[00:00:03]
AS SOON AS OUR FEARLESS CHAIR ARRIVES, WHICH COULD BE SOON.
LIKE I SAID, OUR FEARLESS CHAIR IS HERE.
[CALL TO ORDER]
CALL THIS, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER AT 2 36.DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Public Health Commission Regular Meeting on April 3, 2024.]
I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON APRIL 3RD, 2024? SO MOVED.ANY QUESTIONS TO THE MOTION? QUESTIONS TO THE MOTION? NO QUESTIONS TO THE MOTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
[2. Presentation by Laura LaFuente with Austin Public Health on Community Health Workers.]
DISCUSSION.PRESENTATION BY LAURA LA HERE,
UH, SO PRESENTATION FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ON COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
MY NAME IS STEPHANIE OLIVAREZ AND I AM ONE OF THE PROGRAM SUPERVISORS IN THE HEALTH EQUITY UNIT WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF? GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
UM, DIDN'T WANT TO USE THE MIC.
I'M THE PROGRAM MANAGER OF THE HEALTH EQUITY UNIT WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORTER OF STEPHANIE REES.
SO BEFORE I START, CAN I ASK, WHO KNOWS WHAT A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER IS? OKAY.
CAN I ASK WHO KNOW OR WHO KNEW ABOUT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS PRIOR TO 2020? ALL RIGHT.
THAT, UM, HELPS ME GIVE A, A MUCH MORE MEANINGFUL PRESENTATION.
SO, WHAT IS A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER? UM, THERE IS A DEFINITION THAT HAS BEEN AGREED UPON COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ACROSS THE NATION.
UM, I WON'T BORE YOU WITH THAT BECAUSE IN A NUTSHELL IS A PERSON WHO IS A TRUSTED MESSENGER, UM, LIKE ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN OUR OWN TEAM SAYS, WHO WAS ALSO A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER OF THE ER LAST YEAR.
BY THE WAY, UH, MS. CYNTHIA WASHINGTON, SHE SAYS, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE THE SECRET SAUCE OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO THEY ARE THE FOLKS THAT, UM, ARE CATCHING THE FOLKS IN BETWEEN THE CRACKS IN THE SYSTEM AND CONNECTING THEM BACK TO THE SYSTEM AND THEIR CRITICAL SELF LOVERS OF THE SYSTEM.
UM, THEY HAVE A UNIQUE AND, UH, SOME SAY UNUSUAL CONNECTION.
UNUSUAL REALLY MEANING IT'S NOT, UM, EVERYONE WHO HAS THIS CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO THEY'RE FROM THE COMMUNITY.
THEY, UH, SPEAK TO THE COMMUNITY, AND THEY CONNECT THEM TO RESOURCES.
THE RESOURCES BEING THE SYSTEMS, BEING OURSELVES, UM, SOCIAL SERVICES, UM, ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF, YOU CAN NAME IT.
SO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS DEFINITELY BECAME, UM, WAS IN A LIMELIGHT DURING THE PANDEMIC.
WE SAW THEIR, THEIR IMPACT, UM, AGAIN, THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN HERE, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE FEW SILVER LININGS OF THE PANDEMIC, IS THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND HOW INSTRUMENTAL THEY ARE IN, UM, IN PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO THEY BUILD RESILIENCE AND THEY BUILD RESILIENCE BY CONNECTING AND INCREASING ACCESS TO ANY OF THE RESOURCES AND ALL RESOURCES.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY JUST, HERE YOU GO, BUT IT'S RATHER, HERE YOU GO AND THIS IS HOW YOU CAN, UM, ALSO FIND OTHER RESOURCES.
OR YOU CAN ALSO, UM, BRING OTHER FOLKS TO THE, TO THE ROOM, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
UM, ADVOCACY IS A BIG PART OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORK, AND THEY PROMOTE HOLISTIC HEALTH.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHERE YOU GET YOUR CULTURAL RELEVANCY, UM, CULTURAL RESPONSIBLE, UM, PROGRAMMING.
SO DIABETES EDUCATION IS NOT JUST PASTA HEAVY.
IT INCLUDES TORTILLAS, UM, AND THEN IT ADDRESSES SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
SO THAT'S ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT AFFECTS HEALTH.
UM, AND THEY, UH, TRANSLATE THAT TO PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICAL DAY TO DAY.
SOTA PUBLIC HEALTH IS NOT NEW TO CHWS AS WELL.
UM, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE DID ACKNOWLEDGE THEM AS, OR RATHER, WE DIDN'T HAVE AN OFFICIAL TITLE, UH, FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
WE DO NOW, WHICH IS ONE OF THE GREAT, UM, ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
[00:05:01]
ACHIEVE RECENTLY, UM, BEFORE, BUT WE HAD COMMUNITY WORKERS AND WE ALSO CONTRACTED WITH, UH, NON-PROFITS WHO WERE ALSO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER BASED.UM, COMMUNITY WORKERS WAS A, THE TITLE, THE CLOSEST TITLE, BUT THEY'RE KNOWN MANY DIFFERENT NAMES.
PATIENT NAVIGATORS, UM, HEALTH EDUCATORS.
UH, A LOT OF TITLES EMBODY THE SPIRIT OF A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER.
ACTUALLY, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ACKNOWLEDGES 190 TITLES THAT FALL UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER.
UM, DESPITE THAT, WE HAVE, UH, A LOT OF COMMUNITY, UH, HEALTH WORKER PROGRAMS. SO THEY ARE CENTERED IN, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
SO I'LL START WITH, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE.
THE QUALITY OF LIFE FALLS UNDER THE HEALTH EQUITY UNIT.
UH, THAT'S THE UNIT THAT I'M PART OF AND I'M PROUD TO BE PART OF.
WE HAVE THREE, FOUR, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PROGRAMS. THEY'RE VIRTUAL, ONE QUALITY OF LIFE.
THEY'RE PAIRED WITH THREE PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES, AND THEY, UH, FACILITATE THE OUTREACH.
SO THEY CONDUCT OUTREACH IN THE COMMUNITY AND BRING FOLKS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES WHO PROVIDE SCREENINGS.
THEY ALSO ESTABLISH, UH, ROUTINE SCREENING SITES BY BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UM, FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN TRUSTED SPACES.
THEN WE HAVE THE MATERNAL INFANT OUTREACH PROGRAM.
THAT'S MYOP, THAT'S A COMMUNITY, UH, THAT'S A TEAM OF FIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND A PROGRAM COORDINATOR.
THAT TEAM ACTUALLY HAS RECENTLY BECOME, THEY'RE ALL CH HW INSTRUCTORS, WHICH IS A REALLY NEAT ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT THEY RECENTLY ACHIEVED LAST YEAR.
UH, THERE GOES YOUR CAREER GROWTH THERE.
I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO THAT, BUT SURE.
I WAS TRYING TO KEEP SCORE AS WE WENT ALONG, LIKE YES.
HOW MANY TOTAL COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS? I WONDERED IF WE HAD THREE.
AND, AND THEN, AND THEN HOW ABOUT FOR THE MATERNAL INFANT OUTREACH PROGRAM? FIVE.
JUST, I JUST WAS GONNA TRY TO ADD 'EM UP AS WE WENT ALONG.
YEAH, I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING.
ACTUALLY, UM, I HAVE A BREAKDOWN, BUT, UM, IT'S NICE TO PUT THE NUMBERS TO THE ACTUAL PROGRAMS AND TO SEE HOW MANY NUMBERS IS IT ALLOCATED TO WHAT EFFORT.
SO I'M, I'M, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
UM, ALSO, AGAIN, THESE ARE CHW ENTIT.
SO THEY ARE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, BUT AGAIN, LIKE OUR, FOR EXAMPLE, IN MYOP, WE, OUR COORDINATOR, SHE IS A PROGRAM COORDINATOR, BUT SHE'S ALSO A CHW INSTRUCTOR.
UM, SO THOSE ARE MULTIPLE DATA SETS THAT WE CAN COLLECT, REACH, AND REACH OUT.
THAT'S OUR, UH, CDC GRANT THAT IS A, UH, TEAM OF FIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
AND THEY ARE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
THEY PROMOTE, UM, HEALTHY LIVING.
THEY HAVE A COVID TO 19 FOCUS.
THEY ALSO HAVE A SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH FOCUS, AS WE KNOW, UM, PAINFULLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, HOW INSTRUMENTAL THAT FOCUS IS.
SO THEY DO CONNECT THEM TO ANY HEALTHY LIVING RESOURCES.
I'D LIKE TO SAY THEY'RE THE, THE CONTINUOUS PRESENCE OF A PH IN THE COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE BY DESIGN, THEY GO OUT AND CONDUCT OUTREACH EVERY DAY, NEARLY EVERY DAY.
UH, SO THEY ARE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE CANDID CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, DURING A PANDEMIC AND AFTER THE PANDEMIC, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS LEFT AND RIGHT.
AND THEN WE HAVE A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER HUB.
SO THAT'S, UM, THE TRAINING SITE OR THE DESIGNATION THAT A PH HAS RECEIVED, UH, TWO YEARS AGO.
AND WE ARE A D HS HS CERTIFIED TRAINING SITE, WHICH IS REALLY GREAT.
WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE TRAINING UNDER THIS DESIGNATION.
WE HAVE, WE'VE HAD, UH, 40, WE'VE GRADUATED 40 FOLKS.
WE HAD, UH, 7, 8, 9, 9 INTERNAL.
AND THEN THE REST COMMUNITY MEMBERS WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT.
UH, THAT'S DEFINITELY CAP, UH, CAPACITY BUILDING AT ITS FINEST, I WOULD SAY.
AND, UM, CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE ALSO COALESCE, SO UNDER THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER HUB, WE HAVE THE, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER ALLIANCE, ESSENTIAL TEXAS, WHICH IS THE COALITION THAT WAS FORMED, UM, NEWLY FORMED LAST YEAR.
WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 50 IN ATTENDANCE.
UM, IT IS A HYBRID, SO VIRTUAL AND IN PERSON FOR ALL CHWS ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS.
WE EVEN HAD SOMEONE WHO VISITED FROM SAN ANTONIO, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE PRETTY COOL
AND, UM, IT WAS THE FIRST DAY WE HAD SOMEONE WHO WAS ON FACETIME AND THEY WERE IN THE ER.
I DUNNO WHY, BUT LET ME JUST SAY THAT'S EXCITING, RIGHT?
WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, MEET TOGETHER.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND DURING A PANDEMIC THAT, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS DIDN'T HAVE, IS A NETWORK OR A FORMAL NETWORK.
NOW, THERE ARE NETWORKS OF CHWS AND THEY ALL HAVE THEIR, THEIR SOCIAL GROUPS OF COURSE, BUT THERE WASN'T A COORDINATED OR UNIFIED, UH, A PLACE WHERE
[00:10:01]
THEY, WHERE WE CAN DISSEMINATE INFORMATION TO.SO THIS IS A RESPONSE TO THAT.
ALSO, A REQUEST FROM THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE THAT FORMED.
AND WE ARE, UM, NOT ONLY WE'RE UNIFYING THE VOICE AND ALSO GIVING THEM A PLATFORM.
SO THAT'S APH H'S ROLE IS TO GIVE THAT PLATFORM TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND TO RESERVE A ROOM.
AND THEN WE HAVE HEART A TX, UH, THAT'S A, A LOT OF THESE ARE PROGRAMS ARE COVID TO 19 FOCUS.
UH, BUT ALSO, OF COURSE, EVERYTHING ELSE IN PUBLIC HEALTH.
THEY PROVIDE, UH, EDUCATION AND ADDRESS CHRONIC DISEASE AND RISK FACTORS.
UM, THIS IS WHERE YOU FIND YOUR DIABETES EDUCATION, UH, PROGRAM AND, UM, EVEN TOBACCO CESSATION.
SO THAT'S IN THE CHRONIC DISEASE AND INJURY PREVENTION PROGRAM.
I DO NOT HAVE THE NUMBER, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CHWS IN THAT PROGRAM.
BUT, UM, I DO HAVE TOTAL CHWS IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE HEALTH DISPARITIES REDUCTION PROGRAM.
THAT'S ANOTHER, UH, COVID-19, UH, FOCUS.
THEY PROVIDE EDUCATION ALSO IN A COMMUNITY, UM, EITHER SMALL OR LARGE, EITHER EVENTS OR, UM, EMPLOYERS.
I EMPLOYERS WHO'VE ASKED AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE, UM, REENTRY
A LOT OF EMPLOYERS OR ORGANIZATIONS ASKED, UH, A PH TO COME OUT AND TO EDUCATE ON COVID-19.
SO THEY PLAYED AN INSTRUMENTAL PART.
THEY, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO DID IT, UH, MOBILE VACCINE PROGRAM.
SO WE HAD COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THERE AS WELL, WHO CONDUCT OUTREACH TO INCREASE, UH, NOT ONLY VACCINATION RATES, BUT ALSO THE CONFIDENCE, VACCINE CONFIDENCE THERE.
A LOT OF INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS THERE AS WELL.
AND THEN WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.
SO THEY ARE ONE OF THE, UM, OTHER PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE.
WELL, ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN HERE, BUT THEY CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY IN A CHW WAY OR USING THE MODEL, UH, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
AND THAT'S CONNECTING THEM TO ALL THE RESOURCES THAT WE KNOW, LIKE UTILITY ASSISTANCE, FOOD PANTRIES, DIAPERS, ET CETERA.
SO THESE ARE THE ONES THAT YOU CAN TIE.
UM, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER TOO, ON PAPER.
AGAIN, JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYONE THAT THEY'RE ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ROLES THAT FUNCTION AS A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REACH IN REACH OUT PART A TX AND THE HEALTH DISPARITIES? THEY SOUNDED SIMILAR WITH, THEY ALL HAD A COVID-19 FOCUS, AND THEY'RE ALL CONNECTING PEOPLE TO PROGRAMS AND DOING OUTREACH.
YEAH, THAT'S ONE OF THE, UM, THE EXCITING CHALLENGES.
UM, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, DISTINGUISH THE PROGRAMS, I WOULD SAY.
AND EVERY, EVERY, EVERY SAUCE HAS ITS OWN FLAVOR.
