Sep 13, 2024 Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities

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WE CAN CALL TO ORDER.

UH,

[CALL TO ORDER]

UM, I THINK WE'LL START OFF FIRST WITH THE ROLL CALL.

IF YOU CAN TURN ON YOUR MICS AND CAMERAS.

I'M GONNA BE FILLING IN TODAY, UH, AS A GUEST CHAIR FOR, UH, UH, VICE CHAIR FRANKS AND CHAIR MEYER.

UH, 'CAUSE I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE.

SO, UH, LET'S START WITH THE ROLL CALL CHAIR.

SORRY.

THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER KELLY.

UH, ELIZABETH MEYER WON'T BE HERE.

JONATHAN FRANKS ALSO WON'T BE HERE.

GABRIEL ANO.

GABRIEL IS HERE.

THANK YOU.

LISA CHANG.

HERE.

MICKEY ANTE WILL NOT BE HERE.

ADRIAN HOGAN WILL NOT BE HERE.

CONNOR KELLY? HERE.

HERE.

JENNIFER POWELL.

I'M HERE.

PETE SALAZAR HERE.

AND KRISTEN VASALE HERE.

THANK YOU.

GREAT.

THANK YOU.

I THINK WE'LL START WITH, UH, THE FIRST, FIRST ITEM WOULD BE PUBLIC COMMENTS.

THERE ARE ACTUALLY NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY, NO COMMUNICATIONS TODAY.

SO WE CAN GO ON TO

[1. Approve the minutes of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities regular meeting on August 9, 2024.]

UM, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM, UH, OUR LAST MEETING? PETE HAS ADD MOTION TO APPROVE.

I SECOND.

COMMISSIONER CHANG SECONDS.

THANK YOU.

COULD EVERYBODY RAISE THEIR HANDS TO VOTE? ARE YOU ASKING ME? YEAH, THAT'S FINE.

.

YEAH, WE DON'T NEED TO DO A FULL, FULL ROLL CALL.

THANK YOU.

APPROVE SIX TO, OH, OKAY.

GREAT.

I THINK,

[2. Staff briefing regarding the Equity Based Preservation Plan’s path to adoption by Cara Bertron, Program Manager II, Planning Department.]

GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS.

KARA BERTRAN WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.

PLEASE TO BE HERE TO UPDATE YOU ON THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN.

I'M HERE WITH MICHELLE BENAVIDES, WHO'S A MEMBER OF THE PRESERVATION PLAN WORKING GROUP.

HELLO.

AND MICHELLE HAS BEEN, UH, A DEDICATED MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP FOR THE PAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS.

SO, UM, HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN, HAS PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO DEVELOPING THE PLAN, AND WE'RE REALLY PLEASED THAT, PLEASED TO CO-PRESENT WITH HER.

UM, SO THE, THIS MAY SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU BECAUSE WE WERE JUST, I WAS JUST HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE PRESERVATION PLAN THIS SPRING, AND AT THAT TIME, UH, I WANTED TO INVITE THE COMMISSION TO PARTICIPATE IN HELPING TO SHAPE THE DRAFT PLAN, THE WORKING GROUP.

UH, I'LL TALK, TALK MORE ABOUT HOW IT WAS REVISED LATER.

BUT, UM, WE'RE BACK NOW TO TALK ABOUT THE FINAL PLAN AND, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

AND, UM, SORT OF THERE'S, YOU'RE NOT POSTED FOR ACTION TONIGHT, BUT THIS COULD BE A PRECURSOR TO ACTION, UM, A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE PLAN IF YOU CHOOSE IN YOUR NEXT MEETING.

SO, ALRIGHT.

UM, SO LET'S LAUNCH INTO THE NE OH, DO I, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

OH, PERFECT.

THANK YOU.

UM, SO A LOT OF THESE SLIDES MAY LOOK FAMILIAR TO YOU BECAUSE, UM, MUCH OF THE PLAN WAS AFFIRMED BY THAT OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT THAT WE, UH, THAT WE DID.

SO TO START WITH A QUICK, UH, REMINDER, THE PRESERVATION PLAN WAS DEVELOPED BY A COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP, NOT A CONSULTANT.

THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION CREATED THIS WORKING GROUP IN SPRING 2021, AN APPOINTED 26 COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND CHARGED THEM WITH DEVELOPING THE PLAN.

IT'S PRETTY UNUSUAL FOR A CITY PROCESS, BUT THE MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP REALLY STEPPED UP.

THEY CAME FROM ACROSS THE CITY, 19 ZIP CODES.

IT'S A REALLY RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE GROUP THAT, UH, IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY AS A WHOLE.

AND THEY BROUGHT A, A REAL RANGE OF EXPERTISE IN, CERTAINLY IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION, PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT, ARCHEOLOGY, BUT ALSO, UM, THEY HAD DEEP CONNECTIONS TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.

THEIR FAMILIES HAD BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR A GENERATION.

SO REALLY THIS WIDE RANGE OF, OF PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERTISE.

THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS HEARD FROM ABOUT 275 COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS PART OF DEVELOPING THE PLAN.

THERE WAS A COMMUNITY HERITAGE SURVEY.

THERE WERE THREE FOCUS GROUPS THAT MET

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A TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP OF CITY STAFF, A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE LANDMARK COMMISSION, AND A TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANEL, UH, THAT WE DID IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE, PRESERVATION AUSTIN, AND THE DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION DIVISION OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO LOOK AT OLDER HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY.

SO THAT'S KIND OF THE PLANNING PROCESS IN A NUTSHELL.

I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO MICHELLE TO TALK ABOUT THE PLANET ITSELF.

HELLO, COMMISSIONERS.

UM, MY NAME IS MICHELLE BENAVIDES.

THIS IS THE VISION OF OUR PLAN.

UM, WE DEVELOPED IT AS KARA SAID, WITH THE COMMUNITY HERITAGE SURVEY.

AND SO, LET ME QUICKLY GO OVER IT.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN AUSTIN ACTIVELY ENGAGES COMMUNITIES IN PROTECTING AND SHARING IMPORTANT PLACES AND STORIES.

PRESERVATION USES THE BEST TO CREATE A SHARED SENSE OF BELONGING AND TO SHAPE AN EQUITABLE, INCLUSIVE, SUSTAINABLE, AND ECONOMICALLY VITAL FUTURE.

THAT IS A LONG WAY TO SAVE, TO SAY WE WANT TO USE THE PAST AND THE PRESENT TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS.

SO THE PLAN HAS 107 RECOMMENDATIONS UNDER 14 GOALS.

SO I COULD SIT HERE AND READ 'EM ALL TO YOU, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT BECAUSE Y'ALL SEEM LIKE REALLY NICE PEOPLE.

.

UM, THE GOALS ARE GROUPED UNDER THREE THEMES.

WE HAVE WHAT WE PRESERVE, WHO PRESERVES AND HOW WE PRESERVE.

