IF THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, SEPTEMBER 30TH, FINAL REPORTS ARE DUE A MONTH LATER, WE WILL HAVE THE MAJORITY OF THAT INFORMATION, UM, IN OCTOBER, UH, OR THAT'S WHEN THEY'RE DUE.

SO WE'LL BE PROCESSING THOSE IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.

AND THEN IS THERE ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS WITH THOSE FINAL REPORTS? I MEAN, I IMAGINE SO THAT THE DATA WILL BE SORT OF EXAMINED AND TWEAKS TO BE MADE.

I'M JUST, I THINK MY QUESTION'S MULTI-PRONGED HERE IN THAT WE'RE TO LEARN FROM THE PREVIOUS ROLLOUT AND THEN TO, IN RESPONSE TO THE SLIDE THAT YOU PROVIDED WITH THESE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM, THE NEXT ROLLOUT OF THE PROGRAM.

LIKE WHEN WILL THERE BE FINALIZATION ON THE NEXT ROUND OF LIKE ELEVATE AND NEXUS WITH THESE CHANGES, UM, CHANGES TO THE FINAL REPORTS? IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE ASKING? NOT THE FINAL REPORTS, BUT TO THE, TO, UH, LIKE WITH ELEVATE, WE'RE GOING, UM, DEEP INCREASING THE AWARD AMOUNTS, BUT THOSE ARE PROPOSED AT THIS MOMENT.

SO WHEN DID THOSE BECOME FINALIZED OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION AND WE WILL VOTE ON, WE'RE NOT PLANNING TO BRING THEM BACK FOR A VOTE.

ALL THIS, NOT TO DISMISS YOUR QUESTION AND, AND OR EVADE, BUT THAT, BUT TO SAY WE ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO LOOK FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS AND WE, AND I, WE'LL WORK ON WAYS TO BETTER SHARE THAT OUT WITH YOU AND WITH THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THERE'S A, A MORE OF A CONCRETE FEEDBACK LOOP.

UM, THIS WAS THE BRIEFING, UH, OKAY.

THAT WE WERE PR SHARING WITH YOU BECAUSE THERE'S STILL, UM, WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO TO OPERATIONALIZE THOSE WITHIN A NEW SYSTEM.

UM, AND WE WILL ROLL, AS JESUS MENTIONED, WE WILL ROLL OUT THE CHANGES IN THE NEW RUBRICS AND THE SCORING ALONG WITH THE NEW GUIDELINES.

SO IT WILL ALL BE, YOU KNOW, AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO SEE PRIOR TO APPLYING.

UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY COLLECTING FEEDBACK.

IT IT, IT'S AN ITERATIVE PROCESS THAT NEVER ENDS.

SO WHILE WE HAVE CERTAIN POINTS AT WHICH WE SAY, OKAY, WE ARE GONNA TAKE WHAT FEEDBACK WE HAVE AND MAKE CHANGES THAT, THAT PROCESS IS, IS ONGOING ALL THE TIME.

SO WE HAVE A LOT OF FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM OUR APPLICANTS FOR THESE FIRST PROGRAMS THAT WE AS STAFF HAVE MADE CHANGES TO RESPOND TO.

RIGHT.

WHILE THAT'S HAPPENING, WE HAVE ALSO HAD CONSULTANTS GETTING FEEDBACK FROM STAFF AND FROM COMMUNITY.

AND WE'LL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS NEW SURVEY TO GET FEEDBACK THAT WILL ALSO RESULT IN CHANGES.

WHILE THAT'S HAPPENING, WE WILL ALSO BE TALKING WITH, UH, PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS FROM OUR FACILITATORS TO RESPOND TO THINGS LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER CHARLA BROUGHT UP, HOW CAN WE BETTER IMPROVE CONSISTENCY AND IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF APPLICATION INFORMATION AS THEY SCORE.

THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN INHERENT PART OF OUR PANELISTS TRAINING.

SO THINGS HAPPEN AT VARIOUS POINTS WHERE WE MAY NOT HAVE A DELIVERABLE THAT COMES BACK TO YOU EXPLICITLY, EVEN THOUGH I, THAT WOULD BE IDEAL FOR ME TO BE REPORTING IN REAL TIME, BUT AS MUCH AS I CAN, I WILL SHARE THOSE WITH YOU AND WE WILL BE, I THINK, MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW WE CAN SHARE DETAILS OF HOW OUR CHANGES RESULT IN ITERATIVE IMPROVEMENTS ALL THE TIME.

UM, THERE'S ALSO OTHER PROCESSES THAT WE WILL BE WORKING ON TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE ACCESS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT.

AND SO I, I SAY

[01:25:01]

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING.

AND IF THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN BETTER GET THAT OUT TO YOU, UH, IN VISUALS, IN EMAILS, IN NEWSLETTERS ON OUR WEBSITE, WE'LL TRY EVERYTHING WE CAN.

I JUST DUNNO IF WE CAN CONNECT WITH EVERYBODY ALL THE TIME.

SO I'M JUST YOU, YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION.

THAT'S GREAT.

AND SO WE HEAR YOU AND, AND KEEP BRINGING THIS TO US.

'CAUSE I MEAN, THIS IS REALLY GOOD FOR US TO HEAR.

WE WANNA HAVE REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO GIVE US FEEDBACK.

I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A, UM, AN A TO B CONNECTION FOR ALL THOSE PIECES INDIVIDUALLY.

SO I JUST WANNA, I KIND OF WANNA JUST SET EXPECTATIONS THAT IF, IF YOU BRING SOMETHING TO US AND, UH, EXPECT AN ANSWER ON THAT PARTICULAR PIECE RIGHT AWAY, I, I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DELIVER THAT, BUT WE ARE HEARING AND DOCUMENTING EVERYTHING THAT WE, THAT COMES TO US.

NO, I TOTALLY HEAR YOU.