SO THE REACH AND REACH OUT, THE RO THAT'S, UH, REALLY BOOTS ON THE GROUND, UM, MANPOWER, I WOULD SAY.
SO THEY ARE CONNECTING PEOPLE.
IF YOU WANT TO COMBINE EVERYTHING, THEY ARE CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THE HEALTH DISPARITIES REDUCTION PROGRAM, WHO DOES THE COVID TO 19 EDUCATION.
SO THAT'S LIKE A FORMAL, UH, EDUCATION SETTING.
REBA'S THE ONE IN THE COMMUNITY IN THE, IN THE FIESTAS IN THE, UH, MARKETS.
AND THEY ARE APPROACHING FOLKS IN THE PARKING LOT.
SO THEY'RE THE FOLKS THAT YOU MAYBE AVOID
SO THEY'RE, THAT'S THEIR FOCUS, REACH, AND REACH OUT.
THE HEALTH DISPARITIES, AGAIN, THAT'S MORE THE ACTUAL, UH, EDUCATION PART OF IT.
AND THEN HEART A TX, UM, ALSO HAS A, UM, EDUCATION FOCUS, BUT THEY HAVE, UM, CHRONIC DISEASE INVOLVED IN THAT.
SO THE DIABETES, UH, WE SAW, AGAIN, DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE SAW A, UM, CORRELATION WITH THE CHRONIC DISEASE AND PEOPLE WHO WERE ALREADY VULNERABLE UPPER WITH, UH, THE PANDA OR COVID-19.
SO THE DIABETES EDUCATION IS WHAT THEY GIVE.
AND THEN WE HAVE COVID TO 19 EDUCATION, AND THEN WE HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE RECRUITING FOLKS AND TALKING AND HAVING HIS PRESENCE TO CONNECT HIM TO THOSE IN A NUTSHELL,
OKAY, SO NUMBER OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
WE HAVE NINE FTES, UH, TWO GENERAL FUNDED AND SEVEN GRANT.
UH, AND WE NOW HAVE A CAREER PROGRESSION LADDER, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
NOT ONLY HAVE WE NOW ACKNOWLEDGED THE TITLE OF A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
AND SO FOR ONCE, WE HAVE NINE CHW, ONES, TWO GENERAL, AND THEN, UH, SEVEN GRANT FUNDED.
FOR TWOS, WE HAVE THREE GRANT FUNDED, UH, FTES AS WELL.
[00:15:01]
THREE, WE ONLY HAVE ONE.WE HAVE ONE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, THREE AND TEMPORARY, UH, BULK OF IT, I WOULD SAY WE HAVE 11, 11 TEMPS, OR A TOTAL OF 24 CHWS, AGAIN, IN TITLE, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER HUB.
SO THAT WAS AGAIN, IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC AND ALSO AT THE REQUEST OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE HUB COMPOSES OF FOUR DIFFERENT AREAS.
THE FIRST ONE BEING THE COALITION.
SO THAT'S THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER ALLIANCE OF CENTRAL TEXAS.
THE SECOND ONE BEING CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT.
SO IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN YOUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER CERTIFICATION, YOU MUST COMPLETE, UH, CEUS CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS.
AND WE DO SEE A, UM, A NEED FOR MORE CEUS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO OUR NEEDS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE'S A CEO OF MATERNAL HEALTH, WE HAVEN'T FOUND ONE THAT'S SPECIFIC TO BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH.
SO AS A TRAINING SITE, WE'RE ABLE TO CREATE THESE, UH, CEUS, DEVELOP THE CEUS, AND NOT ONLY FOR OUR WORKFORCE, BUT ALSO TO, UM, PROVIDE IT FOR THE COMMUNITY FOR ALL OTHER CHWS WHO ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR, UM, THOSE CREDITS TO CONTINUE THEIR CERTIFICATION.
AND THEN, SO THAT'S REALLY EXCITING FOR THAT, UM, FOR EMPLOYEES AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY GET TO BE PART OF DEVELOPING A, A CURRICULUM ESSENTIALLY.
AND THEN A PA STRATEGIC SUPPORT THAT'S HAD, THE THIRD ONE HAS HAD MANY TITLES,
UM, BUT REALLY IT'S THE, UM, THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR WORKFORCE.
AGAIN, WE'RE GOING INTO THE CONTINUING EDUCATION.
THEY'RE NOW STRENGTHENING THEIR SKILL OR ADDING TO, TO THEIR SKILL SETS AND BEING ABLE TO DESIGN OR TO PARTICIPATE IN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN.
UH, WE ALSO, IF WE FIND A NEED FOR ANY KIND OF TRAINING, WE'RE ABLE TO DEVELOP IT.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, OUR MOST RECENT ONE IS BASIC TRAINING SAFETY, BASIC SAFETY TRAINING WITH OUR PREPAREDNESS TEAM, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORK.
WE HAVE NOW FORMED A CHW STRIKE TEAM, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING IN, IN, UM, PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, THE OFFICE OF RESILIENCE AND PARD.
AND, UM, IN OUR DEPARTMENT, WE HAD ADMIRAL LEVINE COME OUT.
UH, SHE CAME OUT ON UNIFORM FEDERAL, I'M GONNA LEAVE IT AT THAT
SHE WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE STRIKE TEAM.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF.
UH, ESSENTIALLY WHEN WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY EVENT, THE IDEA IS THAT WE, THESE CHW STRIKE TEAMS INTO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO, AND TO DO DOOR-TO-DOOR OUTREACH AND, UH, CERTIFICATION COURSE.
SO IN ADDITION TO CEUS, THAT'S FOR EXISTING CHWS.
WE TAKE IT BACK, THE CERTIFICATION COURSE IS 160 HOUR CERTIFICATION COURSE, AND THAT'S FOR PEOPLE TO BECOME CHWS.
AND THAT'S, UM, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO DELIVER IT FOR FREE, FREE OF CHARGE, WHICH IS, UH, A GREAT SUCCESS AND SOMETHING THAT WE WISH TO, WE HOPE TO CONTINUE.
WE'VE SEEN RANGE FROM 700 AT THE LOW END TO 2000 AS FAR AS CERTIFICATION.
UM, COST GOES A LOT OF DIFFERENT METHODS.
BUT OF COURSE, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT IT CAN BE A FINANCIAL BARRIER TO MANY, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS WORKFORCE IS, UM, FROM THE COMMUNITY AND MAY ALREADY THEMSELVES BE EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL BURDEN.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE PROUD TO SEE.
THE FIRST, UH, TIME AROUND, WE OPENED UP ENROLLMENT.
WE HAD A WAITING LIST OF 108, UH, IF ANY, THAT WAS EXCITING.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF NEED, BUT ALSO SHOWING, OH MY GOODNESS, THERE'S A LOT OF NEED
SO, UM, I, WE FEEL THE URGENCY AND ALSO THE, THE PRIDE IN BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE THIS, AND THAT IS IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN MARCH THERE WAS A CONSENSUS WITH THE COMMISSION, UM, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE GUIDANCE OF OUR EX OFFICIALS OF CHWS BEING A VERY CRITICAL RESOURCE.
UM, AND TO REALLY TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AS FAR AS HOW CAN THE COMMISSION, UH, BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT SOME HINDRANCES, WHAT SOME BARRIERS AND WHAT SOME OPPORTUNITIES ARE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES FROM THE POLICY ASPECT.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO INTENTIONALLY BEING ABLE TO, UH, PRODUCE, UH, TANGIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BUDGET, UH, UH, UM, PERSPECTIVES.
AND SO, I, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE ALL THE TIME.
I'M PRETTY SURE MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
I'M NOT GONNA DO 'EM ALL AT ONE TIME,
BUT, UM, I'M GONNA ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS, AND DEFINITELY IT'S OPEN TO EVERYBODY.
I KNOW SOME OF THESE Y'ALL PROBABLY WON'T BE ABLE TO ANSWER DIRECTLY.
UM, I'M GLAD YOU KNOW
[00:20:01]
I'M STILL GONNA PUT IT OUT THERE BECAUSE IT'S ASPECTS THAT WE DO NEED TO LOOK INTO.AND SO ONE ASPECT IS GOING BACK TO, UH, WHAT YOU, YOU, YOU SAID THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT WITH IT THOUGH, BUT I THINK IT GOES TO MY QUESTION I ALREADY HAD, WHICH WAS IN TITLE, UM, WHAT ROLES, UH, ARE POTENTIALLY BEING RESTRICTED FROM THE ACTUAL INTENT OF A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER.
UM, AND IT SEEMS, AS I EVEN LOOK ACROSS DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, AS YOU STATED, RIGHT, THERE'S 190 DIFFERENT WITHIN IT, BUT ARE CERTAIN POLICIES, JOB DESCRIPTIONS BEING CREATED THAT ARE, UH, RESTRICTING THE OVERALL INTENT OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER? AND IF SO, UH, HOW CAN WE, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT LOOKING AT THAT AND MAKING SURE, UM, THE TI IT'S NOT ENTITLED, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY AN APPLICATION.
UM, AND SO ANY, ANY THOUGHTS, ANY COMMENTS, ANY REMARKS AROUND THAT AS WE KIND OF TAKE DOWN SOME OF THESE NOTES TO GO BACK INTO OUR WORK GROUPS AND REALLY START TRYING TO FLESH SOME OF THIS STUFF OUT FOR GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, GOING INTO NEXT YEAR.
AND DEFINITELY IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT, BUT TO ME, THAT'S PROBABLY OUT OF THE FIVE, THE MOST PERTINENT QUESTION THAT, THAT I WOULD SAY RIGHT NOW FROM ME.
SO, UM, OH, A LOT OF THOUGHTS.
SO AT A PH I'LL START WITH, I'LL, I'LL STICK HERE.
SO IN A PH, WE HAVE, UH, MANY DIFFERENT TITLES AGAIN.
AND, UH, THE ESSENCE OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, THAT TRAINING ANYONE CAN TAKE.
AND WE HAVE HAD, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE HAD AN ADMIN ADMINISTRATIVE SENIOR WHO, UH, TOOK OUR CLASS AND BECAME CERTIFIED AS A CHW.
SO SHE HOLDS THAT CERTIFICATION AND SHE HOLDS THAT KNOWLEDGE, UM, AND COMES TO THE COALITION, UM, AND IS VERY MUCH A CHW.
SO IN PRACTICE, SHE IS WAS ALWAYS A CHW.
NOW SHE'S ABLE TO PUT TERMS TO WHAT PRACTICE OR, UM, THAT, THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, BUT SHE IS AN ADMIN SENIOR.
SHE ALSO TOOK IT THOUGH TO, UM, MAYBE JUMP AROUND.
AND SINCE CHW AND A PH NOW HAS, OR IN CITY OF AUSTIN NOW HAS A CAREER PROGRESSION LADDER.
UH, WE HAVE OTHERS THAT, UM, LIKE PATIENT NAVIGATORS, AGAIN, THEY ARE ALSO INTERESTED IN BEING CHWS.
IN ADDITION TO CERTIFYING GOING THROUGH A COURSE, YOU CAN ALSO ACTUALLY CERTIFIED, UH, BY EXPERIENCE.
SO THAT'S HAVING A THOUSAND HOURS, RIGHT? SO WE'VE ALSO PROVIDED, UH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THAT THE APPLICATION CAN BE A LITTLE CUMBERSOME.
SO WE'VE PROVIDED TECH, UH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THAT.
SO, UM, AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO VERY MUCH WELCOME TO COME TO THE COALITION AND, AND HAVE, AND HAVE AN INTEREST.
SO THE PRACTICE OF CH HW IS DEFINITELY THERE.
UM, BUT NOT TO MINIMIZE THE NEED OR THE URGENCY FOR SPECIFIC CHW FOCUS AND POLICIES AND SUPPORT FOR IT.
UM, THE CAREER PROGRESSION LADDER, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT, THEY HAVE COMMUNITY WORKERS, MEANING THEY'RE NOT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ENTITLED, BUT THEY'RE DEFINITELY THAT.
AND SO THEY'RE NOW APPROACHING THE, THE DISCUSSIONS AND HAVING, UM, CHWS AND, AND, AND, AND TRANSITIONING.
SO THERE, OF COURSE, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO TO THAT ONE THAT'S NOT MY UNIT.
SO THERE'S THAT
BUT THERE'S ALSO, UM, A PAY SCALE THING.
SO A PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATOR GETS PAID MORE THAN A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, THREE MM-HMM.
SO WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANNA MESS WITH THAT.
RIGHT? UM, AND, AND MAYBE THEY'RE NOT THIS EFFORT OR SPECIFIC INTENTIONAL EFFORT.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY FOR THEM, IT'S FOR PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY OR WHO ARE TRYING TO ENTER, UM, FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION.
THEY, YOU CAN NOW, UM, BE AS YOUNG AS 16 TO CERTIFY AS A CHW.
SO I WOULD SAY IT IS, IT'S, IT'S FOR THE MM-HMM.
AND I THINK THAT LEADS TO MY SECOND QUESTION, AND I'LL DEFINITELY DEFER TO ANYBODY ELSE, WHICH WAS HOW MUCH TRAINING IS ACTUALLY OCCURRING FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BECOME CHWS? AND THEN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ON YOUR CHART OVER HERE WHERE IT TALKED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO DO HEALTH SCREENINGS, UM, WHAT CLINICAL OVERSIGHT IS THEN REQUIRED FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO FULLY UTILIZE THAT CH CERTIFICATION, BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT OF RESTRICTIONS TOO, THAT WE'RE EVEN SEEING IS YOU HAVE CHWS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO HELP WITH SCREENINGS AND OTHER THINGS, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH OR ASSOCIATED WITH CENTRAL HEALTH AND SO FORTH,
[00:25:01]
THEN CAN THEY REALLY TRULY BE ABLE TO EXECUTE, EXECUTE AS INTENDED ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY'RE WITH, WITH THAT CERTIFICATION? YEAH.UM, SO CHWS CONNECT, RIGHT? SO THEY DON'T NECESSARILY GIVE THOSE SCREENINGS.
UM, SO A BIG QUESTION IS THE SCOPE OF WORK AND THOSE EXTERNAL CHWS IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, FIRST THING IS MAKING SURE THAT THE EMPLOYER UNDERSTANDS THEIR SCOPE AND THEIR CAPACITY.
