* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:02]
          WE HAVE QUORUM. 
          WE'RE GONNA 
          [CALL TO ORDER]
GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. 
          AVI, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY IN THE DIGITAL WAITING ROOM? UH, IT'S JUST THE, THAT'S IT. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          IT IS OCTOBER 21ST, 2024, 6:00 PM UM, LET'S CALL TO ORDER THE OCTOBER ARTS COMMISSION MEETING. 
          I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND TAKE ROLE. 
          COMMISSIONER MALDONADO PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER HOUSTON PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER GRAY PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER SCHMUCK PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER NEY PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER MOCK, UH, PRESENT. 
          AND I'M COMMISSIONER ZISMAN. 
          UM, WITH THAT WE'RE GONNA GO 
          [PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ]
INTO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. 
          ALL SPEAKERS TODAY SEEM TO BE SIGNED UP FOR ITEM FIVE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BONNIE COLUMN FROM THE VORTEX. 
          SO, BONNIE, COME ON DOWN. 
          YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          I'M BONNIE CULLUM, PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE VORTEX, A 30 YEAR CULTURAL CONTRACTOR. 
          NON-PROFITS WHO RUN YEAR-ROUND VENUES LIKE THE VORTEX HAVE NO FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          NO CSAP FUNDING LAST YEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCESS BOND DOLLARS. 
          SKYROCKETING PROPERTY TAXES, INCREASING RENTALS, ESCALATING, UM, THE HIGH INSURANCE, AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU INCREASED UTILITY RATES. 
          THIS YEAR, THE VORTEX WILL PAY THE CITY OF AUSTIN ABOUT $45,000 JUST IN ENERGY, ELECTRICITY, AND WATER. 
          UM, WHILE WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR FUNDING FOR CULTURAL CONTRACTS, AUSTIN'S SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED VENUES HAVE NO FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR OUR STRUGGLING WORK. 
          I, I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE, UM, CONTINUED CLOSURES OF OUR PRECIOUS THEATERS, PERFORMANCE SPACES, GALLERIES, DANCE STUDIOS, DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF RUNNING A SPACE IN AUSTIN. 
          LOOK AT ALL THE RESTAURANTS GOING OUTTA BUSINESS. 
          HOW ARE THE ARTS VENUES GONNA STAY IN BUSINESS? WE REALLY NEED LEADERSHIP FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION. 
          SO I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE URGE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THIS, TO HELP WITH THIS DIRE SITUATION. 
          WHEN I SPOKE PASSIONATELY BEFORE YOU IN JULY, I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE ROLE OF THE ARTS COMMISSION HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY SHIFTED FROM A FORMER POWERFUL ONE. 
          THE JUNE, 2021 REPORT RE-ENVISIONING EQUITABLE CULTURAL FUNDING STATES THAT IT WILL RECALIBRATE THE ROLE OF THE ARTS COMMISSION FROM A DIRECTIVE ROLE TO A SUPPORTIVE ONE. 
          ARTS COMMISSION ADVISES ON LONG-TERM STRATEGY, WHILE CITY STAFF DETERMINES HOW TO IMPLEMENT LONG-TERM STRATEGIES FOR THE PUBLIC ARTS COMMISSION CONNECTS THE WORK OF THE CITY TO RESIDENTS IN THEIR DISTRICTS AND COMMUNITIES. 
          I'D LIKE TO BRING THIS UP BECAUSE, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THIS, BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT AT THE VERY LEAST, STAFF DIRECTION OF ARTS FUNDING IS NOT ENTIRELY WORKING. 
          AND NOW THERE'S ACTUALLY NO OVERSIGHT FROM THIS ARTS COMMISSION, BUT WORKING SIDE BY SIDE, BUT NOT OVERSIGHT AND, UM, THE ARTS POLICY, UH, THE OVERSIGHT OF THE ARTS POLICY BY THE COMMISSION. 
          AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AROUND THE PROCESS. 
          I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE, PLEASE RECONSIDER THE LEADERSHIP ROLE OF THE ARTS COMMISSION AND THAT YOU RECOMMEND MORE FUNDING FOR NONPROFIT VENUES SO THAT WE CAN PAY THE BILLS AND KEEP THE DOORS OPEN. 
          IT WOULD BENEFIT THE WHOLE AUSTIN CULTURAL CITY. 
          AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE WHO MAY SPEAK TONIGHT TO ISSUES AROUND THE FUNDING CYCLE. 
          I DON'T THINK I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO STAY BECAUSE I HAVE REHEARSAL FOR SALVADOR DALI'S NAKED FEAST. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          WITH THAT, 
          [APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
WE WILL GO ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. 
          UM, THERE IS A TYPO ON THE THIS AGENDA, BUT WE ARE APPROVING SEPTEMBER'S MINUTES AND NOT AUGUST. 
          CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE? ALMOST MOVE TO APPROVE. 
          COMMISSIONER GRAY. 
          IS THERE A SECOND COMMISSION? UH, COMMISSIONER CNI SECONDS. 
          I ALSO WANNA NOTE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER MELA HAS JOINED US ON THE DAIS. 
          ALL IN FAVOR OF SUPPORT OF THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. 
          UNANIMOUS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, ITEM TWO IS 
          [2. Discussion of Chair’s Report on Thrive and Elevate by Chair Zisman]
DISCUSSION OF THE CHAIR'S REPORT ON THRIVE AND ELEVATE. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          AND MY NAME IS SEL SIMAN. 
          MY PRONOUNS ARE THEY THEM. 
          I'M THE PERSON OF COLOR WITH BROWN HAIR WEARING THE TURQUOISE SWEATER. 
          I WILL DO MY BEST TO KEEP THIS BRIEF IN OUR SHARED TIME THIS EVENING. 
          I WANNA SHARE THAT IT WAS OUR HOPE TODAY THAT 
          [00:05:01]
TODAY'S MEETING COULD SERVE AS AN OPEN FORUM FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE COMMISSION AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. 
          BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE NOT PERMITTED TO DO SO DUE TO THE CONFINES OF ROBERT'S RULES. 
          UH, I WANNA START BY SAYING CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE THAT RECEIVED THRIVENT ELEVATE IN THIS LAST ROUND. 
          ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE WORK PRODUCTIONS AND ARTS CONTRIBUTIONS TO COME OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. 
          WHILE I AM CELEBRATORY FOR THOSE AWARDED, I AM ALSO IN DEEP TURMOIL OVER THE ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SUPPORTED THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS AND THE FEEDBACK THE PROCESS HAS RECEIVED, WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING IS NOT HAPPENING IN A VACUUM. 
          GRANTS CREATED FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX HOT ARE THE SINGLE SOURCE OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE CITY. 
          FOR EVERYONE FROM LARGE ARTS INSTITUTIONS DOWN TO INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, THE TOTAL NEEDED TO HAVE MET THE REQUESTED AMOUNT FOR THE ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS OF THIS LAST POOL IS $45 MILLION. 
          THAT NUMBER SPEAKS RESOUNDINGLY TO THE NEED OF THIS COMMUNITY. 
          IT IS NEWS TO NO ONE THAT HOT ALONE, A VOLATILE SOURCE OF FUNDS WILL NOT MEET SAID NEED FOR AUSTIN TO RETAIN ITS IDENTITY AS A PLACE FOR CREATIVES AND A DESTINATION FOR CULTURAL TOURISM, THERE MUST BE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THE ARTS AT THE MAYORAL AND COUNCIL LEVEL. 
          NOW, AUSTIN NEEDS FOUNDATIONAL PRIOR PRIORITIZATION OF THE ARTS AT A POLICY LEVEL THROUGHOUT ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS. 
          OR WE AS A COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO SUFFER ATROPHY AND ASSUREDLY DISAPPEAR. 
          WHAT IS ALSO MISSING ARE THE PRIVATE AND CORPORATE PATRONS THAT ALL CITIES RELY ON FOR A ROBUST AND VIBRANT ARTS LANDSCAPE. 
          THE OVERALL INVESTMENT FROM THE INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE CITIZENS ALIKE NEEDS TO INCREASE. 
          AND THOSE ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF THE CREATIVE LABOR NEED TO SHOW UP IN THE FORM OF TICKET HOLDERS. 
          MEMBERS OF INSTITUTIONS, PATRONS AND DONORS, AUSTIN'S GROWTH, HOUSING, AND AFFORDABILITY ARE ISSUES ALL A PART OF THE FORMULA FOR OUR PRESENT STANDINGS. 
          WITH EARLY VOTING BEGINNING TODAY, I WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO IDENTIFY THE CANDIDATES THAT ALIGN WITH THE VALUES AND VISIONS OF THE AUSTIN THAT YOU WANT TO LIVE IN. 
          GO VOTE. 
          WITH THAT, WE'RE MOVING ON 
          [3. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Laura Odegaard, Acting Cultural Arts Division Manager]
TO STAFF BRIEFINGS. 
          UH, ITEM THREE, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING UPDATE ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX BY LAURA ODEGAARD, ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER. 
          THANKS, LAURA. 
          GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. 
          SOUNDS LIKE THE AIR CONDITIONING JUST KICKED ON, SO THAT IS EXCITING. 
          YAY. 
          UH, I'M LAURA ODEGAARD, ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER. 
          I'M A WHITE WOMAN WITH BROWN HAIR WEARING A CREAM AND BLACK STRIPED DRESS WITH A BLACK BLAZER. 
          MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE HER. 
          UH, WITH THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL BE SHARING OUR LATEST HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX NUMBERS, UH, FOR SEPTEMBER, AND WE'LL TRY TO USE THE CLICKER MYSELF. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO THE TOTAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION NUMBERS IN SEPTEMBER WERE $201,306. 
          SO THIS MEANS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR SEPTEMBER WERE $18,151. 
          UH, WITH THESE SEPTEMBER NUMBERS, WE ARE CLOSING OUT FY 24 COLLECTIONS, UH, AND WE ARE 107% TOWARDS OUR FY 24 APPROVED BUDGET. 
          AND AGAIN, AS ALWAYS, THERE'S A DELAY IN HOW HOT REPORTING HAPPENS. 
          SO THIS, THIS PRESENTATION IN OCTOBER SHOWS FUNDS COLLECTED IN SEPTEMBER FOR HOTEL STAYS IN AUGUST. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO THIS GRAPH CONTINUES TO SHOW OUR MONTHLY PROGRESS TOWARD THE APPROVED BUDGET OF $14 MILLION. 
          UM, OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND, ACTUALS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 ARE 15,568,936. 
          AS A REMINDER, THE FUNDS COLLECTED IN FY 24 WILL BE USED TO FUND PROGRAMS IN FY 25 FISCAL YEAR 25, WHICH JUST STARTED ON OCTOBER 1ST. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          AND THEN THIS ALSO SHOWS OUR, UH, HOT COLLECTIONS BY QUARTER FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. 
          IN COMPARISON WITH LAST YEAR, IT WAS NECK AND NECK, BUT WE WERE 78,000 BELOW WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? NEXT SLIDE. 
          I WANNA KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER GARZA HAS JOINED US. 
          MM-HMM. 
          COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE UPDATE FROM HOT? WERE THERE, COMMISSIONER ALDO, WERE THERE ANY KEY DRIVERS Y'ALL IDENTIFIED? CAN'T HEAR. 
          UH, AUGUST IS THE DRIVER. 
          , WERE, WERE THERE ANY KEY DRIVERS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED OR YOU THINK INFLUENCED 
          [00:10:01]
THAT IT BEING $70,000 LESS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR? I, I COULDN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION. 
          NO, SORRY. 
          IT'S BECAUSE TOURISM CAN'T JUST KEEP GROWING LIKE IT PLATEAUS AT SOME POINT. 
          THIS IS HENCE THE PROBLEM OF OUR ONLY FUNDING BEING FROM HOT. 
          THE CITY GROWS. 
          TOURISM CAN'T JUST KEEP GROWING INDEFINITELY. 
          COMMISSIONER MOCK, WELL, I I HEARD THAT THE PAST WEEKEND. 
          WE HAVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UH, OUT OF TOWN VISITORS WITH FORMULA AND, UH, FOOTBALL GAME. 
          SO, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS THE, THE, THE, THE ONE PICKING NUMBER OR WOULD WOULD, WOULD THIS PAST WEEKEND BE ABLE TO MAKE IT UP? NO. 
          SO THIS PAST WEEKEND, IT, OCTOBER, THE HOTEL STAYS ARE IN OCTOBER. 
          YEAH. 
          SO THE COLLECTIONS WILL HAPPEN IN NOVEMBER. 
          UH, SO WHEN WE REPORT THIS IN DECEMBER IS PROBABLY WHEN WE'LL SEE THOSE NUMBERS. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL I LIKE TO SEE IT IN BETTER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM, . 
          AND I'M SORRY, ON THE GRAPH, DOES IT SHOW THE YEAR TO DATE AS WELL? IT DOES. 
          CAN WE SEE THAT REALLY QUICKLY? SORRY. 
          SORRY. 
          YOU WANNA SEE SLIDE NUMBER THREE, WHICH SHOWS EACH MONTH? JUST THE YEAR TO DATE? A HANDFUL OF OUR COMPUTERS ARE NOT PULLING UP, SO WE CAN'T SEE THEM UNLESS WE CAN'T SEE, WE CAN'T SEE. 
          IF YOU DON'T MIND DOING A ROUND ROBIN FOR US AND MAKING SURE OUR SCREENS, SOME OF US ARE HAVING DIFFERENT ACCESSIBILITY. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE THE TEENY TINY LITTLE 18,000 FOR OUR SEPTEMBER COLLECTIONS ARE AT THE TOP. 
          UM, BUT THIS HAS EVERY MONTH'S COLLECTIONS FOR THIS PAST YEAR. 
          AH, I THINK I'M GOOD NOW. 
          COMMISSIONER GARZA, DO WE HAVE AN ANNUAL COMPARISON? I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE FROM THE COVID ERA UNTIL NOW? DO WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO WE CAN COMPARE HOW WE'RE DOING? SURE. 
          I CAN BRING THAT NEXT MONTH. 
          I'VE JUST, COMPARED TO 22, I HAVE 22, 23 AND 24. 
          YEAH. 
          I JUST WANNA GET A HAPPY TO DO THE BROADER, I WANNA GET A BROADER PICTURE BEFORE WE, YOU KNOW, GO IN ONE DIRECTION. 
          FOR SURE. 
          WE CAN BRING THAT NEXT MONTH. 
          APPRECIATE THAT. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          THAT'LL MAKE US GRATEFUL FOR WHAT WE'VE GOT. 
          RIGHT. 
          LOOKING BACK AT THE COVID NUMBERS OR WHICHEVER, UM, ANYBODY ELSE? DO YOU WANNA PUT A TIMEFRAME ON THAT FOR HER SO SHE KNOWS WHAT YEAR SPECIFICALLY AND HOW FAR BACK? UM, JUST FROM COVID ON UNTIL TODAY. 
          SO 2020 ON. 
          I MIGHT DO 2018 ON SOUNDS SO BETTER. 
          SO WE CAN HAVE THE PRE POST THAT WAY. 
          YOU, I WOULDN'T SEE THE BEFORE AND THE AFTER AND IN BETWEEN. 
          MM-HMM. 
           SOUNDS REALLY GOOD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          I DO REMEMBER COMING OUT OF, OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, IT WAS PROJECTED THAT WE WOULDN'T HIT OUR PRE COVID NUMBERS UNTIL 2025. 
          SO WE, WE KNOW THAT WE BOUNCED BACK PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE. 
          COMMISSIONER SCHWA, I'M GONNA ASK THIS TO LAURA, EVEN THOUGH THIS ISN'T YOUR JOB, BUT HAVE YOU HEARD WHETHER THERE'S BEEN ANY CHANGE ON UNIFORM COLLECTION OF CITY HOT FROM SHORT TERM RENTAL? I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'RE GONNA KEEP ASKING ABOUT THOSE SHORT TERM RENTALS. 
          , HAPPY TO KEEP LISTENING. 
          YEAH. 
          . 
          UM, ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          LAURA, ARE YOU HANGING OUT WITH US? I'M STAFF BRIEFING ITEM 
          [4. Staff briefing on the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Laura Odegaard, Acting Cultural Arts Division Manager and Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor ]
FOUR ON THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAM BY LOWER ORDER GUARD, ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER AND JESUS PENTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          AND DO WE HAVE CLICK POWER? OH, IT'S A DIFFERENT CLICKER. 
          WE DO HAVE CLICK POWER WITH THIS ONE. 
          GREAT. 
          UH, SO GOOD EVENING AGAIN EVERYONE. 
          I'M LAURA ODEGAARD, ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER, WHITE WOMAN, BROWN HAIR, WEARING CREAM AND BLACK STRIPED DRESS WITH A BLACK BLAZER. 
          MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE, HER, AND I'M JOINED UP HERE THIS EVENING WITH JESUS, WHOM I WILL LET INTRODUCE GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. 
          JESUS PANTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR. 
          I AM A LATINO WITH LONG GRAY HAIR, UM, SALT AND PEPPER, BEARD. 
          I'M WEARING A RED SHIRT. 
          MY PRONOUNS ARE HE, HIS AND LAURA. 
          AND I WILL BE, UH, TAG TEAMING ON THE PRESENTATION, UH, THIS EVENING. 
          I'M GOING TO START OFF WITH, UM, SOME OF THE CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS. 
          UM, AND THEN LAURA WILL TALK ABOUT THE CULTURAL FUNDING AWARD UPDATES, FY 25 LAUNCH CALENDAR. 
          AND THEN I'LL GO BACK IN AND TALK ABOUT THE GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES. 
          AND SO CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS, UM, JUST, UM, THIS IS A SLIDE THAT Y'ALL ARE USED TO SEEING, SO JUST GIVING, UM, UPDATES. 
          UM, SO AGAIN, IN BOTTOM, AT THE BOTTOM, UH, IN THE BOX IS REALLY THE, THE KEY TAKEAWAY FOR FY 23 ELEVATE. 
          UM, THE LAST DAY OF ACTIVITIES IS SEPTEMBER 30TH. 
          FINAL REPORTS ARE DUE OCTOBER 31ST. 
          UH, SOME PEOPLE HAVE COMPLETED THEIR ACTIVITIES PRIOR, SO WE DO HAVE 39% 
          [00:15:01]
OF THE, UM, PAYMENT, UH, FINAL PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED BECAUSE THOSE FINAL REPORTS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY CLOSED OUT. 
          UM, WE HAVE JUST OVER, UH, 9%, UH, LEFT TO GIVE OUT, UH, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE THE FINAL PAYMENT IS, UH, 10%, UH, FOR ELEVATE. 
          SO WE'RE, UH, RIGHT ON TRACK, UM, FOR WHAT WE, WHERE WE NEED TO BE IN ELEVATE, UH, FOR NEXUS, UH, FALL, WINTER. 
          UM, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL, UM, WE'RE WAITING TO CLOSE OUT THEIR FINAL REPORTS. 
          UH, THIS IS ALSO UPDATED, UM, UH, FROM THE LONG CENTER. 
          THIS IS WHERE WE GET THIS INFORMATION FROM. 
          SO, UM, AND, AND IT IS AS OF THIS PAST FRIDAY. 
          UM, AND WE'VE GOT A FEW, UM, SPRING, SUMMER, UH, NEXUS EVENTS, UM, SIMILAR TO ELEVATE. 
          THEIR FINAL ACTIVITIES WILL BE SEPTEMBER 30TH, SO WE SHOULD HAVE MORE OF THAT LATER. 
          UM, AND THEN THRIVE, UM, IS A TWO YEAR, UM, UH, CONTRACT. 
          UH, YEAR TWO STARTS IN JANUARY. 
          SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, YEAR TWO FINAL REPORTS. 
          UM, AND WE HAVE, UH, CLOSED OUT. 
          UM, AND THAT SHOULD BE, I, I THINK WE'RE STILL WAITING ON A FA COUPLE OF FINAL REPORTS FOR THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, UM, ARTS EDUCATIONAL RELIEF GRANT. 
          ALL OF THE FINAL REPORTS HAVE BEEN TURNED IN AND HAVE BEEN CLOSED OUT. 
          WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THEM TO INVOICE US FOR THOSE. 
          UH, FINAL TWO PAYMENTS, UH, THERE. 
          AND THEN I WILL TURN IT OVER TO LAURA. 
          ALL RIGHT, THANKS. 
          BEFORE YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE ON THE, THE SECOND COLUMN OF THE THRIVE, THE BOX WAS ZERO. 
          IS THAT GOING TO IS? I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND. 
          SO IS THERE ANOTHER PAYMENT? SO THERE'S ONE MORE PAYMENT FOR THE THRIVE, UH, COHORT FROM THE FIRST COHORT. 
          BUT THEIR ACTIVITIES GO THROUGH THIS DECEMBER, SO THEY WON'T TURN IN THEIR FINAL REPORTS UNTIL JANUARY. 
          AND ONCE THEIR FINAL REPORTS HAVE BEEN APPROVED, THEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO INVOICE AND THEN THE FINAL PAYMENT WILL BE ISSUED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM, . 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO CULTURAL FUNDING. 
          I JUST WANTED TO START BY FRAMING THINGS FOR NEW COMMISSIONERS, FOR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, FOR COMMUNITY, JUST TO KIND OF REMEMBER WHERE WE HAVE BEEN AND HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT TODAY. 
          UM, SO AS SOME OF YOU REMEMBER, WE STARTED A CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAM, RESPONSIVENESS WORKING GROUP BY THE ARTS COMMISSION BACK IN 2017. 
          AND THIS WAS SPECIFICALLY TO TRY TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE AS THE TITLE OF IT SUGGESTS BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO WHAT WE WERE HEARING FROM COMMUNITY AS FAR AS WHAT THE NEEDS WERE, WHETHER THAT WAS SPACE, WHETHER THAT WAS THE TYPE OF AWARD, ET CETERA. 
          THEN IN 2018, AS MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM PROBABLY REMEMBER, WE HAD FUNDING CUTS FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. 
          AND IT WAS AROUND 11% CUT ACROSS THE BOARD FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE WE HAD INCREASED THE OUTREACH TO COMMUNITY, BUT THE AWARD DOLLAR AMOUNT STAYED THE SAME. 
          AND SO WE HAD AROUND A HUNDRED MORE APPLICANTS THAT YEAR WITH THE SAME ROUGHLY $12 MILLION TO GRANT OUT, WHICH OBVIOUSLY CAUSED A LOT OF CONCERN FROM COMMUNITY, FROM COUNCIL, FROM STAFF. 
          UM, WE ALSO, AROUND THAT TIME, WE WERE TASKED WITH THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION. 
          UM, AND PART OF THAT HAD AN EQUITY STATEMENT INCLUDED IN THAT, AND THAT WAS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHAT OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION AS AN ORGANIZATION WAS GOING TO BE. 
          SO THE PROBLEM KIND OF BUILDING UP TO THIS MOMENT WAS TO ADDRESS 50 YEARS OF INEQUITABLE FUNDING DISTRIBUTION THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S CULTURAL ARTS FUND. 
          SO WE BROUGHT ON A CONSULTANT, MJR PARTNERS, AND WE SPENT THREE YEARS FROM 2019 THROUGH 2022, UM, DOING A LOT OF COMMUNITY LED ENGAGEMENT, A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM A WHOLE HOST OF, OF THINGS, WHETHER THAT WAS COMMISSIONS, UM, MEETING DIRECTLY WITH CONSTITUENTS, WHETHER THAT WAS TOWN HALL ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH THE CONSULTANT, ET CETERA. 
          THERE WAS A LOT OF ITERATIONS OF THE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, THE PRIORITIES, HOW THINGS WERE GOING TO BE SCORED, THE RUBRICS AND DIFFERENT INVESTMENTS THAT WE WANTED TO BE FOCUSED ON. 
          BUT THE KEY FACTOR IN ALL OF THIS WAS THAT IT WAS COMMUNITY LED. 
          THEN MARGIE, SHE DID HER FINAL REPORT FROM MJR PARTNERS, WHICH IS STILL POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH. 
          THE APPENDIX HAS OVER A THOUSAND PAGES IF YOU WANNA REALLY DO A DEEP DIVE ON ALL OF THE WORK THAT, THAT THIS COMMUNITY PUT INTO THIS EFFORT. 
          AND WE CAME UP WITH THIS, THIS WAS THE SOLUTION THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE TRYING. 
          AND SO THIS WAS WHAT, UM, THE PILOT PROGRAMS THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION APPROVED ON JUNE 29TH, 2022 FOR THESE THREE PROGRAMS. AND AS A REMINDER, THIS WAS A HOLISTIC FUNDING ECOSYSTEM ADDRESSING PAST DISPARITIES IN FUNDING WHERE WE WOULD HAVE NEXUS TO NURTURE NEW AND EMERGING APPLICANTS. 
          WE WOULD HAVE ELEVATE TO FOCUS ON THE CULTURAL PRODUCERS THAT ARE OUR IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ARE PRIORITIZING EQUITY 
          [00:20:01]
AND INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING. 
          AND THEN WE'D HAVE THRIVE, WHICH WAS FOCUSED INVESTMENT TO SUSTAIN AND GROW ARTS ORGANIZATIONS DEEPLY ROOTED IN AND REFLECTIVE OF AUSTIN'S DIVERSE CULTURES. 
          SO I'M SURE THIS GRAPH HOPEFULLY LOOKS FAMILIAR TO AT LEAST SOME OF YOU. 
          SO THIS WAS FROM 2015 TO 2021, THE INVESTMENTS THAT THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND GRANTS PROVIDED. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAD 11 MILLION THAT WENT TO MAJORITY DIVERSE LED ORGANIZATIONS AND ALL OF THESE DEMOGRAPHICS IN HERE, THESE WERE SELF-IDENTIFYING FROM THE APPLICANTS THEMSELVES. 
          WE HAD 16 MILLION THAT WAS INVESTED IN EQUALLY LED ORGANIZATIONS. 
          AND THEN WE HAD 37 MILLION THAT WAS INVESTED INTO MAJORITY WHITE OR PREFER NOT TO ANSWER ORGANIZATIONS. 
          SO THIS WAS IN THE BEFORE TIMES, OBVIOUSLY. 
          THEN WE HAD THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS. 
          WE HAD A PANDEMIC, WE HAD A LOT OF, UH, RELIEF FUNDS OVER 27 MILLION THAT WENT OUT TO THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY ALONE. 
          AND WE LAUNCHED THE PROGRAMS AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. 
          SO THIS IS OUR MOST RECENT BREAKDOWN OF DEMOGRAPHICS FOR OUR INVESTMENT FROM THESE PILOT PROGRAMS. WE NOW HAVE, THE MAJORITY OF THE INVESTMENT IS GOING TO MAJORITY DIVERSE LED ORGANIZATIONS, INDIVIDUALS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES. 
