[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER]
LEVINS, CHAIR OF THE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION.I CALL THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER.
IT IS AUGUST 28TH, 2024, AND IT IS CURRENTLY 6:11 PM UH, WE ARE AT CITY HALL IN THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
ROOM NUMBER 11, ROOM NUMBER 11 0 1, 3 0 1 WEST SECOND, AUSTIN, TEXAS SEVEN EIGHT SEVEN OH ONE.
AND I'LL NOW CALL THE ROLE, UH, CHAIR MICHAEL LEVINS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT COMMISSIONER NUNEZ IS ABSENT.
UM, MARY, COMMISSIONER MARY KALE IS ATTENDING VIRTUALLY.
AND, UH, THIS EVENING BEFORE WE GET TO OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, UM, WE ALL ENGAGE IN A LOT OF DISCUSSION, DEBATE, AND DECISIONS.
AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US HAVE EVER HAD AN UNKIND OR CROSS WORD OR UNPROFESSIONAL TIME WITH EACH OTHER, WHICH MAKES IT, UH, PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT WHEN WE LOSE ONE OF OURS, ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS.
AND AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, COMMISSIONER JACOB LEAR HAS PASSED AWAY.
UM, AND SO BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR AGENDA ITEMS, WE WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AS A SHOW OF CONDOLENCES AND SUPPORT FOR THOSE WHO JACOB LOVED AND WHO LOVED JACOB.
AND, UH, ALSO AS A COMMEMORATION OF OUR RESPECT AND FRIENDLY AFFECTION FOR COMMISSIONER LEAR.
UH, SO IF WE COULD DO THAT NOW AND TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN HONOR OF COMMISSIONER LEAR, I THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
AND ONCE AGAIN, UH, OUR SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO THOSE WHO WERE ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO COMMISSIONER LEAR.
THERE'S NO REAL EASY WAY TO THIS JUST THEN TRANSITION FROM THAT INTO THE REST OF OUR BUSINESS.
UH, SO, UM, THE NEXT THING IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
I DO NOT SEE ANYONE HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
WE WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON JULY 24TH.WE HAVE A COPY OF THOSE, UH, MINUTES IN OUR PACKET, OR IS THERE, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR ARE WE READY TO GET TO A MOTION TO ADOPT THOSE MINUTES AND APPROVE THEM? CHAIR? YES, I'M READY TO MAKE A MOTION TO, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY 24TH, 2024 MEETING WITH AMENDMENTS.
AND THAT AMENDMENT IS TO INCLUDE THE THREE TOPICS UNDER THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THE TOPICS APPEAR ON OUR AGENDA CORRECTLY FOR TODAY'S MEETING, BUT THEY WERE LEFT OFF IN THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY MEETING.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? UM, AND CAN YOU, UH, SPECIFY THOSE THREE TOPICS? UH, YES, SIR.
IT WOULD BE, UM, Q AND A BASICALLY WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ON THE SCHEDULED CANDIDATE EVENTS OR THE SURVEY GATHERING FEEDBACK ABOUT THE SCHEDULED CANDIDATE EVENT.
UM, THE OTHER TOPIC IS CHANGING OF THE MEMBERSHIP TO THE WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE ERC COMPLAINTS PROCESS.
AND THEN THE THIRD TOPIC THAT SHOULD APPEAR UNDER THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS WOULD BE, UM, ERC BYLAWS WORKING GROUP AS A PO POTENTIAL WORKING GROUP.
SO AGAIN, THOSE ITEMS WERE L LEFT OFF THE LIST OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE JULY 24TH MEETING, BUT THEY APPEAR, UH, CORRECTLY
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ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING.UM, SO THE, THE MOTION AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IS TO ADOPT THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY 24TH MEETING WITH THE AMENDMENT THAT ADDS, UH, UNDER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THE, UH, AN ITEM REGARDING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN O WOMEN VOTERS SURVEY, UM, A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE WORKING GROUP ON THE, UH, EMPLOY ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION PROCESSES AND A POTENTIAL WORK.
THE THIRD ITEM BEING THE, A POTENTIAL WORKING GROUP ON OUR BYLAWS.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
DID COMMISSIONER POEY, I JUST NOTICED SOMETHING, MAYBE THIS IS OKAY.
IT SAYS BRIEFING FROM THE LEGAL AND VOTERS.
I THINK, I THINK MS. WEBSTER PROVIDED THIS WITH A BRIEFING.
IT WASN'T FROM THE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? THE LEAK WASN'T HERE.
SO IT'S JUST A QUESTION ABOUT THE PREPOSITION FROM ON WHICH ITEM ARE YOU, I'M SORRY, BRIEFINGS.
THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE BRIEFINGS TO I SEE.
UM, THEY WERE GONNA COME AT A FUTURE MEETING, I THINK.
I THINK THEY'RE, AND WE GOT A, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A GOOD SUMMARY OF WHERE THINGS WERE, BUT WE DIDN'T GET A BRIEFING FROM THE LEAGUE.
YOUR MEMORY MAY BE STRONGER THAN MINE ON THAT POINT.
UM, THEY WHAT IS THE, WHAT WHAT IS THE, UM, COMP, WHAT IS THE FEEDBACK? COMMISSIONER FER ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST PAGE WHERE IT SAYS BRIEFINGS AND THEN TWO, YES.
IT SAYS BRIEFINGS FROM THE LEGUM AND VOTERS.
SO I'M JUST QUESTIONING THE USE OF THE WORD FROM, SO THERE WAS NOT A MISUNDERSTANDING.
IT WAS GIVEN BY, UH, JUST A BRIEF SUMMARY BY CAROLINE WEBSTER OVER THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED, BUT THAT'S CORRECT.
IT WASN'T FROM THE LEAVE WHEN VOTERS PROBABLY CHANGE IT TO RE FROM, FROM TO ABOUT THE, OR REGARDING, OR WHATEVER REGARD OR REGARDING, YEAH, YEAH, BECAUSE WE, WE DID HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
W WELL, DOES IT NOT JUST A MATTER OF, UM, PROCESS OR STANDARDIZATION, DOES THE TOPIC NOT HAVE TO MATCH WHAT WAS ON THE AGENDA FOR THE JULY 24TH? SO MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT WAS THE INTENTION WAS TO GET IT FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.
AND SO THE TOPIC WAS STATE WAS, UM, WRITTEN AS BRIEFING FROM LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.
BUT AS WE KNOW, IN ACTUAL ACTUALITY, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.
AND MS. WEBSTER PROVIDED THAT.
SO I GUESS I'M, I'M JUST ASKING DO WE NEED, OH, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WHICH IS MORE, WHICH IS MORE ACCURATE, AND IS IT IMPORTANT THAT THE TOPIC REMAIN ALIGNED WITH WHAT WAS LISTED ON THE AGENDA? BUT YOU DID STATE CLEARLY THAT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED WAS THAT MS. WEBSTER PROVIDED THAT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE WHAT I'M ASKING? ARE YOU COMPARING THE AGENDA TO THE MINUTES? RIGHT.
AND, BUT I THINK THE AGENDA IS WHAT'S SCHEDULED AND THE MINUTES ARE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS.
SO I THINK IT'S OKAY IF THEY CONFLICT, BUT I THINK THAT, AND I'M WONDERING IF WE'RE GONNA GET THE BRIEFING TODAY.
I'M THINKING
UM, I DO THINK THAT, UM, HAVING FLUENCY BETWEEN THE PREVIOUS, UH, THE PREVIOUS AGENDA WITH THE LINE ITEM READING THE SAME, AND THEN THE COMMENTARY, THE ACTUAL MINUTES ARE IN BOLD UNDER EACH ITEM.
AND I THINK THAT IF WE, IF WE START ROLLING BACK CHANGES INTO THE ITEM NUMBERS IN PARTICULAR, THEN THERE'S NO DISTINCTION.
I'M SORRY, I WAS SLIGHTLY OFF WITH MY COMMENT.