UH, BECAUSE IN, IN, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY RESTRICTIONS TO THAT OTHER THAN IF YOU ARE A CERTIFIED OR NOT.
BUT AS FAR AS, UH, WORKING WITH THE NURSES, FOR EXAMPLE, OURS, THEY ARE THE OUTREACH BRANCH.
THEY'RE THE ONES, UH, TRANSLATING THE CLINICAL TO PRACTICE.
SO THERE'S NO RESTRICTION THERE.
UH, EVERYTHING IS, YOU KNOW, SOPS IS ALL ON THE ACTUAL CLINICAL SIDE.
SO I THINK THAT'S MORE EDUCATION ON THE EMPLOYER'S PART.
UH, WHICH WE ALSO SEE THAT NOW TOO.
WE HAVE NON, UM, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE REACHING OUT TO US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS AND WHAT IT ALL ENTAILS.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND I FEEL LIKE WE NOW KNOW ABOUT 3% OF WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW,
SO THANK YOU FOR THE, THE START.
I'M JUST TRYING TO DO NUMBERS HERE.
AND, AND I WANTED TO SAY THIS JUST TO MAKE THE POINT AND SEE IF YOU AGREE, IF, IF THE TRAVIS COUNTY POPULATION IS, I'M JUST GONNA MAKE IT UP ABOUT 1.2 MILLION, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND WE, LET'S JUST, MAYBE THERE'S 250,000 PEOPLE THAT HAVE EITHER DISPARITY OR NEED CARE COORDINATION OR NEED TO MATCH THE COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
JUST PRETEND LIKE THAT NUMBER'S 250,000.
THAT SEEMS LOW TO ME, BUT I'LL JUST SAY THAT OUT LOUD.
THAT MEANS THAT IF THERE'S, AND I KNOW THERE'S DIFFERENT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND OTHER AGENCIES AND OTHER, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS OR WHOEVER, BUT THERE'S 24 IN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, THAT'S ONE PER 10,000.
AND I WONDERED IF, GEEZ, AS I THINK ABOUT PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS AND THEIR NUMBERS THAT THEY TAKE CARE OF, AND THIS KINDS OF STUFF, OBVIOUSLY NOT, NOT A PARALLEL, BUT I'M IN, I'M INCLINED TO WONDER IF WE DON'T NEED 10 TIMES THAT MANY, 250, SO THAT THE RATIO OF A PERSON THAT'S A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER TO THOSE IN, IN THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, A DISPARITY OR SOME SUCH NEED WOULD BE BETTER AT ONE OUT OF A THOUSAND VERSUS ONE OUT OF 10,000, WHICH IS UN UNTOUCHABLE.
SO I WONDERED IF OTHERS, YOU KNOW, IF THAT MAKES SENSE TO OTHERS, AND IF THAT WOULDN'T BE A PRIMARY IDEA, WHICH WE JUST SAY, I MEAN, MY, MY BIAS IS THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE COG IN THIS COMPLICATED HEALTH DISPARITY PUBLIC HEALTH WORLD IS, IS, IS, IS PROBABLY A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER WHO CAN HELP SO MANY PEOPLE.
SO I WOULD MAKE AN ARGUMENT THAT MAYBE WE NEED 10 TIMES AS MANY, AND WHO CAN FUND THAT? AND THIS, YOU KNOW, HOW COULD, HOW COULD THE CITY FUND THAT? DO YOU HAVE A THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? UH, A THOUSAND PERCENT TO THE 10TH DEGREE
WE DEFINITELY NEED, UH, MORE CHWS, UH, TRAINED CHWS.
UH, AGAIN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE CONNECTORS.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF AMAZING PROGRAMMING, NOT JUST IN A PH BUT OUTSIDE AS WELL, THAT HAVE RECRUITMENT PROBLEMS. IT'S JUST NOT SEEING THE REACH THAT WE WISH WE WOULD HAVE.
UM, AND THE CHWS IS THAT MISSING LINK IN MY EYES.
THEY WOULD, THEY, THEY HYPE UP THE CLASSES.
THEY SEE, THEY, UH, MAKE SURE THAT RELEVANCY IS, IS DELIVERED, AND THEY BRING ON THE FOLKS TO THE WONDERFUL INITIATIVE.
SO I THINK IT'S CAUSED BENEFICIAL IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS, JUST AS, AS THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO YES, WE DO NEED MORE, UM, TRAINING.
SO THAT MEANS CAPACITY, THAT MEANS STAFF, THAT MEANS RESOURCE.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S POPULATION ONE ME.
AND OF COURSE, I CAN'T TRAIN EVERYONE.
UM, AND WE ARE, OF COURSE, OUR, OUR USUAL PUBLIC HEALTH WAYS WHEN WE DON'T HAVE RESOURCES IS TO, UH, SEARCH FOR GRANTS.
WE ACTUALLY JUST, UM, PARTNER WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, WHO, UM, SUBMITTED A GRANT.
BUT DEFINITELY WE SEE THAT NEED, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO ADDRESS THAT NEED TOO, WITHIN OUR OWN SCOPE.
BUT YES, YES, THE SUPPORT IS, IS NEEDED IN THERE.
AND IF I MAY ADD, UM, STEPHANIE, SHE'S HAD A, SHE, SHE'S HAD A HUGE WORKLOAD, UM, AS THE PROGRAM SUPERVISOR FOR HEALTH EQUITY UNIT.
AND WHAT WE DO IN HEALTH EQUITY UNIT HAS TO, LIKE, THE CHW IS SO VITAL.
UM, A LOT OF TIME, AND CHRIS CAN ATTEST TO THIS, UM, WITH IMMUNIZATIONS, I MEAN, OUR NURSES GET A LOT OF CREDIT BECAUSE OF WHETHER, EVEN BEFORE COVID STARTED, UM, ALL THE SCREENS AND EVERYTHING THAT HEALTH EQUITY UNIT DOES IS MORE THAN 90% OUTREACH.
SO WHEN WE HAVE EVENTS AND WHEN WE HAVE, UM, UM, AND WE, AND WE PARTNER WITH, WITH, WITH ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN, OUR WHOLE PRIMARY GOAL IS TO ACTUALLY PROVIDE THESE SCREENS AND ALSO SOME HEALTH EDUCATION.
UM, WHEN COVID HIT, UH, STEPHANIE HAD TO TAKE ON A, HAD TO TAKE ON SO MUCH RESPONSE RESPONSIBILITY, UM, WITH THE CHW HUB, WHICH IS A
[00:30:01]
GREAT THING.I MEAN, WE WERE VERY EXCITED, STEPHANIE, THE FIRST YEAR.
I MEAN, I'M, IT WENT BY SO QUICK.
WE'RE IN A THIRD YEAR, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND I THINK OUR FIRST YEAR, WAS IT 33 PEOPLE GRADUATED? YEAH, 33.
AND THEN THIS YEAR IT WAS LOWER.
UM, WE HAD A LOT OF CHALLENGES, UM, DEALING WITH THE CURRICULUM AND, AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, AS THE PROGRAM SUPERVISOR OVER THE HEALTH EQUITY, UM, PROGRAM AND ALSO THE MATERNAL INFANT OUTREACH PROGRAM, MYOP, SHE HAD TO STEP IN FOR THE HUB.
AND WHEN SHE SAID, LIKE SHE SAID, IT'S HER HERSELF, UM, IT'S A LOT OF WORK AND IT'S A LOT OF CHALLENGES, BUT IT'S SUCH A GREAT PROGRAM.
IT'S SUCH A GREAT THING TO HAVE IN AUSTIN, AND YOU'RE 100% RIGHT.
WE COULD USE MORE CHWS BECAUSE EVEN WHEN HEALTH EQUITY UNIT PROVIDES THESE SERVICES, AND I HAVE A PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATOR, I HAVE A PROGRAM COORDINATOR, I HAVE, UM, UM, LANGUAGE ACCESS, I HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THIS EVENT GO.
THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER MAKES IT GO BECAUSE THEY BRING PEOPLE TO THE, TO THE TABLE.
WHETHER WE ARE TABLING EVENTS, THEY BRING PEOPLE, UM, UM, LET 'EM KNOW, LIKE IT'S ALMOST LIKE INSIDE MARKETING.
UM, WITHOUT US USING OUR PIO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REACH IN, REACH OUT.
I MEAN, WE WERE TRYING TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX TO JUST DO DIFFERENT THINGS, UM, FROM WHEN HEALTH EQUITY UNIT ACTUALLY STARTED.
UM, FOR Y'ALL, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, HEALTH EQUITY UNIT USED TO BE A A QL AND THEN THE TRANSFORMATION AND JUST WITH THE REBRANDING OF HEALTH HUMAN SERVICES GOING TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, THEN WE, WE CAME UP WITH HEALTH EQUITY UNIT, WHICH HAS BEEN GREAT FOR US BECAUSE YOU TALK ABOUT OUR TARGET AUDIENCE, WHICH IS, UM, ASIAN AMERICAN, LATINO, AND AFRICAN AMERICAN.
THESE, THESE COMMUNITIES NEED THESE SERVICES AND THESE SERVICES WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IF WE HAVE MORE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
CAN I JUST MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT? YEAH.
AND, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A LITTLE OUT OF SCHOOL, BUT I THINK IN TERMS OF THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.
AND WE DON'T LOOK OUTSIDE NECESSARILY IN THIS, IN, IN, IN OUR PURVIEW TO WILLIAMS COUNTY OR HAYES COUNTY OR OTHER COUNTIES, BE THAT AS IT MAY, IT TURNS OUT THAT THOSE FOLKS THAT NEED HELP IN THOSE AREAS WHERE THERE IS A WHOLE BUNCH OF NEED OR DISPARITY OR WHATEVER, ALL THAT IS WHEN THEY ARE NOT ATTENDED TO, AND THEN THEY GET WORSE AND THEY HAVE CHRONIC THIS AND CHRONIC THAT THEY THEN COME INTO OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS AND BURDEN OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS. SO THEY DO IMPACT AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY IN A BIG WAY.
AND SO I'M JUST INVITING, MAYBE, I DUNNO WHAT I'M INVITING, BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE A BIGGER PURVIEW THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER 'CAUSE THINGS WE ARE GRAVITATIONALLY WHERE PEOPLE, THINGS GO THAT ARE COMPLICATED, EXPENSIVE, AND, AND UNNECESSARY MANY TIMES IF THEY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED THROUGH OTHER KINDS OF WORK.
SO I'M JUST ALSO INVITING US TO THINK ABOUT COLLABORATING WITH OTHER NEARBY, YOU KNOW, COUNTIES.
NOT THAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND MONEY IN ANOTHER COUNTY, PER SE, 'CAUSE THAT WAY WE WOULD BREAK SOME RULES, BUT THERE MIGHT BE COLLABORATION THAT SHOULD BE GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY HEALTH SPACE GEOGRAPHICALLY IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU GUYS? OH YEAH, GO AHEAD.
OH, CAN I ADD ONE MORE THING? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
UM, ANOTHER, UM, THING THAT WE WOULD LOVE, I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU MENTIONED THE CHALLENGES.
UH, AS FAR AS THE CURRICULUM, SO WE HAVE A CURRICULUM FROM UT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, WHICH IS GREAT, UM, BUT ALSO VERY ACADEMIC.
AND A NEED THAT WE DO SEE IS TO CREATE A CURRICULUM THAT IS MORE PUBLIC HEALTH AND MORE AUSTIN FOCUSED.
AND OF COURSE THAT'S MORE, UH, RESOURCES NEEDED AND, BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE, THE, THE HEAVY LIFT THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO MAKE, UH, AND TO HAVE A CURRICULUM DESIGNED NOT ONLY FOR AUSTIN, BUT TO HAVE THAT EQUITY LENS AND TO LIKE LITERALLY DRIP IN EQUITY, UM, AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
SO THAT'S, UH, JUST ANOTHER EXCITING THING THAT WE COULD REALLY, UH, MAKE A MARK IN AND MAKE A CHANGE IN WITH THE RESOURCES FOR.
AND I KNOW A MAJORITY OF THE QUESTIONS AND TOPICS THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING HAVE BEEN PROBABLY MORE SO ALIGNING WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, WORK GROUP.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU VICE CHAIR BRINGING UP THE RATIO PERSPECTIVE OF COMMUNITY WORKER PER HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS ACTUALLY HAVE KIND OF LIKE THAT CASE MANAGEMENT, SOCIAL WORKER CAPACITY WITHOUT, UH, UH, DETRIMENTAL ASPECTS TO IT OR DEGRADING THE WORK OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
BUT THAT ALSO LEADS TO MY QUESTIONS.
I HAD NUMBER THREE AND NUMBER FOUR, WHICH I BELIEVE ARE GREAT QUESTIONS FOR THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC, FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE TEAM AS WELL.
WHAT'S THE GEOGRAPHICAL PLACEMENT OF THE CHWS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EAST, NORTHWEST AND SO FORTH, BUT ALSO THE OUTREACH LOCATIONS OF THE CHWS FROM ENCAMPMENTS TO REENTRY TO SCHOOLS AND ELDERLY, RIGHT? BECAUSE ONE, AGAIN, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 24, IF THOSE 24 ARE NOT PROPERLY PLACED IN, IN THE RIGHT LOCATIONS, IT'S A HUGE MISS ON THE BENEFIT IN THE INTENT BEHIND WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DO REGARDING MOVEMENT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, CONNECTION TO RESOURCES IN, UH, BASE LEVEL TYPES OF, UH, KNOWING YOUR NUMBERS.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT PIECE.
THE LAST QUESTION THAT I HAVE, NUMBER FIVE WAS
[00:35:01]
WHERE IS THERE INTERSECTION, UH, IF ANY, OR COLLABORATIVE, UH, EFFORTS, IF ANY, BETWEEN CHWS AND PEER SUPPORT? UM, SORRY, MY CLASS RING FELLUM, SO
SO I, I, UM, YES, WE HAVE TO BE VERY STRATEGIC AND WE LOVE DATA, UH, DRIVEN DECISIONS AND PLANS AND PROGRAMMING.