          WE WENT FROM 17% OF THE INVESTMENT TO ALMOST 80% OF AN INVESTMENT. 
          SO I KNOW WE TALK A LOT ABOUT WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF THESE PROGRAMS. WE'RE STILL GETTING THE FINAL REPORTS BACK FROM FOLKS RIGHT NOW FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF ELEVATE. 
          AND AS WE MENTIONED, WE'LL BE GETTING THE FINAL REPORTS FOR THRIVE IN JANUARY, BUT FROM A DOLLARS ONLY VIEW OF THE IMPACT, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. 
          SO ON THIS SLIDE WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF THE PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY. 
          SO BOTH THE FIRST ROUND OF THESE PROGRAMS, THE FY 23 AND FY 24 THRIVE, THE FY 23 ELEVATE FY 23 NEXUS, AS WELL AS THE LATEST ROUNDS THAT WE JUST ANNOUNCED, THE FY 24 ELEVATE, THE FY 24 NEXUS, BOTH ROUNDS OF THOSE. 
          AND THEN FY 25 26 THRIVE. 
          SO AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE INVESTMENT PRIOR TO THIS WAS 18% MAJORITY DIVERSE, AND NOW WE'RE AT 79%, WHICH IS A HUGE TURNAROUND FROM WHERE WE WERE. 
          I ALSO JUST WANTED TO REFERENCE SOMETHING THAT MARGIE SAID IN HER FINAL REPORT. 
          SHE SAID, MOVING FORWARD, THE CHALLENGE FOR AUSTIN WILL BE TO CONFRONT POWER AND PRIVILEGE IN LINE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL'S CALL FOR ADDRESSING PAST DISPARITIES IN FUNDING THE PROPOSED NEW FUNDING PROGRAMS AND GUIDELINES RESULTING FROM THIS REVIEW SIGNAL A NECESSARY PARADIGM SHIFT IN CONTRACTING WITH ARTS PROVIDERS. 
          RESISTANCE TO THIS SHIFT HAS BEEN MADE CLEAR AND IS EXPECTED WHEN DISRUPTION AND EQUITY COLLIDE. 
          SO NOW GOING INTO OUR 2024 AWARDS THAT WE JUST ANNOUNCED, SO THIS IS A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF ALL THREE PROGRAMS IN ONE SLIDE. 
          SO WE JUST AWARDED $17,475,000 TO OUR ARTS COMMUNITY. 
          THIS WAS A $3.3 MILLION INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS CYCLE. 
          AND WE HAD 63 MILLION IN TOTAL REQUESTED FUNDS OF THIS 17.475 MILLION AWARDED. 
          WE HAD 366 TOTAL AWARDS. 
          SO THAT IS IN ALL PROGRAMS. AND 190 OF THOSE AWARDEES WERE NEW TO CULTURAL FUNDING. 
          77% OF THOSE WERE MAJORITY DIVERSE LED. 
          47% OF THOSE WERE L-G-B-T-Q-I-A LED 66% WERE WOMEN OR NON-BINARY LED, AND 25% WERE LED BY PEOPLE IN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY. 
          ADDITIONALLY, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT 160 OF THOSE 366 AWARDS WERE FROM ARTS AND CULTURE 5 0 1 C ORGANIZATIONS. 
          SO THEY REPRESENT 44% OF THE TOTAL AWARDS, BUT THE INVESTMENT TO THOSE ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS WAS 14.7 MILLION, WHICH IS 84% OF THE TOTAL FUNDS. 
          SO NOW WE'RE JUST GONNA DO A, A QUICK OVERVIEW, MAYBE NOT QUICK, BUT WE'LL DO AN OVERVIEW OF EACH OF THE PROGRAMS. SO FOR THRIVE THAT WE JUST ANNOUNCED, THERE WERE 35 AWARDS AND 7.7 MILLION INVESTED. 
          SO FOR THRIVE, WE HAD 155 ELIGIBLE APPLICATIONS. 
          [00:25:01]
AND AS A REMINDER, THRIVE APPLICANTS HAD TO HAVE A FIVE YEAR HISTORY IN AUSTIN AND HAD TO HAVE A 5 0 1 C STATUS AT TIME OF APPLICATION. 
          WE AWARDED 35 GRANTS AND THEN 120 NON-PROFITS WHO DID NOT RECEIVE THRIVE GRANTS THEN MOVE TO ELEVATE FOR CONSIDERATION. 
          SO AGAIN, THIS WAS 7.7 MILLION AWARDED IN THRIVE ALONE. 
          IT WAS A $46.5 MILLION REQUEST. 
          SO THIS WAS A 23% ACCEPTANCE RATE AND ACTIVITIES WILL BEGIN JANUARY 1ST, 2025 AND GO THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2026. 
          UH, AND THE AWARDEE LIST I SENT YOU ALL, IT'S ALSO POSTED ON THE WEBSITE AND I'VE LINKED IT HERE JUST FOR EASY ACCESS, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY. 
          ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT THE THRIVE AWARDEE HISTORY. 
          SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE. 
          WE HAD 17 RETURNING THRIVE RECIPIENTS, 14 PREVIOUS ELEVATE RECIPIENTS. 
          SO THEY RECEIVED ELEVATE IN THE LAST CYCLE, AND THIS TIME THEY RECEIVED THRIVE FUNDING. 
          AND THEN WE HAD FOUR THAT WERE NEW TO CULTURAL FUNDING. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE NEW ORGANIZATIONS, THIS JUST MEANS THEY ARE NEW TO OUR CULTURAL FUNDING SYSTEM. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF HOW THOSE AWARD AMOUNTS WERE DETERMINED. 
          SO THE HIGHEST SCORING APPLICANTS RECEIVE THE HIGHEST DOLLAR AMOUNT IN THRIVE. 
          SO THE HIGHEST SCORING WILL RECEIVE $150,000 EACH YEAR FOR TWO YEARS. 
          SO A $300,000 INVESTMENT PER AWARDEE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. 
          THE NEXT GROUP WILL RECEIVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR TWO YEARS, AND THE FINAL GROUP, THE FINAL 10 AWARDEES WILL RECEIVE $85,000 FOR TWO YEARS. 
          WE ALSO HAVE THE DASHBOARDS UP ON THE WEBSITE. 
          I'M NOT GOING TO WALK THROUGH EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE ITERATION OF, OF DIVING INTO THEM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT A FEW HIGHLIGHTS. 
          SO ON THE FIRST PAGE, SO EACH DASHBOARD HAS SEVERAL PAGES ASSOCIATED WITH IT. 
          ON THE FIRST PAGE OF THE DASHBOARD, THAT IS THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAD FOR THRIVE 155 APPLICANTS. 
          WHEN YOU CLICK ON THE LITTLE PIE PIECE THAT SAYS AWARDED, THEN YOU GET EVERYTHING CHANGES. 
          AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE ACCEPTANCE RATE, YOU CAN SEE THE AWARDEE HISTORY. 
          YOU CAN SEE THE MEDIAN ANNUAL REVENUE OF APPLICANTS WAS $201,000. 
          YOU CAN SEE THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS EMPLOY 637 INDIVIDUALS AND VOLUNTEERS SUPPORTING THESE ORGANIZATIONS. 
          NUMBER AT 1,388 VOLUNTEERS. 
          YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE COUNCIL DISTRICT, THE GENDER OF LEADERSHIP, AND THE RACE AND ETHNICITY OF LEADERSHIP. 
          ON THE SECOND PAGE OF THE DASHBOARD FOR THRIVE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT SIMILAR WHERE YOU NEED TO SELECT THE LITTLE BOX TO SEE AWARDED AND THAT WILL SHIFT YOUR VIEW. 
          SO IF YOU DON'T CLICK THE AWARDED BOX, YOU'LL JUST SEE ALL 155 APPLICANTS, AND YOU'LL SEE THE BREAKDOWN BY DISCIPLINE, AGAIN, THE RACE AND ETHNICITY BREAKDOWN, AS WELL AS THE, UM, THE OLDEST ORGANIZATION THE YEAR THAT THAT ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED. 
          UM, SO IN THIS CASE, THE OLDEST ORGANIZATION THAT APPLIED WAS FROM 1932. 
          THE OLDEST ORGANIZATION THAT WAS AWARDED WAS FROM 1982. 
          WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE 125 ORGANIZATIONS THAT APPLIED FOR BOTH THRIVE AND ELEVATE. 
          SO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT DID NOT RECEIVE THRIVE FUNDING THEN WENT ON TO COMPETE WITH THE 70 ELEVATE ONLY APPLICATIONS. 
          SO THE SCORING RUBRIC IN BOTH THRIVE AND ELEVATE WERE ALMOST IDENTICAL. 
          SO THIS BASICALLY BREAKS DOWN THE DIFFERENCE OF EACH OF THOSE SCORES. 
          SO FOR EACH CATEGORY, CULTURAL INSTITUTION STATUS WAS THE QUESTION THAT WAS ONLY FOR THRIVE. 
          SINCE IT WAS NOT AN ELEVATE QUESTION, THAT SCORE WAS REMOVED WHEN RECALCULATING CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, INTERSECTIONALITY AND INCLUSION, ACCESSIBILITY, LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY, MARKETING BUDGET, AND KEY CONSTITUENCIES AND CREATIVE MISSION HAD NO RECALCULATION IN THE SCORES. 
          THE TWO CATEGORIES THAT DID HAVE A CHANGE IN RECALCULATED THE SCORE OF AN ORGANIZATION WAS HISTORY OF SERVICE. 
          IT WAS WORTH 15 POINTS IN THRIVE AND 10 POINTS IN ELEVATE AND CULTURAL LEADERSHIP, WHICH WAS WORTH 30 POINTS IN THRIVE AND 15 POINTS IN ELEVATE. 
          SO AS JESUS AND I HAVE SAID BEFORE, A 15 POINT SCORE IN THRIVE BECAME A 10 POINT SCORE IN ELEVATE FOR HISTORY OF SERVICE, WHEREAS A 30 POINT SCORE IN THRIVE 
          [00:30:01]
FOR CULTURAL LEADERSHIP BECAME A 15 POINT SCORE IN ELEVATE. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS WAS, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF ALL OF THAT ON THE SCORING RUBRICS THAT ARE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE AS WELL. 
          MOVING ON THEN TO OUR ELEVATE AWARD E DETAILS. 
          SO WE HAD TWO CATEGORIES IN ELEVATE. 
          WE HAD 190 ELIGIBLE ARTS AND CULTURE 5 0 1 C ORGANIZATIONS APPLY. 
          OF THOSE 125 GRANTS WERE AWARDED. 
          SO IN ELEVATE ALONE, IT WAS A 66% ACCEPTANCE RATE FOR NONPROFITS. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO JUST TAKE A PAUSE FOR A SECOND AND SAY, FOR ALL OF THE NONPROFITS THAT APPLIED FOR ALL CULTURAL FUNDING, IT WAS A 71% APPROVAL ACCEPTANCE RATE FOR A GRANT. 
          SO COUNTING THRIVE AND ELEVATE TOGETHER, THERE WERE 65 NONPROFITS DECLINED OUT OF ALL OF THE, UM, THE GRANTS WERE GIVEN. 
          UM, SO FOR ELEVATE NONPROFIT, WE HAD 7 MILLION THAT WAS AWARDED. 
          WE HAD 15.2 MILLION REQUESTED IN ELEVATE NONPROFIT ALONE. 
          AND THEN FOR INDIVIDUAL AND CREATIVE BUSINESS APPLICATIONS, WE HAD 263 APPLICATIONS IN THIS CATEGORY AND 104 AWARDS THAT WERE GIVEN OUT. 
          WE AWARDED 2,265,000 IN THIS CATEGORY, AND 7.9 MILLION WAS REQUESTED. 
          I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT FOR THIS CATEGORY, WE ORIGINALLY SAID WE WERE FUNDING A HUNDRED INDIVIDUAL AND CREATIVE BUSINESS GRANTS. 
          WHAT HAPPENED WAS WE HAD TWO AWARDEES THAT ALSO RECEIVED LIVE MUSIC FUND GRANTS, AND THAT IS WHY WE HAD THE UNIVERSAL ACCEPT OR DECLINE DEADLINE. 
          THOSE INDIVIDUALS DECIDED TO DECLINE THEIR ELEVATE AWARD AND ACCEPT THEIR LIVE MUSIC FUND AWARD INSTEAD. 
          SO THAT PUT MORE MONEY INTO OUR BUCKET TO DISTRIBUTE OUT, WHICH WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DISTRIBUTE OUT 2,000,225 OR 52. 
          NO, $2,250,000 IS WHAT OUR, OUR ORIGINAL PLAN WAS. 
          WE HAD A FEW APPLICANTS THAT WERE TIED. 
          AND SO INSTEAD OF NOT FUNDING EITHER OF THEM, WE DECIDED TO FUND MORE. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE 104 AWARDS IN THIS CATEGORY INSTEAD OF 100, WHICH IS ALSO WHY WE HAVE 2,265,000 INSTEAD OF 250,000 HERE. 
          UH, AS A REMINDER, THESE ACTIVITIES ARE FROM OCTOBER ONE OF THIS YEAR THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2025, BECAUSE WE WANT TO ALIGN WITH THE ANNUAL CALENDAR, UM, THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THRIVE. 
          AND SO THE TWO LINKS HERE ARE FOR THE TWO DIFFERENT LISTS FOR BOTH THE NONPROFITS AS WELL AS THE INDIVIDUAL AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES. 
          AND THEN THIS IS JUST A BREAKDOWN OF THE AWARDEE HISTORY FOR BOTH CATEGORIES. 
          SO WE CAN SEE IN THE NONPROFIT GRANT THERE WERE 73 RETURNING ELEVATE RECIPIENTS. 
          THERE WERE 14 PREVIOUS THRIVE RECIPIENTS THAT NOW WERE RECEIVING ELEVATE. 
          THERE WERE THREE PREVIOUS NEXUS RECIPIENTS THAT BUMPED UP INTO ELEVATE. 
          AND THEN THERE WERE 35 ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE NEW TO CULTURAL FUNDING. 
          AGAIN, THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY WERE A NEW ORGANIZATION, IT JUST MEANS THEY ARE NEW TO CULTURAL FUNDING. 
          AND THEN FOR THE 104 INDIVIDUAL AND CREATIVE BUSINESS GRANTS, WE HAD 26 RETURNING ELEVATE 18 PREVIOUS NEXUS AND 60 NEW TO CULTURAL FUNDING. 
          YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE AWARD AMOUNT BREAKDOWNS THAT I WON'T GO INTO, BUT JUST WANTED TO REITERATE THAT FOR ELEVATE, IT IS A ONE YEAR FUNDING CYCLE, WHEREAS THRIVE IS A TWO YEAR FUNDING CYCLE. 
          SO THE DASHBOARDS FOR ELEVATE ARE ALSO AVAILABLE. 
          UM, THESE ONES ARE ON THE ELEVATE WEBSITE AND YOU CAN DIVE INTO IT A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS FOR THIS ONE. 
          SO WE HAVE ONE ELEVATE DASHBOARD FOR ALL PROGRAMS. AND I'M SAYING THAT I'LL SAY THAT A FEW TIMES, BUT ON THE FIRST PAGE, AGAIN, THE FIRST PAGE IS FOR THE APPLICANTS. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE. 
          WHEN I CLICK ON THE LITTLE BOX THAT SAYS 5 0 1 C NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, THAT IS WHEN THE BOX ON THE RIGHT SHOWS UP. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE THAT IT IS, IT IS DIFFERENT. 
          UM, SO THAT'S WHEN YOU'LL SEE THE BREAKDOWN BY ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE OF THE APPLICANTS, THE COUNCIL DISTRICT BY APPLICANTS NUMBER OF APPLICANTS LED BY, UM, THE GENDER L-G-B-T-Q-I-A DISABILITY, COMMUNITY AND RACE AND ETHNICITY. 
          AND IF YOU DO THE SAME THING AND YOU CLICK ON THE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST OR CREATIVE BUSINESS, YOU'LL SEE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS. 
          AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE THE BREAKDOWN BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, 
          [00:35:01]
UM, AND DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION. 
          ON THE NEXT SLIDE OF THE ELEVATE DASHBOARD, YOU'LL SEE A MORE DETAILED VERSION OF THE AWARDED AND DECLINED FOLKS. 
          SO FOR THIS ONE, THIS IS THE MAIN PAGE THAT YOU'LL SEE WHEN YOU GO INTO IT. 
          AND IT SHOWS THE ZIP CODES OF THOSE APPLICANT'S, ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE, AWARDEE HISTORY. 
          AND AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE THE TOTAL AWARDED VERSUS THE TOTAL REQUESTED. 
          SO YOU CAN CLICK ON THINGS IN MANY DIFFERENT ITERATIONS. 
          AGAIN, IT'S ALL VERY RESPONSIVE. 
          SO YOU CAN SELECT BY AWARD TYPE. 
          SO IN THIS INSTANCE, I SELECTED THE NONPROFIT. 
          I THEN CLICKED ON THE PIE PIECE THAT SAID AWARDED, AND THEN I CLICKED BY HISTORY BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE WHAT WAS, WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE? THE PEOPLE THAT RECEIVED AN ELEVATE GRANT THAT WERE A NONPROFIT, BUT THEY WERE NEW, WHAT DISCIPLINES WERE THEY IN? WHERE DID THEY LIVE? SO YOU CAN DIVE INTO IT LIKE THAT. 
          YOU CAN ALSO SORT BY DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC, AND YOU CAN SELECT IN THIS EXAMPLE, I SELECTED FILM, VIDEO AND TV PRODUCTION. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TOTAL AWARDED FOR THOSE CATEGORY OF NONPROFITS WAS $300,000. 
          AND THEN ON THE FINAL PAGE OF THE ELEVATE DASHBOARD, YOU CAN SEE A, UM, SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON OF THE AWARDED AND DECLINED. 
          AND THE TOP PART SHOWS HOW YOU CAN FILTER THIS PAGE. 
          SO YOU CAN FILTER IT BY APPLICANT TYPE, AGAIN, WHETHER IT WAS INDIVIDUAL CREATIVE BUSINESS OR A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. 
          AND YOU CAN ALSO FILTER BY LANGUAGE PREFERENCE. 
          FIRST NOTE HERE, THE DEMOGRAPHIC INTAKE QUESTIONS IN THE APPLICATIONS ARE DIFFERENT FOR THE INDIVIDUALS VERSUS THE NONPROFITS AND DIFFERENT BUSINESS STRUCTURES. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT, UM, ANSWERS AND DIFFERENT TYPES, UM, OF RESPONSES FOR ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS, SPECIFICALLY THE RACE OR ETHNICITY QUESTION. 
          IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS APPLYING FOR FUNDING, THEY MIGHT SELECT ASIAN, THEY MIGHT SELECT BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN. 
          IF A NONPROFIT OR AN OTHER PICK ANY OTHER TYPE BUSINESS TYPE, THEY MIGHT HAVE TO SAY MAJORITY WHITE OR MAJORITY DIVERSE LED BECAUSE WE'RE ASKING FOR A BREAKDOWN OF THOSE IN LEADERSHIP, WHICH IS USUALLY A COMBINATION OF BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL AS AN EXECUTIVE TEAM ON THEIR, UM, ON THEIR ORGANIZATION. 
          SO THAT IS WHY FROM THIS INITIAL VIEW, YOU'LL SEE SOMETHING THAT LOOKS KIND OF CONFUSING BECAUSE YOU SEE EQUALLY LED AS WELL AS HISPANIC OR LA LATINO. 
          UM, SO I'M POINTING THAT OUT HERE JUST AS AN FYI. 
          IT SIMPLIFIES A LOT MORE WHEN YOU SELECT AND FILTER BY A CERTAIN APPLICANT TYPE. 
          AND SO IN THIS INSTANCE, I SELECTED AN INDIVIDUAL ARTIST OR CREATIVE BUSINESS WHOSE LANGUAGE PREFERENCE WAS SPANISH. 
          THE LANGUAGE PREFERENCE DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THEY APPLIED IN THAT LANGUAGE. 
          SEVERAL APPLICANTS APPLIED IN ENGLISH, BUT THEY INDICATED THAT THEY HAD A PREFERRED LANGUAGE AS SOMETHING OTHER THAN ENGLISH. 
          SO IN THIS CASE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE WERE 15 AWARDED INDIVIDUAL AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES WHOSE LANGUAGE PREFERENCE WAS SPANISH. 
          SO YOU CAN DIVE INTO THINGS THIS WAY AS WELL. 
          AND THEN FOR NEXUS, WE HAD 531 ELIGIBLE APPLICATIONS FOR NEXUS. 
          AND THIS INCLUDES BOTH THE SPRING, SUMMER AS WELL AS THE FALL WINTER, WHICH JUST CLOSED 422 OF THOSE APPLICANTS WERE FIRST TIME APPLICANTS. 
          WE HAD 199 FIRST TIMERS FOR THE SPRING SUMMER, AND 243 FIRST TIMERS FOR THE FALL WINTER. 
          WE WERE ABLE TO AWARD 102 GRANTS AGAIN, SO 51 IN EACH, UM, IN EACH SESSION. 
          UM, AGAIN, THIS WAS A TIDE SITUATION AND WE DECIDED TO AWARD OUT 51 INSTEAD OF 50 FOR BOTH THE SUMMER AS WELL AS FOR THE FALL AND WINTER. 
          UM, SO WE AWARDED 510,000 FOR NEXUS. 
          WE HAD A $2.7 MILLION ASK FOR NEXUS FUNDS THIS YEAR. 
          SO THE AWARD ACTIVITIES FOR THE SUMMER ITERATION, IT WAS THROUGH THE END OF SEPTEMBER AND THE FALL WINTER THAT WE JUST AWARDED STARTED OCTOBER ONE AND GOES THROUGH MARCH 31ST OF NEXT YEAR. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE THE AWARDEE LIST FOR BOTH, UM, LINKED HERE. 
          I WILL ALSO NOTE THAT THE, THE MOST RECENT GRANTEE LISTS ARE TOWARDS THE TOP OF THAT PROGRAM PAGE, BUT THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S LISTS AND THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S DASHBOARDS ARE STILL THERE. 
          YOU 
          [00:40:01]
JUST HAVE TO SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM TO SEE, TO SEE THAT, UM, TO SEE THAT DATA. 
          AND THEN AS THE OTHER PROGRAMS, THERE'S A NEXUS DASHBOARD AVAILABLE ON THE NEXUS PROGRAM WEBSITE. 
          YOU CAN CLICK THROUGH THE SAME WAY. 
          YOU CAN SEE THAT WE AWARDED $510,000 IN NEXUS AND THERE WAS A $2.7 MILLION REQUEST. 
          WE ALSO PUT IN THE NEXUS PIECE, UM, THE SOURCE OF STARTUP CAPITAL FOR THE APPLICANTS, UM, BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE WERE ASKING, UM, IN THIS INTAKE FORM. 
          SO YOU CAN SORT IT BY THE APPLICATION PHASE IF THEY WERE AWARDED DECLINED. 
          YOU CAN SORT BY SUMMER OR WINTER APPLICANT AND THE SAME THING ON THE SECOND PAGE OF THE NEXUS DASHBOARD. 
          SO YOU CAN SORT BY LANGUAGE PREFERENCE, YOU CAN SORT BY THE SUMMER OR THE WINTER AWARDEE, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT SIDE BY SIDE BETWEEN THE AWARDED AND THE DECLINED, WHICH IS SUPER HELPFUL AS YOU ALL ARE THINKING ABOUT REPORTS TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          YOU CAN SORT BY YOUR DISTRICT AND YOU CAN SEE HOW MANY AWARDEES AND HOW MANY APPLICANTS THERE WERE FOR YOUR DISTRICT AND WHAT THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND WHAT THE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE BREAKDOWN WAS FOR ALL OF THAT. 
          ALL RIGHT, SO THAT ROLLS UP THE PROGRAMS. JUST WANTED TO, UM, DO A QUICK REMINDER AS WELL ABOUT THE PANEL PROCESS FOR THRIVE AND ELEVATE. 
          SO WE HAD 98 REVIEW PANELISTS THAT SERVED ON OUR PANELS THIS YEAR. 
          WE HAD 19 PANELS OVER MANY DAYS. 
          WE HAD SEVEN EQUITY FACILITATORS. 
          YOU ALL APPROVED THIS LIST AT THE JUNE 5TH 17TH ARTS COMMISSION MEETING. 
          UM, AND WE'VE RECEIVED THIS QUESTION AS WELL. 
          70% OF THESE REVIEW PANELISTS WERE LOCAL AND 30% WERE NON-LOCAL. 
          AND WHEN WE SAY NON-LOCAL, WE MEAN OUTSIDE THE MSA. 
          SO WE SENT THE AUSTIN CENTRIC TRAINING MATERIALS TO PANELISTS ON JUNE 28TH AFTER YOU ALL APPROVED THE PANELISTS. 
          THEY DID VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSIONS WITH STAFF AND THE EQUITY FACILITATORS JULY 9TH TO 18TH. 
          THE PANEL MEETINGS WERE HELD AUGUST 26TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 12TH. 
          UH, AND AWARDS WERE MADE SHORTLY THEREAFTER. 
          I ALSO JUST WANTED TO PUT IN A LITTLE PLUG THAT ANNMARIE MCCASKILL DAVIS ON OUR TEAM, SHE WAS ACTUALLY SELECTED TO PRESENT OUR EQUITY DRIVEN PANEL PROCESS AT THE GRANT MAKERS IN THE ARTS CONVENTION CONFERENCE THAT JUST HAPPENED, UH, LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE. 
          SO THAT WAS, UH, AN EXCITING THING TO SHARE. 
          WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM PARTNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, ASKING FOR OUR TRAINING MATERIALS. 
          THEY'VE EITHER SERVED ON ONE OF OUR PANELS OR THEY'VE HEARD FROM SOMEONE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH EQUITY DRIVEN GRANT MAKING. 
          AND WE ARE AT THE TIP OF THE ARROW IN DOING THIS WORK NATIONALLY. 
          AND SO WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF REQUESTS FROM OTHER, UM, BOTH PHILANTHROPIC GROUPS AS WELL AS, UH, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTRY ASKING HOW WE WERE ABLE TO DO THIS AND HOW WE WERE ABLE TO LEAD WITH EQUITY WITHOUT SCORING ON IMMUTABLE CHARACTERISTICS. 
          UM, AND THEN TWO QUICK LITTLE NOTES HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL. 
          UM, WE ARE ALWAYS RECRUITING FOR PANELISTS, SO IF YOU OR ANYONE, UM, YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, IS INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A PANELIST, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SIGN UP ANYTIME. 
