[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
IT IS 6 0 9, I BELIEVE, ON APRIL 15TH.
UH, WE GOT, UH, LET'S START WITH ROLE.
WE'LL START WITH PEOPLE ON SCREEN.
I SEE COMMISSIONER CHENEY AND I SEE VICE CHAIR MOBA PRESENT, COMMISSIONER MALDONADO HERE, AND COMMISSIONER CHARLA.
AND IN THE ROOM WE HAVE COMMISSIONER HOUSTON PRESENT, COMMISSIONER GRAY HERE, COMMISSIONER KY PRESENT.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ]
UP FOR, UH, CITIZENS COMMUNICATION STRANGER TO US ALL.NATALIE EARHART OF ALMOST REAL THINGS.
UM, YES, I'M NATALIE FROM ALMOST REAL THINGS.
UM, I HAVE TWO LITTLE ANNOUNCEMENTS TODAY AND SO I MIGHT SPEAK A LITTLE QUICKLY.
BUT, UM, OUR UPCOMING, UH, EXPERIENCE OR SHOW TOUCH THE ART STARTS NEXT WEEKEND.
WE HAVE A GRAND OPENING ON APRIL 27TH, AND THEN IT WILL BE OPEN EVERY WEEKEND FROM APRIL 28TH THROUGH MAY 19TH.
SO I JUST WANNA GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THAT.
UM, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE'RE DOING TOUCH THE ART.
IT'S PARTIALLY FUNDED THROUGH THE ELEVATE GRANT.
AND FOR THE PAST SIX WEEKS, WE'VE LED A GROUP OF FIVE ARTISTS, INCLUDING ONE THAT'S COMPLETELY BLIND, UM, TO WORK AND BUILD COLLABORATIVE INSTALLATIONS WITH STUDENTS FROM THE TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED.
UM, SO THAT INCLUDED DOING AN ORIENTATION WITH THE SCHOOL STAFF THERE AND LEARNING ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY WITH EQUITY SPECIFICALLY, UH, WHEN WORKING WITH THE DEAF-BLIND COMMUNITY.
UM, 'CAUSE I WAS NOTICING TOO, EVEN ALL THE SHOWS THAT WE'VE DONE, SOMETIMES WE DON'T THINK ABOUT PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH GALLERY EXHIBITIONS.
SO WE'RE INCLUDING THEM IN THE SHOW.
UM, THEY'LL HAVE COLLABORATIONS IN ADDITION TO 40 MORE ARTISTS THAT ARE ALSO SHOWING WORK.
UH, THE IDEA IS YOU CAN TOUCH EVERYTHING THERE AND YOU CAN EXPERIENCE IT IN YOUR OWN WAY.
UM, SO AGAIN, I HAVE, I HAVE FLYERS THAT I BROUGHT, AND I'LL KIND OF LEAVE 'EM BY THE FRONT.
AND IF YOU WANNA LEARN MORE, UH, THE WEBSITES ALMOST DRILL THINGS.COM/TOUCH.
UM, I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS CAN ATTEND, OR IF YOU KNOW ANYBODY INTERESTED WHO WANTS TO TOUCH A BUNCH OF ART, IT'S ALL AGES.
UM, SO WE'VE DOCUMENTED THE PROCESS AS WELL AND WE'LL HAVE A VIDEO ON THAT.
AND WE'RE JUST FACILITATING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT CAN ENGAGE MORE WITH ART AND THE ART COMMUNITY.
UH, IN ADDITION, SO WE'RE GEARING UP NEXUS LAUNCHES TOMORROW.
UM, AND WE ARE THE COMMUNITY AMPLIFIER.
SO WE'RE OFFERING WORKSHOPS AND COMMUNAL WORK DAYS, UM, LIKE WE DID WITH THE FIRST ROUND TO HELP PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY AND FILL OUT THE APPLICATION.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE ONLINE RESOURCES, VIDEOS, AND GUIDES, UH, AND WE'LL OFFER VIRTUAL ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T MAKE IN-PERSON SESSIONS.
UM, THIS TIME WE, WELL, AGAIN, WE BROUGHT ON THE PUBLIC ARTIST LEE SANTA MARIA.
SHE'S GONNA BE CO-LEADING THE WORKSHOPS WITH US.
UM, AND ALSO WE'VE PARTNERED WITH ARTIST CO LATINITAS AND OUR CROSS-PROMOTING WITH PROTO TIRO FOR SPANISH SESSIONS.
UM, SO I HAVE A FLYER DOCUMENTING ALL THAT OR WITH ALL THE PROGRAMMING ON THERE TOO.
AND THEN ALL OF THAT IS@COMMUNITYAMPLIFIER.ORG.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
OF THE MINUTES FOR OUR MARCH MEETING THAT WAS PROVIDED IN THE BACKUP TO APPROVE.COMMISSIONER GRAY, MOVED TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER HOUSTON TO SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
DID I GET HOLD 'EM UP HIGH, Y'ALL.
I THINK RIGHT? COMMISSIONER MUL MALANO.
[2. Discussion of Chair’s Report on Continuing the Conversation by Chair Zisman ]
OF THE CHAIRS REPORT ON CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION BY CHAIR ZIMAN.MY PRONOUNS ARE THEY, SHE, I AM THE PERSON OF COLOR WEARING A BLUE AND RED BLOUSE.
UM, ORIGINALLY WAS GOING TO DISCUSS, UM, ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE IN ACTION, BUT I WANTED TO INSTEAD TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK COMM COMMISSIONER CHILE GEE, UH, FOR THEIR SERVICE.
THEY, UH, JUST LET ME KNOW THAT THEY'LL BE STEPPING DOWN FROM THE COMMISSION.
UM, THEY WERE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC AND VERY COMMITTED TO THIS ROLE, AND UNFORTUNATELY HAVE HAD A SERIES OF EVENTS WITH FAMILY, UM, THAT HAS TAKEN THEM AWAY FROM THE WORK.
AND SHE'S NOT ABLE TO BE AS FOCUSED AND PRESENT AND COMMITTED TO THIS WORK AS SHE WOULD LIKE TO BE.
AND SO INSTEAD OF OCCUPYING A SEAT, UM, SHE'S MAKING SPACE FOR ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEMBER TO COME IN.
UM, WE ARE VERY SAD TO LOSE HER EVEN MORE HEARTBROKEN OVER THE THINGS THAT SHE'S DEALING WITH AT THE MOMENT.
[00:05:01]
UM, IF THERE ARE PEOPLE FROM D ONE, AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT BEHOLDEN TO YOUR DISTRICT.UM, BUT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THE ARTS COMMISSION, UM, AND YOU ARE INVESTED AN INVESTOR COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY MEMBER, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I WANNA THANK COMMISSIONER CHILE GEE, FOR THEIR SERVICE, UM, AND THE TIME THAT THEY DID SPEND WITH US HERE ON THE ARTS COMMISSION.
[3. Report of the Art in Public Places Liaison concerning actions taking during the April 1, 2024 meeting of the Art in Public Places Panel by Commissioner Maldonado ]
AND MOVE ON, UM, TO THE REPORT OF THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES LIAISONS CONCERNING ACTIONS TAKEN DURING THE APRIL 1ST, 2024 MEETING OF THE A IPP, ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PLANNER WITH COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.HOPE EVERYONE'S HAVING A GREAT EVENING.
UH, I HAVE JUST A FEW UPDATES FROM THE A IPP, THE MEETING THAT HAPPENED APRIL 1ST.
SO THERE WERE A FEW ACTION ITEMS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE.
ONE, THERE WAS A FINAL APPROVAL FOR AN INSTALLATION THAT'S HAPPENING AT THE AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
ANOTHER ACTION ITEM WAS THE DOVE SPRINGS HEALTH FACILITY THAT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW.
THE ART FOR THAT WAS ALSO APPROVED, SO THAT'S REALLY EXCITING.
AND, UM, THERE WAS A FEW APPROVALS AND SELECTION PROCESSES THAT ARE GOING ON FOR THE FIREHOUSES.
SO, UH, THAT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
AGAIN, THERE'S SEVERAL STATIONS.
UH, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THE ART AND THE ARTISTS FOR THE FIREHOUSES FOR SOME TIME.
BUT, UM, SOME OF THOSE ARE NOW GETTING APPROVED.
UM, THE DESIGNS ARE, UH, THERE IS A PRETTY IMPORTANT THING GOING ON.
WE DO HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S, UH, THAT IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE ON THE A IPP.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SEAT OPEN.
AND WE ARE GONNA BE REACHING OUT TO THE COMMISSIONERS 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA NEED SOME NOMINATIONS TO FILL THAT SEAT.
UH, THE UNFORTUNATE PART IS THAT THAT SEAT WILL MORE THAN LIKELY END UP EMPTY FOR TWO MONTHS.
SO WE DID HAVE A MEETING, ASIA WAS IN THAT MEETING, MYSELF, MEGAN, A FEW OF THE OTHER A IPP MEMBERS TO KIND OF DISCUSS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE FOR THE RECRUITMENT.
SO WE HAD THREE OPTIONS AND I DO WANNA SHARE WHAT THOSE ARE, JUST TO HAVE TRANSPARENCY.
'CAUSE THAT'S A, IT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT SEAT.
ONE IS TO CHOOSE AN APPLICANT FROM THE EXISTING POOL, WHICH THERE WERE ONLY SEVEN APPLICANTS IN THAT POOL CURRENTLY.
THE OTHER WAS, UH, TO JUST ASK FOR NOMINATIONS FROM ART COMMISSIONERS.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER WAS TO INITIATE AN OPEN CALL TO RECRUIT SOMEONE FOR THAT SEAT THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS, WHICH COULD JUST STRETCH OUT HOW MUCH LONGER THAT SEAT IS OPEN.
SO JUST IN CASE YOU'RE NOT AWARE, THE PUBLIC IS NOT AWARE TO, TO APPLY FOR A SEAT WITH A PP THAT IS OPEN YEAR ROUND.
SO ANYTIME SOMEONE CAN GO AND APPLY.
UM, SO WHAT WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION AND AGREED ON IS THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A FULL CALL TO RECRUIT SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT SEAT, BUT REALLY JUST REINTRODUCE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THEIR APPLICATION IS OPEN AND THAT THERE CURRENTLY IS A SEAT AVAILABLE, BUT THAT, THAT CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO AS YOU'RE OUT OUT THERE NETWORKING, GOING TO EVENTS, UM, MEETING PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT EXPRESS AN INTEREST IN THE IPP, WE DEFINITELY WANNA ENCOURAGE THEM TO APPLY WHETHER THERE'S A SEAT OPEN OR NOT
UM, AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, UH, ABOUT THAT PROCESS, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT.
CAN I JUST GET CLARIFICATION, IS IT JUST ONE SEAT WE'RE TRYING TO FILL RIGHT NOW OR ARE THERE MULTIPLE? THERE'S, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE'S JUST ONE RIGHT NOW.
ONE NOW, BUT THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER ONE COMING DOWN THE PIKE.
SO WE NEED PEOPLE TO REALLY THROW THEIR NAME IN THE HAT SO THAT WAY WE'VE GOT A ROBUST POOL.
AND JUST, JUST ALSO IDEALLY, UH, I MEAN WE WANT VISUAL ARTISTS, ARCHITECTS, UM, DESIGNERS, ALL OF THE ABOVE
WE WANT THAT TO BE AS DIVERSE AS, UH, POSSIBLE FROM JUST, UH, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLSET.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER MALDONADO? OKAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[4. Update on actions taken at the March 20, 2024 Downtown Commission meeting by Commissioner Mok]
THE UPDATE ON ACTIONS TAKEN ON TAKEN AT THE MARCH 20TH DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING BY COMMISSIONER MOCK.BUT WE CAN SEE THAT COMMISSIONER MOCK IS NOT WITH US.
SHE DID, HOWEVER, SEND ALONG A BRIEF UPDATE SHE WANTED ME TO SHARE.
UM, THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT IS TRYING TO GET SUPPORT FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO GET SIMILAR FUNDING,
[00:10:01]
UH, TO OTHER CULTURAL DISTRICTS.UH, AT ABOUT THAT LEVEL FOR THE RECORD IS AROUND $300,000.
UM, SHE IS NOT SURE IF THEY'RE PLANNING TO, TO PRESENT TO THE ARTS COMMISSION.
WE KNOW THAT THAT IS AN ITEM THAT WAS PRESENTED ON THE BRU, THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM MUSIC.
UM, AND SO I THINK, I MEAN, COMMISSIONER CHARLA, IF YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT AT ANY LENGTH, YOU'RE WELCOME TO.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S PARTICULARLY PERTINENT BEYOND THE, EVERYBODY KNOWING THAT THAT WAS AN ASK.
SORRY, YOU JUST CUT OFF IN THE, IN JUST IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WORDS THERE.
YOU WANNA ELABORATE ON THAT AT ALL? I MENTIONED THAT IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM MUSIC, SO IF YOU WANTED TO ELABORATE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO IF IF NOT, IT'S SORT OF AN ITEM FOR INFORMATION.
THIS JUST, JUST A QUICK NOTE THAT THE MUSIC, UH, COMMISSION HAD A RECOMMENDATION, UH, THAT WAS, UM, UH, SENT OUT, UM, TO PROVIDE GAP FUNDING, UM, ON PAR WITH THE OTHER CULTURAL DISTRICTS THAT EXIST.
UH, AND, AND THAT THERE WAS A, ALONG WITH THE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, IT WAS, IT WAS ESSENTIALLY ALSO A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSION THAT WAS, UH, SENT OUT FOR SOME GAP FUNDING FOR THE DISTRICT.
UM, WITH THAT WE CAN MOVE ON AND WE ARE IN OUR PRESENTATIONS,
[5. Presentation by Sharon Maidenberg, Executive Director and CEO of The Contemporary Austin, on their strategic plan, the leadership role the Contemporary would like to continue to play within the ecosystem, observations, and concerns.]
UH, PRESENTATION BY SHARON MAIDEN, BIRD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CEO OF THE CONTEMPORARY AUSTIN ON THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN, PLAN LEADERSHIP ROLE.THE CONTEMPORARY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO PLAY WITHIN THE ECOSYSTEM OBSERVATIONS AND CONCERNS.
AND THEN YOU GET LIKE FIVE, THAT'S HOT.
FIVE MINUTES OR SO TO PRESENT.
AND THEN WE'LL DO Q AND A AFTER.
IF YOU GO A LITTLE OVER, DON'T WORRY.
AND YOU'RE CONTROLLING MY SLIDES.
UM, MOST AND FOREMOST, I WANTED TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE AND INTRODUCE MYSELF.
THAT'S ME UP THERE AND HERE IN PERSON.
DO I TALK TO YOU ALL? DO I TURN BACK THIS WAY? WHAT DO I DO? TALK TO YOU.
UM, I LANDED HERE IN AUSTIN, UH, IN THE SUMMER, EARLY FALL OF 2020.
SO REAL GOOD TIMING TO SHOW UP IN A NEW PLACE AND TAKE THE HELM OF A NONPROFIT.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY BACKGROUND.
I AM ORIGINALLY FROM THE EAST COAST, HAD BEEN IN THE BAY AREA FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS THERE.
AND MY CAREER IS, UM, HISTORICALLY ALWAYS BEEN IN THE NONPROFIT ART SPACE, ALWAYS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH ARTISTS AND WITH, UH, SMALLER AND MORE GRASSROOTS ORIENTED ARTIST SERVICE INSTITUTIONS.
THE LAST ORGANIZATION I WAS THE DIRECTOR OF WAS A PLACE CALLED THE HEADLAND CENTER FOR THE ARTS, WHICH IS AN ARTIST RESIDENCY PROGRAM.
VERY BELOVED NATIONALLY, INTERNATIONALLY, AND VERY MUCH IN THE BUSINESS OF SUPPORTING ARTISTS DIRECTLY.
SO I COME FROM THAT SORT OF LINEAGE, UM, LANDING HERE AT THE CONTEMPORARY.
UM, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WAS NUMBER ONE DEAL WITH THE PANDEMIC.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T ADDRESS THAT TOO MUCH, BUT ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I, UH, TOOK ON WAS WORKING WITH THE ORGANIZATION, BOARD AND STAFF TO REALLY ARTICULATE A MISSION, A VISION, AND A VALUE SYSTEM FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
THERE HAD BEEN A MISSION STATEMENT, IT WAS A BIT, UM, JUST SORT OF VAGUE AND, AND, UH, AND BROAD.
AND SO WE REALLY DID A LOT OF WORK ROOTED IN AUDIENCE RESEARCH AND UNDERSTANDING WHO HAD BEEN SERVED PREVIOUSLY BY THE ORGANIZATION, WHO HADN'T BEEN SERVED, AND WHAT THE OPPORTUNITIES WERE TO REALLY EVOLVE THE IDENTITY OF THE ORGANIZATION AND TO ESTABLISH SOME VALUES THAT WOULD HELP DRIVE THE WORK OF THE INSTITUTION MOVING FORWARD.
UM, MOST OF YOU IN THE ROOM ALREADY KNOW THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS HISTORY, BUT I'M GONNA SPEAK TO Y'ALL AS THOUGH YOU DON'T TO DO A LITTLE SORT OF LEVEL SETTING.
SOME OF YOU UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ORGANIZATION'S HISTORY.
IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THIS LITTLE TIMELINE, SOME ITERATION OF THIS ORGANIZATION HAS EXISTED FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, AND YET I STILL THINK OF US AS QUITE NEW AND YOUNG IN OUR CURRENT ITERATION AS THE CONTEMPORARY.
SO I WON'T WALK YOU THROUGH THE FULL TIMELINE HERE.
THIS HAS TAKEN ME THREE AND A HALF YEARS TO PUT TOGETHER AND ALSO UNDERSTAND, UM, VERY COMPLEX HISTORY.
MANY IDENTITIES, MANY NAMES, MANY PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP, MANY LOCATIONS, UH, PRETTY COMPLICATED HISTORY THAT LED US TO THE PLACE TODAY OF BEING THE CONTEMPORARY AUSTIN.
UH, MANY OF YOU KNOW US FOR OUR DOWNTOWN LOCATION, JUST UP THE ROAD HERE ON SEVENTH AND CONGRESS, WE HAVE UPWARD OF 15,000 SQUARE FEET, WHICH IS PRIMARILY GALLERY SPACE, AS WELL AS OUR NEW, UH, MURAL WALL ALONG THAT WHITE WALL THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE THAT WAS INITIATED IN THE PANDEMIC ERA.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE ROOFTOP SPACE WITH A VERY PUBLIC, UH, PIECE BY AN ARTIST NAMED JIM HODGES THAT READS WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL A WORK IN PROGRESS.
UM, AND PRIMARILY AT THIS LOCATION, WE ARE CYCLING THROUGH A DYNAMIC SCHEDULE OF EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMMING AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS.
[00:15:01]
PLEASE.AS WELL AS OUR PROPERTY OUT AT LAGUNA GLORIA.
SO FOR THOSE OF YOU IN THE ROOM, WE HAVE MULTIPLE COMMISSIONERS.
WE HAVE MULTIPLE COUNCIL PEOPLE BECAUSE OF OUR TWO LOCALES.
WE HAVE 14 ACRES ON LAKE AUSTIN.
UH, ABOUT, UH, 12 YEARS AGO, UH, THE SCULPTURE PARK WAS INAUGURATED.
AND SO THAT ADDED REALLY ANOTHER DIMENSION TO AN ORGANIZATION AND A LOCATION WHICH ALREADY HAD QUITE A ROBUST, UH, SERIES OF OFFERINGS, INCLUDING THE COMMUNITY ART SCHOOL, WHICH EVERY WEEK HOSTS UPWARD OF 60 CLASSES FOR MANY, UH, PEOPLE, YOUNG AND OLD.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE HISTORIC VILLA AND PROPERTY, UH, WHICH YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS, UH, THE DRISCOLL VILLA BEHIND THE TOM FRIEDMAN SCULPTURE AND THE PUBLIC ENJOYING THE SPACE.
UM, JUST AT A GLANCE, I LIKE TO THINK OF US AS AWKWARD.
WE ARE NOT TINY, WE ARE NOT BIG.
WE HAVE ABOUT A $10 MILLION OPERATING BUDGET, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY SUBSTANTIAL, BUT ALSO NOT SO SIGNIFICANT WHERE WE ARE DRIPPING IN DOLLARS ALL THE TIME.
UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 80 STAFF ACROSS BOTH FACILITIES AND ACROSS 13 DEPARTMENTS, 29 TRUSTEES ON THE BOARD, AND THEN UPWARD OF 70 ARTIST INSTRUCTORS WHO TEACH AT THE ART SCHOOL.
SO AGAIN, VERY ROBUST IN TERMS OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH, EMPLOYING, SERVING.
AND THEN A WHOLE RANGE OF PROGRAMS, WHICH AGAIN, IT'S TAKEN ME ABOUT AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HERE TO FULLY UNDERSTAND AND MAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE LEGIBLE FOR THOSE LOOKING IN AT THE ORGANIZATION.
THESE ARE, SO THE BUCKETS IN WHICH I THINK ABOUT OUR OFFERINGS.
WE HAVE OUR EXHIBITION PROGRAM, THE SCULPTURE PARK FAMILY PROGRAMS, THE ART SCHOOL, PUBLIC PROGRAMMING, AND K THROUGH 12 SCHOOL PROGRAM.
SO A VERY MULTI-PRONGED, MULTI TENTACLE, UH, OCTOPUS THAT WE ARE RUNNING.
IN TERMS OF IMPACT, WE ARE STILL FAIRLY NEW TO DATA COLLECTION.
UH, 2023 ARE THE MOST SORT OF SOUND NUMBERS THAT I HAVE.
AND SO THAT'S SORT OF WHAT WE WORK FOR.
BALLPARK, 90,000 PEOPLE ARE SERVED ACROSS BOTH SITES, AND THAT IS, UH, BOTH VISITORS, KIDS AND, AND, UH, SCHOOL GROUPS, EDUCATORS, AND THEN FOLKS TAKING ART CLASSES AS WELL.
IN TERMS OF DOLLARS, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING I'M THINKING ABOUT MORE THAN I WISH TO.
UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, VERY SOUND AND AND FORTUNATE SITUATION WITH OUR EARNED INCOME THAT IS COMING MOSTLY THROUGH, UH, A RENTALS PROGRAM THAT'S PRETTY ROBUST ACROSS BOTH SITES.
AND THEN OUR ART SCHOOL AS WELL, WHICH WE DO CONSIDER EARNED INCOME.
UH, AND THAT'S COMING IN AT JUST SHY OF THAT 60% CONTRIBUTED INCOME, THAT GREEN PIECE OF THE PIE, 29% THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN MOST OF OUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I'LL TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING WORK THAT WE'RE JUST COMING OFF THE HEELS ON.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE KNOW IS THAT WE ARE, UH, VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERPERFORMING, UH, IN TERMS OF CONTRIBUTED INCOME IN TERMS OF THE MODEL THAT OUR ORGANIZATION RUNS.
AND THEN WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE AN ENDOWMENT, WHICH SHOOTS OFF ABOUT 12% OF THE INCOME EACH YEAR.
UM, SPEAKING OF INCOME, WE HAVE A VERY, UH, BELOVED GALA EVENT THAT COMES UP IN THE FALL.
THE GOLDEN HANDCUFFS AS I LIKE TO THINK OF THESE GALA EVENTS, UH, WHICH GENERATES ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FOR US, BUT OF COURSE WE RELY ON IT SO HEAVILY AND, UM, A LOT OF SORT OF VULNERABILITY AROUND RELYING SO HEAVILY ON ONE NIGHT OF THE YEAR, FOUR YEAR DOLLARS, ESPECIALLY IN Q4.
UM, MORE OF A FUNDRAISER THAN A FUNDRAISER IS AN EVENT CALLED THE VERY R WE, UH, IN INAUGURATED THAT TWO YEARS AGO.
SO, UH, LAST FALL WOULD'VE BEEN THE SECOND ITERATION OF THAT.
AND THIS IS REALLY A FUN FAMILY EVENT THAT GENERATED, UM, ABOUT, UH, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LAST YEAR, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, DREW OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE TO THE GROUNDS AT LAGUNA GLORIA KIDS.
AND, UH, MULTI-GENERATIONAL AND REALLY DRAWING ATTENTION TO ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE DO WITH K THROUGH 12 PROGRAMS THAT I LEARNED, UH, WAS A LITTLE BIT LESS ON THE RADAR OF PEOPLE THAN, UH, I WANTED IT TO BE.
SO THIS EVENT REALLY IS DESIGNED TO RAISE THE PROFILE AROUND ALL THAT WORK WE'RE ALREADY DOING FOR THE KIDDOS.
UM, I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU ALL THIS, BUT PREACHING TO THE CHOIR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS.
I SPEND WAY MORE OF MY, MY TIME THAN I THOUGHT I WOULD HERE TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING ARTS AND CULTURE.
AND JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW, THE WAY I THINK ABOUT THAT IS MAKING THE CASE BOTH ECONOMICALLY AND CIVICALLY, AND ALSO IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING THE HUMANS THAT WE WANT TO BE THE NEXT GENERATION OF HUMANS IN THIS, UH, CITY OF OURS.
UM, SO AGAIN, REALLY THINKING ABOUT AUSTIN'S GROWTH AND EVOLUTION, THE TRAJECTORY AND LOOKING AT THE CASE BOTH IN TERMS OF BUILDING THE SOFT SKILLS IN THE PEOPLE, BOTH ADULT AND NEXT GENERATION, AND ALSO THE ECONOMIC DRIVER THAT WE KNOW THAT THE ARTS CAN BE IF REALLY SUPPORTED AND LEVERAGED ON A CIVIC LEVEL.
