Jun 17, 2024 Arts Commission

SEE, I YOU LOOK LIKE SELENA FROM A DISTANCE.

I DIDN'T THINK SHE WAS HERE.

THE SCREEN IS REALLY LITTLE IN THIS ROOM.

WE'RE DOING ANOTHER ROOM.

UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA, I BELIEVE IS NOT HERE THIS EVENING.

UH, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON BESIDE ME.

AND, UH, COMMISSIONER NUKI? NOPE.

THERE YOU'RE, THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER MOCK? NO.

SO WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.

SO WE WILL START THE MEETING.

CALL TO ORDER.

IT IS NOW 6:03 PM UM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS? WE DO NOT.

SO WE DO NOT HAVE PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR THIS EVENING, SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

OF MINUTES.

MAY I ASK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF OUR LAST MEETING ON MAY 20TH, 2024.

SO MOVED.

CAN I GET A SECOND? ALRIGHT, MADLA.

SO ALL IN FAVOR? HANDS HIGH.

AND, UH, MALDONADO, ARE YOU, AM I SEEING YOU TWICE? UH, COMMISSIONER MALDA NOT.

ALRIGHT, I'LL, WE ARE, IT'S APPROVED.

WHICH IS NUMBER TWO ON THE AGENDA IS REPORT OF THE ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES LIAISON CONCERNING ACTIONS TAKEN DURING THE MAY 6TH, 2024 MEETING OF THE ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES PANEL BY COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.

FIRST DISCUSSION ITEM,

[2. Report of the Art in Public Places Liaison concerning actions taking during the May 6, 2024 meeting of the Art in Public Places Panel by Commissioner Maldonado ]

HELLO EVERYONE.

I DO NOT HAVE AN UPDATE TODAY.

I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THAT MAY 6TH MEETING, SO I WILL HAVE TO REPORT NEXT MONTH.

NO WORRIES.

ON ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE MAY 15TH, 2024 DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING BY COMMISSIONER MOCK, WHO IS NOT PRESENT.

ITEM NUMBER THREE, UPDATE

[3. Update on actions taken at the May 15, 2024 Downtown Commission meeting by Commissioner Mok]

SO THAT WILL BE MOVED TO THE NEXT MEETING.

ALL RIGHT, ON

[4. Staff briefing regarding the Economic and Cultural District Framework Policy by Matthew Schmidt, Global Business Expansion Division Program Manager III ]

TO NUMBER FOUR OF THE AGENDA, STAFF BRIEFINGS, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICT FRAMEWORK POLICY BY MATTHEW SCHMIDT, GLOBAL BUSINESS EXPANSION DIVISION PROGRAM MANAGER THREE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MATTHEW WOULD, OH, GREEN.

SO THAT IS WHAT WE ARE AS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND OUR TEAM IS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, IS SETTING AN ACTUAL POLICY TO ACTUALLY RESOURCE AND GUIDE AND ORGANIZE THESE SPECIFIC SPACES.

THERE WE GO.

GOOD EVENING, ACTING CHAIR, GRAY AND COMMISSIONERS.

UH, MY NAME IS MATTHEW SCHMIDT.

I'M A PROGRAM MANAGER THREE WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

I LEAD OUR CHAPTER THREE 80 BUSINESS INCENTIVES AND ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS TEAM.

UH, TODAY I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICT FRAMEWORK POLICY FOR CONSIDERATION THAT WE'RE TAKING TO COUNCIL, HOPEFULLY AT THE END OF AUGUST.

SO, I'D LIKE TO START OUT AND PROVIDE JUST A HISTORY OF DISTRICTS OVERALL TO Y'ALL.

UM, CLEARLY DISTRICTS IS A VERY LARGE TERM IN MUNICIPAL SERVICE AND, AND KIND OF SERVES A LARGE PURPOSE.

UH, DISTRICTS CAN BE USED IN, UH, SEVERAL, SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS, UH, WITH, WITHIN CITY SERVICES.

AND, UH, IN SOME WAYS IT CAN BE LOOKED AT SMALL AREA PLANNING.

WHEN WE LOOK AT PALM DISTRICT OR ANY OTHER PLANNING AREAS, UH, AMONGST OUR CITY, UH, IT CAN BE CONSIDERED IN HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION CAN, WHICH CAN COME WITH, UH, REGULATORY INCENTIVES, UH, AND, UH, SERVICING, UH, HISTORIC DESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC SITES AND LOCATIONS.

UH, OR IT CAN BE, UH, SELF TAX ASSESSMENT AREAS LIKE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS.

AND IN THIS SPECIFIC CASE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS, UH, WHICH ARE SPECIFICALLY MORE GEARED TOWARDS BUSINESS DISTRICTS.

UH, AND IN THIS CASE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOES NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC POLICY IN PLACE TO ACTUALLY GUIDE AND RESOURCE THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS.

UH,

[00:05:01]

UH, PRIOR COUNCIL ACTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, KIND OF SPECIFIC TO, UH, CULTURAL DISTRICTS.

UH, SINCE 2007, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS APPROACHED CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND KIND OF ECONOMIC DISTRICTS THROUGH COUNCIL DISTRICT, UH, ACTIONS AND, AND RECOGNITION, UH, THROUGH THESE, UH, COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS.

SO SINCE 2007, UH, WE'VE RECOGNIZED FOUR CULTURAL DISTRICTS STARTING IN 2007 WITH THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT, OR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT, AS THEY RENAMED IT IN 2008 AS OUR FIRST, UH, CULTURAL DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UH, AND THEN IN 2011, UH, WE NAMED THE FIFTH STREET MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR.

UH, AND THEN IN 2013, THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.

AND THEN THE, OUR, OUR MOST RECENT CULTURAL DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS IN 2023, THE SOUTH SHORE CULTURAL DISTRICT, UH, WITH THESE COUNCIL ACTIONS, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO TOOLS OR RESOURCES BEHIND THEM OUTSIDE OF THE RECOGNITION OF THEM, UH, THAT CAME WITH THEM TO ACTUALLY RESOURCE AND PROVIDE A SUSTAINING ELEMENT, UH, TO SEE THEIR DEVELOPMENT.

UH, SO AGAIN, THIS POLICY IS HOPEFULLY TRYING TO SOLVE SOME OF THOSE GAPS, UH, IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

UH, OVERALL, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT SAW THAT GAP IN ABOUT 2014, THEY DECIDED TO CREATE A DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TO ACTUALLY SERVICE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS.

UH, AND SPECIFICALLY THEY DEVELOPED THE SOLELY AUSTIN PROGRAM, UH, WHICH IS A PLACE-BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, UH, FOCUSED ON CREATING AND RETAINING STRONG AND VIBRANT CULTURALLY RICH, UH, BUSINESS DISTRICTS.

UH, SINCE 2016, UH, THE SOLELY AUSTIN PROGRAM HAS ASSISTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SIX DISTRICTS.

UH, THE, OUR ICONS LISTED ON THIS, UH, SLIDE DEMONSTRATE THE SIX DISTRICTS THAT WE HAVE WORKED WITH CURRENTLY, THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT, EAST 12TH STREET, NORTH LAMAR INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT, EAST CAESAR CHAVEZ, UH, MAINOR ROAD IN SOUTH CONGRESS.

UH, TYPICALLY WE RECEIVE A BUDGET OF 362,000, UH, TO SUPPORT THESE DISTRICTS.

UH, AND TYPICALLY THAT PROVIDES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, WORK WITH TWO DISTRICTS A YEAR, UH, IN DEVELOPING THEIR MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION AND DEVELOP A DISTRICT STRATEGY FOR THEM TO, UH, PARTNER WITH US AND THEN MOVE FORWARD INDEPENDENTLY OF THE CITY AND TO MAINTAIN THEIR ASSOCIATIONS, UH, MOVING FORWARD.

UH, CURRENTLY OUR PROGRAM IS ASSISTING THE SOUTH FIRST AREA, UH, SOUTH FIRST STREET AREA AND ALDRICH STREET DISTRICT AREA, UH, AS WE ARE SERVICING, UH, SOME PRIOR COMMITMENTS FROM 2019.

SO, AS I SAID, UH, THOSE ARE THE, THE CURRENT PROGRAMS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN OFFERS AND DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT SPECIFIC TO ECONOMIC DISTRICTS.

AND OUR GOAL NOW IS TO TRY AND FINALLY FOUND, PRODUCE A FOUNDATIONAL POLICY, UH, TO SUPPORT OUR ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS MOVING FORWARD.

UH, SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY IS TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY AND POLICY MAKERS THE GUIDANCE TO IDENTIFY, ORGANIZE AND RESOURCE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS.

SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE BENEFITS THAT ECONOMIC DIS AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS BRINGS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THEY BRING A, UH, CONCENTRATED ACTIVITY OF DEFY OR OF ECONOMIC BENEFITS, OF CONCENTRATED ACTIVITY INTO THOSE DEFINED DISTRICTS.

UH, THEY SERVE TOUR AS A TOURIST ATTRACTIONS, BRINGING IN MORE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, UH, TO BUSINESSES, HOTELS, AND TOURIST ATTRACTIONS WITHIN THOSE AREAS.

UH, AGAIN, WELL-DEFINED DISTRICTS SUPPORT THRIVING COMMERCE AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION AS WE'LL LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TYPES OF DISTRICTS AND HOW THEY IMPACT THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS.

AND THEN WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT HAVING A STRONG POLICY, UH, AND HAVING THAT FOCUSED ON UNIFIED MANAGEMENT, BRANDING AND PROGRAMMING, UH, AMPLIFIES THEIR ECONOMIC IMPACTS, AND THEN OF COURSE, FOSTERS SYNERGY AMONGST THOSE STAKEHOLDERS AND AMPLIFIES, UH, THEIR ABILITY TO, UH, PROMOTE THEMSELVES WITHIN THOSE AREAS.

SO HOW DO WE DEFINE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS? UH, THROUGH OUR RESEARCH, THE WAY THAT WE HAVE, UH, DEVELOPED THIS POLICY IS THROUGH, UH, OUR PRACTICAL RESEARCH, THROUGH OUR DEVELOPMENT OF SOLI AUSTIN, UH, THROUGH BEST PRACTICE RESEARCH, UH, FROM, UH, NATIONWIDE PRACTICES OF CULTURAL DISTRICT POLICIES, UH, FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES, UH, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT WE HAVE CONDUCTED THROUGH OUR, OUR DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. AND WE HAVE CAME THROUGH AND DEFINED WHAT WE'D CONSIDER ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS TO, UH, TO REPRESENT.

UH, AND WHAT WE LOOK AT THEM TO BE IS MORE COMPACT AREAS, UH, WHICH ARE ROUGHLY ABOUT ONE FOURTH TO, UH, ONE AND A HALF OR MILE AREAS, UH, RICH IN CREATIVE AND CULTURAL, UH, COMMERCIAL ASSETS.

UH, THEY'RE GOING TO CREATE, UH, CONTAIN CONCENTRATIONS OF CREATIVE CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT, HERITAGE OR COMMERCIAL ASSETS THAT CAN,

[00:10:01]

UH, THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORTIVE COMMERCE.

UH, AND THEY BRING A, A MAKE USE OF A VARIETY OF ECONOMIC AND VALUE CAPTURE AND FOCUSED REGULATORY TOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SUSTAINABLE.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE RECOGNIZE THAT ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS ARE TYPICALLY STEWARD BY DISTRICT MANAGEMENT ENTITIES, UH, THAT ARE INDEPENDENT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

SO TYPICALLY THEY'RE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THAT OPERATE THESE SPECIFIC SITES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT ALSO THEY'RE INDEPENDENT AND DOING THEIR OWN WORK, UH, TO SUPPORT THESE AREAS.

ONE THING THAT WE WILL NOTE, THOUGH, THAT AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS DEFINITION AND WE TALK ABOUT, UH, THE KIND OF THOSE COMPACT AREAS, I DO LIKE TO NOTE THAT NOT ALL CULTURAL DISTRICTS OR ECONOMIC DISTRICTS ARE MADE THE SAME AS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT IS A SIX SQUARE MILE CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT.

SO WE RECOGNIZE THE FLEXIBILITY OF THAT.

AND SO THIS DEFINITION IS MEANT TO BE FLUID, UH, AND IT IS NOT GOING TO BE APPLIED STRICTLY TO EVERY SINGLE AREA.

WE ARE GOING TO LISTEN TO COMMUNITY AS THEY APPROACH US WITH THEIR IDEAS, WITH HOW, UH, THEIR DISTRICT MAY WANT TO BE DEVELOPED MOVING FORWARD.

SO OF COURSE, WE LOOK AT THE TYPES OF DISTRICTS THAT THIS POLICY MAY, UH, MAY SERVE.

AND THIS IS A, A SAMPLE LIST OF DIFFERENT PO TYPES OF DISTRICTS THAT SPECIFICALLY ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS, UH, TYPICALLY LOOK AT.

UH, WE HAVE ECONOMIC DISTRICTS, WHICH IS YOUR TYPICAL BUSINESS DISTRICTS, WHICH WILL HAVE A HIGH PORTION OF COMMERCIAL ENTERTAINMENT OR CULTURAL USES THAT HELP ANCHOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, ENTERTAINMENT OR MUSIC DISTRICTS, WHICH ARE OF COURSE, UH, CONCENTRATED WITH A HIGH PROPORTION OF LIVE MUSIC VENUES, CULTURAL AND ARTS DISTRICTS, WHICH OF COURSE HAVE CULTURAL USES AND A LARGE ARTS, UH, PRESENCE, HERITAGE DISTRICTS, WHICH KIND OF, UH, TOWS THAT LINE OF HISTORIC AND HERITAGE SITES, UH, WITH, UH, POTENTIAL FOR MOVING INTO THAT HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION AREA.

UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, REALLY YOUR, JUST YOUR STRICTLY SMALL BUSINESS DISTRICT AREAS, WHICH REALLY HAVE JUST THAT HIGH PROPORTION OF RESTAURANTS PER, UH, PERSONAL VER UH, SERVICES, NICHE, RETAIL AND OTHER MAIN STREET TYPE OF, UH, PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED, UH, BUSINESSES.

AGAIN, UH, WE ALWAYS PREFACE THIS THAT WE HAVE A SET LIST OF TYPES OF DISTRICTS, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS FLUID.

WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO LISTEN TO COMMUNITY AS THEY MAY HAVE DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS FOR WHAT THEY MAY LIKE TO SEE THEIR DISTRICT BEING DEFINED AS, AS LONG AS THEY COME TO US WITH A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, AND THEY CAN MAP OUT WHAT THAT VISION LOOKS LIKE, WE ARE WILLING TO LISTEN TO THEM AS IT FITS THIS SPECIFIC POLICY.

SO WE DO HAVE SPECIFIC VALUES AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AS I SAID, WAS INFORMED BY OUR, UH, PRIOR EXPERIENCE, UH, WITH OUR DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING, UH, AND OUR, UH, UH, BEST PRACTICE RESEARCH.

UH, AND FIRST, OUR FIRST GUIDING PRINCIPLE IS COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT AND STEWARDSHIP, WHICH IS EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIES WITHIN OUR ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS, UH, FOSTERING GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT IN ORGANIZATION TO ENSURE THAT RESIDENTS, SMALL BUSINESSES, CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND INSTITUTIONS HAVE A MEANINGFUL VOICE IN SHAPING THEIR DISTRICT'S FUTURE.

UH, THE SECOND GUIDING PRINCIPLE IS PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF CULTURAL IDENTITY, UH, WHICH IS PRESERVING, CELEBRATING, AND PROMOTING THE UNIQUE CULTURAL HERITAGE AND IDENTITY OF EACH CULTURAL DISTRICT, ENSURING THAT THE CULTURAL ASSETS, TRADITIONS, AND STORIES ARE HONORED AND SHARED WITH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS CONTRIBUTING TO A SENSE OF PRIDE AND BELONGING WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY.

THE THIRD IS EQUITABLE ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES, UH, PROMOTING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, RESOURCES AND AMENITIES WITHIN THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS, IMPLEMENTING POLICIES AND INITIATIVES THAT ADDRESS SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO ACCESS, SUCH AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, COMMUNITY SERVICES, AND ENSURING THAT ALL RESIDENTS CAN BENEFIT FROM THE DISTRICT'S DEVELOPMENT.

OUR FOURTH IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP WITHIN THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS, INTEGRATING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, RENEWABLE ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES INTO DISTRICT PLANNING AND OPERATIONS TO MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND ENHANCE RESILIENCY TO IMPACT CLIMATE CHANGE.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, IN ECONOMIC CLUSTERING, UH, PROMOTING THE COLLABORATION, NETWORKING AND SHARED RESOURCES, FOSTERING GROWTH AND RESILIENCE WITHIN THE LOCAL ECONOMY, ALLOWING SMALL BUSINESSES TO LEVERAGE EACH OTHER'S STRENGTHS, ATTRACT CUSTOMERS, AND COLLECTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE VIBRANCY AND IDENTITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR COMMUNITY.

UH, WE MADE SURE THAT OUR POLICY IS STEEPED WITHIN ALIGNING, UH, WITH SEVERAL OF THE CITY'S, UH, UH, PLANS OR INITIATIVES,

[00:15:01]

UH, LISTED HERE.

UH, WE WON'T GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, BUT I'LL JUST KIND OF HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE MAIN ONES.

UH, OF COURSE, WE ALIGN WITH THE IMAGINE AUSTIN, UH, AND ENSURING THAT WE ARE CREATING COMPLETE COMMUNITIES THAT OFFER BASIC DAY-TO-DAY NEEDS WITH AN A WALKABLE TRANSIT CONNECTED NEIGHBORHOOD FRAMEWORK.

UH, WE'RE MEETING THE MUSIC AND CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM STABILIZATION, UM, UH, PLAN, UH, BY CREATION OF AFFORDABLE CREATIVE SPACE THROUGH INCLUSION AND CITY PLANNING PROCESSES, UM, UTILIZING THE CHAPTER THREE 80 INCENTIVE POLICY BY NEW INVESTMENT IN NEW INDUSTRY TO POTENTIALLY CREATE A NEW CLUSTER OR BRING ADDITIONAL TYPES OF INDUSTRIES INTO AUSTIN.

UH, AND THEN THE CULTURAL TOURISM PLAN BY CALLS FOR FOSTERING NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER AND IDENTITY TO GENERATE MORE DIVERSE AND CLUSTERED CULTURAL PRODUCTS.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, THIS POLICY IS, UH, UH, REALLY STEEPED IN THE THRIVING IN PLACE REPORT, UH, WHICH IDENTIFIES KEY ROLE OF UNIFIED DISTRICTS WITHIN TARGETED SERVICES FOR CULTURAL ENHANCEMENTS.

UH, RECOMMENDS COMBINING ANCHOR TRACTORS WITH VALUE CAPTURE REC, UH, MECHANISMS AND FOCUSES ON PRESERVING AND INCUBATING ARTS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS.

A PORTION OF THIS POLICY WILL FINALLY BE ORGANIZING ALL OF THE DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND TOOLS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN CURRENTLY HAS TO OFFER.

AND SO ON THIS SLIDE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE LISTED, UH, AND I KNOW IT'S IN VERY SMALL PRINT, UH, BUT ALL OF THE CURRENT TOOLS THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER ALL, ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS THAT GO FROM, UH, THE RESOURCES OF DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, WHICH IS, UH, SUPPORTING, UH, THE, UH, DISTRICTS THROUGH, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, ORGANIZING AND EDUCATION, UH, ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORTING THEM, DEVELOPING THEIR DISTRICT, UH, MANAGEMENT ENTITY, UH, ALL THE WAY TO POTENTIAL, UH, UH, DISTRICT IDENTITY, UH, TOOLS, UH, THROUGH OUR IDENTITY DISTRICT, UH, MAN AGREEMENT WITH OUR, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, UH, DEPARTMENT, UH, THAT SUPPORTS YOUR, UH, UH, ITEMS THAT YOU SEE, MAYBE YOUR BANNERS AND STREET SIGNS THAT YOU HAVE SEEN IN SOME OF OUR DISTRICTS LIKE RED RIVER OR SOUTH CONGRESS.

UH, WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT OUR DISTRICTS, UH, THROUGH, OF COURSE, SPECIAL REVENUE STREAMS, LIKE VALUE RECAPTURE TOOLS LIKE OUR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS.

UH, THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE IS OF UNIQUE BECAUSE THOSE ARE SELF TAX ASSESSMENTS ON THE PROPERTY OWNERS, AND OF COURSE, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE STRENGTHENED WITH THEIR BUSINESS DISTRICTS, AND THAT THOSE ACTIVITIES CAN BE SUPPORTIVE, UH, OF THOSE BUSINESS AREAS, THOSE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS.

UH, AND THEN THERE'S OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.

JUST RECENTLY, THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICTS WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND OF SPECIFIC RIGHT OF WAY FEES, UH, TO SUPPORT THEIR PLACEMAKING AND WAY FINDING ACTIVITIES.

UH, SO THERE'S UNIQUE WAYS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN SUPPORT OUR DISTRICTS, AND THAT'S THE WAYS THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONSISTENTLY LOOK AT THIS POLICY AND EVALUATE WAYS THAT WE CAN ALSO SUPPORT, UH, FUNDING MECHANISMS AND OTHER, UH, ROLES AND TOOLS THAT THE CITY CAN SUPPORT DISTRICTS, UH, IN ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE SUSTAIN SUSTAINABLE TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, IN THEIR DEVELOPMENTS.

ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THIS POLICY IS FINALLY, UH, FORMALIZING A PROCESS IN WHICH ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS CAN FINALLY BE RECOGNIZED.

UH, SO THE FINAL PORTION OF THIS POLICY IS A PROCESS THAT STEPS, UH, THROUGH EACH TYPE OF ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICT IN WHICH THEY WOULD, UH, APPROACH THE CITY AND SPECIFICALLY, UH, LOOKING TO BE RECOGNIZED.

UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS, THERE'S TWO KIND OF COLUMNS, AND THEY'RE A, THEY'RE TREATED A LITTLE BIT SEPARATELY.

ECONOMIC DISTRICTS ARE SPECIFICALLY OUR BUSINESS DISTRICTS, WHICH WOULD, UH, REALLY JUST BE BUSINESS FOCUSED.

UH, SO THEIR APPROACH WOULD REALLY JUST BE, UH, APPROACHING THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, WITH A FORMALIZED LEADERSHIP GROUP, UH, AND SUBMITTING A LETTER OF INTENT TO US, UH, WITH LETTERS OF SUPPORT.

UH, WE'RE STILL ESTABLISHING A PERCENTAGE OF SUPPORT OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WE THINK WOULD BE A HEALTHY NUMBER.

UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE SITTING AT KIND OF 51%, WHICH IS MATCHING OUR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, UH, UM, UM, POLICY.

UH, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT NUMBER IS STILL A ROBUST, STRONG NUMBER TO ENSURE THAT WE REPRESENT AGRO A GOOD MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT NUMBER AS WELL, UH, FOR THAT ORGANIZATION, A DEMONSTRATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY FOR THAT DISTRICT, ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE EITHER AN ORGANIZATION IN PLACE THAT CAN SUPPORT THAT DISTRICT MOVING FORWARD, OR IF THEY NEED SUPPORT FROM THE CITY, THAT THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY HAVE A LEADERSHIP CORE IN PLACE, UH, FOR THEM TO APPROACH US AND LOOK INTO OUR DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES LIKE SOLELY AUSTIN, UH, TO RECEIVE THAT SUPPORT THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO MOVE FORWARD IF THEY NEED, UH, THOSE SPECIFIC RESOURCES.

UH, ANOTHER, UH, ITEM THAT THEY WILL NEED TO, UH, HAVE IN PLACE BEFORE THEY CAN BE RECOGNIZED IS THE DISTRICT STRATEGY AS WELL.

UH, AND THIS ITEM IS, UH, ANOTHER TOOL

[00:20:01]

THAT CAN BE UTILIZED, UH, THAT CAN BE SUPPORTED THROUGH OUR DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, LIKE SO AUSTIN, OR CAN BE DEVELOPED INDEPENDENTLY, DEPENDING ON THE, UH, UM, UH, THE STRENGTH OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND THE BUSINESS DISTRICT THAT THEY'RE WORKING WITH, IF THEY ARE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THOSE PROCESSES.

UH, AND THOSE, UH, ITEMS, UH, THE ECONOMIC AND DISTRICT, UH, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICT TEAM, WHICH IS HOUSED IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WOULD THEN ANALYZE THOSE DOCUMENTS AND THEN MAKE A, A RECOMMENDATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF RECOGNITION FOR THAT SPECIFIC DISTRICT.

AND THEY WOULD ALSO LOOK AT THE, UH, SPECIFIC TOOLS THAT THE CITY HAS IN PLACE, AND MAKE SURE THAT WITHIN THAT RECOMMENDATION IS THE LIST OF TOOLS THAT WOULD APTLY APPLY TO THAT SPECIFIC DISTRICT, AND ENSURING THAT IT WOULD BE A SUSTAINABLE DISTRICT MOVING FORWARD.

ON THE FLIP SIDE, FOR CULTURAL DISTRICTS, THEY WOULD SAY THEY WOULD FOLLOW THE SAME KIND OF ROUTINE OF LETTERS OF INTENT AND SUPPORT, HOWEVER, THEY WOULD INCLUDE AS A FEW MORE STEPS, UH, ENSURING, UH, THAT THEY WOULD, UH, KINDA REVIEW THEIR CULTURAL ASSET MAPS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE INCLUDING SEVERAL CULTURAL ASSETS WITHIN THEIR BOUNDARIES.

UH, AND THEN BECAUSE OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND KIND OF THEIR, UH, FURTHER, UH, RECOGNITION WITH PROCESS THAT IS INCLUDED IN OR TRYING TO ACHIEVE STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING, UH, THERE IS A RECOGNITION AND ESTABLISHING ORDINANCE THAT MUST BE, MUST OCCUR FOR CULTURAL DISTRICTS SPECIFICALLY.

UH, SO THERE IS A STEP IN THE RECOGNITION PROCESS THAT WE HAVE MADE, UH, THAT ONCE THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THEIR LETTER OF INTENT AND SUPPORT AND ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY, UH, THAT WE WOULD THEN PARTNER WITH THEIR COUNCIL OFFICE TO THEN, UH, PROCEED WITH ESTABLISHING AN ORDINANCE.

AND THEN WITHIN THAT ORDINANCE, AGAIN, WOULD ALSO LIST OUT THE APPROPRIATE TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO ENSURE THAT THEY WOULD BE A SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATION AND DISTRICT MOVING FORWARD.

SO, JUST POINTING OUT THE CURRENT INITIATIVES OF OUR DISTRICTS THAT WHILE WE DO NOT HAVE A POLICY, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OUR ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICT TEAM IS, UH, CURRENTLY, UH, UH, KNOCKING OUT SEVERAL DISTRICT INITIATIVES AS IS, UH, OUR TEAM IS CURRENTLY MADE UP OF THREE INDIVIDUALS, AND I SAY THREE PRETTY LOOSELY.

WE HAVE ONE DEDICATED INDIVIDUAL TO OUR ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICT TEAM THAT SERVES AS OUR SOLELY AUSTIN PROGRAM COORDINATOR.

I BELIEVE SHE'S ON THE WEBEX, UH, JUANI TORRES.

UH, Y'ALL HAVE ALSO, UH, RECEIVED PLENTY OF, UH, OF BRIEFINGS FROM ANOTHER, UH, MEMBER OF OUR ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS TEAM, DONALD JACKSON, UH, AS HE DOES SOME GREAT WORK WITH OUR CREATIVE DISTRICT OVERLAYS AND INCENTIVES PROGRAMS AS THEY BENEFIT OUR SPECIFIC DISTRICTS.

AND THEN AS MYSELF, AS I LEAD OUR TEAM, UH, SPECIFIC TO OUR DISTRICTS AND OUR BUSINESS INCENTIVES.

UH, BUT OVERALL, WE ARE CURRENTLY LEADING SEVERAL INITIATIVES, AS I MENTIONED, UH, WITH OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN AND CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT.

WE ARE CURRENTLY ABOUT TO EMBARK ON A STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVE WITHIN THEIR AREA, UH, WITH THE FIFTH STREET MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR.