          I KNOW THEY WON'T HAPPEN UNTIL NEXT SUMMER. 
          UH, BUT THE, THE INVITATION IS ALWAYS THERE. 
          IF SOMEONE IS INTERESTED IN SERVING. 
          UM, ADDITIONALLY IN THE FUTURE, PANEL MEETINGS WILL NOT BE LIVE STREAMED. 
          I THINK THERE WAS MORE HARM THAN GOOD THAT CAME OUT OF THAT. 
          UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S NECESSARILY A GOOD UNDERSTANDING THAT WHAT A PANELIST IS PROVIDING IN WRITTEN WRITTEN COMMENTS AND THE SCORE THAT THEY GIVE IS MAYBE NOT THE SAME THING THAT SOMEONE IS HEARING WHEN THEY'RE WATCHING THEIR APPLICATION BE REVIEWED BECAUSE THE PANELISTS RECEIVE VERY SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS DURING THAT PANEL REVIEW PROCESS THAT THEY NEED TO FOCUS ON. 
          WHAT CAN THE APPLICANT DO BETTER? DON'T REPEAT SOMETHING IF IT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID. 
          AND SO THERE WERE A LOT OF, UM, CONCERNS FROM, FROM FOLKS THAT WE'VE HEARD, BUT WHEN THEY ACTUALLY SEE THEIR SCORES AND SEE THEIR COMMENTS, IT WAS NOT THE SAME EXPERIENCE. 
          SO WE'RE ALIGNING WITH OTHER NATIONAL GRANT MAKERS AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE LIVE STREAMING THINGS MOVING FORWARD. 
          UM, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO TOUCH BRIEFLY ON HOW WE'RE MEASURING THE IMPACT OF THESE PROGRAMS. UM, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS ACTUALLY BULLET NUMBER THREE. 
          SO I MENTIONED THE DOLLAR AMOUNT. 
          WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE DASHBOARDS. 
          UM, THAT'S INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE THAT IS QUANTITATIVE DATA THAT WE SHARE WITH YOU ALL THE QUALITATIVE PROGRAM OUTPUTS. 
          WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SHARE ANY INFORMATION WITH YOU ALL UNTIL AFTER WE RECEIVE FINAL REPORTS 
          [00:45:01]
FROM THESE GRANT RECIPIENTS. 
          SO AS WE MENTIONED, THE THRIVE FINAL REPORTS WILL BE TURNED IN BY THE END OF JANUARY, AND BY THE END OF THIS MONTH IS WHEN WE'LL RECEIVE THE FINAL REPORTS FROM THE FISCAL YEAR 23 ELEVATE AND THE FISCAL YEAR 24 NEXUS SUMMER RECIPIENTS. 
          SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE STORYTELLING ABOUT WHAT THE IMPACT WAS ON AN ORGANIZATION OR ON AN INDIVIDUAL CREATIVE'S CAREER PATH AT THAT TIME. 
          UM, WE JUST, LIKE FRIDAY, FRIDAY AFTERNOON, I THINK RECEIVED THE DRAFT OF MEASURES REPORTS, UM, AND THIS IS THE MAXIMIZING IMPACT, A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF PROGRAMS FUNDED BY AUSTIN'S HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUE. 
          AND SO THIS WAS WHAT WE, WE CONTRACTED WITH MEASURE AROUND THIS TIME LAST YEAR. 
          AND THEY'LL BE COMING TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL NEXT MONTH TO PRESENT THEIR FINDINGS. 
          SO WE JUST RECEIVED THE DRAFT ON FRIDAY AND WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU ALL WITH MEASURE NEXT MONTH. 
          UH, AND THEN FINALLY, WE DID RECEIVE RECENTLY, UM, HAVE A SPECIAL REPORT FROM THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, UH, ABOUT THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAM. 
          THIS IS NOT AN AUDIT IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE HAD OUR AUDIT IN 2018. 
          THIS WAS A SPECIAL REQUEST FROM COUNCIL THAT CAME IN JANUARY. 
          AND SO THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH STAFF WITH EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS TO CREATE THIS SPECIAL REPORT THAT THEY JUST, I THINK PUBLISHED LAST WEEK OR THE WEEK BEFORE, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK. 
          UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT LINK WITH YOU ALL AS WELL IN CASE YOU'RE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, BEFORE I WILL SOON STOP TALKING. 
          UM, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT LAUNCH CALENDAR FOR THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR JUST TO GET IN FRONT OF ALL OF THE THINGS. 
          SO IN JANUARY, WE'VE MOVED TO A TWICE A YEAR LAUNCH SCHEDULE FOR THE DEPARTMENT. 
          IN JANUARY, WE WILL BE LAUNCHING OUR FY 25 NEXUS AS WELL AS G OS, WHICH IS A TECHNOLOGY GRANT THAT HAS NOW BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. 
          SO WE WILL HAVE, JANUARY IS OUR LAUNCH DATE, AND MAY IS GOING TO BE A LAUNCH DATE. 
          SO IN MAY WE ARE DOING ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, OPEN CALLS FY 25 ELEVATE FY 25 LIVE MUSIC FUND AND THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
          SO THERE'S, THERE WILL BE A LOT. 
          UH, AND THEN IN JANUARY, 2026 TENTATIVELY WE WILL BE HAVING THE NEXT ROUND OF A IPP OPEN CALLS. 
          THE NEXT FY 26 NEXUS, THE NEXT ROUND OF G TOPS. 
          AND THEN MAY, 2026, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A LIFETIME AWAY, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER ROUND OF ART IN PUBLIC PLACES. 
          OPEN CALLS FY 26 ELEVATE FY 26 LMF, CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND FY 27 28 THRIVE. 
          AND THEN I WILL FINISH IT UP, UM, WITH, UH, JUST ANNOUNCING SOME OF OUR, UM, UPCOMING, UH, GRANTEE ACTIVITIES. 
          UM, WE HAVE DE LOS MUERTOS FROM LA PENYA. 
          WE HAVE THE LEOPARDS TRIBE BY INDIE MEME RHYTHMS AND FLAVORS, ASIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL BY INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC CIRCLE OF AUSTIN AND DAY OF THE DEAD COMMUNITY, ALTER EXHIBIT AND CELEBRATION BY ARGO. 
          THESE ARE OUR THRIVE, UM, ACTIVITIES FOR ELEVATE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, BRAZILIAN ZOO BY AUSTIN BRAZILIAN ZOO, AND LODA, UH, SPEAK. 
          NO MORE VICH VVI ITCH, UM, BY LACHE. 
          I DO KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE THAT ONE, UM, TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL, UM, AT THE TEXAS STATE CAPITAL. 
          AND A NEW PLAY WORKSHOP FOR JANE IN THE VELVET HORNS BY JKJK. 
          AND THEN FOR NEXUS, WE ONLY HAD A FEW. 
          SO THE FIRST ONE THAT'S LISTED HERE HAD ALREADY PASSED, BUT IT WAS ONE OF OUR MORE RECENT ONES, UH, DOWN SOME IKA. 
          UM, AND THEN COMING UP WE HAVE ART AND AFFIRMATION EXHIBITION BY HUILA CREATIONS, AND THEN THE OPERA OPERA AUSTIN FESTIVAL, UH, BY NATHAN FELIX. 
          UH, BOTH OF THOSE COMING UP. 
          AND THAT IS OUR PRESENTATION AND WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          OKAY. 
          DO WE WANNA MOVE ON TO ITEM FIVE? SO WE CAN, I JUST WANNA ASK A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT, ABOUT PERCENTAGES. 
          SURE. 
          COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, I JUST HAD A, A FEW PERCENTAGES, MISS MISSING, WHAT WERE THE PERCENTAGE ON THE REPEAT OF THRIVE APPLICANTS? WE HAD THE, THE NUMBERS, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A PERCENTAGE. 
          I CAN SEND YOU THE PERCENTAGES. 
          I CAN DO THE MATHS REAL QUICK. 
          SO LET ME GIVE YOU, LET ME GIVE YOU ALL, I HAVE FOUR OF 'EM. 
          SO THE REPEAT OF THRIVE, THE ACCEPTANCE RATE OF INDIVIDUALS IN BUSINESSES IN ELEVATE, AND THEN THE REPEAT RATES FOR 5 0 1 CS 
          [00:50:01]
AND INDIVIDUAL AND BUSINESSES IN ELEVATE. 
          HOLD THAT, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT ONE MORE TIME PLEASE? SURE, SURE, SURE. 
          SO THE PERCENTAGE OF REPEAT THRIVE RECIPIENTS MM-HMM. 
          , THE ACCEPTANCE PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUAL AND BUSINESS ELEVATE PERCENTAGES, THE REPEAT PERCENTAGE FOR 5 0 1 C IN ELEVATE AND THE REPEAT PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES IN ELEVATE WILL TOO. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          MM-HMM,  COMMISSIONER SCHMUCK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT WAS SO THOROUGH AND THE DASHBOARDS ARE SUPER HELPFUL. 
          UM, DID I AGREE THAT THE, I THINK LIVE STREAMING HAS DONE MORE HARM THAN GOOD AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT THE PURPOSE OF THAT WAS TRANSPARENCY. 
          AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE RIGHT TRY, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK THE WAY WE WANTED IT TO. 
          AND IT'S BRUTALIZING TO WATCH SOMEONE WHEN IN, IN A REALLY COMPETITIVE PROCESS. 
          MM-HMM,  THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKED TO DO, IS LIKE, IT'S NOT LIKE, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT IS SO WONDERFUL ABOUT ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS. 
          IT'S TO GET INTO LIKE, HOW ARE WE MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS? I DO WOULD PUT A PLUG IN TO STILL ALLOW FOR THE APPLICANTS TO ATTEND IN SOME WAY, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT LIVESTREAM. 
          BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THAT CAN BE REALLY INSTRUCTIVE AND HELPFUL FOR THE PROCESS OF UNDERSTANDING, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO GRANT FUNDING PROCESSES, TO UNDERSTAND THE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS THAT HAPPEN IN A PANEL PROCESS. 
          SO I THINK WE COULD KEEP THAT PART OF THE TRANSPARENCY AND, YOU KNOW, HELPFULNESS WITHOUT HAVING THE, THE FULLY LIVE STREAMED PART. 
          SO I WOULD JUST PUT A PLUG IN FOR IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, TO STILL ALLOW FOR THAT WHILE NOT LIVE STREAMING IT, STREAMING IT. 
          COMMISSIONER NEY, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. 
          AND I KNOW I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, UM, AND IT WAS PART OF THE PRESENTATION TODAY, WHICH WAS, UH, TALKING ABOUT G TOPS. 
          AND ONE THING THAT I THINK IS, UM, WORKS FOR THEIR REVIEW PROCESS IS IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR IT, YOU'RE INVITED TO, AND I KNOW IT CAN'T BE IN PERSON 'CAUSE SOME OF THE FOLKS DON'T LIVE HERE, BUT YOU'RE INVITED TO THE, SORRY, I'M LIKE LOOKING AT MYSELF, , YOU'RE INVITED TO THE REVIEW, BUT ALSO YOUR FEEDBACK IS AUTOMATICALLY GIVEN TO YOU SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO REQUEST IT. 
          I THINK THAT COULD BE HELPFUL AS WELL. 
          UM, THE LAST LITTLE BIT THAT I THINK IS SUPER HELPFUL AS WELL IS THE COMM. 
          LIKE THERE'S ROOM FOR CLARIFICATIONS, WHICH I KNOW WAS A THING IN THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROCESS BEFORE THESE CHANGES WERE IMPLEMENTED. 
          UM, I THINK THAT MAY EASE A BIT OF THE, UM, APPEALS PROCESS IF THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT CAN BE ANSWERED, UM, IN KIND OF A BACK AND FORTH DIALOGUE WITH THOUGHT WITH NOT AS HAS USED TO SAY, INTRODUCING NEW INFORMATION. 
          UM, SO I THINK THAT THOSE CHANGES WOULD BE GREAT. 
          HAPPY TO TAKE THAT FEEDBACK INTO CONSIDERATION. 
          COMMISSIONER ALDO. 
          UM, I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE OUTPUT AND THE RETURN ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING. 
          SO WHEN WE GET THIS REPORT WITH WHAT THE OUTCOME HAS BEEN, WILL, WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW, WILL THERE BE DATA AS FAR AS LIKE HOW MANY EVENTS WERE PUT ON, HOW MANY ATTENDEES AND WHAT THE ACTUAL IMPACT? AND I GUESS MY CONCERN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I WENT BACK TO PULL THIS BEAUTIFUL THING BECAUSE , THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION TO ABSORB AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME, WHICH IS ACTUALLY REALLY SIMPLE, WHICH IS ALL GRANTS FUNDED BY THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUE ARE RECCO REQUIRED TO PRODUCE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE OPEN AND ADVERTISED TO AUSTIN RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS. 
          SO WE KNOW WE'RE GETTING THIS HOTEL TAX MONEY. 
          A BIG, A BIG PART OF IT IS, UH, FROM TOURISTS THAT COME AND VISIT OUR CITY, PROMOTE AND ENHANCE AUSTIN AS A CULTURAL DESTINATION. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE REVIEWED THE LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS, ARTISTS, ET CETERA, BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN AWARDED THIS MONEY. 
          AND SO MY CONCERN IS WE'RE GOING NOW TO OUR SECOND ROUND OF ISSUING MONEY AND WHETHER OR NOT WE'VE MEASURED OR GRADED WHETHER OR NOT THESE TWO THINGS HAVE BEEN MET BEFORE, WE'RE GIVING PEOPLE MORE MONEY, HAS THAT HAPPENED? SO I WILL SAY THAT APPLICANTS CAN'T ENTER INTO A NEW CONTRACT UNTIL THEIR PREVIOUS CONTRACT AND FINAL REPORT HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY STAFF AND APPROVED. 
          AND SO AS PART OF THAT STAFF GOES THROUGH EVERY SINGLE FINAL REPORT AND WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE THE TEMPLATE FOR FINAL REPORTS WITH ALL OF YOU IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, JUST TO SEE WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS WE'RE ASKING. 
          UM, BUT THEY INCLUDE THINGS LIKE AUDIENCE NUMBERS, LIKE NUMBER OF EVENTS, AUDIENCE MEMBERS, AND SPECIFICALLY WHERE DO YOUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS COME FROM, WHETHER THEY'RE LOCAL, WHETHER THEY'RE WITHIN THE STATE, WHETHER THEY'RE WITHIN THE COUNTRY, 
          [00:55:01]
LIKE NATIONALLY, INTERNATIONALLY. 
          SO WE ASK THAT GRANULAR DETAIL FOR THE APPLICATIONS OR FOR THE, FOR THE GRANTEES. 
          UM, WE DO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THEY PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY POSTED ON VISIT AUSTIN, THAT THEY PROVIDE MARKETING MATERIALS, THAT INCLUDES OUR LOGO AS WELL AS OUR PUBLICITY STATEMENT. 
          AND THIS IS WHY 10% OF ALL OF THESE GRANTEES RECEIVE AN AUDIT FROM STAFF. 
          SO EACH STAFF MEMBER AUDITS 10% OF THEIR GRANTEES THAT THEY MANAGE. 
          AND THAT INCLUDES BUSINESS SITE VISITS AS WELL AS ARTISTIC SITE VISITS. 
          AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME OUT OF THE 2018 AUDIT THAT WE HAD AROUND THIS PROGRAM. 
          SO HAPPY, HAPPY TO SHARE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR INTO THE WEEDS WITH OUR DISCUSSION, I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON 
          [5. Discussion on Commission and Community Feedback on most recent release of the Cultural Funding Programs, and establish a working group to further discuss the feedback from all sides, and then follow up to report to Council. ]
TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND, UH, , UH, DISCUSSION ON COMMISSION AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON THE MOST RECENT RELEASE OF THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS. AND ESTABLISH A WORKING GROUP TO FURTHER DISCUSS THE FEEDBACK FROM ALL SIDES AND THEN FOLLOW UP TO REPORT FOR CANCELED. 
          WELL, THAT'S A REALLY WORDY ITEM NAME THERE. 
          UM, BUT I BE, I WANT TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY, WE'VE HAD ASKED PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK TO THIS ITEM SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A BACK AND FORTH DIALOGUE. 
          UM, AND THEN I THINK THAT WILL ALLOW US TO SPUR MORE ORGANIC CONVERSATION AROUND SOME OF THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE EACH HAVE THINGS THAT WE WANNA ASK. 
          UM, BUT I WANNA INVITE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UM, UP TO THE DAIS. 
          SO MOVING ON TO ITEM FIVE. 
          AND THEN FIRST WE HAVE, UH, MARIA ANTA BRAVO FROM DIVERSE SPACE YOUTH DANCE, VIOLET CROWN PLAYERS, AND EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, TONY. 
          YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. 
          UM, I WANNA READ SOMETHING FIRST OF ALL, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT COLORED, I WANNA SAY A GOOD 85 TO 90% OF ALL OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAPPENED IN MANY REVIEWS, BOTH WRITTEN AND SPOKEN PRIORITY WILL BE GIVING TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AT IMMEDIATE RISK OF CULTURAL ERASURE AND DISPLACEMENT WITH THIS WITHIN AUSTIN AND OR HAVE BEEN INSTITUTIONALLY MARGINALIZED AND UNDERFUNDED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION. 
          SO IT'S LOVELY THAT THEY RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WERE SHORTCOMINGS IN THE PAST AND THAT THEY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. 
          BUT THE PROBLEM HERE IS WHO IS PAYING FOR THESE SHORTCOMINGS? AND THIS IS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL FROM ALL THIS BEAUTIFUL DATA AND IMAGES. 
          THIS IS FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE ARTIST. 
          SO I'M NOT GONNA READ YOU THE LETTER THAT I SENT BECAUSE YOU ALL, WE TRUST YOU ALL ARE READING AND TAKING NOTES AND TRYING TO PLAN FOR ACTION. 
          SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS I'M GONNA PRESENT TO YOU A CASE STUDY. 
          BASICALLY, UM, IN THIS CASE STUDY, WE'RE GOING TO DIVIDE THE PANELISTS BECAUSE THEY WERE THE ONES THAT GAVE US THE GRADES BASICALLY. 
          AND TWO GROUP A AND PANELIST GROUP B. 
          AND SO THIS STARTED CASES FROM THE ONE NONPROFIT THAT I WAS ALLOWED TO, IF NEEDED, MENTION THEIR NAME BECAUSE A LOT OF OTHER ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE AFRAID OF RETRIBUTION. 
          AND THIS ALREADY SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE TRUST THAT ARTISTS HAVE IN THIS PROCESS OR THE TRUST THAT THE PROCESS HAS INSPIRED IN ARTISTS. 
          AND SO LET'S GO FOR THE CASE MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT. 
          THIS GROUP SAYS THAT IT'S ALL IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN REQUIRES, AND THEN THIS GROUP SAYS IT'S NOT THERE. 
          HMM. 
          WE GO TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT DO NOT BELONG TO WHAT I READ BELOW, I MEAN ABOVE YES. 
          UH, TO THAT SPECIAL GROUP. 
          AND I COULD READ YOU THE EXACT NUMBERS OF WHAT THAT BOARD OF DIRECTORS LOOK LIKE. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE PEOPLE THEY SERVE DO NOT BELONG TO THE POPULATION WE ARE LOOKING FOR. 
          AND OF 
          [01:00:01]
COURSE, IF YOU READ THE APPLICATION THAT THESE PEOPLE PRESENTED, IT'S AMAZING. 
          THEY HAVE SERVICES TO PEOPLE WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES. 
          THEY ARE WORKING WITH YOUNG KIDS THAT ARE IMMIGRANTS AND MOST OF THEM ARE UNACCOMPANIED MINOR THROUGH I THEY ARE ALSO, HEY TONY, I THINK WE'VE HIT OUR THREE MINUTE, BUT WE I CAN HEAR YOU. 
          WE CAN HEAR YOU, BUT NO, BECAUSE YOUR MIC HAS BEEN CUT. 
          CAN WE PUT HER MIC BACK ON PLEASE? COULD WE MOTION FOR HER TO CONTINUE PLEASE? WE NEED A MOTION. 
          I'M GETTING COULD WE PLEASE MOTION, UH, FOR MS. BRAVO TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE? I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR HER STATEMENT. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, . 
          THANK YOU. 
          UNANIMOUS. 
          OKAY, SO LET'S CONTINUES. 
          AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUNG DANCERS AND COLLABORATION WITH BALLET FREAK AND, UM, TITLE ONE SCHOOLS WHERE YOU CANNOT GO AND SAY, PUT THESE KIDS THAT BELONG TO THIS SPECIAL GROUP OVER HERE AND I'M GOING TO INSTRUCT ONLY THEM. 
          AND THEN THE OTHER KIDS THAT ARE NOT PART OF THAT GROUP, UM, JUST KEEP THEM IN THEIR CLASSROOM. 
          AND SO, UH, I MEAN THIS IS A LIST AND THIS IS 32 WEEKS OUT OF THE 36 WEEKS OF SCHOOLWORK. 
          IF, IF THIS IS NOT REPRESENTATIONAL OF THAT POPULATION AND IF THIS IS NOT REAL SERVICE TO THAT POPULATION, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. 
          THERE ARE APPLICATIONS THAT BARBA JUST CUT AND PASTED INTO THEIR APPLICATION. 
          THE WORDS THAT WERE IN THE GUIDELINES. 
          THERE ARE APPLICANTS THAT ORGANIZED, LET'S SAY A WORKSHOP OR TWO AND SOME MINORITY VENUE, TWO, FOUR HOURS IN THAT YEAR. 
          THIS ORGANIZATION SERVED 250 HUMANS, . 
          AND ONE YEAR FOR 32 WEEKS PLUS GET CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHICH ARE NOT SERVED BY ALMOST ANYBODY IN THIS TOWN. 
          YOUNG PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOW MEANS. 
          AND LET ME JUST ONE MORE THING. 
          I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO PLEASE BE PATIENT BECAUSE THIS IS A COMMENT IN THE REVIEW. 
          IN THE WRITTEN REVIEW. 
          PLEASE NOTE THAT STUDENTS OF LOW MEANS THE POOR AND RELATED CLASS ISSUES ARE NOT CONSIDERED KEY PRIORITY CONSTITUENCIES AT RISK OF IN MEDIA DISPLACEMENT OR CULTURAL IATION IN AUSTIN. 
          IF YOU GOOGLE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERSECTIONALITY AND POVERTY, SIRI WILL TELL YOU EXACTLY IN TWO SECONDS WHAT THAT RELATIONSHIP IS AND CREATING THIS DIVISION BETWEEN, OH, THE POOR ARE NOT, AND THESE PEOPLE, YES, I DON'T THINK IT'S HEALTHY FOR THE COMMUNITY AND IT'S NOT HEALTHY FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT ALL OF US SERVE. 
          IT'S NOT HEALTHY FOR OUR AUDIENCES, OUR STUDENTS, OUR ACTORS AND DANCERS. 
          ALL OF THE PEOPLE, MUSICIANS THAT WE HIRE, ALL OF THEM ARE VOTERS TOO. 
          AND THEY NEED TO, YOU KNOW, FIND OUT IF CITY COUNCIL IS GONNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. 
          AND WE ARE ASKING IN THE LETTER THAT SINCE ACCORDING TO THE CODE, THE CODE OF ORDINANCE, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE EARS AND I OF CITY COUNCIL. 
          AND YOU WERE PUSHED ASIDE BY THE FACT THAT NOW YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE PROCESS. 
          YOU DON'T EVEN GET TO SEE THE APPLICATIONS. 
          YOU DON'T HAVE ANY WORD ON WHAT THE GUIDELINES ARE SAYING. 
          YOU ARE JUST THERE SAYING YES OR NO. 
          SO WE NEED YOU TO BE OUR REPRESENTATIVES AND WE NEED YOU INVOLVED. 
          WE NEED YOU TO CUT THIS NONSENSE. 
          THIS NEEDS TO BE STOPPED. 
          [01:05:01]
IF YOU ASK ME, THIS NEEDS TO BE STOPPED NOW BECAUSE IT'S AFFECTING LIVES FOR THE NEXT 18 MONTHS. 
          PLENTY OF LIVES. 
          I'M UNEMPLOYED FOR ONE THING PRACTICALLY, JUST BECAUSE I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GO AND SERVE ANY OF THESE KIDS OR DO ANY OF THESE PERFORMANCES HIRE MUSICIANS? HIRE. 
          IT'S JUST PERSONAL. 
          YES, BUT FROM THE PERSONAL TO THE UNIVERSAL, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. 
          THERE ARE LOTS OF HUMANS. 
          AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT ME? THEY SAID, I'M NOT PART, I'M ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR BECAUSE THE ORGANIZATION RELIES ON MY VISION. 
          WHAT WOULD THEY HAVE DONE WITH SHAKESPEARE? I'M NOT SURE. 
          BUT IF RELYING ON THE VISION OF ONE ARTIST WHO, UH, ABOUT OTHER THINGS COLLABORATES WITH HUMANS FROM ALL OVER THE PLANET. 
          UM, I DON'T SEE HOW THAT IS A PROBLEM. 
          AND I MEAN, BROWN, WHITE, BROWN FEMALE, WHITE FEMALE, OF COURSE ARTISTS IS UNDERSERVED TOO. 
          MARGINALIZED TOO. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU, TONY. 
          OKAY, FOR THE REMAINING PRESENTERS, UM, HEADS UP THREE MINUTES. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'RE DEALING WITH SOME PRETTY RIGID CONSTRAINTS, UH, DUE TO ROBERT'S RULES, SO WE ALL NEED TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO ADHERE. 
          NEXT, I HAVE AMANDA JOHNSON, TORCH LITERARY ARTS. 
          THANKS FOR BEING HERE. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. 
          THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE SOME FEEDBACK AND MEET WITH THE COMMISSION. 
          UM, MY NAME IS AMANDA JOHNSTON. 
          I'M THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TORCH LITERARY ARTS, A LOCAL NONPROFIT THAT SUPPORTS BLACK WOMEN WRITERS. 
          I'M ALSO THE CURRENT TEXAS POET LAUREATE AND THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE IN THIS POSITION, I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES OF BUILDING THRIVING CULTURAL ARTS COMMUNITIES AND SUPPORTING THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF ARTISTS. 
          I'M HERE TODAY TO THANK THE ARTS COMMISSION FOR ITS CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE THRIVE GRANT AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION. 
          TORCH IS GRATEFUL FOR THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE RECEIVED THROUGH THIS VITAL FUNDING SOURCE CREATED TO QUOTE, SUSTAIN AND GROW LOCAL ARTS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, DEEPLY ROOTED IN AND REFLECTIVE OF AUSTIN'S DIVERSE CULTURES. 
          OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, TORCH HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY AND HAS TAKEN MAJOR STRIDES TOWARDS BECOMING A CULTURAL ARTS INSTITUTION, INCLUDING EXPANDING OUR PROGRAMMING, HIRING STAFF FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR 18 YEAR HISTORY, AND BECOMING A RESOURCE AND DESTINATION FOR BLACK WOMEN WRITERS ALL OVER AND LOVERS OF LITERATURE ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS AND AROUND THE WORLD. 
          HOWEVER, THE CURRENT GRANT CYCLE SHOWED SOME AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT, NAMELY EQUITY SAFEGUARDS IN THE PANEL REVIEW PROCESS, AND SCORING, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH MODEL BEYOND THE ALLOTTED TWO YEARS, WHILE TORCH LITERARY ARTS DID RECEIVE THE THRIVE GRANT, THIS GRANT CYCLE, OUR FUNDING WAS DRASTICALLY REDUCED JUST AS WE WERE ENTERING A PIVOTAL MOMENT OF GROWTH AND ARTISTIC SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THIS REDUCED LEVEL OF SUPPORT WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT TORCH LITERARY ARTS AND BLACK WOMEN IN AUSTIN. 
          I WOULD WELCOME ANY OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE COMMISSION AND THE CITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND SUPPORT THE EVOLUTION OF THIS EARLY PROGRAM. 
          AND A FEW MORE DETAILS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP IN, UM, SHARED EARLIER, OR NOT MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY, THERE WERE 16 THRIVE RECIPIENTS THAT DID NOT RECEIVE FUNDING. 
          AGAIN, NOWHERE IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS DID IT CONSIDER GROWTH AND ATTAINING THE GOALS. 
          SO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS AND BECOMING INSTITUTIONS DID NOT RECEIVE FUNDING. 
          UM, AT THE THRIVE LEVEL, MANY OF THEM NOT AT ALL. 
          UM, AGAIN, THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, MUCH LIKE TORCH, WERE MEETING THE GOALS AND SET AS EXAMPLES. 
          ONE OF THE EXAMPLES THAT WAS SHARED TONIGHT DID NOT RECEIVE THE THRIVE GRANT. 
          AGAIN, UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO, TO RECEIVE. 
          SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S CONCERNS ABOUT CREATING NEGATIVE LEGACY PROGRAMS, UM, THAT ARE NOT EVALUATING GROWTH AND IMPACT, THAT ARE NOT MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR INCREDIBLE DIVERSE COMMUNITY. 
          BUT WHAT TO SAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE EARLY, LIKE TORCH, RECEIVING FUNDING FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND THEN HAVING IT REDUCED RIGHT WHEN WE NEED IT MOST. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          [01:10:01]
NEXT WE HAVE KAY FRAZIER FROM DIVERSE SPACE AND VIOLET CROWN PLAYERS. 
          SORRY, I CAN'T READ THE OTHER YOUTH DANCE. 
          THERE IT IS. 
          DIVERSE BASED YOUTH DANCE AND VIOLET CROWN PLAYERS NOT HERE. 
          OKAY, WE'LL JUST PRETEND LIKE WE GAVE YOU HER TIME. 
          TONY. 
          UH, SHANNON EMBERG, BEYOND AUGUST PRODUCTIONS, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          HELLO, I'M SHANNON EMBRY WITH BEYOND AUGUST PRODUCTIONS. 
          UM, MY TWO, UH, WOMEN PARTNERS AND I STARTED A THEATER COMPANY, A 5 0 1 C3 IN AUSTIN. 
          UM, IT WILL BE IN OUR FIFTH SEASON NEXT YEAR, 2 20, 20 25. 
          I DID LOOK AT, UM, APPLYING FOR FUNDING IN THIS MOST RECENT CYCLE. 
          UM, BUT I DIDN'T BECAUSE WHEN I READ ALL OF THE, UM, CRITERIA WAS BEING USED, I DIDN'T SEE THAT THERE WAS REALLY ANY PLACE IN THERE FOR ME. 
          I WAS READING INTERSECTIONALITY AND I JUST FELT EXCLUDED FROM THE PROCESS. 
          UM, AND I DO FEEL LIKE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SORT SERVING TOURISTS. 
          WE ARE PROVIDING, UM, VIBRANT CULTURE TO AUSTIN AND REACHING PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T OTHERWISE SEE, SEE THEATER. 
          UM, AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHEN WE WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT THE RUBRIC SO THAT ALL OF US CAN FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. 
          THAT WAS IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT IS DYLAN JONES, ON BEHALF OF TAPESTRY AND ANTHROP. 
          OP HEY, Y'ALL. 
          MY NAME'S DYLAN JONES. 
          I AM A LONGTIME AUSTIN MUSICIAN, BASS PLAYER WITH THE GROUP. 
          ATOSH, UH, AN EDUCATOR HERE, UH, FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF ANTHROPOS ARTS. 
          UH, WANTED TO START WITH SOME GRATITUDE TO THE COMMISSION AND THE STAFF FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN IS A NEAR IMPOSSIBLE AND GRUELING, UH, PROCESS AT ALL POINTS AND VERY HARD DECISIONS AND, AND NOT NECESSARILY RIGHT DECISIONS AS SOME OF US, UH, UH, BRING TO THE TABLE HERE ARE MADE. 
          BUT WE REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALLS EFFORTS, AND WE KNOW IT'S A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF INFORMATION. 
          I CAN'T BELIEVE THE REPORT Y'ALL JUST DID, BLEW ME. 
          IT'S A LOT OF DETAIL. 
          SO WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS ON THE BEHALF OF ANTHROPO. 
          WE'D LIKE TO THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, HELPING US GET FUNDING THIS YEAR, AND ALSO FOR PUTTING FORWARD YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS ON PLACE-BASED ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ANTHROPO IS LOOKING INTO WITH THE CITY TO, UH, FIND US A PERMANENT HOME, UH, FOR OUR STUDIO. 
          UH, I'M HERE TODAY AS A MUSICIAN AND SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF TAPESTRY. 
          UH, I'VE HAD THE HONOR OF PLAYING WITH THAT ORGANIZATION AS A BASS PLAYER AND COLLABORATING WITH THE ARTISTS THAT THEY BRING IN, UH, FOR THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS. 
          AND, UH, AS A PERSON WHO HAS SEEN THE ORGANIZATION FROM THE INSIDE, HAS SEEN THE CROWDS THAT THEY BRING, HAS SEEN THE LEVEL OF ARTISTRY AND THE, UH, MASTERS THAT THEY BRING INTO WORK, UH, WITH AUSTIN ARTISTS. 
          I WAS, UH, SIMULTANEOUSLY BEING SOMEONE WHO'S VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE GUIDELINES FOR ELEVATE AND THRIVE AND THE MISSION OF, OF THESE PROGRAMS. AND, YOU KNOW, THE CRITERIA EXPLICITLY. 
          I WAS REALLY SHOCKED TO SEE THAT, UH, TAPESTRY DIDN'T GET ANY SUPPORT FROM THE CITY, UH, FROM EITHER GRANT WHATSOEVER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN, IN MANY, MANY YEARS. 
          AS I UNDERSTAND. 
          UH, TO BE CLEAR, I WAS NOT ASKED TO COME HERE, UH, BY, UH, COMMISSIONER GRAY OR ANYBODY AFFILIATED WITH TAPESTRY. 
          THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT, UH, AND I, NOR HAVE I COME HERE TO SPEAK ON ANYBODY'S BEHALF, SO MANY GREAT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, IN THE CITY. 
          I COULD TELL YOU THAT NOT ONLY HAVE I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH, UH, LEGACY TAP DANCERS THAT ARE PRESERVING A REAL TRADITION, AND I CAN TELL YOU AS A MUSICIAN, THINGS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH RHYTHM ARE ORAL TRADITION. 
          NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU WRITE IT DOWN OR HOWEVER YOU SPELL IT OUT, YOU'VE GOTTA BE WITH THE PERSON AND YOU'VE GOTTA, UH, ABSORB THE FEEL OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          AND I'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH, AS A JAZZ BASS PLAYER, A TAP DANCER THAT, YOU KNOW, TAPPED WITH DUKE ELLINGTON AND WORKED WITH D KING COLE, AND WAS AS THIS, UH, ART FORM OF TAP IS CO-EVOLVING WITH AMERICAN JAZZ. 
          UH, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT, UH, TAPESTRY IS BRINGING IN TO WORK AND EDUCATE, UH, AUSTIN, UH, TAP ARTISTS. 
          BUT ALSO, UH, THE POINT FOR ME IS AS A MUSICIAN, IT, THESE GIGS HAVE HELPED ME GROW TREMENDOUSLY, HAVE HELPED INFORM ME WITH REAL, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM THE SOURCE, ESSENTIALLY, PEOPLE WHO REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS, UH, THEM NOT GETTING ANY FUNDING WAS, UH, DISAPPOINTING AND IS WORTHY OF REVIEW. 
          SO, THANK Y'ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION FOR ITEM FIVE. 
          NOW WE CAN OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR COMMISSIONERS. 
          UM, WE CAN INVITE STAFF BACK UP IF THERE 
          [01:15:01]
ARE DIRECT QUESTIONS THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE ASKED, UM, OR WE CAN BEGIN THE DISCUSSION AMONGST OURSELVES. 
          WHO WANTS TO KICK IT OFF? COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION OF STAFF. 
          WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR EVALUATING THE PILOT MAKING CORRECTIONS AND ADJUSTMENTS AND THEN DOING SOMETHING NEW? WHAT IS THE PLAN ON THAT, SINCE IT IS A PILOT? GOOD EVENING. 
          SOVI HORAB, DIRECTOR FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. 
          WHAT WE WOULD ASK SPECIFICALLY IS SPECIFIC, WHAT COULD BE CHANGED OR WHAT SHOULD BE CHANGED. 
          SHOULD I QUESTION? I'M JUST SPEAKING, SHOULD QUESTION FIVE BE CHANGED? AND HOW SHOULD IT BE CHANGED? WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH THE PANELS? SHOULD WE DO DIFFERENT TRAININGS? I, I APPRECIATE COMMUNITY AND THEIR FEEDBACK, BUT WE NEED SPECIFICS. 
          WE'RE GONNA GET THE DATA FROM MEASURE, WE'RE GONNA EVALUATE BASED ON, UM, QUANTITATIVE, QUALITATIVE INFORMATION. 
          BUT WHAT SPECIFICS CAN YOU OFFER US THAT WE CAN TAKE BACK, CONSULT WITH OUR EQUITY OFFICE AS WE HAVE DONE, COME BACK TO YOU WITH RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT SPECIFICALLY, WHAT SHOULD WE, COULD WE CHANGE? AND THOUGH THAT'S WHAT I NEED, PANEL PROCESS, KEEP IT NO, KEEP IT DIFFERENT TRAINING. 
          WHO SHOULD BE ON THERE? QUESTION FIVE COULD BE CHANGED, JUST LIKE YOU HAVE DONE BEFORE WHEN WE FIRST DID THE PROGRAM, YOU BROUGHT CHANGES TO AND WE INCORPORATE. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. 
          WE WANT TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE. 
          WE DEFINITELY WANNA CONTINUE LEADING WITH RACIAL EQUITY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU HEARD THE NUMBERS IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF APPLICATIONS IN OUR LIMITED FUNDING. 
          SO WE ARE HERE TO HONOR AND DO THE RIGHT THING. 
          TRUST ME, WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF NEED, BUT GIVE US SPECIFICS AND I'LL TURN TO MY STAFF IN CASE ANYTHING ELSE. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT THAT'S WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR SPECIFICS. 
          HOW CAN WE SPECIFICALLY IMPROVE WHAT SHOULD BE CHANGED? AND WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE KIND OF TIMEFRAME ON THAT? WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE I, WHAT IS, WHAT WAS THE CONCEPT OF THE PILOT PERIOD INITIALLY THOUGHT TO BE? SO WHEN WE LAUNCH AGAIN IN THE SPRING, JANUARY, SO BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR, AND I'LL, MY TEAM IS GIVING ME A LOOK, SO LET ME LET 'EM JUMP IN. 
          JUST TO ADD TO THAT, SO FOR NEXUS, SPECIFICALLY, STAFF HAS BEEN LOOKING THROUGH THE GUIDELINES AND THE APPLICATION QUESTIONS FOR NEXUS RIGHT NOW TO PREP FOR THE JANUARY LAUNCH FOR NEXUS. 
          WE ARE ALSO LOOKING HAND IN HAND WITH LIVE MUSIC FUND WITH CSAP. 
          WHAT DO ALL OF THOSE LAUNCHES IN MAY NEED TO LOOK LIKE? SO WE AREN'T HAVING, UM, ANY KIND OF DOUBLE DIPPING. 
          SO WE'RE APPROACHING THE NEED AND RESPONDING TO THE NEED IN THE, IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE FOR COMMUNITY WITH THE LIMITED FUNDS THAT WE HAVE. 
          AND SO WE'RE STARTING THOSE CONVERSATIONS NOW. 
          AS SO NOVIA MENTIONED, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK IF YOU ALL WANT TO CREATE THE WORKING GROUP TO, TO COME UP WITH SOME SPECIFIC FEEDBACK. 
          UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE THAT. 
          WE'VE RECEIVED MANY COMMENTS OVER THE PAST YEAR THAT WE'RE INCORPORATING AS WE GO ALONG. 
          UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO TAKE ANY FEEDBACK AT ANY TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MARK. 
          HI. 
          UM, I, I, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. 
          THIS IS A PILOT, AND I'M GLAD RIGHT NOW WE HAVE DATE TO MAKE ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION, YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, I THINK COMMUNICATION IS VERY IMPORTANT. 
          I DO NOT KNOW WHAT'S IN PLACE AS FAR AS THE PANEL ORIENTATION, YOU KNOW, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME CONCERN ABOUT PANEL A AND PANEL B HAS, HAS DIFFERENT RESULTS, HAS DIFFERENT EVALUATION. 
          SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WILL HELP ME, YOU KNOW, SHOULD I GET INVOLVED IN THAT. 
          SO I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE AND WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DIDN'T WORK. 
          HOW CAN WE TAKE THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY? I REALLY APPRECIATE THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, IN THE EVENING COMING OVER, UH, TO GIVE YOUR THREE MINUTES, YOU KNOW, STATEMENT. 
          IT, I KNOW IT TAKES A LOT, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO, TO BE HERE. 
          SO I REALLY LIKE TO APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S, UH, WILLINGNESS TO MAKE IT BETTER. 
          SO I, I, I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK OF, OF THE STAFF, AND I WAS THERE DURING THE, UH, CHANCE TRANSITION, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK, BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF WORK WE 
          [01:20:01]
NEED TO DO TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY, THE INTEGRITY OF THE PROCESS. 
          AFTER ALL, WE ARE SITTING AS A COMMISSION. 
          WE ARE SITTING ON OUR INTEGRITY. 
          WE ARE TRYING TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE PROCESS BECAUSE WE ARE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING OUR WORK. 
          SO I NEED TO KNOW THE TIMELINE SO THAT I CAN BLOCK OFF MY SCHEDULE BECAUSE IT NEEDS, I MEAN, WE HAVE ENOUGH DATA AND FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT WE, THAT WE CAN START TO DO PHASE ONE, AND HOPEFULLY WE ALL HAVE ROOM TO GROW. 
          WE CAN PAT OUR BACK. 
          WE DID A GOOD JOB, BUT WE ALL HAVE ROOM TO GROW. 
          AND WHILE WE ARE MAKING IMPROVEMENT, I WANTED TO REDUCE AS PAIN AS POSSIBLE FOR THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY WHO WAS SO WANTING, YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE THEIR TALENTS AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          HOW CAN WE MAKE IT BETTER FOR THEM? THANK YOU. 
          THE TIMELINE. 
          SO, UM, AS LAURA MENTIONED, DURING HER PRESENTATION JUNE 28TH OF THIS YEAR, UH, THE TRAINING MATERIALS WENT TO THE PANELISTS, AND THAT INFORMATION IS STILL ON THE WEBSITE. 
          SO IF YOU FORM THE WORKING GROUP, I WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE, LOOK AT THE TRAINING, LOOK AT THE MATERIALS, AND THEN HOW SHOULD WE TRAIN, YOU KNOW, IN PERSON VIRTUAL AND GO FROM THERE. 
          BUT THE TRAINING MATERIAL, IT'S ON THE WEBSITE. 
          AND SO SEND THEM THE LINK. 
          MM-HMM, , YOU CAN SEND THEM THE LINK AND WE WILL SEND YOU THE LINK AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE FULL POWERPOINT THAT TALKS ABOUT THE TIMELINE AND PANEL APPLICATION IS OPEN NOW. 
          SO DEFINITELY LOOKING FOR A DIVERSE POOL. 
          I, I SAW COMMISSIONER CHARLA, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER, UH, MALDONADO. 
          YEAH, I MEAN, I JUST, I JUST HAVE SOME THOUGHTS. 
          FIRST OF ALL, UM, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING ALL THE DATA. 
          IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE THE DATA THAT'S COMING OUT OF, UH, UH, THE CS, UM, UH, GRANT GRANT APPLICATIONS. 
          AND, UH, UH, ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATE, UM, UM, CHAIR HERE AS WELL AS THE COMMISSION, UM, THAT HAS REALLY WELCOMED THE COMMUNITY TO COME AND SPEAK HERE TODAY. 
          UH, I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY FEELS VERY COM, UH, COMFORTABLE, UH, COMING AND, UH, SPEAKING AT THE COMMISSION. 
          UM, I THINK WE HAVE HAD SOME PERIODS OF TIME HERE AND THERE WHEN MAYBE THAT COMFORT WAS NOT THERE. 
          AND SO, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, FROM THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, AND SHARING EVERYBODY HERE. 
          UM, DIRECTOR , FIRST OF ALL, THANK THANKS FOR ALSO, UM, ASKING FOR SPECIFICS. 
          I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO GET DOWN TO IS NOW, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS OF ROLLOUTS OF THESE GRANTS. 
          WE HAVE DATA. 
          UM, I THINK IT'S, AS STAFF IS DIGGING INTO THE DATA AND LOOKING AT IT FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE, UH, WHATEVER WE DO HERE NEXT, UH, WHETHER IT'S, UH, I THINK A WORKING GROUP WOULD BE MOST IDEAL IS TO REALLY GET INTO THE SPECIFICS AND, AND BRING WHAT WE ARE ALSO HEARING DIRECTLY FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND USE THE COMBINATION OF THAT TO JUST MAKE, AGAIN, REALLY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          I THINK BECAUSE SO FAR WE HAVE HAD KIND OF SOME GOOD IDEAS, BROAD CONVERSATIONS, UH, WE NEED TO, I THINK, UH, GET A LIST OUT. 
          UM, PERSONALLY, I, I DO FEEL THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THERE IS ROOM TO EVEN CATEGORIZE SOME OF, UM, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, CRITERIA OF APPLICANTS DIFFERENTLY. 
          I SOMETIMES DO WONDER IF, IF EVERYBODY WHO HAS A SPACE, WHETHER IT'S WITHIN MUSIC OR, OR ARTS OR YOU KNOW, NONPROFITS WITH SPACES VERSUS THOSE WITHOUT SPACES SHOULD BE BUCKETED DIFFERENTLY. 
          AND MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE COMPETING AGAINST WITHIN THEIR OWN CATEGORY AS OPPOSED TO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, COMPETING IN A BROAD BUCKET WHERE EVERYBODY IS IN THE SAME POOL. 
          SO I THINK THERE IS SOME ROOM THERE, UM, TO RECATEGORIZE EVEN. 
          UM, AND, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT, IN MY MIND, THE, THE, THE BENEFIT OF RUNNING THESE PILOT PROGRAMS AND CONSIDERING THEM PILOTS AND LOOKING AT THE DATA OBJECTIVELY. 
          I UNDERSTAND THE EMOTIONS AND SENTIMENTS AS WELL, UH, THAT ARE BEING EXPRESSED BOTH POSITIVE AND, YOU KNOW, NOT SO, UH, YOU KNOW, POSITIVE OR, OR IS USEFUL BECAUSE IT'S, BECAUSE THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY, UM, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS THAT 
          [01:25:01]
ARE BEING, GETTING IMPACTED NEGATIVELY AS WELL. 
          AND, AND WE SAW THAT ON THE LIVE MUSIC FUND TOO, WHERE THE ACCEPTANCE RATE WAS ACTUALLY NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE. 
          UH, THIS IS, WE HAVE A GREAT ACCEPTANCE RATE ON, YOU KNOW, SO, SO I THINK WE, WE SHOULD JUST GET DOWN TO THE SPECIFICS. 
          AND, AND YES, ALSO ON, ON, ON, YOU KNOW, IF WE SHOULD BE OPEN AND TO THE IDEA OF, UH, UH, ALSO LOOKING AT HOW WE ARE DOING EQUITY AND, UH, IN ITS IMPLEMENTATION, NOT ON THE PRINCIPLE OF HOW WE ARE THAT'S BEING DRIVEN. 
          UM, I THINK WE ARE ALL PRETTY ALIGNED ON, ON, ON THAT BEING NECESSARY, UH, WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES, WHETHER IT'S HERE OR ON THE, ON THE COMMERCIAL MUSIC, UM, SIDE. 
          BUT, UM, HOW IT, THEN IT GETS TRANSLATED INTO HOW IT'S GETTING IMPLEMENTED. 
          I THINK WE, PART OF OUR FEEDBACK SHOULD INCLUDE THAT AS WELL. 
          UM, AND BECAUSE ART, YES, THERE MIGHT BE SOME NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, DOING PRETTY WELL FINANCIALLY, BUT EVERY ARTIST FOR THE MOST PART DOES ART FOR THE SAKE OF ART. 
          UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY PARTICULARLY GETTING RICH HERE DOING ART OR MUSIC. 
          UM, AND, AND IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS THAT HAVE BUILT THIS COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES AND, AND SEE HOW THEY CAN BE SUPPORTED. 
          AND I'M NOT EVEN SAYING THAT THEY'RE NOT, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE MIX RIGHT NOW, GETTING THE GRANTS. 
          THAT'S, BUT, BUT IF THAT IS A BROAD CONCERN THAT'S BEING EXPRESSED, I THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING DEEPER INTO THAT ON HOW THAT CAN BE SUSTAINED AS WE BRING ON NEW ENTITIES, UM, TO BE, TO BE SUPPORTED. 
          UH, SO YEAH, I JUST BROADLY, BUT, BUT THANK YOU AGAIN. 
          I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON, IS LOOKING AT THE DATA ON AND BRINGING BACK SPECIFICS. 
          UM, SMALL CONCERN AROUND THE PANELS NOT BEING, UH, LIVESTREAMED, UH, THAT IS PROBABLY THE RIGHT DECISION. 
          UH, THE TIMING OF IT RIGHT NOW WITH, UH, FOLKS BEING CONCERNED, UH, UH, THAT AS THE FIRST DECISION POINT IS A LITTLE HARD FOR ME. 
          UM, I THINK, UH, AS WE BRING IN MAYBE SOME OTHER NET NEW UPDATES ON HOW WE CAN COLLECTIVELY IMPROVE ON THESE GRANTS, UM, SHARING THAT AND MAYBE PUTTING THIS AT THE BACKEND  MIGHT, MIGHT, MIGHT BE HELPFUL, UH, BECAUSE THAT DID CONCERN ME, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE EVEN IF IT'S, I, I'M NOT EVEN SAYING THERE'S A MAJORITY CONCERN OR A MINORITY CONCERN THAT THERE IS A CONCERN. 
          UM, ANYTHING THAT BLOCKS TRANSPARENCY THEN BECOMES MORE CONCERNING, I THINK, TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          UH, SO MAYBE INTRODUCE SOME CHANGES, SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE THESE GRANTS IN THE NEXT ITERATION. 
          AND, AND THEN LOOK AT THAT, THAT AS A POSSIBILITY. 
          BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          UH, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. 
          THANK YOU, LAURA. 
          COMMISSIONER MAL, NOW I READ MY MIND , UM, I HAVE SOME NOTES HERE AND I, I WANNA THANK TORCH FOR, FOR COMING AND SPEAKING TODAY. 
          'CAUSE A LOT OF MY NOTES, UM, KIND OF WERE, WERE AROUND THIS TOPIC, WHICH IS CAPACITY BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY. 
          AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF MY CONCERNS. 
          EVEN AS I LOOKED OVER THE LIST OF GRANTEES, WHICH A LOT OF THE GRANTEES I, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTED THEIR WORK, ATTENDED THE EXHIBITS, ET CETERA. 
          BUT THERE WAS A, A REAL, UH, A REAL WOW AND CONCERN WHEN I SAW THAT THERE WERE GRANTEES THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME THERE BEING AWARDED $30,000. 
          SO I THINK FOR ME, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE PANELS, UM, THE REVIEW PROCESS OR WHATNOT. 
          FOR ME, IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO THE RUB RUBRICS AND THE SCORING. 
          I THINK THERE'S SOME ELEMENTS THAT, THAT ARE MISSING THAT WILL REALLY HELP US ENSURE THAT, UM, THAT WE CAN SCALE PEOPLE UP TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE SO THAT IT CAN BE SUSTAINABLE. 
          AND ALSO THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM RESOURCES. 
          SO WE'RE GIVING A GRANTEE $30,000 FOR THE FIRST TIME. 
          DO THEY KNOW HOW TO BUDGET AND USE THAT MONEY OUTSIDE OF MAYBE HAVING SOMEONE HELP THEM WRITE A GRANT, RIGHT? AND WHAT DO THOSE RESOURCES LOOK LIKE? AND FOR ME, EVEN A BIGGER PICTURE, WHICH IS LIKE, WHAT IS THE ECOSYSTEM OF WHAT WE'RE CREATING THROUGH THESE GRANTS? UM, THERE'S ALSO, AND THIS IS REALLY HARD FOR ME TO SAY, 'CAUSE I'M A MUSIC ENTHUSIAST, WAS MARRIED TO A MUSICIAN FOR NINE YEARS, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM FAIR TO ME AT TIMES THAT THERE'S ORGANIZATIONS THAT THERE'S MONEY THAT THEY POSSIBLY COULD HAVE RECEIVED THAT IS GOING TO SOMEONE THAT ALSO HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET MONEY THROUGH THE MUSIC GRANT MUSIC FUNDING, THAT THEY CANNOT APPLY FOR THAT MONEY TORCH CANNOT GO APPLY FOR MUSIC, FUN MONEY. 
          BUT YET WE HAVE MUSICIANS OR MUSIC 
          [01:30:01]
VENUES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, THAT ARE ABLE TO TAP INTO THIS MONEY. 
