[00:00:01]
[CALL TO ORDER]
GOOD EVENING.I AM THE CHAIR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION.
I CALL THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER.
THE TIME IS 6:03 PM WE ARE AT CITY HALL AND THE BOARD'S IN COMMISSION.
ROOM NUMBER 11 0 1, 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS, SEVEN EIGHT SEVEN ZERO ONE.
I'LL NOW CALL THE ROLE, UH, FIRST OF ALL, MYSELF, CHAIR MICHAEL LEVINS.
PRESENT, UH, VICE CHAIR ANDREA LOW PRESENT.
SECRETARY WIND, STANTON ADAMS. PRESENT.
MARY KALE, I BELIEVE IS NOT WITH US.
ELISA NUNEZ, ALSO NOT WITH US.
I DID I SKIP YOU? JACOB LEAR PRESENT.
WE HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS ATTENDING.
OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, BUT I HAVE BEEN INFORMED, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP.
SO WE WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT AGENDA
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ITEM, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 24TH, 2024 MEETING.IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR A MOTION ON THIS AGENDA ITEM I MOVE TO ACCEPT.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I ALWAYS FORGET THE ORDER.
SHE'S SAYING YES, SO I WILL LOOK IT UP.
OKAY, WE HAVE A SECOND FROM MS. CASTO.
UM, MS. STANTON, SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS, DID YOU HAVE YES, I DO HAVE SOME RECOMMENDED EDITS.
AND SO I'LL WALK IT THROUGH JUST THREE.
UM, ON PAGE ONE, UNDER ITEM NUMBER ONE, UNDER DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, UH, THIRD LINE, UH, RESPONSE TO THE COMMISSIONS, QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONS, RE UH, COMMISSION'S QUESTIONS.
THERE SHOULD BE AN APOSTROPHE, AGAIN, FOR CLARITY'S SAKE, UH, IN COMMISSIONS.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND IS UNDER ITEM NUMBER TWO, WITH THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS, WE DID HAVE DISCUSSION AND WE HAD DECIDED THAT WE WOULD NOT ELECT A PARLIAMENTARIAN OR REELECT.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO NOTE THAT EXPLICITLY, UH, SO THAT WE, THAT WE DECIDED NOT TO ADDRESS OR FULFILL THAT ROLE.
UH, UM, I THINK WE DECIDED THAT WE ACTUALLY, IT'S NOT A ROLE THAT IS SET OUT IN OUR BYLAWS.
AND, UM, COULD WE, COULD WE HAVE SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT? BECAUSE WE LIST PARLIAMENTARIANS SPECIFICALLY UNDER AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, RIGHT.
CONDUCT ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, SECRETARY, PARLIAMENTARIAN.
AND JUST TO CLOSE OUT THE LOOP ON THAT.
AND THEN THE THIRD EDIT THAT I AM RECOMMENDING IS THE LAST BULLET POINT.
SO THE THIRD ITEM IS, UM, VICE CHAIR KALE, PROPOSED FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP.
WE NEED TO INSERT THE WORD GROUP TO LOOK INTO ERC BYLAWS.
AND THEN THE LAST ITEM, JUST FOR CONSISTENCY SAKE, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OF JUST WRITING OUT THE MOUTHFUL.
SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS, IF YOU WILL JUST REPEAT THAT THERE.
SO A TOTAL OF FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EDITS.
SO FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE PART OF THIS, I GUESS YOU ARE MAKING A MOTION TO, UH, AMEND THE MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE WITH THESE CHANGES? YES.
I CAN RESTATE THAT FOR CLARITY IF THAT'S NECESSARY.
I MAY, I MAY HAVE MISSED SOMETHING YOU SAID, BUT ALSO IN THAT LAST BULLET, VICE CHAIR, KALE PROPOSED SHOULD BE PAST, PAST TENSE, RIGHT.
[00:05:01]
IT'S A SMALL THING, BUT, WELL, NO, THAT'S A GOOD, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.I BELIEVE THE INTENT IS THESE ARE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, RIGHT? SO THESE ARE NOT WHAT WE DISCUSSED, BUT THESE ARE ITEMS THAT, THAT WE ARE BRINGING FORTH.
BRINGING FORTH AS WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS IN THE FUTURE.
SECRETARY STAN ADAMS. MAY I CLARIFY WHY THE PARLIAMENTARIAN PART WASN'T ADDED? SO TYPICALLY WITH THE MINUTES MM-HMM.
AND BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT A MOTION, IT WAS, AGAIN, THAT ROLE DOESN'T PERTAIN TO THE ERC, THE MOTION WASN'T MADE FOR THAT SPECIFIC ROLE.
SO THAT'S WHY IT WAS EXCLUDED FROM THAT.
WITH THAT IS YOUR MOTION TO, DOES YOUR MOTION STILL INCLUDE A STATE THAT WE ADD A STATEMENT ABOUT THE PARLIAMENTARIAN? YES, SIR.
JUST TO CLOSE IT OUT, JUST TO SAY THIS WAS NOT A MISSED ITEM, UM, THAT WE DECIDED NOT TO VOTE IT, IT WAS NOT A, THE, THE WAY MS. LIZETTE HAD STATED IT IS FINE.
IF THE WAY LIZETTE STATED IT WAS FINE, I THINK SHE WAS SAYING WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE THAT IN THERE.
DON'T NEED TO MAKE ANY STATEMENT ABOUT THE PARLIAMENTARIAN ROLE.
COMMISSIONER LOWE, POINT OF POINT OF INFORMATION ON THAT, UM, I BELIEVE SINCE WE HAD A PARLIAMENTARIAN PREVIOUSLY, WHO WAS OUR CHAIR, CURRENT CHAIR, WE DID MAKE THE DECISION THAT HE WAS NO LONGER GOING TO BE THE PARLIAMENT PARLIAMENTARIAN.
I DON'T KNOW IF, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF WE VOTED EXACTLY, BUT WE DID MAKE A DECISION, AT LEAST BY DEFAULT OR BY PROCESS OF ELIMINATION.
THAT IS MY RECOLLECTION AS WELL.
THAT ONE OFFICIALLY WE DID HAVE MM-HMM,
AND WE DID HAVE DISCUSSION THAT NOW WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE'RE NOT GONNA ELECT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT DECISION, UH, DID NOT, UM, DID NOT NECESSITATE A VOTE, AN OFFICIAL VOTE BY THE COMMISSIONER, BY THE COMMISSION.
BUT AGAIN, SINCE WE ARE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, I DON'T WANT IN THE FUTURE TO COME BACK AND GO, WELL, WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT ROLE AGAIN? SO, A SIMPLE STATEMENT.
I, I STAND BY MY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE SOME SIMPLE STATEMENT TO CLOSE OUT THE LOOP TO SAY IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE SAME EFFECT AS THIS PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK.
SO I'M GONNA RESTATE THE MOTION AND MAKE SURE WE GOT IT RIGHT.
UH, IT IS A, A MOTION TO AMEND THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AND TO, TO AMEND THAT MOTION BY ADDING FIRST AN APOSTROPHE ON COMMISSIONS IN ITEM NUMBER ONE.
SECOND, A STATEMENT, UM, THAT WE DID NOT ELECT A PARLIAMENTARIAN THIRD TO ADD THE WORD GROUP AFTER WORKING ON THE LAST BULLET POINT BEFORE ADJOURNMENT.
AND FOURTH TO ADDEN ADAMS AFTER SECRETARY STANTON.
IN THAT SAME BULLET POINT, DID I CORRECTLY STATE YOUR MOTION? DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT? I'LL SECOND.
ARE WE READY TO VOTE? LET'S JUST DO IT BY A SHOW OF HANDS.
FIRST, WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE MOTION TO AMEND THE MOTION WITH THESE FOUR CHANGES.
ALL IN FAVOR? UH, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
UM, ALL OPPOSE, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYONE LEFT.
THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
SO NOW, DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS AMENDED BY THE PRIOR MOTION SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS? UH, YES.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE ONE MORE CLARIFYING REMARK REGARDING THE STATEMENT ABOUT WE DID NOT ELECT A PARLIAMENTARY, PARLIAMENTARIAN THAT THE STATEMENT BE, UH, CLEAR THAT IT WAS A DECISION AND NOT LIKE WE DECIDED AT THIS TIME NOT TO ELECT IT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO ELECT IT IN THE FUTURE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? UM, BECAUSE IT COULD, IT COULD BE INTERPRETED AS IF, IF WE JUST SIMPLY SAY WE, UH, DID NOT ELECT A PARLIAMENTARIAN, THAT COULD MEAN, WELL, YOU DIDN'T ELECT IT AT THAT MEETING.