OUR TEAM IS LEADING THE DISTRICT MANAGEMENT ENTITY DEVELOPMENT WITH THEIR SPECIFIC DISTRICT, UH, THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.

WE CONTINUE OUR PARTNERSHIP IN ENSURING THAT THEY'RE, UH, UH, THEY RECEIVE THE FUNDING THAT THEY'RE, UH, DUE THROUGH THEIR SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, AND THAT THEY, UH, CONTINUE TO RECEIVE PLACEMAKING AND WAY FINDING SUPPORT, UH, WITH PROJECTS THAT ARE UPCOMING.

UH, WE'RE SUPPORTING THE SOUTH SHORE CULTURAL DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT AS, UH, AS FUNDING AND RESOURCES BECOME AVAILABLE.

UH, AND THEN AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, OUR SOLELY AUSTIN DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, UH, WE ARE FINISHING UP, UH, SOME FISCAL YEAR 19 COMMITMENTS THAT WERE DISRUPTED BY THE COVID PANDEMIC AND SUPPORTING THE SOUTH FIRST STREET AND ALRICH STREET AT MILLER DISTRICTS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS MONITORING THE, UH, CONTINUED OPERATIONS OF OUR EXISTING ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS, WHICH ARE EAST 12TH STREET, EAST CESAR CHAVEZ, NORTH LAMAR INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT IN SOUTH CONGRESS.

JUST NOTING THAT THE ONGOING CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITH ECONOMIC, CULTURAL DISTRICTS WITHOUT A POLICY IS, UH, JUST UNFUNDED, UH, COUNCIL ACTIONS, AS I NOTED, UH, WITH THE CURRENT, UH, PROCESS WE HAVE OF, UH, COUNCIL, UH, ACTIONS OF DESIGNATION AND, AND NO, UH, SUPPORTING TOOLS, UH, THAT'S NOT A SUSTAINABLE WAY OF SUPPORTING OUR DISTRICTS.

AND WE CONTINUE TO, UH, RUN INTO HURDLES OF TRYING TO, UH, SUPPORT AND IMPLEMENT PROJECTS SPECIFIC TO THOSE AREAS, UH, TO, UH, TO SEE THEM THRIVE.

UH, THE LIMITED FINANCIAL AND STAFFING CAPACITIES THAT OUR PROGRAM, UH, IS SPECIFICALLY EXPERIENCING.

UH, AS NOTED, OUR, OUR SPECIFIC ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICT TEAM IS LIMITED TO ABOUT $350,000 A YEAR TO SUPPORT ROUGHLY 10, UH, DISTRICTS, UH, IN THIS AREA.

AND THAT'S A PRETTY LIMITED AMOUNT OF MONEY TO SPREAD ABOUT, UH, THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS.

UH, WE ALSO RUN INTO LIMITED COMMUNITY CAPACITY.

UH, THESE ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THAT WE'RE TYPICALLY WORKING WITH, UH, AND TYPICALLY THEY'RE STRETCHED THIN AS WELL, TRYING TO OPERATE THEIR BUSINESSES AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY RUNNING A,

[00:25:01]

A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.

UH, SO IT'S BALANCING THEIR CAPACITIES AS WELL AS THE CAPACITY AND NEEDS OF THEIR ORGANIZATIONS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

UH, AND THEN WITHOUT THIS SPECIFIC POLICY, UH, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A LACK OF BUSINESS AND DISTRICT PRESERVATION AND RESILIENCY TOOLS.

UH, SO AS WE ORGANIZE THE SPECIFIC TOOLS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE NOW, OUR TEAM IS CONTINUOUSLY EVALUATING, UH, WHAT NEW TOOLS ON THE HORIZON WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO BE SUCCESSFUL, UH, WITHIN THIS POLICY.

UH, SO WITH THAT, THAT IS OUR PRESENTATION.

AND I WILL CLOSE AND OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

I THINK I HAVE A QUESTION.

I SHOULD SAY, I THINK I HAVE A TON OF THEM, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR.

BUT FIRST OF ALL, WHAT A BROAD, DEEP, WIDE EFFORT FOR JUST A, LIKE YOU SAID, A SMALL STAFF.

UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THE CITY ITSELF HAS BIG PLANS AND HAS FOR MANY DECADES ABOUT THE THINGS WE ALL NEED TO BE DOING.

AND IT SEEMS THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON, OUR CITY NEVER CAN STEP UP TO SEE THINGS THROUGH.

AND SO I, I COME, I AS, AS A LONG TIME, AUSTINITE NOW SEEING THE THINGS THAT REALLY DO NEED TO BE DONE.

THIS HAS HAPPENED IN OUR ARTS, JUST IN OUR ARTS COMMUNITY AS WELL, THESE GREAT PLANS THAT COME UP AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA WORK, AND THEN IT JUST FALLS OFF.

AND SO I SEE, YOU KNOW, TAKING SOMETHING, GOING TO CITY COUNCIL WITH THIS, WITH THIS PRESENTATION.

UM, MY QUESTION, AND IT'S JUST A BROAD QUE 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S A REALLY BIG QUESTION, NEEDS TO BE THOUGHT.

WHAT, WHAT IS BEING ASKED FOR THAT WILL SEE THIS INCREMENTALLY HELP THESE DISTRICTS WHERE THEY ARE NOW KNOWING THAT THE FIRST ONE THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER WAS MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO? AND IS THERE, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M SAYING IS, AND I DON'T KNOW THE, AND I DON'T, I'S THE FRUSTRATION OF NOT SEEING THINGS ROLL WHERE WE ALL THINK THEY NEED TO BE GOING.

I DEFINITELY RECOGNIZE THAT THE POLICY DOES NOT SOLVE FOR THE PAST INVESTMENT OR DISINVESTMENT IN THE EXISTING DISTRICTS.

AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS SET A POLICY THAT THIS POLICY TRULY DOES SUPPORT DISTRICTS MOVING FORWARD.

UH, WHAT THIS POLICY DOES WITHIN THE DISTRICT TOOLS IS FINALLY ORGANIZE THE TOOLS SO THAT EXISTING DISTRICTS WILL FINALLY SEE THE BUCKET OF, OF TOOLS AND RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN FINALLY TAP INTO.

UH, ANOTHER PORTION OF THOSE TOOLS THAT WE ARE GOING TO COME OUT WITH, UH, IS CALLED AN EQUITABLE CULTURAL FUNDING DISTRICT MODEL.

SO SPECIFIC TO CULTURAL DISTRICTS, WE ARE GOING TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AND, AND THIS IS UP TO COUNCIL TO TAKE THIS UP AND APPROVE, UH, IF, IF THEY WANT TO APPROVE IT OR NOT, UH, TO, UH, TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A, A, A WAY TO FUND CULTURAL DISTRICTS SPECIFICALLY IN AN ECO OR AN EQUITABLE WAY.

UH, AND IT JUST DEPENDS ON FUNDING MECHANISMS, UH, AND FUNDING STREAMS AND BUDGETS OF WHETHER OR NOT THAT CAN BE ACHIEVABLE.

UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TO TRY AND SOLVE FOR OUR PRIOR DISTRICTS.

UH, AND OF COURSE WE'RE STILL TRYING TO SOLVE FOR THOSE DISTRICTS AS WELL WITH OUR CURRENT RESOURCES.

UH, BUT I DO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS FOUNDATIONAL POLICY WON'T, WON'T REALLY SOLVE FOR EVERYTHING THAT THOSE PRIOR DISTRICTS DESERVE.

UH, BUT IT IS REALLY TRYING TO SET THAT FOUNDATIONAL POLICY THEN MOVING FORWARD FOR NEW DISTRICTS AND THE NEW COMMUNITY AS THEY WANT TO APPROACH THE CITY TO PARTNER WITH NEW SPACES AS WELL.

THE RESOURCES, HOWEVER, ARE STILL THERE FOR THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE, CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY.

BENEFIT OF THESE AREAS AND THEN START BUILDING, UH, MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONAL, UH, CAPACITY FROM THAT LEVEL.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO JUST THE INFORMATION.

SO, UM, I DON'T MEAN TO BE LONG-WINDED.

SO IF SOMEBODY, YOU SAID 51% OF THE COMMUNITY OR BUSINESSES OR IN RECOGNIZING THAT, OKAY, I WANT MY NEIGHBORHOOD TO DO THIS, AND I THINK THAT'S AT THIS AND THAT'S A THIS AND THAT'S, AND THIS, AND THEY DO THE LETTER OF INTENT, THAT IS JUST A NUMBER THAT WE'VE KIND OF THROWN OUT THERE.

THE SOLELY AUSTIN PROGRAM HAS WORKED CURRENTLY WITH NUMBERS.

UH, THE WAY THAT WE HAVE APPROACHED OUR, WE ARE AN APPLICATION PROCESS, UH, KIND OF PROGRAM.

UH, AND THE WAY THAT WE'VE APPROACHED IT IS THAT WE JUST LOOK FOR FIVE LEADERS WITHIN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT.

UH, AND THAT HAS BEEN HELPFUL, BUT WE'VE ALSO SEEN THE STRUGGLE THAT IT TAKES TO TRY AND INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION OF BUSINESSES BEYOND THOSE FIVE CORE INDIVIDUALS.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND A SWEET SPOT OF WHAT IS THAT LEVEL OF SUPPORT AMONGST BUSINESSES THAT A COMMUNITY CAN COME TO US AND DEMONSTRATE THAT WE'VE GOT THE BUY-IN FROM OUR AREA.

UH, WE TYPICALLY ALSO HAD A NUMBER PERCENTAGE OF 75% OF PARTICIPATION RATE FOR US TO FEEL SUCCESSFUL, UH, IN OUR MEASUREMENTS.

UH, BUT WE ALSO FELT LIKE THAT WAS A LITTLE TOO HIGH.

SO WE'RE STILL TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THAT PERFECT KIND OF LEVEL OF, OF DEMONSTRATION OF PARTICIPATION, ESPECIALLY ON THE ONSET OF THIS DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, UH, SO THAT WE CAN THEN START DEMONSTRATING THE

[00:30:01]

JUST ONE MORE COMMENT JUST TO TAKE US BEAUTIFULLY INTO THE FUTURE.

WE HAD A WONDERFUL ARTS COMMISSIONER THAT WAS ON THE COMMISSION FOR ABOUT A YEAR.

HIS NAME IS RICK.

AND THERE WAS A WORKING GROUP CALLED ARTS, ARTS NEIGHBORHOODS, OR NEIGHBORHOOD ART DISTRICTS.

AND IT REALLY, AND WHEN THE WORKING GROUP WAS PUT TOGETHER, I WAS ACTUALLY HONORED TO BE A PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP IS WHEN SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS REDISCOVERED OR DISCOVERED SOLELY OTA AND, UH, BEING ON THAT WORKING GROUP NOW PROBABLY THREE YEARS AGO, ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO, IN MAKING THOSE CONNECTIONS.

AND WE SAW THE NEED FOR, FOR AN ARTIST WHO LIVED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH MANY THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING, THE MOVEMENT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

AND I WOULD JUST HOPE, AND I I I'M SURE YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY THAT THE ARTISTS AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE ON THIS COMMISSION LISTENING TO THESE MEETINGS KNOW THEY CAN MAKE THAT MOVE AND THEY CAN SEE THINGS HAPPEN.

'CAUSE WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, AS, AS ARTISTS IN, IN THE, IN THE CULTURAL FUNDING THING AND CITY IN GENERAL, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SUPPORT EACH OTHER, YOU HAVE THIS, I CAN HAVE THIS, LET'S START A THING.

FOR SOME REASON IT DOESN'T ROLL.

SO WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT TOGETHER WHAT KEEPS IT ROLLING AND STARTING, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF GREAT PLANS AND MANY DON'T GO FURTHER THAN THE LIST OF WHAT WE THINK WE HAVE.

ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER SMOCK, I BELIEVE.

HI.

UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING, AND I KNOW YOU TOUCHED ON THIS, BUT HOW THE LOCAL CULTURAL DISTRICTS PROGRAMS WORK WITH OR IN TANDEM OR WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP IS TO THE, TO THE TCA CULTURAL DISTRICTS? LIKE DOES ONE HAVE TO COME BEFORE THE, LIKE DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE LOCAL DESIGNATION TO GET STATE DESIGNATION, AT WHICH POINT YOU BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GRANT PROGRAMS THAT THIS, THAT THIS TCA OFFERS FOR CULTURAL DISTRICTS? OR IS THERE SOME OTHER RELATIONSHIP? YES, IF AT ALL.

I DO BELIEVE THAT TO BE, UH, A ELIGIBLE APPLICANT FOR THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS, THERE DOES HAVE TO BE A RECOGNITION FROM THE LOCAL MUNICIPAL, UH, AUTHORITY TO RECOGNIZE THAT SPECIFIC SPACE.

UH, AND THEN THERE'S OF COURSE OTHER APPLIC, UH, ELIGIBILITIES, UM, WHICH IS SPECIFIC TO ENSURING THAT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CULTURAL ASSETS WITHIN YOUR SPACE OF NONPROFITS.

UH, AND WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF CHALLENGE THAT A LITTLE BIT, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH LOST HISTORY IN A LOT OF OUR CULTURAL DISTRICTS, UH, WHICH CHALLENGES, UH, KIND OF HOW TCA LOOKS AT CULTURAL DISTRICTS, UM, AND CHALLENGES HOW WE GET THE CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION IN THOSE SPACES.

UH, SO THAT'S KIND OF OUR RELATIONSHIP IS OF COURSE, SUPPORTING THE DESIGNATION, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN PURSUE THAT, UH, TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS DESIGNATION, UH, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THAT IS REALLY THE ONLY FUNDING MECHANISM, UH, FOR CULTURAL DISTRICTS.

UH, THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THAT CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION ON A STATE LEVEL, AND THEN THAT IS THE FUNDING MECHANISM FOR THE ARTS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THAT THAT MANAGEMENT ENTITY FOR THAT DISTRICT IS ABLE TO, UH, DISTRIBUTE FOR THOSE SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR BOUNDARIES.

AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, UM, HOW YOU'RE, HOW YOU'RE CHALLENGING OR, OR ATTEMPTING TO PUSH BACK SOME ON, ON SOME OF THE STATE, UM, CRITERIA THAT'S APPRECIATED.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO APPRECIATED THE WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING.

IT'S, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IT'S AMAZING.