THAT'S A REPETITION OF THE AGENDA ITEM AND NOT THE MINUTES.
THAT'S HOW I'M SEEING THAT'S WHERE YOU WERE GOING.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR ARE WE READY TO GO TO A VOTE? SEEING NO F1 OF ORDER THAT'S A VOTE ON THE, EXCEPT WITH THE CHANGES.
UH, COMMISSIONER STAN ADAMS YES.
TO ADOPT THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN WITH THE AMENDMENT REGARDING THE THREE ITEMS, UM, THAT SHE MENTIONED AND I RECAPPED.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DO A ROLL CALL.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ANY OPPOSED? SEEING NO HANDS? UM, THE MINUTES FROM
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JULY 24TH ARE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.[2. Briefing of the Annual Internal Review report made by Chair Lovins.]
ITEM, WHICH IS A BRIEFING OF THE ANNUAL ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW REPORT THAT I MADE.UM, SO THIS REPORT IS REQUIRED BY THE ORDINANCE THAT CREATES US, AND IT, IT REALLY JUST IS A, AN ABBREVIATED VERSION OF ALL OF OUR MINUTES FROM JULY, 2023 TO JUNE, 2024.
UH, I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN GIVEN A COPY OF IT.
UM, WE, IT, IT DETAILS THE, THE PRELIMINARY HEARINGS THAT WE HAD AND ANY OTHER ACTIONS THAT WE TOOK.
UM, THERE WERE NO, DURING THAT TIMEFRAME, THERE WERE NO FINAL HEARINGS, ONLY PRELIMINARY HEARINGS.
UM, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE AT THE END, UM, IT ASKS, FIRST OF ALL, IF, IF WE COMPLIED WITH OUR, IF OUR ACTIONS COMPLIED WITH THE MISSION STATEMENT AND HAVING BEEN HERE THAT ENTIRE TIME, I THINK WE DID.
UM, AND THEN LIST OUR, OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEW CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, AND OF, FIRST OF ALL, OF COURSE, CONTINUE TO DO OUR BASIC DUTIES, MEET OUR STATED RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, HOLDING PRELIMINARY AND FINAL HEARINGS REGARDING COMPLAINTS WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION, AND ALSO CONSIDERING POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR AMENDING THE CODE OR COMMISSION RULES AND PROCEDURES.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO, THAT'S, THAT'S A PRETTY QUICK OVERVIEW OF ALMOST SIX PAGES.
I'M HAPPY TO GIVE YOU GUYS A MINUTE TO PERUSE IT SINCE WE WERE JUST, WE JUST GOT IT A MINUTE AGO.
AND, UM, THEN IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ITEMS, WE CAN RAISE THOSE.
AND IF NOT, I'M GOING TO REQUEST THAT THE COMMISSION APPROVE, UH, THIS REPORT, WHICH IS NOT TECHNICALLY REQUIRED, BUT, UM, IS PER, IS PREFERRED.
IT SAYS WE HAD A MEETING JUNE 26TH, BUT WE HAVE NOT YET APPROVED THOSE MINUTES.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE AT THIS POINT.
CAN WE JUST INSERT THAT INFORMATION IN THERE? UM, I DON'T BELIEVE WE CAN FOR A COUPLE REASONS.
ONE, THE REPORT WAS DUE AT THE TIME THAT THE REPORT WAS DUE, WHICH I THINK WAS JULY 30TH OR SOMETHING.
UM, THEY WERE, THEY WERE NOT APPROVED.
UM, SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN GO BACK AND AMEND THAT FOR THIS ONE, FOR THIS REPORT.
I CAN, UH, HAVING READ THOSE IN PREVIOUS YEARS, I KNOW WHAT GOES INTO THEM.
UM, SO, UH, I SENT AN EMAIL, UM, A FEW MINUTES AGO BEFORE PRINTED IT OUT.
IT MIGHT NOT HAVE SENT, LET ME KNOW IF IT DIDN'T AND I CAN SEND IT AGAIN.
I'LL CHECK REAL QUICK, UH, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO DOCUMENTS? I'M SORRY, WHICH TWO DOCUMENTS? UH, SORRY.
I HAVE ONE THAT'S AN ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW AND ONE THAT'S AN INTERNAL REVIEW REPORT.
I DON'T BELIEVE I HAVE THE INTERNAL REVIEW REPORT THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING.
MAYBE I HAVE SOMEBODY'S AN ERR THE, AM I NOT
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SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT? THE ONE THAT, THE ONE THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE IS CALLED AN ANNUAL ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW.ARE YOU, ARE YOU DEALING WITH CONTRABAND OVER THERE?
UH, WHILE I'LL BE APPROACHING THIS WITH, UM, OPTIMISTIC IGNORANCE, UH, THIS WAS BEFORE MY TENURE ON THE BOARD, SO, UH, OR THE COMMISSION.
SO I'LL BE ABSTAINING WITH FULL FAITH THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PRODUCED SOMETHING APPROPRIATE
UM, ANYONE ELSE WHO
UH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR ARE WE READY TO VOTE? CAN I INTERJECT PLEASE? ABSOLUTELY.
THIS IS NOT AN ACTION ITEM, IT'S JUST A BRIEFING.
WE'RE ONLY POSTED FOR A BRIEFING.
I WAS ADVISED, AND I DON'T RECALL BY WHOM THAT WE SHOULD REQUEST, UH, THE COMMISSION TO ADOPT IT.
WAS I, IS THAT, I GUESS IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE NEED A AGENDA ITEM.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM.
SO IF YOU, IT'S NOT REQUIRED THAT IT BE APPROVED BY THE ENTIRE COMMISSION, BUT IF YOU DO WANT TO GO THAT ROUTE, THAT'S CERTAINLY FINE, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO REPOST IT FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
SO I WILL WITHDRAW THE MOTION SO THAT I DON'T VIOLATE OUR OPEN MEETINGS ACT OR WHATEVER IT IS.
I WANT TO GO TO JAIL OVER THIS THING.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
UM, LET ME, BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE THIRD ITEM, OUR FIFTH ITEM IS, UH, FOR A DISCUSSION AND FEEDBACK, UH, FROM MS. ECKEL CAMP FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.
WOULD IT BE ALL RIGHT IF WE SKIP TO THAT ITEM JUST SO THAT WE DON'T KEEP MS. E ECKEL CAMP HERE LONGER THAN SHE MAY REALLY WANT TO BE HERE?
[5. Discussion regarding gathering feedback about scheduled candidate events, and Q & A with Carol Eckelkamp, League of Women Voters Austin Area (LWV-AA).]
AGENDA ITEM DISCUSSION REGARDING GATHERING FEEDBACK ABOUT SCHEDULED CAN CANDIDATE EVENTS AND Q AND A WITH CAROL ECKEL CAMP LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AUSTIN AREA.GOOD EVENING, MS. AMP, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UM, JUST FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WE, I MAY HAVE NOT HAVE MET, UH, IN THE PAST, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ONE OF OUR MISSIONS IS TO EDUCATE THE VOTERS, UH, IN THE CITY AND AROUND OTHER AREAS.
IT'S THE AUSTIN AREA, BUT ONE OF THAT, WE ARE ABLE TO LIVE THAT OUT IN A REAL WAY, UH, BY MODERATING THESE CANDIDATE FORUMS. AND WHAT WE DO IS, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, WE DO MODERATE ON BEHALF OF AND AT THE REQUEST OF THIS COMMISSION, AND TO DO THE LIVE CANDIDATE FORUM AND TO DO, OR, OR DEBATES, UH, DEPENDING, AND THIS INCLUDES THE RUNOFFS.
WE REACH OUT TO INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE HOW OF WHAT WE DO THIS, WE REACH OUT TO INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE REACH OUT TO, UH, INTERESTED PARTIES AND TOPICS THAT MIGHT BE OF CONCERN, UH, BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL WITHIN THE CITY, AND ESPECIALLY IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO REACH INTO PARTS OF THESE DISTRICTS THAT, UH, MYSELF OR THOSE ON IN THE LEAGUE OR OTHERS MIGHT NOT HAVE UNDERSTANDING OF.