AND I THINK IT'S ENCOURAGING TO HEAR THAT IT'S REAL TIME SHIFTS.

, AND WE SAW THAT HAPPEN WITH THE PROGRAMS, UM, LIKE DIRECT FEE, DIRECT RESPONSES TO FEEDBACK, BE IT INCREASED NUMBER OF AWARDS OR INCREASED AMOUNTS, SORT OF MAKING THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AS WE ROLLED OUT THE PILOT PROGRAM.

I THINK THIS JUST ACTS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE PLUGGED IN AND TUNE IN AND, AND, AND BE, UH, ENGAGED WITH THIS Q AND A AND THESE SURVEYS AS THEY'RE HAPPENING BECAUSE NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO.

BUT YEAH, HUNDRED PERCENT.

BUT I COMPLETELY HEAR YOU THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SORT OF FLIP A SWITCH AND IMPLEMENT THINGS.

BUT I, UM, IT WAS HELPFUL.

MY QUESTION WAS LIKE, AT WHAT POINT IS THERE A, A LINE THAT THINGS CAN'T CHANGE? AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT THERE IS NO LINE AND THAT THERE ARE CONSTANTLY BE THERE, THERE WILL BE A LINE BEFORE WE LAUNCH A PROGRAM, OBVIOUSLY.

BUT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN THERE'S, THERE'S SOME FACTORS TO FIGURE OUT AND THERE'S STILL SOME MOVING PARTS.

SO WHAT HAS HIS BROUGHT TO YOU TONIGHT WAS JUST WHERE WE HAD HEARD SO FAR WHERE CHANGES COULD BE MADE AND WHERE WE'VE ALREADY MADE SOME CHANGES, UM, THAT WILL BECOME CLEAR AS WE POST SPECIFIC DELIVERABLES ON OUR WEBSITE.

SO TO YOUR POINT, MIKE, THE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN PREP PEOPLE TO BE AWARE, TO RESPOND TO, LIKE, WE'RE GONNA BE ASKING THIS MAYBE IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY, BUT HERE ARE THE GENERAL AREAS WHERE WE'RE GONNA NEED INFORMATION FROM APPLICANTS.

UM, TO YOUR QUESTION EARLIER, UM, CHAIR ABOUT THE FINAL REPORTS, THE TIMING IS SUCH THAT WE WON'T HAVE THOSE IN TIME TO LOOK AT WHAT THOSE PRODUCED IN TIME FOR SOME OF THE ROLLOUT OF FY 24.

SO THAT PROCESS WILL INFORM NEXT YEAR.

UM, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT MEASURE IS FOCUSED ON, IS LOOKING AT SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE ROLLED, THE PROGRAMS WE ROLLED OUT, HOW DID THE FINAL REPORTS, UM, MANIFEST IN OUTCOMES THAT WE WERE SEEKING THROUGH THE PROGRAMS AND HOW MIGHT WE, UH, BETTER ALIGN PROGRAM GUIDELINES GOING FORWARD, AND SCORING PROCESSES AND TRANSPARENCY AND ALL THE THINGS THAT GO INTO SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION WITH THE OUTCOME SO THAT WE GET A, AND, AND MAYBE THEY'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

MAYBE THEY'RE, WE HAVE A GREAT OUTCOME, EVERYTHING'S ALIGNED.

WE A HUNDRED PERCENT ACHIEVED EVERY IDEAL OUTCOME.

I DOUBT IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW THOSE FINAL REPORTS WILL INFORM THE NEXT YEAR YET.

SO WE'RE KIND OF TAKING WHAT WE KNOW NOW, MOVING AND BEING, UH, RESPONSIVE TO THAT AS WE GET MORE FROM CONSULTANTS AND FROM THE PUBLIC AND FROM ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AND ULTIMATELY THE PUBLIC THAT WILL HELP INFORM HOW FUTURE PROGRAMS WILL MANIFEST.

WHAT WE CHANGE, WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T WORK.

SO I, I KNOW THAT'S NOT AS SATISFYING AS WHEN DO WE DRAW THE BRIGHT LINE BETWEEN CHANGING AND NOT CHANGING.

UM, BUT MAYBE IT'S OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE, BECAUSE I THINK WE WANT TO BE RESPONSIVE.

WE WANT TO ALWAYS BE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO DO THINGS BETTER AND DIFFERENTLY.

AND IF SOMETHING IS WORKING GREAT, IF IT'S NOT, LET'S LOOK FOR WAYS TO DO IT BETTER.

AND WE AS A CITY SHOULD BE DOING THAT WITH EVERYTHING WE, WE DO, RIGHT.

SO JUST ALL OF THAT TO SAY KEEP IT COMING AND WE'LL KEEP, WE, WE PROMISE TO KEEP BRINGING STUFF BACK TO Y'ALL.

THANK YOU, MEGAN.

I, UM, COMMISSIONER SHELI HAS A QUESTION AND THEN MALDONADO.

I SEE.

I WOULD SAY ANY WAY THAT IS EASY FOR ARTISTS, I WANNA KIND OF TURN IT BACK AROUND AND SAY, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ABOUT US AS MUCH AS HOW DO ARTISTS WANT TO BRING THINGS TO US? IS IT, IS IT THROUGH AN EMAIL? IS IT THROUGH A FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION? IS IT THROUGH ELEVATING TO YOU AS ARTS COMMISSIONERS? IS IT THROUGH, UM, WORKING WITH THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER? IS IT THROUGH, UM, ALMOST REAL THINGS WHO WE PARTNER WITH? HOW, HOW MIGHT WE RESPOND TO THE BEST WAY THAT THEY WANNA GIVE US INFORMATION? WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND THAT CONNECTION POINT.

UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY FIRST OF ALL THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS MOMENT OF REFLECTION AND I THINK IT'S REALLY NECESSARY, UM, BECAUSE I'M STILL FAIRLY NEW IN, IN MY FIRST YEAR STILL.

