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[CALL TO ORDER]
THE CITY OF AUSTIN ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION, AND I CALL THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER.IT IS SIX, UH, 14:00 PM AND WE ARE IN CITY HALL BOARDS AND COMMISSION ROOM.
ROOM NUMBER, UH, 1101 AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS.
SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS. PRESENT.
UM, WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE ANY, UH, MEMBERS ATTENDING VIRTUALLY, BUT IF THEY DO, UH, DECIDE TO JOIN US, WE WILL.
UH, I THINK I TECHNICALLY SAID WE WILL SAY HI.
UM, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
UM, AND WE DO NOT HAVE ANY RECUSAL ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UM, SO, UH, WITH THAT, I THINK I'M GOING TO TAKE OUR AGENDA A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH EVERYONE.
UM, AND, UH, DO A QUICK FUTURE ANNOUNCEMENT.
UM, AND THAT FUTURE ANNOUNCEMENT IS THAT THIS IS, UH, OFFICIALLY MY LAST MEETING ON THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
UM, SO, UH, I, I WANTED TO SAY THAT UPFRONT TO HELP COLOR THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT OUR WORKING GROUPS AND THE FOCUS OF THE COMMISSION MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND TO FIRMLY POSITION MYSELF AS A LAME DUCK
UM, UH, JUST A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF FAMILY THINGS GOING ON THAT ARE, UH, PULLING MY ATTENTION AWAY.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, THE DISTRICT FOUR SEAT, UM, AND THE CHAIR POSITION IS BETTER SERVED BY SOMEONE THAT'S GOT MORE TIME, UH, AND ATTENTION.
UM, I'LL JUST, UH, SAY THAT IT'S LITTLE TRICKY WITH, UH, TWO, TWO YOUNG, UH, CHILDREN THAT ARE NOT YET POTTY TRAINED.
UM, BUT, UH, SO WANTED TO SAY THAT UPFRONT, UH, BEFORE WE GO INTO CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR WORKING GROUPS.
SO WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE WORKING GROUP THAT I'M ON WITH COMMISSIONER LOVENS AND LOW, I WILL NO LONGER BE ON.
SO, UH, THAT IS, UH, OPEN TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS IF THEY'RE INTERESTED.
[1. Discussion of existing working groups (Race, Identity, and Equity Working Group, Working Group to Prepare Calendar of Commission Duties and Responsibilities, and Working Group to Review ERC Complaints Process), and potential amendments to current working group members.]
I THINK TO KIND OF BACK UP TO WHY I THINK I REALLY WAS INTERESTED IN TALKING ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC ITEM, OUR EXISTING WORKING GROUPS, UH, AND, UH, POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS TO WORKING GROUP MEMBERS.UM, THERE IS, UH, THERE'S CURRENTLY ANOTHER COMMISSION THAT IS OPERATING.
IT IS CALLED THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
UM, AND AMONG THE DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION IS, UH, OUR COMMISSION, THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION, AND THE, UH, SCOPE OF OUR WORK, WHETHER OR NOT THERE NEEDS TO BE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ENTITY, UM, THAT DOES ETHICS THINGS, UM, WHICH IS NOT, UH, ACTUALLY A NEW, UM, PROPOSAL.
UM, I THINK MAYBE COMMISSIONER KALE WAS ALSO ON THE COMMISSION THE LAST TIME THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION CAME UP.
I WAS DEFINITELY ON THE COMMISSION THEN, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UM, AND AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS A, A SIMILAR PROPOSAL, UH, TO ESTABLISH AN INDEPENDENT ETHICS COMMISSION OF SOME, YEAH.
THIS IDEA HAS KIND OF BOUNCED AROUND FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UM, AND SO, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THAT INITIAL PROPOSAL IN 2018.
ONE OF THE REASONS IT WAS PROPOSED IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS BECAUSE, UH, THE PEOPLE AT THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION, UM, THEY WERE INTERESTED, UH, IN EXPLORING THE IDEA OF DOING SOMETHING LIKE DEMOCRACY DOLLARS.
IF YOU'VE HEARD OF THAT CONCEPT BACK IN, UH, THEY PILOTED IT IN SEATTLE, I BELIEVE YES.
INTERESTED IN DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR IN AUSTIN.
BUT TO DO THAT, THEY, THEY ENVISIONED A VERY ROBUST ETHICS ENTITY, UH, ORGAN OF CITY GOVERNMENT THAT IS INDEPENDENT TO ADMINISTER SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, THAT PROPOSAL ITSELF IS NOT, UH, APPARENTLY ON THE TABLE, BUT THE IDEA THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME INDEPENDENT ETHICS ENTITY THAT HAS JURISDICTION OVER CITY ETHICS RULES, CAMPAIGN FINANCE RULES, LOBBYING, THINGS LIKE THAT, IS, UH, HAS COME BACK UP.
UM, AND ONE OF THE PROPONENTS IS ACTUALLY
[00:05:01]
A FORMER ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION MEMBER, UM, WHICH IS FASCINATING.UH, ALL THAT TO SAY, I THINK THAT THE, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE EXISTING WORKING GROUPS WITH THAT CONTEXT IN MIND, UM, TO, UH, SORT OF ENCOURAGE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT THESE WORKING GROUPS ARE DOING, UM, WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING, BECAUSE THE VERY KIND OF FOUNDATIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO AS A COMMISSION ARE LIVE AND THEY'RE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE BEING HAD OUTSIDE OF OUR ROOM AND OUR MEETINGS.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, UH, I THINK I'LL JUST KIND OF GO IN ORDER OF OUR WORKING GROUPS.
UM, FIRST, THE, THE RACE IDENTITY AND EQUITY WORKING GROUP.
UM, I WILL BE COMPLETELY HONEST, COMMISSIONERS, I FORGOT THAT THIS WAS STILL A COMMISSION OR STILL A WORKING GROUP.
UM, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE HAD KIND OF WRAPPED THE WORK OF THAT WORKING GROUP, BUT IF, IF ANYONE HAS CONTEXT FOR WHAT THE WORKING GROUP IS STILL DOING, HAPPY TO HEAR IT.
AND THAT AROSE FROM WHEN I FIRST PROPOSED THE IDEA OF PUTTING OUT A STATEMENT OF WHAT OUR COMMISSION DOES.
MY, MY THINKING WAS THAT WE WANTED TO, UM, SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC WHAT WE DO SO THAT EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY TO COMMISSIONS AND KNOWS ABOUT 'EM.
AND THAT THAT WAS WHERE THAT CAME FROM.
UM, AND, AND THEN IT EXPANDED BEYOND THAT.
I DON'T, I THINK WITH THE PUBLICATION THIS PAST FALL ON NEXT DOOR OF THAT STATEMENT THAT WE FINALLY APPROVED, I DON'T, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS WORKING GROUP, I'M SURPRISED IT'S STILL ON THE, THE DOCKET MYSELF.