LOTS OF DATA THAT WE LOOKED AT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS, UH, YEAR, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT AUSTIN HITTING THE TOP 10 LIST OF AUSTIN,
[00:20:01]
OF CITIES AND THE SIZE OF CITIES.WE DID A LITTLE BENCHMARKING ACROSS THE OTHER CITIES THAT FIT INTO THAT TOP 10 CATEGORY AND HOW MUCH, UH, SUPPORT THERE IS FOR THEIR CONTEMPORARY ART COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, AUSTIN IS STILL FARING PRETTY LOW RELATIVE TO OTHER CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
SO A LOT OF WORK FOR US TO DO AROUND ADVOCACY DOLLARS, PHILANTHROPY, AND, UM, FRANKLY, JUST OPTIMIZING THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AROUND THE ROLE THAT ARTS PLAY FOR TOURISM, FOR VISITATION, FOR FOOD AND HOSPITALITY, ALL THE REASONS THAT PEOPLE COME TO VISIT OTHER PLACES.
UM, SO TO SUM IT UP AGAIN, A LOT OF RESEARCH WAS DONE AS PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE BELIEVE IN THE ARTS, HOW THAT SHAKES OUT RELATIVE TO THE DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING ALLOCATED TO THEM, HUGE, UH, DISPARITY THERE.
AND SO, AGAIN, PART OF OUR CASE MAKING AS WE TALK TO CORPORATIONS, TO INDIVIDUALS, TO OUR FUNDERS, ET CETERA.
UM, WANTED TO GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE INTO SOME OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT'S COMING UP AND I'LL MOVE QUICKLY.
THIS, UH, IS AN EXHIBITION WE OPENED DOWNTOWN CALLED MAKE DO AND MEND WITH AN ARTIST NAMED LU HEID.
LUA IS, UH, THE RECIPIENT OF A VERY SIGNIFICANT ART PRIZE THAT WE ADMINISTER EVERY TWO YEARS.
AND JUST FOR CONTEXT, SHE IS, UM, A TURNER PRIZE WINNER, UH, A TATE BRITAIN AWARDEE.
SO THIS IS SORT OF AS BIG AS A GETS IN TERMS OF CONTEMPORARY ART WORLD.
AND WE HAVE HER HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO DEMONSTRATE IS THAT WE ARE BRINGING TALENT TO AUSTIN THAT IS ON PAR WITH OTHER MAJOR ART CITIES.
HOW DO WE ELEVATE THE PROFILE AND THE RECOGNITION OF THAT KIND OF WORK? PLEASE COME BY.
THE OTHER THING I'LL FLAG FOR THIS GROUP IS ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THIS EXHIBITION IS, UM, A MEETING SPACE WITHIN THE GALLERIES.
AND THE ARTIST'S IDEA VERY MUCH SO, IS TO INVITE PEOPLE INTO THE GALLERY SPACE TO HOST THEIR MEETINGS WITH THE IDEA THAT WHEN YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY ART, THE OUTCOME OF YOUR MEETING MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAN WHEN YOU'RE IN A CORPORATE MEETING ROOM OR SPACES THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE FORMAL IN HOW THEY'RE ORGANIZED.
UH, WE JUST OPENED AN INCREDIBLE PROJECT CELEBRATING FUSEBOX THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY AS AN ARTS PRESENTER HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND WE HAVE A DEDICATED GALLERY SPACE TO THEIR HISTORY AND THEIR WORK AND THEIR IMPACT ON ARTISTS AND THE, UH, LOCAL, UH, PERFORMATIVE ARTS ECOSYSTEM HERE.
UH, OUR MURAL PROGRAM, WHICH I HAD MENTIONED, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE PROJECT THAT YOU CANNOT MISS BECAUSE IT'S 150 FEET LONG ON THE SIDE OF OUR BUILDING BY AN AUSTIN BASED ARTIST NAMED MON RAJ NARA.
AN INCREDIBLE COMMISSIONED NEW WORK.
UH, AND A NEW PROJECT WE JUST OPENED OUT AT LAGUNA GLORIA, WHICH IS A TEMPORARY INSTALLATION.
IT'LL BE HERE FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS, AND IT'S A PROJECT BY AN ARTIST NAMED GUADALUPE MARVIA.
THE PROJECT IS CALLED MARI MP PAGO, AND THE IDEA REALLY IS THAT, UM, HE TELLS THE STORY OF HIS MIGRATION ACROSS THE BORDER, WHICH WAS DONE ON A SCHOOL BUS VERY MUCH LIKE THIS WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG BOY FROM EL SALVADOR.
AND THE BUS ITSELF FUNCTIONS AS BOTH A STORYTELLING INSTRUMENT AND ALSO AN INSTRUMENT FOR HEALING FOR THE TRAUMAS THAT PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED FOR VARIOUS REASONS IN THEIR LIFE.
YOU CAN GET THIS ON OUR WEBSITE, OF COURSE, AND ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA.
BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE VOLUME OF CONTENT THAT WE ARE PRESENTING, BRINGING, SUPPORTING, ENGAGING IN, UH, BOTH IN TERMS OF EXHIBITIONS, PERFORMANCES, AND OTHER TYPES OF, UH, ACTIVITIES ACROSS BOTH SITES.
SO REAL QUICK, I JUST MENTIONED THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE DID, THE BOARD AND STAFF SPENT ABOUT A YEAR WORKING ON A STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVE FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
AND THIS IS THE THESIS STATEMENT FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
WE ARE VERY MUCH ALIGNING THE FUTURE OF THE CONTEMPORARY AUSTIN WITH THE FUTURE OF AUSTIN, THE PLACE AND THE CITY AS IT GROWS AND EVOLVES.
AND, UH, AGAIN, BACK TO THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE OF THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, THE CIVIC SOCIAL EMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
IF WE WANT TO REALIZE AUSTIN'S FULL POTENTIAL BOTH AS A CITY AND AS A COMMUNITY, THEN WE NEED A BOLD INSTITUTION FOR CONTEMPORARY ART AND CULTURE THAT EMBODIES THE BEST OF AUSTIN.
A PLACE OF BIG IDEAS AND ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES.
SO THIS IS OUR THESIS STATEMENT.
THERE IS A 400 PAGE LONG DOCUMENT THAT SUPPORTS IT.
I WILL NOT WALK YOU THROUGH ALL OF THAT TODAY, BUT PART OF WHAT WAS SO CRITICAL ABOUT THIS WORK WAS TO ALIGN THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE STAFF AND THE HUMANS MAKING ALL THIS WORK POSSIBLE ON A DIRECTION FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL, WE'LL HAVE BOTH SITES FUNCTIONING AT FULL CAPACITY, FULLY RESOURCED, BRINGING AUSTINITES AND VISITORS ALIKE, A RANGE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF EXPERIENCES ACROSS CONTEMPORARY ART AND CULTURE.
AND THAT MANIFESTS THROUGH THE PLAN IN EIGHT DIFFERENT STRATEGIC INITIATIVES.
I'LL NOT WALK YOU THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS, BUT THE THINGS TO NOTE IS THAT WE FOCUSED ON PROGRAM PHYSICAL LOCATIONS, AUDIENCES, FINANCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPACITY, THE SORT OF CORE ELEMENTS THAT I BELIEVE MAKE A HEALTHY ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND SO FOR ANYONE WANTING TO READ ALL 400 PAGES, LET ME KNOW.
BUT THIS WAS JUST ADOPTED LAST MONTH, SO AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF A FIVE
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YEAR PLAN.AND, UM, THE WAY THE PLAN IS ORGANIZED INTO TWO PHASES, THE NEXT TWO YEARS ARE REALLY ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPACITY, CATCHING THE ORGANIZATION UP IN TERMS OF REALLY NOT SMALL, NOT SEXY THINGS LIKE DATABASES AND, UH, TECHNOLOGY AND GETTING EVERYONE ON THE MACHINES THEY NEED TO BE ON, GETTING THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE FOR DATA COLLECTION, AND THEN SOME MORE AMBITIOUS PROGRAMMATIC AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IN THE SECOND PHASE OF THE PLAN.
DID I CRAM IT IN IN ENOUGH TIME? IT WAS WONDERFUL.
UM, IN A VERY INTERESTING WAY.
UM, POINT OF COMPARISON WITH US AND OTHER CITIES.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR SHARON OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER GRAHAM, WOULD YOU START US OFF? YEAH, I PROBABLY COULD ASK YOU ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
YOU SAID BAY AREA AND THEN YOU SAID EAST COAST.
I GOT CONFUSED EAST COAST FIRST.
I WENT WHAT'S A BAY ON THE EAST COAST? KIND OF CRAZY.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A STRATEGIC PLANNING BACKGROUND.
IS THAT WHERE YOU COME FROM? IS THAT OR IS THAT YOUR PASSION? UM, MORE OF, MORE OF A NECESSITY, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, BECAUSE I COME FROM SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS AND NEEDING TO BALANCE THE DOLLARS AND ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACHIEVE, WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? MM-HMM.
I REALLY BELIEVE IN STRATEGY AND IN KNOWING WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE.
YOU KNOW, WE, I REMEMBER I'VE BEEN HERE A WHILE AND I KNOW OF MANY CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD AROUND, WHEN YOU LOOK AT US AS COMPARED TO CITIES OF OUR SIZE OR HOW MUCH WE HAVE, AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT PHILANTHROPIC, TRADITIONAL FOUNDATION.
UH, OLD MONEY WAS SOMETHING THAT ALWAYS CAME UP.
LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT OLD MONEY THING, WHICH I KNOW YOU'VE ALREADY FIGURED OUT.
AND IT JUST, JUST LIKE, DANG WHAT? DAMN.
IT'S TRYING TO GET THAT NEW, THOSE NEW PEOPLE TO GRAB A HOLD.
AND I THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING.
THANK YOU FOR THAT ORGANIZATION.
ANYONE ELSE? COMMISSIONER SCHWABA.
UM, YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB, LIKE STUFFING IN THE INCREDIBLE BREADTH OF WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING INTO A VERY SHORT PRESENTATION AND STILL BARELY SCRATCH THE SURFACE BECAUSE, UM, THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING HAS BEEN SO AMAZING.
AND I JUST REALLY APPLAUD THE LEADERSHIP ROLE THAT YOU'RE TAKING AS AN, AS A PERSON AND ALSO AS AN ORGANIZATION.
YOUR STAFF HAS BEEN PUTTING TOGETHER JUST AMAZING PROGRAMMING.
UM, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND A LOT RECENTLY.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOMETHING THAT WASN'T SHARED, WHICH IS WHEN, UM, CHAIRS ZISMAN, ME AND COMMISSIONER MOCK MET WITH, UH, THE, SOME OF THE SHARON AND SOME OF THE OTHER LEADERSHIP AT THE CONTEMPORARY, WE LEARNED THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE IS, YOU KNOW, YOU SAW THAT, THAT, UH, PIE CHART WITH ALL OF THE, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EARNED REVENUE, UM, BUT ACTUALLY LIMITING THE ABILITY TO DO PRIVATE RENTALS TO KEEP LAGUNA GLORIA OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC ON THE WEEKENDS.
BECAUSE IF THEY WERE JUST CONSTANTLY CLOSED FOR PRIVATE EVENTS, WHICH I'M SURE EVERYONE WITH THE MONEY TO DO SO, WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THEIR PRIVATE EVENTS AT LAGUNA GLORIA.
BUT I THINK IT'S JUST REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE OPERATING AT THIS INCREDIBLY HIGH LEVEL AND ARE STILL MAKING SACRIFICES AND LIMITING THEIR OWN ABILITY FOR EARNED REVENUE THAT'S NOT BEING BALANCED OUT BY PUBLIC INVESTMENT AND PHILANTHROPIC INVESTMENT.
AND I JUST WANNA UNDERSCORE THAT THAT'S A MOVE THAT THEY'VE MADE TO BE, TO CONTINUE TO BE SUCH AN ASSET TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT JUST REALLY NEEDS TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S A SACRIFICE.
AND WE ALL NEED TO PICK UP, PICK THAT UP AS A PUBLIC AND AS AS, UM, YOU KNOW, PHILANTHROPIC, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE ABILITY TO INVEST PHILANTHROPICALLY.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING.
I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT FROM, UH, THE VISUAL ARTS WORLD.
I'M MORE FROM LIKE MEDIA ARTS AND THAT INFORMATION, THE WAY THAT IT WAS ORGANIZED IS VERY DIGESTIBLE.
SO THANK YOU WAS VERY, UM, INFORMATIVE AND EASY TO FOLLOW.
ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM AN ARTS NONPROFIT BACKGROUND MYSELF, I KNOW THAT THERE'S LIKE A MILLION THINGS THAT YOU DO DO.
AND SO PUTTING IT ON ONE SLIDE IS LIKE, IT TAKES HOURS HONESTLY TO EDIT AND RE-EDIT AND EDIT.
UM, ONE THING I WANTED TO ASK YOU IS, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, WE'RE SEEING KIND OF THE PITFALLS, UM, OF, UH, FUNDING AND, AND ALL OF THAT WITH, UM, ARTS NONPROFITS ACROSS THE
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BOARD.UM, SO WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT AND ADVOCATE FOR YOU IN ANY CAPACITY? THANKS FOR THAT.
I KNOW THAT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU
YOU KNOW, I GET, UH, ASKED THAT ALL THE TIME.
AND THE SIMPLE TRUTH IS, I HATE TO DISTILL IT EVERYTHING DOWN TO DOLLARS, BUT LIKE, THIS IS THE CAPITALIST WORLD WE LIVE IN.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, IT'S A DOLLARS QUESTION, RIGHT? WE WANNA KEEP OUR TALENT, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO ATTRACT ARTISTS TO WORK WITH, WE WANNA KEEP OUR STAFF.
EVERYONE IS UNDERPAID OVER WORK.
NO ONE CAN AFFORD TO LIVE IN AUSTIN ANYMORE.
WE ARE PROJECTING FULL TRANSPARENCY, JUST ABOUT A MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT THIS YEAR.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SOCIALIZED THIS WITH MY BOARD THAT WE HAVE TO KIND OF LEAN IN AND KEEP DOING GOOD WORK AND ALSO KEEP PAYING PEOPLE.
AND I'M VERY COMMITTED TO PAY EQUITY AND TRANSPARENCY.
WE'RE COMMITTED TO COLA INCREASES.
SO THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS HERE JUST DRAMATICALLY, UM, MORE RAPIDLY GROWS THAN THE INCOME COMING IN.
AND SO THERE IS A MOMENT WHERE THAT SORT OF AWKWARD BOTTLENECK BECOMES ACTUALLY A CRISIS, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, ALL I CAN ASK FOR IS THE CONTINUATION OF ADVOCACY DOLLARS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DOLLARS ARE AD ALLOCATED.
UM, AS A BIGGER ARTS NONPROFIT, I ALSO BELIEVE STRONGLY IN MAKING SPACE FOR THE SMALLER, MORE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS.
I COME FROM THAT WORLD, I CARE FOR IT.
I BELIEVE AN ARTS ECOSYSTEM NEEDS ALL OF IT.
AND AS YOU GET BIGGER, YOU ALSO BECOME MORE OF A PILLAR, RIGHT? FOR THE COMMUNITY.
YOU'RE MORE VISIBLE THAT HAS DIFFERENT KIND OF RAMIFICATIONS AND PEOPLE EXPECT A CERTAIN KIND OF SUPPORT LEVEL, WHETHER IT'S AN ARTIST OR AN EMPLOYEE OR SOMEONE COME INTO TOWN LOOKING FOR A CERTAIN LEVEL OF VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A LITTLE BIT OF A FRICTION MOMENT WITH, UM, WANTING TO DEMONSTRATE THE VERY BEST OF WHAT AN ARTS INSTITUTION AT OUR SCALE CAN LOOK LIKE, BUT REALLY COMING UP SHORT ON THE RESOURCES TO EXECUTE THAT.
SO I'M, I'M LEANING IN AND HOPING THAT ALL THAT NEW MONEY SINCE THERE IS AN OLD MONEY IN THE SAME WAY, BUT ALSO, AND YOU KNOW, I ASSUME YOU ALL ARE DOING THIS ON THE REGULAR, I'VE TALKED TO SOME OF YOU ABOUT THIS, LOOKING AT OTHER MODELS FROM OTHER CITIES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN A LITTLE MORE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE AROUND HOW TO THINK ABOUT DOLLARS.
YOU KNOW, HOT IS FINITE, RIGHT? AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE LIKE DOING THIS ABOUT IT AND MORE LOOKING AT WHERE ELSE COULD THE DOLLARS BE COMING FROM FOR A CITY THAT REALLY SELF PROCLAIMS REALLY CARES ABOUT ITS CULTURE.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY FOR MORE THAN THE FOUR MINUTES WE HAVE TOGETHER.
BUT I WOULD REALLY WELCOME AND EMBRACE THAT CONVERSATION AND CREATIVE THINKING IN, AND I BELIEVE THE CITY CAN FIGURE IT OUT, BUT THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A PRESSURE VALVE AROUND SOME OF THAT AS PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO STAY HERE OR DO THE PROJECTS THAT THEY WANT TO.
AND FOR A LITTLE MORE TRANSPARENCY, WHEN COMMISSIONER SCHWABA AND MOCK AND I MET WITH, UH, SHARON AND THE STAFF OF THE CONTEMPORARY, WHAT CAME TO LIGHT WAS THAT THEY WERE NOT ONE OF OUR FUNDED, UM, ENTITIES THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. AND THAT REALLY INITIATED THE CONVERSATION AROUND, YOU KNOW, BIG GUYS NEED HELP TOO, AND THEIR INSTITUTIONAL STATUS AND WHAT THAT MEANS, AND, AND THE, THE DEGREES OF SEPARATION FROM WHAT WE SORT OF INTERPRET AS AN AN OR A NONPROFIT IN NEED.
AND REALLY SUPPORTING THE ENTITIES IN TOWN THAT ARE PROVIDING US WITH THE FRONT, UM, YOU KNOW, OF THE, THE EDGE OF CONTEMPORARY ART AND CULTURE AND BRINGING THAT EDUCATION TO AUSTIN.
UM, AND SO IT CONTINUED THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING, THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN PRIVY TO, THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE ADDITIONAL FUNDING OUTSIDE OF HOT, FRANKLY.
UM, AND FOR MANY REASONS, UM, MAINLY THAT IT IS FINITE, BUT IT IS ALSO, UM, EVER CHANGING.
AND WE CANNOT PINPOINT EXACTLY HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA GET YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT.
THERE ARE THINGS LIKE THE PANDEMIC THAT HAPPENED THAT OBLITERATED OUR ECOSYSTEM, UM, FUNDING.
AND SO REALLY CHAMPIONING THIS IDEA TO COUNCIL, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH, UH, ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE CONTEMPORARY THAT ARE SAYING, HEY, WE SHOULDN'T BE PITTED UP AGAINST SMALL NONPROFITS.
WE SHOULD BE RECEIVING SUPPORT AT A LEVEL ALL ITS OWN.
AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WHERE THAT MONEY COMES FROM, I THINK IS PART OF THE LARGER DISCUSSION.
BUT I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, RESOUNDINGLY CLEAR THAT WE ALL AGREE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A SHIFT IN THE WAY THAT OUR ECOSYSTEM IS SUPPORTED.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I KNOW I WAS SURPRISED THAT TO HEAR THAT YOU GUYS WERE NOT A RECIPIENT OF THE PROGRAMS APPLIED FOR, UM, AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN'T PUT MYSELF IN THE, IN THE SHOES OF THE PANEL MEMBERS.
UM, BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THE PRESENCE THAT YOU HAVE IN THE CITY AND ALL THAT YOU OFFER AND ALL THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO TO EX, YOU KNOW, EXTEND THE GROUNDS TO THE PUBLIC AND KEEP IT OPEN AND AVAILABLE.
COMMISSIONER GRAY, JUST BRINGING UP A POINT, JUST BEING NEW
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TO AUSTIN AGAIN, WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME.UH, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE ARTS COMMISSION, I GUESS ALMOST NOW, I DON'T KNOW, YEARS AGO, MORE THAN A FEW YEARS.
COUPLE YEARS, THAT WAS ONE OF MY BIGGEST THINGS.
IT WAS LIKE, WHY ISN'T THERE A LINE ITEM FOR INSTITUTIONAL, YOU KNOW, ART IN GENERAL, JUST THE CULTURAL ARTS FOR THE CITY ITSELF.
IT'S NOT JUST HOT AND JUST HOT FUNDS.
AND THE NEW CYCLE OF FUNDING HAS MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN A LOT OF THINGS.
SO THE CONTEMPORARY WAS BEING FUNDED FOR MANY YEARS AND TO SEE THAT CHANGE, AND I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN TO OTHER ARTISTS AND LONGSTANDING INSTITUTIONAL THINGS, AND IT'S JUST THESE GROWING PAINS ARE VERY PAINFUL.
AND THE CITY DOES HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT.
AND NOT ONLY ON THIS DAIS, BUT TOGETHER WITH CITY COUNCIL.
AND I'VE SAID SO MANY TIMES SITTING IN THIS CHAIR ONE NEXT TO IT, HOW, HOW, UM, WHEN THE STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE CITY COMES OUT, HOW THEY BRAG ON WHO WE ARE AS ARTISTS AND WHY PEOPLE COME.
AND YET AGAIN, IT'S NOT A LIGHT ITEM.
SO YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THAT SAME TEAM OVER THERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS FOR SHARING WHILE WE HAVE HER? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, IT IS AVAILABLE ON OUR BACKUP AT THE CITY LEVEL.
I ALSO SHARE, THERE ARE A COUPLE SLIDES THAT I WANNA SCREENSHOT AND SHARE AND, UH, BRAG ON YOU FOR ACCUMULATING ALL THAT INFORMATION.
AND, UM, LET'S CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
'CAUSE COMMISSIONER SCHWABA AND I, AND ACTUALLY, UH, COMMISSIONER CE ON WEDNESDAY, HAVE A MEETING WITH A COUNCIL PERSON AND IT'S, WE'RE GOING DOOR TO DOOR, SO IF YOU EVER WANNA JOIN IN ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME.
UM, WELL, THANK Y'ALL FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
[6. Presentation by Fred Evins, Project Manager with the City of Austin Economic Development Department assisting the Austin Economic Development Corporation, on the new community creativity center planned for the City’s Permitting and Development Center.]
WE CAN GO ONTO A PRESENTATION BY FRED EVANS, PROJECT MANAGER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, ASSISTING IN THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ON THE NEW COMMUNITY CREATIVITY CENTER, PLANNED FOR THE CITY'S PERMITTING AND DEVELOPING CENTER.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSION MEMBERS, UM, AS WAS INDICATED, FRED EVANS, I'M PROJECT MANAGER, CITY OF AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UH, I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO ASSIST THEM IN DELIVERING, UH, SOME OF THE CULTURAL TRUST PROJECTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT WERE FUNDED FROM THE 2018 BOND ELECTION.
AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO KIND OF, UH, BRIEF YOU AND BRING YOU UP TO SPEED ON WHERE WE ARE ON, ON ONE OF THE FIRST PROJECTS THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL, UM, BACK IN 2022, UH, DECEMBER.
AND THAT IS, UM, GO AHEAD, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, IT'S A NEW COMMUNITY CREATIVITY CENTER, UH, THAT'S LOCATED WITHIN A TENANT SPACE THAT WAS, UM, LEFT AVAILABLE WHEN THE CITY PURCHASED THE WHAT'S NOW THE PERMANENT DEVELOPMENT CENTER, UM, THERE ALONG, UM, MIDDLE FIFTH BOULEVARD.
AND THE FLOOR PLAN I'M SHOWING IS STILL, UH, SCHEMATIC, IN FACT, IT'S CONCEPTUAL.
WE ARE, WHERE WE ARE IN THE DESIGN PROCESS IS IT IS MOVING ALONG.
WE EXPECT THE, UM, DESIGN TEAM, UM, MARMON MOCK ARCHITECTS TO BE SUBMITTING THEIR SCHEMATIC DESIGN SUBMITTAL ON APRIL 26TH.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO JUST BRIEF Y'ALL ON, ON WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS AND, AND HELP YOU UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING AT THIS TIME.
AND, UM, ALSO TO, UM, TAKE A MOMENT IN A, IN A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE, UM, NICK WHO'S HELPED US, UH, IN OUR COMMUNICATION TO THE COMMUNITY ON, ON WHAT, WHAT WE'RE ENVISIONING FOR THIS PROJECT.
SO THE FLOOR PLAN, UH, IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SEE, BUT THE PRIMARY COMPONENTS IN THAT BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER IS A LOBBY.
UH, WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE IS THE STREETS.
THIS IS A STREET CORNER, MIDDLE FISKVILLE AND HIGHLAND MALL BOULEVARD, AND ACROSS THE STREET FROM AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY AND, UH, OTHER, OTHER ENTITIES AT LINCOLN CENTER OR LINK NOW.
UM, SO ON THAT BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER, WE ANTICIPATE THAT TO BE THE LOBBY WHERE FOLKS WOULD BE PRIMARILY ENTERING, UH, ADJACENT TO THAT, TO, TO ABOVE THAT IS A CLASSROOM AND ALSO A REHEARSAL SPACE IT WOULD SERVE.
AND BEHIND THAT IS A WORKSHOP, UH, TO SUPPORT THE PERFORMING ARTS PRODUCTIONS THAT WOULD BE IN THE, OUR CENTERPIECE, WHICH IS THAT, UM, BLACK BOX THEATER, UH, IN THE, IN THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE PLAN, UM, ABOUT 2200 SQUARE FEET.
IT, IT IS GONNA BE DONE WITH, UH, MOVEABLE RISERS AND SEATINGS.