ARE YOU COMING BACK TO IT? BUT MORE DEFINITIVE THAT WE DECIDED THIS IS NOT A ROLE, THIS IS NOT A, AN, AN OFFICE THAT WE ARE GOING TO ELECT.
THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING OF OUR DECISION.
[00:10:01]
UH, COMMISSIONER LOWE, YOU KNOW, UH, IT IS UNDER ANNUAL ELECTION.SO IF WE JUST MAKE A STATEMENT THAT FOR THE NEXT YEAR WE WILL PROCEED WITHOUT A PARLIAMENTARIAN, UM, OR, OR IS THE SECRETARY SAYING THAT WE MIGHT ELECT A PARLIAMENTARIAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR? BECAUSE WE CAN DO THAT? OF COURSE.
ACTUALLY, I DON'T THINK WE CAN.
WE HAVE A SPECIFIC DATE SET FOR OUR ELECTION OF OFFICERS, BUT NOT PARLIAMENTARIAN.
SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN, HENCE, NO.
THAT'S WHY I, I WANTED TO BE CLEAR.
LIKE, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS OUR DECISION AT THE TIME WASN'T JUST, WE'RE NOT GOING TO FULFILL THAT OFFICE FOR THIS COMING UP YEAR.
IT'S, WE DECIDED THAT THAT OFFICE WAS NOT NECESSARY FOR UNTIL, UNTIL THE COMMISSION DECIDES OTHERWISE.
AND I THINK IT MAY SEEM LIKE A TINY, UM, UH, DIFFERENCE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
I JUST DON'T WANT IT TO BE LIKE, OKAY, SO WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO ELECT THE PARLIAMENTARIAN? AND, AND THE DECISION IS WE'RE NOT ELECTING ONE.
WE'RE NOT, WE'RE DOING AWAY WITH THAT OFFICE IS WHAT I HAD.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER POEY AND I'LL COME RIGHT BACK.
I, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I WOULD AGREE IT SHOULD BE AS CLEAR AS POSSIBLE.
ONLY BECAUSE THE AGENDA ITEM SAID WE WERE GONNA ELECT A PARLIAMENTARIAN.
AND ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T TAKE THAT ACTION, AND SO IN THAT SENSE, IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO GO IN THE MINUTES.
IT JUST CLARIFIES IT IF ANYONE LOOKS IN THE FUTURE AND SAYS, WELL, WHAT HAPPENED? ALL RIGHT.
COMMISSIONER CASTO, I WAS JUST GONNA CLARIFY THE, THE REFERENCE YOU MADE TO THE DISCUSSION LAST TIME.
I THINK WE REFERENCED THE BYLAWS AND THERE'S ONLY A CHAIR OF VICE CHAIR AND SECRETARY IN THE BYLAWS, AND THERE WASN'T A PARLIAMENTARY IN THE BYLAWS.
SO IT WASN'T A DECISION JUST TO NOT APPOINT IT OR TO DECIDE IT, IT WASN'T NECESSARY.
IT WAS A RECOGNITION THAT IT WAS PERHAPS APPOINTED.
MISTAKENLY, UH, I'D LIKE TO COMMISSIONER LEAR.
I THINK MY ONLY CONCERN IS THAT IF THERE'S ANY AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENT ABOUT WHAT WE DID OR DIDN'T DECIDE, I DON'T THINK THAT WAS HELD TO A VOTE.
AND SO PERHAPS THE BEST WORDING REALLY IS JUST TO SAY WE TOOK NO ACTION ON THE PARLIAMENTARIANS PART.
'CAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYBODY ALSO THEN READING IT AND SAYING THAT WE'VE DECIDED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ON THE ISSUE.
MS. WEBSTER, FROM OUR LAW DEPARTMENT.
HI, THIS IS CAROLINE WEBSTER WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
UM, AS, UM, AMY AS COMMISSIONER COSTO.
I WAS GONNA SAY AMY COSTO
SO I DON'T, I DON'T, I WAS JUST LOOKING TO SEE IF I HAD THE MINUTES IN FRONT OF ME, AND I'M SURE THEY'RE SOMEWHERE IN MY PACKET HERE, BUT, BUT I THINK IT, WHATEVER THE, THE MINUTES SAY, I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO REFLECT THAT YOU ALL JUST DON'T HAVE A PARLIAMENTARIAN THAT, SO IT'S NOT THAT NO VOTE WAS TAKEN ON THAT, OR YOU DECIDED NOT TO HAVE ONE.
IT'S JUST THAT YOU ONLY HAVE THREE OFFICERS ACCORDING TO YOUR BYLAWS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO CLARIFY THAT.
IN, IN THE MINUTES ITSELF, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO JUST INSERT A LINE SAYING THAT THE COMMISSION, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN SAY WE, I WAS GONNA SAY THAT THE COMMISSION DETERMINED THAT THERE'S NO PARLIAMENTARIAN.
THAT INDICATES WE MIGHT HAVE VOTED.
UH, I HAVE A SUGGESTION THAT WOULD, UM, I'M RECOMMENDING THIS GOOD FEEDBACK RE RECOMMENDING THAT PERHAPS THE STATEMENT SHOULD JUST SIMPLY SAY, UH, THE COMMISSION, UH, TOOK NO ACTION ON ELECTION OF PARLIAMENTARIAN BECAUSE THIS ROLE IS NOT IN THE BYLAWS.
COMMISSIONER LOWE, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE CHOICE OF NOT TAKING ACTION.
I THINK WE SHOULD JUST SAY SOMETHING LIKE, WE RECOGNIZED THE BYLAWS SAID NO PARLIAMENTARIAN, BASICALLY.
I MEAN, WE DIDN'T MAKE A DECISION.
LIKE WE DIDN'T DETERMINE THERE'S NO PARLIAMENTARIAN.
WE JUST RECOGNIZED THAT'S WHAT THE BYLAWS SAID.
I ACKNOWLEDGED, RECOGNIZED, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT FROM A HYPER-TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE, WE MM-HMM.
UM, BUT MY INCLINATION IS THAT WE DON'T NOTATE IN THE MINUTES EVERY MOTION THAT WASN'T MADE.
UM, AND I, I THINK MY VIEW, AND I'M, I I'M ONLY ONE VOTE, BUT MY VIEW IS THAT, UM, THERE SHOULD NOT BE A STATEMENT ABOUT IT.
AND IF SOMEBODY COMES BACK AND LOOKS AT IT AND SAYS, WELL, WHY ISN'T THERE A PARLIAMENTARIAN? I GUESS THEY CAN INQUIRE.
[00:15:01]
BUT, UM, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD GIVE AN INDICATION THAT WE MADE A COLLECTIVE DECISION WHEN WE, IT'S JUST THAT NOBODY MADE A MOTION.UM, I GUESS WE'RE NOT, I GUESS THIS IS DISCUSSION OF THE EMOTION TO APPROVE.
UH, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON IT? IS THERE AN OPTION TO PUT A NOTE? I, I THINK THAT'S A VERY ASTUTE CONSIDERATION THAT WE DON'T WANT TO, WE DON'T WANT TO USE LANGUAGE THAT, UM, THAT GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT WE MADE ANY KIND OF DECISION, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT A VOTE.
AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
BUT AGAIN, I'M STILL RECOMMENDING THAT WE SOMEHOW CLOSE THE LOOP BECAUSE PARLIAMENTARIAN IS MENTIONED EXPLICITLY AS AN AGENDA ITEM, AS, UM, 'CAUSE IT DOESN'T SAY AND OR PARLIAMENTARIAN, IT SAYS CONDUCT ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS, SECRETARY, AND PARLIAMENTARIAN.
SO I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD.
AND I'M MAYBE JUST A NOTE, UH, NOTE PARLIAMENTARIAN ROLE IS NOT IN THE BYLAWS.