SO, YEAH, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER.
IS THERE A MISSION STATEMENT FOR THAT, FOR THE WORKING GROUP? I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE HAD A MISSION STATEMENT.
I THINK WE JUST SORT OF DISCUSSED AT ONE OF THE MEETINGS, WHICH I'M SURE YOU CAN FIND IN, IN OLD MINUTES AND RECORDINGS AND THINGS, THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT DOING, BUT WE DIDN'T FORMULATE A, AN OFFICIAL MISSION STATEMENT.
IT WAS, IT WAS MUCH MORE, UH, KIND OF AN INFORMATIONAL STATEMENT.
THIS IS, WE ARE THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
THIS IS WHAT WE DO, HERE'S HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR, YEAH.
UH, AND THEN AT ONE POINT IN TIME, UM, THERE WERE OTHER THINGS THAT THIS WORKING GROUP HAD DONE, AND THIS IS GOING BACK YEARS.
ONE, ONE THING THAT I'M WARY OF AFTER ONE, I THINK LEARNED LESSON, UM, IS TO BE WARY OF, UH, WORKING GROUPS THAT LINGER AND DON'T HAVE KIND OF CLEARLY DEFINED MISSION STATEMENTS,
UM, THERE WAS, THERE WAS A LOT.
UM, SO, UH, BUT NOT SEEING KIND OF A CLEAR, UM, IMMEDIATE NEXT STEP FOR THIS WORKING GROUP.
UM, I THINK, UH, ONE QUESTION THAT I HAD FOR CITY STAFF WAS YES.
CAN WE GET COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA TO TURN HIS CAMERA ON? HE JUST JOINED IN.
WE WILL RECOGNIZE YOU AS PRESENT, UM, IN ATTENDING VIRTUALLY TO CATCH YOU UP TO SPEED.
THIS WILL BE MY LAST MEETING, UH, AS A COMMISSIONER.
UM, I, WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AGAIN LATER.
UM, WE'RE GOING OVER THE WORKING GROUPS RIGHT NOW, UH, AND, UH, THE CONTEXT IN PART BEING THAT THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT OUR COMMISSION, WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE A SEPARATE ORGAN OF CITY GOVERNMENT THAT DOES ETHICS CAMPAIGN FINANCE LOBBY REGULATION, THAT IS NOT OUR COMMISSION.
UM, AND WE'RE KIND OF GOING ONE BY ONE THROUGH THESE WORKING GROUPS TO CHECK IN, SEE IF THERE'S STILL ANY WORK FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO DO, AND TALKING ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S NEXT.
THAT HAPPENED ON FOR A FEW MINUTES, SO I'VE HEARD A LOT OF WHAT, WHAT YOU, YOU JUST SAID AS WELL.
AND IF YOU COULD TURN ON YOUR CAMERA.
UM, SO, UH, I WAS GONNA ASK CITY STAFF IF, IF, IS THERE A FORMAL WAY TO DISCHARGE A WORKING GROUP, OR DO WE JUST, IS IT, IS IT ABRACADABRA
I, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT NEEDS TO BE, BUT I THINK THAT LIKE, FOR CLARITY'S SAKE AND
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SO THAT WE DON'T END UP IN THIS POSITION AGAIN, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO DO THAT.I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION IF, UH, NO ONE SAYS I, I MOVE THAT WE, UH, FORMALLY DISBAND, UH, THIS WORKING GROUP, UM, AND SEND OUR THANKS TO COMMISSIONERS PAST AND PRESENT WHO HAVE WORKED ON IT, BECAUSE THERE ARE QUITE A FEW COMMISSIONERS PASSED WHO HAVE BEEN ON A COMMISSION IN HINDSIGHT.
UM, I WILL JUST DO A VOICE VOTE.
UM, NEXT UP WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP TO PREPARE THE CALENDAR OF COMMISSION DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
UM, SO THIS, UH, I'M GONNA TURN TO SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS. UM, THIS WAS, UH, THIS WAS, UH, I THINK MOTIVATED IN PART BY, UH, COMING TO MEETINGS AND COMING.
AND I AGREE, UH, WE'VE COME TO MEETINGS AND REALIZE, OH, CITY CODE REQUIRES US TO REVIEW, UH, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTION LIMITS AND CITY CODE REQUIRES US TO, UH, DO THIS ON A FAIRLY REGULAR BASIS, BUT WE DON'T, UH, IT'S ONLY A MONTH, OR IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S ONLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS IN ADVANCE THAT WE REALIZE, OH, THIS IS HAPPENING, LET'S THINK ABOUT IT, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING A BETTER WAY TO PLAN FOR THOSE THINGS.
SO THAT IS CORRECT, AND MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT THIS WAS CHAIRED BY A COMMISSIONER WHO IS NO LONGER ON THE COMMISSION.
AND SO I JOINED TO KIND OF HELP THAT EFFORT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT FORMER COMMISSIONER WOULD TAKE THE LEAD.
UM, NOW WE ARE IN THE SITUATION THAT WE ARE, WHERE IT'S A ONE MEMBER WORKING GROUP.
UM, I, I DO THINK THAT WE STILL HAVE THAT NEED, SO I'M HAPPY TO WORK ON THIS, BUT I'D LOVE TO GET SOME HELP BECAUSE I'M KIND OF ONE OF THE NEWER COMMISSIONERS
UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW TO EVEN, TO BEGIN.
UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO, COULD, COULD THE WORK OF THE WORKING GROUP BE DONE VIA COMMISSION MEETING? I THINK NOT, RIGHT.
SOMETHING ABOUT A STANDING QUORUM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WELL, UH, I THINK YOU COULD, UH, ONE WAY YOU COULD GO ABOUT IT, UM, IS TO ASK FOR SOME LIGHT HELP FROM CITY STAFF.
UM, THERE ARE, UH, EVERY TIME
UM, UH, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE UNREASONABLE, UH, TO ASK FOR HELP THERE IN ASSEMBLING SOME KIND OF CALENDAR.
UM, UH, IT, IT WOULDN'T, I DON'T THINK IT'D ALSO BE, UH, THAT MUCH OF A LIFT TO AGENDIZE THE TOPIC FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AT A FULL MEETING.
THAT'LL BE, UH, DECISION FOR, UH, NOT ME.
I, I, I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM EITHER THERE.
I THINK THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS YOU COULD GO ABOUT IT.
UM, I'D HAVE TO TALK TO CITY STAFF TOO, BECAUSE IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN GENERAL.
BUT IT OBVIOUSLY IS SETTING UP VERY SPECIFIC SCHEDULE, AND SO I WOULD, I TOO WOULD NEED A LOT OF HELP, BUT I'M HAPPY TO HELP YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE USE, I'M A BIG FAN OF MAKING USE OF THE TIME THAT WE HAVE TO TOGETHER SET ASIDE AS A FULL COMMISSION MEETING.