UM, I WANNA POSE THE QUESTION LIKE, WHAT IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL, IN IDEAL WAY THAT WE CAN BRING THINGS TO YOU? I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THERE'S LIKE THIS Q AND A THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, BUT IS THERE ANOTHER THING THAT WE CAN DO? 'CAUSE WE'RE REPRESENTING THIS ENTIRE DISTRICT OF ARTISTS, AND AS AN ARTIST MYSELF, I HEAR FROM MY COMMUNITY, UM, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR US TO BRING YOU THAT INFORMATION OR WHAT'S MOST HELPFUL TO YOU?

[01:30:03]

I, UM, I WANNA PIGGYBACK ON SOMETHING THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER CHARLA SAID ABOUT THE, UM, THE PANELIST EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S THIS SILENT DOG THING THAT HAPPENS IN ANY TYPE OF FORUM LIKE THIS WHERE THERE'S A BIG CHUNK OF PEOPLE YOU NEVER HEAR FROM THAT AREN'T THE LOUD PEOPLE.

AND A LOT OF TIMES THOSE ARE ARTISTS, YOU KNOW, LIKE IN GENERAL MORE INTROVERTED, MAYBE NOT GOING TO LIKE, SCREAM OUT AND COMPLAIN.

UM, I HEARD FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY HUMILIATED BY THE PANELIST EXPERIENCE AND THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY GOT AND THE SCORES THAT THEY GOT.

AND WHEN I ASKED THEM, YOU KNOW, WELL, DO YOU WANT TO GIVE THIS FEEDBACK? DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH SOMEONE? YOU KNOW, I'M ON THE ARTS COMMISSION, I WANNA BE A SEGUE FOR THAT.

AND THEY WERE LIKE, NO, UM, I'M PROBABLY NEVER GONNA APPLY AGAIN.

AND THESE WERE PEOPLE THAT GOT CORE GRANTS FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND APPLIED FOR NEXUS 'CAUSE IT WAS SORT OF PARALLEL.

UM, AND SO I, I AGREE WITH, UM, LOOKING BACK AT THE PANELISTS PROCESS, AND HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR FEEDBACK IN THE SURVEY ABOUT BOTH.

UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS ALSO SOME CONCERN ABOUT CROSS, LIKE SOMEONE IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DISCIPLINE GRADING SOMEONE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, HAVE NO EXPERIENCE, MAYBE LIKE DANCERS, GRADING VISUAL ARTISTS.

THERE WAS SOME CONCERN ABOUT THAT.

BUT ALSO JUST THE, UM, THE QUALITY OF FEEDBACK THAT THEY GOT IN RELATION TO THEIR SCORES.

UM, IF THERE IS A SURVEY QUESTION ABOUT THAT, I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT, BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.

SOMETIMES IF SOMEONE WANTS TO GIVE US FEEDBACK AND, AND WANTS TO STAY ANONYMOUS, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY AN AVENUE.

IF THEY, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA BE, WE WANNA PROVIDE WHATEVER COMMUNICATION CHANNEL THEY WANT TO ENGAGE IN.

IF THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY WANNA GIVE US FEEDBACK AND THEIR OPTION IS TO JUST NOT ENGAGE WITH US, WE'LL ACCEPT THAT EVEN THOUGH I DON'T, I DON'T LOVE THAT OPTION AT ALL.

UM, I WI I HOPE THERE IS A WAY THAT WE CAN BUILD A BRIDGE WITH PEOPLE WHO FELT THAT, WHO'S EXPERIENCED, WHO EXPERIENCED THAT.

UM, AND, AND IF THERE, THAT IS A, UM, SOMETHING WHERE YOU CAN HELP ME FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT THAT ARTIST CAN COME BACK TO THE TABLE WITH US IN WHATEVER WAY THEY'RE COMFORTABLE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE CERTAINLY OPEN TO IT.

SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.

MALDONADO, GO AHEAD.

HI.

OOH, LOTS OF INFORMATION TO PROCESS.

I I DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED THIS, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE.

SO ONCE THE APPLICATION PERIOD WAS CLOSED AND ALL THE, UH, AWARDS WERE, WERE ISSU OR WERE ANNOUNCED, UM, WERE ANY, WERE THE APPLICANTS JUST SENT JUST A BASIC SURVEY JUST RIGHT OUT THE GATE WAS, I'M JUST, DID I MISS THAT? DID THAT HAPPEN OR NOT HAPPEN? THERE? THERE WAS A YEAR END SURVEY THAT WENT OUT.

PROBABLY NOT THE IDEAL TIME THAT WE DO AT THE END OF EVERY YEAR, UM, THAT DID GO OUT.

BUT THE SURVEY THAT'S UPCOMING IS SPECIFICALLY AROUND THIS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS THAT WE ARE GONNA DO, AND WE WILL MAKE SURE WE INCORPORATE THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE JUST MENTIONED.

WAS THAT THE LAST PIECE OF COMMUNICATION THAT WAS MADE TO THEM? OR AT SOME POINT DID, HAVE THEY EVER RECEIVED AN UPDATE? COMMISSIONER, ARE YOU, ARE YOU SPEAKING ABOUT UPDATES THROUGH OUR APPLICATION SYSTEM PORTAL OR UPDATES THROUGH WHAT? LIKE WHAT, CAN YOU GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE? I THINK JUST IN GEN, I THINK GENERAL, JUST IN GENERAL, LIKE SAYING TH THE, THE, I THINK JUST AN UPDATE FROM THE, FROM FROM CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING AS FAR AS SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU SHARE HERE, I THINK, I THINK ARE UPDATES THAT COULD BE PROVIDED TO APPLICANTS WHERE THEY WOULDN'T FEEL SO LEFT OUT.