MS. WEBSTER, I, CAROLINE WEBSTER WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
UM, I WOULD RECOMMEND AGAINST THAT ONLY BECAUSE THE MINUTES ARE SUPPOSED TO DESCRIBE WHAT OCCURRED AND THERE SHOULDN'T BE EXPLANATIONS OF WHY SOMETHING DIDN'T OCCUR.
I MEAN, I, I COMPLETELY APPRECIATE WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM AND WHY YOU'RE SUGGESTING IT, BUT I THINK THE MINUTES SHOULD REFLECT AS ACCURATELY AS POSSIBLE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED DURING THAT MEETING.
AND I, I WASN'T THERE, UNFORTUNATELY.
AND SO IF IF THESE DON'T REFLECT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, THEN THEY SHOULD BE CHANGED.
IF THEY DO REFLECT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, THEN THEY CAN STAND.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND.
AND THEREFORE WE SHOULD MAKE SOME STATEMENT.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE MEETING WAS THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PARLIAMENTARIAN, UH, ROLE.
AND WE DID ACKNOWLEDGE IT WAS NOT IN THE BYLAWS.
AND SO WE SAID, WE'RE NOT EVEN GOING TO NOMINATE OPEN THAT OFFICE UP.
BUT THAT WAS A, TO ME, THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSION BY THE COMMISSION.
I THINK PERHAPS THOUGH, FROM THE INPUT WE GOT FROM MS. WEBSTER TO THE CHAIR'S POINT THEN THAT THE AGENDA ITEMS SPEAK FOR ITSELF.
THE AGENDA ITEM WAS TO VOTE ON ELECTION OF ANY NUMBER OF OFFICERS.
THERE'S, UH, ONE THAT WAS NO NOT VOTED ON.
AND I THINK THE IMPLICATION IS THEN THAT IT WASN'T ADDRESSED.
WE DON'T SAY THAT WE DIDN'T RAISE A MOTION ON AN ISSUE OR AN ITEM.
WE JUST, YOU KNOW, READ BETWEEN THE LINES OR I GUESS GO BACK AND REQUEST THE VIDEO FROM THE ARCHIVE.
UM, AND I THINK FOLKS CAN DRAW THAT CONCLUSION AND SAY, WELL, MUST NOT DECIDE THEY WANT TO TAKE ANY ACTION ON THE ISSUE.
COMMISSIONER POPER, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, SO I THINK WE'RE STILL ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
WE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A MOTION OR A, TO MAKE THE CHANGES TO THE MINUTES THAT INCLUDED THE PARLIAMENTARIAN STATEMENT.
SO DO WE NOW HAVE A MOTION TO REMOVE THAT? I GUESS THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION TO APPROVE.
CAN WE AMEND IT? DO WE HAVE TO RECONSIDER IT? I GUESS SOMEONE WOULD, SOMEONE COULD MAKE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER IT.
IF YOU HAVEN'T ACTUALLY VOTED YET, YOU DON'T HAVE TO RECONSIDER.
WELL, WE VOTED ON THE MOTION TO AMEND THE MOTION.
I CONFUSED TO RECONSIDER THE MOTION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECONDED.
AND TO BE CLEAR, IT'S TO AMEND THAT PRIOR MOTION SO THAT WE DON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE PARLIAMENTARIAN.
UM, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY SORT OF DISCUSSED THE MOTION BEFORE IT WAS MADE.
IS ANYONE NOT READY TO GO TO A VOTE? OKAY.
SO EFFECTIVELY THIS, IF YOU VOTE YES, THE MINUTES WILL NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE PARLIAMENTARIAN.
UM, WE'LL DO IT BY A SHOW OF HANDS.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND, UH, ALL OPPOSED, RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER? UM, I'M RETURNED.
[00:20:02]
SO THE MOTION PASSES BY SIX TO THREE, AREN'T THERE EIGHT OF US HERE? ALL RIGHT, LET'S, LET'S DO A QUICK ROLL CALL THEN.COMMISSIONER NUNEZ IS NOT HERE.
SO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 YESES AND THREE NOS.
NOW ON THE TABLE, WE'RE BACK TO THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
UH, WITH THE THREE CHANGES, WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE THE PARLIAMENTARIAN STATEMENT, IS FIVE TO THREE ENOUGH TO PASS? I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE WE NEED SIX.
IS IT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE PRESENT IS, UH, THE CAROLINE WEB WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT? NO, YOU NEED SIX.
EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE PEOPLE ABSENT, THAT DOESN'T IMPACT THE NUMBER OF VOTES NEEDED TO PASS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THE NUMBER OF VOTE, NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO ARE PRESENT.
IT'S NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO ARE BASICALLY ELIGIBLE TO VOTE.
AND SINCE YOU HAVE THREE ABSENCES YOU WOULD NEED, YOU STILL NEED SIX MEMBERS TO PASS THE MOTION THAT THAT APPLIES FOR MOTIONS, NOT FOR ACTIONS.
I GUESS THE MOTION IS AN ACTION, ISN'T IT? YEAH, I WOULD SAY IT DOES.
I MEAN, IF, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, WHETHER TO ADOPT, I WOULD SAY YES.
ANY VOTE YOU'RE TAKING IN ORDER FOR IT TO PASS, YOU WOULD NEED SIX VOTES.
SO THAT PUTS US IN A BIT OF A CONUNDRUM.
WELL, I GUESS, I GUESS IT DOESN'T, WE ARE NOW ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AND IT WOULD INCLUDE, 'CAUSE THAT WAS A MOTION TO RECONSIDER.
WE SAID, NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA RECONSIDER.
THEREFORE, WE'RE NOW ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE A STATEMENT THAT WE DID NOT ELECT A PARLIAMENTARIAN.
UM, ARE, IS ANYONE NOT READY TO VOTE ON THAT AT THIS POINT? I THINK WE'VE, AGAIN, A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
THERE WERE SECRETARY, THERE WERE FOUR VICE.
IS THIS CORRECT? THERE WERE FOUR, FOUR CHANGES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
ONE OF WHICH IS THE PART ABOVE THE PAR PARLIAMENTARIAN.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON? YES.
SO THAT THE PARLIAMENTARIAN, WE'RE NOW BACK TO THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
AND THE MOTION TO AMEND THE MOTION THAT HAD THE FOUR CHANGES, INCLUDING THE PARLIAMENTARIAN THAT PASSED THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER IT FAILED.
SO NOW WE'RE ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES WITH ALL OF THOSE FOUR CHANGES.
ARE WE READY TO VOTE? SINCE I DIDN'T COUNT VERY WELL LAST TIME, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL.
COMMISSIONER KALE IS NOT PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER NUNEZ IS NOT PRESENT.
AND THE CHAIR ALSO VOTES? YES, IT IS UNANIMOUS.
AND WE HAVE APPROVED OUR MINUTES FROM OUR APRIL MEETING.
[2. Staff briefing regarding updates to the City Council Candidate Forum Planning.]
NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS STAFF BRIEFINGS REGARDING THE CITY CAN COUNCIL, CANDIDATE FORUM PLANNING.AND, UH, I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UH, MS. WEBSTER FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT TO MAKE A INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT ABOUT THIS.
UM, CAROLINE WEBSTER WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
SO I'M GONNA BE TURNING THIS OVER, UH, TO MIA, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE IN JUST A MOMENT HERE.
BUT JUST AS A VERY QUICK, UH, MAYBE REFRESHER FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE BEEN IN A, BEEN HERE A WHILE, OR FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE BRAND NEW, UM, TO HELP YOU JUST UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THESE GUYS ARE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
UM, CANDIDATES, UH, FOR CITY OFFICE HAVE THE CHOICE TO SIGN A CONTRACT THAT BASICALLY ALLOWS THEM TO, IT REQUIRES THEM TO, TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS AND ABIDE
[00:25:01]
BY CERTAIN LIMITATIONS IN ORDER TO HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF RECEIVING FUNDS TOWARDS THEIR CAMPAIGN FOR THE RUNOFF ELECTION.SO THEY SIGN THE CONTRACT, THEY TURN IT IN IN A TIMELY MANNER, AND AS LONG AS THEY ABIDE BY CERTAIN THINGS AND PARTICIPATE IN CERTAIN EVENTS, THEN, UM, IF THEY MAKE IT TO THE RUNOFF ELECTION, THEN THEY'RE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE SOME FUNDS, UM, FOR, FOR THAT, UH, RUNOFF CAMPAIGN.