SO IF THAT IS ALLOWED, I WOULD MUCH PREFER TO HAVE, THEN WE GET INTO KIND OF STANDING TOPIC.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE IT AT LEAST A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM AND PARTICIPATION.
AND THEN I COULD SEE AN ACTION ITEM COULD BE A REQUEST TO A STAFF LIAISON OR THE LAW LIBRARY TO START US OUT WITH A STRAWMAN WITH LIKE SOMETHING, AND THEN, UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, EY AND I COULD, COULD ELABORATE ON THAT OR, OR WORK ON THAT TO FINALIZE IT AND THEN PRESENT IT TO THE COMMISSION.
BUT IF I MAY DO THAT, I WOULD PREFER THAT WAY OF WORKING ON THIS.
I, I THINK, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE, UM, TO, UH, HAVE, UH, A, A VERY FRIENDLY REQUEST TO, UH, CITY LAW DEPARTMENT AND OUR STAFF LIAISON, UM, TO, UH, TO HELP,
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UH, COMMISSIONER HUMPHREY AND SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS WITH THE SKELETON OF WHAT THE, WHAT THE CITY CODE REQUIREMENTS.ARE THOSE REGULARLY OCCURRING OBLIGATIONS? YEAH.
SO I MEAN, ANY, ANY COMMISSIONER IS MORE THAN WELCOME ANYTIME TO, YOU KNOW, SEND IN ANY QUESTIONS OR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS TO, TO, UH, THE CITY STAFF, TO LIZETTE, WHO'S THE PRIMARY LIAISON, AND, UM, ASK FOR ANY SORT OF HELP.
AND SO, UM, AN TO GET ON THE AGENDA, AN ITEM JUST NEEDS EITHER FOR THE CHAIR TO ASK FOR IT TO BE PUT ONTO THE AGENDA OR TO HAVE THREE COMMISSIONERS, UM, REQUEST THAT.
AND SO, UM, YOU CAN SEND IN A REQUEST, OR WE CAN, YOU KNOW, DO, UM, PROBABLY LIKE A STAFF MAYBE UPDATE OR BRIEFING ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES OR THE THINGS THAT NEED TO COME UP, YOU KNOW, PERIODICALLY.
AND THEN YOU, THE WORKING GROUP CAN GO FURTHER INTO THAT AND COME UP WITH A PLAN ON HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE DOING THAT, YOU KNOW, AND NOT GETTING CAUGHT OFF GUARD FOUR WEEKS BEFORE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND SO THAT CAN DEFINITELY BE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM AND CAN GET PUT ON THERE.
SO IS THAT THE NEXT STEP THEN AS TO WOULD I MOVE OR REQUEST CHAIR TO HAVE THIS BE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? IS THE CALENDAR OF COMMISSION DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES? SURE.
AT, AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING, YOU COULD ABSOLUTELY BE A, UM, AN AGENDA ITEM TO, UH, AT, AT A MINIMUM KIND OF UPDATE ON WHERE THAT STANDS.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS IS NOT A CALENDAR OF ALL THE FILING DEADLINES, ALL THE DATES THAT ARE MENTIONED IN THE CODE, THIS IS STRICTLY, UM, CALENDAR DATE FOR THE COMMISSION FOR WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
THAT, THAT, THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN THE WORKING GROUP INITIALLY SET UP.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS SPECIFIC WORKING GROUP BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE FUN ONE? YES, GO AHEAD.
I THINK WE JUST WANNA ADD COMMISSIONER PUMPHREY TO THE WORKING GROUP, CORRECT.
THANK, I MOVED TO ADD COMMISSIONER I THINKEY.
I MOVED TO ADD COMMISSIONER PUMPHREY TO THE WORKING GROUP, UH, ON CALENDAR, SECOND
I'LL TAKE COMMISSIONER LEVIN SECOND, UM, UH, VIA VOICE VOTE.
UH, ABSTAIN PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, UH, IS OUR WORKING GROUP, UH, TO REVIEW ERC COMPLAINT PROCESS.
UM, UH, A BRIEF REMINDER ON THE, UH, SORT OF IMPETUS FOR THIS IS THAT CITY CODE CONTEMPLATES IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
UM, THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION BRINGING COMPLAINTS ON ITS OWN.
I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR ALMOST SEVEN YEARS, AND NOT ONCE HAS THERE EVEN BEEN, UH, AN, AN ATTEMPT TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, I HAD ASKED, UH, SOME CITY STAFF AND FOLKS IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
HAS THAT EVER HAPPENED? UH, NO ONE HAS, THERE IS NOT A HISTORICAL MEMORY OF THAT HAPPENING.
I THINK I'VE BEEN ON A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN YOU SURE.
BUT AT ONE POINT WHEN I WAS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER THIS OR NOT, BUT SOMEONE FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE, UM, I THINK I WAS, MAYBE IT WAS WHEN I WAS A CHAIR, THEY HAD FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST ANOTHER COMMISSION AND NOT GETTING SATISFACTION THERE.
THEY CAME AND THEY FILED A COMPLAINT.
BUT IT DIDN'T PROCEED FARTHER THAN THAT.
AND THIS IS TO BE, TO, TO CLARIFY THIS IS, UM, THESE ARE COMPLAINTS AGAINST INDIVIDUALS THAT THE COMMISSION ORIGINATES, SO OH, GOTCHA.
SO THE DISTINCTION IS, UH, WHERE YOU HAVE OFTEN, UH, PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS OR THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE ACTING AS A COMPLAINANT, BRINGING A CASE.
UM, THESE ARE, THIS, THE CITY CODE CONTEMPLATES IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
IF THE COMMISSION ITSELF RIGHT.
IS THE COMPLAINANT, SO TO SPEAK,
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UM, WHAT DO WE DO THERE? UH, I BELIEVE I REMEMBER THE CASES THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT A TIME.UM, THE, UH, SO, SO ALL THAT TO SAY THERE'S NO, UM, THERE BEING NO HISTORICAL INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY OF WHAT HAPPENED
THERE BEING THIS OPEN DOOR FOR THE COMMISSION TO PROSECUTE ETHICS VIOLATIONS ON ITS OWN, UM, IT SEEMED TO ME, UH, UH, SOMETHING THAT WARRANTED, UH, CONSIDERATION AND REVIEW.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN A HANDFUL OF TIMES THAT INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF POSSIBLE ETHICS VIOLATIONS OUT IN THE WORLD, SO TO SPEAK, WITHOUT A REAL CLEAR PATH ON WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.