AND SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD WITH THE SPEAKERS THIS EVENING, UM, AND, AND I THINK EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM SAID THE WORD UPDATE.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO STILL BE DONE THROUGH, YOU KNOW, EVALUATING THE AREAS THAT NEED TO BE CHANGED, WHAT CHANGES ARE GONNA BE MADE, GETTING THOSE APPROVED, LOTS OF THINGS HAPPENING AROUND THAT, ESPECIALLY IN DEALING WITH THIRD PARTY CONSULTANTS.

SO WHAT, WHAT WAS THE, WHEN WAS THE LAST COMMUNICATION TO THE APPLICANTS? WAS IT JUST LIKE, SORRY, NO, YOU WERE NOT AWARDED AND

[01:35:01]

SO LIKE THEM KNOWING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SOURCING AND WORKING WITH CONSULTANTS, RIGHT.

THAT FEEDBACK'S BEEN TAKEN BACK OR SURVEY.

I DON'T, I DON'T THINK A CONTINUOUS UPDATE, BUT I THINK ONE UPDATE AT SOME POINT AFTER THE APPLICATIONS, UH, WOULD MAKE SENSE TO ME OR A TIMELINE.

UM, 'CAUSE THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION THAT SEEMS THAT EVERYONE'S REALLY UNCLEAR ON KNOWING LIKE WHEN THE WITH APPLICATIONS ARE GONNA START AGAIN.

WE, WE DON'T HAVE A TIMELINE FOR THAT JUST YET.

WE DON'T HAVE TIME.

SORRY.

FEEDBACK.

SO THERE'S NOT JUST, NOT EVEN LIKE KNOWING LIKE WHAT QUARTER IT'S GONNA BE IN OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? NOT YET.

NOT YET.

AND, AND ONE LAST THING, UH, I DO WANNA MENTION, I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S BEEN NOW SEVERAL TIMES THAT LATINO COMMUNITY CREATIVES SHOW UP TO, TO PRESENT.

AND I, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO ALSO PARTNER WITH ONE OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY PARTNERED WITH ONE OF 'EM.

I THINK THE WORK THAT YOU'RE, THAT ALMOST REAL THINGS IS REALLY, REALLY EXCELLENT.

I KNOW THEY'VE VERY COMMITTED TO THE ART COMMUNITY, BUT, UH, I ALSO DO FEEL STRONGLY THAT A LOT OF, A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION FROM LATINO CREATIVES.

AND GIVEN THAT THERE'S NO REASON WHY, I DON'T SEE WHY THERE ISN'T A PARTNERSHIP ALREADY.

AND HOPEFULLY THERE IS, BUT IF THERE ISN'T, THAT, THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT SHE DEFINITELY SHOULD BE EXPLORED.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND WE WILL DEFINITELY KEEP THAT IN MIND.

UM, GOING FORWARD FOR THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR SURE.

WE GO BACKWARDS TO COMMISSIONER MOCK GIVING THE DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER FIVE WITH THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION? YES.

I WOULD ALSO LOVE IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF TRANSLATION FOR SPANISH, UM, SPEAKING, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT.

ME TOO.

I'LL, WE'LL WORK ON TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, THANK YOU.

WHERE ARE WE? OH, CAN

[5. Discussion of the Downtown Commission by Commissioner Mok]

WELL, HAPPY NEW YEAR.

SO, UM, AT THE LAST, UH, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING, UM, THERE WERE TWO, THERE WAS ON JANUARY 17TH AND THERE WERE TWO, UH, PRESENTATION, ONE OF WHICH IS THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN.

UM, SO PALM DISTRICT IS VERY BIG, YOU KNOW, IT IS FROM 15TH STREET TO, UH, LADY BIRD LAKE AND FROM 20 ALL THE WAY TO IH 35.

SO THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, A MASTER PLAN TO DEVELOP THAT.

SO I DID BRING OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, A IPP PROJECTS, UM, WHILE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, DOING, DOING THE DEVELOPMENT.

SO THEY SAID THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, UH, THEY ARE, THEY ARE DEFINITELY, UH, GOING TO, GOING TO MAKE IT, UM, MORE CULTURAL AND HAVE A LOT OF CREATIVE, YOU KNOW, UH, ART AREA, YOU KNOW, ITEMS IN IT.

SO, AND THEN THE OTHER PRESENTATION IS ABOUT THE SEA HOME DISTRICT, UM, THAT, THAT CONNECTION, SO THAT, THAT, THAT IS GOING TO CREATE SOME, UM, TRAIL SPACE AND ALL THAT.

SO, UH, THAT IS GOING TO BE VERY INTERESTING IN THAT AREA.

SO, AND IN, IN THOSE PRESENTATION, I DID BRING OUT OUR COMMITMENT TO BRING OUT THE DILO AROUND THE

[01:40:01]

DOWNTOWN AREA SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN TOUR ALL THESE A IPP ITEMS, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

SO THOSE ARE THE REPORT FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE TIME, REMEMBER LA AT THE LAST MEETING WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE INITIATIVE THAT WE ALL BELONG, YOU KNOW, INITIATIVE.

SO I CAN, I CAN PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS, UH, WITH THAT THEME IN DIFFERENT DISTRICT.

I CAN, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IT HERE NOW, OR I CAN DO IT LATER WHEN, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN YOU ARE ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

SO WHAT IS YOUR PREFERENCE CHAIR? I THINK YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SHARE IT NOW.

WELL, UM, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE OUR EVENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

UM, THE EVENT IS SO BEAUTIFULLY, YOU KNOW, TITLED IS CALLED WE ALL BELONG AND THEN SUNSET ON HATE.

AND, UH, WE WERE, WE HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED A TEAM OF JAZZ MUSICIAN, DIVERSE JAZZ MUSICIAN TO COME TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WATCH THE SUNSET IN THE EVENING.

