[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
TO ORDER, UH, IT IS 6:09 PM WE ARE AT THE MUELLER ASSEMBLY.
ROOM NUMBER 1 1 1 1 A 48 1 5 MUELLER BOULEVARD IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
7 8 7 2 3 AUSTIN ENERGY HEADQUARTERS.
UH, I WILL CALL THE ROLE, UH, CHAIR MICHAEL LEVINS.
HE'S ABSENT VICE CHAIR HOS AND ANDREA LOWE.
UM, I SEE COMMISSIONER KALE HERE, LIKE SMART HERE.
UM, SECRETARY WINSTON ADAMS. PRESENT.
AND COMMISSIONER HUMPHREY PRESENT.
UM, AND COMMISSIONER KALE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS, UH, JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
SO NEXT IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
AND ARE THERE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR TODAY.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
SO THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA, UM, BEFORE US IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.THESE ARE THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSIONER REGULAR MEETING MINUTES ON JUNE 26TH, 2024.
AND THEY ARE IN EVERYONE'S PACKET.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JUNE 26TH WITH TWO AMENDMENTS, THE FIRST AMENDMENT BEING ON PAGE TWO.
NUMBER THREE, UNDER DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. THE FIRST LINE, COMMISSIONER HUMPHREY'S, MOTION TO APPROVE THE CANDIDATE FORM EVENT, SUGGESTING THAT WE ADD THE WORD SCHEDULE FOR CLARITY AND ACCURACY.
SO IT'S THE EVENT SCHEDULE THAT WAS PASSED.
AND THEN THE SECOND ITEM, THE SECOND AMENDMENT, IS IN THE NEXT SECTION, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS REVIEW OF THE WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW ERC COMPLAINTS PROCESS FOR THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING AGENDA.
I DID CONSULT WITH, UH, LIZETTE, AND SHE, UM, APPROVED AND CONSENTS, UH, TO THAT AMENDMENT.
SO IT'S A CHANGE OF PREPOSITION FROM TWO TO FOUR.
AGAIN, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JUNE 26TH WITH TWO AMENDMENT, ADDING THE WORD SCHEDULE AND THEN CHANGING THE PROPOSITION TO FOUR.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL A SECOND.
IS THERE DISCUSSION? I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA CHIME IN.
I FORGOT THAT I SHOULD, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
I, I FORGOT THAT I SHOULD RECUSE FROM THIS VOTE BECAUSE I WAS ABSENT AT THE LAST MEETING.
SO I APOLOGIZE LIZETTE, FOR NOT INDICATING THAT ON THAT ATTENDANCE SHEET.
BUT I'LL BE RECUSING FROM THIS VOTE.
UH, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT REQUIRES YOU TO RECUSE.
UM, MAYBE MS. WEBSTER CAN CLARIFY.
HI, UH, CAROLINE WEBSTER LAW DEPARTMENT.
YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO RECUSE FROM THIS ITEM FOR BEING ABSENT.
IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU CAN'T BE IMPARTIAL OR, OR WOULD OTHERWISE LIKE TO RECUSE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO SO, BUT YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED BY LAW TO RECUSE SIMPLY FOR BEING ABSENT.
THANKS FOR THAT EXPLANATION, THEN.
IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? IS EVERYONE READY TO VOTE? OKAY.
THE MOTION IS, UH, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF
[00:05:01]
THE JUNE 26TH, 2024 MEETING OF THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION WITH TWO AMENDMENTS UNDER DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, THE WORDS SCHEDULE AFTER CANDIDATE FORM EVENTS, AND THE CHANGE OF THE PREPOSITION, UM, FROM TWO TO FOUR IN FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DO A ROLL CALL.SO COULD WE JUST CALL THE QUESTION AND FOR EVERYONE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE SO, AYE.
IT LOOKS LIKE SEVEN AND, AND MYSELF.
SO, UH, SEVEN TO ZERO, THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
OH, WAIT, WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
[2. Briefing from League of Women Voters Austin Area (LVW-AA) regarding written materials available in other languages for the City Council Candidate Forum Planning.]
A BRIEFING? YEAH.IS THERE A BRIEFING? SO THE, JUST, I'M SORRY IF I MAY.
UM, CAROLINE WEBSTER, LAW DEPARTMENT.
WE REACHED OUT TO THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE PRESENT FOR TODAY'S MEETING.
THEY HAVE, UH, COMMITTED, I CAN'T SAY A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING VERY LIKELY TO HAVE SOMEONE AT YOUR NEXT MEETING.
THEY DID FORWARD US THE MATERIALS THAT WERE ONLINE, UH, FOR LAST YEAR'S ELECTION.
AND SO, AND LIZETTE SENT THAT OUT TO YOU ALL JUST FOR YOU WOULD HAVE IT.
AND SO THAT YOU COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
THAT WAS THEIR VOTER'S GUIDE THAT THEY HAD MADE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, SIMPLIFIED CHINESE AND VIETNAMESE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY HAD PUBLISHED LAST YEAR.
AND THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO VOTERS ONLINE OR, OR TO BE DISTRIBUTED, UH, PHYSICALLY DISTRIBUTED ALSO.
UM, SO THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE US AN UPDATE WHEN THEY COME, IF, IF YOU, OF COURSE, YOU CHOOSE TO PUT IT ON YOUR NEXT AGENDA, UH, TO DISCUSS THAT PROCESS AND WHAT THEIR INTENT IS FOR THIS YEAR.
UH, AS WELL, QUESTION IF I, I DO APOLOGIZE.
I MAY MENTION AS WELL THAT THE LEGAL WOMEN VOTERS GUIDES INCLUDES INFORMATION ABOUT CANDIDATES AS WELL AS LOCAL PROPOSITIONS.
SO IT'S QUITE A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE.
SO MS. WEBSTER, UM, IS SOMEONE SCHEDULED TO COME FROM THE LEGAL BOARD VOTERS, OR IS IT JUST GONNA BE WRITTEN MATERIALS? WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE WHO, WHO WILL BE, UH, ABLE TO BE PRESENT AND TO DISCUSS AND ANSWER QUESTIONS AND SUCH.
SO, AND IF THEY, THEY MAY WELL BRING ALONG SOME SAMPLES OF MATERIALS, BUT WE DO PLAN TO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE, OF THE GROUP.
UM, COMMISSIONER POEY, UM, THIS IS JUST A QUESTION.
IT'S MY IMPRESSION THAT I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT WHAT WAS SENT OUT THIS TIME, BUT THEIR GUIDE IS A WHOLE SEPARATE ISSUE THEN WHAT WE'RE TALKING TO THEM ABOUT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TO THEM ABOUT THE CANDIDATE FORM.
I'VE SEEN THEIR GUIDE MANY TIMES.
IT'S EXCELLENT, BUT IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY QUESTIONS TO CANDIDATES AND ANSWERS.
RIGHT? THAT'S THE TYPICAL LEGAL AND VOTERS THING.
I DON'T THINK THAT IS CONNECTED TO WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM ABOUT.
WE'RE ASKING ABOUT WHAT THEY DO WITH THEIR FORUMS. RIGHT.
I THINK, UM, YEAH, MS. WEBSTER, I GUESS MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE QUESTION, REGARDED WRITTEN MATERIALS, SO I KNOW THAT WRITTEN MATERIALS AT THEIR FORUMS, THEY HAVE TRANSLATED INTO VARIOUS LANGUAGES, BUT IF THAT'S SPECIFICALLY WHATEVER YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO ASK, WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE SURE THAT, THAT IT'S MADE CLEAR SO THEY'RE PREPARED TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS NEXT MONTH.
I REMEMBER BRINGING THIS TOPIC UP AND, AND FOR, FOR ME, I WAS SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY OF VOTING MATERIALS, UM, PUT OUT BY THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.
AND SO THAT WOULD SUFFICE THOUGH I WILL ADD THAT I WAS ALSO INTERESTED IN INTERPRETATION MM-HMM.
SO TRANSLATION BEING WRITTEN AND INTERPRETATION, BEING VERBAL.