UM, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE, AS A COMMISSION, IN THE MIDST OF A HEARING, WE HEAR A COMPLAINANT DESCRIBE A SET OF FACTS THAT SEEM, WELL, THAT MIGHT BE A VIOLATION, BUT NOT THE SPECIFIC VIOLATION THAT THEY HAD ALLEGED, UM, WITHOUT A CLEAR WAY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THAT INFORMATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMED IMP PRUDENT MAYBE TO HELP THE COMPLAINANT AND TELL THEM, HERE'S HOW YOU PROSECUTE YOUR CASE.
UH, IT, IT'S A LOT OF, UH, INTERESTING HARD PUZZLES.
UM, AND, UH, AND, AND THAT WAS THE MOTIVATION BEHIND KICKING OFF THE WORKING GROUP IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UM, IT ALSO SEEMED, UH, TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST AND TRANSPARENT, THAT WITHOUT PUTTING SOME KIND OF BOUNDARIES AND RULES ON HOW THAT WORKS, WITH IT JUST BEING WIDE OPEN IN THE CODE, THAT THE COMMISSION CAN INITIATE COMPLAINTS.
IT SEEMS LIKE SOME SOMETHING THAT COULD BE ABUSED POTENTIALLY.
UM, SO, UH, WITH THAT BE, BECAUSE I AM, I WILL NO LONGER BE A COMMISSIONER, UH, UPON ADJOURNMENT.
UM, SO O OPEN, UH, OPEN SPOT ON THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND THEN, AND THEN HAPPY TO KIND OF DISCUSS, UH, SOME THOUGHTS THAT COMMISSIONERS MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THE WORK OF THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD VERY LIGHT, UH, DISCUSSIONS.
I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER LOWE PROVIDED A VERY HELPFUL MEMO TO ME AND COMMISSIONER LEVINS JUST TO KIND OF ORIENT DISCUSSIONS WITH REFERENCE TO WHAT THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION DOES.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH, BUT GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER.
I HAVE THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION AND THE THAT'S RIGHT.
AND ALSO THERE WAS A REFERENCE, THIS WAS SO HELPFUL, A REFERENCE TO FEC AND HOW IT DOES ITS WORK.
NO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, THE MEMO I CIRCULATED TO THE TWO OTHER WORKING GROUP MEMBERS WAS NOT EVEN A GROUP OF SUGGESTIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHETHER THE WORKING GROUP FELT I WAS MAPPING OUT A FRAMEWORK THAT WAS EVEN FEASIBLE, OR THAT WAS DESIRABLE.
AND SO THAT'S, AS FAR AS WE'VE GOTTEN
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT CLOSE TO THAT.
BUT IT, AT, AT A MINIMUM, I WANT, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR MAKING SURE THAT THERE
UH, AND THERE'S, THERE'S AT LEAST AN OUTLINE OF AN IDEA OF WHAT, HOW YOU MIGHT APPROACH THIS KIND OF ISSUE AND PROBLEM.
UM, SO, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, ANY TAKERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO JUMP ON A COMMISSION LIKE THAT, IT COULD BE A WORKING GROUP OF TWO.
UM, AND HARD TO THINK OF TWO MORE, UH, QUALIFIED AND COMPETENT PEOPLE TO TACKLE SOMETHING LIKE IT.
BUT, UH, THE DOOR'S OPEN AND IT'LL BE OPEN AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO SUGGEST THAT THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE.
UH, AND FOR THOSE, UH, THE HANDFUL OF COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE NOT HERE, UM, OBVIOUSLY AT A, AT A FUTURE MEETING, IF THEY'D EXPRESSED INTEREST, THEY COULD JOIN AS WELL.
BUT, UM, GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE, UH, SOLD APPARENTLY.
UH, BUT WE CAN STILL DISCUSS IF, IF ANYONE HAS THOUGHTS ON THE KIND OF FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION OR WHAT THE WORKING GROUP IS DOING.
UM, THE SORT, THE TITLE OF THE WORKING GROUP REVIEW ERC COMPLAINTS PROCESS IS FAIRLY BROAD.
UM, SO IF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WARRANT CONSIDERATION BY THE WORKING GROUP, ASIDE FROM THE SORT OF, I GUESS, UH, UH, INITIAL QUESTION OF HOW DOES THE COMMISSION ITSELF INITIATE COMPLAINTS? UM, HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
I'M GONNA JUMP INTO, I, I DON'T, UM, I'M NOT GONNA BE ON THE WORKING GROUP 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I'M A, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M TERM LIMITED OR NOT.
WHEN MY CITY COUNCIL'S TERM IS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER'S, TERM IS UP.
I'M UNCLEAR ABOUT HOW MUCH LONGER
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I'M ALLOWED TO BE ON THE COMMISSION.BUT ONE THING THAT I REMEMBER THAT, UH, A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONERS TALKED ABOUT WAS THAT THE FORM THAT IS USED TO FILE COMPLAINTS, UH, SOMETIMES, UH, LIMITED, UM, OR IMPEDED THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE TO MAKE A, A COMPLAINT IN THE WAY THEY WANTED TO.
SO MAYBE THEY WOULD'VE FILED A COMPLAINT, BUT THEY DIDN'T CITE THE PROPER PART OF THE ORDINANCE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A CONFUSING FORM.
I'M JUST REMINDING THE, THE WORKING GROUP OF THAT, THAT THAT WAS AN ONGOING ISSUE.
UH, AND I THINK SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD BE WITHIN THE, THE AMBIT OF A WORKING GROUP TO THINK ABOUT.
SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS. WOULD WE NEED TO GO THROUGH THE NOTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS? 'CAUSE I THOUGHT THAT THAT WORKING GROUP DELIVERED, LIKE ACTUALLY HAD COMPLETED LIKE A TEMPLATE.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT I REMEMBER WORKING ON THAT FORM, AND IT SEEMS LIKE, I'D HATE TO THINK THAT ALL OF THAT WORK WAS JUST WASTED.
IS THERE LIKE A REPOSITORY THAT WE CAN PASS ON TO THE CURRENT WORKING GROUP MEMBERS TO START? YEAH.
THE, I AM REMEMBER, I'M RECALLING A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK, YES.
UM, AND THE DIFFICULTY THAT A COMPLAINANT HAD IN TRYING TO FIX THAT AFTER THE FACT.
UM, UH, AND, AND THERE, I, I REMEMBER VAGUELY THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD, UM, THERE WEREN'T, AT LEAST THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD IN OPEN IN OUR OPEN MEETING, THERE WEREN'T ANY EASY ANSWERS TO HOW TO, ON HOW TO ADDRESS THAT WITHOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THE RESPONDENT IN A COMPLAINT IN A VERY TOUGH POSITION.
UM, UH, WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, COMPLAINANT CITES VAGUELY RIGHT, THIS CHAPTER OF CITY CODE, UM, AND THE RESPONDENT NOT HAVING A REALLY SUFFICIENT OPPORTUNITY AT A PRELIMINARY HEARING TO COME UP WITH THE DEFENSE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE COMPLAINANT THEN, UH, AT THAT PRELIMINARY HEARING MIGHT FINALLY ARTICULATE PRECISELY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE SECTION THAT YOU VIOLATED.
IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST PROVISION UNDER THIS PART OF THE CODE.
UM, SO, UH, BUT I DON'T THINK, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT TO KIND OF FORECLOSE DISCUSSION OF THE FORM AND THE COMPLAINT PROCESS GENERALLY.
UM, BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S STILL A LIVE ISSUE AND IT'S, IT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE CONSIDERATE OF.
HOW, HOW MUCH OF A BARRIER IS IT FOR SOMEONE TO FILE A COMPLAINT WHEN THEY SEE SOMETHING? UM, SO IT, I I, I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE, AND MAYBE WE CAN ASK, UH, UH, AGAIN, I FEEL I, I ALWAYS FEEL GREEDY WHEN I ASK CITY STAFF TO DO SOMETHING.
UM, BUT TO, TO LOCATE, UH, IN OUR MINUTES OR, UM, JUST TO AT LEAST LOCATE THAT PAST MEETING WHERE WE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE FORM.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD ALSO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH, UM, UH, UM, LIKE WE DISCUSSED POSSIBLE AMENDING OF COMPLAINTS.
UM, TRYING TO THINK OF KEY WORDS THAT WOULD HELP IN LIKE, YOU KNOW, CONTROL F THROUGH THE MINUTES
UH, AND I, I DO KNOW IT, IT RELATED TO THE WORKING GROUP THAT, UH, IT WAS MYSELF, UH, I BELIEVE SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS WAS ON THAT AS WELL.
UH, COMMISSIONER GREENBERG AND, UM, COMMISSIONER 10 YUKA, UH, I THINK WE WERE ON THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, BUT IT WAS ONE OF THE TWO, UH, BIG WORKING GROUPS THAT, UH,
UM, UH, IT, I THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO LOCATE THE SPECIFIC MEETINGS WHERE WE DISCUSSED THOSE PROPOSALS TO SHARE WITH THE CURRENT WORKING GROUP, JUST FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION.
WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW IF THIS WAS IN LYNN CARTER'S TIME? IT WAS A LYNN CARTER ERA.
IT WAS A LYNN CARTER ERA MEETING FOR SURE.
I BELIEVE IT WAS FORMER COMMISSIONER BETSY.
AND I RECALL LIKE, THERE WAS AN ACTUAL PRESENTATION THAT SHE HAD MADE.
LET'S DIG THAT UP SO THAT THE CURRENT COMMISSIONERS AREN'T HAVE SOMETHING TO START WITH.
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AND, AND SOMETHING TO CONSIDER AS WELL.MY MEMORY HAS JUST BEEN JOGGED A LITTLE BIT.
'CAUSE I THINK THEY, THERE WAS SOMETHING PROPOSED, AND I THINK WE REJECTED IT AS A COMMISSION.
UM, UH, AGAIN, THOUGH ME WORKING FROM MEMORY IS, UH, IT, IT WOULD BE WORTH, UH, HAVING THAT HISTORY AVAILABLE.
UM, BUT I, I, I REMEMBER THE, SOME OF THE DISCUSSION BEING, UH, I, THERE WAS NOT UNANIMITY ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO THE DECISION WAS NOT TO MOVE FORWARD.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION RELATED TO MEMBERSHIP ON THE WORKING GROUPS? SURE.
DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE, AND WE HAVE TWO VACANCIES NOW, AND AT THE END OF THIS MEETING, WE'LL HAVE THREE.
DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE OF WHEN THOSE VACANCIES MIGHT BE FILLED? UH, GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I DO NOT HAVE INFORMATION ON THE TWO CURRENT VACANCIES.
UM, I AM AN ACTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH MY COUNCIL MEMBER ON FILLING MY IMPENDING VACANCY.
UM, HE ASKED FOR SUGGESTIONS, FRANKLY.
UH, AND I, I AM WORKING WITH HIM TO TRY TO FIND SOMEONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
ONE, ONE THING THAT I THINK IS, UH, A BIT RELIEVING IS THAT THERE AREN'T, UM, ANY PRESSING, THERE AREN'T ANY COMPLAINTS ON OUR DOCKET.
A UH, AND, UH, WE HAVE A BIT OF A SLOW SEASON
UM, IT SEEMS, UH, BARRING ANYTHING CRAZY HAPPENING,
I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A, JUST AT LEAST A FEW MONTHS OF A GRACE PERIOD BEFORE, UH, BEFORE THE DOCKET LIGHTS UP AGAIN.
UM, BUT, UH, NO, I I, I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THE OTHER TWO VACANCIES.
NO, I, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT ON THAT, BUT I DO THINK THAT THE LAST COUPLE OF VACANCIES HAVE BEEN FILLED FAIRLY QUICKLY, SO THERE'S HOPE THAT IT MAYBE BY THE NEXT MEETING.
MR. CHAIR, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING AS TO THE CHARTER.
UM, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE, ON THE WORKING GROUP COMMUNIC, WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL CHANNEL FOR US TO COMMUNICATE WITH THAT, THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE, IF IT IS A COMMISSION OR A SUB? MM-HMM.
UM, IT IS, THAT IS, IS THAT PERSON IN THE ROOM
NO, I WAS, UH, BECAUSE WE, SHE HAD ASKED IF THERE'S A, A PROPER WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
UM, AND I, I SAID, WELL, THEY, I ASSUME THEY ARE COMMISSIONED JUST LIKE WE ARE.
SO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO CITY STAFF IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THEY MAY HAVE A STAFF LIAISON AS WELL, WHICH MIGHT BE IN, UH, NOT ME.
UH, I DO NOT KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A STAFF LIAISON.
I AM THE STAFF LIAISON ONLY FOR THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE STAFF IS, UM, MYRNA RIOS, WHO'S THE CITY CLERK.
AND THEN, UM, CAROLINE WEBSTER, WHO YOU ALL MET AT THE LAST MEETING WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO I'M, I'M SURE THERE IS ANOTHER STAFF PERSON PROBABLY HELPING THEM, BUT, UM, IT IS, THAT'S WHO IT IS ON THEIR, ON THEIR WEBSITE.
BUT IF WE WANT TO SEND A LETTER OR, YOU KNOW, MEET MM-HMM.
I THINK YOU CAN SIGN UP, YOU KNOW, AHEAD OF TIME OR SEND IN A LETTER, JUST LIKE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.
I THINK IF YOU WANTED TO DO SOMETHING AS A COMMISSION, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE COMMISSION CONSENSUS.
BUT I'LL BE PERFECTLY HONEST, UM, COMMISSIONER, FORMER COMMISSIONER GREENBERG HAD ME SPEAK ON A COUPLE OF, UH, ETHICS TOPICS THAT SHE WAS, THAT SHE'S BEEN REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT.
