[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
[00:00:03]
UH, MY NAME IS SAMUEL ANTE, AND, UH, I'M WITH THE A FTV FIVE.
UH, SOME, MAYBE YOU HAVE AT LEAST HEAR THE NAME BECAUSE I GOT SOME GRAIN FROM THIS.
A COMMISSION FOR ART, RIGHT? CULTURAL ART.
UH, WE, ONE OF OUR CONTRACTORS AND WE'VE BEEN GETTING SOME FUNDING FOR, FOR A FEW YEARS NOW.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, FOR TWO, FIVE YEARS, I DON'T REMEMBER.
BUT YEAH, WE, ONE OF YOUR VENDORS, AND THEY GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME OVER HERE TODAY, AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHY I WAS COMING.
BUT, UH, JUST HAPPY TO PUT MY FACE, UM, PEOPLE WHO REALLY MAKE DECISION THAT WE, THAT WE LIVE BY, YOU SEE.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M HAPPY AND GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
AGAIN, WE HAD A ORGANIZATION, UH, A FTV FIVE.
IT'S, UH, WE CALL OURSELF THE COMMUNITY TELEVISION.
UH, THE REASON WE STARTED IT BECAUSE, UH, WE IN THE COMMUNITY OF AFRICAN AND SAY AFRICAN AMERICAN AS WELL, AND MOST OF THE THING THAT HAPPENED THERE, NOBODY KNOW ABOUT NOBODY.
THAT'S WHY WE THOUGHT MAYBE WE CAN GET SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, WE CAN AT LEAST TAKE THESE EVENT, THESE ACTIVITY AND SHARE EVEN AMONG US.
THAT'S WHERE WE STARTED IN 2002.
AND SINCE THEN, WE, WE, WE HAVE MAKE A LOT OF PROGRESS AND, UH, WE WERE DREAM REALLY WELL BEFORE THE COVID.
IT WAS STRUCTURED VERY WELL BEFORE THE COVID.
UH, THE REASON I'M HERE TODAY, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M HERE
AND, UH, AND I BELIEVE THAT I I, I'VE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO MAYBE AT LEAST RESEARCH FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASON I'M HERE NOW.
UM, I KNOW I HAVE THREE IN IT, AND JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE AND SEE WHAT WAS, WELL, THE, THE, THE SETTING, THE STRUCTURE AND EVERYTHING.
UM, THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE FOR ELEVATE, UH, OUR EVENT IN MARCH 14 TO 16.
SEE, NORMALLY WE HAVE MOSTLY THREE, FOUR DAYS EVENT.
AND, AND, AND WE CALL, WE, WE CALL IT, WE MIX CULTURE AND BUSINESS.
WE BRING PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT STATE, AND WE USE ABOUT SEVEN BAND, MUSICAL BAND AND GROUPS.
ONE IN TOWN AND SOMETIME FROM DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND, AND WHAT WE DO, WHAT WE CALL THAT, WE CALL IT CITIZEN DIPLOMACY, BECAUSE WE, AGAIN, MIXING CULTURAL AND BUSINESS, IT BE SO POWERFUL THIS NEXT MARCH, WE'RE GONNA BRING TWO MALES FROM AFRICA, MAYOR OF BIG CITIES, SO, AND COMMISSIONER FROM MA, PEOPLE COMING FROM LIBERIA, YOU KNOW, UM, SO THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THAT LOOKING AROUND, BE AROUND HERE.
NOW, I THOUGHT MAYBE IF YOU COME OVER HERE AND TALK LIKE I'M TALKING NOW.
WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, AFRICAN, AFRICAN HAVE A BIG COMMUNITY HERE, VERY ACTIVE.
AND THAT, UH, THERE'S SOME MAYBE NEED SOME EFFORT, SOME KIND OF WAY TO INVOLVE THEM, YOU SEE, TO GET THEM IN THE, IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN OUR COMMUNITY, IN THE, IN OUR, IN OUR
[00:05:01]
MIX OF ACTIVITY AND, AND DEVELOPMENT AS FAR AS THE CITY IS CONCERNED.I KNOW CERTAIN INSTITUTION AND INSTITUTION IS COMPLICATED.
AND THAT'S WHY NOW THAT YOU HAVE SAW ME, I'M GONNA BE TRY TO CONNECT WITH SEPARATELY BECAUSE WE GOT HERE JUST, UH, DISCOVERY AND PRODUCTION.
BUT WE HAVE SO MUCH, SO MUCH FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE SOMEBODY THAT ARE OPEN TO, TO TALK.
I'M GONNA MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE BECAUSE AGAIN, THE COVID AND ALL THESE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THE COMMUNITY, OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY, WE HAVE SOME KINDA NEED THAT HAVE NOT BEEN MET.
AND SOMETIMES NOT BIG STUFF, IT JUST, MAYBE LIKE A GARDENS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE, UH, THIS HOW YOU FOUND THIS, THIS HOW YOU DO THIS.
SO, UH, I'VE BEEN LOST SINCE 1992, SO I'VE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH AND MOST OF THESE PEOPLE COME IN, THEY COME BEHIND ME.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M THINKING ABOUT HELPING THEM AS MUCH AS I, AS I CAN.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY YOU ARE MY BC EVEN MORE SO, I'M INVITING YOU ALL TO OUR EVENT.
IT'S GONNA BE A GRAVE A B BECAUSE WE START THIS WITH THE CITY OF EVENTS.
AUSTIN, WE INVITE THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR OUR FIRST EVENT.
THEY, THEY LOVE IT SO MUCH THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU WERE, SO, BUT THIS TIME WE INVITE, WE, WE CAN'T CONNECT TO PEOPLE.
AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT, UH, YOU ARE, I'M GONNA BE AROUND MORE.
WE GAVE YOU A LITTLE EXTRA THERE.
AND PLEASE BE IN TOUCH WITH US.
AGAIN, YOU ARE INVITED TO OUR EVENT.
I WANT, I DEFINITELY WANT FEW OF YOU ALL TO COME AND SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEE IT.
YOU WILL, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
MIKE, DO YOU MIND, UM, HITTING THE MIC FOR ME? YEAH.
LET, I'VE SEEN A COUPLE PEOPLE JOIN US, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE ROLL.
WE'LL START WITH OUR FOLKS DIGITALLY.
AND IN THE ROOM I HAVE COMMISSIONER MOCK PRESENT, COMMISSIONER GARZA PRESENT, COMMISSIONER GRAY PRESENT, AND COMMISSIONER LEY, UH, NAGO
CHARLA AND COMMISSIONER KY PRESENT.
UM, IF WE COULD MOVE ON TO ITEM ONE, APPROVAL OF THE
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR MEETING ON JANUARY 29TH.SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER MOCK.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I SEE A SECOND FROM VICE CHAIR.
OH, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER GRAY IS ABSTAINING.
OTHER THAN THAT, WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY.
[2. Discussion of Chair’s Report on Community Advocacy by Chair Zisman ]
OF THE CHAIR'S REPORT, COMMUNITY ADVOCACY BY CHAIR SPEN.MY PRONOUNS ARE THEY, SHE, I AM THE PERSON OF COLOR WEARING A VIBRANT DRESS TODAY WITH SHORT HAIR.
UM, I JUST WANT TO INITIATE THIS MEETING BY WELCOMING BACK FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN GONE AND ON VACATION AND COMING BACK, UM, AFTER A BRIEF ABSENCE AND PREPARE US FOR WHAT WILL BE A VERY ROBUST MEETING.
UM, WE HAVE SOME BIG THINGS COMING ON.
UH, THE DOCKET, UH, BUDGET REQUESTS, A IPP APPOINTMENTS, UM, PLANNED RETREATS BETWEEN JOINT MUSIC AND ART AND SOME REALLY EXCITING STUFF THAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR WORKING GROUPS.
SO, UH, JUST WANT TO REALLY ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO BE AS ENGAGED AS POSSIBLE AND, UH, STEP UP BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE FACE TIME WITH OUR COMMUNITY COMING, COMING UP.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, WE CAN GO ON
[3. Discussion of the Art in Public Places Liaison Report by Commissioner Maldonado ]
TO OUR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES LIAISON REPORT WITH COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.COMMISSIONER MALDONADO IS GOT TIED UP AT WORK AND IS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US, BUT WE HAVE A WONDERFUL REPRESENTATIVE FROM A IPP THAT WILL BE UPDATING US, AND I THINK SHE'S GONNA BE A NEW FACE, UH, FOR MOST OF OUR COMMISSION AS SHE IS A RECENT, UH, ADDITION TO THE A IPP TEAM.
SORRY, CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? COMMISSIONER MALDONADO, OUR A IPP LIAISON WILL NOT BE PRESENT, AND SO I'VE ASKED, UM, OH MY GOD.
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LINDSAY, I'M SO SORRY.I JUST FELL RIGHT OUTTA MY, WE'VE ASKED LINDSAY TO GIVE A, A BRIEF RECAP IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, JUST TO, TO A LITTLE SEED.
I I AM NOT SPRINGING THAT ON, I PROMISE.
UM, LINDSAY HUTCHINS, I AM, UM, A COORDINATOR IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM.
UM, JUST SHARE A BRIEF UPDATE FROM THE MOST RECENT A IPP PANEL MEETING.
UM, A IPP PANEL CHAIR STEPHANIE LIMO GAVE A GOOD, UM, SORT OF CHAIR'S REPORT ON TRANSITIONS.
UM, CONSTANCE Y WHITE HAS MOVED ON TO DO ARTS AND CULTURE AT THE AUSTIN BERGSTROM AIRPORT.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE BETWEEN PROGRAM MANAGERS AT THIS TIME.
UM, WE'VE GOT, UM, ONE MEMBER OF THE PANEL WHO WILL BE, UM, REAPPOINTING SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
WE'VE GOT AN ACTION ITEM TONIGHT THAT REFLECTS ALSO A VACANCY THAT WILL BE FILLED IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UM, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF MID DESIGNS THAT WERE DISCUSSED DURING THE MEETING.
UM, ALSO A COUPLE OF FINAL DESIGNS THAT WERE APPROVED DURING THAT MEETING WILL BE COMING TO FUTURE ARTS COMMISSIONS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO AN ACTION ITEM TODAY THAT REFLECTS, UM, AN ARTIST SELECTION THAT WAS APPROVED AT THE LAST CIPP PANEL MEETING AS WELL.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR A THOROUGH UPDATE, UM, ON THE FLY.
[4. Discussion of the Austin Economic Development Corporation/Cultural Trust Advisory Committee by Austin Economic Development Corporation Board Member Carl Settles ]
NEXT WE HAVE DISCUSSION OF THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE BY AUSTIN, A EDC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD.CARL SETTLES IS CARL WITH US TODAY WITH, OKAY.
[5. Discussion of the Downtown Commission by Commissioner Mok ]
MOVE TO THE DISCUSSION OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION BY COMMISSIONER MOCK.UH, WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST DISCUSSION ABOUT THE UPCOMING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND THE, UH, SAFETY MEASURE THAT A PD HAS PUT IN PLACE TO KEEP US SAFE.
SO THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS, YOU KNOW, AND WE ALSO TALK ABOUT, UH, DIFFERENT THINGS ABOUT THE NEW DEVELOPMENT, ONE OF WHICH IS THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT COMBINING DISTRICT WITH THE DENSITY BONUS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MIGHT BE A, UH, A, UH, A IPP OPPORTUNITY IF WE ARE USING PUBLIC MONEY.
UM, SO, SO MAYBE WE NEED TO WATCH CLOSELY ON THAT.
AND ALSO, UH, THEY ALSO ARE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT, UM, STATION, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE PROJECT CONNECT.
SO THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT STATIONS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE CONSTRUCTION OF IT, YOU KNOW, HOW TO CONNECT, YOU KNOW, CROSS RIVER AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF IT.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ALSO MIGHT HAVE A-A-I-P-P OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE USING MONEY, UM, PUBLIC MONEY.
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO.
YEAH, THOSE ARE THE REPORT THAT'S, YEAH.
DO YOU, DO THEY GIVE YOU THE AGENDA? IS THAT ACCESSIBLE SO THAT YOU HAVE AN A A LIST THAT WE LIKE OF WHAT'S BEING DISCUSSED AND THEN THAT WAY IT'S EASILY YEAH.
SO YOU, YOU CAN GO TO DOWNTOWN COGNITION AND THEY HAVE AGENDA THE SAME WAY THAT OURS WORKS.
BUT FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO REFERENCE FOR FOLLOW UP SAYING, HEY, I JUST WENT TO THE COMMISSION.
LET'S SAY YOU'RE EMAILING WITH LINDSAY OR ANOTHER TEAMMATE.
AND YOU SAY, HERE ARE THE ITEMS THAT WERE DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF YEAH.
CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION, VOTE.
THE CLERK'S OFFICE ACTUALLY PUT IN SOME NEW RULES BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO ACTUALLY GIVE THE ORAL REPORT AND ALL THAT, AND NOW THEY ELIMINATE THAT.
SO WE ONLY PUT IN OUR WRITING REPORT IF WE HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
BUT, UH, AND THEN WHAT'S A GOOD SYSTEM FOR YOU? IF YOU WERE GONNA FOLLOW THROUGH ON SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE HAPPENING? LIKE THESE DEVELOPMENTS OR THE, ANY YEAH, YEAH.
CAN YOU, DO YOU HAVE A POINT OF CONTACT FOR A IPP? WOULD THAT BE GOOD TO ESTABLISH? NO, I, I THINK WHAT I WILL PROBABLY DO IS I WILL, BECAUSE THIS IS LIKE A PRE PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION.
SO I THINK AS WE GO FURTHER DOWN, I ALWAYS HAVE MY HANDS UP, I SAY A IPP OPPORTUNITIES AND DON'T FORGET THAT.
AND THEN THEY ARE, THEY KNOW ME,
[00:15:01]
NOT GOING TO SHUT UP, YOU KNOW? SO, UH, AGAIN, I THINK I WILL WATCH.AND SO EVERY TIME I, I LOOK THE AGENDA BEFORE THE MEETING, I WAS SAYING, HM, THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN INTERESTING THING.
SO I'LL ASK QUESTION, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, BEFORE IT IS MORE, UH, MORE INTERACTION.
BUT NOW THE CLERK'S OFFICE HAS CHANGED THE RULES, UH, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SEVERAL QUITE AFFILIATE LIAISONS.
FROM DIFFERENT COMMISSION AT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT, THEY WANT THEIR FOCUS TO BE ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION ISSUES.
SO OURS IS JUST, UM, NOT, YOU KNOW, TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE.
BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CHAIR IS ALSO VERY NICE, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE MEETING, THEY'LL ALWAYS SAY, AND WE ARE FREE TO RAISE OUR HANDS.
SO FOR INSTANCE, IF THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POLICE, I CAN ASK QUESTIONS.
HOW IS THE ARTS CREATIVE COMMUNITY, UH, MIGHT BE AFFECTED, YOU KNOW? SO I HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER MARK? OKAY.
ANY LUCK WITH CARL? OH, I THINK I SEE A SQUARE.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND CIRCLE BACK FOR OUR A EDC UPDATE WITH BOARD CHAIR CARL SELLS.
THAT WAS A LOT HARDER THAN, UH, I WANTED IT TO BE, BUT, UM, I'M HERE, BUT YOU LOOK GOOD, CARL.
UM, SO, UH, I GUESS MAIN UPDATES, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, THIS MONTH IS THAT WE HAD THE, UH, PDC CREATIVE SPACE DESIGN.
UM, THEY HAD, UH, AN EVENT, UH, ON THE 30TH OF JANUARY AND HAD ABOUT 40 PEOPLE THAT ATTENDED THAT EVENT, UM, HAD SPOKEN WORD AND DANCE PERFORMANCES.
AND THE ARCHITECTS PRESENTED THE CURRENT CONCEPTUAL DESIGN DRAWINGS.
UH, THE WEBSITE HAS A POST OF THE DESIGN PLANS AND THE CONCEPTUAL 3D WALKTHROUGH OF THE SPACE.
UM, AND WE DEMONSTRATED THE, THE VR WALKTHROUGH OF THE SPACE, UM, AT, AT THE EVENT.
UM, AND I CAN PROVIDE THE LINK IF, UH, IF YOU ALL NEED THAT.
AND THERE IS $5.1 MILLION LEFT, UH, IN THE CULTURAL TRUST FUND.
UM, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE INITIALLY IDENTIFIED IN 2022, UM, THE RFP THAT WE DID THEN TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE THOSE PROJECTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I GOT TODAY.
DO YOU HAVE A, UH, SORRY, QUICK QUESTION.
IN TERMS OF IT BEING APPROVED BY COUNCIL, IS THERE A MEETING IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU'LL BE TAKING THIS TO? IS IT THE NEXT, IS IT THE MARCH MEETING? OR DO YOU KNOW WHAT, WHEN THE, UH, APPROVAL PROCESS WILL BE INITIATED? UM, WELL, I MEAN, THE CULTURAL TRUST FUNDS HAVE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S 5.1 RE REMAINING, BUT WE HAVEN'T DECIDED WHERE THOSE ARE GONNA GO TO YET.
WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THOSE, THOSE APPLICANTS.
UM, ARE YOU, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE RFP FOR BLOCK 16 AND 18? YOU MENTIONED COUNCIL APPROVAL, AND SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A TIMELINE, LIKE IF THERE WAS A SPECIFIC MEETING YOU GUYS HAD ALREADY WERE ON THE AGENDA FOR OH, I'M SORRY.
I WAS REFERRING TO THE 2022, UM, RFP THAT THEY, UM, APPROVED.
UM, SO I'M ON THE A EDC WEBSITE RIGHT NOW AND I SEE THE PDC CREATIVE SPACES PLAN, BUT BOTH OF THOSE LINKS ARE PRIVATE AND THEY ASK THAT YOU BE APPROVED.
SO I JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE PUBLIC THANK YOU ACTUALLY CAN'T ACCESS THAT INFORMATION.
SO LINKS ARE, I'M WRITING THAT DOWN.
WELL, AND I HAVE A, I HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS.