          UM, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS, I'VE HAD THIS NOTE ABOUT BUCKETS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A NONPROFIT. 
          WE WORK IN UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS WITH SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES. 
          AND OF COURSE, I WANNA SEE CHILDREN RECEIVING PROGRAMMING. 
          BUT THIS REALLY, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME RATIOS PUT INTO PLACE. 
          HOW MUCH MONEY IS GOING TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK SPECIFICALLY WITH CHILDREN, HOW MUCH OF IT IS GOING TO MUSIC TO THEATER, THIS ECOSYSTEM, WE HAVE TO BUILD IT. 
          WE CAN'T SEE ALL THE MONEY GO INTO ONE TYPE OF MEDIUM OR ONE TYPE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, DEMOGRAPHIC OR WHATNOT. 
          UM, SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT CAN BE FIXED. 
          THAT'S THE GREAT NEWS ABOUT IT. 
          , RIGHT? UM, AND I THINK THERE'S WONDERFUL PEOPLE ON THIS ARTS COMMISSION. 
          THERE'S PEOPLE THAT HAVE CONTINUOUSLY SHOWED UP TO THESE PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT ALSO HAVE A GREAT PERSPECTIVE. 
          AND, AND I THINK WE CAN BUILD SOMETHING REALLY BEAUTIFUL THAT CAN BE SUSTAINABLE AND CARRY US THROUGH. 
          UM, AND LET ME JUST LOOK AT MY NOTES REALLY QUICKLY. 
          UM, YEAH, I THINK FOR ME, THE BIGGEST THING IS THE BUCKETS. 
          THE, UM, CAPACITY BUILDING RESOURCES. 
          UM, OH, AND A LAST NOTE TOO, BESIDES THE MUSIC, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA PICK ON MUSIC FUND MONEY. 
          I FELT THERE'S ORGANIZATIONS THAT, UM, OPERATE WITH BIG BUDGETS ALREADY THAT GET MONEY FROM STEM, THAT GET MONEY FROM DELL, FROM ORACLE, ALL THESE OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING THAT OTHER APPLICANTS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT MONEY. 
          THAT'S WHEN I START THINKING ABOUT EQUITY IS IF I'M AN ORGANIZATION THAT GETS HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES, BUT THEN I'VE NOW LEARNED HOW TO USE CULTURAL ARTS AND INCORPORATE THAT INTO MY GRANT WRITING, PLUG IT INTO MY PLUGIN ONE PROGRAM, INTO, UM, WHAT WE DO. 
          AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN I'M GETTING $150,000. 
          TO ME, THAT IS NOT EQUITABLE BECAUSE I, AS, AS SOMEONE WHO KNOWS ARTISTS, ART ORGANIZATIONS, I CANNOT GO TO DELL AND ORACLE AND ASK FOR THAT KIND OF MONEY. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT TO REVISIT HERE ABOUT WHAT DOES EQUITY ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE, BESIDES SAYING WE'VE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF AWARDEES THAT ARE BROWN AND BLACK COMMISSIONER CHENEY, AND THEN COMMISSIONER GARZA. 
          YES. 
          SO I ALSO HAVE SOME NOTES. 
          UM, SO ONE THING THAT I'VE BROUGHT UP IN PRIOR, AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY FOR SHARING. 
          I ECHO EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SAYING. 
          SAM, DO THEY HAVE TO SAY, I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION FOR THEM. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, SO SOMETHING THAT I'VE MENTIONED IN PRIOR MEETINGS IS DEFINING WHAT SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED ORGANIZATIONS MEAN FOR THRIVE. 
          AND I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT TO MAKE BECAUSE WHAT IS A SMALL MEDIUM TO ORGANIZATION, TO ME MIGHT DIFFER TO THE PERSON NEXT TO ME, TO THE PERSON NEXT TO ME, TO THE PERSON NEXT TO ME. 
          AND SO HAVING THOSE PARAMETERS IN PLACE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          IT'S KIND OF GIVING A RUBRIC, SO TO SPEAK TO ORGANIZATIONS AND SAYING, I QUALIFY FOR THIS MONEY, OR I DON'T QUALIFY FOR THIS MONEY. 
          AND ONE, UM, EXAMPLE THAT I'VE USED BEFORE FOR MAYBE FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THIS FUNDER IS TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS, UM, FOR THEIR, UM, ARTS CREATE GRANT, I THINK IT'S CALLED, UM, WHERE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BUDGET OF UNDER LIKE $1.5 MILLION TO, UH, EL TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR IT. 
          AND I THINK THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THRIVE, RIGHT? IF, TO ME, AND THIS IS MY OPINION, AND THIS IS WHAT'S UP FOR DEBATE, IF YOU HAVE $10 MILLION BUDGET OR A $5 MILLION BUDGET, AND TO ME YOU SHOULD BE AT CULTURAL INSTITUTION STATUS. 
          IF YOU, YOU KNOW, OWN YOUR PROPERTY AND YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO INVEST EQUITY BACK INTO YOUR ORGANIZATION, TO ME THAT IS LIKE WHAT I WOULD DREAM OF AS A NONPROFIT LEADER. 
          BUT WHEN I'M BEING PULLED AGAINST ORGANIZATIONS IN AUSTIN THAT ARE ON CITY OWNED PROPERTY THAT DON'T PAY, YOU KNOW, $22,000 A MONTH IN RENT OR SOMETHING, I'M USING MYSELF AS AN EXAMPLE, I FEEL THAT I'M AT AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE BECAUSE THOSE FOLKS HAVE MORE RESOURCES, THEY HAVE BIGGER STAFF MEMBERS, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD THEIR BUDGET OVER TIME. 
          SO DEFINE WHAT SMALL AND MEDIUM MEANS SO THAT THRIVE CAN ACTUALLY GO TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT NEED HELP TO THRIVE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE. 
          NUMBER TWO IS I THINK, UM, AS A MUSICIAN, I AM A MUSICIAN, SO I WANNA DOUBLE DOWN ON THIS, BUT YOUR POINT EXACTLY ABOUT THE LIVE MUSIC VENUE FUND, ME AS AN ARTIST, I COULD HAVE APPLIED FOR ELEVATE AND I ALSO COULD HAVE APPLIED FOR LIVE MUSIC VENUE FUND, AND THEN I WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO PICK WHICH ONE I WANTED. 
          AND I THINK ARTISTS THAT DON'T 
          [01:35:01]
FALL INTO THAT BRACKET ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE THE WAY THAT IT'S, UM, FORMULATED RIGHT NOW. 
          AND I KNOW WAY BACK WHEN, AND THIS IS PROBABLY FOR ANOTHER TIME THERE, THE ARTS AND MUSIC WERE WON, RIGHT? AND THEN THEY SPLIT OFF TO BE IN THEIR OTHER DIVISIONS, RIGHT? NO, DIDN'T EXIST. 
          IT DIDN'T EXIST. 
          REMEMBER, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND CAME AFTER THEY VOTED ON EXPANSION AND THEN 15% OF THAT 2 CENTS. 
          NOW IT'S DEDICATED, REMEMBER OMNIBUS A AND B, IT'S, YEAH, OKAY, OKAY. 
          SO AS MISREMEMBERING, BUT, UM, I, YEAH, I THINK THAT THAT'S A DISADVANTAGE FOR ARTISTS THAT AREN'T IN MUSIC. 
          UM, SOME OTHER POINTS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE, UM, COME FROM CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE BEEN HAVING WITH FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, SPECIFICALLY A, UM, A MEETING THAT WE HAD LAST WEEK WITH SOME COMMISSIONER OR ONE, A COUPLE COMMISSIONERS THAT WERE HERE, UM, WHICH IS SUSTAINABILITY AND LONGEVITY FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS. 
          AND ONE THING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IN THIS MEETING IS, LET'S SAY THEY'RE GETTING A NEXUS GRANT FOR $5,000, BUT THEN THEY'RE HAVING TO GO RENT OUT A FACILITY AND LET'S SAY IT'S A CITY OF AUSTIN OWNED FACILITY, AND THEN THEY'RE GIVING $3,000 OF THEIR $5,000 TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN FACILITY. 
          WHO'S, WHO'S ACTUALLY BENEFITING FROM THAT? IS IT JUST GOING BACK INTO THE CITY? LIKE OF COURSE THEY GET A SPACE TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THEIR WORK, BUT IT'S BENEFITING THE CITY WITH THAT RENT. 
          AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND I KNOW THIS ISN'T ON THE TOPIC OF LIKE THE GRANT SPECIFICALLY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE ACCESSIBLE SPACES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO USE TO PRESENT EVENTS THAT ARE KIND OF GETTING THE SAME TREATMENT AS SOME OF THESE LEGACY CONTRACTS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SPENDING A HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH IN RENT. 
          YOU KNOW, THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HERE TODAY AREN'T SPENDING A HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH IN RENT OR A YEAR IN RENT. 
          UM, THEY'RE SPENDING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THEIR BUDGET ON THAT. 
          AND I THINK UNTIL THAT IS ADDRESSED, WE'RE GONNA KEEP HAVING THIS ISSUE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND LONGEVITY IN THE ARTS, LIKE, PERIOD. 
          LAST THING I WANT TO MENTION IS DURING THE, UH, PANEL PROCESS, I WATCHED A LOT OF THEM. 
          UM, SOMETHING THAT I SAW, WHICH I JUST WANT CLARIFICATION FOR, IS FOLKS GOING TO LIKE, GO AND GOOGLING THE ORGANIZATIONS. 
          WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS ALLOWED, LIKE I JUST KIND OF WANNA KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? YES, IT WAS ALLOWED, UH, PANELISTS ARE ALLOWED TO USE, UH, FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE. 
          SO IF THEY ARE, UH, FAMILIAR WITH AN APPLICANT'S WORK, UH, THEY CAN USE THAT FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE ONLY. 
          THEY CANNOT, YOU KNOW, IF THEIR FRIEND WENT AND SAW SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UM, OR THEY COULD DO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA OR WEBSITE SEARCH, EITHER IF THE APPLICANT INCLUDED THAT AS PART OF THEIR WORK SAMPLES, OR IF THE PANELIST, UH, WANTED MORE CLARIFICATION ON SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE APPLICATION AND WANTED TO GET MORE DETAIL, YES, THEY COULD GO, UM, AND SEARCH THEIR WEBSITE TO SEE WHAT INFORMATION THEY COULD FIND. 
          BUT ISN'T THAT INTRODUCING NEW INFORMATION THAT ISN'T TECHNICALLY A PART OF THE GRANT? LIKE I'M, FOR TRANSPARENCY, I THINK IT'S GREAT IF, YOU KNOW THEY WANNA LEARN MORE, BUT COULDN'T THAT KIND OF SKEW THE PANEL IF THEY SAW INFORMATION THAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE? THAT WASN'T A PART OF THE QUESTIONS. 
          I'M JUST ASKING. 
          THIS WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP, BUT IT'S JUST A THOUGHT THAT I HAVE. 
          WELL, SO THAT'S PART OF THE STAFF'S, UH, ROLE AS WELL AS THE EQUITY FACILITATOR'S ROLE IS THE EQUITY FACILITATOR. 
          MAKE SURE THAT BOTH STAFF AND THE PANELISTS ARE, UH, KEEPING EQUITY IN MIND. 
          AND THEN STAFF'S ROLE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EQUITY FACILITATOR AND THE PANELISTS ARE CONSIDERING ALL THE RULES. 
          IF THEY DO SAY, AND I KNOW I DID IT ON SOME OF THE PANELS THAT I MANAGED, I BELIEVE ANNEMARIE DID ON SOME OF THE ONES THAT SHE DID AS WELL. 
          IF SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT KEEPING, UH, WITH THE GUIDELINES AND STAFF CORRECTS THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT NO, YOU CAN ONLY GRADE BASED ON INFORMATION THAT, UM, IS RELEVANT TO THE SCORING RUBRIC. 
          GOT IT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I'LL PROBABLY HAVE MORE LATER, BUT I'LL STOP TALKING NOW. 
          COMMISSIONER GARZA, THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE BEEN DOING. 
          UH, THE DAY RIGHT BEFORE THE FUNDING NUMBERS, OR THE DAY RIGHT AFTER I SHOULD SAY THE FUNDING NUMBERS WERE RELEASED, I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE A DAY OFF AND VISITED WITH SEVERAL OF OUR GRANTEES. 
          UH, I VISITED WITH SOME OF OUR LEGACY ORGANIZATIONS AND SOME OF THESE FOLKS HAD RECEIVED THIS FUND AROUND, AND I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER MALDON WAS TALKING ABOUT THIS HAD RECEIVED LESS THIS YEAR THAN THEY HAD LAST YEAR, AND LESS THAN THEY HAD REQUESTED AND LESS THAN WHAT, UH, THEY REALLY FELT THEY SHOULD DESERVE. 
          NOW, I, I SPOKE WITH 'EM AND ASKED, OH, DO YOU WANT TO COME AND TALK TO THE COMMISSION AND ADDRESS THIS ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS? AND THEY'RE QUITE CYNICAL ABOUT IT. 
          THEY WERE SAYING IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE POINT? THEY DO WHAT THEY WANNA DO WHEN THEY WANNA DO IT. 
          THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT EQUITY IS, AND THEY HAVE A TEXTBOOK DEFINITION OF WHAT EQUITY 
          [01:40:01]
IS, BUT THEY REALLY DON'T HAVE HISTORICAL CONTEXT AS TO WHERE THE EQUITY BROKE DOWN WHEN WERE, UH, WAS OUR COMMUNITY RED LINE, WHEN WAS THE BLACK COMMUNITY IN CLARKSVILLE FORCED OVER EAST OF I 35? OR WAS IT THEN EAST AVENUE BEFORE I 35, WHICH AGAIN TOOK A BUNCH OF OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTIES. 
          WHEN WAS THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, WHICH WAS NEAR, UH, RIGHT HERE AROUND WHERE CITY HALL IS ALL FORCED EAST TO EAST AUSTIN AND THEN REDLINED. 
          AND SO FOR A LONG TIME, THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, UNLIKE OUR SYMPHONIES OR OUR OPERATORS IN BALLETS, YOU KNOW, THESE GROUPS WHO CAN SURVIVE THROUGH THE DEPRESSION UP TO UNTIL NOW, UH, THESE GUYS ARE STARTING THE RACE, YOU KNOW, TWO LAPS BEHIND. 
          AND SO THERE'S NO WAY THEY'RE GONNA CATCH UP. 
          AND THEY REALLY JUST FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN JADED LONG ENOUGH AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AS ONE OF 'EM SAID, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WORK. 
          I'M RETIRED SO I CAN VOLUNTEER MY TIME HERE AND HELP OUT THE ORGANIZATION. 
          BUT THEY ALSO RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS DON'T HAVE THAT PRIVILEGE. 
          UH, THEY DON'T HAVE PEOPLE WHO JUST CAN SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I LOVE MY GROUP SO MUCH, I'M JUST NOT GONNA LOOK FOR ANOTHER JOB AND JUST RELY ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND WHATEVER SAVINGS THEY'VE BUILT UP OVER THEIR, THEIR WORKING YEARS. 
          AND THAT'S REALLY NOT FAIR. 
          THAT'S REALLY NOT FAIR. 
          ESPECIALLY TRY MORE MINORITY ORGANIZATIONS. 
          UH, SOME OF THEM, I REMEMBER ONE PERSON WAS TELLING ME, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR DANCERS, SHE'S REALLY NERVOUS BECAUSE THERE'S SOME FAMILY COMING IN. 
          I SAY, OH, COOL, TOURISTS ARE COMING IN FOR PART OF OUR FUNS. 
          YEAH, THEY'RE COMING IN FROM LOCKHART, THEY'RE COMING IN FROM KYLE, AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA GO TO JOE'S BAKERY AND THEN GO WATCH THE SHOW AND THEN MAYBE, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME DINNER SOMEWHERE, HEAD BACK HOME. 
          YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STILL PROVIDING FUNDS AND HOTEL FUNDS AND POURING MONEY INTO OUR COMMUNITY, BUT NOT QUITE AT THE SAME RATE AS SOME OF THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO, YOU KNOW, GET A LOT MORE MONEY BECAUSE THE IMPACT THEY HAVE ON OUR HOT FUNDS ARE GREATER. 
          UH, AND IT'S JUST NOT FAIR SOMETIMES TO REALLY TREAT EVERY SINGLE ORGANIZATION WITH THE EXACT SAME EXPECTATIONS WHEN WE DON'T ALL START THE RACE AT THE SAME PLACE. 
          AND LIKE I SAID, AND LIKE THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE FOLKS WE'RE TWO LEFT BEHIND ON THE RACE, WE'RE NEVER GONNA CATCH UP, AND THEY'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING CHANGE. 
          AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SET, THEY'RE CYNICAL, THEY FEEL JADED, THEY FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED UP AGAINST THEM. 
          THAT THE MAIN PROCESS, MAIN THING WE'RE LOOKING FOR ARE TOURIST MONEY, TOURIST MONEY, TOURIST MONEY. 
          AND, UH, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME GROUPS, THE OLDEST GROUP WHO HAD FUND APPLIED FOR FUNDING WAS FROM 1932, AND THEY DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY FUNDS. 
          AND THE NEXT OLDEST GROUP WAS FROM 1982. 
          SO EVEN RIGHT THERE, WE'RE TALKING A 50 YEAR GAP THAT HAS BEEN ERASED. 
          UH, HISTORY HAS BEEN ERASED AND FACTS HAVE BEEN ERASED. 
          AND WE'VE GOT PANELISTS WHO DON'T REALLY HAVE THAT DEEP OF A KNOWLEDGE OF OUR CITY AND THAT DEEP OF A KNOWLEDGE OF DISCRIMINATION THAT IS OCCURRED BEFORE TO REALLY APPLY EQUITY THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE APPLIED. 
          YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IS A PROBLEM RIGHT THERE. 
          WE HAVE A TEXTBOOK DEFINITION OF EQUITY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A REAL LIVE DEFINITION OF EQUITY. 
          AND THAT IS WHERE WE REALLY FALL SHORT SO MANY TIMES. 
          AND, UH, HERE WE ARE AGAIN AND WE'RE REACTING TO WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS DOING. 
          AND I WISH OUR COMMISSION WOULD BE MORE PROACTIVE AND RECOGNIZE WHEN WE CREATE THESE APPLICATION PROCESS THAT THERE'S GONNA BE SOME PEOPLE UPSET. 
          AND THE TIME TO REALLY TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT FAIRNESS IS, IS BEFORE THE PROCESS STARTS. 
          NOT ONCE THEY'RE P****D OFF BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET THE MONEY, THEY DE THEY FEEL IT, THEY DESERVE. 
          SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, YOU KNOW, SLIGHTLY BACKWARDS. 
          I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO PUT THE HORSE FIRST AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHICH WAY YOU'RE GOING. 
          AS OPPOSED TO LIKE, OOPS, THE WAGON FELL OFF. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHY. 
          LET'S MOVE IT AROUND. 
          AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY THINGS REALLY GO. 
          WE JUST START WITH A PROCESS. 
          START WITH A PROCESS FROM BEGINNING WHEN WE STARTED THESE APPLICATION PROCESS, LET'S INVITE THOSE FOLKS WHO EITHER GOT IT FUNDED, DIDN'T GET FUNDED, GOT MORE FUNDING OR LESS FUNDING INTO WHAT THEY DID THE YEAR BEFORE. 
          LET'S REALLY HAVE A COMMUNITY DISCUSSION OF WHAT EQUITY IS SO, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND MAKE THE PROPER DECISION. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, FUNDS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS WHO DIDN'T RECEIVE THEM NOW ARE KIND OF WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THERE'S GONNA BE. 
          UH, FOR EXAMPLE, MEXICAN, WHEN THEY MOVED DOWNTOWN ON CONGRESS WHERE THEY'RE RIGHT NOW THEY MOVED DOWNTOWN WITH AN AGREEMENT FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          CERTAIN KINDS OF PROGRAMS ARE GONNA BE PROVIDED AND NOW THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PROVIDE THOSE KINDS OF SERVICES. 
          SO THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT WORRIED TOO THAT PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR COMMISSION PROCESS HAS, UH, NOT GIVEN US THE KIND OF MONEY THAT THE CITY SAID, YOU KNOW, WE NEEDED TO GET IN ORDER TO ABIDE BY OUR CONTRACT. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THOSE KIND OF THINGS AND LOOK AT A BROADER PICTURE OF WHAT'S GOING 
          [01:45:01]
ON WITH OUR FUNDING PROCESS AND WHAT IS FAIR AND WHAT IS NOT FAIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU COMMISSIONER GARZA. 
          UM, TO THAT POINT, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? YES, IT'S IN A REACTIVE SPACE, BUT I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, AS LAURA PRESENTED, THERE WAS A PROCESS OF COMMUNITY INCORPORATION AND IT IS AN ITERATIVE PROCESS AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SHAPE AND MOLD THESE AND IDEALLY ONE DAY WE WILL GET IT RIGHT. 
          WILL EVERYBODY BE HAPPY? PROBABLY NOT, BUT WE'RE GONNA KEEP TRYING. 
          UM, ONE THING I'LL ADD HERE JUST TO HAVE IT ON THE RECORD, UM, IN REGARDS TO PANELS, I THINK THAT THERE WAS A DISSERVICE DONE WHILE CONSOLIDATING THE APPLICATION WAS WISE AND SAVED A LOT OF TIME. 
          I THINK THEM BEING ADJUDICATED IN THE SAME, IN MINUTE IN REAL TIME REALLY HURT PEOPLE THAT WERE OPEN TO EITHER THAT WERE APPLYING FOR THRIVE OR RECEIVED ELEVATE THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND SAID, SURE, LET'S CHECK A BOX FOR THRIVE, AND THEN WE'RE EVALUATED AS THRIVE APPLICANTS AND THEN SAID, NO, THEY'RE NOT RIGHT FOR THRIVE. 
          WELL, THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT RIGHT FOR ELEVATE EITHER. 
          SO IN A LOT OF PANEL DISCUSSIONS, I WITNESSED THE BABY GETTING THROWN OUT WITH THE, THE BATH WATER. 
          AND I THINK WHILE IT ADDS TIME TO THIS PROCESS AND YES, ANOTHER WHOLE ROUND OF PANEL EVALUATIONS, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE, IT ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE A SEPARATE PROCESS. 
          IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU A PANEL PROCESS, IF YOU APPLY FOR THRIVE AND YOU DON'T GET IT IN THAT PANEL, GREAT. 
          THEN THERE IS A SEPARATE PANEL PROCESS THAT YOU START, THAT YOU ARE EVALUATED FRESH FOR ELEVATE. 
          I THINK THAT THAT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THAT THE PANELISTS CAN REALLY EVALUATE IN A NEUTRAL AND OBJECTIVE WAY IF AN APPLICANT IS REALLY SUITABLE FOR A PROGRAM OR NOT. 
          PLEASE, COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANNA ADD ONTO THAT 'CAUSE I KNOW WE AGREE ON THIS 'CAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT, UM, ABSOLUTELY LIKE THE TIME SAVE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT BY ALLOWING FOR, YOU KNOW, SORT OF RECYCLING THE, THE APPLICATION WAS AWESOME. 
          AND I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP THAT BECAUSE IT SAVES PEOPLE TIME. 
          YOU DON'T HAVE TO WRITE YOUR APPLICATIONS. 
          IT'S GREAT. 
          I AGREE THAT HAVING THE SAME, AND THIS I THINK SPEAKS TO AN ISSUE ABOUT THE RUBRIC, WHICH IS LIKE, WHEN WE ASKED ABOUT THIS, AND I THINK LIKE LAURA AND STAFF DID A GREAT JOB SHOWING LIKE HOW, UM, IT WAS LIKE TRANS MUTATED INTO A, INTO AN ELEVATE SCORE FROM A THRIVE SCORE. 
          BUT I THINK IT'S TOUGH THAT IF WE HAVE TWO ALMOST IDENTICAL RUBRICS FOR TWO SEPARATE PROGRAMS, IT FEELS LIKE WE ONLY HAVE ONE PROGRAM. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM APPLICANTS WHO FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO SERVE A BROAD CONSTITUENCY. 
          AND LIKE A LOT OF WHAT TONY BRAVO WAS TALKING ABOUT IS YOU ARE, YOU ARE DISADVANTAGED IF YOU'RE SERVING A BROAD CONSTITUENCY. 
          AND I THINK WE MIGHT WANNA THINK ABOUT, I I WILL ALSO PREFACE THIS BY SAYING THAT THE REASON WE'RE ABLE TO PICK APART THE PANEL PROCESS IS BECAUSE THEY'RE LIVE STREAMED. 
          AND THAT'S A GOOD THING. 
          LIKE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE IT, WE ARE ABLE TO LIKE TAKE THE TRANSPARENCY, BUT THAT'S NOT, THIS IS HOW MOST PANEL PROCESSES, IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN ON A PANEL LIKE THIS IS HOW THEY RUN. 
          LIKE THEY'RE SUBJECTIVE. 
          THAT'S IT'S A BUNCH OF INDIVIDUALS READING AND ARGUING AND MAKING DECISIONS. 
          AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND ABLE TO PICK APART IS BECAUSE WE LIVE STREAM THEM. 
          SO ALL OF THIS IS LIKE PREDICATED ON WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE THEY WERE LIVE STREAMED. 
          I REALLY THINK WE HAVE TO RETHINK NOT, NOT NECESSARILY THRIVE IN THE PANEL PROCESS. 
          I THINK A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE ALREADY HEARD ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND BUILDING UP TO INSTITUTIONAL STATUS, WE CAN'T DO THAT IN TWO YEARS. 
          WE'VE GOTTA THINK ABOUT THAT PIECE OF THRIVE. 
          OVERALL, I THINK THRIVE WORKS PRETTY WELL. 
          ME PERSONALLY, UM, ELEVATE, I THINK WE MIGHT CONSIDER DISCIPLINARY SPECIFIC REVIEW PANELS. 
          UM, I THINK WE'RE HEARING THAT FROM, AND I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THIS ASSESSMENT, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU SAID IT WHEN YOU CAME IN, LIKE THERE'S A CONCERN THAT WE'RE, WE'RE PULLING AWAY FROM HAVING ARTS GRANTS OR HAVING AN ARTS PROCESS. 
          I'M NOT SAYING I, I DON'T, I DON'T PERSONALLY AGREE WITH THAT, BUT I THINK PART OF THAT FEELING IS COMING FROM THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING THE DISCIPLINARY SPECIFICITY LOOKED AT IN ANY OF THE PROGRAMS. UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS STUFF THAT WE NEED TO LIKE PICK APART AND TALK ABOUT MORE IN, AND THAT'S THE POINT OF CONVENING A WORKING GROUP AND WE HAVE LOTS OF AMAZING FEEDBACK FROM COMMUNITY TO, UM, INCORPORATE INTO THAT. 