UM, SO INTERESTED ALSO IN INTER, SO FOR ME, THOSE ARE THE TWO TOPICS.
VIETNAMESE, UM, LANGUAGE TRANSLATE, UH, TRANSLATED MATERIALS AS WELL AS THE VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE AND, UH, CHINESE INTERPRETATION AT THE CANDIDATE FORUMS. MM-HMM.
AND, UH, JUST SO YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR TOPIC IS A BRIEFING, BUT I AM CONVEYING INFORMATION THAT WAS CONVEYED TO ME BY THE LING OF WOMEN VOTERS.
SO WE, WE DON'T WANNA GO TOO MUCH INTO THIS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY DID LET US KNOW THAT AT PRIOR CANDIDATE FORMS AND EVENTS, THEY DID HAVE TRANS, UM, INTERPRETERS, SORRY, INTERPRETERS
[00:10:01]
AVAILABLE.UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY WERE UTILIZED.
UM, SO, BUT IF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FORWARD FOR YOUR FUTURE AGENDA WHEN, UH, THEY CAN CERTAINLY ADDRESS THAT, WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE FOR THIS YEAR.
COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? NOPE.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE, UM, ON THE BRIEFING OR ANY OTHER REQUESTS FOR, UH, MS. WEBSTER TO RELAY TO THE LEGAL VOTERS? UH, REPRESENTATIVE.
[3. Review of the Working Group to Review ERC Complaints Process]
ACTION ITEMS. THE FIRST, UH, MATTER THAT WE PUT ON THE AGENDA WAS REVIEW OF THE WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW ERC COMPLAINTS PROCESS.THE WORKING GROUP CONSISTED OF OUR FORMER CHAIR, LOUIS SILVER CHAIR, MICHAEL LOVENS, AND ME.
UM, SO IT'S NOW JUST, UM, CHAIR LOVENS AND ME.
UM, WE HAD TALKED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO AS A, AS A WORKING GROUP, AND WE CIRCULATED SOME MEMOS, BUT, UM, WE THOUGHT IT MAY NOT BE A PROJECT THAT WE SHOULD UNDERTAKE WITHOUT HAVING ADEQUATE STAFF AND ADEQUATE RESOURCES.
SO, UM, UH, CHAIR LOVENS IS NOT HERE TODAY, BUT, UM, I HAVE ASKED, UH, MS. WEBSTER TO KIND OF GIVE US A GUIDE AS TO THE FRAMEWORK OF WHAT THIS WORKING GROUP MAY BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IF THE GROUP, YOU KNOW, COMES UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RULES OR POLICIES OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE, UH, ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION COMPLAINTS PROCESS.
AND THAT I, I DON'T THINK IS SOMETHING I CAN ANSWER TODAY.
MY UNDERSTANDING THIS, THIS WAS, THIS WAS NOT REALLY A STAFF BRIEFING ITEM.
THIS WAS LIKE A, SOMETHING FROM THE WORKING SESSION, UH, THE WORK, THE WORKING GROUP.
BUT I CAN CERTAINLY REVIEW THAT AND WE CAN, WE CAN DISCUSS IT, UH, NEXT TIME.
AND I CAN ALSO, IN THE MEANTIME, I CAN PROBABLY EMAIL YOU ALL, UH, SOME INFORMATION AS WELL.
SO, UM, I GUESS THE BROADER QUESTION WAS JUST, UH, IF THE WORKING GROUP COMES UP WITH ANY IDEAS OR ANY PROPOSALS, IS THE NEXT STEP TO THEN SEND IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL, AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL WILL, YOU KNOW, HAVE WHATEVER KIND OF LEGAL REVIEW IT IS ENTITLED TO? I'M SORRY, COULD YOU REPEAT YOUR QUESTION? WELL, ANY ACTION THAT THIS COMMISSION TAKES IN TERMS OF PROPOSING SOMETHING AS A TYPE OF COMPLAINTS PROCESS OR, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING AS TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO PROCESS, ANYTHING WE'RE GOING TO DO AS TO INITIATING OUR OWN COMPLAINTS OR, MM-HMM.
OUR PURPOSE WOULD GENERALLY BE TO DO IT, TO SEND TO THE COUNCIL, AND THEN THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER IT AND TAKE WHATEVER ACTION THE COUNCIL THINKS IS APPROPRIATE.
AND THE COUNCIL WOULD DO THAT SEEKING LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE ALL UNDERSTANDING THE SAME WAY.
I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THAT COUNCIL WOULD NECESSARILY HAVE A ROLE.
I MEAN, YOU ALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ADOPT YOUR OWN RULES.
AND YOU HAVE AUTHORITY TO BASICALLY, UH, LODGE YOUR OWN COMPLAINTS OR LOOK INTO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ONLY RECEIVE A COMPLAINT MM-HMM.
YOU CAN ALSO MOVE FORWARD ON YOUR OWN AUTHORITY WITH THE COMPLAINT IF YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE OR AN ALLEGATION THAT SOMEONE HAS VIOLATED A CAMPAIGN FINANCE RULE OR SOMETHING UNDER YOUR PURVIEW.
UM, BUT THAT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY INVOLVE COUNSEL UNLESS YOU WERE CHANGING YOUR BYLAWS.
IF YOU WERE CHANGING BYLAWS, THEN THERE'S A PROCESS WHERE BYLAWS CHANGES GO THROUGH THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND THEN THEY'RE APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
SO IT WOULD DEPEND A LITTLE BIT ON KIND OF HOW YOU WANT TO GO ABOUT THINGS.
BUT I WOULDN'T THINK THIS WOULD BE SO MUCH A BYLAWS CHANGE AS IT WOULD BE MORE ABOUT SETTING OUT THE FRAMEWORK FOR HOW YOU WOULD GO ABOUT SORT OF HANDLING THOSE SORT OF COMPLAINTS, THE NORMAL COMPLAINT PROCESS, AS WELL AS ANY THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO LAUNCH ON YOUR OWN AUTHORITY.
SO IF WE WERE TO INITIATE OR OWN COMPLAINTS, UM, AND WE INCLUDED IN THE RULES, UM, PROCEDURES FOR WHICH IT WOULD REQUIRE SOME STAFF RESOURCES, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO ON OUR OWN? OR, OR NOT REALLY
I WOULD SAY THAT YOU CAN, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ADAPT YOUR OWN RULES, AND YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT SORT OF, UM, TO LAUNCH THOSE COMPLAINTS.
AND SO WE WOULD JUST MAKE SURE, I MEAN, YOU'RE ALREADY ENTITLED TO STAFF IN ORDER TO FUNCTION AND, AND FULFILL ALL OF YOUR DUTIES.
SO IT WOULD BE MORE OF A QUESTION OF IF WE DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS YOU NEEDED MORE
[00:15:01]
STAFF, UM, IT WOULD STILL JUST COME FROM WITHIN THE LAW DEPARTMENT, ESSENTIALLY.IN A WAY, WE'D HAVE TO KIND OF FLESH OUT A LITTLE BIT EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE CONTEMPLATING MM-HMM.
AND THEN IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE'S A, LIKE A BUDGETARY CONCERN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN MAYBE WE WOULD, WE WOULD HAVE TO GET OTHER FOLKS INVOLVED.
BUT WE, WE KIND OF HAVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT IT, WHAT IT IS YOU ALL ARE CONTEMPLATING DOING, REALLY.
I MEAN, I GUESS THE QUESTION WAS JUST WHETHER THAT, I MEAN, WE DON'T WANNA UNDERTAKE A PROJECT THAT IS SIMPLY NEVER GONNA BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES, WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF.
WE DON'T, I MEAN, IT'S NOT EVEN THAT IT'S EXCEEDING OUR LEGAL AUTHORITY, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING IN ALL PRACTICALITY CANNOT BE DONE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW,
AND I, I THINK THAT WAS, THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE THREE OF US WHEN WE LAST DISCUSSED IT, UM, WERE THINKING.