SO REGARDING THE 14 PROJECTS, IS THAT EVER GOING TO BE MADE PUBLIC, UM, INFORMATION LIKE THE PROJECTS THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH, UM, WHERE THEY ARE IN THE PIPELINE, KIND OF ALL THAT INFORMATION? WELL, UM, BECAUSE THESE ARE, THESE ARE REAL ESTATE DEALS, UM, IS THAT WE REALLY CAN'T MAKE THEM PUBLIC
[00:20:01]
UNTIL THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY DONE.UM, SO THERE, THERE ARE 14 GROUPS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE, UM, ARE WORKING WITH THE THIS THROUGH, THROUGH THIS PROCESS, BUT BECAUSE IT'S A SPECULATIVE NATURE TO REAL ESTATE, UM, AND THE, AND THE WAY THAT THAT MARKETS WORKS, UM, WE, WE CAN'T SHARE PUBLICLY THE THE WHO, THE WHO THOSE FOLKS ARE AND WHERE THEY ARE IN THE PIPELINE UNTIL THESE ARE DONE DEALS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT DOES.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WHO THOSE 14 PROJECTS ARE, SO THAT IF A DEAL DOESN'T HAPPEN, THEY HAVE, UM, COMMUNITY AWARENESS THAT A SPACE IS LOOKING FOR, UM, SPACE TO CONDUCT THEIR PROGRAMMING OR ARE INTERESTED IN OTHER SPACE IF THAT SPACE DOESN'T PAN OUT.
UM, I THINK THAT TRANSPARENCY IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, IN THAT PROCESS.
UM, AND SO IT WOULD BE INTERESTING, UM, ARE YOU, SO IT'S NOT PUBLIC INFORMATION, BUT THAT INFORMATION ALSO HASN'T BEEN GIVEN TO THE COMMISSION EITHER.
UM, NOW WE ARE WORKING, UH, PROACTIVELY WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THE $5.1 MILLION IS NOT GOING TO MAKE THESE ORGANIZATIONS WHOLE.
SO WE'RE WORKING ACTIVELY, UM, TO CONNECT THEM WITH OTHER RESOURCES.
UH, BUT IN TERMS OF THAT, OF, OF THE, THE MONEY THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE SET ASIDE, IF WE MAKE THAT STUFF PUBLIC, WE'LL RUIN, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR THOSE DEALS TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH.
UM, AND SO WE, WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH THESE FOLKS.
UM, IT'S JUST THAT, THAT, THAT'S THE NATURE OF THE PROCESS.
IT'S NOT A MATTER OF, UH, A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY.
AND I, I, I, I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD FEEL THAT WAY.
UM, BUT THESE, THESE ARE REAL ESTATE DEALS AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE SPECULATIVE AND THEY, THEY, THEY WILL, THEY WILL NOT HAPPEN.
UM, IF THIS, IF THE, IF THIS STUFF BECOMES, UH, PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
I, I THINK THAT KIND OF MAKES SENSE.
BUT AS FAR AS LIKE THE ARTS COMMISSION, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY EVEN WE CAN'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION INTERNALLY.
WE GET DOCUMENTS FROM THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION THAT ARE ONLY FOR INTERNAL PURPOSES.
WELL, THERE'S, I MEAN, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, I MEAN, THERE IS ALSO THE APPEARANCE OF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, EVEN WITH ME AS THE BOARD CHAIR.
I DON'T KNOW, I, THINGS THAT ARE GOING A LOT, A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON BECAUSE OF THAT, THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICTS, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
SO THERE'S A SERIES OF CHECKS AND BALANCES, UH, WITHIN THAT PROCESS.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, THE URBAN URBAN RENEWAL BOARD WHO WE'RE WORKING WITH TO, UM, IDENTIFY THE FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO GET, THAT ARE WORKING THROUGH THIS RFP PROCESS FOR BLOCK 16 AND 18, UM, I'M NOT A PARTY TO THOSE DELIBERATIONS, EVEN AS THE BOARD CHAIR.
AND THAT, THAT IS BECAUSE, UM, IF YOU ALL AS CO YOU ALL AS ARTS COMMISSION MEMBERS KNOW THESE THINGS, AND THEN SOMETHING HAPPENS DOWN THE LINE, UM, THEN THAT, THAT BECOMES A PROBLEM.
AND SO IT'S REALLY TO PROTECT EVERYBODY THAT'S PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS FROM THOSE POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF, OR THE PERCEPTION OF THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
I, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THE 14, UM, B YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATION OR ENTITIES THAT ARE INVOLVED, UH, THEY ARE NOT, THEY ARE NOT LIKE JUST BY INVITATION ONLY.
RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE A PROCESS TO SOLICIT, UM, OPEN SOLICITATION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED TO THAT PROJECT.
RIGHT? SO IT IS NOT, UH, BY INVITATION ONLY, AND JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, UM, THE FAIRNESS OF IT, WELL, THIS PROCESS STARTED IN 2022.
UHHUH,
UM, WE'RE CONTINUING TO, TO WORK WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AND AS WE'RE ABLE TO SHARE PUBLICLY, UH, WHO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS ARE, WE WILL, BUT THERE'S NOT A NEW PROCESS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE TRYING TO FINISH A PROCESS THAT STARTED IN 2022.
I THINK IT'S STUFF, 'CAUSE WE'VE HAD A, A LOT OF CHANGEOVER IN THAT TIME.
[00:25:01]
WE, WHAT WAS OKAY, I UNDERST BUILT, I UNDERSTAND WE KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE A LENGTHY PROCESS, IS CONTINUING TO BE A LENGTHY PROCESS.IT'S, YOU KNOW, HARD TO KEEP ALL THE PROGRAMS IN LINE, UM, PARTICULARLY ONES THAT ARE SORT OF BEING IN, UM, AND IT'S EXCITING THAT THERE'S STILL MONEY LEFT, BUT I THINK KEEPING US, UM, UP TO DATE WITH JUST TIMELINES, YES, IT'S REAL ESTATE.
THERE'S LIKE NATURAL DELAYS THAT ARE GONNA HAPPEN, WE KNOW THAT.
BUT, UM, BEING, UM, AS FORTHCOMING WITH THE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE UNDERTAKING, WHICH IS THE NATURE OF THESE UPDATES.
COMMISSIONER GRAY HAS AN A QUESTION.
UH, NOT A QUESTION, JUST A COMMENT SINCE I'VE BEEN AROUND THE PROCESS.
JUST THE ORIGINALLY KEPT COMMISSIONER MARK, UM, THERE WERE 45 ORGANIZATIONS THAT ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH A CHOICE PROCESS.
THAT WAS, HAS NOT BEEN, UH, UH, INVOLVED OR, UH, JUST YOU GUYS THAT ARE NEW.
SO THE PIPELINE GROUPS WERE CHOSEN OF THOSE ORIGINAL 45.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS A, A LENGTHY PROCESS AND LOTS OF ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED.
AND COMMISSIONER CHENEY HAS A SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE, UM, WITH THIS AS WELL.
SO SHE'S COMING AT IT FROM AN, FROM THE APPLICANT POOL, UM, AND ADVOCATING FOR TRANSPARENCY IN BOTH SIDES.
SO THERE'S DEFINITELY JUST A LOT, UM, HAPPENING ALL AT ONCE.
AND WE NEED TO HEAR ALL THESE VOICES TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE COMMUNITY'S COMING FROM AS WELL.
AND WE'RE SEEING, UH, STILL ACTIVE DISPLACEMENT FROM OUR ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO FIND SPACE OR FOR THAT THIS PROCESS ISN'T SERVING BECAUSE OF THE DURATION.
IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THE BEAST.
UM, HANDS ARE TIED ON ALL ACCOUNTS, UM, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE SPACES BEING SUPPORTED AND BEING ABLE TO STAY IN AUSTIN.
AND PLEASE, UM, YOU CANNOT OVERSHARE, SO JUST SPAM US WITH EVERY LINK AND ALL EVENTS.
AND IF, YOU KNOW, PUT US ON YOUR NEWSLETTER LIST OR WHATEVER WE NEED.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'D LOVE TO ATTEND THE EVENTS THAT WE CAN AND CONTINUE TO AMPLIFY OPPORTUNITIES.
AND, UM, JUST ALL THE GOOD EXCITING NEWS THAT'S COMING FROM THE A EDC.
YEAH, AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE, I MEAN, I KNOW THE SITUATION IS DIRE, UM, FOR A LOT OF, UH, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE GRAPPLE WITH.
UM, BUT DEALING WITH REAL ESTATE AND THEN DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE MOVING ICEBERGS.
UM, AND I COME, I DON'T COME TO THIS WITH A REAL ESTATE BACKGROUND, BUT AS I'VE STARTED TO LEARN ALL OF THE MORE AND MORE OF THE INTRICACIES, IT'S, UH, IT'S A, IT'S A QUAGMIRE.
UM, AND I WOULD SAY THIS, EVEN IF WE WERE TO GIVE THAT $5.1 MILLION AWAY TODAY, THAT WOULD STILL NOT ADDRESS NEARLY THE NEED THAT IS OUT THERE.
SO, UM, I THINK THE IDEA IS THAT WE ALL HAVE, ALL HAVE TO REMAIN OPEN TO HOW CAN WE GENERATE OTHER, UM, AVENUES FOR, UH, UH, NOT JUST WHAT'S, WHAT'S IN THE, IN THE PIPELINE HERE, BUT WHAT ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP MOVE PEOPLE, MOVE THESE ORGANIZATIONS FORWARD.
COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU CARL, UM, YES.
AND IS THERE A TI ANTICIPATED TIMELINE ON, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK FOR A, A SECOND BOND PACKAGE TO CONTINUE FUNDING THE WORK OF A EDC AND THE ABILITY TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL PROJECTS? UM, DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED, BUT I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF ABOVE MY PAY GRADE AT THIS POINT.
I, I, I DON'T REALLY KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICS, UM, THAT THOSE THINGS ARE DEFINITELY, WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN CREATE REVENUE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES.
AND WE AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON IS ON THESE REAL ESTATE DEALS, BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN ACCESS RESOURCES THAT ARE, AND, AND THAT'S MORE OF AN AD HOC AND INFORMAL BASIS.
BUT WE GOTTA DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO HELP ORGANIZATIONS, UM, CONTINUE TO STAY AFLOAT, UH, IN THE CITY.
IF THERE, UM, IF IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, SHOULD BE PURSUED MM-HMM,
[00:30:01]
WHAT THEY JUST NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE THINGS TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT WILL GO, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BRING IN MM-HMM,AND SO IF WE HAVE SOME HEADS UP ON WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIKE IN TERMS OF, UM, THINGS THAT ARE GONNA NEED OUR VOTES, WE CAN SHARE THAT MORE BROADLY WITH THE, WITH THE ARTS COMMUNITY AND, AND, AND ADVOCATES, UM, AND TRY TO HELP MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND I THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
I WILL MAKE THAT CLEAR TO, UH, THE BOARD, UH, THE A A DC, UM, AND, UM, I'LL, I'LL GET SOME MORE CLARITY ON THAT AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A MUCH MORE, UH, DETAILED UPDATE IN THAT REGARD NEXT MONTH.
AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME IN THE INTERIM AS WELL, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, JUST TO, JUST TO CLARIFY THE, THE, THAT IS THE MIDDLE FISCAL, MIDDLE FISCAL ROAD SPACE THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO THAT HAD THE, THE PDC, THE PER PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER HU SAID IT'S, UH, RUDE MECHANICALS AND AUSTIN BACK CAVE THAT ARE THE RECIPIENTS OF THAT, THE, OR THE BENEFICIARIES OF THAT SPACE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CARL? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
REALLY APPRECIATE THE UPDATE AND GOOD TO SEE YOUR FACE.
ALRIGHT, NEXT, WE HAD A PRESENTATION
[6. Presentation by Harold McMillan on a Black Artists and Professional Creatives Registry ]
BY HAROLD MCMILLAN ON THE BLACK ARTIST PROFESSIONAL CREATIVES RE REGISTRY, BUT I DON'T SEE HIM IN THE ROOM, NOR ON.ARE YOU READY? DID HE JUST JOIN OR HAS HE BEEN WAITING? WE CAN GIVE HIM A MINUTE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, HAROLD.
UM, YEAH, THANKS, UH, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND I THANK YOU FOR POSTING THAT, UM, THE LAST TIME I, I'M HAROLD MCMILLAN, UH, REPRESENTING DIVERSE ARTS AND THE EAST WESTERN CREATIVE COALITION.
UH, I KNOW SOME OF THE NAMES HERE.
I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE NAMES.
SO, UH, THAT'S WHO I AM, THAT THAT'S WHAT I DO.
UH, THE LAST TIME I WAS IN FRONT OF YOU DOING A PRESENTATION WAS PROBABLY LIKE THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
UH, AT THE FRONT OF THE TIME THAT MY ORGANIZATION THAT WASN'T YET AN ORGANIZATION WAS ATTEMPTING TO GRAPPLE WITH THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT THAT WAS ESTABLISHED, UM, BASICALLY CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN, MOST OF 7 8 7 0 2 WAS ESTABLISHED IN, OFFICIALLY IN 2007.
AND, UH, MYSELF AND A NUMBER OF COHORTS DID A LOT OF WORK TO REWRITE A NEW RESOLUTION TO TRY TO GET THE CITY TO ACTUALLY REVISIT THE CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT AND ESSENTIALLY KIND OF MAKE GOOD ON AT LEAST IMPLIED PROMISES, UH, FROM THAT FIRST ROUND OF MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
UH, ULTIMATELY, ACTUALLY, ULTIMATELY PART OF THE THANKS TODAY IS, UH, PRIOR TO THAT LEGISLATION BEING, UH, SUBMITTED TO COUNCIL, WE DID, OUR GROUP DID RECEIVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS BODY FOR COUNCIL TO APPROVE OUR RESOLUTION.
AND THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN SEPTEMBER OF 21.
SO THAT'S BEEN SOME GOOD WHILE, UH, NOW, UH, IN TERMS OF UPDATING ON WHERE THINGS ARE WITH US, UH, SINCE THEN, WE HAVE, UM, FORMALIZED, UH, A WORKING GROUP INTO BECOMING A 5 0 1 AS THE CREATIVE COALITION.
AND WE ARE VERY SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON DOING WHAT WE CAN TO
[00:35:01]
HERITAGE DISTRICT.UM, BUT ALSO QUITE CANDIDLY, UH, TO TRY TO STRATEGIZE ON HOW TO PUSH ON, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND EDD TO ACTUALLY MAKE SOME MOVEMENT IN THE DISTRICT.
UH, BECAUSE THAT RESOLUTION WAS APPROVED SEPTEMBER OF 21, AND WE ARE NOW IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 24.
SO, UH, MY GROUP HAS A FAIRLY HIGH DEGREE, HIGH LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION AT THIS POINT.
UH, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE NOT SEEING, UM, FROM THE CITY SIDE, UH, IS THAT ALTHOUGH FUNDING WAS APPROVED, I THINK FIRST IN 2015, UH, FOR PLACEMAKING AND WAY FINDING FOR THE DISTRICT, UH, THAT'S STILL NOT MADE ITS WAY TO US.
AND WE WERE THE FIRST SUCH DISTRICT, UH, ORGANIZED, UM, BY THE CITY.
UM, HOWEVER, YOU WILL SEE SIGNS THAT SAY THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CORRIDOR, AND YOU WILL SEE SIGNS THAT SAY RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
AND THERE ARE PROBABLY OTHER SIGNS THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ALSO.
BUT NONE OF THAT WAY FINDING PLACEMAKING INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, HAS MADE IT YET TO THE FIRST DISTRICT THAT WAS ACTUALLY, UH, DESIGNATED.
UH, IT WOULD BE REALLY COOL IF ONE OF YOU WERE ABLE TO GO TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE, UM, MAYBE TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THE DIVISION THAT DOES ALL THE CITY OFFICIAL MAPS.
UH, DO A SEARCH THERE AND SEE IF YOU CAN FIND ON ANY OFFICIAL CITY MAP SOME DESIGNATION THAT SAYS AUSTIN AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT.
LAST TIME I LOOKED, IT STILL WASN'T THERE.
I HAVEN'T LOOKED RECENTLY THOUGH.
UH, BUT THE DISTRICT WAS CARVED OUT WITH SPECIFIC BOUNDARIES SET IN 2007.
UM, THAT WAS SOME GOOD WHILE AGO.
THE DISTRICT, WHICH I KNOW TO BE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW TO BE, AND EVEN MORE THINK PROBABLY IS, UM, THIS CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT IS A SIGNIFICANT CITY ASSET IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CULTURAL TOURISM, CREATIVE PRODUCTION, LIVE MUSIC, CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
UM, THAT IS FRUSTRATING TO THOSE OF US WHO ARE DOWN HERE ON THE STREET TRYING TO DO THE WORK.
UM, FOR SOME OF US, BECAUSE WE'RE OLD, IT'S WAY FRUSTRATING.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT REQUIRE THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S PARTICIPATION.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO ACTIVELY IS SETTING UP STRUCTURE TO TRY TO START MOVING ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES OURSELVES INTERNALLY, UM, AND NOT WAIT FOR THE CITY.
BUT THIS REALLY CAN'T BE DONE WITHOUT THE CITY BEING, UH, LIKE ACTIVE AND, AND ENERGETIC.
UH, WE HAVE JUST ROLLED OUT AN EFFORT TO, UM, FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT I KNOW TO COMPILE, UM, THIS REGISTRY THAT YOU SEE UP ON YOUR SCREEN.
UM, I ESSENTIALLY A CENSUS OF, UM, BLACK CREATIVES IN AUSTIN WHO WORK IN AUSTIN, MAYBE THEY LIVE IN PFLUGER ROCK, BUT THEY WORK IN AUSTIN AND THEY HAVE AN INTEREST IN CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN AND THIS DISTRICT.
UM, WE ARE TRYING TO REACH AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN.
AND PART OF THE REASON THAT I WANTED TO SPEAK WITH YOU IS THAT INTERNALLY, UM, MAYBE NOT THE COMMISSION, UM, BUT EDD AND
[00:40:01]
I WOULD ASSUME THE COMMISSION ALSO HAS CONTACT INFORMATION ALREADY ON THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE APPLIED, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DENIED.UM, WHAT EACC WOULD ASK IS FOR YOUR PUSH TO HELP US GET THAT IN FRONT OF THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
UM, WE ARE NOT JUST TRYING TO DATA MINE.
THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS PROJECT, UH, WILL BE A SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE THAT IS DEDICATED TO BEING A MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS VEHICLE FOR THE BLACK CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT THE DATABASE THAT IS BEING ESTABLISHED RIGHT HERE IS GOING TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO, UM, A PUBLIC, UH, PUBLIC FACING, UH, WEBSITE, REALLY COOL WEBSITE, INTERACTIVE WEBSITE THAT HAS MY PHOTOGRAPH AND THE SERVICES THAT I OFFER AND LINKS TO MY SOCIAL MEDIA AND ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO IN ORDER TO HELP US GET THAT ULTIMATE GOAL OF HAVING THIS PUBLIC FACING WEBSITE, UH, I AM ASKING, WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR HELP IN PUSHING THIS REGISTRY AS SOMETHING THAT YOU SUPPORT AND IT'S COOL WORK AND THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP US WITH.
AND FROM SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THAT, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO HELP US, IT WOULD ALSO HELP IF YOU SAY TO THOSE FOLKS THAT YOU'RE SENDING IT TO, THAT YOU'RE NOT COMPILING YOUR SURVEILLANCE LIST FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THAT MIGHT SEEM STRANGE TO YOU, BUT I'VE HAD PEOPLE PUSH BACK AND SAY, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH THIS DATA? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH THIS CONTACT INFORMATION? ARE YOU JUST DOING THIS FOR THE CITY? AND THE ANSWER IS NO.
WE'RE TRYING TO SET UP A PLATFORM THAT ULTIMATELY BECOMES A MARKETING PLATFORM.
BUT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT, WE'RE CREATING A CLOSED COMMUNICATION LOOP SO THAT BLACK ART AND CULTURE ORGANIZATION, PROFESSIONAL CREATED, UH, PROFESSIONALS WHO DO CULTURAL HISTORY AND PRESERVATION AND ARCHITECTURE, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL BE ABLE TO SPEAK INTERNALLY TO EACH OTHER FOR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, FOR COLLABORATING OPPORTUNITIES, AND ON OCCASION, UM, TO SEEK CONSENSUS ON A POLICY STATEMENT THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO SAY, UM, REPRESENTS THIS GROUP OF CREATIVES, EITHER TO THE CITY OR TO THE COUNTY OR THE STATE, OR, UH, TO PRESIDENT TRUMP.
UM, SO WE, IT'S A, IT'S A WELL THOUGHT OUT CONCEPT AND WE ARE NOW AT THAT PLACE WHERE, UM, COULD REALLY USE SOME HELP GETTING IT POPULATED.
UM, WE'LL BE ROLLING OUT, UM, A MARKETING ROUND.
WE'VE ESSENTIALLY DONE OUR BETA TESTING AND IT WORKS.
SO WE'RE ABOUT TO ROLL OUT A, HEY, LOOK AT THIS COOL STUFF WE'RE DOING.
UM, THE NEXT REGISTRY THAT WE WILL BE COMPILING MODELS MODELED IN THE SAME WAY WILL NOT JUST BE FOR, UM, INDIVIDUAL CREATIVES, UM, BUT BE FOR INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE ENGAGED IN THIS WORK, WHO ALSO NEED TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE INTERNALLY.
BUT AGAIN, AS A CITY ASSET IN TERMS OF CULTURAL TOURISM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EQUITY ISSUES, IT REALLY MAKES SENSE FOR THESE KINDS OF PLATFORMS TO EXIST.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT WOULD BE IN THE PURVIEW OF THE CITY DOING DIRECTLY, BUT IT SHOULD BE THE KIND OF THING I THINK THAT THE CITY SHOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPORT.
UM, THE NEXT LEVEL OF ACTIVITY IS THAT ACROSS DISCIPLINES.
UM, WE ARE EAST AUSTIN CREATIVE COALITION.
WE ARE TRYING TO FORM A REALLY VERY SMALL ADMINISTRATIVE AND MANAGEMENT CORE, BUT THE WORK ON THE DISTRICT IS REMEDIAL.
AND ONE ORGANIZATION CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE WITHIN ONE ORGANIZATION,
[00:45:01]
YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE PEOPLE THAT CAN DE DEDICATE THEIR STAFF TIME TO PHYSICAL PRESERVATION, CULTURAL PRESERVATION, UM, WRITING HISTORY, DOCUMENTING HISTORY, UM, WORKING WITH THE, THE CITY'S, UM, HISTORIC OFFICE IN ESTABLISHING DISTRICTS AND SUB-DISTRICTS WORKING WITH THEM.AND THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON, ON TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION ON GETTING, UM, NATIONAL REGISTER PLACEMENT AND SUCH.
UM, ONE ORGANIZATION DOESN'T HAVE ALL OF THAT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE ORGANIZING WORKING GROUPS THAT WILL LOOK AT PROGRAMMING, PRESERVATION, CULTURAL HISTORY, MARKETING PLACEMAKING, UM, AND DISTRICT INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, IT'S A PROCESS AND WE'RE INTO IT.
UM, BUT PART OF THE REASON THAT WE ARE HERE NOW IS BECAUSE THIS BODY RECOMMENDED THE LEGISLATION THAT WE, THAT WE WROTE FOUR YEARS AGO OR WHATEVER NUMBER OF YEARS IT WAS.
SO, UM, IN CLOSING, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT I, I TEND TO JUST RUN ON AND ON AND ON AND ON.
UM, THE, THE COMPOSITION OF, OF THE GROUP, UM, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
WE, WE DID A SHOW, WE DID AN EVENT YESTERDAY, UM, THAT INVOLVED ABOUT 20 BLACK OWNED BLACK RUN EAST AUSTIN FOCUSED BUSINESSES, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, CHURCHES.
UM, THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT, THAT WE WANT TO BE UP TO.
AND WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BE POLITICIANS.
WE DON'T WANT, NO, WE WANT TO BE CIVICALLY ENGAGED WITHOUT HAVING A WHOLE LOT OF PRESSURE TO BE POLITICALLY ENGAGED.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE FEELING OUT HERE ON THE STREET OF WORKING CREATIVES IS THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION WORKS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND YOU HAVE STAFF SUPPORT FROM THE CITY, EDD, AND YOU MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO EDD ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY.
THAT, THAT IS MY READ ON HOW BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WORK.
SO OVERALL, THE BIG ASK IS THAT WE NEED YOUR HELP LEANING ON EDD, AND I KNOW THEY'RE IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW.
I LIKE 'EM AND LOVE THEM AND HAVE WORKED WITH SEVERAL OF THEM FOR 20 YEARS.
UM, THIS LEGISLATION WAS PASSED IN 21, THE ORIGINAL DESIGNATION HAPPENED IN 2007.
I'M ASKING FOR YOUR HELP MEETING WITH ME AND, AND MY COHORTS OR HAVING QUESTION ANSWER SESSIONS, WHATEVER IT TAKES TO SEE IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO DO WITH A RECOMMENDATION OR RESOLUTION, UH, TO COUNSEL OR, OR TO THE DEPARTMENT.
HEY, HAROLD, LET ME, I WANNA JUMP IN 'CAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY OVER TIME AND I WANNA GIVE THE COMMISSION OH, I WISH YOU WOULD'VE STOPPED ME BECAUSE I GOTTA GO TO WORK TOO.
WELL, IF, IF THIS ISN'T A GOOD TIME FOR Q AND A, WE CAN RELEASE YOU AND, AND WE ALL HAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION VIA THE, THE EMAIL THAT YOU SENT US WITH THE LINK FOR THE BLACK AUSTIN, UM, ARTIST PROFESSIONAL CREATIVE REGISTRY.
AND THEN, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO CONNECT YOU, COMMISSIONER KEILA IS D ONE AND IS NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO CONNECT YOU WITH THEM SO THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW UP DIRECTLY AND THEN MAYBE THEY CAN BE OUR LIAISON FOR WAYS TO STAY ENGAGED AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS.
WE'RE ALL IN THE ROOM NODDING HEADS, UM, AND WANNA MAKE SURE YOU FEEL SUPPORTED.
YEAH, I, I WILL SAY THAT I'M A BLOCK AWAY FROM MY GIG AND I, I JUST HAVE TO WALK ON, TUNE UP AND PLUG IN.
DO YOU HAVE A FEW MORE MINUTES? YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF MINUTES PERFECT.
FOR A QUESTION IF YOU HAVE COMMISSIONERS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. MCMILLAN WHILE WE HAVE HIM? COMMISSIONER CHARLA? YEAH, A QUESTION AND, UH, ACTUALLY NOT, UH, THANK YOU HAROLD, UH, FOR, UH, BEING HERE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
[00:50:01]
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, JUST SHARE THAT.UM, I, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN A COUPLE OF TOWN HALLS, UH, AT, UH, THE CARVER, UH, IN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER AS WELL AS, UH, UH, FOR THE MAC.
AND THE NEED FOR THIS KIND OF A REGISTRY JUST REALLY STANDS OUT.
THIS IS ONE OF, UH, THE KEY THINGS THAT GOT CALLED OUT, UH, OR, OR THAT WAS AN ASPIRATION AT EVERY, WITHIN EVERY COMMUNITY THAT TO HAVE A DATABASE LIKE THIS.
SO, UH, VERY, VERY NEEDED, UH, UH, REALLY PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO KNOW WHO ELSE IS OPERATING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES AND, UH, HOW TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER AND, UH, YOU KNOW, LIFT EACH OTHER UP REALLY.
UM, AND, UH, OF COURSE, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, HAROLD, YOU, YOU, YOU, UH, MENTIONED, UH, SOME GAP IN EXPECTATIONS AS TO WHAT WAS EXPECTED VERSUS, UH, WHERE WE ARE, UH, AS FAR AS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CITY HAS DELIVERED.
AND I WOULD, UH, JUST, UH, REQUEST TO HEAR FROM, UH, EDD IF THEY CAN PROVIDE SOME PERSPECTIVE, UH, ON THAT FROM THEIR END AS WELL.
OKAY, HAROLD, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, MY FRIEND.
UH, IT'S LIKE EVERYBODY IS SAYING IT'S A LITTLE BIT OVERDUE, AND AS OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO CHANGE AND, YOU KNOW, WE LOSE IN MORE, UH, BROWN PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY ON THE EAST SIDE, UH, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DOCUMENT THIS, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND EXPAND AS MUCH AS WE CAN BECAUSE, UH, IT'S GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE TO LIVE IN AUSTIN.
AND THOSE WORKING FOLKS ARE ALSO WORKING.
ARTISTS ARE USUALLY THE FIRST ONES TO GO.
AND SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO, AND I'LL TALK TO YOU, MY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, DISTRICT THREE COMMISSIONER VELASQUEZ, AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT, UH, LOW SIGNAGE GO UP, MY FRIEND.
COMMISSIONER GARZA S NOVIA HOLT, DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
SO I'M GONNA TRY TO ADDRESS WHAT I'VE NOTATED, UM, IN TERMS OF THE REGISTRY.
WE WILL NEED TO CONSULT WITH OUR CTM AND LEGAL DEPARTMENT ON EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN DO.
WE ARE BOUND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO STAY WITHIN OUR FRAMEWORK, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, DATA WE CAN POST AND SHARE AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA WE CAN SHARE.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE RESOLUTION THAT, UH, WAS REFERENCED, I BELIEVE IT'S 2 0 2 1 0 9 0 2 4, WE ARE WORKING ON A CULTURAL DISTRICT PLAN.
SO WHEN WE STARTED THE WAY FINDING PROCESS, UM, TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THE DISTRICTS, UM, CERTAIN DISTRICTS WANTED CERTAIN CHARACTERS, BUT THERE WAS NOT A PLAN OF HOW TO PULL ALL THAT TOGETHER.
WE HAVE HAD, UM, STAFFING CHALLENGES, BUT THE GOAL IS TO GET BACK A DISTRICT PLAN THIS SUMMER.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE ON THAT FRONT.
BUT IT'S NOT ONLY AFRICAN AMERICAN, RED RIVER AND FIFTH STREET.
FIFTH STREET JUST HAS TEMPORARY SIGNAGE.
THAT WAS A DIRECTIVE FROM THE DIOCESE FOR TEMPORARY UNTIL WE COULD GET THIS FINAL PLAN IN PLACE, BUT WE NEED A COHESIVE PLAN SO IT CAN BE EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED.
SO THOSE ARE THE ITEMS THAT I NOTED STAFF HELPED ME IF I MISSED SOMETHING ELSE.
UH, MEGAN WELLS CULTURAL ARTS, UH, DIVISION MANAGER.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD ON TO WHAT, SO NOVIA MENTIONED, UM, THE DISTRICT PLAN THAT SHE MENTIONED IS INTENDED TO BE A FRAMEWORK MM-HMM.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, UM, AUSTIN HAS POCKETS OF ACTIVITY THAT, THAT HAVE CHARACTERISTICS THAT COULD BE DISTRICTS, BUT, AND WE DO HAVE SOME DISTRICTS THAT ARE RECOGNIZED BY THE STATE, UM, AS CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
UM, WE HAVE OTHER POCKETS OF TOWN THAT LOOK AND FEEL LIKE DISTRICTS IN OTHER CITIES.
IN FACT, WE HAVE AREAS WHERE THEY ARE, UM, EVEN CALLED DISTRICTS BY NEIGHBORHOODS THAT REFER TO 'EM AS, UH, THIS IS THE SUCH AND SUCH DISTRICT, OR, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE INFORMALLY KNOWN AS DISTRICTS, BUT THERE'S NO, UH, RECOGNIZED CITY DESIGNATION THAT GIVES THEM, UM, BENE CERTAIN BENEFITS OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, SIGNAGE OR, OR A GATEWAY DESIGNATION OR, UM, YOU KNOW, A ROUTE BY, BY, UH, BY CAP METRO.
THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO, UM, THERE'S NO UNIFORM, UM, PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY OR, OR, UM, PATHWAYS TO, TO PROMOTE IT TO MM-HMM.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK THAT, THAT WILL, UM,
[00:55:01]
SORT OF COALESCE A LOT OF, UH, POLICY DESIGNATIONS AND BENEFITS AROUND WHAT THOSE DISTRICT OPPORTUNITIES CAN BE.UH, AND WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY DECISIONS SO THAT WE PERPETUATE THE INEQUITIES THAT ALREADY EXIST.
SO, UM, SO UNFORTUNATELY THAT HAS DELAYED THE PROCESS OF, OF ADDRESSING THE LONGSTANDING, YOU KNOW, GAPS THAT HAROLD'S TALKING ABOUT.
UH, WE DID START THE CONVERSATION WITH THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL DISTRICT A WHILE BACK.
UH, WE DIDN'T GET VERY FAR BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE LARGER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THAT DISTRICT CHARACTER LOOKED LIKE.
UM, AND WE DIDN'T WANNA START THAT CONVERSATION AND HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND REDO THAT WORK WITH A LARGER CONVERSATION OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT, UH, WE REALLY NEEDED TO HAVE EMBEDDED INTO LARGER PLANS BECAUSE THAT CORRIDOR IS CHANGING, THAT SIX BLOCK, 16 AND 18 IS COMING ALONG.
UH, WE WANTED TO DO A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL, UH, CENTER THAT WE MANAGE.
THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF CHANGE GOING ON.
UM, SO ALL OF THAT DOES KIND OF RESIDE WITHIN EDD.
AND SO WE WERE TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER SOME FRAMEWORKS THAT WOULD REALLY ENCOMPASS ALL THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND IT JUST TOOK A LOT OF TIME TO GET ALL OF THAT KIND OF HOUSED WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT PROJECT MANAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, FRAMEWORK.
WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS GETTING THAT, UM, AS SOVIA SAID, FINISHED THIS SUMMER.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN ROLL OUT PLANS THAT CAN KIND OF DOVETAIL UNDER IT.
IT'LL BE A LITTLE MORE COHESIVE.
UM, AND THEN I THINK WE CAN BUILD LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND HOW DO WE THEN USE THAT FRAMEWORK TO, UM, TO BUILD A BETTER COHESIVE FUTURE FOR A LOT OF THESE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE JUST BEEN KIND OF FLOUNDERING UNDER, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS, AND HOW DOES THIS, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? SO I DON'T, THAT'S, I HOPE THAT, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S HELPFUL, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'VE, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING GONE AND WHERE WE'RE HOPING TO HEAD FROM HERE.
SUMMER 2024 IS WHAT I'M TAKING AWAY THAT THERE'LL BE MAYBE AN UPDATE AT LEAST, OR I'M, I'M HOPING WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING WE CAN SHARE WITH YOU THAT'S ACTUALLY A LITTLE MORE, THERE'S A LITTLE MORE MEAT ON THE BONE BY THAT, BY THAT TIME.
AND BUDGETS ARE STILL IN PLACE THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
THAT'S SO THEY'RE INTACT AND WE CAN HAVE, WE CAN HAVE AN UPDATE, UH, COME, IN FACT, I THINK THERE WAS A REQUEST TO HAVE MAYBE AN UPDATE COME TO THE COMMISSION TO SHARE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE DISTRICT FRAMEWORK.
I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER HOUSTON REQUESTED AN UPDATE.
YEAH, I THINK WE WERE GONNA SHOOT FOR MAYBE THE APRIL MEETING.
SO I'LL, I'LL BE GLAD TO SHEPHERD THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT COMES FORWARD TO Y'ALL.
MAYBE, MAYBE I'LL, I'LL LET, I'LL LET SOME OF IT BE THE BEST EFFORT AR OF THAT BEST EFFORTS.
COMMISSIONER CHENEY, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT THERE'S A RESOURCE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD HELP THIS PARTICULAR CASE, BUT THROUGH THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS, SWEAR, I DON'T WORK FOR THEM.
I REFERENCE THEM EVERY COMMISSION MEETING.
BUT THERE IS A GRANT WHERE YOU CAN APPLY FOR A DESIGNATION.
UM, I'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE, BUT ESSENTIALLY THROUGH THE TCA, YOU CAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH THAT AVENUE AS WELL, BUT JUST, JUST THOUGHT I WOULD PUT THAT OUT THERE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT PROCESS OR ANYTHING.
SIX SQUARE HAS THAT DESIGNATION.
WE WERE IN, WE WERE IN THE INAUGURAL CLASS OF FOUR DISTRICTS IN THE STATE MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST FOUR DESIGNATED.
SO WE, WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION A LONG TIME AND, UH, BECAUSE I, I KNOW THAT STAFF STILL ON THE CALL.
UM, AND I, AND I'LL SAY THIS, UM, THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR THE DISTRICT BEING A CULTURAL DISTRICT AND A HISTORIC DISTRICT IS MINE.
UH, IT ULT ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, GOT CODIFIED AT SOME LEVEL, BUT THAT WORK HAPPENED MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO.
