[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 UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE BECAUSE, UM, DEPENDING ON, ON HOW POLITICALLY INVOLVED YOU ARE, THESE, UH, COMPLAINTS ARE BEING REPORTED ON IN VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS AROUND TOWN.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN CASE YOU WERE GETTING QUESTIONS OR HAD QUESTIONS YOURSELF, JUST SO YOU SEE WHERE WE ARE.
SO, THE FIRST, UH, COMPLAINT THAT WAS ONE FILED ON JULY 12TH BY JULIE OLIVER.
IT WAS COMPLAINT AGAINST, UH, CANDIDATE FOR A DISTRICT SEAT, MIKE SIEGEL.
UH, THE COMPLAINT ITSELF, I REVIEWED THAT COMPLAINT AND THE COMPLAINT ON ITS FACE DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF CITY CODE IN THAT IT DIDN'T SPELL OUT THE SPECIFIC SECTIONS OF CITY CODE THAT IT ALLEGED WERE, UH, BEING VIOLATED.
UH, SO WE DID INFORM THE FILER, THE COMPLAINANT OF THAT.
AND UH, IT CERTAINLY INFORMED HER THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE'S WELCOME TO REFILE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AT THIS POINT, WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED AN, UH, ANOTHER COMMUNICATION FROM HER OR ANOTHER.
UM, ANOTHER COMPLAINT HAS NOT YET BEEN SUBMITTED.
SHE CERTAINLY MAY WELL BE INTENDING TO DO SO, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, IN CASE YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT OR READ ABOUT THAT ONE, THAT ONE'S BASICALLY ON HOLD BECAUSE WE'RE WAITING TO SEE IF SHE DOES, UH, FILE A NEW COMPLAINT.
AND SO THERE'S NO FURTHER ACTION THAT YOU ALL WOULD NEED TO BE TAKING AT THIS TIME ON THAT COMPLAINT.
IS IT ON HOLD OR, I MEAN, YOU'VE, YOU WELL, IT'S NOT ON HOLD.
IT'S, IT'S MORE, MORE THAT I GUESS.
NO, I THANK YOU FOR CORRECTING ME.
KNOW, IT'S NOT ON HOLD, RIGHT.
IT'S JUST, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING THERE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE INITIAL COMPLAINT WAS, UH, INSUFFICIENT.
SO, UM, IT MAY COME BACK, IT MAY NOT.
YEAH, JUST THAT, THAT WAS REALLY THE BOTTOM LINE.
THERE'S NO FURTHER ACTION FROM YOU ALL AT THIS POINT.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE TWO OTHER COMPLAINTS.
BOTH OF THESE WERE FILED ON JULY 1ST BY BETSY GREENBERG.
ONE IS AGAINST, UH, OUR SITTING MAYOR, UH, KIRK WATSON, UH, WHO IS ALSO A CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR THIS YEAR, UH, AND WAS IN 2022 AS WELL.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS ALSO FILED BY BETSY GREENBERG AGAINST A CANDIDATE, UH, FOR MAYOR, UH, MR. GRECO.
FIRST WE DID A CUR A REVIEW OF THE COMPLAINT TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE FACIALLY COMPLIANT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER CITY CODE.
UH, TARA LEVINS MADE A DETERMINATION THAT THE, UH, ALLEGATION, THE, THE ALLEGATION IS THAT, UH, THERE WERE VIOLATIONS OF ARTICLE THREE, SECTION EIGHT, A THREE OF CITY CODE THAT HAS TO DO WITH DONATIONS, UH, MADE FROM FOLKS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS.
AND SO THERE'S AN ALLEGATION THAT THOSE LIMITS WERE, UM, EXCEEDED.
AND, UH, CHAIR LEMONS DID MAKE THE DETERMINATION THAT SINCE IT IS A COMPLAINT, UH, ABOUT A POTENTIAL VIOLATION OF ARTICLE THREE, SECTION EIGHT, THAT IS WITHIN YOUR JURISDICTION, THAT BEING THE CASE, UH, THAT DECISION WAS MADE AUGUST 5TH, UNDER CITY CODE.
WE HAVE, YOU HAVE, I SHOULD SAY, 60 DAYS TO HOLD THE PRELIMINARY HEARING THAT DEADLINE, 60 DAYS FROM AUGUST 5TH IS OCTOBER 5TH.
AND CHAIR LEMONS MADE THE DECISION THAT, UM, WE WOULD HAVE THE PRELIMINARY HEARING SET FOR SEPTEMBER 25TH, WHICH IS THE NEXT MEETING YOU ALL HAVE, THAT FALLS WITHIN THAT TIMEFRAME.
AND THAT ALLOWED ENOUGH TIME FOR THE PREPARATION THAT NEEDS TO, UH, BE DONE IN ORDER TO HAVE THAT PRELIMINARY HEARING.
UM, WE DO HAVE TO PROVIDE OFFICIAL NOTICE TO ALL OF THE INTERESTED PARTIES EXACTLY OF THE DATE OF, UH, THE PRELIMINARY HEARING.
UM, THAT NOTICE HAS TO BE SENT OUT NO LATER THAN 10 WORKING DAYS.
THE CHARTER SAYS, UH, CITY CODE SAYS, SORRY, PRIOR TO THE DATE OF THAT HEARING, AND THAT NOTICE DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 11TH.
SO WE WILL DEFINITELY MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS, THE NOTICE WILL HAVE BEEN SENT PRIOR TO THAT.
I HAVE NO DOUBT, AND OF YOU ALL WILL BE COPIED ON THAT.
UH, NOTICE WHEN IT COMES OUT, THE NOTICE CONTAINS QUITE A LOT OF INFORMATION.
IT GIVES INFORMATION ABOUT THE DATE OF THE HEARING, BUT IT ALSO GIVES THE, THE INTERESTED PARTIES, THE COMPLAINANT, THE RESPONDENT, ANY OTHER PARTIES THAT ARE NAMED IN THE COMPLAINT, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCESS, HOW THE PRELIMINARY HEARING GOES.
IT ADVISES THEM OF THEIR RIGHTS.
THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO COUNSEL, ET CETERA.
AND SO THE NOTICE IS ACTUALLY QUITE A LENGTHY DOCUMENT AND THEY GET SEVERAL THINGS THAT WANTS TO KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE INFORMED, UH, THAT EVERYONE IS INFORMED OF, OF THE PROCESS
[01:05:01]
AND, AND HOW IT'S GONNA PROCEED.AND SO A COUPLE OF CONSIDERATIONS THAT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I MENTIONED, UH, BEFORE I OPENED IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS OR IF THE CHAIR OPENS IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UM, YOU ALL WILL BE REPRESENTED BY OUTSIDE COUNSEL FOR THE COMPLAINTS AGAINST BOTH WATSON AND MR. GRECO.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE THAT IS REQUIRED IN CITY CODE WHEN A COMPLAINT CONCERNS A SITTING COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, WHICH OBVIOUSLY MAYOR WATSON, UM, WE DON'T ADVISE 'CAUSE THERE'S THAT CONFLICT OF INTEREST SINCE WHAT MAYOR WATSON IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD ADVISE NOT ON CAMPAIGN ISSUES, BUT ON, YOU KNOW, OTHER LEGAL ISSUES.
AND SO WHAT WE DECIDED WAS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE OTHER COMPLAINT IS NOT AGAINST A SITTING COUNCIL MEMBER, WE MADE A DECISION THAT THE OUTSIDE COUNCIL WILL REPRESENT, WE'LL ADVISE YOU ALL FOR BOTH OF THESE COMPLAINTS.
AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE THEY COMPLAIN.
UH, BOTH COMPLAINTS HAVE THE SAME ALLEGATION.
THEY, UH, ALLEGED THIS A VIOLATION OF THE SAME SECTION OF THE CHARTER, SAME, UM, ALLEGED VIOLATIONS.
AND SINCE THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL WOULD HAVE FOR YOUR COUNSEL WOULD BE THE SAME FOR BOTH COMPLAINTS, WE DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO ADVISE YOU, RATHER THAN ME ADVISING YOU ON THE GRECO COMPLAINT AND, UH, OUTSIDE COUNSEL ADVISING YOU ON THE WATSON COMPLAINT BECAUSE THOSE, THAT ADVICE, UH, IS GONNA OVERLAP.
UH, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO JUST, UH, REMIND, UH, FOLKS, OH, I'M SORRY.
AS FAR AS OUTSIDE COUNSEL IS CONCERNED, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF, UH, OBTAINING OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
WE'VE REACHED OUT TO SOME FOLKS.
WE'RE SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO IS NOT WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT CONTRIBUTED TO, UH, THE MAYORAL CANDIDATES.
UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHY WE, WE HAVE DIRECTED OUR SEARCH TO OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO POSSIBLE CONFLICT OF INTEREST THERE.
AND WE ARE UNDERGOING A FURTHER CONFLICTS CHECK RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS STANDARD WHENEVER THE CITY HIRES, UH, OUTSIDE COUNCIL.
AND WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A LETTER OF ENGAGEMENT SENT TO SOMEONE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
AND SO I AM HOPEFUL THAT BY, WELL, MAYBE NOT BY THE END OF THIS WEEK, 'CAUSE TOMORROW'S THURSDAY, BUT BY NEXT WEEK YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE COUNSEL AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT PERSON HAS, HAS, UH, YOU ALL HAVE THAT CONTENT CONTACT INFORMATION.
UM, I'M SORRY, MAY I SAY ONE MORE THING? ABSOLUTELY.