AND I SPOKE, BUT I SPOKE AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN.
THERE WERE SOME THINGS RELATED TO TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I DIDN'T EVEN MENTION THAT I WAS ON THE ETHICS COMMISSION WHEN I SPOKE.
[00:35:01]
HMM.UM, AND, AND I THINK, UH, OH, I SEE.
COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA, GO AHEAD.
UM, THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION ALSO HAS TOWN HALLS FROM TIME TO TIME.
THEY HAD ONE, IT WAS EITHER EARLIER THIS MONTH OR AT THE END OF JANUARY.
AND, UH, I SPOKE TO THEM ABOUT SOME ISSUES THAT I THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT.
I DID IDENTIFY MYSELF AS A MISSION MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION, BUT ALSO MADE IT CLEAR THAT I WAS NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION.
AND THEN I THANK THEM FOR THEIR COMMISSION SERVICE, KNOWING THAT WE ALL DO IT FOR FAM AND GLORY.
UM, THAT IS SARCASM IN CASE IT DOESN'T TRANSLATE THROUGH THE, UH, THE WEBEX.
UM, THE, UH, LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS ON FEBRUARY 29TH OF TOMORROW, AND THEN THEY HAVE ANOTHER TOWN HALL ON MARCH 7TH.
SO, AS INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, IF, IF COMMISSIONER KALE AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT, I THINK THAT THERE, THERE'S NOTHING STOPPING COMMISSION MEMBERS FROM DOING IT AS WELL.
UM, AND, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE, UH, NOTHING ALSO IS STOPPING, I THINK, WORKING GROUP MEMBERS OR COMMISSION MEMBERS GENERALLY FROM REACHING OUT TO THOSE COMMISSION MEMBERS.
UM, SO IF, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE WAS A DESIRE TO REACH OUT TO THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMISSION, UM, AND ASK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE SOME, WHAT ARE SOME GOINGS ON OF THE JUST, AND EVEN AN INFORMAL CONVERSATION, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING THAT BARS THAT EITHER.
AND, BUT, UM, IF, IF AS A COMMISSION YOU WANTED TO GO OR LIKE SEND A LETTER ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION, IT WOULD NEED TO BE AN AGENDA ITEM FOR YOUR COMMISSION TO DISCUSS IT, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT'S GONNA BE.
WE'LL ALL HAVE TO VOTE ON IT, AND THEN THAT COULD BE SENT ON MM-HMM.
BUT NO, AS INDIVIDUALS, I MEAN, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE AND, UM, GO SPEAK WITH THEM.
AND LIKE, LIKE COMMISSIONER SPINOSA SAID, THEY DO HAVE A, A SOMETHING TOMORROW AND THEN A TOWN HALL ON NEXT THURSDAY THE SEVENTH.
IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE EVERY TWO WEEKS OR SO THEY HAVE SOMETHING GOING ON.
ANY OTHER, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, THIS WORKING GROUP? UH, WE WE'RE JUST A LITTLE BIT OFF TOPIC, BUT TO BRING IT BACK, UH, SO, UH, THIS SPECIFIC WORKING GROUP ON THE ERC COMPLAINT PROCESS, WELL GOING ONCE, TWICE,
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THREE TIMES.UM, WE CAN MOVE ON THEN TO, UM, THE NEXT, UH, AGENDA ITEMS, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
UM, I WILL ASK, UH, SECRETARY STANTON IF SHE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THOSE MINUTES.
AND I THOUGHT WE, REMIND ME, I TECHNICALLY I WOULD PREFER TO ABSTAIN FROM SEPTEMBER BECAUSE I WAS NOT PRESENT.
UM, BUT I KNOW WE HAD KIND OF AN ISSUE OF, IF I DON'T VOTE, MAYBE IT WAS LAST TIME I DON'T VOTE, THEN IT WOULDN'T, DID WE NOT HAVE QUORUM OR SOMETHING? THERE WAS SOME REASON WHY WE DELAYED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH WITH YOU ABSTAINING.
AND THEN WE HAD ANOTHER MEMBER WHO WAS, IT WAS HIS FIRST MEETING.
AND IT WAS ALSO HIS LAST MEETING BECAUSE HE OH YES.
UH, WELL, I DO THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH, IF YOU DID WANT TO ABSTAIN FROM, UH, THE SEPTEMBER MINUTES, UH, TO APPROVE THEM THIS TIME.
SO, UH, UH, I'LL TAKE A MOTION IF ANYONE'S GOT ONE TO APPROVE THE SEPTEMBER MINUTES.
I'M, UH, I'M A MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE SEPTEMBER 20, 23 MINUTES.
SECOND MOVE, MOVED AND SECONDED.
AND ALL THOSE ABSTAINING ABSTENTION FROM SECRETARY ADAMS. OTHERWISE IT PASSES.
AND WE WILL GO NOW TO THE DECEMBER MINUTES.
UM, AND I WILL SAY HERE, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, THANK VERY MUCH, UH, COMMISSIONER KALE FOR STEPPING IN TO CHAIR THAT MEETING.
UM, UH, I WILL LIKELY ABSTAIN FROM THIS VOTE.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT JEOPARDIZES, UM, THIS ONE, UH, BECAUSE, UH, NOT BEING THERE MYSELF AND NOT HAVING TAKEN NOTES ON WHAT THE COMMISSION DID THERE, UH, I DON'T HAVE A, DON'T HAVE A STRONG
[00:40:01]
SAY.UM, I'M PREPARED TO MAKE A MOTION OKAY.
THAT WE APPROVE THE DECEMBER 13TH MINUTES, UM, AS THEY HAVE IN INCORPORATED THE VERY MINOR CHANGE THAT I HAD SUGGESTED.
SO I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THEM.
SECOND FROM COMMISSION HUMPHREY.
ALL OPPOSED? MAY AND I WILL ABSTAIN.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
UM, GREAT.THAT THEN BRINGS US RIGHT TO THE END OF OUR AGENDA, WHICH IS, UH, FUTURE ITEMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UM, BEFORE I GO INTO MY SPIEL ABOUT HOW I'M, I'M NOT COMING BACK AND HOW IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE, UH, DOES IT, WOULD ANYONE HAVE, UH, ANY AGENDA ITEMS TO DISCUSS AT A FUTURE MEETING? UM, I'LL ASK ALSO, UH, CITY, UH, STAFF IF THERE ARE ANY THINGS, UH, SPEAKING OF THE CALENDAR OF RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, SHOULD WE EXPECT ANYTHING IN A, UH, UPCOMING REGULAR MEETING? I'M GONNA REFRAIN FROM SAYING YES, I HAVE A LOT OF RESEARCH TO DO AND A LOT OF THINGS TO LOOK BACK ON BEFORE I CAN PROVIDE ANYTHING TO YOU GUYS.