AND IT WAS THE FIRST DESIGNATION THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAD MADE FOR SUCH A DISTRICT.
SO WHAT I CONTINUE TO NOT UNDERSTAND IS WHY THE FIRST DISTRICT IS NOT THE PILOT RECIPIENT OF PUTTING THIS STUFF IN PLACE.
SO IF THERE'S A TEMPLATE THAT IS, IS BEING WORKED ON, WHY DON'T WE OVERLAY THAT TEMPLATE ONTO THE FIRST STEP WAS DESIGNATED, AND THEN MAKE THAT COMPATIBLE WITH THE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED
[01:00:01]
IN THE LAST 18 YEARS.SEEMS LIKE THAT THAT TEMPLATE IS BEING DETERMINED.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE ASK.
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT THAT IS, THAT THAT TEMPLATE IS WHAT'S BEING FINALIZED.
SO THERE'S NOT EVEN SOMETHING THAT'S READY TO BE, THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER EQUITABLE, UM, TO BE OVERLAID AT THE MOMENT.
BUT THAT, THAT'S WHAT THE GOAL IS.
WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M INTERPRETING STAFF SAY.
THAT, AGAIN, THE FRAMEWORK, UM, IS WHAT'S BEING DEVELOPED BECAUSE GRANTED IS THE FIRST, BUT NOT SURE IF THAT'S WHAT THE OTHERS WILL WANT.
BUT THE FRAMEWORK WILL THEN LAY THE FOUNDATION OF HOW WE PROCEED.
SO I JUST WANT TO ALSO SAY THAT MYSELF AND FOLKS ON MY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO CONSULT WITH YOU, TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU, TO HAVE MEETINGS WITH YOU AROUND THESE ISSUES.
UH, RATHER THAN BEING INFORMED AFTER, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LIKE TO HELP, WE WOULD LIKE TO HELP IN THE DEVELOPMENT IF, IF THERE IS A PLACE FOR US, UM, TO BE HELPFUL WITH THAT.
AND WE, I'M MANAGING ALL, ALL THE PRIORITIES, SO I'LL GET BACK WITH, WITH HAROLD ON THAT.
THANK YOU, HAROLD, FOR BEING HERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, GIVING US A, AN UPDATE OF WHERE THINGS ARE AT.
AND PLEASE DON'T BE A STRANGER.
UM, WE'D LOVE TO GET MORE CONSISTENT, UM, UPDATES FROM YOU.
AND AGAIN, UH, FEEL FREE TO ENGAGE THE INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS, UM, ON A ONE-ON-ONE BASIS.
UM, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US TO MEET AS A GROUP, BUT WE DO HAVE A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP THAT I KNOW WOULD BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU, UM, AND BE ABLE TO WORK IN COLLABORATION ON SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'VE GOT GOING ON.
AND THANK YOU FOR PUTTING ME PRETTY SOON, EARLY IN THE AGENDA, AND I STILL HAVE TIME TO GET TO MY GIG AND I'LL GO PLAY THE BLUES AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUN.
[7. Presentation by Jon Windham and Melissa Ayala on the “Past Deposits from a Future Yet to Come” video art installation at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park]
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY JOHN WINDHAM AND MELISSA ALA ON THE PAST, DEPOSITS FROM A FUTURE YET TO COME, A VIDEO OR INSTALLATION AT THE MOODY AMPHITHEATER AT WATERLOO PARK.THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING.
UM, WE ARE EXCITED TO MEET WITH YOU TO TALK ABOUT, UM, OUR LATEST ART PROJECT.
UM, IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH WATERLOO GREENWAY, WE'RE A NONPROFIT WORKING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN ON THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF OUR PARK SYSTEM THROUGH THE EASTERN PORTION OF DOWNTOWN, UM, THROUGH A, UM, PHASED, UH, SYSTEM, UH, THAT WE'RE OPENING OUR PARKS PROJECTS.
UM, OUR FIRST PHASE IS WATERLOO PARK, WHICH OPENED IN 2021, AND SINCE THEN WE HAVE BEEN, UM, OPERATING AND MAINTAINING THE SPACE, UM, AND HOSTING YEAR-ROUND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING WITH ABOUT 150 PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UM, THAT RANGE FROM WEEKLY WORKOUTS TO, UM, LIFE MUSIC, OUTDOOR MOVIES, UM, FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES.
SO WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE PARK SOON.
UM, WE WANTED TO, UM, CHAT WITH Y'ALL THIS EVENING, UM, TO SHARE OUR LATEST PROJECT AND INVITE YOU ALL TO COME CHECK IT OUT VERY SOON.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I WILL HAND IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, JOHN WINDHAM, WHO IS OUR CREATIVE LEAD AT WATERLOO GREENWAY, TO SHARE MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT.
THANKS, MELISSA, AND THANKS EVERYBODY FOR HAVING US.
UM, THIS IS AN EXCITING PIECE AND, UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO IN EARLY 2020, UH, THE WATERLOO GREENWAY ART COMMITTEE COMMISSIONED A SITE-SPECIFIC VIDEO ART PIECE TO BE EXHIBITED AT MOODY AMPHITHEATER, WATERLOO PARK, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, TO ACTIVATE THAT SPACE IN A WAY BESIDES CONCERTS OR REGULAR PROGRAMMING.
AND THE ARTISTS THAT ARE, HAVE CREATED THE WORK, THERESA HUBBARD AND ALEXANDER BLER, THEY ARE AUSTIN BASED AND, UM, ALSO BASED IN BERLIN.
THEY'VE SHOWN LOCALLY FOR YEARS, THEY'VE SHOWN REGIONALLY FOR YEARS AROUND TEXAS AND ARE KNOWN INTERNATIONALLY, UH, EXCUSE MY CAT, UM, AND ARE SHOWN INTERNATIONALLY AROUND THE WORLD AND, AND LIKE, ARE REALLY, UH, UM, SORRY, UM, UH, SORRY.
INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED VIDEO ARTS.
[01:05:01]
SO, IN THEIR RESEARCH, UM, AND WANTING TO DO SOMETHING SITE SPECIFIC BASED AROUND WALLER CREEK, BASED AROUND OUR PROJECT, UH, THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE TEXAS ARCHEOLOGICAL RESEARCH LABORATORY AT UT HAD DONE, UM, ARCHEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS IN ADVANCE OF THE WALLER CREEK TUNNEL PROJECT, UH, THE BIG TUNNEL THAT THEY BUILT TO KEEP WALLER CREEK FROM FLOODING.AND AT TWO SITES, THEY FOUND A LOT OF THINGS FROM PEOPLE WHO USED TO LIVE ALONG THE CREEK IN THE MID 18 HUNDREDS, WE THINK, UH, INTO THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS.
THEY DIDN'T FIND A LOT OF ANYTHING, ANYTHING OLDER THAN THAT BECAUSE THE CREEK TENDS TO FLOOD ALL OF THAT STUFF OUT.
BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO, UH, FIND AND CATALOG ABOUT 1400 ARTIFACTS FROM THE PEOPLE WHO USED TO LIVE ALONG THE CREEK AND THEIR JUST LITTLE BITS OF DAILY LIFE, THEIR BUTTONS AND BUCKLES AND GAMES AND MARVELS AND BOTTLES AND COMBS.
SO THE, THE ARTISTS GOT ACCESS TO THESE, AND THEY WERE, SOME OF THEM WERE LOANED TO THE ARTISTS TO BE, UM, FILMED IN FULL 360 DEGREE.
AND WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEY WERE FILMED IN FULL 6 360 DEGREE HIGH RES CAMERAS.
THEY, WE'VE INSTALLED FOUR PROJECTORS IN THE CANOPY OF MOODY AMPHITHEATER TO PROJECT IT.
AND IT'S KIND OF HARD TO, TO VISUALIZE WHAT THIS IS.
THAT WALL IS 120 FEET WIDE BY 16 FEET HIGH, BUT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING WILL MOVE, UM, THE ARTISTS HAVE CHOREOGRAPHED THE, THE OBJECTS IN, IN DIFFERENT, IN, IN A, IN ABOUT A, A PIECE THAT RUNS AT ABOUT 25 MINUTES LONG AND WILL LOOP, UH, AND THE, THEY MOVE AND THEY, THEY INTERACT WITH THE SPACE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
I THINK, AND PEOPLE CAN GET RIGHT UP CLOSE TO THESE OBJECTS AND SEE, AND YOU KNOW, LIKE, IT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING TO SEE A MARBLE, UH, AT 120 FEET WIDE, BUT ALSO VERY SPECIAL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS CHOREOGRAPHY AND, AND THIS PIECE IS, IS, UH, OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
YOU KNOW, LIKE THIS IS PART OF, YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE'S LIVES WHO LIVED ALONG WALLER CREEK IN THE PAST.
AND, UM, ALSO THERE WILL BE THE ARTIST COLLABORATED WITH A COMPOSER, UH, ALEX WESTIN TO CREATE A MUSICAL SCORE.
UM, I THINK WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
TO CREATE A MUSICAL SCORE THAT WILL BE ACCESSED ON PEOPLE'S MOBILE DEVICE.
IT'LL STREAM, UH, WHEREVER THAT PIECE IS VIEWABLE IN THE PARK, AND PEOPLE CAN GET ON THEIR MOBILE DEVICE AND LISTEN TO THE SCORE.
UM,
I THINK THERE ARE SOME TIMES IN THE SUMMER WHEN IT'S TOO LIGHT OUT TO SHOW IT, BUT, UM, FOR FIVE YEARS AND YEAH, WE OPEN ON THIS SATURDAY AT 7:00 PM MOODY AMPHITHEATER AND, UH, DEFINITELY WANNA INVITE Y'ALL TO COME OUT AND CHECK THIS THING OUT.
SO THAT IS PAST DEPOSITS FROM A FUTURE YET TO COME, UM, OPENING IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR WATERLOO TEAM? UH, YES, COMMISSIONER MA.
SO WHAT TIME ON SATURDAY? 7:00 PM 7:00 PM WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC OPENING AND I FORGOT TO MENTION THE SCORE WILL BE PERFORMED LIVE BY, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S NINE MUSICIANS THAT WERE GATHERED AND, AND REHEARSED AND, AND WORKED WITH, UH, GRAHAM REYNOLDS TO, UH, PERFORM THE SCORE LIVE IN THE PARK THAT NIGHT.
SO THAT'LL HAPPEN AT SEVEN 30 AND THEN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING, THE, THE PIECE WILL PLAY AND THE SCORE WILL BE PLAYED LIVE ON SPEAKERS THAT EVENING.
SO IT SHOULD BE, IT SHOULD BE REALLY, REALLY COOL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
IS THE AREA THAT THE, THE VIDEO WILL BE PLAYING, IS THAT ALWAYS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? IT IS, YEAH.
I DON'T THINK, AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO INTERACT, OH, I'M SORRY.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, THE ARTISTS AND, AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO INTERACT WITH THIS HOWEVER THEY, THEY WANT TO, YOU CAN GET UP CLOSE AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE OUT THERE DOING SOME TESTS, SOME KIDS RAN UP AND WE'RE LIKE A GIANT BALLOON AND YOU'RE JUST RUNNING AROUND AND REALLY SEEM TO ENJOY IT AND ALL OF THAT.
SO YEAH, YOU CAN GET UP ON STAGE.
THAT SEEMS LIKE A VERY PLAYFUL PIECE.
ALL RIGHT, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS IN THE ROOM.
[01:10:01]
BOTH SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.AND, UM, PLEASE COME BACK AND SEE US AND KEEP US POSTED ON ALL THE PROGRAMMING YOU GUYS HAVE GOING ON.
AND NEXT WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY
[8. Presentation by KB Brookins on a proposal to create an Austin Poet Laureate program ]
KB BROOKINS ON A PROPOSAL TO CREATE AN AUSTIN POET LAUREATE PROGRAM.KB, YOU'RE WELCOME TO JOIN US, APPEAR ON MIC, AND THAT WAY THE PEOPLE ON SCREEN CAN HEAR YOU AND YOU'LL BE RECORDED.
OUR IN-HOUSE TECHNICIAN WILL HELP YOU GET STARTED THERE, RIGHT HERE, WHERE IT'S LIT UP.
AND YOU'LL HAVE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, BUT WE'D LOVE TO DO SOME Q AND A AS WELL.
THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE ONLINE AS WELL.
UM, SO I'M A LOCAL ARTIST, HAVE BEEN LIVING IN AUSTIN FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS.
UM, AND I AM HERE TALKING A BIT ABOUT A POET LAUREATE PROGRAM.
I'LL LOOK AT MY SCREEN A LITTLE BIT 'CAUSE I HAVE NOTES.
UM, BUT SIX TO 16 HUNDREDS, LIKE PEOPLE HAVE CREATED LAU PROGRAMS IN CITIES TO DO PROBABLY ONE OF THREE THINGS.
UM, PROMOTE LITERACY IN A LOCAL AREA, UM, PROMOTE, UH, THE LOCAL AREAS, ARTS AND CULTURAL SCENE, UM, AND ALSO JUST TO LIKE BRING NEW ENERGY INTO A CITY, UM, AND PUT POETRY INTO THE FABRIC OF A CITY'S HISTORY AND CULTURE.
UM, ONE THING THAT STARTED TO, UH, REALLY STICK OUT TO ME, I'M FROM FORT WORTH, TEXAS, AND, UM, DALLAS ACTUALLY JUST GOT THEIR FIRST POET LAUREATE IN I THINK 2020.
AND THEN IT DAWNED ON ME LIKE, OH, I THINK AUSTIN IS THE ONLY CITY OUT OF THE BIG FOUR, AUSTIN CITY, AUSTIN HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, UM, AND DALLAS THAT DOESN'T HAVE A POET LAUREATE PROGRAM.
AND ALSO THERE ARE SMALLER CITIES IN TEXAS THAT ALSO HAVE ONE.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A STATEWIDE TEXAS POET LAUREATE.
UM, SO I STARTED TO GATHER THESE STATISTICS, RIGHT? UM, LIKE ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, A STATE ARTS AGENCIES, TEXAS RANKS 42ND AMONG STATE SUPPORTING ARTISTS IN THE US RIGHT? AS OF 2003, UM, UH, OVER 121,000, UM, ADULTS IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
CAN'T READ OR STRUGGLE WITH READING.
SO I THOUGHT LIKE SOMETHING LIKE A TEXAS, UH, A AUSTIN POET LAUREATE, UM, MAY ASSIST, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALREADY LOCALLY WORKING, UM, HARD ON THINGS LIKE LITERACY.
AND ALSO, UM, WHEN YOU GOOGLE AUSTIN ARTS, I, I DID THIS TODAY, UM, TO STILL BE LIKE, UM, ACCURATE WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THIS TODAY.
UM, POETRY'S LIKE NOT ON THE FIRST PAGE, RIGHT? SO LIKE, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS, UM, ARTS HEARTS OF TEXAS, AUSTIN.
UM, BUT WE'RE ONE OF THE BIG CITIES THAT DON'T HAVE A POET LAUREATE PROGRAM.
AND WE ALSO, UM, WHEN WE THINK OF AUSTIN ARTS AND CULTURE, WE DON'T NECESSARILY THINK ABOUT POETRY.
EVEN THOUGH AUSTIN POETRY SLAM IS ONE OF THE LONGEST RUNNING POETRY SLAMS IN THE US RIGHT? UM, EVEN THOUGH, UM, THE MASTER OF FINE ARTS PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN IS ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS POETRY PROGRAMS IN THE US.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST A LARGE OVERSIGHT.
I THINK IT COULD DO A LOT OF GOOD TO HAVE A POET LAUREATE.
UM, SOME OBJECTIVES THAT I WROTE DOWN IN A GRANT PROPOSAL THAT I, UH, PUT FORTH IN ELEVATE THAT ACTUALLY DID GET APPROVED.
I SAID, UM, THE OBJECTIVES OF THE POET LAWYER COULD BE INSPIRING AUSTIN RESIDENTS TO READ, WRITE, AND APPRECIATE POETRY CELEBRATING AUSTIN'S LITERARY SCENE, NURTURING AND AMPLIFYING AUSTIN BASED POETS OF ALL AGES THROUGH OUTREACH AND PROGRAMS. THOSE PROGRAMS COULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE PERFORMANCES, TEACHING PUBLIC SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES, RIGHT? UM, AND IT WOULD ALSO, UH, ONE BIG THING THAT POLAR LAWYERS DO ALSO IS CREATE NEW UNDERSTANDING FOR HISTORY AND CULTURE, RIGHT? UM, SAY WE HAVE LIKE A OPENING, UM, A RIBBON TIE CUTTING AT A NEW WATERLOO GREENWAY THING, RIGHT? YOU COULD BRING A, UH, POET THERE AND MAKE A CUSTOM POEM, UM, THAT REALLY CEMENTS THAT EXPERIENCE INTO RIGHT, UM, AUSTIN HISTORY.
UM, SO I THINK THIS PROGRAM WILL DO A LOT OF GOOD, I'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS FOR THE PAST, LIKE TWO YEARS JUST TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT HOW THESE THINGS ARE RUN IN OTHER CITIES.
UM, SO I HAD A LOT, I HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION TO SHARE, RIGHT? UM, I ALSO HAVE THIS ELEVATE GRANT.
UM, 'CAUSE A LOT OF PUSHBACK THAT I'VE ENCOUNTERED IS LIKE, WELL, HOW ARE WE GONNA FIND THE MONEY FOR IT? BECAUSE LITER LITERARY ENDEAVORS IN AUSTIN ARE SO UNDERFUNDED, RIGHT? UM, BUT I GOT THE ELEVATE GRANT, RIGHT? SO I HAVE SOME SEED FUNDING FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, AND ALSO I'VE SPOKEN WITH MANY, MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS JUST TO NAME A FEW TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL.
UM, OUR CURRENT POET LAUREATE OF TEXAS, AMANDA JOHNSTON.
I TALKED TO THE AUSTIN LIBRARY FOUNDATION.
I TALKED TO EVERY INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE
[01:15:01]
IN TOWN.UM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, EVERYONE SEEMS TO BE IN FAVOR OF THIS HAPPENING, RIGHT? IT'S JUST A MATTER OF GETTING OVER THE HUMPS OF MAKING IT HAPPEN.
SO WHAT I'M HOPING TO GET FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION IS, FIRST I'D LOVE FOR Y'ALL TO BE A SUPPORTER OF THIS ENDEAVOR.