NOW I FORGET WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
OH, IT WAS ABOUT THE EX PARTE COMMUNICATION.
SO THE EX PARTE COMMUNICATION, THAT'S JUST ONCE WE HAVE, ONCE THE COMPLAINT HAS BEEN FILED, AND WHILE IT'S PENDING UNTIL YOU ALL HAVE MADE YOUR DECISION, YOU ALL CANNOT HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE PARTIES INVOLVED IN THE COMPLAINTS.
SO IF, IF YOU KNOW BETSY GREENBERG REACHED OUT TO ONE OF YOU ALL WITH A QUESTION, YOU WOULD HAVE TO SAY, I'M NOT SAYING SHE WOULD, I'M JUST SAYING IF THAT HAPPENED, YOU WOULD WANNA REFER HER TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE OR TO ME AND THEN ALL, UM, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO ADVISE HER APPROPRIATELY OR NOT, DEPENDING ON IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING I CAN ANSWER.
AND IT WOULD BE HANDLED BY HER COUNCIL.
THE SAME WITH, UM, UH, MAYOR WATSON AND MR. GRECO AS WELL.
IF EITHER OF THEM, IF ANY OF THE PARTIES REACHED OUT DIRECTLY TO YOU, YOU JUST WANNA REDIRECT THEM TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE OR TO ME.
UM, UH, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN CONTACT, UH, ME DIRECTLY OR OTHER CITY STAFF DIRECTLY.
AND CERTAINLY YOU CAN CONTACT YOUR ATTORNEY ONCE WE HAVE THAT INDIVIDUAL HIRED, UH, DIRECTLY, UH, WITHOUT VIOLATING THE OPEN MEETINGS AFTER, OF COURSE, BUT, SO YOU WILL HAVE, THERE WILL BE A FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION.
IT'S JUST NOT DIRECTLY WITH THE PARTIES UNTIL THE FINAL DECISION IS MADE.
UH, SO THAT WAS THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION, AND I'M HAPPY TO PASS IT BACK TO THE CHAIR.
DO ANY QUESTIONS? I'M GONNA START OVER HERE.
'CAUSE I SAW SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS HAND FIRST.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU INTEND TO DO, LIKE MOVING FORWARD OR JUST THIS WAS SPECIFIC SPECIAL FOR THESE, UH, IT, IT MADE SENSE TO ME TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE LIKE THIS? YES, MA'AM.
UM, ESPECIALLY ONCE THE MEDIA HAS, HAS A HOLD OF SOMETHING, I FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS WOULD NATURALLY HAVE QUESTIONS AND I AM CERTAINLY HAPPY TO DO IT MOVING FORWARD.
AND I, I LIKE HOW YOU LAID OUT THE DATES, LIKE WHAT, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN ON WHAT DATES.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
YOU SAID THAT THE CITY IS PAYING FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
AND I AM WONDERING IF THIS WOULD COME BACK ON US AS, UM, MISUSE OR POSSIBLE ABUSE OF FUNDS BECAUSE YOU SAID FOR MAYOR WATSON UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL BECAUSE HE IS A CURRENT OFFICIAL CITY OFFICIAL, BUT
[01:10:01]
MR. MR. GRECO MM-HMM.IS NOT, AND SO I JUST AM THINKING AHEAD AND COULD A MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY COME BACK AND SAY, WELL, WHY DID YOU PAY, WHY DID YOU EXPEND MONEY FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL WHEN IT WAS NOT REQUIRED? MM-HMM.
WELL, WE'RE HIRING THE SAME INDIVIDUAL FOR BOTH CASES.
SO WE'RE NOT HIRING TWO ATTORNEYS.
WE'RE HIRING A SINGLE ATTORNEY.
AND AS I, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
AND I I BELIEVE THE ANSWER IS NO, THERE WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE THERE.
UM, BECAUSE THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY WILL ASK WILL, THAT YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE LEGAL QUESTIONS, WOULD BE THE SAME FOR EACH COMPLAINT, I WOULD IMAGINE, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE EXACT SAME ALLEGATION.
SO WHAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IS ACTUALLY A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
WHEREAS IF I WAS ADVISING ON ONE AND I GAVE YOU DIFFERENT ADVICE THAN YOUR OUTSIDE COUNSEL, THAT WAS THE CONCERN.
AND SO BECAUSE OF A POT, BECAUSE OF A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND YOU ALL TAKING MY ANSWERS, IN FACT, AND APPLYING THEM TO MAYOR WATSON'S CASE, THAT WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? YOU'D HAVE TO KEEP THOSE ANSWERS SEPARATE IN YOUR MINDS.
AND WE CAN'T, I CANNOT BE IN A POSITION OF ANSWERING A LEGAL QUESTION THAT YOU WOULD THEN APPLY TO MAYOR WATSON'S CASE.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT REQUIREMENT FOR REMOVAL, THAT'S WHY WE MADE THE DECISION THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED TO HAVE THAT OUTSIDE COUNSEL FOR BOTH CASES.
I'M STILL CONCERNED BECAUSE TECHNICALLY SOMEONE COULD SAY, WHY DID YOU, WHY DID YOU EXPEND EXTRA FUNDS? UH, UNLESS, UNLESS YOU'RE SAYING OUTSIDE COUNSELS, UH, AGREED TO REPRESENT BOTH CASES FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY BECAUSE THE SCOPE IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME.
BUT THEN I, I WONDER ARE WOULD WE BE, UM, REVIEWING THESE CASES TOGETHER AS AS, AS A PAIR, OR WOULD WE BE REVIEWING THESE CASES SEPARATELY? YOU'LL BE REVIEWING THEM SEPARATELY BECAUSE THEY ARE TWO SEPARATE CASES, BUT BOTH PRELIMINARY HEARINGS WILL BE ON SEPTEMBER 5TH.
AND SO THE SAME TIMELINE APPLIES TO BOTH.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT, BUT WE ARE REALLY CONFLICTED OUT OF, OF ADVISING ON THE GRECO CASE BECAUSE THAT SAME ADVICE COULD BE APPLIED TO THE MAYOR'S CASE AND WE JUST CAN'T RISK THAT.
THAT, THAT WOULD BE, FIRST OF ALL, I, I'M PRETTY SURE THE ADDITIONAL COST IS NEGLIGIBLE BECAUSE IT'S, UM, IT'S THE SAME BASIC FACT PATTERN.
I, I THINK IS WHAT'S ALLEGED, UM, AS TO WHETHER SOMEBODY COULD SAY SOMETHING, SOMEONE CAN SAY A LOT OF THINGS.
QUESTION IS, ARE THEY RIGHT? AND IF WE GO THE OTHER DIRECTION, WHAT MIGHT THEY SAY? AND IN THAT CASE, THEY MIGHT SAY, OH, I SEE WHAT YOU DID.
YOU HAD THE SAME FACT PATTERN.
SO YOU GOT CITY, CITY LAWYERS TO ADVISE YOU ON THE GRECO ONE, WINK, WINK, NUDGE, NUDGE.
IT REALLY APPLIES TO THE MAYORS.
SO, UM, HIRING OUTSIDE COUNSEL FOR BOTH IS, IN MY OPINION, WHICH I DON'T THINK, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE GET TO DECIDE ON THAT, BUT I, IT'S THE RIGHT CALL IN MY OPINION.
UM, I THINK THERE'S ALSO AN ISSUE OF FAIRNESS AND CONSISTENCY.
I MEAN, YOU'VE, YOU'VE DEFINITELY TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR CONSISTENCY, BUT I THINK THE CITY HAS AN OBLIGATION FOR FAIRNESS HERE.
AND TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE GETTING THE SAME ADVICE FOR EACH CASE THAT DEALS WITH THE SAME ISSUE.
UM, I THINK THAT IS THE MOST FAIR WAY TO TREAT EACH OF THE PEOPLE THAT EACH OF THE RESPONDENTS.
AND WE'RE GONNA GO, UH, COMMISSIONER RETURN.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD SEE THE DATES AGAIN? BECAUSE I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, THE, THE REQUIREMENT IN, UH, EXCUSE ME, AND OUR ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION RULES AND PROCEDURES.
UH, SO IT SAYS FILED JULY 31ST.
UM, AND I'M JUST LOOKING AT, UH, SECTION, UH, G, WHICH SAYS, UH, THE HEARING SHALL BE HELD WITHIN 20 WORKING DAYS OF RECEIPT OF THE COMPLAINT, WHICH WOULD BE TODAY.
AND SO I'M WOR I'M WONDERING, DID WE THEN FOLLOW THE NEXT LINE, WHICH IS WE NOTIFY THEM THAT WE CAN'T DO THAT? HAVE WE DONE THAT? NO.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE RULES.
CITY CODE HAS BEEN AMENDED MULTIPLE TIMES.
THE RULES WERE ADOPTED IN 2014.
THESE RULES, THE CITY CODE HAS BEEN AMENDED AT LEAST TWICE OR THREE TIMES, I THINK SINCE THE RULES HAVE BEEN ADOPTED.
AND SO WHAT I'M GOING BY IS WHAT IS IN CITY CODE 2 7 41 G AND H THAT SETS OUT THE TIMEFRAME.