SO WE CAN HAVE A VARIETY OF CONFIGURATIONS, UM, FROM END ON, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE APPROPRIATE TERMS. UM, BUT IN THE ROUND, UH, THRUST AND, AND FROM ONE END
[00:40:01]
OF THE FACILITY, UM, ABOUT 130 SEATS AVERAGE AT THIS POINT, UM, RANGING FROM LIKE 120 TO 160 IN DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS.AND THEN TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PLAN, UH, WE HAVE IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER IS GREEN ROOMS, UM, DRESSING AREAS FOR THE PERFORMERS.
UM, BELOW THAT IS THE PUBLIC RESTROOMS. WE ARE LOOKING AT GENDER NEUTRAL RESTROOMS TO SERVE THE FACILITY.
AND THEN IN THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER IS A AREA THAT WE'VE CARVED OUT FOR NON-PROFIT OFFICE SPACE.
AND, UH, AT THIS, THE TWO ENTITIES THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HAS SELECTED TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT ARE, UH, ROOT MECHANICALS, WHO'S A PERFORMING ARTS TROOP.
LOCALLY, THEY WILL BE THE FACILITY MANAGER AND BRING THEIR EXPERTISE, UH, TO MANAGING A FACILITY THAT WE, UH, REALLY OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE IT AS AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY AS POSSIBLE, UH, FOR BE A CENTER OF INNOVATION.
UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, INCUBATOR FOR EMERGING ARTISTS.
UM, BUT IT WILL, EVEN THOUGH RU MAX WILL BE OUR FACILITY MANAGER, IT WILL BE, UM, GENERALLY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, UH, TO UTILIZE THE SPACES.
THE OTHER OTHER PARTNER IN THE PROGRAM IS AUSTIN BATCAVE, UH, THE PROGRAMMING PARTNER.
THEIR FOCUS IS ON LITERARY ARTS, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH, UH, WITH YOUNG, UH, KIDS, UM, I THINK K THROUGH 12.
AND, UM, THEY WILL BE UTILIZING THE CLASSROOM AS WELL AS, UM, RU X AND OTHERS, UH, IN THAT CENTRAL SPACE.
SO WE'VE HAD TWO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS WHERE WE INVITED THE COMMUNITY IN TO SEE THE SPACE AS IT, IT'S NOT MUCH TO LOOK AT RIGHT NOW OTHER THAN TO GET A SENSE OF, OF, OF WHAT THE VOLUMES ARE.
BUT WE SOLICIT A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT WOULD BE THE DIFFERENT USES, HOW THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE POSSIBLE IN THE SPACE.
AND WE CONTINUE TO, UH, SOLICIT, UH, FEEDBACK ON TO ENSURE THAT WHAT WE PRODUCE IS IN FACT WILL MEET THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
UH, IN OUR LAST COMMUNITY, UH, EVENT, WHICH WAS ON JANUARY 30TH, UH, NO, WAS IT? YEAH,
UH, BUT, UH, WE HAD, UH, A DC COMMISSIONED, UH, NICK HARBAUGH WITH SEVEN MILE MEDIA TO DO, TO HELP US AS ARTISTS, AS AN ARTISTIC TEAM, UH, HELP THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, WHAT WE WERE LEANING TOWARD AND WHAT WE WERE EXPLORING IN TERMS OF THE, THE FINISH OUT OF THE SPACE.
AND, AND, UM, I WILL TURN OVER TO NICK TO, TO SHOW YOU WHAT, UH, UH, A VIDEO CAPTURE OF WHAT THEY PRODUCED.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, NICK IS AVAILABLE AFTER, AFTER THE, UM, PRESENTATION TO, HE BROUGHT HIS VR RIG, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO HAVE A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE IMMERSION OF WALKING THROUGH THE SPACE.
UM, BUT, UH, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO NICK AT THE MOMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
I AM A CO-FOUNDER AND A TECHNICAL LEAD AT SEVEN MILE MEDIA.
UH, WE'RE A, A CREATIVE STUDIO, UH, RIGHT HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND, UH, WE PROVIDED, UH, VIRTUAL REALITY, UH, DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UH, FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND RUN THE, THE VIDEO.
SO THIS IS A, THIS IS A VIDEO CAPTURE OF THE EXPERIENCE, UM, WHERE BASICALLY IT, IT, UH, WE WORKED DIRECTLY WITH MARMON MOCK, UM, ARCHITECTS TO MODEL THE SPACE.
UM, AND THEY, THEY BASICALLY SENT US OVER THE, THE MODEL.
WE, UM, DROPPED IT INTO OUR, OUR, UM, UH, SERIES OF, OF PROGRAMS, SORT OF A TECHNICAL PIPELINE AND, YOU KNOW, BUILT OUT THE SPACE, UH, CREATED THE TEXTURES AND SO FORTH.
AND, UH, WORKED WITH MIRIAM AND, AND OTHERS TO, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, LABELED DIFFERENT SPACES.
AND, UH, UH, AS WE MENTIONED, IT'S, IT'S SORT OF, UM, A, A SNAPSHOT IN TIME OF THE, OF THE CURRENT THINKING, UM, BEHIND THE, THE INTERIOR SPACE.
SORT OF AN INTERESTING, UH, EXPERIENCE FOR ME BECAUSE I HAD NEVER SET FOOT INSIDE THE, THE SPACE, BUT I HAD SPENT HOURS IN THIS VIRTUAL RECREATION OF THE SPACE.
AND SO STEPPING INTO THE ACTUAL SPACE WAS A, UH, SORT OF A BIZARRE OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE FOR ME.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS THE THEATER.
UM, AND THE, UH, MARMON MOCK PROVIDED THE SORT OF MODELS OF THE BLEACHERS, WE WENT IN AND APPLIED ALL THE TEXTURES.
SO IT, UH, GIVES THE SPACE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A REAL LIFE FEELING.
[00:45:02]
UM, AND THE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY A VERY, UM, UH, FLEXIBLE THEATER SPACE, UM, WITH DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE.UM, THIS IS THE GREEN ROOM OVER HERE.
UH, AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THE, THIS, THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE IS IN VIRTUAL REALITY.
UH, AND SO IT'S, IT'S ONE THING TO SEE IT ON A VIDEO SCREEN, AND IT'S A COMPLETELY OTHER EXPERIENCE TO IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE, IN THE SPACE ITSELF.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SPACE AS IT EXISTS NOW IS JUST A EMPTY SHELL.
AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY, IT, IT'S SO HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO STEP INSIDE THAT VIRTUAL SPACE, TO ACTUALLY STEP INTO THE, THE, UM, THE DIGITAL MODEL THAT THE, THE ARCHITECTS PRODUCED.
AND TO BE ABLE TO SORT OF SEE IT IN THE LIFELIKE SCALE TO BE ABLE TO WALK THROUGH THIS SPACE YOURSELF.
UM, IT'S JUST A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.
I, I REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS HALLWAY IN PARTICULAR WAS, PEOPLE SAW IT ON, UM, ON THE, ON THE SCHEMATIC, AND THEY WERE THINKING, OH, BUT THAT'S, THAT DOESN'T REALLY SEEM LIKE THERE'S GONNA BE ENOUGH SPACE.
AND THEN WHEN THEY ACTUALLY GOT INTO THE VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE, THEY WERE LIKE, OH, OKAY.
UM, AND SO IT REALLY, UH, INTERESTING CREATIVE WAY TO, TO, UH, VISUALIZE, UM, UH, A CREATIVE SPACE LIKE THIS.
JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT AFTER WE GET IN OUR SCHEMATIC DESIGN SUBMISSION, UH, WE ARE LOOKING TOWARD PUBLISHING THE NEW, UH, LATEST AND GREATEST PLANS, UH, IN MAY AND ON MAY 7TH.
UH, AT THE SPACE WE PLAN FROM LIKE FOUR TO 7:00 PM ON MAY TUESDAY, MAY 7TH, WE PLAN TO HAVE OFFICE HOURS, UH, WHERE WE'LL HAVE THE LATEST DRAWINGS AND, AND BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANYBODY'S QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, WHERE THE PROJECT IS IN THE PROCESS AND, AND, AND HOW IT CAME TO LOOK LIKE AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
BUT ALSO TO SOLICIT ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK ON INDIVIDUAL SPACES TO SEE IF, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CAPTURING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, PART OF OUR SCHEMATIC DESIGN PACKAGE, WE'LL BE OUR FIRST COST TESTAMENT AND OUR FIRST TEST OF REALITY IN TODAY'S CONSTRUCTION MARKET.
UH, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO CROSS THEIR FINGERS THAT, THAT, UH, THAT PROVES, UM, TO BE SUFFICIENT.
WE HAVE $2 MILLION FROM THE BOND FUNDS, AND THE CITY WAS ABLE TO FIND 800,000 MORE.
SO WE HAVE 2.8 MILLION FOR, UH, THE BUILD OUT, UH, FOR THIS CAPITAL, FOR THIS CAPITAL PROJECT.
UM, I THINK AT THIS POINT, I CAN, I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR THAT, UH, ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH BOTH OF YOU.
THAT WAS, UM, A NEW THING FOR US ON THE COMMISSION TO GET A VIRTUAL TOUR OF A FUTURE SPACE.
UM, COMMISSIONER GRAY HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU THAT WAS SO COOL AFTER BEING AT THE LAST MEETING AND, AND LISTENING TO IT.
AND I SAID, OH, IT LOOKS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN IT.
CAN YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT FOR OUR LISTENERS AND, AND PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS SPACE? 'CAUSE THERE ARE MOVERS, DANCERS, AND I HAD BROUGHT IT UP IN THAT MEETING MM-HMM.
SO IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT FLOOR AND THAT THEATER SPACE IN THE WHOLE SPACE.
UH, THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN PROPOSAL IS TO HAVE A, UM, NOT A FULL, WHAT PEOPLE WOULD CONSIDER A FULL, UH, SPRUNG FLOOR, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT A, ABOUT A INCH AND A HALF CONSTRUCTION OF WOOD SLEEPERS ON PADS AND PLYWOOD, UH, TO ACHIEVE A RESILIENT FLOOR, UM, THAT WE THINK WE HOPE, UH, WILL BE FOUND TO BE ACCOMMODATING TO DANCERS AS WELL AS OTHER PERFORMERS.
UM, QUESTION IS IF WE CAN AFFORD TO EXTEND THAT FLOOR INTO THE REHEARSAL SPACE, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE, IF POSSIBLE, TO EXTEND THAT FLOORING INTO THE REHEARSAL SPACE TOO.
UH, SO THEY COULD BE, UM, MORE USEFUL TO MORE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE DO ALSO HAVE, UH, SPACE THAT CORRIDOR THAT IS REFERENCED, UH, THAT LONG CORRIDOR, UH, WE DO HAVE, AS PART OF OUR COMMITMENT IN THE SPACE TO HAVE, UH, A VISUAL ARTS ON DISPLAY AS WELL.
SO THERE, THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR VISUAL ARTS DISPLAY WITHIN THE SPACE THAT WE'D WELCOME THE PUBLIC IN TO CHECK OUT EVEN IF THERE'S NOT AN EVENT, UH, GOING ON, PARTICULARLY AT THE TIME, UH, WITHIN THE LOBBY, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, AND THE PLANS THAT NICK WORKED WITH, UH, DATED BACK AWAIS, UH, THE ONES YOU JUST SAW IN IN MARCH.
AND, AND SO IF YOU KNOW SOME DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN, UH, THE
[00:50:01]
TWO, UM, WE'VE RETHOUGHT THE CATWALK THAT YOU SAW WITHIN THE THEATER THAT HAS BEEN SCRUBBED, UH, THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND, AND EVERYBODY THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN PROCESS, UH, FELT LIKE IT WASN'T PROVIDING AS MUCH VALUE AS WE HOPE IT WOULD, AND MAYBE MORE LIMITATIONS THAN VALUE.UM, BUT THAT, THAT DESIGN CONTINUES TO EVOLVE.
WE JUST, IN TERMS OF BIG PICTURE SCHEDULE, WE EXPECT A COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS.
OUR GOAL IS TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR AND START, UH, YOU KNOW, BID AND GET, UH, CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY IN FEBRUARY OF NEXT YEAR, COMPLETING BY THE END, UM, BY NOVEMBER OF, UH, 25.
AND WITH A OPENING TO THE PUBLIC EARLY IN 26.
UH, THAT WAS MY QUESTION, WAS WHAT WAS THE TIMELINE? BECAUSE THIS PLACE IS SO COOL.
AND THEN AGAIN, I GUESS, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S GONNA BE EVENTS AND, UM, SPECIFIC CALENDAR THING, BUT IT, WILL IT HAVE NORMAL HOURS? WILL PEOPLE, WILL PUBLIC BE ABLE TO, TO STOP IN AND ASK QUESTIONS? AND IT, THAT IS THE ANTICIPATION AT THIS POINT.
WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH A EA CONSULTANTS A, UM, BUS.
IT'S A ARTS BUSINESS PLANNING CONSULTANT FIRM THAT ARE HELPING US WITH A FINANCIAL MODEL AND BUSINESS PLAN.
BUT THE PRESUMPTION IS THAT IT WOULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS.
AND WE ANTICIPATE VERY MUCH, UM, NOT AROUND THE CLOCK USE, BUT EXTENDED HOUR USE BY THE CREATIVES THEMSELVES, BUT WITH THE, WITH THE PUBLIC, UH, THAT IT WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS.
WE ARE LOOKING IN THAT LOBBY SPACE AND WORKING WITH THE, OF COURSE, WITHIN BUDGET AND THE, AND THE BUSINESS PLAN CONSULTANT AT WHAT FOOD AND BEVERAGE OPTIONS WE CAN INCORPORATE AND TO HELP, UM, BRING IN SOME REVENUE TO SUPPORT AND ALSO PROVIDE MORE INTERACTION WITH THE PUBLIC AND GIVE 'EM MORE OF A REASON EVEN TO COME IN AND, AND SIT DOWN AND, AND, UH, MAYBE COWORK, UH, WITHIN THE SPACE.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF INVENTIVE USE OF, OF EMPTY SPACE OR SPACE WHILE IT SITS EMPTY.
UM, AND A FS BEING RIGHT THERE, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR COLLABORATION.
COMMISSIONER GREEN, WHAT ARE THE DIMENSIONS OF THAT REHEARSAL HALL? I'M SORRY, OF WHICH THE DIMENSIONS OF JUST THE REHEARSAL HALL.
OH, I'M SO SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
THE, NO, I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN THE DIMENSIONS, BUT I DID, UH, QUICKLY CALCULATE SQUARE.
IT'S A LITTLE OVER 800 SQUARE FEET, UM, ABOUT 825 SQUARE FEET.
UM, ABOUT 34 BY 30, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE INITIALLY WERE GOING FOR 20 BY 30, BUT IT'S 20 BY.
IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT MM-HMM.
WE, WE HAVE PORTABLE MAPLE FOUR BY FOURS FLOATED THAT ARE MADE FOR DANCING, AH, OR PERFORMING, AND WE DON'T USE THEM ALL.
SO WE'LL TALK, I'LL PASS THAT ALONG.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR PRESENTERS WHILE WE HAVE THEM WITH JUST IN SHOCK WITH HOW AWESOME IT'S ALL GOING? THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH.
HOPE EVERYBODY THAT'S INTERESTED WILL COME SEE US ON MAY, MAY, UH, SEVENTH.
WILL YOU SEND ME SPECIFICALLY THAT INFORMATION AND I WILL MAKE, SURELY IT'S CIRCULATED, UH, TO OUR COMMISSION AS WELL AS TO OUR PUBLIC.
WE'LL BE ADVERTISING THROUGH, UM, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION NEWSLETTER, AND OTHER SOURCES.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, FOR ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED, I, I DO HAVE MY V RIG RIGHT HERE, SO I'LL BE OUT IN THE LOBBY, UH, AFTERWARDS IF YOU ALL WANT TO HAVE AN EXPERIENCE.
ALRIGHT, HE'S ON THE RECORD, Y'ALL.
I SHOULD BE, I THINK WE'RE MOVING QUICKLY, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET TO PLAY.
IT'LL BE OUR, OUR REWARD FOR OUR JOB.
[7. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Laura Odegaard, Cultural Investment Program Manager ]
BRIEFING REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE TIME OF THE MONTH BY LAURA ODEGAARD, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.LET'S SEE, UH, POINT OF PRIVILEGE, I'M GONNA PASS IT TO MEGAN FOR TWO SECONDS BEFORE HOT.
I'M GONNA SNEAK IN HERE WITH A QUICK STAFF UPDATE.
MEGAN WELLS, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER, A WHITE WOMAN WEARING A BLUE SHIRT, WHITE SWEATER.
I HAVE WAVY BROWN HAIR AND GLASSES.
I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU TONIGHT THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, DJ SCALES.
HE WILL BE STARTING AS HAS STARTED THIS WEEK, LAST WEEK, LAST WEEK AS THE PROGRAM MANAGER ONE AT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL AND HERITAGE FACILITY ON EAST 11TH STREET.
HE JOINS THE VERY SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM OVER THERE OF FLORIN BRYANT AND BRENDA MALIK.
CURRENT STAFF AT THE FACILITY.
[00:55:01]
DJ BRINGS OVER 18 YEARS OF DEDICATED CITY, COUNTY, AND PRIVATE INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE WITH A FOCUS ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, CUSTOMER SERVICE, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, AND EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATION.DJ COMES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MOST RECENTLY FROM THE EQUITY OFFICE WHERE HE WAS A BUSINESS PROCESS SPECIALIST, BUT HIS TIME AT THE CITY ALSO INCLUDES POSITIONS WITH THE AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY AND THE QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISIONS.
AND AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, HE'S A NATIVE AUSTINITE WHO ENJOYS WORKING WITH DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND IS IN HIS CAPACITY AS A PERSONAL TRAINER.
HE HAS COACHED YOUTH PARTICIPATING IN THE NATIONAL JUNIOR OLYMPICS, AS WELL AS SENIORS, VETERANS, AND OTHERS SEEKING HEALTHY, ACTIVE LIFESTYLES.
JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE YOU TONIGHT, UH, TO HIM TONIGHT TO, SO YOU COULD HELP US WELCOME HIM TO THE FACILITY AND TO EDD.
HE WILL BE JOINING THE TEAM, HELPING TO OVERSEE, UH, ACCESS AND, UH, SECURITY MAINTENANCE REPAIRS TO THE FACILITY, UH, THE ROBUST AND VIBRANT PROGRAMMING WE HAVE AT THE FACILITY, UH, AND THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE UNDERWAY.
SO PLEASE VISIT HIM AT NINE 12 EAST 11TH STREET, AND WE HAVE A BLACK MAKER'S MARKET COMING UP THIS SATURDAY.
WE'RE NOT SO SCARY OVER HERE, BUT IT'S EXCITING TO HEAR THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE GOT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE CITY UNDER YOU AND NOW YOU'RE GETTING TO DO SOMETHING HOPEFULLY A LITTLE MORE FUN THAN, I MEAN, AWESOME.
PUBLIC HEALTH MIGHT JUST BE A BLAST.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT VERY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU.
AND I'LL BRING IT BACK TO LAURA.
LAURA ODEGAARD, CULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM MANAGER WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
UH, I'M A WHITE WOMAN WITH BROWN HAIR WEARING A BLUE AND WHITE FLOWER DRESS, AND MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE HER.
UH, SO WITH THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL BE SHARING THE LATEST HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR MARCH.
SO, OUR TOTAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION NUMBERS IN MARCH WERE $703,336.
SO THIS MEANS OUR HOT CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR MARCH WERE $67,169.
SO WITH THESE MARCH NUMBERS, WE ARE NOW 51% TOWARDS OUR FY 24, UH, APPROVED BUDGET.
AND WE STILL HAVE SEVERAL MONTHS TO GO, SIX MONTHS TO GO, I THINK.
UM, AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, THERE IS A DELAY IN HOW HOT REPORTING HAPPENS.
SO THIS PRESENTATION IN APRIL SHOWS COLLECTIONS IN MARCH FOR HOTEL STAYS IN FEBRUARY.
SO IF YOU WERE LOOKING AT THIS AND YOU WERE SAYING, BUT MARCH IS SUCH A BUSY SEASON FOR AUSTIN, WHY ARE THE NUMBERS SO LOW? UH, STAY TUNED FOR NEXT MONTH.
I HAVE A FEELING NEXT MONTH'S NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
UH, SO THIS GRAPH CONTINUES TO SHOW OUR MONTHLY PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR APPROVED BUDGET FOR FY 24.
IT'S A TEENY TINY LITTLE SLIVER FOR MARCH, BUT YOU CAN SEE, UH, OUR 67,000 SNUCK IN THERE.
UM, AND SO THIS BRINGS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND ACTUAL NUMBERS FOR FY 24 TO $7,342,417.
UM, AND AS A REMINDER, THE FUNDS COLLECTED THIS YEAR WILL BE USED TO FUND PROGRAMS IN FISCAL YEAR 2025.
UH, AND SO THEN THIS SLIDE AGAIN IS JUST THE, UH, HOT COLLECTIONS BY QUARTER FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
UM, AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE LIKE NECK AND NECK WITH LAST YEAR.
UH, WE ARE ACTUALLY ONLY $38,000 BELOW WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
SO I THINK WE'RE STILL IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND JUST A REMINDER THAT THESE ARE FEBRUARY COLLECTIONS.
SO WE'RE STILL WAITING ON WHAT WILL BE SOUTH BY, AND THEN I'M EXCITED FOR TWO MONTHS FROM NOW WHEN WE CAN SEE WHAT THE ECLIPSE BROUGHT IN.
MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR LAURA? THANK YOU ALL.
[8. Staff update on the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor]
HAVE STAFF UPDATE ON THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS BY JESUS PANTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.[01:00:01]
I'M HIS PATEL CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.I AM A LATINO WITH LONG GRAY HAIR, A SALT AND PEPPER BEARD, WEARING A LIGHT GRAY SHIRT.
MY PRONOUNS ARE HE HIS, I'M GONNA SEE IF I CAN DO THE, UM, I CAN, I'VE GOT THE CLICKER.
SO I WILL BE DOING THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
UM, I'LL BE PROVIDING 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.
AS WELL AS, UH, GIVING A PRESENTATION ON THE FEEDBACK WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING AND HOW WE HAVE BEEN ACTING ON THAT, UM, TO IMPROVE AND MAKE CHANGES TO THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS. SO, UM, INFORMATION FOR ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS IS AS OF APRIL 4TH, UH, 2024.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CONTRACTS, UH, FOR ELEVATE IN THE FIRST ROW.
UM, THERE'S 200 TOTAL CONTRACTS.
UH, 99% OF THEM HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED AND PROCESSED, OR 199.
UM, THE SAME NUMBER OF TEST PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AND VERIFIED.
UM, UH, SAME NUMBER OF FIRST PAYMENTS ISSUED.
81% OF THE SECOND PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED 163.
UM, WE'VE GOT, UM, SOME, SOME OF THE, UH, FINAL PAYMENTS THAT WE'VE REVIEWED, A FEW FINAL REPORTS HAVE GONE OUT, UM, AS WELL.
UH, WITH NEXUS, UH, YOU CAN SEE DOWN THAT ROW.
ALL OF THE CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN, UM, UH, SIGNED AND PROCESSED.
UM, TEST PAYMENTS ARE, UH, UM, 98%.
THERE'S A COUPLE, UM, OR THERE'S ONE THAT, UH, WE ARE, UH, WAITING ON STILL.
UM, UM, THEY REQUESTED A PAPER CHECK, SO THAT'S WHY IT IS NOT SHOWING UP HERE.
UM, SO IT'S JUST IN PROCESS WHERE THAT PAPER CHECK, UH, TO GET SENT, BUT IT IS IN PROCESS.
UM, AND WE'VE HAD ABOUT A THIRD OF THE SECOND PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED, UM, IN NEXUS.
UM, AND THEN FOR THRIVE YEAR, TWO VERY SIMILAR NUMBERS, UH, FOR YEAR ONE, BECAUSE THRIVE IS A REMINDER IS A TWO YEAR, UH, FUNDING PROGRAM.
UH, ELEVATE IS A ONE YEAR PROGRAM, AND NEXUS IS, UM, SIX MONTHS.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE, UM, 30 OF OUR, UM, PAYMENTS HAVE GONE OUT, UH, FOR YEAR TWO, UM, UM, FOR THRIVE.
UH, WE'RE REVIEWING, UM, INTERIM REPORTS AS, UH, THEY COME, COME IN.
AND THEN THE ARTS ED RELIEF GRANT, UM, ALL OF THE CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SIGNED AND PROCESSED AS WELL AS ALL OF THE PAYMENTS ISSUED AND VERIFIED.
UM, AND MOST OF THE, UH, PAYMENTS HAVE GONE OUT AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ARE LAUNCHING NEXUS TOMORROW.
SO IT, UH, THE APPLICATION OPENS AT 10:00 AM IT WILL BE OPEN FOR ABOUT A MONTH UNTIL 7:00 PM ON TUESDAY, MAY 14TH.
UH, THAT IS A BIT OF A CHANGE IN THE TIME.
SO 7:00 PM IS, UH, WHEN THE APPLICATION, UH, WILL BE DUE.
UM, AND WE ARE MOVING INTO A DIFFERENT ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM.
WE WILL NOT BE USING PORTAL FOR THE NEXUS APPLICATION.
UH, WE ARE MOVING TO SUBMITTABLE, I BELIEVE THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM HAS USED SUBMITTABLE FOR SOME OF THEIR, UM, OPEN ART CALLS.
UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING, UH, WE'RE WORKING, UH, WITH THE LONG CENTER ON THIS.