AND WITH, WITH, WITH THIS IN MIND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL BELONG AT THE LAST MOMENT, UH, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE IS A ISSUE WITH THE PERMIT AND IT IS ABOUT, UH, AMPLIFIER.

AND, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO HAVE THE QUALITY OF THE MUSIC, WE NEED TO SET UP SOME EMPTY, YOU KNOW, SONG SYSTEM.

BUT IT IS NOT LIKE IN A PARK THAT, THAT BIG SONG SYSTEM, BUT IT IS LIKE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET TYPE OF SOUND SYSTEM.

SO I'M WORKING WITH, UH, THE PERSON WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THIS INITIATIVE.

HER NAME IS ALICIA DEAN, AND WE ARE TRYING TO WORK OUT SHOULD THERE BE A, A CONSIDERATION, UH, FOR NEIGHBORHOOD EVENT THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE PERMIT, YOU KNOW, EVENT, UH, EVENT PERMIT PROCESS.

SO, UM, I GOT AN EMAIL FROM HER AND SHE'S LOOKING INTO IT AND SHE'S GOING TO WORK WITH THE, UH, PERMIT DEPARTMENT TO HOPEFULLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE SOME KIND OF CONSIDERATION SO WE DON'T HAVE TO, TO HAVE THE WHOLE FULL, YOU KNOW, FULL FFLS APPLICATION PROCESS.

SO, UH, SO STAY TUNED BECAUSE I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IT IS A GREAT IDEA TO HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD EVENT IN ALL 10 DISTRICTS.

AND I EVEN TALK ABOUT IT AT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.

YOU KNOW, I TRULY, WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE KNOW OUR NEIGHBOR, ONCE WE KNOW EACH OTHER, IT IS HARD TO HATE SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S SO MUCH, UH, OF THIS, YOU KNOW, DISCRIMINATION, YOU KNOW, UM, RECENTLY, SO I, I, I, I HOPE YOU KNOW COMMISSIONERS THAT WE ARE ALL THINKING ABOUT HAVING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD EVENT ON.

WE ALL BELONG INITIATED.

EIGHT IN DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, WHICH IS TO APPROVE, IT'S A A PP TO APPROVE THE MODIFIED FINAL DESIGN FOR KAMAL POCKET PARK PROJECT.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MARK.

OKAY, GETTING BACK ON SCHEDULE, WE ARE AT NUMBER

[8. Approve the Modified Final Design for the Comal Pocket Park AIPP Project]

EVERYBODY GET A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THOSE MATERIALS? CAN WE GET YEAH, BUT THERE'S NO, NOTHING TO PRESENT ON A MOTION TO APPROVE.

AND A SECOND.

I NEED THE OKAY IF ZISMAN AS ONE.

I DIDN'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE.

AND SHEY SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR, UNANIMOUS.

GROUP UPDATE, STARTING WITH NUMBER NINE, UH, FINAL UPDATE AND SUNSET

AND NOW ON TO WORKING

[9. Final Update and Working Group Sunset from Cultural Funding Appeals Working Group with Commissioners Zisman, Schmalbach, Garza, and Houston (chair)]

[01:45:01]

FOR CULTURAL FUNDING APPEALS WORKING GROUP WITH ZISMAN, WHO I BELIEVE IS THE CHAIR.

IT SAYS HOUSTON IS CHAIR, BUT I THINK ZUSMAN'S CHAIR MYSELF, UM, COMMISSIONER GARZA AND COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.

I BELIEVE WE GOT THE FINAL UPDATE ON THAT.

UM, JESUS LAST IN THE DECEMBER COMMISSION MEETING, SO I BELIEVE THE ONLY THING HERE TO DO IS TO SUNSET.

WHAT DO WE DO TO DO THAT? THAT'S IT.

[10. Update from Emergency Funding and Proactive Strategies for Future Funding Working Group with Commissioners Schmalbach and Zisman (chair)]

NUMBER 10.

UPDATE FROM EMERGENCY FUNDING AND PROACTIVE STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE FUNDING WORKING GROUP WITH SCHACH.

THAT'S ME AND ZISMAN CHAIR ZISMAN.

WE, UM, THE LAST UPDATE THAT WE GOT, GOSH, SORRY, DECEMBER FEELS LIKE EONS AGO.

UM, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PROGRAM BASED OFF OF THE MURAL ARTS.

I THINK WE'RE STILL NEEDING TO MEET, UM, FOR, WITH STAFF.

SO I DON'T THINK THAT, I KNOW THAT WE HAVEN'T MET SINCE DECEMBER, SO THERE IS NO FORMAL UPDATE BEYOND WHAT WE PRESENTED LAST MONTH.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF STAFF WANTS TO CHIME IN TO UPDATE US, LIKE ON THE STATUS OF HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO, TO A ROLLOUT, BUT, UH, I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE IS MUCH MORE TO UPDATE ON THAT SPECIFIC WORKING GROUP.

IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE CONFERRING.

UM, SO HAPPY TO, TO MEET WITH THIS WORKING GROUP ANYTIME.

THE STATUS, UH, IS THAT WE'RE STILL MOVING THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, UM, WITH THE CITY AND IDEALLY IT'S GOING TO BE GOING FORWARD TO COUNCIL, I THINK AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH.

AND THEN WE'D BE ABLE TO START ROLLING WITH ACTUAL PROGRAM STUFF AFTER THAT.

NEXT IS NUMBER

[11. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Gray, Maldonado, and Schmalbach (chair).]

11.

UH, JOINT MUSIC AND ARTS COMMISSION GROUP ON URBAN CORE ISSUES WITH GRAY MALDONADO AND ALBA.

THAT'S ME AND I AM THE CHAIR.

UM, YES, WE CONTINUE TO MEET, UH, THAT WORKING GROUP IS MOVING FORWARD.