SO NOT LATER THAN THE FIFTH WORKING DAY AFTER THE CITY CLERK RECEIVES A COMPLAINT, THE CLERK HAS TO SEND THE COMPLAINT TO VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS, NOT
[01:15:01]
LATER THAN THE FIFTH WORKING DAY AFTER THE CHAIR RECEIVES THAT COMPLAINT FROM THE CLERK, THE CHAIR HAS TO MAKE A JURISDICTIONAL DECISION NOT LATER THAN THE 60TH DAY AFTER THE CHAIR MAKES THAT DETERMINATION IS WHEN THE PRELIMINARY HEARING SHOULD BE HELD.SO, UH, YEAH, THE RULES, UM, RULES ARE A LITTLE CONFUSING.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A, UM, THIS BINDER NEEDS TO BE UPDATED OR IT'S JUST A DISCONNECT BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS.
UH, BUT I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION.
COMMISSIONER HUMPHREY, DID YOU STILL, OH, I'M SORRY.
COMMISSIONER LO, UH, VICE CHAIR LOW? YEAH.
I HAVE TWO SIMILAR QUESTIONS, BUT DISTINCT.
SO THE FIRST ONE WAS ABOUT, UM, THE OUTSIDE COUNSEL, WHICH YOU INDICATED MS. MS. WEBSTER INDICATED WOULD BE SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN OR SOMEONE YOU'RE TRYING TO GET OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW WE DISTINGUISH THIS NEED FOR SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
UH, THE LAST TIME WE HAD A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WAS A RESPONDENT.
WE HAD BUTLER SNOW AS OUR OUTSIDE COUNCIL.
UM, SO WHAT IS, WHAT IS DIFFERENT HERE SUCH THAT WE NEED TO GET SOMEONE FROM OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN? UH, SO I CAN'T REALLY COMMENT ON THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL OR WHAT THE REASONING WAS FOR, FOR CHOOSING THEM.
UM, WE'RE NOT REQUIRED BY LAW CERTAINLY TO GET COUNCIL THAT IS OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
WE JUST THOUGHT SINCE THIS IS AGAINST, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR AND ANOTHER CANDIDATE RUNNING FOR MAYOR, WE WANTED TO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WE HIRED HAD DONATED TO THOSE CAMPAIGNS.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA REGAIN IT IN A MINUTE.
I THINK WE, YEAH, WE LOST OUR YOU'LL HAVE I WOULD RECESS.
SO LET'S TAKE A, A BRIEF RECESS AND WE'LL COME BACK, UM, AS SOON AS WE CAN, ONCE WE HAVE OUR QUORUM RESTORED.
UM, SO IT IS, THE TIME IS 7:28 PM AND WE'LL TAKE A RECESS FOR AS BRIEF A PERIOD AS WE CAN.
AND WE HAVE RESTORED OUR QUORUM.
SO I WILL CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER AND WE WILL PICK UP BACK ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE.
SO I WAS ANSWERING, UM, UH, VICE CHAIR LOWE'S QUESTION ABOUT, UH, HIRING SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
WE, IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT WE WERE DESPERATE TO HIRE SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
IT'S MORE THAT WE WANTED TO AVOID HIRING SOMEONE THAT HAD DONATED TO A MAYORAL CAMPAIGN.
AND WE THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE BETTER LUCK FINDING SOMEONE WHO HAD NOT DONATED, UH, IF THEY WERE FROM OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
AND SO WE, WE ACTUALLY DID LOOK AT, THERE WERE ALSO SOME OTHER FOLKS, UH, WITHIN AUSTIN.
UM, UH, ONE OF THEM HAD DONATED TO, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, CANDIDATES INVOLVED.
AND, AND SO WE JUST KIND OF BROADENED OUR SEARCH, UH, FOR THAT PURPOSE ONLY.
BUT IF WE'D FOUND SOMEONE WITHIN AUSTIN WHO, WHO HADN'T DONATED TO MAYORAL CAMPAIGN, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN FINE.
WE JUST THOUGHT THIS WOULD'VE, WHAT'S THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO GO ABOUT IT, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY.
WELL, I MEAN, THE REASON I'M ASKING IS THAT WHO SETS THAT PARTICULAR CRITERION? AND YOU INDICATE IT'S FLEXIBLE SO IT CAN CHANGE.
UM, IS THAT A DECISION WE SHOULD BE HAVING INPUT INTO OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST AT THE DISCRETION OF THE LAW DEPARTMENT? I WOULD SAY IT'S AT THE DISCRETION OF THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
AND, AND I MEAN, SO WE, WHENEVER AN, AN ATTORNEY IS HIRED MM-HMM.
AND SO THROUGH OUR ETHICS, OUR LEGAL ETHICS THAT WE HAVE TO ASCRIBE TO, YOU CAN'T TAKE ON A CASE WHERE YOU HAVE CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
AND SO THAT IS ALWAYS A PART OF THE SEARCH.
WE ALWAYS TRY TO FIND SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE A CON CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
AND THE ATTORNEY, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS WE ASK THEM AND THEY, IF THEY HAVE NO CONFLICT, THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, ENGAGING THEM.
SO SIMILARLY, THE HEARING THAT WE HAD ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO, UM, THERE WAS OUTSIDE COUNSEL, THE ONE I WAS REFERRING TO, UM, AND THAT AS WELL IS THE DISCRETION OF THE LAW DEPARTMENT WHOM TO CHOOSE, WHICH, WHICH IS FINE.
UM, BUT IS THERE, YOU KNOW, ISN'T THERE, UM, WHAT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU SAID MEDIA ARE INTERESTED IN THIS AND SO FORTH.
[01:20:01]
TO DO, UH, TO TRY TO DO THE SAME THING ALL THE TIME IN ORDER TO AVOID THOSE CONFLICTS, OR, ALRIGHT, WELL, AS I MENTIONED, EVERY TIME WE HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL, WE DO A COMPLEX CHECK AND WE RELY ON THE, THE ATTORNEY THEMSELVES, MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVEN'T REPRESENTED THE CLIENT OR, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE IS NO CONFLICT.SO THAT, THAT IS DONE IN EVERY CASE.
SO I'M, IT WOULD'VE BEEN DONE IN, IN THE PREVIOUS CASE AS WELL.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS DONE EVERY TIME WE HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL, NO MATTER WHAT IT'S FOR, WHETHER IT'S FOR ETHICS REVIEW, COMMISSIONER, OR ANY OTHER REASON THAT WE HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
AND THEN THE SECOND ONE, SECOND QUESTION WAS ALSO ABOUT THE TIMING.
I I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THAT SLIDE AGAIN, BUT, UM, UM, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT THE COMPLAINANT OR EITHER OF THE RESPONDENTS WOULD ASK FOR A CONTINUANCE OR WOULD HAVE SOME REASON TO? I, I, MY QUESTION IS BASICALLY, IS THIS THE TIMELINE THAT'S NECESSARILY GOING TO BE, OR IS IT POSSIBLE THAT IT CAN BE MOVED? UH, CITY CODE ALLOWS THE PARTIES TO THE COMPLAINT TO REQUEST A POSTPONEMENT FOR GOOD CAUSE MM-HMM.
AND THEN IT WOULD BE UP TO CHAIR LEVINS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE WAS GOOD CAUSE.
UH, SO CITY CODE ALLOWS FOR THAT PROCESS.
SO I, IT IS NOT SET IN STONE THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN ON THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN NEXT MONTH, SEPTEMBER 25TH.
NOT NECESSARILY, BUT OUR, AS A POSSIBILITY THAT MIGHT NOT, OUR NOTICE WILL STATE OKAY.
THAT THAT'S WHEN IT'S, AND THEN UNLESS THE PARTIES REQUEST A POSTPONEMENT, THEN WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD ON THE 25TH.
SO YEAH, IT'S NOT SET IN STONE, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE, THAT'S WHAT THE DECISION IS AT THIS POINT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE NOTICE, UH, TO THE PARTIES AND, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU, OF COURSE, YOU ALL A COPY OF THAT NOTICE.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT.
SO SIMILAR TO WHAT COMMISSIONER STANTON, UM, SECRETARY STAN MADDEN, UM, ASKED, IT'S NOT THE OTHER ONE.
THE ONE FILED BY JULIE OLIVER IS NOT ACTUALLY ON HOLD.
BECAUSE IT, WE DON'T HAVE IT AS BEING JURISDICTIONAL.
AND THEN THESE ARE ACTIVE, BUT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN IN SEPTEMBER.
AND IF IT, IF THEY DON'T HAPPEN IN SEPTEMBER AND THE POSTPONEMENT IS REQUESTED, IT WOULD BE THE NEXT MONTH.
IS THAT, WOULD, IS THAT HOW THE TIMING WORKS? IT WOULD DEPEND.
I MEAN, A POSTPONEMENT IS, IT WOULD BE UP TO THE CHAIR BASICALLY TO SET THE HEARING DATE.
I THINK YOU WANT THIS TO HAPPEN AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO UNLESS THERE'S SOME SORT OF EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE THAT WOULD REQUIRE A DELAY BEYOND OCTOBER, I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT IT WOULD BE SET FOR THE OCTOBER MEETING.
AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD SPECIAL MEETINGS, BUT I, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE ARE ALL STILL POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FUTURE, IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT IT COULD BE MOVED, BUT IT IS, IT IS WRITTEN IN A STONE THAT CAN BE POTENTIALLY BROKEN, BUT IT WILL BE HARD TO BREAK IT.
I JUST HAVE A, A QUESTION, AND I DON'T, I DON'T NEED ANY HARD NUMBERS, BUT, UM, GIVEN THAT THERE, IT IS POSSIBLE TO, TO POSTPONE AND GIVEN THAT WE MAY COMMUNICATE ABOUT DIFFERENT TOPICS WITH THE, THE ATTORNEY AND THE ATTORNEY IS ADVISING ON TWO DIFFERENT, UH, CASES.