UH, AND TECH SUPPORT WILL BE AVAILABLE BOTH THROUGH SUBMITTABLE AND THE LONG CENTER.
UM, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS USING THE NEW ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM AND CULTURAL FUNDING STAFF WILL BE AVAILABLE, UM, AS WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST, BOTH THE DAY BEFORE AND THE DAY OF, UM, THE APPLICATIONS, UH, BEING DUE, UH, FROM 10:00 AM TO 6:00 PM BOTH ONLINE AND IN PERSON.
UM, WE ARE EXPECTING TO ANNOUNCE AWARDS ON FRIDAY, MAY 31ST, UH, FOR ACTIVITIES THAT OCCUR BETWEEN JUNE 1ST THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.
AND THIS IS A SLIGHTLY SHORTER THAN USUAL GRANT PERIOD BECAUSE WE, UH, NEEDED TO ACCOMMODATE THE TRANSITION TO THE NEW APPLICATION PLATFORM.
UM, ALL, UH, FINAL REPORTS, UH, THE LATEST OF FINAL REPORTS, UH, IS DUE, IS ON OCTOBER 31ST, UM, BECAUSE FINAL REPORTS ARE DUE 30 DAYS AFTER THE FINAL ACTIVITY HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
AND THEN WE JUST KIND OF ROUND THAT TO THE END OF THE MONTH.
UM, AND SO AS FINAL AS ACTIVITIES ARE COMPLETING, THEY CAN TURN IN THEIR FINAL REPORTS.
BUT THE LATEST A FINAL REPORT CAN BE TURNED IN IS ON OCTOBER 31ST.
UM, WE WILL BE PROVIDING A VARIETY, UH, OR HAVE A VARIETY OF, UM, APPLICATION ASSISTANCE OPTIONS AVAILABLE.
UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE HELP WITH YOUR APPLICATION, YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A CULTURAL FUNDING SPECIALIST FOR ONE-ON-ONE APPLICATION SUPPORT.
UH, YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR ONE OF OUR DROP-IN APPLICATION ASSISTANCE SESSIONS WITH CULTURAL FUNDING STAFF.
UM, YOU CAN JOIN THE CULTURAL FUNDING STAFF FOR AN UPCOMING OPEN OFFICE HOURS AT 10:00 AM TO 12:00 PM EVERY TUESDAY THROUGH THE APPLICATION DEADLINE.
SO WE NORMALLY DO, YES, SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
UH, OUR ONLINE PARTICIPANTS CANNOT SEE THIS, SO THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FOLLOW ALONG.
[01:05:10]
COMMISSIONERS ONLINE, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THOSE THAT HAVE OTHER OUTLOOK ACCOUNTS.YOU CAN ALSO PULL UP YOUR BACKUP.
YES, THIS WAS PROVIDED IN YOUR BACKUP, SO YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG.
THIS IS SLIDE NUMBER FOUR THAT I, I THINK IT'S FOUR ACTUALLY.
I HAVE MY NOTES PAGES, SO I TAKE THAT BACK.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT SLIDE NUMBER THIS IS.
IT'S ALSO FOR THOSE THAT DO HAVE OTHER OUTLOOK ACCOUNTS.
'CAUSE THERE'S COMPATIBILITY ISSUES.
THAT'S WHY I SAY THAT IF YOU GO TO OUR ONLINE, UM, CITY WEBSITE WHERE ALL OF OUR BACKUP IS LOADED TO THE PUBLIC, WE ARE UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE PRESENTATIONS FOR HERE.
IF ANYBODY NEEDS THAT LINK, THEY CAN CONTACT ME.
UM, BUT YOU CAN VIEW IT ONLINE AS WELL.
AND AS COMMISSIONER GRAY NOTED, THIS IS, UH, THE FIFTH SLIDE, AND I WILL WAIT TO CONTINUE WHEN I, ONCE I HEAR FROM THE CHAIR THAT IT IS OKAY TO DO.
HOW ARE WE DOING ONLINE FOLKS? FEEL FREE TO PIPE UP.
UM, SO, UM, AGAIN, UM, OPEN OFFICE HOURS.
WE NORMALLY HAVE THEM THE SECOND AND FOURTH TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM 10:00 AM TO NOON.
BUT, UH, WHILE THE APPLICATION PERIOD FOR NEXUS IS OPEN, IT WILL BE EVERY TUESDAY FROM 10:00 AM TO NOON, UM, BOTH VIRTUAL, UM, OR IN PERSON AT OUR OFFICES AT BEN WHITE.
UM, YOU CAN ALSO REQUEST DIRECT APPLICATION SUPPORT FROM ALMOST REAL THINGS OR ATTEND ONE OF THEIR APPLICATION WORKSHOPS.
AND OUR THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATORS AT THE LONG CENTER, AGAIN, ARE ALSO AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE SUBMITTABLE APPLICATION, UH, PLATFORM.
AND INFORMATION FOR HOW TO ACCESS THE SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE, AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/NEXUS.
UM, FOR FUTURE PROGRAM LAUNCHES, WE DON'T YET HAVE SPECIFIC DATES, UM, FOR WHEN THE PROGRAMS WILL LAUNCH, BUT THEY'RE CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO ROLL OUT IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER.
UH, LIVE MUSIC FUND WILL LAUNCH NEXT, UM, AFTER THE NEXUS APPLICATION CLOSES.
AGAIN, NEXUS IS OPEN UNTIL, UH, MAY 14TH AT 7:00 PM UM, AFTER THE LIVE MUSIC FUND CLOSES, UM, WE ARE COMBINING ELEVATE AND THRIVE, UM, INTO A SINGLE APPLICATION.
THERE MAY BE, YOU KNOW, ONE WORD THAT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, OR ONE QUESTION THAT'S, UH, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAT YOU CAN OPT INTO.
BUT, UM, ELEVATE AND THRIVE, UH, WILL LAUNCH AFTER THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, UH, CLOSES.
UM, AND THEN ONCE ELEVATE AND THRIVE CLOSES, UM, WE WILL LAUNCH NEXUS 2024 FALL, WINTER.
SO THE ONE WE'RE LAUNCHING TOMORROW IS, UH, NEXUS, FALL, SPRING, UM, FOR ELEVATE AND THRIVE.
UM, AGAIN, THEY ARE A COMBINED APPLICATION, UH, ELEVATE ACTIVITIES, UM, OR THE ELEVATE APPLICATION WILL BE FOR ACTIVITIES OCCURRING BETWEEN OCTOBER 1ST, 2024 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.
SO YOU'LL NOTICE IT'S, UH, DECEMBER, UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO EVENTUALLY MOVE ELEVATE TO A CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, SO TO ACCOMMODATE THAT, WE'RE PLANNING ON, UM, ELEVATE APPLICATIONS THAT WILL BE LAUNCHING, UM, LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER TO, UH, GO FROM OCTOBER 1ST THROUGH DECEMBER 30, OCTOBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST OF NEXT YEAR.
UM, THRIVE AGAIN IS A TWO YEAR APPLICATION, UM, OR TWO YEAR CONTRACT.
SO IT WILL, UH, REMAIN ON THE CALENDAR YEAR FROM JANUARY 1ST, 2025 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2026.
UM, ARE THE DATES FOR THAT AND FOR NEXUS FALL WINTER, UM, WILL BE FOR ACTIVITIES OCCURRING BETWEEN OCTOBER 21ST, UH, OCTOBER 1ST, EXCUSE ME, 2024 THROUGH MARCH 30, 31ST, 2025.
AND NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE GRANTEE ACTIVITIES FOR APRIL AND MAY.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I WILL NOT BE READING THE GRANTEE NAMES AND ACTIVITIES AS THIS PRESENTATION AGAIN IS AVAILABLE, UM, ON THE ARTS COMMISSION WEBPAGE.
UH, WE RECEIVED THE INFORMATION FOR THE GRANTEES FROM VISIT AUSTIN.
UH, SO IF YOU HAVE AN EVENT BUT IT IS NOT HIGHLIGHTED HERE, PLEASE BE SURE TO POST IT TO VISIT AUSTIN.
UH, FOR ALL CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, WE ARE GOING BY WHAT THE GRANTEES PROVIDED IN THEIR PORTAL APPLICATION.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE.
WE HAD LIKE THREE PAGES, UH, WORTH OF ELEVATE ACTIVITIES.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR, UM, AS OF APRIL 4TH, UH, THAT WE HAD INFORMATION FOR.
UM, AND THESE ARE THE THRIVE ACTIVITIES.
UM, THE NEXUS SPRING SUMMER ACTIVITIES WERE TO BE COMPLETED BY MARCH 31ST.
SO THAT IS WHY THERE IS NO, UH, NEXUS APPLICATIONS OR NEXUS, UM, ACTIVITIES LISTED, UM, IN THIS PRESENTATION.
ALL RIGHT, SO ONTO OPERATIONALIZING FEEDBACK IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS ABOUT HOW WE HAVE TAKEN THE FEEDBACK
[01:10:01]
WE HAVE RECEIVED INTO ACCOUNT, WE WANTED TO PRESENT ON HOW WE ARE OPERATIONALIZING THAT FEEDBACK.AS A REMINDER, WE HAD ALMOST 1200 HOURS OF, UM, ENGAGEMENT FROM ALMOST 1300 ATTENDEES, AS WELL AS FEEDBACK.
UM, IN, IN ADDITION, WE ALSO HAD FEEDBACK DURING OPEN OFFICE HOURS APPLICATION WORKSHOPS, AND THROUGH TELEPHONE, EMAIL AND ZOOM CONVERSATIONS, UH, FEEDBACK WAS COLLECTED STARTING FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE THREE YEAR CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.
AND EVEN A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THEN.
AND, UH, THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PILOT PROGRAMS, WE HAVE BEEN COLLECTING FEEDBACK AND WE'RE STILL COLLECTING, UH, FEEDBACK EVEN AFTER THE, UH, PROGRAMS HAVE LAUNCHED.
UH, SOMETIMES THE FEEDBACK WAS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED.
WE WOULD HEAR SOMEBODY THAT WAS SAYING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, IN THAT WANTED ONE THING, SOMEBODY ELSE WANTED SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY.
SO HOW COULD WE BRING THOSE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS TOGETHER? UH, SO WE'D, UH, TRY TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT HONORED THE INTENTION OF BOTH OF THOSE TO HELP GUIDE US.
IN DOING SO, WE UTILIZED THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM MJR PARTNERS, INTERIM AND FINAL REPORTS, UM, AS WELL AS GUIDANCE FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION.
UH, THE INTERIM AND FINAL REPORTS CONTAIN NOT ONLY RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT ALSO SUMMARIES OF THE VARIOUS TYPES OF FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED, UM, AND THE APPROVAL OF THE FRAMEWORK OF THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS THAT WAS APPROVED AT THE JUNE 29TH, 2022 ARTS COMMISSION MEETING, UH, WAS MADE AFTER WE MADE CHANGES FROM WHAT WAS PRESENTED AT THE MAY MEETING, UH, THE, THE MONTH BEFORE.
SO ALL OF THIS IS AN ITERATIVE PROCESS, AND THE LINKS TO THESE, UH, REPORTS AND THE PRESENTATION AT THE JUNE 22 ARTS COMMISSION MEETING ARE LINKED IN THIS SLIDE.
SO IF YOU CLICK ON, UH, THOSE, UH, THOSE ARE LINKS THERE.
SO IF YOU CLICK ON 'EM, IT'LL TAKE YOU TO THE INTERIM REPORT.
THE FINAL REPORT AND THE PRESENTATION, UM, GIVEN AT THE JUNE, 2022 ARTS COMMISSION MEETING, UM, SO THRIVE, UM, WAS CREATED BECAUSE OF FEEDBACK, UM, SPECIFICALLY LIKE THIS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE MJ, UH, FROM THE MJR PARTNERS INTERIM REPORT, UM, ATTENTION IS NEEDED TO BUILD CAPACITY FOR AUSTIN'S CURRENT AND NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS IN THE ARTS CULTURE AND HERITAGE SECTORS.
WE ALSO RECEIVED FEEDBACK THAT SAID WE NEED TO INTENTIONALLY WORK TO STRENGTHEN CULTURALLY SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS TO ACHIEVE INSTITUTIONAL STATUS.
IE GROWTH OF OPERATING BUDGET, OPERATING BUDGET, ACCESS TO PERMANENT FACILITIES, AND INCREASE ACCESS TO PRIVATE SECTOR FUNDING.
AND WE ALSO HEARD THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE APPROACHES TO HELP ORGANIZATIONS AND CONTRACTORS DEVELOP ENFORCEABLE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS. UM, WE HAD SOME FEEDBACK AND CONCERNS THAT HELPED US CLARIFY ELIGIBILITY ACROSS ALL OF THE FUNDING PROGRAMS. UH, THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT EXPANDING FUNDING ELIGIBILITY TO THOSE PREVIOUSLY NOT ELIGIBLE, BUT WE ALSO HAD FEEDBACK TO INVESTIGATE NEW MODELS TO SUPPORT FOR, FOR-PROFIT GROUPS.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, SOMETIMES THAT FEEDBACK WAS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED.
UM, I WANTED TO REITERATE THAT INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ELIGIBLE.
UM, IN THAT JUNE, 2022, UH, IT WAS EITHER THE MAY OR THE JUNE, UM, UH, POWERPOINT.
THERE'S, UH, A LIST OF ALL THE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS OR CREATIVE BUSINESSES THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE, UM, IF WE DIDN'T CLARIFY IT.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE CHANGED THIS.
UM, THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ELIGIBLE TO APPLY, EVEN IN THE PREVIOUS FUNDING PROGRAMS. WE WERE JUST CODIFYING IT AND MAKING IT MORE CLEAR.
NOW, SOMETHING WE DID DO IS THAT TO BE ELIGIBLE, UM, INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES ONLY, THIS DOES NOT, UM, NECESSARILY APPLY TO NONPROFITS.
BUT FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES, THEY MUST MUST HAVE A BUDGET OF $500,000 OR LESS IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR ELEVATE, AND THEY MUST HAVE A BUDGET OF $150,000 OR LESS TO APPLY FOR NEXUS.
UM, ALSO, WE ARE NO LONGER ALLOWING NON-ART ORGANIZATIONS TO APPLY.
SO WE DID ALLOW THAT IN THE PAST, NON-ART ORGANIZATIONS, UH, COULD APPLY FOR FUNDING TO DO AN ARTS RELATED PROJECT.
UM, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS OR SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HAD RECEIVED ALSO.
SO WE ARE NOT ALLOWING THAT ANY LONGER.
UM, ANOTHER, UH, COMMON, UH, QUESTION OR CONCERN THAT WE RECEIVED IS WHY ARE NON AUSTINITES ALLOWED TO APPLY FOR FUNDING? UM, PART OF THE REASON OF THAT IS, UH, THE COST OF LIVING IN AUSTIN IS SO HIGH AND SO EXPENSIVE.
UM, NOW THIS IS LIMITED TO THE FIVE COUNTY, UM, METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA.
SO THAT'S, UH, TRAVIS BASTROP, CALDWELL, HAYES, AND WILLIAMSON COUNTIES.
AND IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE OVER HALF OF THEIR ACTIVITIES, EVEN IF THEY ARE LOCATED IN THE MSA, OVER HALF OF THEIR ACTIVITIES MUST TAKE PLACE IN AUSTIN OR THE EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, OR THE ETJ, AND THAT'S ANY OF THEIR ACTIVITIES.
BUT THEIR FUNDED ACTIVITIES CAN ONLY TAKE PLACE IN AUSTIN OR THE ETJ.
SO JUST TO MAKE, UH, THAT CLEAR, UM, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, RECEIVING AND ACTING ON THE FEEDBACK IS AN ITERATIVE PROCESS,
[01:15:01]
AND BOTH THE AWARD LEVELS AND THE NUMBER OF AWARDS HAS CHANGED FROM WHAT WAS INITIALLY PROPOSED, UM, TO THE ROLLOUT OF THE PILOT PROGRAMS, UH, TO WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO LAUNCH IN THE NEAR FUTURE.UH, SO SOME FEEDBACK WE HEARD WAS INDIVIDUALS SHOULD NOT COMPETE AGAINST ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, SO THAT'S WHY WE CREATED TWO CATEGORIES IN ELEVATE.
AT FIRST, IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, A SINGLE ELEVATE PROGRAM.
NOW WE HAVE ELEVATE FOR NON-PROFITS, AS WELL AS ELEVATE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.
UM, WE WERE ASKED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ELEVATE CONTRACTS AS WELL AS THE TOP FUNDING LEVEL.
UM, IN THE DRAFT APRIL, 2022 GUIDELINES, UH, THE ELEVATE, UM, AWARDS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES WAS 35.
WE INCREASED THAT TO 35 IN THE PILOT PROGRAM IN 2023, AND WE WERE PROPOSING IN 2024, UH, TO INCREASE THAT TO 100.
UM, AND WE WERE ALSO INCREASE THE AWARD AMOUNTS AFTER THE DRAFT GUIDELINES WERE PRESENTED IN APRIL, 2022.
SO, UM, UM, OH, SO GO, GOING BACK TO INCREASING THE NUMBER OF ELEVATE CONTRACTS, THE ELEVATE NONPROFIT AWARDS, UH, FOR NONPROFITS, THAT CHANGED FROM 65 IN THE APRIL, 2022 DRAFT GUIDELINES, UM, TO 125 IN THE PILOT.
UM, AND WE ARE NOT, UM, FORECASTING INCREASING THE NUMBER OF ELEVATE FOR NONPROFIT AWARDS, UH, COMING UP.
WE ALSO, AGAIN, INCREASED THE AWARD AMOUNTS AFTER THE DRAFT GUIDELINES WERE PRESENTED IN APRIL, 2022.
SO THE MINIMUM ELEVATE AWARD WENT FROM $7,500 TO $10,000, AND THE MAXIMUM AWARD WENT FROM 50,000 TO $75,000.
AND FOR THRIVE, THE MINIMUM WENT FROM 70 TO 80,000, WHILE THE MAXIMUM WENT FROM 120,000 TO 150,000.
UM, AND WE ARE ALSO PLANNING ON INCREASING THE AWARD AMOUNTS, UM, IN THE COMING YEAR.
SO FOR INDIVIDUALS IN CREATIVE BUSINESSES, INCREASING THAT MINIMUM AWARD AMOUNT FROM 10,000 TO $15,000, UM, THE MAXIMUM FROM 25 TO $30,000.
UH, FOR THE NONPROFITS IN ELEVATE, WE WANT TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM FROM 30,000 TO 40,000, AND THE MAXIMUM AWARD AMOUNT FROM 75,000 TO $80,000.
UM, WE ARE, WE DID CHANGE THE THRIVE MINIMUM AWARD FROM 80 TO $85,000, BUT WE ARE NOT, UM, LOOKING AT INCREASING THE, UH, MAX LEVEL OF AWARDS THERE.
UH, LIKE THE NUMBER OF GRANTS AND THE NUMBER OF AWARD OR THE AWARD AMOUNTS.
UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM GUIDELINES IS ALSO AN ITERATIVE PROCESS.
UH, SOME FEEDBACK FROM WHAT WAS INITIALLY PROPOSED TO THE PILOT, UH, WAS THAT, UH, THEY DID NOT LIKE THE PAST AWARD AMOUNT LIMITATIONS FOR THRIVE ELIGIBILITY.
SO THERE HAD BEEN A $100,000, UM, OR LESS AVERAGE, UH, CITY AWARD OVER TIME.
SO WE REMOVED THAT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT.
UH, THE REST OF THE, UH, CHANGES LISTED HERE ARE FROM, UH, THE PILOT, UM, TO WHAT WE ARE, UH, PROPOSING.
UM, GOING FORWARD, WE CLARIFIED THE LANGUAGE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS MORE FRIENDLY TO INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.
UH, WE MADE SURE, UH, WE REVISED THE LANGUAGE OVERALL TO BE MORE CLEAR AND CONCISE.
UM, ARTS, SERVICE, ARTS, EDUCATION AND DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS WERE UNSURE WHERE THEY FIT IN THE INITIAL GUIDELINES.
SO WE CLARIFIED LANGUAGE, UM, AND ADDED HELPER TEXT.
WE WANT EVERYBODY TO SEE THEMSELVES.
AND WE HAD, YOU KNOW, PURPOSEFULLY STATED THIS AT APPLICATION WORKSHOPS AT THE TIME, UM, THAT, UM, EVERYBODY SHOULD SEE THEMSELVES SOMEWHERE IN ONE OF THESE PROGRAMS. UM, WE ALSO GOT FEEDBACK THAT, UM, LEGACY ORGANIZATIONS THAT, UM, WERE MOST LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE ELEVATE PROGRAM DID NOT FEEL LIKE THEY SAW THEMSELVES THERE.
UM, SO, UM, AT THE, FROM WHAT WAS INITIALLY PROPOSED, SO, UH, IN THE PILOT PROGRAM, WE CLARIFIED IN THE TRAINING MATERIALS AND INDIVIDUALLY, AGAIN, THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE SEE THEMSELVES IN AT LEAST ONE OF THESE PROGRAMS. UH, WE ALSO REDUCED THE NUMBER OF QUESTIONS, UM, ASKED FOR IN THE APPLICATION.
UH, SO FOR ELEVATE, FOR NONPROFITS AND FOR THRIVE, WE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF RUBRIC QUESTIONS FROM 12 TO NINE, UM, GOING FORWARD.
AND WE ARE REDUCING ELEVATE, UM, FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.
UH, QUESTIONS FROM 12 TO EIGHT.
SO AGAIN, THAT ONE DIFFERENCE, AGAIN, THERE'S ONE QUESTION COMBINING THE THRIVE AND ELEVATE APPLICATION.
UH, ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, UM, UM, BE CONSIDERED FOR BOTH APPLICATIONS.
UH, WE'VE ALSO SIMPLIFIED THE BUDGET.
UM, THE FORM, UH, WE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF REQUIRED UPLOADS BECAUSE THE BUDGET FORM HAS BEEN MOVED INTO THE APPLICATION PLATFORM WITH SUBMITTABLE AND NO LONGER REQUIRES THE APPLICANT TO UPLOAD A SEPARATE DOCUMENT.
WITH THE INCLUSION OF THE BUDGET FORM WITHIN THE APPLICATION PLATFORM, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO SIMPLIFY THE BUDGET INFORMATION THAT IS COLLECTED.
[01:20:01]
SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED LED TO A STREAMLINING OF THE AWARDS PROCESS.UH, YOU'LL NOTICE HERE IT SAYS FROM CORE TO PILOTS.
UH, SO THAT JUST MEANS OUR OLD FUNDING PROGRAMS BEFORE THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS, ONE OF THEM WAS THE CORE FUNDING PROGRAM.
UH, WE ALSO HAD CULTURAL HERITAGE FESTIVALS PROGRAM AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES.
UM, UH, FROM THE INTERIM, UH, REPORT, UH, ONE OF THE, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED WAS A CRITICAL REVIEW OF GRANT MAKING AND CONTRACTING SYSTEMS COULD REVEAL EFFICIENCIES AND IDENTIFY EDDS ZONES OF FLEXIBILITY, EDD BEING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, WE HAVE, UM, UM, WORKED WITH THE LONG CENTER AS A THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, WE'RE ALSO, UM, UM, MAN, OR ANOTHER, UH, POINT OF FEEDBACK WAS MANDATED INSURANCE CREATES FINANCIAL BURDENS ON SMALL BUDGET ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WE HAVE WAIVED THE INSURANCE REQUIREMENT AND NEXUS ONLY BECAUSE IT IS A $5,000 AWARD.
WE TALKED WITH, UH, THE CITY'S, UM, RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, AND THEY SAY IT IS, UM, A DEPARTMENT LEVEL DECISION, UH, FOR SMALLER AWARDS, NEXUS FITS THAT LEVEL.
AND SO, UM, OUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, SO LOBBY HOLT RAB, UM, GAVE THE APPROVAL TO WAIVE THE INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR NEXUS AND SOMETHING WE'RE CHANGING GOING FORWARD.
YOU STILL HAD TO FILL OUT A, UM, BASICALLY A WAIVER FORM IN, UH, ECLA IN NEXUS, UH, THE PASS GO ROUND FOR THIS ONE THAT WE'RE LAUNCHING TOMORROW.
IT'S JUST AUTOMATICALLY GOING TO BE WAIVED.
SO YOU DON'T EVEN NEED TO FILL OUT THE INSURANCE QUESTIONNAIRE, UH, THE PANEL PROCESS.
UM, WE GOT LOTS OF FEEDBACK ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND, UH, A QUESTION POSED IN MJR PARTNER'S FINAL REPORT, UH, PROBABLY SUMS IT UP BEST.
HOW ARE YOU IMPROVING THE PANEL REVIEW PROCESS? UH, SO WE ADDED EQUITY TRAINING, UH, BOTH FOR STAFF AND PANEL MEMBERS.
UH, ONE OF THE, UH, UH, ITEMS OF FEEDBACK WAS, UH, TO PROVIDE DEIA TRAINING.
DEIA IS DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND, UM, ACCESSIBILITY, UM, UH, FOR STAFF AND PANEL MEMBERS.
UM, ALL STAFF, UM, ALL CULTURAL FUNDING STAFF HAVE UNDERTAKEN UNDOING RACISM TRAINING AND PANELISTS.
TRAININGS INCLUDE, UH, DEI, UM, MATERIALS.
UM, WE HAVE EXPANDED THE PANEL TRAINING COMPONENTS TO INCLUDE EQUITY AND UNCONSCIOUS BIAS TO INCLUDE PANEL EXPECTATIONS, PROGRAM GUIDELINES, AND THE RUBRIC, HOW TO USE A RUBRIC OR HOW TO SCORE WITH A RUBRIC, AS WELL AS TECHNICAL TRAINING FOR THE ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM.