UM, NOT JUST WHAT THE DATA THAT WE HAVE, BUT THE DATA THAT WE KNOW, UM, INSTITUTIONALLY AND, UH, RESPECTING AND VALUING THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE CHWS COME WITH.
SO WHEN THEY TELL ME, HEY, WE NEED TO GO TO THIS ONE OBSCURE BEAUTY SUPPLY SHOP, THEN WE GO THERE, UH, IT IS STRATEGIC.
WE DO HAVE TO BE STRATEGIC, UH, BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED, UH, CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE, BUT ALSO JUST BECAUSE IT MAKES SENSE, RIGHT? SO YES, UM, ACTUALLY REACH AND REACH OUT HAVE, UM, WE ARE NOW GOING TO WORK WITH, UM, THE HOUSE LIST AND WE'VE ORDERED SOME SWAG ITEMS RELATED TO THAT COMMUNITY.
SO A RAINCOAT, UM, SOCKS AND, UM, EVEN PADS.
NOW OUR SWAG ITEM, INSTEAD OF SUNGLASSES AND CHAPSTICK, IT'S GOING TO BE A RAINCOAT, SOCKS AND A PAD.
AND SO WE ARE THINKING AND ADAPTING, UH, TO THAT AND WE CAN JUST DO SO MUCH MORE.
UM, AGAIN, IF WE HAD, WE HAD THAT, BUT, UH, THE MINDSET AND THINKING, BEING STRATEGIC AND GOING WHERE, UM, NON-TRADITIONAL SPACES, REALLY JUST NON-TRADITIONAL TO US.
RIGHT? UM, IS, IS THE GOAL AND WHAT'S IN PRACTICE? AND THE LAST ONE, PEER TO PEER, IS THAT WHAT I HEARD? IT WAS JUST A, YEAH.
UM, UM, BETWEEN CHWS AND PEER SUPPORT, SINCE BOTH OF THOSE ARE REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE COMMUNITY AND HELPING AND SO FORTH.
SO WHERE IS THE, THE, UH, OVERLAP IF IT'S NOT, THEN I THINK AGAIN FOR US, LIKE HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT INTERCONNECTION DOES START TO OCCUR, RIGHT? YEAH.
UM, AND, AND THAT EXTENDS TO A LOT OF OTHERS, RIGHT? AS WELL.
UH, SO AS WE ARE ORGANIZING, UM, OUTSIDE EXTERNALLY, BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR PROGRAMMING AND EFFORTS IS INTERNAL A PH, BUT WITH THE COALITION AND WITH TRAINING, WE ARE ABLE TO NOW, UM, FORMALLY I WOULD SAY, AND AT A HIGH GREATER HEIGHTS BE ABLE TO COORDINATE AND TO WORK WITH OTHER AGENCIES AND OTHER, UM, PROFESSIONALS.
SO THE ID THE WANT AND DESIRE IS THERE, AND IT IS IN INFORMAL SPACES, BUT NOT LIKE A WRITTEN, LIKE A MOU OF SOME SORT, BUT DEFINITELY A LOT OF POSSIBILITIES THERE.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM GO? GO AHEAD.
UM, IS WITH LIKE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE DOING, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUALITATIVE OR QUANTITATIVE DATA THAT IS PUBLIC FACING? UM, I KNOW THAT'S A BIG QUESTION WE'VE ASKED WITH LIKE THE CHA CHIP AND BEING ABLE TO ACTUALLY SEE IT AND THE IMPACT THAT THAT DATA IS MAKING FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT EIGHT PROGRAMS. UM, DO YOU ALL DO A PART OF LIKE AN EVALUATION OF IMPACT ACROSS AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY AND ELSEWHERE? UM, DOES THAT, IF THAT DOESN'T EXIST, THAT'S TOTALLY FINE AS WELL.
UM, BUT JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANYTHING PUBLIC FACING THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO SEE WHAT IMPACT THESE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE MAKING.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PUBLIC FACING.
WE DO HAVE DATA, UM, AND, UM, THAT DATA CAN DEFINITELY ALWAYS BE MORE ROBUST.
UH, OUR GOAL WAS TO, WE RECEIVED ONE TIME FUNDING THE FIRST YEAR, AND OF COURSE, UH, THE TEMP TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES.
SO IT WAS A CHALLENGE TO GET EVERYONE HIRED TO BE ABLE TO PRODUCE 30 GRADUATES.
THAT WAS, UH, REQUIRED FOR THAT ONE-TIME FUNDING AND, AND WE WANTED TO IMPRESS AND DO IT.
SO, UH, A LOT OF FOCUS WAS THERE AND IT WAS DEFINITELY BUILDING THE, THE PLANE AS WE, AS WE FLY IT.
UM, NOW THAT WE HAVE A, SOME SORT OF A PAUSE, WE ARE THINKING OF ADDITIONAL EVALUATION METHODS.
WE HAVE, UM, REACHED OUT TO TEXAS ASSOCIATION AND THE NATIONAL, AND THEN OTHER JUST ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO, UH, THAT FOCUSES ON CHW CAPACITY BUILDING AND TO, UM, INCORPORATE THEIR EVALUATION TO, IN OUR PROGRAMMING.
WE, AGAIN, ARE THINKING ABOUT THE CURRICULUM THOUGH, AND SEEING WHAT, IF THIS IS GONNA CHANGE, THEN EVALUATIONS WOULD CHANGE, BUT NOT THE GOALS.
SO WE ARE RIGHT THERE AS FAR AS WANTING TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS SUSTAINABLE AND THAT WE CAN SPEAK ON IT AND STAND ON ALL 10 TOES TO IT, YOU KNOW? UM, DID I ANSWER ALL OF IT? YEAH.
[00:40:02]
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.UM, ONE THING YOU DIDN'T MENTION, BUT I KNOW IS AN ISSUE IS ESSENTIALLY COMPENSATION FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
UM, I THINK WHAT THEY BRING THE MOST IS THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY UNDERVALUED.
AND I WONDER FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THIS COMMISSION CAN DO TO HELP ADVOCATE FOR BETTER COMPENSATION, BETTER, YOU KNOW, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF LIVED EXPERIENCE AND JUST HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU WITH THAT? YEAH, I MEAN, I'LL VALIDATE IT.
YES,
UH, THEY HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE, IN THIS ROOM, I'M JUST GONNA ASSUME DON'T HAVE.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S, UH, EXTREMELY VALUABLE.
AND, UM, AND THE UNIQUENESS OF IT SHOULD TIE INTO JUST LIKE HOW WE, UM, HAVE BUSINESS PROCESS CONSULTANT AND THEY HAVE AN EXPERTISE THAT WE DON'T HAVE, AND SO WE RELY ON THEM.
SO THE SAME IDEA WITH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND COMPENSATION IS ALWAYS A BIG THING.
IF ACTUALLY THAT'S WAS ONE OF THE TRICKIEST THINGS.
AND, UH, TEMP VERSUS NOT, YOU KNOW, BENEFITS AND NOT, AND, UM, THE CHALLENGE IN BEING ABLE TO RECRUIT.
SO WE HAD, THERE'S A EVEN SMALLER POOL OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER INSTRUCTORS AND INSTRUCTORS JUST NEEDED TO TRAIN TO BECOME CHWS.
UM, AND THAT SMALLER POOL WERE ALREADY EMPLOYED, UH, WITH BENEFITS.
SO THEY WEREN'T LEAVING THEIR JOB BASICALLY TO COME OVER HERE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO IN BEING, UM, SOME FOLKS ARE ACTUALLY TRYING TO GO INTO THE PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATOR OR MAYBE, UH, ANOTHER TITLE THAT GETS PAID MORE.
SO YES, THEY NOT ONLY DO, WE WOULD LOVE FOR THEM TO BE CONS COMPENSATED FOR WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORTH, WHICH IS A LOT MORE NOW.
UM, BUT THE COMMUNITY ALSO SEE THAT AND IS NAVIGATING IN THEIR OWN WAY, WHICH IS, UH, COULD BE A PROBLEM TOO, 'CAUSE DETER FROM THE, FROM THEIR PASSION AND WHERE THEY MAYBE COULD BE MOST EFFECTIVE AND BEST UTILIZED.
FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? OH, WHAT IS THE CURRENT, UH, PAY FOR THE ONE, TWO, AND THREE? OH, I AM GONNA GO FROM, FROM 19 TO 22.
HOW MUCH MORE TIME DO WE HAVE? UH, I'D PROBABLY SAY WE CAN DO PROBABLY ABOUT ANOTHER FIVE MINUTES OR SO.
I KNOW WE GOT ANOTHER PRESENTATION.
UM, THE LAST PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE, WHICH IS THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE, UM, THERE WAS A PRESENT OR A SPEAKER THERE, I THINK FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
THEY WERE A STUDENT, UM, ADVOCATING FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, YOU KNOW, INVITED THEM TO COME SPEAK TO HER OFFICE LATER.
'CAUSE SHE'S OBVIOUSLY VERY INTERESTED IN THAT.
UM, HAVE Y'ALL HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH HER OFFICE OR OTHER COUNCIL OFFICES AND WHAT IS THEIR DESIRE FOR MORE CHWS? YEAH, WE HAVEN'T HAD, UM, RECENTLY ANY, ANY COMMUNICATIONS WITH, AT LEAST TO MY KNOWLEDGE AT MY LEVEL, REMEMBER I'M A SUPERVISOR OKAY.
BUT, UM, WE HAD THE UNITY CONFERENCE.
UH, SO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER HAD THEIR CONFERENCE HERE LAST YEAR IN AUSTIN, WHICH WAS REALLY GREAT.
I WAS ABLE TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE HEAT, IT WAS IN THE SUMMER.
AND, UH, SAT NEXT TO COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, AND SHE WAS AS EXCITED AS SHE WAS DAY ONE, AS EXCITED AS SHE WAS AT THE, AT THE GRADUATION.
UM, SO I SEE THAT DESIRE THERE.
AND, UM, AND I KNOW WE GOT OUR ONE-TIME, UH, OUR FUNDING, OUR ONE TIME FUNDING, UM, BECAUSE OF HER SUPPORT.
SO I WOULD SAY IT'S THERE AND, UM, THE COMMUNICATION WE'RE STILL TREKING ALONG.
AND IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO US, YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS TO GET TO ME
AND TO ADD TO THAT, CHRIS, I, UM, I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T HAD DIRECT CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH COUNCILMAN FUENTES.
UM, A LOT OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE, OF COURSE WITH LOUDER, UM, OUR AD.
BUT, UM, IT WOULD BE COOL TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HER BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, SHOUT OUT TO HER, TO THE, UM, FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE CHW HUB.
AND EVEN STARTING, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY, IT'S STILL EXCITING, LIKE I SAID, EVEN WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE.
BUT, UM, WE KNOW HOW MUCH THE SUPPORT COMES FROM FROM COUNCIL MEMBER FORES, SO, MM-HMM.
UH, BUT IF Y'ALL COULD THINK ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF BUDGET AND HOW WE MAY BE ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR FUNDING FOR Y'ALL, UM, I AM CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU SAID WE COULD USE MORE CHWS, HOW MANY EXACTLY.
AND THEN IS THAT FOR A-P-H-C-O-A OR DO YOU MEAN WE MEAN MORE CHWS FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY? AND IF SO, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? UM, SO WHAT'S THE GOAL? AND THEN ALSO TO THE RATIO QUESTION, ARE WE LOOKING AT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO THE POPULATION OR ARE WE LOOKING AT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND NOT ENTITLED AS
[00:45:01]
WELL, WHICH IS A MUCH BIGGER NUMBER, MAKING THAT RATIO A LITTLE BIT SMALLER.PROBABLY NOT MUCH MUCH, BUT ARE WE CONSIDERING THAT AND IS THAT PART OF THE, THE EQUATION? UM, AND THEN LASTLY, UH, YOU MENTIONED, UH, UH, AUSTIN SPECIFIC CURRICULUM FOR THE CHWS.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA GIVEN, YOU KNOW, THE RACIST HISTORY OF AUSTIN AND HOW, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST AN ASIDE, I WAS DOING A, SOME RESEARCH 30 YEARS AGO, UM, IN AUSTIN, AND SPECIFICALLY FOR VACCINES AND OUR POP, OUR, OUR, OUR TARGETED POPULATIONS 30 YEARS AGO WERE BLACK AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HISPANIC POPULATION 30 YEARS LATER, EXACT SAME POPULATION.
SO WE REALLY HAVEN'T MADE A WHOLE LOT OF CHANGE, I WOULD ARGUE IN 30 YEARS, WHICH IS NOT GOOD.
UM, SO I, I THINK I, I WOULD, I WOULD SUPPORT A AUSTIN BASED OR SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR CHWS WHO ARE GONNA BE WORKING HERE BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE THE NEEDLE SOMEHOW.
AND WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN 30 YEARS.
ARE THEY ASKING ME FOR MY CADILLAC MODEL OF CHW PLANTS?
UM, AS FAR AS HOW MANY CHWS, UH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START AS FAR AS GIVING YOU AN ACTUAL NUMBER, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THE STRATEGY THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS FOR EACH DIVISION AND EACH PROGRAM REALLY HAVE A CHW ONE OR TWO.
RIGHT NOW, THOSE WERE THE SIX PROGRAMS, AND WE HAVE A LOT MORE PROGRAMS PREPAREDNESS CAN DEFINITELY CAN USE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS COULD USE EVERY PROGRAM.
SO I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT MOVEMENT GO, UH, BECAUSE EVERYONE WOULD BENEFIT FROM THAT CHW.
SO IF I HAD TO SAY, I WOULD SAY, UH, TO EXPAND, I'LL SAY EACH LITTLE EFFORT HAS TOO, WHICH IS A LOT.
UM, BUT I CAN COME UP WITH A NUMBER AFTER.
SO, UM, I WOULD ASK FOR EACH COMMISSIONER, WHATEVER NOTES YOU'VE WRITTEN DOWN, IF YOU CAN, UH, CATEGORIZE THOSE WITHIN THE THREE WORK GROUPS THAT WE HAVE.