AM I AT A RISK OF BANKRUPTING A LINE OF ACCOUNTING BY ASKING A BUNCH OF LEGAL QUESTIONS? OR DO WE JUST HAVE CARTE BLANCHE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BEING REASONABLE, BUT THE PROCUREMENT FOR THIS ATTORNEY? DO WE NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON ANYTHING? WHAT, FOR OUR PURPOSES, WE HAVE A BUDGET, AND IF WE ARE GOING TO EXCEED THAT BUDGET, THERE'S A PROCESS THAT THAT INVOLVES.
AND WILL YOU GIVE US SOME KIND OF FEEDBACK WE ARE GETTING CLOSE OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO IMPACT WHAT WE'RE ASKING OF AN ATTORNEY? I'M JUST WONDERING, WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL HAVE THE COUNSEL THAT YOU NEED.
AND I SUPPOSE WE, WE HAVEN'T DONE THIS SINCE YOU'VE JOINED US.
UM, TYPICALLY THE OUTSIDE, WELL, WHETHER IT'S OUTSIDE COUNCIL OR CITY STAFF, WE GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THAT'S WHERE WE OBTAIN OUR LEGAL ADVICE.
THERE'S NOT A LOT THAT GOES ON, UH, OUTSIDE OF THAT EXECUTIVE.
IN FACT, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE CAN GET THAT OUTSIDE OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, SO THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S SORT OF SOME BRACKETS AROUND HOW LONG THAT'S GONNA BE.
AND AS A, SO I, I DO APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, UH, MS. WEBSTER, I HAVE DIRECTED SOME QUESTIONS TO YOU ALREADY.
UH, AND IN, WOULD THAT JUST AS A POINT OF ORDER, UH, IN THE FUTURE IF I HAVE QUESTIONS OF LAW, IS THAT WE
[01:25:01]
RESTRICT THAT TO THE MEETINGS WHERE THE ATTORNEY IS PRESENT AND THEN I WOULD BRING IT UP IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY? OR AM I, I'VE CURRENTLY ASKED MY QUESTIONS AS OF LAW IN A SIMPLE EMAIL.SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAD SENT YOUR EMAIL WITH LEGAL QUESTIONS TO EVERYONE AND EVERYONE PILED IN, THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEN YOU'D BE DISCUSSING SOMETHING, UH, WITH A QUORUM OUTSIDE OF A MEETING.
AND THAT VIOLATES THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
UM, YOU'RE CERTAINLY WELCOME TO SEND QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO ME AND I CAN RESPOND TO THEM, BUT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS THAT IT IS NOT ON YOU, AND YOU CANNOT THEN DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION TO YOUR COLLEAGUES OUTSIDE OF A MEETING.
SO IT'S FINE FOR YOU TO ASK THE QUESTIONS.
YOU'RE CERTAINLY WELCOME TO ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GO THROUGH THE CHAIR IF YOU'D PREFER.
UM, WE, IF WE WERE GONNA ISSUE A MEMO OR, OR LIKE WHEN I SEND YOU A COPY OF THE NOTICE THAT'S GOING OUT, YOU KNOW, I'LL SEND IT, WE'LL SEND IT TO THE CHAIR AND WE'LL BLIND COPY ALL OF YOU SO THAT YOU CAN'T RESPOND BACK TO THAT EMAIL.
SO THERE ARE WAYS, THERE ARE PRACTICES THAT WE HAVE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT VIOLATING THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
SO, SO YOU ARE WELCOME TO REACH OUT DIRECTLY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I, LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, I WILL CERTAINLY NOT RESPOND TO EVERYONE AND GIVE AND HAND THAT INFORMATION OUT.
BUT AGAIN, ANYTHING THAT YOU, UH, QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, OR IF YOU, YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS CONCERNED INFORMATION THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE MIGHT HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO BRING THAT INFORMATION HERE AND THEN SHARE IT AS LONG AS THAT SHARING IS NOT DONE OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING.
DID YOU
ONCE OUTSIDE COUNSEL HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, RETAINED, MAY WE COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH OUTSIDE COUNSEL AND, UH, AND WITH YOU? OR, OR SHOULD WE JUST COMMUNICATE WITH YOU IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION THAT'S PERTINENT TO THIS, THESE COMPLAINTS? RIGHT.
I WOULD COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I, THANK YOU.
SO I WILL HAVE TO RECUSE NEXT, UH, FROM THAT MEETING BECAUSE I'M THE MAYOR'S APPOINTEE, OR AT LEAST FROM THAT ISSUE.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT I WOULD RECUSE OR SHOULD RECUSE FROM THE GRECO COMPLAINT? CONSIDERING THEY'RE, I, I REALIZE THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH TWO DIFFERENT COMPLAINTS.
SO THE COMPLAINTS MAY BE IDENTICAL, BUT THEY'RE IN THE SAME RACE.
THAT IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION.
UM, YOU WILL HAVE TO RECUSE CERTAINLY AS FAR AS DISCUSSION AND ANY DECISION MAKING REGARDING THE WATSON COMPLAINT, UM, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
MY, MY INCLINATION IS TO RECUSE FROM BOTH BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY'RE, BECAUSE THEY'RE SO IDENTICAL, CONVERSATIONS WILL OVERLAP.
BUT YEAH, I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THAT YOU'RE REQUIRED TO RECUSE FROM THE, THE COMPLAINT REGARDING MAYOR WATSON.
BUT, BUT, UM, IN ORDER TO AVOID THE APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY AND ANY POSSIBLE IN FACT CONFLICT, YOU CAN ALWAYS RECUSE WHENEVER YOU FEEL THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
SO THAT MIGHT BE THE BEST DECISION.
I WILL CHECK THE ACL LIVE CONCERT CALENDAR FOR THAT EVENING INSTEAD.
CAN I ASK, UM, COMMISSIONER CHAIR, CAN I ASK THE, UH, GRECO WAS RUNNING FOR, UH, CITY COUNCIL SEAT, I BELIEVE.
IS THERE ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR THE PERSON APPOINTED BY THE, THE ACTUAL WINNER OF THAT SEAT? HE'S RUNNING FOR MAYOR.
ALRIGHT, IF WE HAVE CONCLUDED OUR QUESTIONS FOR MS. WEBSTER, IT APPEARS THAT WE, UH, COMMISSIONER KALE, I HAVEN'T NECESSARILY LOOKED OVER AT THE SCREEN TO SEE IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET MY ATTENTION.
UH, THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER
[4. Briefing from the Working Group to Review ERC Complaints Process regarding a status report on consideration of commission-initiated complaints.]
FOUR, A BRIEF FROM THE WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE ERC COMPLAINTS PROCESS REGARDING A STATUS REPORT ON CONSIDERATION OF COMMISSION INITIATED COMPLAINTS.WHO IS PREPARED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THAT WORKING GROUP THAT'S NOT COMMISSION? I'M, ARE WE, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SIX FOUR? OH, OKAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, UH, ARTICLE EIGHT OF OUR BYLAWS.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT FALLS UNDER, UM, FOUR OR SIX.
UM, BECAUSE OUR BYLAWS DO NOT PERMIT
[01:30:02]
OR PROHIBIT PERSONS WHO ARE NOT COMMISSIONERS TO BE ON A WORKING GROUP.AND IN PARTICULAR, I WAS ASKING ABOUT A FORMER COMMISSIONER AND FORMER WORKING GROUP MEMBER AND WHAT HIS, UH, ALLOWED PARTICIPATION WOULD BE BECAUSE I HATE TO THROW AWAY ALL HIS WORK.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S FOUR OR SIX.
I'M, I'M GONNA SAY THAT THAT'S SIX.
BUT UH, ACTUALLY I THINK IT WOULD BE SEVEN POTENTIAL FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP.
IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE SIX, NOT, NOT BYLAWS.
THIS IS ON THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS, THE WORKING GROUP THAT USED TO EXIST COMPARED TO THE WORKING GROUP THAT WILL, THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS.
AND THAT IF WE ADD ANOTHER MEMBER TO, I GUESS THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE SIX.
BUT, UM, MY CONCERN ABOUT NUMBER FOUR WAS BEING ABLE TO, UM, DISCUSS OR REPORT ON THINGS THAT OCCURRED IN THE PAST WITH PERSONS OR ONE PARTICULAR PERSON I'M TALKING ABOUT WHO WAS A WORKING GROUP MEMBER AND ALSO A COMMISSION MEMBER OR FORMER CHAIR SOBER ON THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE BRIEFING.
COULD I MAKE A COMMENT? UM, THE, A SECTION A UNDER WORKING GROUPS, IT SAYS THE COMMISSION CAN DETERMINE THE SIZE OF A WORKING GROUP, BUT THE NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS SERVING, I THINK THAT THAT IS NOT AN EXPLICIT STATEMENT THAT THEY MUST BE BOARD OR COMMISSIONED MEMBERS TO SERVE IN THE WORKING GROUP.
BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT IT DOES SAY THE NUMBER OF OF BOARD MEMBERS SERVING ON THE WORKING GROUP.
WELL, WE COULD NOT HAVE THREE BOARD MEMBERS AND ONE PERSON, NOT A BOARD MEMBER, THAT, THAT WOULD STILL COMPLY WITH THAT PROVISION.
SO I, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE UNDER AGENDA ITEM SIX.