OUR PAST TRAINING WAS KIND OF JUST A COMBINATION OF, UH, THOSE SECOND AND THIRD, LIKE WHAT THE GUIDELINES WERE AND HOW TO USE THE SYSTEM.
SO IT'S A VASTLY EXPANDED, UH, TRAINING SYSTEM.
UM, WE'VE ALSO ADDED AUSTIN CONTEXT FOR OUT OF TOWNERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES, UM, TO THE DEI, UM, UM, UH, SECTION.
AND WE HAVE TRI TRIPLED TO QUADRUPLED THE AMOUNT, UH, THAT WE PAY THE REVIEW PANELISTS, UH, SINCE WE ARE NO LONGER FLYING, UH, PANELISTS IN, WE ARE DOING THE, UM, APPLICATION REVIEW, UM, ONLINE, SO WE CAN DO IT FROM THERE.
UM, SO WE'RE PAYING PANELISTS, UH, BOTH FOR, FOR GOING THROUGH THE TRAINING.
UM, IS ONE, UH, TRAINING MILESTONE FOR REVIEWING THE APPLICATIONS IS THE SECOND 'CAUSE THEY'RE REVIEWING, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO KEEP IT BETWEEN 30 AND 35 THAT THEY REVIEW, AND IT TAKES ROUGHLY AN HOUR TO REVIEW EACH APPLICATION.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE THIRD, UH, PAYMENT LEVEL IS, UH, FOR ACTUALLY ATTENDING THE REVIEW PANEL AND, UH, PROVIDING THEIR FEEDBACK.
UM, WE HAVE ALSO ADDED COMMUNITY MEMBER PARTICIPATION, UM, BECAUSE AS WAS POINTED OUT, UM, BY MARGIE REESE OF MJR PARTNERS, UM, THESE FUNDS ARE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
IT IS, UH, PUBLIC DOLLARS FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
AND SO WE HAVE A COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO IS MAYBE NOT NECESSARILY TRAINED IN THE ARTS, BUT THEY ARE AN ARTS AFICIONADO.
AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN ADDED TO, UH, THE REVIEW PANEL.
UH, THESE ARE ALL MULTIDISCIPLINARY PANELS TO HELP ENSURE ROBUST PANEL PARTICIPATION.
UM, IF A PANELIST HAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, WE STILL ALLOW THEM TO SERVE ON THE PANEL.
THEY JUST CANNOT SCORE THE SPECIFIC APPLICATION THAT THEY HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH.
WE ASKED THEM TO, UM, WHEN IT WAS IN PERSON, LEAVE THE ROOM WITH THE ZOOM MEETINGS TO TURN OFF THEIR CAMERA.
UH, BUT, UM, IF IT'S DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC, THAT COULD RESULT IN LOTS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
SO WE HAVE A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PANEL TO HELP, UH, CUT DOWN ON THAT.
UM, UH, A CHANGE HAS BEEN, UH, NO INTERACTION FROM, UH, THE PUBLIC.
WE HAD ALLOWED THAT IN THE PAST, BUT WE ARE FOLLOWING NATIONAL GRANT MAKING BEST PRACTICES, AND THAT THE MEETING IS, UH, STILL RECORDED.
UM, AS A VIRTUAL PANEL MEETING.
IT'S, UH, ACTUALLY, UM, UH, AN AUDIO, UH, VIDEO RECORDING NOW.
IT USED TO BE AN AUDIO RECORDING, BUT WITH THE VIDEO RECORDING, WE CAN HAVE CAPTIONS.
UH, WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE SEE THAT, UM, THEY, THE PANELS ARE OPEN, UM, YOU KNOW, BROADCAST LIVE, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE RECORDING.
SO, UM, APPLICANTS, UH, CAN REQUEST, UH, THE RECORDING
[01:25:01]
OF THEIR APPLICATION REVIEW, UH, ONCE IT IS DONE.UM, SOMETHING WHERE, UH, WE CHANGED, UM, OR WE'RE CHANGING IS, UH, NO MORE READER STAGE, UH, GOING FORWARD IN THE REVIEW PANEL PROCESS.
UM, READERS AND THRIVE LAST YEAR, UM, ONLY SCORED ON ONE QUESTION.
UM, READERS IN ELEVATE DID SCORE ON ALL OF THE QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT WE GOT BOTH, UM, UH, FEEDBACK FROM APPLICANTS THAT FELT THAT READERS WERE SERVING AS GATEKEEPERS, AND WE ALSO GOT PANELIST FEEDBACK THAT DISCUSSING THE APPLICATION WITH THE FULL PANEL WAS VERY HELPFUL.
SO THOSE ARE THE REASONS WE'RE, UM, MOVING AWAY FROM, UM, HAVING THE READERS.
IT'S ALSO LESS CONFUSION ON WHETHER OR NOT AN APPLICANT IS GETTING FUNDED.
WE, YOU KNOW, WOULD SEND OUT AWARD AND DECLINE LETTERS, YOU KNOW, AND THEN IF YOU'RE MOVING ON TO STAGE TWO, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN YOU'RE GONNA GET FUNDING.
SO IT'S HELPING TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT CONFUSION, SO THAT WAY IT'LL JUST BE ONE, UM, AWARD OR DECLINE LETTER ONCE THE, UM, ENTIRE REVIEW PANEL PROCESS IS COMPLETED.
UM, WE'VE ALSO ADDED SOME MID-RANGE SCORING OPTIONS.
UH, SOME OF THE PANELISTS ASK FOR MORE NUANCE IN THEIR SCORING OPTIONS.
SO SOMETHING WE HAD CHANGED FROM, UH, THE CORE OR THE, THE OLD, UH, PROGRAMS WAS, UM, YOU PICK A SPECIFIC SCORE.
SO EVEN THOUGH A QUESTION MAY BE WORTH 15 POINTS, UM, IN THE OLD PROGRAM, YOU WOULD SCORE IT, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE FROM ZERO TO 15 AND THIS NEW ONE YOU'RE GIVING, YOU KNOW, AN EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, A 15, A 10, OR A FIVE OR A ONE.
SO WE ADDED SOME THAT ONLY HAD MAYBE THREE, LIKE SAY A 15, A SEVEN, AND A ONE.
WE'RE ADDING IN KIND OF MID-RANGE SCORING.
UM, BECAUSE THE PANELISTS, YOU KNOW, GAVE US FEEDBACK THAT IT WAS KIND OF HARD TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE, UM, SOME SCORES THAT ARE LIKE, IT WASN'T QUITE THIS HIGH, BUT IT WASN'T QUITE THAT LOW.
SO WE ADDED SOME, UM, MID-RANGE SCORING OPTIONS FOR THEM.
UM, LANGUAGE ACCESS IS, UM, WE'VE ADDED SOME LANGUAGE ACCESS, BUT IT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
UM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND, UM, THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION ARE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UM, ON THE FOREFRONT OF THIS, UH, WITH WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE, UM, IT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
WE HAVE STARTED ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS IN NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGES.
UM, WE DO HAVE COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR ASSISTANCE, UM, IN SPANISH.
SO COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTIES THAT WE CONTRACT WITH THAT, UM, HELP, UM, PROVIDE APPLICATION ASSISTANCE.
UM, UM, WE DO HAVE INTERPRETER INTERPRETERS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
UM, WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD THAT WITH, UM, A SL, UM, UH, SIGN, AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE, UM, INTERPRETERS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OTHER, UH, SPOKEN NON-ENGLISH OR VERBALLY SPOKEN, UH, NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGES, UM, AVAILABLE AS WELL UPON REQUEST.
UM, AND A LESSON LEARNED EVEN FROM THE LAST GO ROUND IS WE WILL MEET WITH THE INTERPRETERS PRIOR TO, UH, THE REVIEW PANEL.
SO THE, UM, INTERPRETER, INTERPRETER CAN BE MORE, UH, FAMILIAR WITH, UH, THE FUNDING PROGRAMS, UM, AS, UH, THEY ARE HELPING TO INTERPRET WHAT IS BEING SAID BY BOTH THE PANELISTS, UH, OR, OR BY, BY THE PANELISTS.
UM, AND AGAIN, UH, AS I MENTIONED, THE VIDEOS ARE CAPTIONED, UH, FOR THOSE WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING.
UM, SO AWARD DETERMINATION HAS CHANGED, UH, FROM THE CORE, UH, TO THE PILOT PROGRAMS. UM, THERE'S AN OPTION TO ACCEPT A SMALLER AWARD.
WE'VE ALWAYS, UM, KIND OF HAD THAT OPTION, BUT, UH, WE GOT RID OF THE MATCHING REQUIREMENTS.
SO NO ONE HAS TAKEN US UP ON THAT OFFER THIS YEAR, UM, AS THEY HAVE, UM, IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
UM, AND PART OF THAT IS, UM, UM, OR NO, MOVING ON TO THE, THE NEXT, THERE WAS A DOUBTFUL THAT THE CITY WILL INCREASE INVESTMENTS TO ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS OF COLOR WITH SOME, SOME FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED.
UH, SO WE NO ARE NO LONGER TYING AWARDS TO BUDGET SIZE.
IN THE PAST, YOUR AWARD WAS A CERTAIN PER, COULD BE NO LARGER THAN A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF YOUR BUDGET.
AND SO THAT WAS JUST PERPETUATING SYSTEMIC RACISM.
IF YOU HAD LESS MONEY AND YOUR AWARD WAS TIED BASED ON YOUR BUDGET, UM, AND YOU HAD A SMALLER BUDGET, THEN IT WAS HARD TO GROW YOUR CITY AWARD AMOUNT.
SO WE ARE NO LONGER, UH, TYING AWARDS TO BUDGET SIZE.
UM, AND WE ALSO GET QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY WE HAVE, UM, UM, FUNDED, UH, LESS, UH, UH, WITH NARROW AND DEEP FUNDING.
UM, SO PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE MOVED AWAY FROM A MINIMUM SCORE REQUIREMENT.
IN THE PAST, YOU NEEDED AT LEAST A 75 ON A 100 POINT, UM, SCALE, AND IF YOU GOT AT LEAST A 75, YOU RECEIVED SOME LEVEL OF FUNDING.
NOW WE NO LONGER HAVE A MINIMUM, UH, SCORE.
AND SO, UM, WE JUST GO FROM THE HIGHEST SCORES DOWN TO THE LOWEST UNTIL, UH, WE RUN OUT OF MONEY FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
THIS ALLOWS FOR, UM, UH, MORE MEANINGFUL AWARDS.
AND WE HAVE HAD, UH, MULTIPLE AWARDEES THAT HAVE COMMENTED TO US ON HOW MEANINGFUL THEIR AWARD IS AND WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH THAT.
UM, AND THIS IS ALSO BECAUSE IN PART OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED WAS THAT THE COMMUNITY
[01:30:01]
WANTED A MORE COMPETITIVE PROCESS, UM, FOR HOW THE FUNDS WERE AWARDED.THEY, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST WE FUNDED, YOU KNOW, 95 TO 99% OF ALL APPLICANTS.
IT WAS A COMPETITIVE PROCESS, AGAIN, AT LEAST A 75 ON THAT 100 POINT SCALE.
UM, BUT WE'RE, UM, HONORING BOTH WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE, UM, DURING THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS AND THE FEEDBACK WE'VE HEARD NOW FROM THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE AWARDS ON HOW MEANINGFUL THEY ARE FOR THEM.
UM, WE'VE ALSO, UH, LOOKED AT OUR APPEALS PROCESS.
PART OF THIS WAS FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED THAT SAID, CONCERNS, UM, THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT HAVING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS DUE TO HISTORICAL INEQUITY AND LIMITED RESOURCES.
UM, SO WE HAVE ALWAYS PROVIDED WRITTEN PANEL COMMENTS TO APPLICANTS, UM, UPON REQUEST.
AND THE STAFF HAS ALWAYS GONE OVER APPLICATION SCORES AND CONCERNS.
UM, WE ARE STILL, UH, DOING THAT.
WE HAVE ALSO, UH, STREAMLINED OUR APPEALS PROCESS, UM, AND WE'VE ADDED AN ARTS COMMISSION APPEALS WORKING GROUP, UH, THAT IS NEW.
BEFORE IT WAS, UM, UM, ALL THE AWARD, UH, DETERMINATIONS WERE MADE BY STAFF AND WE PROVIDED AN UPDATE, UM, AT THE ARTS COMMISSION.
BUT NOW THE ARTS COMMISSION DOES HAVE AN APPEALS WORKING GROUP, UM, THAT PARTICIPATES IN THE APPEALS PROCESS.
AND WE ALSO, UM, UM, ADDED A VIRTUAL APPEALS FORM.
UM, SO THERE WAS JUST AN EASY FORM FOR THOSE WHO DO WANT TO APPEAL, UM, FOR THEM TO FILL THAT OUT.
UM, BASED ON FEEDBACK, UH, WE HAD REQUESTS TO LAUNCH THE PROGRAMS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE, UM, UH, ARE LOOKING AT THE APPLICATION AGAIN, WE ARE COMBINING THE THRIVE AND ELEVATE FOR NONPROFITS APPLICATION PROCESS THEY'RE LAUNCHING.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, UM, AGAIN, WE HAD CONSISTENT COMMENTS TO KEEP THE APPLICATION PROCESS SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD.
SO WE'RE HOPING THIS DOES THAT.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE MOVING FROM PORTAL TO SUBMITTABLE.
UM, DURING THE ELEVATE UM, PROGRAM, THERE WERE, UM, UH, WE HAD TO EXTEND THE ORIGINAL ELEVATE APPLICATION DEADLINE BECAUSE, UM, UM, OF SOME PROBLEMS THAT WE HAD WITH, UH, THE SPANISH LANGUAGE ACCESS.
SO WE'RE HOPING, UH, WITH SUBMITTABLE, UH, WE CAN, UM, UM, HELP CORRECT SOME OF THOSE, UM, UM, HARDSHIPS, UM, APPLICATION ASSISTANCE.
UM, THAT WAS, UH, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED THAT THERE WAS NEED FOR MORE ARTS MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TRAINING, INCLUDING GUIDANCE FOR ADDRESSING EQUITY AND INCLUSION AS EMPHASIZED BY THE CITY.
UM, SO WE ARE PROVIDING MORE ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT, UM, THAN WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST.
UM, PART OF THAT IS BY ADDING COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS AND AMPLIFIERS.
UM, SO STAFF IS STILL PROVIDING, UH, UM, UH, CLOSE TO THE SAME NUMBER OF WORKSHOPS, UH, THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS AND AMPLIFIERS.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, WEEKLY AND APPLICATION DUE DATE OPEN OFFICE HOURS.
SO WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT'S NORMALLY THE SECOND AND FOURTH TUESDAYS, BUT WHEN APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN, UH, WE HAVE OPEN OFFICE HOURS EVERY TUESDAY.
WE'LL DO THE SAME WHEN THRIVE ELEVATE LAUNCHES.
UM, AND THE SAME WHEN NEXUS, UH, THE NEXT GO ROUND, UH, BOTH TOMORROW AND THE ONE, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING LAUNCHES, UM, UM, WE ARE PURPOSEFULLY NOT CLOSING APPLICATIONS ON A FRIDAY.
SO THAT WAY, IF THERE ARE ANY, UH, LAST MINUTE QUESTIONS, AN APPLICANT'S NOT WAITING ALL WEEKEND TO FIND OUT DID THE APPLICATION GET IN, YOU KNOW, DO THEY HAVE A QUESTION? UM, AGAIN, WE'RE MOVING THE DEADLINE FROM 5:00 PM TO 7:00 PM SO, UM, PEOPLE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO GET THAT IN.
STAFF WILL BE AVAILABLE, UM, ON THE APPLICATION DEADLINE UNTIL 7:00 PM AND GENERALLY, UH, STAFF IS AVAILABLE FROM 8:00 AM TO 6:00 PM UM, YOU KNOW, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ON, UH, WORKING DAYS.
AND I KNOW THAT WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF STUFF THAT I JUST BREEZED THROUGH, BUT, UM, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE WHILE I GET A DRINK OF WATER THAT WAS A WATER, PLEASE GO GET SOME WATER THAT WAS DENSE IN THE BEST WAY.
AND I HAD A MOMENT WHERE I WAS LIKE, I HAVE, THIS IS A LOT, I WONDER WHY, BUT IT'S PROBABLY WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE NEXT ROUND OF DATES FOR OUR PROGRAMS. AND SO FOR PEOPLE TO, TO BE ASSURED THAT THERE ARE CHANGES AND ADJUSTMENTS BEING MADE IN REAL TIME, UM, TO GO ALONG WITH THIS NEXT LAUNCH OF PROGRAMS. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU WALKING US THROUGH IN A DETAILED WAY.
UM, AND JUST A LOT OF REALLY EXCITING STUFF IN THAT.
I'M GONNA START, UH, WITH COMMISSIONER GRAY, AND THEN I SEE COMMISSIONER NEY, AND THEN I'M SURE THERE'LL BE MORE QUESTIONS DOWN THE LINE.
I HAVE A FEW, AND I, YOU'VE, I THINK YOU'VE COVERED ONE OF 'EM ALREADY, BUT, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT PERHAPS, UH, 'CAUSE THIS, THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR, IF SOMEBODY WERE TO APPLY FOR ELEVATE AND THEY DIDN'T GET IT, THEY COULD APPLY FOR THRIVE.
SO IT SOUNDS AS IF AN ORGANIZATION COULD APPLY FOR ELEVATE AND THRIVE AT THE SAME TIME AND YOU'LL HAVE A CHECKBOX ELEVATE ONLY, THRIVE ONLY BOTH.
[01:35:02]
THAT IS CORRECT.WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT EXACTLY WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE, BUT THAT IS THE IDEA, INTENT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, JUST A SINGLE APPLICATION.
UM, IN TAKING THE QUESTIONS DOWN SMALLER, THEY ARE STILL THE SAME QUESTIONS.
WE EITHER, UH, CONSOLIDATED SOME OF THE QUESTIONS TOGETHER OR WE GOT RID OF QUESTIONS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SEEMED TO, UM, WEREN'T ASKING WHAT WE WANTED OR WERE JUST KIND OF REPETITIVE OF WHAT ANOTHER QUESTION WAS.
UM, UNDERSTANDING THE MU THIS HAS BEEN, THIS HAS BEEN SOME JUST AGAIN, FOR EVERYBODY'S INFORMATION THINKING ABOUT MULTIDISCIPLINARY PANELS.
UM, IS THERE A REASON WHY PERHAPS IN THE FUTURE THERE IS NOT A DISCIPLINE RELATED PANEL, NO DISCIPLINE RELATED GROUP OF ARTISTS OR ORGANIZATIONS UNDER AN A DIS MULTIDISCIPLINARY PANEL? IN OTHER WORDS, FOR INSTANCE, NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS, IF YOU'RE A PANELIST, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ALL DANCE OR YOU'RE LOOKING AT ALL THEATER, YOU'RE LOOK, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THOSE, BUT MANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU GO THROUGH ARE TIED A LOT TO WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WENT THROUGH AS WELL, NOT AS NOT AS MANY.
I'M JUST, IT'S NOT MEANT TO HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT, UH, I'VE BEEN ASKED ABOUT A LOT AND I'M, IT'S PROBABLY IN PERHAPS SOME OF THE SURVEY STUFF THAT WENT THROUGH.
AND ALSO FOR THE, FOR THE, UM, PEOPLE THAT WILL ASK LATER, WOULD YOU FIND SHORTLY THE DIFFERENCE AGAIN BETWEEN A PORTAL AND A SUBMITTABLE? IS THIS GONNA COME UP? YES.
SO, UH, PORTAL WAS THE ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM THAT WAS USED FOR, UM, UH, THRIVE, ELEVATE AND NEXUS IN THE FIRST GO ROUND.
AND UM, I THINK IT'S MICROSOFT DYNAMICS 365, BUT WE JUST CALLED IT PORTAL BECAUSE THAT WAS A EASY NAME.
SUBMITTABLE IS THE ACTUAL BRAND NAME, OR THE COMPANY NAME, JUST LIKE ZOOM GRANTS THAT WE USED IN THE PAST WAS THE NAME OF THAT COMPANY THAT PROVIDED THAT, UM, ONLINE APPLICATION PLATFORM.
SO SUBMITTABLE IS THE NAME OF THE ONLINE APPLICATION PLATFORM.
'CAUSE IT SOUNDS ALMOST LIKE IF YOU'RE OLD ENOUGH, IT SOUNDS LIKE PAPER.
UM, AND JUST ONE MORE THING RELATIVE TO PANELS.
I THINK WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PANELISTS COMING FROM REGIONAL OR OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN, IF IN THE FUTURE THERE WERE, IF, IF ALL THEATER WAS TOGETHER, THOSE PEOPLE GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHO'S, WHO'S ALL COMING TOGETHER IN THE COMMUNITY TRYING TO BE FUNDED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, GET A BETTER PICTURE OF THAT COMMUNITY, OF, OF ARTS.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT AS A, AS A VISION, I HEARD ART WAS NOT, AND AS WELL, SHOULD WE HAVE A LOT OF GROWING AND WE NEED TO GO IN THE DIRECTION WE WENT, BUT THAT, WHERE'S THE ART FALL OR WHERE WILL IT IN THE FUTURE? THANK YOU, JESUS.
NEXT IS COMMISSIONER CHENEY AND THEN COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
IT WAS VERY, VERY, VERY THOROUGH.
UM, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO AND LOOK BACK AT THE PDF 'CAUSE I KIND OF FORGOT SOME OF IT ALREADY, BUT, UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS KIND OF JUST MORE OF A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
UM, SO, UM, LAST YEAR WHEN THE PILOT PROGRAM LAUNCHED FOR THRIVE AND ELEVATE, THRIVE WAS CREATED TO SUPPORT, UM, ORGANIZATIONS TO GET TO CULTURAL INSTITUTION STATUS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND YOU DEFINE KIND OF WHAT THAT MEANT.
UM, AND ESSENTIALLY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDERFUNDED THAT UM, NEED TO GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL, THEY NEED TO LEVEL UP AND THEY NEED THAT SUPPORT.
AND THEN ELEVATE WAS A GRANT THAT WAS CREATED TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS IN, UM, BOTH ORGANIZATIONAL OR PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORT.
SO IT COULD BE TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, JUST YOUR ORGANIZATION OR A MIX OF BOTH OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, MY QUESTION IS KIND OF HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DELINEATE THAT? UM, IF IT'S ONE APPLICATION, MEANING IF I'M AN ORGANIZATION AND LET'S SAY, UM, I, I'M ALREADY AT CULTURAL INSTITUTION STATUS, LET'S SAY I HAVE A $20 MILLION BUDGET.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S AN ARTS NONPROFIT IN AUSTIN THAT HAS THAT, BUT JUST MAKING IT UP AND WHEN I CLICK THE BOX TO, UM, APPLY FOR THRIVE AS WELL, RIGHT.
WHAT I GUESS, I GUESS WHAT WOULD ADOPT THAT ORGANIZATION THAT HAS KIND OF ALREADY REACHED CULTURAL INSTITUTION STATUS, BUT HAS THE CAPACITY TO WRITE A REALLY GOOD COMPELLING GRANT BECAUSE MORE MONEY EQUALS MORE STAFF AND MORE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WHAT KIND OF BARRIERS ARE IN PLACE TO, UM, I'M SAYING THIS IN A LONG-WINDED WAY, BUT TO SUPPORT THAT MONEY
[01:40:01]
ACTUALLY GOING TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT TRULY ARE NOT IN CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, HAVE A NEED TO REACH THAT? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.AND, UM, PART OF THAT, AND, AND WE DID THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE WERE, WHEN WE WERE CREATING THE THRIVE PROGRAM, AND THAT'S BASICALLY HOW THE, UM, QUESTION IS SCORED.
SO, UM, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, SO THERE IS A CULTURAL INSTITUTION STATUS QUESTION, AND AGAIN, WE'RE STILL KIND OF WORKING ON THESE.
I'M 99% SURE THAT'S WHAT THE, THE ONE OPTIONAL QUESTION IS, IS YOUR CULTURAL INSTITUTION STATUS.
I'D HAVE TO CHECK THAT TO BE 100% SURE.
UM, BUT BASICALLY IF YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND YOU HAVE ALL THE HALLMARKS OF A CULTURAL INSTITUTION, YOU'RE GONNA SCORE LOWER ON THAT QUESTION.
SO YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE AS COMPETITIVE IN THE THRIVE PROGRAM AS SOMEONE WHO DOES NEED TO LEVEL UP.
THAT'S, THAT'S HELPFUL INFORMATION.
UM, THE SECOND THING I WANTED TO SAY, IT'S MORE OF A COMMENT.
I'M VERY HAPPY THAT IT'S MOVING TO SUBMITTABLE BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE, UM, USED SUBMITTABLE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S A WIDELY KNOWN, UH, PIECE OF SOFTWARE.
SO THAT'S REALLY GREAT AND I KNOW THAT IT SAVES YOUR QUESTIONS AS YOU'RE MOVING ALONG FOR EVERYBODY WATCHING OUT THERE.
UM, I DID HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I TOTALLY FORGOT ALL OF THEM BECAUSE I WAS THINKING REALLY HARD ABOUT THAT ONE.
I JUST NEED TO THINK FOR A MINUTE.
GO AHEAD AND SENDER COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
UH, FIRST ON THE, THE TOTAL CONTRACTS, WE STILL HAVE THREE THAT HAVEN'T GOTTEN THEIR FIRST PAYMENT YET.
DO WE KNOW WHY THAT'S STILL DELAYED? WHY THOSE ARE STILL DELAYED? LET ME SEE IF I HAVE THAT IN MY NOTES HERE.
