[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER]
EVENING.I AM A TAN, WHITE FEMALE WITH SALT AND PEPPER HAIR, AND A BLACK AND WHITE STRIPED SHIRT.
WE'RE GONNA BRING THIS MEETING FORWARD.
IF, UH, YOU CAN VOCALLY TELL ME THAT YOU WERE HERE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
SINCE, SO I DON'T HAVE TO LOOK UP, 'CAUSE MY EYEBALLS DON'T ALWAYS SEE THE RIGHT PERSON.
SO, CHAIR ZIMAN, PRESENT CHAIR.
AND COMMISSIONER HOUSTON PRESENT.
SO WE ARE MISSING AT THIS MOMENT.
COMMISSIONER KEYS, COMMISSIONER GARZA, AND COMMISSIONER META CHARLIE.
ARE WE GONNA CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER? AND DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
COMMUNICATIONS THIS EVENING? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.OKAY, CHRISTINE? BELIEVE IT'S, IS IT
JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, AND I ALSO WANNA INVITE YOU TO A THING.
SO, UM, I'M WITH COLOR ARC PRODUCTIONS.
WE'RE BASED HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
WE WERE FOUNDED IN 2015, AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO OUR THINGS BECAUSE WE GOT A VERY SMALL GRANT FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR ABOUT $2,000.
AND WITH THAT $2,000 I PUT ON MY FIRST PLAY, AND THEN SOMEONE FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN SAW IT.
AND THEN A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, THEY COMMISSIONED A CITYWIDE TOUR OF IT.
IT WAS, UH, CALLED PEOPLE OF COLOR CHRISTMAS, THE WHITE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
UM, ANYWAY, SO NOW WE ARE, UH, COMING UP ON OUR NINTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
AND NEXT YEAR WE'RE JUST CELEBRATING OUR 10TH, AND WE ARE DOING A STORYTELLING EVENT AT THE AUSTIN CINEMA MAKER, SPACE COMMISSIONER.
UM, UM, UH, NEY KNOWS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS TO INVITE EVERYONE ON THE COMMISSION TO COME.
I'M NOT SURE IF, UH, WE CAN, BUT I'D LIKE TO EXTEND, UM, COM TICKETS.
THEY'RE $15, I THINK THEY'RE UNDER THE THRESHOLD, BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT, YOU CAN ALSO BUY THEM@COLORARCPRODUCTIONS.COM.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, SO I HAVE INDIVIDUAL INVITES FOR EVERY COMMISSIONER HERE, AND I ALSO JUST WANTED TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU, BECAUSE WE'RE ALSO THRIVE RECIPIENTS.
AND IF IT WASN'T FOR THRIVE, WE COULDN'T REACH OUR NEXT GOAL, WHICH WAS TO ALSO SHINE LIGHT ON DIVERSE STORIES THROUGH THEATER, MUSIC, AND FILM.
AND BECAUSE WE GOT OUR GRANT, WE DID OUR FIRST, UH, SHORT, IT'S CALLED PIZZA MY HEART, ABOUT A PIZZA TELEGRAM, SINGING DELIVER SPECIALIST WHO DELIVERS COMFORT FOOD AND A SONG TO A HEARTBROKEN GIRL.
WE GOT INTO OUR FIRST FILM FESTIVAL, WE CAN'T DISCLOSE IT YET, 'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THEY WANNA DO A PUBLIC, UH, PRESS RELEASE.
UM, BUT THEN WE'RE ALSO, UM, DOING ANOTHER SHORT THAT WE GOT MORE SUPPORT FROM.
WE GOT SOME SUPPORT FROM, UM, FOLKS IN NEW YORK, UM, FOLKS HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND THAT'S BASED OFF OF ONE OF THE STORIES THAT WAS TOLD LAST YEAR AT OUR VERY FIRST EVER STORYTELLING EVENT CALLED STORIES ABOUT COMFORT FOOD.
THAT STORY WAS TOLD BY MY MOM.
SHE'S AN 80 AT THAT TIME, AN 82-YEAR-OLD VIETNAMESE AMERICAN GRANDMOTHER.
SHE SHARED HER FOOD MEMORIES AND HER IMMIGRANT STORY THROUGH THREE, UM, ACTS OF FOOD MEMORIES.
AND WE'RE GONNA TURN IT INTO AN ANIMATED DOCUMENTARY SHORT.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, FROM THE COMMISSIONERS, FROM EVERYONE WHO SHOWED UP TO OUR SHOWS, FROM PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT IMMIGRANT STORIES ARE WORTHWHILE, UM, TO FIND HUMANITY IN, IN OUR STORIES.
AND INSTEAD OF FABLES OF EATING CATS AND DOGS, WE CAN ACTUALLY SHOW TRUE STORIES OF, UH, POOR VIETNAMESE CHILDREN WHO DIDN'T HAVE TOYS, BUT WHEN THEY GOT SWEET POTATOES, THEY MADE TOY PIGS OUT OF THEM.
AND SO THE NAME OF OUR ANIMATED SHORT IS SWEET POTATO PIG.
I'M GONNA, CAN I GIVE IT TO YOU OR WHAT? I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU.
[00:05:01]
UM, UH, CHRISTINE, WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE PRODUCTION COMPANY AGAIN? COLOR ARC PRODUCTION.ALL RIGHT, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.CAN I HAVE A MOTION? I ACTUALLY HAVE A CORRECTION FOR THE MINUTES.
UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, IS IT NEY? WAS THAT YOU? IT WAS ZIMAN.
UM, THERE IS ITEM, I HAVE IT WRITTEN DOWN.
I, THE MOTION TO MOVE ITEMS 12 THROUGH 16 LAST MONTH IS DOWN AS SCHACH, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY COMMISSIONER GRAY.
THAT'S MY, IT WAS HIGHLIGHTED.
SO I THINK THERE WAS JUST A QUESTION LINGERING.
SO CAN WE GET THAT CORRECTED? AND I SUPPOSE WE APPROVE IT NEXT MEETING AS CORRECTED OR APPROVE IT NOW WITH CORRECTIONS.
I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN APPROVE IT.
SO MOTION, UH, COMMISSIONER ZISMAN TO CORRECT, TO APPROVE AS CORRECTED.
ALL IN FAVOR? COMMISSIONER GARZA.
THAT WAS A RECOGNIZED IT JUST, OKAY.
I, LET'S HOLD THAT VOTE WHILE WE RECOGNIZE THE TWO COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE COME IN.
THIS IS COMMISSIONER, UH, CHARLA, AS WELL AS COMMISSIONER GARZA.
IT'S THE VOTE TO APPROVE WITH CHANGES THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING OF OCTOBER 19TH OF AUGUST 19TH.
WE HAVE A MOVE ON, UH, MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY COMMISSIONER ZIMAN.
WE HAD THE SECOND BY, UH, UH, CINI.
AND ALL IN FAVOR IS WHERE WE WERE.
I, I'D LIKE TO ALL IN FAVOR? AND I ABSTAIN BECAUSE I WAS THE MEETING.
AND COMMISSIONER ALBA WAS ALSO NOT HERE.
[2. Report of the Art in Public Places Liaison concerning actions taking during the September 9th meeting of the Art in Public Places Panel by Commissioner Maldonado ]
DISCUSSION ITEMS. REPORT OF THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES LIAISON CONCERNING ACTIONS TAKEN DURING THE SEPTEMBER 9TH MEETING OF THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PANEL BY COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.AND MALONA IS NOT HERE, AS WE CAN SEE, SO THAT WILL HAVE TO BE MOVED TO THE NEXT MEETING.
[3. Update on actions taken at the August 24th Downtown Commission meeting by Commissioner Mok]
TO UPDATE ON ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE AUGUST 24TH DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING BY COMMISSIONER MOCK.UM, I, UH, AT THE, AT THE LAST DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING, UH, WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATION FROM THE STAFF, ONE OF WHICH IS THE PROJECT IH 35 PROJECT WITH THE CAPS AND STITCHES.
UH, THERE WILL BE A OPEN HOUSE ON SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 28TH, AND IT PROBABLY IS THE LAST, UH, LAST OPEN HOUSE TO TALK ABOUT THIS, UH, PROJECT.
AND I THINK IT IS EXCITING, UM, THAT AT THIS MOMENT WE CAN SHARE WHAT WE WANT TO PUT ON THE, THE CAPS AND STITCHES.
AND I THINK WE HAVE, I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE ALSO, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE PUTTING DOWN SOME ART STUDIOS, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF JUST A BRIDGE ACROSS, BUT MAYBE ACTUALLY PUTTING DOWN SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SO THE PEOPLE CAN EITHER STAY A LITTLE BIT TO OBSERVE DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY, UM, BECAUSE AT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING, THEY TALK ABOUT THIS OPEN HOUSE.
IT'S GOING TO BE SEPTEMBER 28TH FROM 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM AT CANOPY.
CANOPY IS ON NINE 16 SPRINGDALE.
SO, UH, FOR THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING THIS MEETING, UH, PLEASE GO AND, AND JUST VOICE YOUR OPINION, YOUR CREATION, YOUR SUGGESTION.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE WILL CLAIM SO MUCH SPACE.
AND THEN THE SECOND PRESENTATION THEY HAVE, UM, IT IS ON THE, UH, FOR, UH, LIBRARY IS, UH, IS GOING, THEY ARE GOING TO WORK ON
[00:10:01]
A 2025 BOND PACKAGE, UH, FOR THE REMODELING, UM, OF THE FORK BUILDING.AND, UH, IT WILL BE A AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER CAMPUS.
AND THERE WILL ALSO BE, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR US IN PUBLIC PLACES.
SO, UM, JUST WANT TO CALL EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION TO THIS, UM, BOND 2025 BOND COMING UP FOR THE, FOR THE REDESIGN OR REMODELING OF THE FAULT BUILDING.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO ITEMS THAT I HAVE ON THE, UH, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION REPORT.
CAN YOU REPEAT THOSE DATES OF THOSE MEETINGS AGAIN? UH, THE, THE OPEN HOUSE FOR THE FUTURE OF 35 PROJECT IS SEPTEMBER 28TH FROM 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM AT CANOPY.
AND CANOPY IS ON NINE 16 SPRINGDALE.
AND THEN, UH, THE BOND PACKAGE, THEY ARE FORMING A COMMITTEE THAT WILL TALK ABOUT, UM, THE BOND PACKAGE ON 2025 MM-HMM,
SO, UM, THE, THE, THERE WILL BE A COMMITTEE TO PUT THIS PACKAGE TOGETHER.
SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED, THEY CAN CONTACT THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER AND, UH, MAYBE VOLUNTEER YOURSELF TO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAL OPINION, YOU CAN TALK TO THE STAFF, YOU KNOW, THE AUSTIN LIBRARY STAFF.
UM, BUT I THINK IT IS GOOD TO CALL EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION SO THAT THEY CAN GET INVOLVED AND I'M INVOLVED EARLY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER.
[4. Recap of the Arts Commission Retreat by Commissioner Zisman ]
IS A RECAP OF THE ARTS COMMISSION RETREAT BY COMMISSIONER ZISMAN.UM, BIG THANK YOU TO A CF FOR, UH, SHARING TODAY.
I'M RECOVERING FROM SURGERY, SO HOME BOUND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, MOST OF YOU WERE AT THE ARTS COMMISSION.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS THAT AREN'T PRESENT THAT WERE THERE.
UM, ESSENTIALLY I KIND OF WANTED TO GO OVER, UM, A FEW OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS THAT WE AS A GROUP AGREED, UM, TO, UM, AS COMMISSIONERS, WHICH IS BASICALLY JUST SORT OF LIKE A CODE OF CONDUCT, HOW WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD AND HAVE OWNERSHIP IN THIS ROLE.
UM, I'M GONNA READ A FEW BULLET POINTS, AND THEN I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ROLE AS COMMISSIONERS.
SO, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UM, AGREED TO, AND THESE ARE VERY SORT OF BUREAUCRATIC, UM, UH, RULES OR SORT OF CODE OF CONTACT CONDUCT FOR US IS, UM, OUR SVP FOR OUR MEETINGS, UH, NO LATER THAN THE FRIDAY BEFORE.
UM, I'VE BEEN KEEPING TABS ON THE ATTENDANCE, UH, APPROXIMATED ATTENDANCE SHEET.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB OF UPDATING THAT.
WE JUST NEED TO REALLY STICK WITH IT SO THAT WE KNOW, UM, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MEETING OR NOT.
'CAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF ENERGY FOR FOLKS TO GET THERE, IN PERSON TO COMMIT TO THIS TIME.
AND THE LAST THING WE WANT IS FOR FOLKS TO SHOW UP AND NOT HAVE QUORUM.
UM, THE NEXT THING I WANNA REMIND US THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IS CHECK YOUR OUTLOOK INBOX.
NOT ALL OF US, OR SOME OF US HAVE MULTIPLE MICROSOFT OUTLOOK, UM, INBOXES.
AND SO CHECKING THEM CAN BE A LITTLE TRICKY.
I THINK IT'S REALLY, UM, HELPFUL TO NOTIFY ME WHEN I HAVE AN EMAIL, UNLIKE MY REGULAR INBOX, WHICH IS TOTALLY INUNDATED.
UM, BUT REALLY MAKE A HABIT OUT OF CHECKING YOUR CITY EMAIL.
WE ARE CONFINED TO USING THAT FOR MAJORITY OF OUR COMMUNICATION.
AND, UM, IT, IT'S REALLY ON EACH COMMISSIONER TO TAKE OWNERSHIP AROUND.
UM, BEING IN COMMUNICATION, I'VE SENT OUT PLENTY OF EMAILS.
JESUS SENT OUT PLENTY OF EMAILS.
I NEVER HEAR BACK, OR I DON'T HEAR BACK, OR RARELY HEAR BACK FROM SOME FOLKS.
UM, I'VE GOT MY GOLD STARS THAT I HEAR BACK FROM EVERY TIME.
SO EVEN IF IT'S NOT REQUIRING A RESPONSE, UM, RESPONDING WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT IS ALWAYS APPRECIATED.
A LOT OF TIMES THAT THERE ARE TIME SENSITIVE ITEMS THAT ARE GOING OUT THROUGH THAT INBOX.
SO CREATING A ROUTINE FOR YOURSELF TO MONITOR THAT COMMUNICATION IS IMPERATIVE.
UM, REALLY COMMIT TO LOOKING AND READING THROUGH THE SUPPORT MATERIALS FOR EACH MEETING IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.
UM, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, OUR STAFF IS INCREDIBLE.
THEY ARE, UM, ALL OVER RESPONDING AND, UM, PROVIDING CLARIFICATION WHEN THINGS NEED.
UM, BUT IT, IT DOES TAKE YOU BEING, UH, FORTHCOMING AND, UH, TAKING ACTION AND DOING YOUR, A LITTLE BIT OF HOMEWORK AHEAD OF TIME, UM, OF QUICKLY ABOUT, UM, ABSENCES.
JUST TO REMINDER, UM, OUR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY IS TO NOT MISS MORE THAN THREE, UM, MEETINGS.
AND THAT'S SPECIFIC FOR UNEXCUSED ABSENCE.
OBVIOUSLY, LIKE CRISIS, FAMILY EMERGENCIES AND ILLNESS ARE ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE.
UM, REASONS TO MISS, BUT REALLY DOING YOUR BEST TO BE PRESENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE DISTRICTS THAT WE'RE ASSIGNED TO.
[00:15:01]
TO THOSE DISTRICTS.SO JUST BEING AS ACTIVE AS YOU CAN, UM, IN YOUR COMMUNITY, IN YOUR NETWORKS, UM, AND BEING PRESENT AS A COMMISSIONER.
WE ARE AMBASSADORS, UM, FOR THIS WORK.
UM, AGAIN, WE KNOW THIS COMMUNICATION GOES BOTH WAYS FROM OUR COMMUNITY TO COUNCIL AND COUNCIL TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THAT IS THE MOST SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF, UH, WHAT WE WERE ASSEMBLED TO DO AND WHAT THIS BOARD WAS ASSEMBLED TO DO.
SO, CAN'T REALLY REPORT ON MUCH IF YOU'RE NOT ACTIVE AND OUT AND, AND SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM I WANNA SPEAK TO IS COMMUNICATION.
SO FROM WHERE I'M STANDING, WE ALL REPRESENT COMMUNITIES, POCKETS, NETWORKS, UM, CLOSE, UH, GROUPS OF PEERS.
AND WE KNOW THAT, UM, THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? WE'VE HAD A WHOLE CONVERSATION AROUND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MARKETING AND OUTREACH AND MARKETING IS WHAT OUR WONDERFUL STAFF DOES.
THEY PUT TOGETHER NEWSLETTERS, THEY PUT TOGETHER POSTS AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT, UM, SOCIALLY ENGAGED, UM, THREADS WHERE PEOPLE CAN JUMP IN AND PARTICIPATE, BUT THEY CAN ONLY REACH WHO THEY CAN REACH.
THEY CAN ONLY REACH WHO'S ACTIVELY FOLLOWING THEM.
UM, I KNOW THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS, I HAVE ONE-ON-ONE WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHO WE ARE.
THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CAN GET MONEY FROM THE CITY.
SO WE ARE AN EXTENSION OF THAT COMMUNICATION ARM.
IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CARRY FORTH OPPORTUNITIES, DEADLINES, INFORMATION TO OUR NETWORKS AND COMMUNITY, OUR FRIENDS, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT HERE IN THESE STREETS, WORKING AND STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN THIS ECOSYSTEM.
UM, I REALLY THINK THAT WE ARE DOING A DISSERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY IF YOU ARE NOT DOING THAT.
SHARING STORIES, FORWARDING AN EMAIL.
THERE'S LOTS OF FREE AND EASY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AS COMMISSIONERS TO CONTINUE TO AMPLIFY WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE BEING PRESENTED TO US, UM, FROM STAFF, FROM THE NATIONAL LEVEL, UH, FROM THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY UP TO US.
SO I REALLY AM ASKING FOLKS TO TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES TO DO WHAT THEY CAN.
UM, WE'RE ALREADY VOLUNTEERING A LOT OF TIME.
I'M NOT ASKING PEOPLE TO GO OUT OF THEIR WAY, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE, UM, THE CONSENSUS IN THE GROUP IS THAT LIKE, THIS IS OUR ROLE AND WE ARE AMPLIFIERS AND EXTENSIONS OF THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE, LITERALLY.
SO IN YOUR OWN WAY, IN EVERY WAY THAT YOU CAN, CONTINUING TO PUSH OUT THE INFORMATION AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME DOWN FROM KAT.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, I WANT, THAT'S A QUICK, NOT A QUICK RECAP OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WE SORT OF DISCUSSED AT OUR MEETING BACK IN JUNE.
UH, SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME, BUT WE'VE HAD A LOT HAPPEN IN THE MEANTIME, WHICH IS WHY THIS RECAP, UM, HAS BEEN PUSHED.
I WOULD LIKE, UM, HELP PUTTING TOGETHER SOME SORT OF VERY INFORMAL AGREEMENT THAT WE EACH SIGN AS COMMISSIONERS THAT SAYS THAT WE'RE COMMITTING TO DOING THIS WORK.
UM, THAT WE WILL CON, YOU KNOW, USE OUR OUTLETS TO AMPLIFY INFORMATION.
WE'RE GONNA RSVP TO OUR STAFF AND LET THEM KNOW WE'RE COMING.
IT'S BASICALLY JUST AN AGREEMENT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY NOT A FORMAL CONTRACT, BUT SOMETHING THAT IT DOCUMENTS, HEY, WE'RE COMMITTED TO THIS WORK AND THESE ARE THE THINGS US AS A COLLECTIVE ARE, UM, PROMISING TO DO.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE JUST A GOOD, UH, LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR ALL OF US, ESPECIALLY AS WE GET NEW COMMISSIONERS.
UM, UH, AN UPDATE FROM TO ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER, UH, KY, MICHAEL KY HAS STEPPED DOWN.