AND BY DOING THAT, WE DETERMINE WHAT THE ISSUES ARE IN SOME OF THESE AREAS AND WHAT THE CONSTITUENTS, UH, OF THESE WANT TO BE, UH, LEADERS IN THE CITY, UH, ARE GOING TO BE, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND WHAT THEY WANNA KNOW ABOUT.
OUR JOB IS TO EDUCATE THE VOTERS, NOT TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE CANDIDATES THEMSELVES.
YOU KNOW, WE LEAVE THAT UP TO THE CAMPAIGNS, UH, TO, TO, FOR THEM TO TELL THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW, HOW THEY FEEL AND WHAT THEY KNOW.
WHAT WE WANNA KNOW IS HOW EACH CANDIDATE FEELS ABOUT A TOPIC OR AN ISSUE.
AND WE TRY TO CREATE UNBIASED QUESTIONS.
WE TRY NOT TO LEAD CANDIDATES TO AN AGENDA OR SOMETHING THAT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AUSTIN AREA MAY WANNA KNOW ABOUT.
UH, THAT'S A VERY, UM, A DIFFICULT TOPIC, NOT A TOPIC, A DIFFICULT MANNER IN WHICH TO ASK QUESTIONS BECAUSE, UM, AS YOU KNOW, I CAN ASK A QUESTION IN A SUCH A WAY THAT IT MAY LEAD YOU TO AN ANSWER I REALLY WANT YOU TO SAY.
[00:20:01]
SO WE ALSO TRY NOT TO ASK A QUESTION THAT MAY GIVE THE INCUMBENT, UH, IN, IN INSIDE INFORMATION ON A TOPIC.AND SOMETIMES THAT'S DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE MAY GET APPROACHED, UH, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF DEVELOPERS.
WE'LL APPROACH US ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES OR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS, UH, THAT ARE HAPPENING.
OR WE MAY GET A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
SO WE KNOW THAT, THAT SOMETIMES AN INCUMBENT HAS IN INFORMATION THAT CANDIDATES MIGHT NOT HAVE.
AND SO WHEN WE CRAFT THOSE QUESTIONS, UH, IT SOMETIMES ALLOWS THE CANDIDATES KNOWLEDGE OR LACK THEREOF IN MANY CASES OF A PARTICULAR TOPIC.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, UH, TO SHOW IN A QUESTION.
UM, WE DON'T ASK PERSONAL QUESTIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE MAY ASK A LEADERSHIP ABILITY QUESTION, WHAT BRINGS THEM TO THIS? SO WE DO TRY TO CRAFT OUR QUESTIONS AND KIND OF KEEP 'EM TO A NON-JUDGMENTAL AND A NON-LEADING MANNER.
WE HAVE ABOUT, I GUESS ABOUT, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS.
UM, SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU WERE HERE WHEN FRANCIS MCINTYRE WAS, FRANCIS MCINTYRE'S PASSED.
AND HER, THERE'S A MEMORIAL FOR HER IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AT LAMANCHA OVER ON HANCOCK, WHICH, UM, WE'RE ALL EXCITED, BUT SHE WAS MY MENTOR.
SO WE HAVE, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
WE HAVE A VERY GOOD BANK OF QUESTIONS.
AND IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE TEN ONE, UH, CHANGE HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN OF WHEN WE WERE ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS.
I THINK WE HAD 71 CANDIDATES THAT YEAR, AND WE HAD, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP WITH THE QUESTIONS.
AND SO WE KEEP THESE DISTRICT QUESTIONS, SOME OF THOSE SAME ISSUES COME UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
WE ENJOY SERVING THE CITIZENS, UH, OF AUSTIN BY THIS.
AND WE, WE THINK IT'S A, A PRIVILEGE, AND WE THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS EACH YEAR.
AND WE HOPE WE CONTINUE WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
AND I, UM, ALL THE, YOU ALL, UM, HAVE GIVEN TASKS TO THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY TO SET THE LOCATIONS AND TO SET THE TIMES.
UM, WE DO HAVE A, UM, A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION THAT REACHED OUT TO US AND MAY PROBABLY HAVE REACHED OUT TO ONE OF YOU, I DON'T REMEMBER WHO WAS ON THAT EMAIL.
AND THEY'RE A LITTLE UPSET BECAUSE THERE'S A BIG NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING AND THEY CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE CITY DID NOT, UH, KNOW THAT, UM, THAT ON THAT PARTICULAR THURSDAY NIGHT.
SO, UH, THEY, THEY REALLY WERE MAD AT ME AND US, I SHOULD SAY, AND, AND YOU FOR SCHEDULING IT ON SAID NIGHT OF THE SAME NIGHT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING.
SO WE TRY TO HAVE HELP EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND, TO GET THE TECH TEAM AND TO GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
WE HAVE TO TAKE THE DATES AS WE GET THEM.
BUT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB IN THE PAST OF COORDINATING THOSE DATES WITH US.
SO I AM HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE OF THE SYSTEM AND HOW WE HAVE A PUBLIC, A NUMBER OF PUBLIC EMAILS AVAILABLE.
WE PUT THOSE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND THOSE GO INTO AN INBOX THAT COMES INTO MY EMAIL.
UH, AND IT'S, IT CAN BE MONITORED BY THE LEADERSHIP IN THE LEAGUE.
BUT, UM, AND THERE'S A, WE SPELLED EVERYTHING DIFFERENTLY.
FORUMS FORUM CANDIDATE FORUM CANDIDATE FORUMS@LWVAUSTIN.ORG SO THAT WE COULD CA CAPTURE THEM ALL.
WE DO GET SOME VERY, SOME VERY GOOD TOPICS AND QUESTIONS, AND WE GET CALLS.
WE STILL HAVE A PHONE NUMBER THAT'S ANSWERED.
UH, SOMEBODY TOOK OUR, OUR CORDLESS PHONE HOME DURING THE PANDEMIC
SO, UH, UH, WE, BUT I'M HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS OF US, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US TONIGHT AND FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO.
UH, YOU WERE TRYING TO GIVE US CREDIT FOR THE SCHEDULING, BUT, UM, WE'LL TAKE IT.
UM, I'M INTERESTED IN THAT TOO, BUT I'M, I'M SURE SHE CAN BETTER ARTICULATE THE QUESTION.
I, I ECHO OUR CHAIRS, UH, COMPLIMENTS, UM, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IS A TRUSTED, UM, STEADFAST AND JUST, UM, THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DO IN EDUCATING THE VOTERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO.
I, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND ONE I'LL GO AHEAD AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT MATERIALS TRANSLATED IN VIETNAMESE OR CHINESE, OR, AND I KNOW I'D HEARD THAT, UH, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
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HAD DONE A SURVEY OR HAD INFORMATION COLLECTED WHERE YOU COULD SPEAK TO, IS IT THE TOP FIVE OR TOP SEVEN OR MAYBE JUST TOP THREE LANGUAGES SPOKEN HERE IN AUSTIN.AND YOUR MATERIALS, I THINK Y'ALL HAVE, COULD YOU SPEAK TO, UH, THE MATERIALS THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH? YES.
WE'VE ALWAYS DONE A, UM, THE ENGLISH VERSION AND FOR A LONG TIME WE'VE DONE THE SPANISH VERSION AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE VOTER'S GUIDE.
AND SO I, THE VOTER'S GUIDE IS WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
I AM NOT ON THE COMMITTEE FOR THE VOTER'S GUIDE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE DO TRANSLATE AND WE, WE PAY FOR THE TRANSLATION OF THAT VOTER'S GUIDE IN VIETNAMESE, ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND, UH, CHINESE.
AND SO THAT VOTER'S GUIDE IS NORMALLY ONLINE FOR, UH, ALL FOUR LANGUAGES.