I DO HAVE NOTES ON SOME OF THOSE.
LIKE I SAID, THE NEXUS ONE WAS BECAUSE OF A CHECK PAYMENT.
LET ME SEE IF I HAVE INFORMATION ON THE OTHERS.
I'M SORRY I MISSED THE NEXUS ONE.
IT WAS BECAUSE OF A CHECK PAYMENT? YES, THEY'RE DOING A CHECK PAYMENT INSTEAD OF AN, UH, ELECTRONIC PAYMENT.
SO IT MAY HAVE, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE AS OF APRIL 4TH, SO THESE MAY HAVE CLEARED, UM, BY THAT TIME.
BUT I THINK FOR ELEVATE, SO THERE WAS ONE, I THINK IT'S STILL THAT, UM, ORGANIZATION, THERE WAS AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS, UM, THINKING THAT IT WAS GOING TO SHUTTER AND THEN IT DECIDED TO, UM, UM, KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN AND ACCEPT THE ELEVATE AWARD AFTER ALL.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT IS, UH, THE REASON FOR THE ELEVATE ONE.
UM, AND THEN FOR THRIVE YEAR TWO, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, THERE ARE, UM, INTERIM REPORTS SINCE IT'S A TWO YEAR, UH, CONTRACT.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE ARTS RELIEF GRANT.
OH, THE ARTS HEAD RELIEF GRANT.
UM, THE INVOICE FOR, LET ME SEE WHAT MY NOTES HERE.
THE INVOICE FOR THE FINAL PENDING FIRST PAYMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND IT'S BEING PROCESSED AND THAT IS ALL THAT.
OH, SO YEAH, THERE WAS THAT ONE.
SO IT'S BEEN RECEIVED AND IT'S BEING PROCESSED.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS AS OF APRIL 4TH, SO IT MAY BE, UM, HAVE CLEARED NOW, BUT THE INVOICE HAS BEEN RECEIVED.
UM, WE JUST NEED TO, WE DO THOSE PAYMENTS THROUGH THE CITY INSTEAD OF THROUGH THE LONG CENTER AND THE CITY'S PROCESS, ONE OF THE REASONS WE WENT TO THE LONG CENTER IS THEY CAN GET THE PAYMENTS OUT QUICKER THAN THE CITY CAN.
SO, UM, SO THAT ONE IS IN PROCESS.
AND THE, THE ELEVATE ONE THAT, THAT ORGANIZATION, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING THAT'S BEEN WHAT'S BEEN SAID FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, WAS THAT THAT ORGANIZATION WAS GONNA SHUTTER AND IS NOW NOT IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA SHUTTER, HAVE THEY SUBMITTED THEIR STUFF AND ARE THEY THEY HAVE, YES.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH STAFF ON, UH, WHAT THEY NEED TO.
UM, UM, I'M NOT MANAGING THAT ONE DIRECTLY, BUT I KNOW, UH, STAFF HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THEM TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT IS NEEDED TO ENTER INTO THE CONTRACT.
AND WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE KIND OF TIMEFRAME ON YOU NEED TO BE FINISHED AND PRODUCING AT THIS POINT? BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO START THE NEXT ROUND AND THEY HAVEN'T YEAH, I CAN, I CAN LOOK ON THIS ONE ALSO.
THIS IS BASED ON INFORMATION THAT, YOU KNOW, BOTH WE UPDATE AND THE LONG CENTER UPDATE.
SO IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THAT JUST HASN'T BEEN, UM, UPDATED.
SO I CAN LOOK MORE CLOSELY INTO THAT ONE TO SEE, UM, WHAT THE REASON IS.
UM, SECOND TO LAST, DID WE EVER FIND OUT WHAT THE SNAFU WAS WITH THE ELEVATE WITH THE CONTRACT HAVING TO GO BACK FOR THE LONG CENTER? THE, THE PAYMENTS WERE DELAYED.
WE'VE BEEN DOING CON I'M, I'M NOT SURE I COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.
I THINK THAT THAT WAS, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLY ON.
THERE WAS AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT THAT WAS RIGHT, BUT I NEVER, I NEVER GOT AN ANSWER ON TO WHO MADE THE AMEND.
WAS IT THE LONG CENTER THAT WAS TRYING TO AMEND OR WAS IT THE CITY THAT WAS TRYING TO AMEND? I DON'T, I WILL DEFER.
[01:45:01]
I WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH THAT, BUT I, I THINK IT WAS LIKE, IT WAS LIKE, YEAH, TECHNICALITY THAT IT WAS A, THE LONG CENTER MADE AN AMENDMENT AND THEN IT HAD TO GO THROUGH THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AGAIN.BUT I DON'T THINK IT WAS ANYTHING.
AND SO NOVIA CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT BASICALLY EVERY YEAR WE STILL HAVE TO DO AN AMENDMENT WITH THE LONG CENTER SAYING THIS IS HOW MUCH FUNDS YOU'RE GETTING THIS YEAR TO DISTRIBUTE TO OUR AWARDEES.
AND SO WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THRIVE FUNDS WERE PUSHED FORWARD SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND IT JUST TOOK TIME TO GET THROUGH THE CITY PROCESSES TO ACTUALLY MOVE THE MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR THIS YEAR INTO THAT CONTRACT SO THEY COULD HAVE IT.
UM, AND SO THIS WOULD BE FOR THE THRIVE, UM, THE END OF YEAR ONE PAYMENTS AND THEN THE YEAR TWO FIRST PAYMENTS FOR THRIVE FOLKS.
AND SO, SO NO, THAT'S NOT, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE CONTRACT AMENDMENT.
THE ELEVATE PAYMENTS WERE LATE BECAUSE THE CONTRACT AMENDMENT, AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY THAT HAPPENED AND HOW WE CAN IN MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
YEAH, I REMEMBER BRINGING THAT UP ORIGINALLY AS WELL.
THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT SOVIA, YEAH, SILVIA SYLVIA'S GONNA ADD THIS ONE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THERE ARE FORMAL PROCESSES, WHETHER WE INITIATE THE AMENDMENT OR THE LONG CENTER, THERE ARE JUST INTERNAL STEPS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH BESIDES EDD CENTRAL PURCHASING, THE LAW DEPARTMENT TREASURY.
UM, TYPICALLY IN OTHER CONTRACTS WE START SIX MONTHS AHEAD.
SO NOW THAT WE HAVE KIND OF GOTTEN THIS AMENDMENT DONE, THE NEXT ONE SHOULD NOT TAKE, IT'S JUST THIS PROCESS YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW, UM, TO STAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR FINANCIAL POLICY THAT THE CITY HAS ESTABLISHED.
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG, IT'S JUST A PROCESS.
SO MY CONCERN WITH IT IS THAT WE HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE UP AGAINST THE WALL BECAUSE THE PAYMENTS WERE DELAYED.
AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN? THAT WE SAY TO THEM, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE YOUR PAYMENT BY X DATE, THEY GET THEIR PAYMENT BY X DATE REGARDLESS OF THE CITY PROCESSES, BECAUSE WE SHOULD HAVE ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF THAT BEFORE THE PAYMENT DATE.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN? THAT THE PAYMENTS ARE DELAYED AND PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO FIGURE OUT HOW AM I, AM I GONNA ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO PUT THIS PRODUCTION UP BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE MY PAYMENT THAT I SHOULD HAVE HAD LAST WEEK? AND AGAIN, WE WILL START NOW LOOKING AHEAD TO THE PAYMENTS THAT ARE COMING OUT, UM, UH, FOR THE NEXT ROUND.
BUT I WOULD ALSO, UH, ENCOURAGE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS TO DEFINITELY TAP INTO OUR SMALL BUSINESS CLASSES.
'CAUSE MY, I DEFINITELY HAVE CONCERNS WHEN PEOPLE ARE JUST BUDGETING RIGHT UP AGAINST THE WALL, UH, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, BUT WE ARE LOOKING NOW OUTWARD TO SEE WHAT'S GONNA BE COMING UP IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE TIMELY AMENDMENTS COMPLETED.
AND I THINK IF I CAN CHIME IN, I'M REMEMBERING SPECIFICALLY A COUPLE OF THE CONTRACTS THAT WERE HAD WERE EXPERIENCING THIS DELAY, AND IT WAS LIKE THE SEPTEMBER TIMELINE, RIGHT? SO IT'S MM-HMM,
SO THEIR PROGRAMMING WAS AROUND THAT, WHICH WAS RIGHT UP AGAINST THE SORT OF FINALIZATION OF PAYMENT.
SO I THINK IT WAS JUST THE, LIKE THAT WINDOW THAT, YEAH, WE HAD A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE AND IT WAS A LIVE MUSIC GRANT, UH, FUND AS WELL THAT WERE EXPERIENCING A DELAY OF PAYMENT.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR END, BEING MORE AWARE OF THE DATE RANGES, LIKE WHAT ARE WE SAYING IF WE'RE ALLOWING PEOPLE TO APPLY WITH A CERTAIN DATE WITHIN A CERTAIN DATE RANGE, TO YOUR POINT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, THAT, THAT THOSE MONIES ARE THERE AND AVAILABLE IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE CONDONING THAT AND THAT'S ALLOWABLE AND ELIGIBLE FOR AN EVENT.
I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE, THE REASON BEHIND THE AMENDMENT OR WHO INSTIGATED IT IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT, BUT I THINK THE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY WAS IF WE'RE ALLOWING PEOPLE TO APPLY, UH, FOR FUNDING THAT FALLS WITHIN A CERTAIN DATE RANGE, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT FUNDING IS THERE FOR THEM.
AND, AND I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT, IT'S NOT AS IF WE DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING.
SO IT'S SIGNIFICANT TO ME BECAUSE WE HA WE SAY X, Y, Z, AND THEN WE GET TO THE END OF THE MONTH WHEN THE CHECKS ARE SUPPOSED TO GO OUT AND WE SAY A, B, C, AND THAT'S A PROBLEM.
THAT'S, THAT CREATES, THAT CREATES DISTRUST FOR THE CITY AND THE PROGRAM IF, IF YOU SAY ONE THING AND SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN FRONT OF THIS HAPPENING AGAIN, BECAUSE IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, THEN IT'S GONNA BE EXPONENTIALLY UPSETTING FOR PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S, THAT WAS MY ONLY CONCERN WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS, AND I'M, I HAVE A MEETING WITH, UH, MEGAN AND JESUS I BELIEVE
[01:50:01]
ON FRIDAY ABOUT THE, THE CHANGE IN THE, UH, AWARD AMOUNTS BECAUSE YES, WE'VE HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW, HOW MEANINGFUL THE AWARD AMOUNTS WERE FOR THEM.AND I THINK THAT THAT HOLDS TRUTH, BUT IT'S ALSO MEANINGFUL FOR PEOPLE THAT AREN'T GETTING FUNDING TO GET FUNDING RATHER THAN FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY GETTING FUNDING TO GET $5,000 MORE.
SO I'M, I'M JUST BRINGING THAT UP BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME, I DON'T NEED AN EXTRA $5,000, BUT I KNOW XY, Z DIDN'T GET FUNDED LAST YEAR, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY.
SO I'M GONNA HAVE A MEETING WITH MEGAN AND JESUS AND TALK ABOUT THAT AND FIGURE THAT OUT.
BUT I WANTED TO PUT IT OUT IN THE UNIVERSE THAT I'M GONNA, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT NARROW AND DEEP SOUNDS GOOD, BUT EQUITABLE AND, AND, UM, DIVERSE SOUNDS BETTER.
COMMISSIONER GRAY, JUST A JUST A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS.
'CAUSE I, I, I AGREE ON BOTH SIDES FOR SURE.
AND, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE DIFFERENT PANELS, LESS QUESTIONS, ET CETERA.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA NECESSARILY BE THE SAME AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT GET FUNDING.
IT MAY BE A VERY, VERY DIFFERENT FILE.
I WANNA ACTUALLY, UH, 'CAUSE I ALSO FEEL THAT PAIN IN THE PAPERWORK AND THE DELAY.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN THE SYSTEM FOR ALMOST 37, 8 YEARS LONGER THAN JESUS.
THE DELAY USED TO BE UNTIL FEBRUARY OR MARCH BEFORE PEOPLE GOT MONEY.
SO WHAT THE STAFF AND EDD HAD HAVE DONE OVER THIS PILOT PROGRAM IN SHIFTING AND PUTTING THINGS IN DIFFERENT PLACES AND GETTING LUNG CENTERED TO PROCESS, THIS IS LIKE THE FORMULA ONE RACE CAR COMPARED TO WHAT IT WAS.
AND HOPEFULLY, AND I'M WITH YOU, THAT IT DOESN'T CAUSE IT CAN'T CONTINUE.
YOU'RE RIGHT, THE DELAY CAN'T CONTINUE, BUT I CAN SEE THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE TO TRY TO FIX IT.
AND I, I APPRECIATE, I'M, I, PLEASE DON'T THINK THAT I'M DISCOUNTING ANYONE'S HARD WORK.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO.
WE, WE COULDN'T RUN WITHOUT YOU.
WE, WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU.
WE JUST HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL ABOUT WHEN WE SAY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE X AMOUNT OF MONEY BY X DATE AND THEN IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
THAT, THAT JUST BREEDS DISTRUST.
I REMEMBERED SOME OF THE QUESTIONS.
OKAY, SO MY THIRD QUESTION IS, I, AND I MISSED LAST MONTH'S MEETING, SO YOU MAY HAVE COVERED THIS, SO APOLOGIES.
UM, BUT THERE WERE SOME MURMURS THAT, UH, THRIVE.
IF YOU RECEIVED THRIVE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS PILOT COHORT THAT YOU WOULD AND ELIGIBLE TO APPLY AGAIN, IS THAT, UM, IS, ARE, ARE, UH, PREVIOUS APPLICANTS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY TO THIS NEW CYCLE? YES.
PREVIOUS, UM, UH, UM, RECIPIENTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.
IT'S A NEW COMPETITIVE PROCESS, UM, EACH AND EVERY YEAR.
UM, SO YES, THEY'RE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.
UM, AND THEN MY FOURTH QUESTION IS REGARDING THE PANEL PROCESS.
SO, UM, AS A PERSON THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT MY ORGANIZATION APPLIED FOR IT, UM, IT WAS KIND OF MORTIFYING FOR SOME FOLKS WHEN THEY WERE DOING THE LIVE STREAMING.
SO IS THAT STILL GONNA BE LIKE A LIVE STREAM OR IS IT GOING TO BE PRIVATE? I MEAN, IT'S, WE'RE STILL PLANNING ON IT BEING A LIVE STREAM, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAD TO, I MEAN, I GUESS MAYBE IT WAS POSTED ON OUR FACEBOOK, BUT IT IS, UM, AVAILABLE, UM, FOR EVERYBODY TO VIEW FOR, UM, UM, JUST TRANSPARENCY PURPOSES.
UM, AND SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS, I DIDN'T REALLY COVER THAT IN THE, THIS PRESENTATION TODAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO ASK THE, UH, REVIEW PANELISTS TO DO IS TO GIVE, UH, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AND, UM, FEEDBACK FOR FUTURE IMPROVEMENT.
UM, AND AT THE, YOU KNOW, AT THE TOP OF THE MORNING AND WHEN WE COME BACK FOR LUNCH, YOU KNOW, I OR WHOEVER IS, UH, MANAGING THE PANEL PROCESS THAT DAY WILL, UH, STATE THAT.
UM, AND NOT TO SAY THAT IT MAKES IT ANY LESS MORTIFYING, BUT AT LEAST WITH WHEN PEOPLE HAVE A HEADS UP THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY PERSONAL.
IT'S, WE'RE ASKING THE PANELISTS TO GIVE YOU FEEDBACK FOR FUTURE IMPROVEMENT.
UM, JUST KNOWING THAT GOING IN MAY HELP SOFTEN THE BLOW, UM, A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AND ALSO WORKING WITH THE PANELISTS AND, YOU KNOW, WE ASK THEM THAT THEIR, UM, COMMENTS, UM, MATCH UP WITH, UM, OR THEIR SCORES MATCH UP WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR COMMENTS.
[01:55:01]
WE ASK THEM TO GIVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, STILL A RELATIVELY HIGH SCORE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY LIKE AS WELL.SO, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT, WHAT THEY LIKED AND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SEEN IMPROVED.
UM, AND WE REITERATE THAT TO THE PANEL, BUT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE SOME, SOME THOUGHTS THAT WE'VE BEEN FLOATING AROUND ON HOW TO MAKE THAT MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, SO IT ISN'T, UM, AS, UM, JUST IN YOUR FACE OR YOU KNOW, UM, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE UM, EASIER TO RECEIVE THAT FEEDBACK.
AND, AND JUST SOME FEEDBACK FOR YOU ALL THAT, UH, I HAVE AND IN THE REAL MOMENT WITH THRIVE, UM, PARTICULARLY THOSE, UM, BEING ABLE TO REAPPLY.
OBVIOUSLY I KNOW $150,000 FOR TWO YEARS IS NOT GONNA TAKE AN ORGANIZATION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA TAKE THEM FAR, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA TAKE THEM TO THE TOP, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, BUT I DO LIKE G OS, WHICH IS, UH, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER DIVISION IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR THOSE THAT, OR TELECOMMUNICATIONS, UH, DIVISION IN THE AUSTIN.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DO NOT KNOW, GTOP S IS A GRANT THROUGH THAT, UM, FOR, UH, DIGITAL INCLUSION.
AND THEY BASICALLY HAVE A CAP FOR G TOPS WHERE YOU CAN ONLY GET IT THREE YEARS IN A ROW OR THREE CYCLES.
AND THEN YOU'RE KIND OF LIKE, THEY, THEY WANT TO ENSURE THAT IT'S EQUITABLE FOR OTHER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS IN AUSTIN TO HAVE A PIECE OF THE PIE, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT, JUST BECAUSE I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, THAT YOU'RE GONNA PICK THE SAME ORGANIZATION FOR FIVE, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS IN A ROW, BUT YOU KNOW, IF THERE AREN'T, UM, IF THERE AREN'T MECHANISMS IN PLACE, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S JUST SOME FEEDBACK.
LIKE, I DO THINK THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REAPPLY IF THIS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUM, WHAT THAT MAGIC NUMBER IS, I GUESS.
UM, THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK.
AND THEN, UM, MY LAST IS, UM, WHEN FOLKS APPLY, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR Y'ALL TO PUT SOMEWHERE ON YOUR WEBSITE THAT PEOPLE CAN GET THEIR SCORES.
AND ALSO, AND I KNOW THAT THIS WAS IN YOUR SLIDE, UM, BUT THEY ALSO CAN DO APPEAL BECAUSE THAT WASN'T REALLY TRANSPARENT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, WHEN THEY APPLY, ESPECIALLY THE SCORING THING.
BECAUSE IF THEY CAN'T INTERACT WITH THE PANELISTS, AT LEAST BEING ABLE TO READ WHAT WAS ACTUALLY WRITTEN, IF THEY DO ACTUALLY WRITE SOMETHING, UH, AND WHAT THE SCORE WAS WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL.
AND I KNOW YOU ALREADY DO THAT, BUT JUST MAKING IT MORE TRANSPARENT.
THANKS COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.
THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION TO DIGEST, FOR SURE.
UM, BUT I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE IT.
AND, UM, THE EFFORT THAT'S BEING PUT IN OR WHATNOT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS POSSIBLE OR IF IT'S TOO MUCH TO ASK, UM, BUT I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE LIKE THE SIDE BY SIDE, LIKE, THIS IS WHAT IT WAS AND THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE NOW.
UM, I THINK LIKE COMPARING THAT WOULD BE, UH, GREAT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN REALLY SEE, SEE IT FROM, FROM THAT ANGLE.
AND I KNOW THAT THE PRESENTATION WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, I THINK IT'LL BE, BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO SEND THAT OUT TO FORMER APPLICANTS, UM, AND JUST LET THEM KNOW THAT FEEDBACK WAS TAKEN AND THAT BEFORE THESE, UH, APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN AND LAUNCHED.
AGAIN, THIS IS ALREADY SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE TO IMPROVE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL HEARD AND, UM, AND KNOW THAT THE CHANGES ARE HAPPENING, THAT THERE'S PROGRESS BEING MADE.
AND, AND THE ONLY OTHER THING I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT, I KNOW THAT THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SPANISH SPEAKING, UH, LED ORGANIZATIONS COME, UM, TO, TO, TO CITY TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
AND SO I'M JUST REALLY INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT THE EFFORTS WERE.
UH, I KNOW I HEARD THAT THERE IS A COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR THAT WILL HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S BILINGUAL, BUT I THINK MORE WHAT WAS THE OP WAS AN OPPORTUNITY EXTENDED FOR SPANISH LED ORGANIZATIONS TO APPLY AND BE A COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS FOR ORG TO BECOME ONE, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME AUSTIN LATINO BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE BEYOND QUALIFIED TO REALLY GIVE INPUT AND ASSIST ONE ANOTHER THROUGH THIS
[02:00:01]
PROCESS.UM, AND I JUST WOULD HATE TO HEAR IN THE NEXT ROUND THAT SAME FEEDBACK.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE WAS NOT REALLY SPANISH SPEAKING, UH, INTERPRETERS ACCESSIBLE.
I KNOW, UM, COMMISSIONER MAL NOW, THE LAST MONTH WE HAD THE ECONOMIC GROWTH BUSINESS INCUBATOR PRESENT.
THEY ARE AN OFFICIAL COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROVIDING TRANSLATION SERVICES.
SO I KNOW WE HAVE SOMEBODY ALREADY ON DECK DOING THAT.
UM, JUST TO ANSWER THAT, THAT QUESTION SPECIFICALLY.
DO, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? OKAY.
IS THAT EBL? IS IT E-B-L-E-G? B-I-E-G-B-I, YEAH.
THEY WERE OUR PRESENTERS LAST, LAST MONTH, BUT OBVIOUSLY MORE IS MORE.
UM, THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS AS WELL AS, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED IT BRIEFLY, SORT OF THE, UM, UPDATES TO SPANISH LANGUAGE SERVICES, BUT JUST IF THERE WAS ANYTHING MORE.
I ALSO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER MALDONADO IN TERMS OF SEEING SORT OF A BEFORE AND AFTER.
I KNOW WE GOT THAT WHEN THE PILOT WAS FIRST COMING OUT, UM, SORT OF THE, THE OR INITIAL DRAFT OF WHAT STAFF WAS PRESENTING AND THEN TAKE, AFTER TAKING IN COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FROM OUR EQUITY WORKING GROUP AND, UH, FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMISSION, WE WERE ABLE TO SEE SIGNIFICANT THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU ALMOST HAVE IT IN THE, UM, IN THE SPREADSHEET THAT, OR THE, UH, THE GRAPHIC IN YOUR PRESENTATION WHERE YOU HAVE SORT OF THE YEAR END, 20 22, 20 23 AND 2024 DOING SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
BUT YOU KNOW, LESS LIKE, OKAY, THIS WAS THE, UM, INAUGURAL, UM, GUIDELINE OR, YOU KNOW, RUBRICS, THIS IS HOW IT'S CHANGED FOR 2024.
AND JUST TO SEE, BECAUSE I THINK FOR US ESPECIALLY, YEAH, FOR US ESPECIALLY, I, I MEAN THE PRESENTATION WAS ROBUST AND AMAZING, BUT WE KIND OF HAD TO LISTEN AND WATCH AND THEN WE HAD HALF OF OUR PEOPLE SORT OF MISSING THE FIRST HALF OF THE PRESENTATION.
BUT I ALSO THINK IN TERMS OF READILY SHAREABLE, EASY TO DIGEST CONTENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY, HAVING A A BEFORE AND AFTER SHOT, LIKE A GLOW UP, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE, WOW, THIS IS REALLY TAKEN, THE IMPACT OF THE FEEDBACK IS TAKEN INTO EFFECT AND HERE IT IS IN ACTION, WHICH WE KNOW WE SEE IN REAL TIME, BUT PEOPLE THAT AREN'T GLUED TO THEIR SCREENS WATCHING THESE MEETINGS ARE SORT OF WAITING IN THE WINGS.
SO, UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE JUST A REALLY HELPFUL PIECE TO HAVE AND TO CIRCULATE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A BEAUTIFUL GRAPHIC LIKE LAURA MAKES US.
IT CAN BE A LIST, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A GLORIFIED SPREADSHEET OF SOME CAPACITY, BUT WE CAN SEE LIKE WHAT WAS THE ISSUE AND THE ORIGINAL STATUS OF THE RUBRIC OR THE REQUIREMENTS AND THEN HOW IT'S BEEN IMPACTED.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALMOST GOING WITH YOUR PRESENTATION AND ALMOST TRANSCRIBING I THINK WOULD DO THAT.
UM, BECAUSE IT WAS DEFINITELY INFORMATIVE FOR US.
COMMISSIONER GRACE, JUST ADDING ONE SENTENCE, BUT PERFECT EXAMPLE.
WHAT QUESTIONS LEFT, HOW WERE THEY PUT TOGETHER? JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF STUFF MAY MAKE A DIFFERENCE JUST, JUST ON THE LEVEL OF US LOOKING AT AT THAT IT'S BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT GREAT THOUGHT WENT INTO IT AND I'M SURE A BIG REASON IS IT'S TOO LONG, BUT OTHER REALLY GREAT REASONS OUT AS WELL.
THERE'S PROBABLY SOME SUPER GOOD REASONS WHY THINGS LEFT OR WERE ADDED, AND I THINK IT'D BE REALLY GOOD FOR US TO HEAR THOSE.
AND AGAIN, YOU'RE TELLING US, AND I THINK WE HAVE THE CONTEXT TO SORT OF UNDERSTAND.