UM, SECOND, I'D LIKE THE ARTS SUBMISSION TO SUPPORT ME IN GETTING CONNECTED TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
'CAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, A LITTLE UNRESPONSIVE, UM, TO MY EMAILS SO THAT I MAY GET THEIR SUPPORT ON THIS PROGRAM.
UM, BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IN A LOT OF CITIES THAT HAVE LAUREATE PROGRAMS, IT IS USUALLY A, UM, EFFORT BETWEEN LIKE THE LOCAL LIBRARY AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN ORDER TO GIVE IT LIKE A, LIKE A A, IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE IT, LIKE IN A NONPROFIT, IT'S ANOTHER THING TO HAVE IT AS LIKE A CITY DESIGNATED PROGRAM, RIGHT? UM, I'D ALSO LOVE THE ARTS COMMISSION TO ASSIST ME WITH PUTTING A RESOLUTION FORWARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
UM, AND YEAH, ALSO, JUST IN GENERAL, LET ME KNOW IF I'M MISSING ANY STEPS.
I THINK I'VE TALKED TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS I POSSIBLY CAN, BUT IF THERE IS ANYBODY LEFT THAT I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO THAT I NEED TO SPEAK TO ABOUT THIS, UM, YEAH, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION.
BUT THAT'S ALL I GOT, YOU KNOW, UM, ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND HAVING, UM, CLEAR ACTIONABLE ITEMS FOR US TO ASSIST YOU WITH.
I, I THINK I CAN CONFIDENTLY SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM HERE THAT WE ARE ALL IN FAVOR OF A POET LAUREATE PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO GETTING SOME CLEAR STEPS ON HOW WE CAN BEST SUPPORT YOU, UM, I THINK WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE OPEN TO THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR KB WHILE WE HAVE THEM? COMMISSIONER NEY, THIS IS NOT A QUESTION, BUT THIS IS JUST A, A STATEMENT.
UM, I'VE PERSONALLY BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH KB, UM, AT MY ORGANIZATION, AND WE DID A REALLY COOL WORKSHOP, WHICH WAS THE INTERSECTION OF MEDIA ARTS AND POETRY, WHICH IS OFTEN FOUND IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDIA.
SO WE DID A FREE FILM POETRY WORKSHOP, WHICH IS AGAIN, LIKE A REALLY POPULAR FORMAT AND EXPERIMENTAL FILMMAKING, WHICH IS LIKE KIND OF MY EXPERTISE.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY EYE-OPENING, UM, AS A PERSON THAT HELPED FACILITATE THAT KIND OF SEEING THE CREATIVE FREEDOMS WHEN PEOPLE CAN EXPRESS THEMSELVES.
UM, OUR TOPIC WAS ON POLICING IN SCHOOLS, AND I, I THINK IT WAS PART OF A, A FELLOWSHIP YOU WERE DOING, RIGHT? KB YES.
A FELLOWSHIP I WAS DOING WITH BROADWAY ADVOCACY COALITION OUT IN NEW YORK.
AND IT WAS JUST, IT WAS REALLY MEANINGFUL.
I THINK POETRY IS A REALLY, UM, BEAUTIFUL WAY THAT PEOPLE OF ALL AGES CAN LEARN TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES WITH WORDS.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S JUST REALLY GREAT, UH, THAT YOU WANT TO DO THIS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MOCK.
I'M WONDERING, HAVE YOU HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT, ABOUT THE BUDGET FOR THIS PROGRAM? I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO PROPOSE TO HAVE IT ON OUR BUDGET, NOT WITH THE CARD FUND, BUT REALLY ON THE CITY'S BUDGET.
I MEAN, YEAH, I THINK WE SHOULD, THIS SHOULD BE A CITY SUPPORT PROGRAM.
SO ONE PART OF THE ELEVATOR AND WHAT'S PUT TOGETHER A POSSIBLE BUDGET.
SO I HAVE ONE, I HAVE LIKE AN IDEAL ONE, AND ALSO LIKE A, UM, HEY, MAYBE MORE REALISTIC IF WE ONLY HAVE $10,000, WHICH IS WHAT I GOT IN THE GRANT FOR TWO YEARS.
LIKE THIS IS HOW WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
THAT'S REALLY LIKE THE MINIMUM OF PROBABLY WHAT WELL, YOU SHOULD NOT DREAM SMALL.
SO I THINK I, I, I MEAN, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT OUR RECOMMENDATION, THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
WE HAVE OUR BUDGET ON THE DOCKET FOR CONVERSATION LATER, SO THIS IS OH, GREAT.
IF, UM, IF 10,000 IS THE SMALL END, WHAT IS THE BEST CASE SCENARIO? UM, THE BEST CASE SCENARIO WOULD BE $27,000.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE A PROJECT BUDGET FOR A POET LAUREATE.
SO USUALLY SOMETHING THAT A POET LAUREATE DOES IS LIKE, THEY COME ON REALLY EXCITED TO DO LIKE ONE PROJECT DURING THEIR TERM.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, ADA LIMON, WHO IS THE CURRENT UNITED STATES POET LAUREATE, HER PROJECT IS CREATING AN ANTHOLOGY OF POEMS ABOUT NATIONAL PARKS.
UM, SO YOU USUALLY GIVE A POET LAWYER LIKE A BUDGET TO DO SOME KIND OF PROJECT.
SO MAYBE AT THE AUSTIN AREA, THAT COULD BE LIKE, UM, YOUTH SPEAK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE LOCALLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SOMETHING THAT THE POLAR LAWYER IS REALLY EXCITED TO DO, GIVE THEM A BUDGET TO DO THAT.
UM, ALSO, I PUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR MARKETING, UM, SO THINGS LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA ADS AND X,
[01:20:01]
Y, AND Z TO GET PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT IT.UM, THEN A STIPEND FOR THE POLAR LAUREATE.
SO IF WE ARE TO ASSUME THAT THIS IS LIKE A 10 HOUR A WEEK POSITION, RIGHT? FOR $25 AN HOUR FOR TWO YEARS, USUALLY A POLL LAWYER SHIP IS LIKE TWO YEARS.
I MEAN, IT COULD BE ONE YEAR, BUT THAT WOULD BE, UH, A LITTLE HARDER OF A SALE I RECOGNIZE BECAUSE IT'S LIKE MORE, UM, JUST PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORT WOULD BE NEEDED IF IT CHANGES EVERY YEAR.
UM, SO $22,500 A TRAVEL BUDGET BECAUSE THIS PERSON WOULD BE PROBABLY GETTING IN THEIR CAR OR DOING, USING SOME KIND OF TRANSIT PRETTY REGULARLY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO JUST LIKE MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES.
SO I'M HAPPY TO SEND THIS OVER, UM, TO ANYONE WHO WOULD, WHO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT, BUT YEAH.
AND I'VE CIRCULATED WHAT YOU SENT ME YEAH.
A COUPLE WEEKS AGO TO THE COMMISSION IN PREPARATION FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, AND I'M, I'M GETTING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THROUGH MESSAGING AND EMAILS ALREADY, SO I THINK WE'LL HAVE SOME GOOD FOLLOW UP FOR YOU.
IN OTHER CITIES, IS IT CITY FUNDED OR IS, IS THERE A NONPROFIT OR IS IT DIFFERENT CITY TO CITY? IT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CITY TO CITY, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU HOUSTON AS AN EXAMPLE.
IT IS THROUGH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
IT IS PRETTY POP, PRETTY POPULAR THAT THE LIBRARY IS INVOLVED IN SOME WAY.
UM, I WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST THE LIBRARY BE INVOLVED IN SOME WAY BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, IF, IF THE POLAR AREA NEEDS SPACE TO HAVE A PROGRAM, OF COURSE THEY LIKE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE FREE SPACE, WHICH WOULD LIKE VERY DRASTICALLY INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO CAN COME TO THE PROGRAMS IF IT'S AT THE LIBRARY.
AND HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY? YES.
SO A THING THAT I'VE KIND OF COME ACROSS PRETTY CONSTANTLY IS LIKE, UM, IT'S A LOT.
UH, JUST ANOTHER PROGRAM, UM, ADDED TO THE THINGS THAT WE ALREADY DO IS LIKE A LOT KIND OF THING.
UM, AND THAT'S THE KIND OF FEEDBACK THAT I GOT FROM THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION, ALSO FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THEY WERE JUST KIND OF LIKE, UH, WE ALREADY ONLY HAVE THREE PEOPLE WORKING HERE KIND OF THING, SO, SO IT'S LIKE A PRACTICAL RESOURCES ISSUE? YEAH.
THAT'S SUPER HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND AND FEELS LIKE THIS CONVER WE'LL KEEP THIS CONVERSATION GOING AS WELL.
UH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, JUST COMING SO PREPARED AND FOR PROVIDING SUCH DETAILED INFORMATION.
UH, YOU MENTIONED THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, SO I DO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO REACH OUT AND KIND OF JUST MAKE SURE I HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AND I CAN HELP WITH SOME OF THAT COMMUNICATION.
COMMISSIONER CHARLA IS OUR MAYOR'S APPOINTEE, SO THEY'RE THE PERFECT PERSON TO BE IN CONTACT WITH.
AND YEAH, WE'LL, I HAVE A FEELING SOME COMMISSIONERS WILL REACHING OUT TO YOU DIRECTLY FOR FOLLOW UP.
AND AS A ELEVATE APPLICANT AND RECIPIENT, IT'S GREAT TO PUT A FACE TO THE NAME.
UM, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR FOLLOW UP, UH, RESOURCES, PLEASE CONTACT KB.
UM, LET'S, WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT IN OUR BUDGET, BUT I ALSO THINK A MORE CONVERSATION AROUND, UM, A LETTER OF SUPPORT OR RESOLUTION.
SO, SO YOU CAN TAKE IT TO THE MAYOR, BUT YOU HAVE THE RESOUNDING SUPPORT OF EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM.
SO UNOFFICIALLY, THANK YOU ALL.
YOU GOT US, SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN THROW OUR NAME ON THE LIST OF PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THIS.
UM, AND YEAH, I'LL, I'LL STAY IN CONTACT.
[9. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Laura Odegaard, Cultural Investment Program Manager]
THAT WE GET, UH, WE HAVE MADE IT TO STAFF BRIEFINGS.WE'RE GONNA GET OUR STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX BY LAURA ODEGAARD, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER, WHO IS UP NEXT.
I'M LAURA ODEGAARD, UH, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER WITH EDD.
I AM A WHITE WOMAN WITH LONG BROWN HAIR WEARING A BLACK JUMPSUIT AND A TAN SWEATER.
UH, WITH THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL BE SHARING OUR LATEST HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR JANUARY.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE SWITCH MY SLIDES.
UH, SO THE TOTAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION IN JANUARY WAS $31,412,114.
SO THIS MEANS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR JANUARY WERE $2,999,857.
SO WITH THESE JANUARY NUMBERS, WE ARE 43% TOWARD OUR FY 24 APPROVED BUDGET, AND WE STILL HAVE EIGHT MONTHS TO GO.
UH,
SO THIS REPORT I'M DOING HERE IN FEBRUARY SHOWS FUNDS COLLECTED IN JANUARY FOR HOTEL STAYS IN DECEMBER.
[01:25:01]
SO THIS GRAPH CONTINUES TO SHOW OUR MONTHLY PROGRESS TOWARD THE APPROVED BUDGET FOR FY 24.OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND ACTUALS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR 2024 ARE CURRENTLY $6,266,665.
UH, AS A REMINDER, THE FUNDS COLLECTED THIS YEAR, FY 24 WILL BE USED TO FUND PROGRAMS IN FY 2025.
UH, AND JUST AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS DECEMBER IS THERE, IT'S JUST A SUPER TEENY TINY LITTLE LINE OF $18,000.
SO CLEARLY THE JANUARY NUMBERS HAVE, UH, SQUASHED DECEMBER RIGHT OUT OF THE GRAPH, BUT THEY ARE THERE.
UH, AND THEN NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UH, SO HERE I'M JUST ALSO, UH, CONTINUING TO INCLUDE OUR CULTURAL ARTS FUND HOT COLLECTIONS BY QUARTER FOR THE PAST FEW FISCAL YEARS.
UH, SO YOU CAN SEE HERE WE'RE JUST, UM, YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE.
SO WE'RE PRETTY FAR FOR, UM, QUARTER TWO SO FAR.
AND SO THIS WILL CONTINUE AS THE YEAR GOES ON.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? JUST ALL CELEBRATIONS OVER HERE.
I CAN SEE MY PEOPLE ON SCREEN.
COMMISSIONER
ANY QUESTIONS FOR LAURA? COMMISSIONER SCHOCK, JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT'S SO POPULAR IN DECEMBER THAT, THAT WAS SUCH A GREAT MONTH, AND HOW DO WE KEEP IT UP? I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE EXACT DETAILS ABOUT THAT COMMISSIONER, BUT GREAT QUESTION.
ALRIGHT, I THINK, I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
[10. Staff update on the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor ]
STAFF UPDATE ON THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS BY JESUS PENTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.JESUS PANTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.
I AM A LATINO WITH LONG GRAYING HAIR, A SALT AND PEPPER BEARD.
I'M WEARING A BLUE SHIRT TODAY.
UM, MY PRONOUNS ARE HE, HIS AND I WILL BE GIVING THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING UPDATE TODAY.
UM, SO TODAY I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT, UM, AN UPDATE ON THE CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE VARIOUS CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS LETTING YOU KNOW SOME OF THE GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES HAPPENING BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT ARTS COMMISSION MEETING.
SO, ALL OF THE INFORMATION I'M ABOUT TO GIVE ON THE, UH, GRANT STATUS FOR ELEVATE, UH, THRIVE AND NEXUS IS AS OF FEBRUARY 16TH.
SO, UM, ABOUT 10 DAYS AGO, SO FOR ELEVATE OUT OF 200 AWARDEES, 198 CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SENT A REMINDER THAT FOR ELEVATE THE LONG CENTER HOLDS THE CONTRACTS.
UM, 198 CONTRACTS HAVE ALSO BEEN SIGNED AND PROCESSED.
UH, WE'VE HAD 199 TEST PAYMENTS ISSUED AND 198 TEST PAYMENTS VERIFIED.
UM, ALL, UM, TEST PAYMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN VERIFIED, ALL 198 HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST PAYMENT.
UM, SO THAT'S 50% OF THE AWARD, AND SO THAT'S GONE OUT TO 99% OF THE AWARDEES.
UM, 135 SECOND PAYMENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN ISSUED.
AND THEN FOUR THIRD PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AGAIN AS OF ABOUT 10 DAYS AGO.
UM, SO THAT'S A FINAL 10% FOR THEIR, UH, SUCCESSFULLY CLOSING OUT THEIR FINAL REPORT.
SO IN TOTAL, $4,859,500 HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO DATE, UM, IN ELEVATE OUT OF 6.25 MILLION TOTAL.
UM, AND THE TWO, UM, AWARDEES THAT HAVE NOT, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S 198 CONTRACTS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT.
WE ARE IN CONTACT, UH, WITH THEM, UM, ONE OF THEM AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM, OR THEY HAVE HAVE A DEADLINE BY THE END OF, UH, THE MONTH.
SO WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, UH, TO LET US KNOW IF THEY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONTRACT.
THEY, UH, THE ORGANIZATION IN QUESTION WAS, UM, KIND OF ON HIATUS.
WASN'T SURE IF THEY WERE GOING TO, UM, CONTINUE ON OR NOT.
SO THEY WILL BE LETTING US KNOW BY THE END OF THE MONTH, UH, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, UM, IF THEY WILL BE INDEED CONTINUING FORWARD WITH THEIR ELEVATE CONTRACT OR NOT.
UH, FOR NEXUS, UH, WE HAD 51 AWARDEES.
ALL 51 CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SENT, UH, WITH THESE ONES.
IT IS THE CITY THAT HOLDS THE CONTRACT, UNLIKE AN ELEVATE WHERE IT'S THE LONG CENTER HOLDING THE CONTRACT.
UM, SO 51 CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SENT, 51 HAVE BEEN SIGNED AND PROCESSED.
42 TEST PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AS WELL AS VERIFIED.
AND ALL THOSE 42 FIRST PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED $4,500.
SO 189,000 HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED, UM, IN TOTAL TO DATE.
[01:30:02]
FOR THRIVE.UH, THERE WERE 36 AWARDEES AND, UM, MOST OF THIS, UM, HAS BEEN THE SAME.
THIS, UH, PROGRAM STARTED IN, UH, FEBRUARY.
UM, WHAT'S NEW ON THIS SLIDE IS, UH, 14 THIRD PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED.
SO, UH, THOSE ARE A REMINDER THAT THRIVE IS A TWO YEAR CONTRACT.
UM, AND SO THE THIRD PAYMENTS ARE THE FINAL PAYMENT FOR YEAR ONE.
UH, SO WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY CLOSED OUT, UH, FINAL REPORTS AND ISSUED PAYMENTS FOR, UH, 14, UM, ELEVATE, OR EXCUSE ME, THRIVE RECIPIENTS, UH, WHICH MEANS A TOTAL OF $3,596,500, UM, HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO DATE OUT OF 3,000,009, UH, 935,000 IN TOTAL FOR YEAR ONE.
UM, THE GRANT ADMINISTRATORS IN THAT PROGRAM ARE MEETING WITH EACH ORGANIZATION INDIVIDUALLY, UH, SETTING THE STRATEGIC GROWTH GOALS FOR YEAR TWO, UM, AND PREPARING FOR THE LAUNCH OF CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS USING FEEDBACK FROM THE THRIVE COHORT.
SO FOR THE ARTS EDUCATION GRANT, UH, THIS IS ONE WHERE WE RECEIVED MONEY FROM THE, UM, UH, NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.
UM, ALL CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS ARE BEING PROCESSED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SO WE ARE NOT UTILIZING THE LONG CENTER FOR THIS ONE.
UM, SO OUT OF 19 AWARDEES, 19 CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SENT, 18 CONTRACTS HAVE, UH, BEEN SIGNED AND ARE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROCESS FOR PAYMENT CODES.
UM, SO 17 FIRST PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED, WHICH IS 90% OF THEIR TOTAL AWARD OR 22,500, UH, FOR EACH AWARD.
UM, NO FINAL PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED YET.
UM, AND SO THAT MEANS $22,500 HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO DATE.
UM, AND THE ONE CONTRACT THAT'S, UH, NOT ON THERE, IT HAS BEEN SENT OUT YET.