IT, IT'S, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHERE LOCAL CAN SUPERSEDE STATE.

WE DON'T WANNA LOSE A LOT OF THINGS AND WE HAVE ALREADY, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? RIGHT.

THANK YOU, MATTHEW.

EXCELLENT, THANK Y'ALL.

OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE ITEM FIVE,

[5. Staff briefing regarding the National Endowment for the Arts grant for Our Future 35 by Laura Odegaard ]

STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS GRANT FOR OUR FUTURE 35 BY LAURA.

LAURA ODEGAARD.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

I'M LAURA ODEGAARD, ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.

I AM A WHITE WOMAN WITH SHORT BROWN HAIR WEARING A WHITE AND NAVY STRIPED SWEATER, AND MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE HER.

UH, SO TONIGHT WITH THIS PRESENTATION, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A VERY BRIEF, UM, UPDATE ABOUT AN EXCITING PROJECT WE ARE DOING WITH ONE OF OUR SISTER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY, OUR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

UM, WE MAY HAVE, UM, STAFF FROM THAT TEAM ON THE WEBEX, I'M NOT SURE, BUT, UM, JUST WANTED TO VERBALLY THANK SHANNON RILEY, UM, AND LAUREN RAMIREZ

[00:35:01]

FROM THEIR TEAM FOR HELPING, UM, MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND MAYBE I COULD JUST GRAB THE LITTLE CLICKER SO IT'S EASIER.

YEAH, THANK YOU.

OPEN, UM, FOR THE CALL ITSELF.

SO YOU ALL PROBABLY ARE WELL AWARE OF THE DIVIDE, UM, WITH I 35.

SO THIS IS JUST A COUPLE OF IMAGES, UM, OF THE CURRENT STATE OF THINGS.

UM, AND THE PROJECT THAT TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS IS DOING IS CALLED OUR FUTURE 35.

UM, AND THE GOAL BEHIND THIS IS REALLY TO BE A COMMUNITY CENTERED INITIATIVE TO BUILD NEW CITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND CO-CREATE PUBLIC SPACES OVER THE I 35 HIGHWAY.

UH, AGAIN, I'M NOT AN EXPERT, UH, IN ALL THINGS OUR FUTURE 35.

SO YOU ARE WELCOME TO REVIEW THE BACKUP, UH, AND ASK STAFF MORE QUESTIONS, BUT JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE, UM, SOME BACKGROUND ABOUT WHAT THIS OPPORTUNITY IS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.

UM, SO REALLY JUST HIGH LEVEL, UM, ABOUT THE BENEFIT OF SOME OF THE HIGHWAY CAPS, UH, OR THE FREEWAY CAPS THAT ARE HAPPENING, UM, AND ARE GOING TO BE HAPPENING ON I 35 ARE REALLY ABOUT RECONNECTING EAST AND WEST AUSTIN.

UM, CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE OF CENTRAL AUSTIN, CREATING GREAT PUBLIC SPACES FOR CITYWIDE USE, SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES, UM, AND CREATING CLIMATE RESISTANT PUBLIC SPACES.

THAT'S A BIG GOAL.

UH, SO HERE YOU CAN SEE SOME POTENTIAL CAP LOCATIONS.

UM, THEY'RE REALLY THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL CORRIDOR, UH, HERE IN AUSTIN.

SO THERE ARE, UH, SOME DOWN AT 11TH STREET, UM, DOWN BY CAESAR CHAVEZ, AND THEN ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH 38TH, UM, UP THEY'RE CALLING THE AIRPORT CAPS UP THERE.

SO WHY AM I TALKING ABOUT ANY OF THIS RIGHT NOW? UH, SO WE WORKED TOGETHER, WE STARTED, UM, EARLY LAST YEAR HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE COULD INCLUDE AN ARTIST IN THIS PROCESS.

OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT'S GOING TO BE TAKING PLACE.

UM, AND SO WE LOOKED BACK AT A PROGRAM THAT WE HAD PILOTED BACK IN 2018, UM, THAT WAS AN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PILOT PROGRAM WE DID WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

SO WE CHATTED AND WE, UH, WE APPLIED FOR A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS FOR AN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM.

AND SO WE RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT WE RECEIVED THAT GRANT FOR $75,000.

UH, AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE NOW, TO TO TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS.

UM, SO OBVIOUSLY THE, THE PURPOSE OF HAVING AN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE HERE, UM, IS ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

UM, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY AND EXCLUDED FROM PAST INFRASTRUCTURE DECISIONS, THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT.

UM, AND TO HELP INFORM WHAT THE DESIRED OUTCOME OF THE FUTURE CAP AND STITCHES COULD BE TO MAKE THEM DYNAMIC, SUSTAINABLE, UH, AND REALLY SERVE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

UM, SO THE THREE GOALS YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE LISTED HERE, UM, AGAIN, FOSTERING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, FURTHERING THE CITY'S MISSION TO ENGAGE WITH CULTURALLY THE CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING I 35, UM, EARLY IN THE PROCESS.

I THINK THAT'S A KEY PART ABOUT WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS NOW.

HOW EARLY CAN WE BE TALKING ABOUT THIS? UM, AND ALSO BENEFITING, UH, THE LOCAL ARTISTIC COMMUNITY.

SO, UM, THIS IS JUST KIND OF A ROUGH BUDGET BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE PROVIDED TO THE NEA, BUT ESSENTIALLY THE ARTIST WILL BE RECEIVING $70,000 FOR WORK ON THIS RESIDENCY, AND THE CITY WILL HOLD ONTO 5,000 TO HELP SUPPORT THE PROMOTION, MARKETING OUTREACH AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, AND SO IT'S ESTIMATED THAT THE ARTIST WILL SPEND AROUND 25 TO 30 HOURS PER MONTH ON A PROJECT LIKE THIS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

UM, ROUGHLY ACROSS 18 MONTHS.

UH, CITY STAFF WILL DO THE BULK OF THE EVALUATION AND PERFORMANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, KEEPING TRACK OF ATTENDANCE AT EVENTS, MONITOR ENGAGEMENT SURVEYS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, AS WELL AS ANALYZING SOCIAL MEDIA METRICS, UM, THROUGH THE, OUR FUTURE 35 PROGRAM.

SO SELECTION PROCESS, THAT'S KIND OF THE, THIS IS THE TEASER BECAUSE IT IS COMING SOON.

SO SHARING WITH YOU ALL SO YOU CAN HELP, UH, AMPLIFY THIS WITH YOUR COMMUNITIES IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.

UM, SO THE RESIDENCY IS OPEN TO ANY PROFESSIONAL LOCAL ARTIST.

UM, IDEALLY WE'D LOVE SOMEONE THAT IS FROM OR FAMILIAR WITH EAST AUSTIN.

UM, HAVE SOME KIND OF EXPERIENCE IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OR SOCIAL PRACTICE.

UM, OBVIOUSLY BE AWARE OF I 30 FIVE'S HISTORY AND CULTURAL CONTEXT, UM, AS WELL AS BE ABLE TO PROVIDE NARRATIVE FORWARD ART.

UM, AND SO THIS COULD MANIFEST IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.

WE WANNA KEEP IT PRETTY

[00:40:01]

UM, BUT IDEALLY THERE WOULD BE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, UH, SOME RE-IMAGINING SOME CREATION OF SOME TYPE OF ARTISTIC WORK, UM, ALONG THE WAY, UH, UNDER UNDERSCORING THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT.

UM, BUT YEAH, IT COULD BE, IT COULD BE PRETTY OPEN AT THIS POINT.

UM, SO ELIGIBILITY, OBVIOUSLY CITY EMPLOYEES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE.

UM, THEY HAVE TO BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OF OLD FROM THE MSA BE A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST.

UM, AGAIN, IT'S A PRETTY LOOSE DEFINITION OF WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST, UM, AND IDEALLY BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE SOME KIND OF SOCIAL PRACTICE AS WELL.

UM, SO THE APPLICATIONS ARE GONNA BE ON PUBLIC ARTISTS.ORG.

THERE WILL BE A SELECTION COMMITTEE OF FIVE TO SEVEN PEOPLE.

UM, AND THIS WILL INCLUDE STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, FROM TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS.

UM, IDEALLY AN ARTS COMMISSIONER WILL BE INVOLVED AS WELL IN THE SELECTION, UM, COMMITTEE.

UM, AND THEN THE APPLICATION REVIEW CRITERIA.

THIS IS WHAT WE HAD PUT IN THE APPLICATION.

IT'S SCORED ON A 100 POINT SCALE.

UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE.

UH, AND I THINK THE, THE MOST, THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FOR THIS IS WHAT IS THE PROGRAM TIMELINE? UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A MID-JULY APPLICATION OPEN.

UM, AND THEN THE SELECTION WOULD IDEALLY TAKE PLACE IN AUGUST TO HAVE AN ARTIST ON BOARD BY SEPTEMBER FOR WHEN A LOT OF THE, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STARTS KICKING OFF WITH OUR FEATURE 35.

UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE ARTISTS WOULD SPEND THE FALL DOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, AND JUST KIND OF DEVELOP WHAT THEY WANT THE RESIDENCY TO BE.

UM, AND ALL OF THAT WOULD WRAP UP BY MAY, 2026.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE NEA, WE HAVE VERY SPECIFIC, UM, DEADLINES FOR REPORTING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE HIGHLIGHT.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WHEN THE CALL IS ACTUALLY LIVE, WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU ALL TO HELP, UM, PROMOTE TO YOUR COMMUNITIES.

BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? SCHMO? UH, COMMISSIONER SCHMUCK WENT UP FIRST.

I THOUGHT I SAW HINT.

, WHO ELSE DID, LET'S SEE.

NEY.

YEAH, SO, UM, YOU PROBABLY COVERED THIS AND I WAS LISTENING, I PROMISE THE DISCIPLINES, UM, THAT IT'S OPEN TO, IS IT PRIMARILY FOR VISUAL ART? UM, OR IS IT LIKE MURAL TYPE STUFF, OR, SO THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY AND PURPOSEFULLY REMOVED THAT IT NEEDED TO ONLY BE A VISUAL ARTIST.

WE ARE OPEN TO ALL SORTS OF PROPOSALS, UM, BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGED ARTS PRACTICES COULD TAKE PLACE IN MANY DIFFERENT FORMS. SO WHETHER THAT'S NEW MEDIA, WHETHER THAT'S MURALS, WHETHER THAT'S DANCE, IT COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF THINGS WE ARE, WE'RE OPEN TO PROPOSALS FROM THE COMMUNITY.

GOOD QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.

SMALL.

SORRY, I GOT INTERRUPTED.

BY A SMALL PERSON.

UM, THANKS LAURA.

THIS IS SUPER EXCITING.

AND, UM, COMMISSIONER MOCK AND I HAVE BOTH SERVED ON THE COMMUNITY STEERING COMMITTEE FOR OUR FUTURE 35.

AND IN PRETTY MUCH EVERY MEETING WE'RE SOAPBOXING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGAGING WITH THE CULTURAL LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO, TO BE PART OF THIS PROCESS THAT'S SO FOCUSED ON, UM, AT LEAST THE, THE DESIRE TO HELP HEAL PAST, UH, SCARS.

AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN HAPPEN FROM JUST ENGINEERING AND INFRASTRUCTURE ALONE.

SO I WOULD JUST LIKE REALLY EMPHASIZE THAT, UM, ARTISTS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN, IN WORKING ON THOSE KINDS OF, UM, THEMES, LIKE THIS IS A REALLY POWERFUL, A REALLY POTENTIALLY, REALLY POWERFUL PROGRAM FOR AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY TRANSFORMATIVE.

UM, IF IT COMES TO PASS AS, AS IMAGINE THE, THE CAP AND STITCH PROJECT'S GOING TO BE, UM, I THINK UNLIKE ANY, ANY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT IN THE CITY SINCE 35 WAS PUT IN.

UM, SO I JUST REALLY HOPE, I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE GETTING THE WORD OUT, UM, AND GETTING THE BEST POSSIBLE, UM, APPLICANTS FOR THIS ROLE BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND IT'S REALLY GREAT THAT IT'S KIND OF, IT CAN DEMONSTRATE

[00:45:01]

THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS KIND OF CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION GOING FORWARD.

MOM, HOLD ON BABY.

STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, AGAIN, BY LAURA OGAR, ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH, LAURA.

THAT WAS, THAT'S VERY, VERY EXCITING.

OKAY, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX,

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

GOOD EVENING.

AGAIN, EVERYONE.

UM, I WILL NOT REINTRODUCE MYSELF, BUT WITH THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL BE SHARING OUR LATEST, UH, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX NUMBERS FOR JUNE.

AND I HAVE THE CLICKER, SO I ALMOST SAID NEXT SLIDE TO MYSELF.

UH, .

SO FOR, UM, THE TOTAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION IN MAY WAS $12,304,185.

SO THIS MEANS THAT OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR MAY WERE $1,175,056.

SO WITH THESE MAY NUMBERS, WE ARE NOW 77% TOWARDS OUR FY 24 APPROVED BUDGET, AND WE STILL HAVE FOUR MONTHS TO GO.

UM, AND AS A REMINDER, I KNOW THAT I SAY THIS EVERY MONTH, BUT THERE IS A DELAY IN HOW HOT REPORTING HAPPENS.

SO THIS PRESENTATION IN JUNE SHOWS FUNDS COLLECTED IN MAY FOR HOTEL STAYS IN APRIL.

UH, SO THEN THIS GRAPH CONTINUES TO SHOW OUR MONTHLY PROGRESS TOWARD THE APPROVED BUDGET FOR FY 24.

UM, OUR HOT CULTURAL ARTS FUND ACTUALS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 SO FAR ARE $11,258,748.

AND AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, THE FUNDS COLLECTED IN 24 WILL BE USED TO FUND PROGRAMS IN FY 25.

AND THEN THIS LAST GRAPH, UH, SHOWS THE HOT COLLECTIONS BY QUARTER, UM, FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND FOR THE PAST FEW FISCAL YEARS.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE, WELL, YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE, BUT YOU CAN, UM, MAYBE SEE IF YOU HAVE EAGLE EYE VISION THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY $314,000 BELOW WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS.

STAFF UPDATE ON CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS BY JESUS PANTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, LAURA.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

OKAY, WE'RE MOVING ON TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. I ASK, UH, CULTURAL, OH, I'M SO SORRY.