BUT, UM, HAVING AN EVERGREEN LIVE DOCUMENT THAT WE CAN POINT PEOPLE TO, THAT WE CAN CIRCULATE, THAT WE CAN SEND TO OUR INFO HUBS LIKE SHARON ANDERSON, BAUER ANDERSON, AND AT TX THEATER.
BECAUSE SHE'S, UH, FIELDING A LOT OF QUESTIONS LIKE THIS.
AND, AND WE HAD BONNIE CALL FROM VORTEX PRESENT ASKING QUESTIONS.
AND SO I THINK BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL.
WE DON'T NEED OUR WHOLE, WE HAVE OUR OWN NEWSLETTER, BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT ONLY GETS SO FAR.
BUT USING THE HUBS OF NETWORKS THAT WE HAVE TO HELP DISTRIBUTE THIS INFORMATION IS GONNA EXPEDITE PEOPLE'S PEACE OF MIND.
OR AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, MORE FEEDBACK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE INFORMATION.
UM, ALSO, WE, AC AND I, WERE REALLY, UM, EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW FORMAT FOR THE CALENDAR, HOW YOU INCLUDED THE ART.
'CAUSE IF IT WAS ME, I DID ALL THE P POWERPOINTS BEFORE.
SO GLORIFIED SPREADSHEET'S, THE BEST YOU'RE GONNA GET FROM ME.
WE'LL TAKE IT REALLY NICE AND EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO ANNE-MARIE.
AND SHE'S WELCOME TO COME HANG OUT WITH US ANYTIME.
AND UM, JUST, UH, THE PREVIOUS COMMENT YOU WERE MENTIONING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, OR JUST MADE ME THINK OF IT AGAIN.
FEEDBACK'S AN ITERATIVE PROCESS.
SO IF THERE IS ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS TAKING FEEDBACK.
IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, ONE AND DONE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST LIKE, UH, WE'RE ALWAYS SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MEETING WITH COMMISSIONER HOUSTON ON FRIDAY, YOU KNOW, UM, AND AGAIN, SOMETIMES THE FEEDBACK
[02:05:01]
IS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T NECESSARILY HONOR THE THING THAT YOU WANT TO DO, BUT WE WANT TO HEAR THAT FEEDBACK ANYWAY.'CAUSE ESPECIALLY IF WE HEAR JUST ONE THING, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, THAT'S A ONE OFF.
BUT IF WE HEAR SOMETHING CONSISTENTLY MM-HMM.
FROM LOTS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, WE KNOW, OKAY, THIS IS SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO TRY AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIMITATIONS ON WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, I COULD HAVE MADE THIS EVEN LONGER BY GOING INTO MORE DETAIL WITH ALL THAT AND I WAS TRYING NOT TO.
UM, BUT YES, GIVE US THAT FEEDBACK, EVEN IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN SAID BEFORE.
BECAUSE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REPEATED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HEARING, YOU KNOW, NOT REPEATED BY YOU, BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SAYING IT AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE IS SAYING IT AND SOMEONE ELSE IS SAYING IT, YOU KNOW, THAT LETS US KNOW, OKAY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, REALLY A GROUNDSWELL IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST A ONE-OFF KIND OF THING THAT YOU KNOW IS, YOU KNOW, JUST ONE PERSON'S THOUGHT OR PET PEEVE OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
'CAUSE IT, IT SHOWS THAT YOU ALL DO.
OKAY, ACS GONNA MOVE SOMETHING
[Items 9 - 12]
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 9, 10, 11, AND 12 ON CONSENSUS.DO WE HAVE A SECOND OR CONSENT? WE HAVE COMMISSIONER SMBA AS A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR OF MOVING, MOVING ITEMS NINE THROUGH 12 ON CONSENT.
THEY'RE ALL A IPP ITEMS WITH BACKUP IN, UH, BACKUP PRESENTATIONS IN OUR CITY.
UM, COMMISSIONER MICHELLE, YOU, YOU'RE IN.
IS THAT A YES? YOUR HAND'S OFF SCREEN? I CAN'T SEE YOU.
I BELIEVE, I THINK WE HAD ALL OF US THERE AT ONE POINT.
OR IS COMMISSIONER LINDO? ARE YOU OKAY? HANDS UP.
ARE WE GOOD TO GO ON CONSENT? WE'RE GOOD.
[13. Discussion and possible action on a proposed sound assessment requirement for residential development near Outdoor Music Venues and Performance Venues and a disclosure requirement about nearby venues when units are sold/leased following a presentation by Brian Block Nightlife and Entertainment Services manger ]
TO ITEM 13, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON OUR PROPOSED SOUND ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENT ABOUT NEARBY VENUES WHEN UNITS ARE SOLD LEASED FOLLOWING, WELL, DID I SKIP THAT? HANG ON.DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON PROPOSED SOUND ASSESSMENT REQUIRED FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT NEAR OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUES AND PERFORMANCE VENUES, AND A DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT ABOUT NEARBY VENUES WHEN UNITS ARE SOLD LEASED FOLLOWING A PRESENTATION, I'M SORRY, FOLLOWING PRESENTATION BY BRIAN BLOCK, NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES MANAGER.
WHILE THEY'RE REALLY MAKING YOU WORK FOR THESE ITEM TITLES, AREN'T THEY? THEY'RE OKAY.
UM, THAT DID NOT FEEL COHERENT AT ALL, BUT EVERYBODY HAS AN AGENDA IN FRONT OF THEM.
ALRIGHT, UM, WELL THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND GOOD EVENING CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS, AS YOU JUST HEARD, MY NAME'S BRIAN BLOCK, I'M A NIGHTLIFE ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES MANAGER WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND I'M GONNA PRESENT THIS, UM, PROPOSED POLICY ON SOUND ASSESSMENT AND DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS.
AND CAN WE GET THE NEXT SLIDE FIRST? UM, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
UM, I GUESS BIG PICTURE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS OVERALL TOPIC, WHICH IS TO IMPROVE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND MUSIC RELATED BUSINESSES FOR, YOU KNOW, TWO DECADES OR MORE.
UM, THE MOST RECENT COUNCIL RESOLUTION YOU CAN SEE ON THE POST THE PRESENTATION HERE IS FROM 2018.
IT WAS PRETTY, UM, WIDE RANGING AND, UM, OPEN-ENDED AND THERE'S STILL, UM, THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON INCLUDING THIS ITEM.
IT DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO PROPOSE PROGRAMS, RULES AND ORDINANCES NECESSARY TO IMPROVE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN RESIDENTS, LODGING ESTABLISHMENTS, AND MUSIC RELATED BUSINESSES.
AND JUST TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS RESOLUTION WAS PART OF COUNCIL EFFORTS TO SUPPORT MUSIC, ARTS AND CULTURE.
UM, SO MUCH HAS BEEN DONE TO ENSURE THAT SOUND LEVELS FOR MUSIC RELATED BUSINESSES ARE REASONABLE AND THAT RESIDENCE IS MAINTAINED, UM, LIVABILITY AND THAT COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT IS RESPONSIVE AND EFFECTIVE.
UM, HOWEVER, POLICY RELATED TO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND THEIR KIND OF RESPONSIBILITY ON THAT SIDE OF THE EQUATION IS STILL OUTSTANDING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS IN ADDITION TO THE SOUND ORDINANCE AND ENFORCEMENT, THE SOUND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SHOULD REALLY ALSO ANTICIPATE AND ADDRESS QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES FOR RESIDENCES WHEN THEY'RE IN PROXIMITY TO NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENTS AND DISTRICTS.
[02:10:01]
UM, NEXT SLIDE.I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT THE POLICY GOALS, UM, AS LONG AS MY LIGHT DOESN'T FALL OVER ON ME.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA KIND OF REVIEW QUICKLY.
UM, AS YOU HEARD, IT'S TO IMPROVE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN ENTERTAINMENT USES WITH AMPLIFIED SOUND AND RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL USES.
WE WANNA ANTICIPATE AND PLAN FOR AND MINIMIZE COMMON CONFLICTS THAT COME UP IF YOU'RE NOT PROACTIVE BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL USES AND THE ENTERTAINMENT RELATED AMPLIFIED SOUND.
UM, THERE'S REALLY TWO THINGS WE WANT TO ENSURE ACCURATE EXPECTATIONS ON.
ONE IS THAT RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS UNDERSTAND THE SOUND LEVELS IN THE AREA WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING SO THEY CAN KEEP THAT IN MIND AND DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT THE BUILDING CONSIDERING THE SOUND IMPACT FROM THOSE NEARBY CODE COMPLIANT USES IF NEEDED.
IT'S INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE AT THE TIME THAT THEY NEED IT.
AND ALSO ENSURING THAT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND NEW RESIDENTS HAVE ACCURATE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT SOUND LEVELS THAT'LL BE PRESENT IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND JUST HAVING INFORMATION TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS THAT THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT.
UM, HIGH LEVEL THE APPROACH, AND I'LL GO MORE INTO THIS IN THE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, WHICH ARE, ARE STILL PRETTY BRIEF, BUT HIGH LEVEL.
UM, WE THINK WHAT THIS IS IS A COMMON SENSE SOLUTION.
IT FOCUSES ON EDUCATION AND AWARENESS, NOT SPECIFIC BUILDING STANDARDS OR SPECIFIC THINGS FOLKS NEED TO DO.
UM, IT REQUIRES RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS NEAR OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUES AND PERFORMANCE VENUES.
UH, PERFORMANCE VENUES, AS YOU KNOW, IS A NEW LAND USE.
IT'S REALLY SPECIFICALLY DEFINED AND GEARED TOWARDS, UM, UH, ESTABLISHMENTS THAT HAVE PERFORMANCES AND CAN SERVE ALCOHOL.
THAT CAN BE THEATER PLAYS, OF COURSE, LIVE MUSIC.
UM, SO WHAT WE'RE, UM, WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED IS RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS NEAR THOSE VENUES, UM, WOULD BE REQUIRED TO CONDUCT A SOUND ASSESSMENT AND THEN DISCLOSE TO FUTURE RESIDENTS WHEN THEY SELL OR LEASE UNITS ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF THOSE NEARBY VENUES AND THAT A SOUND ASSESSMENT WAS CONDUCTED.
I'LL JUST GO A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO KIND OF INTENT AND KIND OF WHAT'S BEHIND THIS.
UM, IT DOES NOT, UH, MANDATE BUILDING STANDARDS.
UM, AS I SAID, INSTEAD IT REQUIRES RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPERS TO DOCUMENT THAT THEY'VE STUDIED THE SOUND LEVELS IN THE AREA.
UM, OF COURSE THIS INCLUDES, UH, THE IMPACT OF LEGALLY COMPLIANT SOUND NEARBY.
UM, THE DEVELOPERS ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE, UM, THE PRESENCE OF THOSE NEARBY VENUES AND THAT THEY CONDUCTED A SOUND ASSESSMENT IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, SO IN RESPONSE TO THE DISCLOSURE, THE POTENTIAL NEW RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, SOUND MITIGATION EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED, WHAT IT MIGHT SOUND LIKE IN THEIR UNIT, WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE NEARBY.
THE GOAL HERE IS THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO, UM, MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.
UM, AND THEN TO POINT OUT THIS APPROACH DOESN'T REQUIRE ANYTHING FURTHER FROM AFTER MUSIC VENUES OR PERFORMANCE VENUES.
THEIR SOUND LEVEL'S ALREADY REGULATED WITH A FIXED SOUND LEVEL THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THE CONTEXT.
IT DOESN'T CHANGE WHEN NEW RESIDENTIAL IS BUILT NEARBY.
UM, WE'VE GOT A VERY ROBUST ENTERTAINMENT RELATED SOUND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND SYSTEM IN AUSTIN.
AND SO IT'S ALREADY VERY WELL REGULATED AND A LOT OF RESOURCES GO TOWARDS COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT AND LIAISON ACTIVITIES AND PROBLEM SOLVING AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION.
THIS IS THE SPECIFICS OF THE RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THIS IS THE FULL LENGTH OF IT.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA READ IT OUT SO YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
IT'S TO REQUIRE NEW RESIDENTIAL
[02:15:01]
REQUIRING A SITE PLAN AND HOTEL AND LODGING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WITHIN 600 FEET OF AN ESTABLISHMENT WITH AN OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUE PERMIT OR WITHIN 300 FEET OF A PERFORMANCE VENUE.TO DO THE TWO THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, CONDUCT A SOUND ASSESSMENT FIT AT A MINIMUM DOCUMENT, DOCUMENTING CURRENT SOUND CONDITIONS AT THE SITE AND ASSESSES PROJECTED SOUND LEVELS AT THE BUILDING.
AND THEN PROVIDED DISCLOSURE WHEN THOSE UNITS ARE SOLD OR LEASED OR, AND OR WHEN THE BUILDING IS SOLD.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S REGARDING THE PRESENCE OF THE NEARBY VENUES AND THAT A SOUND ASSESSMENT WAS COMPLETED.
A COUPLE MORE QUICK THINGS ON THE NEXT TWO.
UM, THIS IS JUST TO POINT OUT WE'RE WE'RE REALLY NOT MANDATING WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SOUND ASSESSMENT, JUST THAT THEY HIRE A QUALIFIED ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANT AND THAT THEY DO THE ASSESSMENT.
BUT WE DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE ASSESSMENT TAKES PLACE FOR A LIVE PERFORMANCE VENUE DURING A PERFORMANCE FOR SOMETHING THAT'S MORE LIKE A BAR OR A CLUB, UM, THAT'S NOT CENTERED ON A PERFORMANCE THAT THEY DO IT DURING PEAK HOURS.
WE WANT THEM TO GET A GOOD INDICATOR OF WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE IN THAT LOCATION.
UM, I'VE HIGHLIGHTED THIS, BUT WE WENT AHEAD AND KIND OF PUT A BIG EXTRA SLIDE IN HERE TO REALLY REITERATE THAT THIS IS FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL DEVELOPMENT.
IT DOES NOT IMPACT PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW OR, AND IT'S NOT RETROACTIVE TO PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BUILDINGS.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO GET THE INFORMATION TO THE PROJECT OWNER, PROJECT DEVELOPER AT A TIME WHEN THEY CAN MAKE ASSIGNED DECISIONS THAT, UM, WOULD, CAN BE IMPACTFUL.
UM, AND THAT MIGHT BE SMALL THINGS.
UM, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY BIG THINGS.
THERE MAY BE SMALL THINGS THEY COULD DO, YOU KNOW, MOVE BEDROOMS TO ANOTHER SIDE OF THE UNIT.
UM, THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO AT THE DESIGN PHASE.
UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, HOW THIS WILL WORK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE.
UM, THE SOUND ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT WOULD BE ADDED TO THE SITE PLAN CHECKLIST.
THIS IS THE CHECKLIST THEY GET WHEN THEY START THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS.
UM, A MAPPING TOOL HAS ALREADY BEEN CREATED FOR EASY IDENTIFICATION BY BOTH APPLICANT AND STAFF.
UM, YOU CAN TYPE IT AND ADDRESS INTO THIS MAPPING TOOL AND IT WILL POP UP.
CURRENTLY THE OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUES THAT ARE WITHIN 600 FEET, IT WILL PROVIDE THE NAMES OF THEM, WHAT THEIR HOURS ARE, WHAT THEIR SOUND LEVELS ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S WITHIN 600 FEET.
UM, WE WILL BE DOING THE SAME THING FOR PERFORMANCE VENUES.
UM, THAT'LL BE CREATED, UM, IF THIS IS ADOPTED AND BEFORE IT'S IMPLEMENTED.
UM, IF THE SOUND ASSESSMENT IS REQUIRED, THE APPLICANT COMPLETES IT DURING THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS, NOT AT COMPLETENESS CHECK, NOT BEFORE SITE PLAN REVIEW.
ANY TIME DURING THE SITE PLAN PROCESS, THEY SUBMIT JUST A CERTIFICATION THAT THEY DID IT AND THE STAFF ENSURES THAT CERTIFICATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.
THIS IS INTENDED TO BE A SIMPLE CERTIFICATION PROCESS, NO STAFF REVIEW.
IT'S NOT INTENDED, AND WE THINK IT DOESN'T, UH, IMPACT THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS CAUSE EXTRA TIME OR CAUSE ANY EXTRA COSTS THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, IMPACT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
UM, I'VE ALREADY COVERED THIS STUFF.
SORRY, YOU DIDN'T GET TO SEE IT.
OKAY, HERE, THERE'S A COUPLE I DIDN'T COVER.
UM, AS I SAID, NO STAFF REVIEW.
UM, THERE ARE NO REQUIRED APPLICANT RESPONSES OR MANDATED BUILDING STANDARDS.
THERE'S NOT, UM, UM, THERE'S NOT A REQUIRED BUILDING STANDARD.
AND, AND ONE OF THE REAL KEY REASONS FOR THAT IS BECAUSE, UM, EACH VENUE IS, UM, A SOUND IMPACT IS REALLY SITE SPECIFIC.
IT REALLY JUST NEEDS TO BE STUDIED AND THEN ADDRESSED
[02:20:01]
ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.THAT'S, THERE'S NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
IT'S REALLY DIFFERENT COMING OUT OF EVERY VENUE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING AT EVERY BUILDING SITE.
UM, AGAIN, APPLICANT PROVIDES THAT DISCLOSURE BEFORE THE UNITS ARE SOLD OR LEASED.
AND IN ONE FINAL DISCLAIMER, THAT TRIGGERING VENUE IS NO LONGER PRESENT IN THE FUTURE, OF COURSE THAT DISCLOSURE IS NOT GONNA BE REQUIRED.
THERE'S NOTHING TO DISCLOSE ON.
YOU CAN SEE, UM, WE'VE HAD TWO PUBLIC INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS.
WE'VE IT TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
WE'RE HERE PRESENTING TO YOU ALL.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, DOWNTOWN AND DESIGN COMMISSION LATER THIS MONTH.
AND OUR TARGET DATE IS TO BE AT CITY COUNCIL MAY 30TH.
AND IF ADOPTED FOR THIS TO GO INTO EFFECT ON OCTOBER 1ST AND NEXT SLIDE, WE ARE UP TO Q AND A FOR YOU ALL.
UM, HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND THEN, UM, AFTER THE Q AND A, WE ARE SEEKING A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSION IF, UM, THE COMMISSION IS INTERESTED IN DOING SO.
UM, I THINK THIS IS KIND OF A NO-BRAINER WHEN WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE ISSUES, UM, THAT WE FACE WHEN WE'RE HAVING AREAS BEING RAPIDLY DEVELOPED.
UM, FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND THE AGENT OF CHANGE, ATTEMPTED ORDINANCE, UM, REALLY ADDRESSED THIS HEAD ON, UM, WHEN WE HAD NEW BUILDS, UM, CREATING SKYSCRAPERS ON SIXTH STREET AND THEN COMPLAINING ABOUT HOW LOUD IT WAS.
UM, AND I KNOW WE DO, UM, HAVE RESIDENTIAL PEOPLE THAT MOVE HERE SIGHT UNSEEN.
MY MAIN QUESTION, WHILE THIS IS ALL GOOD, IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE AN ACT OF GOOD FAITH.
AND YES, THERE'S PAPERWORK AND THROUGH STAFF, BUT AS SOMEBODY WHO'S BOOKED MUSIC IN A REGION OF TOWN THAT, UM, HAS HAD THIS AS AN ISSUE WHERE WE HAVE NEW TENANTS, PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT FROM AUSTIN, MOVING INTO AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT AND ARE CALLING THE POLICE, UH, TO HAVE THE VENUE SHUT DOWN THEIR INCURRING FEES, WHAT PROTECTIONS ARE YOU GONNA FOLLOW UP WITH? ARE THE POLICE GOING TO RECEIVE RECORDS OF THESE SOUND ASSESSMENTS SHOWING THAT THIS BUILDING HAS CONSENTED TO HAVING RESIDENTS LIVE IN AN AREA THAT IS LOUD? UM, AS LONG AS THOSE VENUES AND BARS ARE UNDER THE DECIBEL LEVEL THAT IS LEGALLY PERMITTED AT THAT CERTAIN TIME, THEY SHOULDN'T INCUR ANY DISRUPTION.
AND THAT TO ME IS THE MAIN ISSUE THAT HAPPENS IS THAT, UM, POLICE SHOW UP ON THEIR DOORSTEP ISSUE TICKETS, AND THEN THAT'S TIME AND MONEY THAT HAS TO GO INTO COMBATING THOSE TICKETS, UM, REINFORCING THEIR RIGHTS.
SO WHILE THIS IS GREAT ON THE DEVELOPER END TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE CROSSING I'S AND DOTTING T'S, UM, WHAT PROTECTIONS ARE YOU THEN FOLLOWING THROUGH? WHAT INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE ARE YOU PASSING ON TO VENUE OWNERS, UH, STAFF SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE HAVING A PERFORMANCE AT THE LE AT THE VOLUME LEVEL.
THAT, THAT'S SORT OF MY FEAR IS THAT IN REAL TIME, WHILE THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN WELL INSTATED FROM THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, STAGE PEOPLE, UM, ARE STILL GONNA BE SUBJECT TO SORT OF HARASSMENT BY, UM, YOU KNOW, OFFICERS THAT BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE ENFORCING THE LAW.
SO THAT'S A REALLY EXCELLENT QUESTION.
AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK OVER THE YEARS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BOTH HAVE A ROBUST ENTERTAINMENT RELATED SOUND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND THAT WE HAVE A PERMITTING PROCESS THAT'S CUSTOMIZED AND CONTEXT SENSITIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK A COUPLE DECADES, THE POLICY IN CITY CODE FROM CITY COUNCIL IS THAT WE WANT TO SUPPORT BOTH LIVE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT AND RESIDENTIAL QUALITY OF LIFE AND BALANCE THE TWO.
AND WE HAVE AN ALLOWANCE, A SOUND LEVEL ALLOWANCE IN CITY CODE THAT ALLOWS OUTDOOR MUSIC AND INDOOR MUSIC OF COURSE, BUT OUTDOOR MUSIC SPECIFICALLY, AND IT HAS SOME CUTOFF TIMES BUILT IN.
UM, SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LONG STANDING, UM, ENTERTAINMENT RELATED SOUND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT DOES ALLOW LIVE MUSIC TO HAPPEN AND TO MAINTAIN QUALITY OF LIFE AND LIVABILITY.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS IS WE'VE BROUGHT ALL OF THE PERMITTING FUNCTION AND THE COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT ALL TOGETHER.
THAT'S ALL IN OUR DIVISION NOW, NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT, UM, SERVICES WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT
[02:25:01]
SERVICES DEPARTMENT.SO THE PRIMARY RESPONDER FOR AN OUTDOOR, A COMMERCIAL VENUE, UM, OUTDOOR MUSIC COMPLAINT IS NOT A POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S ACTUALLY OUR STAFF WHO FULLY UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S IN THE PERMIT AND WHAT'S ALLOWED.
AND WHEN THEY GO OUT THERE, THEY'RE ABLE TO KNOW ONE, YOU KNOW, IS IT COMPLIANT OR NOT.
IF IT'S COMPLIANT, THEY'RE NOT GONNA TAKE ANY ENFORCEMENT ACTION AND THEY'RE GONNA LET THE COMPLAINANT KNOW.
AND, UM, IF THERE IS A COMPLIANCE ISSUE, THEY'RE GONNA WORK ON EDUCATION AND THEY'RE GONNA WORK ON, YOU KNOW, PROBLEM SOLVING.
THEY'RE GONNA BRING IT BACK TO ME AND OTHER STAFF AND WE'RE GONNA WORK TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. AND THEN, SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW THAT'S ADDRESSED.
UM, IF IT IS NOT A VIOLATION, IT IS NOT GONNA IMPACT THE VENUE.
AND I, I, I HEAR YOU AND I UNDERSTAND, I DO THINK THAT THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF GAP IN INFORMATION RELAY.
AND SO FOR ALL PARTIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, UM, AGAIN, NOTIFYING THE VENUES OF, UH, THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT THIS PERTAINS TO, UM, THERE'S A VENUE ALLIANCE, OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE ALREADY PRESENTED TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
UM, I, I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE SORT OF THE AFTERCARE THAT NEEDS TO GO INTO THIS AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL PARTICIPATING PARTIES ARE UP TO SPEED AND UNDERSTAND VIA THE MAPPING TOOL OR WHAT A LIST, A DIRECTORY OF SOME SORT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WHILE THERE ARE DETAILED RESTRICTIONS AROUND SOUND AND TIME, I PERSONALLY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN ALTERCATIONS WHERE WE ARE UNDER DECIBEL LEVELS AND THOSE THAT ARE ENFORCING THAT DON'T REALLY CARE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO THERE, THERE IS A DISMISSIVE NATURE THAT CAN HAPPEN AROUND ENFORCEMENT.
AND AGAIN, IF I LOVE THIS THING, I THINK WE SHOULD SUPPORT IT.
AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM OR ON SCREEN IS OPPOSED TO IT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S MORE THAN JUST A BOX CHECKING ON PAPER AND THAT IT'S ACTUATED IN A WAY THAT THE COMMUNITY FEELS SUPPORTED AND THAT THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS HAPPENING AND THEY KNOW THEY'RE WELL WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS AND CAN POINT A POLICE OFFICER OR A SOUND ORDINANCE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO, UM, PAPERWORK OR AN ADDRESS OR SOMETHING THAT SAYS, HEY, WE'RE WELL WITHIN OUR LEGAL RIGHTS HERE.