SO BASICALLY, JUST IN SHORT, UM, THEY, UH, HAVE TO ABIDE BY CERTAIN CONTRIBUTION AND EXPENDITURE LIMITS.
THEY HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN CITY ORGANIZED EVENTS, UH, SUCH AS, UH, DEBATES.
AND USUALLY THERE'S AN INTERVIEW THAT'S AIRED LIVE ON, UM, UM, A TXN.
AND THEN USUALLY THERE'S A QUESTIONNAIRE, AND THAT QUESTIONNAIRE IS AS AVAILABLE.
IT'S POSTED ONLINE, IT'S AVAILABLE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT CANDID INFORMATION.
SO THAT'S JUST A VERY BRIEF KIND OF, UH, REVIEW OF, OF WHAT THAT'S ABOUT.
AND THE, YOU ALL HAVE A ROLE IN BASICALLY ORGANIZING, UH, THESE EVENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT THE TIMING OF THEM, THE LOCATION OF, OF THE DEBATES, ET CETERA, ARE EQUITABLE SO THAT CANDIDATES ARE GIVEN A FAIR, UH, ATTEMPT TO PARTICIPATE.
THE ONES WHO, OF COURSE, WHO HAVE CHOSEN, ALL CANDIDATES GET TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE EVENTS.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE SIGNED THE CONTRACT, UM, BUT THEY HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IF THEY SIGN THE CONTRACT AND WANT TO HAVE A CHANCE AT RECEIVING THOSE FUNDS.
UM, WE DO INVITE ALL CANDIDATES, UH, IN OUR NEXT MEETING ONCE WE FINALIZED THE SCHEDULE FOR THE DEBATES, WHICH IS WHAT MIA'S GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT.
AND KEITH, I GUESS TONIGHT, UH, WHEN THE DEBATES ARE GONNA BE, WHAT AREAS OF THE CITY THEY'RE GONNA BE, ONCE THOSE HAVE BEEN FINALIZED AND YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, GET TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT SEEMS LIKE A FAIR AND GOOD SCHEDULE TO YOU.
THEN NEXT MEETING, WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON THE AGENDA SOME, A LETTER THAT IS ESSENTIALLY SENT OUT TO CANDIDATES THAT INFORMS THEM OF THESE REQUIREMENTS AND, UM, INFORMS THEM OF THE EXACT LOCATIONS AND DATES, ET CETERA, FOR THE DEBATE THAT'S IN THEIR DISTRICT OR FOR MAYOR.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF JUST WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE LEADING UP TO HERE FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
SO YOU CAN HEAR WHAT THEY'VE ARRANGED AND, YOU KNOW, DECIDE WHETHER YOU FEEL LIKE THOSE, THAT'S A GOOD SCHEDULE, ET CETERA.
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH FINALIZING ALL OF THAT.
AND THEN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO WORK ON THAT LETTER, AUTHORIZE THAT LETTER, UH, IN TIME FOR IT TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE CANDIDATE FILING DEADLINE, WHICH IS IN, IS, UH, AUGUST 18TH OF THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE AND, AND I'LL HAND IT BACK TO YOU CHAIR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. WEBSTER.
UM, THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES, I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR NAME'S MIA, BUT I DIDN'T CATCH YOUR LAST NAME.
UH, MS. WARNER, WOULD YOU, UH, GIVE US A BRIEFING ON THIS MATTER? ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU CHAIR FOR RECOGNIZING ME.
I'M WITH THE CITY'S, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE, OUR DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I HELP ORGANIZE ARE THE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUMS. UM, THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT THINGS THEY'RE REFERRED TO AS FORUMS. UM, AND THE ONE I'LL BE SPEAKING TO YOU IN PARTICULAR ARE THE IN-PERSON FORUMS THAT ARE FOR EACH OF THE, UM, COUNCIL OFFICES UP FOR ELECTION.
WE HAVE FOR THIS YEAR, THERE ARE FIVE COUNCIL OFFICES IN MAYOR.
AND, UM, SO WE HAVE ARRANGED LOCATIONS IN EACH OF THE, UM, DISTRICTS SPECIFICALLY.
AND THEN THE MAYORS WOULD TAKE PLACE HERE AT AUSTIN CITY HALL.
UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS, UH, THE FIRST DATE FOR THESE FORUMS. IT CAN'T BE EARLIER THAN A WEEK AFTER THE CANDIDATE FILING DEADLINE, WHICH IS JULY 22ND.
AND, UM, THE LAST DATE MUST BE BEFORE THE EARLY VOTING STARTS.
SO WITHIN THAT, THE DATES, UM, THAT WE HAVE SECURED IN THE PLACES, UM, EACH OF THESE WILL TAKE PLACE OR AT 6:30 PM IN THE EVENING, UM, THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IS IN CHARGE OF ARRANGING THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY ASK THE CANDIDATES AND THEY'LL GO DOWN THE LINE AND THEY'LL DECIDE WHO IS SPEAKING ON SOMETHING.
SO IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN A DEBATE.
IT'S MORE OF A, A PRESENTATION.
UM, THE FIRST ONE FOR DISTRICT TWO IS ON SEPTEMBER 25TH AT GEORGE MORALES DOVE SPRINGS RECREATION CENTER FOR DISTRICT FOUR.
AND YOU SHOULD HAVE THESE IN YOUR MATERIALS AS WELL.
UM, DISTRICT FOUR IS SEPTEMBER 19TH AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER DISTRICT SIX, OCTOBER 7TH AT HOPE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DISTRICT SEVEN, SEPTEMBER 5TH AT NORTHWEST RECREATION CENTER DISTRICT 10 SEPTEMBER 30TH AT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND AS I MENTIONED HERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UM, I DID WANNA MENTION ALSO THAT THIS WILL, THESE WILL EACH BE AIRED LIVE ON A TXN.
SO WE ALSO TRIED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE,
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WE DID MAKE SURE THAT THESE ARE DATES WHERE A TXN IS AVAILABLE, UM, TO BROADCAST.AND WE ARE UNDER THE LIMITATION THAT THE LOCATIONS HAVE TO BE AMENABLE TO THAT BEING BROADCAST AS WELL.
SO WE'VE CONFIRMED THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO THEY'LL BE BROADCAST LIVE AND SPANISH INTERPRETATION WILL BE DONE FOR EACH EVENT STREAMING ON A TXN.
IF SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE IN-PERSON INTERPRETATION OR INTERPRETATION FOR LANGUAGE OTHER THAN SPANISH, THEN THEY CAN REQUEST INTERPRETATION, UH, THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT'S SET UP BY THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
UM, THE LAST THING I FORGOT TO MENTION IS THAT IF WE HAVE RUNOFF ELECTIONS, UM, WE ALSO HAVE ARRANGED FOR THERE TO BE CANDIDATE FORUMS FOR THOSE RUNOFF CANDIDATES.
UM, THEY WILL TAKE PLACE IN AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND EITHER TENTATIVELY ON NOVEMBER 20TH OR UM, NOVEMBER 25TH, THERE ARE CURRENTLY SOME COMMISSION MEETINGS SCHEDULED.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO SECURE ONE OF THOSE DATES.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS I CAN HELP YOU ANSWER? YES, SIR.
UM, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT LANGUAGES.
IS THERE A, A SIGN, UH, AMERICAN SIGN LEVEL SIGNS FOR THE DEAF? WE DO HAVE CAPTIONING ON THE A TXM BROADCAST.
THIS MIGHT BE A GIVEN, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
I HOPE I DIDN'T SPEAK OVER ANYBODY.
THIS MIGHT BE A GIVEN, BUT I DON'T KNOW MY EVERY DISTRICT'S GEOGRAPHY VERY WELL.
BUT I'M ASSUMING ALL OF THESE ARE IN EACH DISTRICT PROPER.
I RESEARCHED THOROUGHLY TO ENSURE
AND THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IN YEARS PAST, SOME OF THE FORUMS HAVE BEEN MERGED.
SO YOU HAVE TWO FORUMS AT ONE LOCATION, AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A DEPARTURE FROM THAT.
BUT I, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'VE PUT SO MUCH EFFORT INTO GETTING IN THE DISTRICT.
BUT YES, THESE ARE, EACH WILL BE IN THE DISTRICT VICE CHAIR LOW.