JESUS.

STAFF UPDATE NUMBER SEVEN,

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

HOW COULD I FORGET THAT ONE? UH, THANK YOU, CHAIR GRAY.

UM, MY NAME IS JESUS PANTEL.

I'M THE CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.

I AM A LATINO WITH LONG GRAY HAIR AND A SALT AND PEPPER BEARD WEARING A BLUE SHIRT.

AND TONIGHT I WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT, UH, GIVING AN UPDATE ON CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS FOR OUR EXISTING, UH, PROGRAMS, TALKING ABOUT OUR UPCOMING FUNDING PROGRAMS, UM, AND THEN ALSO PRESENTING ON GRANT FUNDED AND ACTIVITIES, UH, FOR JUNE AND JULY THROUGH OUR FUNDED PROGRAMS. SO FOR THE CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS OF OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS, THIS IS, UH, PRETTY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING, UH, THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

WHAT I WILL SAY IS WE HAVE A NEW ROUND OF NEXUS THAT WAS JUST LAUNCHED, UH, JUST, UH, CLOSED AND AWARDS, UH, WERE MADE.

UM, SO I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT, UM, IN ANOTHER SLIDE.

SO, UH, THAT'S BASICALLY THE UPDATED INFORMATION THAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IS IN THE, THE NEXUS COLUMN.

SO, UM, ALL OF THESE DATES, UM, OR, UH, DATA IS OF, UH, LAST FRIDAY OR LAST WEEK, UH, JUNE 13TH.

UM, AND SO, UH, 16 OF, UH, THE 51, UH, CONTRACTS, UM, IN NEXUS HAVE BEEN SIGNED AND PROCESSED, UM, AND WE MADE THE, UM, AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT ON MAY 31ST.

SO, UH, DOING WHAT WE CAN TO GET, UH, THOSE OUT.

ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO FUNDING PROGRAMS FOR UPCOMING, UH, FUNDING PROGRAMS. UM, AS I MENTIONED, UH, NEXUS, UH, JUST, UH, CLOSED.

AND SO WE MADE AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS ON MAY 35.

WE HAD, UM, AWARD AND DECLINE LETTERS GO OUT.

UM, AND SOMETHING NEW THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, THIS GO AROUND IS

[00:50:01]

WE ARE, UH, GIVING DATES THAT THE AWARDEES HAVE TO LET US KNOW, UH, WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO DECLINE OR ACCEPT THEIR AWARD.

AND SO FOR THE NEXUS, UH, SUMMER THAT JUST, UH, ANNOUNCED, UH, THAT DATE WAS TODAY, THEY HAD TO LET US KNOW TODAY WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE GOING TO, UM, ACCEPT THEIR AWARD.

UM, SO THIS IS FOR ACTIVITIES THAT OCCUR FROM JUNE 1ST THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.

UM, AND THEN A FINAL REPORT IS DUE 30 DAYS AFTER THE END.

UM, UM, SO OCTOBER 31ST WOULD BE THE LATEST.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER PROGRAMS, UH, COMING UP.

UH, LIVE MUSIC FUND ACTUALLY CLOSES IN, UH, TOMORROW, I WAS GONNA SAY TODAY, BUT IT'S TOMORROW.

UM, SO LIVE MUSIC FUND CLOSES TOMORROW AT, UH, 7:00 PM UM, THRIVE ELEVATE WILL LAUNCH, UH, BASICALLY NEXT WEEK.

SO IN ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS, WE HAVE ABOUT A WEEK, UH, BETWEEN WHEN THE PROGRAMS CLOSE AND WHEN THEN THE NEXT PROGRAM LAUNCHES.

UM, I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT, UH, THRIVE ELEVATE, UM, IN A SUBSEQUENT SLIDE, BUT, UH, JUST A REMINDER, IT WILL BE A JOINT PROGRAM.

SO, UM, IF YOU ARE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, UM, YOU CAN CHOOSE TO APPLY IN BOTH THRIVE AND ELEVATE WITH, UM, ONE APPLICATION INSTEAD OF HAVING TO FILL OUT TWO DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS.

UM, OH, LET ME GO BACK ONE SLIDE THERE.

THERE WE GO.

UM, UM, SO FOR BOTH OF THOSE, UM, IT'LL LAUNCH NEXT WEEK, TUESDAY, JUNE 25TH AT 10:00 AM UH, THEY WILL CLOSE JULY 23RD, WHICH IS ALSO A TUESDAY AT 7:00 PM UH, FOR ELEVATE, IT IS FOR ACTIVITIES THAT ARE OCCURRING OCTOBER 1ST, 2024 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.

SO JUST OVER A YEAR LONG CONTRACT.

I KNOW I'VE BEEN MENTIONING THIS THE LAST FEW MONTHS, BUT JUST, UH, TO REITERATE, WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE AWARE WE ARE MOVING TO A CALENDAR YEAR FOR THE ELEVATE, UM, ACTIVITIES.

AND SO THERE'S A BIT OF A TRANSITION THIS YEAR.

SO IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT NORMALLY HAPPENS IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, OR DECEMBER, UH, YOU MAY WANT TO INCLUDE THAT.

AND I GUESS THERE'S ANIMATIONS ON HERE.

I TRIED TO TAKE THOSE OFF SO IT KEEPS FORWARDING TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

UM, SO IF YOU DO HAVE ACTIVITIES IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, OR DECEMBER, UH, PLEASE BE SURE TO INCLUDE BOTH FOR THIS YEAR AND FOR NEXT YEAR IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR YOUR ELEVATE APPLICATION.

UH, THRIVE IS A TWO YEAR CONTRACT, SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE SAME APPLICATION, ELEVATE WILL BE A ONE YEAR AND THREE MONTH.

AGAIN, ULTIMATELY MOVING TO A ONE YEAR CONTRACT ON THE CALENDAR YEAR.

THRIVE WILL BE, UH, FOR TWO CALENDAR YEARS FROM JANUARY 1ST, 2025 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2026.

UM, SO AGAIN, THAT'LL CLOSE JULY 23RD.

THEN WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ROUND OF NEXUS FALL, WINTER, UM, THAT WILL BE OPEN.

UH, SO THAT WILL, UH, LAUNCH JULY 30TH, CLOSE AUGUST 27TH, UM, ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THAT CLOSES.

HERITAGE PRESERVATION WILL LAUNCH IN SEPTEMBER 10TH.

UM, AND THEN AROUND THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE IT'S NOT EXACTLY A GRANT, BUT WE DO WANNA PUT THE ART IN PUBLIC PLACES.

OPEN CALLS, UH, THAT WILL BE HAPPENING, UH, WILL BE A NUMBER OF CALLS THAT WILL BE LAUNCHING ON SEPTEMBER 24TH, MULTIPLE CALLS ALL IN ONE OPENING.

UM, ALL RIGHT, NOW FOR THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UH, THRIVE AND ELEVATE SPECIFICALLY.

SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT LAUNCHING UNTIL NEXT WEEK, WEEK, THE GUIDELINES ARE UP AND AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.

SO IF PEOPLE WANT TO START LOOKING AT THE APPLICATIONS, UM, IT HAS ALL OF THE UPDATED, UH, UH, REVIEW QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO BE ASKED.

UH, SO WE ENCOURAGE APPLICANTS TO START LOOKING AT THE WEBSITE NOW, UH, TO SEE WHICH PROGRAM THEY WANT, MAY WANT TO APPLY AND SEE HOW ELIGIBLE OR HOW, UH, STRONG, UH, THEY THINK THEIR APPLICATION MAY BE.

UM, YOU CAN START WRITING ON, UH, THE QUESTIONS.

NOW, WE, UH, STRONGLY ENCOURAGE TO PEOPLE TO SAVE THOSE IN A WORD DOCUMENT OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF DOCUMENT.

UM, WE ARE MOVING TO THE SUBMITTABLE ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM.

UM, IT IS EDITABLE, EDITABLE, SO WE ARE ALSO ENCOURAGING PEOPLE, UH, TO SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, UM, AT LEAST A DAY OR SO.

UH, BEFORE THE OFFICIAL DEADLINE, YOU CAN STILL, UH, SUBMIT IT.

THERE'S ALSO AN ELIGIBILITY SECTION, UH, THAT YOU'LL NEED TO FILL OUT.

SO YOU DON'T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE, UM, BECAUSE IF YOU ARE FOUND INELIGIBLE, STAFF CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, BUT THAT WILL TAKE TIME, UM, IF IT WAS JUST A MISTAKE, UM, OR SOMETHING THAT YOU ANSWERED INCORRECTLY, UM, AND YOU ARE ACTUALLY ELIGIBLE.

SO, UH, PLEASE BE AWARE OF THAT.

UM, I ALSO WANTED TO, UH, BRING ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE, BUT IT IS OPEN TO APPLICANTS IN THE AUSTIN ROUND ROCK METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA, WHICH IS, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES, CALDWELL BASTROP, UH, WILLIAMSON, AND HAYES COUNTY.

AND YOU THINK I WOULD DO THAT IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, SO I WOULD REMEMBER, BUT THAT'S THE WAY THEY CAME INTO MY HEAD.

SO, UH, BASTROP,

[00:55:01]

CALDWELL, HAYES WILLIAMSON, AND TRAVIS COUNTIES, UM, ARE THE FIVE COUNTIES IN THE MSA.

NOW, WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU CAN BE LOCATED IN THE MSA, BUT YOUR APP APPLICATION ACTIVITIES STILL NEED TO TAKE PLACE WITHIN AUSTIN OR THE EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION.

I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT, UM, BECAUSE LAST GO ROUND, UM, IN ELEVATE, POSSIBLY WITH THRIVE AS WELL, UH, WE HAD APPLICANTS WHO WERE FROM THE MSA, UM, OR EVEN THEY WERE FROM AUSTIN OR THE ETJ, BUT THEY WERE DOING, UM, ACTIVITIES OUT IN THE MSA.

AND THAT IS NOT ELIGIBLE.

YOU CAN BE BASED IN THE MSA, BUT OVER HALF OF YOUR ACTIVITIES, UM, FOR WHATEVER YOU DO, WHETHER IT'S CITY FUNDED OR NOT, IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR OUR FUNDING, UM, OVER HALF OF YOUR WORK NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE, UH, IN AUSTIN OR THE ETJ.

AND ANYTHING THAT IS FUNDED BY US NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE WITHIN AUSTIN OR THE ETJ.

AGAIN, ETJ IS AN EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION.

UM, LET'S SEE.

WE WILL BE PROVIDING, UH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, UH, WORKSHOPS.

WE'RE PLANNING ON HAVING A SPANISH LANGUAGE, A SPECIFIC APPLICATION WORKSHOP IN PERSON.

UM, SO THAT WILL BE CONDUCTED, UH, COMPLETELY IN SPANISH.

UH, STAFF WILL BE THERE TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS.

UH, BUT THE PRESENTATION ITSELF WILL BE CONDUCTED IN SPANISH WITHIN TRANSLATION AT THE END FOR ANY, UH, QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, UH, THE SPANISH SPEAKING APPLICANTS MAY HAVE.

UM, AS USUAL, WE WILL HAVE OUR VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON, UM, OFFICE HOURS AND OTHER TYPES OF, UH, APPLICATION WORKSHOPS.

UH, WE HAVE OUR OPEN OFFICE HOURS, NORMALLY THE SECOND AND FOURTH TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH, UH, DURING THE TIME PERIOD THAT THIS IS OPEN.

SO STARTING NEXT, UH, WEEK, NEXT TUESDAY THE 25TH, WE WILL HAVE OPEN OFFICE HOURS EVERY TUESDAY FROM 10:00 AM TO NOON, EITHER IN PERSON, UM, OR EITHER VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON AT OUR OFFICE AT BEN WHITE.

UM, THEN WE HAVE DROP-IN ASSISTANCE DAYS AS, AS WELL, BOTH THE MONDAY BEFORE THE THRIVE ELEVATE APPLICATION IS DUE, AS WELL AS THE TUESDAY THAT IT IS DUE.

UH, WE WILL BE AVAILABLE AGAIN, BOTH ONLINE AND IN PERSON AT OUR BEN WHITE OFFICE, UH, FOR ANY QUESTIONS, UH, THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

UM, SO FOR THRIVE ELEVATE, UM, AGAIN, THRIVE IS ONLY FOR NON-PROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.

UM, IF YOU ARE A NONPROFIT, YOU CAN, AGAIN, CHOOSE TO APPLY IN BOTH THRIVE AND ELEVATE.

UH, YOU'RE JUST, UH, BASICALLY CHECKING A BOX AND YOU'RE FILLING OUT ONE EXTRA QUESTION.

SO IF YOU ARE NOT, UM, GIVEN, IF YOU'RE NOT SCORED HIGH ENOUGH TO RECEIVE FUNDING AND THRIVE, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE CONSIDERED FOR THE ELEVATE, UH, PROGRAM WITHOUT HAVING TO, UH, DO AN ADDITIONAL APPLICATION.

IF YOU ARE NOT A 5 0 1 C NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, UM, THEN YOU CANNOT APPLY AND THRIVE.

YOU CAN ONLY APPLY AND ELEVATE.

AND FOR ELEVATE, AGAIN, THERE ARE TWO TRACKS.

THERE'S ONE FOR NONPROFITS, UM, AND THERE'S ONE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.

UM, FURTHER CLARITY, SOMETIMES WE GET THIS QUESTION, UM, SOMEONE WITHOUT NONPROFIT STATUS WILL ASK, WELL, CAN THEY USE A FISCAL SPONSOR TO GET A NONPROFIT STATUS AND APPLY AND THRIVE THAT WAY? NO, YOU CANNOT DO THAT.

IN ORDER TO BE THRIVE, YOU HAVE TO BE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.

UM, SO YOU CANNOT BE FISCALLY SPONSORED TO APPLY AND THRIVE.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR OWN 5 0 1 C STATUS AND THAT 5 0 1 C STATUS.

I KNOW THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR.

SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU NEED YOUR 5 0 1 C STATUS, UM, AT APPLICATION TIME.

AND FOR THRIVE SPECIFICALLY, YOU NEED A FIVE YEAR, UM, OPERATING HISTORY, UM, IN AUSTIN OR THE ETJ, BUT YOU DO NOT NECESSARILY NEED TO HAVE BEEN A 5 0 1 C NONPROFIT THAT ENTIRE TIME.