AND WE PRINT SPANISH AND ENGLISH.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE TWO PREDOMINANT LANGUAGES IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
AND WE DON'T PRINT THE OTHER TWO LANGUAGES.
AND, BUT THEY ALWAYS ARE ONLINE FOR THE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHICH ELECTIONS, IF IT'S ALL OF THEM.
AGAIN, THAT'S NOT MY AREA, BUT THEY, THE FOUR LANGUAGES ARE FOR THE, UH, MAIN ELECTIONS THAT WE DO.
UM, AND YOU SAID THIS VOTER'S GUIDE IS AVAILABLE IN ALL FOUR LANGUAGES ONLINE? YES.
I MUST NOT HAVE, I COULD NOT FIND IT.
I WAS TRYING TO DIRECT, UM, A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, NONPROFIT, THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY, UM, VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, VCAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I SAID, I'M PRETTY SURE THEY HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER HEARING IT AND WHEN I WENT TO LOOK ON THE WEBSITE, I COULD NOT FIND IT.
IS, IS IT IN SOME SPECIAL, IT WON'T, WE DON'T HAVE IT PUBLISHED.
IT DOES NOT PUBLISHED UNTIL THE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE GATHERING THE QUESTIONS.
SO IT'S ONLY PUBLISHED THE SUNDAY BEFORE EARLY VOTING STARTS.
IT GOES, IT GOES LIVE ONLINE, AND THEN THE PRINTED VERSION GETS DISTRIBUTED, UH, ABOUT THE SAME TIME.
AND I KNOW THAT WE DO DISTRIBUTE IT.
UH, THE TEXAS LEAGUE HAS A, A, A REALLY GOOD UNDERSTANDING WITH THE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, AND IT'S BEEN, AND ESPECIALLY OVER THE US BUT I KNOW HERE IN TEXAS, AND WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY TO MAKE THOSE.
AND WE PAY FOR THOSE GUIDES TO BE PRINTED, ESPECIALLY SO WE CAN PUT THEM IN THAT PLACE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN ENTIRE DISTRIBUTION VOLUNTEER GROUP THAT WORKS REALLY HARD, BUT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS BEEN A PLACE FOR THAT TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN BOTH SPANISH AND ENGLISH.
SO IT'S AVAILABLE, THE VOTER'S GUIDE IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.
DON'T HOLD ME TO THE EXACT TIME, BUT
IT JUST DEPENDS ON GETTING ALL THAT TO THAT IS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT GOES THROUGH ALL THE CANDIDATES THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN RACES GO THROUGH, IT GOES THROUGH THE FOUR VOTE, FOUR ONE ONE.ORG.
IT'S A WHOLE BACKEND PLATFORM THAT THE US UH, THE LWV US EDUCATION, UH, PAYS FOR AND, AND MONITORS AND HAS, THAT IS THEIR BIG EVENT.
AND THEN THAT'S WHAT WE USE FOR CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRES THAT GO IN AND THAT ARE FED IN.
AND THEN WE PRINT OUT THE AREAS AND WE DIVVY IT OUT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE OVERLAPPING, UH, UH, RACES DEPENDING ON OVERLAPPING IN DIFFERENT LEAGUES.
SO, UH, THAT IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING.
SO THE, IT'S USUALLY DONE BY THE SUNDAY BEFORE EARLY VOTING.
AND THAT INCLUDES STUFF LIKE WHERE TO VOTE, INFORMATION LIKE THAT IS THAT WE HAVE CHOSEN TO INCLUDE THAT ITS MAINLY FOR THE, THE, THE CANDIDATES AND THEIR QUE THEIR QUESTIONS.
AH, BUT IT DOES ALWAYS, WE USE IT AS A TOOL TO EDUCATE AND ANY THAT INFORMATION CAN ALWAYS BE FOUND, UH, AT L WV AUSTIN.ORG.
AND IT CAN BE FOUND AT THE, A LOT OF LOCAL SITES ALSO.
VOTER INFORMATION, TEXT, SEC, SECRETARY OF STATE, AND THEN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND I DON'T HAVE ALL THOSE WEBSITES.
IS THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE FORD DIFFERENT LANGUAGES OR JUST THE VOTER'S GUIDE? WE DON'T PUBLISH OUR WEBSITE IN ANYTHING BUT ENGLISH.
SO THE VOTER'S GUIDE IS AVAILABLE IN FOUR LANGUAGES.
UM, VOTERS VOTER INFORMATION, WHICH IS A, WHICH IS A SEPARATE THING.
YOU'RE CONSIDERING THAT AS A SEPARATE CATEGORY OR YOU SAYING ON THE, LET ME REPHRASE THAT.
ON THE, THE WEBSITE IS NOT, WE DO NOT HAVE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE IN THE LANGUAGES.
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THE VOTER'S GUIDE.SO ANY INFORMATION PRINTED IN OUR VOTER'S GUIDE IS TRANSLATED INTO FOUR LANGUAGES.
AND IT WILL HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN THERE.
I DON'T KNOW THE CONTENT OF THAT.
AGAIN, I, I'M NOT, THAT'S NOT MY GOTCHA.
AND WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE CRITERIA FOR HAVING, UH, THE VOTERS GUIDE PRINTED IN A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH? I DO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO, I DON'T KNOW.
WE DON'T NEED A, A SPECIAL MEETING JUST FOR THAT.
THAT IS A QUESTION THAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO.
WHAT WAS THE QUESTION AGAIN? AND I'D BE HAPPY TO, THE QUESTION IS, YES, MA'AM.
WHAT IS THE CRITERION FOR PRINTING THE VOTER'S GUIDE IN A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH? SO, I, I HEARD THAT IT'S PRINTED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF FUNDING.
IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE ENDEAVOR TO PRINT IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT.
AND WE TOOK THE TOP TWO LANGUAGES.
I DO KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION AMONG OURSELVES.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE'RE NOT OPEN TO PRINTING.
SHOULD THERE BE FUNDING AVAILABLE? UH, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PRINT AN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND IF THERE, IF ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO, UH, CO-SPONSOR AND SPONSOR AND FUND THE LEAGUE WOULD BE OPEN TO DISCUSSION.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO PRINT IT AND PUT IT IN THE, UH, STATESMAN, UM, BACK IN THE DAY AND WE WOULD, WE COULD PRINT IT.
WE HAD HELP WITH THAT, THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN.
AND WE PAID A PORTION OF THAT, AND IT WAS IN EVERY HOUSEHOLD THAT GOT A NEWSPAPER.
AND THE CHRONICLE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY GENEROUS IN, UM, DISTRIBUTING OUR GUIDE NOW.
SO WHAT'S THE CURRENT FUNDING NOW? UH, THE SOURCE, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SPECIFIC, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS.
IS THE CITY, ARE WE FUNDING? IS IS THE CITY FUNDING THE PRINTING OF THE VOTER'S GUIDE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH? WE HAVE NO CONNECTION, UH, WITH THE CITY ON ANY OF OUR ENDEAVORS EXCEPT FOR THIS, UH, MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE WITH THE CANDIDATE FORMS. WE ARE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, AND ALL OF THOSE DECISIONS ARE MADE WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION.
SO I'M MARRIED TO A LEGAL PERSON,
AND, UM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE METRIC IS FOR THE LA THE ENG UH, LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH? SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, IS IT 50% OF HOUSEHOLDS OR 40% OF HOUSEHOLDS IN AUSTIN SPEAK SPANISH VERSUS 10% SPEAK CHINESE, OR 12% SPEAK VIETNAMESE? I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE CUTOFF AND, AND, AND THE NEED.
I, I CERTAINLY, UM, CAN UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S DEFINITELY A, A MATTER OF FUNDING WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
I'M JUST WONDERING WHERE THE, THE CUTOFF WOULD BE.