UM, I, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, UM, WE WILL HAVE TO CONSIDER CANDIDATE FORUMS, UM, THAT'LL LIKELY BE A THING THAT HAPPENS ON THE EASTERN NEXT TUESDAY.
UM, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S AMONG THE THINGS THAT THE CALENDAR OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES WILL ACCOUNT FOR IS, UH, ONE OF THE DUTIES OF THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION IS TO HOST THESE CANDIDATE FORUMS. AND WE HAD, UH, WE HAD DONNA BETH MCCORMICK, WHO FOR YEARS WAS THE WORKING GROUP OF ONE THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKING WITH THE LEGAL WOMEN VOTERS AND WITH, UH, THE
UM, UH, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S GONNA BE A KIND OF QUARTER, FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR THING, SO I DON'T IMAGINE THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE, IN ANY OF THE UPCOMING MEETINGS, BUT, UH, ON THE RADAR
MAY I ASK A QUESTION REAL QUICK? MM-HMM.
UM, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR WAS THE, UH, SO REVIEW OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMITS IS I THINK A BIENNIAL EXERCISE WHERE EVERY ONCE EVERY OTHER YEAR WE ARE REQUIRED TO REVIEW AND CONSIDER THOSE LIMITS.
I, I WANNA SAY THAT IT'S BI-ANNUALLY, BUT AGAIN, I DON'T,
I, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SAY MATTER OF FACT, SO.
UH, I, I SAY THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT WAS LAST YEAR.
UM, SO I DON'T THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN THIS YEAR.
TO, TO ALL OF THAT WAS TO TRY TO PUT OUR MIND AT EASE THAT THERE'S NOT SOME IMPENDING REVIEW OF A CONTRIBUTION LIMIT.
WELL, I'M LOOKING AT THE BYLAWS.
IN SECTION 12, PAGE ONE, AND IT SAYS, SORRY, SECTION A FIVE, REVIEW THE PROVISIONS WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION AND MAKE APPROPRIATE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL CONCERNING THE PROVISIONS WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION.
PERFORM AN ANNUAL REVIEW EVALUATION OF THE DOLLAR LIMITS IN CHAPTER TWO, TWO.
UH, THAT IS, UM, AMONG OUR DUTIES.
SO, UH, I DON'T, THERE IS NOT, UM, AT LEAST TRADITIONALLY, I, I DON'T RECALL THERE BEING A SPECIFIC TIME OF THE YEAR THAT WE DO THAT.
UH, I, I, I WANT TO SAY WE'VE DONE THAT TOWARDS THE END OF A CALENDAR YEAR IN THE PAST.
UM, BUT, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING I DON'T THINK THAT DICTATES THAT, UH, IN NOVEMBER OF, UH, EVEN OR ODD NUMBERED YEARS, ESPECIALLY NOT EVEN NUMBERED YEARS, UM, TO GO
[00:45:01]
THROUGH THAT EXERCISE.UH, I DO THINK THAT WORKING GROUP ON THE CALENDAR OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WOULD BE EQUIPPED TO PREPARE US TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION IN A FUTURE MEETING.
SO THE OTHER THING, UM, IS OFFICER ELECTIONS.
SO, UM, LUIS AND I CHATTED THIS AFTERNOON, AND I'M HAPPY TO SORT OF TIE IT OVER TILL WE HAVE A NEW CHAIR, BUT IT SAYS THEY SHOULD BE ELECTED ANNUALLY BY MAJORITY VOTE AT THE FIRST REGULAR MEETING AFTER APRIL 1ST.
SO WE HAVE TO ELECT NEW OFFICERS AFTER THE FIRST MEETING AFTER APRIL 1ST.
UH, ANY, ANY OTHER IMPENDING DUTIES THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF? CITY STAFF? NO, I DON'T, NOT THAT I THINK IS INCREDIBLY IMMINENT.
THAT'S COMING UP, ESPECIALLY LIKE THE NEXT MEETING, BUT IF THERE SO HAPPENS TO BE, WE WILL SURE ALERT YOU.
UH, I, I'VE, KNOCK ON WOOD, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT'S THE KIND OF THING WHERE WE'RE CHECKING, THERE'S NOTHING PRESSING.
AND THEN AS SOON AS WE LEAVE AND ADJOURN, SOMEONE FILES A BLOCKBUSTER COMPLAINT OR SOMETHING.
UM, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I'VE NEVER, I DON'T THINK, SINCE MAYBE FIVE MONTHS AGO WHEN I SKIMMED THEM, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE BYLAWS AGAIN, BUT WHAT OCCURRED, I'VE BEEN ON GROUPS WHERE THEY FORGET TO LOOK AT THEIR BYLAWS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE TO SEE IF THEY NEED REVISION.
AND GROUPS CAN LET THAT GO BY FOR YEARS.
NOW, SHOULD WE BE, I DON'T MEAN THE NEXT MEETING, BUT SHOULD WE BE THINKING ABOUT THAT IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS? I THINK THAT IS A GREAT IDEA.
AND ACTUALLY, ONE THING THAT
UM, I HAVE SOMEWHERE IN MY PERSONAL, UH, UH, DOCUMENTS, UH, A UH, UH, I WENT THROUGH THE OUR RULES OF PROCEDURE, WHICH MAKE A LOT OF REFERENCES TO CITY CODE THAT ARE SIMPLY OUTDATED UHHUH, UH, WHERE THESE CITATIONS ARE JUST INCORRECT.
UM, AND IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T, UH, UPDATED OUR RULES IN QUITE SOME TIME.
UH, AND I WENT THROUGH AND JUST LIKE MARKED THOSE HOW THEY SHOULD BE UPDATED.
UM, SO IF NOTHING ELSE, UH, YES, I, I THINK IT'S WORTH, UH, NOT JUST OUR BYLAWS, BUT OUR RULES OF PROCEDURE.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTH HAVING A DEDICATED, UH,
SO WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT WHEN YOU LEAVE LIKE THAT IS HANDED OVER TO SOMEBODY WHO CAN SAFEGUARD IT UNTIL, 'CAUSE I DO FORESEE A WORKING GROUP SPECIFICALLY TO REVISE OR TO REVIEW THE BYLAWS THAT I, I WILL STILL BE A CITIZEN OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, AND HAPPY TO LEND, UH, LEND MY THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS THERE.
UM, I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT FILE IS,
UM, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, CHAIR.
I AM TRYING TO REMEMBER, WE HAD A REALLY GOOD, AT LEAST, AT LEAST ONE, PROBABLY EVEN MORE, HAD REALLY GOOD PRESENTATION BY, IT WAS A GROUP WHO WAS WORKING ON TRANSLATING THE ELECTION MATERIALS INTO DIFFERENT LANGUAGES OTHER THAN I BELIEVE SPANISH.