UM, THEY HAVE A LOT HAPPENING IN THEIR PERSONAL LIFE, NONE OF WHICH IS FOR ME TO SHARE, BUT, UM, WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SERVICE AND ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE TIME THAT WE HAD WITH HIM.
I THINK HE HAD SOME REALLY INCREDIBLE THINGS TO CONTRIBUTE FROM THE COMPOSER, MUSICIAN, PERFORMER SIDE.
AND WE ARE ALREADY IN COMMUNICATION WITH D FIVE STAFF ABOUT FINDING A REPLACEMENT FOR HIM.
UM, TO THAT POINT, AS WE GET NEW COMMISSIONERS, WE NEED TO SORT OF LAY THE GROUNDWORK.
AND I THINK HAVING THESE, UH, SORT OF GUIDELINES, UH, FOR PARTICIPATION ARE REALLY HELPFUL.
IN PARTICULAR FOR NEW RECRUITS THAT WE GET.
UM, NOT SURE IF THIS NEEDS A WORKING GROUP.
I'M WONDERING IF I COULD MAYBE ASSEMBLE, UH, OR CONSOLIDATE, UH, WHAT WE HAVE AND THEN MAYBE PASS IT AROUND TO HAVE EYES AND IF WE CAN AGREE TO IT DIGITAL, UH, VIRTUALLY AS A GROUP, THEN, UM, ADD IT TO OUR AGENDA NEXT MONTH AND HAVE EVERYBODY SORT OF SIGN IT.
THOUGHTS OR, OR ANY ADDITIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE FROM THE RETREAT.
I THINK THE IDEA OF PUTTING ALL THAT TOGETHER IS A GOOD IDEA.
ALSO IN A REVIEW OF OUR BYLAWS THAT WE DID GO THROUGH AT A CERTAIN POINT.
'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T COME BACK TO ANYTHING THAT WE WANTED TO CHANGE.
WE ALSO TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STAFF AND US IN THAT MEETING.
SO I THINK MAYBE A WORKING GROUP MAY NOT BE A BAD IDEA TO, TO HAVE
[00:20:01]
MORE THAN JUST MAYBE YOU PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER IF IT'S JUST YOU, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, HAVE MORE THAN JUST YOU PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING THAT'S APPROVED.I THINK IT'D BE A GOOD IDEA IF YOU HAD SOME OF US ALL TOGETHER, IF NOT ALL.
I MEAN, CAN'T BE ALL OF US, BUT I DUNNO IF IT'S A WORKING GROUP, BUT SOMETHING THAT'S BOUNCED BACK AND FORTH.
I WOULD LOVE TO DO THIS AS A GROUP.
I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE A BIG WORKING GROUP.
I THINK THREE OF US COULD REALLY, UM, HONE IT IN.
IT DOESN'T NEED, I, YOU KNOW, I, I HONOR AND RESPECT THAT WE ARE ALL INCREDIBLY BUSY, UM, AND HAVE OUR OWN LIVES.
AND THAT'S SORT OF WHY I DON'T WANNA CREATE MORE WORK.
UM, UNLESS WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO PUT IN A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
I THINK ONE, YOU KNOW, HOUR, 90 MINUTE MEETING WOULD PROBABLY DO IT.
AND THEN WE'D BE READY TO PRESENT SOMETHING TO THE COMMISSION.
SO SORT OF OPENING AND CLOSING A WORKING GROUP REALLY QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, ALSO SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE RETREAT, SORT OF THE, THE EFFICACY AND EFFICIENCY, UM, OF THE WORK AND PARTICIPATION IN THESE WORKING GROUPS.
SO, UM, I'M HAPPY TO, TO CHAIR IT.
UM, AND ANYBODY WHO'S WILLING TO, TO PARTICIPATE KNOW THAT IT'LL BE A VERY QUICK WORKING GROUP.
ANYBODY ELSE BE, UH, INTERESTED AND YOU'RE THINKING BETWEEN NOW AND OCTOBER? ABSOLUTELY, AND I WOULD, AGAIN, I REALLY WANNA, UH, HONOR EVERYBODY'S TIME.
I THINK IT'S TOUGH FOR US TO GET IN PERSON IF WE WANTED TO DO, WHAT WE CAN DO IS I'LL CIRCULATE THE NOTES FROM OUR, UH, FACILITATOR, UM, AND MAYBE THROW TOGETHER A DRAFT OF WHAT I THINK THIS AGREEMENT COULD LOOK LIKE, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION IN REAL TIME, MAKE EDITS IN REAL TIME AND, AND BASICALLY SUBMIT IT FOR BACKUP FOR OCTOBER.
I WOULD BE WILLING TO, TO GET IN ON IT, BUT I ONLY HAVE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AVAILABLE
I, I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT I'LL BE ABLE, I CAN FIT A MEETING IN UNLESS, I MEAN, I'M WILL, IF YOU CAN FIT ME IN TO A SCHEDULE, I'M WILLING TO HELP.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE BUSY TOO.
SO, UM, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON WILL BE A BACKUP, OR LET'S SAY THIS, MAYBE I'M NOT SEEING EVERYBODY CLAMORING TO PARTICIPATE.
SO LET'S SAY THAT, UH, THE WORKING GROUP IS COMMISSIONER GRAY AND I AND COMMISSIONER HOUSTON GIVEN, UH, OPPORTUNITY OR AVAILABILITY.
AND, AND WE'LL TRY AND WORK AROUND THAT.
GINA, IF YOU CAN SEND US AN EMAIL WITH LIKE, YES.
DAYS, DATES, AND TIMES THAT WORK.
WELL, I'VE GOT A PRETTY FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE.
I KNOW A CA HAS REHEARSALS AND, AND IT'S GONNA BE TRAVELING AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, IF WE'RE MEETING VIRTUALLY, IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT BIG OF A LIFT FOR ANYBODY.
UM, AND WE CAN TRY AND WORK WITHIN THOSE DATES.
YOU KNOW, TO ADD TO THAT, I THINK NEXT MONDAY WENT THROUGH WEDNESDAY IS GOOD FOR ME TOO.
SOME POCKET OF TIME IN THAT, 'CAUSE I AM ON TOUR, SO.
UH, WELL, WE'D BE HAVING TO AMEND THE BYLAWS 'CAUSE I'M, I'M, I'M PULLING UP THE BYLAWS RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, WELL, IS REQUIRE AN AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS BY THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL? OR CAN WE JUST DO, IT'S NOT OUR, IT'S NOT OUR BYLAWS, COMMISSIONER GARZA.
IT'S MORE, REMEMBER THE CORE VALUES, OUR PILLARS.
BUT, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, WE'RE BRINGING, I BELIEVE YOU JUST BROUGHT UP THE BYLAWS AND THAT MAY, IF I LOOK AT ARTICLE FIVE OF DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS, AND I SEE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE CHAIRMAN WHO APPOINTS AND DOES THE, RUNS A MEETING IN THE ABSENCE OF THE CHAIR, THE VICE CHAIR SHALL PERFORM THE DUTIES.
AND THEN IT FINALLY SAYS, IN THE ABSENCE OF THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR, THE MOST SENIOR COMMISSIONER OR MOST RECENT PASS CHAIR SHALL PRESIDE AS, UH, AS BOARD MEETINGS.
THIS, THIS, AND I KNOW I'M JUST TALKING, WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BYLAWS AND THAT MAY BE A LONG TERM TO TALK ABOUT RULES AND DOING STUFF LIKE THAT.
I'M JUST, UH, JESUS OR SOMEONE IN THE CITY IS, ACCORDING TO OUR BYLAWS, ARTICLE FIVE DUTIES OF THE OFFICER.
WHAT DOES, UH, SECTION C MEAN AND WHEN DOES THAT, UH, BECOME INTO EFFECT? I, I'M NOT SURE HOW THIS IS CONNECTED.
COMMISSIONER GARZA, I THINK, WELL, I'M COMMISSIONER GREEN.
I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY 'CAUSE SHE SAID OUR BYLAW, I'M JUST, I'M JUST, JUST CURIOUS.
I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE YOU, WE BROUGHT IT UP AND I PULLED IT UP.
WE WOULD NEED SOME TIME TO LOOK AT THAT, BUT WE'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AND, UM, GO OVER THOSE DETAILS.
WHENEVER YOU GET TO IT, JUST, JUST LET ME KNOW FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
MY APOLOGIES FOR USING THEIR TO, I'M SORRY.
UH, MECHA, UH, COMMISSIONER MECHA, UM, UM, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF EVERYTHING, UH, THAT WAS COLLECTIVELY DISCUSSED AT THE, UH, AT THE RETREAT MEETING.
UM, UM, NOT QUITE COMFORTABLE, UH, SIGNING AGREEMENTS OF ANY SORT THAT ARE BEYOND, UH, WHAT'S ALREADY GUIDING, UH, THIS COMMISSION, UH, BY, BY LAW.
I THINK THAT, UH, PROVIDES A SUFFICIENT FRAMEWORK FOR ALL OF US TO OPERATE WITHIN.
UH, BUT IN AGREEMENT, OF COURSE, I WAS IN THE ROOM WITH, WITH, WITH THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS AND CHAIR HERE.
[00:25:01]
AND, UH, SO, UH, IN AGREEMENT WITH THE, THE, THE BEST PRACTICES THAT WERE DISCUSSED, UH, BUT NOT COMFORTABLE SIGNING ANY, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE SIGNING AT ALL.I'M SORRY, I'M JUST, I'M JUST LOOKING.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A REQUIREMENT TO SIGN.
I'M JUST, I, THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE WITH COUPLE OF OTHER COMMISSIONERS TOO.
BUT THEY CAN SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
PROBABLY NOT, NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT IDEA.
IT'S MORE ABOUT, I MEAN, THESE ARE ALL ITEMS THAT WE DISCUSSED AND AGREED TO IN REGARD TO BEING EFFECTIVE IN OUR ROLES AS COMMISSIONERS.
I DON'T, I MEAN, I AM HAVING DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING HOW CHECKING YOUR EMAIL RSVPING FOR MEETINGS AND BEING COMMUNICATIVE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY IS OUTSIDE OF OUR LEGAL OBLIGATION.
THIS IS NOT A REQUIREMENT TO ME.
IT DEMONSTRATES TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, BECAUSE ALL OF THIS IS PUBLIC DOCUMENTATION THAT THOSE THAT ARE SIGNING ARE COMMITTED TO THAT TOTALLY VOLUNTARY.
YOU'RE NOT OBLIGATED TO SIGN IT IN ANY WAY.
UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT A LEGALLY BINDING CONTRACT.
IT'S, I WILL DO MY BEST TO GET TO THESE POINTS.
BUT IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE DOING THAT, THEN I UNDERSTAND, AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY ENTITLED TO YOUR FREE WILL.
I MEAN, AGAIN, NOT DISAGREEING WITH ANY, ANY OF THOSE.
WE COLLECTIVELY DISCUSS THOSE BEST PRACTICES AND, UH, ARRIVED AT CONCLUSIONS.
SO, UM, I'M JUST, UH, MY, MY, UH, CONCERN IS JUST SPECIFICALLY AROUND SIGNING PERSONALLY.
AND, AND THAT'S ALL I'M COMMUNICATING, BUT I COMPLETELY AGREE AND I THINK, I THINK THOSE BEST PRACTICES SHOULD BE SHARED, UH, UH, EVEN IF THAT, YOU KNOW, IS REITERATED OVER EMAIL, UH, BY CHAIR HERE.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY MIGHT HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY ON HOW THEY PURSUE THOSE OR WHICH, WHICH ONES THEY PURSUE, UH, BETTER THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS.
BUT, UH, IN AGREEMENT, AGAIN, WITH ALL OF THOSE, UH, I'M JUST NOT COMFORTABLE WITH SIGNING PAPERS,
I, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CLARIFICATION.
UM, I THINK IT IS ALL, UH, WITH VERY GOOD INTENTION THAT, THAT THIS IS, UH, GOING TO PUT FORWARD.
SO DO WE NEED TO HAVE CONSENSUS TO EVEN HAVE THIS PUT FORWARD, UM, THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF, UH, PUTTING THIS DOCUMENT TOGETHER? UM, DO WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, AN AGREEMENT TO EVEN PUT FORTH THIS AGREEMENT? YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? SO IT JUST, JUST, I, I JUST WANT TO HAVE A CLARIFICATION.
DOES IT NEED TO BE VOTED ON, UH, TO HAVE THIS DOCUMENT PUT FORTH? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT BE RUN BY LEGAL AS WELL.
SO I, I THINK WHAT, OH, I'M SO SORRY.
YEAH, SO IT IS JUST AN, UH, UM, JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, UM, THAT, THAT THE SUGGESTION BY, UH, CHAIR SIMAN TO PUT FORTH THIS DOCUMENT TO HAVE US ACKNOWLEDGE IT BY SIGNING IT THIS ACTION, DOES IT REQUIRE AN AGREEMENT, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION TO EVEN ISSUE THIS DOCUMENT? JUST MY, JUST WANT TO HAVE IT CLARIFY BECAUSE I HATE TO HAVE A DOCUMENT OUT THERE AND IT IS NOT AGREED BY EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, UH, THEN IT'S, FIRST OF ALL IS NOT EFFECTIVE.
AND IF IT IS NOT EFFECTIVE, THEN IS IT NECESSARY TO HAVE IT THERE? SO I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY THAT.
COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER SM I'M SORRY, BECAUSE MS. MBO.
COMMISSIONER MBOT WAS AHEAD OF YOU, SIR, SIR.
UM, HEARD THAT PEOPLE ARE UNCOMFORTABLE SIGNING THINGS, BUT I DON'T, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A LEGAL DOCUMENT AT ALL.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INTERNAL AGREEMENTS THAT WERE MADE AT THE RETREAT.
AND I THINK THE REASON IT'S BEING, I KNOW THE REASON THAT IT'S BEING BROUGHT UP AS A NEXT STEP IN AGREEING MORE FORMALLY TO WHAT WE ALREADY AGREED TO IS THAT THE THINGS WE AGREED TO STILL AREN'T HAPPENING.
SO I THINK WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT, AND LET'S PUT OUT ANOTHER IDEA ABOUT LIKE, HOW WE MIGHT GET TO THE RESULTS, WHICH IS ALL OF US AGREEING FORMALLY TO THE THINGS THAT WE AGREED TO AT THE RETREAT.
LIKE WHAT FORMAT WOULD WE LIKE TO DO THAT IN? COMMISSIONER GARZA, I PERSONALLY WAS NOT A RETREAT, SO I CAN'T REALLY, UH, SAY THAT I WILL SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT WAS SAID THERE.
I DO BELIEVE THAT A WRAP UP OF WHAT DID HAPPEN IS A GOOD IDEA.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST MY OPINION OF, AS A COMMISSIONER.
COMMISSIONER GARZA, UH, COMMISSIONER ZIMAN, THERE IS A RECORDING THAT
[00:30:01]
HAS BEEN AVAILABLE.SO ANYBODY THAT WASN'T THERE HAS HAD AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW EVERY ASPECT OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WAS HAD.
AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT SIGNING SOMETHING MAYBE IS SENSITIVE AND NOBODY'S, UM, OTHERS ARE NOT COMFORTABLE SIGNING IT.
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AM GRATEFUL FOR HOW COMMISSIONER, HOW SUCCINCTLY COMMISSIONER SCHWABA PUT THAT.
WHAT I JUST RECAPPED IS WHAT EV WHAT WAS THE SYNTHESIS OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD WITH 99% OF OUR COMMISSION? SO AGAIN, IF, IF SIGNING SOMETHING FEELS TOO FORMAL AND UNCOMFORTABLE, THEN LET'S FIND A DIFFERENT WAY TO DO THIS.
WE OPERATED WITH A CORE VALUES DOCUMENT FOR YEARS, HAD NO SIGNATURES, BUT IT WAS AGREED TO AS A COMMISSION THAT THOSE WERE THE STANDARDS WE WERE TO UPHOLD THE CORE VALUES IN WHICH ARE COMPLETELY INTACT.
SO COMMISSIONER GARZA, YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION AS LONG AS I HAVE.
THOSE ARE CORE VALUES I'VE BEEN A LITTLE BIT LONGER ALREADY AGREED TO.
SO, UH, THE ONLY AMENDMENT TO THAT PORTION IS THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION AND COMMITMENT TO COMMUNICATION WITH COMMUNITY.
SO AGAIN, I'M OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS.
THE RECAP, THE, THE RECORDING IS AVAILABLE.
I WILL ADD THE RECAP FROM OUR FACILITATOR TO OUR, UM, EMAIL SO THAT IT CAN BE DISTRIBUTED FOR EVERYBODY, WHICH I THOUGHT I HAD DONE ALREADY, BUT I COULD BE MISTAKEN.
ONE FINAL POINT, COMMISSIONER GARZA, WHEN ALL OF US SIGNED OFF TO BE ONTO THIS COMMISSION, WE WERE MADE AWARE OF OUR BYLAWS.
AND THOSE ARE THE BYLAWS THAT LEGALLY WE'RE REQUIRED TO ABIDE BY.
OUTSIDE OF THAT, THESE ARE WONDERFUL IDEAS, AND I HOPE SOME OF 'EM BE IMPLEMENTED.
AND ALSO, WE MUST ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE ALL 11 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS WITH 11 DIFFERENT LIVES LEADING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT EXISTENCES FOR MUCH OF OUR TIME.
AND WE ALL HAVE INSTANCES WHERE WE HAVE NOT BEEN HERE AT THE COMMISSION OR 100% WE JUST HAD A COMMISSIONER, UH, RESIGN BECAUSE HE COULD NOT BE HERE AT 100%.
AND I BELIEVE SO LONG AS WE FOLLOW OUR BYLAWS, THE ONES, THE LAWS THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING WELL.
IF YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING AN AN APPROVAL OR SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, AND UH, I'M IN FULL AGREEMENT, UH, LET'S JUST, JUST DO THAT.
THAT'S AN INFORMAL AGREEMENT RIGHT THERE.
MAYBE A PLEDGE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I DON'T KNOW, WE PUT OUR HOWARD OVER OUR HEADS OR BRING SOME BRUSHES OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO TO, TO, UH, BOW DOWN TO A FLAG.
IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER TO ME.
BUT, UH, WE'VE SIGNED ON LEGALLY TO FOLLOW CERTAIN BYLAWS.
IF WE WANT TO ADD THIS ELSE, WE CAN DO THAT.
IF WE WANT TO WORK WITH OUR COMMISSIONERS, OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, TO CHANGE THE RULES FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONS, SO WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR CITY, THE ENTIRE CITY, ALL OUR HUNDRED SOME ODD COMMISSIONERS AND ADVISORS, WHATNOT, THAT WE'VE GOT, ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND WE'LL HAVE A MORE EFFECTIVE CITY.
BUT SIGNING ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF OUR BYLAW AGREEMENTS IS AS FAR AS I'M GONNA GO.
SO WERE THERE ANY SOLUTION? I'M JUST REALLY WONDERING IF, LIKE, HOW, HOW MIGHT WE COME TO A CONSENSUS ON, OR, OR WE'RE JUST AGREEING THAT IT'S NOT, IM, IT'S NOT ACTUALLY THAT IMPORTANT TO DO THE THINGS THAT CHAIR ZISMAN JUST EXPLAINED, WHICH WAS AGAIN, THE SUMMARY OF WHAT OUR RETREAT WAS, WHICH WAS TO COME TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT HOW WE REALLY SERVE IN THIS ROLE OF PARTICULARLY OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION TO THE GREATER COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE HERE TO SERVE.
LIKE, I, I'M REAL, I'M JUST PUTTING IT OUT AS LIKE, WHAT IS THE SOLUTION INSTEAD OF, I WON'T DO THIS, WHAT SHOULD WE DO TO COME TO A CONSENSUS? OH, PHASES WE HAND
SORRY, BA YEAH, NO, IT'S OKAY.
I MEAN, I HAVE A SUGGESTION, WHICH IS KIND OF SEGUEING TO A SUGGESTION I HAD INTERNALLY, WHICH IS THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE COMING IN AND DOING A PRESENTATION ON NOT ONLY WHAT OUR REQUIREMENTS ARE BY LAW, BUT ALSO, UM, OUR REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, MEANING HOW MANY ABSENCES WE CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, CHECKING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
UM, WHAT IS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY, UM, STAFF, YOU KNOW, WHAT CONTROL WE HAVE.