UM, AS WAS NOTED EARLIER IN THE, UH, IN THE, IN THIS SLIDE, UM, WE'RE STILL WAITING ON SIGNATURES, UH, FOR THAT ONE.
UM, AND THEN ALL THE ARTS EDUCATION GRANTS WILL BE COMPLETED.
UM, SO THAT WAS AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, GRANT PROGRAMS, UM, SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, PAYMENTS AND, UH, CONTRACT PROCESSING.
NEXT WE'LL, UH, MOVE ON TO, UM, GRANTEE ACTIVITIES AND THE THREE PROGRAMS. AND AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO DO STUFF, UM, BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT ARTS COMMISSION MEETING SO THAT AT EVERY ARTS COMMISSION MEETING YOU'VE GOT, UM, EXAMPLES OF, UM, UM, EVENTS THAT ARE COMING UP.
UH, SO COMING UP, UM, BY THE NEXT ARTS COMMISSION MEETING, GROUND FLOOR THEATER IN DISTRICT THREE IS DOING ALWAYS A BOY.
UM, IT'S ALREADY OPENED ON FEBRUARY 15TH, BUT IT GOES THROUGH MARCH 2ND AT GROUND FLOOR THEATER.
UH, BLUE LAP IS LIGHT, WHICH IS LOCATED IN AUSTIN'S EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION IS DOING CRAZY DIAMONDS AERIAL SHOWCASE, MARCH 1ST THROUGH SECOND AT THE VICTORY HALL GYM AT MARBRIDGE, UH, ZM THREE LIVE PRODUCTIONS, UH, BASED IN AUSTIN'S ETJ OR EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION IS DOING BALLOT EATS.
UH, FEBRUARY 22ND THROUGH MARCH 9TH AT HYDE PARK THEATER, UH, GROUNDWORK MUSIC PROJECT, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH GROUND FLOOR THEATER, UH, GROUND GROUNDWORK MUSIC, UM, DISTRICT TWO, THEY'RE DOING THE GROUNDWORK MUSIC AT CHERRYWOOD COFFEE EVERY SECOND SUNDAY AT CHERRYWOOD COFFEE HOUSE.
UM, AFT V FIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR.
SAMUEL SPOKE, UH, EARLIER DURING PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
UM, SO THE EVENT THAT HE WAS, UH, REFERRING TO THE SEVENTH ANNUAL US AFRICA CULTURAL EXPO IS MARCH 14TH THROUGH 16TH AT THE HOLIDAY IN AUSTIN MIDTOWN.
AND OUR FINAL ELEVATE GRANT ACTIVITY IS ANA KARU.
UM, AND THEY JUST RECENTLY RECEIVED THEIR NONPROFIT STATUS, UH, DOING THEIR NONPROFIT IS, UH, PBO.
THEY'RE FROM DISTRICT EIGHT DOING BARTA A STORYTELLING FESTIVAL.
UH, MARCH 23RD AT THE HAMPTON BRANCH IN LIBRARY AT OAK HILL.
UH, NEXT GRANT, PLEASE, OR NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UM, NEXUS GRANTEE ACTIVITIES, UH, LEGEND ALREADY MADE FROM DISTRICT ONE IS DOING FASHION VERSUS HIP HOP.
UH, MARCH 2ND AT J RIAS, ALEXANDRA ROBINSON FROM DISTRICT EIGHT IS DOING HOME OLOGY WORKSHOP MARCH 2ND AT MONDAY LIBRARY.
SUSTAINABLE HUMANE EARTH FROM THE METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA, SO THE FIVE COUNTIES SURROUNDING AUSTIN.
UM, A REMINDER THERE, EVENTS HAVE TO TAKE PLACE WITHIN AUSTIN OR THE EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION.
SO THEY'LL BE DOING BRIDGING WITH MOTHER, UH, MARCH 20TH THROUGH THE 23RD AT THE VORTEX THEATER.
AND IMA HEALING ARTS IS DOING.
YOU GOT PHILIPPINES COMMUNITY SHOWCASE MARCH 24TH AT THE DAWA HEADQUARTERS.
UH, C LAS AMERICAS FROM DISTRICT NINE IS DOING BERTA SOYO, PART OF THEIR RE IN LA LUCHA SERIES.
UH, FEBRUARY 28TH AT VIOLET CROWN CINEMA.
AUSTIN ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL FROM DISTRICT 10 IS DOING ASIAN
[01:35:01]
AMERICAN QUEER PROM DIASPORIC DISCO, MARCH 1ST AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.UM, I-C-M-C-A, ALSO KNOWN AS INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSICAL CIRCLE OF AUSTIN FROM DISTRICT 10.
UH, WILL HAVE AHI MUGO FROM ODC DANCE COMPANY, UM, DOING A VOCAL CONCERT ON MARCH 2ND, UH, WITH THE VENUE TO BE DETERMINED.
AND THEN TORCH LITERARY ARTS FROM DISTRICT SEVEN IS DOING, WE GOT SOMETHING PANEL WITH CHARLA LAURISTON AND MONIQUE MOSES, UH, MARCH 12TH AT VUCA.
THAT IS MY PRESENTATION, SO I'LL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THE COMMISSION MAY HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, I'LL SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE THE SLIDES WITH THE EVENTS THAT ARE UPCOMING.
I USE THOSE TO AMPLIFY THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AND IT'S JUST GREAT TO SEE AND HEAR ON THE DIOCESE.
COMMISSIONER CINI, I SAW YOUR HAND COME UP.
UM, SO MY FIRST QUESTION MAY HAVE BEEN COVERED IN A PREVIOUS MEETING OR MAYBE COMING UP ON THE AGENDA, BUT DO WE HAVE, UM, UM, SORRY, MY WORDS, DO WE HAVE TARGET DATES FOR FY 24, UM, GRANTS WHEN THEY WOULD BE ROLLING OUT LIKE EVEN LIKE APPROXIMATE, UM, BORDERS? SO NOVIA IS COMING UP TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
SO NOVIA HRA, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, OUR TARGET PLAN IS SPRING OF 2024.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
AND IF I COULD INTERJECT SOME UPDATED INFORMATION, OUR PARTNERS AT THE LONG CENTER HAVE DEVELOPED A CALENDAR WITH ALL OF THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE FUNDED, SO PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU GO AND CHECK THAT OUT@CREATEAUSTIN.ORG EVENTS.
AND THERE'S A CALENDAR THAT THEY HAVE GRACIOUSLY CREATED WITH ALL OF OUR EVENTS WE FUNDED.
IN ADDITION, IF I MAY TAKE ANOTHER POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE BEFORE WE LAUNCH OUR NEW PROGRAM, WE WANTED TO GO OUT AND HEAR FROM COMMUNITY.
I WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED US PUSH THAT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT WE NEED TO CONTINUE PUSHING THAT.
WE HAVE, UH, LAUNCHED A ROBUST NINE LANGUAGE SURVEY, BUT WE'VE ONLY HAD 38 TOTAL RESPONSES.
SO WE SAID WE WOULD COME BACK TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY AND WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU SO THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE THOSE CHANGES AS PART OF OUR PROCESS BEFORE WE ROLL OUT.
SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP US PUSH THAT AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE GRATEFUL SO THAT WE CAN STAY ON TARGET.
UM, YEAH, THOSE WERE, I JUST HAVE A FOLLOW UP.
OH, UH, FOR THE CREATE AUSTIN, IS THAT LIKE, DO YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT THAT LIKE SEPARATELY OR DOES IT FEED IN FROM, AS A GRANT RECIPIENT, YOU KNOW HOW YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT TO VISIT AUSTIN? DOES THAT FEED FROM CREATE AUSTIN? OR LIKE HOW DOES THAT PROCESS WORK FOR UH, RECIPIENTS? IT FEEDS AUTOMATICALLY.
SO IF YOU DON'T SEE YOURSELF, PLEASE LET US KNOW AND WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK.
UH, BUT THIS WAS JUST COMPLETED WITHIN THE LAST WEEK, SO I'M LIKE, BECAUSE OF THE REQUEST WE HEARD FROM THE LAST MEETING, LIKE, WHERE'S CAN WE FIND EVERYTHING? SO THERE WILL BE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND I LOVE THAT THE LONG CENTER TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO MAKE A CALENDAR.
I THINK THAT MAKES IT REALLY CLEAR.
AND I'VE ALREADY COPIED AND PASTED THAT LINK TO JESUS TO CIRCULATE IT.
I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP SOMETHING SOVIA SAID, UH, MADE ME THINK OF THIS.
I NORMALLY SAY IN THIS PRESENTATION I JUST GAVE THAT IF YOU DON'T SEE YOURSELF ON HERE AND YOU'RE A CULTURAL CONTRACTOR AND YOU HAVE AN EVENT COMING UP OR A CULTURAL FUNDING RECIPIENT, UM, MAKE SURE YOU ARE POSTING YOUR EVENT TO VISIT AUSTIN.
AND ALSO BECAUSE THEN THAT'S HOW THE LONG CENTER IS GOING TO BE, UM, AUTO-POPULATE OR POPULATING, UH, THEIR CALENDAR AS WELL.
SO YOU STILL NEED TO POST YOUR EVENT TO VISIT AUSTIN.
IT'S A CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENT.
BUT THEN ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING FOR EVENTS TO, UH, SHOWCASE AT THESE ARTS COMMISSION MEETINGS.
AND THEN NOW WITH THE LONG CENTER CALENDAR, UM, IT'LL BE EASIER FOR THE COMMISSIONERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GO AND FIND THOSE, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY CITY FUNDED, UM, EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES.
SO WILL YOU EXPLAIN TO ME THE, THE PROTOCOL THEN? SO THEN IT'S CONTRACTUALLY MANDATED.
EVERYBODY'S EVENT IS ON VISIT AUSTIN AND THEN LONG CENTER GOES TO THE VISIT AUSTIN SITE TO POPULATE THEIR STUFF.
BUT IF THERE'S NO DROPDOWN FEATURE THAT IT MAKES THAT SEARCHABLE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? THE LONG CENTER HAS THE LIST, UM, SINCE THEY'RE MANAGING THE ELEVATE CONTRACTS.
THEY PULLED EVEN WITH NEXUS, THEY PULLED.
[01:40:01]
OTHER QUESTIONS? ONE LAST CALL, PLEASE PUSH THE SURVEY.OH YEAH, PLEASE PUSH THE SURVEY.
THIS IS THE SURVEY THAT'S ABOUT THE TECH PORTION OR IS THERE A NEW, NEW SURVEY? NO.
I, I SENT IT OUT TO MY CONTACT ALREADY.
WOULD YOU MIND STAFF TO JUST SEND IT TO US AGAIN SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT? FOR THE SURVEY? YEAH.
AND YOU CAN TAKE ALL THE LIBERTIES EVER.
YOU CAN JUST HANG OUT WITH US UP HERE.
WE CAN GET YOU A LITTLE SIGN WITH YOUR NAME ON IT.
THANK YOU JESUS, FOR THE UPDATE.
UM, WE'VE GOT A HANDFUL OF OTHER THINGS.
SO I'M GONNA TRY AND MOVE QUICKLY 'CAUSE WE'VE GOT SOME ITEMS THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE SOME CONVERSATION.
[11. Approve revised Regular Schedule ]
APPROVED REVISED REGULAR SCHEDULE IT FOR THOSE THAT SAW IN THE BACKUP, OUR OCTOBER MEETING GOT A LITTLE SCRAMBLED.SO IT'S JUST SORT OF LOCKING IT IN ON THE 21ST AS OPPOSED TO THE 24TH, WHICH IS A THURSDAY.
SO I JUST NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT SCHEDULE CHANGE.
UH, SO MOTIONED BY COMMISSIONER GRAY.
WE HAVE A SECOND WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER CHARLA.
ALL IN FAVOR OF CONFIRMING THAT DATE FOR OCTOBER.
FANTASTICAL, UH, YEAH, I SAW COMMISSIONER, SMALL BOX.
COMMISSIONER CUR, YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF THAT.
MONICA IS OFF THE DAUS, BUT THEY ARE AWESOME FOR BEING HERE AND LISTENING IN.
THEY HAVE A VERY PACKED SCHEDULE AND THIS WAS THEIR ATTEMPT TO SORT OF STRADDLE BOTH COMMITMENTS.
SO, BUT WE'RE GOOD 'CAUSE WE HAVE QUORUM 'CAUSE MY PEOPLE ARE AWESOME.
[12. Schedule Arts Commission Retreat ]
HAVE, UH, SCHEDULE THE ARTS COMMISSION RETREAT.YOU GUYS, IT'S BEEN SO LONG, DON'T YOU WANNA HANG OUT MORE? UM, WE USUALLY GET TOGETHER ANNUALLY.
UM, I, THERE'S A LOT OF FABULOUS NEW FACES ON THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER HOUSTON IN PARTICULAR HAS, UH, BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT SHE DOESN'T REALLY KNOW ANYBODY AND DOESN'T KNOW ALL OF OUR AREAS OF EXPERTISE.
UM, AND WHERE THE, YOU KNOW, WE REPRESENT AND WHERE WE'RE PIVOTED, UH, POSITIONED IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO TALK ABOUT WHEN ON OUR BUSY, BUSY SCHEDULES WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PENCIL THIS IN.
AND I'M JUST GONNA KIND OF LUMP
[13. Schedule Joint Retreat with Music Commission ]
IN ITEM 13, WHICH IS ALSO THIS JOINT COMMISSION RETREAT WITH MUSIC.SO IF WE CAN LOOK COLLECTIVELY, UM, AT AVAILABILITY, WE CAN KNOCK OUT POTENTIALLY TWO OF THESE ITEMS TOGETHER.
I DID JUST, UH, COMMISSIONER SMBA AND I GOT TO MEET WITH THE CHAIRS OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND YOU GUYS JUST HAD YOUR MEETING.
DID, WERE YOU ABLE TO SEED THE IDEA OF A JOINT MEETING? OH, YOU, OH, IT'S COMING.
YOU ALREADY HAD FEBRUARY, BUT YEAH.
SO I WOULDN'T THINK ANYTHING BEFORE APRIL TEAM, CAN WE GET SOME SHOUT OUTS OF AVAILABILITY? WOULD A WEEKEND OR A WEEK DAY WORK? WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT ABOUT THREE HOURS WITH A FACILITATOR.
I WON'T TORTURE YOU FOR LONGER THAN THAT.
WEEKENDS WILL BE BETTER FOR MY SCHEDULE.
I CANNOT HAVE THREE HOURS DURING.
AND THEN SAME THING FOR ME WEEKEND.
AND WE HAVE ONE COMMISSIONER THAT'S SAYING SATURDAY MORNINGS IS NOT GOOD.
SO THAT, I THINK WE'RE LOCKED INTO A SATURDAY OR A SUNDAY, BUT IT WOULD NEED TO BE IN THE AFTERNOON ON A SATURDAY OR AT ANY POINT IN THE DAY ON A SUNDAY.
DO I HAVE ANY OTHER SHOUT 'EM OUT.
YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, IDEAS COMMISSIONER? I CAN SEND A SCHEDULE, BUT I TEACH ON THE WEEKENDS.
SO I HAVE ST I HAVE ALL OF MY WORKSHOPS FOR APRIL, MAY, JUNE AND JULY.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE TOUGH FOR YOU TO ATTEND AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY.
YEAH, AFTER FOUR IS WHEN THE WORKSHOP ENDS.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE LIKE AN EVENING.
HOW DOES, IS IS A WEEKDAY, EVENING AN OPTION? IT'S NOT GREAT FOR OUR TEACHERS.
WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER, MARK'S CHILDCARE PROVIDER AND IS ON DUTY.
AND THEN COMMISSIONER GARZA IS TEACHING AT AUSTIN HIGH.
SO EVENINGS CAN BE A LITTLE TAXING AFTER A FULL DAY.
I CAN MAKE, I CAN MAKE IT WORK NOT WEDNESDAY.
UM, I CAN SEND MY AVAILABLE WEEKENDS.
OR IS IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WE, THERE'S NO PRESSURE TO HAVE IT IN APRIL.
UM, MAY IS BETTER AND IF MAY IS BETTER FOR IN GENERAL.
I I, I WILL BE AWAY MOST OF MAY WHO SAID YOU COULD LEAVE? SORRY.
[01:45:01]
OKAY.WELL THIS IS JUST GOING SO WELL ALREADY.
OKAY, SO WE'VE GOT SOME CONFLICTS, BUT WE HAVE SOME CONSENSUS ON WHEN, SO I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT MAY-ISH.
ARE YOU, WHEN DO YOU LEAVE COMMISSIONER MOCK ON YOUR ANOTHER ADVENTURE? I, I, YES.
I I MEAN HONESTLY, THE, THE WHOLE MAY, ALL OF MAY
MAYBE END OF APRIL, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO I'M GONNA TAKE THE NOTES THAT I HAVE AND PUT TOGETHER SOME OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE.
I THINK, UM, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT AS MANY ARTS COMMISSIONERS PRESENT FOR OUR RETREAT AS POSSIBLE.
WE'RE GONNA GET A FACILITATOR.
UM, I'M GETTING SOME WHISPERED SUGGESTIONS HERE AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS THE SAME GOES FOR OUR MUSIC RETREAT.
WE'VE GOT, UM, OUR WONDERFUL, UH, CHAIR OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION WE GET ARE SPOILED AND HAVE THEM HERE WITH US TOO.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN KIND OF JUST KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING BETWEEN THE COMMISSIONS ABOUT GETTING IT.
AND IT CAN BE IN THE, IN THE DEAD OF SUMMER WHEN THERE'S NOTHING GOING ON.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA OVERLOAD, UM, THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT'S A BUSY TIME OF YEAR IN THE SPRING BEFORE IT'S TOTALLY GROSS OUTSIDE.
UM, SO MAYBE WE CAN LOOK TO THE SUMMER FOR MUSIC AND TRY AND US GET US IN THE LATE SPRING.
ALRIGHT, SO I WILL SEND OUT SOME IDEAS AND WE'LL, WE'LL JUST KEEP THE CIRCUS GOING ONLINE.
I THINK THAT'S THE MOST EFFECTIVE USE OF EVERYBODY'S TIME.
[14. Discussion and Possible Action on FY24-25 Budget Requests ]
WE'VE GOT A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON FY 24, 20 25 BUDGET REQUESTS.UM, WHERE DO I BEGIN? SO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME REALIZATIONS, UM, ABOUT THE USES OF HOT THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MANY TIMES ON THE DAIS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE VICE CHAIR AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION VIA SEPARATE WORKING GROUP GATHERINGS, UM, THERE'S A PRETTY STRONG CONSENSUS THAT WE SHOULD REQUEST THAT ALL ADMIN FEES COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND NOT BE TAKEN OUT OF HOT.