DOES IT FALL WITHIN BUDGET? DOES IT FALL WITHIN INFRASTRUCTURE? DOES IT FALL WITHIN SOME TYPE OF PARTNERSHIP THAT NEEDS TO BE ESTABLISHED? UH, SHOULD THOSE GET SENT TO, UH, SENT IT TO OUR LIAISONS FOR CONSOLIDATION? UM, ASK IS, UM, I'M NOT, TWO QUESTIONS HERE.
ONE, FOR INCLUSION, WHAT'S THE PROPER WAY TO GO FOR INCLUSION? 'CAUSE I THINK THEY SHOULD BE A PART OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE CONVERSATIONS, UH, PRIMARILY AND, UM, MAKING SURE THEIR DEPARTMENT IS ALSO, UH, PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP, UH, ASPECTS AS WE'RE FLESHING THIS STUFF OUT.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, WHAT'S THE BEST ROUTE OR MECHANISM, UH, TO GET OFFICE TIME WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, UH, SINCE THEY HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THAT AS A INTEREST AND AND DESIRE? THANK YOU, UM, CHAIR WALLACE, UM, FOR YOUR WORK GROUPS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO INVITE, YOU KNOW, THOSE SPECIAL, UM, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO THOSE WORK GROUPS, UM, TO DO YOUR, YOUR VETTING AND HELPING WITH, YOU KNOW, OUTLINE YOUR, YOUR INTEREST.
UM, AND THEN AS FAR AS COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, I'LL BRING THAT, UM, CONVERSATION TO HER OFFICE, UM, FOR THE NEXT MEETING THAT WE WILL HAVE, UM, WHICH IS A SPECIAL CALL MEETING.
IT'LL BE JOINT, BUT I WON'T BE ABLE TO DO IT UNTIL AFTER TILL MAYBE JUNE OR JULY.
WELL, I THINK IN CENSUS TO BE ABLE TO GET A OFFICE CALL WITH, WITH, WITH HER, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR, UH, FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT AND POTENTIALLY I GUESS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE COMMISSION.
IF, IF WE'RE GONNA BE THE ONES ASKING FOR THAT TIME, FOR THAT OFFICE TIME, I'LL WORK WITH HER OFFICE TO SCHEDULE SOME TIME AND LET YOU KNOW.
AND, UH, YES, UH, WE WILL BE FOCUSING IN ON COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, SO WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO BE A PART OF THE WORK GROUPS AND WE'LL, WE'RE JUST KICKING 'EM OFF, SO BEAR WITH US AS WE FIGURE OUT THE WHOLE COMMUNICATION INVITE PROCESS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND ENERGY.
CAN YOU REPEAT WHAT YOUR REQUEST WAS ON MEETING WITH COMMISSIONER FUENTES? OH, UH, THEY HAD HIGHLIGHTED THE WANTING TO TALK WITH COMMISSIONER FUENTES, UH, ABOUT HER INTERESTS WITH THE CHWS AND BEING ABLE TO GARNER ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND JUST HAVING NOT HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH HER YET.
SO THEREFORE UTILIZING GU AS A WAY OF, UH, TRYING TO GET THAT, UH, OFFICE TIME.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET A MEETING FOR THE STAFF AND COMMISSIONER AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, OR FOR THE COMMISSIONERS WITH, SO IF WE'RE THE ONES GONNA BE DOING THE OFFICE CALL REQUEST AND IT'S GONNA BE ONE OF US IN THERE AS WELL, SPEAKING TO, UH, WHILE WE'RE DOING THE REQUEST ON THE BEHALF, BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE A TOPIC OF INTEREST FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION.
[00:50:01]
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THAT.PLUS WE'RE BRINGING IN, UH, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN THAT PIECE THAT ALSO NEEDED TO GET CALENDAR TIME AS WELL, UHHUH.
SO, UH, MAY I REQUEST THAT THERE BE, UH, A GROUP OF COMMISSIONERS INVITED TO THAT INSTEAD OF JUST ONE PERSON? UM, SO WHAT WILL MOST LIKELY HAPPEN, IT'LL BE COORDINATED AROUND, UH, THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR AND AS WELL AS THAT PLUS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS TO BE, TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND.
[3. Presentation by Sergio Torres-Peralta with the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability on Food Plan.]
IS GONNA BE PRESENTATION BY, UH, MR. SERGIO WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY ON FOOD PLAN.AND SO YOU SEE HOW WE CAN KIND OF GET INTO QUESTIONS, SO, UH, YOU MAY NOT WANT TO GO TOO LONG INTO THE SLIDES.
I AM THE FOOD POLICY COORDINATOR AT THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
I'M GONNA DO MY BEST TO GO THROUGH THEM AS FAST AS POSSIBLE SO WE CAN GET TO THE QUESTION PART.
MOST OF THESE ARE FOR YOUR REFERENCE, SO YOU CAN HAVE SOMETHING TO REFER TO IN THE FUTURE AND SAY, HEY, HOW ABOUT THIS, UH, PARTICULAR THING.
UM, SO, UM, THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY IS WORKING ON DEVELOPING THIS THING CALLED THE FOOD PLAN.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS, AND THIS PRESENTATION IS GONNA GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW ON WHAT IT IS AND HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED.
SO, SOME FOOD WERE TAUGHT, UM, BASICALLY AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
IT'S HOME OF, UH, WHOLE FOODS.
WE HAVE GREAT BARBECUE AND GREAT CHEFS AND, AND IT'S PRETTY AWESOME.
WE HAVE AN AMAZING FOOD SYSTEM THAT ONLY WORKS FOR SOME, NOT FOR ALL.
UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THIS IS SLIDE OUTLINE.
SOME OF THE BIG PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
NOT ONLY WE'RE TOSSING A LOT OF FOOD TO THE LANDFILL, FOOD THAT COULD BE RESCUED AND FEED OUR NEIGHBORS.
UH, ALSO WE HAVE, UH, LARGER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOOD INSECURITIES, 14% NATIONAL AVERAGE IS AROUND 12%.
UM, THIS NUMBER IS MUCH HIGHER IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS.
SOME OF THOSE YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH.
ON TOP OF THAT, WE'RE LOSING A STAGGERING AMOUNT OF FARMLAND TO DEVELOPMENT.
WE NEED PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE, BUT WE ALSO NEED FARMS TO MAKE FOOD, RIGHT? UM, BUT SO WHAT IS THE COMPROMISE THAT WE CAN DO, RIGHT? WE ARE OUTLINING THAT THERE IS A PROBLEMATIC, THE FOOD PLAN IS ESSENTIALLY A WAY FOR US TO TACKLE SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
UH, AGAIN, WHEN I TALK ABOUT FOOD SYSTEMS, USUALLY IT'S, UH, EXACTLY THAT.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF SYSTEMS. UH, THIS DIAGRAM ESSENTIALLY TELLS YOU THAT IDEALLY THE FOOD SYSTEM, IT IS, UH, CYCLICAL.
IT GOES FROM SEED ALL THE WAY TO LANDFILL.
UH, GOING THROUGH, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW IT GETS PRODUCED, HOW IT GETS SENT TO THE, UH, PROCESSOR, HOW IT TRAVELS TO THE GROCERY STORE, WHERE DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THESE STORES AND WHAT YOU DO ONCE FOOD IS, UM, YOU KNOW, DONE BEING EATEN, RIGHT, UH, IDEALLY BECOMES COMPOST, ET CETERA.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF FOOD JUSTICE.
THERE IS, UH, SEVERAL ELEMENTS OF EQUITY IN THE FOOD SYSTEM.
UH, WHO HAS ACCESS TO SUCH FOODS, WHO HAS ACCESS TO X, Y, OR C STORES IN WHAT AREAS OF TOWN FOR WHICH POLICIES AND WHAT IS THE HISTORY BEHIND IT? AND HOW CAN US, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE CAN WORK TOWARDS, UH, FIXING SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
SO WHEN DEVELOPING A FOOD PLAN, ESSENTIALLY WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, DEVELOPING A SET OF GOALS AND STRATEGIES THAT CAN ESSENTIALLY TELL US, THIS IS THE NORTH STAR, THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING AS A COMMUNITY, AS LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
UH, IT IDEALLY BUILDS ON SEVERAL OTHER INITIATIVES.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD WITH MANY DEPARTMENTS, MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS FROM TRAVIS COUNTY TO SEE WHERE, WHERE ARE THESE INTERSECTIONS? UH, WE READ ABOUT ALMOST 20 DIFFERENT PLANS ACROSS CITY AND COUNTY THAT RELATED TO FOOD.
WHAT ARE, WHY ARE THESE PLANS NOT TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER? UH, ALL THESE INITIATIVES THAT TALK ABOUT FOOD, FOOD ACROSS THE, THE CITIES IS ESSENTIALLY A BUNCH OF SILOS
[00:55:01]
RIGHT NOW.HOW CAN THIS FOOD PLANT CREATE AGAIN, A NORTH STAR THAT WE CAN USE TO COORDINATE BETTER AROUND FOOD? UH, AND ON TOP OF THAT IS CENTERS INEQUITY OF, AGAIN, ADDRESSING THE FACT THAT A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE IN THE FOOD SYSTEM ARE ROOTED IN SOME DEEP INEQUITIES THAT FALL BACK EVEN TO THE 1928 MASTER PLAN.
THIS FOOD PLAN WAS, UH, DIRECTED TO US BY CITY COUNCIL ON 2021 SHORTLY AFTER THE WINTER STORM, UH, YURI AND THE AFTERMATH OF THE PANDEMIC, ESSENTIALLY OUR FOOD SYSTEM WAS LAID BARE.
WE JUST COULD NOT IGNORE THAT.
OUR FOOD SYSTEM COULD JUST BREAK WITH A FEW INCHES OF ICE OR WIND OR ANYTHING REALLY.
UM, SO WE CREATE, THEY CREATED ESSENTIALLY A, A RESOLUTION THAT MANDATED US TO CREATE A FOOD PLAN THAT HAS SUBSTANTIAL COMMUNITY INPUT ON HOW DO WE COME OUT WITH THE PRIORITIES FOR THE FOOD PLAN.
UH, ON 2022, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY FORMERLY, UM, BECAME A PARTNER IN THIS FOOD PLAN.
SO THIS FOOD PLAN, BY ALL MEANS, IS AN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD SYSTEMS PLAN.
UM, WE HAD A DRAFT RELEASED ON MARCH 18TH THAT HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND IT'S CURRENTLY ON ITS WAY TO BECOME ITS FINAL FORM.
UH, DR. LARRY WALLACE HAS BEEN HELPING US A LOT IN GETTING THERE AND MORE ON THAT IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES.
UH, THIS IS A VERY QUICK TIMELINE JUST TO TELL YOU THAT MAKING A PLAN ESSENTIALLY HAS THREE BIG PHASES.
PHASE ONE, LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE BIG IDEA? WHAT IS THE VISION THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE DEVELOPED SOME STRATEGIES.
WE SPENT ABOUT, UH, SEVEN MONTHS DOING THAT.
AND THEN REVIEW THE WORK THAT WE HAVE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AGAIN, WE HAVE AT AT LEAST 400 COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM DIFFERENT PLACES PROVIDE REVIEW AND HAVE EYES ON OUR CURRENT DRAFT.
UH, WE HOPE THAT WE HAVE A FINAL PRODUCT WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS.
ACTUALLY, ONCE WE HAVE THAT FINAL PRODUCT, UH, WE WILL HAVE A TEAM OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS APPROVE IT.
SAY, UH, YES, THIS DOES RELATE TO THE COMMUNITY NEEDS, THE SEVERAL OF THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES PLURAL.
UM, IF THAT WAS TO HAPPEN, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS FOOD PLAN FINAL, UM, IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DURING THE SUMMER.
IF THAT IS APPROVED, IT WILL BECOME, IT WILL COME BACK TO STAFF FOR US TO START WORKING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN.
UH, AGAIN, THIS SLIDE JUST TELLS YOU THAT WE HAD SEVERAL BODIES OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, TAKING PART OF THIS PROCESS.
UH, AT LEAST 125 PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, MANY NEIGHBORHOODS, MANY AREAS OF TRAVIS COUNTY, AT LEAST 21% OF ALL PARTICIPANTS, ALL PARTICIPANTS THAT, UH, SO SORRY, ALL PARTICIPANTS THAT HAVE COMPLETED A SURVEY, UM, COME FROM OUTSIDE AUSTIN.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE HAVE LIKE A, A STEERING COMMITTEE ABOUT 20 SOMETHING PEOPLE THAT ARE HELPING US DIRECT THIS FOOD PLAN.
DR. LARRY WALLACE IS, UM, ONE OF THEM, FOR INSTANCE, UM, THE FOOD PLANNING STRUCTURE IS ESSENTIALLY IS GONNA BE LIKE, KIND OF LIKE THIS PYRAMID PYRAMID.
IT'S GONNA HAVE A VISION, IT'S GONNA HAVE AN OBJECTIVES, WHICH ARE THE CRYSTALLIZATION OF THE VISION.
IT'S GONNA HAVE A SET OF GOALS.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE ABOUT NINE GOALS THAT ARE THE SPECIFIC THINGS.
THIS IS HOW WE ACHIEVE THE VISION ON THE OBJECTIVES.
AND THEN WE HAVE OVER 55 D DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT ESSENTIALLY TELL YOU, ALL RIGHT, THESE ARE THE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WE WANNA DO IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS.
AND OF COURSE, IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN WILL BE A NORMAL PROCESS THAT WILL LOOK AT THE PREVIOUS PARTS AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA STOP FOR THREE SECONDS TO SHOW YOU THE FOOD PLAN VISION.
UM, THE FOOD PLAN VISION WAS CREATED BY OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, NOT BY CITY OR COUNTY STAFF.
IT WAS ALSO CREATED USING THE INPUT FROM AT LEAST 3000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS VIA SURVEYS IN-PERSON, UH, UH, OUTREACH AT MULTITUDES OF EVENTS.
UM, AND WE'RE PRETTY PROUD OF THAT.
UM, THIS IS WHAT WE LIKE TO SAY IS, IS OUR COMMUNITY BUILD COMMUNITY SUPPORTED NORTH STAR.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S FAIRLY BOLD AND IT LOOKS TO TACKLE DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE FOOD SYSTEM.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THESE ARE THE OBJECTIVES.