UM, THAT WAS A BIG KIND OF CONCERN.
UM, I HAVEN'T BEEN ON THE COMMISSION LONG, BUT I'VE BEEN GETTING FUNDING THROUGH CAD FOR OVER A DECADE.
SO I'VE BEEN TO A LOT OF THESE COMMISSION MEETINGS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF MISCOMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THE COMMISSIONERS, BUT ALSO THERE CAN BE MISCOMMUNICATIONS INTERNALLY WITH KIND OF WHAT THOSE REGULATIONS ARE.
SO I THINK IF THE CITY CLERK WANTS TO COME AND KIND OF OUTLINE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALL AGREED TO, THAT MAY BE A VERY TRANSPARENT WAY OF DOING IT.
[00:35:01]
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, ATTENDANCE AND THINGS ARE, UM, IN THE DOCUMENTS THAT I SIGNED, UM, AS WELL AS LIKE CLEAR COMMUNICATION AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.SO IF WE WANNA GET REALLY BUREAUCRATIC AND LIKE TO THE BOOK ABOUT IT RIGHT, THEN THAT'S A WAY THAT WE CAN DO IT.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK THAT, UM, UH, COMMISSIONERS WAIT UNTIL, UM, ACTING CHAIR DOES CALL TO SPEAK AND WE'VE HAD SOME CROSSTALKS, SO LET'S TRY TO AVOID THAT.
UM, THE RETREAT HAS NOT BEEN TALKED ABOUT UNTIL TODAY, SO I DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, THERE'S A REASON WHY A COMMISSION HAS A RETREAT AND THERE WERE IMPORTANT THINGS TALKED ABOUT IN THAT RETREAT.
SO TO PULL THAT INTO A, TO, UM, UM, A A POINT OF REFERENCE TO WHAT HAPPENED, I DO BELIEVE THAT EVERY COMMISSIONER NEEDS TO GO BACK AND LISTEN TO THAT RETREAT IF THEY WERE NOT THERE BECAUSE THERE WERE MANY IMPORTANT THINGS SAID AT THAT RETREAT.
AND I TOTALLY AGREE AS A COMMISSIONER THAT WE NEED TO REVISIT SOME OF THOSE POINTS.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE REINFORCING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE, BUT THEY'RE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE REINFORCED.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER, WOULD WE LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD? YES.
OH, I'M HAPPY TO WAIT TO SORT OF ASSEMBLE TO DO ANY SUMMARIZING OF THE RECAP DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE.
MAYBE THE NEXT STEP IS TO, UM, LINK THE RECORDING FOR COMMISSIONERS, INCLUDE THE SUMMARY AND, UM, REQUEST NOTES AND FEEDBACK, UM, ALONGSIDE OF OUR PRESENTATION FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE SO THAT EVERYBODY THAT WASN'T THERE, OR BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO LONG, UM, IS REFRESHED AND FEELING LIKE THEY'RE, AGAIN, FLUENT WITH THE THINGS THAT WE AGREED TO.
UM, I I WILL SAY, JUST AS A, UM, A POINT OF PASSION, UM, WE'VE MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR OR, UH, IN OUR OPINIONS THAT WE FEEL LIKE THE CITY ISN'T DOING ENOUGH.
I DON'T THINK IT'S ENOUGH FOR US TO, I I THINK IT'S HYPOCRITICAL FOR US TO SAY, WELL, I'M GONNA DO EXACTLY WHAT IS, UH, IS TO THE LETTER OF THE LAW.
UM, AGAIN, I'M USING LAYMAN'S TERMS, WE'RE USING LAYMAN'S TERMS IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, LIKE USING YOUR SOCIAL TO AMPLIFY OPPORTUNITY.
MAYBE THAT LOOKS DIFFERENT IN LEGALESE, BUT IF, IF THINGS LIKE THAT, I KNOW WE'RE ALL ENGAGED IN SOCIAL MEDIA.
I SEE ALL OF US, I, WE WE'RE ALL LIKE CONNECTED.
AND IN THAT, IN SPACE AMPLIFYING THESE THINGS, DOING A POST AND A SHARE, I THINK IS THE BARE MINIMUM.
UM, AND IT'S REALLY UNFAIR FOR US TO SIT BEHIND A D AND POINT AT STAFF AND THEIR SHORTFALLS AND SHORTCOMINGS AND THINGS THAT WE INTERPRET AS NOT ENOUGH AND NOT TAKE THAT UPON OURSELVES.
UM, AND WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
I THINK, UM, GETTING A PRESENTATION FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS ABUNDANTLY HELPFUL FOR MULTIPLE REASONS.
COMMISSIONER MALDEN, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, MAYOR CHARLA.
YEAH, I, I THINK I, I THINK THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE I HAVE CONSENTS IS, IS BEING SO PRESCRIPTIVE ABOUT HOW ONE SHOULD GO ABOUT DOING THEIR JOB HERE, RIGHT? SO I, I'M LOOKING AT THE ARTS COMMISSION'S MISSION HERE, ADVISING CITY COUNCIL PRIMARILY ON ARTS RELATED MATTERS AND TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
THE COMMISSION'S DUTIES INCLUDE PROMOTING COOPERATION BETWEEN CITY AND PRIVATE CITIZENS, INSTITUTIONS AND AGENCIES FACILITATING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ADVISING THE CITY COUNCIL ON ARTS RELATED MATTERS.
AND EVERYBODY THAT'S ON THE COMMISSION, I FEEL LIKE IS, IS THIS IS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THE BARE MINIMUM OF, UH, REQUIREMENTS OR ASK OR FOR BEING ON THIS COMMISSION THAT PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR.
AND, UH, I THINK WHAT WE CAME UP AT THE RETREAT IS JUST AN ELABORATION OF THESE FUNDAMENTALS.
UM, AND, UM, MAYBE REITERATION, UH, FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE LIKE WE SUGGESTED, UH, WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UH, BUT I DON'T AGREE TO THE EXTENT OF GOING, UH, LIKE SPECIFYING, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA OR ANY OTHER MEANS AS THE BARE MINIMUM BECAUSE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE HAD, UH, SOME, UH, SENIOR COMMISSIONERS OR SAY ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION FOR EXAMPLE, WHO DIDN'T EVEN LIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, OR THERE ARE ARTISTS WHO PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO SHARE, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS PART OF THEIR LIVES ON SOCIAL MEDIA, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO, UM, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S, THE ROLE'S BEEN VERY CLEARLY DEFINED.
THERE'S, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO SIGN ON BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS FORMALLY, LEGALLY SIGNED ON TO DOING THE WORK HERE, YOU KNOW, AND IF IT'S GETS REITERATED, I THINK, UH, IT WOULD BE, UH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
[00:40:01]
COMMISSIONER ZIMAN.UM, SOCIAL MEDIA IS TOTALLY AN EXAMPLE.
I THINK THAT FOR FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION AND IN CONVERSATION WHEN AND WHERE YOU ARE WHEN IT'S APPLICABLE IS WAY MORE EFFECTIVE THAN PUTTING SOMETHING INTO THE INTERNET ETHER.
THAT'S JUST MY EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING FREE AND EASY TO DO THAT I THINK A LOT OF US, I DON'T SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY ARE ALREADY PARTICIPATING IN.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, WE SIGNED A DOCUMENT SOME OF US FOUR YEARS AGO THAT ISN'T IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY THAT ISN'T REFRESHED.
AND I THINK THE SHORTFALLS THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING AS A COMMISSION WITH THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED DO WORK.
LIKE THEY, THEY NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE FRONT OF MIND.
UM, AGAIN, SIGNING IS SYMBOLIC.
IT'S REALLY JUST A COMMITMENT TO, TO BEING THIS CATALYST, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I UNDERSTAND SIGNING SEEMS LIKE A SENSITIVE THING, BUT I THINK THERE IS A PURPOSE TO HAVING A DOCUMENT THAT REMINDS US.
I'M NOT TELLING YOU YOU HAVE TO POST SO MANY TIMES A WEEK OR CHECK YOUR EMAIL SO MANY TIMES, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT MAKE THIS WORK OPERATE MORE SMOOTHLY AND MORE FLUENTLY THAT ALLOWS EVERYBODY TO BE, UM, PREPARED TO BE HERE IN THIS SPACE.
THIS IS IMPORTANT TIME AND TO ONLY MEET ONCE A MONTH WITH AS MUCH THAT'S HAP THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, THIS, THIS IS THE BARE MINIMUM.
UM, AND I'LL, I'LL SAVE IT, BUT YEAH, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? COMMISSIONERS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[5. Discussion on increasing Cultural Arts funding award amounts vs. increasing number of Cultural Arts awards by Commissioner Houston ]
ITEM FIVE, DISCUSSION ON INCREASING CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING AWARD AMOUNTS VERSUS INCREASING NUMBER OF CULTURAL ARTS AWARDS BY COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO ENCAPSULATE WHAT JUST HAPPENED BECAUSE I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE DEC FINAL DECISION ABOUT THIS IS.
I, I HEAR THAT WE NEED, WE NEED MOVEMENT ON ACTUAL ENGAGEMENT ON THE ARTS COMMISSION, AND I HEAR THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE A FORMALIZATION OF THE ENGAGEMENT ON THE ARTS COMMISSION, SO I WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE GONNA RESOLVE THAT BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT HAVING THE ENGAGEMENT, THEN WE'RE NOT DOING OUR JOBS.
SO I THINK WHERE THINGS LEFT OFF IS THAT WE ARE, WE CAN, WE'RE NOT GONNA FORM A WORKING GROUP TO LOOK AT THE, UM, A POTENTIAL PLEDGE WE ARE.
I WILL CIRCULATE THE, UM, THROUGH STAFF THE RECORDING OF THE RETREAT AS LAW, AS WELL AS THE RECAP FROM THE FACILITATOR.
AND WE ARE GONNA ASK FOR A PRESENTATION FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
SO BY THE TIME WE MEET IN OCTOBER, WE WILL ALL AS IN THEORY, UM, IF WE'RE WILLING TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE, LISTEN TO THE RETREAT AND BE, UM, HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT, THAT CAN BE WRITTEN FEEDBACK OR WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION IN REAL TIME.
UM, AND, UH, THAT GOES FOR THE, THE LIVE MEETING AND THE RECAP.
UM, AND THEN I THINK IT'S A CONVERSATION FROM THERE, BUT IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE PEOPLE ARE READY TO TAKE ACTION, AND I DON'T WANNA FORCE THIS.
UM, WE'RE ALL HERE BY CHOICE AND WE'RE ALL DOING A LOT.
I DON'T WANNA UNDERPLAY THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A HUGE COMMITMENT, EVEN AT THAT BARE MINIMUM.
SO I AM GRATEFUL FOR EVERYBODY'S TIME AND PRESENCE AND ENERGY HERE.
UM, JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT A LITTLE LESS LEGALESE AND A LITTLE BIT MORE TRANSPARENT FOR ALL OF US, BECAUSE SOME OF US ARE MORE ENGAGED THAN OTHERS, UM, AS POSSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT PEOPLE TAKING THE TIME THAT THEY NEED.
UM, BUT IT, THIS IS, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
SO DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON? YES, IT DOES.
ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THIS COMMISSION AND THE WAY OUR CITY GOVERNMENT OPERATES IS THAT WE'RE REALLY A TEAM.
NOT EVERYONE CAN BE THE QUARTERBACK.
NOT EVERYONE CAN BE IN THE PLAY EVERY SINGLE GAME.
SOME OF US MIGHT GET HURT AND COME BACK LATER.
SOME OF US MIGHT HAVE ISSUES HAPPENING IN THEIR FAMILY WHERE THEY CAN'T SERVE OR THEY CAN'T SERVE AS MUCH AS THEY WOULD LOVE TO.
BUT IF WE'RE HERE AS A TEAM, AND WE'RE HERE WITH ONE, ONE MISSION IS TO PROMOTE ART AND TO BRING MORE MONEY INTO THE CITY SO THAT MORE ORGANIZATIONS CAN GET MORE ART AND WE PROMOTE MORE ART, THEN THAT'S OUR GOAL.
THAT IS OUR GOAL, AND THAT IS OUR MISSION.
THAT'S WHAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE TO WHATEVER LEVEL EACH ONE OF US IS ABLE TO DO.
DO WE DO IT EVERY SINGLE TIME? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THAT WOULD BE LIKE, OUTRAGEOUS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS TOLD, UH, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THIS COMMISSION BY MY APPOINTING COMMISSIONER, WAS TO DON'T TAKE YOURSELF WAY TOO SERIOUSLY.
YOU GUYS DON'T EVEN TAKE A VACATION EVERY NOW AND THEN.
MOST OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONS.
TAKE A MONTH OFF, RELAX, TAKE IT EASY, LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE,
[00:45:01]
AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOT HERE TO BE JUST ALWAYS ON THE COMMISSION, ALWAYS GOING TO ALL THE OPENINGS AND WHATNOT.I REALLY DON'T LIKE GOING INTO OPENINGS.
I, I, THERE'S JUST TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THERE, BUT I'LL GO LATER ON.
AND I, I LOVE, YOU KNOW, SPENDING, TAKING A DAY OFF FROM WORK.
ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE TO DO IS TAKE A DAY OFF FROM WORK AND JUST RUN ALL OVER MY DISTRICT AND LOOK AT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING I DO, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I LOVE DOING, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I LOVE.
THAT'S WHY I'M SO PASSIONATE HERE.
WHEN I SEE SOMETHING THAT IS AFFECTING MY DISTRICT, I WILL STAND UP.
EVEN IF I'M THE ONLY ONE VOTING, NO, I WILL DO THAT.
AND I'VE DONE THAT BEFORE, AND I'LL DO THAT AGAIN, BECAUSE THAT IS MY, THAT IS MY ROLE.
THAT IS WHAT I, THAT IS WHY I AM HERE TO BE PART OF THIS TEAM CALLED THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND WE'VE GOT MANY OF COMMISSIONS, MUSIC COMMISSIONS, AND LIBRARY COMMISSIONS AND HISTORICAL BUILDING COMMISSIONS AND WHATNOT, AND PARKS, COMMISSIONS AND ADVISORY BOARDS, AND THE LIBRARY BOARDS AND HUNDREDS OF US ARE HERE DOING THE BEST WE CAN.
THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ALREADY TWO DIFFERENT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ASKED ME TO SERVE ON THIS COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, AND IF ANOTHER COMM CITY COUNCIL MEMBER LATER ASKED ME TO SERVE ON, I'LL BE PROUD TO DO IT BECAUSE THAT, THAT IS MY JOB.
THAT THAT IS MY ROLE, IS TO PROTECT THE ARTS, TO PROTECT THE ARTISTS, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S GETTING IN THEIR FAIR SHAPE, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE GET THOSE TAX MONIES IN, BECAUSE WE'RE PROMOTING THE ARTS, WE CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
LAST TIME WHEN THE PANDEMIC'S KIT HIT, WE CUT SO MANY PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO SAVE CERTAIN PEOPLE'S PROGRAM ART PROGRAMS. I WOULD LOVE TO BRING SOME OF THOSE BACK.
I WOULD LOVE TO, TO GIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO NEW ARTISTS, YOU KNOW, TWO $30,000 WHATNOT, TO COME UP WITH NEW PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
I LOVE THE TIMES BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
NOW WE'RE HERE AFTER PANDEMIC.
WE'RE ALL PICKING AT EACH OTHER.
AND WHO'S ON FACEBOOK? WHO'S ON TWITTER OR WHATNOT? AND WHO'S POSTING, WHO'S NOT POSTING? THAT DOESN'T MATTER.
WE'RE PEOPLE, WE'RE A COMMUNITY.
I PROMOTE THE CITY OF AUSTIN HERE, AN ARTS COMMISSION, EVERY SINGLE TIME I MEET AN ARTIST IN MY COMMUNITY, AND I LET 'EM KNOW.
AND MOST OF 'EM, LIKE, LIKE, LIKE COMMISSIONER ZIMAN SAYS, THEY HAVE NO IDEA THAT WE'RE HERE.
THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHY WE'RE HERE, YOU KNOW, ATTEND, YOU KNOW, THE STUDIO TOURS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THOSE ARE WONDERFUL THINGS TO DO.
I LIVE RIDING MY BIKE AND GOING THROUGH THE STUDIO TOURS AND GOING FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER PLACE.
WE'VE CREATED A BEAUTIFUL THING HERE.
THE MORE WE TIE OURSELVES DOWN WITH CHAINS AND WHAT YOU'VE GOTTA SIGN AND WHATNOT, AND WHAT YOU GOTTA COMMIT YOURSELF, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT, THAT, THAT DETRACTS FROM WHAT THE PASSION THAT WE GIVE TO THIS COMMISSION AND TO THE ARTS.
YOU KNOW, AND I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE IT RIGHT THERE.
I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE, THE ISSUE WAS THAT THE CHAIR IS NOT SEEING THE ENGAGEMENT ON SOME OF THE BASIC THINGS THAT WE SAID WE WERE GONNA DO.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE BASIC THINGS THAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMISSIONERS BASED ON THE BYLAWS AND THE MISSION OF THE COMMISSION, TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING AND PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU CAN DO THAT WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO AN OPENING, WITHOUT HAVING TO DO SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE DOING.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN GET A CONSENSUS ON THE COMMISSION THAT THESE ARE THE BASICS THAT WE NEED, BECAUSE EVIDENTLY, WE'RE NOT SEEING THE BASICS.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE TENSION ABOUT THAT IS.
WE JUST NEED AN, AN AGREEMENT AMONG OURSELVES, AMONG EACH OTHER THAT WE'RE GONNA DO THE BARE MINIMUM TO FULFILL OUR OBLIGATIONS ON THIS COMMISSION.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.
COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER SMBA, UM, UH, REITERATING WHAT COMMISSIONER HOUSTON SAID, BUT I DO, WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL, UH, AGAIN, LIKE HEARD THAT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BE, I DON'T THINK WHAT CHAIRS ESMAN IS SAYING IS TO TRY TO BE PRESCRIPTIVE ABOUT THE WAY THAT WE DO THE THINGS THAT WE AGREED TO, BUT RATHER AGAIN, THAT WE AGREED TO THINGS THAT STILL ARE NOT HAPPENING.
WE DID GET, I REMEMBER GETTING AN EMAIL, UM, FROM STAFF THAT WAS ACTUALLY ASKING THE, THE SORT OF INFORMAL SURVEY AMONG COMMISSIONERS WAS TO ASK FOR THE SPECIFIC WAYS THAT WE ALL IN OUR OWN WAYS ARE
[00:50:01]
DOING THE THINGS THAT WE AGREED TO.AND I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T SEE LIKE, THE TOTAL RESPONSE TO THAT, BUT I THINK IT WAS PRETTY LOW.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST WHAT WE'RE TALKING THROUGH IS LIKE, HOW DO WE GET TO, NOT, WE MUST DO IT THIS WAY, AND THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO DO IT BY ANY MEANS, BUT RATHER LIKE, HOW DO WE REACH CONSENSUS ABOUT HOW, AS CHAIR ZISMAN SAID, WE COME OUT OF THE, THE LEGALESE OF THE BYLAWS AND SAY LIKE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FOLLOW THE VALUES OF THIS COMMISSION IN WHATEVER WAY? EACH OF US DOES THAT INDIVIDUALLY.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S SOAPBOXING, I THINK IT'S MAKING AGREEMENTS TO EACH OTHER AND FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THEM.
SO AGAIN, I THINK WE'VE SUMMARIZED LIKE WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO NEXT, BUT I TOO FEEL CONFUSED ABOUT WHY THIS WOULD BE CONTENTIOUS AT ALL.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SMBA, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? UM, WELL, I SORT OF DO, UH, HISTORICALLY, AND I'M LOOKING AT MYSELF AS A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE MOST DISCRIMINATED AGAINST COMMUNITIES.