THE DEMOGRAPHIC, THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA WE'VE USED HAVE COME FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, AND THAT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, SO THE HOUSEHOLDS, AND THAT'S WHERE WE GOT THOSE FOUR.
UH, INITIALLY, AND THIS HAS BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, AND I'M SURE THAT THE, IF, IF ASKED, WE WOULD GO, I COULD TAKE IT BACK TO THE LEADERSHIP TO ASK, YOU KNOW, FOR UPDATED DATA ON THAT AND WE COULD GET THAT DATA FOR NE THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE.
IT'D BE VERY GOOD TO KNOW WHAT OUR UPDATED DATA IS.
WHAT, WHERE WOULD WE GET THAT INFORMATION CURRENTLY? YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR CITY.
CAN WE GET, HOW COULD WE GET THAT? WELL, WE CAN JUST ASK THAT CITY DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE IT.
UM, THEN YOU CAN SHARE IT WITH ME.
UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR ALL THE, THE ANSWERS.
AND, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER STANTON ADAMS FOR THE IN-DEPTH DIVE.
UH, I DID WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UM, SCHEDULED CANDIDATE EVENTS, UM, PART OF ITEM FIVE, BECAUSE I THINK THE ORIGINAL REASON WE HAD TALKED ABOUT HAVING SOMEONE BRIEF US, UH, WAY BACK A COUPLE MONTHS AGO WAS I THINK THERE WAS A, UM,
[00:35:01]
WORRY THAT WE HAD SOME EVENTS SCHEDULED LATER IN THE, IN THE YEAR, UH, CLOSER TO ELECTION BECAUSE WE WERE PRIOR, BECAUSE THE CITY DEPARTMENT THAT WAS, UH, WORKING TO FIND LOCATIONS WAS PRIORITIZING HAVING EVENTS WITHIN THE DISTRICTS WHERE THE ELECTION WAS GOING TO BE, UH, THAT WAS UP FOR, UH, ELECTION.UH, AND THEN I THINK THAT SOME OF US HAD A CONCERN, UH, THAT ACTUALLY WE MAY BE, UH, SERVING AN INTEREST CONTRARY TO WHAT, UH, A VOTER MAY HAVE, WHICH IS HAVING THE INFORMATION EARLIER, HAVING THE FORUMS CLOSER TOGETHER IN TIME VERSUS TO SITTING IN THEIR ACTUAL DISTRICTS.
AND SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAD ANY, UH, ANY INSIGHTS INTO VOTER OPINIONS ON HOW, UH, AND WHERE THESE EVENTS ARE SCHEDULED OR IF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN AND VOTERS SOLICITS ANY FEEDBACK ON HOW WE'RE SCHEDULING AND SELECTING VENUES? WELL, IF I LOOK AT THE DATES, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST ONE IS COMING UP NEXT WEEK.
AND THE DEADLINE FOR FILING WAS JUST A, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
SO WE GET ALL OF THAT TOGETHER, BUT THE LOCATION IS ALWAYS INSIDE A DISTRICT.
AND IT'S EVEN DIFFICULT WHEN WE GET OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST AREA OF TOWN.
THERE ARE LESS LARGE CITY FACILITIES TO USE, UM, IN SOME OF THE DISTRICTS WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW FROM DISCUSSIONS IN THE PAST, BUT I THINK THE TIMING, WHEN YOU HAVE THE 5TH OF SEPTEMBER AND YOU HAVE THE 25TH OF SEPTEMBER, AND YOU HAVE THE 30TH OF SEPTEMBER, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO INTO THAT FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER FOR THE 3RD OF OCTOBER AND THE 7TH OF OCTOBER, YOU'RE STILL 30 DAYS OUT FROM AN ELECTION.
I DON'T THINK YOU COULD GET TOO MUCH CLOSER.
AND I'VE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED THEM TO HAVE THEM EARLIER RATHER THAN LATER.
BECAUSE AS YOU GET UP IN CLOSER AND CLOSER, THOSE CANDIDATES ARE PULLED IN MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS FOR THEIR OWN CAMPAIGN EVENTS.
SO HAVING IT AT THIS POINT, AND THEN WHEN THE VOTER'S GUIDE COMES OUT, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION THERE.
AND THEN THE ONLINE, THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS PROVIDE ALL OF THE VIDEO RECORDINGS, ANYONE CAN GO AND VIEW THOSE, UH, VIDEO RECORDINGS OF THAT.
SO WE'VE ENCOURAGED THE THEM TO GET IT INTO SEPTEMBER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S A MATTER OF USING, BECAUSE YOU ALL THE CITY PUTS ON THE, IN THE FACILITIES AND THE TECHNOLOGY, IT'S THE SPREADING THOSE, UH, INDIVIDUALS IN THE TECHNOLOGY TEAM AROUND ON NON COUNCIL NIGHTS AND GETTING THESE, THE DOVE SPRINGS RECREATION CENTER, THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, HOPE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, THE NORTHWEST REC CENTER, THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, GETTING ALL OF THOSE SCHEDULED.
SO THIS HAPPENS IN APRIL, THE START, THE WORK WE START DOING HAPPENS IN APRIL.
AND I THINK THAT ONE THING THAT, UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MONTHS AGO IS HAVE WE ASKED THE QUESTION OF THE COMMUNITY, DO YOU CARE MORE ABOUT, UH, HAVING, UH, THE FORUMS IN YOUR DISTRICT OR DO YOU CARE MORE ABOUT HAVING THE INFORMATION EARLIER? SO I WON'T GO SO FAR AS MAKING A, A SUGGESTION, UH, BUT I WILL JUST REMIND US THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
AND IF SOMEBODY HAS AN OPINION OR A QUESTION ON THAT, I'LL SEE THE FLOOR.
IS THAT A QUESTION FOR ME? NO.
FOR THE, FOR THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS,
WE THINK ABOUT BUYING PRESENTS AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE HOLIDAYS.
SAY, LIKE, TO THINK OF IT KIND OF IN A SIMILAR SITUATION, PEOPLE START TO THINK ABOUT VOTING THE MORE, THE CLOSER THEY GET TO AN ELECTION.
UM, BUT MAYBE, MAYBE WE DID TALK ABOUT TIMING, BUT I, I MEAN THE SCHEDULING, THE, THE, THE MATRIX THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO COME UP WITH TO COME TO GO THROUGH THE SCHEDULE.
I, I FORGET HER NAME, BUT THE PERSON WHO SPOKE TO US FROM COMMUNICATIONS, UM, SHE, NEIL WARNER.
I MEAN, IT JUST SEEMED LIKE SHE WAS NAVIGATING A ROOM FULL OF LASERS TO TRY TO, TO MAKE EVERYTHING FIT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WHAT THEY ARRIVED AT WAS, WAS PRETTY GOOD.
UM, IT WAS IMPRESSIVE, BUT IT, I THINK THAT THEY MAYBE HAD ROOM FOR TO MOVE IT, BUT IT WAS VERY LITTLE ROOM.
IT HAD A DECISION THAT HAD TO BE MADE IN LIKE JULY OR JUNE OR WHENEVER IT WAS LAST TIME WE MET ABOUT IT.
THAT'S, THAT'S JUST MY, MY THOUGHTS ON THAT.
AND I, I DON'T WANT TO CREATE A PROBLEM.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, I'VE BEEN TRACKING THIS FOR A COUPLE MONTHS AND I THINK THAT THE CONVERSATION WAS, WE HAD SOME, SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT IS IT FAIR TO HAVE THEM ALL LOCATED CLOSELY IN TIME OR IS IT FAIR TO HAVE THEM ALL IN THEIR DISTRICTS? AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.
[00:40:01]
MAY I ADDRESS THAT QUESTION? YES, YOU MAY, WE WOULD STRONGLY, STRONGLY ENCOURAGE TO NEVER HAVE A CANDIDATE FORUM FOR A DISTRICT OUTSIDE OF SAID DISTRICT AND, AND NEVER HAVE A FORUM OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UH, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, UH, TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYBODY.AND BEING A DA COMPLIANT WITH EVERY, UH, FACILITY THAT WE HAVE A IN THE DISTRICT.