SO, UM, WHAT, I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST WAY FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO GO FORWARD IF WE HAVE THESE QUESTIONS? JUST TO SEND THE LAW DEPARTMENT A MEMO WITH THE QUESTIONS? I THINK YOU WOULD NEED TO GIVE US GUIDANCE OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
DO YOU WANT TO ADOPT RULES? MM-HMM.
I MEAN, WE CAN'T DRAFT RULES FOR YOU MM-HMM.
SO IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON WHAT IT, I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
YOU'RE, I, THIS, THE EMAIL THAT YOU SENT, I APOLOGIZE.
I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK THROUGH IT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON EXACTLY WHAT IT IS YOU WANT TO DO, UM, WE WOULD, WE WOULD GENERALLY ADVISE YOU THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS RATHER THAN HAVING YOU GO THROUGH A WHOLE THING AND SAYING, OH, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
SO I THINK, I THINK IF, I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE A WORKING GROUP, THE IDEA WOULD BE, I WOULD THINK FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO KIND OF FLESH OUT HOW YOU WANNA PROCEED.
AND I COULD BE INVOLVED AS A STAFF ATTORNEY ADVISING YOU THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS, RATHER THAN MAKING YOU KIND OF GO IT ALONE AND THEN JUST TAM ME AN END PRODUCT KIND OF THING.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THE GROUP WANTED TO HEAR, UM, TOGETHER.
UM, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER HUMPHREY AND THEN COMMISSIONER LEAR, I HAVE A SIMPLE QUESTION.
IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE HAVE BEEN, WHERE WOULD THOSE RESIDE? 'CAUSE I DON'T, THEY MIGHT GO TO COUNCIL PEOPLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY'D GO TO, BUT IF THERE ARE SOME, IT'D BE GOOD TO HAVE THOSE.
I, I'M, I'M SORRY, YOU'RE ASKING WHO THEY'RE FILED WITH? IF THERE ARE COMPLAINTS? NO, IF THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE COMPLAINT PROCESS ABOUT WHAT WE DO MM-HMM.
DO YOU KNOW MS. WEBSTER? I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY KIND OF PROCESS TO TRACK THOSE.
I MEAN, OCCASIONALLY YOU'LL SEE A MEDIA NEWS STORY OR SOMETHING RIGHT.
THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW SOMETHING WAS HANDS HANDLED.
BUT, UM, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC SORT OF LIKE EMAILS OR DOCUMENTED SORT OF COMPLAINTS LIKE THAT.
UM, IF THOSE WERE SENT, I WOULD THINK THEY WOULD GO TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE, UH, OR POSSIBLY TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
WE CAN CHECK AND SEE IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE, WE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN CHECK AND SEE IF WE HAVE RECEIVED SUCH A THING.
I'M PERSONALLY NOT AWARE OF ANYBODY.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY DON'T EXIST THERE SOMEWHERE.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK, FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO FIND PROBLEMS OR STREAMLINE THE PROCESS.
BUT PERHAPS THERE ARE BOUNDARIES AND LIMITS THAT WE RUN UP AGAINST THAT ARE IN THE CITY CODE ITSELF.
AND SO I, MY THOUGHT WOULD BE PROBABLY THAT THE LAW DEPARTMENT'S ROLE WOULD BE TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD REQUIRE A CHANGE TO CODE THAT YOU CAN'T DO.
AND SO PERHAPS IT IS NOT SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED GUIDANCE ON, UM, WHAT WE SHOULD DO OR CAN DO.
IT'S REALLY MORE WHAT YOU CAN'T DO, AND THAT'S RUNNING UP AGAINST WHATEVER CITY CODE MANDATES.
YOU KNOW, I, BECAUSE I THINK I, I SAW THAT RIGHT.
TO HAVE REPRESENTATION AT A HEARING, THINGS LIKE THAT ARE CODIFIED IN THE CODE.
AND SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO BYPASS THROUGH AMENDING OUR OWN RULES.
DO YOU WANNA JOIN THE WORKING GROUP
WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU LATER THEN.
[00:20:01]
SECRETARY? SECRETARY.I'M THINKING OF THREE THINGS HERE AND SOME GOOD DISCUSSION HERE.
I KNOW THAT IT HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK DONE PREVIOUSLY ON LIKE ANOTHER, THE FORMER ITERATION OF THIS WORKING GROUP.
AND I REMEMBER BECAUSE I WAS A PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP.
AND WE HAD DONE A LOT OF WORK, AND THIS WAS WHEN I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER, IS IT BETSY GREEN? UM, AND SHE HAD PRESENTED A VERY NICE POWERPOINT, UM, FORMER CHAIR SOBER, WAS ALSO ON THE WORKING GROUP.
AND I, AND I REMEMBER BRINGING THIS UP THAT IF WE CAN DIG UP THOSE MATERIALS SO THAT, AND MAYBE Y'ALL ALREADY HAVE THAT, OR THIS IS THE RESULT OF YOUR REVIEWING, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE HAD BEEN STARTED.
ACTUALLY GOT TO A POINT WHERE WE ENCOUNTERED KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, AND MAYBE THAT'S WHAT'S PROMPTING YOUR QUESTION OF, WELL, WHAT EXACTLY CAN WE DO? WHAT'S IN OUR PURVIEW TO CHANGE? IT BECAME A, A VERY FRUSTRATING EFFORT OF, WELL, NOW WE'RE BACK TO SQUARE ONE.
YOU KNOW, CAN WE REALLY CHANGE THIS? AND I'D HATE FOR ALL THAT WORK TO BE LOST.
AND, UM, SO IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT AND HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU, I WOULD URGE THAT WE START THERE AND RECOMPILING THE WORK THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE A LOT HISTORICALLY.
AND THEN WHAT, UH, AT THE TIME, CHURCH SORAN AND COMMISSIONER LEVINS AND I DISCUSSED, UM, WAS A COMPARISON BETWEEN WHERE WE ARE NOW, WHICH IS TO HAVE NOTHING AT ALL
SO THAT WAS YET ANOTHER STEP FROM WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT IT MAY BE A VERY, UM, LARGE UNDERTAKING TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING PARALLEL TO WHAT THE TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION AND THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION DO, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT MORE STAFF TO DO THAT, THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE ENFORCEMENT STAFF, BASICALLY.
SO I THINK, I THINK THAT WAS THE QUESTION THAT THE WORKING GROUP HAD.
IF WE, UM, HAVE THIS VISION
THIS CAROLINE, THE WEBSTER LAW DEPARTMENT.
AGAIN, AGAIN, NOW I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT IF YOU IMPLEMENT ALL THIS, WOULD YOU THEN HAVE THE STAFF AVAILABLE TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU HAVE INVESTIGATORY AUTHORITY AND WOULD YOU HAVE STAFF WHO COULD DO THAT KIND OF WORK? IS THAT, IF, IF THAT'S THE KIND OF THING YOU'RE ASKING, UM, THAT I WOULD NEED TO LOOK INTO MORE TO SEE KIND OF HOW EXTENSIVE IT COULD BE, KIND OF THING.
LIKE, SINCE YOU'RE COMPARING IT TO FEC AND, AND THE SORT OF THINGS THAT THEY DO.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS, IF THAT KIND OF A ROLE WAS ENVISIONED.
I MEAN, CERTAINLY AS WE'VE SAID, YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO, TO, TO MAKE YOUR OWN COMPLAINTS, ET CETERA.
BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH INVESTIGATIVE AUTHORITY, SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF QUESTIONS THAT I COULD CERTAINLY HELP LOOK AT.
AND THEN AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT, IF YOU GO THROUGH THAT AND ADOPT ALL THOSE RULES AND HAVE A METHODOLOGY FOR THOSE COMPLAINTS, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING WHAT WOULD BE THE STAFF NEEDS, WHAT WOULD BE THE LIFT FOR THAT, AND WHETHER THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I, WE CAN LOOK AT.
WE, WE CAN JUST PUT THIS ON NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA, UNLESS, DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE, OH, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER TURN.