I JUST WONDERED ABOUT THE DATES.
UM, AS TO THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE, UH, REPORTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE 30 DAY REPORT IS DO 30 DAYS BEFORE, BUT IT, UH, INCLUDES CONTRIBUTIONS UP TO 40 DAYS BEFORE.
SO I SEE SOME OF THESE DATES, UM, ARE BEFORE THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE IT WOULD MAKE IN WHETHER A CANDIDATE WHO ISN'T REQUIRED TO APPEAR WOULD WANT TO APPEAR.
UM, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF MAKING EVERYONE FEEL IT'S FAIR AND EVERYBODY IS AT THE SAME STAGE IN THEIR FUNDRAISING AND IN THEIR CAMPAIGN, DO WE NOT WANT TO PUT THEM ALL PRIOR TO, UM, THE DEADLINE FOR THAT FILING? FOR THAT FILING? SO I WOULD DEFER TO MS. WEBSTER.
I'M NOT HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE FINANCE.
I KNOW THERE ARE PARTICULAR THINGS THAT WE TRIED TO STAY IN THAT WE HAD TO STAY IN BETWEEN, LIKE I MENTIONED, THE FILING DEADLINE AND BEFORE EARLY VOTING.
WE CAN'T BE ON THE ANY DAY OF A COUNCIL MEETING OR A COUNCIL WORK SESSION, AND THEY HAVE TO BE ON WEEKDAY EVENINGS.
UM, THOSE ARE THE CONSTRAINTS.
I DON'T MEAN IT AS A CONSTRAINT, BUT JUST A CONSIDERATION BECAUSE YEAH, WE WANT TO LOOK, WE WANT TO APPEAR FAIR TO EVERYONE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
THIS IS CAROLINE WEBSTER LAW DEPARTMENT.
I'M, I'M NOT ACTUALLY QUITE UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT THE CANDIDATE FORUMS, HOW THE FILING OF THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE, THE PANELS THAT THEY'LL BE ON.
I'M NOT, I GUESS I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOUR QUESTION IS.
OH, IT WOULDN'T HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE PANEL ITSELF.
I'M JUST SAYING SOME PEOPLE WILL BE AT A DIFFERENT STAGE IN THEIR CAMPAIGNS IF SOME OF THEM ARE ON A DIFFERENT SIDE OF THAT FILING DEADLINE AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT ARE COVERED IN THAT FILING.
BUT ALL CANDIDATES HAVE THE SAME CAMPAIGN FINANCE FILING DEADLINE.
SO THEY ALL WOULD'VE, THEY ALL NEED TO FILE 30 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION IS NOVEMBER 5TH.
I STILL, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT.
I THINK, ARE YOU SAYING THAT SOME DISTRICTS WILL BE BEFORE THE DEADLINE AND OTHER DISTRICTS WILL BE AFTER THE DEADLINE? UM, NOT SO MUCH AS THE DEADLINE FOR FILING.
AS I LOOK AT THE DATES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PERIOD COVERED BECAUSE IT'S 40 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION.
THOSE ARE THE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS THAT ARE COVERED IN A 30 DAY REPORT.
OH, SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT SOME OF THE PANELS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, ARE SCHEDULED AFTER THAT 30 DAY FILING PERIOD HAS PASSED? NO, THAT FILING DEADLINE AFTER THE 40 DAY PERIOD
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OF THE CAMP CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS THAT ARE COVERED.NOW I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT IF THEY'RE YEAH.
EVERYBODY FILES THE SAME, THEM APPEALING TO PEOPLE WHO MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO THEM? WELL, OR YEAH.
WHATEVER OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THERE ARE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SIGN THE CONTRACT, SO THEY MUST APPEAR.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SIGN THE CONTRACT.
THEY CAN APPEAR IF THEY WANT TO.
AND THAT MIGHT BE A FACTOR THAT THOSE PEOPLE WILL CONSIDER WHEN THEY DECIDE WHE WHETHER TO PARTICIPATE.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY ABOUT THAT IS THAT THERE'S NO LIMIT ON WHEN PEOPLE CAN MAKE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS.
YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE SEES, UH, A CANDIDATE AT A FORUM AND THEN THEY DECIDE THEY CAN, THEY WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEM, THEY CAN DO SO REGARDLESS.
UP UNTIL THE DAY OF THE ELECTION.
WELL, YES, AND AFTER THE ELECTION AS WELL, BUT RIGHT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TALKING ELECTION, BUT SO YEAH, I, I DON'T, I MEAN, HONESTLY, THERE'S CERTAINLY, THERE IS NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT THAT BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
SO I GUESS THAT WOULD BE UP TO YOU ALL.
THE ONE THING I WOULD CAUTION AGAINST IS THAT, AS, UM, MIA MENTIONED IT, THERE ARE LIMITED NUMBER OF LOCATIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
THERE MAY BE LIMITED TIMES THERE AVAILABLE.
AND IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE TRY TO PUSH IT SO THAT ALL OF THESE FORMS ARE BEFORE THE 40TH DAY OR AFTER THE 40TH DAY, IT MIGHT CAUSE CERTAIN PLACES TO DROP OUT.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE UP TO YOU ALL LEGALLY, THERE'S NO, THAT'S NOT A REQUIRED CONSIDERATION.
UH, SECRETARY SANTON ADAMS, I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER, UH, I'M SORRY, VICE CHAIR, UH, LOWE'S, UM, KEEN ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND I, I AM, I'D LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER THAT MORE, OR MAYBE THAT'S NOT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THIS COMMISSION, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD CONSIDERATION.
UM, I AM ALSO VERY, UM, I'M A BIG PROPONENT OF THE PERCEPTION OF A FAIRNESS, UM, ESPECIALLY GIVEN OUR, UM, OUR JURISDICTION AND WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE ARE CHARGED WITH.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE, THE DATES WELL ENOUGH.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE MS. WEBSTER, YOU UNDERSTAND IT, BUT CAN WE, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO, UM, IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE OR, OR HELP LOOK INTO THIS FURTHER? 'CAUSE I, I, I DO, LIKE, I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE MAY BE A PERCEPTION OF, UH, UNEQUAL ACCESS OR DOES THAT SEEM RIGHT? SOMETHING ABOUT THAT SEEMS NOT FAIR, NOT GIVING EVERYONE THE SAME, UM, LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.
SO, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE PRACTICALLY SPEAKING.
I I THINK ALL OF THIS IS APPROPRIATE CONVERSATION FOR OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO JUST GATHER INFORMATION FROM, UM, FROM MS. WARNER.
UM, TO THE EXTENT SHE CAN SPEAK TO THIS QUESTION, I, WE INVITE HER TO DO SO.
BUT I, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD ON THIS MATTER? UM, I WANTED TO, I'M TRYING TO, SORRY, I'M TRYING TO PULL UP WHEN THE FIRST DAY OF EARLY VOTING STARTS.
AND SO, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S SOMETIME IN OCTOBER.
I, IT HAS TO BE SOMETIME IN OCTOBER.
DO YOU HAVE IT ON EARLY? VOTING STARTS THE 17TH DAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY, WHICH IS A WEEKEND.
SO IT GETS PUSHED TO THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THE EXACT DATE IN JUST A MOMENT.
SO IT'LL BE 17 DAYS OR 15, 15 DAYS.
AND THE FINANCE DEADLINE IS 30 DAYS BEFORE NOVEMBER 5TH.
SO THERE'S SEVERAL FINANCIAL REPORTS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE, BUT THERE'S TWO PRE-ELECTION REPORTS.
ONE, UM, IS FILED THE 30TH DAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY, AND WHEN THE OTHER IS FILED THE EIGHTH DAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY.
AND THEY COVER VARIOUS DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT TIMEFRAMES.
UM, SO I, I HAVE TO, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE EXACT DEADLINE.
IF THE 30TH DAY FALLS ON A WEEKEND, IT'LL BE PUSHED TO THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY.