BECAUSE HOT IS A LIMITED FUNDING SOURCE AND ALL WE HAVE TO FUND OUR COMMUNITY.
IN CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH COUNCIL, THE AMOUNT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT, UM, THAT COMES FROM HOT IS NOT SO LARGE AND SIGNIFICANT THAT IT WOULD BE, UM, AN, YOU KNOW, UNWORLDLY ASK TO, TO PUT THAT IN OUR BUDGET REQUEST.
THAT IS ABOUT $500,000 THAT WE'RE ASKING NOT COME OUT OF HOT AND GO COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO PAY FOR OUR ADMIN AND STAFF FEES.
UM, WHILE THAT ISN'T A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT TO COUNSEL, IT IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT TO OUR FUNDING POOL.
UM, AND IF THAT MONEY IS OPENED UP TO EITHER DEEPEN FUNDING AMOUNTS, UM, OR WIDEN THE POOL, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A WRONG WAY WE CAN USE THAT MONEY AT THIS POINT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S STILL A NEED.
UM, ALSO COMMISSIONER SMBA OR COMMISSIONER CHENEY, WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS AS A GROUP, SO FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN.
I'M, I'M TRYING TO GO BACK AND THINK IN OUR NOTES.
UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH, UH, MUSIC TO SORT OF CREATE CONSISTENCY AND CONSENSUS IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
OUR LISTS AREN'T IDENTICAL, BUT THERE ARE OVERLAPPING ITEMS. UM, WE'RE AGAIN, TRYING TO REALLY UNIFY THE COMMISSIONS AND, AND OUR ASKS TO COUNCIL SO THAT WE LOOK LIKE WE ARE COMMUNICATING, WHICH WE ARE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE TALKED ABOUT KB AND MAKING A REQUEST, UH, TO FUND A PROGRAM.
I WILL SAY IT'S DIFFICULT TO PULL OUT A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL OF THE COMMUNITY AND FUND THEM SEPARATELY.
I THINK THAT THAT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONVERSATION WITH PARTNER NONPROFITS AND ALSO GOING TO THE CITY.
UM, BUT BEING THAT WE HAVE BUDGETS DUE AT THE END OF MARCH, I WANNA AT LEAST HAVE US ALL ON THE SAME PAGE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
COMMISSIONER, SMALL BUCK, CAN YOU FILL ME, UH, CAN YOU, LIKE WHAT ELSE HAVE WE TALKED ABOUT BESIDES THE 500 ON THE BUDGET? UM, WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THINGS THAT NEED, UH, THAT WE HAVEN'T COME UP WITH A, UH, SPECIFIC, UM, APPROACH FOR.
BUT THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED INCLUDE HOW WE MIGHT, UM, SOURCE SUPPORT FOR OUR ARTIST SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS WHO TEND TO NOT BE PARTICULARLY COMPETITIVE IN, IN THE HOT POT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE HOT FUNDS AND NEED TO GO TO PROGRAMMING AND IN PARTICULAR PROGRAMMING THAT IS OPEN
[01:50:01]
TO TOURISTS.SO WHEN YOU HAVE ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE MAIN, UM, MISSION IS TO SUPPORT CULTURAL PRODUCTION AND NOT SPECTACLE CONSUMPTION, THEY'RE, IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO BE COMPETITIVE.
SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES LOOK LIKE FOR HAVING, UM, A SOURCE OF FUNDING TO SUPPORT THOSE CRITICAL ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO BEEN IN VARIOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JUST, YOU KNOW, AS WE CONTINUE TO BE, UH, VARIOUS WAYS TO PULL SOME CATEGORIES OF FUNDING OUTSIDE OF HOT AND BEING DEPENDENT ON HOT SO THAT THE HOT FUNDS GO FURTHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL THE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE FIND ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF SUPPORT, WHETHER THAT BE THE GENERAL FUND OR OTHER, UM, REVENUE SOURCES THAT AGAIN, LIKE EXPAND OUR ABILITY TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOT JUST THROUGH HOTEL TAX AND THE LIMITATIONS THAT ARE ON OUR, ON THE HOTEL TAX.
THE, THE OTHER THAT I, UM, HAD FRONT OF MIND WAS, UH, MORE SUPPORT FOR TRANSLATION SERVICES.
WE'VE, UM, THE COMMISSION HAS EXPERIENCED, UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE NO RESOURCES FOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT MAY BE A BIG ASK TO ASK TO HAVE A TRANSLATOR HERE EVERY MEETING, BUT TO HELP PROVIDE RESOURCES TO STAFF AND OUR CULTURAL CONTRIBUTORS, UM, IN PARTICULAR SPANISH LANGUAGE SERVICES AND A, A MORE HEARTY RESOURCE FOR THEM AS THEY'RE NAVIGATING THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND SORT OF THE GENERAL, UM, QUESTION ANSWERING AND GENERAL INQUIRY THAT HAPPENS IS PARTICULARLY, UH, DURING THE SEASON OF APPLICATION, SORRY, MY WORDS ARE LEAVING ME, UH, RAPIDLY HERE, BUT, UM, THAT APPLICATION ONBOARDING SE UH, TIME PERIOD LEADING UP TO DUE DATES, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE SEEING OUR STAFF, UM, EXTRA CRUNCHED AND WE FEEL THAT STRESS AND THE PANIC FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, CREATING MORE INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND OUR TRANSLATION SERVICES, I THINK IS A WORTHY ASK.
AND IF, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, LIKE IF CULTURAL ARTS MUSIC, EDD ARE LEADING THAT CHARGE, I THINK THAT'S WONDERFUL.
BUT JUST ALSO TO NOTE THAT THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT A SHORTCOMING EXCLUSIVELY OF THIS DEPARTMENT AND THAT ALL OF THE, LIKE THE CITY JUST NEEDS TO STEP IT UP MORE BROADLY ON, UM, TRANSLATION SERVICES AND, AND ANYTHING THAT'S GOING OUT, UM, THAT'S ASKING FOR PEOPLE TO RESPOND THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS LIKE ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS NEEDS THAT LEVEL OF SUPPORT.
SO I THINK IT'S GREAT IF, IF THAT'S COMING FROM THIS DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO JUST SAYING THAT THAT'S A BIGGER, THAT SHOULD BE A BIGGER PRIORITY FOR THE CITY.
UM, THOSE ARE THE, THE PRIMARY ITEMS. WE'RE GONNA PUT THAT IN WRITING AND CIRCULATE IT, UM, BECAUSE IT'LL HAVE TO COME UP PRETTY QUICKLY AFTER OUR MARCH MEETING.
I CAN GIVE YOU GUYS AN EXACT DATE.
SO, UM, I'D SAY LIKE, LET'S ADD THIS TO OUR AGENDA AGAIN FOR MARCH WHERE WE CAN REVIEW AS A COLLECTIVE THE, UM, IN WRITING VERSION OF THESE BUDGET ASKS.
AND THAT WAY WE'LL BE GOOD TO GO FOR THE 31ST, WHICH IS JUST OVER A WEEK LATER.
UM, LET'S, UH, DID ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANNA CHIME IN? COMMISSIONER RELA, UH, YEAH, IF WE WERE JUST, UH, UM, GOING TO ALSO LOOK AT, UH, A A DC AND, UH, IF THEY HAD ANY SPECIFIC ASKS TO ADD TO THE BUDGET ON THE MUSIC SIDE.
AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT POTENTIALLY DOING THAT HERE.
UH, WE, THANKFULLY WE HAVE THE TIME.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE AS MUCH CONGRUENCE IN OUR BUDGET ASKS AS POSSIBLE.
I THINK THAT THAT IS A REALLY STRONG LOOK, UM, TO HAVE COMING FROM TWO COM, THE TWO COMMISSIONS UNDER EDD.
SO LET US KNOW WHERE THAT LIES OR WHAT THAT LANGUAGE LOOKS LIKE.
'CAUSE WE WANT A EDC TO BE SUPPORTED BECAUSE THAT MEANS THEY CAN DO THEIR JOB MORE SWIFTLY AND THAT GETS MONEY INTO OUR, UH, COMMUNITY'S POCKETS.
I KNOW THAT WAS ON THE ASK LAST YEAR AS WELL, SO IT MAY BE JUST AS SIMPLE AS CARRYING OVER THE REQUEST FROM LAST YEAR'S BUDGET ASKS 'CAUSE WE ASKED FOR FUNDING.
WE'LL SEE A LITTLE COPY AND PASTE MAGIC.
COMMISSIONER MOCK, UH, JUST CLARIFICATION FOR THE CITY'S PROCUREMENT, UH, PROCESS.
DO THEY PROVIDE TRANSLATION IN THAT PROCESS? IF THEY DO, THEN WE CAN MAYBE ABLE TO TAP INTO THAT.
SO NOVIA MAKING MOVES
I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ENOUGH TO GO AROUND, RIGHT? LIKE THAT'S THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE, THIS AGAIN IS AN UNDER-RESOURCED AREA.
SO NOVIA HOT DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THIS TIME, TRANSLATION SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT CITY COUNCIL.
[01:55:01]
STAFFED AREA.AND SO THERE ARE OVER 85 BOARD AND COMMISSIONS.
AND SO, BUT AT THIS MOMENT, UH, THE COMMITMENT IS TO CITY COUNCIL, WE CAN JUST KEEP ASKING, RIGHT? AND THAT'S SORT OF, I MEAN, WE CAN BE THE THORN IN THEIR SIDE AND THE ROCK IN THEIR SHOE AND JUST CONTINUE TO PUSH.
AND THIS IS WHY WE DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE IN STEADY COMMUNICATION SO THAT YOU HAVE THEIR EAR AND IF THEY'RE HEARING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR A YEAR OR MORE, MAYBE IT'S TIME TO, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S TIME THAT THIS IS A PERSISTENT ISSUE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA PUT THESE BUDGET ASKS IN WRITING AND I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO E EACH OF OUR COMMISSIONERS TO FORWARD THEM DIRECTLY TO YOUR STAFF LIAISON, TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER OR IF YOU HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM TO, TO MAKE THAT PLEA BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR ECOSYSTEM.
COMMISSIONER GRAY, UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING AS FIRST TRANSLATION THAT'S REALLY BEEN ON MY MIND FOR THREE YEARS SINCE SERVING ON THE COMMISSION.
AND NOT ONLY IN IN APPLICATIONS, WHICH ACTUALLY CAME LATER, UH, BUT EARLY ON WHEN I WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW LARGE OUR, OUR LATINO COMMUNITY IS AND HOW LIMITED OF INFORMATION OUR, UH, OUR MINUTES ARE, IF YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW WHAT WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT, IF YOU, IF THERE'S NOT CLOSED CAPTIONS ON OUR, ON OUR FILMS OF OUR MEETINGS, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND, UH, THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S BOTHERED ME AND, YOU KNOW.
I MEAN, ON ALL LEVELS, ALL COMMISSIONS JUST DIDN'T.
AND I WANNA JUST ADD THAT WE DID RECEIVE A SMALL INCREASE IN OUR BUDGET, BUT IT'S TO HELP TRANSLATE OUR DOCUMENTS.
SO WE HAD A SMALL INCREASE JUST TO HELP WITH DOCUMENT TRANSLATION.
SO I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
WE WILL SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCIL FOR THAT AND WE'LL SAY PLEASE MAYBE HAVE ANOTHER, UH, YEAH.
AND THE, AND THE NEED IS MULTIFACETED.
IT'S THE GENERAL INQUIRY TO SUPPORT STAFF.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL TO HAVE SOME BILINGUAL STAFF, UM, BUT THAT'S NOT THEIR JOB.
AND THAT WAS SORT OF THE THING THAT WE CAME UP IN CONVERSATIONS LIKE, YES, THEY HAVE THIS CAPACITY, BUT THEY ARE NOT TRANSLATOR POSITIONS, NOR SHOULD THEY BE RELEGATED TO THAT DUTY AS A DEFAULT SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT CAN.
UM, AND SO THE ONUS BEING ON THE CITY TO PROVIDE THE SUPPORT THAT'S REQUIRED OF SUCH A DIVERSE, BEAUTIFULLY DIVERSE, UM, CITY, UM, IS OWNING AND RECOGNIZING THE LANGUAGES THAT EXIST.
WE WANT TO BE, UH, AVAILABLE TO ALL, ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO IT IS, UH, PRIORITY FOR EDD.
AND SO WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN, BUT I'M THANKFUL FOR STAFF, BUT WE'VE HAD TO MAKE SURE WE ALSO STAY IN THE BOUNDS OF THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION, HR, BUT WE WANT TO BE THERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND HOW THAT IN OUR MIND, I THINK WHEN WE WERE HAVING THE CHAIRS MEETING, LIKE THESE SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, USING LEANING ON PARTNERS.
SO IF IT'S NOT A, A POSITION THAT'S FIXED WITHIN THE CITY, ARE THERE, HOW DO WE SUPPORT AND, UM, FOLD IN THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE AND DOING THE WORK AND, AND ARE THE SHOULDER FOR A LOT OF THESE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS THEY'RE ENC UH, ENCOUNTERING DIFFICULTIES AND STRUGGLES WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS OR UNDERSTANDING THE NUANCES OF THE QUESTION.
SO IT'S NOT A SIMPLE THING, BUT I THINK THERE IT CAN BE ATTACKED FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES.
UM, SO YES, ALL THAT TO SAY THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO STAFF.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING BUDGET, WE CAN CONTINUE ON.
YEAH, I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD BE CONTRACTED OUT TO, RIGHT.
SO WE DO HAVE CONTRACTS TOO FOR TRANSLATION, BUT, UM, THEY, THEY'RE OVERWHELMED TOO, RIGHT? YEAH.
BUT THAT IS A CHA THAT THAT'S AN OPTION, RIGHT? TO IT IS AN OPTION.
THE BUDGET THERE GOES UP, UH, IT COULD, IT COULD BE MANAGED THAT WAY AS OPPOSED TO HAVING, IF THEY HAVE CAPACITY.
AND THAT'S THE THING, IT'S LIKE IF THEY HAVE CAPACITY TO ABSORB WHAT WE NEED, YES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
BUT EVEN OUR TRANSLATORS ARE TAPPED OUT.
THAT'S WHY WHEN WE GO OUT FOR TRANSLATION, YOU GUYS WANT THAT TIMELINE WHEN WE SAY, OH, IT MAY TAKE A WEEK OR TWO TO GET TRANSLATION.
YEAH, WE ARE REALLY SAYING THAT BECAUSE OF THE CAPACITY.
AND, AND I DIDN'T MEAN THROUGH CURRENT CAPACITY, BUT JUST HAVING CONTRACTORS AS OPPOSED TO FULL-TIME STAFF AS A, AS AN OPTION TO ACHIEVE THAT.
[02:00:02]
ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MORGAN MESSICK IS HERE.I'M SO SORRY I'M RECOVERING FROM LARYNGITIS SO I WILL TRY TO SPEAK UP.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY I OVERSEE THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM AND THEY WORK WITH THE ESTABLISHED CITY CONTRACTS FOR TRANSLATORS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO OFFER SOME INSIGHT.
UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S ALL VERY COMPLICATED AND WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IT FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES, BUT AS A DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE CITY WE'RE, WE ARE REQUIRED TO USE THE MASTER AGREEMENTS SET IN PLACE, WHICH ARE OWNED BY OUR, UM, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE, WHICH IS KIND OF THE CORPORATE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THEY HAVE THESE MASTER AGREEMENTS WITH DIFFERENT CONTRACTORS AND WE TAP INTO THOSE.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GO OUTSIDE OF THOSE TO USE OUR BUDGET TO PAY FOR TRANSLATIONS OR INTERPRETATION SERVICES.
UM, SO THE MAJORITY OF THE MONEY WE DO SPEND GOES TO THAT.
UM, SO WE GENERALLY JUST WORK WITH CONTRACTORS THROUGH THIS TO DO OUR WORK THAT WE DO FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS AND OTHER WORKSHOPS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WE HAVE OTHER WAYS THAT WE WORK WITH THIRD PARTIES, BUT THAT'S GENERALLY HOW WE GET THE BULK OF ALL OF OUR TRANSLATION WORK DONE.
AND I KNOW, SO NOVIA MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE OUR STAFF AND WE'VE ALL ACKNOWLEDGED THAT'S NOT THEIR PRIMARY JOB.
UM, WE DO HAVE THE OPTION TO USE THEM OCCASIONALLY IF THEY ARE OPTED INTO A BILINGUAL PAY STIPEND PROGRAM, WHICH IS ALSO KIND OF HEAVILY REGULATED ON LIKE WHAT IS ALLOWABLE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THIS HR PROGRAM.
AND SO WHEN WE SAY WE DON'T WANNA LIKE ABUSE THEIR SERVICES OR PUT MORE ON THEM, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO STAY WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK THAT OUR HR DEPARTMENT HAS GIVEN US.
UM, SO THAT WE DO WHAT IS REQUESTED OF THEM.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA MAKE THE WORK OUTSIDE THEIR JOB SCOPE, WHICH IS WHAT WE SAID EARLIER, BUT I'M HAPPY TO SHARE ANY MORE IF
COMMISSIONER CHENEY, THIS IS PROBABLY SOME OF THE THING YOU'VE ALREADY THOUGHT OF.
I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
WHAT IF THERE WAS, UM, MONEY ALLOCATED IN THE BUDGET FOR THESE INCUBATORS, RIGHT? LIKE ALMOST REAL THINGS DID IT LAST YEAR.
I THINK THERE WERE SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT LED THESE WORKSHOPS, BUT WHAT IF YOU HAD A BUCKET OF MONEY THAT WAS SPECIFIC TO, UM, LATINO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE PRIMARILY SPANISH SPEAKING THAT COULD FACILITATE THESE WORKSHOPS IN SPANISH AND ALSO ANOTHER ORGANIZATION DOESN'T, PRIME DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN THE ARTS THAT, UH, IS A SL OR YOU KNOW, OTHER TYPES OF LANGUAGES.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAD THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE FROM, BASED ON MY VERY SMALL EXPERIENCE OF LOOKING OF, UH, THE INCUBATORS, I THINK I'M USING THE WRONG WORD, BUT THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT FACILITATED THOSE WORKSHOPS, UM, THEY WERE PRIMARILY ALL ENGLISH SPEAKING FROM WHAT I SAW.