UH, I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT PROCESS, AND THAT IS, IN OUR BYLAWS, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO REQUEST CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER TO PROVIDE SUCH ASSISTANCE AS IT MAY REQUIRE IN THE DISCHARGE OF ITS DUTIES.
SO MY QUESTION IS, DO WE HAVE TO ESTABLISH THOSE DUTIES BEFORE WE REQUEST, OR CAN WE REQUEST AID BEFORE WE ENSHRINE A PROCESS FOR COMPLAINTS TO SEE IF IT'S REASONABLE? I WOULD THINK COUNSEL, IN ORDER TO MAKE THE DECISION, THEY WOULD NEED TO MAKE, THEY'RE GONNA NEED ENOUGH INFORMATION ABOUT HOW MUCH STAFF IS GONNA BE, NEED NEEDED, WHAT YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF RESOURCES ARE NEEDED.
UM, SO THEY WOULD BE, BEFORE YOU WENT TO COUNCIL, YOU'D HAVE TO BASICALLY HAVE SOME, BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM AN UNDERSTANDING OF THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
SO IT'S, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, OR AT LEAST MY INTERPRETATION OF THAT, IS THAT WE WOULD NEED TO TAKE SOME SORT OF COMMISSION ACTION TO DEFINE THAT,
[00:25:01]
AND THEN WE WOULD ASK FOR, UH, RESOURCES.AND SO I, I WILL SAY I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE IDEA OF ENSHRINING A PROCESS, TAKING AN ACTION TO SAY, THIS IS HOW WE WANNA DO IT.
AND THEN ASKING AND BEING TOLD NO.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE QUESTION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I THINK THE WORKING GROUP WILL HAVE TO STRUGGLE WITH A LITTLE BIT.
AND DO YOU WANNA BE ON THE WORKING GROUP? I WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP, YES.
WE HAVE BOTH COMMISSIONER L AND SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS. YES.
SO, COMMISSIONER POEY, YOU'VE BROUGHT UP SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS A GREAT IDEA THAT WE DON'T HAVE, WHICH IS A REPOSITORY OR KIND OF A DATABASE OF ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ERC, BECAUSE WE HEAR COMPLAINTS OF VI PO POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS OF THE CODE.
BUT THERE ISN'T THAT I'M AWARE OF, LIKE A COMPLAINTS HOTLINE.
WHAT IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE PROCESS OR THE WAY THE, THE COMMISSION OPERATES? I'M NOT AWARE THAT, THAT THOSE KIND OF, UH, THAT THAT'S REALLY A PART OF THE PROCESS.
I THINK THAT'S KIND OF SEPARATE, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CAPTURE THAT.
SO WOULD YOU, UH, VICE CHAIR TAKE THAT AS A TOPIC TO CONSIDER FOR THE WORKING GROUP? IS, UH, A LIST OF ANY COMPLAINTS THAT COME, THAT COME IN? I WOULDN'T SAY GO BACK.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH FOR THAT, BUT MOVING FORWARD THAT A PART OF THE, MAYBE THE, OUR PROCESS IS TO SOMEHOW CAPTURE, UM, COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ERC OR, OR THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE.
YEAH, I BELIEVE SO, BECAUSE THE PURVIEW OF THE WORKING GROUP IS JUST TO REVIEW THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS.
SO ANYTHING RELATED TO THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS WOULD BE SOMETHING UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THAT.
THAT'D BE GREAT FOR THAT WORKING GROUP.
AND THEN THE, THE LAST TOPIC I HAVE IS BYLAWS.
DIDN'T WE AT ONE OF THE MEETINGS TALK ABOUT A WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE BYLAWS? I REMEMBER THAT COMING UP WITH, IT WAS SUGGESTED, BUT I WAS, I THINK I BROUGHT IT UP AND, AND IT WAS JUST PUT OFF NOTHING.
WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT AWAY FROM THE POSTING LANGUAGE FOR THIS ITEM.
SO WE NEED THAT'S BRING IT, THAT CAN CERTAINLY BE A FUTURE ITEM.
WAS THAT NOT OKAY, THAT'S NOT PART OF THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS WORKING GROUP.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DISCUSSION OF WHETHER THERE WAS A WORKING GROUP CREATED TO DISCUSS BYLAWS IS NOT REALLY OH, OKAY.
SO ARE, ARE YOU ASKING WHETHER THAT CAN BE SUBSUMED YES.
UNDER THE WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE ERC COMPLAINT YES.
PROCESS, WHICH IS WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT YOU GUYS MAY ALSO ADD AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, UM, TO ADD COMMISSIONER RETURN TO THE WORKING GROUP THAT YOU GUYS ARE CURRENTLY ON.
THAT'S NOT A CURRENT AGENDA ITEM.
SO THAT, JUST WANNA MAKE NOTE THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA BE LISTED IN THE MINUTES.
SO LET ME CLARIFY WHAT SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS IS SAYING, UM, THAT WE ADD UNDER THE WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS.
UM, SOMETHING ABOUT, WELL, ANYTHING THAT IS REVIEWING THE BYLAWS THAT IS RELATED TO THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS.
I THINK COMMISSIONER LEAR HAD SOMETHING.
YEAH, I THINK THE, THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT CAME TO MIND FROM THIS DISCUSSION, UH, ABOUT RESOURCES AND, AND WHAT TO LOOK INTO KIND OF AS THIS PROCESS PLAYS OUT WITH THE WORKING GROUP IS, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING ANY OF THESE CHANGES.
UM, NOT ONLY TO, I GUESS, UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF RESOURCES, UM, THAT MAY BE REQUIRED, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, FROM MY VIEW OF IT, BECAUSE THERE'S NO SUBPOENA POWER BECAUSE DISCOVERY IS A REQUEST.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T QUITE KNOW HOW MANY LAWYERS WE WOULD POSSIBLY NEED, UM, IF WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, INITIATING A HUNDRED COMPLAINTS A YEAR ON OUR OWN.
BUT BIFURCATED FROM THAT, YOU KNOW, SETTING ASIDE JUST THE RESOURCES ISSUE, UM, WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR, I THINK THE WHOLE BOARD, I'M SORRY, THE COMMISSION TO KNOW, UM, AS A RESULT OF Y'ALL'S INVESTIGATION AND REPORT AND CHANGES, A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE THAT THE LAW DEPARTMENT WOULD PLAY IN THAT CASE.
BECAUSE, UM, I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND HOW, YOU KNOW, THE LAW DEPARTMENT WOULD SERVE
[00:30:01]
AS, YOU KNOW, A PROSECUTOR, SO TO SPEAK.AND IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S AUTHORIZED, RIGHT.
AND SO BEFORE WE EVEN CONSIDER, UM, YOU KNOW, DO WE NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, IS IT SOMETHING THAT THAT'S, THAT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN OR BE POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, BEYOND JUST, OH, WE INITIATED A COMPLAINT.
WE CAN HELP YOU FACILITATE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE RECEIVED PURSUANT TO A REQUEST THAT WE CAN MAKE.
VERSUS DO WE NEED SOMEBODY TO ACT AS THE KIND OF COMPLAINANT, SO TO SPEAK, ON OUR BEHALF, RATHER THAN HAVING TWO PARTIES, UH, IN FRONT OF US.
AND SO, UM, THAT MAY BE, THAT RESOLVES SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS, BECAUSE IF THE ANSWER IS WE'RE KIND OF ON OUR OWN, IF WE INITIATE A COMPLAINT, UM, THAT CREATES A WHOLE DIFFERENT SET AND TRACK, I THINK, FOR AN OUTCOME AND UNDERSTANDING THAT MIGHT HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND IF WE REALLY DO NEED TO KICK ANYTHING UP IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
UM, MS. WEBSTER IS, WOULD IT BE USEFUL IF WE JUST GAVE YOU A LIST OF ALL THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND THAT COULD, WOULD THAT HELP NARROW DOWN YOUR, YOUR TASK? UH, YES.
'CAUSE THEN I WOULD AT LEAST MAYBE KNOW WHAT ROLE WE WOULD PLAY AND WHAT ROLE WE WOULDN'T PLAY.