UM, I, THE POINT I WAS GOING TO MENTION IN THIS IS WITH THOSE CONSTRAINTS OF THE 30, 30 DAYS AHEAD OF TIME AND THEN BEING BEFORE EARLY ELECTION STARTING, THAT GIVES ABOUT 15 CALENDAR DAYS MINUS THE WEEKENDS AND, UM, MINUS COUNCIL DAYS,
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UM, THAT WOULD LEAVE ONLY A COUPLE DAYS.UM, AND WITH STAFF CONSTRAINTS, WE WOULD, IN THAT CASE, LIKELY HAVE TO COMBINE THEM, AND SO THEY WOULD NO LONGER BE IN THE DISTRICTS AND WOULD BE STACKED BACK TO BACK.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WAS GONNA MENTION.
I'LL, I'LL JUST ADD THAT THE FAIRNESS.
I, I, I SEE WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
CAN YOU TELL US YOUR NAME? KEITH RIEVES.
I'M THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR OFFICER FOR THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.
UM, SO WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FAIRNESS AS WELL.
AND TO US, THE, TO THE FOCUS IS THE FAIRNESS TO EVERYONE IN A PARTICULAR DISTRICT.
UM, SO IT, IT WOULD, IT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FOR THE DIFFERENT PLACES, BUT EVERYONE ON PERHAPS DISTRICT SIX WOULD HAVE THE SAME TIME ALLOTMENT BEFORE THE, UH, BEFORE THE FORUM THAN ALL OF THE ONES THEY'RE RUNNING AGAINST.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? NOW, VICE CHAIR LO OKAY, LET ME TRY TO ARTICULATE THIS AGAIN, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING.
MY CONCERN, AND I THINK IT IS A REFLECTION, WHAT SECRETARY STAN AND ADAM SAID IS, YOU KNOW, SEPTEMBER 5TH IS WAY BEFORE OCTOBER 7TH.
IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A NOVEMBER ELECTION, UM, WAY BEFORE, IN TERMS OF WHEN PEOPLE DECIDE HOW THEY'RE GONNA VOTE, WHEN THEY DECIDE TO WHOM THEY WILL CONTRIBUTE, HOW MUCH ATTENTION THEY'RE PAYING TO, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC FORUM OR ANY OTHER EVENT THAT MIGHT TELL THEM ABOUT THE CANDIDATES OR ABOUT THE ELECTION GENERALLY, OR THE ISSUES AT THAT TIME.
SO THERE IS A SENSE OF UNFAIRNESS OR THERE'S A, AN APPEARANCE PERHAPS THAT WE HAVE SAID.
UM, I MEAN, SOME PEOPLE COULD VIEW IT AS FAVORING THE DISTRICT SIX COUNCIL, UH, CANDIDATES AS COMPARED TO THE DISTRICT SEVEN COUNCIL CANDIDATES.
SO THE ISSUE IS NOT WHETHER ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THAT DISTRICT HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S WHETHER THE CITY IS TREATING ALL CANDIDATES THE SAME WAY.
THAT, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE.
AND THE WHOLE IDEA WITH MONEY ONE MONTH, YOU KNOW, SEPTEMBER 5TH, OCTOBER 7TH, THAT'S A, THAT'S A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME FOR A CANDIDATE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MOVE IN THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION BEFORE A NOVEMBER 5TH ELECTION.
SO I JUST THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
I UNDERSTAND THE, YOU KNOW, PRACTICALITIES WITH STAFF AND LOCATION AND SO FORTH, BUT I, I, I DON'T THINK WE CAN DIVE INTO IT WITH THESE DATES WITHOUT EVEN CONSIDERING HOW IT COULD POSSIBLY BE DIFFERENT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BETTER TO, TO COMBINE AND, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVE EVERYTHING IN ITS DISTRICT.
I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGES TO BOTH.
SO I, I THINK WE NEED TO DISCUSS THAT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. WARNER OR MR. REEVES? UH, COMMISSIONER LEAR, I APOLOGIZE.
WAS, IS THERE A UNIFORM START TIME FOR ALL OF THESE, OR IS IT KIND OF UNDECIDED? SIX 30.
AND THAT'S UPON, UM, CONSULTATION WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS WHO DOES THE QUESTIONS.
AND IS THERE AN ANTICIPATED, UM, IS, IS THERE LIKE A SHUTOFF TIME FOR HOW LONG IT'S SUPPOSED TO RUN? THEY'VE SAID THEY WANT THEM TO BE ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF AT MOST, UM, SO AROUND THEN, BUT I THINK IF THERE'S SO MANY CANDIDATES THAT THAT DOESN'T GIVE THEM PROPER AIRING TIME, THEN IT COULD BE RECONSIDERED.
UM, BUT THAT'S A DECISION BY LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.
AND IF THEY DECIDE TO GO FOR LIKE A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME, THAT'S, THERE'S NOT, I GUESS, I GUESS BEYOND MAYBE GOING TO MIDNIGHT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S NOT ANY CONCERN ABOUT CONTINUED COVERAGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT WHEN IT'S STREAMING.
WE'RE WE'RE USED TO MEETING, HE'S GOING UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
BEYOND, UM, THERE, THERE'S NO CONCERN WITH IT RUNNING A LITTLE BIT OVER IF MORE CANDIDATES, UM, FOR A PARTICULAR ONE OR IF THERE'S MORE QUESTIONS FOR A MAYOR'S, UM, FORUM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT AGAIN, WE LEAVE THAT TO LEGAL AND VOTERS ABOUT WHAT THEY ASK.
SO CITY STAFF IS IMPARTIAL TO, TO WHAT IS BEING ASKED IF THAT THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION THOUGH.
ANY OTHER QUESTION? UH, SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS? UH, YES.
UM, WOULD THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEM FROM THE LAST MEETING FROM THE APRIL, IS THAT INCLUDED IN THIS? IN OTHER WORDS, DOES THIS AGENDA TOPIC TODAY ADDRESS MY REQUEST FOR UPDATE REGARDING PRIOR CANDIDATE
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FORMS SURROUNDING THE AUSTIN DEMOGRAPHICS AND THE ELECTION MATERIALS IN VIETNAMESE? IF IT DOES, THEN I WILL TAKE THIS TIME TO ASK THE QUESTION, BUT IF IT DOESN'T, I CAN, I CAN WAIT.WE PROBABLY HAVE ENOUGH, UH, TOPICS TO DISCUSS ON THIS.
I THINK OUR, OUR AGENDA ITEM FOR TONIGHT, MM-HMM.
SO I THINK A, A QUESTION, A QUESTION ABOUT INTERPRET, UH, LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION, IS THAT E ELECTION MATERIALS, UM, IN VIETNAMESE? YES.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF, IF THIS IS NOW THE TIME TO ASK.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IT, BUT I, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANNA BE OUT OF, OUT OF TURN OR OUT OF LINE WITH THAT.
BUT IF THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK TO SPEAK ON THAT SPECIFICALLY, THEN I'LL HOLD MY QUESTION.
I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT SPECIFIC REQUEST.
HOWEVER I CAN SPEAK TO IT, UH, FROM WHAT I KNOW, UM, OR WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF WHAT I KNOW.
UM, THE, FOR THE CANDIDATE FORUMS, FOR THE IN-PERSON PER DISTRICT, THE SCHEDULE THAT'S LAID OUT, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST INTERPRETATION IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE, THERE'S A PROCESS THROUGH THE CITY CLERK.
AND SO THEY CAN REQUEST THAT FOR THE OTHER TWO ITEMS. THERE ARE THE CANDIDATE STATEMENTS THAT WILL BE RECORDED HERE.
WE'LL HAVE A SCHEDULE WHERE THE CANDIDATES MAY SIGN UP FOR THESE 30 MINUTE BLOCKS OF TIME.
THEY GIVE A FIVE MINUTE, UM, SPEECH OR STATEMENT.
UM, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THAT SCRIPT, THE WRITTEN SCRIPT TO A TXN SO THAT THEY MAY TRANSLATE IT.
AND SO THERE WILL BE CAPTIONS AVAILABLE IN THE TOP EIGHT LANGUAGES.
WE'VE GOT A PILOT TO TRANSLATE SOME OF THOSE IN SPANISH, BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'RE PROMOTING BECAUSE WE'RE STILL TESTING THE ACCURACY OF, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT FURTHER.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT THE PILOT INCLUDED VIETNAMESE AND THERE WAS REFERENCE TO THE TOP, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS EIGHT OR TOP LANGUAGES AS DETERMINED THROUGH RESEARCH BY THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.