UM, SO THE FIRST ONE IS WHAT WE PRESERVE.

WHO PRESERVES, SORRY.

LOST MY PLACE IN MY NOTES.

OKAY.

WHAT PRESERVATION REQUIRES US IS TO THINK BROADLY.

WE WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AUSTIN'S RICH AND COMPLEX HISTORY THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

WE WANNA IDENTIFY, PROTECT, LEGACY BUILDINGS, ARTWORK, AND ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCES AS WELL.

WE WANNA USE OUR TOOLS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY GOALS.

AS KARA SAID, UH, DISAPPOINTMENT PREVENTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PAGES ARE THIN.

WHO PRESERVES FOCUSES ON INVITING MORE PEOPLE TO THE TABLE? IF YOU LOOK, CAN THE SEE PEOPLE ON THE COMPUTER SEE THEM TOO? OKAY, GOOD.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE SLIDE, YOU WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE BRINGING.

WE WANNA SUPPORT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE WORK.

WE WANT TO REACH OUT TO MORE PEOPLE AND ENGAGE THEM.

WE REALLY WANNA SUPPORT THE HOMEOWNERS, THE TENANTS, DRAFT PEOPLE, COMMISSIONERS LIKE YOU AND STAFF.

HOW WE PRESERVE GETS DOWN TO THE NUTS AND BOLTS.

IT'S HOW PRESERVATION REGULATION WILL WORK.

THE PLAN PRO PRESERVE PROPOSES UPDATING DESIGNATION CRITERIA TO MODERN STANDARDS AND SUPPORTING HISTORIC PROPERTY STEWARDS, MOSTLY HOMEOWNERS WITH THE TOOLS TO BETTER PRESERVE THEIR HOMES AND THE PROPERTIES THEY STEWARD TO A MUCH MORE BETTER WAY OF DOING IT.

WE WANT TO BE STRATEGIC WITH HISTORIC REVIEW, IMPROVE THE ENFORCEMENT PROCESS, AND IMPLEMENT THE PLAN COLLABORATIVELY.

UM, SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, COVER GATHERING AUSTIN'S STORY AND CREATING A CULTURAL MAP.

WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ALL THE DIVERSE THINGS IN AUSTIN.

ALL THE MANY THINGS THAT MAKE AUSTIN, AUSTIN, AND, AND PUT IT IN THIS PUT FORWARD IN THIS PLAN.

WE WANT MORE LANDMARKS PROTECTED THAT ENCOMPASSES ALL OF AUSTIN'S MANY GROUPS.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MICHELLE.

UH, I'M GONNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT AROUND THE DRAFT PLAN AND THEN WHERE WE ARE NOW.

SO WITH THAT DRAFT PLAN THAT MICHELLE TALKED ABOUT, WE DID, UH, A BIG PUSH THIS SPRING FOR FOUR MONTHS.

FROM FEBRUARY THROUGH MAY, WE ENGAGED MORE THAN 2,500 PEOPLE ABOUT THE DRAFT PLAN AT THAT TIME, THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS, PRESENTATIONS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LIKE THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, COMMUNITY GROUPS, PROFESSIONAL STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS.

WE DID POP-UP TABLING AT COMMUNITY EVENTS.

WE HAD SMALLER GROUP CONVERSATIONS AND WE HOSTED FOUR CITY EVENTS, UM, TO INVITE PEOPLE TO COME AND LEARN ABOUT THE PLAN.

SPECIFICALLY, I THINK IT WAS A REALLY SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, MOSTLY BECAUSE, I MEAN, WE AS CITY STAFF WORKED HARD, OUR CONSULTANTS WORKED HARD, BUT I THINK THE BIGGEST THING WAS THAT WE PARTNERED WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN REALLY MEANINGFUL WAYS.

WE PAID NINE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS AMBASSADORS TO REACH OUT TO THEIR NETWORKS ABOUT THE PLAN AND COLLECT FEEDBACK.

AND WE AWARDED $5,000 MINI GRANTS TO FIVE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEM TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE THAT THEY WORKED WITH ABOUT THE PLAN.

AND WE GOT, UM, REALLY GREAT FEEDBACK FROM, FROM EVERYONE, BUT I THINK ESPECIALLY RICH FROM, FROM THOSE GROUPS.

AND THE FOCUS WAS REALLY TO

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HERE'S WHO WE HEARD FROM.

UM, YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT THERE'S A TABLE WITH HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.

THE MAIN WAY THAT PEOPLE INTERACTED WITH THE PLAN WAS THROUGH A SHORT SURVEY THAT THEY COULD FILL OUT ONLINE OR ON PAPER.

UM, SO THAT COMPARE THE TABLE COMPARES THE SURVEY RESPONDENTS ABOUT 2100 PEOPLE TO AUSTIN AS A WHOLE.

SO WE HAD A SLIGHTLY HIGHER SHARE OF RESPONDENTS FROM WHO WERE PEOPLE OF COLOR THAN AUSTIN AS A WHOLE.

WE HAD A MUCH HIGHER SHARE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

18% OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS COMPARED TO ABOUT 7% OF, OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS.

A MUCH HIGHER SHARE OF PEOPLE FROM LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITIES, 14% COMPARED TO ABOUT 6% FOR THE CITY, AND A LOWER SHARE OF RENTERS.

SO I THINK NEARLY 30% IS STILL PRETTY GOOD FOR A CITY PROCESS.

UM, BUT IT'S NOWHERE NEAR THE CITY'S PROPORTION.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA KEEP WORKING ON AS WE IMPLEMENT THE PLAN TO ENGAGE RENTERS ON THE BOTTOM.

YEAH, I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT THIS, WHO WE HEARD FROM.

WHAT REALLY STRUCK ME IN THIS IS THE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

OUR COMMUNITY CARES ABOUT THIS.

WE ARE MARGINALIZED AND OVERLOOKED, BUT WE ARE, WE WANNA SHOW UP.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT.

THANK YOU.

THANKS, MICHELLE.

YOU CAN SEE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT THAT WE HEARD FROM PEOPLE ALL FROM ALL OVER AUSTIN.

UM, TYPICALLY PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP TO PRESERVATION PROCESSES IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN REALLY FO CONCENTRATED IN CENTRAL AND WEST AUSTIN.

AND WE WANTED THIS TO BE A PLAN FOR EVERYONE.

SO IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE CITY WEIGHING IN.

UM, WE ALL HAD A ABOUT TWO, SORRY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE, UH, RESPONDENTS HAVE BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, WHICH IS REALLY REMARKABLE.

UM, WE ALSO HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN HERE LESS TIME.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO HEAR FROM, FROM EVERYONE.

THE COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT I MENTIONED, UM, INCLUDED SEVEN WHAT WE CALLED THE COMMUNITY PRIORITIES.

AND, UM, THEY RANGED FROM ENSURING LONG TIME RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES CAN AFFORD TO STAY IN THEIR CURRENT SPACES, HELPING OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS MAINTAIN THEIR UNIQUE LOOK AND FEEL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO CREATE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE BY SHARING DIVERSE STORIES.