MANY OF THEM RELATE TO HEALTH, AS YOU MAY, MAY IMAGINE.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IMPROVE EMERGENCY FOOD DISTRIBUTION THROUGH EMERGENCIES.
UH, STRENGTHEN THE SUPPLY CHAIN SUPPORT, HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND ERADICATE FOOD INSECURITY,
[01:00:01]
UM, ARE SOME OF THE BOLDER, UM, OBJECTIVES THAT WE HAVE.AGAIN, THIS IS A CRYSTALLIZATION OF THE VISION THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS ALSO A VERY QUICK SUMMARY OF THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE.
AGAIN, THOSE ARE NINE GOALS THAT DEAL WITH A VERY SPECIFIC THEMES SUCH AS LAND OWNERSHIP, LIVELIHOODS OR SLASH WORKFORCE, UH, PREPAREDNESS OR EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT INSTITUTIONS CAN PARTICIPATE, UH, AND IN A, IN A WAY THAT CREATES MORE JOBS OR REDUCES GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS, ET CETERA.
UH, ACCESS, UH, THIS IS PROBABLY THE GOAL THAT YOU GUYS WILL BE THE MOST INTERESTED, UH, AS IT LOOKS INTO PROVIDING ACCESS TO NOT JUST FOOD, BUT HEALTHIER, UH, NUTRITIOUS OR FOOD THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE'S CULTURAL NEEDS AS WELL.
ADDITIONALLY, FOOD RECOVERY IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING, UH, VERY IMPORTANT.
WE'RE NOT CALLING IT FOOD WASTE.
WE'RE CALLING IT FOOD RECOVERY.
AS ONCE WE START CHANGING THAT MIND FRAME, UH, WE CAN START THINKING, OKAY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY USE AND, AND FEED PEOPLE, UM, AND PREVENT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AT THE SAME TIME.
ADDITIONALLY, WE WANNA FOCUS ON SUPPORTING, UM, THE INCREASING OF, UH, PRO HEALTH PEARL CLIMATE FOODS, UH, JUST ADDRESSING THAT A LOT OF THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR FOOD SYSTEM COME FROM, UH, CATTLE.
UH, FINALLY, WE ALSO WANNA EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITIES.
HOW DO WE PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT FOR THE INITIATIVES THAT EMPOWER OUR RESIDENTS TO BECOME CHAMPIONS OF FOOD POLICY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES? AND THIS WILL BE, THIS WILL RESONATE, UH, THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION AS WE HAVE, AS A STRATEGY THAT THE SPECIFICALLY TALKS ABOUT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
UM, THIS IS A VERY QUICK SNAPSHOT.
THE FUND IS REALLY SMALL, BUT IT GIVES YOU A GOOD IDEA THAT WE HAVE 11 STRATEGIES THAT ADDRESS ACCESS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
MANY OF THESE STRATEGIES DO ADDRESS HEALTH OUTCOMES OR CONSIDER HEAD OUTCOMES, OR, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO JUST, JUST INCREASE THE GENERAL HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
SERGIO, I WANNA, I WANNA INTENTIONALLY STOP RIGHT HERE ON THIS SLIDE WITH THE PRESENTATION.
UH, I THINK THIS IS REALLY THE, THE, THE MOST SUCCINCT AND APPLICABLE PIECE TO WHAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED FOR, UH, PARTICULARLY STRATEGIES 6.2, 6.3, 6.7, AND 6.8.
UM, WHAT, WHAT HAS NOT BEEN MENTIONED AS OF YET IS, UH, ARPA FUNDING WAS UTILIZED TO BRING TOGETHER THE, THE, THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL AND THE WORK GROUPS AND THE SUPPORT TO COME UP WITH THE PLAN.
UH, HOWEVER, CONTINUATION IS, IS, IS THE CONCERN.
THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING AT THIS TIME, WHICH MAKES, ONCE THIS PLAN IS APPROVED BY THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL, GOES BEFORE THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND IS VOTED IN.
THERE STILL NEEDS TO BE STRATEGIC, UH, ALLIANCES THAT CAN HELP MOVE CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THIS PLAN INTO IMPLEMENTATION ASPECTS.
UH, AND WE ALL KNOW FOOD ACCESS, LACK OF FOOD QUALITY HAS ITS IMPLICATIONS WITHIN PHYSICAL AND SOMETIMES EVEN IN THE MENTAL HEALTH OF STRESSORS AND TRYING TO BE ABLE TO GET THE RIGHT FOOD.
AND TO ME, LOOKING THROUGH, LOOKING THROUGH THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT ARE HERE, THE ONES THAT MORE SUCCINCTLY TIED TO, UH, EFFORTS WHERE WE CAN HAVE INVOLVEMENT WITH POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CITY, AS WELL AS THE COUNTY FALL WITHIN 6 2, 6 3, 6 7, AND SIX EIGHT.
MAY I ALSO SUGGEST I, I DON'T HAVE IT ON THE SLIDES, BUT THIS IS BASICALLY A RESPONSE TO THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION.
UM, STRATEGY 9.2, UM, IT'S NOT IN THE SLIDES, BUT WITHIN GOAL NUMBER NINE, THERE'S A STRATEGY 9.2 THAT LOOKS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UH, JUST INFLUENCES IN HOW SOMEBODY CAN KNOW ABOUT THE SERVICE AND ACTUALLY BE PART OF THE SERVICE AND RECEIVE IT.
UM, SEVERAL COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, UH, HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, UH, PROCESS.
UH, AND ALL OF THEM HAVE OUTLINED THE NEED TO HAVE GREATER SUPPORT FOR MAYBE NOT JUST LIKE FINANCIAL, MORE EDUCATION.
IT COULD BE EVEN A, A TRACK, LIKE WHAT IF THERE WAS A FOOD SYSTEMS TRACK? THAT IS PART OF THE TRAINING THAT WE ALL TAKE AS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
[01:05:01]
UH, JUST TO SUPPORT THE, THE, THE EXISTING WORK.AND, UH, PLEASE, UH, AS YOU TAKE BACK THESE DOCUMENTS HOME AND START THINKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS, UH, FOCUSING A LITTLE BIT ON, UM, GOAL NUMBER NINE, SPECIFICALLY 9.2 COULD HELP TYING THESE TWO PRESENTATIONS TOGETHER.
AND LIKE DR. WALLACE MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, YES, ARPA FUNDING.
IT'S, UH, FINISHING, UH, THIS YEAR.
UH, WE HAVE USED ABOUT $500,000 TO PUT THIS FOOD PLAN TOGETHER, UH, FROM PAYING FOR STIPENDS, PAYING FOR MY POSITION, AND PAYING FOR SEVERAL OTHER LIKE, UH, ITEMS SUCH AS COMMUNITY OUTREACH, CONSULTANT WORK, UH, GRAPHIC DESIGNERS, ET CETERA.
UH, THE WORK OF IMPLEMENTATION, UH, LIKE DR. WALLACE WAS SAYING, IT'S GONNA MAINLY FOCUS ON WHAT ARE THESE STRATEGIES? WHAT, WHAT CAN WE WORK ON? AND THEN LIKELY SECURE FUNDING, SECURE RESOURCES, FIND WAYS TO ESSENTIALLY USE THIS AS A NORTH STAR TO GUIDE OUR WORK OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, UM, WHICH IS THE, THE TERM OF THE FOOD PLAN, UH, AS A FIVE YEAR PLAN.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE ER? YES, GO AHEAD.
UM, WITH GOAL SIX, HAVE YOU ALREADY IDENTIFIED ANY ORDINANCES OR POLICIES THAT WOULD PROHIBIT, UM, SOMETHING LIKE THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION INTO LOCAL RETAIL LOCATIONS? I KNOW THAT THAT'S OFTEN A BIG PUSHBACK WHEN IT COMES TO PUTTING HEALTHY FOODS IN CORNER STORES OR SMALL MOM AND POP SHOPS.
UM, IT IS NOT FEASIBLE FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE LOSING A LOT OF MONEY BY DOING SUCH A THING, BUT OFTENTIMES THAT IS THE MOST ACCESSIBLE FOOD, UH, FOR OUR FOLKS WHO ARE DEALING WITH TRANSPORTATION DISPARITIES OR, UH, FOOD ACCESS IN GENERAL.
DO YOU ALREADY KNOW OF LOOKING AT THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE, IF THERE ARE ANY SPECIFIC POLICIES OR ORDINANCES THAT WOULD NOT BENEFIT THE FOOD PLAN BEING INTRODUCED AND IMPLEMENTED INTO CERTAIN SPACES AND PLACES? UM, I, I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, AS LARGELY THAT IS DRIVEN BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
UM, SO IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO MANDATE X, Y, OR Z THINGS JUST TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
ANYTHING FROM YOU SHALL, UH, CARRY X ITEMS OR EVEN, UH, YOU SHALL PAY PEOPLE X AMOUNT OF MONEY, UH, IS NOT NECESSARILY THAT POSSIBLE.
UM, AND, BUT WHAT WHAT CAN BE DONE IS PROVIDING, UH, INCENTIVES, UM, UH, PROVIDING A PROMOTION, PROVIDING EDUCATION FOR CUSTOMERS.
UM, WE HAVE ONE OF THE STRATEGIES THAT TALKS ABOUT, UH, FRESH FOR LESS IS A, YOU, YOU'RE QUITE FAMILIAR WITH IT.
UH, IT, IT IS ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT CONSTANTLY NEEDS TO GATHER ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDING AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
IS THERE A WAY THAT THIS FOOD PLAN CAN PROVIDE FUNNEL ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS LIKE THAT? ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE MOVING TO HOME DELIVERY, UM, LIKE THE, LIKE THERE'S A GREATER DEMAND, LIKE FOR FOOD DELIVERY, ESPECIALLY IN THESE AREAS THAT ARE DEPRIVED OF, UH, LARGE RETAIL STORES.
UM, AND, AND IT, IT'S QUITE FASCINATING ACTUALLY TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
SO YES, UM, WE HAVE TAKEN SOME OF THAT IN CONSIDERATION WHEN CREATING THESE, UH, STRATEGIES.
THE FINAL LANGUAGE WILL PROBABLY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE REFINED, BUT THE ESSENCE IS TO CREATE A, A WIDER CAST, A WIDER NET SO WE CAN WORK WITH THOSE POLICIES, UH, OR SOME OF THE POLICIES THAT GO, OR PERHAPS EVEN GO AROUND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAY BLOCK SOME OF THE PROGRESS OF THE FOOD PLAN.
UM, THIS WILL BE, THIS WILL LARGELY BE PART OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, AND MY THOUGHT IN SOME ASPECTS TOO ARE WHERE WITHIN, UM, RFPS AND CONTRACTS FOR SERVICES, CAN THERE BE INTENTIONAL VERBIAGE OR KPIS AROUND, UH, ACCESSING OR HAVING ACCESS TO FOOD BY THOSE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, PROVIDING SERVICES, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPECTATIONS ON THE TYPES OF FOOD, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, UM, LOOKING AT WHERE THERE MAY BE PIECES WHERE IN SOME CONTRACTS IT SAYS GIFT CARDS CAN'T BE USED, BUT MAY BE EXCEPTIONS FOR THESE PARTICULAR TYPES OF THINGS.
LIKE, WHERE ON OUR SIDE CAN WE POTENTIALLY MAKE CERTAIN TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE GOING OUT AS HEALTH EQUITY EFFORTS, RIGHT.
THAT ARE ALSO LOOKING MORE SO AT FOOD ACCESS AND RESOURCES.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
ONE, FOR MY EDIFICATION, UH, FOOD INSECURITY.
IF I HAVE ACCESS TO FAST FOOD AND FAST FOOD ONLY, AM MY FOOD SECURE OR INSECURE? IT, IT IS TRICKY, LIKE FOOD INSECURITY.
[01:10:01]
IT'S MEASURED AND DEFINED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, UH, FROM THE USDA, FROM LOCAL NONPROFITS, FROM FEEDING AMERICA, FROM YOUR LOCAL FOOD PANTRY.UM, TRADITIONALLY FOOD INSECURITY, IT IS A COMBINATION OF BOTH DISTANCE AND MONEY.
CAN YOU ACTUALLY AFFORD FOOD OR, UM, I, I THINK WHAT, UH, UH, MAP THE GAP, UH, DOES, IS ESSENTIALLY IT MAPS THE AMOUNT OF THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU SPENT PER MEAL AND MATCHES THAT WITH THE INCOME OF THE CENSUS TRACK TO DETERMINE WHICH CENSUS TRACKS ARE FOOD INSECURE.
UM, THERE IS A NORTH TERMINOLOGY THAT TALKS ABOUT FOOD SWAMPS, UH, THAT IS ESSENTIALLY THAT IT IS, UH, SURE.
THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, JACK IN THE BOXES IN YOUR AREA.
TECHNICALLY YOU COULD WALK TO THEM, YOU COULD PAY FOR THEM.
WE HAVE CHOSEN TO PROVIDE GREATER ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE A CHOICE.
UH, AND THAT WILL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT GOAL NUMBER EIGHT.
UH, WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE RIGHT OR OF ANYBODY TO HAVE A WHATABURGER AT MIDNIGHT OR, OR GO FOR A NICE PIECE OF A STEAK.
UM, BUT IF THERE WAS A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE MORE OPTIONS, MORE HEALTHIER ISH, UH, OPTIONS, EVEN PERHAPS THINKING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES AS HEALTHY TEA, UH, JUST KNOWING THE DIFFERENT CULTURES THINK OF HEALTH IN DIFFERENT WAYS, UM, IT, IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS IN THE FOOD PLAN.
AND YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF THIS IN THE LANGUAGE, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO CULTURAL RELEVANCE OF FOOD.
MM-HMM,
UM, AND ONE LAST THING BEFORE, UH, I, I FORGET.
UM, THE LAST FEW, COUPLE THINGS I WANT TO OUTLINE IN THIS PRESENTATION, IT IS THAT WE HAVE A, A AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD POLICY BOARD THAT CURRENTLY HAS, UH, WORKING GROUPS.
ONE OF THEM IS FOOD ACCESS AND FOOD RECOVERY.