WHEN YOU START SIGNING OFF ON STUFF AND YOU START MAKING PROMISES AND WHATNOT THAT ARE NOT OUTSIDE OF YOUR, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, YOU'RE SETTING YOURSELF UP.
THERE'S OTHER COMMISSIONERS UP HERE DO NOT WANNA SET THEMSELVES UP.
UH, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING EVERYBODY BEEN SAYING.
LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT IT'S GOING ON.
AND, AND I THINK WE SHOULD JUST TAKE A VOTE, MOVE ON.
I BELIEVE, UH, THERE'S ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE CERTAIN MUCH AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT ON EACH ITEM.
UH, AND I, I SAY WE JUST MOVE ON WITH THAT CONVERSATION LIST WE'VE GOT WITH A POSSIBLE SOLUTION.
THERE'S DEFINITIVE AND, UH, LET'S JUST MOVE ON.
THIS IS NOT A VOTING, UH, SITUATION.
I DO HAVE ONE COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER MALDONADO, EXCUSE ME.
THAT'S ACTUALLY EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY IS THIS IS A DISCUSSION ITEM, NOT AN ACTION ITEM.
UM, AND IT'S NOT AN ACTION UNTIL EIGHT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT, THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING ACTION, WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT IT, RIGHT? SO CORRECT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO MOVE ON.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS.
ITEM FIVE, AGAIN, DISCUSSION ON INCREASING CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING AWARD AMOUNTS VERSUS INCREASING NUMBER OF CULTURAL ARTS AWARDS BY COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.
I'M A BLACK WOMAN WEARING A FLORAL SCRUB TOP
AND, UM, MY PRIMARY CONCERN ABOUT INCREASING AWARD SIZES, AND, AND THIS IS, I WANNA PRINT THIS BY SAYING I KNOW THAT A DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE FOR THIS CYCLE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, HOW, HOW WE FOCUS MOVING FORWARD.
AND MY PRIMARY CONCERN ABOUT INCREASING AWARD SIZES AT THIS POINT IN A PILOT PROGRAM IS THE RISK OF REINFORCING THE DEPENDENCY OF ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS ON CITY FUNDING.
IF WE WANT A DIVERSE POOL, WE HAVE TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE POOL BEFORE WE INCREASE THE DEPTH.
THE COMMUNITY IN THERE, IN OUR, UH, THE SURVEY THAT WAS DONE WANTED A DEEP INVESTMENT.
AND I BELIEVE $75,000 IS PRETTY DEEP.
I MEAN, I, I'M IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY I WORK WITH, WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE PRODUCING ART AND MAKING ART, AND $75,000 IS A DEEP CUT.
SO INCREASING THAT SEEMS OVER HILL, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT MAKES UP 60% OR MORE OF AN ORGANIZATION'S BUDGET.
THE E ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS DOING THE PEOPLE'S WORK BY PROVIDING SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE AND THE BUSINESS ASPECT OF ART.
IT SEEMS WE NEED TO BE SETTING A STANDARD THAT WILL ENCOURAGE ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUAL TO INDIVIDUALS TO UTILIZE THOSE TOOLS AND BECOME LESS AND LESS DEPENDENT ON CITY FUNDS, RATHER THAN INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF THE AWARD THAT WILL, AS HISTORY HAS SHOWN, GO TO THE SAME GROUPS OF PEOPLE.
BECAUSE WITH ANY SYSTEM, THOSE WHO LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE IT EARLY ON AND WHO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HIRE PROFESSIONAL GRANT WRITERS WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE FUNDING, AND IN MOST CASES, RIGHTLY SO.
BUT AT WHAT POINT DOES THE BALANCE BEGIN TO SHIFT TO THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF CAPACITY? THE GOOD FOLKS AT COLOR ARC PRODUCTIONS, UH, CHRISTINE WONG JUST GAVE US A, A, A PRESENTATION AND MANY OTHERS LIKE THEM CAN'T BE EXPECTED TO COMPETE WITH ZACH AND THE LONG CENTER, OR EVEN THE VORTEX.
SINCE THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM, I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE LOOK AT THE MODEL OF THE TEXAS ARTS COMMISSION AND PUT A CAP
[00:55:01]
ON THE PERCENT OF ANY GIVEN BUDGET THAT THE CITY WILL FUND.SET A HIGH BAR FOR GRADING THE ORGANIZATION AND INDIVIDUAL OUTCOMES AND THE DIVERSITY OF THE AUDIENCE THEY'RE SERVING.
AND THEN AWARD TO EVERYONE WHO MEETS THE HIGH BAR IN THE CONTEXT OF THAT INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION'S WORK THAT IS COMPETITION, NOT REDUCING THE NUMBER OF COMPETITORS, BUT BY INCREASING THE QUALIFIER.
THEN IF 98% OF ORGANIZATIONS INDIVID INDIVIDUALS MEET THE QUALIFIER, THAT JUST MEANS WE HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF ART IN THIS CITY AND WE NEED TO SUPPORT AS MUCH OF IT AS POSSIBLE.
COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, ANY THOUGHTS? OTHER, ANY THOUGHTS? OTHER COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER GARZA.
COMMISSIONER GARZA, THANK YOU.
UH, I AGREE WITH A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT COMMISSIONER HOUSTON JUST SAID.
UH, ONE OF MY POINTS THAT I KIND OF MAKES ME A LITTLE BIT UNCOMFORTABLE, I KNOW THAT THE ZACK AND THE LONG CENTER ARE ABLE TO GET EXTRA FUNDS AND THEY'VE GOT SOME VERY WEALTHY PATRONS THAT ARE ABLE TO DO THEIR WORK.
NOW, WHEN I LOOK AT FOLKS LIKE ME, PENA, UH, LOSANO, UH, BALLET EAST, ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THEY DON'T QUITE HAVE THE SAME KIND OF PATRONAGE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO COME UP WITH EXTRA MONEY.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THINGS SUCH AS EQUITY IN THE ARTS PROGRAMS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT PART OF THAT EQUITY IS TO MAKE UP FOR TIMES WHEN, UH, OUR MINORITY ORGANIZATIONS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT COLOR THEY WERE, DIDN'T QUITE GET THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT THEY FELT THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE DESERVED, OR THAT EVEN MAYBE THE COMMUNITY FELT THAT THEY DESERVED JESUS.
UH, WILL, WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT THERE WERE TIMES WHEN ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WOULD GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO ASK FOR EXTRA FUNDS.
AND, UH, I'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE MET AND KNOWN SEVERAL OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT DID EXACTLY THAT.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS IS BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT THE FUNDING, UH, SYSTEM WAS STACKED AGAINST THEM.
AND SO, UH, AGAIN, NOT ALL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE BUILT EXACTLY THE SAME.
UH, THERE'S A DIVERSITY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THERE'S A DIVERSITY IN OUR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, BUT I DO AGREE THAT WE SHOULD DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF, UH, CULTURAL CONTRACTS.
IT IS BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CULTURE CONTRACTS.
AND WHAT I'VE SEEN OVER MANY YEARS, I BELIEVE THE FIRST TIME I REMEMBER WORKING WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION WAS BACK IN LIKE 1987 OR 86, SOMEWHERE BACK IN THERE.
SO IT'S BEEN A COUPLE YEARS SINCE I'VE, I'VE KNOWN ABOUT THIS COMMISSION IS MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE CARE OF OUR MINORITY ORGANIZATIONS, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S TRANSPARENCY SO PEOPLE DON'T FEEL THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING HEARD, RIGHT? AND MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT ALL THE SAME, AND NOT ALL OUR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE THE SAME, BUT THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN PRODUCING SHOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, GET SOME SUPPORT.
UH, AND AGAIN, THIS OPEN IT UP TO MORE ARTISTS.
IT'S, IT'S LIKE A FUNNEL PROGRAM.
OUR FUNDING PROGRAM IS EXACTLY LIKE A FUNNEL PROGRAM.
THE MORE YOU BRING IN AS YOU GO DOWN YEAR BY YEAR, BY YEAR, YOU GET THE BEST.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO GET TO THE BEST.
AND, AND THAT IS BY THROWING OUT THAT LINE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE AND GIVING FUNDS AS OFTEN AS WE CAN.
UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD AS THE COMMISSIONER THAT UM, THE AMOUNT OF APPLICANTS HAS GONE UP AND WE HAVE THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OR ONE OF THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGES OF, UM, FUNDED ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COUNTRY.
SO WE NEED TO KEEP THAT ALSO IN MIND.
IN FACT, I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, UH, TRAINING ON HOW TO FILL APPLICATIONS.
WE HAD MORE APPLICANTS OF COLOR APPLY THAT YEAR THAN WE EVER HAD BEFORE.
AND THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SEE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WERE SOME FOLKS WHO FELT THAT THEY SHOULD GET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY AND, UH, SOME OF 'EM WENT OUT AND GOT LOANS BASED ON ASSUMING THAT THEY WOULD GET CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE CONTRACT READS WHEN YOU FILL OUT YOUR APPLICATION.
BUT WE DID THAT AND WE ELIMINATED SOME PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME ART ARTS ORGANIZATIONS DIDN'T GET ANY ARTISTS FIRED.
BUT WHEN WE DID THAT, WE ALSO MADE SURE THAT OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS DID GET SOME PEOPLE FIRED.
AND SO LET'S MAKE SURE WE DON'T STEAL FROM ONE PERSON TO GIVE TO ANOTHER WITHOUT LOOKING AS TO WHERE WE'RE TAKING FUNDS FROM MOVING THEM AROUND.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? COMMISSIONERS?
[01:00:03]
UH, OKAY.I THINK THE COMMISSIONER
I SEE BIG WAVING HANDS AND I SEE COMMISSIONER CINI.
UM, OKAY, SO JUST TO KIND OF RECAP, 'CAUSE A LOT OF INFORMATION IS BEING SHARED AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M FOLLOWING.
SO WHAT WE ARE DISCUSSING RIGHT NOW IS WE ARE DISCUSSING CONTRACTS, RIGHT? THAT WERE NOT FULFILLED OR NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT I'M USING THE WRONG WORD.
THEY WEREN'T SIGNED, THE PEOPLE DIDN'T TAKE THE MONEY, THE ORGANIZATIONS DIDN'T TAKE THE MONEY.
SO THAT MONEY IS GOING BACK INTO THE BUDGET.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND I JUST WANNA, UH, HEAR FROM STAFF.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT TAKES A FULL FISCAL YEAR FOR THAT MONEY TO BE, UM, I'M LIKE, NOT ELOQUENTLY.
MY DOG KEEPS CRYING, SO IT'S LIKE MY HEAD RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND I HAVE SEVERE A DHD BECAUSE OF THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT MONEY FOR A FULL CALENDAR YEAR.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT I WANT TO LIKE, KIND OF VERIFY IS LIKE, IF I DIDN'T SIGN MY CONTRACT AND I GOT $75,000, THAT $75,000, WE CAN'T IMMEDIATELY PULL FROM THAT MONEY IS LIKE, TAKES A LITTLE BIT TO GO BACK INTO THE BUDGET.
IS THAT CORRECT? I FEEL LIKE THAT WAS SET AT ONE OF OUR MEETINGS.
IT WAS DISCUSSED IN ONE OF OUR MEETINGS.
I BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM MS. ANOVIA.
I CAN'T SEE ANYBODY BUT Y'ALL.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S WALKING UP ANOVIA HOPE WRAP, DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
I HOPE I WAS FOLLOWING THE CONVERSATION.
BUT, UH, TYPICALLY FUNDS THAT AREN'T ALLOCATED DO GO TO WHAT'S CONSIDERED.
LET ME USE LAYMAN TERMS, THE BOTTOM LINE, THEN THAT BALANCE ROLES TO THE NEXT YEAR, AND THEN WE DETERMINE WHAT WE WILL SPEND.
REMEMBER RIGHT NOW, WE COLLECT ONE YEAR AND WE SPEND THE NEXT YEAR.
SO IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, IT JUST ADDS TO WHAT WE ARE SPENDING.
BUT I DON'T, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS THE QUESTION.
I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS THE INITIAL INTENT OF, UH, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.
THAT THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT PROBABLY NEEDS TO HAVE A DISCUSSION JUST IN TERMS OF HOW, HOW WE AVOID GIVING AN ORGANIZATION SO MUCH MONEY THAT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO WITH IT.
NO, DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT OR HOW TO USE IT, AND THEN THEREFORE END UP RELINQUISHING THAT MONEY BACK.
BUT THAT'S SEPARATE FROM WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS THE PROPO.
THE, THE GUIDELINES FOR THIS ROUND OF FUNDING FOR THRIVE ARE INCREASING THE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM ON THE NON, NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, THE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM ARE INCREASING, BUT THE NUMBER OF AWARDS ARE NOT INCREASING.
HOWEVER, FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, THE NUMBER OF AWARDS ARE INCREASING.
AND I'M SAYING, I DIDN'T SAY PART OF IT, BUT I'M SAYING TWO THINGS.
ONE, BEFORE WE START INCREASING AWARDS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ACTUALLY GIVING AWARDS TO THE MOST PEOPLE WHO MEET THE HIGH STANDARD.
EVEN IF THAT'S 98%, THAT'S GREAT.
THAT MEANS WE HAVE A HIGH STANDARD OF ART IN THE, IN THE CITY AND A HIGH STANDARD OF ART NEEDS TO BE SUPPORTED RATHER THAN RESTRICTING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACCESS TO BE ABLE TO GET THE MONEY, BUT INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY GETTING IT.
AND I KNOW THE IDEA IS THAT EACH YEAR THESE PEOPLE CHANGE AROUND, BUT HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, WE'VE USED PANELS IN THE PAST AND HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, THE SAME ORGANIZATIONS GET FUNDED.
SO WE'RE SETTING UP A SYSTEM WHERE WE'RE CREATING A DEPENDENCY WHERE ON THE AWARDS, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE AWARDING AN ORGANIZATION, MONEY THAT IS 60% OR MORE OF THEIR OPERATING BUDGET, THAT THEY'RE, THEY CAN'T SURVIVE WITHOUT THE CITY IF THEIR BUDGET IS 60% CITY FUNDING.
AND WE DON'T WANNA CREATE THAT.
WE WANNA CREATE SELF-SUFFICIENT ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CREATING EXCEPTIONAL ART.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? COMMISSIONER KACH? OKAY,
I DON'T KNOW WHY MY BRAIN WENT TO THAT WHEN I READ THE AGENDA ITEM.
I THINK IT'S BECAUSE IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED BEFORE, LIKE THE RESIDUAL FUNDS.
UM, BUT I DID WANNA STATE THAT I HAVE MADE A SUGGESTION, AND I KNOW IT'S JUST A SUGGESTION, WHICH IS THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON
[01:05:01]
THE ARTS FOR THEIR FUNDING HAS A MINIMUM AND A MAXIMUM FOR CERTAIN GRANTS.AND I DO THINK THAT WE DID HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE PAST BEFORE THIS PILOT PROGRAM WAS ROLLED OUT.
BUT THAT THE, THE GRANT PROGRAM BEFORE THIS PILOT PROGRAM, AS A PERSON THAT'S BEEN IN LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN SYSTEM FOR MANY YEARS, I KNOW THAT IT WASN'T EQUITABLE BECAUSE IN ORDER TO GET A LARGER AMOUNT OF MONEY, SO LIKE $120,000, I BELIEVE WAS THE MAXIMUM FOR PROJECT SUPPORT ONE OR ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT IS WHAT IT WAS CALLED.
UM, YOU HAD TO GET AN AUDIT AND YOU ALSO HAD TO HAVE $500,000.
SO HALF A MILLION DOLLARS OF UNRESTRICTED FUNDS, MEANING FUNDS THAT WEREN'T, UM, GRANTS FUNDS THAT YOU GENERATED AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
SO I DO THINK, THIS IS JUST MY OPINION, THAT THRIVE IS MORE EQUITABLE NOW BECAUSE IT, IT KIND OF REMOVED THOSE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS OF HAVING TO HAVE AN AUDIT, WHICH IS VERY EXPENSIVE.
LIKE IT'S THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO HAVE AN OUTSIDE AUDIT.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, THE UNRESTRICTED CASH OF, OF HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
REALLY, YOUR ONLY, UM, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GONNA HAVE OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS AND RUN UNRESTRICTED ASSETS ARE TYPICALLY, I MEAN, THERE'S VERY FEW THAT DO NOT FALL INTO THIS, BUT THEY'RE TYPICALLY MULTIMILLION DOLLAR NONPROFITS.
RIGHT? AND I KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST MEETING.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SEPARATE FUND FOR LEGACY ORGANIZATIONS.
HOWEVER, I DO WANNA DOUBLE DOWN AND SAY THAT THRIVE IS CREATED FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ORGANIZATIONS TO REACH CULTURAL INSTITUTION STATUS.
SO WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE LEGACY ORGANIZATIONS ON THAT GROUP, I WISH THAT THERE WAS A WAY FOR THAT MONEY TO REALLY BE PRIORITIZED TO SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ORGANIZATIONS.
BECAUSE BOTH OF THE THINGS MATTER, RIGHT? LIKE, ONE IS NOT IMPORTANT, NOT ONE IS NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHER.
BUT I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE COMING FROM THE SAME GRANT BECAUSE THAT GRANT IS EXPLICITLY STATES, IT'S FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THAT'S LIKE MY FIRST LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION I WANTED TO SHARE.
UM, MY SECOND ONE IS, I AGREE WITH YOU.
I THINK THAT IF YOU'RE AN ORGANIZATION AND, YOU KNOW, YOU MAKE $30,000, BUT YOU'RE GETTING $150,000, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY AND A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY, WHICH IS WHY I THINK HAVING THOSE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUMS IS REALLY IMPORTANT SO THAT WE'RE NOT PUTTING ORGANIZATIONS OR ARTISTS IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY HAVE SO MUCH MONEY THAT THEY MIGHT BE SPENDING IT, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THAT THEIR HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE, THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW HOW TO SPEND IT IN THAT ONE CALENDAR YEAR.
RIGHT? AND ON TOP OF THAT, UM, JUST, YOU DON'T, NO ONE GOES FROM HAVING A $30,000 BUDGET TO HAVING A $500,000 BUDGET AS A NONPROFIT IN ONE CALENDAR YEAR UNLESS YOU MEET A BUNCH OF MILLIONAIRES, WHICH IN THAT CASE, PLEASE INTRODUCE ME TO THEM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S LIKE MORE FOR-PROFIT STARTUP STYLE, RIGHT? AND YOU HAVE INVESTORS AND YOU HAVE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT ARE BACKING YOU AND YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS ANALYSTS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO I DO THINK THAT THERE DO NEED TO BE SOME SAFEGUARDS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER TO THAT IS, BUT I DO THINK IT IS, LIKE THE GRANT AS A WHOLE, THIS WHOLE PILOT PROCESS IS 500,000 TIMES BETTER THAN IT WAS FOUR YEARS AGO, OKAY? BECAUSE ALL OF THE, THE BIG DOLLARS WERE GOING TO THE LEGACY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAD HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN UNRESTRICTED ASSETS.
BUT I ALWAYS THINK THAT ASSETS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, CASH.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I DO THINK SAFEGUARDS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT THAT, I'VE ALREADY SAID THAT LIKE A MILLION TIMES AT THESE MEETINGS.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT AGAIN.
UM, I WILL SAY ONE THING, I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS 500,000, UH, RESTRICTED.
IT WAS 500,000, UM, OVERALL BUDGET AND UP THAT WENT INTO A CORE, UM, ORGANIZATION.
AND ALSO AT THE TIME, THE ORGANIZATIONS DID HAVE TO SHOW, I BELIEVE, A THREE YEAR PERIOD OF OPERATIONAL BUDGETS AND, UH, WHERE THAT MONEY CAME FROM.
SO IT WAS, I, I WILL AGREE AS A COMMISSIONER, I DO BELIEVE THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT IT WAS, BUT THERE WERE RESTRICTIONS IN THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WERE GETTING FUNDED MAYBE HIGHER IN, IN THE AMOUNTS OF THE THRIVE, UM, UH, GRANT.