UM, IS THERE SOMEONE HERE FROM I THINK IT TO GIVE A BRIEFING ON THE STATUS REPORT? ON CONSIDERATION OF COMMISSION INITIATED COMPLAINTS? YEAH.
THE REASON I HAD ASKED FOR THIS TO BE ON THE AGENDA IS THAT IN THE PAST, THIS WORKING GROUP HAS SHARED SOME MEMOS BUT HAS NOT SHARED ANYTHING BEYOND THAT TO THE FULL COMMISSION OR, OR IN ANY PUBLIC PLACE.
SO, UM, UH, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TO PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME MEMBERSHIP WE DID.
UM, AND THAT'S, WELL, THAT IS THE STATUS TO BE CONSIDERED.
SO, UM, IF WE CAN JUST CONTINUE WITH ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS AND EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE DONE BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, THAT IS WHAT I PROPOSE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, THAT WE CAN DO.
CHAIR, UH, SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS. I'M CONFUSED.
UM, CAN WE SIMPLIFY AND GO BACK TO FOUR, WHICH IS BRIEFING FROM THAT WORKING GROUP, WHICH I BELIEVE CHAIR YOU AND VICE CHAIR ARE ON THAT WORKING GROUP.
SO BRIEFING FROM THAT WORKING GROUP REGARDING, AND IT, I'M INTERPRETING THIS AS VERY SPECIFIC STATUS, WHICH IS ON CONSIDERATION OF COMMISSION INITIATED COMPLAINTS.
SO DO WE HAVE A STATUS, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, RIGHT? CHERRY DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO CAN PRESENT A STATUS REPORT ON THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC? SO YOU'RE CORRECT ON THE MEMBERSHIP IS VICE CHAIR, UH, LOW, AND ME, UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I DON'T HAVE A STATUS REPORT.
SO, AND I THINK VICE CHAIR LOW, YOU KIND OF WERE GIVING US A STATUS REPORT, RIGHT? THAT THE STATUS IS THAT NOTHING HAS MOVED FORWARD SINCE THE COMMITTEE LAST MET WHEN IT HAD DIFFERENT PERSONNEL.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT IS THE STATUS, BUT, UM, BUT IS THAT THE STATUS OF THE WORKING GROUP OR THE STATUS OF THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC? NO, THAT'S THE STATUS OF THE WORKING GROUP.
AND SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS I'M NOT READING THAT TO EXPECT A STATUS OF THE WORKING GROUP.
I'M EXPECTING A STATUS ON YOUR GROUP'S CONSIDERATION OF COMMISSION INITIATED COMPLAINTS.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN REPORT 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED, WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED THAT TOPIC.
SO I GUESS I CAN MAYBE FILL SOME OF THAT IN.
UM, VICE CHAIR LOW SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WHEN, UH, CHAIR SORAN WAS STILL PRESIDING AND HE WAS ON THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, SO VICE CHAIR LOWE WROTE A MEMO AND DID SOME, SOME WORK AND THEN IT,
[01:35:01]
IT KIND OF STALLED.AND NOW WE'RE DOWN TO A WORKING GROUP OF TWO.
THE PRIMARY WORK THAT SHE WAS LOOKING AT, AND THAT I THINK WAS APPROPRIATE IS ON THE THIS ISSUE THAT TECHNICALLY WE ARE ALLOWED TO BRING A COMPLAINT AS A COMMISSION.
IT'S KIND OF A WEIRD PROVISION THAT PROBABLY NEEDS SOME AMENDMENT.
VICE CHAIR LOW HAD DONE SOME WORK ON THAT AND THEN IT SORT OF STALLED.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE STATUS ON NUMBER FOUR.
UM, AND I THINK WE'LL DISCUSS THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE ON SIX WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE 'CAUSE ON, WHILE WE'RE ON FOUR, WE, IT'S A BRIEFING WE CAN'T TAKE ACTION ON SIX, WHICH WE'RE GONNA GET TO SINCE WE'VE ALREADY DONE FIVE.
MY MATH SAYS WE'LL GO NEXT SIX.
UM, SO I THINK I AM, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, I'M GOING TO, UH, SAY THAT WE HAVE NOW CONCLUDED AGENDA ITEM FOUR,
[6. Changes to the membership of the Working Group to Review ERC Complaints Process.]
AND WE WILL MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM SIX, WHICH IS CHANGES TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE ERC COMPLAINTS PROCESS.AND I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THAT FROM OUR DISCUSSION ON FOUR.
UM, FOR THE, EXCUSE ME, THE BRIEFING THAT WE HAD IN ITEM FOUR.
UM, WE DO NEED TO GET SOME, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A VICE CHAIR LOW.
I THINK IT'S JUST WHOEVER'S GONNA BE ON THAT WORKING GROUP, WE PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER, UM, AND THEN COME TO THE FULL COMMISSION WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT WE SHOULD RECOMMEND TO THE COUNCIL.
UM, AND SO REALLY ALL WE NEED, I DON'T, JUST TWO DOESN'T ACTUALLY MAKE A WORKING GROUP, DOES IT? UH, CHAIR, UH, ONE SECOND.
LET, LET ME WE CAN DETERMINE THE SIZE WE CAN.
THE, THE REASON I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE PERSON, WELL, CHAIR, FORMER CHAIR S THE REASON I WAS ASKING ABOUT HIM IS BECAUSE HE'S A FORMER WORKING GROUP MEMBER, A FORMER, UH, COMMISSION MEMBER, AND HE DID RESPOND, YOU KNOW, WITH EMAILS AND, AND OTHER THINGS.
AND I JUST WONDERED WHETHER IN THE FUTURE, IF WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE HIM, WHETHER IF WE NEED CLARIFICATION ON SOMETHING HE WROTE THAT WE STILL WANNA CONSIDER.
UM, CAN WE INCLUDE HIM ON THAT? CAN WE JUST BOUNCE QUESTIONS OFF OF HIM AS A PERSON WHO'S NOT IN THE WORKING GROUP? I'M JUST NOT CLEAR ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THIS SECTION ON WORKING GROUPS UNDER ARTICLE EIGHT A THROUGH E ISN'T CLEAR TO ME AT ALL.
BUT, UM, YES, MS. WEBSTER MM-HMM.
CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT? THANK YOU.
SO TO, TO, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, RESPOND TO THAT CONCERN.
IF YOU LOOK IN CHAPTER TWO, ONE OF THE CITY CODE CHAPTER SECTION 2 1 2, UH, SPECIFICALLY F GIVES A DEFINITION OF WORKING GROUP, AND IT'S A BODY, I'M NOT GONNA READ THE WHOLE THING.
IT'S A BODY OF BOARD MEMBERS ESTABLISHED BY A VOTE OF THE BOARD CONSISTING OF LESS THAN A QUORUM OF THE BOARD TO WHICH THE BOARD DELEGATES A DEFINED MATTER OR MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION, ET CETERA.
AND IT DOES EXPLICITLY STATE THAT A BOARD MAY APPOINT A NON-MEMBER OR NON-MEMBERS TO SERVE ON A WORKING GROUP.
SO THE NUMBER OF ACTUAL COMMISSION MEMBERS INVOLVED HAS TO BE LESS THAN A QUORUM, UH, OF THE COMMISSION.
BUT YOU ARE, UH, IF YOU WISH, YOU CAN ASK FOR OUTSIDE, UH, OUTSIDE INDIVIDUALS TO, TO BE A PART OF THE WORK WORKING GROUP.
AND, AND, AND EVEN IF THAT INDIVIDUAL OR ANY INDIVIDUAL IS NOT A PART OF THE WORKING GROUP, I MEAN, AS A WORKING GROUP, YOU'RE FREE TO DO THE RESEARCH OR DO THE WORK YOU NEED TO DO.
AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OF SOMEONE WHO'S WILLING TO GIVE YOU AN ANSWER, I THINK YOU COULD REACH OUT TO THAT PERSON, UM, WITHOUT ANY KINDA, UH, PENALTY OR ANYTHING.
BUT, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO ADD THE PERSON WHO'S, UH, TO THE WORKING GROUP, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT UNDER THE CITY CODE.
I WOULD MUCH PREFER TO DO THAT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WILL ARISE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING CONFIDENTIAL THAT WE WANT TO TALK, TALK AMONG THE WORKING GROUP ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SO I'D RATHER HAVE THE PERSON ACTUALLY DESIGNATED AS BEING IN THE WORKING GROUP.
NOW, I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T TALKED TO FORMER CHAIR SOBER ON ABOUT THIS.
YOU MAY NOT BE WILLING TO DO THIS AT ALL.
I JUST, UH, WANTED TO GET OUR, UH, PROCEDURAL WAYS
LET ME, UH, COM, UH, SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS. YES.
WELL, WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER WHO, WHOM WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE LAST MEETING WHO WANTS TO JOIN THE WORKING GROUP.
AND AS A POINT OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE, WE JUST COULDN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT NOMINATION AND THAT VOTE.
AND THAT IS COMMISSIONER RETURN.
[01:40:01]
I WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH THAT.WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS WILLING AND WHO WANTS TO, AND WE WERE POISED, WE WERE READY.
I WILL SAY, I THINK THAT THAT IS WHY THIS ITEM IS HERE, IS WE PUT IT AS A FUTURE ITEM TO ADD TO THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, WOULD SOMEONE, WELL, SO I WONDERED WHETHER WE COULD, DO WE HAVE TO DO TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS FOR EACH PERSON WE'RE ADDING OR HOW, HOW, HOW DO WE HAVE TO DO THAT? UH, I DON'T, I THINK WE CAN BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S ON THE, IT'S ON THE, IT'S ON THE AGENDA AS, UM, RIGHT.