AND I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE, UH, FOR THIS COMMISSION TO, TO LOOP IN WITH THEIR WORK.
UM, A LOT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY HAVE PUT TOGETHER, UH, HAVE BEEN ESSENTIALLY THE CREATION OF THIS FOOD PLAN.
UH, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT ONE OF THEIR MOST RECENT RECOMMENDATIONS IS TO, UH, FUND OR PROVIDE ADDITIONAL STAFFING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOOD PLAN.
ESSENTIALLY CREATE A AN FTE, UH, IN BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF THE FOOD PLAN.
ON TOP OF THAT, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UH, HAS DOUBLED DOWN ON THAT, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
AND IT'S VERY INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE, THE, THE WORK OF THE FOOD PLANT AS IT RELATES HEAVILY WITH GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, UH, AND JUST ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES.
UM, SO BY ALL MEANS, UH, I CAN DO THAT CONNECTION IF POSSIBLE.
UM, SO YOU CAN, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE WORK OF THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD POLICY BOARD, AS THEY ARE ALSO THINKING ABOUT WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE NEED TO PUT TOGETHER IN ORDER TO, UH, SUPPORT THIS FOOD PLAN.
AND ONE PIECE OF CLARITY OF, YES, THERE IS A FULL POLICY BOARD, BUT THE, THE, I THINK THE SUCCINCT, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THAT BOARD AND US IS, UH, WE'RE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH DEX OFFICIALS AND THE HEALTH AGENCIES THAT ALSO PROVIDE HEALTH EDUCATION WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD, NUTRITION, DIETARY, AND THOSE ASPECTS.
SO, UM, THE FOOD BOARD POLICY DOES NOT NECESSARILY ENGAGE IN THAT ASPECT WITH THESE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THE FOOD PLAN.
SO I SEE US WORKING IN TANDEM, NOT IN OPPOSITION WITH THE FOOD POLICY BOARD, BUT IT HAS A TOTALLY SEPARATE MISSION THAN WHAT OURS IS THAT CAN BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE FOOD PLAN.
I THINK TO YOUR, YOUR, UH, FOOD INSECURITY, IT'S ALMOST THE SAME THING WHEN IT CAME TO COVID IN THE TERM FOOD DESERT.
AGAIN, I'LL USE THE BEST EXAMPLE I KNOW, WHICH IS CITY OF MAYNARD.
IT SAYS, WITHIN TWO MILES A MAJOR GROCERY STORE.
THE CITY OF MANORS THREE MILES LONG, AND THE ONLY GROCERY STORE WAS WALMART.
AND IT OFTENTIMES DOES NOT HAVE QUALITY FOOD.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT MEETS THE DEFINITION IN REALITY, IT DID NOT.
AND SO, AGAIN, HOW ARE WE PARTNERING WITH THE RESOURCES THAT ARE THERE IN THE COMMUNITY? 'CAUSE YOU CAN KEEP TELLING PEOPLE TO EAT HEALTHY ALL DAY LONG, BUT IF YOU DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S IN THEIR BACKYARD, RIGHT, UM, THEN YOU DON'T KNOW TO UTILIZE CENTRAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY CARE AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WITH THE FOOD THAT THEY DO OFFER TO BRING IT CLOSER INTO THE COMMUNITY OR TO CONNECT WITH CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK.
AND WHEN, WHEN THE WHOLE WINTER STORM AND COVID HAPPENED, THEY WANTED EVERYBODY TO COME TO THEM, AND IT TOOK LEADERSHIP TO COME BACK AROUND AND SAY, NO, YOU GOTTA BRING IT TO THE PEOPLE.
[01:15:01]
IN THAT PUBLIC HEALTH ASPECT, POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, AND GUIDANCES, UH, TO, TO MAKE SURE WHAT IS AVAILABLE IS ACTUALLY BEING, UM, TAKEN SOME HANDCUFFS OFF OF IT.UH, AND THE FINAL, UM, I DON'T NECESSARILY SEE THIS IN ONE OF THE GOALS, BUT MAYBE IT'S IN ONE OF THE 50 STRATEGIES.
UM, IS THERE ANY EFFORT TO ESSENTIALLY REQUIRE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY AS EMPLOYERS, MORE OR LESS, TO AVOID ORDERING CERTAIN KIND OF FOODS OR FROM CERTAIN KIND OF PLACES OR TO ORDER LOCALLY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AVOID AVOCADOS BECAUSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN MEXICO AND YOU KNOW, HOW WATER INTENSIVE THEY ARE.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO, LIKE WE HAVE VENDING MACHINES IN SOME OF OUR BUILDINGS.
IS THERE ANYTHING AROUND THAT? AND NOT ALLOWING THOSE WITHIN OUR OWN FACILITIES.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN CONTROL, RIGHT? UM, AND THEN I BELIEVE WE ALSO HAVE SPACES WE LEASE THE VENDORS WHO'S, YOU KNOW, AS RESTAURANTS OR WHATEVER, IS THERE ANY STIPULATION AROUND THAT AROUND THEM FOLLOWING THE FOOD POLICY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE PLAN AND EVERYTHING.
ARE WE AFFECTING THAT AT ALL? AND THEN LASTLY, JUST TO TIE TO THAT, I SAW RECENTLY THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES, A-F-D-A-P-D-E-M-S HESO DID A VIDEO ON, UH, PREPARING FOOD DURING AN EMERGENCY.
SO YOU'RE OUT OF POWER AND EVERYTHING.
WHAT CAN YOU DO? I WONDER IF Y'ALL HAD ANY INVOLVEMENT IN THAT, IF THEY TALKED TO YOU AT ALL TO MAKE SURE THAT ALIGNED WITH ALL OF THIS, AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO GET, ARE WE AS A ENTITY FOLLOWING THIS, YOU KNOW, THROUGH AND THROUGH, OR IS IT SIMPLY A GROUP TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING AGAINST, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGER ORGANIZATIONS? YES.
UH, I THINK I HAVE AN ANSWER TO THE, THOSE TWO QUESTIONS I CAN PREPARED, I PROMISE.
UH, GOAL NUMBER EIGHT, UH, IT'S ABOUT INSTITUTIONS SPECIFICALLY.
IT'S ABOUT, UH, INSTITUTIONAL PURCHASE.
UH, ESSENTIALLY HOW CAN YOU MOVE AWAY FROM PURCHASING WITH YOUR BOTTOM LINE IN MIND AND START THINKING MORE ABOUT PURCHASING WITH VALUES.
UM, IT IS A FRAMEWORK CALLED GOOD FOOD PURCHASING, UM, WHICH ESSENTIALLY ALLOWS YOU TO, UM, START PURCHASING FOOD FROM LOCAL VENDORS, PERHAPS, OR VENDORS THAT ALIGN WITH X, Y, OR Z VALUES.
UH, YOU KNOW, LESS GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS THAT ARE MORE LOCAL.
UH, THEY PROVIDE ONE, UH, VEGETARIAN VEGAN OPTION OR HALAL OPTION OPTION CUSHIER, UH, HAVE LESS AMOUNT OF SUGAR IN THEIR FOODS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO WHILE THE DECISION BECOMES A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED, UH, IT PROVIDES GREATER OUTCOMES AT THE END AS IT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN OR LIKELY WRITTEN IN THE COMING DAYS.
WE'LL HAVE A FINAL, UH, LANGUAGE.
UH, IT IS CASTING A WIDE NET, UH, SAYING LIKE, INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION OF INSTITUTIONS PARTICIPATING IN THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS. THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, COULD BE, UH, SPEARHEADING SOME OF THESE.
IN FACT, OUR, OUR OWN OFFICE OFFICE SUSTAINABILITY IS A HUGE CHAMPION OF, UH, GFPP, GOOD FOOD PURCHASING PROGRAM.
UH, SO YES, THERE COULD BE A POSSIBILITY THAT SOME OF THESE STRATEGIES TRANSLATE INTO PERHAPS, UH, MORE OPTIONS, UM, IN, IN OUR BREAK ROOMS, UH, IN OUR POLICIES OR VENDOR, UH, PROCEDURES, ET CETERA.
EVEN AS EASY AS, AS EASY, QUOTE UNQUOTE AS MOVING AWAY FROM A STYROFOAM USE, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, SO YES, UH, HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO LOOK INTO GOAL NUMBER EIGHT, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW.
UH, IN TERMS OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE, UH, WE HAVE WORKED WITH HSEM TO E ESSENTIALLY COORDINATE MORE ABOUT WHAT IS THE FOOD RESPONSE DURING EMERGENCIES.
UM, IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, UH, WE SUPPORTED THE CREATION OF A DOCUMENT THAT ESSENTIALLY OUTLINES STEP BY STEP, THIS IS HOW YOU SHOULD PROCURE FOOD, UH, FOR, UH, DURING EMERGENCIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, IS THIS ENHANCED ADHESIVE? WE, I COUNT THAT THEY ARE LOOKING INTO IT, AND I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO THEM.
UH, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH SEM DURING EMERGENCIES, LIKE VERY ACTIVELY.
UH, A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT AROUND, UH, CULTURAL RELEVANCE OF FOOD DURING EMERGENCIES IS BECAUSE TRADITIONALLY WE USE, UH, RES DURING, UH, EMERGENCY RESPONSE THAT ARE NOT HALAL OR, YOU KNOW, NOT KOSHER AT TIMES.
THEY ARE DEFINITELY NOT FOR DIABETICS.
UH, AND SOMETIMES JUST PEOPLE DON'T EAT THEM, WON'T EAT THEM, UH, BECAUSE OF ALL THESE CONSTRAINTS.
SO, YES, WE, HAVING BEEN WORKING AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE WITH SEM, UM, THEY, HAVING INVITED TO SEVERAL OF OUR EMERGENCY FOOD ACCESS CALLS OVER THE, THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UM, AND WE HOPE THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, USE THIS FOOD PLAN TO WORK EVEN CLOSER WITH THEM.
UM, I'M SORRY, I HAD TO STEP OUT, BUT, UM, I
[01:20:01]
HEARD YESTERDAY ABOUT THE EATING APART TOGETHER INITIATIVE THAT WENT ON DURING THE PANDEMIC RESPONSE AND HOW THAT IS DOVETAILED INTO SOME OF THE PLANNING THAT'S BEEN DONE BY THE RESILIENCE HUBS.ARE YOU WORKING WITH THEM? YOU MAY HAVE COVERED THIS IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, WE HAVE WORKED A LOT WITH THE RESILIENCE OFFICE, UM, AND ESSENTIALLY TO PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT FOR THE RESILIENCE HUBS, UM, IN THIS FOOD PLAN STRATEGIES.
UH, I THINK GOAL NUMBER, PARDON ME, I, I AM SPACING OUT, BUT THE ONE THAT TALKS ABOUT EMERGENCIES SPECIFICALLY CALLS OUT RESILIENCE HUBS AND HOW THIS FOOD PLAN CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR RESILIENCE HUBS DURING EMERGENCIES, UH, OR FOR THEM TO PERHAPS EVEN GROW IN A SCOPE OR GROW IN SIZES, ET CETERA.
UM, AND, AND YES, LIKE THE EATING PART HAS BEEN LIKE A HUGE INSPIRATION, UH, ON FOR WHAT CAN WE DO AS A COMMUNITY.
VERY IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVE TALKED TO THOUSANDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE HAVE AT LEAST 200 OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS BEING PART OF THIS PROCESS, ACTIVELY EITHER BY PARTICIPATING IN OUR WORKSHOPS, JUST LIKE, UH, DR. WALLACE, UH, PARTICIPATING IN OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
BY ALL MEANS, THIS IS A MOVEMENT THAT COULD USE A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM ADVOCACY, UH, TO PUSH CERTAIN INITIATIVES, PUSH CERTAIN, UH, STRATEGIES TO THE, UH, FINAL LINE.
UM, SO YES, I JUST WANTED TO OUTLINE THAT THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF INTEREST AND WE HAVE DONE THE BEST WE CAN TO LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE WANT AND JUST CRYSTALLIZE THOSE IN THIS STRATEGIES FOR THE SAKE OF TIME.
ANY, ANY LAST QUESTIONS? JUST A QUICK ONE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I'M JUST GONNA SAY THIS REALLY QUICKLY FOR ONE LESS THAN ONE MINUTE.
I WANTED TO APPRECIATE, UM, CHAIR WALLACE'S INVOLVEMENT AND KNOWLEDGE IN THIS AREA.
THAT SECOND THING, THIRD THING, UM, I'D BE INTERESTED, NOT NOW, BUT TO GET A SENSE MAYBE BACK THROUGH SOME COMMUNICATION THROUGH STAFF.
LIKE WHAT'S THE GENERAL BUDGET THAT YOU THINK WOULD APPLY TO THIS? I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF IT'S 4 MILLION, 400,000, 40 MILLION, SOME NUMBER.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW JUST GENERALLY WHAT IT IS YOU'D SEE IF IT WAS FULLY FUNDED OR, OR THE CORE PARTS THAT WOULD BE FUNDED.
I THINK THAT IT'D BE INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW, SO WE CAN WONDER OUT LOUD WITH OUR, UM, OUR, UH, OUR LEADERS, CITY LEADERS AND TRA AND COUNTY LEADERS, WHAT TRADE OFFS ARE THERE WHEN THEY CHOOSE OUR NOT, OR CHOOSE NOT TO WORK AND FUND THIS WORK.
SO I, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO GET A SENSE OF THE SCOPE OF WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT COST OF THE THING IS.
THEN THE LAST THING WAS JUST THINKING AS YOU TELL US THE COST, THERE MAY BE, UH, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE THOUGHT OF THIS, BUT THERE MAY BE COMMUNITY PARTNERS THINKING AMAZON AND OTHERS THAT MIGHT BE WILLING TO STEP UP AND FUND SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF SOMETHING.
IF IT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS LESS THAN 10 MILLION, MAYBE THEY WOULD GIVE 4 MILLION AND ACTUALLY YOU'D BE HALFWAY THERE TO ACTUALLY FUND SOMETHING.