'CAUSE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T DRAFT THE RULES OURSELVES, AND I DOUBT THERE WOULD BE LIKE OUTSIDE COUNSEL THAT WOULD COME IN, YOU KNOW, LIKE I, MAYBE, LIKE WE WERE JUST, YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, THERE MAY BE LIKE SOME PARAMETERS, LIKE IN LIKE DEFINITIVELY ANSWER.
WE DO HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL WHEN WE HAVE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, A COUNCIL MEMBER IS, IS THE SUBJECT OF COMPLAINT.
WE HAVE OUTSIDE COUNSEL FOR THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SO IF THERE WAS A COMPLAINT ABOUT A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WOULD REQUIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE WOULDN'T HAVE OUTSIDE COUNSEL FOR OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT, THAT YOU ALL LODGED, UM, OR BROUGHT FORWARD.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO, BUT, BUT YES.
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO AT LEAST HAVE THAT STARTING CONVERSATION OF THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING.
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES? IT MAY ALSO BE THAT I CAN REACH OUT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND GET SOME FEEDBACK, UH, FROM THEM AS WELL ABOUT RESOURCES AND, AND, UH, SOME GUIDANCE AND STUFF.
I MEAN, LET'S, LET'S DEFINITELY START, START THAT CONVERSATION AND IF ANYTHING YOUR WORKING GROUP WANTS TO COMMUNICATE BACK TO ME, THEN WE CAN OPEN THOSE LINES OF COMMUNICATION.
UM, DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? JUST ONE, ONE THOUGHT IN CLOSING, UM, AS YOU'RE REVIEWING THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS, IS THERE ALSO, ARE YOU ALSO CONSIDERING WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS FEASIBLE? BECAUSE AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE WEIGHING A PROCESS AND THAT WE'RE ADDING TO IT.
WHEN SEEMED TO ME THAT THE IDEA OF PUTTING THIS TOGETHER WAS MAYBE ASSESSING THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS BEFORE WE FLESH IT OUT.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, MY QUESTION IS, IS, IS THE GOAL OF THE WORKING GROUP TO ARRIVE AT A COMPLAINTS PROCESS OR TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO HAVE A COMPLAINTS PROCESS? WELL, SPEAKING ONLY FOR MYSELF AS A MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP, I THINK IT IS, IT IS BOTH, BUT THERE'S STEP ONE AND STEP TWO IF STEP ONE IS FIGURE OUT WHETHER IT'S FEASIBLE.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A LOT OF THE REASON I WANTED IT ON THE AGENDA TODAY, BECAUSE LIKE SECRETARY SENATE AND ADAM SAYS, IF WE GET STUCK, THAT'S IT.
RIGHT? I MEAN, IF IT'S NOT, IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN REALLY RIGHT, RIGHT.
SO, UM, I WOULD SAY YES, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
AND, AND MY QUESTION IS NOT TO CHALLENGE THE WORK OF, OF WHAT YOU'RE ALL DOING, UM, MM-HMM.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN, AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, CHAIR SORAN IS NO LONGER ON THIS COMMISSION, BUT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT, THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, RIGHT? EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD.
THAT IS A COMMISSION, UM, THAT PROCESSES, UM, THESE KINDS OF CAMPING, FINANCE AND LOBBYING COMPLAINTS.
AND SO THERE ARE MANY, MANY MODELS, RIGHT? MANY STATES AND MANY CITIES AND, YOU KNOW, BUT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHETHER WE SHOULD GO THERE IF IT'S, IF IT'S JUST GONNA RUN INTO A DEAD END, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UM, OKAY, SAME TOO AGAIN,
UH, THE, THE QUESTION WAS, I THOUGHT THE, THIS
[00:35:01]
WORKING GROUP WAS FORMED TO SEE HOW TO STREAMLINE OR CONSIDER REVISIONS TO THE PROCESS, AND INCLUDING POSSIBLY ALIGNING HOWEVER MUCH, MAYBE NOT MUCH AT ALL, BUT POSSIBLY ALIGNING WITH THE PROCESSES THAT, THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED WAS ON THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL.BUT WE HAVE, WE, IT IS THE CURRENT PROCESS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REVISING, CONTINU REVISING.
BUT MY, MY QUESTION WAS, AND, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I, I UNDERSTOOD THIS WORKING GROUP TO LOOK THAT IT WAS LOOKING INTO HOW OUR, IF IT WAS POSSIBLE, WHETHER OR NOT THE ETHICS COMMISSION COULD BRING COMPLAINTS ON ITS OWN AS OPPOSED TO JUST HAVING COMPLAINTS BROUGHT TO THE COMMISSION.
IS THAT, IS THAT COR AM I CORRECT IN THAT ASSUMPTION? YEAH.
I MEAN, WE HAVE THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO BRING COMPLAINTS ON OUR OWN.
BUT, BUT IS IT PRACTICAL? CAN WE SET UP A SYSTEM? RIGHT.
OR WE CAN REALLY DO THAT, AND WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT RIGHT.
FOR THE WHOLE EXISTENCE OF THIS COMMISSION.
WE CAN CONTINUE GOING ALONG THE WAY WE ALWAYS HAVE WITHOUT DOING IT.
BUT THE IDEA WAS TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBLY PROCESS BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE ACTIVE IN THAT ROLE.
THAT WAS GONNA BE MY POINT, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S NOT AN ISSUE JUST BECAUSE NOBODY'S, I GUESS, HAD THE DESIRE OR INITIATIVE TO DO IT.
UM, BUT I COULD CERTAINLY FORESEE, UM, PROBLEMS ARISING IF ANYBODY WHO HAS THE POWER HERE TO DO THAT DECIDED TO DO THAT.
AND WE WOULD HAVE ZERO PLAYBOOK.
SO EVEN IF IT IS SIMPLE, UM, KIND OF TO THE POINT OF WHAT WE THINK IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE, UM, IF WE RUN UP AGAINST LIMITATIONS WITH RESOURCES OR OUR AUTHORITY, UM, JUST SOMETHING EVEN SUCCINCT I THINK IS GONNA BE NECESSARY.
JUST BECAUSE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT, I GUESS YOU, YOU NEVER KNOW, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE BIGGEST CONCERN I THINK I HAD, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE SHOWED UP AND THAT WAS AN AGENDA ITEM BECAUSE SOMEBODY DECIDED TO INITIATE IT, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE ANY IDEA HOW TO PROCEED.
COMMISSIONER KALE, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? OKAY.
UM, SO WHY DON'T WE JUST, UH, WHY DOESN'T THE WORKING GROUP JUST COMMIT TO COMMUNICATING WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT ON THIS? AND, UM, WE WILL RESERVE THIS TOPIC FOR THE NEXT MEETING AS WELL.
[4. Discussion of attendee survey of Candidate Forums.]
OKAY.WE HAVE A DISCUSSION OF THE ATTENDEE SURVEY FOR THE CANDIDATE FORUMS, AND I BELIEVE, UM, SECRETARY STANDARD ADAMS HAD SOMETHING ON THIS.
THIS WAS, I REQUESTED THAT THIS BE A TOPIC, AND I'M NOT SURE THE MOST EFFECTIVE.
I WAS THINKING THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE THE, THE DEPARTMENT OR THE TEAM THAT'S IN CHARGE OF, UM, THE CANDIDATE FORUM PLANNING.
I THINK WE HAD THEM SPEAK LAST TIME AT THE LAST MEETING.
UH, IT'S FEEDBACK OR REQUEST TO THEM.
I'D LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THEY PROVIDE OR, UM, CONDUCT A SURVEY OF THE ATTENDEES.
I WAS, I WAS SURPRISED THAT WE DIDN'T DO ANY KIND OF SURVEYING OF, UH, ATTENDEES, UH, AT THESE CANDIDATE FORUMS. AND, AND THE INTEREST IS LESSON LEARNED.
HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THESE CANDIDATE FORMS NEXT TIME AROUND COMMISSIONER PAL? MAYBE, MAYBE I'M BEING NAIVE, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT LEAGUE WOMEN VOTERS MIGHT HAVE AN INTEREST IN DOING THAT.