WE CAN CHANGES IT TO THE MEMBERSHIP.
WE CAN DO IT AS, WE CAN DO IT AS ONE MOTION.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS AS TO WHETHER WE ARE INCLUDED IN THAT, WE'RE GOING TO APPOINT FORMER CHAIR SOBER ON, UH, I GUESS WE COULD, COULD SAY WE, WE APPOINT HIM INVITE TO HIS ACCEPTANCE.
HE THOUGHT HE WAS GETTING OUT OF THIS
UM, BUT I, I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY DO BOTH.
UH, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION THIS TIME.
COMMISSION PARK, OR A COMMENT.
I'M LOOKING AT A, HERE, THE COMMISSION CAN DETERMINE THE SIZE.
IT DOESN'T SAY WE DETERMINE THE MEMBERS.
AND SO I'M THINKING MAYBE ALL WE NEED IS A MOTION TO SAY, UH, SOMETHING ABOUT WE ENCOURAGE THE CONTINUING OPERATION OF A WORKING GROUP ON THE, WHATEVER IT WAS, AND THAT THEY'RE WELCOME TO INCLUDE, UH, ANY, WELL, WE COULD, WE COULD NAME MR. UH, COMMISSIONER, BUT TURN TO IT AND SAY THAT THE, THE, THE WORKING GROUP IS WELCOME TO INCLUDE ANYONE ELSE THEY WANT TO INCLUDE.
I'M TRYING TO SIMPLIFY THE WHOLE THING.
WELL, THE, THE CITY CODE PROVISION THAT MS. WEBSTER WAS JUST POINTING OUT, UM, SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO, A BOARD MAY APPOINT A NON-MEMBER OR NON-MEMBERS.
I THINK WE'RE KIND OF, I THINK THIS IS A TECHNICALITY.
UM, I THINK IT'S SORT OF A TECHNICALITY AS TO WHETHER WE FORMALLY APPOINT FORMER CHAIR SOBER ON TO THE WORKING GROUP, OR IF WE DON'T AND WE CALL 'EM UP AND SAY, HEY, YOU WANT TO MEET WITH THE MOOC? YEAH.
UM, SO I, IN MY KIND OF NON-AIR, JUST MY OPINION, I THINK EITHER WAY WE CAN GET THE INFORMATION AND THE, THE WORK THAT WE NEED.
ADAMS, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT WE KEEP IT SIMPLE AND NOT COMBINE THE, UH, APPOINTMENT.
AND, UM, I'M READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A MOTION TO APPOINT COMMISSIONER MCC TURN TO THE WORKING GROUP.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, LET'S TAKE A VOTE.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
THERE'S A QUORUM WITHOUT PEACE, ALL OPPOSED TO THE MOTION YOU GOTTA VOTE FOR YOURSELF.
UM, AND I GUESS, UH, ALL ABSTAINING, ALL, SO WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
OPPOSED? AND, AND COMMISSIONER CALEB? I GOT HER.
UM, AND ONE ABSTAINING THE MOTION PASSES.
WELCOME TO THE WORKING GROUP COMMISSIONER.
UM, DOES ANYBODY WANT TO MOVE TO APPOINT SOMEONE ELSE OUTSIDE OF THE COMMISSION TO THE BOARD, OR SHOULD WE JUST CONSULT, GIVE THEM A CALL AND SAY, HEY, DO YOU WANT TO, OKAY.
UH, THEN WITH THAT, WE ARE, WE HAVE CONCLUDED ITEM NUMBER SIX, AND WE'LL MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM
[7. Potential formation of a working group to look into reviewing and revising the ERC bylaws.]
SEVEN, POTENTIAL FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO LOOK INTO REVIEWING AND REVISING THE ERC BYLAWS.UM, I MISSED LAST MEETING, BUT I SUSPECT THAT THIS WAS BROUGHT UP BY SOMEONE LAST MEETING, WHICH IS WHY IT IS ON.
I THINK I VERY INNOCENTLY RAISED IT MANY MOONS AT MANY MEETINGS AGO.
AND THAT IT JUST KEPT BEING FORGOTTEN.
MIGHT, MIGHT THIS HAVE BEEN IN REFERENCE TO, I, I REMEMBER THERE WAS A MEETING WHERE WE WERE GOING OVER SOME, SOME OF THE CODES AND SOME WERE, AND WERE, WE FOUND A TYPO.
I THINK ONE WENT TO LIKE 36, BUT THERE WERE ONLY 31 NUMBERS OR WENT TO 31, BUT THERE WERE 36 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN I KNOW THAT WE, I'M, I'M, I'M THINKING OF A MEETING THAT WE HAD AT AUSTIN ENERGY AND IT WASN'T THE LAST ONE,
[01:45:01]
BUT THEN THERE WAS I MADE BY BY THE DECEMBER MEETING AND IT HA AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER MEETING WE HAD WHERE I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME SOMETHING IN THERE.DO, DO YOU THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN? WELL, ANOTHER THING THAT I MENTIONED ONE TIME I THINK, IS THAT THIS READS KIND OF FUNNY ARTICLE EIGHT, UM, COMMITTEES AND WORKING A, THE ETHICS WE REVIEW COMMISSION WILL HAVE NO COMMITTEES AND THEN B, C, D TALK ABOUT HOW WE FORM COMMITTEES
I MEAN, THERE MAY BE, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE REST OF THE BYLAWS FOR A LONG TIME.
THERE MAY BE MANY THINGS IN HERE, UHHUH.
SO IT JUST SEEMED PRUDENT TO HAVE A COMMITTEE.
WELL, WE CAN'T HAVE A COMMITTEE, UH, TO HAVE SOMETHING SOMEBODY LOOK IT OVER.
AND I DO WANT TO POINT OUT, I THINK THAT THE REASON THIS IS INSTANTANEOUSLY NUMBER SEVEN IS BECAUSE VERY HELPFULLY LAST WEEK, UH, MS. WEBER WAS LETTING US KNOW THAT WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING THE ITEMS THAT THE WORKING GROUP ON THE ERC COMPLAINTS PROCESS, I THINK WE HAD REFERENCED A COUPLE TIMES, WELL, ANOTHER GROUP WAS WORKING ON BY BYLAWS, AND WE WERE VERY HELPFULLY, UH, TOLD WE SHOULD NOT DISCUSS OTHER WORKING GROUPS
AND SO, I, I, THE REASON IT'S HERE RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE WE WERE DISCUSSING IT AS A SUBSET OF THE ERC COMPLAINTS PROCESS.
UM, DOES, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS DO WE WANT TO, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP ON THE BYLAWS.
IS THERE A MOTION? AND I'M NOT NECESSARILY CALLING FOR ONE.
I'M JUST, I THINK THAT'S, UH, DOES ANYONE WANT TO MOVE TO FORM A WORKING GROUP ON THE BYLAWS?
I WAS, BUT IS ARE WE NOT GONNA HAVE
I, I MOVE THAT WE FORM A WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE, OUR BYLAWS.
UH, DOES ANYONE WANNA SECOND THAT MOTION? CAN I, UH, SECOND WITH AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION? UM, I FIRST, SECOND IT SECOND.
CAN I PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT? I I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCUSSION OF WHO'S GONNA BE ON IT, BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO STAND IT UP IF ONLY COMMISSIONER STANTON ADAMS
UH, SO, UH, BEFORE WE ALL VOTE ON WHETHER WE STAND IT UP, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHO MIGHT BE WILLING TO BE ON IT.
I WOULD SUGGEST FORMER COMMISSIONER SOBER ON
THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT THIS UP, WE WERE TALKING IN GENERAL ABOUT SEVERAL THINGS, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ON A NUMBER OF GROUPS WHERE PEOPLE FORGET TO LOOK AT THE BYLAWS FOR YEARS.
AND THEY GET OUT A DATE, OR THEY LOOK WEIRD LATER.
AND I THINK IT WAS, I THINK IT WAS CHAIRMAN SILVER.
AND I SAYS, THAT IS TRUE, AND MAYBE WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT DOING THAT NOW.
WHAT I HEARD WAS, I BROUGHT, WHAT I HEARD WAS COMMISSIONER PROFI BROUGHT, INITIALLY BROUGHT UP THIS WELL, YEAH.
AND LET ME JUST SAY, I AM SO BUSY THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
THAT'S WHY I'M HESITATING RIGHT NOW THAT WE'VE GOT SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T FINISHED YET.
SO WE HAVE, AND SO I'M FEELING GUILTY ABOUT SO MANY THINGS.
I'D WILLING TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE.
UM, IF IT STARTED, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE MONTHS COMMISSIONER RETURN, CAN YOU RESTATE YOUR AMENDMENT? I DON'T.
OR IS IT QUESTION? I DON'T THINK WE CAN HAVE AN AMENDMENT UNTIL WE HAVE, SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A MOTION UNTIL WE HAVE A SECOND.
SO WE COULD I SECOND? OH, YOU DID.
I DID NOT, I DID NOT CATCH THE SECOND.
SO NOW WE DO HAVE AN ACTUAL LIVE MOTION WITH A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER PUMPHREY.
COMMISSIONER TURN, DO YOU HAVE A AMENDMENT? AMENDMENT TO PROPOSE? YES.