AND THESE KIND OF AGGREGATED THE PLAN GOALS.

WE DIDN'T WANNA HAVE 14 QUESTIONS, WE HAD SEVEN.

AND FOR EACH OF THESE PEOPLE THERE WAS A SLIDER BAR AND PEOPLE COULD DRAG IT TO SAY, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, OR THIS IS NOT IMPORTANT TO ME AT ALL.

I THINK THE TAKEAWAY FROM THIS SLIDE IS THAT ALL OF THESE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE.

THE LOWEST PERCENTAGE FROM THESE PRIORITY SCORE WAS 73%, WHICH IS STILL REALLY HIGH.

WHEN WE ASKED PEOPLE WHERE WE SHOULD START WORK FIRST, 51% OF PEOPLE, SO A CLEAR PLURALITY SAID, KEEP PEOPLE IN PLACE, KEEP BUSINESSES IN PLACE.

THE NEXT MOST, MOST, UH, POPULAR RESPONSE WAS WITH 20% OF RESPONDENTS SAYING, START WORK FIRST ON KEEPING THE PHYSICAL PLACES THAT MAKE AUSTIN FEEL DISTINCT AND PRESERVE THEM.

AND I THINK THAT THOSE BOTH REALLY REFLECT THE CHALLENGES THAT AUSTIN IS FACING NOW WITH DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES AND DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES.

SO, UM, THIS SLIDE TALKS ABOUT HOW THE PLAN RESPONDS TO THE FEEDBACK WE GOT.

SO WE, WE HEARD ABOUT, UH, THOSE COMMUNITY PRIORITIES.

WE RECEIVED ABOUT 270 COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT PLAN IN VERY SPECIFIC WAYS.

140 OF THOSE WERE ACTIONABLE, MEANING THAT THEY ARE ALLOWED BY CITY CODE AND WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE PLAN.

AND WE REVISED ABOUT HALF OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.

SO 50 RECOMMENDATIONS WERE CHANGED BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK.

SO THE, UM, THE WORKING GROUP, WHICH REVISED THE PLAN, REALLY TOOK THAT SERIOUSLY.

EIGHT NEW RECOMMENDATIONS WERE ALSO ADDED.

UM, THEY, THEY COVER REALLY IMPORTANT TOPICS THAT JUST, JUST DIDN'T GET INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT.

SO IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS SAYING, WHAT ABOUT HISTORIC CEMETERIES? WHAT ABOUT ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS? WHAT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING HISTORIC AND OLDER PROPERTY OWNERS AND TENANTS WITH BUILDING MAINTENANCE, MAINTENANCE, MAINTENANCE AND EDUCATION, WHICH MICHELLE MENTIONED EARLIER AND HERITAGE TOURISM SUPPORTING THAT.

HERE IS THE, A NUTSHELL OF THE TIMELINE FOR THE PLAN.

THE DRAFT PLAN WAS DEVELOPED OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT A YEAR BY THE PRESERVATION PLAN WORKING GROUP WITH, WITH A LOT OF INPUT.

IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE LANDMARK COMMISSION IN FALL OF 2022.

AND AT THAT TIME, CITY COUNCIL ALLOCATED FUNDING FOR ROBUST OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT AND CREATED A NEW POSITION TO MANAGE THE PLAN, WHICH IS WHAT THE POSITION THAT I HOLD.

THEN THERE WAS SOME, UH, WE DID A VERY LOW KEY AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGN TO INVITE MORE PEOPLE TO, UH, LEARN ABOUT HISTORIC PRESERVATION WHILE WE GOT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE.

WE DID THIS INTENSIVE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN THIS SPRING.

AND THEN THIS SUMMER, THE PRESERVATION PLAN WORKING GROUP AND THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION'S PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE WORKED TOGETHER TO REVISE THE PLAN BASED ON THAT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND TO FINALIZE IT.

AND HERE WE ARE, BUT WE ARE AT CITY BOARD

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AND WE ARE AIMING TO GO TO COUNCIL FOR THAT ADOPTION ON NOVEMBER 21ST.

NEXT STEPS, WE WILL START WITH THE, UM, HIGH IMPACT, LOW HANGING FRUIT, MEANING THE THINGS THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE THAT WE CAN DO WITH EXISTING RESOURCES, WHICH IS MOSTLY STAFF RIGHT NOW.

WE'LL START LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR LARGER INITIATIVES RIGHT AFTER THE PLAN IS, IS ADOPTED.

SO FOR THINGS THAT NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, WHAT RESOURCES DO WE NEED AND WORKING ON GETTING THOSE.

UM, WE WILL HAVE A PUBLIC DASHBOARD TO TRACK PROGRESS ON THE PLAN.

AS WE IMPLEMENT THE PLAN.

WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COORDINATING WITH THEM AND THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING ALIGNS WITH THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN.

AND WE'LL CONTINUE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIP BUILDING.

AND I THINK ENGAGEMENT HAS REALLY BEEN AT THE HEART OF THIS PLAN.

YOU KNOW, HAVE IT, IT WAS, I DON'T EVEN, I THINK IT GOES BEYOND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THAT IT WAS COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP THAT CREATED THE PLAN AND REVISED IT AND FINALIZED IT.

AND, UM, I THINK I'M HOPING THAT WILL BE AT THE HEART OF IMPLEMENTATION AS WELL.

AND THAT'S ALL THAT WE HAVE.

HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, SURE.

THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT, KAREN, MICHELLE, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT PRESENTATION.

UM, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT BEFORE TOO AND SPEAKING WITH US.

UM, SO I KNOW YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT PROBABLY THE BEST WAY WE CAN ASSIST WITH THIS WOULD BE SETTING UP A WAY TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL SO THAT WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR ADOPTION, THEY HAVE THAT RECOMMENDATION IN HAND.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DO TO HELP, HELP WITH YOUR, YOUR EFFORTS UP TO THAT POINT? THANK YOU.

I THINK THE NEXT, THE NEXT BIG MILESTONE IS THE COUNCIL HEARING AFTER THAT, AND WE ARE STARTING TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR IMPLEMENTATION NOW.

I THINK WE'LL HAVE A MUCH CLEARER IDEA IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS OF ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS.

AND WE WOULD HOPE TO, UM, WE HOPE TO KEEP Y'ALL IN THE LOOP, KEEP KEEP YOU POSTED AND INVITE PARTICIPATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH IMPLEMENTING STEPS.

UM, THAT'S A, A NEARISH FUTURE, UH, OPPORTUNITY.

GREAT.

THANKS.

UM, I JUST HAVE ONE, ONE QUICK QUESTION.

UM, AND MAYBE THIS MIGHT BE TOO SPECIFIC, BUT, UH, CAN YOU THINK OF ANY PARTICULAR WAYS THAT, UM, ADDRESSING INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES KIND OF INCORP YOU? HOW YOU INCORPORATED THAT INTO THE, THE PLAN ITSELF AND, AND HOW YOU, YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT THAT? I KNOW YOU, YOU TALKED TO A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS AND WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD RESPONSE RATE.