WE WENT WITH THREE, THE TOP THREE, AND THEN IT WAS DECIDED IT WAS GONNA BE CHINESE MANDA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND VIETNAMESE.
AND I THOUGHT, AND I REMEMBER THE LAST THING I REMEMBER, THERE WAS A VERY GOOD UPDATE THAT THEY HAD IMPLEMENTED.
WAS IT A PILOT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? BUT I AM, UM, BECAUSE OF MY WORK WITH THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY THAT CAME UP AND I THOUGHT, DON'T WE HAVE THE ELECTION MATERIALS? I REMEMBER ASKING ABOUT IT AND WAS TOLD, OH, WELL, THIS IS SOMETHING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS HAS HAD FOR YEARS NOW, AND MAYBE THEY JUST DON'T KNOW ELECTION MATERIALS IN VIETNAMESE.
AM I JUST MAKING THAT UP CALL SOMETHING? NO, I REMEMBER THE PRESENTATION.
I REMEMBER HAVING A, A, A, I THINK MORE THAN ONE, UH, RIGHT.
[00:50:01]
VISIT AND PRESENTATION FROM THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, WHERE THEY SPECIFICALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT.AND THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT HAVING, UH, CANDIDATE FORUMS, UM, AS WELL, UH, YES.
UH, WHERE THERE WAS TRANSLATION SERVICES.
UH, AND THAT WAS, I REMEMBER GETTING THIS GREAT BRIEFING DOCUMENT MM-HMM.
UH, SO I'M ASKING, BECAUSE I TOLD THE COMMUNITY, OH YEAH, THEY'VE, IT'S BEEN IN EXISTENCE.
PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND THEN WHEN I WENT TO THE ACTUAL WEBSITE, I COULDN'T FIND ELECTION MATERIALS, VOTING MATERIALS IN VIETNAMESE.
I THOUGHT WOULD, UM, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO GET THAT JUST AS AN UPDATE ON THAT ENDEAVOR AT THE NEXT MEETING? A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, I THINK, I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
UM, FEEL REALLY SPACEY ABOUT THAT.
LIKE, I COULD HAVE MORE, LIKE THAT WAS SAID SPECIFICALLY, LIKE, OH YEAH, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD IT IN VIETNAMESE.
THEY'VE DONE THE, UH, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS DID, DID THIS STUDY AND FOUND THAT THESE ARE THE TOP THREE LANGUAGES MM-HMM.
AND SO, BUT I'M BLANKING OUT WHY THEY ARE NOT ON THE WEBSITE.
AND MAYBE 'CAUSE IT'S NOT THERE YET.
SO I WOULD LOVE JUST AN UPDATE.
I, I I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, WHO, I'M SORRY, DO YOU, WAS IT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS WHO CAME AND GAVE, GAVE YOU A PRESENTATION OR AN UPDATE? UM, JUST SO WE CAN KIND OF, I BELIEVE WE GOT TWO BRIEFINGS.
ONE FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FROM CAROL ECHO CAMP, AND THEN THERE WAS A, UM, STAFF OF THE CLERK'S OFFICE THAT ALSO CAME BY.
SO, SO WE KNOW WHO WE CAN REACH OUT TO FOR THAT FUTURE ITEM.
UH, THAT, YEAH, THAT NAME, AS SOON AS YOU SAID IT, I WAS LIKE, I EVEN REMEMBER HER FACE.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANYTHING ELSE? UH, FOR FUTURE MEETINGS? CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING.
WELL THEN, UM, I WILL SIMPLY SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS CHAIR.
I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE, UH, ONE MORE FULL YEAR, UH, WHEN, WHEN I AGREED TO DO IT AGAIN.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, UH, THAT'S JUST NOT IN THE CARDS.
UM, IT OCCURRED TO ME ALSO AS I WAS, UH, UH, TALKING TO MY APPOINTING COUNCIL MEMBER THAT, UH, WHEN I WAS FIRST, UH, NOMINATED AND APPOINTED, UH, I HAD JUST GOTTEN HOME, UH, WITH MY FIRST CHILD.
WE HAD JUST GOTTEN OUT OF NICU.
UM, AND SINCE THEN I HAVE, UH, I'VE BEEN ADMITTED TO THE BAR, HAD TWO MORE KIDS, MULTIPLE JOB CHANGES.
I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION LONGER THAN I'VE HAD ANY ONE SINGLE JOB, UM, WHICH IS BIZARRE TO CONSIDER.
UM, SO, UH, JUST A, A VERY DEEP AND PROFOUND THANK YOU TO, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS IN THIS ROOM FOR, UH, FOR SERVING ALONGSIDE ME.
I HAVE LEARNED FROM ALL OF YOU.
UM, IT'S, UH, I'LL EXTEND MY HEARTFELT THANKS TO THE FOLKS THAT AREN'T IN THIS ROOM.
THE, UH, THE LYNN CARTERS, UM, OF THE WORLD, THE CITY STAFF WHO, UH, DID SO MUCH TO HELP SHAPE THE COMMISSION, UM, PAST COMMISSIONERS AS WELL.
AND, UH, AND YOU KNOW, BUT FOR, UM, THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, POTTY TRAINING AND INFANCY, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WHO KNOWS, UH, I'LL SEE MANY OF Y'ALL AGAIN, I'M SURE.
AND ALSO, I WOULD NOT BE STEPPING DOWN IF THERE WASN'T SOMEONE AS CAPABLE AS, AS VICE CHAIR KALE, FORMER CHAIR KALE.
THE TRULY SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE HERE.
AND BE THINKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANNA, YOU KNOW, BE THE CHAIR OR IF YOU WANNA REMAIN AS YOU KNOW, SECRETARY OR WHAT HAVE YOU, OR BE THE CHAIR, WHATEVER.
JUST BE THINKING ABOUT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UH, WITH THAT, ANY, ANY LAST ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? UM, JUST A QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT.
WE HAVE OUR LOVELY EXECUTIVE LIAISON VICTORIA, UM, WHO'S WONDERFUL.
WE WILL HAVE CAROLINE WEBSTER, WHO WILL BE,
[00:55:01]
UM, ATTENDING AND ADVISING THE ERC FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.WE STILL WILL HAVE VICTORIA AND WAJIHA AS BACKUPS.
WITH THAT, UH, GREAT CHAIRMAN.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE.
I KNOW I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE VERY LONG.
I'VE KNOWN YOU, UH, TANGENTIALLY LONGER, BUT, UH, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT'S NOT FOR THE FAME AND GLORY, SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU PUT INTO IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA.
UM, IT, IT REALLY HAS BEEN A PLEASURE GETTING TO KNOW EACH OF YOU AND TALKING TO EACH OF YOU, WORKING WITH EACH OF YOU.
UM, WITH THAT, UH, THE TIME IS NOW 7:09 PM HERE IN OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSION ROOM AND THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION IS NOW ADJOURNED.