WE ARE, UM, IF ANYBODY LISTENED TO THE TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING, UM, FROM THIS MONTH, THEY'RE, THEY HAVE A FOCUS, A GROUP THAT'S LOOKING AT, UM, SHORT TERM OCCUPANCY, UH, REGULATIONS AND ESPECIALLY THE COLLECTION OF THE MISSING HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.

SO WE HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, UM, PRIORITIES THAT BOTH THE MUSIC AND THE ARTS COMMISSIONS HAVE BROUGHT UP AROUND STR, BOTH REGULATIONS AND COLLECTION OF HOT ARE, UM, INCLUDED IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE TOURISM COMMISSION WILL BE MAKING.

SO WE SHOULD HAVE UPDATES, SPECIFIC UPDATES ON THAT SOON.

UM, AND I JUST WANNA CALL ATTENTION TO, UH, AN AUSTIN MONITOR ARTICLE FROM ABOUT A WEEK AGO THAT TALKED ABOUT THE EDD FRAMEWORK AROUND CULTURAL, UM, AROUND THE, THE CODE CHANGES FOR, UM, ALLOWANCE OF, SORRY, YEAH.

FOR CULTURAL DISTRICTS.

I THINK IT WAS ONE WEEK AGO.

YOU HAVE, YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THAT, MEGAN? UM, THERE'S JUST REALLY HAPPY CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING THROUGH THAT FRAMEWORK.

WE GOT A, OUR WORKING GROUP GOT AN UPDATE, A DETAILED UPDATE, UM, FROM STAFF IN DECEMBER AND THERE ARE MAJOR INCREASES IN THE POSSI, THE SITES THAT ARE POSSIBLE TO HAVE THEATERS, PERFORMANCE VENUES, UM, LIVE WORK LIKE THINGS.

THIS IS SETTING THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE ABILITY TO MAKE SOME MUCH NEEDED CHANGES GOING FORWARD AND TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS, UM, TO INCLUDE SOME OF THESE CONCERNS IN FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.

MEGAN, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY 'CAUSE I THINK WE'RE PUTTING A LOT IN THAT BUCKET ONE.

UM, YOUR, THE LAND USE CODE CHANGES YOU'RE REFERENCING DID PASS MM-HMM.

AND SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE NOW CODIFIED MM-HMM.

TO YOUR POINT THAT MAKES, YOU KNOW, IT SETS THE GROUNDWORK A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBLE.

YEP.

UM, THE DISTRICT FRAMEWORK PROJECT THAT EDD IS SHEPHERDING THROUGH OUR GLOBAL BUSINESS EXPANSION TEAM IS ONGOING.

AND THAT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE MORE OF A STRUCTURED APPROACH CITYWIDE TO WHAT KIND OF DISTRICTS MIGHT EVOLVE, WHAT THE CITY'S ROLE MIGHT BE, IF THERE ARE, UM, SORT OF WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS AROUND WHICH THOSE DEVELOP AND WHAT ARE THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CITY OR THE COMMUNITY TO THOSE.

'CAUSE WE, WE'VE DONE THEM PIECEMEAL IN, IN DIFFERENT WAYS ACROSS THE CITY.

UM, THAT'S, THAT'S ONGOING RIGHT NOW.

SO WE DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT.

SO IF YOUR WORKING GROUP GOT AN UPDATE FROM STAFF, IT WAS PROBABLY FROM THE OTHER DIVISIONS THAT'S WORKING ON THAT.

YEP.

UM, SO WE, WE ARE, WE, MEANING EDD IS HAPPY TO KEEP THIS GROUP POSTED AS THAT PROJECT DEVELOPS, BUT I DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW WITH THAT.

START, BUT LIKE SEEING THE PROCESS AGAIN AND LIKE SHOWING HOW ALL OF THIS WORK THAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES THAT PEOPLE DON'T SEE ARE SETTING US UP TO MAKE LARGER CHANGES WOULD BE JUST A, A HELPFUL PRESENTATION AT A FUTURE MEETING.

THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE, AT THIS POINT, SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO HAVE A PRESENTATION ON BECAUSE WE CAN, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE WORKING GROUP, UM, THE, THE CODE CHANGES FOR

[01:50:01]

LET ME ASK MY COLLEAGUE WHEN IT WILL MAKE SENSE TO GIVE YOU A MILESTONE UPDATE.

12, WHICH IS UPDATE FROM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONER CISMAN, HOUSTON, CHILLY AND CINI, WHO'S THE CHAIR WHO'S NOT HERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS AN UPDATE THAT THEY WANNA GIVE.

AND THAT WAY I CAN TIME IT TO WHEN WE CAN GET THE MOST BANG OUTTA OUR BUCK FOR THAT UPDATE.

FABULOUS.

I'D BE HAPPY TO PUT THAT ON THE RADAR.

AND THEN WE HAVE NUMBER

[12. Update from Community Engagement Working Group with Commissioners Zisman, Houston, Csillagi, and Kracheni (chair)]

YES, SMITH.

I, I DO.

UH, COMMISSIONER CHENEY AND I MET THIS PAST WEEK, UM, FOLLOWING THE BREAK.

THEY ARE COMBATING SOME ILLNESS.

UM, AND SO WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO BE AS PROACTIVE IN THE SPACE AS SHE OR I OR THE REST OF THE GROUP, UM, WOULD LIKE.

UM, BUT WHERE WE ARE IS, UM, DECIDED THAT THE BEST THING TO DO WOULD BE TO TAP THE PREVIOUS GROUP HOST GROUPS FOR COMMUNITY CHATS, QUOTE, UM, THAT MICHELLE POLGAR AND I HOSTED, UH, DURING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PORTION IN THE PREPARATION FOR OUR PILOT PROGRAM ROLLOUT.

SO USING THE EXISTING HOSTS OR LIST OF HOSTS THAT WE, UM, ARE KNOW AND FAMILIAR WITH, UM, BUT GETTING MORE CONCRETE ON HOW THIS GROUP WOULD WORK.