AND YES, SOMEBODY MAY BE TAKING ISSUE, BUT THAT WAS ON THE ONUS OF THE DEVELOPER TO NOTIFY ALTERNATES THAT THEY WERE COMING INTO AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
SO I'M SUPER APPRECIATIVE AND I'M, I'M SAYING YES, AND LET'S JUST MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE BECAUSE I CAN JUST SEE THIS GETTING SWEPT UNDER THE RUG AND TENANTS BEING UPSET AND VENUES REALLY PAYING THE PRICE FOR THAT LACK OF COMMUNICATION OR THAT GAP IN COMMUNICATION.
DO ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT IN COMMENTS AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU FOR HEARING COMMISSIONERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER HOUSTON? DID I HEAR YOU SAY THAT IF, IF A RESIDENT CALLS 9 1 1 WITH A NOISE COMPLAINT, IT DOESN'T GO TO A PD, IT GOES TO NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT.
IF IT'S FOR AN OUTDOOR, A COMMERCIAL VENUE WITH OUTDOOR MUSIC? THAT'S RIGHT.
THE 3 1 1 CALLS GO DIRECTLY TO OUR STAFF WHO ARE IN THE FIELD NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, AND THEY ARE THE RESPONDER.
SO, BUT THE, THE, THE IMPULSE IS GONNA BE TO CALL 9 1 1.
SO WE'LL DOES, DOES 9 1 1 KNOW THAT THAT THEN GOES TO 3 1 1 RATHER THAN NON-EMERGENCY 9 1 1? UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE CALL TAKER IS GONNA UNDERSTAND THAT A NOISE OR SOUND CALL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA CONVERT THAT TO 3 1 1 WOULD BE MY UNDERSTANDING.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.
VERY IMPORTANT POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, WITH THAT, UM, LET'S GET A MOTION TO SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION.
ORDINANCE MOVE, UM, MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GRAY.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER MALDONADO IS A SECOND.
AND WE GOT A THIRD AND A FOURTH.
ALL IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING THE OUTDOOR MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE VENUES DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT.
UM, MR. BLOCK, DO YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM US BEYOND OUR VERBALIZED SUPPORT HERE? UM, WE, THAT IS ALL.
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRESENTING TO US.
AND, UM, WE ARE A RESOURCE TO YOU.
SO IF YOU, ALTHOUGH WE ARE THE ARTS, WE LIKE TO GO LATE, SO WE'RE PART OF THAT COMMUNITY THAT'S GONNA BE MAKING A LOT OF NOISE AFTER DARK.
WE WILL ON THE EDUCATION FRONT.
[02:30:01]
UH, WE WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.[14. Conduct officer elections for the Chair and Vice Chair. ]
ITEM 14, CONDUCT OFFICER ELECTIONS FOR THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.SHE ALWAYS THROWS ME IN THERE WITHOUT ASKING.
I WOULD LIKE TO THROW YOU IN THERE.
YEAH, I KNEW SOMEBODY WOULD JUMP IN
ANYBODY? WELL, YEAH, I SEE YOU SCH MABA.
UM, IS ANYBODY JUST DYING TO BE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR? I'M JUST GONNA PUT OUT THERE, I HAVEN'T HAD THE CHANCE TO HAVE ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH THIS.
I, I SEE A FEW OF YOU AND I KNOW YOU WOULD BE EXCELLENT LEADERS IN THIS SPACE, BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT A RUNWAY 'CAUSE THIS WILL BE MY THIRD YEAR AS CHAIR, WHICH I IS AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE.
UM, WE BEEN HERE, WE'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME, BUT YEAH, I WOULD, I'LL SAY I'M HAPPY TO DO THIS AGAIN, ONLY BECAUSE I'VE CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED COMMISSIONER SCH SMALL TO BE MY VICE CHAIR AGAIN.
BUT THIS IS A TORCH THAT SHOULD BE PASSED THERE.
WE NEED TO A PART OF OUR PILLARS, WHICH WE HAVEN'T SPOKEN ABOUT, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR RETREAT.
PART OF OUR PILLARS IS FOSTERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS.
AND I SEE ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM.
SO, UM, WHILE WE WILL ASSUME THIS ROLE AGAIN FOR ANOTHER YEAR, I AM ASSERTIVELY REQUESTING THAT WE START HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AS A COMMISSION AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS RETREAT THAT'S OUR NEXT ITEM TO TALK ABOUT.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHO'S AVAILABLE, WHAT THIS COULD MEAN, WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE.
KNOW THAT WE'RE ALWAYS ALL HERE TOGETHER, 10 OR 11 OF US, DEPENDING ON HOW FULL OUR COMMISSION IS AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
UM, AND THIS ISN'T A JOB YOU HAVE TO CARRY ALONE.
YOU'VE GOT ME FOR THREE MORE YEARS.
AND SO THIS CAN BE A, A SLOW AND ITERATIVE PROCESS.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, I THINK I'VE BEEN NOMINATED FOR CHAIR.
DO YOU WANNA MAKE THAT OFFICIAL? I'LL MAKE ANATE.
I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE, UH, CHAIR
CHAIR SIMAN AS ANOTHER, UH, CHAIR FOR THE NEXT TIME.
AND, AND DO YOU HAVE A NOMINATION FOR VICE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR? I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE HEIDI OCK AND I BELIEVE WE CONSENT TO THIS.
I SEE THAT FINGER ON HER LIP UP THERE THOUGH.
UM, YOU WANNA, OKAY, SO WE GOT A MOTION AND WE NEED A SECOND AND A VOTE.
WE GOT A MIKE KY IS GONNA SECOND ALL IN FAVOR OF MAINTAINING CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
HEIDI, ARE YOU OPPOSED? THAT'S RIGHT.
THANK YOU, YOU COMMISSIONER SCHOFF FOR YOUR COMMITTED SERVICE.
THANK YOU GUYS AS WELL FOR YOUR TRUST IN OUR LEADERSHIP.
AND AGAIN, THIS WILL BE A DISCUSSION THAT WE PICK UP LATER.
NEXT WE HAVE, UH, WORKING GROUP UPDATES.
WE SHOULD HAVE HAD, HANG ON ONE SECOND.
DID I EMAIL YOU ABOUT ADDING A, A CONVERSATION POINT? MM-HMM,
UM, THE, UH, WE'LL DO IT UNDER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UH, LET'S JUST PUT IT THAT WAY.
IT'S GONNA BE A ROBUST TALKING POINT ANYWAY.
[15. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Gray, Maldonado, and Schmalbach (chair).]
15, UPDATE FOR JOINT MUSIC ARTS COMMISSION WORKING GROUP ON URBAN CORE ISSUES WITH COMMISSIONER'S.GRAY MAL, ONE SMALL BUCK CHAIR, COMMISSIONER, SMALL.
WE'RE TRYING TO, AN AND I ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE DATE FOR NEXT MEETING, WHICH SHOULD BE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
WE'RE STILL WORKING, UM, ON THE SAME, SAME ITEMS THAT WE DISCUSSED LAST MONTH.
GREAT, THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE.
DID YOU WANNA CHIME IN ON THAT LAST, THE WORKING GROUP? YES.
I'LL EMAIL HEIDI AND, UM, OH GOSH, I JUST LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT.
AND CHARLOTTE AND CHARLOTTE, I WILL EMAIL THEM FIRST AND THEN, UM, YEAH, GO FROM THERE.
COMMISSIONER MULALA, COMMISSIONER GRAY CHAIR, MABA.
CAN WE DO THAT AS A GOOGLE? I'M GONNA BE, I HAVE SOME AL IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS AND I DON'T WANNA SCREW SOMETHING UP.
I THINK SHE, I THINK ACS SENDING OUT A QUOTE.
WE JUST STARTED WITH A FEW DATES.
NEXT WE HAVE UPDATE FROM COMMUNITY
[16. Update from Community Engagement Working Group with Commissioners Zisman, Houston, Csillagi, and Kracheni (chair)]
ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONER ZISMAN HOUSTON, SHEILA GEE, AND CHENEY CHAIR.LET'S MAKE A NOTE THAT WE'LL NEED TO REMOVE.
COMMISSIONER SHEILA GEE, UM, COMMISSIONER CHENEY, WOULD YOU, I THINK MAYBE YOU AND COMMISSIONER HUS COULD KIND OF TAG TEAM IT BECAUSE WHILE YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THE A TX THEATER EVENT, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON WAS, DO YOU WANNA TAKE IT OFF FIRST AND THEN WE CAN ADD? OKAY.
UM, WE, UH, FIRST KIND OF OFFICIAL
[02:35:01]
GOING INTO THE COMMUNITY THING WAS WE WENT TO THE HCX THEATER CONFAB AND MET WITH THEATER MAKERS, UM, AND JUST COMMUNED UM, PUSHED THE SURVEY.I THINK THE ANSWER GOT GOT A LITTLE BIT UP FOR ANOVIA.
THE NUMBERS GOT UP A LITTLE BIT.
UM, THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT THE SURVEY NOT BEING ABOUT THE PROCESS ITSELF, THAT IT'S A PILOT PROCESS AND THAT THEY SH THAT THERE SHOULD BE A FEEDBACK GATHERED CONSTANTLY TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THE PROCESS IS ACTUALLY WHAT WE WANT IT TO BE BEFORE WE START SENDING OUT ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF FUNDING UNDER A PROCESS THAT MAY BE FLAWED.
UM, BUT IT WAS GREAT TO, TO SEE PEOPLE AND SEE THEM IN THEIR EL ELEMENT.
AND A CX THEATER HAS, HAS PARTNERED WITH AN EVENT COMPANY THAT DOES TICKETING SALES.
SO FOR SMALL THEATER COMPANIES THAT CAN'T AFFORD THEIR OWN TICKETING PLATFORM, A CX THEATER HAS A TICKETING PLATFORM FOR THEM NOW TO JUST GO AND, YES, AND IT'S LINKED TO, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE PUBLISHER, BUT IT'S THE PUBLISHING COMPANY THAT OWNS THE STATESMAN.
SO ANYTHING YOU PUT ON THAT, THAT EVENT GOES TO THE STATESMAN AUTOMATICALLY
SO IT WAS REALLY, IT WAS REALLY GOOD MEETING.
IT WAS, IT WAS GREAT TO BE IN WITH THEM AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.
AND UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET SOMETHING SET UP HERE IN THE NEW, NEW FUTURE FOR THE NEXT ORGANIZATION THAT IS HAVING SOMETHING AND WE CAN VISIT.
COMMISSIONER CINI, DID YOU WANNA CHIME IN AT ALL? NOPE.
WE JUST WEREN'T ABLE TO MEET, UM, BEYOND, UM, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON GOING TO THAT MEETING.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE ORGANIZATION THAT I RUN WAS, UH, ROBBED, SO THAT KIND OF THREW A WRENCH, UM, INTO PLANS FOR A FEW WEEKS 'CAUSE WE HAD TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
SO YEAH,
THINGS HAVE BEEN DELAYED FOR PERSONAL REASONS, UM, BUT WE'LL BE JUMPING BACK ON IT.
AND I THINK, UM, NOW PARTICULARLY THAT WE HAVE INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE NE OR THE DATES FOR THE NEXT LAUNCH, I THINK THAT IT'S A GOOD TIME FOR US TO, TO GET, UM, BACK IN PEOPLE'S INBOXES AND SEE WHO WANTS TO HAVE US OUT.
PLEASE EXTEND OUR, OUR DEEP GRATITUDE TO A TX ER, SHARON AND THE GROUP.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THEM MAKING SPACE FOR US.
UM, YEAH, SO AGAIN, CALL TO THE COMMUNITY.
IF YOU ARE HOSTING AN EVENT AND YOU WOULD LIKE A COMMISSIONER THERE, SORT OF LIKE A DISNEYLAND CHARACTER.
WE ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND BE PRESENT.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE THERE ANYWAY.
AND SO IF YOU WANNA PUT US ON THE SPOT, UM, PLEASE DO.
IT'S, IT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR AND IF WE CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS, WE'LL SURELY DOCUMENT THEM AND, AND GET ANSWERS AND CIRCLE BACK.
SO IT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO.
[ITEMS FOR INFORMATION ]
INFORMATION ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER MOCK, THE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL.'CAUSE I'M, WE'RE LIKE THIS AND I'M NOT GONNA LET IT GO WITHOUT BEING ANNOUNCED.
MR. GRAY'S GONNA BE OUTTA TOWN.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON THAT WEEKEND.
UM, I FOUND OUT TODAY THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SELENA NIA TRIBUTE EVENTS HAPPENING THIS WEEK.
THERE IS A SCREENING AT THE FRENCH LITIGATION ON FRIDAY OF THE MOVIE, ALONG WITH A FULL MEMORABILIA SPREAD AT I THINK ONE OF THE UT FACILITIES HAS LIKE AN, A WHOLE LIKE HOARD OF HER MEMORABILIA AND STUFF.
SO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO GO OUT AND CELEBRATE A LOCAL LEGEND THAT'S, UH, GOING ON, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
ANYTHING ELSE HAPPENING THAT WE NEED TO KNOW? COMMISSIONER GRAY DID, SHE'S TALKING ABOUT MUSIC AND MAYBE EVERYBODY'S ALREADY SEEN IT AND KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT I DIDN'T SEE IT TILL THIS PAST WEEKEND.
THE, THE, UH, TRAVELING MUSIC EXHIBIT AT THE LBJ MUSEUM IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.
OH, AND I WAS JUST GONNA SAY ONE OF THE THRIVE RECIPIENTS INDIE MEMES, UH, FESTIVAL IS THIS WEEKEND.
UM, AND IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH INDIE MEME, THEY'RE A REALLY GREAT FILM FESTIVAL, UM, THAT HIGHLIGHTS, UM, SOUTHEAST ASIAN FILMS. UM, AND THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF REALLY COOL STUFF.
AND THEN ALSO SYDNEY, LAS AMERICAS, WHO'S ALSO ANOTHER THRIVE RECIPIENT IS DOING, UH, UM, A SCREENING OF SELENA TOO AT THE FRENCH LITIGATION.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S THE SAME.
THERE'S, THERE'S LIKE A HANDFUL OF THINGS HAPPENING THIS WEEK, UM, THAT I THINK EVEN STARTED YESTERDAY.
SO THERE'S A LOT IF YOU'RE A SELENA FAN, WHICH LIKE HOW WELL, UM, GO FOR IT.
[02:40:02]
I, ANY ITEMS FOR INFORMATION? ANYTHING ELSE? I WANNA POINT OUT THE, THE BLACK FEMINIST GUIDE TO THE HUMAN BODY, WHICH IS A THRIVE GRANT RECIPIENT IS EXCELLENT.SO IF YOU'RE OF THE FEMALE GENDER FEMALE IDENTIFYING AND YOU'RE GETTING OLDER AND YOU'RE WONDERING HOW THAT FEELS
WE'VE GOT A A AN AMAZING LIST OF THINGS HAPPENING.
VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT TO BE COMPILED ON ONE PLACE SO WE CAN JUST CHECK IT OFF THE LIST.
I HOPE EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO GO EXPERIENCE AND CELEBRATE FUSEBOX.
THEY JUST WRAPPED, I THINK IT'S THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY.
THEY HAD STUFF GOING ON ALL OVER THE CITY.
WE ARE, IT'S A SPOIL OF RICHES HERE.
WE JUST NEED TO GET CORPORATE AMERICA TO THROW MONEY AT US TOO, TO SUPPORT US WHILE WE DO THIS WORK.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
ADDENDA ITEMS. Y'ALL, I HAD A WHOLE CALENDAR READY TO WALK THROUGH.CAN I DO THIS REALLY QUICKLY? 'CAUSE I JUST, I JUST WANNA KNOCK IT OUT.
WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY DECISIONS Y'ALL, SO DON'T GIMME THAT.
WE'RE TALKING BASED ON ABOUT THE 50% OF YOU THAT DID YOUR HOMEWORK AND SENT ME DATES AND THANK YOU TRIPLE GOLD STARS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DID IT TWICE.
I DID HEAR BACK FROM A FEW AND I HADN'T HAD A TI HAD A MOMENT TO INPUT SORT OF THE GENERAL AVAILABILITY.
OPEN YOUR CALENDARS IN THIS MOMENT.
I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE PRIORITIZING WEEKDAYS BECAUSE THIS WEEKDAYS AND THIS TIMEFRAME SORT OF SIX TO NINE IS WHAT WE'RE ALREADY USED TO COMMITTING.
WE HAVE FAMILY, WE HAVE THINGS TO DO.
I'M NOT GONNA ASK YOU TO COME BACK TO US ON THE WEEKEND UNLESS WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO.
I'M REALLY HOPING WE CAN FIND A WINDOW HERE.
BEFORE I MOVE ON, COMMISSIONER CHENEY, I WOULD SAY I WOULD PREFER NOT JUNE 12TH BECAUSE I'M TEACHING ALL DAY CHILDREN.
COMMISSIONER GRAY HAS ALSO AN EX EXPRESSED A NO.
SO YOU GUYS ARE UNITED ON THAT AGAIN.
JUNE 6TH, JUNE 10TH, JUNE 25TH.
COMMISSIONER ALL ANOTHER, IF ANY OF THOSE FALL ON A TUESDAY, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT'S THE ONE NIGHT THAT THERE'S NOT EVENTS GOING ON THAT WE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT JUST NOW.
TUESDAY'S A GREAT DATE FOR ME AND THAT THE FOURTH AND THE 25TH ARE BOTH TUESDAYS.
COMMISSIONER CHENEY, DON'T YOU DARE.
WELL, SO THE 25TH, I CAN DO THE FOURTH.
I HAVE CLASS FROM SIX 30 TO NINE 30.
OMG Y'ALL AND THE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T HERE.
WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY DECISIONS.
THERE'S NO DECISIONS BEING MADE.
BUT MAYBE KEEP AN EYE OUT TO YOUR INBOX BECAUSE WE, WE JUST MAY HAVE A MEETING.
AND THEN, UH, SELENA, DO WE HAVE UH, MORE THAN ONE OPTION AT THIS POINT? WE, BUT EVERYONE IS, EVERYONE IS OKAY WITH I, WELL, OKAY, WELL LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.
SO THE FOURTH IS NOT GOOD, BUT THERE'S MONDAY THE 10TH.
IS THAT AN OPTION FOR PEOPLE? I CAN, I'LL SEND OUT TWO OPTIONS.
IS IT? I CAN, IS THE 10TH DOABLE AS WELL? Y'ALL, I'M GONNA SEND OPTIONS THAT WAY.
THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T HERE DO HAVE OH, CHENNY.
OH, THAT'S THE WEEK OF YOUR CAMP.
AND YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE ALL DAY WITH THOSE? YEAH.
OKAY, WELL LET'S MOVE TO JULY.
THIS ISN'T THE, WE'RE WE'RE JUST IN JUNE.
I WAS SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST.
JULY
UH, YEAH, BOTH OF Y'ALL ACTUALLY.
UM, COM UH, JULY 19TH, JULY 20.
I'M GONNA STICK TO THE WEEKDAYS.
WELL, YOU DON'T LEAVE TILL THE 25TH.
YOU ALREADY SENT, THAT'S ALREADY DID YOU ALREADY SENT ME YOUR DATES? I DID 29TH, 30TH.
SO AGAIN, JULY 19TH, 22ND, 23RD, 24TH,
[02:45:02]
29TH, 30TH.ARE ANY OF THOSE A RESOUNDING NO.
I CAN'T DO THE
YEAH, I I'M, I'M NOT MAKING ANY PROMISES AGAIN.
I'M JUST GONNA SEND OUT WHAT, WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT, WE OBVIOUSLY, IDEALLY WE WANT AS MANY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK WITH WHAT WE GOT.
I CAN'T, UH, DO THE 19TH COMMISSIONER.
SEE MY GOOGLE CALENDAR, Y'ALL.
ANYBODY ELSE ARE THE, SO 22ND, 23RD, 24TH, 29TH, 30TH, COMMISSIONER, UH, ALBA? NO.
TO THE 29TH AND 30TH? NO, BUT ANY OF THE ONES IN THE WEEK BEFORE.
OKAY, WE'RE GETTING CLOSER Y'ALL.
I WILL SEND OUT THOSE OPTIONS.
UM, COMMISSIONER CHARLA, THOSE ARE ALSO KIND OF OUR OPTIONS SO THAT I'VE GATHERED THUS FAR THAT COULD BE POTENTIAL FOR MUSIC.
UM, I'LL PUT THIS IN WRITING TO EVERYBODY SO IT'S SUPER CLEAR.
UM, WE MAY NEED TO LOOK AT AUGUST DEPENDING ON Y'ALL'S AVAILABILITY, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS A TERRIBLE THING.
I THINK WE ALL JUST NEED TIME.
YEAH, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE OKAY.
AND I THINK THIS APPROACH IS GOOD, UH, COMMISSIONER, BECAUSE IT'S, IT NARROWS SOME DATES AND NOW I CAN BOUNCE THOSE DATES OFF AND THIS IS THE COMMISSION AND WE CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING.
AND I CAN EVEN PUT THIS IN WRITING THAT YOU CAN MAYBE FORWARD IT TO THEM OR HOWEVER YOU, HOWEVER THE SAUSAGE GETS MADE.
SEND ME THE DATES THAT, THAT WOULD WORK FINE TOO.
AND IF WE NEED TO, WE'LL MOVE ON TO AUGUST.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR HUMORING ME.
UM, AND I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH Y'ALL.
ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? UM, I DO WANNA MENTION THAT WE HAVE THREE PAID ROLES WITH THE CITY AVAILABLE UNDER ART AND PUBLIC PLACES.
THAT INCLUDES THE MANAGER OF THAT PROGRAM AND TWO PROJECT MANAGER POSITIONS.
SO IF YOU HAVE A NETWORK THAT IS, UM, EXPERIENCED IN PUBLIC ART, WANTS TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE MUNICIPAL, UH, PART, PART OF PUTTING ART IN THE CITY LIKE THIS IS A GOOD, UH, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GET YOUR FEET WET AND START WORKING, UM, WITH OUR WONDERFUL STAFF.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.
LET ME BEFORE WE MOVE ON THOUGH, THE APPLICATION'S CLOSED THE 25TH OF APRIL, SO DON'T SLEEP ON THAT OPPORTUNITY AND GO TO THE WEBSITE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT ANY OF OUR OUTLETS, IT'S PLASTERED ALL OVER THE PLACE.
'CAUSE WE REALLY WANT AMAZING PEOPLE COMMISSION.
PLEASE FORGIVE MY INTERRUPTING.
YOU ARE, UH, COMMISSIONER MAL APOLOGIES FOR THE INFORMAL.
YOU ARE CRACKING THE, THE SOUND IS TOTALLY FUNKY.
YEAH, THE CONNECTION'S REALLY WONKY.
DO YOU WANNA TEXT ME YOUR QUESTION AND THEN I CAN RELAY IT? YEAH.
JEOPARDY MUSIC WHILE THAT HAPPENS.
AT LEAST WE HAVE SOME WORKING DATES.
THAT'S ALL I ASK FOR WHAT WE HAVE.
I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO, SINCE WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME, UM, IN TERMS OF THE AGENDA FOR THE RETREAT AND WHERE IT'S GONNA BE, UH, YOU COMMISSIONER MULO, UM, WHERE IT'S GONNA BE, WHAT WE'LL COVER.
WE'LL ALSO HAVE A FACILITATOR.
LET'S PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH.
LET ME, LET ME GET TO COMMISSIONER ALDO.
UH, CAN WE GET AN UPDATE ON THE MEXICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR? IS THAT CLEAR? I THINK FOR NEXT MONTH TALK MORE.
UH, CAN YOU SAY MORE? COMMISSIONER MALDON.
THERE'S SOME, I'M GETTING QUESTIONS.
[02:50:04]
WE NEED LIKE SOME REALLY GOOD ELEVATOR MUSIC.WELL, LET'S, YEAH, LET'S ADD THAT.
I ACTUALLY, COMMISSIONER MODO I THE MEXICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR IS THE, IS THE POINT OF CONFUSION.
CAN YOU ELABORATE? IS THAT A, ARE YOU, IS IT REGARDING A IPP OR CULTURAL DISTRICTS? CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICTS OR THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER THROUGH PARKS AND REC.
THEY'RE GOING WAY FIND WAIT, IS IT WAY FINDING? YES.
WE CAN, WE CAN, IT'S NOT US, BUT WE'LL FIND, WE'LL FIND WHO'S APPROPRIATE.
UM, IT IS NOT CAD STAFF, BUT THEY WILL FIND WHO THE APPROPRIATE REP WOULD BE AND WE'LL GET THAT ON THE AGENDA.
UM, YES, THERE WILL BE A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS TO BE ADDED, BUT LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE ADD SCHEDULE AND CONFIRM BOARD RETREAT DATE AND A WHOLE, UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON DETAILS FOR THAT, INCLUDING FACILITATOR LOCATION AND AGENDA ITEMS. THIS IS REALLY TOUGH.
I ALSO AM REALIZING I WILL NOT BE HERE FOR THE MAY MEETING, BUT I CAN ARM AND PREPARE CODE MY, UM, VICE CHAIR AND OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH NICE FOUNDATIONAL MATERIALS.
YOU GUYS CAN HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT.
ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS WE'VE GOT? WE'LL TALK ABOUT YOUR ITEM AND GET A FORMAL LANGUAGE AROUND IT.
ANYBODY ELSE? ITEMS FOR THE FUTURE? NO.
9 0 1 Y'ALL ANYBODY WANNA SUGGEST? SO, OH, AMY'S NOT HERE.
I KNOW AMY'S NOT HERE ARE DESIGNATED.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
I SO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND ENERGY.
I WILL SEE SOME OF YOU LATER THIS WEEK AND HOPEFULLY SOON AS WELL.
SO LONG I WALK THE LONG IT'S BEEN A, I MUST LOST MY WAY.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME AND I KNOW.