WE CAN TAKE YOUR PRIOR HISTORY INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, AND YOU USE THAT TO BASICALLY BECOME A NONPROFIT, BUT YOU DO NEED TO HAVE YOUR 5 0 1 C NONPROFIT STATUS IN PLACE, UM, AT THE TIME THAT YOU SUBMIT THE APPLICATION IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THRIVE.

UM, AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED BY THRIVE AND ELEVATE.

I WILL NOT, UH, READ THROUGH ALL OF THESE, UM, UH, JUST FOR SAKE OF TIME.

UM, BUT AGAIN, I WILL, UH, GIVE MY USUAL CAVEAT THAT WE GET THESE FROM THE VISIT AUSTIN WEBSITE.

SO IF YOU DO HAVE AN EVENT, UH, THAT'S COMING ON OR COMING UP SOON AND YOU DON'T SEE YOURSELF HERE, PLEASE BE SURE THAT YOU'RE POSTING, UH, TO VISIT AUSTIN.

UM, SO WE HAVE, UH, THREE, UH, THRIVE ACTIVITIES COMING UP WITHIN, UH, BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT ARTS COMMISSION MEETING.

UM, WE HAVE A FEW FOR ELEVATE AS WELL, AND ANOTHER PAGE OF ELEVATE.

AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE ANY FOR NEXUS AS AGAIN, THE, UM, UH, AWARDS WERE JUST ANNOUNCED.

WE'RE STILL WORKING ON GETTING CONTRACTS OUT FOR, UH, NEXUS, UH, SUMMER.

AND THAT IS MY PRESENTATION.

SO I WILL OPEN UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMISSION MAY

[01:00:01]

HAVE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, JESUS, AND I APOLOGIZE AGAIN FOR OVERSEEING FOR NO PROBLEM.

ITEM.

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? IT'S, UH, UH, CHARLA? NO.

WHAT AM I SAYING? HELLO? I CAN BARELY SEE GOOD CHANGE.

HI, SORRY, COMMISSIONER.

IT'S OKAY.

UM, I DID HAVE A QUESTION.

SO THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE ARE DOING THE GRANT, UM, JOINT WITH ELEVATE AND THRIVE.

AND MY QUESTION IS MORE LIKE LOGISTICAL, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE THE ANSWER TO IT, BUT, UM, YOU EXPLAINED I THINK A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO THAT THERE'S GONNA BE LIKE A QUESTION THAT THE ORGANIZATION, THE NONPROFIT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE A NONPROFIT FOR THRIVE, UM, THAT YOU WILL ANSWER AND IT'LL BASICALLY TELL YOU IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THRIVE OR NOT.

SO LET'S SAY LIKE I GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, I'M JUST GONNA USE MYSELF AS AN EXAMPLE.

UM, THE, THE DATES FOR THE ACTIVITIES ARE, ARE DIFFERENT, RIGHT? SO LIKE FOR ELEVATE, IT'S OCTOBER, UM, TO DECEMBER, AND THEN FOR, UH, DECEMBER, 2025.

AND THEN FOR, UH, SO, SO ABOUT LIKE A YEAR AND THREE MONTHS.

AND THEN FOR, UH, THRIVE, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE ONE CALENDAR YEAR, BUT IT'S A TWO YEAR GRANT.

SO LET'S SAY I GO AND I CLICK THAT BOX TO BE, UM, SCORED FOR EACH, UH, GRANT.

UM, MY FIRST QUESTION, IT'S KIND OF A TWO-PARTER.

SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, HOW DOES THAT WORK? LIKE IF YOU'RE AN ORGANIZATION AND YOU'RE APPLYING FOR BOTH, HOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK AS FAR AS LIKE THE PANEL REVIEW IS CONCERNED? LIKE IS THE THRIVE PANEL FIRST AND THEN THE ELEVATE PANEL? I'M JUST CURIOUS.

YEAH, SO IT WILL BE A JOINT THRIVE ELEVATE PANEL.

SO, UM, THE PANELISTS WILL BE, UM, INSTRUCTED, WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE A THREE HOUR, UM, INSTRUCTION PERIOD THAT, YOU KNOW, ISN'T JUST, UH, NUTS AND BOLTS.

IT'S ALSO EQUITY TRAINING, UM, BRINGING THE PANELISTS UP TO, UM, UP TO PAR WITH, UH, HISTORY OF AUSTIN, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ACTIVITIES THAT OCCUR HERE.

SO PART OF THAT TRAINING WILL INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, UM, KIND OF THE QUESTIONS, UH, THAT YOU'RE ASKING THEIR COMMISSIONER, UM, IF THEY, IF IT IS A THRIVE ELEVATE APPLICATION.

AND, AND ALSO JUST A SLIGHT, UH, UH, CLARIFICATION ON WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER, THAT EXTRA QUESTION THAT YOU ANSWER ISN'T, IS NOT TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY FOR THRIVE.

YOU'RE EITHER ELIGIBLE OR NOT.

IF YOU HAVE THE FIVE YEAR, YOU KNOW, FUNDING HISTORY, UM, IN AUSTIN AND YOU'RE A NONPROFIT, UM, AT THE TIME THAT YOU APPLY, UM, BUT, UH, THE CULTURAL INSTITUTION STATUS IS, UH, THE EXTRA QUESTION.

SO THAT'S THE ONLY EXTRA QUESTION THAT YOU WOULD, UM, ASK.

UM, SO WE'RE GONNA BE INSTRUCTING OUR PANELISTS TO, YOU KNOW, THESE COULD BE JOINT APPLICATIONS, UM, BECAUSE OF THE DISCREPANCY IN THE TIME PERIOD.

UM, THERE'S A COUPLE OF OPTIONS YOU CAN JUST, UH, CHOOSE TO APPLY OR CHOOSE TO, UH, LIST ONLY YOUR JANUARY, UM, ACTIVITIES GOING FORWARD, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, UM, AS A REMINDER, ELEVATE, UM, UM, PUTTING ASIDE THRIVE, BUT ELEVATE BOTH FOR NONPROFITS AND FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.

IT'S FOR ANY ACTIVITIES THAT OCCUR BETWEEN OCTOBER 1ST THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST.

SO IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

IT COULD BE A ONE WEEKEND, UM, EVENT.

SO, UM, SO COUPLE OF, COUPLE OF OPTIONS THAT WAY.

IF YOU DO APPLY, UM, UM, IN BOTH THRIVE AND ELEVATE, AND YOU WANT TO LIST YOUR, YOU KNOW, OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS YOUR JANUARY ACTIVITIES, UH, THROUGH DECEMBER.

UM, SO OCTOBER 1ST THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2024 PLUS THROUGH JANUARY 1ST THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2025 ACTIVITIES.

THAT WILL BE FINE.

BUT, UH, YOU'LL JUST BE DESCRIBING YOUR FIRST YEAR OF ACTIVITIES IF IT'S, UH, THRIVE AND ELEVATE.

SO FOR THRIVE, YOU DON'T NEED TO BE WORRYING SINCE IT IS A TWO YEAR CONTRACT.

UM, IF YOU ARE AWARDED A THRIVE CONTRACT, THEN, UM, PART OF THE, UM, PROCESS IS, UH, YOU DISCUSS WITH YOUR CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR WHAT SOME GOALS ARE THAT YOU HAVE OF GETTING OUT OF THE THRIVE PROGRAM.

AND SO THAT'S HOW YOU CAN WORK.

UH, UM, UM, IF YOU ARE AWARDED, UH, YOU WOULD DO THAT AND, AND WORK ON WHATEVER IT IS YOU WANTED TO APPLY FOR YEAR TWO, FOUR, UM, AT THAT TIME.

SO HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER, BUT I'LL OPEN IT BACK UP TO YOU.

YES, IT, IT DOES.

UM, MY ONLY, I GUESS MY WORRY, UM, REASON WHY I WANTED TO ASK IT IS, UM, LAST YEAR WITH PANELS, IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON LIKE, DATES WHEN I WAS WATCHING THE LIVE ZOOMS. AND SO I JUST DIDN'T WANT ANY ORGANIZATION TO BE PENALIZED IF THEY WERE APPLYING FOR THRIVE.

AND THEN THEY HAD OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER DATES.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU'RE SCORING TWO APPLICATIONS AT ONCE AND

[01:05:01]

THE PANELIST IS, YOU KNOW, ALSO NEW TO THIS PROCESS, THAT THAT JUST WOULDN'T BE, UM, SOMETHING THAT AN APPLICANT WOULD BE DOCKED BY.

I JUST THINK MAKING THAT CRYSTAL CLEAR TO THE PANELISTS IS LIKE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

UM, BUT, UM, MY, I, I DID HAVE KIND OF LIKE A SECOND QUESTION TO THAT.

SO, BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING BOTH OF THE APPLICATIONS AT THE SAME TIME, DOES THAT MEAN THE APPLICANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED, UH, SIMULTANEOUSLY, LIKE, HEY, YOU WERE DENIED FOR THRIVE, BUT YOU GOT ELEVATE, OR HOW IS THAT PROCESS WORKING? WHAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED IS, UH, SENDING OUT THE AWARD AND DECLINE LETTERS ALL AT THE SAME TIME, UM, JUST BECAUSE WE THINK THAT WOULD BE LESS CONFUSING THAN, HEY, YOU DIDN'T GET THRIVE, BUT WE'RE CONSIDERING YOU FOR ELEVATE NOW.

SO, UM, JUST ONCE THE PANEL PROCESS, AND AGAIN, BECAUSE IT IS A JOINT THRIVE ELEVATE, THE, THE PANELISTS ARE KIND OF, UH, SCORING BOTH APPLICATIONS OR KEEPING BOTH IN MIND AS THEY'RE SCORING THE APPLICATION.

WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE ONE, UM, UM, AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU RECEIVED, UM, EITHER THRIVE OR ELEVATE OR NO FUNDING.

GOT IT.

AND THEN JUST ONE MORE LITTLE QUESTION.

I KNOW I'M ANNOYED , UM, BUT MY THIRD QUESTION FOLLOW UP TO THAT IS, UM, ARE THE FUNDING TIMELINES DIFFERENT FOR EACH ONE? SO LIKE, LET'S SAY YOU GOT THRIVE, SO YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T GET ELEVATE.

IS THAT, OR IS THAT FUNDING FOR 2025 OR WITH ELEVATE, BECAUSE THE ACTIVITIES STARTED IN OCTOBER, WILL YOU RECEIVE THAT MONEY IN 2024? JUST BECAUSE THIS PROCESS IS SUPER DIFFERENT.

I'M JUST TRYING TO EDUCATE MYSELF ON KIND OF HOW THAT'S WORKING, THE TIMELINES.

UM, SO WE WILL WORK ONCE THE, UH, CONTRACT IS IN PLACE FOR THRIVE.

UM, UM, WE'LL HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE LONG CENTER TO SEE WHEN THE FUNDS ARE READY TO GO OUT.

UH, THEN, UM, BUT, UH, SINCE IT IS FOR AN ACTIVITY THAT IS OCCURRING, WOULD PROBABLY BE, UH, LATER FOR THAT.

SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE'LL NEED TO GET CLARITY ON.

UM, BUT FOR THE ELEVATE, UH, ONES, ONCE WE, UM, ONCE THE CONTRACTS ARE IN PLACE AND YOU'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO DO WITH THE LONG CENTER, YOU KNOW, VERIFYING THE, THE DEPOSITS AND, AND ALL THAT, THAT MONEY SHOULD BE READY TO GO, UH, PRETTY QUICKLY.

UH, DEFINITELY FOR THE ELEVATE, UH, PAYMENTS.

OKAY, COOL.

I JUST WANTED TO ASK THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME DELAY AND I JUST WANT EVERYONE THAT'S WATCHING, UM, TO JUST KIND OF BE AWARE OF THOSE TIMELINES.

AND SO WILL THOSE TIMELINES BE PUBLISHED, UM, ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE? KIND OF JUST ESTIMATED TIMEFRAMES FOR THE APPLICANTS? UH, SOMETHING, UM, WE CAN LOOK AT HAVING IT PUT ON OUR WEBSITE.

SOMETHING NEW THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING THIS YEAR IS HAVING, UH, UH, WHAT WE CALL CONTRACT KICKOFF MEETINGS, JUST SO THAT WAY WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON WHO OR ORGANIZATION THAT IS AWARDED FUNDING KNOW WHAT'S UH, REQUIRED OF THEM, INCLUDING KIND OF LIKE THESE QUESTIONS YOU ASK, WHICH ARE GREAT QUESTIONS BY THE WAY.

UM, GOOD THINGS TO KNOW, UH, FROM THE APPLICANT'S POINT OF VIEW.

BUT GOING OVER THOSE KINDS OF THINGS WITH THE APPLICANT SO THEY ARE CLEAR, UM, IF THEY RECEIVE, YOU KNOW, ELECT TO, UM, ACCEPT THE AWARD, UH, WHAT IS, UH, UH, EXPECTED OF THEM AND THEN WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM US AT THE CITY AS WELL.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE IN THE OLDEN DAYS, UM, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, UH, WE WOULD HAVE THOSE MEETINGS THAT YOU MANDATORY HAD TO, UM, ATTEND, UH, IN ORDER TO RECEIVE YOUR FUNDING, WHERE YOU WOULD GO OVER ALL OF THAT INFORMATION SO EVERYBODY WAS ON THE SAME PAGE.

SO I THINK THAT'S LIKE, LIKE A REALLY AWESOME, GREAT IDEA.

SO THANK YOU.

YES, THANK YOU.

AND YES, JUST TO, JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT REAL QUICK, UM, WE, UM, WEREN'T ABLE TO DO IT LAST TIME.

WE THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA AND WE HAVE DONE THAT WITH THE NEXUS, UH, SUMMER ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT WERE JUST, UM, UH, AWARDS THAT WERE JUST ANNOUNCED.

SO, UH, WE THINK THAT IS A GOOD IDEA TOO, AND ARE REINSTITUTING THAT AGAIN.

THAT'S GREAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER AND JESUS.

AWESOME.

A QUESTION.

OH, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? I HAD MY HAND UP BECAUSE YOU'RE SITTING NEXT TO ME.

, I'M SO SORRY.

COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.