AGAIN, I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THE NUMBERS OR ANY OF THAT, BUT I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT NON-TRADITIONAL NON-GRANT, QUOTE UNQUOTE, OR NON-TRADITIONAL, YOU KNOW, FUNDING SOURCES THAT ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT MIGHT BE, UM, ABLE TO BUILD SOMETHING TO SUPPORT THE, THE, THE NEED IN A A DIFFERENT WAY.
AND SIR J SAY, JUST TAKE THOSE AS NOTES.
UM, AGAIN, I'M GONNA ASK FOR YOU OR REPRESENTATION FROM THE FOOD PLAN TO BE A PART OF OUR DIFFERENT WORK GROUPS, THE BUDGET INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE COMING CLOSE TO TIME, SO WE CAN'T HAVE AS FULL DISCUSSIONS.
DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? DID YOU, I'M SORRY.
UM, RELATING BACK TO THE WORK GROUPS.
SO, UH, I CHEATED, I'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE, AND I'M CURIOUS WITH THE CONCERNS OF I 35 BEING SHUT DOWN FOR MORE THAN THREE DAYS, AND THEN OUR FOOD ACCESS BEING COMPLETELY DEPLETED, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT CONVERSATION AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT LIVES WITHIN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE MORE OF LIKE A TEEM MEET SUSTAINABILITY MEETS STATE EFFORTS? AND IF THOSE AREN'T HAPPENING, I THINK THAT IS SOMEWHERE WE COULD COME INTO SUPPORT OF CREATING THOSE COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS AND CONVERSATIONS, UM, BUT THEN ALSO GET SOME ENCOURAGEMENT OF, UH, EXECUTING SOME SORT OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR THAT.
SO MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT HAPPENING? DO YOU HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ALREADY SET UP? AND IF NOT, I BELIEVE THAT SOMEWHERE WHERE OUR WORKING GROUPS COULD COME IN TO SUPPORT? YEAH, AGAIN, WE, WE, WE HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH, WITH HESSON TO ESSENTIALLY HAVE LIKE A, A BIT OF A, A PLAN, WHAT DO WE DO AROUND FOOD DURING EMERGENCIES? UM, PART OF BUILDING A RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEM THAT RELIES LESS ON FOOD TRAVELING 53 MILES NORTH OR SOUTH, IT IS TO ENSURE THAT IF I 35 SHUTS DOWN, WE CAN, UH, AT LEAST HAVE SOME DEGREE OF SUPPLY.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THIS NORTH TEXAS FOOD BANK AS WELL, AND REALLY LIKE STRENGTHENING THE SUPPLY CHAIN.
[01:25:01]
IT IS WHAT CAN HELP US GET THERE.AND, AND YES, TAKING NOTES ON YOUR COMMENT ON, ON BUDGET, IT IS A COMPLICATED THING TO ANSWER AS YOU KNOW, BUDGET CHANGES.
IF, UM, THIS PLAN WILL LIKELY NOT SAY LIKE, THIS WILL COST X MILLION DOLLARS.
IT IS A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO TACKLE, AND WE MAY HAVE TO DISAGGREGATE IT FURTHER DOWN.
LIKE, WHAT SPECIFIC STRATEGY, RIGHT? WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF A PARTICULAR WORKING GROUP OR THIS, UH, WORKING COMMISSION? WHAT DO YOU WANNA FOCUS ON? UM, I WILL AGAIN, UH, INVITE YOU TO LOOK AT THE WORK FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION, UH, AS THEY HAVE ESSENTIALLY DEVELOPED A PLAN, LIKE TO PROVIDE A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT ALIGNS BOTH WITH THE FOOD PLAN AND THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
SO THAT IS, UH, AN INTERESTING AVENUE THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION.
UM, HAS ANY MODELING BEEN DONE BASED UPON WHAT WE KNOW WE, UM, WERE FACED WITH, WITH, WITH REGARDS TO RESOURCE NEEDS FOR PE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WERE EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY? 'CAUSE WE, WE SEE, WE'VE SEEN OVER TIME, EVEN THOUGH MUCH OF THE PANDEMICS BEHIND US, THE, UM, EFFECTS OF IT ARE NOT, AND WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL FOOD INSECURE.
IN FACT, THE NUMBERS HAVE RISEN DRAMATICALLY.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED? UM, I, I WOULD TO A DEGREE, YES.
UH, THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK HAS A DASHBOARD THAT IS ACTIVELY TRACKING SUCH THINGS AS FOOD INSECURITY AND HEALTH OUTCOMES IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND CENTRAL TEXAS.
UM, ESSENTIALLY WE COULD BE ABLE TO TELL WHERE ARE WE MOVING AS A GUIDELINE, UH, AS A COMMUNITY, RIGHT? UM, ADDITIONALLY, THERE'S SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE, AGAIN, MOVING AWAY FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, DOING LITTLE MARKETS AND PROVIDING, UH, HOME DELIVERY.
SO IF ANYTHING, THE TREND SEEMS TO BE MOVING TOWARDS PROVIDING HOME DELIVERY, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING JUST, JUST GREATER ACCESS, UH, FOR, FOR FOOD.
UH, THERE IS THE QUESTION OF LIKE, HOW CAN WE BUILD MORE STORES? UM, AND, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW SOME OF, UH, THE OFFICES OF, UH, IN THE COUNCIL ARE WORKING TOWARDS THAT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING, UH, A COMMUNITY SUPPORTED, UH, A CO-OP ESSENTIALLY, UH, SOMEWHERE AROUND THE EAST SIDE HAS BEEN ALSO, UH, A PRIORITY OF THESE ARPA FUNDED PROJECTS.
AND I THINK GAVA HAS BEEN LEADING THAT, UH, ALONG WITH EDD, AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU CHECKING THAT AS WELL.
UH, AND I CAN FORWARD YOU WITH, UM, THE DETAILS OF THAT PROJECT AS WELL.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF MODELING, LIKE WHERE WE ARE IN LIKE 10, 15, 20 YEARS, THAT I, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
AND I, I CAN GO BACK HOME AND START DOING SOME GOOGLING FOR THAT REAL QUICK.
ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS VIRTUALLY? I KNOW THE SLIDES HAVE BEEN UP PRETTY MUCH FOR BOTH PRESENTATIONS, SO AT LEAST WANTED TO MAKE SURE.
UM, SO TRAVIS COUNTY HAS PANTRIES AND FOOD PANTRIES.
WERE THERE ANY GOALS OR STRATEGIES OF HOW WE CAN IMPROVE WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THESE FOOD PANTRIES? UH, YES.
UM, ESSENTIALLY MAINLY THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN LIKE, WHAT ABOUT THE CULTURAL RELEVANCY OF THESE FOOD PANTRIES? IF I DON'T UNDERSTAND ENGLISH, NOT EVEN THE ITALICS, HOW CAN I GO TO THESE FOOD PANTRIES, UH, AND, AND GET FOOD THAT, THAT I CAN ACTUALLY READ AND UNDERSTAND, UH, FOOD THAT I CAN EAT BASED ON MY CULTURAL NEEDS.
UM, UH, CHW STRATEGY COULD, UH, ALLOW TO SOLVE THAT ESSENTIALLY, IF CHW USES EXACTLY NEW THE LOCATION OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE PANTRIES IN THEIR AREA, COULD THAT BE DIFFERENT? UM, A LOT OF THE STRATEGIES UNDER THIS GOAL, NUMBER SIX, IMPLICITLY ADDRESS, UH, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING GREAT SUPPORT TO, UH, RESPONSE, UH, TO LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES AND AS WELL TO FOOD RECOVERY, UH, TO SOURCE FOOD THAT IS ABOUT TO GO AWAY INTO THE FOOD PANTRIES.
THERE'S CURRENTLY NO PROTOCOL, UH, THAT ANYONE LIKE A, A GROCERY STORE MANAGER OR WHATEVER CAN FOLLOW IN ORDER TO RESCUE FOOD.
LIKE IT IS CURRENTLY UP TO YOU IF YOU KNOW, UH, THE TWO, TWO GOOD TO GO APP OR, YOU KNOW, THE PHONE NUMBER TO CALL FROM THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK.
UM, SO A LOT OF THESE, IT HAS BEEN, UH, IT IS CURRENTLY BEING ADDRESSED IN THE FOOD PLAN, AND I'M, I CAN BRING BACK THAT QUESTION, AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION VIA EMAIL TOO.
[01:30:01]
QUESTIONS? OKAY, THERE BEING NONE.UH, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO FOREGO THE COMMITTEE UPDATES.
DO I HAVE ANY OPPOSITION FOR THAT? THERE BEING NONE.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
UH, FUTURE AGENDAS FOR THE NEXT MEETING? YES, I WAS.ALL ME A FAVOR? UM, YES, I, I JUST ASKED A QUESTION OFFLINE, BUT I THINK WE ALL NEED TO HEAR IT.
I ASKED IF THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROTOCOL FOR TO RESCUE FOOD IS IMPACTING THE 1.24 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD THAT ARE BEING WASTED.
UH, THAT IS, UH, ESSENTIALLY A GRAND NUMBER, UH, FROM A RR IN TERMS OF, RIGHT, THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF, UH, FOOD THAT COULD BE RECOVERED THAT GOES INTO THE LANDFILL.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN BREAK DOWN SPECIFICALLY HOW MUCH OF THAT COMES FROM, UH, LARGE RETAILERS OR HOW MUCH OF THAT COMES FROM, UH, HOUSEHOLDS, BUT IT WILL BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE IMPLEMENTATION OF, UH, PROTOCOL FOR FOOD RESCUE CAN DIMINISH, UH, THAT NUMBER OF 1.24 POUND MILLION POUNDS.
AND FIRST OF ALL, SORRY TO DO THIS, AND I KNOW WE HAVE LIMITED TIME HERE, BUT WHAT I WONDERED WAS THAT, OKAY, UH, A LARGE, YOU KNOW, GROCER OR SOMETHING ALL OF A SUDDEN HAS A BUNCH OF FOOD THEY WANT TO RESCUE AND SEND IT OVER SOMEPLACE, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S FRUIT AND VEGETABLES, IT HAS A SHELF LIFE.
THAT'S THE POINT OF, OF RESCUING IT.
I WONDERED IF THERE'S A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM THAT SHOULD BE OUT THERE THAT HELPS PEOPLE KNOW THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT'S THERE, OR, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW DOES, HOW DO WE GET TO THE END CUSTOMER TO SAY, HEY, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, DOT, DOT, DOT, WHATEVER'S JUST NOW SHOWING UP SOMEPLACE AND IT'S AVAILABLE FOR PICKUP THE NEXT 12 HOURS OR WHATEVER.
THAT ESSENTIALLY IS THE PROTOCOL.
UH, IT IS WHAT ARE THE STEPS THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE IN ORDER TO PREVENT SOME FOOD TO BE WASTED? UM, AND YEAH, BUT, BUT I'M ASKING ABOUT LIKE, HOW DOES THE END USER WHO WOULD GO PICK IT UP KNOW IT'S THERE? UH, CURRENTLY, UH, THERE IS LIKE APPS, LIKE THAT'S LIKE, THAT IS HOW THEY'RE TO, TO, TO GO, TO GO IS A THING THAT EXISTS.
UM, THERE IS ALSO SOME THIRD PARTY APPS THAT THE CENTRAL SUCCESS TWO BANK USES TO INTERCEPT FOOD, TO GO TO WASTE.
UM, AGAIN, IT REALLY DEPENDS IF YOU AS A STORE MANAGER OR AS A CLOSER REALLY KNOW WHAT TO DO.
UH, SO A LOT OF THESE STRATEGIES ON GOLD NUMBER SEVEN, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT FOR, UH, A GROCERY STORE MANAGER, UH, CLOSING AT 11:00 PM TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS, UH, AND TO REDUCE, UH, THESE FOOD WASTE AND TO HELP, UH, INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF FOOD THAT CAN BE RECOVERED.
UM, SO YES, DEFINITELY IT IS ADDRESSED.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET TO THERE USING, UH, GOAL NUMBER SEVEN, AND I THINK THIS TIES BACK INTO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR WORK GROUPS, RIGHT? UH, IN AN ASPECT OF WHERE THE FOOD POLICY BOARD IS MORE FOCUSED ON THE POLICIES WITHIN GOVERNMENT, WHERE CAN OUR PARTNERS POTENTIALLY DO AGREEMENTS WITH THE WALMARTS AND SO FORTH FOR LOCAL ENTITIES AND BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, AS PART OF THIS HEALTH IMPACT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
UM, SO, UH, I DID HEAR BACK FROM A COUPLE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THE PARTNERSHIP WORK GROUP.
I FORGET WHO'S RUNNING PARTNERSHIP, WHO'S LEADING PARTNERSHIP, I FORGET.
UM, SO IF YOU ALL CAN START REACHING OUT TO ORGANIZATIONS YOU BELIEVE, UH, UH, SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE WORK GROUPS AND START CREATING, YOU KNOW, A, A RUNNING LIST.
BUT AUSTIN NAACP, COMMUNITY RESILIENCY, A TX, AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION WERE THREE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SAID THEY DEFINITELY WANTED TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE PARTNERSHIP, UH, UH, WORK GROUP.
AND THEN AS OF TODAY, THE A PH, I'M CALLING IT A-P-H-C-H-W DEPARTMENT, IT'S PROBABLY CALLED SOMETHING ELSE, UM, AND THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN.
BUT IF YOU ALL CAN, UM, UH, THINK AND REFLECT AS WELL, UM, SO AT LEAST THAT WAY WE CAN START KIND OF FIGURING OUT HOW DO WE SEND THE INVITES, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THE PARTNERSHIP WORK GROUP HAS THOSE CONTACTS TO, TO, TO DO THAT.
AND THEN THE SAME THING WITH THE OTHER TWO WORK GROUPS WHEN IT COMES TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE BUDGET.
[01:35:02]
IN OUR, UM, NOTEBOOKS THAT EASILY VIABLE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION,NO, I, I, I WANNA BE TRANSPARENT AND COMMUNICATING.
UM, WE, WE DON'T MANAGE YOUR WORK GROUPS, SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR NOTES OR MINUTES OF COURSE, SORT TO SPEAK FROM THOSE MEETINGS, WE COULD INCLUDE THAT IN THE BINDERS.
ALRIGHT, WELL, YEAH, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED AT FOUR 11.