AND AGAIN, THOSE LASERS THAT SHE, THAT THE, THE STAFF JUMPS THROUGH OVER THE YEARS, THAT'S PART OF IT.
SO OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT, WE WOULD STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH THAT.
I, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR EFFORT FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, I BELIEVE I'M THE ONE WHO BROUGHT UP THIS ISSUE ABOUT THE, UM, THE TIMING AS WELL AS THE GEOGRAPHY.
UM, I PERSONALLY FEEL THE GEOGRAPHY IS MORE IMPORTANT, BUT I BROUGHT UP SECONDARILY THE ISSUE OF TIMING BECAUSE I FELT EVEN IF IT WAS AS EQUITABLE AS WE COULD POSSIBLY MAKE IT CONCERNING, CONSIDERING THE MANY, MANY LASERS I HAD SUGGESTED THAT THERE IS SOMETIMES AN APPEARANCE OF FAVORITISM, YOU KNOW, ONE DISTRICT OVER THE OTHER BEING, YOU KNOW, BEING PREFERRED AS TO THE TIMING OR WHATEVER, LIKE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING ISSUE THAT CAME UP.
UM, SO IT, IT, IT ISN'T THAT THEY ARE NECESSARILY COMPETING DEMANDS.
IT IS JUST MY VIEW AT THE TIME, WHICH I EXPRESSED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, WAS THAT WE NEED, UH, WE NEED TO CONSIDER EACH OF THE POSSIBLE, UM, FACTORS AND, AND WE NEED TO EXPRESSLY STATE WHY THIS ONE IS EARLIER THAN THAT ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, SO THAT IT DOES NOT LOOK AS THOUGH DISTRICT FIVE IS BEING TREATED DIFFERENTLY FROM DISTRICT SEVEN.
AND I JUST THINK WE NEED TO STATE THAT OUT LOUD.
THAT WAS THE REASON I BROUGHT THAT UP.
AND I THINK WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT, IT BECAME VERY OBVIOUS THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FINE IF THAT'S THE, HOW IT'S RESOLVED, BUT I, I JUST FELT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UH, TO BE VERY SENSITIVE TO THOSE EQUITIES.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S WHY I HAD RAISED THAT, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S STILL ON THE AGENDA AS SUCH.
UM, THE SECOND THING, AND I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP, UM, FROM SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS, UM, I, I KNOW I HEARD YOU SAY THE WORD MONEY
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT TAKES MONEY.
SO, UM, ARE THERE PLANS TO TRY TO EXPAND FUNDING OR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS OR, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING ELSE AS OUR, AS OUR BROADER GOAL? IF, IF YOU'RE ASKING ME ABOUT THE CANDIDATE FORUMS, THERE ARE NO PLANS AT THIS TIME TO LAYER ON ANY INTERPRETATION SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AUSTIN AREA.
I CAN'T ADDRESS THE VOTER'S GUIDE AGAIN, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT, I DO NOT IVY TO THAT INFORMATION IN THE COMMITTEES, IN THE GROUPS THAT LEADERSHIP MM-HMM.
AND YOU HAD SAID THOUGH, USING THE HOUSTON EXAMPLE, THAT THE PEOPLE DOING THE VOTER'S GUIDE, IF THEY COULD SOMEHOW SECURE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT THEY WOULD BE OPEN TO THAT.
AT LEAST WE WOULD LOVE TO GET THAT VOTER'S GUIDE IN.
UH, AND I KNOW YOU CANNOT SPEAK FOR THE COMMITTEE THAT YOU DON'T SERVE ON, BUT
WE, I, I DO KNOW THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO GET, BECAUSE AGAIN, OUR WHOLE FUNCTION IS TO DEFEND DEMOCRACY, AND PART OF THAT DEFENDING DEMOCRACY IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE PUT INTO LEADERSHIP.
AND SO, GOSH, WE WOULD JUST LOVE TO HAVE THOSE PARTNERS TO FUND THAT.
AND WE WOULD BE OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS OF FUNDING OTHER LANGUAGES, AS MANY AS WE COULD.
WHAT IS THE, WHAT ARE THE TOOLS OR PROCESSES THAT Y'ALL USE TO GATHER FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS? NOT SO MUCH THE CANDIDATES, BUT FROM THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
JUST GENERAL FEEDBACK ABOUT THE FORUMS WOULD JUST BE CLEAR.
I DON'T COMMUNICATE WITH THE CANDIDATES.
I HAVE NO REASON TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CANDIDATES, UH, THAT THE CITY, UH, MIA WARNER AND HER TEAM
[00:45:01]
COMMUNICATIONS TAKE CARE OF GETTING ALL OF THE INFORMATION, THE TIMING TO RSVPS FROM THE CANDIDATES, AND THAT'S WHAT THE CITY DOES.UH, SO I HAVE NO REASON, AGAIN, WE DON'T GET INTO PERSONAL, WE DON'T RESEARCH ANYTHING PERSONAL ABOUT THE CANDIDATES BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN SHOWING THE VOTERS OF AUSTIN.
UH, WE WANT EVERYBODY TO HAVE A FAIR CHANCE TO GET THEIR VOICE HEARD.
AND I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW FORUMS WHERE ALL OF THE CANDIDATES SHOW UP, BECAUSE IN OTHER FORUMS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO, AND OTHER FORUMS DON'T INVITE ALL OF THEM.
THEY'LL TAKE THE FRONT RUNNERS, THEY'LL TAKE WHAT THEY PERCEIVE AS THE CANDIDATES, THEY PERCEIVE AS THE FRONT RUNNERS, AND THE CITY DOESN'T DO THAT.
AND THIS IS THE FEW TIMES THAT YOU WILL HEAR SOME OF THESE CANDIDATES, UH, BEING GIVEN A FAIR SHOT TO SHOW THE VOTERS OF AUSTIN.
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, UM, PARTIALLY.
I, I LOVE THAT, THAT IT'S FAIR AND NOT SLANTED OR LEADING TOWARDS A PARTICULAR CANDIDATE.
UM, MY QUESTION IS MORE, DO Y'ALL SEEK, DO Y'ALL GATHER FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY PEOPLE, PARTICIPANTS WHO ATTEND THESE FORUMS? I'VE ACTUALLY HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH THE PARTICIPANTS OVER THE YEARS.
WE GET THERE EARLY, THEY COME IN EARLY, WE HANG AROUND AND IT'S, IT'S FASCINATING TO TALK TO THOSE MEMBERS THAT DO SHOW UP BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE QUESTIONS.
UH, AND WE TRY TO ANSWER THOSE.
SO WE, WE GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK.
WE GATHER INFORMATION ALL YEAR LONG.
YOU KNOW, WE WILL, I'VE GOT A FILE OF NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, YOU KNOW, I GET SENT NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, I GET SENT ARTICLES.
AND ESPECIALLY AS WE GET CLOSER AND IT GETS HOT AND HEAVY, UH, PEOPLE START SENDING IN QUESTIONS.
AND SO AS IT GETS MORE PUBLIC PUBLICIZED AND PEOPLE THINK ABOUT IT, SO WE DO GATHER THAT FEEDBACK, UH, AND JUST, IT'S JUST WHAT WE DO BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE THESE AS VALUABLE FOR THE PUBLIC AS WE CAN.
COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW, HOW YOU GATHER THE FEEDBACK AND ARE, DO YOU, UM, KEEP TRACK OF METRICS SUCH AS THIS YEAR WE SAW AN INCREASE OF, YOU KNOW, UH, 15% OF PARTICIPANTS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT THESE CANDIDATE FORUMS AS OPPOSED TO LAST YEAR OR, UH, THIS DISTRICT HAD MORE, UM, UH, MORE PARTICIPATION FROM THEIR, FROM THEIR DISTRICT.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT 10, UH, 80% OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS SHOWED UP, THOSE KIND OF METRICS? WE DON'T TRACK THAT DATA.