UM, I'M STILL SEEING THAT WE HAVE ONE ELEVATE CONTRACT.

OUTSTANDING.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE LAST MEETING WAS THAT, THE DEADLINE ON THAT WAS JAN WAS JUNE 1ST, UH, JUNE 10TH.

UM, JUNE 10TH.

THE APPLICANT DID NOT GET BACK TO US IN ENOUGH TIME.

SO, UH, THAT CONTRACT, UH, WILL, UH, BE BEING CLOSED.

SO I WAS LOOKING AT THAT EARLIER AND JUST LIKE, OH, THAT, UH, SLIDE SHOWS THAT, SO IT SHOULD BE 199 CONTRACTS INSTEAD OF 200 FOR ELEVATE.

THEN ALL THOSE THINGS WILL MOVE TO 100%.

SO THAT SHOULD BE REFLECTED ON NEXT MONTH'S, UH, UPDATE.

AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT MONEY? UH, THE MONEY JUST GETS ROLLED OVER INTO THE POT FOR NEXT YEAR.

THE NEXT GO AROUND, WHICH MAY, SO IT ROLLS OVER, IT ROLLS OVER INTO ELEVATE, UM, IT JUST ROLLS OVER BACK INTO THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND, UH, FOR US TO BE, TO USE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE DECIDING HOW MUCH TO AWARD OUT LATER.

OR FOR

[01:10:01]

AND LAURA MAY, UH, BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THAT BETTER THAN I CAN.

SURE.

SO, LIKE JESUS WAS SAYING, IT ROLLS INTO THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND.

SO IT MAY GO BACK INTO ADJUSTMENTS FOR AWARDS FOR ELEVATE, THRIVE NEXUS.

SO OFTENTIMES, UM, I THINK EVEN THIS PAST ROUND WITH NEXUS, WE HAD A TIE AND SO WE ENDED UP FUNDING 51 INSTEAD OF 50, UH, APPLICANTS FOR NEXUS.

SO IT KIND OF GOES INTO AN ADJUSTMENTS LINE ITEM WHERE IF WE DO HAVE, UM, IF IT'S REALLY CLOSE AND WE COULD FUND TWO PEOPLE INSTEAD OF JUST ONE ORGANIZATION, WE WOULD USE THAT EXTRA MONEY TO, TO GO THERE.

UM, BUT TECHNICALLY IT GOES INTO THE GENERAL CULTURAL ARTS FUND, UM, THAT IS A WHOLE HOST OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT, THAT WE DO BEYOND, UH, JUST THE GRANTS, BUT WE TRY TO PUT THE GRANT MONEY BACK INTO THE GRANTS.

I DON'T, THE, THE WORD TRY DOESN'T SIT WELL WITH ME.

'CAUSE IF IT'S ELEVATE MONEY, THEN IT SHOULD GO BACK TO ELEVATE.

WE'RE, WE ARE HAPPY TO TO CONSIDER THAT.

IT, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY.

I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE.

LIKE, IT, IT MIGHT BE, UH, A DELAY OF, OF UP TO A YEAR BEFORE THAT MONEY GOES BACK INTO A POT BECAUSE WE'RE MAKING GRANTS FOR FY 24 THIS YEAR.

MM-HMM.

AND THAT GRANT WAS FROM FY 23 FUNDS.

MM-HMM.

AND SO THE FY 23 FUNDS THAT AREN'T USED BECAUSE THAT CONTRACT DIDN'T HAPPEN, THEN IT GOES INTO FY 25 AWARDS.

SO IT WILL GO BACK INTO A GRANT.

UH, IT MIGHT BE THRIVE, IT MIGHT BE NEXUS, IT MIGHT BE ELEVATE.

I COME ON DOWN.

SOVIA, , GOOD EVENING.

SOVIA HORAB, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

LAURA IS RIGHT.

THE FUNDS THAT WILL RETURNED GO TO WHAT WE CALL THE ENDING BALANCE.

AND BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HAVE A COUNCIL APPROVED NUMBER, WE TAKE THAT ENDING BALANCE AND MOVE IT TO THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

AND THEN WE COME BEFORE THE ARTS COMMISSION SAY, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS PERCENT FOR ELEVATE THIS PERCENT FOR THRIVE, THIS PERCENT FOR NEXUS AND AN ADMIN.

SO IT'S JUST REDISTRIBUTED.

SO IT'S NOT A MIGHT, IT'S JUST REDISTRIBUTED AND IT COULD GO IN ANY BUCKET.

BUT I JUST, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR THAT IT'S GOING BACK INTO CULTURAL FUNDING.

EXACTLY.

IT DOES.

IT HAS TO STAY IN THAT FUND BECAUSE IT'S KNOWN AS A RESTRICTED FUND.

I CAN'T CO-MINGLE.

I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S WHAT, THAT WAS THE CASE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MA'AM.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

GREAT QUESTION.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK MEDI, UH, CAN I GO? YES.

ALRIGHT.

UH, THIS IS, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, PRESENTATION.

I, UH, WAS CURIOUS WITH THE PANELS, UM, IS IT THE SAME AS BEFORE? ARE THEY GONNA BE ON VIDEO? AND THEN IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, APPLICANTS TO RESPOND IF QUESTIONS COME UP IN THE PANEL? UH, OR, OR LIKE A, IS THERE, IS THERE ANYTHING, ANY OF THAT AVAILABLE THIS TIME AROUND? OR IS IT STILL GOING TO BE, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD BEFORE? SO IT WILL BE, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD BEFORE.

IT'S A, UH, VIRTUAL PANEL, UM, VIA ZOOM OR SIMILAR, UH, ONLINE PLATFORM.

UM, THERE IS NO INTERACTION BETWEEN, UH, THE PANELISTS AND, UH, THE APPLICANTS.

UH, BUT THEY CAN WATCH, UH, THE REC RECORD OR WATCH THE, UH, REVIEW PANEL.

UH, WE'LL HAVE IT AVAILABLE AS A RECORDING.

UM, AND WE DO HAVE AN APPEALS PROCESS IF AN APPLICANT FEELS THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT DONE CORRECTLY BY THE PANEL OR BY THE STAFF IN THE REVIEW OF THEIR APPLICATION.

THE FUTURE IF IT CAN MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AVAILABLE, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY VALUABLE.

I THINK, YEAH, I MEAN, JUST SOMETHING, UH, POTENTIALLY TO CONSIDER IN FUTURE.

LIKE, UH, I REMEMBER WHEN, UM, A DC WAS DOING THE APPLICATIONS THROUGH SUSTAINABLE, WELL, NOT RELATED SPECIFICALLY, BUT UH, UH, FOR, FOR THE CREATIVE SPACES, UM, THEY PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, WITH LIKE MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAD OPEN QUESTIONS, UH, OR FELT THAT THE, UH, APPLICANT DIDN'T PARTICULARLY PROVIDE SOME SPECIFIC INFORMATION, THEY PRO THEY WOULD ASK THE QUESTIONS, ASK FOR CLARIFICATIONS AND GIVE LIKE A DEADLINE.

SO IF YOU GOT WITHIN, GOT BACK WITHIN THE DEADLINE, THEN THERE WAS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THEN IT WOULD BE RECONSIDERED OR, OR CONSIDERED FURTHER.

UM, I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY, UH, VERY FAIR THING TO DO, UM, AS PART OF, UH, THAT APPLICATION PROCESS.

AND, YOU KNOW, IF IN

[01:15:01]

SO FOLKS DON'T FEEL LIKE, OH, WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS SUPPOSED TO PUT THAT IN AND THEN I DIDN'T GET THE POINTS, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR SOMETHING.

UM, YEAH.

AND, AND JUST GENERALLY I WANTED TO SHARE WITH, UH, UH, WITH, WITH MY, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, CORE COMMISSIONERS HERE, UH, DIFFERENT COMPLETE, VERY DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS.

BUT THE LMF APPLICATION, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IS DUE TOMORROW, UH, IT'S JUST BEEN BEAUTIFULLY STREAMLINED.

UH, LIKE I SAID, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS, DIFFERENT PURPOSES.

UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, THE FEEDBACK WAS VERY WELL, WELL TAKEN AND JUST, JUST, UH, THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN VERY WELL STREAMLINED AND, UH, UH, MADE EASY FOR MUSICIANS TO RELY ON THAT SIDE OF THE HOUSE.

SO, UH, I MEAN, THANKS TO EDD REALLY FOR, UH, RESPONDING TO, UH, UH, THE FEEDBACK AND, UH, REALLY, I MEAN, UH, JUST, JUST REALLY DOING A WONDERFUL JOB ON THAT FRONT.

AND ACTION ITEMS. AND I BELIEVE, UH, YES.

COMMISSIONER.

ANYTHING ELSE? ? THANK YOU.

UH, ONTO DISCUSSION

[Items 8-10]

COMMISSIONER MACH.

HELLO.

I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE, OH, I JUST LOST MY AGENDA.

I THINK IT'S EIGHT TO 11 ON CONSENT, ALL THE A IPP ITEMS. OKAY.

UNLESS THERE'S SOME DISCUSSION THAT WANTS TO HAPPEN.

THAT SOUNDS GOOD.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND ON THAT MOTION? A SECOND ON THE MOVING A IPP ON CONSENT.

SO YOU GOT A SECOND? YEAH, I GOT A SECOND.

GOT A SECOND FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER NEY.

ALL IN FAVOR? YOUR HANDS UP EVERYBODY.

HI, .

I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GO OVER THE, THE SELECTION PROCESS.

RECOMMENDATION FOR THE BAR, THE MAC.

UH, HOW ABOUT IF WE, UH, MOVE ON CONSENT OR GET A SECOND TO MOVE AND REWORD IT? UH, COMMISSIONER SCHMUCK, PERHAPS ITEMS EIGHT THROUGH 10 ON CONSENT.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHMUCK AND A SECOND TO GO.

UH, ITEMS EIGHT, NINE, AND 10 ON CONSENT.

A-I-P-P-A SECOND.

COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, ALL IN FAVOR.

CONSENT ITEMS EIGHT, NINE, AND 10.

AND COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, I JUST WANNA TAKE A SECOND TO, TO JUST PULL IT UP RIGHT QUICK.

WE CAN PULL UP, WE CAN ACTUALLY PULL IT UP.

COULD YOU REALLY, THANK YOU .

CAN GO UP TOGETHER SUPER QUICK.

ESB MAC PHASE TWO SELECTION.

UM, COULD WE PULL UP THE PRESENTATION, THE POWERPOINT? DO THEY HAVE THAT IN THE BACKUP? FOR WHICH ONE? WHICH, UH, ITEM 11

[11. Approve the Artist Selection Process Recommendation for the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center Phase II Art in Public Places Project ]

I'M HAPPY TO TURN MY SCREEN AROUND, BUT SOMEHOW I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE AS EFFECTIVE.

UM, DO YOU HAVE THIS ONE? JESUS, IT'S, IT SHOULD BE IN THE ARTS COMMISSION VIRTUAL MEETING.

IT'S NOT THAT ONE.

IT'S, I HAVE 11, RIGHT? IT'S THIS ONE.

ALEX SHARED TWO THAT, AND THIS ONE.

I'M ACTUALLY NOT SEEING IT ON THE BACKUP, SO THAT'S WHAT I JUST DISCOVERED TOO.

I THOUGHT I HAD SEEN IT SOMEWHERE, BUT THAT'S NOT SHOWING UP IN BACKUP.

LET'S, I CAN DROP IT INTO THE BACKUP RIGHT NOW.

'CAUSE THAT, YEAH, I ALI, BECAUSE I THINK YOU PUT THE, THE PDF, UM, BUT THEN I'M DROPPING IN THE PRESENTATION RIGHT NOW AS WELL.

UH, I SEE.

YES, THERE ARE TWO ITEMS FOR THAT ONE.

THAT'S WHAT IT IS.

'CAUSE I REMEMBER SEEING SOMETHING.

UM, WHERE SHOULD I, DO YOU WANT IT IN THE AV BANK? IF YOU PUT IT IN A FOLDER, THAT'D BE GREAT.

YEAH, PLEASE DO IT RIGHT NOW.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

I'M JUST GONNA SAVE WHAT I PDF IT IS A PDF, WHAT I PUT IN THERE.

OH, WAS IT? OR NO, SORRY.

POWERPOINT.

YEAH, I CAN JUST START TALKING ABOUT IT WHILE WE ARE WAITING FOR IT TO GET PULLED UP.

DEFINITELY.

BY THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PANEL A FEW WEEKS AGO.

IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, UH, SO THIS PROJECT IS, UH, FOR THE MS ZOS, MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, PHASE TWO.

UM, SO THIS, UH, WE ARE COMING TO YOU ALL TONIGHT, UM, FOR APPROVAL OF THE SELECTION PROCESS.

UM, THIS WAS APPROVED

[01:20:01]

UM, THE SPONSORING DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR THIS PROJECT IS THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

UH, AND THE PROJECT BUDGET FOR THIS PROJECT IS $190,000.

UH, IT'S IN COUNCIL DISTRICT NUMBER NINE, SO, OH, I HAVE THE CLICKER.

AND THAT IS BASICALLY THE INFORMATION THAT I JUST SHARED.

UH, SO THIS NEXT SLIDE, UM, SHOWS THE RENDERING FOR THE FUTURE MAC PHASE TWO.

UM, THERE WERE 19 ARTIST APPLICATIONS FOR THIS PROJECT.

UH, IT WAS A TWO STEP SELECTION PROCESS FOR, UM, FOR THE MAC.

SO WE HAD FOUR FINALISTS FROM DAY ONE.

UM, THOSE FOUR FINALISTS WERE THEN PAID FOR A CONCEPTUAL PROPOSAL AND CAME BACK A FEW WEEKS LATER TO THE SELECTION PANEL, UH, WHERE THEY PRESENTED THEIR CONCEPT.

AND THEN THEY ALL COMPLETED INTERVIEWS WITH THE SELECTION PANEL.

UH, AND THEN FROM THAT SELECTION PANEL, UM, IT WAS AN ARTIST TEAM THAT WAS SELECTED, UH, CATHERINE TELLY AND RUBEN ESQUIVEL.

UM, THIS WAS, THIS IS AN IMAGE FROM THEIR CONCEPTUAL PROPOSAL THAT THEY, UM, BROUGHT FORWARD AS WE REMINDED THE PANEL, UM, THE A IPP PANEL AS WELL AS THE SELECTION PANEL FOR THIS PROJECT.