NOW WE'RE NOT MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ORGANIZATIONS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO CORRECT THAT.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? COMMISSIONER? COMMISSIONER GARZA? COMMISSIONER GARZA.
UH, AND, UH, AS SPEAKER JUST SAID, UH, LEGACY, SOME LEGACY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TONS OF MONEY.
[01:10:01]
I REMEMBER MEXICAN WHEN THEY STARTED OFF AT THE OLD AMERICAN STATESMEN BUILDING RIGHT DOWN THE STREET OVER HERE.UH, AND IT WAS JUST AN ARTS ORGANIZATION.
IT WAS JUST A WAREHOUSE, THE OLD AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN'S WAREHOUSE.
AND THERE WERE MANY ARTISTS AND MANY ARTS ORGANIZATIONS INCUBATING THERE.
UH, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE METE MOVE FROM RENTING THEIR BUILDING TO BUYING THEIR BUILDING DOWNTOWN.
AND WHEN I SPEAK TO THOSE FOLKS, FOLKS LIKE LE PENYA AND WHATNOT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE ALWAYS TOLD ME TO WATCH OUT IS FOR CERTAIN WORDS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDINGS, ONE OF 'EM IS, UH, HIGH STANDARDS.
AND BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK AT HIGH STANDARDS REGARDING ARTWORK, AND WE'VE GOT A DIVERSE COMMUNITY, DIFFERENT CULTURES AND DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WILL HAVE THEIR OWN DEFINITIONS OF HIGH STANDARDS.
AND IF WE LOOK AT 'EM WITH A NARROW, UH, NARROW SCOPE, THEN WE MIGHT MISS OUT ON THAT, THAT THIS DISCUSSION BEING HIJACKED AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST THE CONVERSATIONS I'M HAVING WITH THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT I MET WITH AND THAT I KEEP IN CONVERSATION WITH.
AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT THEY'RE TELLING ME TO WATCH OUT FOR.
SO I'M JUST PRESENTING THAT INFORMATION ON THE LAW.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GARZA.
I KNOW THAT THIS ITEM HAS GONE ON A LITTLE LONGER, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO ADD TO THIS CONVERSATION THAT MANY THINGS HAVE BEEN, UM, IMPROVED IN THIS, IN THIS, UH, FUNDING CYCLE.
IN MY OPINION, HOWEVER, THE WORD ART HAS DISAPPEARED IN THIS GRANT PROCESS.
UH, AND I HAVE BEEN VERY AWARE OF THAT AS WELL.
IT SEEMS ART IS NO LONGER THE HIGHEST PRIORITY OF THE GRANT PROCESS ITSELF.
AND I JUST, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY SOMETHING.
MY DISCUSSION IS NOT ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE PROGRAMS. THE PROGRAMS ARE DOING SO MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAD BEFORE.
I HAVE NOT SAID THAT THE PROGRAMS WERE NOT PERFORMING BETTER.
I HAVE SAID THAT I THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE INCREASE THE SIZE OF AWARDS BECAUSE SYSTEMICALLY SPEAKING THE SAME PEOPLE AND HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, THE SAME PEOPLE RECEIVE MONEY.
SO IF WE START INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE AWARDS, WE'RE GIVING THEM MORE MONEY TO THE SAME PEOPLE, WHICH BLOWS A HOLE IN ALL OF THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO TRY TO EQUALIZE THE FUNDING SYSTEM.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, IS WATCHING HOW WE INCREASE THE SIZE OF AWARDS WHEN WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THAT WE CAN HAVE A SITUATION WHERE A COMPANY DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO SPEND THE MONEY THAT THEY RECEIVE.
COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, COMMISSIONER ZUMA, COMMISSIONER ZUMA.
UM, I THINK IT'S A LOT OF AMAZING STUFF HAS BEEN SHARED AND I, I REALLY APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER HOUSTON'S POSITION AND I THINK IT, IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO HEED AND BE AWARE OF.
I KNOW WE ARE RECEIVING A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF LATER, SO I WONDER IF, UM, THIS WOULD BE A CON, LIKE THAT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SORT OF CONTINUE, UH, THIS LINE OF CONVERSATION WITH THE ABILITY TO SORT OF FACT CHECK AND GET, UM, INFORMATION FROM, FROM STAFF.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THINK THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED PRESENTATIONS ON SORT OF PROPOSED CHANGES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS BEEN LOCKED IN.
SO THIS IS ALL VERY TIMELY AND GOOD.
SO I, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, REALLY ALL THE THOUGHT THAT WENT INTO, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION.
COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, I THINK I WOULD, I'M SOMEBODY WHO ALSO LIKES TO SEE STUFF IN WRITING.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY NOT IN THIS MOMENT, BUT I THINK, UM, TO REALLY BE ABLE TO SIT AND CENTER WITH YOUR PLAN, UM, IF YOU COULD SEND THE COMMISSION OR SEND STAFF TO CIRCULATE THE COMMISSION, WHAT YOU BEAUTIFULLY ARTICULATED, UM, BUT SO THAT WE CAN SORT OF READ IT AND SIT WITH IT AND UNDERSTAND IT A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPLY.
BUT I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE FROM WHERE I'M SITTING.
YEAH, I THINK, UM, YEAH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER HOUSTON FOR, UH, PRESENTING THAT.
UM, IT'S, UM, YEAH, THE IDEA IS TO, UM, JUST FIND, FIND THAT BALANCE RIGHT IN, IN, IN WHAT DOLLAR AMOUNT REALLY ADDS VALUE TO AN ORGANIZATION OR AN INDIVIDUAL, AND THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS, WHICH IS ONLY GONNA GROW, UM, IN THE UPCOMING YEARS.
SO THE HOPE IS THAT THE POOL OF MONEY, THE DOLLARS ALSO GROW WITH THAT.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT THE IDEA OF ART MISSING FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND I THINK AT SOME POINT THEY'RE, UH, GETTING VERY CLEAR ON THE INTENTIONALITY, OR AT LEAST THE DRIVING INTENTIONALITY OF THESE GRANTS, WHETHER IT'S ON THE MUSIC SIDE OR ON THE ART SIDE, BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UM, UH, LIKE COMMISSIONER HOUSTON MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS IS THE IDEA HERE WAS ALSO TO BUILD EQUITY, UM, THAT,
[01:15:01]
UH, PERHAPS DID NOT EXIST, UH, UH, EARLIER, UH, IN, IN AS MUCH AS, AS STRONGLY AS BEFORE.SO THEN THE QUESTION BECOMES, YOU KNOW, YES, WE HAVE A PANEL HERE, AS OPPOSED TO WHAT I SEE ON THE MUSIC SIDE WHERE IT'S VERY OBJECTIVE SCORING.
SO OF, OF COURSE, HAVING A PANEL ADDS A, A, A LAYER, A WHOLE LAYER OF SUBJECTIVITY TO THINGS, UH, AND YOU, BUT THERE ARE ONLY LIKE SO MANY PARAMETERS THAT YOU CAN CONTROL, WHETHER ONE IS, YOU KNOW, THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS, YOU KNOW, HOW WE MIGHT BE STRUCTURING THE GRANTS TODAY IN THE PILOT PROGRAMS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, IS THAT EXACTLY THE WAY WE WANT TO CONTINUE? OR DO WE WANNA PULL THE CANDIDATES LIKE NONPROFITS, UH, AND INDIVIDUALS OR NONPROFITS WITH THE REAL ESTATE AND KIND OF PULL THOSE A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, CATEGORIZE THEM A BIT DIFFERENTLY AND, AND HAVE THESE, UH, SEPARATE APPLICATIONS OR, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE KIND OF THINGS THAT CAN BE LOOKED AT.
UM, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S MUSIC OR ARTS, YOU KNOW, UM, I'M TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT WAY TO PUT THIS, BUT THE IDEA OF THE GRANTS SHOULD ALSO NOT BE TO SUPPORT THE GATEKEEPING THAT ALREADY HAS EXISTED IN THE COMMUNITY BEFORE.
RIGHT? IT HAS TO KIND OF GO BEYOND THAT AND SOME OF THE, THE NEUTRALITY AND, AND, AND, AND KIND OF MAKING IT FAIRLY EQUITY DRIVEN, YOU KNOW, AMONGST OTHER PARAMETERS REALLY PLACE IN THERE, UH, WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S MORE FOCUSED ON THAT THAN, THAN PERHAPS REINFORCING SOME OF THE GATEKEEPING THAT HAS EXISTED, UH, WHETHER IT'S MUSIC OR ARTS IN THE PAST, RIGHT? SO, SO THEN, THEN, THEN THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, BUT, BUT YOU ALSO, IT'S HARD ALSO TO SEE, UH, SOMEBODY IN THE COMMUNITY THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS DEDICATED THE, DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO THE ARTS FOR YEARS AND NOT HAVE THEM GET THE GRANT, RIGHT? SO, AND, AND WE HAVE FRIENDS AND, YOU KNOW, WE JUST, JUST ARTISTS FRIENDS THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH THAT, AND IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT, WHETHER IT'S ON THE MUSIC SIDE OR THIS SIDE.
SO THEN IT'S REALLY, I THINK LOOKING AT THE PARAMETERS THAT WE CAN TWEAK, THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, THE, THE CATEGORIES AND WHATNOT, UM, AND JUST TRYING TO DO THE BEST TO, UH, MAXIMIZE THE BENEFIT THAT WE CAN WITH THESE GRANTS.
I AM REALLY LISTENING TO THAT FROM THE SPEAKER, UM, THAT SHE ONLY GOT $2,000 AND SHE, UH, PRODUCED A SHORT PLAY.
AND I WAS GOING TO ANSWER BECAUSE I, I KNOW IT'S IN, IN THE, UM, IN THE, UM, IT'S IN THE, UM, CAN I SAY SOMETHING REALLY QUICK? COMMISSIONER MARK.
THEY ACTUALLY RECEIVED A THRIVE GRANT.
SO I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, LOOKING AT THIS, I'M WONDERING IF, IF, IF THEY ARE, THEY ARE GIVEN MORE MONEY, WHAT CAN THEY DO WITH THAT MONEY? SO GO BACK TO, UM, MAYBE, I MEAN, MAY, MAYBE THIS IS NOT THE DISCUSSION.
MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE SOME COACHING, UM, IN PLACE TO, UH, REALLY HELP PEOPLE, UM, HOW, HOW, HOW CAN THEY ELEVATE, YOU KNOW, UH, WITH THE EXTRA DOLLAR, HOW CAN THEY MAKE THEIR PROJECT BETTER? HOW CAN THEY, UH, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, ARTISTS, A LOT OF TIME THEY ARE IN, IN THEIR CREATIVE, UH, ENERGY, AND THEY MAY NOT BE AN EXPERTISE IN DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE OTHER ASPECT OF IT.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING, I'M, I'M JUST, JUST, JUST THROW IT OUT THERE.
IS THERE A MECHANISM, UH, IN PLACE THAT, UM, THAT WE CAN POINT, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, TO THE ORGANIZATION THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEING ELEVATED, TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A COACHING, UH, AS FAR AS HOW THEY CAN, UM, THEY CAN UTILIZE THEM, THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING EFFECTIVELY EFFECT EFFICIENTLY, YOU KNOW, TO, TO PUT DOWN THE FOUNDATION THAT THEY NEED, UM, YOU KNOW, TO SUCCEED, UH, RETURN BIGGER, YOU KNOW, IN THE LONG RUN.
SO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I'M JUST SITTING HERE AND JUST THINKING ABOUT, WOW, YOU KNOW, UM, NOT EVERYBODY HAVE THE SKILL, YOU KNOW, IN DEVELOPMENT.
SO IS THIS IS OUR JOB TO MAYBE PUT SOME, UM, MECHANISM IN PLACE, MAKES PUT SOME COACHING, UM, SERVICE IN PLACE TO HELP THOSE ORGANIZATION,
[01:20:02]
UM, WHEN THEY GET ADDITIONAL MONEY, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO BUILD ON IT? YEAH.UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SUPPORT, UH, UM, OPERATIONS AND PROGRAMS THROUGH THE STAFF, ESPECIALLY THE THRIVE GRANT THAT IS, UM, TO BUILD THAT, TO REPORT ON THAT, TO HAVE THE PLAN ON THAT.
UM, SO I DO BELIEVE MANY THINGS HAVE BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT.
MM-HMM,
UH, I, I LOVE WHAT, WHAT AMY WAS TALKING ABOUT, I THINK SEVERAL YEARS BACK, I REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, AND I, ONE OF THE THINGS I SAID IS, HEY, THESE LARGER ARTS, ARTS ORGANIZATION, COULD WE MAKE IT PART OF THEIR REQUIREMENT WHEN THEY GET THAT MUCH AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY SHOULD MENTOR NEW GROUPS AND NEW ARTISTS TO SHOW THEM, YOU KNOW, THE ROPES, YOU KNOW, YEAH.
WE'VE GOT WEB PAGES THAT TAKE YOU THROUGH PRESENTATIONS AND WHATNOT, BUT WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE WHO IS CLIMBED UP AND, AND IS PRODUCING AND IS ATTRACTING FOLKS, YOU KNOW, THEY GOT A LOT TO TEACH, EVEN IF YOU'RE JUST HANGING AROUND THEM FOR A DAY OR SO.
I, I MEAN, I'VE HUNG OUT WITH SELIA OROZCO FOR A DAY, AND IT'S LIKE, I, I GET AN EDUCATION IF I'M THERE FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR, YOU KNOW? BUT THESE FOLKS HAVE A LOT TO GIVE, AND I THINK WE SHOULD HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE AND MAKE 'EM PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.
WE'RE NOT IN HERE JUST FOR OURSELVES.
WE'RE HERE AS A COMMUNITY, AND I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE THEM MENTOR.
YOU KNOW, I THINK I'M GONNA ADD ONE MORE THING.
AS A COMMISSIONER, THERE ARE MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR MANY YEARS THAT ARE, SOME OF THOSE THAT ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN SAYING THE SAME THING, HAVE BEEN SAYING THE EXACT SAME THING, MENTOR THE PEOPLE THAT NEED, THEY, THAT'S WHAT THEY WANNA DO.
ANYBODY ELSE?
I, I JUST, ABSOLUTELY, THAT IDEA EXCITES ME SO MUCH.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE, ARE REALLY MATURE, UH, HAVE BEYOND A CERTAIN, UH, OPERATIONAL BUDGET.
MAYBE THEY CAN'T EVEN APPLY RIGHT NOW.
BUT IF, IF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS GET A GRANT, THE MATURE ORGANIZATIONS, AND ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS THERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO USE A PORTION OR ALL OF THOSE FUNDS, ESSENTIALLY FOR MENTORING PROGRAMS ONLY, IT'S WONDERFUL FOR THE ORGANIZATION, UH, PR AND OTHERWISE, AND WHAT THEY'RE GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN, IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
UH, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S, IT'S JUST A GREAT AND THE GREAT WAY TO BUILD EQUITY.
SO, COMMISSIONER MO, HOLD ON, PLEASE.
IF, IF THE MECHANISM IS IN PLACE, AS YOU SAID, YEAH.
UM, THEN WHY IS IT NOT WORKING? THEN MAYBE, MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK INTO, UM, SO WHY, WHY THERE'S A CONCERN ABOUT PEOPLE HAVE ADDITIONAL MONEY AND IT'S NOT UTILIZED WELL IF THE MECHANISM IS IN PLACE.
SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO, UM, REFINE IT AND MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT? SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST HAVING QUESTIONS.
UH, CAN I ADD TO THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA, I DO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAD JUST FINISHED RECENTLY FIRST THRIVE REPORTS ON THE FIRST YEAR OF THAT, UM, THAT GRANT.
SO PROBABLY THIS, PROBABLY STAFF AND US WILL FIND OUT A LOT ABOUT HOW THAT, WHAT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND WHAT HASN'T.
COMMISSIONER GARZA, I REMEMBER WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT.
UH, AND THIS WOULD, THE MIDSTREAM PROGRAM, I THINK SHOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM THE OLD UMBRELLA UNION PROGRAM WHERE, YOU KNOW, A GROUP WOULD TAKE AN ARTS ORGANIZATION AND THEN THEY WERE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY FOLLOWED THROUGH AND THEY COULD BE PUNISHED IF THEY DIDN'T FOLLOW THAT THROUGH MENTORING'S.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN FOLLOW UP MY ADVICE OR YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, BLOW ME TO THE WIND.
UH, AND SO, JUST ONE LAST THOUGHT THERE.
[6. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Laura Odegaard, Acting Cultural Arts Division Manager]
STAFF BRIEFINGS.STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE UPDATE ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX BY LAURA AUTO GUARD ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.
I'M LAURA ODEGAARD, ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.
I AM A WHITE WOMAN WITH SHORT BROWN HAIR WEARING BLACK PANTS, A GRAY BLAZER, AND MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE HER.
UH, SO WITH THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL BE SHARING OUR LATEST HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR AUGUST.
SO THE TOTAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION IN AUGUST WAS $17,332,651.
SO THIS MEANS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR AUGUST WERE $1,655,262.
[01:25:04]
WITH THESE AUGUST NUMBERS, WE ARE NOW 107% TOWARD OUR FY 24 APPROVED BUDGET, AND WE STILL HAVE ONE MONTH TO GO.SO WE ARE 7% OVER WHERE, UH, WE WERE AIMING FOR.
UM, AND AS A REMINDER, I KNOW I SAY THIS EVERY MONTH THERE IS A DELAY IN HOW HOT REPORTING HAPPENS.
THIS PRESENTATION RIGHT NOW IN SEPTEMBER SHOWS FUNDS COLLECTED IN AUGUST FOR HOTEL STAYS IN JULY.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE OUR GRAPH, UM, SHOWING OUR MONTHLY PROGRESS TOWARD OUR APPROVED BUDGET THAT WE ARE NOW OVER.
UM, SO OUR HOT CULTURAL ARTS FUND ACTUALS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 SO FAR ARE $15,550,785.
AND AS A REMINDER, THE FUNDS COLLECTED IN FY 24 WILL BE USED TO FUND PROGRAMS IN FY 25, WHICH BEGINS ON OCTOBER 1ST, AND THEN ALSO INCLUDING OUR CULTURAL ARTS FUND, HOT COLLECTIONS BY QUARTER FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY NECK AND NECK WITH LAST YEAR'S FISCAL YEAR.
UM, WE ARE JUST 86,000 BELOW WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
[7. Staff briefing on the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor ]
SEVEN, STAFF BRIEFING ON THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS BY JESUS PANTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.I'M THE CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.
I AM, UH, LATINO WITH LONG GRAY HAIR, UH, SALT AND PEPPER, UH, BEARD, UH, WEARING BLACK SLACKS AND A BLUE SHIRT.
AND I WILL BE GIVING THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING UPDATE, UH, THIS EVENING.
SO, UM, AS USUAL, I WILL TALK ABOUT OUR CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS.
UM, I'LL GIVE A BIT OF AN UPDATE ON OUR FUNDING PROGRAMS AS WELL AS GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES FOR, UM, SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
UM, SO CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS.
UM, SO THIS IS THE USUAL SLIDE THAT YOU ARE USED TO SEEING.
UH, YOU WANNA LOOK KIND OF AT THE BOTTOM 'CAUSE WE ARE, I HEARD A COMMISSIONER MENTION EARLIER ABOUT, UH, FINAL REPORTS, UM, FOR ELEVATE.
WE ARE STARTING TO GET THOSE FINAL REPORTS IN.
WE HAVE 70 OF THE LAST PAYMENTS HAVE GONE OUT YET.
WE'VE, UH, SPENT 90% OF THE FUNDS ALLOCATED IN ELEVATE, UH, THUS FAR.
UM, NEXUS IS, UH, CLOSE TO GETTING, UH, THOSE FINAL REPORTS CLOSE OUT, UM, IN THE FALL, WINTER, UH, THRIVE YEAR ONE HAS ALREADY CONCLUDED.
THRIVE IS A TWO YEAR, UH, FUNDING CYCLE, UH, FOR YEAR TWO.