SO IF THERE IS MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO HAVE LIKE, AT LEAST AS MUCH ENGLISH AS SPANISH, SINCE THAT IS A VERY POPULAR LANGUAGE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
MAYBE YOU'VE ALREADY THOUGHT OF THIS.
I I'LL SAY I KNOW THAT WE'RE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT LOOKING AT CREATIVE WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT RECOMMENDATION THAT WE WILL TAKE TO HEART.
UM, WE DID HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH ALMOST REAL THINGS FOR NEXUS AND THEY DID SUBCONTRACT OUT TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE HOSTING 50% SPANISH LANGUAGE WORKSHOPS.
AND, AND I I LOVE TO HEAR THAT, UM, FROM YOU.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT SENTIMENT IS REFLECTED FROM EVERYBODY.
WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE OF THAT KIND OF WORK, ESPECIALLY EMBEDDED IN ORGANIZATIONS IN THAT COMMUNITY.
AND WE WOULD USE, IF SO GRANTED, WE WOULD USE THAT MONEY APPROPRIATELY AND GET THAT DONE.
SO THAT'LL BE A, UM, IS, IS IT OKAY TO ASK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS? IS THAT LIKE WHO GONNA COME BACK OR, MY GOAL IS TO HAVE COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS FOR ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS. IT'S JUST HOW DO YOU FUND THAT? OKAY.
BECAUSE IT WAS A PILOT THE FIRST ROUND ARPA FUNDS.
SO, BUT IT IS, IT IS A NECESSARY TOOL THAT WE NEED IF WE WANNA GET DEEP IN COMMUNITY.
SO WE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN BECAUSE THAT CONNECTS TO OUR DESIRE TO SUPPORT SERVICE ORGS.
SO I MEAN, THE LIST WE HAVE IS TINY, REALLY LIKE FIVE PEOPLE THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER ALREADY.
UM, AND INCLUDING THE, LIKE THE MUSIC, UH, SERVICE ORG.
SO, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY LIKE TWO BIRDS.
IT, IT'S NEEDED ACROSS FROM SMALL BUSINESS TO MUSIC TO CULTURE.
UH, IT'S NEEDED ACROSS THE BOARD, I'LL JUST SAY THAT.
AND WE WANT TO HAVE THAT SERVICE ACROSS THE BOARD
[02:05:01]
JUST BECAUSE IT'S NEEDED.AND YOU ALL HAD REQUESTED AN UPDATE FROM THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROJECT MANAGER AND HE WASN'T QUITE READY TO COME TO THIS MEETING TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE.
BUT I THINK HE WAS PLANNING TO COME TO YOUR NEXT MEETING.
AGAIN, ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT I THINK BEGAN AND ENDED BEFORE SOME OF THE NEWER COMMISSION WERE ON.
SO TO HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT PROGRAM WAS AND WHO IT SERVED.
UM, AND ALSO JUST THE, THE REPORTING OUT FROM IT.
'CAUSE I DON'T THINK WE EVER GOT THAT, LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE SERVED AND, AND HOW QUICKLY DID THEY RUN OUTTA THAT? IT WAS LIKE $50,000 THAT THEY HAD EACH.
SO I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT WENT TERRIBLY FAR, BUT I'M SURE MADE AN IMPACT.
UM, ANY OTHER CONVERSATION POINTS AROUND THE BUDGET? AMAZING.
AND THANK YOU SONOVA FOR BEING UNENDINGLY AVAILABLE.
[15. Approve the Selection Process Recommendation for the Family Violence Shelter & Protection Center AIPP Project.]
WE HAVE APPROVED THE SELECTION PROCESS FROM REC, UH, PROCESS RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FAMILY VIOLENCE, SHELTER AND PROTECTION CENTER, A IPP PRODUCT.I IMAGINE LINDSAY WILL BE JOINING US AGAIN.
HI, UH, LINDSAY HUTCHINS, A COORDINATOR WITH ART IN PUBLIC PLACES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I AM A WHITE WOMAN WITH MEDIUM LENGTH BROWN HAIR, A CHECKERED SWEATER.
UM, UH, BACKUP WAS SUBMITTED IN REGARDS TO THIS, UM, SELECTION PROCESS.
UM, BUT TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW, THE FAMILY VIOLENCE SHELTER AND PROTECTION CENTER, UM, SPONSORED PROJECT IS THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, THE ARTWORK IS TO BE AT AN OUTDOOR PART OF THE FACILITY AND SO THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED ARTISTS TO HAVE EXPERIENCE IN THREE DIMENSIONAL OUTDOOR ARTWORKS.
UM, THE PROJECT BUDGET IS $70,000 AND THE, UH, RECOMMENDED ARTIST IS PHILIPPE GOMEZ WITH, UH, A RECOMMENDED ALTERNATE AS SHARON KIAN.
UM, THE, UM, RFQ WAS APPROVED, UM, EXCUSE ME JUST A MOMENT.
THE RFQ WAS APPROVED BY ARTS COMMISSION ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2023.
UM, NOTICE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY WAS POSTED THROUGH, UM, USUAL METHODS AS WELL AS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER, UM, AND PUBLISHED AS WELL AS, UM, CITED ON PUBLIC ARTISTS.ORG.
UM, THAT'S THE PLATFORM THAT THE ARTISTS USE TO SUBMIT THEIR QUALIFICATIONS.
UH, THE OPPORTUNITY OPENED ON NOVEMBER 6TH, 2023, UH, SUBMISSION DEADLINE OF DECEMBER 19.
UM, 15 ARTISTS SUPPLIED, UM, FIVE WERE ELIGIBLE FOR REVIEW, UM, BY THE SELECTION PANEL.
AND, UM, THE SELECTION PANEL AGAIN DECIDED, UM, THAT PHILIPPE GOMEZ IS THE RECOMMENDED ARTIST AND THE ALTERNATE IS SHARON KIAN.
THIS WAS ALSO APPROVED BY A IPP PANEL EARLIER THIS MONTH.
COMMISSIONER GRAY HAS MOVED TO APPROVE.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARZA.
I'M GONNA WAIT JUST ONE SECOND.
ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION FOR LINDSAY? I'M GONNA GIVE COMMISSIONER SMAK AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK.
I HAVE A FEELING THERE'LL BE MOMENTARY
UM, I WANNA THANK THE A IPP PANEL FOR JUST THE HARD WORK.
I WANNA THANK THE A PP PANEL AND, UH, EVERYBODY INVOLVED 'CAUSE IT WAS GREAT.
I MEAN, THE WHOLE PROCESS IN READING THE, THE CHOICES OF THE ARTIST HAS SAID IT WAS NICE.
AND I MISS BEING ON THE A FPP LIAISON STUFF.
YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME TO JOIN.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY DON'T COME BACK.
DON'T BE TOO 'CAUSE HERE ANYTIME.
WE HAD A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER GRAY IN A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARZA.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE SELECTION PROCESS.
COMMISSIONER CHENEY, YOU IN? YEAH.
AND THEN ARE YOU GONNA PRESENT ON 16 TOO? OKAY.
[16. Establish a nominating committee to fill Art in Public Places Panel vacancy. ]
A NOMINATING COMMITTEE TO FILL ART AND PUBLIC PLACES.PANEL VACANCY FEELS LIKE WE JUST DID THIS.
I THOUGHT WE DID, BECAUSE WE DID.
BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER BUT LEAVING.
SO NOW WE GET TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.
UM, CAN YOU ADVISE US ON WHAT OUR STEPS ARE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO? I CAN HELP YOU WITH THIS.
YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.
SO I, YEAH, I'M REALLY DOING A GREAT JOB.
[02:10:01]
STUFF TOGETHER.SO, UH, JUST AS A REMINDER, UM, THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE IS A GROUP THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION APPOINTS TO BASICALLY HANDLE VACANCY, HANDLE SELECTION, TO FILL A VACANCY.
UH, THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE IS MADE UP OF THE A IPP CHAIR, UH, WHICH IS STEPHANIE LIMO, UH, THE A IPP LIAISON, WHICH IS MONICA MALDONADO AND AN ARTS COMMISSIONER, WHOEVER THAT IS, THAT YOU APPOINT.
DO WE DESIGNATE THAT TODAY? YOU CAN DESIGNATE THAT PERSON TODAY AND THEN THE PROGRAM MANAGER, IT CAN BE, IT CAN BE SOMEONE OF YOUR CHOICE.
AND THE PROGRAM MANAGER IS AN EX OFFICIO VOTER, WHICH I THINK IS PROBABLY ME IN, IN ABSENTIA OF HAVING A PROGRAM MANAGER.
UM, SO I'LL BE FACILITATING IT WITH THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE AND THEN THAT NOMINATING COMMITTEE MEETS.
AND WE ARE, WE'RE ACTUALLY FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A, A LEAD IN THAT WE JUST DID A, A, A SELECTION.
SO WE HAVE SOME RECENT APPLICATIONS WE CAN LOOK THROUGH.
THE ONLY MITIGATING FACTOR IS THAT IN ORDER TO SATISFY THE MAKEUP OF THE PANEL, WE NEED THIS TO BE A DESIGN PROFESSIONAL.
SO WE NEED THE PERSON TO, TO, UM, HAVE THAT DESIGN BACKGROUND, NOT NECESSARILY PRACTICING ARTIST, UH, BUT SO AN ARCHITECT, INTERIOR DESIGNER, SOMEONE FROM THE DESIGN FIELD, UM, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.
SO, UM, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FULFILL THOSE PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS WITH THE, WITH THE PERSON WHO'S SELECTED.
SO, UM, WE CAN CHOOSE FROM WHO WE HAVE OR WE CAN GO OUT AND, AND SOLICIT SOME OTHER, YOU KNOW, WE, THAT'S A DECISION THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE CAN MAKE.
UM, BUT WE JUST NEED TO HAVE THAT NOMINATING COMMITTEE FORM AND THEN WE CAN HAVE FURTHER DIALOGUE.
WELL, I JUST VOLUNTOLD COMMISSIONER GRAY THAT THEY'RE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
COMMISSIONER MOCK IS ALWAYS ON MY SIDE, SO, UH, AND SO, UH, THAT'S ALL THAT, ALL THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON TONIGHT.
SO, ALL IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER GRAY BEING OUR, ON OUR PANEL.
COMMISSIONER MOCK MOTIONED AND WE'RE GONNA SAY COMMISSIONER GARZA SECONDED
I HAVE FEW PRECIOUS PRIVILEGES FROM THIS POSITION AND I'M GONNA USE THEM ALL.
AND I WILL BE CONVENING THE GROUP AND WE WILL GET TOGETHER AND, UH, I'LL SHARE, YOU KNOW, THE RESUMES FROM THE TEAM AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
UM, IS MY MIC WORKING? THIS IS A GREEN.
OH, I THINK THERE'S TOO MANY OF US ON, OH, LET ME TURN MINE OFF.
UM, I JUST LIKE TO REQUEST, UH, FOLKS IN THE COMMITTEE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE DIVERSITY REPRESENTED BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UM, APPS CAN BE A VERY CULTURAL PRESENTATION.
ALWAYS A GOOD REMINDER TO EXCELLENT REMINDER.
OKAY, SO WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT.
NOW WE'RE ON TO WORKING GROUP UPDATES.
[17. Update from Emergency Funding and Proactive Strategies for Future Funding Working Group with Commissioners Schmalbach and Zisman (chair) ]
UM, UPDATE FROM THE EMERGENCY FUNDING PROACTIVE STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE FUNDING WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONER SCH SMALL BUCK AND ZISMAN CHAIR.UM, WE HAD A GREAT MEETING WITH, UH, BOTH, UH, LAURA ODEGAARD AND MEGAN WELLS RECENTLY.
UM, HEARING ABOUT THE PROGRESS OF THE A CCC, THE AUSTIN CONSERVATION CIVILIAN CORE, IS THAT ALL THE CS? YOU KNOW WHAT
UM, WE'RE GONNA, THERE'S ACTION NEEDED FROM THE CITY LEVEL THAT WILL HAPPEN IN MARCH.
AND SO THE, UH, THE HOPE IS THAT, UM, THE ORCHESTRATOR BEHIND THE PROGRAM, UH, RAISIN MCINTOSH FROM RAISIN IN THE SUN WILL COME AND PRESENT TO US ON THE FULL PROJECT.
UM, THERE'S NOT MUCH OF AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRAM WE GOT THAT LAST MONTH.
SO MAINLY WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY COASTING ALONG AND GETTING CLOSE TO THE LAUNCH OF THIS PROGRAM.
UM, THEN I, I'M BEING REMINDED OF SOMETHING ELSE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
UM, ITEM 18, UPDATE FROM, OH, THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.
WELL, AND, AND WHAT BEFORE WE MOVE ON COMPLETELY.
UM, THE, THE WORK OF THE ACCC IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ARTS IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT AND THE IDEA THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROGRAM, NOT JUST A ONE-OFF.
UM, AND SO WITHIN OUR BUDGET REQUEST WOULD BE A FUND FOR THAT SPECIFIC PROGRAM, WHICH IS LIKE DAY OF PAYMENT FOR OUR UNSHELTERED NEIGHBORS WORKING IN OUR WORKING ALONGSIDE COMMUNITY LEADERS.
SO A VERY WORTHWHILE, UM, PROJECT THAT, THAT WE'RE LAUNCHING THAT IDEALLY COULD HAVE MANY ITERATIONS.
AND THEN BECAUSE THIS PROGRAM IS SORT OF OFF AND ROLLING AND THERE'S NOT MUCH OF A NEED TO
[02:15:01]
CONTINUE MEETING, WE WOULD LIKE TO SUNSET THIS GROUP.AND IF I COULD BE REMINDED AS TO HOW TO DO THAT OFFICIALLY, DO I JUST WAVE MY HAND AND SO LET IT BE KNOWN.
WE WILL BE RECEIVING AN UPDATE FROM STAFF AND A PRESENTATION FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROGRAM.
BUT FOR NOW WE ARE GOING TO SUNSET THIS WORKING GROUP.
JOSE NEXT, UM, UPDATE FROM JOINT
[18. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Gray, Maldonado, and Schmalbach (chair).]
ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION WORKING GROUP ON URBAN CORE ISSUES WITH COMMERS, GRAHAM MALDONADO AND SMBA CHAIR.I DON'T THINK THAT THERE ARE ANY NEW UPDATES FROM LAST MONTH WHERE IT'S STILL MOVING ALONG THE THINGS THAT I UPDATED ON LAST MONTH AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE MET EARLIER IN FEBRUARY, BUT, UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOME ACTION ITEMS FOR MARCH ALONG WITH SOME PRESENTATIONS THAT'LL BE ON THE AGENDA.
[19. Update from Community Engagement Working Group with Commissioners Zisman, Houston, Csillagi, and Kracheni (chair) ]
FROM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS ZISMAN, HOUSTON CHIKE AND CNI CHAIR.UM, SO WE MET, UM, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, I THINK, I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT DATE.
AND WE KIND OF CAME UP WITH SOME FRAMEWORK, WHICH IS, UM, KIND OF PIGGYBACKING ON KIND OF WHAT A PAST WORKING GROUP HAD DONE WHEN THEY HAD MET WITH SOME, UM, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.
I THINK THAT THAT TOOL THAT, UM, THAT CREATE AUSTIN TOOL WILL ACTUALLY BE AWESOME FOR US TO USE BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE A CENTRALIZED PLACE OF ALL THE UPCOMING EVENTS FOR AT LEAST APPLICANTS.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE CONFIRMED, UM, EVENT THAT WE ARE GOING TO WITH THE A TX THEATER GROUP, UM, JUST TO MAKE OUR PRESENCE KNOWN.
AND WE'VE SENT OUT A FEW MORE EMAILS TO SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HOPEFULLY WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A PRESENCE AT SOME UPCOMING EVENTS OF THEIRS.
I THINK IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE WORKING GROUP, UM, TO DISCUSS KIND OF, UM, THE PAIN POINTS ON, UM, DUPLICATION OF LIKE EVENTS OR CREATING AN EVENT OR PUTTING THAT LABOR ON ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY STRAINED FINANCIALLY, UM, TO CREATE A, UM, A PLACE FOR US.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO INTEGRATE MORE INTO WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY PROGRAMMED, UM, AND KIND OF JUST GET SOME CONVERSATIONS STARTED, YOU KNOW, DIP A TOE, WHAT IS A COMMISSIONER
ANY QUESTIONS OF THE WORKING GROUP, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP? GOOD.
[ITEMS FOR INFORMATION ]
IS ITEMS FOR INFORMATION.YOU HAVE UNTIL SEVEN O'CLOCK MOST DAYS.
VOTE ANY, UH, COMMISSIONERS ITEMS FOR INFORMATION? DRAGON BOAT.
24TH ANNUAL DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL AND RACE IS GOING TO BE IN APRIL.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MARK'S GONNA SEND ME THAT FLYER AND WE'LL CIRCULATE IT.
ANY OTHER ITEMS FOR INFORMATION? THERE'S A TON OF STUFF HAPPENING.
OBVIOUSLY JESUS GAVE US THREE OR FOUR SLIDES WORTH OF THINGS TO GO DO.
UM, WE'VE GOT THE BELOVED, MUCH BELOVED, MUCH HATED.
SO BY SOUTHWEST COMING, GET OUT THERE, FIND YOUR LOCAL CULTURAL CONTRIBUTORS AND SUPPORT.
UM, THERE'S EVERYBODY'S PARTICIPATING, SO GET OUT THERE AND JUST BE ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
NOBODY ELSE IS JUMPING UP TO SHARE.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. LET'S KEEP THE BUDGET CONVERSATION ON THERE.UM, ANYTHING ELSE FROM THIS MONTH THAT WE WANNA CONTINUE OFFICIALLY ALSO, YOU GUYS KNOW, ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD TO THE AGENDA, YOU CAN EMAIL ME.
COMMISSIONER MACH, BUT YOU JUST NEED A BUDDY.
ANY, ANY TWO OF YOU CAN PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ME NOW THAT I THINK WE'RE SPENT, IT'S EIGHT 30.
SO SINCE WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH EVERYTHING, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHISPER.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR UM, RSV PING AND COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH JESUS.
I DID NOT HAVE TO DO THE ROUNDUP THIS MONTH AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL NEXT MONTH, BUT DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT WITH QUESTIONS.