THIS IS JUST A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THIS IS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

THIS WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANTED TO SEE HOW ARTISTS WOULD RESPOND AND REACT TO THE QUESTIONS, UM, IN A VERY QUICK TURNAROUND TIME.

UM, THAT THEY HAD A REALLY, REALLY ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT VISION IN THEIR PROPOSAL.

UM, AND IT SEEMED REALLY RELEVANT, UH, TO THE MISSION OF THE MAC.

UM, THEY HAD A LOT OF, UH, UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED, UM, OR ACCESSIBLE, UM, IDEAS FOR ALL AGES AND FOR A LOT OF INTERACTION, BOTH WITH THE PIECE ITSELF AS WELL AS FOR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT THEY WANTED TO BRING FORWARD.

UM, AND THE SELECTION PANEL HAD REALLY WONDERFUL THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THIS ARTIST TEAM.

UH, AND THEN THE ALTERNATE FOR THIS PROJECT, UM, WAS OSCAR ALVARADO.

UM, IT WAS ANOTHER GREAT PROPOSAL.

THESE ARE ACTUALLY PIECES OF, UM, EXISTING PIECES OF OSCAR'S WORK HERE.

UM, BUT HE HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE, HAD A LOT OF EXCITEMENT, UH, TO WORK WITH THE MAX PUBLIC.

UM, SO BOTH ARTISTS, UH, BOTH THE, THE SELECTED ARTIST TEAM AS WELL AS THE ALTERNATE ARTIST, UM, WERE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY WITH THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PANEL MEETING A FEW WEEKS AGO.

UM, AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, UM, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY ABOUT, ABOUT THIS SELECTION PROCESS.

BUT THANK YOU LAURA, SO MUCH.

COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, IF WE CAN SEE THE COMMISSIONERS ON THE MONITOR, IT WOULD HELP ME.

IS TO APPROVE THE SLATE OF PROPOSED ELEVATE THRIVE REVIEW.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 11? MALTO.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ALL IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT.

AND ALBA, YOU GOT YOUR HANDS UP.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ALL RIGHT, UNANIMOUS.

NEXT ITEM.

NEXT ITEM NUMBER 12

[12. Approve slate of Proposed Elevate/Thrive Review Panelists]

PANELISTS, ANY QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO THE LIST OF PANELISTS? COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 12 TO APPROVE THE SLATE OF PROPOSED ELEVATE THRIVE REVIEW PANELISTS? IS THAT, DO I SEE MALDONADO APPROVE OR QUESTION APPROVE? ALL RIGHT.

A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER MALDONADO AND A SECOND BY SCH MALACH.

ALL IN FAVOR FOR APPROVAL? ALL RIGHT.

IT'S UNANIMOUS AND NUMBER 12 IS APPROVED.

NUMBER 13, WORKING GROUP UPDATES.

I DIDN'T THINK I WAS BLIND UNTIL I HAVE TO LOOK AT FACES LIKE OVER THERE, AND I'M GOING.

IT'S, IT'S CRAZY.

EVERYBODY HAS TO HAVE DIFFERENT HAIR COLOR.

ALL RIGHT, NEXT ITEM

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

NUMBER 13, UPDATE FROM JOINT ARTS, MUSIC COMMISSION WORKING GROUP ON URBAN CORE ISSUES WITH COMMISSIONERS GRAY MALDONADO AND MACH CHAIR COMMISSIONER MACH.

YEAH, WE MET, UM, COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, UH, OR MAYBE IT WAS LAST WEEK.

AND

[01:25:02]

ONE OF THE MAIN ITEMS ON THE AGENDA WAS TO OFFER FEEDBACK ON THE, UH, PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP COMPONENT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT.

SO, UM, OUR GROUP WAS, YOU KNOW, TALKED A LOT WITH, UM, EACH OTHER AND WITH THE, A COUPLE REPRESENTATIVES FROM COUNCIL STAFF ABOUT THE DESIRE TO CREATE THAT SPACE, UM, TO BE, UH, UH, A DRIVER OF CULTURAL TOURISM AND, AND TO REALLY CAPITALIZE ON THE CONVENTION, UH, TRAFFIC FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CULTURAL COMMUNITY.

SO WE OFFERED A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON THAT.

AND OF COURSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GONNA BE COMING FORWARD THROUGH COUNCIL PROCESS.

AND IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, I BELIEVE THAT TIMELINE IS RIGHT.

SOMEONE ON STAFF MIGHT BE ABLE TO CORRECT ME, UM, AND CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE KIND OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE COMING.

OH, SWEETIE, ARE YOU OKAY.

THAT CAME FROM THE, UH, PRESENTATION THAT WE HAD FROM, UH, ALISON OR FROM FORKLIFT DANCE WORKS AROUND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UH, CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATIONS WITH ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.

UM, THERE WAS ALSO A REALLY GREAT MEETING WITH THE, UH, DR. MARIA ROSARIO JACKSON FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, WHO WAS IN TOWN IN PART TO CELEBRATE THE, UM, OUR FUTURE 35 ARTISAN RESIDENCE GRANT THAT LAURA PRESENTED ON EARLIER.

UM, AND THAT WAS A CONVENING THAT INCLUDED CITY STAFF, ARTS, LEADERSHIP, UM, AND ARTISTS AS WELL AS, UM, SOME OTHER NON-CITY, UH, UH, CROSS-SECTOR FOLKS TO TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY TO SEE MORE OF THE KIND OF COLLABORATIONS THAT ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, EXEMPLIFIED BY THAT GRANT.

SO THAT WAS REALLY GOOD.

MORE HOPEFULLY NEXT MONTH.

14, UPDATE FROM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONER ZISMAN HOUSTON AND CINI CHAIR COMMISSIONER CINI.

COMMISSIONER MACH NUMBER

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

I DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE.

WE WERE NOT ABLE TO MEET, UM, BETWEEN MAY AND JUNE.

UM, BUT HOPEFULLY NEXT MONTH WE HAVE SOMETHING TO REPORT, UM, AFTER OUR RETREAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER.

ALRIGHT, WE'RE ON TO ITEMS FOR

[ITEMS FOR INFORMATION ]

INFORMATION.

ANYBODY HAVE ANY ITEMS FOR INFORMATION? OKAY, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT THE ATEX THEATER.ORG DOES CITYWIDE AUDITIONS FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THEATER IN AUSTIN.

SO WE, UH, GATHER DIRECTORS AND PRODUCERS FROM THE AUSTIN AREA AND LET PEOPLE WHO ARE MEMBERS OF A CX THEATER DO AUDITIONS FOR THEM.

THIS YEAR, WE, UM, HAD THE PRODUCERS AND DIRECTORS SELECT 10, UH, AUDITIONS THAT WERE EXCEPTIONAL AND WE'RE PUTTING ON A SHOWCASE CALLED NAILED IT.

SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THE AUDITIONS THAT DO THE BEST AND COME ACROSS WELL, THEN FEEL FREE TO GET A TICKET FOR NAILED IT AND COME SEE WHAT LOCAL ACTORS ARE DOING IN AUSTIN.

THAT'S EXCITING.

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? UH, COMMISSIONER MBO, I THINK ON THE ITEMS FOR INFORMATION, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO MENTION THE RETREAT, WHICH I WR THAT'S RIGHT OF THAT.

COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.

UM, I'LL SELFISHLY ANNOUNCE THE 24TH ANNUAL SOUL TO SOUL INTERNATIONAL TAP DANCE FESTIVAL, WHICH IS AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT, ONE OF THE OLDEST TAP DANCE FESTIVALS CELEBRATING THE BLACK AMERICAN ART FORM OF TAP DANCE.

AND WE'RE RIGHT HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

SO HOPE SOME OF YOU CAN MAKE THE SHOWS AT THE ROLLINS THEATER NEXT WEEKEND, OR COME TAKE CLASS.

YOU HAVE TO, YEAH.

TAKE CLASS.

COMMISSIONER HOUSTON , WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? ALRIGHT, ANY

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]

I SAW THAT REMINDER MEETING RIGHT NOW.

BUT I KNOW CHAIR ESMAN DONE.

A BIG MEDIUM FROM FROM SIX TO 9:00 PM AT BIG MEDIUM 42 0 1 SOUTH CONGRESS NUMBER 3, 2, 3.

THANK YOU FOR THAT REMINDER.

COMMISSIONER SCH MOBA, ANY MORE ITEMS FOR INFORMATION? I BIT THAT ONE.

AGAIN, SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET TO OUR LOYAL CHAIR OR GET A BUDDY? I HAVE ONE GREAT COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.

MOVING ON.

ANY

[01:30:01]

I, I REALLY WANT TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BALANCE BETWEEN NUMBER OF AWARDS GIVEN AND AMOUNT OF AWARDS GIVEN I'VE BEEN REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO GET FOLKS TO COME DOWN AND TALK ABOUT THAT DICHOTOMY AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE BALANCE THAT SO THAT WE'RE NOT IN A SITUATION WHERE WE WERE PRIOR TO 2016 WHERE WE HAD A HANDFUL OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE GETTING A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY OVER AND OVER AND OVER, RATHER THAN HAVING SOME KIND OF TURNAROUND AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SATISFYING NEEDS RATHER THAN CATERING TO WANTS MM-HMM.

I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND THAT.

COOL.

I'LL JOIN YOU ON THAT AGENDA ITEM.

YEP.

WE CAN GET THAT TO CHAIR.

ZIMAN? YES.

KANEY COMMISSIONER? YES, I HAVE ONE.

UM, WHICH IS DISCUSSION OF FEEDBACK, UM, FROM THE APPLICATIONS.

UM, SINCE THESE APPLICATIONS ARE ABOUT TO LAUNCH, I, OR THEY WILL HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED ACTUALLY , UM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO JUST HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FEEDBACK ON THE LAST CYCLE.

ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? COMMISSIONERS? I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT, BUT WHEN YOU WERE FIRST SPEAKING COMMISSIONER KINI? I WENT YES, YES, YES.

YEAH, BUT NOW I'VE FORGOTTEN WHAT I WAS YES, YES, YES.

WHAT ABOUT, COULD YOU SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME PLEASE? ? YES.

UM, SO EGD DID A, UM, SURVEY THAT WENT OUT TO THE APPLICANTS, UM, AND JUST AN OPEN DISCUSSION ON THE FEEDBACK, UM, OF THAT FUNDING CYCLE.

I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE A PILOT PROJECT, WE NEED TO BE COLLECTING AS MUCH FEEDBACK AS WE POSSIBLY CAN AS EARLY AS WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE MAKING MISTAKES, WE'RE NOT REPEATING THEM.

SO YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AS AN ADDED AGENDA ITEM FOR THE NEXT MEETING.

SORRY, I HAVEN'T DONE THIS BEFORE.

NO WORRIES.

IT CAN BE MORE COMPLICATED IN THE LOOKS.

SO IF YOU WOULD, UH, GET IN CON CONTACT WITH OUR CHAIR ESMAN AND, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, COMMISSIONER SCH MABA, UM, I'M ACTUALLY WONDERING IF THAT COULD BE POTENTIALLY A RETREAT ITEM.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING TOO.

OH, COOL.

YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.

DO YOU, DO YOU AGREE? IS THAT COOL? IS THAT COOL? YES.

I CAN'T SEE, SEE STAFF IN THE ROOM, IF THAT'S FINE TOO.

NO.

AGAINST THAT AS A DISCUSSION ITEM.

ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONERS? JUST ON THESE? YEAH, JUST ON THIS, SORRY.

UH, JUST ON THESE AGENDA ITEMS, IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT'S WELL FORMED, I THINK, UH, IT CAN BE ADDED EVEN NOW AS LONG AS WE HAVE A VOTE.

JUST JUST MAKING THAT POINT.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO WAIT, UH, UH, TO BE DONE OVER EMAIL LATER.

I AGREE WITH YOU.

UH, COMMISSIONER, I DO BELIEVE IT WAS JUST A SUGGESTION IF IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DISCUSSED IN THE RETREAT.

SO BACK TO THE COMMISSIONER THAT BROUGHT IT TO THE FLOOR.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THAT ADDED AS AN AGENDA ITEM IN THE NEXT MEETING? OR DO YOU FEEL THAT THE DISCUSSION COULD HAPPEN IN THE RETREAT? COULD IT HAPPEN IN BOTH? LIKE, COULD IT, COULD I SUGGEST IT FOR THE RETREAT AND THEN IF WE FEEL THAT WE WANNA DISCUSS IT PUBLICLY, WE ADD IT TO THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING? I THINK THAT'S POSSIBLE.

THE TIME ON THAT.

WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME.

COMMISSIONER, WE CAN DO THAT.

SO WE'LL HOLD.

AND THEN, SORRY, I WAS NOT JUST SAYING IT IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS ONE QUESTION.

I THINK THERE WERE TWO ITEMS THAT WERE ABOUT TO BE ADDED.

SO I WAS JUST MAKING A POINT THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY, UH, ADD BOTH OF THEM AND VOTE ON THEM RIGHT HERE.

IF, IF THAT WAS THE DESIRE OF THE, OF WHOEVER WAS RECOMMENDING, CORRECT.

I THINK THE FIRST ONE WAS ADDED TO THE AGENDA AND THE SECOND, I THINK, OKAY.

AGAIN, THE PERSON, THE COMMISSIONER PUT IT ON THE FLOOR SAID THAT PERHAPS WE CAN WAIT FOR THE RETREAT TO DISCUSS IT AND THERE WOULD BE PLENTY OF TIMES TO ADD TO THE AGENDA.

IS THAT TRUE, COMMISSIONER MO? I MEAN, UH, YES.

GREAT.

ARE WE ALL IN AGREEMENT? COMMISSIONERS.

ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT.

WELL, WE'RE WAITING FOR PERHAPS ONE MORE MOTION FROM A COMMISSIONER I TO DO THE BIG A THING, WHICH IS NEXT ON THE AGENDA.

I MOVE THAT WE ADJOURNED.

A MOVEMENT TO ADJOURN FROM COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? I THINK I SAW MALDONADO'S HAND GO UP FIRST AS A SECOND.

[01:35:01]

SO I GOTTA SEE HIM.

WE ARE OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER STAFF.