AND SO TO INITIATE THESE MEETINGS USING EXISTING HOPE UH, HOSTS.

UM, AND THEN, UH, PUTTING OUT A CALL TO ACTION TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND MAKING, UH, COMMISSIONERS AVAILABLE FOR EXISTING EVENTS OR IF THEY WANTED TO CREATE EVENTS, UM, FOR THEIR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS TO US.

SO THERE HAS BEEN SOME DEVELOPMENT, I WOULD SAY, UH, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON IS NOT, UH, WITH US ON THE DAIS ANYMORE, BUT TO COMMISSIONER SHEILA TO STAY TUNED, UM, FOR A GROUP MEETING.

I THINK COMMISSIONER NEY AND I WANTED TO HAVE A ROBUST UPDATE FOR THIS MEETING, GIVEN THAT WE'VE BEGUN, UM, THE YEAR AND WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR.

IDEALLY WE'D BE HOSTING OR WE, WE WOULD BE HOSTED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, ONCE A MONTH.

UM, WE SEE THAT AS LIKE A REALLY REALISTIC NUMBER OF TIMES, UM, IN ADDITION TO OUR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMISSION THAT WE COULD MAKE OURSELVES PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.

AND THE IDEA THAT THIS WORKING GROUP IS WELL BELOW QUORUM IS THAT THE INVITATION WILL BE STANDING FOR OTHER COMMISSIONERS TO JOIN US, PARTICULARLY IF IT HAPPENS TO BE IN THEIR DISTRICT.

BUT REALLY, I DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED TO ADHERE OR COMMISSIONER KNI AND I AGREE THAT WE DON'T NEED TO ADHERE TO, UM, SORT OF THE ZONE PARAMETERS THAT I THINK THE PREVIOUS WORKING GROUP WAS ATTEMPTING TO COORDINATE.

UM, THESE MEETINGS ARE CHALLENGING TO SCHEDULE AND GET PEOPLE AT.

AND SO I THINK KEEPING THE PARAMETERS AS FLEXIBLE AND OPEN AS POSSIBLE, WE'LL PROMOTE ATTENDANCE ALL AROUND.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.

UM, SHE HAS PERSONAL CONNECTIONS WITH OUR PREVIOUS HOSTS, SPECIFICALLY THE ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL, UM, BEING THAT THEY, UM, THEY OFFICE AT HER BUILDING.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE CONVERSATION STARTED IN A MORE DIRECT WAY WITH PREVIOUS HOSTS, SENDING EMAILS OUT, SORT OF ANNOUNCING OUR AVAILABILITY AND THEN FROM THERE, PUTTING OUR, MAKING OURSELVES AVAILABLE, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

THAT'S AWESOME.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COOL.

SORRY, I KEEP FORGETTING TO LOOK OVER THERE.

MOVING ON TO

[ITEMS FOR INFORMATION]

ITEMS FOR INFORMATION.

FLOOR IS OPEN.

SO THAT YOU WILL HAVE ALL THIS GOOD FORTUNE, UH, ARRIVING AT YOUR HOUSE.

COMMISSIONER MOCK.

I JUST WANT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A CELEBRATION TO WELCOME THE ARRIVAL OF THE, UH, YEAR OF THE DRAGON, UH, THIS COMING SATURDAY AT OUR ASIAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER.

AND THERE WILL BE TWO LION STANDS, ONE AT 1131 AT TWO O'CLOCK PLUS ALL THE OTHER CULTURAL, UH, PERFORMANCE.

THE KOREAN, THE JAPANESE, THE HAWAIIAN, AND THE INDIAN.

AND A LOT OF, OF COURSE, UH, CHINESE WITH MINORITY GROUP AND THE HAN, YOU KNOW.

SO, AND ALSO THE HIGHLIGHT IS THE AUTHENTIC CHINESE NEW, NEW NEW YEAR FOOD.

SO THERE WILL BE, UH, DIFFERENT AUTHENTIC FOOD ITEMS, YOU KNOW, TO BE PURCHASED AND ALSO CALLIGRAPHY BECAUSE, UH, DURING THE CHINESE NEW YEAR WE WILL, UH, U USE CALLIGRAPHY TO WRITE UP SOME, UH, GOOD WISHES.

AND THEN WE HANG IT, HANG IT ON THE NEW YEAR FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR

[01:55:01]

SO THAT'S A TRADITION.

SO SHOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE, UH, SOME, SOME NUNA NEW YEAR CULTURAL EXPERIENCE, PLEASE COME JOIN US FROM 10 TO THREE AND I WILL SEND THE INFORMATION TO HIS SOUL SO THAT HE CAN PASS IT ON TO YOU.

HOPE TO SEE OF YOU.

THEN AMY, WHAT? COMMISSIONER MOCK WAS THAT ON SATURDAY? YEAH, SATURDAY.

THIS COMING SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD FROM 10 TO THREE.

WHAT'S THE ADDRESS? 1 1 7 1 3 JOLLYVILLE ROAD.

THE CROSS BETWEEN AND JOLLYVILLE.

COME AND JOIN US.

IT WILL BE, IT WILL BE FESTIVE.

THAT SOUNDS BEAUTIFUL AND DELICIOUS.

DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ITEMS FOR INFORMATION CISMAN? I JUST WANNA MAKE MENTION A MAJORITY OF THE, OR ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM COMMUNITY MEMBER HAROLD MCMILLAN.

HE IS, UM, ANNOUNCING THE CREATION OF THE AUSTIN BLACK ARTISTS AND PROFESSIONAL CREATIVES REGISTRY.

PEOPLE WILL BE JOINING US IN FEBRUARY TO DO A MORE FORMAL PRESENTATION, UM, ON THE REGISTRY AND SORT OF THE CALL TO ACTION THAT HE'S REQUESTING OF US.