SO I WAS WONDERING HOW THAT, HOW THAT IMPACTED YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE THAT IS A, THAT IS A VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION.

IT'S A VERY GOOD ONE.

UM, I TALK, MICHELLE WILL ANSWER IT.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS AS A PERSON WITH DISABILITIES THAT I THOUGHT WAS VERY INTERESTING IN THE PLAN WAS UPDATING WHILE KEEPING THINGS HISTORICAL AND THE WAY THEY ARE NOW, WHILE UPDATING THEM IN A WAY THAT COMPLIES MORE WITH A DA STANDARDS.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CERTAINLY LOOKED AT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA CHANGE THE OUTSIDE OF IT.

AT THE SAME TIME.

WE KIND OF WANNA BE ABLE TO GET TO THE HISTORICAL THINGS.

AND WITHOUT A RAMP AND ONLY STAIRS, WE CAN'T GET TO THE THINGS.

SO THAT IS ONE OF THE WAYS WE LOOKED AT THAT I LIKED THAT WE LOOKED AT.

OKAY, GREAT.

ACTUALLY, THAT WAS KIND OF WHAT I WAS THINKING WAS WHERE WE THINKING ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PRESERVATION, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE DIDN'T ALWAYS HAVE THESE STANDARDS .

NO, WE DID NOT.

ALL RIGHT.

THANKS SO MUCH.

I I I HAVE A QUESTION.

THIS COMMISSIONER , YOU SAID YOU REACHED OUT TO HISTORICALLY, UM, GROUPS THAT WEREN'T MENTIONED IN NEIGHBORHOODS.

CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE GROUPS THAT YOU REACHED OUT TO AND THE METHODS IN WHICH YOU REACHED OUT TO THEM? SURE.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, THE PLAN DEFINES THERE ARE MANY GROUPS.

THE PLAN DEFINES THOSE AS COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, LGBTQA PLUS COMMUNITIES, LOW INCOME FAMILIES AND RENTERS.

SO THAT, UM, IN VARIOUS, IN SPECIFIC WAYS, UM, FOR SPECIFIC KIND OF, UH, SAY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS OR COMMUNITY GROUPS.

I HAVE A SPREADSHEET THAT I STARTED CREATING IN 2020 AND HAVE BEEN ADDED ADDING ONTO AND KIND OF, UM, SO THAT INCLUDES CERTAINLY PE WELL, IT'S, IT'S A HUGE THING.

IT INCLUDES PROFESSIONAL GROUPS AND, AND PEOPLE WHO'D BE IMPACTED BY THE PLANS.

YOU, HISTORIC DISTRICT, UM, REPRESENTATIVES AND PROPERTY OWNERS.

IT ALSO INCLUDES, UM, COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT WE BECAME AWARE OF THROUGHOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS.

IT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT I'M UPDATING.

SO, UM, AS WELL AS CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

SO IN THE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT THAT WE DID SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE DRAFT PLAN, THERE WERE, UM, I SENT PERSONALIZED EMAILS, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE OUTREACH EFFORTS

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AND THEN THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS AND MINI GRANT ORGANIZATIONS, UM, DID ADDITIONAL OUTREACH TO GROUPS THAT WERE IN THEIR, IN THEIR NETWORKS.

AND THAT WAS IN THROUGH EMAIL, UH, NEWSLETTERS, PERSONAL NEWSLETTERS, SOMETIMES PHONE CALLS OR LETTERS, UM, FLYERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

OKAY.

I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING YOU WANNA PUT ON FOR THE NEXT, UM, OUR MEETING FOR FEATURE BUSINESS FOR, UH, FOR A, UH, NOT AN ENDORSEMENT, BUT, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, TO PUT IT ON THERE FOR AS A RECOMMENDATION, COULD YOU SHARE SOME OF THE GROUPS, NOT THE WHOLE SPREADSHEET, BUT LIKE SOME OF THE GROUPS THAT YOU CONTACTED SO WE CAN STAND AND TOUCH BASE AND SEE HOW THE INTERACTION IS BEFORE WE MAKE AN, UH, AMENDMENT OR A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.

SURE.

THANK YOU.

MAY I ASK A QUESTION, GABRIEL? OH, GABRIEL ALSO HAD A QUESTION.

OH, I'M SORRY.

HE SAID, HE SAID, I WANTED TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR INCREASING THE PERCENTAGE OF DISABILITY INDIVIDUALS WHO DISABLED INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE PARTICIPATING.

HE SAID, SO I KNOW WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, AND IF THERE ARE ANYTHING THAT YOU NEEDED TO CHANGE OR IF WE HAD SOME INFORMATION THAT WE WANTED TO ADD, WHO SHOULD WE CONTACT? UM, IS IT THAT LAST LINK, IS THAT THE ONE THAT WE SHOULD CONTACT, OR IS THERE ANOTHER WAY YOU PREFER US TO REACH OUT TO YOU AND GIVE US SOME AND GET SOME INFORMATION TO YOU OR FROM YOU? THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FOR THAT QUESTION.

THE BEST.

SO WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS THE PLAN THAT INCORPORATES THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED THIS SPRING FROM FEBRUARY THROUGH MAY, AND THAT THE WORKING GROUP AND THE PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE CONSIDERED AND, AND REVISED AND FINALIZED.

I THINK IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE PLAN, THE BEST WAY TO, UM, SUGGEST THOSE WOULD BE TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION.

SINCE THE PLAN ITSELF HAS BEEN, IT'S, IT COULD BE CHANGED, BUT NOT BY US ANYMORE, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL COULD CONSIDER CHANGING AS IT CONSIDERS ADOPTION.

GREAT.

THANK YOU.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT PEOPLE IN, UH, THAT RESPONDED TO IT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DISPLACEMENT AND THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND BUSINESSES.

AND I, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, HOW MANY RESPONDENTS DID YOU HAVE TO YOUR SPEAKUP SURVEY? WE HAD JUST UNDER 2100 RESPONDENTS TO THE, THAT COMMUNITY PRIORITY SURVEY.

WE, WE KNOW.

SO THAT'S THE FOLKS WHO, WHO SUBMITTED TO THAT.

UM, AND WE REACHED, AS I SAID, ABOUT 2,500 PEOPLE AS A VERY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE.

THAT'S JUST WHERE WE HAVE NUMBERS FOR.

ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

THIS IS KRISTEN VASSALLO.

UM, I'M JUST WONDERING, TWO QUESTIONS.

ONE, HOW IS, HOW ARE A DA IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED IN THE PLAN IN TERMS OF HOW WE NEED TO ADJUST A HISTORIC STRUCTURE? AND THEN TWO, HOW DID YOU LOOK AT AFFORDABILITY? BOTH, BOTH.

GOOD QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU.