UM, THE THRIVE, UH, CYCLE DOES RUN, UH, THROUGH THE CALENDAR YEAR.
SO, UM, THE THRIVE RECIPIENTS DO HAVE UNTIL, UH, THE END OF THE YEAR, UH, TO, UH, DO ALL OF THEIR ACTIVITIES.
THEIR FINAL REPORTS, UM, WILL BE COMING IN IN JANUARY.
SO, UH, WE WON'T HAVE THAT DATA THAT Y'ALL ARE MENTIONING, UH, QUITE READY YET, UM, AS THE THRIVE RECIPIENTS DO HAVE UNTIL, UH, JANUARY 31ST TO FILL OUT THEIR FINAL REPORTS.
UM, AND THEN THE ARTS EDUCATION RELIEF GRANTS, UH, WHICH IS NOT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDING, BUT, UM, IT WAS A GRANT WE GOT FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS EARLIER.
UM, ALL BUT TO HAVE, UH, TURNED IN THEIR FINAL REPORTS.
UM, SO 99% OF THE, UH, FUNDS THERE HAVE BEEN EXPENDED, UM, ON THAT.
UM, AND THEN I WILL TALK ABOUT THE FUNDING PROGRAMS. UM, WE ARE FINISHING UP.
WE ARE FINISHING UP, UH, THRIVE AND ELEVATE, UH, IT'S WRAPPING UP RIGHT NOW, AND I WILL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON THAT.
BUT FIRST I WANTED TO TAKE A STEP BACK TO LOOK AT THE LARGER ECOSYSTEM.
UM, APPLICANTS COULD APPLY NOT ONLY IN, UH, THRIVE AND ELEVATE, BUT THEY COULD ALSO APPLY IN THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
UH, BUT THEY CAN ONLY RECEIVE, UH, ONE AWARD IF THEY APPLY AND THRIVE OR ELEVATE OR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, WE ARE, UM, DOING THE UNIVERSAL ACCEPTANCE STATE OF SEPTEMBER 27TH.
UH, SO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AWARDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ANNOUNCED, UM, LIKE I SAID, WITH THRIVE AND ELEVATE, OUR PANELS JUST WRAPPED UP, UH, LAST, UH, WEEK.
AND I WILL BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A BIT.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A, UM, FINALIZING THE SCORES.
SO WE HAVE ALL THE PANELIST SCORES IN THERE.
WE'RE JUST, UH, RUNNING THE NUMBERS, MAKING SURE EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD.
UM, SUE, WE ARE, UM, EXPECTING TO MAKE AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS THIS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, THEY WILL HAVE AN A WEEK, SO UNTIL SEPTEMBER 27TH TO DECIDE IF THEY RECEIVE FUNDING IN BOTH LIVE MUSIC FUND AND THRIVER ELEVATE.
UH, WHICH PARTICULAR AWARD DO THEY WANT TO RECEIVE? UM, THE WAY THRIVE AND ELEVATE IS WORKING
[01:30:01]
IS, UM, IT WAS A JOINT APPLICATION.THOSE WHO WERE ELIGIBLE FOR BOTH COULD CHOOSE TO APPLY IN BOTH, UM, WITHOUT HAVING TO FILL OUT A SECOND APPLICATION.
IF THEY RECEIVE, IF THEY SCORED HIGH ENOUGH TO RECEIVE THRIVE FUNDING, THEY WILL BE GETTING A, UH, THRIVE AWARD.
UM, IF THEY DID NOT SCORE HIGH ENOUGH TO RECEIVE THRIVE FUNDING, THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE CONSIDERED FOR ELEVATE.
SO THEY DON'T NEED TO DECIDE BETWEEN THRIVE AND ELEVATE.
THEY'RE EITHER GETTING THRIVE OR ELEVATE.
BUT IF THEY ALSO GOT LIVE MUSIC FUND, THAT'S WHEN THE LIVE, UH, THE, UH, UNIVERSAL, UM, ACCEPTANCE STATE WOULD COME INTO PLAY.
UH, WE'RE ALSO CLOSING OUT, UM, OUR NEXUS FALL WINTER, WHICH I'LL HAVE A BIT OF STATS ON THAT, UH, PROGRAM AS WELL IN JUST A BIT.
UM, THAT AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30TH, THREE DAYS AFTER THE UNIVERSAL ACCEPTANCE DATE HAS, UM, CLOSED.
SO, UM, ANY, UH, THRIVER ELEVATE RECIPIENTS WHO, UH, RECEIVE THRIVER ELEVATE FUNDING, IF THEY ALSO SUBMITTED A NEXUS APPLICATION, UH, WE WILL JUST TAKE THEM OUT OF CONSIDERATION FOR THE NEXUS APPLICATION, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S A FLAT $5,000 AWARD.
IT'S A, A LARGER AWARD AMOUNT IN THRIVE AND ELEVATE.
SO, UM, AND THEN JUST A COUPLE OF OTHERS THAT HAVE ALREADY, UH, LAUNCHED, UM, OR WILL BE SOON.
UM, OUR HERITAGE, UH, PRESERVATION, UH, PROGRAM, WHICH IS, UM, UM, PART OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX FUNDED, UH, PROGRAMS. THEY'RE NOW MOVING OVER TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, BUT THEY LAUNCHED, UH, SEPTEMBER 10TH, THEIR APPLICATIONS, UH, CLOSED OCTOBER 8TH.
AND THEN OUR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM, UH, WE'LL HAVE AN OPEN CALL, UH, LAUNCHING SEPTEMBER 24TH WITH, UH, CLOSING ON OCTOBER 22ND FOR THOSE VARIOUS CALLS.
UM, IN NEXUS, AS I MENTIONED, UM, I DO HAVE SOME, UH, STATISTICS ON THAT.
WE RECEIVED 294 APPLICATIONS IN TOTAL.
UH, FOUR OF THOSE APPLICATIONS WERE IN SPANISH.
THE OTHER 290 WERE IN ENGLISH.
UM, OF THOSE 294, ONLY 261 WERE ELIGIBLE.
UM, SO THAT'S AN 89% ELIGIBILITY RATE.
UM, ALL FOUR OF THE SPANISH APPLICATIONS WERE ELIGIBLE, SO WILL BE CONSIDERED, UM, IN NEXUS, UH, FOR THRIVE AND ELEVATE.
I TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST MONTH, BUT WE RECEIVED, UH, 514 APPLICATIONS TOTAL.
UH, SEVEN OF THOSE WERE IN SPANISH 507, UH, WERE IN ENGLISH.
UM, AND OF THOSE 514, 488 APPLICATIONS WERE ELIGIBLE, OR 95%.
UM, AND AGAIN, JUST AS A NEXUS, ALL OF THE SPANISH APPLICATIONS, UM, IN ELEVATE, UH, WERE ELIGIBLE, UM, SO ARE BEING CONSIDERED, UM, AS WE ARE RUNNING THE SCORES TO SEE HOW EVERYTHING SHAKES OUT.
UM, AND THIS HAS A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAKDOWN, UH, BY PROGRAM WITHIN THRIVE AND ELEVATE.
SO, THRIVE OBVIOUSLY, IS ITS OWN PROGRAM, ELEVATE TO, UH, WE DIVIDE INTO, UH, NON-PROFITS AND THEN ELEVATE FOR INDIVIDUALS OR CREATIVE BUSINESSES.
UM, SO IN THRIVE, UM, WE RECEIVED 155 APPLICATIONS THAT WERE, UM, A THRIVE SLASH ELEVATE APPLICATION.
UM, SO 155 APPLICATIONS FOR 35 GRANTS, OR A 23% ACCEPTANCE RATE, UM, IN THAT PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN IN ELEVATE FOR NONPROFITS, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IF THE, UM, THRIVE APPLICANT DOES NOT RECEIVE FUNDING IN THRIVE, UM, THEN THEY ARE AUTOMATICALLY CONSIDERED FOR ELEVATE.
THERE WERE ALSO SOME WHO EITHER DIDN'T MEET THE FIVE YEAR, UM, UH, FUNDING HISTORY OR, UH, NOT FUNDING HISTORY, BUT THE FIVE YEAR HISTORY, UH, REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THRIVE, WERE JUST, UH, DECIDED NOT TO.
SO IF WE TAKE OUT THE 120, UH, FROM THRIVE, THAT WILL NOT SCORE HIGH ENOUGH TO RECEIVE FUNDING.
UH, WE ADD IN THE 72 WHO APPLIED, UH, NON-PROFITS WHO APPLIED IN ELEVATE ONLY.
UH, WE'VE GOT 192 TOTAL APPLICANTS, UH, TO CONSIDER FOR ELEVATE FOR 125 GRANTS OR A 65% ACCEPTANCE RATE.
UM, AND AS A NOTE, UH, THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS HAS A NATIONAL ACCEPTANCE RATE IN THEIR PROGRAMS OF, UM, 48% FOR THEIR ARTS PROJECTS.
UM, AND THEN COMBINED FOR THE NONPROFIT APPLICATIONS, CONSIDERING, UM, GETTING FUNDING IN EITHER THRIVE OR ELEVATE, UH, THERE'S A 70%, UH, CHANCE OF, UH, BEING ACCEPTED, UM, AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION TO RECEIVE EITHER THRIVE OR ELEVATE FUNDING, UM, ELEVATE FOR INDIVIDUALS OR CREATIVE BUSINESSES.
UM, THERE ARE 261 APPLICATIONS, UH, BEING CONSIDERED THERE.
AND SO, AGAIN, BY INDIVIDUAL OR CREATIVE BUSINESS, WE MEAN, UM, ANY TYPE OF ORGANIZATION THAT IS NOT A 5 0 1 C NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
SO INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, UM, COULD BE A, UM, ANY OTHER TYPE OF ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE AS WELL.
ALL SEVEN OF THE SPANISH APPLICATIONS WERE IN THE INDIVIDUAL AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES, UH, FOR, UM, ELEVATE.
UM, THERE WILL BE 100 GRANTS, UM, AWARDED, UM, IN ELEVATE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES, AGAIN, FOR OUR 261 APPLICANTS.
[01:35:01]
A 38% ACCEPTANCE RATE, UM, IN THE ELEVATE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE JUST, UM, UH, FINISHED OUR REVIEW PANELS LAST WEEK.
WE HAD 19, UH, TOTAL REVIEW PANELS.
UH, THEY, THEY, AND WE BROKE THE, UH, PANELISTS DOWN, UH, OR THE APPLICANTS DOWN, UM, INTO, UH, THRIVE, UM, AND ELEVATE.
SO THERE WERE SIX, UH, THRIVER ELEVATE NONPROFIT PANELS.
UH, THERE WERE THREE THAT WERE JUST FOR ELEVATE.
SO, UM, THEY DECIDED NOT TO APPLY AND THRIVE.
AND THEN WE HAD 10 THAT WERE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES.
SO THOSE ELEVATE INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES WERE NOT COMPETING AGAINST THE ELEVATE FOR NONPROFITS.
AND, AND TECHNICALLY THEY WEREN'T EVEN COMPETING AGAINST EACH OTHER.
WE DO ASK OUR REVIEW PANELISTS TO NOT COMPARE ONE APPLICATION TO ANOTHER WHEN THEY'RE SCORING.
UH, THEY'RE SCORING EACH APPLICATION INDIVIDUALLY, UH, BASED ON HOW IT MEETS, UH, THE SCORING RUBRIC.
UM, SO THE PANELS WERE HELD, UH, STARTING AUGUST 26TH, UH, WITH OUR LAST ONE, UH, LAST WEEK ON SEPTEMBER 12TH.
UH, MOST DAYS WE HAD SIMULTANEOUS PANELS, SO WE WERE DOING TWO PANELS A DAY.
UM, I WAS, UH, CONDUCTING ONE PANEL WHILE ANNMARIE WAS CONDUCTING, UM, ANOTHER PANEL.
UH, WE ALSO HAD OUTSIDE EQUITY FACILITATORS, UM, WHICH WE DID AGAIN THIS YEAR.
UH, WE STARTED, UH, LAST YEAR WITH OUR PILOT PROGRAM, SO MAKING SURE THAT EQUITY IS, UH, CONSIDERED BY BOTH, UH, CITY STAFF AS WELL AS THE REVIEW PANELISTS WHILE THE APPLICATIONS, UM, ARE BEING REVIEWED.
UM, SO WE HAD SOME GREAT, UH, FEEDBACK FROM BOTH, UM, SOME OF THE PANELISTS AS WELL AS SOME OF THE EQUITY FACILITATORS.
UM, SO THEY THOUGHT WE WERE DOING, AND THESE ARE, UM, UM, DIRECT QUOTES AS FAR AS MY MEMORY AND WRITING ON MY NOTEBOOK REALLY QUICK, UH, WOULD ALLOW, SO THESE ARE AS, UH, DIRECT QUOTES AS CAN BE, UM, BRAVE AND AVANT-GARDE WITH, UH, REAL TEETH IN THE WORK, TALKING ABOUT THE EQUITY WORK, UH, THAT WE WERE DOING.
UM, ALSO TALKING ABOUT HOW IT WAS A DIRECT AND INTENTIONAL APPROACH TO EQUITY, JUST THE WHOLE PANEL PROCESS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID, UH, BOTH FOR, UM, UM, TRAINING THE, UH, PANELISTS, BUT ALSO JUST, UM, UM, CLARITY AND, UM, BEING OPEN, UH, TO THE REVIEW PANELISTS, IS WE LISTED THE, UH, SCORING RUBRIC, AND I THINK IT TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST MONTH, UH, THE SCORING RUBRIC THAT THE PANELISTS USE IN THEIR TRAINING.
WE, UH, POSTED THOSE TO OUR WEBSITE, UH, FOR TRANSPARENCY.
AND SO, UM, UH, WE DID HAVE SOME, UM, PANELISTS THAT WERE RETURNING.
WE HAD SOME THAT WERE NEW, ONE THAT WAS, UH, RETURNING.
PANELISTS DID SAY THAT THE QUALITY OF THE APPLICATIONS WENT UP, UH, FROM LAST YEAR.
SO EVEN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE VARIOUS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS TALKING ABOUT, UH, COACHING EARLIER.
SO WE HAD VARIOUS APPLICATION WORKSHOPS OR VIRTUAL OPEN OFFICE HOURS, UH, ONE-ON-ONE ASSISTANCE EMAILS, PHONE CALLS, UM, HAVING THE, UM, DETAILED SCORING RUBRIC OUT THERE FOR THE, UM, APPLICANTS TO SEE.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAD THAT AVAILABLE LAST YEAR, OR AT LEAST NOT UNTIL AFTER THE APPLICATIONS HAD CLOSED.
UM, AND THEN, UM, ONE OTHER PERSON, JUST LIKE, UH, THE WAY THE WHOLE PANEL PROCESS PLAYED OUT, UH, THEY SAID THAT THEIR CITY DIDN'T EVEN DO THIS.
SO ALL THE APPLICANTS KNOW IS WHETHER OR NOT THEY GOT FUNDING.
SO THERE'S NO, UM, EXPLANATION OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY LANDED, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY LANDED.
WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE GIVING WRITTEN COMMENTS PRIOR TO THE, UH, PANEL REVIEW, UM, THAT THOSE COMMENTS, UM, CAN BECOME AVAILABLE IF THE APPLICANTS ASK FOR THEM.
SO, UM, JUST HAVING ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PANEL PROCESS, HAVING THE, UM, UH, DETAILED SCORING RUBRIC ON OUR WEBSITE.
THEY REALLY LOVED ALL OF THAT, UH, KIND OF STUFF.
UM, AND WE'RE COMPARING IT IN THEIR CITY ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ARTISTS THERE, UH, DON'T REALLY KNOW.
THEY JUST KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY RECEIVE FUNDING.
UM, SO THAT WAS OUR, UH, CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS THRIVE AND ELEVATE.
I'LL TALK ABOUT, UM, OUR ACTIV UPCOMING ACTIVITIES.
UM, I WON'T NECESSARILY READ ALL THESE.
I WILL READ, UH, THE DIFFERENT, UM, APPLICANTS THAT ARE, UM, DO HAVE EVENTS, UH, COMING UP.
UM, SO AUSTIN WOMEN IN JAZZ FESTIVAL, UM, BY WOMEN IN JAZZ FREE TANGO MONEY, UH, MONDAY BY ESKIN TANGO, UH, STORIES ABOUT BIRTH ORDER.
UH, CHRISTINE WONG WAS JUST HERE, UM, TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR COLOR ART PRODUCTIONS.
UM, AND THEN SIP AND PAINT BY CAPITAL VIEW ARTS.
THOSE ARE OUR, UH, THRIVE AWARDEE ACTIVITIES.
UM, FOR ELEVATE, UH, WE'VE GOT, UM, A FEW MORE.
SO THERE'S A OIDA JAPAN FESTIVAL, A TX BY THE AUSTIN OIDA SISTER CITY COMMITTEE.
UM, THERE'S THE HINDUSTANI CLASSICAL, UH, AND SEMI CLASSICAL VOCAL CONCERT BY KALA DARON AND STORY SESSIONS PER ALL.
I'VE WRITTEN ROGER REEVES BY AMERICAN SHORT FICTION.
WE ALSO HAVE THE AUSTIN SUMMER CARNIVAL BY AUSTIN INTERCULTURAL NETWORK, FUTURE TRADITIONS FEST BY FUTURE TRADITIONS FEST, UH, BY AMERICA FEST, AS WELL AS EAST SIDE KINGS FESTIVAL, UH, BY THE EAST SIDE KINGS FOUNDATION.
AND THEN FINALLY FOR NEXUS, UH, WE HAVE THE AUSTIN ARTS FOUNDATION PRESENTS LOS ARTO.
[01:40:01]
BY UNBOARD ROOM, AND WE HAVE HUNGRY TEENAGE TRACK STARS BY BROAD THEATER.AND THAT IS MY PRESENTATION FOR THIS MONTH.
AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE.
SO I KNOW YOU HAVE COACHING FOR PEOPLE TO DO THEIR APPLICATION.
SO ACTUALLY, MY QUESTION WAS, WHEN THEY GET ADDITIONAL MONEY, DO YOU OFFER COACHING SERVICE OR NOT? NOT THE CITY STAFF MAYBE CAN DIRECT THEM TO, UH, MORE MATURE ORGANIZATION TO COACH THEM, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN PUT DOWN MORE SOLID FOUNDATION, UH, TO BRING THEM UP, YOU KNOW, UH, IN THE FUTURE IF WE KNOW OF RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS AS, UH, CITY GOVERNMENT IS WE CAN'T RECOMMEND ONE, YOU KNOW, VENDOR OR CONTRACTOR OR SOMETHING OVER ANOTHER.
SO IF WE KNOW OF A RESOURCE, UM, WE LET OUR APPLICANTS KNOW OF, UH, VARIOUS RESOURCES.
NOW, THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO DO, AND Y'ALL PROBABLY KNOW THIS, BUT JUST AS A REMINDER FOR THRIVE, IT DOES HAVE A COHORT PROGRAM.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE, UH, RECIPIENTS DO INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER.
UM, I BELIEVE WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS MAYBE LAST MONTH OR THE MONTH BEFORE, WAS MAYBE IN MY PRESENTATION, BUT, UM, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM, UM, TO OFFER, UH, TRAINING, UH, UM, CLASSES, UH, THROUGH THE SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM.
SO, UM, A NUMBER OF THEM HAVE TAKEN, UH, THOSE UP.
UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, UM, KIND OF THINGS THAT WE DO OFFER.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE KNOW OF ANYTHING THAT, UM, EITHER, UM, ALWAYS FORGET THEIR NEW NAME, THE, UH, GREEN LIGHTS, UH, MISSION, MISSION FORWARD, WHATEVER, WHATEVER THEIR NAME IS NOW, MISSION CAPITAL.
MISSION CAPITAL MISSION CAPITAL.
UM, SO IF THERE'S THINGS LIKE THAT, A, CC, UH, NONPROFITS, UM, UH, NONPROFITS IN, OR AT A CC, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S THINGS LIKE THAT, WE WILL, UH, LET OUR APPLICANTS, UM, WHETHER THEY'RE APPLICANTS OR AWARDEES, WE WILL LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THAT.