UH, I, UH, SUGGEST THAT WE, THAT THE MOTION BE, UH, A MOTION TO STAND UP A, UH, WORKING GROUP TO EXAMINE THE BYLAWS, UH, IF THREE COMMISSIONERS ARE WILLING TO BE ON IT.
SO YOU HAVE A, AT LEAST THREE, A MOTION TO AMEND THE MOTION.
DOES ANYONE SECOND THAT? I, I WILL SECOND THE AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION.
UM, SO LET'S VOTE ON THE MOTION TO AMEND DISCUSSION.
UH, VICE CHAIR LOW FOR CLARIFICATION.
IS THERE ANY TEMPORAL REQUIREMENT? LIKE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A WORKING GROUP, CAN IT JUST START ITS WORK IN JANUARY.
THERE'S, THERE'S NO, SO I WAS GONNA OFFER AN AMENDMENT THAT WE PUN THIS AFTER THE ELECTION BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAVE QUITE A LOT ON OUR PLATE OVER THE NEXT 75 DAYS.
[01:50:01]
DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT.I THINK WE SHOULD JUST SEE WHO'S INTERESTED UHHUH AND THEY CAN START WORKING WHENEVER THEY CAN START WORKING.
WELL, AND I I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT WE PUT A GOAL END DATE ON IT AS WELL, SO THAT IT DOESN'T RUN INDEFINITELY.
AND I THINK HALF OF OUR TERMS ARE UP IN FEBRUARY, SO I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.
UM, AND WE HAVE TWO VACANCIES ALREADY.
WE CAN PUT THEM ON IT ON LIKE POINT
CAN I HAVE A POINT OF ORDER? DO WE NEED TO VOTE DOWN THE CURRENT AMENDMENTS AND THEN PUT A FUTURE ITEM? OR DO ARE WE GETTING OUTSIDE OF THE, THE SCOPE OF AN AMENDMENT TO AN AMENDMENT TO A MOTION? WELL, WE'RE JUST TALKING TO FORMATION.
WELL, WE NEED TO VOTE FIRST, I THINK ON THE, ON THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
BUT IT'S ALL WITHIN THIS AGENDA ITEM WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THERE COULD BE OTHER PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
WE'RE, I BELIEVE YOU'RE, YOU CAN'T HAVE DISCUSSION OF THE ORIGINAL ONCE THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FOR ROBERT'S RULES.
SO TO ME, THE POSTING LANGUAGE, THE FORMATION OF THE WORKING GROUP INCLUDES SELECTING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE WORKING GROUP AND APPOINTING.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE A SEPARATE ITEM.
A SEPARATE ITEM AS AN AMENDMENT.
BUT ALSO, AS I WAS SAYING, THERE'S NO TEMPORAL RESTRICTION ON THIS.
SO THE FORMATION CAN ALSO ALLOW FOR IT TO START WORKING IN 2025.
I I MEAN I, I I THINK THAT WE PROBABLY CAN DO THAT, BUT I ALSO THINK GIVEN THAT THERE'S A CERTAIN, UM, THERE ARE GOING TO BE CHANGES IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THIS COMMISSION, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO DO THAT.
UM, THAT, THAT'S ALSO MY HESITATION.
UM, LET'S VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION, WHICH IS THREE PEOPLE THAT, UH, YEAH, THERE HAVE TO BE THREE PEOPLE WILLING TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP FOR THERE TO BE A WORKING GROUP.
UM, MAY I ASK, UH, ONCE COMMISSIONER HUMPHREY.
IS THERE A REASON WHY YOU CHOSE THREE AND NOT TWO? THE REASON I CHOSE THREE AND NOT TWO WAS SIMPLY BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE WORKING GROUP THAT HAS TWO AND FEELS DEADLOCKED,
OH, THAT'S NOT, YEAH,
THEY FEEL OVERWHELMED, OVERWHELMED, OVERWORKED OR SOMETHING IS STOPPING THE PROCESS.
UM, NO, NO PUNCHES HAVE BEEN THROWN IN THE, IN THE WORKING GROUP DISCUSSIONS.
UM, BUT, BUT THINGS NEED TO MOVE.
UM, SO, UM, COMMISSIONER HUMPHREY.
YEAH, I JUST WANT TO, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE PROCESS.
I THINK YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT MAYBE WE PUT THIS OFF, PUT THE ORIGINAL MOTION OFF BECAUSE WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT MEMBERSHIP, IN WHICH CASE DOESN'T MATTER WHICH WAY WE VOTE ON THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT, IF WE'RE GONNA END UP SAYING, LET'S PUT IT OFF FOR THREE MONTHS.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY IF I UNDERSTOOD THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
SECRETARY, COULDN'T WE JUST VOTE TO SAY YES, WE AGREE THAT IT'S NECESSARY OR IMPORTANT TO FORM A WORKING GROUP TO LOOK INTO THE BYLAWS AND THAT IS THE ACTION THAT WE TAKE AND IN STATUS REPORTS LATER ON, IT COULD BE, OR FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, REVISIT THE FORM, UH, REVISIT THE MAKEUP OF THAT WORKING GROUP.
BUT THE FIRST QUESTION IS, DO WE, I UNDERSTOOD IT AS, SHOULD THERE BE A WORKING GROUP AT ALL TO REVIEW THIS? I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOUR MOTION IS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
MY MOTION IS VERY, VERY BASIC.
WE SHOULD FORM A WORKING GROUP, THE DETAILS OF IT, INCLUDING MEMBERSHIP, HOW MANY PEOPLE WHEN IT STARTS, WE CAN DETERMINE LATER.
AND, UM, I, I LIKE YOUR POINT.
IT'S A GOOD POINT ABOUT, HEY, MEMBER, YOU KNOW, MEMBERSHIP'S CHANGING, MAYBE SHOULD WAIT, BUT LET'S TAKE, LET'S TAKE THE WIN WHERE WE CAN, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A, AN ACTION, A DECISION HERE THAT WE FORMED THIS WORKING, THAT IT SHOULD BE FORMED.
SO WE, BEYOND THAT, WE WOULD THEN, UH, FORM A WORKING GROUP WITHOUT ANY MEMBERS.
AND, AND I WILL SAY, WHILE I AGREE WITH MR. STANTON ADAMS, THAT IT'S AN IMPORTANT STEP, I DO STAND BY THE AMENDMENT IN THE SENSE
[01:55:01]
THAT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A, A PIECE OF, UH, AN ACTION JUST FOR THE SAKE OF AN ACTION IF WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY GOING TO START WORK.LET'S TAKE A VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT THAT THE, THE AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION, WHICH IS THAT IT, UH, IT WOULD, IT WOULD MAKE THE NEW MOTION TO BE THAT WE FORM A WORKING GROUP SO LONG AS WE HAVE THREE MEMBERS.
UM, SO DOES EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THE AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON, UM, IF WE VOTE YES.
AND SO I'M THINKING THROUGH THIS ALOUD.
SO SOME, IF I GET IT WRONG, TELL ME, NO, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
UM, IF WE VOTE YES ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION, WE WOULD THEN VOTE TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP THAT HAS THREE MEMBERS.
I GUESS WE'D FIRST HAVE TO FIND OUT IF WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO BE ON IT.
I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS ROBERT'S COMPLIANT.
JUST REALLY QUICK, CAN WE PASS SOMETHING WITH AN IF STATEMENT IN IT
LEGITIMATELY, IF IF WE CANNOT, THEN I CAN WITHDRAW.
BUT IT, IT IS AN ACTION WITH AN IF STATEMENT.
I, I TELL YOU WHAT I TELL YOU WHAT I THINK WOULD BE, UM, EASIEST IS IF YOU WOULD WITHDRAW YOUR AMENDMENT, YOUR MOTION TO AMEND.
WE ALL KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A, I GUESS AS PART OF DISCUSSION, WE COULD FIGURE OUT IF WE'VE GOT THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO JOIN IT AND TAKE IT FROM THERE.
I WILL, I WILL WITHDRAW THE MOTION AND DISCUSS.
THIS IS JUST A ROBERT'S RULES ISSUE ONCE.
OH, IT JUST BEEN, I WAS GONNA SAY ONCE IT'S BEEN SECONDED, I THINK IT BELONGS TO THE BODY.
SO HOW ABOUT THIS? I USED TO KNOW THIS SO WELL AND I DON'T ANYMORE.
TO THE EXTENT HE CAN'T WITHDRAW IT, THE CHAIR WILL RULE IT OUT OF ORDER.
UM, NOW WE'RE BACK TO THE MOTION TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP.
UM, I WOULD INVITE DISCUSSION AND BY DISCUSSION I MEAN VOLUNTEERS.
WE HAVE TWO, I MEAN TWO IS TECHNICALLY SUFFICIENT TO BE A WORKING GROUP.
I, I KEEP FORGETTING TO LOOK AT THE SCREEN.
ARE WE READY TO VOTE ON THIS MOTION? OKAY.
ALL IN FAVOR OF CREATING A WORKING GROUP TO ASSESS THE COMMISSION'S BYLAWS, RAISE YOUR HAND.
I SUPPOSE AS A FORMALITY I SHOULD ASK FOR ALL OPPOSED TO RAISE YOUR HAND, EVEN THOUGH ALL SEVEN PRESENT VOTED.
UM, THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY SEVEN TO NOTHING AND WE NOW HAVE A WORKING GROUP.
COMMISSIONER POEY, UM, YOU READ THE LANGUAGE EARLIER, CAN WE JUST CREATE A WORKING GROUP WITH NO SIZE AND NO MEMBERS? UH, NO.