          UM, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, YEAH, I THINK THAT AGREED WITH THE TWO PANELS AND I THINK THAT IS REFLECTIVE ALSO OF THE, IF WE HAVE TWO ALMOST IDENTICAL RUBRICS, THEN WE DON'T REALLY HAVE TWO PROGRAMS. WE ONLY HAVE ONE PROGRAM COMMISSIONER RELA AND THE MUSIC THING. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, UM, THANK YOU. 
          UH, AND ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS, THIS MIGHT BE THE STANDARD, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE PANEL PROCESS, IF, IF THERE ARE DIFFERENT, UH, PANELISTS ON, ON DIFFERENT PANELS AND IN ONE PANEL, ONE OF THEM JUST 
          [01:50:01]
ONE OF THEM DECIDES THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA SCORE ANYBODY ABOVE A SIX NO MATTER WHAT. 
          AND NOW IT'S RELATIVE SCORING ACROSS THE BOAT. 
          UM, THAT'S IT. 
          I MEAN, YOU'RE ALREADY DISADVANTAGED DEPENDING ON WHICH PANEL YOU LAND IN. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOLVE FOR THAT IS. 
          UH, UH, AND, AND, BUT JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT BECAUSE I THINK, UM, YEAH, DID YOU WANT TO, I JUST HAD ONE LAST THOUGHT TO WRAP UP SORT OF WHAT I INITIATED WITH, AND IT'S, IT'S A DATA POINT THAT I THINK THAT'S WORTH LOOKING INTO, AND THAT IS THOSE THAT APPLIED FOR ELEVATE LAST YEAR THAT RECEIVED IT, THAT APPLIED AGAIN THIS YEAR AND WERE LIKE, YEAH, THRIVE, LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS. 
          AND RECEIVED NOTHING AS A RESULT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THE PANELS RULED OUT. 
          THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I'VE HEARD SPECIFICALLY FROM COMMUNITY, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING DATA POINT TO BE ABLE TO HOLD UP AGAINST YEAH. 
          UM, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF WHAT IS CONSIDERED SUCCESSFUL FOR THIS PANELIST PROCESS AND WHAT'S NOT. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AS, AS, UM, AS THE DIRECTOR AND STAFF, YOU KNOW, PUT, PUT SOME MORE THOUGHT INTO, UH, THE PANELS AND BASED ON DATA, YOU KNOW, I GUESS WE SHOULD DO THE SAME THING AND, AND, AND PROVIDE, UH, GET BACK WITH ANY SPECIFIC IDEAS THAT WE HAVE AROUND HOW TO RUN THAT PROCESS. 
          UH, BEING A MUSICIAN JUST HAS ALSO WORKED WITH A LOT OF, UH, UM, ARTISTS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER ARTISTS IN THE PAST INCLUDING DANCE GROUPS AND THEATER GROUPS. 
          UH, I JUST, JUST, I, I DO WANNA MAKE JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, AT SOME LEVEL, UH, YES, IT'S, IT'S A VALID POINT. 
          UH, ON THE OTHER HAND, UH, IF THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, UH, DON'T MATCH AND THERE IS A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER REWARD AMOUNT ON THIS SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND SAY THE MUSIC FUND, FOR EXAMPLE, GOES BACK TO 10 OR 20,000 OR 5,000, THEN IT SUDDENLY PUTS A WHOLE, UM, YOU KNOW, SET OF FOLKS AT A HUGE DISADVANTAGE. 
          SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK KEEPING IT OPEN, UM, AND FIGURING OUT THE PARAMETERS AROUND IT, UH, MAKES SENSE. 
          UH, IS, THERE'S AL ALSO SOME CONCERN THAT I HEAR, UH, FROM MUSIC ORGANIZATIONS THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME IMPLICIT OR EXPLICIT BIAS AGAINST MUSIC ON THE OUTSIDE. 
          SO THERE'S THAT CONCERN THAT I HEAR, RIGHT? I MEAN, PLEDGE IT OR NOT, BUT I DO HEAR ABOUT THAT. 
          SO, UM, JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER IF THERE'S PARODY, UH, IN TREATING THEM EQUALLY AS AN ARTIST, AS ANY OTHER ARTIST, AND THEN HOW WE DO IT, THEN I THINK IT'S FINE ON MAKING, BUILDING SOME PARAMETERS AROUND IT. 
          JUST SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT, BUT THANK YOU. 
          AND WE SAW THAT IN THE PRESENTATION THAT THERE WERE FOLKS THAT TURNED DOWN ELEVATE TO GO RECEIVE LIVE MUSIC. 
          SO WE KNOW THAT IT'S GOING, THAT THAT IS HAPPENING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER TNI HAS SOMETHING TO SAY AND THEN WE'LL GO COMMISSIONER GRAY. 
          AND THEN I DO WANNA SAY WE'RE GONNA SET UP A WORKING GROUP AND WE CAN PUT ALL THIS IN WRITING. 
          WE TO VOTE ON IT. 
          YEAH, WE GOTTA VOTE ON IT. 
          AND I WANNA TALK ABOUT WHO WANTS TO SERVE AND I WANNA TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE THINK WOULD BE A GOOD FIT. 
          I THINK PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WOULD BE AN AMAZING FIT. 
          I KNOW THAT I'VE HAD PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS, UM, OVER THE PAST MONTH WITH I THINK PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE A GOOD CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS CONVERSATION. 
          SO, UH, NEY AND THEN WHO ELSE? COMMISSIONER GRAY. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH, SO I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION FOR Y'ALL AGAIN, WHICH IS, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A SURVEY THAT WENT OUT AND I'M SORRY IF I MISSED A, A SURVEY, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A SURVEY THAT WENT OUT THAT WAS FEEDBACK SPECIFICALLY TO THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF, UM, THE GRANT EXPERIENCE. 
          BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A SURVEY GO OUT ABOUT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, RIGHT? MM-HMM. 
          . 
          AND ONE THING THAT I THINK WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UM, KIND OF ECHOING WHAT THE VORTEX SHARED, WHAT I KNOW SOME OTHER FOLKS ARE GOING THROUGH IS THE RESOURCE PART OF IT, RIGHT? WE KNOW THAT REAL ESTATE IN AUSTIN IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING UP AND UP AND UP NOT ONLY FOR HOUSING, BUT FOR COMMERCIAL AND COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE IS GOUGING PEOPLE, RIGHT? SO RIDDLE ME THIS , THIS IS MY, UM, PIE IN THE SKY DREAM, WHICH IS IF YOU'RE APPLYING FOR A GRANT STATING IF YOU RUN YOUR OWN SPACE OR NOT, AND IF YOU RUN YOUR OWN SPACE, MAYBE WE SUGGEST HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT APPLYING FOR CSAP? IF YOU DON'T RUN YOUR OWN SPACE, BUT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SPACE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN GIVES YOU SUBSIDIES ON CITY SPACE, RIGHT? THEY GIVE AS A GRANT AT, HEY, YOU'VE BEEN AWARDED $150,000 AND WE DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE, WE DON'T WANNA SEE YOU THROW AWAY ALL OF YOUR MONEY ON OCCUPANCY. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO FURTHER SUBSIDIZE. 
          AND I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I KNOW THOSE DEALS HAVE HAPPENED AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THOSE DEALS. 
          UM, AND THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE GOTTEN THOSE SWEETHEART DEALS 25 YEARS AGO ARE 10, $20 MILLION ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS THAT HAVE SALARIES OF 200 TO $250,000. 
          AND SO HOW ARE WE GONNA GET THERE IF WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY SUBSIDIES BEYOND THIS RENT? RIGHT? AND I THINK OCCUPANCY NEEDS TO REALLY BE DISCUSSED. 
          AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS THE CREATIVE SPACES BOND THAT PASSED IN 2018, 
          [01:55:02]
AND SO FEW PEOPLE HAVE SEEN FUNDS FOR THAT. 
          I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A WHOLE RFP PROCESS, BUT I THINK EVEN MORE JUST TRANSPARENCY ABOUT CITY PROPERTIES, WHAT IS ACCESSIBLE? WHAT'S THE RED TAPE AN ARTS ORGANIZATION HAS TO GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO ACCESS THOSE SPACES? MAYBE YOU GET PRIORITIZED IF YOU'RE A THRIVE OR ELEVATE RECIPIENT AT A SUBSIDIZED RATE. 
          THESE ARE ALL IDEAS THAT I THINK ARE REALISTIC, BUT AGAIN, I DON'T WORK FOR THE CITY, SO I DON'T KNOW ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S A THING I HEAR AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND IT'S GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE TAPESTRY DANCE THAT PROVIDES SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO REHEARSE LIKE VORTEX THAT PROVIDES SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO REHEARSE AND PRODUCE THEIR ARTS. 
          LIKE BIG MEDIUM THAT DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY FUNDING THAT DOES AUSTIN STUDIO TOUR, LIKE MUSEUM OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT, THAT GIVES PEOPLE ART SPACES. 
          SO THE LIST CAN GO ON, WE CAN COUNT ON OUR FINGERS, THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS THAT ARE HOUSING HUNDREDS OF ARTISTS AND HUNDREDS OF EVENTS PER YEAR THAT MAY OR MAY NOT GETTING BE GETTING CITY FUNDING. 
          SO WHY DON'T WE LOOK INTO SUBSIDIZING OTHER SERVICES? THANK YOU. 
          THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH, THAT WAS . 
          COMMISSIONER GREEN, DON'T FORGET TO TURN YOUR MIC ON IF YOU WANNA JUMP ON. 
          AND THEN COMMISSIONER SCHWABA, ARE YOU GOOD? YOU LETTING FAA HAVE IT? NO, I JUST, YOU PRETTY MUCH, UH, SAID WHAT I WANT SPACES IS SO IMPORTANT AND YOU SAID IT, THE SPACES ARE THE PLACES THE ARTISTS ARE THRIVING AND GROWING AND LEARNING. 
          WE GET, IF SPACES AREN'T SUPPORTED, YOU LOSE THE ORGANIZATIONS WHICH ARE HAPPENING ALL AROUND US HERE, HERE. 
          AND I WOULD ADD THAT WE COULD EVEN I WHO SHARED I WAS VORTEX, MAYBE BONNIE SHARING, LIKE PAYING OTHER CITIES HAVE EXPLORED UTILITY REBATES AND THINGS LIKE IF WE HAVE A CITY OWNED, WE OWN THE UTILITY, WE'RE SO LUCKY THAT WE'RE NOT PAYING A PRIVATE UTILITY. 
          LIKE THERE ARE OTHER THINGS AND OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN COLLABORATE ACROSS AGENCIES TO SUPPORT OUR ORGANIZATIONS IN WAYS. 
          EVERYTHING THAT YOU JUST SAID, EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID PLUS LIKE WE JUST HEARD, WHY ARE WE HAVING SOME OF OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO HAVE A UTILITY REBATE PROGRAM WHERE WE CAN SUPPORT IN WAYS THAT AREN'T JUST CASH GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH ON RECORD WE NEED MORE OF THAT TOO, BUT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THIS. 
          YEAH, AND I HAD ANOTHER POINT, BUT I'VE FORGOTTEN WHAT IT WAS. 
          I THINK IT WAS, THERE WAS SOMETHING FROM MUCH EARLIER ABOUT LIKE THE SMALL, LIKE EVALUATING THE SIZE OF ORGANIZATIONS. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I DID SEE IN THRIVE, LIKE I THOUGHT THAT I SAW THAT THE MEDIAN OPERATING BUDGET WAS LIKE 200,000. 
          SO I THINK WE ARE AT LEAST IN THRIVE, I DON'T KNOW, WE HAVEN'T SEEN IT, YOU KNOW, IN A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN. 
          BUT THAT DOES, TO ME THAT SOUNDS LIKE A SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE LIKE THAT IT IS SERVING SMALL AND MEDIUMS SIZE ORGS. 
          UM, AND ONE, OH, I DON'T REMEMBER. 
          THE OTHER THING IS, WILL WE HAVE, AS THE WORKING GROUP, ONCE WE FORM IT, UM, CAN WE GET ACCESS TO, IT'S REALLY HARD TO EVALUATE SPECIFICS WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE. 
          SO TO SEE HOW CAN WE GET ACCESS TO APPLICATIONS, NOTES, SCORES, AND THE PANELS. 
          BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS AND I'VE HEARD PEOPLE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE SCORING PROCESS BASED ON WHAT THEY HEARD IN THE PANEL DISCUSSIONS. 
          AND AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE, THE DISCUSSION AND PANEL IS NOT NECESSARILY REFLECTIVE OF THE SCORING AND WE CAN'T REALLY LOOK AT THE SCORING NOTES WITHOUT, AND AND TO SEE ANY ISSUES WITHOUT SEEING THE APPLICATION. 
          SO I JUST WONDER HOW WE GET PERMISSION FROM ORGANIZATIONS TO ACCESS THAT SO THAT WE CAN DO LIKE A REAL, LIKE DILIGENT DIVE INTO, IT'S HARD TO MAKE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS WITHOUT THAT, I GUESS IS WHAT I WANNA SAY. 
          SO LET US CONSULT WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S A THING WE HAVE TO, SO WE HAVE TO CONSULT WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT. 
          AND I WANNA WRAP UP ONCE YOU WRAP UP. 
          YES. 
          I'VE GOT TWO VERY SHORT COMMENTS THAT ARE GONNA HAPPEN. 
          COMMISSIONER GRAY AND COMMISSIONER NEY. 
          I JUST WANNA WRAP UP AND, AND BACKING UP TO SPACE AND UH, UM, UH, A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONERS HAD SAID THIS THAT THE DIFFERENT BUCKETS OF NEED WHEN THERE'S ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITH A CERTAIN BUDGET, BUT ONE OF THEIR BIGGEST BUDGET ITEMS IS RENT. 
          THAT'S A VERY BIG DIFFERENCE IN GETTING, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE GRANT AMOUNT IS OF WHERE IT GOES. 
          RENT GOES RIGHT OFF THE TOP. 
          IT'S NOT GOING TO ARTISTS, BUT IT 
          [02:00:01]
SUPPORTS A SPACE THAT DOES SUPPORT THE ARTISTS. 
          AND MINE WAS JUST A CLARIFYING POINT ON THE, UH, KIND OF TRANSPARENCY OR A DEFINITION OF LIKE SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZE, JUST SO THERE IS A COMFORT LEVEL THAT, YOU KNOW, YES, THE DATA SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BUDGETS OF 250, 200,000, BUT IF THESE, IF WE HAVE OVER 200 APPLICATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO THRIVE, I'M JUST MAKING UP THIS NUMBER, RIGHT? AND WE'RE STRAINING THESE PANELISTS BY REVIEWING THESE LARGE NUMBERS OF APPLICATIONS, REALLY FINE TUNING IT. 
          SO IT'S FOR A SPECIFIC BUDGET AND SUBSET OF PEOPLE WILL, THERE'LL BE LESS APPLICATIONS TO REVIEW, I THINK IN THEORY. 
          YEAH. 
          HEARING YEAH. 
          CHAIR, IF I MAY QUICKLY COMMISSIONER CHARLIE. 
          UM, I THINK, UM, I THINK TO, UM, TO THE VICE CHAIR'S COMMENT AROUND, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE DATA, UM, I THINK THE CITY CAN PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHAT, WHAT WHAT YOU FIGURE OUT, WHAT YOU CAN PROVIDE. 
          AND I THINK WHAT, WHAT WILL BE VERY INFORMATIVE FOR US IS THE COMBINATION OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE CHOOSE TO HAVE ON THIS WORKING GROUP WHERE, YOU KNOW, UH, WE, WE KIND OF HAVE SOME IDEA ABOUT, UH, WHAT THE DIVERGENT VIEWS ARE, UH, BOTH GOOD AND BAD. 
          AND I THINK IT'S BRINGING THE RIGHT FOLKS INTO THAT MIX THAT I THINK WILL PRETTY MUCH INFORM US HEAVILY ON, UH, ON, YOU KNOW, HOW THE PROCESS IS WORKING AND WHERE THEY MIGHT BE SEEING SOME GAPS. 
          UH, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, GIVE A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO COMMISSIONER GRAY AS WELL. 
          UH, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT, UH, UH, SOMEBODY CAME UP AND, UH, DYLAN. 
          DYLAN, OF COURSE, I KNOW DYLAN VERY WELL. 
          SPOKE FOR, UH, UH, TAPESTRY. 
          UH, SHE'S BEEN, UH, I KNOW THEY'RE IMPACTED AND UH, SHE'S BEEN AMAZINGLY GRACIOUS AND, UH, UH, HUMBLE ABOUT NOT BRINGING UP HER OWN CONCERNS HERE AT ANY POINT. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK WE'RE AT A GOOD STOPPING POINT. 
          SO, NOVIA. 
          YES. 
          UH, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK COMMUNITY FOR COMING OUT AND SPEAKING. 
          WE ALWAYS TAKE FEEDBACK. 
          I WANNA THANK THE COMMISSION. 
          I KNOW YOU'RE A VOLUNTEER GROUP AND AS YOU FORM THIS WORKING GROUP AND DELIBERATE, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT STAFF HAS BEEN DOING YEOMAN'S WORK. 
          WE WEREN'T THE PANELS, WE DIDN'T SCORE. 
          AND SO JUST WANNA BE MINDFUL. 
          WE, WE LOVE FEEDBACK, UH, BUT SOME FEEDBACK HASN'T BEEN SO CONSTRUCTIVE AND KIND TOWARDS STAFF. 
          SO JUST KNOW THAT STAFF, THEY'RE WORKING HARD, THEY'RE DOING YEOMAN'S WORK. 
          AND WHEN YOU'RE DELIBERATED AND BRING BACK, BRING BACK YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AGAIN, WE TAKE THEM. 
          BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK YOU HEARD ON THE OVERSUBSCRIPTION OF ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS, ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS, SO AS YOU DELIBERATE AND YOU THINK ABOUT THIS BUCKET, THERE COULD STILL BE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE LEFT OUT. 
          MM-HMM, . 
          SO JUST WANT YOU TO KEEP THAT IN MIND TOO. 
          NOT THAT YOU DON'T KNOW IT, I JUST WANNA SAY IT ON THE RECORD. 
          WE WERE, WE HAD A LIMITED BUDGET. 
          WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A PROCESS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE ON. 
          WE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR IMPROVEMENT. 
          WE WERE ALWAYS RUN EVERYTHING THROUGH THE EQUITY LENS, THROUGH THE EQUITY OFFICE AND GET FEEDBACK. 
          BUT JUST WANNA SAY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TO FUND EVERYONE. 
          HANG ON, MS. COMMISSIONER. 
          MARK, COMMISSIONER OCK HAD SOMETHING TO SAY AND THEN COMMISSIONER, I THINK I FORGOT, BUT I WILL, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE ON OUR SIDE. 
          LIKE WE'RE ON, WE ARE ON THE SAME SIDE. 
          WE TALK TO STAFF A LOT. 
          THESE PEOPLE LOSE SLEEP OVER THIS. 
          THERE WAS A, I MEAN, YOU DIDN'T SAY IT, BUT THERE WAS ALMOST A A NOT HAVING STAFF COME TODAY BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THINGS ARE BEING COMMUNICATED AND THREATS BEING MADE AND WE CAN'T, THESE PEOPLE ARE ON, WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM. 
          AND I JUST REALLY NEED TO UNDERSCORE THAT BECAUSE WE HEAR FROM Y'ALL MORE THAN A LOT OF PEOPLE DO ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU CARE AND WE KNOW THAT YOU CARE. 
          AND I JUST WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT LIKE WE CAN DISAGREE ON THINGS AND HOW THINGS GO DOWN, BUT ONE THING THAT IS NOT IN QUESTION IS THAT THE PEOPLE STANDING UP HERE AND EVERYONE SITTING UP HERE CARES VERY MUCH ABOUT THIS. 
          UM, I HAD A LESS IMPORTANT POINT. 
          I'M SURE IT'LL COME UP IN THE WORKING GROUP. 
          OKAY, WELL YES, WE ARE ON THE SAME TEAM, BUT TOGETHER WE WILL RAISE THE TIE AND RAISE EVERYBODY. 
          MM-HMM, . 
          UM, I ACTUALLY WAS ASKED, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION IN, IN CENTRAL TEXAS, BESIDES USING THE HEART FUND FOR OUR C CREATIVE COMMUNITY, DO YOU KNOW OF ANY FOUNDATION THAT FUND THE ARTS AT ALL? 
          [02:05:01]
IF YOU DO, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GO AFTER THEM BECAUSE IT'S JUST LIKE WHAT YOU SAID, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH BIG OF THE BUCKET TO SUPPORT OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, START HAVING A CONVERSATION BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A STOCK EXCHANGE A TEXAS STOCK EXCHANGE, THERE WILL BE WEALTH COMING INTO TOWN. 
          SO I WOULD LIKE TO START THE CONVERSATION WITH OUR CORPORATE FRIENDS TO SUPPORT OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY. 
          THAT'S THE CHARACTERISTIC OF CENTRAL TEXAS. 
          SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANY INFORMATION, SEND THEM MY WAY. 
          I HAVE NO SHAME TO ASK FOR MONEY. 
          SO I WILL GO AFTER THEM. 
          AND I THINK WE NEED TO GROW THAT PART. 
          I MEAN, HONESTLY, MM-HMM, , IF YOU LOOK AT HOW MANY, HOW MANY APPLICANTS, WE SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH HARD FUND TO FUND OF ALL OF THEM AND EVEN HALF OF THEM. 
          SO, YES, I THINK WE HAD A WORKING GROUP. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM TO, TO LOOK INTO OTHER MONIES. 
          AND I THINK WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT THAT. 
          AND I HAVE NO SHAME TO ASK FOR MONEY, SO SEND THEM MY WAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AMY JUST STARTED A NEW WORKING GROUP. 
          YEAH. 
          I, I ALSO DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM ASKING ANYONE FOR MONEY, SO HAPPY TO DO IT ON ANYONE'S BEHALF. 
          UM, I DO WANNA UNDERSCORE THOUGH THAT WE NEED, WHEN WE SAY THIS, WE NEED CITY LEADERSHIP, AND THAT IS AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STANDING IN FRONT OF US. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I KNOW THIS BECAUSE WE WENT DOOR TO DOOR TO EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WOULD TAKE A MEETING FROM US. 
          AND I DO NOT FEEL LIKE THE PLIGHT AND THE CHALLENGES ARE UNDERSTOOD AT THAT LEVEL. 
          I DO NOT. 
          THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED WHEN WE ASKED FOR THINGS LIKE, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT RENT, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT UTILITY SUBSIDIES? WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT COLLECTING FUNDS UNIFORMLY FROM THE STR PLATFORMS, WHICH ARE OBVIOUSLY MAKING UP A HUGE PORTION OF HOT THAT'S NOT COMING INTO THE POT. 
          WE WERE, WE, WE WERE NOT MET WITH THE FEELING THAT THAT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT WE, THAT IS A PRIORITY. 
          THAT IT IS A PRIORITY OR MAYBE THAT THEY LIKE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE ISSUES TO BEGIN WITH. 
          AND I'LL JUST GIVE AN EXAMPLE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS SAID WHEN WE, WE GOT INTO LIKE A NOT SO GREAT CONVERSATION ABOUT WE'RE NOT GETTING SUPPORT OUTSIDE OF HOT FROM THE CITY. 
          AND THEN IT WAS PUT BACK TO SOMEONE IN COUNCIL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? AND THE EXAMPLE GIVEN WAS, UM, PARKING FOR, UH, PARKING PARK, LIKE WAVING OF PARKING PERMITS DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST OR EVENT. 
          SO THAT'S THE KIND OF LEVEL OF LIKE UNDERSTANDING OR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING. 
          AND IF THERE'S A GREATER UNDERSTANDING, WE WILL LOVE TO HEAR IT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT FEELING LIKE THERE'S THAT LEADERSHIP FOR THE ISSUES THAT THE ARTS COMMUNITY ARE DEALING WITH. 
          AND WE DESPERATELY TO BE ABLE TO GO TO CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY IF THEY EXIST, THAT NEEDS LEADERSHIP FROM, LIKE, THE CITY NEEDS TO STEP INTO THAT ROLE FIRST. 
          AND I'M LOOKING AT Y'ALL AS IF THIS, I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT Y'ALL. 
          IF YOU WERE THERE THAT YOU'D BE DOING THAT. 
          UM, BUT WE REALLY NEED THAT LEVEL OF COORDINATION AND PHILANTHROPIC OUTREACH FROM THE CITY IN THE, IN THE HIGHEST LEVELS. 
          AND AN UNDERSTANDING AT A 35,000 FOOT VIEW OF LIKE, EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID HERE ABOUT RENT, ABOUT UTILITIES, ABOUT PAYING THE CITY TO USE CITY OWNED FACILITIES WITH GRANT MONEY THAT CAME FROM THE CITY. 
          LIKE, WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT. 
          I WANNA MAKE IT REAL, ANDREA. 
          YEAH. 
          I WANNA MAKE IT REALLY CLEAR TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME AND SPOKEN. 
          AND I THINK THERE FEELS LIKE, IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S THIS DIVIDE BETWEEN THE IMPACT THAT WE CAN HAVE AND THAT WE NEED TO GO TO COUNCIL AND THEY'LL CHAMPION US. 
          WE'RE DOING IT. 
          THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND. 
          AND IT'S ON US TO HAVE TO REALLY EDUCATE STAFF AND COUNCIL HOW ARTS IS FUNDED IN THE CITY. 
          AND THAT'S A SAD REALITY. 
          WE'RE NOT FUNDED. 
          UM, BUT I WANNA JUST BE REALLY TRANSPARENT WITH, WITH OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE DOING THAT WE ARE MARCHING TO THE COUNCIL OFFICES AND HAVING MEETINGS REGULARLY. 
          THERE ARE FEW MEMBERS OF CITY STAFF OUT, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF CAD. 
          I'M TALKING SPECIFICALLY TO COUNCIL MEMBER STAFF SHOWING UP AND, UH, ADVOCATING FOR MORE SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS IN THESE BUDGET HEARINGS THAT ARE BEING PROACTIVE WITH US AND SAYING, 
          [02:10:01]
HEY, WHEN ARE WE GONNA MEET AGAIN? WE, WE HAVE SOME MORE IDEAS WE WANNA RUN BY YOU. 
          UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THE MOST PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION WE HAD IN TERMS OF OPTIMISM AND HOPE MOVING FORWARD WAS THE MEETING THAT WE HAD WITH TC NIK, OUR NEW CITY MANAGER. 