THAT'S WHY I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THIS.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY I REQUESTED THAT THIS BE ON THE, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
'CAUSE I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT IT AND THEY, Y'ALL HAVE DONE, Y'ALL ARE THE GROUP SPECIFIC.
UM, THE DEPARTMENT DID AMAZING WORK WITH THE PILOT, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT VIETNAMESE, SO THAT'S WHY I WAS REQUESTING AN UPDATE.
IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED TODAY, THAT IS TOTALLY FINE.
UH, WE'LL STILL KEEP THIS ON THE LIST OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I THINK.
DO, DO I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, PILOT THAT WE HAD TWO YEARS AGO IN THE LAST ELECTION WHERE WE DID PROVIDE LIVE, UM, WE PROVIDED LIVE, UH, INTERPRETATION.
UM, I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE DEMOGRAPHICS, THE MATERIALS THAT WE WERE, UM, OR YOU GUYS WERE DISCUSSING THE LAST MEETING.
I DID UPLOAD THOSE AS BACKUP FOR THE JULY, 2022 MEETING.
AND WHAT WAS PROVIDED WAS DEMOGRAPHICS OF COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND THE SPOKEN LANGUAGES WITHIN THOSE DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS DEMOGRAPHICS FOR LANGUAGES SPOKEN AT HOME.
THERE'S STILL THE OUTSTANDING, UM, REQUEST FOR, AND I DON'T MEAN OUTSTANDING AS IN, AS IN IT'S LATE.
I JUST, I JUST MEAN I, IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME THAT IT SEEMS LIKE TODAY MAY NOT BE THE TIME TO REALLY DELVE INTO, UM, MY REQUEST FOR AN UPDATE ON A ELECTION MATERIALS SPECIFICALLY IN VIETNAMESE.
I KNOW THAT THERE WAS DISCUSSION AND, AND I REMEMBER THE PILOT, AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS IN THE PAST.
I THINK IT WAS COMING UP, SO I DON'T THINK IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO.
IT, I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH IS IT JULY, UH, LIZETTE WHERE WE HAD THAT DISCUSSION AND THEY MADE A PRESENTATION.
UM, AND IT, IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE LANGUAGES SPOKEN AT HOME, CHINESE WAS THE THIRD MOST SPOKEN LANGUAGE AT HOME.
AND VIETNAMESE I BELIEVE WAS THE SIXTH.
SECRETARY OF STATE AND ADAMS, ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT WRITTEN MATERIALS? YES, WRITTEN MATERIALS, YES.
SO WRITTEN MA SO WE CAN MAYBE PUT THAT ON A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
BUT THE, THE PLANNING OF THE FORUM FORUMS FOR, UH, THAT DOES NOT, DOESN'T INCLUDE WRITTEN, IS NOT RELATED TO MATERIALS.
UM, LEAK OF WOMEN VOTERS DOES HAVE THE QUESTIONNAIRE, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT THEY
[00:50:01]
HANDLE.UM, THESE ARE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THESE IN-PERSON FORUMS THAT YOU HAVE THE DATES AND LOCATIONS.
THE PROPOSED DATES AND LOCATIONS IN FRONT OF YOU IS WHAT I UNDERSTOOD TODAY TO BE ABOUT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, I WANNA, I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, COMMISSIONER TER.
I JUST HAD A, A QUESTION RE RELATED TO THE TIME AND VENUE SELECTION.
UH, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS SOME CONCERN THAT IF THEY'RE NOT HOMOGENIZED IN TIME, THAT UH, THERE MAY BE A PERCEPTION OF UNFAIRNESS.
I'D LIKE TO ASK, IS IT FEASIBLE TO CONSIDER OTHER VENUES AND OTHER TIMES, OR ARE WE, UH, DO WE HAVE SOME KIND OF SCHEDULE URGENCY THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING THESE DATES UNDER? UM, IT'S AT THAT TIME THEY ARE ALL MEANT TO START AT 6:30 PM WHICH, UM, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS INDICATED WOULD BE THE BEST TIME, UM, BETWEEN WANTING TO GIVE PEOPLE TIME TO GET HOME FROM WORK, BUT ALSO NOT STARTING TOO LATE TO WHERE THEY WOULD RUN REALLY LATE AND PEOPLE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, ON TERMS IN TERMS OF THE DATES AND LOCATIONS, WE ARE UNDER SOME CONSTRAINTS.
UM, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN KEEP THESE LOCATIONS RESERVED THAT ARE WITHIN THE DISTRICT AND HAVE THE CAPABILITIES TO HOLD THIS AND BROADCAST THIS KIND OF EVENT.
IF I MAY ASK, I'M KIND OF FOLLOWING UP ON COMMISSIONER RETURN'S QUESTION.
UM, LET'S SAY WE DON'T APPROVE THIS SCHEDULE.
UM, WE COME BACK NEXT MONTH AND ASK AGAIN,
SO THERE'S SO MANY FACTORS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE TO WEIGH IN AND WE REALLY, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY AND THAT WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT.
IF THAT IS THE DIRECTION, ABSOLUTELY.
WE, WE COULD, UM, LOOK AT OPTIONS AND, AND PRESENT THOSE.
BUT I KNOW FOR SOME OF THESE THAT ARE THE ONE, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ARE NOT CITY FACILITIES, UM, THOSE, THOSE REALLY, THEY'RE ON HOLD FOR US NOW.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE GOTTA CONFIRM THE BOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SOON.
UM, AND ANOTHER LIMITATION IS A FACILITY WITH GOOD SOUND QUALITY SO THAT ALL THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS CAN ACTUALLY HEAR WHAT'S BEING SAID.
UM, SO THAT RULES OUT A LOT OF LOCATIONS, UNFORTUNATELY.
SO OUR OPTIONS ARE PRETTY LIMITED.
ONE OTHER PROVISION JUST TO, I DON'T THINK THAT YOU MENTIONED IT EARLIER.
SO, UM, WE LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE FOR A TXN AND ALL OF THE COMMISSIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE LIVE.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE REALLY VERY FEW DATES 'CAUSE WE DO A LOT OF, A LOT OF COMMISSIONS ON A TXN, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO FIND NIGHTS THAT DO NOT HAVE COMMISSIONS THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE ON A TXN.
UM, SO THAT REALLY, THAT REALLY CUTS THAT DOWN, THE NUMBER OF DATES AND THEN WE GO OUT AND LOOK FOR THE LOCATIONS AND THERE'S RELATIVELY FEW IN EACH DISTRICT, UM, ESPECIALLY SOME OF THE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE, THAT ARE OTHER OPTIONS FOR US TO, TO CONSIDER.
UM, THANK YOU, UM, SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS AND, AND COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA.
I WOULD LIKE TO JUST PIGGYBACK ON THAT POINT AND SAY THAT I AM IN AWE AND APPRECIATE SO MUCH YOUR WORK AND DEVOTION TO THIS.
I CAN IMAGINE, I MEAN, THIS IS A, NOT A HUGE MATRIX, BUT THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES.
AND SO, UM, I WANNA TELL YOU I APPRECIATE SO MUCH, UH, I DO UNDERSTAND.
I CAN APPRECIATE THAT IT, THERE'S A LOT THAT HAS TO BE TAKEN INTO, TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND I ACTUALLY WANT TO APPLAUD YOU FOR THE VARIETY OF LOCATIONS I WAS LOOKING HERE AND JUST REPRESENTATION FROM DIFFERENT SECTORS AND I MEAN, WE'VE GOT A FAITH-BASED, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A CHURCH, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TWO FAITH-BASED CENTERS, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT THE JCC AS WELL, AND WE'VE GOT RECREATIONAL CENTERS, WE'VE GOT CITY HALL.
IS THERE ANY CONCERN WITH THE PERCEPTION OF CHURCH AND STATE? IS THAT JUST A NON-ISSUE OR OF IT, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GOVERNMENT, UH, ACTIVITY THAT IS HELD AT A, UM, RELIGIOUS FACILITY.
IS IT, WAS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT? OR IS THERE ANY CONCERN THAT YOU CAN KIND OF BE PROACTIVE
[00:55:01]
AND HEAD OFF? UH, WE, WE HAVEN'T HAD CONCERN ABOUT THAT.EVERYONE, EVERY LOCATION ON HERE IS, HAS HOSTED FORUMS BEFORE AND THAT'S NEVER BEEN AN ISSUE.