SO, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, I'M WONDERING, UM, DO YOU COLLECT FEEDBACKS FROM, FROM PEOPLE WHO, WHO BENEFIT FROM THE SERVICE AND YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT KIND OF, UH, OH, FROM OTHER, NOT NECESSARILY.
I MEAN, IF THEY LET US KNOW, LIKE, THANK YOU FOR LETTING US PUT THAT, YOU KNOW, IN INFORMALLY, YES, WE COLLECT THAT FEEDBACK, BUT WE DON'T DO ANY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FORMAL SURVEYS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IF WE SEND THEM OFF TO, YOU KNOW, A THIRD PARTY OR WHATEVER, WE JUST LET THEM KNOW WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE.
THIS IS EXCITING TO ME TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO BE ABLE TO SEE HOW THEY GROW AND BECAUSE THAT IS THE INTENTION OF FIVE ANYWAY.
UM, SO I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION AND ONE CLARIFICATION.
SO I'LL START WITH MY QUESTION.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, UM, I THOUGHT THERE WAS 36 APPLICATIONS FOR THRIVE.
THAT'S WHAT WAS FUNDED LAST YEAR, AND I SAW THE NUMBER WAS 35.
SO, UM, IT IS 35 APPLICATIONS.
LAST YEAR IN THRIVE, WE HAD A TIE.
AND SO THAT IS WHY THERE WAS, UH, 36 APPLICATIONS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE STILL RUNNING THE NUMBERS.
WE'LL SEE WHAT WE DO, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE ARE ANY TIES.
'CAUSE WE ARE STILL RUNNING THE NUMBERS.
UM, BUT, UH, THERE SHOULD BE 35 APPLICATIONS IN THRIVE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, WHEN YOU WERE GOING OVER AT THE VERY END OF, UM, THE EVENTS, UM, OBVIOUSLY MY ORGANIZATION IS HOSTING TWO OF THOSE THAT WERE ON THERE, BUT I NOTICED THAT THE DISTRICT IS, IS THAT THE DISTRICT? UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S OUR, WE'RE D ONE.
AND SO I SAW ON THERE FOR LIKE AUSTIN ARTS FOUNDATION OR COLOR ARC, UM, IT HAD LIKE DISTRICT EIGHT AND DISTRICT NINE, WHICH IS YES.
SO WE ARE DOING THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS WHERE THE APPLICANT IS LOCATED, NOT WHERE THE VENUE IS LOCATED.
'CAUSE I WAS LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE,
THAT WAS MY, THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, THE LAST MONTH'S PRESENTATION, I WAS TRYING TO PULL IT UP, BUT IT WASN'T FAST ENOUGH.
BUT YOU TOLD US THAT SO MANY PEOPLE GRADUATED WITH THEIR SMALL BUSINESS CERTIFICATE AND THEIR SMALL BUSINESS, THEIR NON-PROFIT CERTIFICATES.
SO WE HAVE BEEN PUSHING RESOURCES, PEOPLE ARE LEAVING WITH MORE INFORMATION.
UM, IT IS A COHORT, LIKE THESE ARE ALL THINGS I JUST WANTED TO REMIND US.
LIKE, AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER MOCK, YOU WEREN'T HERE LAST MONTH.
UM, AND SO IF I CAN FIND THAT PRESENTATION, I'LL SAY IT.
OR IF YOU GO TO YOUR BACKUP, IT'S THERE.
[01:45:01]
UM, BUT WE ARE SEEING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THESE ORGANIZATIONS.UM, AND I REMEMBER, UM, IT WAS SHARED THAT THERE WAS COLLABORATION HAPPENING, UM, ON THE INNOVATION SIDE AND THE ART SIDE BETWEEN NONPROFITS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NEVER INTERACT.
SO I DO THINK, LIKE THESE ARE ALL FABULOUS IDEAS, IDEAS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS AROUND, AND WERE ACTUALLY SEEING THE FRUITS OF, OF, OF THIS THOUGHT PROCESS.
SO I THINK WE'RE ALL STILL ON THE SAME AMAZING PATH AND, AND REALLY YIELDING SOME TANGIBLE METRICS IN TERMS OF DEMONSTRATING THAT GROWTH.
SO I JUST WANTED TO REMIND FOLKS THAT WE'RE HERE AND MENTION IT TO COMMISSIONER MOCK THAT WE, WE ARE SEEING, UM, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING ON BEHALF OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION.
UH, SO, UM, UH, WHERE, UH, THRIVE RECIPIENTS LAST YEAR ALLOWED TO APPLY AGAIN THIS YEAR? YES.
THRIVE RECIPIENTS FROM, UH, CLOSE TO TWO YEARS AGO NOW, BUT YES, 'CAUSE UH, CONTRACT WILL BE, UH, GOING, UM, WILL BE ENDING AT THE END OF DECEMBER.
UM, SO, BUT YES, THEY WERE ALLOWED TO APPLY AGAIN.
SO IS THERE A GAP IN BETWEEN FOR A YEAR OR THEY ARE ABLE TO APPLY FOR SUBSEQUENT YEARS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A TWO YEAR GRANT? UM, SO THEY ARE ABLE TO ALLOW, UH, THEY ARE, ARE ABLE TO APPLY.
SO THE FIRST, UH, THRIVE FUNDING, WE WANTED TO START JANUARY 1ST.
I THINK IT STARTED CLOSER TO LIKE APRIL 1ST OR APRIL 15TH, BUT IT STARTED APRIL, UM, 2023 AND GOES THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2024, WHICH IS THIS YEAR.
AND THEN THE NEW THRIVE, UM, WILL START JANUARY 1ST, 2025.
SO THERE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, NOW THOSE, IF SOMEONE DID RECEIVE FUNDING, DID RECEIVE THRIVE FUNDING THE LAST TIME, AND THEY RECEIVE FUNDING AGAIN, THEY'LL HAVE TO CLOSE OUT THEIR FINAL REPORT, YOU KNOW, AND DO ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO THERE MAY BE A SMALL GAP, BUT YOU KNOW, IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SIGN THEIR CONTRACT, WE CAN DO ALL THAT, WE JUST WON'T.
OR THEY CAN SIGN THEIR CONTRACT, WE WON'T SIGN IT UNTIL THEY CLOSE OUT THEIR FINAL REPORT.
WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS GOOD.
UM, AND THEN THEY CAN, UH, CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR ACTIVITIES.
AND WE DO ALLOW, UM, EXPENSES INCURRED UP TO 60 DAYS PRIOR TO THE START OF, UH, THE CONTRACT, UH, BEGIN DATE.
UM, WE'VE ALLOWED THAT FOR YEARS.
AND SO TECHNICALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN DO THAT.
THEY JUST CAN'T COUNT IT ON THEIR, YOU KNOW, FINAL REPORT FOR THE FIRST GO AROUND.
AGAIN, ASSUMING THERE IS SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, GETS IT BOTH LAST TIME AND THIS TIME, UM, UM, AS LONG AS THEY DON'T COUNT IT ON THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACT MAY START A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT IT'S, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, NO GAP, UM, IN FUNDING.
COMMISSIONER HOUSTON AND CHAIR.
I'M, I'M A LITTLE DISILLUSIONED BECAUSE I, I BROUGHT UP AN ISSUE THAT IS A CONCERN IN THE COMMUNITY THAT I MOVE IN AND DOES, IS IT THAT NO ONE ELSE IN THE COMMISSION CARES IF THEY INCREASE THE AWARDS AND THE SAME PEOPLE KEEP GETTING MORE AND MORE MONEY? I MEAN, I JUST, I'M NOT SURE HOW I BRING AN AN ISSUE TO THE COMMISSION AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS NEXT COMMISSION.
CAN I JUMP IN? I JUST WANNA APOLOGIZE 'CAUSE I THINK I GOT AHEAD OF MYSELF AND MISSPOKE EARLIER.
SO I WANNA APOLOGIZE TO THE COMMISSIONER AND TO STAFF.
I WOULD, I THOUGHT WE WERE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE AND THAT I WAS HERE, LIKE I JUST MISREMEMBERED.
SO I APOLOGIZE FOR, FOR ANY CONFUSION THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION AND TO STAFF FOR PUTTING YOU GUYS OUT THERE AS IF YOU HAD INFORMATION THAT YOU HADN'T ALREADY PRESENTED.
UM, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, I AM HERE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND, UM, TO, I'LL REITERATE LIKE, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IN WRITING SORT OF AN ARTICULATED PLAN OR IF THIS IS A WORKING GROUP LIKE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU.
AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN SORT OF TAKING IN DIFFERENT, UH, PERSPECTIVES ON HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THEORY, LIKE PROTECT ORGANIZATIONS FROM BEING FLOODED WITH FUNDING AND THEN STARVE FROM IT WHEN THEY DON'T, WHEN THEY CAN'T BE SUSTAINABLE.
I AFFORDED MY COMMENTS TO I THINK, UH, JESUS PANTEL AND SOVIA AND WHO ELSE? MEGAN AND LAURA AND YOU.
CAN YOU JUST SEND IT AGAIN? SO IT'S TOP OF BOX FOR ME AND HONESTLY I THINK FOR COMMISSION, I SENT IT AT 7 23 TONIGHT.
OH, WELL THEN I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET.
I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, I CARE THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I'VE KIND OF BEEN MAKING THESE SUGGESTIONS, UM, BASED ON, UM, KIND OF BEST PRACTICES WITH OTHER GRANTS.
[01:50:01]
LIKE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS, I'VE REFERENCED A LOT HOW THEY HAVE MINIMUMS AND MAXIMUMS. I ALSO HAVE, UM, SUGGESTED BEFORE FOLLOWING WHAT G OS DOES, WHICH IS ANOTHER DIVISION IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, I BELIEVE IT'S TELECOMMUNICATIONS, BUT IT'S UNDER THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS WITH THEIR GRANT FUNDING.YOU CAN GET IT FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS AND THEN YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO TAKE LIKE A, I DON'T KNOW THE LEGAL TERM, BUT YOU CAN GET THE, UM, TECHNOLOGY GRANT THREE TIMES CONSECUTIVELY, AND THEN I THINK IT'S TWO YEARS YOU CAN'T GET IT, AND THEN YOU GET BACK IN THE POOL.
AND NOT SO THAT THEY CAN DIVERSIFY THE FOLKS THAT ARE ABLE TO GET THOSE TECHNOLOGY GRANTS, UH, FOR PROGRAMS FOR, YOU KNOW, DIGITAL COMMUNICATION IN, UM, GREATER AUSTIN AREA.
AND I WANT YOU TO FEEL THAT YOU'RE SUPPORTED BECAUSE, UM, MAYBE I, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I DIDN'T ARTICULATE IT IN THE WAY I SHOULD HAVE, BUT, UM, THESE ARE SUGGESTIONS THAT I'VE BEEN MAKING FOR MONTHS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION, BUT I THINK ULTIMATELY THEY'RE SUGGESTIONS, RIGHT? LIKE, UM, YEAH, SO I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE THAT COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, I'M AN, I ALSO, UH, HAVE MANY, MANY THOUGHTS AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE I LAND.
UM, BECAUSE I FEEL WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT FUNDING CYCLE AND I'M HOPING THAT THERE'S GOOD COMMUNICATION AND TALKS BETWEEN STAFF AND COMMISSION ABOUT WHAT THOSE NEXT STEPS WILL BE IN THE PILOT PROGRAM.
I FEEL THAT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS RELATED TO BUDGETS THAT'S NO LONGER RELATIVE IN THE SAME WAY THAT IT USED TO BE WHERE AN ORGANIZATION, IT CAME UP, UM, I THINK IT WAS ALISON OR THAT BROUGHT IT UP.
WHEN A, WHEN AN ORGANIZATION GETS A GOOD, A BIG AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S NEVER HAD IT BEFORE COULD ALSO BE A REALLY BIG PROBLEM.
UM, WHETHER IT'S ONE YEAR OR TWO YEARS.
UH, AND ALSO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT, UM, USED TO BE AND IN MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IS A CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT AND PROJECT SUPPORT.
AND THEY'RE ALL VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
AND I THINK THAT IN COMING UP WITH WHAT, WHAT IS WHAT AND WHO'S DOING THE SAME KIND OF THINGS IN DIFFERENT POTS OF MONEY OR DIFFERENT RELATIVE, UM, UM, PANELS.
SO I'M, I'M, MY BRAIN IS KIND OF IS GOING ON IT AND I JUST NEED TO THINK AS WELL BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN EVERYTHING IS LOOKED AT IN THE NEXT FUNDING CYCLE.
'CAUSE I, I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YOU.
THERE'S A LOT OF THOUGHT I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE TALKED ABOUT ON A DEEPER LEVEL.
AND JUST TO, TO CLARIFY, WE HAVE MINIMUMS AND MAXIMUMS. WE'VE JUST INCREASED THE MINIMUMS AND MAXIMUMS. SO IT'S, WE, WE HAVE THEM.
IF WE KEEP INCREASING THEM, THAT'S JUST MORE AND MORE MONEY THAT HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, GO TO THE SAME PEOPLE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE FEEDBACK.
UM, WE ARE HAPPY TO COME BACK NEXT MONTH WITH A, I THINK WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO SHARE TO SHOW YOU HOW THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE RECEIVED THE FUNDING ARE MAYBE NOT THE ONES THAT, THAT PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE.
UM, AND TO SHOW THAT, JUST, JUST TO SEE THE DATA, I THINK IS ALWAYS HELPFUL.
I THINK WE'VE SHOWN BITS AND PIECES OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS ABOUT THIS FIRST ROUND OF THE PILOT PROGRAMS, UM, THE RECIPIENTS.
AND I THINK ONCE WE HAVE THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHO'S GETTING FUNDING FROM THIS FY 24 BUCKET, WE CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE INDIVIDUALS.
AND THEN TAKE THAT AS WELL AS THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU'VE SHARED OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
AND THIS EVENING INTO ACCOUNT AS WE'RE MAKING UPDATES FOR THE FY 25 PROGRAMS, WE HAVE TO DO THAT SO FAR IN ADVANCE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING WITH THIRD PARTY PARTNERS.
UM, SO JUST WANNA SAY THAT THIS IS ALL HEARD.
WE'RE, WE'RE KEEPING TRACK OF ALL THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU'RE OFFERING US.
UM, APPRECIATE YOU SENDING IT TO JESUS AND TO ALL OF US COMMISSIONER.
UM, AND THAT GOES INTO WHAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO COME BACK WITH YOU WHEN WE SHARE THE UPDATES FOR THE FY 25 PROGRAMS. UM, SO I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO BE DISHEARTENED THAT THEY CAN'T KEEP SHARING, UM, ALL THEIR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO DO A LITTLE UPDATE, UM, IN THE COMING MONTHS ABOUT BOTH WHO IS RECEIVING FUNDS FROM THIS FY 24 GROUP AND HOW CHANGES ARE GONNA BE INCORPORATED FOR FY 25.
AND CAN I REQUEST THAT ONCE THE, ONCE THE, THIS NEXT ROUND OF ELEVATE GOES OUT THAT YOU DO A COMPARISON? MM-HMM.
[01:55:01]
DID, COMMISSIONER DID A HAND GO UP? OKAY.WHO I'M NOT SEEING A HAND STAY UP.
IT WAS, IT WAS ME, COMMISSIONER.
AND THEY GO UP AND THEN I'LL LOOK UP AND THEY'RE GONE.
THANKS LAURA FOR, FOR CLARIFYING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE INFORMATION, UM, IN AN UPCOMING MEETING.
AND THANKS COMMISSIONER HOUSTON FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
'CAUSE IT IS, IT CONTINUES TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT AND TALK THROUGH.
I DID WANNA ASK THOUGH, IS THERE ANY EVIDENT, 'CAUSE IT'S COME UP A COUPLE OF TIMES, THIS IDEA THAT LIKE ORGANIZATIONS CAN'T HANDLE GETTING AN INFUSION, PARTICULARLY THROUGH THRIVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE NOT HISTORICALLY RECEIVED FUNDING, CANNOT HANDLE, UM, AN INFUSION OF, OF FUNDS BASED ON THEIR EXISTING OPERATING BUDGET.
AND I JUST, IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED? BECAUSE I THINK IT'S KIND OF A DANGEROUS MISCONCEPTION TO SPREAD THAT, THAT ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE, WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY HAD SMALLER OPERATING BUDGETS ARE NOT ABLE TO HANDLE, UH, YOU KNOW, AN INFUSION, UM, THROUGH A FUNDING PROGRAM.
AND I JUST, DO WE HAVE ANY EVIDENCE OF THAT BEING TRUE OR IS THAT JUST SOMETHING THAT IS BEING SAID? THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP, COMMISSIONER.
I THINK IT IS A COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE SMALL BUDGETS CANNOT HANDLE AN INFUSION OF A DEEPER INVESTMENT.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE FINDINGS FROM THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW THAT, UM, MARGIE REESE AND HER TEAM KIND OF BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT.
AND THAT'S WHY THRIVE WAS CREATED TO BE THAT DEEP INVESTMENT FOR THE SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAD HISTORICALLY BEEN CAPPED AT A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR REVENUE IN PREVIOUS FUNDING CYCLES.
AND FOR, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ORGANIZATIONS THAT RECEIVED FUNDING FROM US FOR 30 PLUS YEARS, BUT BECAUSE THEY NEVER HAD ANY DEEP INVESTMENT AT ONE PARTICULAR TIME, THEY WERE ONLY GETTING $20,000 FROM US FOR 30 SOME YEARS.
AND YOU WOULD SEE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD SLOWLY GROW.
AND SO SEEING THOSE INVESTMENTS IN THE THRIVE RECIPIENTS, I THINK WE SHARED SOME OF THAT INFORMATION LAST MONTH ABOUT SOME OF THE OUTCOMES AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
NOT ONLY THE FINAL REPORT THAT THE THRIVE RECIPIENTS WILL BE TURNING IN IN JANUARY, BUT ALSO WE'RE DOING, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A LITTLE SHOWCASE THING WITH A TXN AND DOING A HIGHLIGHT ABOUT EACH ORGANIZATION AND THE IMPACT THAT IT HAD ON THEIR ORGANIZATION TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL TO SHARE WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT THE STORIES BEHIND THESE FUNDS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T USUALLY SPEND ANY TIME DOING.
AND I THINK THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR US MOVING FORWARD AS WE'RE REVIEWING THE EFFICACY OF THESE PROGRAMS, UM, AND WHAT WE ALL WANT TO SEE IN THE COMMUNITY MOVING FORWARD.
THAT'S REALLY WONDERFUL TO HEAR.
AND IT'S, IT'S NICE, UH, I'M FLASHING BACK TWO YEARS AGO, SO IT'S WONDERFUL THAT WE'VE COME THAT FULL CYCLE THAT WE'LL SEE THE RESULTS.
CAN I MAKE A CLARIFICATION? UH, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, SCHACH PLEASE.
OH, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON CAN GO AHEAD.
I, I I HEARD COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT, THAT MY, MY ISSUE IS ON THE ELEVATE STANDARDS BECAUSE IT'S ELEVATE THAT INCREASE NOT THRIVE, AND IT'S JUST ABOUT, IT'S JUST ABOUT MAKING THE DECISION TO START INCREASING THE AWARDS BEFORE WE SEE WHAT THE RESULTS OF THE DIVERSIFICATION ATTEMPTED DIVERSIFICATION AND CREATION OF E EQUITY ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE.
WE DON'T KNOW THAT WE WON'T GET THE SAME PEOPLE GETTING THE AWARDS YET, BUT WE'RE INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE GIVING THEM ANYWAY.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, COMMISSIONER, SO THE ELEVATE NONPROFIT BUCKET IS $7 MILLION FOR THE FY 24 CYCLE.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE FUNDING 125 GRANTS WITH THAT.
FOR THE NONPROFITS, THE INCREASE IN FUNDING IS WENT FROM 75 AS THE MAX TO 80 AS THE MAX.
SO IT WAS A $5,000 DIFFERENCE.