          AND WHILE THAT'S GREAT NEWS, THAT'S A TWO YEAR, YOU KNOW, TIMELINE BEFORE WE'RE SEEING REAL POLICY LEVEL FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE ON HOW THE ARTS ARE VALUED AND INCORPORATED AND PRIORITIZED, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CITY DEPARTMENTS. 
          UM, I THINK COMMISSIONER MITCHELL. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          I'M KIND OF GOING BACK, UH, TO THE POINT AND, AND WHICH HERE, YOU ALREADY EMPHASIZED IT. 
          AND, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I I WANT TO, UM, REITERATE THAT WE ALL AND, UH, MYSELF, UH, INCLUDED, HAVE TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR STAFF AND, UH, LET'S DEBATE POLICY, UH, LET'S DEBATE IDEAS. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T, EVEN IF YOU SUSPECT ANYTHING, CAN'T OBJECTIVELY PROVE INTENT. 
          ANYWAY, , SO LET'S LEAVE THAT ASIDE. 
          LET'S NOT DISPARAGE INDIVIDUAL FOLKS. 
          UH, WE HAD CONCERNS AROUND THIS ON THE MUSIC SIDE AS WELL, UH, BETWEEN THE LONG CENTER AND STAFF. 
          UH, SO, UH, THIS JUST A BROAD REQUEST TO ALL OF OURSELVES AND TO COMMUNITY TO JUST ENCOURAGE POSITIVE DIALOGUE, UH, AND JUST LET'S DISCUSS THE POLICIES. 
          LET'S DISCUSS DEBATE, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW WE ARE APPROACHING THE FUNDS, ET CETERA. 
          UH, BUT KEEP IT RESPECTFUL TO, UH, EVERYONE'S DOING THEIR JOB. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, WE'VE GOT A FEW MORE ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO GET TO. 
          IT IS EIGHT 20. 
          I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LEAVING ENOUGH TIME FOR THE THINGS REMAINING, WHICH ARE NOT SMALL. 
          UM, CAN WE GET A MOTION TO SET UP A WORKING GROUP? SO MANY MOTIONS, LET'S SAY MOCK, AND THEN I NEED A SECOND. 
          WE'LL GIVE IT TO MALDONADO. 
          UM, ALL IN FAVOR ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP BETWEEN COMMISSION AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO STAFF ON RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE ITERATIONS OF THE THRIVE AND ELEVATE GRANT PROCESS. 
          YEAH. 
          AWESOME. 
          WE'VE ALL, IT'S UNANIMOUS NOW. 
          WHO'S GONNA BE ON IT? I HAVE SOME IDEAS OF I THINK PEOPLE WOULD BE GREAT, BUT COMMISSIONER CHARLA. 
          COMMISSIONER CHENEY. 
          I HAVE A SUGGEST I HAVE A REQUEST. 
          I DO TOO. 
          , YOU JUST HAVE SUCH AMAZING FEEDBACK ALL THE TIME AND CONTEXTUAL KNOWLEDGE OF NOT ONLY HISTORICAL CULTURAL FUNDING PROCESSES, BUT ALSO AT A STATE AND MUNICIPAL, UH, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL. 
          I'M REALLY TRYING TO GUESS. 
          ME UP. 
          I'M GUESSING YOU. 
          AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A REPRIEVE BECAUSE, UM, SPOILER, I'M GONNA MOTION TO SUNSET THE, THE WORKING, THE OTHER WORKING GROUP. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          YEAH. 
          'CAUSE IT'S, UM, BUT I THINK IF, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE, IN THE MIDST OF RESETTLING YOUR ORGANIZATION. 
          AND SO IF IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HAVE YOU FOR RIGHT AWAY, I WOULD LOVE TO JUST PUT YOU ON THE BACK BURNER, SIMMER AND BRING YOU IN WHEN YOU'RE READY AND ABLE. 
          AND IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE WHILE FOR US TO REALLY CONVENE AND ASSIGN AND GET OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON BOARD. 
          ON BOARD AS WELL. 
          SO IT WOULD REALLY BE AWESOME. 
          I'LL DO IT. 
          YES. 
          . 
          LOVE GOD. 
          I'M GOOD AT STUFF. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, LET'S GO WITH THREE IF WE CAN GET IT. 
          COMMISSIONER GRAY, COMMISSIONER MAL. 
          OH, LET'S DO, LET'S DO FOUR. 
          COMMISSIONER GRAY. 
          COMMISSIONER MALALA, THOUGH. 
          SO WE HAVE OUR WORKING GROUPS. 
          UM, COMM UH, COMMISSIONER VELA. 
          DO YOU HAVE OUR, YOU'VE GOT OUR, UM, LET'S, YEAH. 
          'CAUSE WE DO HAVE ANOTHER WORKING GROUP THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED PEOPLE FOR. 
          WHO'S THE CHAIR YOU WANT? WELL, LET'S DO CHARLA CHAIR. 
          JUST BECAUSE CEI IS DEALING WITH RESETTLING THE ORGANIZATION. 
          I DON'T WANT TO PUT THAT'S A LOT TO CHAIR AND BE ON IT. 
          SO LET'S JUST KEEP YOU ON IT. 
          WE'VE GOT META CHARLIE CHAIR. 
          YEAH. 
          WE'VE GOT ANOTHER WORKING GROUP THAT WE'RE GONNA START. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE'RE GOOD. 
          LET'S KEEP MOVING. 
          I ALL THAT  DONE. 
          YOU WANNA BE, I MEAN, THERE'S ROOM FOR IT. 
          WE JUST CAN'T HIT QUORUM. 
          YEAH. 
          OH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          YOU CAN DO IT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO ARE WE OKAY WITH THOSE THAT HAVE SO GRACIOUSLY BEEN VOLUNTOLD TO BE ON THIS WORKING GROUP. 
          COMMISSIONER CHARLA, CHAIR, COMMISSIONER CHENEY, COMMISSIONER MALANO, AND COMMISSIONER GRAY. 
          WE'RE GOOD. 
          AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN BE ON THE APPEALS IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE. 
          OR DO YOU WANT COMMISSIONER HOUSTON? DO YOU WANNA BE ON THE DEC ONE? OKAY, GREAT. 
          SO THAT'S FIVE. 
          SO THEN COMMISSIONER HOUSTON AS WELL? YEAH. 
          FANTASTIC. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO THAT'S ANOTHER GROUP COMING UP, CORRECT? YEAH. 
          GET EXCITED THE REST OF YOU? YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          WITH THAT, WE NEED TO 
          [6. Establish a Cultural Funding Appeals Working Group]
ESTABLISH A CULTURAL FUNDING APPEALS WORKING GROUP. 
          WHICH MOTION TO ESTABLISH? LET'S MOTION TO ESTABLISH. 
          LET'S DO IT. 
          UM, DO WE HAVE ANY FOLKS THAT, UM, IMMEDIATELY WANT TO SERVE ON THAT? I'LL, I'LL THROW MY NAME IN THE HAT SINCE I'M THROWING OTHER PEOPLE TO THE FIRE. 
          OKAY. 
          I LIKE MEDIA. 
          WE'LL DO IT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE'VE GOT COMMISSIONER 
          [02:15:01]
MOCK AND I JUST HEARD COMMISSIONER SCH SMALL BOX. 
          SO MISS, DO YOU WANNA FILL US IN A LITTLE BIT? LAST YEAR WE HAD A, OR LAST TIME WE HAD A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS IS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY UPDATE? WELL, AMY'S GROUP HAD AN APPEAL IN THERE, SO I DON'T KNOW IF HER SERVING ON THE APPEALS NO LONG APPEAL. 
          OKAY. 
          SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE TAKING THAT APPEAL OUT. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH, I GUESS THAT'S FINE. 
          THEN I LIKE TO HEAR OTHER PEOPLE'S. 
          OKAY. 
          SO YOU ARE NO LONGER, YOU'RE CURRENTLY IN THE APPEALS PROCESS? I WAS, BUT NOW I'M, ARE YOU SURE? YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          I DON'T NEED TO. 
          OKAY. 
          I WANTED TO OTHER PEOPLE'S CONCERN 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE MYSELF. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE'VE GOT THREE PEOPLE IN THE APPEALS WORKING GROUP. 
          DO WE, HA DO I NEED TO REITERATE WHO THOSE ARE? YES, PLEASE. 
          COMMISSIONER ISMAN, COMMISSIONER SCHACH, AND COMMISSIONER MOCK. 
          AND I HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE APPEALS WORKING GROUP IF YOU'D LIKE, OR WE CAN SKIP OVER THAT. 
          IS IT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THE LAST TIME? IT'S PRETTY SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR'S STREAMLINED. 
          WHAT DO WE THINK? HOW LONG IS IT? IT'S LIKE FIVE SLIDES. 
          IT'S PRETTY SHORT. 
          LET'S DO IT. 
          JUST BRING IT. 
          OKAY. 
          I WANNA SEE. 
          ALRIGHT, SO, UM, AGAIN, I'M PANTEL CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR. 
          UM, THIS IS FOR THE CULTURAL FUNDING APPEALS WORKING GROUP. 
          UM, SO THERE IS AN APPEALS PROCESS, UH, THAT WAS ESTABLISHED, UM, AT THE JUNE 29TH, 2022 ARTS COMMISSION MEETING. 
          UM, IT WAS APPROVED, IT IS FOR DECLINED APPLICANTS WHO REQUESTED FUNDS IN THRIVER ELEVATE. 
          AND THEY CAN APPEAL ONLY FOR ONE OF, UH, TWO REASONS. 
          EITHER A REVIEW OR STAFF ERROR, WHICH MEANS INCORRECT INFORMATION BY THE CULTURAL FUNDING STAFF OR REVIEWERS AT THE TIME OF SCORING. 
          DESPITE THE PRESENCE OF THE CORRECT INFORMATION AS PART OF THE ORIGINAL APPLICATION, OR A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, WHICH IS AN INFLUENCE OF EVALUATION PANEL OR ARTS COMMISSIONERS WHO WILLFULLY FAILED TO DISCLOSE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND THE APPLICANT. 
          UM, THE APPELLANT MUST BE ABLE TO SHOW A LINK BETWEEN ONE OF THOSE TWO CIRCUMSTANCES AND HOW A LOW SCORE OR NEGATIVE, UH, HOW THAT RESULTED IN A LOW SCORE OR NEGATIVE REVIEWER COMMENT. 
          DISSATISFACTION WITH THE DENIAL OF AN AWARD OR WITH THE AMOUNT OF THE AWARD IS AN INSUFFICIENT REASON FOR APPEAL. 
          UM, OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE NOT APPEALABLE ARE, UH, THE SUBJECTIVE OPINIONS OF THE REVIEW PANELIST, THE ASSIGNED SCORES, UM, THE AWARD AMOUNT, AS WELL AS ISSUE OF ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES OR POLICY. 
          UM, AND SO AGAIN, 22, WE'LL MAKE IT 21 APPEALS WERE SUBMITTED, UH, FOR APPEALS WERE ELIGIBLE, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          UM, THEY WERE DUE, UM, OCTOBER 24TH. 
          UM, STAFF REVIEWED THEM BETWEEN OCTOBER 7TH THROUGH 18. 
          UM, WE ARE FORMING THE ARTS COMMISSION WORKING GROUP TONIGHT. 
          UM, WE ASK THAT YOU CONVENE, UM, THEORETICALLY OR IDEALLY BEFORE THE NEXT, UH, NOVEMBER ARTS COMMISSION MEETING. 
          UH, SO THAT WAY WE CAN, UH, BRING BACK, UM, THOSE FOUR APPEALS, UM, UM, TO SEE, UH, TO BRING THEM TO THE FULL COMMISSION. 
          UM, AND JUST NOTE, UM, THAT, UH, STAFF HAS, UM, REVIEWED, UH, THE APPLICATIONS JUST TO SEE IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, ELIGIBLE FOR APPEAL. 
          THEY HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T LOOKED TO SEE. 
          IT'LL BE UP TO THE APPEALS WORKING GROUP TO SEE IF THEY ARE ACTUALLY SUCCESSFUL, WHETHER IT'S ENOUGH TO, YOU KNOW, OVERTURN, UH, WHAT THE, UH, PANEL DID, UH, SCORE THEM. 
          SO THAT IS THE APPEALS WORKING GROUP PROCESS. 
          UH, WE HOPE TO BRING THIS BACK, UM, NEXT MONTH AT THE NOVEMBER COMMISSION FOR THE FULL, UH, COMMISSION, UH, TO VOTE ON. 
          THAT SOUNDS GREAT. 
          I WANTED TO GIVE THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE 'CAUSE WE'VE GOT THREE PEOPLE ON THE APPEAL SO FAR. 
          SO THERE IS ROOM IF COMMISSIONER GARZA, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON WANTS TO PARTICIPATE ON THAT. 
          NO, THIS, THIS APPEALS WORKING GROUP. 
          WE'VE GOT THREE ON NOW. 
          MYSELF, VICE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER MOCK. 
          SO WE DON'T, WE WON'T HIT QUORUM IF YOU, SO YOU HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN. 
          OKAY, WONDERFUL. 
          SO LET'S ADD COMMISSIONER GARZA TO THAT WORKING GROUP. 
          WE'LL MEET SOON. 
          YES. 
          WE'LL HAVE TO MEET SOON. 
          SO WE'LL, WE'LL GET THAT CONVERSATION ROLLING. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          WE'RE GOOD. 
          WE DID OUR JOB RIGHT? YES. 
          THAT'S IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          . 
          NOTED. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          COMMISSIONER GARZA, UH, GARZA. 
          COMMISSIONER GRAY . 
          UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, 
          [7. Approve Final Design for AFD8/EMS7 & EMS 5 – Luis Angulo]
UH, MOTION THAT ITEM SEVEN AND ITEM EIGHT BE MOVED TO CONSENT. 
          I'M OKAY WITH MOVING SEVEN ON CONSENT. 
          UM, EIGHT HAS HAD SOME COMMUNITY DIALOGUE THAT I WOULD GOTCHA. 
          WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE IS INCLUDED ON THE RECORD. 
          SECOND SEVEN. 
          SECOND SEVEN. 
          UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF PASSING SEVEN ON CONSENT. 
          UNANIMOUS. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          [02:20:01]
YES, EXACTLY. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          ITEM EIGHT, ESTABLISH 
          [8. Establish a Deaccession Jury to review 8 Art In Public Places pieces ]
A DE ASCENSION JURY TO REVIEW EIGHT ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, PIECES. 
          SO HERE IS ANOTHER GROUP WE NEED TO ASSEMBLE. 
          UM, THERE IS A LETTER. 
          JUST COMMISSIONER. 
          OH, COMMISSIONER. 
          FORMER COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. 
          CAN YOU COME EXPLAIN THIS STUFF? . 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          JAIME CASTILLO, MANAGER OF ART IN PUBLIC PLACES. 
          SO LATINO. 
          I'VE GOT A GOATEE, I'M WEARING A BLUE SHIRT, UH, UP FOR, UH, CONVERSATION TONIGHT IS WE'RE REQUESTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF A DE SESSION JURY. 
          UH, AS I MENTIONED LAST MONTH, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS A, AN ARTS COMMISSIONER THAT THE JURY CONSISTS OF AN ARTS COMMISSIONER, AN A IPB PANEL MEMBER AND AN ARTS PROFESSIONAL WITHIN THE INDUSTRIES OF CONSERVATION, UH, REGISTRAR, ET CETERA AHEAD. 
          AND THE, THE JURY WOULD REVIEW THE, UM, THE EIGHT ARTWORKS, UH, THAT WERE PROVIDED IN BACKUP TO CONFIRM THAT THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DS SESSION. 
          CAN YOU REMIND ME, AND I'M SORRY IF YOU JUST SAID THAT 'CAUSE I WAS GETTING COMMISSIONER MULVA SET UP. 
          HOW MANY COMMISSIONERS WOULD YOU LIKE? 'CAUSE YOU ONE. 
          JUST ONE. 
          OKAY. 
          ONE ARTS COMMISSIONER, ONE A IPP PANEL MEMBER. 
          PERFECT. 
          WE HAVE A ARTS PROFESSION. 
          WE HAVE A VERY EAGER VOLUNTEER. 
          CAN I COME WHO IS ALSO OUR FORMER? CAN I COME HOME TO A-I-I-P-P FOR A LITTLE WHILE? SCHOOL FOR ME? UH, DO WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE OUR NOMINEE? I, I APPROVE. 
          WE GOT APPROVE. 
          I SECOND MCNA. 
          UH, MOTION TO APPROVE. 
          SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HOUSTON. 
          ALL IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER GRAY SERVING TO CLARIFY, I'M, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER, BEFORE YOU TAKE THE, TO CLARIFY THE, THE ARTS PROFESSIONAL, WE HAVE A LIST OF ARTS PROFESSIONAL ALREADY. 
          SO WE WOULD JUST GO AND, AND IDENTIFY THE, THE PERSON THAT IS MOST AVAILABLE FOR A MEETING. 
          WE'RE NOT CHOOSING OUR, WE'RE SHE CHOOSING OUR COMMISSIONER, RIGHT. 
          JUST ARTS COMMISSIONER. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. 
          YEAH. 
          WE'RE ALL IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER GRAY, SERVING ON THE IDEA SESSION PANEL. 
          UNANIMOUS. 
          COOL. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, THERE WAS PUBLIC, UH, COMMENT SUBMITTED. 
          THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO BE PRESENT TONIGHT, UH, TO SPEAK IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY. 
          SO WE'VE, UH, CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR LETTER TO BE READ SO THAT IT IS SUBMITTED TO THE RECORD IN REGARDS TO THE DESES OF A SPECIFIC PIECE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER. 
          AND OUR A IPP LIAISON WILL READ SAID LETTERS. 
          THIS LETTER'S DATED OCTOBER 16TH AND IT WAS SENT, UH, ADD ADDRESSED TO SEAN HARRISON WITH ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, SENIOR COORDINATOR, COLLECTIONS MANAGER, AND TO CARLA NICKERSON ADAMS MANAGER COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER DEPARTMENT. 
          DEAR MR. HARRISON AND MS. NICKERSON ADAMS, I'M WRITING TO ADVOCATE STRONGLY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF RIFS AND RHYTHMS. THE MOSAIC PUBLIC ARTWORK INSTALLED AT THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER. 
          THIS WAS A MAJOR WORK COMMISSIONED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, AND WAS INSTALLED IN THE RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED CONVENTION CENTER. 
          IN 1996, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ACCEPTED THE WORK RIFFS AND RHYTHMS INTO THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PERMANENT COLLECTION THAT SAME YEAR. 
          THIS IS A SPEC, A SPECIAL DESIGNATION BECAUSE IT PLACES WORKS OF CIVIC AND CULTURAL IMPORTANCE UNDER THE PROTECTION AND STEWARDSHIP OF A MAJOR CITY. 
          WITH THE RESOURCES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, IT IS A SPECIAL DISTINCTION THAT RECOGNIZES THAT A WORK OF ART SHOULD HAVE A PERMANENT PRESENCE IN A CITY. 
          AND IN THE LIVES OF CI, ITS CITIZENS AND VISITORS, IT ACKNOWLEDGES THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ARTWORK. 
          THIS RESPONSIBILITY IS OBVIOUSLY MORE MORAL AND ETHICAL THAN LEGAL BECAUSE ALL PUBLIC ART CONTRACTS INCLUDE CLAUSES TO PROTECT AND INDEMNIFY THE CITY OR GOVERNMENT ENTITY FROM LEGAL HARM IN THE EVENT OF LOSS DUE TO A CATASTROPHIC OR TRAGIC OCCURRENCE THAT IS BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE COMMISSIONING GOVERNMENT ENTITY. 
          I DO UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE BEEN CREATING COMMISSIONED PUBLIC ARTWORKS FOR OVER 40 YEARS, HOWEVER, IN MY OPINION, THAT LEGAL INDEMNITY SHOULD NOT AND DOES NOT RELEASE ANY CITY FROM THEIR MORAL AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES. 
          AS THE STEWARDS OF IMPORTANT WORKS OF PUBLIC ART, AUSTIN HAS PRIDED ITSELF AS A CITY OF CULTURAL RICHNESS THAT VALUES ITS ARTS AND ARTISTS AS AN INTEGRAL AND ESSENTIAL PART OF THE VERY FABRIC OF ITS IDENTITY AND CULTURAL ETHOS. 
          IT IS ENC CROS WITH THIS IMAGE AND IDENTITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN APPARENT COURSE OF ACTION REGARDING THE HANDLING OF SEVERAL MAJOR PUBLIC ARTWORKS AND ITS PERMANENT COLLECTION. 
          LOCATED AT THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, WALEY, TAKING A WRECKING BALL TO A MAJOR PUBLIC ARTWORK LIKE RIFS 
          [02:25:01]
AND RHYTHMS, AND THEN TOSSING ITS RUINS INTO A DUMPSTER LIKE TRASH IS NOTHING SHORT OF AN ACT OF CULTURAL BARBARISM THAT IS UNWORTHY OF OUR CITY. 
          THIS IS THE FATE THAT AWAITS RIFFS AND RHYTHMS IF THE RECOMMENDATION OF ART IN PUBLIC PLACES AND SUBSEQUENT ACTIONS OF THE ARTS COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL MANDATE THAT THIS UNIQUE AND IMPORTANT WORK OF ART BE WILLFULLY AND DELIBERATELY DESTROYED DURING THE COMING DEMO DEMOLITION OF THE AUSTIN, OF THE CURRENT AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER. 
          IN THE CASE OF RIFS AND RHYTHMS, THE TERM DEES IS SIMPLY A EU EUPHEMISM FOR WHAT ISN'T ACTUALLY WILLFUL DESTRUCTION IS I ASK IF A PIAZ IN AN ITALIAN CITY NEEDED TO BE RECONSTRUCTED, WOULD THE DECISION OF THAT CITY BE TO CHUCK ALL THE ART IN THAT PIAZ INTO THE DUMPSTER TO MAKE WAY FOR REMODEL PI? OF COURSE, NOT SUCH AN ACTION WOULD BE UNTHINKABLE AND CONSIDERED A GROSSLY UNCIVILIZED ACTION THAT BETRAYED THE CITY'S CIVIC DUTY AS THE TRUSTED STEWARDS OF ITS VALUED WORKS OF ART. 
          ANOTHER SOLUTION WOULD CERTAINLY BE FOUND. 
          I IMPLORE THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO SUPPORT ANOTHER SOLUTION IN THE CASE OF RIFS AND RHYTHMS AND SPARE THIS MAJOR ARTWORK FROM TOTAL DESTRUCTION WHILE THE OPTION HAS BEEN PRESENTED THAT INVITES ARTISTS TO PAY FOR DEIN INSTALLATION AND RELOCATION OF THE ARTWORKS IN THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER. 
          THIS IS ENTIRELY UNREALISTIC OPTION TO PUT IT MILDLY TO SUGGEST THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL ARTIST HAS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON HAND TO DE-INSTALL, SHIP AND RELOCATE WORKS OF SUCH SIZE AND COMPLEXITY, BORDERS ON LUDICROUS AND REFLECTS LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE FINANCIAL REALITY OF BEING AN ARTIST. 
          CONSEQUENTLY, THIS CANNOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE COURSE OF ACTION AVAILABLE TO ANY OF THE ARTISTS. 
          ANOTHER SOLUTION IS URGENTLY REQUIRED. 
          RIFFS AND RHYTHMS IS NOT ONLY WORK OF ART AND DANGER OF IMMINENT DESTRUCTION BY THE CITY. 
          AND THIS RAISES AN OTHER ISSUE THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED. 
          I SERVED AS A CHAIR OF ART IN PUBLIC PLACES FROM 1996 TO 2001, AND I'M VERY AWARE OF THE HISTORICALLY LOW REPRESENTATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS IN THE CITY'S PUBLIC ART COLLECTION IN 2024. 
          THE SITUATION CONTINUES TO EXIST WHILE ART IN PUBLIC PLACES HAS HAD SUCCESS IN RECENT COMMISSIONS OF A NUMBER OF TEMPORARY PUBLIC ARTWORKS AND INSTALLATIONS BY AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS. 
          THE EXTREMELY LOW REPRESENTATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTION REMAINS CONSPICUOUSLY LOW WITH FEW WORKS COMMISSIONED WITH THE CURRENT PROPOSAL REGARDING THE PUBLIC ART IN THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE CITY INTENDS TO DESTROY TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WORKS BY AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS IN ITS COLLECTIONS AND ONE FELL SWOOP. 
          A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF THE PERMANENT WORKS BY AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS THE CITY HAS EVER COMMISSIONED IN THE HISTORY OF A-A-I-P-P WILL SIMPLY BE SWEPT OUT OF EXISTENCE IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING THE WONTON DESTRUCTION OF SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC ARTWORKS OF TWO MAJOR AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS IN ITS COLLECTION. 
          I AM SPEAKING OF MARGO SAWYER AND MYSELF, TWO ARTISTS WITH VERY LONG AND DISTINGUISHED CAREERS IN PUBLIC ART. 
          IS THIS THE ACT OF A PROGRESSIVE CITY? IT IS IRONIC MOMENT FOR ME AS AN ARTIST TO HAVE THE AUSTIN REVITALIZATION AUTHORITY JUST COMPLETING THE RESTORATION OF MY ICONIC RHAP CITY MOSAIC MURAL ITY PLAZA ON EAST 11TH STREET WHILE THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS CONSIDERING TAKING A WRECKING BALL TO DESTROY MY RIFFS AND RHYTHMS MOSAIC MURAL IN THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER. 
          I'M IN THE PROCESS OF RESEARCHING THE PROCESS AND COST OF HAVING RIFFS AND RHYTHMS PROFESSIONALLY DE-INSTALL DEINSTALLED AND RELOCATED. 
          AND I IMPLORE THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO CONSIDER ITS ROLE AS STEWARDS OF ITS PUBLIC ART COLLECTION AND PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SUPPORT JOHN A YANCY ARTIST MURALIST. 
          AND THERE IS A EMAIL TOO THAT WAS SENT ON OCTOBER 21ST, UH, AD ADDRESS TO JAIME CASTILLO. 
          HELLO, JAIME. 
          THANK YOU FOR REACHING OUT. 
          I KNOW YOU'RE VERY DEDICATED TO THE ARTS IN AUSTIN. 
          TO CLARIFY MY REFERENCE TO RESPONSIBILITY FOR STEWARDSHIP AND SUPPORT, A PRESERVATION WAS NOT DIRECTED AT ART IN PUBLIC PLACES. 
          I KNOW THAT A IPP DOES NOT HAVE THE FUNDING RESOURCES IN ITS PROGRAM AND MANDATE TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION. 
          MY REQUEST WAS DIRECTED AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE THE FUNDING AND RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION. 