WE'RE BASICALLY JUST RENTING THE SPACE AND THE, THE CHURCH OR, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER'S HOSTING IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY ROLE.
THEY DON'T GET IT LIKE A THANKS OR A SHOUT OUT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S JUST, JUST THE, THE CITY BUSINESS.
AND THEN I JUST WANT TO BRING IT BACK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE, UM, WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF NOT BEING THE ONES TO DO THE WORK, AND IT'S HARD WORK TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
SO I DON'T WANT TO COME OFF FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, YOU DO ALL THE WORK AND THEN I COME HERE AND I'M LIKE, NO, I DON'T LIKE IT.
SO THAT'S, SO I, I WANT TO, BUT I DO WANT TO STRESS, AND I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO ASK Y'ALL TO GO BACK AND REDO WORK.
BUT I DO WANT TO REITERATE MY CONCERN FOR THE PERCEPTION OF FAIRNESS, UH, THAT VICE CHAIR LOWE HAD POINTED OUT, AND IT REMINDED ME THERE IS, I AM AWARE THAT IN, IN OUR CITY AND IN, I THINK IN ALMOST EVERY CITY, PROBABLY, THAT THERE IS, AT THE VERY LEAST A PERCEPTION OF CERTAIN DISTRICTS THAT ARE FAVORED OR, OR GETS MORE ATTENTION BASED ON INCOME, UM, AND, AND DEMOGRAPHICS.
SO THAT'S WHY IT IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF MY BRAIN TO GO, LET'S DO WHAT WE CAN TO, TO ENSURE THAT THE PERCEPTION OF FAIRNESS IS THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, WE CAN, WE CAN CHANGE IF THERE'S GONNA BE A CHANGE TO THIS BECAUSE YOU PUT IN SO MUCH WORK.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT OUT, THAT BE COGNIZANT THAT IT'S NOT IN PEOPLE'S HEADS.
THERE ARE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO FEEL THAT THEIR DISTRICT IS NOT FAVORED OR, UM, NOT GIVEN THE SAME ATTENTION AS OTHER DISTRICTS.
AND SO JUST KIND OF BE COGNIZANT OF THAT.
COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EFFORT THAT'S GONE INTO THIS.
I KNOW THAT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT FOLLOWED CITY FORUMS OR CAMPAIGNS IN THE PAST, I WENT THROUGH MY NOTES TO SEE HOW MANY OPPORTUNITIES RESIDENTS OF EACH DISTRICT HAVE HAD IN THE PAST ELECTIONS.
IN 2018, IT WAS 29 FORUMS. IN 2022, IT WAS 30 FORUMS. UM, OBVIOUSLY THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ONLY ONE FORUM, BUT THERE ARE MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS THAT HOLD THEM.
AND ON AVERAGE THE ATTENDANCE IS SINGLE DIGITS.
SO THIS IS NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING OR WHAT WE SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T BE OFFERING AS A CITY.
AND I DO BELIEVE IN FAIRNESS, AND I REALLY RESPECT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN, IN, UM, ETHICS AND, AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS YOU'VE DONE IN WASHINGTON THAT KIND OF BRING YOU TO THIS, TO YOUR QUESTION.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE BASING THEIR DECISION ON IN THESE ROOMS TEND TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SOFTER BASED ON PEOPLE'S SOFT SKILLS, HOW THEY INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER, HOW THEY INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER, THEIR, THEIR, UM, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL 'EM, COLLEAGUES, OPPONENTS, I GUESS THEY'RE, THEY'RE PEOPLE THEY'RE RUNNING AGAINST.
UH, TO ME THE MOST CRITICAL THING WAS SEEING IF WE COULD GET THESE FORUMS IN DISTRICTS AND NOT HAVING, NECESSARILY HAVING THEM DOUBLED UP INTO OTHER DISTRICTS.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE NOT, NOT EVERY DISTRICT HAS A CITY BUILDING WITH AUDIO VISUAL THAT IS ACCESSIBLE.
AND I KNOW IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN, LIKE THAT DOESN'T EXIST.
SO TO HAVE ONE IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN, WHICH IS NOT UP THIS YEAR, BUT TO HAVE ONE THERE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO TO SOMEPLACE LIKE THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OR THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, WHICH BY THE WAY, WE HAVE HAD FORUMS IN THOSE PLACES BEFORE, AND I FOUND THEM TO BE VERY WELCOMING.
I APPRECIATED BEING IN THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE WE COULD EXPERIENCE THAT DIVERSITY AND, AND SEE OTHER WALKS OF LIFE AND, AND BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THOSE TOGETHER.
SO HAVING SAID THAT, AND AS, AND AS A POLITICAL PROFESSIONAL MYSELF, I I THINK WHAT YOU'VE DONE IS REALLY ADMIRABLE.
IT MAY ONLY BE SIX DATES AND LOCATIONS, BUT I KNOW IT'S LIKE WALKING THROUGH A ROOM FULL OF LASERS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
SO I, I HOPE THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK WITH, WITH LITTLE TO NO ADJUSTMENT, BUT IF THERE IS ADJUSTMENT THAT CAN BE REASONABLY MADE TO, FOR IN THE EFFORT OF FAIRNESS.
BUT I, I, I WANTED TO SHARE THAT INPUT JUST TO LET Y'ALL KNOW KIND OF WHAT THE LANDSCAPE LOOKS LIKE FOR THE AVERAGE VOTER AS, AS THEY'RE APPROACHING THESE
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THINGS.UH, COMMISSIONER LEE, JUST A QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS PROCESS, AND I THINK IT MIGHT HELP, UM, AS PART OF OUR ONGOING DISCUSSION ON THE ITEMS THAT FOLLOW, BUT YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF THESE NON-CITY, UM, LOCATIONS, ARE THERE CONCERNS THAT ADJUSTING DATES WOULD CREATE? UM, NOT ONLY OBVIOUSLY ISSUES WITH, IS THE VENUE AVAILABLE, BUT, UM, PRICING AND OR CONTRACTUAL NEGOTIATIONS THAT GO INTO THE SITUATION? I'M NOT AWARE OF IF IT'S FLAT FEE OR IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, A REALLY BUSY WEEK, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS CITY COULD BE FACING, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL COSTS TO PUT ON THESE FORUMS. AS OF NOW, THERE IS ONLY ONE THAT IS CHARGING US AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH US TO REDUCE THE FEE.
UM, HOWEVER, IT, THEY HAVE ALREADY DELAYED.
UM, THEY DID WANT US TO PAY HALF UPFRONT, UM, BY THE END OF MAY.
AND THEN WHEN THAT THE COMMISSION MEETING WAS CANCELED, WE WENT BACK TO THEM.
AND, UM, SO WE DO NEED TO PAY THEM THE DEPOSIT SOONER THAN LATER TO HOLD IT.
OH YEAH, I, I REALLY DO SHARE THE, UH, SENTIMENTS OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND I'M SORRY IF I DIDN'T SOUND SUFFICIENTLY APPRECIATIVE.
'CAUSE I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE GREAT AMOUNT OF WORK.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, I KNOW EVEN JUST SETTING UP POLLING PLACES IN, IN THESE DIFFERENT KINDS OF, UM, AREAS, YOU KNOW, REQUIRES A LOT OF MANIPULATION OF STAFF AND RESOURCES AND EVERYTHING.
UM, SO MY QUESTION REALLY, IF WE, IF WE KEEP THIS, UH, UM, IDEA OF APPEARANCE, OF FAIRNESS, YOU KNOW, UH, VERY TOP OF MIND AND I THINK THIS IS KIND OF FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT I BELIEVE I HEARD, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, TERRIN SAY.
CAN YOU JUST LIST FOR US WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE IF WE DON'T GO WITH ALL OF THE DATES? LIKE IF WE WANT TO MAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF THEM A LITTLE CLOSER TOGETHER, BUT NOT CHANGE ALL OF THEM.
DO WE HAVE THAT OPTION? UM, YOU KNOW, I, I MEAN WE'RE NOT TRYING TO REWRITE EVERYTHING AND ANY, ANY YES.
YOU KNOW, CONCERN I EXPRESSED IS NOT THAT IT HAS TO BE RES SCRAMBLED OR ANYTHING.