AND WE SHOULD JUST ASK THEM IF THEY'RE INTERESTED, BECAUSE WHY SHOULD WE, THIS IS, I MEAN, THE LEAGUE, I DON'T KNOW THE LEAGUE REALLY WELL, BUT I THINK THEY'RE GOOD AT THESE THINGS.
SO WHY NOT JUST REQUEST THAT THEY SET UP SOME SORT OF ATTENDEE SURVEY TO MAKE THEIR OWN PROCESS BETTER? BETTER? THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.
[00:40:02]
THE IDEA THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED.YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A SURVEY DONE THAT CAPTURES THIS, THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER INFORMATION.
AND MAYBE ONE, ONE METHOD OF ACHIEVING THAT MIGHT BE TO SEEK OUT, UM, INPUT OR, OR REQUEST, UH, ASSISTANCE FROM LEGAL WOMEN VOTERS.
AND THEN IT WOULD BE UP TO THEM TO, YOU KNOW, TO RESPOND AS, AS THEY WOULD.
SO, SECRETARY STAN AND ADAMS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO WRITE THEM A LETTER OR COMMUNICATE WITH THEM SOMEHOW TO DO THAT OUTREACH? I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE SIMPLER APPROACH, AND THAT IS, UM, RECOGNIZING, UM, WHAT MS. WEBSTER HAS SAID IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE, I WOULD LIKE TO START INTERNALLY.
SO MAKE THAT REQUEST TO THEM AND SUGGEST AND SAY, LEVERAGE, YOU KNOW, PER COMMISSIONER HUMPHREY'S SUGGESTION, LEVERAGE AN EXISTING EXPERT ON THIS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THAT REQUEST OF THE, IS IT CANDIDATE? WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT CANDIDATE FORM PLANNING DEPARTMENT OR TEAM? IT'S THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.
AH, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.
BUT THAT'S WHERE MIA WARNER IS FROM, BUT KEITH IS FROM BUILDING SERVICES, I BELIEVE.
SO THE TEAM THAT IS, THAT HAS BEEN PLANNING THESE CANDIDATE FORMS, I THINK IT'S MORE EFFECTIVE IF WE MAKE THE REQUEST TO THEM WITH A SUGGESTION THAT THEY COULD LEVERAGE.
BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR, UH, AN UPDATE OR A FOLLOW UP.
I'D BE, I THINK WE WOULD BE FOLLOWING UP WITH THEM INTERNALLY, NOT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.
SO WHAT ARE YOU PROPOSING? A PARTICULAR CHANNEL THERE? SO HOW, SO THAT'S WHERE I NEED HELP UNDERSTANDING HOW DO WE, THAT'S WHY I WAS, I WAS MM-HMM.
CAN WE SIMPLY JUST SEND THAT TEAM OR THAT DEPARTMENT, HERE'S THE COMMISSION REQUEST TO CONSIDER.
HOW DO WE DO THAT? SO I WOULD SAY AS, AS A COMMISSION, YOU COULD BASICALLY TAKE A VOTE TO DECIDE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO.
AND, UM, EITHER ONE OF YOU, OR, OR YOU COULD ASK ONE OF US TO REACH OUT TO THOSE FOLKS THAT YOU WERE JUST MENTIONING TO SEE, UH, IF THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
I WOULD PREFER THAT COME FROM YOU ALL, LIKE, SINCE, YOU KNOW, SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU ALL COULD AUTHORIZE YOURSELF OR WHOMEVER TO EMAIL OR REACH OUT TO THEM AND OPEN THAT DISCUSSION WITH THEM TO SEE WHAT THERE COULD BE, AND THEN YOU COULD KIND OF REPORT BACK NEXT MEETING IF IT'S AN AGENDA ITEM.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE UNDER TODAY'S POSTING ITEM, THAT YOU CAN SORT OF MAKE THE DECISION THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE THAT INQUIRY, AUTHORIZE ONE OF YOU TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT INFORMATION AND COME BACK WITH THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
SO I, I MOVE THAT WE AS A COMMISSION SUPPORT, UM, THE REQUEST OF, OF OUR INTERNAL CANDIDATE FORUM PLANNING TEAM TO CONSIDER AN ATTENDEE SURVEY OF THE CANDIDATE FORUM.
IS THAT A SECOND
IS THERE A SECOND? I HEAR WHAT COMMISSIONER, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A, PERHAPS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
UM, BUT I DO THINK BEFORE MAYBE WE NEED TO FLESH OUT WHAT THE MOTION IS, BECAUSE I WOULD THINK THAT I MAY BE WRONG AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT CAN CORRECT ME.
UM, I, I, MY THOUGHT WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AN ITEM THAT IS A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO DIRECT A DEPARTMENT TO DO SOMETHING.
UM, I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT OUR MOTION OR ACTION TODAY CAN BE A DIRECTION, UM, TO A DEPARTMENT TO, IN, TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT CANDIDATE SURVEYS.
I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY ASK THEM TO DISCUSS THAT POSSIBILITY WITH US.
UM, BUT I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO OUR DIRECT AUTHORITY, AND THAT'S WHERE I, I MAY NEED SOME ASSISTANCE
[00:45:01]
FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT 'CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE SOME INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY, BUT I DO THINK IF WE'RE GONNA, WE CAN'T DIRECT THEM TO EXPLORE THOSE SURVEYS, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO ASK THEM TO DO THAT AS AN INITIATIVE OF THE CITY COUNCIL SECRETARY STANDARD ADAMS, WERE YOU, WAS YOUR MOTION ABOUT DIRECTING THAT DEPARTMENT TO DO ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR? OR WAS IT THAT YOU WERE ASKING THEM TO CONSIDER SOME COMMUNICATION YOU WERE TO SEND TO THEM THESE NUANCES? THESE NUANCES ARE VERY IMPORTANT.MY MOTION WAS TO, AS A COMMISSION, UM, REQUEST THAT THEY CONSIDER, UM, SO MAYBE THAT IS, I MEAN, YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT, COMMISSIONER LA AND THEN I ALSO STARTED THINKING JUST KIND OF, I DON'T KNOW, UM, PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE WISE, CAN WE EVEN TAKE THAT KIND OF ACTION AT TODAY'S MEETING BECAUSE THE, THIS, UM, THE TOPIC IS OKAY, NEVERMIND.
IT'S COVERED CONSIDERATION, DISCUSSION, AND POTENTIAL ACTION.
UM, MR. ESPINOZA, I HAVE, UH, TWO ITEMS. ONE IS, I, I DON'T THINK THAT PUBLIC INFORMATION AND BUILDING SERVICES ORGANIZES THE FORUMS. I THINK THEY ORGANIZE THE LOGISTICS AND THE LEGAL WOMEN VOTERS ORGANIZE THE FORUMS. SO I, I MEAN, WE WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE ASKING 'EM TO DO SOMETHING THEY DON'T DO.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE HURDLES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT REQUEST, I THINK THAT IT MAY BE A MISDIRECTED REQUEST AND THAT MAYBE THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE IS TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL SUGGESTION OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND SAY, WE'D LIKE YOU TO CONDUCT A SURVEY.
SO THAT'S MY FIRST, I GUESS NOT QUESTION, BUT REMARK.
MY SECOND ONE IS THAT I, I WOULD LIKE TO, HAVING ATTENDED 45 OF THESE FORUMS IN THE LAST THREE ELECTION CYCLES, 2020 DOESN'T COUNT.
'CAUSE THERE WEREN'T, THEY WERE ALL ONLINE IN 2020.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO DRILL DOWN WHAT THE OBJECTIVE OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE IS.
AND I KNOW WE'VE SAID IMPROVE, BUT I'D LIKE TO FLESH OUT WHAT IMPROVE MEANS.
DOES IT MEAN INCREASE ATTENDANCE? DOES IT MEAN INCREASE ACCESS? BECAUSE, UH, I THINK THERE, THERE ARE, THERE'S GOOD AND BAD WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, OF THE ONES THAT I, I HAVE BEEN TO AND BELIEVE ME, I DIDN'T EVEN GO TO ALL OF THEM.