BUT IF EVERYONE COULD, UH, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT EMAIL, REVISIT IT IF YOU HAVEN'T, AND HELPED CIRCULATE IT THROUGH YOUR NETWORKS, I THINK THE DEEPER THAT ARCHIVE CAN GET THE BETTER.

UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE PEOPLE A HEADS UP THAT HE'LL BE PRESENTING NEXT MONTH WITH US.

DID YOU SAY THAT WE WOULD'VE RECEIVED THAT ALREADY? IT WAS AN EMAIL THAT WENT OUT TO ALL OF OUR COMMISSION EMAILS.

AS FAR AS I CAN SEE, WE'VE ALL BEEN CC'D ON IT AND IT IS FOR THE ARTS AND VISUAL ARTS AND MUSIC COMMUNITY.

UM, AND AGAIN, UM, HAROLD MCMILLAN AND IT'S, YOU COULD PROBABLY SEARCH AUSTIN BLACK ARTIST PROFESSIONAL CREATIVES REGISTRY.

IF ANYBODY CAN FIND IT, I'D BE HAPPY TO FORWARD IT OR RECIRCULATE IT THROUGH OUR STAFF LIAISON.

FANTASTIC, THANK YOU.

AGENDA ITEMS, ANYTHING TO ADD? I REMEMBER THAT THE COMMISSION WAS DISCUSSING HAVING THE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS UPDATE.

ANY OTHER ITEMS FOR INFO? OKAY, NOTHING GREAT.

ONTO FUTURE

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

DID YOU STILL WANT THEM TO HAVE THAT ON A FUTURE AGENDA AS FERLA? WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH BRIE FRANCO.

IS THERE, I I KNOW WE JUST SAW A LITTLE BIT OF BACK AND FORTH FROM HER STAFF.

IS THAT STILL PENDING? IS THIS THE SAME THING OR AM I CONFLATING TWO ITEMS HERE? YES.

SHE'S LOOKING INTO THAT FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.

I ACTUALLY CAN'T EVEN SEE WHO'S IN THE ROOM.

WE KIND OF HAVE THIS OMNIPOTENT VIEW AND WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE BACKS OF HEAD.

SO I APOLOGIZE IF, UM, I'M MISTAKEN WITH WHO'S THERE.

LET US SEND IT BACK OUT TO YOU, TO YOU AND THE, THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR AND Y'ALL CAN DECIDE WHAT THE TIMING WOULD BE ON THAT.

PERFECT.

I THINK WE STARTED THAT CONVERSATION IN OCTOBER.

SO WE'RE, WE'LL TAKE WHATEVER AVAIL AVAILABILITY THAT SHE CAN GIVE US.

BUT I THINK IN PARTICULAR WITH TOURISM, TAKING ON THE STR ITEM AS WE DIG DEEPER WITH LAND USE, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND MAYBE THE CURRENT STATUS OF THINGS AS IT STANDS IN THE LEGISLATURE.

AND BETTER PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THESE MEETINGS.

WELL, UM, I HAVE ONE LAST THING TO ADD AND IT IS A REQUEST TO MY COMMISSIONERS.

AND I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A FULL D I'VE PUT THIS IN WRITING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT, UM, IN DECEMBER.

BUT I THINK IF, UM, IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL IF COMMISSIONERS WERE A LITTLE MORE PROACTIVE WITH RSVPING TO THESE MEETINGS TO OUR CITY STAFF MEMBER.

UM, IT IS, WE HAD A REALLY CLOSE CALL WITH QUORUM TODAY.

WE HAVE A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND IT TAKES A LOT TO GET THESE MEETINGS SET UP, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE OFFSITE SPECIAL CALLS RESCHEDULED.

UM, IF PEOPLE, MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS COULD BE A BIT MORE PROACTIVE IN CHECKING THEIR EMAIL AND REACHING OUT TO STAFF WITH THEIR ATTENDANCE STATUS, I KNOW THAT THAT WOULD HELP US HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTROL, UM,

[02:00:01]

UM, I LOVE US ALL SO MUCH.

I WANT US ALL HERE ALL THE TIME.

I KNOW THINGS COME UP AND WE CAN'T MAKE IT.

SO THE BETTER COMMUNICATION WE CAN HAVE AMONGST OURSELVES AND STAFF, THE MORE FLUID THIS PROCESS CAN BE.

UM, THAT ALONG WITH FOR OUR PEOPLE THAT ARE PLANNING TO JOIN VIRTUALLY, GIVING YOURSELVES AMPLE TIME TO TROUBLESHOOT, UM, TECHNOLOGY IS A BEAST.

I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT.

UM, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO STILL HAVE THESE HYBRID MEETINGS.

UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW AT ONE POINT THOSE THEY WERE GONNA GO AWAY AND IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND IN PERSON, THEN YOUR ATTENDANCE WAS NOT COUNTED AT ALL.

SO PLEASE GIVE YOURSELVES A 10 TO 15 MINUTE LEAD TIME TO GET LOGGED IN.

I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP TECH SUPPORT, BUT IT IS VERY DISTRACTING AND VERY HARD TO STAY TUNED INTO WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE MEETING WHILE I AM LIVE TEXTING MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HERE AND ON AND ALL OF THAT.

SO IF WE CAN JUST GIVE OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A BUFFER TO GET LOGGED IN SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE PRESENT AND BE PRESENT THROUGH THE ENTIRETY OF THE MEETING, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT.

I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL HERE.

HERE.

THERE'S NOTHING ELSE.

REACH YOUR AGENDA ITEMS AND REMINDER THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS SEND A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO CHAIR ZIMAN AND HAVE IT ADDED TO THE AGENDA FOR THE UPCOMING MONTH.

ALL RIGHT.

UM, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU LOVE TO DO IT.

COMMISSIONER MOCK, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR US TO GET OUTTA HERE? IT IS MADE BY MOCK AND SECONDED BY EVERYBODY.

HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, EVERYONE.

SATURDAY.