SO, YEAH, THANK YOU.

MM-HMM, .

SO IN TERMS OF A DA IMPROVEMENTS, THE PLAN MOSTLY REF, UH, REFERS TO THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS, WHICH DO INCLUDE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAKING A DA IMPROVEMENTS TO HISTORIC PROPERTIES.

THE, IN TERMS OF AFFORDABILITY, THE, UM, THE PLAN HANDLES IT IN A FEW WAYS.

SO FIRST, IT LOOKS AT WAYS TO RETAIN OLDER BUILDINGS, WHICH TEND TO BE SMALLER AND, UH, JUST LESS, LESS EXPENSIVE THAN NEWER BUILDINGS.

UM, SO WAYS TO MAKE DEMOLITION LESS REFLEXIVE, NOT NECESS, NOT TO DESIGNATE EVERYTHING AS HISTORIC, BUT JUST TO GIVE OLDER BUILDINGS MORE OF A FIGHTING CHANCE IN STAYING STANDING, UM, BY ADDING, BY, UM, MAKING REHABILITATION AND RENOVATION PERMITS EASIER AND MORE STREAMLINED AND LESS EXPENSIVE, UM, BY ADDING MORE UNITS BEHIND THEM.

UM, SO NOT SAYING NO CHANGES COULD BE MADE, BUT, YOU KNOW, PUTTING MORE UNITS BEHIND, WHICH ALSO TEND TO BE MORE AFFORDABLE THAN UNITS BUILT BEHIND BRAND NEW BUILDINGS.

IT ALSO LOOKS AT HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE IN PLACE.

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UM, BUT WITH TAXES AND PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR RENTERS, THOSE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WOULD NOT LEAD AS THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE, BUT WE WOULD WANT TO SUPPORT AS THE, SAY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WORKS OR OTHER DEPARTMENTS DO THAT, THAT TYPE OF WORK.

I THINK THE THIRD WAY THAT THE PLAN ADDRESSES AFFORDABILITY IS MAYBE NOT EXACTLY 100% ON AFFORDABILITY, BUT IT, BUT BY TRYING TO MITIGATE CULTURAL DISPLACEMENT THAT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T BELONG.

SO, UM, I THINK ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER IS, IS, UH, IS A PRETTY GOOD APPROACH, ALTHOUGH NOT AN EASY ONE.

WELL, THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU.

DID WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU BOTH FOR PRESENTING.

UH, WE, WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT TODAY.

I KNOW IT'S, UH, LATE IN THE EVENING AND THANKS FOR ALL THE GOOD INFO AND WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THIS BACK AND, AND CONSIDER IT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, SO I

[3. Presentation by David Ondich, ADA Program Administrator, Human Resources Department, and Emi Johnson, Policy Compliance Consultant, Office of Civil Rights, on how the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities can collaborate with Human Resources on disability training and awareness. ]

THANKS, BOTH OF THEM.

FANTASTIC.

AND I THINK WE ALSO HAVE A POWERPOINT THAT WE COULD PUT UP.

LET ME KNOW WHEN IT'S UP.

WELL, THAT'S GOING UP.

I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR INVITING US OUT.

UH, WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE CITY, UH, AS IT RELATES TO TITLE ONE AND TITLE TWO OF THE A DA.

WE'LL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC ON WHAT THOSE TWO TITLES ARE, ALTHOUGH MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY KNOW ALREADY.

BUT, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES.

AND SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE THOSE CHANGES WITH YOU AND INTRODUCE MYSELF AND, UH, EMMY AS KIND OF POINTS OF CONTACT, UH, AS IT RELATES TO ISSUES RELATED TO THE A DA AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, WE GOT OUR POWERPOINT UP.

YES.

YES IT IS.

ALRIGHT, THE INTRODUCTION SLIDE IS, UH, JUST MY NAME, CONTACT INFORMATION.

I'M DAVID ONIK.

I'M THE CITY'S A DA PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR, AND I'M HOUSED IN HUMAN RESOURCES, HENCE THE TITLE ONE, UH, DELEGATION, UH, OR DESIGNATION.

AND, UH, UNDERNEATH, MY NAME IS LEE WYNN.

HE IS AN A DA HR SPECIALIST SENIOR SPECIALIST.

AND BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, WE'VE BEEN DOING A DA FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS COMBINED.

UH, WE REALIZE THE A DA IS NOT 40 YEARS OLD, AND SO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO PULL ONE OVER ON YOU.

BUT, UH, I WAS IN MUNICIPAL, A DA WITH THE CITY OF FORT WORTH FOR 11 YEARS.

I'VE BEEN HERE, UH, FOR NINE YEARS, AND I THINK LEE'S GOT 18 OR 19 YEARS.

SO WE'RE NIBBLING ON 40 BETWEEN THE TWO OF US.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

TITLE ONE, WHAT IS TITLE ONE? WELL, IT'S EMPLOYMENT.

AND WHERE DOES EMPLOYMENT START? IT STARTS AT THE APPLICATION AND, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS, UH, WITH THE HELP OF EMMY AND HER GROUP AND, UH, SOME OTHER FOLKS IN HUMAN RESOURCES.

I DO IDENTIFYING PEOPLE WHO NEED ACCOMMODATIONS, ESPECIALLY AS EARLY AS IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.

UM, AND SO WE ARE NOW, UH, VERY VISIBLE IN OUR ONLINE PRESENCE.

AND WHENEVER WE HAVE JOB FAIRS, OUTREACH EVENTS, UH, SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS, UH, BRAILLE AND, UH, OTHER, UH, ACCOMMODATIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON SITE AT THESE EVENTS.

WE WANNA MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, HIRES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

UM, SO THE APPLICATION PROCESS, WE COULD LITERALLY SIT DOWN WITH SOMEBODY AND WE HAVE SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND HELP THEM COMPLETE UNEMPLOYMENT APPLICATION.

WELL, OF COURSE, THEN YOU MAY HAVE SOME PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTING.

UH, THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH, UH, LEARNING DIFFERENCES.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH, UH, SENSORY, UH, DIFFERENCES THAT, UH, NEED MODIFICATIONS TO THE PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTING, UH, PORTION OF THE EMPLOYMENT SEQUENCE OF

[00:30:01]

UH, WE HAVE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY, UH, IF THEY NEED MODIFICATIONS DURING THE TESTED PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTING PROCESS.

WE PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION ON HOW TO REACH OUT AND GET THAT INFORMATION.

UM, THEN OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT THE INTERVIEW AND, UH, THAT'S A BIG ONE.

WE, UH, USE A LOT OF A SL UH, USE A LOT OF ALTERNATE, UH, METHODS OF HI, OF INTERVIEWING FOLKS.

AND, UH, AS LONG AS THE ACCOMMODATION DOES NOT COMPROMISE THE INTEGRITY OF WHAT'S BEING DONE, UH, WE'RE WE'RE ALL IN ON IT.