AND AS FAR AS LIKE SOLICITING FEEDBACK, IT'S JUST BEEN MORE OF A CASUAL TALKING TO PEOPLE.
THERE'S NOT LIKE A TOOL THAT YOU USE, LIKE A SURVEY OR ANYTHING, OR GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK ONLINE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? WE HAVE NOT IN THE PAST.
UM, HAVING BEEN TO A NUMBER OF YOUR FORUMS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
HOW DO YOU PROMOTE THE FORUMS? WELL, I'M JUST LOOKING IN MY INBOX, UH, EARLIER TODAY.
WE GET ASKED FROM DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS.
IT'S USUALLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND SOME OF THOSE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ASK US FOR OUR GRAPHICS.
WE CREATE THE GRAPHICS AND SEND THEM OUT AS WE CAN.
UH, WE PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE, IT GOES INTO THE EMAILS.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, I THINK A LITTLE OVER 500 MEMBERS THAT IT GOES INTO.
AND THEN THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WORK WITH, UM, I THINK THE CITY SENDS OUT, GOES INTO THE FLYER, IS IT THIS LAST MONTH? THIS MONTH? I FORGET.
IT GOES INTO THE UTILITY FLYER AND, UM, GETS OUT TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD THAT HAS UTILITIES, UH, ON THAT.
UM, AND I'M PRETTY SURE THOUGH SOMEONE DID EMAIL ME AND SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND IT ON THE CITY SITE, WHICH WE WON'T EVEN TALK ABOUT THAT
UM, BUT THEY SAID IT WAS NOT LISTED.
SO MY ASK IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S LISTED ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN SITE BECAUSE WE HAVE A FORM NEXT THURSDAY.
SO I I DID NOT CHECK THAT BEFORE I CAME.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY BAD FOR NOT CHECKING THAT.
BUT THAT'S, WE PUBLISH IT JUST AS MUCH AS WE CAN IF, UH, IF THERE WERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICIZE IT MORE.
AND OBVIOUSLY MONEY IS, IS AN ISSUE.
BUT JUST SPEAKING HYPOTHETICALLY HERE, LIKE WHAT IDEAS DO YOU THINK THE CITY COULD EXPLORE? WOULD IT BE PARTNERING WITH A LOCAL RESTAURANT CHAIN? WOULD IT BE HAVING THESE EVENTS AT MAYBE, WELL, I, I'M NOT TRYING TO REDESIGN YOUR, YOUR PROCESS.
I WAS GONNA SAY HAVE THEM AT COFFEE SHOPS, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY A TERRIBLE IDEA.
[00:50:02]
I, I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE HAVING BEEN TO THESE, UH, THE ATTENDANCE IS FINE, BUT COULD ALWAYS BE BETTER.AND I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW WE MIGHT DO THAT.
ESPECIALLY, I MEAN, AGAIN, WITH BUDGET BEING SO ENTIRELY LIMITED, ARE THERE WAYS THAT WE COULD HACK IT TO TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT A LITTLE MORE ON A, A LIMITED OR MORE REALISTICALLY NO BUDGET, THE CONTACT.
FEEL FREE TO MAKE YOUR MAGIC HAPPEN.
THE CONTACT TEAMS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD CONTACT TEAMS AND THAT'S BEEN REVAMPED OVER THE YEARS, BUT THE CITY DOES REACH OUT VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION THROUGH SOME OF THE PLANNING TOOLS THAT THE CITY USES TO COMMUNICATE.
I MEAN, THAT COULD BE A WAY THE, THE CITY REACHES I THINK THE LARGE, A LARGE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS AT THE RECREATION CENTERS.
AND SO FLYERS IN THE RECREATION CENTERS WHERE THE ACTUAL PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THOSE AREAS ARE COMING TO EITHER PICK UP THEIR CHILDREN OR AT THE WISE OR ANY OTHER FACILITY.
BUT I THINK PROBABLY WOULD, I THINK I WOULD THINK THAT RECREATION CENTERS ARE THE MOST CONTACT THAT THE CITY HAS WITH A REG, WITH A, A CITIZEN OF AUSTIN.
HEB, CAN WE ADVERTISE AN HEB? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, COMMISSIONER RETURN, UH, I'M NOT CERTAIN IF THIS IS A, A QUESTION FOR THE STAFF LIAISON, UH, BUT I WOULD BE VERY, UH, EXCITED TO SEE, I BELIEVE WE CALLED IT A LETTER OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS THAT DELEGATES THE OVERSIGHT OF THESE.
UH, JUST BECAUSE I THINK I PERSONALLY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF BACKGROUND ON IT.
SO WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TRY TO PRODUCE AND SO FOR OUR REVIEW AT A LATER DATE? UH, I CAN CHECK IN.
I'M SURE IT'S SOMETHING WE COULD HAVE.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE COULD CHANGE AT THIS POINT.
UM, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD IT'S SOMETHING YOU, YOU ALL COULD, COULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT, BUT I CAN, I CAN FIND, UH, WHAT EXISTS AND DISTRIBUTE THAT TO YOU ALL.
YEAH, JUST, UH, THAT ONGOING CONVERSATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER.
I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
UM, AND TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON, UH, COMMISSIONER ESPINOZA'S QUESTION, WHAT ARE, ARE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT PAIN POINTS FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION IN MANAGING AND RUNNING THESE FORUMS? AND, AND I ASK WITH THE, UM, WITH THE HOPE THAT WE COULD SOMEHOW HELP ALLEVIATE, UM, IN SOME WAY YOUR PAIN POINTS.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT A, UM, UM, IT'S MORE TELL US WHAT, WHAT ARE THE STRUGGLES AND THEN, UH, WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE GREAT THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO, YOU WANT TO KEEP OR WANT TO IMPROVE UPON? YOU MENTIONED ONE GREAT IDEA WITH FLYERS BEING IN THE RIGHT CENTERS, BUT WHAT ARE SOME THE SIGNIFICANT THINGS THAT ARE LIKE, OH MAN, THIS JUST LIKE, IT'S JUST PAINFUL EVERY YEAR AND WE WISH IT WOULD BE EASIER, UH, TURNOUT, UM, IN TURNOUT AT ATTENDANCE, TURNOUT IN AREAS OF LOW VOTER TURNOUT AND IN SOME OF THE AREAS THAT THERE IS NOT A LOT OF VOTER PARTICIPATION ON EVENTS JUST IN GENERAL IN THAT TRAVIS COUNTY HAS THAT DATA AND GETTING THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO ENGAGE AND SOMEHOW GET THAT ENGAGEMENT FROM COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T NORMALLY BECOME ENGAGED IN VOTING, UH, ACTIVITIES.
SO THAT WOULD BE, THAT'S A PAIN POINT.
UM, I THINK THE, THE WINS THAT WE'VE HAD ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT, UH, EMAIL US AND TELL US THAT THEY, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY HEARD FROM A CANDIDATE OR THAT WAS THE, THE MOST INFORMATION THEY HAD GOTTEN FROM A FORUM ON A WIDE VARIETY OF TOPICS.
SO WE TRY TO GO INTO A FEW QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, ONE HOUR IS NOT VERY LONG IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF YOU HAVE SEVEN CANDIDATES AND I OFTEN, AND I HAVE BROKEN UP, YOU KNOW, I, IF I HAVE SEVEN CANDIDATES, UM, ONE OF THE FORMATS WE'VE USED IS TO ASK THREE CANDIDATES A QUESTION AND FOUR CANDIDATES ANOTHER QUESTION.
'CAUSE YOU GET BORED WITH THE SAME ANSWER.
UH, SO WE TAKE A TOPIC SUCH AS WASTEWATER OR, UM, WHAT'S THE BIG ONE NOW? UH, DEVELOPMENT AND SOME OF THE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS ALONG TRANSIT CORRIDORS.