BUT THE REASON THAT WE INCREASED THE ENTIRE BUCKET WAS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE AWARDS AT DEEPER LEVELS BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE FEEDBACKS THAT WE WERE RECEIVING PREVIOUSLY.
SO JUST, JUST TO KIND OF FRAME THAT, WE DID PUT A LOT MORE MONEY INTO THE NONPROFIT BUCKET, BUT THE AWARDS THEMSELVES AREN'T GOING UP A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND THE DISCUSSIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE THAT THAT $5,000 IS NOT GONNA HELP ME.
I'D PREFER THAT A WHOLE $30,000 GO TO A, A COMPANY OR AN ORGANIZATION THAT DIDN'T GET ANYTHING THAN YOU GIVE ME $5,000 EXTRA.
THAT IS A, THAT IS WANTS RATHER THAN NEEDS.
[02:00:01]
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CHARLA.UH, YEAH, UH, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, THIS IS WHERE I WAS MENTIONING LIKE SOMEWHERE LIKE, I GUESS IT'S JUST, WE HAVE A FEW PARAMETERS TO PLAY WITH AND IT'S, IT'S JUST DOING THE BEST IN BALANCING THOSE OUT TO MAXIMIZE BENEFIT.
AND I THINK, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, IT JUST MIGHT TAKE A FEW ATTRITIONS TO HIT, HIT THE SPOT, YOU KNOW? UH, UH, AND, AND YEAH, I MEAN, I DO DO AGREE.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN ON THE THRIVE SIDE, EVEN SOMETIMES I WONDERED ABOUT, THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING TO THAT, UH, AS TO WHEN, UH, WHEN YOU GIVE A VERY LARGE SUM, UH, TO A, A, A BUDDING NONPROFIT, YOU KNOW, AND IF TWO YEARS DOWN THE LINE THEY DON'T MAKE THE GRANT AGAIN, THEN HOW DO THEY SUSTAIN THEMSELVES FORWARD, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY GONNA BE ABLE TO BUILD PRIVATE FUNDING AT THAT SAME LEVEL BY THEN TO WHERE THEY CAN MATCH WHAT THEY HAD FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS? AND DOES THAT AT SOME LEVEL SET THEM UP FOR FAILURE, AND I'M NOT MAKING BLANKET STATEMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A MIX OF SUCCESSES AND MAYBE FOLKS WHO QUITE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONEY.
SO IT'S JUST HOW DO YOU, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT PARAMETERS.
AND LIKE ON THE MUSIC SIDE, UH, THE $30,000 GRANTS, IT WAS A BIG JUMP FROM THE FIVE TO 10 K THAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
UH, BUT NOW THEY HAVE TWO YEARS TO USE THE GRANTS INSTEAD OF ONE YEAR.
UH, ALSO THEY CANNOT APPLY RIGHT AWAY THE YEAR AFTER.
SO I THINK SOME OF THOSE THINGS COULD BE BUILT IN.
SO YOU CAN BRING IN, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE, MORE, UH, UH, ENTITIES FROM THE COMMUNITY INTO THE MIX, UH, TO BENEFIT FROM THE GRANTS.
WELL, WITH THE INFLATION, UM, I, I JUST DO NOT THINK THAT $5,000 IS, IS, IS BIG INCREASE.
SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THE DATA, UM, TO REALLY ADDRESS THE CONCERN OF COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, BECAUSE WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK INTO THE INFLATION.
ALL THE, ALL THE CAUSES ARE HIGHER, I THINK TO, IN IS NOT A BAD IDEA, I THINK TO INCREASE FUNDING, UM, REALLY TO ADDRESS THE INFLATION AND THE LABOR COSTS AND, YOU KNOW, AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO I, I'M STILL, I'M STILL NOT CLEAR.
I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO WRAP MY ARMS AROUND THE CONCERN FROM COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE DATA.
MAYBE I CAN GET SOME EDUCATION NEXT, NEXT, AT THE NEXT MONTH'S, UH, DISCUSSION.
OKAY, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.
UM, AS YOUR ACTING CHAIR AND THANK YOU.
WHO, OKAY, WHAT HAND COULD I, OKAY.
UM, I JUST THINK IT'S BEEN ONE YEAR, RIGHT? IT IS BEEN ONE YEAR OF THESE PROGRAMS. AND I THINK WHAT I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THIS FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME IS THAT IT'S SO MUCH BETTER THAN IT WAS BEFORE.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT, THAT IT DOESN'T NEED IMPROVEMENT.
EVERYTHING NEEDS IMPROVEMENT, RIGHT? BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE DATA YET.
LIKE I WAS AN ELEVATE RECIPIENT AND I WILL SAY RIGHT NOW, $5,000 TO MY ORGANIZATION IS A LOT OF MONEY.
THAT'S LIKE A SALARY OF AN EMPLOYEE FOR A MONTH AND A HALF OR A MONTH.
I'M JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE.
SO THAT IS, AS AN ARTS LEADER, THAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME.
BUT IF YOU ASK ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, IT MIGHT NOT BE IMPORTANT TO THEM.
SO I THINK NOT GENERALIZING IT, YOU KNOW, NOT GENERALIZING THE FEELINGS OF, UH, THE ARTS ECOSYSTEM AS THIS WAY OR THAT WAY.
I THINK UNTIL WE HAVE THAT DATA, WE JUST CAN'T MAKE ANY ASSUMPTIONS.
BUT I, I DON'T THINK THAT ANYONE WAS IN THE WRONG BY INCREASING THAT $5,000, BECAUSE HONESTLY, $80,000 IS BETTER TO ME THAN $75,000.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY OPINION.
YOU KNOW, AND I'M SURE OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WILL HAVE SIMILAR OPINIONS.
I THINK ULTIMATELY WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT DATA YET.
IT'S, IT'S YEAR ONE OF ELEVATE AND IT'S YEAR ONE TECHNICALLY OF THRIVE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A TWO YEAR GRANT.
RIGHT? SO WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION YET.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING Y'ALL DO.
ACTION CHAIR COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.
AND MY, MY ASSERTION IS WE DON'T HAVE THE DATA YET, SO WHY ARE WE MAKING CHANGES? THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
[02:05:06]
ACTUALLY, AS YOUR, UM, ACTING CHAIR RIGHT NOW, I NEED TO TAKE AN EMERGENCY BATHROOM BREAK FOR TWO MINUTES.SO IF WE CAN, UH, TAKE A LITTLE RECESS FOR TWO MINUTES.
IF NOBODY MINDS, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
[8. Discussion and possible action to solidify consented terms of Commissioner Agreements as discussed at the 6/25 Arts Commission Retreat ]
ON THE AGENDA'S DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. AND I DO BELIEVE THAT ITEM NUMBER EIGHT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT.I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO REVISIT IT OR WE NEED TO, UM, WE CAN POSTPONE IT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANY ACTION THAT IS GOING TO BE TAKEN RIGHT NOW.
UH, COMMISSIONER ZIMMAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO CLOSE THAT OR SAY ANYTHING WITH REGARD TO ITEM EIGHT? I THINK WE'VE ALREADY TOUCHED ON IT, CORRECT? I AGREE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, SEE IF
[9. Approve the Final Design for Corridor: Seg A Escarpment Trailhead AIPP Project – Yuliya Lanina]
THERE'S A MOVE TO APPROVE ON CONSENT.I SAW THE, UH,
UH, ITEM 10 APPROVED THE RECOMMENDATION
[10. Approve the recommendation of the proposed place-based enhancements strategy and economic incentives for affordability and cultural preservation ]
OF THE PROPOSED PLACE BASED ENHANCEMENT STRATEGY AND ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR AFFORDABILITY AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION.THAT WAS ALSO, UM, UH, AN ITEM IN YOUR ATTACHMENTS, HOPING THAT EVERYBODY DID SEE THAT.
CAN WE MOVE FOR A APPROVAL ON CONSENT ON ITEM 10? SO MOVED.
I SAW IT SECOND BY COMMISSIONER ZIMAN.
ALL IN FAVOR? IT'S MOVE TO APPROVE.
[11. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Gray, Maldonado, and Schmalbach (chair). ]
UPDATE FROM JOINT ARTS MUSIC COMMISSION WORKING GROUP ON URBAN CORE ISSUES WITH COMMISSIONERS, GRAY MALDONADO AND MACH CHAIR.UM, WELL WE JUST DID SOME OF THAT, THAT THE APPROVALS THAT OR THE, UM, RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CREATIVE SPACE DENSITY BONUS AND THE PLACE-BASED ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM, UM, HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH STAFF AROUND THAT IN THE WORKING GROUP FOR MANY, MANY, MANY MONTHS.
AND BOTH OF THOSE THINGS, AS Y'ALL RECALL, HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO COMMISSION AT PREVIOUS MEETINGS.
AND JUST AN UPDATE THAT, UM, THE VOTE ON THE PLACE-BASED ENHAN, UNLESS THIS HAS CHANGED.
BUT THE LAST UPDATE THAT WE GOT, UM, WAS THAT THE PLACE-BASED ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM, UM, WOULD BE VOTED ON ON THE 26TH.
UM, SO OF COURSE LIKE ALWAYS ENCOURAGING FOLKS WHO, UH, ARE IN SUPPORT OF THESE PROGRAMS TO VOICE THAT SUPPORT, UM, WHETHER TO THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER OR TO, UM, SIGN UP TO SPEAK AT THE COUNCIL MEETING WHERE THESE ARE BEING DISCUSSED.
AND THEN THE MOST RECENT UPDATE ON THE CREATIVE SPACE DENSITY BONUS ZONING PROGRAM IS GOING TO PLANNING COMMISSION ON THE 24TH.
AND THEN WE'LL BE IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL ON 10 10.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE DATES AND REPORTS.
[12. Update from Community Engagement Working Group on collecting feedback on pilot funding programs and planning on ways the Arts Commission can be more involved in the community with Commissioners Zisman, Houston, and Kracheni (chair)]
12, UPDATE FROM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP ON COLLECTING FEEDBACK ON PILOT FUNDING PROGRAMS AND PLANNING ON WAYS THE ARTS COMMISSION COULD BE MORE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY WITH COMMISSIONER ZIMAN HOUSTON AND CHENEY CHAIR.UH, SO WE HAVEN'T MET, SO WE HAVEN'T MET, UM, BUT I WAS GOING TO SAY I DID HAVE A QUESTION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ALLOWED TO BE ASKED, BUT I DID ASK STAFF EARLIER, WHICH IS, UM, CHRISTINE'S EVENT.
UM, AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE CLARITY ON, UM, IF SHE COULD OFFER US COMP TICKETS.
I ACTUALLY TOLD HER SHE COULD BECAUSE I'VE GOTTEN COMP TICKETS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BEFORE AND I ASKED LAST YEAR, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PUBLICLY ASKED THIS QUESTION, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THIS IS A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GROUP.
SO IF THESE ARE TICKETED EVENTS THAT ARE UNDER X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, CAN THEY OFFER THOSE TO COMMISSIONERS? IT'S NOT AN UPDATE QUESTION.
WE'RE ABOUT TO HEAR FROM STAFF.
UM, SO THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
HISTORICALLY, IT HAS BEEN ALLOWED, UM, ESPECIALLY AS LONG AS FOR US ANYWAY, AS CITY EMPLOYEES, IT HAS TO BE UNDER $50,
[02:10:02]
UM, FOR THE VALUE OF THE TICKET.UM, WE DO HAVE OUR LIAISON AND EXECUTIVE LIAISON REFRESHER CLASS TOMORROW MORNING IN THIS VERY ROOM.
SO WE WILL CONFIRM WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND GET BACK TO YOU ALL TOMORROW ABOUT THAT, JUST SO WE'RE NOT GIVING OUT ANY, UM, MISINFORMATION.
BUT HISTORICALLY IT HAS BEEN ALLOWED.
MM-HMM,
I HOPE WE CAN GO TO THE EVENT AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
UM, I WILL SAY, UM, IT'S GONNA BE THE LAST EVENT AT THIS LOCATION FOR MOTION MEDIA ART CENTER AS WELL.
UM, SO I INVITE ALL OF YOU TO COME 'CAUSE IT'S AN END OF AN ERA AT, AT THAT 10 YEAR, 10 YEARS AT THAT LOCATION.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ARE THERE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I, I WANT FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. OH, ALL WE, WE NEVER GOT, DO WE HAVE A DATE ON WHEN WE'RE GETTING THE, THE INFORMATION FROM THE HOT FOCUS GROUPS THAT MEASURE? DID, CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC THAT I, THE HOT THEY DID FOCUS GROUPS.WHAT, WHERE ARE WE GONNA GET THE RESULTS? HI, HELLO.
SO MEASURE JUST REACHED OUT TO, UM, JUSTIN, WHO'S OUR EQUITY LIAISON WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, SAYING THAT THEY HOPE TO HAVE THE FINAL REPORT BY THE END OF THIS MONTH.
AND THEN ONCE WE GET THAT FINAL REPORT AND IT'S REVIEWED INTERNALLY, THEN WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT IS ON THE FUTURE AGENDAS FOR THIS COMMISSION AND OTHER COMMISSIONS AS NEEDED.
UM, AND MEASURE WILL BE COMING TO PRESENT THEIR FINDINGS TO YOU ALL AT THAT TIME.
SO PROBABLY OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, I'M HOPING OCTOBER, BUT MAYBE OCTOBER, BUT DEFINITELY BY THE NOVEMBER MEETING.
AND COMMISSIONER MARK, YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YES.
UM, TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND I DID DO MY WORK.
I WAS INVITED, UM, TO A PLACE THAT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT EXISTS.
IT IS CALLED GOOD DAD STUDIOS.
UH, IT IS RIGHT OFF, UM, UH, SOUTH IH 35, UH, 28 0 1.
AND IT'S SUCH A GREAT STUDIO SPACE.
THEY, THEY HAVE A HUNDRED, YOU KNOW, UM, AND 30, UH, INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATION IN THIS, YOU KNOW, CREATIVE SPACE.
AND EVERY SECOND SATURDAY, UM, THEY HAVE A WHOLE OPEN HOUSE, UM, FROM ONE TO 6:00 PM THAT PEOPLE CAN GO IN AND VISIT DIFFERENT STUDIOS, UH, AND MAYBE PURCHASE THE ARTWORK FROM THE, UM, FROM THE ARTISTS.
SO I THINK IT IS, YOU KNOW, IT IT IS, IT IS SOMEWHERE THAT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, INTRODUCE IT TO EVERYBODY AND SUPPORT THE LOCAL ARTISTS.
THESE ARE ALL THE LOCAL ARTISTS AND THEY ALSO HAVE NONPROFIT, UH, UH, STUDIO THERE THAT, UH, THEY OFFER ART, UM, CLASSES TO AUTISTIC CHILDREN, TO, UM, DOWN SYNDROME CHILDREN.
AND, UH, I THINK THIS IS A WONDERFUL SPACE.
JUST WANTED TO, UM, PROMOTE THAT AND HAVE PEOPLE TO GO IN AND JUST CHECK OUT, UH, ALL THE DIFFERENT STUDIOS.
JUST WANNA BACK UP, JUST BE SURE NOBODY ELSE HAS ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THEY WOULD LIKE TO ADD.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MOTT FOR JUMPING TO THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, ITEMS OF INTEREST.
I'M JUST ABOUT TO DO THAT GUYS.
UM, COMMISSIONER ACH, DO YOU WANNA GO FIRST? YEAH, I DID HAVE A REQUESTED, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS PROBABLY A STAFF PRE A RIVETING PRESENTATION THAT I'M SURE THEY'LL BE THRILLED TO GIVE ON THE BUDGET PROCESS.
I KNOW THAT, UM, CHAIR ESMAN AND I HAVE KEPT, UM, EVERYONE UPDATED THAT WE HAVE BEEN MAKING THE ROUNDS TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL OFFICES TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE COMMISSIONS REQUESTED BUDGET ITEMS, WHICH ARE SEPARATE FROM THE
[02:15:01]
CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION, STAFF BUDGET REQUESTS.UM, NONE OF THOSE WERE FUNDED, NOT ON, ON THE COMMISSION REQUEST.
NONE OF THOSE MADE IT INTO THE BUDGET, WHICH IS DISAPPOINTING.
UM, BUT I THINK JUST MORE BROADLY, I THINK THERE'S GENERAL KIND OF CONFUSION ABOUT HOW THE WHOLE PROCESS WORKS.
AND IT'S DEFINITELY A PLACE WHERE I THINK THAT WE COULD EDUCATE, UM, OR, OR HELP SHARE INFORMATION WITH THE BROADER COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW TO SHOW UP FOR THE BUDGET PROCESS, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY AN, A HUGE PART OF, UM, OUR POTENTIAL LIKE SPHERE OF INFLUENCE AND HOW THE CITY, YOU KNOW, OUR SAY IN HOW THE CITY OPERATES.
SO I WAS HOPING THAT WE COULD GET A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM WHERE THE STAFF KINDA WALKS US THROUGH.
AND THIS SORT OF GOES BACK TO THE, TO THE, TO THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COMMISSION, UM, ADVISING COUNCIL VERSUS THE STAFF.
BUT I THINK WALKING THROUGH KIND OF THE TWO OR MULTIPLE AVENUES THAT BUDGET REQUESTS ARE MADE WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, NOT ONLY TO THE COMMISSION, BUT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SHARE AND, AND, AND, UM, TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO SHOW UP TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
COMMISSIONER SCHACH AND COMMISSIONER ZIMAN.
I HAVE AN ITEM THAT POTENTIALLY, UM, I'M NOT FOR SURE THAT IT NEEDS TO BE A PRESENTATION NEXT MONTH, BUT IT IS IT LIKE STRADDLING FUTURE AGENDA ITEM AND ALSO, UM, ITEMS FOR INFORMATION, UM, PARTICULARLY FOR THE, UM, THE DOUGHERTY ART CENTER IS BASICALLY IN BEING THREATENED IN THIS MOMENT.
UM, AND I, UH, HAVE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, FORMER PARK DIRECTOR LAURA ESPARZA, WHO IS PARTICIPATING IN THE GROUP, THE FRIENDS OF DOHERTY.
UM, THERE IS AN INFORMATION MEETING ON THE 17TH, WHICH IS TOMORROW.
UM, BUT SHE HAS A PRESENTATION PREPARED THAT SHE'S TAKEN TO TOURISM THAT I'VE INVITED HER TO PRESENT HERE.
UM, AND SO I THINK IT SHOULD AGENDA ALLOW, UM, IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO HAVE HER.
I DO WANNA JUST SHARE THE INFORMATION, UM, THAT WAS PASSED ALONG TO ME EARLIER OR LAST WEEK.
UM, IN MARCH OF 2024, CITY OFFICIALS OF THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT PRESENTED TO COUNCIL A PLAN TO ELIMINATE THE COMPLETED BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS FOR THE DOUGHERTY ART CENTER.
SOME OF MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS WERE A PART, WERE PRESENT FOR THE PRESENTATION FROM THOSE ARCHITECTS, SO THAT'S PRETTY DEVASTATING.
UM, THE DOUGHERTY ART CENTER IS THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD, THE UNDERDOG ART SPACE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IT IS A LEGACY BUILDING, UM, AND I THINK IT DESERVES A CLOSER LOOK, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE THAT WERE HERE, CAN REMEMBER THESE BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECT DRAWINGS OF, OF WHAT THAT CENTER WAS GOING TO BE.
UM, SO THE MEETING IS TOMORROW SEVEN TO 8:00 PM AT THE DOUGHERTY, UH, 1110 BARTON SPRINGS ROAD.
UM, THERE IS A DIGITAL PETITION THAT CAN BE SIGNED THAT I WILL FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO STAFF, UM, AND IF THERE ARE ANY FELLOW CO, UH, COMMISSIONERS THAT WANNA READ IT AND TAKE IN INFORMATION.
BUT I THINK GETTING A PRESENTATION FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER.
SEVEN TO EIGHT AT THE DOHERTY.
IF THERE IS NO OTHER BUSINESS, I MOVE TO ADJOURN.
COMMISSIONER GARZA, MOVED IS SECOND.
UH, COMMISSIONER MARK WAS FIRST.