I MEAN, I SUPPOSE IN THE SENSE THAT YOU COULD CREATE, YEAH, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE IN A VERY ODD SITUATION, BUT THE, THE, THE WORKING GROUP DOESN'T REALLY EXIST IF IT HAS NO MEMBERS.
I I THINK BY DEFINITION, IF WE DON'T TAKE THE NEXT STEP OF ACTUALLY APPOINTING MEMBERS TO IT AND WE CONCLUDE THE MEETING, WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE A WORKING GROUP BECAUSE, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE CREATING.
UM, DOES THAT MEAN WE NEED A MOTION
UM, CAN I MOTION TO APPOINT SECRETARY ST.
ADAMS AND COMMISSIONER HUMPHREY TO THE, UH, COMMISSION, OR EXCUSE ME, THE WORKING GROUP TO, UH, REVIEW THE BYLAWS? DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THEM.
UM, SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS SECONDED.
ANY, ANY, UH, DISCUSSION CAMPAIGN SPEECHES? UM, ALRIGHT, SCENE NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPOINTING SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS AND COMMISSIONER PUMPHREY TO THE
[02:00:01]
WORKING GROUP.THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND WE NOW HAVE A WORKING GROUP TO ASSESS OUR BYLAWS AND, AND WE CAN REVISIT THIS I ASSUME IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY AND APPOINT ADDITIONAL MEMBERS, INCLUDING COMMISSIONERS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
I BELIEVE THAT, THAT I'M NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING WITH JANUARY ANYWAY.
UM,
CAN WE ADD A FUTURE ITEM TO THE JANUARY, UH, MEETING RIGHT NOW TO REVISIT THE, UH, TO REVISIT THE COMPOSITION OF THIS WORKING GROUP? FUTURE ITEMS? CAN WE ADD A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM THAT FAR OUT? OKAY.
IS IS JANUARY, WHAT, WHAT WAS YOUR CONCERN ABOUT THE MEMBERS RUNNING OUT AND WHEN WILL WE GET NEW ONES? OTHER WAS DO JANUARY BE TOO SOON? I DON'T THINK JANUARY'S TOO SOON TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
ONCE WE GET THERE, WE MAY SAY, EH, WE NEED TO WAIT A LITTLE WHILE.
HALF OF US HAVE TERMS THAT EXPIRE ON FEBRUARY 25TH, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THERE'S A SITUATION WHERE WE CAN REMAIN IN THE SEAT UNTIL A NEW APPOINTEE IS CONFIRMED.
I THINK WE GET ISN'T THERE LIKE A THREE MONTH GRACE PERIOD? I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S UNCERTAIN, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S THE SO THERE'S A HOLDOVER PROVISION YEAH.
WHERE YOU CONTINUE TO SERVE UNTIL YOUR SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED AND QUALIFIED.
WHICH MEANS THEY'VE TAKEN THE TRAINING, ET CETERA.
I'LL HAVE TO CHECK WHAT IT IS FOR ERC FOR MOST CHAPTER TWO, ONE BOARDS.
IT MIGHT BE INDEFINITE UNTIL YOUR SUCCESSOR IS QUALIFIED.
I'D HAVE TO, DOES THAT MEAN SOVEREIGN BOARD? YOU SAID CHAPTER SOMETHING? CHAPTER TWO.
ONE IS, IS ALL OF THE, IS MOST OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WE HAVE.
SOME ARE NOT, BUT LIKE THE ERC IS NOT IN CHAPTER TWO, ONE, I DON'T THINK NOW THAT I SAY THAT OUT LOUD.
UM, SO I'LL HAVE TO, I'LL HAVE TO CHECK WHAT THE HOLDOVER PROVISION IS FOR, FOR YOU ALL.
AND I'LL DO THAT RIGHT NOW WHILE YOU'RE DISCUSSING.
UM, I THINK THAT CONCLUDES AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN AND NOW WE'RE ONTO
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. WHEN I THINK COMMISSIONER RETURN, YOU HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO SUGGEST.UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT NEEDS TO BE A MOTION, UH, OR IF IT'S JUST A SUGGESTION, BUT, UH, I DO SUGGEST THAT WE TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN IN JANUARY.
I THINK IT'S A QUARTER AWAY AND PEOPLE WILL BE MORE AWARE OF WHAT THEIR TIME, WHAT THEIR TIME COMMITMENTS WILL LOOK LIKE.
AND IF WE HAVE TO PUNT, WE PUNT AGAIN.
SO, AND, UH, VICE CHAIR LOW, UH, YEAH, COMMISSIONER RETURN BROUGHT UP THE, UM, MOU, THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR US TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT THAT ON THE NEXT, UH, YES.
AND I, I THINK THAT, THAT, I THINK THAT IT WAS EITHER A MEMO OF UNDERSTANDING OR A LETTER OF AGREEMENT, WHICHEVER, UH, OUR ESTEEMED GUEST MENTIONED.
I THINK THAT WE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT AT LEAST THE ONE THAT CAROL ECHO CAMP WAS REFERRING TO.
AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS RECENT.
IT SEEMED LIKE SOMETHING THAT HAS EXISTED.
SO I THINK NONE OF US HAS SEEN IT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IT AND POSSIBLY DISCUSS IT.
SO IF WE COULD JUST PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AS, UM, A DISCUSSION AND ACTION.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL TAKE ACTION, BUT PUT IT THERE.
WOULD YOU OBJECT IF WE PUT IT ON MAYBE THE NOVEMBER OH YEAH, NEXT MONTH.
YOU'RE, WE'RE HAVING TWO PRELIMINARY HEARINGS, UM, OCTOBER THEN THAT'S A WHAT? OH, OCTOBER.
I'M, I'M LOSING TRACK OF MONTHS.
YES, THAT WOULD BE FINE WITH ME.
CAN I JUST, I'M SORRY IF I MAY INTERJECT, IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU DO DETERMINE THAT, UM, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A FINAL HEARING FOR THE, EITHER OF THOSE CASES.
RIGHT? THAT, THAT WILL BE IN OCTOBER? MIGHT BE IN OCTOBER.
I'M NOT, IT COULD BE OCTOBER, MAYBE NOVEMBER.
I'M JUST, JUST LETTING, JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
UM, LET'S, LET'S PLAN TO HAVE IT ON THE OCTOBER AND THEN IF WE HAVE A COUPLE FINAL HEARING, WE CAN PASS ON IT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S, IF THERE'S TOO MUCH, BUT I'D LIKE TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
YEAH, AND I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T DONE THIS IN A WHILE, BUT WE OFTEN HAVE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE RUN OUT TIME FOR.
UM, SO, UH, ANYONE ELSE? UH, SECRETARY STANTON ADAMS? YES, SIR.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS, BUT WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT THOSE DATES FOR THOSE TWO CASES COULD BE MOVED OUT.
I THINK, I BELIEVE THE, THE NEXT DATE LISTED ON THERE WAS SEPTEMBER 25TH.
OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING, I BELIEVE.
IF THAT IS MOVED OUT, I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH MS. WEBSTER'S UPDATE ON THE CASES GENERAL UPDATE.
LIKE, OH, HERE ARE THE CASES AND WE'VE
[02:05:01]
HAD TO MOVE OUT THE PRELIMINARY, UM, HEARING, SO NOW HERE'S THE NEW DATE.IS THAT SOMETHING YEAH, I THINK, I KNOW WE CAN'T HAVE A STAND A STANDING MEETING, BUT NO, WE CAN'T HAVE, UM, I MEAN, CAN'T HAVE A STANDING TOPIC, EXCUSE ME.
UM, EITHER CAN ONE OF YOU JUST KIND OF MAKE A NOTE THAT IF IT GETS POSTPONED, I CAN PUT IT ON THE, ON THE AGENDA, UM, TO GET IT JUST AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE STAND ON THAT? YEAH, THAT THAT'S FINE.
I MEAN IF, IF THAT'S HOW YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO HANDLE IT.
I THINK I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT SINCE WE CAN MAKE CHANGES TO THE AGENDA, ALSO KNOWING IF IT MOVES, IF WE DON'T WANNA CLOG UP OCTOBER, THEN WE CAN MAKE THE, THE CHAIR CAN MAKE THE DECISION TO MOVE THAT FUTURE ITEM FOR UH, THE YEAH, FOR THE MU THE MOU YEAH.
SO WE DON'T, IT'S THE SAME IDEA,
WE CAN MOVE FUTURE ITEMS, AVOID THE ELECTION IF WE CAN IT WELL, YEAH.
BUT WE GOTTA GET THROUGH THESE HEARINGS TOO.
ANY OTHER CHAIRMAN, MAY I ASK FOR SOME CLARIFICATION, SIR? ARE YOU GUYS YES.
WANTING THEM TO BE AT THE MOMENT, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FOR SEPTEMBER? WE'VE KIND OF WAFFLED ON THAT.
UM, THE ADDING WORKING GROUP MEMBERS TO THE, THE WORKING GROUP WE JUST CREATED, WE WANT TO PUT THAT ON IN JANUARY.
UM, BUT I'M SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING ON THE TWO ITEMS OF THE MEMORANDUM AND THE PRESENTATION.
THE MEMORANDUM WE WANTED TO PUT ON OCTOBER.
OCTOBER SOMEWHAT TENTATIVE BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE POTENTIALLY, WE'VE GOT TWO FINAL HEARINGS THEN.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE SORT OF A, IT'S NOT REALLY A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM THAT WE ARE PUTTING ON.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, THEN THE TIME IS NOW 8:21 PM AND OUR MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.