AND WE'LL ASK A PARTICULAR QUESTION AND, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THREE PEOPLE OR OR FOUR AND THEN HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ON THAT SAME TOPIC.
UH, THE IMPACT OF THE TRANSIT CORRIDOR TO CURRENT RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, TO A DIFF ASK IT IN ANOTHER,
[00:55:01]
ANOTHER LITTLE FACET OF THAT.SO THOSE ARE WHAT WE GET IS WE GET THE FEEDBACK OF THE VARIETY OF QUESTIONS ON LOTS OF TOPICS.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT SEWERS, BUT THERE ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, CITIES BEHIND ON UPDATING SEWERS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T THINK ABOUT.
'CAUSE UNLESS IT BACKS UP OR YOU HAVE A SINKHOLE ON YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD STREET.
SO WE LIKE TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CANDIDATES KNOW.
SO THE VARIETY OF THE TOPICS, I THINK IS THE WIN THAT WE HEAR.
LACK OF ATTENDANCE WOULD BE ONE OF OUR PAIN POINTS IN AREAS OF LOW VOTER TURNOUT.
DID I UNDERSTAND YOU TO SAY THAT YOU'RE LIMITED TO AN HOUR LONG? HUH? AND WHAT'S THE REASON? UH, MAYBE I HAVE A LONGER ATTENTION SPAN THAN OTHER PEOPLE.
I JUST, WHAT'S THE REASON FOR THAT? YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S JUST BEEN ABOUT A 60 MINUTE AND IT GETS US STARTED.
THAT'S A LONG TIME FOR CANDIDATES TO, TO SIT UP THERE AND KIND OF BE ON A, A SEAT.
BECAUSE REMEMBER, THESE CANDIDATES DO NOT HAVE THESE QUESTIONS AHEAD OF TIME.
THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT WE'RE ASKING.
MANY OF 'EM GO BACK TO THE PAST YEARS, UH, AND FIND OUT WHAT WE'VE ASKED IN THE PAST.
AND OF COURSE THE TOPICS, SOME OF 'EM ARE SIMILAR.
SEWERS, YOU KNOW, DRAINAGE, ALL THE NEW DRAINAGE RULES ARE PRETTY BAD, UH, THAT CITY'S COMING UP WITH.
UM, IT MIGHT ALSO BE HARDER TO GET PEOPLE TO SHOW UP IF THEY WAS MORE THAN AN HOUR.
AND TO A PUBLIC, THE, THE AT ATTEND THE JUST, YOU KNOW, HOLD AT SIX O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING, YOU KNOW, AND GETTING PEOPLE THERE.
HEY, MAYBE WE COULD FEED PEOPLE JUST THINKING COMMISSIONER RETURN.
I JUST HAVE A LOGISTICS QUESTION.
UM, YOU HAD SAID, I THINK, UH, DON'T MOVE THE, THE FORUMS AWAY FROM TRANSIT ROUTES AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN CITY AND C-T-R-M-A, UH, THE REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITY, UM, PROGRAMS TO OFFER FREE BUSING ON VOTING DAYS.
DO WE, DO WE AS A CITY ALSO OFFER FREE BUSING DURING CANDIDATE FORUMS? I'M JUST WONDERING BASED ON ATTENDANCE.
I WOULDN'T THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD USE OF FUNDS.
AS A CITIZEN PERSONAL OPINION.
UM, ANY, ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. ECKEL CAMP? SHE SAT HERE LIKE A CANDIDATE NOT HAVING ANY IDEA WHAT WE'RE GONNA ASK HER.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT, UM, THE QUESTION ON THE TIMING OF THE FORUMS AND JUST LIKE WE DO THE BALLOT ORDER, UH, Y'ALL DO THE BALLOT ORDER, THIS, UH, WHOEVER DOES CAROLYN, WHO DOES THE BALLOT ORDER? DO YOU MEAN THE ORDER OF NAMES ON THE BALLOT? UHHUH,
OH, UH, THERE'S A DRAWING THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE CONDUCTS A DRAWING.
AND SO THEY DO THE BALLOT ORDER.
SO IT COULD BE THAT YOU TRY TO DO A BALLOT, DO A DISTRICT ORDER, YOU CAN THROW 'EM IN A HAT, DRAW 'EM OUT, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO THEN GO THROUGH SAY, JUST BECAUSE THIS ONE GOT DRAWN FIRST, YOU CAN'T GET THE LOCATIONS ON THAT PARTICULAR WEEK TO GET 'EM EARLY ENOUGH OR LATER, YOU KNOW, WHICHEVER YOU WANNA DO.
BUT I THINK THAT IS A WAY THAT YOU COULD DO IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF HOW IT HAPPENS, BUT IT IS A MATTER OF SCHEDULING.
SO SAME THING WITH THE BALLOT ORDER.
THAT IS A WAY TO, TO DO JUST DRAW 'EM OUT OF A HAT.
I I THINK THAT WAS THE POINT I WAS MAKING EARLIER ABOUT WE WANT TO NOT ONLY TO BE EQUITABLE, BUT FOR EVERYBODY SEE HOW EQUITABLE WE'RE BEING.
UM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THERE IS OFTEN THIS SENSE THAT WHAT THE CITY DOES FAVORS SOME PEOPLE OVER OTHER PEOPLE.
AND THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S ALL THAT IT IS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE TO MOVE THE DATES AROUND.
UM, IT'S THAT EVEN WHEN YOU GO TO COURT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY DECIDE WHO'S ON THE JURY
SO, UM, IN FACT, I THINK THEY ACTUALLY USE A WHEEL
SO YEAH, I MEAN, I, I VERY MUCH, UM, APPRECIATE THE COMMENT THAT YOU MADE BECAUSE, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT JUST FOR OUR OWN TRANSPARENCY, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S AT LEAST THAT VISIBLE.
WELL, THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DO THIS YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT.
AND THIS MAY BE ONE OF MY LAST YEARS, UH, ACTUALLY AS LEADERSHIP ON THE DONE IT FOR A LONG TIME.
IT'S TIME FOR SOME INNOVATION AND, UH, SOMEONE ELSE TO, TO TAKE IT.
SO, UH, BUT IT'S, I MAY BE THE STAT, THE LEAGUE LIAISON WITH THE CITY AS MY ROLE, BUT, UH, I PROBABLY WON'T BE IN THE LEADERSHIP CHAIR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
ALRIGHT, SO THAT CONCLUDES WE WENT A LITTLE OUTTA ORDER THAT WAS ITEM NUMBER FIVE ON THE AGENDA.
[3. Staff Briefing from Caroline Webster regarding three recent complaints received.]
ITEM NUMBER THREE, THE STAFF BRIEFING FROM CAROLYN WEBSTER REGARDING THREE RECENT COMPLAINTS RECEIVED.MS. WEBSTER, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UH, THANK YOU CHAIR AND, UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
[01:00:01]
UH, CAROLINE WEBSTER WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT.I'M JUST GONNA GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE JUST TO KIND OF LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE ON SOME, THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
UH, WE RECEIVED THREE, A TOTAL OF THREE COMPLAINTS IN, UH, JULY.
THEY'RE FILED WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND THEN THE CLERK PROVIDES NOTICE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AND TO THE CHAIR.
AND, UM, AND THEN THERE'S A PROCESS THAT'S FOLLOWED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE, UH, FORM ITSELF, THE COMPLAINT ITSELF COMPLIES WITH CITY CODE.
AND THEN ASSUMING THAT'S THE CASE, THEN THERE'S A JURISDICTIONAL QUESTION THAT HAS TO BE ANSWERED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT, THE COMPLAINT IS ALLEGING SOMETHING THAT'S WITHIN YOUR JURISDICTION.
AND SO THERE'S A PROCESS THERE.
AND SO I JUST KIND OF WAS, THIS IS REALLY JUST A BRIEF, UH, DISCUSSION TO GIVE YOU ALL JUST AN