UM, THE ONES THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST TURNOUT TEND TO BE AFFINITY GROUPS.
SO THESE ARE GROUPS THAT HAVE TO DEAL WITH, LIKE, PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT A PARTICULAR ISSUE, LIKE HOUSING OR THE ENVIRONMENT, OR A PARTISAN GROUP OR FIRE OR, OR OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE MORE LIKE, UM, VOCATIONAL GROUPS LIKE UNIONS, FIRE, EMS. UM, THE ONLY GROUP I CAN THINK OF THAT DIDN'T HAVE A SPECIFIC ISSUE OR OR OCCUPATION ASSOCIATED WITH IT WAS A KUT FORUM, WHICH THEY ARE KUT.
SO THEY, THEY DREW OUT A PRETTY GOOD, UH, THEY HAD A PRETTY GOOD TURNOUT.
THE LEAST ATTENDED ONES WERE SOME HOAS, THOUGH NOT ALL.
GENERALLY THE HOAS THAT HAVE A BROADER AREA IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, ONE, AND THE THINGS THAT THE, THE TWO OF THOSE HAVE IN COMMON ARE THAT THEY CAST A WIDE NET.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT WE MAY WANNA FIND OUT IS IF THOSE ARE THE HURDLES, THEN HOW CAN WE OVERCOME THOSE HURDLES? THE GOOD THAT COMES FROM THOSE HOAS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS THAT THEY DO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, UH, UH, REGARDLESS OF THE ISSUES OR VOCATIONS OR PARTISAN, UH, UH, BACKINGS AND THEY LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD.
BUT AGAIN, THE, THE TURNOUT'S A LOT LOWER.
SO WE CAN ASK THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SHOWING UP, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THE, THE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP TO THE 2018 FORUM WERE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP TO THE 2022 FORUM.
SO, UH, THEY'LL PROBABLY BE THE SAME ONES COMING TO THE 2024 FORUM.
UH, WHAT WE MIGHT WANT TO DO IS FIND OUT HOW CAN WE GET A LITTLE MORE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK BEYOND THOSE WHO HAVE ATTENDED, AND MAYBE THINK ABOUT WHO IT IS WE WANT TO REACH.
WHICH I, I MEAN, THE EASY ANSWER IS WE WANNA REACH EVERYONE, BUT THAT MAY NOT BE THE PRACTICAL ONE.
LIKE HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GO FROM 18 PEOPLE TO 36? THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE A PRETTY GOOD, PRETTY GOOD, UH, UH, INCREASE.
SO THOSE ARE NOT QUESTIONS AS MUCH AS THEY'RE KIND OF A, A STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS, BUT THINGS THAT I THINK ARE WORTH THINKING ABOUT.
I THINK COMMISSIONER TURN, UM, WE DO NEED COMMISSIONER KILL'S CAMERA ON TO CONSIDER HER PRESENT FOR THE MEETING.
[00:50:03]
COMMISSIONER KALE, ARE YOU HAVING ANY ISSUES? IS POINT OF ORDER IS, IS SIX A QUORUM? OKAY.CAN WE TAKE NOTE THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE? THIS IS JUST A POINT OF ORDER.
CAN WE JUST TAKE NOTE THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE COMMUNICATION REFORM COMMISSIONER KALE AND, AND PROCEED? YES.
CAN WE JUST MARK DOWN THE TIME SHE KIND OF BLIPPED OFF? YEAH.
AND PERHAPS, UH, I DON'T KNOW THE RULES ALLOW IT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE EQUIVALENT OF SOMEBODY LEAVING THE D TO USE THE RESTROOM FOR A MINUTE.
UH, PERHAPS SO
UM, COMMISSIONER ATTORNEY, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ON THIS TOPIC OR, YES, I DID.
UH, WE ARE VERY LIKELY GOING TO NEED TO PUT, UH, TO PUT ON THE FUTURE AGENDA THAT WE ARE ASKING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN AND VOTERS TO RETURN.
AND AT THIS POINT FROM LAST MEETING, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE ASKED, UH, THE LAW DEPARTMENT WHO SUPPORTS US, UH, VERY, UH, AMAZINGLY.
AND THEN WE'VE ASKED, UH, SOMEONE FROM PIR AND OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE AND SOMEONE FROM BUILDING SERVICES HOW WE, UM, SOLICIT INFORMATION ABOUT THESE CANDIDATE FORUMS. I THINK THAT WE HAVE NOT ASKED LI LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS WHO FROM THE DISCUSSION MAY BE THE ONES PUTTING ON THESE FORMS. SO I THINK THAT AS A NEXT STEP, AND WE MAY DO THIS UNDER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, IT MAY JUST BE THAT WE ASK FOR TWO THINGS FROM THE LEAGUE ONE VOTERS.
ONE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THE THINGS THAT ARE IN, UH, ITEM TWO, BUT ALSO THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO QUESTION THEM ON HOW THEY SOLICIT FEEDBACK.
THAT MAY JUST BE A DOABLE FIRST STEP, IS TO ASK ONE MORE QUESTION.
COMMISSIONER HUMPHREY, I COMPLETELY SUPPORT THAT.
I, I, I REALLY GOT NERVOUS ABOUT HOW WE WERE REALLY BUREAUCRATIZING THIS WHOLE THING WHEN ALL WE REALLY WANTED TO DO WAS ASK THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, DO THEY, HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THEY JUDGE THEIR OWN PERFORMANCE? HOW DO THEY JUDGE THEIR OWN SUCCESS? AND, AND IT COULD BE AN INTERESTING IT ITERATIVE DISCUSSION AND I WOULDN'T WANT TO GET, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE CITY DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED WITH THAT.
I'M, THERE'S A SIMPLER WAY TO DO IT.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE A MOTION, BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A SECOND.
SO, UM, THE, I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO RETRACT THAT IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
AND THAT WAS IGNORANCE ON MY PART THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE.
IT REALLY IS THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS THAT OWNS PLANNING.
AND SO THAT MAKES ABSOLUTE SENSE.
AND I CONCUR WITH COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA.
I'M LOOKING FOR HOW, HOW CAN WE MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE? HOW CAN WE MAKE IT SO PEOPLE PARTICIPATE MORE? UM, AND YEAH, REALLY, REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION.
NEXT STEP IS TO INVITE THEM BACK.
AND SECONDARILY FOR THIS, UH, YES.
I, I ALSO DON'T, UM, I ALSO THINK RELATED TO THIS, IT'S, IT'S NOT, UM, THAT WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA SAID, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, IT JUST BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE'S A, A PARTICULAR PROCESS THAT HAS TO GO INTO PLAY IF WE THINK THERE'S A ROLE FOR A CITY OR DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT, UH, WE SHOULD SHIRK THAT POWER, UH, OR ABILITY JUST TO, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE'S A ROLE FOR A CITY DEPARTMENT TO PLAY OR A NEW ROLE OR AN INCREASED ROLE.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE CAN ASK POLITELY AND HAVE A NICE CONVERSATION WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IF THEY CHOOSE TO SHOW UP.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THESE CANDIDATE FORUMS ARE, UM, A, A PARTNERSHIP WHICH, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE, UM, PERHAPS THERE IS A ROLE FOR THE CITY TO PLAY, AN INCREASED ROLE FOR THE CITY TO PLAY.
WHETHER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THESE SPECIFIC QUESTIONNAIRES, UM, THAT WE MIGHT EXPLORE AND HOW THE CITY MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, MORE BROADLY TOO, IN TERMS OF PROMOTION AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST 'CAUSE WE HAVE TO GET AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA IN THE FUTURE, UH, TO HAVE A VOTE ON A RECOMMENDATION DOESN'T MEAN THAT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD EXPLORE THAT, UM, BY ANY MEANS.
MAYBE WE NEED TO TAKE AN ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION FIELD TRIP TO A, UH, CANDIDATE FORUM THIS YEAR.