          OVER THE YEARS, THE CITY HAS STEPPED UP TO ADDRESS CRITICAL PUBLIC ART SITUATIONS THAT ARE 
          [02:30:01]
BEYOND A IPPS FUNDING CAPABILITIES AND MANDATE. 
          AN EXAMPLE FOR MY OWN TIME AS CHAIR OF AIP P OCCURRED TO ADDRESS FUNDING FOR PUBLIC ART AT THE NEWLY BUILT AUSTIN BERGSTROM AIRPORT. 
          AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS A STRICT 370 5K LIMIT ON A IPP PROJECTS. 
          THIS WAS BEFORE A TRUE 1% PROGRAM WAS IN PLACE, BOTH THE ORIGINAL AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER AND THE OLD MILLER AIRPORT HAD A MAXIMUM OF 370 5K TO COVER ALL EXPENSES FOR PUBLIC ART. 
          DESPITE, DESPITE THE SIZE OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE CONSTRUCTION BUDGET, WHEN PRESS INS INSISTENT, OOPS, SORRY, WHEN PRESS I CONSISTENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, RELENTED AND PROVIDED SUFFICIENT FUNDING FOR PUBLIC ART AT BERK BERKSHIRE AIRPORT MORE RECENTLY. 
          WHILE I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE DETAILS, I KNOW THAT FUNDING WAS FOUND FOR THE RECENT RELOCATION OF CHICANO ROCK FROM WATERLOO PARK. 
          THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO SUPPORT THIS IF IT CHOOSES. 
          AND THERE MUST BE NO MISTAKE THAT IF PUBLIC ART ULTIMATELY DESTROYED, IT WILL BE A MATTER OF DE DELIBERATE, A DELIBERATE CHOICE BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          ALL I CAN ASK OF A IPP, THE ARTS COMMISSION AND THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER IS THEIR ADVOCACY TO PERSUADE THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND PROTECT RIFS AND RHYTHMS FROM DESTRUCTION. 
          MY EVENING CAREGIVER DUTIES FOR MY MOTHER DO NOT ALLOW ME TO ATTEND THE ARTS COMMISSION MEETING ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21ST. 
          BUT I HOPE MY LETTER AND COMMENTS CAN BE ENTERED INTO RECORD. 
          THANKS AGAIN FOR REACHING OUT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING THIS FURTHER. 
          JOHN A ENC. 
          THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MULLA. 
          OKAY. 
          CAN YOU PASS THIS DOWN? OH YEAH. 
          AND PASS THIS TO COMMISSIONER MULLA. 
          SHE'S GOT SIGN. 
          OKAY. 
          WITH THAT, I THINK WE CAN MOVE ON TO ITEM NINE. 
          APPROVED 2025 ARTS COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULED. 
          HAS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO RE USE IT? OH, SURE. 
          COMMISSIONER GRAY BACK ON ITEM EIGHT. 
          YEAH, BACK ON THAT. 
          JUST, IS IT, IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION COULD DO A RESOLUTION FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE FINE, I MEAN, SOMEBODY TO PAY FOR THE, TO PAY FOR THE, TO PAY FOR THE, IT'S OKAY FOR THE, I MEAN, WHO, MR. CASTILLO, WILL YOU JOIN US DOWN HERE? ? UM, I MEAN, WHAT CAN THE ARTS COMMISSION DO AS A BODY TO HELP THAT PERHAPS HAPPEN ON CITY LEVEL? I THINK AT, AT THIS POINT, IT'S, IT'S THE FORMATION OF THE DEACCESSION JURY BECAUSE AT THAT POINT IT'LL ALL BE WITHIN THERE. 
          AT THAT POINT, WE WOULD PROVIDE ALL THE INFORMATION, CONTEXT, UH, AND DETAILS INCLUDING COST FOR DEINS INSTALLATION AND THAT CONVERSATION, CONVERSATION CAN BE FULLY HAD GOTCHA. 
          DURING THAT PROCESS. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          GREAT. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL WE HAVE, JAIME. 
          OKAY. 
          LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO THIS. 
          OH, OH WAIT, PEOPLE ARE SHOUTING OUT. 
          NO, NO, NO. 
          NOT, NOT BEHIND ME. 
          OKAY. 
          I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE SCHEDULE. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, MR. MULLIN'S GOT A QUESTION FOR BEHIND ME. 
          I DO KNOW FOR, FOR, SO FOR THIS PIECE, AND I KNOW BECAUSE EVERYTHING FOR THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER SEEMS TO BE MOVING REALLY FAST. 
          SO HOW FAST DO WE NEED TO MOVE? UM, OR, OR LIKE, DOES THIS NEED TO HAPPEN AS FAR AS WHETHER OR NOT THIS PIECE CAN BE SAVED AND DEINSTALLED AND REINSTALLED ELSEWHERE? UH, THE ELEMENTS AFFECTING THIS TIMELINE ARE THE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE ITSELF FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION. 
          SO WE ARE MOVING AT A BRISK PACE, BUT THERE'S STILL OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE, UM, POSSIBLE OUTCOMES. 
          THAT'S MY BOSS. 
          , COME ON DOWN. 
          I WOULD JUST SAY THAT ONCE THE APPEAL, ONCE THE, THE DIA SESSION JURY MEETS AND STARTS HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO MEET WITH THE SPONSOR DEPARTMENT, SEE WHAT OPTIONS THERE ARE, IF ANY. 
          WE WOULD NOT BE JUST TO, TO MAKE THINGS CLEAR. 
          IT WOULD NOT BE FOR ONE PIECE, IT WOULD BE FOR ALL EIGHT PIECES. 
          WE WOULD BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE, THE FUNDING AMOUNT WOULD BE AND IF THERE'S ANY WIGGLE IN THEIR BUDGET TO ASSIST WITH THAT. 
          THERE MIGHT NOT BE, BUT WE ARE HAPPY ALWAYS TO MAKE THAT ASK. 
          AND THAT WOULD NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD THEN GET REINSTALLED ON ANOTHER CITY PROPERTY. 
          IT WOULD GO BACK TO THE ARTISTS TO DO WHAT THEY WOULD, UM, AS IS IN THE GUIDELINES. 
          ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING ITEM EIGHT? OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          SO GOING ON TO ITEM 
          [9. Approve 2025 Arts Commission Meeting Schedule]
NINE, OUR ANNUAL SCHEDULE. 
          YEAH, I, I DO LIKE TO, UM, KIND OF, UM, EXPLORE THE IDEA THAT DURING THE SUMMERTIME 
          [02:35:02]
WE DON'T HAVE TO MEET IN JULY OR AUGUST OR AT LEAST JUST TAKE ONE OUT BECAUSE I, I JUST THINK, DON'T YOU THINK, I MEAN, IT IS LIKE OTHER COMMISSIONS DO NOT MEET EVERY MONTH. 
          SO I I THINK THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, TAKE ONE OFF LIKE JULY OR AUGUST. 
          IT'S ABSOLUTELY TOO HOT TO BE INSIDE AN AIR CONDITIONED BUILDING. 
           WELL, DRIVING DOWN AND, AND PLUS, YOU KNOW, I HEAR YOU SOME SUMMER VACATION. 
          I HAVE HEARD THAT WE ARE LIKE THE ONLY COMMISSION THAT MEETS CONSISTENTLY MONTH AFTER MONTH THAT WE'VE GOT VERY LITTLE MARCH. 
          YOU GUYS MEET EVERY MONTH. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SEE, WE GOTTA KEEP TOE TO TOE WITH MUSIC. 
          I DON'T KNOW. 
          I I, I THINK THAT ESPECIALLY DURING A MEETING WHERE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A REAL NEED TO BE PRESENT AND PROACTIVE AND NOT REACTIVE, THAT TAKING A MEETING OFF OF OUR CALENDAR IN THIS VERY MOMENT IS PERHAPS NOT WISE. 
          LET'S, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL HUMAN AND WE HAVE LIVES AND JOBS AND WHEN WE NEED TO MISS MEETING, WE DO. 
          UM, AND THAT WE, WE HAVE ALLOWANCE AND FORGIVENESS FOR THAT. 
          SO I, I'M HESITANT TO, TO SHORTEN OUR CALENDAR WHEN WE AS AN ARTS COMMUNITY HAVE A LOT TO DO. 
          BUT I APPRECIATE IT. 
          YEAH, YOU JUST GO TO EGYPT AND YEAH. 
          EVERYWHERE YOU'RE GONE ALL OVER. 
          COMMISSIONER GRAY. 
          I APPROVE, MOVE TO APPROVE. 
          I, IT'S LOOKING GOOD FOR ME. 
          I I ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE, I WOULD, CAN WE MARCH 17TH IS SPRING BREAK? YEAH. 
          AND THE WEEK BEFORE SPRING BREAK AND PARENTS, MOST OF US MAYBE NEED TO GET OUT OF TOWN. 
          YEAH, I I WOULD AGREE THAT THAT MARCH DATE, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, WE HAVE CONFLICTS TOO, RIGHT? THAT HOLIDAY, PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, THOSE HAVE ALREADY MOVED. 
          YEAH, THOSE HAVE, THEY ALREADY MOVED. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          SO I'M NOT LOOKING AT THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          JANUARY 20TH IS GONNA BE THE 27TH. 
          FEBRUARY 17TH IS A HOLIDAY. 
          BUT I WOULD MO ASK WHATEVER MOTION TO MOVE MARCH. 
          MARCH TO THE NEXT WEEK, TO THE 24TH AND NOT BE DURING SPRING BREAK. 
          I KNOW THAT THAT'S BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF WHATEVER CITY BUILDING. 
          SO WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT I'M RIGHT. 
          JESUS, YOU DEFINITELY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE ABLE CALL. 
          WE'D HAVE TO. 
          THAT'S FINE. 
          YEAH, THAT'S OKAY. 
          SO, UM, SO WE'RE ASKING FOR MARCH TO BE RESCHEDULED, JUST NOT DURING, I MEAN, IF NOBODY ELSE HAS A PROBLEM WITH IT, I CAN JUST MISS IT. 
          BUT SPRING BREAK IS TOUGH. 
          SPRING BREAK IS, OH NO, IT'S GOTTA BE THE WEEKEND AFTER. 
          NO, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. 
          YEAH. 
          THE 17TH BAD. 
          IT'S, WELL IT'S, THAT'S SOUTH BY TOO, ISN'T IT? YEAH. 
          THE SOUTH BY, SO SOUTH BY IS THE SEVENTH TO THE 15TH AND THE SPRING BREAK. 
          WELL, AND THEN IT'S A ISD SPRING BREAK IS THE 17TH 20. 
          IT'S WEEK OF THE 17TH. 
          SO I'M MAYBE THE 24TH. 
          THE 24TH, YEAH. 
          IS WHAT WE'RE HOPING FOR. 
          SO, UM, DO WE NEED A MOTION TO MAKE THAT SUGGESTION? AND IF SO, LET'S WAIT UNTIL WE GET TO THE END OF THE CALENDAR JUST TO MAKE SURE. 
          I, ONE YEAR WE GOT, UM, WATCH MY LANGUAGE BAMBOOZLED OUT OF A MEETING BECAUSE OUT OF A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING BECAUSE WE HAD TO MOVE IT AS A RESULT OF JUNETEENTH. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THE 16TH, IS THAT MONDAY? I KNOW JUNETEENTH IS FOR THE CITY IS THE 19TH, BUT WHEN DO YOU GUYS GET YOUR HOLIDAY? 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT IMPACTS OUR ABILITY TO MEET FOR JUNETEENTH. 
          IT'S PROBABLY 19TH. 
          THE FEDERAL HOLIDAY IS THE 19TH. 
          19TH. 
          SO IT, THE FEDERAL HOLIDAY IS THE 19TH. 
          IT'S THE 19TH. 
          OKAY. 
          WHEN IT WAS JUST A CITY HOLIDAY. 
          IT WAS JUST THAT MONDAY. 
          SO IT'LL BE THAT THURSDAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S FINE. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          SO JUNE IS GOOD. 
          ANY OTHER RED FLAGS? Y'ALL? THERE WAS, I THINK THIS LOOKS GOOD. 
          AND IT'S THE END OF 2025. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE 2025 CALENDAR MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CHENEY? I MOVED THAT. 
          WE APPROVE IT PENDING. 
          OH YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, SO LET'S MOTION TO MOVE MARCH'S MEETING TO THE 24TH AND THEN WE'LL FIND OUT WHERE WE'LL BE MEETING. 
          I'M ALSO REALLY OPEN TO MEETING SOMEWHERE BESIDE CITY HALL. 
          SO IF WE WANTED TO DO JANUARY AND FEBRUARY AT AUSTIN ENERGY OR PERMANENT AND DEVELOPMENT, THAT P AND DI HAVE TO CHECK AND SEE. 
          YEAH. 
          OR HERE. 
          NO, I LIVE SOUTH. 
          ME TOO. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT I THINK WHAT HAPPENS IS SCHEDULING, SO IF WE DON'T SORT OF GET ON TOP OF RESCHEDULING IT AND FINDING A LOCKING IN A LOCATION, THEN WE COULD GET, YOU KNOW, LIKE ONE, JUST ONE SINGLE MOTION. 
          SO THE, YOU'RE SAYING THE APPROVAL OF THE 
          [02:40:01]
CALENDAR WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MARCH . 
          OKAY. 
          I MEAN WE WE'RE ALL IN AGREEANCE THAT MARCH NEEDS TO TO BE MOVED ANYWAY. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO SHOULD WE JUST, YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          SO MOTION TO MOVE MARCH AND THEN APPROVE AND THEN SECONDED IN ALL UNANIMOUS. 
          SECONDED BY GRAY. 
          UNANIMOUS. 
          THAT MARCH WILL BE RESCHEDULED AFTER SPRING BREAK FOR A SD AND THEN MOTION TO APPROVE THE REMAINDER OF THE CALENDAR FOR 2025. 
          MOTION BY GRAY. 
          SECONDED BY GARZA. 
          WE'LL GIVE IT TO HIM. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          JUST SO I HAVE TO SUBMIT THIS APPROVED ALMOST SCHEDULE. 
          SO WE'RE PROVING MARCH 24TH. 
          YES. 
          AND THE ENTIRE G YES, EXACTLY. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SORRY, NOT THE MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD AND I APPRECIATE IN AL'S ATTEMPTS TO GET ME ON THE RIGHT PATH. 
          UM, MOVING ON TO 
          [10. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Gray and Schmalbach (chair). ]
WORKING GROUP UPDATES. 
          , WE HAVE ITEM 10 UPDATE FROM THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSIONER WORKING GROUP ON URBAN CORE ISSUES WITH COMMISSIONERS GRAY AND SCH SMALL BLOCK CHAIR. 
          YES. 
          WE HAVEN'T, WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC WORKING GROUP UPDATE 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T MET SINCE LAST MONTH. 
          BUT A PROJECT THAT WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING AND, UM, HAVING LOTS OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IS THE, THE CAP AND STITCH PROGRAM, OUR FUTURE 35. 
          AND WE HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS, UM, WITH LOTS AND LOTS OF CREDIT TO THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION STAFF. 
          UM, I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN, BUT WE GOT THE CITY RECEIVED A, AN A NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS GRANT TO LAUNCH AN ARTISAN RESIDENCE PROGRAM FOR THE CAP AND STITCH PROJECT. 
          SO THAT'S OUR FUTURE 35, THE CAPS AND STITCHES THAT WILL GO OVER I 35 WHEN IT'S EXPANDED. 
          AND THAT'S LARGELY ABOUT USING ARTISTIC PRACTICE AND ARTISTIC METHODOLOGIES TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY AND GET AS MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS LIKE, MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT AS POSSIBLE. 
          UM, WE HAD, I WAS ON THE, THE, UM, THE COMMITTEE, THE D UM, TO SELECT THE ARTISTS. 
          THERE WERE INCREDIBLE ARTISTS, INCREDIBLE CONVERSATIONS. 
          AND WE WERE ONLY GOING TO BE HIRING ONE ARTIST. 
          UM, AND IT'S A, IT'S A NI IT'S A $70,000 PROJECT, UM, TO THE ARTIST. 
          AND WE, UM, EFFECTIVELY LOBBIED TO GET TWO ARTISTS INSTEAD OF ONE AT THE SAME, LIKE DOUBLE DOUBLE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ARTISTS. 
          AND THAT IS ENTIRELY DUE TO OUR CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION STAFF'S, UM, ADVOCACY AND THE, UM, COOPERATION OF THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT. 
          SO LOTS OF THANKS TO STAFF FOR THAT. 
          AND WE DON'T, WE HAVEN'T ANNOUNCED ARTISTS YET, BUT IT'S VERY EXCITING. 
          AND THAT'S SOME GOOD, GOOD NEWS FOR A BIG PROJECT. 
          THAT'S FANTASTIC NEWS. 
          AND REALLY ENCOURAGING THAT LIKE INTERDEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION, EVALUATION OF THE ARTS. 
          IT WORKS. 
          EVERYBODY. 
          COMMISSIONER CAN I MAKE, CAN I MAKE A REQUEST, UM, FOR, FROM THAT WORKING GROUP THAT THEY, UM, PUT AN EYE IN, IN THE WHOLE CAP AND STITCH THING, THEY PUT AN EYE TO HOW TRAFFIC IS GONNA BE ROOTED SO THAT WE DON'T DESTROY THE NEIGHBORHOODS EAST OF 35, BECAUSE THAT'S SOME MAJOR CONCERN. 
          I'M HEARING THAT IN DALLAS, THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS WERE DESTROYED. 
          AND DURING THE PROCESS, DURING THE PROCESS OF PUTTING THE CAPS AND STITCHES UP AND, AND IF, IF THE WORK OF 1928 IS ACCOMPLISHED WITH CAP AND STITCH, IT'S GONNA BE VERY, VERY SAD. 
          IT'S GONNA BE VERY, VERY SAD IF WE LOSE THE CULTURAL SOUL OF EAST AUSTIN IN AN EFFORT TO, SO IF YOU'LL PUT THAT IN THE WORKING GROUP'S MIND THAT IN THE PROCESS OF THIS, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE STRESSING. 
          YOU HAVE GOT TO MITIGATE THE DAMAGE TO THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THE WORKING GROUP THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS JUST THE ARTS PORTION OF THAT. 
          IT'S NOT THE ENTIRE CAP AND STITCH, BUT YES. 
          HEARD ABSOLUTELY. 
          BUT I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE SAYING REPEATEDLY THE SAME THING. 
          YOU'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT TO PRESERVE THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AS MANY VOICES AS POSSIBLE. 
          I'LL, I'LL SAY AS QUICKLY TO THAT, I WENT TO THE I 35 CAP AND STITCH PRESENTATION AT CANOPY, THAT EVENT THAT THEY HAD THERE. 
          AND THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED TDOT AND THEY DID NOT HAVE A VERY GOOD ANSWER. 
          OH. 
          SO IT REALLY, AS MANY VOICES AS POSSIBLE HIGHLIGHTING THAT AS AN, A POTENTIAL ISSUE, AN AN INEVITABLE ISSUE. 
          UM, OKAY, MOVING ON TO ITEM 
          [11. 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)]
11. 
          UPDATING UPDATE FROM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP ON COLLECTING FEEDBACK ON PILOT FUNDING PROGRAMS AND PLANNING ON WAYS ARTS COMMISSION CAN BE MORE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          DID YOU CHANGE THESE? I FEEL LIKE THESE ARE SO MUCH LONGER AND DIFFERENT THAN THIS. 
          IS THIS, SOMEBODY'S TAKEN LIBERTIES WITH THE NAMES OF THESE WORKING GROUPS. 
          UM, HOW LONG WERE YOU IN VEGAS? THIS IS TOO LONG. 
          [02:45:01]
UM, WITH, UH, COMMISSIONERS ISMAN HOUSTON AND NEY CHAIR. 
          YEAH, I MEAN, EFFECTIVELY IT'S BEEN A VERY HECTIC FEW MONTHS FOR YOU. 
          I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE UPDATE. 
          UM, IT'S BEEN, WE LOST, UH, MEMBERS OF THIS WORKING GROUP EARLY ON. 
          IT'S BEEN A VERY HECTIC PAST SIX MONTHS FOR YOU AND YOUR SPACE AND LIMITED AVAILABILITY AND BANDWIDTH FOR THIS WORKING GROUP. 
          WE HAVE EFFECTIVELY CREATED A MUCH MORE SPECIFIC WORKING GROUP, UM, EARLIER IN THE MEETING. 
          AND YOU KNOW, WE, THIS, THIS WORKING GROUP, I THINK EFFECTIVELY SHOULD BE SUNSET AT THIS POINT. 
          WE MOVE TO SUNSET. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SECONDED BY GRAY. 
          ALL IN FAVOR OF SUNSET. 
          THE, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP THAT WAS FORMALLY SET UP ALL IN FAVOR OF SUNSET. 
          THIS WORKING GROUP SPECIFICALLY, IT'S A SET, OH, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON HAS FEELINGS. 
          THAT'S FINE. 
          UM, WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP THAT'S GONNA DO THIS IN A MUCH MORE INTENTIONAL AND FOCUSED WAY. 
          I THINK THIS WORKING GROUP WAS THE SUCCESSOR OF THE PREVIOUS ITERATION, WHICH EXPERIENCED ITS DIFFERENT, UM, ITS OWN FAILURES AND SHORTCOMINGS. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY I DO THINK THAT THIS WORKING GROUP HAS SORT OF FALLEN VICTIM TO THE SAME IN REGARDS TO AVAILABILITY. 
          UM, AND, AND JUST BANDWIDTH ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION. 
          SO I THINK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY AND HAVING A MUCH MORE RIGID DEADLINE AND OBJECTIVES IN TERMS OF INFORMATION THAT WE'RE COLLECTING AND PROVIDING TO STAFF, UM, IT'S GONNA BE MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL. 
          SO ALL IN FAVOR OF SUNING, THE WORKING GROUP. 
          WE GOT, WE GOT A MOTION BY OR WHO MOTIONED MOCK AND THEN, AND THEN ALL IN FAVOR OF SUN SETTING. 
          ALL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COMMISSIONER HOUSTON. 
          OKAY. 
          FUTURE AGENDA 
          [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
ITEMS. UM, WE WILL HAVE OUR APPEALS WORKING GROUP. 
          WE'LL NEED TO BE THERE TO REPORT OUR DECISIONS. 
          UM, THE WILL YOU NEED THE DESCENSION BACK ON THE NOVEMBER AGENDA, MR. CASTILLO FOR A IPP. 
          DO YOU, OR JUST SO I KNOW, DOES THAT GO ON NOVEMBER OR IS THAT GONNA BE DECEMBER? DO YOU NEED THAT FROM US ON THE AGENDA IN THIS MOMENT? WE'LL AIM FOR NOVEMBER, BUT IT FEELS LIKE A DECEMBER UPDATE, SO, OKAY. 
          WE'LL WAIT TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU. 
          SO IT'S A POTENTIAL FUTURE AGENDA ITEM. 
          UM, WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE WORKING GROUP THAT WAS ESTABLISHED. 
          WE'VE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO OTHER ITEMS ALREADY ON THE NOVEMBER AGENDA. 
          SO THAT WILL PROBABLY BE A PRETTY FULL, UH, MEETING AS IT SITS RIGHT NOW IN OCTOBER. 
          SO WE CAN MAYBE LEAVE IT AT THAT. 
          UM, ARE WE NOT DOING ADAMS FOR INFORMATION ANYMORE OR IS IT JUST GETTING, YOU KNOW, DO THE, UH, CLERK'S OFFICE TOLD ME THAT IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE AGENDA. 
          THEY'RE NO FUN. 
          YEAH, I DON'T HAVE MUCH. 
          I SWEAR THEY KEEP I KNOW THEY'RE SHORTENING US. 
          THEY ARE. 
          CAN I AND WE WILL GO THREE HOURS REGARDLESS, SO, OKAY. 
          WELL NO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS OR, OR I'M SORRY, NO ITEMS FOR INFORMATION, BUT I WOULD SAY WE'RE ARTS COMMUNITY AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT, SHOUT IT OUT. 
          YEAH, YEAH, GO FOR IT. 
          WELL, I, I, I WAS AT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AND I HEARD THAT, UM, I HEARD A PRESENTATION, I THINK IT'S RELEVANT TO OUR A IPP PROBABLY. 
          UM, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS, UH, AUSTIN CALL TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION PLAN AROUND DOWNTOWN AREA. 
          UH, SO THERE IS GOING TO BE A BOND PROPOSAL, UM, TO HAVE THE MOBILITY AROUND DOWNTOWN AREA. 
          AND I DID ASK THEM IF THEY'RE GOING TO INCLUDE AFTER THE EXPANSION OF I CERTIFY TO EX EXPAND THE YEARS OF, UM, IX 35 AS PART OF THE DOWNTOWN MOBILITY AND THAT THEY SAID THAT THERE'S ROOM FOR EXPANSION. 
          AND ALSO ON THEIR PROPOSAL ON THE BOND, UH, PROPOSAL, THEY PUT DOWN $10 MILLION FOR BUS STOPS. 
          NOW I ALWAYS BRING UP THE DS, I SAID, PLEASE BRING UP THE DS. 
          SO I, I AM GOING TO REALLY KEEP AN EYE ON HOW TO DECORATE THOSE $10 MILLION BUS STOPS AS PART OF THE A IPP PROJECT, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY MAKE IT A PRESENTATION IN JUST INSTEAD OF JUST THIS GO ALL, YOU KNOW? YEAH, YEAH, I KNOW. 
          SO JUST KEEP AN EYE ON THIS POTENTIAL. 
          $10 MILLION COMING INTO THE PIPELINE FOR OUR A, YOU KNOW, THE A IPP UM PROJECT, WE HAVE A BUS STOP THAT'S A IPP, RIGHT? IS THAT AN ONGOING YEAH, WE HAVE ONE BUS STOP. 
          IT'S ON MAINOR ROAD AND I LIVE RIGHT THERE. 
          SO I KNOW THAT IT'S A IPP WITH THE LES ON TOP, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW ACTIVE. 
          YEAH, JUST, JUST SO THAT YOU HAVE IT, 
          [02:50:01]
$10 MILLION, $10 MILLION FOR BUS STOPS. 
          SO IN ANY CASE, THAT'S MY REPORT. 
          THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MARK. 
          YEAH, THAT IS LOTS OF GOOD INFORMATION. 
          ALRIGHT, WE HAVE REACHED THE END OF OUR AGENDA. 
          I  EVERYBODY'S, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT. 
          I JUST LIKE TO SEE THEM JUMP. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          Y'ALL MEETING ADJOURNED. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          UH, TO THE COMMISSIONERS, IT IS.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.