AND SO, UM, THERE ARE SOME ACCOMMODATIONS THAT WE HAVE, UH, DENIED, UM, JUST BASED ON US BELIEVING THAT IT MAY, UH, COMPROMISE, UH, WELL, IN FACT, IT WAS, UH, PRETTY CLEAR THAT IT WOULD COMPROMISE THE INTEGRITY OF THE, UH, OF THE, UH, UH, WHAT WAS BEING MEASURED.

AND SO, UH, BUT WE ERR ON THE SIDE OF ACCOMMODATION.

WE ERR ON THE SIZE OF, UH, SIDE OF ACCESSIBLE, AND WE ERR ON THE SIDE OF, UH, GIVING PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES.

UH, THEN THERE'S THE ONBOARDING.

THAT'S AFTER EVERYBODY HAS GONE THROUGH THE APPLICATION, THE PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTING, THE INTERVIEW, BANG, YOU'RE HIRED.

WELL, WE'VE GOT A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS THAT GO ON IN THE ONBOARDING PROCESS.

AND, UH, WE HAVE MADE ACCOMMODATIONS TO ASSIST PEOPLE IN COMPLETING PAPERWORK FOR THEIR MEDICAL BENEFITS AND, UM, IDENTIFYING THEIR BENEFICIARIES.

WE DO HAVE LIFE INSURANCE HERE AT THE CITY.

AND, UM, SO WHETHER IT'S, UH, AGAIN, A SL CART SERVICES, UM, BRAILLE, UH, GENERALLY NOT, UH, THESE ARE PRE-PRINTED FORMS AND, UH, BUT ELECTRONIC FORMAT WE DO A LOT OF.

BUT, UH, IF SOMEBODY WERE TO REQUEST BRAILLE, WE SURE CAN.

SURE CAN'T GET IT.

UM, AND SO THERE'S YOUR, UH, THERE'S YOUR APPLICATION AND PRE-EMPLOYMENT TO THE ONBOARDING PROCESS.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO, WELCOME TO THE CITY.

YOU'RE AN EMPLOYEE, UH, WHETHER YOU CAME TO THE CITY AS AN EMPLOYEE WITH A DISABILITY OR WHETHER DURING THE COURSE OF YOUR EMPLOYMENT, UH, WITH THE CITY YOU ACQUIRE A DISABILITY, WE'RE BACK IN ACTION.

UM, WE'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD, UH, PROGRAM FROM THE EMPLOYMENT STANDPOINT.

41 DEPARTMENTS AT LEAST 41 DEPARTMENTAL, A DA COORDINATORS.

WE'RE IN HR.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DO OUT AT AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DO IN A PD.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY NEED AT THE LIBRARY, THE EMPLOYEES.

SO WE INVITE, WELL, WE RECRUIT PEOPLE FROM THE DEPARTMENT, HR TO BE DESIGNATED AS A DA COORDINATORS DEPARTMENTAL, A DA COORDINATORS.

NOW WHAT THEY DO IS BASICALLY MOVE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION PROCEDURE TO AND FROM THE EMPLOYEE IN NEED.

WE DO IT IN A VERY CONFIDENTIAL WAY.

WE DO IT IN A VERY RESPECTFUL WAY, AND WE DO IT IN A WAY THAT IS INTERACTIVE.

AN EMPLOYEE DOES NOT NEED TO USE THE TERM DISABILITY, DOES NOT NEED TO USE THE TERM REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION.

I'M, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING TO WORK ON TIME BECAUSE OF MY MEDICAL TREATMENT.

HE'S JUST DISCLOSED AND IT'S BASICALLY INDICATED THAT HE NEEDS A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION.

HE MIGHT BRING THAT TO THE SUPERVISOR, MIGHT BRING IT TO AD UH, TO THE, UH, HR DEPARTMENT AT THEIR DE UH, THE HR DIVISION AT THEIR DEPARTMENT.

OR I MIGHT GET A CALL.

I'VE GOT A WEBSITE.

I MEAN, I'VE GOT A EMAIL ADDRESS AADA@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV.

AND SO EMPLOYEES CAN USE THAT.

THE PUBLIC CAN USE THAT IF THEY, AND THAT COMES RIGHT TO MY DESK.

AND SO, UM, WE RECEIVE, UH, IF AN EMPLOYEE REACHES OUT TO THEIR SUPERVISOR TO DISCLOSE THAT THEY'VE GOT A MEDICAL CONDITION, THE SUPERVISOR PLEDGES EARS OR HER EARS AND POINTS TO HR AND POINTS TO THEIR A DA DEPARTMENTAL, A DA COORDINATOR THAT A DA DEPARTMENTAL, A DA COORDINATOR IS TRAINED BY OUR DEPARTMENT, OUR DIVISION, TO PRESENT A PACKET OF INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF DOCUMENT THE NEED FOR THE DISABILITY, UNLESS IT'S OBVIOUS, AND

[00:35:01]

ONCE THEY'VE DONE THAT, WE, UH, THEY PUSH THAT INFORMATION OVER TO MY OFFICE AND I MAKE AN ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION.

AND I INSTRUCT OR DIRECT THE A DA COORDINATOR, THE DEPARTMENTAL A DA COORDINATOR TO SCHEDULE A MEETING.

THAT MEETING IS GONNA, UM, BE ATTENDED BY MYSELF AND MY ASSISTANT LEE, THE DEPARTMENTAL, A DA COORDINATOR.

AND WE MAKE UP WHAT'S CALLED THE A DA REVIEW COMMITTEE.

WE DON'T MAKE DECISIONS, BUT WE GATHER INFORMATION, WE APPLY THE A DA, AND THEN ULTIMATELY WHEN WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, WE INVITE THE SUPERVISOR INTO THE MEETING.

THE EMPLOYEE SUPERVISOR PURPOSE OF THAT IS TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THIS EMPLOYEE'S JOB? WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS? WHAT ARE THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS? WHAT ARE THE SCHEDULES? WHAT ARE THE, WHAT'S THE EQUIPMENT, THE TYPE OF TOOLS THAT THEY USE TO DO THEIR JOB, WITH WHOM DO THEY INTERACT ON THEIR JOB? AND, UM, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, A MEDICAL CONDITION, A DISABILITY, OR A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION.

WE'RE JUST STRICTLY GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE EMPLOYEE DOES.

THEN WE'VE ALL HEARD THE TERM INTERACTIVE PROCESS.

WE MAKE DECISIONS WITH EMPLOYEES, NOT ABOUT THEM, NOT AT THEM.

SO WE INVITE THE EMPLOYEE TO COME IN WITHOUT USING ANY MEDICAL DOC DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION.

WE'LL JUST CALL IT YOUR CONDITION, THE CONDITION THAT YOU'RE, OR THE CIRCUMSTANCE YOU'RE FACING.