[00:55:01]
THERE'S GONNA BE A CONTAIN YOURSELVES.ISN'T THERE GONNA BE ONE IN CITY HALL? I THINK THE RUNOFFS ARE IN CITY HALL.
GOTTA GET THE WALKING QUORUM NOTICE.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE NO MOTION ON THIS, UH, ISSUE, BUT IS YOUR REQUEST JUST TO PUT IT ON COMMISSIONER TON ADAMS? YOU, I MEAN, JUST TO PUT IT ON FOR DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT, UH, MEETING? YES.
I, I HAVE A FOLLOW UP TO THAT.
I, I, IF IT'S A DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING, DO, DO WE WANT TO INVITE LEAGUE WOMEN VOTERS BACK FOR THE NEXT MEETING PERHAPS, AND MAYBE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHAT WITH THEM? UM, THAT, THAT MIGHT BE, I, I WONDER IF, IF INVITING THEM TO SPEAK WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ADDRESS A LOT OF THINGS AT ONE TIME, BUT WITHOUT THE FORMALITIES OR, OR ANY BUREAUCRACY ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
MAYBE JUST KIND OF TAKE IT BACK TO GOOD OLD CITY AND FORMALITIES AND I MEAN, LOWER CITY, LOWER C CITY, NOT CAPITAL CI THINK THAT WAS ALREADY THE PLAN THOUGH.
OH, WAS IT BECAUSE, YEAH, BECAUSE THEY, THEY WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND TODAY.
SPEAKING OF FORMAL INFORMALITIES.
NO, I, I MEAN, SINCE THEY WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND TODAY, UM, WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THEM ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT TIME.
BUT IN ADDITION, WE WILL ASK THEM ABOUT THE SURVEY AND WHATEVER OTHER POINT, POINT OF ORDER I TAKE IT ALL BACK.
WELL, NO, I MEAN, ACTUALLY THIS IS A QUESTION.
UM, MS. WEBSTER, MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER.
HOW CAN WE STATE THIS AGENDA ITEM BROADLY ENOUGH THAT IT WILL COVER ALL THE MANY THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW? SO, SORRY, I'M TRYING TO THINK HOW TO PHRASE THAT.
SO RIGHT NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD AN ITEM WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE TODAY HAVING, IF POSSIBLE, A BRIEFING FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS REGARDING WRITTEN MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN OTHER LANGUAGES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO I THINK, FOR EXAMPLE, WE CAN, OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN REACH OUT TO THEM AND REQUEST AND, UM, BUT YOUR AGENDA ITEM COULD BE SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF BRIEFING FROM THE LEAGUE WOMEN, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS REGARDING, UM, ORGANIZATION AND, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATION AND AROUND CANDIDATE FORUMS OR CANDIDATE EVENTS.
I'M JUST SAYING THERE IS, IN OTHER WORDS, YES, THERE IS A WAY TO WRITE THE LANGUAGE.
SO IT'S LIKE BROADLY WHERE THEY WOULD COME AND JUST KIND OF MAYBE DISCUSS THEIR PROCESS A BIT.
THAT COULD INCLUDE YOU ALL BEING ABLE TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, ANY SURVEY, IF THEY EVER DO ANY SURVEYS.
IT COULD BE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, INTERPRETATION, YOU KNOW.
SO I THINK, UM, WE WOULD WANNA GIVE THEM A HEADS UP ON, ON KIND OF WHAT MIGHT WANT WE WOULD WANT TO DISCUSS.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WHEN WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM TO FIND, UH, CONFIRM A PERSON TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THAT MEETING, IF WE COULD GIVE THEM SOME GUIDANCE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH THEM ABOUT.
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, I THINK YOU CAN KIND OF GIVE US THAT DIRECTION AND WE CAN, WE CAN WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COME PREPARED WITH THAT INFORMATION.
DOES THIS SOUND GOOD WITH EVERYONE? IS THERE ANYTHING IN ADDITION THAT WE WANNA ADD? SECRETARY SANTA ADAMS. UH, THANK YOU FOR, FOR SAYING THAT MS. WEBSTER.
I, I'M A PROPONENT OF, LET'S PUT IT OUT THERE SO THAT THEY KNOW AND BE SPECIFIC, BUT PERHAPS USING THE WORD INCLUDING RIGHT.
UH, PLANNING CANDIDATE FOREIGN PLANNING PROCESS, INCLUDING TRANSLATION, UH, ELECTION OR VOTING MATERIALS AND OTHER LANGUAGES.
INTERPRETATION IN OTHER LANGUAGES AND SURVEY.
MM-HMM,
IS EVERYONE, IS THAT ACCEPTABLE TO EVERYONE? I THINK COMMISSIONER, I'M SORRY.
DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION ON THAT? I'M, UH, NO, NOT JUST, I, I DO NOT BELIEVE WE NEED TO, IF WE'RE JUST ADDING IT AS A DISCUSSION ACTION ITEM FOR NEXT MEETING.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD REALLY QUICKLY, UM, COMMENT ON THE STATEMENT YOU GUYS WERE DISCUSSING REGARDING CANDIDATE FORUMS. I DON'T BELIEVE
[01:00:01]
BUILDING SERVICES IS INVOLVED IN COORDINATION OF CANDIDATE FORUMS. UM, KEITH THRES IS ACTUALLY WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE AS WELL.HE IS THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ADMINISTRATOR.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
NO ACTION ON THOSE DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, BUT, UH, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THEM AND IT APPEARS THAT'S, THOSE TWO AT LEAST ARE WHAT WE WANT PUT ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. SO ONE WOULD BE THE WORKING GROUP, UM, ON THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS.UH, AND IF WE ARE ADDING COMMISSIONER MAIER TO IT, THEN WE WILL, UM, TAKE A FORMAL VOTE AT THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA.
UM, AND THE SECOND THING AS WELL, NO ACTION SO FAR, BUT THE LEGAL AND VOTERS, UM, MATTER WE WILL PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
JUST ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION.
I WANNA MAKE SURE, BECAUSE THEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TIME TO REVIEWING THE, THE NOTES, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ACCURATE.
SO ARE THERE, IN FACT JUST TWO ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? WELL, THOSE ARE THE TWO WE HAVE SO FAR THAT WE DECIDED TO PUT ON THE NEXT ONE.
IF ANYONE HAS ADDITIONAL FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, THIS IS THE TIME TO RAISE THEM.
BUT THE TWO ARE ONE, THE, THE WORKING GROUP.
THE WORKING GROUP IN THE SECOND, THEN TWO, THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.
THEN SUB, SUB-BULLET UNDER THE WORKING GROUP IS UPDATE ON, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING, UM, THE SCOPE OF THAT AS WELL AS ADDING COMMISSIONER RETURN TO THE WORKING GROUP, CORRECT? YES.
UM, AS COMMISSIONER STANTON, ADAM SAID EARLIER, UM, WE HAVE IN THE PAST ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS, THIS MAY BE THE THIRD ALLUDED TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A WORKING GROUP ON BYLAWS.
AND SO MAYBE WE OUGHT TO FISHER CUT BAIT ON THAT
I, I THINK WHEN I FIRST SUGGESTED, I SUGGESTED IT KIND OF INNOCENTLY 'CAUSE I'VE DONE THAT WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND SINCE I WAS RELATIVELY NEW WHEN I FIRST SUGGESTED IT, I JUST REMEMBER THE RESPONSE WAS, OH YES, WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN A LONG TIME.
AND THAT'S TYPICAL FOR GROUPS, NONPROFITS, OR WHATEVER.
AND SO LET'S PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO CONSIDER ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP ON REVISING THE BYLAWS.
I THINK, I THINK AT ONE MEETING RECENTLY WE EVEN FOUND SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
IT WAS EITHER WRONG OR DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.
SOMETHING I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS.
THAT'S THE THIRD THING FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? NO.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU'RE
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER AGENDA ITEMS BE BESIDES THOSE THREE, UM, IS THERE, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ANYONE WANTS TO COMMENT ON BEFORE WE ADJOURN? OKAY.
WE WILL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
UM, CAN WE HAVE A SHOW OF HANDS?