HOW IS IT CHALLENGING YOU TO PERFORM THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF YOUR JOB? AND HOW WERE, HOW WILL YOUR REQUESTED ACCOMMODATION ENABLE YOU TO PERFORM THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF YOUR JOB? THAT'S WHAT A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ACCOMMODATION IS UNDER THE A DA, IT'S A MODIFICATION, A REASONABLE MODIFICATION TO ENABLE AN OTHERWISE QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL TO PERFORM ALL OF THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THEIR JOB.

AND THE IDEA IS, IF EVERYBODY ON THE TEAM WERE RECEIVING THE SAME ACCOMMODATION, WOULD THE JOB BE GETTING DONE? WE NEED TO PERFORM THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB.

AND SO WE HAVE AN INTERACTIVE DISCUSSION.

SOMETIMES THE, UH, EMPLOYEE ASKS FOR A CADILLAC AND GETS A PINTO.

SOMETIMES THE EMPLOYEE ASKS FOR A, UH, PINTO AND GETS A CADILLAC.

UM, SO GENERALLY WE TRY TO, UH, IS THAT A TIMER? NO.

HOPE, MAN.

NO, UH, GENERALLY WE TRY TO GIVE THE EMPLOYEE OR, UH, MAKE THE ACCOMMODATION THAT THE EMPLOYEE IS REQUESTING.

AND REASON BEING IS WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE NEED.

I DON'T USE NVDA, I USE JAWS.

UH, IT'S NOT A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION TO STICK NVDA ON MY COMPUTER AND SAY, OKAY, DAVID, DO YOUR WORK.

I USE JAWS JOB ACCESS WITH SPEECH.

UM, I KNOW HOW TO USE A WHITE CANE, BUT I'VE GOT OOBA HERE WITH ME.

OOBA IS MY PREFERRED ACCOMMODATION.

AND SO I GET TO USE PUAH.

UM, AND SO WE GO THROUGH AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS.

WE VET THROUGH THE ENTIRE, UH, GATHER ALL THE INFORMATION, AND THEN BECAUSE WE ARE THE SMES IN TITLE I, WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR AND THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR ISSUES A MEMO, A FINAL DETERMINATION MEMO.

95% OF THE TIME, IT REFLECTS EXACTLY WHAT THE COMMITTEE AND WHAT THE A DA PROGRAM OFFICE RECOMMENDED.

UH, THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE PUSHER BACKERS.

UM, AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IF A, UM, AN ACCOMMODATION IS DENIED? I THINK THAT'S THE NEXT SLIDE.

DOES THAT TALK ABOUT THE APPEAL PROCESS? PROCESS, SAY THERE'S AN APPEAL PROCESS, A DA REASSIGNMENT PROCESS.

OKAY.

WELL, UM, BEFORE WE GET TO THE, UH, APPEAL PROCESS, UH, LET'S TALK ABOUT, SAY THERE REALLY IS NO REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION THAT CAN BE MADE TO ENABLE THIS INDIVIDUAL TO PERFORM THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THEIR JOB.

THEIR JOB IS TO DRIVE A RECYCLE TRUCK, AND THEY'VE LOST THEIR VISION AND THEY CAN NO LONGER DRIVE.

THERE'S NOT A MODIFICATION YET THAT WILL ENABLE THAT INDIVIDUAL TO PERFORM THAT ESSENTIAL FUNCTION.

SO WHAT DO WE DO? SAY, SEE YOU LATER, BOB.

SEE YOU LATER, JANE.

SORRY.

YOU LOST YOUR VISION.

YOU CAN'T DRIVE ANYMORE.

YOU'RE OUT OF A JOB.

NO, WE ARE A FAMILY HERE.

[00:40:01]

ONE OF MY JOBS WAS TO MOW THE LAWN.

I DIDN'T EVEN GET PAID FOR IT.

I DIDN'T GET PAID FOR MY CHORES.

THAT WAS BACK IN THE OLDEN DAYS.

I'M AN OLD GUY.

AND SO, UM, YOU THINK MY MOM AND DAD SHIPPED ME OFF TO A, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE ELSE BOARDING SCHOOL OR SOMETHING? NO, THEY REASSIGNED ME DISH DUTY AND MADE MY BROTHER TAKE OVER THE LAWN DUTY.

SO BOTTOM LINE IS THERE ARE A LOT OF JOBS IN THIS CITY.

THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS, A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT ABILITIES AND DISABILITIES CAN DO.

AND SO OUR NEXT STEP, IF WE CAN'T IDENTIFY AN ACCOMMODATION THAT WILL ENABLE THIS OTHERWISE QUALIFIED PERSON TO PERFORM THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THEIR JOB, WE LOOK FOR ANOTHER JOB THAT THEY CAN.

WE'VE GOT ABOUT A 75% SUCCESS RATE ON THAT.

BUT IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, WE USHER THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS OF EITHER MEDICAL, RETIREMENT, UH, PAID, UH, PAID LEAVE BENEFITS AND DISABILITY BENEFITS, AND OTHER TYPES OF, OF, OF, SOMETIMES THEY RETIRE, SOMETIMES THEY'RE ELIGIBLE AND RETIRE, BUT IT'S VERY RARE.

IN FACT, I KNOW OF NO CIRCUMSTANCES WHEREBY PEOPLE ARE JUST LET GO BECAUSE WE COULDN'T IDENTIFY AN AL EITHER AN ALTERNATE POSITION OR AN ALTERNATE BENEFIT.

THAT WOULD BE THE SAFETY NET UNDERNEATH IF, UH, LAST SLIDE, I THINK IS THE APPEAL PROCESS.

I HOPE.

IF NOT, I'LL JUST THROW ONE IN.

YES, YES, IT IS, IT IS.

HOORAY, .

SO I MEMORIZED, I'M JUST NOT IN ORDER.

UM, AND I THINK THIS IS THE LAST ONE, SO I'LL BE QUIET HERE IN A MOMENT.

.

OH, OKAY.

.

UM, IF AN EMPLOYEE DISAGREES WITH THE DETERMINATION MADE BY THE DEPARTMENT REGARDING THEIR REASON REQUEST FOR A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, IF IT IS DENIED BY THE DEPARTMENT, THERE IS AN APPEAL PROCESS.

THAT LANGUAGE APPEARS IN THEIR DETERMINATION MEMO, WE ARE DENYING YOUR ACCOMMODATION BECAUSE IT WOULD CREATE AN UNDUE OPERATIONAL HARDSHIP ON THE DIVISION.

AND SO YOU'RE BEING OFFERED ENROLLMENT IN THE REASSIGNMENT PROGRAM.

WELL, THEY DISAGREE WITH THAT.

THEY SAY, DOGGONE IT, IF THEY WOULD JUST MAKE THIS ACCOMMODATION AND JUST REASSIGN A COUPLE OF MY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE JUST DI WE'RE THINKING OUT OF THE BOX, WE THINK THIS COULD WORK, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO MAKE THAT ARGUMENT.

TWO, THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES WHO WILL DO A FULL INVESTIGATION WILL INTERVIEW MANAGERS, ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, DIRECTORS, UH, THE A DA PROGRAM OFFICE.

WHAT WENT ON IN THE MEETING? WHAT DID THEY SAY IN THE MEETING? WHY IS THIS DIFFERENT NOW? WHY IS THIS SUCH A SURPRISE? AND THEY WILL MAKE A DETERMINATION TO EITHER UPHOLD AND APPEAL AND SET US BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD TO, UH, START MAKING ACCOMMODATIONS THAT WE DIDN'T THINK WERE REASONABLE, OR ON RARE OCCASIONS, UM, THAT THE APPEAL WILL BE UPHELD.

AND WHAT THAT BASICALLY MEANS IS THAT THE EMPLOYEE REALLY COULD NOT BE ACCOMMODATED.

UH, WE CAN'T HIRE SOMEBODY TO DRIVE FOR YOU, AND YOU SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND TELL THEM WHERE TO GO.

THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

UH, YOUR APPEAL IS DENIED.

AND SO, UH, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, BASICALLY USHER YOU INTO THE A DA REASSIGNMENT PROGRAM.

AND SO, UH, THAT'S GENERALLY THE OUTCOME OF AN APPEAL IF ONE IS DENIED.

AND SO, UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE END OF THE ROPE, END OF THE LINE FOR THE EMPLOYEE.

IT MEANS BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.

LET'S FIND SOMETHING ELSE.

SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO WITH OR WITHOUT, SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN PERFORM ALL OF THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS WITH OR WITHOUT A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION.

I'M TITLE ONE.

MY NAME IS DAVID ON, I'M AT A D A@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV.

UH, AS WE KNOW, UH, IN GOVERNMENT, THERE ARE TWO TITLES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND I'M PROUD TO TURN THE MICROPHONE OVER TO EMMY JOHNSON.

SHE HAS, UH, ACQUIRED OVERSIGHT OF TITLE II OF THE CITY'S A DA PROGRAM.

AND I WILL LET HER RUN THROUGH HER SIDE SLIDES, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR SOME DISCUSSION.

WHAT DO YOU SAY?

[00:45:01]

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU DAVID.

AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.

UM, FIRST, UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT I WORK WITH IN OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS.

IT'S A FAIRLY NEW OFFICE.

SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW OF IT, MAYBE FOUR YEARS.

I'M GONNA TURN AROUND.

FOUR YEARS AGO, UM, UNDER AN ORDINANCE, WE WERE ESTABLISHED, UH, AND HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER NON-DISCRIMINATION LAWS.

UM, WE DO A LOT OF EMPLOYMENT, UH, THROUGH EEOC.

WE DO FAIR HOUSING, UH, IN CONNECTION WITH HUD.

WE HAVE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION SERVICES AS WELL.

WE DO QUITE A BIT OF OUTREACH AND EDUCATION FOR ALL OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE OFFICE, WHICH NOW INCLUDES, UH, THE ORDINANCE THAT COVERS PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

SO A DA TITLE TWO.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SERVICES.

UM, MY POSITION IS POLICY COMPLIANCE CONSULTANT.

I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I'M NOT ALWAYS SURE.

AND WE HAVE IN TRANSITIONING, UM, AN IMPLEMENTING THIS, THIS ORDINANCE, UH, THE A DA PROGRAM OFFICE THAT DAVID AND LEE ARE A PART OF UNDER HRD AND OUR OFFICE HAVE TEAMED UP TO PRETTY MUCH ENSURE OR TRY TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS A SEAMLESS AND POSITIVE EXPERIENCE IN RECEIVING A ACCOMMODATIONS FOR CITY PROGRAM SERVICES IN THEIR FACILITIES.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE, WHERE WE FOCUS, BUT WE WANT OUR OUTWARD APPEARANCE, UM, AND TOUCHPOINT TO BE LIKE ONE, LIKE ONE ONE CITY OF AUSTIN, RIGHT? SO WE, WE SPEAK DAILY.

DAVID LEE AND I SPEAK DAILY.

WE , WE TALK TO EACH OTHER AND WE TOSS THE EMAILS AND, AND COORDINATE VERY CLOSELY.

UM, ENRIQUE SERANO IS, IS IN THE ROOM, AND HE IS THE ENFORCEMENT MANAGER FOR OCR.

UH, DR.

TAMLA SALANA IS OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR, AND BEVERLY DAVIS IS OUR OCR ADMINISTRATOR.

SO I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE TEAM THAT MAKES THIS WORK.

SO THE SLIDE, UH, FIRST IS, UH, IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THE NON-DISCRIMINATION NOTICE.

YES.

THAT ONE.

THE REASON I WANNA POINT OUT THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE IS, UM, OUR INITIAL EFFORT WAS AWARENESS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED AND THAT WE HAVE, UM, TWO OFFICES IMPLEMENTING THE LARGER A DA, WE CREATED A CENTRALIZED POINT ON, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN ELEVATED WEBSITE, SO I WANNA SAY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WEBSITE, WHERE IT JUST, IF YOU GOOGLE A DA CITY OF AUSTIN, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET.

AND FROM THERE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU IF IT LINKS THERE OR NOT, BUT, UM, FOLKS CAN, IF THEY GET A COPY OF THIS, THEY CAN LINK THERE AND THEY CAN VISIT THAT WEBSITE.

IT HAS A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FORM, IT HAS OUR CONTACT INFORMATION, IT HAS OUR NOTICE THAT'S REQUIRED UNDER A DA.

SO THOSE COMPONENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED UNDER THE PROGRAM, WE TRY TO PRESENT, UH, RIGHT OUT THE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT OUT THE GATE.

LIKE WE HAVE TO DO THIS IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE TO THE PUBLIC.

RIGHT.

UM, THAT WAS OUR START.

AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS, UM, MOVING TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION.

SO WE'VE, WE HAVE A FAIRLY STRONG LANGUAGE ACCESS, UH, PROGRAM, SERVICES AND POLICY IN PLACE.

THIS ALSO WEAVES INTO THAT LANGUAGE ACCESS AS FAR AS A SL.

AND WE HAVE SOME AREAS, UH, FOR INSTANCE, I BELIEVE OUR HRD HANDLES A LARGE MAJORITY OF OUR A SL, UM, COMMUNICATION REQUESTS.

WE HAVE OTHER LANGUAGES THAT WE, UH, ACCOMMODATE AS WELL.

SO WE ALL HAVE TO COORDINATE IN OUR, UH, COMMUNICATION, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE, H-R-D-A-D-A AND OUR OFFICE.

UM, COMMUNICATE VERY CLOSELY IN SERVING THE PUBLIC IN THAT MANNER.

UM, BUT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS TO EXTEND OUR SERVICES IN VARIOUS OF MODES AND METHODS AND, AND ALTERNATIVE FORMATS.

SO WE'VE GOT, UM, ENCOURAGING DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE FROM OUR OCR OFFICE, WE ARE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN SUPPORTING THOSE 40 SOME ODD DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN SERVING THE PUBLIC.